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. On another note, while I will be changing as much as I can to keep things interesting and suspenseful, some parts of the canon timeline I must keep the same. I intend for my fic to be a story that "could have" happened in canon, not a totally different AU. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible.
Chapter 5: A Brother's Love
October 21, 2020
Yuichiro placed a hand over her mouth as she tried to stifle a yawn while walking through the school hallways to get to her new MDC training course. After the disturbing illusion she had experienced the day before with a demon who tried to tempt her with power using Mikaela's form so that it could possess her in place of Yuji, Yuichiro had a bit of difficulty sleeping that night. Part of her feared that she would experience the illusion again in her dreams. Even though she knew it was unlikely since she did manage to break free of the demon's mental hold on her through a "Miracle of God" as Yoichi called it.
Another part of Yuu worried that Guren might not let her take the entry exam for her own demon weapon when he learned of her reckless act even though she did manage to save her idiotic classmate while unarmed as well.
Oh well, what's done is done; I'll just have to deal with the consequences as I always have with anything else I've done to tick Guren off… the girl thought wryly.
So lost was she in her thoughts that Yuichiro failed to notice another student walking in her direction and found herself bumping into him as well as accidentally stepping on his foot.
Once she felt the not-so-light impact, Yuichiro gasped and found herself confronting a tall boy with strawberry-pink hair and glasses who seemed rather displeased with her clumsiness.
"Hey, why don't you watch where the hell you're going, you stupid punk!" the boy yelled angrily as he drew back his fist and aimed for her jaw before attempting to take a swing at Yuichiro.
When the ravenette looked up and made eye contact with her would-be assailant, his eyes widened and he gasped when he realized she was a girl and tried to hold himself back but didn't have anywhere near the self-control that Guren did.
Fortunately, he didn't have to. For Yuichiro swiftly brought her arm up and used her hand to guide his fist away from her face and into the air beside her, one of the many defense moves she learned from Mito to guard herself against someone who attacks without thinking.
As soon as she made him miss, the boy tripped and would have fallen on his face if Yuichiro had not caught him. Even after he had tried to attack her, she still showed concern for him, apologizing for their earlier collision.
"I'm sorry, but are you all right?" she asked politely. "I wasn't watching where I was going because my thoughts were elsewhere."
The pink-haired boy blushed furiously in Yuichiro's hold, ashamed that he had nearly struck a girl for something that was totally accidental.
"I… I'm sorry! Please excuse me!" he cried in embarrassment as he pried himself out of Yuichiro's arms and ran in the opposite direction while trying to ignore the stares the other students were giving him.
As soon as the boy was out of sight, Yuichiro blinked in confusion.
What a strange fellow… I wonder who he was?" she thought. Oh well, I probably won't be seeing him again. Anyway, I better head on to class before I'm late…
SSSSSS
After barely avoiding what could have been a painful misunderstanding with a mysterious pink-haired boy, Yuichiro tucked the unexpected encounter in the back of her mind as she made her way to the classroom for the new MDC recruits where she knew Guren would be expecting her. When she finally arrived, the girl found Yoichi standing in front of the closed door as if he were waiting for her. And he wasn't alone, Shinoa was with him.
As soon as they caught sight of Yuichiro, Shinoa sighed.
"You're late, Yuu. By about five minutes. And from the look of things, we're going to be too."
Yuichiro gave her friend a look of annoyance.
"I didn't ask you to stand out here and wait for me, you know. You too, Yoichi. There's no reason for you to make yourself late because of me."
The younger boy blushed. "It's ok, Yuu. I wanted to. I don't mind being scolded by the lieutenant colonel for waiting for you. It's the least I can do after what you've done for me."
Yuichiro sighed. She swore the brunet boy was too kind for his own good. While Yuu herself was used to being chewed out by her guardian for any mishaps she made in the past, Yoichi looked like the kind who would crumble when spoken to harshly. For as long as she's known him, Guren had always been a strict teacher who demanded perfection and punctuality of his subordinates.
"Fine…" Yuichiro said. "Let's just get inside before we're tardier than we already are."
Shinoa folded her hands behind her back but said nothing as she turned to Yoichi and made a gesture for him to do Yuichiro said.
Since Yuu was the latest of the three, she had to do the honors and open the door to let Shinoa and Yoichi in. As she predicted, the ravenette saw her guardian sitting at the teacher's desk in a laid back position, resting his legs and feet on the smooth wooden surface with his eyes closed as if he were taking a nap.
Upon seeing Yuu, Shinoa, and Yoichi make their entrance, the other students' heads turned in their direction with more than a few giving them a look of slight contempt for keeping up the rest of the class with their tardiness. But the ravenette pretended not to notice and waited for Shinoa to speak.
The purple-haired girl cleared her throat to catch Guren's attention.
"Sir, Yuichiro Hyakuya and Yoichi Saotome have arrived," she said in the most formal tone she could muster since they were being watched by an entire classroom full of MDC candidates, including Satoshi, Daisuke, and Takeshi.
At the sound of Shinoa's voice, Guren slowly opened his eyes and turned his gaze towards his ward and her new friend.
"I was wondering if you were going to show up, Yuichiro. I don't think I need to tell you you're five minutes late along with that puppy follower of yours. You got a good excuse, girl?"
Thinking it was best not to tell Guren she was late because of her collision with a pink-haired boy in the hallway, Yuichiro shook her head. She knew that if she told her guardian the truth, he would probably assume she was making it up anyway.
"Not really…" she answered coolly, her reply raising many a brow in the classroom since anyone else in her place might have apologized profusely and respectively for keeping a man in Guren's position waiting.
"I have to admit, Yuu's got guts talking to the lieutenant colonel like that," Daisuke chuckled, making sure to keep his voice low enough not to be heard by the man in question. Like Yuichiro herself, he, Satoshi, and Takeshi eventually became discontent with merely guarding the walls and spent the last few months studying hard to be considered for the Moon Demon Company.
Satoshi smirked from his seat next to the red-headed boy.
"You're right, Dai. She's always been a feisty one. I think he tolerates it because she's his ward so I wouldn't get it into my head to take an attitude like hers with him."
"I'd only do that if I wanted to never be considered for the MDC for sure…" Takeshi muttered, still somewhat bitter that he had the misfortune of being chosen to report Yuichiro's act of insubordination to Guren when she went against orders and took on a Horseman of John alone.
Satoshi and Daisuke said nothing but nodded their agreement as they watched to see how Guren would react to Yuichiro's answer to why she was late for class.
Instead of being offended, the older man merely smirked as if he were expecting such an answer from the girl who was his ward. Shinoa, who had known Guren for years, could tell that her superior obviously had a great deal of affection for Yuichiro since he would not have let her careless answer slide if it came from anyone else in the classroom.
Especially if an apology did not accompany it as well.
"Very well. We'll have a little talk on your punctuality issues later, Yuu. For now, why don't you introduce yourself to the class before taking a seat over there" Guren said as he pointed to an empty desk near the back of the classroom. "As for Yoichi, he can sit in the front."
Puzzled as to why her guardian would order her to sit that far from her new friend, Yuichiro gave him a blank stare but obeyed nonetheless and moved until she was standing right in front of Guren's desk and made a polite bow to her classmates.
"My name is Yuichiro Hyakuya and like all of you, I am a Moon Demon Company candidate seeking to test for my own demon weapon. I look forward to working with all of you."
Although she sounded polite enough, the other students picked up the tone in her voice that suggested Yuu meant the opposite of what she said about wanting to work with them. Guren and Shinoa noticed as well but said nothing since they didn't want to cause a scene and waste any more time than they already had because of her tardiness.
Without another word, Yuichiro made her way to the back of the classroom where she found another student sitting in the same, laid back position she saw Guren in moments before. He also had an open book over his face and his feet was on top of the desk in front of him near the chair where she was supposed to be sitting.
Clearing her throat to catch his attention, Yuu said: "Excuse me, but would you be so kind as to move your feet away from that chair where I'm supposed to sit?"
For a moment, she received no answer and suspected the boy really was asleep and was about to call out to him again when he slowly brought his hand to the book on his face.
"What is it? Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?" he demanded in a cranky tone before pulling the book off to reveal his face, causing Yuichiro to gasp when she recognized him as the pink-haired boy who nearly struck her not too long ago.
"You! You're that guy from earlier!" she exclaimed.
Yuichiro's voice made the boy snap out of his lazy posture fast as he too, recognized her and found his face growing red.
"Y…yeah, sure!" he sputtered as he quickly moved his feet away from Yuichiro's desired seat before sitting upright on his own desk in the proper position, surprising the other students who were rather fearful of him. His reaction also did not go unnoticed by Guren who turned to Shinoa to demand an explanation.
"What's up with those two?"
The purple-haired girl's face broke into a mischievous grin when she saw yet another chance to stir up the pot again. Unknown to Yuichiro, Shinoa had secretly witnessed the scene between her and the boy who was blushing furiously before her now and knew the reason behind their reaction to each other.
"Why, they just met before class and had a little misunderstanding…" Shinoa answered innocently. "But as you can see, nothing serious…"
Guren didn't know why, but he didn't like the sound of that and called out to his ward from the front of the classroom while ignoring the stares the other students were giving him.
"Forget it, Yuu. Just sit at that other desk in the corner over there" he pointed out.
Shinoa had to stifle her laughter when she realized that Guren was ordering Yuichiro to sit at the desk furthest from the pink-haired boy named Shiho Kimizuki. She also noticed his expression was very similar to the one he wore when he parted Yuu and Yoichi after seeing the younger boy hug her too tightly for his comfort.
After making sure Yuichiro sat where he told her to, Guren took his place in front of the classroom to begin the lecture. As the commander of the Moon Demon Company, his job was to screen potential candidates and weed out those he knew would not make the cut, for the demon weapon aptitude test was no joke; those who failed would not get a chance to retake it since failure resulted in demon possession and death. Knowing this, the lieutenant colonel could not, in good conscience, allow anyone he did not believe to be truly ready to take the test.
"Well, then, let's get this lesson started, shall we?" Guren announced. "As you all know, I am Lieutenant Colonel Guren Ichinose, commander of the Moon Demon Company. The fact that you're all here means that your teachers see you as potential candidates for the most elite unit in the Japanese Imperial Demon Army. I will be straightforward in that few of you will actually make the cut and the decision of who does rest entirely in my hands."
As he said this, Guren looked to Yuichiro who knew very well that he made no exceptions in weeding out those he deemed too weak of heart and mind to handle a demon weapon. Not like she had any problem with it. The ravenette knew her guardian was actually doing anyone he turned away a favor by not letting them into the MDC if they didn't have what it took.
Even if that included herself.
SSSSSS
Guren set down the papers he was reading when he heard a soft knock on his door which caused his brow to furrow in annoyance since he was not in the mood for visitors now.
Before he could tell the unwanted visitor to leave, the door slowly opened to reveal an equally unhappy Shiho Kimizuki on the other side. Though the tried not to show it, the lieutenant colonel could tell that the younger boy wasn't exactly thrilled to see him either and that he was only here because he needed something.
"You know, it's not very courteous to enter someone's room or office without permission first," Guren said dryly.
The boy sighed. "I know, sir. And I'm sorry, but it's important. There's something I needed to ask you about the upcoming demon aptitude test."
Although he normally did not tolerate people barging into his office to inquire about such matters without his consent, Guren was curious as to what Kimizuki wanted so badly that he would dare to question him.
"Yes? What about it?"
Kimizuki cleared his throat. "I need to know if I will be allowed to try for the high-level Black Demon Series. I strongly believe I am a most qualified candidate since I've got top marks in all subjects."
"I know you do, Kimizuki. But in case you haven't noticed, you aren't the only one. Everyone you saw in the MDC training course today has the same potential, including Yuichiro Hyakuya and Yoichi Saotome. Yuichiro, especially, also has top marks just as you do. I know because I trained her myself since she was twelve."
The pink-haired boy gave Guren a look of bewilderment at the mention of the girl who ran into him just minutes before class.
"So is it true what the other students say? That she's your ward?"
"It is. Even so, I still wouldn't have considered her for the demon aptitude test if I didn't think she had what it took."
Kimizuki gulped when he realized that he had almost assaulted someone who was under the protection and tutelage of the man who would decide whether or not he would be allowed to join the Moon Demon Company. And if Yuichiro had already told Guren what happened between them in the hallway, Kimizuki could kiss any chance he had of getting into the MDC good-bye.
Hoping that Yuu made no mention of the incident to her guardian, Kimizuki tried to change the subject.
"But that Yoichi kid looks so frail!" he protested. "And come to think of it, so does Yuichiro."
Guren smirked. "That's where you're wrong, Kimizuki. Without Yoichi's assistance, it would have been much more difficult for Yuichiro to save Risa Harada from the vampire who was running rampant at the school. I'm sure you must have heard about that incident; it was only a few days ago."
Kimizuki nodded. "I did. Though I was absent that day, one of the other students told me all about it. And I don't mean to put her down, sir, but what if Yuichiro just got lucky that day?"
Instead of being offended, Guren simply smiled as if he were expecting the pink-haired boy to say such a thing.
"I wouldn't underestimate Miss Hyakuya if I were you, Kimizuki. She may look and act demure at school to avoid drawing attention to herself but the truth is, my girl's quite the warrior. Not only is Yuichiro an adept swordmaiden, she's also an impressive sniper and martial artist who's already faced two vampires stronger than the one at school and lived to tell the tale as well. She's even managed to shake off a demon's attempt to possess her just yesterday."
Kimizuki blinked, his mouth dropping slightly in surprise when he heard Guren proudly refer to Yuu as "his girl" and wondered if the two shared that kind of relationship. Though he did not dare to ask since he knew he was already pushing it by coming to the lieutenant colonel's office uninvited. *1*
"I see… I can respect that, sir. But even so, I must obtain a demon weapon and join the Moon Demon Company at any cost."
Guren raised a brow. "You sound very adamant on that, Kimizuki. Might I ask why you crave power so much?"
The pink-haired boy stared at him incredulously.
"Do you even need to ask, sir? I'm sure you already know all about me since you have access to my records."
"I do. You need money to cure your little sister who contracted the virus of the apocalypse even though she's still a child, money which you don't have. So instead, you know that if you were accepted into the MDC, you would have access to state-of-the-art medicines and treatments which have not been released to the public. And not that I don't sympathize with your situation, but I can tell that you are not yet ready to take the test. I know you are strong but physical strength alone won't be enough. You must be strong in mind as well for demon weapons can take advantage of your desires to possess you."
"What do you mean by that?" Kimizuki asked, not quite understanding what Guren meant.
The lieutenant colonel said nothing but stood up and slowly withdrew his sword from the sheath at his belt, exposing a part of the dark blade within. To Kimizuki's amazement (and fear), he saw a dark mist and felt an unseen energy emanate from the blade that sent chills down his spine. Guren noticed the boy's reaction as well which proved his point.
"Demons thrive on anger and impatience," he explained patiently. "As you are now, you would be devoured by your desires and become a demon yourself real quick. And should that happen, I would have no choice but to dispose of you. Do you understand, Kimizuki?"
The pink-haired boy gulped and nodded. Guren knew he wouldn't be able to deter Kimizuki from his impatience to obtain a demon weapon before he was ready so he used a visual demonstration.
Which was far more effective.
Not wanting to be near the source of that frightening mist and energy any longer, the pink-haired boy turned and ran out of the office as fast as his legs could carry him.
SSSSSS
October 22, 2020
"All right, everyone, may I have your attention, please!" Sayuri Hanayori called out to the large group of MDC candidates who were gathered at the large empty school auditorium, chatting amongst themselves.
As soon as they heard their instructor's voice, everyone fell silent and turned their heads in her direction. Once she was sure she had everyone's attention, Sayuri continued.
"Thank you, everyone! My name is Sayuri Hanayori and I will be accessing your abilities today to determine who will be permitted to take the demon aptitude test a week from now. A good score is required for admittance to the exam so please do your best, everyone!"
Although she sounded friendly and reassuring enough, Yoichi found himself feeling nervous at Sayuri's announcement and tugged on Yuu's sleeve.
"Do you think we'll make it?" he asked.
In answer, Yuichiro patted the younger boy's arm reassuringly.
"Don't worry, I'll do my best to help you," she said gently. Though they had known each other for only a few days, Yuu had grown rather fond of Yoichi and felt protective of him.
"For today's practice, you'll all be working in pairs. This exercise is meant to help you be in perfect sync with your partner so please work together to defeat the training dummy. The faster you defeat it, the higher your score will be. So everyone, please choose a partner and that's all there is to it!" Sayuri explained cheerfully.
"Hmm… sounds simple enough. Shall we get going, Yoi?" Yuichiro asked as she took the younger boy's hand in her own.
Knowing how accommodating Yoichi was, at least to her, Yuu found him to be the perfect partner since he was most likely to do whatever she asked of him without objection.
Unfortunately, Sayuri (and Shinoa) had other plans.
As someone who was already a full-fledged member of the MDC with her own demon cursed gear, Shinoa was not required to participate in the training exercise, only assist Sayuri in testing the students. The purple-haired girl knew exactly what Yuichiro was thinking when she chose Yoichi as a partner and set out to foil her plans with Sayuri's help. They both knew Yuichiro needed to learn teamwork with someone who had just as much difficulty with it as herself. So, before the training exercise could begin, Shinoa tastefully came between Yuu and Yoichi and dragged the younger boy away by the arm.
"Hey, what are you doing, Shinoa!?" he cried in confusion as she paired him up with Takeshi Saehara instead.
"You two will be working together. I have someone else in mind for Miss Hyakuya," Shinoa said with a wink.
The brunet boy was confused but did not object. As much as he would have enjoyed working with someone like Yuichiro, who could tell him what to do so that he wouldn't have to think too hard, Yoichi also knew that he had to obey Shinoa as much as he would Sayuri or Guren himself.
After leaving Yoichi with Takeshi, Shinoa went around the room to help the other students pair up, especially ones who seemed to have trouble choosing a partner. Naturally, she didn't have to help Satoshi Hiwatari or Daisuke Niwa, who chose to pair off with each other since they were already so close.
One by one, everyone in the large auditorium took a partner until only Yuichiro and Kimizuki were left. And like with Yuichiro, Shinoa did not allow the pink-haired boy to take any other partner, always coming between him and anyone he chose. Because of the misunderstanding between him and Yuichiro, Shinoa knew that Kimizuki was deliberately trying to avoid pairing up with her. Which was exactly why she wanted them to work together and already discussed it with Sayuri the night before. Like Shinoa, she too, knew how stubborn Yuu could be and agreed with the purple-haired girl's plan.
As Shinoa started to shove the protesting Kimizuki towards Yuichiro (who stood dumbfounded right where she was), Sayuri started demonstrating her amazing handcuffing skills by throwing them at each pair of students without moving from her spot on the podium. As soon as Kimizuki was close enough, he found himself cuffed to Yuichiro before he even knew what hit him and from the look on the ravenette's face, she was just as surprised.
Although she had nothing against Kimizuki personally, Yuichiro knew he was unlikely to be as accommodating as Yoichi and found herself glaring at Shinoa who stuck her tongue at them playfully before leaving to join Sayuri at the podium. After giving the students a brief moment to introduce themselves to each other, Sayuri raised her hand and gave the signal for the training exercise to begin.
"All right, everyone! Now that you are bound by those handcuffs, you must cooperate in order to defeat the dummies! In addition, the handcuffs will not come off until you do. So do your best, everyone!"
Oh crap… Yuichiro thought as she saw the doors open and the huge training dummies starting to flood the room, causing the students to scatter everywhere with their partners. If both of her hands were free, she could have easily picked off the dummies one by one but since one of her wrists were bound with the misfortune of it being her dominant hand as well, Yuichiro found herself at a severe disadvantage.
"Let's get this over with!" she heard her partner exclaim. "It's not that fast, we should be able to beat it easily and get a high score!"
"I agree!" she answered back and charged at the dummy to their right, thinking it was the one Kimizuki was talking about.
And as soon Yuichiro made her move, she felt herself being yanked back harshly when her partner chose to go after the dummy to their left.
Yuichiro yelped with pain when Kimizuki slammed into her hard. The cuffs were hurting her wrist as well but she tried to ignore it and glared at her partner.
"Kimizuki-kun, I believe we should be going this way!" she said, pointing to the dummy to their right.
The pink-haired boy returned her glare.
"Well, why didn't you say so in the first place!? I assumed we were going for that one over there!" he said, pointing to the one on the left.
From across the room, Daisuke chuckled as he gently elbowed his partner, Satoshi.
"It looks like those two aren't getting off to a very good start, Sato. As cute as she is, I'm glad I didn't get paired off with Yuichiro; she could be such a handful at times."
Taking a quick glance at the bickering pair, even Satoshi had to grin.
"True. And I heard Kimizuki is no charmer either. Anyway, we better focus on the dummies if we want to test for our own demon weapons."
"Right," Daisuke agreed. "I hope Takeshi will be ok with that Yoichi kid."
"I'm sure he will. Takeshi's always been an easygoing guy who gets along well with others. Anyway, let's take this dummy out and get our points!"
"Right on!"
As Yuu and Kimizuki stood there glaring at each other, they heard the sound of a dummy approaching them and looking ready to strike. Thinking quickly, the ravenette decided to swallow her pride and accommodate the older boy if it meant passing the test. When the dummy's arm came crashing down, Yuichiro pushed Kimizuki in the direction he originally intended to go instead of fighting him like she did the first time. Her approach was successful and the pair managed to avoid getting hit and losing points. *2*
Bewildered by Yuichiro's sudden change in strategy which kept them from getting hit, Kimizuki was about to ask why she did that when he heard Sayuri calling out for him after ordering that the dummies be stopped for a few moments. Looking ahead, they saw that Shigure had arrived to give her a message that was intended for Kimizuki. Judging from the grave look on the older woman's face, Yuichiro suspected it to be something serious.
"Shiho Kimizuki, please report to the intensive care unit at once, your sister, Mirai, is in critical condition!"
For a moment, Yuichiro saw a look of panic and fear on the pink-haired boy's face before he forced himself to calm down and ask that Sayuri resume the exercise.
"I'll be right there, just let me take care of this dummy first!" he answered.
Startled, Yuichiro grabbed Kimizuki by the arm and forced him to face her.
"What? Didn't you hear what Miss Hanayori just said? You should go to your sister right away!"
Blushing furiously at the close contact, the pink-haired boy yanked his arm free of Yuu's grip.
"Shut up! It's not your business! If I don't pass this test, I won't be able to save my sister anyway!" he snarled.
Frustrated at Kimizuki's stubbornness, Yuichiro drew back her free arm and slapped him hard across the face. And being the soldier she was, Yuu's slap was no light tap, even if it didn't come from her sword arm. The unexpected blow made Kimizuki reel and he could feel a small stream of blood coming down the left corner of his mouth.
"Idiot! And if she dies now, what would be the point in you getting into the MDC?! You can always take this test again but this could be your last chance to see your sister if she doesn't make it!" Yuu shouted back.
Although furious that Yuichiro would dare to strike him for something that clearly wasn't her business, her words chilled Kimizuki to the bone when he realized that she was right.
Not giving him a chance to answer, Yuichiro turned to Sayuri and Shigure.
"I'll go with him. Where's the intensive care unit?"
The ravenette's announcement and question made everyone's heads turn her way, especially Sayuri, Shigure, and Shinoa since they all knew how much Yuichiro wanted to take the demon aptitude test and acquire her own cursed gear as soon as possible.
Touched by the girl's concern for her partner whom she barely knew, Sayuri nodded.
"Very well, Yuichiro. You and Kimizuki can re-take the training exercise later. You're both excused for now."
Turning to Shinoa, Sayuri said: "Show them where the intensive care unit is. I'll take the cuffs off them when they return."
Shinoa nodded. She knew it would only take a second for Sayuri to remove the cuffs from Yuichiro and Kimizuki but that it was better to let them stay bound for a little longer so they can become closer and get along better.
"Yes, Sayuri. Right away."
SSSSSS
"So how is she?" Kimizuki asked, his brow furrowing in concern and worry as he kneeled at his younger sister's bedside with Yuichiro right next to him since they were still cuffed together.
Looking down at the younger girl, Yuu could not help thinking how much Mirai reminded her of Aiko, her youngest orphanage sister, who was often sickly and required more of her and Akane's attention than any of the others. From the girl's appearance, Yuichiro could tell that she was obviously younger than thirteen when the virus struck all those years ago and how she contracted it anyway was a mystery to the physicians who were tending to her.
"She seems to be doing ok now," one of the nurses answered. "I'll be honest in that for a moment, I thought we might have lost her when she took a turn for the worst but the doctor somehow managed to stabilize her condition."
"I see… isn't there anything more you can do for her?" Kimizuki asked hopefully as he gently stroked his sleeping sister's hair that was just as pink as his own.
The nursed sighed. Taking pity on the pink-haired boy, he placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and said: "We're doing everything we can, I promise you. But there's only so much we can do to treat the virus in a civilian hospital."
Kimizuki clenched his hands. "I know. That's why I'm doing everything I can to get into the MDC so my sister can have access to military medical facilities. It's the only option left to me since I don't have money."
Yuichiro, who had remained silent the entire time, had to suppress a gasp.
So he was doing all this for his sister. I had no idea… she thought.
After their visiting time was up, Kimizuki and Yuichiro left the hospital. Spent from the hectic events of the day, Yuichiro requested that they take a break on a nearby bench before heading back to have Sayuri remove their handcuffs.
As soon as they were seated comfortably on the bench, Kimizuki spoke.
"I'm sorry…" he said quietly, startling Yuichiro.
Blinking, she asked: "For what?"
Kimizuki managed a small smile, the first she's seen since they met.
"For everything, not just the argument we had about my sister. I probably wouldn't have even been considered for the Moon Demon Company if you had told your guardian that I almost struck you when we first met. Why didn't you?"
Yuichiro stared at the pink-haired boy for a moment as if she wasn't sure how to answer. To be honest, the thought never occurred to her to tell Guren of the incident since she didn't think it was important enough to bother him with.
"It was just a misunderstanding," she said. "And besides, you never actually laid a finger on me."
"Because you knew how to defend yourself. What if you didn't?"
"I probably would have had a swollen jaw but nothing serious enough to kill me. At worst, you might have knocked me out cold."
"And lose any chance I had of getting into the MDC once Lieutenant Colonel Ichinose found out," Kimizuki surmised dryly.
"I won't lie in that he wouldn't have been thrilled if you had managed to hurt me. But if I was afraid of getting hurt, I wouldn't have joined the army in the first place. Just because I'm female doesn't mean I'm a delicate flower."
Kimizuki managed a small laugh as he brought his hand to the cheek where Yuichiro had slapped him earlier. The swelling had gone down and he had stopped bleeding but the mental effect of the blow was still there.
"Oh, I have no delusions of you being a delicate flower, Miss Hyakuya. Your guardian said as much when I paid him a visit at his office yesterday."
"Oh, you spoke with Guren? Why? To see if I ratted you out to him?"
Kimizuki shook his head. "No, it was something else. Not that I wasn't worried if you did tell him but I'm grateful you were nice enough not to. I'm also grateful you told me to see my sister so thank you…"
Yuichiro smiled as she squeezed Kimizuki's hand reassuringly.
"You're welcome. I know it's not my business, but my own experiences had taught me that you should always treasure the people who are close to you, especially if they're in Mirai's position, because you never know if they'll be there tomorrow."
Kimizuki nodded. "I suppose you're right, Yuu."
Although he did not say so, Yuichiro could tell that Kimizuki felt bad for being such a jerk to her earlier when she was only showing concern for him and his sister.
"Look, Kimizuki-kun. I know we got off on the wrong foot but since we're mostly likely going to be working together in the future, I'd like to start over if that's ok with you."
The pink-haired boy looked at her for a moment before offering a genuine smile.
"I'd like that, Miss Hyakuya. Thank you."
Yuichiro sighed with relief. "I'm glad to hear that. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get back and have these handcuffs removed because I kind of have to use the restroom and I'd prefer to do so in private."
Blushing again, Kimizuki nodded. "Yes, of course. Let's get going. I hope Miss Hanayori is still in the auditorium waiting for us."
Yuichiro felt her stomach drop. She had lost track of how much time they had spent checking up on Mirai and hoped that Sayuri had not gone home for the day yet.
"Oh, she had better be!" the ravenette exclaimed with a hint of worry in her voice as she jumped up from her seat on the bench and began to run back to the auditorium, dragging her pink-haired partner every step of the way.
SSSSSS
"So what are the results, Shinoa?" Guren asked his subordinate as she stood before the desk in his office while he remained sitting with his elbows resting on the wooden surface and hands folded under his chin.
The purple-haired girl cleared her throat before answering.
"Well, after Yuichiro and Kimizuki returned from the hospital, Sayuri and I stayed behind after school to test them again with the training dummies. This time, they passed with flying colors. I don't know what they talked about while they were away but whatever it was, it brought them closer together and they're getting along well now."
"Good, I'm glad. Both Yuu and Kimizuki are the most difficult when it comes to working as a team. But I'm grateful they were able to pull it off thanks to yours and Sayuri's careful planning."
"You're welcome, sir, it was my pleasure! And I do mean that from the bottom of my heart," Shinoa said with a glint of mischief in her mahogany eyes as she placed a hand on her chest before continuing.
"Anyway, from what Sayuri and I have observed, there are six candidates in that entire group that are most qualified for the Black Demon Series."
"Six?"
"Yes. Yuichiro Hyakuya, Shiho Kimizuki, and Yoichi Saotome are all very determined and disciplined. I'm sure they'll be able to resist the temptation of the demons. So can Satoshi Hiwatari, Daisuke Niwa, and Takeshi Saehara. Satoshi, especially, has the qualifications of a squad leader with his cool head and practically genius level intellect." *3*
"I see. To keep things from getting complicated, I'll test Yuu, Kimizuki, and Yoichi myself next week. As for Satoshi, Daisuke, and Takeshi, I'll ask Shinya to test them for me at a later date. Though they all have potential, I'm most interested in Yuichiro and Kimizuki; if we can get at least those two in the MDC, our strength will increase dramatically. Not that we can't use the others as well. We'll need all the help we can get."
"You mean…?"
"Yes… the vamps haven't made their move yet but it will only be a matter of time. And when that happens, they will provide us with the perfect opportunity."
"For what exactly, sir?"
"To take down the Hiragi family."
Instead of being alarmed that her superior was plotting to overthrow the Hiragis, her own blood relatives, Shinoa grinned as if she were expecting (and wanting) him to say that all along.
"My thoughts exactly, Lieutenant Colonel Ichinose."
Footnotes:
1. The expression "my girl" can refer to a daughter or a girlfriend depending on the context in which it is used. Since Guren and fem!Yuu are only eight years apart in age, Kimizuki assumes they may be lovers since Guren is not nearly old enough to be her father.
2. Male!Yuu is too proud and stubborn to yield to others, even when it is in his own interest to do so. In my AU, fem!Yuu is smart enough to know when it's best to swallow her pride.
3. I plan on creating an additional squad with the main characters of DN Angel with Satoshi as the squad leader and have them work alongside Shinoa's Squad often to keep things interesting and cater to the DN Angel fans.
