"You have such a wonderful family, have to admit; I'm finding myself a little jealous..." Beckman mused as he continued watching happily through the vision before him, compliments of the Philosopher's Stone. This was the second time that the renowned archeologist was in the presence of what he considered the essential epitimy of his life's work, in his very office. Apollo however was not as equally enthralled in the sequence of events as he sat almost sollomly near the open window.

"I truly wish, I could share your enthusiasm." Apollo simply stated, causing the good doctor to turn to face him in confusion.

"You're not happy to see your family do well?" Beckman offered, but again the Harbinger's glance refused to budge from the horizon.

"I am not happy for the expense that has come of it." Apollo responded, this time with a tone no less recognisable as melancholy. "Three more humans; throwing their very gift away in exchange for power...or what they believe to be such. In their pursuit of life, they have simply allowed it to slip away and given not one instant to realise just the magnitude of that which they have lost." Apollo looked to his hand as he flexed each finger "Aono, you cannot possibly understand the bigger picture; the rapture, the imperative and the long term result of your actions, and yet you must, if your so called enlightenment is to place me as naught more then a paranoid relic long discarded."

"Are you talking about...the two boys your granddaughters turned and the elder gentleman..." Beckman almost swallowed as he beheld Apollo swiftly turn to face him, with a glance that portrayed a symphony of sorrow and anger.

"Profaned. Not turned. Profaned." Apollo stated firmly. "You as humans are capable of your aspiring marvels BECAUSE you are humanity and yet Aono gives no quarter to the thought that his own children are poisoning the very species they sort out to dwell amongst! Tell me, Good doctor; just HOW could I show even a slither of euphoria for such an abominable act!?"

"...T-Tommy was the boy that...died...right?" Beckman stuttered, this was indeed new territory for him; as a studious man, he hadn't considered much in the field of confrontation and before him was not only a being who was ancient, but also powerful; immeasuably so, and angry in what seemed a maze of elaborate conflict.

"And he was BETTER OFF!" Apollo exclaimed with a snarl, causing the doctor to flinch. The Harbinger quickly breathed out and let himself look toward the horizon again.

"THIS is the future he offers? Man and Ayashi as one? Quite literally, given how he holds no objection to impressionable youth to throw away their actual lives in exchange for what? A few thousand years of existance before they find themselves; if they're lucky to not have died from accident or battle, the target for assassination from their own creed!"

"W-what? Are you telling me... Vampires...are self-destroying?" Beckman asked in disbelief; it was certainly not the impression he had recieved after talking to Tsukune.

"In spite of their immortality and their kind's nature to grow stronger with age, they fall victim to decadence and incompetance when they believe themselves without adverse." Apollo responded harshly. "My granddaughter's own father, the 'do no wrong by my own Akasha's eyes' Issa Shuze,n can attest to that; he ascended to the head of his clan, not because he was his own father's favorite, or that he held the best ability compared to his siblings...but because he murdered his father while he slept!"

"Lord Tsukune never gave off any sort of vibe that he'd want that kind of power though..."

"But he is eventually going to slip, as will my daughter from the looks of things; all of my family who can be recognised as Vampire will be prone to face such a fate." Apollo corrected. "And when that day comes; be a thousand years or so, just what will the world of man and Ayashi do when they see the actual dark side of their so called 'allies'"?

The Harbinger raised his free hand toward the middle aged human; who was that lost in what was being spoken, his own hand was jotting down words frantically and automatically. Apollo closed his outstretched hand and then guestured as if to shake away something.

"This so called 'alliance' will easily crumble. War will commence and once again I will have failed ALL because of the delusion of a boy who cannot even comprehend eternity."

"Is that why you segregated both sides?" Beckman eventually found his opening to ask, his question was immediately responded to.

"If Tsukune's ambition, not so diverse from my own, was so simple; then NONE would have ever suffered in this world." Apollo retorted before standing and looking back to the human, surrounded with what seemed to be piles worth of notepads, it had indeed been a long day of discussing events from history. From these alone, Beckman could write a volume of books. The Harbinger simply stared at his entranced company.

"In short, I segregated man from Ayashi so that man would have the freedom to come to understand itself, in time; no matter how long it would take. Ayashi simply needed to learn what humanity knows so well and so all it took was me to maintain the peace between those races, as an Overseer, an Overlord, an Emperor, call me as you wish. Man, in short; is just not ready for this. I can see it, anyone who looks beyond just petty desire could see that." That last statement was all it took for Beckman to finally put down his eighteenth pen.

"And you haven't simply stated that to your family...because?" Apollo almost could have comically slouched at the question.

"Because, my family don't want to hear the truth; they simply will not listen. Force, as I attempted in the past will only alienate me and my trying to 'reason' comes across, in the words of a particular hypocrite; as the demanding rants of a 'bully'." Apollo growled before taking a quick glance at the kitchen wall. Hit his head over and over at that thought of frustration was quite so tempting but not only did he know that it would not solve his issue, he did not wish to force his company to have to deal with what would've been a hefty dent in his home insurance.

"My family is only interested in what can happen for THEM and this generation; perhaps one or two more after that, but they have not even given a thought to what is to come to the minds of those in another ten millenia. My ambition for co-existence extends for much longer then just a few stone throws in a pond, could you understand that?" Apollo asked and noticed Beckman simply nod to which he sighed. "My young friend; do you answer so, because you look to a bigger picture other then just what may be tomorrow, or are you simply agreeing because I may have yet to offer information for such an inquisitive mind?"

Beckman opened his mouth to answer but found himself unable to find any words in which to match those of his living wealth of intrigue. Apollo could only sigh, before collecting the Philosopher's Stone from the desk.

"As I expected. Even within the minds of some of the most intuitive of Man, I find myself proving that you are all not ready for this. I guess I will simply have to endure young Aono's failure, be it in this year or in the next thousand." Apollo bowed slightly before making his way out of the kitchen and to the apartment's door. Beckman, still lost in what had transpired, had to force himself to return to the world around him.

"Apollo! Forgive me, for my lack of an answer, but I honestly would need to consider how to answer that. You ask me something that could indeed affect countless others then myself." Beckman exclaimed before almost bumping into the robe clad ancient; the archeologist could've sworn he saw a ghost of a smile on Apollo's face as he turned to face him while opening the door.

"Now that, is an answer worthy of merit, young one; I commend you. If only my granddaughter's pet would realise the same. Until next time, my friend." Apollo commented with yet another slight bow.

xxx

Within moments, Apollo found himself walking along the streets surrounding his 'inteviewer' as it were; walking in a random direction as he allowed his mind to postulate the events he had witnessed.

"Most intruiging is the re-emergence of that prehistoric race. Potentially there could be more complications because of them...A matter of concern..." Apollo's whispered monologue was cut short as he noticed several bulky men pursuing a young couple and it wasnt a second later that the ancient winged being recognised these men's true nature as he followed and saw them block off the young couple as they made a wrong turn down an alley.

"Minotaur... Aono, once again you are proving to be careless; you allow this similar scenario play out so frequently when you are trying to impress an immature generation? Foolishness." Apollo and made the second long pursuit and beheld four of the disguised ayashi pinning a young woman barely in her twenties against the wall and the Harbinger knew their intent as a much larger one pinned the woman's partner; a man barely older then she was by his throat with relative ease.

"What do you reckon? Think we should be quick to get a turn in...or should i take my time..." One of the disguised ayashi sniggered as he grabbed ahold of the woman's shirt and tore it off with ease as she cried out, only to have another of the ayashi pin his hand against her throat.

"Make it quick! I wanna have a go; human girls are supposed to be reeeally into it once you get them started" The second one commented as he leered hungrily at the human's almost completely bare chest.

"Leave her alone!" The man pleaded and was rewarded with a brutal kick to his chest for it.

"Pff, what a pussy..." The first ayashi laughed as he groped the woman further. "Dont worry though; we'll give your babe a good time and let you watch the whole thing..."

"Well here is the finale." a dark growl turned the five ayashi's attention to the owner of said voice. "Disband now. I will not be telling you a second time." It continued until Apollo emerged from the darkness, adorn in his toga-akin robes and a damning restrained and calm fury burning in his expression.

"So you know we're monsters eh? Whatever... what can YOU do to any of us?" One of them snorted and laughed as he swaggered over to the human formed Harbinger; giving off none of his immense twenty millenia year honed Yokai for the Ayashi to feel and mistaken him for human.

"Oooh a human thinks he can scare me~" He continued to boast as the others continued to molest the woman. The Ayashi snorted again as he reverted into his true form; as Apollo had assumed, a Minotaur; now towering seven feet as opposed to Apollo's human height. The two humans glanced at the transformation in terror then looked at the others who simply cackled as they too reverted.

"Think you can take on a pack of Minotaur little man?!" The one standing in front of Apollo snarled as he mockingly tapped the Harbinger with his razor sharp horns with a laugh. "C'mon, whats the matter scared? You will be when i..."

Apollo quickly grabbed ahold of one of the horns before it tapped him again and simply stared at the beast. "Fear. There are many things I do fear..." the Harbinger began coolly as he effortlessly twisted and snapped the horn right from the ayashi's head before throwing it down the alley toward the others.

"MY HORRRN!" The Minotaur bellowed in agony as clutched at his brutal wound then glanced at Apollo with primal fury and prepared to lunge, but gasped as his body felt immediately cold and as he looked down; he noticed Apollo's other arm now shoulder deep in his gut with blood pouring from it.

"...You, however, I merely pity." Apollo continued callously as the Minotaur fell backward; the extent of his injury apparent. The other four Minotaurs glared wide eyed as they watched the Harbinger's hand slip back through their fellow member's back while he fell down dead.

"Marlo!" The Minotaur who was clutching the young man let go and rushed to the fallen ayashi. The others let go of the woman as the atmosphere turned murderous.

"Leave now you two." Apollo spoke somewhat gently inspite of his look towards the remaining pack.

"Thank you! Thank you!" The man cried as he rushed to assist the woman and rushed past the Harbinger.

"He's dead..." The Minotaur hovering over the one called Marlo choked then stared daggers at Apollo "And you're next, you fucking bastard! KILL HIM!" He bellowed and immediately the others charged with their horns arched. Apollo calmly jumped onto the wall and pushed himself backward into the main street as the couple continued to flee into the distance. The Minotaur pack followed the Harbinger and immediately surrounded him in a pincer formation.

"You think you can do in my little brother!? JUST WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!?" The biggest one bellowed as he stomped the ground with his hoofed foot.

"Just who do the four of you still standing think YOU are; storming into the world in your true forms for the first time in centuries and already begin thinking with Aono's ascention you have the right and abuse humans such as i've seen you attempt tonight." Apollo replied venomously but still calmly; these remaining four were already dead, they simply were no match for him.

"You think she was only the first?!"

"We've been having fun for weeks now!"

"What WE do is none of your business." The biggest one concluded "We're better then these humans; the women are ours to do with as we please. But you can die knowing that..."

'Aono...looks like I will once again be compelled to clean up the mess that you leave so casually in your so called 'plan'.' Apollo thought to himself; before now he would have simply sent this pack back to the Yokai world, but with his mind still reeling over the events of recent times as well as the audacity of these individuals left the Harbinger with one thought. Punishment by death.

"If you think I will be laying dead here this night..." Apollo began as he stanced in preperation for a fight and threw his robe ontop of a lampost leaving him in his tunic. "Then irony has favored you, for you will shortly join your brother for your deeds as it is time I showed you, your place."

One of the half bull half man ayashi charged the Harbinger from behind, his horns arched forwad however Apollo simply stepped aside, grabbed his horns before using momentum to throw himself onto the Ayashi's back. With a fluid motion; Apollo slammed his knees in the back of the Minotaur's neck causing him to fall forward and shatter his jaw on the tarmac.

Two more Minotaurs lunged as the beheld the flawless death of yet another of their group. Rage left them blinded as Apollo effortlessly danced around them and brought them down within minutes; one had his neck broken from a simple uppercut to the jaw, the other found himself with his horns snapped off and lodged deep in his throat and stomach.

"Boss! He's killing us!" the smaller of the two left standing trembled as the taller huffed and shoved him aside. "...You're not human either, despite showing no yokai...just WHAT are you?!" he snarled as Apollo calmly flicked his wrist, ridding it of specks of blood and viscera.

"Well...allow me to enlighten you..." Apollo elloquently spoke as he calmly walked towards the Minotaur. " Long ago; the Harbingers gained their name from the humans they honoured and respected; they were considered messengers from the old human gods; their roars the delivery of a message filled with their creator's wrath upon those who would harm or enslave their favored creation." Apollo continued as he walked "Aside from the idea of deities sending 'guardians' to protect mankind from evil; much of the rest of those facts are true. Time indeed fades and distorts, even legend; and much knowledge of my kin have been lost, save in few tomes...but in me, their purpose remains.

"You are also aware of the previous Overlord of all Ayashi correct?" Apollo questioned, The larger Minotaur began cowering backward but struggled a nod and then breathed a gasp as he recognised the Harbinger's human face from his youth.

"No...you're not...Apollo..." The Ayashi cried as the Harbinger's glance burned intently on him as his deliberately slowed transformation was complete. "It...can't be!"
The smaller Minotaur was catatonic and in a bid of desperation; lunged at Apollo who simply gazed his way and bizzarely stood his ground, allowing the Minotaur's horns to perforate through his chest. He hissed and growled as the horns sunk deep into his flesh and he was flung like a ragdoll as the Ayashi roared and slammed him down into the pavement.

"DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!" The younger Ayashi snarled almost rabidly; looking back towards his pack mate with a look of mirth.

"Pff i cant believe he went down so..."

"I commend your bravery, young one..." Apollo's voice sent a chill of pure unadulterated fear down the spine of the younger Minotaur. As he looked back he beheld Apollo rising to his feet and the gored holes from his horns healed almost instantly.

"Once upon a time; that would have been a fatal blow" Apollo mused then glared at the Minotaur; paralyzed from fright before feeling a rush of cold followed by an intense blast of heat as Apollo arched his head back and let loose an intense breath of flame; consuming the younger Minotaur, disintegrating and reducing him to cinders within moments.

"Were death so kind; mine would have arrived long before now..." Apollo stated almost reverandly before staring back at the lone Minotaur who screamed and tried running but his fear left him cumbersome as the Harbinger walked over to the blubbering ayashi, grabbing him by the throat and lifted him in a single motion.

"To answer your statement; i AM Apollo; former Overlord of Yokai and eternal protector of humanity AND of Ayashi." Apollo's burning eyes of blood and amber, narrowed as he glared deeply into the horror driven ones of the Minotaurs " And i still live up to the reputation of defending humanity. No longer may I be the utmost authority but I AM the one who will purge the world of ANY who dare threaten that promise of peace. Be it in this decade or a century yet to come." Apollo's voice became an intimidating snarl as his free hand tensed, his talons honed and prepared to strike. "Your pack's actions tonight have threatened that promise and now only you are the last to die as consequence."

The Minotaur's expression showed much; he just KNEW he was going to die, he closed his eyes despite his trembling as the one word reached his ears.

"...Run."

The Minotaur felt the ground as he fell, he looked up to behold the furious gaze that had for millenia seen the demise of all those who were considered foe. The Ayashi couldnt believe his luck; he was being spared.

"NOW!" Apollo roared viciously; the Minotaur neednt be told a second time; beaten and shamed, the Ayashi scrambled to his feet and galloped for his life.

"Realise your place, child; and remain in it." Apollo spoke out before breathing a sigh of irritance for the events that had transpired in less then five minutes. Immediately feeling as if he was being watched, the Harbinger gazed towards several of the houses nearby and beheld over a dozen humans staring at him, many of them holding their phones. What Apollo didnt realise was that he was being recorded but he knew already that since he was being watched, it was most definitely a fact that he had been overheard.

"Is that one of those monsters?" One voice called out suspiciously.

"Is it a demon? Or an angel?" A young girl, Apollo caught whispering as he quickly leaped above the lamp post to collect his robe and quickly reached for the Philosopher's Stone.

"Neither." Apollo replied as he stared right at the young girl, before vanishing with the stone's transporting light and leaving the crowd confounded.