"Yahiko!" Kamiya Kaoru calls after her young charge. "Slow down. The Akabeko isn't open yet."

"But I'm late. I was supposed to meet Tsu...someone five minutes ago," Myojin Yahiko looks over his shoulder. He, trips over someone's foot and a deep, mellow chuckle is heard.

"Oy...Tsubame, no doubt," Sagara Sanosuke smirks as Yahiko glares at him while getting up.

"Listen, Rooster-head," Yahiko leaps onto Sano's head and proceeds to gnaw on his hair, "it's none of your business."

"Don't call me Rooster-head," Sano grabs him by the collar and dumps him on the ground.

"Well, you'd better go, before you're even later," Kaoru interrupts before he can leap back on Sano's head.

"Kuso!" he takes off, leaving behind a whirlwind of dust.

"Jyo-chan, where ya headed?" Sano falls in step with her as she begins walking to the nearby grocery store.

"I'm doing some early morning shopping. Kenshin asked me to pick up a few things," she looks down at the list, which is about a page long.

"A few?" Sano raises an eyebrow. "That looks like enough food to feed the entire Shinsen-gumi!"

They arrive at the store. Kaoru does her shopping while Sano waits outside. Two women on the other side of the door chatter as Kaoru walks out the door. Suddenly, another young woman rushes to the other two.

"You're not going to believe what I just heard. The police just found a woman's body on the outskirts of town near the river," she chatters excitedly. "I heard it from my cousin, whose husband was the one who found it. I also heard that other bodies have been popping up too in other cities. The weird thing about those bodies is all of their blood has been drained and there's a big hole through their heart."

"A body near the river.. all those other bodies..." Kaoru's face pales slightly. "How strange."

"Hmm...very strange," Sano's eyes narrow and he begins to walk in the direction the woman came from. "Well, ja ne, Jyo-chan."

"Sa... Sano! Don't do anything stupid!" Kaoru yells after him as he fades into the light of the setting sun. Then she shakes her head, "I hope he doesn't get into any trouble."

As she begins to walk home with her purchases, a shadow in an alley follows after her.

"She smells of the Battousai," it hisses. "Sho-sama will be pleased."

"So, the rumors of your arrival in Tokyo are true," a dark figure, crouched in a tree, watches as the policemen examine the murder scene. The figure notices Saitou near a tree. "Who is that police officer? ... Hajime Saitou... Heard he was working the case. His kenki... very strong. Need to keep an eye out on him. Sho might target him as well."

The figure chuckles, seeing Sano in the bushes, trying to stay hidden. "Tsk.. tsk.. Spiky hair held in a red headband. A white gi with evil on the back. Must be Sagara Sanosuke. He is strong as well." the figure sighs thoughtfully. "Seems all the legends are running amok around here. I wonder if he is here as well."

The figure leaps into a neighboring tree and draws two stakes- one wooden, the other silver- as the policemen begin gathering their equipment.

Sano moves stealthily along, crawling behind trees, trying to get closer to the scene. Peering over a bush, he sees the body, lying face down, as a policeman draws a chalk outline around it. Suddenly, a hand grabs Sano roughly.

"What the hell are you doing, Rooster-head?" Hajime Saitou, one arm extended, holds Sano up effortlessly.

"Damn it, Saitou! Let me go!" he growls sullenly in mid-air, his arms crossed over his chest and legs drawn up.

"A..ho.." Saitou drops him, then lights a cigarette. "Now, what the hell are you doing?"

"I heard about the body and was curious," he shrugs while pointing in its direction. "So what killed her?"

"All of the blood was drained," he breathes some smoke out of his nose, "There are also two puncture marks on the neck."

Saitou notices his men gathering their equipment and walks over to one of them.

"Find anything else?"

"No, sir...nani?!? the officer gasps as the woman sits up.

Saitou turns, a startled look flashes over his eyes, but vanishes just as quickly.

"So... you're alive after all."

"I wouldn't actually say alive," the woman grins evilly. "Undead. You'll be that way too when I get through enjoying the taste of your blood."

She disappears and reappears behind the officer. She sinks her fangs into his neck, blood squirting all over her.

"Shit!" Sano yells as he appears beside Saitou. "What the hell is that?"

"Do I look like a dictionary of all things undead?" Saitou's hand falls to his sword. Sano growls in reply.

"Tell me where the Battousai is and I'll let you go," she sneers.

"Kenshin? What do you want with him?" Sano glares.

"That is none of your concern. Hand him over now."

"Over my dead body," Sano raises his fists, prepared to fight.

"That can be arranged," the woman charges at him. He punches her in the face, causing her head to turn 180 degrees. She turns her head back to the front. Sano's mouth drops the ground.

"Close your mouth, rooster head. It's rude," Saitou pushes his mouth closed. "You won't be able to fight her with only your fists. It's just a waste of energy."

He pushes Sano aside and falls into the Gatotsu stance. Before Saitou could begin to execute his technique, a streak of brown flies through the air, striking the officer, while a silver streak puntures the woman through the chest. The woman shrieks and turned to dust before it hit the ground.

"What the hell?" Sano growled. "Where did that come from?"

The dark figure emerges from the tree, wearing a dark purple shirt under a chestplate, black pants, knee-high black boots under a hooded black cloak. Strapped to her back is a no-dachi.

"Anmaru Reika..." Saitou murmurs softly. "What's she doing here?"

"Who are you?" Sano's eyes narrow. "Is this your creature?"

"Iie. Who I am is none of your concern," the figure crouches down and examines the dead policeman's body. "What you need to be concerned about is the Battousai. I want you to tell him that he is being hunted. He won't be able to defend himself by his usual attacks because these vampires can not be defeated by conventional methods."

"Vampires?!? How do we destroy them?"

"Don't worry about that. That's my job," the figure turns back toward the trees and disappears. Sano tries to take off after her, but is stopped by Saitou.

"You won't be able to find her. She's a hunter. Disappearing is a part of her job."

"She?" Sano raises an eyebrow.

"Hai. Ranmarou Reika. A youma hunter."

"How do you know her?"

"Many of my contacts have mentioned her."

"Ah."

Reika, racing through the trees at a level just below god-speed, reaches the edge of Tokyo. Straightening her cloak to cover her armor, she steps out of the tree-line and begins to look for a place to rest. Suddenly, a cold tingle crawls up her neck.

"There's a youma around here," she cautiously glances about the empty street. "Hmm...just north of where I'm at..."

Using god-speed, she flies down the empty street. As she comes closer to the northern outskirts of town, she senses the youma with another person.

"Another one of Sho's damn vampires," she growls as she disappears.