The next morning, Aichi woke up early like usual. He quickly got ready for school and cleaned his wound before breakfast. He took off the bandage and looked at it. "It looks alright…" he said to himself. He knew the doctor was going to visit him soon. For now, he simply went to school same as normal.

When he walked into the kitchen, he felt a wave of loneliness again. "I hope they are alright..." he thought to himself before walking to the fridge to get his breakfast. While he was eating, he was reading some course material to distract himself from his worries. Soon, his phone began vibrating. Aichi turned to see the caller ID: Sayuri Hanayori.

Aichi picked up the call and greeted, "Good morning, Hanayori."

"Aichi, Guren asked me to remind you to go to the training facility after school today."

"I remember... I promised to go, so I'll be there," Aichi answered with a sigh.

"I reminded him. Is that all you want me to say to him? Do you want to talk to him?" Sayuri asked Guren. She seemed to be in the same room so Aichi wondered why he couldn't just tell him himself. "Alright, Aichi. That's all. Make sure to keep your wound clean to avoid an infection!" She reminded in a parently way.

"Yes, I will. Goodbye," Aichi responded before the call ended. He put down his phone and continued eating breakfast. It was still very early so he could take his time.

When Aichi got to class, there were already others reading their notes. They looked panicked so he didn't even bother saying good morning. Aichi smiled and quietly walked to his seat after closing the door behind him. He pulled out the textbook he was reading earlier and studied quietly.

Time passed and some began to review quickly together. "Please quiet down and get ready for your test!" The teacher ordered as the students got settled in. When everyone was ready, the test papers were passed out.

When the teacher got to Aichi, he stopped. "Sendou, I don't expect you to know all the topics covered by this test, so you can do it at a later time," he informed him.

"I'll try," Aichi responded with a smile as he took the paper and looked over it. "Alright… I learned this before…" he thought as he began writing. When the test was done, everyone passed their papers to the front.

The boy sitting in front of Aichi leaned back on his chair. "That was a tough test…" he commented, sounding disappointed with himself. Some of his classmates walked over to Aichi as the teacher left the room.

"How was it Aichi? Was it hard?"

Aichi thought a little. "Um… it was," he answered nervously. He didn't feel like it was too hard, but he was scared to come out as arrogant.

"Really? You don't sound like you really mean it." Aichi gave a very nervous smile as the boy leaned in for a closer analysis.

"Aren't you apart of the Moon Demon Company? How did you learn this stuff?"

"I didn't get to join until the start of junior high. Until I graduated junior high, they made me attend classes when I came back from missions. It was a little difficult to keep up back then since the education that they provided me was more advanced," Aichi explained while scratching his head.

"Wow! Really? That's so cool!"

"Hey, Aichi. My brother is in the Vampire Extermination Unit and when I told him about you, he said that he never heard of you. I thought that he would know at least your name…"

"Well, my squad is usually out for a while and we go frequently, so not a lot of people know about us," Aichi answered.

"So are you the leader? I wouldn't be surprised since you're so strong!"

Aichi was really nervous since they were asking him so many questions. "I'm not that strong…" he said while scratching his head. The people around him looked at each other with a smile since he didn't deny.

"Wow! That's so cool!"

After school, Aichi walked to the training facility. He had his uniform in his bag, so he went inside the washroom to change. He gently put on the glove on his bandaged hand before walking outside and toward the classroom. When he got close to the door, he heard a bang. Aichi held the handle of the sword before opening the door quickly. He ran inside to see Yu and another boy on the ground. Guren was standing above them.

"Are you alright?" Aichi asked the boys. They got up while scratching their head before he could kneel down to check on them.

"Well, your new assistant teacher is here. This is first lieutenant, Sendou. He'll teach you the ins and outs of weapon wielding," Guren explained with a bored tone. "They're all yours," he said before walking to the door.

"Aren't you the main training instructor here? Shouldn't you stay to at least supervise the class?" Aichi asked. The trainees around them were whispering.

"Is he really that good? He's around our age."

Guren smiled and pulled out his sword and struck Aichi without any warning. Aichi reacted by pulling out his own and blocking the sword. "What are you doing?!" Aichi shouted.

"You shouldn't question orders from your superior," Guren responded coldly. He continued to attack him aggressively. Aichi continued blocking and even made Guren stumble backward from a strike. "Now teach them," Guren ordered him before sheathing his sword and walking out of the room.

"How did he teach his classes before...?" Aichi asked himself quietly. He looked around and saw most of the students unconscious either on their table or on the floor. He sheathed his own sword nervously. "Sorry about that. I guess we should finish the class today since you are all exhausted," he apologized to them. He checked on all the students to make sure they were all fine. The only ones that were still conscious were Shinoa and Yu's friend. He sighed and walked to the teacher's table and sat down.

"You can go home for today. I'll stay here until all of your classmates wake up and are well enough to leave," Aichi informed them with a smile.

"Will they be alright?" The boy asked nervously.

"They'll be fine. It's just that Colonel Guren's sword released a miasma that was too strong for them to handle," Aichi explained briefly.

Shinoa walked in front of Aichi playfully. "How about your cursed gear, Lieutenant? We didn't feel anything coming out of yours," she asked him.

"Um… I'm able to control the miasma coming out of my sword easily because of my relationship with the being living within my sword. Also my cursed gear is quite different from others," Aichi answered. He pulled out his sword again and the room was just fine. He brushed his hand across the blade. "There is nothing to worry about for my sword, but Guren may have actually increased the miasma that came out of his cursed gear just now," he explained while scratching his head.

"So you call him, Guren, huh? You must be close with the lieutenant colonel, then… first lieutenant," Shinoa teased him.

"Well, I guess. I've known him for a while now and he gets me out of some difficult situations," Aichi answered shyly. "There isn't much… Also you can call me Sendou. I don't really feel comfortable being called by my rank all the time."

He was beginning to feel uncomfortable, so he wanted to change the topic. "I heard that you are going to form a squad soon. I look forward to working with you and your squad."

"And where did you hear that from?" Shinoa asked.

"Well… you'll find out when your squad is officially formed. We'll be seeing each other a lot after," Aichi answered.

"Hm… then take good care of us," Shinoa said before leaving the classroom. The brunette stood there nervously in front of Aichi.

"You're that boy… Yu's friend, right? You were at the forbidden chamber… Sorry, I never got your name," Aichi apologized with a kind smile.

"My name is Yoichi Saotome! It is an honour first lieutenant, Sendou," he greeted stiffly.

"No! It's nice to meet you properly," Aichi responded. "You can loosen up. It was amazing how you managed to stay conscious with the miasma from Guren's sword flowing through the room. You must have really strong resolve," he commented.

Yoichi scratched his cheek sheepishly. "I wouldn't say that. I'm not good with a sword or anything so I'm weak," he denied sadly.

"It is true that you don't seem like a close combat kind of person, but there are other types cursed gears like guns and bows. You might feel more comfortable with these types of weapons. You should make the choice for yourself though. After all, your cursed gear will be your weapon and your partner in battle," Aichi explained while smiling at his sword. He looked up and smiled kindly at Yoichi. "I may not be skilled at ranged weapons but feel free to ask me for help anytime," he said kindly.

"Thank you!" Yoichi thanked him before hearing a rustle. They looked at where it was coming from and saw Yu standing up while scratching his head.

"What happened?" Yu asked drowsily.

"Class is done for the day, so you can go home for today," Aichi informed him. Yu took a look around and saw everyone unconscious. "Saotome, you can leave. You can come to ask me anything at any time. I'll make some time to teach you how to use any weapon you decide upon, so don't be shy," he explained to him kindly.

"Thank you, lieutenant! Yu, let's go!" Yoichi said before grabbing Yu by the arm. Aichi watched them with a warm smile as they ran off.

Aichi sighed. "Why did he suddenly attack me? He knew this would happen," he said to himself sounding worried. He waited patiently for all the students to wake up. In the end, there was only one student left. It was a boy with pink hair that looked familiar. Aichi didn't notice him, but he had a feeling that he was awake for a while.

"Oh! It's you from the hospital!" Aichi said. "I hope your sister recovers soon. Kimizuki is your name, right?" He asked.

"That's right. Shiho Kimizuki. I want to thank you again for giving your blood to my sister. I'm grateful… but I want to ask you for a favour," Shiho answered.

"A favour?" Aichi responded.

"Yes…" Shiho said while bowing his head formally. "Please… give me a cursed gear. I need it so that I can earn money for her! Please!" he begged him.

Aichi scratched his head nervously. "Sorry... I completely understand and respect your decision, but I'm not high enough rank to authorize it. Only soldiers with rank Colonel and above can give you one. I'm only a lieutenant," he apologized to him. "You should ask Colonel Guren about it. However, he won't give it to you easily."

"Okay, thank you," Shiho thanked him before leaving.

"You'll get your cursed gear quicker if you make a lot of friends in this class and work really hard. That way, it will be easier for you to form a squad and Guren will recognize your potential," Aichi explained as he got up from his seat. Shiho stopped and turned back. "Hang in there. I have a feeling you'll get it soon," he said kindly as he closed the light and locked the door to the classroom.

"I'll be leaving first. Get home safely," Aichi said before walking away.

Aichi soon got home and he opened the fridge. He heated up a container of food that was left for him. He ate right in front of the window while looking through his textbooks. When he finished, he looked over at his sword which was on the kitchen table. "I guess I should clean you," he said. He washed the dishes before walking to the bathroom and pulling the sword out of the sheath.

He took a sponge and began scraping the sword to clean it. There were some red stains on it. When it was scraped away, the white underneath was almost blinding. "I guess I didn't clean you for a while. Sorry," Aichi apologized. He took extra good care while cleaning. When he was done, it was shiny and didn't have any stains left.

"All done!" He said happily as he put the sword to the side and began cleaning the metal sheath. He worked hard to make sure that the inside was clean before trying to dry it. When it was dry enough, he sheathed the sword back inside and looked at it.

Aichi sighed. "I wonder when the others will be back," he said to himself sadly.

The next day, the class got their tests back. Aichi got perfect on it and everyone was in awe. "Wow! Aichi! You're so smart!"

"That's right! Even the student council president got one wrong!" Aichi looked over at the president nervously. He was trying to look unfazed, but he did seem angry.

"I was taught this at my other school, so I got the upper hand," Aichi informed modestly. He was worried about the president, so he wanted to end the conversation as soon as possible.

"Being able to fight and super smart… I wish I was like that…"

"I'm not like that really! Plus, being in the Extermination Unit can bring a lot of downsides," Aichi responded. "I do like going on missions, but the only people I ever get to interact with is my squad and the higher-ups. That's why I'm happy to be here… because everyone is like a family here," he explained to them with an embarrassed smile. It was bittersweet being here, he wished that his squad could be with him.

"What are you talking about? How was it like at your old school?"

"Well… I had a private tutor since humanity got back on their feet. They kept me in the laboratory in Shinjuku after finding me... but once I reached junior high, one of my superiors now pulled some strings so that I could go to a real school. They put me in a private school where not everyone was nice," Aichi answered.

"You must be special then… you know… to have that kind of treatment."

"Well, it's in my blood… literally. The vampires are attracted to my blood for some reason. So when I start bleeding, all of them come after me. I had to get stronger so that I can deal with that," Aichi explained.

"You must've worked hard to get where you're at now then…" one of his classmates said.

"I did… but it was worth it. Now I can go outside of the city and save people," Aichi responded happily.

"Aw…! Maybe I should have become a trainee for the Vampire Extermination Unit! Now I kind of regret it…"

"What?! You wouldn't last a day out there!" His classmates began to tease each other playfully as Aichi sat there and laughed along.

When lunch began, he ate at his classroom while the others went to the cafeteria. He was looking out the window the entire time and noticed Yoichi wandering into the senior high school grounds. "Oh… he came…?" Aichi commented before standing up and running outside to meet with him. He took his sword with him to make sure no one touched it.

"Saotome, is there something you need?" Aichi asked while grabbing the attention of Yoichi.

"Lieutenant Sendou, I'm sorry for calling you out on your lunch break. I just wanted to tell you that I thought over what you said... before I change my mind," Yoichi apologized to him with a bow.

"Calling me Sendou is fine... and it's alright. What weapon did you decide on?" Aichi asked.

"I decided on a bow. I was thinking over a bow or a gun, but I realized that I would like the bow better since we learned the basics in gym class," Yoichi explained. "I asked the archery club if I can use their equipment. I set up everything, so can you please start teaching me right now?"

Aichi smiled. "Alright, I'll teach you what I know. It's not my strongest skill though, so don't laugh," he agreed. He followed Yoichi to the junior high gym where a range was set up.

"Alright, show me your current abilities," Aichi requested while standing to the side. Yoichi nodded and got into a shooting stance. He shot his first arrow and it missed the target completely.

"I'm not really that good," Yoichi said sadly while blushing.

Aichi waved his hands with a smile. "No, it's fine. There is a lot to learn, but we'll start with the basics," he took a bow and a quiver from the shelf. Yoichi stepped to the side as Aichi took his place. "First, the basic stance is… feet parallel to the target and you need to relax yourself. Take deep breaths to calm yourself if you need to. Next, have a relaxed grip on the handle," he explained as he showed Yoichi step by step.

"Holding the string is up to preference and comfort, but for me, I hold it with my first three fingers at the first groove. Hold the bow forward and pull the string back fully. When you master at the basic stance, you can start shooting in different angles. But that may take a little while..." Aichi explained while focusing on the target. "Now all you need to do is aim and shoot." An arrow was shot and it hit the target on the inner ring.

"I hope you got all of that," he said as he turned to Yoichi to see him trying it out. Aichi smiled softly. "Do you want to try now?" He asked.

"Yes, please!" Yoichi responded as he took Aichi's place. Aichi helped fix his stance slightly and loosen him up a little. He shot his arrow and it landed close to the centre. "Wow! It hit the target!" He cheered happily.

"Good job! You'll get the hang of it in no time! Just keep practicing," Aichi assured him happily. He watched as Yoichi continued practicing and gave pointers along the way. Soon lunch was almost over and they cleaned up.

"Thank you again for the pointers, Lieutenant Sendou! You have taught me a lot!" Yoichi thanked him again.

"I told you, Sendou is fine… and you're welcome. We have training class tonight, so don't be late," Aichi said before waving and leaving. He walked back to his school building and sat in his seat in his classroom. He didn't finish his lunch, but his class was starting soon so he just left it.

After school, Aichi walked to the training building and changed into his soldier uniform. When he walked into the classroom, he was greeted by Sayuri. "Hanayori, I didn't know you would be here," Aichi greeted her with a smile.

"Aichi! I'm here because there is a partner evaluation. The general ordered it personally and Guren said that you'd mark too easily," Sayuri responded with a smile.

Aichi scratched his head with a frown. "I don't mark that easily… and I was thinking that they could practice wielding their weapons today..."

"Could the general be planning something?" Aichi thought, but he quickly shook it off.

"Well, we'll do this today and we can do that next time," Sayuri suggested with the same smile. It was like she was treating him like a child.

"Hanayori, don't talk to me that way anymore… I'm sixteen now…" Aichi said while scratching his head.

Sayuri pinched Aichi's cheeks playfully. "I just can't help it! You're still just as cute as you were when you were nine!" She commented happily.

Aichi moved away from her with a sighed. "Stop doing that," he repeated. Soon the first student walked into the classroom. "Take a seat for now. We're going to the practical training room once everyone arrives," he informed them.

After the third person walked inside, a girl sitting at the seat right in front of the teacher's desk asked, "Mr. Sendou, what is your title?"

"Oh! I was curious too! And how old are you?" Another said.

"I'm a lieutenant and I'm sixteen," Aichi answered.

"Wow! A lieutenant already?! That means you're the same rank as Lieutenant Hanayori!"

"Don't be fooled! He is higher rank than me! He is a first lieutenant, I'm a second lieutenant," Sayuri informed them proudly.

"You didn't have to say that, Hanayori..." Aichi said uncomfortably because he knew he was going to get a barrage of questions.

"Is it really possible to get that rank when you're so young?!"

"Well, he has been in the Moon Demon Company since we found him. He was nine and really adorable. Not to mention he had a demon contract with his sword even before we found him. Also, he is smart and there are even rumours saying that he fought one of the thirteenth progenitors and matched him in speed and strength!" She sounded extremely proud as if the achievement were her own. Everyone in the room made sounds of amazement.

They turned to Aichi for confirmation. Aichi scratched his head and turned away. "Something like that," he responded. Everyone got the hint and knew it was true.

"That's so cool! Please teach us all you know!" They cheered excitedly. Aichi nodded while blushing with embarrassment. "There's an examination today, that's why Lieutenant Hanayori is here, so your lessons with me starts next class," he informed them.

"Yes, you are having a surprise partner examination today. Please be prepared for the worst," Sayuri announced. Everyone in the class suddenly made sounds of distress.

"Do your best," Aichi responded.

When everyone arrived, they went to the training room. It was a large room with stands along one wall. "Alright! Pair up and come to us when you have a pair!" Hanayori ordered them. When the pairs came up to them, she handcuffed the pair together by the wrist.

"Handcuffs…?" Aichi muttered.

"Don't worry, Aichi. I'll be doing everything this class. You can sit there and observe their skills," Hanayori assured him with a smile.

"But they might get injured and..." Aichi said nervously.

"Aichi... do you really think I will harm our trainees?" Hanayori growled. He ended up sitting on the bleachers to observe the trainees' skills. He wrote notes on all of them in his English class notebook and he had a lot to write.

"They aren't as strong as I thought or they aren't coordinated either… either way, good luck training them, Aichi!" Hanayori commented awkwardly after observing them.

"They all have potential. Don't mark them too hard," Aichi responded with a smile.

"That's why Guren didn't trust you with marking," Hanayori said. Aichi took a peek at the scores and they were all really low. At the end of the examination, a member of the Imperial Demon Company ran into the room.

"Is trainee Kimizuki here?" He asked.

"I'm here!" Kimizuki responded while stepping forward. He was handcuffed to Yu.

"Your sister! She's in critical condition!" He informed him urgently. "We need your blood, Lieutenant Sendou! There was an unexpected spill!"

"Please, Lieutenant Sendou! Please save my sister!" Kimizuki pleaded on his knees.

"Hey..." Yu muttered as he arm pulled him forward and down a little.

Aichi stood up and nodded. He did not want to go back so soon after only being free for a few days. However, this is to save someone, so he ran off with the soldier. He regretted not being able to train the class and he was sure that the general had something to do with it.

They took a car to the hospital. When they got there, Aichi was connected to two machines. One led to a blood collecting machine and the other led directly to Kimizuki's sister. He was also connected to an IV for anemia. Since so much blood was leaving his body, he was getting dizzy and nauseous quickly. He was left lying in a bed beside Kimizuki's sister with Kureto and a man stood beside his bedside.

His face was already as pale as a ghost because of the volume of blood he was losing. "General Hiragi! We weren't expecting you to return back from Shinjuku so early! I apologize for the spill! I am unsure of the cause of the spill but we are looking into it!" The doctor apologized to him while bowing repeatedly. Aichi was just barely conscious enough to hear muffled voices.

"Consider yourself lucky. Investigation on the cause is unnecessary since the seraph is stable now," Kureto responded before leaving the room.

"Thank you for giving me mercy, General Hiragi!" The man thanked him, sounding relieved. Kureto walked outside of the room and saw Kimizuki standing outside looking through the window. The room is soundproof, so he wasn't concerned about him overhearing the conversation.

Kimizuki bowed his head without saying anything. The aura around Kureto was too threatening. "Your sister is in a stable condition, so head home," he ordered. Kimizuki wanted to go inside, but the presence was far too strong. Kureto soon walked away. A black haired boy and a blond haired girl, both wearing red and black uniforms were waiting for him outside.

"We were able to move the blood to the lab."

Kureto nodded slightly and walked to the door. "It is better if he knows his place. Prepare another mission for the rest of his squad," he ordered the blond.

"Yes... I will prepare it right away."

Izaki and Morikawa were both in the hospital to take care of an injury. On the way, they decided to walk past the restricted zone since they heard Aichi's name going around in the hospital. "Aichi really is here! Why do they need his blood already? They took so much last time!" Morikawa exclaimed angrily.

"Looks like something happened to the supply…! Let's head back and listen for when they need someone to take him home," Izaki said before they left the hospital.

After a few hours, the machine stopped after the monitors showed that Aichi's heart was working too hard. At that point Kimizuki's sister was disconnected from Aichi and was connected to a machine that would move his blood to a large tank in the basement. The room the tanks were in was refrigerating the collected blood. There were still people cleaning the room as the tank filled again. The doctors moved him to another room and kept him there overnight and throughout the day.

Yoichi visited the hospital and saw Aichi laying there unconscious. He saw red blood going through the tub and shivered. He noticed how pale Aichi was and put the flowers he brought in a vase. "This is pretty bad, right?" A voice from behind asked. Yoichi turned and saw Kai standing at the door. Right before Yoichi was going to respond, Kai stopped him by saying, "let's talk outside."

They walked outside of the hospital building and across the street to avoid possible cameras and audio devices. "I'm guessing that you're one of the trainees Aichi was going to train?" Kai asked with his arms crossed.

"Yes! My name is Yoichi Saotome!" Yoichi answered nervously.

"I am Second Lieutenant Toshiki Kai," Kai responded.

"You jerk! You ran off without us?!" Kamui shouted angrily with Misaki and Miwa beside him. Naoki followed close behind. "Oh! Who's this guy?"

"You must be one of the trainees Aichi is teaching," Misaki guessed.

"Yes! I am Yoichi Saotome. I came to visit Lieutenant Sendou to thank him for teaching me how to use a bow… but he was…" Yoichi informed them with his voice tapering at the end.

"So bro has been teaching you archery. I guess it work, he is decent at shooting," Kamui commented. "Anyway, you probably won't be able to talk to him for a while. Also, I don't think he'll be your teacher either because of those Hiragi jerks!" he added angrily.

"Yuri asked her friend at the lab in secret... apparently there was an accidental spill," Misaki informed them.

"I hate it when they mess up and force Aichi to give them blood again! They are really no better than vampires, they're treating Aichi like livestock," Naoki agreed.

"Alright, we got your point. Now stop talking before someone hears," Kai said intimidatingly. It was still possible that loyal spies were watching them.

"So he has to do this often?" Yoichi asked.

"Whenever we come back from our expeditions, he is always rushed to the lab to 'donate' his blood. At least bro has a nice hospital room this time," Kamui answered while looking up at the windows of the rooms.

"This isn't something that we should speak about out in the open and it might cause you a lot of trouble if someone overhears. You should head out, we'll take care of him from here," Miwa suggested with a nervous smile.

"Right, okay! Thank you," Yoichi thanked them with a bow before running off.

"Let's check on Aichi then," Miwa said as they began walking inside.

"Good thing Morikawa and Izaki spotted him and told us. That puts some of my worries at ease," Misaki commented with a sigh of relief. They soon got to Aichi's room and saw that the machine stopped for a moment to let Aichi recuperate some blood.

"See! He really is only livestock to them. I don't think Aichi will even feel any difference in treatment if he was taken by the vampires," Naoki commented, sounding frustrated. He scrunched up his hand and hit the wall.

"Hey, cool down!" Misaki scolded him. Suddenly, the machine began beeping and Aichi breathing became irregular and he made whimpering sounds of pain as he held his chest.

"Aichi! Hey!" They cried before the heart monitor sounded and the chart flat lined. Aichi fell unconscious.

Suddenly, doctors ran in and looked over his condition. "Please leave!" Aichi's squad members were pushed out of the room as countless doctors ran inside.

They could only watch as the many doctors scrambled to save Aichi. There was a doctor standing at the end of the bed giving directions. Additionally, there was a long line of doctors ready to give chest compressions when the one in front of them gets tired. They put on a breathing mask and the nurses got the defibrillator and began trying to restart his heart.

"If they didn't take so much blood this wouldn't have happened!" Kamui exclaimed while hitting the window hard in anger.

"We don't even know how many times this has happened. This probably happened before," Misaki said. They looked at the heart monitor and prayed that Aichi's heart would start again.

And after three tries with the defibrillator, Aichi's heart started again. "Let's keep a close eye on him today. We'll be in big trouble if he passes away," the head doctor said while he walked outside of Aichi's room.

"Are you only worried about getting into trouble with that Hiragi jerk?! Aichi almost dies because he gives blood to you guys and you don't even feel concerned about his life?!" Naoki shouted before punching the wall right in front of the doctor's face.

"That's enough. Aichi will hear you," Kai said annoyed. Naoki backed off and growled as the doctors ran off in fear. They walked inside the room where nurses were double checking his vitals.

"How is he?" Misaki asked.

"He'll be just fine, he just needs some rest," the nurse responded. She pulled out the tube that linked him to the blood storage. "I hope for him to have a safe recovery, so I'll tell General Hiragi myself that he is in no condition to continue giving his blood for the time being… no matter the consequences," she explained, sounding scared. Her hands were shaking as she adjusted the IV drip speed. She looked at the bag and saw that it was almost full anyway.

"It's alright. We'll take care of it. Someone like you: who truly cares about him shouldn't get punished," Misaki assured her.

"No. I have to… since he is the one who found and brought my little brother back to me. It's the least I can do," the nurse responded with a smile.

"That's more of a reason to not make trouble with General Hiragi. You have to be there for your brother so please let us handle this," Misaki repeated.

"Okay… thank you. I need to change his IV bag, so I'll get it now," the nurse thanked before leaving to get the IV bag.

"I'll go with Kai. You guys should stay and watch over him," Misaki said before leaving the room.

"Alright, if you insist… but I really want to get that Hiragi guy a piece of my mind! He deserves this for doing this to bro!" Kamui growled as he held up his fist.

"Right… that's why Misaki and Kai should go," Miwa said awkwardly with a smile. "Don't get yourselves into too much trouble," he reminded them before they left.

"You better not take no for an answer! Bro's life is on the line!" Kamui shouted loudly so that they could hear. They sat at Aichi's bedside. The atmosphere was really tense. "Bro, wake up soon," he pleaded nervously. The nurse soon came back and changed Aichi's IV bag before leaving to see another patient.

The next morning, Aichi woke up to find his friends sleeping on chairs at his bedside. The only one that wasn't there was Kai. "What happened to me…?" He asked. His body felt pretty numb, he felt so weak. When he tried to pull himself up, he felt dizzy and just fell back down.

Soon, Kai walked inside the room closing the door behind him. He was carrying a tray of food with him. "Kai… why are you here… why is everyone here…? I thought that you were all on a mission…" Aichi muttered weakly.

"Don't talk. Don't waste your energy on that. We came back yesterday and heard about what happened from Izaki and Morikawa. They saw you in the hospital and when they told us, we came here once we got back," Kai explained. Aichi tried to get up again, but he couldn't. "Don't try to get up yourself. Give me a second, I'll pull up the bed table then help you up," Kai said before walking to the other side of the bed and pulling up the table.

He placed the tray on the table before pulling Aichi up. "Thank you, Kai… I knew they were going to take a lot, but they pushed my body pretty far…" Aichi said sadly. "I remember a pain in the chest, but I don't remember anything afterward…" he explained to him with a shaky voice.

"You had a heart attack. Don't worry, the doctor came in earlier and said that you'll be fine," Kai assured. He picked up the spooned and scooped up some rice gruel to feed Aichi. He knew that Aichi was far too weak to do it himself.

"Why aren't they taking any more…? There's no way that they took enough…" Aichi asked.

"You don't need to worry. Tokura and I went to General Hiragi and convinced him to let you rest for now. Guren also came by and helped us as well, so we are fine. It looks like you'll have to stay in this hospital for a while though because once you recover enough, they'll take more," Kai explained. Aichi looked down sadly.

"But… I have students now… I won't be able to teach them or go to school…" Aichi responded, sounding very upset. "Kai… can you teach them for me until I get better…?" He asked.

"Why me? I'm not good at teaching people," Kai responded with a sigh.

"Take the Kamui, Misaki, Naoki and Miwa too…" Aichi suggested.

"No, Aichi. We were scheduled to go out on another mission later today," Kai informed him reluctantly. Aichi looked at him with wide eyes.

"Already…? Why are you going to another one so soon…? We always use to only go on missions with all of us together…" Aichi asked sadly. Then he thought of something. "Does General Hiragi want to pull our team apart…?"

Kai didn't answer.

"I'm going too…!" Aichi muttered. While trying to get up. Hearing the news truly brought him to tears. "I don't want to go back there!"

"What? How are you planning on getting out of here without getting caught?" Kai asked. "Don't worry, Aichi. Katsuragi, Tokura, Ishida and Miwa isn't going to abandon you. Plus, Colonel Ichinose planned for all of us to train the new squad that would be formed with the students in the class you taught," he explained.

"I don't want to stay here…" Aichi responded.

"They'll lock you up at the lab if you leave before they let you. You know, it's more convenient for them if you just stay in the lab for the rest of your life. We are lucky that Guren had been pulling strings for you since you were found," Kai said.

Aichi's head drooped down as if he had no strength left. "Okay…" was the only thing that came out of his mouth.

"Hurry up and finish eating so that you can sleep more. We'll get back as soon as we can. If we aren't back when you're sent back home, go to the orphanage, okay?" Kai suggested. Aichi nodded while eating from the spoon that was held in front of his mouth.

When Aichi was done, Kai helped him lay back down again. Soon after he fell asleep, Misaki woke up. "Tokura, we need to leave soon," Kai informed her.

"Right… I wish that we can stay and watch over him…" Misaki said sadly.

"We need to go. That was the condition to let him rest," Kai responded while scratching his head.

When Aichi woke up, he saw Kai sitting next to him. "Kai…? I thought that you were going to a mission…" he muttered. He focused a little and Kai disappeared. Someone walked inside his room and put a breathing mask on him. When he breathed in the gas, he began to feel really heavy again.

"General Hiragi, you agreed that you will let him rest until he's fully recovered!" The nurse from before exclaimed in outrage. Aichi could only hear muffled voices now.

"You cannot speak to Lieutenant General Hiragi in that manner!" Aichi faintly heard screams of the nurse. He couldn't do anything as he fell unconscious.

"Take him to the lab," Kureto ordered before the soldiers and doctors transported him underground where the laboratory was.

In the training class, everyone was excited to learn some practical fighting skills from Aichi. When class began, the door opened and Sayuri walked inside. "I'll be your teacher for the next few classes. The lieutenant colonel changed the schedule to start with academics then practical training in later classes," she informed them with a smile.

"Lieutenant Hanayori, where is Lieutenant Sendou?"

"Something came up and he is out doing something. You know, he is a first lieutenant. Things come up out of nowhere and he has to leave," Sayuri answered.

"Can't he come back? We were all excited to learn from him after hearing about his skills."

"Well, sorry to disappoint you," Sayuri responded sounding slightly annoyed. "Anyway, let's begin the class!" She suggested before beginning to teach her lesson.

Thank you everyone for reading!

Sorry for the late update! I got caught up in watching Oofuri (Ookiku Furikabutte/Big Windup!). It is an amazing anime and I rewatched it so many times...

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and stay tuned for the next one!