All the youngsters in the Twilight Mansion sat next to the table, eating breakfast. For some reason Toko ate her meal as though there's no school.
"Toko, eat faster. We have school, you know." Mentioned Tsukumo.
"I know, but I barely slept last night." Replied Toko whose eyes were red, with tired voice.
"Now what are you worrying about?" Hotsuma sighed.
"Well, it's good they came to understanding they need to talk, but I wonder what will happen next."
"Everything is going to be fine." Yuki smiled to her.
"It will be interesting to meet a real Dracula." mention Shusei.
"Shusei, they're nothing like Dracula, stop make things worse." Yuki asked.
"You're even worse than Hotsuma!" Toko pointed an accusing finger at Shusei.
"Yes, yes." Shusei replied indifferently
"Hey! What is that supposed mean?!" Hotsuma shouted to Toko's direction.
"That means you're pretty horrible yourself." She narrowed her eyes as she answered.
"How dare you...?!" Hotsuma's anger seemed as it about to be out of his control in any moment.
"Hotsuma-kun! Toko-chan! You'll be late!" Yuki said in order to stop them.
Another word wasn't heard from neither of them, but you can be sure that Toko and Hotsuma didn't stop to glare at each other.
Yuuki opened her eyes with scared look on her face. She wasn't even bothered by the morning sun after having such a terrifying nightmare. She decided to go to her brother's room to see if it was a dream or reality. She looked through a crack in the door and saw he himself wasn't sleeping. He noticed her as he looked back at her.
"Yuuki, aren't you sleeping?" He smiled at her.
"I had a horrible nightmare."
"Come, I'll relax you as I often did when you were younger."
He hugged her and petted her head gently. The familiar touch and the realization that it wasn't but a dream, soothed her.
"Why are you awake?" She asked suddenly.
"Until I finally fell asleep, I had a dream about a bell ringing none-stop. When I opened my eyes it stopped for a change, but I couldn't sleep again."
"It was probably the phone, until you bought one, you bought an antique."
"I wondered how should I answer a phone without a receiver."
"Onii-sama, there are newer phones now! Even those you can take with you everywhere."
"Take with you? It's uncomfortable. It's gonna be a bother to carry such big phone with you."
"There are not that big, something like the palm of your hand."
"But where do they attach the cable to?"
"Oh Kaname onii-sama! You act like those who came from the past and don't understand a thing!"
"People came from the past?"
"In movies. You're really not updated!"
"Anyway, why would someone call so early in the morning?"
"Maybe it's Toko-chan?"
"Toko-chan?"
"The girl from before."
"Oh, that stupid one."
"Don't be rude. Maybe she forgot vampires are night's creatures."
"What's wrong, Toko?" Tsukumo asked his sister.
"I called Kuran-chan earlier but she didn't answer me. I wanted to tell her about the exact hour of the meeting..."
"She's probably asleep."
"How would you know?"
"Well, if we learned that vampires do exit, it means at least the common knowledge about them being awake at night is true."
"Oops. I hope I didn't wake anyone."
"I'm sure you did." Tsukumo sighed.
Reiga slowly opened his eyes, He looked around him. He was in a dark room and there was not moon or stars in sight. The room had only one chair which reminded a little that of king in European countries. Reiga was tied with his hands behind the back as well as his legs. Maybe if he was his usual self, he would be able to tear the ropes, but now he felt dizzy and his head hurt. Just then, the door of the room was opened.
"Good morning, boy." Said the young man who came in.
"How dare you call me in such shameless way? Don't you know who I am?"
"I know exactly. You are the current leader of the Duras."
"Why do you say 'current'?"
"Because soon enough, you'll be no more. I'm going to take your place."
"So you are Pyeras."
"Oh, it seems as you heard about me."
"It took us some time, but we were able to make your pawn talk."
"Well, one isn't gauged by his pawns, but by his own powers. And you know what's the difference between your power and mine?"
"What is?"
"Can you guess why you feel so weak?"
"I'd like to know myself."
"Blood loss."
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't you feel any pain here?" Pyeras said as he touched Reiga's neck.
Though Reiga tried to hide it, his touch was painful. Reiga couldn't but wonder why did he aim for his neck and not to more fatal place.
"I'd drink more, but I wanted your death be slower and with more torture. Just a bit more, and the other one will be here."
"The other one?"
"You'll know soon, very soon. I'll make those vampires shake in fear."
Though Reiga lived among Duras all his reincarnations, the word 'vampires' frightened him for some reason. He knew about the legends about humans who became vampires themselves after they were beaten by one. It didn't happen to him after he was beaten by Pyeras, but he was afraid of the thought about the other one he wanted to bring.
Zero was in his room in Kross Academy. He sat in his room, doing his homework. He usually didn't do it, but his head was full of thoughts, and he hoped he would be able to forget them by concentrating on something else. He got free day until evening as a hunter. While sitting in his room he couldn't but recall his time with Yuuki. Though he was a year older, they were in the same class. They were both punished many times because they fell asleep in time of the lessons, as they were tired after doing their work of "Perfects" all night. On one hand, he missed her, but on the other one, it wasn't the current her he was longing for, but her human self. Or was he wrong?
He sighed and decided to go out to breath some fresh air. On his way he saw Yuuki's friend – Yori.
"Good afternoon, Zero-kun. It's rare to see you out of class." she said.
"Hello, Wakaba."
"Can I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"Do you still talk with Yuuki?"
"Not anymore, I don't want any connection with her."
"How is that? Oh, well, thank you anyway..."
"Is that's all?"
"I wanted to you tell her to send me a letter, I didn't hear from her for awhile."
"The Chairman is going to meet Kuran today. I'll send him the massage."
"Thank you!"
Yori went away happily. Zero couldn't understand why she still wanted to be friend with Yuuki. Can't she see changed? She's not the old Yuuki anymore... But in end, the one who denied more than anyone else, was he himself.
"Hey, Shusei." Asked Hotsuma as they were on their way home "What do you think about all this?"
"The vampires, you mean? It is amusing to frighten Toko."
"I ask seriously!"
"Hmmm... I can't think if it's good or bad."
"Good? Where is the good side of it?"
"Maybe we'll be able kill two birds in once stone."
"What birds? When did you hear me say birds?!"
"Hotsumea that's an idiom." Shusei sighed "It means we will be able two achieve both goals."
"Which goals?"
"Maybe we can get rid of Reiga and a large amount of Duras along with the mysterious Duras."
"That's really may be good. We really should do our best so it may happen!"
"You're right."
It was a moonless night. Kaname coerce to be delayed in his last meeting which started with dusk. He was on his way to the hunters' association building, where Kaien waited for him in order to discuss about those weird demons he didn't know about their existence until the day before.
Kaname, like most vampires, didn't like to walk in lit crowded places. Therefore, he decided to go in side alleys, where light only broke through the closed windows. In the end of these alleys, was a small park, that due to the late hour was dark and empty. He already passed half of the way when suddenly he felt the horrifying presence.
Kaname's night vision wasn't enough, because though he felt the presence coming nearer, he still didn't see him or his shadow. It was difficult to stay indifferent when Pyeras was right before him.
"Finally." Pyeras stood in front of him with evil smile on his face, licking his lips.
"Who are you?" Kaname couldn't utter more than those three syllable.
"Payers, the future king of the Duras."
One of the purebloods' abilities was to make lower ranked vampires do as they will. Kaname never used his ability till this very day, but he decided it's the time to do so. It may be because of that or maybe because Pyeras wasn't a full vampire that his powers didn't effect him.
"It won't work on me." Pyeras said suddenly "My power is much stronger than vampires'. From my point of view, there's no difference between humans and vampires: both are weak insects."
Kaname didn't really know what to do. The enemy before him was powerful and hurt purebloods before. While confused in thought, he didn't was alert at Payras' attack. It hit him not so far from his heart.
He wasn't sure how it happened. He just saw his clothes turn red and felt the pain. The few seconds before he passed away weren't enough to stop the bleeding. He fell just in Pyeras' hands. No one was there, but if there was, he would see two men disappearing.