Chapter 10 – "...Is it really you?"
The first one to awaken after it was all over was Mizore. The yuki-onna picked herself off the ground, witnessing the carnage, and made her way to the crying succubus. Moka handled Kurumu off to her while she went to check up on the others. First, she made her way to Tsukune and...
...
...yes, he was dead. No mistaking it. No breath and no pulse. She could only hope that it had been painless for him.
For a moment, Moka pondered injecting him with her blood... but with the state of his body, there was no guarantee it would even work, or that Tsukune would be the one piloting the body. She then went over to Kashi and Yukari and... where was Araiko?
She then noticed a marking on Yukari's neck.
"You can come out now, Araiko-chan..."
The inugami then materialized out of thin air, visibly frightened.
"What the hell!? I had no idea he could do that!" she exclaimed, having taken some damage despite having been an immaterial spirit. Well, she had been in Yukari's body, Moka supposed. Yukari herself was magically partially healed by that act, and was starting to stir. "Well, he is his father's son... but why can't I sense him anymore... oh no."
Moka was a bit surprised by Araiko's reaction. If anything, she was more scared of him now that he was dead. What, did he have a second form or something?
"No, it's... Kurumu-chan did that, right?"
Moka nodded, and Araiko grimaced.
"Keep close to her. She's in even more danger now than she was before. Fairy Tale will be after her once they find out she did this."
Moka frowned. "Fairy Tale?"
"A bunch of gangsters. That said, I've got beef with them too, so I'll help you out."
"Very well... though I want more of an explanation. I don't know why... but that name seems familiar to me..."
In the distance, they could see some teachers and other students finally arriving.
"We'll talk later," Araiko said. "For now, we just need to hope that we survive this..."
Moka was once again surprised. They won, so that should be the end of it, right?
She would soon learn that their victory would have its own consequences.
When the others arrived, a group of men in black suits carried away the bodies of Kuyou and Tsukune. They ignored Kurumu's protests, and when she transformed to stop them, they injected her with something to knock her out. Moka and Mizore then carried her down to the infirmary, following the men. Why they were taking two obviously dead boys to the infirmary was beyond them, but who knows... maybe there was a cure for death lying around?
In any case, the nurse also made the two of them stay, along with the rest of the combatants.
Of all those who had fought that day, the casualty list was as follows:
Deceased – Tsukune, Kuyou
Critically Injured – Monokuro, Keito, Kokyu
Heavily Injured – Kurumu, Mizore, Gin, Araiko, Aoshiro, Kusashi, Deshiko, Kibato, Shirawashi
Lightly Injured – Moka, Yukari, Kashi, Akeno
Unknown – the Kamisori brothers, Shima
As such, only Moka, Yukari, Kashi, and Akeno were able to return to school as normal the following week – though truly, nothing was normal about it. News that the Newspaper Club had taken out the Enforcers had already spread. You might think that since the PSC were little better than a gang, this news might be received with jubilation. However, the PSC did occasionally do their jobs and deal with troublesome youkai... some of whom would likely use the opportunity to cause trouble for everyone. For at least a few days after the incident, these fears proved to be for nothing, and the atmosphere of the academy become quiet, subdued, yet hopeful.
The peace was broken by the return of Wanibuchi Tadashi and his two henchmen, who attacked Yukari in broad daylight before the beginning of classes one day. The attack was an utter failure, of course, since Yukari and Moka now walked to class together and the two of them were more than a match for three lizardmen... but the damage was done. More and more fighting started to break out between students, and rumors and unease spread wide across the academy.
It didn't help that even with the eventual recovery of Kurumu (though she became a recluse) and Gin and their discharge from the infirmary, the News Club was not permitted to meet again, and so could not defeat the rumors. Thankfully – which was an odd thing to say in this case – a few of the more of the Enforcers – Kibato, Deshiko, and Shirawashi – were also discharged, and could thus return to their duties. They continued to do the unusual thing of actually doing their job to maintain public safety, and things slowly started to calm down.
It was at this point that the Chairman started calling the former members of the News Club in to meet with him.
On the day that Kurumu was supposed to have her meeting, rather than expect her to show up on her own, the Chairman sent in Mizore and Moka to collect her. Ever since she was discharged from the infirmary, Kurumu hadn't been seen in public. The proof that she was still alive was that her wails and sobbing could occasionally be heard through the walls of her dorm room. She had never been seen leaving the room, and when Mizore and Moka came by to leave food for her, it was always returned half-eaten, if even that much.
Moka's inner-self had half a mind to break down the door and drag the succubus back out into the public view... but she was tempered by the pink-haired outer-self. So, when the call came, she answered positively without hesitation, even if she might have reason to fear the consequences. At the moment, she and Mizore were standing outside Kurumu's door, beyond which they could hear nothing. Was she awake or asleep?
Moka knocked on the door.
"Kurono-san? The Chairman wants to meet with you."
No response.
This time, Mizore knocked.
"Kurumu-chan... are you there? Are you awake?"
A soft murmur, followed by groans. They must have just woken her up. Mizore took a moment to appreciate the irony of her trying to pull Kurumu out of isolation, before knocking again and asking the question a bit louder. This time, she got a response... that of being told to "go away."
"Kurumu-chan, it's important. Please..."
"Kurono-san, we really do want to see you."
Whimpering in response, along with being asked to "stop."
The vampire and the yuki-onna shared a look. Right then. They'd have to force their way in.
Moka pulled out the spare key they were given and started unlocking the door, announcing what she was doing. With only more whimpering in response, Moka turned the knob and opened the door. Unsurprisingly, the room was an utter mess, and Kurumu was curled up in her sheets. Moka and Mizore went over to the succubus and picked her up, leaving her tangled up in the sheets.
"Put me down... let me go..." whimpered Kurumu, apparently too weak to yell.
"No," said both girls in response.
Kurumu refused to look either of them in the eyes as they carried her all the way down to the Chairman's office. As the group passed down the halls, Yukari and Aoshiro whispered good luck to them, as did a few others, for news of the meetings with the Chairman had already spread far and wide. As they reached the main office building, more men in suits waved them in, apparently apathetic to Kurumu's disheveled state.
When they entered the room, they saw the Chairman, in his typical hooded robe, face obscured except for his glowing eyes, sitting behind a desk. When they entered, he snapped his fingers and the door slammed shut behind them. "Ah, there she is. Thank you for bringing her here. You may stay by her side if you wish."
Naturally, they both did so. Kurumu remained curled up in a ball on the floor, Mizore and Moka sitting close by, Mizore even resting Kurumu's head on her cool leg.
"Kurono-san, are you well?"
Kurumu muttered something under her breath.
"Hmm~? Sorry, my hearing isn't so good in my old age. Do you mind speaking up?"
"...just get it over with..."
The Chairman coughed loudly. "Very well, then. Kurono-san, the time has come to decide your punishment."
Kurumu glanced up at him with one eye. "...what do you mean, 'decide'? I killed Kuyou... and I meant to do it. That's a death sentence, right?"
"It certainly can be~! However, it does not have to be. You see..."
"...I don't care. Just do it," was Kurumu's reply, interrupting the man. While he seemed unfazed, Moka and Mizore looked at their friend in shock.
"Kurono-san, you can't be serious!?" Moka exclaimed, as Mizore was stunned into silence. "Don't you want to be here with us?"
"...I don't deserve it... not after what happened back there."
"Kurono-san, you-!?"
Moka stopped herself, after Mizore picked Kurumu up and slapped her, tears in her eyes.
"...Mizore-chan...?" asked a confused Kurumu.
Mizore hugged her tight. "I'm not letting you go! I won't let you die! And there's no way the rest of us or Tsukune-kun would want that either! So please... please... stay with us!"
Kurumu could feel the depth of Mizore's emotions, a roaring flame despite her icy cold demeanor. This flame... how could Kurumu have ignored it for so long? After all, she was the one who drew Mizore out from her self-imposed prison... She hugged Mizore back, and apologized for what she had said. Moka joined in the hug as well, drawing them both in.
The Chairman than coughed loudly once more, getting the girl's attention. "It's good that you're all such close friends. You're going to need those strong bonds to survive what's to come."
"What do you mean?" asked Kurumu.
"You'll see. But now then, as for your punishment..."
He stood up and went over to a nearby wall, where a landline phone was installed. Picking up the receiver, he dialed a certain number while explaining who exactly he was calling... one of the Board members, a man who had been calling the loudest for Kurumu's head... Kuyou's father.
"Ah, hello, is Akatenno Youta around? There's a certain matter we need to discuss... yes, I can hold." He turned to the others. "Well, then he should be here shortly."
Before any of the girls could ask what exactly he meant by that, the room suddenly grew hot, and a small burst of fire exploded on the Chairman's desk. When the flames and smoke dissipated, a small nine-tailed fox was sitting on the desk, radiating intense pressure. Instinctively, the three girls fell to their knees, as they suddenly felt as if they were in the presence of a wrathful god.
"Hmmm... good. It seems these girls know their place." He turned his attention to the Chairman, who remained unfazed. "Now then, I know you called me here for good reason. I suppose one of these girls is the bitch who killed by son, correct?"
Kurumu found herself speaking, even though she didn't want to, out of sheer terror. "I-it was me!"
"I see. Well then, let's settle this."
In the blink of an eye, Youta's tails extended, grabbing Kurumu and raising her into the air, suffocating and scalding her with intense heat.
"Guh! N-no, stop, please...! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" she begged.
"Apologies aren't going to bring back my son," he replied, coldly.
"Neither will killing that girl," pointed out the Chairman.
The youko rolled his eyes. "And I suppose you have an alternate plan? What, do you need her alive for something? Let me guess, you want her for another one of your inane schemes?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. I was hoping a life sentence would suffice..."
Youta thought it over for a moment, uncaring as to Kurumu's pained whimpers and cries. He then sighed and let her go. Moka and Mizore caught her before she could hit the floor and break something. "Very well. Let me think... I suppose a lifetime of servitude to my family once she graduates will be acceptable. Perhaps she can even turn my other son into someone useful to us both."
"You mean your..."
"I don't care what that failure calls himself. Now then, is the matter settled?"
The Chairman nodded. Youta then turned to Kurumu, who accepted the terms while under the spell of her fear. The youko then bid them all farewell, announced that he would be sending further details later, and departed in the same way he came.
"...I think that went fairly well, all things considered. Now then, we should... girls, the door is locked."
Their faces projecting abject terror, the three girls turned to face the Chairman. Moka and Mizore had grabbed Kurumu and were trying to flee, in order to get their friend to safety.
"No way!" exclaimed Mizore. "We can't let that man get his hands on Kurumu-chan! He'll kill her!"
"Chairman-san, there's no way we can trust him to keep his word!" added Moka.
"I'm aware," was his reply.
Kurumu whimpered weakly in her friends' embrace. Moka and Mizore glared at him.
"If you're aware, then why did you agree to it?" asked a cross Moka, suppressing the urge to yank her rosary off and let her other half out.
"Simple. I have no plans to ever let him get his hands on poor Kurono-san over there."
"...huh?"
Now the three of them were just confused.
"But... I just agreed to it..." said Kurumu.
"Indeed. But it's to his family, not to him. I've wanted to deal with him for a while, and now I have the perfect opportunity."
"...oh... I see..."
"So, you're just going to use Kurumu-chan as your tool!?" asked Mizore.
"That's quite a harsh way of putting it, Shirayuki-san," responded the Chairman.
"But it's accurate," added Moka. "Come on, let's go and hide her ourselves."
"That won't be possible, Shuzen-san. Neither of your families are capable of protecting her, thanks to Youta's leadership within Fairy Tale. Only taking that organization down will allow her to remain safe."
"...why did you call me Shuzen-san?" asked Moka. "That's not my last name."
"Of course, of course... my mistake, Akashiya-san."
But it didn't sound like a mistake... and Moka wasn't sure why it felt natural to be called that.
The Chairman then continued. "Regardless, Kurono-san will be safe as long as she remains on campus. Now then, we should discuss other matters. Such as, for example, the matter of Aono-san's body."
The three of them looked at the Chairman curiously. Was something happening with Tsukune's body? When they last saw it, it was a scorched mass of human flesh, and thinking of it was enough to make them all feel ill. The Chairman replied that they would need to see his body for themselves, and bid them to follow him. He led them from the main office building back to the infirmary, which was busier than ever before, and took them to a certain room.
The room where his body was kept.
"Prepare yourselves," was all that he said before leading them inside.
What the three girls saw as something astounding – while he still had no pulse and drew no breath, Tsukune's body was no longer covered in those terrible burn wounds. Kurumu crawled over to him and embraced him with tears in her eyes, while Moka and Mizore kept their distance and asked the Chairman what was going on. To their surprise, he responded with a shrug. This was something new to him. Normally, miraculous recovery of a dead person's wounds was accompanied by the person themselves returning from the dead, and yet Tsukune was still just as deceased as when he was admitted. And no one had been entering the room to do this either – it was all seemingly spontaneously generated.
"Had Aono-kun exhibited any unusual abilities since you met him?" asked the Chairman. "He was admitted under the pretenses that he was a normal human, but perhaps we missed something in our background investigation. If not, then some outside force must be at work."
Moka shook her head no. "But Chairman-san, if you knew that Aono-san was a normal human, then why did you admit him to Youkai Academy?"
"I had my reasons. In any case, I'd appreciate it if you reported back if anything strange happens with him."
He then left them alone, and Moka and Mizore agreed that the Chairman of Youkai Academy was quite a shady man! But at least he wasn't outwardly murderous like Youta... that youko was the real danger. At least, they hoped that the Chairman wasn't a threat to them...
"Kurono-san? Are you going to be staying here?" asked Moka.
Kurumu nodded slightly.
"Would you like it if we stayed with you, Kurumu-chan?" asked Mizore.
"...please," whispered Kurumu.
The three of them stayed as long as they could that night, and would often return. Kurumu herself would return every single day after school, telling the dead Tsukune about what had happened – the good, the bad, the lessons, the disbanded News Club, the deal with Youta, and so on. She had no idea if he could hear her or not, but she didn't need to know.
Her hope was enough to sustain her.
Ever since the day Tsukune died (because of her), Kurumu had been plagued with nightmares.
She hardly slept, only doing so when her body collapsed on her. Between this and her half-hearted attempts at eating, she was slowly wasting away... and it's what she thought she deserved for letting her Destined One die, for letting him sacrifice himself for her. And for what? A life of misery without him?
Sometimes, she could've sworn that she heard his voice, telling her that it'll be okay... but she couldn't believe it. How could things ever be okay again?
At least, that was what she thought until that day...
She was having what she thought was just one more red nightmare. Tsukune was swallowed up in flames and blood, and she rampaged and murdered Kuyou yet again. She wept and wept over Tsukune's dead body, as the two of them were utterly alone. Normally, this was the part where her tears and his blood melded together into a pool and drowned her.
However, this time... this time... a hand suddenly started to stroke her face.
The burned hand of her precious Tsukune!
She gasped in shock. "T-Tsukune-kun!?"
She began profusely apologizing to him, fully expecting him to berate her. Instead, he continued to stroke her face, and she saw as his body was miraculously healed.
"...Is it really you?" she asked.
He smiled at her. "Yes, Kurumu-chan... it's me."
She hugged him tight.
"...but how?"
"I... well, I'll explain in a second. But first..."
"...huh!?"
Tsukune pulled her down into his embrace... just in time for her to hear something sharp quickly pass above her, just where her head used to be. She looked up to see a pale man whose face was hidden behind a white veil, wearing a black robe and carrying a scythe. A Shinigami!
She immediately got up and transformed her appearance, summoning her wings and claws, preparing for a fight. Shinigami normally went after the suicidal, so it must have been aiming at her. So then, it was using her precious Tsukune-kun as bait!?
"You! What have you been doing with Tsukune-kun!"
It spoke in a soft whisper. "Nothing... I am here for you, succubus. Prepare yourself."
It swung its scythe at Kurumu once more, but she easily dodged that attack, and the same for the other attempts. But when she struck at it, it dissolved into white smoke and regenerated itself some distance away. How was she supposed to defeat it!?
Urgh... well, this was still her dream, right? Maybe she should use that against it!
She made her wings grow giant, far larger than those of even the mythical dragons, and used them to summon forth a giant gust of wind and blow the Shinigami away. Even turning into smoke couldn't save it, and so it was forced away.
Kurumu then turned her wings back to normal...
"Tsukune-kun!"
...and tackle-hugged her precious Tsukune-kun.
"Oof! ...you know it'll be back soon, right? As long as you're in despair, it'll keep trying to take your soul."
She looked straight into Tsukune's eyes, her own now filled with hope. "Then I won't fall into despair! Now that I know that you're here... but how? You... I know that you're..."
She couldn't bring herself to say those conclusive words in front of him.
Tsukune avoided her gaze. "I... after I took that attack, I thought I was done for. But instead, I ended up in this place." He gestured around, and Kurumu saw that they were in a white featureless void instead of the usual realistic environment of her nightmares. "I encountered the Shinigami here. He said that I should've passed on, but that I must have some strong attachments to the world preventing me from doing that."
His face was bright red now. "I'm sure you can guess what or who I might be attached to."
"..."
Kurumu's eyes widened in shock.
This... this had to mean... they've only known each other for a few months, so the only way he could be so attached to her as to defy Death itself was if he was truly her Destined One!
"Kurumu-chan!? Are you okay?"
Tears were flowing freely from her eyes. She hugged Tsukune tight.
"No... but I will be. As soon as we get you out of here!"
"But how?" he asked.
"That... well... I..."
...
She had to admit... that she had no idea how to return him to the land of the living. However, perhaps the two of them could slip away into a dreamscape and Tsukune could hide there for now? She brought up the idea to him and Tsukune agreed readily, so Kurumu attempted to seize control of the dream using her powers of a succubus. But when she did so...
"You again!?"
"That's right, succubus."
...the Shinigami returned, reforming itself from a whirlwind of white smoke that suddenly appeared, raging around the two of them. Tsukune stood behind Kurumu as she prepared for some attack. However, the Shinigami kept talking.
"I have heard your sincere desire for death and have come to claim your soul. There is no hope of returning this human to how he was before. It is beyond your power. The only choice left is to join him. Only I can do that for you, succubus. I can free you from the chains of your life."
"...No. I won't. I... I don't want to die anymore!"
"Despite what you've said, your desire to live is weak. You blame yourself for this human's death. You believe that you deserve to die in his stead even now, don't you?"
Tsukune's eyes widened.
"Kurumu-chan... is that true?"
"...it is."
He suddenly hugged her tight.
"...Tsukune-kun?"
"No way... there's no way I'd want you to do that for me!"
"But Tsukune-kun, you have so much to live for!"
"And so do you! And I want to be there with you! So please... don't do it!"
Both of them were openly weeping, and Kurumu was now hugging hem back. Despite the opening, the Shinigami had yet to make a move... perhaps it was waiting for something?
"Kurumu-chan... I'm so sorry! I should have agreed to run away! This all happened because of me, because I was too stubborn and wanted to fight despite my own inability."
"No, no... Tsukune-kun, don't blame yourself. We learned that the Chairman brought you here for some reason. So, it's not your fault at all! Besides... it's not like I couldn't have convinced you to go."
"But I wouldn't have let you throw your future away for me!" Tsukune countered.
"Tsukune-kun, you're wrong. I wouldn't be throwing it away. I said it before, and I'll keep saying it... I want to be by your side, no matter what."
"I... I want to be by your side. And I want to be someone who can walk beside you as an equal."
"But...!"
Tsukune pulled his head up and looked Kurumu dead in the eyes.
"I know I don't have to fight, and maybe I shouldn't, but I can't stand to see you put yourself in danger and not be able to help you."
"..."
"Kurumu-chan?"
"...But I can protect you, Tsukune-kun! I know I messed up once, but..."
"It's not about that."
She was confused. "Then what is it about?"
"It's about... I'm not sure if I can say it properly. But with you being a youkai and my being a human... I want to be with you, but if I can't stand on my own, then how am I supposed to?"
...so then. That was it. He never once doubted her. The person he was doubting this whole time... was himself.
"...Okay."
She motioned to stand up, and also helped him up.
"Let's fight together from now on, okay?"
"Right! So, I'll be in your care from here."
Tskune got into a fighting stance while Kurumu partially transformed. But the Shinigami made no moves to attack. In fact, it brought its hands together and... started to clap for them?
"Well done."
"You... what?"
"There is no longer any reason for us to fight, succubus. I can feel your desire to live from here. In fact, let me show you..."
The Shinigami snapped its fingers, and both Kurumu and Tsukune were cloaked in a red-hot flame! But it didn't burn them at all... this must be the fire of their souls, burning brightly and in sync with each other. Once they both realized what that meant, their faces went bright red and they turned away from each other. The Shinigami snapped its fingers again, and the flames went away.
"There is someone who wishes to meet the two of you."
Kurumu blinked and the landscape was suddenly completely different. The two of them were now in a lush garden, filled with all sorts of bright flowers and tall trees. The Shinigami was long gone. There was a dirt path leading into the distance... with no other signposts, they followed it until they found themselves in a small clearing. In the center was a table, where a woman with prominent horns and long black hair was sitting. Her face could not be seen beneath a white veil, one that matched her white dress and deathly pale skin. There were two other chairs at the table.
Kurumu and Tsukune sat down at the table, assuming this must be who the Shinigami meant.
"Greetings. I hope you are well."
The woman's voice echoed around them, as if coming from the entire garden.
"...I think we will be, now that we've cleared some things up."
"I agree. The Shinigami told us to meet you. Please... can you fix Tsukune-kun?"
"Of course. However... it will come with a price. A favor, to be more exact."
"What is it?"
"A life for a life. There is someone who lives who has been evading me. Bring her to me."
"...who?"
"You can also bring her rosary to me instead. Either will suffice."
Both Tsukune's and Kurumu's eyes widened. A rosary...?
Did she mean...?
"Do this and he shall be restored. Farewell."
"Wait!"
But Kurumu was now shouting in her room, as she was now wide awake in the early morning.
No way... no way...
Did that woman... that death goddess...
...did she mean to bring Moka to her!?