Ren-sama's Note:
Hi, guys! It's been a while~! Thank you for your continuous support for this fict. I do hope you continue reading this. Here's the next chap~!
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Chapter 19
Zero finished bathing and dressed quickly before he readied the Bloody Rose and his other hunter gadgets and tools on his bed. He would attend the morning class but not the afternoon one because he'd need to get going soon. He saw the pill bottle on top of his drawer and took it as well, just for precaution. It would almost be a week since he last drank from Kaname and it would be disastrous if he lost control during his mission. It would be too shameful if he failed a mission again.
"So you're saying you don't need my help." Yuzuru was obviously sulking and Zero couldn't help but sigh. They were now both in the school cafeteria together with Yuuki who had buried her nose in her textbooks. There would be an examination soon and she's the only one who couldn't follow on the lessons.
"Yuzuru, I'm saying that this is my mission. There's no need for you to come along." Zero said patiently as he continued eating his meal, oblivious to the gawks directed at him by drooling females. Even Yuzuru would shudder once in a while because of the intense stares in his direction. "And besides, you're never this worried when I was simply a human vampire hunter. I didn't become weaker, Yuzuru."
Yuzuru sighed. He looked at Yuuki and saw her nod in assent to Zero's statement, still deeply buried on the books that she borrowed. Yuzuru accidentally told her about Zero's condition the night before Kaname's birthday and she was beyond shocked. He also received a not-so-healthy doze of punches earlier when he told Zero about it. But thanks to that, they were now able to talk about everything even in front of Yuuki. "Okay, okay. But still, you weren't targeted by fellow hunters when you're human, Zero. You don't even know if it's one of their traps again. I have faith in the Association, but not in my fellow hunters… especially those who are in the Elite Force."
Zero arched an eyebrow at that. "In short, you don't have faith in me, master, and Kaien-san." Yuzuru gaped at him, unable to form any coherent retort. "Yuzuru, I understand that this might be another one of their suicide or ambush missions, an attempt to get rid of the vampire inside the Association. But it's still nevertheless a mission. Remember, mission is everything. Life is nothing before it." He's already told his senpai about the failure notice yesterday and Yuzuru still couldn't believe it until now. After all, that was the reason why he stayed here, to help Zero with espionage.
Yuzuru looked at his meal with a sad expression. "But you're not a simple hunter who follows the Association blindly anymore. You're also part of the race that they hate and despise. You can't trust them too much, Zero."
Zero shrugged. "What comes should just come. Anyway, I'll be going now. See you both tomorrow… I hope." He stood up straightly before he said his goodbyes to both Yuuki, who only nodded and told him to take care without looking up from her textbooks, and Yuzuru who was still against him going on his own.
He had just gotten outside the cafeteria when he felt the unmistakable pureblood presence in the vicinity. He sighed. Of all days to annoy him, Kaname chose this one. "What do you want?" He asked to no one in particular, but he was surprised when someone answered him. However, the voice didn't belong to the one he was asking.
"U-Um… I'm sorry for following you, Kiryuu-kun…" Zero turned around just in time to see a day class female bowing deeply to him. "I… I…" He then saw that there were other females glaring at her. "Can I please talk to you in private?" She looked up at him and pleaded with her eyes alone.
Zero sighed inwardly before he nodded. He still has time before his mission so he might as well hear out whatever she wanted to say that seemed so important seeing that she did her best to approach him. He started walking towards the building with lesser people and stopped before he turned around once again. She looked at him meekly before she heaved a deep breathe. "Kiryuu-kun, I…"
Zero's eye twitched when he felt Kaname's dark presence in the vicinity. What the hell was that pureblood up to now? "What is it?" He asked her impatiently. He needed to get out of the vicinity before his time runs out and he becomes late for his mission. He also needed to get out of the vicinity where Kaname was. Just because the pureblood's aura felt scary right now…
The girl immediately apologized before she bowed down to her waist. "Y-Yes, I… I'm in love with you, Kiryuu-kun!" He saw how the blood inside her blood vessels rushed up to her face. "I… Please go out with me!" And they both turned to the building when the glass windows shattered and almost fell on them both. The girl screamed in fright and ran away immediately, leaving Zero glaring.
Kaname was in the school laboratory, in the fourth storey, with Takuma and Aido when he saw Zero talking to a girl just in front of the school cafeteria. He scowled when just the mere sight annoyed him greatly. Zero shouldn't be talking to them so easily. He saw how she acted and immediately knew that she liked his Zero. He couldn't help but glare at the girl, especially when she told him to go somewhere more private. How annoying.
"Kaname, I think he'll get angry if you…" Takuma voiced from behind him.
"I won't do anything." The brunette snapped icily and Takuma could only sigh as they watched Zero walk nearer together with the girl. Aido also looked annoyed as he watched and Takuma already had a hint on the reason.
The girl immediately apologized before she bowed down to her waist. "Y-Yes, I… I'm in love with you, Kiryuu-kun!" Kaname couldn't help but intensify his glare as the test tube in his hand shattered into pieces. Takuma immediately feared for the girl's life while Aido secretly wished Kaname would just accidentally kill her. "I… Please go out with me!" Kaname's eyes widened just as he felt his heart clench in pain. That demonic woman… And all the glass windows shattered into pieces, effectively taking on all of the pureblood's anger. His aura was still dark but a little of his anger somehow dissipated at the sight of the girl screaming while running away. His breath also hitched in panic and nervousness when the broken glasses almost hurt his Zero.
"K-Kaname…" Takuma bit his lower lip. He didn't think that his friend was so into Zero that he'd get this angry. Zero looked up and glared at them. "Now he's angry too…"
Kaname only averted his gaze before he went back inside the lab without any word. Aido was kind of jealous that his Kaname-sama really liked Zero when he'd done all his best just to make the pureblood look at him. But then, he was also fond of the hunter so he really couldn't blame the teen for being loved by their Leader.
Zero couldn't help but realize what just happened. So… he's jealous..? He ceased glaring when Kaname already left the window and went inside the lab room together with his vampire minions. He looked down, stared at the shattered glasses, and shuddered. For that arrogant pureblood to show that much emotion… He remembered how Kaname's face looked when he looked up. He's… hurt… Even now, he could still feel Kaname's anger and pain. "Do you want to talk to me?" He asked to no one in particular, still looking up at the building where Kaname was. He knew the brunette could hear him. But it seemed the latter didn't want to talk to him at all.
He sighed before he walked away. He needed to go south, to the Sun Dorm, and get ready for his mission. He was already used to students staring or gawking at him so he merely dismissed the annoying feeling on his back as he entered the outer circle, the forest separating the school from the dorm. He was almost midway when he felt the presence approaching him before he felt a gentle hand on his wrist.
"I'm sorry." The cool voice of the person behind him somehow made his insides tingle and he couldn't help but shiver inwardly.
Zero looked over his shoulder and sighed. "You could've hurt her. Control your emotions more, idiot." Even now, he knew that Kaname was still angry and hurt. It was so thick in the pureblood's aura he could almost taste it.
Kaname scowled. "I told you my feelings so you wouldn't do something like that, especially in front of me."
Zero almost gaped at the childish pureblood in front of him. "W-What–? How could I know that that's what she wanted to tell me?"
"It's too obvious, Zero!" Kaname fumed in anger just at the thought of how the girl looked at what was his. "I knew that that girl likes you the moment she got near!"
Zero didn't know if he'd laugh or if he'd get angry at Kaname's attitude. It's not as if they're lovers or anything, so why the hell was the brunette so angry about it? Well, because he just felt jealous, for Kami's sake… The silver-haired teen did his best not to blush. "Okay, enough of that. I need to go. I still have a mission and I'm going to be late."
Kaname furrowed his eyebrows before he let go of the teen's wrist. "Hunter mission?"
Zero scowled. "What else, dimwit?"
"Somehow, I feel that you've leveled up on your insults." Kaname frowned before he chuckled. "Do be careful, Zero."
"Whatever." Zero was already walking away when he felt a gentle hand stop him again on the wrist. But this time, when he turned his head over his shoulder to face the pureblood, he received a kiss on his cheek.
Kaname smirked smugly when he saw the effect of his secret 'make Zero fall in love with him too' plan. The hunter's eyes were wide as he colored up immediately. He chuckled when the hunter immediately cursed and ran away in embarrassment. He now wondered what would've happened if he kissed Zero on the lips instead.
"I love you, Zero." He couldn't help but laugh when he heard the unmistakable curses from a distance. He was too sure the hunter had heard him because the forest was too quiet during this time of the day. He's already contented just like this… Zero didn't feel disgusted with him nor did the teen avoid him. He wouldn't ask for more…
Now, if only that bastard wouldn't come here and steal Zero from him…
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"They're all inside the mansion." Zero's co-hunter Leon said as quietly as his voice allowed, only for the other three hunters to hear. All hunters except the silver-haired teen were in their mid-twenties. "How many are there, Kiryuu?"
The teen nodded and tried his best to feel every one of the vampires inside the huge mansion. He was actually quite glad that they let him into the mission even though they almost shot him in the head the moment they felt his vampire aura earlier when he arrived. He had to explain so much in order for them to understand that he's on their side, without telling them that there's a traitor in the Association of course. He knew better than to tell other hunters that fact. He even went to the length of tossing out his Bloody Rose just to let them see that he's harmless. Or so he tried to persuade them… Of course, they cursed and felt disgusted at the fact he's been too weak, letting himself be turned so easily. He was just too thankful Leon sided with him and let him join the group despite everything.
"There are about thirty of them." Zero was well hidden in the shadows together with his companions. There was no moon so it was easy to hide in some bushes. "There are six in the first floor, five in the back garden, six in front, ten in the second floor, and three in the third floor." The mansion in front of them had a high wall and two huge gates. The manor itself was dilapidated since there hadn't been any human residence in it for years now. It was located at the outskirt of a large town but no one dared get near the vicinity at night because of the rumors that a serial killer was running loose at the place. Only the hunters knew that the serial killer the people kept on talking about was actually a hoard of Level E and D vampires feeding off on humans.
"Woah, Zero! You, being a vampire and being one of us at the same time, seem a little advantageous now huh!" One of his fellow Elites said in half joke and half mockery. Zero readily ignored him.
Another one of them snickered. "Yes, and that's why he's able to fail a mission for the first time since he became a hunter."
"Stop that, Rey, Tetsu." Leon snapped at his companions, giving them a glare.
"Wait," Zero didn't even act like he heard his two companions' snickers and remarks. "There's someone really powerful inside – at the third floor. I can't feel the vampire much, but I know he's incredibly powerful." If the presence that the person emitted was any indication… It felt a lot like Kaname's…
Rey smirked again. "Really? I can't believe you stopped calling them 'bloodsuckers' the moment you turned into one of them, Zero."
"We're in a mission, Hirako. Do your talk some other time." Zero merely said as he tried to think of why the vampire let itself be felt now. If he couldn't feel it earlier, then it'd mean that it was able to mask its presence entirely. So, why..?
"I think it's trying to invite us." Leon answered the thought. "I think we should call for reinforcement. I have a bad feeling that the vampire inside is a pureblood."
"Pureblood, you say?" Tetsu looked like he's in between laughing out loud and giving some smart comment. "Our intelligence clearly said that it's an extermination of Level Ds and Es." He looked in Zero's direction when he said the last part before his eyes darted towards Leon once again. "There's no way a pureblood would be in a place like this. They're too arrogant and proud to stay in a dilapidated, not to mention abandoned, house."
"Purebloods are creatures that only care about their own skin." Rey added. "They won't be hanging about in the place surrounded by hunters. They might be powerful idiots but they are cowards, I tell you." Zero couldn't help but growl at that, for some reason unknown to him. He wasn't even affected by their taunts earlier and yet it irked him hearing them talk about purebloods and stuff like that. He immediately placed the blame on Kaname since the latter was just too annoying he wouldn't leave the hunter's mind even when he's far away.
"I'm the Team Leader here." Leon glared at his two annoying co-hunters. "You haven't experienced encountering purebloods yet. You don't know how powerful they are and how powerful they can become when cornered. We need reinforcement." He then looked at Zero. "Call the Association and request for backup, Kiryuu."
"Sure." Zero brought out his phone and dialed the Association's number. What greeted him on the other line, however, was a series of beeps. "Sorry, Matsuno. There's no signal."
"Tch. This is troublesome." Leon voiced as he tried to think of an alternative. He didn't want to just abandon the mission seeing that the Level Es had been destroying the nearest town and killing people all over the place. They were stealthy but they had no sense of secrecy, just abandoning the corpse of the human they killed wherever they liked which caused a lot of disturbance to the townspeople.
"We can just head in and take them all out, Leader." Tetsu mocked the last word but Leon ignored him. "Or are you so afraid of them you can't even fight?"
"Sakai," Zero intervened before Leon loses it. "Matsuno is right. Purebloods are a lot powerful than–"
"Just because you lost to a pureblood and got bitten in the process doesn't mean they're already powerful." Rey butted in, clearly annoyed at the lack of action. They had been waiting outside the mansion for hours now without actually doing anything but plan. It's drizzling and cold, making them all annoyed and tired. "If you two don't want to act this mission, then just stay here and get wet all night, cowards." Just as he said that, he immediately stood up from their hiding place in a forested area on the other side of the road. He brought out his guns, smoke bombs, flares, knifes, and readied them all. "I'm going in."
"Wait, Hirako!" Leon hissed after him but the former didn't heed him. "Tch!"
"We can't let him go alone." Zero voiced as he looked at his team leader. "The other vampires already know we're here anyway." He added when he felt the auras of the Level Es and Ds changed. He watched Rey cross the road and climb the high wall in one go before jumping on the other side.
"Let's go!" Leon said as he ran after the first guy. "Kill all Level Es in sight and detain all Level Ds! Remember, mission is everything!"
"And life is nothing before it." Both Zero and Tetsu answered as they ran as well. They were all ready to attack so it only took them mere seconds before they were on the other side of the wall and firing like there's no tomorrow.
The four hunters really lived to the name of the Elite Force. They were hugely outnumbered but they were not intimidated at all. Rather, it's the vampires who were backing off the moment they saw the insignia on the hunters' right shoulder – the sign of the Elites. It's drizzling and it was really dark but the hunters were not in the secret force if they were useless against such occasions. The mere fact that two of them – Rey and Tetsu – looked really fired up killing 'monsters' while the other two – Zero and Leon – were very calculative in analyzing the situation while shooting non-stop was already an indication.
It didn't take a minute for them to enter the house and separate from one another, each taking his own route. Zero ascended the second floor as quietly and as stealthy as possible while holding his Bloody Rose. He could feel many eyes watching him and he didn't waste any time dawdling in the empty hallway. He opened a room and didn't even blink an eye when three Level Es screamed at his face, trying to claw him. He shot them all in the head, effectively killing them and turning them into dusts. Not far from his position, he could hear many gunshots and monstrous screams but he didn't pay any attention to them. It might have been a while since he last had a hunting mission but that didn't mean he wasn't used to it anymore. He did the same thing to many of the other rooms in the second floor and continued shooting the vampires that jumped on him in point blank range. After that, he walked stealthily in the hallway, hunter alarm continuing to blare even though he couldn't feel anyone's presence.
On the glass window, he could see the drizzle outside turn into a thunderstorm and he couldn't help but feel glad he's already inside the mansion. Even if he's wearing his official hunter uniform, a black trench coat just like what Yagari and Yuzuru usually wore daily, he still wouldn't be able to prevent himself from getting wet. The mansion's surroundings were dark since the sky was covered in thick dark clouds. The place was hardly lit but his vampire eyes could see just as well as if the lights were all on.
He turned around immediately when he felt a vampire presence behind him. A little girl holding a doll was walking towards him. "Mister… why are you killing us? Did we do something wrong to you?"
Zero pointed his gun at the girl's head, not even bothering to answer before he shot her without further ado. "It's because I'm a hunter." He whispered, more to himself than to anyone. Being a hunter didn't mean he's not feeling anything while killing little girls. It's just that he knew they would be killing other little girls if they were allowed to live. And he's no different. He's just too glad that Kaname was there to provide him sanity… and satisfaction.
"Matsuno! Sakai! Kiryuu!" He fought the urge to suddenly break his earphone when the voice on the other end of the line shouted the names. His hearing sense was at least ten times higher than normal Elite Force hunters now so it was more than a little annoying to be shouted at just beside his ears.
"What is it?" He answered. He recognized the voice as Rey's.
"Help me!" The other's voice sounded so panicked and afraid that Zero immediately tried to feel his presence, only to feel him upstairs together with a noble vampire presence. "Aargh!"
"Hirako!" He shouted over the mouthpiece as he ran with vampire speed towards the room where he could feel his co-hunter. His hunter senses immediately blared in alarm especially when he heard nothing on the other end of the line anymore. He could feel his other companions also coming to the rescue but he's the first one to arrive. The teen could feel many vampires on his other companions' end so there would be no reinforcement for him and Rey for a while.
He immediately kicked the door open and saw, to his shock and horror, his companion pinned on the wall with his four hunter knives – bloody and broken. But nevertheless alive. He could feel no one in the room so he immediately ran across it to take his companion down. "Hirako, do you have the first-aid kit with you?" He asked though he didn't wait for the other male to speak as he started ransacking Rey's bag.
"K-Kiryuu…" Rey struggled with his words as he tried his best to sit up in vain. "You idiot…"
"Shut up, I'm trying to work here." Zero tried to discern poison from medicine in the darkness of the room as he started bandaging his companion.
"Too careless… He's… still here…" Rey finally managed to voice out, just in time for Zero to dodge a sword that was meant to cut him in half. The teen immediately turned around but saw no one. Not to mention he couldn't feel anyone at all.
"Tch." He voiced as he readied his Bloody Rose while keeping a protective stance. It was good that Rey was at the corner of the room, meaning there was no way the vampire could pass by him and–
Zero's eyes widened when he suddenly felt the vampire behind him even though he saw no one. He spun around just in time to see the noble male vampire smirked at him. "Sorry about this." The vampire voiced before slicing Rey's throat.
"NO!" Zero's eyes immediately turned red as he fired his gun at the noble vampire. He was a lot quicker and agile than when he's human so there was no way the vampire could've escaped a point blank range. And the noble vampire really didn't. The male received two shots in the chest.
Both of them were stunned, however, when the vampire suddenly found himself engulfed in fire. Zero panted as he pulled his companion away from the burning vampire, his mind still trying to grasp what the hell just happened. He shot the vampire on instinct but he didn't know that they could burst in flames when shot. The latter screamed as he continued vanishing and reappearing in different places inside the room. It seemed his power was a lot similar to Seiren's. No wonder he was able to get pass Zero earlier. Not to mention it was also the reason why he could not feel the vampire's presence.
Zero fired another shot at the vampire in the head when it last reappeared, effectively turning it into dust, before he checked for Rey's pulse. He knelt beside the other hunter as he tried his best to look for any sign of life. Rey coughed a few times before the male grabbed Zero's uniform tightly. "Kiryuu…" His voice was trembling and barely a whisper as he looked at the teen in the eyes. "I… I'm sorry…" The man gave him one final smile before closing his eyes forever.
Zero gritted his teeth in frustration and sadness as he tried his best to not shed even a single tear. It would be a disgrace to his co-hunter's sacrifice for the mission. He wasn't close to Rey, but that didn't mean the guy wasn't important to him.
"Kiryuu? What's happening over there?" He heard Leon's voice on the receiver.
"He's dead." He answered simply. There was no time to mourn. They were in a mission and it wasn't the first time that a hunter died in front of him. It's already part of their daily lives.
"It's an honor." He heard Tetsu's voice this time and he could only nod. "We're going there after we finished the hoard here. Wait for us, Kiryuu."
"Of course." Zero answered as he laid Rey on the floor. The man's blood was a little hard to not notice especially since it was all over him now. But he'd never let his eyes turn red because of it. He tried his best to think of Kaname's blood instead so the blood in front of him wouldn't have any appeal. And he was almost glad he succeeded.
"It's a good thing that he's dead." Zero immediately looked up when he heard another male voice that he knew he'd heard from somewhere before. It was deep and guttural, enough for any lower vampire to shiver in both fright and delight. Zero shut his eyes tight on instinct when the whole room lit up. It seemed the vampire turned on the lights. His eyes had gotten used to the darkness of the mansion for a while now so the sudden brightness blinded him.
When he opened his eyes next, the first things that he saw were eyes in the color of red and blue and thick brown wavy locks. He initially thought of Kaname but he knew there was no way this man was the brunette that he knew, even if there were some similarities in their feature. "Good evening, my little Zero."
The teen's breath hitched when he realized he couldn't move an inch from his kneeling position, and it's so sickeningly scary when there was a vampire whose face was just an inch away from his. It annoyed him that the vampire's mere presence alone could stop him from moving. He gritted his teeth harshly when he realized it only too late. The man was a pureblood. "Who… are you..? What do you… want..?" He tried his best not to choke on his words when he found out he couldn't breathe much either.
The male, who looked like he's in his late twenties, chuckled as he sat in one of the couches some meters away from Zero. The man was handsome, Zero could at least tell. "I can't believe you don't remember me anymore, Zero. Did they perhaps erase your memories of me?"
Zero furrowed his eyebrows. He's starting to get used to the presence and it was also easier to breathe now. He didn't even bother answering as he tried his best to move. The moment he regained the feeling in his right hand was the moment he fired a shot at the vampire who didn't even move from his seat. Zero's eyes widened when a Level E suddenly appeared from the doorway and took the bullet for the man. The Level E immediately turned into dust with a hiss while the pureblood didn't even blink an eye for the sacrifice.
"You were so sweet when you were a child…" The male looked at him with that same feral gleam that Kaname sometimes used on him. But it didn't feel this scary and disgusting when Kaname was the one doing it.
He narrowed his eyes when the man spoke the words. Obviously, the man implied that he knew Zero as a kid. But he never remembered meeting any pureblood before Kaname and Shizuka. No, wait… He looked at the man again and his eyes widened in realization.
"So… who is Rido Kuran to you? He's the man with wavy brunette locks just like mine, the one with mismatched eyes." The hunter could still hear the question that Kaname once asked him that night a week ago.
"Rido… Kuran." He voiced after a while, totally hissing out the name as if it was venom.
Rido laughed at that, his voice ringing all over the room. "So you do remember." He stood up once more and approached the teen who immediately tensed up. Zero tried his best not to flinch, in vain, when the pureblood touched his cheek. Rido's fingers felt so cold on the hunter's skin. "You look so much like your father now, Zero… so handsome and powerful. And yet, at the same time, so beautiful and frail…"
"Don't touch me!" Zero snarled as he tried his best to move again, fangs baring at the pureblood. He was still kneeling while the other vampire was kneeling in front of him, cupping his face much like what Cross did earlier.
Rido laughed again while his hold on Zero turned a little tighter. "And you also inherited his attitude towards me."
Zero tried his best to not listen at the man's speech when in truth he was getting curious to this man's relationship to his father. "How did you know my father?" He knew there was no way the vampire could've been friends with his father. And there was no way a vampire would be interested in a hunter's family. So why..?
"I heard they erased your memories. I didn't know they also erased the part about your father's identity." Rido voiced, totally making the hunter stop moving.
"…What do you mean?" Zero's voice was quiet and distrustful, but it was nevertheless curious.
"I told your father many times, you know, not to fall in love with a hunter woman." Rido spoke as if he was friends with Shiro. "But he didn't listen to me. He even deserted me, his friend, for her sake!" His hand cupped Zero's chin tightly as he pulled the teen closer and whispered the next words in the hunter's ear. "Even though I met him first… Even though I've loved him first… He still chose to be with that hunter woman, your mother."
Zero's eyes widened at that. Just what was Rido talking about..? There's nothing wrong with two hunters marrying one another. Aside from that, there was no way his father was friends with a pureblood vampire! His father was a hunter!
The pureblood looked at Zero's face and clearly interpreted everything that came to the teen's mind. "You look like you're disagreeing with me, Zero. Then, shall I tell you… about everything..?"
"I don't need to know anything from a vampire!" Zero snarled once again, earning his chin a tight hold from Rido.
"Do you really think you were human, Zero?" Rido smirked at the surprised face of the teen whose face he was cupping. Zero's mouth opened to speak but no words came out. So he didn't know after all… "Your father Shiro was a pureblood vampire, you know. Just. Like. Me."
"Wha–?" Zero stared at Rido in disbelief. He thought he heard wrong, but the man's face told him otherwise. "What the hell are you talking about, you lying bastard!?" And at last, he had gotten used to Rido's presence and was able to move his whole body. He immediately used his Blood Rose to hit the pureblood on the face to get away.
Rido merely wiped the blood off his forehead as he stood up, his gaze falling onto Zero's confused and shocked face across the room. He used his mind to close the door, especially when he felt the other two hunters closing in. "I'm telling you the truth, Zero. You're a half-vampire and half-human in conception. But…" He looked thoughtful for a while before he looked at Zero again. "I hated your mother, you know, since she stole my beloved away. She even made him hunt down his own kind! So I did something totally rash one time. I wanted her to suffer, Zero." He laughed at the end of his reminiscence before he sat on the couch once again.
Zero could only stare at him in shock and disbelief. There was no way this man was spouting the truth… There's just no way… His father and mother were both hunters… There was no way his father could've been a pureblood vampire…
"One time, when your mother was in a party for hunters, I bit her!" Rido's eyes spoke of total sadism and ecstasy. "I bit her and I made sure to make it so painful too! She cried in so much pain and shouted his name! The foul creature… just shouted my beloved's name like he was hers!"
"You… turned… my mother..?" Zero spoke for the first time. There's no way those things were true…
"Yes, I did, much to Shiro's displeasure." Rido smirked in a feral manner. "He didn't even think of biting her since she'd turn into a Level D. But I did. And I turned her into the monster that she so hated! I turned her into the monster that she and Shiro hunted! I thought for sure that he'd kill her and come back to me… But he still didn't. The damned woman just won't let me have–"
"Shut up!" Zero shouted just as he fired two shots on Rido. Unfortunately, he was too shocked that he missed an inch even though the vampire didn't move from his position. His hands were trembling and his emotions were in mayhem. His mind was in chaos too. There was no way… he was a vampire right from his birth… He felt his chest constricting painfully and he coughed as he tried to focus his attention. "Don't insult my mother, you liar!" His eyes turned red and his fangs showed when he snarled at the older male. Rido was about to smirk and comment when he suddenly disappeared from the couch just as it was suddenly engulfed in fire, also making Zero stop.
"I see you also inherited his power." The brunette looked proud and the teen looked at him in confusion and disbelief. Zero realized he'd been doing that for a while now, looking confused and shocked, but he couldn't help it. He was too shocked at Rido's revelations he couldn't help but feel that everything was unreal. There was no way this was currently happening… This had to be a dream… But the heat emanating from the fire made it impossible to think of as a mere illusion.
"What are you talking about, bastard?" He growled as he tried to shoot the pureblood again, in vain. He's out of ammo. "You don't even have any evidence about what you're saying." He didn't want to waste his time shouting at the other male anymore. It's not worth it anyway.
"I'm not finished yet, my little Zero. Don't be too impatient." Rido smiled, though it wasn't kind like Kaname's. "But… I didn't mind her existence that much anymore when she gave birth to twins, both with Shiro's face. It was my turn to be fascinated by his sons… especially his eldest son." Zero felt his skin crawl at the gaze Rido gave him. "You're just too beautiful and pure, Zero. So innocent and lovely… not to mention that your blood is on a higher level than anyone since you're born with both pureblood and hunter blood mixed together."
"So you tried to take me away." Zero spat the words with hatred. He knew there was some truth to what Rido kept on blabbering. But he didn't know if it was the real truth or if Rido was biased in his explanations. Aside from that, he couldn't believe his father was once friends with an insane monster.
"Yes, I did try that. But Shiro wouldn't let me…" Rido smiled before his expression immediately contorted to anger when several gunshots filled the empty silence.
And Zero's eyes widened. His co-hunters were here… And he was right. Not a second longer, the locked door was suddenly ripped off its hinges and fell on the dusty floor with a loud bang, courtesy of Leon's exceptionally strong kick.
"Kiryuu! Are you alright?" Leon continued firing at Rido even though the man was too quick for him to follow. Tetsu did the same as they slowly cornered the pureblood. But Zero, even in his confusion and disarray, could tell that they could barely move while bathing in Rido's presence.
"If you want to know more about you and your father, Zero, just let me know. Let's see each other again soon." Rido made a feral smile, effectively baring his long fangs in front of the three hunters, before he disappeared into the darkness.
Zero knelt on the floor the moment the presence was gone. It felt like all of his strength was sapped in just that conversation alone, not to mention that he's been doing his best to not turn immobile due to Rido's immense presence. Kaname was never that intimidating…
"Kiryuu, are you alright?" He saw Leon kneel beside him while Tetsu looked at Rey. The two other men were only able to fully move when the pureblood finally disappeared.
"I'm… sorry." He looked at Leon in the eyes. "I wasn't able to save him… I'm sorry."
"No, it's all my fault." Leon shook his head. "I'm the Team Leader. I should've stopped him earlier from entering the place without any backup. But I didn't."
"I'm sorry, Leon." Tetsu looked sad as he looked at the other hunter. He and Rey were very close friends. "If only I listened to you and didn't side with him." Leon nodded in understanding.
"We heard the conversation, by the way." Leon voiced as he looked at Zero, making the silver-haired male's eyes wide in horror and surprise. He had forgotten about the damn receiver. "Don't worry. We won't tell anyone."
"Thank you…" Zero closed his eyes as exhaustion overwhelmed his senses. He felt the pat on his shoulder and he couldn't help but nod. He stood up and helped his companions take Rey's body back to the vehicle.
The sun was already rising when they left the place. He was sure to be back to Cross Academy by noon. He took his time sleeping while inside the car, postponing the inevitable time to think about Rido's revelation.
"Father, why are we called the traitors?" Zero looked up from the book he was reading when he heard Ichiru's question. The latter was on their father's lap, eating some snacks.
Shiro looked surprised at the question for a while before he smiled. "…Because we are different from other hunter families."
"Why are we different?" This time it was Zero who asked. "How are we different?"
Shiro chuckled but he didn't answer anymore. At that moment, Kara appeared from the kitchen and smiled at her family. "It's time for dinner." She frowned when she saw Ichiru eating snacks. "Ichiru, didn't I tell you not to eat that junk?"
"But Zero can eat them all the time!" Ichiru reasoned with a pout, earning him a pat from his father.
"Zero has a stronger body and stamina than you." Their mother scolded. "Now, you better throw that away so you can eat more nutritious foods." Ichiru pouted but still heeded. Zero and Shiro followed him into the kitchen and all sat in their respective chairs.
They all ate their dinner in comfortable silence. They were almost finished eating when Ichiru looked at his father once again and spoke. "So, why are we different from other families, father?" Zero looked up from his food too together with his mother. Both looked at Shiro with different expressions – one with curiosity and one scolding.
"We are different and that's that." Kara voiced with finality before she handed them the glasses of milk that they needed to drink in order to grow and become full-pledged hunters like their parents.
"You two will understand when you grow up." Shiro smiled as he patted his sons on the head again.
"We are different…" Zero mumbled in his sleep. "…because we're… vampires…" Leon looked at his sleeping form in concern while Tetsu was too preoccupied by grieving to notice the barely audible whisper.
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.tbc.
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Ren-sama's Notes:
Aww… This chap might be a little bit shorter than normal but I think the content is enough to satisfy most of your curious questions? Please don't forget to leave a review~!