Krory's dual-toned hair waved in the wind, his fangs bared sharply, sinking into another akuma. He straightened, leaping off of it just as it exploded.

"I think… that's almost all of them!" Allen's claw destroyed a spider-like one just as Lavi smashed one with his hammer.

"Good!" Krory landed on the ground gracefully, his cloak wrapped protectively around him. He grinned. "All of those creatures were beginning to anger me quite a bit." Right after he said this, he whipped around, sinking his teeth into another that was trying to sneak up on him. Wiping the blood from his mouth, he added after it exploded, "Even if their blood does taste good." His hair fell back down over one eye, his expression changed from one of fierce determination to the more natural, calmer and meek Krory.

"M-Miranda?" He strode over to the woman, still kneeling on the ground. "Are you all right?"

She nodded, wiping tears from her eyes. His heart melted at the sight, and he hugged her close. "I'm sorry, Miranda. I didn't mean to scare you…"

She shook her head. "You didn't scare me."

"Oh, that's good," he grinned. "Um… what's wrong then?"

She shook her head. "N-n-nothing!" She looked away.

He frowned. Obviously, something was wrong. Slumping, he noticed the innkeeper, cowering in the corner. "S-sir? I won't hurt you… please stop staring at me like that…"

The innkeeper shook his head, shivering obviously. "G-go away, monster!"

"M…monster?" Krory blinked. "I'm not a monster, silly man! I'm Krory!" The name seemed to make the man go into a fit of tremors. "Why, those akuma could have killed you…! I just…? What?"

He had turned away, covering his ears with shaky hands. "Go away!"

He frowned noticeably. Why were people so afraid of him all the time? Besides everyone at the Order, nearly everyone that he'd met had flinched when he saw them, or cringed away from him. Even as he was walking down the street, people avoided his gaze and tried not to notice him. And now, even Miranda… He shook the thought from his head. Surely she wasn't afraid of him, they were best friends!

"…Why? I didn't do anything to you…" Krory faltered. The man wasn't moving. He slumped. "Do you need any help, sir?"

"Go away!"

"B-but!"

"Come on, Krory." Allen put his hand on Krory's shoulder, and he led the taller man out of there. He stole a long, sad glance at Miranda on the way out.

Tears fell from Miranda's eyes as she saw the innkeeper, realized that the second she deactivated her Innocence, he would die—the akuma had bitten him. "I'm so sorry!" she burst out.

"For what?" he asked grumpily. "Y-you witch!"

"Wait!" She called at the door helplessly. "Help! Please! I need help, I'm so stupid…" The sentence had gone from a shout out the door to a mumble at the floor. "Please…"

Krory's sharp ear twitched at the sound of the shout. "Wh… She needs help!" He turned around.

"Kro-chan…" Lavi seemed uneasy.

"Let him go," Allen sighed to Lavi.

The tallest Exorcist rushed back through the door to the girl.

"What's the matter, what can I do?" He knelt in front of Miranda, whose eyes were shimmering with tears.

"Beats me," the innkeeper grimaced. Then, he realized who exactly he was talking to. "You!"

"Yes, me. Who else would I be?" Silly man. Concern etched his brow as he bit his lip, trying to find some way to help Miranda. The innkeeper ignored him. "Miranda, please calm down. What is the matter?"

"He-akuma! You… left… I…" She was hyperventilating. He grabbed her shoulders gently, his eyes wide. She took several deep breaths. "He got bitten by an akuma," she finally got out. "I-if I stop my Innocence, he'll d-die…"

"Die? What can I do?" Krory's gaze snapped to the sullen innkeeper who was glaring daggers at him, his index fingers shaped like a cross to ward off the 'vampire'.

"Y-you need to get r-rid of the p-poison. Only y-you can," she gulped. "You need t-to suck the virus from his bloodstream… before…"

"You mean… suck his blood?"

The innkeeper only heard these last three words, and his eyebrows went up in alarm. "What the hell? No! Get away, vampire!"

"Now, now, man, please. I only want to help…" Krory advanced awkwardly, his cape billowing out behind him.

"Get away, I said!" He held out his crossed fingers. "I said!"

"I know, but I never did anything to you," Krory reasoned. "Now, lend me your neck please…" He bent down. "I just want to suck out this nasty virus you've gotten…"

"No! You're not going to get near me, monster!"

Krory gave a plaintive look at Miranda. "…What do I do."

Miranda was panicking. "I-I don't-!"

Suddenly, Krory's head snapped up as he had an idea. "Miranda," he said, "please deactivate your Innocence."

"Wh-what? No! He-he'll…!" She shook her head forcefully, a stream of tears threatening to fall. "I can't! Please…"

"Miranda, please," Krory begged. "I know what I'm doing." I think. He stared at her pleadingly

Her tear-filled eyes locked onto his, an unsaid question forming between them, his expression begging. Do you trust me? He gulped.

She slumped, deactivating her Innocence, shivers of fear beginning to wrack her body. Yes, he was an experienced Exorcist, and yes, he'd saved many people on the battlefield, but that had been before the… accident. He was her best friend, and would be forever, but he was still so new and inexperienced. Fear widened her eyes when Krory stood there, watching in morbid fascination as the stars began to cover the innkeeper's body.

What are you doing? Help him! Every fiber of her being wanted to scream that at Krory pleadingly, but she didn't. Her hand went up to her mouth in a swift motion as the man began yelling, crying, pleading when the akuma virus began to spread.

Suddenly, Krory lurched forward, his teeth slicing easily through the soft skin of the man's neck. Miranda's shoulders slumped, and she sank to the ground, suddenly exhausted from terror, the natural crash that was brought on by a sudden rush of adrenaline. It's over… Relief flooded over her when Krory straightened, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. The innkeeper's head hit the floor and he lay there, unconscious.

"I'm glad that's over," Krory admitted, his large shoulders sinking. "We'd best catch up with Allen and Lavi, right?"

"…I… suppose…" Shakily, they left to join the other two Exorcists.

"What's this?" The young nurse's assistant was sorting through the papers on the head nurse's desk, and although it wasn't nearly the wreck that Komui's was, there were still some papers scattered about. She held the paper up to the light. "It says…" Her eyes widened. "Mr. Komui!" She raced out the door, and down the hall, clutching the paper tightly in white-knuckled fists. "Mr. Komui!"

She found the white-beret-wearing man sitting at his own highly cluttered desk, circles under his eyes and an untouched cup of coffee in front of him. "What is it?" he murmured in a three-quarters-asleep voice.

"Mr. Komui! I found this on the head nurse's desk!" She breathlessly handed him the paper. "Look!" He took it, adjusting his glasses so that he could see.

"Well, that's…" His eyes widened. "Somebody get Rouvelier on the phone! Krory is not supposed to be out of that hospital bed!"