Disclaimer: I don't own Princess Resurrection. You know it. I know it. Please support the official release—it's a great series, you won't regret it!

Author Note: Hello all! Raza here and this is it! This is the last chapter of my first long fanfic and oh what an amazing feeling that brings! Truthfully guys! It really is something for me. Not only have I actually finished a story despite my demonic procrastination—seriously there's something wrong with me when it comes to avoiding work—but also my story seems to have been a huge success, and that, of course, is all thanks to you, my viewers! To tell you the truth, I really didn't think this story was going to be all that popular. I mean, I know I have tendency to ramble—like I am now—but from your reviews, the story is indeed great, the emotions are clear, and the characters are… well… in character (thankfully!) so want more do you need? Well… how about an ending? You got it and so here it is the final chapter of Princess Jealousy! Enjoy!


Chapter Four: Happy Hearts, Bright Futures:


"YUMI! YUMI!" Hiro called pounding at her door as the rain pelted down at him. "IT'S HIRO! PLEASE… PLEASE OPEN UP! YUMI!"

The door flew open and sure enough there was Yumi… exactly where Hiro needed her to be… All it took was one look before she too rushed out, barefoot and night gowned, she tackled the young boy using her own body to shield him from the rain.

"HIRO!"

That was all she said. No other words were needed. Come in was stated in the care of her embrace. Are you alright was asked in the strength of her grip. I'll take care of you was cooed in the warmth of her eyes. Yes. No other words were needed.

And indeed as Hiro felt Yumi's body against his own, he was lost, a thousand and one thoughts drowning him in his head, and yet in the end he realized he didn't give a damn, one look at Yumi and he felt good. He felt alright. Him holding her, her holding him, it was enough to null his pain, not forget it, but it was indeed one hell of an anesthetic…

But again the melancholy seemed to hit him as he and Yumi finally made it into her home and she separated her body from his own. She gave him a quick smirk before vanishing into the kitchen coming back in an instant with a cup of tea and a warm towel… as if she had been waiting… all along… just for him. It broke his heart… it remade it anew…

"Yumi…"

"Shh…" She cooed softly. "Don't talk. We have to get you warmed up or you'll catch cold." But as Yumi reached forward to wipe Hiro's face, the young blood warrior just backed away slowly.

"Please Yumi…" He begged her and there, between the cute soaked look of his bangs pressing down to his forehead, and the distort look of torment he carried on his face, Yumi didn't know what to do with young man in front of her. It was remarkable. It was terrifying. She had only know Hiro for a short time but he never let anything get to him… but now… such defeat… it must have been the world itself to have descended into madness. And so she did something she almost never did. She waited. She waited patiently. She waited allowing him the time to speak when he deemed necessary—pacifying her urge to tackle and strangle-hug the sadness out of him.

Hiro noticed this and was again grateful to Yumi and yet all he could do in return was just stand there like an idiot, motionless, his lips slowly moving and frowning as he struggled to find the right words to say.

Should he just break down? Was it okay for him to lose it? Did he deserve that? To come clean and be honest with himself, even after he had hurt Yumi, and then betrayed Hime? No… he didn't… "I guess I just… I just wanted to thank you… for everything I mean… You've given me a lot to think about… Thank you… Yumi…" Hiro should have ended it there. It was a crappy explanation, and an even worse lie but it was still more than he deserved, and yet it was less than what he needed and what he heard next was the sound of his own words coming forth to betray him. "…A-And maybe… maybe you've made me realize I'm not… satisfied with my life right now…"

"… Oh Hiro… I-I know how hard it is… I didn't mean to stir up old wounds—"

"I don't think they were ever old… maybe they've just finally caught up with me. And anyway that's not something you need to apologize for."

"Hiro…"

"No… it's something I needed to see. Thank you Yumi. Thank you so m—"

"Hiro… I'm the one who should be thanking you…"

"But—!"

"We helped each other…" she said quickly, nodding her head, coaxing him to agree. "We helped each other…" And just like that Yumi shut Hiro up by closing her eyes and placing both her hands and her head on the young boy's chest. "I just wish though that you could see just how much you helped me… how much you help everyone… you sell yourself short Hiro…. You know that?"

"Yumi…" Hiro sighed.

"And there you go again! I know that sigh, that modesty... Hiyorimi Hiro… you're just too hopeless. Fufu… But you know what? I think that's what I love most about you…"

Bang.

Hiro lost it. He felt like he'd been shot. He did his best not to scream but his mind just couldn't understand those words, that specific word Yumi had used, the one that held the universe in its meaning… He was confused, his heart was ablaze, he wanted to stop and think but things only seemed to speed up and then… Yumi started to get closer.

Hiro could feel the heat coming off her body as her small frame worked its way perfectly into every groove of his figure. Her hands that were previously on his chest were now slowly caressing his face—her tender touch leaving electrified fingerprints on his anxious red cheeks. His hands were wrapped around her waist and he half wondered how they got there. He felt like he was being drawn into a great sleep as he gazed at her eyes gazing… longingly… for his lips…

"Yumi…" Hiro said trying to turn his tomato-red face away only to have her gently, though assertively, tilt his head back.

"What Hiro?" She asked sweetly as she licked her famished lips. Somehow she was still getting closer, her nose now no more than a millimeter away from his own. Hiro could smell the sweetness of her breath, promising an experience he'd never forget… it was more than just a dream and yet it didn't feel like reality.

"I told you. I can't—" He instinctively said, his mind too busy playing catch-up trying to figure out how they'd gotten here…

"What?" Yumi asked teasingly. "Isn't this what you've been waiting for?"

"Yumi…" Hiro said breathless now. "W-what are you doing?"

"Whatever doubts you had are gone aren't they? So now nothing is holding you back. Come… come Hiro. This is what you wanted. This will set you free…"

"Wait… no p-please… I-I… H-H-Hime…" at the sound of his own voice stuttering that name, Hiro felt a strange pain in the back of his head. And it wasn't the only thing strange as Yumi's pleasant and teasing nature instantly vanished and there came an icy nip in the air.

"But… Hiro…" she said hushed, her eyes wide open as if not comprehending. "I thought you just told me… you… you're still thinking about her?"

It sounded like a crime. "N-N-No!" Maybe it was… "It's just…"

"I thought you just said you weren't happy?"

"I…"

"Or does this… not please you?"

"Umm…Yumi…"

"Do I not please you?"

"…"

Was it jealousy? That would seem obvious but why then did this whole situation seem off? Why then did Hiro feel so uncomfortable, and all of sudden too? How had their conversation progressed to this point? Was it his fault? Did he offend Yumi or lead her on in anyway? He thought things were clear after their conversation earlier… but now… even he was starting to have doubts… and maybe therein lay the problem... Just what was going on anymore?

All Hiro could do now was look helplessly at Yumi as she barraged him with impossible questions and her piercing gaze penetrated deep into his soul. What was once his salvation had now become his hell.

"You really are still holding on to her aren't you?! Unbelievable!"

Hiro was sweating profusely. Yumi released him and he realized just how heavy his body was without her support. She walked a few feet away leaving him in agony wondering what she was going to do next.

"Let me ask you something Hiro… What are you doing here?"

He froze. "W-well I…" Such a simple question… such an obvious question… and yet it was the trump card, the end all be all, the question whose answer answered all other questions. Had he really not asked himself this before? Did he not wonder why he ended up at Yumi's?

"You mean to tell me that you came all the way here…" Yumi made no effort to hide her growing smile, her teasing nature back now threatening to engulf everything. "…halfway across town just to see me…?" She might as well have been kissing him, her breath brushing the tips of his lips. Hiro was caught, disarmed, unable to think anymore.

His thoughts were vanishing… his sense of right and wrong had somehow become obscured and in the heat of that moment, as he continued to stare at Yumi, as she continued to stare at him, he felt a burning desire that he couldn't justify and yet he couldn't deny. He felt naked. He felt exposed. Yumi peered deep inside his soul and somehow dug up a great love he'd long kept buried believing it meant for someone else. A weak "I…" was all he could muster.

"Come Hiro. Let's end this already… this game of beating around the bush. Haven't you waited long enough for something good to happen in your life? I know that you were lying earlier. I know this is what you really want. I know that for a fact. Just…Come…" All Hiro could see now was Yumi's chocolate colored eyes. He didn't know where her lips were or whether or not they were kissing. He knew it was only a matter of time. Her eyes narrowed and he felt his do the same…

If Hiro had any remaining doubts, any remaining strength left at all, they were all summed up in his mind's last fragile thought:

Hime…

"And exactly how do you plan on setting him free?" called a thunderously elegant voice.

Both Hiro and Yumi whirled around and there, standing before them in the open-frame of the front door, in all her radiant magnificence…

"H-H-H-HIME!?" Hiro choked. He didn't even have enough time to react as a stray Fuga caught his attention… and then he turned white as snow. Flandre came in carrying several couple of umbrellas while Riza waited at the door tapping her foot impatiently.

"Hey Reiri get in here already!"

"Uhhh… did you forget bitch? I can't enter a house without being invited in!"

"Damn even if they leave the door unlocked and everything? Geazz… alright fine…*ahem* welcome Ms. Kamura, please come on in."

"Why thank you Ms. Wildman! It'd be my pleasure!"

"Oh knock it off..."

"W-W-WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" Yumi screamed as she watched the intruders pour into her home. And then her eyes fell on the princess herself and in that instant, it was as if comprehension ceased to exist in that corner of the universe. A god and a princess met… and they dared to defy the other. Yumi was outraged but her anger quickly turned to pure white fear as she spotted the chainsaw and the sinister smile adorning the princess' face. She turned toward the bewildered blood warrior. "HIRO WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"

"I DON'T KNOW! I don't know!" Hiro pleaded as he looked toward his master, whatever shock or maybe even joy he had felt initially now long gone, overwhelmed by a powerful rage. "HIME!?"

And yet the princess didn't seem to mind… nay she didn't seem to care, her eyes pinned on Yumi. Yumi's eyes pinned on her. It was practically a fight… and nothing in the world had the authority to referee such a match…

"That's a very good performance… I'll give you that." Hime began with a small smile as she walked into the living room. "I can see how you fooled my idiot servant… I can even see how you fooled Reiri. But to fool Nakua? That got my attention… that impressed me… But it's over now. You aren't fooling me. Drop the act."

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING BARGING INTO MY HOME?"

"Fufu… stubborn huh? Well, if you're going to be difficult…" Hime said, her smile becoming increasingly more obvious… and significantly more sinister. She made notion to the chainsaw she held in hand and, as if understanding the will of its master, it roared to life, filling the world with its terrible sound. "…I'll just have to use more drastic measures…"

"OH MY GOD! Y-Y-YOU"RE CRAZY! HIRO DO SOMETHING!"

"HIME PLEASE STOP THIS! HAVE YOU COMPELTELY LOST YOUR M—"

"WAKE UP HIRO!" Hime shouted, her eyes and her words finally acknowledging Hiro as if he'd finally become worthy of her attention. Hiro of course was more than taken aback by the fury of his master, this near instantaneous change in her demeanor from indifferent to amused and then to anger simply another show of her impulsiveness, and her authority… the authority she had over him… even now. "You've been tricked." Her voice softened heading back to its usual toneless nature but her eyes remained fiercely cold… almost cruel. "This girl. Yumi. She's isn't who she claims she is. She's actually a monster… she's actually a demon, the culprit behind the attacks two weeks ago and the one tonight… they were all her doing… so I'll tell you again." Hime said turning her attention back to Yumi. "Drop. The. Act."

And with that there was silence for awhile. No one said a word, not even Riza or Reiri, both of them waiting; everyone was waiting for someone to make a sound. And then there was clapping, a lone pair of hands giving a final round of applause…

"Yumi…" Hiro said as he turned slowly to see the angel, the goddess, his angel, his goddess, Yumi, the girl he'd spent two weeks getting to know, Yumi, who had professed her love to him on more than one occasion, Yumi, who had just now opened up her home to him when he needed a friend, YUMI was smiling sadistically as she clapped… and there was an eeriness to sound, to the rhythm. It was all off like the world was going to end, humming along to that damned beat, a primal fear, and then there was thunder.

"Y-Yumi…" Hiro croaked… his voice weaker now as if everything had finally collapsed upon itself.

"…You really are something… aren't you my princess…"

"YUMI!" Hiro screamed but it was too late… like so many times before, his voice could not be heard. Even as he fell to his knees, utterly defeated, no one paid him any mind not even Yumi as she walked right past him to stand in front of his master and again, the universe threatened to shatter…

"Fine… I'll drop the charade. But first, please… I'm dying to know… how'd you figure me out?"

"Fufu… Is that really your question?"

"Why yes!" Yumi gushed with a genuine smile. It only made things far more disturbing, the sudden sadistic insanity, it was something else. "Yes it is! You see my beautiful princess I want to know the exact train of thought that led you here… to me… to your death… fufufu…"

"Tsst!" Riza scuffed with a wild grin as she cracked her knuckles loudly.

"Confident are we?" Hime said still maintaining her smile, neither she nor Yumi showing any signs of backing down.

"Fufu… If you truly understand your situation my princess… you know well that I have every reason to be…"

"Hmpf… it was the low class demons…"

"Oh?"

"Yes… While low class demons are common enough in the Monster Realm, only a few actually manage to get into the human world.

They're fairly weak and they tend to be solitary… only preying on wild animals, other monsters and the occasional human. They act independent of one another so it's not a big deal… on the rare instances that they actually attack the same target; they still act separately. They still remain as legion… never as one… So it was odd… seeing them attack in a mob, in an army, consecutively for three nights… there had to be something guiding them… something far more powerful… pulling the strings from the shadows…

Of course…I admit that alone didn't have me convinced…

Even Nakua, the divine being that watches over this town, she herself in her omnipotence did not believe this was anything more than an anomaly. A magician's foul-play… using some hex or incantation maybe to coerce a large amount of demons into attacking… unlikely given the great difficulty in communicating with demons but still a possibility…

But in two weeks, even with her help, we couldn't find any conclusive evidence that there was a magician involved. No spell sites or ritual obelisks in the immediate area. No residue or thralls guarding some cursed artifact. Nothing. A dead end…

Fufu… and then I factored Hiro into the equation…" Hiro's gaze shot up from the ground toward his master. "First off, Hiro isn't a competent blood warrior… at all…"

Ouch…

"He's slow. He's weak. He's naïve… and above all he's far too soft…

But

He's loyal… almost uncompromisingly so… For him to completely abandon his duties over the course of two weeks right as some new girl transfers to his school? Fufu… NO. Hiro's not that kind of person. Hiro's not that way. Under no circumstances will Hiro ever abandon me. … And so there had to be something else at work, something that could manipulate both the demons and Hiro. I realized then that there was at least some possibility… that we might be dealing with a Succubus…"

Thunder shattered the sound barrier and surprise dawned on almost everyone's face. Hiro could barely breathe… S-s-succubus? Yumi's a succubus?

He didn't even have time to go into denial before Yumi herself, with a pure and terrible joy laughed, "Fufufu… in the flesh…"

"Big deal!" Riza yelled. "That's all fine and good… Succubus, demons, whatever… what's with all this hand-holding about? What's the big deal?"

"My god Riza…" Reiri sighed slapping herself in the face. "You really are stupid aren't you?"

"WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN REIRI?"

"It means dog… fufu…" Yumi cut in with a smirk that made Riza's blood boil. "…that running into a Succubus or any kind of demon of that caliber in this day and age is next to impossible. And do you know why? Fufu…"

"AND HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT?"

"They are all extinct. They are all dead. Hunted down by the monster king himself over five centuries ago…"

"YEAH OF COURSE THAT'S SO… wait what…?"

"It's true Riza."

"Hime!"

"Five centuries ago, the monster king himself descended into the ghettos of the kingdom and waged a three and half year war, by himself, against all the high class demons. The conflict is legendary even to this day."

"Geazz bitch don't you know anything?"

"Stow it Reiri… I'm a half-breed so I don't know all the kingdom's history... geazz... bite me! (Actually on second thought, don't…) But anyway now I'm confused… why'd the king himself get involved with these creatures? I mean she doesn't look that tough… though her attitude could use some rearranging…"

"No." Hime snapped, the resolve in her voice sending chills down everyone's spine. Her eyes were still pinned on Yumi who in turn just smiled right back coaxing her to continue. "It had to be down. Succubae and Incubi and all high class demons were renowned for their abilities to control and govern huge numbers of low class demons. Each of them had an army, each of them were a nation, independent, free. Using their countless thralls, they could easily overwhelm any opponent though mainly they used their vast resources to catch prey—mostly humans. In this respect alone, they were no different from many of the other monsters the kingdom holds dominion over… some monsters simply need to feed off humans. That's just fact.

However…

Unlike other monsters, these creatures were often driven mad by their hunger. They had no natural enemies like vampires and werewolves, nor any sense of duty or code like the divine beings. No. They just consumed… purposeless… pointless… they killed as many as they could simply for the sake of killing… simply to see blood…

Can you imagine the carnage? Whole villages would be decimated. Entire towns left barren, cities consumed in a matter of weeks. The divine beings did the best they could for the regions they protected but again, these demons were relentless. It was actually because of them along with several other disasters during this time that ultimately led to the downfall of divine beings in human society. So yes, with all this… this chaos going on around them, humans had no choice but to notice.

Of course… details have become obscured with time, Succubae and Incubi were not as… lustful… as humans made them out to be. There are many other subtle signs of their control. Signs like memory loss. Victims under Succubae attack may lose track of time or forget things they normally wouldn't. They may become violent or aggressive, prone to fits of anger or rage. In actual interactions with the succubus, victims may find they can't say 'no' or that they can't help but agree with almost everything the demon says. They may even come to worship the succubus, unable to resist their personality or their perceived level of beauty all of which simply illusions, lies and tricks, an extraordinary form of mental manipulation." Hiro couldn't believe it. He just stared in disbelief as Hime explained everything…

She's saving me…

Again…

"All this… this control, that is what Succubae, what high class demons were, their powers of manipulation said to be even greater than those of the vampires…

And so the kingdom had to act… but since Succubae and Incubi didn't have a standard hierarchy, and the numerous royal emissaries sent to negotiate were sent back… in various states of dismemberment… it became clear what needed to be done. And so they were hunted down. They were hunted down to extinction over five centuries ago by the monster king himself, my ancestor."

And with that, as Hime finished her grand explanation, for it was flawless and perfect, there was not a sound to be heard. No one said a thing, not even Yumi though she perhaps was basking in the silence, the pure death sentence, the creeping feeling of knowing something impossible was happening and it was inevitable, she was the truck and they were all the deer… and she knew that and she loved it.

"…Well… shit." Riza finally said, a small sweat bubble running down her cheek. "That's… that's one hell of a bedtime story Hime… but that doesn't explain how this bitch is here…"

"…That I don't know. Succubae and Incubi didn't reproduce like other monsters. They were born from the misery of the world around them. They didn't have identities. They had a consciousness, they had memories, they had feelings and desires… almost everything to make a person but they lacked the heart. The ability to love and be loved. Of course that's all just metaphoric… they were simply bona fide psychopaths… It is said that for every six hundred and sixty six low class demons born, one of these such demons was created… Should that happen now, it is the duty of the king himself to eradicate them. At this point and time, it is largely believed that high class demons can no longer manifest themselves into the world…

And so my best guess? There's some kind of complex magic at work here. This definitely has to be a magician's doing and so this girl definitely has a master… the way she talks, the way she acts… she definitely is taking orders from someone. All the information she seems to know… and that bit about 'setting Hiro free?' Fufu… that's the checkmate… she's just trying to warp his mind… it'd make it easier to kill us both that way. A novice mistake to be so blunt about it but a brilliant plan regardless…"

"… Fufuf… wow... you're fun… WOW. You truly are amazing your highness… And I will not deny any of that. It is true… I had intentions of killing Hiro and it is also true that I was ordered to kill you." At this Hiro's pupils practically vanished as his iris turned to pinheads. The sheer nonchalance in Yumi's voice… she'd just declared her resolve to kill him and yet the way she said it, it sounded like she was reading off a to-do-list… was he really that blind, to not see the madness behind those godly angelic eyes? "You've got me all figured out! I'm not hiding anything anymore, but what about you? Where does that leave you Princess? Certainly you aren't going to tell me that you're so self-righteous you can't even see your own hypocrisy! I—"

"ALRIGHT THAT'S ENOUGH!" Riza exploded. "ARE WE GOING TO SPEND THE WHOLE NIGHT TALKING OR WHAT? Listen up you bitch! My name is Riza Wildman! Daughter of the great warrior Volg Wildman! Demon or not, Succubus or whatever, prepare to get your ass handed to you!"

"RIZA STOP! DON'T YOU HAVE ANY COMMON SENSE?"

"No Reiri. Riza's right."

"But Hime-sama!"

"There is nothing left to talk about. It's time to end this…"

"End this? Fufu…" Yumi smiled sadistically as the whole room seemed to get darker and demons started manifesting themselves all around her. Hiro just looked on in horror as the house he'd admired for its Zen, its sweat homely feel, it all just corroded away, like watching a corpse rot down to the hollow bone, demons like maggots oozing out everywhere—yet another illusion he'd apparently fallen for… "I think you've got it wrong… those are my words…"

And then, with the next crack of thunder, as if it signaled the start of a great war, Yumi's house, half of her entire house, her entrance way, and a fair bit of her roof, it all just exploded, debris shattering everywhere letting in the harsh rain that controlled the night.

Was there a sound? A loud crash or some hideous noise that screamed down the barrel of the moon? Maybe, but no one there seemed to hear a thing. Everyone too focused on killing each other, Riza and Reiri took to the streets while Hime and Flandre stayed inside, and nothing else existed, nothing else mattered, and the only sound that could be heard was the sight of war, all out war…and Hiro was the lost little lamb in the den of wolves.

"YUMI! STOP! PLEASE!" He'd had enough. Racing to his feet, Hiro rushed at Yumi and just as he reached forward trying to touch her, to embrace her, to stop her, he was catapulted back and slammed bitterly to the ground—yet another wake-up call perhaps. And as he struggled to get back to his feet, a little bit of smoke coming out of his body, all of his dread, all of his pain, all of his insecurities and shortcomings and failures, they were all summed up by the barely audible gasp he made. "…Yumi…"

"Fufu… I'm right here Hiro!" Yumi said with only a passing glance, her real attention on Hime as the princess struggled slashing her chainsaw to and fro with Flandre at her side parrying the attacks of the world that dared to overtake them. "I haven't changed. Not one bit!"

"…B-B-Bullshit!" Hiro groaned. "…This… this isn't you. The Yumi I knew…was… she was… she was shy." At this, Yumi turned around to look at Hiro. "And tomboyish… and she had horrible handwriting… And she liked to take long walks… and explore forests and bird watch. Her favorite color was green and sopa was her favorite food… and she loved any kind of board game. She was a person. She was my friend. That's the truth… I know it…Yumi. I know it."

"Fufu… The truth huh? You place great faith in that word. Let me ask you something Hiro, does your Princess tell you the truth? Hmmm? Do you trust her?"

"O-Of course! I—"

"Hiro, she makes you lick her fingers!" Yumi bellowed with a smile shutting Hiro up. "She makes you call her Hime… "Princess"… in your own language! Hell, I wouldn't even be surprised if she forgot to give you blood once or twice… fufufu… Geazz… and they call my kind demons…you're nothing more than a pet to her, a pawn! If you die she'll just get someone else. She's done that before hasn't she? Is that the kind of truth you believe in? Is that the kind of trust your relationship is built on? Fufu… Is that really the kind of woman who deserves your protection? You may feel like you owe her, for saving your life, but I have to wonder Hiro… just what kind of life do you have now? This state of immortality, the cost is your soul and the pain… you are perhaps the only man alive who can accurately describe what it feels like to be decapitated, or to be whipped straight down to the bone, or to have your skull and spine crushed and still live… or did you forget Kinisky's precious leasons? Fufu…"

"No! That's… that's not it! Hime…"

"Am I wrong Hiro? Let's revisit what really happened to you on that faithful day! How did you die?"

"… I…"

"How did he die princess?"

Hime couldn't respond. Her teeth clenched as she parried two demons slashing at her with their hungry claws. She knew what Yumi was doing… she knew Yumi wasn't about to let her demons ease up so that she could speak… or maybe that was just an excuse… maybe the reality was that she, Hime, wouldn't even know what to say… the ball was indeed in Yumi's court, she held all the keys… God help them all…

"Flandre killed you Hiro. Which indirectly means that the princess here killed you… or did you really think you were just hit by some van and it was all a horrible tragedy? Oh, and then out of nowhere comes this beautiful princess that so graciously decides to save your life? Fufu… in exchange for your freedom? Don't make me laugh…"

"JUST STOP! PLEASE STOP!" Hiro screamed falling back to his knees. He grabbed his head reeling from a tremendous pain.

"What's the matter Hiro? Can't face the truth? Do you see how cruel your master really is?"

"I SAID STOP!"

"That's enough!" Hime said calmly and yet she said it with all the authority and anger she could muster. "Leave Hiro out of this… You're target is me."

"OH HO! FUFU… look at you to the rescue… how convenient… You know this is your punishment as well… It's disgusting to watch Hiro so devoted to you and you just look at him with such indifference… how disdainful… but… then again, as always you do have a point…" Yumi said as she glared in Hime's direction and several demons rushed her. "But perhaps you should be careful what you wish for fufu!"

"HIME!" Riza said coming out of nowhere to jump in front of the princess only to be smashed well into the next neighborhood by the sheer force of the attack.

"DAMN IT!" Riza gasped as she landed far away coughing up blood. She wiped it from her mouth as she picked herself up from the rubble wobbling to her feet. "…If… if only tonight was a full moon!"

"Hmpf!" Reiri scuffed as she fought up above, some twenty meters off the ground. "What good would that do with all these clouds in the way?"

"Yeah I guess you're right…" Riza said before several demons appeared out of thin air and she barely had enough time to block as they smashed their claws into her own, a few of her bones cracked surprising her but she just smiled all the same as she glanced back up at Reiri. "…and I'm betting you probably aren't fighting at your best either are you Reiri?"

"Of course not! You know vampires hate water! Rain isn't the worst of it but still… it's like fighting with a really, really bad itch! My entire body feels sluggish!"

"… I hear ya. I hear ya… GAHHH! But… we have to save Hiro! We have to! And so… that means… no holding BAAAACK!"

"Geazz what a pain!"

"Haha you're starting to sound like me!"

"That's insulting!"

"Just shut up and kill! It's like I'm doing all the work!"

"This bitch…"

Meanwhile, inside, Hiro finally regained himself, the throbbing in his head lessening by a slight degree, he looked up only to see the horrible fighting continue as Riza and Reiri and the demons fought slamming each other into house after house, tearing up the world, the neighborhood, around them. Hime and Flandre remained close by… and again he turned to Yumi.

"Yumi please! I'm begging you! No matter if you were planning to kill me… or even Hime, you can't possibly justify getting innocent people involved with all this! You can't tell me you're okay with that!"

"Fufu relax Hiro. Relax! All the people in this neighborhood are under my… protection. Fufu they won't notice a thing."

"That's… because… you're controlling them… you're holding them hostage… aren't you?" Hime gasped between her clenched teeth as she pushed her chainsaw straight through a nearby demon.

"I'm protecting them… fufu… just like those divine beings with all that… honor…"

"Fufu… don't lie to yourself now." Hime chuckled as she continued fighting. Hmpf… it really is amazing that Nakua didn't pick up on any of this. This girl… even if she's just a pawn… she really is… extremely powerful!


Meanwhile… at the small shrine outside Hime's mansion… Nakua manifested herself in front of her offering shelf and beheld the bountiful sweets left to her by none other than Sawawa.

"Hey Taruo Maru, Jiroum Aru, get over here…" She called and just like that her two giant spiders manifested themselves into the world. "I don't know what to make of that… I wonder… Do you think that maid got these from that parfait shop she always goes to? Or is this from that new place downtown? Hmm…"

Taru Maru edged its way closer taking a few quick curious bites from a nearby cupcake.

"H-H-HEY! DON'T EAT THAT! THAT'S MY CUPCAK—OFFERINGS!"


"Hime this is bad!" Reiri groaned as she blocked several vicious attacks and Riza was thrown back past her. "We can't break through their defenses! At this rate Hiro will be—"

"Fuga."

"Well Onee-sama!" Chimed a blonde haired girl as she came riding in suddenly on a white panda with her maid at her side. "It looks like you really could use my help this time around!"

"PRINCESS SHERWOOD!"

"SHERWOOD-HIME!"

"Sherwood. You're late."

"Oh come on!" Frowned Sherwood, Hime's cute younger sister, her small fangs peaking over her lips. "Don't give me that! How am I supposed to know where this Yumi person lives?"

"*Ahem, ahem* FUFUFU! I hate to interrupt your little reunion but do you really think a few extra hands are enough to save you from me? Fufu! High class demons were among the strongest monsters to ever have existed! I may be weak compared to my ancestors but don't insult our heritage! You don't have a chance, two incomplete phoenixes, two androids, a dog, a bat… and a… what is that… a panda? FUFU! It's almost as if you came here wanting to die!"

"Onee-sama! Did… did I just hear her correctly? A high class demon?"

"Yes. Sherwood." Hime grunted as she cut her way through yet another demon. "I'll bring you up to speed later. Right now, help us break through these defenses."

"FUFU! Give it up. You don't stand a chance!" Yumi cackled madly, but as if she felt some creeping doubt settle in, she turned her head toward the still beaten down Hiro as he wobbled on his knees. She gave a quick spiteful look back toward the princess, making sure their eyes met, before she decided it was time to end things once and for all…

"Hiro…" she called as she walked right up to him. She grabbed him by the folds of his collar and lifted him from his knees. How easy it was for her to touch him, how hard it was for him to catch her… "Let me show you the truth… Let me show you everything… Fufufu!"

"RIZA! REIRI!"

"FUFU! WHAT'S THE MATTER SECOND PRINCESS? WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT CALM COMPOSURE? ARE YOU TRYING TO HIDE SOMETHING? IS THERE SOMETHING YOU DON'T WANT HIRO TO SEE? FUFU!"

"SHERWOOD!"

"I'M SORRY ONEE-SAMA BUT WE'RE STILL WORKING OUR WAY UP TO YOU!"

"FLANDRE!"

"FUGA!"

"HIRO!"

But it was too late. Like so many times before, things were just too late and in that instant, as everyone looked on in horror and the battle seemed to fair ill, a great uncontested light bathed over both Yumi and Hiro… and then it exploded, rushing forth toward the princess with a scorching white flash. And as Hime watched the great light race out toward her, and Riza, Reiri, and Sherwood were screaming at her to get out of the way, she paid them no mind for all she could think of was him…

Hiro…

Come back…


Hiro gasped sharply as he opened his eyes. Darkness. That's all he saw. Darkness.

Where am I?

He shook his head weakly as he wobbled to his feet. For some reason he couldn't remember anything that had just happened. "Hello?"

No response…

What the hell? He thought and then it hit him…

"HIME?" Hiro cried frantically. "HIME! HIME! WHERE ARE YOU? HIME!"

No response…

Oh no Hiro thought as his heart sank to the bottom of his stomach and for as far as he could see, there was nothing, nothing but an unnerving black emptiness… He took off sprinting. Why did he go off sprinting? He didn't know but off sprinting he went driven by a singular hope that if he ran far or fast enough, no matter how illogical, no matter how impossible, he'd find her, even in this pitch blackness, he'd find her… he'd find Hime… and she'd be okay… she'd be alright.

But things were far from that merciful and as Hiro kept sprinting hoping for some sign, some vindication, some hope, an odd sensation seized him as he realized he couldn't hear a single one of his footsteps. He could clearly feel his feet smashing against a ground he could not see, he could feel his lungs contracting as he struggled to take in air he could not smell, and yet for the life of him, he didn't feel like he was moving… or rather he simply wasn't moving… not a single inch.

Am… Am I dead?

The question had posed itself in his mind. Hiro was no stranger to death but with Hime's blood, he'd never known the afterlife.

It was then that a great fear seized him… not of his own demise or of what now came after, but rather for Hime and if she was still breathing, she was fighting… fighting Yumi… fighting the world… somewhere… maybe not even here… without him…

Hiro stopped running.

If he was indeed dead… then this must be hell, and he'd have this black eternity to himself to contemplate his failures… forever…

As it should be… he thought grimly. A fitting end for such a fool…

But as Hiro almost resigned himself to his depression, a faint noise caught his attention.

Laughing… there was laughing…

Hiro looked up and around but all he saw was the same dark abyss. But there was indeed laughing, perhaps a mocking addition to his fate, and yet that didn't seem to be the case. There was something different in this laugh, a sort of purity and innocence, it sounded kind, easily intrigued, it sounded small, and that's when he saw her.

A light in the darkness…

A child…

A small blonde haired child in a little white dress with her hair tied up in a neat little bun. She was playing with a doll, laughing happily. And for a few minutes Hiro just stood there, captivated by the randomness, this sudden apparition, this tranquil peace and who could blame him? Her presence and her joy were soothing—the happiness of a child like it was a reminder to him that the world hadn't completely gone to shit.

And what's more, Hiro felt like he knew her, like she was significant somehow, like her name was on the tip of his tongue, that he could just call out and she'd turn her head and she'd rush up as if she too knew him well.

Perhaps maybe she did for as soon as that thought crossed Hiro's mind, the young girl suddenly jumped to her feet, whirled around and took off sprinting. She didn't walk, she didn't run, she sprinted at him.

And so he panicked. Reaching out instinctively for he had no time to think, he knelt to his knees in a manner he never knew he knew, arms wide open and yet, right as she got close enough for him to grab, right as he could see her smile but not her face, the happy little girl went right through him… like she wasn't even there… or maybe he wasn't even there…

What. The. Fuck…

Hiro didn't know what was real anymore… whirling around, his mind teetering on the verge of insanity, he prayed for things to start making sense, and so of course they didn't for as he turned fully expecting to see the child, he instead not only saw her but someone he did not expect, someone he knew could never possibly be here and yet here he was anyway…

He saw himself

A copy? A replica? He didn't know. He saw himself, like looking into a mirror only to see a much older reflection, he saw himself. He had a bit of scruff on his face indicating that he'd aged and showing that he'd recently shaved. His eyes were the same though. They were their usual chocolate brown and his hair was still as disheveled as ever, though perhaps now it'd actually become a style rather than a perpetual state of bed-head. Even his clothes were the same, a white buttoned up short sleeve shirt with black pants and Nike shoes… Indeed no matter the age difference, Hiro knew he was looking at himself… it didn't make sense but rather everything had become clear. That was his child. He was her father. For who else but a parent and a child could look that happy clinging onto one another.

And so he watched awe-struck and dumb-found, he watched himself picking up his daughter giving her a kiss on the check. To see her giggle with that happy smile, all of his questions seemed to vanish as he could feel himself smiling now, just as he was then, watching his life that never would be.

He didn't pretend to understand all the emotions that were going through his head. After all, what could possibly compel a failure like him into becoming that sturdy pillar of oak that was the father in front of him? Hiro knew how much he cared about Hime, and how those feelings made him feel like he could fight the world. It must have been a very great love then that he had for this child.

And then, as he continued holding her with hands he could not feel, a beautiful woman appeared into the frame. She was faceless of course, like his daughter, or no perhaps that didn't quite describe it. Maybe he just couldn't comprehend their sheer existence, his eyes only able to identify himself, but he knew she was beautiful, he knew they were both beautiful, and they were all happy.

Hiro had never given much thought into what he wanted or what he aspired to be, but much in the way a ball is given to a child and only after it is taken away do they realize just how much they wanted it, how much they were grateful for it, Hiro was consumed by this happy family—his happy family.

And yet he could not reach them. As he reached forward, extending his hand timidly into the paradise before him, he could not catch them. His hands opened and closed, he reached further and further, straining himself, he called out with inaudible words, calling for his daughter… his wife… his wife… with names he didn't know he knew and yet he'd never be able to remember, he looked at himself with such sorrowful happiness, and then as he continued to watch tears streaming down his cheeks for he refused to blink too afraid that he might miss the future, it all vanished.

Mercilessly, it all just vanished…

Like sand and the ebb of the tide. And with a sudden clap of thunder Hiro was back in Yumi's house, in her war-torn world, in his 14 year old body, in his dead body that belonged to Hime. Everyone was looking at him as the fighting ceased.

Hiro just slumped down to his lowest point… his eyes held more than tears as his sorrow soaked his face, running down his cheeks, he was petrified. Simply petrified. He couldn't even blink let alone breath…

Even Hime seemed shaken up after the experience, she must have seen it all too for what else but that cryptic vision could shake her conviction so? But Yumi… her face held a small smile as she shook her head with vindication. Standing now, towering over the battlefield as the undeniable champion of everything, she allowed Hiro a few more seconds to take in the truth before she said, barely able to contain the triumph in her voice, "You see Hiro? I told you. The truth is…

You're dead…

Your princess didn't save you that day. She tricked you… She killed you. Do you get it now? You will never have a family… you will never be normal… you will never be free…

How could you? You're at her beck and call. Where ever she wants you to go, you have to go. Like you're blood warrior mode… Fufu… very few people can constantly throw away their lives for another Hiro… and yet you do it consistently. Whether you realize it or not, whether you want to or not. Or rather you don't even get a choice in the matter… Your own body makes that decision for you. It actually thinks she's more important that you… your own body

No…

You're dead.

You're futureless

After I kill her, this… woman you've been protecting… that you've been forced to protect, that has robbed you of your destiny… I will kill you, and you will be at peace… there is no need to suffer anymore Hiro… As I've said, as I keep saying, I'm only here to set you free…" And with that Yumi sent all of her remaining demons to toward the Princess.

ONEE-SAMA! HIME! FUGA!

Those were the last words Hime heard as she saw the overwhelming force approach her, claws extended, ready for blood. She tried to swing her body but with her fragile form, her delicate back, her silky hands never meant for taking lives and yet they did, she realized she wasn't going to make it. Swinging her body with that heavy chainsaw, she couldn't make the parry… this was it… and that's when she realized she wasn't ready… for death, no, she had long since prepared for that, but rather the end. She just needed more time, just a little more time, as she whispered his name…

Hiro…

And there he was…

Face to face, there Hiro was, his body leaning on Hime's as her chainsaw sat on the ground to her side, her grip lost, his head lay draped on her shoulder and there was blood. There was blood everywhere like someone had put a bushel of tomatoes through a blender and then splattered it all over a wall. And indeed that's how Hiro looked as he stood as the only thing left standing between Hime and no less than six demon claws which speared deep into his lower spine… He did not stir nor did he groan. There were no signs of pain and even less signs of life…

"Hiro…" Hime said hushed as if by instinct, the battlefield was silent, Riza, Reiri, Flandre, Sherwood, Francesca, Ryu-Ryu, even the demons, even Yumi, even the rain, all were silent as they looked on at the couple.

"Hiro…" Hime called again as she placed her gentle, fragile hand on his back trying to shake some life into his lifeless form.

"Hiro…" She called his name again trying her best to keep her usual calm but there was panic in her voice, no matter how subtle, there was panic in her voice. He's a blood warrior, he's immortal, he drank my blood… she kept telling herself these things but the body in front of her seemed to tell her otherwise…

And then her prayers were answered:

You came…

I did…

Thank you… Hiro…

"Hime…" Hiro spoke as life once again entered the people of the world as almost everyone smiled with tears in their eyes, their joy summed up in the name they called, Hiro opened his eyes. He put his hands on his master's shoulders, being a bit rude by using her for support—not that that concerned her at the moment for even she, the exemplar of reservation was practically staring in awe, he straightened himself up. He looked at his master and smiled. Such a pure smile, such a gentle smile. "Hime…" he said again and that's when she noticed his eyes as he stared intently into her soul. They were their usual chocolate brown color… and yet he was glowing gold… as if he bore a great strength but not because he was a blood warrior—it was a different kind of Hiro… he seemed normal, his eyes deprived of those alien yellow silted pupils inherited from her blood, he was just Hiro… and he was spectacular in that moment…

"I don't… I don't understand…" Yumi choked breaking her silence. Wh-when did he...? I didn't even see him move! No that's impossible… "…W-w-why?" she gasped out of breath all of her thoughts summed up that simply.

Hiro just glanced at Yumi, his eyes filled with a new kind of determination, and then, wasting no time at all, he took a step back from his master and slammed his hands into the ground seizing two pieces of sharp debris, he set off cutting through demons with a supernatural speed that was innate purely to him, he was cutting his way, pushing straight toward the devil herself.

"WAIT WAIT HIRO! WHY ARE YOU SAVING HER?! WHY?! WHY!? WHY!? DON'T YOU SEE? SHE'S THE ONE WHO KILLED YOU! SHE'S THE ONE WHO ENSLAVED YOU!"

Yumi cried hysterically as she sent as many of her demons as she could to broadside Hiro, but he just kept pushing with Hime doing her best to keep up. Everyone else did the same, their moral on a whole new level, they made their final pushes smiling happily at the turning of the tide but all eyes were center-stage. This was Hiro's charge. Hime may have been the target but this was Hiro's fight.

"SHE'S THE ONE WHO YOU'LL HAVE TO SERVE TILL THE END OF YOUR LIFE! THE END OF YOUR LIFE! THAT'S WHEN SHE DECIDES! SHE TOOK YOUR FAMILY AWAY! SHE TOOK YOUR FUTURE AWAY! SHE TREATS YOU LIKE A SERVANT! HOW? HOW CAN YOU STILL FIGHT FOR HER? IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE! HOW? HOW? HOW?"

"…BECAUSE…" Hiro said as he clenched his teeth slashing through two demons at once.

"…BECAUSE…" Hiro gasped as one demon slipped past him and slashed his side.

"…BECAUSE…" Hiro yelled as he tackled his way through a horde of demons.

"…BECAUSEI LOVE HER!"

"Love?" Yumi gasped breathless as the last of her demons were utterly smashed and there was nothing now left in front of her but the sight of Hiro charging with a fury… with a vindicated fury, and a purity. "Love…" she whispered. Such a pretty word… such an angelic word… she thought as Hiro ended her life by stabbing her through the chest…

"GAH…" Yumi gurgled trying her best to breathe in air through the blood that instantly came up her throat… "H-H-h-hiro…"

"Yumi…" Hiro whispered, his voice finally breaking. "…You asked me what kind of truth I believe in… I think I have an answer for you now.

I believe in Hime.

The time I spent with her seemed so real… m-maybe that makes me a fool. Maybe that makes me naïve because maybe it's a lie… m-maybe you're right and I'm wrong… I don't know how my life is going to end, or what future awaits me, or how much time I have left.

I don't.

All I know, the only truth I know is what I believe. And right now, I'm standing right here, right where I mean to be. I believe that, with all my heart, I believe in Hime…

And I believe in you.

Usanagi Yumi.

The time we spent together also seemed real… so even if it was a lie… Dammit I believed it! Doesn't that at least make it somewhat true? You're my friend Yumi. That's what I'm trying to say. You're my friend because that's the Yumi I believe in… that I chose to believe in, even now. That's the truth I know."

"H-H-Hiro…" Yumi said choking back tears and blood. "…Y-y-you really are hopeless… a-a-aren't you? Fu… fu… fu…" she smiled as she closed her eyes forever…

And in that moment, as Hiro laid her down to rest and her body suddenly started to disintegrate like all of the other demons around her, a great beauty was revealed in her. She looked different. She wasn't a goddess or an angel or some visage of all that was perfection. She hadn't actually changed, her face was still the same, but rather now she was newly revealed, like looking at a fading picture and then coloring in the lines. She became an identity, not a concept, lovely by nature but not overbearing, simply beautiful because she was unique not because she was a god. Somehow that was clear now, the true depth of her beauty. Indeed, in the end, she really did become a person, a very beautiful person as the light from the sun hit her fading face and she shattered, right through Hiro's fingers, into the gusting breeze of the morning wind…

"Hiro…" Hime said walking up to him after a good few minutes had passed and he remained hunched over staring quietly at Yumi's remains… "Reiri did some research during the battle… Apparently, there are no records of anyone by the name Usanagi Yumi moving to Sasanaki nor is there any residential information about a house ever being owned or built on this plot of land. However… there is an old legend that may be of some interest, an old tale from before the times of Sasanaki…

Long ago…

A girl and her family used to live here. They were said to have been very happy, and the girl very beautiful.

One day… a leper came into their village seeking refuge from an incoming storm. The girl and her family having never known pain or dishonor, naïve to the world around them, cursed with good fortune, graciously let the stranger in. And so they had been deceived…

The leper… was actually a bandit who had been terrorizing many villages throughout the countryside. After robbing many homes and stealing many valuables and killing many people, he'd attracted far too much attention and so, using news of a coming storm and the guise of a beggar, he made his escape.

But evil never changes as the legend goes, and it never shows any mercy… and that night, as the family slept soundly… evil lay awake…

The bandit went room by room stealing all the valuables he could find until finally, all that remained untouched was the family's bedroom.

But the story goes that as the bandit opened the door into the sleeping family's room, he saw something that stopped him dead in his tracks. There before him lay the family happily sleeping side by side, and it was then that the bandit saw for the first time something he could never steal, something he could never have. It drove him insane. It drove him mad. The rest of the story is too terrible to retell but the girl was left alive, but her parents were killed…

The next day, the bandit was gone, and the village awoke to the evil deeds of the past night.

Many wanted revenge but the storm was still very strong. Foolishly, driven by rage, some villagers went anyway including the girl's childhood love. The girl, with her parents murdered, her only other family, her uncle several villages away and the storm still as high as ever, begged her lover not to go but he refused and on his honor, he told her to await his return.

And just like thunder follows lightning, tragedy follows evilNone of who ventured out were ever seen again.

Two weeks later overcome now by grief, the girl was left with nothing. Nothing but despair and so deep into the loneliness of the night, the once happy and beautiful girl, renowned and loved by all, took her own life by wrapping a noose around her neck

That's how the story ends… And the village was abandoned shortly afterward… It was the madness of a single man that destroyed this town, not unlike the murders in Akasabi… Eventually, as time passed, a new town would be settled here. A town that would eventually become Sasanaki… but even to this day, even as this legend, this tragedy was lost to the ages, it is said that all who stayed in this spot no matter how happy, beautiful, or blessed, all were cursed with misfortune, tragedy and horror.

Such an intense event… such emotional scarring that left the land itself in trauma, a very old legend, and its proximity to the royal war, it seems logical that our enemy would choose this particular place to manipulate for their goals. Indeed, in the end, Yumi was a pawn, a victim herself… used by our enemies to get to us."

"That's such a sad ending…"

"Actually Hiro… I believe years later she was finally able to rest… that was you're doing."

At this, Hiro couldn't help but smile. He needed that. What Hime said. It was perfect. It was just perfect. And so he finally rose, much in the way a phoenix does rising from the ashes, his heart filled with sorrow but not despair, he dusted himself off though what little good that did, his form caked in dirt and blood. "Thank you Hime… for coming to save me… and… and about earlier… I… I'm—"

"Wow Onee-sama!"

"Sherwood…"

"Ah Princess Sherwood!" Hiro said biting his lip as Hime's younger sister came rushing out of nowhere. "T-thank you for coming to save me!"

"Fufu anytime Hiro! You're getting to be quite the handful! Though I admit, things were far more intense this time around. You guys really had me worried when that white light engulfed you both! What the heck happened?"

"Umm…" Hiro cringed painfully…

"That has nothing to do with you Sherwood…" Hime answered for him perhaps out of kindness or simply out of annoyance, either way Hiro was grateful for her intervention…

"Eh?" Sherwood practically shrieked. "That just makes me want to know even more!"

"Was there something else you needed?"

"Geazz Onee-sama!" The small princess pouted. "Even after I came all this way to help you and Hiro you're still so cold! I'm just trying to get more information since I'm the one who ends up having to send back the reports on stuff like this to the kingdom… high class demon…Geazz… this time, I don't even think the kingdom's going to believe it…

Oh! Yes, there is one other thing. I'll be coming by later to discuss our future plans. Looks like we need to be as ready as we can be from here on out. Tell Sawawa to make extra Earl Grey fufuf!"

"Of course Sherwood."

"Goodbye Hiro… and try to take better care from now on fufu!"

"I-I will… and thank you again!" Hiro said bowing before he turned back around toward his master as she already started to walk up the block. "H-Hime…" he called barely above a whisper.

"Let's go home Hiro…" Hime said briskly as she continued walking ahead without so much as a backward glance.

"…I'm sorry…" he whispered shaking his head. Damn… I guess she's still mad at me… oh well… at least she's safe… Hiro smiled happily… Yes. At least Hime's safe…

"Hey Hiro!"

"Huh? Oh, hey Riza, Reiri! T-thank you both for—WAH!"

"Are you alright Hiro?" Riza said wasting no time at all as she ran up to him and grabbed his face, tilting his head back and forth and in directions heads aren't normally supposed to turn…

"OW! R-Riza… I-I… OW! I'm fine! OWWW!"

"Geazz are you trying to kill him or something?" Reiri sneezed as she hid underneath one of Flandre's umbrellas sulking away from the sun.

"Shut it Reiri! I'm just making sure he's not hurt! You gave us quite a scare back there Hiro but it looks like you're okay!"

"Y-yeah… sorry about that. But I'm fine… Hime gave me blood when we went to the Professor's… though I'd be lying if I said I didn't ache all over hehe! I may need some more from her later…"

"I'll say Hiro haha! That attack you took trying to save Hime. You know after you both came out of that weird white light? Say… what was going on with you guys in there?"

"Uh…"

"Oh but yeah, I thought you bought it right there. Bet you'll be feeling that in school huh? Oh wait… CRAP! Today's Monday isn't it? Fuck! Oh well… hell if I'm going to school today! What about you Reiri?"

"I have medical leave whenever I want so I don't have a problem."

"Whatever…"

"What about you Hiro?" Reiri asked as she started walking with them and Flandre whizzed right past with a quick Fuga to catch up with Hime.

"Me? I'm calling in sick… I need a few days off anyway. To catch my breath and recover, and also… I need to talk to Hime… to apologize to her. I think she's still mad at me."

"I think she's just happy your safe Hiro... Hime does have a weird way of showing her affection… for you of all people… fufu… I'm actually interested on just how intimate you two can get when Riza and I aren't looking…"

"He… He… He…" Hiro chuckled uncomfortably.

"Fufu… though in all seriousness Hiro, you may be right. Hime did look very distant… like when she was telling you that story… you were turned around so you didn't see it but Hime could barely even look at you… she may not even be upset with you as much as she is about something else… and that's why I have to tell you something now.

Yumi asked you a lot of hard questions Hiro… she asked Hime a lot of hard ones as well. It's… it's difficult to say she wasn't right about a few things. I can only image how that makes you feel… but… Hiro… if you're going to be by Hime's side from now on… you're going to need to come to terms with those questions… the ones that Yumi asked… and you're going to need to know that the answers… they may not be what you want them to be…

Forgive me for being blunt… I'm just trying to help you and Hime Hiro… I know you don't want to hear this now… but it's for the best… to prevent something else like this from happening, especially when we're so close to the end of this war… we absolutely cannot afford another blow like this… you need to know that Hiro. It's the truth.

In the end, the succubus was a perfect opponent for us… even if she wasn't successful, she showed us that our enemy knows us intimately, knows that we still have flaws in our defenses, and knows powerful uncharted magic that the kingdom doesn't even have any regulations on…"

"Yea… you're right Reiri… I needed to hear that… and that's why… That's why I need to be Hime's sword, not just her shield. I may be her weakness… but that doesn't mean I can't give her strength."

Riza and Reiri looked at Hiro as he stared right back, the resolve in his eyes was simply breath-taking, and yeah he did look pretty badass covered in dirt and blood. They couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Good…" Reiri said giving a low sigh… "Well now… keep talking like that and Hime-sama will definitely fall for you fufu!"

"Yeah… Yeah…" Hiro said shying away as Reiri started her usual teasing which of course annoyed Riza to no end. But right as he made to turn around, she called him back.

"Hiro…"

"Hmm?"

" You've come along way…" she said with a genuine smile and with that they all shared a happy peaceful moment as they continued on their way finally going back home… together.


Hime and the others finally made into the mansion and almost everyone looked like they were about to pass out (Riza actually did pass out…).

Sawawa was already up, sweeping the lobby sadly, wondering where everyone had gone, her face lit up the instant she saw them all burst through the door.

"GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!" She gushed at the top of her lungs to which almost everyone just unanimously groaned back.

"Sawawa." Hime said as she walked tiredly past the busty maid. "Bring up some tea."

"Of course Oujo-sama! And I'll also warm up your meals!"

At this Riza jumped back up to her feet, her irises practically invisible. "FOOD!" She moaned mindlessly as she stumbled after everyone going up the stairs toward the dining room.

"Hold it right there!" Reiri said grabbing Riza's shoulder right as she made it into the dining room.

"Huh?"

"You're coming with me!"

"WHA?! But what about dinner or breakfast… o-or food?"

"Come on Bitch. Move it!" Reiri said bringing her mouth to Riza's ear before the half-breed could start fighting back. "Hey you clueless fool! Hiro and Hime need some time alone! Let's get out of their way!" And with that the crafty vampire began dragging poor Riza out of the dining room by the tips of her wolfish ears.

And as Hiro watched the comical sight of Riza clawing at the floor trying vainly to escape, he couldn't help but notice that Hime was acting strange. Right as she entered the room she went to the farthest end, near the window and just stayed there without so much as a passing glance to anyone. She was also quiet—well more so than usual—with a subtle but oh-so-familiar melancholy in the way she arched her back. It made him feel low knowing that he was the cause this time around…

"I'm sorry… Hiro…" She spoke. My god she spoke and yet for the life of him, Hiro just couldn't understand what she was saying. Hime, the grand Hime, his master Hime was apologizing, perhaps the closest thing to bowing a royal of that caliber would ever do, and to him of all people, her faithless servant who'd almost betrayed her in a battle more decisive than any that had come before. His heart was bleeding never mind breaking…

"Hime…" Hiro said almost choking on his words. "Wha—?"

"I'm sorry…" she said cutting him off. "…that I can't give you back your life… You know that Hiro? Don't you? There is no way for a blood warrior to live without his or her master… It's… just the way it is. And so I understand now, what I have taken from you… what I have forced upon you. My problems shouldn't be your burden… You don't have to forgive me… but I'm sorry.

Hiro.

I understand if you… if you want me to let you… slip away. For your valiant services to the royal family, you have proven yourself many times over, and so you see… you wouldn't be any lesser… for choosing death."

"Slip… away..." Hiro repeated the words out loud, he tasted them, fumbled them over in his mouth… and they felt right… there was a peace about them… there was a promise… a finality… they felt right…

And so without any further hesitation Hiro said,

"No."

Even though Hime was turned away, he could sense a great change in her demeanor. She didn't stir of course but she had faltered and now it was finally time for him to speak.

"Hime." He began slowly making sure he was about to say everything right. He steadied himself remembering Reiri's words. "I… I don't know how my life could have turned out or how much of what Yumi showed me was real… All I know is that, regardless of the circumstances… if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have a life. I wouldn't be here, right now, with you, feeling more alive than I've ever felt before… That to me means I should thank you … and I should be the one to apologize… and maybe… maybe I can at least take comfort from the fact that somewhere… somehow… I did have that normal life… with my family… both of them…"

"Actually blood warrior most of the images you saw were false…"

Hiro having had his fair share of surprises for the day spun around just about ready to punch something in the face when he saw someone he didn't expect. And there hanging from the ceiling above him was a small unassuming girl with long black hair. She had a serious aura about her despite her youthful appearance and school girl uniform. There was a certain air of wisdom about her also, and perspective as she held the world at arm's length, similar to Hime albeit a different kind of indifference; an outlook only a true God or a Goddess or something that came extremely close could muster. The youthful girl then dropped down to ground landing perfectly on her feet.

"Nakua." Hime said coolly as she kept herself turned around. "This neutrality between the Kingdom and the divine beings doesn't seem to be working out…"

"Forgive me Princess of Monsters but I'm here on official business."

"…Can it wait?" Hime asked with infinite patience.

"Actually it's quite relevant." Nakua said turning to Hiro. "That maid, she's your older sister right blood warrior?"

"Ah Sawawa? Yeah… why?"

"Yes well that maid is always leaving behind such good offerings I thought it was time to start paying her back. Of course… her prayer's often revolve around something called a… strawberry parfait… she seems to get enough of those without my help and so I decided to do the next best thing… helping you, her brother."

"Oh… Okay…" Hiro said completely distracted with most of his attention still on Hime. "Help me how?"

"It's as I said before. Those images, the ones that you and the Princess of Monsters saw, they were all fake. It was just a trick meant to further weaken your loyalty and your resolve blood warrior."

At this Hiro's attention snapped toward Nakua as if the words had finally sunk in. His child… his wife… Hiro's heart sank to the lowest point. He hunched over himself, barely a man anymore, all he could muster was a weak and pitiful, broken "H-How…?"

Luckily, it was enough for Nakua to understand.

"I'm a divine being." She explained. "We, like the phoenix clan, are immortal—though too be fair we can still be killed whereas they cannot. Either way because of our… longevity, neither one of us is bound by time. I believe one of the royals could experience time in a manner that our kind does."

Prince Emil… Hiro thought. "Y-you mean s-see into the future?" His voice was getting weaker.

"That's not quite the same but I suppose if that's easier to understand than yes. We see bits of all the different futures, pasts, and presents. It's all probability to us. It's all happening at once. In your case blood warrior, I looked into the many different pasts and futures and found something remarkable.

Heed my words now, in all the possible outcomes of time… in all of them… you meeting the Princess of Monsters was inevitable!"

And with that, there was a great silence throughout the room.

Hiro couldn't speak. What could he say? He tried glancing at Hime. He needed her to show him a sign, now more than ever, but the ice princess didn't stir. Was she punishing him? Was she ignoring him? No.

No, Hime was probably feeling just as bad as he was, her back still arched in the same lonely posture she took after a long fought and bitter battle. She didn't have the same powers as Emil or Nakua and so she couldn't have known any of this. What's more and perhaps she thought this was his battle. This was his time to speak and think freely, and not as a servant shielded from the world by an overbearing master but as a man, free and unshackled, a man. And she was right. Though he couldn't help but think what a fool he'd been… to doubt even for a second her stake in his life. He had said it before, though in his ignorance he didn't quite understand the weight of it, he existed for her… now it appeared that even the gods agreed with that.

It didn't make it any easier to hear though… and after he had just told Reiri how ready he was to stand by Hime… what a joke… and it must have shown on his face for Nakua, even with all her indifference and wisdom, couldn't help but say "I'm sorry."

It was a cold apology, no real emotion making it seem sincere given who it came from, but Hiro appreciated the thought and he was grateful. Indeed he was grateful that Nakua, a divine being, the ones who would not submit to the supreme authority of Hime's kingdom, was here, willing to try and spare some sympathy for his sake, for his sister's sake.

"There… are many wonders in this world. Some that even we divine beings do not fully understand. This is one of them. Only a few spots, a few handful of spots in the fabric of time are unavoidable. They're constant… unchanging. It's odd since these often revolve around major events, the formation of the Earth, the evolution of man, the rise of the Phoenix's, those kinds of events. And yet here, something so simple, almost insignificant, as if you had to come to Sasanaki on that exact day, and you had to walk done that exact street at that exact moment… it was… unavoidable…"

The room was still silent. No one said a thing for what could have been five full minutes, each person in their own little world, each taking a break from the other, fighting their own battles, coming to terms with certain ends.

"So…" Nakua said finally. "I have a question for you blood warrior. Knowing all this… knowing all that I've just told you… do you have any regrets?"

Hiro's head shot up faster than even he had expected and there with a proud dignity he said, "No… I don't regret a thing. This is my life…" He couldn't help but smile after saying that. It just sounded perfect. This was where he belonged. He was sure of that now… and even if Yumi was right. Even if he would never have a family of his own or be a normal human ever again, so what? He still had Sawawa didn't he? And Hime, and Riza, Reiri, even Flandre. They were his family now… yes. They were his family now.

And Hime must have agreed for he heard a faint fufu from her direction and indeed the atmosphere of the room seemed to lighten.

Nakua herself was smiling. "You're not what I expected blood warrior. You certainly are very loyal. Among the divine beings there is a saying. In the common tongue it loosely translates to:

He who fights his destiny ends up a slave to it, he who accepts it ends up freed by it."

And with that Nakua turned on her heel and started walking toward the dining room door. "Take care… Hiro… Keep up the good work and never look down. You're future is bright. Only most of the images were false…"

"Most?" Hime questioned.

"…"

"I see… Thank you Nakua… and about that neighborhood."

"It's taken care of."

"Any casualties from our fighting?"

"Not a single one. Take care… Princess of Monsters." And just like that Nakua disappeared from the room leaving Hime and Hiro alone once again.

"Hiro…" Hime called commandeering his attention. "I too have a question for you… one last question…"

"Yes Hime?"

"…Was it true? What you said…"

"Hmm?"

"…You're…'love' for me?"

At this Hiro cringed blushing deeply. He wasn't ready for that question. He knew it was coming but he wasn't ready for it. In the end, he knew this was just one more thing that was unavoidable. Just another thing he and Hime needed to resolve to move forward, the question whose answer truly answered all other questions. And what a happy question it was, it only gave him trouble because he was embarrassed not because he was unsure. And yet, for the life of him, Hiro just couldn't articulate his thoughts or communicate what he felt despite the existence of words to help him.

"Hiro…"

He looked up.

He felt it then and there in Hime's words, in her voice. His name was meant as an order, an order for him to speak and yet what came out was a plea, a sudden slip in Hime's mask, her tone carrying her true intent in all its begging and pleading nature, he knew he had to answer. And even if Hime didn't reciprocate his feelings, she wanted to know and that had to count for something. He'd never stop loving her and he'd always have her affection. Yes. He always would. It was time to end this charade.

"Yes."

He said it… He finally said it…

"I meant every word…" Hiro closed his eyes one last time and drew in a deep breath… "Hime… I love you…"

"Fufu." Was all he heard.

She… She was teasing him….

"Hime!" Hiro blurted out embarrassed. He should have known…

He should have known…

In the end, he really was just a servant to her. Oh well, he thought scuffing and smiling to himself. If he could just see her smile, if he could just be her shield and her sword, that was enough for him. And he was at peace. He was at peace even if Hime didn't love him. Blessed be the one who would eventually have that heart, and indeed that was what Hiro thought as he conceded defeat still happily in love. He certainly had her affection hence her teasing and perhaps maybe now he could at the very least be more open with her. Of course right then Hime finally decided to turn around…

That's when Hiro realized he was dead wrong…

His master, the unreadable, the cold, the genius Hime—adored by all, feared by all—was smiling. Truly smiling! It was not a smirk, nor was it a grin. It was a small albeit genuine smile that made his heart sing and his legs wobbly for it came from below the bottom of her heart, perhaps even from the deepest depths of her soul. Her eyes, those cold, inhuman, crimson sort of snake eyes were watery—not ready to cry—but lively in their moisture, brimming with the rapture he unknowingly provided. She laughed lightly again and that's when Hiro knew, it was not a laugh of amusement, it was one of pure and truthful happiness. And then in a fit of love, for it was contagious you see, Hime bit her finger with her small fangs calling forth her blood, and then she spoke. What a lovely voice, the veil of indifference broken for the first and hopefully not the last time.

"Hiro." My god his name never sounded so elegant pressed by the pronunciation of a true goddess… His goddess.

"My beloved warrior, you may drink."

Hiro could have died right there and gone back to that black hell and he'd still be a happy man. Such was the sheer grandness of that moment, of their moment, of their singing hearts. And so, with pure devotion in his grip, Hiro put his lips to Hime's finger professing his love again and again with each sip he took, accepting the life she offered him.

But she was not done yet and as he kissed her hand, the fair princess seized the young boy cuddling him in the warmth of her chest, surprising him yet again with her impulsiveness. She brought her mouth to his ear and whispered… a loving whisper… "Be patient with me Hiro. That's an order fufu."

All Hiro could do was smile… He would have waited forever if she asked… He would have waited forever even if she didn't.

Hime… I love you…

I love you too…

Hiro…


END


Things to Come: That's all folks! Princess Jealousy is officially over but don't be sad! I have a ton… and I mean a TON… of other fanfics planned and several already started. Unfortunately, as always I can't promise released dates but expect the second one soon… It's Princess Resurrection of course (I'll probably do a good few more before moving on to other animes) Here's a sneak peak at the premise:

Two years into the future, Hime and Sherwood have finally emerged victorious in the Royal War. Hime plans to turn everything over to Sherwood but the Phoenixes refuse this and demand instead that she accept the throne as the victor and the next monarch. While most of the Monster Realm happily welcomes their next ruler, Hime and the gang start gearing up to say their goodbyes. Is this really happily ever after? Or is this bittersweet responsibility? And what of Hiro? What awaits our favorite blood warrior now that Hime no longer needs him? Find out next time with my all new fanfic: Princess Finale (title may change).

End Note: Alright guys so by now you're all probably tired from reading but just bear with me for a little while longer! I want to thank you all for reading my work, and of course waiting. I know it's been about two months since my last update and as always I feel terrible about it. But let me just tell a bit about why it takes me so long to finish these updates—I mean, you guys have the right to know as my fans. Okay so basically I have general story outlines in my head. These are easy. I can chart out a fairly comprehensive story with an intro, a conclusion, and some action scenes here or there. The middle and stuff usually come to me as I start typing or rather transcribing the story from my mind into Microsoft Word. This process takes about two to three days. The other two to three weeks is then entirely devoted to editing. Yes. That's right. Editing. I have the stories completely finished more or less, I just need to polish up some paragraphs and add some sentences… sound simple right? Well… no… Unfortunately, I have a super obsessive tendency to write multiple versions of the same sentence so by the end of a story; I'll probably have many extra pages of rewrites to go through. Basically, that loosely means that every single word, from every single sentence has been chosen by me over another word or phrase. You get my meaning? So yeah that is the honest truth about why it takes me so long to write! That is my writing process and I'm sure I'm not the only one out there like this! It's bad I know but at the same time that's why I love it when you guys send me PM's asking about when the next chapter will be released and stuff! It seriously motivates and means a lot to me. So please, if I can be selfish, keep that up as well as your reviews—they are my reward for writing the story! Thank you all again! Thank you so much! Look out for my next works coming soon and please please please give me your reviews on this last chapter! Tell me if you love, if I botched it, tell me everything so I can make my future fics all the more perfect! So till next time, stay gold! Raza Out.