18th Night

Hope is the eighteenth chapter of the Vampire Knight manga.

Summary
Zero points Bloody Rose to Shizuka but is interfered with Yuki pulling out Artemis in front of Shizuka. While in front Shizuka, Yuki explains to Zero that if she drinks Shizuka's blood, he will be saved but in exchange she will be bitten and be turned into the very same being like him.

Meanwhile, at the party, Akatsuki Kain sees Takuma Ichijo dancing with the humans along with Senri Shiki and Rima Toya. Takuma notices Kain and invites him to dance with them, but Kain politely refuses. Suddenly, a human falls and Takuma catches her and asked if she's all right. Abruptly, Kain pulls Takuma and tells him to not carry it too far and asking why is he is gathering all these girls and if he is going to "eat" them afterwards. Takuma replies to him by saying it's just "friendship" and he is just doing a peace act. Takume suddenly turns serious and aks him, ''"By the way, what's the urgent business?". ''Kain answers to him that he needs to see Kaname Kuran. Again, Takuma gives his energetic smile and tells him Kaname left all the matters about the new student. He then said, "I hope it's not a big problem.". Kain turns around and goes towards Seiren and asks where's the President Kuran. Seiren tells him he's out in the terrance and aks if there's anything wrong. Kain turns aourn to the terrance opening the curtains and says, "Not much.". He goes in the terrance to find Kaname Kuran not there.

The events goes back to where Zero, Yuki, and Shizuka are. Yuki tells Zero to stay back, but he stays put. Zero tells Shizuka that if drinking her blood is true, then it can be after she kills her halfway. Shizuka stays silent but smiles at him with an amused expression.

Yuki drops Artemis and goes to Zero thinking she has right to stop Zero. She thinks for a while then she uses the bracelet that Kaien Cross gave her to "tame" Zero but Zero grabs her wrist. Shizuka suddenly talks and Zero freezes and Shizuka explains to him now that she is in her real body, She has now the "power" to bind him with her voice. Then, orders him to hold Yuki. Zero obeys and Yuki tries to tell him to let her go. Shizuka goes towards Zero and starts to drink his blood. When Shizuka is about to bite Yuki, he manages to pull himself out of the trance and grabs Shizuka's neck. To fully cut the "bind" that is holding him, he shoots himself in the leg with his other hand surprising Shizuka and Yuki. He shoots Shizuka several times in the chest but is then stopped by Yuki.

Shizuka starts laughing and tells Zero she will not die from those gun wounds. Zero pulls his arm from Yuki and starts shooting Shizuka. Shizuka blocks the bullets with strips of cloth from her kimono(?). Zero then tells that her he has been waiting for this day and decides to finish everything. Yuki once again stops him and Zero tells her to let go. Yuki lets go and asks him what will happen afterwards, but Shizuka interrupts with the answer that Zero has always desired to perish along with her. Zero again points the Bloody Rose to Shizuka, but out of nowhere, a katana (Japanese sword) is thrown and stabs Zero through the arm.

Zero is surprised and recognition dawns to him that his twin brother he thought was dead is alive. Ichiru Kiryu removes his mask and Yuki comments that he has the same face as Zero.

List of Character Appearances

 * 1) Shizuka Hio
 * 2) Yuki Kuran
 * 3) Zero Kiryu
 * 4) Takuma Ichijo
 * 5) Akatsuki Kain
 * 6) Senri Shiki
 * 7) Rima Toya
 * 8) Ichiru Kiryu
 * 9) Seiren