The next day, our squad headed out to the next mission, which was our original plan: fighting the vampires in Shinjuku and taking some land back.
Shinoa, Mitsuba, Yoichi and I sat at a table outside near a broken restaurant, eating canned foods.
Yu kept nagging Kimizuki to let him drive as he tried to hot-wire a car.
"Sayomi?" I heard Yoichi speak to me.
I looked at him as I supported my face on my hands, "Hm?"
"Aren't you hungry?" he asked me with a concerned expression.
"I ate earlier before we left," I replied with a small smile.
'Lying to them will only end in them despising me foe deceiving them. All humans get upset if lied to..'
"Well, this a chance to eat again. Suit yourself," Shinoa said and ate another spoon of beans.
Glancing away from them, I saw a piano not too far away from where I sat and got up.
Walking up to it, I pulled out the chair and sat on it, then put my fingers on the keys.
"You play?" Mitsuba asked me.
"Mhm. I also know how to play the flute, violin, base, koto, and regular or electric guitar."
Closing my eyes, I inahled, then exhaled, thinking of a song I used to sing to my second family.
"~You, rest inside my mind,
~Since the day you came, I knew you would be with me.
~All the time we spent,
~What we shared was surely,
~Warm enough to know you care for me," I sung.
Playing the instrumental part on the keys, I swayed my head at the beautiful tune, remembering when my mother taught me this song.
"~Light, floods through memories,
~Helps me walk my path, I'll keep my head up high.
~Words and faith, and love,
~Your strength gives me ho_pe.
~Someday, I'll find you with open arms~," I finished the lyrics and kept playing the piano.
(FF13-2: Memories by Joelle.)
Feeling hands on my shoulders, I turned in my seat to see Yu smiling at me.
"I haven't heard you sing in so long. It's nice to hear your singing voice again," he complimented me.
Smiling at him, I blushed a little, "When I sung lullabies to the kids at the orphanage, you seemed to be bothered by it."
"I really wasn't. Your voice is beautiful," he complimented me again.
"Yu has a point, Sayo. Your voice is really charming," Yoichi complimented me, too.
I could tell Yu got a little protective because he held me close to his chest.
I glanced back to see Shinoa and Mitsuba chuckling as Yu glared at Yoichi, who waved his hands in defense of meaning no harm.
"Hey! The car's up and ready to go!" Kimizuki called out to us.
~Tiny Counterclockwise Time Rewind brought to you by 'Thank me later for the input of this.'~
I kept walking around, not looking for human children.
Hearing a voice from very far away, I stopped as my left ear twitched behind my hair..listening intently.
"~Light...
~Helps me walk my path...
~Words and faith, and love...
~Someday, I'll find you with open arms~."
Though I could barely hear what that person was singing, I didn't care.
In that very moment, I thought I would faint from hearing that very melodious voice again.
I shook my head, 'It can't be...This thirst is making me delusional...'
"We're done here," said Rene.
"Get your head out of the clouds, and let's go, Mika," I heard Lacus call.
Turning around, I started to walk behind them.
'...She could've died from not having any human blood..like I will sooner or later.'
~Tiny Time Skip~
After a car incident with Yu smashing it into a pole, Kimizuki decided to be the one to drive since none knew how to drive and Shinoa was...short.
Embarrassing as it already is, Yu suggested I sit on his lap since there were only five seats to which I refused.
I decided to sit next to him on his left side as Kimizuki kept driving. My body may have been hourglass shaped, and I am Yu's height, but my body was small enough for two in one seat.
"Sayo, do you know how to drive? I would expect you at least know how over four years," Yu asked me.
"I can drive, but I drive like a bat out of hell, so.."
"That sounds fun. Kimizuki, pull over and let Sayo drive," Yu responded.
"And sit by you? Hell no," he replied bitterly. "Plus, that sounds dangerous!"
"I'm curious. What else have you been doing over the past four years?" Shinoa questioned.
I looked behind the seat and at her, "Studying both sides of this war as well as learning about them more."
"Like a spy?" Yoichi questioned.
"Yep."
"That also means you've secretly infiltrated both sides and gathered information on things we don't know about," Mitsuba pointed out.
I slowly smiled, "...Classified," I spoke and turned back in my seat.
Quickly glancing to Yu, who stared at my reflection, I looked down and stared at my marked hands.
'I didn't lie there, I just simply spoke one word...which will rise their suspicion even more.'
Gasping as I felt a presence up ahead, I looked up and we saw a vampire approaching us.
"Hit him!" Yu shouted to Kimizuki.
Opening the door's handle, Yu held me in his arms and we all fell out the car as it head straight for the vampire..noble?!
Before Yu and I could make contact with the ground, I shielded him by turning towards the ground.
I noticed Yoichi had drawn and shot five arrows at the noble.
"Sword, drink my blood," I heard him say with my intense hearing.
Blocking his arrows and deflecting them back towards Yoichi, who was left vulnerable, we stood in front of him in a type of formation.
Shinoa and Mitsuba cut the arrows down with their weapons.
"Everyone! Do not go off on your own! The enemy is a vampire with a class one weapon! He's not like the vampires we've fought so far!" Shinoa explained.
The vampire noble swiftly moved behind her and was about to attack her, but Yu cut his arm off just in time.
"Uh-oh...You're strong for a human. I wonder who you are.."
My eyes widened in realization, 'No! Not now! Of all vampires, it had to be Crowley Eusford, a thirteenth progenitor, and he knows me!'
His two servants, Horn Skuld and Chess Belle, landed near his side.
Crowley studied us for a while until his eyes landed on me and sparked with interest.
"I didn't know what you looked like underneath that cloak, but I do remember those eyes, Angel. You're pretty cute."
Yu growled and was about to charge at him, but I held him back with my right arm.
I narrowed my eyes, "What are you doing here," I demanded from him.
"I should've known under that conservative demeanor of yours was a mean woman. Aren't we friends?" he asked with that menacing smile.
"There is no reasoning with you," I said and summoned Himezuru-sa from my right hand.
"Lord Crowley, who is this female human?" Horn Skuld questioned.
"She's an acquaintance of mine. She appears to be human, but I think otherwise. We fought a couple times before and I must say, she's skilled."
"Her? Horn, let's handle her this instant!" Chess Belle spoke and ran at me.
"Fine by me," I said as I shoved Himezuru-sa into the cement and took off my jacket, laying it on the hilt of my sword, revealing my full qipao.
"Wait, Sayo!" Shinoa yelled.
Charging at Belle, she swung her sword at me, but I caught it with my left hand and hit my forehead against hers.
"Owie!" she grunted childishly.
She stumbled back as I kneed her in the stomach and dropped her sword. About to do the final attack, I felt a presence behind me.
Roundhouse kicking someone, my right ankle was caught by Eusford.
"Hmm, your blood smells delicious," he said and was about to take a bite on my leg.
With all my strength, I kicked him closer with the flick of my foot, then plunged my left hand through his chest.
He let me go as I back flipped towards my bewildered team mates. Shaking my hand free of the blood on my hand, we heard him chuckle.
"You've become stronger, I see," he said and turned around.
"Lord Crowley, enough fooling around. He is awaiting our arrival," Skuld informed him as Belle stood next to her with her arms around her stomach, glaring at me.
"I suppose you're right." He glanced back at us, "Next time, I wouldn't mind fighting you and that human."
With that being said, they retreated.
*Silence*
I slid my jacket back on and grabbed Himezuru-sa, "Don't pay any mind to what you just saw."
Yu stared at me with wide eyes...until a wide smile stretched on his lips.
"You're such a bad a$$, Sayo!"
Blinking in confusion, I nervously smiled afterwards, "O-oh..thanks?"
Despite Yu's happy aura, the others stared at me in disbelief, surprise or suspicion.
~Small Time Skip~
Since the car had somewhat crashed into Eusford earlier, we had to run to Shinjuku on foot.
'I know they want answers, and they will get them...just not now.'
["Emergency! Emergency! There's a vampire attack!"] Someone yelled on the speakers.
'Why did it have to occur as soon as we got here?' I groaned in my thoughts.
Perking up at a crumbling sound, I looked up to see a building about to crumble and fall down.
"Move it!" I yelled at them and they noticed the building about to fall down, getting out of the way.
The building that was hit by the vampires' helicopters were shot down by arrows.
Looking to a building where a row of men were lined up, they had bows in their hands, drawing more arrows.
"Are those bows like mine?" Yoichi questioned as he studied them.
"No, it's a downgraded version," Shinoa responded.
"Those are just normal weapons, but they're called Enchanted Gear. They're a simplified version of the Black Demon Series," Mitsuba explained.
'I see. The skilled gets the Cursed Gear and the less than normal skilled get the Enchanted Gear. Why didn't Guren give me that...unless he knows something I don't...'
While the others were planning their next move, I ran off towards a concrete pathway.
Running up the concrete, then on the side of a building, I jumped into midair when the building's end came in view.
Flipping myself downward, I grabbed one of the remaining helicopter's blades with my right hand and stopped it from moving.
Glancing to an area where there were no people, I flung the helicopter in that direction.
I did somersaults in the air to not make my landing as harsh. When I did land, I didn't have any injuries except on my right hand.
"I don't know how you did that, but you're kicking major a$$, Sayomi!" Yu said and ran pass me to attack a vampire.
Smiling a bit, we went to help him out with extinguishing more vampires.
One ran at me, but I grabbed him by his neck and did a rock bottom move into the concrete under me.
Another tried to grab me by my neck, but I caught their left arm with my right, twisting it, making her fall.
Smashing her face in with my left boot, blood leaked from under it.
I ran at another vampire and dodged her blade, then grabbed her neck and pulled it backwards, making it break off.
Dropping her head, I glanced to a group of vampires that looked phased by me.
I smirked, "Who's next?"
~Small Time Skip~
["Everyone, please wait. As the tides of battle will soon turn. Next are orders for Shinoa Squad from Lt. Col. Ichinose. Head over to the fifth district! The enemies' leader is at the intersection! Please, hurry!"]
"It must be serious if he's calling us for help," I mumbled to myself.
"The fifth district?" Yoichi questioned.
"It's close! We'll get there in no time!" Kimizuki informed.
"Alright! Let's go massacre those vampires!" Yu shouted as Kimizuki led the way.
'Sayomi, something is wrong here.'
'What do you mean?'
'You can sense it, but..I can't explain. Just be on guard and keep your eyes open.'
I smirked, 'You got it.'
(Er-mer-gersh! We're finally here! I've been waiting so long to rewrite this moment! Reader-chan/Reader-kun, get freaking ready because next chapter is the reunion!)