A/N: I would like to thank my readers and reviewers so far for their comments and suggestions. The last chapter was longer than I thought so I've decided to split it in two; this second half will cover fem!Yuu's escape from Sanguinem. Keep in mind that my fic is AU and will have a different version of events from the original canon story. Please refer to the footnotes at the end. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader and editor, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this story possible.
Chapter 5: The Great Escape
"So how do you like it, Mika?" Yuu asked as she watched her blond brother eat. She and Akane had made sure to save Mika two large slices which was all that was left of the two pizzas they had baked only a few hours earlier. Using the stove, Yuu was able to heat it up again fairly quickly before handing them to him on a plate.
"Its delicious" Mika answered as he took one hungry bite after another. "I could never tell that it was the first time you and Akane had made pizza."
"We couldn't have done it without the ingredients and instructions you left behind. So, what did you have to do to get them?" Yuu asked. It was a pointless question, one they both knew the answer to.
"I looked up the recipe in the public library."
"And the ingredients?"
"Don't worry about it, Yuu-chan. Really, it's nothing."
Instead of being reassured, Yuichiro grew more frustrated that her brother tried to brush off the fact that he was basically prostituting himself to a vampire lord like it was nothing.
"It's not 'nothing'!" she said angrily while trying not to raise her voice to avoid waking the others. "You can't shoulder all the burden alone! Next time, we're trading my blood instead."
"No."
Yuichiro stared at Mikaela. His smile disappeared as his expression and tone grew serious.
"What?"
"I don't want you anywhere near Ferid, Yuu-chan. I'm serious. This is something only I can do."
"But…"
"This isn't up for debate, Yuu-chan. And besides, it's not like we're going to be here much longer anyway. I have a plan to get us out of this bleak city for good."
"What do you mean, Mika?"
As if in answer, the blond pulled out what appeared to be a folded-up map from inside his shirt pocket after he stuck the last bite of his pizza into his mouth.
"Is that a map?" Yuu asked curiously, her anger forgotten.
"Sure is" Mika answered happily. "Its a map of the entire city; it even tells us where all the exits are!"
"Are you serious? Did you steal that from the noble?"
"Yeah… Ferid's mansion is huge. It took me forever just to find anything useful. With this, we can easily find our way out of here!"
"But what about the virus? We could die as soon as we get outside!"
"Nah, we won't be infected as long as we're thirteen or younger; that should give us time to find a cure. Any idea how old we are now?"
"Hmm… I'm not sure about the younger kids, but I think we're about twelve or so. Akane is probably eleven."
"You are twelve for sure at least, Yuu-chan."
Yuichiro found herself staring at Mikaela as soon as she heard those words.
"What? And how would you know that, Mika?"
Instead of answering right away, the blond took out another object from his pocket. This time it appeared to be a heart-shaped locket made out of gold with a dazzling ruby in the center.
"Happy birthday, Yuu-chan!" Mika said cheerfully as he walked over to his sister and fastened the chain of the locket around her neck. The ravenette started at the locket in awe; it was the shiniest thing she's seen in Sanguinem in years.
"Mika! Is this real gold? Where did you get it? Don't tell me you…"
But Mikaela wouldn't let her finish. "It will be the last time, I promise you. And besides, you haven't had a birthday gift in years so shouldn't you be happy?"
"I…I am. But how would you know its really my birthday?"
"Well, it's October 16th. That is your birthday, isn't it?"
"Yes, but how can you be sure? None of us have been able to keep track of our birthdays since we have no calendars to tell the days, weeks, and months apart."
"Well, that's easy; Ferid has several calendars in his mansion. I just happened to get a look at one yesterday when I found this map."
"I see… well, I don't what to say…."
"Say you'll come with me when I leave this place! We'll take everyone else with us too!"
Yuichiro was stunned. She didn't want to say "no" after what Mikaela had just given her but was still a bit fearful of what they might find when they returned to the world above.
Upon seeing his sister hesitate, Mikaela smiled mischievously as he finally played his trump card, the one he knew she wouldn't be able to resist.
"Come on, Yuu-chan..." he teased. "You'll never see America if we stay down here forever..." *1*
Yuichiro raised a brow. Damn. He got her. It looked like Mikaela knew her a little too well. Even after all this time, he knew her fascination with the far western country had not disappeared. The books she liked to read about America as well as the fact that she often talked about her desire to go there was a dead giveaway. But before Yuu could answer, they heard the footsteps of someone walking into the kitchen and turned to see Akane in the doorway, looking at them curiously.
"What are you two doing up?" the brunette asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Nice to see you back, Mika. Did you like the pizza?"
"Oh, I loved it!" Mika assured her. "Yuu-chan and I were talking about how we want to go back to the surface and see America."
Akane looked at the older girl in astonishment.
"Oh, really? You still want to go there, Yuu? Well, you do talk about it a lot so it must be great!"
Yuichiro had to hold back a sigh as she shot a glance at the grinning Mikaela. Damn that bastard, he always knew how to seal the deal when he really wanted something. But the ravenette had to be honest with herself: she wanted it too and they both knew it. Still, she tried one more excuse.
"I did want to see America before the world went to crap but how do we know if there's even anything left of it now? We may be the only humans left alive. What if there are no other humans on the surface at all?"
"We'll never know if we stay down here, that's for sure" Mika insisted.
"Are you sure it's even safe for us to leave? What about the vampire guards patrolling the city?"
"I've already thought of that" Mika said with a wink as he pulled out yet another wonder from the waist band of his uniform pants, something that appeared to be a nineteenth-century vintage revolver.
"We should be able to handle any guards we run into with this bad boy. It's an 1874 Smith and Wesson revolver." the blond assured. "But since we want to avoid confrontation as much as possible, it should be used only as a last resort. The map I've brought should be able to tell us the safest route out of the city where we won't be spotted."
Yuichiro stared at Mikaela as if he just grew a second head.
"1874 was a long time ago, Mika. How do you even know if that thing still works since it's so old?"
"I'm sure it still does because Ferid always takes good care of his things" the blond assured. "But like I said, it should be used only as a last resort."
As soon as she heard that, Akane got excited and her brown eyes brightened with hope. "That's great, Mika!"
"Right! We're leaving tonight so go wake everybody up!"
Yuichiro could not help smiling. Now that she was finally out of excuses, there was only one thing she could say:
"Okay, let's do it!"
SSSSSS
Less than ten minutes later, Yuu, Mika, and Akane had the younger children awake and out of the house where they had lived together for the past four years. This was it: they were finally going to leave Sanguinem, the underground vampire city that had been their home (and prison) and make their way back to the world above. Since it was already past curfew, they had to use extreme caution not to get caught by the vampire guards who patrolled the city at night as they navigated their way through the streets and between the buildings.
"Where are we going?" Fumie asked as she yawned and stretched her arms. "Can't it wait till tomorrow?"
"Not a chance", Mika answered, "This is the best time to move, trust me."
"But won't we get in trouble if we're caught?" Taichi asked, his brow furrowed with a hint of worry.
"Don't worry, it won't be long before we're out of the city anyway" Mika assured. As the charismatic "leader" of the Hyakuya orphans, the blond always knew what to say to make his little family feel at ease.
Still, Aiko was curious. "Why? Where are we going?" she asked.
"Tell them, Yuu-chan" Mika answered as he tried to focus on the map in front of him.
"We're going back to the human world where we can have good food every day!" Yuichiro answered in the most cheerful tone she could muster. "And best of all, we'll never have to 'donate' blood again!"
Although the ravenette wanted to believe in her brother since he had never let any of them down before, she could not shake the nagging feeling of doubt and fear that was stirring in the pit of her stomach. Especially since she didn't want to ruin the good mood of the younger children as well as Mika and Akane. And so, Yuu continued to walk behind everyone in silence, deliberately staying at the very back to make sure none of the younger children accidentally get left behind.
"Really? I'd really like to try more western food!" Chihiro said happily before Mika clapped a hand over her mouth and quickly made a gesture for the other children to be quiet as he spotted a vampire guard walk by outside of the alleyway where they had just followed their "leader" in.
Not wanting to get caught, everyone immediately hushed. When the danger had passed, Mika released Chihiro, took a key from the pocket of his shirt, and opened a locked entrance at the end of the dead-end alleyway that was highlighted on his map.
For the next hour or two, the Hyakuya orphans followed Mikalea as he led them through the city's underground sewer system. Considering how complex the sewers beneath Sanguinem were, Yuichiro hoped her brother's map was accurate and he that he actually knew how to read it because they might find themselves in even more trouble if they got lost down here than they would be if the vampire guards caught them out after curfew.
Fortunately, the blond had managed to pull through yet again when the Hyakuya orphans finally reached the "light at the end of the tunnel" as westerners liked to call it. Using the map, Mika found another locked door inside the sewer that led to the main entrance (and exit) of Sanguinem, of all places. Ironically, it was also the entrance that all the livestock children went through when brought to the city by the vampires for the first time. And so far, not one had escaped.
Mikaela, however, was determined that he and his little family be the first.
Yuichiro, on the other hand, wanted to believe it as well. But her feelings of anxiety deepened when she realize that this was indeed the city's main entrance, she was sure of it. Not to mention that they had found their way here far too easily. If the orphans were to sneak out undetected, it would have made more sense to go through a less conspicuous exit and Yuu wanted to say so but she knew they had come too far to turn back now.
Not that any of them would ever get the chance. For as soon as they reached the exit, everyone heard a smooth voice ring through the air, one that Yuu had heard only once but still recognized right away.
"So you've finally come, my lost little lambs! I was wondering if you'd ever show up…"
As soon as they heard the voice, Mikaela and Yuichiro felt their blood almost literally freeze in their veins. The other children, who did not recognize it, merely looked around in confusion until the owner of the voice casually strolled through the gate as if greeting an old friend. But the expression on his face was anything but genuinely friendly. Even the younger kids could see the malicious intent in Ferid Bathory's eyes and felt numbing terror creep up their spines as they huddled together in fear.
"You!" Yuichiro hissed "You're that vampire from earlier!"
Mikaela, who was actually shocked to see his benefactor, stared at the silver-haired noble who looked as if he knew they were going to come and had been near the city's entrance the whole time, waiting for them.
"Lord Ferid?" he gasped.
The vampire lord grinned. The cruel and mocking expression on his face finally made Mika realized that he had been tricked into leading his precious family into a trap.
"Aww…the expression humans make when their hopes are suddenly dashed to pieces! It's so intoxicating, that's why I never grow tired of playing this game!"
Before anyone could say a word, Ferid dashed past them, faster than the eye could see, until he had Aiko in his grasp, his fangs in her throat. In less than a second, he dropped her lifeless body to the ground, the child's eyes still open in a frightening death stare.
"Awe…I just took a sip and she's already dead…" the vampire cooed.
Shocked that Ferid could talk so casually after killing a defenseless child, Yuichiro screamed as she aimed the revolver Mikaela had entrusted to her care and aimed it at his head. The ravenette had never fired a gun in her life but was determined to make a clean shot as she pulled the trigger. If Ferid was an ordinary human, Yuu might have been able to hit him but when the noble dodged the bullet with ease, it reminded her once again that the monster they were dealing with was not a human.
He was a vampire.
"It's no use, Yuu-chan! You'll never be able to hit him from this far!" Mika cried.
"My, my, isn't that my gun?" Ferid asked even though he knew exactly what it was. "Very, clever, Mika! Not only did you manage to steal that map but also my prized Smith and Wesson as well!"
Turning to Yuichiro, the noble said "I'll praise your bravery, my dear, and let you in on a little secret: that map Mika holds in his hands is completely accurate. All you have to do is get past me, and all of you will be home free; once you are outside, it would be very hard for me to follow you. The question is, can you do it? Or will this city be your tomb?"
Realizing that Ferid had no intention of letting any of them leave alive, Yuichiro turned to the other younger children.
"Everybody run! Mika and I will hold him off!"
When Yuichiro saw them hesitate to move, frozen in fear like a deer in the headlights, she aimed her gun in the air and fired.
"GO NOW!" she screamed.
That finally got the kids moving and they started to run, screaming in terror as they spread out in all directions, which might have slowed down a human pursuer, but was useless against a vampire who moved faster than the human eye could see. In a matter of seconds, their world shattered. Before Yuu and Mika could even think about how they would hold off their vampire pursuer, Ferid moved past them faster than they could even blink, slaying one child after another, their lifeless bodies hitting the floor as Yuichiro fired round after round in a desperate attempt to stop him but the bullets were still no match for Ferid's vampiric speed. Soon, only Akane was left.
"No, stop, please!" Mika cried, as if appealing to the noble's sense of mercy to spare at least his last sister's life. The brunette stood before Ferid, trembling in fear, unable to run or even move.
Although Mikaela pleaded for her life, he may as well have been begging a hungry wolf to spare a lamb. No, that wasn't right, for even a wolf was more capable of mercy than the monster before them. As if reading Mika's thoughts, the noble grinned and grabbed Akane, making sure to drink from her slowly so that the remaining two orphans could watch him drain the life from their brunette sister. Akane cried in pain as Ferid's fangs dug into her throat, her hands on his chest in a weak attempt to push him away, but it was futile and she felt herself growing weaker until her eyes finally closed in death and he flung her corpse aside like unwanted trash.
Enraged, Yuu aimed her gun at Ferid as if to shoot him again when she heard Mika's voice behind her, completely devoid of emotion.
"Yuu-chan. Give me the gun. I'll use the last of my strength to distract him. You, at least, have to escape."
Yuichiro stared at her brother as if he had just lost his mind.
"What? You're crazy! You don't stand a chance against him alone! And what if there are no more bullets left?!" *2*
"We don't have time to argue, Yuu-chan!" the blond shot back. And before she could stop him, Mika ran by her and snatched the vintage revolver out of her hands before charging at Ferid like a raging bull. He had never tested it to see if it worked but figured that there was no time like the present.
When he saw the blond boy, who did not even stand to his waist, try to take him head-on, Ferid grinned again.
"Ahh, Mika, I will miss you most of all; your blood was so divine!"
Mikaela ignored the taunt and aimed his weapon at the noble's heart as soon as he was within range but never got the chance to even pull the trigger before Ferid drove his arm all the way up to the elbow into his chest. The pain was unlike any he had ever felt but the blond refused to give up and mustered his strength to try and shoot the vampire lord. Again, Mika did not have enough time to pull the trigger before Ferid used his razor-sharp talons to slice off his arm, causing the gun to fall to the floor.
Instead of running away like Mikaela had told her to, Yuichiro quickly swiped the gun off the floor and charged at the noble in her brother's place.
"DIE LIKE THE DOG YOU ARE!" she screamed as she aimed the smoking firearm at Ferid's temple at point-blank range and pulled the trigger, gambling her very life on the chance that was yet one more bullet left in the revolver chamber.
And there was. The very last one.
After successfully shooting him, Yuichiro tried to make a safe retreat but Ferid managed to reach out with his talons and leave five deep gashes in her back before finally collapsing to the ground, his dark blood and brains splattering on the cold tiles, the bullet leaving a gaping hole going through one side of his head to the other. Not only did the revolver feel as hot as a heated iron in her hand from firing so many rounds in a short span of time, the gashes on Yuu's back were also deep as she found them even more painful than the knife wound her father gave her the night he tried to kill her. But Yuichiro was determined not to pass out and rushed to Mikaela, who was lying in a pool of his own blood as their family laid dead all around them. He was alive but the way things are looking now, it won't be so for long.
"Mika…what have you done?" she asked, her voice breaking as the tears she had been holding back started to fall.
Although her back felt like it was on fire, Yuu's concern for Mika held the pain at bay as she draped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him into a sitting position, his blood staining her white uniform shirt crimson. Yuichiro felt that this tragedy was more her fault than her brother's for not voicing her fears and suspicions earlier. No matter what Mikaela said, she should have tried harder to at least convince him not to take this dangerous escape route, let alone pull off a kamikaze attack.
"This is all my fault, I should have said something earlier…" Yuu wailed.
The blond looked at her with glassy eyes as he struggled for breath.
"I'm sorry, Yuu-chan. You're safe now. Please go…while Ferid is down" he said weakly, knowing full well that a single bullet was not enough to kill the vampire lord who had just massacred their family.
"I can't just leave you! We were going to see America together, remember?!"
Mikaela glared at his sister as he used his remaining arm to shove her away from him; Yuichiro was shocked that he still had the strength to do such a thing in his state.
"Just go, you idiot! Please… you can see America for me. Now go…"
When she saw the pleading look in her dying brother's eyes, Yuichiro knew she could refuse him nothing. She may not be the smartest person in the world but it didn't take a genius to know that Mikaela's wounds were fatal and that there was nothing she could do to save him. If she stayed behind, he would die anyway and Yuichiro would be caught and brought back to Sanguinem for sure.
And this time, she would be completely alone, making everything they suffered and lost for nothing. So with a heavy heart, Yuu leaned over Mika and brushed her lips against his, her tears falling onto his face. Although he still breathed, she could still feel the coldness of death setting in and will surely claim him in a matter of moments.
And so, the ravenette told her adopted brother and best friend what he needed to hear while he still can.
"I love you, Mikaela. Good-bye…"
After taking one last look at Mika, Yuu finally turned and ran through the gates of Sanguinem.
Alone.
As soon as she was gone and out of earshot, Mika managed a weak smile.
"I love you too, Yuu-chan. I can rest easy knowing that at least you are safe…"
As soon as the words left his lips, the blond heard footsteps indicating that someone was approaching, possibly Ferid's vampire guards. Not like it mattered. He was dying anyway; there was no way the bloodsuckers were ever going to take him back to the city as livestock.
Unfortunately, what fate had in store for Mikaela Hyakuya was much, much worse…
SSSSSS
Yuichiro Hyakuya sobbed as she forced herself to do the hardest thing she had ever done: leave everything and everyone she knew for the last four years behind as she ran past the gates of Sanguinem and made her way back to the world above, a world she had not seen since she was eight years old. In just a few tragic moments, the girl had lost everyone she had ever loved. And on the night of her twelfth birthday, no less.
As soon as Yuu made it to the outskirts of the vampire city, she stopped and looked around, her breath hitched in her throat as she felt the cold night air hit her face. The moon and stars were clearly visible in sky, indicating that it was still nighttime. Though how late, Yuichiro had no idea, especially since she had no way of telling the time without a watch. As Yuu looked around, she was shocked to see that there were some buildings from a nearby town still intact in the distance, so much that she barely noticed the biting cold from the air and snow that blanketed the ground and covered the trees. That, and the fact that she did not drop dead from the virus as soon as she ventured outside like she thought she would.
"But what am I supposed to do now?" the girl thought in despair. Even though she had made it to freedom, Yuichiro realized that she was completely alone. For all she knew, she could be the only human alive on the surface world. If that was so, then what was the point of her survival?
Before Yuu could ponder the thought further, she heard a masculine voice behind her.
"So here you are… just as the prophecy foretold."
Alarmed, Yuichiro spun around and aimed Ferid's vintage revolver, which she still carried, at the owner of the new voice out of instinct. As soon as she did, Yuu saw what appeared to be a tall young man in his early twenties accompanied by two young women of the same age. All three were dressed in black military uniforms with matching winter coats. The sight of the trio bewildered Yuichiro since she believed all the adults perished years ago. And these people looked like they must have been over thirteen years of age when the epidemic struck that fateful day.
"Who are you?" she demanded. "I'm not ever letting you take me back to that hell-hole alive, do you hear me?!" The gun Yuichiro held in her hand was now empty of bullets, but she knew the strangers had no way of knowing that and made a bluff. *3*
At the sight of a mere child aiming such a deadly weapon at him, the young man actually looked surprised and his two female companions prepared to draw their own weapons when he made a gesture for them to remain at ease.
"Relax, kid" he assured. "We're not vampires and we have no intention of taking you back to Sanguinem. Quite the opposite, actually."
"Oh really? And how do I know that? All the adult humans were killed when the virus struck years ago!" Yuichiro retorted harshly.
The stranger sighed before pulling down the hood of his coat, revealing his face. Upon closer inspection, Yuichiro could see that his eyes were violet, not red, and that his ears were round, not pointed.
"Is this the proof you require that we are not vampires?" he asked calmly.
At his que, his two companions pulled down their hoods as well. One was a young woman with honey-brown hair pulled into a bun while the other had black hair with blunt fringes that she wore down. Neither had red eyes or pointed ears.
"You have nothing to be afraid of, child", the honey-colored haired woman said gently. "We will not harm you."
Yuichiro lowered her weapon. "Who are all of you?" she asked again as she managed to calm down a little. "And what do you want from me?"
The older raven-haired woman gave her a blank look
"Well, for starters, you can put that gun down before you hurt someone." she said bluntly.
Embarrassed, Yuu complied and allowed her arm to drop to her side though she did not let go of her only weapon in case her rescuers were not as benevolent as they appeared. Her cautious move did not go unnoticed by the young man and he smiled before finally introducing himself.
"My name is Guren Ichinose. And this is Sayuri Hanayori and Shigure Yukimi. You are a child of the Hyakuya Sect, aren't you? How would you like to help us get rid of the vampires, kid? All of them?"
Yuichiro stared at the man who called himself Guren for a moment before finally letting her gun drop and approached him. As soon as she was close enough, the girl hugged him, the sudden movement making him fall over into the snow. In a rare display of pity that was normally uncharacteristic of him, Guren returned her embrace. That was when Sayuri finally noticed the injuries on Yuu's back.
"Sir, the child is hurt!" she exclaimed as she moved closer to examine the still-bleeding gashes that appeared to have been inflicted by a wild animal even though she knew very well that a vampire was more likely to the be perpetrator. *4*
"What happened to you, boy?" Shigure asked, her brow furrowing in concern as she removed her own coat, ignoring the biting cold she was now exposed to, and draped it over Yuu's shoulders. So this Shigure was not as cold and uncaring as she appeared after all. *5*
Shigure's gesture finally made Yuichiro remember that she had five deep gashes on her back inflicted by Ferid's razor-sharp talons. The cold had numbed the pain and made her forget about them completely until they were mentioned by Sayuri. She also remembered that her livestock uniform was stained with blood, both Mikaela's and her own.
"It's…a long story…" Yuu answered as the exhaustion from the day's events finally took its toll on her body.
"I see. Well, you'll have plenty of time to tell us later. Right now, we need to get you someplace safe and treat your injuries before they get infected" Guren said as he wrapped Shigure's coat more securely around Yuichiro and picked her up bridal style, making her blush.
For she finally noticed for the first time that her savior was quite handsome with his sharp and refined features as well as spiky hair that was as black and glossy as her own. On top of that, he also stunning violet eyes that reminded Yuu of the starry night sky.
But the girl didn't have time to think on it much before Guren proceeded to carry her away from the city with his other female companions following suit. For now, Yuu did not worry about where they might take her and she honestly didn't care as long as it wasn't back to the hell-hole whence she came. So exhausted was Yuu that she almost fell asleep in Guren's arms before he spoke again. *6*
"By the way, boy, what's your name?"
"Yuichiro…" she answered weakly. "Yuichiro Hyakuya."
"Yuichiro? That's a nice name. I'm sure it suits you…" Before he could say another word, Guren heard a soft snore and could not help but smile when he noticed that the child he rescued had just fallen asleep in his arms. Sayuri also noticed and smiled as well.
"Poor thing… he must have been through so much…" the honey-colored haired woman said softly as she gently stroked the child's soft messy hair.
"I can tell, it's quite obvious" Shigure agreed, her own eyes softening with concern.
"It's a miracle he can even fall asleep with such a terrible wound. Are you sure he'll be ok, Guren?" Sayuri asked, her voice laced with worry. *7*
"He'll be fine. The injuries do not appear to be serious. Especially not if he still had the strength to aim a weapon at us and demand that we state our identities" Guren answered dryly.
Sayuri and Shigure looked at each other for a moment, unsure of whether or not their superior was trying to be funny when Guren spoke again.
"We should get going. Dawn will be upon us soon."
"Yes sir" the two women answered in unison.
And as Guren Ichinose predicted, the trio could see the sun starting to rise in the distance as night finally gave way to dawn. For them, it was merely the start of a new day. For Yuichiro Hyakuya, it was to be the start of a new life, a new existence.
One she must face without her family.
Footnotes:
1. In my AU, fem!Yuu has a fascination with the United States of America and it is one of her biggest dreams to go there someday.
2. In canon, male!Yuu only fires Ferid's gun twice, one to scare the orphans into running away and one to finally shoot Ferid. Fem!Yuu fires several rounds in an attempt to stop him from massacring the other kids before she finally succeeds in shooting Ferid.
3. In my AU, fem!Yuu does not trust Guren so easily after she escapes and pulls her gun on him before demanding he state his identity. Male!Yuu does not find anything suspicious with Guren (though he should have) and hugs him right away.
4. In canon, male!Yuu makes it out of Sanguinem without a scratch. Fem!Yuu was injured by Ferid. This will be important for my future chapters.
5. Shigure Yukimi is a very quiet and reserved character and normally does not speak much, preferring to let Sayuri do all the talking. But in my fic, I felt like I just had to give her a few lines in this chapter. I might make her a bit more talkative in future chapters as well.
6. Since male!Yuu was not injured after escaping Sanguinem, he was perfectly fine to leave with Guren, Sayuri, and Shigure on his own two feet. But fem!Yuu was injured and weak from pain and blood-loss in my AU so Guren decided it best to carry her.
7. In the LNs, both Sayuri and Shigure refer to Guren as 'Master Guren' but I just prefer to have them address him a bit more informally for my fic.
