Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything belongs to its rightful owners.

Warnings and Important Information: Some adult language (this is partially Guren-centric fic, after all). This is an AU that takes place during the Nagoya raid, primarily the encounter between Crowley and Shinya and Guren. Kind of like a "what if Yuu and the others were late and Shinya had a badass move up his sleeve" fic.

Author's Note: Okay, real talk. Where the heck is Shinya after that finale?! Anyway, this is an AU idea I had after listening to M83's "I'm Sending You Away," which I think has just one of the most heartbreaking titles if you really think about it. It's my first OnS fic, so I'm sorry for any OOC or weirdness. This is mainly just an exploration of an idea I had and probably won't go any further.

The first time it happened, he nearly missed it.

He tried to rationalize it later. Maybe it had been a glint from the sun. Maybe he had just forgotten the street lamp's original position. Upon later reflection and careful observation, Shinya realized that the little cowardly archer, as Guren affectionately dubbed him, had actively moved debris through his demon.

The notion itself was hardly novel. After all, he had seen Guren slice through entire buildings using Mahiru's stolen power. However, Shinya compared the mindless, thoughtless destruction of Yuu and Kimizuki to Yoichi's careful manipulation and realized that the latter—to some subconscious extent—must have pushed aside obstacles with his demon. His suspicions were confirmed while tagging along with Guren to observe one of their missions.

Shinya's eyes had landed first on the pile of Horsemen guts before roaming across the rubble in search of the trash bin that had been blocking the shot before Yoichi fired. Once the smoke cleared, Shinya noticed it sitting unharmed a few meters away, almost as if it had been delicately moved. The piled Styrofoam cups and wrappers remained safe in their precarious perches.

Shinya was impressed. A wisp of air slipped through his lips in a shrill, lilting whistle. Guren, always willing to brag about his pseudo-children, tried unsuccessfully to hide his smirk. He assumed Shinya's little sound had been about the sheer magnitude of their destruction, not the delicate counterpart.

"Not bad, huh?"

Shinya made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat. Already his mind buzzed with the questions he wanted to ask Yoichi, about the possibilities this new idea spawned.

"Thank you for inviting me along, Guren."

"Eh?" With the chance to brag seemingly over, Guren reverted back to his gruff self. "I didn't invite you. You just showed up."

Shinya smiled brightly, his hand cupping the back of his neck. "Well, isn't that a coincidence then?"

"Damn coincidences," Guren managed to mutter before being drowned out by Shinya's laugh and Yuu's incoherent shouting.

As soon as Guren released them from their mission and the tired squad trudged back towards base, Shinya quickly swooped in and claimed Yoichi.

"For a long-distance conversation," he explained.

Guren didn't argue, but his suspicious stare followed the two as they veered off from the main group, almost as if he feared Shinya would corrupt one of his kids.

They really are his kids, aren't they? Shinya mused, partially amused, partially wary.

When he felt they were close enough out of earshot, Shinya cleared his throat.

However, Yoichi beat him to starting the conversation, oozing equal shares of pride and self-consciousness as he fretted and puffed about his progress.

"Did that last shot look alright? I think I got the angle wrong but it still killed it. Can you tell—That's why you came along, right? To tell me where to impro—"

"Yoichi-kun!" Shinya raised his hands in front of him, suppressing a laugh at his eagerness. "Guren didn't force me to come. I came because I was curious about something you did."

"Something I did?" Worry leaked into his voice. His eyes glistened slightly, almost as if he were priming himself for accusation.

"Don't worry," Shinya quickly added. "You didn't do anything wrong, I promise. I just had a quick question to ask, but I…" He flicked his gaze over to Guren. Although Guren looked as if he was consumed with mediating a petty argument between Yuu and Kimizuki, Shinya knew he probably was keeping one ear glued to their conversation. He slowed his steps, falling behind the group even more.

I don't want him to know about it yet. He might try to stop me.

"Let me start over. I think you've just figured out something really important, but I don't want to get Guren's hopes up until we test it out a little more."

That caught Yoichi's attention. His mouth parted while his dark brows knotted in confusion. "I don't think I've done anything different though? I just tell Gekkōin where and when to shoot?"

"Can you remember back to the very last Horseman you killed? The one right back there?" Shinya gestured over his shoulder with a stray finger.

"Uh… Yes?"

"Well, there was a trash bin in the path. Instead of just destroying it, your demon seemed to have pushed it out of the way." Shinya stopped, forcing Yoichi to do the same. He nodded his head towards the carnage, maintaining his same sincere, reassuring smile.

"Oh," Yoichi's gaze landed on the undamaged trash bin as he considered it. "I didn't really think about it that much. Gekkōin probably deserves the credit more than me. We had talked about it one night after our first mission against vampires, how destroying something like that would take up more energy that simply sliding it away." Yoichi scratched at his cheek, deep in thought. "I don't know exactly how Gekkōin did it, but it just happened. Sorry I couldn't be more help," Yoichi apologized with another embarrassed smile.

"Don't worry about it, Yoichi-kun," Shinya flashed him a warm grin to soothe his worries. "That was more than enough help. I suppose we just have to test our theories out."

Yoichi's nervous gaze jumped to Guren and then back to Shinya. "But we still shouldn't say anything to the Lieutenant Colonel?" Shinya could see Yoichi visibly comparing his rank with Guren's, calculating who could punish him more severely.

"Mmm, yeah. I think that would be best," Shinya drawled slowly, studying the back of Guren's head as the dark hair disappeared around a dilapidated building.

"It'll be a nice surprise."

"Oi! Shinya! Didn't you hear me? Slow the hell down!"

Shinya turned quickly, caught off-guard by the loud voice behind him. At the sight of his panting follower, he stopped with a pleased smile flickering across his lips.

Guren slowed to a more relaxed stroll and tried to steady his breathing. He didn't look particularly enthused, but Shinya knew that meant Guren was truly desperate if he was seeking him out.

"Breathless, Guren? I'm a bit flattered. Usually I'm the one trying to track you down in the hallways."

"I wouldn't be so damn out of breath if you stopped the first time I called your name."

"Oops. Must not have heard you. Accident, I swear."

"Accident, my ass."

"Well, if memory serves me right, you've managed to "accidentally" miss my calls even when I'm standing right next to you."

Guren scowled and muttered something that sounded vaguely like those weren't accidents either.

"Anyway, what's so monumentally, indescribably horrible that caused you to chase after me like a lovelorn schoolgirl?"

"I wasn't chasing you. And wipe that damn grin off your face!"

"Hmm?"

"I…haven't seen you around lately." Guren's response was simultaneously grumbled and gritted.

"And now you miss me?" Shinya couldn't hold back the slight shake of his shoulders anymore. "I didn't kno—"

"Shut up! That's not what I meant!" Guren snapped, rolling his eyes. "I'm afraid of what you come up with when you disappear like that."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"The raid at Osaka?"

There was a beat of silence, then: "Ah… Well, there's no need to be worried."

"When you say stuff like that, I know I have to worry."

Shinya offered a wide smile and tugged at the end of his sleeves with an exaggerated gesture. "Nothing up there."

Guren hardly looked convinced, but he shrugged and scoffed nonetheless, turning away from him.

"Whatever." Obviously unable to pull more information from Shinya, Guren flapped his wrist dismissively and started walking in the opposite direction. Shinya watched him go, partly amused, partly bemused.

Halfway down the hall, Guren glanced over his shoulder, flicking his eyebrows up in thinly veiled amusement. "The brats have their last practice before the Nagoya mission next week. If you promise to keep your mouth shut, you can tag along."

"Woaah? An invitation too? Someone must really be lonely. Thanks, but I'll be, ah, conducting my own practice instead." Shinya gave him another overly friendly wave before turning away.

As he moved down the hall, his military boots echoing in the silent corridor, he could still feel Guren's somber, searching stare following him.

After countless hours, panting and sweating under the hot midday sun, Shinya felt that he finally grasped the idea he had been chasing for weeks.

Resting his rifle against his shoulder, he wobbled—slightly delirious from the dual strain of excessive possessions and the heat—towards the decoy sitting several meters from its original spot. He bent forward, inspecting the slightly scuffed paint across the crudely drawn face and chest buckles. Apart from a deeper chip across the manikin's shoulder, it looked largely intact.

Shinya straightened up with a satisfied groan, pressing a gloved hand to his aching back. He scanned over the manikin again, searching for any major deformities, such as a broken neck or missing limbs. Finding none, he nodded again and allowed a pleased, yet weary smile to rise across his lips.

A little bruised and ruffled, but still alive, I hope.

He glanced from the manikin's original spot to its new location. It still wasn't far—hardly more than the length of a room.

There's still more to do if I want to make this work.

Shinya sighed a soft, tired little sigh. Although the possibilities from the new technique were tantalizing and numerous, it had taken a significant strain on his endurance as well as his ability to contain Byakkomaru. Several times throughout the past training session, his demon had trickled out of control faster than he could rein it back in, creating an explosive power that demolished the target.

His eyes shifted to the charred, fragmented pieces of rubble to the side.

Yes… Regardless of the strain, he needed to continue to practice, especially since their mission to Nagoya began the next day. Everything needed to be perfect before they faced the nobles.

For all of their sakes.

Despite the harsh welcome, Shinya knew that Guren appreciated his presence on the mission. He could see it in the softened wrinkles around Guren's eyes and the way he would always glance behind him after each command to make sure the Major General agreed with his decisions.

He could also see that Guren was relieved that Shinoa's squad was present as well. The signs were obvious: the offhanded ruffling of Yuu's hair, the backhanded counter-compliments to Shinoa, and the mumbled reassuring for Yoichi, which was likely meant for all of them. However, the anxiety and self-loathing were present as well, almost as if Guren felt guilty for dragging inexperienced kids to a suicide mission.

Guren himself probably didn't realize the depth of his conflicting, selfless emotions, but Shinya could see them plainly written across his face in his actions. After all, they had known each other for a long time.

While Guren was briefing them on their mission, Shinya distracted himself from the heavy, repetitive speech (Guren had already presented the mission parameters to him twice before; he had claimed it wasn't a big deal and Shinya need not come, but they both knew it was Guren's poorly veiled attempt to entice him into showing) to observe the newest Black Demon prodigies.

After spending years training to pick out the minutest detail hundreds of meters away, learning to read his other allies, especially those as open as Yuu and Yoichi, became similarly easy.

Yoichi seemed predictably nervous, his eyes flicking from the members of his squad to Guren. His knuckles gleamed white as his shaking death grip around his bow tightened. Of course he would be afraid of losing them. They—well, Guren too—gave him a new life and purpose.

His gaze traveled to Shinoa, listening intently with an expression devoid of her usual humor. Despite their jabs and jeers, Shinoa and Guren relied upon one another, striving to survive as the outliers in the neatly ordered Hiiragi tool set.

She's going to protect her family no matter what, so that means she won't—no, can't—let anything happen to him either.

Mitsuba and Kimizuki were more stoic, harder to gauge than the others, but Shinya managed to piece them together. Like the others, Guren had given them a new purpose and a new family. They couldn't lose that—or him. The thought was sobering, yet simultaneously relieving. It made all those hours of practice seem worth it, if only for preparing for the direst of desperations.

As expected, Yuu was the easiest to read, though his confident expression rattled Shinya the most. While the others forced neutral expressions or barely concealed their rampant nerves, Yuu slouched comfortably, watching Guren with an untroubled half-smile. To him, the notion of tragedy striking their little family was impossible, inconceivable.

Guren and the others mean so much to him, so he refuses to consider the possibility of losing them.

His gaze landed back on Guren, wrapping up his speech with a decisive hand motion.

They rely on each other, like a family. The thought made him a bit wistful; the Hiiragis didn't provide the warmest of upbringings. I suppose it's easy to be as selfless as him with such a powerful motivator.

In a mere seven seconds, everything went to hell.

It was more than just a few blinks of an eye that turned the tables. Vampires had the edge on them; their influence and power spanned centuries and surpassed nature's furthest limits. Shinya supposed it was foolish and vain for humans to ever really hope to win. How can one compete with something born from the fires of hell?

In those seven seconds, as he and Guren were limping down the deserted corridor as fast as they could, Shinya gripping the wound in his chest tightly, almost as if he could manually stifle the pain, he wondered if they ever really had a chance from the start.

Guren, typical Guren, was trying to remain optimistic, but Shinya could feel the rapid pounding of his friend's heart through his torn glove, his arm wrapped around Guren's shoulder for support. He tried to smile, fighting through the crimson and the pain, and kept making snide little comments at their opponents' expense.

However, in just another agonizing second, Shinya found himself skidding across the floor while Guren struggled to keep the noble's blade away from them. Shinya frantically scrambled to an upright position, fumbling and cursing as he reached for his gun. Too much time had passed already; he couldn't afford to waste anymore.

Just as his bloodied fingers brushed against the stock of the rifle, Shinya heard Guren's pained cry. His gaze jerked up to see the tip of the noble's sword jutting out of Guren's shoulder blade.

"Guren!"

Without a hint of hesitation, Shinya lifted up his rifle, ignoring the fiery protests from his pulsing chest. The noble was preoccupied, smirking and gloating about capturing them for information. Shinya ignored him, clearing his mind of any conflicting thoughts that could ruin his complicated command.

"Leave me! Go take command and continue the mission!"

Guren's pain laced voice broke through Shinya's concentration, causing his aim on the rifle to waver. Although he expected Guren to order something so ridiculously, predictably self-sacrificing, hearing the words still hurt.

As intended, Guren's words interested the noble, drawing any sort of attention from Shinya. His crimson eyes alighted on Guren, appraising him like a piece of fine livestock.

Dammit, Guren. He's not going to give you up now.

Not unless…. Not unless he has a better incentive.

He swallowed thickly. It seemed as if he had found a suitable motivator.

I'm sorry, Guren.

Shinya forced a laugh and a smile, despite the deadened concentration in his stony gaze. "What do you mean by take command?" The noble swung his gaze back to Shinya, blinking curiously. He wondered if the noble had already forgotten about his presence in the mere moments he had stayed silent. "I've always been in command."

Guren's expression jumped from shock to frustration. "Shut the hell up and get out of here! Now!" Shinya avoided his glare; he didn't have to look to know how furious Guren was. "Go now, you damn idiot!"

"That's no way to talk to your superior…"

"Shinya! I swear if you don't shut the fu—"

"Shhh, shh…" the noble interrupted, rapping Guren on the shoulder with the blunt end of his sword. "Are you trying to play a trick on me, you silly humans?" He tilted his head, glancing from Guren to Shinya.

"He's lying! I'm in command of this mission!" Guren shouted, his voice rising with each exclamation. The noble swiveled his wide, amused stare back to Guren. Taking the vampire's distraction as a chance to move, Shinya grunted softly as he forced himself into a standing position. At least he wasn't on the ground anymore. He tightened his trembling fingers around Byakkomaru's grip and looped his index finger in the trigger guard.

"You're just a lowly lieutenant!"

Well, that's half of his rank.

The noble narrowed his eyes, searching Shinya's face for any hint of deception. Guren's uniform was far more decorated than the average "lieutenant." He hoped the vampire was largely ignorant of human military practices. Shinya kept his face steady and devoid of fear, thankful for his years of practice for his 'family.'" The noble's accomplices had arrived by this point, much to Shinya's chagrin, but they seemed equally confused by the humans' nonsensical, asinine shouting in such an inappropriate moment.

"You weren't even supposed to be on this mission!"

If the circumstances has been different, Shinya would have laughed at how ridiculous their quarrel sounded. The rank bickering wasn't far from what they might have done on a typical day, but the purpose behind each shouted assertion made everything different, darker. Guren was probably fighting for a distraction, counting down the seconds until something salvageable happened.

Shinya was just trying to auction off his life at a price high enough to exchange for Guren's.

He supposed they had argued enough to make the nobles uncertain about their prisoner. Now it was time to play the ultimate trump card.

"Do you think that matters to a Hiiragi?"

At the drop of the name, the atmosphere in the room shifted. Shinya felt something heavy plummet in his chest; it was strange to call himself one, as if he were finally ready to accept the sins of the name. Likewise, Guren's shoulders slackened and his fury faded into weary resignation.

Even if the vampires didn't fully understand the Imperial Army's ranking system, they still understood the name of their enemy.

The noble's crimson eyebrow flicked upwards in surprise as he eyed Shinya with a new appreciation, almost as if his prize goldfish had been cashed in for a shark.

"Hmm…" the noble mused, scratching absently at his chin as he surveyed the two disheveled humans in front of him. "Humans truly are stupid if they've sent me an incompetent commander and a loudmouth Hiiragi. Maybe they sent you away because they couldn't handle your nagging, but I find it quite amusing." He smiled brightly at them.

The pit deepened in Shinya's stomach. Despite their childish shouting and arguing, it seemed as if Guren still held some value to the vampires, even if it was more for humor than strategic value. Instead of letting one of them go as before, the noble was now interested in capturing both of them.

Guren swiveled his head back towards Shinya, a frustrated snarl rising on his face. Although Guren remained silent, Shinya could hear his scathing words. See? Look what you've done. Now we're both fucked!

Well, only one of us will be, Shinya countered grimly. His index finger inched further up on the trigger, twitching from anticipation and nerves. He only had one chance now. They were no longer running practice drills.

Without another word, Shinya extended his elbow and lifted his rifle, aiming the center of his scope at the noble's chest. His blue haired companion moved forward with bared teeth, physically ready to rip Shinya's arm off if necessary. However, the noble casually raised his hand, stopping her in her tracks.

"It's fine, Chess." He tilted his head, watching Shinya with the same amused smile from before. "Humans are so predictable. You keep glancing out that window. Do you really think you can shoot me so easily and then escape?"

Shinya snapped his gaze from the window back to the noble.

"Not quite."

"Eh?"

Shinya flicked his gaze back towards Guren, absorbing each detail of his face like a deep inhale before drowning. For once, Guren didn't seem to be in perfect control of his emotions. His brows were knit in confusion, while his pursed lips betrayed his anger at Shinya for deviating so far from the plan.

"I'm not aiming for you."

Guren's eyes widened in shock and betrayal as he remembered the first, fatal proposition for their mission. The sniper's burden, Shinya echoed cryptically. His reaction made sense to Shinya. From an objective position, it certainly seemed like death was the better option for both their sakes and the mission.

After another beat of silence, filled with Shinya silently rehearsing the command one final time in his mind, the noble deciphered Shinya's ambiguous words with a startled frown.

Shinya swung the rifle from the noble to Guren and steadied his trembling hand. His finger tightened around the trigger.

"Nuh uhh!" The noble clicked his tongue disappointedly, lunging to stop him before his killed one of his prisoners.

"Shinya!"

Something glinted in Shinya's periphery and with a startled gasp he felt a cold sharpness tear into his gut. His knees buckled and he shuddered, nearly toppling over. However, no matter the pain and shock, he refused to drop his weapon. Too many people were relying on him.

Around the noble's hulking form, he caught just a glimpse of Guren, wide-eyed and pale, yet still within the sights of his rifle, though he was trying to climb to his feet.

Too late. I'm sending you away.

Struggling to speak around a mouthful of crimson iron, Shinya gagged out a single word.

"Bang."

Damn him! Damn him! Damn him!

He had things perfectly under control (well, as perfect as being at the mercy of sadistic, sarcastic vampires who wanted to interrogate him in any way possible could be) until Shinya managed to singlehandedly ruin everything.

What the hell was he thinking? Why couldn't he keep his fucking mouth shut for once?!

For a moment, it seemed as if Shinya had a plan. Or at least, Guren hoped he had one, otherwise he couldn't see the point of the idiot running his mouth about rank and importance unless there was a purpose behind it. However, when their argument devolved into nothing more than both of them digging their graves deeper and deeper (why did he have to mention those damn Hiiragis?), Guren realized that there was no plan in the end.

You idiot! They were going to let you go! Why didn't you run when you had the chance?

Unable to do much else other than bleed and spew profanity, Guren steeled himself for the inevitable moment when everything completely spiraled out of control. He tried not to wince at Shinya's painfully obvious looks out the window.

The situation is desperate, yes, but really?

However, in an instant, Shinya's murmured words changed everything. He tried not to be offended by the sniper's blunt decision; after all, it was only the requirement of the job. Still, it hurt knowing that Shinya was willing to kill him so quickly after he had fought so hard to save his sorry ass.

When the noble stabbed Shinya, Guren shoved the thoughts away and reached for his sword. His fingertips barely brushed against the cool steel before a burst of bluish white light enveloped him accompanied by the sound of roars.

This is it. The end. He waited with bated breath for the final strike, when Shinya's demon completely and irrevocably consumed him.

Time grounded to a stop and his loud heartbeats seemed to span minutes instead of seconds. However, instead of snuffing him out, the tigers curled around him like a protective mantle. Through the hazy glow of their translucent skin, he could see the vampires' startled, gape mouthed expressions and Shinya's satisfied smile, weak and weary.

Wha—

He opened his mouth to shout, to scream for an answer, but the frozen seconds finally caught up to him in a whirlwind of growls and warmth. The tigers charged, dragging him along in a bundled, spiraling heap, crashing through windows and tumbling down stairwells. Although he knew he should have felt pain, very little broke through the demon's cocoon, including sights and sounds from the outside world.

Wait… Shinya's still inside.

Guren struggled in the demon's grasp to break free, but when his fidgeting became too distracting, the largest of the tigers delicately grabbed him in its steel-trap jaw. Although the entire nightmare was only a few seconds at most, Guren felt as if he were trapped in the claustrophobic shell for much longer.

At last, the main tiger faltered and dissolved in a shimmer of blue light, releasing Guren with a mournful whimper. He tumbled to the hard ground, rolling several times across the uneven concrete until his momentum died. Guren kept a hand clamped to his shoulder wound as he pulled himself to his knees and sat back on his ankles. His limbs were shaking, but he wasn't sure why. He sucked in a painful breath through his teeth as he readjusted his position.

What…just happened?

He swallowed and glanced around at his new surroundings, belatedly realizing he was outside of the town hall. His ears were still ringing from Shinya's shot.

Shiny—

"Guren!"

He slowly turned his head, squinting at the looming pair of Yuus. He squeezed his eyes, wincing at the sharp prick at the base of his skull. Slowly, the spinning world slowed to a more manageable tilt.

"Guuuren!" Yuu was the first to his side, tugging and prodding his sore body. Guren wanted to swat him away, but he was too exhausted to move, let alone shove the brat away. The remaining members of his and Shinoa's squad circled around the pair, their expressions a multitude of relief, shock, and confusion. Immediately, Goshi dipped his shoulder, offering his squad leader help to his feet.

"How'd you get out here?"

"Are you hurt?"

"What happened?"

"Did you kill the nobles?"

"Where's Shinya-san?"

Guren took a steadying breath and curled his stained fingers into trembling fists. He relished the sensation of his fingernails biting into his skin, using the pain to sharpen his mind. He cleared his throat and the chaotic questions trickled into silence.

I'm sorry, Shinya.

"The vampires have him," he announced, ending the subject with a firm slash of his hand. "We have to move now before they return. The attempt to eradicate the nobles was a failure, but we still have a chance to rendezvous with the others at the airport. Let's go!"

With a grunt, Guren shuffled forward. He kept his gaze fixed on the road in front of him, refusing to look at his pitying comrades or the demolished remains of the fourth floor window high about him.

So that's what you've been planning all this time.

(Damn bastard.)

After the violent intensity of the rifle shot and the demonic whirlwind, the stifling silence that followed felt just as jarring. Completely spent by the intensive manifestation of Byakkomaru, Shinya sank to his knees, barely supporting his trembling body with his propped elbows. Although his eyes watered from his throbbing wounds and the afterglow of the bright lights, he forced himself to keep them open.

He wanted to see the rage on his enemies' faces.

However, instead of seeming angry or even mildly disappointed, the noble simply looked thoughtful as he surveyed the spot Guren had occupied only seconds earlier.

"Hmm… That was unexpected," he mused, tapping his chin thoughtfully. Shinya tried to sneer, but the expression came out more like a pained grimace.

"It's a pity that he's gone," he continued, his distracted stare traveling to the broken window. "He probably was the commander to deserve such special party tricks." His crimson gaze landed on Shinya. "But the question remains—are you really a Hiiragi?"

Shinya let a humorless smile stretch across his lips, his ivory teeth flecked with crimson.

"Only the one that no one wants."

He expected it to hurt a lot more when he rehearsed it in his mind, but saying the words felt oddly liberating. He wasn't like Guren—people didn't depend on him like they needed Guren. Some might miss him, but his absence wouldn't be enough to prompt Kureto into action. He didn't even know enough to be worthy of rescuing.

In a way, he supposed this was the best way. Guren would miss him maybe—if he even survived being bundled away by Byakkomaru, that is. Shinya dropped his head to hide his bright eyes as he pictured Guren, bruised and sore, cursing his name for the "bumpy ride" that saved his life.

The noble made a dismissive sound in the back of his throat as he approached Shinya's huddled form. He gently grasped Shinya's collar and hoisted him in the air as nonchalantly as if he were inspecting a new jacket. Shinya's boots barely scraped the slick floor.

"Tsk," he murmured, tilting his head as his crimson gaze ran over Shinya's glittering uniform. "I can think of several people who might want you."

It wasn't exactly reassuring.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed! I'm not sure if I'm going to write a second chapter, but I'll let you guys decide. Happy New Year!