Interlude: Mukami Brothers

or

Impressions of the 'Lilith'

Eden reflected the heart of its master. It was aptly named, Ruki had always thought. Though this world was that of demons, and its god the unparalleled king of vampires that gave him and his brothers their second life, Eden was always beautiful. Paradise on earth was no exaggeration, not to describe the home that had been given to him.

Even now, as it shook and shuddered, and the winds howled through its gardens, it was beautiful. Wild, almost like someone precariously teetering on the edge of a precipice, but beautiful in a fragile, uncontrolled, untamed way, though Ruki could find nothing but worry in himself despite that.

It was blatantly obvious what that meant, regarding the heart of its master. All the residents in the demon world knew that Ruki's master had lost his composure, and were the times less chaotic, it would have meant lesser beings would dare to try baring their fangs towards a god.

Ruki picked a flower, its petals velvet-like and bright with a red color. The plants still bloomed healthily – just no longer in their neatly organized places, but with a frenzy. As if nature itself wanted to swallow the order that had been rooted into Eden with its chaos.

The servants worried, and Ruki could not blame them, not when he held the same anxiety in his heart, but his master was calm.

No, not calm, because if he was calm, then Eden would not be like this. But he was unperturbed by the chaos in his heart. He seemed to enjoy it, rather.

"So this is love," Karlheinz noted, looking over the changed Eden with wonderous eyes, as if it was a sight to behold. Wonder was unfamiliar with his master, as wise and knowing as he was old, and so Ruki held his tongue and silently stood on standby as the king went to pick a single white rose from the bush that had grown out of control.

"What say you, Ruki?" Karlheinz asked suddenly, after having turned the white flower in his hands a few times.

Ruki hesitated for a moment, but he was always obedient to the man who gave him everything.

"I am worried, master," he confessed.

Karlheinz laughed. "Quite, I'm sure. You always were thoughtful."

He pinned the rose above where his heart would be and sighed, and Ruki thought he heard Eden sigh with him – a sound soft and full of wistfulness, yearning, and a touch of sadness.

"Even unrequited, love is beautiful," he wondered to himself. "I am glad I was able to see this sight, before I die."

Ruki, obedient, good servant that he was, silently gritted his teeth and bowed his head to hide the pain.

As those who were originally humans, the four of them had a disadvantage in their starting points.

If they wanted to pay back their master for everything they received from him – and what they received from him was, truly, their everything – then they had to strive and excel, prove to Karlheinz that his decision was not wrong.

Kou learned everything he could. Magic. Charm. How to interpret what he saw through his magical eye.

Only once did he see a certain emotion stir within his master – when he personally taught them about the lore surrounding the mother of demons, the first night.

"And from her came the original seven, and from them the First Bloods that led to the other races in the demon world."

The Wolves. The Adlers. The Vibora. And, the Vampires. That which they had become by the grace of their benefactor.

Kou felt the magic in him, the strength that came from the blood that changed him, the blood of the vampire king and all his might and power.

It was hard, even with the eye, to fully read his master's emotions. In part it was because of how composed he was, always. Serenity was the default, and there was no reason for that to change. Another reason was that Karlheinz was too powerful, for his eye to dare fully read him.

But this anomality was so strong that it shone through even the limitations, and Kou marveled at the strength of it, even as he was confused at the nature he read.

"Her name was Lilith," whispered Karlheinz, eyes dreamy.

Desire. Worship. Awe. Longing.

. . . Love.

"And she was the most magnificent being in existence."

When Eden shook and Kou caught sight of the same emotions in his master's heart with his eye, Kou couldn't help but wonder, and that same curiosity filled him at the news that he had given such a title to the woman he sent them to serve.

Kisaragi Saya was cold. Working in the idol industry, Kou saw what only confirmed what he had known since he was a human – that there was darkness in humans as well. Not the darkness of demons, the one that signified magic, but darkness of hearts, evil and greed.

But even that was fueled by desire, a want, and it made it easy for Kou to practice the rule of life – give-and-take.

With Kisaragi Saya, whose eyes were devoid of want, Kou didn't quite know how to approach her, and he wondered, even as he tried with his brothers to even land a single blow on her.

Why leave her with them, and not spend time with her?

Five fought, but only one heart was beating – a steady heartbeat not hastened by exertion or fear or even exhilaration, as if this were nothing more than a leisurely stroll through the park. Kisaragi Saya had a heart, and it beat, but she was not human, as evidenced in her strength and speed, superior even to four vampires. Perhaps that was why she could not be the Eve to their master's Adam, but still.

Why not court her, why not pursue her with the same cunning and planning, the endless patience and devotion he gave to the plan? Why not make this Kisaragi Saya his?

Kou rubbed the face that made magazines sell like crazy. Nothing was broken, but everything was aching.

What was so special about her, that Karlheinz thought of her with the same emotions he held when he spoke of the first night, the progenitor of demons?

Yuma wasn't sure what he expected the Lilith to be. A seductress? Someone opposite of the Eve, maybe, who would shake up Adam like the serpents had originally been planned to tempt Eve.

When Kisaragi Saya stepped into the car, Yuma's first thought was that she truly did fit the role. He might only have a short bit of human memories from the amnesia, but it meant that most of his memories in life were that of a vampire, no matter how definite and decisive his origin as a human. Demons were physically attractive by nature, meant to lure out the prey with their appearances, and humans proved themselves as suitable livestock by falling for it.

Even to his eyes, used to the demon world and its residents, she was gorgeous. She definitely had the figure to be the seductress, and after mentally comparing her image to that of the Eve's, Yuma silently thought that Adam, whoever was chosen, might be pretty shaken up by her presence alone.

Although she was more dead-eyed than he expected. That was a turn-off – because she might be beautiful, even for demon standards, but physical hotness only went so far.

After a few questions that Ruki answered smoothly, she fell silent and stared out of the window. Since Ruki wasn't pressing or making conversation, Yuma and the others followed his lead. The car ride was quiet, and Yuma focused on the white noise of the engine and her heartbeat, steadily thrumming a beat.

Later, when his perception of her was changed yet again and he was aching all over, in body and in pride, Yuma found only the smallest comforts in the fact that at least his plants were safe.

For vampires, it was said, the greatest expression of love was to die together, or by their lover's hands.

Maybe he was still too human despite everything because Azusa did not want Karlheinz to die. He gave Azusa life, family, and meaning. It hurt Azusa, and all of his brothers, that all they could give back to the man was their meager aid in his plans, but that was the difference between them. Karlheinz was too great, and so the best they could offer him was themselves to be his willing pawns. They could never be equals, to give the king something equivalent to what he had bestowed.

They could never give him meaning to life, never be what he was to them.

It was a pain unlike the ones his friends gave him, one that left him feeling truly helpless, and so Azusa mourned.

In that sense, the beatings that the Lilith of the New Adam and Eve plan gave him was satisfying. Every blow felt like a punishment. Even when Lady Saya held back – and she did, Azusa could tell, adjusting her strength just so that they were thrown back but could still get back on their feet without serious injury – it was a silent chastisement towards his uselessness, a punishment he deserved.

Lady Saya was methodical in her ways, and there was nothing personal behind her eyes or her lesson. From the woman that his master bade them to obey, Azusa took the pain she dolled out gratefully, because he deserved it.

When he first heard of the plan for the New Adam and Eve, Ruki was jealous. Of Adam – one of the six 'true' sons of Karlheinz, who had his blood. Of Eve – the girl who would be given everything and would never know what it was like, to suffer.

The change of plans their master spoke of raised Ruki's hopes for all of a few minutes before they were crushed. There was no change in what he wanted – that is to say, his death – but Karlheinz now added a new factor.

"We cannot have Adam and Eve without Lilith."

For all that their master was the 'god' of vampires, even he spoke reverently of the progenitor of demons. Whoever was important enough to be given such a title in this critical plan, Ruki realized, was important to Karlheinz.

And yet Kisaragi Saya, with her blank eyes and uncaring attitude, with a beating heart, with an admittedly impressive strength and eerily glowing red eyes that came and went in battle, was not enough to change Karlheinz and his path.

Unrequited love – the king of vampires, suffering from such a thing, was ridiculous. Unbelievable.

Impossible, Ruki would have said once upon a time.

But it was true, from his master's own lips, and so Ruki could not help but resent Kisaragi Saya, for not returning his master's love.

If you returned it, Ruki thought, keeping his words silent and fueling his attempts to hurt her. He could not hurt her the way she hurt his king, and so he sought to hurt her physically, to draw blood, break bone, cause pain for the sacrilege she was to his god.

If you returned it, then he would want to live. Why can't you return his love, why can't you change him to want to live on?

Each attempt she dodged gracefully, as impossible to catch as the wind slipping between his fingers – much to Ruki's rage and frustration – and she retaliated with ease, as if they were nothing but uncoordinated five-year-old children. They could not so much as touch a hair on her head first. It was always her landing the blow, or retaliating against their attacks with greater strength backing her own attack.

When their time was up, all four of them were on the ground, out of breath and strength, sore all over. Kisaragi Saya looked down at him, not even out of breath. Her hair was only slightly mussed from what it had been in the car, and that was because of her dodging and moving, not by anything they'd done.

Her eyes were blank. His, Ruki was sure, was full of hate and resentment and blame, accusing her of the greatest crime.

Kisaragi Saya said nothing – perhaps because to her, who could even ignore the desperate love of the vampire king, Ruki's emotions were even less than nothing.

And Ruki hated her, so very much.