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Rosario + Vampire: Angel of Death
Chapter 20
For the first time in a long while, Tsukune Aono was having a nightmare.
In his mind, he could see Other Moka, standing in front of him, showing no expressions on her face. He tried to talk, but found that, not only could he not move, he also couldn't speak.
"Please don't think badly of me, Tsukune," the vampire said to him. "But you shouldn't have been involved with the monster world in the first place. If not, then I wouldn't have to do this…" She raised her hand close to her face, and looked away. "Goodbye, Tsukune."
And then, without warning, she sent that hand through Tsukune's heart, the impact making him cough up blood.
Suddenly, he saw the vampire do the same, as Haru appeared from behind, his long sword protruding from the vampire's and Tsukune's gut. He said nothing, only his face full of anger, told Tsukune that he had no remorse for what he had done.
Tsukune woke up, screaming and panting. Not only was his mind plagued by the dream he had, but his body ached so much that he had to hold onto his stomach.
It was at that point that he realized where he was: a hospital room.
He felt his body, finding dozens of bandages on him, covering up his chest, neck, and parts of his face.
Wh-where am I? he thought, looking out the window near his bed.
It was at that point, in the darkness, that he saw a figure appear from the other side of the room. Tsukune was shocked when he saw a man in robes walk towards him, smiling.
"I see you're awake, Tsukune-kun." the man said. "You look like you've had a bad nightmare recently. Perhaps one about two of your friends killing you out of nowhere?"
Tsukune looked at him. Who is this guy? How did he know what I was dreaming about?
He asked the man where he was, and who he was, only for the human to feel pain in his body.
The robed man did not move. "Don't strain yourself too much, Tsukune-kun. What you had dreamt is all true. The reason that you are here is because Akashiya Moka tried to kill you, just as your angel friend tried to kill her as well.
Tsukune looked at his wounds, then back at the man. "You didn't tell me who you are." he said. "How do you know all of this? Why are you here?"
Suddenly, he heard a woman's voice from his right. "Please don't worry, Tsukune. That man is an exorcist who saved your life. He's not your enemy."
Tsukune turned around to see Rubi, Yukari, and Kurumu slowly get up from the bed next to him. He was surprised. "R-Rubi-san? Kurumu-chan? Yukari-chan?"
Finally awake, Kurumu rushed to Tsukune's side, hugging him so tightly it hurt him.
"Tsukune!" the succubus said, smiling, "I'm so happy! You're finally back! I was so worried when you didn't wake up for four straight days, I…"
Rubi blushed. "It's been a while, Tsukune. I wanted to return the favor that you guys did at the Witch's Hill, and I thought this would be more fitting."
Tsukune looked at everyone around him. "Wh-what on earth is going on here?" he asked.
Yukari reached up and hugged Tsukune just as Kurumu was. "You're at the Academy's Hospital Annex. It's where monsters who are injured beyond what the school nurse can do go to heal."
Tsukune looked at the witch, and then at the man. "What happened? What do you mean Moka-san tried to kill me?
The man looked at Rubi, then nodded. "I suppose you should know." He said.
By that time, the sun was beginning to rise from the horizon, and at each passing second it rose, Tsukune's expression turned sour.
"WHAT?" he said, shouting so much that he felt his lungs beneath his cracked ribs. "W-what do you mean? You're all saying that, if it had been just a moment longer, Moka-san would've actually killed me? All because I turned into some 'ghoul' monster?"
Kurumu nodded. "Moka-san was mean. She really punched and kicked the crap out of you without mercy! It was so brutal that your hands were falling off!"
Tsukune looked away, stricken with grief. "No way," he said, "That bad? But, why would she…"
Suddenly, the exorcist spoke up again. "Tsukune-kun," he said, catching the human's attention, "could you please look at your right hand?"
Tsukune looked at the man, then did what he asked, and was surprised to see a strange chain with a lock at the ends, the outer shell of the keyhole looking like a cross.
"What is this?" he asked the man.
"A Holy Lock." the exorcist replied. "In a nutshell, it has the same properties as Akashiya Moka's rosario. That lock has the power to seal the vampire blood within you. In other words, that item is essential in your life as it stops you from becoming a ghoul once again. However, should you remove it; your life will surely end. So, please, remember that."
Tsukune looked at the man, then at the lock. "But, why would you save me?" the human asked. "Why would you be willing to help me turn back from becoming a ghoul?"
The exorcist laughed. "An old friend asked me to look after you while he was busy. I think you know him as the 'Bus Driver?'"
Tsukune's face deadpanned, as did Kurumu's and Yukari's. "Wh-WHAT?!" he said.
"That man came to us," Rubi said, "and told us that you needed to be saved. He said something bad was happening to your body. So we hurried and got there in time to save you."
Tsukune looked at the lock once again. Really? he thought. How did he know what was happening? How did he know I was in danger?
It was at that point that Tsukune noticed something was amiss in the room: Haru and Moka were not amongst those who were around him.
"Hang on a second," he said, "where's Moka-san and Haru-san? I don't see them here…"
Rubi's expression changed. "W-well, Moka-san's not here right now." she said, looking away. "As for Haru-san, he…"
She looked at the exorcist, who once again nodded his head. "Your angel friend has been through an ordeal just like yours, only much worse."
Tsukune was confused, then finally noticed something: the exorcist was holding onto Haru's masamune.
He then looked around, and then noticed that there were three beds in the room. He was shocked to see who was on the bed nearest to the door.
Haru looked injured. His arms, chest, even parts of his face were covered up in bandages. Dozens of tubes were sticking into him, as if the angel had become someone stricken with a life-threatening disease, and the tubes were the only thing that was keeping him alive.
"Wh-what happened?" Tsukune said. "Did Moka-san injure Haru-san too?"
Out of nowhere, Mizore appeared from under Tsukune's bed, scaring him. "No. More like HE hurt Moka."
Confused, Tsukune lowered his arms. "What do you mean?" he asked.
Kurumu looked at the human. "After you were turned into that ghoul, Haru started acting like something was attacking him from the inside. When you… began hurting all of the Outcast Ayashi, and we tried to stop Moka from killing you, he just exploded! Literally! He turned into some walking fire-beast and started beating you with an inch of your life! Then, after the exorcist appeared, and saved you, he started beating up on Moka. If it weren't for the exorcist, Moka would've been dead."
Tsukune looked at his fallen friend, more confused than ever. "Wait," he said. "if he was hurting Moka, then why is he the one injured? Why is he here instead of Moka-san?"
Kurumu shook her head. "We don't know." she said. "We've been trying to find out what the deal was with him ever since then."
"And I think I have the answer to what Haru Uematsu truly is." The exorcist said, walking towards the unconscious angel. "As you know, angels have been around for centuries, millennia even. They are the oldest and, supposedly, strongest race in the world. But your dear Haru is different from the other angels. Like the fools of the Outcast Ayashi, your Haru Uematsu is also a hybrid. And based on what I saw that day," he sat on Haru's bed, smiling, "I think I know what that other side really is."
Tsukune looked at the man. "What is he then?" he asked.
The man continued, holding out his hands. "On one side, we have a race created by God to watch over humans and monsters, a race devoted to protecting the peaceful separation between the two different races. But on another, we have an ancient race, one more ancient than the angels itself. A race of beings so powerful that they themselves were once called gods. I believe that Haru Uematsu's other half, the side you all saw that day, is that of an Elemental."
Tsukune blinked. "A- A what?" he said.
Yukari spoke up. "That's impossible! The Elementals have been extinct for millions of years! There's no way they can still exist!"
"And yet, one lies before us." the man replied. "I know it's hard to believe, but it's the only logical explanation. What else could explain his overwhelming power?"
Tsukune looked at his friend, his eyes showing no movement whatsoever. "An… Elemental?" he said.
"A Sun Elemental, to be precise," The exorcist continued, "said to be the most powerful of them all. But it seems this angel has no control of such power, as he seemed unresponsive to his actions during his transformed state. He's lucky that he didn't stay in that form, otherwise that power could've consumed his body."
Kurumu gasped. "It's like at the Witch's Ranch when Yukari fought off those plant monsters with that powerful spell!" she said. "When she fell asleep, Haru-san said that it was the outcome for when someone uses a power that's too strong for them that they can barely use, that it weakens them to a point!"
Tsukune looked at the succubus, remembering that day. "You're right." he said, looking down on his sheets. "But, for him to be an Elemental…"
"You want more proof?" the exorcist asked, getting up and going to the other side of Haru's bed. He moved the bang that covered the angel's left eye away, and opened the eyelids slightly to reveal the gold beneath them. "In legends, the elementals are spoken of as beings with strangely colored eyes that matched the element they controlled. Red for fire, green for air, brown for earth, so on and so forth. As you can see, Haru's left eye is colored gold, signifying his power over the Sun within him. Sure, you saw fire that day, but if you think about it, is the Sun made out of anything else?" He removed his hand from the angel's eye, as it slowly closed up again. "Very impressive for the son of Shiro Uematsu…"
Kurumu spoke. "Shiro Uematsu? His dad? What does his dad have to do with Haru-san?"
The exorcist looked at the others as he began to walk back where he sat before. "You mean you don't know? You have no idea who Shiro Uematsu is?"
Tsukune looked at the man. "Well, Haru-san DID mention him once. Said that he was an important man in all of Japan."
"Perhaps in the human world," the exorcist said, sitting down, "but in the monster world, he's more famous. He's actually one of the most powerful men in the monster world as well as the human world. For you see, Shiro Uematsu, is actually the Angel King."
Tsukune felt his eyes widen. "K-K-K-K-KING?!" he said, Kurumu and the rest following suit.
The man laughed. "I know. Surprising, right? I couldn't believe it myself when I found out Shiro's son, a prince if you will, was in this academy." He looked at the masamune that he held, examining it. "As you are aware, weapons are not allowed on the school grounds. But, as I know well, weapons like this one are like a birthright for the Uematsu family. Taking it away would be like trying to kill them. Plus, I've not heard any reports about the angel waving this blade around like it was some toy, so I'll allow it. Still," he looked at the wolf's head that took place as the hilt of the blade, "I can't help but think that I have seen this blade many years in the past…"
Tsukune looked at Haru, then at the others. "Well," Tsukune said, "What about Moka-san? Is she here?"
As he looked around, he saw Kurumu's gaze move away from him, her expression changing to a light sadness. "She's…" the succubus said, "not here. After all, no matter what reason she has, Moka was the one who made you like this. There's no way that she could just show her face, is there?"
Unbeknownst to her, Moka was in fact outside the door leading to Tsukune and Haru's room, taking in the conversation from the others, feeling her heart growing heavier the more they spoke of her.
Out of nowhere, the rosario spoke to her. 'Hey," it said to the vampire, catching her attention, 'how much longer are you going to be like this? We should go. Tsukune, who was once a ghoul, and I, the one who tried to kill him. You know as well as I that if you two stay together, those events will repeat themselves once again. That is the true nature of our vampiric race. If not for that exorcist, though, he would not have survived. But should he turn into a ghoul again, he may not be so lucky.' Moka placed her hand on the door, as if she wanted to push it open, but instead turned around and walked to a nearby corner. 'We,' the rosario continued, 'should not have gotten close to Tsukune from the very beginning.'
As soon as she made it, the door opened as Tsukune walked out into the hall, thinking that he saw Moka there. Unfortunately, he saw neither hide nor hair of his close friend. As he turned back into his room, Moka covered her face, fighting back the tears and the urge to see Tsukune again.
The Next Day.
Tsukune felt lost. Even more so since this morning's events.
This morning, his doctor, Yuji-sensei, and his nurse, Yakumaru-sensei, removed the bandages around him, and were astonished to see that all of his wounds had healed quickly, saying that it would be possible for him to leave the hospital sooner than expected. As his friends rejoiced around him, and the doctor and the nurse checking on Haru to see what his condition was, Tsukune felt a presence behind the door leading to the halls, and went outside, seeing Moka from afar, the vampire deep in thought. As he called out to her, the human was shocked to see tears on her face. Not long after the doctor and nurse left, Rubi, Kurumu, Mizore, and Yukari watched from the doorway as Tsukune talked to Moka, wanting her to join the others. Moka shook her head, telling the human about how she remembered the events that transpired after her rosario was removed during the fight with Midou, the memories making her feel that even just by standing near him, the vampire would hurt him again. As she ran off, Tsukune stood where he was, shocked at Moka's outburst, the words sinking in deep within as he ignored Kurumu calling out to him.
As the weather outside began to change into thunderstorms, Tsukune searched the building, looking for Moka in an attempt to try and reconcile for what happened, hoping that he could convince his friend, the one he cared about so much, to come back and stay with him. After a while, he caught up with Moka, only to be shocked that blood was on her neck and shoulder, the vampire's face so expressionless that is scared him. Then, out of nowhere, she started slashing at Tsukune with a scalpel, as if she wanted to kill him once again. But before she could do any major damage, Kurumu appeared out of nowhere, snapping the vampire out of her strange state by slapping her hard on the face, stating that if she ever tried to hurt him again, she would never forgive the vampire.
And now, after all that, he sat on his bed, replaying the incident in his head as Yukari, Kurumu, Mizore, and the exorcist stood nearby, the witch telling him about Rubi talking to Moka about the whole thing and trying to determine what was going on, only for the vampire to constantly tell her that she had no idea, a void in her memories from when she last saw Tsukune up until the incident.
Tsukune looked at his arm, bandaged up to suppress the bleeding. What's going on?! he thought. I could've sworn that Moka-san was… He looked at the ground, rubbing his head. Why did she attack me? Was the Moka I saw earlier the real her? Or was she really… He then looked up, his expression turning more serious. This is no good, he continued. If I don't do something, I'll…
As he got up, he noticed Kurumu moving towards the door, blocking his path. "Where are you going, Tsukune?" she asked, a look of worry on her face.
Tsukune looked at her as the succubus continued. "I'm not going to let you go to Moka again. I know that the outer Moka has no intent to kill anyone, but the inner Moka may have controlled her into attacking you. If that's so, it's too dangerous to be near her."
Tsukune raised his arms. "No way!" he said. "There's no way that could ever happen!"
"Why?" Kurumu shouted, "Don't you remember when she tried to kill you before?"
Tsukune's eyes widened, then looking away. The succubus continued, walking towards him. "I had thought before that the inner Moka was thinking in her own way that she was actually saving you when you became that ghoul, and that, because of it, I felt that I shouldn't have stopped her when we did." She held Tsukune's wounded arm close to her chest, moving closely to the human. "But, with what's happened now, I don't know if I can trust her ever again!"
As she said this, she was turned into ice as Mizore grabbed hold of her, moving her away from Tsukune. As the succubus broke free, she turned to the snow fairy. "Mizore-chan?! What are you doing!?"
"Get away from him, you big breasted woman." Mizore said. "You're crowding over him too much."
Kurumu got up in her face. "What are you talking about?! Can't you see that now's not the time for this?! Read the mood, you stalker!"
"How about you go and pour some water on your head while you're at it?" Mizore replied. "What Tsukune wants to do is up to him. You shouldn't say unnecessary things that will trouble him any more."
At this point, Tsukune looked away as the succubus turned to face him, unsure of what to say.
"Sorry, Kurumu-chan." The human said, turning around. "I'll be going out for a bit. Now that I think about it, Moka-san's always been keeping me going in all of my struggles. And now, I think she needs me more than ever. It's just as I thought," He opened the door, going through the doorway, "I have something I need to do. I have to believe in Moka-san…"
As he left, Yukari looked at the door, feeling lost at what to do.
"Hmph." the exorcist said, smiling. "You shouldn't worry. The fool seems determined to fix whatever problems are in his path. Perhaps the snow fairy is right, after all."
Yukari looked at him, then at the others. "It's true." she said. "All we can do is support Tsukune in all of his struggles. Just like Moka-san…"
The exorcist chuckled. "Still, the vampire attacking him after a battle with the Outcast Ayashi out of nowhere seems a bit out of place, correct? I wouldn't be surprised if they had something to do with it all…"
Kurumu looked at the man, still worried. "If that's so, then we should go with him! We can't just stand still and do nothing!"
Suddenly, a voice from her left spoke. "Dear Lord, woman. Even in the depths of sleep you're as annoying as ever."
The succubus turned around, shocked at what she saw.
Not long after.
As Tsukune ran through the halls, his mind was racing with memories of Moka and Kurumu, remembering how they were acting and that it all happened after he turned into a ghoul, how they seemed to be breaking apart, falling to pieces bit by bit. That's why he felt that if he did nothing, things would get worse for him and his friends altogether.
Suddenly, he felt himself lose balance as he slipped on something wet, falling on the floor and interrupting his thoughts. As he examined the floor, he noticed blood where he fell, and realized the streaks of blood and the bodies all around him, contorted in different positions and showing no signs of life.
Tsukune was horrified. "What… What the hell is going on?! Why are these people… What happened?!" he said, shaking in fear.
As he got up, he heard a woman's voice come from the other side of the room laugh.
"Ahh…" the woman said walking from the shadows, "It's so nice to see you again, Tsukune-kun. I'm actually happy that you came here by your own accord. It saves me time from having to call you over here…"
As Tsukune focused on the woman, he was surprised to see the voice belonging to the nurse, Yakumaru, that he saw earlier.
"What the-?!" he said. "You?! Who are you?!"
Yakumaru smiled. "I am from the Outcast Ayashi, Yakumaru Mako. As per the Organization's orders, I have come to eliminate you once and for all."
Hearing this, Tsukune's eyes widened. Her?! he thought. No way… I've got to-!
His thoughts were interrupted as he felt a hand grab at his ankle, looking down to see one of the dead bodies holding onto him, despite not showing any sign of life before. Slowly, the other bodies got up, and swarmed around the human, grabbing onto him and making it impossible for Tsukune to move at all.
Yakumaru laughed. "And just where do you think you're going? I can't let you leave after all of my planning, Tsukune-kun."
Tsukune freaked. "What the hell?! What's with these people? They're suddenly moving like some undead creature!"
The woman laughed once more, extending a monstrous claw in the air. "It's because I can control other people at will if I inject my body fluids with this finger. I can make everybody move as I want them to." She raised her arms in the air, her smile growing bigger. "And now, there's no place for you to escape, Tsukune-kun! I'll have you die here!"
As she said this, one of the moving bodies bit into Tsukune's shoulder, making him cry in pain, his mind in chaos. What- what is this?! he thought. An ability to control people at will!? How is this possible?! In the midst of it all, Tsukune had a thought, as he remembered Moka's strange outburst earlier, as the pieces began to fall into place.
"N-no…" he said. "It makes sense now. Could it be that before, with Moka-san… That was you the whole time?! You were the one who manipulated Moka-san into attacking me?!"
Yakumaru kept smiling as Tsukune felt angry. "How dare you…" he continued, struggling to get free. "How dare you do that to Moka-san!"
The woman lowered one of her arms, the claw she seemed proud of extending more. "Sadly, for you at least, you're done. With a face that turns me on so much, I'd rather you dies with that look, Tsukune-kun!"
She then sent the claw at him, twisting and extending as Tsukune kept struggling for freedom.
Then, out of nowhere, Moka appeared, the claw going through her neck as she stepped in between it and Tsukune. Both the monster's and the human's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Tsu… Tsukune…" the vampire said as the claw retracted from her skin. "Thank goodness… I made it in time." She looked at the human, tears growing in her eyes as blood trickled down the edge of her mouth. "I had… remembered something very important. The feeling that I have to protect Tsukune no matter what. That's why… I…" Before she could finish, she collapsed, Tsukune reaching out to catch her and failing, as Moka laid on the floor, unresponsive. It was at that point that Tsukune noticed that he was holding Moka's rosario.
Not seeing this, Yakumaru laughed. "What a foolish girl! To think that she came here to let me control her once again!" She licked her claw, blushing. "You must really love that 'injection' so much, hmm?"
As she said this, Tsukune noticed the vampire slowly get up, holding her head. As Tsukune called out to her, he noticed that she wasn't transforming as quickly as she had before. As he tried to figure out what went wrong, Moka screamed as she felt the pain from her neck and body erupt from within.
Yakumaru laughed once again. "It seems your plan to rescue Tsukune-kun backfired, vampire! With this new development, everything can go as I planned!"
As she went on, Tsukune saw Moka get up slowly, then raised her arm just like her other side did before, as if she was going to kill him again. "Now," the woman said, "this time, give Tsukune-kun the cruelest death with your own hands!
Tsukune's mind once again went back to the dream he had, the one where Other Moka had taken her hand and sent it through Tsukune's heart. This is bad, he thought. If taking the rosario doesn't work, then nothing will! I'm really going to die, just like I did in that nightmare!
He then noticed Moka's arm shaking as the vampire tried to fight off the urge to kill her friend. "Ru… run away… please." Moka said, tears running down her face. "I can't… my… body is… Please! Get away and leave me, Tsukune!"
As she said this, Tsukune felt his heart skip a beat. The vampire slowly sent her hand towards the human as he lowered his head.
He then looked up, slightly smiling. "It's alright, I'm not running. Even if I die, I will always be your friend."
Hearing this made Moka tense up, giving her more strength to try and combat the toxins within her, only for it to go to no avail.
Suddenly, a man's voice appeared, breaking the brief silence. "Unbelievable. You're both hopeless as ever."
Out of nowhere, a tall man appeared carrying something long in his hand stand between Tsukune and the vampire, raising his left arm to block the attack by the girl in front of him. As the blow pierced the man's skin, Tsukune noticed who it was, and felt the air in his lungs disappear.
Haru grunted, despite the gaping, bleeding hole in his arm. "Guess I have to clean up this mess once again, right?"
Yakumaru's smile disappeared. "What?! Uematsu Haru!? That's impossible! How are you walking about after your injuries?!"
The angel ignored the woman, and slowly turned to face Tsukune. "Didn't I tell you before? Nothing can stop me, not even some nap I took."
As he said this, the hand that went through his arm slowly removed itself from the angel, as Moka's hair slowly turned silver. "Sorry about that, Tsukune and Haru," the vampire said, the voice making Tsukune's heart skip more than a beat. "I guess I fell asleep for a bit. But, thanks to your voice reaching me in my dreams, and the angel's intervention, I've finally awakened. Thank you both…"
As she said this, the same burst of light appeared, showing that the vampire's transformation was near completion. As her wounds fully healed, the bodies around Tsukune trembled in fear.
Haru grunted, his wounded arm dropping to his side. "I don't need you thanks. I only did what's right, plain and simple." He grunted as Tsukune could see that not all of Haru's wounds had healed right, that his wounds slowly bled even from beneath the bandages. He then saw the angel shrug, placing his sword on his shoulder.
The angel then looked at Yakumaru, who was still taken aback by the sudden turn of events. "So," he said, "you're from the Outcast Ayashi? That's good, cause I wanted to send them a message after all this time."
Yakumaru shook in rage. "You bastards! How many times must you humiliate me more until you are satisfied?! Why won't you die already?!"
She lunged at the trio, but before she could get anywhere close to them, Haru rushed at her, slicing at the woman with blinding speed, as he stopped behind her, the blade lightly touching the ground as Yakumaru exploded into a pool of blood, hundreds of cuts on her body, taking the fight and breath out of her before she fell to the ground.
Without turning around, Haru squinted his eyes. "I think that will do, don't you?" he said. "Should tell your superiors that they should steer clear from Tsukune and Moka, or else they'll end up with worse injuries."
As Yakumaru landed on the pool of blood, the bodies around Tsukune collapsed, free from the woman's control. Tsukune was surprised as Other Moka stood close to him. "Whoa." he said. "I know that Haru-san's strong, but I've never seen him do THAT before…"
The vampire agreed, walking towards Tsukune. Suddenly, she felt the sharp end of Haru's masamune on her neck, turning around to see an eye of pure hatred looking at her.
"Get away from him, you monster." The angel said, anger in each of his words.
Tsukune was shocked. "Haru-san?! What are you doing?! Why are you threatening Moka-san?!"
Haru looked at the human. "You mean that you're THAT stupid?!" the angel said. "I'm saving your life like I've been trying to all these months. I'm making sure that this bitch doesn't kill you like she tried to before, like her kind has done before."
Tsukune looked at him. What?! Like before?! What the hell does he mean?!
To be continued...