Chapter 20: Vampire Soiree

A week after the ball, Yoko and Yori went to the stationary shop in town to buy school supplies. Soon after leaving the shop, Yoko felt a tugging on her coat and turned to see a child around the age of 5 holding her coat. He was a very cute child, with caramel brown hair and almost girlish features. His eyes were the most striking, one eye was red and the other blue. She had only ever seen heterochromia iridium in cats before, it was exceedingly rare among humans.

"What's wrong?" she inquired gently.

"I'm lost and can't find my mommy," he whimpered.

Yoko glanced at Yori. "I'll help him and meet up with you at the bookstore later."

Yori nodded and they separated.

Yoko knelt down to meet the child at eye level. "Let's go to the police station so an officer can help you."

"No!" His eyes shifted to the side when he saw her stare quizzically at him. However, he quickly looked back at her, this time with tears at the corners of his eyes and a pout on his lips.

"I know where mommy is, but I'm scared to go alone. It's not that far away. I thought about going myself, but I was worried I would meet dangerous people like kidnappers and never see mommy again." He looked up at her with his eyes wide, the tears threatening to spill over. "Onee-san, can you take me there? You look like someone I can trust. It won't take long."

He pointed down a small street and clutched her hand tighter. "Please?"

She nodded slowly, deciding not to bother the police with something so simple. He continued holding her hand as he guided her towards their destination. She glanced down at the child, pondering how he had a strong grip for someone so young.

"How did you get separated from your mother?"

"She was mean, not buying the toy I wanted, so I ran back to the toy store. I thought she would return for me and buy the toy car but she didn't. I hate my mommy!"

Yoko stayed quiet until they turned the corner. "You should apologize to your mother later. Throwing a tantrum and running off is irresponsible."

He stared up at her, his mouth set in a frown. Strangely, she thought she detected amusement in his mismatched eyes.

"You're mean Onee-san. You should be nicer to little kids."

Yoko wondered if she was too strict when she dealt with children.

"Even so, what is wrong is wrong," she said gently. "It's better for you to be taught this now than when you're older."

He made a moue of displeasure. "You sound like a schoolteacher. Are you like this because your mommy is a teacher?"

They turned down another street and Yoko made note of the sun's descent and the darkening skies as she replied, "Maybe..."

"So is she a teacher or not?"

"I don't know."

"How can you not know if your mommy is a teacher or not?" He asked, unwilling to let go of the issue.

"Because I've never met her. I'm adopted."

"Oh...that's sad." He looked down at his tidy shoes, then promptly looked back up. "So you don't know anything about your mommy or daddy?"

"No."

"Huh. Maybe they didn't want you so they abandoned you. I saw a story in the news where a baby was left outside a fire station in the middle of a blizzard. What terrible parents! I would hate them if I were the baby," he chattered on.

Although it has been said that children are very direct, Yoko wondered how the boy could speak so freely, not caring if his words would offend or hurt others. Even at his age, she had considered the potential consequences of her words before she said anything. What is said cannot be taken back, so she always thought before she spoke.

However, maybe she was excessively reserved. Her father had always complained she was not open enough and although she got along well enough with most people, there was almost always a slight sense of distance between her and her peers.

"Hey Onee-san," he halted, causing her to stop too, and peered up at her. "If that's what happened to you, would you hate your parents?"

Yoko's eyes widened slightly. What a question to ask a stranger.

When she was younger, she had wondered what had happened to her birth parents. Perhaps they were too poor to feed another mouth. Perhaps they died and their relatives did not want to raise her. Perhaps her mother was a young girl who got pregnant and could not keep the baby – a common story. Or perhaps they simply did not want her...there were parents like that too.

"No... there is no point in holding resentment," she said quietly after a few seconds. "Sometimes things are not meant to be, and we can only accept it and move on."

He tilted his head, his red and blue eyes studying her with an odd intensity.

He then smiled wryly. "I can't tell if you're magnanimous like a buddha or just plain cold. Either way you're not very fun."

She furrowed her brows, wondering if she had misheard. Such an incongruous thing for a child to say. There was something disquieting about the child, despite his innocent face.

He pulled her hand and as though having completely forgotten their conversation, cheerfully announced, "We're nearly there!"

He led her down one more deserted street and stopped in front of a derelict building. Weeds had overtaken the front yard, patches of rust adorned the metal gates, and the glass windows sported visible cracks.

"This is the place, thank you so much!" he said, smiling brightly at her.

"Are you sure? It doesn't seem inhabited…"

"Don't worry." He beckoned her to crouch down as if he had something of utmost privacy to convey. "Since you bought me here, I change my mind, you're not mean after all, Onee-san."

He then kissed her cheek.

Yoko was quickly overwhelmed by drowsiness, and before she could say anything, her consciousness went blank, and she collapsed on the doorstep of the building. The boy smirked and slipped into the building.


That same day, Zero was visiting the Hunter Association headquarters to fulfill some routine assignments. The headquarters were in a town inhabited almost exclusively by hunters and their extended relatives. While some retired hunters opened normal businesses like bars and cafes, others started more relevant businesses like weapon repair services.

Few of them ever completely washed their hands clean of the hunter life after retiring. After all, hunting was the vocation they were born into. It had been this way generation after generation, ever since their ancestors consumed the flesh and blood of their pureblood benefactor. Their duty had been etched into their genes - although they weren't vampires, they weren't completely human either.

Since it was hard to fit in with regular humans, many of them stayed in the town and that general area. There was also the important but unspoken reason of safety. It was not uncommon to hear tales of rogue vampires taking revenge, even after the hunters had retired.

Zero got off the train at the closest station and headed to the tram that would take him across town. From there he would walk the remaining miles to the headquarters. If he was lucky, he might hitch a ride with another hunter heading that way. This current town was still a normal civilian town. The hunter town was further away, not linked to the railway network given its need for secrecy and seclusion. Just as the average human did not know about the existence of vampires, they did not know about hunters either.

As he waited at the tram stop, he heard a commotion coming from a nearby alleyway and sensed the presence of a vampire. Heading over to investigate, he saw two men knocking another man around. He had seen the two men before and knew they were hunters, while his senses told him their victim was a level D. The vampire was in a servant's uniform, probably employed by some aristocrat vampire or pureblood, and clutching a box to his chest while the hunters harassed him.

"Hand the valuables over before we blast your head off," one of the hunters, a tall and rough-looking middle-aged man with a large scar across his left cheek threatened, before delivering another kick to the servant's side.

"I won't, this belongs to my master!" the servant refused and continued to weather the kicks and blows.

"Your blood-sucking master is rich enough to spare a few coins for us poor hunters," the skinny hunter with a gaunt face and beady eyes taunted. He pulled out a dagger and drew a thin slash across the servant's right cheek with ease. "Give it up or this blade is going into your neck next."

"I won't, even if I have to die!" the servant spat back defiantly.

"What a loyal dog." The skinny hunter regarded him grimly before his lips curled into a sneer. "I suppose the world would be better off with one less vampire anyhow."

He raised his arm, ready to plunge his dagger into the servant but the blade stopped right as the tip grazed the neck. He turned to see Zero gripping his wrist tightly.

"What're you doing? We only execute authorized targets!" Zero growled, angry the other hunter was breaking the rules for his own greedy purposes.

The other man yanked his hand away roughly, and Zero stepped back seeing he was no longer going to attack the level D.

"We should ask you that instead," the accomplice snarled. He had spat out his cigarette and was glaring at Zero belligerently.

"I'm upholding the rules of the association," Zero replied and looked him square in the eyes, refusing to back down.

"We know who you are…you're that Kiryuu boy," the hunter with the dagger leered at him. "How cocky you are just because you come from one of the oldest hunter lineages!"

Zero ignored the insult and spoke firmly, "If the level D hasn't done anything, you should not harm him."

"Why does it matter what we do?" The other hunter with the scar challenged. "He's no longer human – even if we carve up his face, he'll heal back up. He lost his rights to be treated like a human when he gave up his humanity."

"Kid, let's get this straight – there isn't actually any rule preventing the killing of a level D," the first hunter hissed. "The pact with vampires simply states that we can kill any vampires that have harmed humans. We can't tell which level D's have received their master's blood and which will fall to level E, so we're preemptively protecting humans by getting rid of them D's.

"That's twisted logic. Besides, you aren't doing this for the greater good, you were just trying to rob him! We're hunters, not bandits. Where's your honor?" Zero retorted.

Hearing him mention "honor", the two guffawed as though they had heard a hilarious joke.

"Honor? What do you think hunters are?" the first hunter cackled. "We aren't upholders of justice, we're simply mercenaries with enhanced physical abilities that allow us to take on vampires!"

"What're you going on about honor for? Honor doesn't bring food to the table, boy! We risk our lives just to eke out a living," the other hunter barked and jabbed a finger at Zero. "Go lecture a level E about honor when he's about to slash your jugular!"

"If you're concerned, why don't you care more about your fellow hunters? Those of us with less hunter blood are subjected to the same dangerous missions as you lucky ones," the first hunter paused and smiled cruelly. "Though perhaps 'lucky' is the wrong word. It must be hard living with the guilt of having killed your twin for that boost in strength and longevity. In a way you're just as monstrous as those vampires."

At those words, something inside Zero snapped and he abruptly grabbed the other hunter by his collar and slammed him into the wall.

"Shut up! You don't know a damn thing about me or Ichiru!" he hissed, his hands trembling in his fury.

The other hunter pulled Zero off his partner. "Let's stop wasting time here, that effeminate freak of a president wants us to complete our mission by the end of the week."

"You're right, let's go," his partner said.

He calmly returned his dagger to its sheathe, straightened his collar and walked away with his partner. Right before turning the corner, he called over his shoulder. "Word of advice, focus on spending time with that useless twin of yours instead of poking your nose where it doesn't belong – your brother doesn't have much time left."

Zero gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. Ichiru is not useless and he won't die! He can't...

His thoughts were interrupted by coughing which prompted him to glance over at the level D who he had almost forgotten about. The vampire was still lying on the ground, his back sagging against the wall. Zero stared with a mixture of fascination and repulsion at the bright red cut on the vampire's cheek. The cut was starting to close, even though it was healing at a much slower rate than usual thanks to the hunter weapon which had inflicted the wound.

But at least his wound would eventually heal, unlike for most hunters, Zero thought bleakly as he remembered Yagari-sensei's lost right eye.

Zero wondered if the hunter who just left, the one with the disfiguring scar across his face was pained by his injury. He knew his sensei's injury still troubled him now and then, especially when it rained. Every time Zero saw his teacher's eyepatch, he was hit with guilt, remembering that it was his fault his teacher lost an eye. His fault, and the vampires' fault as well...

The level D staggered up, clutching his side with one hand and his box with the other.

"You should leave quickly. This region is not a good place for vampires," Zero said.

The vampire emitted a low chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Zero asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I'm just thinking about the irony. Level D's like me no longer have rights since we gave up our humanity?" He threw his head back and laughed, before staring straight into Zero's eyes.

Zero wanted to look away but forced himself to return the stare. It was not the unnatural red glow of the vampire's eyes that disconcerted him. It was the all too human swirl of emotions in them: anger and sorrow.

"Yes...I willingly gave up my humanity in order to live. Do you know what it's like to have cancer eating away at your body? Being confined to bed just waiting for death's approach? Should I, and others like me – should we have just died instead? We follow the rules and obtain blood without harming anyone, and yet we're monsters for wanting to live on?"

Zero did not answer. He watched as the vampire slowly gathered the rest of his fallen belongings.

"When I was at death's door, my master saved me. He gave me his blood and in exchange, I pledged my loyalty to him. To this day, I don't regret it... even if I'm a so-called sinner." He fell silent for a few seconds before quietly adding, "Make of it what you will, but most humans I've met are worse than vampires."

The vampire finished picking up his packages and limped away without another word.

Zero stared after him until the man disappeared into the distance. He felt an uncomfortable sensation, the one he always did when he stared into his target's eyes before pulling the trigger. It was easier to kill if he forgot the fact they had once been human.

The sound of the approaching tram pulled him out of his thoughts. He remembered his errand and returned to the stop. On board the tram, he stared blankly at the passing scenery. In his head, the same words played in a tortuous loop: 'Your brother doesn't have much time left'.


When Yoko came to, she found herself on a chaise lounge.

"I'm glad you're finally awake, Yoko."

She turned to see Kaname sitting with legs crossed beside the chaise. He was dressed for a formal event and looking at her with a complex expression – a mix of concern and quiet displeasure. She quickly scanned her unfamiliar surroundings. A clock on the wall indicated over two hours had passed since she had left Yori.

"Oh no, I need to go to Yori, I told her to wait at the bookstore," Yoko muttered and tried to get up. Kaname gently pressed her back down.

"Wakaba-san has already returned to Cross Academy. Aidou and Kain bumped into her earlier when she ran around town searching for you. They told her to return first and that they would continue searching."

Seeing her confusion, he told her that he and the cousins had come to town for a vampire soiree being hosted tonight. In fact, they were currently in the basement of the abandoned-looking building where the soiree was to be held.

"Imagine my surprise, finding you unconscious on the front step, completely vulnerable to anyone with bad intentions. You're usually responsible, so how did you end up like that?"

"I'm sorry Kaname-senpai. A little boy got lost and asked me to take him to his mother. When we got here, he kissed me, and I seemed to have blacked out after that."

"He was most likely a vampire. Vampire children obtain energy through close physical contact with caretakers instead of sucking blood," he said and frowned, wondering if it was simply an unlucky incident. Seeing her observing him, he smiled lightly to hide his concerns. "Regardless, be more careful in the future."

He then glanced at his wristwatch. "It's time for me to go, the soiree is starting and as head of the Kurans I should not be late. Stay here until I return. I don't want you wandering around and encountering any dangerous vampires."

She nodded compliantly before asking, "Is Yuki also here?"

At her question, a hint of mirth crept into his smile. "Yuki could not come because she is busy with supplemental courses. Unfortunately, she has a lot of catching up to do."

That exact moment, back in the Moon Dorms, a frustrated Yuki was begging an irritated Shizuku to just do them both a favor and straight up give her the answers to her homework. Her stand-in tutor felt like tearing out his hair in frustration upon seeing her uncomprehending stare even after explaining the problem for the fifth time and wondered how a pureblood could be so mathematically challenged. He deeply regretted not accepting the invitation to the soiree like the elder Kuran had, and cursed Aidou for accompanying Kuran to the event. Her other usual tutors were all busy, Maria was off with the rest of the baking club at a baking competition, while Yoko was on a trip to town.

Shizuku wanted to yell. Where is everyone when you need them?!


Kaname had left, and Yoko was examining the room she was to stay put in. Although it was in the basement, the room was tastefully decorated. There were a few paintings on the walls and a large bookcase.

As she pondered her surroundings, there was a knocking on the door. The door creaked open just enough for a small face wearing a contrite expression to peek in.

Ah, the strange boy with the mismatched eyes. Yoko started to get up.

"I'm sorry I caused you to faint. Forgive me Onee-san," he muttered softly and fled.

Yoko hurriedly rose and pursued him down the hall, but he soon disappeared around a corner. She heard the sound of music and chatter and followed the noise to a balustrade. It overlooked a large gathering hall, filled with beautiful men and women – all vampires. She knew she should not be there, but curiosity got the better of her.

As she peeked down from between the balusters, she recognized many faces. Some guests were famous actors, musicians, scientists and CEOs. It was fascinating how they managed to keep their true identities hidden despite being frequently hounded by journalists and fans. She also recognized a few high-ranking officials of the vampire Council in the crowd below. She had seen their photos in discarded vampire newspapers that she occasionally snuck out from the Moon Dorm.

Yoko scoured the crowd and spotted Kaname near the eastern side. He was accompanied by Aidou and Kain and socializing with a familiar-looking, blond, middle-aged man.

As Yoko snuck closer, she realized the man was Aidou-senpai's father – she had met him when he visited his son at school on a few occasions. She stopped when she was close enough to hear the conversation below and hid behind a pillar. Hopefully Kaname-senpai would not look up and catch her spying. She had always wondered what he was like in his capacity as leader of the Kuran family, rather than the Kaname-senpai she was accustomed to.

Aidou's father introduced a pretty girl (apparently named Tsukiko and one of Aidou's older sisters) to Kaname. He stated he would be most grateful if Kaname-sama would take an interest in his daughter. At that moment Aidou intervened and hastily informed Kaname that he had not wanted this, offering apologies for his father's behavior. Kaname assured him it was alright, and equivocally replied to the elder Aidou that he would keep her in mind.

Yoko observed the proceeding with interest. It seemed it was not unusual for aristocrat vampires to offer their daughters to pureblood males as mistresses. After all, without purebloods consorting with aristocrats, the aristocrat class would gradually become weaker over generations as their vampiric blood became more dilute. This custom was not that odd considering how humans also use their daughters to form political and financial alliances.

She wondered how many of these girls were forcibly pushed at purebloods by their relatives. What happened to them after they became a mistress to a pureblood? Would children resulting from such unions be acknowledged by their pureblood relatives? Did the pureblood wives of those men have any say? Yoko shook her head, reminded of the double standards between the sexes. She wondered if Kaname and Yuki's father had had aristocrat mistresses on the side.

As she contemplated sneaking back to her room, she was stopped by the entrance of a newcomer. All other vampires besides Kaname bowed respectfully to the lady who had just sailed in, and Yoko understood she was a pureblood. There was something about her aura, perhaps the way she moved so languidly yet gracefully that suggested her rank. She was beautiful with cobalt blue eyes and long rich blonde curls that trailed behind her. Yoko was impressed with how long the pureblood kept her hair, it must be quite a hassle and Yoko already found her own curls annoying to brush.

She heard the pureblood, whose name was apparently Sara Shirabuki, ask the other vampires to not impose on Kaname and wondered if the two were friendly. Since there were so few purebloods left, what were relations like among them? She knew Shizuku Toma was close friends with Yuki despite how the two constantly bicker. Perhaps she would ask Yuki the next time she saw her.

Yoko decided she was done snooping for the day and started returning to her room. As she made her way back, she turned a corner without looking in her haste and collided into someone.

"Miss, are you okay?"

Glancing up, she saw a very handsome gentleman looking at her with a slightly puzzled expression. He had wavy platinum blond hair and striking grey eyes. His skin was noticeably tanner than most of the vampires she had seen, and she briefly wondered if his ancestors hailed from one of the more southern islands. He appeared the same age as Kaname-senpai, but it was difficult to tell with vampires.

She quickly bowed. "I am sorry for running into you, I failed to look before turning."

He examined her silently for a few seconds before speaking, "It is alright, but young lady, you are human, aren't you? You should not be here."

She gazed at him, wondering if he was one of those dangerous vampires Kaname-senpai had warned her about. He didn't seem ready to pounce on her though.

"I will leave soon with Kaname-sama, so please ignore my presence. I should go now. Once again, I am sorry," Yoko apologized again and reasoned that since Kaname-senpai was an important figure in vampire society, if she mentioned his name, maybe the other vampire might not bother her.

"That Kuran boy? Hm." His grey eyes regarded her with renewed interest.

At that moment, she realized he was also one of them. A pureblood like Kaname-senpai and Shirabuki-san.

Only another pureblood vampire would mention the Kurans so casually. It would also explain the way he stuck out. There was simply some quality about purebloods besides their stunning physical beauty that made them conspicuous. Perhaps they emitted special pheromones?

The pureblood smiled lightly, as though amused at something he knew but she didn't. "Is that so? In that case, until he comes for you, it would be wise if you hid. Unfortunately, some vampires here are foolishly instinctive creatures."

He passed by and headed down the hall, leaving Yoko to let out a sigh of relief. She then hurried back to the room and locked the door. As she settled onto the chaise lounge, she wondered who the male pureblood was. Judging from physical appearance alone, he did not seem to be related to Shirabuki-san or Toma-san.

Sighing, she resigned herself to the fact that purebloods were very mysterious and distracted herself by browsing through the novels on the shelves. Almost an hour later, Kaname returned and brought her back to Cross Academy, where a worried Yori scolded her for causing her such anxiety.


A/N: According to the wiki the Hunter Association is located in the town near the school, but I decided to change it. Since Yoko got attacked in town by a level E, it wouldn't make sense to have stray level E's running around a hunter-filled town.