Hokuto heard the knock at his dorm room door and got up to answer it. These days he was very busy getting all sorts of visitors from Kiria to Tsukune to regular students who came by just hoping to get some positive support from their heroic President. Ever since his little public confrontation with Kuyou and his enforcers he'd become a real hero in the eyes of many of the students, especially the weaker ones. He'd been a bit surprised at how much he'd enjoyed having others respect him for his courage. It was very different from being respected for his power. A part of him, a very small part, wished it was genuine. That he really was the person he pretended to be and actually meant the things he spouted. When Tsukune and others talked about trying to create a real pace here at Youkai and even in the greater world he felt just a little bit of envy. He envied them their naiveté, the fact they could really believe that such a thing was possible.

He knew better. He knew that there was no peace either here or in the real world. When Kuyou stood there and arrogantly proclaimed that he had the right to do as he pleased just because he was strong Hokuto understood he was just speaking the truth. He hated the arrogant bastard and hoped to kill him before things ended. That didn't mean he didn't respect his honesty. The strong abused the weak. That was just how it was. And it was every bit as true among humans as among monsters. The only difference was that humans were better liars than monsters would ever dream of being. They played at being civilized and pretended that justice mattered. But when they were behind closed doors there was no civilization, there was no justice, there was just the strong doing as they pleased to the weak.

He opened the door with a confident smile on his face. "Hello."

Standing in the door way was a girl with long purple hair wearing a white shirt with dark sleeves and striped purple leggings. "Here, this is for you." Without ceremony the girl handed him a circular leather case. "I hope it's worth the trouble."

A surprised but pleased Hokuto took the case from her. He recognized the markings and knew what it had to be. "Wonderful, Tsukune is to be congratulated. With this item the way to achieve real peace is now in my hands."

The girl stood there staring at him and sucking her lollipop, not really reacting to him. "Aren't you curious why I'm here and not Tsukune?"

"Well, though we haven't met you are Mizore, his girlfriend, aren't you? I assumed Tsukune sent you to deliver this because he is busy with something else."

"I came because Tsukune in lying in a bed in the infirmary right now burning up."

"Oh, I am very sorry to hear that. I hope he'll be all right. But if not you should know his sacrifice was not in vein. This mirror will help change everything."

Mizore stood there eying him for another moment. "I was right," she said calmly. "If you can stand there and talk about Tsukune as a, 'sacrifice' you're not really a friend to him." The girl turned around and walked away.

Well she'd a strange one, he thought. More perceptive than her boyfriend certainly. He shut the door and opened the case pulling out the Lilith mirror.

"Master?" A sweet girlish voice called. Out of the mirror appeared the image of a tiny girl with four thin wings jutting out of her back. "I am Lilith of the mirror. How can I serve you?"

Hokuto smiled. "You are going to help me turn this school into a war zone."

The little sprite laughed. "Sounds like fun!"

XXXXXXXXXX

With Tsukune lying safely in a bed in the school infirmary Moka had decided it was safe to return to her usual form. She placed the Rosario on the end of its chain and waited to be sealed.

But nothing happened.

She looked at the whip that was hooked on to her belt. It has to be she thought, nothing else is different. Somehow or other this weapon had the ability to negate the rosario's effects. The silver haired vampire grinned. This meant she could safely, 'stay out' for much longer than normal.

Hmmm, maybe I'll go shopping tomorrow.

XXXXXXXXXX

Tsukune slowly became aware of being surrounded by mist. It was like being trapped inside a thick fog. "Where am I?"

From within the mist two sickly yellow eyes appeared. "Hello again little boy." As he watched the fog parted into a comically wide mouth. He saw several arms of thickened mist snaking around him. He could feel their icy touch as they grabbed hold of him.

"Hey! Let go of me!"

The mouth jerked and he could hear laughter. "No need to be afraid, do you really think I'd go through all this trouble just to kill you? You're a very precious possession to me, my very favorite toy."

"I'm not anyone's toy!" Tsukune shouted and struggled to somehow get free.

The arms had give to them but they didn't let go. "Do you really think that? Silly boy, your mine to play with now. But don't worry you'll have some fun along the way, and I'll let you do what you love most."

"What I love most? What's that?"

"Playing hero of course," there was more sickening mocking laughter. "For someone who was a weak human I must admit it comes to you naturally. You put yourself in danger to protect others without a second's hesitation. It's actually quite funny."

"It's not funny," he said angrily.

"Oh but it is," the voice assured. "But that's all right, I gave you some of my essence so that you could play hero and survive… at least for awhile. But you still don't understand what you can do. I've given you a tiny fraction of my essence, that is where the source of your power comes from. You can do things no ordinary snow person could. Your ability to drain the heat from any living being? That's just a fraction of what you can do. You have mastery not only of snow and ice but of mist, wind, and cold itself. With these abilities you should be invincible, so don't get yourself killed doing stupid things. Even your ability to absorb heat has limits."

"It wasn't stupid," Tsukune said. "It was the only way for me to stop Cerberus."

"No it wasn't," Tsukune felt himself being yanked forward. "You'll figure out what you can do eventually, but only if you don't die of fever. So I guess I'll have to heal you."

As Tsukune watched helplessly he was dragged towards the mouth filled with jagged teeth. "What… what are you…"

"Sorry about the… oh never mind." The mouth suddenly chomped down, tearing into him.

He began to scream and scream.

XXXXXXXXXX

In the real world Tsukune grunted in his sleep and seemed to stir. The girls were worried. But before long they noticed his temperature dropping, it seemed the worst was over.

XXXXXXXXXX

When Mizore made it back to Tsukune's room she found Kurumu asleep in a second bed. Gin was asleep in a chair with Yukari curled up his lap with a smile on her lips. The only person still awake was Moka. She was seated in a chair at Tsukune's bedside. She was holding his hand.

Tsukune seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Mizore went to him and put her hand on his forehead. "He seems cooler," she said with relief.

The silver haired Moka nodded. "His fever has broken; it seems he will be fine."

Mizore pulled up another chair and sat down taking his other hand. "That's good."

Both girls sat there quietly for a time.

"Moka?"

"Yes?"

"I was in the woods after our fight with Anti-thesis. I saw you with Tsukune."

Moka looked at the other girl easily meeting her calm gaze. "I see."

"You whispered something to him and kissed him on the cheek."

"I did," Moka confirmed.

The two matched cold gazes for awhile.

"What did you say to him?"

"I congratulated the two of you and promised him I would always be his friend."

"Really?" Mizore said hopefully. "That's all?"

"That is all," the proud vampire told her. "I was finally convinced that his love for you is genuine. I want Tsukune to be happy, and so I will not interfere. I will be his friend and nothing more."

"Thank you," Mizore said with relief.

Moka smiled wryly. "Just don't screw it up."

XXXXXXXXXX

The following morning he met with Kiria on his way to the theater. He had the Lilith mirror neatly tucked under one arm. He'd had the information sent out to all the dorms that he was holding an emergency meeting in the theater and he wanted all students to attend.

"Mako and all members are in position," Kiria told him quietly.

"Tell them to make it spectacular," Hokuto said in a cheerful voice. "The whole point is to draw in Kuyou and his police force so they can't interfere."

"You do realize that in a straight up fight we probably lose," Kiria reminded him. "Especially if you and I aren't involved."

"That's fine," he said. "Anti-thesis was never anything but a means to an end. Tell Mako to escape if she can, the rest don't matter."

"So today's the day huh?"

Hokuto laughed, he felt better than he had in years. "Yes, today's the day we change the world forever. Today's the day we break the sky."