-Flashback-

"Daddy! Mommy! Come look at this view! It's pretty!" I, of six years, said excitedly.

In the middle of October of 2012, my mother and father decided I was old enough to go explore the outside world-with them watching close by.

My red pea coat with three black buttons protected me from the autumn wind along with my black stockings, flats, and thigh length black skirt.

I jogged down the orange-ish red colored sidewalk as more red, orange and yellow leafs fells from the trees above.

"Don't go too far, Sayomi," said my Mother as she smiled at me.

"She's right, Sayo. If you travel far, you'll get lost," said my Father with his common emotionless face.

"No, I won't!" I replied, jumped in every square of the sidewalk.

He smiled a bit, "Oh, yeah? How so?"

I stopped and turned around, "I know you and Mommy's scent. If my nose was blocked by a smell, I would have to listen for cries..."

My Mother's face scrunched up in confusion, "Cries? I would cry if you were kidnapped, but I feel like you're implying something else."

I nodded, "If I made a successful escape from the kidnapper, I would listen to a child's cries to find my way back to this area."

"Do you know this child's name?" my Father asked me, seeming concerned.

"Mm-mm. He keeps crying and saying he wants to go home. I wish I could meet him..." I said with a distant look.

"Yu..." my Mother mumbled.

I tilted my head a bit, "Hm?"

She made a closed eyed smile, "It's nothing. Mommy's gotta meet up with a friend. Ryota, look after her well," she said and ran off.

My Father turned to me, smiling, "Everything's gonna be okay."

"...Gentle..." I muttered.

I didn't know why I said that and what it was supposed to mean until the ending of October.

-Flashback Ends-

Approaching two doors, I pushed them open and saw what looked like a never-ending scientific laboratory with rectangular, sealed metal boxes.

I slowly walked down the aisle, staring at the people inside, 'Some of them are..the kids from the orphanage, my second family.'

I stopped at familiar one and approached it, then I laid my forehead and left hand on the glass.

"Aiko...forgive me, for I was weak," I said with closed eyes.

"Far from it if you ask me," I heard Crowley's voice along with...six footsteps.

I opened my eyes, "At least, now I am," I spoke and pushed off the metal box she was in.

Facing away from them, I kept walking down the long aisle of metal boxes, keeping my composure of trying to break down.

I needn't look behind me to see Yu silently crying because...you can say he, Mika and I have a connection.

As long as he was by his side, I knew Yu would be okay.

'How strange. I'm not picking up any scent of him nor am I sending him. Dante, due explain.'

'There's no need, because look to your right.'

I did as she said...and there was a white coffin with a green snake emblem in the middle.

The bars on the sides are silver and thin tubes filled with a blackish red liquid were connected to the side as well as going in the creases.

Putting two hands on each side, I paused in my movements for a minute or two before sliding the coffins door to the side.

A mist of smoke spread out in the area and I took a few steps back, coughing and trying to fan it away.

"Sayo! You're not supposed to touch anything! Much less open one of-"

I cut Shinoa off by falling to my knees when the smoke cleared and cupping half of my cheeks and lips as tears slid down my cheeks.

"...You're here after all..." I said, staring at one of the people I love...

Ryota Kiiro, my Father.

I stood up and cupped his pale, cold left cheek with my right hand, "Padre, estoy tan feliz de que estés vivo. Cuando todo esto haya terminado, te diré como a ti dismo de cuánto he superado," I spoke in Spanish.

("Father, I'm so happy you're alive. When all of this is over, I'll tell you as yourself of how much I overcame.")

A pair of steps stopped next to me, "Woah...who is this guy?" Mitsuba asked.

I slowly smiled, "...Ryota Kiiro, my father, supposedly king of the vampires in Japan."

"Him? Wow..I must admit, he's handsome, but why does he look so young?" Shinoa said and asked.

I frowned, "...He died at twenty-one. I was only..six. My mother...I didn't know her age. She died on the 24th of October...same day I-"

"Came to the orphanage," Yu finished for me, staring at my 'sleeping' father, "You were speaking in a different language. What is it?"

"I speak seven languages. You'd only understand two out of the seven," I said and took a step back.

'Dante, like the rest of the others in here...will father be revived as well?'

'I'm surprised you figured that all out by just looking. I've taught you well, Sayomi. And the answer to your question...it depends on someone.'

'Someone? Who is this someone?'

'Not only someone, but what your friends think. This even has to do with what decision you make...and it'll be hard to accept this person's request.'

'Just tell me!'

Shinoa turned to Crowley, "Really, are they going to help us?!"

He mushroom sighed, "Ask Ferid."

"Prepare your weapons!" Narumi shouted to us.

I was confused on the situation until I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and a smelling a familiar scent.

"...Hey."

"Huh?" Mitsuba and Yu spoke confusedly.

I narrowed my eyes, "Guren."

"HUUUUHH?!" Yu shouted, "Guren! Eh...Guren! Hey, Guren! Is that really you?! Explain!" He was freaking out.

"And why are you suddenly rambling so loud, you little kid!" Guren yelled at Yu and chopped him on the head.

"Ack-! Ow!"

'Don't tell me...'

'Unfortunately, yes. I know you have a grudge against him for what he did to Yuichiro, but please, put that aside for now. Can you do that?'

'I'll...try. I can't say that for Mika though," I said and glanced to him, who was staring at the small gathering.

Smiling a bit, I walked over to him and pat his soft, pale blond hair with my left hand.

"You want revenge, don't you..."

He glanced down to me, "He stabbed Yu. What do you think.." he replied coldly.

I moved my hand from his head and cupped his left cheek, "Slowly...but surely...you're losing your emotions," I said in a concerned tone.

"Don't worry about me. Worry about yourself," he told me and carefully took hold of my hand with his right and held it.

To be honest, the way he was holding my hand and being caring towards me meant he still has some emotions.

Also, Mika was making me blush because being care and loved for by a male was foreign to me-romantically speaking.

"To think the First Second Female progenitor would choose a newborn as a king is breaking the rules," said Crowley. I could hear the smirk in his voice.

My face turned light pink as I looked away, "I don't have time for that. Besides, I doubt I'll ever have a king throughout my lifetime," I said as I let go of Mika's hand.

There was a presence and I looked around. My eyes went back to my father's body.

Narrowing my eyes at the weary presence, I slashed at the empty space in front of him with my claws.

It's a good thing no one else noticed what I did except for Mika, who looked at me with a questioning gaze.

"I thought I saw something..." I said, just glancing around more.

Out of my peripheral vision, I saw a hazy figure in front of Shinoa and I narrowed my eyes, trying to get a better look of the outline.

'...Dante, it's her...'

'I know. I'd like to know why she's here...Naive question. Mahiru is Guren's demon and even though she's...far from dead, she still has motives and intentions.'

'Similar to how you are guiding me, but you're many things. A seraph to put it simply.'

'If you'd like...I can tell you what she's telling her little sister.'

I closed my eyes, 'I can't be considerate in this situation because it's Mahiru Hiragi. Go on.'

For a little while, Dante stayed silent as I placed the coffin's door back over my father's 'sleeping' body.

As she kept listening to the one-sided conversation, I looked down to my hands that had the markings of Dante's power...my mother and father's power.

'Sayomi, don't get angry,' she told me in a hesitant tone.

Already, I felt a wave of anger, 'I'm calm. Tell me what Mahiru said to Shinoa. Nothing bad, I hope.'

'Mahiru was trying to tempt Shinoa to drown in lust, quite a sin.'

'It is. But in lust? What do you mean and with whom?'

'She asked Shinoa-though she can't hear her-who she wanted to embrace in her arms. Look ahead.'

Yet again, doing as she told, I looked forward...and my eyes landed on Yu.

'Sayomi?'

Walking towards the group around Guren, I tried not to reveal my anger to which only my bangs shadowed my face.

I leaned against Yu's back, trying to calm down, '...I won't...I won't let Mahiru try to taunt Shinoa into giving you false feelings...'

He seemed to notice this despite paying attention to the situation and there were no longer any tension in his shoulders.

"Who is using my sister?" Kimizuki questioned.

"... Hiragi. Kuerto Hiragi. He may be the one in command. However, he can't even stop her," Guren explained.

"Utilizing power you can't even control is naive," I commented, still learning against Yu's back.

"You're strong enough to bring her back to her senses, right?" Kimizuki asked me.

I poked head from behind his back, "Depends on the situation," I replied and put my head on Yu's back.

"...But then, who is behind this?" Kimizuki asked Guren.

"...Continuously...many years ago, I was also searching for this answer. The person who's behind this, I thought if I got rid of that individual, all problems will be solved."

I stepped from behind Yu, "Tell me, Guren, did you think it was Sayoko Kuribayashi or Ryota Kiiro?"

"Sayoko seemed like the average girl, so I didn't think it was her despite testing if she was behind this and not knowing she was the queen at the time. On the other hand, Ryota...a little too shady for my liking, but I knew he was just following orders."

I narrowed my eyes, "Okay..."

"For another instance, the Hiragis. Because of them, we slipped through many painful experiences. If I could get stronger, if I could get wiser...then, couldn't I just take what I want with my hands?" Guren explained and questioned himself.

'Don't just ask for it, dimwit. Pray for it. I swear, I wish I could tell him that, but he needs to learn for himself. '

"Being in a high position made me realize something," Guren spoke.

"What is it?" Narumi questioned.

"That the Hiragis are not responsible. The Hiragis and Japanese Imperial Demon Army...were all created to be used by someone."

'...Does that include myself? Or am I the queen on the other side of the chess board someone wants to get rid of?'

(Following the manga is kinda hard when you quickly forget what the character's gonna say... *sigh*)