All-Out War
The Newspaper Club was as busy as usual that day, or actually even more than before.
Ever since the trouble with Mizuki, the School Committee had grown more dependant on Tsukune, seeing as how he had been the one to reveal and defeat the mole.
Of course, that just meant even more work for the poor boy. At least, they were recognizing his hard work now and even seemed friendlier than before, though with some of them it was rather hard to tell. However, there was one thing that made up for this mess in Tsukune's mind; Hokuto. The third-year was simply put amazing; model student, focused, kind, controlled and with great leadership qualities, enough to make a room full with A-rank Ayashi submit to him without even needing to raise his voice.
He was, simply put, the greatest leader Tsukune could have asked for. After all, they both went for the same goal; peace. In this regard, Tsukune had to admit he wasn't as selfless as the other man. Whereas Hokuto tried to bring peace to the entire Academy, Tsukune just wanted peace and security for his friends and didn't care much about the Academy as a whole. After all, were they not the ones who called for his death when Kuyou tried to burn him alive, when Kuyou did burn him alive? So why should he care for them over his treasures?
It might have sounded cold, but it was true.
Still, the Headmaster's plan was working; by seeing everyone's interactions with each other, rather than his own slightly biased ones, Tsukune began to develop new respect for the robed man and his school. It took a special kind of person to put werewolves and vampires in the same room and not have them try to kill each other.
It made Tsukune feel nice to be part of something like that.
Of course, that would never mean that Tsukune could ever place the Academy over his friends; that was impossible. But, at least he cared about the others enough to be able to restrain himself from attacking them if he entered his combat form. Not much, but it was something.
So, he worked on, even when his friends asked him to help with their newspaper activities; he wanted, he really did. But he had to ensure their safety throughout the festival. After all, Anti-thesis wouldn't go into all this trouble of threatening them and announcing themselves if they gave up so easily, would they? Also, noone knew their numbers, so they could potentially have a hundred combat-ready Ayashi, all directed against his friends. And the Festival would be the easiest way in. He had to make sure they would be safe. Nothing else mattered. Nothing.
It was also a relief, since his determination steeled, he had had an easier time suppressing his Inner Demon, an easier time ignoring its whispers. But they were still there, taunting him, mocking him, telling him how the girls only wanted him for their own gain; Moka for his blood, Kurumu and Mizore to get his children, Yukari for safety and Ruby because she was ordered to by her boss. It still spoke of how little they trusted him, of how little he knew about them and their family, even though he had shared almost everything that he was with them.
Thankfully, Tsukune's constant work prevented him from thinking too much on those things.
But things don't stand still, time waits for none and what little he has in peace grows ever shorter, with him none the wiser.
No, that is not completely correct; he knows something is going to happen, something big, that is why he works so hard. But, Tsukune still forgets; he is now not the same as he was, what he would have otherwise done is not what he should do. Alas, it had only been three weeks since he first ignited the Demon's Blood, three weeks since he learned that it was Moka's blood that, albeit unintentionally, cursed and damned him, three weeks since the demon began torturing him with his own fears and insecurities, plunging him mercilessly into a void of pain and sorrow no being should ever experience. Too short a time for one to accept such drastic changes.
But he was doing well, all things considered. He no longer felt the need to transform at first sign of even potential trouble, no longer had to restrain himself from snarling at anyone who looked at his friends in any way apart from what he considered proper and acceptable. He no longer felt the need to rip and tear those who avoided him, not knowing the torture he was suffering. So, in his opinion, things were going well. Not perfect, but he was getting there. So he hoped. He would never admit it, but that hope never reached the core of his heart. Had it done so, things could have been different.
The rest of the club was strained as well. Not only by the past three weeks' occurences, but also because of the sheer amount of work they had to do. Their teacher had seen it fit to not only have them make an extended version of the newspaper, but also make plans and ads for each and every club and class. As if having their own troubles wasn't enough, their ever-flighty teacher loaded them with work from others as well.
The cat-woman would never know just how close she got to having her Ayashi traits forcibly removed, either via gaping slashes, flash-freezing or simply brute strength. She just giggled, wagged her tail and squinted her eyes as always. If the group were more perceptive however, they would have noticed the look in her eye and the unmistakable look of sadness as she looked at their working forms.
Speaking of the club's activities however also includes their emotional states. While some of them changed relatively little, beyond being stressed that is, such as Mizore and Kurumu, others felt several thoughts flitting through their heads.
Yukari had realized her mistake, not just learned it but also realized it to the depths of her heart, but she still hadn't managed to get some time with Tsukune to apologize. And that made her all the sadder, having not apologized for hurting him over and over again. She didn't fear him any more, she just wanted his reassurance that he wasn't mad at her. Even though she knew he didn't feel any anger towards her, she still wanted to hear it from the boy himself.
Moka on the other hand was reaching her own breaking point, far different than what she had previously experienced. It wasn't Tsukune's transformations that pressured her any more or the state of his soul. It was her relationship towards him and the relationship of everyone else in the Club with him that troubled her. She cared for him, a lot. Beyond just friends, she had found someone she liked, someone who stood by her through thick and thin, someone who, as he other side put it, was 'mate material'. But she couldn't be with him, not because of her pride, she knew her other side could learn to love him as she did. No, it was because of what she was; she was immortal, but he was not. He was mortal, despite all his power, and he would grow old and die. And they would be alone. She knew it, she knew that to be true.
So, why, why was it that every time she saw Kurumu suffocating him in her bust, why was it that every time she saw Mizore talking to him shyly about inconcequential things, little things, why was it that every time that happened, she couldn't help but feel angry? Why was it that every time Tsukune looked at anyone but her with that kind look in his eyes she felt her heart clench in pain? Why? What was that feeling, that great feeling that made her get up even earlier than needed each morning just to walk to school with him? What was it that she felt every time she drank his blood, what was it that made her latch onto his body for a few seconds even after taking his offered blood? What was that nameless, glorious feeling?
The poor girl was worried. Could it have been love? Could it have been love love? She felt her inner self shudder with fear and terror every time that thought passed her mind. She felt herself tremble before the unknown, unvoiced feeling. Did she see Tsukune as a friend or something more? Did she care for him as a friend or as something more? What did she want him to be?
Her logical side claimed it impossible to progress beyond friendship, knowing how different their life expectancy was. And yet, her emotional side wept when she saw him sad, rejoiced when she saw him happy and grit her teeth when she saw him next to anyone but her. Could she be feeling jealousy? Could she be jealous of her friends, for being able to be with him? But that would mean that she saw him as something more than just friends, and that could not happen, could not be allowed to happen. Irony decreed that Tsukune was as unattainable to Moka as Moka was unattainable to Tsukune.
The girl needed some time to think, some time to herself. But there was no time like that, she was so full with work and duties and school and everything in-between that she just couldn't find some time to speak with herself, figuratively and literally.
Looking at the wall, or more specifically the watch on it, she saw the time. It was about the time Tsukune finished his work at the committee. She stretched out like a cat, letting out a small yawn.
"Alright, Tsukune-san should be over with the committee about now, unless they loaded him with even more work..." That produced several groans of dissatisfaction. With their current workload, the group found it much better to form a study group and do their homework right after their club activities. If the boy was heaped up with more work, everything would take a fall for it, including their relationships with said boy. "I'm going to go pick him up, alright?"
Of course, her 'generous offer' was met with a not-so-enthusiastic Kurumu. "No way! I should go pick him up! He's my Destined One after all!"
Mizore couldn't miss such a good opportunity to butt in either of course. "Chill out you big-breasted woman. If you go meet him, you'll never let him out of the woods. Instead I should go, I will make him an icepack to cool his headache..."
Well, the conversation quickly degenerated into one of their patented childish brawls and the girls enjoyed it. They had missed messing around like that, being so carefree. In the end, Moka was the victor, by using the other two squabbling girls as a distraction; while they fought, she snuck out of the class. Of course, that meant war for the succubus and the yuki-onna. So, in that spirit, they set off in a race, their speed leaving papers fluttering in the air.
Yukari almost cursed as she waved her wand around, causing the papers to settle down into neat stacks. Then, discreetly, she checked on her magical table 'Know-know-kun'. A rather simple enchantment, she used its divination magics to know the status of her friends. If one was injured or in danger, the paper charms would respond by changing color; the darker the worse the situation. Relieved she saw that Tsukune's charm was as white as snow.
As she turned her head back to her table, one of the charms began to change color, steadily growing gray...
Kurumu was running as fast as she could, but the laughing vampiress had too great a head start. Next to her Mizore made a 'tsk' sound and pulled on Kurumu, dragging her to the side.
"This way you big-breasted fool, we'll get a shortcut."
Kurumu smiled thankfully at the snow-woman, for once thankful of her sneaky ways.
Moka however knew nothing of that and continued on her set path.
A pair of mismatched eyes and a dark grin.
The charm turned black.
Tsukune was just coming out of the committee meetings, thankfully leaving the others still in; he had finished his part and requested permission to leave to go back to his friends. His work there had taken up a lot of his time and he hadn't had a good chance to speak to them in a long time. As he got out, he saw two figures land before him, panting and drenched in sweat.
"Yahoo! Tsukune!" How the succubus managed to recover that fast and find the energy to glomp him to the ground, he would not know.
Mizore just stood back, too shy to act, but her eyes conveyed non-too-innocent emotions.
The boy rubbed the back of his head and smiled at the friend on his lap. When the Demon spoke about how useful she would be in other endeavours and how he did not accept her as something else, Tsukune's infuriated voice squashed it. He knew of Kurumu's feelings, anyone that was any less dense than a block of lead would. But... the truth is that he was scared, scared of what he could do and, if he was completely honest with himself, he believed she didn't deserve someone as low as himself. She deserved so much better.
So, he steeled his heart against the veritable onslaught of emotions from the girl and grinned at her.
Of course, Kurumu knew much of Tsukune's thoughts. She might be as dense as a brick when it comes to schoolwork, but when it comes to the heart, she was a succubus. She knew of his hesitancy, of his fear. But that didn't dissuade her; she would persevere and pursue him. She would wear down his resistance little by little until he had no choice but to accept her.
Unfortunately, as comfortable as Kurumu was on her Destined One's lap, she had to get up. Oh, she couldn't wait to rub it on Moka's face.
Finally getting the courage to speak, Mizore approached Tsukune as silently as a leaf in the wind. "Hello Tsukune..."
Said boy smiled at her, which caused her to blush, and greeted her back. "Hello Mizore-chan. Not that I mind either of you being here, but shouldn't you be at the club room? I managed to wrap it up quickly here to come over too..."
"Aww! Tsukune! You wanted to join us!" Cooed Kurumu as she drapped herself over Tsukune's arm, a giant smile on her face. Of course, the smile widened further when she saw Mizore's glare; the snow-woman was rather envious of the succubus and the courage she had to do such things.
The group of three began walking back to their club room, but unbeknownst to the sole male of the group, the two girls were wondering about another person's location; that of Moka. The pink-haired vampire had been late and, as much as she might be a rival, she was also a dear friend. Sure they may fight at times, but she should have arrived by now. But, they didn't want to worry Tsukune overmuch with it; if anything had happened, they would have heard about it, right?
So, they talked as they walked, the ever-energetic Kurumu more than the other two of the group, trying to take their minds off things.
It comes as little surprise then that when she stopped talking it drew both parties' interest. When her face twisted in hate, their curiocity and confusion became worry and they turned to look where she had.
They were too late however, and only saw a vanishing figure. That did not deter the succubus as she ran to that direction, calling out a name with a voice so laced with hatred Tsukune almost did a double-take.
"Yoshii Kiria!"
However, Tsukune recognized the name and the reason behind her hatred; while not the entire truth, Kurumu had shared some of what had happened with Moka. Namely that Kiria tried to have her betray Moka to him and Anti-thesis. That did not sit well with the demonblooded at all. It caused his blood to boil, knowing that an enemy was that close.
For all their haste however, they were late when they came to the clearing. Their target was long since gone.
Mizore made a few steps to track him down, but she stopped moving just as Kurumu stopped cursing when they heard someone sniffing the air. Tsukune had put his face in the air and was busy sniffing the air.
"This smell... blood!" His surprised cry shook both females and they realized it was true; there was a scent of blood coming from the nearby building... the committee's building!
The three made their way quickly, Tsukune desperate to learn the truth, see if his friend, Hokuto, had been injured.
But when they entered the large room... they were shocked in disbelief.
It wasn't the blood splattered on the wall. It wasn't the defeated figures of the council members or their groans of pains from those still alive.
It was the lone, victorious figure standing in the center, one leg on a broken part of the table.
"H-Hokuto?" Tsukune's voice betrayed his shock but little else.
When said man turned around, they realized part of Hokuto's true nature. He betrayed little emotion besides disgust, as if the defeated bodies of his supposed allies were nothing but insects.
"Welcome Tsukune. Do you like the renovations I brought to this wretched place?"
Mizore and Kurumu gasped, but not only because of the voice. The sheer aura of malice now radiating from Tsukune told them very well of how angry that had made their crush.
"What have you done, Hokuto! Why would you do this?"
The committee president looked at the brown haired boy with such derision in his eyes that the atmosphere seemed to freeze over. "Why? Why do you ask something as obvious as this? No... if you are really wondering why I did this, then you are a far weaker person than I thought you to be Aono Tsukune. And here I thought that perhaps I would have found another ally, another one strong enough to understand my plan. Unfortunate, but an annoyance really, just like the rest of you trash."
The Divine Lock in Tsukune's hand began to shake and glow as it tried to restrain the fury and demonic energy now seeking to burst forth from the incessed male. He took a step forward and the tiles beneath his feet cracked, not because of the weight or strength of muscle but because his youki began to disintegrate them.
Then, Kurumu's hand touched his shoulder and his fury was reeled in, but no less visible. "Leave him to us Tsukune. He insulted our pride too after all. How dare he trick my Destined One... I always thought you had a villainous face!"
Mizore agreed with the succubus. "Yeah. I'm not very strong because I don't have any experience, but together we should be able to defeat him, even if he beat the other council members..."
"Mizore... Kurumu... let me take care of the scumbag, I don't want you to get hurt..."
His plea was met with a smirk from all three people in the room, but for different reasons each. Hokuto just sneered at them, but Kurumu and Mizore readied themselves for battle.
"Sorry Tsukune, but we have a pride to uphold as well. Besides, you can always jump in!"
And then she was gone, her wings burst forth from her shoulder blades and her nails growing to dagger-esque lengths in less time than it took to blink. In twice that much time, she was next to Hokuto, her slash already well underway.
Hokuto's face clearly showed his surprise at the unexpectedly sudden attack, but his reflexes saved him by leaning back and under the succubus' slash.
That did not protect him from spears of ice that erupted from the floor at the command of an ice maiden. He cursed under the smirk of the blue-haired girl.
"It would be a mistake to think she is alone, traitor. I will not forgive those that betray Tsukune!"
Said boy could only admire the grace and fluid motions of the two fighting females as they fought for him.
Deep within him, his Inner Demon found itself muted by the fact it couldn't twist the events to its liking at all. That did not discourage it however; there would come other times. Other times to convince its errant 'outer personality' that no one loved or cared for him and twist him to its image.
However, the two girls proved to be less than a match to their opponent; Hokuto showed extreme prowess when he finally defeated them both without shifting to his monstrous form. At the moment Kurumu crumbled over his fist on her stomach, Hokuto found himself punched at the temple with enough force to send him flying into a pillar, break down said pillar and crash violently on the wall before sliding down almost unconscious.
Before Hokuto had time to gather his senses, he was grabbed by the neck and lifted in the air effortlessly. He noted how Tsukune's eyes had changed, now having a black sclera and a red-orange iris with a black slit, the eyes of a monster of the highest order. His hands tried to scratch away at the hand strangling him, but they were quickly frozen solid into thick manacles that restrained movement.
Mizore had been rather inventive when making the glacial prison; not only had she made heavy manacles restraining arms and legs, she had draped him with multiple thick chains restricting mobility to practically nothing. Of course, the imprisoned man tried, and promptly failed, to get free. Tsukune however did not concern hiimself with Hokuto any longer, he was already next to Kurumu, checking on her.
When Hokuto next saw Tsukune's eyes, he was shocked to the depths of his soul. They were human, but within them boiled a palpable wrath, a fury, a hate that he could hardly witness. He felt as if a small child before a continent-wide inferno. Tsukune's youki did not make itself visible in the air, it didn't have to. Instead, his entire countenance denoted the complete confidence in the boy; his threates would become reality. "Kaneshiro Hokuto... you took advantage of my friendship and for that I hate you... But you hurt my friends... and for that... not even Hell will save you!"
The traitorous president was grabbed roughly by his jacket and pulled along, almost dragged along, by the Akuchi, their destination obvious; Youkai Gakuen and the Headmaster.
Mere seconds after exiting the chamber, they were surrounded by several student police members, all ready for combat. In their middle a grim Kuyou.
The Youko glared at Tsukune for but a second, but he knew what he had to do. The reasons he was appointed as leader were quickly obvious; his subordinates were quickly and efficiently spread out to take care of various jobs; from securing the victims, calling medical assistance, taking account of property damage and even surrounding Tsukune and his prisoner.
The apprehended criminal was escorted by more than a dozen strong Ayashi, Tsukune and his friends walking behind them. It was then that Kurumu turned to Tsukune, her eyes sad and almost fearful.
"Tsukune... the truth is, Moka was coming to get you too, but we split up. She... she should have caught up, but she's nowhere to be found! I... I have a bad feeling about this..."
The boy across her became obviously worried, which gathered a self-absorbed smirk by his prisoner. "I see. As soon as we get this bastard to the Exorcist, we're going to look for her, alright?"
It was not to be, because a name was called into the air by a recognized young girl's voice. "Tsukune-saaaan!" It was the little witch, Yukari, and she looked terrified. She stopped before the brown-haired boy, panting and gasping. "Moka-san... Moka-san! She's in danger~desu!"
Fear, raw fear coursed through Tsukune, the blood that was inflamed before suddenly felt like ice flowing in his veins. He hissed his question. "What?"
The little girl took out several paper charms, each with a name on them and various symbols on them. Those marked as 'Tsukune', 'Kurumu', 'Mizore', 'Gin' and 'Ruby' were white, but the one with Moka's name on was pitch black.
"My magic item 'Know-know-kun'! He tells me when someone is in danger! Moka-san... Her charm turned black-desu! She's in mortal danger-desu!"
Suddenly, the members of the student police surrounding their prisoner found themselves pushed to the side while their target was violently pulled to the ground and found an infuriated Akuchi sitting on him on the verge of transforming.
"Speak scum! Where is she! Where is Moka!"
Now, while most of the officers were combat-trained Ayashi and very strong in their own ways, the sheer weight and malice that Tsukune emitted gave them pause. It wasn't the power behind it, it was just how malignant, how vile it felt. They may all be monsters, but apparently some are more monstrous than others.
Eve through the pain of having his windpipe crushed, Hokuto managed to chucle evily. "You'll get nothing from me, fool! You cannot do anything to me, the Leader of Anti-thesis!"
The arrogant traitor was summarily smashed to the ground with enough force to leave a crater and then hoisted up by the recovering Police members. They had to get him to the Headmaster immidiately; who knew what hidden tricks he had up his sleeve?
Before long, Tsukune and the others were entering the Headmaster's office, finding him standing on a flight of stairs.
"So... it was you after all, Hokuto-kun... too bad, you were such a stellar student..."
"So you had foreseen that too, right Headmaster-sama?" Called out Hokuto, sheer disgust evident in his voice. "That's why you sent someone strong to infiltrate the committee right?"
The Headmaster didn't dignify it with an answer; those involved in those incidents had already been notified of his plans. If Hokuto had planned to gain a follower by 'exposing' his 'master plan', he had failed. After all, the Exorcist's Master Plan was well under way, even with the minor turbulations it was going through. So, instead he pulled out a silver cross from his robes, one recognized by the girls, and even the hiding Ruby, as the cross utilized to raise the barrier back when Tsukune first transformed. A few words later and everyone leapt away from Hokuto, the reason evident; a barrier was erected around him, separating him from the world around him.
Hokuto cursed and used what little mobility he had available to touch the barrier, finding his hands damaged by the supernatural force surrounding him.
"You will tell us where your allies took young Akashiya Moka Hokuto. It would be in your best interests to do so now rather than force my hand. Otherwise..." And here the barrier began to grow smaller. "This barrier will constrict. My presence here is unnecessary. Everyone here has carte blanche on how to make him confess." Then the Headmaster turned to leave.
Therefore it came as quite the surprise when the imprisoned Hokuto began chuckling and progressively reaching insane laughter.
"YOU are the fool here Headmaster!" That gathered a lot of shock as he suddenly burst the frozen manacles that bound him, his youki exploding outwards of his body and showing just how powerful he really was. The barrier broke into shards and he vanished from sight, appearing behind the Exorcist, his arm already transformed into an inhuman version of his original with several thin but obviously sharp spikes protruding and changing it into a blade of sorts.
The worst part was that his bladed arm had already impaled the Headmaster from behind, going out through the robed man's chest right where his heart should be. The impaled man gasped and coughed in pain before being tossed away by the smirking backstabber.
"It wasn't according to your plan, it was all according to mine!"
Within seconds, and taking advantage of everyone's shock, Hokuto picked up a glittering item from the ground; a silver cross.
True forms were revealed in an instant and even the hiding Ruby revealed herself by appearing next to little Yukari, both witches ready to combine their magical power to strike at the traitor. Tsukune was already running at the traitor, his body bulging at points, indicating his upcoming transformation.
"Hmph, don't interfere weaklings!" With a wave of his now-normal hand, a huge barrier errupted around most combatants, trapping them away from their target.
That included a succubus, an ice-maiden and two terrified witches. They had never felt that much negative power within a single person.
All that was left free and in combat-capable state was Tsukune and the brown-haired boy was rushing his enemy, hands ready to rip and tear as his demonic form was revealed, raw, uncovered flesh and muscles moving like a wave broken by rocks of bone plates to cover him, his limbs changing into the demonic equivalent of a great beast and even sprouting a tail, a tail that dripped a viscous green liquid from its tip.
However, Hokuto stood unfazed before the demonic being rushing him. His hand lazily went into his pocket and drew out a syringe of something. With an immaculate dodge, he stepped into Tsukune's space and jammed it into the boy.
No conscious person would ever forget the scream of pure torture and pain that erupted from the teen as his form began to writhe with pain and spasm as dark bolts of lightning coursed through his body. Blood, black and tainted, spurted from his body as it was painfully and forcefully restored to its human version.
"Can't have you ruining my time now can we, Tsukune? This little poison of mine will restrict you to the power of a human for a little while. Maybe I should free Mizuki after all, thanks to him we got a drop of your transformed blood and were able to devise a counter to its power. But... I wonder Tsukune..." He looked down on the now-kneeling form before him, ignoring the gasps of pain from him and those of fear from the females trapped in his barrier. "Why don't you join me? That power of yours isn't what anyone would call a 'force of good'. You feel them too, don't you, those emotions that wish for destruction alone. That feeling as you sink your claws into the flesh of another, as you destroy them, completely and without trace... So why do you resist it Tsukune? Doesn't it feel right to go along your own instincts?"
Tsukune coughed as he got up painfully, his face filled with wrath and unholy anger. "Yeah, it's true, I feel those instincts, I know them all too well..." Kurumu gasped, fearing that her beloved Destined One had not been what she had thought him to be, knew him to be. "But... even if it's demonic, I'm the one who's going to decide what I use it for! You dare hurt my friends you bastard! I'm going to kill you!"
Hokuto quickly leaned back from a sloppy assault by his enemy, taking steps back to avoid his blows. Eventually he grew bored however and grabbed the incoming fist with ease.
"Hmph, so weak. Where did that power of yours go Tsukune, don't tell me that your other form is your only means of combat, you weakling!"
His other hand, with the rosario of the silver cross around it met Tsukune's stomach and the boy was sent sprawling away.
"If you're that weak, you can't protect anything, not even yourself! I should kill these whores you call friends just to save them the humiliation of seeing you on your knees!" The threat was followed by a wave of his hand and the entrapment barrier began shrinking, eliciting a cry of fear from those trapped inside.
That moment, Tsukune's Inner Demon said one word and, ever since its sealing, Tsukune heard the word and didn't just feel the demon's general intent. That word: "Kill!"
He wholeheartedly agreed.
Youki, crimson and black, exploded outwards of the downed boy as his fury was made manifest. A seal in his Divine Lock broke, but he cared not. His enemy, prey one part of him called, had threatened his friends. And that meant death.
Tsukune roared in fury and charged Hokuto, his movements wild but focused, brute but also filled with power, and soon the villain found himself slowly backed into a corner under the relentless assault.
However, the world did not stand idle, it moved relentlessly, unconcerned with the fear of a few.
Such was the case for the missing member of the group, Akashiya Moka, as she found herself roused from her unconsciousness with a feeling of dread in her heart.
A voice from behind her startled her before she even had time to wonder why she was unconscious in the first place or even where she was. "Well, well, good morning little princess Akashiya."
That voice caused her to turn sharply, facing the speaker, her fearful green eyes gazing into his apathetic mismatched ones. "K-Kiria?" She couldn't help it; she was scared, she was terrified.
"Yup!" He sounded a bit too cheerful there. "You remember me, I'm so happy! I want to apologize however, even if it was for the plan and under Hokuto's orders, I really didn't want to be that rude in taking you with me. But if you were there, things would not go so well for the plan... Then again things would have been so much more interesting!" He shook his head. "What a pity eh?"
"W-w-what's going on? Why are you doing this?" Her demand may have been part of a burst of courage from her, but that courage quickly vanished when he turned to look at her, that evil, cold look in his eyes.
"Why? Because it would make things so much more interesting, why else? Look around you, Ayashi are held separate from Humans, going along with their boring, static lives, unconcerned with each other's existence! But, isn't that boring? Why not let each other meet and see what happens! The world would end up in chaos and everything would be equal, everyone would be free and everything would be interesting! That is the goal of Anti-thesis!"
What an insane thought, considered Moka in her head and even her other side had to agree. What insanity was coursing through these people's mind? "B-but if you do that, countless people will die!"
Kiria shrugged. "So? As long as things get more interesting, I don't care. So, what are you going to do about it 'vampire' Akashiya Moka-san? I really wanted to meet you, you know. Meet the S-ranked monster... It would be so interesting!"
Moka tried to reply, but at that moment, her heart leapt to her throat as she felt another pang of discomfort and her other side recognized it for what it was; the demonic energy was very recognizable if faint. "Tsukune!"
"Oh, your little boy friend?" Mocked Kiria, letting out a single chuckle at the way the girl blushed. "He should be getting what is due, Hokuto should be almost finished with setting up his plan you know. Want to see?"
Kiria didn't wait for an answer and pointed to a weird little thing in front of him, it looked like a large eyeball on top of six slender arachnid-like legs.
"Don't worry, it's a shikigami I raised, it likes people see? Shikigami are bred in pairs and have the ability to transmit real-time information between each other. And guess where this one's pair is?"
The shikigami's eye lit up and an image floated in the air. Moka gasped when she saw what was going on at the other side; Tsukune was desperately fighting Hokuto and she could see the source of her unfomfort; his Divine Lock was cracking slowly and releasing his Inner Demon bit by bit. Her hands reached to her lips as she pleaded Tsukune to stop fighting and then prayed he was fine; he had just been stabbed by Hokuto's arm, an arm that had split into four blade-like thin spikes.
As Tsukune fell to the ground, Moka screamed out his name, reaching into the Shikigami as if trying to touch him. Her hand passed through the illusion of his body, but at the sound of her voice, his head was raised and she could swear he was looking right at her.
Kiria chuckled. "Hokuto's unlike any other opponent you have ever faced before. Raw strength just won't cut it. You on the other hand... as a vampire you should be able to do it. So, what are you going to do?"
Moka was in front of him in a second and Kiria was delighted, he would get to see something interesting after all! Then it was all shattered as instead of fighting him, the girl, tears in her eyes, pleaded with him.
"Please! Take me to Tsukune! He... he's going to loose himself if this goes on! Please take me to him! I beg you! I'll do anything, just take me to him!"
Well, she didn't expect Kiria to grab her by the neck and lift her in the air with one hand.
"You... you are such a boring woman Akashiya Moka... And here I went through the trouble of letting you see him, in hopes I would get to see your real self... and you just had to beg! Boring people like you should die!"
Moka struggled in the grasp, her mind running a mile a minute, trying to get free, trying to reach Tsukune, trying to do something, anything!
The silver cross on her chest let out a small sound and she remembered whatever it was that Tsukune had and could free her other side. Her arms reached at her rosario and began pulling away.
Inner Moka felt the pull and reached out to her other side. "Fool! What are you trying to do! If you pull it off this way, even if you manage it, you yourself will-"
The outer shell's thought invaded the silver haired vampiress' mind like a white-hot spear. "I don't care! Tsukune is fighting for us! Look at him! I can't stand this! Even if I vanish, I want to protect him! Save him from becoming that again!"
Further talk was interrupted as the rosario was broken even slightly and Kiria was forced to leap away from the exploding youki.
"See? You can do it too if you wan-" His speech was interrupted as a kick landed on his face and nearly tore off his head, sending him through several tombstones and trees, landing in a heap.
A silver haired vampiress stood, looking at her broken rosario. Her voice was filled with many emotions as she spoke to her Outer Shell for the last time, as far as she knew at least.
"I see... I see your true feelings now. Don't worry Omote, I will do as you ask. I will protect him."
Inside the Academy, Tsukune was struck again and again, many cuts and stabbing wounds covering his body, results of fighting a clearly superior opponent.
It was all Hokuto could do to not stare in amazement at the boy's toughness; he just didn't go down! No matter how many times he cut and stabbed and bludgeoned him, he just got up, slightly stronger than before. From a source of amusement, it had grown to outright annoyance. It came as a greater surprise when Tsukune's power suddenly leapt in potency and marks, scorcing red runes began carving themselves on his skin.
In the sidelines, the Exorcist was worried for his student. He recognized some of these runes and what they meant... the war between his demonic and vampiric blood was coming at an end, and the demonic side had won. It was absorbing his vampiric side and becoming exponentially stronger. If this went on, the Divine Lock would break prematurely and...
"Stop!" A voice, easily recognized, cut through the ruckus, causing disbelief, relief and even fear in the various onlookers.
Standing at the door, Outer Moka marched into the room, her face unreadable. "Tsukune, it's enough. You can rest now, your body can't take much more now. I will deal with this traitor!"
Said boy slumped in relief, their trump card had arrived, it would be fine now. He gripped his head in pain, trying to make the demon's cries leave him alone.
Hokuto however felt anything but relief. He had no doubt he could best Moka, but Moka and Tsukune, especially since the concoction he had injected into the boy would run its course soon, that he was not sure of winning. Which is why he had had Kiria find a way to take Moka away before initiating the final phase of his plan. And above that, the woman had to come at the worst possible moment; his time limit for using youki had just been reached and he would need too long a time to recover.
"You won't defeat me! I have waited too long for this to happen, suffered too much to get my hands on this item, the 'Rosario of Judgement', the key to the school's Grand Barrier! With it, I can tear down the wall that separates the ayashi and human worlds!"
His plan's announcement caused a wave of shock to course through those present; the man was more insane than any had given him credit for, sans of course Moka, she already knew of it from Kiria. But, his talk also served another purpose; giving him time to activate a spell, bringing him one step closer to his goal.
The floor lit up in light and mystical symbols as the betrayer began vanishing. Realizing what that meant, Moka quickly leapt after him, followed closely by Tsukune, who while not knowing what it was about, he wasn't going to let the girl face his enemy alone.
Behind them, Kurumu and Mizore desperately tried to break through the ever-shrinking barrier, but they could do nothing to it. They had all but given hope when a gravely voice came from the entrance.
"Hoh? You seem to be in a pinch eh, Headmaster?" It was a tall man with a thin moustache and glowing white eyes and a cigar in his hand; easily recognized as the Bus Driver.
The words prompted a painful chuckle to come from the Headmaster as he not-so-unassuming man walked towards him.
In the meantime, Moka and Tsukune were walking in a dark room of unknown expanse. What little ambient light was showed there were dozens of stone pillars around them, but little else.
Moka cursed, their target was getting away and it didn't bode well for them and their mission, namely stopping the Great Barrier from being destroyed.
A light blinded both their eyes as it erupted in front of them, revealing a smiling Hokuto behind an altar, an altar that looked like a mystical control console. And his smile meant nothing good for the two.
"So you finally arrived. No matter, this is my victory. With this altar, the so-called 'Altar Of Darkness', I will be able to tear down the barrier that separates the two worlds and bring equal chaos to all!"
"Hokuto, why are you doing this? It's insane!" Tsukune's voice showed the emotional pain he was going through, the feeling of betrayal he was feeling. It was all the more visible now, now that the adrenaline from fighting had passed.
"Why? Why? What are you talking about Aono Tsukune? Haven't you been persecuted too? Just for being a human, haven't you also felt the pain of their hate? No matter, I have had enough time to prepare, it's all over now!"
Before either Tsukune or Moka had time to react, Hokuto placed the Rosario Of Judgement, the sacred relic of the Headmaster into the altar. The rush of youki was palpable and they both knew what that meant; the barrier was shutting down.
Moka's hand touched Tsukune's shoulder and held him back from desperately attacking. "Focus, Tsukune. Such a barrier is not destroyed in an instant, we still have time. If you rush, you will just be a target!"
Hokuto on the other hand ignored them and laughed maniacally. "Can't you hear it? Can't you feel it? It's a magnificent sound, like an opera! An opera of destruction!"
He was stopped from saying more by a vicious kick from the silver-haired vampiress, sending him sprawling on the ground. He was quickly disregarded by both of his opponents in favour of trying to undo the progressive destruction of the barrier.
"You bastards... why do you keep interrupting me!"
Hokuto's voice shocked bot Tsukune and Moka; he was the first enemy to receive a head-on kick from her and stand up mere seconds later. Even Midou needed several minutes to get up. The youki that exploded outwards of the antagonist was dark and viscous and also terribly familiar to Moka, as if she had felt something similar before.
"Especially you Tsukune... being a human, you should understand another human's desires!" Now that threw both in for a loop, giving the time for Hokuto to take off his jacket and search, revealing a shocking item wrapped around his arm; a silver and gold chain held by a padlock, much like Tsukune's Divine Lock. "What, you didn't think you were the only human did you? Fool! Weakling! Let me show you my true power!" And with that, the seal was removed.
Tsukune and Moka both backed off from the rapidly mutating and growing form of their enemy, revealing his 'true' form; a being made out of bone more than flesh, with thin limbs that grew into blades and scythes.
"You will not stop me!" His very voice was distorted by the youki coursing through him as he slashed in every direction, cutting through the pillars as if they weren't even there.
Moka only had a split second to choose what to do and her choice came easily, almost instinctively and that would cause her much trouble when she had time to think about it.
It was her that knocked Tsukune away from a lashing blade, getting a nasty cut on her thigh.
"Moka!" Cried out Tsukune before turning towards Hokuto, his eyes glaring into his enemy, the target of his demonic fury. "You bastard!"
Youki surged around Tsukune straining his Divine Lock as he tried to transform, access the power within him. His power, his demonic blood waged war with Hokuto's injected concoction but eventually... it won out.
With the sound of tearin cloth and a deep growl, Tsukune's demon form was revealed, standing before Moka protectively.
Hunched forward like a beast, his muscles tensed as he readied himself to pounce on his prey, the large insect-like form of the traitor. With a burst of power, he was gone, sailing through the air, his claws cocked back and ready for a devastating slash.
Moka sighed as she watched Tsukune fight like an animal. She didn't want to see him like that, she hated it when he was like that. But, she was a proud Super Vampire and wouldn't waste time thinking about such things; she had other more pressing matters to attend to; namely an enemy that was pushing even Tsukune's respectable demonic form back. She crouched forward sligtly and then leapt at her target as well.
Hokuto fought like a demon possessed, but he was faced against one as well as a Super Vampire, a combination that would give anyone pause. His scythe like arms lashed in a flurry of strikes that human eyes could not even follow, but his enemies reacted to them quickly and struck back with their own. The male Akuchi had the role of the 'shield', taking otherwise crippling blows with not even a grunt of pain and making way for his partner, the female vampire, the 'sword' to strike. One by one, his arms were crushed, broken and slashed, his body repeatedly injected by poison from Tsukune's tail and even some parts of him had been melted off by the Akuchi's acidic spit.
"You will not stop meee!" His cry of denial was met with a furious snarl by the vampiress just before being followed up with one of her devastating, full-power kicks.
"We don't fight alone you scum! Our bonds are much heavier than your determination!" When her blow landed, he felt his bones rattle and break under the force of the kick and he was tossed roughly on the ground, skidding to a stop.
Moka stood in front of the wounded demonblooded calmly, victoriously. "Know your place, fool. Your plan failed the moment you involved Tsukune in those pathetic games of yours."
But, when she turned to look at said boy, her heart froze. His demonic form did an excellent job of hiding his injuries, but back in human form, he looked as if he had been repeatedly torn apart by dozens of blades. He looked as if barely holding it together. When he collapsed into her arms, barely conscious, she was seriously worried; Tsukune had no ability to heal fast beyond an Ayashi's natural healing capabilities, but even they required time. Time that her friend did not have.
Hokuto let out a dark chuckle, his voice still raspy, interrupted by bloody coughs. "Heh...fool... don't you see? Noone loves you, no one cares for you Tsukune... It was just your superior monster blood that killed me... There is no such thing as 'heroes'... They are just going to hate you in the end... I die happy, knowing that... one day... you will know... my... pain..." And then his eyes grew dark and he breathed his last, his soul no longer able to hold on to his decimated body.
Moka on the other hand was at the verge of freaking out. She needed to do something quick, something to save him! She could remove his Lock, but then the demonic side would take over, taking advantage of his momentary weakness. Other than that... the only thing she could do was...
Her fangs elongated and she bit into Tsukune's neck, taking only a drop of his delicious blood before injecting her own, hoping beyond hope that it would save him and not damn him worse than he already is.
Unseen by her, the Divine Lock in his arm lost the golden parts on it as they turned a brilliant silver. The seal was equalized. Black and silver, two powers that were being pitted against each other.
But all the girl did was hope that the rosary would contain his Ghoul nature, filter it away from his awakening power like it did for his demonic side. She could only hope.
When he shook in her hands and opened his eyes, his familiar, kind, brown eyes, she would never say how happy she was, how happy she was that he was with them and not lost.
A familiar voice interrupted the pair, breaking them from staring at each other wordlessly.
"Yahoo! Tsukune! We're here!"
Kurumu's cheerful cry brought a smile on Tsukune's face, her upbeat personality reminding him of better days. Hanging off her was Yukari while Mizore was held aloft by Ruby.
The group was quickly briefed by Moka on the going ons and Ruby was the one to voice a way to try to fix things, seeing as how the Exorcist was on his way but not there yet.
They 'just' had to pour their own youki and refill the seals that upheld the barrier. Easier said than done, considering who it was that made the barrier in the first place. The amount of demonic energy needed would be... astronomical.
The girls gathered around the altar, placing their hands on the Rosary of Judgement when another hand was placed over theirs, this time a masculine hand. Tsukune's hand.
"I can help too, since it's not fighting, I can at least help with this."
Everyone nodded and their demonic energy answered the call of their will, surging into the silver cross under their hands.
More and more energy was spent in the upholding of the barrier, but it quickly became obvious how much they needed, especially when Yukari's hand fell off the group, her power drank dry. She was followed within moments by Ruby and then Kurumu and Mizore.
In the end, only Moka and Tsukune held on, their superior youki still surging into the seal, feeding what seemed to be an endless void, trying to fill a container whose size the couldn't even perceive.
When Moka lost her strength, it came suddenly, almost as if switching a light. She fell to her knees, her hand sliding off the altar and her eyes grew dark. The last thing she saw was a bright flash and something silver in front of her, something... shaped like a cross.
A/N: My humblest apologies for the delay despite your reviews. However, my authoring took a back seat when confrontedwith several tests, including my driving's. Also, I had to make this chapter as best as I could and that includes changing Hokuto's plans and the events that followed said plans. Do not forget; Hokuto was a genius and therefore, I must portray that properly in my fics.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well and that I managed to create the tense atmosphere of the events.
It was hard to make a proper plan for Hokuto to use, mainly because there are really few things that would lead to a predictable conclusion whenever Tsukune is introduced. How to predict what a demon would do? The chapter until up about halfway, including Moka's separation from the group leaves me with a bitter taste, as if I didn't do good enough. I am stumped as to what else I could have done to maintain some continuity... After all, plans like Hokuto makes do not get dismantled in an instant; if something unforeseen comes along, they have to be adjusted not cancelled.
Yes the chapter has character death and it is where things will begin to change, as so far I haven't messed around with the continuity too much.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and, as always, please review and feed my Lady Inspiration's apetite. She's insatiable that one!
Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.
I shall not update this, or any other story.
I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.