41st Night

Artemis is the forty-first chapter of the Vampire Knight manga.

On cover: Yuki Kuran and Kaname Kuran

The title is the name of Yuki's anti-vampire weapon, the Artemis Rod.

Summary
Shiki awakens from his possession to find Ichijo destroying a vampire in his room. Ichijo leaves Shiki to protect Rima after Shiki assures him he is okay. Shiki looks to the sleeping Rima and remembers her fierce defense of him. He hugs her sleeping body and apologizes. Another hostile vampire comes into the room calling Shiki "Rido's puppet". Shiki demonstrates that he is now in complete control and calls on his powers.

Kain orders the Day Class students to stay inside their dorm. The Day Class girls are starting to suspect about the Night Class, Kain tells them to ask again later and promises to protect them. Ruka and Kain discuss the invaders. Ichijo tells them that Kaname is now the enemy of the Vampire Council, he orders Seiren to update the others and leaves on his personal mission.

Yagari and Kaien find dying/dead bodies of ex-human vampires that have been drawn to the area with spells cast by Vampire Hunters, Yagari suspects the Vampire Hunters Association is involved. Yagari hits the despondent Headmaster, telling him he needs to return to being a Vampire Hunter. Headmaster Cross does not want to kill any more vampires. The head of the Vampire Hunters Association is on the school grounds, the head tells Kaien and Yagari that they have deemed the Night Class at fault for the mess. Headmaster Cross decides he is going to fight the Vampire Hunters Association to protect the Night Class and pulls out his sword.

Elsewhere, Kaname has just finished telling Yuki why they must leave the school. She recoils from the stream of sunlight. Kaname apologizes for the brightness and hugs her protectively, using his body to shield her from it, Yori and Aido watch on. Kaname tells her they have a place to go to and that he is going to be the one to protect her, Yuki thinks about how she wants to be held by Kaname. Suddenly, Yuki senses Rido's presence and is scared, she realizes she cannot leave Yori alone. When she tells Kaname that she couldn't leave, he hugs her tightly and tells her she cannot leave his arms nor can she do much if she stayed, since she is powerless. Yori standing by the window, whose curtain she has closed for Yuki's sake is startled by a clap of thunder. Kaname orders Aido to take Yori to safety, Aido takes Yori by the arm and take her away. Yuki, still in Kaname's arms asks him to let her go. She realizes his arms feels like a stranger's arms and her powers suddenly break the resin rose. Kaname tells her he can force her to leave and Yuki tells him she would never forgive him if he did that. He lets her go.

Yuki pulls away and grabs the Artemis Rod. She says if he does not let her go, she will have to use her weapon against him. The Artemis Rod starts crackling and sparking, rejecting Yuki. Kaname tells her its rejecting her because she is no longer human, as its purpose is to completely reject vampires. Yuki refuses to accept this, she has walked this path and fears that if she stops now, she will become someone else. Kaname asks her if she will make him feel the loss that he felt for ten years again with a sad look on his face. Yuki begs him not to give her such a look and pulls him forward and kisses him on the lips. She tells him it will be fine and she promises that she will return to his arms, mentally urging him to go and do his mission.

As Kaname leaves, Ruka asks him where he is going. Kaname evasively tells her he is going somewhere he does not want to go and Ruka laments that Kaname still does not trust them. Kain figures out that Kaname is going to destroy the council. Aido realizes that Kaname does trust them, because he left Yuki to their protection. Kaname says they can think what they like and sends his challenge to Zero.

Rido is disturbed from his meal by his servants.

Yuki dresses in her Day Class uniform. She grabs the Artemis Rod, still reacting to her. Then, in Yuki’s hands, the Artemis Rod transforms into a scythe.

Characters
Characters in order of appearance:


 * 1) Senri Shiki
 * 2) Takuma Ichijo
 * 3) Akatsuki Kain
 * 4) Ruka Souen
 * 5) Toga Yagari
 * 6) Kaien Cross
 * 7) Yuki Kuran
 * 8) Kaname Kuran
 * 9) Hanabusa Aido
 * 10) Rido Kuran
 * 11) Rima Toya