As the imposing gates of Cross Academy swung open to welcome the Night Class, a hush of anticipation rippled through the Day Class students. Their gazes remained fixed on the captivating Night Class students. Yuki and Zero struggled to hold them back, but the commotion subsided when the Day Class students' attention turned to a newcomer among the Night Class. Her striking silver hair cascaded down to her hips, her ethereal pale skin seemed almost otherworldly, and her soft lavender eyes held a whimsical charm. She stood at the front of the Night Class, near Kaname, her petite frame drawing the attention of everyone present. A whisper of excitement swept through the Day Class.
Yuki noticed the tension in the Night Class students' expressions, despite their attempts to maintain composure. It was the same girl from two nights ago, the one who had cornered Zero and attacked her. She couldn't help but wonder about her father's reluctance to reveal any information about her. As the girl clung to Kaname's arm, Yuki detected a fleeting look of annoyance on Kaname's face.
Yuki, always observant, noticed the subtle unease in the Night Class. Despite their smiles and efforts to appear normal, an underlying tension persisted. It was the girl from that night, the one who had confronted Zero. Yuki's curiosity grew, and she watched as the girl scanned the crowd as if searching for someone.
Then, her eyes landed on Zero. In a surprising move, she jumped and hugged him around the neck, calling him "big brother" in a childish tone. Zero stood frozen, uncertain of how to respond but clearly eager to break free. The Day Class students were bewildered by the unexpected revelation.
"Big brother?" one of the girls questioned in disbelief.
"Since when did Kiryu have a sister?" Another chimed in. The Day Class students' murmurs grew louder, and the situation became chaotic. Despite Zero's efforts to free himself, the girl clung to him possessively. She then directed a mischievous gesture at Yuki by sticking her tongue out.
Yuki was left speechless and somewhat astonished by the girl's behavior. She couldn't believe how immature this new arrival seemed. Her jealousy simmered within her, but she couldn't find her voice. What surprised her even more was that Zero had ceased his attempts to break free.
Amidst the Day Class students' gossip and chatter, some of the boys made inappropriate comments about the girl's appearance. Yuki saw a dark expression darken Zero's face with each comment.
"You think I have a chance with her?"
"You could also give her a love letter tomorrow."
Zero's glare intensified, sending shivers down the Day Class boys' spines. This commentary then prompted the Day Class girls to engage in their own gossip about Zero's protective demeanor.
"She's so pretty."
"You know, it's kind of cute to see him like this."
"Right, there's something attractive about him being so protective."
"Maybe we should give him a gift?"
Yuki's glare silenced the Day Class girls, who immediately changed their tune. The brewing tension was interrupted when Kaname decisively pulled the girl away from Zero, a new round of gossip erupting as Zero and Kaname exchanged glares.
"Kuran," Zero uttered darkly, and it was only the presence of the Day Class students that prevented an escalation to physical conflict.
"Kiryu, I would suggest you keep your family bonding for a more suitable time," Kaname remarked calmly, his gaze then shifting to Yuki, a silent message passing between them.
It was the girl who disrupted the moment with a mischievous grin. "Oh my, are you two fighting over me?" she feigned shock.
Both Zero and Kaname turned their glares towards her in unison.
"Hell no!"
"No."
Their simultaneous responses filled the air, ending the peculiar scene as Kaname suggested they proceed to class. The other Night Class students walked away, the girl skipping along before latching onto Seiren, giving her a kiss on the cheek. This caused a gasp among the Day Class students. The girl then turned around, waving at Zero, "I'll see you later tonight, big brother." Her voice filled with childish excitement.
When the Night Class students disappeared from view, Yuki turned to Zero. "Seriously, Zero, who is that?" Yuki questioned the normally introverted student. Zero grumbled, but Yuki wasn't going to let him off the hook this time. Finally, Zero sighed.
"Rei, my little sister," he responded. Yuki stared at him owlishly.
"Since when did you have a little sister?" She questioned him. And that was when Zero clammed up. But Yuki wouldn't let him evade the question this time. "Tell me."
"Since forever, Yuki," he finally answered. This time, Yuki knew that he wouldn't say anything more, and so the two stood in a tense silence.
Meanwhile, the Night Class faced their own issues. The atmosphere in the classroom was tense, with everyone's eyes
fixed on Rei as she sat in her seat, humming happily to herself. "Seiren, could you please get me the textbook?" The girl asked. Seiren nodded, walking to grab the textbook for Rei. The students watched. She giggled when Seiren handed her the textbook. "Thank you, dear Seiren," she commented.
She hummed a lullaby to herself, and then the classroom door swung open, and their new teacher entered. Toga eyed the students, his gaze landing on Rei, who was gleefully swinging her legs.
"Shesh, you'd think somebody had died in here," he remarked. He walked to the front of the classroom. "Alright, since we have a new student, I'll introduce myself again. I'm Toga Yagari, and I'll be your teacher for the foreseeable future."
"So you're going to be teaching us for the foreseeable future, Uncle Toga?" Rei questioned. She was in an extremely good mood, gleeful at the day's events. She got to hug her brother, tease the girl who had intervened that night, annoy Kaname, spend time with Seiren, and now she had Toga as her teacher. Nothing could ruin the night for her. Well, almost nothing. That insatiable thirst that she had been ignoring was still there. It wouldn't leave her and was only growing. She had seen the blood tablets that the other Night Class students took, and she was curious if she could use them.
Rei didn't mind hunting humans. It was sort of like a game, but she was sure that Toga and Zero would disapprove, so she preferred to avoid it. She calculated in her mind that she would be able to sneak away to hunt if required. She probably could. She would just have to be extremely careful. Rei's eyes settled on Kaname, a devious thought going through her head. Using her powers, she created a tiny shadow spider and willed it to crawl over Kaname. It landed on his head, and without even glancing at it, he crushed it. Rei couldn't help but pout. She was hoping that this would break his calm demeanor, but no such luck.
Rei considered her next move. If that didn't work, she could take more extreme measures. Measures like... the shadows formed a small fox by her feet. She made sure to keep it hidden, and then she sent it out, her smile growing wide with her fangs showing. She quickly hid it by holding her hand up to her mouth. In the next second, Kaname jumped up, looking down at the table. His eyes narrowed as he saw the shadow fox staring up at him. This was when she couldn't help but break down laughing.
The fox returned to her, climbing up and resting on her shoulder. Kaname shot her a glare, but she couldn't help but laugh harder. She might not have broken his calm facade, but she did manage to startle him. She wasn't expecting the chalk to come flying and hit her in the head. "Stop playing around, brat, and pay attention," Toga told her. Rei couldn't help but narrow her eyes; she would get her revenge. The shadow fox merged with her, and she could feel the stares of the other students.
Class progressed slowly, almost agonizingly so. Rei was tempted to turn into a flock of bats and just leave, but she had no doubt that Toga could stop her. She also had a feeling Kaname was probably feeling vindictive and would likely stop her as well. Her leg bounced, waiting for the clock to count down. She wondered how Zero was doing. She slammed her head against the table, causing a loud thud to echo through the classroom. Another chalk piece flew at her, and she shot up to glare at Toga.
"I told you to pay attention, brat," he simply said. His eye narrowed, challenging her to do something. It was almost a dare that she was tempted to take. She stuck her tongue out, childish, but the only response she could muster was. Finally, class was done, and Rei was the first one to rush out of the classroom. Freedom felt so good. The first thing Rei was going to do was look for Zero. The more time she spent with her older brother, the better. Seiren followed behind her, always watching over her.
Zero was nearby, patrolling again. This time, he was finishing the patrol up Yuki with him. He sighed. The familiar feeling of arms hugged him. "Rei," he growled, pushing her off of him. Rei pouted, and his mind went to memories from when they had been a happy family. She was always clingy, always acting childish around him.
"I came to see you, and this is how you treat your darling little sister," she pouts fake tears coming to her eyes. She turned away fake sobbing. Zero glared. She might be a vampire, but she was defiently still Rei. She always used those crocodile tears. Rei stopped crying, turning her face to stare at Yuki. She got closer and closer, trying to figure out why she felt a pull to Yuki. Soon, their noses were brushing, and she could feel the agitation of her old brother behind her. She was sure of it now. Underneath the smell of 4 was the unmistakable smell of pureblood. Rei's lavender eyes widened as she caught the scent. "Interesting," she muttered under her breath, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
Zero, ever watchful, immediately sensed Rei's change in demeanor. With a quick, practiced motion, he moved to pull Rei away from Yuki. However, Zero's sudden movement caused Seiren to react. She instinctively grabbed onto Zero's arm, the one that held Rei.
Tension hung in the air as the trio stood in a brief, frozen tableau. Rei's grin widened as she glanced from Yuki to Zero, her senses tingling with newfound intrigue. "It's okay, Seiren." She told her servant. She frowned at that thought. Servant wasn't really a good word for Seiren. It made her think of a maid. No, Seiren was more like... a knight. Seiren let go of Zero's arm, pulling Rei to her side. Rei just smiled. "Do keep an eye on her dear brother." She told Zero. She clung to Seiren's arm. The warmth is coming through. Seiren said nothing, staring with cautious eyes as she watched Zero.
Then Rei suddenly remembered something. "My darling big brother," she said in a sickly sweet tone of voice. It made shivers of disgust go down his back. "You wouldn't happen to have blood tablets, would you?" She questioned
Zero raised an eyebrow. However, he reached into his pocket, giving her two tablets. She looked intrigued at them. "It's hard to believe these little things could really work on calming a vampires thirst." She mused. She gave Zero a smile, a genuine one. "Well, I'm heading back to the dorms big brother." Rei cheerfully said, skipping away with Seiren following after her.
"Zero, I swear, your sister is a weirdo." Yuki told her friend. And Zero couldn't really deny it.
Meanwhile, when they were far enough away, Rei let go of Seiren's arm. The childish look on her face faded away, and now a regal cold one was in place. It rivaled Kaname's almost. "Milady?" Seiren asked. Rei turned around, her eyes glowing red.
"Step out of the shadows if you wish to live," the petite girl commanded. From the darkness emerged a vampire, once human, now wielding a sword. "I had a feeling you mongrels would come sniffing around," she taunted. The man simply stared at her, and behind him, several more vampires emerged. Rei's smile contorted, growing wider. "I shouldn't have expected much. But if you hope to outnumber me, you're gravely mistaken," she declared, her tone dripping with arrogance. Seiren stood at her side, but she knew she wouldn't need her knight this time. Revenge was at hand.
Shadows swirled around, forming wolves and foxes, standing by her. In the trees with red eyes were crows crafted from darkness. They had severely underestimated her. As a Blood Empress, her power was equal to that of a pureblood. Shadowy wings sprouted from her back as she gracefully leaped onto a tree branch. "Shall we commence this mad dance under the moonlit night?" she asked with a curtsy, her eyes ablaze in crimson. A black mist unfurled from her, veiling the ground. Zero would likely notice, as would every vampire in the Night Class. Finally, she could unleash her power.
It was her against these lowly insects. Hardly worth her time, but perhaps she could send a warning to the Vampire Council herself. She was a liberated Blood Empress, no longer their pawn or experiment to manipulate at will. The shadows thickened, reinforcing her. If any Day Class students were awake, they might have noticed, but she trusted that the two guardians had carried out their duty. She molded the shadows into a sword.
"Seiren," she addressed her knight, tossing her the shadowy blade, which Seiren expertly caught. "This filth is unsightly. We shall eradicate it," Rei ordered. Thus, the battle commenced.
The Night Class sensed it—a pureblood nearby. But Kaname was present, so it should have been impossible. "It appears the Council is even more foolish than I thought," Kaname mused. He gazed out the dorm window, then turned to Aido and Kain. "You two, go ensure that our new transfer student doesn't require assistance," he instructed. The two promptly bowed and set off to comply.
Zero had also felt it, and he hurried into the woods, with Yuki following closely behind. Toga joined them, and Zero's heart raced. He knew this had something to do with Rei.
When they arrived, the sight before them was beyond belief. Seiren stood beside Rei, brandishing a blade made of shadows. The area around them was littered with dust, obviously the remains of vampires. Rei, her fangs exposed, stood in front of a terrified former human. Her grin revealed her cruelty.
"Come, you wretched creature. Did you come to drag me back?" she sneered. Onlookers realized that this was the true nature of Rei—a monster disguised as a human. She watched as the man attempted to crawl away. "Run if you want, I may let you escape. Or perhaps I won't," she sadistically taunted. The vampire tried to stand but was swiftly kicked down by Rei, who pressed her foot onto his back. "Seiren," she addressed her knight.
"Yes, milady?" Seiren replied.
"How should I dispose of him?" Rei inquired.
"However you wish, milady," was Seiren's response. Rei hummed, her feet digging into the vampire's back. She crushed him underfoot. This filth had been a puppet of the Vampire Council. There were countless ways to end him, to bring about his demise.
"I know," Rei declared. Before he could escape, she raised her foot and drove it through his chest with a sickening crunch, reducing him to dust. She stepped back, looking around her. She needed more. And if they had snuck onto the academy grounds, that meant they were probably more nearby. She was too valuable not to capture her.
She turned, realizing that she was being watched by the audience. Her eyes widened as she noticed Zero among them. Swiftly, she regained her composure, using her powers to erase all traces of what had just occurred. A faint blush colored her cheeks. "Oh... oh my, I didn't intend for my brother to witness me in such a state. How embarrassing," she admitted. It was almost comical, the transition from cold-blooded killer to an embarrassed little sister. "I apologize for subjecting you to this, big brother," she said.
Zero remained silent as he approached her, even pushing Seiren aside, creating a tense atmosphere that had everyone's attention. Then, unexpectedly, he playfully ruffled her hair. "You damn fool," Zero called her.
"Seiren, help! My dear brother is assaulting me," she jokingly pleaded with her knight, but Seiren wisely stayed out of the sibling argument. Finally, Zero stopped and observed his sister closely.
"Next time, seek assistance if you find yourself in such a situation," Zero gruffly advised her. This comment made Rei blink in surprise.
"Is my beloved brother genuinely concerned for me?" She inquired, but Zero simply turned away, grabbing Yuki, and walking away from her. Unseen by Rei, Yuki noticed a faint blush on Zero's face at having been caught worrying about his sister.
"Well, that was quite the spectacle. But now it's time for these bloodsucking brats to return to the dorms and rest," Toga commented. Rei directed her gaze to the cigarette hanging from his lips. "What are you staring at, kid?"
The unsettling smile that spread across her face unnerved Toga. "Does Headmaster Cross know you're smoking on school grounds?" she asked with glee. Toga growled and stormed off. "I'm going to tell him, as payback for that chalk incident," she sang. All Toga did in response was flip her the bird.
"Phew, Kaname was right about the Council being foolish, right, Kain?" Aido nudged Kain, who only grunted.
"Technically, Kuran just asked us to check. Can we head back now? I'm exhausted," Kain replied.
"Oh, did the little puppy come to check on me?" Rei teased Aido. He sputtered in indignant offense.
"Puppy? My name is Aido Hanabusa!" he protested. Rei rolled her eyes.
"You bark like a puppy, wag your tail at Kaname like a puppy, so by my logic, you are a puppy. Though I've always been more of a cat person. Hey, hey, Kain," Rei turned to address Kain. His eyebrow raised inquisitively.
"Have you ever considered becoming my pet? You'd get free room and board, a generous mistress, and it wouldn't require much effort," she suggested. Both Aido and Seiren stared at her incredulously.
"I'm afraid I'll have to decline that offer. I quite enjoy my current lifestyle," Kain replied without hesitation. If there was one thing he excelled at, it was adapting to various situations. "Now, come on, dawn is already breaking. We should head back," he suggested.
And so, the four students made their way back to the dorm.
Author's Note: Okay this took me way too long. Still I hope you guys will enjoy this as it took me quite a while to work on it. I'm also worried I made Rei a little to OP, but it could be that her shadow power is stupidly versatile.