As the Shinoa squad and Narumi were about to be killed by JIDA soldiers, a powerful blow sent them away. The dust vanished to reveal Mikaela Hyakuya. The blonde stood ready and imediately shouted at them :
"Do you think it's time to daydream ? Hurry !"
Shinoa nodded and put her weapon away. They imediately started running.
"We will survive together. And come back."

After a while of running, they found a car in a road.
"That will make things easier !" exclaimed Shinoa.
"I will drive," suggested Mikaela. "Humans need their rest."
"I hope you're a better driver than Baka-Yuu."
"Guess it was not the first time Yuu-chan crashed in a pole."
"Crashed in a pole ?" said Kimizuki. "He almost rolled over me."
Mikaela could imagine it.

Once the car ready to go and everyone seated, they started. Mikaela was in the driver seat, the still unconscious Yuuichirou sitting next to her. Since vampires didn't need to sleep, the girl drove the whole way. Her vampire hearing caught part of the humans conversation.
"Who is the vampire and why are we with her ?" That was Narumi.
"Mika-san is from the same orphanage as Yuu-san. They're childhood friends." Shinoa's voice.
"So you trust her on that basis ?"
Even for Mikaela, this was a question she needed answer to. They didn't know her.
"We trust Yuu-san. And the family's family is our family. Mika-san is one of ours."
Mikaela couldn't believe it. She knew how blind trust ended. She lost her family because of her own childish naivety.

The night was spent on the road. At the back, the 5 humans slept. Next to her was her precious Yuu-chan. Seeing those demon horns gave her an uneasy feeling. 4 years she thought only about finding him. 4 years strucked in the place she hated, with the very one responsible for her pain. Yet, Yuu still seemed out of her reach. Even if he was right there.

The morning came. Groanings alerted her that the humans were awakening. All safe for Yuu. Mikaela stopped the car at the first conveniance store. There were toilets and food for the humans.
"Mika-san is not coming ?" Yoichi asked the vampire.
"Vampires have no need for those. I will stay with Yuu-chan."
Which she did. While the humans took care of their businesses, she watched the black-haired boy. Yuu had grown, he was now taller than her by a whole inch. But his eyes were still the same.
"Yuu-chan…" she murmured while caressing his cheek. You have to wake up. I don't want to loose you too."
Tears that she thought had dried out fell from her eyes. Eyes that were now at the color of blood.

Mikaela managed to regain her cool by the time the squad came back. It was time to continue. Where were they going ? The answer was unknown. All they knew was that they needed to keep their distances.
"Mika-san ?" she heard Shinoa call.
"What ?"
"We need food, it's true, and thank you for remembering. But you too will need to feed eventually, right ?"
She seemed careful as she spoke. Almost afraid.

Mikaela's hands tightened on the wheel.
"What is that supposed to mean ?" she asked through gritted teeth.
"What are you going to do about blood ?"
Even if that was bold to ask the blonde since she didn't trust them yet, this was necessary.
"What ? Worried that I might bite you in your sleep ?"
"Worried about you. I can guess that Yuu-san was the one to offer you his blood. But now…
Mikaela was starting to lose composure.
"Now what ?" Mikaela couldn't repress the anger boiling in her. " Yuu-chan is not just a source of blood for me ! Don't talk about what you don't know !"
"I'm not saying that. But, you would certainly not want to take blood from him in his current state."

Mikaela managed, though barely, to calm down.
"I will wait."
As if she would admit weakness to these humans. She wasn't a pet they needed to feed. Her need for blood was none of their concern.
"I've been doing just that for years," she said to herself.

They travelled a little longer and found themselves near the sea. The town near it had a few stores and they chose to park the car there. Their refuge ended up being a small seaside house. They walked in. Safe for the dust everywhere and peeling paint, it seemed good. They couldn't be picky. Not when they were just a bunch of deserters with no real home.

Narumi put the still unconscious Yuuichirou on a bed in one of the rooms. They then proceded to some clean up and looked around the house. Mikaela was quiet the whole time and kept her guard on. Don't trust anyone. She lived with that in mind when working with the vampires. The only one that mattered to the blonde was the unconscious boy. To protect Yuu-chan, she would do anything.

"Hey, kid," Narumi called to her.
Mikaela turned to look at the young man but said nothing.
"I guess kid works. If you really are the same age as Yuu and the others. Or maybe it's just a conveniant lie to you."
Mikaela simply strugged.
"Believe what you want. I didn't say anything to them. Ask Yuu-chan when you can."
"Yuu-san is the one who told us the story." said Shinoa. "About how they ended in Sanguinem and how they tried to escape."

Narumi imediately believed it, knowing that Yuu was not a convincing liar. The part about being 20 sounded fishy. Never mind make such an elaborate lie.
"But how did you turn into one of them ?"
Mikaela sighed.
"Our escape attempt didn't go as planned. I was at death's doors when the vampires found me."
She then murmured:
"I was not given the choice."
When Krul turned her, she didn't actually accepted "no" as an answer.
"I am 16, both physically and really."

Everyone looked at the blonde with septical eyes. Though they knew that she was as old as them, if she had been turned 4 years ago…
"I kept aging until now due to only drinking blood from the one who turned me : Queen Krul Tepes."
"The Queen ?" exclaimed Yoichi.
"What do you mean until now ?" Narumi asked.
Then Shinoa remembered.
"Your eyes were blue before. Even back then, when we let you escape. Which means …"
"Yes, I drank Yuu-chan's blood. It was never part of the plan. He wouldn't listen until I did. "
"What plan ?"
"To warn him about the experiments that we were subject to in the past. You saw it at the airport."
"My sister…"
"Okay, how do you know about those "experiments" and what can you tell us about it ?"

Mikaela then explained what she knew. The Hyakuya sect, the children that bad become monstruosities and that she had to kill to put out of their misery.
"The human army played a part in those."
"Then, what…" started Kimizuki. "What about my sister ? How do we change her back ?"
Mikaela looked away, silent.
"I don't know."
Kimizuki felt a cold dread.
"What do you mean "You don't know" ? You know about the experiments, don't you ? How do we turn her back to normal ?"
He grabbed the collar of the vampire's black shirt, eyes furious. Mikaela didn't seemed impressed. She simply blinked and freed herself.
"What I said. I learnt about the experiments but not how to turn a Human into a Seraph, or reverse it."

Kimizuki was left insatisfied and growled.
"You damn leech."
"Whatever."
Shinoa spoke in order to calm the situation.
"We're better stay here until we find out about what to do. For now, let's lay low and try to get along."
"Fine."
"Alright, but don't think I'm doing it for you. Everything is for Yuu-chan's sake."
Shinoa smiled a little.
"If you say so."
She felt like the blonde vampire would warm up to them, eventually.