Chapter 3

Enter Riku! The Rise of Dominance

Was there ever a time in your life when it felt as if your arms were about to explode? Whether it be from physical labor or exercise everyone has felt such pain at one point in their life, and the students of Mr. Taizen and Ms. Tanaka were no different. While it was their first day it didn't stop them from giving them a series of physical tests. The first wasn't so bad, just your typical pull-ups. Minami and another student, Riku Mina, were in the lead with a total of 120 each; although she thought it only right to show off by using one arm. As for Ryo, Oshira, and Diashiro, all three varied. Oshira scored a nice 76, Ryo, 74, and Diashiro, a solid 71. However, what came next would cause most to break out in a hard sweat. Pulls and sit-ups, piece of cake, but sit-ups? All could feel the pain in their backs.

"Come on, ya bunch of sweat bags, you've got more in you than that. At least I hope so!" Mr. Taizen exclaimed, his attempt at sounding stern being quite apparent. Even his assistant could tell while at his side. "What that good enough?" He questioned.

"As per usual, sir, your presence alone asserts dominance." She sarcastically replied.

"…Really? I'm trying to break in the new students and you're being a smart-ass?"

"I'm sorry but an over the top voice isn't the same as sounding intimidating."

"…Fine." He groaned, looking down at his stopwatch. "One minute!" he announced.

If you weren't feeling the burn you weren't pushing yourself hard enough, that's what Taizen had hold them beforehand. With half the class breaking their backs, while the other half held their feet down, everyone was working up a good sweat. Minami showed great amounts of gusto while her new associate held her to the ground. Meanwhile, Oshira found himself partnered with Mr. Security, who, instead of using his hands, stood on his feet.

"You know, ya could just use your hands." Oshira pointed out while pushing up.

"This is better." He replied.

"You sure? Because it sure as hell is killing my feet." He grunted, while lowering back down.

"I'm certain." He said, casting a single glare towards his devious partner.

"Okay…"

Ryo on the other hand had it easy. Simply hold her down while she did her thing. In the last three minutes she'd managed nearly 65 in total. Pretty impressive if you asked him, though a few of his fellow classmates took interest in something else. Sure, physical strength was great and all, but even he couldn't ignore the noise her breasts made when clapping together with each motion. Whether she'd intended on purposely teasing him or just couldn't find the effort to put it back on were questions for another time. Although, the uncomfortable glares he received from the others were a tad uncomfortable.

"How many is that?" She asked while keeping up the pace.

"Sixty-eight."

"Awesome." She said with an enthusiastic smile. Though, that smile turned into a somewhat devious grin as she leaned forward. "Liking what you see?" She pressed, with a wink to finish off the question.

"Yeah. Very nice, very big." He answered straight out; his neutral expression having remained. "Probably the biggest I've seen. Big mambas." He followed up with a chuckle to end it off.

"…Wait, you actually…Huh?" She questioned, both confused and embarrassed that her ploy hadn't worked, as both cheeks turned a light red.

"What? You thought I wouldn't look now and then?" He replied, giving her a taste of her own medicine with a similar devious smile. Why not mess around a bit? "You're mistaken, Minami."

Okay, not the reaction she was expecting. In fact, it had the exact opposite effect. What gives? In the past her aunt had told her the easiest way to make a boy fluster was to ask a question regarding her body, yet it had zero effect on him! Was he a robot or something? Or had she screwed it up? No, those who overheard the conversation were red in the face, so why not him? Her train of thought derailed though when their instructor called out to them.

"Alright! Swap" He exclaimed with great passion. "Don't forget to record your number on your sheet!"

And just like that those sweaty few were relieved as they switched out for their partner. Laying on his back, Ryo caught a glimpse of a familiar face beside him. Riku Mine: 6'7, muscular, blonde highlight stripe which ran through his short, black hair, looked as if he could crush ones just between his hands, it was probably best to stay out of his way. Taking a deep breath, Minami helped hold him down as Taizen raised his stopwatch.

"And…begin!"

"Alright, perv, let's see what you've got." Minami thought to herself while giving a good grip.

Everyone began with their best effort, using whatever strength they had to push and pull themselves back up. A competition it was not, but some saw it as a chance to proclaim their dominance. Although, those like Diashiro saw it only as foolish and sought to pace themselves. Overdoing it could cause back problems after all.

"I swear, if you rip one right in my face, I'll make sure you never have kids." Oshira warned, knowing the risk those on his end took.

"Just keep holding steady." He replied, obviously annoyed with his tone.

Meanwhile, Riku kept his place at the head of the pack. Sixty and counting in only a minute, impressive to say the least, though his neighbor was no slouch either. Despite the sweat dripping down his face and the constant grunts he expelled, the purple haired freshman managed to keep pace with him. An even sixty-four between the both. Even Minami found herself stunned by the display.

"What is this guy?" he wondered.

"Grrrr! Maximum intensity!" Ryo thought aloud inside his own head, the pace only quickening by the second.

At this point she'd almost lost count of how many he'd done. His body must have been under quite the strain if the muscles within his body were starting to ache greatly. But as they say, no pain, no gain. After the remaining time ran out though he collapsed onto his back, taking slow, deep breaths.

"How many…was that…" he asked, sweat rolling down his face and torso.

"Uh…153, I think." She answered, bewildered by what had happened.

"Yay. New record…" He groaned, before collapsing onto his back in exhaustion.

But time waited for no man, and before any of them could catch their breath it was on to the last test after everyone handed in their papers. A test of endurance, the mile run. As per the norm everyone lined up behind the starting line, waiting for their instructor's signal to start. Several, while confident in their abilities, were still quite nervous. Taking last place would ultimately lead others into believing they were weak, which wasn't exactly a good thing when attending a school of nothing but other monsters. With Ryo and Minami near the front, Riku near the middle, and Oshira and Diashiro at the back, all five were set along with everyone else.

"Listen up! In just a moment the lot of you will traverse the track however you please. Run, walk, jog, or even scoot on your butts, I don't care. So long as every single one of you cross the starting line four times." He explained; arms crossed. "You have until the end of class."

"Yes sir!" all replied.

"Alright. Begin!" He exclaimed, throwing his arm forward.

And just like that everyone took off down the dirt path. A cloud of dust followed behind as everyone gave it all they had. Whether it ended quicker or the lot passed out from exhaustion, their bodies were already strained by the previous exercises. Some weren't so fortunate and found themselves slowing down, while others found their rhythm and moved towards the front, including Riku. Despite his strained muscles his inner ambition kept him charging ahead, those well-trained legs proving useful.

"Heh. Looks like I'll be at the front in no time." He thought to himself, while weaving around other students. "I'll show them a real alpha!"

Funny thing is life has ways of conveying its many messages, and the self-proclaimed "alpha" was about to receive one. For a time, he remained near the front, hearth thumping within his chest as he took steady breaths. However, his domination over the competition came to a swift end as two heavy footsteps approached from behind. Both first years, Minami Aono and Ryo Keno, had passed him by like it was nothing, leaving a cloud of dust for everyone else to inject.

"Still think you've got it in you, Lightspeed?" She taunted while keeping neck and neck with her opponent.

"Not a problem. I've got this." He confidently replied. Though on the inside he could only beg for it to end. After having pushed himself during the previous tests his body had begun running low on physical energy. Though, he had a secret trick up his sleeve. "You sure you're okay with those fun bags bouncing around like that? You never know what ideas others might get." He pointed out.

"Heh. Why should I care what others think?" She said in between breaths, keeping a nice pace going. "Not like they could do anything. Or are you planning something?" She pried with a suspicious glare.

"I'm not up for breaking a leg today, but uh…you probably shouldn't go underestimating me like that." He said with his own devious smile.

"Awww. Did I hurt your feelings back there?" She tauntingly asked in return.

In that moment something either extremely tiny or invisible began tickling her cheeks and arms, while a few small wisps of blue electrical energy began floating around his body. What he scheming?

"Funny thing about my people, we're far different from others in this world." He answered, only to suddenly dash forward at an increased speed, leaving her behind. "See ya!"

"Cheat!" She exclaimed in frustration, giving chase.

Their antics hadn't gone unnoticed, as Riku kept a close eye on them for the time being. Neither acted as if they were friends, but more so rivals. Both appeared equally as fast at first, but whatever he'd done had given him a significant lead ahead of her; leaving a nice 30-foot gap between the two. A hint of his hidden potential perhaps?

"What is this guy on?" wondered Riku.

However, karma had a way of dealing with cocky kids like him. Sure, he was fast, but what would happen if he tripped up? Logic would suggest a full on faceplant into the dirt, which is exactly what happened. While speeding ahead he'd failed in noticing the large chunk of concrete that had broken off from the field's outer ring, causing him to trip and stumble, before falling flat on his face.

"Hah hah!" Minami cackled, running past with a satisfied smile on her face.

"Tsk. Figures. Damn rotten luck." He grunted, rising to a knee.

Despite his troubled state everyone else ran past him as if they hadn't seen what happened, everyone except for one. A tanned hand reached out to help him up, one belonging to a familiar face. Looking up, he saw the devious Oshira offering a hand of assistance.

"Need some help?" he asked sincerely.

Well, it wasn't like anyone else would come with the same offer. So, grabbing a hold, he was quickly pulled to his feet. For someone without much muscle mass he had no trouble pulling him up. Brushing his clothes off, his eyes shifted to the teasing Minami who'd left him in the dirt. Oh well, it wasn't like it was her fault he'd taken the tumble in the first place.

"Thanks." He said, as they began running once more.

"No prob. What was that anyways? One moment you two were chatting and the next you were racing?" Oshira pondered.

"It was nothing. Just a little race is all."

"And she just left you in the dust like that? Some friend." He scoffed.

"She's not exactly a friend, but I guess it was little rude?"

"A little?! You don't just kick dust in someone's face who's taken a fall like that." Oshira spat, sounding more serious than before.

"It's no big deal, really." He assured him.

"Bull. Perhaps it's time we teach her a little lesson." He said, reaching for a medium sized rock on the ground.

"We?"

But, before he could get an answer his rash associate took off in her direction, with him following shortly behind. Bobbing and weaving between others, both managed to catch up with their target. She hadn't noticed their presence 15 feet behind, which is exactly what Oshira wanted. While coming up on another turn he gripped the rock in his hand as tight as possible.

"What are you…?"

"Hey, pinkie!" he exclaimed, before giving his projectile a hard throw.

What had he aimed for? Her head? Her back? An arm? No, even worse, her butt. The worst place could hit a girl. It wouldn't take but a second before it made impact, causing her to tense up suddenly, before tripping over her own feet.

"Hell yeah! That's what you get!" He said, as a laugh escaped his mouth.

"Uh, dude?" Ryo said to get his attention.

"What?"

Pointing in her direction, the two watched as she rose back to her feet while others ran around her. This aura she emitted; it made them feel uneasy. In fact, it felt like death. Turning her head to meet their gaze, an eruption of anger filled her eyes as she took a few steps towards them.

"So what? She can't do anything as long as teach is watching." Oshira proclaimed, as if victory had been achieved.

"You'd think so." Ryo thought nervously, jumping in front of the idiot.

"Ryo…move." She demanded in a rather ghoulish inflection.

"Now, Minami, people make mistakes and…" He began to tell her. Only to have the collar of his shirt grabbed as she lifted him up off the ground. "No chance at redemption?" He whimpered.

"Not a chance."

"Holy crap. That strength." Oshira uttered.

"No duh. Now run!"

In that instant her gaze shifted from him to the moron who'd beamed her, the fire still burning bright. This, in turned, caused his inner instinct to kick in. And that inner instinct was telling him to beat it before things got brutal. Watching him run away, her attention returned to him as she pulled him close.

"If you want to rough someone up do it to me. Whatever you've got." He pleaded.

"And why shouldn't I go after him?"

"Because people make really dumb mistakes all the time, but the last thing you need is to get in trouble again today." He explained in a somewhat calm tone. "Plus, I think you kinda scared him good with that glare."

A fair point. Her first encounter, for as violent as it was, was justified by her attacker's actions, but this one? Sure, pelting someone in the butt wasn't exactly kind, but it wasn't like she'd been injured in any way. Maybe a bit of dust on her shirt, but her body remained unscathed. Besides, if she were to give chase it would only draw the attention of both instructors and students.

"Fine…" She uttered, dropping him. With her cheeks puffed in disappointment, she turned her back to him. "It's not worth it anyways."

"Better than getting in trouble though." He said.

Just then, the voice of Mr. Taizen called out to them in a mildly annoyed tone.

"Keno, Aono, get your butts back to running!"

"Yes, sir!" they both said at once, before returning to the activity at hand.

All the while their dispute didn't go unnoticed by Riku. Something about this boy both intrigued and frustrated him at the same time. The way determination on display for their earlier activities had him thinking. Perhaps he was dead set on becoming the alpha of the class! Were his presumptions true? Only time would tell.

Time came and went, and at 3:30 their first day had run its course. Nothing of interest happened throughout the remaining hours, just your typical meet and greet. Most of their instructors were friendly enough and offered some advice. And thanks to dumb both Ryo and Minami were stuck with each other for nearly every class, excluding History and Mathematics. Once the final bell signaled their release though; everyone was set to kick back and relax. Including himself. While others were busy conversing between one another, he took the opportunity to re-read through the academy rule book. Just in case he'd missed anything.

"Seems simple enough. No revealing one's true self unless under certain circumstances, be on time, no walking around campus after curfew. Yeah, I've got this." He said confidently, before placing it back inside his bag. "So long as she doesn't cause any problem…"

To be honest, while relaxing back home would have been nice as well having a new place to chill had its perks. The place remained spotless, with very little litter, most of the students seemed to have a level head, and the food wasn't half bad. Not to mention, it was much bigger than his previous school. Letting out a relieved sigh, he looked up at the rustling trees before him. Only to feel something squishy atop his head.

"…Big, soft, a possible attempt to arouse my rocket? It's her…" He thought to himself, groaning on the inside.

"Guess who~" He heard the sensual voice utter.

No doubt others were looking at the lewd display, wishing to get at him.

"Are you sure you're not a succubus?" He asked in return.

"Heh heh. Nope. Unless my dad had an affair, but that's unlikely." She answered with a giggle, while jumping over the bench and into the seat beside him. "Whatcha up to?"

"Well, I was reading the rule book until just now."

"Cool-cool. Say, could I ask you for a little favor?"

"Depends on what it is."

"It's nothing major. I just need you to close your eyes for a second." She asked of him.

"…Why?" He questioned warily.

"It's just a little gift for being so nice after what happened this morning." She answered with a cute, innocent smile.

"Should I trust her? For all I know she'll just try embarrassing me again. But, then again it's failed so far." He thought to himself, coming to a decision. "Alright, but it better not be anything weird." He warned, closing his eyes as instructed.

"Trust me, you'll love it." She said, while reaching over towards him.

What could it be that she wanted to give him? He felt nothing in his hands, so maybe it was another of her perverse antics. But wait, why was it he could feel the gentle touch of her delicate hand against the right side of his face? And what was this stinging sensation coming from his neck?

"Wait a second…If she's a vampire, then that means…" He reflected, the horrifying answer becoming quite clear. Opening his eyes, the image became even clearer, as she had her lips pressed against his neck, those two fangs of hers having dug themselves into his flesh. "She's sucking it out?!" He exclaimed internally, as a look of shock and horror overtook his face.

How much would she take?! Would she drain him until he was nothing but a prune? On top of this, it felt so weird. The stinging pain wasn't as bad, but the sucking and slurping weirded him out; even more, he could hear her gulping it down. He daren't not move quickly though, or else risk injuring his neck further.

"Um. Minami, could you maybe…?" He began asking of her.

Only for her to pop right off a second later, leaving but two puncture wounds behind. The look on her face said it all, complete happiness and satisfaction as she held her face.

"Wow! That was far better than I thought I'd be. So sweet, it reminded me of a fruit drink." She said with a big smile on her face. "Yes, you will be my feeder from now on."

"I…uh…Wait a second. No way in hell!" he scowled, lashing out at her actions.

"Awww. Why not. It didn't hurt that bad, did it?" She whined.

"That's not the point. You can't just go up to someone and do that. It's very weird." He explained.

"Oh. Well, what if I ask?" she proposed, giving him a wink.

"No."

"Then, what if I were to give you a little peek at the mysterious valley?" She offered, while reaching for her skirt.

"Then I'd get up and leave." He answered with a deadpan stare.

"Is he even alive on the inside?!" She thought.

Truthfully, he found her personality kind of amusing, as strange as it could be. Though, the whole biting thing wasn't up his alley. Seriously, what kind of person just comes up to someone and starts sucking their blood without telling them? Little did they know, both were being watched by another.