Chapter 29: Shattered Peace

Even though the previous situation of the outcast ayashi attacks had been sorted for the time being, Moka had not come into school for a few days. This was worrying Tsukune and his friends. Surely she doesn't blame herself for what happened… that was beyond her, Tsukune thought with a shake of his head.

"Why does she still feel bad about what happened…" Tsukune muttered.

"She hasn't come in since the hospital incident desu! She's just locked up in her room by the looks of things," Yukari added as they sat down on a nearby table.

"It's alright… you still have me- it's better with her gone, there's less competition. But, Tsukune and I are bound by fate anyways," Mizore stated as she appeared from the unusual location of the table underside.

"I'm sure that she feels the same way as well- that now, she can be with Tsukune," Mizore added as she pointed in a silent Kurumu's direction.

Much to their surprise, the busty succubus planted her hands firmly down on the table as she got up quietly.

"Uh Ku… Kurumu-chan?" Tsukune asked nervously. He did not get a verbal response as Kurumu headed straight for the door, closing it loudly behind her. That is rather worrying… what's up with Kurumu?

"That didn't look too good-she is angry, that's for sure desu," Yukari said with a concerned look.

"We should probably go and get her back- the outcast ayashi are still out there, so it's dangerous to go out on your own. Let's go!" Tsukune shouted as Mizore and Yukari followed after him.

Telling the others to split up with me might have been a good idea at the start… but doesn't that put them at risk as well? Oh well, let's find Kurumu first… Ahead of him, he could feel their familiar presence, as he got closer to an opening near the coast of the area. In fact, when he got closer, he also noticed a mysterious third strong presence, and this was a silver-haired male who looked a bit like a model. He was murmuring to himself.

"…In the end, I didn't get to meet the vampire side of Moka. How disappointing- oh well, there are still more ways to entertain myself…" the mysterious man said to himself as he turned around. Seeing Moka and Kurumu fighting two Cyclopes, Tsukune immediately registered this person as a threat.

"Uh-hum…" Tsukune coughed loudly as the stranger turned towards him; his green eyes glinted like a nocturnal predator as Tsukune looked into his cat-like eyes.

"Who might you be?" Tsukune asked.

"Ho-ho, you must be Aono Tsukune…" the figure started before jumping backwards onto a tree, a knife wedged into where he was once standing.

"My my, those are some bad mann-" he did not get to finish his sentence as Tsukune kicked him within an eye blink, sending him onto the ground as his feet skidded into the mud.

"I would be right in considering that you're affiliated with the outcast ayashi, right?" Tsukune asked with narrowed eyes.

"I guess so, but I am not here to fight today, just to observe- even that is now done. But fear not, I have a feeling we'll meet again in the future sometime…" the silver-haired man replied.

"Yeah same… I'll keep that in mind," Tsukune said as the man disappeared into the fog.

Seeing Kurumu and Moka up ahead next to the two fallen Cyclops, he was about to call out, but seeing them in a deep conversation, he decided to leave with a smile.

The next day, Moka was back again in school, much to the delight and relief of the group of friends. Feels like it hasn't been this peaceful in a while- even the outcast ayashi are keeping quiet for a change, Tsukune thought with a light smile. Even so, Moka-san has been looking a bit pale… Tsukune thought with surprise as he glanced at the pink-haired vampire as she drunk her tomato juice. At the end of the semester, I really need to report back to the coalition because it's part of my work… plus it'll be important for coexistence, right? Noticing Moka slowly falling to the ground, Tsukune quickly tried to catch her. Even though he stopped her from hitting the ground, she was already unconscious by then. Even though he could feel a hostile presence, he acted as if he could feel nothing and took Moka to the infirmary.

"She's just a bit anaemic- there's no need to worry. It was from exhaustion, so she just needs to improve her diet and get some more diet, and then she'll get better," the nurse had said to him as they all watched the sleeping Moka. Personally, he was glad that it was nothing serious, and it made sense considering how hectic life had been for them in the last few weeks. Waiting outside, he finally decided to talk to the hostile presence that had been stalking him the entirety of the day.

"You should just stop hiding and come into the light- it's a bit rude. Wouldn't you say as well?" Tsukune said into thin air.

"Oh? So you've noticed the whole time… the name is Hyakushiki. Don't hold a grudge against me for becoming my food," a dark haired man came out of the shadows, his upper form that of a human, but his lower more like that of a centipede. His sharp knife-like hands and numerous legs came to attack Tsukune as he advanced upon him.

"Oh, a Mukadegami? Sorry, but to me, you just remind me of a giant insect. Anyways, who sent you here? Was it the outcast ayashi again?" Tsukune shouted as he dodged the flailing limbs of the giant centipede thing.

"You know what, there really is no time for this right now," Tsukune said to himself as he got out his katana. Cut… Tsukune disappeared for just a moment as he appeared behind the lumbering centipede, and started to walk away.

"What?!" the creature choked out as cuts appeared on all his legs and arms with a large gash up his torso. The creature could do nothing as it fell, knocked out from the attack and rendered immobile.

Hi, here is another chapter for you readers. The fight is much longer in the manga but I shortened it because the fight is only really significant if Tsukune was trying to control his ghoul powers. Anyways, hope you enjoy, and thank you for your reviews! Until next time!