Chapter 4: The Big Bad Wolf

"I don't like him."

That was Tsukune's first reaction when he saw the Newspaper Club's most senior member for the first time. When Ms. Nekonome told them that an upperclassman would join them for the first club meeting after school, he pictured a quiet man with a pencil resting on his ear and a notepad hot on his hands. Instead, he got a smooth-faced sophomore with a bone structure so well-defined it could cut through steel.

"My name's Ginei Morioka, but please call me Gin," he said. Flanking Tsukune on either side was Moka and Tsukune. He looked away from Gin for a second to see their reactions. To his relief, they didn't seem particularly impressed. Maybe he felt threatened over nothing.

"Wait, threatened?" thought Tsukune. He missed most of Gin's spiel, only tuning in to hear him call himself Editor-in-Chief.

"Hey Tsukune," said Gin, "could you repeat what I just said?"

"Um, that you're the Editor-In-Chief?" said Tsukune.

"Figures. You missed my great speech about the need for strong, independent journalists."

"Man, you're really out of it today," said Kurumu. Her head was resting against her palm, giving Tsukune the impression that she wasn't paying much attention either. Moka nodded, taking notes on a pink notebook in front of her.

"As punishment, you're in charge of bringing in the last copies of last semester's paper," said Gin, throwing Tsukune a key. "They're in our storage closet out back."

Tsukune followed Gin's frustratingly unspecifc instructions to a storage closet out in the third floor corridor. After digging through the crowded closet, he fished out a half-dozen copies of The Yokai Times. The cover featured Tamao posing in her swimwear and winking. It was dated March of this year and had the title "Are Mermaids the Hottest Monsters? Plus Find your Human Celebrity Match with Our Quiz Inside!"

"Is it too late to change clubs?" said Tsukune to no one in particular.

He carried the stack of newspapers to the classroom, only to be met with an offending sight. Moka and Kurumu stood on desk chairs, trying their hardest to tape club posters on the wall. Behind them was Gin, bending down just enough to catch sight of their underskirt.

"Hey, what are you doing!?" said Tsukune. His sudden arrival shocked Moka and made her lose her balance. She fell to the ground, only to land safely in Gin's arms.

"Are you alright?" said Gin, giving her a shining smile.

"Yeah, I think so." As he let her down, Tsukune swore he saw Moka blushing.

"Why'd you barge in like that?" said Kurumu.

"Gin was peeking under your skirt!" said Tsukune, jabbing his finger in his direction.

"Now that's simply not true, Tsukune," said Gin. He put his hand on Tsukune's shoulder. "You're imagining things. Now let's see those papers."

The rest of the meeting was uneventful. Tsukune kept glancing at Gin as they talked about outlining the next issue of The Yokai Times, but never saw him slip. After the meeting, Tsukune waited until the trio was far away from the room to talk. They were joined by other students walking back after their club activities ended for the day.

"I'm telling you guys, he was checking you out."

"He acted like the perfect gentleman today," said Moka.

"Oh my, could it be? Is Tsukune jealous?" said Kurumu. She threw her arms around his neck, her mouth only inches away from his face. "You can check under my skirt any time."

"Kurumu!" shouted Moka.

"That's not what I mean!" said a blushing Tsukune as he pushed the blue-haired succubus away. "I got a bad feeling about Gin."

"You should be focusing on the math homework we have due tomorrow," said Moka. "Didn't you say you had a lot left?"

"The math homework… Ah, damn," said Tsukune as he shuffled through the contents of his backpack. "I left it in my desk. Gotta run!"

Tsukune was surprised at how empty the school was after hours. It was only an hour and thirty minutes after the regular class day ended, and there was barely a soul left inside Yokai Academy's halls. His notebook safely within his hands, he made a beeline for the exit.

Until a high-pitched giggle froze him in his spot. Ghosts are monsters too, right? It had to be a ghost. He had almost died three times and he'd only been a student for a month. He forgot a critical rule: If you're a human, everything in Yokai Academy wants to kill you.

"Stop it Gin. We can't do it here."

"Who says we can't?" said a voice eerily similar to The Yokai Times' Editor-In-Chief. Tsukune breathed easy knowing it wasn't a ghost, but an upperclassman sneaking into the school. A perfect opportunity to gather intel, Tsukune thought.

He followed the two voices to an unmarked classroom one floor up. Taking a careful look through the slightly-ajar door, he saw Gin and a female student with brown bob haircut. She was pushed against the blackboard, Gin's legs nestled between hers. Both had their uniforms on, but Tsukune didn't think that would last long.

His mouth reached down and kissed her lips, the girl's eyes going wide in surprise before easing into it. The way Gin was propped up so dominantly in front of her clashed with the tender way he played with her hair. It was then that Tsukune realized that he was doing something wrong. He wanted to turn heel, but he couldn't stop watching.

"Let's take it further," said Gin.

"What do you mean," said the girl, her cheeks flushed red. "Like sex?"

"Bingo."

"It's too early for that. I'm… I'm not ready," said the female student.

"You misunderstand me. It's not a question," said Gin. He pulled out a couple of photographs from his pocket. Tsukune was too far away to see them, but based on the girl's reaction the photos weren't pretty.

"How did you get those pictures of me?"

"I have my ways. If you don't do what I say, I'll be sure to distribute them across school. Every male student in Yokai will have a nice little naked reminder of you on their nightstand. You know, for all those lonely nights."

"No! You can't! That's…"

"Wrong!" said Tsukune. He burst in through the door, making as much of a hero's entrance as he could. The terrified girl and a rather angry Gin turned to stare at him.

"What the hell do you want?" said Gin. "Can't you see we're busy here?"

"Busy coercing a girl," said Tsukune.

"Now that's a way to ruin a mood," said Gin. He clicked his teeth and separated himself from the female student. The female student took the opportunity to run off through the other door.

"This isn't over!" shouted Gin as the girl's footsteps echoed in the hall beyond the classroom. "And you? Who do you think you are?"

"You can't force someone to have sex with you," said Tsukune.

"You freshmen are a real pain," he said, stopping to comb over his hair. "I'm interested in your friend Moka. Just an FYI."

"You're what?" said Tsukune. The comment made his blood boil. In his head he pictured Moka being put under a similarly stressful situation. Her back against the wall, Gin's lecherous eyes on her with a threat like 'Do what I say or you'll be Yokai's slut' hanging over Moka's head.

"You heard me." Gin took Tsukune's tie and yanked him close to him. "Mess with me again and you're dead."

Gin left the classroom with a spring to his step. Tsukune stood there, awestruck. He did the right thing, but at the cost of making a potentially dangerous enemy. Above all else, though, he had to tell Moka.

"He said he's going to blackmail me?" said Moka.

"That's right," said Tsukune. When he saw her walk to school the next day, he wasted no time in letting her know.

"I'm sorry Tsukune, but I don't buy it."

"But I saw him threaten a girl yesterday!" said Tsukune.

"No offense," said Moka, "but you sure you didn't misinterpret anything? You looked pretty jealous yesterday."

Tsukune understood where Moka was coming from. Just a few days ago, Tsukune rejected Moka's words of caution and almost got both of them hurt because of it. In Moka's case, badly hurt. He couldn't expect her to show much blind trust for him. But he still had to do his best to protect Moka.

So he turned to Kurumu. Even she wasn't convinced.

"Him? Really?" she said. Tsukune found Kurumu in a bench just outside the main classroom building, filing her nails.

"I know it sounds weird, but you have to trust me. Gin said he'd find a way to get to Moka too."

"She'll go all vamp on him and bust his ass. It's no big deal," she said.

"For some reason, Moka can't pull the Rosario off herself. If he catches her alone, she's done for," said Tsukune.

"In that case, why don't we try to find out some more information? What did the girl you saw last night look like?"

Tsukune described her in as much detail as he could. She recognized her as one of her classmates. With a little work, they managed to track her down. Kurumu dragged her from the cooking club's room and into the hallway.

"What do you…? Oh, you're the student from yesterday," she said.

"Is it true that Ginei tried to coerce you into having sex with him?" said Kurumu. Tsukune thought she was too forward, but if cutting to the chase was worth helping Moka.

She refused to say anything and instead looked down at her shoes. Her grim face said it all.

"We'll put a stop to him and get you those pictures," said Tsukune. "Is there any information you could give us?"

Her lips quivered, but the girl did her best to explain.

"First he bumped into me, and we just sorta kept running into eachother after that. When it rained he was there to give me an umbrella and walk me home. If he saw me in the mornings he'd offer to carry my books for me."

"What a Casanova," said Kurumu.

"I've hung out with him so much this past week it almost felt like we were dating. I was so stupid to think that he actually liked me…"

"Don't beat yourself up over something like this," said Kurumu. "It's not your fault."

The comment meant as much to the girl as it did to Tsukune. For how unnatural Kurumu sometimes sounded when flirting, she sounded as genuine as can be.

"One day he asked me to see the roof of the school. It was nothing fancy, but it just felt so romantic. The evening moon bearing down on us, the whiff of his perfume. It just felt right. That's why I didn't really mind when things went so fast. But yesterday… That was a side of him I've never seen before."

"That Gin! He's such a jerk!" said Kurumu loud enough to make the people walking nearby turn their heads. Tsukune tried to shush her, but once the succubus got going she never stopped.

"I swear if he touches Moka I'm gonna rip his pretty little head off! Ugh, who does he think he is? Playing girls along like that! Makes me sick!"

A small crowd stopped around them. It took Tsukune a second to notice that they were all women.

"Excuse me, but are you talking about Ginei Morioka?" said one girl.

"Uh, yeah. Know him?" said Kurumu.

"That jerk threatened to show lewd pictures of me to his classmates!" she said.

"Me too!" said another.

"He threatened to plaster them in the men's locker rooms! What a jerk!" said a third.

More girls piled on. Nearly two dozen female students got together to share how Gin tried to blackmail them one way or another. His efforts didn't stop at freshmen girls—upperclassmen of all ranks shared how they were personally duped by his pretty face.

"You know," said one girl, "Ever since it happened I thought I was the only one. I thought I was alone."

"But you're not," said Kurumu. "And we'll be sure to let Gin know that he can't just use women like tools."

"What I'd like to know is how he managed to take all those pictures," said Tsukune. "This might be hard to answer, but did any of you—er, share them with him?"

The girls shook their heads in unison.

"So how did he… The bastard put cameras in the women's bathrooms and locker rooms!" said Tsukune.

"I'll be sure to stuff those cameras down his throat," said Kurumu.

Gin was a really easy guy to talk to, thought Moka. After class, the upperclassman invited her to a stroll around campus. Now it was nearing nighttime and their conversation showed no sign of stopping.

He was a handsome man, but that's not what caught Moka's attention. No, it was his sincerity. Early in their walk, Gin talked at length about the Newspaper Club.

"I wasn't into journalism or anything like that. Actually, I was kind of a punk. The fuck-school-and-smoke kind of punk, you know? I hated the idea of joining a club. School was already a bore, but now they were forcing me to spend more time in it, doing something I don't care about with people I don't like. Anyhow, the deadline passed and they told me I had to join a club or get kicked out.

So I joined the only club still looking for members, and that was the Newspaper Club. The president was the tiniest girl and I thought, hey, at least I can do whatever I want. When I went to light a cigarette in the middle of our first meeting, she slapped me so hard I traveled halfway across the room. That was the first beating I got from her, but definitely not the last. She graduated last year, but I think the reason I'm trying so hard with the club is so I can carry on her legacy. She set me straight, and I want to pay her back somehow."

Moka saw the glint and his eyes and couldn't believe what Tsukune told her about Gin. How could such a man be such a gross pervert?

"What was her name?" said Moka.

"San Otonashi," he said, smiling.

"That's such a pretty name."

"She's the prettiest, all right. Well, here we are."

Gin opened the door at the end of the stairs to reveal the flat open square that was the roof to the classroom building. It was by far the tallest point in the school, making Moka recoil when she leaned over the edge of the railing.

"We're so high up!" said Moka. "Do you come here often?"

The red orb towering in the sky was quickly being dwarfed by the moon. In a few minutes, a full moon would float above campus.

"Once in a while. When I want to unwind," said Gin.

"That's so cool! I should take Tsukune and Kurumu up here sometime."

"Tsukune? What is that boy to you?" said Gin.

"Hm? He's just a friend. Although—"

The door behind them swung open. From the dark stairwell emerged Tsukune, followed by a crowd of girls, Kurumu among them.

"Tsukune? How did you find us?"

"Get away from Gin! He's just trying to use you!" said Tsukune.

"You said this before, but Gin's not a bad guy. He's actually really sweet," said Moka. Behind him stood Gin, as frozen as a statue. He certainly didn't expect to see all these women here.

"Listen to him, Moka! All these girls have been seduced and blackmailed by Gin! He's nothing but a pervert," said Kurumu. The girls all shouted obscenities at the upperclassman, who could do nothing but stare.

"Is this true, Gin? Was everything you said earlier a lie?"

"It's all true, I'm afraid," said Gin. "But there's no time for that. I'm taking Moka and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

His eyes turned to the moon, now glistening in full. Gin's mouth protruded out. His face got hairy. All at once, his features changed. Gone was Gin the pretty boy. In its place was Gin the werewolf.

"A werewolf?" said Kurumu. She was too dazzled by the transformation that she didn't notice Tsukune running to Moka's side. "Tsukune, watch out! They're dangerous."

Gin roped his furry arm around Moka's waist, Tsukune's outstretched hand mere inches away. The werewolf jumped back, effortlessly landing halfway across the roof.

"Werewolves are the one of the fastest monsters there are! None of you stand a chance against me!"

"Can you let me go, pretty boy?" said Moka, her hair now a gallant silver. As soon as Tsukune saw that Moka completed her own transformation, he let out a sigh of relief. The vampire grabbed Gin's arm and tossed him over her head, sending him flying against the railings.

The werewolf let out a growl. He got up and dashed to Moka's side, claws ready. He was fast, but Moka had her hand ready to block the swipe. Gin disappeared, only to reappear behind Moka. This time his hit connected. Moka stumbled forward, the back of her green school blazer torn to shreds.

Moka countered with a kick, but the werewolf disappeared before she could strike his body. The brief window was enough for Gin to land another swipe. Moka tried to fight back, but all her attacks missed their mark. Gin was just too fast.

"You're a real coward," said Moka, "using underhanded tricks to get girls to sleep with you."

"In the land of monsters, it's kill or be killed," said Gin. "There's no middle ground. You use what tools you have at your disposal to get what you want."

While Moka tried her best to avoid getting hurt, Tsukune and Kurumu hatched a plan. Moka's body had been slashed in several places and her movements were getting slower. Gin, on the other hand, showed no signs of slowing down. They needed to act now.

"Moka!" shouted Tsukune.

"Busy here!" said Moka, trying to follow Gin's impossibly fast movement.

"Low sweep! Trust me on this."

Moka bit her lip.

"Getting fighting advice from a human," she thought. "How pitiful."

Moka dropped to the ground and carried her leg in a wide angle in front of where she thought Gin would land. The werewolf jumped up, only to come face-to-face with a flying Kurumu.

"What!?" said Gin as Kurumu's balled-up fists smashed against his nostrils. The attack didn't have much weight behind it, but it did let Moka know exactly where he would land. The vampire leapt and struck Gin's back with a pointed kick. He landed on the roof with a loud smack.

A low yelp escaped his mouth, and soon he returned to being a human-faced male.

"Alright. You win," he said. He didn't even have the energy to stand up.

"Know your place, pretty boy," said Moka as she stood over him.

"What happens know?" he said.

"I'll kill you," said Moka. She cocked her fist back, but Tsukune wrapped his arms around it.

"No! This isn't the way," he said.

"Get off! This man has terrorized innocent young women. He deserves to die a painful death," said Moka. She had the kind of commanding voice that would make anyone squirm in their seat.

"He's a sleazy good-for-nothing bastard, yes, but he doesn't deserve to die. Kurumu tried to kill us too, and now you're both friends… I think," said Tsukune.

"The other me's friend… but this does not compare. This man has done something so morally bankrupt that there's no chance of redemption."

"Everyone deserves a second chance," said Tsukune. "That's what the Moka inside you believes."

She lowered her fist, using it to grab the Rosario off Tsukune's hand.

"This school is full of monsters, and yet your powers of persuasion might be the scariest thing here. Your kind heart will only take you so far." The vampire hooked the Rosario to her collar and instantly transformed into the sleeping pink-haired Moka.

"I'm sorry!" said Gin. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Sorry's not enough," said Kurumu. She landed next to the upperclassman, her nails out and ready to cut him to pieces.

"I'll take out all the cameras," said Gin.

"And?"

"And burn all the pictures. All the copies too," said Gin, his eyes watering.

"Good," said Tsukune. "Now let's take Moka home."

With Kurumu's help, he was able to get Moka on his back. The three of them opened the door to the roof and disappeared into the dark stairway, leaving an angry mob of women behind.

"Uh, hey girls. Did I say I was sorry?" said Gin.

"Yeah, we're gonna need a little more than that," said one of the students. The twenty women surrounded Gin and engulfed him.

"Girls!? GIRLS!? I'M SORRYYYYYYYYY" said Gin as his words echoed through the Yokai Academy campus.