Dance in the Vampire's Blood, Ch4

Akira and Mina were led into a conference room, where Akira's father among others stood watching screens set in the wall. The screens showed footage of rampages across the Bund, with groups fighting in the street.

"What's the situation?" Mina asked as she entered.

Wolfgang responded, "About 3% of the Bund's population started grouping together in various locations about 30 minutes ago, for no obvious reason. Shortly thereafter, they suddenly started moving through the Bund, attacking all those who got in their way."

Mina gritted her teeth, "Are we certain it's pied piper?"

Wolfgang nodded, "If you listen..." he pressed a button on a remote, and the sound that went with the images turned on.

"For the princess!"

"By the princess's order!"

"For Princess Mina!"

Mina's eyes widened, and she paled. "They think... I ordered this..."

Wolfgang nodded silently, "It could only be the pied piper."

Mina was shaking slightly, but spoke, "Take the Beowulfs, and do what you have to to stop them. Only kill if absolutely necessary... but if you have to for the sake of stopping this, you may."

Wolfgang nodded, and left, followed by the Werewolves among the group. Akira remained with Mina, and has father gave him a look, catching Akira's eye as he passed. The look was stern, but there may have been a little softness in it too.

Once they had left, those vampire there started to leave too, having business to attend to. Mina just stood there quivering. When it was just her and Akira in the room, Vera having left to give the pair some space, Mina teared up. Akira took her in his arms quickly, and pressed her to him. "It's all right Mina... It's not your fault."

She looked up at him, with a slight craze in her arms, "It's all right? I've just consigned thousands of innocents to death!"

Akira hugged her tighter, "I know. But you had no choice... it was that, or let more innocents die."

Mina still cried against Akira's chest. Until Akira's grip suddenly loosened, "M-Mina... this is bad!"

Mina looked up, and saw he was staring at the screen. She turned to see what he was staring at.

On the screen, there was a car surrounded by the crazed vampires. In the car were two women, one a grown woman, one of the drivers for Mina, dead in the driving seat.

The other was Yuki.

Akira ran through the streets towards where the car carrying his friend had been. He was in werewolf form, and leaped over wreckages and the dead in the street. He saw a large group of vampires ahead, swarming the car that he was looking for.

When the vampires heard him approach, they turned to him, and some broke away from the car to attack him. Akira snarled and charged at them. Mina had told him to try to avoid killing them, but for the sake of Yuki's safety, he would kill any that he had to.

Like a man, or wolf, possessed, he attacked with little mercy, his claws cutting through dozens of the vampires. But there were countless many of them, and he was slowly being overwhelmed. He stood his ground however, as they swarmed around him.

It was just as he felt himself begin to falter that he heard a car coming from behind. The vampires attacking it seemed to hear it too through their frenzy, and some ceased their assault on Akira, turning to where a black car sped towards them.

Akira managed to break away as the strength of their attack waned. Once he was away a little distance, he turned to look at the car. It was one of the princess's and Vera was at the wheel. In the back, Akira caught sight of the maid team.

In the passenger seat was Mina.

Akira smirked as the car swerved to a halt, and the group got out, Vera and the maids moving immediately to attack the hoard of rogue vampires. Mina quickly ran over to Akira.

"Akira, the cavalry's here," she said, with a little smile on her lips.

"About time too," Akira replied. "Who's going to go to get Yuki?"

Mina giggled, "Isn't it obvious..." her figure suddenly began to change, and she assumed her true form, her wings spreading wide, "I'll airlift her out."

Akira nodded, "Just be careful."

Mina flapped her wings, and flew over to hover just above the car, while Akira ran to attack the vampires still swarming near it, as the maids and Vera shot at them with their various guns.

The vampires were distracted, and, momentarily, their attention was drawn away from the car, and Mina took her chance, flying down, and landing on the front of the car. She opened the sunroof, and reached in. Yuki quickly grabbed onto her hand, and Mina pulled her from the car, quickly starting to fly away.

Akira fought the vampires madly, until he saw Mina flying overhead, with Yuki clinging on in fright. As the pair landed by the princess' car, he broke away, and ran towards them. The maids were also retreating, and they all quickly got into the car, slightly cramped though they were. Vera quickly started the car up, as the vampires chasing them were left behind.

"We... got away..." Akira said, panting.

Mina nodded, "Somehow."

The pair looked at each other and started laughing. Yuki joined in, and their laughs filled the car. Their laughter was cut short, however, when they passed into an open area of the bund. Around them were the remains of countless vampires, turning to dust as they watched. The wreckage around them brought immediate silence to the car.

"We need to resolve this, and quickly," Mina said, quietly.

"But if they keep going until sunrise, lots of the vampires will be caught in the sunlight," Akira pointed out. "If they stay out, they're going to die. Harsh as that is, that will solve the problem."

Mina nodded, "Yes, but there are plenty of underground areas that they could still be running round."

Akira sighed, "Well there's not an awful lot we can do until we find out who's controlling them. It does strike me as odd, given the three lords are gone..."

"Who could have taken control?" Mina finished.

"Exactly," Akira replied, "It seems... unlikely that their factions regrouped that quickly after losing their leaders. Certainly not enough to begin this kind of operation."

"So what are you saying Akira? Somebody else is behind this?" Mina queried.

"It's merely a suggestion, but if Pied Piper leaked to the lords..."

"It could well have reached other's hands... that is sound enough logic. First let us return home."

The car continued on towards Mina's palace.

A/N: Sorry for the delay on this. Now I've finally got around to updating this though... phew. Just as an end note, reviews are wonderful, you know that they are, so click on that little button down there, and write something in the box that appears. Go on, you know you want to.

Bis Bald

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