Chapter 3: Devilish Affection

*Moka POV*

I had returned to my room after listening to the beginning of Sothe's story, and I didn't know what to think. "Those two even said that it was just the beginning..." I glanced down at the book I still had clutched in my hands. "I wonder...what all he went through..."

"Much more than anyone should ever go through at his age."

I looked around my room, wondering where the voice came from. "W-who said that? Where are you?!"

"Down here."

I looked down, and I saw it. The gem on my rosario was glowing brought red, and felt as if it was glaring at me. "Y-you...you can talk to me?"

She chuckled. "You can thank you're friend's blood for that. It woke me up enough to at least speak while sealed." 'Sothe's blood did this?' "How is his blood different?" I wondered aloud. "The blood from transfusion bags never did this to us..."

"I don't know." She responded. "I doubt he would either." She stayed silent for a moment, then continued. "Keep the boy close. It would be a shame for me to lose my food." And with that, the glowing Rosario dimmed, silencing her.

'Is that really all she cares about?'

*Moka and Moka(?)'s support rank rose to C*

W+V

*Sothe's POV*

*Thwack* *Thwack* *Thwack*

"You're improving really fast with that blade, Kana." 'Still nowhere near Edward's level, let alone the Commander's or Mia's, but improving none the less.' "I'm impressed."

In case you're wondering why Kana is trying to beat me over the head with an overgrown stick, he asked me to help him with his swordsmanship while Ena teaches him what she can about that Dragonstone. So basically, the person who doesn't use a sword is trying to teach him swordsmanship, while the person who doesn't use a Dragonstone is teaching him how to use that.

This is a great plan!

'I'm just lucky Edward forced me to learn a bit for sparring practice. I'm still far better with a knife, but I can manage just fine to help him practice.' I groaned internally. 'How did I get stuck in this position again? Oh right. Kana cornered me and demanded I help him learn.'

"If those guys come back again, I don't want to be useless or lose control! I wanna help too!" The kid glared at me right in the eyes until I agreed to help. 'Heh...brings back memories of me doing the same thing to Volke.'

Kana glanced behind me. "Don't look now, bro, but our fanged friend has arrived." Oh yeah. Kana has taken to calling me bro now. Why? I don't know. Eh, I guess if it makes him happy he can keep doing it...

I turned around and was greeted by Moka. "Hey Sothe, why are you still out here?" I tilted my head, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Classes start in an hour."

...damn it.

"*sigh*...just...meet us there, Moka. Kana, I hope you have enough energy left to sprint." I started to head back, but Moka stopped me. "Before you go..." she said, giving me puppy dog eyes. *sigh* "Alright, just make it quick." I replied, moving my scarf out of the way. Her eyes lit up, and she sank her fangs into my neck. 'I am so glad I wear a scarf with how many marks she's left at this point.' "You done?" I asked. She released me and nodded. "Thanks Sothe! You should probably get going now though."

I looked down at my watch and swore. 'Damn it, I'm gonna be late now!' I sprinted off, hoping to make it in time.

W+V

"Why did we sprint? We would have been fine." Kana asked. "I didn't think you could go that fast to be honest. Thankfully we still have some time to spare." We walked in silence for a bit, until we got a bit closer to the school.

"...uuuuuurg..."

My head swerved over to my left. "Kana, you hear that?" He nodded. "Should we check on it bro?" "...Yeah. Leaving it alone doesn't sit right with me."

We arrived at the source of the moaning. Right at the edge of a pond layed a bright blue haired girl in one of our school uniforms. The only difference was that instead of the blazer the rest of us wore, she had a sleeveless yellow sweater on. "Shit...she isn't moving. Kana, sling one her arms over your shoulder, I'll get the other one." Kana nodded.

We began walking towards the school, dragging the unconscious girl with us. About half way there she began to stir.

"Mmmn..."

"Hey, hold up a second." We stopped, and the girl finally opened her violet eyes. "You okay miss?" She nodded. "W-where am I?" She looked straight into my eyes. "You're outside of the school grounds. We found you passed out and started taking you to the infirmary. Sorry about dragging your feet, though."

She shook her head, and stood up herself. "Thats fine. I appreciate the help." She kept looking in my eyes. 'Hm? What's going on. My mind feels...foggy...'

"Sothe! Where are you?!" The three of us looked over towards the school, and saw Moka panicking. She finally noticed me, and sighed in relief. "There you are! What happened?" 'We still had ten minutes. What was she so scared of?' I pointed over at our blue haired companion. "We found her passed out over by the pond, and were just taking her to the infirmary." I glanced over at her. "You sure you're okay? We can still take you to the infirmary if you want." I offered. She shook her head. "That's okay. I should probably head to class myself now. Thanks for the help, Sothe! You too, Kana!" She said with a cheerful smile, before going off on her own. I turned to Moka and...is she pouting?

"Who was that?" She demanded. I shrugged. "Honestly, I have no idea but..." I folded my arms. "She knew who I was because you shouted my name, but how did she know who Kana was?" Kana blinked, not realizing she had called him by name. "Not only that..." I trailed off. Moka's face softened a bit, worried more than angry now. "Sothe?" I waved it off. "It's nothing. I'm pretty sure I imagined it anyway." 'No need to worry the poor girl anymore than I already have.' She looked at me, unconvinced. "Let's go. We're going to be late."

W+V

'Well I guess that explains why I thought I recognized the girl.' When we arrived at the class, I looked over and saw the girl Kana and I helped sitting in the second row. As she noticed us, she smiled and waved at us. I waved back and grabbed my seat, ready for the unbridled horror that is math class.

W+V

*Moka POV*

I am not pleased at the moment.

First, Sothe goes off and helps someone he doesn't even know after two fights at this school. Second, said girl spends most of the day in school glancing back at him. Third, after class ended, Sothe ran off to god knows where, leaving me alone. I can't even find Kana! Where did those two run off to?

"Heh. Possessive much?" I glanced down at my Rosario, since my 'other self' had decided to speak her mind. "Shh! Not in school" I whispered. "I need to keep my monster form a secret, and you are going to show everyone what I am!"

"So, rumor has it you're a vampire. That true?"

"...I blame you for this." I looked up, and saw the girl that was with Sothe earlier sitting halfway up the stairs. "Keep your guard up. She seems to have been looking in to us."

W+V

"Kana, stay quiet. I want to see how this goes." Currently the two of us were hiding behind the stairs, as the girl we helped earlier called out Moka in the middle of the hall. She jumped done from her perch...flashing her underwear at everyone. In a crowded hall. 'Either this girl is an idiot, ignorant, or did that on purpose.'

"Woah..."

"She's cute!"

"Even better than Moka!"

"How graceful!"

'...On purpose. Had to be.' She pointed right at Moka, with a smug grin on her face. "My name's Kurumu Kurono. I'm a succubus. Remember that, for I will be the one to defeat you!" I pinched the bridge of my nose. 'And now she's breaking the biggest rule of this school in a crowded hallway. Wait, did she say succubus?!' My eyes widened. 'Then I wasn't just feeling off. That bitch tried to charm me!'

"Bro, you okay?" I turned to Kana. "Yeah, just a little pissed off at what I just heard."

"You know..." I heard Kurumu begin. "My plan was going so well until you showed up and ruined everything." Moka tilted her head, clearly confused. "Plan? What did I do?"

Kurumu smirked. "My plan to enslave the entire school!"

...

...

Is...is she serious right now?

She still had that grin on her face. 'Oh hell. She is serious. What is she, the child of Gatrie and Aimee?'

"You know, things were going so well. This whole school was wrapped around my little finger."

'How is no one behind her reacting to this? They're just standing there!'

"Then you came along and stole all the attention from me! You even started your own harem of little boys!"

...

...

'Did...did she really just call us a...'

"Hey bro?" Kana whispered. "What's a harem?" I gave him a blank stare. 'Oh no. There is no way in hell I am having this conversation.' "I'll tell you when you're older."

"Aren't we the same age?"

"I'll tell you when you're old enough that Ena won't kill me for it. I am not pissing off a freaking dragon." I deadpanned.

"So I've decided..." Kurumu continued.

"How is conversation still going?" Kana asked.

"You ask me as if I have any idea."

"...I'm going to steal away what's most precious to you!" She got closer to Moka and smirked. "I've seen the way you look at Kusanagi. Hell, the whole school has pretty much seen you drain him of his blood daily!" Moka took a step back nervously. "Although, I can't say I blame you." Kurumu started blushing. "That little guy is so adorable! And his scent...its almost human! I bet thats the only reason you keep that guy around!"

"N-no! Thats not it! Sothe is my friend!" Moka yelled. 'You know, I've had just about enough of this.' I started walking out into the open, Kana trailing close behind. Kurumu smirked. "Really? Thats not how I see it. You have to just be using him as a walking blood bag. No way a high and mighty vampire would-"

"Thats quite enough out of you."

I walked next to Moka, drawing a smile out of her. "I've already heard enough to know exactly what kind of person you are." I glared. "You're a narcissistic bitch who thinks the world is hers and only hers. News flash: Moka is my friend. More importantly, I am a person, not some object for you to steal for your pleasure." Kurumu took a step back, but then smirked. 'Why is she...shit! The charm!' But it was too late. My mind felt foggy and I could no longer move.

W+V

*Kana POV*

"Bro? Bro! What's going on?!" I tried to get his attention, but after that girl smirked, he went silent. "Come here, Sothe." Kurumu commanded. Bro started walking over. "What are you-" I stopped as he turned towards us. His eyes were completely lifeless, and had a slight pink glow. Moka looked at him, worry clear on her face. "Sothe...what did you do to him?!"

Kurumu smiled. "What do you think? I told you I was going to steal him away." As she said that, she glanced over at him, and seemed to be a bit confused. She then shrugged and started walking off, dragging Bro with her by the arm. "Wait!" Moka started going after them, but was stopped by the crowd. Kurumu snapped her fingers. "Take care of them, boys." I looked at the crowd, and noticed that some of their eyes were just like Bro's. 'Dang it...is she in control of all of them? Then she's controlling him as well!'

I looked up and saw that Kurumu was already on the second floor. 'Shoot! She's getting away!' I started jumping away from the crowd, which had started throwing punches. I pulled out a stone Auntie had given me alongside the Dragonstone, praying it would help.

W+V

*Moka POV*

The crowd of that Succubus's slaves started coming towards us, their intent to kill clear. I looked over to where she had dragged Sothe, and saw them duck inside the infirmary. 'What is she doing?' I wondered. "This isn't good." I looked down at my Rosario, wondering what else could be wrong. "You heard the girl, right? She said she was a Succubus. If she kisses the boy while she has him charmed..."

"...he'll become her slave for the rest of his life."

I paled in horror. "Are you serious?" I didn't get an answer. "Kana!" He looked up from whatever he was so focused on. "We need to get there now! If we don't hurry Sothe will become a slave!" His eyes widened, and he ran over to me. "Grab on to my arm." He commanded. As I did, he pulled out the stone that Ena had given to him to control his power.

"Please let this work..." I heard him mutter. The stone began to glow, and...

*WHOOSH*

Two silver scaled wings spread from his back, and sent the two of us airborn. He quickly got us to the second floor, and my jaw hit the floor. "Wha...how...since whe-"

"We can talk later. Bro needs help now!" He stated. "I saw them go inside the infirmary. Come on, we have to hurry!"

W+V

*Kurumu POV*

'Yes! I did it! Hahaha! That'll teach her to mess with me!' I looked over at my prize, laying motionless on one of the beds. 'Now for the finishing touches.' I moved over towards Sothe, who made no attempt to move. I leaned in to take his lips-

*A-hem*

My eyes shot open, and I saw the school nurse standing there with her arms crossed glaring at me. "And just WHAT do you think you're doing, child?"

I laughed sheepishly and tried to come up with an excuse. "W-well, I was just helping my boyfrien-"

"Stop. I know for a fact you aren't in a relationship with him." I growled at her. "And just what makes you say that? Maybe we wanted to keep it secret."

"First off, because I doubt Sothe of all people would start dating someone he met today." 'What the...how did she know that!?' "Second, because he hasn't said a thing in your defense. And third...his only two friends at this academy just contacted me saying he was charmed by a damn succubus." She said with a glare. "So, I suggest you get off of him before-"

*CRASH*

W+V

*Kana POV*

The plan was simple. Get Auntie to force the girl away from him, and snap Bro out of whatever that succubus did to him. It was a good plan. Effective and guaranteed to work.

So can someone tell me why Moka just ran into the room and shoved Kurumu through the window? Dang it, we wanted to capture her not ki- wait, what?! She's flying! The moment she was out of the room, two pitch black wings sprouted from her back. "You...you really don't know who you're messing with, do you?" She whipped her hands to the side, and her nails grew into two foot long claws. "Now I'm pissed! All of you are going down!" Moka, deciding she had had enough, grit her teeth and jumped out the freaking window.

"Kana." I turned to look at Auntie. "Use this. It may not be as strong as your old weapon, but it will last a lot longer." I held the new blade in my hand. 'It feels a lot lighter than the wyrmslayer...this should do nicely.' "Thank you, Auntie."

She looked at me with a smile. "Don't worry about it, little dragon. Just come back safely." I nodded, And I chased after Moka.

W+V

*Sothe's POV*

Okay...where am I now?

I remember being charmed, but now I can't see anything. It's like I'm back in that void I was in before. 'Damn it! Did I...'

"Don't worry, you're fine." A feminine voice boomed from out of nowhere, surprising me. "I brought you here to help you."

"Wait! Who are you? And where am I?" I inquired. The voice giggled. "Silly boy. You're within your own mind. Well, actually your subconscious." She replied. "Like I said, I brought you here to help you." Help with what? What can she do?

"Didn't you ever wonder why your body looks like that now?" I nodded, not really understanding what she was getting at. "After your little encounter with that god, your body was very weak. I took it upon myself to seal away some of the power within you so you could survive long enough to heal." What?

"Who are you?" More giggling. "I think I'll just let you figure that out on your own. Now, since your body has started to recover, I'll release some of the power you have sealed." As she spoke, a blue aura engulfed my body, and I felt myself becoming stronger. "If you really need something to call me...hmmm...just call me 'Aria' for now." With that, I blacked out.

W+V

"Guh..." I woke up in the infirmary, and immediately noticed I had control of my body again. "Hehe... impressed? This is merely a fraction of what I had sealed, and you already have enough magic resistance to shake off a charm." I blinked. 'What the...Aria?' Where did that come from?

"Teehee...I'm with you! Think of me like your own version of the other Moka, except I don't have a seal."

'You're not going to tell me how you got inside my head, are you?'

"You catch on fast!"

"Sothe?"

I turned to my right and saw Ena there. "Good, you're okay." She said with a small smile. "You feeling alright? No lingering effects from the charm?"

"I don't think so. Where are the other two?" She pointed out the window, where Moka and Kana were on the ground, looking up at Kurumu who was airborn. "Oh great. She can fly too?" I groaned. This will be annoying no matter what I do.

"You want me to help? I could take her down no problem." I looked at her, then shook my head. "Nah, I can handle this. No need to kill the girl. Thanks though." I start towards the door. "Hey, if you have some free time later, you mind if we talk? Other than your first day we haven't really had a chance to catch up." Ena gave me a smile. "I'd like that. Now, I think you have a couple of people to help." I smirked. "Yeah. See you in a bit."

W+V

*flashback*

*THUNK*

*THUNK*

*THUNK*

'Damn. Only hit eight of them.' I looked over at the makeshift target range, still pissed that I couldn't hit all the targets. "This is harder than I thought it would be."

"But you're doing better than I expected you to, kid."

"GAH!" I turned around to see Volke, who appeared out of nowhere. Again. "How do you keep doing that?!" He chuckled, and ruffled my hair a bit. "Years of practice. Although I was telling the truth. You're coming along just fine." I glared a bit at him. "...do you have any advice?" I asked.

"This isn't necessarily for this exercise, but for live combat." That caught my attention. "You're practicing against stationary targets, not moving enemy combatants."

"So what should I do?" I wondered. "Glad you asked. Boyd, could you come over here?" As he came over, he winked at me and handed me a bunch of wooden knives. "Alright...what did you need?"

"Sothe?"

"Yeah?"

"Fire at will."

*Sothe and Volke's support rank rose to C*

*flashback end*

W+V

'Okay...stay hidden. See what's going on.' The battle, if you could even call it one, wasn't going very well. Kana was just making swipes at the devil whenever she got close enough to the ground, and Moka was just running around trying not to get hit. 'Aw crap. She's in a fight while sealed.' I pulled out a few knives and got ready. 'She's flying in a pattern. Aim for where she will be...there!' I hurled a knife where I though she would be, and watched in satisfaction as it sunk into her shoulder. "Kyah! Who threw that?"

"Who do you think?" Three sets of eyes went wide and shot over to me. "Sothe..."

"What the Hell?! How are you defying me?!" Kurumu ranted. "No man has ever escaped my charm before!"

"Guess I must be the first. Now tell me, you going to surrender or-" I was cut off as she flew towards me, slashing her claws at my stomach. I tried to avoid it, but my arm got hit by her claw. "Gah!" I looked at the damage. 'Shallow cut. Nothing too bad, but I can't prolong this.' I glanced back up and saw that Kurumu had decided to cut down some trees instead of me. 'God God, what the Hell is her problem?' "What did the trees ever do to you?" I threw another knife, barely missing. "Shut up! You have no Idea what's on the line for me here!"

I raised my eyebrow. "Whatever it is, It can't possibly warrant warping the minds of half a school and trying to kill others." I noticed something moving in the air behind her, and had to suppress a smirk. 'Oh, this is gonna be great.' She growled. "My race is dying! All of us were sent out to find a mate worthy to father our children! Thats why I decided to enslave all the boys here. One of them is bound to be my 'mate of fate'!"

...fate? She took control of all of us...because it was her 'fate'?!

"Bullshit." Her eyes shot wide with shock. "W-what are you talking about! My plan-"

"Is a terrible plan. You think you can justified because you need it to find your so-called fated one. News flash kid: there's no such thing as fate!" I exclaimed. Her eyes narrowed. "You...you really think anything you stop me? Arrogant pri- GAH!" In the middle of her insult, Kana flew up behind her and slammed the blunt side of his sword into her back. "Actually, I was just gonna stall you. Nice work, Kana." His face lit up with a goofy smile. "Ehehe... I just got lucky that she didn't look." Kurumu started to stand up. *sigh*... I pulled out my baselard, aura flaring to life, and glared at her. "You still wanna go?" I demanded. She was about to speak when...

*thwack*

She fell to the ground, revealing Moka holding a giant tree branch. "...I don't know whether to laugh or cringe at that." Moka gave me a playful smile. "Well I can't let you two do all he work, now can I?" I nodded. "Fair enough. Now...what do we do with this one."

"I say we tear her wings off."

I blinked. "Uh...Moka? Who said that?" She looked a way a bit nervous. "Um...well..."

"Me." I looked down at her Rosario, which had begun to glow red. The bead in the center now had a slit eye covering it as well. "If we leave her there is no guarantee that she won't do this again. Best we show the bitch her place now." 'Oh right. She's the violent one.' I shook my head. "I doubt we would get away with that. We kind of have a witness over there." I explained, directing them to the newly arrived Ena. "You're taking her, I assume?" She nodded. "While she does need to be punished, we can't just let students decide what to do to other monsters. Kana, could you assist me?" He nodded, and the two took off to the infirmary.

"So, wh-" I began, only to be stopped.

"Kusanagi." The 'Other' Moka addressed me. "Take off my seal. Now!" Oh boy. This will be interesting. I took her Rosario off, and after the 'Other' Moka came out, she glared at me. "You have some explaining to do, boy. How did you shrug off that charm spell?" I shrugged. 'I highly doubt she would believe me.' "I guess I just got lucky." She stared at me for a second. Then she got an evil grin on her face. "You know...I didn't get a chance to fight due to you two doing all the work." Why does she...oh damn it. She got into a fighting stance. "Hope you can keep up!"

W+V

*huff*...*haaah*..."Okay, we may want to stop while there are still trees left around here." I said, silently pitying the guy who had to pick this up. She looked at me with a frown. "That was impressive...for a human, that is. You aren't really that strong, but you are quite fast." She explained. "Although if your story is to be believed, you stood up against yokai, dragons, and even gods before."

I shook my head at that. "I wasn't alone then, and my usual hit-and-run tactics will only get me so far without backup." I gave a small smile. "Although I have to admit...it was nice to cut loose and actually have a good spar. Thanks, Moka."

She chuckled. "A human having a good time going head to head with a vampire? Thats something you don't see everyday. At least my blood supply can defend himself rather well." My eye twitched. 'Arrogant as always, but at least she's better company than most of the school.' "Its getting late. I'm gonna head back to my dorm after I seal myself again, so we'll skip your story today." I nodded. "Alright. I needed to get myself patched up anyway." I turned to walk away, but was halted in place. "Before that though..." she said from behind me. "You didn't really think you were getting out of this, did you?" I rolled my eyes. 'Figured as much.'

*CHOMP*

*Sothe and Moka(?)'s support rank rose to C*

W+V

*The Next Day*

"I'm sorry!" Kurumu said, bowing before the three of us. 'School hasn't even been out for five minutes. I wonder what brought this on.' "I...I let my role go to my head. I shouldn't have gone as far as I did." She brought out a plate of cookies. "I...I brought a peace offering, if you'll take them." I glanced at Moka, who shrugged. 'Okay, she doesn't care. How about Ka-and he's drooling at the food. Guess I know his answer.' "If you're serious about this, then I see no reason not to give you another chance." Her eyes brightened, and she began to smile. "But." I continued. "This will be the only second chance you get. Don't make me regret it." Unfazed, she nodded. "Don't worry. You wont."

"Alright. Then I believe proper introductions are in order." I said, extending my hand. "Sothe Kusanagi. These two are Moka Akashiya and Kana Kurusu." She took my hand in hers.

"Kurumu Kurono. Nice to meet you."

W+V

Later that evening, Moka and I were talking together in my dorm room. "Are you sure that was the best idea?" She asked. "She could have been lying." I was about to answer her when...

*tap tap tap*

"...that wasn't the door, was it?"

"Nope."

We looked over at the window, and saw Kana flying outside without a care in the world. I groaned and let him in. "Why did you fly outside my window?" I asked. "I didn't think you would let me in! Auntie told me about... well..." he trailed off, trying to find the words. "I'll just be blunt. I know you're human." My eyes widened. 'Damn it Ena! Again?!' Kana noticed my internal panic, and tried to calm me. "Wait! I didn't mean it like that! You're fine! I'm not telling anyone. Actually..." He looked me straight in the eyes. "That story about that girl, Micaiah...you were in that story, right?" I nodded. "Can you...tell me more about it? Ena already gave me some of the details." I thought about it, and agreed. "Pull up a chair and we'll get started."

"Moka, you wanted to know why I gave her a second chance?" She nodded. "Well in my experience, yesterday's enemies can be your closest allies. Which happens to be the subject of today's part of the story."

"After I had been pressed into joining the Greil Mercenaries, we were attacked while at sea. Hawk Laguz surrounded our ship and forced us into a trap. We had been fighting for what seemed like hours when we saw a woman clad in red armor riding a dragon coming right for us..."

*Chapter 3 End*

New Skills obtained:

Kana: Dragon Fang - Wings: Using a dragonstone to channel power, the user grows a pair of wings for flight.

New Weapons obtained:

Kana: Iron Sword: Durable blade made of iron with low striking power.

Characters

Name: Kurumu Kurono

Race: Succubus

Class: Young Devil (Illusionist/Brawler)

Weapon levels:

Claw: B

Strike: C

Illusion: D

Weapon: Nails - Extends her fingernails to fight.

Skills:

Charm: Gain control of members of the opposite sex through a single glance. Can be overcome through magic resistance and sheer willpower.

Enslave: Gain total dominance over charmed foes with a kiss.

Illusionist: Control someone's senses to force them through their worst nightmares.

Description: A young Succubus attending Yokai Academy hoping to find her 'Mate of Fate'. In her attempt to find them, she tried to charm the entire academy before being stope by Sothe and Company. Decided to stay close to Sothe, but for what reason? The one who snores the loudest.

A/N: I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry! I was gonna get this out way earlier, but...school and Persona happened. Yeah... I'm almost done with my second playthrough. I need help. Especially with finals coming up.

Anyway, Kurumu joins the unnamed army, and Aria has shown up. I'll give you one guess as to who she is. Its obvious.

On a side note, is anyone else excited for Shadows of Valentia? I really wanna play that.

Anyway, thats all for now. Next time we go clubbing. And I dont mean what Moka did to Kurumu in this one. See you guys next time! Akira out!