Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is an alternate version of the Shibuya/Shinjuku arc with differences from the original; please refer to the footnotes at the end. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible. Enjoy and please review!

Chapter 3: Thou Shalt Not Befriend Hooligans

October 19, 2020

Absolutely boring.

Was Yuichiro's thoughts on her history lesson. Her teacher, a young man in his early twenties was nothing like the older, more confident teacher she remembered during the brief time she was able to go to school like a normal child after her parents passed away and she was left in the care of the Hyakuya Orphanage. Yuichiro also found it difficult to take a teacher who was barely older than herself seriously even though she did show all of them the proper respect that people in their position warranted.

Even so, the ravenette had to resist the urge to yawn as her history teacher went through the origins as well as cause and effect of the American Civil War. Yuichiro already knew the answers to all the material he was covering for the upcoming test, having read many books on U.S history and culture while she was still living with Guren, Sayuri, and Shigure. If it didn't look so disrespectful, the girl might have fallen asleep right at her desk.

"How boring…" Yuichiro mumbled as she placed an arm on her desk and rested her cheek in her hand, not realizing that she had just spoken her thoughts out loud.

Her teacher, whose ears picked up Yuichiro's unintended complaint, turned around slightly and looked towards her direction.

"Hmm? What was that, Miss Hyakuya?"

At the sound of her teacher's voice, the girl finally realized that she had let her disinterest slip past her lips.

"Forgive me, sensei, I merely spoke my thoughts aloud" Yuichiro answered politely as she looked at him with a bored expression on her face.

The teacher narrowed his eyes at Yuu, his expression clearly doubting the sincerity of her apology.

"Is that so? If I heard right, you claim to find this lesson boring. Why is that, Miss Hyakuya? Could it be that you already know what I'm going over? If I were to give you the test right now, would you be able to pass it?"

Yuichiro smirked at the older man's challenge. She knew he intended to intimidate her in front of the class by assuming she was ignorant of the material. And while Yuichiro had no problems listening and paying attention when she really needed to, the ravenette saw no reason to do either if she already knew what was being taught.

"Of course I can, sensei," Yuichiro answered coolly, using the same subtle mocking lilt she did with Guren when challenging him on anything they disagreed on. And while toying with her long ebony braid between her fingers with their long, newly manicured and polished fingernails in a display of smug confidence, one of the many things she had unwittingly picked up from her guardian and mentor. The only difference was that Yuichiro placed her own twist on her acquired attitude and mastered the art of masking her rudeness behind politeness, something even Guren couldn't do when dissing his own higher-ups.

It was times like these that Yuichiro was grateful she had at least that over the man who raised her as well as Shinya's willingness to give her the dirt on him. Which she often threw back in Guren's face when he least expected it. Just as she was doing to her teacher now. *1*

Although the girl sounded polite enough to her classmates, their teacher saw her answer as a subtle insult to his authority though he could not discipline Yuichiro since she had apologized for her mumbling and accepted his challenge of being tested early in front of everyone. And so, he decided to oblige her.

"Very well. You can stay after class and take the test early then, Miss Hyakuya."

Ignoring the awkward stares of her classmates, Yuichiro put on her sweetest smile and sneered at him.

"With pleasure, sir."

Shinoa, who was sitting right behind Yuichiro, found herself struggling to stifle her laughter. Guren was right about one thing, there was never a dull moment that girl!

SSSSSS

"You know, Shinoa, there's no need for you to stay here and watch me for sensei. I don't need to cheat to pass the test if that's what you're thinking…" Yuichiro said wryly to her friend who sat across the desk from her as she filled out the answers to the fifty question multiple-choice test as ordered by their teacher after class was dismissed.

Shinoa feigned an expression of hurt.

"Do you really believe I think you need to cheat to pass when your grades have always been so impeccable, Miss Hyakuya?", she joked.

"You seem to know a lot of details about my life and academic performance. Why is that? Are you really that interested in me, Shinoa?" Yuichiro asked the other girl in annoyance.

"Well, why wouldn't I be?" Shinoa asked innocently. "Guren and I go back a long way and I know he's not the type to take in just any orphan child. It's true I was ordered by him to watch you but I'm also genuinely curious to see what makes you tick."

"And what have you found so far, Miss Hiragi?" Yuichiro sneered as she quickly went over the answers on the test that she had filled out in just twenty minutes to make sure they were correct before turning them in.

"Let's see, I'm really impressed that you can match your guardian's physical and academic performance when he was your age without batting an eyelash. That's no small feat. Even so, it still won't be enough to get you into the Moon Demon Company. Being independent is great and all but when fighting the vamps, it's just as important to be able to work with others as a team. Which you seem to have difficulty doing."

"I do not want to depend on a man or anyone else to protect or save me when I'm in a fix. I have more pride than that, Shinoa."

"That's admirable, Yuu, but not what I meant. Believe it or not, there are times you will actually need to depend and put your trust in others as well because no matter how smart or strong you are, you're still only one person and there's only so much you can do alone. Think about it, would you be as good as you are now if Guren alone trained you in the fighting arts? The reason you have multiple skills is because his entire squad chipped in to train you as well."

Not wanting to answer that because she knew Shinoa was absolutely right, Yuichiro decided to change the subject.

"I'm finished now. Will you make yourself useful for once and turn this in to sensei for me, Shinoa?" Yuichiro asked flatly as she handed the single sheet of paper over to her friend. *2*

Shinoa whistled as she took a quick glance at the clock.

"Wow, that was quick!" she exclaimed as she took the paper and looked it over. "Normally a test like this would take at least an hour to finish; I'm really impressed, Yuu!"

Yuichiro snorted. "There's nothing to be impressed about; I've known the answers to all these questions since I was twelve."

"Because you read a lot of books, yes?"

"Correct. Fighting isn't the only thing I know how to do."

"I've noticed," Shinoa teased. "Guren did say you have a fascination with American history and culture as well as western things in general. I really do think you have a lot of potential, Yuichiro. All you have to do now is learn how to trust and work with others a bit more closely and you'd be perfect Moon Demon Company material."

Yuichiro sighed. "Whatever. Since my work here is done, I'll be going now. Please make sure you get that test to sensei in a timely manner."

Shinoa smiled innocently as she folded the sheet of paper in her hands.

"Whatever you say, Yuichiro. But don't forget, you still have some new friends to make. I'm just here to make sure they aren't hooligans."

Yuichiro scowled. What was it with Guren and his obsession with her befriending hooligans?

"Let me guess, you're going to be following me everyday and everywhere until I make a new friend Guren approves of?"

"Correct. So kindly wait for me here while I turn this in for you," Shinoa answered cheerfully as she happily skipped outside the classroom door for a moment before briefly poking her head back in and giving Yuichiro a mischievous wink.

"And don't even think about trying to ditch me; you know you can't shake me off that easily, Miss Hyakuya."

Yuichiro, who had planned to leave as soon as she was sure her watchdog was gone, found herself groaning in disappointment and frustration, both at her guardian and a certain purple-haired brat who was now going to be clinging to her like a barnacle whether she liked it or not.

SSSSSS

"Hey, Yuichiro, you're done with the test already? I thought it would take you at least an hour," a brunette girl with long auburn hair called out as soon as she saw Yuu and Shinoa walk outside their history classroom together.

Turning, the pair saw two of their classmates, twin sisters Riku Harada and Risa Harada *3* standing in the hallway eyeing them with interest, especially Yuichiro since it was she who had to take the test early for dissing their teacher, but in a most subtle and impressive way.

"It would only take that long if I didn't already know the answers," she said simply.

"Really? Wow, that's really something; maybe you can give up some pointers!" Risa, the younger twin, exclaimed.

Although they were identical twins, the Harada sisters wore their hair and make-up differently. Riku, who was a tomboy, liked to keep her hair short in a chin-length bob with minimal make-up while Risa, who was a bit more girly, preferred to wear her hair halfway down her back and used cosmetics more lavishly.

Yuichiro smiled politely. "As much as I'd love to help you two out, I don't think sensei will appreciate it. He's already angry enough with me as it is."

Risa frowned in disappointment. "Aww, you sure? It's not like we're asking you to help us for nothing. How about we buy you ice-cream or some other dessert in return?"

Yuichiro hesitated for a moment as if considering the offer. While she wasn't unwilling to help others whenever she could by any means, the girl also worried that giving answers away would not do the Harada twins any favors; Yuu was sure they would remember the material better if they studied it themselves like she did.

"I appreciate the offer but I'm not hungry now. My guardian doesn't want me eating too many sweets anyway."

Risa was about to protest further when she felt her twin's hand on her shoulder. Riku, who was a tad more perceptive than her sister, sensed that Yuichiro was not comfortable with bribery and silently suggested that her sister respect that.

"It's all right, we understand," Riku said kindly. "Another time, perhaps. If you change your mind, you know where to find us, Yuichiro. Shinoa, you're also welcomed to join us as well."

And without another word, Riku took her twin's hand and led her away.

After the Harada twins had left, Shinoa looked at Yuichiro with an expression of slight disappointment on her face. Annoyed, the ravenette scowled at her.

"What?" she demanded.

"I believe you just missed a golden opportunity there, Miss Hyakuya. The Harada twins are nice girls and I'm sure Guren would have liked them a lot better than the boys who've been eyeballing you these last few months," the purple-haired girl teased.

"I don't doubt that Riku and Risa are nice, Shinoa, but I won't be doing them any favors by just giving them the answers to the test. They still have another week before they have to take it and if they study and pay attention in class, they should be fine. If I tell them now, they'll likely forget everything I say anyway. And besides, as much as I love ice-cream, I need to be watching my weight."

Shinoa raised a brow. "Oh? You look pretty fit enough to me as it is, Yuu. Are you avoiding ice-cream because you plan to audition for any beauty or model contests anytime soon?"

Yuichiro turned away from her friend and sighed in slight frustration.

"NO, Shinoa. Do I look like Victoria's Secret material to you? I'm a soldier, dammit!"

The other girl grinned wickedly before answering.

"I'm not sure myself. But apparently, my favorite brother thinks so."

Yuichiro blushed furiously when she realized Shinoa knew of the brand name women's undergarments Shinya had been sending her as gifts in addition to the lotions, perfumes, and hair products. Like her adoptive brother, the purple-haired brat had an uncanny way of knowing everything.

Clenching her fists, Yuu growled.

"You know, it's very impolite to go through other people's drawers, Shinoa."

As if she found Yuichiro's accusation cute rather than offensive, Shinoa laughed merrily.

"Now, now, Yuu, we're both ladies here. And besides, I didn't have to do such a thing. After seeing all the other stuff Shinya has been sending you in your dorm, it wasn't far-fetched for me to figure he'd send you Victoria's Secret undergarments as well. We both know you have a fascination with western stuff."

Yuichiro was about to make an unladylike remark on how Shinoa should mind her own business when both girls heard a loud crash in the distance as if someone was being slammed against a locker.

Forgetting her annoyance at Shinoa, Yuichiro quickly turned her head in the direction of the alarming sound.

"What was that?"

Before the other girl could answer, Yuichiro found herself running in the direction of the sound. As soon as she turned the corner of the hallway to the locker area, she saw two boys who appeared to be seniors, with one of them holding a younger boy with wavy brown hair by the lapels of his uniform jacket against a locker.

"Please stop!" the younger boy pleaded as he struggled in the hold of the older brunet boy who seemed to be the leader of the group.

"Stop?" the older boy mocked. "You make it sound like we're bullying you, Yoichi! I'm just asking you to loan me some lunch money. Can't you do at least that much for your friends?"

Friends? Yuu thought. From the look of things, those two were nothing of the sort.

Before the boy named Yoichi could reply, Yuichiro interrupted.

"Excuse me, gentlemen, but is there a problem here?" she asked in a bell-clear voice to ensure that the boys would hear her. *4*

At the sound of the feminine voice, all three boys turned In Yuichiro's direction, including Yoichi. Instead of telling her to get lost, the boy holding Yoichi actually grinned before letting the younger boy go. As soon as he was released, Yoichi slid to the floor, trying to catch his breath before he turned and saw the two boys who were bullying him approach the girl who called out to them.

Having fearlessly stared a vampire lord in the face at close range in the past, Yuichiro showed no signs of fear or intimidation at seeing two older boys surround her. If anything, she stared at them with perplexity.

"Wow, what a fine babe we have here, don't you think, Yuji?" the older boy whistled as he looked Yuichiro over like a piece of meat.

The leering expression on his face made Yuichiro's curl with disgust and she wanted nothing more than to slug the disgusting pig but knew that assaulting a civilian would likely result in her suspension from the army being extended. Especially with her watchdog, Shinoa standing right behind her.

Incredulously, the two older boys completely ignored the purple-haired girl and even Yoichi was forgotten as they found a new object of interest in Yuichiro. Normally, Shinoa tastefully intervened when other boys got a bit too flirty with Yuu but this time, she chose not to get involved to see how the other girl would handle the situation.

Gritting her teeth, the ravenette repeated her earlier question.

"Like I said, is there a problem here, gentlemen?"

The boy with spiky brown hair laughed.

"Oh, nothing. Just asking my friend Yoichi here to do me a favor and loan me some money for a little food, is all."

Yuichiro narrowed her eyes as she quickly shot a glance in the younger boy's direction. From the look of things, he appeared unhurt, at least for the moment. And while Yuu's definition of a "hooligan" was not nearly as broad as Guren's, she had to agree that this boy and his friend fit the word in every sense.

"Is that so?" she asked. "You certainly have an odd way of asking your friends for favors, senpai. *5* What if he's not interested?"

The older boy chuckled as he brought his face closer to hers.

"So what's it to you, babe?"

"I want you to leave him alone," Yuichiro said sharply.

"And what do I get if I do? Oh, I know! How about you take the wimp's place and run some errands for me! We can go on a date afterward too!"

It took all Yuichiro's willpower not to punch the arrogant pig's face in. Not only would it get her suspension extended, he might also hurt the younger boy he was bullying earlier too.

"Do you promise to leave him alone if I do?" she asked simply as she tried her best to keep a lid on her temper. Although this was not something Yuichiro would normally do, she was willing to make an exception just this once to protect Yoichi. And Yamanaka was only asking for a date, not to get married.

"Oh, absolutely! Anything for a hot babe like you!"

"Tsk, fine!"

Although she couldn't see it, Yuichiro was sure Shinoa must be grinning from ear to ear.

SSSSSS

"You know, you don't have to help me, Yoichi. Those guys did say they'd leave you alone if I ran their errands in your place," Yuichiro said wryly as she carried a paper bag full of sodas and snacks in her arms through the school courtyard with Yoichi and Shinoa following close behind. While Shinoa was empty-handed as her only job for the moment was to observe, Yoichi also carried a paper bag filled with the goodies his so-called "friends" asked for.

"I'm sorry…" the younger boy apologized. "It's my fault you have to do this AND go on a date with Satoshi Yamanaka later as well."

Yuichiro sighed as she gave the younger boy a look of annoyance.

"Why are you apologizing? It's not your fault. More importantly, why are you letting those good-for-nothing ne'er-do-wells bully you?"

Yoichi shook his head. "No, you misunderstand, they weren't bullying me," he insisted.

The ravenette gave him a blank stare. "Seriously, Yoichi? If slamming you against a locker and demanding that you hand over your lunch money isn't bullying, what is?"

"It's not what you think, Yuichiro, really! I wanted to be friends with Yamanaka-kun because I needed his help with something."

"And that is?"

Looking down shyly, Yoichi continued. "Well, I failed the Moon Demon Company entry exam but I still want to join most desperately. So I sought out Yamanaka-kun because I was told he had recently been admitted. And I was hoping he could use his connections to let me re-take the entry exam."

As soon as she heard that, Yuichiro stared at the younger boy with skepticism.

"And you believed him just like that? What proof do you have that he's actually a member of the Moon Demon Company? My guardian commands it and I highly doubt he would admit a pompous ass like Satoshi Yamanaka. And besides, why do you want to get into the Moon Demon Company so badly anyway?" *6*

At Yuichiro's question, Yoichi frowned and she swore he looked like he wanted to cry. But the younger boy resisted the urge and answered quietly.

"It's because… I must avenge my sister."

Now THAT piqued Yuichiro's interest.

"Avenge? You mean..?" Somehow, Yuu had a pretty good idea where this conversation was going.

Yoichi nodded. "Yes, my sister was killed by a vampire trying to protect me…" he confessed sadly.

As soon as she heard that, Yuichiro frowned. Hearing Yoichi's confession reminded her of how Mikaela had died trying to protect her from Ferid Bathory so she understood all too well where the younger boy was coming from.

"I was totally helpless. Not a day has gone by that I haven't berated myself for not doing anything to save her because I was paralyzed with fear" he continued.

Feeling sympathetic towards Yoichi, Yuichiro's expression softened as she released one of her arms from the bag she was holding and gently ruffled the younger boy's soft wavy brown hair in a gesture of comfort, as Guren had done to her whenever she was upset or unhappy.

The sudden contact and closeness made Yoichi blush and now that Yuichiro got a closer look at him, she had to admit that the younger boy was rather cute. And while his heart was in the right place, Yuu feared that it wouldn't be enough for him to survive on the battlefield for he seemed so delicate and frail.

Gently touching her forehead to his, Yuichiro said: "Silly goose… there was nothing you could have done for your sister since you were so little then. If you tried anything, you would have been killed too, and I'm sure that's not what she would have wanted."

As she spoke, the irony of her own words was not lost on Yuichiro. For years, she used to torment herself over her helplessness to save Mikaela, Akane, and the others from Ferid, even though Guren, Sayuri, and Shinya had told her that there was nothing she could have done against such a powerful vampire lord alone.

"But…" Yoichi began but Yuichiro cut him off.

"No buts!" she said sharply as she finally released him and backed off. "Forget the army. Your sister wouldn't have wanted you to throw your life away trying to avenge her death." Another ironic (and hypocritical) piece of advice from someone who was willing to risk everything to avenge her own murdered siblings but Yuichiro chose to ignore that for the moment and continued.

"And besides, the Demon Army, as well as Moon Company, are very harsh; if you're not strong enough, you won't last very long on the battlefield anyway. Take it from me, Yoichi: if you truly love your sister, then live a normal and happy life away from the horrors of war." *7*

Although Shinoa knew full well that Yuichiro was in no position to be giving Yoichi such advice, she remained silent because she knew that the other girl was sincere in her efforts to comfort him and didn't want to ruin it. And to be honest, Shinoa herself had to agree with Yuichiro that Yoichi might be a little too frail for life on the battlefield anyway.

Yoichi looked about to protest when the trio suddenly heard a loud explosion coming from the buildings behind them.

"What was that!?" Yuichiro cried as the shock caused her to drop the bag she was holding on to.

Before either Shinoa or Yoichi could say anything, they heard an announcement on the school's speaker system.

"Emergency Warning! All students and personnel! A vampire has just broken out of the vivisection laboratory close to the school! Do not attempt to approach this creature! All students and personnel must leave the premises at once!"

"What? A vampire here? That's impossible!" Shinoa exclaimed. Thinking quickly, she turned to Yuichiro and Yoichi. "You two, leave the school now; I will send for Guren and the Moon Demon Company at once!"

Yuichiro shook her head. "No! We can't wait for them, Shinoa. I've fought vampires before so leave it to me!"

And before Shinoa or Yoichi could do or say anything to stop her, Yuichiro turned and ran back towards the buildings where the explosion took place. Despite what her friends thought, she did have a plan of sorts. On her way back, the ravenette found herself having to push her way past a crowd of students attempting to get away from the buildings as soon as possible. So focused was she on getting to the vampire before the Moon Demon Company that Yuichiro accidentally ran into one of her fellow guards from a few evenings back.

"Oww!" the boy cried as Yuichiro slammed into him. Annoyed, Yuu was about to scream at him to get out of her way until she recognized her red-headed friend, Daisuke Niwa, who looked at her with an expression of bewilderment on his face.

"Where are you going, Yuu? Didn't you hear the announcement? Everyone has to leave the school at once! Satoshi, Takeshi, and I are helping to evacuate the civilians and as a soldier of the Demon Army, you should be too!"

"Thanks, but I have a better idea, Daisuke. And that's to get rid of the vampire myself before the Moon Demon Company gets here!"

After announcing her intention, Yuichiro attempted to push her way past Daisuke but the boy grabbed her by the arm the way Satoshi did when he tried to stop her from fighting a Horseman of John alone.

"What? Are you nuts, Miss Hyakuya?! That creature isn't a mindless Horseman of John like the one you killed last week! It's an actual, intelligent vampire who'll suck you dry if it catches you!"

The ravenette glared at her friend before shaking his hand off.

"Like I said before, Daisuke, don't underestimate me! I've faced two vampires before, both stronger than that lab rat, and lived to tell the tale so don't get in my way!"

Knowing that it was useless to argue with Yuichiro further, Daisuke sighed in frustration.

"Fine! But don't come crying to me if that creature sucks you dry!"

And without another word, the red-headed boy returned to his task of evacuating the civilian students, leaving Yuichiro to resume her hunt without any further interruptions. After quickly questioning one of the other fleeing students, Yuu learned that the vampire was currently hiding in the very classroom where she was ordered by her teacher to take her history test earlier.

But before she could engage in a confrontation with the creature, Yuichiro passed by her locker in the hallway and quickly unlocked and opened it to find the sword and semi-automatic pistol she had received from Guren and Shinya was she was thirteen. Unlike the civilian students, soldiers of the Demon Army were permitted to bring and keep weapons in their lockers in case something like this were to happen.

Like she had done the time she left the temporary Shinjuku base against Guren's orders to hunt the swashbuckler vampire three years ago, Yuichiro quickly checked her pistol to make sure it was loaded before sliding it back in the leather holster and securing it to her body over her school uniform. This time, Yuu did not have a jacket for holding kunai but she still had her sword (a real one this time) and pistol which she hoped will be enough against the new rogue vampire she was about to confront.

When Yuichiro was finally armed and ready, she quickly made her way to her history classroom and kicked the door open. Stepping inside, she saw what looked like a female common vampire with long pink hair dressed in an outfit resembling a strait jacket, drinking from one of her fellow classmates. Yuichiro gritted her teeth when she recognized the girl that was sprawled out on the teacher's desk being slowly drained of her blood as Risa Harada, whom she had just spoken to only a few hours ago.

Aiming her pistol at the vampire, Yuichiro shouted to get her attention.

"Let Risa go, you filthy bloodsucker!" she commanded.

Upon seeing a young human girl armed with a sword and semi-automatic glaring at her, the vampire grinned. Unlike with her guard uniform, Yuichiro looked much more demure and meek in her school uniform with her long raven hair bound in a side-braid. Looking at her, the vampire assumed that Yuichiro was just another civilian who just happened to have some weapons on her and probably didn't know how to use them.

"Foolish girl! You think you can hurt me with such puny toys?" the vampire snarled, not realizing that she had practically echoed the words another rogue vampire said to Yuichiro years ago. "How about I suck your blood instead!"

Instead of replying, Yuichiro aimed her semi-automatic at the vampire and fired. *8* She knew that her tactic of destroying the UV guard wasn't going to work this time since this vampire wasn't wearing one and she was fighting it indoors instead of out in the open like with the swashbuckler vampire in Shinjuku. Out of the corner of her eye, Yuichiro saw a familiar young man with spiky brown hair cowering beneath a desk in fear and recognized him as Satoshi Yamanaka.

Thinking quickly, Yuichiro turned to Yamanaka after firing enough rounds to force the vampire to dodge by moving away from Risa.

"Quick, Yamanaka! You get Risa out of here while I distract the bloodsucker!" she ordered.

But instead of moving to help the comatose girl who was currently lying on their teacher's desk with two still-bleeding puncture wounds on her neck, the older boy shook his head fiercely as he whimpered in fear.

Confused as well as frustrated that Yamanaka had made no attempt to move, Yuichiro screamed at him.

"What the hell are you waiting for, dumbass?! Get Risa out of here NOW! Aren't you a soldier of the Moon Demon Company?!"

"N-no, I'm not! It was a lie! I just thought if I told people that, they would respect and fear me!" he confessed, his voice shaking with fear.

Yuichiro found herself glaring at the boy who blackmailed her into a date with him in exchange for leaving Yoichi alone.

Why am I not surprised!? Why!? She thought frantically.

"Fine! I don't need your help anyway! Since you can't do anything useful, just get your ass out of here before that damn vamp starts going after you!" Yuichiro ordered. It was hard enough having to fight a vampire while trying to protect the comatose Risa Harada, but to try and do it while protecting a useless idiot like Yamanaka as well may be more than Yuichiro could handle. The best she could do was get him to leave and save himself at the very least.

The older boy didn't need to be told twice and found himself running out of the classroom as fast as his legs could carry him. And without realizing that he had just done something unmanly as leaving two girls to fend for themselves against a vampire, even if one of them was a soldier of the Demon Army.

Using Yuichiro's brief spat with Yamanaka as a distraction, the rogue vampire quickly made her way back to Risa and attempted to drink from the comatose girl again to regain her strength.

"Get away from her!" Yuu screamed as she threw down her smoking firearm and withdrew her sword from its sheath. Although the pistol still had bullets, Yuichiro knew she might accidentally hit Risa if she attempted to shoot the rogue vampire again so this time, she had no choice but to use her sword and take the creature head-on.

As Yuichiro charged towards the creature, she was shocked to see a young boy suddenly charge into the classroom and tackle the rogue vampire before she cold bite Risa again. Upon closer inspection, she recognized the boy as none other than Yoichi Saotome, who was but a sniveling mess before Satoshi Yamanaka in the hallway just hours earlier.

Not wanting to waste any time by asking questions, Yuichiro quickly took advantage of the distraction Yoichi provided and sliced the vampire's arm off before she could choke the younger boy. Yuichiro knew the creature would be able to re-attach any limbs she might lose in combat but that did not prevent her from feeling pain.

"Good job, Yoichi!" Yuu praised as she swatted the vampire's severed arm away with her sword. "Now get Risa out of here ASAP! I'll take care of the rest!"

Yoichi wasted no time. "Yes, Yuu! Right away!" he cried as he quickly hoisted the comatose girl in his arms and ran out of the classroom, leaving only Yuichiro and the rogue vampire to confront each other.

As much as he hated having to leave Yuu to fend for herself, Yoichi had faith in her ability to fight as a swordmaiden of the Demon Army; he did not doubt Yuichiro simply because of her sex like her fellow guards did.

Once Yoichi and Risa were gone, the rogue vampire sneered at Yuu.

"That was a very foolish thing you did, human! Do you really think you stand a chance against me alone?"

Yuichiro smirked as she took her sword in both her hands and assumed a fighting stance.

"Don't underestimate me, bitch! I've taken down bigger fish than you!"

Enraged by Yuichiro's taunting, the vampire completely forgot about recovering her severed arm, which had been knocked to a corner of the classroom, and charged at the ravenette, determined to make her pay for her insolent comment.

All the while not realizing that she had just taken the bait Yuichiro had cleverly laid out.

Yuichiro grinned as she charged towards the creature with her sword drawn. This time, she managed to slice off the creature's left leg and foot, causing her to scream in pain before she grabbed Yuu by the throat and sent them both flying out a nearby window, plummeting three stories to the courtyard below.

Thinking quickly, Yuichiro twisted her body so that she and the vampire fell through several tree branches to slow down their fall before she landed flat on her back with her attacker hovering before her, the creature's hand never leaving her throat, even with Yuu's sword impaled in her chest.

As she felt the vampire's hold on the throat tighten, Yuichiro started to feel faint when she realized her airway was being cut off. Yet she refused to give up and attempted to move them both out of the shade and into the sunlight where she knew the creature would be destroyed.

"Forget it, girl, I know what you're trying to do. It's useless. I'll just drink your blood instead so I can make a complete recovery before the Moon Demon Company gets here," the rogue vampire taunted as she bared her fangs and prepared to sink them into Yuichiro's throat after removing her hand.

But before she could even get close enough to bite Yuichiro, the girl saw the creature suddenly grimace in pain as the point of a sword with a dark blade protruded from her chest, causing dark blood to pour from her mouth.

"Hello there, were you talking about me?" A calm, masculine voice asked from behind her.

Now that the vampire had released her hold on Yuichiro's throat and she could breathe properly again, the girl looked over her assailant's shoulder and saw none other than Guren Ichinose himself, the owner of the dark-bladed sword that saved her life just now.

"Damn you!" the vampire cursed. "Why won't my wound heal!? Is it an enchanted weapon?"

Instead of answering the question they both knew the answer to, Guren snorted.

"Quit whining, vampire. Just accept that you lost and everything's good."

And with a swipe of his dark sword, Guren banished the rogue vampire from the world in a flurry of embers.

After the creature was destroyed, Yuichiro brought her hand to her throat as if attempting to sooth the ache still left over from her assailant's violent assault. Instead of asking if she was alright, which they both knew she was, Guren smirked at his young ward.

"That was very brave of you, Yuichiro. Brave, but stupid. Did you really think you could kill a vampire with just an ordinary sword like a Horseman of John? Or were you just waiting for me to come and save your sorry ass as usual?"

The ravenette glared at her guardian.

"I don't recall asking you to come to my rescue, sir. Even without an enchanted weapon, I could have still killed that bloodsucker by moving her out into the sunlight. Despite what you think, I do know how to improvise."

Guren chuckled as he slid his sword back into its sheath.

"I suppose you're right. I do have to admit that you did a great job; your intervention bought enough time for everyone to be safely evacuated. Congratulations for being useful, brat."

Yuichiro snorted and was about to make a sharp retort when she heard a familiar voice call out to her.

"Yuichiro! It's good to see you again! I'm so glad you're safe and doing well in school!"

Looking past her guardian, Yuichiro forgot her displeasure at Guren and smiled when she saw Sayuri as well as everyone else from Guren's squad present in the courtyard.

"Sayuri! Shigure! Everyone!" Yuu cried excitedly as she ran past Guren and took the older honey-colored haired woman in a joyful embrace. Mito and Shigure, who had also missed the younger girl a great deal, smiled as they each stroked her long raven tresses that had come loose from its braid when she fell from the building and through the tree branches.

Goshi and Shinya, who were also present, smiled and patiently waited for their turn to hug Yuichiro as well.

"She's grown so much from when we first met her, don't you think, Goshi?" the white-haired man asked good-naturedly as he stood next to his friend.

Goshi nodded. "Aye…" he answered. "I've missed her a lot. Since Yuu left, I felt like a father who watched his daughter leave the nest to find her place in the world."

Shinya laughed and clapped the blond man on his shoulder.

"Oh, come now, you're not nearly old enough to be Yuu's father. But I understand what you mean; I feel the same way sometimes. But you know that all baby birds have to leave the nest someday."

Goshi chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Well, we better tell the girls not to keep her all to themselves. I wanna give Yuu a hug too."

Shinya agreed and was about to call out to Sayuri, Shigure, and Mito, who were surrounding the younger girl like children fawning over a puppy or kitten when they heard a boyish voice call out for Yuichiro as well.

"Yuu! Thank God you're safe!"

Turning, Yuichiro saw Yoichi running towards her with tears in his olive-green eyes and she excused herself from the three older women to give him a reassuring hug.

"There, there, everything's all right. I didn't get hurt too bad, Yoichi," she cooed as she stroked his soft brown hair.

Guren, who had witnessed the scene, found himself scowling as he turned to Shinoa who had just quietly walked up from behind him.

"Who is that kid?" he demanded.

Shinoa smiled mischievously as she shot a quick glance in Yuu's and Yoichi's direction.

"Why, her friend, apparently. Or…"

"Or..?"

"Or her new boyfriend..." the purple-haired girl teased as she watched and waited to see how her superior would react. As a person who endlessly searched for ways to amuse herself, Shinoa found that she was not to be disappointed at Guren's reaction to her implication.

Turning to Yuichiro and Yoichi, who were still locked in a tight embrace, Guren cleared this throat and moved to part them.

"Ok, ok, that's enough PDA, you brats. I don't want you two getting snot all over each other." *9*

Yoichi looked at Guren in confusion for a moment before he obeyed and released Yuichiro, not wanting to incite the displeasure of the man he recognized as the commander of the Moon Demon Company as well as his friend's guardian.

Upon witnessing the scene, Sayuri, Shigure, and Mito found themselves slightly bewildered. Shinya and Goshi also noticed as well and cast each other questioning glances though neither of them said a thing lest they make an already awkward situation even more awkward. But the question on all their minds was the same:

What's gotten into Guren?

Footnotes:

1. Unlike male!Yuu, who is bluntly and openly rude towards people who displease him, fem!Yuu is more subtle and discreet when she chooses to diss others, including Guren.

2. "Sensei" is the proper way to address a teacher in Japan.

3. Like Satoshi, Daisuke, and Takeshi, Riku and Risa Harada are also major characters in DN Angel, another one of my favorite anime series. They will be making cameo appearances in my AU OnS fic as well.

4. Male!Yuu is very straight-forward and openly confrontational. Fem!Yuu can still be polite when confronting others until they become more troublesome or when she loses her temper.

5. In Japanese society, the Japanese word "senpai," means a senior or superior in any academic or corporate organization in society.

6. Male!Yuu tends to be a bit more gullible and believes what he hears with less question than fem!Yuu who is a bit more skeptical when Yoichi tells her that Satoshi Yamanaka was accepted into the Moon Demon Company.

7. Male!Yuu was harsh when trying to deter Yoichi from joining the Demon Army and Moon Company, even if it was out of concern for his safety and well-being. Fem!Yuu is able to voice her opinion to Yoichi more gently to protect his feelings.

8. In canon, male!Yuu uses Ferid's vintage revolver to fight the pink-haired rogue vampire while fem!Yuu uses Shinya's semi-automatic pistol, the same one she used to fight the swashbuckling vampire in Shinjuku.

9. "PDA" means public display of affection.