The fox looked at the hulking form of the child that dared challenge him again, "This would make a good place to finish this. That same trick won't work again though."
Tekeshi went to step forward only to be stopped by his father, "No. This time he has decided to drag up our old conflict with his acts. I will fight him, you stay back."
"Da-," Tsukune cut him off.
"This isn't up for debate. You will stand down, and I will end his life today. This has been a fight long in the making," the older man started removing his jacket.
Tsukune had taken to wearing tailored suits as the headmaster. Most people had never seen him stripped to the waist for a fight, not even his son. Tekeshi was well built, many would say that his musculature was perfect, Tsukune was on a whole different level. Every muscle was defined to the cell, and moved like a flow of silk. He may have had to look up to his son, but he would have drawn even more women without his vampiric charisma.
"Really, you haven't fought a real fight in years. Are you sure you want the embarrassment of having to use your full power to slaughter me," Kuyo smiled.
"You think that. Do you not understand my position beyond the walls of this school. I am not idle, I am the leader of the most powerful family in the yokai world. The fights I had with Anti-Thesis, and with Fairy Tale, pale to many I have had in the years past."
"Tekeshi, I want you to observe very closely what you are about to watch. You may never see your father fight like this again. I may have a harder time than 'Suki watching this, though for a different reason," Moka was looking forward to the show.
Tekeshi shivered, "Mom, that's gross. It really is. I am going to do my best to forget that you ever said anything about that. If you want to start humping him afterwards, go find a hotel. I don't want to be within a mile."
Tsukune ignored the conversation his wife and son were having. He focused on Kuyo as he tossed his weapon aside and stripped himself to the waist matching the vampire. The tension in the air was almost enough to start arcs of electricity in the air. The danger to many would have been obvious, but to the vampires it was barely registering.
Kuyo made the first move, and was almost surprised when he so easily landed a blow against the side of Tsukune's face. Fear started to take over when he realized that his enemy never moved. It almost seemed like he hit a statue made of bedrock, and his fist felt like it as well. He made to move back to make another strike when he felt Tsukune's fist buried in his gut, and he took a brief flight. As he landed he started to transform.
As he stood his face lengthened. His features became more delicate, and wilder. Seven flaming tails flared behind him. His muscles became more defined as his skin seemed to contract. It would have scared any lesser yokai, and even more as the kitsunebi covered his body. A fine flaming white robe covered his body as his stood to his full height.
"Well Aono, are you surprised? Do you look forward to this battle even more now that you see what I have become from the time I have worked and trained myself? Are you...," Tsukune didn't even let him finish.
The movement wasn't as fast as Tekeshi would have been able to make, but it was faster than the yoko could react to. The flames covering Kuyo's body only served to singe the upper fabric of Tsukune's pants as the movement continued. Pain slammed itself into every nerve as yet another heavy punch tried to push through and snap his spine. Were he anything less than an S-Class monster, he would have died right then.
"No Kuyo, I am not afraid. I am not excited. I take no pleasure in this. Why would I take pleasure in crushing an insect under my foot," Kuyo's eyes went wide.
These were not the words he expected. This was not the same person he had become mortal enemies with. They were the words of cold, calculating, and heartless killer. He had heard many of the soldiers within Fairy Tale that were there when he joined speak like this in recent years, but he would never have thought that the pacifist that wanted humans and yokai to come together as equals would speak as such.
"I see that I underestimated your resolve, Aono. I took you as a simple pacifist, but I was wrong. If this is to be my final day on Earth, I have found a worthy foe to send me off," he knew that now was time to find a way to escape.
He hated having to be a coward, but he wasn't quite ready to be struck down like this. He had to get away so that he could find a way to overcome Tsukune. He couldn't do it as he was, that was obvious. If he could obtain his final two tails, become a true Nine Tailed Fox, he might have the power. He just had to survive until he could find a way out.
Tekeshi watched with mild interest, and not just a little disappointment. He had looked forward to chopping the yoko into little pieces. However he was just as content to watch him get mauled by the more mild mannered individual that had no real expression on his face now.
He turned his head as felt others approaching, and saw his cousins, the Mongrels, Utsuki, and his Aunt Ru- that wasn't his aunt. That could be confronted when this was settled, but for now the attention needed to be on the battle his father was engaged in.
"Tekeshi, don't react. I knew Ruby as I was with your mother for all those years. I have seen her fly so many times, and I...," Tekeshi cutt his grandmother off with a nod that he made to seem like just him stretching his neck, but she picked up on the intent.
Utsuki reached them first, only to have Tekeshi immediately wrap a his blazer around the top of her head where she couldn't see, "Tekeshi-kun, what are you doing," she said indignantly.
"We don't need you creaming yourself watching my old man take that idiot down to size. What are all of you doing out here anyways," Tekeshi asked as he endured, rather more forceful than he expected, blows from the indignant girl he was blindfolding.
"Smoke, you, run, follow," Yusa stated, kinda.
Moka shook her head, "Girls, it is a very bad idea to follow a vampire when there is trouble afoot. That being sai-."
"Whoa, old man Aono is rippit. He makes Tek leuk oot o shape," Dehlia blurted out.
"Keep your eyes in your head highlander, he belongs to me," Moka was quick to kick the girl out of her fantasy.
"Highlander? Me an' Lorelei ur frae Dundee."
Lorelei sat a hand on her sister's shoulder, "Lit it gang, lit it gang. we ken where we ur from, an' they can all gang suck a fat one."
"Uncle Tsukune is built. Wait a second, you two gingers speak Japanese," Harumi suddenly realized they hadn't spoken English.
Heavy responded, "Yeah, we all do. Not great by any means, but we are prone to being bored, and making fun of Boss in his own language is fun. Plus he wanted us to be able to have private conversations without the mass majority of people listening in and understanding. Plus," he pointed to the shape of Machiko happily hanging off his back, "she wanted something to do when she got bored, and she is actually rather good at teaching when she isn't committing sex crimes against everyone."
"Enough, have you all not noticed Uncle Tsukune beating someone to death, and none of us had the foresight to bring snacks," Asusa had wished she could have known, she thought it was quality entertainment.
"Oh god, how am I the most normal out of all of us. Next thing you know Madonna and her ilk are going to walk up, and someone is going to get raped when they see this sight. This is just a great day, a great day," Tekeshi muttered as he really started to notice the continued blows raining on his chest by Utsuki.
While all this was going on the fight hadn't paused. Were it not for the amount of power he had, Kuyo would have already died from the amount of trauma he had received. Tsukune had not even released any of the power he had drawn back, it was simply him at his base line. However that baseline helped to drive home just how much raw power he possessed. Were the ones assembled anyone but people close to him, for the most part, they would most likely have run in fear from the sight.
He could tell that Kuyo was trying to find a way out. He couldn't blame him, he had been on the receiving end of beatings over time, and even as he grew more powerful he couldn't find it in himself to have any other feeling than hatred for them. Hatred for the feelings and disagreements that caused them. Even if he could be considered savagery incarnate, he hated the conflict. He wanted peace, even despite what he was engaged in now, with even Kuyo. He wasn't naive enough to believe that it was possible despite his desires.
"You, you so easily... hah... you so easily betray your beli... argh... your beliefs. Hehehehe, do you even see it? You are... huuuuuh... you are a god damned hypocrite," Kuyo was doing his best to throw Tsukune off balance so he could escape, but he was having little success.
"You understand so little. Peace, sadly it is always achieved by bloodshed. I wish that you could see the future, that I see. Why do you want to continue this fight, why do you want to continue hating humans? What did they ever do to you," Tsukune asked the question as he backed away to let his enemy answer.
"You don't get your little fantasy has already failed. Look at what happened, for almost a year the humans called for the extinction of all yokai, they had no interest in coexisting with us. Which one of us is truly in touch with reality. I had my head broken open and I can see the truth, you are the failure. I can prove it too, by removing your little experiment from this world," the yoko knew that he was going to have to do something outrageous and shock everyone.
He drew the entirety of the kitsunebi into a spear, and chucked it at Utsuki. Tsukune stopped as he watched and started to process what happened. Time seemed to slow as the vampire started to move to place himself between the foxfire and the girl. It wasn't just her life that mattered, he also knew how devastated his son would be if she was killed. Yet, he knew he wouldn't be fast enough to stop it, even if he was going to try as much as he could.
Two whistles shattered the air. The spear dissipated, as if it had never existed. Tsukune didn't know if this was just another shock tactic, until he noticed. He noticed that Tekeshi was no longer standing next to Utsuki. Turning his head he saw his son standing a few feet behind Kuyo, his sword dripping blood out beside him as his silver hair blew in the breeze. The power he felt from the teenager was a match for his when he released halfway, and he realized how much his father in law was right in his beliefs on how the Shinso worked.
"What, how? When did you even move? When did you strike," the breathless sound to Kuyo's voice explained much.
"You tried to harm 'Suki, that was a colossally stupid mistake. No one, not a soul, will harm her while I stand. I don't care, even were I not as I was to her, I would protect her. That she was born human, I don't care. Do you not see those six standing near her? They are all humans, and I would die for them as well. So many are worthless, that is true, but so are many yokai like yourself. Maybe those are the ones who want us dead, just as you want them dead. It doesn't matter though, one day either we coexist, or all will die. There are not enough yokai alive to kill every human, and the results of a war would most likely break this planet. Maybe we will fight, but at the least you won't be there to see it," the words leaving Tekeshi's mouth didn't sound like he was speaking himself.
"Tekeshi," Tsukune stepped over to where his son stood, "That is a profound thing you say. He is right Kuyo. Humans and yokai will have to coexist, there isn't a choice. That I want that to be seen in my lifetime, so that my child here, and all children can see an end to all the hatred. An end to all the fighting."
"Even to my grave, I won't believe that. Coexist? Yeah, they can coexist by serving us. Yokai are stronger, we are more brutal, we are essentially gods compared to them. So many of my ancestors were worshiped by humans. They should fear us, they should ply us with tribute, and they should be little more than livestock. It is just how it should be, the natural order."
"Humans don't roll over," Utsuki had finally managed to free her head, partly as she no longer had a vampire to physically abuse further, "I don't like conflict. Granted due to a certain situation I like watching it way too much now, I don't like the idea of it. These few months that I have known of this world, I have had more kindness given to me, than any other human had ever shown me. Even among the other students, many have shown me that just because you are called monsters, doesn't mean that is how all of you act. I had a scarf blow off of my head one day when it was raining, and a harpy flew after it and gave it back to me. Her name is Shizuka, she has a somewhat unhealthy obsession with dandelions, and wants to become a florist after she graduates. One day Tekeshi-kun was stuck in the infirmary and I was alone, and a few orcs that we have had continuing problems with tried to hurt me. A werewolf came up and thrashed them. His name is Meiyo, he wants to go home and help his family with their farm, and get married to a childhood friend of his that didn't get a chance to come here with him. You say that humans and yokai can't have peace, but then why are they not all different in their desires. If you truly think we can only hate, then explain why I do this. Heal, and live," Utsuki forced the lethal injuries that Jakkasu had inflicted to heal.
"What," Kuyo realized that he could breathe easier when she finished speaking," What have you done to me? Why am I not dying?"
Utsuki smiled at him, "I gave you a second chance to live on. I gave you a chance to leave this behind you. I don't want your death, I don't want your blood on Tekeshi-kun's hands. I want you to see that you are wrong about us. My father grew up training to kill yokai, and I think that he may have killed. Yet he was willing to throw that aside, and rescue me from his uncle alongside Tekeshi-kun. He entrusted my mother's safety to Mr. Aono. I also give you one other thing back, your mind," this was harder, but she somehow understood what she needed to do.
For a second it seemed like all life left Kuyo's face. His body relaxed and his breathing became shallow. Tekeshi stepped over to stand behind Utsuki as sweat started to bead on her skin from concentration. He seemed a sentinel carved from stone as he stood with his hands folded over the kashira-gane of his weapon and the point lightly rested on the ground. To everyone there, it was like a painting of a saint, and her guardian forgiving an enemy they had vanquished.
"I can, think," Kuyo said after a few moments.
"Tekeshi-kun, I... I feel tired," Utsuki started to fall only to be pulled against Tekeshi as he knelt to catch her.
"You see, Kuyo? You spend all that time hating them, you even tried to kill Miss Shiraishi and my son, and yet she forgave you. She even healed you from the brink of death. What do you have to say now," Tsukune stepped forward and offered his hand to his enemy.
"No, no, no, NO. You lied, you let everyone think she was human. What is she that she can so easily heal me like that? She healed an injury that no one else could. What is she?"
Moka stepped forward, "She has become a witch. She is bound to a demon that one of Fairy Tales agents summoned to kill her. She isn't the same kind of witch that most are familiar with. I didn't know that she was even that capable with her powers yet. It is amazing. Kuyo, do you truly wish to keep up this conflict?"
"I will leave you in peace this day. I have much to think on, but I will not change my mind. I only do this because she gave me something back that I thought was gone. Men, gather up, we are leaving," with that he stood, and quickly disappeared into the trees that still refused to take a flame.
Several tense minutes passed. There was always the chance of treachery, this was Kuyo after all. Tekeshi never let go of Utsuki even as his seal reset and he took on his regular appearance. His hand also never left Jakkasu. His eyes held a strange look in them, one that nobody could make sense of.
When things had calmed down, and they were sure they weren't about to be attack again, Ruby made to approach the teenagers. Concern was written on her face. That quickly changed to shock and fear as the tip of a sword hovered at her throat.
"Who are you," Tekeshi's voice was cold, and angry.
"Kodomo, what the Hell are you doing? Drop that sword now," Tsukune suddenly did something he never did, he yelled in anger.
"This isn't Aunt Ruby. I don't know who this is, but all it is, is her face. Let me ask you, how many wings does she have," Tekeshi never let the weapon waver.
Moka was livid, "What the Hell does that mean? How dare you..."
"Four," Utsuki answered as she became aware enough, which stopped the two vampires.
"Tsukune, I'm scar-," Ruby started.
"Six. Ruby Tojo has six wings. Six raven black wings, that have saved my life before. Show your wings," Tsukune's voice suddenly dropped to a dangerously low octave.
Fear was suddenly chiseled onto the witch's face, "Moka, please. Reason with him. Tekeshi has always listened to you."
Moka looked dully at her, "Show your wings."
Four wings spread behind her. Years of work had failed, years of fooling them into giving her so much information. She had finally failed. Now she was most likely going to die.
Tekeshi stood as he helped Utsuki to her feet, never letting the point of his sword waver, "I know how doppelganger spells work. The person replicated must remain alive, or the illusion will fail. Where. Is. My. Aunt. Ruby."