Chapter 4
Zero woke up two minutes before 3:00am with an urgent need to use the restroom. Putting on his slippers, Zero stood from his bed and walked sluggishly to his adjoined bathroom. Flicking on his lights, the silver haired man made it to his toilet.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Zero readjusted his pajama pants after he was finished. After washing his hands and drying them, the other walked eagerly back to his bedroom with the hopes of falling back to sleep but as he was halfway to his bed, Zero realized that he wasn't alone.
A young girl with strawberry blond hair tied in a ponytail stared at Zero through the darkness from her hiding spot at the corner of his room. Zero doubled back in shock when the girl's green eyes turned red.
"W-Who the hell are you?" Zero asked.
"I go by many names…" The woman answered. "Most of which you haven't heard of. But that's alright because I am not here for introductions but for the thing that attracts me to you like a moth to a flame."
"How did you get in here?"
The woman nodded over to the opened window beside Zero. "You should really lock your windows more, you never know what or whom might sneak in."
Zero was surprised again at this fact; his loft apartment was two floors way from the top, so that meant this girl somehow was able to enter his room from the ground floor that was four floors below his.
"Surprised human?"
"What are you?"
The woman rolled her eyes. "Are you really that naïve?"
Zero couldn't comprehend what she meant by that.
"Oh my, has no one told you?"
"Told me what?"
The woman laughed. "You really are clueless."
"What are you talking about!"? Zero demand, his voice raising an octave.
"It would take me hours to explain everything to you, however, I don't have the luxury of time for that so I am just going to simply say that what I and many other demons want is to eat your soul and gain the power that resides in it."
"What do you mean, explain mor-"
"Enough!" The girl interrupted. "I am done talking, so be a good boy and stay still while I devour your soul."
Zero dodge to the right just as the girl came right at him, Zero hurried to his feet and ran toward his open bedroom door but just as he got about a foot away, the door closed suddenly in front of him.
Zero glanced over his shoulder behind him and was horrified at what he saw. The woman's eyes were deep red, fangs hung over her lips. Talons as long as knifes grew from her nails, large horns stuck out on either side of her head. Zero was too terrified to move as he gazed upon the monster before him.
"What the fuck are you?"
A menacing chuckle sounded deep in the woman's throat. "This is my true nature human. I am a demon."
"A demon?" Zero shivered. 'This had to be a dream, a horrible nightmare I am having.'
"This is no dream human."
"You heard my thoughts."
"Of course, most demons can. There are various kinds but the strongest are the incubus."
Hearing that word sparked something in Zero as he began to remember his conversation with Kaname Kuran yesterday. Was this what he was talking about?
"Kaname Kuran! You know Kuran-sama?"
Zero could see the girl pale in an instant and just as he was about to answer her question, a gust of wind blew from the opened window. Zero had to shield his face to prevent dust and leaves from getting into his eyes.
"Did someone say my name?" A voice came from the window.
Zero looked over at it and saw Kaname standing there. The former's appearance was different, Kaname's garnet eyes were red, fangs on his bottom and top had elongated. His brown hair was long and went past his mid-section. His ears were pointed at the tip and his nails had grown to talons much like the woman's but instead of being scary, Kaname was beautiful and Zero couldn't find it in himself to look away.
"Kuran-sama." The girl bowed in the presence of Kaname.
"I knew I smelled something fishy coming from this direction. It's a good thing that woman's house was nearby." Kaname glanced at Zero. "Are you alright?"
Zero could only manage to nod his head. Kaname sighed in relief before glaring at the shivering demon still in the room. Kaname walked gracefully over to her and grabbed her by the throat, raising her up until her feet dangled a few inches off the ground.
"Now what is a lowly demon like you doing around these parts and answer me honestly."
"H-Him…" The girl mustered out between short breaths.
Kaname looked at Zero again before looking at the girl once more. "So you tried to kill him, is that right?"
"Y-Yes."
Kaname narrowed his eyes further. "Well you have just made the biggest mistake of your life."
Zero watched in horror as the life was ripped from the woman's eyes as Kaname's grip around her neck tightened. The woman's body was thrown to the side like a rag doll where her body crumbled to dust and blew away. Kaname made his way over to Zero who appeared as if he wanted to crumble to dust as well.
"I told you didn't I…" Kaname started, "that you will be attracting a lot of dangerous people? Your lucky that that was a low quality demon and not one like myself. But this just proves that you aren't safe alone, not when your pheromone is this strong."
Zero crawled backwards away from the approaching Kaname until his back hit the wall of his room and made him trapped as Kaname stopped in front of him.
"Are you afraid of me?"
Zero nodded but remained silent.
"Don't worry…I am not like them, I won't hurt you." Kaname extended out his hand. "It's quite the opposite really. I am here to help you."
"H-How?" Zero questioned as he accepted the hand in front of him when he realized that Kaname wasn't lying.
"By doing this."
Kaname pulled the other against him and pressed their lips together in a kiss that Zero didn't see coming and most definitely wasn't prepared for.
-0-
A woman dressed in a gray Victorian corset dress sat with her legs crossed on a velvet-cushioned seat in front of a round table where many others sat. Her poise radiated experience and sophistication. Beside her was a young boy with a top hat upon his golden ash blond hair, similar in color to the woman next to him. The young boy was idly pulling the parts off of dolls with a grin on his face. Next to them sat another woman, clad in a deep red halter dress, her cleavage in perfect view from the slit between her breasts. Blond wavy hair draped her shoulders while her manicured hands tapped impatiently on the armrest of her chair. A tall blond man stood behind her, his expression unreadable.
Across from them sat another tall man with light brown hair and very tanned skin. A young girl protected him from behind, her skin dark and her hair black as night. By the windowsill was one more women, this one dressed in a white Kimono that matched her long white hair.
All were gathered together in the basement of a bar hidden in an alleyway only a few knew was there. They had waited at least a half hour before the door they had all entered opened, revealing a man dressed in an all black suit; his red-brown hair was curly and fell to his shoulders but the most unique thing about the man were his mismatched eyes that scrutinized those in the room before him.
"It seems all are in attendance." The man spoke once he sat at the head of the table.
"Not all, it seems Shoutou-sama is not present." The woman with the wavy hair corrected. She had no qualms in regarding the man with obvious ignorance.
"It was expected. The man has always favored being a mere spectator." The tanned man answered.
"It's still improper for him to not show his face for such a gathering." The ash blond woman added with distaste.
"It's alright my lady…" The mismatched eyed man cooed. "His participation in this endeavor holds no importance at all."
"And ours do?" The man behind the wavy blond woman finally spoke.
"Yes if you are interested in what I have to say."
"Then feel free to elaborate us with this endeavor you speak of Rido-sama."
The wavy blond haired woman had quite the snappy tongue but the man now known as Rido had a patience far greater than what he led on. Sitting back in his seat, Rido linked his fingers together over his lap before he proceeded to explain.
"You see a very interesting finding has been brought to my attention recently." Rido supplied the others before continuing. "It seems the forbidden fruit we incubus and succubus have been waiting for has finally bared fruit…"
All ears perked at this information before smiles formed on everyone's faces. Every so millennium there will be a human that will be born with pheromones that could attract demons of various natures. Incubus and succubus were the stronger of the demons and the ones most attracted to the hormone that secreted from the human's pores. Not to mention the endless supply of power one could get if the soul of the human was devoured whole. It was a demon's ultimate joy; with that power they could be invincible, unstoppable and deadly.
Each and every one of them waited these long thousands of years for an opportunity like this and now such a chance has once again presented itself to them and each of them secretly wanted it for themselves and it was for this hidden desire in each of their eyes that Rido went on with his speech.
"I know some, if not all, of you are dying to get your hands on this human…however, it seems even that won't be easy."
"And why's that?" The woman in the kimono asked.
"Well Shizuka-san, it seems that my nephew has beaten us to the bait."
Everyone couldn't stop the scowl that formed on his or her faces at this new piece of detail.
"Great, now we have to wait another thousand years for another one to reappear."
"Perhaps not. For you see the human boy is still alive and it seems my nephew has no intention of devouring the boy's soul."
"Then what does he plan on doing?" The tan colored man questioned.
"It seems he plans on diminishing the power through 'incubus' means."
"You mean sexual gratification." The young boy blurted out. The dismembered limbs of the dolls were discarded on the floor below his feet.
"Young man that is not how we Touma speak." The ash blond woman, who turned out to be the young lord's Mother, scolded.
"The boy's right though." The tan man agreed. "We incubus and succubus are known for sleeping with our victims to devour small to large amounts of their souls."
"That's still distasteful language, Hanadagi-sama."
Hanadagi merely shrugged his shoulders at the remark.
"Leaving that aside, let's go back to the matter at hand." Rido insisted, getting everyone's attention again. "We all know Kaname is the strongest despite being my nephew and the son of my brother and sister. He somehow was born with immense amount of power equal to our ancestor the hooded woman. So we can't go about this rashly, an elaborate and well coordinated plan needs to be formed if we ever want to get our hands on that boy."
"What do you suggest we do?" Shizuka asked.
"Well for one thing, I believe we should work together since we are up against a large opponent."
"Are you out of your mind?" The blond woman with wavy hair shouted.
"Relax Sara." The man behind her tried to say.
"No Ouri, what he suggested is ridiculous. There is no way I am teaming up with him, he will only cheat us out of the chance to get that boy."
"I agree with Sara." Shizuka added.
"To think my beloved fiancé would agree with a Shirabuki." Rido drawled out bitterly.
"I just think you have a hidden motive is all."
"Normally you all would be right, however, I am serious when I say let's collaborate and get what we all desire the most."
Everyone watched skeptically at Rido. The red-brown haired incubus sighed before rising from his seat and heading toward the door.
"I'll let you all think it over and once you've decided, you know where to find me."
And with that he left for the bar upstairs where the creatures of the night played.
TBC…