AN: Hope everyone's had a great Xmas and New Year's. I'm really, really sorry for my late update *bows*. This year is going to be a hectic year for me as well (final year at uni = 50 times more work), and my updates may be really late. Thank you so much for your support all these years for following this fic, it really means a lot to me :)
# CHAPTER 19
"So what's this meeting all about?" Seiran dryly asked, not too pleased at being interrupted during the free period the Day Class students were having. She was almost going to finish off that Physiology assignment too, dang!
Behind her, Zero strolled in, unbothered and yawning. His stare of boredom turned into a scowl when he saw the male Kuran present as well, leaning at the corner of the wall. Kaname merely ignored him. But when he looked at the other two men in the room having rather grave looking faces, his jaw clenched. "What's wrong?" he asked.
Toga clasped and unclasped his hands, something Seiran noted was not his usual attitude. A sense of foreboding tensed her body up.
"Spill." A word of command.
Kaien Cross flinched at her coldness. Even Kaname seemed perturbed because he still hadn't any idea of what was going on. Chairman Cross had merely summoned him to the office.
"There's a murderer killing innocent Level Es that have been taking your blood tablets," spoke the one eyed hunter.
The other ex hunter, Cross, silently applauded his colleague's summarizing methods. Never in his years of being a hunter could he explain things that precisely.
What? Killing the ex Level Es? So that means the hunters possibly did something as underhanded like this…? Kaname frowned slightly.
So…those opposing my blood tablet creation came up with this method, huh? How distasteful…Seiran who shared the same thoughts as the other pureblood, held out her hand. "Is there any information I can read, Sensei?"
The said hunter handed her a black folder which she poured through it, Zero reading over her shoulder. The youth's purple eyes enlarged as he read the modus operandi and he felt the pureblood's body tense as well.
Leaves an orchid in the dust of the terminated Level Es…
No. Nononononono.
Seiran blinked her eyes, she was damn well sure she was too tired with her invention, research and homework to have misread the statement. By now, she couldn't stop her body from trembling – what she had read opened the memories she had fought hard to suppress for weeks. It was horribly déjà vu…
Zero cautiously put his arm around her shoulder, giving her moral support. He was feeling worried himself. I swear we killed off that bastard…I personally watched him turn into dust…
His eyes became dazed for a moment and he thought he saw flecks of red on his gun hand. Eh, where did they come from…? He rubbed the stains off but they were rather stubborn. Being equally hardheaded himself, he rubbed his hand until it was red and raw.
"Something wrong? Are you developing an allergy?" whispered Seiran, noticing his action as she peeled her eyes off the report just to rest her own tired eyes.
"Nope, just got a sudden itch."
No one noticed Kaname frowning at Zero's actions. The Kuran pureblood was absolutely sure he had not spotted anything on the male hunter trainee's weapon hand. There he goes again…But why was Seiran's reaction so intense…? He blinked. Don't tell me…? The Orchid Murderer?
Seiran nodded absentmindedly before rereading that statement once more. She took a deep breath, calming herself down. "It…has to be a copy cat. There's no other explanation."
He's dead…he's dead…
Zero's breath hissed out when he heard her words. Yes, what she said made a whole lot of sense…But why are they targeting her? Hasn't she had enough of emotional distress already?
Chairman Cross was silently thankful that Seiran didn't blow up and unleash her terrifying power but nevertheless, he was still chilled by the way she held herself. She's scarier when she shows no emotion…
Toga Yagari nodded at her.
She flipped through the reports she read – so far, there had been three separate cases but five deaths because the second case had three murders. A Suou Kajiwara had found the first victim and it had been purely by chance because while he had been patrolling along a desolated path, he had spotted the dust. That's the scary part…when something occurs by chance and would not have been noticed…But then again…If people noticed but didn't report in…The case was handed to Sensei Yagari and four deaths had occurred. She wasn't happy with the news, but she had to ask the one eyed hunter anyway.
"Sensei Yagari…I'm sorry if I might offend you, but why didn't you inform me when the first case had been officially reported?"
Zero's mentor silently gulped, unable to read her actual expression. She could be pissed off with him, or she could be merely asking…Still, he felt very uncomfortable. "I'm really sorry, Seiran…I would have told you earlier, but when I'd discussed it with President Yamashita, she told me to see if this case was purely coincidental. The worse is when it's just the first case and we're unable to establish any patterns at all. Right now we know victims are ex Level Es and the orchids are left behind but what we're unable to figure out yet is the murder weapon and when the murderer decides to kill again."
Coincidence…Chance…Right now Seiran really hated those two words. It had been really unfortunate those ex Level Es were killed – sacrificed because of the lack of details, modus operandi – merely to ascertain a murderer's pattern. When I find you…you'll be sorry. Very sorry…For killing innocent vampires, I will make you suffer…
"When do I start working on this case?" Her gaze was hard, straight to business.
"Both Zero and you are required to investigate it with me. President Yamashita's wishes. If all goes well, you'll both be able to get your hunter licenses when you graduate," Zero's master spoke in consoling tones.
Finally I can get my hunter's license, in the irony of having to face my past demons…The young pureblood allowed a ghost of a smile to flicker on her face. "So be it."
Cross turned to Kaname's direction. "Do you have opinions on this matter?" he enquired.
Kaname shook his head. "I'll send back up if the case gets out of control," he simply said. Initially he had thought of objecting to send Seiran after the culprit of Level E murders, but why was she being the target once more? He knew that the other pureblood in the room was being strong, and yet he detected weariness surrounding her…Even if she was raised up in a man's world, she was still a girl.
Another thing was that Zero's actions were making him wary. He had seen similar movements of blankness from the hunter before.
It had been Kiryuu's turn to open the gates which connected the two bridges of Cross Academy and the silver haired teen had been there slightly earlier so he just waited at the gates. Kaname had a glimpse of him from the tinted glass when he was resting his eyes after reading a long winded business proposal. The hunter-vampire's facial expression looked blank, but his eyes…they were looking into the Moon Dorms, as though seeking…Then it was time for them to head to their lectures so they left their dorm, but Kiryuu was still looking at them with a penetrating gaze until Seiren reached the gate first and opened it. Then Kiryuu had been startled slightly before he stepped aside and looked down while all the vampires passed by him.
Another time had been when it was Advanced Maths class and Yuuki was bored out of her mind having to study advanced differentiation. She looked out, inaudibly gasping under her breath, "The nerve! He told me not to do it and yet he himself does!" Kaname's eyes instantaneously zoned in onto Zero who was balancing himself nonchalantly as he walked on the approximately five metre-in-height wall. This was very different from Kiryuu's usual methods of patrolling, Kaname had thought.
Looking at both Seiran and Zero, Kaname wondered why Kiryuu doing his duty as a prefect seemed to be rather…lackadaisical lately…
Cross heaved a long breath. Now this question was the hardest one. "Seiran…," his breath got caught in his throat when her head whipped towards him, her aura menacing like a predator. He swallowed and continued cautiously, "C-Could you please share your thoughts with us…? You've been actually very quiet since getting to know this news…" His voice was unsteady and he couldn't help releasing a slight shudder when Seiran placed the file she'd been reading on his desk soundlessly.
She was searching for the right words herself. She'd flicked through all the reports earlier, her keen eye comparing and contrasting them to the original Orchid Murder reports she forced herself to look through…discovering a few particulars which angered her. "The flaws in this case are errors on my part."
"Why are you saying that?" demanded Zero. He couldn't see any frigging flaws, except the fact that five people she tried to save via the blood tablets had been murdered…How the hell were they errors on his girlfriend's part? Damn it, why is she always taking the blame for things she didn't do…?
"There may have been more murders which have been committed but were deliberately not reported."
The cigarette dropped from Yagari's lips. Shit…she knows…
"But that can't be! The other hunters…," Zero's voice died at those words. The other hunters who usually go on patrol – if they were against her blood tablets – and noticed the dust or the flower, it's obvious they wouldn't have informed anyone. Bastards! Sonofabitches!
Cross heaved silently. Even if we knew who those bastards were, we don't have proof that they were hiding such information…
This time it's a needle in a haystack. Despite the original Orchid Murders being terrible – Sensei didn't know which vampire would die next, but at least he determined that those who were murdered had links to the Kuroumura line. These level Es who were murdered are random victims who ended up being at the wrong place at the wrong time…
The difficult thing is that despite helping the Level Es by visiting them the last time – those I could find – and distributing those tablets to them, they remain hidden within those derelict areas they call home. Only a few who can truly control themselves still live isolated from normal humans, the outskirts of town. Because they're Level Es, they live in fear of higher level vampires and vampire hunters hunting them so I don't have a population chart I can refer to, to know how many Level Es there actually are.
I don't know how many Level Es there are, where exactly are they staying…
I don't know when this copycat will murder again…
I know he targets Level Es…but it could be anyone…
This murderer…just wants me to stop helping those Level Es, right…? But to go that far…Digging up my past…
It's…nothing worse…right…?
Seiran's temples pounded at the various thoughts spinning through her head.
"Actually I have something to ask Kuran-san," Toga slowly voiced out, stopping Seiran's thoughts and had everyone's attention again.
"Yes, Sensei, what is it?" Kaname looked at the one eyed hunter, having a notion what the other man was going to ask.
"How did you shut the Orchid Murderer case? And no other hunters have said anything pertaining to Seiran's history…?"
Seiran looked at the other pureblood, feeling shocked. She had never thought of it before when she had been reading through all those old cases. She had placed her parents files' last because it was too painful to read. But now, considering the situation…
"I've requested an associate close the case by saying that the Orchid Murderer had been killed by both Seiran and Kiryuu, as well as the fact that Takuma had been kidnapped to draw me out. Seiran merely wanted to avenge her master's death."
Kaname's eyes flickered to look at Seiran momentarily before looking back at Toga. "No other hunters would have made an association to Seiran because they would not have realized that the late Kaedes were her parents. All the reports you've read so far have the names printed in letters, but if you were to write it in Japanese characteristics, Sensei Tamaji had given Seiran a different family name but pronounced in the same manner. So none of the hunters made any association between the Kaedes' and Seiran. Also the Vampire Council had not reported about the Orchid Princess as it was only something Sensei Tamaji had discovered. Writing on the Orchid Princess may lead to an investigation discovering Seiran's actual identity, however I'm sure Seiran would still want to be a vampire hunter."
"So you didn't reveal the entire truth…," spoke Toga, realizing the consequences if the H.A members discovered that Seiran was actually a pureblood vampire who still wanted to be a vampire hunter. Total pandemonium.
"Kaname…," Seiran muttered, glancing at him as her mind struggled to take in this new information.
"I'm sorry I didn't say anything about this, Seiran, but I have thought about it for your own sake," Kaname replied.
"Thank you…"
Kaname nodded, catching the slight look of displeasure Zero shot in his direction. He wanted to smirk, but with the gravity of the issue…his face remained passive.
"Seiran, it's your call on this issue. We'll help you with all that we can," said Cross as gently as he could.
"May you please give me some time to myself to think? I…I would like to have some time alone before I tell you what I intend to do." Seiran's voice was soft.
"Take all the time you need." Toga's voice was gruff.
The office door quietly clicked shut as the four men were left in the office in total silence. Zero made a move to follow her but his sensei grabbed his shoulder.
"Zero…," Toga didn't finish his sentence, wearied out. Leave her be for a moment.
"I know," Zero bit out. Why is it always like this? Why does she always have to be alone when she really needs someone beside her? He removed Toga's grip on him and left the office.
"Sensei…I don't know what to do…I'm…scared…This case…I hope it really has nothing to do with my past…," murmured Seiran as she kneeled in front of her late teacher's grave.
Seeeees…
Her head whipped to the side at the sound of something rustling only to find a Night Class student frozen on the spot, his eyes wide.
"Gomenasai, Seiran-san, I was just walking in the garden, I didn't mean to intrude upon your private space!" profusely the young male vampire apologized before hurriedly retracing his steps elsewhere.
Seiran merely watched his retreating back, unable to say anything as she had also been taken aback. This case was really stressing her out if she couldn't even detect another vampire approaching her. And it was one of the Night Class students she really wasn't familiar with because he wasn't close to the vampires she mixed with, namely Kaname's crowd. Hmm…the next time I see him I should tell him it's alright, considering the gardens are a public location…I wasn't that intimidating, was I? Then again, not many Night Class students really dared to approach Kaname and co., the elite crowd…Honestly, I should be more friendly even though I'm closer to my relatives and all…
The same Night Class vampire bumped into Zero on his way back to the Moon Dorms and hurriedly bowed as the silver haired Prefect barely shot him a glance, making his way to find Seiran at her usual contemplating area.
"Zero…" Seiran's eyes widened as he kneeled beside her, facing Sensei Tamaji's tombstone. What are you doing?
"Sensei, I know this case is stressing Seiran out, but I promise you that I will do my best to hunt down the culprit by her side. So, please take care of me." He bowed. I don't want her to feel disheartened like this…
Lesson no. 20 : Coincidence occurs once in a blue moon, but when there is a regular pattern – it is no longer considered coincidence.