Disclaimer: I don't own Owari no Seraph, its plot or characters, or any other mentioned books, songs, or series. They belong to their respective owners. I only own my OCs and the plot that deviates from canon or doesn't exist in canon. This is a non-profit fan fiction just for fun.
To P1anoman2019: Glad you enjoyed the tension! Oh, in a dark corner of his mind Shinya did consider the possibility, but thought it was too absurd to be true. In canon it's pretty rare that someone gets turned into a vampire (Mika is the first newborn vampire in one hundred years as far as the Demon Army knows), so that played a part in it, too. Anyway, this chapter is mostly from Shinya's perspective, so we'll see more of his thought process in it.
To SpiceyFez: I'm happy to hear that! Thanks, you too!
To NguyetMieu: Yeah, but I swear there is a reason for that! I wanted to include Shinya's perspective, too, so I had to cut it there because there would have been no end to the chapter otherwise. Yep, here in Germany some teens were dumb enough to throw corona parties since there is no school at the moment (and you can legally buy beer at age 16). I'm doing well because I can work from home and am an introvert who doesn't go out much anyway, but I understand the struggle with dry hands. Even before the corona virus became a thing I was somewhat of a germaphobe and washed my hands a lot, so I always have hand cream nearby xD
I love the Guren squad, too. I hope I did them some justice. You'll see more of them and their shenanigans in the future. Ah, yes, I admit the hair strand thing was a little weird, so let me explain Shinya's thoughts. Since blonde hair is not really common in Japan and even less common after the apocalypse and he was also in the area of Vivian's former home and thinking of his friend at the time, Shinya couldn't help but make that connection. And Shinya does indeed have a small fetish for Vivian's hair xD More of that in this chapter!
To BingeBoi: Haha, as Shinya said before, I live to please xD. I'm glad I could provide you with some entertainment in these difficult times.
To my guest reviewer from Mar 26: Oo Maybe? Yeah, Shinya figured it out, but still summoned Byakkomaru because that's what his instincts tell him to do when he's faced with a vampire, and he also wasn't thinking clearly after realising that his friend had been turned into a vampire.
To Kiur: Hey :) Thank you, my family and I are all doing well so far, I hope you and your family are okay, too. Haha, yeah the cliffhanger was mean, but there'll be no more evil cliffhangers like in the previous two chapters in the next few chapters as far as I remember. Sorry for teasing you, but that point really seemed like the best to end the chapter because I was planning to include Shinya's POV :D
Yeah, the hair strand bit was indeed creepy xD It made me laugh when I wrote about it. And Shinya is definitely developing a guilt complex. I'm torn between liking and hating Guren, since I also hate how he manipulates people. Read and find out about Shinya's reaction and whether Shinya and Vivian's friendship still has a chance.
To Charlotte M. Baldonado: Here is more :D
To RokenDarkly: I'm glad to hear that! Sorry about the cliffhanger, have an extra long Shinya POV and chapter as compensation :)
To my guest reviewer from Apr 3: Thanks! I'm happy that you like Where The Flowers Bloom, too, but please don't ask me for an update for it in a review for a different story. As it is written on my profile, the updates for all of my stories are sporadic. At the moment I'm more focused on Between Two Worlds and Heimat ist kein Ort since that is what my muse decided. There'll be an update for WTFB when I am ready for it. I can't force myself to write a chapter if I don't have the inspiration for it. I hope you understand.
A/N: Something HORRIBLE happened when I was working on this chapter... My laptop crashed *insert unholy screech from the depths of hell* and the open office file I was working on (it contained this chapter and the next ten chapters) was corrupted, leaving me with nothing but a 7 page long document containing nothing but #######. No recovery options worked... (Un)luckily, it happened to me before, so I've become very paranoid and always have a copy of my stories in my onedrive folder, so the content wasn't completely lost.
However, several days of work on this chapter and the next was lost despite saving it every ten to fifteen minutes, and with autosave and the safety copy option on (T_T). I corrected and changed so many things... and had to do everything AGAIN. I think it's time I look for a new computer even though I absolutely hate shopping for computers/laptops. They are sooo expensive and I resent having to inform myself about every little detail so I don't buy garbage :( Sorry for the rant, but I needed to let out my frustration.
Anyway, there are a lot of spoilers for Shinya's past and childhood (taken right from the light novels, so it's going to be dark) in this chapter since more than half of it is from Shinya's perspective. I think all of us have been anticipating this chapter and the reunion of friends for a while... I hope it lives up to your expectations!
Chapter 20 – What Really Matters
Shinya's face contorted in shock when he realised what Vivian was referring to. "That... that was you earlier, wasn't it? I... I almost..." His grip on his weapon faltered.
He'd almost exterminated Vivian without even being aware of it.
As if her being turned into a vampire wasn't bad enough, no, he'd gone and almost killed the girl unwittingly.
The girl he'd wanted to save the world for. The girl who'd given him a goal and reason to live long before he met Guren and the others. The girl who'd given him a glimpse of a normal life and that had laughed, cared for and quarrelled with him.
After Shinya had been sold by his parents to the Hiiragi Clan at age five, he was forced to fight other boys his age while growing up. He never told Vivian details about his past, never told her that he'd had to compete against other boys in countless subjects and death matches, and that he was only alive because he'd killed all of his rivals.
The only thing that had mattered back then was to become strong enough to deserve the Hiiragi name.
At the beginning, he'd befriended some of those boys, but because Shinya had ended up losing them again and again, he gave up making friends. It had been too painful to see them die.
At some point he'd become completely emotionally detached from the deaths of the other boys and felt nothing anymore when he killed an opponent. He'd stopped feeling altogether and stayed unattached to anyone and anything.
Vivian had been the first friend Shinya made after he'd earned his place in the Hiiragi family at age ten and got betrothed to Mahiru, the heiress of the Hiiragi clan.
The death matches had been part of the selection process to find the best and strongest sperm donor for Mahiru, to ensure that the next generation of Hiiragi would be strong. That had been his sole reason for being. Shinya himself would never become the head of the Hiiragi Clan himself, because he was just some filthy foster child.
But just as soon as he'd earned that place and found his purpose, had survived all of the hardships and ordeals, he lost it again when he met his fiancé Mahiru. Even at age ten she'd already been in love with Guren and had had no interest in Shinya.
At that first meeting with Mahiru Shinya made the deal with her that he'd be her cover-up fiancé until she could be with Guren, the person she loved. Shinya had had no choice but to accept it. If she'd openly stated to her family that she didn't want Shinya, he would have been disposed of right away.
He hadn't been able to understand Mahiru at first, and was a little jealous of Guren and the affection Mahiru felt towards him even though Shinya didn't even know him at that time. Shinya had wondered whether he should try to make Mahiru fall in love with him somehow although he had no idea what it meant to love someone and didn't really care about making her his.
Shinya had made meeting Guren a goal, because he was the rival for his fiancé, and had wanted to meet the guy who was capable of winning Mahiru's love. He'd figured that if he could meet him, it might help Shinya to find a new goal in life, a new raison d'être.
It turned out that Shinya found it years before he got to know Guren.
Shortly after he had met Mahiru for the first time, Shinya encountered Vivian. He met her when Mahiru and him pretended to go out and have a date together in the park while they were going their separate ways in reality.
Now he knew that Mahiru had probably used the time to contact the Brotherhood of a Thousand Nights, the Hyakuya Sect, but he hadn't been aware of it back then and had assumed that she was visiting Guren in secret.
No one had suspected that she'd joined the Hyakuya Sect and had betrayed the Hiiragi Clan and the Order of Imperial Demons until it was too late.
When he was relaxing up in a tree in the park, Shinya spotted Vivian and watched her while she was going through the kendō kata, liking how her golden hair glinted in the sunlight.
Her skills hadn't been anywhere near Mahiru's or his own level, but the way how she performed her movements, full of joy and cheerfulness, had fascinated him.
Shinya had never seen someone enjoy practising kendō like that until then.
For him and the other boys he'd competed with kendō had just been a means to an end. They used swords to kill each other in their matches and not to have fun with. And yet this girl made wielding a weapon – though it was only a wooden sword – look like an enjoyable pastime.
He'd been surprised that she'd spotted him up in the tree, and had found himself even more surprised when Vivian saw through his happy facade and fake smile right away and tried to cheer him up even though she didn't even know him at that time.
Her dark eyes had flashed with intelligence beyond her years and spirit. They had reminded Shinya of Mahiru's in a way, but they'd also held a warmth that Mahiru's eyes never had whenever she looked at Shinya. Vivian had intrigued Shinya from their very first meeting.
It was just a little later that he found out that his new friend had talents other than fighting. It seemed like magic to him how Vivian played the piano and created her own pieces of music, that came straight from her heart, even though Shinya could cast magic spells for real. He'd never learned how to play an instrument since the Hiiragi family didn't care for such seemingly useless skills.
From then on Shinya had spent the time he was purportedly out with Mahiru with Vivian instead, and to this day Shinya didn't regret any of it. His short stays at her home, the time they spent together, were like a breath of fresh air that freed him from the pressure of expectation and the prevailing gloominess that awaited him in the Hiiragi household.
He didn't have to behave submissively around his friend, didn't have to be constantly on his toes and worry about his every word, and was accepted exactly the way he was. Was even liked for it.
Vivian's parents as well had treated him better than his own parents, who'd sold him to the Hiiragi Clan to increase their social standing in the Order of Imperial Demons, ever had. They had treated him like their own son.
Shinya felt treasured and valued in Vivian's presence, unlike when he was in his physical home, where he was just a means to an end that was barely worth breathing the same air as the Hiiragi.
It was something he'd never experienced before. It was exhilarating.
His friend listened to him and cared for him, not because of his new family name, like the other followers of the Order of Imperial Demons did, but because she cared for Shinya and Shinya alone, his health and happiness.
Vivian had shown him that there was more to life than what he'd grown up to know and believe, and had pampered him with her unconditional affection. She was the only one to do so without an ulterior motive or out of a sense of loyalty for the Hiiragi Clan.
Being around her made him feel as if he was in a whole new world. A better world.
Before Shinya even realised it, he had gotten attached to the younger girl. He who usually stayed aloof, unattached from everything and everyone in order to survive had gotten attached to someone again.
When faced with the prospect of losing his life, Shinya felt nothing, he didn't feel anything when he took lives either, and didn't really feel anything when Mahiru rejected him.
Why should he make the effort to acquire a thing if he still lost it in the end? It made the effort meaningless. That was what he believed.
And yet...
Somehow, Vivian had wiggled her way into the cold, dead thing that was his heart. She had seen through the facade that hid how empty he was inside and had found or seen something in him that she liked.
Maybe Shinya should have stayed away from her once he realised that he had gotten attached to her, because he knew that he would only end up losing her again, like he had lost everyone and everything that had ever been important to him.
Maybe Shinya shouldn't have gotten involved with Vivian, for his own sake and, more importantly, for hers. He didn't belong to her world. He was too damaged, too callous, too dark, and yet he couldn't stay away from her for too long.
He knew that he was being stupid, which wasn't how he had survived all these years, but he couldn't help it.
Shinya was drawn to Vivian like a moth to a flame.
And his friend burned brightly and was so full of passion. Passion for her music, passion for her friends, passion for life. She lived her life to the fullest and was so very unlike Shinya that he couldn't help but keep gazing her.
He didn't know when exactly his feelings for her had changed from fascination and mild idolisation to something... different. One day that was like any other – he was around fourteen at the time – Vivian had smiled at him like usual from the seat in front of her piano and he had an epiphany when thinking how glad he was to have met her.
It made Shinya contemplate his feelings for her. It was then that he realised that the word 'friendship' wasn't enough to describe what he was feeling for her anymore, hadn't been for a while. And that his feelings for and attachment to Vivian were different from what he'd felt for the boys he'd befriended all those years ago and ran a lot deeper.
Mahiru, sharp as she was, had noticed the slight change in him that was caused by the exposure to Vivian and was the only one of the Hiiragi who'd realised that Shinya had fallen in love with someone he wasn't supposed to love.
It was through this conversation with Mahiru that Shinya realised what exactly he was feeling for Vivian. Mahiru had mocked Shinya for his feelings of affection, just like he'd previously mocked her for her feelings for Guren and for being a lovestruck little girl.
She had doubted that Shinya was even capable of loving someone and getting attached to someone. He had thought the same until then. Then Mahiru had said that it was quite alright and that it didn't matter to her if he loved someone else as long as Shinya continued to keep up the deal they had made years before.
Shinya now wondered whether she'd betrayed him and told Kureto about Vivian in the end. After all, Mahiru had betrayed everyone. She'd not only betrayed the Order of the Imperial Demons and the Hiiragi Clan when she joined the Hyakuya Sect but also Guren and the whole world when she triggered the apocalypse for unknown reasons.
Why had she even warned Guren and the others that the world would end on the 25th December in the first place? To this day Shinya wondered if it had all been a game to her or if she had been mocking them.
Shinya and his friends had tried to capture Mahiru and had openly rebelled against the Hiiragi Clan and the Order of the Imperial Demons in order to do so. When they were on the run and crashed at a hotel to hide from the soldiers that were hunting them down, Guren had asked Shinya why he was doing all of this.
Shinya didn't feel particularly loyal to the Hiiragi Clan and didn't have much of a thirst for vengeance. His plans to overthrow or change the Hiiragi Clan were half-baked and half-assed. He'd realised that it was an almost impossible task. He was glad that Vivian believed in him, though.
So why did Shinya follow Guren, who had no idea how exactly they could prevent the end of the world, and betray the Hiiragi Clan, which was madness in itself?
"For Vivian, the blonde girl you've seen in a picture before," Shinya answered Guren.
"Seriously? You're betraying the Hiiragi Clan and are trying to save the world for a girl? I wouldn't have pegged you as a romantic," Guren said.
Shinya grinned. "Maybe I want to try being a hero once? Heroes always get the girl after all. And should you really be saying that? You're still chasing after Mahiru like a lovesick dog even if she's already a lost cause."
Shinya himself didn't care much for the world, but he'd tried to save it for Vivian.
And he'd failed. Of course he did. It had been an impossible task from the beginning and Shinya hadn't been very optimistic about it to start with either. Mahiru was nothing but determined, cunning and a perfectionist, and had always been a step ahead of them.
As a consequence of his failure, less than a tenth of the human population had survived; children the age of thirteen and below and people that were mixed with demons. Vivian's parents and most of her friends had died, some of them right in front of her eyes because he'd failed.
Vivian had been captured and experimented on. Shinya was at least partially to blame for that even if she herself didn't blame him for it. And according to her she would have died if she hadn't been turned into a vampire.
She'd chosen to become a creature that craved for blood because she had no other choice if she wanted to survive. Because the experiments had made her sick. Thinking about this made him furious like nothing else did and feel like an utter failure at the same time.
Once again Shinya hadn't been there for Vivian when she needed him.
Why hadn't he noticed that she'd been right in front of his nose in Shibuya, in some research facility of the Hiiragi family? Had Kureto truly ordered the experiments on Vivian because he knew who she was and he wanted to punish Shinya for his insubordination?
No matter what the reason was, Vivian had been subjected to human experimentation and had been suffering for four years while Shinya had been searching for her in the wrong places. Shinya doubted that he could ever forgive himself for not finding her sooner, even if his friend didn't blame him for it.
It was too late to help her now.
She'd given up her humanity.
The passionate, playful and bright girl he'd fallen for had become a vampire and he'd almost killed her because of it.
Vivian would have died if she hadn't deflected his shots in time. Her blood would have been on his hands.
Shinya had almost erased what he cherished most in this world. With his own hands. The thought sickened him even though he normally didn't have any qualms about killing someone.
The question was, why did Vivian even come to Shinjuku and observe her old apartment and the surrounding area? Was it truly because she wanted to see him again that much? Did she still care for Shinya, even as a vampire?
All the signs, the contents of her letter, her actions and words painted a very clear picture.
Even now she was crying, was emotionally overwhelmed by the situation and was behaving unlike any vampire he had ever seen, apart from Mahiru. But Mahiru was a whole other case. You could never be sure with her if her tears were real or part of her plans.
Vivian, however, had always worn her emotions on her sleeve. Nonetheless, Shinya needed to know for sure if she was still herself before he decided how to proceed with her.
If there was still hope.
Even if there wasn't, Shinya doubted that he could ever give up on Vivian.
"You were here a few weeks ago, too," he finally said.
Vivian nodded and moved her arm in a motion that told him even with her back to him that she was brushing a few tears away. "If I'm able to, I take every Friday off to search for you."
"Why?"
Somehow his question and demanding tone cut deep enough to make Vivian flinch. It didn't escape Shinya's notice.
"Am I not allowed to care for my friends anymore because I've turned into... a bloodsucking monster?" she asked softly, sounding hurt and full of self-loathing.
Shinya internally grimaced. Ah, she'd guessed in which direction his thoughts had drifted. Still, her reaction and words told him a lot in combination with everything else he'd gathered so far.
Vivian still seemed to be pretty much like her human self. She still cared deeply for Shinya and her younger friends. Perhaps too deeply if she'd willingly given up her humanity to see them again. But he couldn't fault her for that; her loyalty and attachment to her friends was one of the things he liked about her. And after everything she'd been through...
Her health and her life had been stolen from her just after she'd seen her friends die. Then someone had offered her a chance to live when she was on the verge of death, a chance to see her few living friends again, that had been the reason why she fought and survived for so long.
Oh yes, he could understand her motives and why she'd agree to become a vampire with that background, mentality, and her personality.
Vivian would never give up her friends or a fight. She'd always valued her friends more than anything else. She was a lot like Guren in that regard. Once, he'd almost become a demon in order to save his friends.
That didn't mean that Shinya liked it. He learned from Vivian's question just now that she wasn't comfortable with her new life – or undead? – situation either, hated herself for it to a point. She was ashamed of herself and self-conscious, just like he had guessed in jest earlier.
It was one of the reasons why she'd hid from his sight and was even now, when Shinya was aware that Vivian was a vampire, showing him her back.
It also told him that she trusted him with her life. He was still pointing his cursed gear at her and at this distance she might not be able to dodge in time.
Vivian was afraid of his rejection and afraid that Shinya would hate her for what she had become, had chosen to become in order to achieve her goals.
"Do you see yourself as that, Vivi-chan? A monster?" Shinya asked her quietly.
Vivian began to tremble and Shinya immediately regretted asking his question, that only seemed to make her cry even more.
These quiet sniffles... He hated it when she cried. The answer to his question was pretty obvious.
Shinya put a hand on his temples. What was he supposed to do now? Treat Vivian like he usually would and give her a hug? Or would that make her uncomfortable now?
Hmm... but she'd said earlier that she wanted to hug him, which meant that Vivian was most likely refraining from doing so because she thought that it would make Shinya uncomfortable. Or was there another reason for it?
Shinya suddenly remembered a conversation he'd hat with Guren once. About two years ago he'd asked him why Guren had still loved Mahiru even when she became a demon and then a vampire. Guren had asked him in return whether Shinya liked Vivian because she was a human or because she was Vivian.
Now he could understand Guren and what he'd meant even though it was kind of crazy.
In the back of his mind his demon, Byakkomaru, asked him to rethink the decision he'd made in regards to Vivian and be clever like always. That was how Shinya survived. But when it came to Vivian, his reason seemed to get thrown out of the window sometimes.
Shinya was forever thankful that his friend wasn't dead dead but at the same time very concerned for her. He didn't want her to be a vampire, didn't want her to be suffering this fate.
Vivian would never experience a human life again because it had been stolen from her. At age... seventeen. She was just seventeen when her life ended.
If the apocalypse had never happened, she'd probably be attending university now, study music, play the piano and meet her friends. That perfectly normal life was what she deserved, but now, in this kind of world...
"Do you... hate me now?" Vivian asked him shakily.
Oh dear. Shinya let out a long sigh and finally let Byakkomaru vanish despite the demon's protests. There was no point in pointing the weapon at her. She clearly wasn't going to attack him and Shinya didn't want to shoot at her again, doubted that he could. He'd summoned Byakkomaru more out of reflex when he saw the uniform than a real intention to use him anyway.
And he'd made a promise to Vivian's father when he was sixteen.
"Well, I can't say that I'm happy that you're a vampire, but no, I don't hate you, Vivi-chan. I'm... very grateful that you survived and returned to me. By whatever means necessary."
Shinya's feelings for her didn't just disappear after learning about her new bodily condition. And if he hated anyone, then it was the people who had put her into a position where she had to discard her humanity in order to live.
"Shinya..." Vivian sounded hopeful, but then she shook her head. "Wait, before you decide whether you want to give our friendship another chance, you have to know some things about me... I did some bad things." She made a short pause before she continued, "I... I've killed humans. One of the researchers in that facility and some soldiers from the Demon Army. I also hurt civilians... children by... by drinking their blood," she confessed, as if she was trying to ask for absolution for her sins.
Vivian sounded ashamed when she said that last part.
His heart sank at her confession, but more out of concern for her and dismay that Vivian had blood on her hands now like him and had to hurt others, especially children that she'd always had a soft spot for, to survive than anything else. He wished Vivian had never had to experience something like that and stain her hands quite literally with blood.
She'd cherished life so much. Vivian should be just a normal human, a normal girl. That suited her best.
"I'm sorry that you had to that, Vivi-chan." If only he'd found her in that lab, Shinya could have prevented all of this.
"I'm not," she whispered. "I didn't feel a thing when I took the lives of those soldiers and that researcher."
It pained him to hear that avowal from Vivian of all people, but he knew perfectly well what it was like. "What about the children... the civilians?"
"I didn't want to hurt them... well, apart from those bullies in Sanguinem. The normal civilians are victims in this whole apocalypse affair, too."
Ah, that sounded like his friend. "You beat up some bullies again?" Shinya was suddenly amused. "I bet they pissed their pants."
"Could be. But I went easy on them and just intimidated them a little to prevent that they would attack any of the other kids again."
Shinya smiled in relief as he heard that. "You're such a mother hen, Vivi-chan~."
"I'm not," she protested lightly. "So... what do you think, Shinya? Can we still be friends or... am I a monster in your eyes?" Vivian asked uncertainly.
It didn't take him long to answer. "Of course we're still friends. If you're a monster, then I'm a monster, too, because I've killed a lot of people without remorse as well."
Shinya was certain that he'd killed a lot more people than Vivian had in the few months she'd been a vampire. Not that the count mattered. He wouldn't even know it anymore, nor did he really care. Shinya had lost count long before he'd even met Vivian.
"You... you did?" Vivian sounded shocked, as if she had believed that he could never do something like nonchalantly taking a life. "I mean you obviously kill vampires but... humans, too?"
It was ironic that out of the two of them the human had killed more humans than the vampire. He'd never told Vivian what he had to do in his early childhood to be adopted into the Hiiragi clan, in high school, or shortly before the apocalypse when he betrayed the Hiiragi Clan.
Vivian hadn't known any details about his life in the Order of Imperial Demons or the Hiiragi Clan for her own good, and because Shinya had feared that he would lose her if he told her what he'd done in order to survive.
He'd feared that she wouldn't understand him this time and that he would lose her if she learned what an empty human wreck he was behind his facade.
Vivian had only ever seen a part of Shinya's true self.
Normal people wouldn't know or understand what it was like to grow up in a magical syndicate or in the family leading it. Now, however, the whole situation had changed, Vivian had changed even if Shinya would have preferred that she didn't.
"Yeah, I've killed humans. There's a reason why I've never told you any details about my past, Vivi-chan. It wasn't very pretty."
"Details about your past... but you were just a kid back then?!" Vivian sounded completely incredulous now.
"The Order of the Imperial Demons, the Hiiragi Clan, demanded it of me, so I... fought and killed other boys my age in order to survive."
It was quiet for a moment. "You once told me that you had to pass harsh tests before you were adopted... And that was one of the tests? A sick sort of battle royale?"
"Well, if you want to call it that..." He couldn't sugar-coat it.
"And I let you return to them...! Those... those complete and utter bastards! How could they do this to you?!" his friend growled. "And I thought they only experimented on children and that it couldn't get any worse... Hah!"
Shinya could feel the anger and deep hatred radiating off of her. These emotions were so unlike Vivian but understandable after what she'd been through. He was kind of relieved and impressed about the fact that Vivian could still become enraged like this on his behalf, even as a vampire, a creature that was famed for having no emotions.
Vivian was still Vivian, despite all the changes, and would always be.
"...Do you want to talk about it, about your past, Shinya?"
There was no judgement in Vivian's tone, just concern for him, like always. Shinya was sure that his friend would have reacted differently if the world hadn't come to an end and if she she were still a human, but not now.
Not after what she'd experienced.
They might be able to understand each other better than ever now, even after being apart for more than four years and changing species. It was a blessing and a curse at the same time.
Shinya slowly closed the distance between them. "I will tell you everything you want to know about me, Vivian," he assured her. "But perhaps not now. I'd rather focus on you today."
"...If that's what you want," Vivian agreed reluctantly.
It seemed as if she would have preferred to hear more about him and his past. Shinya wondered whether she would still accept him as her friend after he'd told her all about his past. No matter what, she deserved to hear it one day. She'd been honest with him, too, and had approached him even though she'd been scared that he might reject her.
The young Major General stopped right behind Vivian, in the sunlight that shone through the window, and carefully placed a hand on her shoulder, or where he estimated it to be underneath the white cloak. Vivian was quite tall for a woman, like her mother Irina had been, and was only about ten centimetres shorter than him.
At first, she tensed under his unexpected touch but relaxed quickly. Shinya tugged lightly at her shoulder, which was immovable for a moment, but then Vivian let him turn her around. Her long hair glinted golden in the light, which made him want to touch it without his gloves. He'd always liked it because it fit her so well.
Shinya came face to face with... an illustration of two guys making out with each other. The girl was holding up a manga in front of her face to block his view of it. She must have fetched it from one of the shelves at some point.
"Vivi-chan~, as nice as yaoi manga are, I'd prefer to see your face and not a steamy kiss scene."
"..."
She let out a sigh and slowly lowered the manga, making Shinya's heart beat a little faster in anticipation though he also mentally prepared himself that she would not look the same as before anymore.
Vivian had immaculate, pale white skin, that was lighter than when he'd last seen her, and the freckles he'd liked were gone. Her pale skin set off her soft pink lips and made the faint blush on her cheeks more noticeable. Her features had matured, but her blonde hair framed her face like he was used to, as did the fringe that was parted on the side.
Vivian's eyes, however, were a stark contrast to what Shinya was used to. They were unusually bright, the colour of freshly spilled blood, and the pupils were slitted like a cat's. They were the typical vampire eyes, and were probably one of the main reasons why she'd been so reluctant to speak face to face with him.
Still, her eyes weren't cold and empty like those of the vampires he'd met and slain so far, but warm and full of emotion like usual. They were brimming with tears, that also clung to Vivian's lashes and had left wet trails on her cheeks.
Shinya could see the uncertainty and hesitance in them as Vivian shied away from his gaze, but also the affection for him and... joy. His friend was truly happy to see him again.
She was alluring in a not quite human kind of way, but despite the physical differences, Vivian gave him the same warm look as always.
She kept glancing at the manga shelves as well, as if she'd only noticed just now that they were there. That was entirely possible. Vivian had most likely been too distracted to realise where exactly they were.
Seeing that she still had a passion for manga gave Shinya delight. "Heh~. And here I thought you wanted to see me, Vivi-chan. Are the manga more interesting than me?" he joked.
"Making me choose between you and manga is cruel, Shinya-nii," Vivian easily joked back, seeming relieved that he didn't comment on her changed appearance. They both knew manga were not the reason why she was here or still alive.
When her lips parted and she spoke, Shinya could see two fangs peeking out between them, which led him to his next question.
"Vivi-chan... is it okay if I hug you, or would that bother you? Are you... in control?"
He didn't know exactly how strong the desire for blood was on a normal basis, just that vampires usually lost their reason sooner or later when blood was spilled in front of them, and that they could only go a few days without it before their thirst became overwhelming.
Vivian's eyes widened. "Oh, you mean..." She left the sentence unfinished and looked at the ground. "Yes, I can control... myself."
"That's good to know," Shinya said with a grin, closed the remaining distance between them and embraced Vivian.
In the back of his mind Byakkomaru growled in disapproval even though the demon was strengthened by the action since Shinya gave in to one of his desires.
Vivian was a little tense at first, but then she melted into his embrace, bringing her arms around his middle and placing her head in the crook of his neck, that was covered by his uniform.
Shinya felt how she clutched the uniform at his back. Her arms around him were a little too tight for comfort but he wasn't going to complain.
Vivian was a perfect fit in his arms and he couldn't help but notice... "You've become more womanly in the past few years, Vivi-chan~."
Shinya was just a man, too. He also liked to tease her and this sort of comment always bothered her the most.
"Don't ruin the moment and a perfectly good hug with your perverted comments!" she chastised him.
"Aww~, but that was an honest compliment."
Shinya could not only feel her bosom press against his chest but also noticed her lack of body heat, which was kind of strange. Despite this, their body contact still made him feel warm.
His friend didn't deign him an answer and simply relished the hug. "I've really missed you, Shinya..." she mumbled.
"I've missed you, too." Shinya held her a little tighter, not wanting to let go of her again.
I was overjoyed that Shinya seemed to have accepted me as I was, and that he was here with me. He even went so far as to hug me!
It was a sweet agony to be this close to him.
On the one hand my heart was overflowing with happiness, but on the other hand I was craving Shinya's blood, that luscious red nectar his heart was pumping through his body at a fast pace.
His heartbeat was louder than before at this proximity and with my ear pressed against the crook of Shinya's neck. It was a delicious sound and my friend smelt incredibly enticing... I instinctively knew that sucking his blood would grant me immense pleasure.
But I also knew that I would never forgive myself if I hurt Shinya because of these monstrous instincts.
No pleasure in this world was worth my friend's life.
"For how much longer are we going to stay like this?" Shinya inquired while he was stroking my hair in a soothing motion.
"Forever," I sighed in emotional bliss with my eyes closed and wishing that he'd never stop, although resisting the thirst was becoming increasingly painful. "I'm Shinya-deprived."
My friend chuckled. "Heeh~? Is that so? I'd love to stay with you like this for a while longer, but, unfortunately, we can't do that, Vivi-chan. My friends might think that something happened to me."
Right, I almost forgot that they were waiting for him outside. "...Just a little longer?"
"Hmm... One more minute."
However, it seemed that we had underestimated his friends. Because they were already worried enough to check on him. My only excuse for not noticing the attack sooner was that I had my whole attention on Shinya and on keeping my urge to drink his blood at bay.
I let go of him and broke out of his hold before I drew my sword and turned around to the side to deflect the weapons that came flying at us, or rather, me.
They looked like... kunai?
"Sword, drink my blood," I activated my sword, but it was too late. I only managed to deflect the second and third kunai in time.
The first one got stuck in my left shoulder. The pain barely registered before I sensed another attack coming while Shinya was being yanked backwards, away from me. All of this happened in a matter of seconds.
"Shit!" my friend cursed. "Vivian!
At the same time the scenery around me changed to some kind of fiery cave, or the interior of a volcano, while my first-class sword clashed with a black katana. It belonged to Guren, who was looking at me with narrowed eyes. He clenched his teeth as I added more power to my push, and his arms quivered in the effort to keep up his sword.
"Damn," he smirked, his purple-coloured eyes glinting as he struggled. "You're strong."
"Or maybe you're just weak?" I retorted, not in the mood for a fight.
He was admittedly quite strong for a human, stronger than a normal city guard even, but that was it. Guren was nowhere close to Niall's level.
"Stop! Don't attack her! That's Vivian!" Shinya yelled while I was still blocking Guren – there wasn't enough space here to swing a sword around without damaging anything and hurting Shinya or his friends in the process.
The volcanic scenery around me was probably just an illusion, but the magma around my feet felt quite real and hot. It actually hurt even though I knew that it was just in my head. I didn't let it distract me from my opponent, though.
Opponents.
A red-haired girl had already run past Shinya in the narrow aisle and was aiming a punch at me when my friend informed his squad of who I was.
"Stay away, Mito!" Guren's warning for her that came almost simultaneously to Shinya's was too late, too.
The gloves she was wearing were strange and gave off a slight glow. They had to be her demon weapon, which meant that I couldn't afford to get punched by her. But I was holding my sword in my right hand, which was the exact side she was coming at me from.
What to do...?
Shifting my weight onto my left leg, I kicked her swiftly but as careful as I could in her stomach with my right boot, which sent the redhead flying back the aisle and into Shinya's and the brown-haired girl's arms before she could punch me. Her movements had been very sophisticated but rather slow.
"Gah!" the redhead spat out a little blood on impact.
I hoped that she had just bitten her lip or tongue and that I didn't damage some of her internal organs or bones with my kick. Shinya would most likely not appreciate that.
"What?!" someone, an unknown male judging from the deep voice, exclaimed as Shinya's words finally registered.
"Lord Shinya, is that true?" Sayuri asked him, looking at me with large eyes as she helped the redhead to sit up.
"That's right. That is Vivi-chan," Shinya's gaze travelled from the downed redhead over to me.
"Shit, that vampire is her?" the unknown guy of the group cursed from somewhere.
I felt rather uncomfortable because of the way he'd said vampire. I was also a little peeved that they had interrupted Shinya and me and our glorious reunion-hug.
"...I'd appreciate it if you stopped this annoying illusion. I don't enjoy feeling like my feet and legs are on fire," I stated in a mildly irritated tone to overplay my discomfort.
"Uhhh...?"
"Do it, Goshi," Shinya said. Ah, so that blond guy with the pipe that could create illusions was called Goshi.
"Alright, if you're sure..." In the next moment the illusion was gone and I was back in the book store.
Shinya approached me again after helping the injured redhead, who was cradling her stomach, into the brown-haired girl's arms. "Vivi-chan, could you please put away your sword? Guren, you as well?"
"...Fine," I agreed after a few seconds, wanting to be done with this situation and catch up with Shinya.
"She goes first," Guren told him, which made me roll my eyes and draw back my sword as I stepped next to my friend.
The swordsman watched me with hawk's eyes and only lowered his weapon when I had sheathed mine. I didn't trust him, but I trusted Shinya, who was now between Guren and me. Still, I was ready to defend my friend and myself should Guren attack us.
"Vivi-chan, you have a kunai stuck in your shoulder," Shinya pointed out.
Yes, and it burned. "Right..." I didn't want to touch the demon-possessed thing and glared at it.
The petite, dark-haired woman behind Guren spoke up. "That would be mine."
"Would you mind taking it out? It's a little uncomfortable." I was disappointed in myself that I'd been injured.
My question was met with silence. Did I say something strange? "What?" I asked Shinya.
He merely smiled at me.
"I've never met such a whiny vampire before," Guren jeered.
What? That was his problem? "Why don't you let me shove my blade through your shoulder, so we can find out who the whiny one between the two of us is?" I suggested with a sugar-sweet smile.
"I'll have shoved my blade through your heart before you can even attempt to do that, bloodsucker," Guren retorted and the girl with black hair changed her stance.
Shinya laughed and grabbed me by both of my shoulders from behind, trying to shove me forward. "Alriiight~! No one is going to shove a blade through anyone today. Why don't we take a seat in the seating area to talk? It feels a little cramped here between the bookshelves."
His suggestion was met with general agreement though I received many suspicious looks from his friends.
Hoo boy, this was going to be fun.
No matter what was going to happen, I was happy that Shinya had given our friendship, me, another chance. That was the most important thing.
A/N: I hope I didn't go overboard with the romance and fluff in this chapter... Shinya and Vivian are slightly obsessed with each other, lol. I'm still not completely satisfied with the chapter, but yeah. Who was surprised that Shinya is as fucked up as Vivian thanks to growing up in the Order of the Imperial Demons? :D
I've used the newest manga chapters and the light novels as a reference for his reaction and thoughts, so people who have only watched the anime might be surprised after reading this chapter. Shinya is far from normal even if he might seem that way in the anime because his past is never mentioned or shown.
Manga spoilers ahead!
In canon he is also pretty obsessed with Guren, enough to become a demon to save him and make Byakkomaru question him if he was in love with Guren, so I took that behaviour and made it a tad worse because Vivian has known Shinya ever since he was a slightly more impressionable kid and not a teen (he was sixteen when he met and befriended Guren and Guren is kind of an asshole anyway).
Manga spoilers end.
I hope that everyone stays safe and healthy and that I'll see you at the next update! Stay inside and read/write fanfictions and reviews, guys ;) (That's me asking not very subtly for reviews xD I'd like to know what you think about this chapter!)
