Season of transience

[VampireKnight]

История Кайто и Зеро из новеллы Ice Blue Sin - "Season of transience"
На англ.

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 Kailo'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 civilisation, 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 have 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?'
Afler 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 Kiriyu 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 Kiriyu 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?'
'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 speciality.
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 took 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 lchiiu, 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 immortalised.
'Sorry to keep you waiting!' Mrs. Kiriyu 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.
‘Oy, 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 K.aito.
‘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, wasn’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 line!’ 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 from young, 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! l’|l 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?’
‘0... 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 had 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
he had made usually 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 me 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 of
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 had not 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 alter 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 Kiriyu 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 changed being that had turned from a human into a vampire… before degenerating into 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 tired 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?!'
‘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 it? 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 poked 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 wee 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 B, 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 m 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 Iam 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 realised 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 hint, 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.'
Нe 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.
Do you understand my disciples, that the path you've consciously chosen is a thornv оnе...?
Yagari's unspoken question emerged from his heart and into the air along with the smoke he breathed out. The too 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 white tying on his dormitory bed, Zero sighed softly.
‘That was when Master still had both his eyes...'
Many things had happened other 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 thee his master for a period of time alter that. Whether he liked it or not, the image of Yagari's right eye would surtbce 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 wаs not something that сould 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 affеcting 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, Kiriyu! 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 оff 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 use whit 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 master how uncouth or impertinent it may make me seem… just a bit more...