CHAPTER FORTY FINALLY FORTY!

As Ran and the others walked up to the red-head's house, he felt a sense of dread overcoming him, suffocating him...

Like he should just make everyone turn back...

But, he couldn't do that now.

They'd already come so far...

It'd taken him so long to find every one to help him with his revenge... that it almost didn't seem worth it now.

"Ran-kun?" Omi asked, his innocent blue eyes staring up at him. "Are you okay, Ran-kun? You don't look very well."

"Hai, I'm fine." he said with a slight smile on his lips.

Nagi looked over at Ran, something was wrong with the older man, but he hadn't known him for very long, but he could tell something was up. He pulled Schuldig over to the edge of the railing of the steps. "Hey, Schu..." he muttered in a quiet whisper.

"Yeah, brat?" he asked with a smirk as he ruffled the brunette's hair.

"Something's up with..." he looked over at Ran, who was still at the door with the others, waiting for them to get back.

"I know, chibi." Schuldig said with a frown as he lit a cigarette, bringing it to meet his lips. "I felt it ever since we... landed."

Nagi nodded quickly, "We better get back over there before they get suspicious. But, check it out for me. Tell Farfie too."

Schuldig smiled a real smile. "I think that he already knows, chibi."

Nagi looked up at Schuldig with a questioning glance. "What?"

Schuldig bent over so he was at eye level with Nagi, though it probably wasn't the best of his ideas. "Farf wants to get in Ran-chan's pants."

The chocolate haired boy's eyes grew wide as he glanced at Farfello and then to Ran, and then back to Farfello. "Are you kidding me, Schu?"

"Nope. He has a thing for our pretty kitty..."

Nagi shuddered and walked back up to the group with a grinning Schuldig in tow. "Are you done now?" Ran asked with a crimson eyebrow raised.

The fair-haired red head gazed up at his castle. Never in his lifetime, had it ever looked so imposing as it did at that moment. "Ran?" Ken called from his spot, "Are we going to go in any time soon?"

Ran didn't have to shudder visibly to indicate to his teammates and former enemies that something was wrong with the man. But, they had spent enough time with him to know that he wasn't willing to admit that something was troubling him, he was just to stubborn for his own good. "Yeah, Ken. We're going in right now."

Ran reached for the door and gave it a hard shove to open it.

The large, wooden door opened after a minute with a large creek to it. The eight men entered the building; Ran's wariness had taken it's toll on the others, causing them to speed up to Ran's pace as the red-head searched for a light switch or a candle.

Farfello stopped in the center of the room, a low growl emitted from his throat.

"What's wrong Farf?" Schuldig asked, searching blindly around the room. His feet kept sticking on the floor, so he had to walk faster in order to keep his shoes.

"Something's off..." the vampire hissed.

The lights flashed on, temporarily blinding the eight men in the room. But, they got their vision back quicker because of their enormous ease with dark rooms.

After the pain in their eyes subsided, the room became clear. It was, or would have been stunningly white, had their not been red paint splashed around the room. "Ran-kun, you need a better decorator. The paint is everywhere." Omi said with a smile.

"It's not paint, Omi." Nagi said with a pained expression.

"It has to be..." Omi muttered painfully. A/N: give them a break! they're still kids!

Farfello glided over to the blonde and grabbed him by the shoulders. "You've been around this long enough, Bombay. Deal with it. It's blood."

"W-what?" Omi asked, glancing at Ran. "What happened here? What was killed?" Worry was etched in his expression. "How long did it take to get here?"

Ran gazed at Omi, "Over a half hour. Not by much though."

Omi ran into the next room, collasping to his knees.

"I... I knew it."

It was the dining hall of the Fujimiya manor. The table in the center was excessively large, it could have held at least enough food for more than a hundred people. Blood was covering the walls and the floors. But, there were only twenty-two seats available. Silver platers with folded cards were in front of the seats.

Ran dashed over to the front end of the table that was closest to him, snatching up the card and reading it.

He cursed loudly, slamming the card back in place, and grabbing another one.

But, this one had a red cross over the contents.

"R-ran-kun? What's going on?" Nagi stammered.

Ran threw a card to the boy. With his powers, Nagi made the card come to him when it started to go down toward the blood.

The card read: Melissa

It had a red cross through it.

He grabbed all of the cards off of the table and folded them together, including the one that Nagi still held.

The boy glance up, "What's that, Ran-kun?" He asked, pointing upwards.

A card floated down into Ran's free hand.

'I have all but you eight.... don't think I can't get the rest from you Rannie. I've killed off a few of them, they were getting boring. But, keep the names, you'll know who's next and who's gone from them.'

"Amara..." He hissed and stormed through the rooms to the front door, throwing over his shoulder, "Are you coming? I won't wait long!"

The others stared in a silent shock for a moment before dashing after him. "We're coming, Ran!"

Once they wre outside, Ran laid down all of the cards onto the ground, face up so that the contents were revealed to everyone.

Ran's eyes went wide at the list that he had made.

Abriel- alive

Gabriel- alive

Platima- alive

Kraus- alive

Rhelex-alive

Hacker- alive

Lucreziachin- alive

Raven- alive

Bree- alive

King- alive

Torque- alive

Cyekyou- alive

Clarissa- dead

Melissa- dead

"Two are dead..." He hissed. "I'm going to kill her myself!"

"W-what do you mean that two are dead, Ran-kun?" Omi asked tearfully.

"Melissa and Clarissa are gone."

"Where did they go?" Omi asked, looking at Nagi.

Schuldig nearly face-faulted. "How did this make it out as an assassin??" he asked the others, pointing at

the innocent blonde.

"They're dead." Farfello explained. "Amara's killed 'er."

Darkness consumed the young blonde.

CHAPTER FORTY END

A/N: I'M KILLING MY BABIES!!!!!!!!!! .