Immortal Guardian
06
Disturbance of Fate (Part 3)
"It's because we're friends now. I would protect you just as much as I would anyone else that was close to me and needed my help."
Kaname Kuran
"Do you fear me now as well, Kaito?"
"Zero-sama…"
"Do you see now what kind of person I truly am? This is the true face of the man you swore to follow to the ends of the earth. I'm not a good person. I never was and never will be. The others are right, you know? I'm nothing more than a murderer with a god complex. I was always so confident that I could change this world according to my ideals. I reasoned to myself that it was for the good of everyone else. For that cause, I needed to be strong – strong enough so that only a few could oppose me. When I finally gained that strength, I said that it was to be used to protect others. But deep inside, I felt differently. There's a part of me that said I became strong because I wanted the world to suffer just as I had suffered – just us all of us who were considered the outcasts of society had suffered. I wanted everyone to feel a fraction of the pain I felt all my life."
"There's nothing wrong with that, Zero-sama. You're not the only one who thought that way every once in a while. It's human nature to sometimes think negatively and to curse others for their fate. Heck, I also thought that way in the past."
"Do you really believe that?"
"I do."
"Well then, what if I told you that the one thing I want from this world now is not to save it but to destroy it? Would you still agree with me?"
"I would. My loyalty is to you and you alone, Kiryuu Zero-sama. But before that, I'll ask you why you want to destroy that which you tried your best to protect before. I want to understand you first. To see why you would want to do something like that."
"…"
"Zero-sama, I –"
"This world is so ugly and terrible, Kaito. I've always wanted to change it and create the ideal world where everyone could live in peace. It's a beautiful sentiment, isn't it? But I don't think I can achieve it. Not with the way I am now. My heart is being consumed by the darkness inside of me. I have lost far too much and I fear that I would soon lose my sense of self as well. I am a being bound by hatred and anger. I am a demon in human form. I could control my darker side because there are people here who are important to me but if the day comes that I finally lose everyone I care about to this war, I fear that I would give in to my inner darkness and see to it that this world would burn to the ground."
"Touga-sensei wouldn't want that kind of thing to happen. He loved this world far too much despite how much he suffered just by surviving."
"Yes, I believe he wouldn't. But then again, he's already dead. The opinion of someone long gone wouldn't matter anymore. Not now, not ever. And you know what? It's practically my fault that he died. Just like always…"
"You're wrong. His death wasn't your fault. Stop blaming yourself for things out of your control."
"I've always wondered why I can never protect the ones I truly want to protect. I realized that maybe I am cursed because no matter what I do, regardless of my good intentions, I always ruin every person I touch and care about."
"You seriously can't believe that, can you?"
"I am merely stating facts, Kaito. I hurt everyone else just by existing. I should've never been born or better yet I should've been successful in killing myself all those years ago. I was born with abilities that made others believe that I don't belong and I shouldn't live yet my parents loved me and because of that, they had to die an early death by protecting me from assassins. I tried to shield my brother from the darkness of this world but in the end, he grew to resent me and swore to kill me. I took a student and molded her into a fine warrior while pretending to be oblivious to her feelings then I took away her only family and drove her into madness. The first woman I ever loved was targeted by my enemies; her fears regarding her fate consumed her and ultimately she betrayed me. Now, the closest person I had to a father is dead because I was too arrogant of my abilities. You should just leave me alone, Kaito, before I destroy your life as well."
"You won't, Zero-sama."
"How can you be sure of that? Evidence says otherwise."
"Despite what you may believe, I won't ever leave your side. I promised to follow you to the ends of hell and I stand by that promise. If you want to destroy the world, then I'll be there right beside you watching it burn to the ground. You want to save the world, then I'll be there fighting alongside you to protect it. You want to leave all of this mess behind; I'll go with you no matter where you want to go. Nothing you tell me now would change anything about our relationship."
"Kaito…"
"I promised years ago to stay by your side and my promise means everything to me. I wouldn't be the person I am now if I never met you, Zero-sama. My life is yours; do with it, what you will."
"You're an insufferable idiot, Takamiya Kaito. I don't understand what you see in me. I'm not exactly the greatest person in the world to be with."
"You don't see it like I do but you have a lot of good qualities despite your moments of insanity, my Silver King."
"I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. But nevertheless, thank you…"
"You're welcome."
- xXx -
Kiryuu Zero wondered if he and Kaname were heading straight into a trap. After the fiasco at the dining area of this prison, he had the impression that they would run into other unnatural creatures like that distorted vampire or those ugly hounds yet none had greeted them at all. It was unusual and somehow had 'very obvious trap ahead' written all over it. Considering that there was only one way heading forward, they really had no choice on the matter. He also didn't feel like going for the subtle approach which would take a lot of time and effort and right now, he didn't feel like wasting any more than he should. He wanted to get this mission over with by killing the bastard who pissed him off so he could go home and sleep and afterwards explain to his younger brother why he failed to mention anything about this mission.
He had the feeling that Ichiru was causing a storm back at the academy since he didn't tell the younger Kiryuu about this particular assignment. He suddenly wished he could see his brother's reaction. Ichiru could be so expressive when it came to showing his extreme dislike for Kaname and Kaito and to be honest, it amused him to no end.
He was aware that his younger brother could be handful and he felt a bit sorry that Kaien would have to deal with it. But then again, Kaien did deserve it for all of the crap he pulled on him back in the past. Thinking about all of those stupid requests and favors, Zero concluded that he didn't feel any ounce of remorse any more. Kaien would have to deal with the mess and he hoped the idiot suffered the more for it.
He then thought about how Kaito and Karina were faring since they separated. Since their luck seemed to be bordering on the bad side and wouldn't be changing any time soon, he had no reason to doubt that those two would've also ran into some weird creature bent on killing or maiming them.
He was currently entertaining thoughts about how Kaito would react to that particular roadblock when once again he felt a laser-like gaze on his back. At first he wasn't bothered by it but being subjected to that gaze for almost half an hour took a toll on his patience.
"Really, Kaname, there has to be a more subtle way of trying to figure me out," Zero pointed out flatly. "I can practically feel you boring holes into my back and it's terribly uncomfortable so unless you want me to deck you in the face for being an inconsiderate prick, kindly turn your gaze away from me."
Kuran Kaname sighed and complied with Zero's blatant threat to his person. Come to think of it, the pureblood realized at that moment that Zero was the first person who ever threatened or cursed him in such a blunt manner. Most of the others were too afraid of him to say those things in front of his face. But it seemed that Zero had no such compulsions. "It's because you insist on being vague," he replied mildly.
Zero leveled the pureblood with a flat stare. "As if you could talk about me being vague, Kaname. That's like the pot calling the kettle black. Besides, it's more fun for me to keep you guessing. You're not the only one who asked me that question and none of them were given a solid answer. So why should you be any different? Feel free to keep on guessing. Besides, at least now I know that Kuran Kaname, the infamous pureblood prince and all around inconsiderate prick, isn't as all knowing like others say he is." There was a teasing note in his voice that the pureblood didn't miss. "It must be annoying to be on the receiving end doesn't it, Kaname-sama?"
"It's safe to say that I will never get used to your brand of humor, Kiryuu Zero," Kaname stated in a dry tone. He didn't answer the question. The last thing he needed was for the silver-haired hunter to find out that his guess was indeed correct.
A sly grin curled Zero's lips and his silver-amethyst eyes shined with mischief. He then replied in an amused voice, "It's because I'm special that way, Kuran Kaname. Nobody can be exactly like me…even I have a hard time being me. Besides, I doubt I'll ever be someone normal with all these unnatural events happening around me. I could ignore it but given my default nature, I doubt I'll be able to turn a blind eye to it." He paused as a thought entered his mind. "Then again, I enjoy being not normal. It's definitely more fun and I find it miles better than being bored out of my mind. Don't you feel the same way too?"
Kaname resisted the urge to smile at that form of warped logic. Really, Zero could be so childish at times. He was more childish at the moment than Ichijou Takuma which was saying something. But he had to admit to himself, that somehow that character on Zero was endearing to him. The silver-haired hunter was truly a fascinating individual and Kaname found himself wanting to know a lot more about Zero.
"I won't dignify that question with a response," Kaname stated in mock seriousness.
Zero laughed softly and the pureblood relished hearing his laughter though he didn't understand the reason why.
"That's basically admitting that I am correct," Zero replied as soon as he reigned in his mirth.
The rest of the walk was spent in silence. A few moments later, the solitary path led the two towards an atrium and there they spotted a familiar face waiting for them.
"You two sure took your sweet time getting here. I've been waiting for ages all by myself," Kaito called out in a joking manner.
Zero noted instantly that Kaito had a few scratches on his skin and his coat had a few tears here and there but other than that, the hunter seemed fine. He looked around the vicinity and noticed that someone was missing. "Where's Karina? I thought she was with you," he inquired.
"I ditched her," Kaito replied without shame.
Kaname raised an eyebrow at the response and uttered, "Are you certain that it's wise to leave her on her own?"
"She might not look like it but she's a pretty good hunter. She'll be just fine on her own. Anyway, have you two come across any strange rooms?"
"Oh, you mean a room splattered with blood and entrails with a creature never seen before and bent on killing you? Then, yes we have," Zero answered. His tone of voice made it sound as if he was merely commenting on the weather.
Kaito sweat dropped at the reply. He had no idea how Zero remained so calm and composed at that sight. Kuran was a pureblood so he was exempted since purebloods rarely lose their composure. But Zero had no such excuses and Kaito wished he could be like that. He and Karina had been so surprised by the sight of a weird vampire-dog hybrid. He remembered the both of them using so many swear words that it would probably make anyone blush at the vulgarity spewing out of their mouths.
"Something is heading straight for us," Kaname said tersely as he gazed straight at the large archway in the atrium. There were two in the hall placed opposite of each other. There were also two further small doors set in the other walls – one they had entered from.
The three of them heard the creatures coming long before they saw them, and the sounds were coming from the large archway ahead of them, and coming fast.
"Oh hell, it's those damned ugly dogs again," Kaito muttered under his breath as he checked the chamber of his own gun and adjusted the knives hidden inside his coat for easier access. He then noticed that Zero was distracted by something. Before he could ask the silver haired hunter, the pureblood caught his attention and gestured for him to come closer.
Zero looked around the hall and tried to pinpoint where the level B vampire he had been feeling for a while was hiding. It was hard to know exactly where the spy was because there were just too many presences registering on his senses. He gave up the search for now and instead focused on the easier objective: eliminating the approaching creatures.
He watched from the corner of his eye as Kaito handed Kaname a short, narrow-bladed sword that had been hidden insides his coat. Zero was quite impressed by Kaname's high tolerance for pain since that weapon was an anti-vampire one. He wondered why Kaname needed to fight with a weapon. The pureblood was after all quite good at flexing his vampire powers and had no need for such things. But then again, this would be a good show. He had never seen Kaname fight without powers before.
Looks like I finally get my wish to fight these things, Zero thought with a tinge of wry humor. Remembering his earlier desire when he first found out about the creatures. Too bad I can't use most of my abilities with so many witnesses here.
As the dog-like creatures came into focus, Zero fired his gun and Kaito followed a moment later. The first two dogs were shot to pieces by the initial salvo, but there were already more pouncing and snarling towards them. He leveled another and took the head off another one and he noted that Kaito discharged his gun into the flank of another before finishing it with a thrust of a dagger to the heart.
Two more were killed in the same manner. But the enemies were too numerous. One of the creatures almost got close to Zero, but he managed to direct the barrel of his gun into its mouth. A single shot and its brain was liberated from its skull.
Another dog appeared from out of nowhere and rushed towards Kaname. The pureblood evaded and lifted the sword. He thrust it onto the creature's side. It yowled in agony, skidding past him, and a moment later Zero was there to finish it off with a bullet. Zero pulled the blade from its ribs and threw it back to Kaname, not able to spare another instant as he tried to down another one.
"Take cover!" A female voice shouted all of a sudden.
Zero and the others didn't waste another second as they leapt out of the way.
Something was arcing through the air, thrown by Inoue Karina. The air was torn with an ear-shattering explosion and a flash of light bright enough to dazzle anyone. As the light faded, the remaining dogs were dead, caught up in the explosion.
"You're late," Kaito said flatly.
"Don't you know that the heroine arrives at the last second," Karina answered with a smirk. "Besides, I saved your ass. The least you could do is offer me thanks after ditching me earlier on."
"Don't forget that I saved your ass before this. Remember the incident at that room," Kaito shot back. "We're even by my standards. Or maybe not. Considering I saved your ass so many times these past few years."
Zero didn't pay any attention to the escalating argument as he stared in surprise at his bleeding wrist. He tried to remember when he had gotten injured but the memory escaped him. He saw that it was bleeding pretty badly. He could heal it using one of his abilities but that would just catch Kaname's and Kaito's attention. He smiled faintly as he realized that this was the first time in many years he had gotten injured in battle. The sight of blood on his pale skin fascinated him after not seeing it for so long.
"What happened, Zero?" Kaname asked as he approached Zero. The scent of blood hit his senses and it came from Zero's direction.
"Just a scratch," Zero answered simply.
The pureblood sighed in exasperation as he saw the supposed scratch. The way it was bleeding and how deep it was couldn't qualify the injury as a mere scratch. He kept his opinion to himself though and instead tore a piece of cloth from his coat. He didn't know why he cared about Zero or why he was acting like this. What he did know was that he was drawn towards the silver-haired young man and it was too late for him to even think of distancing himself. If anything, he had the distinct impression that distance would only fuel his desire more. And the scent of blood wasn't helping matters.
"Even if you're more powerful than a normal human, you're not invulnerable. Take care of yourself a little bit more," Kaname said softly as he gently grasped Zero's injured wrist and looped the cloth on the bleeding cut. The pureblood was caught off guard when Zero touched his cheek lightly, a small stroke and then the hand was gone, but that one touch was enough to speed up Kaname's heart.
"Thank you," Zero murmured as he looked away. No one had ever been gentle like that to him in a very long time. He felt a bit warm as Kaname finally finished wrapping his wrist. He only hoped the pureblood didn't notice.
"We should get out of this place now before other more of those creatures come," Kaito suggested as he approached Zero and Kaname. He had enough of arguing with Karina and hoped that either of the two would be better company.
"Don't leave now. I want all of you to stay. After all, it's been a while since I've had such interesting subjects." A voice echoed from somewhere and all of them tried to find where the speaker was. A wicked laugh followed. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my laboratory. My name is Sei and I praise all of you for getting this far. However, I cannot allow you to leave especially since you know the truth about this place. Let's have a little bit of fun, shall we?"
He snapped his fingers and the sound of whirling gears were heard. Everyone looked up and saw that a huge wall was descending on their location.
Zero felt another vampire approaching in high speeds and it was heading straight for him. He readied himself but was caught off guard when Kaito tackled him away from the vampire. They crashed to the other side of the room just as the wall descended, separating them from the others and blocking their escape.
"Oh, looks like Kirara would have fun with those two," Sei said smugly as he faced the irate pureblood. "Is Zero your friend? Judging from your glare, I think he is. Too bad he's going to die soon. Don't worry you'll join him in hell soon enough."
Kaname smirked as his eyes flared a bright crimson. He remained calm even as several powered-up level ends surrounded him. He could see Karina readying herself and knew that he wouldn't have to worry about her. "You have no right to call him by his name," Kaname said tersely. "Besides, I don't think your little partner will be able to kill him. Zero is strong enough to fight even by himself. And as much as I hate to admit it, Takamiya is a competent vampire hunter. I'm quite sure that you should be the one worried about your partner."
- xXx -
"Our trouble never seems to end, doesn't it?" Kaito muttered tiredly as he leaned against the newly erected wall.
Zero smiled serenely. "Yes, I believe it does. But don't worry, I have the feeling that this mission is almost at its end," he said. "Isn't that right?" He turned his gaze to the left. The vampire who tried to launch a surprise attack on him appeared from the shadows.
"I wanted to have you because of your beauty but I realized now that's not a good idea," the female vampire uttered as she stalked closer, the nails from her hands lengthening and sharpening. "You're a dangerous element. Too dangerous to be kept alive. Rido-sama would thank me for destroying you before you become even more a threat."
"I doubt you'll be able to kill me easily. But you're welcome to try," Zero responded. He turned to Kaito, "I'll take this battle. Just hang back and watch."
Kaito smirked and moved back, knowing that this was his chance to see Zero in action. "Be my guest."
Kirara watched for any sign of movement from the hunter in front of her. There was something quite mysterious in the aura of this particular human and she was a bit unsettled by it. She tried to look for openings but found none at all. She didn't want to admit it but she knew she would be in for a hard battle. Also, she was unnerved by those eyes. Those bright silver eyes seemed to know just about everything. It was as if he could see through things she couldn't. What kind of human is he? No, she had to focus. This man was just a pathetic human. He wouldn't stand a chance against a real vampire.
"I saw what you and your partner did to those poor humans. Vermin like you don't deserve to live. This world would be better off without pests like you," Zero said softly as he closed his eyes for a moment. "I'll end your life here and now, vermin," he continued as he opened his now bright blue eyes and gazed at the vampire who couldn't hide the fact that she was astonished by the sight.
"Give me your best shot, you damned hunter!" Kirara shouted.
She lunged but Zero avoided the attack with ease and went behind her. She followed his movement and tried to deliver a slash from her nails as he turned around but it was met with a sound of metal striking against metal. She saw in the hunter's hand a silver gun. It was the same anti-vampire weapon he used to dispatch those experiments she had unleashed earlier on. She jumped away from a kick aimed at her gut and dived instantly as he fired off a shot. She rolled to stand and rushed once more at the hunter.
Zero avoided the slash of her nails before it even came close to grazing him. He saw her smirk as she raised her hand and bright orange flames were hurled in his direction. He evaded the fire as he moved backwards consecutively, not letting the flames reach him. He jumped and landed a few feet away from the vampire.
"I thought you said you'll kill me," Kirara said arrogantly as she watched Zero avoid her attacks and who seemed to have no intention of striking back now. She knew that she would win this. No one had ever managed to escape when she finally used her powers. "You seem to be doing a lot of fleeing lately. Pretty pathetic of you, hunter. All bark and no bite?" she taunted.
"A fire user. That's a rather nice ability to have. I should've known you'll be able to do that since you're a noble vampire," Zero commented off-handedly. "It would've been nice to play fire with fire. But I don't want to waste any more time. It's about time we end this little fight."
She managed to react in time as Zero moved with something akin to vampire speed and appeared before her. She deflected a kick and countered with a punch that only met with the hat the young man was wearing. Her vision registered the unique silver hair and suddenly comprehension dawned on her. She should've known from the beginning when she noticed that particular feature. One of those old hunter clans? There was no mistaking that this man was a true Kiryuu. She wondered briefly how she could've missed that simple fact when it was so obvious.
Old hunter clans were on a different league from normal hunters. Their hunter arts and combat styles were made to combat high level vampires. She was far too weak to face off from one and knew that now she would be paying the price.
"Like I said earlier, it's time to meet your end," Zero said as he maneuvered himself to Kirara's back and before the vampire could react, he fired Blood Rose from the back and the bullet went straight to her heart. He watched distantly as she began to crumple to the ground.
"W-What the h-hell are y-you?" Kirara choked out as she slumped to the ground, the light fading from her eyes.
Zero smirked. "A lot have asked me that question and my answer still remains the same," he replied. "It's a secret." As soon as those words escaped his lips, black flames appeared and devoured the female vampire's body.
He looked at the wall and saw cracks starting to appear on it and knew that Kaname was also finished with his own battle. He turned his attention to Kaito who was staring at him in disbelief, probably from what he witnessed from the fight. He sighed and leaned close to whisper on the hunter's ears, "I know you have so many questions you want to ask me, Takamiya Kaito. But now isn't the right time to discuss it. Meet me tomorrow night at the gates of the academy and I'll tell you some of my secrets."
He moved away as the wall finally collapsed and he saw Kaname staring at him with something akin to relief in his eyes.
"I see you've finished the battle without any injury this time," Kaname said.
"Well, it's because you told me to take care of myself more," Zero replied lightly. His expression turned serious as he said, "He got away, didn't he?"
"He's a coward through and through. He took advantage of my occupied state to make his hasty retreat," Kaname uttered with a sigh.
"Hmm…Don't worry, Kaname, I won't let him escape that easily. After all, I'm a hunter. And now he's become my prey."
- xXx -
Sei finally stopped running for his life as soon as he reached the forest outside the accursed town. He looked behind him and was immensely relieved that none of his enemies had managed to follow him. He then punched a hole in the tree and bared his fangs as anger surged through him. He was so close to finally accomplishing his goals but those meddling fools had to come and destroy his life's work. He knew that Rido would not be pleased with this setback. Kuran Rido treated everyone like pawns to be discarded as soon as their usefulness expired. Because of this mistake, he was certain that he would be punished gravely or be put down like some kind of rabid animal.
No!
He couldn't die. Death was something he would never allow himself to accept.
Sei knew that there were still experiments he hadn't accomplished, projects still underway, and things that have yet to be discovered. His quest for the creation of the ultimate vampire wasn't over. But he knew that Rido would never listen to any of his excuses.
If only that silver-haired hunter didn't kill Kirara. She would've been useful in redirecting Rido-sama's anger, he thought lividly. He had felt Kirara's presence vanish and he knew that it only meant she was already dead.
His eyes widened as an idea hit him and a few seconds later, he smirked cruelly. That damned vampire hunter. He remembered just now why the man's name seemed familiar. It was the same hunter that Rido was interested in yet still largely unknown to the pureblood. His master had been trying hard to find anything of the mysterious man. And now he had seen first hand what the man could do and if he reported his findings to the pureblood, then maybe he wouldn't be punished for his mistake.
He would use his discovery about Kiryuu Zero's abilities as some kind of bargaining chip.
Yes, that would work out perfectly well.
He would tell the pureblood everything he knew about the mysterious hunter. Like the fact that the man could make black flames appear from out of nowhere. Or even the fact that the hunter seemed quite close to Kuran Kaname.
As he pictured the way the confrontation earlier went, he realized that he had never feared a human before, even those annoying vampire hunters weren't people he was frightened of. To think after so long he would feel an emotion like this.
Kiryuu Zero was the first hunter to ever terrify him. That was why he chose not to fight the hunter and hoped that Kirara would use the element of surprise to kill him.
That silver-haired man had a malevolent aura like most purebloods and it was so dark that it suffocated him. The moment he met that cold blue gaze, he had seen flashes of his own death. Too dangerous. His master was not aware of the threat that hunter posed and with the hunter working together with Kuran Kaname, he believed that his master wouldn't stand a chance.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
He heard footsteps coming towards him.
Sei felt his blood turn to ice. It was as if freezing fingers gripped his heart with chilling dread.
The same dark presence!
Whoever was approaching almost had the same aura as the silver-haired hunter. It was a bit lighter but for a class B vampire like him, it was still enough to frighten him out of his wits.
He tried to leave using his inhuman speed but before he could take one step, all of his limbs became frozen in place. His eyes widened in fear as thick vines wrapped around his arms and legs, binding him to the trunk of a tree. He struggled wildly but to no avail. It was as if the vines were made of solid steel.
"Zero-sama is mine. He has always been mine. Only I have the right to face him in battle. Pathetic trash such as you doesn't deserve to fight him let alone be in the same room as him." A female murmured in a silky, deadly voice.
Sei watched as a young woman in a black gothic Lolita dress appeared from the shadows, her features hidden by a large wide-brimmed hat.
"Who the hell are you?" He shouted as he thrashed against his bindings.
She giggled heartily before she answered, "I'm someone from Zero-sama's past. The mistake born from his desire to achieve true peace. The one whose life he ruined and whose trust he betrayed. The one who would finally destroy his steadfast will."
"W-What are you talking about? I don't have any clue about what you're saying."
She smiled serenely.
"It's quite normal not to understand what I'm talking about. I don't blame you for not knowing. But since you're going to die today, I believe I can tell you some things about the infamous Silver King," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. She tilted her head to the side as if she was solving a puzzle. "It's weird that you're still here though. It seemed that he's gotten much softer throughout the years. The man I knew from the past would've just murdered you without question. He certainly didn't hesitate in killing my older sister or even his own younger brother or hundreds of people who he thought got in the way of his goals. Perhaps after all these years of existence, he has finally grown a heart."
Sei pulled his face away as she grasped his cheek in a parody of a lover's caress. Her hands were as cold as ice and he wanted nothing more than to get away from her. The woman was truly insane. He didn't understand half of what she was talking about.
"I can sense your confusion, vampire, so let me enlighten you a bit to who he really is," she said kindly as she moved away and paced in front of Sei. "Kiryuu Zero is charismatic, easy to like, and hard to forget. He is very good at getting what he wants." There was a moment's pause before she continued and her voice turned as cold as her touch. "He is so damned manipulative and maybe that was what Shirabuki Sara and Takamiya Kaito loved about him. They were all the same in that regard. But among all of them, Zero-sama was the worst. He toyed with emotions and hopes and dreams of others without even feeling as shred of empathy or real emotions of his own."
Sei's confusion magnified as the woman spoke. The way she described the silver-haired hunter was far from what he observed from the cameras back at the prison. He had seen firsthand how the hunter was too protective of his allies and the emotions he saw when he faced the man was all real. The care, the worry, the sadness. All of those emotions were real. This woman was mistaken. She didn't know a thing about the hunter at all.
"I had the impression that he was an empty shell that mocked what it meant to be a human being," she continued unaware of Sei's private thoughts. "He certainly seemed incapable of thinking of anyone or anything else. He used and discarded others like toys and he killed without showing any remorse.
"But despite all that he did to me in the past, I still find myself loving him. I still want to make him mine. Only mine and no one else's. Especially not that pureblood's. It's weird, isn't it? Because I used to desire his death. Now, the only thing I desire in this world is to have him alive and all for myself no matter how broken he is. And I'll destroy anyone who gets in the way of my goal."
She whipped her head behind her and smirked cruelly.
"Looks like your time is finally up, vampire-san. Zero-sama's already heading here," she said in mock tenderness. "It's time for you to die. Now that I've found him, I can't have him meeting me so soon since I want this game to be more exciting. It's one of the things I learned from him. After all, mind games were always his specialty."
Without any hesitation, she plunged her fist straight into the helpless vampire's heart.
The last thing Sei heard before everything vanished into oblivion was the insane giggling of the young woman.
- xXx -
A mutilated figure was slumped on the tree.
The male vampire's clothing had been torn open to reveal a gruesome cavity in his chest.
His heart was missing…
Zero had combed the entire perimeter but the life-giving organ was nowhere to be found. Blood had puddled around the ground and splattered the nearby greeneries. It wasn't surprising in his opinion since having a hole punched through a body always generated a lot of blood.
What a messy way to kill someone, he thought off-handedly.
He moved a bit closer to the vampire's bloody corpse and noticed that there were reddish marks around the wrist. It was as if Sei was restrained before he was ultimately killed. Zero's eyes narrowed at the familiarity of the vampire's execution style.
Back in his original world, this was how some vampire hunters killed rogue vampires especially high level ones like nobles or purebloods. After all, the bodies of high level vampires didn't turn to ash immediately after death. That was why this rather barbaric act was done by those who wanted to showcase their strength and fame to the whole community. He didn't know if such an act was allowed in this world considering the peace negotiations going on. And as much as he wanted to think that this was caused by some random hunter and could be nothing more than a mere coincidence, there was still that rather familiar presence.
He came to the conclusion that this was a message specifically intended for him.
He closed his eyes briefly as he realized that he needed to alter most of his plans for this world now that a new player had come into the game. And his first agenda involved this incident.
He waved his hand and burned the body into ashes with his signature black flames.
Kaname and the others don't need to know that this thing ever happened, he thought seriously.
With the body gone, everyone would just assume that either Sei escaped this town or that he had killed the vampire himself. And that was what he was aiming for, considering that the one who killed Sei was someone connected to his bloody past.
He was still debating on whether he would inform Ichiru or Kaien about this new development. If he did, those two would worry endlessly and he didn't want that to happen. If he didn't, those two would be caught off guard by the enemy.
He sighed wearily as he commented to himself, "I never imagined in a thousand years that something like this would happen. I was under the impression that everyone from my world is dead but it seemed that I was terribly mistaken on that notion. Looks like I'm right in thinking that this world is different from all the other worlds I've visited. More interesting yet more dangerous as well."
His silver-colored eyes narrowed. The pupils shifted and for an instant, his eyes flared a bright blue.
He was momentarily caught off guard earlier by this surprising turn of event. To think he would now face someone from a past he wanted to forget. He would have to deal with this setback as soon as possible. He wouldn't allow himself to be killed that easily not now that he finally had a lot to lose. In the past though he would have gladly accepted his end but then someone had taught him the value of living. He now had a reason to live.
I won't die. I won't let my enemies kill me. Not now that I've already come this far…
As he turned away with the intent of heading back into town he finally said, "I wonder which of my dead enemies has risen from their graves. Who is this ghost that has come to finally destroy the immortal Silver King…?"
-chapter 06 end-
Silvermaiden's Notes
A very big thank you to all readers who reviewed this story and inspired me to keep on continuing! Thank you also to those who've recently added this story to their favorites and alerts list. =)
Finally done with the three-chapter mission! I've spent so many days writing the short battle scenes and I hope that I've done a good job describing their actions. Those were the hardest parts I had to write in this chapter! =) I apologize for the long delay in publishing this chapter and I hope it was worth the wait. Now that the mission is done, it's back to Cross Academy and the beginning of the next arc which features Shizuka's return and Zero's new enemy.
Hope to see everyone next chapter!
Please read and review!
Also, I would be releasing a new KanamexZero story probably in the next month or two. It's entitled Renegade Hearts. Here's a little plot teaser: How could you spend an eternity with the one person who could destroy you? Is love truly enough to break the barriers of a terrible curse?
Aside from that, most of my stories (not including Immortal Guardian) are being edited to take out wrong grammars and give them a steadier plot so there wouldn't be any new updates for a while. But rest assured that none of them are being abandoned.
