When Yui rolled her head over, she had felt something boiling inside her. Most specifically, inside her chest. Yui rolled her body over as she suppressed her hands tightly around her chest, which wasn't specifically the most comfortable thing for her to do, considering the excruciating pain she was going through. Yui's vision was dim, and she felt lightheaded, so when she heard a slapping sound, she couldn't really turn her body over in an opposite direction to see who had made the startling annoying sound, much less to avoid the base that crashed on her head, leaving Yui startled as she realized there was liquid coming from her head to meet her cheeks. Blood.
Yui was frightened. She looked ever so slightly over her shoulder and she saw the same man from before, his hands tied around another man's throat while they both struggled to gain control over their opponent. Yui widened her eyes in shock when she saw Ruki's opponent, who was desperately trying to get out of his opponent's grip while dodging Ruki's fists. She took in the red hair, the green, menacing, possessive eyes of a tyrant; the cold and yet wistful expression…the fangs. The unbuttoned, plain white shirt that was now covered in drops of blood through various spots. The tight tie around the redhead's neck, one which clearly didn't help against avoiding being choked by Ruki who was, too, sweating and growling at his opponent's refusal to receive any one of the fists he delivered with such supernatural speed.
Yui recognized the man, and she whispered his name, but not one of the two vampires heard her, they were now pushing each other roughly and with hostility, dodging each other's fist while kicking the opponent's jaw. Both men were dropping blood from their mouths, but they still resisted each other seizing one another by the shoulders and thrusting the other one against the side of the limo. The redhead's head banged against the window, he growled momentarily before getting up and running up to Ruki, yelling while clawing at Ruki's throat despite Ruki kicking the spot between the redhead's legs.
Yui was too shocked to react, her worst nightmare had become her reality, at least for now. Ever so slowly, she had recognized the man who had made her past something she didn't want to remember. Memories came flooding through her mind, and she pushed them all away, trying to ignore the burning of her throat and the dry sensation she felt inside it. Yui again tried to stand to reach out for the glass of water but she felt something claw at her heart- not literally, but the clawing sensation made her scream, agonized and traumatized she had to live through such condition. She remembered six vampires all smiling down at her with cold, impassive eyes. She remembered them each stripping a part of her floor-length white dress as drop of bloods smeared into it from distinct sides of her body: her cheeks, her thighs, her neck, her lips, her shoulders, her wrists, her ears, her chest. She felt sinful and filthy, and she couldn't bear the flashbacks she was experiencing. Let alone the increasing pain.
Yui's pain grew at an extreme rate. The pain was so unbearable that when she tried to sit up to reach the nearby glass of water that stood on top of a small desk, she fell backwards, her hands instinctively wrapping themselves around her chest. Her wounds felt fresh all over her body, she remembered the scars on her back and chest, on her wrist and neck. She knew who Cordelia had reminded Yui of.
Ruki was now sitting on top of the redhead Yui was sure to be Ayato ever since her eyes met him. Ayato was growling and obstinately resisting Ruki, who sighed and said something in a foreign language. Yui only understood one word out of what Ruki spoke- newborn. She didn't understand why she was sure the word had meant this, but she just recognized it so quickly. Ruki took a knife from his pocket moments later after Yui had recognized the word. Ayato flinched, but he still didn't stop his act of protest. Ruki's arms held the knife steadily, his kness had come up to Ayato's neck to keep Ayato from moving his head. Without reluctance, Ruki thrust the knife inside Ayato's left cheek, cutting through the flesh and moving the knife along, deepening the cut that bled excessively. Ayato resisted with more force and more wrath than before, so Ruki suddenly brought down his knees to rest on Ayato's chest, where he positioned the knife before striking.
Yui couldn't stand the blood loss and the thirst any longer. Her head bounced off the wall as the limousine tilted towards the right, then quickly towards the left, causing Yui to lose her balance and bang her head against the same window as Ayato had before, only that her head rolled from the wall to the window, then back to the wall after Yui's collision with the glass had caused this one to break. Ayato watched in terror as his prey's head received a rain of broken glass on top, causing her to drop to the floor, her shoulders, neck, and head bleeding from cuts and injuries that caused her to drop unconscious, leaving Ayato behind without knowing whether he'd received Ruki's stab in the chest or not.
She didn't know either that Ayato had screamed her name so loudly he had caused the rest of the glass to break, falling on top of Ruki, who did get stabbed, only it wasn't Ayato who stabbed his chest, for he had instinctively ran to Yui's side, and once he reached her, he licked her cuts and brushed delicately the glass away from her face, hair, and neck as hastily and deftly as he could manage. Who was it, then?
''So,'' said a calm, lethargic male voice. ''You disappeared to find her.'' Ayato gave the man who stood in front of him a cold glare, then resumed to licking Yui's wounds, ignoring the hunger her blood caused him.
''Reiji was about to declare your death,'' the man continued, his tone intimating a small hint of amusement. ''He actually seemed anxious to find you, when he didn't, he just assumed you had committed suicide because of her.'' The man pointed at Yui with his hand in an exasperated gesture.
''Whatever. Tell me, Shu, why are you here, eh? '' Ayato said to his eldest brother in an angry tone.
''I went to search for you, when I was about to give up, your blood scent drove me here. Something is wrong with her,'' he added in a solemn tone Ayato didn't like. ''Oh, I didn't know that, imbecile, sorry for not acknowledging the obvious- that she is injured!'' Ayato said dryly. Shu understood the disguised worry and desperation in Ayato's tone and expression. He couldn't believe Ayato had affection for the mortal.
''Now, if you don't have any other smart remark to make, then you can just leave me with Chichinashi!''
''I'm serious, Ayato. Something is wrong with her. You know it through her blood. And look at her pupils! Are you going to tell me her eyes were always green?'' Ayato stopped licking Yui. He then understood why Yui's scent was harder to resist than usual. ''That Mukami…'' Ayato began. ''He had called Chichinashi ''Eve''. But the only way for that to make sense would be if- Wait…can the prophecy come true if the bride has already be given as a sacrifice?''
''Dunno…'' replied Shu lazily, then he added, ''All I know is that as future king I shall not let any filthy Mukami lay a hand on my prey.''
''She is my prey! How do I get that through your freaking head, dumbass!'' Ayato yelled at the top of his lungs. He hated it when any one of his brothers claimed Yui, he was her only one! He would make sure of that. There were still many things he wasn't willing to share. Yui was one of them.
''Okay,sure.'' Shu dismissed his brother's tantrum. Awkward silence followed. Ayato continued to lick Yui's wounds, which were now quickly healing because of him. Her face was still pale, though. Ayato considered what else he could do for her, but nothing came to his mind. His eyes wondered around the interior of the limousine, they came upon the Mukami's body. Ayato hadn't even noticed Ruki had been stabbed.
''Hmp. Finally you do something useful, eh,Shu?'' Ayato smirked. Ruki was laying on the floor, bleeding from his chest and mouth, covering the carpet with the crimson liquid. ''Might as well kill him and then-''
''Don't.'' A female voice said. Ayato turned his head to face Yui, but she still rested against his chest, while he held her fragile, damaged, helpless, mortal body in his arms. She was still unconscious. A warm hand was placed on Ayato's shoulder, startling him.
''She needs water now that you have healed her wounds, her blood is not as rich as it should be because she is missing water in her body. She is dehydrated, Ayato, go fetch that jar of water, please!'' The girl in front of him exclaimed, frantic. It took a minute for him to recognize her, for he had left the Sakamaki mansion almost immediately after Yui had escaped, determined to find her. Sakura, his sister, stood glaring at him as she dropped besides Yui, departing her from Ayato and examining her body for more injuries.
''Ayato, the water, please!'' She repeated.
She placed her hand on Yui's forehead and realized it was cold with sweat. Yui's face was pale, her pupils appeared green when Sakura opened her eyelids. Yui's heart rate was slow and irregular, without any specific pattern to it. Sakura snatched the jar away from Ayato when he approached with it, then poured the liquid into Yui's mouth. Sakura waited for a reaction. Why did she ever advise her friend to leave the mansion alone? Why had she gone with her boyfriend on a date leaving poor Yui behind at the dinner table when Reiji had announced Yui had reached the age to marry one of Sakura's six brothers? Why,why,why, Sakura thought over and over again. She was so filled with regret and compunction, she knew it was her fault Yui had escaped, and then disappeared without saying anything to Sakura, who sat, her legs crossed with Yui on top of her lap, crying silently without even noticing until Ayato put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
''Thanks, Ayato.'' Sakura whispered. '' I think it would be best if we brought Yui somewhere where she can be checked and treated.''
''Maybe that man could help us, after all, we're his sons and she is to be one of his sons' bride.'' Shu suggested.
''No, no I don't want anything to do with him.'' Sakura said, her voice rising.
''It's not you who will get involved, it's Chichinashi who will.''
''No, Ayato! Yui won't leave my side ever again and while that happens I shall not let that man near her, you hear me!?'' Sakura snapped at her redheaded brother.
''That man? Shouldn't you be calling him father?'' Shu said with a smirk.
''Stepfather!'' Sakura reminded him. ''I will not allow him to do anything for her. I will pay Yui's hospital bills myself if I must!''
''Woah, there, sis.'' Ayato quickly told his sister. ''Who said anything about bringing Chichinashi to a hospital?''
''Don't tell me you actually expect the four-eyed to heal her.'' Sakura said solemnly. She stared at her brother's expression, he actually did expect Reiji to heal Yui. The idiotic Ore-sama relying on Reiji, lovely. ''Because, just so you know, that idiot is probably going to cause Yui new scars after mending her present ones.'' She argued, defensive of Yui.
''That's what she is for ever since she arrived, anyway.'' Shu commented.
''You don't get a say in this, so shut up!'' Sakura and Ayato said in unison. They both disliked Shu. Sakura disliked him because he was too impassive and careless towards Yui, while Ayato hated any ''male bitch'' who had access to his girl. No, it was his ''prey'', right? Right. Just go along with it, ignore the fact that Ayato does care for her.
''Sakura, what I was saying is that if Yui is brought to a hospital, they will question how she got all those scars, you know. They may even accuse us Sakamakis of domestic violence or some shit like that.'' Ayato argued.
''Then I will find a doctor who won't question!'' Sakura yelled. She didn't like how her brothers looked, they seemed almost menacing, as if they were prepared to separate Yui from her. But Sakura wouldn't let Yui go with them back to that horrible place, not ever again in a lifetime.
''Hey, Sakura, I know you are excited about seeing Chichinashi and all that, but you know Reiji will object to this-''
''Object!? I bet you just think that because you don't have the balls to go against him!'' Sakura exclaimed angrily. ''Why object, because Yui 'must receive her punishment' or because Yui is 'an incompetent, rebellious, livestock'?'' She continued while making exaggerated gestures in the air. '' Well I couldn't care less! Reiji isn't the head of the house, anyways! And besides, in case you're wondering, I have Cordelia on my side, so just you try stealing Yui away from me, bitches!''
The mention of the dead woman startled the brothers. As if by cue, they moved away from both females. Sakura took this chance, '' The Mukami is awake!'' She lied, while pointing a finger towards Ruki who still laid, bleeding on the carpet that clad the car's floor. Both brothers turned and ran towards Ruki. Sakura muttered a quick apology while she picked Yui up and opened the car's door. Reluctant, she compelled herself to jump forward with Yui in her arms, praying that Cordelia was following the plan Sakura had proposed. If she wasn't, Sakura might as well be committing suicide.