I'm sorry for the rather late update! The beta took quite a while, since she's busy with work, and she's all I have. Thank you for giving your time to edit this chappie, Shapby. I also want to welcome new reviewers: NinjaSheik and Zio. I'm glad you enjoy this fic of mine and I hope you'd keep reading and reviewing :D
~Audriel
Chapter 3
"What's a vampire servant doing here?"
The words were all but spoken with such dangerous edge that stabbed mercilessly through the elder doctor. Questions flashed frantically through his mind, one after another, but one stood prominently in his mind as his body frozen in fear.
How did he know?
Baudin knew that there were people, or specifically, hunters, with the gift to sense their prey in their vicinity, but it was a rarity itself. It was much rarer to be able to swiftly recognize or even to suspect a vampire servant whose presence wasn't as blatantly obvious as a vampire and easily passable as a normal human.
He never expected to encounter a hunter in the hospital where he worked; he never actually came face to face with one during his servitude. He thought there would be no chance for him to actually meet one, as he posed little threat. He wanted nothing related to those vampires if he wasn't bound into servitude. The fact that this hunter managed to find and recognize him as a vampire's servant without knowing his identity revealed the hunter's exceptional ability, which meant he was the most dangerous kind of vampire hunters. With the experience gained through the years handling people, he managed to reply calmly without avoiding eye contact,
"I am nothing but a doctor who happens to be a servant. I have been a doctor long before I became a servant. I have done nothing beyond my duties as a doctor, monsieur Chasseur…"
"Why should I trust your word?"
"I have never harmed anyone throughout my lifetime and I solemnly swear on the blood of my master, Lord Charlemagne, I do not, and will not."
To swear by the blood of one's master was a sacred tradition for vampires that descended from noble lineage of European kings and queens. It was not something that could be spoken lightly because when the servant swore by his master's blood, the words bound the servant absolutely. If the servant didn't hold the oath, it meant the master had the right to take his life as he wished. And Lord Charlemagne was one of the most respectable pureblood in Europe. He just wished that the hunter who was aiming a gun to his head knew of this or at least the name of his master, recognizing the faint foreign accent in his French. After what felt like a long, arduous moment, he finally heard the click of the safety returned to its place and sensed the gun being pulled back from him.
"It was very bold of you to swear on your master's blood and on Lord Charlemagne of all people."
Baudin was a little taken aback by the hunter's knowledge of both the tradition and Lord Charlemagne. Warily, he studied the young man before him. He was tall and slender, with silver hair that glinted under the dim lighting of his office and eyes of the same shade. He blinked in surprise, he had heard of a hunter with unconventional abilities who had the same description of the man in front of him. Right on that moment, his trembling fingers stumbled upon the paper he had been looking for, his eyes briefly flickered on the contents, and immediately froze at the name written in bold letters that confirmed his suspicions.
The youngest hunter to hold the highest authority over the hunters in the history of hunters and vampires and the hunter of the hunters who stood equal to the purebloods: Zero Kiryuu.
Baudin had difficulty controlling his body's reaction towards the intimidating presence of the silver-haired hunter, completely tense and shaking in fear. The younger man might lower the gun, but it didn't mean that he couldn't or wouldn't kill him. If what he heard was true, then the hunter wouldn't need his gun to simply kill him off. He knew that he wouldn't give the hunter enough of a fight, let alone break a sweat. He could barely defend himself against local thugs, saved only by his quick reflexes and hasty feet.
Meanwhile, Zero was watching the play across the man's eyes carefully. He didn't fail to notice the pure surprise in his face when he saw him and the recognition followed by wariness and a hint of fear. This man was no fighter, he could tell from the doctor's slow reaction towards threat. Fortunately, he knew enough of the culture of the European society to know the weight behind an oath. Lord Charlemagne was also one of the first European purebloods who acknowledged him and one of few purebloods he could truly respect. He doubted that man would take lightly that one of his servants swore by his blood.
"I'd give you the benefit of doubt for now." Zero returned his weapon back to its holster. He vaguely saw the vampire servant's shoulders sagged in relief. Baudin regained his composure and decided to take control of the situation, trying to make it as normal as possible.
"So… you're here for mademoiselle Hisakawa?" he carefully asked, recalling the reason why the hunter appeared in his office.
"Yes."
"What do you want to know?"
"The extent of her injuries."
"Ah." The doctor's discomfort was rather evident for his sharp eyes. "Her body received quite damage, mostly her upper body. She had few broken ribs that caused a slight puncture on her lungs. Some of her internal organs were damaged. We managed to replace the blood she lost immediately and treat the bleeding swiftly before it could do further harm to her life."
"Then why is she in a coma?" His explanation gave the impression that the extent of her injuries wasn't as bad as he heard it from the two women. Baudin rubbed his temple and let out sigh.
"I've told her friends that it was her head wound. The wound was the only open wound and actually the least of the injuries, but it was the only explanation I could find for the damage to the brain."
"What kind of damage?" Zero asked inquisitively. It was interesting that the man who was supposed to have more experience than any normal doctor was unable to explain what happened to Misaki.
"Well, let's see…" The man stood up from his chair and took the images that Zero found the doctor looking at seriously when he came into his office and reclaimed his recliner in the opposite side. Baudin put the images on the transparent board behind him, replacing the previous images on it. Zero recognized the image as images of the brain.
"The one at the left is an image of healthy brain, while the one at the right is the image of her brain. Could you see the difference?"
"…The frontal lobe."
"Yes. As you can see the damage was centered on the frontal lobe instead on the part where the brain received impact…"
He might have not attended class regularly when he was in the Academy, but he had exceptional memory that enabled him to remember contents in a textbook with ease and precision. He recalled the words in the anatomy book he had to read about the frontal lobe and its function.
The executive functions of the frontal lobes involve the ability to recognize future consequences resulting from current actions, to choose between good and bad actions (or better and best), override and suppress unacceptable social responses, and determine similarities and differences between things or events…
Suddenly he remembered one of the conversations they had about her ability on the rooftop.
"Basically, you can only see glimpses of the future."
"Yep. Just like puzzles."
"In the end, it relies on the foretellers' ability?"
"Indeed. We see many possibilities of the future, the future with the likeliest chance to happen, future with least chance to happen, and future with certainty of happening… There are futures we can change, but there are also those we cannot and simply prepare for. We act based on it."
"Then you cannot truly make the future to your liking?"
"Not really," she said lightly.
"Not really?" He looked at her with an eyebrow raised.
"We can, but with a high price. We, foretellers, basically play with the flow of time; we can direct it by putting obstacles in its way so it would flow into the direction we want. We cannot stop the time or move it forward. We can change the chances of the futures happening, but we cannot change it immediately."
Zero waited until she continued her explanation.
"We can change the future immediately by envisioning the future we wanted, regardless how slim the chances of it happening, but the consequencesaredire. Most people who did it died, either instantly or moments afterwards. There were survivors but they became paralyzed or demented. Using this ability is strictly forbidden because it's the same with playing with time. It's no longer our domain…"
As he recalled those very words she said, he could only draw the conclusion that she used that forbidden ability.
"All we know that she was attacked on her way home. Fortunately, there were police officers nearby because there was a festival. When they heard something suspicious,they found her being surrounded by people."
It was no coincidence. The police officers didn't find her by chance. She made them come.
She was trying to live.
His nails dug deep into his fabric-clad knee, his hands shaking visibly in barely suppressed anger.
"…The damage is too great on her brain. I don't know whether she would regain her consciousness or not. I'm sorry…" The doctor's words returned his mind back to reality, that she was still fighting for her life.
"Is there nothing that can be done?" he asked Baudin, eyes meeting his directly, looking for the slightest chance, the slightest hope that she could regain her consciousness.
Baudin realized how much the other man cared for his patient, and he truly wanted to give him something, anything to hold on to. But he couldn't bring himself to lie, "I don't know…"
It was the last thing Zero wanted to hear, but he was realistic enough that the fact she was still alive and breathing, instead of dying was a miracle of itself, recalling the fate of the people who used the ability. Silence fell between them, the young man kept his head bowed while the doctor could only look at him worriedly.
"Doctor… What did the police find?" It was not the question Baudin expected, but he answered it nonetheless.
"They found some evidence that indicated whoever attacked her had her followed and it seemed when she realized this, she tried to evade them. However, before she could get to the streets and ask for help, they got to her."
"Was there any struggle?"
"…No." Baudin had learned how perceptive the young hunter was from the short time he was with him, and he knew that he had had his suspicions of the ones behind the attack on her.
"Tell me, doctor… Do you think ordinary human can do this?" Finally Zero raised his head; his features were surprisingly calm and detached.
"No." Before when he laid his eyes on the young woman, he wasn't so sure, but now he couldn't be any surer. He might be betraying the vampires by saying this to a hunter, but he wouldn't feel guilty to anyone, human or vampire, who dared to do such thing to a young powerless pregnant woman.
"Thank you." Zero stood up from his seat, preparing to leave.
"Wait!" Baudin just realized that there was something he failed to mention, "I haven't told you of the children." The hunter didn't leave, but he didn't give away anything when he mentioned of the twins.
"I think you might want to know of the twins," he pulled out the ultrasound images of the twins and laid it down on the table for him to see.
"It seems they are fraternal twins. It's too early to know their gender though."
"Fraternal…" Zero's hand absently moved itself to touch the image of the twins within their mother's womb, next to each other. His mind swiftly associated fraternal twins with twins from different eggs, while he and his brother were identical twins from the same egg. A slight hope arose within him that there might be hope that these children would not share the fate of him and Ichiru.
"Did she mention having twins in her family?"
"I'm not sure. I think she did… from her mother, I suppose." He didn't pay much heed to that information when she shared the story of her family.
"That explains the fraternal twins. Research reported that the chance of fraternal twins were higher for women who had twins from the mother's side."
Zero listened with half an ear to the older man's explanation, too entranced by the sight of the tiny humans that were created from a part of him and her.
"How are they?"
"They're surprisingly strong and healthy. They'll survive." There was a reluctant pause from the doctor, earning Baudin a questioning look.
"Well it's just… I heard from the police and medics that brought her to hospital that she had her hand on her abdomen all the time. It seems… that she was trying to protect the children even as she lost consciousness."
Silence greeted his words, making Baudin stumble with words, not knowing what to say anymore.
"If you know the father, please tell him of his children. He still has the children to think about," he smiled tentatively, guessing that the father himself was standing before him.
"I will, only if you will keep trying to find a way for their mother to wake up. The children need their mother more."
Baudin was silenced with the response, "I will. You have my word."
The young man simply nodded in return and he left as quietly as he came, leaving no trace that there was a man within the office before. Baudin knew what Kiryuu would do and he would not stop him even if he could. Meanwhile, he would fulfill the end of his bargain.
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Zero managed to gain information regarding the incident from the French police complete report. He was given authorization to overlook it as the representative of the victim, which was true because the family lawyer had given him the authority until he could come to Paris himself. There was no accurate description of the attackers because it was dark and the police officers weren't able to distinguish them.
They could only say that there were 3 or 4 people who were seen around her when they intervened. However, one of them reported that the person who stood the closest to Misaki, who was slumped against the wall, seemed like a well-dressed man with a monocle on his right eye.
Having heard of the description of the situation directly from the first officer on the scene, he could ascertain that the man who was the closest to her was the leader of the pack, the highest-ranked servant. Ex-human vampire or noble, he thought to himself. If his suspicions were correct, then the one behind this was a pureblood. His silver eyes glinted dangerously.
Time to pay a visit to an old friend.
The first time he went to Europe as the newly appointed president of hunter association, he made sure to know the representatives in the every region, France was no exception. One of the representatives was an old friend of Kiryuu family, Kirihara Asuka. He was retired now, and was living in the borders of Paris.
Kirihara was a seasoned hunter and had been acting as representative of the association for half of his life. He might be retired but his insight remained sharp and invaluable. Zero had kept his address in his notebook in case he would come to need it; especially that Misaki also lived in Paris. He had asked the older man to keep him informed regarding the situation in Paris specifically, but he didn't ask him to watch over Misaki. It didn't cross his mind back then, feeling there was no need for it. Now he wished that he did.
He shook the thoughts away; dwelling in the past never brought any good. That was what she never failed to remind him. He noticed that whenever she saw him like that she seemed annoyed and she would try to get a rise out of him by starting one argument or another.
When he looked back, he realized that it was her way to get him out of his depression, he recalled fondly. Misaki knew him better than she gave herself away. A slight pang could be felt in his chest when he remembered of her. He nearly missed the address when he realized that he was a house further than he should be. He double checked the number of the house before knocking on the door of the house.
There was no immediate reaction, but he knew better. He could sense a presence approaching the door; the steps were so light that it didn't create any sound. Thus he wasn't surprised when the door opened to reveal a medium-built man with white hair that gave away his age and glasses that hid his sharp grey eyes. In a glance, he seemed like an ordinary retiree, but only those who paid attention more closely could see the way he carried himself.
"Well, if it isn't young Kiryuu," the man smirked; calling him by the same name he had always called him since they met for the first time back home.
"Kirihara," Zero nodded to the owner of the house.
"Come in," the older man invited him in. The house was small but it was enough for a lone man. Zero could see books and rolls of parchment scattered around the hallways and in the rooms. Only the living room where Kirihara led him to was clean of those and neat enough to talk comfortably. The older hunter seated himself on the chair at the opposite of him, a signal for him to take his own seat.
"So, what brings you here, young Kiryuu?"
It was odd that he called him by that name but still called Ichiru by name. He thought the man disliked him by not calling him by name. Eventually he found out that the reason when they met again. Kirihara family had always been a friend to Kiryuu family, supporting each other since the beginning of the days throughout the lives as hunters.
The Kiriharas respected the Kiryuus, but their respect grew less and less as the Kiryuus were changing into less than their predecessors, the great hunters who brought forth respect and fear to hunters and vampires alike. In his opinion, his family managed to maintain the reputation as the strongest hunter family, but didn't command the same fear and respect. But the experienced hunter saw it in him and he thought that he was the very impersonation of those Kiryuus of old. That was why the older hunter kept calling him by his family name, to remind him of what he was. And because of that, he knew he could rely on the man.
"I'm looking for a vampire with the description of a well-dressed man in his forties and a monocle on his right eye," Zero wasted no time.
"Ah. I can only think of one person that fit that description. Is he the man who was behind the incident last night?"
Zero hid his surprise well, but the other man was able to sense it still, chuckling when Kirihara noticed his concealed emotion.
"Didn't you tell me to keep an eye on things?" he spread his hands, "When I went to the place where it happened, I sensed traces of them. I heard it was a woman. An acquaintance of yours?"
Zero already knew that he wouldn't be able to completely hide everything from the seasoned hunter that he gave away no reaction towards the mention of her.
"She is. And I think it's because they want to get me." The corner of his mouth curved slightly upwards in a sardonic smile. Kirihara leaned back on his seat with interest.
"What makes you think so?"
"There's no need for more than one vampire to attack one harmless woman."
"How many?"
"Three or four, based on the police report." Zero saw a spark of anger in his grey eyes.
Kirihara was a prideful man, although he wouldn't consider himself honorable. He would never attack anyone who was defenseless without a reason, especially women and children.
"That's such a cheap trick, for him to go that low.
"His name is Jacques Belmont. He was a former hunter turned into vampire. Just like you, although he became more like a vampire than a hunter. Little is known about his master, but it's likely that the person is a pureblood. Men like Jacques would not bow down to mere nobles. He made that pretty clear."
"You've met him?"
"A long time ago, when I was newly appointed here. He was a prideful man, coming from the high-class society. The Gentleman. It was his nickname as a hunter. He always wore three-pieced suit and took off his gloves whenever he went hunting and always returned unscathed."
"Why wasn't he taken care of?"
"We had no reason to put him into the list, because he was clean. He wasn't in a threat of falling to Level E and he had no criminal record. There were cases with him as one of the suspects, but he always got off. He was as sly as a snake. The association didn't want to risk their hunters."
"I see. Then it wouldn't be any problem if his name suddenly appears in the list." Zero spoke calmly, as though it was nothing of great consequence.
"Nope," Kirihara shrugged lightly.
"I suppose it's easy to find him," Zero had heard enough, he stood up.
"Very. I'd suggest looking in the theaters. Opéra-Comique has a play tonight. You'd find most of the high-class society there."
"Thank you." He nodded to the still seated man who merely waved his hand.
"It's nothin'. You came with a clear description; I only put a name on him. Belmont made it quite easy. Though if you allow me, how will you handle this?" Zero knew the underlying question, how far he would go, if he were to find the pureblood behind this.
"I'd make sure every single one of them regret it. They will get what they deserve." And wordlessly he turned his back and left.
Kirihara felt a chill through him as he saw the look in the younger man's eyes. He had long learned that the most dangerous anger was the calm, controlled one. The remaining member of Kiryuu family would not be satisfied by simply killing them, he would make them suffer. Whoever the vampire who gave the order to Belmont would pay for his foolishness and he felt a slight pity for that pureblood for trying to make an enemy of the president. It would be interesting to watch.
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Zero had decided that he would take his time; even though he wanted to end their lives without sparing any further thought. He knew by doing this, he neglected his duties as the president of the association, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He still checked his voice mail for messages and gave instructions through the same media, but he didn't give away anything else. His only contact was with his advisor, Yagari. His former teacher was curious of his sudden disappearance, but Yagari hid it well and refrained from questioning him, to his great relief. Yagari was one of the few people he could fully trust and rely on and he hated to lie to him, whatever the reason was.
He managed to find a seat within the hall of Opéra-Comique, blending in inconspicuously with the audience of the play that was about to take place. It was fortunate that Paris was filled with various kinds of nationalities and people that he didn't stand out more than he intended. His silver hair and eyes were too well-known in the hunters and vampires' society alike. The seat he chose was far behind and in the corner where the shadows concealed his presence perfectly while he could have a clear view of the people within the audience.
In a glance, he could tell that there were high-class society members: nobles and well-known figures in France, which also consisted of the nocturnal beings known as vampires. His senses were tingling more often than not with their presence in the opera hall. Most of them were sitting in their private, luxurious boxes, away from the humans in the auditorium for one reason or another.
His sharp eyes swept the theater, trying to find the person that fit the description of the gentleman. There were few ex-human vampires he found that matched the description, considering that the situation called for the audience to wear their best suits and dresses and monocles were one of ornaments that nobles preferred to wear, but he heard enough information from the awed people who were sitting on the boxes to eliminate the other vampires from the equation, leaving two likeliest candidates.
It didn't take long for him to find him, the nobles of vampires had always a way to carry themselves that differentiated themselves from other vampires and humans at most, which was the same for hunters for those who knew better. There were certain habits that were so deeply ingrained that it was impossible to discard, such as the habit of carrying weapons within the worn clothes. Vampires didn't need weapons; their own body was a weapon.
Only vampires that were previously human or hunters, in this case, would need weapons and felt the need to carry one.
He certainly deserved the name of the Gentleman, Zero thought, the man was hardly distinguishable from the blue-blooded people. Changing into a vampire didn't make any noticeable difference in his appearance. He was tall and slender; the three-pieced suit he wore fit him perfectly. His dark hair was slicked back; green eyes could be seen behind his monocle which was worn on his right eye. He was talking with a woman in a green dress next to him, leaning on his white gloved hand. As he watched every minute details of the former-hunter-turned-vampire's gesture, he started to form a plan for him and the others.
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Zero spent most of his time watching Belmont aside from occasional rest he took which barely affected his time. In times like these he was grateful for the physical strength of vampires. It was odd, he mused as he sat in a café across the exquisite apartment where one of Belmont's underlings was, it wasn't like him to be this patient to get back at vampires. If he was his old, youthful self, he couldn't imagine himself doing things that he was currently doing. He would likely just barge into his targets' place and finish them off without batting an eye. It was more like him and it was greatly tempting.
However, he knew it wasn't an option if he wanted to get the one behind everything who gave the order to Belmont. He must be careful. Belmont himself didn't make it any easier; he really knew how to keep it quiet. There were many ways he could use to contact his master and Zero couldn't track every single one of them. Though his underlings were a different matter altogether.
He had less caution when it came to them, maybe because he mingled with many people with no particular inclination, human and vampires alike. Although for someone like him who knew what to look for, it was rather easy, especially seeing their interaction. He had narrowed it down to a handful of people who showed the typical master-servant loyalty and chose one of them whom he thought would be easier to break.
He finished his drink and put down the money on the table before leaving the café and heading towards the building where the apartment was. It was a few hours before noon, and the weather was fine and warm, the sun was shining unhindered on the blue sky above. Most vampires would rather stay indoors or remain asleep throughout the day, his target was among them. He calmly walked to the door, nodded to the doorman before the elevators and within moments he was already at the door with the number and the name of the owner of the apartment carved elegantly upon it. He rang the bell once.
"Who is this?" A sleepy voice called out through the intercom.
"I'm looking for Alain Rousseau. I have a message from Jacques Belmont."
When Zero heard the bolt unlocked, it was all he needed. His eyes flashed dangerously.
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Starting from Rousseau, he went to his accomplices that night: Jean Beauvais and Arnaud Laroche. Like their friend -if they could be considered as one- he didn't go easy on them, he made them give away everything they knew about Belmont and his master, aside than the recollections of what happened that night.
How they followed her, how they waited for Belmont's signal, how they chased her all the way, how one of them finally caught her and threw her against the wall, and what Belmont intended to do before it was interrupted by Parisian police officers.
His face remained cold and detached as he heard their recollections, for Rousseau and Beauvais, he gave them a measure of pity, killing them off instantly before they even realized what happened to them, but he didn't give any to Laroche, being the one who hurt her the most.
Granted, he didn't know that she was pregnant, but he didn't hesitate or even lessen his strength as he threw her frail body against the rough brick walls. Zero couldn't shake the thought off his mind that if that bastard was to assert more strength into his push she would die along with her -their- children.
He let them man run for his life while he easily followed Laroche's frantic escape through the city, regardless the other man's better knowledge about Paris. In his anger, his senses were pushed into its limit that he could sense the man's presence through the thickness of the building walls and crowds between them.
Zero gave Laroche the same treatment the man gave Misaki, throwing him against the wall when he caught him without holding back his strength that would likely kill any ordinary human instantly and save them from the pain and suffering, which was unfortunate for Laroche who was still alive after the impact that rendered him barely conscious due to his vampire blood.
He let him drift between the world of darkness and the world of pain, not letting him escape to the blissful world of unconsciousness. Until he was satisfied enough, he ended his suffering with a shot through his heart and like the rest of his companions; Laroche crumbled into ashes to the ground, leaving no remains of the man before and no traces of the man who did it. For those who didn't know, it was simply three people disappearing without a trace. For those who knew…
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Belmont knew something was wrong; he couldn't contact any of his underlings. He had thought nothing of it at first. It wasn't that he had to keep track of them as if he had nothing else more important to do. However, he didn't find them even in their usual places where he met them or whenever he wanted to find them. He went to their apartments and mansion, but he found no sign of them, no sign of them leaving somewhere, instead everything was in place as if nothing happened to their owners, as if they just disappeared into thin air.
First it was Rousseau, then Beauvais. Two of the people involved in that attack against Kiryuu's woman. He found nothing to support his suspicion and he thought it was merely his paranoia getting to him until he also lost Laroche.
Unlike the other two, he didn't completely disappear without a trace; he managed to find traces of his blood, barely visible against the red-bricked wall in the small alleys far from his apartment. The wall itself was badly damaged with a hollow crater created from the impact of something thrown against its surface, but there was no body in sight. No human or hunter could do this; Laroche was the strongest among the three. He was the best fighter he had; he would not be defeated easily.
There was only one explanation why there was no body left, because it was reduced to ashes. Only hunter weapons could turn vampires into ashes. There was only one person who could do this, the person who was both a vampire that was strong enough to defeat Laroche easily and a hunter that could kill vampires without leaving a trace: Zero Kiryuu.
His eyes narrowed in wariness, he wondered how that man could find the ones involved in that incident, knowing full well that the darkness concealed their identity well enough and he was confident that whatever description they had was nothing definitive. However, he managed to get all three of his underlings correctly and he had no information regarding anyone who was trying to find out more about what happened that night other than the police officers. He had no sightings of Japanese silver-haired man either. He concealed his frown with a charming smile to the young lady sitting the opposite side of him, talking animatedly about something he paid little attention to. How could the man find out?
Unless…
The hunter started from himself, instead from his underlings. He didn't keep a low profile, having no need to do so, considering his status as the heir of the noble line of Belmont. It provided a perfect cover for his contact with other nobles which were in actuality vampires.
He made sure not to mingle with a certain crowd, and didn't openly interact with his underlings. He was sure that no one could relate him with Rousseau, Beauvais and Laroche. But it was definitely easier getting to them through him, instead getting to him through them. He didn't doubt their loyalty to him and he had placed an assurance if they were to betray him. Now why hasn't the Kiryuu gotten to him already?
When the answer came to him, immediately he got to his feet, surprising his current conversation partner. She thought that her words offended him and quickly apologized to him. The apology was politely brushed off, telling her that he was just reminded that he had something else to take care of and without any further explanation, he left the perplexed young woman and the lounge.
As he stepped out to outside, warm night air immediately greeted him. He inwardly cursed to himself for not seeing this earlier; Kiryuu must have wanted to know who the person who gave him the order to go for the woman was. Yesterday he had a message from him, regarding his next orders.
The message was not written in paper, it never was. It was usually a certain object with some engravings within it. The object was carefully selected so it would not lead to the giver. However, he could never be too sure what the hunter would be able to conclude from the objects he found if he were to get into his study. The young president of hunter association wasn't known to be predictable at the least.
He finally arrived at the Belmont mansion his father was so proud of, letting his coat be taken off and questioning of any suspicious activity in the mansion only to receive negative reply. He nodded absently and headed straight to his study that was in the second floor. He entered his study carefully, not turning on the lights; his green eyes swept the room for any signs of unwanted presence. He didn't lower his guard even as his eyes found nothing suspicious, his hand already went to the small knives he had under his sleeves.
"Old habits die hard, don't they?"
It took less than a second for him to locate the source of the voice and threw the knife. He could hear the sound of the knife embedded into something. He heard a few claps and staggered back instinctively at the sudden change in the surroundings when the lights were turned on. Not wanting to be caught off guard, he threw another pair of knives to the source of the claps.
When his eyes finally adjusted to the light, he found the very man that caused him to return to his mansion immediately standing casually in his study, the knives he threw were embedded on the shelves and walls behind him while one was between the other man's raised fingers, failing to reach their target.
"Only hunters feel the need to carry weapons. Isn't it right, former hunter, Jacques Belmont?" Silver eyes calmly met green eyes. The knife fell harmlessly to the ground.
"I'm honored that my name is known to the infamous president Kiryuu," Belmont didn't want to be caught off guard anymore, quickly regaining his composure, "To what do I owe you this visit?"
"You know why I'm here, Gentleman," Zero intentionally used the name Belmont made of himself as he slowly walked around the man.
"I suppose. Enlighten me," Belmont shrugged lightly, as if he didn't know what the younger man meant.
"Few nights ago you and your underlings, Rousseau, Beauvais, and Laroche followed and attacked a young woman named Misaki Hisakawa, wounding her gravely and would've killed her if not for the sudden interference of police officers. One of them managed to identify you as the one standing closest to her."
"Is that so?" Belmont raised an elegant eyebrow without letting his eyes off the hunter.
"Well-dressed man in the forties, monocle on his right eye."
"That's not enough."
"Believe me, it's more than enough," there was a glimpse of a derisive smile on his face. "And you made it easier for me to confirm it. It was you, wasn't it?" It was not a question, they both knew it. Belmont knew that it would be no use skirting around.
"Yes, it was me, president Kiryuu." Belmont's eyes were no longer nonchalant, instead those green depths were challenging. "What about it?"
Zero didn't react to the open acknowledgment; he merely stood before him, completely unfazed.
"Why did you do it?"
"Didn't you know already? Because of this," he gestured his presence in his study, "of this reaction coming from you." This time it was Belmont who moved towards Zero, trying to intimidate the other man.
"She is someone dear to you, isn't she?" Belmont had a pleased smile on his face, a smile that Zero wanted badly to wipe off his face, but he held tight onto the reins of his emotions, not letting any signs of anger to show.
"Zero Kiryuu… We're both actually the same. Hunters who became the very thing they hunted. However, unlike you, I chose to serve the one who is worthier of me, of my skills, of my servitude. The one who could give me everything I wanted. I pity you, the last of the famous Kiryuus who was bound to the life of hunters that you must bow to those pathetic human councils of yours with such strength that surpassed all hunters, even the nobles of vampires. Yet you have to become the leader of the association and take a stand against us. Your presence is a threat, but we found no weakness.
"It was a gamble, actually. We only saw few sightings of you with her and it was rare and far in between. It was nothing compared with the time you spent with the pureblooded Kuran princess which you seem to have a liking for. But she was, after all, under the Kuran's protection, going after her would be suicide. Until few months ago, one of my men happened to smell her blood.
"And it had your scent."
His body immediately tensed, seeing the complete satisfaction on the vampire's face. Zero clenched his hands tightly, trying to suppress the violent shaking.
"I confirmed it myself, that night. She certainly had your blood in her veins. Though I must say that I can understand your interest in her, she didn't only have luscious scent. Her blood tasted wonderful."
"Who ordered you?" Zero growled, no longer able to contain his anger.
"Why would I tell you?" Belmont dared to challenge him, but he didn't realize how grave his mistake was.
"Because that means I have to make you."
All of the sudden, he felt the air around him grow turbulent and without any warning, his skin was sliced open without any sign of weapon causing it. Instinctively he went to the man who remained standing where he was but Zero was no longer holding back the turmoil of emotions that affected his surroundings, in particular, the air around him.
It was only due to his reflexes that he managed to evade the incoming gust of wind that sliced through the bookshelves behind where he had been standing. When he saw the result of the attack, he couldn't hide his surprise. He had heard of the young president's strength with his main hunter weapon, the Bloody Rose, but he never heard of him using his vampire's ability and not in such pureblood level display of power!
Then without warning, the glass windows of his study were cracked and completely shattered into pieces that flew around them, some of them cut through his skin, but Zero was untouched as if there was a barrier around him, protecting him from harm. At first, Belmont was unable to see his opponent's face that was hidden by the shadows, but when he finally did, he couldn't help but wished he didn't. Those silvery depths were cold and cruel, the anger and hatred were no longer concealed.
Zero suddenly disappeared from his sight; Belmont raised his hands right on time to block the man's assault. The nobleman slightly winced when his exposed skin met cold metal that sent jolts of pain to his nerves. Belmont managed to see a glimpse of grey barrel of a gun; it was the infamous Bloody Rose. He pushed the gun back forcefully; throwing the other man's backward. He ignored the uncomfortable tingle from the skin that made contact with the hunter's weapon. After he became a vampire, no hunter weapon managed to get him, until now, he gritted his teeth in anger.
Using the distance between them, he lengthened his nails into claws and started to attack. He relentlessly sent blow after blow at Zero that was managed either to be evaded or blocked easily. The hunter tried to land some blows on him that he also managed to block, but he realized that the silver-haired man never once tried to shoot him, only using the gun to hit him.
He used that slight opening when his hand managed to get hold of the gun, and landed quite a deep gash on his front. Without wincing at the blow landed on him, Zero calmly gave a spinning kick targeting the man's vulnerable side. When he stumbled due to the impact of the kick, Zero finally raised his gun and shot.
Belmont was quick enough to prevent the bullet went through his heart, but not quick enough to completely evade it. He clenched his teeth as the bullet tore through his upper arm. Blood trickled down his injured arm, coppery scent of blood rose to the air. He cursed the hunter's weapon for its ability to slow down the healing process as he jumped backwards, far enough to keep a safe distance away from the younger man who remained completely unaffected, the injuries he inflicted was already healing, leaving no mark on his skin save for torn clothing.
That moment Belmont realized why his master wanted to get rid of Kiryuu so much. This man was too dangerous. Ordinary hunters, regardless their level of skill and the amount of vampires they killed, were not infallible. They had limitations due to their frail, mortal human body. They could still be hurt, worn out, and killed by various methods, unlike vampires. Their weapon was to make up for their limitations, it slowed the fast healing ability of vampires and if it managed to get the heart, the vampires were no more.
But in Zero's case, those limitations were removed since he became a vampire himself without removing his ability in wielding hunter weapon, making him more dangerous than any other hunter. And the fact that his strength was above the nobles' level, if not about the same level with the purebloods, didn't help the matter. Zero Kiryuu was a threat needed to be eliminated whatever the cost was.
Belmont's eyes narrowed in firm resolve, he would bring this man down and he would no longer hold back the full strength that was granted to him.
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