Author's Note: This chapter marks a transition into some darker and sexually implicit concepts.

I have updated the rating of this story to M: for Mature.

This is where I should have rated the story from the beginning, but I started a long time ago and it has evolved: this is not intended as a young-adult level story.

Continue reading at your own discretion.

Akechi Goro was angry at his father, but that wasn't an usual circumstance. That particular simmering indignation was almost a part of Akechi's existence, like how water surrounded a fish; and Akechi thought that a fish out of water really wasn't a fish at all, it just looked like one; The water imparted a definitive "fish-ness" to the creature that was essential to it- take it away and you just have some gasping, flopping, slimy shit.

Akechi mused about undersea creatures, the seafood market, and fish dinners all the long ride down to Ota district. Pointless thoughts which drifted from image to image in an uncertain logical chain, but which served the purpose to distract Akechi from his own steaming frustration. This impromptu ride across the city had not been in his plans for this evening.

He'd been where he was supposed to be: at his father's right hand during an important city council meeting. His father, Masayoshi "Shido" Akechi, was entrancing the Minister of Trade and the Minister of The Walls why integrating Okumura Security into the city guard was a good idea- when a messenger had entered the council chambers. The young man had done that stupid bowing walk of an embarassed intruder: quick but small steps, a bent back that was a sort of persistent, bopping half-bow- making him look like a heron trying to swallow a particularly defiant frog.

Akechi had wanted to scream at the moron. You're just doing your job, dumbass! It's the single justification for your stupid existence, so at least don't apologize for it! Shit!

But the bobbing imbecile had arrived and whispered the most annoying name of the year: Niijima. Fuck, why wouldn't that gutter trash get the hell out of Azabu? Akechi had spent his childhood hearing his father gossip about the Niijima Family- the pariahs of Tock-Yo high society.

Mr. Niijima kills a few noble vampires. Big deal. Akechi was pretty sure it wasn't that hard, but; oh my, Mr. Niijima is sooooo amazing. And the asshole gets rich, thinks he belongs in Azabu, and buys a house. Then some other rich moron lets Niijima fuck his bitch daughter, and she pushed out two more bitches just like her. Then he goes off somewhere and dies.

That should be the end of it right? The world getting back to normal: with no income, the house would be sold, the name forgotten, and the daughters so destitute they would be useless save for a passing good fuck. And Akechi had more than a few fantasies about those daughters- both of them, at the same time. They may be from trash lineage, but the stars sure had aligned when they were born.

But no!

Apparently, the brains of the ascendant Niijima family had not vanished with Mr. Niijima- only the cock. Rather than diminishing, the finances of the Niijima estate had diversified and grew. They owned land and businesses throughout the city. Akechi had heard his father exclaim in surprise that the Niijima family's wealth had multiplied, and that complaint had come more than once in recent years.

So someone with brains was still living in Niijima Manor- maybe it was the elder daughter. But Akechi was positive it wasn't the push-over youngest daughter, Makoto. Yeah, she was pretty. Yeah, she looked good in a dress. But the uncertainty behind her eyes just got Akechi's instincts revved up: here was someone that could be possessed, here was someone to be used. And, fuck, Akechi would have had a real good time using her: an innocent debutante, blushing from her first claim to fame in the city because she'd fooled everyone into believing that she'd killed some vampire.

Bullshit. That flaming head had been the fakest thing Akechi had ever seen in his life. But whatever- the people believed and one must always respect the power of stupid when it moved together in large groups- you can't fight the tide. The victory gala gave Akechi a chance to profit from it, too; Slather a little attention on the new culture princess, and then slather something of his own onto the small of her back later that night.

But then that fucking fake vampire had shown up! Strutting in clothing like he thought he was a real person. God, it was so obviously phony.

But like the protagonist of some trashy penny-dreadful, Niijima Makoto was all starry-eyed for a half-blood freak- who fucking father should never have allowed in the city in the first place. And at the very moment Akechi was taking the breathless Makoto into his arms at that gala (and later, he would do the same in her own bed), that fucking vampire had stepped into his face and turned Makoto against him! Fucker! Don't get between a man's cock and his next cunt!

And then! The freak had killed a vampire at the party and became double infamous in the city: Niijima's Dog, people were calling him- but in a good way!

Well, a bitch needs a stud. Fuck.

Now, Niijima Makoto's name was on everyone's lips, too- which was why father wanted to be notified anytime something was happening with the Niijima family. And that's why the stooping messenger bobbed his way across the council room to tell him: Niijima's butler was at a City Guard outpost in Ota distract: his young mistress had broken into someone's house and hadn't come back out- oh, and the house might have a vampire in it.

Too fucking stupid to make up, honestly.

But fucking father, in front of the entire city council, ordered him, Akechi Goro; Captain of the Guard, to ride down to Ota and see what the Niijima bitch was up to. So there was nothing to do but swallow his tongue and go like- like- like he was Shido's Dog! Which was an alarming similarity to the title of Niijima's Dog, which made Akechi feel like he was somehow akin to that hafu freak.

And that fucking pissed Akechi off.

So when he and his squad of ten men dismounted in front of the Madarame Estate and found the front porch deserted and the windows dark- despite the sky turning the dark purple of near-night- Akechi found his anger rising to a new zenith: if this was some fucking goose-chase and no one was even here...!

FUCK!

Akechi strode to the wooden double-doors. His men glanced at his face and practically fell over themselves to get out of the way. Akechi drew his sword and used the pommel to pound out a demanding announcement- taking specific care to damage the white paint in as many areas as he could:

"Open up! Open up in the name of the Guard! Open the fuck up!"