Author's Note: You may have noticed that I changed the name of this fanfic. I was considering how long I wanted to make this, and I realized that considering when I wanted to end it, the title would only make sense up until about 2/3 of the way through. This would lead to me splitting them into two VERY uneven stories, so I decided to break it into three, each of which will still be moderately long. The Greatest Pain will be the title of the second installment.
Wow, this chapter ended up being extremely long. This chapter was largely intended to develop several characters while starting to set up the main plot, so I didn't really want to shorten it or split it up...and with how long I waited to update, I felt like I owed you guys an extra-big chapter.
While re-reading the manga, I realized that there have been several time-skips up to this point in canon, since their first newspaper edition is supposed to come out in July while the school year starts in April. To rectify this situation, I will be altering the interactions with the Public Safety Committee slightly in order to move time ahead. I apologize for this in advance, but I will do my best to avoid making it too jarring; basically, I plan on having the newspaper club comply for at least a few weeks before rebelling.
Does anyone else find it funny that the first horizontal line break adds almost 400 words to the word count, but each subsequent one only adds 3? This chapter was about 5800 words in MS Word, and even here it was only about 6k before I started editing...
As usual, I do not own R+V.
The next morning Kidoku was met with a bleak grey sky when he left the boys' dorm. Despite the overcast atmosphere, he doubted it would rain; it never seemed to at the academy, probably as a precaution to avoid harming students with a weakness to water. Kidoku generally disliked water because he could not swim, but he found himself wishing it would rain. Perhaps the tiny droplets pounding away at his skull could take his mind off of Mizore's words.
I don't need your pity.
The worst part was that Kidoku did befriend her because he felt sorry for her, but rather than pity her, he truly empathized with her. His thoughts drifted to his childhood, and how lonely he had been until he met Kurumu. Kidoku began to wonder if Kurumu had done the same thing he had. Is it really such a terrible thing to do? Can't it lead to a normal friendship? It certainly had with Kurumu; Kidoku had never resented her presence for a second. Why had Mizore been so offended?
With his head in the clouds, Kidoku accidentally walked into Tsukune, causing him to pitch forward into Moka.
"Huh?!" Kidoku exclaimed, looking around frantically as he regained awareness. "Oh…sorry about that, Tsu—"
The incubus stopped short as he saw the situation he had created: Tsukune's collision with Moka caused them both to fall to the ground. Tsukune had landed with his body directly over Moka's, his hands on either side of her slender frame. Moka's hair was splayed all around her, and their faces were uncomfortably close together.
Shaking off his initial daze, Tsukune looked down and saw the position he and Moka were currently in, and after a moment of stunned shock, he hastily got to his feet, embarrassed enough for both of them.
"I'm so sorry, Moka-san!" he apologized, offering a hand to help her up. She took it gladly, still blushing from the way Tsukune had leaned over her. His heavenly aroma had clouded her mind, and Moka knew she couldn't fight her craving.
"Tsukune…please?" she asked weakly, giving an apologetic smile.
"Of course," Tsukune said knowingly. He pulled his collar down slightly and braced himself as Moka sank her fangs into his neck. He was growing more and more accustomed to the odd ritual each day, but the slippery feeling of his blood being sucked out of his neck still made him shudder whenever he thought about it.
When she was finished, Moka sealed the punctures by running her tongue over them, sending a shiver down Tsukune's spine. She smiled warmly at him, and he attempted to do the same in spite of the sudden fatigue he always felt when Moka fed from him.
Moka looked over Tsukune's shoulder and saw Kidoku standing behind him, looking away awkwardly. "Good morning, Kidoku-san!" she greeted him happily.
"Morning, Moka-chan," he replied, his eyes still averted. "Sorry I knocked you guys down."
"Don't worry about it, Kidoku," Tsukune said, brushing it aside. "Are you walking with us today?"
Kidoku nodded. "If you'll let me, that is," he added guiltily.
"Why wouldn't we?" Tsukune asked rhetorically, patting Kidoku on the back. "Did you bring that mysterious friend of yours? Kurumu's been chomping at the bit to meet her."
"I doubt she'd let me introduce any of you," Kidoku sighed sadly. "We had a bit of a falling-out, and I don't think she wants to talk to me anymore."
"What happened between the two of you?" Moka asked, concerned.
"I'd rather not talk about it," Kidoku replied, dismissing the issue. "Where's Kurumu? Usually she's wrapped around Tsukune by now."
As if on cue, a loud squeal of "TSUKUNE!" came from behind the trio, and Kurumu launched herself at the unsuspecting boy. Tsukune glared daggers at Kidoku before his vision was cut off entirely by Kurumu's ample chest. The incubus responded by smiling innocently, enjoying the amusing routine. He right at home now that he was with his friends again.
After releasing a breathless Tsukune, Kurumu set her sights on Kidoku. "Good morning, Kido-san! Where's your little lady-friend?"
"I don't know," Kidoku said flatly. "We had a…disagreement."
Kurumu cocked an eyebrow at his unnatural pause. "You know what your uncle would say, Kido-san."
"Yes, I do," he muttered irritably at the mention of his uncle, "and I don't think it's going to help here."
"Don't be silly!" Kurumu exclaimed. "It's working great so far on Tsukune!" She looked over her shoulder at Tsukune and batted her eyelashes sweetly. "Right, Tsukune-kun?" she asked.
Tsukune didn't know how to respond, and he wasn't too sure he wanted to know what Kurumu and Kidoku were talking about. Luckily for him, Kurumu didn't seem to be waiting for an answer, and she continued teasing Kidoku.
"I'll tell you what, Kido," she said slyly, "I'll help you win over your friend…if you help me with my math homework!"
"I don't need your help!" Kidoku said, exasperated. "And if you need help in math, you don't have to bargain with me. Just ask!"
The two continued their banter all the way to homeroom. As they walked, Tsukune hung back and walked next to Moka. He elbowed her gently and pointed at Kidoku and Kurumu.
"Kurumu told me that Kidoku is like a little brother to her," he told her. "I never really saw it before now, but they do act a lot like siblings."
Moka smiled shyly and nodded in agreement. She had managed to pull Tsukune away from Kurumu for a few precious minutes as they walked, and she did not want to say anything that might spoil the mood.
Once they arrived in class, Kidoku glanced back at Mizore's desk. She had her head turned to the side and was staring out the window, though her eyes weren't focused on anything in particular. Kidoku considered walking back to talk to her, but thought better of it. Maybe she just needs time, he hoped.
"You seem happy today, Tsukune," Kidoku remarked as he set down his lunch tray.
"Why wouldn't he be?" Kurumu interjected. "After all, he gets to sit next to me, the loveliest girl in the whole school!" She wrapped herself around his arm tightly and nuzzled his shoulder.
Tsukune looked helplessly at Moka, who was growing indignant with Kurumu's behavior. She opened her mouth to protest, but Kidoku spoke up first.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Kurumu-chan," Kidoku said playfully, "because Tsukune knows how loudly you snore. That's not very lady-like."
"Kido!" Kurumu cried. She reached across the table and punched him in the shoulder. "That's just mean!"
Kidoku laughed and shrugged. "He was bound to find out sooner or later, you know."
"Does he know you scream like a girl when you're scared?" Kurumu shot back.
Kidoku gasped and feigned embarrassment. "That one was below the belt! This means war!"
Tsukune looked back at Moka, who was now smiling and laughing at the antics of Kurumu and Kidoku. Tsukune sighed with relief and chuckled to himself at their continued argument. Kidoku was correct; Tsukune was happy today, but the perceptive incubus had yet to ascertain the reason.
I'm glad Kidoku is back, he thought. He's a good friend, but more importantly, he knows how to break up the girls' squabbling. Tsukune began eating his lunch contentedly, enjoying this brief reprieve.
Meanwhile, Mizore was quietly eating lunch a few halls down in Kotsubo's office. Her observation habits made her naturally quieter than most, but eating lunch alone with the man who had rescued her the previous day had filled her with a timidity that silenced all thoughts of speaking. As Mizore ate, Kotsubo gnawed on a rice ball, gazing intently at the pale beauty sitting only a few feet away.
"What's troubling you, Shirayuki-chan?" Kotsubo asked casually.
Mizore swallowed the last of the fish she had been eating and stared at the floor. "I don't feel like I can trust anyone, sensei," she replied quietly, shifting in her seat as she did.
"You know you can trust me."
Kotsubo stood behind Mizore and placed his hands on her shoulders. Mizore leaned her head back and looked up at his face, which was upside-down to her. In spite of this, she could see that his friendly smile was genuine, and there was something in his eyes that told her he would not let her down.
Sighing, Mizore relented. Having finished her lunch, she unwrapped another lollipop and put it in her mouth, letting her eyelids droop as the cold, soothing feeling washed over her body. Now slightly more at ease, Mizore cleared her throat and began to speak.
"It won't make much sense unless you know a little more about me," Mizore informed him, still unsure as to whether or not Kotsubo was someone to whom she could divulge her past.
Kotsubo pulled up a chair and sat facing Mizore. "Why don't you start from the beginning, then, Shirayuki-chan?" he offered.
"It's a long story," Mizore said, not wanting to admit that she was making excuses. "I don't think I'll be able to tell it all before lunch is over."
"You're welcome to come by every day if you would like," Kotsubo replied warmly, "and if you want, I'd be happy to talk to you here after school as well."
Mizore balked at his willingness. She hadn't expected for him to be so eager to hear what she had to say, but now that he was, Mizore didn't know what to do. There was a voice in the back of her head telling her not to trust him, but it was the same bitter voice that had made her a loner for so long. She tuned it out and placed her faith in Kotsubo.
"Before I start, there's one thing I ask in return, sensei," Mizore said.
"Anything you like, Shirayuki-chan."
Mizore looked away and blushed slightly at what she was about to say, but her voice gave away none of her insecurities. "Please…call me Mizore-chan."
Kotsubo smiled. "As you wish, Mizore-chan."
Much to everyone's surprise, Nekonome was present at the start of the newspaper club meeting. After each of them greeted her, Moka and Tsukune sat down to put the finishing touches on their respective articles while Kurumu pulled a box of supplies out of the closet. As she sifted through the tools they would be using to lay out their final draft, Nekonome approached her with an envelope in hand.
"Kurono-chan, this letter for you was outside the door," she said, holding it out for Kurumu to take.
Kurumu set down the box of tools on a desk and accepted the letter from Nekonome. The envelope read "To my beloved Kurumu," and near the bottom it was signed "Nagare."
A love letter? Kurumu thought to herself. She had received plenty of them when she was younger, but at Yokai Academy it seemed that most of the male population was smitten with Moka. Curious about this mysterious Nagare, Kurumu opened the envelope to find a small note and several pictures.
There were several upskirt shots and a few of Kurumu wearing nothing but lingerie. Kurumu turned red as she leafed through the pictures, each shot more risqué than the last. When she had seen them all, the succubus decided to read the note that had been included. Whoever Nagare was, he was threatening to spread the pictures throughout the school unless Kurumu met him at the Monster Tree that afternoon.
This is no love letter…this is cold-hearted blackmail!
Taking a break from the tedious task of altering his article to fit with the pictures and margins provided, Tsukune glanced around the room to see what everyone else was doing. Moka was diligently typing up her article about Yukari, smiling as she did. Tsukune knew that she was doing everything in her power to cast the young witch in a positive light in hopes of improving how everyone treated her.
Nekonome had left them in Gin's hands once more, but the lecherous werewolf was sitting idly at her desk as per usual. Once Nekonome had left the room, Gin put his feet up and sipped a mug of coffee while reading one of the old newspapers from the previous year.
When he looked over at Kurumu, though, Tsukune was surprised; a look of anxiety had come over her, and she looked quite pale as she read her letter. Concerned, Tsukune spoke up.
"Is everything alright, Kurumu?" he asked.
Tsukune's voice caused Kurumu to jump with surprise, and she buried the letter and photos in the bottom of the toolbox momentarily.
"Oh, it's nothing," Kurumu said, putting on a false smile as she turned to face him. She did her best to mask the nervousness in her voice. "I just remembered there's something I have to do. See ya!"
"But we need to finish the paper tonight!"
Tsukune's reply was in vain, for Kurumu was already running down the hall to the front of the academy. Her mind flipped through a list of possible suspects, but the only one that made any sense was Gin, and he had been sitting at Nekonome's desk the whole time, not giving her so much as one lusty glance. Then there was the signature…did she know anyone named Nagare? With no idea what could be in store for her, Kurumu burst through the large oak doors and tore off toward the Monster Tree.
Yukari walked into the magic club meeting in much brighter spirits than she had for the past week. She took her seat and noticed that only one of the club leaders was present. It was a young woman sitting at the front of the room with her eyes closed, her long teal hair running over her shoulders.
"Good afternoon, Mimi-senpai!" she said. "Sorry I wasn't here yesterday, desu. I was—"
"At the newspaper club?" Mokushino Mimotomi replied, her eyes closed and her hands on her temples.
"Yes!" Yukari said, beaming. Even after a week, Mimi's ability to see into the past still amazed her. "I—"
"Met several nice people who treated you kindly," Mimi finished. "There was also a beautiful young girl and a handsome man with whom you are rather taken, if I'm reading your mind correctly," she added, opening her oddly-colored eyes. Her left eye was a soft crimson color while her right eye was a cold, piercing blue; both were gazing at the young witch with amusement.
Yukari blushed. "W-well…yes," she stammered, "but there's something even you don't know, senpai!"
"I'll bet I do, then," said a voice from behind Yukari. The last member of the club, Mokushino Kagenmishi, entered and closed his eyes as well, tapping into his abilities. "You…hmm…you're considering joining the newspaper club." He opened his own unnatural eyes, which shared the same colors as his sister's, but in reverse; his left was blue and his right was red.
Yukari threw her hands in the air in defeat. The two were fraternal twins, but their strengths complimented each other well; one could delve into the past while the other read the future. She smiled sheepishly at his accurate statement.
"Well, am I right?" Kagenmishi asked, smiling widely.
"Mishi-senpai, you already know the answer, desu," Yukari replied. "Why bother asking?"
Mishi lifted the witch's pointed hat off of her head and tousled her hair, putting the hat back on when he was finished. "You're about to ask if you can leave this club and join theirs, right?" he said smugly, catching her off guard. "Why do you plan to ask when you know what my answer will be? For the same reason that I asked: it's merely polite."
"I suppose, desu," Yukari said, still unnerved by Mishi's piercing prediction. "So, do you mind if I—"
"Of course not," Mishi interrupted. "I have no problem with you switching clubs if it will make you happy, Yukari." He then closed his eyes and focused once more. "And judging by what I'm reading in your future…it will."
Yukari jumped with joy and hugged Mishi, then left the room and headed for the newspaper club's meeting room. Mishi and Mimi looked at each other and smirked.
"Did you really see happiness in her future?" Mimi asked complacently.
"You know that all I see are possibilities," Mishi replied, "though a few of them did end in happiness."
"And the others?"
"Who can say?" Mishi shrugged and paced around the room. "On the bright side, we now have the club to ourselves." He glanced over at the corner of the room, where a cloaked boy with messy violet hair was muttering under his breath and staring at the wall. "Well, except for Saiku, but I don't think he counts at this point."
Mimi chuckled at the remark and gazed at the isolated student. She knew better than to try to break into his mind and tinker around; the boy was an illusionist, and every time she looked inside his head revealed a different image. No two were ever the same, and there was no guarantee that any of them had ever been correct.
Bored with her surroundings, Mimi stood and walked to the halls, reading the occasional passerby for amusement. Her brother sat down and began writing a letter, hoping he had made the right decision in sending Yukari to join the newspaper club.
She's weak now, but she has great potential…only time will tell.
Kurumu finally arrived at the meeting place, a large tree known as the Monster Tree. It was a fairly accurate description; patches of rot running along the trunk had eaten away a pattern that looked eerily similar to a howling face, and spindly branches jutted out of the trunk like twisted, slender arms. At night, it gave the illusion that the tree was attempting to grasp anyone who came near it. Kurumu knew it was just a tree, but it still gave her chills.
"Ah, you're here. I'm glad my letter found you."
Kurumu yelped at the sudden breaking of silence, looking all around for the voice's source. She watched the tree warily, considering the possibility that it might have spoken to her. Kurumu listened closely; she could have sworn the tree was wheezing.
"I've been waiting so long, Kurumu-chan."
Kurumu peered up into the branches of the Monster Tree and saw a student sitting on one of the thicker branches. His long hair obscured his face, but Kurumu noticed that he wore a harness that held a camera similar to the one Gin had.
"Who are you?!" Kurumu demanded, glaring at the boy. "How did you get those pictures of me?!" Suddenly, Kurumu realized that she left the pictures in the newspaper club's toolbox. Cursing under her breath, Kurumu stepped back when her blackmailer slid off of his branch and landed on the ground.
"Don't you remember me?" he asked. "I'm Kano Nagare. On the first day of school, you promised me a date if I took nice pictures of you."
Nagare was grinning in a way that made Kurumu very uncomfortable. The fact that he was breathing heavily didn't help either. He's so sweaty and slimy! I promised this guy a date?! Kurumu couldn't believe what she was hearing; if she had done anything of the sort, she certainly couldn't recall it now.
"I've been waiting ever since," he said, panting. "It seems like it's been forever...but now, you're going to fulfill your promise, or I'll spread those pictures all over the school!"
Tsukune stared at the clock anxiously. Kurumu had been gone for nearly two hours now, and he was beginning to worry. During the time that had elapsed, the witch from the day before, Yukari, had come to the room to join the club, and the three of them had made quite a dent in the work that still needed to be done. Moka had finished her article while Yukari helped Tsukune make final adjustments to his, and they were now ready to begin drafting the final product.
"Hey Tsukune," Moka said as she drew an intricate design across the top of the paper, "how committed do you think Kurumu is to this club? I mean, she only joined because she's after you, right?"
Tsukune considered Moka's words. He wanted to protest what she was saying, but he couldn't think of a suitable reply.
"I don't think she considers us friends," Moka continued. "It would definitely explain why she had no problem leaving right when we needed her the most."
"That's not true!" Tsukune argued, though he himself was beginning to question Kurumu's motives. "You two have been getting along great lately! I'm sure she just had something urgent to attend to."
After another hour of working, Gin left his seat to examine their progress. He grinned when he saw the borders Moka had drawn around the articles; it would seem that in addition to being beautiful, she was also quite talented.
"That's good for today," he said, pacing around the trio. "We'll finish tomorrow and print right away. It's a bit hasty, but you've all gotten a lot done today."
Just then, the door to the classroom was flung open, and in stepped Kurumu. "I'm sorry I was gone so long!" she said, panting as she caught her breath. She braced herself for the inevitable shouting; she knew that everyone must be furious with her.
But the yelling never came. "Kurumu, you're back," Tsukune said calmly, "but you might as well head back to the dorms. We decided we'll just finish it up tomorrow."
Without another word, the rest of the club filed out of the room, leaving Kurumu standing alone. She walked over to the desk where newspaper's incomplete final draft lay and sat down, looking over the articles.
I was too late, she thought. They're the first real friends I've made here…I've got to apologize.
"What's wrong, Kurumu-chan?" a voice called from the doorway. Kurumu rounded on the spot to an unwelcome sight: Nagare had followed her. "Today was real fun, wasn't it?" he asked, wheezing and dripping with sweat. "Let's play again tomorrow, shall we?"
"Like hell we will!" she spat. "I only promised you one date! I don't owe you anything!"
"Aww, there's no reason to be so cold, Kurumu-chan," Nagare muttered darkly. "You wouldn't want your precious Tsukune to see all of those pictures we took today, would you?"
Kurumu turned pale; she had spent the entire afternoon posing in embarrassing outfits while Nagare took what had to be hundreds of pictures. It dawned on her that she was in deeper than she thought.
"You promised no one would see those!" she argued, knowing she was at his mercy.
"And they won't," Nagare replied, a vicious smirk forming on his lips, "but only if you come and play with me again tomorrow." Nagare leered at her as he spoke. "I'm never letting you go now."
"No!" Kurumu shouted defiantly. "Not tomorrow! Not ever!"
She ran out of the room and angrily slammed the door behind her. Nagare scowled and looked down at the desk where Kurumu had been sitting. His mood brightened considerably when he realized exactly what he was looking at.
"A newspaper?" he wondered aloud. "It's all laid out and everything…perfect!" A wicked gleam flashed across his eyes. You'll come and play, Kurumu, he thought, whether you want to or not!
The next day was tortuous for Kurumu. Tsukune and Moka were clearly irritated with what she had done, but neither of them had said anything regarding the situation. She had looked to Kidoku for help, but he knew all too well that something had happened between the three of them, and he had no intentions of getting involved.
Finally, it was time for the newspaper club to meet again. Kurumu approached the meeting room with bated breath. I'll apologize to everyone, we'll print the newspaper, and everything will be alright. The thought was reassuring, but she wasn't sure how smoothly it would actually go.
When she arrived, though, she was met with disaster. Everyone else present was tearing apart the room frantically; even Gin was helping.
"What's going on?" Kurumu asked.
"Someone stole our layout from yesterday!" Moka replied.
"Not just that, desu," Yukari added. "Whoever it was wiped our computer files and took our backup disc as well!"
Kurumu looked around the room, noticing an odd sheen on some of the desks. She examined it closer and saw that it was sticky and slimy. She gasped as the realization hit her. Nagare must have swiped everything to force me to do what he wants!
"Damn it all!" Gin yelled, upturning the box of tools. "We don't have time to find whoever took it. We'll just have to start over!" Tsukune and Moka started to protest, but Gin cut them off. "I know it sucks, but we'll do whatever it takes. Cut the word count in the stories, enlarge the pictures, make the borders take up more space…I don't care how we do it, just get it done!" He slammed his fist down on the nearest desk to drive home his point.
"Um…guys?" Kurumu said timidly, "I know this is the worst possible time for this…but I can't stay to help today."
Moka gaped at her in disbelief. "What is wrong with you, Kurumu?!" she demanded harshly. "How can you bail on us now? Don't you care about anyone but yourself?!"
Kurumu winced; she wanted to tell them all what had happened, but there was no telling what Nagare might do if she did. She turned away from Moka and walked to the door.
"I…I have to go."
"I'm disappointed in you," Moka said quietly. "I wanted to believe your change of heart was honest and sincere. Well, we don't need someone like you in this club!"
Fighting back tears, Kurumu silently left the classroom and headed for the Monster Tree, where she knew Nagare would be waiting.
Sure enough, Nagare was sitting in the branches of the Monster Tree, wheezing and oozing sweat as he looked through the newspaper layout. He smirked when he caught sight of Kurumu approaching him.
"I knew you'd come, Kurumu-chan," he said, chuckling under his breath. He produced the newspaper from his lap and waved it in the air. "Looking for this?" He flipped through it again, mocking her as he did. "It's such a dry, boring newspaper. The writing is clearly that of an amateur, and the artwork is pathetic."
Nagare removed a lighter from his pocket and lit it, holding the flame dangerously close to the newspaper. "The only thing it's good for is starting a fire. So what's it worth to you, Kurumu-chan? You'd better do exactly what I tell you to if you want—"
"Go ahead and burn it," Kurumu said defiantly.
Nagare stared at her, bewildered by her reaction to his taunting. Kurumu glared up at him resolutely, the corners of her eyes growing moist.
"Sure! Destroy something that matters to my friends!" Her voice was rising in intensity. "Go ahead and piss me off!"
Nagare quickly regained his composure. "Planning to defy me, are you?" he snarled. "Do you really think you can stand up to me?! I'm a monster too! I think it's time to play my trump card."
Nagare's skin melted and took on the consistency of sludge as his body transformed into ooze. A pair of long tubes protruded from his neck and began releasing a sinister-looking gas.
Without warning, Nagare launched himself from his perch and grasped at Kurumu's chest with a slimy arm, slamming her against the nearby storage shack in the process. Kurumu felt something sapping away her strength, and she found it hard to stand up to Nagare's advances.
"What happened to that fiery spirit?" Nagare cackled. "You're so docile, like a beautiful doll!"
Kurumu couldn't comprehend what was weakening her. Through the haze that had gathered before her, Kurumu could see that Nagare was still emitting that strange gas. It must be poison gas! Kurumu thought. If I don't get away from it, I'll be completely paralyzed!
Back in room 103, Tsukune and Moka were working tirelessly to rewrite their old articles while Gin and Yukari prepared a new layout. They had been making great progress given the circumstances, but something was bothering Tsukune in the back of his mind. It started out as a small itch, but the feeling grew with every passing minute, and finally Tsukune couldn't take it anymore.
"I'm going to go look for Kurumu," he announced, standing up.
"You can't leave, Tsukune!" Moka cried. "If you go too, we won't be able to make our deadline!"
"But—"
"Please!" she pleaded desperately. "If you won't do it for the club, do it for me!"
Tsukune gritted his teeth and walked away. Moka was taken aback; she had overestimated how much Tsukune had cared for her, it would seem. As he made his way to the door, Gin stood up as well.
"I guess you're not so committed to this club after all," he remarked scathingly.
"You're wrong, senpai," Tsukune replied, not stopping. "I am committed to this club…and I don't think that the newspaper will be truly complete if one of us isn't here."
A loud gasp from Yukari caught everyone's attention. "This is heinous, desu!" she cried. "Look what I found in the toolbox!" In her hand was Nagare's letter and pictures.
After reading through it, Moka and Tsukune looked at each other, and without a word both of them got up and left room 103, intent on aiding Kurumu. Yukari moved to accompany them, but she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.
"Not so fast, Yukari-chan," he said firmly. "We need someone to stay behind and work on this layout."
Yukari groaned. Resigning herself to her fate, she returned to her desk and continued working on Tsukune's article. When he was sure Yukari's attention was diverted, Gin scooped up the pictures of Kurumu and slipped them into his pocket.
"You can't escape me, Kurumu-chan!" Nagare called out menacingly.
Kurumu had locked herself in the storage shack, but she knew that she had only bought herself a little time; she would have to fight back. She attempted to transform, but her body's reaction was slowed by Nagare's poison, and only her talons came out at first.
"Hiding in the storage shed?" her pursuer crowed. "Just like in the movies! How cute! It's like you want to be caught!" The last statement was punctuated by one eye on a long stalk peeking up at Kurumu from under the door. The rest of Nagare's body slowly followed, oozing along steadily.
"What's happening to you?!" Kurumu screamed with fright.
"A slug can slip through the narrowest cracks!" he exclaimed gleefully. "You've got nowhere left to run, Kurumu-chan." A thin, slimy tentacle danced through the air and hovered threateningly in front of Kurumu's face. "We're going to take lots of sexy pictures today!"
"Kurumu? Kurumu, are you in there?"
A loud banging at the door interrupted Nagare. Moka and Tsukune were on the other side, pounding on the metal frantically.
"We found the blackmail letter!" Kurumu recognized Moka's voice. "I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions! I thought you still hated me…that you were only in the club to get closer to Tsukune…but I was wrong!" Kurumu's eyes widened. "We need you, Kurumu!"
From outside the shack, a clicking noise could be heard. Tsukune and Moka stepped away from the door, their faces full of hope as the doorknob turned. The metal door creaked open slowly.
"Kurumu…?"
Standing in the doorway was Nagare in all of his hideous glory. His viscous form allowed him to extend his body until he towered over them. A freakish grin split the region slightly below his eye-stalks, where his mouth was presumably located.
"It must be my lucky day!" he declared joyfully. "Another beautiful girl has come my way!"
The tubes on the sides of Nagare's neck swelled and released large clouds of poison toward Tsukune and Moka. They covered their mouths and tried to get away, but to no avail; the gas had already seeped into their lungs, and their bodies were growing weaker and weaker.
"You're going to be delicious!" Nagare squirmed along the ground in Moka's direction, slime and drool dripping from his body.
"Moka!" Kurumu cried. All of her anger welled up inside of her, and Kurumu was suddenly hit by a splitting pain to the head; it felt as though someone were pounding on a sturdy door with a battering ram.
Nagare stopped his advance and noticed that the ground had begun to shake. He looked around fearfully; did the academy have earthquakes?
Leaning against the frame of the door, Kurumu forced herself to her feet. Another impact rocked her skull internally, and it was all she could do to remain standing. The barrier in her mind was about to give way. Her rage was clouding her vision, and the whole world seemed to be throbbing.
"Stop…" she said weakly. "Get away…from them…"
One final blow was struck, and the floodgates in her head burst open. Kurumu felt a power coursing through her that she had never experienced before. Her eyes were glowing, and her wings and tail were freed.
"Don't you dare lay a hand on my friends!"
The ground around Nagare was ripped to pieces as legions of vines and roots lashed out at the slug monster, binding him in place.
"What the hell is this?!" he cried fearfully. "Is this a dream?!"
Tsukune and Moka watched in awe and wonder as the roots struck and tore at his gelatinous body. Kurumu flexed her wings and extended her talons.
C'mon, body, move! MOVE!
Kurumu blasted off at top speed, aiming for Nagare. Releasing every ounce of fury in her body, Kurumu slashed at his midsection viciously with her claws, wounding him grievously in one go. As he fell to the ground unconscious, the tree roots receded back into the ground, and only the demolished landscape revealed that anything had happened. Moka and Tsukune were left completely clueless as to what had occurred, but Moka's inner side spoke to her through her rosary.
The tree roots were merely an illusion, born of Kurumu's magic. It's a powerful succubus technique that can be fatal in the hands of someone powerful enough. However, just like most of their abilities, it relies on the user's emotion. Kurumu must have experienced very strong emotions today.
Kurumu held the rescued newspaper layout triumphantly in the air. It was soiled and covered in Nagare's slime, but she cradled it close to her chest like a newborn infant. Tsukune and Moka sighed with relief, lying prone on the ground as they waited for the poison to wear off.
"I…I got it back…" Kurumu's voice was a hoarse croak; standing up to Nagare had taxed her strength. "I got back what matters…"
…What matters most to me.
Author's Note: Whew, I hope that didn't seem too rushed. I'm back at college now, so I'm going to try to update once a week, but I can't guarantee that will happen. Thank you to everyone who continues to read and review this story; it's very encouraging, and it keeps me going. Regardless of what may happen to delay any future updates, I will continue this story.
