I laid in the shower when the shakes started. Every cell in my body was on fire. Refinery was engaged and it dragged qi through my body. Golden aura took care of the damage but did nothing for the pain. Toxins poured from my pours. Greasy cheese like puss fell out of me. What happens when you introduce a body untouched by qi to a complete refinery? It was a lot like burning alive.
The belt I tied over my mouth snapped somewhere in the process. I couldn't help but wonder if this would have been easier with a pink haired angel. My body shook as sixteen years of improperly divided cells was pushed out of me. I wonder if this was what it was like being iron pounded into steel. The parallels were there.
Even if I saved her from another threat would she be grateful? How did I even end up here? I saw a picture through the bathroom door on my dresser. That's right, dad made me go. I wasn't a good student and this was the only place that would take someone with my grades. Tsukune and I had a lot in common.
Five hours after the initial pain my body stopped shaking. I was sore as hell and alright. After turning on the shower and rinsing the filth off I started thinking about my aura. My qi, aura, and consciousness power had been asleep in my human brain. I'd managed to survive death and fall upon another earth.
I lost and died but I was resurrected. Was my death why I felt so angry? Everyone died but not everyone was lucky enough to get a second chance. My body was just around twenty times stronger than it had been. With a bit of mental calculations a punch from me without aura would equal me with aura. What aura didn't do was multiply strength? The strength increase is an incidental byproduct of attuning the body for the intake of qi.
Basically, if I wanted to get stronger it was all about controlling my aura.
After a brief shower, I put on my uniform and made my way to home room. On my way I noticed a bunch of people were acting strangely. The guys were fawning over a blue haired girl. It was none of my business, so I made my way to home room.
"Hey you, don't you want to look at me." The blue haired girl asked. I looked over and felt something bump into my aura. It felt like a hook of some kind formed from consciousness power. The second it touched my aura it was recognized as nonhuman and destroyed. All of that happened in the span of a heartbeat. I turned my head away and walked on pretending not to notice.
I was sore and I didn't think I could hold back if I wanted to. "Wait, I know who you are. You're the third wheel that guy who ran away when Tsukune fought Saizo. How about this. You help me get ahold of Tsukune and no one will get in the way of Moka and you." I turned and felt my eyes glow gold. My aura swept across my body like golden flames. "Got you, let me feel your passion charm."
This time a belligerent attack smashed into my barrier. Compared to the last mental probe this one was a drill with hidden barbs. If it got through it could rip apart psyches if removed improperly.
"Nice try but I've dealt with this style of combat before. Your magic charms just don't stand a chance against Moka's natural ones." I said. It was a bit mean but she deserved it. I thought about saving her mind slave but was it worth it?
"Get him, don't let him get away." The blue haired girl yelled out. With a controlled burst of aura I unleashed a blinding light. They shielded their eyes and in the chaos I slipped away.
I made it to class in record time. "Morpheus, you disappeared after last night. I was worried." Moka said. No, she wasn't. I sensed her return to her dorm right after I left.
"Did you search for me? I didn't get out of the fight with Saizo unscathed." I asked.
"No, Tsukune said you'd be fine. He escorted me back to my dorm. Were you hurt?" Moka asked.
"What does it matter I'm here now? Why do people think Tuskune beat Saizo?" I asked.
"Oh, well don't tell anyone but I started the rumor. This way anyone scared of Saizo won't target Tsukune." Moka said. What would she have done if Tsukune was the one with power instead of me? When I looked into her eyes, I didn't want to speculate.
"Will you keep the secret?" Tsukune asked. He looked at me terrified. He was scared of me and feeling territorial around Moka. If we weren't in class, he'd try to stand between us. I knew the problem immediately. This school had a hierarchy. If Tsukune stepped up the latter there would be monsters below trying to claim his position and monsters above trying to keep him down.
"Of course, don't worry Moka, I'll keep you both safe by spreading the rumor far and wide." If I was any other cultivator Tsukune would have an accident and that would be that.
The day followed the course. The classes ran together and soon it was lunch. I was on the roof thinking about jumping off and flying, when Moka burst up. She was crying and ran up to me.
"Tsukune said he didn't want to be my friend anymore. He wants to be with some other girl instead of me. It's horrible Morpheus." She leapt into my arms and I held her tightly. I let her cry it out. It must have been the succubus. She probably used her charm on defenseless Tsukuen. I closed my eyes and thought about just taking her. I could do it convince her that Tsukune was no good.
The words didn't come to my lips. Instead, I held her soft body to mine for a moment before hardening myself for what I was going to do.
"Moka the blue haired girl is a succubus. Tsukune is a very easily influenced human." I hated myself but my time would come. I'd wait and strike at just the right time.
"We have to save him." Tsukune burst up from the stairs.
"No, you're mine. I won't let Moka have you." She spotted me and put her hands on her hips. "I see you took advantage of my plan regardless. That's exactly what I'd expect from an opportunist like you." The girl said in triumph.
"You're the one who's wrong." Moka shouted. "Morpheus didn't take advantage of your tricks. He told me what was going on." To think the succubus had him in one. He was indeed an opportunist this wasn't the opportunity he was looking for. I held out an open palm and blasted her. She flew up barely avoiding the attack.
A huge burst of darkness erupted where Moka was. Another Moka with silver hair and blood red eyes emerged. Tsukune had removed her rosary of all things. I sensed some manner of power and a consciousness from the cross.
"Just because you're a vampire doesn't mean I'm scared of you." I watched darkness flow like aura. Moka showed more control than I've seen and smashed the succubus.
"Know your place." Moka yelled and delivered a powerful kick. She raised her leg for another blow only for Tsukune to stop her.
"Wait please don't hurt Kurono anymore she's learned her lesson." Tsukune yelled.
The kick didn't stop. I stepped in and blocked the attack. Parts of my barrier buckled and splintered under the assault. The display of control had actually taught me something.
"Sorry but I don't think you want to kill your blood supply just yet Moka." I mimicked her use of aura and tossed her back. It was sloppy compared to her refined version. She looked at me like I was some anomaly.
"Do you perhaps have vampire ancestry?" She asked. She had a look of utter confusion. Her aura was a little harder than mine. It also had a much lower output.
"No but if this is the best you've got then I'm not worried. You don't sound like yourself." I accused.
"I'm the true Moka the girl you know is just my outer image." She delivered a kick far more powerful than the one before. I blocked it and my barrier shattered. Before the blow could land myy aura pushed me out of the way and I went in for a jab. She batted my hand away and came up with another powerful overhead kick. I used my barrier, parried the kick, and brought my fist in towards her mid section. She leapt off the ground using her leg as a counter weight. I caught a flash of white panties and took hold of her thigh for a grapple.
She used her aura as a counter force. Moka shot back to the ground where she took up leverage again. Her fangs gnashed as she brought her leg up for another round. She twisted bringing her other leg across my neck and clenched. I stood up bringing her up with me as she attempted to choke the life out of me. I could see a smirk on her face. She was loving this.
Moka leaned back to cling to the ground and finish the maneuver. I couldn't let that happen. Approached the edge of the building and prepared to leap off. She felt the lack of ground, unwound her legs, and used the momentum of her movement to fling herself back onto the roof and me off.
"Know your place." She said tiredly as I fell off the room. I was so surprised by her sudden action that I fell half way down before I stopped my fall. Aura surrounded me and I floated up to the roof. She turned her head just as I stepped back. She raised an eyebrow as she clasped the rosary back on.
"Can you teach me to fight like you?" Tsukune begged.
"No, you're incapable." It was a lie.
"Hey don't talk about Tsukune like that." Kurono said. It was odd feeling like the bad guy. I wasn't going to spread the secrets of cultivation around. That wasn't me. I didn't know if it was possible here in this world.
"Sorry I'm not a great teacher. If you learn this the wrong way you'll die. If you still want to try I'll tell you what I can." It was a ploy. If Tsukune accepted I'd give him all the knowledge he needed to destroy himself.
"If I can rely on Moka instead then I won't need it." Tsukune said.
"I'll protect you Tsukune." Moka said.
"It looks like you're not wanted here. You might as well leave." Kurono said. Tsukune didn't say anything in my defense and Moka also went silent.
What could I do? Maybe this place was a bad idea from the beginning. I've awoken to a world I'm not wanted in. Killing Tsukune was tempting. The boy frowned and fought against his morals and his desire to be territorial. He knew I was a threat and didn't want me close to Moka or Kurono.
Kurono didn't want anything to do with me. Her eyes were set on Tsukune. Moka seems to have already forgotten about their confrontation. I grasped my hand and felt my aura swirl around me. They took a step back and Kurono transformed again ready for a fight. Tsukune prepared to remove the rosary.
Seeing their comradery made me realize I'd woken from a sweet dream to a nightmare. I was a nuke in a time of peace. If I made a move, I'd blow everything up around me. I saw them there Kurono, Moka, and Tsukune. My chest hurt. Perhaps what I needed was to forget about her and find another girl.
I leapt off the school building and landed on the ground without making a sound. What I needed to do was train my power. If I had more control over it then maybe I could control myself. I was jealous of Tsukune and if I didn't get a handle on myself he'd die by my hand.
In the forest I found a nice thick tree and began destroying it. My every move copied the way Moka used her power. I brought my aura up and punched craters into the tree. Golden light surrounded me as I bathed myself in my emotions. Eventually, the tree was pulped and my aura was calmer.
I heard a branch snap and turned around. Moka was there. "What was it like growing up as a vampire in the human world?" I asked her when she didn't say anything.
"It was lonely. The humans didn't believe that I was a vampire and they thought it was weird. No one wanted to be my friend." She said.
"Why do you hate Tsukune? He's a fellow human, he wants to be your friend." I wrestled with the words until they came.
"You know I have feelings towards you. I find it hard to believe that you can't tell." Golden aura slowly cascaded around me. Even now I couldn't control my rage.
"Can't we be friends instead. You don't want to be lonely. Trust me I know what it's like to be the odd one out." Moka said. There was genuine hope there but it was for Tsukune. There was some curiosity but it was from the rosary. In her eyes I was just a tool to held Tsukune. I could read it clear as day and that hurt.
I appeared in front of her. Moka's eyes widened and I grabbed the rosary. I pulled but it wouldn't come off the chain. Some sympathetic magic rushed from the rosary detected my intent and refused access.
"Even the rosary doubts me. A pity, you can't lie to me even if you lie to yourself. You have some type of motherly bond with Tsukune. Its an unhealthy desire to protect him even over yourself. I don't know if it's a vampire characteristic but I hardly think your kind evolved to protect your food supply over your own best interests." I grasped the rosary again. This time I felt a connection between Moka and the rosary. It was too complicated to get a proper grasp of. Time was needed to digest the information.
"What are you talking about?" Moka demanded.
"It doesn't matter. You don't care about me. I guess it really is all about blood. The only difference between Tsukune and I was timing. If you'd hit me instead of him with your bike would you feel the same way." Confusion and frustration, she didn't know.
"I feel things for him that I don't feel for you. That's all I know. Can't we still try to be friends?" Moka said.
"Sure if you bite me then I'll try. After all its more than blood, right?" I didn't know it could have been blood or it could be fate.
She approached him opened her mouth and bit down. He lowered his barrier just for her. He felt slight pain and little else. Moka continued to drink as his heart pumped ever faster. Finally, regained her senses and let go. Blood dripped between her lips.
"That was intense." Moka said. "Are you ok?" Moka asked and collapsed.
"Why are you woozy? I thought I was the one being drained.
"Blood drunk, it happens when you drink powerful blood." She looked at him with a glassy expression and slowly got to her feet.
"Morpheus, I don't hate you. Tsukune is weak, he needs more care. You aren't easy to talk to. Tsukune is fun. You're serious." She pushed her brows together for effect.
"You could have made me less serious if Tsukune left." I said.
"I couldn't let him leave. Your blood was good. I'm going to nap now." I caught her before she hit the ground. With a dramatic sigh I tossed her over my shoulder and started the long track to the dorms. Nothing was resolved. She didn't want me and I didn't know how to feel.
I took a card out of my pocket. It had the hours for the school therapist.