Chapter 25: Common Enemy

Although it was not crowded, the humans present were starting to stare, causing Aoi to get nervous. She had suggested that her mistress hide behind a hat and long jacket, and appear as plain and commonplace as possible, but Shizuka had refused. Aoi had not been surprised, because her mistress was rather picky about her attire, always dressing well.

So here they were at a countryside train station, with Shizuka glaringly out of place, as conspicuous as a lighthouse at night. Even if her beauty had not been so striking, her expensive outfit of a deep purple kimono, and a beige cashmere stole would have caught attention. Aoi would not be shocked if Rido-sama or his minions showed up right there and then.

Aoi shifted her worries from her mistress's conspicuity to the reason they were there – Shizuka-sama was going to meet with Kaname-sama. The male pureblood had invited her mistress to meet at one of his vacation villas and discuss the plan to deal with Rido-sama. He had offered to send a car and pick her up, but her mistress had declined since it would attract Yuki's attention. Yuki had been curious why she was going on a trip alone, and Shizuka-sama had lied, saying she was visiting Erina who she had not seen in a few years. Aoi suspected her mistress had also rejected the offer to be chauffeured out of a desire to ride the train…she could be whimsical like that.

The loudspeakers announced that the train would leave in ten minutes and that passengers should begin boarding. Aoi handed the ticket to Shizuka, who took it with a gloved hand and examined it with mild interest.

"Shizuka-sama, don't lose that ticket, you'll need to show it to the ticket inspector. You're taking first-class, so you shouldn't be sitting next to anyone. Don't forget to get off at the eighth stop and transfer to the other train. Take that train for five stops and get off. Kaname-sama has arranged for someone to pick you up there. All this info is on the note in your clutch."

Aoi saw her mistress smiling amused and felt even more concerned. Had she been listening? Shizuka-sama was smart, being a pureblood and all, but she was one extremely sheltered pureblood – one that had never gone anywhere on her own. What if she missed her stop and ended up on the opposite side of the country? Aoi's imagination even had her fearing her mistress would somehow board a ship and end up in a different country!

Aoi wanted to accompany her mistress, but had been told to stay and guard her Ojou-sama, alongside Toma-sama (who had agreed to come and watch Yuki for the three days Shizuka would be gone).

"Shizuka-sama, if anyone approaches you, ignore them. There are a lot of suspicious men with bad intentions out there."

At that, Shizuka laughed lightly. "I can handle that, I did marry one such man after all…"

Aoi frowned, displeased her mistress was still in the mood to joke, but continued her reminders. "If you get hungry, you can buy food with the money in the clutch. Shizuka-sama, you remember my explanation about the different coins and bills right?"

"Yes, it is hard to forget your thirty-minute lecture," Shizuka answered blithely.

Another announcement informed them the train was departing in five minutes.

"Do not worry Aoi, I should go now," Shizuka reassured her.

Nodding reluctantly, Aoi walked with her to the first-class carriage. She handed the small suitcase to Shizuka who took it and waved lightly before boarding and vanishing inside the train. Aoi remained on the platform, watching the train until it disappeared into the distance.


The silver-haired teenagers got out the car and examined the vacation home of Kaname Kuran. They had not seen another residence the whole ride up and would not be shocked if Kaname owned the entire mountain. All around them were trees and the sounds of nature.

"Kiryuu, Kaname-sama will see you in a few hours. Before that, you can have dinner and rest in your rooms." A low female voice interrupted the silence, startling Ichiru.

He turned to see Seiren, Kaname's personal servant and bodyguard, behind them. It was disturbing how she excelled at getting around without being detected. Ichiru wondered if her ancestors had been ninjas.

Zero nodded and she walked past them with brisk strides, leading them into the house. They were shown to their bedrooms, which were adjacent to each other on the second floor. After the twins set down their luggage, Seiren took them to the dining room where a warm meal awaited them. They ate and returned to their rooms to rest. Ichiru napped but Zero was too wary to do so and passed the time reading instead. By the time Seiren knocked on their doors again, it was midnight.

Seiren led them down to the living room where Kaname and an unfamiliar female in a kimono were leisurely sipping wine before a crackling fireplace. Kaname did not bother rising from the leather couch when they entered.

"Welcome to my humble abode, Zero and Ichiru."

Ichiru felt like rolling his eyes. Although no expert, even he could tell that everything in this house reeked of wealth. Even the curtains probably cost a few months wages for the average worker.

Kaname's dark eyes rested on the younger twin as he inquired, "I assume Zero has given you the rundown about our deal?"

Ichiru nodded. He had mixed feelings about the pureblood. On the one hand, it was thanks to him that he was cured, but on the other hand, Kaname expected Zero to kill a pureblood, which was almost the same as sending him on a suicide mission. Zero was the most talented hunter to appear in a few generations, but he was still human. Most hunters could match level Ds in physical strength and speed, but it was substantially harder to keep up with the aristocrats, much less the purebloods. Furthermore, it would take a group of hunters working together to seriously injure a pureblood, and Kaname was sending Zero alone.

"Ichiru is just here to keep me company," Zero interjected. He had not wanted Ichiru to come, but Ichiru had pestered him until he agreed. "Anyway, why is another pureblood here? I assume she's not the target if you're drinking with her like old friends."

Zero stared hard at the brunet, his hunter instincts almost screaming in the presence of the two purebloods. These two were on a different level than Yuki Kuran and the Toma pureblood.

Ichiru turned to stare at the female pureblood, an extraordinarily beautiful woman with a quiet and elegant air. She caught him staring and looked straight back at him with her pale pink eyes. Quickly, he looked away, blushing despite knowing she wasn't human and probably much older than him.

"I am here because your target is my husband, and because I will be helping you kill him." The woman finally spoke, her tone dispassionate despite what she had announced, as though it were normal for wives to participate in the murder of their husbands.

Kaname gestured to her. "This is Shizuka Hiou, and like she said, she'll assist you in killing my uncle, Rido Kuran. More accurately, you'll assist her. She'll do most of the fighting, you just need to deal the finishing blow when the time is right."

"How do you expect me to fight alongside a pureblood, especially one I just met?" Zero asked angrily. It was ridiculous that Kuran thought he would accept this.

Kaname narrowed his eyes. "Kiryu, you should be grateful. With her responsible for the brunt of the fight, your likelihood of survival increases exponentially. You can even look forward to fulfilling the deal with no limbs sacrificed. Unlike us, your arms and legs don't grow back when lost."

Zero glared at the brunet, while Ichiru reflected on his words. Kuran had a point, and Ichiru was frankly glad Zero only had to do the finishing blow. To hell with a hunter's pride and whatnot if it meant surviving. Ichiru had always been more concerned with the result than the process, though he was curious why this woman wanted to kill her husband. Rido Kuran must really be something for both his wife and nephew to desire his demise...

Before his older twin could argue, Ichiru spoke up. "Kuran-san, assuming Zero manages to kill the target, what happens afterwards? We all know the Senate will not let the death of a pureblood go unpunished…" Ichiru smiled sarcastically. "You would not be so inconsiderate as to have Zero take the blame, would you?"

Kaname smirked. It seemed Ichiru, despite his ineptitude as a hunter, still possessed their annoying insolence.

"You don't have to worry, Zero will not face repercussions from the Senate or others for Rido's death. I can guarantee that more than I can guarantee his survival. And since we've reached this point, the two of you meeting me without the knowledge of your parents or the headmaster, we should have more trust in each other," Kaname said calmly. "Ichiru, don't forget it's thanks to me that you're still alive."

Ichiru frowned but kept silent.

"Why do you two want to kill Rido? I don't want to get involved in some meaningless family quarrel," Zero spoke with a low voice.

Shizuka ignored his question, continuing to look with disinterest at the flames in the fireplace.

Kaname crossed his arms and stared at him for a few tense seconds before replying, "You don't need to know the details, Kiryu, but what happened between us is far from 'meaningless'. All you need to know is that Rido has been turning humans without consent and that he's a threat to both vampires and humans. Just think of it as putting down a rabid dog and accomplish your task."

Zero clenched his fists at the brunet's commanding tone but accepted his words. If Rido Kuran had been violating the treaty between vampires and hunters, that was all the motive and justification he needed to hunt him.

Observing the hunter's reluctant acceptance, Kaname finally moved on to the main reason they had gathered. "Rido is crazy, but he's not weak. If you don't want to die, you better be as prepared as possible. I will not be joining the actual fight because I have to deal with something else then, but I'll join Shizuka in training you tomorrow so your chances of success and survival increase."

He turned to Shizuka and let her take over.

"I can only say that I will restrain Rido for a short while, and at that moment you need to finish him off. Before that, just focus on not becoming a casualty," she stated with a relaxed tone that seemed unfitting.

Zero growled, "Don't underestimate me and treat me like some sidekick."

An amused smile flitted across her lips. "Have you fought a pureblood before, young hunter?"

Zero grimaced, knowing she knew the answer even if he did not reply.

She gave him a piercing gaze. "You are the one underestimating if you think purebloods are anything like level Es…"

Zero blinked and suddenly found her beside him, holding something hard against his throat. His body stiffened at the imminent danger. It was hard to believe she could move so fast in her cumbersome kimono. Ichiru gaped, alarmed at the situation but Kaname merely leaned back in his seat, swirling his wine glass and observing them with an entertained smile.

"You are a fine hunter for someone so young, but it would be wise to learn your limits," she whispered into his ear.

Shizuka retreated, and Zero saw that she had only been holding a folding fan. She smiled somewhat tauntingly, her point having been made. "Don't take my teasing to heart. I simply think it would be a shame if you lost your life fighting that husband of mine."

Zero mentally reprimanded himself for having somewhat let down his guard seeing she was a woman.

"On that note, you two should go to bed, tomorrow's training will start early," Kaname announced, ending the meeting.

Before Zero could object to being ordered around, Kaname turned to Shizuka and inquired if she would like to see the greenhouse, to which she replied yes. The two purebloods then rose, bid them goodnight, and departed.


Kaname handed the whiskey cocktail to Shizuka and started working on his own. They were back in the parlor after the tour of the grounds.

"This is a pleasant villa. The greenhouse is nice, and the grove of sakura trees is lovely," Shizuka complimented her host.

"I'm glad you approve of the sakura trees, though I know they can't compare to those at the Hiou estate," Kaname said, smiling lightly.

"What I like the most here is the view." He gestured out the windows. "This night sky, the same as 10,000 years ago."

Shizuka looked at the view for a while before speaking. "10,000 years is a long time. I have not reached the 3,000 year mark and already find it too long…"

"Yes...most of our kind reach their limits around then," Kaname replied with a touch of sadness. Sometimes he wondered how he had held on the past 10,000 years, the majority spent in cold, dark slumber.

Shizuka shifted her gaze from the skies to her companion. "So why do you choose to remain when everyone else has gone?"

He was silent for a period, his garnet eyes fixed on the golden hue of the whiskey. Finally he spoke softly, "Like you my lady, I do it for love."

She regarded him quietly. "I see."


Seiren knocked on their doors at the crack of dawn, and after a quick breakfast, the twins followed her out to the gardens and into the woods The sky was still dark, but the sun encroached steadily on the horizon. A fine layer of snow covered the trees and ground. After ten minutes, they reached a large clearing. Kaname and Shizuka were already there, sitting in wicker chairs and conversing over tea.

While Kaname wore a gray trench coat, Shizuka wore yet another kimono. Today it was deep blue with a chrysanthemum pattern. Although the outfit suited her, Ichiru wondered how she could fight dressed like that. Female kimonos were not the best attire for ease of movement.

The two purebloods halted their discussion and turned to look at the twins as they followed Seiren over.

"Let's not waste time, Kuran, what training do you have planned?" Zero asked tersely.

"Good morning to you too, Kiryuu," Kaname replied and smirked at the hunter's impatience. "Though rude, you're right, we shouldn't let more time slip by."

"The training is simple. We need to see how fast you can go, since your focus is surviving until you to deal the fatal blow. For now, you will dodge my attacks," Shizuka explained unhurriedly.

She stood and beckoned Zero to follow her to the middle of the clearing. Meanwhile, Ichiru remained at the edges, watching beside Kaname.

"Try not to get hit." Shizuka smiled slightly as her eyes took on a red glow. She raised a hand and the snow-covered ground near them cracked as threatening vines emerged.

The vines started moving towards Zero at alarming speeds, some to his left and some to his right. Adrenaline kicked in and Zero jumped out of the way before the vines could entrap him.

"Let's increase the speed," Shizuka remarked. With another of wave of her hand the vines redirected and surged towards Zero again. He was caught off guard by the drastic change in speed and got smacked in the chest and knocked onto the ground. Refusing to let the vampires see him in pain, he suppressed a wince and quickly got back to his feet.

Shizuka exchanged a glance with Kaname before turning back to Zero. She then returned her vines to the ground and said, "Let's move on to another exercise – try hitting me with your gun."

Zero stared uncertainly at her; even though she had monstrous regenerative powers, being hit with his bullets in either the head or heart could be fatal.

"Do as I asked, young hunter. I won't be standing still, compliantly waiting to get shot."

Zero nodded, frowning at her recklessness. He would just aim for her limbs. Aiming his gun at the woman only a few meters away, he steeled himself and pulled the trigger.

With the first shot he realized his worries had been unfounded. Although she had not been far from him, she vanished from view the moment the bullet was fired.

On instinct, he whipped to his left and fired at the blur he glimpsed, but she evaded him again. This continued another few minutes with him trying to acclimate to the pureblood's speed. He eventually managed to track her, but it was tough and his shots kept missing.

Kaname observed the struggling hunter and confirmed his suspicions that Zero was still too weak. Zero would need to take more of his blood, enhancing his power and speed to the maximum of what his body could handle before it broke. The brunet sighed, it would have been much easier if he could just turn Zero into a vampire – his speed and strength would increase much more without the risk of him dying from consuming too much pure blood.

Unfortunately the hunter clung to his humanity ferociously and refused to even entertain the notion of becoming a vampire. It was no surprise, Kaname knew hunters would never accept someone who had been turned. The bad blood between the hunters and vampires ran deep, across several millennia of killing and revenge on both sides. Even he himself still resented hunters, despite his logical mind…

Shizuka had stopped moving and now stood a few feet from the frustrated hunter. "You are too slow,"she stated plainly.

Silence settled as they pondered what to do. Although the plan was for Shizuka to restrain Rido so Zero could finish him off, she could not guarantee how long she could hold him. And Rido would be fighting seriously this time, unlike a few years ago when he had found her and Yuki.

"Um…if we just need to slow the target so Zero can shoot him, I might be able to help," Ichiru ventured cautiously.

All eyes turned to him and he suddenly felt rather self-conscious.

He swallowed before continuing, "I've been working on a spell to immobilize vampires within its range, and it also amplifies the ability of hunter weapons to weaken vampires' regenerative powers."

Kaname raised an eyebrow, if Ichiru had actually succeeded in creating such a spell, it could be a turning point. He had never tinkered much with spells himself, that had been something his wife and a few of their companions had specialized in. Juri had also been partial to spells, having taken after his wife in that regard among others…

"Would you demonstrate this spell to us?"

Ichiru nodded. He needed to believe in himself and what he had accomplished. He needed the spell to work, so Zero could safely fulfill his end of the deal – the deal Zero had made for his sake.

Quickly, he followed Seiren back to the villa and hurried into his room for the talismans he had bought with him. When he returned, the two purebloods and Zero observed silently as he ran around the perimeter of the clearing, sticking a talisman on a tree every few meters. When he finally put up the last talisman, completing the circle, he cut his finger with a pocketknife. Using his blood, he drew a sigil over the talisman.

The dark red ink on the paper started glowing and as the incandescence peaked, the other talismans started glowing red, each lighting up in rapid succession starting from the talismans closest. Red liquid streamed out in thin lines from the charms, ignoring the terrain of the clearing and reconstructing the talisman pattern on the ground. When the pattern was completed, it glowed a blue color and finally stabilized.

"Shizuka-san and Zero should repeat their exercise now," Ichiru said, hoping his nervousness was not apparent.

Kaname exchanged a glance with Shizuka who nodded and walked into the realm. Zero followed while admiring his twin's newest spell. Of all the spells Ichiru had created, this was the grandest and most ambitious so far.

Zero raised his gun and locked his aim on Shizuka who stood regarding him with a neutral expression. The loud crack of the gunshot reverberated through the woods followed by more shots as Shizuka evaded his bullets. Zero was able to better keep up with her movements, and even though he still could not quite hit her, he was much closer. That encouraged him, and he forced himself to calm down and focus solely on the movements of his target and the feel of Bloody Rose in his hand.

Small metallic tendrils emerged from Bloody Rose's grip and snaked around Zero's hand before piercing his skin the moment he pulled the trigger. Fierce and violent barbed vines surged out from the muzzle, startling Zero. He finally noticed the tendrils digging into his hand, realizing they were sucking his blood.

Seeing the vines emerge from the gun and rush towards her, Shizuka reflexively called forth her own vines from the ground and blocked the attack. Her vines entangled with the metallic ones from the gun, holding them back. Forcing her to use her own power… not bad for a hunter.

Upon witnessing the phenomenon, Kaname's eyes widened and he leaned forward to look closer. What a bitterly nostalgic sight, he had not seen this form of Bloody Rose since he gave the gun to one the hunter ancestors.

He was the one who had forged Bloody Rose out of the parent metal. It was one of a handful of guns he had made – the majority of hunter weapons were swords and other blades. Weapons requiring ammunition were rare because although they offered a distance advantage, there was a finite number of bullets or arrows that could be created from her…from the parent metal.

Back when they were fighting the last rogue purebloods, he had used Bloody Rose a few times. The weapon, like all others created from the parent metal was alive and had sensed his vampiric nature. That was why it had transformed into this parasitic form whenever he used it; blood was power after all. Zero was the first hunter to activate this form of Bloody Rose – this might be due to his unique existence as a twin born to one of the oldest hunter lineages and to Ichiru's spell. Kaname smiled wryly, he had been correct to make use of the twins.

"This is Bloody Rose's true nature. In this form, it is stronger, but at the cost of your blood. To fulfill your end of our deal, that is a price you must pay."

At Kaname's words, Zero stopped trying to pry away the gun's tendrils. His blood was a small price to pay for the sake of Ichiru.

Kaname turned to his companion. "Shizuka, you can rest. It's my turn to train him, and I'm interested in experiencing Ichiru's spell myself."

Shizuka nodded and headed back to her seat. As Kaname got up and moved past her, she lifted her left arm, showing him the edge of her kimono sleeve, where two bullets had torn through the silk. Kaname smirked, the spell had indeed slowed her.

There was a palpable resistance as he crossed the threshold of the barrier and stepped inside, and Kaname instantly felt his body grow heavier. While the spell could not immobilize purebloods as it could with vampires ranked below level C, only hindering them instead, it was still a commendable achievement.

Facing the hunter, he announced, "Kiryuu, be prepared."

Kaname's eyes started glowing red as his right arm bulged and three bloody scythes emerged, ripping through his coat sleeves. Not waiting another second, he sped towards the hunter.

Zero leapt out of the way in time, the scythes deeply cutting into the ground instead. Compared to Shizuka's attacks which had felt like she was toying with him, Kaname's attacks were more vicious. With barely time to catch his breath, he dodged Kaname's subsequent attack. The two continued facing off with Zero soon parrying the pureblood's attack with Bloody Rose's vines.


Half an hour later, the talismans burned up, the pattern on the ground faded, and the realm broke. Zero ached with fatigue and his clothes were torn and bloodied. Kaname was in a much better state, but he still came out with a few scratches. He chuckled a bit at how out of practice he was compared to his past self during the warring era.

Before they returned to the villa, Kaname announced his verdict. "You two need more of my blood. Zero needs to be faster and Ichiru's spell needs to be stronger."

Scrunching his face in distaste, Zero protested, "We already had enough of your blood."

"Do as I say." Kaname's garnet eyes bore into Zero's amethyst ones. "You need to succeed, and if you refuse my blood, the only choice left is to turn you. Which do you prefer?"

"We'll take your blood," Ichiru interjected before Zero could argue. He saw the truth behind Kuran's words – even with his spell and Zero's talent, they were still at a significant disadvantage against a pureblood.

Kaname smiled, Ichiru had always been more practical. And if Ichiru agreed, Zero would follow.

"Wise decision. I'll prepare more vials of blood for you. This is all for today, as Zero can only use Bloody Rose in that form for so long. Rest up and we'll return for more training tomorrow." With that, their group dispersed, and Kaname headed back to his room.


After a shower and change of clothes, Kaname rested in his chaise lounge, pondering Ichiru's spell. Hunter spells mostly focused on restraining vampire prisoners and warding buildings against vampires. It was impressive that Ichiru had created a spell for use in the field. Although it was time consuming and inconvenient to set up, it had some value. Shizuka and Zero working together could certainly distract Rido long enough for the realm to be established.

Like vampire spells, hunter spells were based on the user's technical expertise as well as the user's blood. The stronger the blood, the more powerful the spell. While Ichiru's technique was top tier for a hunter, his spells matching those cast by level B vampires, the strength of his spells was limited given his blood. And neither the best hunter or aristocrat spells could compare to those cast by purebloods. After all, hunters derived the entirety of their powers from her, who had sacrificed her flesh and blood.

Kaname closed his eyes and sighed.

The progenitors had originally created spells to protect their camps and homes from other vampires. Even now, ten thousand years later, they help vampires hide among humans. The estates of each pureblood family were protected and hidden from prying eyes via enchantments. Some spells veiled residences in perpetual mist whereas others caused humans to get lost and wander in circles, preventing them from trespassing. Given how obsessive humans could be, these spells protected both vampires and humans from unwanted interactions. Less merciful purebloods protected their property with spells which afflicted humans with illusions that drove them mad, sometimes to the point of suicide.

As the generations continued, some purebloods had created the sealing spell that Juri had used on Yoko. However, the sealing spell was rather risky, with several documented instances where it had failed, with the sealed person reverting to their vampiric selves, often with their psyches damaged. Kaname had never approved of that spell, as the cost was too high for the success to be so uncertain. He lowered his gaze as he remembered Juri…it seems her sacrifice would be naught after all.

When he had bid goodbye to Yoko before heading off for winter break, he had sensed that her seal was weakening. Despite how she had acted fine, he knew she was probably struggling with the effects of the unraveling seal. Kaname opened his eyes and stared at the shaft of light that had infiltrated his curtains. He would not let Yoko become another victim of a botched sealing spell.


The cries of a baby rang through the cold and dark mansion, cutting into her.

She knew she should ignore them, but her body moved on its own, taking her down the long hallway. Eventually she reached the room at the end, and hesitantly opened the door. A crib stood in the middle of the otherwise empty room.

Don't go over.

She slowly approached the crib. The cries had stopped.

Don't look in.

She stopped right before the crib, keeping her eyes trained to the blank walls. It was not too late to turn back.

"Why did you stop, Shizuka?"

She turned to see him, and immediately made to leave. However, he grabbed her and dragged her back to the crib. Pressing behind her with one hand grasping her neck and the other restraining her arm, he forced her to bend over and look inside the crib.

"See that?" he whispered into her ear, his voice low and menacing.

She did not answer.

"You did this," he growled. "So after I kill Yuki, devouring her to the last drop of blood, I will punish you."

With that, he laughed hoarsely, and the bloody fetuses within the crib opened their eyes, eyes that glowed red and stared accusingly up at her.

With a start, Shizuka awoke. When the rapid beating of her heart calmed down, she glanced at the clock and realized a few hours remained until dawn. As expected, she could not sleep well at night, especially in a residence belonging to the Kurans. After a moment, she slipped out of bed, got dressed, and left.


Is it snowing? Ichiru wondered and reached out a hand to catch a snowflake. Upon closer examination, he realized it was a cherry blossom petal. Why would there be cherry blossoms in the middle of winter?

He followed the drifting petals to their source, and came to a small grove of sakura trees in full bloom. While the surrounding plants lay dormant, the sakura trees were vibrantly alive, giving him the feeling of being inside a snow globe. As he admired the exquisite scenery, he gradually became aware that he was being watched.

Searching around, he finally saw Shizuka perched on the largest tree, her pale pink eyes locked on him. She was clad in a pale pink kimono, and blended in with the blossoms. For a second before recognition clicked, he thought she was a specter or the spirit of the sakura trees. Despite her unnatural beauty and calm elegance, a thin veil of sadness surrounded her.

"Ah, I didn't notice you, Shizuka-san," he mumbled awkwardly. "Are you the one making the sakura bloom?"

"It is just something to keep myself occupied when I cannot sleep," she replied. "I assume you are also here because you are having trouble sleeping."

"Yes…it's hard to sleep when I think about the impending battle." Ichiru said, looking up at her. Unexpectedly, Maria's visage briefly flashed across his mind. He wondered if it was the slight melancholy surrounding both vampires that made him think of her.

"Even though you will not be the one fighting?"

"Of course I'm still worried!" Ichiru protested. "Zero is my brother, how could I not be worried about family?"

"Family?" Shizuka said somewhat teasingly, though her gaze retained its hint of sadness. "So you and your brother are close."

"It's hard not to be when we're identical twins."

"I heard you two are here because Zero made a deal with Kaname for your sake."

Ichiru nodded and hesitated before asking, "What about you? Why are you here, working with hunters to kill your husband?"

Shizuka caught a petal, then let it drift away with the breeze. At length she spoke, "For me and him, 'family' has never meant anything...so perhaps this was always where the two of us would end up."

Her words perplexed him, and upon seeing the confusion on his face, she smiled lightly. "Didn't you know it is detrimental for a hunter's health to spend too much time around purebloods? You should head back now."

"Well, I'm technically not a hunter…" Ichiru mumbled, but realized it didn't matter. "Are you leaving too?"

"I will remain a short while more," she said softly. "Goodnight."

Ichiru nodded and started walking back to his room. The image of the pureblood sitting amid the cherry blossoms lingered in his mind. Perhaps it was the faint sense of loneliness on her that drew him to her and made him feel an odd connection. Yet he could not understand this enigmatic woman who could be jesting one moment, and pensive the next. Halting, he glanced back at the grove of cherry blossoms in the distance and wondered if someone existed that truly understood her.

The night's chill eventually seeped into him, and he shivered. Remembering his worries about Zero and the imminent battle, he turned away from the sakura trees and returned to the villa.


A/N: 2022 is turning out to be busy, but hopefully I will be able to update the next chapter quicker.