Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Rosario Vampire. I am merely twisting the creator's vision into my own dream. If the supernatural, sexuality, or violence is offensive to you, than you should not read this.
Chapter 164
The room was quiet in the early hour. The only light was from the moon that slipped in past the curtains. Tsukune and Moka rested on the bed, the sheets tangled about them. Tsukune was resting with his eyes closed, his breathing deep and even in the wake of their love making. Moka, close beside him, traced her finger over the seal where it lay on her chest. There times when she really hated that seal. Once it was removed, she became trapped, at best she was reduced to a witness of what her other self was living.
But right then, in that quiet room, Moka was alone with Tsukune. Her other self was dormant, her urges and desires satisfied for the moment. Moka had been floating, as if in a dream, as her other self had enjoyed a shopping date with Tsukune. When pleasure and passion had so filled Inner Moka's mind, the mind of the daily Moka had been caught up in it all as well. The the seal had been replaced and Moka had found herself alert and in command of her body. A body that was naked and still feeling good next to a smiling Tsukune. This time the pleasure and passion had been hers to be enjoyed in every detail. Tsukune had been gentle and attentive to her body. After, they had simply cuddled together.
"Tsukune," Moka whispered in his ear. "I'm hungry."
"What for?" Tsukune asked without opening his eyes.
"Tsukune..." Moka protested.
"I can have Ruby get you something," Tsukune said, still not looking at her.
"Tsukuneeee..."
"I'm sure she would have no problem poking me with something sharp if I asked her to," Tsukune went on. "She could put it in a glass..."
"Tsukuuneee!" Moka threw herself on top of him. "Quit talking like that."
"Like what?" Tsukune asked, opening his eyes and smiling at Moka as he put his arms around her body.
"You were teasing me," Moka protested.
"Sorry," Tsukune said. "I'm just in a funny mood." He lifted his head and gave her a peck on the lips. "Besides, you deserve some teasing for making Mizore look after your doll tonight."
"There is nothing wrong with that," Moka said. "She owes me from when she took energy from you without asking last year."
"Oh?" Tsukune questioned. "I thought we worked that out."
"We did," Moka said. "She swore an oath of fidelity to me. She serves me, and I will reward her for it later."
"Reward her how?" Tsukune asked.
"I will have my other sworn follower," Moka said, leaning down. "Do something nice for her. You wouldn't mind would you, Tsukune?"
"Well that kind of depends," Tsukune answered. "After all, Dame Moka, what if what you want me to do will get me in trouble with my girlfriend?"
"I am sure your girlfriend will understand," Moka replied. "After all, it will be in the line of duty."
"Ahhhhh..." Tsukune nodded.
"But we can talk about that later," Moka said with a sensual smile. "There is something else I want to take care of now."
"Oh?" Tsukune smiled back. "And what would that be?"
"I'm hungry," Moka answered as she bend her head lower.
Tsukune bent his head to the side with a sigh. He knew that there was a price for everything. Taking care of Moka's needs was a small price to pay for the happiness he got in return.
"Mmmmmmmm," Moka purred as she tasted his blood and power.
"I love you too," Tsukune said as he held her close.
XxxxXxxxXxx
Mizore started out her Monday feeling more than a little cranky. She had been pressed into taking care of two babies while Moka got to enjoy a date with Tsukune. Mizore was perfectly happy with the idea of taking care of Tsukune's children, especially if she was going to be their mother, but having to take care of a pair of dolls, with one or the other of them demanding attention almost every hour all night long had been a trial. To make matters worse, she could feel Tsukune' and Moka's presences as they kept each other up until late at night. She had not been looking forward to school at all.
Mizore had been dragging herself out of bed to get ready for school when Tsukune had knocked on the bedroom door. Mizore actually hesitated for a moment because of how she felt, and how thought she must have looked after such a long and restless night.
"Come in," Mizore said, standing beside the bed in her pajamas. She felt more rumpled than the bed sheets.
"Good morning, Mizore," Tsukune said as he entered.
"Morning," Mizore said.
She took in Tsukune's appearance to try to read his mood. He was dressed in a bathrobe and looked like he had just finished washing up. Mizore wondered if Moka had been with him. While he looked a little tired around the eyes, Tsukune appeared to be in a good mood.
"I know it's still a little early," Tsukune said. "But I wanted to thank you for helping out Moka last night. I'll look after the dolls while you get ready for school."
"Thank you," Mizore said with a thin smile.
"But before that," Tsukune said as he lifted his arms. "Let me help you out."
"Tsukune..." Mizore's sleep deprived mind was running slow. Before she could really process what was going on, Tsukune had his arms around her.
Mizore's mind started working better once she was in Tsukune's embrace. Tsukune was holding her close, which was always nice. Then she felt his youki start to stir. She looked up into his face and saw him smiling at her. Understanding pushed the fog from her mind. Mizore reached up to wrap her arms around Tsukune neck and they drew together for a kiss. At the same time, she opened herself up to draw in his Warmth. Tsukune's energy flowed into her, recharging her body and refreshing her mind.
"Mmmmm," Mizore sighed as she relaxed against Tsukune's warm chest.
"Do you feel a little better?" Tsukune asked.
"Yes," Mizore said softly. "Thank you, Tsukune."
"Thank you, Mizore," Tsukune said back.
Mizore felt ready to start her day after that. She left the room and the dolls to Tsukune and went to wash up. When she returned in her own robe, Tsukune was still there, in his robe, looking after the babies, which gave Mizore a warm feeling. Out of a mischievous impulse, she removed her robe to get dressed for school. While in nothing but a fresh pair of panties, she spoke up to attract Tsukune's attention.
"Tsukune, do these fit me alright?" Mizore said, posing shamelessly.
"Ahhh," Tsukune had to blink a few times to compose his thoughts. He looked at the white skinned Mizore in her purple panties. "Yes. Yes they fit you very well. But Mizore, you should try so hard to provoke me."
"Why not?" Mizore asked as she worked her bra into place.
"How would you feel if I did the same thing to you?" Tsukue countered.
"I wouldn't mind," Mizore said.
"Oh?" Tsukune said, moving away from the dolls and a little closer to Mizore. He tugged at the belt of his robe. "Should I ask for your opinion on my underwear then? Should I show off to you before going to school?"
"Please," Mizore smiled, challenging him.
"Alright," Tsukune said, untying his robe. "If you're sure."
"I'm sure," Mizore answered quickly, a sparkle in her eyes.
"Well then," Tsukune asked. "What do you think..." He opened his robe wide.
Mizore's eyes opened wider and her mouth fell open a little. She could feel her face becoming warm. Tsukune had exposed himself to her before, but never so blatantly.
"Oops," Tsukune said in a lighthearted voice. "I forgot. I am not wearing any underwear right now. I'm sorry about that. I better go get some on."
"Oh..." Mizore said. "I..."
"Moka should be in soon to get her doll," Tsukune said, letting go of his robe but not closing it. "I'm going to go get ready for school."
"Alright," Mizore said, blinking.
Tsukune left the room, politely closing the door behind himself as he went. Mizore looked at the closed door for a minute without really seeing it. By the time she finally finished getting ready for school, Mizore had to admit that Tsukune had a very valid point. With the image of his bare flesh in her mind, she knew she was going to have a hard time concentrating in class.
XxxX
Kurumu was feeling grumpy Monday morning. Her weekend had not been satisfying in any way. The one time she had talked her housemate into looking after her doll for a while, Kurumu had gone out from under the barrier to check her messages. Her manager was looking for jobs she could do while still in school. While there were plenty of offers, they were not the kind of jobs that would help her career much. To add to her dissatisfaction, Sunday night Kurumu had been left with just enough free time to be aware of Tsukune through their shared connection to know that he was being physically active. In the evening he had been moving around quite a bit in the direction of the local town. Later, while he was clearly back at his manor, he had become even more active. She knew that Tsukune had been sharing himself with Moka, because she was his only other lover that seemed to excite him so much.
Kurumu stepped out side Monday morning hoping that the day would improve. She wasn't looking forward to school except for two things. The first was that she would get to spend some time in Tsukune's company. The other was that some time that afternoon she would be done with that cursed doll. Trying to get into a good mood, or at least find something good about the morning, Kurumu went to meet Tsukune as he came out side.
Kurumu felt her Monday drop a couple of notches lower as she waited for Tsukune. Mizore came out of the manor looking like a cat that had just had a good petting. Moka appeared looking downright happy, and well rested to boot. Ruby had a smile on her face as she saw the others off. When Tsukune finally stepped outside, he paused to give Ruby a kiss on the cheek and a pat on the bottom, making the witch smile even more.
"Tsukune," Kurumu called out, demanding his attention.
"Morning, Kurumu," Tsukune said as he approached her. He already had three school bags and was reaching for hers as he came close. "How are you doing?"
"How do you think I'm doing?" Kurumu pouted. "You didn't talk to me all weekend."
"I'm sorry," Tsukune said as he leaned in to give her a kiss.
"Hrmph..." Kurumu turned her head to the side, acting spoiled.
Tsukune could feel her emotions and knew she was worked up. He couldn't really blame her. She was in love with him and they had spent the weekend apart. He had missed her too. Tsukune still intended to let her know that he still wanted her, even if she had turned her lips away from him. Tsukune simply took advantage of what was available.
Kurumu knew she was acting silly. She had turned her face away form Tsukune to try to provoke him a little. It would be very satisfying to have him plead for a kiss. When he didn't, Kurumu wondered if she might have made a mistake, but then she felt his breath on the side of her face. He was going to kiss her eve if it wasn't on the lips. His warm breath, his soft lips...
"Ahhhhh," Kurumu felt her breath escape in a soft moan. 'Oh god,' Kurumu thought to herself. 'Where had Tsukune learned to do that to her ear?'
"Tsukune..." Kurumu's voice came out as a weak cry.
It was over before she knew it. Tsukune's lips and tongue were suddenly gone from her ear, leaving it feeling cool in the morning air. But the damage had been done. Her body wanted to squirm as she fought to contain her own desires.
"Tsukune," Kurumu's voice was equal parts moan and sigh. "You jerk."
"I love you too," Tsukune said with a smirk.
XxxXxxX
Inari reflected that she had to be one of the few people that was sorry to see the exercise coming to an end that day. That doll had been a wonderful excuse to get closer with Tsukune. Of course she felt a little bad about how using a part of his grade as a hostage to make him pay attention to her, but she was not above being sneaky. Unfortunately she would have to turn in her doll and workbook, and that would be the end of having Tsukune carrying her bag. With the end of high school only a few months away, Inari was wondering what else she could do to get her captain to notice her.
These thought ran through her mind as the clock ticked away. Soon it would be lunch time. After that, the third years would be turning in their dolls. After that, Inari guessed, it would be time for some new exercise. The more she thought about it, the more she wished there would be a way to partner with Tsukune some more. There was no way, she new for a fact, that they could be made to live together to practice keeping a human home. A working together exercise was highly unlikely as well.
Inari found her mind slipping into one of her private day dreams. She imagined her and her captain being police investigators working together. The mission would be to infiltrate as suspicious company under deep cover. Tsukune would be their new executive; nothing too exciting at first, but as a way in. He would then try to make connections as he investigated the company. Inari, as his supporting partner, would have the cover of being his girlfriend, or maybe his wife, so she would have a reason to visit his work place. She could 'get lost' in the building once in a while to pace recoding devices or listen to gossip in the ladies' rest rooms. At company social events, it would be her job to approach the other wives and girlfriends. Of course to avoid suspicion, she and Tsukune would have to look like they were in a relationship, maybe even live together.
Inari was pulled from her day dream by the bell sounding. It was time for lunch. Inari resisted the urge to sigh. Life just wasn't going her way.
XxxxXxxxX
Tsukune looked around the gym, amused by the way his school mates were behaving. Almost everybody was standing with a partner as they waited to turn in their dolls. And most of those that were with a partner looked like they were a couple. Ryu was standing with Yuuka, each of them holding a doll, and exchanging smiles. Tsukune almost wanted to laugh at the way Ryu kept flickering between happy and nervous. Yuuka on the other hand, Tsukune observed, kept looking at Ryu with very calculating eyes. Tsukune wished them the best of luck.
Tsukune was standing with Moka, Kurumu, and Mizore as they waited for their chance to turn in their dolls. Yukari and Kuna were close by, with Yukari looking impatient while her partner just quietly hovered beside her. All around them, timers of one kind or another gave occasional noises as last minute baby events came up. Tsukune wasn't too surprised when his own cell phone started chirping.
It took a moment for Tsukune to understand what had just happened. His phone had gone off, but none of the dolls around him had given off their electronic cries. Puzzled, Tsukune pulled out his phone. He looked at it for a moment and realized that what he had heard was not an event alarm. He examined his phone and saw that he had new messages and a weak signal. With a shrug, he decided he would check his messages later. He started to put his phone away.
Tsukune noticed a change in the way some of his school mates were acting. Some of them were moving around as if doing some kind of jerky dance. It took him a few seconds to recognize what they were doing. He never though about how many of his non-human school mates had cell phones before. He thought that maybe coexistence was not such an impossible thing as he watched about two dozen students moving about with their phones doing the weak signal dance. Tsukune frowned a little at them. They should wait until classes were out to use their phones.
Tsukune was wondering if he should say something about the cell phones. He scanned the gym to see if any of the student police were using one. He figured he could correct them as their captain, and that should be enough of a reminder for the others that there was a time and place for such things. Still, he wondered why it had never come up before.
"Tsukune?" Moka turned to him, seeing his sudden jerk as if shocked.
"Tsukune," Kurumu questioned. "Are you alright?" She had felt something spike through their bond.
Tsukune remained frozen in thought for a moment. He realized that the reason that cell phones had never been an issue at school before was because they never had a signal before. He remembered what Lieutenant Tanaka and Ross had told him. They had mentioned a telecommunications truck.
"I just remembered something," Tsukune said. He gave his friends a stiff smile. "I'll catch up to you later."
"What?" Moka started to question, but Tsukune was already moving away, his head sweeping back and forth as he looked for something. She shared confused looks with her friends.
XxxX
Inari was almost to the table to turn in her doll when she saw her captain acting differently. He suddenly moved away from his girlfriends as if he was looking for something. She watched as he went to the corner of the gym and dropped his school bag and picked up a metal wastepaper can. She knew from watching his body language that he was deadly serious about whatever it was he was doing. She looked at the two girls between herself and her homeroom teacher and wished the line would hurry up.
XxxX
It was the kind of thing Tsukune had thought of when playing with his friends. When pretending to be heroes, he and his friends sometimes played as spies or investigators. Once Tsukune was out side of the gym he emptied the trash bucket and put his phone in side it. The metal walls of the bucket blocked out the weak signal his phone had been picking up. Tsukune gave a cold smile at the proof that his idea should work. He arranged the phone and trash can so he could see the phone's display while holding the can on it's side. Tsukune then started to slowly turn around in place. As he did he found a direction where his phone picked up a signal once more.
Tsukune looked around to make a mental map. By orienting the direction the can was pointing in relationship to the school buildings, he figured out roughly where he had to go next. It was a simple plan. He would track the signal to find out where it was coming from. He would take a careful look to see what he was up against, and then retreat and get help. With help from the local police and the Board Chairman, Tsukune was sure they could protect the school and the students.
It was slow going. Tsukune stopped every hundred meters or so check for the signal's direction. Past the dorms and on the way to town, Tsukune crested a small hill. By then the signal was noticeably stronger. Tsukune was in site of the town when he reached the road. It was one of the things he knew of, but had never bothered to think much about. It was the way by which normal traffic reached the town. Not everything came through the tunnel the way the school's buses did. Using the tunnel required the use of spiritual energy after all. While a small, isolated town might be an infrequent place for normal truck drivers to deliver to, in Japan, it was not too uncommon. Tsukune did a check to confirm the signal's direction. He turned down the road, thankful that the signal was not coming from the town.
"Captain," Inari called out. "Tsukune..."
Tsukune turned to see his lieutenant coming up to him. She had her ears and tail out. Tails, plural, Tsukune corrected himself.
"How many tails?" Tsukue speculated, not realizing he had spoken out loud until he saw Inari blush.
"I'm sorry," Inari said, looking a little embarrassed. She rand her hands over her head with a practiced gesture, as if her ears had just been an illusion of messy hair they were gone in an instant. In contrast, she had to concentrate for her tails to disappear. "Mother tells me that I will have better control of my tails some day." She smiled shyly. "So far I have up to five tails, but it kind of depends on how I am feeling and how well I can concentrate at the moment."
"I see," Tsukune said, unconsciously looking at the curve of her now human looking bottom through her skirt. He gave himself a little shake. "Inari, what are you doing here?"
"Tsukune..." Inari made herself stand a little straighter. "Captain. I saw you leave the gym. I know that you don't normally skip classes, and I saw the way you were acting, so I knew it had to be something important. As soon as I was free I wanted to help you. I put your bag with mine so it would be safe and followed you. I would have been here sooner, but when your trail went close to the dorms I went there to pass word to gather the Student Police. From there, I followed you to here."
"Alright," Tsukune nodded. "I guess we'll work together."
"Yes!" Inari whispered to herself.
"Let me tell you what's going on," Tsukune said. "A while back I got word that Fairy Tail might be trying to come after me. I was told that they had a telecommunications truck, but nobody knew why. Today, we suddenly have signals for our cell phones, so I figured that Fairy Tail was using the truck as a cover to sneak in close to the school."
"That makes sense," Inari nodded.
"Right," Tsukune agreed. "So I am going to track the signal and see if I can find them. Once we do, we will sneak in close enough to see how many of them there are, and to see if anybody is in danger. After we do that, we will go and get help. I want us to be smart and safe. Alright?"
"Yes sir," Inari nodded.
Tsukune turned back to face down the road.
"Ummmm," Inari said as she hurried to keep up.
"Yes?" Tsukune spared her a glance
"Maybe we..." Inari swallowed back her words and changed what she was going to say. "Should I use my youkai..."
"No," Tsukune cut her off. "If this is Fairy Tail, using any of our abilities might alert them. Just try to stay calm and think small."
"Alright," Inari nodded.
Tsukune and Inari walked close to the edge of the road, their eyes searching ahead for their target. Inari tried to keep her nervousness from showing. She had almost suggested that they should walk holding hands, like a couple, as a disguise. As she walked with Tsukune she realized that as much as she would have liked that plan it wasn't a smart one. They were well away from the school, or anyplace students were likely to go on a date. They were in their school uniforms, complete with Student Police arm bands. And to top it all off, the school day wasn't over yet. Inari reminded herself to keep her mind on the task at hand and focused on supporting her captain.
The found their goal in almost no time at all. The first thing they spotted was the tower topped with microwave transceivers. At about twenty meters tall, it was made from logs covered in creosote, making it an ugly black-brown. Carefully moving among into the thin brush, Inari and Tsukune crept closer to their goal. They found the telecommunications truck, two support trucks, and a work crew near the base of the tower. Part of the crew was filling in a ditch, while another part was digging one. Others were pulling cable. Tsukune edged closer to get a head count.
XX
In the mean time, Tsukune's presence was being missed by the young women that loved him. Kurumu, the one with the most human world experience, was not content to just wait for him to show up, especially after she saw that other girl, Inari, go off after him. She may just be a loyal lieutenant to Tsukune, but Kurumu knew that the other woman wanted a lot more from her captain. Feeling a little miffed, she decided to find out what Tsukune was up to, by the most simple and direct way available. She pulled out her cell phone, which was working for some reason, and called him.
XxX
There are times, Tsukune understood, when everything falls into place. There are times when a person can see what is going on with with perfect clarity and understanding. Tsukune knew that one of those times was at hand. He and Inari were just meters away from the men installing the telecommunications equipment, lurking on the opposite side of the road from where they worked. When Tsukune's cell phone started to ring, he knew with perfect clarity and awareness that he was in deep trouble.
The work crew were youkai. They knew what they were doing, and that they needed to keep a low profile while the did it. They were, after all, sneaking into the territory of the opposition. When a cell phone started ringing in the bushes on the other side of the road, it only took one of them to hear it and react for the others to know something was going on. The vegetation under the barrier was thin, giving poor concealment once someone started paying attention. A pair of school uniforms did not blend in well enough to escape notice.
Tsukune knew that he and Inari were in trouble. His options were limited and he had to make his decision quickly. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and passed it to Inari.
"Go get help," Tsukune ordered. "I'll distract them." Before Inari could protest, Tsukune moved away from her, towards the workmen.
Inari reacted almost on instinct. Her captain had given her an order. Quickly and as quietly as she could, she hurried away from where Tsukune was making himself a target. She had to get help.
XxxX
"Excuse me," Tsukune said in a firm voice as he came out of the vegetation on onto the road. "I think I got lost." He tried to come up with an excuse, hoping to avoid a fight until he had some backup.
"He had a phone," One of the men said. "Where is it?"
"My pocket," Tsukune said quickly, wanting to keep their attention on him.
"What are you doing out here?" The man demanded.
"Skipping class," Tsukune shrugged.
The workmen all had their attention on Tsukue. They turned away form whatever tasks they had been doing and started to move towards him. Tsukune held his ground and tried to plan an escape. He knew he would have to keep the work crew away from the school. He wanted to keep them out of the town as well, if he could. He eyed the men who were focused on him.
"Your arm band isn't regular uniform," The apparent leader of the group said. He looked around. "The student police work in teams... Spread out," The man barked. "Find the other one."
"Shit," Tsukune reached for his youkai. He had to protect Inari so she could get help, so they could protect the school and everybody. Even as his power filled him, Tsukune moved.
His fist connected with the first workman's jaw, sending him flying back into a pair of his companions. The fight was on. Tsukune did not want to fight if he could find another way. He did not want to fight twenty men by himself. He went after the pair that had started in the direction of where he had last seen Inari. He kept moving after that, going for the next man that was a little closer to him than the others. He had to keep them focused on him.
"Get him," The leader barked. His body suddenly expanded, transforming into some kind of ogre with the head of a bull.
The other workmen abandoned their human disguises as well. Mostly large animal type youkai, the tools in their hands were now weapons. Tsukune moved as if he was going to escape down the road. Some of the enemies started after him, but not all. Some were still looking out towards the surrounding vegetation.
Tsukune knew he could not run away yet. He targeted a badger headed youkai that was close to the signal tower. With Flash, he moved in and delivered three quick punches, making his target double over. Tsukune didn't have time to finish him. He had to move before on of the others could blind side him. He reached for his left wrist.
"Tetsu Odari," Tsukune called to the bracelet. "Wake. Guard." The staff was in his hand. With a step and a pivot, Tsukune swept his weapon around, taking the feet out from under the nearest opponent.
"Damn!" The leader spat. "It's Aono. That's the guy we're after."
The work crew of youkai became intent. There was a bounty on their opponent's head, and it was a big one. Even sharing it would still bring them each a nice sum of money.
One of the workmen rushed Tsukune. He was tall and had long arms and legs. Tsukune tried to sidestep the rush, but the man was trying to grapple. Two other also pressed forward. Tsukune tried to evade, more interested in buying time and being safe than actually fighting.
XxxX
Inari felt bad about leaving her captain behind, but he had given her an order. She had to get help. She had moved off by about a hundred meters when the cell phone she was holding reminded her it was there. It rang again.
"Hello?" Inari answered the phone, almost dropping it as fumbled with the buttons as she moved.
"Where's Tsukune?" A female's voice demanded.
Inari came to a stop. She could get Tsukune help without running away. She spoke into the phone.
"This is Inari..." She started to say.
"I know it is," Kurumu cut her off. "I saw you following Tsukune. Now where is he?"
"Were on the old road on the other side of town," Inari said. "Tsukune needs help."
"What?" Kurumu's voice nearly became as shout.
"There are Student Police near the dorms," Inari explained. "Tsukune needs them here. Just come around the south side of the town and follow the road."
"We're coming," Kurumu said. "What's going on. What's Tsukune doing?"
"It's Fairy Tail," Inari said. "Hurry." She gave as much information as she could about what was going on.
"We're almost to the dorms," Kurumu said. "Help Tsukune. We'll get there as soon as we can."
"Yes," Inari said, turning back the way she came. She would help her captain.
XxX
When Inari got back to the road and found Tsukune, she knew that he was in trouble. Three of the workmen were standing back from the action, visibly injured but still in a position to slow any attempt Tsukune might make to get away. Four of the outsider youkai were on the ground, out of the fight. The rest were pressing Tsukune hard. They were using their tools as weapons. Tsukune was using Tetsu Odari to try to protect himself from his attackers, but he was already hurt. The men were strong fighters, chosen for the job because of their skills. One on one, they would have never had a chance against Tsukune, but in numbers, and armed, they were hurting him.
Inari rushed in to help. She was nowhere near as strong as Tsukune, but she was fast and agile. Inari went after the closest of the wounded men. If she could make an opening for her captain, he could break out and have a better chance at fighting or escaping.
Inari had tried to pick her target carefully, but the man wasn't as badly injured as she had thought. Her first attack had caught him by surprise and staggered him as she landed a kick behind his knee. But the man had long arms and was quicker than she had thought possible. He caught her by an arm with one hand and brought his other hand around in a closed fist. Inari strained her shoulder to avoid the blow even as she launched a vicious kick into the man's groin. The man's grip went weak as he dropped to his knees in pain. Inari pulled free and aimed a kick at his head. It connected with satisfying force, knocking the man sideways.
Before Inari could make her next move, another opponent closed with her. The blow connected with her side with enough force to drive the breath from her lungs. Her air came out in a sharp yelp of pain as the world spun. She had been lifted clear off of the ground. She saw the one who had attacked her and realized that it had been a powerful kick that had taken her off her feet. With some effort, Inari managed to land on her feet, partially crouched. She had to move quickly, she knew, or she would be in trouble. She rushed her attacker, looking for an opening.
Inari had never been in such a fierce fight before. She had encountered a few of Fairy Tail's thugs before, but these men were seasoned enforcers. One on one, she would have been able to take them down, she was confident. The problem was that they kept trying to double team her. A groin shot and a heel drop took down her second opponent. A kick to the head put the first one back down even as he tried to get up.
Inari learned something as she squared off against her third opponent. First was the critical reminder that a fair fight was a myth. The second thing was that speed and power did not always go well together. Third was that time was very, very suggestive. Inari discovered that she could use her speed to land some very solid hits on her opponent, but at the same time, she could end up doing nearly as much damage to herself if she wasn't careful. Even so, she thought she was doing alright until a large hand caught her around her ankle. She cried out in pain as she was yanked into the air.
Inari's landing was uncontrolled this time. The pain in her ankle told her that she was injured. She hit something hard enough to knock her breathless again, but in an off center way that made her body spin. She hit something else before landing on the ground. Inari realized that she had been thrown into the bigger melee that surrounded Tsukune. She tried to get to her feet, but her injured ankle wouldn't take her weight. Somebody kicked her in the side. Somebody else stepped on her arm. Inari yelped in pain as she tried to get some control of her situation.
Inari was fighting almost blindly. She was clawing at what she could reach while trying to protect herself. A steel toed boot to her chest sent white hot pain through her and made her see stars. She didn't even know that she had cried out as she fell.
Tsukune had seen what Inari was trying to do. He tried to fight to make an opening he could take advantage of as soon as she thinned out the perimeter fighters, but he was too tightly pressed. He concentrated on defending himself as best he could until help could come. But then Inari had been thrown in to the middle of the main fight. She tried to keep fighting, but was in too deep. Somebody landed a blow that took her out of the fight, leaving her limp at Tsukune's feet. And that changed everything.
Tsukune had decided that he would defend his school, his friends, and the other students. He had sworn that he would protect others from Fairy Tail and those like them. Inari, someone he counted as a friend was hurt and in danger. Tsukune would protect her. He would not let these youkai that could not see the truth of the danger they represented to themselves beat him. He lashed out at the nearest opponent, going on the offensive.
Tsukune attacked his attackers. He let his own defense suffer for the sake of inflicting as much damage as possible. Pain tore through his body as he opened up a space around Inari so he could protect her.
Inari was dazed and felt sick. Her body was not taking the abuse it had received very well. She tried to get up to her knees if not her feet. She had to keep fighting. She found a piece of shovel handle she could swing like a club. It proved useful as it shattered the kneecap of one of her attackers. The man stumbled back, screaming. Another moved forward, holding a pry-bar like a sword, reading to bring it around in a vicious swing. Inari held up her club, knowing it was a feeble defense. Suddenly something lashed out, a long black shape that reminded Inari of a dragon's wing. The man over her dropped his weapon. It hit the hard packed ground with a dull ring. His body slumped over, and his head hit the ground with a hollow thump as it tumbled away from the rest of him.
XxxxXxxxX
"Tsukune..." Moka and Kurumu cried out in unison. They and Mizore were ahead of everybody else, thanks to Nori and Shiro. The two beasts had been summoned while the girls had been collecting the Student Police at the dorms. After Kurumu had given them the same directions Inari had passed on to her, she, Moka, and Mizore had gone on ahead.
Hardly waiting for the beasts to come to a stop, the three young women ran up to where Tsukune was sitting slumped over against the wheel of an equipment truck. All around him were the broken, bleeding forms of the youkai work crew. Inari was leaning against the side of the truck as well, holding her pry-bar and watching to make sure none of the enemy tried to attack again.
"Tsukune..." Moka dropped to her knees beside him.
"Tsukune," Kurumu was sliding to a stop, ready to embrace him.
"Stop..." Tsukune said weakly, holding up a bloodied hand to keep them back for a moment. "Easy," He wheezed.
Moka and the others saw why Tsukune was warding them off. His body was injured. He had been stabbed and beaten with tools, teeth, and claws. Some of them were still sticking out of his body. Moka could feel Tsukune's youki. It was worked up, but at the same time it was weak. He must have used a lot of power in the fight.
"Tsukune," Moka questioned. "What do we do?"
"Take them," Tsukune breathed, his eyes sliding closed. "The Board Chairman will know what to do. The school is safe for..." He gave a sigh and his head sagged forward.
"No..." Moka cried.
"Tsukune!" Kurumu shouted.
"Captain..." Inari sank to her knees close to him