Chapter Text
The clatter of china against the wooden tabletop was the only thing that broke the office's deathly silence. Kaien Cross, his eyes wide behind his glasses, held his breath as a small tea stain spread along the edge of his desk.
Before him, the sight was imposing. Two young people who seemed to have been sculpted by the gods themselves, with bronzed skin and an elegance that made even the Day Class uniform seem like royal attire.
〔Kaien〕: ¡Welcome! ¡Welcome to your new home! —He exclaimed, regaining his composure with comical speed as he hid the registration file under a pile of papers.- Excuse the... minor mishap. The excitement of world peace can sometimes be a little overwhelming.
Raiden Zhang stepped forward. His presence was reminiscent of a general; serene, with a deep, analytical gaze that seemed to be scanning every corner of the office for emergency exits and blind spots. He bowed with meticulous courtesy.
〔Raiden〕: Director Cross, we appreciate the hospitality of the Japanese Association. —He said in a velvety but firm voice.- My parents are confident that this alliance between the Zhangs and their institution will be... enlightening.
Beside him, Hina couldn't help but let a spark of energy escape her face. Although she maintained the strategic posture she shared with her brother, her curious eyes lingered on the sweets Kaien had in a jar on the desk.
〔Hina〕: ¡It's an honor! —She added with a radiant smile.- The architecture of this academy is fascinating. Although... —He paused, squinting slyly.- The energy emanating from the pavilion we crossed upon entering is quite "peculiar" for an ordinary school, ¿don't you think?
Kaien broke out in a cold sweat for a second. The Zhangs' ability to sense spiritual frequencies, especially the lightning coursing through their veins, made them detectors of living vampires. Raiden had already noticed that the Headmaster wasn't just an ordinary human, and that the academy's aura was divided into two opposing poles. Hina was more interested in how the Night Class "predators" coexisted with humans without causing an electrical disaster. She knew this "alliance" wasn't just a student exchange; it was a political move. The Zhangs were known for their mastery over elements that even Pureblood Vampires feared: Lightning and Healing.
The presence of such highly skilled hunters in the Day Class makes Kaname Kuran's subordinates nervous. Lightning is a natural weakness for many creatures of the night, and the Zhangs' ability to heal wounds from anti-vampire weapons makes them the institution's most dangerous allies or enemies.
The atmosphere at Cross Academy is always tense during the "Class Change," but today the electricity in the air was literal. The sun was beginning to set behind the spires of Cross Academy, painting the sky a bloody orange. It was time for the exchange; the Day Class returned to the dormitories while the Night Class made their triumphant entrance.
Yuuki and Zero held the security line, but today, the crowd of screaming students was unusually quiet, staring towards the main entrance.
Two figures walked with an almost military precision. Raiden, his uniform impeccably pressed and his golden gaze seemingly analyzing every weak point of the building, walked a step ahead. Beside him, Hina maintained the same serene expression, though her fingers toyed with the wrapper of a lychee candy she had just finished.
〔Hina〕: It's a noisy place, Raiden. —She whispered, her voice like silk but with the edge of a razor.-
〔Raiden〕: Noise is just a lack of discipline, Hina. Ignore it. —He answered, without taking his eyes off the road.-
Zero stepped in front of them to check their entry passes. His hunter instincts were screaming he could feel the ozone emanating from the twins, a clear sign of their lightning spells.
Raiden stopped just inches from Zero. Their eyes met. Zero expected arrogance, but instead found absolute patience. Raiden didn't try to intimidate him; he simply observed him, recognizing the strategy in Zero's stance and the weight of the Bloody Rose beneath his jacket.
〔Raiden〕: You are the guardian of this order. —He said it with a respect that disarmed Zero.- Maintaining peace between two worlds is a difficult strategy. I admire you for it.
Zero, who would normally have responded cynically, was speechless for a second. The heat that rose to his face wasn't from irritation, but from something he couldn't name. Raiden handed him the documents with an elegance that made the albino's heart skip a beat.
Meanwhile, the Night Class was leaving their dormitory. Shiki Senri, who was walking with his usual listlessness, stopped abruptly. His blue eyes fixed on Hina. She was putting the candy wrapper in her pocket, and feeling the vampire's gaze, she tilted her head curiously.
Shiki, who rarely showed interest in anything other than sleeping or modeling, couldn't look away.
〔Shiki〕: It smells like sugar... already a storm. —He muttered to himself, feeling a magnetic pull towards the girl who, in theory, should be his natural enemy.-
In his office, Kaien Cross finally knocked his teacup to the floor as a small electrical spark jumped from the files. The Zhangs haven't just come to study; they've come to assess whether Cross Academy deserves to survive.
The atmosphere in the Day Class dormitory changed completely with the arrival of the Zhangs. It wasn't just their exotic and noble appearance their tanned skin and regal bearing but the almost supernatural discipline that emanated from their room.
While the rest of the human students run through the halls, shout for the Night Class kids, or decorate their rooms with posters, Raiden and Hina's room is an oasis of absolute order.
Raiden would be seen sitting at his desk, with a tactical map of Cross Academy that he himself had drawn during his first few hours. He wasn't studying algebra; he was memorizing the blind spots in the walls and the fastest escape routes. His strategic mind never rested the academy was a chessboard where the vampires were pieces he had to keep an eye on.
Hina sat in the lotus position on her bed, meditating to channel her healing energy. Beside her was a small pile of perfectly folded candy wrappers. Unlike other girls, she didn't have pictures of idols; instead, she had small scrolls from the China Association and a bag of high-quality honey candies that she used to regain energy after her spellcasting sessions.
Before Kaien calls them, a minor scuffle occurs with other Day Class students who are trying to "hazing" the new ones.
A group of noisy students tries to enter his room as a prank. Before they even touch the doorknob, a bluish spark runs along the door frame. It doesn't hurt, but the air fills with static, making the hair on their arms stand on end.
Raiden opens the door just a crack. His gaze is so cold and precise that the pranksters instinctively back away.
〔Raiden〕: Its movement trajectory is erratic and its intention lacks purpose. —He says in a flat voice.- Please leave. We are reviewing the security protocols for this building.
Shiki Senri, who sometimes wanders around the perimeter of the dormitories before sunset, encounters Hina in the back garden of the day dorms. Hina is sitting under a tree, eating a strawberry daifuku. Shiki watches her from the shadows, mesmerized by the girl's calmness.
Hina notices it immediately. She isn't scared. She simply takes another candy from her pocket and places it on a nearby rock.
〔Hina〕: I know you're there. Pureblood vampires have a different heat signature. If you're hungry, eat this. It's better than you think.
Shiki is surprised; no one in the Day Class speaks to him with such authority and lack of fear. That moment seals his absolute curiosity about her.
Just as Zero passes through the corridor and stares at the Zhang's door, feeling that strange attraction towards Raiden's presence, the academy's loudspeaker crackles.
〔Speaker〕: Exchange students Raiden and Hina Zhang, please report to the Principal's office. Bring your... ahem... 'special tools'. ¡It's urgent!
Raiden puts away his map. Hina wipes the sugar crumbs from her skirt. They both know what's coming. The Association didn't send them just to study they sent them to set things right.
Director Cross's office is shrouded in an eerie silence, broken only by the sound of Kaien nervously sipping his tea. Yuuki stands by the window, puzzled, while Zero leans against the wall, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the door.
When the Zhang twins enter, the atmosphere changes. They don't walk like students they walk like elite soldiers.
〔Kaien〕: ¡Welcome, welcome! —He exclaimed with forced joy, trying to hide the fact that his desk is full of papers from the China Hunters Association.- Raiden, Hina... what a pleasure to have the "Storm of the East" in our humble academy.
〔Yuuki〕: —She blinks in surprise.- ¿Eastern Storm? Director, ¿who exactly are they?
Raiden takes a step forward his resemblance to that of a prince is so imposing that Yuuki instinctively takes a step back.
〔Raiden〕: We are responsible for ensuring that the peace treaty is not just a suggestion, Miss Cross. —He says in a deep, calm voice.-
Kaien takes two white bracelets out of his drawer, the symbols of the Guardians.
〔Kaien〕: From today onward, you two will join Yuuki and Zero. You will be the new Guardians of the Day Class. Your expertise in lightning seals and healing will be vital to keeping any... nighttime incidents at bay.
〔Zero〕: —He lets out a snort from the shadows.- We don't need any more nannies from the Association here.
Raiden turns slowly toward him. There is no trace of offense in his eyes, only a tactical assessment that ends in a slight, almost imperceptible smile.
〔Raiden〕: Zero Kiryu. Your technique with the Bloody Rose is admirable, but your emotional stability is a weak point in this school's defense strategy. I'm here to be the missing piece.
Zero feels a pang in his chest. No one had ever spoken to him with such frankness and, at the same time, with such a lack of malice. Raiden's "patience" acts like a magnet for Zero's inner turmoil. For a second, their gazes lock; a spark of static electricity jumps between them, and it's not just because of Raiden's power.
Hina, meanwhile, approaches Yuuki and offers her a small candy wrapped in gold paper.
〔Hina〕: Ten. Sugar helps process new information. —She says with absolute calm.- Don't worry about the Night Class. If any of them try to overstep their bounds, my brother's lightning will strike before they can even bare their teeth.
Yuuki accepts the sweet, glancing alternately at the twins and Zero, realizing that the balance of power in the academy has just drastically changed.
〔Kaien〕: —He regains her composure.- Alright, tonight they'll be doing their first joint patrol. Raiden will go with Zero to the western sector. Hina will go with Yuuki to the eastern sector.
Zero straightens up, trying to hide that the idea of being alone with Raiden under the moon makes him more nervous than facing a Level E.
〔Zero〕: Come on, "Strategist". —He grumbles, heading for the door.- We'll see if your rays are as fast as you say.
〔Raiden〕: —He nods elegantly.- It will be an honor to observe your aim up close, Zero.
The western sector of Cross Academy is the darkest and most wooded, the perfect place for the lower levels of the Night Class or some wandering E-level to try to cross the boundaries.
The full moon bathes the trees in silver, and the silence is broken only by the crunch of leaves beneath Zero and Raiden's boots. Zero walks with his hand on the hilt of the Bloody Rose, trying to ignore Raiden's imposing presence at his side. Zhang's calmness is both irritating and fascinating.
〔Raiden〕: You walk like you're waiting for the ground to betray you, Zero . —He speaks suddenly, breaking the silence with his deep voice. His golden eyes scan the darkness with a precision that not even a vampire could match.- Your strategy is purely reactive. You're exhausted.
〔Zero〕: I don't need an analysis of my mental state, Zhang . —He grumbles, though inside he feels strangely exposed by the other's observation.- Just keep an eye on the trees.
Out of nowhere, three shadows leap from the upper branches. They are low-level vampires who have succumbed to bloodlust. Zero reacts quickly, drawing his weapon, but before he can pull the trigger, the air fills with the scent of ozone and static.
Raiden doesn't even flinch. He raises a hand, palm open, and with mathematical composure, murmurs a single word in Mandarin. A bluish-violet lightning bolt descends from the clear sky with surgical precision. It's not a chaotic explosion; it's a beam of light that strikes the attackers' pressure points exactly, instantly paralyzing them to the ground before they can touch Zero.
Zero lowers his pistol, surprised. Raiden's efficiency is... beautiful. The twin approaches the fallen vampires to place containment seals, but stops when he sees Zero has a small cut on his cheek from a branch.
Raiden approaches Zero. He's so close that Zero can feel the heat of his body and see the details of his face, which seems carved from obsidian. Without asking permission, Raiden raises his hand toward Zero's wound.
〔Raiden〕: Don't move. —He asks with a patience that disarms any protest.-
A soft, greenish-gold light emanates from his fingers. The pain in Zero's cheek vanishes instantly. The Zhangs' healing not only seals the flesh but also seems to calm the agitation of the vampire blood that constantly torments Zero.
〔Raiden〕: You have a strong will. —He whispers, leaving his hand on Zero's face a second longer than necessary.- But even the finest steel breaks if not cared for. Let me be the one to watch your back, Zero Kiryu.
Zero feels his heart beating with a force that isn't a product of combat. He looks Raiden in the eyes and, for the first time in years, feels that he doesn't have to fight alone.
〔Zero〕: ... Do what you want, strategist. —He answers, looking away, but without moving away from his touch.-
Meanwhile, in the shadows...
Not far away, Kaname Kuran watches from a distant balcony. His red eyes gleam with a mixture of curiosity and caution. The Zhangs' arrival has introduced a variable he can't quite control.