Zetsubou no Amai Kiss Shite?
(Won't You Give Me a Kiss of Despair?)


Last Chapter Summary:
The Vampire Gilbert Beilschmidt had made his first move to provoke Kiku. Kiku demonstrates his Blood power that only activates in a new moon—that of manipulating everything into new objects as he sees fit.

Knowing that he can never win while Kiku has this kind of power, Gilbert retreated, but not without first threatening Arthur that he will make him a Vampire exiled from his own kind.

Meanwhile, Yong Soo of the Pale Sharon and his twin sister Eun Soo of the White Magnolia make their dangerous plans to kill Kiku… and it may be something that'll provoke Kiku's long-repressed fury to the traitor who backhandedly slew his army…


IMPORTANT! Read this! DL, DR!

Warnings: After ten chapters, I think you'd have memorized the Holy Trinity by now. This is rated for 1. Violence, 2. Language, and 3. Mentions of Blood.

Pairings: AmeriPan. Black and White both.

Genre: Quite obviously, this is under Horror & Supernatural.


Chapter Summary: Kiku and Alfred get trapped in the memory of a serial killer, and they must keep their nerves intact, or they'll be the next victims.

Disclaimer: I will never own APH, guys. All rights reserved by all concerned parties.


Eleventh Drop of Blood:
Sacrifice


The moon was a mere silvery sliver against the dark sky as the night progressed, and whispers flitted through the air as the huge arm of the killer arced once. Twice. Many times, into the air and back down. Blood spattered everywhere as the sickle that he swung made contact with the body.

"No more sacrifices."

"Give him the hammer of God."

Kill. Kill. Kill.

Please, stop…!


"How is it, Hera-chan?"

Herakles shook his head slowly as he examined the engine underneath the hood of the car.

"How unlucky to have car problems while we are this deep in the mountains," Kiku said with a sarcastic smile.

I was looking at the valley below when I spotted something of huge interest, so I called out to Kiku. "Look at this, Kiku…" I waved my hand out to the direction of the valley. "Isn't that a town? It looks pretty close! Maybe we can find someone there who can fix our truck?"

Kiku tilted his head thoughtfully with a frown. "Hm, a town, huh?" He sighed. "Maybe… we should."


Looking back to this event a few days after, maybe we should've thought more carefully about this. Maybe we should've wondered why the car broke down at that precise spot and time. And why we happened to see a town at that desolate part of the land.

But of course, that was our hindsight.

"This hill is… rough," I remarked as we struggled down the path with Herakles leading. Kiku had refused help from Herakles even when stray bushes were trying to rip his awkward clothes and his skin every time he proceeded onward. To make matters worse, I noticed something else.

"This fog, Kiku…"

Kiku watched the blanket of white proceeding to envelop us in blankness, and he noticed another much more worrying thing.

"Hera-chan!" he said, peering around, and I also noticed that Herakles was suddenly gone.

Oh, great. Just great.

We walked for quite a time, Kiku calling out Herakles's name every so often, when I lost my balance and sent both of us down on the grass. Unlucky me.

"You're a klutz," he scolded me, his lip quirking in pain. I saw that he had twisted his foot.

Oh. Double shit.

"Sorry."

"Damage is done, Alfred."

I opted to carry him piggyback, wondering at his light weight, and luckily, after some time of walking around aimlessly, we saw the fog beginning to lift.

And when the fog lifted completely—

"…Kiku, what in the world…"

—We finally find ourselves in the town.


This town was pretty old-fashioned. That was what I told Kiku out loud as we walked around in the streets. Or maybe all villages that are hidden between mountains are like this. Dunno. But I kept noticing that the inhabitants seem to be keeping themselves hidden behind carefully locked doors.

Kiku pointed at a large bulletin board standing under the light of a lamppost. We examined the board and saw a single post on it: That of a picture of a girl, seemingly nine or ten years of age, and the large caption underneath, reading "MISSING" in bold red letters.

I caught Kiku furrowing his brow curiously at this picture, but I said nothing.


We reached the Auto Repairs shop, but even when I called out, no one came.

"I guess nobody's home?" I suggested tentatively.

Kiku wearily nested his head against my neck. "Not only that… I can't feel a single living presence in the entire town."

"Huh? What do you mean?" I felt as if an ice cube just slipped in my stomach.

Kiku didn't even answer my question. "Let's go back, Alfred. I'm more concerned about Hera-chan."

He gestured back again, making me sigh and follow his orders. But he suddenly made me pause when I passed the bulletin board on the way.

"Kiku? What—?"

He pointed and stared at the bulletin board with a stunned face (or as close to a stunned face that I will ever see upon his face). I looked at his line of sight and gasped.

Where there was only one picture before, there were now two. The first picture was marked with a large bloody "X" mark, and the new picture was labeled with the same "MISSING" caption. This time it was a man with disheveled dark hair.

Kiku let out a startled breath, and it scared me. I dunno why.


"Kiku-sama and Al are so late," Matthew said worriedly as he watched Antonio sit dejectedly in a corner of the kitchen. "Where could have they gone? I can't warm up their dinner like this…"

Antonio just groaned.

"Um, is something the matter—?" Matthew asked timidly, but Antonio overrode his softly-spoken sentence.

"Why do they have to go out tonight of all nights?" Antonio moaned, and settled his face back down on his arms.

"Uh, what seems to be the matter—?"

"It's a lunar eclipse tonight, Dios mio!" Antonio suddenly roared out loud, making Matthew drop the cup that he was filling and spill tea all over the clean floor tiles.

"…Maple…"


I was slowly running out of breath as I ran in a straight line. Kiku had ordered me to proceed further, and I saw what he wanted to see.

"Kiku, that was—!"

The bulletin board again. That was what I saw.

"That's the community board again," I said slowly, as a creepily thoughtful expression began crawling its way on Kiku's face. "That can't be… we just passed by here a minute ago!"

"Get us nearer, Alfred."

We went to it and began examining the posts on the board. I noticed two things: that another picture had been added, and also that the second picture, that of the dark-haired man, was marked with an "X" too.

Just then, voices that seemed to come from the house behind us startled us both out of our own reveries.

"It's the second victim," said a voice.

"I heard that they discovered the corpse in their backyard," said another voice.

"How… sad," said the first voice.

I spun around to where the voices came from. "Did you hear that, Kiku? There were people in here after all! I thought this town was abandoned!" I began rambling to cover up the nasty feeling in my stomach, but Kiku cut me off.

"I heard it, Alfred," he said calmly, and smiled beautifully at me, making my stomach do two flip-flops in an entirely warming way. "But only their voices."

My stomach did another flip-flop, this time in an unpleasant context. "W-what d'you mean?"

"Let's have a look inside the house," was his answer, and I had no choice but to go with him.


Just as he had hinted at, the house was surprisingly empty.

"Huh?" I looked around at the last room that we've checked. It looked like the family's living room. There was a bowl of chips on the floor by the sofa.

"This is the last one," Kiku muttered, as if to himself. Limping to the sofa, he sat, removed his left tabi and examined his sprained ankle carefully. It looked pretty bad.

"I don't geddit, Kiku. I thought I heard voices from this house." I gestured to the bowl of chips. "And there are clear signs that someone was still living here until recently!"

Just then, the television behind me clicked to life, and it was tuned to a news program.

Fsssh

"The disappearances in A— town still continue, and the police are still investigating—"

And I heard them again. Voices. This time, they were from the outside, behind the curtained windows.

"I've heard that the third victim was found in the marshes."

"All the townspeople are being killed off…"

"I'm not going to forgive the killer. I swear."

As soon as the voices ceased, I ran to the window and opened the curtains, but there was no one there.

Kiku limped over to me and put a hand on my shoulder in a restraining manner. "There's no use, Alfred. This is an empty town." He gestured around the room. "This town doesn't even exist!"

"That's silly," I said, but he wordlessly handed me a fairly new newspaper that he had found under the coffee table beside the sofa.

"Read the date on top."

I read the date as instructed, and what I found was something that even my supernaturally-accustomed brain couldn't fully process.

July 10, 1965. Oh, we're royally fucked. Not to offend Kiku or something…

"What's going on, Kiku?" I said in a slightly shaking voice. I absolutely knew that I had to be braver than usual. I knew that if anything was to happen (God no), Kiku would be more helpless than me. But… I was still mortal, my heart can't take the unusual turn of events, and I am finally fucking-breaking-down-in-front-of-him! "I don't understand, dammit—"

"…Alfred."

"Kiku, dammit all, what are we going to—?"

"Alfred! Listen to me."

He soothingly cupped my face between his small and slender white hands, his beautiful dark eyes locking with mine. "From now on, I will never allow you to disappear from my sight. Are we clear?"

Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

I had blushed when he grabbed me, and now my heart was thumping like oh-so-crazy. Oh, fuck 'em all. If I was going to die now, I'd very much like to die together with Kiku.

"…O-okay…"


"The community board was updated, Kiku…"

"So it would seem." I was standing in front of the bulletin board again with Kiku on my back, examining the pictures on it. Now, there were five, four of which were marked with the ominous bloody "X".

And then, no surprise, I heard voices. Behind us. Whispering.

"Four people have already been killed…"

"Soon, it'll be five…"

"Are your children okay…?"

I quickly turned around, but like before, I found nothing but empty air.

"It's useless, Alfred," Kiku said patiently. "They're just voices."

He began reading the newspaper that we had filched from the doorstep of another nearby house.

"July 29," he said, frowning thoughtfully. "I think I'm starting to get all of this…"

"The time is moving forward, I guess?" I suggested.

"You're half right," Kiku said with an approving nod. "But more accurately—"

He stopped speaking halfway, and I saw a flash of light and a movement in the corner of my eye.

A human! I guess…?

"Did you see it, Kiku?" I said excitedly, pointing to the direction of the movement. I didn't notice his expression at the time. "It was a person! For the first time!"

"Follow him." His voice was low, ominous.

"Huh?" It was a testament to my inability to read the atmosphere on how dense I was at that time to not have noticed his tone of voice.

"What are you doing? Follow him!" was his irritated command, and I disregarded everything and just… ran.

From now on, I will never allow you to disappear from my sight.

And I remembered that I was the only one who can protect him right now.

No Antonio. No Herakles. Just me. Only insignificant, useless Alfred Jones.

And his Blood called out again, making my normal consciousness black out to let another in.

"That is not dead which can eternal lie,

"And with strange eons even death may die."

How true those verses are.


I rounded a corner, with him still securely on my back. Once there, we saw a horrible sight.

A mass of blood, and a dropped sickle. Which had bloodstains all over it.

"So the murders are still going on, I see," Kiku said with a smile. I can't read his expression.

"Kiku, this is—"

"In all probability, we are now reliving a memory," he said seriously, cutting me off. "The memory of this town itself!"


I walked around some more, but carrying Kiku piggyback is a really hard job. It's not because he was moving all over (in fact, he was like some sort of limp Japanese doll and he doesn't really waste his movements, as I've said in the very beginning), and it's not because he was heavy (I should think that his heavy clothes take up almost half of his weight!), but it's because of the fact that I feel awkward being alone with him. Without someone as buffer between us, I feel as if Kiku can read my innermost thoughts. Maybe he can.

Now don't get me wrong, as I'm really quite fond of him, but there's something in the air that—

"—Alfred. I said that there's a newspaper around your leg."

"Huh?" I looked down, and yeah, there it was, flapping on my ankles. I picked it up and glanced at the date.

"August 13. Another week has passed," he said with some interest. "Hand it over, will you?"

I handed him the newspaper, if only to stop him from whispering in my ear. His voice was so beautiful to my mortal ears that it was almost a sin to be the only one hearing it now.

Just then, I noticed something.

"Look, the houses look more rundown than when we first went in the village," I said uneasily. The windows of some of the houses were broken in places, and a desolate feel hung about the place. If there wasn't a warm blanket draped on my back right now (read: Kiku), I would have felt cold chills. Just then, I wondered about something. "Hey, Kiku?"

"What is it?" he replied while skimming on the headlines written on the paper.

"I wonder what's going to happen in this town in the end?" I finally said. "I mean, this is… a memory, right? And memories are in the past, so maybe in our world, we can find information about this incident?"

Kiku didn't answer, but instead pointed up ahead. "Look."

I looked at the direction that he pointed out and saw something that looked like a burnt building with only its foundations left. I was shocked, since we hadn't seen something like this when we first came.

"What in the name of God—?" I muttered in shock.

Kiku read a passage from the newspaper. "It was arson," he said calmly, and quoted from an article: "'The mansion belonging to the owner of the land was burned down yesterday night by the townspeople of A— village. They accused the eldest son, who was twenty-four years of age, of being the perpetrator of the recent murders in the town.'" He looked up. "This is caused by a lynch mob."

"Lynch mob…" I sighed heavily. "But at least the murders stopped, right? So—"

"Not quite," Kiku said, his eyes narrowing. "It says that the burnt corpse of the eldest son was found, but that night, another young girl was murdered."

"That's shit," I forced out.

"So evil invited evil," Kiku said with a sarcastic smile, putting his chin on my shoulder lightly. Was he perhaps reassuring me? "And thus it increased in this hapless town."


The next time that we passed the community board, I was shocked. There were a lot of pictures on it already with big red crosses, but what astounded me was not the number.

What scared me was the only uncrossed picture, stuck right in the middle with the big "MISSING" caption in red letters.

It was… Kiku.

"Kiku… you're on the board too…" I said slowly, the shock making my brain go twice as slow. "How and why—?"

"Remember the flash of light from earlier?" Kiku said seriously. "That must've been it. And their purpose for taking that picture was now unveiled." He pointed at the paper that lay on the side like a piece of discarded trash. "Let me see that one." He read for a bit and muttered, "It seems that the dam next to this town is going to be opened and then let the water flood this place after the next three years." He cocked his head at me.

I said nothing, but his large dark eyes seemed to have expected that kind of response.

"We should prepare to fight." He said this with a beautiful smile, and I knew that he was serious. "I know that someone is going to try to kill me very soon."

How could he say that with a smile? Was he crazy or something? Or maybe it was just the effect of having faced and thwarted Death for so many times before already…?

One thing was for sure. If he has that kind of attitude toward the unknown enemy tonight, then I should be too.
I have to protect Kiku!

My eyes were beginning to blank out again, and the insatiable lust for bloodshed was slowly overwhelming me. In my ear, Kiku chuckled softly at my transformation. His Blood was like a virus. In a good sense, though.

Go, come out of your shell, hero.


We went into an abandoned farmhouse, where I dropped Kiku off to let him explore the barn and choose the weapon of his choice. I found a pitchfork stuck in a heap of hay, and swung it around a few times to get the feel of it. Thanks to my transformation, the pitchfork weighed next to nothing. I could easily throw it if needed.

Kiku seemed to have taken a liking to the large scythe that lay beside a wheelbarrow. He rather looked like a black Angel of Death (albeit his very Japanese look) when he swung the scythe across the air.

"Ready to kill," he announced in a honey-sweet voice. I almost smiled at the bloodlust in his tone.

However, a sudden loud announcement from somewhere startled us.

"My fellow townspeople!" the voice declared, sounding as if it was spoken through a megaphone. Maybe it was. "We are going to discharge the water from the dam!"

"What!" I muttered in confusion, sharing a perplexed look with Kiku.

"…There was an unfortunate case in our town," the speaker continued loudly. "But this town is still our home!"

"I thought the submersion was to be accomplished after three years?" I asked Kiku, and he nodded gravely.

"It was a bit too early," were the only words that he told me, and I frowned at the distant tower from where I assumed the speaker was from.
"Water!" he suddenly alerted me, and indeed, I could see water already splashing at my feet. I cast a look at Kiku and quickly lifted him up on my back again, scythe and all, and I ran, resolved to save him.

"This town housed our fathers and forefathers," the speaker blared. "This is the last time that we'll get to see this town! Let's all take a good look so that we can remember it!"

"Run faster toward that school up ahead," Kiku instructed me in a slightly strained voice as the water quickly rose, finally lapping at my knees. "Or else we'll get drowned!"

Once we reached the front yard of the school, he instructed me to let him stand on the ground. I did so, but I worried a little—he was so slight. It seemed to me that a particularly strong current could carry him off. All the while, the water rose up to my waist. Kiku, who was just slightly shorter than me, had the water level at just below his obi.

"Another ruined kimono," he told me lightly. "I'll remember not to wear silk at walks like this."

I smiled at his attempt at lighthearted humor.

"It's empty here," I remarked, gesturing around the school grounds. "Is it safe?"

"Hmph." His smile widened. "This… is just perfect."

"I'll cover your back," I suggested, but he pressed a silencing finger on my lips.

"I told you," he said, all traces of humor gone, "to not disappear from my sight."

I was surprised at his words, but I nodded lightly. We took our positions, and I turned my back on Kiku so that he can cover me instead.
But a few minutes into the bargain, I felt as if my body had changed…

The Blood is calling me! Urgently! Urgently!

Kiku-dono… is in danger!

…I looked back and saw my reflection on the blade of Kiku's scythe. My normally bright blue eyes had turned into vivid red, and my round pupils had turned into slits.

I had assumed my complete transformation as a Blood warrior. Perfect. Powerful.

"Alfred— What's the mat—"

"Behind you—! Kiku—!"

The large form of the killer rose from the water behind Kiku. He was a large man with a paper bag with eyeholes on his head, and he held a sickle in his right hand, raised as if to quickly sever Kiku's head from his shoulders—

But I had quickly dashed forward and intercepted the blow with my pitchfork, and with an almighty roar, I threw him off. Golly, was he strong. Even with my enhanced strength, he just went back a few steps!

Kiku's normally cool and composed face looked particularly murderous when he turned and saw the killer as he staggered back, and without a moment to lose, he swung his scythe around and caught the killer's neck, raining blood everywhere as he severed the man's head off. It was a total gore festival.

The body toppled backward as the head, still with the paper bag covering it, splashed in the still-rising water, turning it a deep crimson.

The water rose faster than ever. It was already at our necks. Kiku and I had to float along on our backs when it rose some more feet. A current was pushing us forward.

"Kiku…" I muttered wearily, as the effects of the transformation wore off. "Will we ever get back to our world?"

"I don't know," was his calm reply, and I sighed. "I just did what I can. What will be, will be."

"Kiku," I mumbled sleepily. "I'll protect you…"

I could almost hear the smile in his voice. "You just did, Alfred Jones."

And at that precise moment, I blacked out and felt no more.


Herakles told us later on that he had found us lying on the area around the dam with soaking wet clothes, and that he had just taken us home all by himself since he can't find any nearby towns.

…And that is how that creepy incident in A— town ended.

It sure was a bit too lame for a horror story, but a few days later, I went to the school library to check up on details pertaining to the events in A— town. But the search yielded nothing. Zilch. Nada. Nothing.

But that death toll— There must've been a big deal about it, right?

Other than that experience, I couldn't confirm the existence of A— town. I wonder why.

But still, I think…

…That A— town must still exist somewhere.

Signing off, Al Jones.


A/N: *gigglegigglesnort*

I can't breathe… 'scuse me…

How did you like the piggyback, Alfie? Hmm… I can say that I've liked it, dude. You must have too!


Next Chapter Summary: Kiku of the Golden Chrysanthemum remembers flashes of memories from days of past glory. Omake chapter.


Character List:

You guys were speculating which country was which, so here is the incomplete character list!

So far, we have these characters.

Kiku/Japan - eighteen years old, second son and third child of the Royalty. Once a month, he can use his Blood power, the ability to manipulate solid objects and transform them into new ones

Alfred/America - seventeen years old, Kiku's Blood warrior. Possesses infinite strength when in his full transformation

Matthew/Canada - Alfred's quite-oblivious twin brother

Herakles/Greece - Kiku's personal android who loves cats a bit too much

Antonio/Spain - twenty-five years old, lover of Lovino Vargas

Lovino/South Italy - twenty-five years old, Kiku's Werewolf vassal who betrayed his master

Arthur/England - seventeen years old in human appearance, a pureblooded Vampire that attends school in the morning without problem
—Elizaveta/Hungary - Alfred's nosy and noisy classmate

Xiao Chun/Hong Kong - sixteen years old, Kiku's younger brother, third son and fourth child of the Royalty. Uses pyrotechnics as weapons
—Sadık/Turkey - Xiao's personal android who wears a mask over the upper part of his face

Yao/China - twenty years old, Kiku's elder brother, first son and child of the Royalty. Possesses the Golden Eyes, or the permanent ability to wound from afar

Ivan/Russia - Yao's mysterious Blood warrior

Feliciano/North Italy - twenty-three years old, Lovino's younger brother. Yao's Werewolf vassal

Ludwig/Germany - android working for Francis until he learns about the truth pertaining to his true self

Simon/Denmark, Lukas/Norway, Berwald/Sweden - three immortal Werewolves sent by one of Kiku's siblings to kill the prince

Francis/France - Vampire that runs the general hospital

Yong Soo/South Korea - fifteen years old, Kiku's youngest brother, fourth son and fifth child of the Royalty. Mischievous and the most ambitious among Kiku's siblings

Eun Soo/North Korea - Yong Soo's sickly younger twin sister. Indefinite status

Mei/Taiwan - fourteen years old, Kiku's youngest sister, second known daughter and sixth known child of the Royalty. Little is known about her, except the fact that she joined Yong Soo for an alliance

Gilbert/Prussia - the royalty of the Vampires. Kim's Blood warrior who turned upon his own master

Kim/Vietnam - nineteen years old, Kiku's elder sister, first daughter and second child of the Royalty. Believed to have died because of the invisible kitsune

Lili/Liechtenstein - the Mermaid now under Yao's care

Watch out for the last three characters, dudes~ *smirk*

And a hint to my question last chapter: Have you watched Princess Resurrection yet?