“Mademoiselle, please take care. If I may, it has been a pleasure seeing you these past few days.”
“Thank you, Guilleume… Please tell mother and Théo that I wish them well.”

Claire had a complicated expression as she watched the house steward take a long bow, and drive away. They had seen no sign of Claire’s family in the morning once they awoke to see their next orders, but he dutifully served them regardless, and agreed to drive them to the airport where he had first picked them up not even a week prior.

In the dark winter morning, it wasn’t long before the car disappeared into the gloom, casting only a faint glow from dusky headlights as it crawled towards the horizon. They wouldn’t be out in the cold long however, as the awaiting Firebird was ready to receive them at a moment's notice and whisk them away to their next destination.

As the aircraft could travel at remarkable speeds, they were in no real hurry, but their nerves told them to arrive as soon as they could. The preparation for an intense battle was stressful enough, but the unusual way they received their notice was just as concerning.

“Yuuji, why didn’t we get a paper report this time?”
“...I’m not sure.”

As they boarded the jet, Hibiki whispered in Yuuji’s ear. Though this was all quite new to her, she had thankfully thought not to mention it loudly, as the group hadn’t openly discussed it as of yet. 

Since arriving at Château Dupond they had been receiving their information by proxy of the household, as they were working together with Phoenix and the church as part of a united stance. The cracks showing between the family aside, there was no official stated reason for them to be kept out of the loop for something as important as this, and with Claire taking part in the mission too it set a difficult mood in place.

Though Fiorella herself wasn’t with them, the shadow of her influence could still be seen, as Leona remained deep in thought throughout their journey. It would be no secret in the church that she was under investigation, so even if the girl wasn’t taking part in the mission once they arrived, she would certainly have eyes and ears watching Leona closely. The four of them sat in silence throughout their brief flight, and before they knew it they were preparing for landing once more. 

*Ka-chunk!*

Stepping foot on the cold, hard concrete, the sun had begun to shine down upon them. Rather than providing them comfort, the eerily beautiful red sunset seemed a grim reminder of things to come, but they each calmed their thoughts and proceeded towards their designated meeting point.

“Everyone, over here!”
“Elis! Sid!”

Upon seeing her friends safe and sound, Hibiki rushed over to greet them with a hug. This was warmly returned by Elis and tolerated by Sidheag, and the other girls in their group gave nods as they welcomed their classmates.

“Yuuji. I’m glad you’re well, though I had little doubt you would be.”
“Thank you Gale, but you think too highly of me. It certainly wasn’t easy.”

The back of his neck still ached from the scratch he’d received the day before, though it had been dutifully patched up and attended to by an attendant of the Dupond house. Without a dedicated healer, they could only rely on first aid, but it was far better than nothing, and he was thankful for it.

Though Valeriya didn’t speak to them, she gave a curious glance towards Leona before directing her gaze at Yuuji, who shook his head quietly. Understanding everything she needed to from this simple exchange, the silver-haired girl turned her attention away once more, as a gentle chatter overtook the group.

As they had been operating in Switzerland already, Alpha team were naturally the first to arrive, but Charlie team weren’t long behind. It was only Bravo team that had been operating out of Italy that would take longer to reach them, but within only half an hour, their Firebird touched down nearby.

The usually loud twins gave a large wave upon seeing their companions but acted somewhat reserved compared to their normal behaviour, and it wasn’t hard to see why. Beside them were Aoi and Ji-Hye, the latter of which happily dashed over towards Yuuji once she saw him, while the former took a stern stance before the group of students.

“Everyone, thank you for being here. I hoped that the next time we met was under better terms, but things are not so simple.”

It wasn’t the first time they saw the ordinarily lighthearted school doctor take a serious tone, but whenever she did, they stood to attention.

“Mr Pierce has remained in the Vatican City for now, but Ji-Hye and I will be setting up at a base camp at the bottom of the mountain. As for why this arrangement has come to be, all I can say currently is that this operation is being kept highly confidential, and we will need to strike hard, and fast.”

Yuuji felt the deeper meaning in her words, but it was too late to do anything about it. His role in this was to fight on the battlefield and keep his friends and loved ones safe as they dismantled the vampire threat.

“Shortly, you will be ascending up the mountainside to attack a vampire compound where we believe the remaining coven members are hiding. From the intel we have learned, they have seized a small commune to use as a base… and the civilians that inhabited it previously have been taken as thralls.”

The faces of the students sank as reality set in. They wouldn’t simply be fighting demons, but brainwashed humans too, as the vampires would slyly use their guards to stall for time as long as possible until night came.

To make matters worse, it was December 21st - the winter solstice. As the odds stacked further and further against them, the sinking feeling within Yuuji’s stomach began to grow ever more. This wasn’t simply bad luck: there was someone pulling the strings.

“The vampire hunters from the church will meet us at the base camp, where you will be provided with the gear you need to scale the mountain. Rations, water, warm clothing; everything has been accounted for already, though this is your last chance if you have any further requests.”

A grim silence followed her words, as the youths standing before her prepared themselves. With nothing more to add, Aoi nodded as she watched them carefully.

“Then let us go.”

******

The journey was a short and sombre one. Though the groups had been reunited with each other after a few tough days apart, there was no joy to be held, as they were in the calm before the storm.

The base camp consisted of a small collection of wooden buildings at the foot of the mountain which had once upon a time served as a preparation area for those looking to climb the Alps. It was warm, well-lit, and had plenty of simple facilities, but every inch of free space had been taken up by gear and equipment to ready for the battle ahead.

The church’s vampire hunters numbered only a few more than the students, but they each kept to themselves. It was difficult to tell if the hunters were simply too preoccupied with their preparations to care about the newcomers, or if they were looking down on the students due to their age, but Yuuji had been through these sorts of situations far too many times to care.

So long as they each performed their duties and didn’t get in each other’s way, that would be enough.

“Yuuji-kun, come here please.”

As he donned his overcoat, he saw Aoi gesture to him out of the corner of his eye. He was surprised, but she was still his commanding officer at this time, so he obliged without question, and as he followed her into the quiet side room he felt a warm hand touch the back of his neck.

“!?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t notice? Fufu, you should know better than to be so careless when facing vampires.”

He smiled wryly and didn’t respond. He wasn’t exactly trying to hide his wound, but he hadn’t mentioned it when making his report initially, so he figured she hadn’t known.

It had been properly stitched closed, but to the keen senses of a vampire that was meaningless. Only once a wound had fully healed would it no longer carry the scent of blood, and with the carotid arteries being a favourite of vampires, leaving a neck injury only half cared for was asking for trouble.

They remained still for a few moments before she gently lifted her palm. The warm sensation left his skin, and he knew without needing to look that it had been repaired as if it had never happened.

“...I want everyone to return home in one piece. That includes you.”
“...”

Her commanding tone had vanished, and he could feel that her words were from the heart. Knowing that she had seen through his ploy, he couldn’t bring himself to face her and looked away sheepishly as he heard her shuffling at the side of the room.

There was no way to know what would happen the moment after the fight started. In the past, he would fight to survive as a priority, and keep others alive where he could, but now it was difficult to say the same. He didn’t doubt the ability of his peers, but his thoughts overlapped as he saw visions of them meeting the same grisly fate as many he had met and lost over the years, and a strange powerlessness formed in his mind.

Quietly, he thought that drawing any vampires' attention towards him may help keep those he cared about safe. Perhaps he was right, but it was a selfishly selfless decision as those he sought to protect held him dearly too - many of which more than he realised.

“Yuuji-kun, this is for you. Mr Pierce worked hard to get it approved… Fufu~, you really are popular, aren’t you?”
“Is this..?”

A familiar black case lay on the table before him. It had been over a year since he saw it last, but as he looked wide-eyed at Aoi, she simply returned a foxy grin and chuckled to herself.

His hand traced the thick locks that adorned the heavy-duty box, and led by his memory, his fingers entered the secure codes needed to open it. With two crisp clicks the locks released, and the box opened smoothly at his tug.

“Be sure to thank him once you’re home safe~.”

A faint smile crept across his face.

“I will.”