Chapter 9
Fear the Sleeper
He hadn't surrendered, not yet. Though the vortex constantly pulled at him, always fighting to consume him, he still had the power to fight it. As long as he stayed just out of the worst of it, he could hope to escape. He wasn't making any progress in that direction, but neither had he slipped back for some time, hanging between life and death. He knew that death was what lay in the center of the black whirlpool: it was the nightmare he would not be able to wake up from, and it hungered for him.
Tsukune Aono fought it, forcing himself to push harder. His friends needed him, and unless he could free himself from this darkness he wouldn't be able to help them. He hadn't forgotten Mori Retsu's final threat, and it compelled him onward, cementing his determination to reach his friends before Retsu could act on his intentions. He didn't know if he would be able to forgive himself, otherwise.
'Wait for me, guys. I'm coming!'
Together, the three girls sprinted through the winding halls and chambers of the academy's depths, heedless of defenses or wards that may have been put in place to protect the secrets that were kept there. So far, they had been lucky; as Mizore shouted out directions from the map she held, each door they came to was already unsealed, some of them even gaping open as if they were being expected. More worrying was the presence of the Headmaster's black-suited guardians, all of which lay unconscious upon the ground. Unwilling to speak of it, the girls harbored fears that Mori Retsu had already escaped, taking Tsukune with him, but they would face that possibility if it emerged.
"It's right up ahead, through that door!" Mizore cautioned the other two, and the trio paused, forcing themselves to recover from their hectic dash through the school. As their gasping slowed, they exchanged nods, making preparations and ensuring that they were each ready and remembered the plan they had outlined. If Mori Retsu had been released, then they knew that a fight would be inevitable. Steeling themselves, they reached the door and pushed it open, stepping into the chamber where Tsukune was supposed to have been slumbering.
"Welcome, ladies, to the end of your world. I've been expecting you."
Spreading out, the three of them glared at Mori Retsu. He looked much as he had before, at the battle at the cave: the same grey tone to his body, the same arrogant sneer. The obvious difference, however, was the feeling of overwhelming power emanating from him, such that even vampiric Moka looked surprised. Their surprise did not escape him, and his grin grew wider. "As you can see, I have no reason to hold back this time, now that you've been so kind as to feed my machinations. I only have one more role for you to fulfill, and then you can enjoy your final rest."
Before Moka could respond, Kurumu pointed past Retsu, at the bier behind him and the body lying atop it. "Look! It's Tsukune! He's still here!" The succubus' eyes brightened with relief before she turned her gaze back to Retsu, her taloned fingernails extending. "We're not too late!"
"No, I would say that you're just in time. He still clings to life, though just barely. Thus, you have made it here in time to join him."
Tiring of the monster's threats, Moka stepped forward, her crimson eyes narrowing. "Why are you doing this? Why go through all this trouble to target Tsukune?"
"He talked too much already, don't encourage him," Mizore quipped from beside Moka, her hands freezing into claws of ice.
"It's simple. I intend to subject this entire school of monsters to the same sort of pain you've felt, by attuning myself to the school's magic barrier using this artifact," Retsu stated, holding up the duplicate of the Headmaster's talisman, "and then, once the constant terror and misery has reduced your classmates' minds to animal instinct and brutality, loose them upon the human world. Imagine the feast of terror and agony I shall have then!" Throwing his head back, he howled with laughter. "And it wouldn't be possible without you, without your catatonic friend. He shall be the conduit I need to power my efforts. As for you…" Mori Retsu leered at them each in turn. "You shall be the power source. The wealth of suffering I need to bring nightmares to the world!"
"You're right, Mizore. He does talk too much." Moka stepped forward, clutching the Belmont whip in here left hand and motioning Mori Retsu onward with her right. "Come on, then, and show us how scary you can be, because you've not impressed me yet."
"Impudent wretch! You don't know what you bring upon yourself!" The monster glowered at her, but calmed himself, forcing a smile back onto his face. Nonchalantly, he placed the crucifix in one of his pockets. "Very well, then. Witness your demise."
Though he didn't move, a sound like tearing silk resounded through the room, and slowly a pair of midnight-black wings unfolded behind Mori Retsu, spreading wide and flapping once thunderously. Turning his face to the side and deliberately covering his mouth, as if hiding a cough, he exhaled loudly into his palm. That done, he slowly turned his hand towards them, with all the flair of a magician revealing his newest trick. Gathered in his palm was a clump of black sand, which began to fall downwards. It never reached the ground, stopping just below Retsu's knee and collecting as if it were filling an invisible container. Quickly it rose up to Retsu's hand, more sand then he possibly could have held, then higher, forming a thick shaft and expanding at the top, taking on the shape of a curved blade. When it was done, Mori Retsu closed his hand around the staff of a weapon, a wickedly-gleaming scythe.
"Cower in fear, for I am Morpheus, Herald of Thanatos!" Swinging the scythe sharply down to his right, he closed his eyes and exhaled in ecstasy. "I am a god."
"Anyone else think he has serious ego problems?" Kurumu asked, disturbed by the display.
"Overcompensation, perhaps." Mizore shook her head slowly.
"Enough of your banter! Come and die!" Retsu glanced behind him, sliding the scythe towards the still body of Tsukune. "Unless…"
"Mizore, now!" Moka barked, and the snow girl nodded. She did not charge, however; instead, two other forms raced into the room, sprinting directly at Retsu with claws held behind them. His surprise increased when he realized that they were both clones of Mizore, down to the identical expressions of determination, but as they leapt at him he swung into action. The scythe arced before him, catching both clones across their waists and continuing on without slowing. Instantly, both copies of Mizore shattered into shards of ice, but as the pieces fell they reformed, extending into the shape of a massive hand that caught Retsu around the waist.
Kurumu literally dove into the action, her bat-like wings sprouting from her back and propelling her into the air. She swooped down at him, claws held before her, aiming at his face. She never reached him, however, as he swung his hand before him, shattering the frozen hand into a wave of frost and shards that pelted Kurumu, blinding her. Moka moved to attack in place of the succubus, but suddenly he was gone. 'So fast! Where did-'
"Enough of your tricks, girl." Mizore's eyes widened as she heard the voice behind her. "You'll be first."
"Mizore, no!" Both of Moka and Kurumu turned, lunging back towards their friend, but they were too slow, far too slow.
The scythe swung in a flat arc behind Mizore, passing through her completely at chest level.
There was no blood, no sign that she had been harmed, but still Mizore collapsed to the ground, her eyes sliding closed. Retsu chuckled as she fell, vanishing again before she struck the ground. Kurumu ran to her fallen friend, but Moka whirled, searching for the villain with an expression saturated with hatred. When she found him standing behind the bier, she hesitated, shocked at what he was doing.
"Don't worry for her, she is only sleeping," Mori Retsu addressed Kurumu, who was kneeling at Mizore's side. Indeed, the snow girl was breathing, painfully slowly, but showed no other sign of life. "No, you should envy her, truly." Retsu held his hand out before him, extending it over Tsukune's chest. Above it floated an orb of purest white light, the size of a schoolroom globe and pulsing to match the slowed rhythm of Mizore's heart. He removed his hand, and the orb gliding down, disappearing into Tsukune's chest. "She gets to be the first to join with him."
Kurumu stood up from Mizore's side, her head hanging low. "It'll be up to you, Moka," she whispered, flexing her hands. The vampire didn't acknowledge her, instead charging at the bier, legs tensed as she prepared to leap over it. Just as she took to the air, Kurumu struck, thick veins of darkness sprouting from the ground around Mori Retsu and wrapping around him, trapping his arms to his sides, binding the scythe. He glanced down at his weapon, his expression one of panic, and then up into the air as Moka's foot descended towards his face.
"Your powers of illusion have no hold over me, little succubus." The voice in Kurumu's ear made her freeze, staring in shock as Moka's attack struck the ground where Mori Retsu had been standing. "Now, let me give you to your love."
Moka whirled, seeing the fading light in Kurumu's eyes as she toppled forward, the scythe finishing its arc, the orb of pure black appearing over Retsu's open left hand, the hungry leer upon his face. She rounded the bier in an instant, dashing towards him without any thought to defense, only the desire to see his blood. "Damn you!" He didn't move as she came, taunting her with his smile, scythe at the ready.
Her first strike, a kick aimed at his midsection, was intercepted by the handle of the scythe. With some satisfaction, Moka noted his loud grunt; he had underestimated her, and that would be fatal. Seizing the opportunity, she launched a volley of attacks, hoping to catch him off guard with her speed as well as her power. There, though, he proved far more prepared, narrowly dodging each swing and kick, retreating back towards the room's entrance.
Determined to force him off balance, Moka swept her leg out at his ankles. Retsu managed to hop backward in time, but the orb he held aloft and his unwieldy weapon had made him top-heavy, and his heel caught, pitching him backwards. Moka pounced at the moment of weakness, diving at him, drawing her fist back to strike at his face.
Again, his look of surprise gave way to smug satisfaction. Quickly he raised his left hand, holding the black sphere he had drawn from Kurumu in front of his face. "Don't touch!" Moka jerked her hand to the side, trying to miss it, just barely grazing-
She could feel Kurumu's pain, her fear. She could feel the love Kurumu had for Tsukune, and the trepidation it caused. She could feel the loneliness, the hope, the despair…
The fist, wrapped around the handle of the scythe, caught Moka in the stomach, flinging her back across the room. She slammed into the bier that held Tsukune, the straps securing him to it the only thing keeping him from being forced off of it. Coughing as she tried to force down the bile that had risen in her throat, Moka glanced up to see Mori Retsu standing before her, scythe held behind him in preparation for the final blow. Desperately she threw herself to the side, pushing herself away as she readied her trump card for her next gambit.
The sharp crack echoed through the room, and Mori Retsu looked down at the studded leather cord wrapped around the handle of his scythe. "Do you really think that will help?" he asked, unconcerned.
"It will keep you from moving so fast. You can only come at me head on now, and it won't be easy for you to swing that thing. That's all I need." Moka pulled on the Belmont, drawing it taut.
"Maybe. Or.." Mori Retsu leaned back, pulling Moka forward as he shifted his stance. With all his weight on one leg, he lashed out with the other, slamming his foot into the stretched whip and pushing it to the side. Unprepared for the powerful tug, Moka's hands slipped on the handle of the Belmont, and despite her efforts the whip was pulled from her hands.
"No-!" Already the transformation was occurring, her hair darkening, her eyes losing their crimson sheen. She fell forward, grasping at the receding handle too late to catch it. Without warning, darkness interposed itself between her and the Belmont, and she glanced up to see the gleeful smile of Mori Retsu, his weapon held ready behind him.
"I had been waiting for that to happen."
Moka never felt the touch of the blade, never felt herself reach the ground. All she knew was the grasping darkness, and then nothing at all.
Mori Retsu let the scythe fall to the ground, extending his right hand to collect the energy of the fallen vampire. Immediately the orb began to form above his hand, scarlet shot through with silver. It was perfect.
He walked towards Tsukune's prone body, stopping only to kick the Belmont into a dark corner of the room like a dead serpent, an act more of spite than any concern. Nothing could stop him now, and there were only a couple of tasks left. First, though, came the union. He let both orbs slide down into Tsukune, first the black and then the scarlet, before dusting his hands and reaching into a pocket to grasp the crucifix he had kept there.
"Now that the pain of living and the pain of dreaming mingle, so shall the Key be completed. Let their pain fill you, and deliver it unto me, so that my desires shall be realized." Mori Retsu intoned the ritual words gravely, smiling down at Tsukune. Everything had led up to this: the nightmares that he had given the girls, his deliberately designed initial battle with Moka and possession of Tsukune, his efforts to alter the trio's memories of Tsukune's reaction. Now, the essences of the girls would weigh Tsukune's soul down into the heart of the River Lethe, and the conduit would then be ready. All he would need to do then would be to sever Tsukune's connection to the living world, and with a gesture the scythe flew into his empty hand, ready to complete that task.
First, though, he needed to prepare his connection to the school's magic barrier. That would give the other ritual time to complete, and then he could unleash his newfound power onto all of those who dwelt within the borders of the Yokai Academy, condemning them to tormented slumber until he chose to release them onto the human world. Raising the magic talisman, he could feel its power, its bond with the magic that permeated the school, and began to let it infuse him with that connection.
He glanced down at Tsukune, smiling coldly. "Rest well." Then he closed his eyes, and let his mind soar outward, to grasp the essences of all the monsters of Yokai Academy. He could feel them all, and let his darkness begin to seep into them, marking them with his power, readying to receive his dark visions.
Nothing could stop him now.
Author's Note: The end. (chuckle) That would go over well, wouldn't it? Hey, there's a way to give the villain a happy ending! Cut the story a few chapters short, call it good, move on.
Yeah, I didn't think that was a good idea, either.