Night's Meeting

Lucifer Night quietly observed his own reflection in the pond. A white haired fifteen year old boy stared back at him with expressionless black eyes. The sixpoint star pupils from before had faded away and the sclera had returned to being white instead of black, his eyes giving way to normalcy again...yet in his pupils the utter blackness of his magic still remained, swallowing all light that hit it. It had been sixteen hours since he had left New York City early in the morning. In Hakodate however, evening had already gently spread her glittering frock over the sky as the moon rose higher and higher in applause while the sun respectfully bowed away.

He stood in Goryokaku Fort, the seat of power of Hokkaido Province and the informal headquarters of Arima clan which ruled the entire island. All around him sprawled a stunningly beautiful traditional Japanese garden. The small flora was meticulously kept and allowed to bashfully expand a little more than the boundary. Tender grass grew underfoot, bravely denying all odds of the cold weather as it rose. A little stream flowed into the pond by which Lucifer stood, creating soft ripples in the dark water. A traditional shish odoshi drummed intermittently at the far end and brought the entire atmosphere to life with each knock.

Though he stood there in the garden in silence, his mind was screaming, lost in another dimension. His eyes didn't see the night reflected in the pond, but flashes of scenes darker than the lightless universe above him. He saw his expulsion as his small figure cried alone on the sofa while the towering ones dismissed him and closed the door on his face. The horribly cold night with its endless snow biting his body like snakes. The warmth of blood as he stood in an arena flooded with bodies...his shirtless figure reflected in the glassy eyes of the dead. The pains he'd feel every day as he felt his humanity being stripped from him...the torture as he screamed every single night while the relentless figure continued to burn his skin. The pain of losing his fingers again and again...having them healed...just to lose them again. Seeing her face, light brown hair falling over her hazel eyes..her empty eyes, her lifeless expression frozen with horror as he looked at it. He saw it again and again, but each time he did, the pain decreased a little and the image meant just a little less. He remembered the moment he felt his mind rip away his humanity to preserve his sanity.

Half of his life was pitch black...the other drenched in red. Yet here he stood without a word. Everything flashed all at once in mind, eating him from the inside even as he stood in the garden in apparent peace.

Lucifer closed his eyes with a tired heart and forcibly ended his memory reel, immediately stopping his mind's mad rampage for a cry of self-pity in an instant. For a second, the effort felt so great, he wanted to collapse on the ground, but he continued to hold himself up. Instead, he allowed himself a sigh and he breathed in the air around him. Even in April the nights could get cold in Hokkaido. Immediately, as if to answer his call, a cold wind picked up and mischievously breezed past his black coat making it flutter. He answered the goddess with a familiar grin as he raised his high collar further and stuffed his gloved hands further inside his pocket.

"Lucifer-sama, Arima-dono has summoned you to the meeting hall, if you please." said a delicate voice behind him. He turned around and saw Mariko, the head servant of the castle standing respectfully behind him with a bow. She was a rather old woman, her white hair neatly done in a firm bun, her face lined with wrinkles; however, her aura was completely serene and calm. Dressed in an impeccable dark red kimono, she continued to bow in silence, the fingers of her right hand gently grasping the left fingers. Nothing ever happened that could ever faze her or change her quiet, formal attitude as she dealt with the many guests and inhabitants of Goryokaku.

Lucifer broke into an almost awed laugh. "Damn, that old man doesn't play around, does he? Already knows everything I did?" Mariko continued to bow but a light sparkled in her bright eyes. Lucifer smiled. "Fine, I'll take a ba-"

"And Arima-dono insisted that a bath is definitely not needed before the meeting and one can be had at leisure after it." said Mariko, her tone still perfect, yet somehow commanding Lucifer to obey. He shook his head. "Someday, I'm gonna end up beating the hell out of that old man for all his...predictions." He said walking away.

"Because he can always predict you correctly?"

"What?" reeled around Lucifer. But Mariko had disappeared. He smiled as he stared at the empty garden for a second, then turned around and resumed his walk towards the official wing of the palace where everything was more modern, more formal...and much colder.

* * *

Dead silence weighed like thick mist in the large meeting room. This was a conference Lord Arima had called without any forewarning or program, and immediate attendance was expected despite the unconventional timing as if it was an emergency. Yet, right now, the atmosphere inside the room was frozen still, none saying a word...as if everyone was waiting for something.

The room was grand. Only the highest of clan meetings were held here with only the most powerful and distinguished members from the branch families ever allowed to attend. A plush red carpet covered almost the entire floor. On the outer border it didn't, gleaming white marble tiles lined the floor. An intricate, glamorous chandelier hung in bright tranquility from the ornate wooden roof. Huge, plush black leather armchairs lined the two sides of the carpet, but here was no table in the middle. At the head, facing the main door was the patriarch's chair...his throne. In appearance, it was not any different from the other black armchairs of the room, yet somehow the person who sat on it emitted an aura of utter and complete dominance. There was no fear in his air...just an absolute ability to command respect. His presence on that simple armchair transformed into a throne.

Lord Yamato Arima. Patriarch of the Arima clan and ruler of the Hokkaido island of Japan. A tall old man with long white hair flowing over the back of his head like a waterfall of pure snow. A long, thin beard hung from his chin to his chest, somehow lending him even more reverence. Unlike all the other men sitting on the room wearing suits, he sat in a casual, blue kimono. A long, white haori jacket rested on his shoulders, symbolizing the colors of Arima-clan he almost always donned. The huge banner of Arima-clan hung over the wall beside him. A blue cloth with a white horse inside a circle glaring at the observer.

Right now, Arima sat in meditation, his eyes closed on his throne as he awaited their last guest's arrival...the key to this meeting. With him in silence, no other man seated in the room dared make a noise. It was an odd meeting that not many knew the reason for. Hayato Fujimori sat mutely in the meeting hall. With veiled curious eyes he looked around. This was the first time he had been allowed inside the main meeting hall of the Arima-clan and the room had lived up to its tails of grandeur and sheer tension. But there were links missing on the Lord's court. Typically, the first chair in the right row, directly near the patriarch's seat, was for the captain of the clan. The seat to the right of the captain's chair, and the two seats closest to the patriarch's throne from the left row were for the three lieutenants of the clan. Hayato stared curiously; the captain's chair was empty and so was the second chair on the left row for lieutenant Azusawa. The highest ranks of the Arima clan not attending a meeting like this? Something's up. Although, in the Captain's case, it's not-

The two huge wooden doors to meeting hall flew open with little regard for noise or subtlety. Every eye turned and they shifted in their seats as The White Devil stood in the doorway. His white hair easily falling over his black eyes, his black coat swaying slightly, and his white gloved hands pushing both doors aside with almost an annoyance. In an instant, Lucifer scanned the room and walked in. There was a certain arrogance in his expression, yet one of control, and perfect knowledge. Not many of the faces he saw lining the two rows were of much significance to him, but everyone eagerly stared at him. Where would he sit?

Even that small gesture would give the people in this room some hint as to what his rank in the clan was, but Lucifer ignored all that and strolled right up the middle, effortlessly deflecting any castigating glances. Then, without a thought spared for consideration, he lazily flopped down into the Captain's chair, right beside the Patriarch. Neither Lord Arima, nor the two lieutenants present reacted at the action, yet down the row, immediately, whispers rushed through the room like a quick breeze.

The Captain's chair! So, is it final then? Where is Captain Kazuya? He should stop his training in the mountains and come back down here to show this Demon his place. But would that even change anything?

"I could've been chilling in some hot bath right now." Lucifer dully announced to Lord Arima. "Yet...here you call me." Almost every man's gaze fell at how casually he addressed the Lord of Hokkaido, yet Arima himself suppressed a small smile.

"I would like to apologize to you all for calling you out at such an unconventional hour." boomed Arima. His voice was magnificently loud, yet not noisy. Instantly, it had made the entire room come to complete attention and obedience as he seemed to stare at every single one of them simultaneously with his piercingly bright blue eyes. "However, as I am sure you can all surmise, this meeting was imperative." Everyone breathed without a sound, riveted by the Lord's speech. Arima let out a very small sigh that only Lucifer and the two lieutenants caught and went on. "Today, in the very early hours of the morning at around one 'o' clock...Lieutenant Noburo Azusawa was attacked...and subsequently killed."

What!? There was a moment of pure stunned silence as everyone stared in disbelief. Azusawa was like a stone...immovable. He was the most calculated of all the lieutenants of Arima-clan...no matter what happened, everyone could always count on him for practical counsel. "What!?" The room exploded in shock. Everyone down the line from the top four chairs of the two rows looked around in disbelief and shock, whispering and talking in fervent tones.

"But an attempt had just been made on his life." put forth a branch family head. "Who attacked so soon after?"

"Clearly someone who knew he would let down his guard and wouldn't expect another attack so soon." said Hayato.

"Who was it-" started another suited man when Arima put up his hand and the room immediately relapsed into respectful silence. "It was the Ackerman's oldest: Neil. He wanted revenge for his sister's death." said Arima.

Shin Himura, Lieutenant of the Arima clan and Patriarch of the Himura family, slammed his fist on the the armchair with a powerful thud. The lower ranks turned to him. He was grizzled man. Not overly muscular, not thin. He wasn't tall, but he wasn't short. Yet, he bled presence like few others in the room. His voice was a low growl like a smoker's, his entire history of the battles and wars he'd fought was scarred right on very his face and his dangerously powerful eyes. Of all the lieutenants Arima clan had had, only Shin Himura could intimidate the entire clan with his voice alone. However, right now, he said nothing more.

"Oyaji!" called another branch family member. "Those Ackermans have asked for it! Just say the word Arima-sama, and we'll slaughter all those insolent gutter-trash!" The other members jumped in in support. "Just say the word, Oyaji!" "We'll get them for Azusawa-no-aniki!" "They don't deserve mercy!"

Arima held up his hand and the room fell into silence again. He gestured to the white-haired boy lazing in his chair without a care. "Lucifer has already taken care of the Ackermans." Another stunned silence. Everyone's eyes widened and they stared at each other. In less than 18 hours!? He's...he's already killed all of them and came back? Well, Azusawa and him were always close. Is this the real fury of the Devil the Ackermans unbottled? To dismantle an entire organization, to massacre everyone who stood in his way before Azusawa-no-aniki's body even went cold? Revenge served even before his spirit left this realm?

But the silence quickly popped. This wasn't the first time Lucifer Night had done the impossible. Not the first time he'd slaughtered Arima's most powerful enemies and came back without a scratch. He hadn't been dubbed the Devil for just his immorality for human life...but also his absolute strength.

"Lucifer has killed Neil Ackerman, the boy responsible for Azusawa's murder...along with the 62 other Divines who supported him." continued Arima calmly. "However, the Ackerman corporation still remains...in service to us. In exchange for mercy from Lucifer, they swore fealty to clan and are now a vassal organization to Arima."

"Arima-no-Oyaji," started Himura in a slow rumble. "I don't like it. I don't like letting the Ackermans live." A few other members joined in in agreement, supporting Lieutenant Himura in respectful tones.

"Would you rather give them a quick death, Shin, or a lifetime of slavery to us?" asked Arima, his voice not as a rumble as Himura's but deeper and resonating down to the very bone. Himura stared at his Lord as Arima quietly x-rayed one of his most powerful retainers. What was said with just their gazes alone was not comprehensible to most sitting there, but after a second, Himura's eyes fell and he almost smiled. "That bastard Azusawa would've supported this too...because it makes sense practically." muttered Shin. Arima smiled as well.

He turned to the room again. "The wake for Azusawa is being held throughout the night tonight, and the funeral is tomorrow." said Arima. "His wife has asked me to kindly implore all the clan members to not clamor at the Azusawa estate. He was precious to a lot of people, but those that were the closest to him in life now have the most right to be at his side and to mourn him in quiet peace. Following the funeral, for the next ten days of the memorial service, you people are free to go pay your respects to him." Arima fell silent and the boom from his voices faded a little. "Lieutenant Azusawa was a father, a husband, a friend, a mentor...and he was a student. The Arima clan will forever remember him and he will be buried in Arima honors."

An odd silence fell over room. Unsaid, yet resounding. A silence of mourning the dead if even for a moment. Lucifer's face remained as unbothered as ever, yet his eyes were burning the image of seeing Azusawa's laughing bespectacled face as he healed him from his many injuries.

After a few long moments, Arima lifted his head and cleared his throat. "Though we honor Azusawa, we cannot forget to address the present. The fact is, Arima clan has lost one of its lieutenants. Now, when the entire world may be staring at us, we cannot afford to look weak...or break ranks. We are spreading our influence into New York now, we are shifting from just this island into the world...we have to stand stronger than ever."

Every single man sat up straight and shuffled in his chair and looked around with almost excited eyes. A new lieutenant will be appointed tonight. Lucifer meanwhile remained as bored as ever and yawned as he stared at the wooden ceiling. Arima slowly ran his gaze along the two rows, running over every man present, rolling each in his mind just as a last minute check. Lucifer was right. There is no other. Hayato looked at every nervous man with cold, indifferent eyes. They were all clamoring in their hearts for a seat by the throne. He considered in his mind who he would appoint as the new lieutenant, but there were a lot of possibilities. He closed his eyes. Not like it matters. Lord Arima will select the right man. After all, he knows his men best. I'll trust his judgement.

"Hayato Fujimori!" boomed Arima. Hayto's eyes shot open. Huh? Every single eye turned on him and almost instinctively his feet pushed him up from his chair as Arima's voice rang out in his very heart. Lucifer observed Hayato with a sly grin. The young man was tall and thin. His frame was very slender, yet even as he stood in a room full of some of the most powerful mages in all of Japan, he could stand with them with no pride lost. He had very, very long dark blue hair that came down to his waist. He tied some of it in a loose ponytail, but allowed the rest to fall over his shoulders and back like a gentle wind. He stood in an impeccable white suit, both his hands donning a pair of black leather gloves, the Arima-clan pin on his lapel twinkling brightly in the light.

"Approach!" ordered Arima. Hayato obeyed and walked up the middle. His face was expressionless, but Lucifer could see his cold, dark blue eyes flaming with burning questions as his mind rushed to answer all of them...to make sense of this sudden development, everything that could've led to this moment was being taken into account and the next steps furiously planned. Lucifer smiled and put his head back down on the leather sofa as his eyes turned to the ceiling.

"Hayato Fujimori, Patriarch of the Fujimori family. In just five years that you have been the family head, you have increased your family's magical strength to mold them into formidable Divines. Not only that, you increased the effectiveness of your family and the lands given in their care. And your contribution to the Arima-clan has increased by more than tenfold." said Arima. His bright blue eyes shattered the cold darkness of Hayato's eyes and stared right into his soul. "Young you may be, but I see a colossally large tide in you...a wave that has yet to even reach its apex." He smiled an almost proud smile at his subject. "I make you, Hayato Fujimori, the new Lieutenant of the Arima-clan."

The last sentence vaporized all his hectic calculations and Hayato's eyes dissolved in Arima's. Somehow, those razor sharp eyes made everything vanish and brought him to this exact second...this moment as he stood there alone on his own two feet...and somehow, looking at those eyes, it felt like everything would be fine...Lucifer grinned and looked past the new lieutenant and at a few specific branch family patriarchs. They were satisfied. Of course they were. All they wanted was that none of their rivals get selected over them. Now the Old Man won't have to deal with politics too much.

"Me?" Hayato finally blurted out. Arima's eyes pierced into him once more, but not unkindly. "At fifteen years old, you became the head of your family. A role with such immense responsibilities that even many adults cannot handle it. Yet you soldiered on, you persevered. You didn't just made your family survive after so suddenly losing its head, you made it thrive. Like a real patriarch would have. You're more capable than you think, kid." Arima smiled. "Or do you not trust my judgement?", he asked. Hayato immediately fell to his knees. "No, that's not it at all, my Lord!"

Arima nodded a satisfied smile. He's got more heart than Lucifer thinks. "Then stand, Lieutenant Fujimori!" boomed Arima. "And sit down with your new brothers." He gestured to Azusawa's chair. Hayato's eyes turned to the impassive black chair and something clicked. Instantly, he closed all his emotions. He wasn't sure how to feel with such a huge development, but now was not the time to let down his guard and show his feelings. Lucifer silently observed as Hayato put up another shield over his sparkling dark blue eyes after Arima had shattered the old one, and he saw his eyes shift to the same shade of indifferent blue as before. Lucifer grinned. He was definitely the right choice. Without another word Hayato stepped sideways and quietly sank into his new chair...his new place at the top of Arima-clan.

"Now," boomed Arima addressing the room once more. "We have to take care of our vassal portion of New York City." He turned to Lieutenant Fujimori. "Hayato, I am putting you in command. You are in charge of Ackerman Corporation from this point on...unofficially, of course in the eyes of the world. Have Durst submit to you all records of his assets, holdings, leverage, whatever. I want that portion of New York to be sending us tribute immediately. Let there be no ambiguity as to who really is in charge there." He pierced Hayato like a savage lion with his eyes. "Ackerman Corporation is now our puppet and I'm making you its puppeteer. You will go to America personally and deal with it. I want updates on the situation every day till Arima's presence is set in stone there."

Hayato bowed his head from the chair. "Understood." Inside, he almost marveled Arima's razor sharp brilliance. Within minutes of making him a lieutenant, before any lower ranks could try to ingratiate themselves with him or before he himself could use that new rank to take over more land, he'd already been sent away. This showed, to the doubtful of the clan, that Arima had confidence in the young lieutenant. But to the higher ups, it showed it was a large-scale test. Even though Hayato was now a lieutenant, he had to prove himself as one...and was immediately trialed on a land far away; one where any mistakes would not hamper what was already established in Hokkaido. And were he to fail, this being such a public matter, Arima could dispense of him without appearing to be unjust or arbitrary and Hayato would lose his lieutenancy without having gained anything from his short term. His cold, calculating eyes drew up from the bow and they rose to see Lucifer lazing on the Captain's chair, smirking at him his black eyes shining knowingly. In an instant, Hayato realized Lucifer knew exactly what had gone through his mind. Did they want me to realize all this? They? Was it Lord Arima's plan or Lucifer's? He really isn't just a killing machine, is he...? He's a lot more dangerous than that... Hayato said nothing as the two clashed with their minds in an explosion of revelations. His face remained expressionless when finally, almost distastefully, he turned away from Lucifer's thin sneer. It's Lucifer's victory. He's won this round....rather, this round was always set up for him to win.

* * *

The meeting devolved into a normal Level C meeting after that. Discussions regarding Arima's 2, fairly recently acquired, Korean provinces: North Hamgyong and Ryanggang were held and a few more families were charged with their rule and order. It was all stuff Lucifer didn't care much about, and though he kept an ear out for something, he continued to laze on the sofa without a care.

Pretty soon though, the meeting finally ended and everyone slowly started to leave. The exodus started from the lowest chairs; those nearest to the door. The men there got up and bowed to the rest of them still seated; their superiors. And slowly, each rung of the chairs started emptying one after the other when, finally, only the three lieutenants, Lucifer, and Arima still remained. Hayato got up first and the other two lieutenants followed, lest he feel like he should bow to them as well. Lucifer looked as bored as ever as the three stood shoulder to shoulder and bowed to Arima who nodded in return. From the corner of his eye, Hayato looked at Lucifer and was almost taken aback to see Lucifer's eyes were open and he too was looking at him form the corner of his eye with that same invisible arrogant sneer. Who does he think he is!?

Hayato spun on his heel and walked away. Lucifer stared after him and grinned. Not 5 minutes in that chair and he's already hurt his practical pride. Heh, guess I should prepare myself to face the other two lieutenants now that he's got their ears.

Lieutenant Ryo Iwata's eyes shifted from Hayato to Lucifer for just a split second, but he didn't say anything. Ryo was a fairly tall man with almost a kind face. His features were very normal, if not for the 3 inch scar stretching from his upper lip down to his chin. He had simple eyes that shined with no hatred. His shoulder length hair was done in a scraggly ponytail. Just like Lucifer and Arima, he hadn't bothered to wear a suit. Instead, he had traditional hakama pants, but wore a skin tight blue shirt on top, accentuating his moderately well sculpted body. His beneficent face showed no emotion as he observed Lucifer and Hayato, except something bordering on concern. Lieutenant Shin Himura turned around to exit the room and Ryo left his train of thought and followed him outside the hall. There, the three lieutenants stepped outside and respectfully closed the wide, wooden doors leaving Arima and Lucifer alone.

As the two lieutenants stepped away, Hayato didn't move. He stood there in the dark hallway, right in front of the door, staring at the dispassionate wood. The other two lieutenants paused and looked at him in silence as their new brother stared almost wistfully at the hall beyond his vision. Inside, Arima's laughter rang out as he genially laughed with Lucifer. Hayato's fists clenched. "Tell me..." he asked his brothers, "what really is Lucifer to Lord Arima?"