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Through everything that had happened so far that day, Kaname had been amused. True, he had been irritated when the nobles had refused to show Yuuki the respect she was due as a pureblood and their future queen, but his amusement at the looks on their faces when Yuuki had shown them the fire he loved about her. He had even been amused and proud when she had stepped between Sara and himself, though a slight amount of concern had marred his amusement that time.
She wasn't in any real danger, even at that range he could have blocked any attack that Sara could have launched at her. He had been more concerned when Yuuki began to lose her control on her emotions. He wasn't sure what emotion was causing it, but he could feel her power brushing against his skin. It tingled and burned and he knew without looking that her eyes would be glowing red. He tried to get her to calm down, reminding her of the consequence of her actions, and then it wasn't necessary.
If anything, someone needed to remind him. Sara's words had tripped something inside him. Even the nobles' rudeness was nothing compared to this. He was even more irked by the fact that Sara seemed to enjoy the fact that she had angered him. No one had done that in thousands of years, as least no one that had survived the experience. And then to have the audacity to challenge them for the right to rule, he who had set the stage for the Kuran kingship and Yuuki the rightful heir to the throne, she would not survive the night.
The tension in the room was palpable. Everyone could feel the anger coming off Kaname in waves and the smug arrogance that was radiating from Sara. No one was sure what would happen next, the Kurans were well within their rights to refuse her challenge and send her on her way, but in doing so they would be releasing a dangerous enemy. Despite their curiosity, no one moved or even dared to take a deep breath. The situation was volatile, there were three agitated pureblood in the same room and any one of them was more than capable of destroying everyone and everything for more than a mile, and both Kaname and his sister had proven in the last few days.
Finally the silence was broken by Kaname, "Sara, we accept your challenge." His voice was level and only thing that betrayed his anger was a slight tension in his jaw, which was detected only by Yuuki.
"Kaname?" she asked, placing her hand on his arm and looking at him fear and worry clouding her eyes. She had seen just a glimpse of what a trained pureblood could do. The idea of a full blown pureblood battle scared her. That had been what had resulted in the death of her parents, why would Kaname willingly enter a battle. She felt panic grab her heart and felt nauseous.
He smiled down at her reassuringly. He could understand her fear, but it was unfounded. He had the blood and power of many purebloods, not just Shizuka running though his veins. That girl didn't stand a chance against him. True, he had thought that before, but this time he was going to be more cautious than he had been with Zero. Besides, Sara had challenged both Yuuki and himself which either meant that she was stronger than he thought or believed that Yuuki would be more of a liability than an aid to him.
"You accept?" Sara asked with a predatory smile.
"Yes, we accept," Kaname repeated. "Right Yuuki?" he looked at her smiling reassuringly.
Yuuki looked at him and fought back tears. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want to fight. She didn't want to risk losing him like she had lost so many others and she didn't want to have to kill Sara and she knew that there was no way this would be solved without either their deaths or Sara's. Please don't make me do this, she begged mentally.
"Yuuki?" he asked stroking her face. "We accept, right?" He hated seeing the pain in her eyes, the pain that he was forcing her to go through, but they couldn't let Sara leave after what she had just done and they couldn't let the nobles think that Yuuki was weak. She had to fight with him. Seeing both the regret and determination in his eyes she nodded mutely and felt a tear slip down her face at the feeling that she was sealing her own doom.
Sara watched the exchange between the Kuran "siblings" with disdain. She couldn't believe that two people could be that sappy, let alone two pureblood. It made her sure that she had done the right thing in challenging them together. She had originally figured that by fighting them together she could get Yuuki to do something foolish to protect Kaname and make him careless in his anger at her pain. He knew that she had been the reason he had played his hand and destroyed the senate, she had heard him (through a spy of course) tell Ichio that it was because Rido had harmed his sister before Kaname had destroyed them all.
Now however, she realized that Kaname may also do something foolish to protect Yuuki. This was turning to be a better plan than she had originally thought it was, and she got to be queen in the process.
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Kaien watched the exchange between the purebloods and felt anger sear his veins. When he saw Yuuki cry he wanted to charge into the fray. He was trusting Kaname to take care of his daughter and instead he was putting her in more danger and making her cry. While he couldn't blame Kaname for the Rido incident and couldn't fault him for destroying the senate, which lead to the current situation, he could hold him responsible for any harm Yuuki came to from him accepting a challenge that he had every right to refuse and for getting her involved in the fight.
He could also blame Kaname for making him feel powerless in his own home. However much he may have been involved in this world for the long years of his life, this was actually not his world. He held no power here except, perhaps, the power to make requests that Kaname and Yuuki might turn into orders. He hoped they would listen to him because he had a bad feeling that Sara was going to try to have the fight at the academy and he was worried as to the effect that might have on the other inhabitants of it.
He was proved right a moment later when Sara said, "So shall we step outside and settle this?"
Kaname nodded his ascent and gestured for her to lead the way. "Kaname-kun," Kaien heard himself say. The nobles and Sara turned to look at him in disgust that he, a mere human, would address a pureblood so casually. Zero and Yuuki facepalmed in response.
Kaname alone was unphased by the headmaster's address of him. "What can I do for you headmaster?" He asked calmly.
"Please," Kaien said approaching Kaname and Yuuki, "I understand why you have to do this, but please don't do it here. This academy had already been the site of one pureblood battle that resulted in the modification of the memories of most of the students; I would prefer not to put them in that situation again. Is there anywhere else you can do this?"
Kaname thought for a moment, then nodded shortly. "I know somewhere else we can have this battle. That is, if you are willing?" He said addressing Sara with the last part.
"Of course I do not mind a change of venue as long as there will still be witnesses to insure a fair fight," Sara replied with a smile. "Neutral witnesses."
"That will not be a problem," Kaname replied before he closed his eyes and everyone present found themselves in a clearing in the woods. There were murmurs of shock at the sudden change of scenery and a few of the older nobles backed away from him involuntarily. Kaname felt himself smile a little in a type of satisfaction. It was good that they at least fear one of them. Fear could lead to respect, or at least look like respect.
Yuuki felt another stab of panic well within her and she glanced at her father seeing the same worry in his face. "Kaname," she raised herself up as high as she could in an effort to whisper in his ear. Noticing her he leaned down to make it a little easier. "Are you sure that was a good idea, expending that much power. We don't know how strong she is and I'm not going to be very useful, I'm afraid."
He touched her face and smiled warmly at her before he hugged her and whispered in her ear, "That was only a drop of water in a vast ocean as far as my powers are concerned. Even raising the senate building and all was nothing for me. Don't worry." He pulled back and gave her a reassuring kiss on the lips.
"I should object to this new location," Sara said interrupting the two of them. "This place reeks of your power Kaname, but I don't feel that it will matter in the end and this is a nice secluded spot. The council chose well."
Everyone who had ever been to the location of the senate house looked around in shock. There was nothing in that clearing that even resembled the large building that had stood there. No one but Kaname and Sara had even realized that was where they were. That moreso even than the mass teleport solidified their belief that Kaname was a formidable individual.
"So you agree to do battle here?" Kaname asked as casually as if he was asking if they could eat dinner there.
"Yes, I agree," Sara replied, "So shall we begin?"
"Wait," Yuuki said suddenly. Sara smirked, expecting the other woman to attempt to back out of the battle. Her smirk fell as Yuuki continued and asked the question Sara had not wanted to here. "So what are the rules to this? There are rules, right?"
"Of course there are rules," Sara replied. "Only someone with pureblood coursing through their veins may participate, any powers those that may participate may have are welcome to be used, and the battle will be to a definite victory, which can either be an unconditional sureneder—
"No," Kaname cut in, "This will be a battle to the death. That way there is no question of a potential other victor." It would not due to allow her to surrender and be able to come back and stab him in the back later.
"Fine, to the death then," Sara modified with a smile. Things were playing more into her hands by the second. Their deaths would work out better for her in the long run with neither of them alive to re-challenge her later. Kaien, Zero, and Yuuki were less enthusiastic about this new development. Yuuki in particular had been hoping this could be solved in a more peaceful way, but that was impossible now. Kaien was worried that now that the challenge was to the death, Yuuki or Kaname might die. Zero, too, was worried about Yuuki but couldn't deny that he did like the idea that before the sun rose, there would be one less pureblood in the world.
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Next chapter wil be much more fun and epic showdown between pureblood. Hope you enjoyed it! Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, favorited or alerted this story so far! As always tell me what you thought if you feel so inclined.
Stickdonkeys