Chapter 6 – "I want to go on a date with you, Tsukune-kun!"
Many days passed with little of note after the defeat and capture of Ishigami Hitomi and Kotsubo Okuto by the combined forces of the Newspaper Club and the Public Safety Commission. Sure, there were still rumors to investigate and unrest to crush, but nothing had exploded into a major incident just yet. While Akatenno Kuyou would have preferred that there was no unrest or rumors at all, he could made do with the current situation. After all, the new Newspaper Club, despite still being run by that rascal Gin, was now finally willing to cooperate with his aims. All it took was for him to find some reasonable people to work with, unlike those hothead rebellious ones who had gravitated to him before.
However, he could not rest easy.
Akashiya Moka. Kurono Kurumu.
He had some knowledge regarding the family situations of these two, but knew little about the two themselves.
Sendo Yukari. Aono Tsukune.
As for these other two, he had no awareness of their situations or personality at all.
Kuyou's lack of knowledge vexed him. What if, in secret, they were plotting something? Perhaps Gin was manipulating them to make them like his old gang, and then he would have no choice but to crush them like he had the old one.
That would be so disappointing, especially if he lost Moka. With ability and strength like hers, she would be perfect to one day be on the PSC, and maybe even lead it... if her softer side could be dealt with. Ah, but that was for the future.
For now, he was reviewing recent matters with the other members of the PSC. There were ten of them in total, five third-years and five-second years. They had already decided they needed to keep a sharper eye on the affairs of students in order to keep the peace, and now he was trying to convince them that they needed to do the same with the Newspaper Club.
"As amusing as it would be to torment them again," said Retsuzo Kokyu, one of the third-year members of the PSC, "these new club-members already seem inclined to follow our directives."
He then leaned forward in his chair, smirking evilly and licking his lips. "Unless, of course, you've learned something you'd like to tell us, Kuyou."
The other members promptly perked up, eager to hear the news.
...But Kuyou had to disappoint them. He had no news. In fact, he argued, that was the problem. They knew little of these new recruits to the Newspaper Club since they were all first-years. So, in order to stop any trouble from arising due to the influence of one mangy rascal...
"Ah, yeah, this werewolf named Gin that you're obsessed with," chimed Kibato, teasingly.
Kuyou frowned. He was certainly not obsessed with that mutt in any way, shape or form.
"Hmph," he said. "Believe what you wish." He was aware that many people did and spread rumors, but thankfully they never picked up any traction.
The other PSC members chuckled a bit at their leader's expense before he continued. "But I'm telling you, we can't allow these newcomers to become thorns in the sides of our juniors. We won't be around here for too much longer, you know."
Deshiko, brash as always, interjected herself into the conversation. "We can deeeeeal with them. Kibato and I saw them fiiiiiiight. Only the vaaaaaaampire is any threat. Thoooooough..."
She paused for a moment of thought, prompting confused looks from the rest of the club.
"...that guy, Tsukuuuuuuune-kuuuuuuun? Didn't use any youkai powers or paaaaaaaaartial transformations when we were attacked."
She turned to Kibato. "Didn't you notice anything, senpaiiiiiii?"
Kibato shrugged. "He smelled weird, but that's normal here."
Kuyou was putting the pieces together and came to a horrid realization... and it looked like his understudy, Keito, had realized the same thing. She spoke up, interrupting the light banter between Deshiko and Kibato, and explained it all succinctly.
"No normal student is that dedicated to keeping their identity secret. Either there's something special about this Aono Tsukune... or he's another human who snuck in."
Kibato shrugged again. "Well, this should be easy, all we have to do is look into his files and..."
"His files are locked. Per orders of the Headmaster, we are not permitted to access them."
They all turned to Kuyou, surprised.
"The same is also true for Akashiya Moka, but we already know what her deal is."
He smirked and started pacing around his seated fellow Enforcers.
"Now, do you perhaps see the value in tailing their club? Knowingly harboring a human is a serious offense. Not even that mutt is stupid enough to do such a thing. And if you didn't notice anything with your sensitive nose, Kibato-kun, neither would he have. So, if he is a human, he is quite knowledgeable... able to conceal himself and deceive youkai."
He stopped in place and looked at them, serious, and asked a few questions.
"He often frequents the Library. How much of its knowledge do you think he's already absorbed? How long do you think it'll take before he starts expanding his influence? ...ah, but first we should prove that he's a human, yes? And how do you suppose we should do that?"
Kokyu licked his lips. "With some investigating of our own, naturally.
Kibato sighed. "Alright, alright, you've convinced me. It's at least worth looking into."
Kuyou smirked again. "Excellent. Now, as for how to do it..."
And so, the ten of them discussed the manner in which they would secretly determine the truth of Aono Tsukune's existence.
Tsukune, of course, was not aware of any of this. Instead...
"Happy birthday, Tsukune-kun!"
...he was having an excellent time with the Newspaper club, his new friends. The five of them – himself, Kurumu, Moka, Yukari, and Gin – had ended the formal agenda for the day early in order to spend the time hanging out. Kurumu had baked a batch of cookies ("with love~!") for them all, and Moka debuted the finished painting with everyone except Gin in it. Naturally, he complained about that little fact, but was placated with reassurances that he would be in the next one. For the moment, they were all just sitting around in a circle, eating and talking, Kurumu sitting next to Tsukune while the rest were roughly equally spaced apart.
"Say, Tsukune-kun... what, uh, do you usually do for your birthday?" asked Kurumu.
"Hmph?" replied Tsukune with a cookie in his mouth.
"Well, we don't really celebrate birthdays as succubi, so I was curious..."
"Because you can't tell how old anyone is, huh?" asked Gin, teasingly, smirk wide on his face.
Kurumu glared at him and refused to answer.
"Morioka-sempai, that's rude!" injected Moka, poking him in the face. She then turned to Kurumu. "But Kurono-san, you've really never had a birthday party?"
"Ah... I might have had one or two... maybe?"
"Well, let us know when your birthday is and we'll plan something," said Tsukune. "Right, everyone?"
When the rest of the group (even Gin, grudgingly) agreed, Kurumu did a very predictable thing and tackle-hugged Tsukune, exclaiming loudly how considerate he was and how happy that made her. For his part, he just chuckled and said "you're welcome." It's what a good boyfriend would do, right? Because he was slowly becoming more comfortable with the idea that he might actually want such a relationship with Kurumu. It was at least worth a shot to try and make it work. But when to bring it up...?
They had been so busy between schoolwork (getting more and more intense as the summer break neared), the Newspaper Club (the number of rumors was going up, not down), and training him (at least trying to... he was barely competent, even now) that the two of them had barely had any alone time together. Not since that time they'd shared a bed anyway. He was still surprised they had managed to get away with it.
But onto the topic at hand...
"My family just did the typical thing of a buying me a small cake. Nothing fancy. What about the rest of you?"
Gin's and Yukari's were much like Tsukune's, but as for Moka...
"Whoa! Is your dad rich or something!?"
"Hold on, you have how many sisters!?"
"Your whole family is super cool, Moka-san!"
"Wait... but then why did he send you away? And what happened to your mom?"
...her tales of lavish parties planned by her dad drew many questions (and also praise from Yukari, as expected). Yes, her father was wealthy, and all her other sisters (all three of them) were sent to exclusive private schools. She was sent away so that she could learn to control her powers on her own, and her mom died a long time ago.
"Oh... sorry about that," said Kurumu, the one who had asked that question.
"Ah, it's okay Kurono-san. I'm over it now... I was too young to even remember what happened. I just hope the rest of my family is doing well... Ah, sorry to bring down the mood!"
They re-assured her that it wasn't her fault, and returned to lighter topics. Eventually, the tray of cookies became empty and it was time to head their separate ways. And for both Kurumu and Tsukune...
"Kurumu-chan..."
"Tsukune-kun..."
...it was an opportunity. The two of them had conveniently waited for everyone else to leave, and now they were alone after so long.
"..."
"..."
Ah, why am I so nervous!? thought both of them.
Tsukune spoke first, looking at the empty tray in Kurumu's hands, trying to avoid her eyes. "Ah... the cookies were very good! Thank you! You taught yourself how to make them?" he asked, sure his face must be bright red from an intense blush.
"Yes! It was all a part of my plan!" she exclaimed, her face just as red. "Since I'm trying to attract men without using my powers... going for the stomach is a sure bet! I'm glad you liked them! I also have recipes for... special... cookies, but those will have to be for later."
He glanced at her, the two of them now walking towards the clubroom's door. "...Special in what way?"
She smirked at him. "Would you like to find out, Tsukune-kun?" she asked with a wink.
With how she started to laugh, Tsukune guessed his face was now glowing red. Well, that's what he got for asking such a question, he guessed. But at the same time...
"W-what if I do!?" he asked, forcefully sticking his tongue out at her.
...maybe he should start giving her something back!
She sharply turned her head and stared at him in shock, her face fully flushed...
...and no longer paying attention to her surroundings, she tripped over her own feet, landing face-up on the floor.
"...are you okay, Kurumu-chan?"
"Y-yes! I'm perfectly fine!" she blatantly lied, hiding her face behind the tray.
"...uh huh, sure."
"I ammmmmm~!"
She glanced up from her vantage point and pouted at him.
"Where did that come from anyway?"
He leaned down and offered her a hand up.
"If you're going to tease me, isn't it only fair that I tease you back?"
Still pouting, Kurumu took Tsukune's hand...
...and pulled him down next to her. She then took advantage of his momentary confusion to sit on top of him, the tray having been flung off to the side. It was quite lucky for them that so far no one had been attracted by all the noise. He looked up at her, not so confused anymore.
"Ah! Kurumu-chan!"
Now, however, he was at a loss as to what to say. He could feel his heart pounding through his chest.
She chuckled, her face just as red.
"You're right. It is fair."
She leaned in close, their faces almost close enough to touch.
"So then, Tsukune-kun... I'll tease you as much as I can~!"
She winked at him once more, before retreating and getting off of him. This time, she offered him the hand up. Blindsided, he just accepted it and stood up without trying to escalate any further.
"Ah... r-right... but, you know, it feels like we're doing things out of order, you know?"
He piqued her attention with that line, and he felt that now might be a good time to go for it.
"W-we haven't even gone on a d-date yet, so maybe we s-should... eh? Kurumu-chan?"
Once again, she was stunned, but this time she responded quite differently. Her tail was prominently showing, rigid and extended, peeking out from under her skirt. It looked like she wanted to say something in response, but her mind was frozen up and her face was glowing red. Eventually, she couldn't take the sudden rush of emotions anymore...
"Kurumu-chan!"
...and she fainted, swooning into Tsukune's arms.
When she recovered, she was staring up at a familiar ceiling – that of the infirmary. But why was she here? Last she remembered, she was in the clubroom with Tsukune and the two of them were...
...
...oh. Right.
She was glad Tsukune wasn't there, because she was sure her face was positively glowing.
Sure, the two of them going on an actual date was part of the plan... but so early? And with him being the one who asked? It was no wonder she fainted! But at least she had...
...
...oh no. No, no, no...
She hadn't said yes before fainting! What if... what if he thinks she'd changed her mind!?
She immediately leapt of the bed, yelling "Tsukune-kun~!", and rushed to find him. Lucky for her, he happened to be nearby, talking with Tsumugi-sensei. Her shout drew both of their attention, and Tsukune had no time to brace himself before she tackle-hugged him.
"Yes! I want to go on a date with you, Tsukune-kun!"
His eyes widened. He hadn't been expecting that! ...and to be honest, he probably should have.
"K-Kurumu-chan! Great! Let's do it! ...are you okay, though?"
She nodded.
"I was just so surprised. I thought I would be the one asking you out first! But I guess, today is full of surprises. It's almost like it's my birthday, too~!"
She then giggled at the thought of sharing a birthday with him, while he stammered out something incoherent.
Tsumugi-sensei then coughed out loud.
"If you two are done..."
The two apologized and then departed, Kurumu clinging to Tsukune's arm, as the two chatted about what they would do on their date. Tsumugi-sensei watched them go, hoping the two of them would end up alright. She didn't want any more hassles this year.
It was all Kurumu could do to force herself to stay away from him that night, but she managed was rewarded with the sight of Tsukune first thing in the morning as they met with Moka for more training. Sure enough, Tsukune was slowly getting better at fighting. Not so much better that he had any business seeking out fights at this school, but enough that he might be able to survive if a weaker youkai tried to pick a fight him. Granted, being friends with a "super-vampire" was enough to keep them away, so he was after real strength to handle the bigger threats, and would strive for as long as he had to in order to achieve it.
One of many things she loved about him...
As usual, the training started with light exercise and chatter. And this was when the two dropped the big news to Moka, who congratulated them.
This news was also interesting to a certain surprise guest they had lurking in the trees nearby.
So, the supposed human and the succubus are dating, thought Myosei Akeno, a yosei who was taking advantage of the small size of her youkai form to lurk above them and avoid detection. Despite being an Enforcer, she was basically useless in a fight, and served as more of a spy for the group. This is troubling... succubi are supposed to be masters of seduction and illusion. If that human is able to use her powers for his gain, there's no telling what kind of havoc he could unleash! ...Ah, but I'm getting ahead of myself. I need evidence that he's a human...
And so, she remained in the trees and watched as Tsukune tried and utterly failed to fend off a transformed Moka, even as she was holding back so immensely. He did slightly better against Kurumu, but that was more due to the succubus having both less skill and less raw power than her companion. But Akeno was keenly aware of the fact that Tsukune was attempting to do all of this in a human form. Granted, he was fighting against two youkai who were also mainly humanoid... but still! If he was able to transform, he didn't slip up once by accidently doing so, despite the clear gap in ability between him and his companions.
It was all very suspicious...
This went on in spurts of several minutes at a time, since that seemed to be all the boy could handle. At one point when they were resting, the topic of what Kurumu and Tsukune would do for their date came up.
"Some of the students here run their own shops, right? I was thinking we could check them out."
"Oooh, yeah~! My mother told me that the food stands have a great reputation!"
They ought to be, our group forces those who don't meet our standards out of business...
"Great, so we can grab something to eat and that sit by one of the lakes?"
"Oh, what about this cliff Mizore-chan told me about? It has a great view~..."
"Eh? Isn't that a bit dangerous?"
"Are you scared, Tsukune-kun~?"
"I can't fly, you know..."
"I'll catch you, silly~!"
Alright, well that narrows things down a bit... but nothing juicy yet... come on...
"..."
"Moka-san?" "Moka-san, is something the matter?"
"...do you two feel that?"
...uh oh.
"Hmmm... now that you mention it..."
"It's faint, but... maybe someone's near?"
Akeno promptly covered her mouth to prevent herself from gasping in shock. But she was suppressing her presence!? How could... ah, but this was a super-vampire and a succubus. If any two youkai could track her, it would be the two of them. Well, looked it was time for her to flee.
But it wasn't the end... not even close. They had a lead, and next time the super-vampire wouldn't be there. As long as the others could keep themselves hidden, they'd uncover the truth!
With the thought in mind, Akeno flew away, and her already faint presence faded to nothing.
"...it's gone now."
"Ah, speaking of going, we should be getting ready for class!"
"We could just stay here, you know~!"
"K-Kurumu-chan!?"
"An amusing thought... but you of all people cannot skip class, Kurumu-chan... get moving."
"Oh, fineeeee!"
The three of them then left for what would prove to be another normal day at school, ignorant of how close they had come to disaster... and how little time they had until it struck anyway.
But first – the time had come for the date, on one fine Saturday with a warm breeze and cloudy sky. For a moment, Tsukune thought the sun might actually come out... but no, it remained stubbornly hidden behind the clouds. Perhaps keeping the sun hidden was part of the magic keeping this school hidden from the outside world... but no matter. Now was the time to focus on fun! As soon as the half-day's worth of classes ended, Tsukune waved goodbye to Moka and Mizore (who was now attending classes again) and headed off to meet with Kurumu.
Said succubus tackle-hugged him the instant she saw him and practically dragged him towards the shops.
Speaking of the shops, they were arranged in rows out on a large courtyard in a central region of the academy grounds. Officially, all one needed to run a shop was approval from the Student Council. In practice, however, the Public Safety Commission actively interfered with this process, shutting down shops they didn't like and demanding bribes just to get started. This was one of the few points of contention between the two groups, as the Student Council would end up having to reimburse said students if they complained. Despite this interference, however, it was more common for the shop atmosphere to be peaceful rather than tense.
The shops were run by both individuals and clubs, and there was a wide variety of goods up for sale and/or events that were being advertised. The two of them ran into people from the Magic Club, the Gardening Club, and the Manga Club once more, and it turned out that Gin and Moka were running a small stall selling copies of the most recent issue of their paper. Many individual students were out as well, selling things like stationary, good luck charms, and – most importantly – food. One of the shops happened to be a sandwich and sweets stand, and the two of them loaded up and then walked off, hand-in-hand.
Unbeknownst to them, they were being followed by three members of the Public Safety Commission. Moka, however, noticed immediately, as she could see them tail her friends from her vantage point. As she got up to follow them, however...
"Ah, Moka-chan, what do you think you're doing? About to start a fight?" asked Gin, pointedly not looking at her.
"Morioka-san..."
She fidgeted.
"I... they're in trouble, I have to..."
"You know, this is how they get people. Bait them into attacking first, and then crush them while claiming it was just self-defense."
She got the feeling he was talking from first-hand experience. But still...
"I'm sorry, Morioka-san, but..."
She glanced back at the two Enforcers, disappearing into the distance.
Gin looked at her briefly, turned away again, and sighed.
"Ah, well, it is what it is," he said, leaning back into his chair.
"Eh? Morioka-san?"
"I suppose I'll just have to tell Yukari-chan to come down here and cover for the rest of your shift since you forgot that you needed to take care of something. But you do need to take care of it fully, got that? Otherwise..."
She nodded, thanked her senpai, and departed.
Gin sighed again, as he put up a 'Be Back in 15 Minutes!' sign up and went to search for Yukari. "I hope I'm not making a mistake... San, I promised you I'd rebuild the club, and I'm not going to give up. No matter what!"
Despite Tsukune's misgivings, the cliff face Kurumu had mentioned to him was actually a rather peaceful setting, and the view at sunset probably would be spectacular. He had no idea where exactly Youkai Academy was supposed to be, but the breeze wasn't salty so they couldn't have been near the coast. He stared out over the desolate cliff face while thinking about his experiences at the school so far... both the good and the bad.
"Tsukune-kun, stop brooding and eat~!"
"I'm not brooding..."
"Suuuureeeee..."
Kurumu then giggled and poked his face.
The two of them were seated on a blanket as they ate from the basket of goodies. Unbeknownst to them, three Enforcers – Akeno, the yosei; Keito, the jorogumo; Shirawashi, the harpy – were lurking nearby, hiding downwind and behind two trees. Also hiding nearby was Moka, keeping an eye on the Enforcers.
"What, would you prefer it if I didn't think?" he asked, teasing her.
"No, silly~! But I want you to come back down to earth and talk to me," she said.
"Sure, about what?"
"Let's see... what about your family?"
"Eh, they're just ordinary humans, you know?"
At the sound of that, the three Enforcers had to stop themselves from immediately leaping into action. After all, it wasn't unheard of for humans to unwittingly – and sometimes intentionally! – adopt youkai. But it was certainly suspicious...
"Yes, but they're your family, so I still want to know about them. I'd like to meet them someday!"
"Can't imagine how they'll react when they fight out about you..."
"About us, you mean?"
...Okay, maybe it was the second one and they were just overreacting?
"Yeah, learning that youkai are real and that their only son is dating one... that's not something they could have seen coming. They thought the name of this school was just a metaphor!"
"Eh!? Wow..."
...Okay, so he was a human, and got sent here against his will. Unfortunately for him, the rules made no exception for honest mistakes like that. His sentence was death. The three spies discussed for a moment what to do. Proper procedure was to arrest Tsukune and bring him to Kuyou. But... this lake made such a convenient dumping spot for a clandestine murder... and they decided then and there that Shirawashi would transform, grab Tsukune, and dump him in the lake before Kurumu could react. With the plan set, the harpy flew into action...
...and was rewarded for her efforts with a decent kick from a transformed Moka, launching her over the cliff's edge and alerting Kurumu and Tsukune as to the danger that they were in.
"Ah!" / "Moka-san!?"
"It seems that our peaceful days are over... prepare yourselves!"
Moka then turned to face away from the cliff while an enraged Shirawashi recovered and flew back up. "Now then... will you come out as well, Keito-chan? Along with your guest..."
Sure enough, the now partially transformed Keito did so, with Akeno riding on her back.
"I don't want to hear my name out of your mouth, you treacherous scum. And as for you, you stupid and indecent girl!" Keito said, now addressing Kurumu, "What the hell do you think you're doing with that human!? You ought to do us all a favor and throw him off the cliff yourself! In fact, if you do that now, I might consider overlooking this little incident."
"Excuse me!? I would never!"
"Suit yourselves!" exclaimed the spider-woman.
The two enemy youkai then attacked at once – Keito spitting out a sticky thread of webbing, and Shirawashi diving at the trio. Moka grabbed onto the webbing and let Keito pull her in. Meanwhile, Kurumu transformed and parried Shirawashi's attacks while Tsukune tried his best to dodge them. Moka used the momentum from being reeled in to add power to her already fearsome kick, and Keito was knocked out in one blow.
"Keito! Hey, get up!" yelled Akeno in her fellow Enforcer's face... but it was no use.
Moka loomed over the yosei, who started shivering in terror.
"Now then... what shall I do with you?"
"H-hey! You know, you really shouldn't do this! We were thinking about recruiting you as one of us! Don't throw your future away for some low-life human!"
"A low-life...? The only low-lives I see here are opportunists and weaklings like you... it's time you learned your place."
But before Moka could attack...
"TSUKUNE-KUN!"
"AHHHHHHH!"
...she turned back around and saw that the harpy had managed to grab Tsukune and throw him off the cliff. Kurumu, naturally, had jumped off to go save him, leaving Moka alone do deal with the harpy and the yosei. At least, that would have been what happened, if not for Akeno's timely distraction of Moka by yelling at her and throwing some dirt in her eyes.
By the time Moka had recovered, she could see that the harpy had flown off with an unconscious Keito in tow and the yosei flying beside them. How cowardly... the transformed Moka thought, but also how cunning... Kuyou will come after us... and we're nowhere near ready. As Kurumu slowly flew back up with Tsukune in tow, she put the rosary back on and let the pink-haired Moka take over.
"Are you two alright?" she asked.
"Yeah... sorry about that, she snuck up on me..." muttered an out-of-breath Tsukune.
"It's okay. I'm just glad I caught you time, Tsukune-kun," replied Kurumu, who was keeping him close. "But, now that they know..."
"Aono-kun... this might be painful to hear, but... I think you should run away."
"But then they'll just come after the two of you!" said boy complained.
"That doesn't matter! I won't let them kill you!" exclaimed Kurumu. "And I don't want to hear any arguments! You can complain to me all you want when you're safe back home."
"You should leave too, Kurono-san."
"...Eh?"
"That's right. I'm the only one out of the three of us who can survive here if they get serious."
"...but..."
Sure, it was more time to be with her precious Tsukune, but could she really just abandon Moka and the others like that?
"Besides, someone will have to be with him so that he can escape safely."
"...well, that's true, but..."
"It'll be okay, Kurono-san. The others will understand. But we need to hurry."
"...okay."
But it was already too late to escape. The trap had been set, and they had fallen into its clutches.
Far too soon, the consequences would come.
Later that day, the PSC had regrouped, with the unconscious Keito resting in their secret base. Kuyou had chastised Akeno and Shirawashi for letting things get to this point, and the two of them were punished by being tied up and hung from the ceiling upside down. Several of the other Enforcers laughed at the plight of these two as Kuyou admonished them.
"I believe I gave you all strict orders not to start a fight with them?"
"Yes, Kuyou..."
"And the three of you ignored my direct commands and started a fight anyway?"
"Yes, Kuyou..."
"And not only did you fail to kill the human, you were forced to retreat, which gives them a chance to rouse public sympathy and deny our legitimate claims?"
"Yes, Kuyou..."
"So, you realize that, rather than being able to move at our leisure, we will have to move swiftly and forcefully just to deal with what should have been only a minor nuisance?"
"Yes, Kuyou..."
"Hmph. Good. Along as we're clear as to your failure. Now then, you will stay there while the rest of us deal with this problem you've left on our plates."
"Yes, Kuyou..."
Kuyou then turned to the rest of the group, whom he had called for an emergency meeting. Including him, that made seven in total... in truth, he could have handled this all himself, but he didn't want to hear any complaining from the more bloodthirsty members like Deshiko and Kokyu.
"Well, then. It's confirmed. A human in our academy."
He turned to one specific member – Shima, a tanuki.
"I hope you were more discreet in your efforts."
They chuckled. "Naturally. With my shapeshifting power, Gin never suspected that it was really me. The same goes for the little witch girl... though it seems like neither of them know anything. Too bad really; I wouldn't have minded getting rid of him too."
"No matter. Merely having harbored a human is enough to crush their club for good, let alone the fact that they dared to strike down one of our own. We will give them no time to breathe. Arrest the human and the two traitors in the morning. We will then force that mutt to run his final big scoop before we shut his press down for good! Now, as for your assignments..."
Moka and Kurumu were the real threats, so Deshiko, Kibato, Kokyu, and Kuyou would all head to the girl's dorms. Meanwhile, Shima and the Kamisori brothers – two kamaitachis – would round up Tsukune, since he was far less of a threat by himself. Once they were rounded up, Tsukune would be swiftly tried and executed, and the others would be subject to suitable punishments before they could be released back into the student population.
"Good. Now then, dismissed!"
As they departed, Kuyou couldn't help but feel just a little bit of excitement at finally being able to crush the Newspaper Club. Crushing a pitiful inferior human life at the same time was just an added bonus. He allowed himself no pity for that human, however. His time had come, and now he must die. Such was the fate of all humans who dared defy the natural way of things.
An order that he would restore with his family near the top soon enough.