Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only and as a gift for one of my devout readers and reviewers, VampireSiren. The song "Point of No Return" is written and owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber. This story is a two-shot, "What if" alternative route to my "canon" fem!Yuu AU saga. As a warning, this fic has some nudity and sexual content so I suggest you not read if you are offended by such material. I would also like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible. That said, enjoy and please review!

The Point of No Return

Part I

Nagoya Airport Battle

Yuichiro released a ragged breath after forcing Kureto Hiragi, who tried to attack and capture her when she landed on the ground, back with ridiculous ease. It didn't take much effort on the younger girl's part to shove him away when he tried to lock swords with her. The lieutenant general had to admit, at least to himself, that his brief duel with Yuichiro reminded him of the time he was forced to fight his half-sister, Mahiru, after she lead an entire army of rebels against the Hiragi clan. But this time was different because Yuichiro's strength and power exceeded Mahiru's by far.

Furious that Yuichiro had foiled his plan to use the seraph-possessed Mirai Kimizuki to take down the entire vampire army, Kureto decided to make her his new weapon instead, especially after he realized that Yuichiro's powers exceeded Mirai's just as much as Mahiru's.

Unfortunately for the older man, he had no idea just how much stronger she was since they last dueled and with the strength her newly revealed seraph powers granted her, Yuichiro sent Kureto flying several dozen yards across the airport grounds with just one swift blow with her trusty Asuramaru.

But, as Yuichiro discovered, using such powers came with a price; once the overwhelming inhuman power faded from her body, weakness just as great overcame her. Her legs failed her, and she collapsed to the ground. Dust blew up around Yuichiro as she was too weak to even lift her face from the cold, hard concrete.

"What's happening to me, Asuramaru? Why can't I move or get up?" Yuichiro silently asked the demon within her mind.

"Why? Isn't it obvious, Yuu? You've completely exhausted yourself by blowing on that forbidden trumpet to save your family like you wanted. Did you think such an action would have no consequence?" the boy demon answered wryly.

Yuichiro was about to ask Asuramaru what he meant when she heard the footsteps of someone approaching. Looking up, the girl found herself gazing at thirty inches of dark, tempered steel belonging to a sword she recognized all too well. She also knew that there was only one man who could wield such a blade.

"Guren..." Yuichiro mumbled weakly as she struggled to lift her head and look at the man she had foolishly challenged to defend her orphanage brother, Mikaela.

Yuichiro never had a chance to do so, of course, before Kureto unleashed Kimizuki's seraph-possessed sister upon both the human and vampire armies.

The older raven-haired man looked down upon Yuichiro and regarded her rather coldly, the beautiful violet irises she had so admired still rimmed with red when he took her hostage in order to separate her from Mikaela.

"It's over, Yuichiro. You're coming with me now," Guren said simply as if he wasn't really giving his ward a choice in the matter.

Remembering Shinoa's warning about Guren being possessed, Yuichiro tried to prop herself onto an elbow and reach for her sword when her guardian's voice stilled her hand.

"Don't bother, Yuu. We both know you don't have the strength to fight me. And even if you did, it still wouldn't be enough."

Yuichiro squeezed her eyes shut and tried to turn her head away so that Guren wouldn't see the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes. She knew he was right. As of now, Yuichiro barely had the strength to even lift her head, let alone draw her sword and fight.

She was practically as weak as a baby and just as defenseless.

"So what are you going to do with me, sir?" Yuichiro asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"As I said, I'm taking you with me."

"Where?"

"You'll see..."

At those words, Guren moved to sheath his sword as he stared down at his young ward.

Suddenly, the familiar voice of an angry young man rang out from above him.

"Get away from her, you filthy human!"

Looking up, Guren saw Mikaela swinging his blade down toward his head. He instinctively blocked it with his demon sword, his arm barely budging from the impact with his enhanced demonic strength.

Had Guren not reacted in time, the blond vampire's sword might have easily cleaved him in two with the force Mikaela put behind his attack.

"You never give up, do you, vampire?" Guren sneered as he forced Mikaela back with a powerful swipe. "Forget Yuichiro. She is lost to you. Leave now, and maybe I'll spare your life."

"Never!"

"Fine, have it your way!"

Knowing that Guren and Mikaela intended to fight to the death over her, Yuichiro desperately tried to reason with them, even though she could barely move.

"Guren… Mika…please don't…" the girl pleaded weakly as she tried to reach out to Guren and Mika with an outstretched hand.

But both men were too blinded by their obsession and jealousy to hear her.

Not that it would have made any difference if they had.

Enraged at how Guren had nearly sliced Yuichiro's throat open with his sword earlier, Mikaela had already decided that the man cannot be trusted with her. The blond's rage disrupted his focus, which in turn affected his ability to think strategically.

The situation was ironic, considering that vampires were noted for not allowing their emotions to impair their fighting. Unless they were extremely proud, arrogant, and over-confident nobles like the late Lucal Wesker.

Guren himself was quite aware of Mika's weakness, and he continued to patiently counter the blond vampire's disordered attacks. He, on the other hand, remained confident, sharp, and collected. His ability did not falter against Mika, which was ironic, considering how less control humans typically had over their emotions compared to vampires. Guren also knew that his rival's youth also influenced his impulses and ability to control his emotions in comparison to himself who had considerably more experience in the field.

And as Yuichiro expected, her mentor did not hesitate to use dirty underhanded tricks if they provided him an advantage in combat. Once Mika came close enough to strike him again, Guren quickly stuck out his long leg and tripped the blond before pulling it back to deliver a vicious kick to his side before Mika could even hit the ground.

Were their circumstances a bit different, the lieutenant colonel would have happily driven his sword thorough Mikaela's heart and activated the curse to finish him off. And as much as Guren would have liked to reduce his one and only true rival for Yuichiro's affections to ashes, the current situation demanded that he act quickly before either the Hiragis or the vampires could get their hands on her. The fact that he had kicked Mikaela several yards away made going after and finishing the him too time-consuming and risky, so Guren decided to let the blond off, at least for today.

Taking advantage of the chaos the clashing human and vampire armies provided, Guren bent over and lifted Yuichiro, who was starting to lose consciousness, in his arms, and proceeded to make off with her before his blond rival could recover enough to go after him again. Though Kureto had ordered that Yuichiro be turned over to him, Guren had no intention of handing her to his superior officer any more than he did to the vampires who coveted her powers.

And now that the lieutenant general, as well as the rest of the Demon Army, including Guren's own squad and other subordinates in the MDC, had their hands full with holding off the bloodsuckers, Guren quietly abandoned them to their fate and left the battlefield with his prize. The man didn't even spare a backwards glance to his comrades, as if he didn't care if they lived or died.

"Stop, human! Where do you think you're going with Yuu-chan?!" Mikaela demanded as Shinoa slowly helped him stagger back onto his feet.

Normally, he would have been able to hop back onto his feet right away after being knocked down. But this time around, Mikaela found Guren's strength shockingly unreal as the older man demonstrated when he gave Mikaela a kick powerful enough to break his ribs and rupture his internal organs, which were still in the process of mending. Were Mika a normal human, he might have been killed instantly from such a blow.

Ignoring the blond's murderous glare, Guren lifted Yuichiro into his arms. He looked at Mikaela silently with an icy gaze full of contempt as if warning him not to pursue them if he wanted to live.

If he were anyone else, Mika might have been intimidated by Guren's silent warning, but, where Yuichiro was concerned, the blond was not easily deterred.

With no intention of giving up, Mika took a wobbly step toward Guren as the man turned and left the battlefield with Yuichiro. But before he could get any father, he felt Shinoa's small hand clamped onto his shoulder

"I'm sorry, Mikaela, but we have to retreat for now!" the purple-haired girl said urgently as she pointed a finger in the direction of the advancing vampire army.

From the look of things, it wouldn't be long before they caught up to the humans and the entire airport became a bloodbath. So, they as well as the rest of their comrades have no choice but to leave quickly before they were caught in the middle.

Mika wanted to argue, but he knew Shinoa was right. He may be fiercely protective of Yuichiro, but even he had to agree with the purple-haired girl that the best course of action now would be to let Guren go while he escaped with Shinoa and Satoshi's squads. The blond could only hope that his older rival would not harm Yuichiro since he implied that he needed her alive.

Sheathing his sword, Mikaela turned to Shinoa and nodded. "Fine…" he said. "We'll let them go for now. But just remember, I'm not giving up on Yuu-chan!"

"I understand. I'm not going to either, but we won't be able to save her if we end up getting captured or killed ourselves. Let's go!"

After taking one last look at the retreating Guren who was carrying Yuichiro away in his arms, Mikaela gritted his teeth. He then turned around and chased after the two retreating squads he had allied with, which were, regrettably, heading in the opposite direction of his hated rival…

SSSSSS

Some time later…

"Guren… Mika… please stop…" Yuichiro groaned as she tossed and turned in her bed, drifting halfway between the dream world and the waking world before her eyes flew open when realization finally dawned on her.

Wait, what am I doing in bed? The ravenette thought as she scanned her surroundings and found that she was in someone's western-style bedroom that also had quite a vintage look.

Not only that, Yuichiro also found herself out of uniform and dressed in a white nightgown while lying on a soft bed with satin sheets. As she sat up, Yuichiro noticed a glass of water on the night table next to her and suddenly realized how dry her throat felt. So, she took a moment to down the water and sate her thirst.

Where am I? How did I get here? Yuichiro asked herself frantically after setting the empty glass back down before putting her hands to the sides of her head and tried to recall what happened before she woke up in this strange place.

It didn't take long for Yuichiro to remember the chaos riveting Nagoya Airport that finally forced her to tap into the power so forbidden that even Asuramaru advised her against using it. In exchange for sacrificing even more of her humanity, she used the power of the seraph to stop Kimizuki's possessed sister, Mirai, from completing her deadly rampage.

Asuramaru had already warned her of the consequences before she took the trumpet, but Yuichiro was willing to do anything, sacrifice anything, to keep the people she cared about safe.

And then there were her memories of Guren and Mikaela intent on fighting to the death over her as she laid helpless on the ground, her body completely depleted of energy. The last thing Yuichiro remembered was Mikaela flying through the air from Guren's vicious side kick as she pleaded in vain for them to stop fighting. Yuichiro knew both her mentor and orphanage brother were stubborn to a fault and almost never gave up on something they truly wanted, namely herself.

At the thought of Guren, Yuichiro gasped when she realized that the older man was nowhere to be seen. She did, however, clearly did remember feeling him pick her up and carry away from the battlefield.

Before losing consciousness, the ravenette also vaguely heard Shinoa imploring Mika to retreat with her squad and Satoshi's in order to escape the advancing vampire and human armies before they got caught in the middle.

Did Guren bring me here? What is this place? Yuichiro thought curiously as she subconsciously reached out for Asuramaru and gasped when she realized her demon sword was not at her side, which almost sent her into a panic, even more so than waking up in a strange Victorian-style room she did not recognize.

Ever since Yuichiro passed the demon aptitude test and obtained her trusty weapon, she always made sure Asuramaru was never far from her side. Since she could not make her demon weapon appear and disappear in her hand at will like Shinya and Shinoa's due to its nature, Yuichiro carried Asuramaru almost everywhere, even keeping it next to her in bed while she slept. If the sword was not with her now, that could only mean one thing: that Guren must have taken it from Yuichiro while she was asleep.

Although she was not totally defenseless when unarmed, Yuichiro felt vulnerable, even naked, without Asuramaru. And it didn't take her long to figure out why Guren would take her trusted weapon. What she wasn't sure of was what her mentor intended for her now, and Yuichiro could not help feeling nervous as she pondered the possibilities. Did Guren see her defiant refusal to submit to and challenge him to protect Mikaela as a betrayal of sorts? Would he punish her for it? What would he do, especially if Guren was still possessed by his demon as Shinoa had claimed?

Not wanting to get caught in what could be a potentially dangerous situation without a weapon, Yuichiro got up and started looking around her room for something she could use as a one. While she was at it, the ravenette also tried turning the knob of the door to her room and found that it was, unsurprisingly, locked. Likewise, Yuichiro also discovered that all the windows, even the tiny one in the bathroom, were securely locked in a way that was meant to keep someone inside from escaping: herself.

I can't get out… well, that's even more reason for me to find a weapon then! Yuichiro thought as she turned away from the door and started rummaging through a vintage wooden desk in the room that was not too far from the bed she woke up in.

After fumbling in several of the drawers for a few minutes, the ravenette finally found what she was looking for: an antique letter opener made of sterling silver with an intricately carved handle that was neatly tucked away in a small case. The knife-like implement was about eight inches long, including the handle, and quite sharp from the looks of it. Although impressive to look at, Yuichiro knew the letter opener couldn't possibly be a sufficient substitute for her trusted demon sword, but it was still better than nothing.

Not wanting to be caught with something she could use as a weapon against her captor, Yuichiro crawled back into bed and hid the letter opener beneath the blanket when she heard approaching footsteps outside of her room. Wherever she was, Yuichiro was certain it wasn't JIDA Headquarters or anywhere near it; Yuichiro had the feeling that Guren must have taken her someplace secluded without the knowledge or consent of his superiors.

The fact that she woke up in someone's personal bedroom instead of a lab bed hooked up to strange machines confirmed it.

Knowing that Guren wouldn't be fooled if she pretended to be asleep, Yuichiro kept her eyes open while clutching the letter opener in her hand beneath the blanket.

After a brief pause, the person on the other side of the door unlocked it and entered without knocking. Yuichiro found that unusual since Guren made it a habit to knock on her door after that embarrassing incident when he walked in on her in her flimsy lingerie years ago.

Was it possible that her visitor wasn't Guren after all?

Yuichiro wasn't sure if that was the case, but, either way, she had to use caution. After all, Guren wasn't himself when he took her hostage and later carried her off. He also didn't hesitate to abandon all three squads under his command as well as the rest of his soldiers to the vampires.

After shutting her eyes for a moment when she heard the door open, Yuichiro slowly opened them again as if she had just awoken upon hearing her visitor enter. Despite her earlier doubts, he was her guardian and mentor after all. And, like Yuichiro herself, Guren was also out of uniform; the older man was dressed more casually in a white dress shirt and slacks. His skin and hair were also perfectly clean as if he just recently showered.

Upon noticing Guren's polished appearance, Yuichiro suddenly realized for the first time since she woke up that she, too, was clean of any blood and debris from her ordeal at the airport. The ravenette found herself bewildered and wondered if someone had bathed and changed her while she was comatose. Could it have been Sayuri or Shigure since they were the ones who normally tended to Yuichiro whenever she got dirty or became injured during her training sessions with Guren or other members of his squad?

Seeing the question on his ward's face, the older man seemed to read her mind and answered, "Not this time, Yuu. Nobody is here except the two of us."

"And just where is here, if I may ask?" Yuichiro demanded as she finally sat up on the bed and tightened her grip on the letter opener while taking care to keep it out of Guren's sight.

Guren blinked at her before answering. "Why, my home, of course. Where else would I take you?"

"What? Are you serious? I don't recall ever seeing a room like this in your house when I lived with you, Guren."

"Of course you didn't because I never had a room like this in my Shibuya home," the older man said with an amused expression.

Now, that made the younger girl more confused. "Your Shibuya home? You mean..?"

"Correct. You didn't realize because I never told you, but I do have more than one house, Yuu."

"More than one house? Then if we're not in Shibuya, then where are we?"

Guren was silent for a moment before answering. "That… is something you do not need to know…" *1*

"And why is that?" the ravenette demanded as she found herself growing angry at her guardian's evasiveness, especially considering that he had brought her here against her will. "In fact, where are the others? You abandoned them, didn't you? And not just that, you…"

Yuichiro's breath hitched in her throat as if she could not bring herself to speak what she had witnessed back at the Nagoya Airport battle. She knew there was no way she could have imagined or dreamed up the scenes of Guren cutting down human and vampire soldiers alike or how he tried to kill Mikaela when the blond attempted to rescue her.

And since she had lost consciousness, Yuichiro had no idea if Shinoa, Satoshi, and the others managed to escape the battle with their lives. As for Guren's own squad, the ravenette assumed they stayed behind to try and cover for them and there was no guarantee the older squad survived either. Yuichiro could not help wondering if the three squads as well as the rest of the MDC could have survived without Guren's leadership, and she worried for them.

"Why Guren? Why did you turn on them? Didn't you take a pledge to protect humanity when you joined the Demon Army just like the rest of us?"

Instead of answering her right away, the older man remained silent. Whether it was because he was unwilling or unable to answer, Yuichiro could not say, but that didn't do anything to pacify her growing frustration at his silence.

Losing patience with her mentor, Yuichiro finally jumped out of bed, her long gown billowing about her, and suddenly charged at Guren with a speed even she didn't know she had, before forcing him into a sitting position on a nearby antique fainting couch. Using her body weight, she had managed to pin the older man against the back of the couch and stilled him by putting the letter opener she had been hiding earlier to his throat.

Were Yuichiro not so angry at Guren, such a move might have excited her for she relished any edge she could get over her mentor.

"You will explain yourself to me, sir!" the ravenette hissed as she tried to put on her most intimidating expression even though she knew Guren was strong and clever enough to get himself out of his predicament if he wished.

Instead of getting angry and trying to push Yuichiro off of him, Guren merely stared at her, his expression almost sorrowful.

"Why are you angry with me, Yuichiro?" he asked calmly. "After all, I only took back what was mine… You..."

Forgetting her anger for a moment, the ravenette found herself blinking in confusion for that was the last thing she had expected her guardian to say.

"I don't understand, Guren…"

Seeing the hesitance in the younger girl's eyes, Guren slowly brought his hand to Yuichiro's and gently closed it around hers. He knew his ward well enough to know that she was only trying to intimidate him into answering her questions and that it was completely against Yuichiro's nature and honor to harm an unarmed person.

Even if that person was himself, and they both knew she had every reason, every right, to.

"Have you forgotten what I said? You belong to me, and I don't share what's mine, especially not with that arrogant blond boy. Even if he is your dear orphanage brother."

Yuichiro glared at Guren though she did not try to attack him with the letter opener, at least not yet. Guren knew he was toeing a fine line by bringing up Mikaela with her. Even with his demon, the older man knew he was unlikely to survive if he provoked Yuichiro into slashing his throat by being careless with his words.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't slice your throat open, Guren! After all, that's what you almost did to me, wasn't it?! Not only that, you betrayed our squads and the rest of the MDC who trusted you!" Yuichiro accused, her voice a mixture of anger and grief.

Contrary to what she thought, the older man did not try to refute or deny her accusation because she spoke the truth, even if he was possessed by Mahiru-no-Yo the entire time. Guren also knew that demons could not force their contractors to do something completely against their nature, only tempt them into acting upon their true desires.

And he simply could not let anyone else have Yuichiro, not if he could help it.

"Yes, it's true. I betrayed everyone in the end, including you. I was too weak to let Mikaela take you away from me, so I gave in to my demon." Guren confessed even though his eyes showed no hint of remorse for what he had done because he knew it would do it all over again.

Yuichiro stared at her guardian incredulously. "Are you serious, Guren? For that reason alone, so many people had to die?"

"And what if it is, Yuu? Can you tell me with all honesty that Mika would not have done the same if he were in my shoes? The boy is totally obsessed with you."

"W..what are you trying to say?" Yuichiro sputtered. Was her guardian saying what she thought he was?

"I am not trying to justify or excuse what I did, Yuichiro. I'm only telling you why I did it. So, what will you do now that you know? Will you take my life so carelessly as you took my love?" Guren asked sadly as he leaned forward slightly, allowing the blade of the letter opener in Yuichiro's hand to press against his throat, his eyes never leaving hers. They both knew it wouldn't take much effort on Yuu's part to pierce the tender flesh and end Guren's life if she chose.

Not knowing what else to say, Yuichiro sputtered. "L..love?"

Surely, she must be hearing things. Did such a word even exist in Guren's vocabulary?

As if reading her mind, the older man's lips curved into a smile that looked almost triumphant, dangerous even, for it made Yuichiro doubt the sincerity of his words. She may have liked and respected Guren as her guardian, mentor, and superior officer, but that didn't mean she believed or trusted him completely. Yuichiro also knew Guren to be a very cunning man, clever enough not to be so careless as to leave something in his room that she could use as a weapon against him.

Unless that was his intention all along: to put her in this position.

"What, you didn't think me capable of feeling such a thing? You wound me, Yuichiro. Can you imagine how I felt when you chose to side with Mikaela against me? Tell me, Yuu, was your brother there for you these last four years, or was it I? Was he the one who fed you? Sheltered you? Protected you?"

As he asked her this, Guren's expression softened and his tone sounded tender, protective even. He even started to sound more honest and sincere as well.

"I…" Yuichiro began before closing her mouth when she found that there was nothing she could say to refute Guren's assertion.

After taking her away from Shinoa and the others, Mika confessed that he had spent the last half-decade searching for Yuichiro after they were violently separated at the gates of Sanguinem. But Yuichiro knew there was no way she could prove that to her guardian.

And even if she could, it did not change the fact that Guren was absolutely right. No matter how it happened, he was the one who saved her after she was thrust into the world outside the vampire city alone, not Mikaela.

And were it not for Guren, Yuichiro would not have been able to survive by herself for very long. Especially with the painful wound Ferid had given her and no access to food and water. At most, Yuichiro would have lasted a few days to a week before she either starved to death, froze to death, or succumbed to her injuries. They both knew that she owed him her life. And in more ways than one.

Now that he had Yuichiro right where he wanted her, Guren was finally able to take the letter opener away from his ward and she did not try to stop him. Before the younger girl could change her mind, Guren did the one thing he knew would give him her undivided attention:

He started to sing to her.

"You have come here
in pursuit of
your deepest urge,
in pursuit of
that wish,
which till now
has been silent,
silent . . .

I have brought you,
that our passions
may fuse and merge -
in your mind
you've already
succumbed to me
dropped all defenses
completely succumbed to me -
now you are here with me:
no second thoughts,
you've decided,
decided . . ."

Yuichiro released a soft gasp and her eyes widened at hearing the rich baritone voice she adored as a child but had not heard since she moved out of Guren's home to join the Shibuya Guard over a year ago. Yuichiro used to beg Guren to sing to her, and now he was suddenly doing it freely, out of the blue. The only other time Guren surprised her with a song was when he accidently walked in on her while she was cleaning his home office, and they sang the opening song of The Phantom of the Opera together. *2*

Yuichiro could say that Guren's voice captivated her from the first time she heard it, and it became a treat for her to hear him sing after that.

But, unlike that time, he would never do it for free. Few people knew Guren Ichinose could carry a tune and he preferred to keep it that way. Otherwise, he'd have hordes of girls begging him to sing for them, considering how popular he was among the ladies.

It delighted Yuichiro when Guren sang to her as a reward for exceling at her studies and training; she treasured it far more than money or material things. While she and Mika had sang together all the time as children Yuichiro had to that admit her brother's voice couldn't compare to that of her guardian's.

And unknown to his young ward, Guren had never sung to anyone else, not even his first love, Mahiru Hiragi, since she did not share Yuichiro's as well as his own love of music. *3*

The same voice he used to lead the bloodiest of battles also had the power to calm, soothe, even charm the beautiful (and dangerous) green-eyed spitfire he had raised from childhood. Hearing Guren sing easily made Yuichiro forget the stress of the last battle as well as the draining affects her seraph powers had placed on her body.

Even if she wouldn't admit it, the ravenette was pleased that her guardian would do this for her and her alone. The effect Guren's voice had on Yuichiro was akin to that of a snake charmer; the only difference was that his singing prevented her from stabbing instead of biting him.

Yuichiro was about to ask her guardian why he was singing to her now since she hadn't done anything to earn it when she suddenly realized that she had been straddling him in a rather intimate position the whole time while clad in a flimsy nightgown.

As a result, Yuichiro suddenly found her face growing as red as a tomato.

Blushing furiously, Yuichiro stiffened and attempted to stand up when she felt Guren tighten his hold on her hand, put his other arm around her waist and pulled her closer, as if they were dancing in a ballroom, before continuing his song.

"Past the point
of no return -
no backward glances:
the games we've played
till now are at
an end . . .

Past all thought
of 'if' or 'when' -
no use resisting:
abandon thought,
and let the dream
descend . . .

What raging fire
shall flood the soul?
What rich desire
unlocks its door?
What sweet seduction
lies before
us . . .?"

Enchanted by Guren's voice and intense violet-eyed stare, Yuichiro stopped struggling. She even forgot about how angry she was with him for what he did at the airport not too long ago.

As if his fine looks weren't enticing enough, the older man's voice was captivating to her and all Yuichiro wanted was to hear more.

Yuichiro shifted slightly to hear Guren better when she felt the cool metal of the locket her orphanage brother had given her brush against against her skin. *4* Brief thoughts of her orphanage brother flashed through her mind, but Yuichiro knew that there was nothing she could do for him at the moment. And for as long as she knew him, the blond was a tough survivor, so Yuichiro assured herself that Mikaela would be all right before tucking him in the back of her mind and silently begging Guren to continue with her eyes.

And with a smirk, he obliged her.

"Past the point
of no return,
the final threshold -
what warm,
unspoken secrets
will we learn?
Beyond the point
of no return . . ."

As he sang the those few verses, Guren's lips curved into a seductive smile, more alluring than Yuichiro had ever pictured in her imagination. His intense and beautiful violet eyes twinkled with gentle mischief as he released the hand holding hers and started to loosen the collar of his dress shirt before slowly undoing the buttons.

Unable to tear her eyes away, Yuichiro's face blossomed into a deeper blush as Guren teased her with glimpses of his toned chest. His fit, sculpted torso had remained ingrained in her memory from the day he saved her from drowning after she'd fallen off the ledge of a waterfall. That day, Guren's body had been dripping with water and although his skin was dry now, it was no less alluring. *5*

Bewildered, Yuichiro wondered if it was her imagination or if Guren was actually performing a strip tease for her?

Guren said nothing but paused and gave her a warm gaze as if he were waiting for something. Knowing exactly what that was, Yuichiro finally submitted to her guardian's will, took a breath, and sang the next part of the song, one of many, from her favorite musical.

"You have brought me
to that moment
where words run dry,
to that moment
where speech
disappears
into silence,
silence . . .

I have come here,
hardly knowing
the reason why . . .
In my mind,
I've already
imagined our
bodies entwining
defenseless and silent -
and now I am
here with you:
no second thoughts,

I've decided,
decided . . ."

Pleased to see Yuichiro finally playing along, Guren gently took her hands in own after undoing the last button of his shirt and cajoled her into placing them on his bare skin as soon as she finished singing the latest verse. Yuichiro was barely able to sing the next verse clearly as she subconsciously ran her fingers on the dips of his abs, her voice shaking as she tried her best to stay on key and in tune.

"Past the point
of no return -
no going back now:
our passion-play
has now, at last,
begun . . .

Past all thought
of right or wrong -
one final question:
how long should we
two wait, before
we're one . . .?

When will the blood
begin to race
the sleeping bud
burst into bloom?
When will the flames,
at last, consume
us?"

Guiding Yuichiro's hands with his own, Guren slowly moved them from his abs to his chest before tilting his head back and releasing a soft groan, making the younger girl's breath hitch in her throat for this was one side of her guardian she's thought she'd never see. If he wasn't holding onto her hands, Yuichiro would have pinched herself to see if she was dreaming.

For years, Yuichiro believed that her feelings for this handsome, older man was nothing more than a childish infatuation brought on by his fine looks. After all, she wasn't supposed to feel this way for someone who raised her like his own daughter or little sister. Yuichiro tried to convince herself that her growing desire for her mentor wasn't real but was dismayed when she found herself failing miserably just from one look into Guren's beautiful eyes.

Amused at her shyness, Guren gazed at Yuichiro again and as if on cue, they both took a breath and sang the next verse of their song together.

"Past the point
of no return
the final threshold -
the bridge
is crossed, so stand
and watch it burn . . .
We've passed the point
of no return . . ."

After they trailed off the last verse, Guren gently released Yuichiro's hands before snaking an arm around her waist, cupping her face with his other hand, and leaning closer to sing the final verse softly into her ear.

"Say you'll share with me
One love, one lifetime
Lead me, save me from my solitude…"

"Say you want me with you here beside you
Anywhere you go, let me go too
Yuichiro, that's all I ask of you…" *6*

Footnotes:

1. After abducting fem!Yuu, Guren takes her to his home in the Nagoya prefecture. In the LNs, his family was described as being quite wealthy and owned several homes, properties, and other assets but fem!Yuu does not realize this until Guren tells her.

2. Refer to "Who She is Within," chapter 20.

3. Since there was a scene of Guren listening to music from a vintage record player in episode 12 of the anime, I assume he has a liking for music. In my fem!Yuu AU series, Guren is also a talented singer as well as swordsman.

4. Fem!Yuu's most prized possession is a gold heart-shaped locket Mika gives her before they parted in Sanguinem when she was 12. The locket is mentioned many times in my main AU series and is inspired by Smartanimegirl/AngeliqueNade.

5. Refer to "Who She is Within", chapter 17.

6. "The Point of No Return" is a song from The Phantom of the Opera between the musical's title character, the Phantom, and his love interest, Christine. The song is part of the Phantom's opera, Don Juan Triumphant, which he forces the opera to stage. The song focuses on the Phantom's seduction of Christine which I used to parallel Guren's attempt to seduce fem!Yuu and make her forget about Mikaela.