Lessons Learned

by Cosmic Sky

It's said that you never stop learning. Usually, such a phrase was directed at people like Tsukune, who'd agree with it. With people like Ririko, well, she was a teacher, helping students learn was her passion. The thing is, you're never too young or old to learn a few lessons; Lessons in life, and lessons in love and relationships. Some could hurt, and others could heal.

14. 14) Lessons in the Looming Sky

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Chapter Fourteen! After the dramatic events of last chapter, this one will be stage for the story's next arc. I hope you all enjoy the chapter!

I do not own anything.

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Lessons Learned

Lesson 14-Lessons in the Looming Sky

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After looking around, Tsukune suspected that this was the same bed that he'd been on before, and the time before that. Sitting up, he continued to look around him, recognizing the positions of the beds. A rather humorous chuckle slipped from his lips, albeit it came with a little bit of pain. His left arm ached causing him to look at it. It was in a single. Instead of shock, he calmly felt around his limb, feeling out where the pain was most intense. Upon touching his shoulder, he felt a minor throbbing that made him wince a little.

Memories came back to him, and with them came a shocking sense of excitement.

"I rode a kraken." Tsukune whispered to himself. "And deflected one of its tentacles." He added, feeling himself smiling a little. "Guess the shield held up after all, and so did my arm." Half the strength of a shield came from the arm supporting it. A weak arm meant a weak shield. Conversely, a strong arm meant a strong shield. His hand went to his left elbow, feeling it up all the way up to the shoulder. The harder he pressed the more pain there was, though nothing too great. Especially compared to what he'd faced before. "Damn, I'm lucky I didn't lose an army pulling off a stunt like that."

"Quite so. I can tell you that there have been many a man and monster who've lost limbs fighting krakens. Some of them can be quite vindictive, and that's after they've probably already gotten incredibly violent." While his senses went up, his body was relaxed. There was good reason as Nurse Tsugumi was one of the handful of teachers he undoubtedly trusted. She'd earned that trust. "As for you, Tsukune. You came out of it with far less injuries than I would have ever thought possible."

"I like to take that as a sign that I'm getting better at this sort of thing." He amicable replied.

The bandages around her mouth couldn't fully muffle the playful smile she let out. "I'll give you that. No human in all the academy's history has done what you've managed to achieve, and certainly none able to keep all your limbs. And most of your sanity."

He laughed at how she threw in a crack about his mental health. She was right in saying "most" instead of all, Tsukune was positively sure he wasn't all there up stairs. For starters, his latest life-threatening adventure was…his latest. What he'd lived through was downright miraculous, yet it wasn't too far off the mark for everything he'd already gone through. He supposed one of the exceptions was that he'd gotten the final blow instead of leaving it to Moka. His hand trembled as memories flashed in his head like a bolt of lightning. He really had made the final blow on Kotsubo. Before he knew it, his hand was raised and his gaze was focused on it. Tsukune closed his hands and curled his fingers; he could still feel the grip of his knife, and remember what it felt like when he flung it in a desperate throw. He repeated the motion several times until he felt a warm hand wrapping up his.

"I'll be the first to say this on behalf of the academy staff." Nurse Tsugumi said. Her voice was tender and gentle, just like her grip was. For a type of undead monster, she felt rather lively. Equally ironic was her skill in keeping the living alive. Tsukune suspected that she'd played a part in doing the same for him, just as she had done numerous other times before. All while knowing he was a human. "Tsukune, thank you for what you did. Thank you for saving everyone…and stopping Kotsubo, once and for all."

"…I…I…"

"You have nothing to feel ashamed of, nor any reason to have nightmares." The mummy continued in her gentle voice. "If you do have any, well, I have some medication that I think might be able to help with that."

He shared in her laughter, even though there wasa very real possibility he would have nightmares. Kotsubo was undoubtedly a piece of shit, but…he was still a living being, a person. Who he'd just killed, knowingly killed.

Well, he was the second person you've killed. This time though, you were a little more focused, but hey, you can always-

Oh, I know! I know! Can't you just give me some moments of peace! He cried to his inner voice.

You had a peaceful little nap, isn't that something?

Urgh, I guess. Look, can you just…wait until I'm out of here? And I know that Ririko is okay? As per usual, silence was the answer, and it was an appreciated one. His focus went back to his hand still wrapped up in Nurse Tsugumi's. She took notice of it as well and chuckled upon removing it. A slight red tint crept onto his cheeks as he bowed his head in thanks. "So, um…what sort of injuries am I looking at? I feel fine, but is it one of those cases where it's worse than it looks or how I feel?"

"Fortunately, no. Like I said, Tsukune, you came out of your fight with Kotsubo with remarkably few major injuries. Even more impressive since he was hyped up on Stix, which made him three times as aggressive and powerful as usual. I'm tempted to say it was a genuine miracle; you're a walking miracle."

He nervously scratched the back of his head. "Um, well…thank you. I've…had a couple of people call me that. Feels pretty weird hearing it."

Again, her bandages gave the impression of a smile, as did her eyes. "Well, I'd advise you to get a little more used to hearing it, it is the truth." She softly pressed. "Anyways, regarding your injuries, nothing too major. As you've no doubt noticed, the biggest cause of concern is your left arm. It was dislocated, but we managed to pop it back into place. Don't worry, the residual pain will go away in time, but I'd advise you not to do anything too stressful. Like get into another fight."

"''ll do my best, Nurse Tsugumi." He responded good naturedly. The news was a relief to hear. "Guess I'm lucky that I didn't lose it."

"Quite so given what I've heard. You managed to deflect one of Kotsubo's tentacles using a shield. It certainly explains the injuries to your left arm." He instinctively rubbed his shoulder at the memory. The pain came back to him, reminding him just how much of a crazy move it was. Ultimately though, it'd worked out as he'd deflected Kotsubo's attack, and he was keeping his arm. "As for the rest of your injuries, thankfully they were in the same range, nothing to sneeze at, but also nothing requiring major surgery or intensive care. We spent almost half an hour removing shrapnel from across your body."

"The coral and bone fragments from Kotsubo's tentacles." Tsukune deduced.

"Correct. Few of the pieces were larger than a playing card, nor were any of them embedded in fatal areas." She giggled at Tsukune's rather bemused expression. "You were unconscious when we did so, albeit removing a few of them seemed to make it seem like you were on the verge of waking up. Thankfully, the morphine was strong enough to keep you under."

"Greeeat." The brown-eyed teen remarked. "Okay, so…any other injuries on my part? I noticed that Kotsubo seemed to have gained some kind of poison powers along with his new ones."

"Yes. As I hope you've learned in biology, there are several species of octopus capable of generating poison, especially the infamous blue-ringed octopus. Some krakens possess that ability…albeit Kotsubo wasn't one of them." The mummy said.

Tsukune raised an eyebrow. "You said wasn't, meaning Stix gave him that power after he took it."

"Yes, it seems to have given him powers of a greater kraken. It's consistent with the effects I've seen in other Stix patients."

"Nurse Tsugumi," Tsukune began, his eyes narrowed and focused. "What is Stix? What does it do?"

For the first time, the mummy's face became one of dismay. His gut told him she had an answer, but it wasn't one that she wanted to give him. It meant it wasn't one that he was going to like hearing; Tsukune didn't think any answer would be pleasing to hear. "As I'm sure someone's likely told you by now, it's a sort of power-enhancing drug. Unlike what few I've seen, this one is…Stix is on a completely different level. It has the power to induce something akin to a dark evolution in those who ingest it."

"Dark…evolution?" While a part of him found the name somewhat corny, he had to admit it was fitting based on what he'd seen. "You mean, like…Kotsubo…evolved?"

"In a manner of speaking. Like I said a few minutes ago, Kotsubo didn't have that kind of power before, but, in another life where he vigorously trained himself, he might have. Take for example his ability to create coral, that's an ability seen in only the highest tiers of oceanic monsters. Or sorcerers. The manipulation of coral falls under the umbrella of ocean magic, the highest possible form of water magic."

"Could it beat a vampire?" Tsukune found himself impulsively asking. The thought came completely out of nowhere, or at least that's what he thought.

"Quite easily. There is a reason why mermaids and aquatic monsters have always been more aggressive toward vampires, and why despite their pride, they've always been weary of stronger sea monsters. I believe you had a run in with the swim club and you learned how much of a disadvantage vampires can be when fighting in water."

The memory had never been a fond one, but the more Tsukune looked back on it, the more he found it had been an informative experience. In head-to-head power, Moka would come out on top, but once she was submerged in the water it was a different story. He'd been right in his quiet analysis that she'd wanted to move past the entire mess as quickly as possible. Such a weak opponent like Tamao actually had a pretty good chance of killing her. Tsukune had too for he realized just how much danger he'd put Moka in. As bad as that had been, Tsukune now knew that things could have been worse. His hands clenched as he thought of what would happen if they ran into trouble out on the beach, where their group vacation was planned.

Well, I already knew that she wasn't going to be swimming with the rest of us. He internally mused. "Sea magic…so, that means manipulating not just water but coral too? Could it include telepathy with sea life?"

"Yes, it's one of the traits that makes it so powerful, and dangerous. As I said, that sort of power can only be found in higher classes of sea monsters. Taking Stix, Kotsubo seemingly catapulted into that category. As you saw though, it came with a cost to his sanity, another trait of Stix that I've noticed."

"It sure as hell makes them angrier." Tsukune drily remarked.

"Well, given its name, that's none too surprising. Stix is-"

"Ahem, Ms. Tsugumi, could I have a moment with our young hero?"

Neither of them jumped at the eerie male voice. For Nurse Tsugumi, she'd long since gotten used to it. From time to time, she had to cut any conversations with her patients short. She knew that more often than not, it was because the Headmaster really wanted to speak with them. Being the patient woman she was, she could wait until they could pick things up at another time. Like her, Tsukune had grown accustomed to the Headmaster's sudden appearances, especially his ghostly voice. He'd managed to do so in far less time than his mummified caretaker had. Unlike her, he didn't quite hold the same level of respect toward the priestly-looking man. Granted, that wasn't to say he didn't respect him at all. Little by little, Tsukune was learning to.

At least he didn't feel burning hatred or annoyance when he laid eyes on him. In truth, the human actually felt himself relax a little bit as the Headmaster entered the infirmary. He gave a slight bow of respect to the school's head nurse, who returned the gesture. She looked back and smiled at Tsukune; he smiled back and bowed his head so slightly in thanks to her for tending to his injuries, again. At her departure, the human and the Headmaster were left alone in the infirmary, again.

"Your friends are alright, and so are the female staffers whom Kotsubo took captive. Including Ms. Ririko." Began the hooded man.

Tsukune exhaled and allowed his entire upper body to fall back into the bed. His response invoked a humorous chuckle from the Headmaster. "Thank God."

"Hmm, I wouldn't exactly be thanking him. Personally, I thank you, Tsukune. If it weren't for you, I believe things would have turned out significantly messier."

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the Headmaster. "Sir, would you have gotten involved if I…hadn't been there, or if I hadn't been able to stop Kotsubo?"

"Yes, I would have, and believe me, Tsukune, I would have been-"

"Brutal? Savage? Made sure there wasn't much of him left?" Again, the older man let out a humorous, amused laugh. Tsukune didn't laugh, but he did smirk. "Is it wrong that I…wouldn't have minded that happening?"

"Fear that you're losing touch with your humanity? Basking in the delicious joy of violence and mayhem?" The hooded man jokingly pressed.

Now that got a genuine laugh out of the teenager. "A little bit. To be honest, I've…since coming to Yōkai Academy, I've learned how to hate people. How to genuinely, from the bottom of my heart hate them. Thankfully, there's only two people I've come to feel that way about." A pause followed as the school's principal let the words settle in the room. Time was marked by the continued ticking of the clock. It marched on, heedless of the words spoken; it was the same as it had been the last few dozens of times before. "Kotsubo," the teenager suddenly spoke while sitting up. "He was…he's…he's…he's the second person that I've ever killed. He…I…I…I think about it, I replay it in my mind and I…I…" His hands rose to meet his eyes. They weren't trembling, and that was something Tsukune took solace in, yet found somewhat uneasy about. A heavy sigh passed his lips as he clenched his fists. "A part of me keeps on saying I should feel guilty, I should feel guilty…but I don't!"

"Because in your heart you simply don't, Tsukune. There is no reason to force yourself to feel guilty either." Declared the leader of the school of monsters. His voice had a slight echo in the empty room. Despite that echoing, Tsukune didn't find it threatening, nor did he find the Headmaster's gaze to be cause for concern either. "Tsukune, you once lambasted me for the way I have ran this school, and your criticisms were on point. I have long been aware of Kotsubo's behavior, which makes his final actions none too surprising. If anything, I am to blame for them as much as anyway one else."

"Like…Shigeki?" Tsukune slowly said. As the Headmaster silently nodded, he let his head drop while letting out another heavy sigh. "…You're damn right you've got some blame. You could have stopped Kotsubo before he ever made it this far. You…could have, but you didn't. That's the past, and Kotsubo's now lying in the di-I mean a body bag. Right?" His serious expression momentarily broke as confusion marred his face. He looked to the Headmaster, "Um, are there any body bags big enough to fit Kotsubo?"

"Oh, we have disposal methods." The same eerie smile returned to the older man's face. Tsukune almost felt a smidgen of comfort in seeing it. Alternatively, he was just getting used to it. "Thankfully, Kotsubo's body shrunk back down to a more manageable size once he died. Your knife extinguished the dark power that had been pulsing through him. Speaking of which, I believe this rightfully belongs to you, my boy."

Minutes after he'd woken up, he did become concerned about what had happened to his knife. It'd became a vital part of his survival and would be in his survival. On a personal level, Tsukune would say that he'd became emotionally attached to the weapon. Upon being presented with the sheathed knife, he immediately reached for it, and then unsheathed it. Near immediately, the silver blade glowed bright like a light bulb. Though he shivered in visible unease, the Headmaster remained by Tsukune's bed side. He was actually smiling in joy as the human had an emotional reunion with his weapon of choice. It was a weapon that gave away his status as a human being to his monstrous classmates. At the same time, it was a weapon that held the power to slay any of those same classmates, and many of the teachers if it hit the right spot. That included the Headmaster himself.

"Thank you, sir." Tsukune finally said upon returning the weapon to its leather brown sheath. "I…I…I know that this knife is practically contraband on campus."

"Yes, it is, but it is yours, and it's arguably what's kept you alive. It's also what will likely help keep you alive in the future, thus I will allow it." A rather characteristic ghoulish chuckle slipped from the hooded man's lips. "Besides, you're far from the only student with a…weapon of choice at this school. Some of them can be quite exotic; I would say that your knife somewhat counts thanks to its particular nature, and even its origin."

"You know, when I look at the engraving on the blade, I get this sudden impulse to learn English and Gaelic. A part of me just…wants to know more about this thing, especially since it's saved my life so many times."

"That's natural. The closer you get to something, the more about it you yearn to know. That especially goes for people too, wouldn't you say, Tsukune?"

"Yeah, you're right about that." A myriad of faces flashed though his mind. Interestingly, the last one-the most important-wasn't Moka's, it was Ririko's. With the appearance of her face in her mind came his remembrance of the last time he saw her. He remembered how he'd called her by her name, no honorifics, no recognition of her role as a teacher-his teacher. In that moment, she hadn't been his teacher…she'd been…she'd been… N-No. Don't go there. Now isn't the time for that. Especially with the Headmaster right here beside me. "About Kotsubo's corpse," it was the best he could do to get his mind away from the topic that he'd been running away from. How long could he keep running from it though? "What happened to it?"

"As I said, thanks to your knife, the demonic power surging through Kotsubo was extinguished and he returned to his regular size, no more than about six or seven feet. Small enough for us to fit into a body bag and dispose of. After it's been studied of course. Of all the…shall we say, takers of Stix, Kotsubo displayed by far the greatest…changes. It seems he had quite a lot of hatred built up, most of it I'm guessing for you."

"…Yeah, I sort of got that when we squared off." Seconds after registering the Headmaster's words, something occurred to Tsukune. "Wait, hatred? You mean a person's feelings have something to do with Stix?"

"Based on what we've discovered from medical exams, yes. Quite understandable given the drug is derived from the River of Hatred itself."

Tsukune raised an eyebrow. "River of Hatred?"

"The River Styx, Tsukune. Stix is an alternative spelling of the word, 'Styx', you see." While the boy's eyes widened, the ghoulish man's lips curved into an unsettling smile. "Yes, I'm sure you've heard of it. The same river from Greek mythology, the river that-"

"Achilles bathed in to become invincible." Tsukune finished. It felt like the air had been drained from his lungs and he was struggling to work with what he had left. Suddenly, he felt like the pieces of a puzzle lay before him; his hands were moving fast, piecing them together. "Invincible…powerful…" As if he were down in the dark depths himself, Tsukune shivered. Even though he'd accepted the existence of the supernatural, there was still a certain terrifying awe that came with realizing just what that truly entailed. He remembered one of his first talks with Nikhil, how they'd rather light-heartedly discussed things like King Arthur and the tomb of China's first emperor. Nikhil himself had revealed that his people, nāga, were divine monsters unlike many other races.

"Yes, powerful, and incredibly ancient. It is quite a cause for concern, Tsukune." The boy seemed lost in thought, not that the Headmaster could blame him for being that way. Quite a heavy bombshell had just been dropped on him. Even "ordinary" monsters would be shocked into a moment or two of silence. While many had likely heard the stories growing up, the younger generation were often inclined to dismiss them as just that, stories. Or aspects of an era that had long since passed.

Then there were those who took the tales as inspiration, enough so that they would try to recreate the past at the cost of the present and future.

"Tsukune, Tsukune. Can you move?"

"H-H-Huh? C-C-Can I move? Y-Y-Yeah, s-s-sure I can."

"Good, because there is something I wish to show you. That is if you're up for it."

Tsukune could see himself from several weeks ago rapidly shaking his head and saying no thanks. Every time he saw something new, it was another shock to his world that left him reeling. While that feeling hadn't gone away completely, he didn't live in fear of it. He found that he didn't live in so much fear of whatever was to come next.

He was standing up, nodding in confirmation of whatever it was the Headmaster had to show him. Using his right arm, he strapped his knife around his waist. If danger came at him, he'd be able to get to it in an instant, and he'd be more than willing to use it.

It still felt strange walking behind the Headmaster, and for that matter walking the hallways after everything he'd just experienced. He caught signs of repair work going on, places where Kotsubo's power had spread. Tsukune could even still detect the faint odor of salty water mixed with something else, something putrid, in the air. Perhaps remains from the toxic air Kotsubo had expelled from his coral sprouts. Looking around, he saw no signs of those. They'd either been destroyed or were destroyed when he killed the kraken. Either way, Tsukune was happy for it, he believed he could go another day or two without coral. Or anything aquatic and sporting tentacles. In the back of his mind, he mused on the possibility of octopuses joining the once exclusive club occupied by one other seafaring creature.

The Headmaster guided him seemingly back to the hallway that would seemingly lead to his office. If there was something there, he wouldn't be surprised. Tsukune was surprised when they took a sudden left down the path. He kept his surprise in moderation as he quietly looked around. The Headmaster chuckled in front of him, once again giving him the impression that he had eyes in the back of his head. His chuckling grew more noticeable as they came to a seemingly ordinary door at the end of the hallway. Upon closer examination, Tsukune saw the coating of magic around it.

"A cloaking spell." He immediately declared.

"Hmm, very good. Nikhil has been teaching you will. Mist is an effective tool for deception, and it'll serve you well to learn how to see through illusions. Especially given the…company that you've ended up keeping." Came the ghoulish cackle of the hooded man.

Tsukune gave him a half glare. "You know, I'd like to believe that Kurumu wouldn't put me under an illusion to win me over. It won't end well."

Turning back to him, the Headmaster let out another ghoulish laugh. "Someone's been studying on all fronts! I'm quite pleased. You do have something of a point though. False love rarely works out well for all parties involved, I've seen it from rather…depressing experience." With those words, he turned the knob and pushed the door open. Tsukune saw a distortion of white and green beyond it, almost like a portal. As the Headmaster disappeared into it, Tsukune followed him without a word of concern or apprehension.

The next thing that the human knew, he was smelling a myriad of odors, hearing a mixture of sounds, animal sounds. Childhood memories sprinted back to the forefront of his mind. He was shocked, amazed at how vivid the memories returned to him. It actually put a pep in his step as he walked ahead of the Headmaster. In doing so, he was quicker in laying eyes on the near full-scale zoo that stretched out before him. His entrance caused several aspects of it to come alive. And made them eager to meet him.

Once he heard the roar, Tsukune's hand went to his knife. In turn, the griffon growled at him, getting into a defensive position with its wings spread out for intimidation. Tsukune wasn't intimidated, and that was something the hybrid creature took note of. It clawed at the ground with its front legs, eyes narrowing as it sized him up. As he'd done to every enemy before in the last several days, Tsukune glared back; he had to make it clear that he wasn't going to be easy prey for this beast.

Suddenly the tension between man and beast was broken up by the sound of clapping, and laughter. "A fine display of courage, Tsukune! Don't worry though, Virgil isn't a man-eater. Speaking of which, Virgil, down. This is one of the good ones." The Headmaster called as he moved in between the two. He faced the griffon, reaching forward and patting its head as if it were a common house cat. And like a trained house cat, all the aggression left it. As he gently stroked the beast's head, he turned back to his human protégé. "Tsukune, this is Virgil, one of my…favorites. I rescued him from some unscrupulous smugglers while I was in America a few years back. He's quite affectionate once you get to know him."

His hand left the hilt of his knife while he overall relaxed. "A griffin…a real live griffin."

"Let me guess, you saw them in a cartoon as a child?" The headmaster jokingly guessed.

"Actually, in a book. Remember, this is Japan. We've do monsters like the Nue and raiju. Speaking of which, I'm guessing you've got some of those hidden away here don't you?"

"Yes, I do. Keeping them feed and happy here isn't easy, but worth it. The world isn't what it used to be."

Hearing that, Tsukune found himself thinking back to the age of the dinosaurs. That's what came to his mind when he tried to picture the world that the Headmaster was describing. Shaking his head in annoyance, he dispelled the image and tried to move create one at least a touch more accurate. What he ended up thinking was of the Disney film, Hercules; that one he blamed on the recent revelation of Stix's origins. Inevitably, his mind shifted to his native roots. Old TV shows and cartoons he watched as a kid, some of which left him wishing he'd lived in those ancient eras, the time of Momotaro, the adventures of the heroic Yorimitsu, and the feudal era, which he'd learned was something of a golden age for monsters and demons. In each of those eras, Tsukune found himself frighteningly able to imagine mythical beasts running wild across the land.

But those eras had long since pass. Humanity now held dominance over not just Japan but most of the Earth.

As he walked down the marble pathway, Tsukune felt like he was strolling through what came before that. His presence certainly didn't go unnoticed, several of the mystical creatures took notice of him as he walked by. A handful even walked right up to the glass wall that separated them from him. He considered it a positive that most of them weren't growling and snarling at him for being a human. Based on the story of the griffin called Virgil, Tsukune was more than willing to guess that a few of these beasts had bad previous interactions with humans. He'd heard stories about animal poaching and cruelty; he found it horrifically easy to imagine such mistreatment transferred onto mythical beasts like chimeras, pegasi, and so forth. Amazingly, some people didn't see the danger in mistreating an animal that could easily kill you at the slightest provocation, and do so in an extremely painful manner at that.

He remembered he was seven-years-old when he fully heard the story of the Nemean Lion. How Hercules killed it ranged, him strangling it with his bare hands (his favorite) to shooting arrows into its mouth. Either way, he managed to kill it, and used its pelt as his personal armor for the rest of his adventure. He'd been quietly jealous of his friend making a full lion pelt, which ended up making an awesome Halloween costume.

The lion cub that stared at him probably wasn't as big as the one Hercules had slain, but in a few years it would be. His brown eyes stared at the bloody red of the supernatural lion. It was as interested in him as he was interested in it. A paw went up and pressed against the glass. Tsukune put his hand up on the opposite side.

His pondering was interrupted by a peak to the face. Gasping in shock, he fell to the side and found himself face to face with Virgil.

Was it…? "Um, Headmaster, Virgil's a guy, right?"

"Yes, he is, but he's also something of a curious fellow. He senses no hostility in you; it's been ages since he met a human like that." The ghoulish man responded after getting his chuckles in. "Griffins are rather noble creatures, also committed creatures. Once they mate, they mate for life, Tsukune." Another chuckle came at the end of the statement.

Tsukune could understand why. The Headmaster was clearly trying to draw a line between him and the half-bird and half-cat creature before him. He had to admit, the comparison was…actually one he rather liked. Noble and inspiring, and of course, loyal to one's partner. Tsukune had seen that sort of commitment in the marriages of his family, namely his parents. Since coming to Yōkai Academy though, he'd found himself wondering if he'd be able to keep the trend going himself. He had four girls vying for his attention: one had her entire race tittering on the brink of extinction, another, well…he was sure that it'd crossed Mizore's mind more than once. Lastly, there was Moka. Granted, there was also Yukari, but…well, that was a massive no-go.

He was sitting on his knees, staring back at the griffin with focused eyes. The creature leaned forward, putting little more than an inch between their noses, or rather Tsukune's nose and the griffin's beak. So close, he got a whiff of the animal's scent. It wasn't putrid or off-putting, it actually smelled…a little fruity. His eyes briefly turned to the Headmaster, deducing him to be the source of the smell. Tsukune found himself quietly wondering exactly what kind of shampoo he used to clean the griffin, and the other animals. Actually, he briefly wondered how in the hell the Headmaster cleaned all this animals. He'd counted a dozen on the short walk through this secret section of the academy.

The griffin must have read him like a book, or it could read his mind. Either way, it let out a bird-like caw that startled him. Thankfully, Tsukune kept from falling on his ass again. He refocused his attention on it, continuing their little staring contest.

At least until Virgil decided he had better things to do.

Tsukune found himself looking up as the griffin the size of a horse took flight. In doing so, he was hit by the downward gust generated by its wings beating for take-off. He was ninety-percent sure that zoologists would have torn their hair out trying to figure out how that worked. Personally, Tsukune took a simpler view-it had wings; therefore it could fly.

"Hmm, perhaps there's a chance he'll warm up to you." Came the Headmaster's jovial voice as he watched the hybrid creature fly away. "Virgil's usually the type to stay away from humans, but he seems to have taken a liking to you. Kindred spirits perhaps."

"I really don't know if I'm that kind of noble soul. I've…well…I don't think I am." The dark-haired teenager remarked as he got to his feet. "Still, I'm…I'm honestly glad that he wasn't trying to rip my face off because I'm a human. Truth be told, I've lived in constant fear of that since I found out what Yōkai Academy really was."

"That's natural. You're in hostile territory, yet you have survived. No, not just survived, Tsukune Aono, I would argue you've prospered." The Headmaster started walking ahead of him, silently indicating for the teen to follow. Just like before, that's what he did. As he walked Tsukune found himself rubbing his left arm, testing it out. He wondered if the morphine had begun to wear off, or if he was just healing a touch faster than normal.

Maybe seeing the exotic menagerie that the Headmaster had hidden away was helping him heal. It'd been years since he'd been to a zoo or an aquarium, going to them always seemed to uplift his spirit. That was certainly what was happening in this case.

Seeing he'd came to a stop at a ledge, Tsukune hurried to his side. His jaw dropped at the vast expense that stretched out before him. It was indeed like a zoo, a fully functioning zoo that contained animals and beasts torn straight from mythology. They were prowled about on sections of land, splashed about in artificial pools and water tanks, and flew about in the air along with a few glorified bird cages. Regarding the last group, fluttering flames left in their wake made him realize that he'd seen a phoenix, multiple ones to be exact.

Once again chuckling at his naked awe, the Headmaster held out his arm and whistled. One of the birds in the distance flew over and landed on his arm. Its reddish-brown feathers reminded him of raptors, especially with its size. Tsukune immediately knew that its current size meant it was still only a juvenile.

"I…take it he'll be big enough to swallow me in a single gulp once he's older?" he said voicing his inner assumptions.

"Yes, he will, just like any other roc."

"How…how in the hell do you feed all these animals? How do you keep their habitats clean? I had a middle school friend who struggled to take care of a pair of hamsters!" He didn't mean to sound just a bit…hysterical, but Tsukune felt a little bit of his old self coming back.

To the school's ghoulish principal, it was positively hysterical. For the supernatural bird who was resting on his arm, it was more a cause for curiosity. "It isn't easy, Tsukune. I won't sugarcoat it, this…little pet project of mine requires quite a bit of money and commitment to keep running."

The word choice caught his attention. "Pet project, you mean-"

"Yes, this is something I keep running myself. This…preserve is in no way tied to the academy." The roc flew off. As it did, an almost sorrowful look overtook the Headmaster's face. Given his usual expressions, it made for quite a sight to behold. "It was my decision to take these animals in, to look after them when the world had seemingly passed them by. As I'm sure you've come to realize…when you care about something, you fight to protect it, even if doing so comes with a struggle."

If there was a snappy retort, it ended in solemn silence. A sense of empathy took its place, rising from the ground like a miraculous flower. Tsukune didn't quite know how to feel about it, but he didn't outright reject it. Looking the Headmaster over, he reminded himself how he'd empathized with other monsters, some of whom had tried to actually kill him. While the man beside him had certainly left him to the wolves, he hadn't raised his hand against him directly. Not to mention he'd…well, day by day, Tsukune found himself spending more time with the Headmaster. Just like with a certain someone else, his opinion of him was slowly but surely heightening.

Unlike with his bespectacled math teacher, he felt a little reluctant to openly admit that to the Headmaster's face.

Well, he is indirectly responsible for our favorite teacher being in danger. Multiple times to be precise.

Though he was surprised by the voice, Tsukune didn't jump. Nor did he deny its words. At heart, he realized that it was right on one account, Ririko Kagome was indeed his favorite teacher at Yōkai Academy.

Evidentially, his face told the Headmaster all he needed to know. Either that or he was a mind reader. "We live in a vast, strange, and quite frankly terrifying world, Tsukune. It's easy to feel small and insignificant in it. In some ways, we all are, human, monster, and otherwise. We fall, and the world continues to turn on. That said, our lives have meaning because we give it meaning with the things we take interest in, as well as the things that take interest in us. I wanted you to see this to help you realize that."

If something happened to the Headmaster then these creatures would take notice. They'd be sad, just like how if something happened to him, his family would be sad. So would his friends, the friends that had also fought to protect him.

Did…Kotsubo have anyone like that though? People who'd mourn him?

Just as he expected his inner voice to counteract him, it didn't. That surprised him.

"You'd fight to defend them, wouldn't you?" he quietly stated.

"Yes, and I've done so in the past. Quite violently in some cases. When you have something you care about, you fight for it. If you truly love it, it doesn't matter who the enemy is, all that matters is protecting what you cherish."

Tsukune could have imagined the words being spoken in a grandiose manner. The Headmaster spoke them plainly and clearly; he definitely knew that he didn't need to speak in such a manner. He knew he was speaking to a person who'd already followed that advice. He was still following it, and he likely would.

"Headmaster…Mikogami-san," the teenager spoke in a quiet voice. His brown eyes finally looked into the glowing orbs of the older man. "Thank you."

His smile was calm, reassuring even. It was amazing how he could take such joy in scaring the crap out of him, then switch to being such a soothing presence. The whole thing made him look like an actual principal.

"You're welcome, Tsukune. Now then, come along. Let's get back to your precious people. Let them know you're still alive, and that you're all ready to finally get started on your summer vacation."

With a confident grin, Tsukune rolled his left arm. Pain was there, but it felt so miniscule. That was either physical or just his emotions running high. "Then let's get going."

---

It was totally stereotypical, but Tsukune couldn't deny that he was indeed getting cold feet. He'd literally put his life on the line to save Ms. Ririko, even willing to kill for her. Deep in the recesses of his heart, he was slowly but surely realizing how far his feelings for her were going. All that taken into account…and here he was scared shitless as he stood before the door to her room. In the infirmary wing, there were a handful of private rooms. Private rooms that were meant for patients who, well…needed their privacy. A few of those had been used, some of them on request.

Tsukune had no idea if Ms. Ririko had requested one room herself, all he knew was that she was behind the door he stood in front of. And he was scared to knock. His fingers twitched and his palms felt calmy. Over and over again he swallowed fast forming lumps in his throat. Finally, he clenched his fingers into a fist and reared his hand back.

Oh, for Pete's sake, will you just get on with it! And stop being so damn dramatic! You're going to knock, not bust the door down, walk in, and tell her that-

Alright! Alright! Fine! I…I…okay, maybe I got a little carried away there. I-I-It's just…I…I think back to what she said while we were fighting Kotsubo.

Does she KNOW you heard her? All her talk about what a "real man"?

That question made his face fall and sweat pour down his cheeks. The heated exchange he'd heard came back in full force. He knew it wasn't exactly a lover's quarrel since his math teacher and the gym teacher weren't lovers. No, what he'd witnessed was an obsession rearing its ugly head; those things were always bad when they were shattered by harsh reality. He knew that from experience.

A relieved sigh slid from his lips. His nightmares involved his past encounters going wrong, sometimes horribly wrong.

The door in front of him swung up. His eyes widened as he stared at bright yellow through glass rims. His jaw dropped in parallel to that of the woman in front of him.

"T-T-Tsukune? Tsukune! Oh, you're alive!" In the next second he was being hugged. Hugged…really tightly. Hugged by his math teacher. Hugged by the woman he'd killed to protect. While his reasonable side reminded him that he'd been trying to save others, Ms. Ririko's life in particular stood out to him. She'd been the one he'd been thinking of when he threw his knife at Kotsubo. She was the one whom he wanted to keep alive at all costs. All that in mind, it made sense why he hugged her back, why he hugged her like she'd be pulled away from him any second.

He'd hugged Audrey before coming to see her, and it was different. Audrey was his friend, a good friend who was reminding him a bit of his cousin Kyoko. This hug was different than that, it was different because he knew that he didn't just see Ms. Ririko in the same light. She wasn't just his teacher. Tsukune was sure that you didn't hug a teacher the way he was hugging Ririko.

She didn't smell like the sea, or Kotsubo, a discovery he felt shockingly happy for. The thought of that bastard leaving any trace of himself on her angered him beyond measure. That anger itself surprised him.

Why does it? The thought of that bastard touching her in anyway got you so riled up. He doesn't deserve her, and now you know she's safe from him forever.

Everything was true, especially that last part. As he hugged Ririko, he took solace in the fact that not only was she alive, but that Kotsubo would never hurt her again. There was the added relief that he'd never hurt another woman again, including Mizore.

He didn't think about angry she'd be if she saw him as he pulled away. Or Kurumu, Yukari, or even Moka for that matter. All he felt was…relief, sweet, happy relief as he looked back into Ririko's yellow eyes.

Her own eyes shifted to his left arm. Sorrow laced her eyes. "Tsukune, you're-"

"I'm fine. I'm sure by tomorrow this'll have healed." The words zoomed out of his mouth like they'd been shot from a bow. He knew how she was going to take it, how she was going to blame herself for his injury. Mentally putting both feet on the ground, he looked straight at her. "This isn't your fault, and don't ever think that it is. I made the decision to jump in, and I sure as hell don't regret it. Making the rounds, seeing everyone, seeing you…I know for a fact that I made the right decision."

His words had a silencing effect on her. She clearly had no idea what to say to him. He took a little bit of joy in being able to leave her speechless in such a way.

Inhaling, he took a single half step back. He was aware that they were close, maybe a little too close for comfort. Tsukune exhaled and tried to compose himself, compose himself the way that Ririko would have. He half hoped that doing so would help her get her composure back. It would definitely help if she did so before someone came along and notice them.

Just as he thought about his four admirers, he stopped himself. At times, Tsukune felt like his life was like a romantic sitcom. This was the part where one of his admirers spoke up, alerting him to her presence. And thus casting him into a socially awkward hell that he'd have to fight to crawl out of.

Seconds turned to minutes, and in those minutes, there was only silence. Biting his lip, he turned around and looked behind him. He sighed in relief as he saw no one there.

"Tsukune," called the bespectacled woman behind him. "Tsukune, let me say this here and now. What you did was perhaps the most reckless thing any student of mine has ever done." Her lips curved into a heartfelt smile that made his legs feel like they were made of Jell-O. "It was also the bravest, and kindest thing any student of mine has ever done for me."

Joy…it was there, but there was something else there too. The former was a giant wave that gently crashed into him, but riding it was something else, like little grains of rocky grovel that stabbed at him. That grovel was…disappointment.

She said student…not man. Sounds like you might have some tough competition.

You, quiet for the rest of this conversation. I don't care if you're speaking the truth-

Hahaha! You're not denying I'm-

Corner! Now! He screamed while keeping up an amicable front to his teacher. Luckily, she wasn't quite as perspective as the Headmaster was. Tsukune quietly prayed she never became that way, at least with him. "If anything, I'm the one who should be asking you if you're alright. You were…I mean, I hope that he-"

"Never got that far, thankfully." She answered for him. Tsukune sighed in relief. "If you hadn't came when you did, if you hadn't…killed him, well, I hate to say it, but things might have gone that far." He knew that wasn't easy for her to admit; he was also willing to guess that she wasn't the only one who felt that way. "I'm assuming you checked up on the rest of your friends? They aren't injured, are they?"

"No, no one's seriously hurt. Daiki's got some burns on his arm, but those will heal. Heh, guess we're in the same boat in terms of injuries. Nikhil joked about it. Speaking of which, turns out he had a little adventure of his own. Slicing through tentacles and…well, he called them mini-homunculi. Kotsubo was able to generate them out of his…tentacles."

She seemed surprised for a second, though that's all it was. "Do you feel like…talking about it somewhere else? Like the cafeteria? I'm certain that it's empty right now so hopefully have some privacy."

"Yes!" he cursed himself for sounding so excited about that. It was an emotional slip up that he couldn't take back. Luckily for him, the way that Ririko smiled made him lose any regrets he had near immediately. That's' definitely a better place to be than her classroom. People would talk way too much if they saw us there, alone. Plus, our…study dorm is too far away.

Several minutes later and they were walking down the halls. She'd been cleared to leave, and so had he. Tsukune couldn't stop stealing glances at her. He caught the way she looked back at him too. It became all too clear that there was something in the air between them, something that wasn't just going to go away. It'd always been there, but after this latest adventure, it'd grown. That would make it harder to…deal with.

Tsukune didn't think about making it go away. The thought seemed almost unbearable to him. Whatever this thing between them was…he didn't mind it. Not as much as he knew he should have.

It was a relief to hear that hist retake was going to be graded, his and his friends. That was news that they all likely needed to hear. They'd all be over the moon hearing it; he laughed at the question of who'd be happier between Daiki, Audrey, and Gin. The next big question would be who amongst them scored the highest.

"I'm looking forward to grading them, you know. That's part of being a math teacher." She remarked. "Numbers have always been an interest to me."

"Yeah, I figured that out a while back. You're pretty good with them, awesome even." Both of them shared a short but cheerful bout of laughter. "I…remembered everything you taught me, or at least I hope I did. Even now, when I think back to it, I can remember most of it. How to read an equation, how to write one, how to solve one, what differentiates real numbers and imaginary numbers, and transmitting fractions into decimals and so forth. You managed to make it stick without, you know, forcing it into my head."

"Oh, maybe I did, I was just a little…nicer about it. I'm kind of glad that's how I went about it." The older woman responded with a light-hearted smile. It was a bit comical how they'd both came to view her previous attempt at tutoring. Not only had they moved past it, they'd seemingly found it in themselves to joke about it. "I'm sure you passed."

"…By how much?" Tsukune found himself asking. "Like I skidded by? By a decent margin? Aced it?"

The lamia brought a finger to her chin in mocking thought. To Tsukune, it looked rather cute, it made him gawk at her with such an obvious blush and a smile. "Between those three options…hmmm, I'd say option number two. You've shown remarkably improvement, but I'd say that you still have a little ways to go before you're acing this school's math tests." It was an answer he found himself agreeing with, and laughing about. "You've still got two years to go, and I'm looking forward to helping you gain the ability to do that."

He felt a flutter of excitement racing through him. "T-T-Two years."

"Well, yes, you still have two more years of high school left, and I'm sure that you want to spend them here at Yōkai Academy." It was only for a second, but she stopped. Her eyes flickered with momentary indecision; she didn't say it, but she knew the possibility of him leaving and never coming back was there.

That indecision was the ember, and he grabbed for the water bucket as quickly as he could. "I'm staying here. I'm…I'm going to make through these next two years." The ember was doused, as if it were never there. He saw the relief on Ririko's face. "I'd…appreciate it if you…stayed on as my math teacher."

"Hahahaha! I appreciate hearing that, Tsukune, but…that's not quite up to me. It's entirely possible next year you might end up with a different math teacher."

Maybe about month ago, he'd be more than happy for that. In fact, he might be begging for that. Now, his heart beat in fear at the thought of anyone else teaching him math. Or him spending a significant amount of time with anyone but him. Tsukune didn't want to think of himself as clingy, but he…really didn't like the thought of having a different math teacher. That meant that he wouldn't be able to see her for at least forty minutes to a day.

Shoving those thoughts away, he nervously scratched the back of his head. "You teach math at all grade levels at this school. So there's a…possibility, isn't here?"

"Yes…there is." She said with a slight twinkle in her eyes. Tsukune could tell she wanted to keep on seeing him too, a thought that caused a resurgence of joy throughout his body and soul. "Tsukune, I'm…glad that you're…looking forward to the thought of me continuing to teach you. It's been…quite an enjoyable experience for me." For a full minute afterward, they said nothing to each other, all they did was smile in each other's direction. He'd have been content with that, but when he saw Ririko's unpainted lips moving, he knew that wasn't to be the end of it. "You've been…an incredible student, and an incredible…person to get to know. I don't…no, I never believed I'd say this about a student, but you have become an incredible close and reliable friend to me. All in the span of little more than a week."

He kept his surging inner emotions hidden behind a light-hearted laugh. "Hard to believe that all of this has happened over the course of barely a week."

"Even as a veteran teacher, I can concur. Even your little…adventures happened days or weeks apart from each other." The older brunette jokingly remarked. "A couple of us teachers got in that the impression that you raise mayhem wherever you go, or that sometimes it finds you." Her eyes moved to his right hand, lying flat on the table. In an instant, he realized what she wanted. Tsukune stretched his hand out, offering it to her. She took it in what must have been a heartbeat. "Your…habit isn't a bad thing like I once thought. I don't know if it's maybe fate, but…when you put yourself out there, especially for others, things turn out for the best. That's something about you that I can't help but admire, and something that I hope never changes about you."

Warmth flowed into him from her hand. It felt so soft and gentle, he wondered if it always felt that way. Had they ever held hands like this? Doubtful since the first time she'd stroked his cheek he'd been uncomfortable to say the least. A lot had happened since then. Things had changed…feelings had changed.

Feelings that he felt for her, more strongly than he did for Kurumu, Mizore, Kurumu, and…maybe even Moka.

Again, he pictured the four of them in the background, heartbreak mixing with anger. The moment was over in a second, disrupted and a catfight of epic proportions breaking out. The fact that such a thing didn't happen made him feel happy, even if he felt a smidgen of guilt in for thinking that way.

"Tsukune, I want to be the first one to tell you this, you bear no guilt for killing Kotsubo. You did what needed to be done, and what I would have done if I got the chance to. In fact, I…feel a tad ashamed of myself for not being the one to do it." She finished with a frown that revealed her hidden sorrow.

"There was nothing you could have done. He was-"

"Kotsubo was always a monster, Tsukune. I knew that and I…didn't stop him when I should have. By the time I realized how far he'd gone, it was too late. Since I didn't act, you were forced to. For the second time, you were forced to kill."

He suddenly squeezed her hand. "If I had to choose between letting him live and killing him…no, that was the choice I had, and I made my decision. It's…not one that I'm…ever going to boast about. I don't ever want to boast about killing someone. It's just…it's a decision that I don't regret." Her other hand fell atop his, sandwiching it between hers. The feeling wasn't overbearing, it was comforting, enticing even. "You know, I'd think that in normal circumstances, I'd be scared witless of how big Kotsubo had grown, not to mention how powerful he'd became."

"You've faced enemies far bigger and tougher than you since coming to this school. Honestly, you showed the kind of courage that would make monster hunters old and current smile in pride."

"…Have you ever met a…monster hunter?"

"A few, some pleasant, pleasant enough that they got to know me on a personal level. That said, I've met the…other sort. As you can see, I walked away with my life." She briefly looked down to their still interlocked hands. For a second Tsukune warned she was going to remove hers from his. "Even if I feel a tad ashamed for forcing you to deal with it, thanks to you I'd say I managed to keep most of my dignity."

"I'm…glad I was able to do that. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I hadn't. Actually, I've got a feeling I wouldn't have lived long anyway. Kotsubo…I never knew he hated me that much." Even though he refrained from saying the feeling was mutual, Tsukune had a feeling that Ririko already knew that. She was looking at him with somber understanding. "It's not like I…I don't want to attract the romantic attention of every girl I meet."

"I'm sure you don't, but that's what ends up happening because you're such an attractive man, Tsukune. Either by your human nature, your upbringing, or just being yourself, you're able to bedazzle so many women at this school. As I'm sure you noticed…decent men are in short supply. I suppose that's what makes you so special, and so attractive." He knew he wasn't mistaking it when she stared at him, straight into his eyes. Her heated retort to Kotsubo returned to his mind causing his cheeks to turn red with the implications he'd picked up. Tsukune wanted to ask her who she'd been thinking about when she mentioned a "real man". Her lips trembled, especially as he watched her eyes swerve to his own.

Tsukune tightened his hold on her hand. He felt it, the sudden and near overwhelming impulse to move. There was approximately two and a half feet between them, a distance that he could cover with ease. At the end of it was the woman that he'd killed for. The woman who'd helped him make sense of the terror that was mathematics. The woman who he'd opened up to arguably more so than his female admirers and friends.

Are you going to make me say it? Hell, for that matter do you even have the guts to tell her?

His shoulders tightened at the thought. It was absolutely ludicrous, stupid, potentially even suicidal…but Tsukune found himself considering it.

Coincidentally, thankfully, and unfortunately, Ririko withdrew her hands from his. Tsukune was floored by the immediate loss of her touch. He felt cold and empty, like some vital piece of him had just been taken away. Tsukune tried not to let the hurt show on his face, but he had a feeling that it did; Ririko winced in pain like she'd realized she'd accidentally hurt him.

"I-I'm sorry, T-T-Tsukune. I…I…" she stammered with hearty confusion and regret.

The gears in his head turned. He knew what he had to do-he had to take responsibility for this. "Don't worry about it. R-Ririko. I'm just…I'm happy that I was able to help, and I was able to take care of one of the school's problems." His legs felt jittery as he stood up. Tsukune could feel his heart telling him one thing, but his brain was furiously shouting it out. This was a dangerous path he shouldn't have been walking. He had to turn back while there was still time. "I'm…going to go check back up on the rest of my friends. Make sure Gin's not trying to hit on any of the nurses or anything."

An internal sigh of relief went off within him as the brunette gave a short but hearty laugh. "Fair point. He does need someone watching out for him. In the absence of his other friends, especially Sun, I suppose that duty has fell to you."

"Sun?" Tsukune blinked. "Who's that?"

"A previous student of the student, and member of the News Paper Club. She was Gin's senpai much in the same way he is yours now. Before Moka Akashiya, she was the one who…shall we say kept him in line." The lamia explained with a surprisingly lax smile. Tsukune immediately realized that she'd been witness to those interactions, and they were fond memories for her. "I imagine Gin's eager to see her, and has been throughout the last week of summer school."

Suddenly, Tsukune found himself thinking of his werewolf friend in a whole new light. Actually, over the past week he'd seen some new and rather striking sides of his perverted club president and friend. In mulling over his teacher's words, he also remembered the details about the bad blood between Gin and the Public Safety Commission. Once more, Tsukune realized that there was still a lot about the werewolf he didn't know about; that went for a handful of other people in his inner circle too. That included the woman across from him. There was still a lot about her that he didn't know.

The thing was, when it came to Ririko, Tsukune felt so strong a desire to learn more about her. Their little talks in their "study dorm" came back to him, including one interaction that almost made his cheeks turn red.

Quickly shaking his head, he reaffirmed his resolve to do the right thing. "I-I see. Thank you, I never knew that Gin. Maybe I'll ask him about her one day, or maybe I'll hopefully meet her."

"I hope you do, she's a wonderfully kind person who I'm sure you'll get along with." She replied with a smile.

He was on his feet and walking away, albeit slowly. Within his chest, his heart furiously pounded against the internal wall. It was practically screaming for him to stay, to act on his innermost emotions. Naturally, his brain was saying something completely different; it was the one that Tsukune ultimately listened to.

As he fully faced her, Ririko stood up and bowed to him. Maybe it was his wishfully imagination, but he thought he saw a desire to do more in her eyes. "Your exams will likely be graded by tomorrow afternoon with you being made aware by four or five o'clock at the most. Be on the lookout for an announcement for your dorm's dean."

"Got it." He could already picture that moment-hope and dread cultivating within all of them as they awaited the news. Personally, Tsukune found himself leaning more toward the former. He felt like he had good reason for that. Shooting the bespectacled woman one final smile, he gave her a respectful bow. "I'll…see you late, Ririko, hopefully tomorrow."

"Yes, I'm…looking forward to seeing you too, Tsukune." She replied with a smile that sent another tingling feeling up his spine.

It was hard to believe that just hours ago she'd been dragged around and nearly crushed to death by a giant kraken. Aside from the bandages, she didn't look it. She still looked…gorgeous.

In the midst of racing down the hallway and trying to clear his head, Tsukune realized something. Not once had he referred to the lamia has Ms. Ririko like he usually did, not even in his thoughts. She must have noticed it, yet she'd said nothing about it. What did that mean?

Tsukune cradled his head as if it were going to explode from the contemplation.

Having a crush one one's teacher wasn't out of the ordinary. Tsukune knew some kids who had kiddy crushes on their teachers in preschool. He knew guys (and girls) who'd had crushes on teachers in junior high. He was one of the many that had crushes on Ms. Ririko…except Tsukune had a feeling, an undeniable, nagging feeling that she might feel the same way about him.

Really, of all the girls, it just had to be one of his teachers?

---

The Next Day, 2:50 PM…

"And that, my friends, is why I stay out of these little gaming feuds. For your sake more than my own."

Daiki and Audrey tried not to let their annoyance show, but it wasn't easy. Nikhil's boosting had just rubbed their loss in even more. Gin leaned back and snickered at their misfortune. That left only one member of the group left, one whose expression caught the werewolf's attention.

"Let's go again."

Tsukune wasn't pouting or annoyed, he was just focused. It was a point of curiosity for Nikhil, Audrey, and Daiki. The Indian student's eyes narrowed and his lips curled in intrigue.

"Just the two of us, Tsukune? Think you can give me a challenge?" Nikhil proudly boasted.

"Hey now, you got lucky that time. You know I'm taking the next round." Daiki defiantly declared grabbing at the controller.

"Me too! Four way!" It wasn't just Daiki she was looking at, Tsukune was the recipient of her determined stare as well.

"Alright, alright! Super Smash Bros Melee, round five!" Gin had certainly tapped into his inner announcer. That was the royal he'd taken up after the second round in which saw him lose to Audrey for the second time. The werewolf now seemed more than happy to give color commentary, especially as their group's serpentine member joined the brawl. Speaking of which, Brawl was the next game they were going to play after this round.

Nikhil was confident he'd dominate the battle as he had the previous two, when he finally chose to join in. Despite the losses he'd handed them, Daiki and Audrey were eager to keep on playing, as was Tsukune.

The human was the greatest oddity in the group. His focus was razor-sharp, just like it was in battle. It was quite a sight for the other four teens, albeit they weren't complaining about it. For Nikhil, it was a welcome sight; he wanted a challenge, and everything told him that he was going to get it.

It came as no surprise that Nikhil fancied Sheik, everyone could see the similarities between the Zelda ninja and the serious and skilled nāga. He'd shown just how tough the seemingly male ninja could be in the hands of a skilled player. That said, Daiki had shown himself to be pretty skilled with his favorite fighters too, including Falco from Star Fox. The same went for Audrey and her favorite of Mewtwo from Pokémon. She sounded justifiably proud in recanting the story of how she'd unlocked the genetically created Pokémon before on her version of Melee. All that left was Tsukune, the learning newcomer.

Being the newcomer, it made sense that he'd started out with Kirby. Maybe playing Air Riders during their last game night had also played a part in his choice.

In the lineup of skilled players, Tsukune undoubtedly stood out as the oddity, but that just made his performance all the more eye-catching. After five straight rounds, the brunette human had seemed to gotten the hang of things. It certainly showed in how he managed to stay in the game longer than he had before, and even knock out one of the three.

"Tsukune!" Audrey shouted as she watched her beloved humanoid fighter go flying out of the screen curtsy of her first friend at the academy. Her dismay was only momentary as her face morphed into a wide grin. "Good job!"

The human's serious demeanor broke as he found himself laughing in joy. His moment of levity cost him as both Daiki and Nikhil took the time to wail on him. Tsukune's outrage was momentary, the determined glare returned to him as he furiously fought to escape the pair's joint attack. Audrey snickered in amusement then watched on as the match continued. Now it was between three of the four boys she'd met at school and came to call her friends.

One would have thought that the human would have been signaled out, but he stayed it in. The sphinx and the nāga exchanged grins with each other. While one would have suspected they'd tag team him, they went after each other just as much as they did Tsukune. It created for quite a three-way battle that the werewolf and banshee were all too happy to witness.

They shouted in jubilation when the blue-feathered anthropomorphic falcon was defeated by the pink ball of cuteness that was Kirby. Daiki dropped his remote and stared at his fellow brunette in shock.

"Damn, just…damn, Tsukune. Who knew that you had a gamer in you!" The sphinx exclaimed with a wide grin. "Alright, next round on Brawl it's going to be you and me!"

"Hey! Me and you, first! You promised!" Audrey shouted.

"Hmm, how's about you two settle it over something else while Tsukune and I have little brawl." Coolly swiped the brown-skinned teen. His eyes never once left the screen. Though contained, his smile was brimming with excitement. "Daiki's right, the fighter in you seems to be coming out."

"I never even knew that it was there." Tsukune replied whilst wearing a small smile of his own. If anything, it was like when he was studying. Focus, simple focus where he put his mind to work on the subject at hand and only on that. He wondered why he'd never done that before, or if he had but never to this extent. "Suppose when it comes to the game world, we're going to find out who's the better-"

"Attention all students, the first batch of testing scores have came in. I repeat, the first batch of testing scores have came in. All interested students are to report to the central lobby. Further details will be announced there pertaining as to rather you passed or failed."

The amazingly plucky pink puffball and the blue-garbed ninja came to a halt on the screen while the music continued playing. A minute later and the game was paused. The five students stood up from their respective seats and gazed around at one another.

"Moment of truth, guys." Daiki proclaimed, being the first to speak.

Suddenly, the focused confidence that Tsukune ahd began to crumble. That crumbling was quickly stopped by the outreach of three of his friends. Audrey and Gin placed their hand on his right shoulder while Daiki did the same to his left. What cracks that had formed were suddenly filled in.

"Thanks…just…thanks, you guys." Tsukune said.

Nikhil held a small smile on his face as he motioned toward the door. "Well, up for leading the way and seeing how your tutoring turned out?"

He never actually gave a response, that was just how things turned out. Tsukune couldn't help but question why Nikhil wasn't doing it himself. He'd showed that he was more than capable of asserting himself as a type of leader, one that Tsukune would honestly follow. Instead, he seemed to be pushing him forward. It reminded him of the Headmaster, albeit in a more…casual and even friendly way.

Tsukune was grateful to not just Nikhil, but to the others for their support. Without it, he knew he would have been a nervous wreck as he set foot in the central lobby. There was already quite a gathering of students as they too wanted to know how their retakes had turned out. A quick look around and he saw joy and despair on the faces of dozens of his dormmates. With an audible gulp, he led his friends forward to see what side of they fell on.

"Tsukune Aono…hm, ninety-two, an A. Gin Morioka, eighty-three, B. Audrey Alcott, eighty-eighty-three, B too. Daiki Hagikano, eighty-eight, a B+. Heh, congrats, you all managed to pass!"

"Woah! We did it! Hell yeah, we fucking did it!" Either blinded by joy or pure intention, he grabbed Audrey in pure exhilaration. The British girl certainly didn't seem to mind as she wrapped her arms around him and shouted for joy too.

Gin wrapped an arm around Tsukune and pumped his fist into the air. "Damn right we did it! And it's all thanks to you, Tsukune! Guess you really are our math wiz!"

"Hahahahaha! Quite so. Granted his score is still a few points below mine, but still. Not bad at all. Going from a failing hard to making it straight to an A." The other four laughed at Nikhil's arrogant but still well-meaning statement. It had its truths, which Tsukune was infinitely grateful for.

"Ninety-two percent," he whispered.

"You'll get hard copies tomorrow morning when you show up at Ms. Ririko's class. She'll be handing them out at eighty-thirty, just before the next set of students do their retakes. As for you kids, well, if you're that eager, check in tonight so you can make arrangements to go home."

"More like so we can finally go on vacation." Gin murmured. "Still, sounds like a plan…after we get some partying in!"

"Hell yeah!" Daiki shouted. The feline and canine monsters pumped fists.

"I'd say this is one of those special occasions that calls for it." Nikhil casually affirmed. His golden yellow eyes fell on Tsukune, who still seemed to be in something of a daze. First, he tapped him on the shoulder. The human was snapped out of his awe and looked to him. Nikhil put his fist to the male brunette's chest. "We're toasting to you, tonight, Tsukune. Prepare yourself, it'll look terribly awkward if you're still spacing out like this."

Quickly shaking his head, he allowed his cheeks to turn a touch pink at the amused snickering of his friends. They know no doubt agreed with Nikhil, but they could also likely understand where he was coming from.

"Noted." He said in a whisper but with a smile. "I'm…I'm glad I was able to help you guys. And pass myself."

"So are we, buddy, so are we!" As Gin brought him into a side ways hug, the older boy winked at him. The light blush on Tsukune's cheeks darkened. He knew what the werewolf was hinting at, and he was glad that Gin kept quiet about it.

As Gin unwrapped him, Audrey stepped forward. With a beaming smile, the British transfer threw her arms around Tsukune in a hearty hug he embraced. The feeling reminded him of his cousin Kyoko, someone that he was eager to see again. After Audrey came Daiki, who turned a fist pump into a shoulder hug. It felt great as well, especially since as far as Tsukune was concerned, he hadn't done such a thing with any other male student at the academy. He didn't quite have many male friends who he was close to, at least not counting Gin. Now, he had two more. Turning to the last one, he chuckled at how Nikhil held his hand out. He may not have helped much with their mathematics retakes, but he'd always been there for support. Especially the martial kind.

"You're on your way, Tsukune." The Indian boy proudly affirmed as they shook hands. "I just hope you don't neglect your…other studies. You're going to be needing them too."

"I know…and I'm looking forward to continuing my learning under you in the fall."

"Wow, look at you, Nikhil. Going full sensei on our math brain." Daiki cheekily called.

"A big brain is good to have, but it can reach its zenith in a strong body. I'm more than happy to do my part in building that up."

Tsukune was about to make a witty retort of his own when he felt a chill up his spine. The hairs on his back stood up and his developing sixth sense screamed for him to look to his right. That's what he did, and what he saw brought a sudden end to the celebrations.

Following his gaze, the rest of the group slipped into a serious mood as well. Especially Nikhil.

Over by the door entrance, Kinmaru stood with his hands in his pockets, a casual smile on his face. Beside him stood Hitori along with the one called Jūtarō. Neither of them were smiling, but they weren't glaring either. Well, not the latter, the former looked like he was working his way there, especially in regard to Nikhil. The nāga's focus was on the golden-eyed oni, who was focusing his gaze on Tsukune.

It wasn't danger Tsukune was sensing from him. In fact, he had a feeling that Kinmaru had "outed" himself to let him know he was there. As for why he did that…Tsukune could only guess.

What he knew though was that Kinmaru hadn't came to fight. "Guys," he called. "Guys, it's…it's alright." Slowly, the rest of the group stood down, Nikhil being the last to do so. He shot Tsukune a questioning stare while crossing his arms. The human gave him a confident nod, then looked back at the oni.

Kinmaru's smile was jovial, like they weren't in the middle of a tense standoff. He waved at him in such a casual manner, as if to say that he'd see him later.

Tsukune knew he would. He knew he wasn't leaving the academy for summer break without having words with Kinmaru. The oni turned his back to him and walked away with his two friends, disappearing as silently as they'd came in.

"Danger. He is…dang…erous." Audrey spoke. She'd been watching the exchange, and feeling the tension. "Kinmaru is…dangerous, but…I think he….likes you, Tsukune. Yes. He likes you." The blonde affirmed.

"More like he's interested in you, which I can't say I'm all too happy about." Gin murmured. "Shigeki's an asshole, but at least you can kind of tell when he's going to pull something. Kinmaru though…"

"Guy throws a mean curveball, so you better watch yourself, Tsukune." Daiki added. "You did go to him for help in taking down Shigeki, and that's after he gave you that little knife of yours. Pretty sure he considers you in his debt now."

"I know, Daiki. As for what I'm going to do about that…just…take it as I go. For now, I think we're good, at least until fall semester starts up."

"Heh, you know the school's got a Halloween festival and a cultural festival then, right?" The sphinx said.

"No telling what those are going to be like." Gin said. There was an air of genuine curiosity in his voice. His eyes swerved to Tsukune, clearly indicating that the human was in his thoughts.

"We'll find that out when we get there, guys. For now…we made it through our retakes, and that's worth celebrating."

"Agreed." Nikhil seconded. "Fall is still months away, and I for one would like to keep it that way."

"Spoken like a true reptile." Jubilantly remarked the team's feline member. "Then again, I don't exactly blame you. I love the warm weather too, and we're sure as hell going to enjoy it, right, guys!"

We did it. We did it. I…did it. Tsukune thought to himself as they headed back the way they came, their mood higher than the clouds in the sky. They weren't alone, but Tsukune felt an extra pep in his step as they excitedly talked about what they were going to do for their little party. The more he thought about it though, the more he felt like someone was missing from it. Then again, maybe it was more like there was someone he felt he owed a thank you to, on top of wanting to celebrate with.

Ririko. He said in the confines of his own mind.

You've got a day or two to at least get her something. You can do that, can't you?

The thought sent an electric jolt through his body. He almost came to a stop in the middle of the hallway as he contemplated his other self's words. That was certainly a possibility, one that he knew could be written off as him simply being his normal, kind-hearted self. Definitely not the mark of a guy with a growing crush.

Right?

---

Two Days Later…

Even before he got to the engineering club room Tsukune heard the sounds of activity. It was certainly attention-grabbing, and maybe a tad caution-inducing. For him, he felt more curiosity than caution.

If anything exploded, he was going to be in trouble though considering that his trusty shield was in dire need of repairs. He still had his legs though, and Tsukune knew he could run. Fast. Fast enough to outrun a potentially lethal explosion? Actually yes, he was indeed that confident.

"Horiguchi-sensei? Are you there?" He called as he knocked on the door.

"Come on in, Tsukune!" Shouted the gnome from the other side. At his word, he pushed the door open and stepped in. He immediately met the excited eyes of the inventive man. "Still have those books I gave you? I'm expecting to see that shield again in the fall."

The engineering room was where his surprisingly sturdy shield had been made. It made sense that it's where it would be repaired. In another timeline, that's how it would have been, but that wasn't this one. Tsukune had made the decision to fix up his shield on his own instead of leaving it in the hands of the gnome who'd helped oversee its development.

Speaking of overseeing, Tsukune found himself in that position regarding the gnome's latest project. Said project seemed to involve a lump of glowing purple rock in the center of see-through cylinder lined with four tubes. A series of tubes ran up them to the top and bottom of the device. Tsukune looked at the top and saw a number of things floating in the area: pieces, notepads, screws, and a wrench. At Horiguchi's behest, Tsukune walked over and slowly crept his hand toward the mass of levitating objects.

"Is this…an…anti-gravity field?" Tsukune did a double-take as he looked to the grinning gnome.

"Oh, I know. We're a school of monsters and magic, so it's a little odd hearing something like 'anti-gravity'. Sounds like it's from a different genre, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does." The human admitted. "Then again, this is the engineering class where I created a shield and an advanced security system. That and you're one of the smartest people that I've met, Horiguch-sensei."

"Hehehe, well spoken. Anyways, yes, my boy. You are looking at an anti-gravity generator. The highest echelons of earth magic cover the manipulation of gravity."

"Like how water magic taken to its upper levels becomes…sea magic, letting you manipulate coral and fish?"

"Yes. Though the four classical elements may seem simple, once you start pushing them, their true potential becomes evident. In that potential, you find the fundamental aspects of the world are yours to manipulate, provided you have the capability to do so." The gnome stated before fully facing Tsukune with a gentle smile. "Something else I hope you'll read about over the summer break. If not, well, I'm sure you'll manage to carve out some time once you're back here. Speaking of which, I'm…glad to hear you'll be returning to our little school. Most humans would be grateful with surviving one term and be content to leave Yōkai in their memories."

"If I was the old me, I'd be doing exactly that. Really, I'd be on the bus now and thanking my stars for making it through a semester. Actually, I'm going to be doing exactly that." The gnome grinned at him, indicating he knew there was more to the explanation. He was of course right. "What I'm not going to do is affirm that I'm never coming back. Truth is I…I don't think I could stay away from Yōkai Academy if I wanted to."

"…Not even if your parents were to learn the truth and ask you to stop attending?" Asked the gnome in a polite, but quiet tone that belayed his true intentions.

For the first time, Tsukune stopped and wondered how many students that had been here for the first semester would be back for the next one. When he thought about it, he realized such reactions showed that monsters shared another thing in common with humans, worry for the safety of one's children. Even in the violent society they lived in, there was still a threshold that was considered too dangerous.

If such a thing could be reached for monsters, where did that leave ordinary humans?

He took a breath as he readied an answer to the gnome's question. "I'd…still try to come here, try to stay enrolled. This school is crazy, weird, and probably not too good for my physical or mental health." There was a pause during which the gnome got a laugh out. "In the end though…I…I feel like I belong at this school."

"You do." Horiguchi immediately affirmed. "Others, especially those in the Safety Commission will claim that you don't, but make no mistake, Tsukune Aono, you do. You are a part of this school, and a part of the students and the faculty in it."

Was the wording choice deliberate?

"Hehehe, so, tell me, have you spoken to her yet?"

"Spoken to who?" Tsukune snapped.

"Why so defensive?"

"I'm not being defensive."

You totally are.

No, I'm not! Quiet, you!

What, still trying to think of a name for me? How's about-

"So, I take you didn't see her, did you?"

"Why would you say that?" Tsukune replied. A second later and his eyes widened. "D-Did something happen to-"

"Tsukune," the gnome silenced him with the quiet but intense calling of his name. It wasn't in anger, but it did have a sort of force behind it that silenced the male brunette. "Did something happen between you two? Over the last two days, I've noticed a difference in her behavior."

He swallowed a lump in his throat. "…I…well…nothing happened. Honestly, sir. Nothing happened between us."

The gnome studied him like he was a piece of machinery. He was trying to tell if he'd malfunctioned or if he was functioning as intended. How did one classify a student-teacher crush? Tsukune believed it'd fall into the former category. That raised the question of how would another teacher respond to such a thing?

"Tsukune," Horiguchi called again. "I'm going to keep my short, snobby nose out of this one, even though I consider you a fine student and Ririko a colleague and friend. This…is between you two, and it can only be settled between you two." He gave a short but hearty chuckle as the human's eyes widened, his pupils nearly shrinking to the size of a pea. "Hey, give an old rock like me some credit. Not to mention I've got kids and grandkids. I know sparks when I see them."

"B-B-B-But, you know what, never mind. Forget it, please. There's something I need to talk to you about, Horiguchi-sensei. It's serious."

"Alright, alright. What is it?"

"At any point in the next week or two, would you be…free? Free to come to Tokyo?"

"Boy, be honest with me. What's this about?" The gnome inquired.

"I…I…I'm…considering telling my parents about Yōkai Academy." As he expected, the engineering club overseer's eyes widened. "Yes, I know. I already had this talk with the Headmaster, who more or less told me to call him if I came to a decision."

"He left it up in the air? Quite unusual of him to be honest."

"I…talked to him about it because of my shield and my knife. In order to repair the shield, I'm going to need a place to work, and I…"

Understanding consumed the earthen monster's face as he gave a curt nod. "Yes, you will need a place to work, not to mention you will have to modify it accordingly. Ordinarily, the Headmaster would say something along the lines of you must accumulate your own sense of secrecy, but I believe recent events may have altered his opinion. Hmm, maybe I'll have to speak with him myself. Speaking of which, Tsukune, are you asking me to vouch for Yōkai Academy?"

"Yes sir, and I'm…kind of hoping that you'll be able to vouch for me. I know we haven't known each other too long, but I'd appreciate it if, provided it comes down to it you'll…speak up for me. Surviving at this school hasn't been easy, but, amazingly, it got easier over the last few days thanks to what I learned in your class. That and…and…"

"Come on, out with it, boy. What else is there? If I'm gonna do this, I need you to be honest with me." The gnome gently pressed.

Tsukune took another deep breath. Here goes. "I…want you to…argue that staying at Yōkai Academy could keep me on track for an engineering scholarship."

A short pause followed between the human and the gnome. It was broken by the boisterous laughter of the latter. Tsukune quietly ducked his head, a bit of embarrassment causing his cheeks to turn pink.

"Oh, don't look so down, boy! You're not wrong! Plenty of graduates have gone on to work on colleges based on our scholarships! The world at large may not know what kind of school we are, but make no mistake, Tsukune, we're still very legitimate. All our scholarships are legal and positively valid in the human world. Hell, I'd tell you a few stories if we had the time. All that said, Tsukune, you gotta remember that a scholarship is something you have to earn."

His embarrassment quickly turned around, becoming soft determination. "I understand, sir. I've decided that I'm going to take some of your classes next term. On top of that I've…thought about maybe…joining the engineering club. If you'll let me."

The gnome's grin was wide-spreading, albeit only for a short while. It shrunk as he said, "I don't think I'm the one you'll have to worry about, Tsukune. From what I understand, you've got some attachments in the News Paper Club."

"I do, and I don't plan on severing them." He responded. "But there's nothing saying that I can't be a part of two clubs."

"No…at least not officially." Horiguchi asked, yet also cautioned. "Are you sure you're ready to juggle those two responsibilities?"

"…Yes sir, I am."

Horiguchi's smile returned to its original size. He levitated off his hover stool and floated closer to Tsukune. His hand reached out and fell on the human's shoulder. "Then in case, I'll be waiting to hear from you, Tsukune. Regardless of when I do, I'll be looking forward to seeing you in the fall."

"Same here, looking forward to seeing you too, Horiguchi-sensei." Jubilantly declared the human. Before he could say anything else, the gnome floated back over to his desk and pulled on a drawer. He'd already given him numerous metals and tools, so this time it was papers. Tsukune was willing to guess his phone number was written on one of them. "Horiguchi-sensei, thank you for everything." He concluded with a bow.

The gnome gave him a similar response, rising with a heartfelt smile on his face. "Take care, Tsukune, and see you when I do. Try to keep yourself out of trouble until then!"

He burst into laughter hearing that. "I'm going to be back home, living a hopefully normal, ordinary teenager's life."

…Do you really believe that? There's already one person who knows all about you, all about the family.

Yeah, I know.

Don't go forgetting, he's the other side of the coin, the same coin Shigeki's on.

His other self kept pace with him as he walked the halls back to his dorm. Now, as the "summer schoolers" began their departure, the campus had felt emptier than before. With his coming departure as well as those of his newfound friends, it'd feel even emptier. He understood in time even most of the teachers would be gone. The thought of the academy being nearly totally empty was a rather perplexing thought to Tsukune, especially after the last several days. Every day had brought something new that turned the whole place upside down. Inevitably, he found himself thinking of what school would be like in the fall, when it's full.

In thinking that, he found himself also thinking of Kinmaru. He was right, Kinmaru was still the other side of the coin, a dangerous coin that had razor edges.

He used me to cripple Shigeki. If I had to guess, he'll use me again. Tsukune found his hand tightening as his mind ran numerous possibilities. There were several he honestly didn't like, but he gave mental voicing to. He'll use my family to coerce me.

That's the other reason why you want Horiguchi-sensei to meet mom and dad. You probably should have told him that.

Coming to a stop, Tsukune looked down with a grimace. Thankfully, he was alone in the hallway so no one could see him in his moment of contemplative dismay. "I know, but…I guess I was trying hard not to think about it. Because I did, you had to speak up to remind me, huh?"

Well, it is my job. I'm reminding you to make sure you don't forget. You've gotten entangled with the mob, so you better be ready for it to follow you home.

His fist remained tightened for a few more seconds, then the tension was relaxed. First came a calming inhalation, then the human teen continued down his decided path. "Thank you for reminding me, but I'm not going to let it consume me. I'm on the cusp of finally getting to enjoy my summer vacation. I'd like at least a week of being able to do that like a normal kid."

Hehehe…guess there's no shame in that.

Like a shadow shined upon by light, his other self dispersed. Tsukune knew he'd be back, most likely whenever he felt like he was forgetting something. Or potentially when danger found him. He was hoping that wouldn't be for a while thought.

-O-

It was considerably warmer than it was the day he'd arrived at Yōkai Academy. The weather in the pocket dimension changed to mimic the seasons of the outside world. They were heading straight into the heart of summer.

In such weather, countless students had chosen to forgo their uniform jackets. Tsukune had long since had. That choice was only strengthened now that he'd completed summer school and was officially on vacation. Or rather, he would be as soon as he got on the bus that would take him back to the human world, his world. Every step he took brought him one step closer there. His heart continuously drummed in anticipation, and slight anxiety. The latter was no doubt born from his "adaption", the adapting he'd had to do in order to survive the school for monsters he'd wound up at.

Coming to a stop amidst the trees, he looked back and saw the traces of the school building through the haunting branches. A summer breeze swept through the forest, almost beckoning him to keep on walking. He'd have liked to, but something kept his feet rooted to the spot for a couple more minutes.

Looking within, he knew it was a sense of longing. A painful sensation that quietly gnawed at his insides, dampening the cheer he felt in finally being able to leave for summer break.

All the friends he'd made had already left. First had been Gin, who was downright gleeful to leave the night before. He'd promised he'd meet Tsukune and the rest of the News Paper Club gang by Kanda Beach. For him, it'd be something of a shot trip since it was just a little ways outside of Tokyo; that had played a part in their choosing of it during their initial planning. Thinking about that seemed like a life time ago. Within that timeframe though, so much had happened. Namely, there was now a reason why he was reluctant to leave the school.

"She…didn't look me in the eye." He whispered.

That means something. If she did…who knows what she would have done. It'd have been awkward though, what with you leaving for break and going off to meet the others. Including three girls who've got the hots for you, and whom you dating wouldn't be considered out of the ordinary.

He turned around and started walking again; he was walking toward the possible paths that were "normal" for him. Doing that only made it him feel worse.

It's going to be make things awkward when the new term starts. Sure you want to sort that out with the girls around?

"It's not like I've got a lot of options here. I've…done everything I can here at the school, and frankly I want to see the outside world. Maybe being out there will help give me an answer on how to deal with this."

An answer on how to deal with crushing on your teacher, who's likely crushing on you too.

"Maybe…maybe some distance will do us some good." When he thought about it, Tsukune guessed that was the reason why Ms. Ririko had been somewhat…cold to him the last time they'd talked. Just yesterday, in her classroom…just the two of them. "Maybe…"

You really think absence will kill this? You've told her things you never even told the girls.

"Maybe I'll tell them. I mean, it's probably for the best Mizore, Kurumu, and Yukari learn about my humanity sooner rather than later." The truth was a part of him was actually eager to reveal his deepest secret to his female friends. For there to be even a modicum of the relationship working, they'd have to know what he really was. Suddenly, his right hand throbbed as he thought of revealing his innermost secrets. While still walking, he raised his hand and looked at his palm. Since getting it, there'd hardly been a day when he didn't have his knife in hand, either for real combat or sparring.

He'd used it to maim, and two days ago he'd used it to kill. Tsukune knew he was going to have to tell the girls that. The thought didn't scare him, not completely, but it did fill him with some sense of anxiety.

"We're monsters, Tsukune. Kill or be killed, that's just how it's always been for us. The humans were once like that, but they stopped. Suppose that's why they're so weak nowadays."

What would Kurumu think of him? Especially learning he'd killed to protect another woman?

Her? What about Moka? I'm sure she'll-

"Tsukune Aono? That you?!" Shouted a female voice after two consecutive car honks.

Looking up, he was more than a little surprised to see the bus that would take him back wasn't the same one that had brought him to the pocket dimension. Especially the driver. First and foremost she was a woman, somewhat on the elderly side with a handful of wrinkles. Second, unlike the creepy bus driver whom he'd originally had, she had a smile that radiated kindness. Tsukune sorely appreciated that.

"Yes, I am." He answered with a tiny smile while stepping forward.

"Ready to finally be back home?" The older woman kindly laughed.

"Yeah, yeah I am." He said with a lax smile. Even though he still had his unfinished business at Yōkai, he was genuinely ready to head back. "Thanks for picking me up."

"Well, I'm sorry that your original driver couldn't be here, heard he wanted to be the one to take you back."

"It's fine. I mean, truth is I was looking forward to seeing him myself, but I'm also happy with someone a little less…ghoulish." Both shared a laugh. "Um, could you keep that a secret?"

Instead of immediately answering, the redhaired woman leaned forward, sniffing him. Within seconds Tsukune knew what she was doing, and he knew that yet another person knew his secret. And that another person would keep it.

"Yep, that's definitely you. Also, don't worry, your secrets are safe with me, Tsukune Aono." She declared with a sharp-toothed grin. He didn't know what sort of monster she was, and he honestly didn't care. What mattered to him was that this woman had just showed him she was trust worthy. "By the way, you can call me Ide. Take a seat and enjoy the ride. It'll about an armor for us to get there, or rather for us to get back to a place where I can drop you off. I'll let you know when and where that's going to be."

"Thank you. Thank you so much, Ms. Ide." She waited until he'd taken his seat before moving. Tsukune had chosen the left side, it gave him a view of the sea as the drive got under way. He honestly hoped once they passed the dimensional barrier he'd have a look at blue waters, that's something Tsukune had grown to sorely miss. Talking with his friends, he hadn't been alone.

"It's good, but…I honestly prefer the real sea. I'll have you know that I'm an excellent swimmer."

"Really, Nikhil? I never would have guessed."

After Gin, Nikhil had been the second to leave. He'd been at school long enough according to himself and his family. Hearing him talk about the latter made him curious to meet them.

"One day, you will. I'm sure of it. You've proven yourself to be the kind of human that we've always taken a fancy toward."

Daiki had followed him. The sphinx had told him that he was looking forward to seeing him again the fall. He wanted to have another round with him in Smash Bros…and he wanted a chance to fight him in actual combat.

"Don't worry. I've taken some tough blows before, so don't hold back on me, Tsukune. Most importantly, don't go losing any of those brass balls you've got there. Those, my man, are your greatest asset."

Rather fittingly, all that was left was Audrey. The first friend he'd made during summer school, and she was the last one he saw.

"Promise, learn better Japanese. So next we meet-"

"Audrey," Tsukune said. "You've already made some great progress in these last couple of days."

He smiled remembering the warmth that swam through him as the blonde hugged him. It was nice to be hugged without an undertone of romantic affection. Said affection was nice, but…sometimes it was just good to be hugged in a friendly way. Audrey's eyes twinkled with excitement as he listened to her talk about what she was going to do over the summer. It ended with her promise to see him again; like Daiki, they'd be having a rematch in Smash, amongst a slew of other games.

Speaking of games, he thought about playing some on his phone. Before doing so, he scrolled through his contacts. With a new phone came the need to fill it with all the information he knew, including the recently gained.

His heart fluttered in joy as he scrolled through the numbers and names of the friends he'd made at summer school. Though small, he'd felt at peace with them, and he'd certainly shared some interesting adventures with them. Tsukune wondered what would happen when they met Moka and the other girls. When he met them, he'd have to add their numbers to his contacts too.

Tsukune's thumb stopped as his eyes lazily drifted over the numbers. A particular set, a phone number, popped into his head. With it came a face.

"Make sure to stay golden, Tsukune. I'd hate to see you've lost your luster next time we meet. Perhaps maybe you'll have magnified it, now that I'd love to see."

He stuffed his phone back into his pocket and instead reached into his backpack. Surprisingly, there was actually quite a bit he was taking home with him, enough for two stuffed bags, a backpack and a shoulder bag. He'd put a dozen books in each one, some of which were on loan from the school library.

After all the studying he'd done, Tsukune had a feeling that some people would have questioned why he wanted to do more while he was finally on vacation. He knew some kids who'd try their hardest to avoid picking up a book for all of August.

That wasn't Tsukune though, not the current him.

"The River Styx, Tsukune. Stix is an alternative spelling of the word, 'Styx', you see."

For him, studying didn't just mean a passing grade, it could mean the difference between life and death.

If I'm gonna live a Greek epic, at least I can make sure I don't end up like most of its heroes. Definitely not Hercules.

---

That marks the end of Chapter 14, folks. Tsukune and the Summer School Gang have passed their retakes and have all left the school. There was a whole lot I wanted to get to, but I realized that I could show those things through flashbacks in future chapters. Especially given how this current arc is going to go. Speaking of this current arc, I can say that Stix will be taking more of a center stage.

After some teasing, I was finally able to reveal the big secret about it. Stix is indeed an alternate spelling of the word, Styx. It was particularly popular in translations of classical Greek before the 20th century. Also on the subject, the River Styx is indeed known as the River of Hated in some writings; in Dante Alighieri's Inferno, the River Styx is a major landmark of the Fifth Circle of Hell, where the wrathful are condemned. Puts a few things into perspective, doesn't it? The mystery of Stix will now begin in full since Tsukune's had his first run-ins with it.

In case you're wondering, Mikogami's menagerie is canon, at least in the manga. I have my reasons for introducing it this chapter (which is something else I wanted to do earlier) that will become clear in future chapters.

When I got to the gang's little gaming night, I actually had to stop and catch myself. Originally, I was going to write them playing Mortal Kombat 2011, then I recalled that this story's one year too early for that. Thus, Super Smash Bros it was, and frankly I think it's a better fit. Maybe in a future chapter I can write the RV cast brutally murdering each other in a video game. Maybe working out some inner feelings in a safer and more mundane way?

I promise that the next chapter will be up within two weeks or so. It's my goal to get at least two more chapters by the end of this year. Leave your thoughts in the reviews, and until next time!