23 february // tokyo
it's late and the rain's coming down hard, but i can't sleep. i've been hired by local police because there's been talk of a strange beast that lurks at night, leaving victims with little to no blood left. civilians are passing it off as animal attacks, but i have reason to suspect this is the work of a vampire. however, i haven't seen a vampire move like this in a long time. not since nagoya five years ago, back when i was still an apprentice.
this vampire doesn't seem to hunt often, about once every other week, never the same day. they switch it up, too, there's no link with any victims that i've uncovered yet.
victim one; twenty-something male. brown eyes. blond hair. a college graduate about to take over for his father's law firm. described as a likable and easy-going guy engaged to the daughter of another larger firm. no known motive. found in marunouchi.
victim two; forty-two female. blue eyes. dark hair. single mother with three kids. worked at a menial convenience store as a clerk. kids have gone into government care and don't want to talk to visitors. found in tsukiji.
victim three; thirty-six year old male. green eyes. dark hair. ex-convict, charged with third-degree murder and vehicular manslaughter. no living relatives. found in shinjuku.
victim four; a seventy-eight year old male. dark eyes. dark hair. grandfather with three grandchildren, one from each daughter. described as gentle and a humorous soul. found in roppongi.
this case is already giving me a headache. no links aside from each body found in a separate district of tokyo, no pattern found between locations. this vampire may be the smartest i've encountered. my only wish is to have my predecessor to help me. i've sent word, but with him training another potential hunter, i'm left to solve this case on my own.
(last name, first name).
-
07 march // tokyo
the vampire has claimed yet another victim. a twenty-two year old female; dark eyes. blond hair. a wannabe fashion blogger in harajuku. her friends said she was finishing up some side work at her job and they called authorities after victim hadn't posted to social media in two days.
i thought i could solve this case without the help of intense magic, but with the way things are progressing, i have to use all necessary skills to save the innocent lives being slaughtered. i hate cases with so much blood, it makes me uneasy. may the gods help me solve this quickly so my eyes don't have to see another gruesome crime scene photo for another few months.
to think something that used to be human could do such actions against something they'd once been. does vampirism isolate the mind so far that you're okay with cutting up and draining innocent souls? it's revolting to think about.
i will be visiting the past scenes tomorrow, do some magic canvassing, see if i can get a picture of this vampire to track him down. looks like more sleepless nights ahead.
(last name, first name).
-
you moved quietly down the alley, fingertips brushing against the brick walls as a low blue glow followed your touch. the glow spread throughout the alley, and you stopped just before where the body had been found. you gagged at the dried blood that caked the pavement, but you swallowed and took a deep breath.
"in oculis de mortuus."*
the scene before you changed as you made contact with the dried substance, a blue glow swirling and changing the scene into a dark alley, lit faintly only by street lights and the waning moon. your stomach flipped as you felt yourself fly through the air. the first victim was thrown down the alley from the sidewalk. you cried out, the world around you turning black. though, he wasn't dead yet, he still had a faint pulse. you were still in his last moments.
"please, please, it wasn't what it looked like!" you heard his voice echo, your mouth moving in time.
"that's what they all say," a gravelly voice replied. you turned, vision hazy as you saw the tall silhouette of your killer.
"no! i promise i won't do it again, please, don't kill me!"
"promises, promises. you humans love to fucking lie through your teeth, calling it promises. tried that shit once, asshole didn't last a week. now, quit fucking begging, it won't help."
you screamed, feeling as through your body had been lit aflame as the vampire's teeth entered your neck, claws digging deep into your skin.
your legs jellied underneath you, and you collapsed onto the floor, breathing hard as the scenery returned to normal. every inch of your body ached, screamed at you, with every movement. you could feel the slight trickle of blood slip down your lip, and you wiped it away.
as much as you wanted to go home, you couldn't. there were four other scenes to see, four other victims' last moments to search through.
#
you limped your way down the street, body aching and bruises; you were covered in fresh scars, and the bloody nose had yet to stop since the third victim. the sun had long since dipped behind the horizon, the full moon illuminating your path along with the street lights. people no longer ignored you, as the blood soaking your shirt and jeans caused many to stare in horror.
every gentle breeze felt like ice-hot fire burning your skin, and you could feel the few burns on your arms and chest ache under your shirt. you'd never encountered such horrid and painful last moments before you began your hunt for the vampire. most were emotionally calm, having been elders who made their peace, but the few painful ones were small children victims of hit-and-runs or freak accidents.
your neighbor shot you a worried glance, eyes widening at the sight of you.
"(last name), are you alright?" kirishima eijirou asked.
but upon seeing the ruby red eyes, your breath hitched in your throat, and you flinched away from his touch. "sorry, kiri-kun, just... rough day at work."
his face showed no hurt, and instead he gave you a soft smile. "i know how that is. rest easy, if you need anything don't hesitate to ask."
"thank you," you mumbled, returning the smile, though only partially.
he stayed in the hall just long enough to make sure you could get into your apartment, and then he gave you a wave before heading back into his own place. you two shared an odd neighborly relationship, often times only seeing one another in passing. he was some sort of detective for another district's force, you knew that much, but as you wouldn't want him knowing your line of work, you never asked specifics of his.
as much as your tired limbs had wanted to just clamber into bed, you pulled up a chair at your desk and flipped open your notebook.
08 march // tokyo
i have never experienced so much pain and regret reliving a victim's last moments as i have today. i may have overdone it; there are so many physical wounds it feels as though i lived through each one personally. being thrown into an alley, shoved through glass, dropped from a twenty story building, slammed against a wall, twice might i add, and sliced open what feels like a million and one times. i'll need to recover for a few days before continuing to collect evidence and tracking down the killer.
however, the pain wasn't for nothing. i finally found a recurring pattern. it's not much to go off of, but every victim was begging for their life and saying they'll never do it again. what 'it' is, i still don't know. perhaps this is a beast come to take revenge on a group of people who did something. though, two young adults, two middle-aged people, and an elderly person? something doesn't add up. what would such a strange group beg for their lives for? what did they promise to never do again? in a few days, i'll interview the ones who had family members, see if they had any contact with any other of the victims.
my predecessor has finally replied. he didn't say much, but he said this case was chosen specifically for me; maybe there's something in this case i'm missing, but so far it seems unsolvable. i'm missing something, and while i need another, i don't wish for another victim to give me that needed piece to my puzzle. he sent his regards, as well as the newbie. he seems sweet, but maybe too sweet to get into this line of work.
now to make a special brew of restituo and hope i can be up and about before this vampire claims a sixth victim.
(last name, first name).
you closed your journal and looked out the window, into the night. you had about eight days until you calculated your vampire striking once again. eight days to solve this puzzle and save a life.
#
you walked with a slight limp, a crutch under one arm. five days later, not even your restituo serum could heal all the wounds inflicted. there was always a price with magic; and it looked as though the fates were having you ride out your twisted ankle like a mortal to punish you for peering into so many painful last moments. it was to be expected, but you hated the limited mobility.
it was the thirteenth of march, only a few days left until you suspected the vampire would hunt down another innocent. they knew of one thing in their miserable immortal lives: to hunt down humans and drain them of blood.
at least, that was what your predecessor had told you. that was the first line in the vampirism textbook you read back in middle school, when he'd first taken you under his wing. that was what you remembered when a vampire had claimed your parents' lives.
you huffed to yourself and leaned up against a brick wall, elevating your foot slightly off the ground.
maybe that was why your predecessor had given you every vampire case that had filtered into the agency. you'd been hunting them since before you graduated high school; taking revenge on the single vampire that had murdered your kindhearted parents for no reason, by killing everyone you came across.
an itch crawled across your skin, and you looked up, making eye contact with hard, crimson eyes. they stared at you from across the street, cars passing in between the collision of crimson and (eye color). you stood straight and adjusted your crutch back under your arm. he stared you up and down, only the faintest of smirks stretching across his face.
a large bus flew down the street, and when it had passed, the man was gone.
your brow furrowed, and you blinked. there was something familiar about that smirk, those crimson eyes. you pulled out your small notebook and jotted down the description of the man.
tall. medium build. red eyes. light hair. wearing a black hoodie, black jeans, and black boots. handsome.
you looked back across the street, the itch still there and the healed burns aflame once more. a haunting through crossed your mind, and you thought back to the vampire you'd seen in each final moment.
that man had to be your vampire.
#
16 march // tokyo
if all of my calculations are correct, that bloodsucker's on the hunt once more. there are several districts i've yet to comb through, but i believe i've tracked its next spot in kanda. i've placed several charms throughout the district to alert me when its on the prowl, but i've got a bad feeling about tonight.
i'm going to head down to the station, see if there's been any sightings of the vampire recently, see if i can narrow his location down in the district. if not, i may have to use more magic to track down the son of a bitch, however it may prove daunting. since using the spell to see the final moments of the vampire's victims, i've yet to be able to reach my full capability again. after this is all over, i'll have to recharge myself, take a vacation some place.
it's almost dark and i have to get ready. may the fates help me tonight.
(last name, first name).
-
you strolled around the bustling city streets with your hands in your pockets. there was still a slight limp, but you no longer needed the help of crutches to get around. even without magical help, you still healed faster than the average human mortal–perks of being a witch. though, it still hurt to walk on.
the temperature had dropped considerably since the sun had hidden itself away until the next day; the city lights turning on and illuminating the streets and neon signs coloring the buildings you passed with reds and blues and greens.
if this had been a different night, one where you weren't hunting down a murderous vampire, you might have found yourself enjoying the quiet walk. you'd have brought the small camera gifted to you and taken a few scenery shots. perhaps you'd find a small ramen shop and people-watched from the window, striking up conversation with the owners. but it wasn't that kind of night. you'd have to return another day to do that.
an itch you felt a few days before crawled across your skin once more, and you looked up. it was hard to tell in the dark, but you scanned the crowd for any sign of your suspect; tall, blond, most likely in a hoodie and jeans. but you kept walking, the itch never leaving you as you continued in the same direction.
you moved passed business men and the odd twenty-something year old couples, none shifting their gaze your way, and to those who did, you offered a small smile and continued on with your hunt. you walked by a small ramen shop, one that smelled of fresh pork broth and sizzling chashu. nothing special about it, but there was an itch; one that made your skin feel as though you'd lit yourself aflame.
you stopped and peered into the shop. nothing out of the ordinary stood out to you, you couldn't even see anyone who somewhat resembled your vampire. you stepped into the shop, maybe there was someone you missed.
"irasshaimase!" someone called from the kitchen.
you flashed them a polite smile and scanned the restaurant once again. however, while you hadn't seen the blond you were tracking, you recognized a familiar redhead sat at the bar.
"kiri-kun?" you called out.
the redhead looked up and looked at you. "(name)? i didn't know you came here."
"uh, first time," you said, taking another look around. "actually kind of, well, working right now."
"oh, nice! you on break?" he asked.
"not really," you replied, still checking out the patrons of the shop. "uh, have you by chance seen a blond guy, decently tall, red eyes?"
kirishima hesitated. "uh, n-no? why?"
you turned to him. "veritatum dicere," your hand made contact with his shoulder, and you watched the blue glow travel across his skin. "i'll ask again, have you seen him?"
"bakugou, he-he's grabbing his meal, just out back." you let go of his shoulder and watched as kirishima's face fell. "(n-name), it's not what you think."
you gave him a sympathetic smile. "sorry, kiri-kun, but it's my job. subsisto." and with that, you hurried out the front door and slipped into the alleyway that led to the back of the ramen shop. but just as you hit the back alley, a body crashed into yours.
a girl, no older than fifteen, stared up at you with frightened eyes. there were fresh bruises lining her uncovered shoulders, shirt torn to smithereens and one shoe missing from her feet. your blood ran cold.
"are you alright?" you asked, gripping her by the shoulders to steady her. "who did this to you?"
tears formed at her waterline, and she looked over her shoulder. you followed her gaze into the darkness and nodded.
"go home, get some rest, file a police report in the morning," you said, looking into her eyes. "you'll be okay."
she didn't reply; she only nodded and then left the alleyway, stumbling over her feet as she rushed away from the scene. that vampire would pay for his crimes.
you looked back to the darkness, your jaw set. "fata protegas me." the glow encompassed your body and you stepped further into the alley.
"let go of me!" a man shouted. "it wasn't what it looked like!"
you stopped. that... that didn't sound like your vampire.
"right," a familiar voice scoffed. "i just so fucking happened to come across what looked like a fifty year old pervert fucking raping a fifteen year old girl. now, you can either beg for your life and prolong this shit, or you can keep your shit quiet and die quickly."
what?
"wa-wait! don't kill me! i'll do anything!"
you crept alongside the wall, peaking from the cover of a dumpster.
there he was; your blond vampire in his hooded jacket. he was holding a rather large man against the wall, while said man struggled against his hold. your eyes widened. wait, what...? did... did the vampire save the human girl?
the blond sneered at the man. "it's your kind of people that makes me glad i'm no longer fucking human. you're the scum of this shitty earth."
no, vampires had no humanity. the moment a human's mind changed from mortal to immortal, they lost their moral compass to the fever. it was impossible for a bloodsucker to think like a human. your teachings, your experiences, your cases; you'd never encountered a killer who was able to decipher who was good and who was bad. it was all a gray area, a free for all.
"no! no, please!" the man pleaded. "i-i'll change!"
the blond tsked. "no. you won't. maybe you'll be better in another damn life, but this one's over."
you cringed upon hearing the man's cries and the sound of teeth shredding skin, a faint metallic scent permeating the air. he... that vampire... saved that girl? it couldn't be.
you stood shakily from behind the dumpster, eyes hesitantly turning to face the vampire. his teeth were embedded into the man's neck, claws deep into his chest as he drank greedily. you stepped out of the shadows, head feeling foggy as you saw the blood.
the blond noticed you from the corner of his vision and momentarily stopped.
"i don't understand," you muttered. "you had an easy target, hell, two easy targets. and you went for this one?"
he rolled his eyes. "i don't kill innocents."
"you don't... what? but-but you're a bloodsucker," you argued. "vampires... vampires don't have the rationality for that."
he stepped away from his victim, using the sleeve of his hoodie to wipe off some of the blood from his chin. "would you rather me a fucking mindless killer? would that make this shit better or something?"
your eyes widened. "no! no, i... i'm just so confused. you-you're supposed to be the monster, vampires are always the monsters."
his boots echoed as he walked up to you, the crimson seeming even more vibrant than you remembered. "not this time, dumbass. like i said, i don't kill innocents."
you took a step back, nose wrinkling at the stench of human blood coming from his mouth. "but the others? what did they do?"
"they were damn criminals. extortion, robbery, homicide," the blond said. "now, if you don't fucking mind, i was kind of in the middle of something."
you looked at his victim, mind spinning slightly as you remembered the final moments you witnessed, the pain you felt time and time again as you suffered firsthand at the hands of the vampire. every bone in your body felt as though it was breaking once more.
(eye color) met with crimson, glassed over with pain. "i thought you were the worst kind of monster. how you could just end an innocent human life with so much suffering on their part. i was ready to obliterate you the moment i saw you. i thought you were a villain."
he scoffed. "well, i fucking ain't. sorry to burst your damn bubble."
"i–"
"bakugou!" someone shouted. "bakugou! dude, are you okay?!"
you turned on your heel, surprised to see kirishima running up to you two.
"i'm fine, shitty hair," the blond, bakugou, grumbled.
the redhead slowed in his step as he neared. "i... i thought she was going to kill you, bro."
you nodded. "i was, but then i realized he wasn't who i thought."
bakugou scoffed. "you couldn't kill me even if you tried. you're a mortal."
"i'm a witch, actually," you replied. "near mortal, but still strong enough to kill you and others like you."
kirishima's eyes widened. "that's why i told you where he was? why i couldn't move after you left?"
"you fucking what?!" bakugou growled at the redhead.
you placed a hand on bakugou's shoulder. "caput frigus." the muscles under your hand relaxed into the blue glow, and bakugou's glare lessened some. "it wasn't his fault."
the blond grumbled a bit. "fine, whatever. now, if you'll fucking excuse me, i've got something to finish up." he cast another red-eyed glare your way before stomping to the bloody victim.
"he's not as rough if you get to know him," kirishima said. "he can be kinda nice, when he wants to be."
you spared a glance at the vampire, sucking out the last few drops of blood from the victim. "i'm sure. i, uh, i should actually get going. i need to wrap up my case."
"are you sure? we could give you a ride?"
"that won't be necessary," you replied. "but thank you."
-
17 march // tokyo
it turns out nothing was as it seemed. the vampire, who i thought was the villain the whole time, the monster, he was actually the savior. all those people he killed were actually criminals. still not too sure what the did, but for some reason i believed him, like i had no reason to distrust his judgement. after all, i saw him save a fifteen year old girl today from being raped.
i don't have much time left in tokyo. all might wants me back home in a few days, which hardly leaves me anytime to explore the city as i wish. but at least i was able to wrap up the case without any innocent lives lost. i'm just thankful i was wrong for once, that a vampire had some decency left in him to target a certain group of people. though, it doesn't excuse he was still killing human beings, i feel there should be some exception to my code.
that being said, i still need to stay sharp out there. knowing so many human beings could be so monstrous to their own kind, it makes me want to change my profession from supernatural work to entering the human justice system. perhaps be like the vampire anti-hero. bakugou. i wonder if i'll ever see him again while i'm out hunting.
maybe someday. after all, he was kinda cute, if i do say so myself. however, until then, i still have a job to do.
(last name, first name).
you looked out the window, the sun just beginning to set once again. after hunting vampires for so many years, your sleeping habits adjusted to their own nightlife hours. you hadn't seen a rising sun in quite some time.
you stood from your desk and stretched for a moment, hearing your bones crack and pop from the movement. you padded your way into the kitchen and pulled out a noodle cup from the cupboard. it wasn't much, but you very seldom had the time to create an actual dish.
with the kettle on, you turned towards the living room, oblivious to the crimson eyes watching you from your patio.
bakugou watched as you moved about your tiny apartment; his eyes were calculating, trained on every little movement you made within the space. it wasn't long until he noticed the small limp to your left leg, or how if you stretched your arm too far your face scrunched up ever so slightly. and he didn't miss the faint marks on your neck–the same spot he bit into with every victim, the right side, just below the jawline where it gave him perfect access to the jugular vein.
he'd heard of witches and wizards with powerful magic, ones who took on the jobs as supernatural hunters in the modern age; hearts set on keeping humanity safe within its modern times. witches were the clean up crew of the supernatural realm. set to keep humanity blind to all they could never understand.
he'd heard of such powerful magic that witches and wizards could relive the past moments of the dead, though not without sacrifice. he'd witnessed them give their lives just to see the past, unable to come back to their physical selves if the situation was too agonizing. and upon seeing your wounds, bakugou realized you were one of those witches.
hesitant, but only for just a moment, he knocked on the glass door, hiding in the shadows.
your brow furrowed upon hearing the knock. was there someone on your patio? had all might sent for someone to grab you already? was deku there to take you back home?
you peeled back the curtain, jumping when you noticed crimson eyes staring back at you, and you slid open the door.
"what the hell are you doing on my patio, bloodsucker?!" you hissed, mostly from the fear of finding the blond rather than someone from your home.
his eyes narrowed. "oi, i'm the only one giving out fucking nicknames, shitty witch."
you glared. "i'll ask again, what are you even doing here?"
"that's none of your damn business," he replied.
"so you just thought it would be fun to scare the shit out of me?" you asked. "how kind of you, bakugou."
he scoffed but was interrupted by the screaming kettle before he could reply.
you hurried back inside and poured the boiling water into the cup, carefully setting the hot kettle back onto the stove. when you turned around, bakugou was glaring at the noodles from the entryway of your patio.
"what? did you want one or something?" you asked, eyeing him eyeing your cup.
he glared. "as fucking if. that shit's disgusting."
"it's all i've got," you shrugged. "i can't cook, and i don't have money to go out and buy dinner every night."
"you can track down shitty vampires day in and day out and learn and memorize advanced spells and shit, but you can't fucking cook?" the blond asked, skeptical. "fuck it. i'm gonna have to teach you then."
you laughed. "not too sure how you're gonna do that in two days."
he looked at you. "you're leaving tokyo?"
"well yeah, case solved. i get to go home and begin another one," you replied. "i travel all over japan to solve supernatural crimes, it's my job, and while tokyo has some pretty bad ones, my predecessor is who choses them for us."
"oh."
you looked over at the blond. "i'll probably be back someday though, maybe even this year. you could teach me then?"
"as long as you don't come back to kill me."
you laughed aloud. "then it's official then. i come back, you teach me how to cook. deal?"
"fucking deal," the vampire replied.