Chapter 3: Revelations

"Somehow, this is Akechi's fault." Ren grumbled. "I don't know how, but it is."

He stared at his car's engine in vain. His car wouldn't start. He knew how to change the oil, change the tires, maybe change a filter if he looked it up on YouTube, but anything more than that and all he could do was stared at the engine and go-

"Yep, that's an engine."

Ren looked over his shoulder to see a middle-aged man with a beard in glasses and a suit. "Thanks, I had no idea." Ren quipped.

The man folded his arms. "You're a regular joker, aren't you?"

Ren grinned. "My girlfriend says so, yeah." He glanced at his car, "Ugh. Sorry, I tend to shoot off my mouth when things go to crap."

The man was unimpressed. "Like when you drive off a vampire with a lighter and can of hairspray?"

Internally Ren's thoughts resembled a broken record stuck on FUCK. "Vampires? Uh, did you escape the old folks' home, Gramps?"

The man pulled out his phone and showed him a picture. A picture of a screenshot from a security camera of a certain closed down movie theater. That clearly showed Ren and Akechi after they had gotten out of the car. A swipe showed the next picture. Which was a fantastic shot of Ren scorching Akechi's face off. "Let me properly introduce myself. I'm Zenkichi Hasegawa, I'm a member of a team of vampire hunters, and I want you to join us."

Somehow Ren was able to keep his composure. "Okay, cool. How about this, no." Ren pointed back towards his car, "I've got over nine-thousand-yen worth of freezer stuff that I have to figure out how to get home before it spoils."

Zenkichi slapped the hood of the SUV next to Ren's car. "Tell you what, load 'er up and I'll give you a ride. In exchange, you hear me out. And as a show of good faith... Akane! Reconnect his catalytic converter!"

A voice came from under his car. "What the hell, dad! You didn't tell me I'd be putting this back on right away!"

"Akane, what did I tell you about calling me dad in the field?" He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Yeah, whatever."

As she was doing that, Zenkichi helped Ren load the groceries in his car. Unfortunately, he noticed the unholy number of cookies and juice that he was stocking up on for vampire bite aftercare. He explained it away by saying he was helping plan a surprise party for someone.

As they were on the way to the apartment, Ren quickly claimed the backseat of the SUV. He pulled out his phone and immediately sent a text in the group chat he shared with Makoto, Ryuji, and Ann. "Hunters trying to recruit me, they know how I repelled AK. M, A, if you are at the apartment GET OUT! They busted my car, so I had to accept a ride with them." He turned his phone to silent and slipped it back into his pocket.

"So, Ren. Something's been bugging me." Zenkichi said. "Why did you have hairspray in your car? You strike me as the kind of guy that just rocks whatever happens when you wake up in the morning."

Akane glanced back at him. "Almost like you knew a vamp was coming for you and knew what could hurt it."

"Uh..." Oh no. This was not good.

Zenkichi changed topic after noting Ren's inability to answer that question. "Did Akechi try to mind control you at all?"

Ren shrugged. "I guess? He tried to tell me to do some stuff, and got really pissy when I said no."

"What stuff?" Zenkichi asked.

"I don't remember."

The rest of the car ride went by in silence, and the apartment was completely deserted. He went through his contacts and sent a text to Futaba. Since Zenkichi was content to wait outside for him he fired off a text. "Need you to track my GPS, and feed constant updates to Takemi. Hunters are trying to recruit me; I'll gather what info I can. DO NOT REPLY."

There was a text from Makoto. "Takemi says to learn as much as you can about their numbers and goals. You have permission to reveal that there are vampires in Tokyo that live peacefully, as opposed to Akechi. Be safe. I love you."

He couldn't send a reply. He had to delete everything. After doing so, and putting the groceries away, he went back out to Zenkichi. After he got back in the car, the older man looked at him. "Anything you want to get off your chest? Now's the time."

"Hypothetically speaking, how would you react if I told you that not all vampires are bloodthirsty killers?" Ren said.

Zenkichi and Akane looked at each other. "Hypothetically speaking, I would be very interested in meeting these peaceful vampires. Because my boss is convinced that all vampires are evil monsters that prey on humans and take perverse delight in corrupting as many of us as possible."

"What do they drink instead of human blood? Hypothetically." Akane asked.

"Ha. You're funny. No, they still need human blood. For now." Ren said. "Hypothetically."

"What do you mean, for now?" Akane said."

"Let's drop the hypotheticals. Can you set up a meeting?" Zenkichi asked.

Ren nodded.

"We should call this in, dad." Akane said.

Zenkichi shook his head. "No. You know how they'd react. We need the full picture."

Ren called Takemi. "Hey..."

"The hunters want to meet? No. Absolutely not."

Ren coughed. "They seem... fine? Not bloodthirsty?"

"Unless they're killers." Akane said.

"I heard that. Fine. Bring them to the clinic after nightfall. We need to keep some cards close to the chest."

Ren relayed the time of the meeting to Zenkichi. "How do we know for sure these vampires are peaceful?" Akane asked.

"Because I've been fed on by three separate vampires." Ren thought for a moment, "Would've been four after tonight, but you guys'll probably kill the mood."

Zenkichi opened his mouth wordlessly, then closed it. "What are you, vampire catnip?" Akane asked.

"It's fine." Ren said, "As near as I can tell, I'm basically immune to mental control if I don't want it to affect me."

"How?" Zenkichi and Akane asked in unison.

"I'm built different."

The rarely used conference room at the clinic was suddenly very busy. True to his word, Ren brought Zenkichi and Akane to meet with Takemi. Makoto, Ann, and Ryuji were there as well.

"So, just... let me see if I've got this right. Takemi, you're a doctor. But also, a vampire who doesn't kill." Zenkichi said.

"Hippocratic oath." She spoke. "Do no harm."

"I'm sorry, that's bullshit!" Akane said. "With how much blood you parasites need-"

"Akane, no! They invited us here in good faith, no slurs!" Zenkichi snapped.

"Implying you would have no trouble using those slurs yourself if we weren't here." Takemi said, tapping her chin in annoyance. "I'll overlook it for the sake of cooperation. Akane, to answer the question you should have asked, vampires need only about a cup of blood a week to survive. We do take more to make sure we have a buffer in case we go too long."

Ann winced. That was one way to explain all the extra feeding they did.

"What?" Akane looked at her dad, her eyes widening in horror, "Then that means..."

"That all the killing that Akechi and his followers do is for fun." Zenkichi growled.

"More to the point, I am researching how to improve things for humanity and vampirekind as a whole." Takemi said. "I am actively engaged in developing artificial blood that is suitable for transfusions into any blood type and is also a suitable food source for vampires."

"No vampire would have to kill. Ever." Akane said. "Dad, that's..."

Zenkichi focused on the current state of events rather than rushing to the end. "How are you developing this? You'd need a lot of blood for experimentation. How are you sourcing it?"

Takemi nodded at Makoto. She sighed. "We co-opted a human trafficking ring. The... donors are being given comfortable housing and jobs at Okumura Foods. In exchange, we require only a little blood from them every two weeks. About the same amount as you'd give for blood work at the doctor."

"And you co-opted the human trafficking ring... how?" Akane asked.

"I beat the crap out of the boss's men. No one died. I didn't even feed off any of them. They probably would've tasted disgusting anyways. There... may have been a couple hospitalizations though..." Makoto said.

"Wait. The reports about the disturbance at the Rotten Ricochet. That was you guys?" Zenkichi asked.

"Me." Makoto said. "Just me."

"Yeah, that tracks." Zenkichi said. "Okay. We're just gonna... let you guys do your thing. One last question though." He turned to Makoto, Ryuji, and Ann. "You three. What are your names, how long have you been vampires, how were you turned, and do you have a body count?"

"I'm mortal." Ryuji said. "Sorry to disappoint."

"Ann Takamaki. Two years," Ann laughed nervously. "When you say body count do you mean sex or actual killing?"

"I..." Zenkichi shook his head, "Wait, how many people have you fed on? Wait, no. Never mind that. Actual killing."

Ryuji paled. "Oh, we're screwed."

"One. But he really deserved it." Ann said. "He broke Ryuji's leg and tried to force himself on me. Takemi stopped him."

"And then I asked her if she wanted the power to take revenge on him." Takemi explained. "You can guess what happened."

Zenkichi stared at Ann for a moment. "Okay, that's fine."

Makoto was next. "Makoto Niijima, about a week and a half-"

Zenkichi did a double take. "Wait, Niijima? You're Sae's sister?"

Makoto gasped. "You know my sister? Where is she? Is she alive? Why did she abandon me so soon after dad died?"

Zenkichi raised his hands. "Whoa now. She's alive. She left because she was training to be a hunter."

"What? Why?" Makoto asked.

Zenkichi and Akane looked at each other. "Did... your dad not tell you?"

Makoto was starting to get annoyed. And angry. "Tell me what's going on right now or so help me, I will make you tell me!"

"There's no need for that." Zenkichi said. "So... throughout the years, there's been a few legendary hunter families. The Van Hellsings, the Belmonts, the Swans, but they were mostly based out of America and Europe. For Japan..." He looked Makoto in the eyes, "It's the Niijimas."

Makoto slumped forward and hung her head. "You mean to tell me, that my entire family are vampire hunters, but I wasn't told about it?"

"It could've been to spare you." Zenkichi said. "I didn't tell Akane for years for the same reason. She figured it out after her eighteenth birthday though. But..." Zenkichi averted his eyes. "Makoto, Sae once told me she took up the mantle to protect you. Keep you from this life. When she finds out that you're a vampire..."

Makoto sobbed. "She'll want to put me out of my misery, right?"

Ren moved to her and put his arm around her. "That's not going to happen. I won't let it."

"Ren, no offense, but what can you do?" Ann asked.

"She's human too! I can kick her ass!"

"No, you can't." All eyes turned to Takemi, "Vampire hunters that have personal vendettas are more or less impossible to stop by any means other than killing them. Other methods are... inadvisable."

"And you know this... how?" Akane asked, a note of accusation in her voice.

"I've lived a long life. " She said. "I... fell in love once. With a hunter. I thought I could manage it, broker peace... it was a different time. Not like now, where there's enough of us who don't want to kill to actually make progress towards that. I lost control, killed my beloved. Their son hunted me relentlessly. I thought that turning him would end it, force him to walk a mile in my shoes. It only turned him into a bloodthirsty monster, lost to the thirst."

"Who was it?" Zenkichi asked.

"The hunter's name... was Goro Akechi." Takemi wiped her eyes. "This is why since that day I tell every vampire I meet to avoid falling in love. Yes, it does make your beloved taste like the sweetest nectar, to the point where everyone else tastes like ash... but one day, you will go too far. And in your sorrow, your rage, and your grief... you will carry doom in your wake."

Everyone was silent. You could almost hear a pin drop.

"Well, we're uh... going to go" Zenkichi said. "And we're going to falsify the report we submit. As far as I'm concerned, we found Ren, and he has no interest in becoming a vampire hunter."

"And that we met his girlfriend, Makoto Niijima, who is living a perfectly normal life and that the only vampires she's heard about are fictional." Akane said. "I'll have to do some surveillance on Ren and Ryuji's apartment to keep up appearances."

Zenkichi handed Ren a business card. "My number, just in case."

"Yes, that's fine." Takemi said. "You know the way out." After they left, she got up and walked out, head hung low. "I'm just so... tired. After I finish the artificial blood and I'm sure it's distributed enough to have the effects I want... I will probably find the nearest hunter and ask for a painless death. I've caused enough sorrow. Ruined enough lives."

Ren stood. "What about Akechi? You're just going to let him perpetuate the cycle?"

Takemi stopped, "What..."

"I got lucky this last time." He said, "If he wanted to kill or turn me, it would've happened. He isn't going to make that mistake again." He glanced at Makoto. "Now let's say Sae finds out about Makoto and kills her. Then I'll be the revenge-crazed one. Just another revolution of this stupid waste of life. No, we need to end it." He glared at Takemi, "And if you think you get to check out because things are hard, then you've got another thing coming."

Takemi rounded on Ren. "You think I haven't tried to kill him? DO YOU?" Ren stood his ground against her fury, although she thought it was more from stupidity than any other reason, "I can't! Because every time I've tried, I see his mother, my beloved! What would she think if she knew what became of us..."

"So, it's okay to let Akechi run wild? It's okay to run and hide behind your science project because you can't actually fix your shit?"

Takemi's face twisted into a mask of fury. "KNOW YOUR PLACE, MORTAL!"

The others flinched away. Ryuji ducked under the table. Ren stood unbowed. "Look at that, you're proving me RIGHT! The instant someone takes you to task you try to shut them up! You try to run away!" He moved towards her, jabbing his finger through the air. "How many more, Takemi? How many more lives does Akechi have to snuff out before you FINISH THE JOB?"

Quicker than any human could see or predict, Takemi grabbed Ren and pulled him close before extending her fangs. "Shut up. Another word and I'll kill you."

Makoto shot out of her seat, grabbed Takemi by the throat and slammed her against the wall. "You will not touch him. Ever again."

Takemi growled. "You ungrateful little bitch. I saved your life."

"Pretty sure I did that, Takemi." Ann said. She had extricated Ryuji from under the table and was standing in front of him.

"Ren's right." Ryuji spat. "Get your shit together."

"Get out." Takemi said. "All of you. Don't expect any help from me or the rest."

Makoto released her and made sure to stay between her and Ren as they left. Ann and Ryuji were right behind them. They walked for a while before they found a dive bar that was more or less deserted. They grabbed a secluded table in the corner.

"What are we gonna do?" Ann asked.

"Haru will probably still help us." Makoto said. "I'll give her a call."

"I'll get a hold of Futaba and Yusuke." Ryuji scratched his nose. "God damn, Ren. You've got some balls of solid titanium."

"Thanks." Ren muttered. "I'll keep Zenkichi apprised of the situation. Now... we need somewhere to meet. All of us, somewhere we can talk freely."

"Only place I can think of is the Pulse Point." Ann said. "But honestly, before we make any plans to unalive Akechi, we need to blow off some steam."

"The Pulse Point?" Makoto said, "I've never heard of it."

"It's a vampire bar." Ann said. "It's owned and run by the Yoshizawa sisters. They're fine."

"And fiiiiine." Ryuji said.

Ann hummed dreamily, "Oh yes they are." She cleared her throat. "We'll need a VIP room for privacy, but the normal cost is out of our price range."

"What about the..." Makoto knew she wouldn't like the answer. "Abnormal cost?"

Predictably, Ann pointed at Ren.

"No." Makoto said.

"Makoto... we've got no other choice." Ren said. "We have no resources, no protection, no safety net. As far as weapons go, we have my shotgun, plus a few lighters, and cans of hairspray. The only resource we have that we can get anything with is my blood."

"Fine, but I'm coming with you."

"Nope. Pump the brakes." Ann said, "Makoto, Kasumi and Sumire will be expecting you to treat Ren normally. By which I mean as a possession. He can't do any of the talking, and you will have to be a frigid bitch. And he's going to need some recovery time after they're done with him."

"When you say recovery time..." Ren asked.

"A day. Probably." Ann tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "We should... yeah, that'll work. We should call Haru. We need to prep you."

"Prep him?" Makoto asked.

"Up until now, he's only had one vampire at a time feeding on him. Two or more? That's a whole different beast." She shrugged, "Besides, I did say we needed to blow off some steam."

Ren decided to bring some light back to things. He chuckled. "I'm in danger!"

Makoto facepalmed.

"Wait! Wait... guys. This is dumb. For real." Ryuji said. "You all realize this sounds like a bad hentai flick, right?"

They all looked at each other. "Do you have a better idea?" Ann asked.

"I mean, the Yoshizawas are peaceful vamps like you and Makoto, right?" He shrugged, "So we probably just need to ask."

Ren facedesked on the table. "Ryuji, best buddy. Why are you ruining this for me?"

Makoto groaned, "Ren, I swear to God, if you say the part you were looking forward to the most was the vampire twins..."

Ren assumed a dignified silence.

"Can't really blame him to be honest." Ann said.

Makoto wanted to disagree, but she couldn't. Bisexuality had hit her like a runaway truck when she had been turned. "Uh huh. Okay, we'll get everything together, then talk to the Yoshizawas. If that doesn't work..."

"There's always Zenkichi, right?" Ann said.

"Yes. If we want my sister to try to murder me."

Haru answered her phone immediately and listened to Makoto's tale.

"Of course, Makoto. I did say I wanted to work with you again after all."

Yusuke nodded as he listened to Ryuji. "Yes, I'll help. Akechi is a blight that must be stopped."

Futaba explained the situation to Sojiro. He nodded. "Yeah, you can help them. I'm going to as well."

Futaba cocked her head. "How?"

"Follow me."

He went into his living room and to the thermostat. He switched it back and forth three times. Then the back wall retracted, revealing an armory fit for any vampire hunter.

"WHAAAAAT?" Futaba shouted.

Sojiro smiled as he picked up his trusty machete. "The Niijimas aren't the only legendary hunter lineage in Japan."

Maruki had assembled everyone for Zenkichi's report. This was bad. It meant he was preparing for war. Zenkichi had a choice to make. He could corroborate what his report said, go with the intial lies he had planned. That Ren and Makoto wanted nothing to do with this dirty, deadly business. He could tell a half-truth, that they were mixed up with vampires, but that they were fine. That was dumb. Sae would force an investigation, and she would find Makoto as a vampire. Then she would be on the warpath, and Ren... that crazy kid would undoubtedly defend her. It would be a massacre. For all he knew, losing Ren would have the effect of making Makoto into a worse Akechi down the road.

No, there was only one option. The truth, and nothing but.

"So, Ren won't join us?" Maruki said. He shook his head, "That's disappointing."

He glanced at Akane. She gave him a slight nod. Of course, she knew what was happening. He was that easy to read if you knew what to look for. Mishima... That boy worried Zenkichi. He hadn't seen actual combat yet; he mostly handled the tech stuff. He had no idea which way he'd go. Then there was Sae, imperious as ever. He was about to tell her that her sister -who she had sworn to protect- had been turned into one of the very creatures that she had sworn to destroy. "Actually, sir... my report isn't accurate. I just needed to get everyone together for my actual report. It needed to be in-person, to stop any rash decisions that may cause untold amounts of pain. I ask that no one leaves this room until I'm finished."

"What are you hiding?" Sae asked, "You know full well that lies only lead to tragedy."

He ignored the barb. He'd leave it to Akane to send Sae a withering glare. "First of all, peaceful vampires are a thing."

"Nonsense." Maruki said.

"Well, I had a chat with three of them, and not once did they try to hypnotize me or rip out my throat. They still have to feed on humans, of course. But as it turns out, the amount of blood that they need to survive is a whole lot less than we thought." Zenkichi explained.

"How much?" Mishima asked. The boy was naturally curious, he had to give him that.

"A cup. Sixteen fluid ounces if you prefer."

Sae shook her head, "But that means Akechi and his followers... kill because they like to?"

"Yeah." Zenkichi said grimly, "Now, one of the vampires I met is Tae Takemi. She's a doctor, has her own clinic and everything. She's working on developing artificial blood that can be used for transfusions for humans of any blood type, and as a food source for vampires."

Maruki leaned forward. "So, they wouldn't have to feed off humans anymore..."

"You said three vampires. Who are the other two? And how does Ren play into this?" Sae asked.

"First up we have Ann Takamaki. She's been a vampire for about two years or so. She was turned right around the time she turned eighteen. Crappy gym teacher broke her boyfriend's leg and tried to be the worst kind of person." Zenkichi resisted the urge to adjust his collar. He couldn't betray his nerves now. "Takemi stopped him, then asked Ann if she wanted to take revenge. You can guess the rest. That's her only kill, by the way. I'm more than willing to give her a pass on that."

"Who's the final one?" Mishima asked.

"Sae, I need you to promise to not go on a rampage." Zenkichi said.

She shook her head. "Why would I do that because... of..."

"Makoto Niijima." Zenkichi said, each word acting like a dagger to her heart, "Ren Amamiya's boyfriend. And as of a week and a half ago... vampire.'

"NO!" Sae screamed. "YOU'RE LYING!"

"She was attacked by Akechi. He was going to turn her, but Takamaki interrupted her. She had to be turned to save her life."

Sae was beside herself as she sunk to her knees. "No... Makoto... I swore to protect you... let you have a normal life..."

Zenkichi knelt down beside her. "Sae, listen to me. She hasn't killed anyone. She is not a threat."

She slowly regained her feet. "No... that just means I can stop her before she hurts anyone." She turned to the door and started walking, tears flowing from her eyes.

Zenkichi grabbed her shoulder. "Sae, you need to listen to me!"

She shrugged him off. "I outrank you." She spat.

She walked out of the room and began to head to her personal armory. A tap of an RFID card activated the second layer of security.

"Voice Recognition, provide passcode"

"Makoto." The doors slid open, and she walked inside. Among the various guns, bows, axes, and other implements of death lay a single katana. She took it in her hands. This was the Muramasa. Passed down from Niijima to Niijima, many a vampire slain by its eternally razor-sharp blade. She drew the blade and held it before her. "I'm sorry, father. I failed in my duty. I failed to protect Makoto. She has become the very thing that I have sworn to destroy. She has become a vampire." She sobbed. Everything that she and her father had sacrificed, all for nothing. "I will not fail again. I will put an end to her wretched existence. I will give her a painless death. On... p-pain of de-"

"Sae."

She whirled around. "Maruki? Sir?"

"Don't swear any oaths just yet. The situation has changed. Ren has contacted us through Zenkichi." He pressed his lips together, "I don't like the idea of working with vampires any more than you do, but we may need to." He turned and walked away, which Sae knew was the signal to follow. "Ren told us that Takemi has abandoned his little circle of humans and vampires. They intend to take the fight to Akechi, as they feel that he lays at the center of a circle of pain that has been choking Japan for far too long."

"The vampires are willing to fight and kill their own kind?" Sae asked.

"Yes." He bowed his head, "According to Ren, Takemi and the other older vampires have refused to address the issue, so it falls to the young ones. We must answer the call." He looked over his shoulder at Sae, "A condition of this alliance is that you will not try to kill Makoto."

"I refuse." Sae said.

"Had she sought out a vampire and begged to be turned, I would agree with you wholeheartedly. But it was a cruel twist of fate, one that need not be perpetuated. Imagine if you will, a vampire hunter who is also a vampire. What an incredible force for good they could be."

"SHE IS A MONSTER!" Sae screamed. "SHE NEEDS TO BE KILLED BEFORE SHE-"

Maruki spun around. He rarely raised his voice, but something in him broke. "SHE IS YOUR SISTER! YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO NOT FOLLOW MY PATH, SAE NIIJIMA! TAKE IT, I BEG OF YOU!" He wept bitterly, "Rumi was set on me like a dog by Akechi. Makoto is refusing to become what nearly killed her. I had to kill her to survive. You do not."

"I... don't?" Sae wept, "But I... swore that I would... kill all vampires... even if... even if..."

"I've heard that vampires say that their morality exists totally within shades of gray." Maruki said, "Perhaps it is time we become more flexible as well."

"That's a relief. Thank you for the update, Zenkichi. Please have your group meet us at Pulse Point after nightfall. You'll need to come in the back to avoid a panic." Ren said. "Uh huh. Yeah, see you then." He flopped back on his bed. "Good news, Makoto. Sae won't try to kill you."

She sat at the desk in his room. "Thank God." She sighed and held her head in her hands. "Ren, why do I feel like we're courting disaster? Even with the hunters, we have no information about where Akechi's lair is. We don't know numbers. We don't know how much weaponry he has. Should we have just let this go?"

Ren tried to laugh it off, "Aw come on, if I can fight him off with a lighter and can of hair spray..."

Makoto shot him a look before relenting and letting out a single laugh. "Ren, I have a question. If you get hurt, what do you want me to do? Do you want me to turn you?"

"I mean, I'll miss getting fed on..." He dodged as Makoto threw the stress ball on his desk at him. "But yeah. I'd happily trade that for eternity with you."

She slowly stood and walked over to him. She took off her leather jacket and let it fall to the floor, leaving her in her pants and tank top that really made staring at her abs almost impossible to resist. She was conflicted about what she was about to do. With the coming war against Akechi, it made more sense to feed off other mortals. To not compromise her beloved. But yet...

If they were to die in the coming days, they would regret not reveling in each other while they had the chance. Ren sat up and looked at Makoto. She had that hungry look in her eyes that she always did before she fed on him. She slowly reached out for him-

"Oh my God, will you two just feed or fuck or whatever?" Ann shouted from out in the hall, "Ren's heartbeat is driving me crazy!"

Makoto raised an eyebrow at Ren. A wordless question that she already knew the answer to. He nodded enthusiastically. "Really, Ren? Maybe I should just give Ann and Haru permission to come take a bite of you whenever they -or you- want?" The way Ren's eyes lit up was adorable. Makoto finally decided to stop fighting it. "When did I ever say you couldn't join us, Ann?"

Ann practically blew the door of the hinges. "Really?" She grinned, "Because Ryuji's over with Haru tonight. So, I... am going to stop talking." She redid her hair in a single ponytail to help keep it out of the way. Then she joined Makoto in looming over Ren. They looked at each other and nodded.

"What are you-" Ren yelled as they pulled him to his feet and sandwiched him between them. Makoto pulled him into a kiss while Ann laid kisses on his neck and shoulders.

"You'd better strap in, Ren." Makoto whispered into his ear.

"Because we're gonna make this a night you'll never forget." Ann said.

"On a side note, how attached are you to this shirt?" Makoto asked.

It was just a black v-neck. "Not much, why!"

They ripped it off of him. Ann took her shirt off a moment later, judging from how her breasts felt against his back. Her hands began to explore his abs while Makoto lavished attention on his upper chest. All the while they kept up an endless barrage of kisses that were shorting out his brain.

"Should I hypnotize him, Makoto?" Ann asked, causing Ren to finally let his moans out. "Ooh, Ren likes that idea!"

"For what reason?" Makoto said. She reached down and grabbed his crotch. "He's already ours." With no patience left, she ripped off her own tank top, with no regard for keeping it intact.

She looked at Ann, and saw the molten lust in her eyes. Makoto realized that she wouldn't be satisfied with just Ren tonight. She dismissively threw him back on the bed before rushing forward and kissing Ann.

Ann laughed, "I was wondering how long it would take you to figure it out, Makoto!" She kissed her back, their tongues dancing to a beat only their hearts could hear.

"Are we just going to end up in one big convoluted polycule?" Ren asked.

The girls paused and looked at him. "I'm down." Ann said.

Normally Makoto would say that this was a terrible idea, but her lust was rapidly subjugating her common sense. "I thought I made that clear already, Ren. Didn't I say that you could beg for me, Ann, or Haru to bite you whenever. You. Want?"

Ann giggled. It had taken long enough, but she was happy that Makoto was finally embracing her superiority. "Maybe we should make him beg." An evil smile blossomed on her face, accented by her extending fangs.

Makoto mirrored her smile and fangs. "You heard her... pet. Beg."

Ann laughed. "About time you learn how to play around with that, Makoto."

She nodded wordlessly. Everyone present knew that she didn't actually see Ren that way. Makoto was just giving her dear boyfriend the fantasy he wanted.

It was all too much for poor Ren. He immediately fell to his knees. "Please feed on me! I need it! I want it! Please!"

With a burst of superspeed, Makoto and Ann moved in unison and pinned Ren down on the bed. This would be perfect. One side of Ren's neck for each of them, while their bodies were in reach of the other. "Hey, Ren, wanna know a secret?" Ann said, "I like it when good boys like you grab my ass while I feed."

Without delay both of them bit down on their respective sides of Ren's neck. Unable to handle the double dose of pleasure, he screamed. Desperately needing something to do with his hands, he followed Ann's instructions for both of them and grabbed both her and Makoto's asses.

"Good boy..." Ann moaned as she lapped up his blood. She closed the wounds on her side and bit Ren again, eliciting another moan from him.

Makoto looked over at her, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. "Did you just..."

Ann leaned over and kissed her. "We're trying to make him feel good, right?" She went to Ren's ear. "And it definitely feels like we're succeeding..."

Makoto followed her lead and was pleased to find that Ren reacted much the same way. She caressed his cheek as she bit again. "Is this too much? Do you need us to stop?"

"A little more is fine..." Ren said, "One each..."

They happily dove into his neck and gave him what he wanted. After they were finished, they made sure to lick up and down his neck. Better safe than sorry, it wouldn't do to antagonize Sae and the other hunters by having Ren walk in with his neck covered in bite marks.

"Ann, there's a mini-fridge under my desk." Ren said, "I need some juice and some cookies."

"Sure." She slid off of him and the bed and retrieved her shirt before walking over there.

Makoto helped him sit up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good." He grinned, "And for the record, you treating me more... uh..." He blushed and averted his eyes.

She captured his chin and made him look at her. "Are you saying you like it when I treat you like my property?" At his nod, she smiled. "Good. You're mine."

He latched onto her arm and melted into her. "Hey, hey." Ann said. "You can be a slut for your girlfriend making you obey later. Drink your juice."

Ren grumbled and took the juice and package of cookies from her. "Yeah, yeah." Ann laid down across their laps, with her head on Makoto's.

"So, how exactly does this work?" Makoto asked. "This whole loose polycule thing,"

"It's simple." Ann said. "Me and Ryuji are super open, basically I'm bisexual but Ryuji-romantic. For you, you're clearly bisexual, judging by how much attention you were paying to me, and you're Ren-romantic. Ren's just a bite slut. And Makoto-romantic."

"Only women though." Ren said. "I ain't into dudes."

"And how does Haru fit in?" Makoto asked.

"Uh... let me check." Ann grabbed her phone. "Oh, damn. Ryuji was having about as much fun as Ren. And... oh. Turns out Haru is Ryuji-romantic too. Eh, that's fine. Wait. That means he tastes good to her, what the hell?"

"She did say she has weird taste buds." Ren said around a cookie.

Ann hummed. "That just means we get to give Ryuji the same treatment we gave you tonight." She giggled. "Oh, that boy is not ready..." She glanced at Makoto. "By the way, you acting more vampy is super-hot."

Makoto rolled her eyes. "Well, now that I know that Ren enjoys it when I treat him like that..."

"Don't wuss out now, Makoto." Ann jabbed.

She turned her eyes on Ren. "Now that I know that Ren enjoys it when I treat him like he's my toy, I suppose I can stop being all uptight about other vampires expecting me to act that way. God, Takemi would be so smug right now."

"Nope! That's a dirty word. Don't say it." Ann said.

Makoto ignored her. "It's just... do you think we're really on our own? Or will she come around?"

Ren yawned. "Don't know. But if I had to guess... she'll come around." He started to nod off.

"Why?" Ann asked.

"I taste too good."

Makoto rescued his juice before he zonked out and put it on his nightstand along with his glasses. Makoto and Ann got off of the bed, leaving Ren to his slumber.

Ann stretched, "Well, I'm gonna hit the clubs, grab a few more bites. Wanna come with?"

Makoto stared at her. "Do you ever get enough?"

"Blood?" She shrugged. "That's more secondary. I'm all about the seduction, making a mortal mine with just a look and a word... Mmmmm, that's the good stuff."

Makoto pondered that for a moment. It did sound lovely. "I... don't have anything to wear."

"That's quitter talk. You know I've got you." Ann grabbed Makoto's hand and dragged her along. "Come on, let's go be the source of a few fantasies..."

Sae stood in a corner of the private room at the Pulse Point where they were meeting Ren and his friends. Some were already here. Haru Okumura for one, the half-vampire heiress to Okumura Foods. That had been a shock to learn that the monolithic conglomerate was controlled by vampires.

It also made the constant complaints about it being soul-sucking to work there that she had heard darkly humorous.

Some other vampires that were sympathetic to the cause of the purge of Akechi and his marauders -as the other vampires had called them- had trickled in as well. Kasumi and Sumire Yoshizawa, the twin proprietors of the club, and Hifumi Togo, the Shogi prodigy.

It was slightly alarming how many vampires were sitting in positions of prominence but with the new stance of allowing those who wanted to be peaceful to live their lives, there wasn't much Sae could do about it.

She did rest her hand on her sword out of habit. Hifumi had noticed, and had given her a little nod, indicating she understood.

Zenkichi came in with Akane and Mishima, who set up shop next to Futaba, the daughter of another hunter, Sojiro. Another father-daughter duo.

Zenkichi came over to her. He raised an eyebrow. "Two swords? I thought you said dual wielding was for fools with a death wish and inadequate men who feel the need to overcompensate?"

Sae gave off a ghost of a smile. "One is a gift."

Zenkichi whistled. "Really? Maruki said he managed to keep you from a suicide run at her, but..."

"She may be a vampire, but she is still a Niijima. She must be armed as one." She took the sword on her back off and placed it on the table. There was a painful pause as her hands ghosted over the sheath. "How is she?"

"She's fine." Zenkichi asserted. "Lots of friends, supportive boyfriend." He made a pointed look at Sae, "She would've died if they hadn't turned her."

"I know. I just... I don't know which is worse, Zenkichi. Her dying or her being turned." Sae wiped away a tear before anyone noticed.

"Easy, dying." Zenkichi said. "Me and Akane had a long talk about this last night. We both wish that Aoi was still here, even if it meant she was a vampire." He shrugged. "Akane's also... going to tell the other vampires that if she gets hurt badly, they have permission to turn her."

"What?" Sae whisper-shouted, "But..."

"She would be alive, Sae."

It was just as well that she had no reply, because Ren and Makoto walked in. Sae's breath caught in her throat. She was undeniably a vampire. Pale skin, a more voluptuous figure than Sae remembered her having, and... well, her eyes had always been red. Zenkichi wisely vanished.

She saw Sae and began to walk over. "Hello, sister." Makoto said, "It's been a long time."

"Yes, it has." Sae said. "I... what are you doing with your life?"

"I was going to college to become a detective so I could search for you." Makoto laughed. "Seems kind of silly now."

Sae laughed. "Yes, a little. How are you?"

Makoto's smile saddened. "Do you mean in general or... the other thing?"

"The other thing." Sae needed to hear it from her.

"It might not be what you want to hear, but I'm truly living my best life." She shrugged, "I can eat all the sweets I want and never gain weight." She shook her head. "It certainly helps that Ren is... into it."

Sae sighed. "He's vamp bait, isn't he?"

Makoto rolled her eyes. "Very much so, yes. Fortunately for our relationship, vampires have a very loose definition of monogamy."

Sae scanned the room. "It appears that the Yoshizawa's forgot to eat breakfast this morning." She deadpanned,

Makoto looked over to see Kasumi and Sumire pawing at Ren. They had both latched onto his arms and were batting their eyes at him. "Ah, yes. I did tell them they could have a turn with him if they wanted. It looks like he'll be in their care tonight."

"You seem... at peace with this." Sae said.

"I've only recently learned to embrace the hedonism of it all." She noticed the odd look Sae was giving her and had the presence of mind to look embarrassed. "Ann and I shared Ren last night. It was heavenly."

Sae was once again forced to revise her prejudices. It seemed like the foremost point to feeding was the pleasure in the act, at least for Makoto and her friends.

"Ren, you incorrigible little-" Makoto cut herself off as he planted chaste kisses on Kasumi and Sumire's cheeks. "If he's not careful, they'll eat him alive."

"Like you haven't done that already, Makoto?" Sae said. She turned to the table and gestured to the sword. "This is for you."

Makoto saw a katana in the sheath, with the kanji for eternal and vigilant near the hilt. She drew it part way and marveled at the quality of the blade. "Sae, this is..."

"Your birthright." When Makoto's brow furrowed in confusion, she explained. "For as long as is recorded, the Niijimas have wielded katanas in the fight against vampires. This is the blade that would've been yours if you had been trained properly."

Makoto drew it again, marveling at her reflection in the blade. "What's it called?"

"It has no name yet. That duty falls to you."

Makoto wracked her brain for a moment before selecting a fitting name from Japanese folklore. "Masamune. The blade that only cuts that which is deserving." She sheathed it, then looked to her sister for approval.

Sae smiled. Some things never changed, it seemed. Maybe it didn't matter that Makoto was a vampire. Did she now carry that awful curse that forced her to prey on her fellow man? Yes, but she had turned it into... well, not a force for good. But something that wasn't truly negative.

"it's fitting. You chose well." She frowned. "Makoto... how are Ren and Ryuji going to fight? They have no training and no powers."

"Ren says he has a plan for that, apparently it's only slightly insane." She smiled, "Also, saying they have no powers is technically inaccurate. Most vampires think Ryuji smells bad."

"How so?" Sae asked.

"Moldy cheese." Makoto admitted. "Ren is more or less immune to any sort of mental control unless he wants to be affected."

"Why would he ever want that?"

"He likes it when I make him kneel."

Ren swiftly called the meeting the order now that Ann, Yusuke, and Ryuji had arrived. "Thank you for coming, everyone." He spoke. "I've asked you all here because enough is enough. Two weeks ago, me and Makoto were attacked by Goro Akechi. Had Ann not intervened, Makoto would be under his sway, and I would be dead. There are many stories like this where there is no happy ending. It's time to put a stop to this, once and for all."

"Do we have any information about where he's holed up?" Zenkichi asked, "Otherwise we're searching for a needle in a haystack."

"We're working on it." Mishima said. "We're cross-referencing mysterious disappearance cases with cases of murders that the victim seems to have been torn apart. We need the data to collate, but-"

"It's the Port of Tokyo." Futaba said.

"When and how?" Mishima protested, "Is this some vampire thing?"

"Uh, I'm mortal. Sorry to burst your bubble." She pushed her glasses up her nose before explaining. "I'm extrapolating from known data, but yeah. It's the ports."

"Great! Now, Yusuke. You said your Talent will help us know when to attack?" Ren asked.

He nodded before stepping forward and laying a hand on Ren and Makoto's shoulders. "My Talent is called Fateweave. I can touch someone and look into their future for specific events. This is the first time it's ever been useful." He closed his eyes. "We attack in one week. Akechi has no idea we're coming or doesn't care. I dare not look further, lest what I see become fate."

"What about you and Ryuji, Ren?" Sae asked, "How do you expect to fight? Makoto indicated you have a plan."

"Yep!" Ren said. "Ann will hypnotize us, and while we're under, plant the idea that we can predict, react to, and counter a vampire's attacks. She will also install a trigger phrase that turns it on."

"Have you tested this?" Zenkichi asked.

"Sure have!" Ryuji said, "Let's show 'em, Yusuke!" He cracked his knuckles. "It's showtime!"

Yusuke rolled his eyes, then dashed at Ryuji. In the next moment, Ryuji somehow knew exactly where to grab and how to pivot to plant Yusuke neatly on the ground. Then he pantomimed beheading him with an axe for the sake of demonstration. "Show's over."

Mishima raised his hand. "Um... can I volunteer for that?"

Ann laughed and winked at him. "Aw, don't be shy, cutie." The blush that spread across his face was reward enough.

Akane cleared her throat. "I would also like to volunteer. In the spirit of cooperation."

Sae facepalmed. "Why?" She said more to herself than the rest of the room.

"It's a tale as old as time." Sojiro said. "We hunters eventually find an opportunity to take the s out of slay and run with it."

"I was specifically trained to not do that."

Sojiro scoffed. "That explains the stick up your ass, Niijima."

"Excuse me?"

"ANYWAYS." Ren said, quickly regaining control of the meeting, "We'll meet the day before the attack to plan our strategy. In the meantime, Mishima and Futaba; we need to know the lay of the land. Do you guys have camera drones? Yes?" At Mishima's nod he did a little fist pump. "Great! Do a flyover twice a day, one at day, one at night."

"Why at day?" Sae asked, "Doesn't sunlight... no."

"All it does is make Makoto swear when she goes out without sunglasses." Ann quipped.

"Alright, good talk." Ren said. "Meeting done." He gave Makoto a kiss, then walked over to the Yoshizawa sisters.

Kasumi and Sumire immediately pulled him out of the room and to the dance floor.

Makoto sighed. "Well, he's going to be all tuckered out tomorrow." She glanced towards the door. "Especially if they're hitting the dance floor first."

Haru looped her arm through Makoto's and Ann's "But that's no reason we can't have some fun too. Come on, ladies."

Sae watched this and shook her head. "I'm going to leave before my sword hand gets itchy."

"Probably for the best." Zenkichi said, raising an eyebrow at how Akane had dragged Mishima along and they were approaching the trio. "Eh, for all they know they might only have a week to live."

"And how does letting vampires feed on them..." Sae interrupted herself. "Let me guess, stick up my ass?"

Zenkichi shrugged. "You said it, not me."

Sae considered that for a moment. "Let me know if a goth mommy vampire joins us then. I would be happy to let her work the stick out of my ass."

Zenkichi sighed as she left. It was a shame that Takemi had abandoned the kids. "You may have missed your chance."

A/N: And so, the confrontation marches ever closer.

Technically, Ren's car trouble was Akechi's fault.

Hoo boy, those were some hefty revelations. Sure hope the fallout doesn't...

Oh. Well. Ren's right, by the way. Whether Takemi will figure that out or not, we'll see.

Thank you, Ryuji. For being the voice of reason.

Zenkichi ultimately does the right thing here, even if it's technically a betrayal.

Oof for Sae. Luckily Maruki of all people talks her down.

Insert "It should've been me!" Meme here.

The first "let's go unalive Akechi" meeting happens. Makoto realizes that she's literally Blade. Except Japanese.

Ren's crazy ideas work again.

Ren's living his best life, and Akane and Mishima are in for the night of their lives.

Sae needs a goth mommy vampire to work the stick out of her ass? Huh. Is that foreshadowing? Maybe.

Until next time.