Chapter 1
I am Tsukune Aono, I was just an average 9th of average height and average build getting admittedly below average grades at an average high school until I failed my final exams and was informed that I would not be invited back to my school. My parents had given up unable to find an alternative school and thinking that their son would be a failure at 15 until my father on the way back from work found a flyer that had been dropped by a passing monk. He was about to return it when he noticed that the flyer had the picture of a school on it and was inviting students to come learn at a "Youkai Academy" my father was overjoyed thinking that their problem had been solved and within a week of informing of my mother and I, I was on a bus to Youkai Academy.
The bus was strangely empty and most of the trip took place inside of a dark tunnel I had never seen before and when the bus finally came to a halt and I began to leave the bus I stopped on the last step to stare at a scarecrow that was set up on a post in front of the door. In its left hand it held a sign that said 'Youkai Academy this way' upon its shoulders sat a Jack-O-lantern with a sinister grin carved into its face and with its right hand it pointed to a location beyond the bus.
I took a step to get off but a hand grabbed my shoulder I attempted to turn to face my assailant but only succeeded in tripping over my own feet and sat down hard on the cold brown earth. Wheezy laughter drifted down from the bus I stood dusting myself off and looked into the bus it was the bus driver, he must have grabbed my shoulder and was now laughing at the spectacle I had made of myself.
"This your first time at the academy boy?" he said past the cigar in his teeth and even though I was in the open air it made me wrinkle my nose from its noxious scent. He wore white gloves, a conductor's outfit and a green hat which shaded his eyes from view.
I slowly nodded my head he grinned and said
"How unfortunate for you, not many of your kind make it into that school let alone out". He started to laugh again then closed the doors and drove back inside the tunnel.
A little shaken I looked down the road and found myself gaping like a fish at the sight before me. To the right of the road was a sheer cliff that dropped into a blood red sea underneath an enormous sized sun. To the left was a path that led into a forest of twisted black leafless trees. After a few moments of indecision I resolved to follow the path because the road simply ended at the edge of the cliff and the tunnel would be too dark and too long to navigate on my own so I pressed onwards towards what I hoped would be the school.
The path was just as creepy on the inside as it was on the outside, the ground was cold and hard every once in a while I would come across a single tombstone or some disembodied fencing. Overlooking the path were the tops of the tree's forming a canopy that looked like it would descend and strangle you as soon as it would give you shade. It was thinking exactly this that I heard a bell, like on a bike and a girl screaming
"get out of the way!" followed shortly by a sharp pain in my back as I was hit with said bike and before I know it the bikes rider and I were tumbling through the dirt.
When we came to rest we both lay there for a moment dazed, I finally attempted to put my hand on the ground to stand up instead I accidently placed on the inside of the riders thigh coaxing a groan from its owner. I looked up at the person I had touched and saw without a shadow of a doubt the cutest girl I had ever seen. She was wearing the green and white school uniform with the plaid short skirt that looked like it would reveal what it was hiding underneath at the slightest movement which more often than not it did. She had a petite nose, small mouth, large eyes and bright pink hair that reached down to her waist, she also seemed to have a cross with a red bead in the center on a choker around her neck.
She looked at my hand on her leg which I quickly withdrew stumbling backwards and stuttering apologies
"I-I'm sorry... I didn't mean to... what I meant was" I stuttered to a halt as I realized my nose had started to bleed.
"Oh you're bleeding let me get it" she said pulling a handkerchief from her breast pocket hand poised when she froze, she stared Intensely at my blood then quickly looked away, her voice started to shake. "Oh no... It's happening again" she said, a little startled by the situation I said
"What do you mean?" she looked straight at me now perspiration beaded her pale skin
"Well... you see..." she moved so close I thought our lips would touch but she moved her head lower "I'm a vampire" then she bit me on the neck.
This started a long chain of events that would change my life forever, as it turns out I accidently enrolled in a school for monsters that teaches them how to blend in with human society. The girl who sucked my blood was really one of the most powerful monsters, the legendary vampire, fortunately for me one of the rules at Youkai Academy is to maintain your human disguise at all times so I was safe from speculation. My first year was very eventful and I made many friends such as Moka Akashiya, the vampire from before a shy yet strong hearted girl who I share a very special friendship with, Kurumu Kurono a succubus who can enslave men's bodies with a look and their minds with a kiss, Mizore Shirayuki an abominable snow woman that can control Ice, Yukari Sendo a very young with who due to her intelligence who skipped a couple of grades and Ruby the raven haired witch who works at the school doing odd jobs for the headmaster.
All of this happened during my first year at Youkai Academy now that summer vacation is over it's time for my second year and after last I'm brimming with happiness and confident that I can overcome any challenges that come my way. Little did I know that one was hiding behind a tree down the school path, again I was caught off guard while gazing at the canopy, a blue haired figure leapt from behind a tree into my arms and attempted to smother me in her ample bosom, had to be Kurumu.
"I missed you so much, the summer was so boring without you" I was about to answer her with something along the lines of 'can't breathe!' when with a familiar 'clang!' a bronze pot smacked her off to the side.
I sat down gasping for air from the not entirely unwelcome embrace when Yukari appeared wearing her signature cape, pointy hat and heart shaped wand.
"Tsukune! I've been waiting to tell you tell all summer I made a mirror that shows what you'll look like in the prime of your youth and believe me" she said baring her chest "If you left now you'd be missing out desu!"
I'm sure she would have continued but an encasing of ice formed around her followed by cold breath on my neck
"Tsu...Ku...ne" startled I quickly crawled forward and turned to find Mizore blushing and holding one of my pencils. "You dropped this when you got off the bus" she said sheepishly, I was glad to see her but my only response was
"You've been following me since I got off the bus!" She smiled and helped me upor at least tried to before Kurumu butted her out of the way and instead offered her hand which I warily took. Compared to the beginning of it the rest of the walk to school was pleasant with each member of our group regaling events that occurred during their individual summers, we were even able to talk to Ruby as she was sweeping the entrance to the school.
We finally entered the gym where the welcome back assembly was taking place and I immediately spotted Moka sitting at the front waving and gesturing for me to sit beside her. Smiling broadly I rushed to oblige her, but of course that was too easy and instead Kurumu sat down
"No sit next to me!" with a sigh I sat leaving only one free seat to my right and with a tea pot full of hot water Yukari fended off Mizore long enough to sit down and take the win. Unwilling to accept defeat and much to the annoyance of the others sat on my lap and interlaced her ice cold fingers through mine. The announcements proceeded as usual and the speaker and also our homeroom teacher Ms. Nekonome was about to dismiss us when the gym doors swung open and the headmaster a man completely clothed in white strode in gesturing for Ms. Nekonome to come to him and by the look on Ms. Nekonome's face something's wrong.
Now every monster has some sort of advanced hearing so I asked Mizore what they're saying, for a while she listened for a while with her brow furrowed but then it seemed a light of understanding dawned on her she leaned back and whispered in my ear.
"Remember when I was waiting for you at the bus stop, well before you came the headmaster and Moka's father were talking in front of my hiding spot, they were talking about how someone was coming to work at Youkai academy that Moka's father didn't like he said that his aura was blocking his sight of other auras even from his castle and that a second Rosario might be necessary to protect the barrier, now the headmaster is saying that the man would like to speak to us... personally". Kurumu of course was eavesdropping and said
"You didn't think this was important enough to tell us before?" unfazed Mizore replied
"You didn't ask". Sure enough Ms. Nekonome returned to the stage visibly shaken and announced
"It seems that I have forgotten one announcement, we have a new staff member who is also going to be a student at Youkai Academy, so please welcome him but treat him with respect, he will be speaking with you now". Ms Nekonome quickly moved off stage even going so far as to sprint the last 10 meters on all fours.
All eyes are on the stage waiting to see this person, the curtain shifts and a boy steps out no older than 17 wearing a black jacket with a grey hood, blue jeans and white sneakers he is also carrying a staff with strange runes and markings burned into it, he's using the staff as a walking stick despite having no pronounced limp. He stalked towards the middle of the audience his hood is pulled over his face yet keeping his head turned toward the audience as if studying the crowd then he comes to a stop feet evenly planted in the center of the stage. He lifts his staff and brings it down upon the stage; as soon as it touched it produced a loud ringing noise like striking a wine glass and almost immediately a wave of malice emanated from him and washed over every occupant in the gymnasium, Mizore squeezed my hand a little harder.
When he finally spoke his voice was smooth yet derisive and confident like he was standing over you pressing a knife to your throat
"My name is Noruas Kardrold, or if you prefer but as I couldn't care less what the insects call me I couldn't care less what you call me. I am as Ms. Nekonome pointed out a student here but I am also the school counsellor, police force, judge, jury and executioner, I work under my own jurisdiction so I can do whatever I please with you so I hope you don't mind if some of your classmates go missing through ought the year. No Ms. Shirayuki" he said turning his head to face her pulling back his lips in what should have been a smile your parents won't be able to do a thing about" Mizore sat suddenly bolt upright much to my discomfort "yes" he said now with a touch of mockery "I can quite freely read any one of your minds so try not to think too many dirty thoughts, is that understood?".
Nobody said a thing not a word, he chuckled "I knew I was blind" he swept back his hood revealing despite his personality quite a handsome face with un kept black hair and a scar that crossed his face running over top of two milky unseeing eyes "but I didn't think I was deaf as well".
"Ha!" came a voice from the crowd it was Saizou of the outcast Ayashi "how are you supposed to enforce school rules if you couldn't even read the sign to get here, this must have struck a nerve because Noruas stopped smiling and pointed his staff at Saizou
"I assure you... Saizou, that I could with no effort on my part kill you without seeing you, shall we demonstrate?" Saizou suddenly went pale "don't worry you are much too weak to show my potential how about" he moved his staff through the air then pointed it straight at Moka "you shall fight me".
You didn't need to read minds to sense the surprise from the crowd, how could he possibly stand against the most powerful of monsters the vampire?
"Tsukune?" I turned my head towards the stage at the mention of my name; Noruas was smiling down at me "would you be so kind as to remove Moka's Rosario so we may begin". I looked at Moka for confirmation she looked scared but she stood up and nodded her head, I reached up and pulled off the Rosario, Immediately demonic energy flowed from her, her hair turned silver, her fangs unsheathed themselves and she took on a more confident air, she turned and faced Noruas standing defiant before him.
"Tsukune" the inner Moka said "I won't fight him, no matter his arrogance, you had no business summoning me, and I won't fight a cripple".
Of course I hadn't considered what the inner Moka thought of the situation, feeling rather foolish I was about to return the Rosario to her when booming laughter echoed throughout the gym I looked around Moka to see I t was Noruas leaning on his staff and laughing.
"Forgive me" he said wiping the edges of his eye's "but I have picked up on what vampires are supposed to be like over the years, the most powerful and beautiful creatures to walk the earth they would have you believe, I knew the power was an exaggeration this is only proven by you" a muscle in Moka's jaw twitched "but I never thought they would be so, how do you say it, plain of face." At that well over half of the gym's occupants stood up including me, for it was a well known fact that Moka is one of if not the most beautiful girl in school. Even though the barb was clearly a lure the proud vampire took the bait leaping high into the air, preparing to descend upon Noruas him like an angel of death.
Noruas either had a death wish or he couldn't see her because he just kept on smiling at me even when she yelled
"Know your place!" and began to drop he didn't avert his gaze. I closed my eyes having seen this all too often and waited for the crack of bone and the sound of the crowd cheering at Nouruas's' defeat. I heard the crack of bone but it was followed by the sound of violent retching, I looked to my right to see an extremely pale Yukari throwing up and to my left Kurumu and Mizore with a look of horror upon their faces. I finally looked at the stage, Moka's leg had landed on his shoulder but where his shoulder should have been was black spiky armour that looked almost organic and Moka had impaled her leg on one of these spikes pushing the bone out of place which now protruded from the skin.
The black armour now covered the rest of his body and his staff had turned into a terrifying mace that looked as if it could bring down the foundations of a mountain, I couldn't imagine what it could do to flesh and bone. Unfortunately I didn't have to as Noruas now seven feet tall, lifted her leg of his shoulder and brought his mace into her stomach sending her into the ceiling and as she fell he went down on one knee allowing her body to impale itself on his shin plate. He then pushed her off letting her ruined body roll to my feet; I went down cradling her body and sobbing, at first all I could see was her blood pooling around her then all I could see was red.
While Tsukune was otherwise engaged Mizore and Kurume had more violent reactions, Kurume sprouted wings and extended her nails to intimidating two foot long talons, while Mizore shaped her hands into ice claws and shot deadly frozen shards at Noruas which had no visible effect simply melting before they reached him for his body now radiated heat. Kurumu flew at him attempting a 'fly by' but Noruas shot out his hand and grabbed her by her hair she had just enough time left to scream
"Tsukune!" before he used a knife he ejected from his gauntlet to slit her throat letting her life's essence drain onto the stage. Mizore raised an ice pillar from the ground and attempted to crush him against the ceiling but he suddenly just wasn't there, instead he appeared and he thrust his hand through her chest lifting her off the ground then discarding her corpse.
"Can you hear it Tsukune?" Noruas said his voice tainted by fire and turning with Mizore's heart in his outstretched hand "it still beats only for you". Tsukune remained silent staring down at his hands that were still drenched in the blood so previously shed by Moka. Yukari, grief stricken took a run at Noruas tears streaming down her face but he ended her valiant charge by kneeing her in the stomach.
Noruas toed Yukari's corpse with his boot "so young to have life taken from her, you know her last thoughts were of you, and so were both of theirs and hers, they all loved you with their dying breath. Yet you have failed to show even the slightest bit of anger at their passing, what will it take to get a reaction from you, perhaps I should go after your darling cousin or... your mother".
The snap is almost audible all of Tsukune's anger and rage burst forth with his vampire blood, his seal could do nothing to stem the tide of his anguish and he focused all of it into one punch towards the one responsible for it all. He moved so fast that the air rent around him paying no heed to the blisters that formed on his body from the heat resonating off his opponent's body, and the blow that would have shattered even the schools barrier produced only a dull thud when it finally impacted on Nouruas's chest. It would have looked almost comical were it not for the sound of every bone in his arm and shoulder compacting into the consistency of sand and Tsukune slumping onto his knees.
Noruas looked down at him for a while before lifting him into the air and pulling back his armoured fist for a finishing blow, Tsukune had barely enough air in his scorched lungs to ask "What are you" his armoured opponent said nothing only inclining his head slightly before launching his fist.
Authors Note: Warning first fan fiction.