3rd Night

"Third Night: The Vampire of Vampires" is the third chapter in the Vampire Knight manga.

Summary
Flashback to the attack on the Kiryu family. A tall woman stands over Zero, asking him if he was suffering. Zero doesn't respond, covered in blood, lying on the ground, facing the bloody bodies of his parents. The woman tells Zero that his parents hunted too many of her kind and although they were Vampire Hunters, they were no match for a Pureblood like her.

Kaien Cross brings Zero to their home, telling her that Zero was the only survivor, Yuki takes Zero for a bath, as he is still covered in blood. Yuki very gently guides him to the bathroom and is shocked by all the blood, she is relieved when she can find no injury on him after wiping him down. Mentally noting that she treated him so gently because she was afraid he would fall to pieces.

Now in the present time, Yuki is woken by Zero, slumbering at her desk. Zero tells her he is about to begin their guardian duties and that she should hurry and finish her supplementary classes. Yuki observes that Zero talks a lot more but he looks as pale now as he did the first night she met him.

Zero walks through the classes and meets with Kaname, who observes Yuki is not with him. Zero glares at him and tells Kaname that Yuki has extra classes, Kaname looks back and asks Zero how he is nowadays. Zero stops shocked and glares at Kaname who tells him to take care, Zero stares at Kaname as he walks off, but Zero is also observed by Ruka Souen. Kaien stands up expecting Kaname as the vampire walks into his office. Kaname immediately asks him how long Kaien is going to keep Zero with the Day Class as the day of his turning is approaching soon.

Zero stands alone in the darkness, having another slight attack when he is approached by several members of the Night Class, he pulls out the Bloody Rose aiming at Ruka demanding to know what they want. Ruka asks Zero why Kaname is showing him special consideration as she refuses to allow it. Kain tells Ruka not to be jealous, advising them that Kaname would reprimand them if he knew what they were doing. He starts to touch Zero's arm asking Zero to put away his gun, but instead Zero grabs him and flips him on the ground to Senri and Rima's amusement, to which the two chorus, "How embarrassing." Zero puts away his gun and comments that they are using Kaname Kuran as an excuse to beat him up, he invites them to attack him. Yuki bolts into the middle of the confrontation, crouching at Zero's side holding the Artemis Rod, she advises everyone that fight is prohibited and that she will fight them as a member of the disciplinary committee. The vampires, lose interest and disperse. Yuki turns to Zero and asks why he is acting out of character recently. Zero glares at her, she tries to touch his arm and he shoves her off telling her to leave him alone.

Kaien tells Kaname how observant he is, noting that Kaname's of the pure kind, a rare lineage, feared by other vampires because of his inherited powers from the ancients, the vampire of vampires. Kaname tells him he's avoided speaking about the issue so far, but worries now that Kaien isn't taking enough precautions and that Zero will disturb the peace, he gouges out the desk in frustration. Kaien wants to go easy on him, but Kaname knows that Zero was attacked by a Pureblood like himself.

Zero hides as another attack comes on him. Yuki, worried runs looking for him, upset that Zero has rejected her, closing his heart off as always. she is upset because she is determined to be by his side always and doesn't know why he doesn't trust her. She finds Zero on the stairs, he asks her not to look, but she goes up to him and he grabs her from behind, he licks her neck and bites into her. Yuki is shocked and yells out his name, asking him to stop and pulls away. She stares back at Zero, who has blood colored eyes and fangs protruding from a bloody mouth. He looks at her helplessly, calls "Yuki..", covered in her blood as she realizes his true form is a beast in human form.

Kaname tells Kaien that because Zero was bitten by a Pureblood, he will either die from a loss of blood or the more painful route of suffering and slowly turning into a vampire. Zero has withstood his vampire instincts for four years, which Kaname respects. Yuki stares at Zero, wondering how he could be a vampire. As she wonders about it, clutching onto her bitten neck, a sad Zero apologizes to her.