Mizunochi Ayaka

"Look at you, all beat up and ragged. Aren't you tired of fighting?"

"They started it."

"Then why didn't you get out of there? You stayed on purpose just so you could beat the living shit out of them, right?"

"They deserved it. While I don't condone bullying, they need to learn their lesson."

"Yeah, right. By the way, are you free later?"

"Why?"

"Let's hit the festival. It's on me."

The sound of a distant explosion woke Jurou up just as he was watching the mesmerizing fireworks in his dream. It was a memory he wouldn't forget— that's why he wasn't at all that nonplussed when he dreamed about the memory.

"Isn't that... yeah, that explosion came from the direction of the Scarlet Blood Stronghold. Should I go back and check things out?" Jurou asked, remembering his temporary visit by the formidable stronghold.

After much contemplation, he shook his head and headed to the next city. He was told that the young master 'terrorized' that certain area. That's where he opted to go.

"I wonder if the young master's girlfriend is doing all right. I should probably check up on her from time to time. It would look bad if the young master were to come back and the mansion is not in order." Jurou muttered to himself.

He had already gotten a decent amount of sleep. Slinging his bag on his shoulder, he continued his travel under the moonlit night.

...

The steady hum of the jeepney lulled Kazuichi to slumber. With all the running around he had been doing for the past week, the exhaustion had already caught up to him. Sandwiched between two girls by the front seat, Kazuichi fell asleep, his face bobbing up and down as it rested on the stronghold leader's bosom.

"Ah, pardon my late introductions. My name is Mizunochi Ayaka, the leader of the Scarlet Blood Stronghold. And you are?" Ayaka greeted, stealing a glance at Tris who was comfortably seated on the other side of Kazuichi.

"I'm Triciana, Karuizawa Triciana." Tris introduced herself as her eyes were fixated on Ayaka's chest. Her gaze then shifted towards Kazuichi who was relaxedly leaning on her chest. She was beginning to wonder what their relationship was.

Her intuition told her that this wasn't the first time they'd met. After all, Ayaka was already acting all familiar with Kazuichi ever since she arrived at the shelter.

"Karuizawa? That name sounds familiar. Do you have a family member in our stronghold?" Ayaka asked. She was pretty sure that she'd heard the family name before.

"I'm not sure, but I'm looking for my younger sister. She's small for her age, and she has the same hair color and eyes as mine." Tris was bad at her descriptions, but even then, she saw Ayaka's face light up as she turned her head toward Tris.

"Ah! Yes, I remember now. A week or so ago, my scout team came back from the city. They brought supplies as well as a pretty interesting story. By any chance, is your sister a Canary?"

"A Canary?" Tris knew what a Canary meant, but she had no idea whether her sister was a Canary or not.

"Then... is her name Karuizawa Amaya?" Ayaka continued, her lips curving into a smile. For a moment, she winced as Kazuichi's head leaned in even more to the center of her chest.

"Yes! How did you know her name? Is she currently in the Scarlet Blood Stronghold?" Tris asked. She almost had the urge to raise her voice but then she realized that the jeep's windows were open, and it would be bad if a horde tracked them down while they were driving.

"Yes, she's there. I also heard that she was looking for her older sister, and that's why she would go on expeditions with the other teams. Of course, it's not like they could deny her request since she's a Canary after all." Ayaka responded.

From the back compartment of the jeep, a steady low growl could be heard coming from Yamishiro who was on the verge of losing consciousness. The drug had worked, and it sedated him a little bit.

"Can you really cure him? You really have a cure for the infected?" Tris asked out of nowhere.

Ayaka let out an exhale as she looked out of the window. Now that the night had set in, and the cloudless skies showed a myriad of stars, Ayaka felt a peaceful feeling. With this kind of view, it was easy for someone to forget that he or she was in the middle of the apocalypse. "The truth is, we can't cure him, but we can save whatever we could so he could live. It's just like major surgery. There's a huge probability that he would die, but there's a good chance that he can be saved. Kazuichi held on to that chance, and that's why he tried to save Yamishiro."

"Then... how do you intend to save him. If there's a way, then I'd like to know." Tris was a bit forceful but Ayaka was patient. She didn't dislike Tris's enthusiasm at all.

"You'll know once we get there. Let me just tell you in advance that... out of everyone I tried to save in the past, only one managed to survive— me." Ayaka continued, bringing down her sleeves so she could show Tris the bite mark on her shoulder.

Tris wasn't looking at her shoulder though, but at the supple lump of fat on her chest.

As if on cue, Kazuichi woke up when Ayaka brought her sleeve to the lowest point. When Kazuichi's eyes opened, he was greeted by something that he shouldn't have seen. His nose bled as he panicked. "A ni-ni-ni—" Kazuichi stammered, the picture etched in his mind.

As for Ayaka, she just smiled before hugging Kazuichi's head which was resting on her chest. "How was it? You were sleeping and drooling all over it, you know." She teased before letting out a chuckle.

"Eh?!" Kazuichi stopped short. For once, he wished that he didn't fall asleep at such a moment.

As for Tris, she had no idea how to react. Before Kazuichi turned in her direction, she averted her gaze and leaned by the window, acting as if she didn't see anything. From afar, Tris noticed a huge fortress, and her mouth hung open.

They've arrived at the Scarlet Blood Stronghold.