Hitsuzen Attraction

S. Hawk: I'm back with a brand new story.

Y. Hawk: (Read transcripts) What kind of story is this?

Ichigo Neko: An action/adventure with a twist of romance thrown in.

Y. Hawk: I know that! I was asking why someone would actually write this story.

Ichigo Neko: He is really bored and he can't think of a way to update his current stories.

S. Hawk: Okay, let's get past this already.

Ichigo Neko: I agree. S. Hawk owns nothing.

Prologue

Journal Entry #4207

Tonight was another one of those nights. I went on the hunt with Mai as usual to find ourselves surrounded by the Prince of Lies's vampire gangs. Things were looking bad for a while there until Kaiba and Yami decided to intervene. They helped us turned the tides long enough for us all to escape. Lucifer decided that sending squadron after squadron of soldiers will eventually wear us out. Unfortunately, he is right. I'm not sure about the others but I need a rest. Yes, Mistress Nightfall needs rest and I'm taking it. I don't know why but I'm reminiscing about how this all started. I can't believe that it was only a few months since I first met everyone. What a story that would be…

Shizuka's Tale

"Stop that! It tickles!"

Shizuka was laughing her head off as her editor tickled her outside her apartment building. Her editor, Miho, was a close friend to Shizuka. Miho looked pitifully at her friend. Shizuka was a world famous novelist and in Miho's opinion, a total wimp. Miho has tried to get Shizuka out to a gym for the longest time now. Shizuka promptly refused each time saying that she has enough exercise and that she wouldn't want to hurt anyone in the gym. Miho didn't buy the excuse but she didn't push Shizuka either. Shizuka was an enigma to Miho and everyone else. As long as Shizuka could put out bestselling novels, Miho wasn't going to complain.

"Seriously Shizuka, you should get out more and toughen up. What would you do if you were attacked?"

Shizuka looked like she was stifling a laugh. Miho wondered what was so funny about what she just said. Miho shrugged it off as Shizuka being goofy as usual. Miho didn't have time to deal with Shizuka's weirdness. Miho said her goodbyes and left. Shizuka sighed wearily wishing she could have told Miho the truth. She wished she could have told anyone the truth.

Shizuka opened the door to her apartment and walked inside. The apartment had a quaint feel towards it with all the soft colors within the room. Shizuka painted the entire room a faint purple color with very lightly colored objects decorating the room. Her attention was drawn quickly to the pile of mail at her table. Apparently, Ishizu Ishtaaru (1), her roommate, picked up the mail and sorted it out. Shizuka went to the table and began reading the mail. The first several letters were from talk shows that wanted to interview her about her newest novel, Unspoken Lies. She had to decide which, if any, of the shows to appear upon. The letter that drew attention immediately wasn't addressed to Ms. Shizuka Kawai; it was addressed to Mistress Nightfall. Only a select few knew her double life as Mistress Nightfall, the lone vampire huntress of the Church of Illumination (2). She tore open the letter to see a bloody cross and a piece of paper with writing in blood. The words on the paper were "God Sees All" and "Do Not Defy the Catholic Church Anymore". Shizuka shuttered violently at the letter and threw it into her fireplace. With a flick of her wrist, the fireplace erupted with a might flame. Shizuka was sweating violently as she felt for a certain book on her bookcase. The book opened up a secret passage behind the wall.

The room Shizuka now entered was not as calming as the other. This room was covered with cases full of weapons, mystical artifacts, and body parts of several demons. This was her war room; the room that holds Shizuka dark persona: Mistress Nightfall. Shizuka looked over several of the items until she stopped at a book on a pedestal. This book was her mother's Book of Shadows. Shizuka inherited the book from her mother when Shizuka's familial home burnt to the ground with her mother inside. The memory of that day played in Shizuka's mind.

Flashback: Several Years

Shizuka was a very young girl playing with her toys by her mother in the kitchen. She heard some voices coming from down the road. Shizuka was curious about it when she saw her mother's eyes grew huge. Shizuka heard her mother mutter the words "it's too soon" and "I have to keep her alive". She watched her mother run into the next room and returned with a huge book. "Shizuka, this is my Book of Shadows. It is yours now and you must protect it with everything that is holy and good in your arsenal. I know that you do not fully understand yet but you will. They will show you the way. Remember this always, Heaven loves you and what you stand for. You are its angel of the night and do not listen to the words of the Proud Prince of Lies. Lucifer will try to persuade you to his side as he has done with several members in the Catholic Church. I know what you are thinking my child. The Catholics are not our enemy; they are merely being used by Lucifer because they are too proud to realize the truth. Do not hate them for their flaws as we do not hate ourselves for our flaws. You must live so that the future has a chance! I will save you by sacrificing myself to these foolish people. Goodbye my dearest." Shizuka's mother kissed her on the forehead and shoved her into a cross of pure light. Shizuka watched in horror as the door was kicked down and several men approached her mother. The men had evil glint in their eyes as they began to search the house and question the lady of the house. After several minutes of fruitless venture, the men grew ravenous and began to fulfill their lust with Shizuka's mother. She did not fight back as it was pointless to do. She knew that this was her last night on earth. The police report read that Shizuka's house caught on fire due to a bad electrical system. The body of her mother was severely burnt and no traces of Shizuka were ever found. Shizuka knew that her mother's sacrifice would not be in vain and Shizuka began her training at the Church of Illumination…to avenge her mother and all the good people on this world.

Back to the Present Day Story

Shizuka moved pasted the book and looked at the items on her desk: a crystal cross and a unique katana. She knew the story behind these items too. She didn't want to relive these memories but they were a part of her. The parts that made her into the person she is now. Without these events, she might have lived a happier, normal life.

Flashback: Several Years

This was several months after Shizuka's mother's sacrifice. She had arrived at the Church of Illumination with the Book of Shadows in her hands. They welcomed her and they taught her the ways of being a child of the light. The most welcoming part of this experience was that her brother was here. Her mother and father were separated because her mother couldn't be with a man that doesn't understand the important her magick in this world. He thought of it as nothing but superstitious nonsense. In the end, he had her brother Katsuya and her mother had Shizuka. How Katsuya came to this place is a story he best tell. The two of them were a happy family until that fateful day in the fall.

A man approached the church and demanded that his son be returned to him. The man was Shizuka and Katsuya's father. The man was ready to become violent if the kind people of the church didn't return Katsuya to him. Katsuya didn't want to go back with the man and he made his opinion heard. The man slapped Katsuya into a case and told him not to interfere when adults speak. In a moment of pure rage, Katsuya grabbed the item closest to him and drove it deep into his father's heart. The item Katsuya grabbed was the Lance of Longinus and the holy item was now tainted by the blood of his father. Katsuya dropped the lance and began to stutter an apology. He knew that it was too late and that he has broke a law of the church: No one may take the life of another living person no matter the situation. Katsuya ran out of the church as fast as his legs could carry him. He didn't get far before a very handsome creature appeared before him. "Come with me child and I will show you your true destiny." This creature was very alluring and Katsuya followed him. The people at the church tried to stop them but the beautiful creature threw them aside like they were rag dolls. Shizuka heard the men say "don't follow the Proud One" and "come back to the light" but Katsuya was gone…forever.

Shizuka returned to her dying father and she listened to his final words. "Shizuka, is that you? You have grown so big my precious little girl. I haven't been the best father to you or Katsuya and I'm sorry for that. I have spent years trying to understand your mother and that has made me less tolerant of you two. That is no excuse but it is all I have to offer you. Wait, I have something your mother gave me. I want you to have it. It is a crystal cross. Your mother told me once that 'God created seven crystal jewels and placed them in the night sky to protect the humans upon the earth. Six of the jewels were stolen by the hordes of the Proud Prince and the last jewel was given to humanity to keep safe. It was kept safe until the day that Christ was crucified and his blood was caught in his Holy Grail. Few people know that the jewel also caught the blood and it transformed into a crystal cross in his name. It is the same crystal cross that you now hold. Please, keep it safe for the essence of Christ is in your hands.' I'm not sure if she really believed that or not but I give it to you now my dearest. Goodbye, my child." He had no more words for her and he drifted into the great abyss that calls to him. Shizuka now has lost all her family to the darkness. Her mother, her father, and her brother fell to the Proud One and she knew that it was up to her to avenge them all. With the cross held close to her heart, Shizuka wished in the name of all that was holy to give her the strength and discipline to defeat "He who fell from Heaven". It was her only wish to untarnish her family name.

The high priest of the church witness the incident and he called Shizuka to him. He knew the fire in her eyes was against Lucifer and he knew that she would do anything to right this injustice. He told the others to continue her training. She trained harder than before and eventually the day came when she had mastered her craft. It was also the day the Morningstar decided to wipe out his competition. With a huge army at their call, Lucifer's officers attacked the Church of Illumination. The church fell under such a strong force. Shizuka and several others were force to flee for their lives. Shizuka knew that she had to survive or else everything she learned would be for naught. When she neared an escape route, one of the officers blocked her way. Shizuka didn't know what to do until a sheathed sword was thrown to her feet. She looked to the source of the throw. It was the high priest. "Shizuka! The sword at your feet is the holy sword, Sword of Hell. It was the only sword ever created by Lucifer while he was in the service of the good Lord. It is a powerful blade and you should use it in the name of purity. I know you can do it, Shizuka!" The high priest didn't get to tell her more as a clawed hand ripped through his chest.

Shizuka grabbed the blade and unsheathed it. The officer unsheathed his sword too. Shizuka stood in her stance of Wakigamae while the officer stood in the Chudan stance (3). It was apparent to all that Shizuka was being defensive and the officer going on the offensive. In a flash, the officer charged towards Shizuka. He feint a direct thrust and turned for a quick sideward slash. Shizuka anticipated his move by turning her sword vertical and dropping her center towards him. The metal clashed and the officer used the rebound to spin a reverse downward strike into Shizuka's shoulder. By sheer speed, Shizuka used her tsuka gashira (tip of the sword handle) as a guard and parried a slash upwards toward the officer's eyes. The officer used his speed to avert being struck in the face. However, the sword struck the strap of his face guard to reveal her true opponent. In a moment of utter shock, Shizuka dropped her guard and the officer slammed the mine end (dull end) of his sword against her head. Her opponent was Katsuya Jonouchi, her brother. It was her worst fear becoming real; she was fighting against the very person she was trying to save. She tried to reason with him but to no avail. She had to use all her skill to dodge his attack and in a self-destructive move, she launched herself into Katsuya and vaulted out a window. The window Shizuka vaulted out of was one of the highest windows in the church. She would have been killed if she didn't cast her first true holistic spell. Her mother's book told her that for holistic magic to be used, Shizuka must be pure and depend on it with her very essence. As Shizuka fell, her heart opened to the entire world and the words "wings of angels" barely passed her lips. In a setsuna of a second (1/75 of a second) before she hit the ground, Shizuka's wings appeared and glided her along the ground. She was so close that her chest was actually scraping along the street and she went. She flew up and watched as another home she knew was burnt to the ground.

Present Day

Shizuka took a deep breath at that memory and she gathered her items she will need tonight. She placed the crystal cross around her neck, she placed the katana in her belt, she placed the handguns in their holsters, and she placed her memories in the back of her head. She was ready for the hunt and she headed towards the wind. It was a gentle breeze that welcomed her to the night and she leapt into it with the words "wings of angels" upon her lips.

The hunt was on.

Mai's Tale

Mai Kajaku was in a very interesting position. She was in her bra and panties swinging on a stripper's pole while several men gawked and hooted at her. She knew this was an embarrassing situation but it was her job. She devoted a lot to her job, no matter the cost to her pride. She eyed her target now: a rich, overweight, mean-tempered bastard of a CEO of an international company. She walked across the strip club towards her prey. He eyed her lustfully as she came closer and closer. She reminded herself it was only for the money that she was doing this. Mai climbed on the man's lap and straddled the guy. It was obvious that the guy was very aroused by Mai and he was ready to burst when Mai pulled her move. In a blink of an eye, Mai grab the CEO's necktie and pulled it towards her. No one noticed that Mai had drawn a knife from her ankle and she thrust the blade into the man's chest when she pulled the necktie towards her. To be fair, how often do guys look at the feet of a woman in her bra and panties?

Before anyone figured out just happened, Mai hurried herself back behind the curtains. She headed towards the locker room and changed back into her normal clothes. Mai heard the shouting of several men and she decided this was a good time to leave. Mai climbed out the window in the bathroom area of the locker room. She nimbly landed on the hood of her "borrowed" midnight blue Mustang, climbed in the driver, and high-tailed it out of there.

Mai contacted her employer and told them that the hit was complete. The money was being wired to her offshore account as she sped down the busy road of New York City. One of the perks of being an international hit-woman is that the employers will pay top dollar to hire her service. That requires first class tickets to the place where the hit will be needed. Mai has travel all over the world and she didn't have to pay a penny in travel cost. Mai loved being an assassin but she still had one other job that she held dearly: the job of being a vampire huntress. Mai looked at the cross hanging from her rearview mirror and she remembered her past.

Flashback

Mai was only a little girl when her parents sent her to the convent. They wanted their daughter to be pure as they could not be. Mai's parents were associating with vampires that have overrun the company that Mai's father worked at. He wanted to save Mai and only this action could accomplish that feat. He knew that his wife and he were too deep to ever be redeemed. Mai was the only part of him that could remain pure.

The nuns at the convent took excellent care of Mai. She grew into a lovely young woman when tragedy struck. The vampires that ran the company decide to attack the convent. Many of the nuns were slaughtered in the event. One nun in particular was killed and she was Mai's surrogate mother figure. The nun told Mai that "no matter what happens, keep God in your heart forever". Mai has not forgotten those words.

Mai hid from the vampires and manage to escape. She dedicated her life to avenge those nuns and she knew that she needed training to accomplish this. She joined a covert government agency known only as "Weapon X" to improve her skills. They taught her everything she knew now and she used their training to help eliminate the scum of the world: may it be human or not. Her code name is Bloody Valentine.

Present Day

Mai's thoughts were interrupted by an incoming e-mail. The e-mail indicated that the employer want to use her skills to eliminate a person. The target was in a small city in Japan known as Domino City. The target of her hit was the world-famous novelist, Shizuka Kawai. The pay for the hit was beyond excellent and Mai couldn't give up on a bounty this big. Mai sent an e-mail indicating that she was up for the job. She race towards the airport to catch her ride to Japan.

Kaiba's Tale

Seto Kaiba looked over the remains of priest he had killed and he laughed. How simple a kill that was and the priest barely put up a fight. The church that priest was protecting was now open to all creatures. Kaiba longed for a real fight but Lord Lucifer needed him here. He would fight for his Prince of Lies, not out of loyalty but out of revenge. Kaiba remember that his brother's death was the fault of the would-be civilized Catholics. His cousin was imprisoned by those same holier-than-thou people. He remembered how he became the vampire that stood upon this fallen church now.

Flashback

It was over two centuries into the past when this event occurred. Kaiba was the cousin of a very powerful lord of the land. Kaiba could and did have anything and anyone he wanted. His brother was by his side at all times before the tragedy struck. The palace that the Kaiba brothers and the Lord of Shadows were staying at was attack by the Catholics. They killed all the guards and set fire to the palace. Mokuba, Seto's brother, was caught in the fire and could not escape. Seto knew that he couldn't have save Mokuba so he ran away. Kaiba heard about how his cousin was captured and executed. The Catholics decided to taunt him by placing a soul-sealing curse upon the lord. The Catholics didn't believe in the curse so it surprised them that the Lord of Shadows's soul was imprisoned in a puzzle.

Kaiba had lost his entire family that day and when he felt as if the world has forsaken him, a beautiful angel appeared before him. "Seto Kaiba, I am the Lord of Hell. You may call me Lord Lucifer. The Catholics has killed your family and I offer you revenge against them. I can give you power and the skill needed to avenge their deaths. All I ask in return is that you serve me." Kaiba's mind was so full of hatred that he agreed immediately to the Dark Lord. Lucifer turned him into a day-walker vampire: a vampire that could walk around in the light without fear of combustion. With Kaiba by his side, Lucifer destroyed many cities over those two centuries.

Present Day

A raven flew towards Kaiba carrying a note. It appears that Lord Lucifer has given Kaiba the fight he longed for. His opponent is the infamous Mistress Nightfall. He was warned that the Prince of Lies has also sent Bloody Valentine to kill Shizuka. Kaiba could care less for a pathetic human like Mai. Kaiba had a fight to prepare for. In a moment notice, Kaiba rushed towards Domino City.

Kaiba didn't notice as a werewolf followed along at a much slower pace. The werewolf was Hiroto Honda. He has a grudged against all the creatures that serve Lucifer and against humans. His live was ruined because of that werewolf that bit him. Honda swore that he will make every creature for his unhappiness. His targets are Mistress Nightfall and Kaiba. The only problem he faces now is that he couldn't find either one of them. He heard rumors of them and he knew that kill those two would be a huge blow to both sides. Honda didn't expect to see Kaiba in person or that Kaiba was going to lead him to Shizuka. Now, Honda only had to keep up to the ultra fast vampire lord. That may be a problem considering he already lost the guy.

The palace of Hell

"Well, my co-rulers. The players are assembling on the playing field. This might be an interesting battle."

"Yezzzzz, Thizz battle will be fantazztic! How will you keep Mzzz Kajaku from reaching Mzzz Kawai firzzt?"

"Azazel! Beelzebub! I value your counsel but I have this all worked out. I have sent my general to stop Ms. Kajaku. I'm sure he'll handle her effectively. My main concern is that Tengu that follows Katsuya around. He does nothing but gloats and get in the way! I'm sure everything will go according to plan."

"You are depending a lot on luck, Lucifer."

"Nonsense Azazel, I depend upon destiny more than luck. If it was meant to be, it will be. As you can see, I have kept an eye on the other players while you two were focusing only on the three."

Lucifer showed the other two co-rulers of Hell his mystical mirror. It reflected the images of several people one after another. Some of the people seemed to be in distress while others were scared out of their minds. The Prince of Lies smirked and assured the two that the situation was completely under his control. After all, Shizuka, Mai, Kaiba, and the others didn't understand their true destinies yet.

A/N

(1) The name Ishizu Ishtaaru is actually a combination of both the English and Japanese name of Ishizu Ishtar/Ishtaaru Isis.

(2) The Church of Illumination really did exist but not in the way I portrayed it. The real Church of Illumination was the headquarters of a group of scientist known as the Illuminati.

(3) The five main sword stances are Jodan (sword lifted overhead), Chudan (cut to middle level), Gedan (low-level, downward/sweeping block), Hasso (sword held vertically, hands shoulder-level), and Wakigamae (horizontal guard position). Katsuya had a stance that made him ready to attack head-on and Shizuka had a guard position.

S. Hawk: This ends the prologue.

Y. Hawk: The battle clouds are coming in.

Ichigo Neko: This is going to be very violent!

Chaos: I can't wait! Please R & R.