Authors Note:I hope that you have enjoyed my story so far. At this point I have I believe all of my major characters who will be at the school for the second year. I will be adding some minor characters here and there as needed though.
To all my readers thank you for your support in reading my work. Please keep reviewing.
I wish to apologize for how long this took to get out, but between a loss of broadband internet and using the cloud for my file storage, I ended up using a cell phone and doing some reading on my tablet. The good news is despite the time I took doing all that reading, it did recharge me so close to half of this chapter was written in one sitting. I hope it reads well.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the R+V characters, this is just my reinterpretation for the purposes of this fan fic.
Chapter 10
Some Train, Some Discover
XXX Youkai Academy Staff building
After Akasha left the three girls she walked over to the staff quarters. It was actually a part of the mansion that housed the administration offices. Inside the old mansion were several rooms for some of the staff members. Others had rooms in other buildings scattered around the grounds of the school. Besides the quarters and the administration offices were a couple of foyers where members of the school staff met to relax or converse about the school and its students.
It was in one of these foyers that Akasha seated herself, and watched warily as Mikogami Tenmei walked in and took a seat next to her.
"Lady Akasha, just how long do you think you can hide your presence here amongst the school from the council?"
Akasha sat quietly, a look of concentration upon her face before she answered "Hopefully long enough to see to it that Tsukune is stable enough before he gets dragged into the politics of it all. And I would like to see Kyouko's transformation through but without knowing how long that will take I won't try and hide my presence until she is fully transformed. Tenmei san I know you don't wish to be put into any spotlight over all this. So after I finish with some meditation training for Tsukune I will have you contact the council. For my own reasons, I do not wish to leave the school grounds just yet. But if Tsukune and his friends should find themselves taking any trips into the human world I would prefer it if I was their faculty escort."
"So your planning on shielding the boy from the council then?" Mikogami asked.
"For the immediate future, yes I am. Don't think badly of this old woman. Many will want to use him as a pawn in their political games. It is better if he is seen to be under my jurisdiction and protection. Better for everyone's sake."
XXX Youkai Academy Dorm Roof
Tsukune sat across from Moka, looking out at the school grounds. From the roof of the dorms he could see the school, the infirmary, the administration, and a few other ancillary buildings. Off in the distance could just be made out the silhouette of the school town. Picking up package of blood, he began to drink. Off to one side of the roof he could hear the voices of members of the newspaper club advancing upon them. Inwardly he felt just a little bit depressed that his time alone with Moka was about to be cut short.
Stepping out onto the roof, two young girls walked quickly and with purpose towards the young couple quietly sitting up on the roof. As they got closer, their emotions began to run a bit high as they each zeroed in on their target of choice. Kokoa with kou chan transformed into a large mallet strode directly towards her sister. And Kyouko made a direct line towards her cousin Tsukune. Behind those two a flight or two of stairs behind, Kurumu, Mizore, and Yukari climbed the stairs, while even further behind lost in her own thoughts, Ruby san slowly marched up the stairs.
"Akashiya Moka" she yelled as she approached the pair.
Omote Moka her pink hair flowing in the breeze looked over to see her little sister walking weapon in hand straight towards them. She also saw Kyouko just behind her sister. It took her a second to recognize it, but there was a holy lock upon the right wrist of the young girl. She remembered her promise to Kyouko chan, no matter what she would help the young girl make it through these difficult times.
"Ko... Kokoa. Now, wait, I don't want to fight." she quietly said all the while backing up just a bit from the young red headed girl heading her way.
"Moka chan. Who is she?" Tsukune asked.
Dropping the Mallets head down to the surface of the roof, Kokoa replied before her sister could. "She is my big sister, and while I may not attack my big sister, I will not hesitate to attack this impostor who I don't recognize as being my sister. So you better find away to get that seal off before I rip it off."
Omote seeing the emotion in her little sisters face saw no way out, and reached up and undid her rosario, placing the cross into her shirt pocket. As she did this the powerful aura of a Shinso vampire pulsed from Ura Moka's body.
"So you dare to say you will attack me."
Kokoa letting go of Kou chan jumped up and wrapped her arms around her beloved sister. "You don't know how long I have been searching for you. And now I have found not only you but our mother as well." tears flowing down her face as she wept openly while hugging her sister.
Kokoa's words struck Moka like a mighty war hammer hitting her in the head. Her mother, was found. Found by her sister. Her voice barely above a whisper as she was choked by emotions. "You found mother?" then with a bit more self composure. "And yes you have found me as well". Her arms wrapping around her younger sister.
"Yes, mother is here at the school." Kokoa said, a bit of a sniffle escaping her nose. "She is working with the Headmaster. She had me give my blood to that human."
Moka took a bit closer look at Kyouko over Kokoa's shoulder and with a bit of a sniff of the air, she could smell the slight odor of a vampire on the young girl. That creepy Headmaster had done it again. He had created another sealed ghoul using her sisters blood. Then with a bit of pride she thought, but she won't be as strong as my Tsukune. "I see what you mean. Did mother say anything about coming to see me?"
Kokoa her sniffles now dried up, let go of her sister and took a seat on the roof next to Moka and Tsukune. "Yes, we will all be under her watchful eye as she trains us in combat tomorrow."
While Moka digested this bit of information, she put the seal back on before her aura drew to much attention to the roof saying just before she did. "I must seal myself back up. You will treat my other half with respect or I will personally thrash you to within an inch of your life."
Kokoa was a bit shocked at being spoken to that way, but held her tongue.
Kyouko sat down between Moka and Tsukune opposite of Kokoa and held out her right arm with the holy lock. "Tsukune I was told you had to wear one of these as well."
Running his hand through his hair. "Yeah, that was before the Headmaster finished the job, and made me into a vampire. But yours it looks way better than mine did."
"Why didn't the Headmaster turn you into a succubus like you had chosen?" Moka asked with a touch of gentleness in the pink haired vampires words..
Kokoa grinned and said "She didn't have any choice in the matter. Those A class monsters just don't have the right kind of blood." The pride of having strong enough blood could be heard in the young girls voice.
"So I guess your going to be like me then." Tsukune said.
Kyouko shook her head. "No, I received vampire blood not I think they called it Shinso blood. I will be like Kokoa, not like you and Moka, and Akasha" At that Kyouko gently placed a hand on each of Moka and Tsukune. "She said her blood is a burden that she didn't wish to be placed on me."
Smiling Kyouko looked at Tsukune and Moka. "Don't you worry, me and Kokoa will help both of you carry your burdens."
Kurumu, Mizore and Yukari were halfway across the roof heading towards Moka and the others, when they suddenly felt the Demonic aura of Akashiya Moka. Suddenly feeling this they new that the seal had been removed, and they slowed their approach. Each one of the girls tensed as though preparing themselves for combat. There was no telling just what was going on, and they didn't want to just jump in. Coming closer they listened to all that was being said, each one of them filing away in their mind's the fact that another vampire was going to be teaching them tomorrow. Each one of the young girls felt like they were being bit, by bit outnumbered and pushed further and further onto the edges of Tsukune's life. When they heard Kyouko and Kokoa's revelation about Moka's blood being a burden on Tsukune, it was like another weight had been added. This strong and handsome man that they each loved, was being pulled further and further from them, and closer and closer to Moka. It was just all to unfair. So in a bit of despair the three of them all sat down on the roof behind Kyouko, and wondered if they would lose that friend as well to the vampires.
Tsukune glanced up as he saw the others approach. He could see the pain in their eyes, and a bit of him began to ache in sympathy. A sad smile crossed his face as he nodded his head in acknowledgment of the yuki onna, the succubus, and the little witch. The pain in his eyes was the strongest when his eyes connected with Kurumu. He knew that he had hurt her the most of any of them, and it ate at him deep inside.
Ruby stepped out onto the roof, wrapped up in her own thoughts. Walking over to the others she sat down beside Tsukune.
The eight young Youkai sat up on the roof quietly talking about everything that had been going on in their lives. One by one the six young Youkai, began to bring the two newest members into the fold, as they discussed what was going on. As the night wore on, Kokoa and Kyouko began to have a bit of an understanding that a lot of what had happened to Tsukune, Moka and the others was some sort of result of the machinations of the creepy Headmaster. Oh not all of it could be laid at the Headmaster's feet, but a good part could. It was like the old man had carefully selected pieces and placed them on some huge board, then stepped back and watched as it all unfolded. Each of the eight young Youkai, felt a sense of approaching dread over what this chess game of the Headmaster's would bring.
Before she stood up to leave, Ruby reminded them that Akasha would be training them tomorrow.
Moka, sitting mostly silent looked over at each and everyone of the faces before she finally stood up, with a bit of a distracted look on her face that bespoke of the conversation going on that no one else could hear. Looking from one to the next. "I think we need to all go back to bed. I have a feeling its going to be a very long day tomorrow"
One by one, they each stood up. One by one they all went their separate ways. One by one they all fell into restless sleep. Each one haunted by their dreams.
Tsukune found himself in front of an old castle. It's walls in disrepair, a mere shell of its former self. In front of him, a rancid corpse. From the looks of it, it had to be the largest monster he had ever seen. Easily the body outweighed that of fifty men. As he looked upon the destruction, two women approached. To the left, the silver haired inner Moka, To the right what he thought was the pink haired outer Moka. But there was something different about the pink haired one. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something was just not right.
Ura Moka walked calmly towards her love. As she did she looked over at the pink haired vampire also approaching her love. It looked like her outer self, but it didn't act like her outer self. Well a bit like her, but not like her.
Akasha, her pink hair flowing down her back, took in the scene. As she did she saw a young man to her left, and her daughter across from her. She recognized where she was and the corpse of Alucard before her. But it was all wrong. The body was too fresh. No this wasn't real, it had to be some sort of odd dream.
In the background a trio of alarms could be heard, as the three sleepers were dragged out of the dreamworld that they shared.
Tsukune awoke to the sound of his alarm. With a touch of anger towards the evil and vile thing he managed to turn the alarm off without somehow destroying it. As he did the images of the dream came back. In his mind he could still see both the silver and the pink haired vampires standing there, then walking towards him. With a bit of frustration he began his morning routine, but all through the day as he went from class to class, the image's of the dream just wouldn't go away. Finally it was near the end of the day when he met up with the others as they stood just outside the appointed classroom. They could all sense the powerful aura on the other side of the door. Finally Tsukune reached out and held the door open for the six young girls gathered before him. One by one they filed into the large Phys-Ed room.
As they walked in, Tsukune at the end of the line, they each saw the pink haired vampire standing in the middle of the room, dressed in a traditional white gi used in karate classes with a black belt at her waist. The first thing that Tsukune noticed was that she and Omote Moka looked to be almost twins. The next thing that he noticed was the look on Moka's face. It was a cross between relief and shock.
Akasha watched them all file in. Leading the pack she saw her two daughters, and at the end was Tsukune the young man that started out human but now was a Shinso vampire. Even though this was the first time she met him, the face seemed familiar. As she continued to watch them walk in and line up, she realized, the dream, he was in the dream.
"Welcome all of you. I am Akasha Bloodriver. I will be your instructor in martial arts as well as other things for some of you."
Akasha paused to allow it to sink in. "I don't know what you have all been told or not told so I might as well set the record straight. While I am talking I want all of you to begin with some stretching exercises."
Moka stood still at first. It was a shock to see her mother standing there, and as much as she wanted to run and throw her arms around her, a sentiment shared by Ura, she sadly knew that this wasn't the time or the place.
Once Akasha saw that they had all began to stretch out, she continued. "I am the mother of Moka and Kokoa. I was trapped inside a monster while I kept it sealed and dormant for the last six years in order to save Moka and protect the world. I still am not sure just how it happened but I was awakened from my slumber, and once awake I was able to destroy the beast. After I put myself back into a semblance of order I chose to come here."
Again she paused. "I assume that all of you are well aware of the fact that the three Dark Lords working together put this institution together, and if you don't, well you know now. I am one of those Dark Lords."
A collective gasp could be heard across the room. Akasha waited for her words to sink in. "Mikogami san and I both expect a lot from all of you. A storm is coming, a Fairy Tale storm. I am here because I chose to be here. I chose to be here, because Moka and Tsukune are here. They carry my legacy. I will be training all of you, but especially Moka and Tsukune. You will all go through a lot of emotions in this training. I expect anger, cause I will not be gentle. I also expect respect to replace the anger as you begin to see the fruits of the training. You will leave this room exhausted and worn out, but you all will be stronger for it. Am I clear?"
Bowing from the waist they all responded "Yes Akasha sensei"
"As I call out your names, group yourselves accordingly. Kyouko and Kokoa. Mizore and Kurumu. Moka and Tsukune. And lastly Yukari. Yukari you will be by yourself at first. And at some point I am going to send you out of this class to finish your training under Ruby san and the Headmaster."
Moka stood by Tsukune, her eyes though were on her mother. It was still sinking in, her mother who she thought had abandoned her, was here before her, after being imprisoned for six years in a beast.
Kokoa glared at her sister and at her mother. Why couldn't she be with her beloved Moka, why did she have to be with Tsukune's cousin. It just wasn't fair.
Yukari's head dropped a little bit. It just wasn't fair. She was all by herself again.
Mizore and Kurumu looked at each other, each of them thinking if they worked together maybe they could take Tsukune from Moka. Then looking at Akasha they began to wilt under her eyes.
For two hours Akasha tested the basic combat abilities of the students before going through a series of karate drills. For each of the seven they felt like they had been put through a ringer with maybe the exception of Kokoa, and Moka. The two of them had weathered the storm better than the others. Akasha turned to her students. "Okay, Yukari, you are to report to Ruby san and the Headmaster. They will be continuing your training in the use of Magic. Mizore and Kurumu, you two are dismissed. I will see you tomorrow. Kokoa, Tsukune and Moka just take a break over to the side, while I work with Kyouko."
While Yukari, Mizore and Kurumu left, Kokoa headed straight to her sister, and Tsukune found a good place to watch Akasha and Kyouko. Akasha took a whip, and a chain over to Kyouko. Attaching the chain to Kyouko's left wrist she placed the whip in her right.
"Kyouko this chain will connect us so that if you fail to control the power of the blood inside you, I will get shocked. You can think of me as a ground wire for excess power. The whip is called Belmont, it will cancel some of the holy lock so that you can draw upon the blood inside you. In front of you are several targets. I want you to concentrate on feeling the energy inside you flow into your right hand and arm then use the whip on the targets. If you feel it begin to flow into your left hand picture it moving back into your right hand. If I tell you to drop the whip, I want you to do so immediately."
Over the next half hour Akasha took a lot of shocks, but towards the end of it, they came less and less as Kyouko began to finally feel the energy and move it to her right hand past the holy lock.
Akasha took the whip out of Kyouko's hands and gave her a regular whip. "Now I want you to try again. Its going to be a lot harder cause there will be nothing canceling the lock. You have to will the blood to give you power."
Kyouko spent another fifteen minutes with just a regular whip. By the end of that time her forehead was covered in little beads of sweat, but she was finally able to move just a tiny fraction of the Youkai aura into her right hand past the holy lock. It wasn't a great success, but it was a success.
"Okay Kyouko, you can either head back to your dorm room or stay and spar a bit. Tsukune you are up."
Tsukune reluctantly let go of Moka's hand as he walked over to Akasha, while Kyouko drained from her ordeal left the room and headed back to the dorm.
Akasha taking a seat in front of Tsukune with her legs folded across each other motioned for Tsukune to do the same and face her. Once he had done so, she began.
"Tsukune the Headmaster informed me about the incident in your training with Moka where you had some sort of reaction and physically transformed." Taking off her rosario, Akasha's hair began to gain silver streaks and her eyes became a swirl of red and green as she held and pushed her aura down. "I want you to take slow deep breaths, and concentrate on feeling calm. Feel the aura, the energy inside you and picture it getting calmer and stiller with each breath." Akasha waited and watched Tsukune, occasionally reminding him to breath and picture himself getting calmer and the energy smaller and smaller. "Tsukune I am going to start the next step in just a little while. It is important that you remain as calm as you can, and that you defend yourself with all of your strength. I will try not to kill you, but it is up to you stay calm and defend yourself."
At Akasha's words, Tsukune's heart began to race and his aura began to flare just a bit.
"Tsukune take slow breaths, calm your mind and pull the aura back in." Again, Akasha waited for Tsukune's mind to calm down and his aura to subside. As Akasha stood up, she continued. "Tsukune I want you to stand up, and take up a defensive position. Now I want you to remove your rosario, and keep taking slow breaths, and picture yourself as calm, and your aura as settling down deep inside you."
Akasha took a step back, continuing to speak softly and in calm tones until Tsukune's aura was back to being settled albeit a lot stronger now that the rosario, the limiter was off. She could feel the potential in the boy just waiting to be tapped. Glancing over to Moka and she spoke. "Moka, take off your Rosario as well. And Moka, no matter what happens do not interfere unless I call for you."
Once all three of them had their rosarios, their limiters off, she began. At first the blows were light. Akasha and Tsukune slowly circled each other. She could tell that someone had been training the boy by the way he responded, with very straight forward attacks and blocks. Akasha knew she had a lot of work ahead of her in training him to be more subtle in his attacks and defense. As they continued to circle, Akasha began to increase the pace of the attacks as well as the force. Tsukune in turn began to draw upon his Youkai aura. To the three females present in the room, they could see how it started to flicker and flare as Akasha began to press the attack.
Watching Tsukune's aura more than his body, Akasha looked for signs of the same corruption that had taken Alucard so many, many years ago. As she began to release more of her aura, bit by bit the pink strands shifted to silver and the emerald green of her eyes faded to blood red. Slowly as the eyes changed color the pupils also began to shift from round to a cats eye slit. Tsukune took in the moment by moment changes in Akasha's appearance as well as the pressure of her Demonic Aura. Slipping his left foot behind his leading right, Tsukune quickly closed the distance and threw a snap kick at the Lady Akasha. Akasha sensing the incoming attack just chuckled as she side stepped it and spun around on her leading foot throwing a spinning back fist at the young mans head. This back and forth, attack and counterattack went on gaining in pace for a few more minutes.
Suddenly Akasha lashed out at Tsukune, her movements a blur. Tsukune took the brunt of the attack but grappled with Akasha as he let his body fall backwards into a sacrifice throw. Akasha allowed the throw to continue using it to gain some distance as she rolled out of it. Before Tsukune could even turn around she was back at him, her fingers becoming claws as she reached for his throat. When Tsukune felt the claws on his throat, he began to react at a primal level, reaching for Akasha he tried to claw at the face of his attacker. His aura pulsed with angry power. Akasha fending of his attempts to dislodge her started to dig her claws into his throat, and sank her fangs into his neck. Behind her, Moka was at war with herself as she watched her mother mercilessly attacking Tsukune.
As the fangs sank deep into his throat and lower down the claws began to tear, Tsukune began to panic, his aura flaring in massive amounts. Reaching back he grabbed a hold of Akasha sinking claws that were forming on his hands into the flesh of her shoulder as he attempted to throw her off of him. His aura continuing to pulse, and rise, his skin began to turn black, and wings started to force themselves out of his back. Finally he had a grip and he threw Akasha all the way across the room, he turned his blood red slitted eyes upon her. His face a mask of pain and rage, he tensed his muscles and prepared to leap upon his attacker.
Akasha rushed forward in a fraction of a second, her movements to fast for the eye to see, she slammed into Tsukune driving him backwards and to the ground. "Quickly help me hold him down." She yelled to her daughters. Moka and Kokoa responding to the force of their mother's words leapt into the fight, each grabbing a wing and forcing the young man to stay down upon the ground. As her daughters held Tsukune to the ground Akasha planted both of her legs across his arms, and grabbing his head forced him to look into her eyes. With great concentration she gazed into Tsukune's eyes and began to force her will upon his.
"Tsukune listen to my words. Remember your breathing, you are in control, you are the master of your body, demand the blood to answer to your will. Inhale. Exhale. Clamp down upon the power. Control it, make it obey your will. Inhale. Exhale."
Guttural sounds flowed out of the young mans mouth at first, but bit by bit, as Akasha spoke to him, his voice slowly quietened down.
The last thing Tsukune remembered was feeling Akasha's fangs sinking into his neck before he floated, floated in a sea of darkness. A faint light illuminated a creature before him. Its skin was black as the night, and two large wings protruded from its back. Its hands and feet had razor sharp claws on the ends of the fingers and toes. The only sound was a chant repeating over and over from the figure. Kill, eat, drink it said over and over. As he looked closer he began to see that it was two glowing red eyes upon a face that mirrored his own, but filled with sharp fangs for teeth. Then in the distance he heard Akasha's voice. He felt the power in her words. They were driving him towards the other figure. As he was forced into contact with the other figure, he grappled with it, and spun it around. Slowly he squeezed upon the figure until the pressure was so great that it began to merge with his own body. As the last bits of the other figure flowed into him, he suddenly found himself back in the training room staring up into the blood red eyes of Akasha.
As Tsukune relaxed his skin began to lighten back up and the wings melted back into his body leaving only Akasha sitting on his chest holding his arms down with her knees, and his head in her hands.
"Are you back with us, Tsukune" She asked.
Tsukune just nodded, and waited for Akasha to get up off of him. His aura was pulled back and his body was so weak he didn't think he could have thrown a fly off of him at this time. Moka and Kokoa both were both shaken by what they had just witnessed.
Looking over at Moka, Akasha asked. "Was this how Tsukune's body transformed that day a little while back while you were training him."
Moka just nodded her head.
Akasha continued to speak as she raised herself up off of Tsukune. "Now you two have seen part of the burden of my blood. That was Shinso blood taking over the body of Tsukune. I will have to begin to train him in how to properly control it before it controls him. Kokoa, do you understand now why I asked you to give Kyouko your blood?"
Kokoa bowed her head just a bit. "Yes I understand now. You were right. It is a very heavy burden to carry. But I can't help but be in awe of the power of it. Is this why I could never overpower and beat Moka?"
Akasha nods. "That and lack of experience. She had both over a years worth of experience as well as the blood. So yes that is why."
Moka still shaking a bit. "Is this going to happen to me as well?"
Akasha shakes her head a bit. "For now it seems that your power is staying dormant, so I think the seal is protecting you. Still I am a bit surprised that you weren't affected at the same time as Tsukune. Maybe its because you were born not created. Maybe it was because of the seal. I just don't know."
Turning towards Tsukune as he began to sit up, Akasha walked over and held out her hand for him. "Tsukune clear your mind, picture two large wings flowing out of your back, and push your aura into your back."
Tsukune began to concentrate and pushed his aura into his back as he tried to picture wings coming out of his back. He could feel something but the wings just wouldn't appear.
"You can relax now. I can see I have a lot of work to do until you can begin to stir the Shinso blood inside you and bend it to your will instead of it bending you." Akasha said as she lead all three out of the training room.
Once out in the hallway, Akasha sent Tsukune back to his Dorm, while she took her two daughters with her to the now empty faculty lounge.
As Tsukune headed back to his dorm, the two daughters began to talk to their mother.
Akasha wrapped her arms around both of her daughters before they then sat down to talk.
"Moka, what do you remember of the night I disappeared?"
"I remember that you vanished, and I was sent away to live amongst the humans, while I was weak because of this rosario." As she spun the silver cross in her fingers, she could still feel the fear at what she had witnessed tonight while she sat unsealed before her mother.
Akasha sat quietly looking at her daughters. Finally she rose. "We will speak with Ruby and the Headmaster in the morning, that is if you want to try to remember what happened instead of being told what happened."
Moka and Kokoa nodded and stood up as well. As Kokoa turned to head back to the dorm, Moka wrapped her arms around her mother and whispered "You don't know how much I have missed you and how lonely I have been."
Akasha gave Moka a hug before she went off in search of her quarters, and Moka reluctantly released her hold upon her mother before she followed Kokoa over to the dorm.
XXX An old ruined castle, Castle Shuzen
Dreams, bad dreams plagued Gyokuro over the course of the last week. Unable to sleep Gyokuro decided to walk and think for a bit. Outside a storm was brewing, as she walked down darkened halls to a small hidden passage at end of one of the halls. Her sharp nails ran lightly over the stone until in a pattern well memorized she pressed four key stones in quick succession, then slipped into the hidden passage and down under the ground.
In the shadows, Ria watched as her step mother moved through the castle. Ria also had been having trouble sleeping and had taken this opportunity to move silently around the castle letting her mind turn over the various pieces of her fathers empire. As she moved silently and stayed in the shadows, she almost missed the movement of Gyokuro in the hall. Her interest piqued by this sudden arrival she stepped a bit further back to watch unseen. As Gyokuro slipped into the hidden passage, Ria made note of the four points of stone that admitted access. Not wishing to alert her step mother to what she knew, she waited till the next day to try the passage herself.
Down the dark passage Gyokuro went, while the sounds of the storm at first heard slowly slipped away as the passage dived below the ground. Finally she emerged at the end of the long tunnel into an older castle that now lay in ruins. At first the stench nearly overwhelmed he as she first stepped up into what used to be a large throne room. Taking a few quick breaths, and pushing the smell to the back of her mind, Gyokuro began her examination. Before her lay a huge rotting corpse, and heading away from the corpse were bits and pieces of entrails leading over to a corner of the room.
As she slowly circles the huge corpse of what was Alucard, she finds the remnants of his massive heart and his head. Whatever plans that had been concerning this beast were now moot. The destruction and carnage before her left no doubt as to the fact that Alucard was truly gone. The great shinso vampire Alucard who had laid waste to so many was now nothing but rotting dead, forever dead flesh.
Anger began to rise in the heart of Gyokuro. She had no proof, but she knew in her heart that Issa's bitch was responsible for this. This destruction of the greatest vampire to walk the face of the earth. If she got her hands a hold of Akasha she was going to rip out her eyes and stuff them down her throat for what she did. It took Gyokuro awhile to get her emotions fully under control before she returned to Castle Shuzen.
The next day while Gyokuro spent time with Kahlua, Ria slipped away and using the hidden passage followed it down to the same ruined castle, making the same discovery as Gyokuro did the previous day. Ria spent a couple of hours examining the scene before reporting back to Issa, her father. Over the next couple of days, Issa waited until the right time, to go out, taking Gyokuro with him to examine the corpse himself, and watch his mates reactions. Later that evening while Issa sat in his study, Ria answered her fathers summons.
"Ria my child, tell me truthfully, your impressions of what may have transpired?" He began as she bowed before her father in supplication.
"My lord, I have examined the corpse extensively. I have no doubt in my mind that his revival is no longer possible. He was thoroughly destroyed."
"Did you find any trace of my Akasha amongst the remains?"
"I found nothing of the remains of Akasha amongst Alucard's remains. However as I examined the beast I am certain that he was destroyed from within. It is of my opinion that Akasha lives." Ria said as she barely lifted he head towards her Father just enough to judge the expressions on his face.
"My daughter I have a task for you. Consider it your duty to ascertain the whereabouts and condition of Akasha Bloodriver. Do this in secrecy, withholding mention of this to Gyokuro or the Vampire Council. We must know before they do the situation. Once you find her, you are to take no action against or for her. Seek, discover and report, that is your duty. Am I clear?" His voice calm and quiet as he folded his arm across his chest.
Ria nodded her head. "It will be as you ask, father"