Present day

Cross Academy

Zero watched the body of his twin that had been placed into a metal bed covered with a glass dome. This corpse carrier contained enough magic to stop the body from decomposing or going into the rigor mortis stage. It was kept at the Hunter Association's HQ but would remain in zero's possession for now.

He felt the presence of Cross behind him and turned around. The older hunter looked tired. Dark bags under his eyes and his usually well-kept hair in disarray. Since the two Kuran siblings left the academy, all the weight of the aftermath of battle with Rido Kuran fell onto his shoulders. The Association was president-less and they all turned to Kaien for guidance and he also had to handle the questions being bombarded by the parents of the students.

Zero let out a sigh.

"You look awful."

"I know." Kaien tried to bring some cheerfulness to his demeanor but the forcefulness of it was obvious.

"I am sorry, Zero. I really am." Kaien knew that despite not showing it, to Zero, the death of Ichiru was like living the nightmare of the death of his parents all over again.

"There's nothing you could have done that would have changed this outcome, so don't be. He chose this fate." Zero was bitter, don't get him wrong, but these feelings would be tampered down soon enough so he didn't dwell on them.

"The plane is ready. I will be gone by noon." Zero informed Kaien.

"When will you be back?"

"I don't know."

Kaien couldn't help the morose feelings from showing on his face. His daughter was gone with her fiancée and now his son would be gone too. He knew that he would return. Both of them would but having them so far from him pulled at his heart strings.

"Be safe." He couldn't use the usual farewells as none would suit the purpose of this trip.

"I will be."

The jet was luxurious. The inside was covered with extravagant velvet seats. The windows were lined with a golden metallic material that was infused with hunter magic to enforce the safety and prevent magical interference. There were two main seats in the condo-like airplane. Both facing each other. A round marbled white table was to the side with a small basket containing a variety of colorful flowers. There was a long seat that was in the design of a bed covered with thick sheets made of pure Egyptian cotton with a high tread count. Despite the association crumbling to dust, many of its facilities, like the private jets at the disposal of hunters, were still available for use.

Zero, being a Kiryu, had easy access to all of these facilities due to his family having provided much capital to obtain them.

However, all these details escaped Zero as the metal bed was steered inside alongside with his luggage. The air hostess introduced herself but he could not bother to actually listen to her and just nodded at the end of each of the sentences she uttered.

After the grueling safety explanations from the air hostess and a few words from the pilot, the engine was on and the jet off the ground.

The air hostess and the two stewards present were trying their best to converse with Zero and to make his flight pleasant but all their attempts were unsuccessful. The boy was deep in thought and barely acknowledged them.

His mind was on their destination. The ancestral Kiryu home.

It was an immense territory that spanned nearly six thousand acres. It was in the colder regions but snow wasn't an issue. The mansion in the heart of the property was as old as his blood line. To his knowledge, it was built when the first vampires and vampire hunters emerged. It was full of family secrets that he couldn't even imagine.

This would be both the twin's first visit to the place. His eyes stung at the morbid thought. He wished Ichiru had had the chance to see what both their parents raved about.

They had always been told that this property was part of their identity. That when the time was right they would be able to access the place. But, this hardly seemed like the right time.

Since Zero was but a child when his parents were murdered, they had been buried in the town neighboring the academy. This was a very unstandardized procedure for the Kiryus as all were taken to the ancestral home after their demise. Zero had not been old enough to access the property and hence they had to be taken elsewhere. He had not been able to honor the death of his parents but he would allow Ichiru to rest in his rightful place. The tombs found beneath the mansion.

He had no idea of what to expect once he actually got there. He had only seen the mansion in pictures in an album. He had no actual direction to use and didn't know whom to contact once he landed.

The property was restricted area that could only be reached by car. There was, thankfully, an airport in the town nearest to it. Hopefully, he would be able to converse with a taxi driver in his rusty Cuman dialect.

He was shaken out of his thoughts and his eyes focused on the face of one of the stewards. They had reached Kursh. The place where his history began.

He took a heavy breath and before the stewards could do it, he took hold of the front handle of the metal bed and steered the body of Ichiru outside.

He didn't know what awaited them outside but hoped he would somehow manage.