Me: Here I am again! I thought I irritated you long enough with that cliff hanger, so here is the next chapter. I hope you'll enjoy it, minna! ^^ Tenma, please do the disclaimer.

Tsurugi: Lotus Sword doesn't own Inazuma Eleven, for it belongs to Level 5.

Me: Hey, you aren't Tenma!

Tsurugi: Tenma's busy at the moment.

Me: Busy with what?

Tsurugi: Read the previous chapter of your story, girl, he's in quite a situation, you know!

Me: Yeah, but... Don't you have to be there as well?

Tsurugi: Crap, you're right *dashes out of the room*

Me: *sweatdrop*

Tenma let out a pained cry when the creature's sharp fangs pierced through his skin. He felt how two lips quickly covered the wound and how the blood was sucked out of his body. Along with it came a dull pain in his neck, which slowly but surely spread out when there became a lack of blood in the veins in his neck. He breathed with jagged breaths and his heart sped up. Blurs and black shapes appeared in his vision and he suddenly realized that he was losing consciousness. Or was it even worse...?

Despite knowing about the other's strength and speed, Tenma tried to free himself from the vampire's grasp. Every attempt was fruitless, though. It became harder and harder for him to stay awake. The soft sleep - or was it death? - called out for him, louder and louder. Promises of rest and an escape from the pain lured him, but Tenma didn't give in.

Not yet.

Kirino watched in horror, along with Kariya, Hikaru, Shinsuke and Shindou, how the vampire held Tenma against the tree. Goosebumps rose when they heard the brunette scream as the navy haired boy bowed down and bit him. Tenma struggled, but he didn't stand a chance against his opponent. The latter was forcefully sucking Tenma's blood and Kirino knew that they would never reach the duo in time. The others were screaming Tenma's name in shock and fear, but the vampire didn't let go.

"Stop it!"

Kirino shouted it without thinking and his voice was full of authority, like the voice of the prince he was. He didn't think the vampire would listen to him, so he was utmost surprised when the creature indeed pulled back from Tenma. He kept Tenma against the tree with only one hand and turned around to face the group of five opposite him. Kirino's eyes widened when he noticed the deep red eyes that stared amused at him.

"Who tells me to?" the creature said in his deep and confident voice. He shifted a bit and Tenma softly groaned in pain at the movement. There were four punctured wounds visible in his neck, since the vampire bit him using both the upper and the lower teeth. The lack of blood from the wounds did nothing to reassure Kirino. He shifted his gaze back to the vampire and tried to sound as confident as possible when he answered.

"Kirino Ranmaru, prince of the merfolk in the Sea of Japan." He felt the need to add the rest of his title, yet the vampire didn't even blink at the mention of it. Kirino kept on staring in the blood-red eyes and added: "Who wants to know?"

The vampire closed to his eyes and smirked to himself, revealing his fangs once more. He used his free hand to wipe away a little of Tenma's blood from the corner of his mouth. When he answered, his words sounded indifferent. "Tsurugi Kyousuke, second born in the last generation of the Tsurugi clan, one of the most prominent vampire clans there is." He eyed Kirino from head to toe before he raised an eyebrow and smirked wider. "Double-quick evolution?"

"How did you-"

"I know a lot about your kind." The vampire cut him off with a dismissive gesture. "Back to the main point, I don't think you're in the position to disturb my meal, Your Highness." Even though Tsurugi ended his statement with an honorific, the threat and sarcasm were very clear.

"You can't just kill him!"

"Why not? I'm thirsty."

"He set you free!"

"That's his own mistake. He should have known better than to free a hungry vampire."

"How was he supposed to know that?"

"Not my problem."

Kirino was getting angry. Tsurugi was completely unreasonable and, according to the arrogant smirk on his face, he knew that all too well.

"How honorable of you!" Shindou suddenly shouted sarcastically. He was angry because he didn't know how bad Tenma's condition was and they were wasting time. Add up the arrogant, sadistic bastard in front of him and everything that Shindou endured today and it was enough to make him lose his temper. "You are no better than the Leader!"

Tsurugi's figure became a blur as he let go of Tenma and ran away. Before Shindou could wonder where the vampire was and before Tenma's feet could reach the ground, Shindou felt a cold arm around his neck. The grasp tightened quickly and it nearly suffocated him. His own fingers plucked at the arm, but nothing changed. "Listen carefully, boy," a voice hissed near his ear and he realized that it was Tsurugi. "Don't you dare to compare me to that low-down, infamous, dirty little crook, you hear me?" He shook Shindou's body vigorously during the last words and the boy hurried to reply.

"Y... es... Yes," he choked out.

"I thought so," Tsurugi said and he threw Shindou away with seemingly little force. Shindou fell to the ground and rolled over a couple of times before he halted. He sat upright and massaged his sore neck. His eyes never left the vampire. He was cautious for another attack, but he knew deep inside that he could do nothing against it.

"You know the Leader?" Hikaru dared to ask and he flinched slightly as the vampire's gaze shifted to him.

"He's the one who locked me up," Tsurugi explained indifferently. "He set up a trap for me. I fought his men several days, but they wounded me in the end and locked me up before I could do anything."

"Why did he lock you up then?" Shinsuke asked. "What does he want from you?"

"Is'nt it obvious? That bastard wanted my power, of course."

"Your... power?"

"Don't you know anything?" Tsurugi growled as he took a threatening step forward. His eyes glowed furiously and Kirino needed all his willpower to stay standing. Tsurugi heaved an exaggerated sigh and explained slowly and sarcastically, as if he was talking to a little child. "That bastard turned me into that stupid little figurine so I could charge up his pretty little necklace with my power, got it?"

"Is that even possible?" Kirino muttered to himself, but Tsurugi heard it.

"Of course it is. I'm betting he did the same to you." Kirino dug into his memory. Did that really happen? All I remember is that I had a lot of pain during that time, but...

Shindou was thinking deeply as well and, while still rubbing his throat, he spoke up. "And the Leader... He can just use your speed and strength with that necklace? How is that possible?"

"How should I know? I don't care at all about that," Tsurugi said.

But Shindou didn't even listen anymore. The words of his friend, who died in his arms three months ago, replayed in his head. "When I was a few miles away, I relaxed a bit, because I thought I had escaped. But suddenly, something grabbed my arm and everything got blurry. Just a few seconds later, I was in the Leader's tent. It was crazy, I don't know how I got there so fast." Could it... Could it be because the Leader had used Tsurugi's powers? He had to know.

"How... How long have you been in that thing?" he asked.

"Too long," the vampire growled. "At least a few months, but it's hard to measure the time. All I know is that I haven't properly drunk in a long time, which is why I am nearly dying with thirst at the moment. So you better give me a very, very good reason why I shouldn't just kill you here and now and drain you dry."

Those words caused the three juniors that were still standing to take a step back. Kirino was the only one who stood firmly and didn't advert his eyes. That was why he saw small victorious smile on the vampire's lips. He realized that Tsurugi enjoyed making them scared before feeding of them and decided that he wouldn't give in. Tsurugi has some unfinished business with the Leader as well, huh? Maybe we could use that.

He took a step forward and was pleased to see the little glint of surprise in the vampires eyes. The latter obviously didn't expect his prey to get closer. "Because we," Kirino said and he empathized every word, "are going to stop the Leader." All eyes were on him right now. This wasn't something they had consulted, he only thought of it just now. But he meant what he said. He wanted to get back at the Leader for all the pain that man had caused. He had tortured Kirino, he had killed Akane...

Tsurugi squinted his blood-red eyes, searching the former merman's face for a trace of a joke. But there was none. Kirino was as serious as he could be. "Well, I wish you good luck with that," Tsurugi said before he turned around and walked away.

"Wait, you can help us!" Kirino called out after him and Tsurugi stopped in his tracks. He didn't turn around though. "Your speed and power are amazing, they would be a great asset, you know," Kirino continued. Tsurugi let out a small snigger.

"A great asset, you say? Hah, without my speed and strength, you wouldn't stand a chance against that man."

Kirino bit his tongue to keep himself from a snappy reply. Although Tsurugi was arrogant to no end, he was right. They really did need his power to get back at the Leader. "So, are you in?" he asked.

"I don't think so."

"W-what?"

"Yes, I have a grudge against that man as well. And that's exactly why I don't want to waste my time with relying on pathetic little humans like you. If I feel like getting back at him, I'll gather a few worthy vampires to finish the job. But right now, I have more important matters to attend to. My next meal, for example."

"But we fre-" Shinsuke tried to speak up but Tsurugi interrupted him.

"Get your act together, you already used that one. Remember? It's why I am still thirsty at the moment!" With those words, Tsurugi turned to walk away. Kirino had the urge to call him back, but what could he say? They had already used their trump card. What else could that vampire want? The answer came from a surprising angle and the words caused Tsurugi to freeze with his foot in mid-air.

"You can drink from me."

All eyes turned to Tenma, who was tiredly leaning against the tree. His face was pale and his breathing slightly faster, but his metallic blue eyes were clear. His hands held onto the trunk and the ground and Kirino suspected that it was to keep himself from falling. Tenma seemed so close to collapsing... Only his strong will kept him awake and upright.

Then Tenma's words finally got through.

Shindou was just a split second faster than Kirino. "Tenma, are you insane?!"

Tenma completely ignored his captain and kept his eyes locked with Tsurugi's. "I-I'll let you drink from me again," he said slowly, "if you help us out." Before anyone could object to Tenma's proposal, Tsurugi let out a laugh. He didn't make any effort to muffle the sound as he took slow, confident steps towards the sitting brunette.

"Let me tell you how this works," he smiled while crouching down until he was at the same height as Tenma. The latter gulped loudly, but didn't look away from those captivating red eyes. The smile, the pale face, the eyes... Everything about the vampire emitted danger as he extended his hand and grabbed Tenma's chin to pull the boy closer to his face. He stood up and lifted Tenma up in the process until the brunette's feet were a few inches above the ground. "First of all, you don't let me drink from you. If I want to drink your blood, I'll drink it, whether I have your consent or not. Secondly," he stated and his smile changed into a scowl. "Your blood wasn't that good. Why would I go through all that trouble when there are other humans just a few miles away?"

With that, he released his grip on Tenma and the boy fell to the ground, his legs were still too weak to carry him. Tsurugi on the other hand bent through his knees and pushed himself off for a big leap. While still in the air, he performed a backflip and landed neatly on a thick branch. A thick branch that was forty feet high, in a tree that was twenty-five feet away from where he jumped. The humans could barely see him in the little light that the fire behind them provided.

He smirked and his white teeth and fangs flickered a bit. "Don't try to get killed too soon, though. I have to admit that you're interesting, so I might want another drink in the future..." His smirk widened even further, if that was possible. "...Tenma-kun."

Then he was gone. It was like he had just disappeared into thin air, but they knew he had run off with his amazing speed. They all hurried to Tenma, who still laid on his back and groaned.

"Tenma, what on earth got into you?!" Shindou asked sternly. "Offering him to drink from you, even when you're like this..."

"I'm sorry, Captain," Tenma replied weakly. His eyes were half closed and his face was deadly pale. "I just knew we needed his strength and it seemed like the only way... I'm sorry I couldn't convince him..."

"Don't worry about that," Shinsuke pouted. "You shouldn't put yourself in danger like that."

"I'm sorry... Did I make you worry?"

"Your wound needs to be treated quickly, before you lose even more blood," Kariya muttered when he saw a thin red stream in Tenma's neck. Hikaru nodded and together, they carried Tenma closer to the fire, where Hikaru started to bandage the other boy up. Tenma was already sleeping soundly before Hikaru was finished.

The others sat down at the fire for a consult. "So, are we really going to stop the Leader?" Hikaru asked and he quickly scanned his surroundings.

Kirino hesitated a little, but then he nodded. "We have to. That man is pure evil. I mean, look at what he did to Tsurugi, to me, to..." he cut himself off just in time, for he realized that Shindou sat right next to him. "Anyways, we have to do something about him!"

Everyone nodded in agreement, though they were all a bit reluctant. Kirino could clearly see why, the Leader wasn't someone to joke with. He sighed and bent closer to them. "Look, I decided this on my own without asking you to join me. I completely understand if you don't want to help me out."

It remained silent. No one immediately jumped up to say that they would do this together, much to Kirino's disappointment. However, no one stepped out either, so he supposed that was a good thing.

"But Kirino-san..." Shinsuke started. "Do you really believe that the Leader can take someone's power? And if he really has that inhumane speed and power, how are we ever going to stop him?"

"I don't know," Kirino admitted. "When he captured me, he used that necklace on me. It felt like a piece of my soul was torn... I don't think Tsurugi was lying about taking one's powers."

"I saw the necklace a few times," Shindou muttered. His eyes stood glassy, but that disappeared when he looked up. "It has five pendants. The last time I saw it, there were three colourless, one pink and one dark purple. Assuming that the Leader can really take one's power, I think the pink pendant holds your power and the purple pendant holds Tsurugi's." He unconsciously rubbed his painful neck again, but no one except Kirino seemed to notice it.

"That also means that there are probably three more people in danger!" Shinsuke exclaimed shocked.

"That's why I want to stop him before he hurts anyone else," Kirino said. "This may not be my home and these people might not be my subjects, but I still feel responsible for them."

They stared at him for a while, until he got uncomfortable. "What?"

"Was it true what you said? About you being the mermaid prince?" Kariya asked.

"Merfolk prince, thank you very much," Kirino said. "And yes, that's true. Didn't I tell you that?"

"It's the first time I heard it," Shinsuke muttered.

"Oh, well... Sorry then, I must've forgotten it," Kirino said awkwardly. He cleared his throat at the stares he got. "A-anyways, let's sleep. I'm dead tired from everything that happened today." Everyone nodded and stood up.

"I'll take the first watch," Shindou muttered as he stood up. Kirino prevented him by grabbed his hand and pulling him back down.

"Can you please show me your neck?" he asked.

"Kirino..."

"Show it to me."

Shindou sighed and obeyed. He pulled his collar down and Kirino gasped at the sight of the purple bruise. "It's nothing, really," Shindou muttered without looking him in the eye.

"You should rest a little, you're pushing yourself way too far. I'll take the first watch, so you can go to sleep."

"No, I can see you're tired as well. It's my fault for forcing that crazy march on you today. As you said before, as a captain, I should look after you so-"

Kirino cut him off by grabbing his shoulder. He flashed the brunette a reassuring smile. "Don't forget to look after yourself as well, Captain. It was the hardest for you today, so you shouldn't push yourself. We understand it and we're right behind you."

Shindou looked at the ground and his shoulders started to shake after a few seconds. Kirino only realized that the other was crying when he felt a tear on his leg. He placed his arms around Shindou and rubbed his back. "It's just that every time I look at you guys... It's like you're opposite me," the latter quietly sobbed. For the second time this evening, he cried all his feelings out. Kirino just smiled and tightened the embrace slightly. Both he and Shindou were too tired to realize how close they were and to be ashamed of it.

"We're not opposite you, Shindou. We are all behind you. You're just looking in the wrong direction."

They stayed that way for a little while and at some point, Kirino noticed that Shindou had fallen asleep. Carefully, because he didn't want to wake the other boy up, Kirino tried to get out of Shindou's embrace. The latter wouldn't let him, though, not even when Kirino tried to pull the arms away. There was no other way to put it: he was stuck. After a few more attempts, he heard someone snigger behind him.

When he turned around, careful not to wake Shindou up, he found Shinsuke, Kariya and Hikaru behind him. They all had smug smiles on their faces as they watched the scene. Kirino's cheeks heated up for no particular reason. "Don't just stand there, please help me out of here. I have to take the first watch, remember?"

"Don't bother, Kirino-san," Shinsuke smiled. "I'll take the first watch, Kariya takes the second and Hikaru the third."

"So you can spend all night snuggling with our captain," Hikaru teased.

The blush on Kirino's cheeks darkened tenfold and he was really glad that it was night, for no one would see it. "Th-that's not i-it," he stuttered. Shinsuke giggled in response and Kirino tried once again to get out of Shindou's grasp.

"Easy, you don't want to wake him up now do you?" Kariya smirked. His words successfully stopped Kirino's attempt. He glanced down at his lap and smiled slightly at the sight of Shindou's sleeping face. For the first time today, the brunette seemed really at peace.

"No," he whispered. "I don't want to wake him up."

"Then, good night to the both of you, Your Highness~" Kariya teased and he chuckled when Kirino hastily turned around to send him a glare.

"Get out," the former merman said angrily. The three boys only sniggered to this though and casually walked away. Those guys, Kirino thought as he turned his blushing face back to Shindou. Before he realized what he did, he stroke the other's soft hair. He shifted gently to find a more comfortable position and soon drifted off to sleep.

Me: Aww, you're so sweet Kirino :3

Kirino: *blush*

Me: Oh yeah, as for the part with Tsurugi: just imagine him to talk like he did in the first episode of GO, okay? Actually, I added that last 'Tenma-kun' because it was like that in the anime when he challenged Tenma to save the soccer club and IT WAS SOOO SEXY! O.O Ahehe, sorry for that. Anyways, just imagine him to say it in his own, sexy way, okay?

Tenma: Please leave a review!