I'm back again! I'm so happy you all loved the last chapter so well! ^_^ One of the reviews ("Lady Storykeeper") got me thinking. Whether you guys know it or not, (sometimes) I think about making this an Tsubaki x Ai x Kuro thing…but I always opted out on it. The further it goes, though, the more I feel it's going that direction…or is it just me? Should I which the label from "Kuro x Ai" to "Tsubaki x Ai x Kuro", or leave it as is? I know it's my story and I can do what I want with it, but I want your opinions.
So…vote in the review section, please! You can PM me as well. Should this become "Tsubaki x Ai x Kuro" or no? Send me your thoughts! Yay or nay?
And I'll try to get Lawless and Licht in the chapter! I'll try, I promise!
Also, before we begin…I have to go on a fangirl rampage here. Oh my goodness! The last episode of Servamp! So many feels! Almost all of which were centered on Tsubaki, but…admittedly, I was a bit let-down. It felt…anti-climactic. When it ended, I was like, "…what? A hug solved everything? Really? Wow...apparently, hugs really can save the world!" Anyone else feel the same way? Also…did anyone else think "Teacher" looked exactly like Kuro? Maybe not 100%, but still! At first, I was a little confused since, in my mind, it looked a lot like him! I was like, "Why is he talking to people? Why is he just looking at Tsubaki? I'm so confused…" But, then, I was like, "…Oh…okay, that makes MUCH more sense…"
Still, the creator does physically look like Kuro. Minus the modern clothing.
I still feel my heart just begging for more of the anime! So, I'll fill that longing with some Servamp fanfic writing action! Hehe…
Thank you for your review: "harajukudarkangel", "xenocanaan", "Keelan1210", "Lady Storykeeper", "BlueMoon Goddess"
Thank you for your favorite: "grandmasfood", "dizzydaz97"
Thank you for your follow: "grandmasfood", "dizzydaz97"
Enjoy!
[A/N: Okay, in the manga there is a little piece where Mahiru, Kuro, Tetsu, Hugh, Misono, and Lilly are at a 24-hour karaoke place, but, to save on chapter length, I'm omitting it. Sorry if this irritates anyone!]
At this moment, everyone was gathered at the Servamp HQ that had been set up in Tetsu's home, Misono and Lilly joining this time. Everyone was there; Ai, Mahiru, Kuro, Tetsu, Hugh, Misono, and Lilly. So, to give them some "Servamp and Eve" time, Ai decided to get a bath. When she was finished, they were still talking about "Servamp stuff", her joining everyone as they talked among themselves. Currently, they were speaking about Tsubaki, but she didn't blame them. He was a problem. A BIG problem.
Misono proposed that they follow or capture one of Tsubaki's servants so they could find out where Tsubaki's hideout was located. Not to mention what his plans were.
Ai looked at the ground.
She knew part of those plans, as did Mahiru and Kuro. They'd heard Tsubaki say it himself.
"He's after Ai…" Mahiru said, Misono looking at him.
"I know, Shirota…" Misono said, a little irritated. "But we can't focus on just her."
"You don't get it, Misono. It's gotten worse. He wants me to join him…" Ai said, everyone looking at her. "Not just some regular subclass, either. He said I would be the 'mother of the family'."
She, then, placed her hand on her neck, remembering the bite from that night in the hospital. "He also attacked me. Misono, Lilly, Tetsu, and Hugh…you guys don't know this. We've never been able to say anything, until now."
"Mahiru told Tetsu and myself." Hugh stated, Mahiru giving him a panicked look.
Ai looked at Mahiru with shocked eyes. "He did? Oh…I wasn't aware of that."
"Well, I've never been told a thing! When the hell did this happen?!" Misono shouted.
"When we tried to rescue you from your home the first time. When my arm got broken." Ai replied. In truth, she expected him to be upset in some way. "I got taken to the hospital and was being kept overnight due to some internal bleeding they discovered. Somehow, Tsubaki found me. It was after Mahiru and Kuro had to leave. Visiting hours were over for that night. It was late. Really late."
Ai explained everything to Misono and Lilly, both giving expressions of awe and disbelief. What happened when she was in C3 as a child, Tsubaki's attack in the hospital, his blood healing her…everything. After it was all said, Misono spoke first, "So, you already had Tsubaki's blood in you from the time you were a little kid? And, recently, Tsubaki bit you? He fed you his blood? Were there any side effects, other than healing you of your injuries?"
Ai shook her head. "No…not that I know of. Mahiru?"
Mahiru shook his head, him telling a lie, "No. Nothing we've seen. But we're keeping an eye out."
Ai nodded. "I thought so. Well, I hate to end this party but I'm off to bed. Wake me if anything interesting happens."
Mahiru looked to her. "You sure? You're not feeling ill, are you?"
"No. Just tired. Kuro sleeps all the time and you never worry about him." Ai said with a brow raised.
Mahiru just sighed. "He's a vampire. Also, he's the Servamp of Sloth."
"I know…" Ai said, leaving to another room.
Due to her being the only girl, Tetsu's parents had made him give her a separate room. Didn't want their inn getting a bad reputation, after all. Ai didn't mind. They could do the vampire chat and she could sleep peacefully. A win-win situation.
When Mahiru noticed Ai was completely out of hearing range, he spoke, interrupting the chatter, "I need to tell you something, Misono. I've already told Hugh and Tetsu everything. Up until now, I've never had a chance to speak to you or Lilly. You see…it's about Ai."
Misono narrowed his gaze. "So, there is something up with her, then?"
Mahiru sighed and proceeded to tell Misono everything. He hated having to repeat all of this information, but he had no choice. Misono and Lilly needed to be filled in.
"Wait…" Misono said. "Ai never mentioned going on any sort of rampage when Lilly lost control. Was it the result of Tsubaki giving her blood, which I am highly uncomfortable with. All of this tells me that he has plans for her…more than 'family-related' ones."
"Actually…Ai doesn't remember the rampage. It's similar to how Lilly doesn't remember, I think." Mahiru explained. "I want to tell her, but…I don't know how. She's scared as it is. I know she is."
"She's bound to be. She's a human girl being targeted by an insane vampire who is extremely powerful." Misono concluded. "Maeda Airi needs to know everything, Shirota. She could prove to be our best tool yet."
Kuro looked at Misono with that last line of his.
He placed his head on his arms, laying his head on the table, but he listened to everything. How could he say Ai could be a tool?
"Hold on!" Mahiru said loudly. "Ai isn't a tool, Misono!"
"I'm aware of that, Shirota, but you cannot deny that she is, somehow, linked to Tsubaki." Misono said with narrowed eyes. "Should he ever try to strengthen that link between them, and I would be highly surprised if he never did, who knows what dangers could unfold. We need to be smart about this, and, sometimes, that means not allowing emotions to overrule you."
At that moment, Kuro got to his feet, walking away.
"Sorry," He said in his usual lazy tone. "Thirsty."
His voice sounded a little cold. Everyone could feel the icy hints held in it.
"Kuro…?" Mahiru said with a sad expression, him noticing the mildly confused looks from a few in the room. "I…I think Kuro likes Ai. He's very protective of her. I know that."
"That's not a good thing, either." Hugh voiced. "Tsubaki could use the two against each other."
"I know, but…I can't exactly tell him to stopping feeling for her. You can't just shut those things down, Hugh." Mahiru said with a heavy sigh. "But, that issue aside…what else do we know? I don't want everything to be focused on Ai."
"Well, I possess some helpful intel." Hugh said, Kuro returning with a glass of juice. "One of my subclass told me about a very shady character. While Ai sleeps, why don't you and Sleepy Ash go see him. It won't take long."
Mahiru looked to Kuro, who just shrugged. "Fine…such a pain…"
And, in the end, Hugh's subclass didn't have much to go on. Just that the guy supposedly came to the 24-hour karaoke place. But, even then, would the guy show up? Also, the subclass said some…interesting things. Like the fact the shady person could fly and beats up vampires. Also, he was, apparently, super weird.
It was something, at least…
During that time, Ai had been sleeping…well, if you can call it that. She'd been having dreams, though they seemed more like nightmares. They were flashes of something. Scenes, it looked like. And, she couldn't deny that they were familiar. All she could make out from them was that someone had been killed. And she'd heard crying, but it sounded distorted. Like a memory someone tried to forget. There was rubble, as if an explosion or something similar had occurred. And the splattered blood. It was everywhere. She felt sadness, but she didn't know why.
No, it wasn't just sadness.
It was inner torment. Pure anguish. And that became anger. Hate.
She felt herself wake up, her eyes wide. She quickly sat up, examining the room. There was someone there, but it was someone Ai didn't fear.
"Kuro?" She asked, sighing when she realized it was the Servamp. "Is that you?"
Kuro just looked down at her, walking closer. Was he the first person she thought of upon seeing a figure in the doorway, or had she merely recognized his shape? He'd actually just been stopping by to check in on her, until she suddenly woke up and looked around. Apparently, she'd had a nightmare. After all that happened, he wouldn't be surprised if she had one or more.
But, the way she spoke...it signaled she was very alarmed and still a little uneasy.
"It's just me…" Kuro said, hands stuffed in his pockets. "Bad dream? You looked uneasy."
Ai sighed. "I don't know what to call it, really. It's like I'm looking at something…like stills or fractions of scenes of whatever it is. There's a crumbled building…a man who looked to be murdered…blood splattered everywhere…and I hear as if someone is crying, too. I've never seen such a thing, so I don't know what to make of it. It's not the first time I've seen these visions, either. I had the same dream when I was in the hospital. The night Tsubaki attacked me."
Kuro didn't like the sound of that dream.
It sounded too familiar…
"Well…don't worry about it. It's probably nothing." Kuro said, offering a hand. "Mahiru's talking with 'bastard'-chan. We should go meet them."
Ai had to stifle a laugh. "You really need to call him by his name, Kuro. He's Lilly's Eve, after all."
She took his hand, him pulling her to her feet. "Just wait for me to get changed. I can't go around in a robe, after all."
Ai could have sworn she spotted a faint blush on Kuro's cheeks, but he exited the room too fast for her to get a really good look. She laughed at the possibility of it, changing into some normal clothes, not her school uniform. Unlike Mahiru, who always seemed to wear the thing, Ai like some variety. So, she opted out for a black, long sleeved sweater, a grey/black plaid skirt, and some black stockings. Oh, and her school shoes. She left her hair down, not bothering to really do anything with it at this point.
She slid the door open, Kuro waiting there for her. "Well, let's get moving, then."
For a moment, he looked at Ai. He preferred her in normal clothes over school ones. She looked more comfortable.
Also, he had to admit it…she looked cute. He couldn't imagine if she'd ever decide to move out of Mahiru's place one day.
He just paused inside for a moment—why had he thought of such a random thing? And why did that random thought almost pierce him so deep? He knew he liked Ai, but...wasn't this going a little too far?
"Y-Yeah…" Kuro stated, Ai walking beside him as they went to meet up with Mahiru.
Mahiru had yet to tell her everything that happened when Lilly had been targeted by Tsubaki. She really needed to know such stuff, but Kuro wasn't about to get involved there. No way. He'd let Mahiru deal with that troublesome task.
"You're always quiet, you know." Ai suddenly said, catching Kuro a little off-guard. "What'cha thinking about? Enlighten me with some Kuro knowledge."
He just gave her a weird look before he shrugged.
"…Nothing really." Kuro dodged.
"Come on," Ai pressed. "Everyone has stuff on their minds. You're aloof but not that much. I'm not asking for anything personal or big…just something to help me understand you better."
"Why would you want to do that?" Kuro asked, looking at her with a confused expression. "I'm just a vampire. You probably already know everything there is…"
Ai just gave a heavy sigh. "Kuro, Kuro, Kuro…you're not 'just a vampire'. You're my friend, as well as the adorable little cat I just can't resist to hold. Cuteness aside, I care about you, and I worry about you. I know you hold a lot of baggage, simply because you've lived for so long. Despite what you might or might not think, I don't care that you're a Servamp. Vampire or not, you feel pain the same as I do, and, in my opinion, that's what really matters. Even when you momentarily lost control, it never made me see you different than I do right now. It's why I want to get to know you more. It's what friends do."
Kuro gave a shocked expression Ai's way. "…Ai…"
She just smiled. "So, always knows that I'm here for you, should you ever need it. Okay?"
Kuro, eventually, nodded. "Y-Yeah…"
Kuro, then, fell silent, both still walking. But after a moment or two, he began to speak, "Ai…uh…m-me too. All of it. What you said…"
Ai had to smile. He was so not used to these things. Even friendly conversation made him uncomfortable it seemed. But he never complained, so Ai thought it was okay. He didn't seem bothered, after all.
"Sorry about before…" Ai said. "The hugs…I know it makes you uncomfortable, and yet I still do it when the urge comes. I'll try to control myself. Promise."
"N-No…it was fine." Kuro said, shoving his hands further into his pockets. Not that there was room for it, though. He spoke, again, "Your hugs…they don't bother me at all, Ai."
"But you go all stiff and stuff." Ai pointed out.
"…" Kuro went blank in his words, finally speaking, "Just not used to it."
"This is why being a recluse is bad, Kuro." Ai teased. "You forget how to be sociable."
"Being social is such a pain…people are a pain…" Kuro complained, going back to his usual self.
Ai wanted to tease some more. "But…I'm part of a 'people', if you think about it."
Kuro took no time to answer. "You hang around vampires more than normal people. You versus them…two different things. Way different."
"Means I'm part of the group." Ai said with a grin.
"You always were." Kuro added. "I couldn't face Mahiru all by myself. He's too violent…"
"Ha ha," Ai had to laugh. "True. You and him are nearly polar opposites. But, hey, opposites attract. That's the saying, anyways. And, thus far, it seems right. Misono is very different from Lilly, and Tetsu is quite different from Hugh. Seems to be the trend, actually."
"Lilly and I can't fight right now." Misono's voice came to Ai and Kuro's attention, signaling they had arrived. "I can't use my weapon effectively. And while Lilly can do simple illusions…he's really weak overall. Even drinking blood is no use. Had Maeda Airi not stepped in…I don't know what would have happened to him. Or me. While I worry her losing control again, she saved us."
Ai felt her heart pound.
Her core froze over, a strong sense of fear arising deep within.
"What do you mean, Misono…?" She asked, alerting both Misono and Mahiru of her presence.
Kuro felt himself inwardly groan. And they were having such a good conversation, too. That was a feat for him, after all. Being social…not his forte.
"Ai? You're up? I didn't know. Umm…would you like something to eat?" Mahiru asked, trying to change the subject.
Ai just grew upset. "Don't change the subject on me, Shirota Mahiru!"
She, then, began to get shaky. "Are you…h-hiding something from me? Please, be honest! What did Misono mean when he said I lost control? I don't remember anything like that!"
Mahiru released a heavy sigh, his eyes becoming quite sympathetic. "Back when Lilly had devoured Misono. Lilly attacked you, which you remember happening, but during that attack…you lost control of yourself. You didn't like yourself, either. You kicked Lilly away as if he were just a human. You didn't hurt him, but it was still shocking. We don't know what it happened, but…we're thinking you have some sort of link with Tsubaki. Maybe emotional. Even physical. Your actions were similar to his own, so it makes sense. Then, you passed out. When you woke up three days later, you didn't remember a thing, like when Lilly or Kuro had forgotten what happened during their rampages. I wanted to tell you, but…I just didn't know how to bring it up."
"I…was like Tsubaki?" Ai asked, terrified.
"Ai…" Kuro began, everyone looking to him. "You saved people. You're not like him."
"But…I'm human, right?" Ai asked, looking at Kuro and the rest. "How can a human lose control like that and not know it?"
Mahiru sighed, unable to find a good answer. "That's…something we're not sure of. Not yet."
Soon, it was past ten and Misono had passed out. Apparently, he could stay up a full hour longer than before! Misono was growing up! How adorable. Too bad Ai couldn't really focus on that lovely aspect. Or the fact that Tetsu was carrying the sleeping Misono on his back, Lilly in butterfly form perched on Misono's head while Hugh in his bat form slumped on Tetsu's head. It was no surprise that Kitty Kuro was on Mahiru's head. That was an everyday norm.
Suddenly, the phone rang. Mahiru answered, "Hey. We're leaving now, so—"
"He's here! That guy is here right now!" Shouted the voice on the other end. It was Hugh's subclass from earlier. "The room he likes isn't free…so he's leaving! Hurry and you can tail him! Look for a black hoodie on a guy with wings."
Ai blinked. "Did he just say—?"
"Yeah, he did." Mahiru said, hanging up on his end. "Come on! Tetsu! That guys showed! Kuro and I will follow him!"
Ai ran alongside him. "You're not leaving me behind!"
"Ai?!" Mahiru exclaimed in concern. "But, what if—"
Ai spoke first, "Whatever is wrong with me won't be solved by me sitting around, playing it safe! I'm going, and that's that!"
Mahiru and Ai walked together, looking right and left for this figure. Black hoodie and angel wings, right? That should be easy to spot, actually. And Ai was right. In almost no time, they spotted a guy with a black hoodie and…a cute backpack…with angel wings.
"He could be an angel!" Kitty Kuro said from Mahiru's shoulder. "He looks dangerous! Let's stay away..."
"Says the vampire!" Mahiru criticized.
"I can't help but think Kuro might be on to something. Something doesn't feel right." Ai sided with Kuro. "Kind of the same feeling when you jump into a pool, thinking its shallow, but, in reality, it's 10-feet deep and you don't know it! AKA, biting off more than you can chew!"
Mahiru spotted something peculiar. It was a little creature in a cage, the "angel" holding it as he walked.
"What's that thing?" Mahiru asked.
Ai looked a little closer. "That would be a little hedgehog trapped in a cage. Poor thing."
"No…not poor thing…" Kuro corrected. "That's…him…"
"Someone you know?" Ai asked the kitty vampire.
"Could it be…another Servamp?!" Mahiru asked in a gasp. "Should we help it? Is it captive?! C'mon! We need to help!"
Kuro looked anything but willing to help.
Ai had a feeling there was a reason for that. Sometimes, she had a feeling Mahiru was a bit unable to read situations.
As they searched for the "angel", who had seemed to vanish in freaking thin air, Mahiru continued to converse with Kuro and Ai. "Hugh was right, you know. Allies are key. Say, Kuro, do you have any servants?"
Ai was interested in that question, too.
Had he been like Lilly, saving people from death at just the right time?
"No, they're a pain…" Kuro said, transforming into his human form.
Ai was a little taken back by that response. But, then again, should she have expected different? After all, Kuro took the easy way out in literally everything. Maybe letting a person die, which is a completely natural thing, was no big deal to him.
"Not even one?" Mahiru asked.
"I'm not a 'good' vampire, like Lilly…" Kuro replied, not exactly happy or pleased with the current topic.
"What's that mean?" Mahiru inquired.
Kuro looked to Ai before answering, her giving him a few blinks of confusion. Kuro responded to Mahiru, "You don't know? I thought you did. When a dying human drinks Servamp blood…they become a servant. But how do you know they want to live? I sure can't tell. Way too complicated. I can't deal with that."
Mahiru and Ai were so blown away by Kuro's blunt words.
So, Ai took it, Kuro would never have any subclass, then. Maybe it's for the best, really. Ai still had a feeling there was a deeper reason behind all of this, though. Maybe there was…but, then again, maybe not. This could just be Kuro's own way.
Kuro sighed, reaching into Mahiru's pocket for some change. "I'm thirsty. Allowance, please."
"Hey! Kuro!" Mahiru shouted in a scolding way.
Ai placed her hand on Kuro's shoulder, him looking at her with mild curiosity. That only increased, however, when he saw movement. He looked down and saw some money being held out in her hand. Ai just smiled and shook her head. "It's not nice to steal, lazy cat. Come on, I'll buy you some juice."
Kuro looked at her, a shocked expression meeting her smiling one. "Okay…thanks…"
"No big." She said, both walking to the vending area.
Mahiru, however, wasn't so thrilled with this. "We're tailing someone…and you want juice?! We're gonna lose him…!"
Ai just sighed, her speaking loud enough for Kuro to hear and him alone, "Shouting like that and the guy will find us, instead."
Mahiru noticed how close Kuro and Ai seemed to be getting. She was making progess at getting closer to him, befriending him. Kuro was distant, though, and that made it hard. Ai, however, seemed to be fine with it. Mahiru had to wonder…is this a trait that, maybe, Tsubaki liked? If she wanted, Ai seemed to be able to get along with almost everyone. Mahiru had barely heard her say anything truly negative about anyone. Even the vampires.
Plus, she just brightened the area.
He could even see proof of that when they were talking to Misono and Tetsu. The other Servamps seemed to enjoy her presence.
Ai looked to Kuro, her speaking while they were still far enough from Mahiru. "You okay? I've noticed you've been in a sour mood since you spotted that caged hedgehog. Is he, then, one of your brothers? Bad blood or something?"
Kuro just sipped his juice, silent.
Ai got the idea. "Sorry…pushed too far."
She walked back towards Mahiru, Kuro glaring at the ground. Ai understood that this was something he just didn't want share, but…why did it feel this bad for her to walk away like that? She'd nothing negative. No hint of irritation even. So, why? He had a good reason for not saying anything!
He just sighed, walking back to Mahiru.
"Took long enough!" Mahiru said, looking to Ai next. "You're too soft with him!"
"Relax…" Kuro said, sipping his juice. "You're not exactly Sherlock, either. Lilly and Misono can't fight…and Tetsu is younger than us…it's all up to me!"
So, then, was that the problem?
Kuro was feeling all the pressure was on him?
"This is yours, Mahiru." Ai said, motioning for Mahiru to take the floor.
Mahiru stepped towards Kuro. "Correction. It's up to us. Together. I know I'm a pain sometimes..but I'm trying to make this work."
Oh, Kuro looked almost broken at that statement. Ai knew why. It's because, like Mahiru said, he'd been trying…Kuro, well, not so much. Kuro didn't care like Mahiru did. He'd be perfectly fine with turning a blind eye and walking away. No choices ever being made.
But that just wasn't a way to be…
This was where one could rub off on the other, positively.
"Seriously…I can't deal…with that side of you." Kuro said in a soft, lazy voice.
And, so they began truly tailing the guy with the winged backpack. In a way, Ai wanted one of those. Did he buy it somewhere, or was it custom made? What? It looked cool! They noticed the guy make a corner, Mahiru running after him, Ai tailing after Mahiru. What was he thinking?! What if this guy had a gun or something?! He beat up vampires!
Think before acting, Mahiru! Seriously!
And, just as Ai feared, the man was staring Mahiru right in the eye when Mahiru and Ai made the turn. The man looked from Mahiru to Ai and back to Mahiru. Then, he spoke, his face anything but pleased, "Who the hell are you? An angel? Or a demon?"
Ai just blinked in confusion, her speaking while Mahiru just stared. "…human. Last time I checked."
"He saw us!" Mahiru finally exclaimed, Ai giving him the hardest look of "Are you freaking kidding me?"
Kuro's head poked from around the corner, him speaking in sarcasm, "Yep. He sure did. Good job."
The man, however, just looked to be getting pissed off. "Of course I did! Idiots…"
Suddenly, a piano came from out of nowhere, and Ai instantly knew what was going on. This guy had to be an Eve. Or, then, was the hedgehog, truly, a Servamp? Who else could have power to summon piano, especially when it looked to made of substance as Mahiru's broom—minus the difference in color.
The guy sat and began playing.
Mahiru was unaffected, but Kuro was far from that.
Same for Ai, but she wasn't nearly as badly affected. Kuro and Mahiru looked to her, their eyes wide with pure shock. But…why was she and Kuro affected when Mahiru seemed immune?!
"Kuro?! Ai?!" Mahiru exclaimed.
"I feel…heavy…" Kuro struggled to speak.
"Feels like someone put a backpack of rocks on me…but I can talk with almost no problem." Ai said, her noticing the obvious confusion on the hoodie-guy's face.
The guy looked to Kuro. "So, he's the vampire."
He, then, kicked Kuro as if he were a ball, Ai Mahiru gasping in fear and shock. Kuro was being kicking around like he was a ping pong or something! What the hell was this guy's problem?! Wasn't he an Eve, after all?! Or…maybe Ai misjudged.
"KURO!" Mahiru shouted.
Was this guy…flying? Mahiru examined him more closely and found he wasn't flying. He was jumping and gliding. This guy was strong, not to mention fast! Kuro was in big trouble!
"What did that jerk do to me?! Mahiru?! Assistance!" Ai called out, her kneeling down on one knee.
Mahiru flicked his wrist, bringing out his broom, grabbing Ai's hand as he flew up to the roof of the building Kuro was being kicked into. Ai seemed to still be stuck, but Mahiru could pull her. Her body wasn't listening to her! She was basically paralyzed! But…why?!
Kuro laid on the roof, bleeding badly. His wounds were healing very slowly.
"Who is this guy?" Kuro asked in his thoughts. "I wonder…"
Mahiru stopped the guy from further attacking Kuro, Ai falling off the broom and landing near Kuro with hard impact.
"Ai?!" Mahiru asked, Kuro looking her way.
She looked up. "I'm fine. The crash didn't feel good though…I'll admit that."
Mahiru glared at the hoodie-guy, flying straight at him. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY PARTNER AND AI?!"
But…the guy just kicked the broom's attack away.
Ai couldn't believe it. Neither could Mahiru. The guy kicked Mahiru's broom attack far enough that he looked to Ai, his attention falling on her. Ai just gulped. She still couldn't move really well! No way she'd move fast enough to get away from this lunatic! Kuro immediately transformed into his cat form, biting Mahiru on the arm and drinking a little amount of his blood. Naturally, this didn't feel good to Mahiru, but he didn't object. Kuro was saving Ai. Suddenly, the "angel" guy got tied up in the tails of Kuro's jacket, the tails extending far past their usual length. Kuro picked Ai up, holding her bridal style, glaring at the "angel".
"Thanks…" Ai said with a sigh of relief. "No way I would have last through one of those kicks…"
Mahiru cheered from the sideline. "Okay! Nice one, Kuro! You okay, Ai?"
Ai, still in Kuro's arms, nodded. "I'm good. Still can't move…"
She, then, looked to the "angel". "Which I want an explanation for! What did you do to me?!"
"That particular power has no effect on humans." He replied, giving her a dirty look. "Only vampires collapse under its melody."
"Well, it must be broken…because I'm no vampire! I'm human!" Ai shouted.
"Not as human as you think, then." He said in a cold manner, Ai looking at him with fearful and shocked eyes. He, then, looked to Mahiru. "Working with a demon…he'll steal your soul, you know."
Mahiru shouted in irritation, and just plain being weirded out, "Kuro's not a demon!"
Mahiru, then, took the conversation a different route. "Are you Tsubaki's servant?! Release that hedgehog!"
The man just…agreed. "Huh? Sure, if you say so…"
"What?! You will?!" Mahiru exclaimed.
"I'm tired of this thing." The "angel" admitted as he proceeded to break free of Kuro's restraint on him. "See? I really am…an angel."
Ai developed an irk mark. "Yeah…an incredibly violent one!"
Suddenly, the hedgehog, who was somehow uncaged now, came between Mahiru and the angel guy. And, then, he transformed into a human. Oh, sometimes Ai really hated to be right. She was right about tsubaki way back then, and…now this?! Come on!
"Wait, the hedgehog…it got out?" Mahiru asked, completely befuddled.
"O fortune, fortune! All men call you fickle." The new figure said, Ai blinking as she thought.
"…Shakespeare…?" She asked aloud, more to herself than anyone.
"Correct!" He said, giving her a fun-filled grin. "For it is such fortune my big bro and I meet again. It's okay to deceive an Eve, right? I'm the Servamp of Greed! My name's Lawless! So you call me…Lawless! As for him…this lil' angel is my Eve! Those 'help me' flails were an act. He always cages me! I'm sued to being in charge though."
Ai, still being held by Kuro, actually, just gave Lawless the weirdest of looks. "…You're, by far, the strangest Servamp I've met. Meaning, you've surpassed Lilly's love of random stripping…good job!"
Obviously, that last part was a little sarcastic.
Lawless looked at Ai, again, noticing his big brother's hold on the girl. He'd still yet to put her down. He looked to be holding her quite protectively, too.
"Now, what have we here? You're not big bro's Eve…yet you're not his servant, either. So, then, I must wonder…what are you?" Lawless asked in a playful manner.
"…Getting creeped out." Ai deadpanned. "So, why were in that cage when obviously you could get out on your own? Seems like a waste."
"I thought it'd be funny to see my big bro and Eve fight! So, I played a little tri—Y'OUCH!" Lawless cried, his Eve kicking him to kingdom come.
Mahiru was beyond stunned. "WHAAAT?!"
Mahiru, then, got his voice softer and almost meek. "Umm…what was that?"
"I HATE THAT GUY." The Eve said in return, his face bearing intense irritation.
"…But he's your Servamp. You made a contract with him. Willingly." Ai said, her noticing she still couldn't move. "Please…undo this little spell of yours."
"I do not conjure things…" Lawless' Eve retorted.
"Considering you summoned that piano by use of magic, I'd say you do, but, for the sake of this little convo...I'll ask why." Ai said.
"It's because…" The Eve stated, striking a pose, sparkles appearing out of nowhere, as well as rays of sunshine. "I'm an angel."
Ai didn't even know how to respond to that. She, kind of wanted to laugh. And it certainly didn't help with Lawless bouncing from place to place, praising his Eve as if he were a child talking about a superhero. "Yep! The best! Lil' Angel! Super awesome! I cool Japanese guy! The last Lil' Angel to descend to Earth! Special on Earth and Heaven!"
Again, Ai just blinked. "…I-I don't even…"
'Shut up! Got lost!" The Eve kicked Lawless in the face, sending him flying back a good distance. "back off or I'll kill you! Again and again!"
Mahiru gave the pair a hopeless look. "So, we now have…our psycho character…"
"Who's a violent angel…" Kuro whined. "What a pain…"
Ai looked, seeing she was still immobile and still in Kuro's arms, her speaking in a high-pitched, aggravated tone, "Yeah…I'm still not able to move…"
"We'll get them to fix that…" Mahiru said with a sweatdrop, him looking to Lawless and his Eve. "But, I'm glad you're on our side."
"Nope. I refuse to join up." Lawless shot it down.
"H-Huh?" Mahiru stuttered. "Why?"
"I'm the cool and calm type." Lawless replied, earning a scoff from Ai.
"…'cool and calm'? Please! You're anything but that!" Ai said in amusement. "Your Eve is far from it, too!"
"To be or not to be…that is the question…" Lawless said with a grin.
Ai blinked. "Look, I know Shakespeare but, used in that context, what does that even mean?!"
Mahiru interrupted. "Do you mean to kill Tsubaki? Well, we could always have a vote…"
Lawless looked beyond crazy or even amused. It was somewhere in the middle. "Just like last time. Okay?"
Kuro immediately gave a harsh glare Lawless's way. Ai felt uncomfortable. She'd never seen such a look on Kuro's face before. She tried to sit up, having a lot of difficulty, Kuro helping her a bit. "Kuro? What is it? What's wrong?"
Lawless just started laughing. "You silly, naïve girl! You'll see, though! Big brother Sloth, still the same as ever!"
Ai looked to lawless, her eyes widening as she continued to feel Kuro's growing rage.
"And I mean that in the bad way." Lawless finished, a crazed look on his face.
Okay my goodness! It's done! I never thought I'd end this chapter! I just kept going and going! I couldn't stop! But, there it is! How do you like it? Huh huh? I know a lot fo you were looking forward to Lawless and Lichts entrance. Well, there it is!
Yay!
Personally, I like Lawless and Licht better as time goes on…and one little thing almost made me dislike—not hate—them. The one that made Tsubaki cry and me possess a soft spot for him for the very first time. You all know the one, I'm sure.
But…I'll start working on the next chapter soon. And, it might be published as soon as tomorrow! Who knows!
Well, until then…bye-bye!