Author's note: For those who haven't read the recent manga chapters (or at all, not that I blame you), Kaito is a canon character. I don't really know much about him because he's new, but it was mentioned that he and Zero know each from when they were younger. Apparently, they had the same sensei (meaning he's also a part of the Hunter's Club lol). And...I think that's about it.

Chapter 26: The Breaking Point

My eyes were starting to itch due to the lighting of the room.

The walls of the ballroom were painted yellow, so when the light from the huge, dangling chandeliers hit the walls the room filled up with a warm, golden glow. To be honest, the glow was irritating my eyes. Besides, weren't they lovers of the dark? So what the hell was going on with this bright ass room?

The ballroom was crowded.

I haven't even joined them yet and I could tell that there were a lot of vampires. They reeked of old pages of a book and stolen blood. The purebloods were standoffish, watching the inferior vampires ogle them with their greedy eyes. For a mere second, I pitied the purebloods. They always had to question who was truly loyal to them and who actually wanted to kill them for their blood.

But that was only for a second. I stopped caring after that. After all, they created their own mess.

The floor of the ballroom, whenever I got the chance to see it, had an ongoing red carpet of gold lions and red dragons. How ironic-a room filled with predators, and the carpet was of lions and dragons. In the corners, the waitresses and waiters filled up their trays with what looked like red wine and food. However, I assumed that the red wine was not wine at all.

I was upstairs, looking down at them through a small crack of the bathroom door. I was debating whether or not I really wanted to be here. Sure, the head of the Bokyo clan was going to be here, but was I ready to face him?

I was wearing the same silk, black dress I wore last semester to the school dance but it looked slightly differently on me. I frowned in the mirror, taking in the plunge of the V-neck halter top and the way the dress clung to my curves. I must have gained weight again because it was a little looser the last time I wore it. I huffed, frustrated. How could I have gained weight? After all the running around I've had to do? And what about my insane training? I even gave up ice cream for a short while!

Well, whatever. More meat on me just means more curves and bigger boobs.

I tied the red ribbons into a knot on my back and adjusted the top of the dress so my breasts wouldn't fall out. I had to borrow Kiren's black heels because I couldn't find mine, and her heels made me three inches taller. I was about to make my appearance to the vampire's little get together—the political reunion of the purebloods.

I had spotted Yuuki with the love of her life near the center of the crowd earlier, but the look on her face made me curious and cautious. She wasn't being her usual giddy self. She was calm and stoic...it didn't suit her at all.

It was what made me reluctant to join the vampires-even though I knew Zero and Yagari-sama were also among them. As members of the Hunter Association, they were there to babysit. I, on the other hand, was there to harass the head of a rival clan. And to add to my list, I wanted to meet the leader of the Hunter Association so I could chew them out. I wasn't going to become a part of their stupid association, so they can shove it up their asses!

Problem was that I didn't know how either leader looked, so when I arrived to the stupid reunion I immediately headed upstairs to watch from afar.

I glanced again at the reflection in the mirror to make sure I was presentable.

My hair was ironed straight, which took me about two hours to do because it was being rebellious. Kiren had begged to put make up on me before I left, so my mud brown eyes were given a smoky look and my lips were maroon. To be honest, I felt and looked a little slutty. I wanted to go change and wipe off the makeup. I mean how is a girl supposed to be taken seriously when she looks like she's about to flash the world?

Another problem was my weapon. Where the fuck did they want me to put this thing? I'd put it on my back like I normally do but tonight the spikes didn't want to retreat into its usual place inside the ball, which complicated things. When I tried to put it onto my back, the spikes got a hold of my dress and it nearly ripped off the dress. I, personally, refuse to go a vampire get-together and have the dress accidentally slip off me as I was walking around. Guess I was just going to have to carry it around my waist-cause that didn't feel awkward at all.

I sighed and stood tall as I made my way downstairs, catching the eyes of the predators. To them I wasn't a creature of seduction, which any human male would have seen me as. Nope. To them I was a tasty meal, and the bonus was that I looked mouthwatering.

Except one person.

He was wearing a black tuxedo, an aquatic blue colored vest over an ordinary white blouse, and a matching aquatic blue tie. His back was to me and he had his hands jammed into his pockets, giving him a laid back look. However, he wasn't relaxed at all. His oceanic eyes scanned the ballroom to make sure no one was harassing the purebloods and that no harmful attempts were made onto the Kuran couple.

I snuck up behind him and cleared my throat as I folded my arms over my chest. He spun around quickly to check who was behind him and his eyes popped open.

"Serena! So glad to finally see you here! And you look ravishing!" Hanabusa flashed me a toothy grin as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders, causing the vampires to narrow their eyes and question his claim on me.

"Thanks," I mumbled, keeping the predators in my line of sight.

"Though, I must say, do you really have to wear that thing around your hips? It's distracting and the spikes are poking me," he pouted.

"That's because you're too close," I smirked. "So back off."

He smiled at me but he didn't remove his arm. He gave me a playful wink and tilted his head to Zero's direction. "Your buddies are here."

That said, I glanced at the other prefects. I felt odd being the only female prefect present-Yuuki was playing the role of a vampire tonight. Zero, dressed in his prefect clothing, was standing against a column with a void expression on his face. His comrade, Kaito, was standing next to him. Kaito's eyes were alert and suspicious, but once he saw me he waved and smirked at me. A smirk that said he knew I'd show up.

His cockiness was really beginning to grate my nerves.

Taking in their appearance, I noticed I was the only one actually dressed up.

I frowned. "Was I supposed to be dressed in my prefect clothing tonight?"

"Well, technically yes, but this looks a lot better," Hanabusa grinned.

Damn it! I could have gone in just normal clothes? I glanced at the clock on the wall. No luck. I didn't have enough time to go back and change.

Fuck my life.

"Miss Serena, it's so nice to you here." A polite voice greeted me. Takuma was in a tuxedo but his vest was black and his tie was red. He appeared to be tired. I had seen him earlier talking to a long haired female pureblood and he didn't look so pleased to be chatting with her.

In fact, seeing me might have been his excuse to escape their conversation.

"Not by choice," I lied to Takuma. "Are you having any fun?"

Takuma chuckled, bringing his hand to his mouth. "As much fun as political gatherings can be."

That was a no, but I kind of already knew that.

"Well, I'll be right back," I said, spotting Yagari-sama. I had a few questions for him. "I need to go speak to my mentor."

Takuma smiled and returned to the Kurans, but Hanabusa grabbed me right before I left.

He gave me a stern look. "Be careful."

"Why?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Because it's not safe for humans to be here and I don't care if you're strong...the purebloods are always going to be stronger," he said seriously, concerned. "I don't trust all of them."

Translation: Don't do anything stupid or you'll get your ass kicked.

I smirked and waved him off. "I'm just going to see Yagari-sama! Chill!"

Hanabusa rolled his eyes in disbelief but released me. "Just be careful, okay?"

As he walked away, I quickened my steps to catch up to Yagari-sama. He was moving away from the ballroom, going up the stairs. It made me question where he was going.

"Yagari-sama! Wait up!" I shouted, taking two stairs at a time.

Yagari-sama tucked one hand into his pocket and pulled out a cigar. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to ask you something. I wanted to know what the purpose of this...gathering was. I mean everyone is calling it a political gathering, but I don't hear anyone discussing politics."

Yagari-sama smirked. "It's really just an excuse for everyone to meet up and spend quality time with the purebloods. They're just going to gossip here and there, and keep their eyes on the prize."

Prize? Ah, the Kurans. I gazed back at them. Yuuki was smiling politely and waving at everyone closest to her in proximity, but her lover was silent and attentive.

"Hey, would you happen to know who the leader of the Hunter's Association is?" I asked, keeping my eyes on the Kurans.

I heard him chuckle. "Sure do."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Can you tell me who?"

That earned me a wide smirk. "Zero is, or he will be soon. Right now I'm sort of guiding it."

I was floored. "Wait. You mean…what?"

He laughed at me. A real sound of laughter and had it been under different circumstances, I would have pouted in offense. But I was angry.

"I've been hounded by the Hunter's Association to join their stupid club and Zero has been the leader the entire time? He knows I don't want to join!" My nostrils flared and there was a ringing in my ears. "What the hell is his problem? He can't take no for an answer?"

"Well, Serena, I think you should talk to him about it then," Yagari-sama commented coolly, blowing out smoke. I was pretty sure he wasn't allowed to smoke here but then again when has he ever cared about the rules?

"I think I will. Excuse me!" I said to a vampire who was in my way and stomped passed him. I found Zero to still be leaning against the same column and he raised an eyebrow at me when he noticed the fumes coming out of my ears.

"You and me! Right now!" I shouted from across the room, pointing a finger at him.

"What's your problem?" His tone was indifferent.

He made no effort to fight me off when I grabbed his forearm and dragged him until we were outside on the balcony. However, the glare on his face did give me the impression he wanted to strangle me and then drag my dead body by the hair to bury me somewhere I wouldn't be found just for creating a scene.

And the glare intensified when I got in his face. "What the hell, Zero! Why do you keep hounding me to join the Hunter's Association? And don't pretend like you don't know what the hell I'm talking about 'cause you do! You sent Kaito after me and before that-"

"Would you keep it down?" he snapped. "I know."

"Then explain." I folded my arms.

Before Zero could open his mouth to inform me, he was intercepted by the Chairman.

Zero inhaled deeply to calm his nerves. "Chairman Cross."

The Chairman waved at him, smiling. "Hello Zero-kun, I see that she has finally figured you out. No worries! I shall take her off your hands!"

I glared at the Chairman as Zero made a slight nod of acceptance and returned to the ballroom. Once Zero was out of earshot, he cleared his throat and placed his hand onto my back. He gently nudged me closer to the edge of the balcony.

"I didn't know you were going to be here," I mumbled.

"Well, all the vampire hunters are," the Chairman smiled.

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow at him, a vein twitching on my forehead. Maybe this was a good time to blow up something.

"Serena, what you just did was dangerous," he said lowly.

"What did I do?" I took notice of what he was wearing.

Chairman Cross was dressed entirely in black, as if prepared for a funeral, and he was wearing thick black boots. He had something dangling at his side—a long sword.

Well, this is interesting. I've never seen him like this before. It's almost like he knows something that I don't.

"You called attention to yourself," he sighed, dropping his head. "Now the purebloods all know that you're here."

"And why is that bad?" I asked.

"You were wondering why Zero was trying to recruit you to the Hunters' Association, correct?"

I nodded my head gradually.

"You're a valuable hunter. Don't give me that look—you are what you are."

I became curious. "What do you mean 'valuable'?"

"It's your heritage that makes you different from most vampire hunters. From my side you have the hunters' genes. From your mother's side you have the vampire genes, even though it's slightly diluted since the noble vampires in your clan mated with humans," he explained. "You do know how a vampire hunter was first created right?"

"Yeah, yeah. I read the stupid manual. The first vampire hunter was a human who ate a pureblood," I said, disgusted.

"Then you can see why you are important," Chairman Cross continued, his eyes trailing behind me. "You're much stronger than you realize, and with training you would be able to reach that potential. It's why we didn't want the purebloods to know that you were here."

My eyebrows furrowed together. "I am very confused."

"About?"

"Kaito came to me saying I was supposed to be here because of the Hunters' Association, and as a member—which I am not—I was to show up. I figured that since it was a vampire gathering, so close to the school, you'd want the prefects here to keep an eye on them."

Chairman Cross smiled. "Serena, you're lying. That's not the reason you came."

I fidgeted. "What are you talking about?"

"You came because Kaito informed you of Hajime, the pureblood of the Bokyo clan. I'm not a big fan of Kaito," he answered.

"Why?"

"Kaito is Zero's childhood…associate. They trained together under Yagari-sama. And he has a habit of sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. Anyway, you're not supposed to be here. I told Zero not to mention this gathering to you since I knew Hajime would be here, but it seems Kaito got to you first since all Hunters were notified."

"Is that why you're here? To watch over me?" I was touched…sort of.

He wrapped an arm around me. "Well, couldn't let anything happen to you. You're the baby of the family."

It was complicated. A part of me was enjoyed the bonding moment, but the other part of me was irritated. I don't need a babysitter.

But if I'm not supposed to be here, why didn't Hanabusa lecture me?

"Tell me something, do the vampires know I'm not supposed to be here?"

"The vampires of the school know you're not supposed to be here, but they figured if they told you to leave it would only make matters worse since you'd defy them in a rather noisily way. They're merely going to watch you."

Great. I'm being spied from all around. "And me making a big scene?"

"That allowed everyone to know you're here, and therefore so does Hajime." I heard him sigh loudly again. "He won't make a move until he has an opening. Serena, don't give him an opening. And it's not just him you have to be wary of—all of the purebloods are dangerous."

"You're preaching to the choir."

"Yes, but you seriously don't realize your situation. As a human with vampire genes and hunter genes, you make a formidable foe. You don't know how many purebloods, or even nobles, would want to—"

"What? Drink my blood?"

"Turn you, Serena. If a pureblood were to bite you, you'd become a Level E at a much slower rate. And if they provided you with the blood you needed, you'd make an excellent warrior for them. A bodyguard."

"As if I'd guard them," I scoffed.

"You wouldn't have a choice. Their advantage over you is that they're giving you blood. You'd become dependent on them, just as Zero was dependant on the Kurans. And it's control over you that they want. It's a power thing."

I felt my body twitch nervously. "Is Zero still dependant on the Kurans?"

"No, after…certain circumstances…"

"What circumstances?" I interrupted.

His face became gravely serious. "He ate his twin brother and drank the blood of the pureblood who turned him. When a Level D vampire drinks the blood of their creator, they can prevent themselves from becoming a Level E."

I made a disgusted face. "He ate his twin brother? I didn't realize he had a twin brother!"

"Serena, you did read what happened to twins while they're in the womb, correct?"

The thought made me sad. "Yes...one of them is eaten so they can become one strong vampire hunter. Why didn't it happen in the womb then? Why did Zero have to..."

The Chairman shrugged. "It happens."

"Well then what? Do they remain as Level D after drinking their creator's blood?"

"That depends on the person. For an example, Zero is on equal grounds with the pureblood vampires when it comes to power and strength."

"And would happen to me if I went through the same bull shit he did?" Not that I would want to go through it. Nope. I like being human thank you very much.

"That would also depend."

"On what?"

"Your sanity," he said. "Zero has a greater amount of control over his emotions. You don't. I would guess that you would lose your temper and create a massive massacre."

"Thanks. You have such confidence in me," I sneered.

"You make it sound like you want to go through what he did—just to gain power. You're not becoming power hungry, are you?" His tone was a concerned one.

In truths, the thought of being on equal grounds with the purebloods did sound appealing to me, but only because by then I would be able to really wipe them out if they decided to attack me. However, to be changed into a vampire in the process was not in my plans. I'll get as strong as Zero, but by my own rules.

"Me? Power hungry? Nope. I do have another question though."

"What?"

"How do I become as strong as Zero without becoming a vampire?"

"Ah, you'd have to join the Hunters' Association for that information," he smirked. "Only the Association can provide you with the proper training and information to become stronger. I would know. I've been in it all of my life."

"Which is what? Thirty years?" I scoffed.

"Actually, I'm not as young as I appear to be. I'm almost 273 years old." He gave me a peace sign as my jaw dropped.

"Are you fucking with me? Are you sure you're not an ancestor?"

He let out a loud roar of laughter.

"How can you be so old?"

"It's the vampire hunter's genes. We age very slowly," he grinned.

Well, I guess that's a plus for me. I would have time to lose weight and look my best at some point.

"But we do die, right? We don't just keep going like vampires, right?"

"Yes we do die. Mostly by murder though."

And that's a minus. Damn it. Can't win it all I suppose.

"Why? Would you want to be immortal?" he asked curiously.

I folded my arms, standing straighter. "No, I don't."

"Why not?"

"Because who'd want to live forever when there might be paradise on the other side? And besides, I have family and friends to return to."

"So you do believe in the afterlife."

I shrugged. "I could be wrong, but I certainly wouldn't want to live like this forever."

"So back to the whole Hunters' Association, are you joining us? You'll become stronger, promise."

"You're honestly baiting me?" I frowned.

"I'm actually quite torn to be honest. As a father, I'd rather you'd keep away from this mess. As a fellow hunter, I'd like to see you fight by my side. I know you enjoy fighting—it's practically in your genes. And let's be realistic, you'll always have someone after you now that you've made yourself known to the Bokyo clan. I would want you to be strong enough to defend yourself," he stated somewhat sadly.

And that's how I became a part of their stupid club. I figured as long as Zero was in charge, and I had the opportunity to become as strong as he was, I was in.

"I'm going to head back in. Stay out of trouble," he ordered.

"Should I just leave?" I asked.

"No, if you leave now you'll be followed. You're safer within a crowd. However, if you happen to see someone with lime green eyes, stay as far away as possible."

Lime green eyes—practically the signature of the Bokyo clan.

I merged back into the crowd of vampires, moving more slowly and carefully. I was aware of why they were staring at me now. I had been wrong about the meal part. Well, maybe not entirely wrong. I was making my way back to Hanabusa when someone bumped into me and twirled me around to face them.

"Serena, glad to see you darling!" a familiar voice chirped.

I felt my stomach groan in displeasure. "Aunt Thora? What the hell are you doing here?"

This was not a good sign. Not at all.

She responded with a hush tone. "Oh you know, just the usual. I've come to crash the party."

Crash the party? Oh no...

Before I could react, Hanabusa had me by the arm too. He looked caught between happy to see her and unhappy to see her.

"Thora, as much as I like seeing you here, I have to question your motive," he greeted suspiciously.

Aunt Thora giggled. "You'll see soon!"

She took Hanabusa by the hair, which caused me to look down at her feet. Yup, she was floating above the ground. After all, she was technically too short to actually just grab him by the hair. "I like you. I like you lots, Hanabusa. But I have to promise you that if you hurt her in any way possible…they will never find you."

And after that friendly exchange, she released him and faced me.

"You're going to want to leave in five minutes," she hinted, winking. "Ta ta now!"

The short vampire ran into the mass of taller vampires and blended in. I groaned. It was times like these I hated short people-I can never find them.

"What did she mean 'leave in five minutes'?" Hanabusa questioned me, eyes flashing alarmingly.

I opened my mouth to answer but was interrupted.

"That's Thora for you, cheery even when giving out death threats," Yagari-sama said, appearing next to us suddenly and I was momentarily distracted.

"What's going on? Why is she here?" Hanabusa was uneasy.

"Did she say anything to you, Serena?" the hunter turned to me, a bit more composed.

"Fuck! She said she was-"

The roof caved on top of us, the windows exploded into shards of glass, and everything became dark. Something really heavy was on top of me, threatening to bury me alive. I began choking on the dust and particles that had been forced into the air. I tasted my blood and forced myself to swallow, causing myself to shiver.

Gross. God damn Thora and her stupid explosives!

I was abruptly yanked from underneath the debris and brought back to the surface.

"UGH! Serena! I told you to leave in five minutes!" I heard Aunt Thora's scowl.

"Oh sure." I coughed to clear my throat, seeing doubles of her. "Cause that's plenty of time to get away, you fucking lunatic."

She didn't take offense and continued to rush me along. "Well, your boyfriend and mentor are already on the move so let's get going!"

Already on the move? What?

She forced me to stand but I only staggered on my feet. Once I could managed to stand straight without falling face first, I spun around to slap her.

"Are you fucking crazy?" I snapped, slurring my words. "You could have killed us all!"

Aunt Thora didn't react to the slap. "You're wasting time."

I felt the blood within me boil. "What the hell is going on? Was this entire thing planned?"

"Yes and no," she answered vaguely.

"I'm going to kill you," I growled.

"Later. We have a school to rescue and a mother to hunt down."

My head was spinning. I felt like my skull had a crack in it. Everything was going in and out of my ears, and I couldn't understand anything. "What?"

"Oh! The school is being under attack, you idiot! And that's not the only problem! Your mother has finally lost her mind! She's not in control anymore!"

I paused, blinking. I couldn't help but repeat my question. "What?"

"Serena!" She snapped at me, hating to waste time to explain it to me. "This entire gathering was a cover up! Notice how your fellow hunter is not here? He left when you made your appearance so he could sneak away to kill your mother. And the Bokyo clan decided this was the best moment to underhand you!"

"Would you stop yelling," I growled again, wincing at her volume. "Which hunter is gone? Is that what you meant by on the move?"

She threw her hands up in the air. "Forget it! I'll just meet you at the school!"

And with that, she vanished. My vision was too blurry to keep up with her speed. I stumbled and fell back onto the debris, which had been a part of the roof. I felt blood drip down from the gash that was on my forehead and slide down to my chin.

"Well, she left in a hurry," Chairman Cross muttered, wrapping my head with a white piece of cloth. "Are you feeling all right?"

I shook my head slowly as to not mess up my brain. "When did you get here?"

"I tried to get here as fast as I could, but not fast enough," he grudgingly mumbled. He placed one arm around me and lifted me up. "I assume she didn't tell you everything judging your dazed look."

"Ah…what?"

"You need to lie down. I'll take you to my office. Just promise that you'll stay in there."

"No, I need to know. She mentioned Mom," I argued stubbornly.

He hesitated. "Your mother has become a Level E."

I inhaled sharply. "What?"

He ignored my question. It didn't matter. "It's why Kaito disappeared after he saw you. It was his signal to leave."

"Zero sent him?" I snarled. I was going to kill them both.

"No, Kaito went without anyone telling him to. You have to understand Kaito, he is a ruthless hunter. He wasn't going to leave this task to you."

I didn't give a diddly squat if he was a ruthless hunter—he was hunting my mom! I felt new strength in me as my anger burned at dangerous peaks. I stood up and removed the cloth from my forehead, realizing the wound had already healed. I was slowly becoming immune to my aunt's crazy toxic bombs.

"What's the fastest way to America? Because I highly doubt Kaito took a plane," I said coolly.

"Kaito has his own means of transportation so I don't know how he got to-"

"Would you just tell me if there was a faster way there!" I was impatient.

"Well, your Aunt Diana could teleport you."

I groaned. "And how long would it take me to find her?"

"Not long, considering she's at the school," he answered and I started to make my way back to the school.

I blinked. That's right! The school! I faced him as I pulled out the Bloor Star.

"What's going on at the school?" I was confused. I had been at the reunion. Why was the Bokyo clan attacking the school?

"Hajime sent his clan members to the school," he stated as we sped up. "He's creating an opening, Serena. I think he hopes that with all the chaos going on, he'll be able to get you alone. So don't do anything-"

CRAP AN EGG! KIREN'S IN DANGER!

I didn't hear the last part of what he was saying, I was too busy charging.

True to his word, it was a chaotic mess. The academy's roof was on fire, some of windows had been busted open, and there was blood all over the ground. My face was greeted with the heat of the flames because of the wind—where the hell was the wind coming from? I took a stepback, bewildered.

"I have to get to my office!" Chairman Cross told me. Not to my surprise, he had managed to keep pace with me. "Hajime is probably looking through the records."

I was going to ask what the hell for, but it didn't matter. I've come to realize that vampires always had an agenda.

Students were running everywhere like lambs being herded by the wolves, scrambling to get away from the random Level E vampires chasing after them.

The Chairman placed a hand on me. "Can I trust you to take care of the students and stay away from the Bokyo clan?"

"I'll take care of the students, no problem. Staying away from the Bokyo clan-problem. I don't go looking for them. They always find me," I told him.

"I'll tell that to Thora. She'll want more of them to kill anyway," he said, rolling his eyes. "And I'll send Diana to you. She'll help you get to America."

"Thanks!" I shouted as he departed, swinging the Blood Star over my head as a Level E vampire ran my way. I walloped her on the head, hearing the cracking of her skull and watched as blood splattered everywhere. The rest of her body combusted into dust.

"Serena!" I heard a familiar voice scream in terror. "Help!"

I glanced at my right to see a muscular Level E vampire holding Shizune by the throat, forcing her to expose her vulnerable neck. Beside her on the ground was Miss Skunk, or what was left of her. Her body had turned a pale white, almost bluish and her eyes were rolled up. Two puncture wounds were on her neck. She had been drained dry.

Shizune's navy blue eyes were shedding tears, filled with horror and panic. She had seen me crush the skull of the previous Level E.

"Please! Help!" she shrieked.

The Level E male vampire was watching me, appearing to be debating whether or not he wanted to fight me. I frowned. This wasn't good. Level E vampires don't normally show intelligence.

After a few seconds, he decided I might make a better meal and he released Shizune. Shizune fell to the floor with a loud thud.

"Shizune when I tell you to-"

"I can't move," she cried, hysteria in her voice, "he broke my legs moments before you came."

Well this complicated things. This meant I had to calculate the exact amount of force I wanted to use so that the Blood Star wouldn't kill her as well.

But I was never any good at that.

The Level E vampire licked his upper lip, revealing bloodstained fangs. He flexed his toned arms and cracked his knuckles.

Yup. This was definitely not in the manual.

He charged at me like a bull and I dug my feet into the ground to brace myself. I swung the Blood Star at his torso—while the impact did create a huge gaping hole, the force of it caused me to lose my grip. I went tumbling down with the ex-human, but luckily I was on top or else his weight would have crushed me. I jumped off of him to retrieve the Blood Star but he seized my left ankle and threw me against a tree.

I screamed, feeling pain shoot up my spine. I was beginning to see little black dots parade in front of my eyes.

All of the sudden someone's really foul smelling breath was in my face. I rolled onto my side before he could bite my nose off and kept rolling until I could reclaim the Blood Star. I cracked my back as I stood, gripping the Blood Star tightly. On the bright side, I was further away from Shizune so I wouldn't accidentally kill her. On the dark side, I wasn't anywhere near her to keep her safe from the other ex-humans.

I broke the ground with the Blood Star, allowing the blast to crack the ground with its force and create a fissure large enough that the ex-human fell into it. I smirked as he realized he was trapped between the earths. With another blow to the ground, his body crumbled like sand. Either they were getting easier to kill, or I was getting better at this.

I rushed back to Shizune who was still crying, but this time in pain. I gently tried to pick her up but she kept screaming at me to stop.

"I can't just leave you here, you idiot!" I snapped. "I have to take you to someone!"

"Leave me!" she screamed dramatically. "I just want to die!"

I grumbled under my breath. "Shut the fuck up you weak bitch. Your legs are just broken. Now I'm going to pick you up so don't squirm, and I'm going to take you to someone who can help."

She shrieked loudly into my ears as I carried her but she didn't squirm. My eyes scanned the area, careful of the other ex-humans appearing and shushed her every time we had to hide until they were gone. I was glad that as a vampire hunter I could sense them, but they could not sense me. It made avoiding them so much easier.

"Serena!" an alarmed male voice shouted, grabbing my attention.

"Yagari-sama! Take her! I don't know what to do with her!" I told him.

He gently removed her from my arms. "Serena, you really have to be careful. You shouldn't even be here. Where are your guards?"

"My guards? What are you talking about?"

He scowled and I could see him doing a mental head slap. "Serena, do not leave yourself isolated. You're the real target here."

I still wasn't catching on. "What do you mean?"

"Hajime knew he wouldn't be able to attack you at the reunion since you were guarded by the Kurans and the hunters. He sent his clan members to invade the school hoping that we would rush to save the school and leave you unprotected in the rush, which would have happened if your father hadn't planned for this," he began to enlighten me. "Your father called upon your mother's clan to protect you, hence why you saw Thora. She's supposed to be protecting you...ugh, the trigger-happy moron is probably off exploding things."

"Yeah, she kind of ditched me after she pulled me out of the debris," I stated, hearing him mutter 'damn maniac' under his breath.

"Hello! Girl in pain here!" Shizune shouted to force Yagari-sama to look down at her, which he did for a second and then returned to glare at me.

"Find yourself a partner and don't go anywhere alone, Serena."

"Chairman Cross gave me the task of helping the students," I said.

"Then stay with the students." He turned around to take care of Shizune. I wouldn't be surprised if he dumped her somewhere just to get rid of her.

I began roaming the school grounds in search of more students, taking out the Level E vampires that approached me. I know, I know. I was doing exactly what Yagari-sama told me not to do, but I didn't run into anyone I knew. Just the stupid ex-humans.

So I figured that the stronger vampires were all in the school, fighting the nobles.

I was horrified by the state of the school. Granted, the fire on the roof had been replaced by a smooth, solid layer of ice-I could bet who pulled that stunt. Yet the blood was really starting to get to my head. The smell was clogging up my nostrils and making me very uneasy. It wasn't long till I spotted Asura being cornered by a seven foot tall vampire, and just as I was about to bash its skull he turned around to catch the end of the Blood Star.

He lifted the Blood Star up, causing my feet to dangle in the air and I took in a deep breath when I noticed lime green eyes.

He was a lanky Bokyo with big, round eyes and short but puffy black hair. His fangs came down to his chin, which made me wonder how he could eat his prey. He was wearing a clown outfit and clown makeup. I was having a hard time taking him seriously since he had the red nose. I just wanted to squeeze it to see if it would make a squeaky noise.

"It's more polite if you introduce yourself first," he said gruffly. "My name is Midori."

"Yeah, and I'm about to stick this ten inches up your ass," I snapped.

I kicked his leg, using the momentum to remove the Blood Star from his hands. I swiftly ducked to avoid his punch and thrusted the Blood Star into his ribs but I didn't hear anything crack. I stepped backwards as I heard him roar with laughter.

"You should know your opponent's abilities before you attack them," he grinned. "I have bone manipulation."

This guy must not be the brightest of the bunch. I mean who the hell tells their enemy their talent? "Yeah, thanks for the info."

I sprinted passed him and then moved to his left when he took a swipe at me. I turned around just in time to get an opening to his chest and struck his heart with the Blood Star, causing everything to blow up. I coughed to clear my throat, making a disgusted face as I realized I might have accidentally swallowed a piece of his flesh when he blew up. I sighed. He was definitely the most painless Bokyo member that I killed, but I really do think he wasn't entirely all there in the brain department. When my hearing returned I noticed someone clapping. I found Aunt Thora sitting next to a passed out Asura, wearing a proud grin on her face.

"I can always count on you to attract trouble," she said, putting her hands on her hips.

"What did you do to her?" I frowned, spotting the hidden needle in her pocket.

"What did I do?" she blinked innocently. "I haven't done anything."

"Bull shit. Did you poison her?"

"Poison her? Don't be ridiculous. I just put her to sleep," she chuckled.

"AH HA! I so called it!"

Aunt Thora narrowed her eyes at me. "You're becoming a sneaky little devil."

"I learn from the best," I countered.

She picked Asura up, throwing over her shoulder. "Come on now, we have to go find Diana, which will probably take a while."

"Why?"

"Because she hates my guts," she replied with her usual perky self. "So she spends most of her time making sure that I don't find her, and she's really good at hiding herself...considering that she's a tracker, so she knows how to cover up her tracks."

"Why am I not surprised," I said. "But I thought her ability is teleportation?"

"Teleportation is her ability, tracking is just something she's good at. She's had years of practice."

"Well...then how are we going to find her?" I was almost scared to ask.

Thora shot me an unhealthy grin that made me hope that I never crossed her in the future. "Leave that to me!"

I mumbled under my breath. "And that's what I'm worried about. Wait, instead of going around and throwing bombs into random places...why don't you somehow force her to...I don't know...appear?"

I was really not up to watching body parts get blown into tiny bits.

I heard her gasp. "That's a brilliant idea! The best one you've had yet!"

I narrowed my eyes at her. "What are you trying to say?"

She ignored me as she took out two yellow glowing, transparent spheres and threw them onto the ground, and then stomped on them. The spheres broke, releasing a yellowish gas and I inhaped quickly to avoid breathing in whatever she was using.

"Relax," she told me. "It's not toxic."

Within seconds, a six foot brunette with angry blue eyes appear before me. She grabbed Aunt Thora by her throat and dangled her in the air, but Aunt Thora didn't seem to be irritated at all. In fact, she looked downright pleased with herself.

"Evenin' Diana," she squeaked out.

"You wretched little thing," Diana hissed, her face becoming violet. "How dare you use the scent of my beloved mate and child to lure me out here!"

Oh. So that's what the smell was.

"Knew it would work." Her eyes glittered with mischief. I glanced back and forth between the two vampires, noticing the death glare on Diana's face and the impish face of Aunt Thora.

"Um hello," I interrupted before they bloodied each other up. "I need a way to America."

Diana stared at me for a few minutes, taking in my appearance. Diana dropped Aunt Thora and stepped closer to me. Diana looked like she was in her early twenties. Her brown hair went down to her shoulders in gentle waves and her blue eyes were not oceanic like Hanabusa's, but more like Erica's ice cold blue. She moved with power and authority, which might be due to her becoming a parent. A pissed off mother was not pleasant at all.

"Red hair, the scent of a vampire...you're wearing your mother's necklace, I see." She spoke with an accent. I couldn't pinpoint where she was from, but it sounded Northern European. I touched the moon and sun fused necklace, feeling at peace. "I'm glad to have finally met the youngest member of our clan."

Diana gave Aunt Thora a spiteful glare. "Make sure that human is taken somewhere safe without a scratch on her, Thora."

"Why of course," she grinned.

Diana took a hold of my hand and the next thing I knew, my butt was on grass.

"Woah, I didn't even blink," I said in awe.

Diana wasn't paying attention to me, she was too busy studying the area to make sure it was safe. She was also muttering to herself.

"Aunt Diana?"

"Just call me Diana. Aunt makes me feel old," she ordered. "It's safe here. After all, the Bokyo clan are all at the school. I don't believe they know about your mother's current situation. I think we're actually in your backyard, judging by the scent of the family. You're not going to like what's inside the house though."

She was right. We were in my backyard. The grass was up to my knees, but I could see where I left my old softball and gym equipment. They were rusting since I hadn't bothered to take care of them. "What's wrong with the inside of the house?"

"That's for you to discover. I'm going to be staying here until you complete your task so you have a way back to Japan." She sat herself down in the grass.

"Okay...see you later."

I walked to the house, feeling the tickle of the tall grass against my bare legs and regreted opening the door. I was hit with a draft that took the scent of blood with it. I slammed the door shut, gasping for air as to clear my head.

"Yes. It's bad in there. And it only gets worse," she commented calmly.

Might as well face the music.

I plugged my nose and stepped into the house, biting my bottom lip to keep from making any noises. Blood was all over the furniture, the walls, in the sink...and I could have sworn I saw someone's intestines on the floor. I was fighting the urge to vomit-and then I found Mr. Tampon in the living room. His veins were pressing against his pale white skin, threatening to burst out. His mouth was partly open and his eyes had rolled up to the back of his head. Two puncture holes were on his neck and I found another pair of holes on his chest where she might have tried to eat his heart.

He had been drained dry.

"Well, it's always Romeo that dies first," I uttered. I made my way out of the house and gasped for air as I stepped out. And then I went through a whole new shock-my entire neighborhood was covered with blood, organs, and random body parts.

My mother was ruthless in her killings.

Yeah, yeah I know. I've been MIA for a while, but now that summer has started (final exams were last week! YAY)...I have more time. Until I get a job that is, but that shouldn't be as bad as homework, papers, exams, and the likes.

I put in a lot more detail, hence why the chapter is longer. And I tried to make this a darker chapter. Sorry for all the information coming out at once-I think this chapter might have been too fast paced, but that's how attacks usually happen-so quick that you can hardly register what's going on and/or there's too much going on.

The next chapter will be the last one. I can't decide whether I'm happy about it or not. I also haven't decided whether or not I want to write a sequel since I'm definitely leaving a lot of room for it...but time is an issue. And brain cells. Well, maybe I'll leave it up for a vote? Since I have about 80 people reading (give or take), if I get at least a half of readers stating they want a sequel, then I'll start writing it.

Till next time!