Chapter 5: To Lose Something Precious
"I thought if I showed you I could fly, wouldn't need anyone by my side. Now I'm running backwards. With broken wings I know I'll die. I'm running blind."
Running Blind; Godsmack
"Chief Konoe! We heard–" Watari called as he slammed open the door–only to find the Chief gone. He looked down and saw a small feather. But this one wasn't white. Instead, it was black. "Where could he have gone off to?"
"I know . . . " Tsuzuki spoke up. "I know exactly where he and Lucifer went off to." He picked up the feather and twirled it in his hand. "But I want everyone to stay here . . . this is my fight and mine alone."
"But-" Hijiri started to protest but was quickly cut off.
"No, Hijiri. This isn't between you, me, Hisoka, Watari, and Lucifer. It's just between me and Lucifer." Tsuzuki stood back up and started to walk out, but he was quickly caught by Watari's hand pulling on his shoulder.
"No. We're going to help."
Tsuzuki looked back at him with his blood thirsty eyes then shrugged his hand off. "I said I don't need you." He hissed him and walked out of the room and soon the Bureau. He pounced in the air and flew off. He flew and looked around for the tall Tokyo Tower because he knew that it was the place that Lucifer was going to be. And he was right.
"Now, Chief. You will witness the fall of your Tsuzuki." He grinned and ran a finger down his face, burning his skin. He had Konoe tied up to the pole with a tight wire that could be bent like string.
"Lucifer." He heard Tsuzuki call out to him. Lucifer smiled as he turned around. His wings had changed. They were now black instead of white and his eyes had changed from golden to blood red.
"Welcome, Tsuzuki." He tucked his raven like wings behind his back. "I've been waiting for you."
"Well, here I am." His feet landed on the cold cement top of the Tokyo Tower. "Why here, Lucifer?"
"Don't you remember?" he kept his cunning smile. His feet carried him toward Tsuzuki. Toward his partner. "This was the place that you and I first met and the place that we first shared a night with each other."
"I remember well." His face went dark in the yellow sunset. It seemed to make him look demonic. Like he wasn't Tsuzuki anymore, but someone else. The cool breeze tossed his hair to the side and tickled his nose. The fresh scent of blood filled the air and he knew where it came from. Lucifer. "You've been on a killing spree?"
"I was getting ready before a fight. Preparing for you if you didn't join was important because then, I would have to kill you." The angel circled him and looked him over as he did so. He stopped behind him and allowed his wings to overlap Tsuzuki's body once more. He turned to face him in the opposite direction of the rising blood red moon. "Look, Tsuzuki. The moon brings out the vampire in each of us. Stained in blood, the vampire rages on. Until the day he himself is devoured. The Red Moon rules all, right?"
Tsuzuki gasped and looked up at the rising red moon. He seemed memorized by the gorgeous look of it. It was high in the sky panted with yellow, orange, and crimson. But then a sudden heat filled his entire body. His heart began to pound hard.
Thump thump thump . . .
He could feel it hard in his chest and throat. His veins felt like they were bleeding and on fire. His pupil became very tiny, almost as if it wasn't there. Somewhere within that blue iris, was a growing pupil. He bit down hard on his bottom lip as fangs began to appear.
"That's right Tsuzuki . . . " he watched him as he transformed within his arms. "You're a vampire. A blood thirsty demon. Just like me . . . "
I have a vampire . . . inside me. He gave off a deep growl and a bright light filled him. It was so bright that Lucifer had to let go of him to shield his eyes.
As Lucifer brought down his arm to see Tsuzuki, a growing grin appeared on his lips. Tsuzuki's darker side–his vampire had arisen. His eyes were blood shot with red and his pupil looked as though it wasn't even there. Two long fangs overlapped his bottom lip and black talons formed on the tips of his fingers. "How beautiful . . . "
Tsuzuki looked up, panting hard. His breathing rate had increased after wasting so much energy on the transformation. That energy was regained through his demon side.
"This is your first feed . . . " he pointed to the Chief with a grin. "Have all the fun you like with him."
Tsuzuki grinned devilishly. He sluggishly walked over to the old man, taking raspy breaths.
"Tsuzuki! Snap out of it!" he cried. It was no use. The demonic side of Tsuzuki tilted his head back forcefully to reveal his bare and pale neck.
"You're right . . . old people's blood taste like shit anyway." He turned to Lucifer with a grin. "Your blood will please my whistle greatly, Angel." He laughed and left the old man to be but not without cutting at his neck first.
"You want to feast upon my blood?" Lucifer stood still and showed no fear in his eyes. He waited until Tsuzuki was close enough to run a finger down his cheek. It burnt it horribly and deeper than any other burn he had given anyone.
"Yes . . . " the new Shinigami seemed to not show any signs of pain from the burn. He reached over and tilted his head so that he could reach his neck. The vampire opened his lips to allow his fangs to dig into the gentle flesh.
Before he could go any further, lightening shocks circled around them. They quickly looked over and saw Hisoka chanting a spell. Not just any spell. A paralyzation spell.
"Quick! Hijiri!" Watari shouted to his friend standing next to him. Hijiri was holding the violin and a lighter in his hand. "If the scriptures on the violin are true that when the violin is broken and tortured the way the possessor does to others, you will die when Hijiri breaks and burns the violin."
"No . . . " Lucifer pulled back and glowered at them. With a demonic growl, he dashed forward with his arms stretched outwards to reach for the violin.
But, Hijiri had already bashed the violin to the ground and threw the lit lighter down into the crumpled pieces. Lucifer had missed and ended up burning his hand in the process of trying to scoop up the violin.
"May you burn in Hell." Watari said. He looked down at him with fire in his eyes for all the things he had done to the Ministry, tortured victims, and even Tsuzuki.
"My violin . . . " Lucifer spoke as though he was clearly fine. His red eyes were widened to their fullest. It was until then did they realize that his eyes weren't widened because he was dying. They were widened because he lost his violin . . .
"What . . . ?" Hijiri asked. He stepped back a little because he was afraid that the vampire would strike him first. He was the one who burned the violin after all.
"You broke my favorite violin, you little bastard." The demonic angel snarled, bearing his ivory fangs and stood up. He quickly clenched the boy's neck and dug his fingers deep into it. It burned deep cuts into him. It was as if he was trying to burn his neck in two.
A larger body quickly knocked Hijiri out of his grip and him onto the ground. "I want your blood . . . " the person howled and pressed his lips to the back of his neck. Lucifer bucked his hips up to him and knocked the large body from his own easily.
"Tsuzuki?" Hisoka asked. He knew what was going on when he saw his nails, fangs, and heard his blood thirsty words. He had taken the transformation of the vampire. His eyes darted from Tsuzuki to the moon. The Red Moon! He quickly pulled out a basic fuda and tossed it in the air. This paper fuda created a large electric orb. This one was large enough to block out the moon's rays from Tsuzuki for the time being. But the thing was that it took energy to keep up.
The old Tsuzuki had returned to normal with another glow. He shook his head as he stood back to his feet. "What happened?" he asked as he looked around. He knew right off the bat what had happened when he saw the burnt violin, Hijiri chocking, and the orb in the sky.
"Tsuzuki!" Watari called to him. His voice was shaky and showing his fright greatly. "We burnt the violin and broke it but it didn't work!"
"You actually believed that crap?" Lucifer broke out into laughter. He too had returned to the normal state with white wings and golden eyes. "The violin isn't apart of me. You fools!"
Isn't apart of him . . . ? Those words shot through Tsuzuki's head. Wait! He remembered Lucifer talking about how he was made. Made out of the souls of others! If he took one soul away, he would send Lucifer back to the violin. Without a violin, he had no where to go and his soul would wander down to Hell where it belonged. But where was he going to find a still living soul . . . ?
"Hijiri!" he shouted. He ran up to him and grasped his arm harshly. He pulled him away and jumped off of the roof of the Tokyo Tower and flew with him in his arms. "Hisoka, Watari! Keep him busy! I've got a plan." Were the last words they heard from Tsuzuki before turning to the angel and preparing for the worst.
"Listen, Hijiri . . . I know this sounds a little awkward but you have to . . . to die." Tsuzuki's words came out soft and gentle. He was trying to keep calm as much as the others. His words only made Hijiri scream and struggle in his arms. "We have to destroy your soul in order to destroy Lucifer!"
"But I don't want to die!" Hijiri screamed and slammed his hands to Tsuzuki's chest. "I want to LIVE!" tears started to leak from his eyes. He knew this was not a 'yes' or 'no' decision. This one went one way. Yes.
"You have to, Hijiri! I'm going to give you a quick and painless death . . . okay?" he raised his voice now. He was almost yelling at the already frightened boy. He took a deep breath and let it all out in one puff of air. "I'm sorry. But you have to understand."
"I do . . . but why me?" he pressed his face into Tsuzuki's chest and sobbed. He allowed his tears to flow faster as he felt the Guardian of Death against him. He was happy to see him, but his day had turned out to be a nightmare.
"You are the only soul left alive that is apart of Lucifer." His feet touched the grass. They had reached the Hall of Candles. It was located on the outskirts of Purgatory. It is the house of records of every human life. He pressed the teary-eyed boy close to his chest. "I'll bring you back as soon as I can. I promise." He whispered those comforting words to him and Hijiri nodded. Tsuzuki slammed the door open and rushed in. He had to make this as quick as possible for Hisoka and Watari's sake.
"It's quite rude to barge in like that." A voice boomed out around the hallow and open room. Billions of candles were lit up and it was so bright, it was almost blinding. "Oh-Tsuzuki!" he sounded interested now. Down the stairs, came a floating half mask and pair of white gloves. It was clearly shown that this 'count' was invisible. "And you've brought a human?"
"Count. I need to put out a life." Tsuzuki said in his usual calm tone. He kept calm so as not to get on the count's bad side. His look was serious. Shadows flicked over his face which made him look more crucial.
"This boy's? Hijiri Minase's?" he ran a finger down Tsuzuki's face and tilted his chin up so that he could get a good look at those eyes–the eyes of a killer that he adored so much.
"Yes." His voice took a sudden change. It was full of guilt. It sounded as if he had already killed Hijiri.
"Very well. Follow me then." He turned around and waved to him as a signal that he wanted Tsuzuki to follow him out. Tsuzuki obeyed and started to walk back behind him. They walked stairs upon stairs with candles upon every step. Some of the flames stood tall while others were slowly fading and some even flickering and trying to hold on for life. "Here it is." He said and pointed to a lonesome candle in the corner of the room. The candlelight burned tall regardless to its loneliness.
Tsuzuki looked at the dancing flame and nodded. He sat Hijiri back to his feet and stroked his hair back. He wiped the tears away from his cheeks and kissed them away from his eyes. "Remember my promise."
The violinist nodded and watched Tsuzuki lean over to candle. He cupped the flame around his fingers and drew a deep breath. Hijiri clenched his eyes closed tightly. His heart pounded fast in his chest. He wasn't ready to stand in the line of death. With one breath from Tsuzuki, Hijiri was passed out on the ground . . . dead.
A solitary tear escaped Tsuzuki's eye. He felt sorry that he took life from someone who wanted to live. He would live up to his word and help Hijiri back to the living. "Keep him here until I say otherwise." His tone was angry for some reason. He was angry at himself for killing one of his friends. But he had no other choice. He left the room and the mansion without another word.
"You're so weak . . . " Lucifer said as he slapped Watari down and kicked him hard in the ribs. Both Watari and Hisoka were down on the ground, bleeding terribly. Watari had no way to defend himself without fuda so he could only sit there and watch as he got the beating of his life. As for Hisoka, he couldn't waste energy on Lucifer. He had to keep up the electric ball for Tsuzuki's sake.
"We may be weak but Tsuzuki's going to take care of you . . . " Watari spat up some blood as he spoke his words. His hand was gripping his side tightly in his fists. By the way he was bleeding from his mouth, he knew that a few of his ribs had broken.
"Tsuzuki is in no position to-" a mouthful of blood spilled out from his mouth. The angel fell to his knees and started to cough up some more, gagging up as much blood as he could get in one round. "What . . . ? What's happening?" he felt his giant wings break off of his back. They fell to the side of him then got back up with a new possessor. This new owner took the form of a transparent Hijiri. Lucifer's eyes shot open in surprise. "An angel . . . ?" he asked. The angel just smiled sweetly to him and touched his cheek. He bent over and kissed his forehead. Blood tears dripped from his eyes before they closed. He fell to the ground with a smile upon his lips. He felt his life passing slowly away until his heart and all his body functions gave out on him.
Tsuzuki . . . there is a vampire in us all . . . but that kiss was not from the vampire. But from me . . .