The sun set half an hour before. Kaien waited for Kaname as well as the person Hanabusa told about. He was surprised when the first to arrive was the latter.

"Hello, I'm Takashiro Giou, the leader of Giou clan." The stranger introduced himself.

"My name's Kaien Kross, the president of the hunters' organization."

"I thought you'd be the vampires' leader."

"Well, he should be here. But he's late for some reason."

"We can start without him.. Seems we have the same enemy." said Takashiro

"I guess so. Do you know anything about vampires?"

"My clan helped to banish the Duras 5,000 years ago. My clan's aid came from special humans."

"Unfortunately, though my whole life I was surrounded by vampires, I never learnt their history."

"Rumors say they had fangs. They had powers which are similar to those of our clan."

"Unlike you, I don't know a thing about Duras."

"Then let me explain. They are categorized for three levels. The lowest level which looks nothing like human being, the second rate Duras are called 'Mid-villains' and are humanoid. Those in first level called 'opasts' and look like incredibly handsome humans. Above them all, there's their absolute leader Reiga, or at least was until the half Duras half vampire came. Seems as though few Duras are his underlings."

"I guess it's not different from Vampires. Vampires are also ranked. The less they are mixed with humans, the higher they are ranked. The Level A and Level B, also known as purebloods and nobles are also extremely beautiful. About their leadership, though Kaname-kun is their leader, he is not absolute. Until not long ago there was the elders' council, but... well, it's a long story. But they listen to him because he's a pureblood and his ancestors were of the royal family. Though we stand side by side with the vampires, the hunters are a group which restrains and even kills them if needed. We use Anti-vampire weapons to do so. "

"Yes, we also have something like anti-Duras weapon. Those who fight them called Zweilts, and they work in pairs, though there is an exceptional. It's true that some Duras may look like human, but they don't have anything in common. They're from another world, and there was only one time when one parent was human and the other was Duras."

"Well, vampires were children of human beings. The first of them appeared 10,000 years ago."

They kept on talking about all night.

At midnight, the phone at Kuran's house rang. As usual, Yuuki was the one to answer.

"Hello." she said

"How are you, Yuuki?" said Kaien

"I'm fine. Why are you calling? Did you want to leave a massage to Kaname onii-sama?"

"Yes. He's not home yet?"

"No, he didn't return."

"Return from where?""

"From your meeting. Didn't you have one?"

"We should have one, but he never came."

"What?! But he said he's going to meet you!" Yuuki said in a panicked voice.

"Anyway, if you hear from him, call me." Kaien said and hang up.

Yuuki fell to the closet chair. She knew something horrible had happened.

Next morning, Takashiro assembled all the Zweilts, as well and Yuki and Luka. He told them the things he has been told the night before.

"Well, after I talked with Kross-san about the matter of the mysterious Duras, which as you know by now is only half Duras, we decided to cooperate. Each of us will choose few people for the mission. I want to send all of you. Do you think you need back up?" Started Takashiro

"Well, we need some others in case he will try attack at the same time as us." said Toko.

"I guess you're right. I'll contact Kamakura resident. When you're back from school, I'll tell you what we are about to do."

"We really have to go to school at a time like this?" Hotsuma grumbled.

"The fact you're Zweilt doesn't mean you don't need to go to school. You're dismissed."

Though is was already morning. Yuuki was still awake. She hoped Kaname will enter in any moment. But this moment never came. Just when she was about to call Kaien, the door was opened. She rushed to the door, but there she saw

"Zero!"

"So loud first in the morning..."

"Do you have any news?"

"News... Yes, the chairman wants you vampires to aid us. What does he..."

"And what about Kaname onii-sama?"

"Kuran? Like hell I care."

"He's gone, Zero! He didn't return since yesterday!"

"As I said, I don't really care about..."

"Please, Zero, I beg you. We have to find him!"

Zero was irritated. It was his free day from school, and he needed to meet Yuuki after he said he'd kill her next time he'd see her. And when he finally came, the only thing she talked about was Kaname. He was recalled at the time they were at school together. Some things never change.

"You say to find him, but... do you have any idea where?"

"He was kidnapped, I'm sure of it!"

"Do I look a police officer? And anyway, it can't be the association or a vampire, so who can..."

"The half vampire half Duras!"

"Half vampire half Duras? Wait, where did you hear about Duras?"

"Oh, right! That guy said he saw you! After all, there aren't a lot of gray haired vampires."

"So... what about the half vampire half Duras thing?"

"Unlike vampires who mix with humans, and still stay vampires, it seemed it's not the same with vampires and Duras. It has both presence of a vampire and of a Duras."

"So Anti-vampire weapon aren't enough?"

"I don't know. But there are Duras' hunters who work with us. That was one of the reasons for the meeting that Kaname didn't attend yesterday."

"I see... I think it's better to meet with them and think what to do next."

"Thanks, Zero!" She hugged him.

On one hand, he wanted to push her away. On the other, he wanted to embrace her. So he just petted her head without saying a word.

"By the way," Zero said suddenly "Yori wants you to send her a letter."

"Really?! She really wants to stay in touch."

"It seems this way."

"Thanks you, Zero. Despite all, two good things happened today."

Two? Zero could understand about Yori, but what was the other thing? That, he didn't really know.

When he regained he conscientiousness, the first thing he felt was his pounding head. It's been years since he felt so horrible. And to make things worse, he was hungrier than he's even been before.

He opened his eyes, and looked around. He was surrounded by darkness, without even a dim light. Despite that, he could see he wasn't alone. In the room, there was another guy who looked his age, at least if you count in human years... Like the person in front him, he was tied in both his arms and legs. And just like him, the other person seemed as his strength left him.

"Where are we?" Kaname asked.

Despite the fact his companion looked as if he's dying, it seemed he had some energy left.

"You're awake?!" The other person asked the obvious with fear in his voice.

"If I talk to you, I guess the answer is yes." Though he thought 'stupid human' he knew he wasn't one.

"What do you want from me?"

"To ask you what the hell is going on here."

"As if you don't know."

Kaname started being irritated. While thinking to himself 'Why all humans are so stupid?!' But he knew that though he had the presence of a human, he has the presence of a Duras as well.

"So there isn't just Duras mixed with a vampire, but with a human as well. Interesting."

"That's my line... just the opposite." Reiga sounded calmer.

"Now that you relaxed, I would like to hear an explanation of what is going on here."

"I don't know exactly myself. I just know he wants to take my place."

"Your place?"

"As the leader of the Duras."

It seemed like struggle of control. Was Kaname a target as well because he's the vampires' leader?

"Sounds like those books where one want to take over the world." Said Kaname after some thought.

"Not just one, but two."

"Two?"

"We're not in the human world now. It's the world of the Duras."

"Is there a way out?"

"There is... but I don't have the strength to do so right now. He sucked my blood."

"That explain things..."

"In some stories, humans turn to vampires after they're bitten. Will I turn to a vampire?"

"No, he can't turn you to one."

"So the legend isn't true." Reiga said in relief.

"It is not total lie, either."

"What do you mean?"

"Some vampires can turn humans to vampires, but it can also cause their slow and painful death."

Now Reiga understood what Pyeras meant. He wanted him to be bitten by a vampire who will cause a transformation. In worst case, he'll die. But on the other hand...

"If I become a vampire, won't Pyeras lose his advantage?"

"No, the transformed vampire turns to a beast in human form and loses his mind."

"All of them?"

"Except those who drink the blood of a pureblood."

"Pureblood?"

"A vampire whose blood not mixed with humans and can turn humans to vampire, just like myself."

As Reiga feared, this one is going to bring his slow painful death. Now that he looked at him, he noticed his red shining eyes, as well as his fangs Kaname breathed heavily and looked in pain.

The door was opened.

"Hello, boys." Pyeras entered, with evil smile on his face "It seems like you already had the chance to talk, so I guess you know what will happen next."

Pyeras got closer to Kaname. When he was close enough, he sat on his knees before of him.

"So, what do you say, ex-vampires' leader?"

"What do I say about what?" Kaname hardly uttered the words.

"I guess you weren't informed about the details. Well. I won't leave you behind. You can say whatever you want, but I can see clearly you're hungry. No, you're starving. If you don't eat soon, you'll find your death. And as you can guess, I won't give you any blood tablet. You have to choose between the two, starve to death, or bite the other. It's you or him. Who do you choose?"