Ataraxia: a state of freedom; free from disturbances and anxiety

Chapter 15

"Dear me Reiji, what I would have given for that experience." Laito smirked at him from across the room.

"You would have been dead… to be blunt how many of you have been consuming the antidote with your tea every morning?"

"Some of us don't have tea every morning…" Subaru scoffed.

"Either way, the lesson learned is she did reveal that we can attain an antidote from their salivary glands…"

"I don't understand…if they have saliva in their mouths when they bite someone…" Kanato pondered.

"No, their fangs perforate, and I have read glands above their fangs release the poison. Their body is immune to this, however. to counter the high concentration of it, it makes sense that their saliva should hold a bit of an antidote to their own poison." Reiji swished a vial around. "They assumed I was the King, but as we can see, our plan to divert attention is working. They also seem rather oblivious to what King Burai intends to do with Yui upon "capture"."

"Which is so terribly clear to all of us?" Ayato looked at Reiji with a tinge of sarcasm, his arm around Yui sitting on the couch.

"Well if I must describe this twice, Yui is unique in that she has a founder heart. When I gave her that concoction it allowed a human death to overcome her so the vampire DNA could take effect…it also meant that Cordelia's blood was altered thus restraining her and ending her hold over her. In short, Yui's blood became that of vampire and Cordelia lost her ability to control her, because now she too was immortal – because it aided her through the Awakening. One way or another it seems part of her humanity remained, perhaps due to the fact that she, being a child when the heart was given to her, had gained immunization from it. As a human even she was inclined to the transplant's demonic powers…thus our Eve. Now if Burai wishes for her to take more of Cordelia's Burai form, this means that a part of her will have to be eliminated from the equation."

"So you're saying that she's part Human, Founder and Vampire…so either Vampire or Human must go for Vibora to come out?" Shu looked up from his napping position briefly.

"For one so daft to connect the dots… yes. This also means that her ability to withstand the Endzeit virus decreases, our father's idea to allow Richter to act on such an impulse in order for her to give birth to this new race ends there. Burai would not care, due to the fact that only Founders and First Bloods have been affected thus far…however he is naive in that all viruses mutate. Fathers journal did reveal the only time he ever found it slowed down was when a human was infected…and dare I say when he attempted to combine and cross breed. Part of me suspects some of the crossbreeds he eliminated, like those nekos may have been partially driven together by him so he could test them. Of course, I'm not sure how Burai would plan to eliminate either part of Yui…his followers don't seem smart enough to act out such an intricate biologic switch over…"

"Ah but you started it so you must know how?" Laito said, lightly digging at Reiji's humble brag, as he had been the one to save Yui when Cordelia threatened to take over.

"Blood changes. That being said if we manage to acquire their DNA, we can use that against them. I slowed her down by injecting her with that which I give my own victims when they consume too much of an immobilizing drug…so by using her own on her and heightening its effects we can counter their attacks."

"After showering them with marigolds of course…" Subaru crossed his arms.

"I will also continue with that conundrum. I am not convinced in our father's riddles about gold either." Reiji ignored the jab.

"So, I was always just a biologic antidote for a virus?" Yui spoke up finally.

"No, as a matter of fact, you are an Eve – you can start a race that can protect itself…while Angels are lore, consider it like this: a human who can use any benefit of a demon is what our father intended. While his methods were deplorable, your consummation with our King brother will mean that humans from your blood line will not be weak. Perhaps immortal. I would hate to use the term Angel on such a race, but if you really withhold all of your lovely Godly inclinations…one could I suppose." Reiji wondered why he lessened the blow again. In truth she had hit it on the nose, but somewhere along the line her humanity and affections rubbed off on them all.

"I'm not about to give you up like that. Plus, if they did succeed, we'd just turn you back into a vampire." Ayato pushed her in closer to him.

"Would you hate me if I did become more Vibora…I mean I don't plan on it…nor do I like the idea of being poisonous…but…would that be it?" Yui looked distraught.

"Yui you have to realize Viboras are now the only thing standing against us." Reiji began.

"So you'd abandon me?"

"No. Its just hard for a vampire to-"

"Ah, hard for a vampire to consider being with a vibora? Dear Reiji did you not just admit that you had fun with one not more than a few hours ago? You dog…or no…that would be the wolf clan…bleh…" Laito teased viciously.

"I would get you back one way or another. Plus, they will not succeed." Yui felt Ayato squeeze her hand lightly when she noticed a flicker in his eyes.

Reiji saw it too. Diabolik blood. Founder blood and the blood of the devil from his father…First Blood, seemed to awaken when Eve was in question. Whether or not anyone liked it, he was Adam.

"I-I just want to exist…is it so hard to just want that…" Yui's voice trembled slightly.

"And you will. We will kill that Demon King, and prove we are the strongest and with it out of the way and you safe we will make our claim to the world." Ayato set his glass down on the table.

"Which is something we need to discuss sooner or later as well."

"What now?" Ayato peered at Reiji.

"Well frankly as long as she is in the limelight as the King's Queen she may never have peace in existing…keeping our façade of Kingly brothers may yield her from that."

"Oh, so my dear brother never gets to rule with an iron fist?" Laito looked interested.

"Or Reiji doesn't want to give up his illusion of power…look where it got him today…" Subaru crossed his arms.

"On the contrary, it nearly got me killed today, but should even the vibora find out who is King we are subject to them attempting to kill them. They know pieces of information about our Father's plan and if the Adam dies, our Eve will not provide us with an heir strong enough to survive. To help us all survive, thus, we will do what we have to, to make sure she survives."

"So what do you think they're going to grace us with when we return back to school after raping one of their own? A good bit of war-ish fun?" Laito smiled deviously.

"It was an eye for an eye wasn't it?" Shu asked.

" I don't give a damn about Thana. But for fucking with Yui..." Ayato looked over to her.

"No…this will run deeper…which means Ayato becomes glued to her side…and I suggest some of us do not return to school tomorrow…"

"What? So we're hiding?" Subaru's fist clenched.

"No…we make sure our fellow students don't get involved. The more they despise us the worse off Yui will be too." Ayato nodded.

"My point exactly. We check up on it. They will attack again, and in the mean time I will find a way to eliminate them, but at the very least can you all please drink your damn tea." Reiji stood up again and left the room.

"Well it was all good fun earlier, but I suppose Subaru, Kanato and I will attend school to check up on things…ta, ta." Laito stood up as well as he and a reluctant Subaru left to assess the school damages.

"Again, I'll be napping somewhere else…" Shu teleported without another word.

"So, perhaps we ought to leave too…" Ayato stood up and lead her to her room when he felt resistance as she remained stationary on the couch.

"I don't want to say I'm scared…I just…"

"Even if you did turn into a vibora…it wouldn't stop me from trying to bring you back from it. Your Eve and I'm Adam, and we're damn stuck with it, so don't worry so much."

"I know…but even then…wasn't it a snake that ruined it for them?" Yui looked up to him with large magenta eyes.

"Yea, well in that dumb version, Adam and Eve aren't vampires, and their sure as hell not us."