The handcuffs were heavy and bit into the soft skin at the inside of Narumi's wrists. His feet were chained too; He could only take tiny steps and he chains made every step exhausting. Maybe he should feel flattered that he was escorted into the court room by six JIDA soldiers.

But he was too tired to care. Kureto had had him interrogated for hours without food, water or even sleep. Bodily harm had not been involved, though it didn't matter. Narumi thought, even if they had 'properly' tortured him, he couldn't feel any worse than he did now.

The soldiers dragged him into a chair.

"Makoto Narumi, former sergeant of the JIDA, former Leader of Squad Narumi, defected with Squad Shinoa at the Battle of Nagoya Airport. Is that correct?"

Narumi slowly lifted his head. Of course it was Kureto Hiiragi. He would be the one to make the final judgement. To his surprise Guren sat rather calmly to Kureto's right. The other seats were occupied by the other heads of the nine most important families.

"Yes," he rasped.

"Your crime is betraying the army and defecting during an important battle. Are you guilty of those crimes?"

"Yes." Narumi lacked the power to debate anything and besides it's true. He just wanted a glass of water and then sleep for a week or two.

"Under normal circumstances, you would be executed for your crimes."

Of course. The JIDA does not take betrayal lightly.

"However Lieutenant Colonel Guren Ichinose reported that you kept fighting on his side. Additionally, several soldiers reported you saving their lives during the attack on Okayama and your demon's shield ability was essential during the withdrawal from said battle. Because of these facts the court has decided to spare your life. You will receive the rank of Private and be put under Lieutenant Colonel Ichinose's command. Any objections?"

"None."

The chains were unlocked and clattered to the floor.

"You're dismissed, Private Narumi."

Narumi managed to stumble outside, hopefully not looking pathetic, before falling. Someone caught his upper arm. He looked up. "Minowa?"

The blond woman bit her lips. Then she hoisted him up and supported his weight. "Let's get you to the hospital."

The uncomfortable silence dragged on for more than a corridor. Then she spoke again: "Actually I came to thank you for saving us out there. I'm glad Lord Hiiragi didn't execute you."

Narumi laughed, but it sounded more like a cough. "Me too. I wonder if I made the right choice, defecting with Shinoa and the others when I did. Maybe I could have saved more people had I stayed. … I wish I could have saved more people. I wish more people would have lived."

"Don't we all. You saved more people than I and you still have the chance to keep your comrades safe."

They didn't talk anymore until Minowa said goodbye in the hospital room. Narumi still thought about what she had said. Yes, he had received another chance. He had seen firsthand how powerful vampires and those Seraphs were. As soon has he was healed, he would start training. He had to get stronger so he wouldn't lose anyone anymore. So he could protect everyone who was precious to him.

"Cheers!" Goshi toasted with a beer can. The others of Guren's team toasted back with their choice of beverage, some alcoholic others not. After taking a swig he laughed. "I can't believe Kureto let us go with a simple demotion."

"Don't jinx it, Goshi!"

"Its fine, Mito. Kureto can't harm us. He needs us," Guren said. Unlike the others he did not seem particularly happy. He nipped at the dainty cocktail with enough sugar to mask the sharp taste of alcohol and enough alcohol to burn if set aflame. "He stretched his resources to thin. If he really wants to vanquish the vampires, he needs to rebuild his home base."

"So in other words, Kureto wants us to become farmers," Shinya said with a smile.

"What?! I can't even keep a cactus alive!" Mito shouted.

"I think it could be nice," Sayuri said and the others looked at her surprised and in slight disbelieve. "Well, I mean, have you never thought about what you are going to do when the war is over?"

Mito shrugged. "Not really. I thought I'd die on the battlefield."

"I thought I'd get a desk job or maybe teach at the academy," Goshi said and Mito replied: "I think you'd be a good teacher."

The man blinked. Then he put the empty beer can down. "I think I've had enough. I'm starting to hallucinate."

Mito's face turned as red as her hair. "It's true."

"Aww, Mito. Thank you." The man tried to hug his friend, who stretched out her arm and snapped: "Don't touch me!" So Goshi settled for sitting next to and smiling at her.

"I will be wherever Guren needs me to be," Shigure stated.

"Of course." Sayuri grew somewhat flustered. "Me too. I was just thinking …"

Guren emptied his glass in one draw, slammed it on the table, poured himself another one and left for the balcony.

Sayuri looked like she was on the verge of tears. Shigure patted her head.

"What's up with him?" Goshi asked.

Shinya sighed. "I'll talk to him. How about you guys turn in early? Get some rest." That was the polite way of saying 'get out of here and give us some space'. The others caught on and left. Shinya stepped on the balcony. "We are worried about you, you know? We are a team and we are your friends."

Guren barely glanced at him. "It's useless to speculate about things that will never be."

"Because Kureto said, he wants to take over the world?"

"Yes."

Shinya leaned on the railing. "You think, there's no way the fighting will end?"

Guren scoffed. "None. Kureto won't rest until his dream is fulfilled. But his dream is only a fantasy. And the vampires won't rest until they've got all of us enslaved."

"A no-win scenario."

"Exactly." Guren sipped from his glass.

"Well, isn't that another reason to not give up our hopes and dreams?"

"What?"

"I mean, giving in to despair is not a solution. In the future there might be another path. After all there are circumstances that can change because of something beyond our control," Shinya said. "Before we met I thought my fate was sealed. I did not desire the future I had in the Hiiragi family, but giving up meant dying. I couldn't rebel either. So I bid my time … and then you came along. And look where we are now."

"Still lackeys of the Hiiragis."

"I'd prefer the word 'partners'."

A smile tugged on the corners of Guren's mouth. "Junior-partners at the most."

Shinya facepalmed. "Oh, I swear … Why are you so pessimistic?"

"I'd rather think of myself as a realist."

"Yes, yes. Whatever you say Guren." Shinya walked to the door and turned around smiling. "I'm going to get some sleep. Don't stay out too long or you'll get a cold."

"Good night." Guren knew that they were worried for him, but he was not only their friend but also their leader. And leaders cannot show weakness. Leaders cannot be scared. True leaders walk on and push through all obstacles.

'So what to leaders do when they know they cannot win? When they know that their decision, their dream will doom all of those following them?'

From time to time things happened that made Krul envy her sister. Right now it was this long meeting. Lord Geales wanted to know everything. As expected from the former First's right handed man. Both, the former First and Geales, were micromanagers. On the upside, it meant their decisions were mostly right. On the downside it meant meetings lasting for hours.

When Geales finally dismissed the other Progenitors and Nobles, Krul almost sighed in relief. But now her fight was starting.

Geales waited for the vampires' steps to fade before asking: "What is the situation on the Seraphs?"

"I brought them to a flat in Okayama. Both children's condition seems to be stable."

"You should have killed them."

"As I've told Karr before, they are not weak imitations. If I were to end their lives, the angles would take over their bodies and another massacre would happen. Can we afford to lose 90 percent of the remaining human population?"

"No."

Krul hated the Second Progenitor. Not because he had a hateful personality; because he had no personality at all. She didn't know what he was thinking. With Ferid it was different. Ferid was annoying, but at least he had facial expressions. Not so Lord Geales. He didn't move one muscle without meaning to do so.

"So, can I keep them? Or do you have plans for them already?" Krul asked.

"I shall talk to the higher authorities. Until then make sure they don't escape you again."

"Of course, Lord Geales." Krul bowed before him. Only when he was out of the room, she scowled. 'Higher authorities', huh? So he was going to talk to whatever Firsts were awake and to some of the older vampires. Hopefully he would take his time. Vampires have, after all, more time than they know what to do with. If Geales were to return to early, the point of these experiments would be moot. Krul can't let that happen.

When Yu entered the throne room Krul was already waiting for him, lounging on the throne. He was startled by how small she was. Even so, this vampire was far older than him or any adult he had ever met and she had saved Mika and raised him. Despite looking like a child, she was more of an adult than Yu. He decided to keep that in mind.

He stopped at the bottom of the stairs. The atmosphere was kind of weird. Yu felt like something was expected of him. Mitsuba had nagged him for speaking so bluntly and 'not having any manners' as she called it. Was he supposed to bow or something? Yu didn't know. So he decided on saying what he had wanted to say ever since Mika had told him about the person who had saved him.

"Ahem, so … Thank you very much for saving Mika!"

For a second Krul looked at him like he had just grown a second head. Then she started giggling and finally laughing. Yu was a bit bewildered. What was so funny?

"You are exactly like Mika described you."

"Thank you?" Was that a compliment? What had Mika told her? That he was reckless? That he was caring? Stupid? Protective? Yu wished Mika had told him more about Krul, than just that she had saved him.

"Follow me."

Krul didn't wait for Yu and started walking through the corridors into the lower levels of the vampires' base in Okayama. Yu had no idea where they were heading, so he stuck close to her. Whenever they crossed paths with other vampires, they would stop and bow before the Queen. Yu made a face at this act of respect. These minions were bowing before anyone stronger than them, but weaker ones they just kicked aside. It was appaling.

They now walked into a dressing room. Krul didn't stop there.

"Did you know that all demons once were vampires?"

Yu shook his head. Guren had never explained to him, where the JIDA had gotten their demons from and school wouldn't teach this anyway. 'Wait … if all demons once had been vampires, does that mean that Asuramaru was one too? Of course it does.' Yu mentally smacked himself. 'Maybe he and Krul even knew each other.' Somehow Yu felt sad. He had firsthand experience with vampires and the crimes they committed, but using their friends against them was pretty cruel too.

"Well, now you know. You people use the demon's curse to kill vampires by injecting them with the curse. It keeps wounds from healing or downright overwhelms and kills a vampire."

That Yu did know. "Ah! So that's why Mika didn't die when … I stabbed him."

"Precisely. But even though you had not had the curse active, he still was poisoned by your blade."

Yu winced. It had been the literally worst way to reunite with your family.

Krul continued: "Fortunately we have developed curse-extraction chambers to heal wounded combatants."

The room they now entered was filled with pods made from glass and brass, hooked up to some kind of machinery and big enough for an adult to lie in.

"We'll put you in one of these."

Yu knocked on one. "Ehm. Are you sure that will work?"

Krul blinked. "You are infected with your demon's curse. This is a curse-removal chamber. It should work. At least it won't harm you. You should enter it without your blade though."

"Okay. Will it have any effect on my contract with Asuramaru or on …"

"The Seraph? None. On your contract? I don't know. There was no opportunity for doing trial runs. We could do some research, but that will take time. You'll continue turning into a demon or you'll have to take these questionable drugs … that is if Ferid manages to obtain some."

Anxiously Yu stared at the pod. Being a human again would be great. No turning into a bloodthirsty manipulative demon every day. In a heartbeat he would sacrifice his improved senses and stronger body to be normal again. But he had made a promise to Asuramaru to be friends. If the contract was cancelled by the effects of that chamber, wouldn't it be like abandoning Asuramaru?

"You're thinking too much, Yu."

"Asuramaru?"

"As your friend shouldn't I be glad if you get better? And besides," the demon's voice was teasing, but Yu thought it sounded sad too "wouldn't it be great if I were to get a weaker host instead of you? One that I could take over?"

"Not really. Besides, even if we get separated I will come for you."

"Pff. Hahaha." Asuramaru's laughter echoed in Yu's head.

"I will try the chamber."

"Good," Krul said. "Then I will set up the machine while you go get undressed."

"Understood! … Ehm, undressed as in 'butt naked'?" Yu looked slightly embarrassed.

Krul stated: "You can leave on your underwear."

The locker room was cold and Yu balanced on the tips of his toes trying to have as little contact with the freezing cold marble floor as possible. He rubbed his arms to warm himself up and desperately wished Krul wouldn't take so much time. Of course vampires had no need to warm up the rooms higher than the freezing point of water, but he was a human, damn it, and it was much too cold for him!

Finally Krul knocked on the door. "If you are ready we can begin."

Shivering and rubbing is arms Yu coughed. "Hell yeah." At first he was doubtful that he would be comfortable in this not-horizontal pod. Then he found that the weird fabric of the chamber molded itself perfectly to fit his body.

"Just breathe normally," was the last advice Krul gave him before the glass doors closed. A sort of steam or fog hissed into the chamber. Soon Yu couldn't see the outside anymore. So he closed his eyes and concentrated on his other senses. There was a soft hissing and a gurgling. The fog was wet on his skin but not chilly. In fact, except for the high humidity, it was rather comfortable.

Suddenly all his senses grew muted and an unsettling second later he found himself standing in an expanse of white. Yu had been here before. This was where he normally met Asuramaru. But the demon was not here now. Instead Yu was facing a different familiar face.

"Who are you?"

His own. His black hair. His nose. His black uniform.

"You already know."

The other one had red eyes instead of green and two horns adorned his head.

"You are my demon."

The demon laughed. Even their voices were the same, though Yu hoped that he did not sound so cold and hollow. "Oh, no dear. I am you."

Yu scowled. "No you are not. I would never even think of hurting my family! I'd never hurt humans! And I hate the battlefield!"

The demon giggled and the sound raised the hairs on Yu's neck. He used his index finger to trace shapes on Yu's cheek. "Why do you lie to yourself? I was born from your desires, after all. So you had to wish at some point that everything was easier. No family to take care of. No empathy for other humans. Only the thrill of fighting. Slicing up all those vampires."

Yu slapped the demon's hand away. "If I ever wished to not have a family, it would have meant 'no family on the battlefield' and not 'no family at all', you idiot."

The demon grinned. "But you do enjoy causing pain to vampires."

"I want to kill them, but I don't like torture and I do not enjoy it."

Pictures flooded Yu's mind and he knew it must have been the demon. Memories from the battlefield and the sensation of adrenaline coursing through his veins. Mika huddled on the floor in excruciating pain begging for blood, which Yu knew he could provide; Mika feeding of him and the relief that came with it.

'I am needed. I am wanted. I saved Mika. Mika is alive.'

The demon cackled. "See, you messed-up human! You take pleasure from saving people from pain!"

For a second Yu was confused. "That's normal though."

"To 'save' a person someone needs to be in pain. First A then B. Suffering is needed for you to feel happiness. What will you do once all people are saved? Can you be satisfied with a normal existence?"

Yu took a breath. This was going nowhere. A normal existence? No more fighting? Of course he would be happy with it. Could it be?

"What are you?"

"Good question!" The demon clapped his hands. "Impressive! Dear Yu, I told you 'I am you'. I am your desires awakened by the demonic curse. I know your memories. I know what causes you pain. I know what gives you pleasure. I know your most unattainable fantasies and your worst nightmares."

"Ah, so this is it. I was right!"

"What?"

In a way this demon was like Asuramaru, only that Asuramaru was his own person while this one was Yu with warped emotions. Asuramaru had access to Yu's memories if he so wished, but this demon had born from them.

Something was off, though. If this demon essentially was Yu, how did it become like that? Yu could imagine that, if he were all alone, he would be reckless, enjoying the fight, enjoying killing vampires, but why the hell di the demon want to kill his family?

"Why do you want to kill my family?"

"Come on! I already told you, I only desire what you desire."

"No." Yu's voice was steady. "I do not want to hurt them and I do not want to see them being hurt. And by the way, if we were brought to some village and told to live a humble live without fighting, I would celebrate so don't even think of doing the 'I desire to be their savoir' routine."

The demons face fell and for the first time he answered without any emotion in his voice. "They are human. They need to die."

Yu had heard that line before.

The demon sneered. "Seems like my time is finally up." His body slowly dissolved into ash like a vampire's. "Don't forget Yu. My existence might have been caused by your demons powers, but I was also born from your desires."

Yu just shrugged. "I'm not an animal. I don't need to act on my desires and my instincts won't control me."

For a second it looked like the demon was going to say something, but then his head dissolved too, and Yu was left alone in this white expanse. 'So what now?' he asked himself.

The next he knew he was lying in a bed. He still felt a bit drowsy, like waking up from anesthesia, but this bed and this room were certainly real.

"Mika. On a word," Krul said, standing in the doorway to the squad's flat. The younger vampire only nodded and walked towards his sire.

"Yuichiro, is he alright?" Shinoa asked.

"Of course." 'Since I can't let anything happen to my little Seraph,' Krul added in her thoughts.

A sigh of relive went through the room. "Then, can we visit him?" Yoichi asked.

"No." At their dejected faces Krul continued with: "Let him rest up a bit."

She left the place with Mika trailing two steps behind her. Okayama, like Sanguinem, was quiet and felt devoid of life. If Mika were to concentrate, he would be able to hear the steps of the patrolling guards or the heartbeats of the cattle-children. But Mika remembered a bustling city from before the Apocalypse and compared to that Okayama was empty and silent like a ruin.

"You're not lying to us, are you? Yu really is alright?"

"Of course he is fine. I still need you two."

"Then-"

"Listen Mika!" Krul whirled around and cut him off. "I need you to save my family! And that means I won't let anyone take or harm you. Not Geales; not Ferid; not the humans and not even demons or death!"

Mika flinched. Krul was being uncharacteristically emotional for a vampire and even if this anger was not directed at him personally, it made him afraid.

"So this is where you come in, dear Mika." She caressed his face with her small hand. "I'll have you leave Japan."

"What?"

A smile appeared on his Sire's face. "I don't know what will happen when Lord Geales returns. Maybe you'll live, maybe you'll die. Wouldn't it be a shame if he had to wait until you return from a 'special mission' I have given you?"

Sending them away would be a gamble, but if that person was still the same … if that person still retained her love for humanity, then she would protect them. Still, Krul was worried. In 150 years Krul had seen that person only one time and had no idea how she would react to Mika. The young protégée had been turned without approval from the council and he was a Mikaela. First Progenitors are known to have a soft spot for this type of people.

Krul pushed her worries from her mind. It was a gamble, after all. "There is a settlement governed by my allies. If you keep to the east coast and head north you can't miss it."

So life happened … but I managed to finish the prologue!

Chapter 15 will be out on 20./21.01. (and I promise this, because I have already written it, but I want to keep some time-buffer in case of life).

I am not entirely content with the prologue. I feel like there is something missing and I want to give the various people more 'screen time'. But I also want to get on with the actual story. So for now I'll finish this fanfiction (it's probably going to be +200k words) and then rewrite.

I feel like reminding the reader that not letting a prisoner sleep is classified as torture. (And yes, dehydration and starvation is too.)

I have no idea how courts work (in detail). Luckily, Kureto doesn't either. And Guren needs to see a psychotherapist asap. I've been wondering … does the JIDA have support for people with PTSD?