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Season Of Transience (A story from the Vampire Knight light novel: Ice Blue Sin)
А single wild rabbit twitched its nose endearingly. It had yet to sense the presence of the hunter in this lush forest in the ravine.
Making sure to conceal his presence, Zero carefully aimed the barrel of his gun at the rabbit and hesitated – for a brief moment.
If he pulled the trigger, that rabbit would die. Blood would spurt out and its life would be gone in the blink of an eye. The rabbit would then become food for humans. It was necessary for this to happen.
It would not have died for nothing.
‘…ugh!’
Bam!
He pulled the trigger while letting out what sounded like a cross between a ‘tsk’ and a sigh.
His uncertainty just now, however, caused his aim to go wide, missing the surprised rabbit which then fled into a nearby bush.
There goes my dinner for tonight…
He sighed, half resigned yet half relieved. Just then…
Bam!
The sound of gun going off reverberated through the forest, and а young boy, older than Zero, emerged from the bushes. It was the boy who had started training together with Zero just а few days ago.
'Kaito..'
Hanging limply from Kaito's hand was the lifeless body of the wild rabbit that had been alive just a moment ago. Zero swallowed involuntarily. The rabbit had been shot through the heart. It had probably died painlessly, not even comprehending what had happened to itself.
'That's amazing, Kaito. You killed it with just one shot.’
‘You missed it on purpose just now, didn’t you, Zero?’
‘I…’
Kaito laughed as though he could read Zero’s mind.
‘So you think it’s too pitiful, huh?’
The cold look on Kaito's face seemed to mock Zero. Needless to say, besides looking taller and more grown up than the eleven-year-old Zero, fifteen-year-old Kaito was also more mature in his thinking.
‘Those feelings are completely pointless. Especially for a vampire hunter,' Kaito said. With that parting shot, he turned and walked off, tossing away the corpse of the wild rabbit.
With a small thud, Zero caught it instantly in his arms. The rabbit, with its eyes closed, was still warm.
Deep in the mountains, quiet and virtually untouched by civilization, it was like а different world from the city altogether.
Zero was currently living in a log house by the lake and training under a vampire hunter named Toga Yagari. The boy was descended from a long line of vampire hunters. Even now, his parents were somewhere out there, busy fulfilling their duties.
When Zero and Kaito returned to the house, Yagari was out front, tending to his weapon. With his huge body, long hair and stem features, he gave the impression that he was as untamed as he looked.
Most of the weapons of vampire hunters had to be put through certain special rituals, and Yagari never allowed himself to slacken in this regard. Although he appeared frivolous, he was, in fact, surprisingly serious beneath the surface. Zero, himself had no idea what to make of his own master. Since Yagari sometimes took care of lchiru, his younger twin, Zero considered him to be a close family friend rather than his master. Yagari probably felt more like a brother who was very much older.
‘We're back…’ Zero greeted.
Kaito remained silent.
Kaito’s master had been injured during work a few days ago, so he left his disciple in the care of Yagari while he recuperated. Apparently, Kaito's master was one of Yagari's seniors. For someone who looked so unfriendly, Yagari's social circle was surprisingly large.
However, Kaito did not seem interested in getting along with either Zero or Yagari, drawing a clear line between them and standing firmly behind it. Zero appeared to be the only person who was bothered about Kaito's attitude, though. Yagari was just being his usual self.
'Oh, good.'
Yagari acknowledged their presence. 'So, how was the hunt?' he asked, with a cigarette clamped between his teeth. He glanced at what Zero was holding.
'Only one between the both of you?'
'At least we have something to eat, don’t we?’ Kaito replied coolly.
‘That’s true,’ Yagari agreed a wry grin on his face.
The next morning, Zero concentrated seriously on his daily task of splitting logs.
Holding up the hatchet with both hands, he fixed his eyes upon the target firmly before swinging it down. Although he was well trained, Zero had yet to outgrow his child's body. The large, heavy hatchet and the sheer number of logs he had to split made it a strenuous and daunting task. He would not be able to chop the logs if he did not swing the hatchet down with enough force and momentum, but not controlling how he used his strength would result in sore arms later. It was quite a conundrum.
‘This is bloody troublesome,” Kaito spoke up after splitting а few logs. He flung down the hatchet. 'Zero, do mine for me!'
‘..but this is supposed to be part of our training. If we train our arm muscles and back muscles, our constitution will improve and..'
‘That's just stupid,' Kaito interrupted. ‘This will help us improve? Do you really believe what Yagari says? He only made us do this because he wants to save himself some trouble, that's all!'
'But, since it's our training..'
'You know how good I am, don't you?'
‘But Kaito..'
Seeing Zero's refusal to back down, Kaito looked up at the sky with annoyance on his face, lifted the hatchet easily with one hand and split the log cleanly into halves.
‘Get it now? You're using both hands. I'm using one. Obviously, I'm better. That's why while you may need the training, I certainly do not.'
The log halves rolled to the ground with a dull thud.
'Hmph, I can't believe my master actually got himself injured on the job.. Thanks to that, l had to get Ieft in a place like this and suffer as well! Talk about a nuisance. Call yourself a professional.. How could you be so disgraceful? Besides, I’m completely fine on my own without Yagari to 'take care of me”!'
Without thinking, Zero countered, 'Kaito.. I think you're taking it a bit too far. It's a good thing your master survived with just some injuries. His life isn't in danger, right?'
After blurting out his piece, his body tensed.
Не could feet the air around Kaito turn sharp and icy.
'..for a boy who hasn't actually fought before, what would you know?'
‘I…’
Zero was unable to move, pinned to the spot by Kaito's piercing glare.
‘You're a son of the Kiryuu family, aren't you?' Kaito asked. 'So spoilt and pampered that you couldn't even kill a rabbit. I can't believe how casually you're treating the whole thing. Do you really understand what being a vampire hunter means? Do you know what responsibilities they have to shoulder? You don't even look like you have half a clue! Do you really think you're ready for this?!'
‘Ready for this..?'
It was true that Zero was striving to be a vampire hunter because that had been the profession of the Kiryuu family for generations. He had also decided in his heart that he was going to become a first-class hunter for the sake of his weaker twin, Ichiru, but ask him if he was ready to face whatever was out there..
In all honesty, he had no idea.
The only reason he had chosen to become a hunter was because he wanted to follow in his parents' footsteps. That was all. He was training hard now in order to live up to his parents' expectations, to help lchiru, and to become a well-known hunter together with his twin brother.
The job of vampire hunters was to kill the vampires that were on the execution list. He understood that the killing of vampires seas not considered a crime.
However..
Zero had yet to experience an actual ‘hunt’ before.
‘Hey, Zero!’ Yagari's face appeared suddenly, and there was a rare gleam of warmth in his ebony eyes. ‘Bet you're happy! You have visitors!'
'Eh? Who..?'
'Zero!'
The boy who ran forward to envelop Zero in a hug was like a mirror image of Zero himself, with his silky hair and handsome features. It was none other than his twin brother lchiru.
'Eh? lchiru?'
'It's been a while, huh, Zero?'
'How have you been?'
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'Dad and Mum too..?!'
lchiru grinned happily at Zero, who had yet to recover from his shock. Behind him stood their parents.
‘Yup! My fever went down, so l asked them to bring me along!' Ichiru explained.
‘But, Ichiru.. will you really be all right? Shouldn't you be resting somewhere..? Your health..'
‘I thought so too, but lchiru wanted to see you so much that he absolutely would have none of it!'
‘I should've been training here too if l hadn't come down with a fever! Right, Master?' lchiru flashed Yagari an innocent smile. Yagari gave a light shrug.
‘Yeah, that's true..'
‘I'm going to start training here today as well,’ Ichiru declared.
‘That's okay, right? Zero and I are going to become hunters together when we grow up!'
Meanwhile, Kaito stood uncomfortably by himself at the front door, unsure of how to react to the suddenly livelier house. Zero and lchiru's father reached out to pat Kaito's head kindly. The dry and large hand of the vampire hunter conveyed his feelings with more eloquence than any words would have.
'I heard about your master. He barely escaped with his life, didn't he? Thank goodness he's all right.' Kaito's only reply was to lower his head in silence.
The fragrance of coffee brewed by Yagari filled the living room of the log house.
Zero's mother had disappeared into the kitchen with the fresh vegetables she had received from a nearby farm, and soon, another kind of fragrance wafted out, mixing with the smell of the coffee. She was probably making a hearty vegetable soup, which was her specialty.
Yagari commented that all mothers in the world seemed obsessive about stuffing their children with vegetables, and all those in agreement laughed.
'Zero, Ichiru.' Looking up at the source of the voice, they saw their father with his camera, and the man took a photograph of them together.
It was a habit of vampire hunters to take pictures every opportunity they had, as their work required them to take death in the face every second. Perhaps it was their fragile lifestyle – the fact that they did not know when they might be wiped out from this world — that made them desire to leave as much evidence of their existence behind as possible, even only in the form of photographs. Kaito was sitting with his feet up on a sofa a distance away from Zero and lchiru, staring curiously at the twins who were like carbon copies of each other.
‘Let's take a shot in front of the fireplace too!'
Urged by lchiru, Zero stood beside his brother at the spot he had been pulled to. lchiru then called out to Yagari innocently, ‘Join us, master!'
‘Kaito,' Zero called out to the boy who was consciously trying to leave himself out of the circle. ‘Come on, join us too.'
Reluctantly, Kaito stood and walked over to where Zero and the others were standing. Usually, he would have simply said no, but he was apparently making an effort to be nice because Zero's family was around.
Click!
The shutter snapped and a picture of the twins flanked by Yagari and Kaito was forever immortalized.
'Sorry to keep you waiting!' Mrs. Kiryuu announced. ‘Stew is served! Its chock full of vegetables, so you three growing boys should especially eat more, okay?'
At the sound of her cheery voice, Kaito immediately slipped away from beside Zero.
Mealtime was over.
Ichiru accompanied Zero and Kaito on their training, keen to start as soon as possible. That only served to make the short-tempered Kaito even more irritated than usual. Ichiru would get breathless after just running for a short period of time, which meant he had to walk slowly and take frequent breaks in between.
To Kaito, it was nothing short of a complete waste of time, and frankly, it got on his nerves. Not only was he unable to train at his usual pace, the constant stopping was also adding to his fatigue.
‘Oi, Zero,’ Kaito called out to the boy. He pointed ahead with his chin, and there, in front of them, was the bird that Yagari had ordered them to capture.
Zero acknowledged it with a subtle look at Kaito.
‘Look, Ichiru. There’s a bird over there. lt’s not on guard, so if you just stayed downwind, you should be able to hit it. Be careful of recoil from the gun!’
Kaito felt odd, seeing how Zero was always striving hard for Ichiru. Was he being over-protective of the boy? lt was like he was watching a fledgling trying desperately to protect another fledgling of the same size.
Their difference in stamina is so huge for two people who are supposed to be twins. And Zero seems to be.. more diligent..?
Kaito mentally cocked his head in puzzlement. He would have understood if it were the other way round.
If the obviously inferior lchiru were the one who was always working hard for Zero’s sake, he would simply dismiss it as the natural way of things, but..
‘All right!’ lchiru replied softly. He took aim carefully.
The bird was perched atop a tree branch, at an extremely close range. It was not every day that one found an easy prey like this. That was probably why Kaito decided to let lchiru have the kill.
‘..koff!’
All of a sudden, Ichiru bent over and started hacking. The cold air in the forest had probably gotten to him.
‘Ichiru, are you all right?’ Zero asked in a panic, rubbing his hand up and down his brother’s back. Needless to say, the bird had instantly fled at the sound of Ichiru’s coughing.
‘Oh, gimme a break..’ Kaito said with a big sigh. He shoved a hand through his hair in annoyance. ‘You.. lchiru, weren’t it? You should be lying down somewhere if your health isn’t that good. We can finish this a lot quicker without you.’
‘I’m fine!’ came lchiru’s defiant reply.
The boy’s stubborn insistence irritated Kaito even more. He grabbed Ichiru’s chin with his fingers and leaned in, growling in a low voice.
‘If you’re fine, then don’t get in our way! A burden like you will only cause more trouble for us by treating this whole thing as a game! We’re doing serious work here, and I’m not a babysitter!’
An expression of hurt spread over Ichiru’s face at Kaito’s words.
No one had ever been so blunt and unkind towards the sickly lchiru before. Pity made his parents spoil him endlessly, and even Yagari took Ichiru’s constitution into consideration, making sure to never assign him anything strenuous.
lchiru bit his lip and glared fiercely at Kaito. lt was so obvious that he was trying his utmost to swallow his tears despite his fear, that Zero gave Kaito a hard shove without thinking.
‘What do you think you’re doing?!’ Kaito yelled.
‘Don’t you blame Ichiru! ’ Zero shouted back.
‘What’re you getting so upset for? I’m just telling the truth here! I’d rather train with you than your little brother over there! ‘
Unseen by the quarrelling pair, Ichiru bent over and his shoulders shook.
Kaito.. I hate him..
Although he liked being with Zero, he hated being compared to him. Why did people always compare him with Zero? They might have developed from the same cell, but they were still individual people who were different from each other. Even as a young child, lchiru had always detested the people who not only compared the both of them, but viewed Zero as the superior one and him as inferior.
‘Don’t talk about lchiru like that! I’ll never let anyone hurt him! ’
‘Zero..’
lchiru loved the way Zero always protected him wherever they were, even though he could not help being envious of him at the same time. His brother was the one who had a strong body and the potential for becoming a vampire hunter. lf their births had been reversed, their positions would probably be different now.
‘..koff! Koff!’
‘Ichiru?! ’
lchiru’s coughing sounded even more severe than a while ago. Noticing this, Zero ran towards his brother quickly. His face was red, so Zero put their foreheads together to gauge his temperature.
lchiru’s forehead felt a lot hotter.
‘You have a fever, lchiru. Let’s call it a day, okay?’
‘o.. kay..’
Kaito shrugged in what seemed like resignation, before picking up lchiru and Zero’s belongings.
‘Kaito?’
‘You support him while we’re walking. Don’t want him making things worse by falling down now, do you?’
Having spent the past few days with Kaito, Zero could tell that the older boy was, in his own way, showing his concern. But the way Kaito expressed himself was a little difficult to understand.
lchiru cast his eyes downwards in sadness and frustration.
‘Why am I not as strong as you, Zero`?’ he asked.
‘You’ll become strong too, when you grow older! ` Zero reassured him.
Even the comforting words of his beloved Zero sounded like a lie now. It was a torture for him to see Zero healthy when he was so weak, especially since they were of the same flesh and blood. He had really wanted to train together with Zero -to become vampire hunters together with him, but.. Zero was always one step ahead of him, and there was nothing Ichiru could do but see his brother off while stuck in his sickbed.
I want to become stronger too..
His frustration at himself cast a small shadow over his heart.. that would soon prove to be an omen of things to come.
‘Well then.. Please take care of Zero! And Zero, work hard, all right?’
Carrying the feverish Ichiru in their arms, Zero’s parents bowed deeply to Yagari.
‘I don’t wanna.. ’ Ichiru protested. ‘I wanna stay here.. with.. Zero..’
‘Ichiru.. you need proper treatment to get well,’ Zero said. ‘The cold temperature here is bad for your body. Come by again once you’re better, okay?’
Ichiru nodded reluctantly at Zero’s gentle words. lt hurt to see his brother’s face so red from sickness.
When Zero saw them to the door, his mother turned towards him and said, ‘Oh yes, Zero. You’re coming home before the summer vacation ends, right? We’ve already moved to the new house about a week ago, so be sure to get Yagari to send you back! l’ve already asked him on your behalf ’
‘We moved again?’
‘Yes, that’s right We’ve already settled your school transfer for you, so don‘t worry.’
Vampire hunters moved from place to place in pursuit of their vampire targets, so they seldom stayed long in one location.
‘I'm changing schools again, huh..’
His transfers were always sudden, leaving him no time to say goodbye to his friends before leaving for his new school. After a while, it became too troublesome to keep them updated with his new address and phone number, since he would be moving again soon. Because of that, his communication with any friends soon came to an abrupt stop sooner or later. That was why ever since he was young; Zero had never made any good friends. That was the fate of a vampire hunter.
This was the life he had been living since he was born -it was something he understood clearly.
‘I’ll always be with you, Zero!’ Ichiru said, grasping his brother’s hand tightly with his own hand. It was smaller, and a little warmer.
Zero smiled despite himself
‘Of course, Ichiru! ’
Standing at the sidelines was Kaito, who was there to see the group off. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets and he was observing the twins from the comer of his eyes. There was a little bit -just a tiny bit - of loneliness, sadness, and even envy in his wistful eyes.
‘..hm? What’s that sound..?’
Zero, who had been sleeping in his own room, was woken up by the sound of water. The clock at his bedside told him am it was already the next day.
Rousing himself quickly, he perked up all his senses. His body was so tensed and his senses so sharp that an onlooker would not have believed he had been sleeping just a moment ago.
No.. No signs of a vampire anywhere nearby…
He breathed a sigh of relief; only to hear the sound of the water again. Glancing out at the lake from his window, he spied a dark shadow on its bank. It wasn‘t Yagari. The shadow was slimmer and looked slightly more fragile than Yagari.
‘Kaito? Why isn’t he asleep yet..?’
Nights in the mountains were cold. Throwing on a jacket on top of his pajamas, Zero slipped out of bed.
On a still night without a single breath of wind, the lake was like a huge mirror that reflected the perfectly round and white moon in the sky. A small pebble skipped across the silvery reflection.
So that was the sound of Kaito throwing stones into the lake?
Zero tried to tiptoe nearer.
But..
‘What are you doing, Zero?’
‘Nothing..’
He was discovered right away. Shuffling through the sand on the ground, Zero made his way towards Kaito. It was strangely bright in the mountains at night, making Kaito’s form stand out.
‘You couldn’t sleep?’ Zero asked.
He did not receive a reply. Kaito simply continued tossing his pebbles at the surface the water.
‘You’re pretty good at this. ’
The pebbles formed ripples as they bounced rhythmically across the surface.
‘I’m a little out of form today,’ Kaito said. ‘I can make them go even further if I really put my mind into it.’
Despite the apparent dissatisfaction in his words, his short whistle hinted that he wasn’t as unhappy as he sounded.
‘Watch.’
Fwish!
Flying through the air towards the lake, the pebble leapt across the water surface almost jubilantly. Turning towards Zero, who had started looking around himself for stones so that he could join in the fun, Kaito tossed the stones in his hand high up into the air, caught them, and mumbled.
‘You‘re on pretty good terms with your brother, huh?’
‘You mean lchiru? Well, we’re twins, after all. We’ve always been together.’
‘He’s even more useless than you.’
‘..lchiru was born weak.. that’s why..’
‘In that case, stop letting him poke his nose where it doesn’t belong. I never want to go through a repeat of today again, understand?’
Zero was silent.
‘Just because you pity your sickly little brother doesn’t mean..’
‘That’s not the reason!’
‘Listen. Vampire hunters have no need for compassion. What we need is power! ‘
Kaito's words cut Zero sharply and rendered him speechless.
It was true that Ichiru’s weak constitution made it impossible for him to actually train to be a hunter. Zero and his parents understood that fact tacitly. It seemed like the boy himself had yet to give up on the idea, but the bottom line was - lchiru was not going to be able to become a vampire hunter. It was physically impossible for him.
But what was this ‘power’ that Kaito was talking about? Zero thought to himself silently.
‘If you can’t even protect yourself; becoming a vampire hunter will just make you the perfect prey for vampires,’ Kaito continued. ‘Although, I’m not sure vampires would even want to feed on blood that’s so weak.’
‘Take that back..! You can only say all that because you don’t even have brothers or sisters..!’
Silently enraged, Zero seized Kaito by his collar. The latter glared at him and grabbed his hands effortlessly.
‘I had an older brother too.’
‘Eh?’
The strength left Zero ’s arms.
‘He was weak,’ Kaito said. ‘That‘s why he didn’t come back. He was just a loser, and I’m never going to become like that.’
‘You had a brother..?’
The look on Kaito’s face was one of nonchalance – perhaps even overly so, because compared to his usual expressionless countenance, it almost seemed like he was forcing himself to put on an act. Somewhere at the back of Zero’s mind, the light suddenly dawned.
‘Kaito.. your older brother was..’
‘Yeah,’ Kaito let go of Zero’s hands and turned around. ‘He was a vampire hunter.’
Not coming back meant that he had been..
With vampire hunters for parents himself, Zero knew very well what that meant. A hunter’s life was always in danger. Some sustained injuries in the course of duty, like Kaito’s master, while others were killed.
‘You must miss him..’ Zero whispered, only to receive a negative reply from Kaito.
‘Not really. It’s just one of those things,’ Kaito said. ‘Being brothers just means that we both have the same blood in us, that’s all. He ignored me all the time anyway, and I was never concerned about him either. Same with my parents!
There was a strangely adult smile on Kaito’s lips when he turned around.
‘Not every family in the world is as successful as yours. Some families have members who each do their own thing even though they’re living under the same roof. Sometimes they don’t even want to see each other’s faces. I’m glad l ran away from a family like that.’
‘Kaito..’
Unsure of what to say to the older boy, Zero lowered his gaze to the ground. On seeing that, Kaito frowned in displeasure and hit Zero hard on his head.
‘Ow!’
‘Don’t go all gloomy! Are you trying to irritate me? I didn’t say all that to gain your sympathy. Living with my master is a lot better than being with my family.’
Under the silvery rays of the moonlight, Kaito’s profile seemed almost transparent and illusionary. His skin was stunningly white, like snow or something similar, and his black eyes shone with the same radiance as the surface of the lake. Was it Zero’s imagination, or were Kaito’s eyes slightly wet?
Pretending he hadn’t noticed anything, Zero flung the stone in his hand into the lake with all his strength.
Kaito threw his own stone into the lake as well, as if in pursuit, and it carved out ripples on the lake.
Many, many ripples. For some time after that, the pair continued tossing stones into the lake in silence.
Neither spoke nor looked at each other’s faces. Yet the time that passed appeared to have a therapeutic effect on them both.
With an unlit cigarette in his mouth, Yagari stared out of his window at his two disciples standing beside the lake.
‘Well.. kids will be kids.’
In the inky darkness, his eyes shone like that of a wild beast.
Kaito’s face was now open and vulnerable - something he would never have shown willingly to Yagari.
Turning away from the window, Yagari stretched his body.
‘Now then.. It’s time to advance to the next stage. Show me the results of your training, my dear disciples.’
‘Don’t let down your guard even for a moment, understand? This isn’t our usual “training” anymore, but an actual mission, all right?’
A few days after lchiru and the Kiryuu family went home; Zero and Kaito were brought to a nearby forest without warning by Yagari, who then instructed them to go on a hunt. There was a vampire on the execution list who was hiding in the forest. It was one, who had degenerated into a Level E. ‘Level End’,
Commonly known as ‘Level E’, was the bottommost position in the hierarchy of vampire stages. These vampires were former humans who had succumbed no their instincts, who thirsted endlessly for blood and attacked anybody unfortunate enough to cross their paths. It was the job of a vampire hunter to track and hunt down any of these Level E vampires who strayed into the human world.
Zero had seen vampires before, but it was the first time he was going on a hunt for one, and it was his first time on an actual ‘mission’ that was not a training of some sort. He had also never seen a Level E vampire before.
A monster that attacked anyone it saw for blood.
A change being that had turned from a human into a vampire… before degenerating into a monster.
Turning around and seeing the slightly nervous Zero, Kaito laughed.
‘You scared?’
‘…that’s not it.’
He would be lying if he said he wasn’t scared. But if he said he was, it would have felt like he had lost somehow.
‘ That’s not it…’
Zero shifted the gun around in his hands, grasping it firmly.
Loaded with real bullets and specially prepared through a ritual for use against vampires, the weapon had never felt as heavy as it was now.
‘Dammit, I think the weather’s going to hell. You two, wait here for me. Don’t move anywhere else, understand?’ Yagari said with a tingle of irritation as he looked up at the sky above the lush forest.
The man melted into the rustling wind an instant. He was still as fast as ever, his large body moving with surprising speed and precision. Zero was quietly impressed at that. He wanted to become just like him.
The two boys were now alone.
The usually dim forest was now even darker and more eerie, even though it was still day time.
'..you think it's going to rain?' Zero asked softly.
'No idea,' Kaito replied, looking at the surroundings with annoyance. 'Keep your wits about you,' he warned. 'We don't know where the vampire might be.'
'Yeah..'
'Then again, where did your master go? Don't tell me he intends to push the job to us because he finds it a bother?’
‘Kaito, you…’
Zero was well aware of the fact that Kaito had a sharp tongue, but he could not stand hearing him badmouth Yagari like that. Just as Zero was about to retort, Kaito suddenly fired at something behind him. ‘Uwaah!’
Astray dog emerged from the bushes, barking furiously before running away.
‘Just a dog..'
‘What are you doing'?! What if that had been a person just now?!'
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‘Of course I could tell by its aura whether it's human or animal,' Kaito scoffed with great self-confidence.
But for someone who just had a bullet fly past dangerously close to his face, Zero was near the limit of his patience.
‘What if you'd made a mistake?'
‘What if? Well, what if that had been the Level E? Just a tiny bit of hesitation and we would have been time ones getting killed. Not only would that be a waste of vampire hunters, it also means that time Level E will escape and kill even more people. How about that for a worst case scenario, huh?'
‘I…!’
‘Look, if we kill that thing, our job is done. If you get killed by that thing, your entire life is done for. Which do you think is the right choice to make?'
Zero was at a loss for words.
It was true that everything would be over if he was killed. Vampires had superb reflexes that were much better than a human's. That was why vampire hunters trained themselves so hard.
A chill went up Zero's spine. His eyes snapped wide open.
'..Kaito!'
'Behind you, Zero!'
Knife-like nails from behind Zero grazed his neck. Cut by the sharpness, drops of blood rolled down his skin.
‘Ugh!’
Zero retreated instinctively, and Kaito raced forward to position himself in front of the younger boy to shield him.
'The blood of children.. so sweet… want.. more..'
Licking the sharp talons that were his nails, the Level E vampire leered at the two boys, flashing his fangs at them.
He looked no different from a human. He had probably been a young man in his twenties.
Nothing but a pale bag of skin and bones now, he flicked his long, untamed hair and laughed derisively, the edges of his fangs peeking out from his lips as he did. 'The blood of children has such a nice fragrance to it.. What a waste to let it just drip away like that..'
Meeting the eyes of the vampire. Zero frowned when he saw that they were like black, bottomless pools of water.
What was this 'human’?
His entire body was shaking uncontrollably.
Zero's eyes grew even wider. What was this.. creature?
‘Don't just stand there! Let's do this!'
Bang!
Kaito fired at the vampire, but he was no longer there. With a nimble leap, he had evaded the bullet. Not a difficult task, since it had not even come close to hitting him, much less wound him.
‘Oh? And I thought you were just kids… Looks like you’re not too bad!’
‘Shut up!’
Kaito was poised for his next action.
However, the vampire was one step ahead, moving so quickly that he was standing behind Zero before the boy could even move a muscle.
‘Eh…?!’
The hair on his entire body was standing on end. The menacing aura made his breath catch in his throat. He stood rooted to the spot, cold sweat trickling down his skin. Enveloped by an unknown sensation, his heart almost came to a stop. Frozen, Zero was helpless as the vampire used his nails to slowly cut open the skin on his neck.
‘Ah…!’
Deep red blood welled out onto pale white skin. It was a vivid crimson that would intoxicate any vampire — but especially Level E vampires who could not resist the allure of fresh blood.
Want. Want. Want. Want more. Want lots more. Want to bask in it. That should quench this overwhelming thirst. Smells good.. sweet.. want to immerse myself in warm, fresh blood..
That was the lust of a vampire — his very instinct.
‘Zero!’ Kaito cried.
'This game of tag is over, kiddies.. Don't be afraid.. I'll be done in an instant. And don't worry, it'll only hurt for a second. I'll be gentle!'
Somewhere near Zero's ear, he could hear the vampire licking his lips. He was trembling from top to toe. The vampire's tongue slid up his neck, following the trail of his blood.
Should the creature manage to sink his fangs into his neck, it would all be over. One would not turn into a vampire from the bite of a Level E, but these vampires fed while they were driven by their instincts, meaning they sucked their victims dry most of the time, killing them in the process.
And Zero was more aware than anyone else that this vampire had no intention of going easy on him at all. 'Go ahead and shoot, why don't you? If you don't mind that this kid's gonna get his neck slit at the same time, of course! Haha! Poor, pathetic little novice hunter!' The vampire taunted.
'Dammit..!' Kaito could only grit his teeth while pointing his gun helplessly, enduring the cruel mocking of his inexperience.
Am I going to die here..?
Zero was in a daze, almost as if he was thinking about the fate of someone completely unrelated to himself. Then, in an instant, Kaito's desperate voice pierced the haze in his mind.
'Zero! If you wanna stay alive, then show me what you're made of!!'
Boom!
Kaito took a shot at the vampire.
‘Guh!’
Caught off guard, the vampire hunched over from the attack.
‘Crap, I missed.. Zero, are you all right?!’ Kaito shouted, still training his gun on his target.
Zero had hit the ground right after Kaito's warning, and now, he slowly raised his head. Thanks to his small build, he was now free from the clutches of the vampire.
‘Kai.. to..'
In accordance with the hunters' iron rule, Zero scrambled frantically to put a distance between himself and a vampire.
‘That's why I said you couldn't handle this!' Kaito yelled. `Just stay back! I'll take care of this guy!'
It seemed that shot just now had grazed the vampire's shoulder. Their bullets were made to cause significant pain even if they didn't hit the mark.
The vampire rose to his full height in between groans and whimpers of pain.
'Ngh.. ug..'
Slave to their blood thirst, Level E vampires would bare their fangs, craving for blood right down to the very last second of their lives.
The twisted nature in his heart was now clearly reflected by the ugly desire in his gleaming eyes. And so was his wretchedness.
`Here he comes, Zero!'
'Ah..'
‘Don't hesitate! Strike before he does!'
Zero breathed hard as he faced the bloodthirsty beast in front of him. He had just stood up and his trembling limbs were not listening to him.
There was nothing they could do but to kill the vampire here. Was there no way they could co-exist with the Level E vampires? Could they not capture the vampire alive and lock him up somewhere?
'Zero,' Kaito jolted him to attention. His voice was bitter.
‘I knew it. Someone as nice as you just isn't cut out to be а hunter.'
With that, he adjusted his aim. If they dragged this out any further, the vampire might escape, or worse — he could even kill them.
Boom!
The bullet narrowly missed the vampire again. Kaito clicked his tongue in frustration.
`How could he be so tenacious..?'
The cornered vampire was sprawled on the ground. Now that he had been greatly weakened, there was no way Kaito would miss this time.
‘Wait.. please.. wait.. You're.. Kaito, right..?'
The vampire lifted his head with great effort, peering through his bedraggled hair at Kaito with his dark eyes.
His finger already on the trigger, Kaito gave a start and stiffened.
‘Who are you..?!'
'It's been a long time. Kaito.. a long, long time..'
Although his face had changed beyond recognition, Kaito remembered seeing those eyes somewhere before. There was only one person in his memories who would call him with this voice.
The silence seemed to stretch on forever, but after a moment, Kaito choked out his disbelief in a tortured voice.
‘Big brother Taito..?!'
‘Help me, Kaito.. I haven't. turned into a Level E yet.. please.. don't kill me..'
‘Big brother..'
It had been a few years since he last saw his brother. Their reunion was sudden, and terribly cruel at the same time.
'Kaito.. this man is.. your.. That's your..?!'
Zero was equally shaken by the unexpected turn of events.
'He went missing in the middle of mission, but… I’d always thought he had run away because he hated his job… So he’d been bitten by a pure-blood…’
Humans who had been bitten by pure-bloods turned into vampires and eventually degenerated into Level E vampires. Just like Taito now.
Taito forced himself to stand. Accomplishing that in his severely weakened state was a testament to the amazing stamina of vampires.
Then, he stretched a hand out to his younger brother, who stood there, frozen stiff.
‘Help me, Kaito.. I don't… want to die yet.. please..'
Shlunk!
In a flash, the vampire swiftly sank his dagger-like talons into Kaito's shoulder with a sickening sound like a knife slicing into a piece of tender fruit. He had moved so quickly that his numerous gunshot wounds seemed all but forgotten.
‘Ugh..!’
Kaito's knee gave way involuntarily and he sunk to the ground in pain.
'Kaito?! Kaito, are you all right.. Uwah!'
Zero tried to run towards Kaito, but in an instant, he was lifted up in Taito's arms. He struggled as hard as he could when he felt warm breath on the back of his neck.
‘Let go! Let me go!'
As hard as he fought, he was no match for strength of the vampire at his age.
‘ You two have given me a really hard time. Sucking every last drop of blood out of you should make my strength return..'
'Stop!!'
Kaito glared up at his brother from where he lay crumpled on the ground. Taito was weak now, and the best food for a vampire was human blood. At this rate, Zero was going to..
'Stop it, big brother!'
'Go ahead and stop me if you can,' Taito challenged. 'You're a hunter, aren't you?'
As if provoking him, Taito opened his mouth slowly and bared his gleaming white fangs. Just as he was about to sink them into Zero's soft neck..
'Gawd, do I have idiots for disciples?! What are you two waiting for?!'
His voice laden with irritation, Yagari appeared and kicked Taito away mercilessly. Liberated from the vampire's grip, Zero was flung to the ground. He hit the floor, coughing violently.
'Looks like I overestimated your readiness, Kaito,' Yagari said. Priming his weapon with one agile movement, he prepared to drive it through his opponent.
'Master!' Zero interrupted him. ‘That person is Kaito's older brother!'
'No! He's not my brother! He's just a Level E!' Kaito cried out, cutting off Zero's plea.
Indeed. This creature was no longer Taito. True, once upon a time, he did used to be someone Kaito called 'big brother', but now, he was nothing more than a Level E vampire.
Hunting this ‘creature’ is my job, and I shouldn’t let personal feelings interfere with my work, but.. why can’t I.. Why can’t I do it..?
Kaito glanced downwards at the motionless Taito.
Right., because it brought back memories.. for that brief moment…
Kaito was ashamed of himself for letting his personal feelings drag him down. He probably deserved it too, seeing as he had been bragging to Zero all this time about how they had no need for emotions when carrying out their missions.
'..Mr. Yagari.'
‘What, are you going to beg for your brother's life?'
Kaito shook his head immediately, looking at Yagari with eyes full of resolve.
'No. That., is my kill. Please, let me finish the job.'
'Kaito! You can't be serious!' Zero exclaimed. But his words only made Kaito regain his composure instead.
‘No matter what he might have been in the past, he’s nothing more than a Level E now, while I am a hunter. That’s all there is to our relationship.'
Kaito cocked his gun with blood still pouring out from his shoulder.
All emotion had been wiped clean from his face.
Boom!
He fired. His actions had been smooth, with neither hesitation nor fear. Zero swallowed hard. It was all he could do to simply watch the events unfold. The bullet found its mark, and Taito's body quickly crumbled into sand.
Silence followed.
That was the death of a vampire. Carried up by the winds, the sand soon dispersed and disappeared, leaving nothing behind to mark what once had been. The grains sparkled briefly in the wind.. The sight was heartbreaking.
‘That was a job well done. You have fulfilled your mission,' Yagari said coolly. His eyes still vacant, Kaito whispered, '..I never thought I'd see him again.'
‘How long had it been since he went missing?' Yagari asked, his voice as calm as ever. Kaito sighed wearily.
'..I wonder.. I'd already forgotten about it, since I ran away from home and everything..'
Blood continued to seep from the wound in his shoulder. Crimson drops interspersed with transparent ones on the ground, and both were absorbed into the black earth.
Two very different liquids dripped from Kaito's body. One from his shoulder, one from his eyes. He turned towards Yagari, who already had a cigarette between his lips, and glared at him accusingly.
`You were testing me.'
'Yes, I was. But I had no idea that Level E was actually your brother. Come here, you two. Let me see your wounds.'
Calling his disciples to him, Yagari tended to them quickly. Their injuries were not life-threatening, but they would not heal without proper attention. The wound on Kaito's shoulder looked rather gruesome, and Zero's neck had been lightly cut as well.
‘You're no gentleman.'
‘You only just realized that?'
Kaito was back to his usual self now. As Yagari tended to the older boy's wounds, Zero reflected on what had just happened. If he had to kill his own brother, his own flesh and blood..
Kaito’s brother… that would be.. Ichiru in my case..?
If lchiru ever became a Level E..
His brother by blood, his very own twin brother, closer to him than anybody else, and with these hands, he would have to..
'I wonder if.. I can..' Zero mumbled softly, shivering.
‘Yeah? Did you say something, Zero?' Yagari asked.
'Ah.. nothing.. It's nothing..'
'Well, anyway, let's head back for now. I'll fix up something warm for you two.’
It was the hunter's duty to shoot, no matter whom the target might be.
He would have no choice.. but to shoot because that was the job of a hunter.
Zero understood now that Kaito had made the right choice but if he were instructed to do the same thing.. He had no confidence that he could. The mere thought of killing people who were dear to him was enough to make his hands tremble.
A vampire hunter doesn’t just need physical strength, but mental strength as well..
Yagari had it. And so did Kaito. Therefore, he had to become strong too. Much, much stronger than he was now. If he did not change, he would never be worthy.
‘Your brother.. doesn't hate you.. I think,' Zero said to Kaito as they walked back. Their pace was slow, so as not to aggravate their injuries. This was something that Zero felt he had to tell him, no matter what happened.
Kaito glowered at Zero, his eyes clearly saying that he hated to be comforted.
‘Level E vampires… eventually have to be killed by someone. Being able to see you before he died.. was a good thing in the end, wasn't it..? You probably don't think so, but., being killed by you was probably better than… being killed by a hunter he didn't know.'
Zero's speech was hesitant, and his broken sentences said as much. Kaito smiled bitterly.
'You know,' Kaito said. 'Putting an end to the sadness of those who have degenerated into Level E vampires is also the duty of a vampire hunter. That's how I feel now.. somehow.'
He brushed his hair over his forehead and looked up at the dark afternoon sky.
'Nobody becomes a Level E because they want to. Killing them is probably., a form of kindness. What we shorten as vampire hunters is probably not just the life of the Level E, but their sorrow as well., and because they can't even stop themselves anymore.. someone., has to do it for them..'
‘Yeah.. you're right.’
Yagari, who had been silently pretending to ignore the conversation all this time, now pressed a hand on the heads of both Zero and Kaito, rushing their hair wildly.
‘Hey! Ow!’
'Uwaah! Master, that hurts!'
‘It's an expression of my great love for you guys! Just accept it.’
'You can keep your ‘great love' to yourself!'
Kaito was red with embarrassment and bellowed defensively. It was the first time Zero had seen Kaito behaving so much like a child, so he could not help but laugh out loud. Glancing at his young charges from the corner of his eyes, Yagari thought quietly to himself.
Well done, my disciples.
Taking on a mission successfully at their age was no trivial accomplishment. Not everybody could become a vampire hunter. Darkness and coldness followed wherever their work went. Anything short of firm determination would get one nowhere in this job.
Vampire Knight Ice Blue Sins Movie
Do you understand my disciples, that the path you've consciously chosen is a thorny оnе..?
Yagari's unspoken question emerged from his heart and into the air along with the smoke he breathed out. The two youths remained oblivious to their master's silent thought.
The old photograph was right before his eyes. It was the picture they had taken in front of the fireplace that day. Looking at it while lying on his dormitory bed, Zero sighed softly.
‘That was when Master still had both his eyes..'
Many things had happened after that, too many, in fact. A short while after that 'mission', Yagari lost his right eye because of Zero. The kind and beautiful nurse in his elementary school.. had turned out to be a human vampire. And one day, that nurse degenerated into a Level Е, right in front of his eyes.
Unable to believe the truth — even after site had bared her fangs in a show of her vampire instincts; Zero had tried to shield her.
'She's a good person! She really is!’
Yagari paid for Zero's ignorance with his right eye. The Level E had crushed his eye while he was protecting Zero, and the boy was unable to see his master for a period of time after that. Whether he liked it or not, the image of Yagari's right eye would surface in his mind whenever he looked at his master. He would see the bandages wrapped around the fresh wound. Yagari would never be able to use his right eye again; all because of him. It was his fault that this happened. 'I'm sorry.. I'm sorry, Master…’
After blaming himself for the longest time, Zero apologized to Yagari. He knew it wasn’t something that could be solved with a mere apology, but he simply had to do it. And that was really all he could say, even after vowing to himself that he would do anything to make up for his mistake.
‘Geez, I didn't save you just to see you look like that, you know.’
Yagari had forgiven Zero. He ran his large hand through Zero's hair.
‘Why do vampires.. hurt people..?’
‘Because they are pitiful creatures who cannot go against their instincts.. Do you understand that now, Zero? Vampires can be nothing except our enemies.’
Zero was only alive because Yagari had sacrificed his right eye to save him. He would never forget that debt of gratitude he owed. He wanted to become a person that Yagari would have no regrets saving.
In the picture, Yagari was his normal self, while Kaito was affecting his usual nonchalance. Zero was smiling tentatively, and a warm smile adorned lchiru's face. '
‘Ichiru..’
Zero didn't know where his twin brother was now. The four of them would never come together again.
‘Ah! This must be Kaito!'
He suddenly heard a cheerful voice by his ear.
‘What's gotten into you, Zero'? I've never seen you stare at a picture like this before..'
Zero flash of annoyance was instant.
`Knock before you come in!'
‘I did! But there was no answer, so I thought you might be sleeping. What, are you pining for your master because he came back?'
Was he really so naive? Or was this all part of his plan? Or wait, did he just have no fear? Whatever it was, the chairman of Cross Academy was definitely not the kind of person who could read and react appropriately to the atmosphere of the situation. It had been a few days since Yagari came back, sent by the Hunters' Association.
Zero had finally begun to return to his normal life. He was well aware that he could never go back to his `former' life anymore. He would struggle on for as long as he could. No more running away. That was what he had promised Yagari and Yuki as well. Chairman Cross pulled his face into a wheedling smile when he saw Zero glaring at him.
‘Oh, come on, Kiryuu-kun! I didn't mean it! It was just a joke!' He laughed weakly. He had an apron on, and his long hair was tied up in two bunches. He had probably just finished cooking and come to call Zero for a dinner.
‘.I'm not hungry.'
‘Don't say that! Yuki's waiting for you with an empty stomach too, you know?'
Zero sighed. Slowly, he sat up on the bed he had been lying on. He was never going to hear the end of it if he let Yuki eat the Chairman's strange ideas of `gourmet cooking' by herself.
‘The menu for today is.. Cross-style spaghetti with sardines! Cross-style simple cooked taro with bamboo shoots! And our daily special.. Cross-style tender chicken sauteed with herb salt and watercress! Hurry up, before the food gets cold!’ the chairman urged enthusiastically on his way out of the room. Then he turned around, as if remembering something.
`What is it?' Zero asked.
'Kaito's become a rather outstanding vampire hunter, hasn't he? I often hear about him through the grapevine!'
'Is that so?' With one last encouragement for Zero to hurry up, the chairman Ieft the room. Zero stood up and turned to look at the photograph on the bed.
'Kaito.. are you going to come here..?'
This body of his would turn into dust one day, that fact was certain no matter who turned out to be the one pulling the trigger — Yagari, Kaito, or even Yuki.
That was how he wanted it to be, he realized. If he were ever reduced to the mindless blood thirst and monstrosity of a Level E vampire, He did not want pity or hesitation, but someone to finish him off resolutely with one shot. He wanted to be cut off so quickly from this world that he wouldn't even feel a twinge of regret about it. And he knew that the time for that was drawing near. Maybe he should have ended his life on the day he was bitten by the true-blooded vampire known as the ‘Winter Blossom Princess'. But he had decided to face his destiny, so he wouldn't run, should he ever meet Kaito again one day.
Kaito.. you would be able to kill with no hesitation whatsoever, right..?
He would; The Kaito who told Zero that their job was to end the sorrow of а vampire, would surely be able to do it. And there was someone with that kind of sorrow right here.
But I’m going to hang on for a bit more.. No matter how uncouth or impertinent it may make me seem… just a bit more..
Vampire Knightcaption
Cover of first volume of Vampire Knight released in Japan by Hakusensha on July 5, 2005
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23x15px23x15pxMadman Entertainment demographicmagazinemagazine_enfirstvolumesvolume_listVampire KnightVampire Knight
Vampire Knight (ヴァンパイア騎士Vanpaia Naito?) is a shōjomanga and anime series written by Matsuri Hino. The series premiered in the January 2005 issue of LaLa magazine and is still on-going. Chapters are collected and published in collected volumes by Hakusensha, with eleven volumes currently released in Japan. The manga series is licensed in English by Viz Media, who has released ten volumes so far. The English adaptation premiered in the July 2006 issue of Viz's Shojo Beat magazine, with the collected volumes being published on a quarterly basis.
Two drama CDs were created for the series, as well as a twenty-six episode anime adaptation. Produced by Studio Deen, the anime series' first season aired in Japan on TV Tokyo between April 8, 2008 and July 1, 2008. The second season, titled Vampire Knight Guilty aired on the same station from October 7, 2008 and December 30, 2008. The anime uses many of the same voice actors as were used for the drama CDs. The anime adaptations have been licensed for release in North America by Viz Media, the DVD will be released on July 20, 2010.[1]
Plot
Yuki Cross' earliest memory is of being all alone on a snowy night in winter, when she was attacked by an evil 'Level E' vampire and saved by a powerful but kind vampire named Kaname Kuran. Ten years later, Yuki, along with her childhood friend, Zero Kiryu are school guardians at the prestigious Cross Academy where her adopted father is the headmaster. The school is hosting an experimental program that is trying to prove that humans and vampires can live together peacefully, in a quest for coexistance.
The job of the guardians is to make sure that peace is maintained and to protect the human 'Day Class' students from the vampire 'Night Class' students if necessary. They also make sure that the human students do not discover that the Night Class members are all actually vampires. They go by the guise as 'prefects' or 'disciplinary committee members' so as to not blow their secret. The day class students try to follow the night class students around, as they are all very beautiful, intelligent, and often flirts.
The night class is made up of high-class vampires (Levels A and B), as there is a hierarchy among vampire society. Level A includes only pure bloods, the rarest, most elite, and most powerful class, whose bloodlines have never mixed with humans. Pure bloods are also the only kind of vampires who can bite a human and turn them into another vampire, and a pure blood's blood gives whoever drinks it greater powers. Level B are known as 'Nobles' or 'Aristocrats.' These are also very powerful vampires, but not as much so as pure bloods. They also have a small amount of human blood in their ancestry. Levels C,D, and E include humans who have been turned by a pure blood rather than born as a vampire. These ex-humans will eventually go mad with blood lust and become a 'Level E' if they are not stabilized by drinking the blood of the one who originally bit them in the first place. Stabilized ex-humans are known as 'Level C' or 'regular vampires', and humans who have been bitten but have not gone mad are 'Level D'.
The story follows Yuki's discovery that Zero had been turned into a vampire and her struggle to keep him sane, since he had not been stabilized, and prevent his condition from deteriorating into the lowest form of vampire, the monstrous Level E. Zero's parents were vampire hunters, killed by a pure blood out for revenge, and who also bit him in the process and took his twin brother, assumed to be dead. He hates what he has become, and fears that he will succumb to blood lust and murder everyone. He feels that the only option is to kill himself, which Yuki tries to help him avoid. Meanwhile, she also tries to deal with her seemingly unobtainable love for her hero, Kaname, who also happens to be a pure blood- the only one in the night class.
Yuki faces a difficult decision with the arrival of Shizuka Hio. She is the pure blood vampire who killed Zero's family and turned Zero into a vampire. She offers Yuki a deal to help him; either by having her kill Kaname or allow her to drink Yuki's blood and become a vampire herself. Yuki decides to give up her humanity to save both Zero and Kaname, but is stopped by Zero, who would rather kill Shizuka. Neither occurs when Zero's assumed dead twin shows up, and Kaname ends up killing Shizuka and drinking her blood in order to protect Yuki and reluctantly, Zero. With the loss of his salvation, Yuki continues to help Zero fight his bloodlust while also seeking to recover the memories she lost as a young child before Kaname found her. As the series progresses, Zero's thirst for blood leads to his drinking from Yuki, by her consent, to avoid becoming a level E vampire and losing himself to his monstrous instincts. This is difficult for him, since he secretly loves her and doesn't want to hurt anybody. Kaname loves Yuki as well, and is very protective of her, and to stop her from having to do this, he gives Zero his own 'pure' blood. Also, since he had consumed the blood of Shizuka Hio, his own helps keep Zero from going insane and from needing to feed from Yuki.
Eventually, it is revealed that Yuki is a pure blood vampire herself; the Pure blood Princess of the Kuran family, who had been transformed into a human before she lost her memories. It is also revealed that Kaname is Yuki's older 'brother' and that they were engaged as children to be married. This is a common practice among pure bloods to preserve blood lines and due to the fact that vampires are immune to inbreeding. Despite this, Kaname is not Yuki's true blood brother, but an ancient and powerful ancestor of the royal Kuran family who was resurrected by Rido Kuran so that Rido could prey on him, drink his blood, and become more powerful. He escaped and was raised by Yuki's parents, Juuri and Haruka Kuran, after Rido had kidnapped and sacrificed their first child to bring him back to life. To protect Yuki from her monstrous uncle and the corrupt vampire senate who wished to exploit their pure blood, her mother sacrificed her life in order to perform a spell that would seal Yuki's memories and allow her to live as a human. After Yuki reawakens to her vampire nature, Rido again tries to kill her and consume her power. As Kaname kills the members of the vampire senate who they had discovered were working together with their uncle to not only get Yuki, but destroy the night class and their hopes for peace. During a fierce battle, Zero kills Rido, but later on tells Yuki he will have to kill her when he sees her once again, since she is a pure blood. She tells him that she will keep running, so that he will have a reason to live. Although this is where the anime ends, the manga continues the story and is updated monthly in LaLa Magazine.
Characters
Main article: List of Vampire Knight characters
MediaManga
The first chapter of Matsuri Hino's Vampire Knight premiered in the January 2005 issue of LaLa, where the series is still running. The individual chapters are being collected and published in tankōbon volumes by Hakusensha, with eleven volumes released in Japan as of June 2009. The series is licensed for an English language release in North America by Viz Media. In addition to publishing the individual volumes, the series was serialized in Viz's Shojo Beat manga anthology from the July 2006 issue until the magazine was discontinued after the July 2009 issue. It is licensed for English release in Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment, which has released ten volumes as of March 2010.[6]
Drama CDs
Two drama CDs have been released for Vampire Knight. The first, LaLa Kirameki, was released as an extra with the September 2005 issue of LaLa. The second, Vampire Knight Midnight CD-Pack, was released only via mail order.
Anime
Main article: List of Vampire Knight episodes
Studio Deen produced a twenty-six episode anime adaptation of the Vampire Knight manga, using many of the same voice actors featured on the drama CDs and directed by Kiyoko Sayama.[7] The episodes started airing on TV Tokyo in Japan on April 8, 2008 and ran until the season conclusion on July 1, 2008. The episodes were also aired at later dates on TV Aichi, TV Hokkaido, TV Osaka, TV Setouchi, and TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting Co.[7] The second season, named Vampire Knight Guilty, premiered on the same station October 7, 2008.[8][9] The final episode aired on December 30, 2008. On July 24, 2009, Viz Media announced it had acquired the license for the Vampire Knight anime and would begin releasing it to DVD in July 20, 2010.[10]
The series uses four pieces of theme music. The opening themes of both the first and second season are performed by the duo On/Off, with 'Futatsu no Kodō to Akai Tsumi' (ふたつの鼓動と赤い罪?) as the opening for the first season, and 'Rondo' (輪廻 -ロンド-Rinne?) as the opening for the second. Kanon Wakeshima performs the first season ending theme, 'Still Doll', and also the second season's ending theme 'Suna no Oshiro' (砂のお城?). The soundtrack is composed by Haketa Takefumi and consists of 30 tracks (including the opening theme and ending theme).
Light novels
Two light novels created by Matsuri Hino and Ayuna Fujisaki were published in Japan by Hakusensha in 2008. Both novels feature two individual side-stories that use the characters of the manga, but are not specifically based on chapters from the series.[11] The first novel, Vampire Knight: Ice Blue's Sin (ヴァンパイア騎士 憂氷の罪Vanpaia Naito: Aisu Burū no Tsumi?), was published on April 5, 2008.[11][12] The first story within the novel looks at events that occurred at Cross Academy in the year preceding Yuki's arrival, while the second story details an accident that occurred while Zero was still in training to be a vampire hunter.[11]
The second novel, Vampire Knight: Noir's Trap (ヴァンパイア騎士 凝黒の罠Vanpaia Naito: Nowāru no Wana?), was published on October 3, 2008.[11][13] It details some of the Cross Academy romances, as well as detailing the accident that happened when Kain and Ruka go to visit Shiki and Rima's modeling studio.[11]
Video game
Vampire Knight DS (ヴァンパイア騎士 DSVanpaia Naito Dīesu?) is a dating simulation game using the characters from the series, but telling a unique story. It's in Japanese. It was released by D3 Publisher in Japan in January 2009.[11]
Fanbook
In November 2008, the official Vampire Knight Fanbook, titled Vampire Knight Fanbook: Cross (ヴァンパイア騎士 ファンブックXVanpaia Naito Fanbukku Kurosu?), was published in Japan. In addition to providing additional information about the series characters and story, it includes images and details from Hino's storyboard.[11] The fanbook has been licensed by Viz Media and will be released in October 19, 2010.[14]
Artbook
Lala magazine announced the upcoming release of a Vampire Knight Artbook, to be released on July 5th in Japan simultaneously with the release of volume 12.
References
External links
[13] Shocks
A groan passed through Aiyri's lips as she rolled over in bed and dropped her arm on a pillow. As her pillow let out a startled cry, Aiyri's lids pulled opened swiftly and she rolled herself into a crouch on the bed, balanced awkwardly on the balls of her feet. As she saw that the one who had made the sound was Kaname -and that he was not a talking pillow- she allowed herself to relax. She eyed him curiously for a moment, wondering what he was doing in her room, then the episode of the previous night flooded back into her brain. She had cried herself to sleep -for what, the third time this week?- cradled in the arms of the Pureblood, after they had spoken.
He stared at her now, his dark eyes soft and warm as he greeted her good morning. 'Did you sleep well, Aiyri?'
She didn't respond, only shifted to crawl across the bed and into Kaname's outstretched arms. She pressed her face into his shoulder and laced her arms loosely around his neck. For a moment she remained there motionlessly, closing her eyes and breathing in his somewhat stately scent. After a short lapse of silence, she opened her eyes and asked drowsily, 'What time is it, Kaname-kun?'
The Pureblood placed his chin on top of the girl's head, looking behind her to the window. The sky was gray, with just a hint of pale blue in its hue. The sun was just beginning to rise. A soft chuckle escaped him.
Aiyri pulled back slowly to look up at his face. 'What is it? What's funny?'
Kaname looked down to meet her green gaze. 'Aiyri, you've got your sleeping schedule all messed up. Its morning. You're supposed to be asleep right now.'
The redhead narrowed her eyes. 'Why aren't you sleeping then, hmm?'
Kaname laughed again. 'I was watching over you sleep.' After the words left his lips, his eyes seemed to deepen, suddenly seeming troubled.
This didn't escape Aiyri's attention. 'What's the matter Kaname?' She asked him, straightening up in his embrace.
He hesitated for a moment, then smiled softly at her. 'You mumble a bit in your sleep, that's all.'
This wasn't anything new. Aiyri and Kaname were both aware that she mumbled in her sleep. She also moved around a lot, and on occasion, she even drooled a bit. Why did her sleep talking seem to make him sad? Aiyri tilted her head to one side to show her confusion.
The Pureblood sighed, his gaze slowly trailing to the side, away from her face, wishing that the girl had let it drop. 'You say his name,' he whispered gently. His hand lifted to absently stroke at the girl's red tresses. 'A lot.'
Aiyri's lips pressed into a thin line and her eyes tightened marginally as she realized who the Pureblood was referring to. 'Oh.'
'Do you dream about him?' Kaname asked her, speaking slowly, carefully, hoping that his words would not upset her. There was a pause of hesitation before the redhead answered, and the Pureblood's hand which was stroking her hair abruptly froze, concerned that he had indeed upset her. But when she took in a breath to answer, Kaname let one out in relief, and resumed running his fingers through her short mop of scarlet locks.
'Frequently,' She admitted quietly. 'I never used to before, but recently, my dreams seem to be featuring him.'
Kuran mused this as he slowly stood, sliding the girl off of him. 'Hm.. I wonder why now?'
It was a rhetorical question, but Aiyri shrugged and said anyway, 'Beats me.'
After taking a long nap, which she had argued against, Aiyri was now sitting on one of the stone benches that adorned the school grounds, the scent of roses coming off of a bush behind it. Night classes had begun long ago, but Aiyri felt no desire to attend tonight. Since she and Kaname were on good terms now, Ichijou no longer played the role of escort/babysitter.
She heaved out an slightly exaggerated sigh, and leaned back on the bench, staring up into the sky. It was a clear night, and the bright stars glowed brilliantly as they speckled against the midnight blue of the sky. Aiyri shut her eyes and felt her lips curve up into a smile, but it was soon replaced with an irritated pout as she heard someone slide onto the bench beside her.
'Shouldn't you be in class, Kuran-sama?' The voice that spoke was not familiar to her, but it was not a stranger's voice either. Aiyri knew she heard it somewhere before, but she could not, at first, place who it belonged to.
The title with which she was addressed with confused her for a moment, when she remembered what Kaname had told her: 'To the Day Class, you are Aiyri Kuran..'Aiyri opened her eyes and slid a glance at the unwelcome newcomer. It was the prefect, Zero Kiriyu. The light of the moon reflected off his silver hair, giving it a luminescent glow. He peeked at her through the corners of his eyes. When she turned to him, he mirrored the action.
'Kiriyu-san,' She murmured, somewhat surprised to see him. 'Hi.'
His reply was a small nod, a tight frown upon his lips.
'Is something bothering you, Kiriyu-san?' Aiyri pulled her legs up on the bench, turning her body so she was facing the boy entirely. He was staring at her as though she were an anomaly that he was trying very hard to figure out. When he didn't seem to hear her, Aiyri reached to gently tap his knee.
'Kiriyu-san? Is there a problem?' She asked again.
He appeared to have heard her this time, blinking twice then focusing his eyes on the girl. 'Oh. I'm sorry, Kuran-sama. I was thinking for a moment.'
'Alright.' Aiyri gave one brisk nod. 'Anno.. Kiriyu-san, would you mind just calling me Aiyri? 'Kuran-sama' is so proper, I think it'd be okay to drop the formalities here.'
Zero nodded slightly, his eyes for some reason smoldering intensely. 'Sure, Aiyri.'
A lapse in sound lingered when neither one knew what to say. Aiyri's hand trailed to the side, fiddling with a petal of a flower from the rose bush behind the bench. She finally spoke, uneasy with the silence. 'So, I guess you know about vampires, huh, Kiriyu-san?' She asked, nonchalant. The pale haired boy stiffened, only a bit. Aiyri, catching the slight movement, chose to ignore it. 'Well, I guess you'd have to know, seeing you're a prefect and all.. Also seeing that you were part of a great family of Hunters..' She mumbled more to herself now. 'Never mind, then. That was kind of a dumb thing to say.'
Zero breathed a sigh and spoke with stiff words. 'Yes, that's all correct, Aiyri.'
There was another pause, shorter than the one prior.
'Does it make you .. uncomfortable, knowing you're always around vampires?' She wondered. 'If I was a human, and I had to actually watch over vampires.. I don't know how I'd feel.'
The boy shrugged, leaving that as his only answer.
'Well that was specific,' Aiyri muttered sarcastically. 'Anyway,' She said as she leaped to her feet on the bench. 'I guess I should head over to class now.' The girl's green eyes peeked down at Zero as he slowly stood up off the bench.
'It'll probably be over soon. By the time you get there it will be ending already,' He mumbled stoically. 'You might as well just go back to your dorm. I'll take you.'
'Kay.' As Aiyri said this, she hopped off the bench, landing on her bare toes beside the prefect. 'Just one sec.'
Zero watched with mild interest as the girl crouched to reach out under the stone bench. After searching around with her hand, she suddenly gave a small cry of discomfort. Before he could ask what was wrong, Aiyri had retrieved her hand from beneath the bench, pulling out a pair of beaten black sneakers. With a flip of her wrist, she tossed the shoes onto the ground, slipping her naked feet into them.
Kiriyu had an eyebrow raised inquisitively. 'Shouldn't you be wearing socks? And maybe more practical sh-' Then the smell hit him hard. His eyes flew up from Aiyri's shoes to meet her eyes.
She was frowning, looking to be piqued at her hand. Recklessly, she plucked out a thorn covered vine from her arm. 'Damn roses!' She cursed. She tossed the prickled stem to the side. Fallout 76 armor mods. Aiyri barely noticed Zero's eyes flash to her arm and freeze there. Oozing slowly down her forearm from various small, yet deep wounds was a thick red liquid. She was about to raise it to her lips, to clean off the blood, but the boy caught her wrist.
'What is it, Kiriyu-san?' She asked with an uncertain voice, for he was intensely staring at the blood dripping down her hand. 'Zero?'
The boy snapped his gaze up from her hand and locked with her eyes. Aiyri couldn't stifle her stunned gasp. Zero's normally pale ivory eyes were glowing a scarily familiar red. He let out a pained breath, as if he were fighting what was happened. Too shocked to move, Aiyri simply met his gaze with shocked eyes.
'Oh God,' She muttered. 'You're a vampire.'
Zero did not say a word. Aiyri's arm was limp when he pulled her wrist to his mouth, puncturing the skin with his elongated fangs. Aiyri let out a small whimper of shock, but was too staggered to pull her hand away. Zero slowly broke away, and Aiyri believed that he was going to stop, but instead, with a swift glance back up at her, he pulled her arm closer to his face. His eyes shone a brighter red as he flicked his tongue along the small cuts along the girl's arm. Her viridian eyes followed as Zero's tongue made its way down her forearm, lapping at the small wounds left behind by the rose's spiny stem.
'Zero!' She shouted, attempting to tug her arm away. His grip only tightened around her wrist. The flow of blood seeping from the cuts was slowing, and, thirsting for more, the male vampire opened his mouth and grazed his teeth up Aiyri's arm and to her wrist. There was a sharp pain as Kiriyu's fangs once more pierced through her skin. When Aiyri tried again to free herself, his fangs only dug deeper into her wrist, sinking in his teeth into the flesh, letting the warm blood flow freely.
The girl felt the warmth of her blood flow onto her skin before she saw the red liquid. Long trails of the crimson blood began to drip down her wrist as Zero pulled the blood from her arm. Taken over by his blood lust, he pressed her wrist tighter to his mouth, wanting more.
'Zero, stop it!' Aiyri struggled in his grasp, trying to backpedal and move away from the boy. His head jerked up at her movement, and he bared blood soaked teeth angrily at her. Aiyri stumbled as Zero gave one strong pull on her arm, sending her tumbling into him. She felt his arms encircle her, and trap her against his body. His steamy breath hit her neck, and she shuddered. Her hands went up instinctively, placing themselves against the boy's chest, trying to push away with no avail. Not wanting to give up, but not seeing any other option Aiyri shut her eyes and waited for the quick, sharp pain that she would feel when Zero bit into her throat.
Then came an all too familiar voice, 'Aiyri? Kiriyu?' At the sudden interruption, Zero turned his head around to see who was coming. Aiyri heard the newcomer's footsteps approach slowly at first, then quickened in pace as he probably realized what was going on. When Kiriyu had turned, the one moving towards them could now be seen. It was a confirmation of who she thought it was.
Before Aiyri could call out to him, there was a blur, and suddenly she was pushed back by a fierce shove, and she stumbled on to her back side.
'Snap out of it you idiot!' The voice demanded, but not to her. There was a sharp, whip-like sound, and Aiyri's eyes widened as a faint red blotch appeared on Zero's cheek. He'd been slapped. His eyes unsurely lifted to lock onto Aiyri, and -thankfully- they were back to normal ivory pools rather than having a blood red radiance. He was on the ground as well, having also been shoved down. His head dropped, shamefaced, and he scrambled to his feet. Hastily, he walked off, wiping an arm across his mouth.
'Aidou-kun!' Aiyri crowed, with a rather squeaky voice, as her eyes fell on to the one who was left behind.
The blond straightened from where he had been crouched over Zero, and swiveled to face the girl. 'You sound happy to see me, Aiyri-chan.' He was smiling, self-satisfied, and walked over to her. Within a few feet of the girl, he suddenly froze.
'Aidou?' The redhead pushed herself up to her feet, reaching a hand out to him. Then she quickly dropped it to her side, seeing that it was smeared up to her elbow with streaks of her blood. The blond eyed her arm, a dangerous craving in his eyes. He took a step forward, hand outstretched. His eyes were still blue, but Aiyri wasn't sure how long that would last. She took a wary step back.
'I'm not going to hurt you, Aiyri. Let me see,' He beckoned. 'C'mon.'
Hesitantly, Aiyri lifted her arm up to the boy, eyeing him with caution. With the close proximity of her blood, the blond's eyes flashed red, but then quickly settled back into an ice blue. At the shift in eye color, Aiyri began to move backwards again, but Aidou was quicker and caught her wrist. 'Remember what I said before, Aiyri-chan? At the church?'Aiyri stared at him blankly.
The blond vampire's mouth twisted up into a smirk as he whispered, 'I won't bite..neh?'
The redhead was still for a moment, her mind tracing back to that day, remembering that Aidou had said those three words, and he had meant it. He hadn't bitten her. Trusting him to be true to his word again, she stepped forward, letting him hold her wrist more loosely.'What happened to you, Aiyri?' Aidou asked as his eyes roved over her skin. Judging from the crimson desire that flashed recurrently in his eyes, Aiyri could tell that he was struggling to keep his thirst in check.
She dropped her eyes to the ground, raising and then dropping her shoulders languidly. 'A few thorns decided to embed themselves into my arm. When I pulled them out I started bleeding, and Zero kind of lost it.' She shrugged again, playing at blasé. 'No one bothered to mention to me that he was a vampire, so I was taken by surprise when his eyes suddenly flashed red.'
Aidou reached out to her with his other hand, cupping her chin and pulling her face up to look at him. 'Aiyri,' He asked, his voice husky with intensity. An emotion resembling uncertainty flashed briefly in his eyes, disappearing as quickly as it had come. Then he smiled, and his tone turned joking. 'How did you manage get thorns in your arm?'
The girl pursed her lips. 'Well, I was reaching under the bench for my shoes, and I didn't realize that the rosebush continued beneath the stone seat. It was a stupid thing, really.'
Shaking his head, Aidou laughed, amused. 'Can you answer me one more thing?'
Aiyri nodded. 'Sure.'
'Why aren't you healing?' He asked, removing his hand from her chin and trailing a finger down her arm, linking the disconnected cuts with her still trickling blood. Transfixed on the liquid, Aidou lifted his finger to his lips and placed it slyly into his mouth, smirking when the taste graced his tongue. 'Mmm..' He breathed.
Aiyri rolled her eyes. 'At least you don't bite,' She muttered under her breath, though knowing no doubt that the blond still heard her.
He met her irritated stare. 'Well?'
Aiyri was tentative whenever it came to specifics of her being a vampire. Heaving out a breath, she told him, 'I'm not sure actually. With me, there are mostly just theories and speculation. Kaname thinks that maybe since my father was a Pureblood-'
Aidou's eyes widened and his fingers squeezed her wrist. He hadn't known this. Aiyri raised her eyebrows at him in a blatantly inquisitive expression. When his grip on her arm loosened, she picked up where she left off.
'…That maybe have had something to do with the rapidity of my growth, physically as well as mentally. Kaname thought that because of this, all the aspects of me as I progressed in life were sped up in some manner. He theorized that my father's blood that ran through my veins caused me to..' Aiyri's eyes grew larger as if speaking Kaname's theories aloud for herself was making them clearer.
'Yes, it makes sense now! Because of my father, I became a vampire so quickly. When Kaname bit me, I changed within minutes of the bite, and afterwards, all my wounds were healed. And what he said before, about my father's blood speeding up my system.. Yes! That's why I dropped so quickly.. I understand it now. And I probably don't heal right be-' She winced, and paused to glare at Aidou. 'Hey, that hurts, Aidou, let me go.'
His hold on her wrist suddenly constricted, actually cutting off the blood flow to her hand. Aidou's eyes were frozen wide, gaping incredulously at the girl. 'You were.. bitten?! By Kaname-sama? What do you mean you 'dropped'? As in, Level E?!'
Aiyri bit her lip. 'Oh. I've said too much.' She took a step towards Aidou, her green eyes flaming with intensity. 'Aidou.. Don't- You won't say anything, right?'
He appeared to be fixed immobile for a moment, but then quickly regained his composure. His hand slackened on Aiyri's wrist, and moved up her arm, stopping at her elbow. His other hand came up to rest on the girl's shoulder.
'Of course I won't Aiyri. I made good on my promise about keeping your identity secret, neh? I've told no one that you're Aiyri Kurushii. What's another little secret to add on top of that?' Aidou shrugged, his lips slowly forming their way into a smirk. 'So, you can't heal?'
Aiyri eyed him suspiciously, but answered, 'No. I think, during that day I was changed, I healed and altered too quickly..'
'So it's another theory saying that your healing was basically used up that day, then?' Aidou asked, trying and failing to hide the burning curiosity from his voice.
'Yeah, pretty much.' Aiyri slipped her arm from out of Aidou's grasp, his fingers loosening as she did so.
The blond gave her a small smirk, dropping his arm onto her shoulders. 'You are so interesting, Aiyri-chan. Care to tell me more?'
The redhead rolled her eyes, knowing that despite her reluctance, she was going to have to talk to Aidou anyway. It was going to be a long walk back to the dorms.
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