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CHAPTER TEN: BLOOD EQUALS POWER.
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Richter grabbed a sword as Ayato approached him. The man sheathed the weapon and pointed it at the boy before trying to hit him, but the vampire dodged him.
"Stay out of it!"
Izumi watched in surprise as the fabric of Ayato's tie split in two. By instinct she went to move closer, but Richter's arm wrapped around her waist like a boa. The pinkhead looked at the redhead with wide eyes, to which he took the opportunity to speak to her.
"Go back downstairs, Yu." The vampiress opened her mouth, but closed it again as soon as Richter began to speak, stepping in between them.
"Oh, Ayato, why don't you go back to your brothers? I need Izumi with me, she's special. Or do you refuse to accept that she's special and you're not?" Laito picked up a sword while they were arguing. His uncle was just taking advantage of their deteriorating relationship to distract him. Then, Laito threw the sword through the air to pass it to his brother.
"Ayato!"
The red-haired vampire caught the sword with ease, barely having to move his hand to catch it while his eyes remained fixed on Richter. Izumi delivered a swift blow to his chest that caused his grip on her to fade for a second, but that second was enough for the vampiress to break free and move away from him. She was also aware that Richter would play with their minds if she gave him the chance.
"Your ride is officially over, Richter. I won't let you keep using her like this, you're going to regret coming to this house!", Ayato vociferated. From her position, Izumi blinked.
She had thought that Ayato had come to rescue her but... honestly, she wasn't sure anymore. Could it be that Ayato was doing all this just for Yui? Her mind clouded over the last time she had seen the vampire, kneeling over the human's body and watching her with an insatiable need that could never be compared to how he looked at her. With a marble face, Izumi merely watched and remained silent.
"And what do you think you can do about it," Richter taunted before both swords began to clash against each other.
The duel remained evenly matched, until Richter managed to knock Ayato to the ground. Then, Izumi ran and stood in front of the red-haired man. She may have been angry at him (actually, she was more furious than ever), but that didn't mean she would abandon him. Not in a situation like this.
Richter tried to grab her, but Ayato stepped forward and grabbed her arm, pulling her backwards. The girl fell to his side and he draped his arm over her chest, showing that he wouldn't let him take her for anything in the world. At that moment, Richter thrusted his sword against Ayato's shoulder. The vampire gasped in pain as the man smiled, pleasantly. Izumi stifled a scream and pushed Richter away from them, managing to remove the sword from Ayato's body.
The red-haired man fell to his knees. He managed to pull Izumi back behind him before squeezing the wound on his shoulder with his free hand. A moan escaped his lips, betraying the pain he was experiencing. However, even as his death loomed, he would not give up and stop protecting the pink-haired girl for anything in the world. Of that he was sure.
"Now stand still," Richter ordered, raising the sword behind his head as he looked at the two vampires with a smile.
Ayato stayed in place as Izumi tried to intervene, but he himself forbade it, holding her back. Izumi stood still and Ayato's grip on her weakened noticeably. She watched as the sword began to come down and stepped in front of the russet-haired vampire at the last second. But immediately, Richter stopped his action. Ayato cursed again, wrapping his arms around the girl's body. He was about to scold her, while Izumi was preparing to argue with him, but a small voice stopped them all.
"Ayato, Izumi," Yui's voice froze them both. They raised their heads to meet Yui's pink gaze once again, "I...-"
Yui looked at Richter for a moment before releasing her grip and running down the stairs. The vampires watched her in silence, not understanding how it was possible that she was still alive. That she was able to regain control over her body was beyond the realm of possibility. The girl raised the dagger above her body and they all gasped at the revelation. Ayato's grip on Izumi intensified as the pink-haired girl kept her watchful gaze on the human, her mouth open in disbelief.
"This way, no one will get hurt," Yui muttered.
Izumi stood up from her place, "Wait," she shouted, but the dagger pierced the heart in the human's body at the same instant.
A breeze hit Izumi. She blinked when Ayato was no longer at her side, and her gaze slowly drifted to Yui, to find that he had left her side to hold the human in his arms before her body hit the ground.
The silence in the air was almost palpable, and Izumi felt it fill her lungs, leaving her with a weight on her body that only made her want to sink. Distracted by that feeling polluting her chest, she didn't notice Richter approaching her. The man grabbed her by the wrist and bent her body behind her back, and then he raised his head full of anger.
"She is mine! And her heart too!"
Ayato raised his sword, but Laito beat him to it, appearing behind Richter to push him against his brother's sheathed weapon. The man pitched forward, and the chestnut took that moment to grab Izumi by the waist and pull her close to his body, freeing her from her uncle's grip. Then, the sword pierced Richter's chest.
The sword Richter was holding fell to the ground, gushing out a great clatter. The sharp blade was stripped from the man's body, releasing his blood from his container.
"Are you all right?" Laito asked, looking at Izumi with concern. His green eyes roamed over her body in seconds before examining her face a second time, and then a third. His right hand rested on her cheek while the other continued to hold her waist.
"Yes," Izumi nodded, a smile forming on her face as she noticed Laito's worried features. "Thank you for your concern."
