Meeting the Grandfather

Right after the door closed, Sunata lightly chopped Yukari on the head again. Yukari covered her head with quivering lips.

“Ow~ What was that for?”

“For randomly telling people you’re a vampire,” Sunata said. “You’re lucky that Mimi already knows about the supernatural world.”

Lifting her hands off her head, Yukari raised her eyebrows. “She does?”

“Yeah, I told her about how my family is full of Vampire Control Specialists.” Sunata kicked some rocks as he walked with Yukari.

Yukari stopped. “Vampire Control Specialists?”

“You know about them, don’t you? Sunata asked. He didn’t understand why she seemed to be so surprised. After all, as weird and spacey as she was, she was still a vampire she had to know. But then again, maybe she didn’t. “Only vampires can kill other vampires. Once the remaining Vampire Hunters learned that they changed their goals to vampire control instead.”

“No.” Yukari shook her head. “I know that.”

Sunata’s shoulders tensed up. The wind seemed to get even chillier. He wasn’t sure if that was because of how late it was getting or because of the way Yukari was acting. “Then, why are you making that face?”

“You said you’re family was full of them,” Yukari said quietly, her chin lowered to her chest. “So, you’re one too?”

“Ah…I see.” Sunata took a deep breath. Walking closer to Yukari, he rose his hand and she flinched in response. Then, he gently rested his hand on her head. “I’m tectonically the heir. But I have no interest in taking over. Besides…”

Taking off his eye patch, Sunata showed her his glowing eye. “I’m not even as strong as the rest of my family anyway. I only have half-power.”

Yukari’s jaw dropped as she stared into Sunata’s eye. “Half-power?”

“My family is a clan with special powers. It’s called Vir, which allows us to see and sense anything supernatural. Like ghosts and vampires for example. It allows gives us the ability to fight them.”

A glowing blue flame ignited in the center of Sunata’s palm. It flickered back and forth before fizzling out. “But I only gained half of my mother’s powers. So, there’s really no point in me pursing the family business anyway.”

Sunata lifted his hand off of Yukari’s head and put his eye patch back on. “Anyway, come on. We’ve got work to do.”

After that, they went around the whole neighborhood. Sunata did his best to get Yukari to scare someone, but they always ended up meeting failure. No matter what he tried, something always seemed to get in the way. That something always being because of Yukari herself, of course.

They tried scaring some of the other old people in the neighborhood. Then, some of the kids. The old people found Yukari cute and endearing while the children found her weird and strange. Eventually, they had to go try and scare some of the teenagers and adults. Naturally, they failed all those within seconds as well.

“Even you should be able to do this,” Sunata said, crouching behind a bush with Yukari next to him.

“Are you sure?” She nibbled at the chocolate bar in her hands.

“I mean, if you can’t manage this, it’s all over. There’s nobody left.”

Yukari gulped. “Got it.”

Sunata pushed her on the back. “Now go out there and make me as proud I can possibly be.”

“Right!” Yukari tiptoed out of the bushes. Steadily, she made her way forward toward her target. A lone black bird pecking at some crumbs on the ground. She inched closer and closer, ever so quietly…

Sunata watched her from the bushes, keeping his eyes locked on her the whole time. He held his hands together, hoping for the best.

As Yukari got closer, she rose her hands and—

The bird turned around, a sharp glare in its eyes.

“EEEEEEK!” Yukari threw her hands in the air and scurried away.

The bird picked up the chocolate Yukari had dropped in its beak and flew away.

“Seriously?” Sunata scrambled his hands through his hair. “You couldn’t even scare a bird?!”

“It was a scary bird!” Yukari protested. Her head moved from side to side. She ran her hands over her body and then gasped. “Oh no! It took my chocolate bar! We have to get it back!”

“And how are we going to do that? The bird is gone.” Sunata stood up from the bushes, brushing some leaves and twigs off his jeans.

“Chase after it!” Yukari pointed to the sky.

“Were you just born this way or did something happen to your head?”

“My head is just fine thank you very much!”

“Clearly not.” Sunata took another piece of candy from Yukari’s bag. “You failed to scare literally everyone in the whole neighborhood. You couldn’t even scare a damn bird for crying out loud. Sorry, but looks like you’ll be living your life on the streets from now on.”

“No!” Yukari hugged Sunata’s arm. “It’s cold out here!”

“Let go of me, will you?” Sunata tried to shrug Yukari off as she held firm.

“At least come with me to tell my grandpa!”

“And why would I do that?” Sunata pushed his hand against Yukari’s forehead, prying her off of him.

“Because if you don’t then I make your life hell!” She smiled brightly.

“You’ve got some nerve, you know that.” This vampire girl was beyond persistent. And he could tell by that determined look in her eyes, she was dead serious about it. What a terrifying look.

Maybe she managed to scare someone after all.

Sunata sighed. “Fine. I’ll go with you.”

“Yippee!”

“Don’t you yippee me!”

“Hooray!”

“Ugh…”

And so, Sunata and Yukari made their way to her grandfather’s house. A large black mansion at the end of the neighborhood. It was so big it seemed to reach up into the clouds.

A sharp white picket fence stood in front of the mansion along with several shrubs and old wilting trees and flowers. Bat decorations covered the house and there was a single pumpkin right by the steps.

“This is your place, huh?”

“Yep!” Yukari skipped through the open picket fence and hummed. “This is my home!”

Sunata smirked. “For now.”

Stopping in her tracks, Yukari whipped her head around, her hair whizzing through the air. “You are such a meanie!”

“Sorry, can’t help it when I’m with you.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Don’t worry about it. Weirdo.” Sunata patted her on the head and started walking towards the mansion.

One they got to the large double doors, they opened of their own accord. The slow creaking made Sunata’s shoulders tense up. A lump formed in his throat as he peered into the dark hallway.

He looked over at Yukari, her gaze lowered to the floor. She must be pretty scared as well. That look was so annoying…Way too unpleasant to look at. “Hey, it’ll be fine, okay? I’m here to help, remember?”

Yukari glanced at Sunata through the corner of her eyes. “You really mean it? You’re actually going to help me?”

“Might as well.” Sunata shrugged. “I came all the way here after all.” As he kept checking her face, he realized that probably wasn’t the most assuring thing to say. And so with a sigh, he said, “I will help you. I promise.”

The two of them walked into the mansion, taking breaths to calm their nerves as they did so. Once they made it through the hallway, they came to a kitchen, illuminated only candles.

At the end of the kitchen, a man sat with his hands folded. He had long purple hair reaching down his back and the same red eyes as Yukari. He set down the wine glass in his hands and put with the dozens of others sitting on the table.

Sunata gulped. He took a few steps forward as Yukari clung to his arm. “Are you Yukari’s grandfather?”

The man narrowed his eyes at Sunata. “I am Yagura. And yes, I am that girl’s grandfather.” He tapped his fingers on the table. “Do you mind telling me what you’re doing with her.”

What was this crushing weight he was feeling? The more Sunata gazed upon the man, the more he seemed to feel his overwhelming presence. He thought about turning around and heading for the door. But…he made a promise. He couldn’t turn back now.

“You see, Sir, your granddaughter…Yukari. She came to me and told me about the mission you gave her.”

Yagura reached for one of the empty wine glasses and swung it around in his hand. “She did, huh?”

“Yes. And she asked for my help. But she wasn’t able to scare anyone. It might not be my place to say this, but I don’t think Yukari has it in her.” Sunata rubbed the back of his neck, focusing his eyes on the gas stove behind Yagura. “I realize there’s not much I can do here. I guess she wanted me here to help vouch for her. So, please, Mr. Yagura. Don’t kick her out.”

“You’re certainly right about that.” The wine glass rolled off the table as the man stood up. The glass shattered. Shards scattered across the floor.

Yagura held his hands behind his back, his footsteps echoing in the dimly lit kitchen. “There is nothing you can do here. Yukari is a failure.”

Flinching under Yagura’s intense scrutinizing gaze, Yukari hid behind Sunata’s back. Sunata’s neck pulsed as Yagura drew closer.

“I gave her that mission because I knew she wouldn’t be able to do it. She’s already exiled to begin with.”

Yukari peeked her head out. “But Grandpa…I don’t wanna live by myself.”

“It’s too late for that, Yukari.” Yagura shook his head in disappointment. “You simply aren’t cut out to be a vampire. However, I will say…you did one last thing well.” An excited grin sprawled across his face. “You brought me a very nice gift.”

He lunged for Sunata. Sunata shut his eyes, preparing for the inevitable.

The sound of a bullet whizzed through the air. As Sunata opened his eyes, he saw Yagura clutching his arm and screaming in pain.

“AGH! Damn it…” He narrowed his eyes at the door behind Sunata and Yukari. “It’s you, Kotei.”

“Grandpa?!” Sunata turned around to see his grandpa holding the gun in his hand and aiming it directly at Yagura.

“Told you this would work.” Kotei smirked, calmly walking past Sunata. “It’s over, Yagura. You’re being taken into custody.”

“Hmph.” Yagura let his arm fall to his side. “Custody, huh? Sure you don’t want to get a few more hits in? It’s been so long since we’ve last seen each other.”

“What?” Sunata looked back and forth between his grandpa and Yagura. “What is he talking about, Grandpa?”

“Oh?” Yagura cocked an eyebrow, an amused grin on his face. “He never told you? I was the one who killed his daughter.”

Sunata’s heart jumped and pounded against his chest. His stomach sunk. “He’s the one…who killed Mom?”

Another bullet shot through the air. A scythe of blood formed in Yagura’s hands as he sliced right through it.

“Your mother was the one who sealed his father and son away. He came after her in revenge. Then, he disappeared for years. I was sent on this job because I heard he moved into this town and has been killing dozens of people every night.”

Kotei glared at Yagura. “You were looking for him, weren’t you?”

Yagura’s silent smile was all the answer Kotei needed.

“Get out of here, Sunata! And take the girl with you!” A wall of blue flames burst up in front of Kotei as Yagura swung his scythe. The sizzling of the flames mingled with the sharp sound of the scythe.

Sunata’s fingers twitched at his sides. “But…he killed Mom…”

“I said get out of here!” Yagura screamed. “I’ll take care of him and seal him away.”

“You’ll seal me away?” Spinning his scythe around, Yagura leaped into the air. Sharp projectiles of blood fired off from the tip of the scythe as they met with Kotei’s bullets. “I’ll make sure you meet the same fate as that woman.”

“SUNATA!”

Biting his lip, Sunata took Yukari’s hand and left the mansion.

They ran and ran. Eventually, they came back to the place they first met, right outside Sunata’s house. The full moon shone brightly overhead, casting them in a glowing moonlight.

Tears welled up in Yukari’s eyes. “Grandfather…really abandoned me.”

Great…There was that face again. That was the last thing Sunata wanted to see. He felt a sudden soothing presence wrapped around his shoulders. That warmth. That all too familair warmth.

“Mom.”

She hugged Sunata and spoke in a quiet, gentle voice. “You know what you must do, Sunata. It’s the right thing.”

“But…that man. He killed you.”

“That’s all the more reason to do it, don’t you think?”

His mother faded away with the wind. Sunata took a deep breath and bent down. “Hey, Yukari.”

Yukari lifted her head out of her hands, her eyes swollen red. “Uh-huh?”

“If you want, you can come live with me.”

Her eyes shone before she buried her head into Sunata’s chest. “Thank you, Sunata! Thank you! I won’t bother you at all, I promise!”

“Yeah, sure.” Sunata chuckled as he patted her head.

After that, he took Yukari home. He stretched as he sat down his chair and resumed working on his homework. Yukari sat on the bed, mindlessly swinging her legs around. She kept humming and humming.

Sunata’s concentration broke along with his pencil. “Ow!” Blood dripped from his fingers. “Great…Again.”

“Sunata, you’re bleeding?!”

Yukari pounced forward and hung over Sunata’s shoulders. “Hey! What’re you doing?! Get off!”

“Let me heal it!” Yukari took his finger into her mouth and started sucking on it.

“Idiot! You’re a vampire!”

“Oh…right.” Yukari giggled, a finger on her lips. “Guess you’re my familiar now. Whoopsie.”

“Damn it!”