Chapter 14: Mitsuba
{Streets of Shibuya: July 15th, 2020, 9:30am}
"Keep up slow pokes!" stated one Mitsuba Sangu as she glared at the group while standing just ahead of them.
"We're going at a steady pace, rushing forward out here is dangerous, don't you know that?" the blonde glared at the black-haired boy.
"Don't question me, I have more experience than you do on the field!" she snapped, stepping forward.
"I'm not questioning you, I'm only stating a fact!" the girl ground her teeth together before stepping closer to him.
"Keep your mouth shut and your eyes forward, do you hear me Hyakuya?" Shinoa frowned as Mitsuba stood in front of the boy who sighed.
"Fine…" she started to turn away, but when she did, she was met with an intense glare from the blonde standing next to the black-haired boy.
"Got a problem?" Mitsuba asked with a glare.
"No, just don't shoot your mouth off when you're not even the leader. Corporal, Sangu… "the boy walked ahead with the black-haired boy as Shinoa smiled while they kept walking, causing Mitsuba to glare as she started to follow them.
Admittedly, the blonde-haired, lavender-eyed, sixteen-year-old had been through better days than this one. She was still quite crossed with Lieutenant Colonel Ichinose, and though she was trying to see the point of this choice of his, she couldn't quite grasp it, and had chosen to remain silent under threat of solitary confinement.
She took in a deep breath and glanced at the group around her, frowning as she wondered why these troublemakers were who she was placed with as opposed to being put on a team of seasoned veterans. Sighing, Mitsuba decided to consider her new teammates at a closer perspective. There was no point in bothering with Shinoa Hiragi, only because she knew the girl very well – and she was still frustrated with the fact that the purple-haired brat was the leader – but when it came to the other four, she did have quite a bit to consider.
While their profiles gave her a bit of information to go on about them, the information in black and white with pictures meant nothing when it came to the things she could learn from viewing them physically. The first she looked to was Kimizuki Shiho, a seventeen-year-old, dual-blade wielder, the oldest of their group and the one she considered to be fairly arrogant in many ways. He had his intelligence, and he was clearly skilled and strong willed; however, he was a little too full of himself, and thought himself higher than a few of those in their group clearly. She could also tell by his periodic glances towards the two other boys on her left that he had problems with two of their teammates.
She frowned as she looked at him further, not liking how his pink-hair was a bit too obvious and would make it harder for them to hide in daylight. Mitsuba frowned, not quite sure on whether or not she would like him, but decided to reserve judgement for the time being. Her gaze then turned to the bow user of their group, Saotome Yoichi. He was shy, quiet, mild mannered, and was inherently a very pleasant and nice person; however, she felt he may have been far too gentle to be on the field. In some respects, she suspected he would have been better suited as an office worker, but even they would see battle at times.
"I don't know if I like someone as sweet-tempered as him being a member of the Moon Demon Company. Though, a Black Demon King formed a contract with him, so I guess he's stronger than he looks in some form…."
With nothing more to go on when it came to the chocolate-haired, olive-eyed fifteen-year-old, she decided to leave her opinions about him open as well, and then her eyes finally fell to the last two of their group. The two brothers raised by Lieutenant Colonel Ichinose himself, Hyakuya Mikaela, and Hyakuya Yuuichiro. They were, in a word: abnormal. Normally, she could gage someone's strengths and weaknesses fairly easily, but when it came to these two she wasn't quite sure what to think, nor was she certain on what to put her finger on when it came to how they would be as comrades.
She looked to the older of the two boys, Mikaela first. The blonde was nice, polite, and apparently skilled enough for a Black Demon Series weapon; however, there was this predatory, icy side to him that unnerved her to some degree. He was calm and mild mannered in many ways, but just as she had learned mere moments before: he was viciously protective. Any doubts in her mind of him being just a supportive older brother were dashed when she saw the look in his eyes when she'd come to stand before his younger brother. The frigid, wild, and menacing glower she had received made a chill go up her spine as she looked at him even now. Mitsuba wondered if he was as good of a fighter as she suspected he was.
"The way he carries himself, how he moves, and how alert he is… but he's also so relaxed… like he's in complete control. It's almost as if he's seen a lot of hardships and expects the worst…" she thought as she then turned her gaze towards the last boy.
Yuuichiro was petite in build, shorter in stature, and far lither than his brother. She could tell from being in battle since age thirteen that he would be the fastest on their team. He had the same feeling about him that his brother did, that he was skilled, prepared, and relaxed, but always alert. He was mouthy, short-tempered, and fiery in a way that made her unsure about him. Lavender eyes glanced towards emerald ones and Mitsuba frowned, seeing the look of someone who had suffered great pain and turmoil in their life, but had continued on despite it. She wondered, to some degree what happened to him, and if his brother had been involved in some way. Mitsuba huffed, placing the thought to the side as she continued to watch him.
"He's small… so because he's lighter he'll be the fastest close-combat fighter we've got, in addition, he's got incredible reflexes…Guren trained him well, I can tell that much. But… that look in his eyes… they look so haunted… I wonder… I wonder what happened to him… "
"Hey, Yuu? Tell me if I'm wrong or not, but weren't you and Mika on border patrol with the army before you joined the Moon Demon Company?" Yoichi asked.
"Yea, two years… we did a few field missions with Guren's team when we were a bit older though…" Mika's explanation finished and Kimizuki rolled his eyes.
"It sucked though. The most we had to deal with were a bunch of Horsemen of John… and honestly, they weren't that big of a deal," Yuu stated as he stretched a bit, pulling his arm behind his head by the elbow, stretching as they kept walking, as he repeated the movement with his other arm.
"Oh… really?" Kimizuki huffed at his statement.
"Wasn't that what got the two of you put on probation?" he questioned. Yuu and Mika glanced to one another, as if questioning whether or not to explain the situation to Kimizuki. They had been put on probation for more than one mere reason, and the incident at the border had little to genuinely do with it.
"Well… not exactly. We did that on the border wall… Yuu took down one of the big white ones by himself when he was told to stay out of the combat zone. I followed and fought another one… but when we tried to explain that we'd come because the others were in trouble… we got in trouble instead." Mika sighed as his brother rolled his eyes.
"Really?! You did that alone?!" the black-haired boy frowned at Yoichi's statement.
"People in the army are freaked out by us, so they look for reasons to get us in trouble. That and Mito and the others favor us a little bit when it comes to not letting people pick on us. they just wanted to play it up like we were doing it because we thought we could get away with it," Yuuichiro explained as the blonde sighed.
"They were in trouble, so we just wanted to help… and they did that instead. Because of that, we went through a few weeks of combat on the field with Guren's group… and then… we got surrounded by the Horsemen and we had to fight alone… Yuu got pretty hurt because of that…" the brunette of the group felt his eyes widen at that.
"That's right, when the two of you showed up in school for the first time… you were beaten up. Yuu even had an eyepatch on," Yoichi recalled as Kimizuki rose an eyebrow.
"An eye patch? So, are you blind in that eye now?" the other shook his head.
"No, it healed fine… I just had to let it heal. I got some shrapnel in my eye is all and it took a little bit of time to heal all the way. So, no, I can see just fine, thank you," Yuuichiro told him with a withered glare.
"So, you got put on probation for disobeying orders on the field and because you were injured? Are you sure?" Mika frowned.
"Kimizuki, stop being such a jerk," he stated as his brother glared.
"Besides! It's not our faults that those idiots couldn't take care of a Four Horsemen of John, even though it's –"Mitsuba at that moment whirled around on them.
"You think you're tough because you took down two Four Horsemen of John alone?! Let me tell you this, so maybe you two can get it through your thick heads! The ones at the barrier are weakened because of the magic on it. If you get a mile out from the wall they are way stronger, something that you should have known seeing as you were injured during a fight with them Hyakuya. You would do well to remember this while we're out on the field!" she said sharply.
"We know that! is there anything wrong with ta – "the blonde drew closer to Yuuichiro who leveled a sharp look at her.
"Stop chatting, I know your all fresh from the academy, but you should know this much! Stay focused, and stay in formation! Tch… amateurs…" with that Mitsuba walked ahead of them a bit, muttering to herself as she did so while the others looked at the girl as though she had lost her mind.
"Well… she's just a ray of sunshine, huh?" asked Mika.
"Is she always like this Shinoa?" the girl looked at the black-haired boy who had a rather annoyed expression on his face as he watched Mitsuba continue to scout the area ahead of them.
"She can be so cute… Mitsu is feeling the stress of new people in her hands. She just doesn't want you to die on her watch," she explained as her boyfriend gave her a long look.
"You are the leader, you do remember that, right?" she nodded.
"I know, but Mitsu likes to be in control. I'm just going to let her be as she is for now. She'll get used to my position of command on her own time. If she gives you an order, follow it. If I do otherwise, then listen to me if its better suited. I guess that's how we'll do things for now," she told them as they started walking and the emerald-eyed boy looked to her.
"You just can't stand it when someone steals your lime-light, huh?" he muttered.
"Oh, not at all Yuu! I simple adore it when people become little upstarts," she batted her eyes at him with a smile, and he felt his stomach twist into a knot as his blood chilled.
"Now I feel sick…"
"I suddenly feel bad for Mitsuba…" the periwinkle-haired girl gave him a sharp look.
"Are you falling for her? Yuuichiro?" she asked in an icy manner as he sighed.
"Not at all, Shinoa." He answered this question without hesitation, as he truly didn't possess even the slightest interest in Mitsuba. She was pretty, but he didn't quite honestly prefer blondes, and her attitude problem was a major turn off.
"I figured as much, I was just testing you. Come on, we don't want to get left behind," she told him.
The group of six walked for what felt like hours, the area silent as the grave, and slightly chilled; however, none of them expected anything different. Once the virus had broken out, the weather patterns had changed drastically, thus the air and humidity had chilled to the weather of early spring or autumn most of the time. Needless to say, they were happy that their uniforms were designed with sleeves to protect them from the slight bite in the air, but a couple of them were beginning to wish they had thought things through like Yuuichiro, Yoichi, and Mitsuba had and brought their cloaks to wear as the wind was a bit icy.
As they continued their trek through the area, Mitsuba glanced occasionally at the group with her. How was she supposed to be okay with this? How could she adapt to them when they were so vastly different from what she was used to? The blonde sighed, knowing there was no point in bother with giving any of them – including Shinoa – a lecture. For now, they needed to stay focused, and stick with their assignment. It was as they rounded a corner, drawing closer to the subway area of Harajuku, that they started to notice something a bit off.
It was deathly silent, and for an area that was supposed to be teeming with monsters and a menagerie of other creatures, the silence was nothing good. Yuuichiro felt his body tense at the stillness in the area, only because he knew this area was supposed to be full of Vampires if nothing else, but there was nothing. He thought for a moment, and could feel Mika tensing up a bit as well, as they both felt as if something was just on the edge of happening, and it was going to be fairly unpleasant. Emerald eyes glanced at the others who seemed a bit to calm too him, and just as the thought had crossed his mind, something told him that they hadn't realized the problem with the silence.
"They're far too relaxed… this is dangerous... it shouldn't be this quiet in a place full of monsters and where a Vampire's hideaway is located… what the hell is going on here?"
"It seems a bit quiet, huh?" emerald and sapphire eyes locked onto the pink-haired member of their group.
"You do realize that now that you've said those words… all hell is about to break loose, right?" Mika asked.
"That's ridiculous! Words by themselves don't cause –" a crashing metallic sound followed by a scream cut Kimizuki off, and the group prepared their weapons, Yuuichiro and Mika putting their hands upon the hilts of their swords.
"Care to continue that sentence?" asked Yuu.
"I-I… never mind…" the two nodded and the group began to search for the source of the noise.
"That's a Horseman of John!" Yoichi said as he caught sight of the white giant of a monster scuttling about like a spider nearby.
"But, why would it be moving around like that? They never move that fast unless…" Shinoa looked around and heard someone step forward.
"There's a child down there!" the group looked to the black-haired boy as he stood by his brother, his eyes having transcended into an acid-green.
"Yuu! Are you crazy, what if – "he cut Shinoa off.
"It's fine, I can handle this. I just wanted to check and see what was being chased," he said as he started forward, and just as he stepped passed them, Mitsuba caught his arm.
"Hold it! You aren't going down there!" she snapped.
"Let go of me!" the blonde shook her head.
"No! Stay in formation! That's a trap laid by the Vampires," she ordered. The black-haired boy glared.
"Are you just going to let her die?! Is that how you do things?" acidic green eyes locked onto her and Mitsuba stilled, fear curling in her belly.
"What the hell is he?"
The little girl's screams echoed throughout the area, ringing in their ears as Mitsuba locked eyes with the black-haired boy she still had a grip on. The sight of his bright, toxic-green eyes, unsettled her in a manner that shouldn't have been possible. It felt like staring down a deadly predator that you knew would kill you; however, something had compelled you to move closer to it. Her grip loosened as he stared at her, and as another scream came into the area, he hissed, and in an instant he snarled and stepped into Mitsuba's personal space, startling her as she flinched, clenching her fist that held her axe-charm on a chain, fear curling tighter inside her chest and abdomen.
"What are you going to do?!" he snapped.
"S-Stay in formation! We're n-not running a r-risk!" she stammered as the boy leaned a bit away from her as he narrowed his glowing eyes.
"What good is the Moon Demon Company if you can't save a single child?" he snarled.
"Yuu…" bright green locked with sapphire blue as Mika nodded, knowing what his brother was planning as the black-haired youth looked back to Mitsuba.
"Hyakuya, you have to – "acid green eyes narrowed.
"Do what you want, coward…" her jerked loose and started to move away, beginning to pick up speed.
"Wait! You can't just – "Mitsuba's voice failed her.
"But I am not watching someone die when something can be done, not again!" Mika took off after his brother, falling into place with the boy as they ran towards the girl. The others went to follow, but were stopped when Shikama-Doji was placed in their way, Shinoa crouching down as they looked to her and she shook her head.
"Don't follow. Just wait for them to get to her. When the Vampires come out we can use this to our advantage. Yuu and Mika just gave us a chance to hinder the Vampires," she explained as Yoichi gaped and Mitsuba felt panic lace through her.
"You're going to use them as decoys?" Mitsuba looked at the girl.
"Listen, both of them are capable of staving off a Horsemen of John, and we know that Yuu can handle a Vampire. If anything, we need to wait, and be prepared to back them up when the Vamps come," Shinoa stated, making her plan clear and Yoichi and Kimizuki got their weapons ready; however, Mitsuba stared onward in confusion.
"Are you sure they can actually do this?" tangerine met lavender.
"Positive, why?" Shinoa questioned as Mitsuba looked at the two boys who had run towards the girl, they were preparing to attack, glancing occasionally at one another as they stayed hidden behind an overturned bus.
"I… Yuuichiro is small, so… Mika has to be more powerful." Shinoa smiled.
"They're both powerful… and yes, Yuu is small, but he's also an excellent fighter and swordsman. Just watch them, Mitsu… they're about to surprise you," the periwinkle-haired scythe wielder stated.
Mitsuba drew her weapon Tenji-Ryu, and prepared to await the moment to attack, and just as she did she saw the little girl close her eyes, fearful to witness the thing that would claim her life, the monster lowered its leg to crush her, and then in a blur, a black and green blade blocked the attack. Lavender eyes widened as the black-haired boy shoved the monster off, and Mika came careening by, slicing into the creature's leg, wounding it as the emerald-eyed teenager grabbed the girl up into his arms.
"Kimizuki! Catch!" the boy turned on his heel and threw the girl, causing Kimizuki to rush forward, and jump up, managing to capture the girl mid-air before tumbling down with her, the others began moving a bit closer at that while they questioned how the boy had managed to throw her to the area. Now safely in the arms of his comrades, the girl stared at the scene as Yuuichiro turned back to help his brother.
"You psychopath! What the hell was – " Kimizuki halted as the Horseman of John began to howl and come after the two brothers who blocked it as one swift movement, the two of them attacking together as Mitsuba and the others watched. Without question, it was a rather impressive sight, reminding Mitsuba of an intricate dance full of complex motions and turns that were so well in tune with one another it was slightly otherworldly. The sudden swift strikes halted when the Horseman of John was thrown back, startling the blonde a bit.
"What in the… who are these two exactly?" she asked aloud.
"I told you so. They're a little rough around the edges still, but they were trained by Guren and his squadron. If anything, I think they picked up on the skills rather well from one of the best swordsmen in the Army…" Shinoa had a proud tone in her voice, but said nothing more as their attention returned to the area the two brothers were still in, fighting the monster.
"Whatever! I… oh no!" Mitsuba jumped to her feet and raced forward, jumping the guardrail of the patio and landing swiftly on her feet with the others not far behind her. Mika tumbled away, hissing as he felt a scrape come to his arm while his brother cartwheeled out of the way, and skidded to a halt, taking in a deep breath as the Horseman of John turned to attack him once more.
"HYAKUYA!" electric-green eyes looked up just in time to witness Mitsuba block the Monster's attack as he slipped back with the others and Yoichi fired a few arrows into its hide.
"Thanks, you saved me there," he stated as Mitsuba shoved the monster off with a huff, feeling the strain against her now sore arms while Kimizuki charged forward.
"Idiot! You left yourself wide open! What the hell were you thinking?" Mitsuba started to scold him; however, Mika stepped towards them, a faint smile on his face as he held the cut on his arm while the black-haired boy let the use of his Psychometric ability fade, returning his eyes to their normal emerald color.
"Yea well, it's kind of hard not to leave yourself open when you're being thrashed around and have five-tons of monster coming at you," he said as Yuuichiro turned his attention to him as Mitsuba glowered while Yoichi and Kimizuki killed the beast.
"Hey? You okay?" Mika nodded.
"Just a cut, I'll live, but… shit! Kimizuki! Watch it!" the pink-haired teenager was almost swatted by a tentacle of the beast when Mitsuba came flying up from the ground and cleaved the monster in the head with her axe, blood spouting from it as Shinoa and Yoichi gathered with the others.
"Dammit, I thought it was dead!" Yuu shook his head.
"No, they have to be hit repeatedly in order to actually kill them," he stated.
"Good job everyone, now, shall we…" a sudden noise nearby alerted the group.
"It's the Vampires, Yoichi, take the girl and move out of the line of fire," Shinoa ordered as she handed the boy the girl and he ducked down behind one of the overturned buses while the girl curled in near him and he drew his bow back, preparing to attack.
The group of five, out in the open, turned just in time to block the first attack by the Vampires. Mitsuba and Kimizuki were pushed away from the others, Shinoa swinging at one of the Vampires, hoping to kill them, only to be kicked to the side as she skidded to a halt and the group began fighting them, Yoichi remaining prepared to defend from a distance if needed. Yuu and Mika blocked several attacks, noticing the vicious behavior of these Vampires as well as the fact that though they wore white, they had their hoods up, meaning that they served under a Noble.
The only female Vampire of the group came to close to killing one of the others, and Yoichi turned away, placing the girl into one of the buses to protect her and telling her to stay there before he jumped out, firing away at them to keep one of the Vampires off of Mitsuba who thanked him as they soon found themselves surrounded by not three but four Vampires. The group tensed, their weapons remaining in their hands as they struggled to figure out what to do in their current situation. Amongst the six teenagers, Yuuichiro and Mikaela were the most prepared to go into an all-out war with them; however, they were also by no means relaxed about the situation, as they knew the risks involved with these types of Vampires.
"That was almost too simple… come now, pretty little ones, why not just give in?" asked one of the males nearest to Yoichi.
"Like hell I'm going back to you fangs!" Yuu snapped, his hands tightening on his sword.
"You escaped? How did you manage that?" the woman watched them as they prepared to attack.
"It wasn't just me… my brother and I walked out of there alive that day… because of the sacrifices of our families…." The other male near Kimizuki laughed.
"Just simply walked, out did you? Surely not," he stated as Mika tisked and Yuuichiro smirked just a fraction, his bangs hiding his eyes until he looked up into the eyes of the female in front of him.
"No, we didn't just waltz out… but it was simple… seeing as I put a bullet through Ferid Bathory's skull for us to do it." Yuuichiro tensed the grip on Asuramaru, and did so just in time as the Vampires raised their weapons.
"You… little… FILTHY HUMAN SCUM!"
The female charged, and the group rolled away, dodging the attack and splitting off to guard the girl hidden in the bus, and battle the Vampires who were attacking them. Mika knocked one of the Vampire's blades aside, slipping out of the way as the others dealt with it while Yoichi distracted them with his arrows. However, in a matter of moments Shinoa was tossed to the side, a sharp gasp leaving her as she struggled to her feet and grabbed her scythe before lashing at the male Vampire who attacked her. One went after Mitsuba and Kimizuki who were fighting it as the creature kept rushing around them while Yoichi tried to get a lock on one of the Vampires but failed as Shinoa fell back to watch his back and guard the girl. Things were beginning to look bleak as Mika tried to dodge but was cut across the side, causing him to hiss as Yuuichiro turned to look at him, his eyes going from their normal emerald to toxic green.
Shinoa bit her lip, wondering if he was strong enough with it to match the Vampires at their own game. She knew that the original agreement was to not use his Psychometric gift unless they encountered a Noble – which none of these were - however, they were being pinned down by four Vampires, and were starting to become desperate. Those bright green eyes looked to her and she nodded, and he took in a deep breath, focusing on the source of the power within him as he unlocked it and his pupils constricted into fine slits, as he widened his stance just a fraction to prepare to fight the Vampires while Mika recovered from the sudden pain of the wound he'd been given.
The sudden pulse of energy had gained the attention of Mitsuba, Yoichi, and Kimizuki who had turned to the black-haired boy who fixed his grip upon Asuramaru and went to fight the other Vampires, starting to match their pace in time with the attacks, and giving them time to regroup to fall back into battle with him; however, it ended when the boy let out a sharp yelp, a sword having grazed the area just above his left eye which he grasped in pain with his free hand before looking at the Vampires and then around him, Shinoa locked up, knowing what he was about to do as he tucked the blade back over his shoulder.
"Lend me your power…" he took in a deep breath as the female Vampire laughed.
"Who? God? Foolish child, he won't be helping you!" the vixen said in a mocking tone.
"ASURAMARU!" the boy swung his arm outwards.
A powerful whirl of icy black wing flew into a vortex around the boy and threw the Vampires and humans around as if they were ragdolls. Yuuichiro stood, posed for another attack as he dropped his hand to his side, taking in a few deep breaths as a series of dark purple brush-stroke-style tribal marks began tracing up his face and fell just under his right eye. The others gaped, Mika getting himself prepared for another attack while within his sword, he felt Fenrir stirring.
"What did he just do?! I've never felt an attack that powerful from someone who's just gotten their Cursed Gear… what the hell is he?" Mitsuba thought as she stared at the situation while those toxic-green eyes locked onto the Vampires.
"He has Cursed Gear?" the female hissed.
"They must be part of the Vampire Extermination Unit!" it was in that moment that everyone collected themselves as the black-haired boy kept a trained on the Vampires while he felt Mika fall into place beside him, the blade of Fenrir glowing icy blue as he did so. The others prepared to strike back, and as they did, the Vampires began to plot, pinpointing who was the current threat from their perches upon the buses surrounding the group.
"We should capture them… they'll be fun and as for that one…" one of their eyes fell to the black-haired, green-eyed boy.
"What about him? He's a filthy little mortal." The other smirked.
"He's interesting… he's a bit special… and might come in handy," he said.
"Let's get him then…" the Vampires went to attack and were instantly met with a ferocious assault of black wind, the leading Vampire male missing the blade of Asuramaru by a hair's breadth as the group and the Vampires realized that Yuuichiro had moved forward several paces by this point and was about to take down one of the Vampires when they were pulled back by their ally.
"I'd like to see you try anything, bastard!" he hissed, the blade of Asuramaru glinting venomously in his grasp.
"How did he… get so close and us not notice him? It's almost as if there's no human presence… like he's a Vampire…" the vampires stepped back, Yoichi moving towards the bus again, spreading out in case they needed to attack again.
"Hyakuya! Fall back!" acid-green eyes looked to Mitsuba.
"What?!" he asked.
"We need to back away now and – "he narrowed his eyes.
"I am not letting them escape!" he snarled, Mika tensing as Shinoa came forward and placed her focus on him.
"Yuu, listen to me. We're behind enemy lines… we need to fall back before their reinforcements come, okay?" Shinoa's tone remained calm, and the others watched in amazement as the boy relaxed, his changes fading as his normal, warm emerald eyes returned and he took in a steady breath while they began to walk away, Yoichi collecting the girl from the bus and coming to guard her with Kimizuki while Shinoa, Mika, Mitsuba, and Yuuichiro watched their backs and one another's. they were relieved to be walking away with minimal injures and were planning on returning to the barracks of the Moon Demon Company and completing the mission the following morning due to the length of the journey back; however, the idea of a simplistic retreat on both sides parts, was dashed.
"That's right, run away from the butcher livestock!" called the blue-gray-haired Vampire nearest to the female one.
An unnatural chill spread throughout the area, startling the group of both humans and Vampires as all eyes went towards the black-haired boy whose grip had tightened around the hilt of the Cursed Gear he wielded. Mika flinched, the others stepping a bit away as they stared at the boy whose demonic marks had surfaced again as his eyes turned to the Vampires with killer intent within them. The Vampires, eyes widened in evident fear, took an uneasy step back as they read the situation just as clearly sa those with the Moon Demon Company did: they had crossed a dangerous line.
"What did you call us?" Yuuichiro questioned, his voice frigid and laced with a venomous bite to it as he turned to face the Vampire who had spoken.
"I –"the Vampire lost his courage as he looked at the boy.
"What is this kid? He's got them spooked… I've never seen this before…" Mitsuba kept her thoughts to herself as the female Vampire came forward and glanced towards the others in her group, never truly taking her eyes off of the Cursers.
"Come on, we better leave… that one looks hostile," she stated.
The Vampires ran, and the black-haired boy relaxed, his demonic marks vanishing as he took in a few steading breaths before starting to sheath his sword. Mika stayed by him as they turned to leave, departing in silence while they kept eyes and ears open for any oncoming attacks; however, as they neared the barracks of the wall, the group started to glance towards Yuuichiro, and each time, Mika shook his head, hoping to sway them from asking to many questions and to keep quiet as they continued their walk.
{Within the Walls Barracks: 3:40pm}
Shinoa flinched as Mika growled low in his chest when a resounding slap went off in the room and the group looked to Mitsuba who had back-handed Yuuichiro across the face. The blonde-haired boy narrowed his eyes at the girl who stood before him with an expression that read to Shinoa as nothing short of a desire to slay the girl where she stood, and it took a great deal of self-control to not run her mouth off at the blonde girl while she kept a steady hand upon Mika's arm, assuring him quickly that his brother was fine and that he could handle this.
Mitsuba was another story all together as she glared at the boy. She couldn't believe he had done the things he had – some of them a bit more normal and others not so much – but her main concern was that he had broken the rules, which she knew for a fact that he was well aware of, and he had broken them as if they were nothing. As she glared, the boy kept his gaze to the side, his bangs shadowing his eyes from her.
"Are you an idiot?! What the hell were you thinking? You could have gotten us all killed out there!" she snapped.
"Mitsuba, you need to – "Mika went to defend his brother; however, the boy beat him to it.
"You can hit me or kick me all you want – I've suffered much worse – but I wouldn't change what I did today for anything. I know you hate it, but I made a choice, and I am satisfied with what I did. I'm fine with these choices." Mitsuba glowered at him as he locked eyes with her.
"You're the kind of person I hate the most! Some sort of naïve optimist who thinks they're going to make a difference in this messed up world!" she snarled, causing the boy to blink in confusion.
"What are you talking about?" she narrowed her lavender eyes at him.
"Where do I start?! You're brash, you think before everyone else, and are far too willing to go into a fight! What were you thinking? Hot headed idiot!" she stated sternly.
"I apologize for making you feel that way; however, it won't change what I did, and if I had to choose… I would do it again without hesitation." The girl fumed as she stomped her foot and Mika walked up.
"You sure do have a way with the ladies, Yuu," he stated.
"And you! Dammit! Why were you following him?! You're his older brother, what the hell were you doing by tagging along?" the blonde looked to her, folding his arms across his chest.
"He's my brother, and I agree with his choices Sangu. That child would have died without him making a choice that you were to stubborn to make," Mika explained in a short tone, sapphire eyes boring holes into her as she felt a flush come to her face.
"But, I –" a series of soft footsteps caught their attention.
"Thank you, sirs…" emerald and sapphire eyes looked down at the little girl as she handed Yuuichiro back his cloak that he'd dropped when Mitsuba had slapped him. The boy took it and crouched down, placing a hand upon her head.
"No problem, we were just doing our jobs," he said as Mika smiled, bending down beside his brother while Mitsuba watched the interaction in confusion. Despite all the power she'd seem these two use, and the raw, feral behavior that Yuuichiro was capable of, he was so incredibly gentle with the little girl that it left her feeling a strange sensation she couldn't place in her chest.
"Yea, I mean, we're supposed to help you. From now on, the Japanese Imperial Demon Army is going to take care of you." Mika smiled as he looked at the girl as she looked at the two of them and smiled.
"Then, the two of you are… angels," the little girl said softly, almost as if she was nervous that the statement would upset them.
"If you think so, then sure: we're angels. We did our job bringing you here today so you can be taken care of. Don't worry, you'll be safe here." Kimizuki watched the black-haired boy speak to the girl with a soft smile as he placed his hand on hers and Mika smiled as well. Mitsuba continued to watch in nothing short of confusion.
"Those people right there at the door are going to take you to see a doctor and get you something to eat. From there, you can rest, and we'll ask you some questions in a little while, okay?" Mika stated as they started to stand.
However, before they could, the girl threw her arms around them and thanked them once more before she let go and went with the officers waiting for her. Mika and Yuuichiro stood and waved to the girl until she left while Yoichi smiled and Shinoa gave the black-haired boy a long look, telling him that she would be speaking to him about using his Gift without consent later. He sighed, and they decided it was time to turn in for the day, knowing that travel outside these walls was too dangerous otherwise this late in the day.
As they started walking, Mitsuba stared after them, not quite certain what to believe about the two brothers. Shinoa had been right about the two boys being strong; however, it was Yuuichiro who genuinely stumped her. Lavender eyes traveled up the boy's frame as he walked not far from her, speaking with his brother while Kimizuki was on their other side. Between them, he looked so remarkably petite and frail; however, she found the notion quite ridiculous, seeing as she had witnessed the boy knock back a Four Horseman of John alone and frighten a group of Vampires as if they were little children. Mitsuba bit her lip, thinking about what she'd seen and how dangerous he clearly was while she wondered if his brother was the same. She couldn't be certain, because while she had somewhat seen Mika fight, the blonde hadn't shown any traits that were similar to the black-haired boy. However, there was a certain purple-haired girl that could give her a few details she hoped.
{Shower Room: 7:40pm}
"I can't stand those brats… but I guess I'll have to get used to it… I'm stuck with them…" Mitsuba muttered to herself as she washed her hair, wondering how on earth she had ended up with such brash, careless, stubborn, and mouthy teammates. While both the Hyakuya brothers were clearly talented in combat, they lacked greatly when it came to teamwork and following orders. Mitsuba hated people like them the most; however, for some strange reason, she couldn't quite bring herself to completely despise them. Yuuichiro and his brother Mikaela showed her something she had never seen before today, and while a notion deep within her mind registered it as something she'd heard about, her mind couldn't quite put it together. She huffed, deciding it would be best to put it aside for the time being.
"You sure are Mitsu ~" she heard the distinct, sing-song voice of one Shinoa Hiragi and glanced to the side to see the other girl was peeking into the shower where she was.
"SHINOA!" Mitsuba stated in shock as the girl gave her a confused look.
"What?" she stared. and the blonde glared.
"Don't come in while I'm showering!" Mitsuba demanded.
"Oh, don't be so shy! I saw the way you were looking at Yuu and Mika!" the blonde stared at her.
"With loathing and spite?" Shinoa frowned.
"No, with interest… they are pretty nice to look at admittedly," she said teasingly.
"So?" she asked.
"So? Did you like what you saw?" Mitsuba went blood red and grabbed the shower head to spray the other girl.
"Pervert!" Shinoa laughed.
"I'm serious Mitsu! You have to admit they're both very handsome," she said as the blonde girl looked to the side.
"I'm not interested in a relationship with two people who put so much at risk in battle." Shinoa sighed.
"This girl seriously needs to get a boyfriend… and she needs to learn how to relax a little bit."
"Now, now Mitsu, you can't have them both!" she stated in a sing-song tone, causing the blonde to flush.
"I'm not interested in either of them! How's that?!" Shinoa frowned again.
"Why not? Mika's a catch… you're just upset because they remind you of yourself back in the day," she pointed out.
"What's their deal anyways?" Shinoa looked down.
"Both Yuu and Mika have been put through a lot over the last eight years. Four years ago, they lost everything they held dear to them. They haven't been the same since then, and Yuu and Mika both had to be rehabilitated because of how damaged they had become according to Guren," she stated. She honestly wasn't sure what to tell the blonde girl, seeing as much of the information about them being escapees from Sanguneim was left out of public information, and the mental and physical states of them had been omitted for their own sakes.
"Everyone's suffered through that, Shinoa. They're no different than the rest of us." the girl glanced to the side.
"Not exactly, I don't know how much I should tell you about their pasts… but their circumstances aren't the same as ours. You did read their files, right?" Shinoa inquired.
"I skimmed them honestly, it's just basic info… I want to see them for myself." Shinoa shook her head.
"What about today?" Mitsuba glanced down.
"How did Yuuichiro throw that Four Horseman like that? And how did he even know the girl was there? How could he see her?" she questioned as she looked to Shinoa who seemed a bit surprised by her statement before she sighed, humming as she thought of the best way to explain this to her.
"Well, Yuu is a Psychometric user. He copied the powers off of a Noble Vampire and has most of the Vampiric natural abilities. Speed is at fifty-percent, but it's still remarkably fast, he retained the senses being heightened, their durability, and strength, plus he has those glowing eyes and he got fangs from it from what I've seen; however, no blood cravings thus far." Mitsuba tensed.
"When did he get that kind of chance to copy off of a Noble?" Shinoa looked down.
"Four years ago." the blonde looked to the side.
"So, his eyes glowing like they did, that was – "Shinoa nodded.
"He was using his sensory skills. Apparently, he thought it would be wise to make sure something else wasn't being chased by the Horseman," she told her.
"I've never met someone with a Gift before… so to me, it's really unnatural." Shinoa laughed a bit.
"You'll get used to it, I promise. It's not that unnatural," she admitted.
"I only glimpsed it, so… I guess I'll have to wait and see what else he and everyone else can do…" Shinoa smiled.
"Mika can do it too. He just hasn't copied off anything yet. He has two other Gifts as well, but you'll have to ask him about them," she explained.
"Shinoa…" the blonde looked to her.
"Yes, Mitsu?" she asked.
"Don't come in while I'm showering…" the purple-haired girl smiled wickedly.
"Oh, come on now, don't be shy!" Shinoa dove at Mitsu who yelped as she was tickled and began to fight back.
"Hey! No fair!"
{Locker Room: 8:02pm}
The commotion going on from the girls' shower room and the boys glancing in the direction of the door way in questioning; however, they were too tired to really care at the moment. Yoichi was standing near one of the lockers, folding up his uniform to place into his backpack before he glanced to the side to see Kimizuki doing the same. A few minutes later, Yuu and Mika exited the shower area, looking a bit tired, but seeming to feel better now that they had gotten cleaned up and Mika's wound had been tended to. As the blonde dried his hair, the black-haired boy left the towel around his shoulders, ignoring the fact that his hair was still sopping wet. Kimizuki and Yoichi watched as Mika frowned, tossing his towel in the hamper before looking to his brother.
"It's cold tonight, don't even think you're going to sleep with a wet head!" Mika scolded as the black-haired boy frowned and started to dry his hair.
"Yes, mom…" the blonde narrowed his eyes.
"Well, someone has to watch out for you. Mitsuba had a point, what you did today was reckless at best, and you could have gotten killed," Mika stated.
"I know, but I couldn't just let that little girl die Mika… and you know why." The other two watched them for a moment as Mika sighed, glancing down.
"I understand the reason, but you also used your Gift. Shinoa told me you weren't supposed to use it unless it was necessary, and I don't want you pushing yourself with it. Everytime you do, you get sick," Mika told him as the boy sighed and finished drying his hair before tossing the towel into the hamper.
"I get it, okay? But… if I don't use it, then I'll never be able to do anything with it without getting sick. I'll be fine, Mika… Shinoa trained me well with it." The boy raked his fingers through his hair to tame it a bit and felt his brother flick his forehead, causing him to stop.
"You're a hazard to your own health. Still, I do think it was pretty cool what you did today," he said.
"Wait, so you used your Gift to find that girl?" Kimizuki questioned.
"Yea, I heightened my sense of sight to locate her. I didn't want to go down there without knowing exactly what it was chasing." Yoichi smiled.
"That's pretty amazing. Can you focus your other senses like that?" the black-haired boy looked towards the brunette.
"My hearing, and sense of smell can be done that way. However, the sense of smell is kind of tricky and last time I tried that during training I ended up with a nose bleed. Nothing's happened with my ears or eyes though, and I can increase my strength and sense of touch if I need to. I kept my durability up when I took that hit from the Vampires today," he explained.
"A nosebleed? Really?" emerald eyes glanced to sapphire ones.
"Which is why Shinoa hasn't played that up, you know how she is about things. It really scared her to be honest," he answered to his brother, who sighed in defeat.
"I am losing my enthusiasm over copying off of a Noble like you did. I don't really care to beat my body up every time I use the Gift I have." Yuuichiro shrugged.
"Abjure is just as strenuous, but probably not as instant as this one. If I remember, you said that Guren taught you how to bind a person's soul to their body, so they couldn't die as easily," he stated.
"Well… yea… but… the person has to be in pretty bad shape, but the body has to be intact for me to do that. It doesn't grant them durability, and I can't heal them like a Naturopathic can. I can only trap them in their bodies for a few hours at most. Past getting them to surgery or a healer, I can't really help. I guess the Abjure ability is also a good thing to have if anyone gets possessed by a Demon while on a mission." The black-haired boy nodded, his bangs falling a bit away from his forehead, causing Kimizuki to look at the area in questioning.
"Did you have a cut there earlier?" he questioned.
"Yea, I got it treated by a healer in the medical ward. It was just a graze, so with the healing spell it took no time at all." Mika rose an eyebrow at his explanation, but said nothing.
"I was wondering something, if Mika is an Abjurist, then doesn't that mean he could work in the medical staff of the Moon Demon Company?" the blonde shook his head.
"I really don't think I would be good as a medical aid… I'm a better fighter anyways," Mika informed the brunette who nodded.
"Yea, I think we had proof of that today when the two of you took on that Horseman…" Kimizuki sighed as he looked at the black-haired boy.
"The Psychometric Gift, was that what allowed you to toss that girl that far?" he questioned as the boy stretched a bit, doing the same odd stretches he'd seen him do a few times before.
"Not really, I used it to give me a boost, but most of that was my own strength…" the pink-haired, bespectacled teen gaped.
"You're what… a hundred and ten pounds dripping wet?" Kimizuki probed as the boy shook his head.
"One-fifteen…" the correction had the oldest of their group of six shaking his head.
"Like that's much better," he muttered as Shinoa and Mitsuba walked out.
"My, I certainly feel refreshed!" they looked towards Shinoa who came out with her hair down as she dried it while Mitsuba cast her a scowl.
"I bet you do, you perv… um… what's up?" she asked as the boys shrugged.
"Nothing really, just talking is all." Mitsuba eyed the black-haired boy and then the blonde for a moment.
She wanted to know if it was possible to gage how well the black-haired boy could see and if he could make out things in the darkness through the window near the end of the locker area. It would be a bit of a trick, but Mitsuba needed some answers on how strong his Psychometric Gift was; therefore, she took in a steady breath and looked at the boy.
"Hyakuya? I need to ask you something," she said as the boy sighed.
"Are you going to do this, just so you can tell me that you hate me again?" his voice showed her how greatly that displeased him, and made it even more apparent due to his sharp tone.
"No, I wanted to ask about your sight. With your Psychometric Gift active, how well is it on average?" she questioned as the boy rose an eyebrow before his expression turned into a contemplative one.
"I'm not exactly sure… I mean, it's only been a couple of weeks since I got to where I could actually use it without a severe backlash… so, how it is exactly, I'm not sure." His answer caused Mitsuba to frown a bit.
"Can you test it for me? Look out that window and tell me what you can see," she said, pointing to the window.
"It's night out! How is he supposed to see anything?" Mika looked to Yoichi.
"Vampires can see in the dark, Psychometrics who copy off of Vampires gain that aspect as well," he explained as the brunette blinked, realization coming to him.
"Oh… right…" Shinoa smiled.
"Well, what do you say Yuu? Care to test this out?" the periwinkle-haired girl inquired.
"I guess…"
Yuuichiro went towards the window, focusing on the Gift and feeling a faint burn in his eyes as he closed them for a moment before he looked out of the closed window, scanning the area around him while the sharp toxic-green of his eyes caused them to gain a faintly eerie glow to them. Mitsuba watched as he looked around and then to the building across the way which had a singular light on the desk turned on to flood the room with dull, but warm light.
"What can you see?" Mitsuba asked him.
"Well, it's an office… I think it might be Guren's… not sure though… wait… yea, it's Guren's alright…" Mika frowned as the others looked to his brother.
"Why do I get the feeling that it's because of all the half-finished paperwork and the scotch glasses on the left-hand side of the desk?" Mika thought.
"How can you be sure?" asked Kimizuki as Yoichi looked at his friend.
"I can see all the half-done paperwork and there's a bottle of scotch and glasses for it on the left-hand side of the desk…" the blonde nearest to Yuuichiro sighed.
"I must be psychic… or I just know Guren to well," Mika internally considered this as he watched his brother and then Mitsuba.
"That's impressive, so… do you feel up to using those talents of yours on the field a bit more tomorrow?" the girl asked.
"Wait… why?" Mitsuba sighed.
"We're going to need it, so… can you see in the dark?" it was Shinoa's turn to answer this time.
"Oh, he can see in the dark just fine. I tested that out when I was helping him train with this Gift. Without much trouble, he could spot me in the corner of the training hall with no light sources at all," she stated proudly.
"But, it's not like heat signatures or anything, right?" the black-haired boy shook his head.
"No, it's like a cat's ability to see in the dark if I could think of what its closest too."
"Why are you so eager for him to use his Psychometry Gift on the field, Sangu?" Mika asked with a faintly chilled tone.
"Because, Hyakuya, the little girl told one of the officers where she came from, and it's in the subway station, which is most likely the Vampire's little hide away. There's little to no light down there, so we'll need to use your brother's Gift to make our way through the underground tram way without alerting them too much." Mika rolled his eyes as Yuu glanced to the two of them and then to Shinoa who shrugged.
"So, in other words, you want me to be our eyes and ears down there?" Yuuichiro asked her.
"Exactly, so… will you do it?" the boy sighed.
"Not like I have much of a choice, so yea… sounds fine to me," he stated as Mitsuba nodded.
"Good, tomorrow morning, we're heading to Omotesando Station, so get some rest," she stated as the others nodded, knowing that without question, tomorrow was going to be a day they wouldn't be forgetting.
{…}
You are not alone…
{…..}
Author's Note: Yea, the further into the story we get, and the closer to Shinjuku, the longer the chapters are probably going to get up to a point. But, with a rewrite and expansion on the events, can you expect anything else? Well, tell me guys what you think, leave a review, and if you have questions, please PM me.
Sincerely,
ShadowDragon94.
Chapter 15: Harajuku