Chapter 11
New Term, a Wizard, and a Vampire
It was the start of the second Term at Yokai Academy. Yozora, Moka, and Tsukune were both walking to school in their old uniforms once again.
"Hey, Tsukune, Moka and I are a bit curious. When we went to the Human World, you were a bit conflicted about seeing your parents, right?" said Yozora.
Tsukune remembered talking to his mother on the phone, and wanted to know what she had been up to while he was on summer break. He even said that his mother understood that he was on a summer trip with his friends from school, but decided not to bother about telling them what they were, saying that they were the closest thing he had to him as another family.
"Do you really think that we're like a family here?" asked Moka.
"Of course I do. You Kurumu, Mizore, Yukari, Gin, and Yozora are my second family," replied Tsukune.
"That's good enough for us, bro. Also, Moka needs a bit more sustenance in her system," said Yozora.
When Tsukune heard that, Moka had latched her fangs into his neck and began to absorb some of his blood, which did make Yozora chuckle a bit, just as the rest of their friends joined them. But deep down Tsukune knew that his future was not set in stone. Soon he'd see his friends again after graduating from Yokai Academy, knowing full well that even if his friends went their separate ways in different worlds, they would always be in each others' hearts.
"Let's go. We got more club meetings to go to," Yozora called as he walked off to the club room.
The newspapers were now printing once again, and the entirety of the school Newspaper Club was prepared to have the first edition of the Yokai Gazette was now ready for selling. The articles about various fashion designs from the human world would be able to help the other students and the faculty actually come up with new ideas on how to blend in with humans a bit more easily. Although there were some disagreements, Tsukune told them that it was an excellent suggestion, as the articles continued to pour out of the printer like ammunition from a machine-gun.
"Looks like these articles are gonna be pretty interesting for everybody to read once we pass them along," said Moka.
"Yeah, it should actually be really good," agreed Mizore.
"Also, we've become something more than just friends, we're starting to act a bit like a real family at this school," added Yozora.
"Yeah, I guess we are like a family," Kurumu said in a flirtatious manner, as she leaned towards Yozora with a cutesy look on her face, that made Tsukune blush.
"And what matters is that we all pulled through together in writing them together," piped in Yukari.
"Okay guys, there's still plenty of time before class starts. So let's hand these out," said Tsukune.
"Right!" said the rest of the club.
But as they were preparing to sell them, they saw several more students standing near the front gate passing newspapers to students that were just passing into the front gate. Everyone was a bit shocked, but Yozora had a dark foreboding look of suspicion in his eyes, when he saw those three girls.
"What in the name of Sparda are those guys reading?" Kurumu asked.
"Something tells me these three are trying to steal our thunder," whispered Yozora.
Kurumu was furious as she tried to confiscate them, but then another girl stepped up and told them that this new and improved Newspaper Club was selling them out to the other students through her own special means.
"I'm known as Keito, the head of the Super Newspaper Club," she said.
"Right, Super Newspaper Club? Give me a break," Yozora said as he looked sharply into her eyes.
"Oh really? Well we're an officially recognized school club thanks to some special permission from the school headmaster himself. Unfortunately your little group is nothing more than a speck of dust that's just waiting to be ground underneath our boots at this school. We all decided that it was time to start up our own school newspaper so that you can all become a forgotten memory of the past," explained Keito.
"Oh really, and just how do you plan to make us become a forgotten memory?" asked Kurumu, as she stepped up next to the Wizard.
"It's simple, if you don't want to be ground underneath our boots, then you should try competing against us," sneered Keito, as she walked away.
"Oh we intend to," Yozora said with a confident smirk.
His friends saw him walking back to the club room, knowing full well that he was ready to relish this challenge Keito had given him, but Kurumu was a bit worried about him.
"I have a really bad feeling about this, Tsukune," the succubus said with a worried glance to her friends.
"I know, but we'll have to follow Yozora's example," agreed Moka.
Everyone tried desperately to sell their newspapers, but everyone just cast them aside like they were nothing more than just garbage, while Keito and her group laughed at them, which caused Yozora to retaliate in anger.
"Keito's gonna pay for this," he hissed furiously, making the others concerned about him, as they followed him to the faculty room.
"Start talking, what is this Super Newspaper Club, and why are they making us look like a joke!?" demanded Yozora.
"Mr. Ikeda, please try to calm down. I learned about them yesterday after we returned from our little summer trip," said Miss Nekonome.
"So how is it that they managed to get approval?" asked Tsukune.
"I believe I know the reason why. They're trying to make us disappear from everyone's memories like water that's evaporating into the sky," answered Kurumu.
"So they're trying to make this old club go the way of the Dinosaurs, just to make everyone believe that this new Newspaper Club is better than the old one," said Yozora.
"FOR REAL!?" gasped Tsukune and Yukari.
"I'm afraid so," admitted Miss Nekonome.
"God DAMMIT!" screamed Yozora, who burst out the door in a blind rage.
"Yozora, wait!" called Mizore.
But Kurumu understood what he was getting at.
"Listen guys, if Yozora says that we'll make them pay, we need to learn a bit more about them. Let's go inform Gin about this. He's our club president, and we should tell him about this right away," suggested Moka.
But they soon realized that Yozora was about to start pummeling Gin to death again for his perverted ways, and quickly followed the Wizard to the school roof. But before he could Gin saw Keito and her henchmen walking down another corridor through the lens of his camera.
"So, the shadow has finally revealed itself," the werewolf said with a look of shock on his face.
In the cafeteria, Kurumu and Yukari were dressed as maids and were now selling Newspapers once again to try and get their club back in the spotlight, but they were shot down yet again by Keito's group who drew them away from the two love rivals.
"Ohh, not again!" snapped Kurumu.
"My sentiments exactly," said Yozora who had just KO'ed a student who was about to lay a finger on Yukari with a judo chop.
"Let's just head to the club room guys," added Yukari.
Kurumu nodded in disappointment as they left, but they didn't catch sight of Keito looking at them with evil triumph in her eyes. After entering the club room, Yozora was unable to hold back his anger, as he flipped a table and sent the newspapers scattering all over the room.
"Yozora stop it! You need to calm down!" cried Yukari.
"Calm down? CALM DOWN!?" shouted Yozora.
"Hey, what's with you?" Kurumu asked with a worried look in her eyes.
"I'll tell you what's wrong, that disgusting bug at this school is trying to make us look like a joke! She needs to pay for what she's doing, no matter what the cost!" Yozora said.
"I agree Yozora, but you know we can't go in guns-a-blazing," said Gin.
"Sadly we had to tell Gin about what was going on," added Tsukune.
"He's the alpha of this group," agreed Moka.
"This one battle we have to lose. If we took them on, we'd run the risk of being expelled," said the werewolf.
"Understood," replied Yozora, but he was still a bit sore about what just happened.
Soon everyone sat down at the table, until Gin decided to address the elephant in the room.
"Our primary concern is the one group that's backing them up. The Public Safety Committee," Gin said.
"And what the hell are they supposed to be?" asked Yozora.
"To put it simply, they're a much more violent variant of the disciplinary committee. Their main concern is shooting first and asking questions later. They may be peace keepers, but they are more dangerous than you realize. Consider them as a special type of police force at this school," explained the werewolf.
"But those guys are the school's police force, what's to stop them from doing whatever they please with our Newspaper Club?" asked Moka.
"It's all because of what always happens at this school. Every display of power has caused those guys to become far too corrupt with power, and they have begun waging a brutal war against us students so as to do whatever they please every 24/7 on the school grounds," answered Gin.
"And the faculty is doing nothing to stop their plans from spiraling out of control!" snapped Yozora.
"And to make matters worse, the Yokai Gazette's popularity has become too high, so they decided to create a new one to try and shut us down and throw away what we hold most precious about this club," said Gin.
"Wait just as second, if we are what they call the bad guys, then that means they are trying to make themselves look like the good guys. Besides our objective is to find out what's going on both at this school and in the human world that might pique their interests," said Tsukune.
"I couldn't have said that better myself, Tsukune," agreed Yukari.
"Ginei Morioka, as our leader, I ask you this. What should we do to stop them?" asked Yozora.
"Nothing! I want all of these Newspapers in the incinerator right now. I'm sorry, but that's an order from your commander. There are to be no further discussions about the school police at any time," Gin said sadly.
"Fine, but just so you know, you're acting like a goddamn coward, Gin. And I know that a real wolf would do whatever he can to protect his pack from other animals that would try to hurt them," Yozora said furiously as he grabbed the newspapers and marched off with them behind his back.
A few minutes later, Tsukune and his friends had managed to pack the newspapers in boxes and delivered them to the incinerator. They couldn't see Yozora anywhere which meant he had gone to his dorm room to blow off some steam. They were all saddened that it was the end of the newspaper club they had all come to love and cherish with their hearts, but Kurumu turned towards Tsukune with a sad smile on her face.
"You okay, Kurumu?" he asked.
"No. How about you?" she asked back.
"I guess we're pretty much on the same boat," Tsukune admitted.
"Listen, I'm worried about both Yozora, and this club," said the succubus.
"I'm also worried about them. It's a mutual feeling," replied Tsukune.
Kurumu laughed softly.
"When we first met each other, I sort of had a feeling that it was fate that brought us together, right?" she said.
Tsukune nodded as he smiled at the high-flying speed-demoness.
"I knew that deep down you and Yozora were kind of a like. It was almost like the two of you were like actual brothers from the same mother. I felt a bit curious, and wanted to learn more about that guy you and Moka were with, But my only focus was making you try to carry on my legacy. But now, that feeling's about to disappear. Like the club, our home, and all the hard work we put into it," Kurumu said as her eyes began to fill with tears.
Tsukune watched his friend slowly approach him and lay her head against his shoulder.
"They're taking everything away from us, and leaving us with nothing," she sobbed.
It was clear to Tsukune that Kurumu was very upset, as he wrapped his arms around her, and held her close. But he knew that if Moka, Yukari, or Mizore saw that he was hugging her shaking form, they would either be angry with him, or realize that he was comforting her.
"Tsukune… Tsukune, you're hurting me," she said.
Tsukune let her go and backed off in embarrassment, as Kurumu wiped the tears off her cheeks with a handkerchief.
"It's stupid. I know that crying's a waste of time," she said.
"That's not true. It means that there's still a trace of humanity in your own heart," Tsukune assured her.
"Thank you," replied Kurumu.
But then the two of them heard some of Keito's cohorts laughing at them, as they called their mistress about what they had just seen. Suddenly, a thread of sticky thread shot out towards the newspapers and pulled them towards its source.
"KEITO!" shouted Kurumu, as she extended her claws.
"How disgusting, first your papers weigh so little, have very little content written on them, but then the two of you start having a little heart-to-heart with each other. I guess it's true what they say, you are a bunch of failures in my book," Keito said.
"How dare you! Why try to run our newspaper club into the ground? What have we ever done to try and make you think we should just disappear like dust in the wind!?" demanded Tsukune.
"Why? Well it's just as Ginei Morioka said. This is a battle you can never win. So give it up now, or face expulsion. Your little club and it's paper will soon be no more," answered Keito.
"Is that what you think? Oh ye of little faith. I'd suggest you return them to us, before we start getting serious," warned Yozora, who had aspirated behind them with his wand pointed at her.
"Oh really, and what do you intend to do you scum?" asked Keito as she cast the newspapers into the furnace, making Kurumu more angry than before.
"Your so called Yokai Gazette is nothing more than pure-unadulterated garbage, just like you," she said with a sneer.
"THAT'S IT! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!" screamed Kurumu, as she lunged at her.
But Keito's henchmen grabbed the succubus and pinned her to the ground, just as Yozora started firing a full volley of fire spells from his wand, forcing Keito to dodge and weave his attacks. Quickly she wrapped Tsukune in thick silky thread and swung him over her in a blind fury. As she did so, eight spindly legs emerged from her body, and Yozora saw that she was a Jorogumo.
"So it's true, you are a part of the school's police force!" said Kurumu in shock and anger.
"Heh, well then. Time to put you down for good, Spider-Cop!" added Yozora.
"Oho, so you've also been reading about Spider-Man. I'm actually quite impressed by your detective skills. But it's time to end this club, for good," replied Keito as she now had a more sadistic smile on her face.
It was just as they all feared. Keito was indeed an agent of that force. Instantly she ensnared everyone into a strong web, spun by the thread she shot out from her arms. But clever Yozora was able to apparate himself clear of the webbing, and began striking at Keito's thugs with powerful water magic that sent them flying about in all directions.
"I'd say that you're too much like that one symbiote that bonded to Eddie Brock, and went by the name of Venom," Yozora said darkly.
Keito leaped up towards the web and began crawling towards Kurumu with evil triumph in her eyes. The succubus was now even more afraid than before as she saw Yozora surrounded by more of her followers whom she had injected with a different kind of venom, thus making them her most obedient slaves.
"If you want Kurumu to be your personal servant, guess again," Yozora said as he fired a flare spell into the sky.
"That's right, Spider-Girl!" added Mizore who fired several icicles from her sleeves.
Keito dodged out of the way, and began firing webbing at the trees, which Mizore managed to take cover from, just as Yozora summoned his crystal sword to his hand.
"Guess again, cause the cavalry's arrived!" shouted Yukari who unleashed a full volley of Tarot cards at them.
Soon Yozora grabbed Moka's hand and flung her right to Tsukune, so that he could remove her rosary. Keito watched as a crimson light engulfed Moka from head to foot, as a swarm of spectral bats surrounded her. When they had parted away from her, there stood the other Moka, who set Tsukune down as Yozora stood beside her.
"Time to start something I call, 'Operation Pest Control!'" Yozora said with a smirk.
"Right you are," agreed the silver-haired vampiress.
"Let's do it!" added Kurumu, as she cut herself free and landed beside them with her claws and wings fully extended.
The three friends glared up at Keito.
"And as for you Miss Venom-fangirl! Your time is up!" Yozora said to the jorogumo, as he pointed his sword right at her.
Angered by what she was called, Keito attempted to bind Moka in webbing, but the vampiress stopped her and began pulling her towards her.
"Sorry, but I don't take kindly to bugs like you who prefer to root for a symbiote who can copy most of Spider-Man's abilities and evade his Spider-sense at the same time," she said as she wound the thread around her arm, which began pulling the frightened Keito towards her.
Keito tried to tell them that she wouldn't report her findings to the head of the school police force, but Yozora pointed his wand right in her face and blasted her back with a powerful wind spell, that sent the Jurogumo and her followers flying, and being bound in the same webbing she spun with her own two hands. Both girls looked at Yozora with a proud smile on their faces as they watched them roll away into the distance.
"I'd say Spider-Gwen and her band of ne'er do-wells deserve to be stuck in this web for the rest of their lives," he said.
It was nearly dusk, as the entire newspaper club arrived at the incinerator until Tsukune decided that they would put an end to the school police force's corrupted ways even if it meant disobeying Gin's orders.
"Then the time has come for war," Yozora said.
Everyone nodded in agreement as the time had come for them to show the public safety committee that they would expose them for all of the heinous actions.
In a conference room that was dimly lit by candles, three men stood in dark robes with armbands attached to their sleeves. They had received word of Keito's defeat, when another figure emerged from a dark corridor in a black-hooded cloak.
"It is of no concern if Keito failed in her mission. What matters is that we finally have the proof we need to uncover the truth of one student in this school who is not what he seems," the hooded figure said.
"Perhaps you're right. There is one student who is something that we don't know about at this school. Tsukune Aono," the blonde haired man said with a cold smile.
"What is it we need to do, Kuyo?" asked the red-haired girl, called Deshiko Deshi.
"Simple, we declare martial law on the entire school," replied Kuyo.
"Very good, expose Tsukune for what he is, find out where he came from, and you will hold a prominent place in our new order, after his execution" said the hooded figure.
"Consider it done, Mordo," replied Kuyo who shook hands with the dark wizard.
The two men knew that it was time to make final preparations to expose Tsukune for what he truly was in front of the entire school.