The incendus observed the savaged body of Lee Yan from behind Ray, eyes practically glowing with mirth at the gruesome sight.

This had been a long time coming, he thought, feeling an extreme sense of vindication. This had all started with Lee, after all: the other neko-jin had never liked him, and, when he and Ray had started getting close, he'd convinced Ray to join the Eidolons just to separate them. It was probably his influence that convinced Ray to turn Kai in the first place.

Though, of course, that didn't absolve Ray of the crime-which was why killing his friend, one of the only people he still cared about, was definitely a fitting punishment.

Kai inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of fresh blood that was clinging to Ray's mouth, and he leaned forward, tongue darting out to catch a drop as it felt from Ray's upper lip.

He made a show of swallowing the crimson fluid, shifting Ray's strangely docile form so he had no choice but to look.

"mm," he let out a dark, pleased sound, licking his own lips in an exaggerated manner. "Did you enjoy that as much as I did, kitten?"

It was a rhetorical question, Ray knew, and he felt too sick to answer. He couldn't believe he'd done this; Lee was his oldest friend, and one of the only real ones he still had. Never mind the fact that he shouldn't have been able to kill anyone-let alone another lamia-after being injected with as much of that poison or losing as much blood, as he had in the past couple of days.

"How did you make me do this?" he asked in a horrified whisper, struggling to turn away from Kai so the Russian wouldn't see the tears gathering in the corner of his eyes.

Kai stopped his taunting abruptly, lips pressing together. That was a good question, actually; how had he been able to force a lamia to do something he so clearly didn't want to? That shouldn't have been possible-not unless that poison he'd been given was able to subvert the rule that only lamias could compel other vampires.

But Ray would probably have known if it did, and he was still asking the question, so that was most likely not the case. Therefore, Kai didn't really have a clue.

Then, something occurred to him; maybe he wasn't exactly a normal vampire. Maybe there was a reason why that guy had come to him to start this war against the Eidolons; after all, he could have gone to any of the people Kai had recruited himself and gotten them to take their vengeance. There had to be a reason why he'd gone to Kai to get them together.

Struck by that notion, Kai's gaze moved away from Ray and focused on his gloved fingers. He did feel a lot different than he had when he'd been human-but he'd always thought that was how any vampire felt. Stronger, faster, more predatory…

But there was something else, too-something that he'd only noticed while he'd been torturing Ray. A sort of…heat building at his fingertips and in his palms, a visible reaction to his actions.

Looking at them now, he saw copper lines crisscrossing all over them like tattoos of flames-except they weren't tattoos, and they definitely hadn't been there before.

He exhaled heavily, forgetting all about Ray and the dead body in front of them for the moment and focusing on those marks.

They felt…alive, almost; something crackling beneath the skin, vibrating gradually to the surface. He'd seen a lot of magic recently, been exposed to it back when he and Ray had still been friends and found out about him being a lamia, so he knew enough about it to know what that sort of thing probably meant.

There was power lurking within him, power that went beyond that of any other fledgling vampire that dated back to before his turning

Obviously the Eidolons had no idea what they'd awoken by putting vampire blood in his system; they thought they were punishing him.

They should have killed him instead.

Kai lifted his gaze again, returning his attention to the still-living-sort of-Chinese man, his hand raised up next to his head. There were sparks coming off it, and the sensation at the tips of his fingers made him wonder: did this have something to do with how he'd been able to make Ray kill Lee, how he'd been able to keep him weak when that poison had run out? He needed to know for sure.

Ray flinched as, before answering, Kai stepped around to face him directly, amaranth eyes locking on amber slits with a single-minded determination.

"You know, to be honest, I'm not really certain," he confessed in low, silky Russian, his sparking fingers curling around Ray's chin and tugging his face forward so their noses were nearly touching. "But I think I'd like to test it out again.

Get on your knees."

A strange haze entered Ray's eyes, and they grew unfocused, as if he was going into a trance-again-just like he'd looked when he'd murdered Lee. And, though it was clear every inch of him wanted to disobey, he sank to his knees before Kai.

The incendus' pale lips pulled back, fangs gleaming like knifepoints as he grinned; the feeling of fire on his fingers was intensifying, the copper marks twisting even more around them.

Well, wasn't this interesting.

Itachi leaned over the table, moving the pawn in his hand to a different space on the chessboard atop it as the images cycled before him.

The corners of his mouth twitched slightly as he continued to watch events unfolding around the incendus and his prisoner. He'd known there was a way to trigger the powers that made him a pivotal part of this puzzle; it had just been a matter of finding it. Now that he had, the aura around him was different; it was copper and burning red, jagged like an inferno raging out of control.

Fire surrounded him on all sides a fire that, with the help of the other elements Itachi had gathered, was destined to burn the Eidolons' whole kingdom to the ground. They'd made their worst mistake when they decided to turn him.

There was a reason why Hiwatari had to be the one to bring all of them together; there were many people who could have been the catalyst for this revenge quest against the Eidolons-but none of them had Kai's abilities.

This had all been a part of the plan from the beginning

Kai Hiwatari was not just a regular vampire, and he had never been just a human. He'd always been special; these powers had been sleeping within him since the day he'd been born-just like Kanda's-and it had taken vampire blood to bring to a place where they could be awakened and put to use.

And the incendus wasn't the only one he was watching.

He'd known that exposing Kanda to Allen's true intentions wouldn't exactly endear him to the panther, but, fortunately, it seemed to be having the exact effect he desired. Kanda was at least giving him the chance to earn his trust, and he wasn't going to waste it. He was going to give him what he wanted.

Exhaling soundlessly, he pulled back his powers, bringing himself back to the present and his current situation: sitting alone in his quarters at Kaiba's compound, behind the desk he'd set up in the corner.

Well, actually, not exactly alone.

"What are you seeing, Itachi?" Tekla asked from the other side of the room, watching him with her hands in the pockets of her dark coat.

Itachi opened his eyes slowly, and shifted his head to face her, expression blank.

"Hiwatari is discovering his powers, the ones that make him one of us, and that means that it's just about time for the next step," he declared, getting to his feet.

He exited his room silently, drifting out of it toward Kanda's quarters.

The door was closed, as usual, and as usual, Itachi didn't knock before entering.

Kanda was standing in front of the open window on the left of the room, an open bottle of some of the strongest vodka-probably-clutched in his ungloved hand.

"If you think you're going to be able to drink this away, Kanda, I wouldn't count on it," he commented dully, eying the open bottle of liquor with a shrewd look.

The panther didn't answer right away, nor did he turn around as he took another swig of the clear liquid, jaw clenching as he swallowed. Clearly, he was still having a hard time dealing with what had happened; looking into his mind, Itachi knew he was remembering his past with Walker, remembering their relationship and trying to pick out whether it had really all been a lie.

You'll never know

Kanda seemed to sense what he was doing because, as he delved deeper, a wall went up, and the raven-hair finally spoke.

"Don't," he snapped, voice a low growl. He took another drink, then added. "I told you I'd work on trusting you; don't make me change my mind so early on."

Itachi barely batted an eyelid at the reprimand, shadows curling around him as he stepped further into the room and gestured again at the bottle in Kanda's hand. "I have a better solution for you than that."

Kanda tilted his head slightly, glancing at Itachi with one of his dark blue eyebrows raised.

"And what would that be?" he queried coldly.

The Reaper took another step further into his room, shedding his hood.

"I told you you had to wait until the time was right before avenging Walker's betrayal and now it is that time. "

Kanda's other eyebrow shot up.

"Are you serious?" he queried shrewdly, half-turning around with his arms folded over his chest.

"I don't kid about matters such as this, Panther," Itachi retorted flatly, dark coals fathomless as ever. "Get rid of him."

Eliminate our enemy's most valuable pawn

Kanda stared at him a second longer, eyes narrowed, wanting to make absolutely sure that Itachi wasn't just screwing with him.

Then, apparently deciding after a few moments that he wasn't, his upper lip curled viciously.

"Finally," he declared with no small amount of satisfaction, turning around and grabbing his sword off of his bed.

Itachi watched him belt Mugen around his waist again, feeling rather satisfied himself. It was all working the way he'd planned-the way he'd been planning ever since the day the panther had joined the Eidolons.

~flashback~

As the man with the glasses entered his leader's office, he found it already occupied by two others, besides the owner.

"Kabuto, meet our newest recruit," Orochimaru said by way of a welcome, his almost girlish tone making the hair on the back of Kabuto's neck stand-involuntarily-on end.

His right-hand man pushed his glasses further up his nose before tilting his head in the direction where Orochimaru had gestured.

One of his white eyebrows shot up when he realized who was standing there. Without introduction, he knew exactly who it was: the man Lord Orochimaru had been trying to get to join them for nearly a decade.

He was young, probably no older than eighteen; that was the first thing Kabuto noticed.

The second thing was his long, straight blue-ebony hair that would have made him look like a woman, if it wasn't for his muscular form and rugged, undeniably masculine features.

The third and final thing was the symbol emblazoned on the lapel of his black-and-white robes. It was a silver, multifaceted cross-the insignia of the legendary assassin's organization known as the Black Order.

At that sight, Kabuto's faze flicked toward the other man in the rom-the white-haired boy, Allen Walker-and he knew exactly what had transpired here.

"Hello, Kanda," he greeted the blue-haired man in a falsely cordial tone, holding out one of his gloved hands for the younger to shake.

The new member didn't take it, however; he merely lifted his slightly pointed chin a fraction and let out a single low, neutral sound.

"Hn."

Far from being offended, Kabuto seemed like he'd almost been expecting that, and he dropped his hand with nothing but a rueful chuckle.

~Yu Kanda was not known for his politeness~

"Forgive my curiosity, my lord, but how did you get someone like him to agree to one of us?" he wondered, switching his attention back to his master.

Orochimaru's lipless mouth twisted in that trademark serpentine grin of his.

"The same way I get everyone to join me, Kabuto; I offered him something he couldn't refuse," he replied silkily, his head performing the faintest of tilts in Allen's direction.

Kabuto grinned as well; just as he'd suspected.

"I'm assuming that means his partner's already been decided on, then?" he surmised, gray eyes once again darting toward the two former Exorcists.

"You assume correctly," Orochimaru confirmed slyly, eyes shifting in the same direction.

~his plan was working out perfectly; all that set up had finally paid off. He had the Panther. Now he just had to wait.~

The white-haired Eidolon didn't have to turn around; he knew who was standing behind him.

"What are you doing here, Kanda? I thought I made it clear that I was done with you," he stated coldly, face studiedly blank.

A low, mirthless chuckle reverberated within his ears.

"You also said that you had been just using me for the sex and information," the panther's icy breath rushed past his ear, making his neck flush slightly.

Allen didn't flinch, though, hiding his reaction, acting like his former lover's proximity wasn't affecting him.

"And?"

Kanda walked around to his front, something dark and identifiable in his electric eyes.

"Well, I thought I could give you one of those things one last time-that is, if you were willing," the other former Exorcist replied slyly.

Allen found himself suddenly lying flat on his bed with Kanda looming over him, and his heartbeat stuttered in his ears-though, once again, he tried not to show it.

"Now why would I do that?" he retorted coolly, cocking a suggestive eyebrow and lifting his hips in a subtle invitation.

Kanda lowered himself onto the bed and straddled him forcefully, making the younger let out an unwilling groan.

He ducked his head down, teeth scraping against Allen's collarbone.

"Why wouldn't you?" he shot back in an uncharacteristic purr; Allen was so distracted that, and Kanda's Kanda's hand beginning to unbutton his shirt that he didn't notice Kanda drawing a knife from his belt with the other.

On instinct, his legs wrapped around Kanda's waist as the elder toed off his boots before crushing their mouths together, grabbing a handful of pale hair to angle Allen's head to his liking.

More involuntary moans tumbled out of Allen's rapidly reddening lips, and he forgot how to breathe as Kanda devoured his mouth and practically tore his clothes from his body.

It wasn't until he felt Kanda enter him that he also felt the familiar press of metal against his throat.

"What the he-?" he started to pant out, confusion making its way through the haze of lust; but Kanda moved the blade to his bruised lips, silencing him while his own lips twisted in a cruel mockery of a smile.

"You really thought that, after all the shit you've pulled and everything you said to me, that I was just going to fuck you like nothing had changed?" he stated, his purr turning into a growl vibrating against Allen's neck as he thrust harshly into the younger.

Allen couldn't do anything but cry out as his prostate was forcefully slammed into.

"You played me like a fool, Moyashi-and now, you're going to pay with your body-and your life," Kanda finished just as Allen hit his peak, and, before he could hit his release, Kanda slashed the knife across his throat.

Blood spurted out of the wound and Allen slumped back onto the bed, his last breath rasping out of his abused lips as Kanda withdrew from his body.

Zipping up his pants, he leaned forward and brushed the hair away from Allen's ear with mock tenderness so he could bring his lips there.

"You were mine, Allen-but, unfortunately, you decided you'd rather be theirs," he declared softly, shaking his head with feigned regret. "For that, I can never forgive you."

This is your penance

Turning away, he let out a heavy breath. It was done; Allen had paid for betraying him-and, unexpectedly, Itachi had been the one to allow it to happen.

Maybe he could trust the Reaper, after all.

"Whatever Uchiha's told you about your part in all of this is a lie: he doesn't need you to defeat us-he just doesn't want you to work against him."

Seto was getting a little tired of these random summons coming out of the blue like this; he did have a company to run.

But, although he could have just refused to show up, he couldn't deny that he was rather curious: what could Orochimaru want with him now that he'd terminated their arrangement?

The address Orochimaru had sent him to meet was the same one where they'd done their weapons' deals back in the old days: an out of the way, rundown office building in one of the less populated districts near Kaiba's home town, Domino City.

Seto arrived there just after sunrise, his violet trenchcoat buttoned up to his chin to conceal the multiple weapons he had holstered beneath it: he wanted to be ready for anything.

"Mr. Kaiba, I didn't think you'd actually make it."

Seto didn't react when that sinuous, breathy voice rang out from behind him; he was well-used to the snake's dramatic entrances.

"Don't make me regret it," the brunette declared tersely, turning around to face the leader of the Eidolons as he entered the empty conference room with another familiar form trailing behind him. "What do you want?"

That inhumanly pale, lipless mouth curved in an indulgent smile.

"To offer you a chance," Orochimaru drawled, a serpentine gleam in his ringed yellow eyes. "Surely, you must realized that joining Uchiha's campaign against me was a foolish choice, and, since you yourself haven't made any direct moves against me, I am willing to forget about it."

Seto's own eyes narrowed.

"This was Kai Hiwatari's quest for vengeance, not Itachi's," he pointed out, folding his arms in consternation.

Orochimaru let out a high, cold laugh that set Seto's teeth on edge, shaking his head.

"Oh no, I'm afraid that isn't the case at all," he debunked Seto's statement fluidly, loping forward, all liquid, predatory grace and mirthless grin. "This has been Uchiha's game from the beginning-and I'm afraid he's vastly exaggerated your part in it. You see, he doesn't need you to defeat me-he just wanted to have you as his pawn, instead of mine.

"What do you mean 'game'?" Seto cut in coldly, brows furrowing. He wasn't sure he liked where this was going.

Orochimaru's taunting smile widened.

"This has all been a contest, my dear Kaiba-a contest between Itachi and myself to see whose pawns will fall first; a contest that began long before the Hiwatari boy was turned, with the ultimate prize hanging in the balance," he explained, a note of twisted excitement in his voice, like he was thoroughly enjoying confessing how he and Itachi had been playing with people's lives all this time.

Seto glared at him, teeth clenching as he continued to speak. If that was true, then the Reaper had been using all of them from the beginning. That probably should have made him furious-he was nobody's pawn, after all-and, though he was angry, it wasn't entirely at the Reaper.

"If that's true, then why are you telling me? If you think it's going to make me want to be on your side instead of Uchiha's, think again," he retorted in an even cooler tone than before. "Uchiha may be using me, but he still saved my life-and he didn't kill my parents. Your friend there did."

Orochimaru's companion obviously had to suppress a flinch as Seto's steely blue shards pierced her with a frigid stare.

"I may be a pawn, but so are you, Gardner-and you're going to be the one that I take out," Seto declared firmly, shooting Orochimaru a last, acid look before brushing past him and exiting the room.

The door slammed shut behind him.