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Preface

Snowflakes fluttered from the night sky, joining the blanket of white currently carpeting the city's rooftops. Boris sprinted across the snow-covered roofs of the city, trailing behind his target. He'd been chasing the Level E for almost a week which, to a veteran like him, was a few days too long. It wasn't that he couldn't keep up with the thing, it's just that every time he got close enough it managed to throw him off the scent and elude him. The fact that a Level E was adequately lucid to keep evading him was enough to send an air of unsettlement through his core.

He propelled himself into the air, and slid down the gabled roof, keeping his eyes on his prey. It was a female, rail-thin, with fiery red hair that flowed behind her in ringlets as she fled, scrambling from roof to roof. He reached in his thick coat's inner pocket, fetched a kunai, and hurled it at her. The razor sharp weapon spun through the air and buried its wicked tip in her arm. A painful shriek ripped from her lungs and she bounded from the roof, landing clumsily on the next one. It looked around at the surrounding Gothic buildings each of which were too far away for it to land safely and emitted a frustrated growl. It was trapped.

Boris smiled wickedly, causing the scar on his cheek to crinkle, and leaped from the roof, landing solidly on the top of the next building. It gave a warning snarl, baring its fangs defiantly as he approached while holding its bleeding wound. "There's nowhere for you to run beast," he said in a thick Russian brogue. The sheath of his sword whispered when he drew it and held it in a defensive stance, the symbols inscribed along the blade giving off dull glints. "There is no need fighting, your death is inescapable, so just make it easier on yourself." He did not show his surprise over the fact that the kunai, which was made of pure silver, hadn't subdued it.

It hissed menacingly at him and attacked, fangs bared and claws extended, ready to score its pursuer alive. Boris dodged its wild attacks expertly, sidestepping just in time to avoid a biting lunge that would have definitely left him severely wounded. He struck the creature just as it turned to perform a follow-up on its assault, and came down hard with his sword, severing one of its arms.

An inhuman howl escaped its mouth and it clambered backwards, trying to escape its predator. It glared at him with hateful eyes, clutching its stump protectively, and let out another rumble from within its small chest, gnashing its fangs dangerously. Then, it did something utterly uncharacteristic of its kind, it talked, "you think you are so strong because you are hunter. You are nothing but human. It doesn't matter that you kill me. Soon you Hunters will burn along with your institutions. With the Bleeding of the Moon comes the G--" A shot rang forth and it, she, exploded into ash that settled on the thick snow.

Boris took a step back, the snow crunching beneath his boots. Where had that shot come from? He raked his keen eyes over the surrounding roofs for any sign of the sniper, but he saw nothing. What was happening? First the uncharacteristic well-thought out evasive maneuvers, then the lack of desired affect the kunai had on it, now the fact that it was actually sane enough to articulate comprehensive sentences was starting to spook him. What was going on? What was it talking about before it was killed?

A prickle went up his spine, his natural senses alerting him to a presence. He whirled around, holding his sword in a fighting stance.

The man standing before him tipped his head in salutation. "Hello Hunter."

"Who are you?" He planted his feet, his muscles loaded like spring coils ready to be put to good use.

"I'm afraid that is an answer you are not entitled to." He strutted past the wary Hunter to the tiny mound of dust piled on the snow carpeted roof. "Such a pity I had to kill her, but I'm afraid she was talking too much." A sigh fled him and he bristled when an icy gust blew past, causing his coat to billow. "Ah well, I suppose it was a good a night as any to die. What do you think?"

Boris followed him cautiously and performed a menacing twirl with his sword, resisting the urge to attack the impassive man standing before him. Years of fighting had taught him to let his enemy come to him, to let them fall into his trap. "If you wish to kill me, you will find I will not be such easy prey." With eyes perceptive from years of martial experience, he studied the man's movements discerning if he was gearing up for an attack. So far, he didn't seem threatening, but as a hunter, he knew how precarious vampires were.

He laughed softly, tossing his chestnut tresses, and looked over his shoulder. "You are mistaken Hunter, I do not wish to kill you."

Boris raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "Then what do you want with me vampire?" He knew the man wasn't human, and his aura didn't exactly scream vampire, yet it held its own darkness. Thus, he deduced that is was probably a lower level vampire, a C or D, doing its master's bidding.

The mysterious man faced the Hunter and rested his gaze upon him, a shadow hanging over his face. "Now who said I was vampire?" His pale blue eyes flickered with unabashed evil, sending a spike of coldness down the Hunter's spine.

His eyes widened in shock. Not vampire? Before his body could register any movement, he found himself reeling backwards, his breath rushing from his lungs, to the snowy rooftop. He lay there on the snow covered rooftop, icy snowflakes flittering onto his exposed face, blood trickling from his nose and mouth, gasping for air. If he wasn't a vampire then why was he attacking him, they had no beef with each other? "Why?"

He loomed over him like an apparition eager to inflict torment, smiling viciously. "Consider yourself cordially invited to our mistress's….banquet." He sneered when Boris's eyes clouded over and shut. He cast a glance at the black debris staining the pristine snow that had once been the female Level End. A sense of regret filled him, because he'd been looking forward to seeing her given the privilege of taking part in the Banquet, the mistress would have no doubt deemed her a promising soldier. Ah, well, that was the trouble with mindless beasts; they too often took the liberty of allowing their tongues to divulge critical secrets when cornered. He bent, hefted the tall man onto his shoulder, and jumped off the roof, disappearing into the shadows of the night.

Whooohooo! The prologue of Crimson Night is up! So begins the journey. I hope y'all enjoy this chapter. And please R&R. Oh and to all those that read and reviewed my last fic Merci Beaucoup! Prepare for more VK goodness as we see just how deep the destines of Zero, Kaname, and Aidou are intertwined. HYE (Hope you enjoy). TTFN!

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