Love Hina Fan Fiction ❯ K2: The Crimson Daylights ❯ Chapter 4

Keitaro was groaning as his arms and legs were sore. It was bad enough that Laharl wanted another spar after breakfast, but now, he even increased the weights again by 10 kilograms. He stated that Keitaro seemed to be proving himself fast in improving, and hence increased the weights. Keitaro complained inwardly, though… he didn't feel like he accomplished anything. And now, he'll be even more of a disadvantage against Laharl.

 

Again, after lunch, Keitaro and Laharl visited Su, who was now seemingly busy telling her robots in constructing something. Laharl was about to ask what Su was planning, when Keitaro answered the question in Laharl's head, “I asked KU to build some additional facilities here.”

 

“Like what?” Laharl asked.

 

“Well… I just suggested a gym or a place where I can work out,” Keitaro stated. “But KU added more stuff, like a place to practice weapons, and even a medical facility.”

 

“After last week, I didn't want you die bleeding to death, ya know,” Su stated as she got back to them. Typing a few more things to a holographic keyboard that came from her bracelet, another holographic screen appeared, and showed the map of the lab Su wanted to build after everything was done. Keitaro and Laharl both agreed with her that it looked quite good.

 

“Easy access to the infirmary, and the whole map isn't complex enough to get lost on,” Keitaro muttered. “I think it looks great, KU.”

 

“Thanks,” Su smiled. “I just finished my new invention by the way!”

 

Leading them to her workshop, Keitaro noticed that Su was pointing at the jacket she was working on last night. Wearing it, though obviously too large for her, she then smiled at both of them.

 

“What does that jacket do?” Laharl asked, curious.

 

“Here… pull these two strings here…” Su then began to pull the two strings and after a moment… nothing happened. “Huh?” she pulled the strings again and again. “Oh man… I though I worked out the… WHOA!”

 

Suddenly, something from inside the jacket inflated and formed a sphere around Su. Keitaro and Laharl suddenly moved, and tried to grab Su before she was going to get hurt. There was an opening in the center split, but the sphere was too tight to open it long enough to get Su out. Laharl grabbed his scalpels out, and began to puncture the ball…

 

To his surprise, he couldn't penetrate the sphere until he finally put more force in his strike. Finally, penetrating the ball, it deflated, and Keitaro tried to see if Su was alright. She was alright… though more concerned about her invention more than her safety.

 

“Yeh… I thought I fixed that delay… and the deflating option didn't even work at all!” Su removed the jacket and hung it up again in her desk. “I'm gonna work on that.”

 

“Well… at least for a moment, KU, you got a rather large… bosom,” Keitaro chuckled. Su grinned at him in a silly manner. “So… what is it?”

 

“Ah well… I was thinking how you can safely go down big heights without being hit by bullets or sharp objects,” Su showed them the deflated material. “It's made of a hybrid rubber with Kevlar and other stuff; Stops almost any force that comes in contact with. You can dive 20 stories and inflate this, and all you'll have is just a slight bounce. KU's next generation parachute!” She paused. “Of course… there are bugs in place so I'm gonna work on them for now!”

 

Keitaro nodded. “Alright, KU. Me and Laharl are going to go to Tokyo… so, I'm gonna drive my little baby.”

 

“Sure, sure,” Su was so busy with the jacket to not even bother asking why they needed to go to Tokyo.

 

Keitaro smiled, and along with Laharl, walked towards the garage. As they both entered the car, Laharl removed his coke bottle glasses, and put them in the desk, and from inside his jacket, he grabbed out a CD. As they entered, he gave the CD to Keitaro, who looked at it questioningly.

 

“It's my house-warming gift for your new car,” Laharl replied with a smile. “One of the only Blues CD I got left.”

 

Putting the new CD in his CD player, the first track began to play. Keitaro began to hum along without much thought, and his shoulders began to dance. He found an urge to find some dark glasses. He grinned at Laharl. “Peter Gunn's theme by the Blues Brothers?” he asked.

 

Laharl nodded. “Guess you like it.”

 

“Yup… so… Tokyo?” Keitaro asked.

 

“Yeah… but there is something I need to go first before we go to the vampires. Can you drive me to Mahora Academy first?” Laharl asked. “Know the place?”

 

“Sure… yeah, I know the place… why do you want to go there first?” Keitaro asked.

 

“I'm a teacher there… and I'm going to give my students a surprise project to cover my absence,” Laharl stated.

 

Keitaro looked at him. “You'll spring a surprise project?”

 

“Yeah…? Why? What's wrong?” Laharl asked.

 

Keitaro didn't reply, just shaking his head. What kind of teacher would just spring a surprise project?

 

Starting his car, he revved it up a bit, he pushed a button that Su gave him 3 days ago that let him exit and enter the garage without her help. He went towards the first gear, and drove out of there, the music playing rather loudly as they began to go towards Tokyo, the Kantou region.

 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 

Tokyo, Kantou Region, Mahora Academy

 

1 hour later…

 

If there was something about being a U-Agent that he loved is the way he could access some of the underground tunnels that connected regions. The tunnels were like normal roads except without traffic, and connected from one region to another.

 

In Keitaro's DB9, there was a GPS unit along with it, showing him the paths towards the tunnels and where they led. Laharl beside him didn't mind the tunnels as he seemed to be putting some notes in a notebook, Keitaro guessed it was for his teaching work.

 

“Laharl… what time is your class anyway?” Keitaro asked.

 

“We still got a good 20 minutes, and since we're already near Mahora, rushing isn't an option,” Laharl closed his notebook. “Don't worry… I'll just spring my notebook, and get back here.”

 

Mahora came to view, and Keitaro drove towards the High School section that Laharl was pointing, and parked the car in between two cars. Laharl went down and began to go towards the classroom.

 

After a few moments, Laharl came back, and nodding, he went back in the car. “Well, now that we cleared that, we can finally go and visit the vampires.”

 

Keitaro nodded, and reversed his car, and began to exit Mahora Academy. Then, he drove slower than usual, concentrating the CD. It was mostly by the Blues Brothers, but there were some from soul singers like James Brown. It was quite a solid mix, in his opinion, though Laharl didn't seem to bother to put his input.

 

The demon hybrid had tensed the moment they left Hinata grounds, away from the anti-mana field. He suddenly closed his jacket, and put some gloves on. But his reaction in entering Mahora Academy, which was considered a place that was rich in mana, was much worse.

 

Whatever this curse of Laharl was, it seemed to really bother him.

 

High school girls and college girls seem to stare at the DB9 of Keitaro as it passed them. He smiled a bit more. He was glad the glasses were tinted… he didn't want any of the tenants know he owned a beautiful baby. Maybe one day, he'll let Kitsune or Mutsumi ride with him.

 

Laharl was now occupied with his files again, taking a few notes and scribbling in post-its he placed in the files. After a moment, Keitaro asked about what he was doing. “I'm trying to figure out what are the connections between the missing agents. So far, the only pattern I've been getting is the disappearances started about a year ago. Every two months, at least 4 agents would disappear. That makes 2 agents per month, 24 in the year, excluding the investigative demoness, Maya.”

 

Keitaro watched Laharl seemingly frown darkly at the mention of the name. “Maya… someone you know?”

 

“A very good friend of mines,” Laharl sighed a moment. “I say good friend, though we work in very different sides. She was someone who showed me respect when I was in hell for some time, even though it was her job to watch me.” After a pause, Laharl continued, “With this much agents missing, anyone in Hell would complain.”

 

“So… why are we visiting the vampires?” Keitaro asked.

 

“Maya put on her notes that the vampire `embassy' was the last place the last three agents have gone before missing,” Laharl frowned. “Maya visited the embassy, but that's when her notes ended.”

 

“So… to the embassy, eh?” Keitaro asked.

 

“Yup…” Laharl put his files away. “Hope you like to drink.”

 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 

Vampire Embassy

 

30 minutes later…

 

The vampire embassy looked like a bar. Keitaro blinked a bit, and then frowned. “The Vampire Embassy…” he read the sign. “It looks like a bloody bar.”

 

“It is one, actually,” Laharl made sure his clothes seems secured and closed. “This is a place where vampires and other supernatural beings come here for… fun.”

 

“Fun…?” Keitaro asked.

 

“Drinks, and well… you know how vampires tend to act…” Laharl coughed.

 

Keitaro frowned. Yeah… he knew how much vampires tend to act. “Are… we safe?”

 

“Entering the embassy grants us from being harmed unless of course, you are rude and break a few bar rules. But we don't have to worry about that. Its still in the afternoon and most supernatural creatures are sleeping,” Laharl went towards the door, and Keitaro followed. Before he opened the door, though, Laharl looked at Keitaro and warned him, “Whatever you do… don't be rude. Mind your manners.”

 

Keitaro looked at Laharl weirdly.

 

“I'm serious, dude,” Laharl looked around. “When it comes to immortal beings, like demons, and most supernatural creatures, being civil to each other prevents long winded and useless blood feuds. You don't want to stir tempers… at least not until we get what we need.”

 

Entering the bar, Keitaro noted that it seemed empty, though there was a bartender in there. Going further in, Keitaro knew he was mistaken. The bar wasn't empty… it was just filled with supernatural creatures sleeping about.

 

“Is the bar closed?” Laharl asked the bartender.

 

“No… but as you can see… it's not really open either,” the bartender replied. “What do you need, human, hybrid?”

 

“Vodka Martini, stirred, not shaken,” Keitaro said at once.

 

“Irish Cream,” Laharl sat on the stool. “Wild party?”

 

“The usual… though it was interesting when the bunny women suddenly appeared,” the bartender gave Keitaro and Laharl their drinks. “That's when everything suddenly seemed to liven the party up.”

 

Keitaro and Laharl grimaced at that. Bunny women… not pure lycans like the neko's or werewolves. Quite fast and agile, these creatures were very notorious as the fox women. They didn't have a very tedious or long heat phase, but they seemed to have heat all the time.

 

“They gave this human boy quite a time,” the bartender chuckled.

 

“Is… he still alive?” Keitaro asked.

 

“Oh yes, no worries. He's just really exhausted, and would probably need a few days of rest,” the bartender smirked. “Humans… no offense, kid,” he stated at Keitaro, “But you guys need to evolve one way or another, especially if you want to hang and sleep around us supernatural folks. The poor kid was a virgin too.”

 

“How many times did they…” Laharl trailed off.

 

“I counted 16 times. More, if you believe the rumors they followed the kid to the hospital,” bartender shook his head. “Bunny women. Crazy broads, I tell you.”

 

Laharl nodded. “I know. I tend to avoid them when I can.”

 

“Why? You're a hybrid… I'm sure you can survive at least 20 sessions,” the bartender muttered.

 

“Ah, maybe, but you know how hybrids are treated,” Laharl smiled a bit nervously.

 

“In this bar, you won't find any of those crazy pure blood spouting demons. We welcome anyone here, whether humans or hybrids like you. Ask around later… you may get lucky tonight,” the bartender noticed that Laharl was finished with his drink. “Another?”

 

“Please do,” Laharl gave his glass, and seemed to shiver a bit at the bartender's words. Keitaro noted that, and wondered what was up with that. When the glass was refilled, Laharl then asked the bartender, “Hey… do you remember this beautiful demoness? Long flowing red hair, size D cups, natural, wearing glasses?”

 

“Lots of those kinds of demoness appear here,” the bartender chuckled. Laharl grabbed a photo out, and showed it to the bartender, who after studying it, nodded. “Yup… she was here a few days ago. She was looking for the Vampire Lord Damaticus.”

 

“Why?”

 

Bartender's eyes narrowed. “Why do you want to know?”

 

“She's a friend of mines, and she's gone missing,” Laharl replied smoothly. Looking around, he whispered, “I'm investigating her disappearance.”

 

“Oh… like some sort of secret agent man?” the bartender smiled.

 

“Nah… more like private eye,” Laharl stated.

 

“Ah… well, Mr. Private Eye… I don't know why she wants to visit Damaticus. Though, if I were you, I'd visit him myself,” the bartender nodded.

 

“Where can I find Lord Damaticus' coven?” Laharl asked.

 

“Come here,” the bartender motioned Laharl and Keitaro to follow him. The bartender went towards a brick wall, and pushed it. The brick wall shifted, and moved up suddenly, revealing a dark tunnel. Grabbing a lantern, the bartender began to lead them downstairs.

 

After a few moments, Laharl spoke again. “So… are you going to introduce yourself?”

 

“Are you?” the bartender asked.

 

“Buds,” Laharl replied.

 

Keitaro wondered a moment, before he answered, “Keitaro.”

 

“I am guessing you know my name, Buds…” the bartender looked back at Laharl. “Or should I call you Laharl?”

 

“I didn't know I was well known by your lordship, Lord Damaticus,” Laharl replied with an easy smile. The bartender smiled back.

 

Keitaro blinked, confused at the two. Nudging Laharl gently, he asked softly, “How'd you know…?”

 

“That he was Lord Damaticus? Because he referred to himself without the title… and in the supernatural world, not addressing a high demon properly is very disrespectful,” Laharl explained. “And I already told you about being civil, right? So… why would a bartender, who's a vampire himself, not refer to his superior by his title? Simply because he is the lord himself.”

 

Damatacus just smiled as they reached a dead end. On that end, they saw a rather large glass sphere, and inside that sphere is a very detailed model of a castle. Keitaro looked at it with wonder, while Laharl seemed to flinch a bit.

 

“Don't worry… unlike Lady Evangeline's Coven Resort, this one does not have concentrated mana inside it,” Damtacus stated.

 

“Does your lordship even know about that?” Laharl looked at him.

 

“Drop the lord bit… we need to talk,” Damatacus then took Laharl's hand. “Grab your friend's hand.”

 

Keitaro's hand was grabbed, and before he could ask what was going to happen, he suddenly felt being pulled inward suddenly, and when he came to, his surroundings changed. Around him was now more lit than the tunnel, and he whistled when he saw a castle in the background.

 

“Keitaro… have you ever been inside one of magical covens of vampires?” Laharl asked. When Keitaro shook his head, Laharl explained. “Ever since the start of the `modern times', vampires tend to stick out cause of their tastes. Have you ever heard about the Maaka vampires?”

 

Keitaro nodded. The Maaka vampire family was quite a rare vampire species having specific tastes. For example, when they bite a person, they tend to take away a person's anger, lust, or other feelings temporary. They were even made more famous when their daughter, Karin, was even a rarer vampire that gave blood instead of taking it. She was a daylight walker as well.

 

The Maaka vampires were quite much the modern vampires… house hidden by magic, and usually take blood that they needed. Though after the Sinclair Event, where the family was almost killed by an overzealous hunter, most vampires copied what Evangeline did. They made their own convent in a sphere of glass made of magic where they could secretly hide away without much detection.

 

Keitaro nodded as Laharl explained the theory of how the convent was made. He was impressed. He was more impressed when he heard more about the convent as the vampire lord explained more.

 

“Unlike Lady Evangeline's Resort, this isn't a place rich with mana. With that, we couldn't place the specific time placement that was needed here,” Damatacus stated. “For a span of one day here, two hours will pass in the outside world, instead of just one.”

 

“Impressive…” Keitaro smiled a bit as they entered the gates. When they entered the castle though, he stopped himself.

 

Along the walls were numerous female vampires in Lolita gothic maid costumes bowing to them as they entered. “Welcome back, Lord Damatacus,” they greeted.

 

They passed down the corridor, and entered a large receiving room. There, Damatacus turned around, and looked at both of them. “I'm going to ask Laharl to come with me alone.”

 

“Excuse me?” Laharl asked. “What you have, you can share with both of us.”

 

“I'm sorry, Laharl, but this is for your ears only. No offense, of course, to your human friend,” Damatacus gave Keitaro a apologetic look, “But I cannot share this information easily.”

 

“Why share it with me then?” Laharl asked.

 

Damatacus handed Laharl a folded paper. Opening it, Keitaro watched with fascination as Laharl suddenly grimaced as he read the paper, and crumpled it soon afterwards. “That she-devil…” he whispered rather hoarsely. “Who else knows about this?”

 

“Do not worry… no one else knows about this,” Damatacus stated. “Not even those who are following you and your friend.”

 

Keitaro frowned at that. They were being followed? Laharl didn't even seem to be bothered by that. “Let the big picture viewers run around like chickens thinking of their own scenarios, picturing for bleak futures like believers of old religion,” Laharl stated with a rather tired tone. “Where do we talk?”

 

“My throne room,” Damatacus pointed, and looked at Keitaro. “I'm sorry for being rude, but please, by all means, explore my home to your discretion. My daughters will help you if you are lost.”

 

Laharl looked at Keitaro who seemed to look undecided on what to do, and smiled a bit. “I'll explain later. Take your time here… since we've got a lot of that here.”

 

Keitaro watched with a frown as Laharl and Damatacus retreated towards a large door. Watching them disappear behind it, he wondered briefly what Damataus meant about his daughters. He turned around, and in front of him was a stunning woman in a gothic dress. Her appearance seemed so sudden that he automatically went for his gun.

 

She just seemed to grin at him, and he paused. “You're not going to bite me, right?” he asked.

 

“Don't worry, human, I suck gently,” she replied. “Unless of course, you are the type that shoots his gun prematurely, then I'll have to bite.”

 

Keitaro relaxed. “Are you Lord Damatacus' daughter?” he asked.

 

“One of the few,” she nodded. “Most of the people in these castles are either his sons or daughters.”

 

“Must be difficult then, trying to vie for his attention I mean,” Keitaro smiled a bit.

 

“We vampires live for a long time… we have ample enough time to do that,” she smiled. “You have a name, human?”

 

“Keitaro. You?” Keitaro asked.

 

“Vash,” she replied. “So, what brings you here?”

 

Keitaro looked back where Laharl and the vampire lord went, and then just shrugged. “I came to look around.”

 

“Welcome to the House of Damatacus, then,” she smiled. “Need a tour?”

 

“If the lady would please,” Keitaro found his smirk for a moment.

 

It was lucky he did take up on the offer of the tour. While the castle itself was amazing already, the size of it was boggling. It had three wings… North, West and East. East was where the throne room was, but almost everything else was either in the North or West. It had multiple rooms, and would accommodate at least hundreds of people.

 

During the tour, Keitaro found out a bit more about Vash. She was at least 100 or so years of age… though she herself admitted that her age wasn't impressive. She aimed to live hundreds more because as her age increases, so does her innate power. She was considered a B-Class vampire, the middle one. When she hits around 300 or so, she gets to be an A-class, and 800, she becomes S-class like her father.

 

Keitaro listened to her a bit, smiling at times, briefly forgetting she was a vampire. The way she expressed herself was not unlike some of the girls he had met. After a few moments though, the moment was shattered when they passed another group of maids. Two Keitaro recognized almost immediately.

 

“Vash,” one of the female vampires called. “There you are! Where have you been?”

 

“Yeah,” another female vampire, the younger one said. “Hey… who's that human you're wit…”

 

The three now saw each other clearly. Keitaro's eyes widened when he recognized them from the week before. “YOU!” both female vampires shrieked suddenly.

 

“Yeah… me,” he said in a rather deadpanned voice.

 

“YOU DARE STEP IN OUR HOME!?” the eldest vampire, the one that Keitaro had fought before, took a tentative step forward.

 

“I'm not that happy to see you too,” Keitaro said rather coldly. “Tell me… how does it feel getting your ass kicked by a human, luv?”

 

She was about to stab him with her nails, literally through his heart, and Keitaro had his hand underneath his jacket where his gun was hidden, ready to shoot her heart, if it wasn't for Vash who suddenly stepped in between them. “Enough, sister,” she ordered. “She is our father's guest.”

 

“He had our sister killed!” the vampire stated, her younger sister hissing.

 

“Which is your fault, Balera,” Vash glared at the vampire. “If you just stayed out of those Neko's business and not make the deal, which by the way was completely idiotic, then we shouldn't have lost a sister!”

 

“You're entertaining a murderer!?” the younger one stated.

 

“Belle, we've been over this,” Vash looked at her coldly. “You both were deemed responsible for our sister's death for attacking a U Agency Front, run by one of their higher up agents! You are lucky father had accepted responsibility and put a formal apology for your actions. Having the Urashimas against us would spell disaster to our co-existence!”

 

“But…”

 

“But nothing, Balera,” Vash suddenly grabbed Keitaro's hand. “I shall take our guest away from your sights. Having you both shout at him doesn't show much of our hospitality.” And with that, she began to drag Keitaro away from the two hot headed vampires.

 

After a moment though, she suddenly let go of his hand. Keitaro briefly wondered what Vash was going to do next, when she suddenly turned around, her face rather colored lightly. “Um… would you excuse me for a while?” Vash asked. “I have to… powder my nose.”

 

Keitaro wanted to chuckle at that. “By all means. I shall await you here?”

 

Vash nodded, and left in a hurry. Keitaro smirked a bit. He didn't know that vampires needed to go to the bathroom… but then, after a while, the thought seemed to be as silly as snow on summer days. Keitaro didn't really know anything about supernatural creatures… he only knew some of their habits, and how to kill them.

 

It wasn't long though until Vash came back. Keitaro smiled, and greeted her. “Hey, Vash… that was fast.”

 

Vash seemed to blink at him for a moment, and then smiled widely. “Yeah… waiting for me?”

 

“Of course…” Keitaro thought her response was rather odd. Wasn't she the one that told him to stay here? “So… shall we continue?”

 

“Of course…” Vash then grabbed his hand, and went towards a room. Keitaro nimbly followed, wondering what she was going to show him. As they entered though, she suddenly closed the door, and grabbed Keitaro and pushed him to the floor, and pinned him there.

 

“Vash… what the hell are you…”

 

Keitaro was cut out when she kissed him deeply.

 

To Be Continued…

 

XD Here comes the K2 steam scene. XD lol.