Ren-sama's Note:
Thank you so much for continuing to support this fict of mine. I really love your reviews~! ᶺoᶺ
P.S. I sometimes use the word 'pureblood' for both Zero and Ichiru even though I know that both of them are not entirely pureblooded vampires. It wasn't by accident. As was stated in chapter 28, the Shiryuu clan is older than even the famous Kuran family. That's why even though Zero and Ichiru were only half-pureblood, they would be considered as true purebloods by almost everyone in vampire society.
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Chapter 32
The cold breeze of the night felt really soothing to his skin. The moon hung above the dark clouds and shone over the entire forest, giving a mellow glow to everything. And yet, Zero could feel nothing except an intense ache in his chest and a huge lump in his throat. He was facing a huge clearing in the middle of the forest. He knew they were being pursued by many hunters. He could feel their presences approaching swiftly. But he found out he couldn't move even if he wanted to. He was staring right into the dilapidated remains of the Kiryuu household which was located in the middle of the clearing. The house where he used to live in…
He could feel nostalgia in the damp night air… feel the memories of his past buried underneath all the rubbles of his house… feel the parental love that used to make them feel safe even when everyone else looked at them coldly… feel the tightness in his chest as his childhood memories started flooding his mind…
He missed his home… He missed Shiro and Kara whom he loved deeply…
He could remember it now.
He could remember how Shiro would often stand in between them and the other hunter kids, as if protecting his sons from prying eyes and twisted mindset. He could remember Shiro's sharp amethyst eyes turning crimson in anger every time he or Ichiru would be bullied by the other kids. Or how Shiro's expression would soften every time they would kiss him on the cheek… or how he would laugh out loud whenever Zero would say something even remotely funny… or how he would pat them both on the head every time he would come home from a mission… or how he would play with them sometimes when he wasn't busy… or how Shiro would crease his eyebrows whenever they did something bad… or how he would often hug them and apologize for everything…
Zero didn't even have the chance to tell him that it was fine… And that he wasn't blaming the two of them for loving one another and for giving their sons the kind of life they had now… And that he had managed to find his own path as both a hunter and a vampire…
And that he was happy…
He could remember Kara's home-cooked meals, her stern but kind voice, and her smiling face every time both parents would go home and find him still awake and waiting. He could remember the resemblance between her and her older brother Kaien. He would often tell her that she looked like a female version of her brother and she would laugh about it. Zero could remember how she would put her hands on her waist whenever she would scold her twins… or how she would look at Shiro lovingly sometimes… or how those same expression would then be transferred to her sons… He could remember her warm hug and her kisses on his cheeks and forehead… He could remember her presence as if she was just there… as if she wasn't dead for almost eleven years now…
Zero wasn't even able to tell her that he was thankful because she gave birth to him… And that he had finally understood why she chose to be with Shiro despite her hunter blood… because he also did the same with Kaname…
He could now remember them well. So well that he could remember their scents, their presences, their faces… He could remember the way they would hug their favorite twins… or the way they would smile or laugh at his and Ichiru's antics…
He used to think that they were almost always in some mission or another because most of the memories he had were of Ichiru's… But now he knew that wasn't the case at all… He knew that they were almost always there… wanting to be with their sons above anything else…
And he was thankful he went here…
Zero gasped and lost his bearing when memories after memories flooded inside his mind, as if wanting to be remembered. He knelt on the soft grassy ground when those sweet and yet painful memories replayed inside his mind over and over again.
Aido was about to go to his side immediately but Kain caught his arm to stop him. Ruka looked like she wanted to run over to Zero's side too but her lover simply shook his head, indicating it was not their place to do that. Aido wanted to argue against him but Kain gave him a hard glare, making the blonde look down and pout. It wasn't always that Kain would glare at him just to make him realize something.
"Nii-san!" Ichiru immediately tried to support Zero and the three of them watched in silence some meters away as the younger twin hugged his brother.
"…I can remember…." Zero whispered. He wanted so much to cry and let all the pain and anguish out. And yet, he could only tremble and grit his teeth as waves and waves of pain hit him. "I can finally remember them… clearly…"
Ichiru saw the extent of pain registering in those amethyst eyes which were so similar to his own and he couldn't help but avert his gaze. "…Do you hate me, nii-san?" He asked with a voice so quiet that Zero had to look at him to confirm he really said anything. The younger twin was looking at the remains of the house they used to live in. "I was the one who did all this…" He then looked down. "I was the one who stole them from the both of us… from you…"
Ichiru's expression was hard and unreadable but Zero could see that his twin's fisted hands were trembling slightly. He must have been blaming himself all this time too… just like how Zero and Kaien were… Zero closed his eyes and smiled a little as he voiced how he truly felt with much clarity. "I don't hate you."
When Zero opened his eyes again, he saw Ichiru looking at him with wide eyes, as if the younger twin couldn't believe he heard right. In the end, the younger Kiryuu could only sigh. "I want to tell you everything, nii-san, including the reason why I kept on attacking you until now… or why I had Yoru spy on you too. But I believe we don't have the luxury for that right now."
Zero really wanted to ask about that too but he thought there wasn't much time. The first thing they needed to do was escape from the place. He nodded at his younger twin in assent just as he looked at everyone behind them. "Let's go."
He had decided. Even if it was his mission as a hunter, there's no way he would sacrifice his one and only brother. He didn't want to feel the same excruciating pain of losing someone important to him again.
They all ran in vampire speed away from the place just as Yoru ran as swiftly as a hunter could.
Ichiru looked sideways to his brother after a while. "Nii-san, I need to tell you something." They were running at full speed so he had to strain his voice in order for Zero to hear him clearly. But he knew that doing so would also allow the other vampires to hear what he was about to say.
When Zero nodded, indicating he heard, Ichiru looked in front of him again. "You asked me why I'm doing all this…" The older Kiryuu couldn't help but look sideways to his brother this time. He didn't think Ichiru would tell him immediately. "It's for revenge."
Zero, including the three nobles running behind him, looked at Ichiru in confusion so the younger twin had no choice but to explain further. "Nii-san, it was indeed I who caused that tragedy… However, everything that happened that night was according to the Association's plan."
"What do you mean by that?" Zero asked, eyes widening at the new information Ichiru was sharing. Even Aido and the others looked surprised enough to stare at the younger twin in disbelief.
Ichiru snorted and shook his head at his brother's denseness. "Nii-san, since when have you lost your brain? I was so sure you're the one who's smarter between the two of us." When Zero glared at him, he had no choice but to just continue without unnecessary remarks. "Why do you think you, a mere child with barely complete power, survived while oto-san who was a pureblood vampire died?" Zero's eyes widened even more at that. "Do you really think my power was enough to kill a thousand year old pureblood vampire when I was a mere child? Not to mention a pureblood whose power was quite similar to my own? My power then wasn't even enough to kill oka-san."
And Zero stopped moving altogether. He looked at Ichiru with a shocked expression. Everyone also stopped running when he did. Aido and the others were mirroring the hunter's expression very well. Zero had not thought about that. There was really just no way a child was capable of harming a pureblood vampire. He remembered how he, Kaname, and Yuzuru had to attack Rido altogether just to kill him. Kaname was already powerful enough because of Shizuka's blood while and he and Yuzuru were trained vampire hunters too. There's just no way a mere child's power was enough to kill any noble, let alone a pureblood. Not to mention both Ichiru and Zero's power were born out of Shiro's own pureblood power. It would certainly not work much on him.
"What are you implying?" Zero voiced after a while. He wanted to just collapse from all the new information he was receiving. Everything was new to him. Not to mention everything was a huge shock too.
How he wished Kaname were here… It felt like any more of these shocking news and he knew he wouldn't be able to take it…
"…I know for sure that the Association was behind it." Ichiru's expression could only barely mask the intense rage and hatred that he felt. It was quiet but his aura was filled with killing intent so thick they could almost touch it.
Aido's breath hitched when he felt the intense pureblood aura from Ichiru while Kain could only grit his teeth and hug Ruka closer. She was visibly trembling from feeling the younger twin's scary aura.
Zero looked down then. He closed his eyes as he gritted his teeth. "…Let's continue the conversation later." His voice was quiet but it held no room for argument.
Ichiru nodded as he also felt that the hunters chasing them were closing in. "You're right."
The heart of the forest was cold and eerily dark during the night. There's also a slight mist, preventing the light of the moon to penetrate the ground. Not to mention the thick bushes and tree branches almost made everything pitch black. Zero was thankful that he was a vampire or else he wouldn't be able to move as swiftly as he could now. He could feel the cold night air on his skin as well as the dew from both the grasses and tree leaves. They were hopping from tree branches to tree branches at such a swift pace that no one would have been able to see them at all.
Aido, Kain, and Ruka were following him quietly from behind while Yoru was maintaining a slight distance on his right. On Zero's left was Ichiru. The younger twin still looked in pain but there was no visible wound on his body anymore.
Zero couldn't help but glance at his brother. He never thought a night like this would come… He thought all this time that Ichiru was already dead. To think he would see his brother as an adult…
And then his eyes widened as all of them stopped in their tracks.
"When did they get here?" Yoru voiced quietly as he scanned the eerily quiet surrounding.
"It's an ambush." Ichiru's amethyst eyes immediately turned crimson as he readied himself for a fight.
"Kiryuu." Aido voiced as his eyes turned crimson as well. He was more than ready to fight but he was also worried about the older Kiryuu. He knew that there was no way Zero could fight his co-hunters. He had been with the silver-haired hunter for too long to know that Zero was one of the kindest people alive. There was no way he could fight his comrades to the death… It might be possible if they really provoked him and hurt those who were important to him but Zero would most likely be in deep pain afterwards.
His Kaname-sama was right. Zero really was just too kind for his own good…
"To think they will send the Elite Force on top of sending ordinary hunters to stop us." Ruka voiced quietly. Her eyes had turned crimson as well. She didn't know the Elite Force at all but she could still surmise as much seeing that some of the presences in the forest ahead of them were almost similar to that of Yuzuru's. Not to mention some of them felt almost as powerful as Zero when he had yet awakened as a pureblood…
Kain clenched his hands into fists. It was an ambush indeed. The number of those hunters was overwhelming… He knew that if Ichiru and Zero were to work together against the hunters, the situation could probably be advantageous for their small group. However, Zero would most likely hold back since those people were once his comrades. He also knew that even though Ichiru and Yoru were strong, those hunters were also trained to kill vampires. Currently, they were in a very disadvantageous position…
He knew that Aido would most likely try to protect Zero as much as he could seeing that the blonde was more than just infatuated with their leader's mate. Kain also knew that his lover Ruka would also do the same if only to protect Kaname's blood mate. It meant that escaping the situation without getting hurt was, at the moment, impossible. Not to mention he needed to protect both Ruka and Aido… and Zero too if he could.
"Tch. This is definitely troublesome." Yoru, the only person whose aura was that of a hunter in their group, seemed to be the one who was most agitated by the situation. "Can I go all out?" He asked the question to no one in particular but everyone knew he was asking Ichiru for permission.
The younger twin smirked. "Wipe them all out." But then he received a glare from Zero, as to which he couldn't help but sigh. "Or rather, don't kill them since nii-san here might cry."
"So…" Yoru stretched a bit. "…leaving them half alive is okay, right..?"
"Suit yourself." Zero gritted his teeth as his eyes turned crimson too. If at all possible, he really didn't want to fight against his co-hunters… He wasn't close to most of them in any way but he still knew them personally. Fighting to the death would be impossible for him… He also now knew how corrupted and rotten the Hunter's Association was based from the experiences he'd had. However, hurting the lower ranked hunters for the fault of the higher-ups was just plain violence. It would not help him or even Kaname in the slightest bit… On the other hand, it might even be used against him by the Association… to make him out to be an out-of-control vampire… to initiate a hunt against him and Kaname…
Kain sighed. Based from Zero's troubled aura and tensed expression, the redhead knew that the teen must be thinking of some useless things now of all times. "Kiryuu-sama," he made sure that his voice was clear and that he really had Zero's attention before he spoke next. He also got everyone in the group's attention but that was fine too, since what he was about to say wasn't meant for Zero alone. "I know you must be thinking of how it will turn out if ever we were to antagonize or hurt the hunters… I know it might result to an all-out war against the Hunter's Association and the Vampire Council. I also know it might bring harm to Kaname-sama's reputation. However, please do not forget that the hunters are currently hunting us now. I'm sure that–"
"Kain." Zero's voice was clear too, effectively making Kain stop whatever he was about to say. The redhead bowed, thinking he would receive punishment for speaking his mind towards a pureblood. He was ready for it. However, what Zero did next made even Kain gape a little. He gave the redhead a small smile. "Thank you."
Kain was right. All Zero kept thinking about were the consequences in case they were to fight against the hunters. He wasn't thinking of the present situation at all. While he was still hesitating, they were already being hunted.
He really needed to organize his priorities. He knew he wouldn't be able to fight them to death. Unless… unless they would threaten the safety of the people important to him…
Everyone who wasn't aware of his train of thought, however, all blinked at the hunter when Zero spoke those words. What was he thanking the redhead for?
Zero exhaled out a soft breath as he closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, he was more than ready to fight. "Everyone, I know this is selfish of me to ask… but please don't attack them unless they initiated it." Ichiru and Yoru looked ready to argue since they have already talked about it but Zero's expression didn't allow them to interrupt. "If they do attack, then we can go all out."
"You mean we'll just stay here and let them have the initiative?" Ichiru arched an eyebrow at that. "You know that would be close to suicide. The Elite Force is with them."
"If they were to attack us first, it would be late if ever–" Yoru wasn't able to finish what he was about to say when Zero let out the extent of his aura. Even Aido and the others had to grit their teeth to prevent themselves from dropping onto their knees.
"I know." The hunter said with as much authority as a pureblood would. "However, attacking first will mean that we have really done something wrong and are being defensive about it. I don't remember doing anything against the Association."
"Of course you did." It was Ichiru who talked. He was the only one who didn't seem affected by his brother's aura. "You have a mission, right?" He smirked when Zero gave him a glare. It seemed Zero realized it now too. "In case you've forgotten, you were sent here to exterminate me. However, not only did you ally yourself with me, you're also helping me escape as of now."
"…" Zero had no retort to that. Instead, he focused his gaze in front of him. The hunters were closing in at a very swift pace. "…I will not let my brother die. Not again will I lose someone important to me."
Ichiru's eyes widened at that. He then closed his eyes before he smirked again. "Instead of worrying about me, you should focus on protecting yourself more… since you're currently weaker than me in terms of pureblood power."
"They're coming." Aido voiced just as the first bullet skidded just past him. He smirked just as the whole surrounding turned a few degrees colder. Some of the dews on the bushes had even crystallized into ice. "It's show time."
And the fight immediately started just a few seconds later.
More than thirty hunters appeared from the darkness and directly engaged in the battle directly. Their weapons varied from guns to swords… or even bow and arrow. Some even used pure silver tonfa and some carried their own signature scythe. There were even those who carried nothing but a dagger. It meant that they were used to hand-to-hand combat more than those who used long-ranged weapons. Needless to say, all of them were trained to hunt and kill vampires.
It was different than simply fighting Level Es or Ds. The hunters were much more intelligent and composed, more cunning in their attacks and more calculating than any Level Es out there – synchronized or not. And even for Aido, Kain, and Ruka, it was a really tough situation. It's their first time fighting all out against the hunters.
At the moment, everyone who dared come near them was either frozen, burnt, or controlled but no one could deal damage equal to death. They were all holding back, which was much harder to do than just simply going all out. They were all much too aware that they were fighting against humans. Ichiru and Yoru were used to it since it wasn't their first time engaging against the hunters but even they were being driven into a corner because of the sheer difference in number.
The Elite Force were still on standby just some thirty to forty meters away from them but Zero knew that for the Elite Force, that much distance could be covered on foot in less than a minute.
Yoru hid himself well as he started aiming at his opponents with a hundred percent accuracy. The hunters might be swift in their movements but he wasn't called a sniper for nothing. He could see his companions' burning crimson eyes and it helped a lot in locating them in the darkness of the thick forest since everyone was moving at such a lightning speed.
For a mere Level E, simply burning them or freezing them, or even just firing a bullet at them was enough. For a hunter, it was a whole different thing altogether. Aido would use his ice on a hunter, only for that hunter to swiftly dodge him and then fire at him. The same could be said with Kain and Ruka. It was much harder to fight since the hunters were capable of logical thinking. Not to mention they were much, much stronger than ordinary Level E. Not to mention, yet again, that they were just ordinary hunters. The Elite Force had yet to move.
The fight continued on for almost an hour until they managed to make the number dwindle to only a few remaining. Everyone was tired and used a good amount of power and ammo but there were still several hunters fighting against them.
Kain had long abandoned the hope to simply defeat the two hunters who had ganged up against him and was now fighting in order to burn them to death. Their teamwork deserved a reward. Aido and Ruka were panting, sweating, and obviously tired from fighting three hunters at once.
Zero was currently fighting against a hunter he only knew by face. And judging from the way the hunter moved and attack, the older Kiryuu knew that it was only a matter of months, week even, until that hunter was moved from being in the normal division into the Special Division called Elite Force. Even when he was finally losing to a much powerful pureblood, the hunter still maintained his expression as he looked at Zero. The silver-haired teen understood what that expression meant very well – disdain and repulsion. It was how he looked at vampires before he knew he was one… And now those same expressions were directed at him. Talk about ironic…
Most of them even heard some spiteful and nasty remarks from the hunters they defeated. The only consolation they got was the fact that only the ones who were still standing in the end had the right to say anything. The sore losers should just shut up and keep their comments to themselves.
Ichiru, on the other hand, had long finished his fight with all the hunters who were unlucky enough to pick him as opponent. He wasn't the type to be very merciful, especially to the hunters.
Yoru sighed when the battle between his companions and the hunters ended after several more minutes.
"Shit." Zero couldn't help but curse. The fight had dragged on long enough for the Elite Force to move in. He looked at the hunter who lay unconscious beneath his feet before he looked at his companions.
They kept trying to hold back the whole time because they still treated the hunters as humans. It was only natural for him to think that way because he had considered himself as human in the past. For Aido, Kain, and Ruka, it was the most natural thing to do too since they had been living in Cross Academy for some years now. The Academy, as they all knew, was a place where coexistence of vampires and humans was greatly promoted. Not to mention Kaname, their pureblood leader, was also a person who upheld the same ideals. In short, the three nobles had been too used to that lifestyle.
It resulted to the four of them being driven to a corner because the hunters would never even think of holding back against vampires.
"I'll say this now so listen well." Ichiru who also noticed the same thing voiced. "If you four continue to fight like that, you'll definitely die." His expression was so serious that Aido and the others couldn't help but gulp.
Zero closed his eyes and sighed. He knew Ichiru was right. If he kept on holding back like that, simply wanting to knock the hunters out, he would end up having a hard time winning against powerful hunters. He didn't want to end up getting hunted down by his own organization. He also knew that it wouldn't be good if he were to be captured, or worse, killed by the hunters too. Kaname would die as well…
The swishing of coats could be heard loudly, especially due to the forest's quietness. The footsteps were almost quiet, too quiet in fact, for humans to have. Even the auras that the hunters had were too predatory for the older twin's liking. Not to mention the swiftness of which they moved and surrounded Zero's group was very remarkable. They had managed to spread out into a circle in the short span of time that the vampires used to breathe out.
Zero could feel his own heart beating frantically in his chest as he waited for their arrival. Now he knew how it felt like to be hunted. One by one, the members of the Elite Force appeared from the shadows, circling them and at the same time trapping them in the middle. That formation was usually used by hunters to kill exceptionally strong vampires – to prevent them from escaping while at the same time attacking them from all direction. Their cloaked hooded figures were very daunting even for the three noble vampires.
Zero didn't want to admit it but he was worried about Aido, Kain, and Ruka. It's true that the three of them were exceptionally talented and powerful even for nobles. However, they didn't exactly have that much experience when it came to fighting hunters. Not to mention Elite hunters whose sole purpose in life was vampire extermination. He's also worried about Ichiru even though he knew his brother was strong enough to fight them head on. Yoru might be a hunter but he might as well have been a vampire since he was basically a traitor who was collaborating with a pureblood.
"Kiryuu~!" One of the hunters called his name with an almost singsong voice. "Why are you over there~?" There were some snickers from the other hunters.
"Yeah, shouldn't you come over here and hunt them with us?" Another one asked. "Shouldn't your mission be to hunt that half-pureblood down and exterminate him?" This time, no one laughed.
"Have you fallen so low that you can't even do any hunter mission anymore, Kiryuu?" The third hunter who spoke took off his hood. His eyes were almost ablaze with quiet rage. Aido and the other noble vampires snarled at him for even daring to speak ill of their leader's mate.
"Hirako." Zero voiced, looking at one of the persons who gave him that particular mission. It seemed Shin was still blaming him for Rey's death even now.
"We'll give you one more chance, Kiryuu." Another Elite Force member voiced. He took off his hood too. Zero recognized him as Kyou, the middle-aged hunter who came with Shin the day before. The amethyst-eyed teen finally remembered him as one of the top hunters the Association had. He was in the same league as Yagari and even other older hunters respected him a lot. He threw a hunter gun in Zero's direction. The gun fell just a few feet from the young hunter's feet. "You can use that gun. Or you can use your own hunter weapon."
"Is that your brother, Kiryuu?" Shin smirked, his eyes filled with raw sadism. "Good, good. Now I can have my revenge. I'll definitely watch this till the end."
Zero finally realized what they wanted him to do. They wanted him to prove his loyalty to them by killing Ichiru… and most likely all his other companions. "You want me to carry out the mission." He said quietly, though his voice still echoed throughout the surrounding since it was fairly quiet except for everyone's erratic heartbeats. He could feel Ichiru's tensed aura from behind him.
He knew one wrong move and everyone would end up attacking them. And yet, there's no way he could ever hurt Ichiru… especially not now that they had managed to repair a little bit of their relationship as brothers. What to do… what to do…
He just hoped that none of his companions would be idiotic enough to just jump the hunters blindly. That would result in an instant death.
"That's right." Kyou voiced out just as every other hunter nodded. "We can accept the fact that you're a hunter only if you will kill those bloodsuckers behind you."
All the vampires' eyes behind Zero had turned dark glowing crimson. And the teen didn't even need to command them anymore. In the next two seconds, just right after the obvious insult had made it to their ears, Aido, Ruka, and Kain all launched an all-out attack against the hunters while Ichiru used his fire power to deal as much damage to the enemy number as possible. Yoru settled into a defensive stance and used his hunter gun to shoot fellow hunters. The silver bullets wouldn't kill anyone except when fired in fatal areas, but it was still a bullet fired from a gun. It would definitely hurt.
Zero didn't have a choice in the matter since all of his companions had already attacked. They were forced to spread out from each other and flee when heavy shots were fired at them repeatedly from all directions. Several charms were also repeatedly chanted so they had no choice but to separate if they didn't want to end up getting killed together.
The older Kiryuu was forced to hop from tree to tree in swift movements if he didn't want the four Elite hunters to catch up to him. He was heading towards the northern part of the forest. The hunters pursuing him were running on foot on the ground but they were almost catching up to him. He knew it was because hunters could sense if a vampire was near and in what direction they were heading. However, it was still unnerving to think that those four could end up killing him if he wasn't very careful.
He could feel Aido and Yoru's presences heading east while Ruka and Kain were heading west. Ichiru alone headed south. Three hunters were also running east while two were chasing after Kain and Ruka. Those hunters were trained to hunt down even the most nimble and powerful prey. It wouldn't be easy for his friends to defeat those people without drawing out the will to kill them… He could feel five hunters pursuing his brother and they were most likely attacking him incessantly, if the aggressive auras those hunters emitted were any indication. Not to mention he could hear rapid gunshots from all direction. Kyou and Shin were part of those pursuing after Ichiru… Zero hoped against all odds that his brother could win against them. And Ichiru was still injured from his own attack just a few hours ago too…
"Don't die, everyone." He whispered into the cold night air just as several silver bullets skidded past him. It seemed he could no longer prevent the inevitable. He would have to fight them head on if he wanted to come to his friends' aid on time.
His eyes turned deadly glowing crimson just as he stopped running and waited for them to finally arrive. He then turned around and moved in vampire speed just as more bullets were fired at him in rapid succession. He tried to block out his mind from thinking negatively about things and tried his best to focus only on the enemy in front of him.
He had landed on the grassy ground with a soft and quiet thud. The four hunters' faces were already exposed because all those running made their hoods fall off to their napes. Nevertheless, they were quite a formidable bunch, more so than hoards of Level Es.
They used their teamwork to the fullest and complimented each other's techniques. They focused on firing continuously at Zero who kept his lightning vampire speed to evade all the bullets coming at him at almost point-blank range. It wasn't his style to hide and disappear into the darkness but he used it to his advantage just to get leverage against his opponents.
"Don't hide, Kiryuu!" One of the hunters whom Zero only knew by face shouted. He was clearly agitated because the teen kept appearing and disappearing in front of them, making them lose a lot of ammo pointlessly.
Zero concocted his plan with as little time as possible so he couldn't exactly come up with a more dignified way of fighting. He wanted them to lose their ammunitions in vain so he could fight them in a hand-to-hand combat. There was still the problem with hunter charms, especially in a large group of four hunters, but he would deal with that later.
When the teen was already pretty sure that almost all of their ammo were used, he finally appeared from the darkness and attacked in the swift, graceful, and predatory way of a pureblood vampire… and yet at the same time in the precise, calculating, and elegant way of a hunter.
He used all the hand-to-hand training experience he'd had as a hunter and combined it with the strength and swift movements he had as a vampire. Even when his vampire side was sealed and he was still a hunter, he was already considered a prodigy in the Elite Force. He was the strongest of his batch and he was fairly stronger than even some of the older hunters in the Elite Force. He thought nothing of it then since the strength of a hunter wasn't really in the rewards and fame he gets but in the way he could carry out a mission without fail and survive to tell the tale. Now, however, he was glad that he trained and got to the position he had back then.
The hunters had the upper hand in the battle because of their numbers. One of them kept chanting hunter's charms while the other three kept him busy in the fight. However, they lack the strength to keep up with his incessant and swift attacks. They ended up using knives and daggers to fight him.
He had managed to knock out the first hunter when he used a little bit of his vampire strength to chop the enemy's nape with his hand. The second hunter was done in after a few more minutes when he delivered a strong blow on the hunter's abdomen with his fist. It didn't take a minute to knock down the third hunter since he was already alone. He received minor cuts on his arms and torso but they were already healing slowly by the time he focused his attention on the last hunter. The teen knew that the wounds would have already healed a long time ago if the weapon used wasn't silver. A few scrapes and cuts might sting him but it was nevertheless not enough to kill him.
Zero's eyes widened when he was suddenly forced to kneel down on the ground. He found out he couldn't move just as a small circle appeared with him in the middle of it. Characters which made sense only to a hunter like him appeared and bound him. The charm! It seemed the fourth hunter had managed to finish it thanks to his companions. The teen gritted his teeth when he tried to fight the charm and ended up feeling electrocuted instead.
"Stop your futile struggles. There's no way you can move from there." The hunter was panting when he spoke. It was a high caliber technique which was usually set up in several places before the mission would even start because it takes up too much time to chant. It would then be activated when the vampire set foot inside the circle. It was rarely used in the middle of battle, especially against a noble vampire or higher. Due to the way he was kept distracted and busy by the other three hunters, however, the creation of the charm was successful.
"…Binding Charm." He voiced just as the hunter nodded.
"I'm terribly sorry for this, Kiryuu." The hunter closed his eyes as he pulled out a hand gun and walked towards the teen who was still kneeling on the ground. Zero could tell that the hunter was hesitant and he really didn't want to do it. However, 'Mission is everything. Life is nothing before it.' The hunter's code wasn't something to be taken lightly.
The amethyst-eyed teen could hear the fast beating of his heart as he felt helpless inside the circle. He was sure the gun was loaded with silver bullets. It seemed he wasn't quite as successful as he thought in ridding their ammo. There was no way he could escape this situation now.
And then his eyes widened. He's a hunter too. Not to mention he's also a vampire. Blue fire appeared in front of the hunter, immediately distracting him from pulling the trigger. Zero used that opportunity to recite the counter-charm in order to null the technique used. It was a very difficult thing to do – to both focus his attention in chanting and yet to also focus his attention in scaring the hunter with his power without actually hurting him.
"Kiryuu!" The person shouted on the other side of the fiery hot blue flame and fired a shot at him just as he finished enchanting the counter spell.
His eyes widened when he felt it – the bullet entering his left chest – and the pain that immediately spread out like fire within his body. The bullet wasn't silver. It was red. It was designed to capture him alive and not to kill him. The four hunters had planned to capture him alive right from the start. He was glad he didn't think of killing them…
However, the fact that his whole body felt like it was on fire made him scream in agony. He knew the blue fire might already hurt the hunter since his sense of survival was already kicking in so he immediately extinguished the flames with all he had. He saw the hunter avert his gaze to the side, obviously not enjoying the situation too, before pointing the gun at him once again. Zero panted just as he barely evaded the two shots that followed. The third shot, however, had hit him on his left leg because he dodged to his right side. Despite the terrible pain and the sense of wanting to just collapse on the ground, he still ran towards the hunter with all his might and kicked the gun from his hand. But that was all he could do. The pain was just too much for him to handle. He collapsed on the ground and lay on his side as he tried his best to get away.
He knew it was all his fault because he refused to go all-out against them right from the start. Nevertheless, he was still glad that he didn't do so.
The fourth hunter sighed and smiled in a defeated way as he took the gun from the ground again. "I'm really sorry about this, Kiryuu." He then pointed the gun on the teen again. This time, there's no way he would miss since Zero was sprawled on the ground just in front of him.
The teen closed his eyes and prepared for the worst. His breath hitched when two more shots were fired. And then his eyebrows creased. He didn't feel the bullets hit him. He slowly opened his eyes to look at his fellow hunter.
"That's too bad. I'm out of ammo." The hunter looked apologetic. His gun was pointed some meters away from Zero. He then took a step backward before he talked again. "You better leave this place soon. The hunters… are in ally with the Level Es. Those hoards of Level Es might be mindless and simply thirst-driven but their number can overwhelm you and your companions."
"Why..?" Zero talked quietly. The pain was almost blinding, but he was still surprised that the hunter was actually letting him escape.
He was surprised when the hunter chuckled. "…Kiryuu-senpai. You really don't recognize me, do you?" He then took another step backward. "You saved me in one of our hunter missions in the past. Consider my debt fully paid. Next time…" He then took another step towards the darkness. "…next time, I will definitely complete my mission."
Zero exhaled through his gritted teeth when the hunter was finally far enough. He also tried his best to maintain his quiet aura so the others would not be distracted in their own fights. He then closed his eyes and did his best to not scream when he had decided to remove the bullets from his body. It wouldn't be good if they were to remain there. The pain would be much, much terrible than what he could feel now.
He was glad that there was still first-aid kit in his small bag. He used his remaining bandages on himself and let the pain subside for a few more minutes before he tried to get up.
He could feel that Aido and Yoru were being driven into a corner because there were three Elite hunters fighting against them. He closed his eyes and wished that Kain and Ruka were to arrive on time. He could feel their presences running at full speed towards Aido's direction in the east. He let out a small sigh of relief when he felt the three of them fighting on par with the hunters. It seemed they had abandoned the thought of holding back a long time ago too and were currently fighting with everything they had.
He could feel that Kain's aura seemed weakened. He was hurt. Yoru seemed hurt too but he was still fighting.
And then his eyes widened.
Ichiru's presence suddenly got weaker before it totally disappeared.
.
.tbc.
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Ren-sama's Note:
Sorry for the cliffhanger, everyone. Please, review~!