The Love of a Hunter

Chapter One

The Assignment

Zero's cloak swept behind him as he stroke along the corridors of Cross Academy to the Headmaster's office. When he graduated from several years ago he had swapped his prefect uniform for clothing that was more suitable for Vampire Hunting. Clothing to keep him warm during the long treks across the snow after lone vampires, clothing capable of concealing his weapons from the eyes of everyday people, clothing that masked the battle scars he had accumulated throughout his Hunting Assignments.

He had developed a fearsome reputation as a Vampire Hunter. He had yet to come back from a Mission that the Association gave him unsuccessful, and as he grew older he was given more and more difficult challenges. Rather than killing off lost Level Es, his typical assignments now typically involved hunting down rogue pure bloods, the most dangerous of Vampires that even the Nobles couldn't control.

But despite his success, Zero had remained at Cross Academy, keeping the same room he had when he was a prefect at the school there. Several years had passed now and Cross Academy had changed. After Kuran had left with Yuuki in tow, many of the Vampires had followed him. Few of them saw any point in continuing with the blood tablets trial once Lord. Kuran had abandoned it.

Of course there were a few that stayed, interested in continuing on with the blood pill trials. Tricksters like Aidou kept flitting back and forth between his home and the academy when he was bored or had nothing better to do. But it wasn't the same, after all that had happened, the remaining students in the day class were too afraid to come into contact with the Night class. They didn't wait around in large crowds for the Night Class to arrive and Zero no longer had to guard the gates. In fact Zero hardly had to continue any of the duties that consumed his student life when he was a prefect. Now, between his missions he taught the day class and patrolled occasionally at night.

He had chosen to stay on as a Guardian, though he wasn't always sure why. It made the most sense he supposed. Cross Academy was the only home that he had ever known, it wasn't really worth relocating when every month he was off to another part of the world in search of new Vampires to slay. And though he would never admit it, he had begun to enjoy the company of the eccentric Headmaster. As Zero had grown older, the eccentric Headmaster had stopped asking for Zero to refer to him as 'daddy', well at least less frequently than he used to; and he was less prone to his sudden fits of jumping and dancing.

With everything that Zero had lost he supposed he was trying to hang onto everything that was left as much as he could. Most of the time this was a useful strategy and sometimes Zero could look around and pretend things that were as they were, that everything was still the same. At times like this Zero could turn around and expect to see her with the other students in the hall in her school uniform, trying but failing to tell the others to get back or to leave the Night Class alone. Sometimes a petite girl with dark hair caught his eye in the distance and for a moment he would that she was back here at Cross Academy.

Then he would shake himself and realize that it had been five years since he had heard from Yuuki let alone seen her. He knew that the Headmaster heard from her from time to time. Kuran even made sporadic visits to the Academy when the occasion warranted. Whether Yuuki came with him the Headmaster never said and Zero could never bring himself to ask.

"Great class today sir!" Two perky girls from his morning class said passing him in the corridor.

"Thank you girls," Zero replied. "Make sure you study for tomorrow's class."

"We will sir!" one said brightly and they both dissolved into giggles as if running into Zero was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to them.

Zero dipped his head briefly to acknowledge the girls before striding away. He had grown used to this sort of treatment. He had become an object of fascination amongst his students, particularly the female ones who were more interested in asking him about his marital status than the subjects he taught. The vampire's curse had ensured that he hadn't grown physically older than his seventeen year old form and if it weren't for the fact that he no longer worn the designated uniform he would have been constantly mistaken for a schoolboy.

Outside the sun had given into night as a blackness engulfed the horizon fresh snow begun to swirl around in a fierce wind. Already the grounds had been blankented in white and still fresh snow continued to fall. Inside the Academy it was warm enough but the lights were dim and the corridors dark.

Reaching the Headmaster's door at the end of the long corridor Zero walked in without knocking. He had grown so accustomed to spending time with the Headmaster that he didn't feel the need for such customs. He was more often in the Headmaster's quarters than not.

Zero walked through the rooms, the Headmaster wasn't at his desk like he normally was.

"Kaien!" Zero called out. He wasn't in the mood for his fun and games. The day had been long and his cravings for blood had been more intense than usual. He had to leave the class when one of the boys accidentally sliced his finger open and the intoxicating sent of blood filled the classroom.

He had collapsed in the bathrooms struggling to overcome the weakness. Sometimes he was able to use the blood tablets to starve off his cravings. But no matter how many he took he knew that they could never compare the richness of real blood. Let alone the taste of the blood from a Pure blood Vampire.

And then there were worse times when Zero couldn't control his cravings and no amount of blood tablets could sate his thirst. The worst time was when he had attacked a student who was wandering at night. A pureblood vampire had to be called in to wipe the unfortunate boy's memory and Zero's career even his life was at stake. The Hunter Association wanted him added to the list of Vampires to be destroyed. It was only because of Headmaster Cross's appeal to the Head of Association that he was spared. Headmaster Cross had agreed to keep a careful watch over Zero and would find suitable donations of blood when necessary but Zero was further outcast from the Association.

The Association both admired him and despised him. No one could argue that Zero had done remarkable work for the Association but the fact that he so closely resembled the creatures he killed was unnerving. They desperately needed him but they just as badly wanted to watch him fail. None of them were in contact with him unless they had to be. He received all of his assignments through the Headmaster.

Speaking of the man, he still hadn't emerged. Confused, Zero wandered into the kitchen. Where he finally found the headmaster in his favourite pink apron kneeling in front of the oven. The sweet smell of cupcakes suddenly wafting through the room.

"Zero!" The Headmaster jumped up with such enthusiasm that anyone would have believed that he hadn't seen Zero for ten years. But Zero could see through his act. The dull look in his eyes didn't match his overly bright smile. There was something bothering the Head Master. "I made cupcakes! They'll soon be ready and-"

Zero sighed sweeping back a strand of silverly blonde hair from his face. "Headmaster, you didn't summon me here just for cupcakes."

The headmaster looked mortified. "There is no 'just' when it comes to cupcakes Zero kun! These are special cupcakes I crafted them myself from scratch, they'll be a masterpiece!"

"Cross! Are you going to tell me why you called me here or not?" Zero said growing impatient. He knew that he had to stop the Headmaster rambling whilst he could otherwise he could be subjected to his nonsense for hours.

The headmaster put his hands on Zero's shoulders. His face suddenly overcome with a seriousness so grave Zero almost wished that he hadn't asked. "Ah Zero kun, why must you always rush me into bad news."

"Bad news?" Zero's eyes narrowed. Was the Headmaster being serious now or did he just mean that the delay had meant the cupcakes were burnt a little?

"Yes, come with me," the Headmaster left the kitchen stripping off his pink apron and heading to his desk. Zero followed him watching closely.

"The Association has a new assignment for you," The Headmaster said ruffling through the numerous stacks of paper on his desk searching.

Zero peered through at the papers watching as the Headmaster pulled out a small slip of paper and unfolded it. He sighed as he held it out for Zero to read.

Zero took the piece of paper. It looked like an ordinary letter from the academy. There was nothing special about it. Well apart from the fact that it contained an order to destroy a life. Zero had received countless letters like this before and he had grown used to them. He had no respect for Vampires.

He read over it and felt his lungs tighten as he realized why the Headmaster was so downcast. He flickered his silvery eyes at the Headmaster to check his reaction, though he knew there was no possible way that this could be a joke. The Headmaster nodded gravely bitting his bottom lip.

Zero looked back over at the letter. Involuntarily his hands gave a slight tremble as he stared back over the name that the Association had ordered him to kill.

Kuran Yuuki