Upon noticing Kenshin, Mr. Tanaka jumped from his seat and flew to his son, shoving the other men in the room to the side. “Kenshin, my dear boy, you’re all right,” he said, enveloping Kenshin in a giant hug. As a culture, the Japanese were rather staid in showing their affections, which made grand gestures like this one all the more poignant. “Thank the Gods. I feared the worst when Ryuu returned without a rider. Where have you been, my boy?” Mr. Tanaka released his son and stepped back. I watched closely as he inspected his son. The vampire transformation was subtle but noticeable for those who knew what to look for—clearer skin, brighter eyes, more graceful movements. Fortunately, nothing changed in Tanaka’s demeanor. He wasn’t suspicious. Yet.
“I was in Hayakawa searching for Valaria’s friend, then imprisoned on the Mount. What happened here? How did you avoid the Kami?”
“We fought them off, my boy. We fought them off. Took heavy losses in the process, however, and still have no idea why they came.”
“We can shed some light on that,” I said, with a side-long glance to Kenshin. Was he ready for this?
Kenshin nodded. “Do you want to do the honors, or shall I?” he asked, sucking in a deep breath.
I smiled and gestured for him to continue. The news would be better coming from someone close to Tanaka.
“The Kami are trying to make vampires for breeding,” said Kenshin, voice strong and uncompromising. He went on to explain the Kami’s loss of fertility and the existence of Miikio, a powerful Kami/vampire hybrid.
I studied Tanaka for clues as to how he was taking the news, but he gave away little, his poker face as good as his son’s. The responses of Tanaka’s men, however, varied widely, from incredulity to complete acceptance.
As Kenshin finished, Tanaka began to laugh. “You were always afraid of the boogie men at night.”
“Father,” said Kenshin in dismay.
“Son,” said Tanaka. “I’ll not believe such a ridiculous fairytale story. The vampires of District 12 are no more and—”
Kenshin whipped out our remaining Polaroid of the beast and thrust it at his father. Unfortunately, Sato wasn’t looking particularly beastly in the photo since it was our before picture. If only I hadn’t lost the after photo showing his fangs and foaming mouth. That one was a game-changer.
Tanaka leaned in to check the photo, then took it from his son to study it more closely. “I’m not seeing anything but a man in chains,” he said.
“Sato-san was taken as the Kami’s first test subject. Using an old spellbinder, they tried to turn him into a vampire, but failed. He may not look it, but they turned Sato-san into an animal. He can’t talk. All he does is snarl and feed.”
“On humans,” I added. “He feeds on humans.”
“You need to trust me fa…” Kenshin’s words fell away as his vampire senses caught a commotion outside. Men yelling. Someone moaning.
I grabbed Kenshin’s hand as my nose got its first whiff of blood. “Breathe through your mouth,” I ordered. “Relax. Think of your happy place.”
Kenshin went white, his hand tightening around mine. If I’d been human, bones would have broken, his grip was so tight. Tanaka gawked at us as if we were crazy, his human ears not yet hearing what was moments from barging through his front door.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Bang. The front door of the compound flew open. Tanaka’s men raised their guns, then let them fall when they realized it was friendlies. Three of the men rushed to help their comrades.
I didn’t think it possible, but Kenshin’s grip tightened and was actually hurting me. “Relax,” I cooed. “Relax.” I leaned in and kissed Kenshin full on the mouth, ignoring the tumult around us as the bleeding man was brought into the office.
“What are you doing?” asked a shocked Tanaka.
I deepened the kiss, but it was already too late. I felt Kenshin’s fangs. I heard his heart gallop with need. Kenshin pulled me off with a hiss, folding into a predatory crouch.
Tanaka’s face morphed through a range of emotions in quick succession—shock, dismay, horror, revulsion. He pulled a gun from his desk drawer and aimed it at his son, safety off, finger on the trigger.
I pointed to the bleeding man. “Get him out of here if you want to live.” To Tanaka, “What were you saying about fairy tales and boogie men?”
With a flick of his hand, Tanaka sent the injured man away with a small group to tend his wounds. The majority of his men remained, guns at the ready, their faces showing revulsion equal to Tanaka’s.
I stepped in front of Kenshin, firmly planting my hands on his shoulders. “The blood is gone now. Kenshin, come back to me. Pull your hunger inward, and put a wall around it.” I sensed the tension in Kenshin’s shoulders fade. “Yes. That’s right. Contain it. Wall it away. Let your human self rise.”
Everyone’s eyes were on us as Kenshin fought off his hunger and returned to himself. As he wrestled through the last bit of his vampire feeding haze, tears ran down his cheeks in red rivulets. Vampire tears weren’t always blood tears, but sometimes at the height of our emotions, our blood would flow. I wiped at his cheeks wanting to take away his pain. Then I turned to his father. “Vampires aren’t the dangerous demons of lore. I am a vampire,” I said, surprised to find the words come so easily. I am a vampire. I am a vampire. Wow. It didn’t actually sound so bad. “I don’t know if the Kami are right and we need more vampires, but I do know that I’m a good person. So was the one who made me.”
“But you’re not a person,” blubbered Tanaka.
“I am a person and so is your son. Our pasts, the things that shaped our lives, didn’t change when we became vampires. I’m not saying there haven’t been bad vampires. What I’m saying is that there have been good ones.” I opened my arms and smiled at Tanaka. “I bet I’ve killed fewer men than you, and I’m far older.”
Tanaka glanced from me to his son, tucking the revolver into his belt. He stepped towards Kenshin, reaching out multiple times, wanting to embrace him, but pulling back before he made contact.
“He’s a new vampire,” I continued. “He will learn to control his hunger. You mustn’t judge him for what you just saw. It’s not how he’ll be.”
Kenshin reached a hand towards his father. “I’m still me,” he whispered.
Tanaka touched the gun in his belt again. “You did this to him,” he said, aiming it at me.
It was Kenshin’s turn to step in front of me. “We were captured. It couldn’t be helped. I asked for this. I needed her speed and strength in order to escape. You wouldn’t have seen me again if not for Valaria’s help.”
“What have you done?” cried Tanaka, waving the gun over his head as he turned away from us, tears rimming his eyes.
Kenshin scraped a hand down his face. He looked haggard. “We don’t have time for this, Father. We’ll deal with what you think of my choices later. The fact of the matter is that you need us to fight the witches. They took your city, and you won’t get it back without us.”
Tanaka choked out a laugh. “It will take more than the two of you to get the city back. We need an army, and almost all the men are gone. What do you expect me to do, round up the women?”
“Why not?” I asked. “Women are powerful.”
“I love women, but they are the weaker sex,” said Tanaka, as if a fact. “That is why I found your strength so enchanting. It was unique. But now I understand why you are strong.”
“Human women may not be as physically sturdy, but it’s scientifically proven that women have a higher tolerance for pain. You’ve never had to push a baby out of your vagina,” I countered. “How much strength does it take to fire a gun? None. Women have been warriors all the way back to Viking times.” Tanaka blanched at my mention of the childbirth process, and I wanted to laugh, but the stakes were too high.
“They won’t do it,” said Tanaka. “The women will cower.”
“I’ll bet you they wil
l not,” I said. “This is their city too. It is their fathers, husbands, and sons who were taken. You want to see something truly scary? Try coming between a mother and her children.”
“I agree with V,” said Kenshin.
“You do?” Tanaka seemed puzzled but checked around the room for confirmation from his men. A few bold souls nodded, supporting Kenshin.
“I do,” said Kenshin. “Is Yuki not a force to be reckoned with? Think of how good she is with the throwing stars.”
“That is true,” said Tanaka, wavering. The room fell silent as Tanaka stood in obvious thought, before finally shaking his head in acquiescence. “I really have no other choice, do I?”
“Not really, no,” said Kenshin.
“I guess we’ll have to wage war with a city full of women and two vampires,” said Tanaka, sinking into a chair. “I’m not liking my chances.”
“I think our chances are just fine,” said Kenshin. “In fact, I believe our odds are pretty great.”
I nudged him in the arm. “Let’s not get crazy. The possibility of us winning is iffy at best, but a slim chance is better than none at all.”
“I’ll leave it to you to gather our army,” said Tanaka, handing Kenshin a ledger. “Obviously, it’s better that someone who believes in them does the asking. Take Yuki and note in the ledger all who agree to fight and any special skills they might have. Guns. Horses. Blades. We need numbers. The Kami have the high position on the Mount and are fortified. This won’t be easy.”
Chapter 29
Kenshin, Yuki, and I spent that afternoon going door-to-door, asking all of the town’s women to meet on the second floor of the library at three o’clock to discuss plans on how to get the men of Tokyo back. The time was fast approaching. I’d spent the last hour rehearsing what I wanted to say as I gathered every book in the library featuring a strong woman…and set them below the second floor mural of Tomoe Gozen, a fierce, female Japanese samurai. I knew the women of Tokyo were capable of great things, but I needed them to believe it too. As the group filed in, I touched Gozen’s hand for luck. The room was filled with chatter as the crowd grew, and I heard murmurings of words like “red ghost.”
Breaking through the crowd, Kenshin appeared with a smile and a kiss as he delivered the last of the books written about women kicking butt. “Good luck and knock ’em dead.” After a quick hug, he went off to join Yuki who bowed before giving me a thumbs-up from the corner where she stood with Watanabe-san, Akemi’s mother. I smiled at the old woman, glad to see her present.
The clock chimed three. I shook myself and cleared my throat. “Thank you all for coming,” I said. “If you can please quiet down, I’ll tell you why we’ve asked you here today.” I was loud, but the room was louder. “Please quiet—”
A wolf whistle broke through the din and quieted the room as a wave of heads turned to see the whistler. To everyone’s shock, it was Watanabe-san. “We didn’t come here to gab over tea. Listen to the ghost,” she proclaimed.
The crowd remained quiet as I proceeded to introduce myself and explain what we’d learned about the Kami’s plan to turn their fathers, husbands, and sons into vampires in the hopes of breeding stronger Kami.
At the news, the room was no longer quiet, but I could tell by their tones that many of the women were disbelieving. The ripe smell of musk permeated the room. I glanced at Kenshin, and he nodded. We’d agreed on showing our vampire-selves to the group. First, we didn’t want to lie to them. After all, we were asking them to risk their lives. They deserved to know who they’d be fighting alongside. Second, we’d anticipated there being quite a few skeptics. The majority of women hadn’t lived during the time of vampires, and for many of them, vampires had been relegated to existing only in fairytales. Making matters worse, I had told them this far-fetched story. They knew me as the red ghost, but they didn’t know Valaria Valentin or whether I could be trusted. I wasn’t a member of their community.
I nodded to Watanabe-san, and she whistled again, dropping the room into silence.
“I can assure you that vampires really do—”
“What are you going to do to get our men back?” shouted one disbelieving woman, cutting me off. The crowd collectively nodded as many added in their own yes, hows, or what are you and the Yakuza waiting fors.
“It is not me or the Yakuza who are going to get them back,” I replied. “It is all of us. An army is needed, and an army is what you can be.” I pointed to the mural above my head. “Does anyone know who this is?”
The room seemed to sway as they all shook their heads.
“Her name was Tomoe Gozen, and she was one of God’s Island’s fiercest samurai. She fought during the 1100s pre-Rift, in the Genpei War. She was an archer and swordswoman known for loyalty, bravery, and courage. Historians said she was worth a thousand men in battle and was the favored captain of Yoshinaka, one of the greatest generals who ever graced the soils of Japan. Within the radiation zone, there is a bronze statue celebrating Gozen and all she accomplished.” I pointed to the books piled high under the mural. “All of these books tell the stories of brave, warrior women.”
“Those are only stories,” one woman shouted from the back of the room.
“They are not only stories. Before the Rift, women were powerful. Many were world leaders. The United States was one of the most powerful countries in the world, and a woman served eight years at the helm and went down in history as one of the country’s best leaders. Women ran companies. They were doctors, scientists, teachers, and lawyers.”
“You speak as if you lived during those times,” said someone I couldn’t see.
I paused, and sucked in a breath, then said a silent prayer to the heavens. You can do this, Valaria. You can do this. “I’m going to make everyone in this room a promise. I’m never going to lie to you. What I need to tell you is going to be a shock, but it’s the truth. If you decide to go into battle with me, I think you should know who leads your fight. I came to Japan with my family when I was eight years old. We were in Hamarikyu Gardens when the Rift hit. I saw it happen. I saw the city crumble. I am fifty-eight years old, and I am a vampire.”
The room erupted in loud chatter of which I could only catch snippets. Crazy. Brave. Dangerous. Strong. Oni.
“Quiet,” I roared, and for the first time, everyone listened. I sucked in another steadying breath and continued. “I lost my American family during the Rift. A tsunami split us apart. I was fortunate though and was adopted into a…different sort of family. My new mother was a witch and my new father a vampire. They took care of me like I was their own, and I firmly believe I wouldn’t have survived more than a few days without them.”
“Did you want to be a vampire?” asked someone.
“Why would your father turn you?” said another small voice nearby.
All eyes were on me. The crowd was riveted as if my story was the soap opera they’d all been craving. “You know me as the red ghost. The woman who puts roguish, impolite men in their place and makes the streets a little bit safer for the rest of you. But I wasn’t always so strong. When I was eighteen, I was raped by six men and left for dead in the woods. My father found me and made me a vampire to save my life. In my fifty-eight years, I have been weak, and I have been strong. Believe me when I say that being strong is so much better.” Murmurs broke out, and I shushed them. “I know what you’re thinking, but strength comes in many forms, and you needn’t be able to lay someone flat to be strong. Words can make you strong. Belief can make you st—”
“Words won’t win against the Kami,” barked a woman, muscling her way to the front of the room. “You want to lead us to slaughter.”
“You know what else can make you strong?” I asked, eyeing the woman.
She narrowed her eyes. “What?”
“Bullets.” I tapped my head. “Combined with smarts.”
Conversations again broke out across the room, but instead of shushing them, I let them talk. They needed time to process what t
hey’d just heard.
After five minutes, I began to speak, and the room quieted. “I’m going to take it as a good sign that no one has fled.” Most in the room tittered in response, and the mood seemed to lighten. The women stood taller than when they had entered. They smelled different, too. Stronger…like one of Japan’s giant cryptomeria trees. Yet, there was still the corrupting, moldy odor of worry.
“I’ve never fired a gun,” said one woman.
“My aim will be bad,” assumed another.
I pointed to Kenshin and smiled. “Your aim will be good enough. Thanks to the Yakuza, we have enough bullets for hundreds of battles.”
The crowd chuckled, growing more jovial.
“I’m not going to lie. It will be a miracle if we win the battle without some lives being lost, but Kenshin and I have come up with a good plan that should minimize casualties.”
A mass of women flooded forward.
“Tell us.”
“What is it?”
“Don’t keep us in suspense.”
Now it was my turn to laugh. “Amaterasu wants me, and that’s exactly what we’re going to give her.”
“We’re going to use you as bait?” asked Watanabe-san, stepping forward.
I nodded with a reassuring smile. “That’s the plan.”
Chapter 30
With my hands bound loosely behind my back, a select group of the women, led by Watanabe-san, marched me towards the Mount. I was collared. Attached to it was a metal pole to keep me at a distance. The group consisted of thirty women, all with children in the priesthood. We wanted their sons and daughters to hesitate before taking orders from the Kami and hoped they would choose blood over duty.
Our walk to the Mount was amiable enough. Some of the women cracked jokes and asked about life as a vampire, but when we reached the mountain, I was gagged, and our theater began. Everyone had a role. Watanabe-san was the leader as the group manhandled me to my knees, many kicking dirt on me or spitting in my face. I cowered as if I were humiliated and broken. “We want to make a trade,” Watanabe-san shouted from a forward position. “We heard you wanted the filthy bloodsucker for some reason. We’ll hand her over if you give us back our men.” We’d rehearsed what she should say, not wanting to reveal to the Kami that the townswomen now knew the reason behind their men being taken. We chose to make the Kami believe them ignorant because it would give our enemies an inflated sense of power.
Tokyo's Last Vampire: Division 12: The Berkhano Vampire Collection Page 14