Near and far people all across the globe had been plagued by the wildfire virus. Death and chaos were commonplace now as people fought to survive impossible odds worldwide. In a certain city in Japan however, another great evil had just appeared on the face of the earth. A young man probably around Machiavelli and Julius's age found himself experiencing an otherworldly affliction of another kind. While he wasn't fighting a fever shortly after the outbreak began he started experiencing strange symptoms unlike any other disease or condition he knew of.
It started when he was on a run to help gather supplies for the group of survivors he was with. The undead weren't a problem, they followed the walker's movements and took a route away from the majority of them. They were almost home when the young man began to struggle under the weight of the supplies he carried. He started to lag behind and sweat profusely, "Hinata, are you ok? You're not looking too good." One of the others said looking back to him with concern.
"I-I'm fine, I think I'm just a little hot," Hinata lied. His whole body felt like it was burning. He adjusted his grip on the bag and pressed on. The bag should have been lightweight for him, but it seemed like it was getting heavier and heavier. When they finally got back to the office building they were using as a base camp, he collapsed at the door. Waking up on a futon in one of the rooms he saw his younger brother Natsu and sister Haruko looking over him.
"BIG BROTHER!" They cried together hugging him.
"Calm down you two, I'm ok. I think I just got too hot or something." He said with a softhearted laugh. "I'm as good as new," this wasn't actually a lie he felt like he was back in peak form now.
"You scared us! We thought something bad happened to you!" The young boy said.
"Yeah! Please don't work yourself too hard." Their sister chimed in. "You remember our promise right?"
Hinata patted both of their heads, "of course I remember." They were the last members of their family alive, and they swore they'd all survive together. "I'll be sure to take care of myself, and you guys too." Hinata hugged them both close. "I'll keep you two safe." As time went on Hinata would find direct sunlight to be increasingly taxing on his body, so he started to only go out at night.
Another significant change that Hinata found himself dealing with was the random fits of excruciating pain.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" There was nothing they could do to console him when it happened. Pain killers had no effect, he could hardly hear the words of those trying to comfort him through the fits, and restraining him was nigh impossible. One person got their arm broken when he was hit trying to restrain a flailing Hinata. His siblings and friends could only watch as he writhed on the floor in agony. His veins bulged out, his skin bubbled and if one listened closely the sound of snapping bones could be heard under the screams. It was as if his body was rearranging itself under his skin. Still no matter how terrifying it looked his little brother and sister stayed right by his side. After a few weeks, Hinata's fits of pain began to become less frequent and severe.
When he was finally back on his feet, he found he was much stronger, and his senses were also much sharper than usual…to a continually increasing degree. Also, any injuries he did sustain healed up in a matter of minutes. This would be a great help on runs and when fighting the dead. However his nature began to change as well, he became colder and more callous towards most of the people around him. Killing began to feel natural to him, again drawing the concern of his siblings. Still he assured them he was much better and everything he did was to keep them safe.
Almost a month since the dead started to walk, and Hinata's siblings decided to confront him about his recent behavior one night before he went out on a hunt. "Big brother, we're worried about you. You've been acting very differently lately…" Natsu started.
"With how often you've been getting sick, and your fits. We don't want you to push yourself anymore. We think you should rest some more for now. You haven't slept much either big brother, isn't it bad if you don't get enough sleep?" Haruko continued.
"I sleep while you guys are sleep, I just get up earlier," he lied to them once again. In truth Hinata hadn't slept in over a week, and he felt no more tired than he did a week ago. All the torture he endured came with some benefits. "I will always appreciate your concern, but don't stress too much. Worrying too much is bad for you too," he said rubbing their heads. "Tell you what. I'll stay here tonight, and we can hang out, just the three of us. I can find us some snacks and games to play. That sound good?"
"YES!" His brother and sister agreed excitedly.
Hours later after they had played and exhausted every game, told old funny stories, and eaten the all the treats they could scrape up, his two siblings had finally fallen asleep. Hinata found himself facing his worst trial yet. He was starving. He hadn't touched a single snack there, in fact he hadn't eaten in about as long as he hasn't slept. Nothing he could get his hands on seemed appetizing no matter how much he once loved the taste. Even if he forced himself to eat he'd just throw it up shortly after, Hinata didn't know what to do anymore so he just tried to ignore it. He looked at the two children sleeping peacefully on either side of him and a vile thought crossed his mind. Maybe it was the warm blood he could hear running through their veins or the soft tender flesh of a healthy child…but his mouth started to water. You are starving. Devour them. If you don't you could die. Unspeakable thoughts flooded his mind. "What if I just…NO!" He caught himself reaching for his own little sister and rushed out of the room.
It was at that point Hinata became fully aware of how much he'd changed, his very humanity was abandoning him. Whatever this thing he was becoming was, he could not count on it to protect his siblings. He was becoming their biggest threat. At that point he felt these gifts were a curse, he'd never feed on people. If that was his only option he'd rather die. He actually tried to kill himself several times, but his own body wouldn't let him. His legs locked up before he could enter the sunlight, blades and even bullets barely hurt, and the plethora of pills and chemicals he injested did nothing. Hinata began to avoid his siblings and went on runs alone. He still wanted to help as much as he could, but he realized it was getting harder to fight this new hunger. Hurting Natsu and Haruko was sounding like less and less of an atrocity, what's worse it was starting to seem like something he should do.
He realized he was becoming their biggest threat, so he fled to put distance in between them. As he fled into the night he just ran, he felt no fatigue so he'd just keep running to the end of the earth...or so he felt. Eventually he would stop at a small secluded house on the countryside. Breaking in was no problem. Hinata found himself in a room filled with paintings and drawings all depicting one woman, very tastefully he thought. She was pretty but something about the woman irked him, though he couldn't place it.
"HOW DARE YOU ENTER THIS SACRED ROOM AND GAZE UPON MS. TAMAYO'S VISAGE! DIE YOU CURR!" Hinata was torn from his thoughts by the angry resident's attack. They traded blows with an extreme intensity, which surprised them both. "How are you able to withstand my attacks?" The man asked Hinata. "Your strength is not human…"
"Not human? I could say the same of you," Hinata said, still on guard. That's when it hit him. He had seen these images, and this man before. "You- you're that famous painter who paints the mysterious lady…well Ms. Tamayo I guess, Yushiro Yamamoto."
"That would be me, and you're right I'm not human. I can tell you aren't either...at least not completely."
"I don't know what's happening to me, but whatever is going on I almost ate my brother and sister. I can feel myself losing control over my body as I keep changing into-"
"A demon." Yushiro said solemnly. "Though I've never seen it happen like this, I know demons when I see them." He saw the mortified look on Hinata's face and told him to take a seat. "There's a lot that happens in the night. I don't know how or why but you've been thrust into a darkness that was supposed to be long gone from the world."
"H-how do you know all this?" Hinata stammered to ask.
"Because I was supposed to be the last demon in this world. Now shut up and listen to the story of a brat who faced incredible odds for the sister he loved… some would say too much." He went on to tell Hinata a story about his ancestors from long ago, and the king of demons they faced in order to rid the world of he and his demons. He also told him about the woman who worked tirelessly to overcome what it meant to be a demon until her last breath.
Hinata struggled to accept everything he had heard but it made sense, he also heard there was a chance he could return to being himself again. Yushiro agreed to help recreate the cure, as he assisted in creating the last one. He could be human again.
The passing days felt like an eternity but Yushiro did it. "You'd better be grateful for Tamayo's hard work…still saving people this long after she's passed. A true goddess among women," Yushiro said fighting back tears.
"I'm very grateful to her," a giddy Hinata answered. "Let's do this." With the administration of the cure Hinata only had to rest and wait for it to take effect. Days passed and he saw no changes, he sought out Yushiro to find him in a lab studying a blood sample.
"I don't know how to tell you this…but your body, it destroyed the cure."
"What are you saying?" Hinata asked.
"Well, the cure doesn't work on you…your cells are too powerful for it." Yushiro said dejectedly.
Hinata was filled with grief and rage, "what do you mean it won't work?! Up the dosage, make it stronger! Do something! I don't want to be a demon!" In a blind rage he struck Yushiro completely knocking his lower jaw off. "I-I'm sorry I don't – I can't" Hinata said dropping to his knees with a deep sob.
Yushiro stood calmly and let him vent his frustrations. "What will you do now?" He asked after his face was regenerated.
Hinata wiped his face on his sleeve "I can't return to my brother and sister like this…something inside me wants to hurt them. If I lose control, I don't know what could happen. Each and every day, the voice in my head keeps trying to force me to do horrible things…I can't go on like this. I've even tried killing myself…I don't know what I'm going to do at this point, but I have to make sure they are ok."
Yushiro couldn't help but see his old comrade in the boy's face. As much of both of them annoyed him, it hurt to see him this downtrodden. "There is but one more thing I can do for you. I know a researcher that may be able to adapt the cure for you, but it's a longshot with the current state of the world... I doubt that coward will be dead. He's probably holed up in a lab somewhere…Anyways. We'll have to quarantine you until it's ready though."
"I'll understand, it's not like I'll die…" Hinata laughed dryly, reviving a little. "But first-"
"I'll take your siblings with me to meet the scientist, you just focus on staying you."
"Right! But where are you going to take them?" Hinata asked.
"It's probably best you don't know, in case…well you know."
"Right…"
Yushiro took him to what would be his new room until the cure was created. In the basement of the building was a thick-walled room that was completely sealed with no way out but that heavy layered metal door. Apparently, the house came with it, some super exclusive international realtor had built it. They left blood packets for Hinata should his hunger become unbearable, but he decided to hold off for fear of speeding up the transformation. He didn't have much in the way of entertainment save for some books and some old films. After making sure Hinata was secured, Yushiro set out to find Hinata's siblings.
Hinata was tortured by the unbearable hunger and worry for his siblings. As the days went on he only had the sounds of his rumbling stomach to remind him he was still alive, and there was no word from Yushiro. Eventually he would reach his limit. Lying down on the floor longing for an end to this torture, he closed his eyes hoping to at least sleep if only for a little bit. On that day, the twentieth of his seclusion, he got his wish.
He lay still for hours as if finally having died, his eyes opened again soon though. When they were finally opened they glowed a brilliant red and his pupils had sharpened to beastlike slits. He sat up and cracked his neck and let out a deep sigh, "Flesh and blood again…" he said looking at his now clawed hands with blue nails. His attention was stolen by his reflection on the metal wall, which he approached to use as a mirror. "This form…how ironic…" the reflection looking back at him had neck length black hair that faded to a dark reddish color, due to his previous starving the healthy muscular build he had withered a little bit, not to mention he had paled like a corpse as well. He watched the scar on his forehead close before he swept his hair back and it became solid black. "That looks better…Now, what is this place?" He wondered aloud as he set his sights on the only door. His hand warped into a grotesque monstrous claw and tore the door down with little resistance. He made his way out to investigate his new surroundings.