Shyannada141: Maybe...maybe not. Don't you love cliffhangers?

NaruNaruru: HIIEEE! Six months later and I finally get motivated enough to give you the ending to Hide-and-Seek! Please don't use Leon! That's my best impression of Tsuna; anything more may sound just a bit weird. I completely agree with you about Sakamoto though. What I'm (currently) looking forward to is Boku No Hero Academia season three. Have you heard of the multitude of anime coming out this year? It's going to be so wicked!

As for your question... Since I'm guilty, I tried to incorporate as much of the new characters as possible. I wanted to get some of Azusa's training in, but the plot controlled my fingers and, before I knew it, I had already typed three thousand words. The chapter itself-without this commentary-is four thousand six hundred and sixty words. Tell me what you think, alright?

belle hawk: You're right; however, you can't disqualify a person without evidence, yeah? If somebody hadn't managed to grab Azusa before the game ended, the Sakamaki most likely would have been disqualified. Nice catch.

pinkdog16: I apologize for letting you down. I have no idea whether or not I wrote the moment with Shuu and Azusa properly, but I am super proud of that chapter. The underhanded tactics made it much more realistic to me. I'm going to assume that you enjoyed them, haha. Correct me if I'm wrong though. Your comment is just very passionate. (As a side note, Reiji is my favorite character in Diabolik Lovers.)

sousie: I know exactly how you feel...yet I do it anyway. Does that make me a bad person? Ha, I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter~

Guest Ichiban: Thank you! Your answer is finally revealed now! Thank you for your support!

FANactic Writer: Exactly~ Please be my narrator from now on.

Guest Niban: Yes sir/ma'am! Thaks you for your support!

carmenotaku98: *Upgrade complete* Thank you for your patience~

MylaUchiha: Thanks! Uchiha as in Sasuke and Itachi, yeah? But nope, *spoiler alert*, it definitely wasn't him.

Akerthy: Heya Akerthy. I like your profile pic.

Guest Sanban: Thank you! That honestly means a lot! I hope to continue living up to your expectations.

Hullo readers, both new and old! Happy (Belated) New Years! Welcome to the Year of Change, as I have heard many refer to 2018 as. I, for one, am both looking forward to, and not anticipating these new changes. Once again, I severely apologize for the lack of effort on my part. Today's excuse stems from my lack of motivation from August to November. I was planning on updating July for a certain person's birthday...but we got hit by hurricanes, my home was destroyed, and I was honestly trying to help fix everything at once. That, and every time I set a date, it's postponed someway somehow. I'm really excited to bring this chapter to all of you today, or whenever you guys can read this. I hope that my readers with seniority weren't too distraught with the large interval of time. This is why reviews are really, seriously helpful. I love reading them and gaining feedback: whether it be "update please" or a full paragraph on how this fanfic could use work. I'm up for it! I'm really starting to understand why author's love feedback now.,

For the people that participated, do you remember the poll taken around chapter eight? You guys chose this ending with your votes, and I simply made it a reality. Now I would like your help once more. What do you want to see? What do you want to know? What can I help clarify? This is a loaded question, but literally, tell me everything. I'm planning something seriously...kinky, you could say, on Valentine's Day, so I need one more chapter beforehand. This chapter generated twelve reviews! That's insane! I'm so thankful of each and every one of you, so consider this chapter and the next to be a present from me to you. You all have made this happen.

Let's continue (start?) this year on a good note, yeah? Thank you all for sticking with me, and I hope the newcomers will also enjoy my story. Without further adieu...

Prison, Psychopaths, and Claims

He awoke to the sound of soft tapping.

Regardless of heightened vision, nothing but black could be seen. It was completely discerning how dark it was wherever he was located. The ice-cold floor bit at his pale skin as the jagged edges of stone further dug into his back. Upon pressing his ear to the ground, the tapping grew louder only helping strengthen his belief that the noise came from the various bugs and insects within the place. Azusa groaned, planting his feet on the wall to help push him into a seating position. However, as soon as his back touched the wall, he felt even weaker than before! Immediately, the youngest Mukami hurled himself forward into the center of the room. The only thing that could suck any sort of energy from a person, whether in direct perimeter or not, were runes. Whoever had placed him here knew about his magic, and that put him on guard instantly despite his weakened state.

There was a limited amount of people that knew about it…or so he thought. Both his family, the Sakamaki, and Karlheinz knew. He hadn't seen the latter in months, and the former two were always in his vicinity no matter what. Especially, now that he could recall, with the game of hide-and-seek. Somebody with a deep and familiar voice had caught him off guard…but he couldn't remember that voice! Could there have been anyone else that noticed? Besides the students of Ryoutei Academy…no one. Upon escaping and/or being released from this prison, he would investigate the matter further.

But for now,

he was really…

Really…

Tired…

Once more, he awoke to the sound of soft tapping.

Were the bugs even more active than…yesterday? Two days ago? What day is it today? What's the time? Has the sun rose to embrace the world in its warm rays, or enveloped the moon in its rays to brighten the other side? He truly didn't know, yet it didn't matter right now.

Before even opening his eyes, Azusa coiled his magic tightly within his core, making sure that the strands attempting to lash out were little to none. Careful not to touch the rune-infested walls, he propped himself up into a sitting position to survey the area around him. What caught his attention almost instantly was the soft blue illuminating the space underneath what he thought to be the door. Oddly enough, the only thing not warded was the door. Even the corners of the floor have different runes that he couldn't interpret. His eyes narrowed. The symbols engraved on the walls were far enough, so he could attempt to blast open the door and still have energy remaining. There were two problems with this:

He didn't know what the runes in the corners read, nor did he know who or what was outside. Ruki had always said to deal with one problem at a time, so that's what he would do. Taking a stray pebble from the floor, Azusa tossed it at the corner to his left behind him. The pebble shriveled into nothing while the rune pulsed a light blue. Well then…I guess I know what those runes do now. Why are they located in the corners of the room?

Carefully, Azusa walked up to the solid door, placing both hands upon it. With a grunt, he directed his magic into the door and whispered a single word, "Aberto." A heavy clink resounded in the dark room as the heavy door shuttered open. Behind him, each of the runes pulsed a light blue, signaling activation. Eyes wide, Azusa recoiled his magic as the magic drainers became stronger. The obliterators pulsed rapidly, starting to disintegrate the stone walls of the prison slowly.

The tapping stopped.

"I died because of you," a surly voice accused, and Azusa whipped around, surprise evident.

Sitting casually in the cell opposite his own was a male probably around his age, and just as pale. His attire was clean and looked to have cost a lot. Though their hairstyles were similar, Azusa noticed that the other vampire's hair was less messy than his own. Furthermore, the boy wasn't entirely marred with different scars upon his face, nor did he have the same eye color. In fact, said amber eyes that looked so familiar currently glared at him like he was the bane of their existence. That gaze certainly snapped him out of it. In response, Azusa simply rose an eyebrow. That only made them angrier.

"Yeah, that means you, peasant." In their hands, he waved around a mobile device. Azusa blinked, quickly searching his body for his own cell phone, to no avail. "This level took me ages to finish, and now—!"

"Shush," the youngest Mukami murmured, considering the now halfway deteriorated cell. Did the size of the ruins affect the rate of function? If so, he thanked the writer's lack of insight…or maybe this was all a plan either way. "Can you escape by yourself?"

The dark look increased ten-fold. "Did you just tell me to quiet and doubt my abilities? You truly do have a death wish. I will make sure to punish thee accordingly as soon as I break from this cell."

"…That is a no," Azusa answered with a sigh.

"I don't need a vampire's help," the boy responded with a scowl, returning to his game.

"This place…will be destroyed within the hour…"

"Correct. You're the one that triggered those runes in the first place, right?" Amber eyes full of curiosity glanced up from the screen. "You can use magic like the King of Leeches."

King of Leeches… He knows of Karlheinz?

"Why do you insult your own race?"

If possible, the scowl grew fiercer. "I don't have to say anything to you. As soon as Yuri releases me, I will hunt you down and kill you myself."

Right… With a sigh, the Mukami sat down in front of the cell, leaning against the metal bars as the disintegration continued. The malice in the boy's eyes reminded him of his brothers' hatred of the orphanage, and that was something he couldn't ignore. With a sigh, the vampire made himself comfortable, ignoring the irritated gaze burning into his skull.

"Why are you still here?"

"Isn't…it obvious?"

The glare lessened in intensity. "I asked you a question and expect an answer."

He may be even more arrogant than Ayato…and that's saying something. A slight shift in the air was the only warning he received as he leaned forward to dodge the attack aimed at his neck.

"Next time I won't miss." The arm retreated through the bars to their side once more.

"Next time you won't be able to move," Azusa retorted, his magic stirring at the sign of danger. He turned to face his opponent who stared back with something akin to interest.

By now, the only thing left of the cell was the doorway. Glancing around, he could see identical runes carved into various sections of the hallway. Things were about to start declining quickly and nobody seemed to be coming for the arrogant vampire.

"When will Yuri come for you?"

Silence. Azusa came to a revelation.

"You don't know."

"My servants have never failed me before," he snapped.

The door had fallen off its disintegrated hinges.

"Two minutes. If…this person hasn't arrived by then…I will free you from this."

"Don't bother." With a hiss of pain, the vampire decked in red kicked open the door. "I've seen all that I need to. You were able to not only break out of the cell but also defy my orders. To top it all off, you stayed here with me! Ha, what kind of trash-bag does that? You know, I've met with the man everyone calls King of Vampires. He gave you to me! I just wanted to test how much I had to break for you to become submissive to me!"

He couldn't move. Within moments of opening the cell, cold hands had bound his hands behind his back. When he attempted to kick back, the person slammed him to the ground, disorienting him enough to cause ringing in his head. Azusa understood the warning.

"Just in time, Yuri," the boy purred, sounding suspiciously like Laito. "And you brought it."

"Of course, Kino."

"So, let's make some things clear, A~zu~sa. I want your power; I want to know why my father would train someone like you, of all people. Most of all…I want to know what makes you, you."

There was a moment of silence to let the information sink in before the boy—Kino—cupped his chin, forcing gray to meet copper. "You don't feel like any other vampire, so tell me what makes you tick."

"You should have put carved a rune on the door," Azusa murmured. "I hate when…people insult friends and family…and idiots. Bombarda."

The grasp on his arms loosened enough by the small blast between him and his castor for him to wrestle free. Kino cursed, slamming the smaller boy back on to the ground while scooping up a metal item from the ground. Quickly, the item was clasped upon a heavily scarred neck. Azusa staggered at the sudden move but continued to avoid their grasp. Finally, the cell where he used to be held ceased to exist, activating the sequence of symbols carved into the hallway. Due to the size of the runes, the disintegration was faster. One of the ways to escape was a flight of stairs located at the end of the hall…or more like the beginning, but since the three (including what he thought to be Yuri) was at one end, it may have been the front.

Truly, it didn't matter. Stairs are the goal.

Casting a quick disillusionment charm upon himself, the youngest Mukami raced towards the stairs knowing that both Kino and friend were right behind him. The flight itself wasn't long, but Kino was much faster than him. With great reluctance, Azusa moved towards the right and let the taller vampire pass him to slam open the door. As they moved towards the right, Azusa moved in the complete opposite direction to buy him some time and hopefully give him a clue on where he was. Whether this place is a mansion or not, it was huge! Eventually, he gave up on finding an exit and chose a random room to hide in, carefully dispelling his disillusioning charm.

His eyes widened at its extravagance. A king-sized bed situated in the middle of the room donned with thick, plush comforters and blankets. To each side were nightstands with large lamps that must have been able to light the entire room. To the right was a desk with a neat stack of papers on top. Further to the left was a balcony with the opening somewhat covered with thick, velvet curtains. When he reached for the exit, the handle repulsed his touch. He scowled, backing away. Glancing around, he found yet another white door made of wood. This time, the doorknob wasn't warded.

Upon opening the door, a bathroom awaited. A large mirror hung above the sink reflected his appearance, making his eyes widen in shock (for what seemed like the hundredth time). There was a collar made of metal clasped around his neck. Unfortunately, a multitude of runes had been engraved upon it that not even he could interpret. The symbols in the cell almost killed him; what purpose did these ones hold?

He fingered the collar curiously, tracing the different symbols carefully as to not pierce himself with the jagged metal. He could ponder what this meant later. So long as it didn't hinder his escape then it should have been alright. That is until he exited the bathroom and found, much to his surprise, Kino lounging on the bed, looking straight at him.

"Endgame," he murmured, crooking his finger. Against his will, Azusa was dragged forward and then thrown upon the bed where the taller vampire pinned both his hands and legs to the bed.

"This is where you should be," Kino sneered, staring directly into defiant gray eyes. "Beneath me. It doesn't matter who gives you attention so long as you know your place. Understand? I always win no matter what."

In response, Azusa spat in his face. The grip on his limbs grew painful as copper eyes grew mutinous.

"Fufufu, so that's how you want to play it? Fine. I'm feeling rather parched after all. Contain your magic and lie limp."

There was a brief pulse of magic before every muscle in his body relaxed. His magic lashed out to free itself, yet couldn't do anything due to some sort of filter being placed over his core.

"Good boy," Kino hummed, brushing aside a few strands of hair, therefore gaining access to the junction of his neck. Azusa cringed as two sharp incisors pierced his skin, feeling the blood drain from his body oh-so-very-slowly. "How does it feel to be drained by another vampire, Mukami?" He could feel the smirk pressed against his skin as a wet appendage collected the excess liquid. "Knowing that I am your superior in every way?" A finger hooked around the metal band. "This collar proves it."

With a dark grin, the Sakamaki sat up and pulled out a phone from the nightstand drawer beside him. "I have to savor this moment," he mused. A sharp snap indicated the picture being captured. If not for the foreign magic holding him down, Azusa would have startled when his shirt was abruptly ripped off. Still, with his phone in hand, Kino then straddled the younger male and placed his fangs near his previous bite mark before snapping another shot. Satisfied with himself, Azusa was then shoved off the bed and on to the ground since no pets could sleep with their master.

"Now that isn't the proper way to treat your youngers, boy."

The two youngers snapped to attention quickly. Standing not even a foot away from them was none other than the famous Karlheinz, King of the Vampires. Kneeling beside Azusa, the man placed a hand upon the boy's chest, therefore relinquishing the temporary hold of magic placed upon him. No small amount of relief surged through his mind when his now loose magic swirled around happily.

"I do remember saying to watch over him while I attended business elsewhere, correct?"

"He isn't dead, is he?" Kino scowled. A chill went down his spine at the sudden influx of darkness, similar, if not identical, to Karlheinz. Gray eyes narrowed in concentration, trying to discern one from the other. How could it be possible that both have the same signature? They're certainly not twins, and even children have different signatures than their parents. Unless…

"Is he a clone?" the Mukami mused quietly, glancing up at the father-son duo. Genetics would account for similar appearances, but the only way he could tell for certain is if their signatures were compared to the miniscule detail. The only one that could do that is the second son…and Azusa truly didn't want to get involved there.

Karlheinz seemed to hear him. "He is simply my…son. A disobedient one at that, but they all are before being reprimanded."

Both Kino and Azusa stiffened at the last word, fear coursing through their veins.

"But since you truly have come to no harm, I find it unnecessary to do much else. Nonetheless, I have brought you here for a reason."

The King rose, extending a hand for the Mukami to take.

He did.

"Neither you, nor he is normal," Karlheinz began, striding across the room. "I cannot have my son roaming the world and causing needless havoc while bearing my name. Furthermore, he has been irritating the wrong crowd, so here is my proposal: Since neither you nor Kino have accessed your full potential, you both will use each other to do as such. When I have the time, I will check on your progress. As such, the two of you stick with one another until I say otherwise."

"What?!" The younger Sakamaki snarled, his phone shattering in his now tightened grip. "Why the hell would I stay with a commoner such as him?"

Karlheinz glanced at him with cold amusement. "You will stay with whoever I deem fit until maturity is in your grasp. I will not stand for your acts of pitiful vengeance and inferiority any longer."

His crimson gaze turned to Azusa. "Surely this will not be a problem?"

"…Probably not," he responded, thinking of all the ways this arrangement could go wrong.

"To make this easier, I will ask Ruki to move your family to my manor."

If possible, Azusa grew paler. Kino, on the other hand, seemed to grow more mutinous by the second. He had to speak up before things could grow worse than they already were! Though not totally disregarding the fact that the Vampire King wasn't to be trifled with, the brave hybrid began to speak, "I believe it would be more beneficial if Kino were to live with your kin; they would be more accepting of the transition at hand, and as a result, may form a bond with him, therefore keeping a closer eye on him voluntarily."

"Oh? Regardless of what they do, they will obey me, Little Mukami."

"Yes," the seventeen-year-old nodded. Without a doubt, anyone would obey the King of Vampires demands in fear of punishment. "However, the more willing a subject, the more efficient the task performed."

The man stared at him with no small amount of amusement and intrigue. The choice was completely in his hands; to humor him, or not to humor him. Finally, after what seemed like hours of silence, he nodded. "That is acceptable. Let's make a deal then. I have no doubts that Reiji will report back to me with detailed results. That is already confirmed; however, I am conducting my own little experiment, if you will. I've titled it the Adam and Eve project, though the recipients of my experiment are stereotypically different. I have noticed that, upon meeting my sons, they have all stemmed some sort of reaction from your presence; whether it be feelings of attraction, annoyance, or interest, concerns me not. The fact of the matter is that with no prompting on my end, they have coincided with you without my prompting. This is unlike what any of them have done before, so I may have...tweaked my variables; something I have yet to have thought about. Though this cannot possibly bear fruit...I am curious to see where this comes into play."

Bear fruit...? As in, reap the rewards? Is the task truly that challenging, or is this the amount of faith you've placed me?

"I expect much from you, little one, but for now—"

"One moment!" The new Sakamaki intervened, fangs bared, copper eyes darkening to a familiar crimson as he pointed to Azusa. "I'm not one of your damn puppets, Leech King. I'm going to need a form of compensation to even think of participating in your manipulations again. You hear?"

Karlheinz smirked, tugging five colored cards from his pocket and tossing them at Kino's feet. "Not that you don't have your own funds," he began, noticing the boy's nonplussed face, "but as a highly sought-after person in this competitive society, I may be entitled to certain...advancements that commoners won't be for another couple of years."

The sour expression turned pleased in a matter of minutes as all five cards were swiped and pocketed in a matter of seconds. "Fine."

"I'm glad to see we're on the same page. Now about this collar..."

The Vampire King crooked a finger in his direction in an identical manner to what his son had done earlier, and just as before, the Mukami was just as helpless as his body flew a short distance to where the elite stood. Intrigued, the man started tracing each carving slowly, translating them as if they were already in Japanese.

"A limiter, a tracker, and a servitude symbol? How interesting. I am glad that you have yet to figure out the activation. I do believe my sons were competing for your interests, so why not give them their gift back...along with another surprise?"

A week had passed since Azusa's kidnapping. More specifically, seven days, four hours and some odd minutes had passed since Karlheinz had abruptly intervened and taken the youngest Mukami for his own purpose. Neither the Mukami or the Sakamaki could do anything about it, and the King knew it. Now, the stars twinkled in the darkness as birds cuddled in their nests, and the owls began to stir.

The moon casts an eerie glow upon the manor situated in the middle of the landscape. Flowers of various species and colors blossomed around it with the heat of the morning residing in their roots. Within the manor, nine individuals lounged within the front hall. The atmosphere was tense. The remaining Mukami had refused to budge from the Sakamaki Manor after the disappearance of their youngest brother, so, rather reluctantly, Reiji had made the proper arrangements to accommodate them. The ones interested in education, extracurriculars, and/or lack of punishment continued attending Ryoutei Academy. Ruki made sure to collect Azusa's assignments for when he returned.

The Mukami did everything in their power to avoid the Sakamaki, while the latter didn't care.

Then the phone rang. As the acting head of household, Reiji answered it quickly. Kanato stopped mashing the cake on his plate and Ruki looked up from his book as the duration of the call exceeded five minutes. Laito rose an eyebrow, snapping his phone shut. After another eight minutes, Reiji placed the phone back on its stand.

"Your stay has been limited to the end of this week," Reiji informed Ruki and went on his way. The eldest Mukami's eyes widened, his book discarded, as he went to inform his brothers about Azusa's return.

The next day, no one went to school.

"Get the hell up already!" Yuuma snarled, just about ready to throw the damn NEET off the couch.

In response, the blonde did nothing.

Irritated, Reiji moved towards the back of the couch and promptly flipped it over. Shuu tumbled off and landed on the floor before the sofa reverted to its previous state. Ayato snickered from his seat by the window as Yuuma sneered, quickly taking the now freed seat with Kou in tow. Ruki shook his head, glancing at the clock as it struck five.

"Why the hell am I even here?" Subaru scowled next to the window, leaning against the wall.

"Because father has demanded your presence," Reiji replied, glancing at his watch. "It would be in your best interest not to deny such a simple request."

"I wasn't even playing the damn game," he continued in his usual foul mood.

A black vehicle pulled into the drive. A blank-faced man with slick black hair stepped out of the car and opened the door for Karlheinz and his two guests. When they were close, the heavy doors of the manor opened automatically as if sensing its master. Eyebrows reached their highest point as they landed upon the familiar boy playing on his phone. Nobody dared to speak as the tension grew to worrying levels. The Mukami were more surprised by the collar on their youngest's neck, while the Sakamaki eyed the newcomer like a lion to its prey.

"Before I leave you all to your devices," Karlheinz began, breaking the silence, "allow me to introduce my sons to their new sibling."

A gentle hand placed itself on said new sibling's shoulder. With a grunt, copper eyes looked up from his game which was then pocketed in favor of introducing himself properly.

"I am Sakamaki Kino, son of Karlheinz, and look forward to ignoring your very existences."

"This brat thinks he can talk disrespectfully to Yours Truly?! I'll show that damn lookalike!" Ayato exclaimed, resisting the urge to throttle the vampire to death.

"Ha! As if your filthiness could even lay a finger on me," Kino laughed, rolling his eyes. "Go back to dreamland already. That guy seems to have the right idea."

Shuu didn't even stir.

"I had thought we had rid of that complex, Ayato," Karlheinz commented, though it was more of an off-handed comment than anything. "It seems as though you need more work."

The redhead shut his mouth as crimson eyes scanned focused on him. At this point, Azusa chose to intervene, tugging at the metal collar uncomfortably.

"I don't suppose…that you could take this off me now?"

The feral grin grew. "Ah, I have not forgotten about you, little one. Apart from Kino, you all were having a competition of sorts, correct? What were the terms of the game?"

"Whoever claimed the mouse by mark and drank their blood is the winner," Reiji stated.

"Limitations?"

"If the Mukami set out before the allotted fifteen minutes, then we win. If Laito decided to be sexually active with the target, then the Mukami win."

"I see. From what I've seen upon retrieving him from here is that no one except me was able to mark him; therefore, you all lose."

Reiji's glasses glinted. "However, you interfered while the game was in progress. Furthermore, you were not an occupant of this competition, and have affected the game's results, regardless of how much time was left."

Karlheinz chuckled, nodding in acknowledgment of Reiji's claim. "That is true. As an apology, I offer a more permanent solution to said competition. The collar placed around this boy's neck enables the person who inserts their blood into the runes to locate and limit his magic, as well as have control of his actions. I'll let you figure out how, but for now… Since I am the one in the wrong, I will simply accommodate to the rules. The award must have been something along these lines, so the rules will be simplified: whoever was able to mark the boy is able to control him until return."

To a now petrified Azusa, he said, "Rest assured, I will be back by next week at the latest to have the family dinner. Now, upon arriving, I could distinctly smell two people on him: Shuu and Laito."

No matter how I look at it, none of the outcomes are to my advantage, Azusa thought as gray met emerald green. To be with sloth or to be with lust: that is the real question.

"I do not know most of the events that have occurred here," Karlheinz continued, "And to be quite honest, I couldn't care less. Since a mark is a physical symbol, I would say that Kanato is the one that won this competition. He is the one that impaled him with a fork on the leg, and as a result, left a deep mark."

"…Really?" The purplenette questioned, surprised. Peering into the hybrid's gray eyes, a wide grin began to manifest on his pale face. When was the last time he had won against any of them? Never. Always the last to play with the bride; always last to finish assignments; always the last to fetch a piece of dessert when Reiji baked! AlwaysALWaysALWAYS! NOT ANYMORE! "I win."