"Girls, is it really necessary to walk like this?" Heilhel chuckles as the Newspaper Club walks back to the school hall, with all members except one gluing on him like he's gonna run off if they let go for a second.

The standalone one scoffs as he replies for the girls instead: "Given the moment I went out with you and you immediately got caught in a scandalous event, they wouldn't let you out until you spill out everything."

"I can see that. Gluing on me, though…"

"And the missing student incident too." The wolf continues.

"...Yeah, now you are saying it…"

"You could be the next target." The vampiress adds to confirm their fear. "We're not taking chances."

"Well… I don't mind this." The Time Traveler shrugs.

"Of course you don't." Gin says enviously.

The group partially ignores the looks from the other students and the murmurs around them. Once they reach their club room they all head inside and close the door behind them. The members start sitting down while placing the 'main source of the problem' in the middle of them and Moka starts: "Alright, first thing about…"

"Are you all alright?" The door is almost flung over as Miss Nekonome rushes in with a concerned look on her face. "I couldn't find you all earlier when that thunder hit. Where did you go?"

"Pulling this guy back, sensei." Gin points to the culprit while answering the question. "You can join us questioning him if you want."

Seeing her students are okay gives the catwoman a second to breathe in relief, then she asks: "Questioning?"

"I want to know if he's human or not!" Kurumu is determined to know that fact.

"That's not really our urgent priority, you know."

"You surely are curious too, Yukari?"

"I won't deny it, but…"

"How did you find out the culprit of the missing students just minutes after Gin announced it?" Moka pushes the conversation away and points to the current matter that needs the attention.

"It's actually the opposite." Heilhel responds. "I already suspected her since there were abnormal signals in her classroom. Those signals also matched with the number of missing students Gin told us too."

"If you already knew it, then why didn't you tell it to anyone?" Yukari questions.

"If you are a teacher, who would you believe?"

"I would believe you." The students turn to see the cat teacher wearing an assuring smile. "The Chairman puts high trust in you helping the others, so there's no reason for me to not do the same. Also, I happened to know Miss Akashiya's mother, and she talked about you occasionally."

"...I think I might have underestimated your network, sensei." Heilhel lets out a chuckle. "About the culprit of the disappearing… I believe it's Miss Hitomi Ishigami."

"The Art Teacher, huh?" Gin rubs his chin while trying to find some information about her. "Don't really see her as someone who would kidnap students."

"Normal standards, maybe."

"We will get an investigation so you don't have to put yourself in danger." The cat teacher replies, knowing what the other teacher can do. "Any other incidents?"

"That's all for now, sensei." The wolf answers. "Now, back to our 'human'... It's incorrect to call you a pure human, Heilhel. Stopping Kuyou's punching, throwing him away and encasing him in ice without moving your body."

"Casting thunder, sealing other Youkais." Moka adds in. "And let's not forget about the bodies being cleanly cut in the forest."

"Wait, that rumor… Heilhel wouldn't do that to random people, right?"

"I wouldn't, Kurumu. Those are assassins trying to bring me, dead or alive, to their contractor."

"So what kind of Youkai are you?" Yukari finalizes the question.

"Eh…" The Time Traveler rubs his hands together and places them on his knees. "Well… I think it's better that I tell you what happened in my early days so you can give me a name."

"...Huh?" That's everyone's confused question before Nekonome continues: "There's no Youkai that matches your abilities?"

"It's a bit complicated." He then waits for the teacher to take a seat herself before he continues. "I would like to address first that my age is nowhere around fifteen. And if I have to use a number that matches my appearance when I first met Moka, it would be around my 20s."

"Then… you de-aged yourself?" Kurumu asks with sparks in her eyes. "Many of my people also learnt to perform it so they can approach many types of humans."

"The witches can also make potions to do so." Yukari adds. "But they only worked for a short duration and there would also be consequences too if not mixed correctly."

"Then it's not an impossible thing." Gin notes. "You still want us to treat you the same?"

"Of course. It's more fun that way." Heilhel grins back, though it falters a bit as he continues. "Well, that's what I want to believe anyway."

"Isn't it the whole point of you being a student instead of being a teacher assistant or something?" The vampiress smirks when the Time Jumper shoots back a smile. "You told me that, didn't you?"

"True."

"Though I have to guess your age is somewhat three or even four digits."

"I stopped counting when it reached around three hundred… Now I feel old." Heilhel chuckles as he slams his head lightly on the table.

"Jeez, now that's an impressive age." Gin joins the laugh. "Did you drink an immortality potion or something?"

"I killed myself to be precise."

The laugh is still on the wolf's face though he makes no sounds, while the others have their eyes widened in surprise after hearing the revelation. Gin then slowly shuts the laugh and demands: "Give us a context to that."

"Either it was my life or others'." Now everyone sighs in relief that the student didn't make a suicide move for nothing. "So yeah, that's the first changing point. I guess I changed from a human into a zombie that time."

"Well… that does fit in the category." Nekonome confirms.

"But that didn't explain where the other powers came from." Gin questions. "Zombies are low-class Youkai, even humans would beat them without too many problems. And I'm fairly certain a Zombie won't be able to beat a Werewolf no matter how long it lasts through time."

"Like I said, it's complicated." He then uses his left hand to grab air much to everyone's confusion turned to surprise when a water bottle just materializes in his hand as he opens it. He then realizes what he just did and sticks his tongue out sheepishly. "Oops, that's a habit of mine."

"To create things out of thin air?" The succubus turns to the witch while asking. "I think Yukari can do the same, right?"

"Uh… I need to know where the objects are to call them. And I still need a wand or something else to cast a spell." The young genius replies back.

"Anyway, that's the same part of the zombie story." He takes a sip from the drink. "I didn't die due to a physical weapon. I exhausted myself in order to save everyone. The place I was in was a cursed dimension too, and I was affected by its environment. I was also linked to the source of the problem, which is the ghost of a witch that got killed during one of the Witch Hunts in the past."

"...Shouldn't it make you hate witches?" To everyone's surprise, Yukari's the one asking that. "They're the reason you…"

"And who killed her? I doubt she would pull any stunts if she's left alone. So hate's a strong word."

"No wonder you didn't react to Yukari's pranks, Heilhel." Moka nods, understanding the situation. "You said you were linked, does it mean that the power came from her?"

"Yes." The Time Traveler nods. "However, in the earlier days, I couldn't really do much. Only when a major event happened after it…" He stops right there and places the bottle on the table then sighs. "I don't want to go deep into that time. In summary, I was blessed to return back to the living days again… in exchange for others' lives. Things came full circle."

"Those two things didn't actually relate to each other, right?" Kurumu clearly sees the pain in his eyes as she immediately goes for the hug to soothe his mood. And thanks to the previous jumpscare, she knows that there are a lot of contexts behind Heilhel's words so she doesn't immediately feel scared.

"...It didn't, but…"

"If you don't want to go deep about it, then there's no need to talk about it." Moka states, and everyone else agrees. Eventually Heilhel nods with a smile. "Though, who blessed you? We're trying to see what kind of Youkai we are now, right?"

"Yeah… they are Goddesses."

"...You are not pulling our legs, are you?" Gin is doubting a bit. "Or the 'Goddesses' here is just a title?"

"It's the citizens who called them that, so I went with the flow. They did earn it though so I won't complain."

"Are they that powerful to revive you from the dead?"

"Well… no, Nekonome-sensei. They could only lend me their power to protect their people. It's just an after-effect that got me back to being 'alive'..." He makes a quotation with his fingers when he says the word. "In place of the zombie appearance."

"...They could have given that power to someone…"

"That's a logical thinking Yukari. The problem is that the power couldn't transfer to the citizens since their bodies won't be able to handle its constant changing."

"And somehow you could?"

"The perks of having a dead body, Moka. And no, I'm not suggesting dying just to get power, it's stupid. And before you ask, I have met those people, and they didn't end up well."

"Old age has its advantages, huh?"

"Now that's just a petty remark Gin." Both laugh at the same time, not taking the statement very seriously. "That's the second stop, I guess. So…"

"Technically you're still an Undead." Nekonome scratches her hair where her ears are hidden. "You just got a Witch and a Goddess' power."

"Considering the side effects somehow caused me to stand right on the line between Life and Death, I don't think it's that simple." Heilhel responds. "And that's just me roughly summarizing things. It got hectic between them."

"Still, it's proof that you're no longer a human." Moka finalizes. "In literal senses, anyway. If you still see yourself as human, we don't really know how to change your view."

He shrugs.

"What about the name, though?" Yukari changes the subject. "You could just pick a simple name, couldn't you?"

"Well I could. I do have a normal name I use regularly. Though I decided to use this new one so I could find a destination to reach."

"...Guess that's one mystery down." Gin concludes. "So what's next?"

"Continuing our daily life, of course."

"You do know that we're going to question you more in the future."

"I will open the fact, one page each time, Moka. No need to rush."


A few days later, news about PSC getting punished due to a misconduct investigation that backfires on them and Kuyou getting beaten up spread like wildfire. Newspaper Club doesn't even bother hiding that their own member is the one getting investigated and Heilhel gives out only very basic details of what happened that day. There is also the news of the Art Teacher being fired for attacking the students, but it pales in comparison.

Thanks to that, most students have thrown the idea of him being human of sorts out of the window and just accept that he's just exceptionally good at hiding his 'Youkai identity'. Though a new rumor raises up as they theorize that he's the toughest one in the school, and they do have enough evidence to support that.

And some people don't really take that well.


"It's been getting hot recently." Heilhel grunts to himself as he splats some water into his face to wash away some of the heat. "Better get a few cold drinks before going back…"

"So you are the legendary Heilhel Destopia."

He stops for a second to register the call before continuing his own activity. "That's my name. The 'legendary' is exaggerated though. And you are?"

"Chopper Rikiishi of the Wrestling team. Your back is wide open."

"If you don't show up." Cleaning his face, Heilhel turns back to face the speaker. "Do you have business with me?"

"So did you do it? Beating Kuyou?" The wrestler questions, his hands holding two dumbbells as his usual workout.

"...Are you his friend or something?"

"Friend? Ha! Ridiculous!" He throws one of the dumbbells into the ground, and Heilhel sees it cracking the floor. "I have wanted his neck for a long time! We seek Ultimate Strength, and if I have defeated him, my strength would reach a new level! And yet you stole my opponent away!"

"...If it offends you, my apology." To the wrestler's surprise, the Time Traveler bows down lightly. "However, I didn't seek him to prove strength or anything. He threatened my friends, so I had to act first."

Chopper takes a moment to process the information, before grunting: "Still, you stole him from me. Now I need to find out if you're that strong to beat him."

"...I don't mind having a friendly competition." Heilhel raises his face up. "But this is not really a right place to have a fight, is it? Name it, I don't mind."

"Hm… you do have a good mouth, I will give you that. End of the day, the gym. Don't try to run, I will hunt you." Without even hearing the confirmation, the wrestler picks the dumbbell up and walks away.

"Jeez, getting into another fight already?" Chuckling, Gin walks into the bathroom as Heilhel watches him entering.

"And you didn't interfere."

"And ruined the fun? Nah." As the wolf starts his business, he assures: "You can tell the girls yourself, or I can tell them for you. That guy won't back down until he gets what he wants."

"Any advice?"

"Normally I would say 'don't hold back'. But since it's you, it should be 'don't go overboard'."

"Copy that."

"*Chuckles* Where's that from?"

"Human's military communication."

Hours later

'Fate… can you not troll me for a few seconds?' Since he knows he has to eventually fight, he decides to just give in and heads to the gym. To his surprise and annoyance, it seems SOMEHOW the fight is found out and from afar he sees a line of students starting to head to the location. 'Does Chopper announce it or something else?'

"Like the audience I got for you?"

"...How?" It doesn't take him a second to recognize the usual creepy voice (and smile) behind him. "And why?"

"I'm curious about what the Zombie in you looks like."

"So you heard the conversation. Have to disappoint you, but there's no reason for me to use it in a one-on-one fight."

"I still expect a massacre."

"That you can hope. How, though?"

"Chopper isn't exactly the one who can keep his mouth shut. I just had to nudge him a bit."

The Chairman instantly ducks, and something just flies over his head, cutting a bit of his hood away. Then he hears the tree behind him falling down, and he turns back to see the clean cut which causes the tree to fall.

"I have Fate to troll me already. Please don't make my life harder."

"More reasons for me to join him, then."

"Curse both of you." Without even looking at each other's face, both can tell the Time Traveler is rolling his eyes in displeasure. "Enjoy the fight."

"Oh I will."

As Heilhel pushes the door open and enters the gym, the whole auditorium's already loud noise gets even louder, and he sees that his opponent is already ready to fight him.

When he gets into the fighting arena, he sees Chopper grinning and throwing the towel he usually wears over his shoulder away then cracking his knuckles. "Ah, finally. Now I can check if you are that strong in the rumor… and why are you still in your uniform?"

"...You didn't really mention anything about dress codes, right?" The Time Traveler flashes out a grin, which causes the audience to laugh. "In all seriousness, think of it as a self-challenge. I will try fighting without letting the outfit get destroyed… much."

His opponent's grin gets wider as both get into their own fighting stance. "Too bad you rejected our invitation, otherwise you would fit in our club."

"Sorry, endless fighting isn't really my end goal." As some random announcer calls out the fighters, Heilhel asks: "So, any restrictions?"

"Just fight with what you have. It's a show of strength, not a fashion show."

"Oh, you will see sometimes styles do matter."

The moment the announcer gives the signal to fight, Chopper goes for the overhead punch, and Heilhel responds by crossing his arms and blocks the attack directly. He suffers no injuries, but the ground below him gives away and cracks down due to the force.

He senses another punch heading to his right side so he retracts his right arm back and punches the attack away, which also pushes his opponent out of him. Using the second of staggering, Heilhel elbows Chopper's stomach and palm-strikes his chest, pushing him further away.

He might have underestimated his opponent's durability as he notices too late when Chopper immediately repositions and shoulder-charges him. He doesn't react in time and takes full hit of it, resulting in getting pushed away with the move.

Placing both his hands on Chopper's shoulder, Heilhel uses it as a launch pad to flip himself up, and gives his opponent a kick on the back during the falling momentum, causing the wrestler to fall face-first to the floor.

Rolling once and standing back up quickly, he turns back to the opponent to see him getting up as well albeit slower than him. He takes the time to straighten himself up, his body turning ninety-degree to the left and his right fingers lining up with the arm and aiming slightly towards, similar to how a swordsman holds a rapier, with his left arm holding behind the back.

Once stable, Chopper goes for a direct hand-strike, but Heilhel simply swats the attack away with his right hand. He then does a few hand slashes, enough to hurt the wrestler but not enough to cut his clothes, and ends the combo with a thrust forward, knocking him out of his feet.

The crowd cheers up, and Chopper slowly stands up. He has a grin on his face as he speaks: "You sure are tough. Let's see if you can handle my true form."

"...Isn't that against…" Heilhel immediately turns to where he assumes the Chairman is, and he can see the signature creepy smile. "Of course…" He turns back just in time to see his opponent slowly transforming into a huge Troll. "...Time to change tactics."

Once the transformation's completed, Chopper goes for a grab due to the change of size. However, the Time Jumper just jumps up and lands on the left hand, avoiding the attack. Chopper raises his arms up and uses his right arm to punch his opponent, but it's kicked away effortlessly. Using the same leg, Heilhel gives his opponent a footprint on the face as he kicks him away while jumping out of the arm.

Rubbing his face to soothe the pain, the wrestler goes for a karate chop, only for the 'human' to block it with just one hand much to his surprise. To add salt to the injury, Heilhel grabs his other hand to the attacking hand and throws his opponent into the air. He jumps up and slams his leg into Chopper's stomach, sending him back to the floor making the ground shake violently.

The crowd gets louder as the announcer keeps summarizing what's going on. Meanwhile Heilhel lands and jumps away as Chopper stands up again, his face showing pain though it doesn't seem to anger him too much. He does seem to be frustrated when he talks back: "You are still holding back yet you beat me without a problem…"

"Strength isn't just about pure physical force." Dusting his uniform, the 'human' replies while putting both his hands into his jacket's pockets. "You need to strategize on how to approach your enemies, or counter if your enemies notice you first. Everyone has their own specialty, each has their own strength. Measuring strength with just one element will lead you to failure."

The crowd cheers again after the speech. Chopper seems to be moved as well, but his stubbornness won't accept it. "I still need to defeat you. I won't go down that easily."

"...Then I apologize. Time to end the fight."

Before he could react, the Troll's body is flung far away and out of the arena much to everyone else's surprise. After a few rolls, he lands on the back and everyone sees that he's knocked out with several huge punching holes on the front, painful but nowhere fatal.

Seeing that the fight's over, the announcer screams out the result, the crowd cheers for the victor loudly with Heilhel calmly exiting the arena and heading to check if his opponent is okay. Once he sees that Chopper suffers no permanent wounds, he looks at the direction of the exit and starts heading to it…

"Not even bothered to give an ending speech?" Before he could even register the sentence, he's being bear-hugged by the succubus while she's complementing on how good he is in the fight. He turns to a toothy-grin Gin who continues while the rest of the club approach him. "Now nobody's gonna question your human smell again."

"I doubt it." The vampiress is among the group with a smirk of her own. "Good fight, by the way."

"Chopper has many advantages. Unfortunately he picked me." Heilhel shrugs.

"I wonder how you're going to deal with a new fan club, senpai." Yukari mockingly says with a giggle. "Many in the audience start trying to find a way to 'talk' with you."

"Do you think they can pass through these two?" The 'human' points his fingers towards the vampiress and the succubus.

"Well they can try, right?"

"Never said they can't… I guess this is another story for our papers then."