Disclaimer:
Rosario + Vampire, et al = property of Akihisa Ikeda, produced by Shonen Jump.
Tekkaman/Teknoman, et al = property of Tatsunoko Productions.
My OCs = property of me. Nuff said.
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"CAPS/BOLD" - Inner Moka (speaking in the Rosario)
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Chapter Three: Enter the Blue-Haired Seductress
A week had passed at Yokai Academy since the incident with Saizou, Hayate, Tsukune, and Moka. Hayate had already gone and given his side of the story to the Headmaster, on the same day. With Moka and Tsukune as his witnesses to his actions against the bully, the Headmaster had no trouble believing his words. Also, he had given the Headmaster a digital copy of the events that had happened there, concrete proof of that he had acted in self-defense of his classmates, and that Saizou had blatantly broken the rules. The Headmaster agreed.
The Headmaster then assured them all that Saizou would be out of the Academy, and laid up in a hospital outside the barrier, for the next two months. That being said, with him being that far behind in his classes upon his return, would insure that Saizou had minimal free time to cause any further trouble for them when he did return to the Academy after his recovery. After that, Hayate had invited Tsukune back to his trailer for a nice long chat about their current situation, and what they were going to do in the mean time. Moka apologized to Tsukune, and vice versa, while promising not to say anything about him being human to anyone.
In turn, Hayate promised to starting working out with Tsukune in endurance training and basic calisthenics, to improve his light frame and increase his agility and speed. The training would also build up his physique, making him more resilient, as well as increasing the red blood cell production in him. That way, Moka's 'bite-kisses' would have less risk of leaving him drained AND exhausted. Friend or not, if Moka got too needy for his blood, Tsukune could wind up a shriveled corpse. Hayate also made sure that Moka - and her proud 'Inner' self, to her mild discomfort - promised not to talk about his trailer and vehicle too much to anyone she knew; he preferred his privacy just like that: PRIVATE.
Hayate explained to Moka that the trailer and his vehicle were not just his prized possessions: they were his connection to the friends and allies he had made back in the human world. Hard-earned resources had to be kept in both good standing and protected from people who were less inclined to leave them alone, and Hayate was in no mood to see them appropriated by anyone. Still, he did promise to devise a valuable method of protection for Tsukune during the year they were beginning here at Yokai Academy.
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Although it would take a couple of weeks before the device was done, Pegasus had already taken bio-metric scans of Tsukune - and Moka, as well - for identification purposes. The device Hayate planned to build for Tsukune, a bio-static force field belt to aid in keeping him safe, would auto-activate to defend him against any yokai attacks other than from Moka or himself. Until then, Hayate took the next couple of days after the incident with Saizou to work out and fully carry out his training regimen for Tsukune.
After four days of training and classes, Tsukune was quite worn out, but he stuck to his guns, emboldened by how much Hayate genuinely wanted him to survive and thrive at the Academy. He also agreed to have Pegasus and Hayate act as other tutors for him,... once Hayate had revealed the Tekkabot's semi-sentient personality to the surprised human. Hayate's innate heightened learning curve and sharp mind was already two weeks ahead in all of his own classes, as well as in his own projects he had brought with to keep himself busy during his free time.
Now, as the day's classes ended for the lunch break, Tsukune went off to find a place to sit with Moka on his arm, while Hayate headed over to the bookstore to double-check on a few things he had ordered a few days ago to increase his knowledge of yokai. But, as he walked in the direction of the bookstore, Hayate's battle senses instantly told him that he was being watched...
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Before long, Hayate knew for sure that the lone presence skirting on the periphery of his awareness had circled around to one side of him, and seemed to be lying in wait for him. Remaining calm, Hayate kept walking unti he was almost to the bookstore, where the unknown person started... moaning? 'Okay, this is a new tactic in getting my attention.' Hayate mused as he walked over in the direction of the soft moans. 'Eyes open, Aiba; pay attention, and don't forget to look out for the sucker-punch.' He soon came upon a female student of the Academy lying on the ground, with light aqua-colored, medium-length hair, purple ribbons tied in her locks, and a type of hair crown on her head.
The female student was wearing a skirt with multiple colors, and if his eyes weren't playing tricks on him, she had a bust equal to, or more than impressive than, Inner Moka's own had been when her true self had appeared during the fight with Saizou. "Oooooh...!" She moaned again, prompting Hayate's senses, and his wrist-comp, to scan over her as he walked over.
"Are you all right, Miss?" Hayate said to her, still wary of what was actually going on here.
"Uhhhh, I'm feeling a bit woozy now..." She replied. Hayate's hormones tried to rise up and get his attention at the sight of the lovely and well-proportioned young woman, but his combat-hardened will quickly put it into the back of his mind. 'Not now.' Hayate mentally groused, offering her his hands as he spoke to her.
"Be bad form if I didn't help a young woman up." She smiled as he helped her up, even as Hayate noticed her own strength as he grasped her arms to pull her to her feet.
"Thank you." The aqua-haired young woman said as she steadied herself, still holding onto Hayate's arms as she did. "I was feeling pretty dizzy there for a moment. Thanks so much, Hayate-san."
If this girl being the one who had been quietly following him hadn't already gotten his battle instincts wary, the use of his name immediately snapped Hayate to full combat readiness.
"You're welcome." Hayate politely replied, before altering his tone to drill sergeant mode in a heartbeat. "Now, you mind telling me how you know my name?" The aqua-haired young woman, slightly surprised at the change of Hayate's voice, still responded clearly.
"Oh, we're in the same class, actually... but, you haven't noticed me, since I sit in the back..." The young woman said, pausing a moment before continuing on. "... and you're always talking with Tsukune, or writing down things in your notebook... or chatting with that MOKA girl." Hayate arched an eyebrow at her statement.
"Last I checked, it's NOT a crime to want to do well in classes, or chat with my friends in my free time." Hayate's calm words kept his true displeasure at the woman's intentions well hidden. "And, you are, Miss...?" The young woman perked up at his question.
"Oh, right; let me introduce myself." The aqua-haired woman struck a diva-like pose, giving Hayate a better look at her assets. "My name is Kurumu Korono."
"Pleasure." Hayate replied, still not letting down his guard in front of this lovely female yokai. "You feeling okay now, Miss Korono? No more dizziness?" She smiled back at him.
"Nope; I think I'm okay, but could you look me over, Hayate, just to be sure?" Kurumu's words, and her sly tone, convinced Hayate that she was going to try something sneaky. So, marshalling his mind and body for anything, Hayate prepared for a 'sucker punch' as he looked at Kurumu, and he was not disappointed as her eyes glowed brightly at him.
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Hayate felt strong sensations flow at him the minute Kurumu's eyes glowed in his direction, trying to compel him to take her into his arms as Kurumu moved closer to him, her sizable bust beginning to press into his muscled chest. While she was appreciating the closeness of their bodies at that moment, Kurumu did not see Hayate's own eyes glow blue-green in turn, and FAR stronger that Kurumu's had.
"Just WHAT are you trying to do, Miss?" Hayate questioned, surprising Kurumu out of her stupor long enough to notice that Hayate was still very clear-headed, and slightly glaring at her.
'He RESISTED my Charm... HOW?' Kurumu thought, even as she played innocent and used her Charm again, replying to Hayate, "Hayate-san, I don't know what you're talking about..."
As the same sensations came at him again, this time stronger than before, Hayate's eyes flared brighter, banishing them all from his mind, but this time, his augmented body WANTED to reciprocate. 'NOT now, you horny monster.' Hayate mentally ordered his physique, aided by a very subtle harmonic hum from his wrist-comp.
Having calculated the strong possibility that he might be under a mental assault in the future here at Yokai Academy, Hayate and his two 'handlers' designed his wrist-comp to include harmonic frequency bursts to his nervous system if his normal alpha brain-waves were ever out of sync. That hum from his wrist-comp quickly convinced Hayate's form to behave, while he crossed his arms in front of himself, staring right at Kurumu with a scowl.
"Miss Kurono, please do NOT play me for a FOOL." Hayate growled out as he looked at her. "I'm NOT, and neither are YOU, Kurumu. Now, what do you want?"
'HOW did he resist my Allure!?' Kurumu mentally cried out. 'Any other yokai here might be BRAIN-DEAD by now, but HE shrugged it away like a layer of dust off a table. Who IS this guy, and what makes him so special?' As Kurumu tried to come up with a good excuse to Hayate's glare, the aqua-haired woman was spared the indignity as Moka spied her and Hayate. "Hayate-san!" She called out as she walked over.
Hayate waved at Moka when he saw her out of the corner of his eye, but kept his gaze firm on Kumuru. "So, are you going to answer me, or not, Miss Kurono?" Hayate pressed, only for Moka's approach to them to become Kurumu's out.
"Oh, I'm feeling better now, so I can make it to the infirmary on my own." Kurumu pleasantly responded. "Ta-ta, Hayate Katsuragi! See you later!" As Hayate saw Kurumu quickly slip away, he rolled his eyes in annoyance. Kurumu was going to be a handful for sure, despite her beauty. 'Just my luck.' Hayate groused.
"Hayate-san, who was that?" Moka asked as she came over to him, to which Hayate answered back. "A classmate of ours, Moka; that's what she told me. Kurumu Kurono's her name." Hayate responded to his friend's question, even as his wrist-unit vibrated on his forearm to him; it had just finished its review of his interaction with Kurumu, and a quick glance at it told him he was right.
"Why do you look annoyed, Hayate-san?" Moka asked, noting the scowl on his face.
"She was trying to put a mind alteration whammy on me, Moka; that's what's got me irked." Hayate replied. "My money says that she's not a yokai that you can turn your back on."
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Before Moka could ask Hayate more about HOW he suspected what kind of yokai Kurumu was, his wrist-comp chirped at him. "No way... you've got to be kidding me...!" He said as he checked his watch.
"Problem, Hayate-san?" Moka asked.
"Yeah, Moka; someone just tried to SWIPE MY JEEP." Moka gasped out in surprise, but Hayate took it in stride. "I need to go and check this out, Moka." He said to her, but as he turned to go, he spoke up one more time. "Do us both a favor, though, and keep an eye out for Kurumu, AND on Tsukune while I'm gone. Okay?"
"Okay, but why, Hayate-san?" Moka asked, prompting Hayate to half-smile at the 'Outer' Moka's naiveté, compared to her 'Inner' self's brusqueness.
"She's cooking up something, Moka. I'm sure of it." Hayate said to his friend. "She just hides it well. So, eyes open, okay?" Moka nodded at Hayate.
"All right, Hayate-san." Moka replied. "See you later!"
As Moka walked off, Hayate immediately hustled off to check on his jeep AND his trailer. Upon his arrival to where he had set up shop, Hayate saw several large bats all spasming on the ground, courtesy of the shielding from his trailer and Pegasus, no doubt. He then noticed that the least stunned one of the bunch of bats, was the SAME ONE from the day before. Marching over, Hayate snagged the bat by its wing, and firmly pinned it against the nearest tree!
"Hey!" The dazed bat suddenly cried out. "What gives, pal!?" The responding glare that Hayate turned on the bat was cold and laced with displeasure.
"CAN the pleasantries, SPY, or you're going home, WINGLESS." The bat cringed at Hayate's harsh words, then shivered as Hayate continued on berating the creäture. "Now, what were you and your crew here trying to do with my trailer and jeep?"
"Uh, can I use a lifeline?" The bat gently quipped, only for Hayate to squeeze the bat's wing again, but HARDER.
"Don't get CUTE; I'm not in the mood, so answer the questions, or kiss your wings good-bye!" Hayate barked, making the bat cringe in fear again before he answered.
"Okay, okay!" The bat shrieked. "My mistress was checking the school out! I'm her recon guy! This was my last stop, but I couldn't get in any closer to see anything because of that shield! Honest!"
"Who is she!?" Hayate bellowed, but the bat cringed further, causing Hayate to eye him intently.
"You might kill me, mister, but she'll TORTURE MY SOUL!" The bat cried out. "I can't tell you who she is!" Hayate looked the bat square in the eye; he wasn't lying.
"Take your pals there, and SCRAM." Hayate growled at him. "Come near my possessions again, and you're TOAST." The bat quickly nodded.
"Done! Done!" The bat screeched out, prompting Hayate to release him and watch as he quickly revived his pals before high-tailing it out of there with them. Once they were all gone, Hayate mentally contacted Pegasus, even as he started to walk back to class.
'All A-Okay, Pegas?' Hayate asked.
'They did not get past the barriers, sir.' The Tekkabot replied to Hayate. 'Harmonic multi-phasic frequencies are still intact and fully functional, sir.' Hayate nodded at that.
'Good; stay alert, and let me know of anything new.' Hayate responded as he began to hustle off to class.
'Yes, sir.' The Tekkabot replied, returning to its normal scanning and patrol checks.
Just then, as he rounded the corner to head back into the school, Hayate spied Moka walking away from the classrooms, a confused and hurt look on her face. "Moka-chan?" Hayate called out as he walked over to her. "What's wrong?" Moka stifled a sob as she spoke.
"Tsukune... Tsukune just said that he doesn't want to be my friend any more, and then, he left with Kurumu!" Moka's tears fell slowly, and Hayate could only hang his head.
"Aw, FRAG." Hayate moaned out as he immediately understood that Kurumu had made her move while he had been away from his friends.
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Sitting Moka down on a nearby bench, Hayate asked her to explain exactly what had happened between her, Kurumu, and Tsukune while he had been gone. Moka suppressed her sniffles, and told Hayate everything that had occured...
She had been calmly walking toward her next class, on the lookout for Tsukune and Kurumu, when she heard a loud shout from above.
"Moka Akashiya! I challenge you for the title of Yokai Academy Beauty, right here and now!" Turning, Moka looked up to see Kurumu standing on an upper ledge of the building, and glaring down at her. She then jumped down, giving the growing crowd of male students a fantastic view as her skirt fluttered up, revealing her pure white panties...
"Wait a minute...!" Hayate interrupted Moka's explanation at that point, his eyes blinking at what his ears had heard. "... she just jumped down from that ledge, and panty-flashed most of the male students here!?" Moka nodded.
"Yeah, she did..." As she spoke, Hayate promptly dropped his head to his chest, mentally grousing to himself. 'Damn; still, gonna' have to catch up to her later on, anyway.' He then replied to Moka.
"Now, most of them are going to be clamoring for dates with her as soon as they see her... TERRIFIC." Hayate shook his head. "I'm sorry; go on, Moka. What else?"
After that, Kurumu had again challenged Moka for the title of 'beauty queen' of the school, stating her harem plan to help begin the process of saving her race, the succubi, and HOW she was going to take both Hayate AND Tsukune away from Moka as well.
Hayate only shook his head, recalling the profile of a succubus from memory: high-level illusion spells, bat like wings for flight, and a drop-dead female figure to die for, but with an occasional penchant for draining the life-force of other beings, and worst of all,... a low birth rate. 'No WONDER she wanted my attention; her people aren't thriving, and she believes it's up to her to save them.' Hayate mused before speaking to Moka again.
"So, what happened next?" He asked his vampire friend.
Tsukune had come upon Moka and Kurumu just then, and suddenly, Kurumu just looked at him, and his whole demeanor changed, so much that he said to her that he didn't want to be Moka's 'juice box' any more, and promptly left with Kurumu for the infirmary to get checked out for light-headedness. All the while, his expression was blank and utterly emotionless toward Moka's shocked face, while Kurumu smirked at her as they left.
Then, just as Hayate opened his mouth, both he and another regal foice said the EXACT same thing. "She 'Charmed' him." Looking at Moka as those words filled the air, Hayate arched up an eyebrow at his friend.
"Uh, Moka, you mind telling me just how the heck you were talking like your 'Inner' self a moment ago?" Hayate said, causing Moka to blink back in confusion.
"I-I didn't do it...!" Moka started, only to be cut off by the same regal voice once more.
"I DID." This time, when he heard that, Hayate's eyes focused on Moka's silvery Rosario; the voice had come from THAT.
"Excuse me, Moka, but I think I need to take a closer look at your Rosario." Hayate stated. "May I?" Moka nodded. Hayate then gently lifted up the Rosario closer to his face - making sure to not start staring at her chest, now closer to him as well, - and he was VERY surprised to see a slitted eye staring out of the Rosario's gem, right back at him. 'Mystery solved.' He thought to himself.
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"VERY OBSERVANT, HAYATE KATSURAGI." The voice of Inner Moka spoke again from the Rosario. Hayate nodded at his assessment.
"Yep, that's your 'Inner' self all right, Moka." Hayate replied to the 'Outer' Moka, whose eyes grew wide with shock and surprise.
"You're... ME!?" She cried, only for the Rosario to answer back with a bit of sarcasm.
"OF COURSE I AM, SILLY." 'Inner' Moka stated to them both. "I'M USING THE ROSARIO AS A MEDIUM TO SPEAK TO YOU RIGHT NOW, BUT I'M INTRIGUED THAT HAYATE HEARD ME AS WELL." At that, Hayate shrugged.
"Oni descendants keep their heightened levels of perception best of all their abilities, Miss 'Inner' Akashiya." Hayate answered back, garnering a sensation of amusement from the Rosario. "Still, I'm both surprised, and amazed, to be talking with the two different sides of one person's personality."
"WE CAN TALK MORE LATER, YOU TWO." The 'Inner' Moka stated firmly to them. "FIRST, WE MUST TRACK DOWN KURUMU BEFORE SHE HAS A CHANCE TO FURTHER ENCHANT TSUKUNE."
"Swell." Hayate groused. "I can check my wrist-comp's micro-map for his location, since he's... different, but didn't Kurumu say that she and Tsukune were going to the infirmary?" 'Outer' Moka nodded at Hayate's words.
"Yes! She did!" The Rosario hummed as 'Outer' Moka spoke.
"AS LONG AS WE KEEP HER FROM CHARMING HIM AND KISSING HIM AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE A CHANCE." The flatness of the 'Inner' Moka's tone left no room for debate. "THAT'S WHEN A SUCCUBUS' CHARMING ABILITY IS STRONGEST."
"Understood." Hayate agreed. "Let's move!" Taking Moka's hand, the pair rushed off to the infirmary, while the 'Inner' Moka pondered the revelation told to her by Hayate. 'Heightened perception... can he help us regain our shared memories?' She thought as they ran to save Tsukune from an emotionless fate.
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Hayate and Moka arrived at the empty nurse's office just in time to catch a glimpse of Kurumu leaning over to kiss Tsukune, but at the very last second, the young man turned his head, muttering to himself that he had hurt Moka, and he was going to apologize to his friend as quickly as possible. 'He has willpower that he has not yet fully realized; good for him.' Hayate remarked, even as he saw Kurumu begin to become irate.
"Tsukune-san!" Moka yelled as she ran past Hayate to hug her friend, further incensing Kurumu.
"Moka...! I'm... I'm so sorry...!" Tsukune started to apologize to Moka. "...I-I don't know what came over me..."
"I do." Hayate said, leaning against the door frame, his annoyed gaze focused on Kurumu. "An interesting talent, Miss Kurono. Still, it does leave a lot to be desired in life, if you want to actually have a conversation, or even a date, with your thralls..."
"Shut up!" Kumuru shot back, her eyes now watery with forming tears as she glared at them all. "You don't know what it's like to see your people disappearing before your eyes! Mine are dying out! I HAVE to find my Mate of Fate, my Destined One, and save them!"
Even as Hayate recalled his own father's tales of how the Radam and their evil had taken away his grandfather, aunt, and uncles, he steeled himself as he spoke. "Enslaving others here at the Academy will NOT save your people, Kurumu..."
"I've HAD IT with you three!" Kurumu screamed out, even as bat like wings sprouted from her shoulders, followed by her tail growing free, and her nails on both hands extending into deadly blades.
"Crap! Here we go again...!" Hayate said, sliding into his battle stance in front of his friends as Tsukune and Moka both tried not to increase Kurumu's now-irate tones.
"YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!" Kurumu shrieked out, her glare intensifying at both Hayate and Moka. Hayate frowned in response, maintaining his stance even as Moka helped Tsukune to his feet.
"Well, if you had wanted to TALK about your situation, Kurumu, we could have - WHOA!" Hayate's statement was abruptly cut off as Kurumu's bladed nails swung at him, prompting him to duck under her swipe at him, and then, he spun into her body to pin her arms and her against the wall! "OUT, YOU TWO!" The bellow from Hayate left no room to argue, and Moka quickly dragged Tsukune out of the infirmary.
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"NOOOOOO!" Kurumu yelled out as Hayate's friends escaped her wrath, even as her tail whipped up fast and wrapped tightly around Hayate's throat! "You did this...!"
"AACK!... Crap, woman...!" Hayate forced out, the augmented muscles of his neck straining against Kurumu's choking tail. "... Can't we... just... work this out!?"
"NO!" Kurumu yelled again, using her wings to create a gust behind her, enough to throw both her and Hayate out the window! As Kurumu's tail whipped free of Hayate's neck, the trained Tekkaman used the momentum from both their forms to spin himself clear of the infuriated succubus!
While the female yokai's wings caught the air and lifted her up, Hayate righted himself and landed on the ground, his strength and inertia cratering the ground as he landed! Quickly locating Kurumu in the air above him, Hayate also glimpsed her pearly white panties, and smirked to himself as Moka and Tsukune came running over.
"Hayate-san!" Tsukune yelled. "Are you okay!?" Hayate nodded at his friend, even as he brushed glass fragments off his jacket with his gloved hands.
"Peachy, Tsukune." He grimly replied, his eyes still on the hovering Kurumu. "Right now, we've got to calm down a ticked-off succubus with a serious manicure malfunction."
Kurumu narrowed her eyes as she looked down at Hayate, Tsukune, and Moka, but her ire grew when she saw Hayate in his battle stance, still ready for her. "I HEARD THAT!" She shrieked out as she dove down at them.
"Crap; me and my big mouth...!" Hayate groused, right as Kurumu began to close on them, her claws swiping. "INCOMING!"
Hayate's shout prompted Moka to dive and push Tsukune clear, while Hayate simply folded his body down like a marionette, then popped back up to his feet as Kurumu passed by. Even in the middle of the fight, Hayate could still admire Kurumu's very impressive curves as she flew by him. 'Distracting to say the least.' Hayate thought as he regained his footing, and quickly summoned his hand orbs, torso spikes, and elbow crystals.
Just then, Hayate noticed that Kurumu's dive-attack had dazed Tsukune from his fall, and Moka had some cuts through the back of her uniform jacket. 'That's it.' Hayate growled to himself; even though he was not about to physically strike Kurumu - his mother had taught him better than that, - she needed to be restrained and stopped now. The shimmering orbs on Hayate's left hand glowed green, and he summoned his chosen ability, the only one that could bring Kurumu down safely.
"ARASHI! KUGA!" A powerful blast of hurricane-force winds soared up and slammed into Kurumu's body, sending her hurtling into a row of trees an instant after Hayate had spoken to the air. 'Nuts; NOW I've done it.' Hayate grumbled as he hustled over to where the annoyed, but now dazed succubus had crashed.
His augmented senses soon heard Tsukune apologizing to Moka again for what he had said, and as Hayate looked behind him, he saw Tsukune fall unconscious, while one of his hands fell and pulled free the Rosario from Moka's choker. 'Ah, swell.' Hayate sighed to himself as he once again saw Moka's transformation into her true, silver-haired vampire form.
"No... such POWER... such BEAUTY... she is truly a vampire... the most powerful of yokai...!" Kurumu whispered out, slowly pushing herself backwards as Moka began to stalk towards her.
"Trying to take my favorite nourishment from me,... attempting to enslave him AND one of my contemporaries..." Moka hissed at Kurumu, cracking her knuckles as she approached her. "... I think yanking off both your tail AND your wings will suffice as punishment...!" Just before Moka could advance any farther, the powered-up Hayate was suddenly right in front of her!
"That will solve NOTHING, Moka." Hayate sternly spoke. "You're NOT going to harm her like that, not while I'm here." Moka immediately hissed at Hayate after he had said that, baring her fangs and letting her yokai aura flare up, actually pushing Hayate back a few feet until he marshalled his own awakened power to stand his ground.
"Who are YOU to tell ME how to conduct myself?" Moka said, pushing her aura up more, but Hayate's own strength withstood it long enough for him to answer back.
"I'm here to do the same thing as you, Moka: to learn how to fit in, and how to NOT be like the humans, AND yokai, who make themselves bigger by putting down and hurting other beings!" Hayate retorted, his hand orbs, torso crystals, and elbow spikes all glowing. "If you're truly Tsukune's friend, and mine, now's the time to show it!"
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"YOU THINK YOU KNOW ME!?" The silver-haired, red-eyed vampire shouted at Hayate. "KNOW YOUR PLACE!" Her frame moved like quicksilver, delivering a thunderous kick to Hayate, but he never moved from his spot between her and the downed Kurumu, beyond his arms locking at the wrists above his head, and blocking her attack!
The ground for several meters around him cratered below Hayate's feet due to the force of Moka's blow, but he refused to budge, even when Moka tried to push down harder on his arms; Hayate did not move an inch. Then, Moka saw SOMETHING press out from under his uniform shirt, and Hayate's inner power flared up to MATCH her strength, and HOLD HER BACK.
"Who... am I, Moka Akashiya!?" Hayate growled out, his eyes now stark white and shimmering bright with a blue-green aura. "I am a protector! A guardian for those in harm's way, and for those who have wandered from life's true path!" The glow intensified, and Moka had to cover his eyes with her arms, as if the light coming from Hayate was true sunlight.
"And, I do NOT let ANYONE harm those who are misguided in their own lives, just like KURUMU!" Moka glared at Hayate as best she could, but Hayate glared right back as he continued. "Vampires may be a noble class of yokai, Moka, but TRUE nobility in this life is earned with humility, mutual respect,... and FORGIVENESS." The silver-haired vampire was taken aback by Hayate's words, the truth in them hitting her hard, and leaving him to finish up his chat with her.
"Put yourself in her shoes, Moka... to save YOUR race, what would YOU do for them?" Hayate stated, and Moka finally took her raised leg off Hayate's unmoving block.
"Your point is well made, Hayate Katsuragi." Inner Moka said, dusting off her jacket. "However, MIND your tone to me from now on." Hayate frowned, but then smiled at her.
"A confidante should speak his mind, Miss Akashiya, to give his friends the best options available to them; true?" Moka half-smiled back at Hayate's comment.
"Wise ones should." She replied, before gesturing toward Kurumu, while turning to go check on Tsukune. Hayate looked over his shoulder, and saw Kurumu looking up at him, her eyes watery.
"Why..." She whimpered. "... why did you protect me? After I tried to take you and Tsukune away from her?" Hayate shrugged, then extended his hand down to her. "Believe me or not, Kurumu, I know how it feels to be the outcast, in more ways than I care to admit. Now, come on; we all need to get cleaned up. Class is in half an hour, and the locker rooms are too far away." Slowly nodding, Kurumu pulled herself up, only to wince as she grabbed her ankle.
"Ouch!... Ow, ow, ow, ow...! Oh, no, my ankle...!" Arching up an eyebrow, Hayate tapped his wrist-comp, letting a scan-wave flash over Kurumu's lower leg. The readout soon told him that Kurumu was not kidding around; she had a nasty turned ankle, and her wings were in no shape to carry her now, either.
"Swell." Hayate shook his head, looking over his shoulder again to see that Tsukune was awake and back on his feet, and Moka had snapped her Rosario back onto her choker. "Hey, you two! We're gonna' head back over to my trailer to get Kurumu checked out, and to get our uniforms cleaned up before class."
"Okay!" Moka and Tsukune said as one, while Hayate gently scooped up Kurumu into his arms as his hand orbs, torso spikes, and elbow crystals all vanished back into his body.
"What are you...!" Kurumu started, only for Hayate to look her in the eye with nothing but sheer sympathy.
"There are OTHER ways to get my attention, Kurumu." Hayate said to the female yokai in his arms. "For starters, why don't you start telling me about when your race started having birthing problems, and then, we can discuss what can be done, hmmm?"
"Why?" Kurumu quietly replied, her arms unconsciously wrapping around Hayate's neck as he began walking back to his abode, her tail curling around his ribcage to support her weight.
"I'm not just a combatant, my dear succubus." Hayate gently chided the female yokai in his arms. "My parents made sure that my mind was just as formidable as my abilities. We can discuss the larger details after class today,... that is, if you're willing to be friends with an Oni, a hidden yokai, and a vampire from now on?"
For the first time in a long time, Kurumu genuinely smiled up at Hayate. "Yeah,..." She said, slowly lowering her head onto his broad shoulder as Hayate walked them all back to his trailer. "I think I can handle that." As Hayate nodded, Kurumu could only keep her thoughts to herself. 'Can it be?... Is HE the one, the one for me? The one I've been waiting for,... my Mate of Fate?' She could only huddle into his arms, wishing with all her heart that it was true. Hayate remained silent as well, but his mind kept racing, his earlier wonderment now replaced with the same thing as Kurumu... hope.
End of Chapter Three
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The first four protagonists are now gathered...
And yet, another few are yet to come...
And more encounters with the darker yokai await them all...
Comments welcome, my friends!