Hello, hello, hello! I have news! 1: My computer is back, but not the back I expected. My profile on my computer is shot, but the one I made for my mom is not, and since she has her own laptop now, this means I can use her profile to update. Boy did I have no idea that that would come in handy! 2: I have brought you this extended version chapter as an apology for being away so long. Now after a long wait…on with the show!
Early morning light found its way through the large bay window into the library, shimmering through the glass, and laying gently on the floor. Kenshin sat in a chair in front of the window, immersed in 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King. He was alerted to the sound of footsteps coming up behind him, but paid no mind. He had a pretty good feeling about who those footfalls belonged to.
"I thought you got enough of vampires just from your work alone."
Kenshin smiled, and closed the book.
"Good morning to you too Master."
Hiko Seijuro smiled at his former apprentice as Kenshin placed the book on he chair and stood up. Kenshin stretched and replied to the earlier statement.
"Books are always books Master, As long as I can feel the binding in my hands as I hold the book, I can distinguish the fictional vampires from those I hunt each night."
Hiko nodded.
"I have been informed that you, Yagari, and Sagara are working on the recent string of vampire murders."
Kenshin nodded. Leave it to Hiko to be well informed on what his former student was up to.
"I've also heard that the most recent murder, the one of the Kasuga family was extremely brutal, correct?"
Correct. Kenshin suppressed a shudder as the image of Mako's body flashed through his mind. Then, he became curious. Hiko wasn't one to openly discuss disturbing things, much less things that disturbed Kenshin, so why…
"Master, if you don't mind my asking, why are you bringing this up?"
Hiko sighed. He wore a white high collar jacket, black jeans, and red polo. He pulled a photo from the breast pocket, and handed it to Kenshin, who paled upon the sight.
Depicted in the photo was a woman…or the ghastly corpse. Her jaw had been broken, and her canines had been removed. Kenshin saw, shuddering with revulsion that they had been driven through her breasts. Her glazed eyes stared at him from the photo, and he could hear her screaming in agony as her mind writhed, unable to find peace in pain. Wait…the teeth…they were fangs! Then…he had done this to one of his own! Sick, muddy acidic anger welled within Kenshin. Scum! He crumpled the photo in his fist.
"How dare that lowlife."
"That was his accomplice."
"Doesn't matter. To do…this, especially to one of your own is unforgivable."
Hiko suppressed a smile. Kenshin was still as spirited as he ever was, and as gruesome as their new evidence was, it would set the ball rolling again.
"Master, how did you come by this?"
"Do you really want to know?"
"Well yes."
Hiko sighed, and pulled a folded envelope from his pants pocket, the one that contained the very photo Kenshin held in his hands. On the back was a broken wax seal of a bat's head with saber teeth.
"It was mailed here. By the killer."
Kaoru yawned, rolled over and glanced at the clock by her bed. In pulsing neon green numbers, it announced, much to her dismay that it was only 2 o' clock in the afternoon. Groaning, she threw the blankets back over her head, begging sleep to come.
One minute…
Two…
Ten…
Okay, she wasn't sleeping tonight. No problem, she would just grab a book, and read until the alarm went off. Her blue eyes scanned the room, until they fell to a book sitting on the floor. Urban Gothic. Not her pick for the moment, but hey, it would pass the time. Sitting up, she bent, picked up the book, opened it, and began reading.
Unfortunately fifteen minutes later, she tossed the book aside, she couldn't concentrate. Her thoughts kept returning to Kenshin. The way he spoke to her, made her feel as if she had known him for years. She remembered the moment when they had been shoved in the closet…back then she had been about to say something. She had started out by saying 'I think that…' and that had been when Sanosuke had flung the door open. Wait… she wasn't going to…she hadn't been about to say…
"Kaoru you moron! You almost told him right then you loved him! How the hell do you think that would have blown over? Aaaaaggghhh!"
Although she kept her voice down, she ducked to avoid a pillow being chucked at her head by Misao, who muttered something in her sleep.
And another matter: Was she actually falling for him? A vampire hunter? Did he reciprocate her feelings? Kaoru shook her head.
"Whoa, whoa, I'm taking his way too far. I'm going to grab the book I tossed on the floor, start reading, and forget about him for the moment."
But when the moment is over?
Kaoru ignored her mind, and immersed herself in her book.
Yagari looked at Kenshin, the photograph held firmly in his hand.
"And Hiko told you this was sent to the Council this morning?"
Kenshin nodded, and produced the envelope. He noticed Yagari's eyes widen a bit when he flashed the seal, but the one eyed man kept silent. There was no doubt, that was a vampire's crest. Beside Yagari, Sano was staring at the picture, obviously disturbed, he was beginning to have second thoughts about Yahiko joining up with them. If their killer did that to its own kind, there was no telling what sadistic pleasures it could derive from a human.
"What of Miss Kaoru, and Miss Misao?"
"What of them?"
"Shall they continue to be involved?"
Good question. Not only were the girls' lives in danger from a nosy vampire hunter, if they went up against a pureblood, even en exiled one, would they be suspected of treason? It was unlikely, but the Senate took a favorable viewpoint on their purebloods, even if they were deemed insane like Shizuka Hio. Those dogs would fight to the death to preserve the lives of their masters. Sano put a finger to his chin as he mulled Kenshin's question over. Yagari however, had already come up with an answer.
"We'll keep them with us. Dangerous or not, they can go places we can't, ask questions we can't. And we need the information they can achieve by their means as well. These murders were done by a powerful, and like it or not, smart cunning vampire. It knows that the Council will be on its tail, so we're going to have to go off book. That means from every possible angle we can get. Those two may prove to be our trump card. We may be hunters, but we're human, their Senate will have a hard time touching us. Likewise will our Council with them."
"And Yahiko?"
Sano was observing Yagari, waiting for his answer. Yagari sighed.
"I don't like this either, but we're going to have to keep him as well, like I said, every possible angle."
Daylight. Jine sneered at the sun, and closed the curtain. He could hardly wait until tonight. The curtain would fall on his act, and rise on the second phase. Soon the world of humans would bow to the whims of the vampire overlords. He glanced back over his shoulder into his study. All that was left of his assistant was a pile of dust, It was taken her a while to start disintegrating, but that was the plan. Kill her slowly, take the photo, and send it to the Council. Let them run around like headless chickens for a few moments before they became enraged enough to plow blindly into danger. Kurogasa grinned. They were not like that, no of course not. He knew exactly who was on the case, and that was exactly why he had sent the photo.
Jine's hand went to the hilt of his sword, and his licked his fangs. Tonight…it would really start tonight.
"Well, what's our plan?"
"Since it's dangerous for them to keep coming to us, we'll have to go to them. Luckily, I have the remedy to that situation. As for Yahiko, when he is able to be with you, try to keep it strictly to information retrieval. Nothing more. If there is a confrontation Sano, you handle it, Yahiko is getting a good deal better, but he is still learning. If he goes up against something like what we're facing now…well, I don't need to tell you that."
Sanosuke nodded, distracted by his concern for his younger brother. Kenshin, however was curious about one aspect of their plan.
"Yagari, what did you mean by us going to them?"
"Simple, we go to the school, and pose as teachers."
Activity and time seemed to cease as the two men realized the full weight of what their friend had just said. Sano was the first to speak.
"You've got to be kidding. Us? Teachers?"
"Why not? I've had to do it. And if you'll kindly remember, it was ethics I was teaching. Oh the irony."
Sano laughed at the memory. Kenshin shook his head, and hoped he'd get a mild subject. Yagari put on his jacket, and lit a cigarette as he walked out the door of the library.
"Where're you going?"
"The Academy. That retired twit gets a little huffy if he's not given the heads up. Course I can see why, can't have people barging in last minute."
With that, Yagari turned and walked out. There was nothing left to do, but wait.
Sunset. It was time for the vampires of the Night Class to rise, and the humans of the Day Class to retreat into their safe warrens away from the dangerous, alluring creatures that walked the grounds when the moon was out. Kaoru ignored the screaming of the fan girls, and marched on past the Disciplinary Committee, glancing slightly in Kiryuu's direction, making sure he was completely immersed in his current job before turning to Misao.
"Well, do you think they're going to ask us to come out for another late night mission?"
Misao shrugged, while her eyes scanned the crowd for Aoshi. Kaoru rolled her eyes, and gently clapped her friend on the shoulder.
"Misao, I'm being serious. I'm not sure we can afford continuous sneaking out at night. Kaname-sama hasn't caught wind of what we've been doing, but I think it's only a matter of time."
This time, her friend seemed to be paying attention.
"I know. And I can't do anything tonight, I have a dinner date with Aoshi-sama!"
Cue face-palm. They were now inside the school building, and Kaoru's eyes quickly adjusted to the gloom surrounding her. She couldn't believe it. Of all the crazy things.
"Seriously? We have the fate of vampire and human kind to worry about, and you're worrying about some stupid dinner date? Just tell him that we're dealing with a Senate affair, I'm sure he'll understand."
"There's one problem with that."
"What?"
"Aoshi-sama doesn't know I'm a vampire."
Great. Just great. Misao had a boyfriend who came from a line vampire exterminating onmitsu, and she had omitted the fact that he happened to be dating a vampire.
"Why didn't you tell him this?"
"What? I couldn't! I mean that wouldn't have gone very well. 'Hi, I'm Misao Makimachi. I like you a lot Aoshi-sama. I'm probably head over heels for you. Oh yeah, one thing: I'm a vampire! So let's both go against our parents and our blood because our ancestors have tried annihilating each for the past century!' Seriously Kaoru? Vampire ninja clan? Human vampire killing ninja clan? They've been at war for years. If I'd said that, I would've been turned down flat!"
Cue the waterworks. Kaoru rolled her eyes. Then a thought occurred to her.
"Misao, what attracted you to Aoshi anyway?"
"Why his amazing personality!"
"Misao?"
"Yeah?"
"I've seen rocks that are more expressive than him. Even Kiryuu has more of an emotional range."
Misao rolled her eyes, and the two girls went on conversing, until they walked through the door, and their gaze happened to fall on the teacher at the same time. The teacher was busy setting things on the desk, a book, and a pen, and surveying the area to notice them. So the two vampires skirted his field of vision, and went immediately to their seats. Once sat, Misao poked Kaoru in the shoulder. She leaned over so Misao could whisper to her. Not that it was needed. Their classmates were chatting up a storm.
"Is that…"
"Yep."
"Kaoru, it can't be! I'm seeing things! Tell me I'm seeing things."
"Then apparently we've both gone around the bend."
"Well, at least we can share a padded cell together."
"C'mon Misao, be serious."
The green eyed girl sighed, and resigned herself to accepting reality. Standing behind the teacher's desk was Kenshin Himura. Kaoru also happened to notice that along with her and Misao's, Kaname's gaze was also on their new teacher. She couldn't read what he was thinking, and although that would normally come as no surprise, Kaoru found herself worrying for Kenshin. What would Kaname-sama do, if something happened to go wrong? She didn't think he would go against the Chairman's pacifism, but she knew Kaname would mark him as an enemy, and she couldn't let that happen.
The rest of the class settled into their seats as the chatter began to die down, Aido waved to Kaoru as he took his seat in front of her. She didn't wave back, her eyes were full of Kenshin. She was hoping he noticed her, and at the same time hoping he wouldn't. Misao's finger poked her shoulder once again, and this time Misao had to whisper.
"You think he's here to contact us?"
Good question. It was also the most logical of all reasons why he would be here. Which could mean two things: 1) They were being removed from aid or 2) Their assistance was being asked for. Kaoru hoped it was the latter.
"Good evening Night Class. I will be temporarily taking over this teaching position. I am Kenshin Himura."
No one really said anything, well, except Aido, but there were always exceptions.
"Himura? That's the name of a top vampire hunter."
Kenshin smiled. It was a genuine smile, and Kaoru inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Seconds earlier she had been ready to rip off Aido's head for his big mouth.
"Yes. You are correct. I am a vampire hunter."
Several red eyes flashed, but Kenshin paid no mind. A growl sounded in the back of someone's throat, but all he had to do was shoot a look, and the sound died down. Alarm bells were ringing in Kaoru's head. Okay, no nobody would make a move, but still. The hostility in the room was so thick it was like everyone was breathing mud. Kaname spoke up.
"You have no weapons?"
Crap! Now he'd be busted. Kenshin was wearing his trademark trench coat. Luckily, the hunter was well ahead of her. He took of his coat.
"No none. This place is a pursuit of pacifism after all Young Kuran."
Kaname smiled.
"Correct. In which case I trust you."
It was minute, but he nodded to Aido and Kain, who were immediately at ease. Kenshin caught Kaoru and Misao's eyes, but did nothing. A tiny flame flared within her, but she extinguished it. Of course he wouldn't do anything. He was technically undercover. She had a hunch that Kaname suspected something, but was doubtful he would let anyone else in. So far, Kenshin was safe.
The next few hours went by in a blur as Kenshin taught, and Kaoru worried. She knew her concerns were null, but she couldn't help it, so when the end of the school night came, and Yuuki came in to make sure everyone had been present for class, Kaoru asked Yuuki is she and Misao could stay after for a few minutes. Kenshin was still in the room, but he was too busy gathering things up to notice. Yuuki cocked her head to one side, but told them she'd let Zero and the Chairman know, and told her not to make it too late. Kaoru smiled, and Misao reassured her that they would keep it quick. The Disciplinary Committee girl smiled, and walked out of the room, clipboard in hand.
When they heard the door shut, they turned to Kenshin, who stood, coat on, looking at them.
"Hello ladies."
Kaoru smiled as did Misao.
"I understand you would like to know why it is I have come."
"We have our assumptions."
A knock at the door cut their conversation short. Standing in the doorway were Yagari and Sano. Kaoru and Misao moved so the two could walk full into the room. When they were all situated, Kaoru and Misao sitting on a desk, Kenshin and Yagari standing behind the teacher's desk, and Sano leaning up against the black board. Their discussion began. Misao was the first to speak.
"So have you guys found any new leads?"
"Well…if you would call this a lead, then yes. I call it intimidation."
Sano said, handing Kaoru the photo. The girl gasped when her eyes met its content, and Misao whistled.
"Gruesome huh?"
Kaoru handed the photo back. It made her feel cold all over. What sick person could do something that horrible? It also made her a bit unsure and afraid. What if their culprit were to get a hold of her? Would that be her fate? Or would it be something worse?
"That, you could say is the exact reason why we're here."
Misao cocked an eyebrow at Yagari.
"That photograph was sent to the Council this morning. This means we're dealing with a criminal that knows the stakes. Our culprit knows we're after it, and it's safe to assume they have ears in the streets, and may have knowledge of our network. It's not that hard to figure out the fine mechanics of a vampire hunt. Simply put: There are no fine mechanics. Find the vampire and kill it. We're stalking some dangerous prey here, so we're going to have to go off book to be able to deal with this threat. This means you'll be dispatched not only for information retrieval, but for battle as well. We need to find out as much as possible, as quick as possible. Right now, you two are our biggest asset."
Kaoru couldn't help but feel a little happy. It was different hearing the sometime teacher speak in this manner, especially to her kind, but she felt special for having heard it. And being called an asset! That meant she was needed! Who wouldn't feel happy? However something was bugging her. Sanosuke had probably seen the photo, after all, he was the one who handed it to her.
"What about Yahiko? Where does he stand in all this?"
"We're keeping him on this too."
"But he's just a kid!"
"And you are still a child yourself Miss Kamiya."
She couldn't argue with that.
"We'll stick around here, seeing as how this is the easiest way to exchange information. As of now, there are no more leads, and for the moment no news of an upcoming murder, but this may be the calm before the storm, so keep you ears to the ground Miss Kaoru, Miss Misao."
His eyes were gentle, but his voice left no tone for argument. They were still on the case, and would stay on until all this was over.
Jine smiled. This was just too damn easy. A maid, working the ground spotted him, and went to say something, but found herself drowning in a deep sleep from which she would later awake, remembering nothing of the strange cloaked figure she saw entering the Moon Dorm. Once inside, it had been even easier. All the good little students were in their rooms, so he had no need to use his powers. He did however suppress his powerful pureblood aura. He knew that there was a pureblood on the grounds, but the children would probably sense the second aura. It wasn't likely, but no sense taking the risk.
Seeming to nearly float above the floor, so quick were his movements, he located the room of the two vampire girls who were in allegiance with the vampire hunters. Grinning like the madman he was, he dissolved through the door. Once in the room, he slipped a letter onto the nightstand beside Kaoru's bed. Still grinning, he whipped the cloak around himself, there was a small burst of wind. When the mini tornado cleared, Jine was gone. Off delivering three more letters.
A dorm for the teachers had been built off to the side of the grounds. It was tucked away not very far from the barn. In here, Jine slipped the final letters. Yagari's was placed on the windowsill in his room. Sano's on the bed of his, and Kenshin's was tacked to the wall with the fang from his formerly alive former human. Call it a special decoration, it would entice him into a hunting frenzy. Or so Jine hoped. If it didn't his plan would still work. Phase One would end with a bang while Phase Two would silently simmer, building.
Jine grinned once more. He couldn't wait!
"Kaoru, what is this?"
"Misao, keep your voice down."
Clenched in her hand, was the letter Jine had delivered twenty minutes earlier.
Dear Miss Kaoru Kamiya, and Miss Misao Makimachi,
Good day to the both of you! I am overjoyed to hear that you two are being kept on the case. Well, my case that is. Congratulations! I suppose I should be getting to my point. I have sent you this letter because I am currently holding a captive. A young, beautiful girl by the name of Rihono Makizawa. Here's a challenge: Find me by night's end, and she will be saved by the two of you. If not, I will turn her into one of my slaves. The choice is yours. I will await you in the gazebo of Ichi Ha park.
P.S. Good luck!
-Udo Jine. A.K.A. Kurogasa
"Kaoru, we have to go out, and find this guy!"
"Don't you think we should notify Kenshin, Sano and Yagari first?"
Misao was already lacing her tennis shoes, and putting on a black hoodie. Her eyes burned with battle rage.
"No! Didn't you read the letter? He has a captive. And if we don't get there by sun up, she dies! C'mon, to Ichi Ha park we go!"
Kaoru couldn't have argued. For she was being dragged out the door, out of the Moon Dorm, and straight into town.
Yagari ground his teeth in rage. So much for no more murders! The calm had broken, and the storm was in full rage. Slamming the letter down on the table beside the bed, he grabbed his rifle. Bastard! He took another look at the letter, and read it through, making sure he had the address correct in his mind.
Dear Touga Yagari,
I hope this letter find you well, as I understand you are deeply concerned and disturbed by the recent turn of events taken place at the last murder. Well, sadly I offer you no solace, as another has been killed. (By me I should add. Ha ha!) What a naught boy to be out at this hour, was our dear Ryu Takani. If you wish to avenge him, meet me in the abandoned Sakaya Mansion, third floor second room on the right. I've kept his body warm in case you were wondering. No sense in letting the blood cool when you must be thirsty after you run all the way here!
Come get me!
- Udo Jine. (Kurogasa, as you may know me better by)
He was definitely going to pay! After making sure everything was silent, Yagari crept out of the dorm, and into the night.
"You slimy son a bitch."
Sanosuke snarled through his teeth as he re-read the letter.
To my hot headed young hunter,
Hello! I hear you have a little brother whom you think the world of! Mistake leaving him with friends for the night. Ah, how easy it was to take Yahiko. Of course that wasn't really any fun, so as to be expected, I killed every other occupant in the house. If you don't want your dear younger brother to meet the same fate, then meet me in the back gardens of the old library at the corner of 56th, and Red Thorn Avenue. Hurry, time's running out!
-Kurogasa, (as you're familiar with).
How dare he! Damn Kurogasa, damn him to the eighth level of hell!
"Hang on Yahiko, big brother's coming for you!"
Sano grabbed his Zanbato, slung it over his shoulder, and ran out of his room, and straight into town without a backward glance.
Kenshin shook with barely suppressed rage.
Kenshin Himura, (Or Battousai as you were formerly known as)
I have a proposition for you, something I know you will not be able to refuse. You have followed my trail, yes? You have seen the ghastly remains of those wretches of human children, have you not? Now the game has upped a bit. It is my understanding you have had contact with a young vampire named Kaoru Kamiya over the past couple of days. You are quite worried about her are you not? Of course you are, after getting my message, you should now know that neither vampire nor human who oppose my plan are safe. As for Young Kamiya, I have associates, who are tailing her, watching her every move. If you don't want her to meet the same fate as my assistant, than meet me at the old shrine in the center of the forest.
You do want her to keep living, don't you?
-Jine
His jaw was beginning to hurt from grinding his teeth. How could he be so careless? Wait, if Miss Kaoru had people tailing her, then it was safe to assume the other might as well. His hand strayed to the hilt of his sword. No way was he going to let any harm come to them. Folding the letter, he stashed it between two books in the bookshelf, just in case someone would come snooping around. Before he walked out, he put his ear to the door. Silence. Slowly, he unlatched the door, mindful of the tiny thump as the bolt was thrown back. He held his breath, but still was met with nothing. Gently, he pushed the door open, peeked around, then stepped out into the hall, shutting the door behind him. Quietly, he locked the door, and crept out of the dorm.
The cool night air kissed his face as he stepped out under the moonlight. The old shrine in the forest. It wasn't too far of he cut through town, but he couldn't chance anyone seeing him. His eyes scanned left and right, before he zipped to the far end of the campus. Once at the barn, he climbed onto the roof, where he climbed into an adjacent tree, and jumped down, now on the other side of the fence.
He had from now until the sun rose.
Ichi Ha park seemed to shine under the full moon. The tall trees whispered to one another in the small breeze that was blowing through he air. There was a steady sound of water lapping against shore as the wind gently blew waves into the small lake. The park benches were completely empty, and seemed to be dead, their rich brown color dyed grey as the moon gleamed down, the path equally empty, with the only things traversing it were the small night insects. Kaoru and Misao scanned the park, looking for the gazebo. About seven hundred feet away, standing in a small copse of trees, over looking the lake, was the gazebo. It was made out of wood, and the windows were like clear eyes, allowing every eye to see in. It used to be a place where smokers could come, and satisfy there cravings, but soon people began to complain of the acrid stench every time they went near it. So a non smoking sign had been posted, and now people simply sat at the small table, and drank tea, had picnics, or just made small talk.
Inside, she could see a figure sitting there, although she couldn't see if they were with someone else. Beside her, Misao bristled.
"There he is."
Kaoru nodded, they tensed their legs, and were about to charge, when a frantic cry caught their attention.
"Help! Someone, please help!"
It was followed by a sharp whack. The cry died down to a whimper. The girls looked at each other, nodded, and charged. They made no attempt to disguise their footsteps, as they ran for the gazebo. The killer knew they would come.
"Udo Jine, leave Makizawa-san alone!"
They shouted in unison as the bust through the door. Inside the gloom stood their culprit, alone.
Alone?
Kaoru stepped in, predator's eyes darting around the room. Had they made a mistake? No, impossible. This was Ichi Ha park, and they were in the gazebo… so why?
"What did you do with her Jine?"
The man held up his hands, smiled, and lit a pipe. Kaoru could see he was smiling arrogantly, but the moon was full in his glasses, making his eyes unreadable. Then he spoke.
"Help, oh please! Someone, anyone, help!"
It was the same high pitched, frantic cry they had heard upon entering the park. They had been tricked! The man laughed, and removed the pipe from his mouth.
"As you two have figured out, there is no captive, and I, unfortunately, am not Udo Jine."
Misao was puzzled.
"Then, who are you?"
"Merely a servant of Jine-sama. A devotee to the cause he has pledged himself to. I am Daisuke Kita. Please call me Kita-san."
Okay, the man here wasn't Jine. There was no captive either, so why had they been lead out here in the dead of the night? Kaoru could guarantee it wasn't to make small talk. For that matter, what about the real Jine? Was he in hiding somewhere? Was he nearby, waiting to strike once their guard was down? No sense dickering around, they needed to get to the point, before the point got to them.
"So why the letter? Why were we sent out here?"
"Distraction, and disposal."
"What?"
Kita smiled, and this time both girls could see his eyes. Kaoru couldn't help it, she shuddered. There was no soul in those eyes, just black, hypnotic voids.
"You two are not the only ones to have received letters. Yagari-san, Sagara-san, and Himura-san have received invitations as well, each different then the last. No doubt you'll ask which one is real. Simple, Himura-san's is. My master couldn't possibly deal with all five of you at once, and it is not you he wants to fight. This is to not only get you four out of the way so my master can achieve his part of the great plan, but to also dispose of you properly, so you won't be a threat later on."
They had been set up! All of them! And if she and Misao didn't hurry, they were all going to be in serious trouble.
"Then the part about the hostage…"
"I needed an ignition to fire your anger. Once done, you would run blindly into danger without a second thought."
He chuckled.
" Brilliant no?"
Brilliant! That mongrel! Kaoru could feel her fangs lengthening as the red rage took a hold of her body. She was going to leap at him, tear off his limbs, and beat him while he lay defenseless. But before that she would get answers. She needed to know where everyone else was.
"Where are they?"
Keeping her voice in control, and not dropping it to a growl was the hardest thing to do at that moment. Her gaze kept going to his neck, seeking out the pulsing vein. Kita laughed.
"You think I'll just tell you? I told you silly little girls. This part of the plan was distraction, and disposal."
Kita said, talking as one might to a little kid who has asked a very simple question. A dagger's edge sparkled in the dark.
"I am here to kill you."
Misao's hand went for her kunai stashed in a secret pocket inside her hoodie. Kaoru pulled her chain link scythe from a leather holster tied to her upper thigh. Not a good weapon for close combat like this, she knew, but she would be able to sever his head from a distance without getting to close to the dagger in his hand. She could sense the anti-vampire magic swirling about the blade from where she was standing. Time halted as the combatants looked at the opposite side of their fighting field. The fixation broke as soon as it started.
Kita faked left, and Kaoru lashed out to right, hoping to catch him on the rebound. He ducked the curve blade, and Misao threw a kunai, aiming at his hand. Her aim was a little off, so the kunai slammed into the wall. Kita grinned, and flicked his wrist, sending the dagger spinning. Kaoru ducked, and felt the blade part the air centimeters above her hair. She lashed out again, and caught his ankle. Blood welled up, shining with its own lucid light in the dark. Kaoru felt a dry twinge in her throat. Sadly, although the cut was deep, it was too short, and didn't go down far enough.
Kita pulled another dagger from his coat, and slashed at Miao, who whipped her arm out, and chopped at his wrist. Had he been human, Kita's wrist would have been shattered. All her move served to do was knock his grip, but it was all she was after. Once the dagger clattered to the floor, Misao flung the second kunai, hitting him in the shoulder. It made a satisfying squelch as it burrowed into his flesh. What she didn't expect was his left fist rocketing into the side of her skull.
Bright blue and red stars flashed and danced behind her eyes, and she was knocked to the floor by the powerful left hook. Her body was able to absorb the shock, but her head still had a pretty good ache. She hit the floor with an "Oof!", causing the stars to scatter in all different directions. Kita used this opportunity to gather the dagger up off the floor with his foot, and kick it into his left hand. In his haste to return his weapon, he had forgotten Kaoru, who twirled the chain link scythe in her hand, then sent it, diving in a silver arc, straight for Kita's arm.
There was a ripping sound as the blade sheared through skin, tissue, flesh, and finally bone. The severed arm hit the floor, some of the fingers on the attached hand were still twitching, and the arm itself was writhing, almost as if it refused to believe it was no longer attached to its host. Kita let out a pained cry, and Kaoru saw her chance. She snatched the blade back, and leapt, landing squared on Kita's back. She pressed the blood tipped crescent to the carotid vein, pricking it slightly, with her other hand, she wrenched Kita's arm behind his back. There was a crack as something was broken. Nearby there was a shuffling as Misao slowly got to her feet, holding the left side of her head.
"Speak! Tell us where Sano, Yagari and Kenshin are!"
Kita laughed, but soon found another kunai lodged in the floor in front of his vulnerable face. Misao snarled.
"We're not being funny. Answer her, or you die."
"Heh, very well. Yagari-san is at the abandoned Sakaya Mansion. Sagara-san is out in the back of the old library at the corner of 56th and Red Thorn Avenue. Himura-san is at an old unused shrine somewhere in the woods outside town. But, you two would never reach them in time! The best you girls could do is-"
Kita was cut off as a kunai buried itself deep in the center of his forehead, and Kaoru slashed his throat. Blood sprayed upward from the wound in a fountain of bright red. Two tiny drops fell from the kunai. Kaoru straightened up, and got up, off of the corpse. She looked at her scythe, and licked some of the blood off. Nothing special, so this man was just a former human. She looked at Misao, who was still holding her head.
"You okay?"
Misao smiled.
"Yeah. I'll definitely need some aspirin as soon as this is over though."
The girls smiled at each other for a moment, before turning back to the body. Kita's blood was spreading on the floor, but strangely, not soaking into the wood. It seemed that he had absorbed enough odd vampire properties that his blood was still able to keep some of its tricks.
"What do we do with him?"
"Nothing. He'll become dust soon, and the sun will vaporize the remains and blood. We've nothing to worry about."
"Alright. So, Kenshin is somewhere in the woods, Yagari-sensei is at Sakaya Mansion, and Rooster Head is at the old library. We have to find them, and let them know it's a trap. Who's closest?"
Kaoru took a couple seconds to think. In the back of her mind, she could hear their clock ticking. They needed to find someone, and soon. She couldn't help but feel Kenshin's fate depended on their speed.
"Yagari-sensei. Sakaya Mansion's only a kilometer away. It won't take us that long."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."
It was one of the few times he cursed himself for being human. Had he been vampire, he would have made it to Sakaya Mansion in no time flat, but his human body put limitations on him. Oh well, better off being human, then a humanoid leech. His rifle was strapped to his back, and he could feel it thumping against him with every stride. The moonlight outlined everything, making it easy for his daylight accustomed eyes to identify the buildings. He saw the red awning of the Tailor Shop, so he wasn't very far, about fifteen to twenty more minutes, and he would-
"Yagari-sensei!"
The voices of Misao and Kaoru shouting his name, stopped him dead in his tracks. What the hell? What were they doing out here? There was no way they could have known about the letter in his room, so maybe they were just out for some fun? The was a brief flash of metal as Kaoru's weapon caught a tiny sliver of light. Why did they have their weapons? As the two of them drew closer, Yagari could see there was a bit of blood on Kaoru, and Misao seemed to be sporting a hefty bruise. What the hell had happened?
"Kamiya? Makimachi? What on-"
"There's no time for that Yagari-sensei!"
"What do you mean, 'no time'?"
Kaoru re-holstered her weapon, and brought out the letter she had stuffed in her pocket.
"You have one too right?"
Now he was stumped, and listening.
"How did you two know? Wait…is that-"
"Yeah. It's a letter talking about a captive, and giving a disclosed location where we can meet up with Udo Jine. Listen Yagari-sensei. Those letters were fakes! Well three are, Kenshin's is real! He's meeting with Jine alone clear out in woods! We have to do something!"
"Wait Kamiya, just hold on. Yours said something about a captive? Mine read about another murder."
"What?"
"Yes. And how do you know this?"
"Our fake Jine, who turned out to be a former human slave, told us the facts."
Yagari looked at the blood on Kaoru's hand and wrist, then at Misao.
"Well, yes we disposed of him, otherwise he would've killed us."
"So let me get this straight, you two, plus Sano and myself were lured into town by these fake letters, while Kenshin is brought to the actual Jine while we are disposed of. And the writer uses some kind of hook that will get us to run straight into town without looking back?"
The girls nodded. Damn it all! Yagari had never felt so played!
"Wait, Yagari-sensei, what was Rooster Head's lure?"
"…Yahiko."
"What? We have to do something!"
Yagari pulled out a cell phone.
"Relax. I'm on it."
Willing his fingers to move faster, he dialed Sano's number, pressed the green button, and listened to the ringing, praying that Sano would pick up. Nearby, Misao and Kaoru were practically nervous wrecks. Kaoru was tapping her foot more out of worry than impatience, and Misao was biting her lip so hard Yagari was surprised it wasn't bleeding.
Ring, ring. Ring, ring. Damn it Sagara pick up! As if hearing him, there was a click on the other end, along with the sound of thudding footsteps and rushing wind, that indicated Sanosuke was running at full speed.
"What the hell are you calling for Yagari? You'd better have a good reason, or so help me god if they kill Yahiko-"
"Sagara don't! Listen, it's a trap, whoever is waiting for you, they don't have Yahiko. There's just a former human waiting to kill you!"
"How…"
"I received a letter too. It gives you a location on where to meet this alleged Jine character, after giving you a hook, then you're killed."
"Are you sure it's a trap? How do you know if yours is fake and mine is too? Damn it I don't have time for this!"
Kaoru, having listened to the conversation long enough, grabbed the phone.
"Sanosuke listen to Yagari-sensei! Stop where you are now! Misao and I also got a letter. We met up with our Jine only to have it be a former human working for him! His dogs are luring us into town so that while we're busy dealing with them, the real Jine is busy with Kenshin! If you don't believe me ask Misao, she was with me too!
Before she could object, Kaoru shoved the phone in Misao's hands. The young vampire put it up to her ear. She couldn't hear any footsteps, which was good. If Sano stopped, he'd be more inclined to absorb what they were all saying.
"Is this true Weasel Girl?"
"Yes. It's true Rooster. If you don't haul your butt over here, Kenshin's gonna be fillet by the time we reach him."
There was a chuckle on the other end.
"Well put Weasel. Where's here?"
"Near the abandoned Sakaya Mansion. And hurry! Kenshin's life may depend on it!"
"Alright. I'll be there as fast as I can."
Click! The phone dead panned in the usual wa-wa-wa noise, telling her that the connection had been severed. Misao sighed, and pressed the red button, closing their end of the call, and handed the phone back to Yagari.
"So how far is he from us?"
"What was his location?"
"The old library at the corner of 56th, and Red Thorn."
"That library is just off the main road, so assuming that's the one he took to reach it from the school, and we're currently on Littler Street, which is about a ten minute walk from Red Thorn. Sagara probably cut through the alley on Main Street to get to 56th, which means he's probably twenty five minutes away from us."
"Twenty five minutes? We may not even have five minutes!"
"Relax you two. There's nothing to worry about."
"Huh? How can you say that?"
"If Kenshin was a push over hunter, do you think I would have teamed up with him in the first place? I wouldn't have even bothered talking to him. Kenshin's stronger than you two give him credit for."
Kaoru nodded. Of course, it made sense. She sighed, and crossed her arms. Just because Kenshin was strong didn't mean that she should stop worrying. She just hoped Kenshin was still on his way to the shrine.
A strong wind kicked up, rattling through the branches of trees, and tugging at the two vampires and one human standing out in the night. Misao jolted, and Kaoru gasped.
"What is it?"
Misao sniffed the air, turning her nose eastward.
"Blood… I smell blood."
Kaoru's eyes were huge. It wasn't just blood. It was Kenshin's blood.
"Can you tell who it belongs to?"
Misao shook her head.
"No. For all I know it could be a homeless guy, or a robber cutting himself on broken glass."
"Kenshin…"
"What Kaoru?"
"It's Kenshin's blood… Oh no! We're too late!"
Kaoru took off running, following her nose. She no longer needed the wind to guide her, she had locked on to the smell, and was closely following it, she could hear Misao yelling behind her, but she ignored her friend. Chasing the smell of blood through the dark of the night, Kaoru prayed she would get to Kenshin soon.
"Kaoru, wait!"
Too late. Her friend was already tearing off into the night. Misao watched her bank left at a corner, then she was gone. Not good. She had to catch up with Kaoru before something happened. Misao was about to chase after Kaoru, when Yagari grabbed her by the arm.
"Let me go!"
"Makimachi wait! We can't all go tearing off into the woods!"
"Why not?"
"What is Sagara gets here, and finds we've all disappeared? That will only add credit to what the letter said. We can't afford that. We have to stay here and wait until he arrives."
"But what if there's more former humans stationed, ready to kill the second she walks by? She's so distracted, she probably wouldn't even notice!"
True, he hadn't thought of that, He sighed. Misao continued to look at him, pleading with her eyes. Yagari couldn't argue that yes, Kaoru may indeed be in danger, but they needed to wait for Sanosuke.
"We have to stay here so we can think things through rationally. Whoever wrote those letters knew that if they could bait us with something, they'd have us hooked! And if there are more former humans waiting for us, do you really think it would be a good idea to go running off after Kaoru?"
Misao stood still. If she'd wanted, she could have broken Yagari's grip as easily as she would snap a twig. However, like a smart girl, she knew he was right. The best thing to do, for Kaoru, Kenshin, Sano, and themselves would be to wait until Rooster Head arrived, and formulate a plan. Misao sighed, and felt Yagari let go of her. Never in her life had she felt so hopeless
Okay, phew! Boy did this one take me a while! Well, here's chapter six! Hope you all enjoyed it! Seven is tailing this one, so keep an eye out for it!