What's this? A quick Update (by my standards, at least) Thank you for all the reviews! Knowing people are reading is what keeps me writing more! This is the 'flashback' chapter!. At some point in this chapter, Nagisa is referred to as a 'she' but that is because it's Asano's POV and he thought Nagisa was a girl.
When Gakushuu looked back at his early childhood, he remembered it being happy and normal. He played with other kids, and went to school. His mother was always overprotective of him because apparently he was sick as a baby and almost died. Gakushuu hardly saw has father, and when he did, the man rarely spoke, his father was a distant figure in his life. Gakushuu knew from an early age that Daddy had a very important job and he was always busy but Gakushuu had always looked up to him (even if he was also a little bit scared of him).
When Gakushuu turned six, he started to realise he was a little different; he noticed he was always so much faster and stronger than the other kids, he preferred black pudding and rare steak over sweets and candy, and suddenly, even the weakest sunlight hurt his eyes and left him with severe sunburn unless he wore the special blue necklace Daddy had gave him.
But being different didn't bother him too much. He still spent his time like all the other kids, going to the local school, reading books, playing 'Hunters and Vampires' with wooden swords, and helping Mummy around the house, since Daddy was always working at the academy. Gakushuu's oddness seemed to bother Mummy though. Whenever Daddy was home Gakushuu would hear the muffled sounds of them arguing about him.
"It's not normal- he isn't normal- He was out for two seconds without the lapis-lazuli the other day and he burnt!"
"So what- are you suggesting. That he's one of them? If he was, he would of burst into flames. You're being absurd. He's just fair-skinned."
"I didn't say that! I'm saying it isn't normal!.. And what about you! You've changed completely.. Out all hours of the night, what are you doing?"
"Working! To build a better family for us! I'm working on making a safer, stronger town for us to live in!"
Because it made mummy sad, Gakushuu tried his best to be as normal as possibly, playing down his strength, and pretending that he liked the candy other kids ate, even though it tasted like charcoal to him.
But still...
Sometimes being normal was hard. Especially when eating 'normal' food like candy and vegetables left him still feeling hungry. The only food he liked was meat. And no matter how much water he drank, Gakushuu still felt terribly thirsty.
The only thing that satisfied him was blood. Gakushuu knew it was wrong, but in the middle of the night sometimes, when the empty feeling became over-whelming and the hunger was weakening, he'd sneak out of his bedroom, and go down to the chicken coop, kitchen knife in hand. It always happened in a blur; chopping their heads off and sucking their blood out. In the morning he'd feel full of strength, but also like some sort of disgusting monster. When his mother blamed the cat again he would feel overwhelmed with guilt. He wish he knew why he was like this... He couldn't be a vampire, could he? Gakushuu had already read lots of books on Vampires, and he knew they were evil murderers who killed humans for blood, and they had the strength of ten men. Gakushuu had been to executions, he knew that Vampires burst into flames in the sun. Gakushuu wasn't any of those things, he didn't think he was bad or evil, so he couldn't be a Vampire, right?
But why did he suddenly have a taste for blood?
The arguments between mummy and Daddy got worse and worse as the months went on. They seemed to happen every single time Daddy was home (which really wasn't too often, luckily). But even when he wasn't home, Mummy was still stressed. She cried and shouted a lot and Gakushuu didn't know why.
The arguments were always at night, when they thought Gakushuu was asleep. They'd start in hushed tones that would eventually escalate into hissing insults, then barely-restrained shouting. Every time, Gakushuu would sit by his door listening in with bated breath- He couldn't really understood why they fought, Mummy always dismissed it as 'grown-up stuff', but he had a sinking feeling that he was the cause. One night, they were arguing for even longer than usual.
"You can't just keep leaving me like this for days at a time... our child is not normal!" His Mother his mother hissed. "I've seen him killing the Chickens and drinking their blood. No! Don't just dismiss me.. Gakuho!"
Gakushuu bit his lip when she brought that up; So she knew! Would he be in trouble?
"You are acting like a mad woman! Gakushuu is a normal child. A normal human child. You know how busy I am. I have just been named the new chairman of the school! Don't you know what that means? I'll finally have the power to change how this village is run. We wont have to sacrifice our young to the Vampire elders any more.. I'll build a hunter army stronger than anything ever seen before, I'll eradicate all vampires, I'll- "
The sound of flesh making impact on flesh filled the air, and Gakushuu was fairly certain Mummy had just slapped Daddy.
"You are your ideals! They're all you care about these days.. " His mother cried, no longer bothering to keep her voice down. Gakushuu was sure she was crying now, and he wanted to go down and give her a hug and tell Daddy to spend more time with her. But he didn't. "You KNOW that there's something not right with our son. I've known you all my life, Gakuho, I can tell you're hiding something from me. And what about you? Since I told you I was pregnant with our son, have hardly touched me. You don't spend time with me- you don't even want to share the same bed as me half the time- " She said the next part in a low, tear-fulled voice and Gakushuu had to strain to hear her. "What even are you anymore? I've tried to deny it all these years but on that mission you went on eight years ago... you were turned weren't you? Just admit it, you're a Vampire!"
Gakushuu gasped out loud, feeling a cold chill run down his spine at the mere accusation his father could be a vampire. How? That was impossible, right? Daddy was a hunter. He wasn't evil. He didn't kill people. He couldn't be a Vampire.
"You are beyond delusional." Father said sternly, over the sound of Mummy sobbing. "I am human, and so is our son!"
"You're a liar!" Mummy shouted. "Do you think I haven't noticed how you haven't aged a day in seven years! You look the exact same as you did when you were in your twenties! You're a monster! You were turned, and then you impregnated me with some sort of disgusting abomination! How could you? You infected my womb with your monster DNA and used me too harvest some sort of ungodly Vampire-Human hybrid."
Gakushuu felt tears prick his eyes as she spoke. She's not talking about you he tried desperately to convince himself, as he hugged his knees and lent against the door. You're a human. You're a human. You aren't a Vampire, You're not a monster.
"Were are you going?" Father shouted, as Gakushuu heard the sound of two pairs of angry footsteps charging up the stairs. The next thing he knew, his bedroom door was flung open, and his Mother stood over him, tears streaming down her face, and her blue eyes abalze with something akin to grief.
"I'm sorry!" Gakushuu cried quickly, although he wasn't sure exactly for what he was apologizing. His mother didn't respond, she just kneeled down next to him and pulled him into a hug that was far too tight. His father quickly followed her upstairs, and glared down at the scene before him.
"You're scaring him." His father said, a dangerous look in his eyes. He looked unhinged, and at the moment, Gakushuu wasn't sure which parent he was more afraid of.
"If you are both human, you can prove it." Mother growled, not sounding like her usual self at all. "I'll tell the council my theory. I'm sure if you really are human, you wont have any problem with proving it using the sunlight test. I'll go, right now!"
She made a move to stand up, but father pushed her back with surprising force. She fell back onto the floor, and looked up at her husband, horrified. He looked equally shocked, unable to believe what he had just done.
"Please just calm down!" Father exclaimed. "Don't go spreading rumors. You know how dangerous that is!"
"If you're human why wont you just prove it!" Mother shouted back from the floor, silencing any of Father's further arguments. Gakushuu stood in between the two, not wanting to say a word. He was too scared and too confused, and couldn't escape the feeling that this was all his fault. Surprisingly, Gakuho didn't respond with another comeback. He looked down on the floor with a conflicted expression. It was something Gakushuu had never seen on his father before. The man had always been so strong and undeterred in every sense.
"Whatever I am.. whatever we are. We're still your family. And I love you." Dad said, a tone of somber admission in his voice, but there was also a sense of him seeking acceptance. He took a tentative step towards his wife, but she backed away on all fours, a scream ripping from her throat. It was horrifying for Gakushuu to see his mother on the floor, looking as though her sanity had completely left her. Her eyes bulged, and the look of her eyes was one of sheer horror.
"I'm sorry." Gakushuu repeated walking over to her, to try and help, to do something. He didn't expect for his mother to grab him by his wrist, and stand up quickly, dragging him up in the process.
"I'm going to get rid of this thing Gakuho!" Mummy shouted, holding her son in an iron grip. "I'm going to dispose of this abomination that never should of been born in the first place!"
The next thing Gakushuu knew, he had been wrenched from his mother's grip by his father, who looked almost as insane as Mummy, like he was inches from slipping over the edge. The man picked him up and held him away from his mother. Gakushuu could feel his father's arms shaking with the rage he was clearly trying to restrain.
"He is not a thing he is our son!" Gakuho hissed. "Don't touch him."
"Fine! If you wont let me get rid of it, then I'm telling the council- and I'm telling them about you as well. Both of you will be executed!" Mother screamed, looking more like a scary demon than the kind mother Gakushuu knew. He was sick of them talking about things he didn't understand, like he wasn't really there. Mother made a move to get through the door, but Gakuho stopped her.
"Let me past, dammit!" Mother roared, trying to push her husband out the way. He didn't budge an inch. "You can't keep me here forever! There's no escaping this! I will get rid of the two of you for what you've done to me! You've made me into a part of your unholy act! I'll see to it that you both die, then I'll kill myself I'll- "
She was cut off when Gakuho struck her across the face. Mummy went flying across the room like a rag-doll, and smacked hard into the wall. The sound of bones cracking echoed around the room, and Mother let out a groan of pain. She pulled herself up of the floor with shaking arms, blood dribbling down from her forehead into her eyes.
"Mummy!" Gakushuu cried in shock. The next thing he knew, he had been dropped to the floor, and Daddy ran over to Mummy at inhuman speeds. For a brief moment, Gakushuu thought that he was going to help her, but instead, the man did something that Gakushuu would never forgive him for: Gakuho grabbed his wife with a grip strong enough to break the skin, and pulled her towards him. Mother let out a deafening shriek as fangs pierced her neck, and began to drain her blood.
Gakushuu ran over and tried to pull Daddy away, but of course, he wasn't strong enough. It was like the man couldn't even hear him, Father had gone from a composed man to a feral beast within a matter of a few seconds. It seemed to happen so quickly. One moment Mummy was flailing in his arms, trying to fight him off, the next she was limp and impossibly still.
Gakuho dropped her to the floor and stood up, a trickle of blood escaping his mouth and rolling down his chin. He blinked a few times, apparently coming back to reality; He saw the scene before him and realised his actions.. His wife lay dead in a pool of her own blood, and his terrified son was crying and clinging to his leg. He swallowed, burying any feelings he may have. He had to sort out this mess.
"I'm starting to loose control." He muttered under his breath. His thought process was interrupted by another loud sob from his son.
"S- Save Mummy. She's hurt. We need help." Gakushuu was crying, it was diffuclt to understand him through the tears. Gakuho sighed, and turned to face his son, placing his hands on his shoulders and kneeling down so they were the same height.
"Your mother is dead. I just killed her." Gakuho said, his voice devoid of any emotion. As predicted, Gakushuu started wailing and and calling him a liar. He tried to run to his mother, but Gakuhou tightened his grip. "She. Is. Dead."
"I'll kill you!" Gakushuu shouted at him, shaking with fear and rage. His violet eyes might be tear-filled, but they were full of bloodlust. Good Gakuho thought.
"If you want to kill me for what I've done, then you'll have to get stronger, far stronger." Gakuho told him. "You've worked it out, right? I'm a vampire. And you're a human-Vampire hybrid. You probably have no idea how rare you are, you might be the only one of your kind. And listen to me- that isn't a good thing. Because humans and vampires will try to kill you."
"I can't be." Gakushuu murmured, part of him refusing to believe, not wanting to believe that he was anything but human. But as young as he was, he knew it made sense; Because as horrified as he was at his mother's murder, the scent of blood pooled around her body was still appetizing. Gakushuu hated himself for even thinking it..."I'm telling! I'm telling the village leaders that you're a Vampire and you killed my mummy!"
"Is that really such a good idea, Gakushuu?" Father said slyly. "If they find out I'm a Vampire, they'll find out you're a hybrid. You'll be excecuted right next to me. Is that really what you want?"
Gakushuu froze, terrified. No he didn't want to die. So he kept quiet: When father told the authorities that a rouge Vampire had killed mother, during the funeral, when the other kids at school asked what happened, he didn't speak a word. He felt trapped. There was nobody he could tell. All that time he silently hated his father; He was an evil Vampire, he was the one who made mummy crazy, he was the one who killed her. But as much as he hated the Chairman, the man was still his sole guardian, and Gakushuu was raised under him.
Father's training methods were brutal. For hours after school and on weekends, the basics of fighting were drilled into Gakushuu's memory. He may have only been seven, but he was already being forced to learn stuff that you weren't meant to be taught until you joined the academy at eleven. Gakushuu was no longer had times to play games or go to the park, it seemed like every day was spent in the Garden, holding a sword that was far too big for a seven year old, with his father in front of him barking commands. Whenever Gakushuu began to falter in his studies, or attempted to give up, his father was quick to remind him of his status as a Vampire Hybrid.
"You might be stronger than your human peers, but you're still weaker than a full-blooded Vampire. And besides, you want revenge on me, don't you? For killing your mother. You're going to have to get a lot stronger if you even have a hope of defeating me."
Father would usually back up that statement by showing off his inhuman strength, usually by kicking doing a tree, or bending an iron sword until it broke, once when they were training in the forest he even punched a boulder, making it crumble beneath his fist. Yes, father was a powerful enemy, and Gakushuu loathed him. But he was forced to remain under his control, there was no way Gakushuu could expose his father as a Vampire to the council, because after all, if Gakushuu's own mother had attempted to kill him for being a hybrid, he had no chance of getting any mercy from the townsfolk.
Gakushuu hated his father intensely, he hated how impossibly powerful he was, how much control he had over everything. He despised his father, and by extension despised all vampires. He hated that he shared even half his DNA with them.
When Gakushuu wasn't doing physical training, he was locked away in his room, forced to read from big old dusty books all about the history of hunter's, and magic, and ancient weapons, and Vampire physiology.
"It says here that turned Vampires succumb to insanity over time. Usually within a year but sometimes sooner." Gakushuu said to his father with fringed nonchalance one evening, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "That applies to you, right? You were born human, right? Does this mean you're going to go completely crazy soon? After all, it's been at least seven years."
His father glared at him with a sour expression. How exactly he had been turned into a Vampire, and why he chose to hide it and sire a hybrid child where secrets the Chairman wouldn't reveal, and a subject he wasn't fond of talking about. "If you had read the whole chapter like I had asked, you would know that you can delay loosing your mind by drinking the blood from fellow vampires."
"I did read the whole chapter, and what it actually says is that drinking from fellow turned Vampires only delays madness, not prevent it. The only way to prevent it is to have a regular blood supply from a natural Vampire. And I doubt you have that." Gakushuu said smugly. He let out a yelp of surprise when the Chairman suddenly grabbed him by the ankle, and pulled him out of his desk chair, and dangled him upside down.
"I don't know what you're so smug about, you little brat." Father growled, Gakushuu scrabbled to get free. "If I loose my mind you'll be the first one to be killed. You're still human enough the be semi-appetising to Vampires."
With that, he let go, and Gakushuu only just about managed to land on his feet.
"You're already crazy." He muttered, shook. The thought of his father drinking blood from other vampires and humans sickened Gakushuu. That's one thing he vowed never to do, he'd never drink human blood like a filthy animal. No matter how much he craved it.
Gakushuu killed his first Vampire a few weeks before he turned eight. It was in the academy basement; His father had brought him down there in secret to a dark chamber, it was night time, Gakushuu knew that his father was breaking several laws by bringing a child to the forbidden parts of the academy, but when both of their existences were violations of the law it was hard to care.
In the middle of the labyrinth, chained to the pole like cattle, was a Vampire. It didn't look anything like father, this blood-sucker looked far more feral, like the monsters depicted in all the books. It snapped its fangs and growled and shrieked. It was one thing training to kill a Vampire, it was another thing doing it.
"This shouldn't be a problem for you." Father said, handing Gakushuu his sword. "This Vampire is blood-deprived and has completely succumb to madness, and it's movements are restricted by the chains. I couldn't of selected an easier prey for you."
"How did you manage to capture it? I thought you changed the law so all Vampires must be killed on sight." Gakushuu asked, as horrifying as the monster was, he couldn't help but feel a sense of morbid curiosity. "Is it wearing a hunter's uniform?"
"Very observant, Gakushuu." Father commented, his lips curling up to a sinister smile. "Let's just say that I've found a use for my weakest students."
Gakushuu looked up at him questioningly, was Father admitting to turning his students into Vampires for training purposes? Is that why members of E class kept disappearing? Before Gakushuu could continue that train of thought, the Chairman pushed him forwards.
"Stop dawdling now. Kill it." He commanded. Gakushuu's footsteps echoed as he walked across the chamber towards the beast- Now that he looked at it, he could see that the Vampire didn't look all that old, only a young teenager. But that didn't stop his heart from pounding in his chest as he approached it.
The thing glared at him, sniffing the air, probably having a hard time deciphering if Gakushuu was human enough to drink from. He glared at the monster, and imagined it was his father. In that moment, his fear dissipated and was replaced with pure rage. Gakushuu held his sword like he had been taught from months of training. Both of them struck at once; The Vampire launched forwards and Gakushuu slashed his sword through the air There was the dull thud of flesh hitting hard floor, and Gakushuu looked up. He'd beheaded it, just like that. That had been so easy. Gakushuu turned to look at his father, an unconscious smile forming on his face. And he swore, for a split second, an expression of pride flickered in the Chairman's eyes.
Kids twice Gakushuu's age hadn't managed to kill a Vampire, Gakushuu thought. For the first time in his life, he had a taste of feeling truly strong. It was addicting. He wanted to get stronger and stronger until nobody could stand in his way. He wanted to be the strongest so neither humans nor vampires could stand in his way. And then, he could kill his father.
Training got even more intense after that. Slaying chained Vampires became a regular thing. After a few more months he worked his way up to unchained. With every kill, Gakushuu became more arrogant of his strength, and increasingly desperate to attain more of it. Killing Vampires was cathartic, every single time he killed one, he imagined it was his father. The Vampires were all stronger than him, but he was better.
Father no longer needed to prompt him to study, he began to learn out of a thirst for knowledge on how to become more powerful. Gakushuu tried not think about how these Vampires were townsfolk purposefully changed into bloodsuckers by his father- They were vagrants, criminals, people too sick to work and of course, E class members. But they were still people, or at least, they used to be. But father was using them for training purposes, and turning them so he could drink their blood and retain some semblance of sanity. Gakushuu felt as if he wasn't too different from those people in a way, because just like them, he was just a being used as a puppet for the Chairman. His father constantly told Gakushuu that he wanted him to be strong just so he had a 'powerful weapon' at his disposal. Whenever father said that, Gakushuu would scowl at him, and father would simply laugh and say;
"Of course, if you don't want to be my weapon, you could always just kill me."
When Gakushuu was ten, he decided to take a different route. He tried to escape. After school one day, he packed a sword, a bag full of necessities and a map, and ran away. In his books he had read about far away towns and cities were Vampires and Humans actually lived together. Perhaps in a place like that, he would find a place. He was confident in his abilities, he was sure he could survive on his own.
Gakushuu lasted just two days before his father tracked him down. He hadn't even made it to the mountains when a hoard of Vampires managed to corner him near the edge of the forest. There were four of them, they all looked wild and emancipated but none of them as weak and loose-minded as the Vampires Gakushuu was used to fighting.
"Well well, what do we have here?" A female one with ragged hair sneered. It was the first time Gakushuu had heard a Vampire other than his father speak a full sentence. "Looks like a little boy wondered too far from the village."
Another one; a male this time, licked his lips. "No hard feelings kid, but I'm starving." He snickered. They weren't prepared for a ten year old child to launch forward with notable force, and slice of the female vampire's head in one swoop of his sword. Gakushuu smirked. Their reactions were so slow because they'd assumed he was weak. Their loss. The three remaining Vampires quickly turned towards him, eyes full of malice. Gakushuu tightened his grip on his sword; Sure, He no longer had the element of surprise, these Vampires looked a lot stronger than the ones he was used to, and they were in a group, but Gakushuu was certain he'd slay them all.
He never found out for certain though, because before he had the chance, a sudden blur passed by his eyes. One moment three nasty-looking Vampires were squaring up to him, the next, there were three mangled bodies lying on the floor, and Father was stood before him. The man had a face like thunder, his mauve eyes were alight like pits of smouldering lava. Gakushuu felt like a fist had clenched his heart.
In a moment of foolish, adrenaline-fuelled self-defence, Gakushuu attempted to swing his sword towards the man, but as expected, his father caught the blade easily, and tossed it out of his hand. The Next thing Gakushuu knew, he had been picked up by his wrist and hurled through the air like a rag doll. He went flying several meters before smashing into a tree, winding himself. He gasped for breath, panic seizing him; Father had never hurt him before, not like this! Was he going to be killed for running away?Before he had even managed to pull himself off the ground, Father was standing over him, glaring at Gakushuu as if he was dirt.
"You are such an idiot." Father spat. "You're lucky I would never allow another Vampire to break my property. You're so weak. You wouldn't of lasted a minute against those three."
"I could of killed them easily!" Gakushuu gasped from the floor, glaring up at his father. The next thing he knew, Gakushuu had been grabbed by the neck and lifted up off the floor, his legs dangling a few feet from the ground.
"It seems you need reminding of exactly how weak you are." Father said coldly. Before Gakushuu had a chance to react, he was pressed against the tree, and he suddenly felt the sharp pain of fangs piercing his neck.
He started to scream, and try and fight the man off him, but it was like punching a brick wall. Was this all his life amounted to? Being used by this despicable man for his convenience? Gakushuu's struggles became more feeble as more blood was taken, and fairly soon he was slumped against the tree, his energy depleted. He felt so pathetic, he was already dizzy and lightheaded. Father finally pulled away, his fangs scarlet with blood, and eyes still practically glowing with hunger.
"Gakushuu." He said in a low dangerous voice, grabbing the boy's face so he couldn't look away. "You know Vampires can track the last person they drank from, right? You can't run from me. The only way you can escape is to kill me."
"I will kill you." Gakushuu wheezed, hating how broken his voice sounded. He truly hated his father. The man treated him like a possession, and shaped his life how he saw fit. Vampires thought they could do this just because they had strength! Gakushuu didn't care how hard he had to work, he would get stronger.
"That's the spirit." Father chuckled, but there was no humour behind the laugh. "Remember this feeling. This is what it feels like to be weak. If you don't like it, keep fighting."
Having his blood drank became somewhat of a regular punishment for Gakushuu after that, reserved for whenever he didn't meet his father's increasingly more difficult demands. It's purpose was two-fold; It reminded Gakushuu of how 'weak' he was, and it stopped him from being able to leave the village. Gakushuu thought it was disgusting. It strengthened his resolve to never drink human blood. He couldn't stand the thought of biting someone's neck and drinking it- he refused to stoop to that level! (Even if his father always told him that drinking human blood, instead of just animal meat and blood would make him stronger).
When Gakushuu entered the academy, things started to look up. Before, the other kids weren't training to be Hunter's yet, but now they were, and everyone from students to teachers were in awe of Gakushuu's skills. Of course, he had a genetic edge over them, but he also had four years of training over them too. Nobody could compete. Gakushuu loved it- He loved the admiration and the envy, all of it fed his ego.
He got a little too arrogant, and that was how, during first year he managed to get cornered by some older students and forced into the 'Execution Game'.
Gakushuu had underestimated them all because they were just humans. But when they ambushed him, he didn't expect them to manage to rip off the lapis-lazuli necklace he always kept hidden under his uniform. After that, he was completely at their mercy. A Vampire would burst into flames in the sun, for Gakushuu it wasn't fatal, but it was incredibly painful; He could feel it's rays blistering his skin, he hardly noticed the older boys kicking and punching him, because the sun was far more agonising.
"Heh- maybe he really is a Vampire. Look at 'im he's burning up." On of the boys chuckled. He dangled the necklace over Gakushuu's head. "You want this?"
Gakushuu reached for it with shaking arms, only to have his fingers trod on by leather boots. He gritted his teeth. He'd kill these bastards!
"Nah, if he was a real Vampire he'd be in flames." Another boy said. "Isn't this brat supposed to be strong? He just looks like an ordinary weakling to me. Hey! Brat! If you beg and cry then we might just let you go!"
"Give me it back or you'll regret it!" Gakushuu shouted, but this earned him mocking laughs and a kick to the stomach. He hated this! Gakushuu had always attributed all his weakness' to the human side of himself, but he fully realised now that being part-Vampire meant that he had all sorts of weaknesses humans didn't have. Sunlight, Vervain, holy water. He might have half of Vampire strength but he was also half-susceptible to their weaknesses. The torture seemed to go on for ages before someone intervened. Gakushuu felt close to loosing consciousness, this exposure to the sun was excruciating.
"Hey! Get away from him! You're hurting him!" A soft voice called out. Gakushuu looked over to see a petite girl (at least he thought it was) with blue hair and wide azure eyes. She looked meek and terrified, not exactly who Gakushuu would pick for a rescuer. His attackers turned to glare at her.
"Buzz of, girlie! This is non of your concern." A gang member said, harshly. Gakushuu expected her to turn-tail and run, but instead, despite her obvious fear she stood her ground.
"This execution game is barbaric! I can't believe a gang of fourth years are picking on one first year! Look! You've hurt that boy so badly, do you know how much trouble you'll be in if you go any further?" She said, her legs shaking as she spoke. The gang exchanged nervous glances with each other.
"We're leaving now. Because we're bored. Not because you told us too!" The burliest of the boys grumbled. He was easily twice the blue haired girls size. Him and the rest of the gang began to stalk off into the woods, but before they left, one of them punched the girl hard in the face, then in the stomach.
"That's for telling us what to do, brat!" He called back, tossing Gakushuu's lapis-lazuli necklace over his shoulder as he left. Under normal circumstances, Gakushuu would of been mortified at being rescued by a frail looking girl, but at the time, he felt more grateful than humiliated. He was just happy it was over. On hands and knees, he scrabbled over to his lapis-lazuli chain, and picked it up with bruised fingers. The effect was instant. The Sun rays no longer felt like beams of burning radiation, of course, the wounds he had already acquired were still agonising.
"Oh my God! I can't believe what they've done to you!" The girl gasped, taking in the burns and bruises on Gakushuu's body. She looked horrified. "Are you okay?"
I'm fine." Gakushuu said gruffly, pulling himself up off the floor, only to feel his ankle give way underneath him. Before he fell to the floor however, the girl rushed over and caught him, managing to support Gakushuu by pulling his arm over her shoulder. She was far smaller than Gakushuu so there was no way she could carry him.
"It's okay, I've got you." She said, tugging off her jacket and draping it over Gakushuu's shoulders, covering the skin that was exposed were his shirt was ripped. Somehow, the girl felt like a comforting presence. She was sweet.
"I'm fine." Gakushuu repeated, but he didn't pull away from her and despite his pride allowed himself to be helped, because his vision was blurring and he felt close to passing out.
"Here- I'll take you to the hospital. My name's Nagisa, by the way- " She said, and started walking. Gakushuu hardly registered her words. She was right next to him, but her voice sounded far away somehow. Gakushuu was suddenly aware of how close they were, and how delicious the scent of her blood was. His usual blood lust was intensified by his injuries. He felt his fangs start to ache, and his throat felt suddenly intensely dry.
Do it. Bite her pretty white neck. Drink her blood. A voice inside urged him to drink her blood. He squashed it. He wasn't a beast. He wasn't like father. Gakushuu bit his hand, letting the taste of his own blood fill his mouth in an attempt to distract himself.
"A-are you okay can you hear me? You keep zoning out- " the girl was saying, her voice sounding warped. Was the extended exposure to sunlight the reason it was so hard to think? Gakushuu couldn't remember what else happened after that, he must of blacked out. He woke up suddenly when he felt something hard and painful slap him across the face.
"You idiot!" Father hissed. "You went to the hospital? You're lucky I got here before they managed to do a thorough check on you and realised you aren't completely human. How would you explain broken fingers healing in a day? And burns disappearing within hours?"
Gakushuu blinked and took in the situation; He was sat on a white hospital bed in a pale windowless room. Father was pulling him into sitting position by his collar. The man was furious.
"I- "
"I can't believe you're pathetic enough to be attacked by humans." The Chairman scoffed. Gakushuu felt shame settle in his stomach. He was angry at them, and angry at himself. How could he have been so weak? Gakushuu vowed to take revenge on his upper class men, but before he had a chance, all four of them mysteriously disappeared during their Hunter's exam. Gakushuu didn't even bother to ask the Chairman if he was behind it.
That incident was the only defeat Gakushuu suffered during his time at the academy. He began to go on real missions, and he started to seek out strong pupils and training them. Before the academy, Gakushuu never had time to spend with other kids, now he was seen as a leader, with hoards of loyal followers behind him. As much as he hated his father, he followed his philosophy of 'strength above all else, weak is the worst thing you can be.'
So he got stronger. He got more followers, trained with more weapons, killed more Vampires. Everything he did, every move he made, was all for the sake of attaining more strength. He didn't engage in frivolities, he didn't waste time, he just worked.. He was unstoppable. At least, he thought so until the Red Devil came to town.
Karma ran through the academy, searching for a window or a door to break out off. God, the corridors were ridiculously long and winding. Who designed this academy? It was like a maze! How did anyone even get to class?
He could no longer hear his pursuers. He just hoped Nagisa was okay. But what the boy had said made sense; Nagisa was in more danger if he was with Karma, because the 'Red Devil' was who the hunter's are after.
But still.
Leaving him alone made Karma feel uneasy. Beyond uneasy. Terrified. What if something happened and Karma wasn't there to protect him? What if he got hurt? Or worse?
Was I always such a mother hen?' Karma muttered to himself. He had been alone for so long that having another person to worry about was almost overwhelming. Karma was well-aware that his isolated upbringing meant he wasn't the most emotionally balanced person alive. I have to trust him. Karma thought. Then suddenly, the air was thick with the coppery smell of blood. Someone had been hurt. Badly. Probably about 100 meters away. Was it human or Vampire? Karma couldn't tell.
Nagisa's words echoed in his head 'Just run!'
Should he just escape? Was that the right thing to do? Just as Karma was about to smash through a window up ahead, another scent hit him. The smell of another person's blood filled the air, distinct from the first smell. It was a light, sweet scent. Karma recognised it instantly.
Nagisa.
He was running towards the smell of blood before he even fully registered the situation. His protective instinct was unconscious as this point. Nagisa is hurt! Nagisa is bleeding! I have to save Nagisa! Like a wild beast he tore through the corridors at blinding speeds. A whole range of emotions gurgled through his brain; Worry, anger, guilt, fear. Around the corner, up the stairs- he needed to get to Nagisa, now! It took Karma seconds to reach Nagisa, fuelled by blind panic. The scene he came across shocked him;
The corridor was covered in pools of fresh blood, it suggested the amount of blood-loss that could kill a person but that wasn't what caught Karma's attention. Asano, that insufferable Hunter brat had a smaller figure pinned to the floor. He was leaning over them, his mouth attached to their neck, drinking their blood. Asano was covered in blood himself. A rip in his uniform revealed a shockingly deep stab wound- that must be the the source of all the blood. What the hell? Why was that brat drinking blood, he wasn't a Vampire, right?
Karma's eyes focused on Asano's victim, and he felt his heart turn to ice. There, lying beneath Asano, looking deathly pale and limp, was Nagisa. Karma's Nagisa. Having his blood drank by somebody else. by Asano.
With a instinctive rage more powerful than Karma thought he was capable of feeling, the Vampire tore forward and tackled Asano with all his strength, pulling the bastard away from his Nagisa. Rational thought went out the window. He no longer questioned why Asano was drinking blood, he just knew Asano was going to pay for doing it. Karma smacked into Asano, sending the two of them hurtling into the floor, hard enough to make the wood splinter beneath them.
Karma pinned Asano to the floor, baring his fangs, his mercury eyes ablaze.
"I'm going to kill you, bastard. You'll regret hurting Nagisa." He growled.
Asano put up surprisingly little resistance, he just looked up at Karma with a dazed expression, his eyes still misted over with blood-lust. He was completely out of it- Probably because of the blood-loss. That didn't sate Karma's desire for revenge though; He was going to beat the shit out of this guy then rescue Nagisa. He raised his fist to pulverise Asano's face, when suddenly a voice behind him spoke.
"I would suggest not doing that." It was that bastard of a Chairman. He was suddenly stood behind Karma, dangerously close to Nagisa's unconscious body.
"You- " Karma growled in shock. Were did this guy come from? How the hell had he snuck up on him? Now Karma was close to the Chairman, he could sense how intimidating his aura was. There was something undeniably sinister about it. The way he sounded so calm despite two of his pupils (one of whom was his son) suffering from major blood loss right before his eyes was concerning to say the least.
"I know you're angry. I understand all too well how vexing it can be when someone else steals your prey." The Chairman said, with a sly smile. "But this human has such delicious blood, I'm sure you can forgive my son his transgression."
The Chairman turned Nagisa's face to the side with his foot, and Karma saw red. He jumped up off Asano, and charged towards the Chairman as full force, fully intending to rip him apart. The Chairman just smiled, and with an impossibly fast movement, grabbed Karma's wrists, and held them with an iron grip that bordered on painful.
"What the hell?" Karma cried, trying to break free. How the hell could this man be so strong? Unless. "You aren't human!"
"You catch on fast." The Chairman said, his grip tightening on Karma's wrists until the sound of bone breaking could be heard. Karma let out a cry of pain. The Chairman just laughed.
"Wh- when your people find out about this, they'll kill you." Karma shouted, frustrated that he couldn't break free. This man, this Vampire, was stronger than anyone Karma had fought before. He was so frustrated. How could he loose?
"They haven't discovered me in sixteen years, so I doubt they will any time soon." The Chairman chuckled arrogantly. Sixteen years!? Karma mentally gasped. That's an impossibly long time for a turned Vampire to retain some semblance of sanity, even if they were drinking Vampire blood. Karma's train of thought was interrupted when the Chairman bent his wrist even further back. Karma let out another cry of pain as the bone shattered further and bent in a way it wasn't supposed to.
"Ahh! Bastard!" Karma growled, the pain was overwhelming. He tried to pull free with all his might, tried to kick the man away, but the Chairman just pushed him against the wall, hard enough the some of the flagstones crumbled under the force. Karma was completely at this man's mercy, and he felt like such an idiot for walking straight into a trap again. If only he had remembered what Korosensei taught him! If only he'd thought ahead instead of letting his anger take over, and charging in.
Karma had so many questions! He glanced at Asano and Nagisa, both of them unconscious on the floor- Why was Asano drinking Nagisa's blood? Was he a Vampire? Had he been turned recently? Why were the people running a village that was based around hunting Vampires blood-suckers themselves?
Karma put those thoughts to the back of his head. He accepted he'd likely never get answers. Now he had to assure Nagisa's safety.
"Okay. You've got the Red Devil just like you wanted. Just hurry up and slay me, there's no need to get anyone else involved." Karma said, sounding confident and brave, he glared straight into the Chairman's mauve eyes. But he didn't feel it. In truth he was terrified, he honestly didn't want to die, the pain from his broken arms was intense. There was part of him just wanted to cry.
"Oh, is this you trying to bargain to sacrifice your own life in return for me sparring your little toy over there." The Chairman smirked, his eyes flicking over to Nagisa's unconscious form. The human boy was deathly pale and his pulse was slowing. "How noble. But you aren't in any position to be bargaining."
Karma gritted his teeth. He hated this bastard! He couldn't let him kill Nagisa. There had to be some sort of leverage he could use.. something...
"Just don't kill him. E class will avenge him!" Karma tried. It was a pathetic threat and he knew it. "They have a demon on their side. Do you think he'll just let that slide?"
"Clutching at straws, are we?" The Chairman taunted, bending Karma's arms back further. Karma bit his lip and groaned. Oh god the bastard was sadistic. "You know. Everyone was treating you as if you're such a big threat, Red Devil, but in actuality, you're incredibly weak. I can't believe my son had so much trouble against you. How pathetic."
Karma didn't say anything, just glared at the man. Up until now, all he'd ever fought was crazed turned-vampires, weak human hunters, and whatever-the-hell-Asano-was. He'd never been up against a creature that had been a Vampire so long, and had such a plentiful supply of blood and training as a hunter. The difference in strength was huge. For the first time in his life, Karma knew what it felt like to be truly weak.
"But you know-" The Chairman continued. "I'm glad Asano was too weak to kill you. Because you might be more useful than I first thought, now that I know you're natural born- " he started to say. Before Karma had a chance to protest, he felt fangs sink into his neck, piercing his skin, draining his blood. Karma let out a strangled cry and tried to fight the guy off, but it was impossible. Korosensei's words echoed in his head.
'If Turned-Vampires consumes the blood of natural Vampires it can keep them sane'
Fuck! Was that what he was being used for. Karma felt enraged. He'd kill this man. He'd kill him for what he'd done to his students, to Nagisa, to himself. Even as Karma's vision faded to black, his hatred still burned.
Phew made it to the end! So this chapter basically explained the Asano's backstory, and why Gakushuu is the way he is. the Chairman's thoughts and motivations are a little more vague, because its from Asano's point of view, and he hates his father because he blames him completely for the death of his mother.
There were some hints throughout the story that Gakushuu wasn't fully human (Particularly his reaction whenever he's near human blood) So I wonder if anyone picked up on those!
Sorry I can't let these characters just be happy! The Chairman has officially ruined everything for everyone. Everyone's just sort of fallen into the palm of his hand. Other than Korosensei, he is the most physically powerful character in the story so far, even more so than Karma.
Please review if you want me to write more! Let me know what you think about Gakushuu's past, and what will happen to Karma and Nagisa now the bad guy has got them!
Reply to guest reviews;
Jose97: Thank you for the review! I hop enjoyed enjoyed this pretty-quick update!
Mr Shade: I started this story before Koro-Q came out, but when I read/watched it, I noticed that it had a lot of similarities to my story. (Mostly just Karma being forced to join E class as a powerful member, tbh, and the whole 'fantasy' setting). I hope this chapter explained some of your questions about Asano, and why he isn't as strong as Karma, and isn't as effected by vervain ect. And yes, Karma was predictably pissed off in this chapter!