Heart of the Melting Blood
The Moonlight Legend

Written by: Lone Wolf NEO
Conceived by: Lone Wolf NEO

Disclaimer: Lone Wolf NEO does not own any of TYPE MOON titles, Guilty Gear or any of the games, anime, movies, books and the like that are the property of other people. All original characters in this story are his creations and property. All insert characters are copyright or owned by their respective represented real-life entities. The author would appreciate it if the content of this story isn't plagiarized without his permission.

For new readers: the setting is in the timeline after the events of Shingetsusan Tsukihime, FATE/Stay Night and Melty Blood. This is the sequel to the earlier instalment of Heart of Melting Blood RELOADED, and runs roughly in parallel with Sheo Darren's The World Within and Without. Please refer to the two stories for background information.

Chapter 03
Encounter of Another Kind

The golden ray of the sun pierced through the curtains, waking Alex from his sleep. Stirred, he covered his eyes, lazily woke up from the bed and walked toward the window. "It's morning," he whispered and stared outside the window. Admiring the beauty of the morning glory for a while, he shrugged and walked toward the bathroom. Just then, he was greeted by Hisui who was carrying meal into the room. "Well, at least you could've knocked the door, Hisui," he uttered and chuckled.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you're going to take a bath," the housemaid apologized.

"Now, now, you don't have to apologize," he uttered. "So what's for breakfast? I bet it'd be something worth cooking."

"Bacon and fried egg," she spoke and walked toward the table. "Please serve yourself while it's still hot, Alex-san."

"No problem, and thanks for cooking the meal," he uttered. Hisui just bowed in response and walked out of the room, leaving him with the meal. He chuckled and approached the table. "Heh, the first proper meal I have in a while," he uttered. "Itadakimasu."

He felt his pants being pulled. Intrigued, Alex turned around and could only smile at what he saw. "Why, hello there," he spoke and chuckled. "Let me guess. You're Ren, right? Good to see you." Ren just smiled and took a seat beside him. She pointed at the breakfast and pulled his sleeve. "What is it, Ren? You want some?" The girl nodded and took a piece of the bacon. Alex just watched, as she bit it and smiled in gratitude.

He muted. The memory he had with the woman he called Hikaru reappeared. The vivid image of the woman flashed back in his mind, knocking and teasing every door of his remembrance. Not only her, but also the children he met and befriended at the solitude village before the tragedy struck.

Again, he felt his sleeves being pulled. He glanced at Ren, noticing that she was staring at him in droopy eyes. He could only chuckle and softly patted her head. "You think I'm sad, huh? Well, sorry for that. I'm being emotional sometimes; but don't worry about that. Okay?" he assured.

Ren just nodded and smiled.

"Anyway, I think I must excuse self. I got to finish my breakfast and take shower after this," he told her, "so can you spare me some privacy, Ren?"

Ren nodded and jumped off the chair. She playfully approached the door and waved at him before walked out of the room.

x-x

"Good morning, everyone," he greeted as he walked into the living room.

"Ah, good morning, Alex-san," Hisui replied. "I can only hope you enjoy the meal I made."

"I did. That was my first proper breakfast in a while," he spoke and showed her a thumb up. "This is what I can say for now."

Hisui blushed. "Th-thank you, Alex-san… I'm so glad to hear that" she replied and frowned.

"No one can beat Hisui-chan when it comes to cooking," along came Kohaku's voice as the woman approached her twin sister. "She's the best cook you can rely on."

"Miss… Kohaku, right?" Alex asked in a guessing tone.

"Aw, please, you can call me Hisui," she replied and laughed.

Alex just laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I'm sorry for that. I can't keep myself from being formal with people."

"And so," Kohaku uttered, a foxily grin carved upon her face, "I bet that you're waking up early because you planned to take Sion for a date. Right?"

He coughed. "I wouldn't ask that if I were you, Kohaku. And I don't think the idea of a girl dating a strange guy she met by chance straightaway is appropriate at the-"

Kohaku chuckled. "And yet we already know how close both you and Sion-chan are," and she made apostrophe signs with her fingers at the word "close." Alex could only laugh in embarrassment, not noticing that Sion was already standing behind him, lasso pulled out.

"Alex…" she called out his name, her voice filled with murder, "then you don't want to take me for a date? You know messing with Atlasian alchemist is a no-no, don't you?"

Silent. The twin housemaids, the purple alchemist and the former soldier were glued on their place. "I almost forgot; I thin I left something at my room," the latter uttered and quickly rushed back to his room. Sion growled in dismay and yelled at him yet he was already at the upper floor to hear her.

"Geez, what's with him today?" she complained.

"Now, now, Alex-san just wants to be friendly toward us," Kohaku told her and giggled. Sion glowered at the maid, her eyes burning in anger, as if she was telling her to stay away from him. "You know, those outwardly-tough-but-inwardly-soft types."

"Are you trying to…" She gasped in surprise when Arcueid suddenly tackled and groped her. "St-stop it, Arcueid! What the hell are you doing?!"

"Aw, Sion-chan is too embarrassed to speak with Alex," Arcueid squealed and tightened her grope. "Come on, why don't you be more open with him?"

"Arcueid, stop groping me!" she cried and furiously blushed at the increased pace of the "massage".

"Booyah! I won't stop it until you say you want to date Alex," Arcueid teased, as a pair of cats ears popped on her head. "Come on! Say it! say it!"

Sion snapped in anger and pushed the True Ancestor away. "That's it! You're humiliating me! I shall not spare you anything at all," she declared and loaded her handgun.

"Aw, our mistress Sion is too shy to admit. Nya!" she mocked and stuck out her tongue. "Piidah!"

"What's going on here?" along came Shiki's voice, as he and Akiha walked out of the reading room. A medium-sized sweat popped on his head when he saw the cat-and-mouse chase. "Arcueid, Sion, stop it," he demanded and folded his arms, "both of you are embarrassing yourself in front of Alex. Stop acting like kids, and behave."

"But Shiki, Arcueid groped me!" Sion cried and pointed at Arcueid's face in despise. "She… she… she was trying to embarrass me in front of Alex!"

Shiki glared at the pretentious Arcueid. "Were you, Arcueid?"

"Aw, did I?" she declined and foxily laughed, much to Sion's dismay. "I was just telling her to admit her feeling. Was that wrong?"

Shiki coughed and corrected his eyeglasses. "But that doesn't mean you can't…"

"Can't I?" Arcueid asked and gave the scion of the Tohno family the feared "Bambi eyes." Shiki tried to resist the temptation of the cutely gaze she gave and backed away from the True Ancestor. Beside him, Akiha grumbled and elbowed him on the midsection.

"Oniisan, now you're disgracing yourself," she insisted.

"But Akiha…!" Shiki replied in protest.

Just then, Alex walked down the stairs and headed toward the living room. "Guys, I think I should take a tour around the city. Will any of you…" He muted. What he saw was not he had expected, and he would not like to comment on it. "Guys, I don't this is the best time to argue over this matter, so…"

"BUT WE DO!" the rest of them yelled and continued their argument. Alex just shrugged and excused himself when Sion seized him on the arm.

"You're not going anywhere, Alex," the purple alchemist growled.

He gulped at the murderous sight of Sion. "Err… what did I do?"

"You're the reason behind all these!" she growled and tightly hugged his arm. "I don't want to be embarrassed in front of you!"

Again, Arcueid laughed and pointed at Sion's embarrassed face. "Aw, our Mistress Sion now goes boo-boo. I'm so jealous," she mocked. Sion hissed in annoyance at the mock and withdrew her handgun.

"Oh, great. When I expected today to be a bit peaceful…" Alex uttered and sighed.

x-x-x-x-x

It was an exciting day for Alex, as he had managed to persuade Sion to become his guide tour. The reason was quite simple: Shiki suggested that the two of them should go along together and not bother what the people think about them. Thinking that it was an opportunity for the two of them to know each other better, they were suggested to go out as a couple, which was overseen by Arcueid as a perfect chance in 'encouraging' the twos.

"I don't mind if I have to take you for a tour," Sion spoke as the three of them walked down the street, "but why must you let Arcueid tag with us? And why must you buy her ice cream?"

"Come on. It's not that bad to have her accompanying us," he insisted and warily glanced at Arcueid who was enjoying ice cream. "Well, I think she won't be a bother if we can keep her busy with ice cream."

"But I don't want to!" Sion cried and quickly seized his arm. "I don't want her to… to… I don't want her to do that again! She's trying to harass me!"

Alex laughed at her childish response and patted her head. "You know, the way you behave clearly shows that you're more like a sister than a girlfriend."

"Hey, watch it!" she squealed and roughly elbowed him. Alex swiftly evaded the attack and jumped away from her and opened a defensive stance. "Tease me again, and no ice cream for you, Mister Alex."

"Ow, Miss Sion doesn't want to buy me ice cream," he replied and made a pouting face.

She lost her patience and pulled out the lasso. "Alex…! Come back here, you…!"

Arcueid laughed at the couple and continued eating the ice cream when she saw two people walking toward them. "Aren't those…"

"Arcueid?" Saber spoke out the name in surprise.

"Saber?" Arcueid replied in excitement approached the couple. "Hey, it's really you! Good riddance, what are you two doing here?"

"What do you expect to see from us, Arcueid? We're visiting this town," the blonde girl answered and laughed. "And what are you guys doing here anyway?"

"We're having a tour," Arcueid answered and pointed to Alex who was evading Sion's overhead kick. "We have a new guy in the house; an ex-acquaintance of our old buddy Kiba."

Saber and Shirou watched at the 'quarrelling' couple. "Okay, I know this doesn't sound right, but what are they fighting of?" Saber asked.

"Well, Alex is asked by his 'girlfriend' to behave or he won't have ice cream," Arcueid told them and highlighted the word girlfriend with her hand sign. "I mean, Sion-chan is already in love with Alex, and yet she refuses to admit it. What a grief."

"ARCUEID!" Sion yelled at her.

"See? I've told you so," the True Ancestor answered and shrugged in amusement. "So, Saber, Shirou, what are you planning to do next…?"

"Oniichan!" A pair of lithe arms seized Shirou's arms from the behind, as Illiyafiel playfully tackle-hugged the man. "I've found you, oniichan!"

Shirou choked from the tight glomp the young girl made. "Illiya-chan! Don't do that again!" he gasped and tried to flee from the cutely embrace of death.

x-x

There she was, on top of the tower that stood proudly in the center of the town, gazing down at the people below her. Covered in the dark blue robe, and holding a spear in her hand, she was staring at the scene down under for a while, as if she was a guardian sent to watch the earth. Her golden eyes were burning in passion, as if she was foreseeing an upcoming future.

"Mistress." She did not respond to the call, as a group of people appeared from the thin air and stood not far behind her. "The commander has issued us to take your order from now on. You are now our leader."

The woman chuckled. "Even the Six Great Judges are now joining me. Why would he sit behind the scene and send in his best elites?"

"At least, you aren't alone in this wolf-hunting season, Mistress," a person who carried a huge axe spoke. "But commander says that it's up to you to let us help you. We are merely following his orders."

The woman merely breathed out and positioned the spear in a standing position. "I cannot help it when it's a request from the commander himself. Very well. Rage."

"Yes, Mistress," the axe-wielding person replied and grinned.

"Echo."

"Haii," a young girl in monk uniform calmly answered and resumed her prayers.

"Longbow."

The man whose battle crossbow was holstered on his shoulder laughed. "I'm here, milady. I'm always here."

"Spike."

A man in with goatee and a rapier walked forward and tossed a red rose to the woman. She fetched the rose and sniffed it in admiration. "You are as beautiful as the flower, my lady. The flower is only for you." She giggled to hear the man's speech and tossed the air. In the blink of an eye, the flower was sliced into tiny pieces as a metal blade suddenly cut through the air. The man from earlier was startled and grumbled at the newcomer.

"Put the argument aside, Spike. And please don't surprise the people with that entry, Blaze."

The person in dark ninja suit landed on his feet and bowed before her. "Forgive me for my rudeness, ojousama," he spoke and jumped toward the group.

The woman stooped her head. "It seems that someone from among you is missing. Where is he?"

"Ojousama," the little girl called her and lowered her praying hands, "Lens-sama asked me to convey his message. He's unable to join us in this meeting because he's occupied with his task."

The man with the goatee snorted. "Again? He must be building another defunct machine. When he will ever learn, that Lens?"

"Silence, Spike. You're disgracing the Mistress," Rage insisted. "And now isn't the time to argue over this matter."

"It doesn't matter, because with the Six Great Judges here, the lone wolf shall never escape his judgment day," the woman in robe answered and turned to them. Her golden eyes sparkled brightly as she calmly gazed at them.

"Let us begin."