Zero Kiryuu (錐生 零, Kiryū Zero^?), who is one year older than Yuuki Cross,^[3] came from a vampire hunter family. Four years prior to the story start, his parents and brother were killed by the pureblood vampire Shizuka Hio after they followed orders to assassinate her lover, a former human that had not yet fallen to level E. The orphaned Zero was taken in by the Kaien Cross and became a school guardian, alongside Yuki.^[4] He has a hatred for vampires because of what happened to his parents, but it is later revealed that he himself is a vampire as a result of Shizuka's attack.^[5] It is also later revealed that his twin brother, Ichiru, also survived the attack and willingly lived at Shizuka's side. After he consumes Shizuka, Kaname lets Zero drink some of his blood to keep Zero from losing control of himself in order to protect Yuki. It is revealed at the end of the manga, after Yuki is transformed into a vampire, that Zero did in fact love her. Zero and Yuki now stand on opposing sides and Zero is now set-up to be the future president of the Vampire Hunters.