Chapter 6 of Masked Rider Fang. Read and Review and ENJOY!

Tamashii had gathered the Slayers around. They were in the basement of Café Mal d'Amour. Though up front it appeared to be an average café, in truth it was a hi-tech HQ, lined wall to wall with anti-vampire weaponry, from UV flashlights to crucifixes to silver stakes. In the corner of the room was some kind of machine covered in a black cloth. They sat in a semi-circle, Tamashii standing in front of a dry-erase board. On the board was the photo of Fang, as well as a picture of his new motorcycle, which Seras had gotten a picture of when no one was looking.

"We have a name now," said Tamashii. "According to Seras, he calls himself Fang. He's powerful, and so far the only other person we've encountered that's been able to fight a Fangire on equal footing, even defeating it."

"So he got the SOB that hit me and my bike?" asked Bob.

"Yes," answered Tamashii.

"I think we should ask him to join," suggested Seras.

"No," answered Tamashii, his voice completely stern yet empty at the same time. "He's a vampire. We don't let their kind join us, we kill their kind."

"But he saved my life!" shouted Seras. "He saved me from the Fangire! I'd be dead right now if not for him!"

"He didn't save your life," replied Tamashii coldly. "He only killed a Fangire who at the same time was trying to kill you. Saving your life was simply a coincidence."

Seras then stormed off, tears running from her eyes. Chiaki glared at Tamashii. "That was cold Tama-chan, even for you!" she scolded before running after Seras.

"Chiaki's gotta point, dawg. I know being cold and unfeeling is your thing, but that was taking it too far," said Bob. "Guess this meeting's over." He then got up and left.

It was only Bunshichi and Tamashii in the basement now. "Wow, that went over well," said Bunshichi sarcastically as he lit a cigarette.

"Urusai, baka. You know where I'm coming from with this," said Tamashii. "He's a vampire and that's proof enough for me that he's evil."

"Yeah, but that's all ancient history. I mean, what happened with your family…" Bunshichi trailed off as he saw the tip of a blade pointed at his throat.

"What happened to my family is what keeps me fighting this war. Never think otherwise," said Tamashii. He then sheathed his blade and pulled the lit cigarette out of Bunshichi's mouth and crushed it, burning his hand. Though, Tamashii showed no signs of pain. He then walked away.

Bunshichi sighed. He knew Tamashii was right about vampires being evil. He'd seen them as nothing else but blood-sucking monsters. However, saying that all vampires were bad was a bit much. Tamashii concluded all vampires were evil, simply by their race. It was prejudiced thinking. Bunshichi then got up and stared at the photo of Fang. "Doesn't look like any vampire I've ever see," he muttered.

Later that night, the Blood Fang rolled through the entrance of the mansion's estate. Various construction vehicles were set all around the perimeter of the mansion and several construction workers were hard at work. The foreman approached the rider.

"Sorry, but nobody else is allowed here until we're done," the foreman said. The rider then removed his helmet.

"I'm Kyoichiro Devlin Amakusa," the rider said with an eye narrowed. "This mansion was purchased under my name, if I do remember correctly. So, you were hired by me."

The foreman shivered at the cold gaze and backed away in slight fear of the young man. "Sure, kid. You can go in." Devlin placed his helmet on the bike and walked towards the double doors of the mansion. He pushed one of the doors open and walked inside.

Once inside, Devlin removed his hat and Fangula flew off Devin's head. Devlin admired the mansion. Though the exterior still needed work, the interior of the place looked clean and nearly brand new. It still kept its Gothic appeal though. The creaky floors were fixed and much of the dust and cobwebs were gone as he wiped a nearby table with his gloves finger.

"You like it, don't you?" Fangula asked but received no reply. "You can't still be angry about me taking your plans?"

"There's that, and the fact that you were the one who bought this mansion without my knowledge," Devlin retorted. "This just proves I can't trust you."

Fangula sighed and said, "You really don't know how to appreciate a good surprise, do you?"

"I do appreciate them, but I don't particularly like secrets kept from me." Devlin crossed his arms.

"At least Danielle likes your new bike," Fangula grinned. Devlin blushed. Danielle had gushed and was awed at the Blood Fang. He was thinking of taking her out on rides on it. Luckily, it had a disguise feature allowing it to assume the form of a normal bike when he wasn't in his Fang armor.

Devlin's attention was taken towards the stair when he saw someone coming down from the upper left wing and down. The man, if he was truly a man, was dressed in such a way that it reminded Devlin of the 'Mad Hatter' from 'Alice in Wonderland'. His mother used to read the story to him when he'd been younger. The man then stopped at the foot of the stairs and bowed, removing his hat at the same time.

"Ah, My Lord and the New Lord," the man said before putting back his hat and standing straight up. "Welcome to your new home."

"And you are…?" Devlin inquired.

"My name is Topper, but my friends call me 'Top Hat'," Topper said as he tapped the brim of his top hat. "I am the head caretaker and bookkeeper of this mansion."

"Well, Topper," Devlin said with a frown. "How do you know Fangula?"

"Oh, the Lord and I go way back," Topper said. This made Devlin wonder if Topper was older than he looked. In Devlin's eye, Topper didn't appear any older than a person in his late teens. "Anyway, I am glad to finally meet the New Lord."

"New Lord?" Devlin repeated, perplexed. "You mean me?"

"Yes, I do," Topper nodded. "Since you now possess the armor and the Lord's power, you are automatically the New Lord. I live to serve."

Devlin blinked. A new servant?

"So, have you brought the stones?" Topper asked.

"Right," Devlin nodded as he put down his backpack and took out a rectangular box. He undid the latches and removed the lid. Sitting inside and arranged neatly were the 5 sealed soul stones of the previously defeated Fangires. "Here they are."

"Yes, 5 very magnificent specimens," Topper said as he inspected the 5 stones. "Now, if you would just give them to me then I shall keep them someplace safe." Devlin took the box back and put the lid back on. "Huh?"

"Unfortunately, I don't trust you," Devlin said coldly. "Or you for that matter," Devlin said as he looked at Fangula.

"Oh, why not?" Topper asked, frowning a little.

"Well, for one, I need to know more about the Fangires," Devlin said. He smirked, "As they say, knowledge is power."

"So, you require information," Topper said. "Information like that doesn't come cheap."

"And I got your payment," Devlin said, addressing the box. "So, do we have a deal?"

"I suppose," Topper sighed. "Well, since you're here, want to meet the others?"

"The others?" Devlin asked, casting a glare towards Fangula for the lack of information.

"Follow me, My Lords," Topper said before leading both Devlin and Fang toward the main chamber doors, located at the top of the centre set of stairs before it diverged towards the left and right wings. He pushed the door open and both of them entered the main chamber. It was quite a large room with windows and looked like it had enough space for a party. Devlin could see dark curtains draped over the windows, a lit fireplace, several comfortable armchairs and a sofa. His eyes then went towards a table, where two men were engaging in a game of chess. He also saw a girl, carrying a tray with several cups. She put down two cups on saucers filled with coffee for the two men.

"Gentleman and lady," Topper said, calling attention to himself. The two men looked up from their game and the girl put her tray down on another table that had the coffee pot. "The Lord and the New Lord have arrived."

One of the men got up. Devlin could see that he had a near predatory aura around him. His hair was short yet messy and his blue eyes were filled with some sort of aggressive spirit. His stance was confident as he walked over, hands in his pockets.

He sneered, looking Devlin up and down, "This boy is our New Lord, Top Hat?" The man snorted. "Don't make me laugh."

"Nothing ever makes you laugh, Wolfy," Topper mocked. The man growled.

"I've told you before not to call me that!" the man warned.

"Do I even care?" Topper said nonchalantly. Topper then made introductions. "This is Lobo. He's the assistant caretaker of this mansion."

Lobo gave a grunt.

"And these two are Francis and Gillian, the butler and housekeeper," Topper introduced. Francis got up and walked forward. Devlin had to look up to see his face. Francis had to be at least 6 feet tall and his muscular build was mostly hidden under his clothes, which was his butler uniform. He wore white gloves, had brownish short and neatly combed hair and a strong jaw. Devlin saw his eyes, which were a strangely violet color, much like Sam's. They seemed slightly gentle compared to his strong appearance. A gentle giant, so to speak.

"I would be honored to serve you," Francis said with a bow. Lobo rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

Lobo muttered, "Kiss up."

Gillian approached Devlin almost shyly. She was a pretty girl with black hair that reached down her shoulders and green eyes. She was dressed in a white buttoned down shirt with a black necktie and a pleated blue skirt that reached down to just above her knees. She also had on a white apron. She curtseyed. "Greetings, my New Lord."

For some reason, Devlin could detect something from them. It was like they were…

He then realized what it was.

They weren't human.

However, despite realizing that, he knew it would be rude to voice it out. Instead, he introduced himself, "I am Kyoichiro Devlin Amakusa-Akuma." He took off his hat as a sign of greeting. "Nice to meet you." His eye went to Gillian and he winked. She blushed a bit at that.

'My New Lord…he's handsome,' Gillian thought.

"So, this is where I'll be staying," Devlin reasoned. "Not bad, not bad," Devlin said. "Still I feel there's far too much space for myself, even if Miriam and Walter are willing to come along."

"Yes, your original servants," Topper said. Devlin frowned.

"They're family, practically raised me," Devlin defended. "Not servants."

"My apologies then," Topper said.

Seras was alone in her room, Chiaki consoling the crying girl. "Seras-chan, you know Tama-chan didn't mean it. It's just he hates vampires and well…"

"I know," sniffed Seras. "But he made it sound as if my life was worthless. I know Fang saved my life and wasn't just trying to kill the Fangire like Tamashii said he did." Seras started sobbing again. "Why do I have to feel that way about him…?"

Chiaki didn't know what to say but just remained by Seras' side to keep her company. It was true that Tamashii could be a jerk and he was right about vampires being evil. However, Fang was a vampire and he had saved Seras. That put Chiaki's overall opinion about vampires into question too.

"And this is the master bedroom, your room," Topper said as he finished giving Devlin the tour. It had been interesting to see what would be his new home more up close and personal.

Topper had showed him the kitchen, which had been cleaned and new cooking appliances installed. He had also shown the dhampir the recreation room, the study (there were numerous books there, possibly brought over), the many guest rooms and finally here, his own room.

It was bare, save for a large king sized bed with a canopy. It had nothing else. It was possibly left for Devlin to fill in with his own things.

"So, how do you like it?" Topper asked,

Devlin rubbed the bridge of his nose, "I may need to discuss with Miriam and Walter about this."

Tamashii sat alone in his room. His room looked like a dojo from the Japanese feudal era, including a long nodachi on a pedestal. But there was something out of place in this room, a gun. It was pitch black and glowed with a blue aura. The sword itself radiated with a black aura. The only visible part of the sword was the hilt, which looked like a dragon's head. Tamashii stared at the sword. "Ryuken…" he muttered. He reached out and touched the sword, simultaneously activating his Ryuugan.

'What do you want, Tamashii?' growled a voice.

"I search for answers. Something new has come up, he calls himself Fang and fights the Fangires, yet he himself is a vampire."

'Vampire tribes have been at war with one another just as long as humans have. Given your age this should not surprise you.'

"But still, vampires and Fangires have been mortal enemies to the Akashi clan. Yet Fang saved Seras, a human. This confuses me."

'Perhaps your opinion of vampires is wrong. Maybe they are not all evil as you claim.'

"You were there that day too, Ryuken. You know just as well as I do how evil vampires are."

'And your point? Just because of a few experiences does not mean all vampires are evil. But if you want to prove this to yourself, perhaps you should meet this Fang face to face…'

Tamashii stood up and picked up the gun. His eyes returned to normal. "Perhaps it's time to show Fang just why we're called the Slayers."

A young woman walked alone in the dark alleyway. She didn't realize that she was being followed by a dark and malicious force. Before she knew it, she was on the ground, a male body on top of her. She could hear him unzip his pants. She knew that she wouldn't be strong enough to fight back, so she disengaged herself, trying her hardest to think of anything else.

When he finished, the young woman silently thanked God. The next and last thing she felt was something puncturing her neck, and then her world fell into darkness.

The Blood Rose that Devlin was carrying in his violin case suddenly began to make the sound. Both Fangula and Devlin traded a look before running out of the room. Topper smirked as he watched his masters leave.

"Looks like we have a fight on our hands," spoke Topper.

Devlin wheeled into the area on his Blood Fang and dismounted from his vehicle. It was one of the dark parts of town, where a person could get mugged or worse. Taking off his helmet, he decided to investigate.

He then found the body of a woman, lying down spread eagle. Her dress had been torn and her body was transparent like glass.

"No doubt about it," Devlin said, kneeling down to inspect her body. "There was a Fangire here." He was too late.

"Yes, there was," Fangula said, perching onto Devlin's shoulder. "But we're too late now. It's gone."

Devlin frowned and stood back up. He had been too late and a woman paid the price. He then took out his cell phone, a Smart Brain model, and made a call to the police. Might as well do his civil duty and call the authorities. He glanced at the body. Poor woman.

Tamashii walked down to the basement. "And where are you off to?" asked Bob. He had been downstairs working out. Bunshichi was down there too, reading a magazine.

"Out," answered Tamashii. He walked over to the cloth covered machine and threw off the cloth. It revealed a pitch black slightly futuristic motorcycle (think of Cloud's motorcycle from FF7: Advent Children).

Bob eyed Tamashii warily. He knew Tamashii could take care of himself, and he knew Tamashii was probably going out to hunt Fang. Tamashii got onto the motorcycle and drove out.

'As much as I hate it, Tamashii's right. If it wasn't for him, Chiaki and I would still be on the streets because of that damn vampire. He killed Chiaki's bro, and in return I killed him. Fair trade. Tamashii saw this and almost immediately offered me a spot with the Slayers. I didn't want to; I was worried about Chiaki's safety. It was then that he promised Chiaki 24 hour protection. So, he's the leader. As much as I hate his attitude, he's right. Vampires are evil,' thought Bob as Tamashii sped off into the darkness.

Bunshichi watched as Tamashii sped off. 'Kid doesn't even think before running off. He's just goes off in search of a fight. Then again, considering his upbringing it's not much of a shock. He's a warrior, doesn't have to think, just fight. It's tough, keeping Tamashii's past a secret from everyone, but they can't really know the truth just yet. The punk will tell them when he feels the time is right.'

Seras was alone in her room. Chiaki had gone to the Laundromat to do some laundry for the group. 'Is Tamashii right? Did Fang really save me just because he wanted to kill the Fangire? No! I refuse to believe that. I can sense that Fang is good, despite what Tamashii says. So, if that's true, then why does Tamashii still hate him…? And why does Tamashii hate vampires to begin with?'

Seras looked at the clock. "Shouldn't Chiaki be back by now?"

Devlin was on his bike, riding around town. He wasn't going to give up on searching for this Fangire. As soon as he saw the cops came, he got out of the scene. He didn't have time to be questioned.

This Fangire, this beast, had not only killed an innocent woman, but violated her as well. In Devlin's books, such an act was unforgivable. Women were precious flowers to be protected, not ravaged violently.

Eyes narrowed, he accelerated. Hs kept the Blood Rose on him in order to pinpoint the Fangire's location. Fangula was flying by his side, trying to keep up.

Chiaki sat alone in the local Laundromat. She had headphones on and was listening to music while waiting for her the machine to finish with her laundry. 'Tama-chan is such a jerk. I can't believe he made Seras-chan cry like that. After what Seras-chan told me what happened with Fang, I don't know what to think about vampires now. There was that one that killed onii-chan, but now with Fang… Is it possible that Tamashii just hates all vampires, whether they're good or not? This is becoming way to confusing.'

Her head snapped up as the lights suddenly went out. She turned around and didn't even have time to scream.

The Blood Rose suddenly made a sound, only heard by Fangula and Devlin, but they both heard it anyway. They knew what it meant. The Fangire had just struck again.

Devlin sped towards the area. He had to stop this thing now!

Tamashii sped through the night, dodging cars left and right. His white fair flowed freely. He was deep in thought. 'Vampires. Just the word fills me with hate and anger. But Fangires, they're a whole different animal. If a vampire drinks your blood, you have a chance of surviving, normally as a fledging, but when you're taken by a Fangire there's no coming back. You're gone, forever. That's what makes me the perfect weapon against the Fangire. They can't take the life energy of someone who has none. They took my family from me; they took everything from me… No, not they, just him. That man with the ring. The ring that haunts me to this very day. I'll find him, that creature who cursed me to this life of living death. And on that day, there will be a reckoning Suddenly, his Ryuugan activated and he saw something that angered him to his very core. "Fangire…" he growled. He revved his bike and shot toward the Laundromat.

As the Salamander Fangire licked his lips, ready to finish off the girl he'd just violated, he was suddenly pelted by small capsules that exploded upon contact with his skin. They hurt and he let out a howl before turning his eyes towards the one who dared to attack him.

It was Devlin, hidden in the shadows. His eye narrowed as he stared at the Salamander Fangire. Fangula flew around his head before he caught the miniature vampire and put him near his arm to take a bite. Devlin felt the surge of power which then formed the chains around his waist, molding into the blood red Fang Belt. He then called out, "Henshin!" before attaching Fangula, upside down, on the belt. "Wake Up!" He charged at the Fangire, the chains encasing him swiftly before shattering, changing him into Masked Rider Fang.

Fang got a good look at the Fangire. He was a dark red coloring. He had sharp webbed claws and a long tail that swished back and forth. His eyes were an even darker red than his skin. He smiled, revealing rows of sharp pointed teeth in his mouth. His face was elongated, making him look even more like a lizard.

When he got into range, Fang threw his fist but the Fangire caught it before driving his claws into Fang's chest armor. Fang nearly yelled out in pain but didn't give another response before smashing his helmet covered head into the Fangire's snout. The Fangire stumbled, holding his injured snout.

"Who are you!?" the Salamander Fangire demanded but grew annoyed when he received no answer. "Answer me!"

Fang gave him an answer, alright. With his fist.

Fang went on the offensive again, swinging a left and right hook at the Salamander Fangire. The Fangire blocked most of them but a forward punch to its chest knocked it backwards. He was then sent flying out through the window by a powerful snap kick, sending glass flying as it shattered.. Fang then leapt out the window and walked over towards the Fangire. The Fangire swiped at him with his claws but Fang dodged each strike before putting the Fangire down with a roundhouse kick.

Fang was feeling immense hatred for the Fangire after he saw the girl this monster had violated. He didn't recognize her quite yet, but he was going to avenge her. He stomped on the Salamander Fangire's chest repeatedly before kicking his body, sending him rolling across the ground. The Fangire didn't seem like it was going to get away anytime soon. He then prepared to execute his finisher.

"Release the Chains!" he called out as the chains loosened before he kicked his right leg out. The chains holding the armor around his right boot closed shattered and the red wings spread out. He gave the Fangire one last look before launching himself straight to the air.

The Fangire looked up to see Fang dropping down on him. Acting quickly he spewed flames at Fang. However, the flames just flowed around the Rider. He then dropped down and the ground beneath him broke into a crater.

Unfortunately, there was no Fangire there anymore.

The Fangire had escaped and used the flames as a diversion. Cursing himself, Fang then went back inside the Laundromat to check on the girl. She was unconscious and from the state of her clothes had been raped. Gritting his teeth in self loathing for being too late to save her from violation, he then decided to take the girl to the hospital to get her some treatment. He gently picked her up and walked out of the Laundromat with her cradled in his arms. That was when he heard the sounds of a motorcycle revving. He looked over to see Tamashii swerve into view. He got off his bike and drew his gun.

"So you did this?" accused Tamashii, his gun trained on Fang's head. "Put her down or I'll shoot," he warned. Fang didn't comply, knowing full well that Tamashii would shoot him anyway if he put Chiaki down.

Fang walked toward Tamashii. Tamashii kept his gun trained on Fang but didn't dare to shoot with Chiaki in Fang's arms. He was then surprised when Fang passed Chiaki into his arms, speaking, "Take her to a hospital. She needs help." Tamashii was stunned but then turned around to see Fang had rode off into the night.

Tamashii placed Chiaki at the front of his bike. He sat behind her and rode off. "Chiaki, I swear whoever did this to you will pay for this… I promise you…"

"You promised she'd be safe!" yelled Bob. The Slayers met back up at the hospital. Bob had Tamashii lifted up by his shirt, ready to beat Tamashii's skull in. "You swore that she'd have protection at all times! And now she's in the hospital!"

"She could be dead," answered Tamashii. Even in this situation his voice was cold and even. "I owe Seras an apology. Fang may not be evil, he did save Chiaki." Bob put Tamashii down. "I know exactly who did this."

"Who?" asked Bunshichi.

"His name is Ryuzaki, and I've sworn to kill him and his entire clan…"

The door to the apartment opened and Devlin stormed in without even saying a word. His shoes had been thrown off and he didn't even bother to put on the house slippers.

Both Miriam and Walter watched, bewildered, as Devlin walked into his room and slammed the door close. He didn't even say a word in greeting.

"Something's wrong," Miriam said, frowning. "I can sense it."

"Something bad must've happened, Miriam," Walter said. Fangula landed on the table. "Do you know something?" Walter asked.

Fangula sighed and told them what had happened.

Meanwhile, in his room, Devlin was lying facedown on his bed, his face pressed down on the pillow as he clenched his sheets.

He was shuddering, crying.

"I couldn't save her…" he said, sobbing. He had been too late to save Chiaki from being violated and had barely gotten there in time to save her life. Still, the guilt was quite strong.

All his life, he had dedicated himself towards the protection of women. That was why he chose to become a makeup artist to help women everywhere become more beautiful. It was his calling and it had all started because of his love for his mother, the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on.

The state Chiaki was in made him fearful and also doubt himself. He would hate to see Danielle in such a state. The nightmarish image came into his mind once again and he shuddered.

"Why couldn't I save her…?" Devlin asked himself.

The door opened and Fangula flew into the room. He flapped his wings and began to speak, "Stop crying, boy. You were able to save her life. If not she would've been dead like the other woman. That's what counts."

"But, I was still too late to…"

"Right now, worry about that Fangire that's on the loose. Also, about these people from Café Mal d'Amour. They aren't as they seem," Fangula warned.

True. Devlin had noticed that Seras was armed both times when he'd fought the Horse and Octopus Fangires. Now, he saw that Tamashii was packing as well. There was something about them that felt off but he didn't want to admit it. He didn't want to admit that…

"They're hunters," Fangula spoke, "Which means they are our enemies."

Devlin objected by saying, "No. The Fangires are the enemies."

"Boy, listen-"

"I am not going to fight against vampire hunters unless absolutely necessary!" Devlin snapped, wiping the tears away. "Just…leave me alone."

"Fine," Fangula sighed. "Oh and there's a package on your desk if you bothered to check." With that, Fangula left Devlin alone.

Devlin looked up at his desk. There was a wooden box with Fang's emblem on the lid painted in blood red. Getting off his bed, he then slowly walked over and lifted up the lid. Inside the box were a set of 5 whistles, similar to the one that Fangula had given him but with different designs. There was a note included in the box. He picked it up and read it.

Dear New Lord, this is Topper if you realize by now. Anyway, here's something that may help you in future endeavors. I do hope you consider coming to stay in the manor. Bring Miriam and Walter too. The more the merrier. Sincerely, Topper.

P.S. I've spoken to the others and they would be happy to serve you too. Also, maybe we can negotiate something concerning those soul stones.

Devlin put down the note. Maybe…maybe help wouldn't be so bad. He picked up his violin, placing it to his neck and held the bow to it. He then began to play.

Outside the room, Miriam and Walter could hear the beautiful music.

"Sounds like he's feeling better," Walter smiled.

Tamashii and Seras were sitting alone in the hospital waiting room. Seras had her hands around a cup of coffee she had gotten from a machine, taking small sips to calm herself down. Bob was in Chiaki's room and Bunshichi had gone back to the shop. Tamashii broke the silence, "Maybe, you're right about Fang."

"What was that?" asked Seras. Had she heard right?

"Fang, even though he was there, I could tell he didn't do that to Chiaki. I felt no evil coming off of him, only despair, and he only felt that because he was too late to help Chiaki." Seras smiled. "But, even if I realize this, I still don't trust him. I don't like vampires, whether they're good or not. Some people may call that racism, but I have yet to meet a truly good vampire. Until I do, they will be nothing but targets to me."

"That's fine," said a voice. Seras and Tamashii looked over to see Bob. "You can hate vamps all you want, but know this; the minute, and I mean the very minute I find the son of a bitch who did that to Chiaki, I'm gonna kill him."

"How's Chiaki?" asked Seras.

"She seems fine. She said that nothing happened, that she simply freaked cause that Ryuzaki guy jumped her, but Fang saved her before anything could happen. Tamashii, sorry for snapping at you earlier."

"Not a problem, Bob. You had every right to be mad at me."

"So, Fang saved her?" Bob asked. Tamashii nodded. "Wow, it seems we owe her life to a vampire. Kinda ironic, don't ya think?"

The Salamander Fangire struggled through a building. He was in his human form. His human form was that of an averaged height 17 year old man with a blond crew-cut hairstyle and fiery green eyes. He was wearing a red shirt and black leather pants, as well as glasses. "Damn that little punk," he muttered. He felt his mouth and realized that several of his teeth were missing.

"I see you have failed…" said an ominous voice.

"So what if I did. That punk Tamashii got the message. The Reptile tribe is back and we mean business," retorted Ryuzaki.

The voice let out a light chuckle. "Fine, Ryuzaki…you may go." Ryuzaki turned around and walked away. The figure who had been speaking stood up. His hand engulfed itself with fire, revealing a ring that depicted a skull engulfed in flames. "Very soon, Young Dragon…very soon."

Amity Park was a place where the strange like ghost sighting often occurred and were the norm. Of course, seeing a young man was approaching the city limits on his pitch black motorcycle was just as strange.

He parked his bike in the parking lot of a near by apartment complex. After removing his helmet he took a look at his surroundings and let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm finally here," he said to himself. He then opened up a compartment in his bike and took out a duffel bag and a backpack. He walked towards the main office taking note of much older the buildings where than any of the other apartment areas in town.

He sighed, "Thanks dad," before walking in through the office door.

The next morning…

Seras was walking absentmindedly through the halls of Casper High. She had a lot on her mind recently, mostly concerning the recent unfortunate incident with her good friend Chiaki. She was glad that everything turned out ok. She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice the young man in front of her and bumped into him causing herself to fall over, also dropping her backpack in the process.

"Oh, hey, sorry about that," said the young man she had just bumped into as he offered a hand to help her up. Seras took his hand and as she was lifted up she was able to get a good look at him. The first thing she noticed was his green lime-like eyes underneath a pair of small round glasses. The other thing she noticed was his parted brown hair with a small pony tail. Then looking over the rest of him she saw that he was wearing black pants, boots, gloves, T-shirt, and a brown button up shirt with a black Celtic cross design on the back and right breast pocket of the shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

"Thanks, I wasn't watching where I was going." Seras said. Seras couldn't help but blush a little at his appearance. She had to admit he was pretty cute.

"Meh, don't worry about it. Accidents happen," The young man said as he reached over to pick up Seras' backpack for her as he did he noticed a patch on the front pocket of the backpack. The patch was a shield with a medieval style 'I' in the center.

"You listen to Imperium?" He asked Seras.

Seras smiled brightly, "They're my favorite metal band." She asked, "So you know about them?"

In response the young man raised his arm to reveal a leather wristband with the same logo. "Seen them four times and have every album to date," He claimed proudly. He then extended his hand to Seras. "I'm such a dunce sometimes I forget my manners. I'm Richard…Richard Belmont."

Seras took his hand and gave it a gentle shake "Seras McDowell. Good to meet you."

"As in the teen model?" Richard asked. "Wow, that's cool. No wonder you look so familiar."

"I get that and mobs too," Seras admitted. "So, where are you headed?"

"Mr. Lancer's homeroom."

"Wow, what a coincidence. So am I. Let me take you there."

"Thank you."

The two continued their conversation as they happened to have the same first class

In the classroom, Devlin was already at his seat reading a book. Danille was worried about him since he'd been so quiet lately. Today, he had taken her on a ride in his new bike. She could tell that Claire was jealous and that made it the start of a good day. She then saw Seras come in through the door and waved, "Hey, Seras!"

Smiling, Seras waved, "Hello to you too." Behind her was a young man Danielle had never seen before.

"Who's your new friend?" Danielle asked.

"Oh, he's called Richard Belmont," Seras said. "He just moved into town."

"Hello there," Richard nodded in greeting.

"Hi, I'm Danielle," Danielle introduced herself, "And he's Devlin."

Devlin's only reply was to give a curt nod. Richard quirked an eyebrow.

"Um…is he always so quiet?" Richard asked.

"Well, not really," Danielle said. She had been wondering what was wrong with Devlin. He seemed a little off today. What happened last night?

"Well, it's great to meet you," Richard said. Mr. Lancer entered and the students all took their seats. He then proceeded to take attendance, taking note to introduce Richard to the rest of his classmates.

After several classes, which Richard shared with Seras, Danielle and Devlin, the new boy started to get to know the school as well as his new friends. He found out that the Fentons were ghost hunters and that Danielle had been adopted. Strangely, he noted on how she resembled Danny a lot and she explained that she was a very distant cousin and was adopted shortly after her parents' death. That was the cover story concocted. She was Danny's sister by adoption.

Richard had to admit to himself that he was lucky. He had found good friends on the first day. He did almost get harassed by the jocks but Devlin came to his defense, along with Seras. He didn't know how, but Devlin was someone the jocks feared. He would look into this one day.

He later found out, when Devlin eventually talked, that Devlin and Danielle were in a relationship. To be honest, Richard could actually figure it out since the two were always together, doing what he would call 'couple stuff'. He also learnt that Devlin was popular in his own right. He was the resident makeup artist and the clients were the members of the entire female student body. With that many girls backing him up, it made sense that the jocks would not mess with him. They probably didn't want to piss of their girlfriends for attacking the boy who made them look and feel prettier.

When lunch period came, he sat at a table with Seras, Devlin and Danielle. He was warned about the 'Mystery Meat' but Devlin assured him that there was nothing inedible within the dish. Inedible could be taken in numerous directions.

They learnt a lot about Richard as much as he learnt about them. What they didn't know was that he was hiding a secret and only time would tell when it would be exposed.

Time would also tell when Richard would eventually find out his new friends' own secrets.

After the final bell rang, the students of Casper High began to clear out from the building, save for those with club meetings or sport team practices as well as those with detention.

Richard was cutting through the baseball field to get to home faster. It had been his first day at Casper High and he already loved it. He made new friends rather quickly. He mostly thought about Seras whom he met for the first time today. How lucky could a guy get meeting someone who liked a lot of the same things that he did and her actually being the first of the new people he meets?

His good luck didn't last long though as a monstrous thing leapt at him from behind the bleachers. In the last second he caught wind of it and rolled out of the way just in time. When he got up he was able to get a good look at his attacker. It was a brown and orange monstrous humanoid that had a female figure, its appearance was that of a moth.

"Is this a Fangire?" Richard asked himself as he looked at the creature.

Said creature charged at Richard only for him to roll out of the way again. When he got enough distance, he opened a large secret pocket in his backpack. Out from his backpack he pulled a brown leather whip. When the Fangire saw the whip, she gave out a chuckle. Did this human really expect to harm her with a dusty old whip?

As the Fangire drew closer, Richard unfurled the whip and lashed it out at her. She was shocked when she felt a hot searing pain. She wondered how a normal human weapon could give her such pain.

"You're probably wondering why that hurt so badly," Richard spoke up as he raised the whip. "This old thing has been used on your kind for the past ten centuries. So if you want to just call a truce and stop killing people I'll let you walk away. It's your choice."

The Moth Fangire tried to swat at Richard but he was able to dodge the attacks. "Suit yourself," he muttered.

Whenever Richard would get enough distance he would lash at his opponent sometimes making contact. The Moth Fangire was taking hits but she had a plan. She intentionally took a few lashes waiting to see how the whip would strike. As soon as she saw the whip coming down at her she reached out and grabbed it.

'Oh shit!' Richard thought to himself as the Fangire pulled him in, causing great pain in her hands to do so. When he was close enough she pried the whip from his hand and threw it away. With the whip gone, Richard was as good as dead. The Moth Fangire took this to her advantage and laid a barrage of punches to his torso and head. After laying into him with a multitude of punches, the Moth Fangire lifted Richard over her head and slammed him into the ground.

"Getting killed by the first Fangire you meet. Looks like I'm not as lucky as I thought I was." Richard couldn't get enough strength to get up and the Fangire was closing in, ready to finish him off.

Meanwhile, Devlin was in the music room practicing his violin. His only audience was Danielle and Fangula who was sitting in her lap. Most of the other students had already left save for those with club activities.

Danielle enjoyed listening to him play and had even asked for lessons. As her boyfriend he was only happy to oblige. It could just be an excuse to spend time together, but he welcomed it nonetheless.

In the middle of his score, he stopped. The strings of the Blood Rose were vibrating on their own accord without the bow stroking them. Fangula heard this too. The only one who didn't was Danielle.

"What's going on?" Danielle asked, confused. "Why did you stop playing?" Fangula flew off Danielle lap, alarmed.

"Devlin, we need to go!" Fangula yelled anxiously. Devlin nodded and both of them went for the door.

"Devlin!" Danielle shouted as she followed after him. "Is there…"

"A Fangire? Yes," Devlin answered. "It's nearby. Come on."

Danielle, Fangula and Devlin reached the baseball field to see a Fangire, attacking a human. Danielle gasped in recognition.

"It's Richard!" Danielle exclaimed.

"Go distract that thing while I change," Devlin said. Danielle nodded quickly and rushed to help Richard, the white rings moving over her body to transform her into her ghost form. Devlin watched as Danielle laid a swift flying kick to the Fangire's side, sending the monstrous vampire tumbling.

Devlin grabbed hold of Fangula and pressed the vampire against his arm, allowing Fangula to bite down. The familiar power rush came again as his Orphenoch markings appeared on his skin, followed by the materializing of the Fang Belt via the ghostly chains wrapping around his waist.

"Henshin!" Devlin called out before attaching Fangula to the belt. "Wake Up!" they both called out before the chains exploded from the belt before wrapping around his body like a cocoon. The chains expanded and then shattered, revealing Fang. He then rushed towards the battle.

The Moth Fangire had her hand wrapped tightly around Danielle's neck when suddenly Fang jumped in and elbowed her in the face, hard enough to make her let go of Danielle and to send the Fangire flying. Richard watched in shock at Fang's appearance. He continued to watch as Fang went after the Fangire.

The Moth Fangire got back to her feet and tried to strike at Fang but he managed to avoid the swipe before pummeling her several times in the chest and stomach with his fists. He landed a strike to the side of her head, sending her to the ground again. The Moth Fangire got up and Fang used a sidekick to send her flying into the bleachers.

"Wow!" Richard let out. "That's one kick!" Danielle had to agree.

Fang slowly advanced on the Moth Fangire who started to back away. She then leapt up to deal a double-footed flying kick at Fang but he managed to catch her legs before he spun her about. He spun around and around with the Fangire he was holding before throwing her into the centre of the field again. She landed on her back and tried to get back up but Fang came on the attack again and slammed his knee into her chest, putting her down to the ground. He was about to throw his fist at her face when he suddenly froze.

He remembered the state of the woman he'd found last night whom he was too late to save. He was even too late to save Chiaki, Seras' friend. Similar thoughts plagued his mind and he started to lose focus.

"Why is he hesitating?" Richard asked as he watched.

"I don't know!" Danni replied. "Come on, we have to help him!"

The Fangire noticed Fang hesitation and then used this to her advantage. She sprayed her powder at him, which exploded, causing small explosions of sparks on his armor. He staggered backwards from the powder, trying to wave it away. Danni saw the powder coming at them and created a green dome of ecto-energy to shield themselves. The Fangire then fled away. Fang tried to give chase but the powder was still affecting him.

"D-Fang!" Danni shouted, nearly saying his real name by accident. She ran towards him and helped him back to his feet. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he answered and then his eyes fell on Richard. "Are you okay?" Lucky for him, the helmet disguised his voice so that nobody would recognize him.

"Well, I think I'll live," Richard said as he picked up his whip. "Thanks for the save."

"Well, you're welcome," Fang said.

"Are you hurt?" Danni asked.

"Only my pride," Fang replied. "Other than that, I'm just dandy."

"Let's go," Danni said as she and Fang walked away.

"Hey, who are you two?" Richard asked.

"Danni Phantom," Danni answered.

"Fang," Fang added.

"Danni Phantom and Fang," Richard smiled as he watched the two walk away. "I have to know who they are."

The gym was empty, thankfully, so Danni led Fang inside so he could change back.

Fang sat on the ground before Fangula flew off the belt. The chains then wrapped around his body and unraveled, revealing Devlin's normal unarmored form. The white wings swept over Danni's body to change her back into her human form, Danielle Fenton.

"Oi, Devlin," Fangula began, "What happened to you out there? You nearly had that Fangire."

"I hesitated," Devlin said, hand on his forehead, "And I don't know why."

Danielle helped Devlin up to his feet. "Well, we better get you home," Danielle said worriedly. "You don't look so good."

"Thank you," Devlin nodded, knowing she was right. He didn't argue with her as she walked him out of the gym with Fangula following behind them.

What they didn't know was that someone had followed them and had peaked through the crack of the gym door. When Devlin and Danielle got out, the spy entered.

Tamashii stood in his room. In front of him was a pair of swords, katanas, as well as the gun he had earlier. "I guess it's time for me to take a more hands on approach." He lifted the swords. A look around him showed various wooden dummies. Tamashii swung his swords around apparently haphazardly. He then sheathed both blades. As he sheathed the blades, the surrounding dummies fell to pieces around him.

"Tenryu and Tsuchiryu seem excited. They must be getting ready to kill. Well don't worry, you'll have plenty to do as soon as we find some Fangires," he said. He looked at the gun. "Now it's time to go to war. Get ready, Fangires. I'm coming for you."

An introduction of a new OC, created by Zombi 138 who also created the Red Wolves for my mainstream series. Paladin is away so I had to finish myself without him. But, I think he'd enjoy this fic too.