The only solution

"When were you meeting up with Yumeko?" Kouta swiftly changed the topic.

'It seemed like this was his original question.'

"It was during the time we went to London for the tournament."

"Really? It looked like she hated you so much and didn't want to see you."

"That was an act. We couldn't let the people around us catch on."

"Snooping around and meeting with her in secret, it almost sounds like you were cheating on Lila-san with her."

A troubled look appeared on his face when he heard Kanehera Kouta's words. The two of them never did see eye to eye, even before Huan's incident that led to the friction between Yumeko and him.

"I understand why you would see it that way, but I love Lila, and everything I did was for her. Yumeko saw that too, and whatever feelings she had for me vanished as well."

It was still weird at the start; she acted nervous and jittery around him. But at some point, her behaviour changed. She returned to how she was back when she was dating Huan before that awkward stuff happened between them.

To his surprise, Kouta patted his shoulder. "You know, it's not like I resented you. I just wanted somebody to blame when I saw her crying like that."

"After Huan's incident?"

"No way before."

What is he talking about?

Kouta sighed. "Before she met Huan-san, the one Yumeko liked was you."

His eyes widened when he heard those words. Huh?

"I can't believe you didn't notice this. She liked you. When she met Huan-san and asked her out, she was reluctant. But then she heard rumors that you already liked somebody and accepted Huan-san's confession. She eventually fell in love with him. However, when you started to make a move on her, those old feelings resurfaced."

At Kouta's explanation, Haruka could only stare. What on earth is he talking about? Yumeko liked him when he liked her before Huan came into the pictu- "Impossible."

"You can keep saying that, but I read her diary. She definitely liked you."

Then what was all that about- why did he have to suffer if she liked him back? Aahhhh, this is confusing.

"Now, do you realize how stupid you were?"

"I will add this to the list of things I am repenting about."

Kouta sighed. "It is fine; it is in the past. Anyhow, I think you should have a look at Austin Akari, no at Takehiro too."

"Did he get hurt too?"

"It seems he shielded the children from the infected and received some wounds from them. No matter how much food I give him to eat, his complexion still looks pale, and he does not gain much weight either."

Wounds from the infected? Haruka frowned as he recalled something. "Lead the way."

Kouta leads him inside the tower, and he immediately sees his wife hunched down, hugging a frail girl wrapped in a cloak.

She was sobbing so hard. "Akari, Akari. I'm so sorry."

It won't be good for her if she cries that much- Haruka was about to walk over when he heard coughing. He turned to the corner of the room and found a thin-looking man with red hair huddled up. He would not recognize him if it was not for the red hair.

He is all skin and bones.

Haruka walked over and bent down.

"Yamasaki, you still alive?"

Takehiro laughed at his words. "Your still the same as ever, Karashima-senpai."

"How do you feel?"

"There is no strength in my body; it feels like something is eating away at my organs."

"That is not wrong." Haruka trailed off. "Not many people know this. But receiving an injury from the infected will corrupt your evolved genetics. It will mix in with the evolved gene and act similar to bacteria. Right now, it is eating away at your organs. No, your life force. That is why no matter how much food and water you stain, you will not get any better."

Unfortunately, the only one who has a solution to this is Zane. They cannot bring Zane out; that is one of the rules Hyou4 set. However, this guy is in no condition to move. Which leaves only one option; his gaze fell towards Lila.

What they needed right now was blood, the blood from a pure dark being. That does not only apply to Zane but his wife too.

But in her condition, it will be hard. The medication he gave her last night has some side effects. So even though she would normally be okay in the morning, she is still in a weak state right now.

Haruka placed his fingers on Takehiro's arm and frowned. But his pulse is getting weaker. This place has no heating, too; if he sleeps again in the cold, he won't be here in the morning.

His thoughts broke off when he smelled the familiar scent of blood. He looked in his wife's direction and saw that she had cut her arm with a small silver knife. The lifeless Austin Akari started to suck the blood from her arm.

"Lila-"

"Kouta-kun, take some of my blood. Give it to Takehiro-kun."

It seemed like Lila took one glance at the two and realized this was the only solution. He hasn't even looked at Austin Akari yet, but Lila must have figured out this is the only way.

Kouta looked over at him as though he was asking for approval, and Haruka reluctantly nodded. It's fine; he can make Lila take his blood. Eventually, Kouta walked back over with a cup of Lila's blood.

Takehiro chuckled weakly. "Now, I will finally experience the famous blood of a hanyou purebred."

"If you are not better when I get over there, I'll hit you on behalf of Ruka-chan," Lila called out.

"Aha, Lila-chan really doesn't change."

"Before you drink, I have to warn you. Lila is a purebred hanyou; she can turn others into hanyous like her. You will no longer be a normal human with evolved genetics. Is that fine with you?"

It was not like this guy had an option; he will die if he did not drink Lila's bloode.

"Yes. There is someone I still have to see after all."

Kouta raised the cup of blood to Takehiro's lips, and the man started to drink. After he finished drinking, the man screeched in pain, and he brought his hands towards his hair. Orange-colored like flames surrounded his body.

'He was a fire user? Or did he get that after drinking her blood?' Haruka held Kanehera back from approaching, and after a few minutes, Takehiro's screams calmed down alongside the flames. The only difference was his now slightly long red hair and his red bloodshot eyes.

"I look like a supervillain!" Takehiro beamed happily.

Kanehera broke free from his grip at those words and whacked the guy across his head. "Ouch, you're so harsh, Kou-chan. I am still sick."

"Shut up and eat already." Kouta passed him a bag.

"That smells like pastries!"

These two don't change, but his gaze fell on the now cheerful Takehiro. Just moments ago, he was on the verge of death. But after drinking just a little bit of Lila's blood, he is like this. Zane repeatedly told him before how special Lila's blood was, but it seems like he has underestimated it.