Chapter 3: Golden Week

"I am currently observing the target. The Freak which I had assigned to fight him had failed. I guess the subjects I chose to convert weren't strong enough. Yes, I said subjects. Three in fact. I only used one Freak Chip and it did the job of converting and bonding them together. Yes, I will continue to observe the target and exploit any weaknesses I may find," the Man in White said before ending the call. He frowned. "Looks like I'm on a tight schedule." He then looked at the school, "But so many subjects ready to be converted." He took out a Freak Chip from his pocket, the tendril-like wires writhing about in search for a host. "Settle down. I'll find you a host. Just be patient."

After several weeks it was the end of April, and the start of Golden Week. For the next seven days, the students would not need to attend school. That left them with plenty of free time, which the teachers filled with homework assignments. They still couldn't leave the school though, not without special permission, and were stuck within the barrier which surrounded Youkai Academy. As the final bell rang, a certain group of students were making plans. They were seated together in the empty classroom. Yukari, being a student from the neighbouring class, often came over to hang out with Shintaro. This day was no different.

"So, any plans for Golden Week?" Shintaro asked. "I mean, besides homework."

"Don't know," Moka said.

"I have a plan," grinned Kurumu as she leaned against Shintaro. "It involves you and I, in bed."

CLONG!

A wash basin crashed atop Kurumu's head and she growled at Yukari who scowled right back at the succubus.

"Back off, cow!" Yukari snapped.

"You little brat!" Kurumu shot back.

"Please, stop fighting!" pleaded Moka.

"Can I freeze them?" Mizore asked.

They had become friends, but sometimes they had trouble getting along when Shintaro was involved. He just gave a sigh. His guardian, Topper Liquer, had sent him to Youkai Academy to make friends and fit in. He was doing quite well in fact with both ventures. He had made friends, who were all girls, and got along well with his classmates and teachers. Still, he was unsure of what he was. The pocket watch was once again sealed and nothing had happened to warrant it needing to be opened.

Also, rumors about what he'd done against Wanibuchi and his friends spread all over school. They were calling him some kind of 'Insect-Man' monster. Considering the appearance of his armor, it was no surprise that they would come to that conclusion. Yukari, however, had called him a 'Kamen Rider'. Because of that, he started to do research on the subject. He learnt that the Kamen Riders had been around since the 70's and were considered nothing more than an urban myth. However, many people claimed to have met and been saved by them. The Kamen Riders were also known to fight against evil monsters and terrorist organizations.

That little bit about terrorist organizations made Shintaro wonder about the chip he'd found before it disintegrated. Someone had planted it on Wanibuchi and his friends which had turned them into a rampaging beast. Speaking of which, the three of them were in the campus hospital, recovering.

"Shintaro-kun, what are you going to do for Golden Week?" Moka asked.

"I guess spend my time in the library," he said. "There's a lot of books in there I haven't read."

"Reading?" Kurumu rolled her eyes. "That's just boring!"

"Of course you wouldn't appreciate a good book," Yukari retorted.

"For your information I subscribe to cookbooks to improve my baking skills," Kurumu defended. "Speaking of which, I made cookies for Shintaro." She put the basket on the desk. "Have one."

"They don't have a love potion in them, do they?" Shintaro asked. Kurumu had openly claimed him as her Destined One, a role she had described as him becoming her future husband. Mizore had been offended and a fight nearly broke out between the two girls, with Yukari egging them on and Moka trying to stop them. Fortunately, Shintaro had been able to stop their argument from escalating into bloodshed. They might be friends, but things got really tense when the girls starting fighting over him. He knew they liked him, but he had made it clear that he wasn't looking for a romantic relationship.

"No, of course not," Kurumu answered, "Why would you think that?"

"Oh, it's just a gut feeling," he said. "You know, I've never really shown you all my dorm room, have I?" This caused the four girls to lock their eyes on him instantly. It was like they were synchronized, which was creepy.

"You mean we get to see your room? All of it? Even the inside?" Kurumu asked excitedly.

"Well, we are friends. So, I think inviting friends over for some cookies and tea would be a good idea," he said.

"You want to have a tea party," stated Mizore.

"We have them all the time back at the pawn shop," Shintaro said. He had told them that he lived in a pawn shop with an eccentric man and his son. They had taken in him and for six months he had lived with them, helping them out around the house and shop to earn his keep. It also kept him occupied. In that shop he had learnt how to fix and appraise items they would collect from the customers that came in. At around 4:30 pm, they would close up for evening tea. Like a small tea party. Topper and Kaze enjoyed those very much and Shintaro enjoyed having cakes and cookies with his tea, especially the cakes and cookies.

"That sounds like a great idea," agreed Moka.

"Lead the way, darling," said Kurumu as she hooked her arms around his left arm. Mizore also hooked her arms around his right arm.

"Wow...you have...a lot of books," said Kurumu as she stared at the bookcase. Shintaro had invited them to his dorm room and they saw how he had personalized it. There was a large bookcase up against the wall filled with many thick books of various titles, organized alphabetically and based on genre.

"Well, I didn't have much to do but read," said Shintaro. They looked and saw he had a laptop on his desk with books standing between two bookends. He also had pictures hung up on the wall, all of him and two men. He had told them about his guardian and friends, so these two men must be them. "Let me go and get the tea set. Just make yourselves at home." He went into the kitchen to grab the items. The girls sat down on the rug on the floor and looked around. It wasn't exactly what they imagined.

"You know, I was actually expecting a punching bag or something," said Kurumu. She and the other girls had seen him fight and he seemed so good at it. She then looked at his bed and grinned. She grabbed the pillow and sniffed it.

"Kurumu-chan, what are you doing!?" Moka cried out.

"Just taking in his scent," said Kurumu. "Here, do you wanna try?" She offered the pillow, the pillow Shintaro put his head on, and Moka blushed. Oh, she wanted to take it. She really did. It was so tempting, but resisted. "Suit yourself." Mizore grabbed hold of it. "Huh?"

"Gimme," Mizore demanded.

"Girls, I think you should put that back before he comes back," Moka pleaded.

"Wow, look at all these books," said Yukari. "Some of these are so rare! I've even read a few!" She took one and stared at the text and blinked. "This one is in French."

"That was given to me by my friend, Kaze," said Shintaro as he came in with a tray and the tea set. It wasn't any old tea set, but a china tea set. He set the tray down gently. There was already tea in the pot judging from the steam that was wafting out of it. "He speaks fluent French and so can I."

"Really?" asked Moka. "Could you demonstrate?"

"Je suis tellement heureux d'être le thé avec cette belle entreprise," Shintaro said in French.

"What does that mean?" Mizore asked.

"I said that I feel glad to be having tea with such lovely company," Shintaro translated, causing them to blush. "Yeah, he likes to use French to charm girls. I honestly don't know how well it works." He started filling the cups with tea before passing them to the girls.

"Can you speak any other languages?" Moka asked. Shintaro nodded. "That's amazing."

"Considering the numerous customers we get, I had to learn to speak different languages. Made things easier," said Shintaro. He was multilingual, which was no lie. It was a convenient skill to have.

"Is it really that interesting, working in a pawn shop?" Yukari asked.

"Trust me, Yukari-chan. Interesting is an understatement. Sometimes, it can get downright weird. Customers come in, wanting to trade for strange items, or they brought in strange items to sell, or even coming in to buy strange items," said Shintaro. "The items we get are always random. Sometimes they can be worthless, and sometimes they can be worth a ton of cash. It all depends on how we appraise them."

"What's the strangest thing you had to appraise?" Mizore asked.

"A skull covered in gold, jewels and gems," Shintaro answered. They gawked at him. "I kid you not. Some guy came in wanting to sell it to us. Claimed it was cursed. Topper appraised it and gave the man his money. We still have the skull last time I checked."

"Was it really cursed?" Moka asked worriedly. Shintaro shrugged.

"Who knows? At least it's pretty to look at, not like the mummy's hand we have stashed in the back," said Shintaro.

"A mummy's hand?" the girls repeated.

"Weird story, but it was said to be part of a whole mummy of some unknown Egyptian King. Grave robbers each took a piece but then tragedy and misfortune fell upon them and their families," Shintaro told him. "The guy came in with the hand, wanting to get rid of it. We took it and he didn't even stick around for his money. He just left. We still have that thing inside a box."

"But if it's cursed...then isn't that bad for business?" Yukari asked.

"If it was, I'm sure Topper and Kaze have it handled. They're experts at dealing with those kind of things," shrugged Shintaro. "And the business is still doing well, last I heard, but with me gone they needed to hire help. According to them, nobody ever stayed longer for a week." He took a sip of tea. The girls took a moment to take this in.

"I actually have an idea of what we can do for Golden Week," said Moka shyly.

"You do?" Shintaro asked as he sipped his tea.

"Shintaro-kun, would you like to go on a date with me?" Moka asked. Shintaro, shocked, choked on his tea and coughed.

"W-w-what!?" Shintaro exclaimed.

"Moka, how dare you!?" Kurumu snapped, outraged.

"He's mine," Mizore reminded, coldly.

"No, he's mine!" defended Yukari.

"And I told you I wasn't interested in a romantic relationship," concluded Shintaro.

"But you haven't tried dating anyone," Moka countered. She looked to the girls, "And actually, it won't be just me. You all can get a chance too." This caused the other three girls to be caught by surprise before they beamed brightly.

"Don't I have a say in this?" Shintaro asked. "I mean, if I'm going to be taking girls on dates, I should be asking them."

"Does that mean you'll accept?" Moka asked hopefully.

"Well...since there's nothing else to do...why not?" Shintaro replied shyly and hesitantly. However, the more he thought about going out on a date with Moka, the more he found the idea appealing. However, what would this mean for their group of friends? He didn't want to ruin their friendship but he was also interested in dating. He looked to Mizore, Kurumu and Yukari and sighed. They were looking forward to it. "OK, but if we're going to do this, we need to set up a schedule."

"Thank you for inviting us," said Moka as she and the girls stood outside Shintaro's dorm room. "The tea was delicious."

"Thank you," he said. "Well, goodnight, girls."

"Do you really want me to leave, Shintaro?" purred Kurumu. Mizore grabbed her arm, dragging her away, "Hey!"

"It's late and he needs his rest," insisted Mizore.

"Hmph!"

"Goodnight, Shintaro-kun," Moka smiled at him before leaving with the rest of the girls. Shintaro waved at them and went back into his room, shutting the door as he did.

"I'm gonna need to phone home for advice," Shintaro told himself.

The following morning, at breakfast, Shintaro decided to tell the girls his plan.

"So, I was thinking that I should take each of you girls out on a date on a different this week," Shintaro told them. The girls' faces brightened at that. While that meant he would be alone with a different girl, at least he could spend an entire day with each of them. "The way I see it, I'll have the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th days free," Shintaro concluded.

"What will you be doing on the 2nd and 6th days?" Mizore asked.

"Me time," Shintaro answered. "Now, I've already decided who gets to go first-"

"ME!" Yukari, Kurumu and Mizore interrupted simultaneously.

"And it's Moka-chan," he finished. Moka blushed.

"Me?" she asked.

"I did meet you first," he said. He then listed, "Then it's Mizore-chan, Yukari-chan and Kurumu-chan, in order of when I met you."

"So I get to go next," smiled Mizore at the pleasant news.

"Why am I last!?" Kurumu demanded.

"You did try to brainwash him and nearly blew up his brain," Mizore reminded.

"I wasn't trying to blow up his brain!" Kurumu retorted.

"And I've forgiven her," Shintaro reminded Mizore. "So, Moka-chan, would you like to go on a date with me today?"

Moka blushed, playing with her fingers, as she answered, "...Yes...yes I would."

"That's great," he smiled. "Meet me later in front of school at noon." He finished his meal, "I'll be seeing you." He took hold of her hand and kissed the back of it. "Later, ladies." He then walked off with a skip. Moka gazed at the back of the hand he'd kissed and smiled. She was going on a date with Shintaro...a date...with Shintaro!

"Lucky bitch," frowned Kurumu.

"Just be patient, unless that isn't your virtue," Mizore remarked.

"Don't tell me you're not going to spy on them," Kurumu shot back.

"OK, I won't tell you."

Noonish, in front of the school building...

For the umpteeth time, Moka checked herself to see if she looked alright. For her date, she had decided to wear something casual but hopefully still look nice. She had chosen a pink blouse with brown khakis pants that were tight, reaching only to slightly above her knees. She wasn't sure what Shintaro had planned for their little date but she was actually fidgeting with anticipation. Her musings were interrupted by the loud roar of something, something she was familiar with. It was the sound of a motorcycle engine. That was when she saw, coming towards her, what appeared to be a dark sports bike with a dark clad rider driving it. The helmet was black with a visor that revealed nothing of the biker's identity. The bike began to slow down in front of her before coming to a stop.

She wondered who it was but got her answer when the biker removed his helmet. Two strands of hair sprang up atop a head of indigo hair and a young man with a bright smile gazed at her.

"My lovely lady, your ride has arrived," he said as he put down the kickstand and dismounted.

"Shintaro-kun?" Moka looked him over. She had never seen him out of uniform before but she liked what he had on. He was wearing a white buttoned up shirt, left un-tucked, with black jeans. He wore blue sneakers and over his clothes he wore a black leather jacket with coat tails. He still wore his signature gloves, too.

"That's me," he grinned.

"You have a bike," she stated.

"And that's right," he said, putting his hand on the gas tank. "And it's mine. Just got it delivered this morning."

"Delivered?" Moka asked.

"I needed to get Topper and Kaze to have it delivered and needed special permission to get it here. And don't worry." He fished out of his pocket and flashed a card to her. "I've got a license!"

"It's beautiful," she said as she admired the dark paint job. She could finally see that there were green vines painted along the black surface.

"Yeah, and believe it or not I got it in a junkyard," Shintaro told her.

"A junkyard? What were you doing in a junkyard?" asked Moka.

"Well, sometimes Topper would send me and Kaze out to find something that could be fixed and restored to sell at the shop," said Shintaro. "When I saw this beauty, right there, waiting to get scrapped, I decided that I would take it home to be restored. It took me 4 whole months before it became the beauty that it is today."

"And you did it yourself?" Moka asked.

"Well, I had help," said Shintaro. "Of course I needed to work extra just to earn enough to buy the spare parts, the paint, and not to mention get a license so I could ride this baby." He asked, "So, would you care to join me for a ride?" He took out a spare helmet, offering it to her.

Moka's answer was obvious.

While Moka knew the feeling of wind rushing through her hair when she rode her bicycle, it did not compare to the feeling she got while riding on Shintaro's bike. She was straddling the seat, behind him, her arms wrapped tightly around his body. He was focused on the road ahead. She looked up at the boy driving the bike and thought about what she'd learnt about him.

He had lived in the human world, but wasn't sure if he was human or not. Evidence pointed to the latter, but he smelled very much like a human being. His ability to transform was unlike anything a monster had displayed. It was armor, but where had he gotten it? Then there was that pocket watch he carried, the one sealed by some kind of enchantment. Just what exactly did it contain and why didn't it open when they wanted it to open? Shintaro claimed it only opened when needed so they would just have to wait for another chance.

Another thought crossed her mind. When Kurumu had used her Charm on Shintaro, he had broken down, screaming. He kept apologizing. She didn't know to whom or about what, but it had to be something that he felt overwhelming regret over. He didn't remember what it was, but Moka had a feeling the pocket watch might show them one day.

Her inner self was also interested in Shintaro, but not in the way Moka was. While Moka considered Shintaro a friend (probably something more), Inner Moka just saw him as a source of fresh blood. He would let Moka drink his blood. He didn't seem to mind, at least not anymore. He understood that being a vampire, she needed to drink blood. At least she wasn't draining him dry. Ever since the first time her inner self had seen Shintaro transform and fight, she had wanted to test her own fighting prowess against Shintaro. There was something in the way Shintaro fought that made Inner Moka want to see if he was really a challenge, or if he was just the same as the rabble, only slightly stronger.

"We're here," Shintaro said and they stopped at a beautiful garden. Moka's eyes widened as she saw the beautiful flowers around them. "Found this place one night while exploring. This garden is maintained by the Horticulture Club."

"It's beautiful," Moka smiled.

"I knew you'd like it. Now, let me take you to that tree," Shintaro said. The two dismounted and went to said tree. Shintaro then went behind the tree and took out a picnic basket. "Ta-dah!" he announced. "How about a picnic in the garden?" He took out a red and white checkered blanket and laid it out on the grass before motioning Moka to sit. He then took out tupperware filled with food from the basket, and a bottle of red liquid.

"Tomato juice?" Moka asked as Shintaro unscrewed the cap before filling up two glasses.

"It's your favorite, next to blood," he said, handing her one glass. She took a sip. "So, I got some BLT's, potato wedges, a fresh garden salad with chicken chunks, and for dessert, chocolate cake."

"You made all this? When?" Moka asked.

"Last night when I made my plans," said Shintaro. "Had to call Kaze for help." He opened the tupperware with the sandwiches. "Come on, let's dig in and watch the flowers."

"Yes," Moka agreed.

By evening, Shintaro took Moka back to her dormitory. He also walked her to her door. When they stood at the threshold, Moka said to him, "I had a lovely time."

"So did I," he said, "Especially since I got to spend it with you." Those words made Moka blush and out of impulse she kissed his cheek. Shintaro didn't mind. According to Kaze, a kiss on the lips should only happen on the third date, at best. It depended on the girl and how comfortable they were. "Good night," he greeted before turning to leave. Moka smiled and went inside her dorm to take a bath.

On his way down to the ground floor, Shintaro noted the drop in temperature. "Mizore-chan," he stated and there she was, following him. "Were you following me the whole time?"

"Only since I saw you leaving Moka at the door," said Mizore as she walked down to stand next to him. "So, next is my turn."

"On the third, snowflake," he said, tapping her nose. She smiled and hugged his arm.

"Can't it be tomorrow?" she asked, pleading cutely.

"Sorry, can't," he said. "Golden Week homework. The teachers did not show mercy when they decided to assign us all that for the week."

"It's unfair," she nodded in agreement, "But isn't all that homework easy for you?"

"It is, but why rush it?" he shrugged, "Besides, it leaves me something to do for 'me time'."

"So, the day after tomorrow then," said Mizore.

"I promise," he swore. "Now, good night, sleep tight and wait patiently. I'll show you a good time, snowflake." He then walked off, humming a tune. Mizore watched him go and smiled. Another letter to home was in order. Her mother would sure like to meet the mysterious boy she had met, the one who was an unknown being.

It was the 3rd day of Golden Week, and as promised, Shintaro took Mizore out on a date. Also, he asked her to pick the place and she told him about a lake that she would go to so she could skip stones. She wanted to skip stones with her. She had enjoyed every second of it.

As Shintaro observed, he noted that she was quite skilled at it. He tried himself and had gotten a few skips, but not as much as Mizore's. They then had a picnic too. He had prepared a few cold dishes. As for dessert, Mizore had filled two bowls with shaved ice. She also carried fruit syrup to flavor the shaved ice. They had spent their date just talking, mainly about themselves and getting to know each other. Shintaro learnt about yuki-onna and the truth behind the myth. It was true they would kidnap men, but only out of love, not malice. The men who were never seen again were allowed to come and go as they please, but had not want to leave their beautiful wives.

Mizore had admitted that she had considered kidnapping him, but he was just so kind to her that she decided to try and maybe win his heart. Even if they were just friends for now, things could change down the road. She did not like how she had to compete with the other girls, but she was sure that Shintaro would make the right choice.

He had told Moka before, and now he told Mizore that his dream was to become an archaeologist. The books he had were about lost and mythical civilisations and he wanted to find them all, to uncover the truth, and see the past. He then admitted, with some embarrassment, that he was inspired by the Indiana Jones film series.

Mizore did not know who or what Indiana Jones was and Shintaro told her that he would gladly show her the series, even watch it with her. To Mizore, that sounded like a promise for another date.

Speaking of the past, Shintaro still didn't know much about himself before he lived with Topper and Kaze He couldn't even find out his own identity due to the lack of fingerprints. So, that was pointless. There was probably hope that Shintaro's biological family was out there, but they were probably waiting, or had given up and thought him dead, moving on with their lives.

At the end of the date, Shintaro took Mizore on another ride on his bike before dropping her off at her dorm. She had given him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

The fifth day of Golden Week was spent with Yukari. He decided to invite her to the library so they could talk. Maybe even let her check his homework. Yukari did and noted that his Kanji was horrible. It wasn't something he was proud of. Still, they were able to enjoy each other's company and learn a bit of each other. He learnt that Yukari came from a hidden village surrounded by a forest and isolated from the rest of the human world. According to her, witches and wizards drew power from nature around them. Human cities, on the other hand, were suffocating. He also learnt about the discrimination she had suffered being a witch, as she was basically a human with magic powers. It didn't matter to Shintaro whether or not she was a witch. He was the same as her. He just wasn't sure what he was and where he fit in.

He then told her about the things in the pawn shop, like magical items. Shintaro had experience with such items, from the bizarre to the frightening. Cataloging and organizing the inventory of the pawn shop could get dangerous. Yukari asked if Topper and Kaze were actually wizards. Shintaro suspected it himself, but wasn't sure. He did know they were known to do things out of the ordinary. It was probably why he got along well with the father and son duo. They were a trio of weirdoes.

Shintaro even managed to sneak in some food into the library, just some cakes and cookies. Yukari, being a young girl, enjoyed the sweets. She especially enjoyed them since Shintaro had made them. That was probably why he needed 'me time' the day before, so he could prepare.

The seventh and final day of Golden Week was here and today Shintaro would be taking Kurumu on a date. She had been waiting for this day with anticipation, passing the time with baking. In fact, she had done a lot of baking and wanted to share the things she had made with him. But first, she had suggested they go shopping together. Where were they going? The Student Mall, of course.

The Student Mall was just a set of stores set up for the students to buy necessities, like groceries, clothes and stationery. The clothing store was Kurumu's primary target and Shintaro managed to see why when she came out of the changing room in a red bikini.

"What do you think?" she posed sexily, causing her breasts to bounce. Shintaro was rendered speechless and Kurumu grinned. Oh yeah, she had sex appeal that was superior to the other girls and was going to flaunt it. "Could you hand me that other suit?" she asked and Shintaro handed the item to her. "Thank you!" She went behind the curtain and Shintaro turned away.

"I'm gonna need a cold shower after this," Shintaro muttered. He heard a ringing coming from his jacket and took out his phone. "Hello."

"Bonjour, Shintaro! How is my friend doing?" Kaze asked.

"Oh, just shopping with Kurumu-chan," Shintaro asked.

"Lingerie or swimwear?" Kaze asked and Shintaro glowered. "Either or then."

"Yeah, and believe me, it's not easy to reign in the urge to-"

"Throw her on the floor to have your way with her, making her moan and scream your name?" Kaze teased. Shintaro's eyes widened as he blushed while Kaze laughed. "That's natural! At least it confirms you're not gay!"

"Hey, I'm not the guy who loves show tunes and musicals!" Shintaro snapped.

"My interests aside, I want to ask, are you enjoying yourself?" Kaze inquired.

"Well, it's nice to be around people who don't look at me funny the moment they see me use my powers," said Shintaro.

"I'm glad, my friend. I guess Papa made the right decision."

"Well, he could've told me in advance this was a school for monsters!"

"Shintaro, whaddya think?" Kurumu asked as she came out in a blue, halter-style bathing suit. She posed. "Does this look good on me?"

Shintaro nearly dropped his phone as he gawked at her. So much for maintaining his composure.

Standing outside of the store, with a camera, was a slimy teenager with freckles and messy, shoulder length hair. His name was Nagare Kano and he was watching Shintaro and Kurumu. Actually, he was watching Kurumu. He snapped a photo of her, his camera zooming in on her luscious body. Oh, she was a magnificent specimen and definitely deserving of being known as one of the top beauties among the first years. She was also quite photogenic. What infuriated Kano was that she was spending time with Shintaro, the Insect-Man. What was so great about him?

Kurumu was his, dammit! His! She belonged to him and he would prove it one day!

"So, I see that you are interested in the girl," Kano heard behind him and he spun around, his grip on his camera loosening at the sight of the Man in White. The camera slipped out of his fingers but the Man in White caught it before holding it up to Kano. "You nearly dropped this. Would be a waste if you did. All those precious pictures."

"Who are you and what do you want?" asked Kano and the Man in White smiled.

"Who am I is unimportant, but what I want is to offer you power," the Man in White answered before holding a Freak Chip up for Kano to see. "And this is the thing that will grant you the power to get what you want."

"Do you really need all these bathing suits?" Shintaro asked as he held up the bags which contained her purchases as they left the store together.

"Well, there's a pool and summer vacation will be coming up, so I thought I'd buy a few," she said.

"Isn't the school swimsuit good enough?" he asked. Kurumu grinned.

"Aw~ are you one of those boys who gets turned on by a girl in a school swimsuit?" she teased. Shintaro blushed. He didn't answer.

"I will not deny or confirm such allegations," he deadpanned, but the blush was still there and she giggled.

"Come on, there's a small cafe over there. We can stop to have a snack," said Kurumu. Shintaro smiled and went with her. Unfortunately, their little rest spot would have to wait as Shintaro's twin ahoge suddenly stood up on ends. He dropped the bags and grabbed Kurumu, pushing her to the ground. She gasped but smiled as his face was pressed between her breasts. "So soon?"

"No," he said and he looked up at the wall of the clothing store. Part of it was bubbling and sizzling as it melted, smoke wafting off the surface. Kurumu's eyes widened as she saw this. He asked, sniffing the air, "What's this smell?" He then heard what sounded like a high-pitched squeak. He stood up and turned to face what had attacked them and grimaced. It was humanoid, but was anything but human. It had a slimy body, colored camouflage, with two eye stalks. It had a mouth full of square teeth of mismatched length. On its back were organic tubes that were emitting a gas that was foul, very foul. It smelled like rotten eggs. Shintaro helped Kurumu up to her feet.

"It's one of those freaky monsters," Kurumu identified as she pinched her nose.

"Looks like it, or a student gone crazy," said Shintaro as he handed her the bags. "Either way, Kurumu-chan, you better run and find cover."

"You expect me to leave you?" she questioned but he did not answer as he strode towards the Slug Freak.

"Henshin," Shintaro said and in a flash of green light he was clad in his armor. "Kamen Rider Kai...on stage!" He then rushed at the Slug Freak, brandishing the Twin Edge Chrono Blade. The Slug Freak did not move from his spot and Kai slashed with his Twin Edge Chrono Blade, only for the Slug Freak's wound to heal instantly. This caused the Kamen Rider's eyes to go wide.

"Instantaneous Regeneration? Healing Factor?" Kai observed. The Slug Freak spat acid and Kai dodged. However, some of the acid hit his right leg and he fell to the ground in pain. "Ugh! Not good! Not good!" He used his power to reverse time and heal his leg before rolling out of the way from another acid spit.

"Alright, time to stop you for good!" Kai sped himself up and slashed the Slug Freak repeatedly until it fell to pieces. For a moment, Kai thought he had just killed his opponent, only for the Slug Freak's pieces to melt into slime which merged together before reforming into the body of the Slug Freak, absent of all injuries.

"Are you seriously kidding me!?" Kai shouted before the Slug Freak slammed its arm across Kai's head and sent him flying into the wall with a loud crash. The Slug Freak then spat slime at him but it wasn't acidic. It stuck Kai to the wall like glue. He struggled to free himself as the Slug Freak stalked towards him. The gas around them was becoming thicker, and harder to breathe in. Fortunately for Kai, his helmet had a filter. Of course, the Slug Freak decided to rectify that by grabbing hold of Kai's helmet to rip it off. Immobilized, Kai tried to resist as the Slug Freak continued to tug on the helmet to rip it off his head, or rip his head right off his shoulders.

Of course, that was when Kurumu decided to intervene. She had assumed her true succubus form and slashed the Slug Freak across the back. Despite the poison gas weakening her, she was still trying to help.

"Let him go!" she demanded and the Slug Freak did so, only to turn its head 180 degrees to face her. It then shot out a tongue that wrapped around her. "Let me go!" she shouted as the slime on the tongue was starting to corrode her own clothes. "Dammit, let me go you sick freak!"

"Let her go!" Kai shouted as he struggled but there was nothing he could do. The Slug Freak was ignoring him, in favor of slowly stripping Kurumu with its slime, but he needed to get free and save her. "Dammit...I need to save her...I have to save her...I must save her!" The crystal in his belt, his helmet's compound eyes and the colored plates on his armor started to glow blue.

Meanwhile, Kurumu continued to scream as the slime was slowly melting her clothes down to her underwear. Suddenly, there was an explosion of blue energy that nearly knocked the Slug Freak to the ground. Kurumu looked to see the source of the explosion and saw it had come from where she had last seen Kai. Kai was released from the sticky slime prison, lightning arcing about him. Kurumu and the Slug Freak were stunned by his appearance.

"Shintaro?" Kurumu asked.

Kai's armor had changed as his bodysuit now gained white patterns resembling lightning bolts. His scarf had also turned bright blue. The armor plating on his arms, shoulders, legs and chest had also adopted a storm blue color. The crest on his helmet turned gold and became jagged like lightning bolts. The eyes flashed blue. With a swing of his arm, he dispersed the poison gas with power, gale-force, winds.

This was Kamen Rider Kai Tempest Form.

Kai brandished the Twin Edge Chrono Blade, the twin blades glowing blue like his eyes, sparking with electricity. He then rushed forward and slashed, cutting the Slig Freak tongue in half and releasing Kurumu. He caught Kurumu in his arms and set her down. "Are you OK?" He saw that she had been reduced to her underwear and turned away. "Take cover," he advised. "I'll be done shortly."

The Slug Freak screeched and spat a glob of acidic slime, only for it to be reduced to nothing as Kai slashed through it. Kai started to advance, the Slug Freak spitting its acid, only for Kai to slice through the barrage with ease. Once close enough, Kai unleashed another attack. He thrust his hand forward and a powerful blast of air shot the Slug Freak into the air. It went crashing to the ground with a loud and violent thud. Slowly rising to its feet, the Slug Freak rushed Kai and started swinging widely. Kai countered, swiping at the Slug Freak and shocking it with electricity. He then leapt into the air and swung his leg, releasing a vacuum blade which sliced through its left arm, separating it from the rest of its body.

Landing a distance away, Kai started to gather the moisture in the air, reshaping it into arrows made of water. He then flicked his wrist and let the flurry of water at the Slug Freak, striking what Kai felt to be vital parts of its body.

"Time's Up for you," Kai concluded as the plates on his armor and his eyes glowed brightly. Lightning began to dance and surround his body, wrapping around the Twin Edge Chrono Blade.

'Tempest Harpoon!' he called in his mind. He then cocked his arm back and threw his weapon like a javelin. It struck the Slug Freak dead centre in the chest and started to electrocute it.

"KURO-NO-SHINIGAMI!" the Slug Freak screeched one last time before exploding.

The Twin Edge Chrono Blade returned to Kai's hand as he reverted back to his default form. He watched as the smoke cleared to reveal an unconscious male student, nude and injured. Dropping from his forehead was another one of those chips. Kai picked it up but as soon as he did, it turned to dust that fell from his fingers.

"What's going on?" Kai asked himself. He was then glomped from behind by Kurumu. He remembered that she was still half-naked, only wearing her underwear.

"My hero!" she cheered.

"Let's get you some new clothes," he said. She really didn't need to attract anymore unwanted attention, barely dressed like that.

After taking Kurumu back to her dorm, fully clothed mind you, Shintaro took out his phone to call home and report what had just occurred. His finished homework was on his desk as his sat on his chair with his legs folded, his phone to his ear. When Kaze picked up, Shintaro summarised but with details of what had occurred.

"So, another one of those weird monsters attacked you, huh?" Kaze concluded.

"Yeah, and after I beat it, it turned back to a student before another one of those strange chips fell off. It disintegrated as soon as I touched it so I can't send you a sample," said Shintaro.

"Well, at least you're safe. Did you at least have fun?" Kaze asked. Shintaro smiled. Even though their date was cut short by the appearance of the Slug Freak, he had enjoyed himself. He didn't even mind paying for Kurumu's new clothes.

"I did," said Shintaro.

"That's the spirit! Now, just keep on having fun! You deserve to have a semi-normal school life."

"OK, Kaze. But could you look into the thing about these chips? I doubt this is an isolated incident.

"You can count on me! Au revoir!"

"Good night."

Shintaro hung up and looked out the window. He then took out his pocket watch, glaring at it with great scrutiny. "Topper, what are you not telling me?" Earlier, he had assumed a new form, which came with new powers. Said powers worked effectively on the Slug Freak. Was he going to keep unlocking new abilities? And if so, where did he gain these abilities? So many questions and yet no answers came to mind. Only Topper would have those answers but the man was just too cryptic at times.

Yawning, Shintaro decided to get ready for bed and think about the matter another time. Tomorrow school would start again and Shintaro wanted to get up bright an early to walk to school with the girls. That was the best way to start the day.

KAMEN RIDER CHROME: And here's the third chapter of the story and also the debut of a new form. Tempest Form was good to have as it gave Shintaro the power he needed to finish off his opponent. However, does this mean he could unlock other forms as well, each with their own strengths and powers? Who knows? Anyway, another divergence from the canon's plot. This was fun to write. Now, what do you think will happen next? I bet you haven't a clue because it's so different. Well, if you wanna know, you gotta wait.