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Rosario + Vampire: Angel of Death
Chapter 25
Youkai Academy. Main Office Building. Afternoon.
Feeling the full force of Hokuto's attack, Tsukune quickly recovered, and sent a fist at his enemy, only to be dodged with ease by the older man.
It had been over an hour since he overheard Moka's claim that she saw Hokuto speaking with a member of Antithesis, Kiria, and had dismissed it. As he made his way to the School Festival Planning Committee's HQ, he tried to make sense of what Moka said, unsure of whether or not to trust her, despite the fact that she was not the type to make up such a story.
His fears were, sadly, realized when he arrived in the Planning Committee's meeting room, only to see every member of the committee badly wounded and beaten, Kaneshiro Hokuto himself standing over the unconscious bodies with not a scratch on him. At that point, Tsukune realized that Moka was right, questioning the man he believed in of his actions. As the man walked towards the human, letting him know that he was not only a member of Antithesis, but in fact its leader, he attacked the human, only for both Hokuto and Tsukune to realize that they were not alone, as Kurumu, Yukari, and Mizore retaliated, telling Tsukune that they had followed him after he left the Newspaper Club's meeting room, siding with the man they each love and fighting off their new enemy. As they had him on the ropes, a wounded Rubi appeared, telling the group of Moka's kidnapping, and how it was done by a member of Antithesis, whom Hokuto confirmed to be Kiria. Hearing this, Tsukune decided to not defeat Hokuto there, but instead have him taken to the Headmaster for judgment, hopeful that the man he trusted in would tell him where Moka was.
As soon as the group, a bound Hokuto in tow, had arrived, the Headmaster appeared alongside his guards, sealing Hokuto in a barrier and telling Tsukune his real role in the capture of Antithesis' mysterious leader. As he said this, Hokuto laughed, and with tremendous force, broke the barrier around him, and proceeded to wound the Headmaster and his guards, taking the crucifix that the man used to create the barrier and the Holy Lock around Tsukune's arm. The leader of Antithesis then revealed that he intended to destroy the Great Barrier around Youkai, exposing to the human world of their existence, resulting in a bloody war with mass casualties on both sides. As he heard this, Tsukune grew with anger at such a plan, and then challenged Hokuto to a fight, the girls unwillingly having to stay in the sidelines thanks to Hokuto putting up a barrier around them, barring them from interfering.
Since then, Tsukune and Hokuto had been locked in a fight unlike anything he had been in ever since he first encountered Saizou Komiya all those months ago. Hokuto had shown how well-trained he was, blocking and dodging each attack the human sent at him, then countering with an attack that was twice as powerful. Most of the fight was spent with Tsukune on one knee, his body aching from the strength of his opponent, but despite going through so much pain, he endured it, getting back on his feet and back into the fight.
As he swung another fist at Hokuto, his mind raced, even more than it did this morning. Hokuto-san, he thought, I won't let you destroy the academy and the human world. I believed in you… and I don't want you to hurt anyone anymore!
As Kurumu and the others watched in fear, Hokuto sent another bone-shattering fist at Tsukune's midsection, following up with another punch in the human's face, sending his opponent rolling away a few feet from his position.
What the hell is this guy? Hokuto thought. Is he… immortal? Why won't he just fall? Why does he keep getting up every time?
Slowly, Tsukune got up, blood slowly oozing from his head. "…Stop …You," he said weakly, his aura growing once more. "For the sake of rescuing Moka-san," he looked at Hokuto, his eyes, while red, showed signs of determination and the desire to keep going, "I will stop Hokuto-san!"
Suddenly, he felt his body start to surge with awesome power, his aura increasing exponentially. Seeing this, Rubi grew worried.
"This doesn't look good…" she said, catching the attention of Yukari and the others trapped with her in the barrier. "It's just like last time. Tsukune's body is already at its limits. If he continues being this reckless, his body will be consumed by the demonic energy and will turn into a ghoul once again!"
As she said this, Tsukune grasped his head as he could feel the surge of power coursing through his body. Kurumu's heart grew heavy, tears once again appearing in her eyes. "D-Don't…" she said. "Don't do it! Tsukuneeee!"
As she said this, a woman's voice shot through the giant foyer, making Tsukune stop dead in his tracks by its familiarity.
"Stop it!" the voice said, the door behind him creaked as it slowly opened. "That's enough. You've given it your best."
The human turned around, his eyes widening at what he saw, the girls following suit from their prison. Even Hokuto was shocked at what was in front of him. "H-How can it be? Why are you… here?"
As she walked past the doorway, Inner Moka grunted. "Leave this to me, Tsukune. Just watch…"
Tsukune felt his heart grow light. "M-Moka-san!" he said, his voice showing signs of both joy and shock. "The other Moka-san? But… how? I didn't remove the rosario, so… how did Moka-san become her true form and get here?"
The vampire walked past him, her broken collar crackling with demonic energy. "I'll explain what happened," she said, her mind racing to her other half's wish from before she was released, "AFTER this fight is over."
Form within the barrier, Kurumu began to cry, this time with tears of joy. "I… I can't believe it! She actually came!" She held her hands close to her face as the tears kept falling. There's hope now for Tsukune and this academy, now that Inner Moka's here! As she thought this, she began to mumble under her breath, wishing that the vampire would beat up Hokuto and save everyone from Antithesis.
As Inner Moka stopped in front of Tsukune, Hokuto dropped his expression of surprise. "Well, well, well." he said. "Akashiya Moka herself. I thought Kiria would've kept you out of this. What happened to him?"
The vampire smiled. "You mean the man who held me captive?" she said. "Well, I think he's still sleeping somewhere around the graveyard on the hill."
Hokuto was surprised once again, then smiled. "Seeing as how you are in your true form," he said, "I don't think Kiria would've been able to cut you much less touch you before being defeated. So then," he pointed at the vampire's body, "where did those wounds come from, Akashiya-san?"
Inner Moka looked down, clenching her fists. "I think you know full well where they came from, imbecile." she said.
The man laughed. "So," he said, resting his hand on his glasses, "the angel actually attacked you at long last? And here I thought he was nothing but talk and no stomach."
Tsukune's eyes widened. H-Haru-san? he thought. He attacked Moka-san?
Hokuto continued. "But, if he fought you before you reached here," he said, "shouldn't he have killed you? I don't think you would be standing here if he succeeded."
The vampire looked away, placing a hand on one of her wounds. You're right, she thought. Haru would have killed me, but…
Earlier.
Haru grasped his sword with both hands, keeping the blade's end on the vampire's heart. "Goodbye, Akashiya Moka." he said. "If you were not born a vampire, and instead another monster, perhaps we could have been great friends…"
As Inner Moka closed her eyes, anticipating the fatal blow, the angel gripped the blade, and thrust forward.
But instead of feeling the blade pierce through her heart, there was a loud chunk in the air, as the vampire opened her eyes to see the red blade miss her heart by several inches, only to burrow into the tree trunk behind her.
She looked back in front of her to see the angel, his face full of shock as he pulled the sword from the tree's base, clutching his head and letting out an eerie set of screams.
Unbeknownst to the vampire, Haru's mind was being bombarded with hundreds of voices racing through his head, each belonging to Tsukune, the other Moka, and the rest of the Newspaper Club from when he was on their side. Voices of conversations he had or was near before he revealed his true intent.
Dazed, the angel swung his blade, not even hitting the vampire, as he stumbled back, the voices getting louder. Loudest of all was the other Moka, talking from various moments in the past, the angel beginning to sweat like crazy.
"Stop… Stop it…" he said, his whole body shaking as the voices kept getting louder, "Shut up… SHUT UP!"
He then swung his sword at the vampire, only for her to dodge, resulting in him slicing the giant tree where she rested on, making the top half crash onto the ground.
As Inner Moka caught her breath, Haru began to swing his blade with more ferocity, this time without any tactics behind it all, just an endless amount of the angel swinging his blade, not hitting the vampire at all as she easily dodged them all, shocked at the sudden outburst.
The angel then energized his blade, still clutching his blade as the voices went on. "Why?!" he shouted. "WHY CAN'T YOU JUST DIE ALREADY?!"
As the angel grasped his blade with both hands, he lunged at Inner Moka with all his strength, only to slowly realize how futile it was, as the vampire spun around, dodging the sword and its power, and then kicking at the angel's head, sending him crashing several feet from her.
He tried to get up, but for some reason, his body would not move, his sword powering down as he slowly faded into unconsciousness. The vampire walked towards him, crouching down to his side as she could see that her enemy was no longer awake.
"Haru…" she said. "I'm sorry. But I can't waste any time with you. This school needs me, as does Tsukune." She stood up, once again looking at the angel, seeing him groan in pain, showing that even he could not withstand her attacks. "If only I or the other me could help you, Haru-san." She then turned around, leaving the unconscious angel behind as she went on her way.
Now.
As the vampire kept quiet, replaying the earlier incident in her head, Hokuto once again chuckled. "So, the mighty Uematsu Haru could not best a member of a race that he is so eager to destroy. How pathetic."
Hearing this, the vampire snapped at him. "Don't you dare talk about him like that! He may have a misguided desire, but his reasons are true, one that I can understand very well." She looked at her opponent. "Besides," she said, "He probably wouldn't have attacked me in this dark time if he wasn't blinded by you and Antithesis!"
Tsukune looked at her, surprised. "Moka-san?" he said, "What are you talking about? What does Haru-san and Antithesis have to do with each other?"
Inner Moka clenched her fist again. "I found out from Kiria, my captor, that Haru had joined Antithesis, just so that he could get his chance to kill me at last." she said, looking at Hokuto. "Those bastards tricked him by using his desires for revenge. I bet he doesn't even know about your true plan!"
Hokuto laughed as Tsukune looked at the ground. "N-No way…" he said, "Haru-san? Join them? It can't be…"
As he said this, Hokuto stopped, taking off his glasses and wiping them with his uniform. "To think that someone like Kiria could fool someone like you, Akashiya-san…" he said, placing his glasses on his face once more.
The vampire looked at him, surprised at first, then shook her head, raising a hand at her enemy. "I don't care what you have to say. Kiria is defeated, as is Haru. All that's left now," she said, "is you, Kaneshiro Hokuto…"
As she said this, Hokuto felt a sudden twinge in his neck as he noticed his veins bulging all around it. Damn, he thought, look's like "time's up"… I used up too much demonic energy trying to take down Tsukune…
He then moved his attention to the vampire, cocking his head to the side. "Why?" he said.
The vampire looked puzzled as Hokuto went on. "Why do you guys keep on opposing me?" He then pointed at Tsukune. "Especially you, Aono-kun. You were originally a human, right?"
Tsukune's eyes widened. "Wh-What?" he said.
Hokuto smiled as he went on. "Thus," he said, raising the rosary he stole from the Headmaster close to his face, "there shouldn't be any reason for one such as you to protect this academy…"
As he said this, a giant seal appeared beneath him, making Inner Moka and Tsukune shield their eyes.
"W…Why does Hokuto-san know how to…" Tsukune said.
Hokuto grunted as his body began to sink into the floor. "I have my own reasons. I have a reason to risk everything, to destroy this academy…" As his head began to sink as well, he looked at Tsukune. "Stop hindering me, if you know what's good for you…" he said.
The vampire gritted her teeth. "This is… teleportation magic? IS he trying to escape?!"
She then rushed to where Hokuto was, Tsukune following behind as he called out her name.
Then, out of nowhere, a bright light shined, making Kurumu and the rest shield their eyes once again as it slowly died down, the succubus moving her arms out of the way only to see Inner Moka and the man she loves nowhere in sight. "They…" she said, "disa…peared?"
Yukari waved her hands in front of her. "D-Don't worry!" she said. "That was a high level teleportation magic, desu! I'm sure they're in another location right now!"
Kurumu looked at the witch. "Where?" she asked. Yukari looked at her in confusion until the succubus wrapped her hands around the young witch's neck. "Where is Tsukune?! Where is he?" she shouted. "We have to catch up to them, do you understand? We got to find Tsukune quick!"
As Yukari struggled to be set free, Rubi trying to help as Mizore kept scratching at the barrier around them, the door leading outside swung open again, the group turning around with faces of surprise and fear.
"Damn…" a man's voice said. "I'm too late, aren't I?"
Unknown Area.
Tsukune shivered as he and Inner Moka kept walking in the vast area they were in, bats crying out from afar.
Not long after they stepped in the portal that Hokuto went through, the duo found themselves in a strange place with what seemed like thousands of pillars around them, darkness at the edge of the area they found themselves in.
The vampire chastised Tsukune for following her when it was not needed, but then decided that stay where they were was not a good idea, sending the two walking in a straight line through the darkness.
As they kept going, Inner Moka looked around, trying to make sense of where she was. "It's so dark in here," she said, "but where could Hokuto have gone?"
Tsukune rubbed his shoulders. "It's so c-c-cold. We've been walking for a w-w-while now. It's like there's no end to this place. Where are w-w-we?"
Suddenly, Hokuto's voice boomed from behind them, making the duo turn around. "Tsk." he said. "You followed me here even after my warning. You guys are really annoying…"
As he said this, the area where he stood began to glow, as four short pillars made out of what looked like machinery rose around him. "This is the 'Everlasting Altar of Darkness' in the basement of the academy. The heart of Youkai Academy…"
Inner Moka called out to him as eight circles began to glow around the four pillars as Hokuto pressed button on the strange consoles. "You know, you guys never fail to surprise me. My plan is perfect… It IS perfect. Forming Antithesis, Using you all to get close to the chairman, stealing the 'Cross of Judgment', all for the destruction of this academy! The only miscalculation, however, was you, Tsukune. I never actually thought that you would be able to get here. I also believed either Kiria or that meddlesome angel would be capable of handling Moka over there. But this place, I must admit I never intended for you to know about the existence of this altar."
Tsukune looked at the man he once looked up to. "Hokuto-san…" he said.
Inner Moka looked at her enemy, something in her mind making a connection as Hokuto smiled. "But, it doesn't matter now. The result will be the same." He looked at the rosario, a sickening smile creeping on his face. "Now… All I have to do is insert this 'Cross of Judgment' into the keyhole, the Great Barrier will be dispelled, and the academy will crash into the human world!"
The vampire gritted her teeth. "You bastard!" she said. "You were buying time by telling us all this?!"
Hokuto then raised the rosario in the air. "It's too late now!" he shouted. "This is my victory!"
He then slammed the rosario into a cross-shaped hole on the front console, causing the giant room around them all to shudder and shale uncontrollably.
Unbeknownst to Tsukune and Inner Moka, a small, oval-shaped black hole appeared outside the town that the Newspaper Club went to months ago, surging with demonic energy.
Seeing all of the chaos, Tsukune shuddered. "How can this… be…" he said. "Could it really…"
He shook his head. "Stop…" he said. "Don't do this, Hokuto-san…" He then shouted at the top of his lungs. "NOOOOOOOOOO!"
Hokuto spoke. "Shut up, Tsukune. Don't defile this beautiful moment."
Tsukune looked to see Hokuto spreading his arms out wide, his smile retracting to the smile he had when Tsukune first met him days ago. "I've been waiting, all this time. The history and future of this academy, at this very moment, will be destroyed by my hands." He let out a big sigh. "It has been so long. At last, my plan can be finally realized…"
From his left, a voice spoke up. "That's the problem." It said, catching Hokuto's attention. "This academy has become pretty comfortable for me."
The man turned around to see a flash of scarlet and silver rush towards him. "At the very least, I have no intention, of letting someone like you to destroy it as you please."
As she said this, Inner Moka sent a high-flying knee at Hokuto's face, sending him flying away from the consoles and into some of the pillars around them. "Especially to one," she said, "who tricks even those close to your enemy into being your own pawn."
Tsukune called out to her as she looked at the consoles around her. "Don't worry, Tsukune." she said. "Such a huge barrier covering the entire academy, even if it can be dispelled, will take quite a while. So," she placed her hands on the console with the rosario in, "there should be enough time to cancel the command."
As she said this, she felt a surge of energy from behind her, as she turned around to see Hokuto rise up from where he was, clutching his head as it slowly bled. "Stop interfering," he said, his voice changing to something terrifying. "I won't allow you bastards to spoil my enjoyment."
Tsukune gritted his teeth as the vampire looked at her enemy. This guy, she thought. He has so much twisted demonic energy. It's very unstable, and yet, so familiar. Who IS this Kaneshiro Hokuto?
Hokuto began to chuckle. "Well, if you want to die, so be it. At the very least, let me tell you something about your former friend, the angel, and a certain truth about him."
As Tsukune and Inner Moka looked at him in confusion, he pointed at the two. "Uematsu Haru…" he said, "is NOT a part of Antithesis!"
Tsukune's eyes widened as the vampire's heart grew heavy. "Wh-What?" she said.
Hokuto stood up. "It's true," he said. "Kiria believed that the angel would be a great help to us, so he decided to extend an invitation to the angel, asking him to join our ranks." His eyes shifted to the sides. "Unfortunately, something happened that even Kiria did not plan on…"
The Other Day.
Haru looked at the man, then at his hand, repeating the offer in his head, contemplating his next move. After a few minutes of thought, he looked into Kiria's eyes, and took his hand, shaking it.
Kiria smiled. "You have made the right choice, Uematsu-san. Welcome to Antithesis." he said.
As he stopped shaking the angel's hand, he noticed that he was not letting go, as the angel sent a knee to Kiria's midsection, and then threw him over his head and onto the ground. As the angel drew his sword, Kiria disappeared, using his speed to fool Haru into thinking he had ran.
But before he could land a hit behind Haru, he felt a sharp pain go through his chest as he looked down to see the masamune's wolf-like hilt reach his chest, making the man cough up blood as he was raised up by the angel.
"Who the hell do you take me for?" Haru asked. "As if I would ever join a group of fools like you, even if it would help hasten my cause."
Kiria grasped the blade, unable to pull himself free. "H-How did you…?" he said, blood trickling down his jaw.
Haru squinted his visible eye "Let's just say I've had a lot of practice with a fast opponent, and I'm able to see someone even if they're at their greatest speed."
Kiria coughed up more blood as the angel continued. "It's true, I do want Moka and the vampires dead more than anything. But not only will I do this by myself, but I won't aid someone who wishes for the destruction of this academy. Yes, I know the true intentions of your little group. What else would they want as they spread chaos around this academy? Certainly not just attention that some spoiled brat would want."
He then lowered the man to the ground, pulling the blade from his enemy's chest, wiping the blood off the blade with his jacket, and sheathed his sword in his bag. "I'll give you this: Stay away from Akashiya Moka, and don't bother with trying to destroy this place. You can't possibly take on the Headmaster, especially if he weren't who I really know him to be…"
As he said this, he spread his wings out, taking flight as Kiria wiped the blood from his mouth, looking at the angel with disgust.
Now.
Tsukune felt his heart skip a beat as Hokuto spoke. "Haru-san…" he said.
"Yes." Hokuto said. "He was willing to fight by himself, even with our generous offer, and made Kiria an example of his intent. But, it is sad." He looked up, smiling. "Even someone as blinded by pride as he was couldn't even kill the woman he wanted dead for who knows how long. How pathetic."
Tsukune clenched his fists. "W-Why, Hokuto-san?" he said. "Why are you so determined to destroy this academy?! What made you do such a thing?!"
Hokuto looked at him, blood running down his face as he ripped off his jacket. "You wouldn't understand, Tsukune. You have always had your friends to protect you."
Both Inner Moka and Tsukune were shocked at what they saw. It was not at Hokuto himself, who had the physique of a normal human, but at what was around his right arm that caught there attention: a Holy Lock, just like Tsukune's.
As Tsukune looked at his own Holy Lock, shocked at the revelation, the vampire felt the same way. Now it makes sense, she thought. No wonder it was so familiar. She looked at Tsukune, his demonic aura is just like Tsukune's in his awakened state…
Tsukune was beside himself with surprise. "Why…" he said. "Why does Hokuto-san possess a similar lock like I do?" Suddenly, a thought appeared in his head, making him realize the truth. "Hokuto-san," he said, "could it be that, you too, are a…"
Hokuto smiled, as he suddenly ripped his Holy Lock from his arm. Tsukune was taken aback. "Yes," Hokuto said as he took off his glasses. "That's how it is. I was human once too, Tsukune,"
Out of nowhere, a bright flash of light appeared, engulfing Hokuto and blinding Inner Moka and Tsukune. Dozens of spikes burst out of Hokuto's body, as Tsukune watched in horror. "It… it can't be!" he said. "You're lying, Hokuto-san!"
In the midst of his transformation, Hokuto chuckled. "Didn't I tell you not to group yourself with me? I relied on my own strength, did everything I could… to be able to survive in this wretched academy! To become stronger, I had no choice but to become like this. It's this academy that made me into this violent and ugly monster. They cannot be forgiven!"
As he said this, his body broke into multiple spikes, each as white as bone. His body grew into grotesque shapes and sizes, Hokuto's human head smiling as his body turned into a giant flying creature made out of jagged and elongated bones. "That is why I want revenge." he said. "To destroy this place, THAT is my goal in life!"
As Tsukune stood there, shaking in fear, the beast that Hokuto became lunged at him, making the vampire push Tsukune out of the way, as Hokuto's monstrous body began cutting through the pillars as if they were made out of cardboard, making dozens of crumbled heaps of stone in the process.
Tsukune looked up, searching for the vampire who pushed him out of the way, only to find in horror that Inner Moka had multiple cuts on her body, some of which from the wounds Haru gave her earlier. The human called out to her as she tried to cover up the wounds, hoping that they would heal quickly.
Tsukune ran to her side, extending his hand to her. "Come on, Moka-san. I can't believe you took that blow for me…"
Looking at him, Inner Moka got up, walking past him and standing in front of him. "Move, step back." she said. "That thing is not something you can handle anymore. Take the chance to escape when I divert his attention."
Tsukune looked at her, surprised. "What?! No! You're injured, Moka-san! What if you can't-."
"Tsukune!" The vampire said, making him stop. "Listen to me. This is a request of the other Moka. She disregarded the risk when she removed the seal, all for the sake of saving you. She's really silly," she placed a hand on the broken rosario, "but I made a promise with the idiot. I will," she looked at Hokuto, her eyes flashing with determination, "protect Tsukune!"
She then ran towards the giant beast, ignoring Tsukune's calls to her as she moved towards the hideous beast in front of her as Hokuto laughed. "You think you can just come at me with all those injuries?" he said, raising one of his claws in the air. "What a distasteful sight."
He sent a giant hand at the vampire's position, following with the claw hitting her shoulder and making it bleed. From the midst of the chaos, Tsukune watched helplessly as Inner Moka kept dodging the beasts attacks, unable to counter like she could before.
W-Why must it be like this… he thought, as Hokuto sent dozens of slashes at the vampire, each one hitting her and making her bleed out slightly. Why can't we be more understanding… If Hokuto is really a human like me, then…
Inner Moka grabbed her wounds as Hokuto got closer. In the end, Tsukune thought, I'm unable to do anything. I can't save anyone. He looked down, feeling a great weight on his shoulders. I…
Seeing his prey on her knees, Hokuto laughed. "Nobody can stop me, not even a powerful vampire like you!" He raised another claw, ready for the killing blow. "Die, Akashiya Moka!"
As the claw came down on her, Inner Moka was shocked to see Tsukune, in full vampire form, grab hold of the claw and stop it, screaming in pain as blood splattered from his midsection.
Seeing this, Hokuto was taken back. "Impossible!" he said. "You can still…"
From afar, Tsukune did not budge. "This is the only thing that I can do." he said. "For the sake of everyone," he looked at the man he once revered with eyes of rage, yet also with a hint of determination, "I will stop you,"
Hokuto grew angry as Tsukune kept the claw in place, as the human called out to the vampire, who jumped onto the claw and ran towards Hokuto.
"Such recklessness." The vampire said, smiling. "You're the same as the exterior Moka: dumb beyond imagination."
Hokuto gritted his teeth. "Trashes," he said, "you won't be able to stop me. I'm different from you. I placed everything on the line." He then shouted with all his might. "Do you think you're really capable of stopping me!?"
As he said this, the vampire jumped up in the air, as Hokuto tried to stop her by sending several claws at her, some of which only nicked her, but did not stop her as she climbed over the rest towards her enemy. "We will stop you." she said. "You only have yourself, but I have the hopes of others with me. That is way heavier than your selfish resolution!"
As Hokuto heard this, Inner Moka sent a kick to his face, putting all of her might into that one hit. "You've lost, Kaneshiro Hokuto!"
Feeling the full force of the attack, the giant beast was sent flying across the great room, crashing far from where the vampire landed.
"N-No!" he said. "Why? Why am I the one getting beaten up…?"
The vampire let out a brief laugh. "That is to be expected. You really thought you could take 'us' on alone? Know your place!"
As Hokuto went through countless pillars, causing destruction around, Tsukune stood there in amazement as the dust cleared, revealing that Hokuto had somehow managed to bring his ghoul form locked within, as he reverted back to his normal form.
Inner Moka looked at the fallen enemy as Tsukune got close to her. "Pitiful guy…" she said. "Hokuto was originally a human, and was possibly injected with 'monster's blood', giving him horrific powers, just like with what I did with you. But Hokuto chose to not control his new strength, as the burden of such power was too great for his body. Thanks to that, he shouldn't be able to defend against our attacks anymore."
Hearing this, Tsukune began to feel sorry, keeping his gaze on his fallen hero. "Why…" he said.
The vampire looked at him, then back at Hokuto. "It was a rare coincidence that you met another 'human' in this academy other than yourself…"
She couldn't finish her sentence as she saw Tsukune close his eyes, small tears forming under them. "If we were able to meet in another way, I'm sure we would've been good friends…"
Inner Moka looked at him, remembering when Haru said the same words before, and how close Hokuto and Tsukune seemed before they found out the truth.
Suddenly, she could hear a weak voice come from in front of them, as Hokuto spoke, unable to move from where he was. "It's too late… It's too late, Tsukune. Everything is in place…"
As he said this, the room went bright as lightning crackled around them, the duo turning around to see the console glowing with a bright light, surprising them both.
What they did not know was that, at the same time, the human world was beginning to see the changes themselves, as countless humans watched in fear when strange images began to flash throughout the skyline, stretching throughout the starry overhead, humans left and right running away in terror at what they saw.
As the giant room shook with such force, Hokuto smiled. "Can you hear it? It's the sound of destruction. The plan has finally been accomplished, and the Great Barrier will be dispelled soon… The end is finally drawing near…"
As countless rubble began to fall around them, Inner Moka and Tsukune ran towards the panel, energy surging from the console the Headmaster's cross rested on.
"Damn." The vampire said. "Everything is happening too quickly… There has to be a way to stop this…"
As she looked at the unstable consoles, Inner Moka's mind raced. Curses, she thought. If the barrier cannot be protected, there won't be any meaning even if we did defeat Hokuto… Moreover, there isn't anything that I can do now…
As she said this, she heard something from the distance, as if wings were flapping at random, as she turned around, horrified to see Uematsu Haru himself appear from nowhere, landing close to the two and pointing his blade at his enemy.
"Moka…" the angel said. "I knew you were here…"
"Haru-san!" Tsukune said, taken aback. "H-How did you…"
The angel did not move, still holding the masamune with one hand, his ribs with another. "I found the others, and the wounded Headmaster." he said. "Don't worry, I managed to heal him, and then took off, using the leftover magic from the portal used to get here…"
The vampire looked at the blade in her face, then at her former ally. "Haru…"
Seeing this, Hokuto laughed, slowly getting up as his body began to break apart once more. "I am impressed, Haru-san. I had my doubts with you and your kind, being one of the most powerful in this disjointed world. But I see that I should not have placed any disbelief in you. You are truly a relentless man…"
As Hokuto changed back into his monster form, Haru did not budge, only lowering his head as he heard the man's words. "You're right. I am relentless. Ever since the vampires took something dear to me many decades ago, I've done nothing but fight to better myself for the day I would take vengeance on those who had wronged me and my family."
Hokuto smiled, in full ghoul form. "Ku ku ku…" he said, "It seems we have much in common, Haru-san. Very well then, if you insist, I shall stay out of your way as you fight the bitch whom you hold responsible for your hatred. I promise not to stand in the way of your fight."
Haru looked at Inner Moka, eyes full of rage, then sighed. "You're right," he said, "you won't."
As he said this, Hokuto was surprised to see the angel spin around, the red blade connecting to the ghoul's chest with such force it sent him flying several feet from where the trio stood, coughing up blood in the process. "Wh-What?!" he said.
The angel lowered his blade, still clutching his sides as if he were in pain. "Don't get me wrong," he said, "I want nothing more than to bathe my brother's sword in the blood of his murderer's, I truly do want Akashiya Moka to die for her kind's mistake. But if you think that I am willing to give up on the human race all for that, then you have no idea who the hell I am! Before one burdened with the task of judgment, to act as the Angel of Death for the vampire race, I am a protector of the human world first, nothing else comes close. If I should allow you to continue in your desires for destruction, then I would shame the angels, and the Angel King's name. So, in the name of the humans and angels in this world, I WILL hand over your judgment, Kaneshiro Hokuto!"
The vampire looked on in astonishment as Haru turned towards her. "Moka," he said. "I may have failed to kill you before, but I promise you, one day, you will die by my hand, one way or the other…"
As he said this, he flew up high in the air, high enough that he was the size of a child from where Inner Moka, Hokuto, and Tsukune were, his wings flapping to keep him afloat. He then took a deep breath, and then raised his masamune to the sky, holding it with both hands as his aura began to grow.
"Of all the attacks that I have come up with over the past several decades," the angel continued, "there is one that I never had the chance nor the desire to ever use in a fight. But there are no other options, Hokuto. I will have to use every fiber of my being into this attack, if I am to stop you for good!" He then called out to Inner Moka. "I'm not one to show the enemy my true strength in battle, but if there is no other way, I will have to make an exception for now. Witness my true power, vampire, and know the true meaning of terror!"
As he went on, his sword was engulfed in bright energy, just as it had whenever he needed a boost in its strength, but unlike before, the energy grew and grew, almost doubling the size and length of its original state.
On the hilt, the wolf head opened up, the eyes flashing red as the energy from the sword kept on growing, the angel being engulfed in a sphere of flame.
As Tsukune looked on, he suddenly realized that Haru was turning into what the Headmaster said the angel's other half was: a Sun Elemental. But, for some reason, his angel wings stayed around, only the lower half and chest of Haru's body were covered in fire, the rest of him remained normal.
Inner Moka felt goose bumps go down her back as she felt the overwhelming aura above her grow to half the size of the Sun, and not stop increasing.
Suddenly, a woman's voice pierced the air. "NO! Haru-san! Stop!"
Tsukune looked to his left to see Kurumu and Rubi, with Yukari and Mizore in tow, fly to the two's position, landing safely around them. Rubi was shouting at the angel, imploring him to stop.
"Rubi-san!" Tsukune said. "Everyone! What are you-."
"Tsukune, you have to stop him!" Rubi said. "Haru doesn't know what he's doing!"
As she said this, the giant blade of energy grew past what seemed like the ceiling of the area, as it made its way through the great barrier, the humans outside seeing the tip of the strange energy reaching the atmosphere.
The human looked at the witch, confused by her words. "What? What are you talking about?" he asked.
Mizore looked at him. "We were stuck in that barrier until Haru arrived. He healed the Headmaster, then stabbed the ground where you, Moka, and Hokuto went through, and just disappeared! The Headmaster set us free, and then told us something about Haru's elemental side. Something bad!"
Tsukune didn't change his expression, so Yukari spoke up. "There's a reason why the Elementals are extinct, why they're only considered legends in the monster world. A long time ago, the world was full of Elementals, each maintaining the peace of this world alongside different beasts from long ago. But, out of nowhere, something came at the world they inhabited, something so powerful that it could tear the world apart. So the Elementals got together, and used every ounce of their power to destroy the calamity that threatened their world. In the end they succeeded, but at a terrible price…"
Tsukune looked at the witch. "What…" he said, "What are you saying?"
The young witch looked on, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm saying that if Haru attacks Hokuto with all his power, he…" The tears began to fall. "He'll die!"
The human looked at her, eyes widened in disbelief. "He… what?" he said.
Kurumu looked up. "From what the Headmaster told us, the Elementals used up not only their strength, but their life force as well. The intensity of the attack left them no choice but to use more than what they could control, and they sacrificed themselves because of it! That's why the Elementals don't exist anymore, because they died protecting their world. If Haru goes through with this, he'll die too!"
Tsukune looked at the girls for a minute, then dropped his gaze, his mind racing in memories of Haru and what Yukari and the rest told him.
Tears in his eyes, he shouted at the top of his lungs. "HARU-SANNNNNN!"
From way above, the angel coughed up blood, the black garb he wore burning away to reveal his skin. Inner Moka, amidst the sudden revelation, was shocked to see multiple bruises on his body, possibly from when he and the vampire fought earlier. No way, she thought. He just took all that pain and pushed past it? How is that…
The angel turned his head towards the others. "Don't worry about me," he said loud enough to where they could hear him, "I know of the risks, and I don't care. I can survive this. I've survived a lot of punishment in my long life, so I can take it." He yelled out in pain as his legs, covered in flame, began to slowly disappear as the energy in his sword grew and grew. "I won't stop, not now, not ever. I'm stronger than ever before now. I know I can get past this!"
From the ground, Hokuto laughed. "So, then. THIS is your true power, Uematsu-san?" he said. "You're so blinded by ego that you're willing to sacrifice yourself to destroy me?" He then jumped up, flying towards the angel. "Fine then! At the very least let me send you back to your 'Hallowed Father' then!"
As he flew high, he readied a claw to his side, aiming for the angel's heart and imagining the pain his enemy would have.
But before he could even get close, a giant part of a pillar flew right past him making him stop dead in his tracks. He looked around, surprised to see Tsukune in a position like he had thrown something with all his might.
"No way…" Hokuto said under his breath. "You?!"
But before he could drop down, Haru, in full elemental form, yelled at the top of his lungs as he brought down the full force of his giant blade on the ghoul's head, engulfing him in bright white energy.
Hokuto shielded his arms, anticipating the blast, but instead he was caught off-guard as he noticed all around him was nothing but pure white. He looked around, trying to make sense of where he was, when he heard a noise come from in front of him, as Haru, in angel form, appeared out of nowhere.
Before Hokuto could breathe, the angel unloaded countless slashes at the ghoul, each one faster and fiercer than the last. As he kept on swinging his masamune around, coming in from all sides, giving the ghoul no time to react, Haru then rose above Hokuto, his blade surging with powerful energy, his brown and yellow eyes flashing with uncontrollable rage as he brought the blade down on him, causing a powerful explosion that rocked the area unbelievably, almost making the cavern collapse into itself.
Stunned by this, Tsukune and the rest stood there helpless as the giant blade that Haru attacked the ghoul with disappeared, the angel reverting back to his normal form as he and a badly beaten Hokuto fell to the ground, the angel's body exploding in blood even before he landed on the ground.
His last thoughts echoed in his mind, along with the cries from Rubi and Tsukune to him, as he thought about his brother, Ryu, and how he had failed him.
Tsukune tried to run towards his former friend, but Inner Moka stopped him, grabbing him by the arms and holding him back from where the angel landed.
"Stop, Tsukune!" she said, seeing the tears fall on his face. "Haru-san's alright. He's still alive, but only barely. But if we don't hurry and stop the dispelling of the great barrier, there won't be anywhere that we can save him in!"
Tsukune looked behind her, trying to break free, but then stopped when he saw tears forming under the vampire's eyes as well. "Please." she said. "We need to stop the destruction right now. It's what Haru would want, I'm sure."
Tsukune looked at her for a minute, then nodded, fighting back the urge to run towards Haru.
He then turned around to see Yukari and the rest walk towards the console with the stolen cross, and joined up with them.
Fighting back the tears, Yukari spoke up. "A barrier's strength is determined by the caster's demonic energy. The grand barrier is no different here. At the moment, the barrier should have lost about half of its strength already." She then turned around to face the others. "But, if we were to transfer our demonic energy now, that should restore the barrier to its full strength!"
Looking at her, Mizore pointed at the console. "As expected, Yukari. So, if we transfer our energy now, it would be okay?"
Yukari nodded as Tsukune stepped up. "Then," he said, "can I help too?"
The vampire shook her head. "No, Tsukune." she said. "You've already been hurt badly from the fight. If you lose any more demonic energy, you'll die."
As she said this, Kurumu, Rubi, Mizore, Yukari, and Inner Moka placed their hands on top of the cross, the succubus letting out a deep breath. "It'll be an easy victory, right? So let's make this quick."
Mizore looked at the cross, a drop of sweat going down her face despite her icy nature. "This is for Tsukune as well, guys." she said. "So let's give it our all."
Yukari nodded. "We'll release our demonic energy together, okay?" she said. "One, two…"
Suddenly, a bright flash of light appeared from the consoles as the girls let out all of their power into the machines, their aura beginning to weaken slowly.
Despite his injuries caused by the angel, Hokuto was beside himself with disbelief at what he saw. His mind raced back to his life before Youkai, to his father, a wealthy man who abused him whenever he wanted. How he chanced upon a flyer of Youkai Academy and enrolled in hopes of escaping his father, only to find death and violence everywhere. In the midst of the chaos, he had come to the conclusion that the school needed to be destroyed, as it was no place for him and needed to be remade. In that desire, he got stronger, training his body and mind for the day he would destroy that which he hated.
As they kept feeding the cross their energy, the girls began to feel weaker and weaker. "C…Crap…" Kurumu said. "What the… this is… so weird. It's like my life is being sucked into the darkness by this thing."
Feeling exhausted, Mizore spoke up. "I guess this barrier is too much for us to handle, huh?" she said.
Suddenly, Yukari fell to the ground, weary from the ordeal. "I…" she said, before losing consciousness, "I can't go on any more…"
As the girls called out to her, one by one, they to fell from the barrier's immense toll, until only Inner Moka was left standing.
As she looked at them all, she could feel her body tiring out. "Damn," she said. "It's hopeless. Our demonic energy isn't enough to restore the great barrier." She began to fall to her knees, almost unable to go on despite her desire to keep going. "Just a… little more…"
Suddenly, she felt someone hold onto her, as she turned around to see Tsukune holding her up, slowly moving her out of the way.
"Tsukune?!" the vampire said. "What are you- No! You can't… You've used up all of your energy fighting Hokuto! If you try to restore the barrier, you'll die!"
Hearing this, Tsukune did not stop, as he walked towards the console, reaching out to it with the arm that the Holy Lock was on. "Hokuto-san," he said, stopping the vampire from speaking further. "You said you wanted to change this academy filled with violence, and make it more peaceful…" He smiled as his hand hovered above the console. "That must be your true feelings. So, to realize your dream, I'll protect this academy. After all," his arm rose above his head. "our wishes are the same."
Hearing this, Hokuto felt something twitch in his heart, the words hitting him like a train wreck as he saw the human slam his arm onto the cross, releasing his energy into it.
Seeing his action, the girls, despite being exhausted, cried out to Tsukune as his aura was slowly drained from his body.
Inner Moka shielded her eyes. "You idiot!" she shouted. "Do you really want to die?!"
Kurumu tried to get up, but was unable to because she was so drained of energy that she could barely move.
Suddenly, Hokuto spoke up, slowly getting off the ground and walk toward Tsukune.
"Stupid," the ghoul said. "Stupid, stupid, stupid…" His body began to break apart once more, as he reverted into his beast-like appearance. "You're too naïve, Aono Tsukune!"
Kurumu, Rubi, and Mizore tried to stop him, only for the ghoul to force them out of his way as he walked towards the human until they were close to each other, the console as the only thing separating them.
Tsukune looked into the eyes of the man he believed in showing no signs of fear. Suddenly, he spoke, catching Hokuto's attention. "It feels weird," he said, "facing you like this. It's just like when I first met you. Do you remember? That time when we made our promises… to combine our strength and change the academy for the better…" he smiled, Hokuto looking at him while hiding the amazement he had for the human. "Up until now," Tsukune continued, slowly losing consciousness, "I still remember that promise we made… One… day…"
He then fell to his knees, weak from the cross draining his energy away, until he saw something that surprised him.
Hokuto, the man who wanted to destroy the academy, smile as he laced his hand over Tsukune's, releasing his own energy into the cross.
"I almost forgot something about you, Tsukune." Hokuto said, Tsukune sitting there, stunned by both the ghoul's and angel's sudden actions. "Like me, you're also a human surviving in this academy… Like hell that's just a coincidence…"
As he said this, the consoles began to flash brightly, the lights around them glowing brighter and brighter as Hokuto calmly removed the cross from the keyhole, smiling at Tsukune. "Maybe you're right," he said. "It would be quite interesting if we were able to meet in another way…"
He then handed the cross to Tsukune, and fell unconscious, his ghoul body slowly forming back to his human form.
Tsukune knelt down, scared that he could feel no signs of a pulse on his friend as Inner Moka looked at him, clutching her fists in anger.
"Hokuto..." she said, tears falling down her face. "Why…"
A few days later.
Youkai Academy Hospital. Morning.
As Tsukune rubbed his wrist , feeling the chains of his Holy Lock underneath the sleeve, his mind raced to what had happened after Hokuto and Haru fell unconscious. All of the girls, Haru, Hokuto, and Tsukune were brought to the hospital by the Headmaster's guards, sent by the Headmaster to bring them back to full health so that they could restore the great barrier later on. As a reward for saving the Academy, the Headmaster repaired Moka's rosario, bringing her back to the side everyone knew about and loved. With that, Antithesis was no more, and the academy was brought back to normal.
Seeing Moka waiting at the door where Tsukune was walking to, he was surprised at first, but then nodded his head as she noticed him, blushing.
Hokuto was still alive, despite all the wounds he sustained, and was placed in the ICU where he was locked up and was allowed no visitors at all. Tsukune knew that he was going to be alright, but as for another fallen friend, he was even more worried.
As he arrived at the door with the name 'Uematsu Haru' inscribed on it, he opened the door and walked through, his stomach turning at what he saw.
From what the doctors told him, and what he pieced together, using all of his Elemental power into the attack didn't kill Haru, just as he said, but it left him in a horrifying state. His bones had been grounded up into dust, and his organs were liquefied. Dozens of machines were attached to him, as he was in such a vegetative state that if he did survive, he would possibly have to live like that for the rest of his life.
Looking at his former friend's heavily bandaged face, Tsukune clenched his fists. Haru-san, he thought. If only I could have saved you, if I had known I would've done all that I could to save you. He looked around to see Moka crying at the angel's state. I really hope, Tsukune thought as he began to leave, that you can survive this, so that I could help you somehow, and find a way to save you from yourself…
As he and Moka left, Haru's eyelids began to move, as inside his mind, he was seeing the same nightmare that he saw every time he slept. The images of the vampire murderer turning Ryu into a ghoul, the Angel King killing his eldest son, and the echoed laughter of the murder's voice.
Suddenly, he found himself in another dark void, looking around to see Ryu stand in front of him, wearing the same white clothing he wore every time Haru dreamt. And, as always, he looked at his younger brother with eyes on disbelief, eyes that went through Haru's mind, making him turn his head away.
"I…" Haru said. "I'm sorry, brother. I failed you. I was unable to defeat the vampire as I had intended. Something within me just snapped, and I lost control." He looked at his brother, seeing no change in his expression. "But," he said, his voice getting louder, "I won't stop! I may not be able to fight right now, but I will survive this! I'll return to the mortal world, and I'll finally kill that vampire. I WILL make them pay for killing you!"
As he said this, Ryu looked at him for what felt like forever, and sighed. "You still don't get it, do you?" he said.
Haru was taken back by this, but before he could ask, Ryu was engulfed by light, and disappeared, leaving the angel alone in the dark void.
Haru looked down at his hands, which were trembling in fear. "Why, brother?" he said. "Why are you not pleased with what I have done? Those bastards took your life, and your family away from you! Why are you still disappointed with me?!"
As he stopped, he heard no reply, and only dropped to his knees, letting out a small sob in his confusion. Why, brother, Haru thought. Why….?
To be continued…