PROPHECY

by lemon-and-chai

The prophecy that tore them all apart. The ending that will bring them back together. But at what cost...

2. Case

It pissed him off.

Vampires have rules, Ryouma thought. It's what makes us better than the rebels.

I may still be human, but I know that Momoshiro Takeshi and Kaidoh Kaoru are breaking those rules. And Fuji's letting them, was his final thought.

He marched into Fuji's office, completely ignoring the glares from his two older group mates as he slammed open the doors. He was just as mad at them, too.

Standing behind his desk, Fuji smiled calmly and lifted one eyebrow in question, before setting the papers in his hands down on his desk. "I see you're quite excited for your first group assignment," the honey haired brunette mused.

"Fuji Syuusuke," Ryouma growled, and drew up his arm, pointing his finger straight at the smiling officer's face. "I challenge you to a dual!"

Momoshiro's jaw dropped, and Kaidoh let out something between a cough and a snort.

Fuji looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh. "Well... I suppose it would be proper etiquette for me to determine my new member's capabilities before we go out on our first task, wouldn't it?"

"If I win, you're telling me everything I want to know." Ryouma was not happy. He had a feeling Fuji was a lot more involved in everything he'd come to investigate, and he also felt that he had a much better chance at getting answers from the brunette, then trying to chase down the other higher ups. He'd tried that avenue before joining, and simply been ignored. But Fuji couldn't ignore him, and he couldn't ignore his challenge - after all, they were now stuck together.

"And what kind of dual would you like to have?" Fuji smiled, far too condescendingly, as his long fingers ran along the polished wood of his desk. "I have a chess board, and an almost antique set of cards with lovely illustrations -"

"A serious fight," Ryouma growled, refusing to be treated like a child. "In the gym. First blood, that kind of fight. One type of weapon, best of three, you chose the type - I want to beat you at what you're best at. "

Now Momo was outright laughing, doubling over and slapping his knee. Even Kaidoh had his head down, and his shoulders were shaking a little -and he has no right to think it's funny after he lost to me.

"Look, kid," Momo snorted out between chuckles, "I know you're strong - you showed us all that yesterday. But if you think you can match up with Fuji -"

"It's fine," Fuji calmly interjected, his voice soft and silky. "I'm just a normal human, after all. No super strength, no summoning, no telekinesis - It ought to be a nice match up, don't you think?"

Snorting, Ryouma pressed together his lips, determined to make his commander regret humoring him.

Neither padded up - they both were fine staying in their uniforms, and Fuji's small, friendly smile was contrasted starkly by Ryouma's cocky grin. He knew he was being underestimated - but he'd show them.

He'd decided, like in his last match with Kaidoh, not to use his telekinesis unless he noticed Fuji using some special power too. He found it hard to believe that without any special ability, Fuji was on par with the vampires they went out to hunt. The honey haired brunette had to have some sort of trick up his sleeve - you couldn't even get into this place without having something on your resume. It was why Ryouma'd been adopted into the Echizen family, after all.

For whatever god given reason, Fuji had chosen fencing - it was obviously not something they'd ever use while hunting, and Ryouma wasn't sure he even believed that the smiling fox he had for a commander actually specialized in such a sport.

But of course it didn't matter. Even if it wasn't all that useful, it was ancient etiquette that house heirs be taught fencing along with all other forms of fighting, and neither Fuji Syuusuke nor Echizen Ryouma were exceptions.

They raised their blades - a foil for Fuji and a saber for Ryouma - properly in front of their faces. It felt like a good solid moment of quiet as they stared each other down - well, Ryouma did, anyway; it was hard to tell where Fuji was looking at all, his eyes were so crinkled upwards they didn't even seem open.

"Okay, um... anything goes as long as its in the rules of fencing," Momoshiro mumbled, standing off to the side. He had not been too happy about the whole thing, complaining the whole way that they should just go off on their mission and deal with 'stupid cocky bratts' later. "Hunters' rules, that is. Oh, and Fuji says telekinesis is okay."

Snorting, Ryouma couldn't remember Fuji saying anything like that, but it didn't matter. He was sticking to what he'd declared - if Fuji claimed his strength was in fencing, then that's what Ryouma would beat him at. And then he'd go and beat him at everything else.

"So yeah... good luck... kid. Three... two... one... start!"

Both swung down their blades, formally to their sides, and stepped forward towards each other. This was not the kind of battle that could be fought rushing - both eyed each other carefully, waiting to read the others' move.

Ryouma was beginning to see why Fuji claimed this was his forte. The brunette was small - not much taller than Ryouma, though he had to be full grown - and what fencing required was speed and agility less than strength. Not only that - in a sport that required waiting for your opponent to make an opening, reading your opponent was everything. Fuji's expression never changed, he never even flinched - not the barest indication that he was considering an attack.

Scowling, Ryouma realized they were circling each other. This could go on forever, he realized, if his blue eyed superior wanted it to - obviously, as the challenger, he would have to make the first move.

Ryouma thrust - a feint, he pulled his arm back immediately, expecting that Fuji had been anticipating an attack and would try to make a return thrust of his own. Ryouma had planned to catch Fuji off balance in that moment, let his arm extend just enough that Ryouma could slide his saber through a take a cut on the jacket over his torso - but to his surprise, Fuji merely stayed where he was, stepping back just slightly to avoid the weak, half extended feint.

Ryouma tried again, giving a few more experimental thrusts, knowing he'd need to bait his overly patient opponent if he wanted to move towards victory.

If Fuji wasn't going to attack, Ryouma decided, he'd have to make a serious attack of his own. But that had to, of course, be what the fox faced lieutenant was waiting for - but what Fuji wouldn't be expecting was a little trick that Ryouma kept up his sleeve.

The olive haired pre-teen suddenly dashed forward, not a typical, straight forward motion, but he took a half step, back, then forth, to one side then the other, all in less than a second, thrusting out towards Fuji's thigh in one smooth, swift motion.

Fuji didn't stand a chance, Ryouma was already within the length of his arm, but then, right as the young hunter was about to slice into the suave fabric, Fuji's blade seemed to sweep out of nowhere, dipping down in a half arc and knocking Ryouma off course.

It was too late, the young fighter realized, Fuji's foil was sliding up, almost to his hand, and the first blood would have been right on his knuckle - but Ryouma refused to lose. He grabbed the blade, not with his hand but with his mind, shoving it aside just a little just enough to let him slide under Fuji's arm and escape.

But instead of being shoved outward, as he imagined, the blade twisted out of Fuji's hand and struck at random. It took Ryouma a stunned moment to realize what had happened - and that his forehead was bleeding.

"Echizen!"

"Bratt!"

"Oi!"

Ryouma growled away his three teammates as they all converged on him, forcing him to sit down as Momoshiro poked at his forehead.

"It's just a little cut," Ryouma scowled, pushing the offending fingers away.

"Well, your personality's in tact, so I guess it's all good," Momoshiro grinned, dabbing away the blood with a handkerchief, and then pulling out a bandaid. Ryouma had been pretty annoyed that they'd had a first aid kit on hand, but he guessed that this was why.

"What the hell did you do," Ryouma charged, glaring at Fuji, who smiled cheerfully back. The brunette tilted his head, as if he hadn't a clue.

"Oh... that?" Fuji shrugged. "I didn't do anything. I really am just a normal human - well, from your standpoint - but sometimes certain powers don't work quite right on me. Mmm... probably, whatever direction you were trying to make my foil go, it twisted and went a different direction instead. Interesting... we'll have to remember that and be careful not to get too close during battles."

"... It's not something you consciously did?" Ryouma said, feeling suspicious. That did sound about right - the blade hadn't gone in the opposite direction completely, but it felt like when he'd first tried to use his power, and hadn't had enough control, and ended up making a mess with the paint his father had made him practice on. It still made him mad, his dad standing there laughing at his paint drenched son - the yellow wouldn't come out of his hair at all, until it had grown out enough to cut it off.

Fuji shook his head. "It's just an effect from a long line of... well, you know how the Fuji family lineage works. I don't even know which relative I inherited that little gift from. But," he shrugged, "after a while, it probably won't matter anymore. You're power will work on me when you need it to." He retrieved his blade, backing up a few steps before swinging it upright into the classic start position. "So... best two out of three, was it?"

"No," Ryouma scowled. "I lost, fair and square. If you really don't have any powers, then I lost to you in pure fencing, so that's that." He had to admit - the one thing he had not expected was the incredible agility his lieutenant had shown, being able to twist around and move his blade down in such a swift manner.

"But, Echizen... mm, Ryouma-kun," Fuji smiled, "If you have any questions, you can always ask. I am your supervisor, after all."

"Che," Ryouma pushed himself off the ground, hunching and sticking his hands in his pockets. "I'll ask whatever I want - but I'm expecting you to answer."

Fuji just smiled, leaving the pre-teen to scowl on his own.

---

The hunt was about as simple as could be, Ryouma decided. He suspected it was because Fuji's group had a new member. All they had to do was follow up on some rebel vamps that had been traced to a camp out in the nearby national park. Some other team had done the research, and this was more or less their left overs.

Fuji did use a blade, a thin one, not too different from his foil, that he kept belted to his hip. Momo and Kaido had blades of their own, too - all of them were inscribed, enchanted metal that would cut into a vampire as if it were no more than a human. This kind of warfare had been perfected centuries before any of them were born.

Ryouma had a sword too, that had belonged to his father, Nanjiro. He also kept a hidden dagger, and he suspected his teammates had other tricks up their sleeves too.

It really was simple. They more or less walked up to the camp, not even bothering to disguise themselves. The camp's watchman spotted them immediately, but Fuji made things simple - he threw a knife, tucked into his sleeve, and the watchman fell from his lofty post a few branches up from the ground. Kaidoh finished him off as they walked by, not even bothering to make eye contact with each other. It was enough of a warning for the campers, still, but Ryouma was impressed that they didn't try to run.

"They've lost their transit," Momo murmured to him. "The other team separated them from their supplies. They know the best chance they have is to defeat us, and take our vehicles."

It was a stupid gamble, Ryouma mused. Stupider, he realized, when they actually fought. These rebels were weak - untrained, newly turned, and he wondered how stupid they must have been to not just follow the rules and avoid being hunted in the first place.

He took him awhile to realize, that Fuji was mostly watching him and their two vampiric companions do all the work. This was merely a part of his evaluation of his newest underling, Ryouma realized. But with the bloodshed before him, at least Fuji didn't have the nerve to smile. If anything, he looked a little lost, as if he sensed something - his eyes kept flashing around - but couldn't figure out what it was.

---

This was fun, Fuji decided. It was fun to have someone new on his team - young and talented and pure, and cute, too - someone who wasn't related to Tezuka, someone who didn't know anything, not really, about him.

He could tell his team had everything under control - this was just Genichirou's leftovers, after all, that he'd asked his superior to leave for them so that he could test the synergy of his new team. But something was bothering him... he could feel it, on the back of his neck, that feeling again, the one that meant...

"Caught you, hunter!" He made a mistake being distracted. He'd been so busy trying to focus on finding whatever it was throwing him off, that he hadn't noticed the dirty haired vampire sneaking up behind him, who was now crushing his throat with one hand and gripping his wrist tightly in the other.

The vampire leered down at him, its foul, blood stenched breath blowing into his face. He could tell this group had been feasting, killing, taking everything from their human prey, earning themselves nothing but a death sentence. He glared at it, knowing he hadn't lost yet, and the vampire's eyes shot open as it cried, "A Fuji? You're one of the Fuji's?"

His eyes always gave him away. No other Japanese family had naturally blue eyes.

"Hehehe," the vampire cackled, grinning wide as its incisors elongated, along with the black, curling claws its fingers transformed into. "Lucky... Lucky me!"

Fuji was tired of this game. He didn't even wince as the vampire slashed at his face, one of its claws barely slicing into his cheek, as he twisted his shoulder and swiftly brought up his sword. The blade pierced straight through the foolish vampire's chest, sending blood spraying out into the air. Fuji's lips pressed thinly together, his smile gone, his eyes slanted open, and the only difficulty he felt was the faint resistance from his own lack of strength as he pushed his sword further in.

"Lucky indeed..." Fuji murmured, looking at the bodies of the vampires scattered around the campsite. These vampires were all young, he could tell, most likely turned within the year, and already they had fallen to blood lust. All because of the rebels' teachings, these young beings had to die...

---

"Damn.. you..." The vampire muttered, its own blood dripping from its mouth to join the blood from its fatal wound pooling on the floor. Fuji didn't seem to notice, keeping his back turned, unmoving even as the vampire sprung up with one last spurt of vigor, screaming, "The cursed clan!"

Its fingers extended, zeroing in on their target, nearly to the back of his head...

Only for another claw, larger and more powerful, to peirce down on the vampire from behind, tearing clear through its heart. At the same instant, a blade slashed down on its neck, cleanly severing its head.

Fuji didn't even blink.

"Back off, idiot," Momo gurgled, as Kaido withdrew his elongated fingers from the enemy's chest.

"The one's mine," the snake charmer hissed, cleaning off the blood with his glove.

Stomping his foot on the headless body, Momo spat, "What are you, stupid?! I'm the one who chopped off his head!"

"Hissss, I'm the one who killed him! I stabbed him first!"

"You stupid viper! You were totally slow!"

"You're the blind moron who cut the head off an already dead vamp!"

With nothing left to fight, Ryouma decided to ignore his two bickering sempai, whose insults were only getting more and more brainless with each exchange. Sticking his hands in his pockets, he went to stand by the lieutenant, who was back to his cheerful, close eyed smiling self.

"My, aren't they lovely?" Fuji's tone was far too amused, considering they were standing in a field of bodies.

Ryouma really had nothing to say, now that he'd realized at least half his team was made of idiots.

---

Fuji really did love his team. They always managed to entertain him, which was the most important thing, of course.

He loved them even more when he noticed his newest teammate, holding out a skin colored bandage.

"Mada mada dane, sempai," Ryouma chided, keeping his eyes looking towards Momo and Kaido, as if he were being nonchalant. Fuji thought it was adorable.

A bandaid? Really... Fuji chuckled into his hand, after taking the tiny piece of first aid. "Thanks -"

"Echizen! It's 'boss,', not 'sempai'!" Kaidoh growled, even as he and Momo started pulling at each other's shirts and hair.

"Wha- what?!" Momo yelled, looking like anything Kaidoh said would make him angry, even if it wasn't directed at him.

"Whatever," Ryouma stuck his hands back in his pockets. "Can we go back now? It's Karupin's dinner time."

Caught between laughing and sighing, Fuji slipping off a glove to put the band aid on. Maybe this new assignment is a good idea after all... He thought. Gen-chan... He wondered what the commander who had forced this on him was up to now.

He'd completely forgotten about the feeling that had previously disturbed him.

Hidden further in the woods, a man with shaggy, hazel colored hair continued to watch the light haired lieutenant, a solemn expression on his bespectacled face.

---

So that was it, Ryouma guessed, the effect of the special power that had gotten Fuji to move up the chain. It might have seemed pathetic compared to telekinesis or summoning... but having loyal subordinates, who absolutely wouldn't, couldn't let you die, because they needed you - as food, he reminded himself. They can only drink from Fuji, so they have to protect him.

A curse of blood...

Momoshiro and Kaido had fought so hard to protect Fuji, it was almost creepy. And Fuji had known... the damn brunette had completely let his guard down, so unconcerned with the battle at hand. No matter how weak the enemies, vampires were still dangerous and inhumanly powerful.

And it wasn't that Fuji trusted them. Ryouma didn't get the feeling that Fuji trusted many people, actually. No... Fuji knew he had those two on a leash. All he had to do was, a couple times a week, let them attack his neck and suck out half his life force.

It wasn't a power Ryouma would trade for.

He took another chomp out of his burger, looking down on the rose garden three stories below. This was a good spot, he decided, that Momo had taken him to - up on the roof, where he wouldn't get molested by those crazies in the cafeteria. And getting treated to burgers by his sempai was something he could definitely get used to.

He'd confessed to Momo what he had seen the other night. He felt better, having fought with the two vampires as a team - that wasn't to say he trusted them, but he found he liked Momo enough and he didn't want this held over their heads.

To his surprise, his spiky haired sempai had seemed rather embarrassed, mumbling something about being seen at his worst. He bought Ryouma lunch as an apology, and promised to tell Ryouma whatever he wanted to know.

Seeing his boisterous sempai chomp down on burgers made him think of his conversation with Oishi, that night in the hallway.

"I'm truly am sorry, Echizen. As you said... I should have at least told you your teammates were vampires." Oishi sighed. "They probably assumed you would realize it on your own."

Ryouma's grimace deepend. "But Momo-sempai eats... not just to taste, like vampires, he really..."

The doctor shook his head. "Momoshiro likes eating. It's like a pastime for him. He... please understand. Momoshiro's human family was large, and he had to give up a lot for his many younger siblings. Because of his size, until Tezuka took him in, he was almost starving..."

"Hey, I'm an Echizen, I get it okay? I just..." Ryouma murmured, "I know the rules. I don't know what the hell they think they're doing. And if it has something to do with my father..."

Oishi only sighed, not giving any reply.

Thinking about it, Ryouma knew he should find out a lot more about his teammates, whether or not they were connected to what had happened to Nanjiroh. He thought about his fight with Kaidoh, and what he'd seen during the battle.

"Hey, sempai..."

"Mph-yeah?" Momo certainly lacked any of the prideful dignity vampires were famed for, with ketchup dribbling down his chin.

Ryouma decided to think carefully about what he was going to say. "So... Tezuka picked Kaidoh, because of his ability to turn snakes. What's your special ability, Momo-sempai?"

Shrugging, the spiky haired vampire mumbled around his burger, "Um, nothing too useful."

Ryouma glared at him in tacit response.

Sighing, Momo put down his burger and wiped off his chin. "I can see auras. Like... it's a form of empathy. I can read people's feelings... um, I usually describe it as like a cloud that surrounds each person, and changes colors. Like a mood ring." He looked awfully amused by this description, as it it were some kind of inside joke.

Ryouma jammed some fries into his mouth, staring at his teammate. He did get it, really - auras didn't really look like clouds, Momo was saying, but his power was unexplainable to anyone who didn't have it. No one could truly understand but Momo himself.

Ryouma's own power was like that.

"It doesn't help so much in battle," Momo continued. "So I really rely on my strength as a vampire. Kaidoh does too - that idiot doesn't use his snakes to fight, because he's afraid they'll get hurt. They're useful though, I'll give him that, for reconnaissance and things. He can send them around and no one really notices them, then he talks to them with that hissing thing he does. You know, the lame sounding shushing noise he makes when he pouts -" Pushing out his lips, Momo performed a very good imitation of what Ryouma had labelled Kaidoh's kissy face.

They both burst out laughing, then shoveled down more fries. Ryouma really did feel better talking to his sempai... he could tell Momo was a good guy. But...

"What about Tezuka?"

"Um... what about him?" Momo dipped one of his last fries in his ketchup, and just sort of let it soak there.

"Oishi told me he's the one who turned you." Ryouma had mentioned it before, but he could tell Momo was trying to avoid it. After all, who would want to be associated with one of the organization's greatest enemies?

Shifting uncomfortably, the purple eyed vampire scratched at the back of his head as if trying to think. "There's not really much to say," he muttered. "I mean, we work for Fuji now."

Glaring, Ryouma refused to let it go. "I know it doesn't work like that. Tezuka turned you... you're like his children. Vampires are always loyal to the ones who turned them."

"Not always..." Momo turned his eyes away, looking out into the garden. "I mean, yeah we were but... Oishi told you about Fuji's blood, didn't he? Otherwise he wouldn't have told you who our ma... former master was."

Nodding was all the confirmation Ryouma had to give.

"Look, Ryouma," Momo sighed, "This thing about Fuji is a serious secret. Only a few people other than the elders know about it. Oishi had to tell you, cause you're joining our group, so you'd notice soon anyway. But that... Fuji's blood is... it's special. To me and Kaidoh. Fuji's important to us. We have his back no matter what, okay? And you're in the group now, so we have your back too, okay?"

He rustled Ryouma's hair with his big grubby fingers, making the preteen growl and push the sticky things away.

"You're all ketchupy," Ryouma scowled. He hated being treated like a kid, but he decided he could trust Momo. There was obviously far more to the story, but he could also tell his sempai was being as honest as he was allowed, and that was all the young hunter knew he could ask for.

Down by the garden, some hunters were having an intense conversation. Ryouma couldn't help but feel that headquarters had gotten more and more lively lately... in a tense sort of way.

"Hey, it's that redhead again," Ryouma said as he finished off his fries. Sure enough, that annoying bubble gum blower was one of the guys on the garden path.

"You know Marui?" Momo sounded a little surprised. After all, Ryouma didn't like socializing - he hadn't talked to anyone outside of his team except Oishi, so far.

"Errr..." Ryouma shrugged. "His dorm room's near mine."

It looked like the redhead - Marui was it? - was bickering with two other, much taller hunters - one had glasses, and didn't seem to know what the word smile meant; the other had platinum blond hair, bundled up into a little rat tail that ran down the back of his neck. Momo and Ryouma watched them for a bit, both having polished off their meals, before stacking their trays and bundling up the trash.

"Hey..." Momo started, as they made their way back to the cafeteria to return the trays. "If you see him, give him a break, okay? Poor guy's had some real crap happen with him lately."

"Who was he talking to?" Ryouma asked. None of them had looked very happy.

"Oh, those guys? They're on Sanada's team. They've got this new big assignment, and they're going around questioning people like they're big shots." Momo pulled open the door to the cafeteria, letting his new teammate go through first. "It doesn't have anything to do with us though - we got our own case, ya know."

"There you guys are," a rough, familiar voice growled from inside the cafeteria. Kaidoh was practically red in the face, his lips in their usual putter, as he hissed at his two teammates.

"Fuji sent me to look for you. His office. Now." He turn away from them and headed down the hall, mumbling what sounded like, "I knew I'd find them if I went to the cafeteria... that stupid fatty is always stuffing his face..."

Quirking his eyebrow, Ryouma looked up at his sempai. "Are we in trouble?"

"Nah, it's probably just something about the case. Kaido's just being a tight ass," Momo grinned, setting down their trays in the take away bins.

It was Ryouma's first real case, he supposed, thinking about it as they headed towards Fuji's office. They'd been handed a murder case - of a vampire, that was - all cases involving vampires, whether killing or killed, were handled by the organization, and this one was of interest because said vampire had once been one of their members.

Chinen Hiroshi, the file had read. He hadn't quit, exactly, but he hadn't had an assignment for at least two years. He'd been found dead outside his condo, obviously slain, and it looked like by another vampire.

"He worked for us as spy, but really he was an assassin," Fuji explained, reading out his file. "The elders are worried that he was killed for something relating to the organization, perhaps some information he might have had."

"But he wasn't on assignment at the time?" Ryouma asked. There was something in particular about the murder that bothered him. The way Chinen's body had been, with one of his arms sliced into, all the way down to the bone, even though he'd died from decapitation...

"Mmm, it appears not," Fuji said slowly, placing down the file. "The elders should know more. I'll will find out why... there are a few other things I plan to investigate, as well..."

Fuji must have found something out, Ryouma thought with a frown. He wondered what it could be, that the brunette would want them to meet with him so urgently.

The light haired lieutenant was leaning on his desk, looking through some papers when they entered. He smiled at them, not nearly as frazzled as Ryouma thought he might be - well, Fuji looked as calm, and, behind that fake smile, cold as he always did.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your lunch," the brunette said, almost sweetly, "But some new information has come up, and we need to head out as soon as we can."

"Whadya find?" Momo asked, glancing at Kaido. The other vampire snorted and tilted his head, meaning he didn't know anything more than they did.

Still smiling, Fuji handed out some papers. "Two other murders - Tanishi Kei and Hirakoba Rin. They were assigned to another group, because no one realized they were connected to ours."

"What did you notice they have in common?" Ryouma looked up from the paper, with the faces of two tan faced vampires smiling toothily in their profile shots. Tanishi looked big, in multiple directions, and his photo featured smile looked more like a leer. Hirakoba was completely opposite, his handsomely smiling visage framed by his long, sun bleached hair.

"Hmmm," Fuji smiled, slightly impressed that Ryouma knew just the right questions to ask. "All three of them were a part of the same group... clan, really, of vampires. They were all in the Higa clan, the offspring of Kite Eishirou..." His voice trailed off, and for a second, Ryouma thought he saw the lieutenant's smile drop.

But then Fuji's cheerful upturned lips were back in a flash. "The Higa clan is poorly known to the other members of the organization. We rarely saw them... you see, they served as spies. All together, the whole clan... to avoid being found out by the enemy, only Kite ever came to headquarters, and always in secret.

"But... some years ago, Kite... made a mistake, and they were found out. They couldn't spy on the rebels for us anymore..." Fuji shrugged, fingering a lock of his hair. "That's why they haven't had any assignments. As for their murders...well, there are two members of Higa left."

"So we're going to go find them," said Ryouma, a smirk growing on his face, "And protect them - or arrest them."

Fuji's smile widened, "You pick things up quickly, Ryouma-kun."

"Che... drop the 'kun' if you know I can keep up." Ryouma ducked his face behind the bill of his cap, turning towards the office door to hide his embarrassment.

Chuckling slightly, Fuji gathered up his things and motioned for them to head out. "Alright then. I'm counting on you... Ryouma."

---

They were dropped off in front of a high rise, its revolving glass doors and tall potted plants impressing on moderate wealth.

"Heh... this Kai Yuujirou guy isn't doing too bad," Ryouma whistled, eyeing the many glass stories that stretched up amongst its equally tall neighbors.

"The organization takes care of you," Momoshiro shrugged. "Higa may have pretended to side with the rebel vampires, but they always followed the rules, about feeding and stuff. And I think they were doing some work on the side. We're going to their leader, Kite Eishirou, next - he lives out in the countryside."

Fuji said a few words to the driver, who drove off to make circles elsewhere. In their uniforms, they must have looked impressively like official law enforcement, their only give away being the pre-teen tagging along with them.

They slipped through the revolving doors. No one was in the well furnished lobby - not even a concierge behind what was obviously a concierge desk. Fuji walked over to the elevators, while the other three looked around.

"We need a keycard to get up," he said, fingering the card reader by the call buttons, which refused to light up.

"Hey, boss," Momo called. He was pushing open a door off to the side, that was labelled BASEMENT. "There are some people down here... "

"Let's ask them to let us up, shall we?" Fuji put on a charming smile, and Ryouma had the feeling the effeminate hunter was not typically denied his requests.

"I don't think we'll need to," Momo said darkly, unsheathing his short blade. "The auras down there are pretty messed up."

In an instant, Fuji's smile was gone, replaced by a serious, cold glare. Kaidoh also looked a little tense, and Ryouma realized that however Momo's power worked, it was something his teammates took pretty seriously.

There were barely a dozen steps leading down into the parking basement. Even before they reached the short stairway end, Ryouma could hear the echoes of shouting, and what sounded very much like some sort of sword fight.

Fuji paused against the wall, holding his finger to his lips to show he wanted to assess the situation before they made their presence known. Momo stayed in front of him, one arm barring the lithe brunette from moving out before him, then made a motion - and then a blood curdling scream caused the four of them to simultaneously dash out onto the open floor.

Blood splattered over a car and one of the columns, as the body of what was obviously Kai Yuujirou slumped to the floor. His long, shaggy brown hair, and well tanned skin was unmistakably the same as in the profile photo, even with the ghastly, shocked expression twisting his face, and the huge gash cut through his chest.

Over him, a tall, bespectacled man with carefully gelled back hair smirked, the blade in his hand dripping with blood. He turned towards them, slowly, as if barely acknowledging their presence, before turning back to the dead vampire at his feet, and slicing his blade down the corpse's right arm.

All of the victims' right arms were mutilated, Ryouma thought in wide eyed alarm.
"Kite!" Fuji cried, breaking the silence they'd all been stunned into.

Despite being called, the bespectacled man laughed, a crazy, jerky sort of laugh, staring at the bloody corpse. He smeared the blood from his sword on his arm, cutting himself as he did, as if trying to make the two bloods mix.

"... Why... Kite..." The look of horror on the lieutenant's face, the way his eyes and lips were trembling, made Ryouma realize his leader was perhaps not so cold after all.

What bothered the young hunter, though, was that Fuji clearly recognized their blood covered murderer, not from the photos, but it sounded like he'd known him before.

And from the way Kite, who had finally turned towards them, was looking at Fuji, it was clear he recognized the cerulean eyed hunter, too.

"Heh...heheh...heheheheheheh..." Kite slapped his forehead, his smirk turning into a full out, toothy grin. "Fuji Syuusuke... how ironic... the one they sent to hunt me is you."

He slinked a few uneven steps towards them, causing Momo and Kaido to both move in front of Fuji with their teeth bared. But the lieutenant motioned them aside, stepping forward with his sword gripped tightly in his hand. At least, Ryouma acknowledged, his leader was not a coward.

"This...Kite..." Fuji's voice trembled with anger. "... You were the one who killed them... everyone of your own clan..."

Kite gurgled out something between a snort and a laugh, the glare off his glasses hiding his eyes. His head dropped forward, as if he didn't even care to hold it up. "Heh... of course. Higa is my clan - my responsibility. So of course, it had to be me."

"But why -"

"Don't you see?!" His laugh turned into a scream, his hand gripped at his own hair and yanked at it in a sudden, angry despair. "We haven't had any assignments in years. It won't be long now before we lose everything we have left. Hehehehe... a lot of it's your fault, too."

Momo and Kaido both tensed, but Fuji raised both of his arms to keep them back. "Kite..." His vivid blue eyes were cold again, his frown tight as he watched the murder slink closer.

"After that failure with you, the elders no longer care about us." It was hard to tell, with Kite's hand covering half his face, whether he was laughing or crying. "We tried to run to the other side, to truly take a place amongst the rebels... but we were found out. The double agents, loyal to none... and of course, we received no loyalty in return! No thanks for our service, our sacrifice. Thrown out, nowhere to go..."

"But you had your clan," Fuji charged, his voice low enough to freeze glaciers. "You had each other! They were your team, the only ones you were always loyal to. How could you kill them?"

"For love!" Kite shouted, and his throat burst with maniacal laughter. "For her!" He was half bend backwards with his laughter, which madly echoed around the blood stained garage. "This is our punishment for betraying them. And I'm carrying it out with my own two hands." His throat grew course, but his next words were spoken in a soft, almost gently tone. "She'll be so happy..." For a moment, he looked lovestruck, the way his lips twisted into a loopy grin, his lids dropping just slightly, and then he burst out laughing again. It was a horrible, mad laugh that made Ryouma want to cover his ears.

"The one that they trusted," the madman waved over towards where Kai lay bloodily slumped. "Betrayed them. A traitor to all in the end!

All four of them stayed frozen, stunned by the display of unbelievable madness.

"Go on, I know how this will end," he laughed. "Put me out of my misery. It's what she wants, too!"

Fuji seemed the most horrified of them all, his sword grip loosened, his eyes filled with disbelief and pity. "Kite..."

"Oh, nevermind, you're taking too long." Kite shuddered out the last of his laughter, as the claws on his free hand started to grow. "I'll just kill you and I'm sure that'll make her happy as well."

He now loomed over Fuji, his claws and sword crossed, and Fuji just stared up at him in horror, as if he didn't know what to do.

In an instant, Momo and Kaidoh both struck him at the same time, four sets of claws fully extended, tearing the wide eyed madman to shreds.

---

Fuji was back to his calm, commanding self by the time the clean up team arrived. He wavered between a cold, distant expression when discussing how to handle the dead bodies, and giving his usual smile and friendly persona when addressing anything else.

They found the concierge unconscious behind one of the cars - it seemed he'd followed Kite, who refused to address him when he entered the building, down into the parking garage, and gotten clobbered on the head without seeing anything. Kaido brought the sorry man back up to the lobby, and Fuji said a few friendly words to him when he woke up, and slipped him a couple hundred dollar bills. The man told his story, then left to disappear for the next few hours of his shift, without going back to check on the garage.

It wasn't until they on their way back, well away from the crime scene, from the splattered blood, from Kai's corpse, with it's shocked, wide eyes that couldn't understand how the one he'd trusted was here to kill him; from Kite's, whose lips still twisted into that crazed grin. There was something in his eyes, though, that Ryouma thought were tears of relief.

He closed his eyes and ran the last few hours again through his head. Momo and Kaidoh... the desperate way they had slashed into Kite - they only thought about protected Fuji. There was still so much mystery surrounding the case... Kite's intentions, what could have driven him to such a horrible resolution... who she was, the woman he kept referring to.. and...

"The right arms..." Ryouma murmured, breaking the quiet in the large utility vehicle. Momo looked up, meeting his eyes with concern, and Kaidoh also looked interested, his lips pursing out slightly.

"My father," Ryouma continued, "after he was... murdered, all they returned to me was his right arm. The rest of him was... cremated. His ... his body was so mutilated..." he choked, thinking of the pictures he'd seen, that Oishi had shared with him after much persuading that he was old enough. "But his arm... it was cut off, cleanly, before ... the rest of him was messed up."

"Maybe..." Momo said tentatively, not wanting to distress his teammate any further. "They wanted to disable him?"

Ryouma shook his head. "He was left handed. Well, he could fight with either hand, but... he was like me. He had telekinesis." He chuckled, a little bits of fond memories flashed back to him. "You know... how I was adopted. I mean, since vampires can't have their own children, and that's how they continue their line. But Nanjiro and I come from the same family, so we look the same, and have the same power, and strangers always knew he was my dad..."

"Do you think," Kaido hissed, "this guy Kite -"

"No," Ryouma said firmly. "My dad was way stronger than that freak. He wouldn't have lost to him. And... we already know who killed him... just not why..." Already Ryouma could feel it, his eyes turning red, his blood boiling... he never felt sad when he thought about his father's death, justangry.

Sighing, Momo said, "Hey Viper, you don't socialize enough, so you miss a lot of things. Elder Echizen was killed by his own teammates. The three vampires that worked for him for years... they all just... turned on him, or something. All we know for sure is that he died from blood loss... theydrank from him, all three of them at once, until he died."

Ryouma stayed silent, his lips pressed firmly together. This was a story he knew all too well... how one of Nanjiro's teammates had come back, confessed to everything, before killed himself with his own claws. How the organization had tested the blood from the rest of the team - who were all found dead - and found Nanjiro's blood indeed running through their veins. They had died rather peacefully, a quick decapitation - but Nanjiro's body, whether before or after he was drained dry... it had been cut, stepped on, mutilated...

All except his right arm.

That ended the conversation for the rest of the trip. Fuji simply sat there with his usual little smile, his eyes hidden behind his lashes, without saying a word the entire time.

---

"This is the third victim," Yagyuu reported with a solemn face, calm despite facing the half decayed body of his now deceased friend. There was no need to check the identity of the body - With his dark skin and bald head, Kuwahara Jackal was unmistakable.

Sanada didn't know how he could stay so calm. He himself had both fists clenched, his teeth barred as he bent down over the pupil he had still been training.

"At least we found him," said Niou, serious for once as he placed his hand on the commander's shoulder.

"Damn it!" Akaya slammed his fist into the ally's brick wall. "Why Jackal?! He never did 'nothin wrong to nobody."

It had gotten personal, they all knew, now that their friend was on the dead list. This was already a high level case, having been assigned to Sanada and his team, and with all three victims being fellow hunters, it was already extremely serious as they worked to avenge their own. But now... this...

Akaya was right, they all knew. When it came to good behavior, Jackal was the best of them. He didn't make enemies, even of the vampires he'd help hunt.

"It's the same story as the other two," Yagyuu continued, keeping control by focusing on his work. "Maru- ... Jackal's roommate saw him walk out into the hallway in the middle of the night, and Jackal didn't respond to anything he said. He just kept walking. There are other witnesses too, and from our cameras we can see him leaving without speaking to anyone. He just walks in a straight line, without taking anything with him, and here we find him, over four miles from the front gate, dead - and drained of all blood."

Sanada took hold of Jackal's left hand, black eyes narrowing as he verified the two small pin prick marks embedded in the deceased hunter's wrist. He also spied the identical marks on Jackal's neck, deeper and more messy, as if whoever had been feeding from there was desperate in his effort to suck his victim dry. It was the same, of course, as the other two victims... death from blood loss, drained by two different vampires, one at the neck and the other, neatly, from the wrist - no signs of a fight, except perhaps briefly. The first victim had some bruises on his arm and chest, as if he'd suddenly started to struggle during the feeding and had to be held in place.

"Look, Gen, I get it," Niou said. He was usually a goofball, light hearted and joking even during their hunts, but now he was nothing but serious and angry. "But the elders are itching at the ass for a report. They're gonna figure this out on their own... The way these guys behaved before they kicked it, and a vamp who feeds like that from the wrist..." His face twisted into a grimace at the bitter irony. "It's interesting, isn't it? The little habits vampires have when they feed."

"No!" Sanada roared, slamming his fist into the nearby dumpster. He pulled away, an obvious dent now permanent in the blue metal. "It's not - ... I know what I saw!"

"Genichirou," Yagyuu stepped next to his longtime friend and commander, trying to become a stable force as best he could. "We know, we believe you, and we're just as upset. That's why it's all the more important we get to the bottom of this, to keep his name clear. It's all we can do for him now."

Sanada's throat growled instead of forming words, and all Yagyuu could do was sigh as Niou called for the cleanup team.

---

It was a relief, Ryouma felt, after the Kite case, that the next case they were assigned was so straight-forward and cookie cutter. A pair of newborn sibling vampires, out loose and caught in a feeding frenzy, who'd already killed their parents.

"It goes like this," Momo had told him. "One of the rebel clans probably turned them, but didn't keep an eye on them in the beginning like they're supposed to, and the two escaped. Ran home, went nuts needing to drink, and ended up going for Mom and Dad. It's a pretty common story."

And now they become a problem for us, Ryouma thought, glancing over at his honey haired leader as they both raced up the stairs.

The moment the pair had been spotted, they split up - probably the smartest thing they'd done all day, considering how easy they'd been to track down. Momo and Kaidoh dashed after the slightly taller one, the one with hair dyed vibrant blue, yelling at each other some things that sounded like, "He's mine!", "I said I got 'im!", and "You couldn't catch a fly, idiot!"

The other brother, with his hair dyed a hideous purply red, had giggled and slipped into a nearby office building, leaving Fuji and Ryouma on a chase up the stairs. Ryouma would never admit it, but he was pretty relieved it was only four stories to the roof. Fuji looked absolutely fine when they got to the top, so the preteen swallowed his fatigue and forced himself to stand straight.

"Momo would be useful in this situation, nee?" Fuji smiled almost cheerfully, which didn't fit the mood at all, as he tentatively pushed the roof door open with his fingers.

The rooftop appeared empty, as the brunette calmly stepped out into the sunshine. For a second, the only thing either of them heard was the faintly humming wind against the building - and then the redhead dashed out from his hiding place behind the stairwell wall, his hand doubled in size with his extended claws.

He swiped across Fuji's chest, but the hunter didn't even flinch as he smoothly stepped back, just enough that the claws sailed harmlessly barely an inch away from his uniform. He shifted his head, then his shoulder, then stepped back, fluidly dodging each attack, even maintaining his unconcerned little smile.

After a barrage of failed attacks, the small vampire finally got suspicious, leaping back when Fuji lifted his hand, as if sure of an impending attack. But all Fuji did was wave his hand in the air, showing that he had no weapons.

"This doesn't have to end badly," he said, his voice soft and friendly. "We understand that what happened was an accident. Your brother and you are only newborns in the life of a vampire - we can help you. Teach you control."

"Why should we trust you?" The vampire growled, his eyes narrow with suspicion. But his exhaustion was obvious, his deep panting, the sweat along his brow, the shaking in his arms. He couldn't even scratch one of the hunters facing him, and Ryouma stood blocking the stairwell. There would be no escape, not through brute force, anyway.

"Our organization isn't out to hunt vampires," Fuji said quietly. "We're enforcers. We are, and always have been, a joint unity of both humans and vampires. We have rules, and as long as you follow them, you can live happily, for as long as your new blood allows."

The vampire kept up his stance for what felt like an eternity, his arms drawn back and teeth seething as he stared at Fuji with blue contact covered eyes. He was clearly trying to decide if Fuji was telling him the truth - it wasn't like he had many options.

". . . My name is Youhei," the red head finally said, his voice course but young. He couldn't have more than a teenager, Ryouma realized, way too young to be turned.

Youhei slowly retracted his claws, still looking suspicious as Fuji took a small step towards him. The slender hunter slowly extended his hand, and Youhei stayed frozen for a second before finally extending his.

The instant their hands, Youhei suddenly grabbed Fuji's wrist and jerked him towards him, swinging him around with inhuman strength and trapped him with his arms, his claws extended against Fuji's throat.

"Heh, like I believe that shit!" The vampire screamed. He forced Fuji to walk forwards, closer to Ryouma and the stairwell. "I was warned about you people - I'm not living like a fucking pet, feeding off pigs and shit."

His intentions were clear, as he inched forward with his hostage. "Let me out," he declared to Ryouma, "or your buddy eats it."

Ryouma's expression hardly changed throughout the whole affair. His golden eyes stayed trained on Youhei, watching his every twitch. As for his commander, Fuji's eyes stayed hidden behind his bangs - his smile was gone, but he certainly wasn't scared.

The young hunter wondered if that was what the rebels really believed, if they thought the vampires in the organization were just being used by humans. He knew his father always followed the rules, that Nanjiro had been happy, and that he had died fighting to protect the unity between humans and vampires.

"We can't live as if we're at war," Nanjiro taught him. "Vampires feed off humans, but humans not only outnumber us - in many ways, they're stronger. Before the four great houses formed their pact, we were always the hunters being hunted. We are better this way.

"And as a great house of vampires, the Echizen family must fight to maintain the reputation of vampires, so that we aren't seen as monsters ever again.

"Even if that means killing our own."

Ryouma didn't move as Youhei pushed towards him. The redhead never noticed the knife lift unaided from Fuji's utility belt; he never sensed the invisible power being used by the gold eyed hunter as the knife positioned itself over his throat.

Fuji didn't move, his eyelids hardly wavered as blood sprayed across the back of his uniform, some landing on his cheek and hair. Youhei's body crumpled lifelessly behind him, the knife embedded deep in his esophagus, his powers far too new and weak to heal him or keep him alive.

Before, Ryouma would have thought the solid, expressionless blue of Fuji's eyes were a mark of the cold ruthlessness he was famed for. But the young hunter had realized something, watching his lieutenant trying to reason with the teenage vampire, trying to save him from himself - offering out his hand despite the risk of getting killed or captured, instead of killing Youhei right then and there.

Fuji didn't like hurting people.

"Momo and Kaidoh would be pissed at you," Ryouma warned, his large gold eyes staring intently at Fuji as he wiped the blood of his cheek with a handkerchief. They sat quietly against the roof fence, taking a moment to breath out their exhaustion. "You knew what he was going to do, and you let it happen anyway."

"I wanted to give him a chance," Fuji said quietly. "He's so young... and, he was overcome with newborn's thirst. He would have drunk from me before he killed me."

"And then that curse thing would have kicked in, and everything would have been okay?" Ryouma snorted, "Then he was right - he really would have lived like a pet, like Momo and Kaidoh."

Fuji stayed silent, though Ryouma noticed his throat shift as he gulped.

"You rely too much on other people," Ryouma muttered. "It's messed up, you know...how many vampires can feed on you before you dry out and die?"

He gave Fuji a few minutes to wallow, before popping out his cell phone. "What's the number for the cleanup people?" He mumbled, pulling up the window for sending texts.

"Here, let me put it in for you," said Fuji, reaching for the device.

"No, just tell me the number," Ryouma scowled, pulling the phone away and holding it out of reach. "You guys always take care of these things, I want to pull my weight."

Pulling back his hand, Fuji chuckled, "You're doing that already."

He finally told Ryouma the number, and as the young hunter fingered in their location, he thought he heard the lieutenant softly whisper, "You remind me of my little brother."

---

Half an hour later, Momo and Kaidoh showed up, only barely beating the clean up team. They both claimed they would have caught up with their target sooner, if the other hadn't been in their way. They didn't have to say much more than that, after they directed the clean up team to a nearby park. It was obvious how things had ended, for both siblings.

They returned to headquarters, all four of them ready to shower and hit the mattress. Ryouma couldn't believe the last eight weeks that had already passed since he'd gotten there - the three cases they'd gotten had been more than enough to wear him out, and they hadn't even gotten any of those 'true blood vampire' cases Fuji had told him about. Then again, those were the cases Ryouma truly wanted to work... after all, his father had been in the true blood category, even though he'd always acted like a buffoon.

Fuji went straight to his office to write up a preliminary report, and Ryouma had a feeling from the look that Momo and Kaidoh exchanged that they were both wondering when they'd get their special time with him. The young hunter knew there was nothing he could do in that regards, so he nodded in parting at the gate and made a beeline for his room.

He was still drying his hair off with a towel when he heard an urgent rapping at the door.

"Doctor," his golden eyes widened in surprise, wondering why the black haired officer would suddenly decide to visit him.

Oishi didn't give him a chance to ask, and burst in with uncharacteristic urgency, going straight to Ryouma's wardrobe and taking out the preteen's uniform.

"Finish drying your hair, then change into your uniform," Oishi instructed, his usual politeness gone in obvious state of panic. "Oh no, there's a wrinkle - okay, finish drying your hair and put everything else on, while I iron out the jacket."

"Um, what -"

"You're going before the Council," Oishi sputtered. The young hunter winced as the doctor pulled down his built in ironing board, the metal screeching as it set into place. "Don't smile, don't talk unless asked a question, and then try your best sound like you're answering without giving an actual answer. Just let Fuji do the talking."

Ryouma willed his hair faster, if that were possible, as he grabbed his socks and pants and started pulling everything on. "So um... Fuji and I are going before the elders?"

"And Momo and Kaidoh, the whole team. Here you go!" Oishi practically molested Ryouma as he pulled his jacket on, smoothing out the lapels and not missing a button. "The Council's already waiting, so Fuji's headed over there now. Okay, you're ready, gotta hurry and get you there" - he was practically shoving Ryouma out the door as he said this - "Just remember, don't talk, look serious, and try to act very, very, very professional."

Ryouma found himself hurried down the hall, and he was pretty sure Oishi was going to have a hernia if he didn't calm down. The poor doctor looked in need of a doctor, he was so distraught with a worried panic.

They made it to the Council chambers in barely ten minutes, slowing to walk cordially through the entrance hall. Ryouma had to admit, the Council hall was impressive, with its high walls and portraits of just about every important leader and council member Ryouma had ever heard of. Ryuzaki Sumire, Fuji Yumiko, Yukimura Kunikazu, and even more ancient, obscured leaders that were woven into the historical fabric of the four families. He even caught a glance at a portrait of his father, clearly recently added, looking completely unlike himself in a suite and with a serious expression.

You only make the wall if you're dead, Ryouma realized.

The council chamber doors were just as intimidating as the elders' reputation. Stretching fifteen feet high, solid oak, carefully carved with the four family sigils - they seemed to represent everything Ryouma had ever learned about the four great families and their alliance.

Since he had to wait outside to be summoned in, he took the time to study his own family's sigil, the shield with the letter of aleph, contained by a circle, and the three prongs that topped the shield as if they formed a crown. The same symbol was engraved on the handle of his sword, a reminder of his family's history and importance. The gentle ox, tame but strong, the first defender and true protector of the families' alliance. Always dependable, always great. It was an honor he was determined to reclaim, no matter how small his family had become.

The other three sigils were just as elegantly simple, showing the balance between the four. Yod, the symbol for the fallen Yukimuras, was perhaps the most eloquent, with the swirling arms that reached out from the letter's round frame, making him think that the sigil looked like a trophy, and the three prongs on the top mirrored the crown like design his own family's had. The family known as the hand, who with heavy pride brought all work to completion. He heard that those connected to the Sanadas often used this sigil in ceremonies, as the old branch family of the Yukimuras, keeping it alive in some twisted form of respect for their former heads, rather than develop their own sigil.

The Ryuuzakis, the last of whom were truly dead and gone, had their sigil of reysh carved into a swirling circle. The irony of the eternity the circle claimed to represent, the more simple design used to emphasize their importance, did not escape him as he realized he'd never actually seen the sigil displayed outside of the history books he'd had to study in lessons. Reysh symbolized the leadership role the Ryuuzakis traditionally held over the other three, as the initiators of the great alliance between humans and vampires.

Last, almost hiding their significance by being placed in the lower panel of the left door, was the letter phe that represented the Fujis, carved within what could only be seen as the Star of David in its design. The mouth, those with the voice - they had always been seen as the guide, with their history of powerful seers, the powerful human family that had trusted the Ryuuzakis for the sake of some great vision they claimed to see of the future.

The doors slowly cracked open, and a boy with short shaved hair popped his head out. "The council will see you now," he said, waving Ryouma in. Oishi made some hand motions at him which he interpreted as 'serious' and 'don't smile' and he cocked a reassuring smirk at the doctor, which only seemed to make him worry more.

The elders' chamber was cold and dim, not too unlike how he had imagined it. What light there was focused on the center of the floor, the low platform where he saw, to his surprise, the two hunters from the garden that Momo had told him were a part of Sanada's team. Neither of the two tall men turned to look at him, their expressions stern, which suited the clean cut bespectacled one, but the platinum blond with his shaggy pony tail looked like he was itching to twitch, his fingers wringing together behind his back.

Above the floor, arched around two thirds of the crescent shaped room, was the high elevated seating block, its occupants out of reach and almost out of sight, reminding Ryouma very much of a jury box, though with the grandeur placed on the seating arrangements and how they centered the room, he supposed they also held the place of the judge. The dull light kept the elders hidden in shadows with little definition, merely vague silhouettes. He could only guess, from his lessons, who was who. He knew at least one of them was Fuji's father.

"This young man is Echizen Ryouma," one of the elders spoke. His voice was old, and calm, and young at the same time. Ryouma could only guess that he was one of the older vampires.

There was murmuring among the elders, and Ryouma was sure he heard his father's name several times. "Go stand with your team, Ryouma," the man continued. Ryouma could just barely see the glint of circular lensed glasses on his face, and the light colored hair curling around his cheeks.

Ryouma noticed Fuji and the others standing off to the side, just out of the light. Momo waved just slightly at him in greeting, but Fuji and Kaido just stood stoneley facing the Council, their faces unreadable in the dim light.

"Fuji Syuusuke, we have summoned you and your team here after hearing a very disconcerting report from your fellow hunters."

"Tch!" The angry snort came from a small figure leaning against the wall, who Ryouma hadn't noticed before. He had crimpy black hair, or maybe it just looked black in the light, and his eyes almost glowed red along with his obvious anger.

The platinum blond under the light looked equally unhappy, but the bespectacled officer stayed the same, calm and serious as he walked towards them and handed Fuji a file. Fuji stepped forward into the light, clutching the in his hands.

If Ryouma thought that Fuji looked cold when striding around headquarters, that was nothing compared to how he looked now. Fully garbed in his lieutenant commander's uniform, right down to the last ranking ribbon and pin, looked very formidable with his gloves and long trench coat. The advice Oishi had given was only an echo of how Fuji had frozen his visage - the calm, tight frown within his lips, the cold, steady gleam in his eyes that could freeze even hellfire - even his hair didn't twitch, every muscle in his body was solidly in place.

This was, undoubtedly, the Fuji Syuusuke that was reputed for having killed his own brother - for doing anything to thoroughly and perfectly complete his missions.

"You are aware," the speaker continued, "of the hunters' deaths case?"

First glancing coldly at Sanada's team members, Fuji turned to face the council as he nodded. "The case Sanada's team has been assigned to, yes."

"We suspect that a true blood vampire is behind it, and thus it is being re-assigned to you. Take a look at the second page of the file."

Ryouma thought that for barely a tenth of second, Fuji's eyes widened, but then they narrowed and grew hard as he closed the folder. His voice was light and airy as he said, "I can't hunt a vampire who is already dead."

"Who said he is?" The platinum blond pursed his lips as he spoke, challenging not only Fuji but the very tension in the air.

"Niou Masaharu, isn't it?" Fuji's expression was crystal hard, but his voice had a friendly, light tone to it that, and even though it wasn't directed at him, Ryouma felt like he was tightrope walking over a pit of daggers. "You're rewriting history with this file. We all know he was killed when -"

"That's what Sanada told us," Niou interrupted, glaring a few daggers of his own. "Sanada's the only one who saw him dead."

"Why was Sanada not included in this briefing?" Fuji cut him off, the airiness gone out of his voice, replaced by a thinly contained anger. "This has been his case -"

"He's missing," Niou's bespectacled partner injected. "He disappeared after the third murder."

Now Fuji was silent, and Ryouma suspected the brunette was doing everything he could not to let his jaw drop. Momo and Kaidoh looked just as shocked, and even the elders seemed a little unsettled at the reaffirmation of this news.

"I already had my suspicions about the suspect," Niou sneered, "but Sanada made me keep them to myself. But now that he's run off-"

"Sanada would never-" Fuji quickly cut himself off, re-schooling his expression into the cold, aloof visage he'd walked in with. "I understand." He turned towards the elders, shutting off the two hunters with his body language. "I accept this case. I will find the culprit, and as per my orders, I will kill him as is our law. No lesser punishment would fit such an enemy who has murdered our fellow hunters."

"Even if this enemy was once your friend?"

Lifting his head, Fuji's voice was crystal clear with his harsh declaration. "Naturally. No matter what his history with our families and with me, Yukimura Seiichi must abide by the same rules as everyone else."

A disconcerted murmur shuffled amongst the elders, and Ryouma guessed that even they felt uncomfortable with how coldly Fuji spoke of killing a vampire who was his friend. The youngest Echizen knew just enough from what his father's diary read, that Fuji and Yukimura Seiichi had had some sort of camaraderie leading up to the recent battle against the twins.

But of all enemies they could go against, the legendary Yukimura Seiichi...

The elder with round glasses settled the room as he spoke, "If you need any additional members for your team..."

"They will only slow us down," Fuji cooly declared. "Our focus must be on our skills and strategy. Yukimura Seiichi is not so weak as to be affected by mere numbers."

"And if Sanada is with him?" Niou chided, clearly not intimidated by the chamber. "What will you do then?" His silvery eyes were narrow and calculating as they connected with Fuji's cerulean.

The lieutenant was equally cold as he returned the glare. Whatever thought passed between them, Ryouma wasn't sure - he had a feeling that there was a lot to the story he didn't know yet.

But he knew he needed to find out. Yukimura Seiichi had supposedly died in the same battle as his father. If the legendary vampire really was alive, then maybe he would know, maybe Ryouma could somehow ask him...

"Let us make this clear to the Council," Fuji's voice rang out clear after the long pause. "Sanada Genichirou is, and has always been, the epitome of loyalty - an example for us all. But, it is this same quality which may be his downfall in this case - that is the concern, yes?"

What are they talking about? Ryouma thought, wracking his brain and trying to remember what his dad had told him about Yukimura Seiichi. He figured that Sanada, Fuji, and Yukimura Seiichi must have been comrades, but the way this discussion was going...

One of the elders, an older woman, cleared her throat before she said, "Of course, Syuusuke, we only wish you to capture him, should he blindly side with his once lover. But if he becomes a liability..."

Oh. It was that kind of thing. Ryouma suddenly realize that this was why they were all in such a panic, though it was hard to imagine the stern, hulk of a man who reeked of constant anger in love with anybody. Then again, he did seem like that sort of idiot.

Fuji's confidence never wavered. "I will take care of it, as I always have."

The murmurs of the elders rose in volume. Considering the commander's grandfather is one of them, they can't all be in consensus about this,Ryouma thought, glancing around and trying to identify the oldest men in the stands.

"You have our confidence, Syuusuke, as always," the original speaker declared, once the chatter had settled down. "We expect a swift and hopefully positive report from you. You are all dismissed."

They exited quietly, but the moment the chamber doors closed, Fuji was a force to be reckoned with.

He waved his team over to him, issuing orders in a quiet but firm voice. "Momoshiro, go with Niou and Yagyuu and get the rest of the details for this case from them. You can tell if they're lying."

"Ya know Niou was lying the whole time, right?" Momo said, shoving his hands in his pockets and lifting his eyebrows.

"Of course, he has his team to protect. Those two have worked for Sanada far too long to turn on him now – and they were close to Yukimura too. Kaidoh –"

"Fshuu…" Kaido looked focused towards their group leader.

"Go to Oishi's office and retrieve the records for every member that Yukimura fed from while he was here. That's one of the things these victims have in common – they each let him feed from them at some point. Ryouma, come with me – I'll fill you in on some things in my office."

"You better," Ryouma grumbled, as his teammates scampered off. In the corner of his eye, he noticed Sanada's three teammates muttering quietly to themselves across the hall. Momo approached them and said a few words, and they nodded at him before going off.

"What do you mean by Yukimura Seiichi feeding off of hunters?" Ryouma decided to start with. He had plenty of questions.

Sighing, Fuji brushed back his bangs as he replied, "Yukimura… you know how he slept for nearly a century. He was having enough trouble adjusting to modern technology, and he liked to feed the old fashion way. From the wrist, very formally, in careful amounts … I'm sure your father taught you the rules."

Shrugging, Ryouma thought of the wine and pills and other methods of drinking he always watched his father use. He wanted to ask more, but he noticed Fuji was walking rather quickly, and even he was surprised that someone only a few inches taller than him could speed walk at such a pace.

Fuji practically burst through the doors of his office, going straight to his desk and grabbing for his cell phone which he'd left on top of it.

"What are you planning to do?" Ryouma asked, his eyebrow quirked at how quickly Fuji's thumbs flew across his phone.

"Texting that idiot," Fuji hissed in reply.

"Don't you think they would have tried that one?" Ryouma sighed. It was obvious to him that Fuji was not as emotionally detached as he'd acted in the chamber.

"The file says he didn't respond." Fuji's eyes never left his phone. "But he will respond to me."

Ryouma stayed silent as Fuji continued to glare at his phone. Finally the officer put down his phone in frustration, and flopped down in his office chair. Elbows up on the desk, he buried his face in his hands.

They stayed like that for several minutes, and Ryouma realized he was being trusted, to see Fuji broken down like this. He considered leaving to give the brunette a moment of privacy, but just then, Fuji's phone almost vibrated itself off the desk.

Fuji grabbed it and pulled up the text, and Ryouma leaned over to see as well.

The text was definitely from Sanada. But it didn't say anything – all that was there was a picture attachment. Fuji loaded it onto the display.

The moment the pixels cleared, Fuji let out a faint gasp.

"Who is that?" Ryouma asked, looking up at his lieutenant who looked more than a little stunned. It was hard to tell in the photo, which had been taken in low light, but two people were standing in an alley, slightly obscured by the darkness and the low angle. It looked like the photographer – presumably Sanada – had been hiding from the subjects, behind a trash bin. Ryouma could barely make out a man, he thought wearing glasses and a long trench coat, its color an ordinary brown, and his hands tucked in his pockets.

The other person in the photo was undoubtedly a young girl, a least a foot shorter than the bespectacled man. She was facing away from the camera, two long braids falling down her back and blending into her long, ankle length skirt. He could imagine it swishing around her legs as she walked, or maybe skipped. He couldn't see many other details, but something about the bohemian layers of her outfit and the flower clip he could barely make out in her hair, made him feel like she was very young and probably very pretty.

"… It's… " Fuji stopped, looking a little confused. "It's not Yukimura, if that's what you're wondering. I haven't a clue who the girl is, or why Sanada would send me such a random picture." Clearly annoyed, Fuji started texting back, demanding more information.

"But you know who the man is," Ryouma glared at his lieutenant.

". . . He would send me a picture of him. . ." Fuji mumbled, more to himself than to Ryouma. "But where . . . " Fuji stopped for a second, looking thoughtful, then set down his phone. It wasn't showing any signs of receiving a reply, anyway.

"Yukimura Seiichi… of course, the main reason they suspect him is because he has a power that would make these murders very easy." Fuji pulled open one of his draws, and pulled out a map. He started unfolding it, and Ryouma helped him, as it was large enough to take over the desk. "Yukimura had.. has the ability to cut off a person's senses, and if he has enough time and focus, take control of those senses completely." He tapped the map, and Ryouma peered down to see a red circle where his finger was.

That'd be headquarters, Ryouma thought, noticing the landmarks.

Fuji pulled out a pencil, and drew a large circle around the area. "Basically, he could control people, as if he possessed them. But he had a limit… that person needed to be within a certain physical distance from him. Sanada knows this better than anyone… he would have searched for areas close to Headquarters. And…." Fuji flipped open the folder, handing Ryouma some papers and putting some down in front of himself. Ryouma couldn't help but notice a photo of the dark skinned, bald man he'd seen in the hallway was amongst them.

"The victims were all found within this range, too. It's not that large, only a few miles." Fuji drew his fingers over the paper, stopping over some rectangular shapes that must have represented buildings. "There are only a few places close enough that would have alleyways like this." He quickly folded up the map, barely giving Ryouma time to recollect the papers and shove them back in the file. Grabbing his utility belt, Fuji began strapping it on, and dumped his cell phone into his coat pocket. "It's not far, we'll walk there."

"We're not going to wait for Momo or Kaidoh?" Ryouma scrambled to put his own things together, before charging out the door after his flurried commander.

"No, they're off this case," Fuji stated, his voice firm. "They shouldn't come…." He paused, looking at Ryouma for a second as if suddenly aware that he was there.

"They shouldn't come because?" Ryouma growled, tired of being left in the dark.

"Because," Fuji breathed, "That man in the photo…

"That's Tezuka Kunimitsu."

---

The night air greeted them with a chilly front as they finally reached the cluster of apartments that Fuji had circled on the map. Between the apartment complexes and the small businesses that dotted around the street, there were plenty of small alleyways that looked like the one in the photo.

Ryouma thought about Tezuka Kunimitsu, wracking his brain for everything he knew. Tezuka Kunimitsu… once an heir to the Yukimura family, but that was a century and a half ago.
Now he was no more than a traitor, leading an alliance of small vampire clans who refused to accept the rules set by the four great families, along with his twin brother. Many considered him to be the most powerful vampire alive… in both fighting abilities and influence.

Kaidoh and Momo were Tezuka's offspring… Fuji was right, no matter what curse the two vampires may have been bound to, testing that against the rights of their blood master was far too risky. And frankly, even though he liked them, Ryouma didn't trust either one. The way they fed, without any regard for the rules – they hadn't chosen to side with the organization, they were just stuck.

Tezuka Kunimitsu and Yukimura Seiichi… two of the great legends from the vampire war. But they were bitter enemies, rivals from the day they were born, and this was more than just a serial murder cases with names like that being thrown around.

Ryouma was starting to feel concerned, with the way they were searching. It was obvious they weren't going to find anything. There had been one more victim after the bald hunter, who Ryouma saw from the file was named Jackal, who had already been found. One thing was for sure – Sanada's team really had delayed making their report, probably to protect their commander.

He wondered if that's why Fuji was acting this way, making them crawl around town without any real leads, if this was all concern for his superior, who Fuji was obviously close to. Ryouma didn't believe that lieutenant could actually kill his friend, no matter what he had said to the elders… but, Fuji obviously had more darkness in him than he had shown… he had, after all, murdered his own brother, all to protect the organization. Killing Sanada, should he prove to have turned traitor, would only be more of the same.

Rouma was almost ready to grab Fuji's arm and make him call it quits, when out of the corner of his eye, he caught notice of a shadow.

"Oi…" He grabbed Fuji's sleeve, tugging it to get his attention, and nodded his head towards one of the alleys. They slipped into the space between two complexes, looking as trash filled and ordinary as the rest. Like many of the others, it had a blue bin, but what caught Ryouma's attention was the crossing of two alleys, identical to the ones in the picture.

They went forward cautiously, both on alert. The area seemed abandoned, not even a rat in sight, and Ryouma wondered if he'd actually seen movement, or that was just his imagination.

"… This is near where the fourth victim was found," Fuji whispered, keeping his voice from echoing off the narrow alley walls, as he looked over a piece of paper. "He was dumped lifeless near that music shop."

His eyes widening in awareness as if he sensed something. He stood up, motioning for Ryouma to stay quiet and hidden behind the dumpster. Ryouma looked out past him, wondering if this was where Sanada had taken that photo earlier.

Fuji froze standing where he was, his hand drifting up to his chest and clutching slightly into a fist. His eyes were wide and watery, his lower lip trembling slightly as he stared ahead.

A man had paused at the crossroads of the alley ways, as if he'd been crossing and noticed Fuji standing there. His brown eyes looked calmly through rimless lenses, his expression calm and stony, as if he had no reaction at all to the out-of-place being staring at him, other than the fact he was obviously staring back. His long chestnut colored trench coat seemed to drape over his shoulders like a cape, matching his unkempt locks of dark brown hair that shifted wildly about his face.

All they did was look at each other, for what felt like several minutes. Then the bespectacled man finally turned away his head, and continued on his way down the perpendicular alley, out of sight in an instant.

Fuji just stood there, staring, and finally Ryouma had enough and stood up and pushed against his shoulder.

"Oi! … Earth to Fuji Syuusuke," Ryouma grumbled.

Fuji finally seemed to find his breath, as he whispered, "That was…"

"…Tezuka Kunimitsu, yeah I noticed", Ryouma hissed. "What the hell was that…" He looked back towards the cross roads, but he knew their pursuit would be too late. "He must have known that you're a hunter. He didn't even flee, he just left. And what the hell is up with you?" He charged, shaking Fuji by the shoulder as if to shake him out of his strange stupor.

"I…." Fuji clutched his own arm, looking away, and Ryouma noticed his cheeks were colored like he was some sort of teenage school boy caught with his pants down.

"Even if you've faced off with Tezuka before, that was one hell of a weird reaction," Ryouma growled. "You were like that with the picture too. What, is there something going on between you two?"

Fuji's mouth opened then closed, his chin dropping he looked down at the floor. For the first time, Ryouma felt like he saw Fuji for what he really was, a young man barely out of his teens, forced to grow up fast for the sake of his role, but not really grown.

"Tezuka is…." The brunette finally breathed, his voice lightly trembling. "He's… someone I should hate."