Chapter 38

Most branches of the Hunter's Association were in the middle of bustling cities, except the main headquarter. The grand mansion stood in the middle of a forest in the eastern part of the country. It was quite far from the Council's building but Zero and the others managed to cover that far of a distance in just a few hours, considering their number.

Kaname was glad that most of them have exceptional healing abilities and even the nobles were already healed by the time they reached the place.

Zero could already feel dread as they steadily approached the mansion. "It smells of too much blood…" He couldn't help but voice out as he tried to swallow the sudden lump which got stuck in his throat. The air also smelled so putrid that he knew there were twice or thrice more Level Es in the place than both vampires and hunters combined.

"We need to hurry." Kaname spoke just beside him. His eyebrows were creased as he tried to feel everyone's presence in the vicinity. His chocolate-colored eyes were on the verge of turning into crimson as he felt so many noble vampire auras battling not too far from them. To think so many nobles would dare bare their fangs against him and the other purebloods… It still felt surreal to him even now.

The brunette was aware that most vampires feared purebloods way too much and that their existence alone was enough to make any lower level vampire obey. He couldn't understand why and how Asato could have possibly convinced all those nobles to side with him. He felt that there was something important he was missing…

No matter. He could just ask the grand elder when they finally meet.

Kaname looked at his lover then. He knew that the best course of action at the moment was to group up with the Anti-President hunters who attacked the Association since it would allow them to form a more concrete plan than just blindly charging to the place without knowing anything. However, they still needed to be wary of the hunters since they didn't know who was pro-president and who was against him so simply approaching some unknown hunter could be terribly dangerous. Not to mention the anti-president might think that they were all part of Asato's nobles and attack them indiscriminately anyway.

"Takuma." The brunette pureblood voiced just as they started hearing the noises of battle not too far from them. They were probably still a few kilometers away from the Association's headquarter but they could already hear it – the screams of pain and anger, the sound of swords clashing against one another, gunshots, and the undeniable auras of several strong nobles fighting against some of the strongest hunters. The stiflingly dark auras of the hunters alone could already make any sane vampire change course and avoid any possible collision. However, they didn't have that luxury at the moment…

The blonde noble was immediately by Kaname's side at the mention of the name. Kaname simply looked at him and Takuma already understood. As per their plan, they would not directly engage against hunters as much as they could since they had no idea who was enemy and who was not. Not to mention they didn't know that many hunters except Zero's small group of friends. "I understand."

The rest of the night class also understood. They had already formulated some basic plans while travelling and they were just waiting for Kaname to give the signal for its execution. The whole night class students were to fight the noble vampires who were Asato's loyal followers. They would try their best not to engage against hunter fights and simply try to help out as much as they could by dealing against powerful nobles and Level Es. The brunette also specifically told them not to separate into three or more groups since they would be more powerful together.

"Then as planned, all the elders will try to get to the bottom of this Level E business and try our best to shut down its production if ever we can manage to find out its source or its weakness." Elder Aido voiced just as he looked at all the other nobles.

Kaname simply nodded and gave all of his companions a command of his own. "Remember what we discussed." He voiced as he looked at each of them as much as he could while running at full vampire speed. "We are simply going to help them tonight. We are not going to sacrifice ourselves here. Too much blood was already spilt on both sides. I don't want any of you to add to the rising number."

"Understood!" Everyone voiced out in unison just as they finally reached the forest clearing where the Headquarter was located.

Their eyes immediately widened when they finally saw the mansion and saw the utter chaos that it was in. Half of the headquarters was burning in black fire, almost destroying the whole mansion as a whole, while thick black smoke billowed towards the sky and the surrounding areas. Mangled bodies of hunters were also sprawled all over the place just as vampire ashes and crystal-like particles littered the garden like decoration. It was too much for Zero to see. He closed his eyes as he inhaled the bloodied air sharply.

Ichiru… Master… Yuzuru… He really hoped they were alright. Everything was so chaotic that it was extremely hard to locate each and every one of his hunter companions…

Even Kaname couldn't help but grit his teeth. That bastard Ichijou… Just how much more blood did he want to spill for his selfishness? Just how many more lives did he want to sacrifice for his ambitions? May it be hunters or vampires, they didn't deserve to fight a war that wasn't even theirs to begin with.

"Let's finish this." The brunette's voice was cold as he looked at behind him, where everyone stood.

"Understood." All the remaining nobles answered in unison once again before they all dispersed in different directions without further ado in order to start their plan.

Kaname knew it was harder to control the situation and calm everybody down than to simply join the fight and kill everyone. However, they wanted to stop the grand elder's plans. They didn't want to be swept up by the fight and kill everybody who came in their way blindly.

"Zero, we should go and look for your brother." Kaname voiced as he looked at the hunter's worried expression. "We need to know the current situation."

Zero looked sideways at him and nodded. He didn't have time to dawdle and look shocked at the scene of total carnage before him. What he needed now was information and he wouldn't get it by just standing there looking petrified. He exhaled the breath he didn't know he was holding as he readied himself.

He closed his eyes and tried his best to feel for Ichiru's location. He was surprised when he found his brother's tensed aura in the basement of the burning mansion together with several nobles who felt more than just ready for the kill. Not to mention there was someone extremely powerful among the group.

"He's in the basement." Zero voiced out as he and Kaname immediately crossed the distance from the side of the clearing towards the front door of the mansion.

"He doesn't seem to be alone." Kaname mused aloud as he effortlessly dealt with three Level Es who jumped at him from nowhere. He couldn't help but let out a cold smile when he felt all the nobles' auras inside the mansion tense up before they totally disappeared, leaving just the strongest noble aura alone. Zero's brother must have killed them… He now knew who the strong noble aura must belong to.

Ichiru must have left him alive in order to question him.

They both looked at one another as they both figured it out. "Asato Ichijou."

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Takuma knelt down on one knee as he helped Yoru sit down and lean on one of the trees, away from all the fights. Shiki and Rima stood behind the blonde motionlessly. The hunter was heavily injured and bloodied, making it harder for the three nobles to focus on his voice and forget about the scent of blood oozing from him.

"Please help Ichiru-sama…" Yoru croaked as he gripped Takuma's arm tightly. "He's fighting alone… I'm not strong enough to support him…"

"We understand." Takuma voiced with a small smile as he tried his best to give first aid to the hunter. They just managed to kill two nobles and a hoard of Level Es who were about to finish the hunter off. The blonde immediately used his power together with his katana sword in order to swiftly deal with the nobles while Shiki and Rima used both the blood whip and electricity to kill all the annoyingly synchronized Level Es. There were about dozens of them just focused on killing the hunter. They knew that Yoru was in grave condition the moment the strong scent of blood hit their senses. "We'll definitely make sure Ichiru-sama stays safe… so you should rest here and wait for us to come back."

Yoru's vision was already dimming but his grip remained tight. He was glad that Zero and Kaname decided to come too. "Listen well…" He whispered, his throat was almost crushed by one of the nobles to stop him from creating charms. "The Level Es… are more dangerous than you all think… You must deal with them immediately… Those idiots in the Association really did it… They made mindless soldiers who had no qualms about anything or anyone…"

"More dangerous than we think..?" Shiki questioned as he arched an eyebrow. There was no way mere Level Es could possibly pose a problem to them. They were nobles and they were strong enough to fight even against hoards of Level Es, synchronized or not.

Yoru gritted his teeth as his grip on Takuma's arm tightened even more, irritating Shiki a lot as he growled just behind his lover. The hunter readily ignored him. "Some of them… have obtained powers… And some of them can even incant charms… You should kill them now..!"

Takuma's eyes widened at that. "Mere Level Es… have power? Not to mention incant charms..?"

Both Shiki and Rima looked surprised too. There was just no way that could be possible…

Yoru looked at the incredulous expressions of the night class nobles and he could only shake his head. They wouldn't understand it unless they saw it with their own eyes.

Everything was going well… so well in fact that it was even more suspicious.

They managed to get near the Headquarter without much resistance, at least until dozens of nobles and a hoard of Level Es came out of the front door. For some reason, it was only then that they realized they were already surrounded on all sides. Yagari immediately yelled out commands to his co-hunters just as Ichiru sprinted into action without any hesitation. He was the one who dealt with the Level Es and nobles on the front porch while the hunters spread out in order to meet the synchronized Level Es half way. It was the only way to prevent the vampires from closing in on them from all sides and effectively trapping them all. They had not even managed to kill half of the attacking forces when one of the Level Es created a summoning charm in order to call even more Level Es in their midst.

The surprise written on both Ichiru and Yagari's faces would have been laughable, if only the situation wasn't so dire. As if that wasn't enough of a shock, some Level Es started attacking them with powers which supposed to belong only to the upper echelon of the vampire hierarchy – the nobles and the purebloods. This shock caused major casualties and death on their side as they tried their best to parry against the sudden powerful attacks exhibited by the Level Es and nobles. And the pro-president hunters have yet to move…

By the time they managed to get out of the clearing, more than half of the anti-president hunters were already decimated. They did manage to get back at those bastardly Level Es but it was all too late for their other comrades. The scent of blood seemed to cause the Level Es to become even more vicious as they tried their best to tear the hunters apart.

Yoru could barely manage to breathe as he watched the bloodbath before him. None of them even had any second to spare to help out a comrade as they were barraged with powerful attacks and charms from all sides. Ichiru managed to get inside the mansion together with Yoru, Yagari, and some other hunters while most of the hunters on their side ran towards the forest surrounding the clearing.

It was the start of hell for all of them.

Yagari immediately left them in order to fight against the President while Ichiru and Yoru tried their best to find Asato Ichijou who seemed to have gone into hiding. Instead, the two of them met dozens of synchronized Level Es who were intent on killing them both. It felt like fighting people who were both nimble hunters and crazy nobles. In the end, the two of them got separated and he was gradually injured by the enemies.

By the time Takuma and the others arrived and helped him out, he was already on the verge of collapsing from his grave injuries.

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Leon was already out of breath as he felt blood trickle down his temple. He had fought against several nobles, Level Es, and even hunters but it seemed the fight was still nowhere near the climax. Even then, he didn't remove his sight from the three noble vampires in front of him and Tetsu. Two hunters were also reluctantly on their side.

Leon's eyes shifted to the two uncomfortable hunters pointing their guns at him. "You should know by now that you're both on the wrong side. The President and the Council are in collaboration with one another." He voiced out, trying his best to reason out with them. He spoke He One of the nobles snickered while the hunters readily glared at him.

"Shut up, Matsuno." One of them voiced out. They were more than just aware. They knew they were doomed the moment the President issued the pureblood extermination mission to most hunters. The old man might as well have issued a death sentence to all of them. However, they were not about to abandon the president and just shake hands with the anti-president faction. They had pride too. They just needed to win the war… because winning meant that they were right. That they chose the right path…

Leon felt Tetsu stiffen beside him when three strong noble vampire auras suddenly appeared behind them. Their instinct shouted at them to turn around and point their guns at the newcomers, at least until they recognized the familiar presences.

"The two of you…" They heard one of the newcomers speak. "…are Zero-sama's friends, right?"

Tetsu was the first one to look behind him, momentarily forgetting the three nobles and two hunters in front of them. His eyes widened when he recognized the three nobles as the ones who were with Zero Kiryuu that night they encountered him and told him about the anti-president faction. "We are." He answered warily, still not entirely trusting the nobles despite the fact that he could feel no animosity from the nobles directed at him.

"I'm Akatsuki Kain." The newcomer voiced, his sharp eyes were glowing crimson in color. "This is Hanabusa and Ruka." He said as he motioned towards his two companions who were also motionless beside him, their glowing crimson eyes fixed on the three nobles. "Zero-sama sent us to help you."

Tetsu stiffly nodded. "I'm Tetsu Sakai."

Only then did Leon look in their direction too as he gave them a quiet nod. "Leon Matsuno." However, the three noble vampires who were on standby together with the pro-president hunters immediately chose that moment to attack.

Kain smirked as he immediately thwarted an attack obviously meant to kill Leon. Ruka and Aido also chose that moment to engage in a power battle against the other two nobles as they allowed Leon and Tetsu to deal with their co-hunters. Dealing with hunters might have been hard for the three of them but fighting against other vampires could not be any easier. For one, they didn't have to hold back or fear that they might kill or be killed by humans… Moreover, they didn't have to be wary of any anti-vampire weapon or charm… They could just enjoy the battle as much as they wanted without any inhibition.

Normally, Leon and Tetsu would have lashed out at the nobles for even daring to imply that they needed the vampires' help in order to defeat other noble vampires. They would have laughed at the nobles' faces and point their guns proudly at the newcomers while dealing with the other vampires simultaneously. Not to mention they would have also been surprised at the mere fact that noble vampires would actually try to help them in their war. However, Matsuno knew they were greatly outnumbered. He was already tired and he greatly appreciated the help. Tetsu, on the other hand, was more than just injured. He had several broken ribs from when one of the nobles he was fighting earlier managed to get past his defensive charm barrier and give him a full kick in the abdomen after clawing his torso. His defensive barrier was one of the best… if only the pro-president hunters didn't help in disabling it.

Not to mention… The main reason why they were calmly letting the vampires help them was, most likely, Zero Kiryuu…

They knew Zero as one of the best young hunters in the Elite Force. They had been with Zero in more than just one mission and came out unscathed only because the silver-haired hunter was there to support them all the time. He was someone whom Leon both respected as a comrade and valued as a friend. Tetsu might not have been close enough with the silver-haired hunter but he was sure Zero was one of the kindest people he knew. He was one of the most loyal hunters who had great pride in their hunter blood. Until that night happened…

They weren't sure if Zero was still their ally until they saw him again that night they shared a mission with him for the first time after he was turned... or rather, awakened. His eyes didn't change… They were still warm and honest despite the fact that the Hunter Association made him suffer a great deal of pain. Despite the fact that his whole world was turned upside down… and that he learned that his life was built on nothing but lies and deception… He didn't change… so neither should they.

Leon was on the same level as Yuzuru when it came to close combat and it didn't take long for him to finally defeat the hunter he was fighting and tie him up with his hunter rope. Tetsu finished his fight not too long after, still grimacing from his injuries.

Aido and the others also finished their fights after some time and looked at the two tired hunters not too far from them.

Leon and Tetsu did not waste any more time trying to be wary and simply told them all about the new synchronized Level Es who could also use noble powers and hunter charms. They were told to be extremely cautious when dealing with them.

"Level Es who can use noble powers and hunter charms, huh…" Aido mused aloud as he looked thoughtful. "Is it also because of the charms placed on them..?" He knew it was ridiculous to think that hunters had the capability to make Level Es with noble powers. However, there was no way Leon and Tetsu would lie to them now. But how did those Level Es manage to acquire powers like that..?

"This is seriously a lot more dangerous than I initially thought…" Ruka whispered to herself, though she knew everyone heard her.

"Leave all the nobles to us and just focus on defeating the pro-president hunters… We'll deal with the Level Es together." Kain spoke as he eyed the injuries the two hunters had. They were most likely more injured than they were letting on. "We don't know who among you we can trust so we just need to not get in each others' way and focus on our own kind instead. The Level Es are a different matter. I'll make sure to report it to Kaname-sama and Zero-sama."

Leon felt irritated at the slightly condescending and rather bossy tone used by the redhead but he let it slide. They all needed to focus on more important things. "Agreed." He voiced out as he and Tetsu started running in hunter speed to the opposite direction in order to deal with their enemies while Aido, Kain, and Ruka sprinted across the clearing to fight more nobles and Level Es.

If those Level Es really were as skilled and dangerous as the hunters said they were, then Kain and the others should not deal with them alone any further…

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It took Zero and Kaname a lot longer to reach the basement of the mansion. The corridor leading to the basement was close to the staircase leading to the second floor and it would have taken them just less than a minute to get there under normal circumstances. However, the moment they reached the front door of the Headquarter up until they reached Ichiru in the basement, they were bombarded with both hunter charms and different kinds of powers displayed by Level Es.

The whole ordeal surprised them enough that it would have caused them a great deal of damage… if they weren't purebloods. However, since they were both powerful and cautious enough, they immediately managed to recover from the shock and strike at the Level Es who dared hurt them. The Level Es might have been synchronized and they suddenly sprouted both hunter and noble powers but in the end, they were still Level Es. Their bodies could not possibly handle the presences of three strong pureblood vampires in the vicinity. Despite the charms in their body, some of them still instinctively stepped out of their formation in order to get away. Both Zero and Kaname used that chance to kill them without any hesitation.

They both reached the basement after a few minutes and the sight of Ichiru fighting against Asato Ichijou greeted them.

Asato, one of the oldest vampires in the Council, seemed to be a rather daunting noble figure. He felt really powerful for a normal noble and Zero thought that if he were just a normal Level D vampire, the sight of the man would have intimidated him a lot. Asato had pale blonde hair like his grandson, matched with an equally colored beard and sharp icy blue eyes. His ears were also quite peculiar, being slightly pointed while silver earrings dangled on both sides. His whole stance was also regal, even bordering on how purebloods usually carried themselves. No wonder so many vampires both greatly feared and admired him as one of the leaders of the Vampire Council… the so-called 'grand elder'…

Ichiru gave both Zero and Kaname a small glare, as if silently demanding them not to interfere. Zero could only sigh at his brother for that while Kaname returned the glare tenfold. He still greatly disliked the younger twin despite Ichiru having Zero's physical feature.

"I've become quite popular, haven't I?" Asato spoke as he let out an amused chuckle which didn't reach his sharp icy blue eyes. "I never thought the two of you…" He looked at both Ichiru and Zero then, his intense dislike for purebloods very apparent on his features. "…will still be alive at this point in time." His eyes then looked at Kaname afterwards and those cold eyes assured them that he greatly loathed the brunette just as much as the twins. "It's been a while, Kaname-sama."

"…You fucking bastard." Ichiru's voice was cold and poisonous as he used his power once again in order to corner the blonde on one side of the huge basement.

Zero's eyes turned a lot colder when he finally looked at the blonde grand elder. The man's hatred for the whole pureblood race due to their power over other vampires might have been a bit understandable but his actions were rather irrational and awfully egotistical. He had dragged both vampire and hunter races in his quest for pureblood extermination while his own self-serving pride ironically wanted the same position all to himself.

Asato was the one behind everything… He was most definitely involved in the deaths of Zero's parents… the manipulation of almost everything in his life… the production of the synchronized Level Es… hurting Kaname back in the Council… and hurting a lot of hunters and vampires just to execute his meticulous plan of pureblood extermination and world domination…

Zero tried his best to stop himself from attacking the noble and instead opted in asking Asato a question. "Why are you doing this? Just what is so important to you that you are willing to go to such lengths just to get it? And you even have no qualms on killing both vampires and hunters…"

Asato glanced at him, probably to discern his expression when he asked the questions, before he barely had enough time to dodge Ichiru's rather skillful display of power. His face was tensed but his eyes remained determined, indicating he had no intention of ever giving up his plans or surrendering to them.

"The purebloods… are not necessary in the vampire hierarchy." He voiced after a while. "Your existence alone disrupts our own growth and prevents us from truly gaining what we want. Without the purebloods to control us and watch our every action, the nobles and all the lower level vampires will definitely find freedom!"

Ichiru scoffed at that as his cold amethyst eyes turned into glowing crimson orbs. "Stop trying to defend your crimes. Your madness has caused the lives of so many people. You have no right to talk about your ideals."

"It doesn't matter. Sacrifices are necessary in order to pursue freedom." Asato voiced as he looked at the three of them. "And besides, my plan has long been in motion even before any of you were born. You will never be able to stop me!"

Ichiru once tried earlier to command him to stop everything he's doing but for some unfathomable reason, Asato seemed to be resistant to his control. No amount of power display from the younger twin's side could sway the blonde noble. And it was saying something since it wasn't normal for a simple noble to be able to defy a direct command… even if he was just a half-pureblood. He knew it must have something to do with their vast age gap but he's not entirely sure.

Even Kaname felt the surge of fury from deep within him at the sight of Asato… Hearing the blonde's crazy ideals made the brunette's anger flare even more… He could never forget how the man even sent his own grandson as a spy just to monitor Kaname's activities. Takuma was kind enough to tell him everything and even assured him that the blonde would never report anything to his grandfather. However, the thought of the noble defying him to that extent was already enough to make his precious blood boil in anger.

He never thought Asato was arrogant enough to think that he could control everything alone. Hating purebloods with all his might and actually trying to exterminate them was totally different from one another. Kaname would never forgive Asato for that… He would never forget how Asato was involved in the death of Zero's parents. Not to mention he had also already tried to kill Zero in more than just one occasion. Moreover, he was also involved in the death of other purebloods which Kaname barely managed to learn from the other elders on their way to the Headquarter. There's just seemingly no end to Asato's crimes…

It was true that he and Zero wouldn't have met each other in such a way if it wasn't for Asato and the President's elaborate schemes. However, they never intended for Kaname to meet his lover at all. It was actually Ichiru who prompted the plan to fail and caused Kaname and Zero's path to meet. If it weren't for the younger twin's plans, then Kaname wouldn't have known he could love a person so much… to the point where he didn't mind looking like a complete fool… If Asato's plans prevailed, then Kaname wouldn't have known how it felt to be loved back without any inhibition. Just imagining not meeting Zero at all was already enough to make his chest filled with so much pain he thought he would pass out...

The brunette pureblood looked at his lover then. His eyes softened a lot at the sight of Zero glaring at their enemy like Asato was the dirtiest scum he had seen in his entire life. His own chocolate-colored eyes then turned to the blonde noble and his earlier soft expression turned really cold and merciless. "Ichijou… It's true that your fear of purebloods may be justified and reasonable. However, this does not excuse you from your actions. You will be judged accordingly."

Asato gritted his teeth as he did his best to glare at the brunette. "I have long trotted to the path of no return. There's no use trying to make me feel guilt or fear now, Kaname-sama. I will definitely end the reign of purebloods and bring forth the new era of freedom for all vampires! There will be no more need to fear for our lives, no need to watch what we say, and certainly no need to follow rules which are so unfair to us all! I will break free from this hierarchy and create my own utopia where vampires no longer have the need to hide from weak humans!"

"You're already… crazy." Zero could only say that much. He knew many vampires most likely suffered under the command and tyranny of some manic purebloods but that didn't mean Asato could just kill everyone indiscriminately and even try to use the Hunter Association in order to achieve his goals. Killing innocent people and dragging everyone to his war only made him look like one of those manic purebloods too.

Even Kaname couldn't argue against Asato's words. He knew that even now, there were still purebloods who would just do whatever they wanted without any regards to lower level vampires. There were those who still used nobles as personal toys and made them dance in those purebloods' palms as if they didn't have a life of their own, as if they were mere dolls made simply to alleviate purebloods' boredom. Nobles didn't have any right to refuse whatever it was that purebloods commanded them to do. They needed to live the rest of their lives waiting for some crazy pureblood to finally find them and turn them into some kind of robot who could only ever listen to whatever was commanded to them, without any real will of their own. It maybe the real reason why Asato was so scared of purebloods… to the point where he was willing to wage this kind of war and even join hands with the Hunter Association just to eradicate them…

However, waging a war against purebloods and other nobles wasn't exactly something he could do alone. Kaname was sure Asato would not have managed to research about Level Es, fight against other nobles, plan about purebloods extermination, and even con the Association all on his own.

Both Zero and Kaname were taken out of their musings when Ichiru managed to claw Asato's torso quite deeply, leaving behind four slashes, as the latter tried to evade the black fire which threatened to destroy his entire existence without any remorse.

The blonde felt threatened enough that they could all hear the fast and loud beating of his heart together with his ragged breaths. Ichiru, on the other hand, remained cold and merciless. He didn't want to show any kind of mercy to the man who had something to do with his parents' death. He didn't even think of going easy on himself when he thought he was the one who did it alone so there's no way he could ever forgive Asato.

All of their attentions turned to the door when they all felt a familiar noble presence approaching just before Takuma appeared by the doorway. "Kaname, Zero-kun… Ichiru-sama…" He greeted with a small bow, looking quite exhausted from his fights outside. His emerald eyes then turned to his grandfather, turning sadder and darker at the same time. "Grandfather…" He wanted to ask a lot of things from Asato but he just couldn't find the courage to do so. No matter… It was already too late to talk. His eyes then turned to Ichiru who simply gave him an unreadable gaze. "Ichiru-sama, please allow me to fight him." He bowed deep to his waist as he clenched his katana tighter. "I promise not to let him escape."

"…Tch." Ichiru voiced out after a while before he nodded.

Takuma gave him a small, grateful smile as he started walking to where the younger twin was, his eyes not leaving his grandfather's figure for even a second.

"Takuma." Asato voiced out, his eyes also focused on his grandson. "I thought you of all people would understand what I'm trying to accomplish. I thought you, out of everyone else, would support me and side with me."

Zero wanted to stay for a little longer since he was worried about Takuma but Kaname silently ushered him to leave. In the end, he could only give Takuma one last glance before he followed the brunette towards the first floor of the mansion, not even flinching at the Level Es who immediately tried to assault them the moment they reached the main landing. Ichiru followed behind them silently.

"I need to check on the Elders." Kaname looked at Zero then, silently asking if Zero wanted to come with him. The hunter simply nodded, wanting to end everything quickly just as badly as the brunette did. If they could just remove the Level Es from the equation, then it would be far easier to fight against the Pro-President hunters and the nobles.

"I'll check on Yagari's side. He told me he's going to fight against the President." Ichiru voiced out. "We need to capture that person alive in order to interrogate him and make him admit to his crimes… and also to know whether he's really the real President or not." He then bid his goodbye to his brother. They didn't really have that much time in their hands to even talk to one another and ask about a lot of things. However, before he could leave the lovers alone, he was surprised when Zero suddenly hugged him tight.

"I'm glad you're okay." Zero smiled a little when he said the words. "I'm really… glad you're alright, Ichiru."

Ichiru couldn't help the blush which crept up on his cheeks before he scoffed. "Don't underestimate me, nii-san. I won't die so easily."

Zero smiled at that before he let go. Kaname simply tipped his head towards Ichiru's direction before he already focused on trying to sense where the nobles were.

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"Why?" Asato asked, his eyes were almost cold and accusing. "Why did you betray my expectations, Takuma?"

Takuma simply wore an apologetic look as he unsheathed his katana. "I'm really sorry, grandfather. However, both Kaname and Zero-kun are my close friends… and you have brought them nothing but misery and pain."

"This is precisely the reason why I want to exterminate all purebloods." Asato voiced out, also readying for battle. "To think my own grandson would willingly go against me just to please them and be in their good grace…"

Takuma's eyebrows furrowed at that. "Kaname and Zero-kun didn't dictate how I should feel or what I should do. They gave me more freedom than you did."

Shiki and Rima arrived at the place just in time to see the two Ichijous in the middle of fighting and the dark-haired noble could only hope that his lover would be strong enough to defeat his grandfather once and for all. The only thing they could do now to help Takuma at the moment was to take out all the Level Es who dared to disrupt the fight.

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.tbc.

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Ren-sama's Note:

Another chapter done~! I know this has taken such a long time now but as usual, I'm terribly sorry for the long update! OTL

Anyway, review please!