There was an explosion and everything attacked Yukio all at once.

Following the madman's words, hundreds of the infected broke into the monastery and slammed the young man to the ground. The gun slid from his hands and skid across the room. He felt the creatures scratching, pulling, biting at his legs – trying desperately to rip his suit. The sounds of hissing and snapping diluted the doctor's hearing. Yukio shielded his exposed head with his arms.

In the distance, he heard screaming down the hallway – helpless citizens.

"Arrgg– NO!" the young man yelled as he dragged himself away and grabbed his helmet.

After clicking it back on, he quickly scanned the room for the other priests – whose lives were in great danger. They weren't shielded from the disease like Yukio was. Suddenly, a rush of heat and yellow light filled the room and pushed the away the beasts. It came from Maurta, who used his tamer abilities to summon a fire demon. The priest stood in the doorway.

"Quick - everyone!" he called over the ruckus, "Over here! We need to protect the citizens!"

Before responding, the young man looked over to see that Sanguis was gone. All that remained was a broken seal on the ground, smattered with black fluid.

So you did escape after all.

But where did you go?

With the others behind him, the doctor quickly ran after Maurta.

Izumi faced Nagatomo, out of breath, "Should we put up another barrier?..! Around the people – "

Yukio answered for him, "I don't think that'll do any good… That man broke out of the prison with no problem."

"Then what should we do?..! What other choice do we have?..!" the priest argued.

The young man pulled out a second gun and began firing at any infected following them.

"About a half-hour ago, I sent Shura to get aid! She'll be back any moment!" he shouted.

"Then we need more time," Nagatomo affirmed as he stopped and faced the creatures.

"What are you doing?..!"

"I'll summon my familiar, Moorkin, to hold them off!"

"That's it!" Yukio cried, "Most of us can fight at a distance – without being touched by the plasma! Maurta with his fire, Nagatomo with Moorkin, Izumi with your ariahs, and I with my firearms! Lets form a semi-circle around the people and fight off the infected until help comes!"

The priests agreed and ran into the church area. Once there, the four began to round the people into a corner. Some citizens were in such an extreme state of hysteria that they refused to cooperate. They clawed, punched and shrieked at anything that came near, even those who were trying to help. At one point, Yukio was forced to knock out a panicked man and drag him to the crowd of others.

The young man's mind was hot-wired to think the same three things over and over again: Aim. Fire. Reload. Aim. Fire. Reload.

Nothing else existed except his weapon, these people, and the creatures ahead.

Nothing else mattered except getting a good shot.

Then, suddenly… a poisonous thought broke into Yukio's hard-steel mind –

Where's Kyodo?..!

As he warded off the infected, the young man searched for the clergyman, who was nowhere in sight.

"Nagatomo! Where is Kyodo?..!"

"I'm not sure! I haven't seen him!"

"Damn," he hissed to himself.

Another thought broke through –

What if Sanguis is after Rin right now?

Yukio kicked one creature aside and shot another five times in the head.

What if he's already dead…

He ripped the thought from his mind.

No…Rin may be immature… but he wouldn't die so easily.

The screeching of shattered glass and broken concrete erupted at every corner. It was all chaos – the rumbling beneath his feet, the snarls of disease-ridden victims, the recoil of his gun, helpless cries of those still pure. Everything – everything was complete madness; the young man didn't have time to think anymore. He relied heavily on muscle memory and those three words – Aim. Fire. Reload. They were coming… the diseased were closing in, ready to kill.

– Then suddenly…. It all just stopped.

The infected ceased attacking and remained perfectly still. A chilling silence pressed over the entire monastery. Every living soul – Yukio, the priests, even the civilians waited and anticipated another assault.

No one moved a muscle.

What's happening…?

Yukio knitted his brow and stared at the creatures – they gazed thoughtlessly ahead.

What are they waiting for…?

Something was coming.

But what?...!

The diseased slowly parted, revealing and reuniting the young man with a detested acquaintance.

"Well I believe it has been to long since we last saw each other! Wasn't that previous escapade just to die for? I told you releasing my friends would be amusing."

"Why did you come back?" Yukio growled.

Sanguis' expression remained exactly the same, blindly happy in his seemingly courteous physique.

"What's your opinion on life Yukio?"

The doctor swiftly raised his gun at the man, who tilted his head.

"Now, now, lets not do this again– we've been through this before. You know it's not going to work," the man gave a large gesture with his arm, swinging it towards the crowd of infected.

"You see… I have all this…. And you have… three… middle-aged…. Clergymen."

Sanguis approached Yukio and knocked off his helmet with the back of his hand. Then, he grabbed the doctor's face from under the chin. The man clenched the teen's jaw tightly and sank nails into the whiteness of his cheeks. The young man felt a tingle of disgust seep down his spine.

"Let – go!"

He tried hard to jerk away, but the man's grip wouldn't release.

"YUKIO!"

One of the priests called out, but Sanguis quickly raised his finger.

"Aah – aaah… no sudden movements. We don't want everyone here to die, now do we?"

He turned towards Yukio.

"I'm going to ask you again, what is your opinion on life?"

"…"

"Come now, I told you mine, it's only fair you tell me yours…hmm? Do you…. think of yourself as some kind of white knight… riding these streets of a broken town, carrying some form of self-righteous glory, like clothes on your back? I mean, what have these people done to deserve your protection other than self-vanity…? The belief that you're going to live and get out of this situation? You are a genius after all… what can hurt you?"

That wasn't the truth at all.

The young exorcist tried and failed to break free again, he glared into the eyes of the madman, burning with hatred.

Everyday I feel helpless and weak.

"I know what you think of me….," Sanguis continued, "You think that I'm an evil villain that needs to be brought down…. Well, I am afraid you're wrong about that, my friend. I'm only looking for a bit of fun."

Yukio quietly lifted his gun towards the man's torso, hoping he wouldn't notice.

Try to distract him.

"W-why did you come back…? What's so amusing if my blood is unsatisfying?"

"Didn't I answer that? I won't say it again."

"Why did you inject yourself with my blood?"

"Hm?"

Aim…

"What was the point of injecting yourself with my blood? Don't you fear for your own health? You're lucky my blood type is O… the universal donor… or you could've been poisoned…. Your organs would've shut down."

Sanguis leaned in so close; their foreheads nearly touched. The doctor could see the whites of the man's eyes… and the red veins stitched through it.

"I – "

FIRE

Yukio shot his chest.

The man released the doctor and stumbled backwards, blood dripping from his mouth, staining a violent red into his grayish suit. He hunched over the bullet wound, smiling.

"Ha….haha…. So quick to end the party, aren't you?"

The doctor was shocked Sanguis was still alive – he shot the man in the heart! Then again… tranquilizers didn't affect him either.

"Are you a demon?"

"What a nice, educated guess… but no…. I am a human who hungers for demon gore."

"A – a human who injects himself with demonic fluids?...! That's impossible – you'd be dead!"

"I suppose I would…. But here I am."

So the blood he injects himself with gives the man a sturdier body….

That's how he survived my shot…

"What will it take for you to be satisfied…? How far are you willing to take this sick game of yours?"

"Oh my! Is that is a challenge?"

"Perhaps…," Yukio gave a fake smile, "Though…how fun can it be for you to hide behind these minions? I'm sure you've seen plenty of civilians get infected in the past. What makes these people any different?"

Sanguis pulled out two more long sharp glass tubes from under his shirt.

"Nothing," he whispered.

The man launched at Yukio, who fired three shots at his head. Sanguis dodged and swung his needles. The young man ducked out of the way, crouching low to the ground, he shot again. The man's shoulder was hit, but it didn't stop him from driving the two glass pillars down over Yukio.

The doctor rolled to the left, leaving the weapons to puncture the wooden floor. His glasses fell off in the process. The young man didn't hear the priests shouting his name. Instead he fired another shell at the madman, hoping to get him while he was pulling out the needles. Sanguis lifted his left hand and the bullet went straight in. Completely unaffected by the hit, the man curled his fingers securely over the injured palm. A pool of blood formed and dripped down his arm.

During the fight, men, women, and children screamed helplessly for their lives. Children clutched to their parents and some threw hands over their heads. Others were simply shell-shocked and couldn't utter a sound.

Yukio was bothered (but then again…should've expected…) that the bullet did not go through Sanguis' hand. His body was so firm that the young man's ammunition, which could break regular bone and rip normal tissue, wasn't able to completely sever his. The madman pulled the shell out and tossed it to the ground, smirking.

"I believe we are off to a good start."

"Don't touch him!" Nagatomo cried, "MOORKIN!"

The clergyman's familiar, a scarecrow-like demon with a pitchfork, drove itself at the Sanguis. Maurta also stepped in to help when he blew fire at the man. This, however, was of no use, because all the mindless infected blocked the attack with their own bodies. The creatures formed a circle around Yukio and Sanguis.

"Oh no, I won't have any of that. This battle is between the boy and I. Interfere again and my friends will converge on you and these people."

"Why you bas – "

"It's alright!" Yukio called over the heap, "Don't worry about me, this is what I want!"

I want to buy more time!

"A-are you sure?..!"

"Yes!"

The man ripped his pillars from the ground and threw one at the doctor, who attempted to shield himself. The needle, however, shattered the moment it hit Yukio's arm and tiny fragments entered his eyes.

"Arrg – "

He felt a heavy slash to the side of his face and he slammed against the hard floor.

The young man attempted to rub the shards from his eyes. Bad enough his vision was blurred without the glasses.

With this… he was completely blind.

Sanguis cackled with delight and kicked him in the stomach, knocking all the air from Yukio's lungs. The doctor gasped and clenched his stomach.

"HAHA! Off the ground – OFF THE GROUND, BOY!"

"RRRGGG!"

The young man kicked Sanguis' legs, causing him to fall as well. Everything was unclear, an object merely ten inches from Yukio's face would seem like nothing more than a blurry mass.

Even so, he would fight on.

In a state of aggressive rage, the doctor grabbed for the man's shirt, pinned him to the ground and held the gun to his forehead – ready to fire, ready to end this bastard. He squeezed the trigger –

"Those symptoms aren't treating you very well, are they, Yukio?"

The young man's hand froze.

"What?"

Although he could not see it, Sanguis's eyes narrowed and his grin widened.

"Heheh…ahaha… Come on now, surly a scientist of your caliber would've figured it out by now… Or… are you in denial?"

"…NO! I won't listen to your lies!"

"Believe what you wish, but the evidence clear…."

"…. Keep quiet. I will shoot."

But Yukio he couldn't pull the trigger… he needed to hear what Sanguis had to say.

"Have you been getting easily frustrated?"

No….

"More aggressive than usual?"

It can't be….

"Those ugly, ugly emotions getting the better of you?"

He wasn't implying….

"Hurting the ones you love with nasty cruel words that spew so easily from your tongue?"

"SHUT UP! I SAID I'D SHOOT!"

"Heh, well it looks to me Yukio…. that you've contracted 'Noire Du Sang'."

Everything was still…inexistent. It couldn't be true… it couldn't. Plenty of colleagues had gotten into contact with Yukio… and none were infected, right? Then again, he had been losing his patience with others more than usual…. And these thoughts of blind hatred towards the priests….

But that was just lack of sleep… it wasn't the illness….right…RIGHT?

This Sanguis… he was a prone-liar… he wanted to see Yukio squirm, to crack, to lose hope.

He succeeded.

The young man didn't even feel his adversary grab him by the throat and lift him of his feet.

"Hehehehe…. You may be… as I've said before… a runt demon, but your body still carries unique properties. For instance, no one can catch it from you… the virus is locked firmly inside…. So don't worry, that woman exorcist is fine. And second….the plague takes much longer to affect you. Your immunity is fighting it… but slowly failing."

He didn't think… he didn't breathe…. All the doctor could do was stare off into space and wait for death to come.

"Really Yukio, I've deeply enjoyed this, thank you."

Sanguis squeezed Yukio's neck tighter.

"But alas… all good things must end. Goodbye – "

What happened next was vague – all the doctor knew was that Sanguis was now on the ground and he was on his feet.

"Are you alright, Yukio?"

The young man turned to see Kyodo, his mind became lucid once more.

"K-Kyodo! How did you – "

"There's no time – he's getting up."

The mad man remained on the ground; his voice droned with yet an edge of irritation.

"That wasn't fuuun…. That wasn't fun at all…"

Yukio flashed his gun at the man.

"Quiet. Your words have no meaning anymore."

Sanguis looked up, eyes stricken with insanity.

"Meaning – meeeeaning? EVERY THING has meaning - don't you seeee? Don't you seeee?"

"No. I don't."

"Come now, don't start to act boring just when the best part was coming!"

Yukio stared back without a trace of emotion.

Cold.

Blank.

Calculating.

Sanguis returned the glance with indifference as well. His voice dropped low – all the excitement gone.

"So, that is it," He got up, "Then I bid you farewell."

All of the infected began to surround the man until Yukio was unable to see him.

"WAIT!" the young man shouted, but didn't bother to fire.

He knew it was hopeless… every single creature suddenly fell to the ground dead.

The mad man was gone.

Everyone was silent for a few minutes, not sure of what to say. Yukio's shoulders relaxed and legs buckled, causing him to nearly lose his balance. The young man was exhausted. He sighed as he went to put his weapon away.

"Don't lower your gun just yet, Yukio."

All his nerves shot back up –

He's BACK!

But no, the voice did not come from Sanguis… it came from Kyodo. The doctor calmed slightly.

"Why? What is it?"

"Yukio…. I'm sorry… I know Father Fujimoto's death was hard on you. Not only was he like your father, he was your mentor and I should've been more sensitive…."

"I'm just as guilty…I shouldn't have said those harsh things to you,"

A pang of anxiety struck the doctor.

'Hurting the ones you love with nasty cruel words that spew so easily from your tongue?'

'Heh, well it looks to me Yukio….that you've contracted 'Noire Du Sang'

"Don't worry about me… my pain won't last long," the clergyman responded sadly.

"Kyodo… what are you trying to say…?"

"What I'm trying to say is…," the priest sighed, "I need you to do a favor for me."

"What is that?"

"I need to borrow your gun… please."

"Why…?"

Yukio felt his blood pressure rise. He did not like where this was going. Kyodo reluctantly pulled back his sleeves, revealing a web of black veins over his arm. A flash of the thing in the sewers – Mr. Yonegawa bleeding dark plasma – all the infected – ran through the young man's head.

"N-no… it can't be… IT CAN'T BE – "

"Yukio, it's all right…. I…. I'm sure you understand…. I need to end this now…. I'd rather die with my mind intact rather than kill the people I care about."

"…"

"Please, Yukio…. Give me your gun."

The young man's lungs robotically sucked in and out hot humid air. This talk of suicide…. He'd do the same. If he had the virus…. If he had 'Noire Due Sang'…. He'd take his life before damage was done. Yukio stretched the gun over Kyodo's open hand.

But then again, would he? There was so much that he needed to do… he needed to find a cure…. Save Rin's life…protect his brother from experimentation….

'I will direct my orders on your brother. I'll have him dragged down into a lab and have him used as a guinea-pig for a cure, understood?'

'I suggest you use your knowledge to the best of your ability and find a cure…In four months…'

Four months...

Four months….

'The plague taking much longer to affect you'

Taking a long time to affect….

He had four months….

There was still time left before it all ended for Yukio.

The young man pulled the gun away and grabbed Kyodo's arm with his gloved left hand.

"No…," he said coolly, "No. I'll find a cure and you'll be the first to take it. It's what Father Fujimoto would've done."

The priest stared with disbelief, eyes watering.

"Yukio…"

That was the last thing Kyodo said before the reinforcements showed up brought him to a secluded area.