"At last!" Anju said as she walked out of the hospital doors. It had been weeks, but finally came the call that she could be discharged. She thought of finally being able to return home, back to school and usual life. And then her thoughts turned back to her prefect duty, and the challenges it normally ensued. At that moment, her mood dipped.

Still, such an activity would obviously be easier than anything else she had endured up to this point. Being wrapped up in horrid experiments, facing terrifying vampires up close, battling hideous monsters; surely there were few at her age who could give a first-hand account of such terrors?

"Anju!" Chairman Cross rushed up to hug her from behind. Anju expertly dodged him, causing him to fall face first upon the pavement.

"Anju…" Chairman Cross groaned from below. "W-Why…?"

"Because." Anju deadpanned. "Anyways, are you sure you should be out of the school at such an important time? I heard that there are a lot of security details going over back there."

"The teachers will do fine without me." He said as he got up, brushing the dust off himself. "If anything, I'll just get the lowdown from Ford and the other Hunter Association staff there. At least let me personally get my very own daughter back home!" At this he now teared up and prostrated before Anju, bawling like a little child.

"That suspiciously sounds like you simply wanting to blow off boring paperwork…"Anju frowned. "But, I guess I can relent and let you be selfish for today since you do appear to be thinking about my well-being."

"Oh my dear, sweet child!" Chairman Cross now moved to hug her, but she blocked him with her palm.

"Just, no hugging." Anju said. "Now, let's get to the car and be on our way before more people see the strange things we are doing."

Chairman Cross now reached out and grabbed her arm, giving it a slight squeeze. "Hmm. Mr. Aidou wasn't joking. You seem a little tougher now."

Anju let her hand drop, causing him to let go in the process. True, during the physical rehabilitation sessions she did note that, while slight, there were definitely physical changes that had occurred. It still wasn't at the level of basic combat, but everything from her own muscular strength to her stamina and maybe even her physical endurance had risen. "Yeah. It was a little weird to know about it. My body being host to Yuki seemed to have conveyed a little bit of that vampiric toughness in me, though I am glad it wasn't such a drastic change." She recalled the other tests that had occurred, the quickest confirmation being how she had not retained any of the regenerative capabilities. While she did admit that had its uses, it wasn't something that she found comfortable having.

"And that would be for the best." Chairman Cross nodded. "Quite a great deal of inconceivable events have been drawn to you, what with being bitten by a Pureblood and then becoming host to the conscience of one."

"Well, a part of me does miss her." Anju nodded. "She wasn't just someone living in the back of my mind. She was another friend to me. I still can't believe she is gone."

"Still, I think that was for the best too." Chairman Cross said as he led her to the car. "Ms Yuki Kuran would definitely have been a powerful voice in this day and age. However, she too realised that doing so came at the expense of your own freedom. If the records of the Kuran family are of any indication, she would not have wanted that from you." He now took out the keys, unlocking the car doors. "But if there was one thing I would have liked, it would be to say my thanks, for keeping you and everyone safe."

"She did a lot after all." Anju replied as she got in. "Everything from our success at Kraven castle to getting me back here was all thanks to her."

"Not to mention saving the life of Cassandra." Chairman Cross nodded as he started the car, driving them out of the hospital grounds. "I would be thrilled to enrol her into Cross Academy again if possible. Still, as it stands she will need to be tried accordingly by the Vampire council and the Hunter Association. Even a representative of the government is coming down to witness this."

"So much for just Cassandra…" Anju frowned. "This is a really big deal."

"It's not every day that global security is compromised by a very powerful and megalomaniacal vampire." Chairman Cross explained. "And now, adding in the fact that we have a Vampire Hunter terrorist group spells great concern for all."

"Looks like the world is going to see quite a bit more turmoil in the days ahead." Anju said as she gazed out the window. "I really hope nothing bad happens, especially to Senior Akira or Ichigo."

"Oh yes." Chairman Cross stated. "You've just reminded me. Ichigo will be absent from school for a while now. Recent events have made it clear to him that he has to strengthen his own skills as a Hunter. To that end, he is required to undergo rather extensive training."

"Oh." Anju replied. "So, how long will he be gone?"

"Who knows?" Chairman Cross said. "Such training could take months, and it isn't the prettiest."

"So I've heard." Anju said. "And what about Senior Akira? What about the other Vampire Knights?"

"I hear they'll be having their own training lessons with Sir Kiryu." He replied. "Having to need to manage against Project Paragon and its creations, I'm sure they feel the same way as Ichigo does. In fact, all of us will need to prepare for the coming conflict with the Kraven clan. I have even heard that the Vampire Knights are mobilising worldwide."

"Spare no expense huh?" Anju nodded before her thoughts turned to another subject. "And, what about Cassandra? When is her trial date?"

"No news yet." Chairman Cross answered. "But it seems the Senate is settling for sometime next week. Gives both parties time to build a case after all."

"Who will be Cassandra's representative?" Anju asked.

"Oh, she will represent herself." Chairman Cross said.

"Wow, really?" Anju blinked in surprise. "She isn't in the best position at all. She must be very brave to be judged that way."

"I'm sure she was influenced by a certain human along the way." He smiled. "It may not look it, but you and her have some things in common."

Anju smiled fondly, though she was still concerned about the Pureblood. "Can I request something? May I please sit in the trial? I think I ought to see this through to the end, for Yuki's sake as well. We were responsible for her current situation, so we should see it through."

"I had a feeling you'd say that." He smiled. "So I have already sent a message to Queen Ai about it. I'll let you know when she gives me her reply."

"Thanks." Anju said. "I can't wait till this is over."

"For now though, you should focus on getting settled back into usual life." Chairman Cross responded. "We are about an hour away from home. Why don't you get some rest?"

"Sounds like a good idea." Anju nodded, her eyelids already feeling heavy. Who would have thought that being discharged was such a tiresome task? She yawned as she inclined the seat back, closing her eyes as the car drove on.

"C'mon kid." Ford frowned. "You really sure that's all you've got?"

"Shut up Ford." Ichigo panted as he balled his fists. "I told you, I'm just getting started."

"You shouldn't be 'just getting started'." Ford growled. "You should have been ready before we even began this! If you really want to progress to the expert levels of Hunter rankings, you'll need to do better!" Without another word, Ford rushed at Ichigo, delivering a palm strike right at his face. Ichigo darted left before the strike connected, launching a quick jab at Ford. The older Hunter dodged expertly, all the while continuing to pressure Ichigo with multiple attacks.

It had already been three days straight since Ichigo began this training. Of all the most gruelling and punishing training regimens employed by the Hunter Association, the worst of them all was for those aspiring to attain the rank of Deathdealer. Amongst the Hunter ranks, this was said to be the most dangerous and the most unforgiving. Deathdealer were among the most deadly of vampire hunters; trained to relentlessly hunt their prey until death was delivered, foregoing any sleep or rest. They were amongst the most zealous of Hunters, and it was no surprise that those who made up their number were those who had lost close friends or family to vampires.

Ford now gave an uppercut to Ichigo's chin, knocking him off-balance before landing three fast punches to his abdomen. Ichigo staggered slightly before Ford rushed in against, this time spinning quickly and delivering a fast elbow to his chest. Ichigo was lifted off his feet and landed a few metres away.

He gritted his teeth as he tried to get to his feet, but Ford stepped down on his bare chest, pinning him to the floor.

"What's wrong?" Ford asked. "Three days without sleep starting to get to you?"

"Why don't you let me get up and then find out?" Ichigo growled.

"Your attitude is the only thing actually worth a damn here Ichigo." Ford replied. "You came to me saying that you wanted to become stronger so that you could fight this Mortis Kraven and his monster armies. Well, if this progress is what you're so proud of, then it'll be decades before you are even ready." Ichigo braced his hands on the floor again, pushing up against Ford with all his might. However, the veteran Hunter's foot didn't even budge.

"What's wrong?" Ford asked. "Running on empty now?"

"You wish." Ichigo snarled as his hands now reached toward Ford's foot. Still, although he hated to admit it, Ford was right. The last few days had been difficult, even with his vampiric traits bolstering him. Every minute was spent on training and strengthening his own prowess, with no opportunity for rest or relaxation. If there was only one thing that drove him onward now, it was his desire to see Mortis and his allies dead. Or, rather it might be…

"What happened to you Ichigo?" Ford asked. "Compared to all the times you have fought before this one feels… tame. What happened to that ferocious kid who would stop at nothing to see his enemies beaten?"

Ichigo frowned as he now realised Ford had released the pressure on his chest. He could now escape anytime he wanted, but Ford's query did ring true. He relaxed, letting his hands fall to the floor while he breathed. He had to admit that with a small amount of introspection, he was surprisingly calm. Most Deathdealer trainees tend to be more edgy. "You know, we've always referred to vampires as beasts. But ever since that girl, that Kuran princess became a small part of me, I've been wondering if I was the same…"

"Go on." Ford urged, though he kept his foot planted on Ichigo.

"Don't get me wrong, I hate those monsters with all my being." Ichigo said. "It's just, this time that hatred feels more like it smoulders… Like, it won't burn until I need it to…"

Ford listened intently as Ichigo explained himself. "So? What's your point? Are you telling me that your spirit is winking out since you met that ancient Pureblood?"

"Hell no idiot." Ichigo replied. "Haven't you been listening? The drive to kill those things is still there, but it feels more tempered, reigned in. Call it what you will, but just rampaging through them won't work, not anymore. Mortis is stronger than I am, and even with all my anger pushing me, I couldn't even think about doing a thing to him."

"Yeah…" Ichigo continued. "I need to get stronger. But I can't do it through anger alone. I see that now."

Ford frowned, contemplating the situation slightly before lifting his foot off Ichigo. "At last, you finally learned something valuable. Maybe now you'll actually mature as a Hunter."

"Was that actually a compliment?" Ichigo asked. "Wow, didn't think you were the type."

"Shut it kid." Ford growled. "Just in case you have forgotten, I kicked your ass down to the floor."

"And in case you have forgotten…" Ichigo snickered. "Deathdealer training involves tactics to ensure a kill." Ichigo now braced his hands backward, pushing himself off the floor and landing both of his feet on Ford's face. The older Hunter staggered at the blow before Ichigo landed another at his gut. Ford however recovered quickly, raising his hand to block the following left hook.

"Not bad." Ford grinned. "The old you wouldn't have done something like this."

"I won't be fighting vampires that hunt humans from now on." Ichigo said. "Mortis and his cronies aren't like those Level Es or human feeders, least of all those Paragon monsters."

"Good reasoning." Ford nodded. "Maybe you are finally getting into this."

"Can you feel it?" Ren asked her nephew who now knelt in the centre of the dark room. The only light came from the moon which shone past the circular glass roof above. "Can you feel your own blood pulsing within your veins?"

Akira breathed, concentrating his senses to their utmost. It was common knowledge that vampires were stronger in the night. However, that strength was also something that could be honed, made better and more dangerous. From their own senses of sight, smell and hearing, to their own supernatural powers that coursed through their bodies. Through his training, Akira had already become familiar with the usual abilities of a Pureblood, such as the summoning of shadow Familiar creatures and moulding them into different forms. However, he had yet to attain the more advanced levels, such as the use of telekinesis and creating much more powerful shadow constructs. Thus, he realised that training was necessary to combat possible foes like Katarina.

"Now, concentrate." Ren instructed. "Focus on the construct you want to create."

Akira nodded in silence, focusing on the image in his mind. Now, dark wing constructs sprouted out of his back, formed from a combination of his own blood and his shadowy familiars. He had studied this extensively since the end of the battle at Kraven castle and was aware of the more archaic technique, but supplementing this with his raven familiars would likely be less strenuous. Even so, the strain was still something he wasn't used to.

"Focus Akira." Ren said. "Forming them is the first step. Ensuring they stay stable will require much more effort."

Akira groaned as he put more of his focus on the wings, trying to contain their shape while still supplying the blood required. The wings continued to writhe and twist upon his back as the young Pureblood strained against them. Suddenly, the wings snapped, dispersing into fragmented shadows while his blood sank back into his body. Akira gasped as he felt the full brunt of the recoil.

"Hmm." Ren frowned. "It seems more work will be needed for you. You'll have to focus on maintaining the structure of your construct."

"How did grandmother do this so easily?" Akira wondered. "Even if she had to use bits of Anju's blood as a small catalyst, it seemed effortless for her."

"Your grandmother had power the likes of which most vampires couldn't dream of." Ren replied. "But she did not get to that stage by just twiddling her thumbs. It will take much effort for you to accomplish in months what she likely took years to do."

"I heard that grandmother formed wings successfully on her first try." Akira said as he wiped some sweat from his brow.

"That was slightly different." Ren said. "From what I know, she was undergoing severe emotional stress at the time. Her powers went into overdrive. And before you get any ideas my dear nephew, know that such trauma would likely come at a much too heavy cost."

"I am aware." Akira nodded as he resumed his pose again. Slowly, he tried to form his wings, getting to the same level before they dissipated again. Akira ground his teeth in frustration amidst the exhaustion.

"We have long nights ahead it would seem." Ren noted as she tossed a towel to Akira. "Get some rest. Sunrise is approaching."

Akira wiped his sweat away before he stood up, following his aunt out of the training hall. "It would seem I won't be around to govern the Night class if I were to pursue this."

"While I do empathise with your desire to prepare for the future conflict," Ren said as she continued walking down the hallway, knights saluting her as they walked past. "I don't think that sacrificing your time at the school is a good idea. The vampires and even the human students look to you for support and guidance, especially during this hard time of uncertainty."

"And yet, I failed to adequately protect the students on two accounts." Akira lamented. "I require greater strength auntie, and quickly."

"Don't let your ambitions blind you Akira." Ren cautioned. "While your aspirations are noble, they cannot cloud your judgement and responsibilities to your people."

"I understand auntie." Akira nodded. "And I do have a plan for such a contingency."

"Oh?" Ren arched an eyebrow, curious as to her nephew's suggestion. "And what may this be I wonder?"

"I don't intend to say it right yet." Akira explained. "I can only confirm this to all within the next few weeks."

Ren frowned at her nephew's words, wondering exactly what he meant. Then, considering the events taking place then, realisation dawned. "Hmm, I must admit that is a good idea, should the council and the judges approve of it. What makes you think you can convince them?"

"What makes you think I can't?" Akira smiled wryly.

"What a smart-mouth you are." Ren sighed, though couldn't help but chuckle herself.

"Sooo…" Stefan mulled as Francois typed away at the computer set up in their makeshift camp at the abandoned Kraven Castle. "How is it going?"

"As I have said for the past thirty minutes now…" Francois groaned. "Not very good. Considering the data mainframes were blown up, incinerated and crushed by a powerful Paragon monster, we were lucky enough to even salvage this." He now gestured to the files that he had managed to download from the central mainframes deep within the laboratories. "And the encryption on these files is ironclad. It'll probably take me a month or longer to even crack this."

"Ai is hard-pressed right now for information." Stefan answered. "Every minute we take doing this is another the Kraven clan has to get their project's development back on its feet."

"Well, what about the bodies of those paragon monsters?" Francois asked. "Thanks to that Blood Siren every single one of those beasts are dead, with their corpses ripe for the taking."

"They just flew the first batch out to the Association's ship." Stefan said. "Still, that is going to take a while, and I doubt the captured Lestat is going to be talking anytime soon. So it would be very helpful if you could crack this thing. Like now."

"Don't pressure me!" Francois snapped. "I know that you aren't the best hacker in the world so you can hardly be blamed for not understanding this. But you need to know that this isn't as easy as it looks! I am working as hard as I-"

Suddenly, a beep sounded off Francois's computer. "Can…" He droned as his attention shifted back to the screen. "Well, it seems I have managed to decrypt a small part of the file, but it is small. It's going to be a while more before I finally get this whole thing sorted."

"Does it at least say anything useful?" Stefan frowned.

"Let's see…" Francois now tapped at the keyboard before a single word came up. "Huh. It is a file named 'Alucard'."

"Alucard?" Stefan blinked. "Is that a place? A person?"

"No idea." Francois said. "The decryption is still going, so I can't confirm it yet. But this could be significant. We should let Ai know."

"I'll take it from there." Stefan nodded as he walked away, glancing once more at the foreboding castle. "Unfortunately, I don't think she is going to like what we have have in store."

Author's Note:

Apologies for the long time to upload. With the final University term back on and my main Research module now kicking off, I have found it difficult to devote more time to writing this story. That and along with difficulty on how to progress from here means I need more time to actually lay out the current arc of this story. Please bear with me while I do my best to finish this properly.

Once more, please read and review; they are very much appreciated.

Jdbl00d