Chapter: 8

It was late at night, when Atemu, Yugi, Miu, Jounochi, Honda, and Anzu walked together. Miu and Anzu were chatting about the best stores in town. Yugi and Jonouchi talked about girls, Duel Monsters, and Sahara the Regional Champion of England who disappeared mysteriously about three or four years ago. Atemu, however, was silent, only thinking about the young Nephilim Tara La Moure.

Miu stopped abruptly and he nose twitched. "Guys. Stop." She snapped sharply.

Yugi-tachi stopped and turned to her. "What is wrong?" Asked Atemu.

"Ghouls." Miu hissed. Her amethyst eyes turned green and her pupils became slits like a cat's. "But…something is off with these ghouls."

Before Yugi, Jounochi, Honda, or Anzu could ask what ghouls were, a hoard of them attacked and the four teens got their answer.

"Get out of here!" Miu ordered. "I can handle these freaks."

Yugi-tachi hurried away and Miu morphed into her werecat form. Atemu suddenly tripped and fell.

Miu jumped between the charging ghouls and her older brother. She roared and watched the slaves of a vampire back off. She snarled and growled.

Atemu scrambled to sit up and felt an arm wrap around his neck. "Imoto-san!" He shouted.

Miu turned and saw the vampire controlling the ghouls holding her brother hostage. The hairs on her back rose as she got into an aggressive cat pose.

"You even think about it, kitty." The vampire spat with a thick German accent. "Und your precious brother dies."

Miu stopped growling and her hairs smoothed out. She relaxed her body and morphed into her human form. Her eyes were still green, but she had a concerned look for her only brother.

The vampire sneered. "Good kitty." He scoffed. He yanked Atemu to his feet. "You don't vant him to die."

Miu snarled. "Who are you?" She demanded.

"My name ist Acker." He replied. "Und I am searching for a gal named Tera."

Atemu felt his blood run cold as the color left his face. No. He thought. Not Tara.

Acker clicked his fingers and ordered, "Kill her!"

Miu quickly morphed into her werecat form as the ghouls all jumped her. She roared as she clawed, pawed, and ripped them, but was soon overwhelmed with ghouls. She let out an agonizing roar that tore Atemu's ears.

Acker laughed as Atemu shouted, "Imoto-san!"

Anzu, Yugi, Honda, and Jounochi stopped. "Where's Atemu?" Asked Anzu.

"We have to go back." Yugi said.

Jounochi nodded. "C'mon!" He shouted. He and the other two teens ran back to where they left Miu behind. That chick better not have croaked. He thought. Atemu has barely spent time with her and now there's a big possibility that she's gonna die. We can't let that happen. Not to Atemu. Not to Miu.

Yugi couldn't think about anything but Atemu and his twin sister. He knew something was wrong but did not know what.

Tara sensed a vampire. She knew something was off about the vampire and she did not like it. She hurried down the alley with her angelic speed and her eyes turned neon blue.

Something told her the abnormal vampire had ghouls and had Atemu and the multi-colored unicorn panther—completely abnormal to her for a monster with a horn on its forehead. There were questions she had that needed to be answered.

Atemu started struggling to get free so he could help his only sister. "Imoto-san!" He shouted. "Imoto-san!"

Miu fell into a blinded rage and tore herself free of all the ghouls and tore each one apart like a bloodthirsty animal. She roared and ripped a ghoul in half. She finished them all within moments and started towards Acker.

The vampire snarled. "There are more where those came from." He snapped. He quickly clicked his fingers.

More ghouls suddenly attacked.

"You know," Tara's voice scoffed from behind. "The bigger the numbers, the easier it is to knock them all down."

Atemu suddenly felt surprise and relief.

Acker released the Pharaoh, spun around, and attacked the Nephilim teen.

Tara dodged, unsheathed her katana, and attacked the German vampire.

Acker pulled out a gun, but did not have time to fire on her when he had to dodge the blade that almost severed his head from his shoulders.

Yugi, Anzu, and Jounochi made it and saw the horror, blood, and violence. Yugi slipped in, grabbed Atemu's arm, and dragged him away.

Surprisingly, Atemu fought with the smaller teen. He was separated from his sister for three thousand years and he didn't want to be separated from her again.

Miu finally finished off the last of the ghouls. She was exhausted and had little strength left to continue the brawl. She had bite, claw, and stab wounds all over. She slowly morphed back to her human form. She was panting with crimson liquid more visible on her bronze colored skin and her wounds appeared to be already healing.

Atemu freed himself, lunged for his sister, and wrapped his arms around her neck.

Miu was surprised by her brother's action, but did not see Tara or Acker. They must be fighting somewhere else. She thought.

Acker and Tara were far away from Yugi-tachi as they continued to fight. They dodged and parried each other's attacks. "Just give up, Nephilim." Acker spat. "I'm better zhan you."

Tara laughed. "Is that so?" She mocked. "Then prove it to me."

Acker fired several rounds from his gun at her.

Tara dodged all the bullets with her inhuman speed. She sliced the hand holding the gun off with her katana. "Tell me." He ordered. "Whom do you work for?"

"I'm not telling you." Acker retorted. He lunged for the young brunet teen girl.

Miu was in her werecat form as she led Yugi-tachi to Tara. She was following the scent of cherry blossoms that originated from the young and powerful Nephilim.

Anzu saw how Atemu looked from the corner of her eye. She was worried that the Pharaoh was falling for Miss La Moure and did not like the idea.

Atemu was worried about Tara. He had felt her physical pain his dreams like they were his own. He did not fully understand her, but he was willing to try.

If there was anyone who could truly understand her feelings was the Thief Bakura. However, since the Thief King was not around, the Pharaoh would have to be the next best thing.

Tara severed Acker's head from his shoulders. "That was such a waste of time." She hissed. She smelled Atemu's cologne and was about to run when Yugi-tachi showed up.

Miu morphed into her human form and looked around. "Where is Acker?" She asked.

"Where do you think?" The Nephilim retorted. She turned on her heel. "I killed him." She left the group.

"How can anyone stand her?" Asked Anzu bitterly.

"She certainly has an attitude." Honda agreed.

Atemu looked down at the ground. Tara. He thought.