October 3, 188—, 11.15 p.m.
Akasaka Shinmachi Ni-chôme, Akasaka Ward, Tokyo.
A large sign in front of the building read Brokerage House Niizuka. Five shadows stood in front of it: Daigo and the four yakuza. The moon was brilliant, and the night was windy. The men’s side-locks blew in the wind.
Daigo was so excited that Tatsu asked what was going on.
He had no choice but to tell them everything, although he did not expect them to believe him. When Tatsu asked if he was going in there right now, Daigo answered in the affirmative.
“It’s probably safer to go during the day,” Tatsu said.
“A woman has been captured. She might be turned into a vampire tonight.”
“Then I’ll show you the way,” Tatsu assured him. The other three followed.
“The son has a separate room in the courtyard. Let’s go around back.”
The five men moved to the fence on the west side of the property.
“Hey, Gen.”
On Tatsu’s cue, one of the yakuza fell on all fours against the fence; then Yasuke, another one of the yakuza, stepped on his back and jumped easily on top of the fence. He pulled the rest of them up; and in barely two minutes, they were over the fence and in the yard.
“You sure are used to doing that,” Daigo said, amazed.
Tatsu scratched his head and replied, “Oh, cut me a little slack.”
Because the moon was so bright, the yard and the annex about seventy feet north of the main house were in plain view.
“Kind of chilly out here.” Gen shivered.
The others nodded. There was something eerie about the courtyard. They felt as though they were in the presence of something unnatural.
Daigo stopped and bowed to the men.
“This is far enough. Please turn back now.”
“Don’t be polite with us.” Tatsu stared Daigo down. “You didn’t tell us to come here. We came here on our own. We’re ready for anything. Besides, you’re trying to rescue someone, right? Why don’t you let us yakuza do some good for a change?”
“You’d be risking your lives.”
The biggest yakuza slapped Daigo’s shoulder and said, “We should’ve died in the war against the Satsuma and Chôshu clans during the go-isshin. This might be a good place for us to die.”
Daigo looked at all four of the men.
“That’s how my father died.”
For a while, they didn’t move. Then they nodded solemnly. As the moonlight cast a clear shadow on the ground, the wind turned their faces cold. Tatsu rested a firm hand on Daigo’s shoulder and gave him a quick shake.
“Let’s go.”
“Right.”
Daigo unwrapped a sword from a cloth and put it inside his jacket.
When they approached the door, Tatsu said, “Gen and Yasuke, you go in from the back. As soon as you hear us go in, you two come in after us. Supposedly he can turn himself into a bat or a wolf. Don’t let down your guard.”
“Leave it to us.” Two blades glimmered in the moonlight. The two men took off around the back.
Though it was an annex, the building was still rather large. Daigo guessed it was about fifty jyo.[1]
“You think he’s here? I didn’t see a carriage outside,” the biggest yakuza said.
“At the very least, she could be here.”
“All right, then let’s go.” The enormous man quickly jammed a knife between the shutter doors.
The right door came loose easily. When he removed it from its hinges with both hands, something struck the door.
He let out a low groan and staggered.
“Bastard!” Tatsu shouted.
Halting Tatsu in his tracks, Daigo ran out to help the big man himself.
The biggest yakuza fell to his knees, still holding the door in his arms. Something whizzed through the air.
Daigo’s right arm made an arc. When had he drawn his sword? He had deflected something with it. Two black iron arrows were stuck in the wall on either side of him.
Going inside, Daigo eyed the device set in front of the entrance.
Several bows were placed sideways, one on top of the other, with the arrows cocked in the bowstrings. There were wires attached to the bowstrings that ran down beneath the stand and to the shutters. When any of the wires were snapped or shifted position, a bowstring was released and let loose an arrow.
When had Renta made this?
Whether he had had the knowledge from the start, or had learned how to build the contraption from one of his bizarre imported books, it was clear the broker’s son was no ordinary man.
Daigo was preoccupied with the killing machine for only a few seconds; then he turned quickly toward Tatsu and the biggest yakuza.
Tatsu had just raised the man in his arms. The shutter had been moved out of the way. The iron arrow had gone through the door and stuck in the right side of the man’s chest.
“It got his lungs. We can’t move him.”
Daigo nodded. “Tatsu-san, please get a doctor. I’m sorry, but I have to keep going.”
“Yeah, but…”
Tatsu looked distraught. Calling a doctor would cause a commotion. Maybe Daigo was planning to settle the matter before that happened, but Tatsu wondered if he would be able to confront the enemy who had created such a deadly device on his own.
“But you can’t take him on by yourself.”
“I’ll be all right. Gen-san and Yasuke-san will—”
Daigo looked behind him.
He had heard a terrible scream.
“I’m all right. Tatsu. Go,” said the injured man in a surprisingly strong voice.
“You mustn’t go,” Daigo warned Tatsu desperately.
But Tatsu said, “Okay. Just wait for me.” He gently laid the man on the ground.
“Tatsu-san, no.”
Daigo tried to stop him, but Tatsu shook his head. “The doctor won’t get here in time to help him. Try to think of his feelings. If he was able to help you, this is a good way to die.”
Heat welled up from inside him, and Daigo closed his eyes.
“I won’t forget. I am truly grateful.”
Patting Daigo on the shoulder, Tatsu gestured for them to go.
“Wait a minute.”
Daigo went outside and leaned the shutter door against the side of the building.
His blade drew a crisscross in the air and the shutter fell into four square pieces on the ground.
Putting two pieces together, he handed a set to Tatsu.
“It may not be much, but it’s better than nothing.”
“A makeshift shield. Not bad. Hey, I’m taking your obi.”
Taking the obi from the injured man’s kimono, he wrapped it around the wooden pieces and held the shield from the makeshift strap. Then he nodded to Daigo.
Daigo went into the hall first.
“Gen-san, are you all right?” Daigo shouted.
“Hey!”
“It’s okay. If somebody is here, we’ve already been found out.”
They could hear Gen’s voice up ahead. “A weird bow and arrow got Yasuke. He’s dead.”
Daigo closed his eyes.
“Don’t blame yourself,” said Tatsu. Then he shouted out, “Gen, when you come this way, watch out!”
Daigo took a deep breath and took out the candle and matches he had bought last night at the bar. He lit the candle. He had brought it in anticipation of a night battle.
Putting a hand on the door, he slid it open. A familiar smell assaulted his nose.
“What the hell—” yelled Tatsu.
If Chizuru had been there, she wouldn’t have believed her eyes.
Not a single book, not one vial full of strange chemicals, no bats flapping about in the room.
The dim candlelight illuminated only a group of people sitting in a circle in the center of the desolate room.
Despite being exposed by the light, no one bothered to turn around. They did not even move an inch.
“There’s… Niizuka and his wife and Shuzo the head clerk and Hachisuke the accountant. What the hell are they doing here?”
Tatsu’s voice had gone past terror and turned to hatred of the people whose actions he could not comprehend.
Without a word, Daigo approached the man who appeared to be the owner and brought the candle closer to his neck.
Nothing on the right side.
But on the left, just above the artery, were two jagged puncture wounds.
“Is this…?” Tatsu’s voice quivered.
“It’s the vampire’s kiss,” Daigo answered. It was a term he had heard from Jigorô only that afternoon.
“So everyone from Niizuka’s office… they’re all… ?”
Daigo lowered the candle and shone the light on Niizuka’s lips. The two canine teeth, as sharp as animal fangs, peered out from between his thick red lips.
“They’ve been taken. Niizuka is dead,” Daigo answered, relieved to see that Takako was not there. That kind-hearted girl with the plump little face need have no part in this.
“What will we do?”
“We have no choice.”
“Got it.” Tatsu had already drawn his knife.
“Are you still there? Come here!” It was Gen’s terrified voice coming from the other side of the far sliding door.
And leave these people behind?
Daigo hesitated.
“There’s a coffin… and a girl!”
Gen’s words brought Daigo running to the door even faster than Tatsu.
He opened the sliding door.
The room was bigger than the one they had just left, and in the middle of the thirty-jyo tatami room lay an enormous, black stone coffin. Because it rested on a stone pedestal that was itself hip high, the coffin was as tall as Daigo’s chest.
No crest or lavish engraving decorated the surface of the coffin. Only the name dracula.
But even before noticing that, Daigo saw the girl in the nightgown who had thrown herself upon the coffin.
“Akane-san!”