"It's going along super well, Chō!" Seina said. "At this rate, you'll have a true classic. All of Aiko's friends are talking about your manga!"
"..." As usual, Chō gave no response, but Seina detected an edge of smugness in the girl's expression. But Seina didn't begrudge her this. The pair worked hard to make their creation a reality. And with new manga in short supply, people were eating it up.
"Thank you, Seina," Izumi said, abashed. It's always a pleasure to have you drop by. Despite visiting every few days for almost three months, the mangaka was still star-struck at Seina's presence. The cost of being a famous hero, she supposed.
"Yeah, I can't wait until the next issue! You just had to end on that cliffhanger, didn't you?" Colten had gotten hooked on the manga, visiting the newsstand every morning, so there wasn't a chance he'd miss the next issue of Shoujo Jump.
Seina found it silly that he bought a magazine for a single chapter of one manga. The fairy didn't care for the other manga in the collected issue, considering them too girly for his liking. Well, whatever. She liked them, so the purchase wasn't a waste.
"..."
"Yes?" Seina replied, hoping she'd hit the mark on whatever the girl wanted. When Chō tapped her toe in annoyance, Seina realized she'd gotten it wrong, again.
"She's asking how Emiyo is doing?" Izumi said, supplying his friend's meaning. He was always more in tune with Chō's thoughts than Seina.
"Oh, that. She's fine." Seina paused for thought. "I think she's doing odd jobs around town. I don't see her that often." Emiyo lived in another building with another family, a mother and her child. With the former lieutenant's insistent need to keep busy, it wasn't easy to catch sight of her. Far different from Takako, who enjoyed lounging around and reading manga all day.
"..."
"Right," Seina said, giving her typical automatic reply. Inwardly, she sighed. Despite her best attempts to become friends, they hadn't really gelled. The same with Emiyo.
I suppose not everyone is meant to be friends.
"..."
"Good plan." Izumi whipped his brow. It was the middle of summer, and the humidity was killing them all, despite the poor fan in the corner's attempts to keep them cool. Since the vampire's defeat air conditioning was an almost unknown luxury. "Lunch sounds nice."
"And ice cream!" Colten added, with Seina nodding in response. For some reason, the ice cream vendor seemed to hate her guts, but Seina tried her best to be friendly with the woman, regardless.
Before they could leave, a figure burst through the door, surprising them both. "You! Are you Seina?"
"Yes?" Whoever was at the door, she didn't recognize them. The girl wore her deep purple hair in an elaborate braid that hung over her shoulder. She was tall for a magical girl, standing almost a meter taller than Seina. The newcomer's broad face wore a deep frown, her eyes fraught with tension.
"Good, you are here." A more familiar voice said. Behind her followed the frantic stranger.
"Takako? What's going on? Who's this?" Immediately, Seina sensed something was wrong. A deep foreboding struck her, knowing her peaceful days had finally ended. Much to Seina's surprise, Liam, Himari's partner, was hovering behind her. A quick glance revealed that, strangely, Himari wasn't with them.
"Too much," Takako replied. "This is Kyoko. It's best if she told her story."
---
"Craziness," Seina said, his voice filled with grim disbelief.
"Bastards!" Mr. Kiyojiro said, uttering an oath. Chō and Emiyo remained silent, staring down at the floor.
"Why?" Nothing about the Devil Princess's plan made much sense to Seina. While she'd known they were villains, the fact they wanted to cause such widespread destruction defied belief.
"They're advancing some plan," Liam said, nodding. "What, It is it's impossible to say."
"We have to stop them!" Seina said with feeling.
"But that's what they want!" Emiyo said, breaking in. "It must be some sort of scheme to lure you out!"
"Would they go that far?" Mr. Kiyojiro said before shaking his head. "No, Liam is right. They are plotting something else. This goes far beyond anything involving Seina."
"..."
"Chō is right. Going to Starlight Dream is tantamount to suicide!" Emiyo said, her fist quaking.
"We don't have a choice!" Seina slammed a fist into her palm. "We're the only ones who can stop this!"
"If we can defeat Yuuka Tsujikawa, the Mad, we can beat the other Devil Princesses," Colten said, backing up his partner.
"It's suicide! I'm not kidding!" Emiyo replied.
"Neither am I," Seina said, her tone resolute. Whatever the cost, she'd finish this.
"Whatever happens, I'm with you, Seina," Takako said, finally voicing her opinion. Her partner, Neir, nodded in agreement.
"Me too!" Liam pumped a paw.
"Thank you," Seina said, her gratitude overflowing.
"Crazy, all of you!" Emiyo threw up her arms, but Seina noticed she hadn't said she wouldn't help.
"..." Chō said, sighing. Her response made Emiyo deepen her scowl.
"Utter madness," Emiyo said, turning away.
"Hey, they haven't beaten us yet. I have some ideas. First, we need to rescue the old queen from her imprisonment. I'm not sure that we'll win this without her help." Seina said. Anyone who could scare the Devil Princess was worth having on your side.
"You really want to free the Wicked Queen? Really? And why am I agreeing to this?" Emiyo said, her tone distraught. "What then? It's still us against three Devil Princesses!"
"We'll need to isolate them. Then, they'll be more manageable to fight." Takako smirked. "I have some ideas on that front."
"..."
"Okay, if you're sure." When Emiyo noticed everyone's confused glances, she supplied what her friend had said. "Chō has an idea about how we might find the Wicked Queen's prison."
"So we have a plan!" Seina said, her mood brightening.
"A fool's one." But Emiyo didn't say she wouldn't help. They were in this together. Both Emiyo and Chō had turned their backs on Starlight Dream.
"We'll leave in the morning, sunrise. Do whatever you want till then." Seina figured everyone had something they needed to do first. She won't dare leave without giving Aiko a hug.
"Mr. Kiyojiro, could you make some provisions for us?" Seina asked her bodyguard after everyone else had left. It'd be nice to have some snacks when fighting for their lives.
"More than that. I'm coming with you." Mr. Kiyojiro replied.
"Sorry? But.." It was crazy. He'd only get himself killed.
"I'm not leaving your side again." Mr. Kiyojiro said, her tone uncompromising.
"But you don't have magic! You'll just get yourself killed! Starlight Dream isn't a place for ordinary people!"
"I don't care. I'm coming with you."
Oh my gosh, he's serious. Yet, his refusal to abandon her regardless of the danger heartened Seina. "Okay."
"This is crazy if you ask me," Colten said, worried. Despite some early tension, he'd become good friends with her bodyguard.
After a quick smile, Mr. Kiyojiro returned to the subject at hand. "Where to now? Aiko's apartment?"
"No." Seina swallowed bile as she prepared to confess her idea. While loathsome, it needed to be done. "I need to do something before we leave for Starlight Dream."
"Oh?" Her bodyguard asked, curious. Colten also perked his head up in interest.
"I need to visit my parents."
"What? No!" Colten said in automatic protest. He'd been there when Seina's parents had tossed their daughter to the proverbial wolves to save their own necks. "Forget those monsters!"
Her bodyguard, however, said nothing. Instead, he studied his charge, deep in thought. "Are you sure? You don't need to. No shame in cutting them from your life after what happened."
"Yeah! They don't deserve it, Seina!" Colten added.
"But they're my family. I want some closure, I guess. I don't know." While she hated them, a part of Seina still loved them and wanted their returned affection. She couldn't bear leaving without at least a goodbye.
"Okay." Her bodyguard said, nodding. "Family is still family. But we'll be here for you."
"Yeah!" Colten said. "We've got your back!"
---
"Is this the place?" Colten asked as they approached the hovel, a hut constructed from scrap and other salvaged metals. Hundreds of similar structures surrounded it, a miniature city born of necessity on the outskirts of Osaka. While humanity struggled to rebuild, many lived in such dwellings until the city constructed more permanent, safer residential buildings.
But her parent's hovel stood out, tidy, and well-maintained among the more thrown-together hut. Just like her mother to make the best of a bad situation. Seina's stomach grumbled as her nose caught a whiff of stew wafting from the open window, reminding her of lost times.
"You can still turn back. You don't need to do this." Mr. Kiyojiro said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder when he noticed tears glistening in her charge's eyes.
"No, I got this!" Seina said, slapping her cheeks. If she could face down armies of hundreds of bloodthirsty vampires, she could tackle meeting her parents. With a bold stride, she stepped through the front door.
"Seina?" Her mother said, eyes widening in shock as her daughter entered. Even after a year and a half, her mother appeared the same plump, homely woman as ever. She was attending to a pot over a gas stove.
"Hi, mom. I'm home."
"Father!" Her mother yelled across the dwelling. A moment later, her father appeared from a side passage.
"Seina! Hello! It's been too long!" Her father said, giving her a tight hug.
"It has." Her mother hugged her next.
"Hi." But Seina was less receptive, giving a weak smile.
"Who are your friends?" Her mom asked, always the graceful host.
"This is my bodyguard Mr. Kiyojiro, and my partner Colten," Seina said, gesturing with a hand.
"Pleased to meet you!" Her father said, all smiles. He flinched as Mr. Kiyojiro returned it with a wintry smile. He had no intention of being friendly.
"Aren't you the cutest thing?" Her mother said, pulling Colten's tiny cheeks.
"Hi." Her partner said without enthusiasm.
"Sit. We were just about to have dinner." Her mother guided Seina towards the dinner table dominating the room and pushed her into a seat.
"Sure." Mr. Kiyojiro said, pulling a seat for himself.
"I'm sorry. If I'd known you were coming, I would have cooked your favorite! But beef stew should suffice."
"It will be as wonderful as ever." Her father said, laughing. The room paused as a baby suddenly started crying. Much to Seina's bafflement, it was coming from the next room.
"Looks like we woke her. One moment." Her mother darted from the room.
When Seina gave her a questioning look, her father supplied the answer. "That's your new baby sister, Seina." Seina blinked in surprise, her sister! Her mother brought out the infant for everyone to see.
"So cute." Her eyes boggled as a tiny black-haired girl waved her arms, gurgling in baby language. She beamed, staring the baby in the face. "Hello, I'm your big sis, Seina! It's nice to meet you."
"That's pretty cute." Colten winced as the baby pulled his long fuzzy ears, but didn't complain. He rubbed her tiny scratch of hair, laughing.
"What's her name?" Seina asked, still enraptured by her baby sister. She'd always wanted a sibling.
"Didn't I already say it?" Her father said, confused. "It's Seina."
Seina froze, blinking in confusion. She couldn't have heard that right. "Eh? Her name is Seina, like mine?"
"You named your second child the same as your first?" Mr. Kiyojiro asked, just as baffled.
"Oh my goodness." A horrible memory returned, making Seina put her face into her hands. After pushing Seina to her seeming death in the battle pit, her parents promised they would have another Seina to replace her. It seemed they'd done just that, assuming they'd never see their first daughter again. Rage and consternation bubbled like a boiling lake, but she got them under control. "I see."
"This is going to be so confusing," Colten said, rubbing his forehead.
"Dinners ready!" Her mother said, apparently not noticing her daughter was on the verge of exploding like a volcano.
"Sure. I'm starving." Seina said, her words tight. Food would make an excellent distraction. Besides, she'd enjoy helping to feed her baby sister. It wasn't her sister's fault their parents were so terrible.
After everyone seated themselves, her mother poured everyone a generous helping of stew, with the older Seina getting the largest. For all her faults, her mother always ensured her daughter got the most food, regardless of their poverty. Despite still being skeleton thin, she'd been healthier than most other children during the vampires' cruel reign.
"Itadakimasu."
"So flavorful," Seina said, delighted.
"Our neighbor across the street grows herbs." Her mother replied. "She sells them at a very generous price. Never underestimate what some parsley can do."
"Your cooking is always the best," Seina said, taking another spoonful.
"Indeed, you have my compliments." Considering how much of a strict, avid cook her bodyguard was, it was an impressive endorsement.
Seina watched in delight as her mother lifted a spoon of baby food to little Seina's lips. It created a mess on her cheeks, and her big sister was ready to wipe it clean with a cloth napkin. They spent turns helping feed the baby, Seina being more interested in attending to her sister than eating herself. Already, she adored little Seina.
But something odd caught her notice, making her frown. "Is something wrong, dad? You seem agitated."
"It's nothing." He replied. "The stew isn't agreeing with me."
"That's a shame. Could I have the rest of yours?" Seina asked. It was a superb stew.
"Go right ahead." Her father said, pushing his bowl forward.
"Can I have some too?" Colten asked.
"Sure thing." Seina poured half of her second bowl of stew into Colten's tinier one. Despite their size, fairies had a decent appetite. "So, dad. What is it you do now?"
"I work for a construction company. Do some odds and ends. Help keep their paperwork in order." Her father replied. He used to be an accountant before the vampire, so the job suited him well.
"Father's helping arrange the demolition of buildings too rundown to be any use." Her mother said.
"I heard about that. Construction teams are finally pulling down the condemned building for new ones." Mr. Kiyojiro said. "About time. In a decade, we should hopefully return to the days before the vampires."
"How old are you?" Her father asked. "Seina was barely a toddler when King Lothaire took over the world."
"Old enough." Mr. Kiyojiro said, his tone brooding. As usual, her bodyguard avoided talking about his past.
"Would you like another bowl?" her mother suddenly asked.
"Um, okay." Seina was full, but it'd be rude to reject it.
"Here you go." Her mother had already passed her one before Seina had even finished speaking.
"Okay?" For whatever reason, her mother's warm smile was making Seina ill at ease. The furtive glances her mother kept giving her father weren't helping. Her bodyguard frowned, also noticing something odd. They all jumped as the front door slammed open.
A pale, lanky man almost seven feet tall slid inside her parent's dwelling, his posture cocky. "Well, well. Who do we have here? The nightmare girl herself, Seina Kamiyama."
"Who are you?" her bodyguard said, already standing. They both noticed the glinting fangs partly hidden in the man's mouth. A vampire.
"Raheal Dagger. The future King of Vampires." The man replied, spreading his arms wide.
"Big talk from a small fish," Colten said with a snort.
"I'm smarter than Lothaire and Lilha. Seina, I ensured your death well before I made my move." Raheal made an elaborate gesture with his hands. "I studied you, learned your weakness. And I struck right when I knew you'd be the most vulnerable."
"Uh, huh," Seina said, bored. These vampires sure like to talk, didn't they?
But the vampire seemed convinced of his victory. "Already, you're dying, Seina Kamiyama. In that stew was a deadly nerve agent made from my toxic blood. Right now, it's eating you away from the inside, your every nerve failing. In less than a minute, you'll be dead."
"Eh?!" Seina said, eyes boggling.
"What?" Colten said, spitting out his stew.
"And best yet, your loving parents were your killers. I knew you'd eventually come back home. They were more than willing to betray you." Raheal said, his tone gloating.
"What?" Seina stared at her parents, horrified. They wouldn't, not again.
"You." Rage filled her bodyguard's expression, turning murderous by the second.
Her father only shrugged. "He promised us a lot of money."
Her mother nodded. "It'd better help us raise little Seina. Don't look so scandalized, Mr. Kiyojiro. You would have done the same if you heard the amount he offered us."
"Like hell." Her bodyguard seethed.
Seina only stared in disbelief, her entire world somersaulting from her parent's second betrayal.
"And look at you, talking instead of acting like fools," Raheal said, chuckling. "This was too easy. How do you feel now? Does every nerve burn? Are you wishing for death, so the pain can finally end?"
Seina blinked. "Um, not really?" Beyond being furious beyond words, she felt fine.
"How long did you say she had?" Her bodyguard said, leaning forward. "Less than a minute? By my count, it's been almost two."
"Really?" Rapheal's certainty faded, giving the magical girl a nervous glance. "But she can't be immune. My blood can kill fellow vampires! You gave her the poison, right?"
"I did." Her mother said, nodding. "In the first bowl and the second."
"And I dosed mine when I noticed the poison wasn't doing anything." Her father added.
"I hate you! You're the worst!" Seina said, standing up. Tears burned her eyes, pent-up emotion bubbling to the surface. "I never want to see you again!"
Again, they'd betrayed her without a second thought. She really meant nothing to them, didn't she? Why had she bothered trying to reconnect with them? When her eyes fell on her sister, Seina, a hard line formed on her mouth.
"And I'm taking her with me." She stole her sister from her highchair, bouncing the baby as she began crying. Little Seina had also caught the terrible atmosphere in the room.
"You can't take my baby." Her mother snarled. "She's mine."
"No. And you can't stop me." A cruel smile formed on Seina's lips.
"Yes, it's illegal!" Her father said, standing.
"You forget, father. I'm friends with the Prime Minister Kenji Ogawa. I doubt he'll look favorably on you when he learns about this!" Seina took pleasure in how pale her parents had become. "You don't deserve her! Both of us deserve better parents than you!"
Her payback satisfied, Seina stormed out of the room. For their sake, they better not see her again.
"Well, uh, it was nice meeting you." Raheal said, giving an awkward smile, "I better get going! Have a good night!"
As the vampire turned to leave, her bodyguard acted. With one swift motion, he broke one of the table's chair legs and hurled it like a javelin. Caught unaware, the vampire howled as the projectile pierced his heart from behind. Raheal collapsed to the ground, his dead body twitching. Both Seinas and Colten watched in wide-eyed amazement. The dirt floor sizzled as the monster's blood touched it, before dissipating into a black sludge.
Her bodyguard only shrugged. "She isn't the only one who knows how to kill vampires. I'm not Seina's bodyguard for nothing."
Her parents squirmed as her bodyguard's wintry glare bore into them, tensing as he casually picked up a knife and played with its tip. "For your sake, I better not catch you around either Seina again." The smile he gave made both her parents shallow in nervous tension. He wasn't kidding. They flinched as he drove the knife into the kitchen table hard enough to split wood.
After a grim smile and nod, she left her parent's house with her friends, refusing to look back. She cradled her sister, offering kind words. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you're happy and loved." Tears returned. "Better than what I got."
---
"Is she tucked in?" Seina asked her bodyguard.
"Little Seina was upset about being separated from her mother, but she's sleeping peacefully now." Mr. Kiyojiro replied.
"What now? A baby is a huge responsibility." Colten said, fluttering to sit on his partner's shoulder.
"I hate to leave her, but we still need to leave for Starlight Dream." A wave of protectiveness washed over her, wanting to guard that little life with everything she had. Now, more than ever, she needed to stop the Devil Princesses for her sister's sake.
"I'll contact someone I know to watch over her while we're gone." Mr. Kiyojiro said.
"You're still coming with us?" Colten asked, somewhat perplexed.
"Yes." That simple word said he won't compromise this decision, no matter what. Despite how scary the situation was, it brought Seina comfort. Deep in her heart, she wanted him by her side.
"Thank you." Tears spilled onto her bodyguard's shirt as she hugged him.
"Always." Mr. Kiyojiro said, stroking her head.
"Why can't they love me?" The words blurted out before Seina could control them, her heart-wrenching that her parents could never provide her this love.
For a long moment, Mr. Kiyojiro was quiet before he finally answered. "Some people are pieces of shit. They don't understand what they have, so they throw it away without a care. You're a special girl, Seina, better than they'll ever be. They're unworthy of being your parents. But understand this, even if they don't love you, others can fill that void. They can be your family instead and love you like you deserve."
"Mr. Kiyojiro." Seina sniffed, unable to control her tears.
"Yeah, forget them! You have us, Seina!" Colten said.
"Thank you." Tears threatened to slip as a warmth blossomed in her heart. She didn't think it was possible to love anyone more than this odd pair who'd been unexpectedly tossed into her life. She gave them both a tight hug, happy beyond belief. These two were her real home.