Ficky's arrival was no mere coincidence. Yuda had likely known all along that Ficky was shadowing them, eavesdropping on every word he had whispered to Aya.
"How utterly rude of you," Yuda remarked, shrugging as if chatting with an old friend.
"Do you have any idea how much more expensive it is to repair a building than to build it from scratch? Though, I suppose this place isn't as pricey as others."
"I'm asking you one more time," Ficky growled, his voice dropping an octave.
"What did you do to my master?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Yuda replied with a smirk, fully revealing his elongated fangs.
Yuda Troy was no ordinary man; he was a Vampire. His presence was as thin and elusive as mist, which was why Ficky's keen nose hadn't caught the scent of rot sooner. Even though Ficky had warned Aya, she had been ensnared long ago.
Ficky lowered his head, his gaze shifting to Aya. She lay there, rigid and hollow-eyed, but Ficky could read the silent plea screaming from her soul: "Help me."
In a flash of gray and silver, Ficky was in Yuda's face. The vampire gasped; he hadn't expected the wolf's speed to rival his own.
With a single, devastating blow, Ficky shattered the wooden wall behind Yuda. His long claws raked across the vampire's chest, leaving deep, jagged gashes that erupted in a spray of dark blood. Yuda let out a pained shriek, staggered by the sheer force of the attack.
"You... you're just like him," Yuda hissed through the pain. "Or are you the one I thought was targeting her?"
"None of your business," Ficky snapped. He ignored the vampire and moved to scoop up Aya's paralyzed body.
High above, something dark and amorphous writhed along the top of the building. It solidified for a heartbeat before slamming down, slicing the structure in half. Ficky managed to leap away with Aya just as the building split.
"Good grief. What the hell is that? Disgusting," Ficky grumbled.
But before he could gain enough distance, Yuda lunged again, forcing Ficky back into the wreckage.
"Hey! Back off! Don't attack her!" Ficky shouted. "Do you know how valuable she is? If she dies, I die right along with her!"
"Valuable? You mean because she's a fox?"
Ficky froze. "How do you know that? I never mentioned she was a fox."
"I saw it myself. Every time she gets terrified, that tail pops right out."
Ficky glanced down at the girl in his arms. There were no ears, no tail—nothing.
"Surprised to see her looking so... normal?" Yuda taunted.
"To hell with you. I know you did something to her to suppress her true form," Ficky spat. He knew Aya should be terrified right now. If Yuda's words were true, her fox features should be visible, but they weren't.
Yuda was the reason.
The man before him—with one jagged wing protruding from his back, glowing red eyes, and lethal fangs—was the culprit.
"I am her lover," Yuda said, smiling sweetly. "So, stop interfering with us."
"You've got the wrong person, grandpa. You've probably been alive for hundreds of years. She's barely twenty. How could she be your lover?"
Yuda went quiet for a second.
"Are you some kind of pedophile?" Ficky blurted out.
Yuda's face twisted in rage. "How dare you! She and I are destined! We've found each other through reincarnation!" he screamed, his voice rising in a pitchy frenzy.
Sensing the danger as Yuda's single wing began to twitch and writhe, Ficky tightened his grip on Aya and turned to run. He had no interest in a prolonged fight with a centuries-old monster.
"Hey!"
Just as they were about to vanish into the night, Yuda shouted one last thing: "You'll never break my influence over her! Only I can release her. And I'm not letting you go that easily, wolf!"
Ficky ignored the threat. His only concern was his duty; his master had to stay alive. He sprinted through the labyrinthine streets of D-Dance City until he found a secluded back alley.
"This should be a good enough hiding spot," he muttered, setting her down gently. He checked the pulse at her neck and wrist.
"Still alive. Thank god. Now, what do I do?"
Aya's eyes were closed, but the heavy, suffocating weight of Yuda's thrall was still crushing her spirit.
"Right. Fine. I have to do it now, don't I?" Ficky talked to himself. "If I'm too slow, the damage will be permanent."
Aya heard his voice through a thick fog. When she managed to crack her eyes open, she saw no one but Ficky.
"Hey, ugly girl! Can you hear me? Answer me! Hey!" Ficky called out, cradling her head.
"F-Ficky...?" She was conscious, but only barely.
"Listen to me, and I'm only saying this once. I'm about to do something to you. Don't freak out and don't fight it, or that disgusting vampire's spell will stay stuck to you forever," he said, jerking his thumb back toward the city.
Aya gave a weak nod. Her body was trembling, still unable to move. Ficky scowled, took a deep breath, and whispered, "Sorry."
He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. Aya's eyes flew wide in total shock. She tried to struggle, her hands feebly pushing against him, but Ficky's grip was like iron.
After a few moments, Ficky pulled away. Clamped between his teeth was a writhing, smoky wisp of black and crimson energy that he had drawn out of her.
"Burn," Ficky commanded, spitting the essence onto the ground. It was instantly consumed by a flash of fire, leaving nothing behind—not even ash.
"I knew you'd try that. But do you really think that's enough, wolf?"
Ficky looked up. Yuda was perched on a nearby roof, his single wing unfurled and his red eyes burning with a terrifying intensity.
"Hmph," Ficky grunted. He narrowed his eyes and slowly licked a stray drop of Aya's blood from his lip before picking her up again.
"I won't let you leave again," Yuda declared.
Suddenly, a flurry of black shadows snaked along the pavement, weaving together to form a lightless cage that trapped them both.
A second later, Ficky's knees buckled, and he collapsed onto the cold street.