Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Rosario Vampire. I am merely twisting the creator's vision into my own dream. If the supernatural, sexuality, or violence is offensive to you, then you should not read this.

Chapter 283.

People like to talk about how complicated life is. It is true that the connections between people, as individuals and as groups, can be tangled and difficult to understand. But at the same time peoples' lives are effected by very basic urges. Very simple laws of nature hold power over reality. An example of this is found in basic physics; 'For every action there is a reaction.'

What had started out as a stray thought turned into a bad idea. The bad idea became the force that set a chain of events into motion. From a stray thought, to a bad idea, to a sloppy plan, to a tragedy.

XxxxX

The old apartment building had seen better days. In fact, it was safe to say that it had not seen a good day in years. The run down building was an eyesore. The only reason it had not been torn down was because nobody cared enough about it. The owner didn't bother fixing it up because he did not want to spend the money to do it. He figured that as long as people were willing to pay rent, the building was fine the way it was.

That same attitude was reflected in the people that lived in the building. As long as they could live there, the building was good enough. The rent was higher than someone might expect, but being a little late with the money was overlooked more often than not. Not having proof of a steady income did not keep a person from being able to rent an apartment. No identification was required to sign a rental agreement. The signature did not even have to be more than a scrawl on the dotted line.

The careless attitude of the owner and the residents meant that the tenant in the corner unit could practically run a business without anybody saying a word. People, alone or in small groups, could come and go at any hour, and they did. A stash of heavy sticks was kept on hand for when the visitors needed them. Likewise, cans of paint were ignored when left in the trash.

The building was run down and uncared for. It was the perfect place for Tate no Kai to have a hidden office. In a neighborhood where everybody kept to themselves, strangers went unnoticed, most of the time.

Most of the time was not the same as all of the time. Small things were occasionally noticed and shared. A nice car visiting the area would be remarked upon. A man in a suit standing in front of a weather stained door in the middle of the afternoon was clearly out of place. Once in a while someone would even complain about a loud party.

XxxxX

Little things would add up over time. The superintendent of the local koban liked being a police officer, but he did not like the way his career had gone. The pay was decent, but he labored in obscurity. He wished for some kind of recognition. He wanted to have the kind of career that made a difference. Such thoughts were in the back of his mind as he read through reports on a lazy morning.

The superintendent was trying to plan out a better schedule for his staff. He was making lists to try to get an idea of what he could change. His district included mostly low income areas, so there wasn't the tax revenue to justify a large police presence in the area. The businesses in the area were mostly small stores and bars.

The bars were the kind of dives that people with taste would avoid if they could. Women with little going for them wore little more than underwear as they served cheep beer. When Tate no Kai raided one of the bars, they had beaten up a few drunks and splashed paint around. Most of the paint was left to dry where it was. One place had been raided three times so far. The owner of the bar had told the police that he may lose a few customers, but his place was getting a free paint job.

The run down, almost hopelessness of the area got on the superintendent's nerves. He wanted to take pride in his work, and work in an area he could be proud of. He actually liked it when the locals called in complaints about their neighborhood, because it meant that they cared, and so few of them seemed to anymore.

The superintendent sat at his desk, reading reports and making lists. When he looked down at his notes he was surprised to see that start of a pattern. Dates on two lists that were overlapping. One list was of the dates and times of Tate no Kai raids in or near his district. The other was a list of noise complaints called in. Out of eight dates for raids, four noise complaints had been made just a few hours later, about the same address.

It was weak connection of facts. The superintendent felt something stir in his chest. A significant arrest of a Tate no Kai officer had yet to be reported. Busting a regional leader could give the police the information to make a difference in the Tate no Kai fight. It would be the bright point he had always wanted to decorate his career. The thought bubbled up to the top of his mind, making the superintendent smile.

XxXxX

The superintendent had seven men with him. It was most of his available staff. His second in command was back at the koban. The two women that worked under him were day shift only, so he had left them out of his plans. Instead, he had pulled the day shift officer that was usually the desk clerk. He figured that eight men, trained officers, should be more than enough for the four or five thugs he expected to catch.

The report of a Tate no Kai raid in the district had just come in. One officer had been sent to make a report while the superintendent called in those that would be a part of his team for their own raid. As they gathered down the block, he felt a rush of excitement. As they closed in on the old apartment building, the police could hear the raised voices at their target destination.

The superintendent could almost taste the recognition he would get from the raid. He might even earn a promotion to a better district. Such thoughts were still sitting in the back of his mind as he gave the signal to his men to move in.

The old door frame never stood a chance. One strong kick and the door came clear off its hinges. The first two men rushed in. A third followed, yelling instructions.

"Police!" The officer shouted. "Nobody move! Nobody..."

The superintendent moved in. He had two men watching the windows for anybody attempting to sneak out a back way The last two followed their leader into the apartment. The superintendent had felt confident in his plan, until he made it into the apartment.

X

The scene inside of the apartment was wrong. The three officers that had made the first rush were already on the ground. The first real doubts were rushing into the senior police officer's mind, but were lost in the confusion. The thugs were all strange looking, as if they were confused or drugged. The superintendent thought for an instant that maybe there was something in the air, because he thought he was seeing things. The last thing he saw was a man in an ill-fitting suit with a green face.

It was a green face with angry eyes. The nose and mouth together looked more like a large, scaly beak. The kappa lashed out with a clawed hand. It was a vicious attack that ruined the man's face.

x

When the men watching the back windows grew restless, they moved to look in through the front door. The windows had been painted over from the inside and barred shut. But such details were unimportant by then. The two officers discovered their six companions on the floor of an otherwise abandoned apartment.

It was a tragedy. The first two through the door had broken arms and split scalps from where they had been hit to knock them down and out. The third man's throat had been ripped out. The two men that had followed the superintendent in had also been beaten badly. One was curled up, moaning weakly. The other was silent, the back of his skull caved in. The leader of the police raid could only whimper as he clutched at his chest. Like his face, it had been torn open to the bone. The man had been blinded and his face ruined. He was going into shock when his men found him.

XxxxX XxxxX

For every action there is a reaction. The superintendent had let his ego drive him to make a bad decision. While he had failed in his intended goals, Tate no Kai had still had their local base raided. The information gained by the police was minimal, but it could still be considered a kind of victory for the police in spite of their losses.

The raid against Tate no Kai had the unintended result of striking at another man's ego. He did not like the idea of losing one of his bases. The first one he had lost out of his own poor planning, but it had still been a blow to his ego just the same. This time the imagined insult to his self importance could not be overlook. Ignoring the fact that he had started the fight, he felt that it was only right that he seek retribution. And unlike the last time, the man knew just where he should strike back.

XxxxxxX

It was two days after the police raid that had ended badly. Lieutenant Tanaka and his team were staging out of the district koban as they tried to investigate what had gone so wrong. Not for the first time, Lieutenant Tanaka wished he had Tsukune back on his team. The young man was insightful and a hard worker. He was also a natural leader that motivated others. Without Tsukune, Tanaka was left with the simple tradition of being a stern commander to get people to apply themselves.

The real reason Tanaka wanted Tsukune back on the team was because of what had happened to the local superintendent. It was clear that the man had either been attacked by a bear or a youkai, and nobody had ever reported any bears in the area.

Tanaka was working through the reports on the superintendent's desk while his team was out asking questions and looking for leads. The pair of police women that were staffing the koban were working at half speed, shaken by what had happened. When he heard the shattering of glass, Lieutenant Tanaka was on his feet in an instant. Sticking his head out of the superintendent's office he saw that the front window of the koban had been smashed in with a rock the size of a melon.

He was still looking at the rock when the first bottle flew in through the broken window. It struck a desk and shattered. As a second bottle sailed through the window Tanaka recognized the smell of gasoline.

"Get out!" Tanaka roared. "Move! Now!"

A third bottle narrowly missed him as he hurried the women towards the door. The fourth bottle had a burning rag stuffed into its mouth. A wave of heat was at his back as he rushed out of the koban.

XxX

The man watched the news with a tight smile. The burnt out koban was a pleasing image to him. The neighboring buildings had been damaged by the fire as well. The man was sure that he had sent a clear massage to the police. If they tried to hurt him, he would hurt them worse. He had also sent a message to the ignorant animals that made up most of the population. The police could not protect them. Even being close to the police could put them in more danger.

Yes, the man was pleased. He knew that most of his followers would not be willing to escalate the battle quite so far, but enough would. He had thrown the flaming bottle himself. It was very satisfying to see flames burning away the koban; burning down the symbol of the ineffective and corrupt government. Yes... Fire was good for purifying the filth from the world.

XxxxX

Tsukune had seen the news reports. The failed police raid had been mentioned, but details had been withheld. The burning down of the koban however was too big on a story to be simply mentioned and set aside. While he was no longer a police officer, he still saw the attack as being against his own kind. When he saw the news he knew that the fight with Tate no Kai had just escalated to a whole new level.

After seeing the news report he had not been surprised at all to receive a call from Lieutenant Tanaka. After an attack that took out a koban it was only natural that the lieutenant would be looking for any resources that might help him find a way to strike back. It was only natural that when he was asked to come to a meeting that Tsukune would agree without a second thought.

The meeting was at a place Tsukune knew passingly well. It was the kind of lounge where business meetings were commonly held in comfort. It was the kind of place that could be considered neutral ground. The women that served the customers were dressed in uniforms that flattered the lines of their bodies without being immodest. The lighting was bright enough for reading contracts, but soft enough to be calming. The music was also set at a level that would not interfere with conversation.

When Tsukune arrived he tried not to let his tension show on his face. He wanted to help the lieutenant, but he was not willing to rejoin the police. Likewise he had an interest in helping out Ross and his people, but had no desire to become a member of the yakuza.

Since he was not restricted to public roads and dealing with traffic, Tsukune arrived at the club ahead of the others. He gave a polite nod to the doorman, a plane but strong looking man from the Youkai Academy Judo club. The club had been eliminated in the first round of the national matches, but they had been the first school club to even participate in interscholastic competition.

Tsukune had recommended the lounge as an alternative to Ross' club. While it might normally be counted as neutral ground for business meetings, Tsukune was not above wanting to make sure he had some advantages. The lounge was owned by one of Ageha's cousins. The bartender was an incubus who was very careful about which women he let work in the lounge, and was very protective of them. It was a well known that knowing your surroundings was important. Tsukune had chosen a meeting place where he could feel confident in knowing he had an advantage, without making the others feel like they were at a disadvantage.

Tsukune was glad that he had chosen a place for the meeting where he would feel comfortable. It helped him think calmly when the meeting went in a direction he had not expected. He had been been made an offer that was skewed from anything he had possible expected.