Disclaimer: I do not own One Punch Man or Rosario + Vampire. They belong to their respective owners.
a=Narration and descriptions
"a"=Dialogues
a=Inner voices or thoughts
a=Intense speech
Part II: Absent Punch
Several minutes came to pass since the foreign hero's departure. His appearance was as sudden and impactful as the strike of lightening within the duration of a strong storm. He was a decent guy, that was pretty much obvious to anyone, yet he was also the one to inflict one of the most severe blows to Youkai Academy's own heroes. It wasn't physical, something that could eventually be healed through patience and care, but psychological wounds that had thrown their inner world into turmoil; most of all, Tsukune's.
His face cladded into a shadow of loss, the brown-haired boy had settled down on the same chair, staring aimlessly at the table in the middle of their clubroom, silent and helpless. His encounter with Saitama brought him before a stressful situation he had wished to never have to face. Of course, he didn't hate Saitama for that. There was solid reasoning behind the bald man's words. If anything, he felt unlucky for having to confront the truth and admit his weakness.
''He hasn't moved an inch from that spot for almost an hour and a half…'' Mizore murmured, looking at him with worry.
''This is becoming quite serious,'' responded Moka, her state similar.
''We must do something to cheer him up-desu!'' Yukari proposed.
Skeptical, Ruby shifted her sight to the little witch. ''This might be proven difficult, taken into account the psychological pressure he experienced not too long ago.'' She was the most levelheaded individual within the group, so she was capable of approaching the variety of unfortunate cases with a clear mind. Someone would really have a hard time believing that she was also the weirdest among them.
''It's all that idiot's fault!'' Kurumu groaned. The rest of her rivals were similarly disturbed from what happened, but it was twice as nerve-wrecking to her.
All of the girls knew the truth about Tsukune's real feelings, and each one had her own approach toward them: Mizore was determined enough to follow him even if she was to be reduced to a side character; Yukari admiration for him was so high that she couldn't find it in her to complain about his decisions; and Moka had the feeble hope that he would overcome her mother's memory at some point and focus on her. Concerning Kurumu, though, she couldn't adapt so easily to the idea of him staying stuck to a past memory, submitting himself to a life of solitude. As unattainable as it might be, she still wished to be joined with him and fill the void in his heart with happiness. The thought of him slowly withering away, constantly looking at what he lost and not what he could gain, made her every day another torture session in a sorrowful Hell.
''You're being rude, Kurumu-chan,'' said Yukari. ''Saitama-san looked like a good person. He most likely didn't mean any harm.''
''I'm of the same opinion,'' Ruby followed. ''It's an undeniable fact that if it wasn't for him, Mizore-chan would have suffered a horrible fate.'' She turned to the person-in-question, seeking confirmation. ''Right?''
The 'ball' thrown on her from nowhere, Mizore twitched her eyes in surprise. She owed Saitama major gratitude for liberating her from Kotsubo's clutches, yet it wouldn't be easy to answer that specific question. On one side was her values, and on the other the promise she had with her succubus best friend long ago: to stay beside Tsukune for as long as they lived. Should she choose the first, it would like she was betraying their vow; should she choose the second, it would show ungratefulness.
Impatience growing inside her, Kurumu's brows furred irately. ''Why are hesitating so much, Mizore?! Don't tell me that you're taking that man's side over Tsukune's?!'' The whole thing was inconceivable for her. Tsukune ought to be an absolute existence for them, yet Mizore was presenting signs of straying from that belief.
''N-No… I-It's not like that… I just…'' the conflicted snow maiden stammered, the time had been given to her too short to make up her mind toward a certain direction.
''YOU JUST WHAT, MIZORE?! WHY CAN'T YOU ANSWER SOMETHING SO SIMPLE?! IS THIS REALLY THE FULL EXTENT OF YOUR LOVE FOR TSUKUNE?! WAS EVERYTHING ABOUT IT A LIE?! AFTER ALL WE'VE BEEN THROUGH TOGETHER, ARE YOU GOING TO TURN YOUR BACK ON HIM FOR A STRANGER?! HAVE YOU NO SHAM—'' Kurumu's outburst heading beyond the limits of proper, Moka sealed her mouth with a swift jerk of her hand, ''GMM!'' Twitching in fury, purple eyes moved to the female Shinso's place.
''That's enough, Kurumu! Don't force yourself to say something you will come to regret later,'' Moka claimed in a stern tone.
As a response, Kurumu grabbed the vampire's wrist and dragged the hand hindering her speech of her lips, speaking next with a firm voice. ''I'm not such a weak-willed woman to regret most of the things I say, even more so when they're in defense of the man I love… Actually, it's very questionable why you aren't doing the same, Moka.''
''What?!''
''You're supposed to love Tsukune as much as Mizore and I, but you're not doing anything noticeable to show it. Just hanging out with him isn't enough to claim his affection!'' As it seemed, things were steadily getting out of hand. Kurumu's self-control was in shambles, and logic indicated that it wouldn't take long before she overstepped the borders of acceptable behavior. Love didn't 'blind' only people's eyes, but also their reasoning.
The rest understood that well, especially the two aforementioned girls, yet they were unable to figure an efficient method to quell the succubus's blazing turbulence. Kurumu was currently in her most sensitive state, and her case required especially delicate handling. No matter how much she tended to overreact over stuff that had to do with Tsukune, the others didn't desire to push her to her limits and risk to break their friendship.
Coming unexpectedly at that point, a weak voice echoed inside the room, drawing everyone's attention to its source. ''Please, calm down, guys…'' Tsukune had momentarily escaped his mental prison and turned to their direction, everything on his face indicating extensive emotional fatigue. He might have been stoned as a statue for the past minutes, yet his mind never stopped working out all the blunt facts he had come upon earlier.
''Tsukune…?'' Kurumu called, mellowing her tensed look as to replace it with a highly concerned one. Not wasting a second, she made an attempt to approach him, quickly prevented though by a hand gesture of his right palm. ''Eh?''
''I'm sorry, Kurumu-chan… everyone… You're fighting because of my inability to manage my flaws. I never wished for this to happen, but ultimately, that doesn't solve anything. I'm a failure as your friend…''
''What are you saying, Tsukune?! The one to blame is that man! He had absolutely no right to criticize you! You have done nothing bad!'' Kurumu exclaimed, upset. Watching her Destined One depressed was one thing, but even hearing him accept the blame for another's mistake was intolerable. He had gone through much sadness already since the time Akasha chose to sacrifice her life, and there was definitely no need for more.
Unfortunately, Tsukune couldn't see it from her respective point of view. ''Thank you, Kurumu-chan, but this is the truth. I have caused you much inconvenience with my inexcusable behavior…'' replied Tsukune, his tone diving more and more into sorrow. ''If it isn't too much, could you give me some time alone to think?''
''Why? There's no reason for you to torment yourself because of what happened. We can just forget it and return back to our usual days like always!''
''I'm not sure, Kurumu-chan, that's why I need to be alone for a little to think. Can't you grant me this little favor? It's very important to me.'' Kurumu's intentions to cheer him up and restore his liveliness were sincere, filled with love and worry, but not enough to pierce through the thick wall of insecurity surrounding him. Tsukune had set himself on sorting out his feelings, so he could finally resolve the mess he had created and burdened the ones precious to him. It was his responsibility as a member of their company.
''B-But…'' Kurumu trailed off as tears snuck into her trembling eyes, when she felt a light touch on both her shoulders. Switching her sight there, she saw Moka and Mizore holding her.
''Let's go, Kurumu,'' suggested Mizore compassionately.
''If Tsukune wants to be alone, we have to respect that. It's for his own sake,'' Moka added likewise.
The two of them were her equal rivals, rendering themselves able to relate to her deep desire to help the man they loved; nevertheless, they couldn't go against his wishes and bother him when he technically begged them to offer him some peace and quiet. There were times a man had to face his own problems by himself and most likely that was the one for Tsukune.
Disheartened, Kurumu took another glimpse of Tsukune's face, a final act of confirmation to make sure he was fully resolved, turning next around to head toward the room's door. ''All right… If Tsukune says that he wants to stay alone, we will do just that.'' She titled her head back to the rest. ''Come, everyone. Let's not waste time.'' It was awfully obvious that she was pressing herself to comply with that favor. However, what other choice she had? Opposing Tsukune's decision wasn't an easy task for her.
The others following her call, she resumed her course outdoors. Not long after, Fong Fong closed the door behind them, him being the last to exit, leaving Tsukune to start his quest for inner salvation in the empty space.
Meanwhile, somewhere deep in the forest, its generally calm atmosphere was being disrupted by a series of intense gasps and groans. They were rough, indicating pressure, their noise resounding across the green scenery as another roar of a raging beast. It was hard for someone to tell what it was, but it was obviously suffering.
''Do you feel any better?'' Moka asked Kurumu in a casual tone, standing above her. After they left the clubroom, the young group moved outside in the schoolyard, settling down on and around a wooden bench.
The ones sitting were Kurumu in the middle, on her left Mizore, and on her right Yukari, while Moka, Ruby, Kokoa and Fong Fong were standing across from them. No one had spoken a word since they came outside, their minds trapped in a whirlwind of uncertain wonders. Would Tsukune consider Saitama's suggestions for real? Would he request from them to pursue their own happiness elsewhere, being meaningless to wait for him forever? If so, did that imply that he would stay single for the rest of life? And if not, could so him as them forget the whole incident as it had never happened and return back to their carefree routine?
''Does it really matter?'' asked back Kurumu, her voice as disheartened as it could go. ''Tsukune's in there, struggling to reach the right answers, and we can do nothing to help him…'' Frustration surging from her depths, she clenched her fists so tightly that her nails partly ripped her skin. It wasn't anger directed at Saitama, as she had gone past that, but rather self-hatred for being incapable of soothing the growing pain inside her loved one's heart. Tsukune's pain was her pain, and she experienced it thrice as much as him.
Wearing a sympathetic smile, Yukari placed one of her hands on top of one of the succubus's curled fists, gently and reassuringly as a worried sibling. ''It's going to be all right, Kurumu-chan. Tsukune-san is a strong person-desu!''
''I know… Still…'' making their appearance once again, tears flooded down her cheeks, ''I can't bear seeing him sad! We may have not exactly cleared out who will he choose in the end, but we were having fun anyway, simply being friends. Now I 'm not even sure if that will continue as it was.''
''I think you're exaggerating. Why wouldn't we go back to normal?'' Mizore remarked.
''I can't say clearly... I just have this unsettling feeling inside me that everything will change after today.''
''Stressing yourself over a possibility isn't going to do you good, Kurumu,'' Moka indicated. In reality, she was plenty nervous herself about what would follow, yet she kept it well hidden to not cause further disturbance to her already overly tensed friend.
''If you ask me, maybe this is a good opportunity for this whole joke to come into a conclusion,'' Kokoa said, her palms resting on her sides. It was a bold statement that instantly gathered all gazes around onto her. ''It was about time that indecisive guy made a choice.''
Upset, Fong Fong pointed his index finger at her. No one was allowed to badmouth his life idol in front of him. ''How can you be rude toward Tsukune-san, Kokoa-chan?!'' he protested with a bark. ''He's the one who led us to free our world from those hideous villains! He's a hero, one to whom we owe all these peaceful days we spent without any fear for our lives!'' For Fong Fong, Tsukune was his ultimate goal, the kind of man he strived to become, so sullying his image was similar to crushing the young mafia boy's every ambition.
''Well, yes, but what bald man said was also true: it took him too long to finally act out. And it's the same with deciding on who's going to be his girlfriend,'' replied Kokoa with a light shrug.
A group of twitching veins popped out on Fong Fong's forehead as he heard that. ''Even so, if not for him, everything would have been in ruins by now! We're alive only because he is here!''
''Hey! Onee-sama played an equal part in that fight!'' replied Kokoa, obtaining her own group of angered veins.
As if the problem with Kurumu's inner turmoil wasn't enough, the young duo had come to add another one, seconds away from igniting a heated and surely needless quarrel.
Aiming to put a stop to that before anything unnecessary started off, Moka interjected, stepping in between them. ''Okay, that's enough! There are more important things to consider about than who was the one who did the most work during that time… That battle is in the past, so we have to focus on the present!''
''I beg to differ!'' resounded a snickering male voice out of the blue, its tone scornful and malevolent.
On its sound, everyone shuddered in severe shock. It was a voice they could never fail to recognize, no matter the years or decades to pass. Immediately, they made an attempt to shift their sights to its place, yet in the process, two rows of violent, glimmering steams of transparent liquid were fired and splashed right onto Moka, forcing her to lose her balance and crash down on the dirt. That in its turn prompted the rest to cease their progressing turn and instead concentrate back on her. She was drenched from head to toe as if she had taken a deep dive into a lake, around her dancing and swirling multiple dense sparks. Furthermore, for some reason her skin's color had regressed to a pale white.
''Onee-sama!'' Kokoa yelped, jolting in astonishment. Those jets of water had truthfully come out of nowhere.
Not wasting a second, Ruby and Mizore rushed to the fallen Shinso's side and assisted her as to stand. To their surprise, right after they puller her up, she once again collapsed back down, her trembling legs looking unable to sustain her weight.
''Moka-san, are you all right?'' Ruby asked, her eyes examining the silver-haired girl's condition. It looked pretty bad.
Pushing herself to raise her face to Ruby, Moka gasped, ''Yes… I can manage…'' It was a given that she was putting a strong front, yet she didn't want to worry the others. She redirected her attention to the voice's owner. He was riding on a large hornet monster, relishing the sight with an offensively blissful grin. ''Kuyo…'' she growled.
''It seems that this false peace has dulled your judgment, Akashiya Moka. You may impose on yourself the idea that your hurdles have come to an end, but that is nothing but a foolish delusion. Nothing will be over until this world is cleansed of your traitorous existences and those filthy mortals,'' exclaimed Kuyo gloriously.
''Ngh… Your nerve has no limits…'' Clenching her teeth, Moka summoned every ounce of her strength to stand. It felt like she was burdened with a whole mountain on her shoulders and her legs were shaking as if they would give out any second, but eventually her sheer determination managed to lead her to success.
Kuyo's grin couldn't become wider as he was observing her struggle. ''What is it, Akashiya Moka? Is a mighty Shinso as yourself encountering trouble to raise her stature after being merely soaked? You certainly have sunk to a sad disgrace of your race and your dead mother's name.''
''YOU BASTARD…!'' she roared, and went for a step forward, quickly coming to regret it as her wavering balance forced her on her knees. What was showered on her wasn't something as plain as she made it be.
''Please, don't push yourself so hard, Moka-san!'' Ruby said, helping her for yet another time to stand.
''Yeah. You don't look so well,'' added Mizore with a nod.
Her patience hitting the very bottom, Kokoa, silent for the past minutes, arranged herself in front of Moka like a shield. Continuing, she called out her bat servant, transforming him into a large, spiked hammer. ''YOU CROOK! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY MOKA-ONEESAMA?!'' Moka was her dearest sibling; there was no way for her stand idle and watch when she was being harmed and belittled in such a brazen fashion.
''Both sisters have the same stubborn attitude, I see...'' In a swift motion, Kuyo snapped his fingers upward. Not a second later a second wave of the same rows of water streams was launched at the younger vampire, throwing her down in a small pool of mud. Sparks began swirling around her body similar to Moka's and her color turned into an equally pale, the only difference between them that Kokoa couldn't endure the pain and fainted the exact moment she was drenched.
''KOKOA-CHAN!'' Yukari screamed in distress.
''What on earth is going on?'' Fong Fong questioned, completely at a loss.
''Dammit…! KOKOA…!'' Moka shouted to her little sister, receiving back no answer. Her attention returned to the full of enjoyment Kuyo. The merciless criminal was having the time of his life before that torture show. ''What did you do, Kuyo…? What is that liquid…?'' she asked, her voice lowering by the second.
''You bear the name of this academy's top student, you can surely figure it out yourself,'' replied the cunning demon fox, all sarcasm. Playing with his most hated opponents' mentality bestowed upon him the greatest of pleasures.
Then, all of sudden a series of intense tremors spread across the ground, followed promptly by the sound of loud thuds. Ignorant as what to expect, the perturbed company peered at the place they oriented from, noticing the peaks of forest's trees being bent and broken, creating a straight path toward the school building. When the phenomenon finally reached them, they witnessed Kuyo's partner, Kiria, making his own appearance out of the thick foliage on the right shoulder of a tall and muscular troll.
''You surely have a blast teasing people, huh, Kuyo?'' he said in a playful manner. ''Why don't you answer her if she's so eager to hear about it?''
''Kiria?!'' exclaimed Kurumu, staring at him with wide-opened eyes. That boy had caused her great inconvenience to forget him so easily.
Noticing her, he waved cheerfully, accompanying his gesture with a daring wink. ''Good to see you again, Kurumu-chan!''
''You are distracting yourself quite well, too, Kiria,'' Kuyo pointed out, his mount having moved closer to Kiria's. An arrogant frown creasing into his forehead, he switched back to the weakened Shinsho. ''As you wish, I will answer to your question, Akashiya…'' With a second snap of his fingers, a large number of additional thuds began echoing from the depths of the forest, together with them also the screeching sound of grinding metal on rocky surface.
As they became louder, countless monstrous figures popped out of the forest's shadows, lined-up just meters away from the academy. Four of them proceeded forth, dragging with them two large objects, significantly larger than their already large sizes. When on the clear, the figures revealed to be four cyclops and the objects they carried two glass water tanks attached to metallic wagons. From both the glass's sides extended two hoses, apparently what was used to spray their content at the two sisters.
''You never let go of your old, nasty tricks, Kuyo…! Don't assume that I will let some clean water hold me down, though…,'' Moka declared, her eyes burning with unyielding resolve.
''Unfortunately, this is not clean water,'' replied Kuyo in satisfaction. His boiling hatred aside, he had enough composure to access his past mistakes and come up with solutions to fix them. It was great talent, wasted on the name of prejudice and selfishness. ''We had to put our pride aside and visit the sullied 'dump' of the humans to obtain a special asset, but ultimately it was proven worthy of the sacrifice.'' Satisfied grin evolved into devilish smirk. ''This is a substance of much higher purity than simple clean water!''
''You don't mean…''
''Indeed! This is holy water! We had to raid a massive number of human temples to store up enough, but it was all for our noble cause… You probably endured its effects due to your superior attributes, however, that can't be said for your impulsive sister. Although, she must thank her luck for not being reduced to ash after coming into contract with it.'' Using a third snap, Kuyo called for his forces to advance forward. They exited the shadows and assembled in front of the academy's main gate and walls, all of them belonging to different strong races and being additionally equipped with lethal weapons. ''Of course, be it instantly or with some delay, it doesn't matter. Before the sun sets, each one of you as well as the rest of the people in this school will have entered a painful course toward Hell!'' His arrogant speech reaching a conclusion, the armed monsters charged at Youkai Academy's yard.
''They're coming!'' Fong Fong exclaimed, swiftly adopting his standard fighting stance.
Following his example, the girls acted accordingly, Kurumu with Mizore releasing their monster forms, and Ruby with Yukari supplying their wands with youki. Not long after, the crowd of ferocious killers fell onto them like a wild wave of destruction.
Kurumu, Mizore and Fong Fong were the first ones to confront them, while the two witches had to stay back for a little to put a thick magic barrier around Moka and the unconscious Kokoa, to protect them as they were in no shape to battle. When done with it, they, too, joined in the intense struggle to keep the invaders away from the school. What level of resistance could actually present only five people against dozens of enemies, though? All of them were fighting valiantly, pushing themselves to simultaneously attack and dodge, yet simple logic indicated that this task was impossible for their small number.
As expected, while they were too focused on keeping their pace stable, some of the monsters went past their line of defense.
''NO!'' Yukari screamed, the edge of her eye catching their figures moving farther into the school grounds.
That becoming a perfect chance for an assault, two of her opponents umped in for a fatal slash at her sides.
''WATCH OUT, YUKARI-CHAN!'' roared Fong Fong. Performing a forceful dash towad them, he crushed their spine cords with a double palm strike.
Surprised, Yukari shifted to him, still lost about what was taking place behind her. ''Eh?! Fong Fong-kun?''
Walking closer, Fong Fong gripped her left shoulder, his expression divided between ultimate worry and frustration. ''WHY ARE SPACING OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF A BATTLE, YUKARI-CHAN?! DON'T YOU KNOW THAT THIS COULD COST YOU YOUR LIFE?!'' He was furious, very furious; still, he couldn't stop the massive trembling on his fingers. The young martial artist hadn't realized it yet, but deep inside him was burning a fire of tender feelings for the young witch. Ever since the final fight against Fairy Tale, the manner he was looking at her had changed drastically, growing inside him the need to become close to her; protect her; make her acknowledge his existence.
''I'm… I'm sorry…'' Yukari muttered as her cheeks dyed in the color of blooming roses. It wasn't just Fong Fong who had a change on his approach toward her. Gradually, similarly oblivious to her own feelings, Yukari had started viewing him as someone as precious to her as Tsukune. If it wasn't for the latter, things might have already progressed differently for them.
''You damn brats!'' another monster growled, and proceeded for an assault together with a few other of his comrades rushing behind him.
''Let's go, Yukari-chan!'' Fong Fong called, gazing down at her with a fierce glow of determination.
''Yes!'' replied Yukari, and together they dashed to clash with the group of incoming attackers.
A few meters away, the succubus-snow girl combo was giving their own fight, assisted by Ruby, whose role was to be intercepting every long-ranged enemy that was to hinder their attacks. Their fighting style was mainly close-quarters combat, even though they had a few long-ranged techniques, alas they were in need of someone who specialized in the opposite sector.
Inflicting a decisive scrape on one of her opponents' skull with a straight dive downwards, Kurumu took a quick glimpse of the ones distancing themselves from them and frowned. ''Tch! This is bad! At this rate, they will infiltrate the school!''
Below her, on the ground, Mizore was doing her own share of work by freezing the bodies of two others into icicles. Promptly, she turned upwards, to her flying friend. ''We can't do anything. Our hands are quite full at the moment.''
''I know!'' Kurumu's attention switched to Ruby, a fair distance to Mizore's back. ''RUBY-SAN! ISN'T THERE ANY WAY TO STOP THEM?''
''UNFORTUNATELY, NO!'' came a loud reply from the elder witch, seconds before using her magic to summon a major number of steel crows to pierce through the bodies of some six-handed monsters holding machineguns. ''NURARI-SAN AND THE TEACHERS COUNCIL IS OUT IN A MEETING WITH SOME EXECUTIVES OF THE HUMANS-YOUKAI ALLIANCE, SO THERE ARE ONLY FEW TEACHERS LEFT BEHIND, AND NONE OF THEM IS FAMILIAR WITH HOW TO OPERATE THE SCHOOL'S DEFENSIVE MECHANISMS!''
Irritation overtaking her, Kurumu bit her thumbnail, her estimation of the situation pointing at a hopeless scenario. ''Curses…'' It was then that her senses alerted her of a presence nearing her fast. In an immediate tilting of the head, she spotted Kiria and his troll moving to her place.
''WHY SO UPTIGHT, KURUMU-CHAN?! AREN'T YOU HAPPY FOR THIS HEARTWARMING REUNION?!'' the thrilled-seeking chimera shouted. Patting the back of the troll's head, the beast made a foothold with his right palm, and when Kiria jumped into it, the buffed youkai launched him high in the air. ''HOW ABOUT WE CELEBRATE THIS MEMORABLE OCCASION BY PUTTING OUR LIVES ON THE LINE?!''
''You damn freak!'' Without further ado, Kurumu stretched her nails and torpedoed herself to him head on. It was about time she gave him a good lesson not to underestimate her.
The same time, a little far for the heat of the battle Moka was watching the whole thing, full of regret and shame. For her, one of the of their group's two strongest and basic protectors, to be reduced to the sidelines—what a disgraceful turn of events! She never imagined that Kuyo would refer to such an extreme tactic as to deliberately visit his most hateful Human World, only to supply himself with an effective means to render her incapable of countering him. His obsession with destroying them was severe, almost too disturbing, yet setting foot on a place he loathed with such passion surpassed her expectations of him. It wasn't only the fact that she had been shackled down by her weakness, left to be staring helpless at her friends' great predicament; a part of the ones straying from the main force had surrounded the barrier covering her and Kokoa, hitting it with everything they got, either it was their natural 'weapons' or the mechanical ones they were carrying.
''It won't be long before this magic shield breaks, and after that happens, we will be completely at their mercy…'' Her eyes lowered to her unmoving sister. ''My sole option is to grab Kokoa and hurry back to the school, to notify Tsukune and the other students inside.'' A drop of anxious sweat rolled down beside her left eye, sign of the pressure steadily getting to her. ''But can I manage it in this state…?'' Her thought wandering in vexing uncertainty, Moka's ears caught on a cracking sound to her left. Tensed, she directed her attention to the source, witnessing a small area on the barrier ready to shatter. However she would respond to the case, she had to figure it soon.
''GET AWAY FROM MOKA-SAN AND KOKOA-CHAN!'' resounded a male voice from yards away, and the next moment a shockwave infused with crimson youki burst the bodies of the monsters around the barrier to smithereens.
''TSUKUNE!'' Moka yelled in loud delight, watching him hurry to their side, his right fist aimed forward for firing the shockwave. But that was only half the reason.
Behind the hasty male Shinso could be seen the majority of the academy's various clubs, following his lead in their released monster forms. The entire ruckus from the battle was bound to draw their attention sooner or later. The place Kuyo and his lackeys dared to threaten was their beloved school, the precious establishment that offered them so many different experiences in the passing of years, or simply months for the first-years, and they had deemed it their duty to defend it.
In front of the sight, Kuyo reacted with bitterness. ''Hmph! So they are willing to lay their lives on the line for the sake of this den of corruption…'' Pulling the remote controller out of his uniform's pocket, he replaced his displease with a mischievous smirk. ''Let's give them what they are wishing for, then!'' He moved his right thumb over a red button and clicked it all satisfaction.
Automatically, a humongous, dark indigo magic circle was created beneath a great number of trees. The ground began shaking uncontrollably as though in the midst of a powerful earthquake and the wind blowing over the area concentrated on one spot, forming a huge twister that ripped every tree off of its roots toward the sky. Seconds later, immeasurable particles of energy were released out of the circle's interior, rising up a tall pile of energy that pierced through the clouds, till the Great Barrier's boundaries.
Moka's gang and the rest of the students couldn't but flinch and wide-eye on the natural distortion, yet that was only the beginning of their shock. Succeeding those biblical phenomena, a ferocious roar resounded from the center of the twister, and right afterwards the swirling mass of gales burst into thin air, revealing the very last creature the Youkai Academy's young heroes ever expected to meet again. A fair distance behind Kuyo and his men, raising its colossal stature high and mighty, stood none other than Alucard.
''Im…Impossible…'' Moka trailed off, overwhelmed by terror.
''It can't be…'' Tsukune murmured in the same astonished tone. He and Moka could barely injure him in the past, and nothing could have even come into a conclusion if he hadn't decided to share Akasha's choice and blow up by himself. Were they to clash with him once more, the outcome seemed especially grim. ''What is that, Kuyo?! What have you done?! Alucard ought to be dead!'' he barked in high tension.
''Nothing is definite in this world, Tsukune. Even something preciously dead, can always return to life,'' Kuyo's hand lifted the controller to Tsukune's direction, ''if found the necessary means!''
Lost as to the meaning of his words, Tsukune's brows creased into a confused frown. ''Eh?!''
''It required a significant amount of time and effort, but we finally managed to develop a type of technology that allowed us to revive dead cells by supplying them with the pure youki of S Class youkai. What remained was to seek and collect every remnant of Alucard's body, and next 'awaken' it, implanting in the process a specific device in its inactive brain to obtain a will – our will!''
''Does that mean… that you… killed innocent people, only to bring him back to life…?'' The whole idea of reanimating the corpse of their most deadly foe was one thing, but the thought of others, irrelevant to their vendetta, losing their life and being used as tools was enough to throw Tsukune into utter disorder.
''Essential sacrifices in pursue of the greatest result!'' declared Kuyo, his speech heartless and deprived of any trace of remorse for their heavy crimes. His ultimate ambition was to slaughter all those who he had judged as traitors, and neither morals nor mercy had any place in his plans. ''Your vulgar ideals have defiled our species' honor and ridiculed our ancient laws, Tsukune, but this farce ends today.'' His arms opened widely as to present the monstrous titan groaning behind him. ''Feast your eyes on your grand executioner and prepare yourselves for your imminent demise! From this point on, Youkai Realm will be cleansed of the pests sullying its land!''
Countering the crowd of vicious killers would have been a tiresome, yet attainable task; regardless, a rematch with Alucard was something out of the heroic gang's expectations. If there have been nothing to turn the tables on the situation, not only its students, but the entire Youkai Academy would become nothing more than a distant memory in a story rewritten by a league of self-righteous tyrants.