A/N Hello everyone, hope you're all doing well for yourselves. Before we begin the chapter, the OC in the first scene is not mine, he's used with permission by Francisco Devilman Warrior, that was very courteous of him to donate him.
"Is he another Red Shirt?"
No.
"Another Spotlight Stealer?"
"A Gary Stu?"
Not if I can help it.
And thanks also goes to p17oyDONju9n for help with Japanese, be sure to read his new story What? My fiancee is a Vampire? It's a riot.
"And you get think think lustfully of the characters. We know how you think, Author, don't try to fool anyone here."
Sigh, everyone's a critic. Anyway, before we begin, I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevnia, they are the licensed properties of their rightful owners. So, without further ado, on with the show.
Part II Chapter XV
The Path Is Set
Situated within the western part of Tokyo, in one of the less affluent parts of the sprawling city, a lone man slept soundly in this third-story apartment, exhausted after a long night's work. The sounds of the city outside were muffled by his closed window, yet they did nothing to disturb his rest, which was sorely needed.
Suddenly, a crackling sound came from outside, which resembled sparkling electricity. It annoyed the man somewhat but not enough to awaken him. The crackling was followed by a loud crash, which instantly awakened him from his slumber. He immediately jumped out of bed, and looked about the area. He then turned to the window, opened it and looked outside. Once he did he saw what appeared to be two female bodies, lying atop the collapsed roof of a parked car with the complex lot. "What the hecht," he asked aloud, bewildered about how it had actually.
The awakened figure quickly threw on a tank top, that clung tightly to his powerful physique, honed through years of diligent training. He also threw on a rugged pair of blue jeans, along with an old pair of gray sneakers, and the keys to the complex. He then ran out of the room and headed for the door.
After a few moments he made his way outside, then headed around the building to the complex parking lot. He looked about and saw no one else nearby, though he knew the crash would've undoubtedly attracted attention, especially from the other tenants who were still home. He quickly made his way to the crash scene, and saw two motionless teenage girls atop the remains of an old Toyota Corolla. "Oh shoot," the man remarked, "the landlord." He took a closer look and saw one of the girls had somewhat unruly purple hair, very pale skin, and a strange circlet on her brow. The end of what appeared to be a lollipop, miraculously still placed inside her mouth after the crash, was visible. She was clad in a white hoodie with blue sleeves, with a black tank top underneath. She also wore a disturbingly short yellow checkerboard skirt, which looked somewhat familiar to him, along with lavender and purple striped stockings. He looked to the other girl, and saw she had cyan hair, partially done up in a barrette. Her complexion was rosier than her unconscious associate, and her face had a heart shape to it. She wore a common white blouse, with a string tie around her neck. The girl was fortunately breathing, as denoted by the rise and fall of her large chest. The man quickly shook off any carnal thoughts he might've had, and looked elsewhere. He saw she wore a similar skirt to her associate, baggy white socks and black shoes. He quickly looked back to her torso, and saw what appeared to be a strange brooch on her chest, which resembled a rose that hadn't yet bloomed.
"What the hecht was that," a man's voice called out from what above.
"Oh my word," a woman's voice exclaimed, "are they even alive?"
"Cruz-san," a third voice chimed in, "what the hecht happened down there?"
The man looked up, and saw several of the tenants looking out the window towards the chaotic scene. "Don't worry," he replied aloud to his neighbors, "I'll handle this."
"Shouldn't we call an ambulance," a housewife asked, her hair done up in curlers.
"Nah, I'll be fine," he replied as he waved at the people upstairs. He saw most of them seemed quite dubious, yet they pulled their heads back inside regardless.
Alone again, he quickly turned back to the girls, and gently began moving them off the car. He winced a bit as he felt the purple-haired girl's body felt inordinately cold. He quickly shook it off and placed her over his shoulder. He did the same to the other girl, and slowly made his way back towards the complex. He knew going around to the front would've quickly gotten attention, especially since ti seemed to be midday. He looked to the fire escape, and though he realized it would've been quite an arduous task, especially since he would've had to carry two bodies up to the third floor, he saw little recourse in the matter.
He carefully made his way up, and tried not to bump their heads on anything. Fortunately the fire escape was in great working condition, and he was thankful the landlord had taken such pains to ensure the tenants' escape route was secure. After a few minutes, though it seemed like an eternity to him, he climbed up to the third floor. He placed the pair on their shapely behinds, then paused to get the thought out of his mind. He then turned to the window, and grimaced as he found it was locked on the other side. With a heavy sigh, he looked down to the unconscious pair. "Don't go anywhere," he said to them, shook his head of somewhat unruly dark hair, then quickly headed back down.
The man quickly made his around to the front, got his keys and opened the front door of the complex. He then made his way up to the third floor, and went back inside his apartment. He quickly headed to the back window where the fire escape laid outside, unlocked the window and opened it. He then climbed through the window, picked up the unconscious girls and brought them inside.
He laid the purple-haired girl on the couch in his living room, and the cyan-haired girl on his bed. A soft groan came from her as she was placed on the reasonably soft mattress. "Tsukune," she spoke in a barely audible whisper.
The man looked to her for a moment, then to her compatriot in the living room. After looking between them a few times, he scowled to himself and folded his arms under his chest. "Why do I get the feeling I've seen these two somewhere before?" He groaned to himself, as he instinctively knew he wouldn't have liked the answer. "Ah, no matter. Better get 'em out of here before-"
"CRUZ!" an angry and elderly male voice shouted from the other side of his front door.
A weary sigh came from the man. "Too late."
Yukari groaned wearily as she finally began to regain consciousness. She blinked her violet eyes a couple of times before they finally stayed open.
"[Ah, you're finally awake, my child,]" a strange voice spoke from nearby.
With a sharp inhale, she sat up and quickly took in her surroundings. She found herself in a very dark room, lit only by a candle which laid by the nightstand. By her bedside was an unfamiliar old man, with neatly groomed silvery white hair and matching beard. He wore a kind expression on his clearly foreign features, and his attire identified him as a member of the Catholic Church, which gave her a good idea about her location. "Where am I," she asked hesitantly.
"Um, konnichiwa," the stranger began in heavily accented Japanese, "watashi wa Păcuraru Nandru." He hummed uncertainly to himself. "[Was that right? Forgive me, I've... little experience in speaking Japanese.]"
"Close enough!" the small girl replied happily. "Watashi wa Sendo Yukari-chan," she continued, as she motioned to herself. "Um, where am I?"
The elderly man wore a puzzled look, like he wasn't sure about how to have responded. "[This is Wygol Village,]" he replied in his own language. He quickly noted the puzzled look on Yukari's face before he continued. "[Deep within Wallachia, a province of Romania.]"
The small witch gasped in shock, and her violet eyes went wide. "[I'm in Romania,]" she asked with a terrified look.
Nandru nodded quickly in response, surprised by her response.
The brunette tried hard not to tremble at what she'd just heard, as she knew the implications. "Oh no, I'm practically on Dracula's doorstep! But where are the others," she fearfully asked the old priest. "Moka-san, Kurumu-san, Mizore-san, Ruby-san, Michiru-san?"
"[I'm sorry,]" the aged man replied with a shake of his gray head, "[but the only one we found was you,]" he explained, as he repeatedly pointed towards her.
Yukari blinked a couple of times, and quickly deduced what he meant by his actions. "Me, just me? Oh no, this is terrible, desu! They could be anywhere, anytime!" Feelings of despair welled up in her teenage heart, and she wailed aloud, appalled at her predicament.
"[It's alright, child,]" the elder spoke soothingly as he gently held the grieving girl. "[We'll find them, somehow.]"
Yukari continued to weep, mortified that their quest could've gone so dreadfully awry before they'd found Tsukune. And though she couldn't have understood the old priest's words, his embrace made her feel more at ease. Though she knew it would've been difficult to have overcome the language barrier, she silently vowed to do it in order to find her missing friends.
Suddenly, her violet eyes went wide, as a supremely powerful and dark presence reached her senses, one she'd felt before. "This aura, it's him!"
"[What is it, my child,]" Nandru asked with a concerned look.
"Păcuraru-san, Dracula is here!" the witch exclaimed fearfully. "He must be looking for us, desu!"
"[Dracula,]" the old priest asked with an unconvinced look, "[that's absurd! This is a house of God, Dracula cannot possibly enter!]"
"But it's him!" Yukari insisted. "I'd recognize that evil aura anywhere! Don't you see, we're all in danger, desu!"
As the man of the cloth looked to her in confusion, the bedroom door swung open, and a stranger in his forties quickly entered the room, a burning oil lamp in his right hand. "[Elder!]" he spoke frantically.
The old man quickly turned to him. "[What is it, Costin?]"
"[Elder,]" the man continued with an intimidated look, "[Lord Alucard has just arrived!]"
"[Ah!]" the priest replied joyfully. "[I see now! That must be who young Sendo-san sensed a few moments ago!]"
The newcomer gave him a baffled look. "[She actually sensed his presence, from this far away?]"
"[Indeed, she is definitely one of the Five Maidens mentioned in the prophecy. Lord Alucard couldn't have come at a better time.]"
Yukari looked between the pair, incredulous that they could've actually been relieved during such a situation. "What is wrong with you people," she asked in exasperation. "Don't you realize who that is," she continued as she pointed in the direction of the demonic aura. "That's Dracula, the King of Vampires! He'll destroy everything in his path in order to find me, desu!"
"[No, my child,]" Nandru retorted, "[you're mistaken! He is not an enemy, he is an ally, one of the three who slew Dracula ten years back. You have nothing to fear from him.]"
The small witch groaned in aggravation, looked about and quickly found her wand on the nightstand. She procured it, threw the blankets off herself, practically leaped out of the bed and ran through the open door.
"[Wait, come back, young Sendo-san!]" the elder called out, but his words went unheeded.
The child prodigy raced through the hallway, the only light coming from one of her tarot cards. She felt the aura came from the stairwell up head, and she quickly descended it. She turned right, saw a doorway at the end of the hall, and passed through it.
Yukari came out into what appeared to be the church's assembly hall, lined on both sides by several pews. She tightly clutched her wand, as she sensed the aura's owner was inside the hall. She quickly looked about, and saw a tall stranger in the middle of the hall, clad in a floor-length black cloak. Though he wasn't quite as towering as she'd expected, there was no doubt the aura she'd sensed earlier belonged to him.
The young witch mustered her courage, and stepped into the middle of the hallway to confront the dark stranger. "You," she began, trying to sound brave despite the fear in her heart, "I don't know how you found me, but I won't let you take me as you did Tsukune-san!"
The stranger hummed in confusion, and raised one eyebrow in response.
"In the name of the great Sendo family," Yukari declared, "I shall banish you from this world, Demon King!" She thrust her wand into the air. "Bronze pots, come forth! Smite the lord of all evil!" Over two dozen washbasins appeared above the witch, and then smashed down repeatedly onto their target, who seemed more baffled than injured. "I'll never forgive you for what you've done to my friends!" the small witch declared, as she held her wand aloft. "LYRICAL MAGICAL HAPPY HEART!" A slew of iron tarots then shot forth and rained down upon her enemy, damaging not only him but the pews on both sides. She quickly looked around for more possible weapons, and found several tomes in the front aisle. "Don't think you're getting off easy, you big bully! I'm throwing the book at you!" She levitated all the holy tomes with her magic, and hurled them consecutively at the flustered man before. "I'll throw everything I've got to defeat you, including the kitchen sink!" She materialized a huge sink above her opponent, which crashed down onto his cranium and shattered. The man staggered back a step, then seemed to disappear in a cloud of mist.
"Hmm," Yukari asked, as she cautiously went into the hall, "where'd he go?"
She took four more steps forward, then cringed as she felt a titanic demonic aura behind her, which dwarfed what she'd sensed at the academy and drove her down to her knees. She cried out in pain, as the oppressive force felt like it was crushing her entire being.
"WHAT do you think you're doing," an aggravated voice demanded from behind.
Yukari groaned in response, as she struggled to resist the nigh incomprehensible power of her enemy. "You won't break me, Dracula! I'll never bend to your will, desu!"
The aura relented for a moment, then she felt herself picked up off the floor, and spun around to have faced her opponent. "Do I look like Dracula to you," he asked with an insulted expression.
"Hmph, don't think you're fooling anyone with those bishounen looks, you're still the lord of evil and darkness and hate, desu! Now where's Tsukune-san?"
The cloaked man growled in aggravation, as his eyes glowed red.
"[Um, Lord Alucard,]" the elder's voice asked cautiously from the doorway, "[what is going on here?]"
The vampire quickly placed his captive on the floor and turned to the newcomer. "[Who is this,]" he demanded with a vexed look as he pointed to the small girl.
The aged man peered towards him, and the child prodigy beside him. "[Ah, I see you've, met young Sendo-san.]"
Costin soon passed through the doorway, and shone his light upon the assembly hall. He gasped as he saw the damaged pews and scattered tomes. "[My word, what has happened here?]"
Nandru's eyes went wide as he surveyed the damage. He then recalled what happened a few minutes ago, and then gazed reproachfully at the small girl as he approached her. "[Sendo-san! Is this your doing?]"
Yukari groaned in chagrin as she backed away, a guilty expression on her young face. Though she didn't understand his words, she understood his expression only too well.
"[Sendo-san, I'm disappointed in you,]" the old priest continued as he walked towards the ashamed girl. "[Look at all the damage you've wrought! Don't you realize this is a house of God? How do you think He will view your actions here? Now apologize to Lord Alucard at once, it's the least you can do.]"
"But, I didn't mean to cause this much damage," the brunette replied defensively as she looked towards him, "I was only trying to stop Dracula!" she explained as she pointed at the cloaked figure.
"Who are you calling Dracula!" the tall man demanded as he glared down at her.
"You!" Yukari shot back as she stood on her tiptoes and returned his glare.
Costin blinked in incomprehension as he looked in between the two hostile individuals. "[Wait a minute, she felt his aura and thought he was Dracula?]" His mouth dropped open as a startled look crossed his features. "[How would she even know what Dracula's aura feels like, he's been dead for ten years, she'd have been scarcely more than a toddler then. There's no way she could've encountered him before then.]" A disturbing thought came to his mind, and he looked to the blonde man. "[He is still dead, isn't he my Lord? Please tell me he's still dead, please tell me Lord Belmont didn't die for nothing!]"
"[NOT ANOTHER WORD!]" the cloaked figure screamed at the top of his lungs as he pointed towards the suddenly frightened watchman. The tall man sent a scathing glare towards him, and Yukari could've envisioned a literal inferno of emotions behind his formerly stoic gaze. Though she admittedly wasn't as knowledgeable of people's feelings as Kurumu, she could tell the night watchman had hit a nerve, and a very painful one at that. She waited for over a minute, as she feared the blonde man could've lashed out at any of them at that juncture. His cloaked form slowly stopped trembling, and he wore a more composed expression on his pale face. "[Where's Marissa,]" he finally asked.
"[She's not here anymore, my Lord,]" the younger man replied with a rueful shake of his head, "[she left the village after the great battle and never returned.]"
"[What,]" the blonde man asked an incensed look. "[What does she think she's doing? I told her to stay here and not interfere with the world any longer. And now I find out she's defied me?]"
"[With all due respect, my Lord,]" the priest interjected, "[what were you expecting? She'd lost most of her family, and then Lord Belmont himself perished. Did you really think she'd live out the rest of her life, constantly being reminded of everything she'd lost?]"
"[She would've been reunited with them once she passed on,]" the cloaked figure countered, "[she should've been content with that. And besides, the war is over, mankind no longer has to fear the night. It was our duty to disappear from the world, so it could move beyond him.]" he concluded with a rather sour look.
Nandru sighed gravely as he regarded the blonde man. "[You really don't understand a woman's heart, do you my Lord?]"
"[She'll get over it, she must. She is a Belnades, eternally bound to fight against evil. Refusing her calling is not an option.]"
"[Nay, my Lord, this battle is not hers. The war has not ended, and the time for the Five Maidens of Destiny has come.]"
The cloaked figure gave him a withering look. "[What?]"
"[Yea, for it was foretold, that the great prophet would be silenced, and his words stolen away. And one day the Devil's image shalt appear in the house of God, and that will signify the coming of the Five Maidens, who shall go forth to the Old House of Darkness, where those who desire the resurrection shall gather.]"
"[Five Maidens,]" the blonde man asked with a suspicious look, "[what sort of nonsense is this?]"
"[Tis not nonsense, my Lord, tis a closely guarded secret within the Church, only a select few knew of its existence, lest the Dark Lord attempt to undermine it, and thus throw the whole world into chaos. Alucard, you are the Guardian of the prophecy, whose is destined to guide these five young girls to their destiny. Young Sendo-san is but one of them,]" he continued as he gestured to the small girl, "[you must find the rest, before the servants of darkness spirit them towards destruction.]"
"[Hold on, Nandru!]" the cloaked being interrupted. "[Did Julius put you up to this? This sounds like one of those silly books he got in Japan, I thought you knew better than to believe anything he said.]"
"[Nay, my Lord, twas not young Belmont, the prophecy came through his ancient ancestor, Simon Belmont, which he relayed to the Church before the birth of his only child.]"
The vampire's face suddenly became flush with rage at what he'd just heard. "[WHY WASN'T I TOLD OF THIS!]" he all but exploded, which terrified everyone in the hall. "[If anyone should be entrusted with a Belmont prophecy it should be me! Did Simon Belmont really think I couldn't be trusted?]"
"[Please try to understand, my Lord, Saint Germain warned the Church to protect the prophecy and not to implement it until the appropriate time, lest a temporal paradox occur and rip the world asunder.]"
The cloaked being scowled at the priest, and placed his hands on his hips. "[So in other words, I just wasted two hundred years of my life putting together a plan to destroy Dracula completely that was destined to fail! And now you people tell me of this obscure prophecy that I couldn't be trusted with and you expect me to meekly follow its instructions?]"
"[But my Lord-]" the holy man interjected, desperately trying to appease the incensed figure before him.
"[Forget it, I'm not gonna be made a fool of anymore! If you want to babysit a bunch of children, be my guest. But leave me out of it!]" He then spun on his heel and stormed towards the exit of the church. He then swung the double doors open and made his way outside, and they slammed shut behind him with an undeniable finality.
Yukari cringed as the cloaked being left the church, and found her anxiety hadn't waned with his departure. Her nigh nonexistent knowledge of Romanian made the situation even more confusing. "What was that about," she asked the old priest, who gave her a grave look.
"[I'm sorry you had to see that, child. This battle, has been very personal for Lord Alucard. He's made countless sacrifices in order to overcome his cursed sire. He must now feel his whole battle has been in vain.]" He shook his head as he continued to look towards the doors. "[Neither of them take well to failure, one trait they actually share.]"
"[Elder,]" Costin spoke to him, "[what do we do now?]"
The aged man sighed wearily as his shoulders stooped visibly. "[We must be patient with Lord Alucard, yet they will need his help, and soon, for the dark ones have already begun to move.]"
Yukari groaned to herself, as she felt her chances had just grown dimmer. "Tsukune-san," she spoke to herself.
Tsukune groaned wearily as he began to rouse from his unconscious stupor. His eyes slowly came open, and he habitually blinked them a few times in order to have cleared his vision. Once it had, he saw his surroundings hadn't changed. Moreover, the chains that once bound him had suddenly returned. He gasped in shock, and then remembered it had only occurred in his dream, and groaned in chagrin, aghast that he'd essentially become a prisoner again.
"It's been a long time," a soft yet serious voice spoke from nearby, "Tsukune-san."
The bound youth's head quickly came off the bed. "Who's there," he demanded, as he frantically looked about. After a moment, he saw a mysterious figure on the left side of the room, who stood beside what appeared to be a high bureau.
"Did you have good dreams," the stranger as asked as it stepped out of the shadows, which revealed a very feminine shape, clad in a form-fitting dark green dress with a rather short hem, which revealed her long shapely legs. A hooded cloak concealed her features, though he could've barely made out an impish smile under her hood.
"How do you know that!" the captive demanded with an incensed look. "Are you one of Dracula's goons?"
The young woman giggled to herself in response. "Oh, come now, Tsukune-san, do you really believe that?" She then tiled her head to the side. "As for how I know," she went on as she looked down his body, "the evidence speaks for itself."
The brown-haired youth looked down his body, and saw a familiar bulge in the front of his pants, which actually throbbed beneath the fabric. Even worse, he knew he'd released from the succubus' pleasurable actions, which ashamed him to no end.
"She's marked you, Tsukune-san," the newcomer continued in a serious voice. "Now there's nowhere on earth you can hide from her. Whenever you dream, she'll be there."
The former academy student grimaced at that. Deep down he knew Lilith wasn't on his side, not with all the nightmares she put him through. And yet, he couldn't deny he enjoyed her embrace, as well as the kiss she gave him. She even saved him from the winged woman who'd sought his life. Even then, he could feel his body longing for her once more. "What am I supposed to do," he asked bitterly, "not dream? Even if I could do that, then what? What do I do then," he demanded as he looked towards the stranger. He looked away again, as his feelings of isolation returned.
"If you give up now, Tsukune-san," the woman's voice replied, "you'll never find out. And above you, you must not give in. Lilith is not your friend, Tsukune-san, underneath that overdeveloped body lies a black heart, one that desires Moka-san's death, along with that of your other friends, especially Kurumu-san."
The brown-haired youth abruptly turned his head back to her. "Who are you!" he demanded with a fierce look. "How do you know this!"
"I can't answer the first question, it's against the rules. As for the second-" She got no further as footsteps came from the other side of the door, which promptly swung open seconds later.
Standing within the currently open doorway was an aged man with long silvery white hair, pulled back in a ponytail. A wild beard covered half of his face, as his eyes were narrowed in suspicion. "[Who's there!]" he called out. Tsukune winced in chagrin, watched as he looked about the area, and sniffed a few times. The bound youth winced in response, as he realized the newcomer was searching for any unfamiliar scents. He grimaced where he laid, as the old man came up to the bed, and continued to sniff. A deep frown was barely visible on his bearded visage. "[Where is she,]" he demanded of the youth.
"Huh," Tsukune offered in response, as he couldn't have understood a word the elder said.
"[Don't play stupid with me, I know someone else is here! You were speaking to her, among other things.]"
The former academy student groaned in response, as he knew exactly what the elder was talking about.
"It's alright," the strange woman whispered into Tsukune's ear, as she placed her gloved fingertips over his lips, "I'm not actually here, so he won't be able to find me. Just don't give me away, okay?"
Tsukune silently agreed, and watched as the old man looked about the bed. He even got on his knees and looked under it, sniffing all the time. He then straightened up, and came around to the strange woman's side. Tsukune looked on nervously, and his eyes went wide as the elder fazed through the cloaked being, wholly oblivious to her presence. He gave the bound youth a quizzical look, and the captive merely returned it and nothing more. The old man then searched the back of the room where the large bureau was located. He searched around the legs for a few moments, then straightened up, lifted the bureau off the floor to moved it to the side. Tsukune inhaled sharply, shocked that the supposedly aged being was capable of such a feat of strength. Once he did, he saw a window was located behind it. The old man inspected the window for a few moments, opened it and then looked outside. After a few more seconds, he closed it shut, then moved the bureau back into place, and hummed in disappointment.
The newcomer made his way towards the doorway, and stopped just before it. "[If you're thinking of escaping,]" he began, not looking over his shoulder, "[don't. It will be dawn soon, and once you pass through the barrier you'll die. Save yourself the trouble, you'll live longer that way.]" He then passed through the opening, and closed the door behind him. Clicking sounds came from the other side, which told Tsukune the door was locked.
"What was that about," the bewildered youth asked.
"See," the mysterious woman replied with a wide smile, "I told you there was nothing to worry about. Just wait a little bit, soon the whole village will be asleep, they're nocturnal creatures after all."
"But, what about Senpai," Tsukune asked in a low voice as he turned to her, "I can't just leave him here, he's my friend."
The cloaked being smiled, and ruefully shook her head. "You really think he's your Senpai? Listen to me, Tsukune-san, this is not Osaka, you're in danger here. In that sense, Lilith spoke truthfully, for a change," she remarked in a rather sarcastic tone. "But these people will kill you eventually, you should escape while you can. But, just wait until after they're all asleep, it won't be long now. Good luck, Tsukune-san," she finished, then leaned in and placed a light kiss on his cheek. After that, a golden sphere appeared around her, and she disappeared into it.
The brown-haired youth balked at that, stunned by her affectionate departure. He blinked several times, as he tried to process what had just occurred. "Who was that," he asked himself, "it was like, she knew me personally." He then considered her words, and decided to stay his hand for the time being, as he knew his opportunity would've come soon. "Hold on, Moka-san," he spoke to himself, as he concentrated deeply on her image. "I'll come for you, eventually."
Across the globe, it was just around noon at a local Japanese eatery. The store interior was rectangular in shape, with one entrance near the southwest corner, and an exit by the east side. The counter was situated but a few steps from the front entrance, with all the tables to its right. A young woman taking care of her grandfather had just received their order, and led the elder to a nearby table. There were easily a dozen patrons in the store, which wasn't surprising since it was essentially lunchtime, and everyone who worked around that time came out to eat, so there was no shortage of business for the establishment.
Suddenly, the phone rang, and one of the female workers quickly picked it up. "Hello, Tanaka House of Teriyaki," she spoke pleasantly into the receiver. Her happiness turned into shock, as she soon realized it wasn't an order being placed. "What?" The person on the other end spoke further, and the young woman looked intrigued by what she'd heard. "Is that right?" A confirmation was spoken on the other end. "Okay, I'll keep a look out," she replied with a serious look, and received a relieved response. "Thanks again, bye."
A man nearing forty with a decently wrinkled face came up to her, just as she'd hung up the phone. "What was that about," he asked curiously.
The dark-haired employee turned and saw her supervisor, as well as the owner of the establishment. "Oh, Tanaka-san," she began with a surprised look, "that was the Junior High. They said a suspicious foreign woman came asking about-" She paused and glanced away for a moment, a nervous expression on her face before she turned back to her superior. "-that family who died last year."
The Japanese man raised his eyebrows in interest, and didn't ask her to elaborate. He immediately looked towards the last customers he'd just served, and grimaced for a brief moment before he turned back to his employee. "Did they give a description?"
"Apparently she wore a long gray coat, a wide-brimmed gray hat, and dark sunglasses. She also had a foreign accent, they couldn't quite place it, but they said it definitely wasn't Oriental."
"Hmm, you don't say," the supervisor mused in response.
"Tanaka-san," his employee asked in a barely audible voice, "you don't think, she's a spy or something?"
The older man gave her a quizzical look. "A spy, here? Come now, why on earth would a spy come to this little town? You've been watching too many movies." As he shook his head in disbelief, the sound of a bell ringing came from the front door, which meant another customer had entered the establishment. "Hello," he began as he turned to the person in question, "how can... I-" His words stopped in his throat, as he saw a mysterious woman headed towards the counter, dressed in the exact same attire his coworker had described earlier. He saw her complexion was quite pale when compared to the other patrons, whose chatter quickly stopped as they turned to her.
The newcomer stopped halfway to the counter, and turned towards the refrigerator that held all the soft drinks the store sold. She opened the door, reached in and grabbed a can of what appeared to be tomato juice. The woman turned back towards the counter, and the supervisor saw what appeared to be a black leather collar around her neck. Two links of chain were attached to the front, and whatever hung on the end was concealed beneath the woman's jacket. She stopped in front of the counter, and placed the can upon it. A heavy sense of tension hung over everyone in the building, and especially the supervisor who watched as the newcomer's every move. He was very alert as the stranger produced a ten yen bill from her coat pocket, and blinked as he saw her long and rather deadly-looking fingernails, which gave him even more pause. The woman coughed to get his attention, and he quickly got his mind back on track. He took the bill, and quickly gave the woman her change. "Is there, anything else," he inquired warily.
"Do you know what happened to the Aonos," she asked expectantly in a deep accented voice.
A startled gasp came from amongst the seated individuals. One table of people looked in their direction, looked towards the woman in the gray coat, then quickly got up and nervously left through the rear entrance. The supervisor tried to suppress a gasp himself, yet felt quite nervous by the undoubtedly piercing gaze behind the stranger's shades. He looked to his fellow worker, and saw her shaking slightly beside him.
"Ah, the Aonos," the young woman behind the counter finally said, "I don't recall them having any Russian friends, do you Tanaka-san?"
"Ayako," he whispered urgently out of the side of his mouth. " We're not supposed to talk about that."
"And why is this," the newcomer's voice asked.
Tanaka looked back, and was startled as he saw the woman had leaned over the counter, and clearly heard him. "Hey, not so close! What are you, an eavesdropper or something?"
"Isn't that what spies do," his employee asked.
The mature man tried hard not to respond.
"Hey, what's the rush," an aged male voice demanded amongst the customers. "We just got here and you already want to leave?"
"Oji-san, we need to go," a woman's voice replied urgently. "Come on!"
Tanaka turned his head, and saw his last customers were in the middle of leaving. Or rather, the young woman at the table was trying to convince the elderly man to have departed, but with minimal success.
"But it's my first time out of the house in... forever!" he retorted, quite perplexed and a bit exasperated. "Can't a man enjoy his meal in peace?"
"I'm sorry," she replied, as she lightly took hold of his shoulder, "but we need to go. Now!"
"Not so fast," the newcomer interjected in a measured voice, then began heading towards them. The pair froze as the mysterious woman approached them.
"H-hey!" Ayako protested. "You stay away from Yoshikuni-jii! He hasn't done anything, so don't bother him! Hey, are you listening to me?" She frowned in displeasure, miffed that she'd been ignored. She immediately came from behind the counter, walked up to the woman and grabbed her left arm. "Listen you, I'm not gonna let some nogoodnik bother our paying customers! Cause any more trouble and I'm kicking your buttski out of here. Got it, comrade?"
Tanaka gave her an incredulous look, aghast that she'd let her spy fetish get the better of her in such a situation. He noted most everyone was looking at the scene, and were just as anxious as him.
"You," the strange woman began as she slowly turned her head towards Ayako, "are being, annoying."
The Japanese woman's eyes went wide, as she released her and back up five paces. The man behind the counter gulped nervously, and knew if his underling was correct about her, she could've easily killed her at that juncture. With that in mind, his shaking hand went to the phone.
Moka watched as the young woman backed away, fear evident on her face. Though it created more of a scene than she desired, overall the end result was achieved. She sighed to herself, as she knew her counterpart might've lashed out at her for her impudence. Without another thought, she turned to the hairless old man and the young woman at the table. She then sat herself down and leveled her shaded gaze at them. "Do you know what happened to the Aonos," she asked expectantly.
The old man gasped and trembled in response, while the woman beside him did her best to soothe him. "Please, leave us alone," she began with an almost begging look, "we haven't hurt anyone, n-neither did they."
"And yet they're dead," the incognito vampire pointed out, and leaned across the table. "Why?"
"Y-y-you mustn't ask," the elder replied in a shaking voice, "all who inquire about them are spirited away, never to be seen again."
"I'll take my chances," Moka coolly replied. "If you know what happened, tell me."
The old Japanese man groaned fearfully, and nodded his head. "It was a horrible night," he began timidly, "there was no moon in the sky, even the stars were gone. I heard them scream, oh the screams!" he cried out, and held his head.
"Oji-san!" his granddaughter spoke worriedly.
"Let him finish," the former academy student interjected.
"It was horrible," the senior citizen went on with a terrified look, "the house was aflame, winged demons cheered at the chaos. It was like all the demons of Hell had come to feast upon them!"
There were more gasps in the dining room, as four people quickly got up and left. Moka herself gasped, as she clearly hadn't expected such a demonstrative account. She'd guessed they were murdered, but never thought they would've been exemplified so brazenly.
"It must've been that ghoul from Kaoku no Keiji!" the elder continued. "He has returned to take his measure!"
"Oji-san, stop!" his granddaughter implored. "We'll get in trouble if you say anything else!"
"Is that why the neighborhood's been abandoned," Moka asked, trying to keep her own fear under control, "everyone fled in fear of what happened to Tsukune's family?"
The elderly man inhaled sharply. "You knew them," he asked with a startled look.
"Yes, I knew them. And now that I know who did this, I'll be paying this, ghoul," she continued, an unveiled threat in her voice, "a visit. Where is Kaoku no Keiji?"
"Please," the aged man replied with trembling hands, "I've said too much already. They'll come for me, and you as well! Even if you flee to that old manor on the hill, they will find you!" He gasped to himself, as he felt a strong yet soft grip on his hand. He looked down, and saw the woman's slender hand upon his own.
"I'll be fine," she spoke in a soft whisper, "and thank you." She smiled at the bewildered man, then rose from her seat and walked away.
Moka opened her can of tomato juice, and began to imbibe it as she headed for the front exit. She's just reached the counter when the sound of police sirens reached her ear. She looked out the window, and saw two squad cars had raced into the parking lot. They came to a screeching stop, and four officers quickly made their way out. She closed her eyes and continued to enjoy her drink as hurried footsteps rushed into the eatery.
"You there!" a male voice spoke authoritatively. "You drinking the tomato juice! You are under arrest for trespassing, disturbing the peace, and suspicion to commit espionage! Give yourself up and you will not be harmed!"
The former academy student finished off the rest of her drink, and exhaled in quiet elation. Though it would've never replaced Tsukune's blood, its taste was exquisite in her eyes.
"Did you hear me!" the same voice spoke up, sounding quite aggravated at being ignored. "I said you're under arrest! Give yourself up or you'll be taken by force!"
Moka opened her eyes, and saw four Japanese policemen before her, hostile looks in all their eyes. Their hands were tensed by their sides, as they awaited her next move. She tightened her lips together, as she hadn't expected or desired to have run into the authorities. She would've thought they were only doing their jobs, but the charge of espionage disturbed her, and it coincided with what the senior citizen had revealed, that whoever asked about the Aonos disappeared. It seemed there was some sort of connection, and she planned to find it, along with the haunted house he mentioned earlier.
"Really," she finally spoke, as she placed her empty can on the counter. "Let me think about that for a moment," she continued, and slid her can over the top of the can. In one fluid motion, she forced her hand downwards, and the small container instantly compacted under it.
She slowly looked back at the policemen, who all wore frightened looks on their faces. And it wasn't just them, as the sound of the rest of the patrons hurrying out the rear exit reached her sensitive ears, along with frightened screams. The air was very thick with their fear. She inhaled deeply, and found herself smiling at the aroma as she regarded them. "Still want to try and arrest me," she asked, her smile unfaltering.
The officer in the lead shivered for a moment, then his fear was replaced with an intense stare. "That's it," he declared indignantly and pointed towards the vampire, "take her down!"
"Fools," Moka remarked, as her smile faded.
The first policeman launched himself at her, as he planned to knock her to the ground with a full-body tackle. The agile young woman spun to his right, and caught his shoulder as he passed by. She held it tightly, and then flicked him in the back of the head. His cranium surged forward, and he would've went flying had Moka not held him in place. She released him, and let his unconscious body fall to the floor. She then leaned back as the second officer lunged forward with his nightstick. He quickly recovered, and followed up with a reverse swinging blow with his handheld club, which Moka leaned back to avoid yet again. She then felt her right shoulder grabbed from behind, along with her left wrist. It became apparent that the person in question planned to pin her arm behind her back. She easily broke out of the hold, though not forcefully enough to have sent him flying. She then grabbed his own shoulder, flicked him in the forehead with her free hand, and let him fall to the floor. She then looked out the corner of her eye, and saw the third officer swinging his nightstick towards her head. She ducked out of the way, and the oncoming blow swung harmlessly overhead. She turned to him, and leaned back as he attempted a reverse swing with his handheld weapon. She dodged four more blows in similar fashion, then saw him rear back for an overhead swing. Instead of dodging, she merely caught the descending weapon with her left hand. "Too slow," she remarked, and then flicked him in the forehead, which sent him flying across the dining room. He collapsed on the floor near the exit, and didn't rise again.
Suddenly, a clicking sound reached her ears, one she knew too well. She immediately spun around, streaked towards the last officer at superhuman speed, grabbed his right wrist and his throat, and slammed him against the wall. "You dare point this disgusting thing at me," she growled angrily, as she forced his gun hand out to the side.
The stricken officer half growled and half gagged, hatred in his eyes as he regarded at Moka. He cried out in pain as the grip on his wrist tightened painfully. The sounds of bones cracking became audible, and he lost his grip on his handgun, which clattered to the floor. The vampire glared menacingly at the deadly weapon on the floor, her fangs bared in anger. She then channeled her youki into her legs, raised her left foot with a rising growl and then smashed the gun into several pieces, which scattered across the floor.
The policeman gasped in horror, shocked that his weapon had been destroyed, and with brute strength alone no less. With the grip on his throat released, he quickly clutched it along with his easily bruised wrist. "You'll never get away with this, youkai," he uttered in a raspy voice filled with hate and rage. "Belnades-sama will find you, and she will KILL you!"
Moka leaned forward and brought her face close to that of her victim. "She's welcome to try." She then leaned back, and flicked him in the forehead. She watched as the officer sprawled against the wall, then slid down onto the floor, a glazed look in his eyes. With a rueful shake of her head, the former academy student made her way out the exit, leaving the chaotic scene behind her.
Elsewhere, within Fujimi City, a single bus that belonged to Shinji Koizumi High School stopped near a lone hill, covered with sunflowers as far as the eye could've seen. Once it stopped, the homeroom teacher, Kumiko Konno, stood up and faced her charges. "Alright everyone," she began pleasantly, "we've finally arrived at our destination. Make sure you stick together at all times and let's enjoy this outdoor lunch together."
"Sensei," a student's voice called out from the middle of the bus, "are you sure it's safe to come here?"
"Of course it's safe," the older woman spoke with a reassuring look, "there's nothing to be worried about."
"But wasn't this place known as Witch's Hill, where all those people disappeared?"
"Yeah, I heard about that, too!" a second pupil interjected.
"Now now, that's just a silly rumor," the homeroom teacher spoke with a somewhat evasive and dubious smile. "You really shouldn't believe everything you hear. To be truthful though," she continued with a pensive look, "there were construction plans for this area the previous year, though the plans were scrapped when the plot was bought out by the Catholic Church, who've declared this a public land for anyone to use, within reason of course. However this excludes the area past the stone wall in the north, which has been deemed off-limits."
"Because that's where all the witches were hiding," an inquisitive youth with glasses asked.
"Now stop that!" Konno replied sharply. "No more of this superstitious nonsense! Now everyone off the bus in single file."
A certain brown-haired boy glanced downwards, as his lips tightened in response. "It used to be a haven for evil witches," he thought to himself, "but Belnades-sama exterminated them, and cleansed the land of their stench. She then stopped those greedy materialistic fools and saved this land." He looked out towards the rows of sunflowers that stretched outside the bus window.
"Tai-chan," the girl beside him spoke up, "what are you thinking about?"
The rather sullen boy continued to gaze out the window. "These people owe Belnades-sama so much," he began with a stern look, "they should be more appreciative of her, Hakuba-san."
His classmate groaned in mild aggravation, and lightly shook her head in disbelief. "What do you want them to do," she asked with a longsuffering look, "build a statue of her?"
"That would be a nice gesture," the sophomore mused, his eyes still looking towards the fields outside. "This world should know who its savior is."
"Savior," the orange-haired girl asked in exasperation, "Tai-chan, don't you think you're giving her a little too much credit?"
"Of course not!" the brown-haired youth snapped as he abruptly turned back to her. "Belnades-sama is a hero! A shining invincible light that obliterates the evil that seeks to consume this world! As long as we have Belnades-sama to protect us, we have nothing to fear!"
Suddenly, a brief eruption of derisive laughter came from the behind the pair. "Nothing to fear," a sarcastic female voice asked, "you really think that annoying woman can save your pitiful lives, you're even stupider than you look."
"What did you say!" the sophomore snapped back, as he instinctively sat up and turned towards the accuser, which turned out to be the pig-tailed girl who chuckled evilly at him in homeroom.
"Tai-chan, stop!" Megumi shouted as she pulled on his arm.
"I won't stop!" the angry youth shot back as he refused to budge. "I will not waver in the face of evil!"
"What's going on in there!" a woman's voice demanded. Everyone turned towards the front and saw the homeroom teacher had re-entered, her hands on her hips and a stern gaze on her mature face.
"K-K-Konno-sensei," the Hakuba girl spoke in a frightened voice.
The older woman looked to each student, and her eyes stopped at the formerly overzealous youth. "Explain yourself, Taiki Masahiro-san," she began, though her politeness was noticeably forced, "what was that about someone being, evil," she concluded as she slightly leaned forward.
The sophomore simply stared at her, and offered no response.
"Oh," the pig-tailed girl remarked with an amused smirk, "is that what you're calling yourself now? Hmph, how laughable, thinking you can hide who you really are."
An infuriated rising growl escaped the young man's lips as he turned to his accuser, a look of insane hatred on his face. "DIE DEMON!" he screamed in rage as he began to climb over the seats.
"STOP RIGHT THERE!" Konno shouted as she rushed past Megumi after Taiki, who'd gotten into the aisle. She reached out with her right hand and grabbed the advancing youth's opposite wrist. The enraged sophomore turned suddenly and lunged forth with a right cross, which the faculty member expertly blocked. She then drove a hard knee into his midsection, which doubled him over and made him groan in obvious pain. The next thing she did was push him into a nearby seat.
"Now stay there!" she demanded, as she pointed her finger in her charge's agonized face. "I won't have you threatening your fellow students! You're confined to this bus for the rest of the trip, and you're seeing the principal when we get back! Am I understood?"
"You fool!" the stricken youth spoke through his pain. "They must be destroyed, or they'll kill everyone here! Only Belnades-sama can stop them!"
"Marissa Belnades has no authority in the Tokyo school system," Konno countered evenly, "I do. And it sickens me that I must remind you like this." She then turned towards the driver. "Hamano-san, make sure he stays put until we depart."
"Yes, Konno-sensei."
The older woman then turned to the strange pair in the back. "And that goes for you two as well. I don't know what kind of school you attended before, but we don't tolerate such juvenile antics here. Remember that."
A nervous laugh came from the dark-haired youth. "Yes, Konno-sensei," he replied.
"Meh," his companion added.
The homeroom teacher gave her a hard look, but made no retort. "Now come, we're keeping the rest of the class waiting." She then turned to Megumi with a relatively softer look as she motioned towards the exit.
"But-" the orange-haired girl began.
"No," Konno interrupted in a firm voice, "not this time."
She then gave the seated you a sad look, right before she turned and headed briskly towards the exit.
Taiki watched as his remaining classmates left the bus, as did his homeroom teacher. His head sunk low, not just from the physical pain but from his sudden isolation. "Blast," he thought to himself, "they know who I am. They must be in league with the demon, why else would they have stalked me?" He quickly reached into his back pocket, and pulled out his cellphone. "I need to call Belnades-sama. If she doesn't come here, everyone will be killed!" He looked out the other window, and saw his classmates had already gone out of sight. "Megumi-san," he thought sadly.
The group lunch went on in a relatively peaceful manner, as the students sat amongst the wide sunflower fields, and enjoyed the beautiful display of nature around them. Off in the distance, a couple of students saw the wall their teacher had mentioned earlier.
"Man, I can't believe Masahiro-san went off like that," one of the male students began in between bites of his bento.
"No kidding," another male student interjected, "I mean seriously, demons? Who's he trying to impress?"
"He's trying to impress that Church woman," the bespectacled pupil chimed in, "notice how reverently he speaks of her."
"Not to mention Hakuba-san," a fourth student added with a sly grin, which made all the gathered pupils laugh together.
"Yeah," the second student replied, "I don't get what she actually sees in him, the guy's a freakin' loon!"
"You said it," the first boy added.
A short distance from them, Megumi looked towards the group. A deep sigh escaped her, as deep down she knew they'd spoken about Taiki, which made her homemade lunch lose some of its appeal. She sadly shook her head, as thoughts of her sullen friend came to the forefront of her mind. "Tai-chan," she spoke under her breath. She looked up to the blue sky, and watched as the light cirrus clouds rolled across towards the northern horizon. Around that time, she heard the sound of footsteps from behind her. She looked over her shoulder, and saw her homeroom teacher approaching her, a serious look on her face. "Konno-sensei," the young girl spoke reverently, though surprised by her presence.
"Hakuba-san, please come with me."
The orange-haired girl bowed her head, then nodded in agreement.
She followed her instructor down the dirt path, and they stopped atop a hill. She looked out, and saw a countless number of sunflowers before her, all shining in the noontime sun. At the very edge she saw a high wall, and was certain it was the same one her teacher had mentioned on the bus. She noted the wall didn't quite stretch across the fields, but seemed to branch off at right angles and continue towards the horizon. The more Megumi looked at it, the more she started to believe that something was concealed behind the wall, which made the rumors about the infamous Witch's Knoll seem slightly more plausible.
"Hakuba-san," her elder spoke, which interrupted her train of thought.
The sophomore quickly turned to her. "Yes, Konno-sensei," she asked with an anxious look.
The adult woman turned to her with a grave expression. "Hakuba-san, tell me. What do you see in Masahiro-san?"
The orange-haired girl stammered for several seconds as she tried to verbalize a coherent answer. She laughed nervously as several strands of hair stuck out of place. She sighed to herself, and then regained her composure. "It's just, he looked so lonely back then. He never smiled, never talked to anyone, I just, I just wanted to know what happened to him!" she finally blurted out. "My mother and father, always taught her to try to help those in need, and he definitely looked like he needed help."
Kumiko Konno hummed to herself as she regarded her pupil. "How admirable of you. But Hakuba-san, just because someone might need help doesn't always mean they want it." She paused for a moment, and knit her eyebrows together. "I don't you probably don't want to hear this, but you should know, this isn't his first outburst. And this time he not only threatened his fellow students, but he tried assaulting a faculty member. Can you imagine what'll happen if word of this incident gets back?"
Megumi looked away in shame, as she recalled the times Taiki had gotten into verbal fights with his fellow students, and sometimes physical fights, and mostly over his heavily concealed past and his ties to Belnades. Anyone who spoke ill of his missing family or his benefactor was immediately targeted and denounced by him.
"I know that," the sophomore finally replied, "it's just, I don't want to see him suffer like this!" she declared, as tears came to her eyes. "He shouldn't have to be alone, why won't he let me help him?" As she continued to weep, she felt her teacher wrap her slender arms around her back, and hold her tightly against her. Megumi continued to weep as she returned the gesture.
"As I said," Konno continued with a grave look, "some people don't want to be helped, and some only want it on their terms. And even though it won't help them in the end, they're too stubborn to realize it." She relaxed her hold and gently moved her pupil back. "And Hakuba-san," she continued as she lightly lifted her grieving student's face up, "the last thing I want, is to see you get hurt, because you fell for the wrong boy."
The orange-haired girl sighed to herself, as she looked off to the side and considered her teacher's words.
"Ah, such a beautiful I find myself beholding," an elated male voice began. "Even the sheen of these bountiful posies is as nothing compared to the rapturous beauty of the two of you, together. Truly, I am moved beyond my ability to express, but my heart dictates I strive to do so, regardless of how daunting a task it may be."
Megumi groaned as she recognized the voice. She looked past her teacher and saw the form of the dark-haired transfer student behind her, a broad smile on his handsome features. "Murushi-san," she began with a chagrined look.
The faculty member released her charge and turned to the newcomer. "What are you doing here away from the other students," she inquired with a stern look, her hands on her hips.
"Ah, my dear Konno-sensei," the seemingly enraptured youth began, "your ability to console this poor weeping flower is indeed a marvel to behold, even more so than the grand natural expanse before us. We shall only be here for a short time, we should enjoy it as much as we can before we must return to rather unsightly realm known as, civilization."
The sophomore groaned flatly, unsure about where to be touched or embarrassed by her peers' speeches. Her teacher, however, looked rather exasperated by the display. "Just what do you think you're doing," she demanded firmly.
"Oh my, no need to be offended," Rago began with a supposedly apologetic gesture, "it does not become you. Nor do tears become you, dear Megumi-chan."
The orange-haired girl winced a bit, but couldn't hide the faint blush on her cheeks.
"Yes, the sight of your radiant countenance marred with tears is most disheartening." He looked towards the northern horizon. "Tis a blemish, just like that cold wall out there, an eyesore amongst this boundless beauty. And it should be this way, these lands, as well as yourself, should be pristine, and marveled by all."
Megumi sighed to herself, feeling more touched by the charming stranger.
"Are you quite finished," Konno asked with a longsuffering look. "I don't know what you're trying to prove, but the last thing Hakuba-san needs right now is a stranger trying to flirt with her. If you have nothing else better to do, then return to the other students. I'm sure your friend is wondering where you are."
"Oh, your concern for my welfare touches the very core of my being. Such a pity a dubious man like Masahiro cannot appreciate what you two have to offer. If he shall not come forth and gratefully accept your joined kindness, then allow me to act in his stead. Let me express my heartfelt admiration and adoration of you fine examples of female dignity," he went on, as he spread his arms out wide. "Je t'aime!"
Taiki glared at the display of his cellphone, incensed at what he saw. "No bars," he asked indignantly, "what's the meaning of this?"
"Can't get a call out," the driver asked as he looked over his shoulder. "Might as well give up, this whole area seems to have bad reception, you'll have to wait until we get back."
The lone youth angrily closed his phone, and continued to glare at it. "Blast, if I can't contact Belnades-sama, everyone will be killed by those demons!" He inhaled sharply, as a horrifying thought came to his mind. "Hakuba-san!" He began to rise, though his aching stomach groaned in protest. He grunted in pain, and strove to ignore it as he got to his feet.
"Hey! Get back in your seat!" Hamano snapped at the youth.
Taiki ignored his protests and headed towards the front.
"Did you hear me!" the driver all but shouted as he rose to block the way forward. "I said get back in your-" He was rudely interrupted as the student drove his foot right into his nether regions, which made him double over in pain. The incensed youth then followed up with two more kicks, grabbed the back of his collar and slammed his head into the steel pole by the driver's seat. He smashed him into the pole one more time for good measure, then roughly shoved him into his seat.
He took a moment to glare at the incapacitated driver, who deserved no less for interfering with him. He then pulled on the appropriate lever, and the bus doors opened, which he promptly passed through.
Taiki ran across the fields, favoring his ribs as he continued forward. He knew the demons were assuredly enacting their sinister plans, so he knew he had to hurry. It didn't take him long before he reached the other students, and was privately amazed they were still alive.
"Masahiro-san!" the closest student exclaimed with a startled look.
"Where's Hakuba-san!" the injured youth demanded as he grabbed the boy's collar. "Where is she!"
"Hey, chill out, man! What the hecht's gotten into you?"
"None of your business! Now tell me where she is or I'll break your scrawny neck!"
A female student with curly red hair immediately went over and got in the angered youth's face. "You stop that right now, Masahiro-san, or I'll tell Sensei on you!"
"Wait a minute," a second girl asked, as she looked around in confusion, "where is Sensei?"
"Hey, those two two newbies are gone, too!" another boy interjected.
"You don't think they're hiding out with the witches, do you," the bespectacled student inquired.
"Oh, come off it, Shindou-san, there's no such thing as witches!"
Taiki screamed in rage, released his hostage, and ran towards the northern hill. Four students were nearly bowled over as he charged forward.
The prodigy of the great Marissa Belnades ran across the sunflower fields, and the northern hill soon came in sight. "Blast," he thought to himself, "had I known this would've happened I would've brought my spear. Then those demons would have no chance against me!" He exhaled bitterly, and knew even if he had managed to bring the weapon to school, there was no way he could've completely concealed it. And should it have been discovered, his grandmother would've soon been contacted, and she would've been irate that he'd taken it from the attic, which was deemed off-limits by both her and Belnades. The thought of facing their combined ire terrified him like little else. He then shook his head vigorously, and focused on the task at hand. "There's no time for regrets," he thought to himself, "I need to save Hakuba-san and Konno-sensei, or they'll surely die!"
Hesoon made his way to the top of the hill, and saw the high stone wall down below. He knew the demons had taken Hakuba and Konno into the sealed area, and ran downhill at top speed, further accelerated by gravity as well as haste. He sped across the fields towards the wall, then began to slow down as he saw the remains a large steel gate situated in the center. Both sides barely hung on their hinges, and parts of them were twisted outwards. Despite their wretched condition, he saw no scorch marks on the gate doors, which were easily six inches thick. Both of the handles looked visibly bent, which led Taiki to an undeniable conclusion. The gate wasn't blasted open with magic; someone, or something, had forced it open with their bare hands. That fact terrified him, as he started to realize the kind of power his enemies possessed.
As he stepped away from the broken gate, he saw two men in black suits, immobile on the ground. Instinctively he knew they guarded the gate from possible intruders. Or at least they did, he realized, until a few moments ago. He inspected the body to the left of the gate, and gape in horror as he saw his head had been all but smashed to a pulp, with cracks in the wall behind it, along with smeared blood. He then looked to his companion, and found him lying dead on the ground, the front of his suit covered with blood. Fearfully, he took a closer look, and saw a pair of puncture wounds in the corpse's exposed neck. He held his head tightly, and gasped in sheer horror. "No," he uttered with a mortified look, "no, not again!"
"Now do you understand," the silver-haired demoness asked the horrified youth with a remorseless grin, which exposed her bloodied fangs, "this is the purpose of your wretched kind, it's all you humans are good for!" She threw her head back in maniacal laughter, which sounded like the laughter of the Devil itself.
Taiki Masahiro whimpered for several long moments, then screamed to the heavens in rage and anguish over the life that had been stolen from him. "I will never forgive you!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. "You demons destroyed everything that I loved, everything that I was, and left me with nothing but hate! For all the suffering you've caused me, I will never rest, not until I have EXTERMINATED YOU ALL!"
The enraged youth ran through the broken gate and entered the sealed area. No sooner than he had that he felt the same terror that had gripped him a year before, when he lost everything to evil. Though his instincts told him to stop, he knew it would've given his enemies the satisfaction of knowing they'd beaten him, so he pressed on regardless.
He continued forward, as the pain in his stomach lessened to a dull ache, which enabled him to run without any distractions. After almost a minute of nonstop running he saw a small dilapidated house near the edge of the sunflower fields, and the menacing feeling he felt earlier increased. With an enraged growl, he forced himself forward to what seemed to be his destination.
Taiki broke through the fields and stopped in the clearing that surrounded the house. No sooner than he did that he saw five figures between him and the house. He seethed inwardly as he saw Megumi, who was being held captive by the pig-tailed demon who'd infiltrated the school for her own evil ends. He also saw his homeroom teacher, held in the grasp of the nefarious scoundrel who'd targeted Megumi throughout the school day. Before them stood an unfamiliar woman, clad in a loose fitting tan dress with long flowing sleeves, bound at the waist and all but reaching the ground. Her wavy dirty blonde hair flowed gently, though there was no breeze in the area. What really incensed Taiki was ruby irises that peered towards him, coupled with a smirk on her somewhat pale features, which definitely weren't Japanese.
"Oh my," the stranger began in an amused high-pitched voice, "to think someone would've dared invade our hallowed ground. I'm not sure whether I should be impressed or annoyed."
"Who are you!" the brown-haired youth demanded angrily.
"If you must know," the woman replied with a slight scowl, "my name is Morganna Fortner, the caretaker of these, fair lands," she concluded as she stretched her arms out wide.
"Liar! These lands belong to Belnades-sama after she cleansed them of your evil kind!" he declared as he defiantly pointed his finger at her.
"Evil, ha! Marissa wouldn't know real evil to save her pitiful life! She's always turned a blind eye to the evil committed by man!"
"What do you mean?"
"We witches have lived on these pristine lands for generations," the strange woman explained as she motioned to the scenery around her, "then you humans invaded and began desecrating it. Humans planned to turn this into a filthy garbage facility!" she snapped, rage written all over her face. "We only sought to protect this land from the evil of humanity! Marissa should sided with us, but no," she continued with scathing sarcasm, "she sided with the humans. The same humans who have blighted this land and everything else they come into contact with, the same humans who have revived that foul demon Dracula time and time again, yet Marissa ignorantly continues to defend them. So tell me, boy, who's the evil one now?"
"Enough of your heresy!" Taiki shot back. "Belnades-sama is a hero, a champion of God! She saved the world from Dracula and the rest of your evil kind! Your pathetic attempts to slander her holy name only demonstrates the evil in your corrupt heart! All who oppose Belnades-sama shall be exterminated, and cast back into the abyss from whence you came!"
Morganna threw her head back, and laughed in maniacal glee, which lasted a good fifteen seconds. "Oh my, so young and yet so indoctrinated. I wonder what lengths Marissa went to brainwash you so thoroughly?"
"She couldn't have worked too hard," the orange-haired demoness interjected, and then gave him a condescending look. "This idiot has no brains. He has no guts, either, he's always been the type to hide behind a woman's skirt."
"SILENCE!" Taiki roared, and screamed in rage as he ran towards the offender, his fist reared back. Suddenly, Konno raced towards him, and nailed him in the stomach with a reverse back kick. The enraged youth was completely taken off guard and knocked hard onto the ground.
The sophomore lied on the ground for several seconds, as the wind had been knocked out of him. He finally sat up, and saw his homeroom teacher standing over him, an insane look in her usually composed eyes. "Konno-sensei," he began weakly, shocked that she'd assaulted him.
"Stand down, opposer!" the older woman spoke in a more commanding voice than she'd used before. "How dare you interfere with Fortner-sama's glorious plans! Your impudence will no longer be tolerated!"
Taiki looked on in horror, mortified that his usually kind teacher had talked down to him so harshly. And as if to add insult to injury, Megumi came up beside her, an equally insane look in her eyes. "Depart forthwith from this sacred realm, heretic!" she declared to the thunderstruck youth. "There is no place in our world for your cowardly breath!"
The sophomore stared at them in abject horror, devastated that they would've spoken to him so venomously. "Hakuba-san, Konno-sensei, what have those demons done to you? Have they stolen your souls?"
The pair looked down contemptuously upon the prone student, no semblance of their previous selves in their collective gaze.
"Now now, my pretties," the dark-haired youth spoke up with a sinister smile, "that's enough fun. Come, we have much work to do."
The two woman immediately turned in his direction. "Yes, Murushi-sama," they replied in unison, and promptly returned to his side.
"No, come back!" Taiki beckoned as he reached out towards them, yet saw his words had been ignored. Even worse, he watched as they amorously clung to both sides of him, and caressed his well-formed face. The prone youth seethed at what he'd witnessed, as he realized they'd been spellbound. "You- you insufferable wretch!" he called out as he held his stomach in pain, "I-I'll tear you apart for what you've done to them!"
"Hmph, such a noisy one you are," Morganna remarked with a callous disregard. "Then again, my plants could use such a feisty meal."
Before Taiki could've responded, he watched as the evildoer thrust her arms into air, and a vile crimson aura surrounded her. A moment later, intense rustling came from the sunflowers, which seemed anything but natural. A split second after that, eight large forms arose from the vast flowerbed, and effectively separated him from the others. Even though they were bipedal, their bodies carried more the semblance of vegetables rather than animals. Each had several red eyes upon their oddly shaped heads, all glowing with hate. The plant monsters raised their claws upwards as they screamed in rage and hunger, sickening fluids dripping from their fanged maws.
"Go forth, my hanabake!" the blonde woman's voice commanded from behind the vegetative throng. "Devour this pathetic human!"
One of the monsters instantly leaped towards Taiki, who quickly dodged to the side. Another plant demon lashed out at him with its claws, but he spun to its blind side and nailed it with a hard elbow. Seemingly undaunted, the beast retaliated with a backhanded swipe that knocked the youth to the ground. Another leaped into the air, and clearly aimed to pounce upon the fallen boy. But Taiki rolled out of the way and the monster crashed onto the ground. He lifted himself slightly off the ground, looked over his shoulder, and saw another plant demon charging towards him, its open maw signifying it planned to devour him head first. He quickly rolled away again, found himself near another beast, and kicked it in the side of the knee with both feet. As he got to his knees, he saw another plant monster rushing him. He quickly somersaulted on the ground, and the beast collided with one of its own.
Morganna watched the boy attempting to battle the hanabake, a detached look on her face. "Such a naive youth," she mused to herself. "Your struggles against my creatures are useless, as is mankind's struggle to resist its own dark heart. You shall succumb here, and by the stroke of midnight Marissa will join you. Then no one will stand against me."
Her red eyes glanced downwards, and her delicate fingers went to her waist, and stroked the barely discernible swell concealed by her raiment. "Yes, my child, by the time you come into the world there shall be nothing to fear. The wretched bloodline of Belnades will finally be no more. And finally, my triumph over Marissa will be complete." She laughed quietly to herself, as he envisioned the agonized expression of utter despair on her archenemy's face, as she disappeared forever from the world.
Oh crap, what sort of diabolical machinations is this? Will those girls be freed from Morganna's sinister spell? Will the Five Maidens find their way to each other? Will Tsukune ever figure out he's not in Japan? And just who in the world is Taiki Masahiro?
"And will Moka wind up on Japan's Most Wanted?"
"Hey! I'm not a criminal, if anyone should be wanting me, it's Tsukune. Right, Tsukune?"
"Uh, Moka-san?"
CAPU CHUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!
It never fails. And for those interested;
"Konnichiwa" = "Hello"
"Watashi wa" = "My name is"
"Bishounen" = "cute boy"
"Oji-san" = "older man (such as a grandfather)"
"Kaoku no Keiji" = "House of the Apocalypse"
"Freaky much?"
"Just a bit, desu."
Yeah, just a bit. Anyway, tune in next time for Part II Chapter XVI Dark Invitation