Beta'ed by Oracleshadow.
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Chapter 4 : He's Their Target

"I should have expected this..." Kuroko mumbled to himself as he wrings his completely wet clothes. Not wanting to catch a cold, Kuroko immediately went to the nearest lake and washed his clothes. Since the clothes was the only pair of clothes he had, he doesn't leave the forest and just stayed there. Bathing in the sunlight as he waited for his clothes to dry.

And the umbrella was still in his mind.

Along with Akashi Seijuurou.

The day after the rainy day, Kuroko had to run as fast as he could without exiting the forest. Reason is, somehow, the hunters knew that Kuroko was in the forest and brought like a whole army to hunt him.

Not that he didn't have a plan though.

He calculated everything. He had to calculate everything since he started his journey from his home. His escape, his speed, even the amount of damages he had to sustain from all the running and the wounds on his body from the hunters' magic bullets.

As he ran around the forest, he let his blood drip from his left arm until it had perfectly created a magic circle. If it was seen from above the forest, anyone would recognize it. But in the end, the hunters are still human with many weaknesses.

As the circle was perfected, Kuroko immediately ran into the middle of the circle and outstretched his hands."Darkness of the night. I am Kuroko Tetsuya. The last remaining member of Kuroko family. With my blood as your evidence and medium, lend me your power." Kuroko recited, and a black void consumed every hunter in the forest.

Kuroko sat down as he tried to catch his breath. His vision was blurring, and he felt a migraine coming. He closed his eyes and remembered what his mother had told him when he was a child.

"Even the easiest spell could become deadly for our enemies."

"Enemies? We have enemies?"

"Yes."

"Who is it?"

"You will know in the future. Now, let's continue, the easiest spell for us is the darkness spell" She started. "We have big compability with darkness since we lived inside it. One of our traits is that we had a lack of presence. We are not easy to see and we can easily blend into the background. And that happens because we don't have enough light."

"Our light is the main family. Now listen here, Tetsuya. We are a branch family and we have another family we called the main family. While they lived basking in the light of glory, known to many people, we lived inside their shadow. We are destined to be the main family's shadow."

"Then, why is our lack of presence still here when the main family's light is there?" Kuroko asked curiously. His little hands grabbed a pack of biscuit and started eating it.

"We had separated from them. A corruption started to happen at the main house. We do not want to serve those with impure heart so we separated. Although by doing so, we are the last survivor from the Kuroko family." She answered.

"Right after we separated, we were hunted. We became an easy prey to those hunters since we didn't have the help from main family. Right now, our only light is your father. He is from the main family with a pure bloodline."

"A pure bloodline? What does that mean, mother?"

"You will know in the future. Right now, let me teach you the darkness spell. This spell is shaped like a void. A black void. The void can consume everything. Even the world, if you want it. But, even the easiest spell could become deadly. Not just to our enemies, but to ourselves too"

"Why?"

"Everytime you use this spell, the darkness also consumes your blood. Much more than a normal spell would. The bigger the magic circle, the bigger the void. But it also consumes alot of energy. You have to be careful with this okay?"

"Yes, mother."

"It seems that I'm not careful enough, mother..." Kuroko mumbled before he drifted off to sleep.

The third day, Kuroko spent it resting. The wound from the one-sided battle yesterday still hasn't completely healed. He replayed yesterday's battle again and again, in order to find a weakness from the hunter's spell and magic bullet.

'I need to give back the umbrella...'

Finally, after recovering his strength and all his wounds were healed, Kuroko prepared himself to pay a visit to the castle. Since the castle is an important place, there was sure to have many hunters. He stood up as he took the umbrella from his left side and started walking. And as expected, he found the castle quite fast. It is a castle and of course, it's the biggest and tallest building.

Kuroko approached one of the guards at the gate, just like what Akashi had said. "Umm...excuse me?"

"Whoa! I didn't see you there! What does a kid like you want from the castle?" The guard asked cautiously.

"I came here to meet Akashi Seijuurou-san. I have to return something I borrowed from him" Kuroko explained.

"Captain Akashi? You could just give the item you borrowed from him to me and I will pass it to him" The guard said.

"Ah-" Kuroko's words was cut off by another guard standing beside the guard he was talking to.

"It's alright, just let him in. Captain Akashi said that if there's a male who wanted to return something to him, just let him in." The other guard said.

"Then, come this way" The guard said while opening the gate. Kuroko walked in before the gate was closed once again and the guard started escorting him inside.

The inside he's being escorted to, is not the castle's main big and shining hall, but to another hall inside the castle. The hall was dark, lighted by dim-litted yellow lamps. The wallpaper was a classic red in color with black stripes. Kuroko passed a few doors, before reaching another, only to stop in front of it.

The guard knocked twice on the door, and received a 'come in' from inside. The guard opened the door, and told Kuroko to go in, while he went back to the main gate. Kuroko went in and stared at the big office with a desk in the middle where a red-haired male was doing his paper work.

"Excuse me" Kuroko said as he walked towards Akashi.

"I have been waiting for you, Tetsuya. Please sit down. What would you like to drink?" Akashi asked while pointing towards a couch.

"Ah. You don't have to. I'm just here to return the umbrella" Kuroko declined. Still wary of the new place. He doesn't know what the castle have for defenses against a vampire like him.

"No. I insist"

"Then, a cup of tea wouldn't hurt" Kuroko said more to himself as he sat on the black couch.

"What would you like?" Akashi repeated his question. "I only got green tea, coffee, milk, and vanilla tea" He added while looking towards the expanse of boxes in the corner of his office which looked like a mini kitchen.

"Then...vanilla tea" Kuroko said, and Akashi started making them. After a few minutes, Akashi walked towards Kuroko with a tray of two cups on it. He served it, and Kuroko took the cup from its saucer, blowing the hot tea, and sipped it. Akashi just looked at Kuroko before he did the same thing. After putting the cups on the table, Kuroko started to talk.

"So...you're a military solider?"

"Yes."

"I see..." Kuroko said before sipping more of his tea. The room went eerily silent before Kuroko remembered his main reason to go to the castle. He took the umbrella from the side of the couch and gave it to Akashi.

"Here's your umbrella. Thank you for lending it to me" Kuroko said as he gave Akashi his umbrella

"You're welcome." Akashi said as he accepted it.

"Then...my business is done here. I think it may be time for me to leave" Kuroko said as he stood up.

"That's really a shame" Akashi said as he stood up too.

"Thank you for the tea. It was delicious" Kuroko said as he bowed.

"You're welcome. Let me escort you at least to the main gate"

"Ah, you don't have to. I'm sure you have many work to do."

"I insist. And do not worry about my work. I'm just reviewing my subordinates' work. My work had already been done 2 hours ago."

"Thank you. I really appreciate it" Kuroko said. Thanking him for the third time.

"It's nothing" Akashi said as he and Kuroko walked towards the door together. But before he could open the door, a slight rustling sound reached his ears, and before he knew what's going on, he was being dragged down by Akashi.

"Get down!" Akashi shouted, and Kuroko did so. The next thing he know was bullets raining inside the office. He took one of the bullets on the floor and immediately realized that it was a magic bullet. His fear had come true. There are hunters inside the castle.

Kuroko ran towards the other side of the office. Peeking through the window from the wall. He had to know how many hunters are attacking him.

One...Two...Three...Twenty-two!

And Kuroko panicked. He hasn't fought this many hunters all at once. Much less he was alone. He looked towards the door. There are a lot of holes and the door seemed like it was going to break soon. But what surprised him was the person lying on the floor.

Kuroko ran towards Akashi's side, and found that two bullets had hit him. One hit his shoulder and the other hit the side of his neck. Right in his artery vein. Even if it was a magic bullet, a bullet was still a bullet. It will hurt anyone, be it vampire or human.

Kuroko tore off his clothes, and hurriedly pressed it to the wound on his neck. Hoping to stop the blood. If he didn't, Akashi might be dead because of the loss of blood. He took more cloth and pressed it again, as the first one was already soaked in blood. Tears started forming in his eyes as he took more cloth and pressed it again.

'Because he was protecting me...'

"Please don't die on me...Akashi-kun"

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