He was the one that killed Ichiru. I gritted my teeth, fighting against Rido as he continued to drain my blood, and trying to wrap my mind on reality. Zero killed Ichiru.

Devoured him.

Drank his life.

Took his power.

Killed him.

BANG!

Rido's fangs withdrew, as he growled in pain from the bullet wound in his leg.

"I'll deal with you later," he tossed me aside. "For now, I'll skip straight to the main course." I was the entreé?

A light rain began to fall as Rido and Zero faced each other, Zero pointing Bloody Rose at Rido, as Rido bit into the tip of his index finger, blood bubbling out of the wound.

Wind gusted in straight lashes, blowing everything it could around. Short strands of my roughly cut hair slapped and stung my face as I struggled to get up. Ichiru's sword was still held in my hand, so tightly that my knuckles were white. It was a surprise that I was still holding it.

Maybe it was because I still held a weapon that gave me confidence. Foolish confidence but there was nothing to lose. I would die anyway, fighting or surrendering.

"Beings like you are just food," Rido's blood whip slapped through the air towards Zero. "Worthless creatures that aren't worthy of anything." The whip cracked into a spiral around Bloody Rose, holding the silver vampire gun firm.

Zero's eyebrows furrowed, and without warning, he yanked the gun out of Rido's grip. Rido's blood whip splattered onto the ground in formless blood patches, broken. 

"You," Rido's mismatched eyes narrowed. A slow smile began to form on his lips. "My prey has become strong."

Instead of biting the tip of his finger to re-create his blood whip, Rido slashed a cut down the length of his arm, a nail extending into a claw. As blood dripped out of the self-inflicted wound, Rido's body began to twist and morph, spinning into a black, smokey orb, until a dark wolf appeared in place, fangs bared, while saliva dripped off its fangs. Rido, now a wolf, snapped and growled at Zero menacingly, beginning to circle the Hunter, every step taken with purpose and threat.

"What are you?" Zero's body trembled as he fought to control whatever power rose inside him. Veins on his shoulder and arm stood out as he tensed and struggled.

"There is nothing wrong with seeking power," the wolf spoke. Its eyes, red and blue, glinted maliciously as it watched Zero struggle.

With a final, strangled cry, Zero's eyes turned fully red, as he straightened up, his strange, overpowered form marching towards Rido.

"Stop!" I ran at Zero. Something was terribly wrong, I could feel it. Zero wasn't attacking Rido because he didn't like him - he was attacking Rido because he was going...mad.

Without thinking I slashed at his shoulder, the anti-vampire blade slicing through Zero's pale skin. Blood dribbled out, but it was like popping a balloon. Once the cut was made, Zero gasped, his body relaxing as more blood came out, stabilising him. 

"Graaaahhh!!" I felt the rush of movement, and the next thing I knew, something heavy and moving crashing into my back, knocking me to the ground as teeth clamped onto my shoulder.

Instinctively I screamed, twisting and thrashing, trying to release the jaws that held my shoulder tight. Muscles screamed as my shoulder slowly died, Rido's sharp canines tearing into my skin and muscles. The short sword clattered to the ground, the mother metal ringing out against the ground beneath the growls and gasps from the Night Class.

"Monster!" Rido, in his wolf shape suddenly let go, the heavy weight that had just flattened me to the ground disappearing. Momentarily I heard his growls cease, before they began again, accompanied by snapping and the occasional bark.

"Thanks," I thought I heard Zero mutter as I got up unsteadily. My shoulder ached and I could feel the warmth of my blood trickling down as well. It didn't help that several of Rido's servants were coming over, drawn by the alluring smell of blood.  

"You deal with those Level Es," Zero barely glanced at me as he faced Rido, who stood there growling in his black wolf form. "I'll take this beast."

I didn't reply. Part of me wanted to ignore him, to do what I wanted, seeing as he was the one that killed Ichiru - I hated him. But it was inevitable, I would be fighting those vampires at some point in time. 

"I'm not doing this because of you," I muttered, half-addressing Zero. "I'm doing it for Ichiru."

There was no reply from Zero, but I was pretty sure he heard me. Either way, it didn't matter, not when I was here, facing a handful of vampires, armed with a sword and a lousy arm.

Raising the sword, I winced as the movement jolted my left shoulder, sending more blood pouring through my clothes and staining the my skin. 

A wordless howl sounded as two of the vampires began running at me, their hands raised, claws threatening to rip me apart. Their twisted, distorted faces looked at me with a malicious glee as fangs appeared in the dark red of their mouths, fangs arching through the air to attack me.

"No!" I cried out instinctively as I slashed one vampire in half. The minute I made contact, it dissolved into grey dust, littering the unevenly cobbled floor. The second vampire in the meantime had decided to exploit my weak spot.

Claws dug into my already wounded shoulder, on the verge of ripping my arm off. With an agonised scream, I stabbed at the vampire right next to me, trying not to faint as pain coursed from my shoulder to my head. The vampire disintegrated with a final snarl, fine, grey dust falling next to my feet.

It was like that final attack set the other Level Es off. The smell of my blood virtually screamed into the air, telling them to come and drink. They launched forward in a crazy, mishapen mob, fangs and claws screaming for my blood.

Backing away, I swiped the air with the sword I held, every movement jolting my arm and shoulder, and every jolt sending more blood leaking. It hurt.

Vampires were everywhere. That was the last thought I registered before they mobbed me, claws catching my cheek and fangs aiming at my neck.

In desperation, I swung the sword wildly, feeling, with relief, the ashy grey bodies connect and disappear as soon as I touched them. After many furious swipes out of desperation, only three remained. Three which I knew I couldn't fight. My left arm was useless, and that attack had left me with multiple cuts and wounds all over. Both of my arms felt like they were laden with blood, and I felt like I was dressed in blood. I couldn't help it as my legs gave way, leaving me sitting there in a crumpled heap, completely vulnerable.

One vampire with long, stringy hair leered at me, a surprisingly intelligent glint in her eyes. The other two revealed their wicked smiles, baring pointed fangs as they came at me again.

They ran in a clumsy co-ordination, their claws and fangs probably itching to bite, scratch and eat me. I let them come. I might as well join Ichiru, killed by a vampire, drained of blood. Just as long as I'm with him...

"Stay away from her!" The shout jolted me from my slow slide into unconsciousness. Metal flashed past as a blade sliced through the two vampires, cutting them in half as they shrieked and howled their last. The blade of a wicked-looking scythe appeared, the silver handle following up to the hand of someone I knew.

Yuuki stood there, Artemis held in a defensive position across her body as she prepared to destroy the final vampire. Her brown hair flew and rustled in the wind as she glared at the Level E, her brown eyes fierce and tinged with red.

It was a quick battle. One slash and all that was left of the vampire was dust.

~~~

Hi Everyone!! I know it's been like, a million years since I last updated and I'm sorry ^.^' I've had that awful thing people call the writer's block, and laziness in general. Not to mention that I'm back at school a well ;-; Oh where did the holidays go? I'll make this note quick, and just to say that I hope you like that chapter and this story in general - I'm sorry if this chapter kind of chugged along rather bumpily, since I was battling with Writer's Block while I was writing it >_< So glad I'm done. Thank you for reading, commenting, voting, and we've reached 4k votes!!!!!!!!!!!! \(*0*)/ Victory dance! ~(*0*~) (~^.^)~ ~(*0*~) (~^.^)~ ~(*0*~) (~^.^)~ 

Thank you guys ssooooooooo much for reading, voting, commenting and I would never have made it this far without you guys. ^.^ Thanks once more, and I'll keep updating.

~Evil_Incubator