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 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 4: A Desire for Power

October 20, 2020

"Yuu-chan…"

That voice? Mika?

Looking around, Yuichiro found herself once more at the gates of Sanguinem where she last saw her orphanage brothers and sisters alive. But something was different. While Yuichiro was now a young teenage girl, Mikaela, Akane and the other Hyakuya orphans remained the children they were when their lives were cruelly cut short by a sadistic vampire lord.

However, that vampire lord was nowhere in sight and Yuichiro saw only the smiling faces of her previous family.

"Mika… Akane… everyone! Am I dreaming?" Yuu gasped.

Mikaela smiled though Yuichiro could see a hint of sadness in his eyes as he did so.

"Yes… I'm afraid so, Yuu-chan. But I'm happy… happy that you've finally found new friends, a new family to take care of you. So be as good to them as you were to us."

"We can now rest easy knowing that you're in good hands, Yuu. Someone as kind as you could never live for revenge alone. Find a new reason to live, something worthwhile…" Akane said gently.

Yuichiro shook her head, the braid hanging down its side a mirror of her late orphanage sister's, and protested.

"But..!"

"We must go now, Yuu-chan…" Mika said sadly though the smile never left his face. "Take care of your new family. Goodbye… and be happy…"

And with that, Mika, Akane, and the others turned around and walked away from their now grown sister.

"Wait, Mika, Akane, everyone! Please don't go! Don't leave me alone again!" Yuichiro pleaded as she desperately called out to her lost family. But it was as if they didn't hear her and kept walking away until they vanished into the darkness…

SSSSSS

"MIKA!" Yuichiro cried as she clutched at the empty air with her hands.

"Yuu, wake up, it's just a dream!" a boy's voice called out to her.

Opening her eyes, Yuichiro saw the familiar face of Yoichi Satome, the boy she had befriended just the day before, staring down at her with concern in his olive-green eyes as he gently placed his hands on her shoulders in an attempt to calm her.

"W..where am I?" Yuu asked tiredly as she sat up and looked around.

At first, the girl thought she was in her dorm at JIDA Headquarters but one quick glance at her surroundings reminded Yuichiro that she was in a hospital room. After her violent confrontation with the pink-haired rogue vampire, Guren ordered that she be admitted to a hospital to ensure that she didn't sustain any serious injuries from her three-story fall.

Although Yuichiro herself insisted that she was just fine, the girl knew that she couldn't disobey a direct order from her guardian and superior officer if she wanted to join the Moon Demon Company.

"Oh, so Yuu's finally awake now? Good job, Yoichi, thanks for watching her for me."

Looking over the younger boy's shoulder after he sat back down on his chair near her bedside, Yuichiro saw her purple-haired watchdog and scowled. *1*

"You know, I don't need a baby-sitter, Shinoa…" she growled.

The other girl laughed when Yoichi looked at Yuu and then back at her with a confused look.

"Looks like Miss Hyakuya is back to her usual grumpy self. I swear, you grow more like your guardian every day, Yuu…"

Yuichiro snorted. "Hey, don't insult me by comparing me to that smart-ass baka, Shinoa. I told Guren I felt just fine but noo… he just had to order me to check into this hospital. And I'm betting you followed me here to make sure I actually did it instead of going back to my dorm."

Shinoa sighed as she placed a hand on her chest and feigned hurt, the gesture reminding Yuichiro of Shinya and how ridiculously alike he and Shinoa were despite not being blood-related.

"Seriously, Yuichiro, why must you always be so negative? Your guardian was merely concerned for your well-being and frankly, so am I. I thought it was a miracle you weren't seriously hurt after a fall like that but I agree with Guren that it's better not to take any chances. And besides, now that you and Yoichi are officially members of the Moon Demon Company, we need to be sure both of you are in peak condition for your training."

At first, Yuichiro was confused until she remembered that she had finally fulfilled Guren's condition for her to take the entry exam into the Moon Demon Company. Or at least she thought so.

"So Guren approves of Yoichi?" she asked hopefully.

Shinoa nodded as she reached into her leather satchel to pull out two sets of brand new black and green uniforms.

"He said something along the lines of 'the brat's acceptable' which I take as a yes," the purple-haired girl answered as she tossed the blushing Yoichi his new uniform before giving Yuichiro hers.

As soon as Yoichi received his new uniform, which was sealed in a plastic see-through package, he got up from his seat and made a polite bow to the two girls.

"I'll go try these on to make sure they fit if that's ok with you."

Shinoa gave the brunet boy a nod of approval.

"By all means, Yoichi. Let me know if it fits. If not, I'll go get you another one, ok?"

"Yes, Shinoa. And thank you," Yoichi said before leaving the room to try on his new uniform.

After Yoichi left, Shinoa turned back to Yuichiro.

"So how are you feeling, Yuu? If you're well enough to stand, I recommend you try on your new uniform as well."

After looking at Shinoa for a moment in silence, the ravenette pulled out her own uniform from its package and her eyes widened when she noticed that it was a bit different from her guard uniform.

Shinoa noticed her friend's look of alarm and asked: "Is there a problem, Yuu?"

Bushing furiously, Yuichiro looked her new uniform over one more time to make sure she wasn't imagining that the skirt was noticeably shorter than the one on her guard and school uniform.

"W-what? Where's the rest of it?!" she demanded.

Knowing how much Yuichiro hated baring more of her legs than necessary since she was such a tomboy, Shinoa laughed.

"This is it!" she answered cheerfully. "Congratulations on being accepted into the Moon Demon Company, Yuu. Unfortunately, that uniform goes with the job." *2*

"I refuse!"

"Come on, Yuu, don't be difficult…"

"I refuse to wear this…frivolous thing!"

"Oh, I'm afraid you have no choice, Miss Hyakuya. Not if you want to be in the Moon Demon Company, that is. Guren's orders!"

At the mention of her guardian's name, Yuichiro scowled. She knew that many women in the JIDA, as well as the MDC wore pants instead of skirts, Mito being one of them, but that Guren was ordering her to wear a short skirt because he knew she would hate it.

"That's bull, Shinoa!" Yuu protested. "I've seen Mito, as well as several other women in the MDC wear pants or longer skirts than this!"

Shinoa grinned as she shrugged her shoulders.

"True. But unlike Ms. Jujo, you're a new MDC recruit and this is what you're gonna have to wear. Beggars can't be choosers!"

Knowing that it would be useless to argue the matter with Shinoa any further, Yuichiro gritted her teeth as she tried to imagine herself strangling Guren for his latest absurd order for her to wear a tiny-skirt uniform.

I swear, one of these days, I'm gonna kill that bastard!

SSSSSS

"So how does it fit?" Shinoa asked Yuichiro as she watched the other girl tug uncomfortably at the short, pleated skirt of her new uniform. Both Yuu and Shinoa had left the hospital room where the ravenette had woken from her troubled sleep for the rooftop because Yuichiro was not comfortable enough to let anyone see her in her MDC uniform yet.

"Seriously, who designed this uniform? And why is the skirt so damned short?" Yuichiro complained as she turned this way and that. Unlike the skirt of her guard uniform which hung almost to the knees, the skirt Yuu was wearing now barely covered her rear properly or so she thought.

Shinoa covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. She knew the new MDC women's uniform skirt was actually Goshi's perverted idea and that Mito was one of the few women who absolutely refused to wear them, but decided not to tell Yuichiro that, only that Guren was ordering her to wear it.

And probably just to rile her up too.

"Oh, I don't know…" the purple-haired girl answered innocently. "But why are you so against wearing a uniform with a shorter skirt anyway, Yuu? When fighting the vamps, it'll allow you more freedom of movement. Pants can be a bit restricting if you ask me; sometimes I wonder how the guys and most girls can fight well in them."

Yuichiro glared at her. "Seriously, Shinoa, how am I supposed to fight or concentrate on my revenge if I'm constantly worried about perverts looking up my skirt?"

"Well, look on the bright side, Yuu: with those pretty legs and luscious bum of yours, I'm sure you can distract the vamps long enough to take them down before they even know what hit them. The boys, at least," Shinoa joked.

"Are you trying to be funny, Shinoa? Because I'm not laughing!" Yuichiro snapped, angry that the other girl wasn't taking her seriously.

Before Shinoa could reply, both girls heard the sound of a door being opened and turned to see Riku Harada stepping onto the hospital roof with a small gift bag looped around her arm. Since she was dressed in her school uniform, it was safe to assume Riku took a short break off of school to come here, most likely to pay her recovering twin sister a visit. *3*

"Umm, excuse me, but am I interrupting anything?" she asked politely.

Hoping that the brunette girl had not heard Shinoa's joke about her legs and bum, Yuichiro shook her head, grateful for something to take her mind off her too-short uniform skirt.

"Not at all, Riku," she answered. "What can I do for you?"

Riku cleared her throat as she offered Yuichiro the gift bag.

"Actually, my sister and I wanted to give you this. I came here to check up on Risa and figured I'd thank you in her place since she's not well enough to leave her room yet. But I had a feeling that you'd be up and about if you're strong enough to take on that vampire back at the school by yourself. One of the nurses told me I'd find you here."

Yuichiro frowned at the mention of the girl she rescued. The last time she saw Risa Harada, Yoichi had taken her away just before she engaged the rogue vampire in combat.

"Speaking of Risa, how is she? I'm sorry I wasn't able to get to her sooner, I had to kind of fight my way through a crowd before I could get back to the classroom. I was lucky one of the other students was willing to tell me where the vampire was hiding."

Riku shook her head fiercely. "Oh, there's nothing for you to be sorry about!" she insisted. "If anything, we're both grateful for what you did. Risa is fine so don't worry. She's just a bit weak from blood loss but that's nothing a transfusion won't fix. When I spoke to her, she told me she wanted to give you something in return. It's not much, but we hope you'll find it acceptable."

Curious, Yuichiro took a peek into the gift bag Riku had given her and almost found herself drooling when she saw a small box of See's Candies chocolate in it. The last time she had such a treat was when Satoshi, Daisuke, and Takeshi offered some to her as an apology for the skirt-pulling prank they played on her in seventh grade.

"Do you like it?" Riku asked hopefully.

"Oh, I love it!" Yuichiro answered happily, the gift making her forget how uncomfortable she was with her new uniform skirt.

"Just don't eat too many of them. I'd hate to have to explain to Guren why you may require a larger uniform if you do…" Shinoa teased.

If not for Riku's presence, Yuichiro might have told Shinoa that she couldn't care less what Guren thought of her figure. Instead, she focused her attention on the Harada twins.

"Thank you for the candies, Riku, I really appreciate them. But you didn't have to, really. Eliminating vampires is my job anyway. Well, going to be, that is. So what will you and your sister do now?"

"About that…"

"Yes?"

Riku smiled as she folded her hands behind her back a bit shyly.

"Risa and I talked about it when she woke up from her coma. She said that she wanted to join the Demon Army and maybe even the Moon Demon Company if they would have her. I do too."

"Oh, really?" Yuichiro asked, her curiosity piqued. Even Shinoa was interested. "Why's that, Riku?"

"Well, to be honest, you've inspired us. After what you did for Risa, we've decided that we also want to get stronger so that we can protect others from the vampires too. Especially Risa. She never wants to burden anyone else with the trouble of having to rescue her again, let alone yourself."

"I see… but are you sure you want to do that?" Shinoa asked. "The Demon Army has high expectation of its soldiers, the Moon Company even more so as I'm sure Miss Hyakuya can tell you. For example, working as a team…"

Yuichiro rolled her eyes at the other girl's implication. Like Guren, Shinoa wasn't going to let Yuu live her difficulty at teamwork down anytime soon but held her tongue since it wouldn't look good for her to get into an argument with Shinoa in front of Riku.

"Of course, we do!" Riku insisted.

"Well, if it's what you both really want, the Demon Army is currently taking applications. I'm sure you and Risa can apply at the school's career center. After your sister recovers, that is."

Riku laughed. "Of course, Shinoa. Well, I'd better get going. I used my lunch break at school to visit Risa so I better head on back before class resumes. Thank you for the advice, Shinoa. I hope my sister and I will see you again. You too, Yuichiro. Who knows, if Risa and I are accepted into the Demon Army, we may find ourselves working together."

"Oh, I'd love that!" Shinoa exclaimed as she gave Yuu a nudge with her elbow. "I'm sure Yuichiro would too!"

For once, the ravenette actually agreed with her friend. Though she wasn't quite used to teamwork yet, Yuichiro wouldn't be averse to fighting alongside the Harada twins should they be accepted into the Demon Army and MDC.

"Really? Do you mean that?" Riku asked hopefully. "We'd be honored to fight alongside both of you if possible."

Yuichiro nodded. "Yes, I would like that too…" she admitted. "Go ahead and apply. I wish you both the best of luck, Riku."

Riku made a polite bow before turning to leave.

"Thank you, we'll do our best. Enjoy the candies and have a wonderful day, Yuichiro. You too, Shinoa."

"You're welcome," Shinoa said kindly. "Good luck."

After Riku left, Yuichiro's smile faded and was replaced with an expression of worry which didn't go unnoticed by Shinoa.

"Yuu? What's wrong?" the purple-haired girl asked, concern apparent in her mahogany eyes.

"I'm glad I was able to help Risa and while I'm not opposed to working with the Harada sisters, I'd feel better if they'd just stay inside the walls and live normal lives. I don't want them to endanger themselves by becoming soldiers just because they feel like they owe it to me."

Shinoa gently placed a hand on Yuichiro's shoulder.

"I'm pretty sure that's not what Riku meant when she said that she and Risa wanted to join the army. While they are indebted to you for saving Risa, Riku did say they wanted to become soldiers because you inspired them. They know you were only doing your job and weren't expecting anything in return."

"Still, I…"

Before Yuichiro could even complete her sentence, both she and Shinoa heard a familiar boyish voice crying out for help.

"Help! Yuu, Shinoa!"

Turning, the two girls saw a frightened Yoichi breaking through the same door Riku had left through just a few minutes earlier with two older boys on his heels. Judging from their school uniforms, it looked like the boys ditched school to chase Yoichi all the way to the hospital.

Yuichiro blinked. "Yoichi? Are these guys bothering you again?" she asked when she recognized at least one of the boys chasing Yoichi as the one who was bullying him the other day.

Placing herself between Yoichi and Yamanaka, Yuichiro spread her arms to block the older boy's access to her friend and gave him her most intimidating stare.

"What do you want now, Yamanaka? Didn't you promise to leave Yoichi alone if I ran some errands for you? As for our date, I'm afraid I'll have to decline; I don't date guys who run away from vampires."

The older boy's face turned red with embarrassment. His unmanly action of leaving Yuu and Risa at the mercy of a rogue vampire wasn't something he needed or wanted to be reminded of. And while he did find Yuichiro attractive, a date with her wasn't exactly on his mind at the moment.

"I'm sorry about that, really! But that's not what I wanted to ask!" Yamanaka insisted before turning to Yoichi. "I've come to beg for Yoichi's help since I heard he's been accepted into the Moon Demon Company."

Yuichiro raised a brow. "Help?" she asked as she briefly gave Yoichi a questioning look before turning back to Yamanaka. "After what you did to Yoichi yesterday, you have no right to ask him for any favors. And besides, what need do you have that could be so dire for you to throw away your pride and beg Yoichi for help?"

Yamanaka cleared his throat. "About that… well…"

"Yes?"

"Our friend, Yuji, disappeared, you see. Earlier today, he went to the forbidden chamber and never came back."

Confused, Yuichiro turned to Shinoa.

"Forbidden Chamber? What are they talking about, Shinoa?"

The purple-haired girl smiled and clapped a fist to her open palm as realization dawned on her.

"Ahh… you guys trespassed onto a level-one restricted military area!"

Knowing that Shinoa was right on the mark, Yamanaka scratched his head nervously.

"Well, yes…"

"Let me guess, you guys did it to test your courage, correct? Unfortunately, those who enter the forbidden area are subject to severe punishment."

"W..what do you mean?"

"What I mean is that I'm sure your friend, Yuji, must have been arrested by now. He faces execution if convicted."

Upon seeing the panicked expression on Yamanaka's face, Yuichiro pulled Shinoa aside and whispered into her ear.

"Hey, don't you think that's going a bit too far, Shinoa? Surely the Demon Army wouldn't execute Yuji for something like that. Imprisonment, maybe, but execution?"

Without waiting for Shinoa to answer, Yuichiro turned to Yamanaka with sympathy apparent in her eyes when she realized he was willing to bend his stiff neck and humble himself for the sake of his friend.

"Very well, we'll help you find Yuji. But if the Demon Army really does decide to execute your friend, I'm afraid there won't be much we can do."

Grateful as that at least Yuichiro was willing to help, Yamanaka released a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Miss Hyakuya, you don't know how much this means to us. We should get back to the school as soon as possible."

"Ok. Well, let's go, Shinoa, Yoichi."

Instead of protesting that Yuu had made such a decision without their approval, Shinoa and Yoichi gave in.

"It looks like you're making more friends by the minute, Miss Hyakuya," the purple-haired girl teased.

Yuichiro rolled her eyes. "Never mind that, Shinoa. In case you haven't noticed, we've got a brain-dead moron to rescue."

Turning to Yoichi, she asked "You coming, Yoi?" *4*

Yoichi twiddled his thumbs nervously. While he wasn't exactly eager to help the same boys who were harassing him just the other day, it wasn't in his nature to just leave someone in trouble either.

"Y..yes, Yuu! Coming!" the younger boy answered as he proceeded to follow Yuichiro, Shinoa, and the others off the hospital grounds and back to the school.

SSSSSS

"So, Shinoa, what exactly is in this forbidden chamber you've been talking about?" Yuichiro asked her friend as she, Shinoa, and Yoichi made their way through the school with Yamanaka and his other friend following close behind. Her concern for Yuji made Yuu completely forget that she was wearing an MDC uniform with a skirt a bit too short for her liking and completely oblivious to the stares she was receiving from other students, particularly boys, walking by.

Shinoa stifled a laugh. "What, you mean you don't know? Why, it's one of the seven wonders of the school."

"Seven wonders?"

"Like the self-playing piano and the moving anatomical model, for example. Except that the forbidden area is someplace no one should ever go to without authorization."

"And why not?" Yoichi asked curiously.

Shinoa cleared her throat. "The truth is, that place has been chosen as a training ground for new recruits of the Moon Demon Company from this school. Only people who've had proper training can go there without being possessed by a demon."

"Not that I'm scared or anything but if what you said is true, then why are you letting us go down there without trying to stop us?" Yuu asked suspiciously.

"Like I said, your training as new recruits of the Moon Demon Company has already officially begun. You would have had to come down here sooner or later. Yoichi too," Shinoa answered simply.

And without another world, the purple-haired girl led the way to a hidden door in one of the school buildings that Yuichiro had never noticed before, one that led down a dark, narrow stairway into a room that looked strikingly similar to a temple.

"What's this? There's actually a temple under the school?" Yuichiro asked in puzzled wonder.

"Well, I've heard that long ago, below Shibuya, there used to be a huge, hollow space where people can take refuge against city floods. Later on, the Moon Demon Company chose this place as a training ground," Yoichi offered, though he was unsure if his answer was accurate.

As if reading the younger boy's mind, Shinoa nodded before her face broke out in a mischievous grin.

"That's where you're wrong, Yoichi. The whole school, in fact, is a training ground for new MDC recruits as well as a huge lab for human experimentation. This room just happens to be where the army seals demons and keep them from running amok."

"Oh, really, Shinoa? This is the first time I'm hearing of it," Yuichiro said with a bit of skepticism in her voice.

The purple-haired girl shrugged her shoulders. "You'll see, Yuu. Only talented people selected by the Moon Demon Company or those lured by the call of a demon can go beyond this door."

Yamanaka, who had been listening the entire time in silence, protested.

"But Yuji wasn't chosen for the Moon Demon Company. So does that mean..?"

Shinoa nodded. "Yes. Your friend must have been lured in here by a demon. But all hope is not lost; if we can get to him before his heart is devoured, he may yet be saved."

The older boy gulped nervously.

"And if not?"

"If not, he may become a mindless, witless demon that preys on humans, something far worse than a vampire."

As soon as he heard that, Yamanaka started to panic again.

"Oh no! Please don't let that happen!"

"Like I said before, we'll do everything we can to help him," Yuichiro said as she squeezed his shoulder, trying her best to reassure the older boy. "You and your friend wait here, I'll try and rescue Yuji."

Instead of waiting for Yamanaka's answer or Shinoa's approval, Yuichiro jumped down the remaining stairs and made her way towards the center of the room where she found the possessed Yuji standing on a large star-designed pentagram. The older boy had a distorted look on his face as he gripped what appeared to be an axe with a long wooden handle, something Yuichiro suspect to be a cursed gear weapon.

That axe! If I can get it, surely I'll be able to avenge Mika and the others! The girl thought excitedly.

"Yuu, wait, don't go near him!" Shinoa warned from behind her. "Let the MDC take care of it! I've already sent for them!"

"No way!" Yuichiro scoffed. "We can't wait for them! What do you think would have happened to Risa Harada if I waited last time instead of rescuing her myself?"

Before Shinoa could protest further, Yuichiro rushed towards the center of the room with the intention of taking the cursed weapon from Yuji and making it her own. And trying to rescue the older boy while she was at it. *5*

All while completely bare-handed.

Just when Shinoa thought her friend couldn't get any more reckless, Yuichiro quickly did a flip over Yuji when he swung his axe at her, grabbing it by the long wooden handle and forcibly wrenching it from the other boy's grip before landing on the ground behind him.

Now that was too easy! Yuu thought triumphantly as she felt a smug sense of victory before turning to see if she had managed to free Yuji from his demonic possession.

But instead of seeing an un-possessed Yuji as she had expected, Yuichiro found herself facing Mikaela, Akane, and her other deceased orphanage brothers and sisters in their run-down home in Sanguinem. Her previous family was sitting at the dinner table and looking as though they had been waiting for her to come and join them.

W..what's going on here? Yuu thought frantically as she reached towards the nape of her neck with one hand and found that her side braid was gone, her hair once again short and spiky. Instead of being clad in her new MDC uniform, the girl found that she was clad in the two-piece livestock uniform she wore while pretending to be a boy.

"What's wrong, Yuu-chan?" Mika asked gently. "You look as though you've seen a ghost."

"Why don't you come have dinner with us as always?" Akane asked. "Don't let all the food I've made go to waste."

"Mika? Akane? You're alive?" Yuichiro asked in confusion.

Mikeala grinned. "Of course not, we're all dead. You watched Ferid murder us all and ran away to save yourself, or don't you remember?" *6*

Yuichiro found herself shuddering at the blond boy's chilling words.

"N-no… I didn't..!" she protested while knowing full well that she did abandon Mikaela to his fate when she escaped from Sanguinem all those years ago.

"Yuu-chan, we both know you did, don't try to deny it," Mika cooed as he got up from the table and took her in a brotherly embrace with their siblings watching. "But I'll forgive you. If you avenge our deaths…"

"Avenge..?"

"That's what you intended all along, wasn't it, Yuu-chan? But determination alone isn't enough. You'll need power. And I can lend you mine if you just open your heart to me…" Mika said in a soothing tone as he tightened his hold on Yuu slightly.

Yuichiro said nothing but relaxed in her blond brother's embrace for a moment in order for him to let down his guard before using all of her strength to push him away.

"Just who or what the hell are you, you bastard?!" she demanded.

"W..what do you mean, Yuu-chan? It's me, Mika…" he answered innocently as he placed a hand on his chest.

"That's just it! You are not the Mika I know! He was clever and hopelessly kind to everyone! Even to someone who was supposed to be his enemy! And he would never, ever guilt-trip me or ask me to live for revenge! It was a mistake to use his face to try and deceive me and I'll make you pay for it!" Yuichiro screamed as she grabbed "Mikaela" by the throat.

As soon as Yuu attacked what she suspected to be a demon in Mika's form, their surroundings became distorted and the demon began to lose its form, becoming a frightening black shadow.

"Dammit… you're stronger than I thought…" the creature growled before his illusion finally collapsed around him and Yuichiro.

"Yuu, can you hear me? Wake up!"

The ravenette slowly opened her eyes to find herself sprawled on the cold concrete floor with a concerned Shinoa and Yoichi looking down at her.

"W...what happened?" Yuichiro asked tiredly as she sat up and placed a hand on her forehead.

"I don't believe it…you came to by yourself…" Shinoa breathed as she looked at her friend in wide-eyed wonder.

"What do you mean, Shinoa?" Yoichi asked as he scratched his head in confusion.

"Well… the demon was showing Yuu an illusion from her memories. Frankly, I'm surprised that she was able to see through it and shake the creature off. And without a demon weapon of her own, I might add."

"Oh?" Yuichiro began as she sat up and noticed the axe by her side. "Since I beat the demon, does that axe belong to me now?"

"No, of course not, Yuu. It's not that simple," Shinoa explained gently. "There's a procedure to follow when forming a contract with a demon. Not to mention that it will be your guardian who decides what weapon is right for you. And I can tell that you really don't like that axe anyway since you are a swordmaiden, are you not?"

"Hmm… true," the other girl agreed as she took another glance at the axe. "You're right, Shinoa, I do prefer a sword as my demon weapon. Still, I did take that bastard down by myself without any kind of weapon, did I? Even Guren would have to admit that's something."

"Yes, that's true…" Shinoa admitted. "On top of that, you did save your classmate as well. I'll definitely be reporting it to Guren."

"Speaking of which, where is Yuji and Yamanaka for that matter?" Yuichiro asked curiously when she looked around and found the other boys nowhere in sight.

"They're gone," Shinoa answered. "After you saved Yuji, I told Yamanaka and his other friend to take him to the nurse's office. Good job, Yuu. It looks like you saved the day once again."

"Great! So if it's not too much to ask, I'd like to get my own demon weapon as soon as possible!" Yuichiro insisted, her big green eyes sparking with excitement.

Not wanting to ruin the other girl's good mood, Shinoa nodded in agreement. Although she rarely yielded to Yuichiro's desires that quickly or easily for her own sake, Shinoa had to admit that Yuu truly earned her chance to test for her own demon weapon.

"Sure, Yuu. I'll arrange it with the lieutenant colonel first thing tomorrow" Shinoa assured the other girl, who was too excited to notice the nervous expression on her face.

Not that I have the authority to make that decision… Guren definitely won't be happy about this but oh well, what can I do?

SSSSSS

A tall figure quietly made his way through the hallways of one of Sanguinem's many chapels, his footsteps barely auditable as he walked with an almost feminine grace toward the object of his interest.

Ferid Bathory, who had indeed survived Yuichiro's gunshot wound to his head, whistled cheerfully, his elegant coat-tails swishing behind him as he called out for his once favorite livestock pet.

"Mika… Mika…" he called in a sing-song tone as he approached another figure clad in a white cloak and a vampire guard uniform who was kneeling before an elegantly decorated altar as if in prayer.

When he received no answer, the silver-haired vampire lord spoke, hoping his words would pique the young man's interest.

"I knew I would find you here…" he cooed. "Have you heard? It looks like we've finally found what you've been searching for all these years, your precious angel. What was his name again?"

Instead of answering Ferid, Mikaela tightened his grip on his sword and quickly withdrew the blade from its sheath. With a speed that would have been impossible for an ordinary human, the blond swiftly stood up, turned around, and brought it to Ferid's neck, just above his carotid artery.

Instead of being alarmed or even offended that Mika would dare to threaten him with a weapon, Ferid merely chuckled as he brought a hand to the blade at this throat and gently pushed it slightly away with two fingers.

"Now, now, Mika. I've come to bring you good news. Your brother, Yuichiro, is indeed alive. *7* Isn't that what you wanted to hear? Unfortunately, he's also being manipulated by those wretched humans. Don't you want to save him, Mikaela Hyakuya?"

Although grateful for the information, the blond still wasn't eager to trust his former benefactor so easily. He was no longer the naive little boy who had unwittingly led his innocent family to their deaths. But even so, Mikaela was willing to at least listen to any bit of information he could get if it would lead him to Yuichiro.

"Go on, Lord Ferid…" he sneered, fangs flashing as the hood of his cloak fell to his shoulders, revealing wavy golden-blond hair that framed a hauntingly beautiful pale face with dark blue eyes.

The older vampire threw up his arms as if in mock surrender.

"But of course, Mika! You'd know I'd do anything for you. Though it would be a bit easier for me to talk without a blade at my throat if you know what I mean…"

Mikaela scowled but gave in and lowered his sword. Sliding it back in its sheath before giving the other vampire a cold look, he said none-too-politely.

"Alright then, My Lord. Start talking…"

Footnotes:

1. In the LNs, all the characters are described as having normal, real-life colors but I've decided to stick with Shinoa's purple hair from the anime.

2. In the anime version of OnS, there are many variants of the female JIDA/MDC uniform. While the male uniform looks roughly the same for all the men, the women can wear uniforms with pants, shorts, long and short skirts.

3. The girl male!Yuu saves from the pink-haired vampire is a random, unnamed female character but for my AU, I've decided to make it Risa Harada. Riku, her twin, is the one who gives fem!Yuu a candy box instead of the love letter the unnamed rescued girl gives male!Yuu.

4. In my AU, I thought it would be cute to have Yuu, as well as other characters, call Yoichi "Yoi" as a pet name. The scene also takes place at the hospital where fem!Yuu wakes up instead of the school in the canon story.

5. In canon, Shinoa shows male!Yuu her cursed gear and demon after the unnamed girl gives him a love letter but I've decided have her show fem!Yuu at a later date.

6. Male!Yuu does not remember Ferid's name until Mika reminds him later but fem!Yuu has a better memory and can recall Ferid much easier.

7. At this point, Ferid does not know fem!Yuu is a girl yet and thus refers to her as a "he" and calls her Mika's brother.