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Okay. Good. Not going to kill him. Ozaki still thought that this was dicey but… Well there wasn’t much he could do about it but hope things did not get too bad. A few people in the library left, but there were still a few stranglers that stuck around out of curiosity, though they did step out of the way. The school did have a few nocturnal species after all in its ranks.

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“Interrogate?” The vampire laughed loudly in rebuttal as they fought. He had seen Oras talking to the kid while he researched, so he could only assume this interrogation was on behalf of the fledgling. Which was hilarious. “I told him if he had any questions he could just ask me.” But no. The kid insisted he didn’t have any questions for him, and launched this whole ridiculous research binge when he could have literally asked the Blood members right around him. Antonio would have been fine with that, he’d tried offering multiple times at the beginning of it all.

“Not bad at all.” Antonio growled in excitement. It had been while since he’d gotten such a good challenge himself. A talent like his made fights a bit of a snooze at times.

Ozaki at this point was working on shooing away the people who were wanting to stick around and watch. Frankly he wanted as few witnesses for the interrogation around as possible. He couldn’t see himself in a position to dissuade Oras from helping. He was mostly doing it for the kicks. Those were the hardest people to reason with.

Ozaki at this point had managed to get everyone out and was currently debating what to do. At this rate it was anyone’s guess who was going to win, though Oras was getting rather tricky. Then there would be an interrogation. And things would come out that Ozaki would very much rather no one know about. He doubted that the ice elemental would listen to anything he wanted in that regard.

He was just doing this for the kicks and for sheer curiosity. How would he react in finding the truth? Probably not think it was that big of a deal at all. He didn’t seem to so much as bat an eye at the concept of murder. Which in the case of him, was great. Because Ozaki had killed a few people himself.

Though this was assuming that Antonio would tell Oras anything at all even if he won…

Antonio held still once he was held at sword point, a smile painted across his face. “A fine game indeed… I suppose you’ll be wanting to you your interrogation now. Out of respect from one swordsman to another I will give you the answers to any three questions you like.”

Ozaki was unable to hide his surprise at this. “Wait a minute, don’t I get any say in this?”

“If you beat me in a duel, sure.” Oras had made his intentions clear from the start, and had won. Yuuki might not want his past spilled to this man… But this was a man who, for whatever reason, had fought for the young vampire. Oras seemed the type to be far more dangerous if kept in the dark.

Ozaki’s hand momentarily gravitated to the pocket on his belt… But knew that was not exactly what qualified as a duel. These two people were far beyond his level to beat. He sighed, and his hands went to his pockets instead. Oras would likely find out the truth one way or another. He could perhaps knock Antonio out now and stop this. But knowing Antonio he’d just seek Oras out later if he did not perceive that as an actual duel… Which he wouldn’t. He sighed wearily in defeat, leaning against the table. There was no point in fighting. Even if his mind and every fiber of his being was egging him on… There was no point. He’d just loose. Ozaki's fists clenched tightly in his pockets. 

“Antonio.” The vampire said, returning Oras’ handshake with a firm grip.

“Those seem like fair terms.” Antonio had no reason to truly despise or hide anything from Oras. With such conditions he would likely get to learn far more than those three questions had to offer. But it wasn’t as if Antonio was just going to refuse to speak to the man. Honesty was the best policy. He chafed slightly at the label of stalker, but could not rightly refute such a statement. Even with good purpose, that was what they were doing right now. “Though I cannot truly deny the claim of stalker, I would wish to elucidate the matter here and now as to why. Our Father only wishes to be sure that Yuuki remains safe, we’re here to protect him in case he either intentionally runs towards danger or lands himself in it.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~
So it was either he told him or Antonio would. And no half truths. As much as Ozaki would not like to admit it out loud- as far as revealing any part of his past he basically only ever spoke in half truths. He’d known Antonio back when he was human, and out of all the so called “protectors” in this gang, he was somewhat the most tolerable. He knew the man well enough that if he tried to answer with such things, he would likely not let it simply stand for that. Even on principle.

Ozaki had no doubt that Oras would find out the truth eventually. It was only a matter of time and determination, of which the atranoch clearly wasn’t lacking either. But still there was a strong feeling of resistance in him at having his past probed into like this. He just wanted it to stay in the past damn it.

But it could not and refused to stay there. Particularly now he had found his sire after all these years. For years the man had forgotten about his existence… Now he remembered and wouldn’t go the fuck away with these people.

He was tempted to lock this whole thing down as best as he could, making Oras scramble for answers in the dark. Already Antonio was giving away free information. “I never asked for your people’s protection. I’ve managed fifteen years just fine without you.” Ozaki found himself snarling the words. He usually did his best to try and appear civil and calm at all times. Fine was perhaps an exaggeration. But he had survived had he not? Was he not standing here right now as proof that?

As as most people from the gang went, usually Antonio did not bother hiding in the shadows when following Ozaki. He’d played both roles from time to time. “Orders are orders.” He simply grunted in response. While Oras was completely right, that did not mean Antonio liked it in the least.

When Oras drew his blade and sliced into Yuuki immediately Antonio did recognize that the wounds that were made were shallow. But the fact Oras thought that was in any way acceptable was audaciousness to the extreme. “Point your blade at him again and you’ll get to see my other talent when we lock blades next. And you can forget about any discourse outside of your allotted questions.” He growled thickly. He was not going to overreact like Mordred might… But he was going to warn him that such behavior was not to be accepted. There were lines to be drawn here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
The first two hit true, but Ozaki managed to dodge the last one. You know, Ozaki would love to say that the first wasn’t true. He’d dealt with people who had tried to kill him since the start. They had wanted to. His father really had.

But to be frank… The primary person who had been trying to kill him for fifteen years was indeed incompetent. If you faced him in open combat you would be sure to die. However if you avoided that or were able to outrun him and throw him off your trail… You were good.

Now that Ozaki was a fully fledged hunter Yuuto was hardly a danger. At least not so long as he didn’t have any surprises up his sleeve… Like last time. If Nyx and Shirone hadn’t been there he would have been screwed.

He’d also like to say that he hadn’t had anyone protecting him or watching his back. But then again. What were his bats there for? He regularly used them to keep track of targets of potential danger or find certain quarry. Ozaki had his ways of handling his problems. They were either run away, hide, or snipe them from a distance. He knew how to fight in close combat of course, but in comparison to older entities he did not stand a chance.

There was nothing wrong about what Oras was saying. So many people had tried to help him over this past month, and he’d shot every one of them down. He hadn’t wanted to endanger them. That wasn’t a risk with Oras… Though in a way it was. He was cocky and arrogant and that could get someone killed.

He didn’t want to accept Oras’ help. But this was beyond him. His current methods of handling his problems weren’t enough. He wanted to just say that Oras was being annoying and nosy like all the others. But like all the others he actually wanted to help. This had to be faced, and if he thought he could face it alone then he was the one being a stubborn annoying idiot.

“Alright then Fahrenheit 451.” Ozaki finally said, referring to Oras’ claims of toppling corrupt governments, and also applying the new nickname to the ice elemental fully well aware of the irony. The vampire palmed his phone in his pocket, momentarily wondering if he should call and see if Sharaku and Rika were available. Namely, the other people who had tried to offer their help at some point. People who he had been too stubborn to let them know what was going on when he was clearly in dire need of someone to help him. “I’ll accept.”

Those words… In the context they were spoken in felt foreign on his tongue. He wasn’t used to accepting help like this… Frankly for years he hadn’t even thought he was deserving of anyone’s help even if it was offered. But that… That wasn’t true was it?

Ozaki grimaced at the note that he could have killed him with the first strike. The vampire very well knew that. People like Oras were far beyond his skill level. “We’re clear.” He grumbled.

“Its a book about a government that’s banned books and employs “firemen” to burn them. Then about people rebelling against that government. Its a whole reference to your whole toppling governments… Thing. You keep saying.” Normally Ozaki would try to be polite about all this, not try to even imply that he was questioning Oras’ claims somewhat. But honestly? He was not in the mood to tip toe around people right now. He was so sick of always trying to play nice all the time, particularly when he was the one being constantly stalked. What person in their right mind would be in a damn good mood when nearly their every moment was being watched?

If Oras’ claims were true, that would be impressive. It was possible he could have done all that. He seemed to have the skill, but fighting skill did not equate to the skill to dismantle and reassemble a corrupt government . Ozaki took a mental note of when Oras back tracked. Did the ice elemental have fire power up his sleeve? That would be strange. But not the strangest thing he’d seen at this academy.

“Well… Yes… But it’d be fair to say you were a bit more… Persuasive.” They just wanted to listen, without the power or strength to do anything about it. There had been no point in them knowing. There was nothing they could do with the knowledge. Oras on the other hand, might be able to do something. Osaki didn’t want to accept his help. But as things were, he really wasn’t strong enough to make a difference where it counted. Not alone at least.

And Oras might not get himself killed within the first five minutes of the endeavor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I know. Still can't let it go without saying something at least." Yes. Antonio knew it was a bit over the top. But he was just covering his bases. Mordred could get a little homocidal when it came to family getting hurt. Anyone who killed one of his children ended up with both they and their family getting butchered. The fact Yuuki had been spared at all but instead turned was an anomaly. “Perhaps.” Antonio answered simply at the offer of future sparring. Could be fun.