Chapter 18
"H-Harume-san...w-why are you...?" Lawrence wondered, whispering to her then looked at Rui.
"May I know why the two of you are here despite what we said?" he began, still smiling his sarcastic smile. Now Lawrence knew why the raven hid. " Saa?" shivers ran down her spine as he summoned a flame to his hand, making it look like a torch.
"Impressive regeneration." the redhead clapped his hands with a blank face.
"Eh? Really?" Rui smiled wider. "Thanks. But that didn't answer the question...hm, Rinko?"
"E-err…You know…aniki…" Rinko muttered. "I was really worried about Sayako-san so I…I really wanted to come too! It's not my fault!"
"You two…tsk..." she took three steps backward, dragging Lawrence with her since he's the shield. "I guess it can't be helped." He sighed.
"Eh? You mean you're letting us go with you?" she asked in surprise.
"Yeah." He said. "I'll call Fuyumi and Akira. If anything happens, you'll leave us and go with them."
"Alright. Issues are fixed." the redhead said then glared at him. "We'll go with you but you're not allowed to touch Harume-san."
"Lawrence!"
"It can't be helped." said the redhead. "That's the reason why I agreed to go back."
"Fine. Then Let us go." Rui said and led them to the room where the secret passage was located.
The whole chamber was silent and only their heaving breathing was being heard. Both of them are soaked in their own sweat, obviously tired. But despite that, the girl quickly recovered and dashed at him. And once again, they engaged in a battle - punching, kicking, blocking, and counterattacking. The boy leapt away, distancing himself from the girl who was about to throw his balance off. He smirked and wiped the blood that trickled down his chin. The girl smirked back, seeing her opponent weakening bit by bit gave her a litttle confidence in her skills. But the guy resumed attacking her a second later, uncaring if she was still tired as she pants.
"I never thought you'll be a tough enemy, Khana," said the blond.
"Shut up, Zen." she said. "I know you're far from getting serious."
"Hmmph," he snorted. "So, you've noticed."
"Of course." - kick -
"Sorry." - block - "I know I'm being rude."
Khana gave him a series of punches and kicks which he gracefully blocked and later countered. However, they parted again, both panting heavily. "You were seriously hard to catch when you came here. But I wonder...why didn't you resist when I led you here?" he asked between pants.
"I don't have the reason to." she replied in the same tired way he spoke. "You're my goal here...this is the easiest way to get to you..." she coughed and spit some blood on the floor.
"Oi! Don't get the floor even dirtier!" Zen said.
"And you've got a nerve to be bothered by the cleanliness of you're surroundings?" she said and chuckled.
"Of course." he smirked. "Because after I've beat you up...Vince will order me to clean." and they both glanced around the room which was thoroughly destroyed and beyond repair. Some dust particles are even falling from the ceiling as it crumbles bit by bit. "It's hopeless...just a little bit more and this place will be destroyed..."
"That's why...I should finish you up already..." Khana muttered and again, they resumed their fight. "Zen...I just want to ask you something..."
"What is it?" - punch -
"Why did you betray Sayako-sama?" she whispered as she dodged his attack and countered with an axe kick. He caught her foot but she stood upside-down with her hands as her feet and kicked him in the chest with his free one. At that, Zen lost his grip on her and was pushed away from her because of her attack's force. He spurted blood when he hit the wall, causing it even more damage. "Why?"
"'Why' you ask?" he chuckled as he dropped on the floor. "You'll all know...soon enough..."
"I really can't imagine...among all of us...you're the one who'll betray her..."
He stood up and glared at her. "Stop it!" he exclaimed. "I didn't fucking betray her!"
"Then why are you doing this!" she shouted back, her eyes becoming red.
"You..." he muttered and narrowed his eyes as they became the same color as hers. "You don't have to know..."
"What!"
"Because you're about to die...anyway..." at that, Khana growled. But before she could even attack him, numbness stole her senses and she collapsed on the floor.
"Why don't you just asked the angels what we're planning once you arrived in heaven? Or maybe the demons if you fit in hell more?"
"B-bastard!" she insulted. "You poisoned me!"
"It's only natural." he said. "It's my ability after all."
"What the hell are you planning!" she growled. Only her sense of sight and hearing weren't taken away. So at least, she can still glare at him and hear his will-be answer.
"Shut up. As if I'll tell you." he said and he began to leave.
"Wait!" Khana exclaimed. Zen sighed and took a last look at her.
"What?"
"It's not like..." she smirked. "I want to die alone."
"Wha-!" he wasn't able to finish when the whole room slowly turned to stone - Khana's ability. Later, a loud crashing sound was heard in the whole underground building.
"Agnes," Sayako whispered. "Maybe we should separate and explore individually."
"No." the German refused. "I'll let us do that earlier but since we're here already, I can't just leave you like that."
"You're acting like an overprotective grandfather." she chuckled.
"Overprotective?" Agnes arched a brow. "You think I'm protecting you?"
"Why? Are you not?" she questioned back.
"Well...I am." the German replied. "You're his child after all."
"His? You mean otoo-sama?" she asked.
"Yeah. You see, he's an important person to me." she paused. Then continued, "Did you know that I really hated Yukio before?"
"Eh? Okaa-sama? No." she shook her head.
"Your father is the worst womanizer I've met." she started to narrate. "And I'm just one of his women."
"He didn't tell me that." Sayako said blankly as she inwardly sighed. Otoo-sama...
"But he treats your mother differently." she resumed. "I was really jealous that time that I always tried to ruin their relationship." she humorlessly laughed. "But when she died, I felt so bad and I didn't know why." she frowned, creases that were invisible appeared on her smooth face. "She never showed much care to Cross. And she always smile at me while sipping her tea whenever I tell her that I'll get Cross back. I never realized that she has touched me already. Then, Cross' death came. That time, I really broke down." she halted pacing then looked at Sayako. The vampire lord also stopped and returned her gaze. "He completely took my hope just like that."
"By the way," Sayako said. "Otoo-sama did not die. He was killed."
Agnes laughed. "Yeah." she said. "Did you know that I also hated you?"
"Kinda." she replied. "I've read your mind before."
"So...did you ever wonder why I didn't even try to kill you?" she asked. Sayako shook her head again. "I vowed to your father that I'll live my life protecting you on his behalf." the younger girl's eyes slightly widened. "I hated you because you are Yukio's child. And that you look very much like her. But you are also Cross'. You're the last thing he has left in the living world. You're one of the people that I'm sure he'll live and die for."
"Why are you saying this now?" Sayako asked and continued pacing.
"...Nothing." Sayako stopped again and looked back, then tried to read her mind. I...I intend to kill Vince. I don't care if it means I'll die along with him. Because I really don't understand him...he has this unrequited love of his to Yukio...and yet..."Enough of this. Let us hurry." Sayako didn't ask another question. Her only goal is to save Maria. So if Agnes wants to settle things with his uncle, she knows she shouldn't get herself involved. Adults have their own way of talking things over. Even if it's in a fight.
The three of them strode with only their echoing footsteps to break the silence. The light from the bulbs hanging at the low ceiling flickered like flame. The atmosphere around them was quite tense, considering how Rui and Lawrence deal with each other but they kept unperturbed, nearly ticking the curiosity of the girl. Why are they so silent? Is it this how professionals separate personal issues from work? Or they're just uncomfortable to talk at all? Rinko wanted to keep her thoughts quiet but her mind went back to Sayako and she couldn't help herself from asking. "W-where are we going, aniki?" she clamped her hand over her mouth as soon as she realized she spoke it aloud.
"Looking for Akishi-dono."
"E-eh!" she halted. "Then...if that's so...shouldn't it be better if we'll separate? It'll be faster that way!"
"And get you into trouble?" Rui was just about to say the same thing. "No way. We better spend the whole day lost in this place than that."
"But she's our priority! We must -"
"Rinko..." Rui halted. He turned back, facing her, and placed his large hand on her head. She looked up at him, slightly flushed, as he ruffled her dark locks. "Of course Akishi-dono is our top priority but you're the one we're currently with. Your safety is also important."
"Yeah. Besides, that girl is the vampire lord. With that much power, she can't be killed easily." and the other two glared at the damphyr who decided to resume walking, irked with their delay.
"Hey, be careful," Rui warned as he and the other raven let the redhead lead the way. "This is also the location for the elder council's meetings so there are some places here that have hidden traps for security purposes."
"I doubt there would be." Lawrence answered. "We entered through the main door, didn't we?"
Rui chuckled. He was simply trying to ridicule him but the dampyr effectively brushed it off.
"Elder council?" she asked after a few seconds.
"A group of millennium-aged 'adults' who were tasked to protect the vampire society." he explained. "They create laws to be approved by the 'lord' - who is, despite not being a member of the circle - is the highest authority. They are also the ones who insisted to draw humans toward extinction." Rinko shuddered as Rui observantly eyed her before continuing. "But the presiding lords all declined. They all said: 'Food should be kept. If some will be a threat, then I shall just turn them to vampires themselves'." he paused. She's sensitive to this. But the raven urged him to continue. "It was only Cross-tono, Akishi-dono's father, who disapproved with a different reason. He wanted the two races to live together in the world. He was a pacifist after all."
"And...Sayako-san?" she asked, hesitantly.
"The reason why his very own uncle is against her is because she also declined." Rui frowned. He knows that everything that will come next won't sound pleasing to her. But...in order to know if her decision were right, she needs to know. She has the right to. "And her reason was the most different of all. These were her exact words: 'don't kill humans when you feed'. And 'don't hesitate to kill those who will harm you. I won't waste my time turning unworthy slayers'."
"Unworthy...eh?" she bit her lip.
"To be turned to a vampire is like to become a slave." He furrowed. "Because usually, when a human became a vampire, he also became his creator's servant. He'll be blindly devoted to him."
"Then you -!"
"I'm different." he said, his eyes squinting when he smiled at her. "I can still piss her off, can't I? So that means, I am a 'servant'. But not yet a 'doll'. Same goes for her mother."
"Mother?" Lawrence repeated, suddenly getting interested after his silence.
"Yeah." Rui affirmed. "Cross-tono turned her."
"So...she and her father are very skilled in turning humans, huh?" the redhead said with obvious sarcasm. "Is it their hobby?"
"No." the ex-human smiled in perfect innocence, totally unaffected by the other guy's intended insult. "That's impossible since Yukio-dono is the only one turned by Cross-tono. And I too am the only one worthy in Akishi-dono's eyes."
"How arrogant of you." Lawrence said, planning to close the conversation.
"Same to you, damphy-kun." Rui talked back.
"Would you shut it?" Rinko snapped. The veins on the both sides of her temples very visibly throbbing. "It's not very amusing." The guys were immediately forced to stop. She sighed. "There. Better."
"Agnes, let's separate here." Sayako said, halting at the crossroad they came upon.
"Won't you talk to him?"
"I have to find Maria first." the lord chuckled. "Besides, in the two of us, you're the one who's itching to do that, no?"
The German smiled. "You just don't want to fight him. Too soft, Yako." Agnes smirked.
Sayako glared at her. "Then, I'm going." the lord turned her back on the other. "I'll follow after making sure she gets out of here safely."
"Hn. Be fast or you won't catch anything worth watching." and the last thing she heard from the younger was her laugh.
Sayako shook her head. It's not the time to be worrying about Agnes. She must look for Maria. And Khana too, since she went before them. Biting her lip, she resumed walking. Checking every rooms, and not finding any movement in each time. She sighed. It would be hard to do it like this.
"She can't be far, right?" she whispered to herself then closed her eyes. There was no single noise at that moment when she listened to every thought of every mind around her.
Where are the intruders! Hurry! We must drive them away at all costs!
"No. That's the servants above." irritated, she contracted her power's radius.
Why? Why didn't he kill me? Sayako's eyes snapped open at the familiar voice of the thought. "Khana?" closing her eyes for the second time, she concentrated on the girl's thoughts. Why did he bring me here? With Maria? What is he planning? What are they planning? Sayako reopened her eyes and bolted forward in her inhuman speed. "Khana! Where are you!"
"Sayako-sama!" came a reply and from that, she knew where she is. She turned left. Then right at the next corner and saw a staggering Khana who carries Maria in her arms.
The lord's eyes widened at what greeted her eyes. "Khana..." she took a step forward and instinctively hugged the other girl. "I'm glad you're safe."
"I woke up to a room with her by my side," said the other, gesturing to the damphyr. "I was in a battle with Zen. I was defeated...I have no idea why he didn't kill me."
"That doesn't matter now," she said. "I'll settle it with them."
"I'm serious this time, damphyr," Rui said with an irritated tone. It was new to Rinko since he never got irritated before. "I'll lead the way. Who knows where the traps are?"
"The elders won't set things that would turn back on them, would they?" he assumed.
"They wouldn't by the entrance but they'd definitely would set them here inside to protect important chambers," Rui explained, holding his head heavy in his palm. "What if something shoots out then-" - iron bars fell from the ceiling, locking him and Lawrence in.
"Aniki! Lawrence!" Rinko spun around in surprise and tried to find something to open help them out but the bricks on the both walls moved to reveal guns.
"Shit!" Lawrence ducked down while Rui used his flame to melt the bullets down when they fired.
The gunfire halted. "It's fine," Rui smiled at Rinko. "We're fine."
"That scared me," the girl said, returning his smile, though with a frown.
"I'll open the bars bars apart so - ack!" he groaned and fell on his knees.
"Hey, are you dying?" Lawrence came over to him for help but he shooed him away.
"I was just shot," he said. "This is nothing." he plucked the bullet out from his thigh.
"Harume-san, you go ahead first," the redhead said.
"But-!"
"Rinko...listen..." Rui grumbled. "As much as I don't want you to go by yourself, but you're beginning to smell appetizing to me...so please...We'll follow...I just have to calm down first." he looked at Lawrence who was staring at him intently. He knows he won't hesitate to kill him if he'll attack the girl. "Right?" the slayer nodded.
"Here, Harume-san," Lawrence stood and gave her his spare pistol.
"I have mine," the girl said, motioning to her thighs, both with a holster holding a gun.
"In case you ran out of ammo," the redhead insisted.
The raven chuckled. "Thanks." and she went ahead after a glance at Rui.
I wonder if Sayako-san is close by, Rinko thought as she walked along the dimly-lit hall. She already took quite a few turns and still can't find the woman. She really wants to see her now. Recently, she's been associating her with someone in her past since her first days in the university. She can't simply conclude things on her own so she really want to ask Sayako right away. But things between them went bad on her second day so she just couldn't muster the courage to talk to her. Or at least the logic. She deemed it impossible for the woman to have met her before when she was still young but now that she knows she isn't a human, there's a huge possibility. Possibility that she could trust vampires because she wasn't attacked back then. And that possibility was the only thing that made her throw away her title as a slayer and even try to defend Sayako. But before anything could happen, that 'bad' became 'worse'. And now, she doesn't have the time to turn it to, at least, 'fairly good'.
"Sayako-san..." she muttered then sighed a long sigh.
"What are you thinking now?" Lawrence muttered, eyes and gun fixed on the vampire across him.
"I'm thinking of calming down so give me the favor to keep quiet." he answered, his breathing going back to normal. He started panting when they were convincing Rinko to go. Her blood always had a different scent from all the others' but he never thought he'd think of biting her like he just did. His diet was certainly not well in the centuries he and Sayako were apart. The vampire lord let him bite her but only one time. His thirst for her is greater than anyone else'. Probably because of his emotions for her that he hid for a long time.
"Yako-neechan, you haven't eaten anything in three days," he remembered their past. It was after her mother, Yukio, died under the sun in the feit to protect her from a slayer. Cross became strict with everything after that, as if scared to lose anything more especially his daughter.
"Leave. I don't want to eat," came the answer from the room behind the door he just knocked upon.
Impatiently, Rui kicked the door and forcefully went inside. The room was lit only by a pair of crimson orbs that belong to the lady sitting straight on the bed. "I told you to leave...or...are you offering yourself instead?"
"I'm not," the man answered. "And that thirsty act won't scare me away either," he neared her and left a tray of food on the bedside table. "I won't leave until you finish this up."
"You'll just waste your time," Sayako said, unblinking. Only staring at him with bloodshot eyes.
"My eyes aren't as good as yours so all I can see are your silhouette and your eyes but," he paused, sat down, and blindly crept a hand to her until he reached her knee and rested it there. "I know you're crying."
He heard a sniff and after that, felt her place a hand over his.
"You can cry on my shoulder, Yako-neechan," he moved and sat beside her then held her face in his hands. He's right. She's crying. But she brushed him off.
"Stop calling me that," she said as she wiped her tears. "You're not a boy anymore."
"Then what should I call you?" he asked with a soft chuckle.
"Anything is fine," she replied, sniffling. "Just don't make me sound like an old hag."
"Then...'Akishi-dono'?" he tried and she squeezed his hand.
"You'd sound like a servant," she laughed. Rui secretly smiled at that.
"It's alright," he said. "I do plan to serve you until I grow old...until I draw my last breath away."
"Idiot," she grumbled, pinching his hand.
"Waiting for your kill?" he asked, standing up.
"Not really," Lawrence said, keeping his gun.
"You know...even if I did get wild," Rui said, running his hand through his hair. "I won't let you kill me...there's only one person who I'll surrender to."
"I know," Lawrence said and went to the bars. He gripped two of them and moved them apart. "Here. Favor for melting the bullets down."
"Thanks," he smiled and slipped out with the damphyr.
"This will lead outside of the mansion," Sayako said, refering to the metal ladder leading up to the ceiling where a sqare metal covering is. "You can wretch that off if you can't remove the lock."
"Yes, Sayako-sama," Khana said. Maria hasn't woken up yet. They were getting worried so even though Khana wanted to stay by Sayako, she can't because she had to bring the girl to Yuuji, the vampire lord's personal doctor. "Be careful."
"I always am," she replied and turned around then started looking for Vince.
"He should be here, in the meeting chamber," she talked to herself. The said room is the biggest room in the underground place. Vince would have the advantage if he'd fight her in there. That is, if he is really thinking of fighting her. She took a deep breath and opened the double doors towards the chamber and entered. Every light was lit but the chairs of the round table in the middle were empty. She scowled and turned back, thinking he wasn't there. Until she heard someone snicker.
"Backing off already?" she spun around and saw Vince come out of the shadows. "I thought you'd put up a fight first...or you chickened out?"
"Chickened out?" Sayako looked at him with a mocking smile. "You must be kidding." she unsheathed her sword, throwing off the scabbard and charged at him. Unfortunately, he dodged and stepped away.
"Still have your boiling point low, eh?" he smirked.
"Why did you kidnap Maria?" Sayako asked in a low voice, putting her sword down as she looks down as well, her hair casting shadows over her eyes. "Are you really thinking of killing me?"
"Thinking? Are you kidding me? I was always itching kill you!" he exclaimed, making her impulsively look up. But she looked down again, as if avoiding his heated gaze and the anger in it.
"Because I couldn't kill humans and avenge my parents' death?" she muttered. "I'm incompetent, I know. But I couldn't do it because...okaa-sama was a human before. I thought that there were other humans like her who only want to live in peace and meant no harm to us or-"
"I don't care about your incomptence. And about their death...they deserved that..." Sayako's eyes widened at his words. "I want to kill you because you're the fruit of their traitorous love. I want to kill you the same way I killed them but I couldn't find the chance to control that girl so I'll do it myself. Besides, I think it's more satisfying that way - hearing your cries while-"
"Did you just say...you killed them?" she looked up, meeting him eye-to-eye, though there were no emotions in them...like she have lost her soul. "Didn't you love okaa-sama? You also respect otoo-sama so much. And they were killed by slayers...how would you have anything to do with their murder? You weren't even at home that time!"
"Slayers got in because of me. I wasn't there because I was controling them like puppets," he laughed. "Your father's dying face while looking at the slayer girl she came to like was funny...I almost burst out laughing from the roof!"
"But I read your mind before and it didn't say anything like that!" she shouted, silent tears trailing down her cheeks. "Stop lying and just get str-"
"Yako, don't listen to him!" Sayako immediately turned to the source of the from a corner behind Vince. Agnes ran towards her, looking like there's something urgent she wants to say but Zen caught her and injected her something, causing her to faint, unconsciencous.
"Take your hands off her, bastard!" Sayako demanded but Zen ignored her and dragged the German in the room they both came from. She advanced to take Agnes by force but Vince hit her and throw her at a wall.
"V-Vince...stop this...sick joke...now," she hissed as she stands back up, wiping her blood off her chin. "I don't want to hurt you..."
"But I want to crush you like hell," he strode towards her and grabbed her by her neck then held her up, off the floor. "The feeling of crushing every inch of you would definitely pay off for the centuries I hold myself back...I'll start here..." he tightened his grip making her gasp and choke more. Sayako was struggling and trying to break free when footsteps were heard louder and louder until it came to a halt and turned to a gasp and-
"Sayako-san!" Rinko took the pistols at her thighs and fired at Vince until she emptied their chambers causing him to drop the vampire lord like a doll. She wanted to fire more to calm the rage she felt at seeing the woman being stanggled but her concern flooded her very veins and she went to Sayako's side. "A-are you alright? He didn't do anything more than that did he? Come, I'll help you stand up-"
"I don't need your help!" Sayako shouted, glaring at her with red eyes.
"Sorry...I know I shouldn't be here but-"
"If anything bad happen to you I'll-" at that instant, she was cut off as a bloody reached out behind the raven she dragged her by her hair, making her shriek in horror and surprise. "Rinko!" Sayako stood up to get her back but before she could, Rinko took Lawrence's spare gun and shoot Vince, who fell on the floor and reduced to ashes. The raven were to fall too if Sayako hadn't caught her. "Stupid! You didn't shoot him in the head!"
"I didn't...want to kill any more vampire," she said faintly. "So you'd accept me...besides, I ain't a slayer anymore..."
"Still..." the brunette whispered, clasping the girl closer to her. "There are times you should...for your own safety..."
"He bit me quite deep..."Rinko chuckled, touching the bite wounds lightly. "Is my blood really that tasty?"
"Shut up. Don't talk anymore. I'll get you out of here," she said and stood up, carrying her. She thought of Agnes but the wounds wouldn't stop bleeding so headed towards the door to leave but she saw Rui meters away from her right.
"What happened...?" Rui asked, wide eyed and petrified.
"Vince bit her..." she answered so quiet that Rui barely heard her. "Why do I always bring pain to others?" she whispered and looked at him.
"Don't say that...you can still save her..." he said and ran to her and took the girl, who just fainted, in his arms.
[Checkmate]