I got your letter and thanks for returning my pictures. I'm sorry I told you to send them back. It's not like my parents wanted them and I didn't need them. But yea. Thanks all the same.
I'm writing this on a Tuesday. Maybe I should start dating my letters like you do. It seems like a simple way to start a letter. It feels weird to start every letter with salutations, greetings or hello. It's not like I do that every time I start a conversation with someone. Not that I'm talking to anyone these days.
Your letter. There's a lot to take in. It sounds like you're trying hard to sound positive about a crummy situation. I can relate with that. I try hard to be upbeat for my family.
Thursday will be my last day of physical therapy. Papa had a talk with me over the weekend, telling me that it was too expensive. He is confident he can help me do all the silly exercises the trainers have me do to keep my legs from going skinny.
I haven't told my parents yet, but I'm thinking about dropping out of school if I don't score higher than 400 on midterms. I know that might sound stupid, but school still has tuition costs even if my parents don't have to pay for the housing and meal plan. There's not much reason to keep sending me there if I'm not smart enough to go to college. It's a waste of their money.
400 is a little higher than what I was making back at Yokai. I know it sounds like I'm setting myself up for failure here, but that's only a B average. If I can't do that much, then I shouldn't be there. I have three little brothers my parents should be thinking about. They should prioritize them.
And don't sass me over deliberately failing. I'm dumb and depressed. I never had goals of being anything more than a housewife and having a couple babies. There's nothing special about getting a high school degree. My bum legs are more of a deterrent from me getting a job or a husband.
I'll tell them tomorrow after school, since it's late. I'm sure Mama will be okay with it. She's worried about me going to school. While Shoudo Academy is safer than Yokai, there were four casualties the first term and two expulsions. I'm an easy target.
We do have a Newspaper Club here, but they refused my application. Like Ms. Akashiya's sister, I was supposed to register with a club by midterms. But I have a feeling I'm going to get turned down by every club I apply for. Nobody talks to me. That's another reason why I'm thinking of dropping out. No club. No friends. Bad grades. What's the point?
I asked Papa about going to your cultural festival. He was confused about the request, wondering why I would not want to attend the one at my new school. I told him I wanted to see Chisa, Satsuki and you. He said we would talk about it later.
I am a little worried that he won't let me go if I drop out. But it's not like it would cost money to get on a bus and go to Yokai. At least I don't think it does. I know my parents have to arrange something for a bus to pick me up.
I wish I had something good to write about. You would think something cool would happen in three weeks, but getting letters was like the highlight of last weekend. Got one from Chisa and the astronomy club. I was so surprised that they wrote one. It was dated two weeks ago. Most of it was written by Ms. Andou but it looks like Mr. Kokutan did the first two paragraphs. It sounds like they weren't having club meetings because of Lord Chiki. He mentioned you guys played paintball with his cousin, Ms. Zanzou, but that he hadn't seen her since the start of the term and that she was a fugitive.
It was very hard to read the small print of that miniature newspaper you sent me. You weren't kidding about your articles not mentioning all the bad things Lord Chiki did. I hope he doesn't come back and cause you more trouble.
I really liked Mr. Aono's article. Sadly, most of the programs he mentioned were only for your prefecture, so it doesn't do me any good. I checked the school office yesterday to see if there were any programs that might benefit me. I really need that 400 if I want to be considered for anything.
It's depressing. I don't mean to be, but I feel so bored and lonely. I feel like I squandered my time at Yokai because I don't know anyone you talk about that well. Chisa and Satsuki were my main friends. And I sort of made some progress with Tama and Mizore. I can't pretend that I knew much about the other kids in our homeroom or my astronomy club. Sure. I know about Ms. Tobuyoku, Ms. Sakamori and Ms. Honda. But I never sat down and had a long talk with any of them. I really blew it.
I sometimes wonder if it would have been easier on my parents if I had died. I know that's depressing talk, but it feels like I'm dead to them. They were so supportive over the summer. But they are starting to see that this will be forever. I don't see them smile at me. There is no happiness about me being alive.
I'm not saying they would be happy I'm dead. I know you're not happy about your mother being gone. I guess that's me being selfish. I don't want to deal with being a source of pain to them.
I know you have it rough too. Losing your mother and your boyfriend over the summer. That made me cry. A part of me thinks you should still try and not give up on Mr. Aono. But your mother.
I know how much you like to keep secrets. I have to ask. Who knows about your mother being dead? It sounds like Ms. Akashiya's sister didn't know until she read your letter to me. I'm guessing Ms. Akashiya knows. Maybe Ms. Sendou too. Anyone else?
That's not something you should keep secret. A pain like that will tear you apart. I know you're probably worried about being a burden to your friends. I worry about that all the time. But some things you can't hide, like my legs. Death is a permanent hurt. It's not like some dumb guy licking your pussy that you might forget. You can never forget about your mother dying.
I feel bad that you sent this huge letter and I'm already running out of things to say. I understand why you would use your powers to make Mr. Aono forget. I know if I had been dating Kagayaki, having sex and doing all lovey stuff only for him to break up with me a couple months later… I would want us both to be able to forget it all happened and go back to being friends at least. I guess you can't wipe your own memories though. That has to suck.
While I don't care if you tamper with the memories of the guys on Mr. Aono's floor, I hope you didn't mess with Mizore's. It might be too late, but I think you could trust her with this. I know you said he's in love with Ms. Akashiya, but maybe you could help him get with Mizore. Like Kagayaki and Ameuma. Two people you really care about. It doesn't hurt so much if they're happy.
I haven't mustered the courage to write Mizore or Satsuki yet. Chisa's letter had a paragraph about your big fake reveal and how she always knew something was off about your relationship with Mr. Aono. It's sad, but she had said something similar even before I got hurt. She said he was only following your lead and would never initiate anything. That it was not normal for a girl to take the lead. But I don't think she's right. Ameuma asked Kagayaki out.
If possible, could you convince Mizore and Satsuki to write to me? I'm sure I could respond to them. It's just too hard to start a conversation on my own when all I can think about is all this stuff I know that they don't know. I'm likely to blab your secrets for you. I'd rather us all be on the same page before I open my big mouth.
Does that make any sense? I'm not talking but it seems weird to say 'before I open my big pen'.
I wish I had more to say, but it's late and I'm tired.
Lots of kisses and hope to see you at the festival.
"Mizore? Are you okay in there?"
Kurumu tried to turn the knob of the bathroom door but it refused to budge. Mizore had locked herself inside almost an hour ago, using her powers to seal the door. As she could feel the icy chill through the portal, she assumed the upset girl was still alive.
"I'm sorry, Mizore. Please. At least talk to me."
The sound of the deadbolt turning caught her attention. She turned as the door was pulled open. Dressed in her school jacket and skirt, Moka entered the suite and set her keys atop the half wall.
"Thank goodness you're here."
Kurumu hurried away from bathroom door. Her bosom bounced within the confines of her gray tank top. Coupled with her black cotton shorts, this ensemble was on her list of appropriate sleepwear to have on while doing her laundry in the commissary last night.
"What's wrong?"
As Moka slipped out of her loafers, Kurumu gestured at the bathroom.
"Mizore locked herself up in the bathroom. Is Yukari with you?"
Moka shook her head as she headed across the suite with purpose. The vampire tugged open her closet door, slipping inside.
"The Headmaster was at the meeting today. He wanted to speak with Yukari and Rubi."
Kurumu frowned, wandering over to the open door. The vampire had already hung up her school jacket and was starting to unbutton her blouse.
"What did he want them for?"
"It was about the whip. Could you bring that to me? She needs it."
Kurumu nodded, meandering over to the bed. She picked up Moka's schoolbag, setting it down on the crimson comforter before opening it. She fished the coils of the whip out.
"Do you need the chain too?"
"I doubt it."
Holding the whip to her bosom, Kurumu glanced at the open front door.
"Where's Kokoa?"
"My sister left the meeting with Nagisa. She plans to spend the day with her friends."
Kurumu frowned as she wandered back over to the closet. Moka had stripped down to her underwear which consisted of a white, cotton bra and a pair of boring, white briefs.
"Do you think she's going to take Hotaru's blood today?"
Moka gestured for the whip. Kurumu handed it over and the vampire's hair color changed in an instant.
"Probably. I'm going to have some fun."
Clutching the whip, Moka tugged her panties down and stepped out of them. She then started to wrap the length of whip about her thigh.
"What are you doing?"
The vampire ignored her, continuing with her task. Once she was down to the handle, Moka fished it into the coils to hold it in place. Satisfied that it would not slip, the vampire snatched up her panties and tossed them into her nearby hamper.
"I am going on a date with Tsukune."
Kurumu blinked in confusion as the vampire unhooked her bra. Dropping her bra into the hamper, the naked vampire turned to regard her wardrobe.
"Now what should I wear?"
"Why are you going on a date with him?"
"Because I asked him to and he accepted."
Kurumu frowned as Moka selected her black dress with the gossamer jacket. Slipping it off its hanger, the vampire handed Kurumu the long sleeved jacket which would bare the midriff if worn on its own.
"But wasn't it the other Moka that asked him?"
Moka tugged the dress over her head. The loose fabric quickly settled into place, hanging by thin straps upon her pale shoulders. The swell of her bosom was adequately contained within the garment which was almost long enough to reach her knees.
"He's aware that he will be spending the day with me."
Kurumu was at a loss for words. She was confused why this Moka wanted to go on a date with Tsukune and even more confused over why he would agree to it. The vampire gestured for the jacket, prompting Kurumu to surrender it.
"I have no idea how long the Headmaster will let me keep this toy. I should make the most of it."
The vampire carefully fished her arms through the jacket, pulling it up over her shoulders. She smoothed the thin fabric out, leaving it open. The dark dress could be seen through the flimsy material.
"You didn't put on any lingerie."
Moka smirked at her.
"Is that a problem?"
Kurumu held her hands up to stop Moka from leaving the closet.
"Wait. You just crushed his ego yesterday with the whole not needing him because of this whip."
"And?"
"And this doesn't make sense."
Moka made a slight sound, bending down to fetch her Mary Janes with the glossy black sequins. Holding these up to her bosom, she shooed Kurumu to leave.
"I need to pick up a few things in Mononoke. And I have a young man whom eagerly wants to be in my company. While I'm sure there are other boys eager to take his place, I know Tsukune won't trouble me."
Kurumu decisively tugged her tank top off.
"Let me go instead."
Moka stalked up to her and tapped her head with a shoe.
"That's no good. I want this to be a date."
Kurumu pouted, holding her tank top against her bare breasts.
"But that's not fair. We promised it would be friends first."
Moka draped her arms over Kurumu's shoulders, stepping in for a loose hug.
"Silly girl. You both belong to me. If you have a problem with it, you're more than welcome to try and stop me. Think of it as part of your training."
Kurumu frowned as Moka pulled away. The vampire slipped out of the closet.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Absently chucking her tank top into her black wicker hamper, Kurumu wandered out into the main room as Moka made her way to the bed.
"It means I am open for a challenge. This whip doesn't give me full access to my powers. Maybe you and the snow princess could actually defeat me."
Setting her shoes on the mattress, the vampire bent over to fetch her crimson tote from under the bed. The fabric drifted dangerously up her thighs, exposing the bottom coils of the whip. Straightening up, Moka opened her purse and rummaged through the contents.
Kurumu sighed, drifting over to rest her hands on the back of the couch.
"I don't know about that. Mizore read my letter from Nerume while I was listening to one of her CDs by Maximum the Hormone."
"Maximum the Hormone? Strange name for a band."
"Yea. Weird stuff."
Moka fished her hand through the black handles of her crimson purse, letting it dangle upon her forearm. She grabbed her shoes in her other hand.
"So what's her problem?"
"Nerume's letter mentions a few of my secrets. Like how my mother is dead and how I convinced the school I never had a relationship with Tsukune."
Moka smirked, stalking over towards the bathroom door.
"And the princess couldn't handle the fact that you decided not to trust her with those secrets."
"Maybe. She hasn't said anything since she locked herself up in there. I was hoping Yukari could force the door open with magic, because I don't want to break your door."
Moka stopped at the door and knocked firmly.
"Shirayuki. Open this door right now."
There was a long pause in which Moka and Kurumu shared a glance.
"You should probably get dressed."
Kurumu blushed slightly, nodding. She headed back to the closet, taking off her shorts the moment she stepped inside the small compartment. She chucked her shorts in the hamper as she looked over her selection of casual clothes.
Thinking since Moka was going without, Kurumu selected her yellow tube top. It was easy to pull over her head and smooth about her torso. She could even have her wings out if she decided to take Moka up on her challenge.
Knowing denim would not comfortable to wear with nothing beneath, Kurumu grabbed her white cotton shorts which required her leaving her tail out to keep them from falling off. Easing her tail out, she slipped into the shorts. As she coiled her tail about her ankle, she buttoned the shorts up in the back.
"Fine. I'm not sticking around for you. I'll have you know that the reason why Kurumu didn't share her secrets with you is because you told Tsukune about her being sterile. You can't be trusted."
Kurumu hopped out of the closet, shaking her head.
"Moka! Don't say that!"
"I'm not wrong."
Kurumu winced at Moka's casual dismissal of this. She sighed, glancing back at the closet.
"She won't remember doing that, Moka. I took that memory away."
Moka faltered back a step. The vampire clenched her jaw, turning on the door.
"You're lucky, Shirayuki. She cares so much about you that she even erases your betrayals."
Kurumu was hesitant to respond to that. It was not like she had thought she was doing Mizore a favor. She had to give Mizore the same memory she had given Tsukune. Removing all the drama over how Tsukune had accidentally made her sterile during his first emergence as a ghoul had been necessary to make things easier for him.
"You don't deserve her kindness. I'm going on a date with Tsukune. If you dare come after me, I won't hesitate to put you in the dirt."
Kurumu trembled from the aura pouring out of Moka. The vampire stalked away from the door, intent on the entryway. She paused by the half wall, dropping her shoes and slipping her feet into them.
"I'm leaving my keys here, Kurumu. Good luck with her."
The vampire took off without a response, leaving the door open. Kurumu sighed, wandering over to the bathroom door. She leaned against the chilly barrier and knocking again.
"Come on, Mizore. At least talk to me."
"Is it true?"
Kurumu touched her breast, relieved to hear Mizore's voice.
"Did I tell him that he made you sterile?"
"He doesn't remember any of that, Mizore. There was no reason for him to ever know."
"I had thought about telling him. But I didn't have to because you were fixed up over the summer."
"It's okay, Mizore. It doesn't matter."
"When did I tell him?"
Kurumu hesitated. Was there any value telling Mizore about this? Nerume had asked her to trust Mizore.
"On my birthday. I wasn't upset that Tsukune saw me naked. I didn't chase you out of the house and we didn't have a silly fight in the streets. Moka didn't show up and put a stop to it."
There was a long pause. The door unlocked and it slowly pushed out. Kurumu backed away as a rush of cold air spilled out of the room.
Despite having other casual clothes, Mizore was dressed in the old attire that she used to wear to school. The white shirt had dark long sleeves and an open collar which betrayed the black straps of her bra. The shirt had a center pocket stitched at her midriff which was accessible from both sides. The shirt hung over a school skirt and long striped stockings pulled up to her thighs.
"Makes sense. My memory of that is weird. Why would we fight in the middle of a human city?"
Kurumu laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head.
"Yea. I came up with that on short notice. But you did run out on us. Fully naked."
Mizore blinked. After a pause, she nodded.
"That explains much. I don't own a swimsuit like the one I remember having on. And I put these clothes on over that swimsuit for the fight, but the next morning I was wearing something else."
Kurumu smiled softly.
"Yea. I didn't try too hard to fix your memories. Just changed them enough to not contradict his."
"What else did you change?"
Kurumu fidgeted with her fingers at her waist.
"A few things. Mostly our conversations about you being my surrogate. That always made Tsukune feel awkward, so I removed them from his memory and from yours."
"Did you two have sex?"
Kurumu paused, again questioning the value of Mizore knowing it. She took in a deep breath.
"Yea. You watched us doing it in the laundry room one time. You were… masturbating to us."
Mizore blushed as an uncomfortable silence settled over them. After a long moment, she sighed.
"Are you done?"
"Done?"
"With Tsukune. Is that why you let her run off on a date without even trying to stop her?"
Kurumu glanced at the open front door. She shrugged.
"I want us all to be friends. And I want Tsukune to be happy. I know I had to take away his memories so that he wouldn't look at me like some huge mistake. That way he would at least be comfortable talking to me. But I don't know what else I can do to make him happy."
"I doubt he'd be happy going on a date with that woman."
"Yea. He would prefer it to be the other Moka."
"We should go after them."
"Maybe we shouldn't."
"My mother sent me my monthly allowance. I have the money to pay back Akashiya."
Kurumu hesitated, aware of this.
"We should wait for Yukari."
Mizore reached into her center pocket, pulling out a lollipop. She pulled off the wrapper, balling it in her hand as she stuck the red candy into her mouth.
"Where is she?"
"She's with the Headmaster."
"When will she be back?"
Kurumu wrung her hands, having no answer for that.
"Mizore. Moka wants us to go after her."
Mizore toyed with the white stick nestled in the corner of her mouth.
"Then shouldn't we?"
Kurumu sighed. Shaking her head, she returned to Moka's closet. She needed socks and shoes. Like Moka, she only left the pair she wore to school in the entryway. The rest of her shoes were either in her suite or in Moka's closet. After grabbing a pair of socks, she snatched up her white platform sneakers which gave her enough extra centimeters to stand as tall as Mizore.
"Can we at least eat lunch in the dining hall? I'd rather not spend what little money I have on food."
"I'll buy you lunch."
Kurumu smirked as she exited the closet. Shutting the door behind her, she wandered over to join Mizore in the entryway.
"Well I won't refuse a free lunch."
Kurumu bent down and tugged on her socks.
"Did your mother have a funeral?"
Kurumu hesitated, feeling the temperature dip slightly. With a shiver, she slipped her feet into her shoes which lacked laces.
"Do you remember that jewelry box and flower vase I had back at the Shuzen Estate? That's actually a butsudan and my mother's urn. I had Yukari cast an illusion on them so I wouldn't have to explain things right then and there."
Already hunkered down, Kurumu opened up her schoolbag which was resting nearby. She fished out her purse which still had her phone and money inside it.
"That really hurt, Kurumu. That whole time I was talking about our mothers getting back together and you couldn't tell me the truth. I wrote to my mother about that."
Kurumu sighed as she stood up. She shouldered her purse by its strap as best she could.
"I'm sorry."
Mizore shook her head, backing out of the suite into the sunlight.
"No. I'm sorry. I'm close to having another breakdown because of what Akashiya said."
Kurumu grimaced, grabbing Moka's keys off the half wall and following Mizore out of the suite.
"I didn't mean for you to find out like that."
"You didn't want me to find out at all. I'm angry about that, but Akashiya turned it around on me."
Kurumu shook her head as she closed the door and locked it up.
"It's not your fault. And I was going to tell you about my mother eventually. It wouldn't surprise me if the entire faculty know about it by now."
"The faculty?"
Kurumu dropped the keys into her purse.
"Yea. I wrote an essay about my mother, admitting she passed away the day after my birthday. I gave it to Coach Yaisoku before the whole thing went down with Lord Chiki, but she didn't bother reading it until last week. That's why Ms. Nekonome took me aside on Monday."
Mizore nodded slowly, slipping her hands into her central pocket.
"I'm guessing Tsukune doesn't know about it."
"Nope. And like the whole sterile thing, I'd rather not tell him about it."
"I won't betray you this time. I'm so sorry I told him about making you sterile."
"It's no big deal."
"If it wasn't a big deal, you would have told me about your mother."
Mizore paused, struggling to control her emotions. It was obvious with how the temperature fluctuated.
"We both know I only said it to drive you two apart. And I did it on your birthday. Are you sure I can't help you get back together with him?"
Kurumu took in a deep breath. She stepped in closer to Mizore whom immediately stepped back.
"Don't."
Kurumu laughed, catching the girl in a chilly embrace. Mizore whimpered.
"No. I'm trying my hardest here. I might hurt you if I start crying."
Kurumu ignored the protest, squeezing the girl tighter. She pushed out calming thoughts, wanting Mizore to relax. She rested her head against Mizore's, feeling the temperature start to stabilize moments after the snow girl removed her hands from her pocket to return the embrace.
"It's okay. I only let Moka, Yukari and Tora know about mommy. I only told Nerume about mommy in my letter to her last week. You're still one of my closest friends."
A solid teardrop bounced off Kurumu's shoulder.
"I'm so sorry."
"You can make it up to me by writing Nerume a letter."
And then the teardrops started to fall in earnest.
"There they are."
Kurumu pressed her back against the antique store as Mizore pointed at the couple exiting the fancy clothing store known as the Clique. While most of the wares on display were conservative, the staff had a huge catalog of things that they were willing to make including Chinese dresses, ballroom gowns and even maid outfits. Most of Kurumu's new wardrobe had been purchased there by Kokoa.
Kurumu frowned at the couple as they made their way to the intersection. Moka was gorgeous but Tsukune was wearing the mint green track suit with the Yokai Academy logo which was sold in the school store. He was carrying several bags as Moka pointed at the building across the street. The vampire was balancing a pair of shoe boxes on her head. There was a small teddy bear on top of the boxes.
"What is he wearing?"
"A track suit."
"Yea. But when did he get that?"
As the couple crossed the street, they backed further away, keeping in the afternoon shadows.
"Monday after school. He bought it for his morning workouts with Mr. Miyamoto."
"Why would he wear that to a date?"
Mizore shrugged as the couple entered Always There which sold a bunch of random stuff. It was where Kurumu had bought Tsukune a watch for his birthday present. The one he had deliberately left at home after the Okinawa trip.
"He was carrying a bunch of things. Maybe she told him to dress like a servant."
"Guess we don't have to worry about this being a serious date."
"We should go inside."
Kurumu grabbed Mizore by the arm, shaking her head.
"I'm a succubus, Mizore. Unlike you, I'm going to be noticed."
"I can go in by myself."
"Why don't we wait and see how things go?"
Thankfully Mizore heeded her advice. Managing a smile, Kurumu tugged her phone out of her purse to check the time. It was almost two. Despite having to wait for Mizore to calm down, the hour long walk from campus to Mononoke, and having lunch at the Mix it Up café where Tokori worked, it had not taken them that long to find the couple. Aware that Moka's shopping list included a karaoke machine, Kurumu had first checked out the electronics store before stopping by Siren's Lullaby to ask the manager if Moka had rented a room for karaoke. As the lingerie store, Bows and Strings, was close to Siren's Lullaby, they had poked their heads in there for a couple minutes before arriving here.
Kurumu stuffed her phone back inside her purse. She had taken a couple pictures at the café of Mizore and Tokori. Naturally she had requested Tokori to be their waitress and they had chatted as much as her work allowed. As it had been a little before one, they had been rather busy. It was mostly catching up with the girl since she had not had a chance to talk much with Tokori outside of sewing class.
"There you are."
Yukari drifted down from the sky, batting her six black wings gently. The witch was garbed in her school blouse and skirt, betraying a glimpse of panties before she was low enough to the ground. Her wings popped out of existence, causing Yukari to drop the last half meter and land gracefully on her feet.
"You shouldn't fly in a skirt. I saw your panties."
Yukari blushed, glancing back over her shoulder. Rubi was quickly making her way to them. For some reason, the older witch was also dressed in a school blouse and skirt.
"At least they're mature panties."
"Looked white to me."
"They were lace bikinis and match my bra."
Kurumu smirked, gesturing to Rubi as she landed.
"When did you get a school outfit?"
Rubi frowned, dispelling her wings.
"The Headmaster gave two uniforms to me yesterday. Apparently most of my attire is not suitable for school. They would like me to keep my shoulders covered if I am to interact with students."
"Heavens forbid we see your shoulders."
"I would like to keep my job. Who knows what will happen to me if Ms. Akashiya doesn't return that whip. The Headmaster said he spent millions to acquire it."
"Millions?!"
Yukari nodded at her shock.
"Fifty five to be exact. He said it was difficult to get his hands on. He had to use some unsavory contacts within the Arabian black market."
"Did you ask if we could borrow it?"
Rubi whimpered, bowing her head. Yukari grimaced, glancing aside.
"Well… thing is… he told Moka at the meeting to bring it back to him."
"And she never came back!"
"We were going to ask him for it when she returned with the whip. While we were waiting for her, he taught me two spells."
"Like what?"
"He showed her how to cast the sealing spell in case Mr. Aono goes berserk again."
"Well that's good."
"He taught me how to swap my soul."
Kurumu nodded slowly, regarding the fidgeting witch.
"So… you'll be able to use that for Moka?"
"This is forbidden magic, Kurumu. It's the spell Rubi's master planned to use on me to take my body."
Kurumu paused, letting that sink in.
"Are you suddenly worried about the ethics of this?"
"I'm wondering why he knows this spell. His sudden offer to teach it to me scares me. We all know that he dabbles in divination. What if he saw something that would require me to use this spell?"
Kurumu frowned, glancing at the store Moka and Tsukune were inside.
"Is that why you two flew all the way here for? I don't have those answers."
"No. I was actually tracking Moka's rosary because we were looking for the whip. I just happened to see you near my target."
"We need to take it back to the Headmaster and ask for it properly."
"Well… Moka decided to go on a date with Tsukune. She's wearing the whip on her thigh."
"I doubt this Moka will let us have it."
Kurumu nodded in agreement with Mizore. She gestured at Yukari.
"Did you learn how to cast that soul swapping spell?"
"We swapped places for a few moments."
Yukari blushed at Rubi's cheerful announcement.
"I can only move my soul to a person I touch. And that person must have a magical aptitude or I won't be able to move back. I'm sure with some tweaking, I can figure out a way to move a soul that isn't mine to another destination of my choosing."
"She perceives the world so much differently than I do. I understand how she learned that sealing spell so quickly. And her body is more sensitive than mine."
Yukari wagged a finger at Rubi.
"I'm going inside to speak with Moka about the whip. You better not say a word about what you did."
Rubi nodded as the young witch stalked off. Yukari hurried diagonally across the intersection, hastily making her way to the arched doorway. The moment she ducked inside, they both looked at Rubi.
"What did you do?"
"Nothing."
"Maybe we shouldn't help her get the whip back."
Rubi whimpered, squirming in place.
"I didn't do anything wrong. I only wanted to confirm I was in a different body."
"Did you learn any spells from the Headmaster today?"
"No. He spent most of his time instructing Yukari. I was sent to the cafeteria to make them lunch since Ms. Akashiya was taking so long."
Kurumu sighed, slouching against the building.
"Do you know how to cast an invisibility spell?"
Rubi grinned brightly.
"I do!"
"Could you make me invisible? I'm sure Mizore can get into that store undetected, but I'm not a creature meant for stealth."
Rubi frowned, rocking to and fro on her heels.
"Well… I can make myself invisible but I've never tried making something else invisible."
"Isn't it the same spell?"
"Not at all. It's a lot easier to do things to yourself."
Kurumu sighed heavily.
"Great. I should have asked Yukari to enchant us some rocks."
"What good would teleporting do?"
Kurumu smirked, recalling that Yukari had been teaching Rubi how to teleport by using enchanted rocks.
"Yukari can enchant a rock to make the person holding it undetectable by sight, sound or smell."
"That's amazing. I hope she'll teach me how to do that."
"They're coming out."
The trio exited the store. Yukari walked alongside Moka, carrying the shoe boxes and teddy bear and chatting amicably while Tsukune followed in their wake. He was holding one more bag than before.
"Where are they going?"
Kurumu shrugged at Rubi's question as the trio headed down the street away from them. Mizore drifted away from the building, skulking out into the intersection.
"We should follow them."
Emboldened by Mizore's suggestion, Kurumu detached from the building and followed after the snow girl. The blocks of Mononoke were not far apart. Even walking slowly, it was easy to get from one block to the next in less than a minute. Moka gestured at the large, single story clothing store on the corner of the next intersection and Yukari nodded. The pair of girls entered Keep it Casual with Tsukune in tow.
Mononoke was a busy place on the weekends, though that was not as obvious when hanging out at this end of the town. Most of the buildings around the Bows and Strings boutique were vacant. The Siren's Lullaby was the only building on the other side of that desolate street. And other than the theater, there was nothing of interest on this street after the jewelry and shoe stores near the Clique.
"We need to come up with a plan to get the whip away from Ms. Akashiya."
They neared Bundle of Joy, the baby store across the street from Keep it Casual. It was a white building with pastel blue designs marking the entrance while Keep it Casual was more of a drab brown color.
"We should wait for Yukari to tell us what is going on."
Spying a small alley between the buildings, Kurumu pointed at it.
"We can hide over there."
"No reason to. I can slip in without being noticed and ask her now."
"Fine. We'll wait out here."
Mizore nodded, cutting across the street intent on the glass double doors marking the entrance of the clothing store. As the snow girl entered the building, Kurumu retreated into the shadows of the alley. Pouting, Rubi joined her.
"What do we do now?"
"Uh… wait."
"What if Ms. Akashiya talked Yukari out of helping us?"
"Even with Yukari's help, I doubt we can take that whip by force."
Rubi smacked her fist in her palm.
"I have an idea. You cause a distraction and I'll hit her with a sleep spell."
"I don't think that will work."
"What if I yank her off the ground? Then she would have to surrender."
"She'll clobber you."
"Not if I extend my reach."
"How?"
"Trust me. Make her distracted."
With a quick gesture, Rubi sprouted six black wings in this narrow, cramped space. The wings were much smaller than they had been earlier. With a hop, Rubi launched herself into the air. The moment she was free of the alleyway, her wings lengthened and flapped, taking her higher out of sight.
Alone, Kurumu lurked in the shadows. Despite her efforts, plenty of men took notice of her. She could feel their eyes pass appreciatively over her. Thankfully none felt the need to hit on her, though she wondered if that was out of caution. She was a gorgeous girl, lingering in the darkness. Monsters were well aware of how dangerous that could be.
She should get a strap extension. The purse was too high if she hung it on her shoulder and it felt wrong letting it dangle from her elbow. She would rather wear it across her body like her schoolbag.
She needed to ask Yukari about dispelling that illusion on the butsudan and urn again. This past week had been a crazy blur with Huang's antics and Tsukune's abduction yesterday. It was almost a miracle she had managed to do her laundry last night with how exhausted she had been.
She should also write a letter to Ms. Kiyoshi and mention Nerume. In fact, it might be a good idea to tell Nerume how to get in contact with Ms. Kiyoshi. The succubus whom was in charge of the Tohoku region lived in Nishiwaga of Iwate prefecture. Aware that Kaigan was near Lake Tazawa of Akita prefecture, Kurumu wondered how close those two villages were.
Kurumu perked up the moment Moka exited the store with Yukari latched to her side. The witch was holding two bags while Moka was once again displaying her amazing balancing technique with those shoe boxes on her head. Tsukune followed after them, carrying the same amount of bags as before. The trio crossed the intersection, passing by Digital which was a video rental store.
Creeping back into the open, Kurumu walked cautiously as the trio crossed the street to enter a squat building nestled between the corner store and a shoe store. The corner store which had many windows displaying their goods was Memories. It sold a variety of things from stationary to picture frames. The store the trio had entered was Sparkles, which was a cosmetics store. While it had some cheap jewelry, it was mostly a makeup store. The narrow, gray building beside it was Hot Trots, which sold different shoes from the ones you could find at the fancy shoe store by the Clique.
As Kurumu skulked across the intersection, she wondered what had happened to Mizore. The small building across from Sparkles was a hat store with the amusing name of Watch your Head. The black building with red stripes which stood next to the hat store was Sports Station. She had yet to visit that place, thinking she probably should replace her sports bra or at least get a second one. She assumed she had to get one here as she had not seen sports bras in Bows and Strings or Keep it Casual.
The last store before reaching the intersection beside Sports Station was Got Ya Covered. That stout, beige building carried coats, jackets, umbrellas, gloves and other random things no other store seemed to carry. There was not much competition in Mononoke when it came to services and goods. The Buckle Up shop across the street was the only place you could buy leather belts and work boots.
Kurumu shivered when an icy hand touched the back of her neck. She frowned at Mizore, whom smiled slightly at her reaction.
"Sendou says its training."
"Training?"
Mizore nodded, removing her hand and gesturing at the cosmetics store.
"Akashiya wants us to attack her when she's close to Tsukune. That way he can sense harmful intent."
Kurumu frowned, regarding the store.
"But I don't want to hurt either of them."
"It's what she wants. I told Sendou we would play along."
Kurumu sighed, wondering how she could motivate herself to hurt them.
"I'm going to need help with this, Mizore. Psyche me up?"
"She'll kiss him in public if you don't."
"That's not so bad."
"Is it? He doesn't love this one. Are you okay with her forcing herself upon him?"
Kurumu let out a deep breath. Closing her eyes, she eased her wings out.
"Okay. If I see them being too close, I'll charge at them."
"Where's that other witch?"
"That idiot is flying up there somewhere. She's waiting for us to make a distraction."
"Distraction?"
"Yea. She thinks she can dive in and grab Moka while she's distracted."
Mizore nodded, studying the glass window storefront of Sparkles. Kurumu absently twisted the strap of her purse around her arm a couple more times so it would press against her skin. If she was going to dive on the couple, she did not want this thing dangling about.
Her eyes wandered to the huge store which dominated the rest of this block on that side. That was the Kitchen Sink which carried all sorts of household goods and appliances from plates to washing machines. Kurumu could probably find a replacement for her busted hamper in there, though she imagined she lacked the funds to do so. She had blown so much money in that store to have a usable kitchen in her suite which she barely spent any time in. She had not been in her suite since the day she had removed all of her intimate memories from Tsukune's consciousness.
Moka stepped out of the store and her eyes instantly locked with Kurumu's. Kurumu stiffened, retreating back a step. With a smug smile, the vampire started towards them with those boxes on her head.
"Wait up."
Holding three bags now, Yukari came bounding out of the store with Tsukune on her heels. The witch quickly caught up to the vampire, hooking her arms.
"I don't know, Yukari. My next stop is a place I shouldn't take a girl your age."
"What are you talking about?"
Moka smirked as she strolled by them, walking down the street between Keep it Casual and Digital.
"You'll see. Hurry along, Tsukune."
"Hey, Moka. It's Mizore and Kurumu."
"Mhm. What of it?"
"Uh… can't we invite them along?"
"I will tolerate Yukari but we don't need another one of your admirers interfering with our time together. If you haven't forgotten, this is a date."
Kurumu bristled at how easily he yielded to this Moka. She slowly followed him to the intersection, watching as the trio made their way towards the residential section of the town.
"Where are they going?"
Kurumu had no idea but she was going to find out. She pumped her wings, lifting up into the sky. There was not much in that direction. The warehouse building on the right was the contracting office ran by the Tensai family. She had no idea what the building on the left was for, but the t shaped, three story structure with the parking lot on the corner was the apartment building in which Coach Yaisoku lived.
For some reason, the trio had stopped in the parking lot. Tsukune had set aside his bags and it looked like Yukari was casting a spell on them. Moka gestured for him to get closer. For a moment, Kurumu swore the vampire looked up at her. The vampire stepped in close to him.
Kurumu's heart twisted. This Moka was seriously going to kiss him. All that talk about how he would have to fight for it and now she was throwing it all aside to deliberately provoke Kurumu.
Fine. She wanted a fight. And knowing that this Moka lacked full access to her powers, Kurumu felt she had a good chance of beating this haughty vampire.
She dove in hard and fast, balling her hands into a fist. A clean shot to the temple should do it. And Yukari was nearby to heal Moka if it turned out to be too much.
"Watch out!"
Kurumu smashed the ground, causing chunks of concrete to spray up in her wake. Her feet whipped down to touch the cratered ground, shaking her pained fist as she looked up through the dust. In the blink of an eye, her targets had vanished from her sight right before impact. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise, her body tense and ready for retaliation.
"Moka! I'm here for the whip!"
"Is that so? You could have asked for it."
Kurumu sprung back as she saw Moka standing haughtily before her with a hand on her hip.
"As if you would give it back."
"And look what you did to the ground. To think you called me the violent one."
Kurumu blushed as Tsukune got up. Yukari strolled over, effortlessly carrying all the bags he had been struggling with earlier as well as everything else.
"I'm serious, Moka."
"Yes, of course. Shall we continue to our next destination?"
Moka grabbed Tsukune by the hand and tugged him down the street which flanked the residential district. Kurumu scowled, falling in step with Yukari as they followed the couple.
"Where are you even going? There's nothing on this street."
That was not entirely true. The grocery store, Stockers, was a few blocks down and it was next to a public bathhouse. Stockers was the place to go for frozen, boxed and canned goods not carried in the school commissaries. Kurumu had not known about it until recently, having done all of her food shopping at the fresh market stalls near Tokori's café. She mildly would like that to continue, not caring to be near the apartment building with Hatsutori's studio in which Nagare had assaulted her.
"Such a troublesome girl you have chasing after you. We should ditch her."
"Maybe we should return the whip."
"Not yet."
Kurumu sighed as they passed by a nondescript building.
"The Headmaster asked you to bring it back. Rubi's worried he might fire her."
"Is that true?!"
Moka huffed, continuing on nonchalantly.
"Why should I care about that? Her only value is giving her blood to stabilize Tsukune. It doesn't matter to me if she is homeless and destitute."
"While she is annoying, I'm not going to kick her out of my suite if she loses her job."
"We should go in here."
Moka pulled Tsukune with her towards the glass doors of the store at the corner of the next intersection. The flat, single story building had a boxy overhang with the name of the store in roman letters. Yowsan. The name was familiar but she could not recall why.
"Wait! We shouldn't!"
"Don't be a baby. Your friends talk about it all the time."
Tsukune gagged as their presence triggered the door sensor, causing it to open for them.
"What would you even want to buy from here?!"
Moka giggled as the doors closed behind them. Frowning, Kurumu shared a glance with Yukari.
"Should we go in?"
"It's an adult store, Kurumu. An innocent girl like me can't ruin her reputation by being seen in such a place. What would Tsukune think about me?"
Kurumu blushed, doubting Tsukune would think any differently about the smirking witch. She regarded the store, shivering at the thought of going inside. Tsukune had told her about this place. It was where the guys bought condoms and porn magazines. She was mildly curious if it sold anything else.
"We should check it out when he's not with us."
"Yes. For educational reasons."
"What are you two doing?"
Kurumu jerked at the sudden appearance of Mizore. She clutched her hand to her breast.
"Sheesh, Mizore. Don't do that."
"Are you planning to attack them again the moment they come out?"
Kurumu fidgeted, glancing aside.
"It took a lot to work me up for that first attack. I'm still unsure what happened. If she sensed the attack, she deliberately waited until the last moment to dodge it."
"Tsukune shoved her aside."
Kurumu grimaced, wondering if Moka would have let the attack connect if he had failed to save her. And Yukari was nearby, so maybe Moka had thought the same thing as Kurumu had.
"I'm going inside."
Kurumu seized Mizore's arm.
"You shouldn't! That's not a place for a young lady!"
"I'll be right back."
Mizore jerked her arm away, slipping her hands in her center pocket.
"You should see if they have sex toys."
Mizore paused at Yukari's suggestion. Without responding, the snow girl resumed her walk. In seconds she disappeared into the store.
"What's Tsukune going to think of her if he sees her in there?"
"He'll probably assume she's after the whip."
That logic was comforting but Kurumu felt she had to remain here. She would prefer Tsukune to not associate her with sex this time around. He wanted her to be the happy girl she had been in all those memories she had tampered with to make him no longer attack her when he went berserk.
She had inadvertently become like a sister to him. As a young man whom had spent much of his youth around older girls and always had access to a cousin when he needed her, his attendance here at Yokai Academy was the first time in his life to lack such a platonic female figure.
"Where's Rubi?"
Kurumu coughed up a laugh, shaking her head.
"She's flying around somewhere. She wants us to make a distraction so that she can swoop in and grab Moka. She thinks if she can get Moka off the ground, she can force Moka to surrender the whip."
"Not a bad plan, actually."
"So… were you shopping with Moka?"
"Mhm. I bought a colored, four pack of hipsters and three bras in Keep it Casual."
"Hipsters?"
"They're like an in between of briefs and bikinis. I didn't know they made polka dot bras."
"What about striped?"
"There were a couple if Ms. Shirayuki is interested. It's not the lacy stuff, but it's a lot cheaper than buying lingerie at Bows and Strings."
"What colors did you get?"
"The pack had two shades of blue, a lime green and a pastel yellow. The teal bra I found was close to one of the blues. And my yellow bra has white dots. It's a shame that they didn't have any polka dot panties."
"Moka and I don't have yellow lingerie."
"And I don't have red. All the packs with red came with gray, black and white. Who wears gray lingerie?"
"I might get a gray sports bra."
"I don't own a sports bra."
"Do you wear your normal bra to gym?"
"My nipples are too sensitive for me to not wear a bra."
"So… the third bra you picked up was green?"
"Nope. I picked up a cute pink one which also has white dots."
"Do you have any pink panties?"
"No. And I'd have to buy a four pack with white, mauve and gray if I wanted one. I'd like to stop by Bows and Strings and see if they have any singles in pink. Maybe even try out those boyshorts you wear."
"My lavender pair has white dots."
"Sounds promising. Maybe I'll also find a green bra closer to the shade of panties I picked up."
"How much money did you get from your parents this month?"
"I should have enough for that. I want to match you guys."
There was cries of surprise and sounds of things crashing from within the store. The doors parted and Tsukune rushed out alongside Moka. The vampire swung her arm behind her to shatter an icy projectile. Tsukune was less fortunate as the missiles exploded against his back, causing him to stagger forward.
"We should just give it back!"
"No way!"
With a giggle, Moka sprinted down the street. Tsukune was able to match her pace with his longer stride.
"I don't get it. Why was I never able to sense it before?!"
"Because I'm pushing their buttons."
An oppressive chill drifted out of the store with Mizore in the center. The snow girl glared in the direction the couple were fleeing. Leveling her hand, she summoned chunks of ice to form in front of her.
"Mizore. Calm down."
Mizore glanced at her with eyes filled with anger. Clenching her fist, the ice fell to the ground about her. The couple darted off to the left at the next intersection, disappearing from sight.
"What did Moka do to rile you up?"
Mizore took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. After a long moment, she started off in pursuit.
"We can't leave those two alone."
Sharing a glance with Yukari, they fell in step behind the simmering Mizore. They crossed the first intersection with residential homes on their right and large buildings on their left. With a shiver and a sigh, Kurumu saw that her nipples had hardened and were proudly prominent through her tube top.
"You're not wearing a bra. I noticed my Moka isn't wearing one. Are you matching lingerie today?"
"Does it count as matching lingerie if we're not wearing any?"
"It does if you're wearing the same color of panties."
They walked by a huge building on their left. The writing over one of the entrances indicated this was the water treatment facility. Kurumu had seen this structure from a distance since it towered over all the nearby buildings. She knew that many municipal buildings shared this block and the next one, including the bank, post office, public records and the speakers' office. Speakers could instantly send messages around barriers to speakers in other villages.
They reached the intersection and followed Mizore to the left, walking away from the residential district. The brown, two story building on their right was Tutors. While the place offered some tutoring services, it was primarily a store which sold educational materials.
Mizore slowed her step as they neared the next two buildings. The red brick building on the right was a volunteer fire department. The black building on the left was for city engineering, whatever that was. Beyond these buildings was a service alleyway before the buildings at the end of this block. The post office stood on the right while the speakers' office was on the left.
"Which way did they go?"
"I'm not tracking her unless you answer my question. What happened in the store?"
Mizore relaxed her shoulders, coming to a stop at the alleyways which gave access to the backs of the buildings of these blocks.
"She asked him if he would like to try using a magic wand on her."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You would understand if you had been there."
"That doesn't sound like a good reason to try and kill them."
"I was blunting my attacks."
"Even so, it was my Moka that offered the challenge. You were pelting Tsukune."
"He'll live. Now where are they?"
Shifting the bags in her arms, Yukari made a quick gesture. She pointed at the alley on their left.
"She's over there."
Mizore managed several strides down the alleyway before Kurumu sprung over to grab her by the arm.
"We can't go rushing in. Moka will just run away."
"I'd be more worried that she would fight back."
"I'm not so sure about that. I think Mizore and I could take her. It's not like her rosary is removed."
"What do you suggest?"
Kurumu gestured at the alleyway entrance.
"Could you wall this off? Then when we go in, she can't run away."
Mizore nodded, turning and holding her hands out. Ice rapidly filled in the gap between the speaker's office and the engineering building.
"Set those bags down. I'm going to tackle Moka and you're going to take off the whip."
"I don't want any part of this."
"It's wrapped around her thigh beneath her dress."
"I'm ready when you are!"
Grinning at Yukari's enthusiasm, Kurumu noticed Mizore was nearly finished with her task.
"Can you make us some rocks to mask our presence?"
Yukari frowned, setting the bags aside.
"I could, but that would defeat her exercise. She wants him to be able to sense us."
"This isn't going to work at all if they see us coming."
"I guess I could remove the emotion suppressor from the spell."
Yukari clapped her hands and went through a quick series of gestures. At the end, she thrust both her hands out to touch Kurumu's breasts. She gave them a slight squeeze before backing off.
"Was the squeeze necessary?"
"Do you need a spell?"
Mizore shook her head, stalking over to the witch.
"Fine. I'll do myself and then we go."
Yukari snapped her finger and instantly vanished. Kurumu frowned, unsure how this would work. Unlike the spell on the rocks which she was used to, she had no clue where Yukari was.
"Um… Yukari. I can't see you."
"I'm sensing that we should be going. Follow me."
Having no means to protest, Kurumu skulked after the snow girl. In seconds, they found their quarry. Tsukune was extremely nervous and Moka milled about without a care in the world.
"Clever. It seems Yukari has turned against us now. I can't sense them at all."
"What?!"
"Perhaps it was a mistake to pick this place to stand my ground."
"I thought we were trying to run away!"
"Run away? You said you would protect me so I wouldn't have to hurt your little friends. Are you backing out of your promise?"
"No! But I-"
"If you're not going to fight them for me, then stay out of my way."
Kurumu had no idea what Moka was trying to attempt. Even provoked, there was no way Tsukune would ever fight them. She tensed her body, ready to pounce.
"I sense anticipation. They're prepared to launch their attack."
While Moka was trying to badger Tsukune into a fight, there was no way that proud vampire would intentionally lose. Kurumu flexed her wings and instantly Moka's turquoise eyes locked upon her location. The vampire smirked.
"What will you do, Tsukune?"
He shocked them all when he threw his arms about Moka. Moka gasped when one hand momentarily gripped her breast before repositioning to her waist. As the vampire turned her head, Tsukune pressed his head close to her cheek with his eyes closed.
"I'm sorry."
Kurumu felt the temperature drop and her own heart twisted at the sight of the embrace. She clenched her fists, knowing this had to be an attempt to rile up their emotions so he could sense them. But it was impossible not to feel upset.
"Above us!"
Kurumu hopped back when the pavement around Tsukune shattered under a barrage of black tendrils. Rubi hovered in the sky, working her arms back and forth which controlled the dozen appendages. The cloud of dust quickly became too much, Kurumu shielding her eyes and coughing. Rubi's assault ceased, allowing the debris to settle.
"He dodged it?!"
Trapped in the tendrils was a huge chunk of concrete. Rubi frowned, gesturing aside which prompted the appendages to chuck the rock aside.
"And she looked completely distracted."
Yukari popped back into existence, shaking her head.
"Get down here, you idiot."
Relaxing her body, Kurumu slowly walked over to the couple. Tsukune was bleeding from the temple and was straddled over Moka. The vampire was flush with her hands up by her head.
"And you're going to need to touch me so I can find you, Kurumu."
Kurumu chuckled, sidling over to Yukari and placing her hand on the witch's head. Yukari tapped her side as Rubi drifted down to join them. Mizore skulked into view.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Aono. I thought we could snatch her away without you getting hurt."
Moka sighed dramatically.
"That was almost what I had in mind. Putting your arms around me to stir up their emotions so you could sense where they were and dodge their attack."
"Are you all right?"
Moka smiled, lifting up on her elbows as far as she could with him atop her.
"You applied what I taught you today. You pass."
"Pass?"
"Your lesson for today. If you can sense an attack coming, you can dodge it."
"Wait?! So this was training?! This whole date was just a charade?!"
Moka sighed again, shaking her head. Her face was so close to his.
"And you're doing this wrong. The man does not straddle his woman when he's on top."
Tsukune blushed, instantly sitting up. He crawled off her, holding his hands out.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to."
Moka flopped back on the ground, her breast heaving with another sigh.
"And to think my body was excited from that accidental grab. Are you sure you don't want to try fighting me right now?"
Kurumu chuckled, pawing at Moka's bared knee with her shoe.
"That's enough of this. It's time to hand over the whip."
Moka smirked, reaching down to grab her dress. She hiked it up to expose the whip on her thigh.
"If he wants it so badly, why doesn't he try and get this prize?"
Yukari promptly hunkered down between Moka's legs, touching the vampire's thighs. Moka sucked in a breath, sitting up quickly. She wagged a finger at the smirking witch.
"That was not your invitation."
"You're not wearing panties."
Moka blushed, scooting away from the witch. She promptly stood up, smoothing out and padding her dress free of dust.
"That concludes your lesson for today. I still have things I'd like to purchase and I will treat you all to dinner for being such good sports."
"Thanks, Moka. I think I see why you took the whip. I'm sorry you spent most of your free time training me when you could have enjoyed it other ways."
Moka huffed, stalking away as Tsukune got to his feet.
"I hope you don't believe that was actual training. I only slipped a small lesson into my shopping spree."
Rubi chased after Moka which prompted everyone else to follow.
"Are you going to give me the whip now?"
"Sorry, Rubi. I think I'll keep it a little longer."
Kurumu snickered as Rubi whimpered in dismay. She was about to say something when Yukari poked her in the side.
"Let me guess. You're both going commando."
Ichiban Chuubou was an expensive restaurant located at an intersection not far from Ms. Nekonome's apartment building. Kurumu had gagged at the prices on the menu, but Moka had reassured them that it would be fine, reminding Kurumu that she often nagged her about not spending her money. Even so, Kurumu felt blowing twenty grand on one meal for six people was something nobody in their right mind should do. And that was with half of them ordering the cheapest entrée on the menu while Mizore had settled on having only a parfait.
There were seated at a booth with a window facing the street. Sitting by the window next to Moka, Kurumu could see the much more affordable Sand Witch across the street.
Mizore sat across from her next to Tsukune, leaning her head against the window. Like Kurumu, she had not bought anything for herself despite spending two hours of shopping. Mizore had spent half of her allowance buying three CDs at Spinning Discs to settle her debts with Moka. Tsukune had been surprised with Moka's selection of the three Baddest compilations by Kubota Toshinobu, but Moka defended her choice on the basis that Toshi was the best male singer of the nineties.
Rubi sat on Tsukune's other side while Yukari sat on Moka's other side. The pair of witches were carrying most of the bags of goodies Moka had purchased today. As anticipated, Moka had stopped at Bows and Strings, taking Yukari in with her. It had been the first and shortest of their stops as both girls quickly found the things they wanted to purchase. Yukari had shown Kurumu that the lacy, bright green bra she had found was close to the lime green hipsters in the panty pack.
After that, they had stopped by the electronics store to pick up that karaoke machine which had a three CD disc tray. They had wasted over a half hour perusing the CD selection at Spinning Discs. After that, Moka had directed them to the Kitchen Sink to pick up a microwave before they made a final stop at Mixed Bag, which featured lots of flashy accessories, jewelry and handbags. It was a ton of stuff for them to carry back to the suite. And surprisingly, Moka had only broken a hundred thousand before the dinner, meaning the vampire still had a quarter million yen at the end of the day.
"Your receipt, Ma'am."
Moka nodded at the waitress whom promptly walked away after handing the vampire the slip of paper.
"I guess that's our cue to get going."
"Are you sure we can't return the whip to the Headmaster tonight?"
Moka giggled at Rubi's concern, gesturing for Yukari to get up.
"Think of the time. We won't be back on campus until after seven. I will give you the whip once we make it back to my suite."
Both witches got up from their seats, drifting out into the aisle. Moka scooted out next while Tsukune did the same on his side.
"What if he doesn't allow us to use it?"
"You must convince him of the benefits, Aono. Remind him that he can be reimbursed by Mother. I'm sure that she would be happy to hear I can be outside of my cage with the help of a magical item."
Kurumu frowned as she exited the booth.
"The other Moka isn't a cage."
Moka smiled, touching her hand to her rosary.
"I meant no disrespect. I cherish her deeply."
Tsukune hefted up the box with the karaoke machine which had the microwave stacked on top.
"Do you intend to train us every night once you have it?"
"Hold still, Tsukune."
Yukari made a quick gesture before touching the box. He let out a sigh of relief, lifting the boxes higher.
"Thanks. Too bad Moka's training won't do you any good."
"Technically my training is good for anybody. But I can't make Ms. Shirayuki into a better yuki'onna or Kurumu into a better succubus. I can help you hone basics like hand to hand fighting, reflexes and detecting threats."
"But you can make Tsukune into a better vampire."
"That's all about harnessing your spiritual energy into your attacks. With enough discipline, most monsters can do it. It's simply a matter of some vampires having more power available to them."
Rubi and Yukari divvied up the remaining bags while Moka daintily stacked her shoe boxes atop her head while holding the teddy in her arms. Grabbing Mizore by the hand, Kurumu started towards the door.
"It sounds like the Headmaster can teach the witches a useful thing or two."
"Mother told Kokoa that she should ask the Headmaster to find suitable instructors to train her girls. Perhaps we should be doing the same."
Kurumu opened the door, letting the others pass. Moka strolled by Mizore as she walked down the street towards Ms. Nekonome's apartment building. Kurumu fell in step with Tsukune and Mizore once they were outside.
"I doubt there are people able to teach my kind."
"Agreed. I'm the only yuki'onna in this school."
Kurumu nodded, keeping a thought to herself as they started to pass by Ms. Nekonome's apartment building. She recalled Umizake reprimanded Mizore over her lack of training her powers, which had her wonder if he could help them. But she felt this was something she could not ask in Mizore's presence.
"You're part Undine and Shirayuki also has roots in hydromancy. Perhaps the Headmaster could suggest an Undine to instruct you two? In the least, that would be beneficial to Ms. Taniguchi."
Moka spun about as they crossed a street which ended at Ms. Nekonome's apartment building. The vampire backpedaled at the same speed.
"I'm sure the Headmaster has access to undines, gnomes, sylphs and salamanders. It's more a question of how skilled any of them are with their powers."
Yukari huffed, shifting her baggage in her arms.
"Being an eternal, Ms. Hitori has to be experienced in both fire and wind elements. She is a phoenix."
"Fair point. But would she want to train a skittish salamander and a daft sylph?"
"Maybe with the right incentives."
They walked in silence for the rest of the block, passing by Talons which was a nail and beauty salon. They continued on, walking by nondescript, single story buildings which Kurumu paid little attention to.
"I am glad that you are wanting to train everyone, Moka. I feel with your help, we will all get stronger."
"Oh? Hoping you will get strong enough to best my Moka in combat?"
"It's not like that!"
Moka snorted, spinning about and walking stiffly with the boxes balanced perfectly atop her head.
"He'll never achieve that level. But he should at least be able to hold his own."
Kurumu smiled softly, glancing at him.
"It would be nice if you no longer had to worry about becoming a ghoul."
"Yea. I still worry all the time that I will accidentally break this holy lock."
"You should take blood from Shirayuki or Rubi before you return to your dorm tonight. With any luck, your fangs will emerge before the end of the year and you'll finally become a true vampire."
"I'll give him mine. But you better not turn around and drink his blood the next day."
Moka giggled at Mizore's calm threat.
"I don't have any real plans to see him tomorrow. I'll be spending most of my day with Yukari and Kurumu. After our fun in the field, Yukari has that interview with the Auto Club."
"That's at one. That might only take a couple of hours so we could do something afterwards."
Kurumu smirked, recalling the time she had stumbled across the gnome girls in the dorm.
"Maybe you could join them for a DND session."
"DND?"
Tsukune barked out a laugh, shaking his head.
"Monsters play DND?"
"What's so funny about that?"
He smiled sheepishly at Kurumu.
"Well… it's a game about humans fighting monsters. Sometimes people will play as elves or dwarves but a majority of the time the heroes are humans."
Yukari made a sound of understanding.
"So this is a game?"
"A roleplaying game. One person agrees to make up a story and takes over the job of all characters not controlled by the players. It's mostly a game determined by dice rolls."
Kurumu grinned, nodding as they passed by the next intersection which ended at an apartment building.
"Ms. Ishikure is their dungeon master. Ms. Anko is a barbarian and claims to be the leader of the party."
"Is she a human?"
"I honestly didn't ask their races. Ms. Tsuchiyama is a healer and Ms. Katahara is a thief."
"Sounds like Yukari could be their wizard."
"They have magic in this game?"
"Yea. I think they have a whole book of spells you can use in the game."
"That does sound interesting. I'll have to ask them about it."
The next three shops on the right Kurumu was familiar with. The first was Traditions which sold tea related stuff. The next was Kuri Kiru which was the salon where Mizore had shortened her hair. The last building after it was Jikan no Kawa. Kiki had mentioned this store in her kimono article as the place to go if you wanted a kimono made or repaired.
Kurumu smirked as they neared the next intersection which ended at Change of Seasons, a large store which cornered the market on swimsuits along with some other odds and ends students would never have a need for. She gestured at it as they passed.
"Did our vampire need another swimsuit?"
"I think I've bought enough stuff for one day."
"You think?"
"It's the first time I've been out shopping. I might have gotten a little carried away. I'm usually at the mercy of what the other Moka wants to wear."
Tsukune chuckled as they steadily walked the last block of Mononoke. The building at the end was a wraparound apartment building which would force them to take the street on their right. This large, black building on the corner was Wheels, the bicycle shop.
"I'm guessing she will be quite surprised to see all of the things you bought today."
Moka turned a smug smile upon him as she slowed her step.
"Tsukune. This whip only suppresses the rosary. The other Moka has been aware of everything going on today, much like I am aware of everything when she is in control."
Tsukune gasped, turning red.
"Wait! So when I was on top-"
"She's experiencing things like a helpless passenger. She's been pouty and jealous most of the day."
They reached the end and started down the next street. In a couple blocks, they would reach the street which stretched by the hospital before becoming a trail. This trail would wind its way through the woods all the way to Yokai Academy.
"Thank you. All of you. This has been one of the best days I've ever had."
"I feel that strange since I did try to forcefully grab you with a spell."
Moka laughed sweetly.
"It's fine, Rubi. There's nothing wrong with some fighting between friends."
"I can see her in you."
Moka threw him a curious look.
"Her?"
"The other Moka. You two are more similar than you give yourself credit."
Moka huffed at his conclusion.
"That is not flattering at all. Admiring me because I'm similar to a girl you are crushing on."
"I didn't mean it like that."
"Do you think any girl is happy to be compared to another?"
Tsukune sighed as they walked by a large building on their left which was for appliance repairs. The street stretching off to the right would cut through the main market with Tokori's café.
"I meant that when we do separate the two of you, I believe we could still be good friends."
Moka faltered a step, reflexively reaching up to steady her boxes.
"Then you best take your training seriously, Mr. Aono. She will need a strong protector."
"I might have the spell to move her figured out before midterms, but I still don't have a place to move her. There's no point getting concerned about that."
Moka continued on without looking back. There was a lack of spring to her step that had been there only moments ago.
"And so the fairy tale ends."