A week after the battle against Saizou, Tsukune, Moka and Ethan all tried their best to keep a low profile. None of them, especially Moka due to her shy nature, weren't keen on being the center of attention. However, that proved to be impossible.
The one thing Ethan hated most about schools, the fact that students could never keep a secret as a mass group.
Within the week, there wasn't a single person who hasn't heard about their victory over the orc. However, since there were so many people talking about the fight, it also caused a couple of mix ups in the rumors. The main mix up being the funniest of all (to Ethan anyway).
Tsukune's alarm clock when off at around 7:30, giving him enough time to get ready, but still left him mentally exhausted. As he made his way over to the dormitory bathroom, he noticed how all the other boys in the dorm were all out in their monster forms.
Since Yokai Academy was a boarding school, it had dormitories for its students, both the girl and boys dorms providing a room for each student. This was especially fortunate for Tsukune and Ethan, who couldn't risk being found out to be human by anyone. Sharing a room with anyone would've made it more difficult for them to keep their secret.
As Tsukune made it to the bathroom, he saw all the other male students talking with each other. They all accidently changed into their monster forms during the night, but didn't bother to change back yet, deciding to have a little fun freedom before they started class.
As Tsukune was brushing his teeth, he couldn't help but think about a certain pink-haired vampiress. After they had made up for their argument last week, the two were very close. A lot of the other males in the school were pretty jealous over their relationship, but neither cared. In fact, the only person who was happy for them was Ethan, commenting once that under his wimpy exterior, he might just be a true ladies man.
After getting over his feeling and dignity being shattered into a million pieces, he thanked him.
After Tsukune finished getting cleaned up, he went back to his room, got into his uniform and made his way over to the main school building. When he arrived at the front door, however, he was surprised to see Ethan walking out of the school building with a guitar case on his back.
"Hey, Ethan!" Tsukune called.
Ethan seemed to hear him as he looked up to see Tsukune, giving him a nod. "Morning. What's the story?" he asked.
"Not much, I just left the dorms. I know we don't have classes for a bit, but I thought I'd have a walk around the school, you know, to get some exercise." Tsukune answered back.
Ethan walked up to Tsukune's side, lifted one of his arms and let it drop. "The sooner you get some exercise the better. You might actually do well in P.E. that way." Ethan said.
Tsukune sighed. "Just once… would you quit with the corny jokes about me?"
Ethan paused for a moment. "Alright. For today, I'll give it up. But don't deprive me of my entertainment forever." He said.
Tsukune nodded in genuine gratitude, before looking at the guitar case.
"What's with the guitar? You taking music classes?" Tsukune asked.
"Um…" Ethan started. He looked around to make sure that no one was listening. When he was sure, he spoke directly into Tsukune's ear. "It's not a guitar. I was called to the Headmaster's office yesterday. He knows about us."
This caused Tsukune to panic slightly. "H-h-h-h-h-how did he know?" he asked.
"He said he knew since we signed up. And yet, for some reason, he's letting us stay here. Pretty weird, huh?"
"Weird? Try freaking confusing. Why would he let us stay here?" Tsukune asked.
Ethan thought for a moment before coming up with a theory. "This is a school for monsters to understand humanity better, right? Maybe he thought that by having us a representatives, it would help to fix the damaged relationship between our two races."
Ethan then straightened himself up. "Might work. Or it could end with us being skewered alive. Thoughts?"
Tsukune looked at him with a dead-panned look. "Well… at least you considered a bright side." Then Tsukune remembered the case. "But what does that have to do with the guitar case?"
Ethan looked over his shoulder. "Oh, this? It's actually a-"
"Oh my god, look you it is!" came the voice of one teenager. A group of them followed suit in his hyper mood. Ethan and Tsukune looked at them before checking to see what the source of their attention was. Ethan sighed.
"Can't say I'm surprised" he said to himself.
All the other boys of the school soon started to gather when Moka made her appearance. Every one of them were practically drooling as they were looking at her in detail. Some of them couldn't help but speak their mind.
"Wow, It's Moka Akashiya, the hottest girl in the whole school!" Said one.
"I hear that she's both beautiful and smart. She's got the full package." Said another.
Moka was soon staring in their direction. She became increasingly positive and ran towards them. They all screamed with joy at the prospects of her coming their way. However, it was short-lived, as she ran past them and tackled Tsukune into the ground.
"Tsukune! It's great to see you!" Moka said.
"Uh, yeah, likewise." He said back to her. He looked behind her and saw all the males now glaring with envy and hatred. They were jealous at the fact that Tsukune, a person with no redeeming features other than his good nature, managed to become friends with the school's number one beauty.
They were about to say something when their eyes caught Ethan's which were striking them with a stare made of steel and ice. Immediately, they coward at the sight of him and backed off. Ethan turned away from them and made his way over to the two teens now sprawled across the floor.
"You two having fun?" he asked.
Moka and Tsukune perked up when they heard his voice. They looked up at him and both smiled. However, they also soon realised the position they were in. They got back up and greeted him.
"How are you this morning?" Moka asked.
"Pretty good, thanks." Ethan replied. He looked down at his watch briefly before looking back at them. "We still got time before class starts, you want to look around a bit more?"
Tsukune nodded. They both waited for Moka's response. However, when they saw her, she seemed a little… distracted. She was soon staring into Tsukune's eyes. Tsukune, for the life of him, couldn't help but look back. Ethan couldn't help but notice that each had a sparkle in their eyes that grew the longer they gazed at each other.
"Oh Tsukune…" Moka said softly.
"Oh Moka…" Tsukune replied in the same manner.
"Oh fecking hell." Ethan couldn't help but think. Not a big fan of romance, he turned around in the opposite direction and waited until they were done.
"Do they really have to act all lovey-dovey in public like that? I swear this is going to get old rea-"
"AAAAAAAAGH!" came Tsukune's voice.
Ethan turned and saw that it was, indeed, Tsukune screaming from, not all too surprising, Moka helping herself to some more of Tsukune's blood. Ethan had to try his best not to laugh at the situation the poor bot was in.
When Moka was finished, Tsukune backed away while Ethan stepped right beside her. Ethan allowed himself a grin. "I see you've had your fill Moka. Isn't Tsukune just wonderful for letting you drink his blood?"
Moka wasn't really paying attention. She was still savouring the taste of her friends crimson liquid for a little longer. However, when she snapped back to reality, the first thing she saw was Tsukune looking at her with disbelief and fear.
"MOKA WHAT THE HECK DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING, QUIT DRINKING FROM ME LIKE A JUICE BOX!" he roared as he ran off in the opposite direction from the vampiress. Moka was left standing by herself, confused by what had happened. She turned back to Ethan, whose face, previously contorted by potential laughter, was now as blank as a sheet of paper.
"Ethan?" Moka walked up to him. "Did… did I do something mean?" she asked.
Ethan pondered on what to say for a moment before speaking. "Moka. We, uh… I think we need to talk."
…
Despite Tsukune's weak athleticism, he managed to cover a great distance from where he had started running. When he stopped, he looked around and saw that he was actually beside a lake.
"I wonder if this is the lake Ethan said he would go to during the evenings?" Tsukune said to himself. He stared into the clear water, lost in thought on what has happened so far. He was one of two humans attending a school for monsters that would kill him on sight if he was found out. To add to that, since the incident with Saizou, he was afraid that someone with the school might try to pick a fight with him.
He soon started to shiver at the thought of many… unpleasant results from all this. He felt like he was on his own with this one. True he had Ethan, obviously the tougher of the two, but he seemed more interested a laughing at Tsukune's misery. While there was also Moka, he didn't like how she would always latch onto his neck whenever she could.
"What am I going to do?" he moaned to himself. He was about to collapse to the ground with frustration when a certain sound caught his ears.
"H-help… help me…" came a female voice.
Tsukune looked around, unsure of where the voice came from. He searched all over the area until, out of luck, he saw someone resting up against an old tree. Tsukune ran to her, only to be stunned by what he saw.
The female of question looked around Tsukune's age. She had short, blue hair, part of it tied into a bun, amethyst coloured eyes and a heart-shaped face. She was wearing another version of the school uniform. Instead of the jacket, she wore a bright, yellow sweater-vest and wore socks that covered the lower half of her calves. Tsukune couldn't help but think she was really pretty.
He quickly snapped back into reality, however, as he remembered that she was in trouble. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked.
Through a pained face, she managed to speak. "No… it hurts… it hurts so bad." She managed to say.
Tsukune tried to help her up, but she kept falling back onto the ground. He had to resort to wrapping his arms around her and hugging her close to him. This resulted in Tsukune being put in a very uncomfortable position, as her chest was being pressed directly up against his own.
"Oh crap! It feels so good… but if either Moka or Ethan hear about this, I'm a dead man!" Tsukune thought, he felt his face become redder and blood starting to build up in his nose.
The girl saw his discomfort. "Huh? Are you okay, Tsukune?" she asked.
Uh… yeah, yeah I'm fine, it's just-" He stopped mid-sentence when he realized something. "Wait, how do you know my name!?" he asked.
"We're in the same class together, remember? I sit one row behind you. I guess you had to focus on your schoolwork." She said. She was so feint with her speech, however, it was difficult for Tsukune to hear her.
"Oh, right, sorry. How are you feeling now?" Tsukune scanned her again, noticing how she was moving uncomfortably.
"I… I still feel pain… in my chest." She said, still pressing her chest against his. Tsukune tried his best to ignore it, focusing on her eyes.
"We'll get you to the nurse as soon as possible, don't worry." The boy said, trying to sound confident.
Soon, the bluenette's face changed, from that of pain to a menacing leer. "Oh… you are so brave, aren't you… you and that boy, Ethan." She said. As she was speaking, a wave of energy emitted from her eyes, hitting Tsukune in the eyes as well. In that moment, Tsukune suddenly became incredibly drowsy. He lost concentration, the only thing seeming to get through to him was the girl's voice.
"My name is Kurumu Kurono… let's be together, you handsome boy." The girl, now named Kurumu, said to him.
Through his hazy state, he smiled at her and nodded in agreement.
"I… I'd like that… let's hang out." Tsukune said, the bluenette looking at him with a mix of lust and killer intent.
…
Ethan brought Moka up to the roof after the first class. There, he explained Tsukune's dissatisfaction with Moka constantly drinking his blood. He tried to be as sensitive as possible, but he could tell that he was upsetting the vampire as he spoke, making her feel guilty over her actions.
Ethan sighed as he was about to finish. "Moka, I'm sorry. But the thing is you need to control your urges. The fact of the matter, plain and simple, you can't be drinking from him all the time, not without his permission, at least."
"I know, it's just… I can't help it. Ethan, you know how much you both mean to me as friends, and I don't want to do anything to harm that." She said.
Ethan nodded in understanding. "So, what're you going to do?" he asked.
Moka started into the distance and held her rosary tight in her hands. "I'm going to apologise to Tsukune." She said before making her way down the stairs.
Ethan watched her run off, glad to see that she understands the situation now. He walked over to the railing and leaned against it, allowing himself to be lost in thought. Surprisingly, he found the main thing that he was thinking about was actually Moka's inner form, her vampiric form. Seeing the display of pure power had managed to send a chill down the teen's spine when he first saw her.
"Just how the hell does she have that power, anyway?" he said out loud. He looked back to the guitar case on his back.
"Can I control what I have with this?" he thought to himself. He looked around, checking to see if there wasn't anything or anyone in the vicinity. When he was sure he was alone, he placed the case on the ground and opened the case. He gazed into the inside of the case before taking out what was inside. In his hand, he now held-
An old, wooden staff.
He tested the weight before spinning it a couple of times in his hand. He looked at the top end of the old weapon, observing a pentagram carved into the staff. He took in a deep breath, looked at the staff for a brief moment before placing it back in the case.
"What the hell am I thinking? How's a piece of wood going to help me?" he said out loud to himself. He slung the case on his back before going down the stairs himself.
…
As Ethan walked through the hallways, he noticed something different. Normally, he'd hear comments about Moka and her looks as well jealous comments about Tsukune. Instead, however, he was hearing someone else's name instead.
"Hey, did you guys notice Kurumu today?" She was looking hot!" said one of them.
"I know, I think she looked my way and winked at me. It was the best thing ever!" said another.
The comments went on like that. Ethan couldn't be bothered to listen to the… lonely teens (for lack of a cleaner expression), and continued on his way. However, he did recognise the name.
"Kurumu… the blue-haired girl in our class? Why are they talking about her?" he wondered out loud.
"Ethan!" came Moka's voice.
Ethan was knocked from his thoughts as he heard his friend's voice. As she came his way, he noticed something was troubling her.
"What's wrong? Did you talk to Tsukune yet?" he asked.
Moka lowered her head, a sad expression appearing on her voice. "Well… I tried, but…" she had begun hesitating.
Ethan's face became sterner. "Moka. What happened?"
She looked up. "Tsukune had started to hang out with that girl, Kurumu. She's always clinging to him and trying to push Tsukune away from him. When I tried talking to him he… he said he didn't want to be with me because he thinks I only see him as food."
This surprised Ethan. While her blood-sucking was a pain in the backside for him, that's never been a strong enough reason to quit being with her. He eejit couldn't leave her even if he wanted to.
"That's pretty weird of Tsukune." He said. He pondered for a moment before an idea came to mind. "Do you think the bluebird had something to do with it?"
"First of all, I'm not sure that's an appropriate term. Second, if she is, how?" Moka said.
"I'LL TELL YOU HOW!" came a voice above them.
Ethan and Moka looked up to see the girl Kurumu sitting on the rails of the stair case above them. Ethan looked at her with caution, his hand, involuntarily, reaching for the staff, while Moka looked at her with surprise. Kurumu jumped down from the rail and landed quite close to Moka. When she got her balance back, she pointed directly at Moka.
"Moka Akashiya, I am declaring WAR on you!" Kurumu exclaimed.
Ethan and Moka looked at her in confusion. Ethan shook his head while Moka tilted hers.
"War? What do you mean?" asked the vampiress.
"Every guy in this school has never once taken their eyes off of you. Do you realize how many guys are drooling over you and not paying attention to me? Do You!?" Kurumu vented.
"Well if we did, I'd have probably castrated them all by now." Ethan said honestly, getting a look of astonishment from his friend.
"That's why I'm on a mission to get all the boys to like me, ending your reign in this school once and for all!" Kurumu explained. She brushed her hair back. "It's shockingly easy, since I'm a succubus, after all."
"A what now?" Ethan asked.
Moka gasped. "A monster that has the ability to charm men and steal their energy." She said, taking a step back.
"That's right. I've got all the boys, even your precious juice-box of a friend of yours. You can't beat me, Akashiya!" she said.
Ethan clicked his fingers. "It was Kurumu! I should've bet money on it!"
Kurumu looked at Ethan briefly. Her eyes scanned up and down his form, her eyes narrowing.
"Something I can help you with?" Ethan asked.
His answer from Kurumu was her briskly turning around and walking away from him. "Sorry, you're not my type." She said.
As soon as she said that, all the boys surrounding them wither were thanking her or laughing at Ethan.
"Wow, she does care for us!" One of then said.
"Looks like the mighty queen of beauty has no interest in brutes, huh?" another asked.
Soon all of the guys were laughing at Ethan. Moka was having trouble with holding in her rage. She didn't like that they were making fun of one of her friends like that. She was about to speak when Ethan interjected.
"You're not interested because your "Charm" won't work on me. Right?" he said.
That caused Kurumu to freeze as well as the other boys to look at him in confusion. Ethan continued. "The love charm ability that causes any man to look in your eyes to become boundlessly infatuated with you." He said. Seeing how he was on a roll, he continued.
"That's how you've got everyone drooling for you now. Since they were all focused on Moka, you cheated and used your power. You say your not into me, that's fine with me.
"Ethan turned around himself before saying one last thing. "I have no interest in those who rely on cheap tricks to get what they want."
This caused an up roar from all the males in the hallway, some one them throwing anything they could find. However, as he was not one to back away when someone tries to attack in any form, he turned back and gave them all an intense glare, his eyes glowing ember once again. Everyone fell silent, some of them even wetting themselves. Both Ethan and Moka made their escape, leaving Kurumu to continue facing away from them, lost in her own thoughts.
"He knew about my charm? Impossible. He couldn't have known. That could only be the only reason he was able to resist, he was prepared." She thought. Her face soon changed from a look of shock to anger. She turned around and started to go the same route as Moka and Ethan.
"I won't let either of them ruin my plan." She said, murder present in her eyes.
…
The two eventually found Tsukune, who seemed to be exhausted from running around the school. He apologised for his behavior towards Moka, unsure of why he said it, but sure that he didn't want to stop being her friend. Ethan chuckled, causing the other two look at him.
"Great to see you're taking responsibility, Tsukune. But, you're not to blame here." He said.
Tsukune looked at him in confusion. "What? How am I not to blame?"
Moka came into the conversation at this point. "Kurumu's a succubus, she can manipulate men into doing whatever she wants. She's been charming all the boys in school for some reason."
Ethan rubbed the back of his head. "Thank god too. If I heard that a succubus was putting all her effort into just seducing you, I'd be afraid someone would've killed you and replaced you with someone who can actually land a girl."
This caused Tsukune to look crest-fallen. "I thought you said you'd give that a break." He said weakly.
"Letting yourself get hypnotised into a girls boyfriend gives me immediate right to make fun of you, no exceptions." Ethan said with a serious expression, bringing a smile back onto his face.
"YOU JUST MADE THAT UP!" Tsukune roared.
"So?" Ethan said.
Moka couldn't help but laugh at the antics of the two. Tsukune's bumbling actions while Ethan, the calm, cool and collected one, would be there to support him, then joke about him. For some reason, she couldn't stop laughing. The two male teens looked at her in confusion.
"What?" they asked simultaneously.
"Nothing. It's nothing, sorry." She said when she was finished. Tsukune and Ethan looked at each other in confusion. Ethan was about to say something When he saw Tsukune look like he had seen a ghost. He looked back only to see a window shattering and a pointed object going right past his face. He looked back and saw the object, which was actually a tail, wrap itself around Tsukune's neck. It yanked him towards the window with great force, knocking Ethan over.
"OH NO!" Moka yelled as she ran to the window. She looked out and saw that what had captured Tsukune was actually Kurumu, only she had large bat wings sticking out of her back and a tail sticking out from under her skirt, which was holding Tsukune hostage.
"Hold on, I'm coming!" Moka yelled out to Tsukune, leaping out the window with as much force as she could. She landed on the ground and ran towards her friend with as much force as possible. When she was close enough, she put as much force into her legs as possible as she launched herself into the air, grabbing onto Tsukune's waist.
"Don't worry, I got you." Moka said.
They all continued to fly towards the forest. However, the strain of carrying two people was getting to her, forcing her to release her hostage and let them fall into the forest. After they landed, feeling sore from the impact, they got back onto their feet. They looked up at Kurumu.
"Don't think we're going to let you get away with this." Moka said, determination present in her voice.
"Like I have a choice!" Kurumu yelled. This caused slight confusion to form in Moka and Tsukune.
"We succubi are going extinct. I won't let that happen. That's why I charmed the school, in hopes of finding my destined one! Because of you, I wasn't able to find him, so now I'm going to end you!" she yelled before flying at the two at rocket speed.
Tsukune and Moka prepared to move when they saw something fly over them from behind, striking Kurumu in her forehead and causing her to fly backwards. The object fell to the ground and clattered against the stone ground upon impact.
"What was that?" Tsukune asked, observing an old, wooden staff now lying on the ground.
"A gift from the Chairman." Came a familiar voice behind them. They turned and saw Ethan slowly walking up to them.
"Didn't think to wait up, aye?" He asked.
Moka looked embarrassed for a moment. She was about to apologise when Ethan raised his hand. "Remember what I said at the balcony?"
Moka suddenly remembered his words and gave him a nod, turning back and looking at the wooden staff. She picked it up and handed it to Ethan. "Is this yours?"
Ethan took the staff back off her. "Yep. The headmaster somehow knew about that strength I used against Saizou. So he gave me this." He said, holding up the staff into the air.
"What's it suppose to do?" Tsukune asked.
"One, help me control my power without burning myself out too quickly. The only problem is I don't know how to use it yet" He said.
"And second?" Tsukune asked.
However, before Ethan could answer, he saw Kurumu zooming back towards them, her fingernail extending to claws as she prepared to strike. Ethan ran in front of the group and held up the staff in defense. As the claws struck the staff, all were amazed to see that the nails didn't even make a dent on the old weapon.
While her claws were still on the staff, Ethan grinned as he brought the staff to one side, bringing Kurumu with it, creating an opening which he used, kicking Kurumu in the stomach. As Kurumu gasped for breath, Ethan brought back the staff and, channelling as much energy as he could into the staff, swung it into Kurumu's side, causing her to fly back.
Ethan quickly looked back at Tsukune and Moka. "I won't be able to hold her off forever. Bring the other Moka out." He said. He turned back to see Kurumu flying back towards him with a furious look.
"He's right. We've got to bring her out." Tsukune said.
Moka held out her rosary to Tsukune. "Tsukune, quick, take it off. You're the only one who was able to, so please do it." She said.
Tsukune grabbed onto the rosary and pulled as hard as he could. But for some reason, the rosary stayed on. Tsukune yanked it a few more times, having difficulty in removing the relic.
"What's going on, it won't come off!" Tsukune said. For some reason, the rosary wasn't coming lose as it had before.
"WHAT'S THE FECKING HOLD UP!" Ethan roared.
Moka and Tsukune looked back. Ethan seemed to be faring well against the succubus, avoiding her attacks with surprising agility, but every time he tried to attack with the staff, Kurumu would avoid it easily. Ethan seemed to become even more agitated when he missed, not being used to being on the losing side of a fight.
Kurumu cackled as she soared high into the air. "What's wrong, tough guy? Having trouble fighting against a girl?" she asked sarcastically. Ethan kept a straight face, but he was starting to get annoyed by her words.
"Do you want to know the real reason I didn't find you interesting? I heard rumours that you took on an orc in human form and almost won. I never heard such crap before in my life. Anyone saying they can fight a monster like that are nothing but liars, not even worth looking at!" she said as she flew high in the air.
Ethan tried to stay calm, but her words were annoying him greatly. He readied himself as she started zooming towards him again.
"YOU'RE NOT EVEN MAN ENOUGH TO PROTECT THOSE PATHETIC FRIENDS OF YOURS!" she roared.
After hearing those words, Ethan froze. Time seemed to slow down as the memories of that night flooded back into his mind.
(Flashback)
Ethan ran through the hotel, screaming for his mother and father. As he ran, he felt the flames burning his skin, causing serious damage. He couldn't have cared less. As long as he found his parents, nothing else mattered.
He ran past one room, he heard someone screaming inside. He stopped and went to check what was inside. Much to his horror, he saw a man, another one of the parents he guessed, trapped under a damaged beam. The man looked up and saw the boy and panicked.
"What are you doing? Get out, you'll be killed!" he said.
His words, however, fell on deaf ears as Ethan ran to him. He went up to the beam and tried lift the object. He wasn't nearly strong enough and he felt the embers in the beam searing into his skin. He tried hard, but he wasn't able to lift the object.
The man kept yelling at him, but Ethan kept ignoring him. The man reached out his arm and grabbed the back of Ethan's shirt and threw him away from the beam.
"GOOOO!" the man yelled. As he did, some more debris came down from the ceiling, landing directly onto the man's head, crushing it beneath the material.
Ethan could only just look at the man's gruesome death. He was unable to move, trauma overcoming him as guilt and horror filled within him. Tears began to build up in his eyes as he began to break down.
"What's… what's happening? Why couldn't I save him?" he asked himself.
As the flames around him began to intensify, his fear overcame him and he cried loudly.
(Flashback end)
Ethan was brought back into reality. Time still seemed to slow as he looked out to Kurumu, his eyes seeing her claws coming her way. The closer they got, he slowly lost himself to his anger. With unnatural reflexes, he dodged the attack, spun himself around and struck her in her stomach with his foot, unleashing his strength to send her flying further into the forest. She was sent through a number of different trees, each one snapping like a bone in her body each time she crashed into a tree. After the seventh tree, she slammed up against another, unable to move.
Tsukune and Moka looked at the spectacle they had seen before them. When it was finished, they looked at Ethan with complete awe. He turned to them with a serious expression.
"Take this as a warning. Never piss me off." He simply said.
The two teens gulped and nodded briskly at him. Ethan then brought his attention back to Kurumu, causing his anger to rise again. Readying his staff, he slowly walked over to the girl. When she saw him, she tried to move, but yelped in pain as she did so, feeling immense pain in her ribs, one of her arms and her wings.
"Guess you didn't think I could break your bones in one hit, huh?" Ethan said.
The sound of his voice made Kurumu go cold with fear. She saw his face when he was close enough, she saw his eyes filled with anger while he wore a sadistic smile. He raised his staff up high into the air.
"You were right about one thing, Kurumu. I was too weak to protect anyone. But now… I'll make sure you never hurt anyone again." He said as his eyes glowed again. He roared as he was about to strike, causing Kurumu to scream, when he was stopped.
"ETHAN, STOP IT!" Tsukune yelled.
Surprised by this, Ethan turned around and saw Tsukune standing right behind him. Ethan glared at him, but Tsukune stood strong.
"Stop? Really? You expect me to let her off the hook after what she did? After what she said?" Ethan asked, his tone becoming much darker the more he spoke.
"You heard her, she was only doing what she did because her species was dying out. I know she made a bad choice but she was only trying to help. If I was in trouble, what would you do just to save me?" Tsukune said.
This caused Ethan to pause. Tsukune kept going.
"I know what she said to you was too far as well, but she doesn't know about that night. She seemed angry as well, she was just venting out, some you and I would've done if we were just as mad. Please, Ethan."
Ethan's grip on the staff tightened as he looked back at Kurumu. After a second, he started gritting his teeth. AS roared as he lifted the staff into the air.
"ETHAN!" Tsukune roared.
Ethan launched the staff like a javelin at Kurumu, causing her to scream again. She closed his eyes, waiting for the end to come. She heard the staff strike something, as well as sinking into the object it struck. She opened her eyes and looked around, seeing the Staff impaled into the tree, just inches above her head. She looked in front of her and saw Ethan walk up to her, only for him to yank the staff out of the tree. He looked at her with a calm expression and pointed at Tsukune.
"Be thankful to him." He said, causing Kurumu to look surprised. "He has the ability to see the good in anyone… and I guess he saw something in you. So I'm going to give you a chance as well."
He knelt in front of her, not breaking eye contact with her.
"But don't you dare… say that to me again." He said calmly.
Kurumu solely nodded in response. Ethan stood up and turned back to his friends.
Leaving the succubus to stare at Tsukune, the boy that actually saved her life.
…..
"How's Ethan holding up?" Moka asked.
A couple of days after what happened with Kurumu, all the males were freed from her charm. Kurumu gave them all a public apology, feeling true regret for what she had done. However, everyone forgave her on the spot, knowing about the situation about the succubi… that and the males were still infatuated with her even after the charm. Though that still didn't stop them from loving Moka as well.
Ethan was the only one who was still angry at Kurumu, deciding to avoid the masses until he cooled off from what had happened in the forest.
"Well… I saw him punching a tree into pieces so... he's actually a bit better." Tsukune replied.
"What happened to him back there?" Moka asked.
"Kurumu said something that reminded him of the night he lost his parents in a fire." Tsukune said.
This caused Moka to gasp, having remembered what Ethan told her about his parents. Tsukune also sighed. "He's in a lot more pain than he's letting on. It's a miracle he was able to open up to anyone, ever mind me."
Moka grasped his rosary, the thought of her own family getting hurt coming to mind, imagining what would happen if she lost the people important to her. She then looked at Tsukune with a smile. "You really look out for him, don't you?" she asked.
Tsukune nodded. "Yeah." He then looked at Moka with a fearful expression. "Please don't tell him I said that!"
This caused Moka to giggle.
"Hi guys." Came a voice from behind.
Tsukune and Moka turned around and, much to their surprise and worry, saw Kurumu with a smile on her face and a box of cookies in her hands.
"I wanted to apologise to you both directly for what I did. I made you some cookies for you all to enjoy." She said, holing out the box of treats.
"Wow, thanks Kurumu." Tsukune said gratefully. He took the box and held it out for them all to enjoy. They all loved them.
"So, Kurumu, you still going to look for your destined one?" Moka asked.
Kurumu's small turned into a cheery grin. "Actually, I don't need to keep looking for him." She said, causing the other two to look at her in confusion. Her attention was now on Tsukune. "I don't need to keep looking because I found my destined one."
She went up to Tsukune and held his left hand with both of hers. "I decided it's you, Tsukune."
"…. What?" he asked.
"When Ethan was about to strike me down, you stepped in and saved me, even though you could've been hurt. Even after all that happened, you believed that there was good in me. Never before have I seen a man with such bravery, and I promise not to let your belief go to waste. I'll prove my love to you" She said, her eyes sparkling with an unusually pure look in her eyes.
Tsukune blushed at her attempt, but then he was knocked out of his state when he felt his other arm being pulled. The box he was holding fell onto the ground, luckily the cookies were all eaten already. Kurumu saw Moka trying to pull him away, so she fought back, pulling Tsukune to her side.
"Don't even think about it, Kurumu, Tsukune belongs to me!" she said unconsciously.
"Don't think I'll give up that easily, you blood-sucking harlot!" Kurumu said back.
Tsukune, on the other hand, stayed silent. He was having difficulty registering that two beautiful were literally fighting over him. If he wasn't so overcome with shock, he'd probably be smiling like an idiot.
"No, I won't lose Tsukune!" Moka said, soon leaping onto Tsukune and biting onto his neck and causing Tsukune to scream again.
Unknown to any of them, however, Ethan had been standing at a far distance from them observing the group. When he saw Tsukune being fought over by the girls, he shook his head with a smile on his face.
"I'd be jealous… if I didn't feel sorry for you." He said. He turned around and made his way back to the school.
In the guitar case he continued to carry, the staff began to glow a similar shade of ember as Ethan's eyes when using his power, the pentagram turning scarlet and, surprisingly, a shard of a blade slowly emerging from the weapon.
[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND… I'M DONE! Sorry that it took so long. I've been having great difficulty trying to find a good way to implement Ethan into this part of the story. I think it might get easier in future chapters, but we'll have to see. Also, in case anyone asks, I didn't include inner Moka in the fight against Kurumu here because I wanted show Ethan's vicious side in this chapter. That won't mean She won't be coming back, she's the most badass person in the series, after all. Anyway, that's all for now. Hope to see you soon, and don't forget to review to give your opinions.]
ClyxicRyse: I'm not sure about pairing Ethan up with Mizore, but, truth be told, it's not a bad idea all the same, something to ponder on. Thank you very much for your suggestion.