The Slime and the Orc Lord part 1

Far from the reaches of civilization a large army of monsters slowly make their way through the night. Each and every one of them clad in plate armor while brandishing weapons such as axes, spiked metal clubs and swords, some of them could be seen wearing shields on their backs as they continued onward. In the middle of this large group is a man wearing a long white robe adorned with gold accents around the wrists and the bottom of his attire with a hood that mostly covers his face except for a black leather mask that resembled those worn by plague doctors with menacing red eyes. In his hands he carries a small communication orb as he converses with another person.

????: So far our plans are all going according to schedule. It will take about 15 days until we reach our destination and then we may proceed with phase 2.

???? 2: And what of the leader of the ogre clan, have you convinced him and his people to follow us?

????: Unfortunately I could not, the old fool was as stubborn as you predicted. He and the rest of his clan, as well as the humans that lived among them have been extinguished as you requested. His heir wasn't among them from what he told me, but rest assured. When we find him he will join us or suffer the same fate as his fool of a father.

The mysterious figure in the orb simply nodded as the transmission ended. Meanwhile as the army continued their march all throughout the area you could hear their chanting for miles away.

" TRAMPLE ALL!! TRAMPLE ALL!! "

Not long afterwards one of the many soldiers in this fearsome army fell over, his energy completely drained as he no longer drew breath. His fellow companions did not mourn his loss, instead several of them came over to him and immediately began devouring their fallen comrade until nothing was left except for his armor as his weapons were picked up by another soldier. As they did their eyes began to glow with an even brighter red than before while a dark purple aura enveloped them. This change could also be seen in the soldiers who didn't participate, as if this enhancement was shared among every one of them.

" THE STRENGTH OF THIS COMRADE WE EAT IS NOW OURS! THE ABILITIES OF THIS PREY ARE NOW OURS! "

( Timeskip- 2 days later. )

The entire club room was filled with the sounds of hard work this afternoon. Every one of us was doing their best to make sure we finished up before our deadline so we could put out the next issue of the school paper on time.

Moka: Kurumu do you have the notes from yesterday's interview with the drama club about their next performance?

Kurumu: Yeah I do, what about the short story from the literature club? Do you still need it?

Moka: I do, thank you.

Yukari: Hey has anyone seen the photographs from last weeks soccer game?

Mizore: I got them with me, I had to sort through them in case Gin mixed up any of his personal photos with them after what happened last time.

Yukari: Thanks. By the way have any of you seen Shuna lately?

Kurumu: She said she wanted to stop by the sewing club, they asked her about modeling for them for next months fashion show.

Moka: That reminds me, Kazuto after your interview with Miia and Framea we need you to take Shuna's place and interview the sewing club for her today.

Kazuto: Okay, I don't mind. Any reason why I need to do the interview instead?

Mizore: She said she needed to catch up on some work after meeting with the sewing club, also the club doesn't have much free time to reschedule another interview since they're pretty busy as well.

Kazuto: Alright.

We then heard a knock on our door and as we gave the okay to come in we see both Miia and Framea walk inside.

Framea: Hello everyone.

Miia: I hope we didn't interrupt anything.

Kazuto: Not at all, in fact you're right on time for your interview to join the club.

While the other girls continued with their work the three of us made our way to the table in the center of the room as I began interviewing our two newest potential members. I wanted to see what their reasons were for joining the club as well as finding their strengths to see what possible position would be best for them in the school newspaper.

Kazuto: So Miia, where do you think your best strength lies in for the Yokai Gazette?

Miia: Personally I believe my best strength is in both advice and books. Back at our old schools people would often ask me for recommendations for books whether it was for assignments or for enjoyment. Not only that but I often get asked for advice ranging from everyday things to relationships with very positive results.

Framea: It's true, in fact a lot of people back at our human schools would often look for Miia whenever they had problems and I haven't heard anything bad from them.

Miia: The only time I refused to give advice was on subjects that I had no idea what to say or it was on subjects that I wasn't comfortable with.

Kazuto: Interesting. I have had requests from some of our classmates about adding an advice column to our paper, and if your knowledge about books is just as good then I don't see why we couldn't add a few recommendations every now and again.

Miia: Really, that would be amazing!

Kazuto: Now Framea, what do you think are your best strengths for the paper?

Framea: Well actually I like to travel a lot, during our last break from school my parents and I did a lot of it as we traveled around to different cities. As we did we stopped by many places such as restaurants, stores, and other locations.

She then pulled out the same notepad that I returned to her as well as some photos of the things she saw on vacation. She handed them over to me as I took a look at all that she had prepared.

Framea: As you can see I took very extensive notes on these places as well as the food, clothing, entertainment and all the other fun stuff they had to offer. Since Yokai Academy's main goal is for us to coexist with humans I figured stuff like this would be beneficial for the future should the students decide to expand their horizons.

As I looked through her notes I noticed that everything was highly detailed. Her rating system seemed to range from one to three stars with three being the highest rating.

Kazuto: I have to say these notes are something else. You must have had a lot of practice getting them this detailed.

Framea: Honestly I can't take all the credit. If anything most of it is because of my skill Dilettante. It's a skill that mostly focuses on aesthetic and analytical abilities.

Kazuto: ( So she has a skill similar to my Appraisal, except hers seems to be a bit more advanced in certain areas. Regardless it's clear that she has a passion for this sort of thing and that she's well traveled. With a skill like hers combined with her worldly experience she can make some interesting articles. )

Another second passed before I gave my final verdict.

Kazuto: Miia. Framea.

Miia/Framea: Yes Kazuto.

Kazuto: After we finish with our current issue of the school paper I would like for the two of you to officially join our club effective immediately.

Miia/Framea: Really?!

Kazuto: Absolutely, I think the two of you have some interesting ideas that could be a great benefit to the Yokai Gazette. It would be a waste to not utilize your abilities and experiences to show the other students what you two are capable of. So what do you say?

Miia/Framea: We accept!

Suddenly we hear several popping sounds as confetti and streamers fell around us. Behind me the girls had party poppers in their hands as they all smiled at our newest members.

Moka: Congratulations you two!

Yukari/Kurumu: Welcome to the Newspaper Club!

Miia/Framea: Thank you.

We then heard someone hitting something outside, I walked over to the door to see Kokoa on the ground rubbing her head to ease the pain.

Kazuto: Kokoa what are you doing here?

Kokoa: What does it look like, I'm here to get my real big sister back so step aside or else I'll have to hurt you!

As she got up she tried charging back at me only to hit an invisible wall and fall back down again.

Kokoa: What's the big idea?! I bet you set this up didn't you!

Kazuto: Of course I did, you may not care about what we do in our spare time but we most certainly do. Unless you plan on leaving us alone and behaving I suggest you go back to your dorm Kokoa. We're really busy right now and we can't afford to fall behind on our work.

Kokoa: No way, I won't stop until I get my sister back. Some cheap barrier is no match to someone like me!

Kokoa tried punching the barrier again only to get pushed back almost falling over the railing as she regained her balance.

Kazuto: It's a simple spell, but quite unbreakable.

I closed the door as I apologized for the interruption. I then took the notes for the interview from Kurumu as I gave her and the other girls a wave goodbye as I made my way to the sewing club. Before I got too far Magic Sense picked up Kokoa using her massive hammer to strike at the barrier again at full power only to get sent flying across the field without so much as scratching it.

( Moka's pov )

Once Kazuto left we decided it was time to move on to the next step for Miia and Framea's interview.

Kurumu: Alright girls I think we're ready to begin.

Framea: Begin what exactly?

Mizore: We'll be starting your interview, obviously.

Miia: But didn't we just finish our interview with Kazuto?

Yukari: True, but that was for joining our club. This one is a bit more, personal.

We sat in front of the two of them as they started to get a little nervous. With the tense atmosphere around us we could hardly blame them but we needed to be sure the two of them were the right people we could allow to join us in the long run.

Kurumu: We're going to be completely honest with the two of you so we would appreciate it if you did the same. We're going to ask you a single question and we want the truth.

I haven't seen Kurumu this intense since we almost lost our club last year, but at least this proved how seriously she was taking the situation. Both Framea and Miia nodded as they could easily tell that this was a serious matter and that we wanted the truth from the two of them.

Moka: Framea. Miia. Do the two of you like Kazuto?

Framea/Miia: Huh?

It took a few seconds but soon enough they understood what I was implying that their faces turned red as they began staring at the table rather than face us.

Yukari: I guess that proves it, these two are completely head over heels for him.

Mizore: It can't get any more obvious than that. Remember when we were dressed as cheerleaders, they yelled out how they loved Kazuto alongside the rest of us. If that isn't enough proof I don't know what is.

You could practically see the steam rising from their heads at this point. I guess they were so embarrassed about getting found out that they weren't sure how to respond.

Moka: Listen, we don't want you to think that we're mad at the two of you. We just want to understand why you feel that way towards him.

That seemed to calm them down a little bit as they looked less tense than before. Framea was the first to speak up.

Framea: Honestly I can't really explain it, but if anything he seems like a really kind person. There's no doubt that he's very strong, but despite that he doesn't allow himself to let that power go to his head. He was very kind to me when he helped me on our first day back, and it's very obvious that he cares a lot about the people who are important to him. Just the thought of that makes my heart beat faster and I want to get to know him more.

She was smiling sweetly as she pressed her finger tips together. Miia looked happy with that answer as she took her turn to explain her reasons.

Miia: For me I guess you could say that I was a bit intrigued by him. After the whole peeping incident last year I wanted to know more about him. I got even more interested after he beat Kuyo and after meeting him for the first time I can see why each of you like him. In the end I just want to spend more time with him and maybe grow closer to him in the process if he lets me.

The rest of us looked at one another, we all came to an agreement then and there.

Moka: Alright then, if the two of you wish to pursue a relationship with Kazuto then we have no objections.

Mizore: All that we ask is that you treat him kindly. Even though we agreed to share him that doesn't mean we'll let one of us hurt him.

Yukari: As long as we can all spend time with him equally than I'm sure we can all get along splendidly.

Kurumu: Does that sound acceptable to the both of you?

They nodded and agreed to join us on the condition that they would be ones to confess to him when they were ready. They were still a little nervous to confess to the person they both liked and we understood that they might need a little time to get the courage to tell him.

Kurumu: Of course, as long as you're being genuine about your feelings we'll support your decision.

We all came together in a group hug as we then heard something hitting the window.

Moka: What was that?

Miia: I don't know, maybe it was a bug or something.

None of us knew it at the time but it was actually Kokoa who hit the barrier Kazuto put up and not the window. Apparently she tried swinging from a nearby tree and thought she could crash through the window to get past the barrier. What she didn't know was that the barrier was a perfect sphere so we were all completely safe, she just decided to lay on the ground for now and try again tomorrow.

Kokoa: ( groaning ) I really hate that stupid slime.

( Kazuto's pov )

I just made it to where the Sewing Club was located, on my way here I went over the interview questions that Shuna prepared so I could get through this as smoothly as possible.

Kazuto: ( Alright it looks like these questions shouldn't be too difficult. I just have to make sure I'm thorough with these notes and we should have a good article for the next issue. )

As I approached the door it suddenly opened with two of the club members holding up a third in between the two of them. I became a bit concerned as I hurried over to them in case they needed some help.

Kazuto: Is everything alright?

Club Member 1: I think so, our club president isn't feeling very well so we're taking her to the nurses office.

Club Member 2: Are you sure you didn't eat anything weird earlier, you were just fine this morning.

Club President: I don't know. I just felt so weak and my head hurts all of a sudden.

She then noticed me standing in front of them and recognized me from the school newspaper.

Club President: You're from the Newspaper Club aren't you, I'm very sorry but I don't think we can do the interview as scheduled.

Kazuto: Don't worry about that, right now focus on getting to the nurses office and taking it easy for a while.

Club President: I will. Thank you.

As the three of them began making their way to their destination I decided to go back to the club room to inform the others about what happened.

Kazuto: ( Well this sucks, but there's nothing I can do about it now. Hopefully we can come up with an alternative until she feels better. )

On my way back I noticed another student being taken by his friends to the nurses office as well. From what I overheard he suddenly felt weak and had a headache just like the club president even though he felt fine earlier today.

Kazuto: ( This is getting a little concerning, I wonder if there's a bug going around or something. )

Just before I made it halfway back to the club room I found Saizou having difficulty walking as he stumbled around while holding his head tightly.

Kazuto: Hey Saizou are you feeling alright?

Saizou: Why do you care Tempest, j-just leave me alone.

From the tone of his voice he definitely wasn't feeling well, he was shaking a bit so he must've been in a lot distress right now.

Kazuto: Maybe I should take you to the nurses office, you look like you're ready to drop at any moment.

Saizou: I told you to leave me alone, I don't need your help! J-Just... leave... me... Aaaauuuggghhh!!!!!!!!

His body became enveloped in a dark purple aura as his eyes began to glow red. He changed into his monster form but I noticed a few changes in his appearance. His nose and ears were more pig like and he had two tusks growing out of his mouth that pointed upwards like that of a wild boar. His feet became pig hooves and his arms were more defined with razor sharp claws at the end of his fingers.

Kazuto: Saizou what's wrong?!

Saizou: Trample all, trample all.

Kazuto: What the heck are you talking about, you're not making any sense Saizou!

Saizou: TRAMPLE ALL! TRAMPLE ALL!

With speed surpassing what he was normally capable of he made a mad dash for me as he reached for my head. I managed to roll away from his attempt as he started using his oversized claws to try and rip me apart.

Kazuto: Saizou that's enough! I thought we buried the hatchet already so quit it before one of us gets hurt!

Saizou: TRAMPLE ALL!

Kazuto: I know! I heard you the first time!

After jumping away from him trying to slam into me I decided to fight back. I rushed towards him as my arms were covered in my armor and attacked him with a flurry of strikes to his midsection as he just stood there taking it all without flinching. The spot where my punches connected didn't look the least bit damaged as I sped up my punches considerably in the hopes of putting some kind of dent in his defenses.

Kazuto: I wonder if this is how Raiden felt fighting Armstrong?

Admittedly I was holding back a bit since I didn't want to hurt him too badly. Whatever was going on it couldn't be Saizou's fault, the way he was speaking made it feel as if someone or something else was doing this. What I needed to do was knock him out and find the Headmaster right away. I focused a good portion of my power into my next strike as the force from the blow was enough to send him skidding back several feet.

Saizou: Must devour, must consume!

With a single stomp of his foot he created a powerful shockwave that not only broke the ground around him in a wide area but it also made me lose my balance long enough to get shoulder tackled by the guy that I was sent flying back and I landed on my back near the dorms.

Kazuto: ( groaning ) I know I can't feel pain, but I bet that one really hurt.

As I dusted off my uniform I could see trees falling over as Saizou made his way to my location. I had to stop holding back otherwise who knows how far he was going to take this rampage of his. The thought of innocent people getting caught in the middle of this made it easy for me to get back up and take the fight more seriously than before.

Kazuto: Okay Saizou, I don't want to do this but you're not giving me much choice. So if you want me than come and get me!

We met in the middle as the both of us traded blows. Our auras were shining as we gave it our all to make the other admit defeat first. The battle drew attention of students who were in their rooms as they began to spectate the brawl happening before their eyes.

Student 1: Why are Kazuto and Saizou fighting?

Student 2: I don't know but look at Saizou, something doesn't seem right with him.

I needed to hurry this up, if I let myself slip up for a second someone could get caught in the middle of all this. After dodging another right hook from Saizou I ran around him using Sticky Steel Thread as I started binding his arms and legs so he wouldn't move, at least for a few seconds which was all the time I needed.

Kazuto: How do you like my new move, I call it Arcane Thread Fetters.

Saizou: M-Must devour! Must consume!

Kazuto: You don't say. Well then...

Pulling tightly on my end of the threads I began to swing Saizou around and around, once I built enough momentum I threw him as high as I could before jumping to him catching him off guard.

Kazuto: ... Eat this. Killer move serious series: Serious Punch!

I delivered a clean hit to his face with enough force to send him cratering into the ground beneath him. The rumble of the ground and the dust that was kicked up as a result was enough to put all our spectators in a state of awe and disbelief. Once I landed I made my way to Saizou, thankfully whatever power up he got seemed to have worn off as he was knocked out. Even so he was still mumbling to himself.

Saizou: ( mumbling ) Prey... devour... trample.

I honestly didn't like the sound of any of that, something about the way he said all of that really put me on edge.

Kazuto: I better take him to the nurse, then I need to have a word with the headmaster.

( Timeskip brought to you by chibi Framea taking your picture. )

It took some effort but I was able to get Saizou out of the crater I put him in as I began dragging him to the nurse. Thankfully the trip wasn't that bad since he finally settled down and about halfway through the trip he reverted back to human form. When I got to the nurses office I saw a few more students there as well, according to the nurse they were suffering symptoms similar to that of an intense fever and she quickly checked Saizou to see he was no different. Once I placed him on an empty bed I rushed towards the headmaster's office to speak with him. I didn't even bother knocking on his door as I simply walked in only to be met with some familiar faces already there.

Kazuto: What's going on?

Headmaster: Mr. Tempest I'm afraid this isn't the best time, as you can see we are in the middle of a serious matter.

Benimaru: No, it's quite alright. Kazuto is like family to us, he has as much reason to be here as the others.

Kazuto: Others?

Kurobe: I think he means us.

In the corner of the room I saw Kurobe all bandaged up with another male in a similar situation as himself.

Kazuto: Uncle Kurobe? Uncle Souei?

Souei: It's been a while Kazuto, you've certainly gotten taller since we last met.

Kazuto: What's going on? Why are the two of you so banged up?

Headmaster: I believe it would be for the best for you to sit down. This might be difficult to hear.

The conversation couldn't have been for more than a few minutes, yet it felt like hours, perhaps days with what he revealed to me.

An entire village that consisted primarily of ogres and a few humans who knew about their identity was completely wiped out. Homes and businesses burned to the ground, trees that bore delicious fruit nothing more than cinders. The smiling faces and sounds of joy and laughter completely erased, never to be heard or seen again.

Headmaster: The only two who managed to escape undetected, thanks to the chief of the village were these two.

Kurobe: We tried to convince him that his life was more important than ours, yet he insisted that we escape in his stead.

Souei: However he said that if we were to perish all hope would be lost. The only way to ensure our survival would be for us to find Benimaru and regain our strength.

I couldn't imagine what Benimaru was feeling right now, even now he struggled to hold back tears as he clenched his fists so hard that a little bit of blood began to trickle from his hands.

Kazuto: How are Shuna and Shion taking the news?

Souei: I believe they are being consoled by Albis and Rubi at the moment. Shuna especially since she recently lost her father.

Hearing that I excused myself to find the two of them. I ran out of the school building as fast as I could until I made it to Shuna's room. I knocked on the door and was greeted by Rubi. She let me inside where I saw the others sitting on Shuna's bed, their eyes were red from all the crying they've been doing for who knows how long.

Kazuto: Shuna. Shion.

They looked at me, still crying even if they had no more tears to shed. I slowly made my way closer to them and kneeled to meet them at eye level.

Kazuto: ( crying ) I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.

They quickly wrapped their arms around me and continued to cry as I joined them. Rubi and Albis continued to stay with us as all I could do was soothe them as best as possible. After about 2 hours they had cried themselves to sleep, we put them in Shuna's bed and quietly left them to rest.

Kazuto: Thank you. You were there when they needed someone the most. I can't thank you two enough for that.

Rubi: There's no need for that, Shuna and Shion are my friends. Of course I would help them when they needed it.

Albis: I'm just glad they have good people watching out for them, especially now more than ever.

Kazuto: So what do we do now?

Albis: I don't know. I can only imagine what Benimaru must be feeling. Now that his father has passed he is now the leader of the clan, no matter how small it may be. The responsibility and safety of his race's future are on his shoulders to bear.

Rubi: You should go to him, a wife's duty is to be there for her husband during his darkest times.

Albis: I know. Please watch out for them, they need you.

Kazuto: Of course. Please help Uncle Benimaru.

Albis: I will.

With that she left to console her husband. As for me I decided to go for a walk to clear my head. I didn't have a destination in mind so I just let myself wander aimlessly until I decided to stop. After a while I found myself at my training spot, the empty cavern was as good a place as any to let my emotions go free. I shouted, I punched the ground, I blasted the water with my magic, I just let myself be pulled along by my feelings until I calmed down but even then it wasn't enough for me to feel any better.

Kazuto: I don't know who you are, but you have done the unthinkable. You took innocent lives from those who just wanted to live peacefully. When I find you I promise that you will pay for hurting my family!

I dried my tears as I started practicing my magic, I needed to get stronger. Strong enough to take down whoever hurt Benimaru and the others. I can't remember what I did exactly but I do know that I kept going until I passed out. I awoke the next morning to find a pair of curious eyes looking down at me. I sat up to see the eyes belonged to a small wolf pup with an odd star shape on his forehead.

Kazuto: Did you wake me up little guy?

All I got was a bark in response. After taking a moment to wake myself up I started walking back to the entrance all while the pup continued to follow me. No matter how many times I told him to go in the other direction he just followed me like a lost puppy. Literally.

Kazuto: Go on little guy, you need to get home. Shoo!

He still wasn't listening and kept pace with me, even when I got to the part of the cave where there was a sudden drop the little guy just climbed up to my shoulder and hung there using his claws.

Kazuto: ( sigh ) I guess I'm stuck with you now huh?

Pup: Arf!

Kazuto: Alright, that sounds fair. But if we're going to be friends then I need to give you a name.

I grabbed the little guy and carried him in my arms as I jumped from platform to platform all while keeping a firm grip so I could keep him calm while I traversed the cavern.

Kazuto: Now let's see. Wolf... fangs...

As I kept a steady pace with my jumps I could feel a gentle breeze blow past me.

Kazuto: Wind... storm... maybe I can try using my family name? Tempest... Tempest Fang? Storm Fang? What about Ranga?

The pup responded back with a light bark once he heard that name. I could even feel his tail wagging in excitement.

Kazuto: I guess you like that one huh, then that settles it. From now on your name is Ranga.

Once I made it across safely I set him down as we continued to journey outside. As we continued forward I was unaware of Ranga glowing with a yellow light for a brief moment before it vanished.

Ranga: ( Ranga. My name is Ranga, thank you Master. )

Five minutes passed until the light from the outside nearly blinded us, Great Sage had informed me that it was most likely past noon already so I thought that I might as well head to the club room for now. Once we were inside I sat down at my desk as Ranga jumped into my lap to curl up as I scratched his head.

Kazuto: I can't believe what happened last night. I wish it was just a bad dream but I know it isn't.

I didn't know what to do at this moment. I know I said I wanted to take down whoever hurt Benimaru and the others but I had no clue how to even begin. It's not like I can just ask around and hope that someone just happened to have the information I was looking for.

Kazuto: How can I help my family when they need me the most?

Moka: Kazuto, what are you doing here?

I looked towards the door to see the others walk inside. They all could see the look in my eyes and it didn't take long for them to make the connection as to why. They encircled me in a group hug as we started tearing up over the news from yesterday. Rubi and the headmaster already informed them of the situation which was why both Shuna and Shion would be given some time to collect themselves.

Mizore: Are you feeling alright, when we didn't see you come in today we got worried.

Yukari: We asked Rubi if she knew why you didn't show up for class. She took us to see the headmaster and they explained everything.

Kazuto: I just wish I could do something, I want to help them but I don't know how.

Moka: We understand, they're your family and you want to help them. But what can we do?

Kazuto: We?

Kurumu: Of course, we stick together no matter what. If they mess with one of us than they mess with all of us.

Ranga: She's right Master. A wolf is only as good as their pack.

Kazuto: You're right. Maybe together we can-... wait a second. Who said that?

Ranga: I did Master. Look down.

Ranga was just staring at me with his puppy dog eyes with his tail wagging. I carefully picked him up and held him at arms length all while not breaking eye contact with him.

Kazuto: Ranga, did you hear something?

Ranga: No, but I said something.

Us: WHAT?!

The girls backed away while I just sat there frozen from what was happening.

Kazuto: Since when could you talk?!

Ranga: Since you named me Master. Thanks to you I'm no longer a mere Direwolf. Now I am known as a Tempest Star Wolf.

Yukari: So cute!

Yukari then hugged Ranga as she couldn't help but adore the little guy.

Yukari: Kazuto where did you find this little guy, he's so adorable!

Kazuto: I found him at the old cave, but I thought he was just an ordinary wolf pup.

Moka: But he said that he can talk now because you named him. Is that even possible?

Kurumu: I don't know, but I guess if Kazuto named him that explains why he's calling him Master.

Ranga: Correct, because I have been given a name by my new master I will remain ever loyal to him as well as his mates.

Mizore: By mates we can assume you mean us?

Ranga: Absolutely.

Yukari: Yay! I've always wanted a pet!

Ranga: Master, I hear someone approaching. They aren't alone either.

His hearing was on point as we heard a knock on the door. Kurumu opened the door and the headmaster came inside with Benimaru.

Headmaster: I apologize for the interruption but there is something I wish to discuss with you Kazuto.

Kazuto: Is everything alright?

Headmaster: Honestly I don't know, it has to do with the incident from the other day in which you and Saizou fought one another.

I almost forgot about that, but with everything that happened near the end of the day I guess it's reasonable that would happen. I explained everything, from Saizou's behavior all the way to how his transformation changed into another form. The headmaster listened to every word and I could practically see the gears in his mind working to solve the problem.

Headmaster: You said he was talking about consuming, and that he was enveloped in a dark aura.

Kazuto: Yes. Do you know what's going on, and what about the other students who had to see the nurse yesterday?

Benimaru: I'm afraid the situation is all connected to what happened to my clan.

Kurumu: What do you mean?

Headmaster: We will discuss the matter at length tonight in my office. I will need time to contact some old acquaintances. Until then you must not speak of this matter to anyone else. You are also welcome to join us Kazuto, as well as the other members of your club. There is someone else who wishes to meet you.

They left as I started to wonder who it was that wanted to meet with me. Not much happened after that and as night fell Rubi came to get us so we could make our way to see the headmaster. When we came inside we saw that the office was much larger than before, most likely due to some kind of magic, and a large table was set in the middle of the room.

Right now the following people were present:

- The Headmaster

- Benimaru and the surviving Kijin ( including Hakurou )

- The Newspaper Club ( Ms. Nekonome, Gin, Miia and Framea included )

- Albis

- Suphia

According to the headmaster we were waiting for the arrival of a few more people before we would begin so we took our seats as we waited patiently.

While I looked calm on the outside I was a nervous wreck on the inside. The fact that the situation that involved the destruction of an innocent village of people and the mysterious happenings with Saizou and some of the students were all connected really put me on edge.

Shuna: Senpai are you feeling alright, you look rather uncomfortable.

I was a bit surprised to see Shuna here, I was pretty sure she knew what the main topic was going to be about and yet she still showed up to join in.

Kazuto: I'm alright, I just feel really nervous how all these events are connected. I have a distinct suspicion that I won't like what we're about to hear and for some reason...

Shuna: What's wrong Senpai?

Kazuto: It's just... I feel like we're going to get caught in the middle of it ourselves. And it scares me.

I was slightly trembling in my seat, I suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around me and I noticed some purple hair fall onto my shoulder.

Shion: There's nothing to fear, whatever happens you just leave it to us. Nothing is going to take us away from you and the others.

Shuna: Shion's right, as long we're here we'll be by your side always.

Their words did make me feel better, but I still wasn't 100% convinced that the news would make me less anxious. We then saw the door open up to show and old man and a young woman enter the door. The headmaster went over to him to greet him while the woman went over to Souei and gave him a hug as he smiled at her.

Headmaster: Abiru my friend, I'm glad to see you doing well.

Abiru: I can say the same about you. Are we all assembled for the meeting you summoned us for tonight?

Headmaster: All but one, but I'm sure you recall how much she enjoys making an entrance.

Abiru: Indeed I do. In that case I guess it's safe to say we can begin?

Headmaster: I believe so. Attention everyone, we will now begin tonight's meeting.

Everyone had taken their seats as we gave the headmaster our undivided attention. After addressing every person who showed up, including the woman who's name was learned to be Souka, the discussions finally began.

We started with the news of the fall of the ogre village. The village itself was more akin to a small town, it consisted of a heavy ogre population with a few humans who knew about the monster world. Within that village only a few Kijin, a type of ogre born rarely within their race, also lived. It was a peaceful place, one that we could consider the embodiment of Yokai Academy's ideals of coexistence with humans.

Headmaster: According to the reports given to me by Souei and Kurobe the village was burned to the ground. No one survived other than the only Kijin in existence, those who are among us this evening.

Abiru: You have my condolences, I could not fathom what you all must be feeling right now.

Benimaru: Thank you for the kind words, we really appreciate it.

The next topic being discussed was the sudden change in the students. Lately more and more students have fallen victim to the same mysterious illness that caused them to suddenly fall into such a state. Most of them began to show symptoms of headaches as well as feeling physically weak. In Saizou's case he went on a rampage after his monster form changed into what I saw the other day.

Everyone's gaze fell onto me as I explained what happened. I didn't know where to begin to connect the dots with the two occurrences but I felt like the headmaster already had an idea in mind.

Headmaster: In light of recent events I believe I understand what it is that we are dealing with.

His words were heavy, as if what he was about to say would awaken us to the horror we were going to face.

Headmaster: I believe that the events that have transpired, as well as the warning I received about an unnatural shift, leave me no choice but to declare these instances the result of the emergence of an Orc Lord.

The temperature in the room seemed to suddenly drop, and I was sure Mizore had nothing to do with it.

Abiru: An Orc Lord! Are you certain my friend?

Headmaster: I wish it wasn't true. The shift in nature, the destruction of the ogre village, and the sudden and mysterious ailment among my students, I'm afraid they're all connected.

Souka: How are your students connected?

Suphia: I went to check on them myself, and after a little digging I found out that all the students who have suddenly fallen ill are orcs.

Framea: Uh pardon me, but what's an Orc Lord?

Rubi: It's a monster that's only born every few centuries from orcs. Back at the mansion on Witch Hill I would often read about various monster legends. One of the books told of unique species among monster races, the Orc Lord is a formidable threat.

Abiru: If one has indeed appeared then we need to rally our forces quickly. We cannot allow this threat to go on much longer, there's no telling how many may fall if we don't do something soon.

Suddenly we noticed a change in Souei's expression, he seemed rather shocked for a second or two before he regained his composure.

Shuna: Souei is something wrong?

Souei: Not exactly, it's just that one of my doubles just met with a rather peculiar individual.

Wait, Souei has the Body Double skill? Maybe I should talk to him for some advice later on how to improve my control over my doubles.

Souei: She says that she wishes to partake in our meeting.

Headmaster: ( sigh ) I knew she would pull a stunt like this.

Abiru: ( chuckle ) She was always fond of grand entrances. I suppose it's a good thing that she still sees this as an opportunity for such theatrics.

Headmaster: Souei, let her know she may arrive.

With a single nod Souei let his double know that permission was granted. Suddenly a small gust of wind began to envelop the room, leaves began to appear from thin air as a bright green light illuminated us for a moment before it died out revealing a woman with long green hair standing on the table.

Treyni: Good evening everyone, I hope I didn't interrupt anything too important.

She gently stepped down as she gave a friendly bow to both Abiru and the headmaster. She then noticed me and started to make her way to me, I felt that it would be rude if I didn't properly introduce myself so I stood up in preparation to say hello. Once she was in front of me I couldn't help but feel nervous around her, and yet she had a familiar presence about her that I couldn't put my finger on.

Kazuto: H-Hello there, my name is-...

Treyni: Kazuto Tempest. It's a pleasure to finally meet you face to face.

I had no clue how she knew my name already, maybe the headmaster told her before the meeting? However I couldn't really dwell on it for long as I was pulled into a hug by her. When she embraced me it felt familiar, like I was meeting a long lost relative. Too bad the girls didn't feel the same way about it.

Girls: WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?

Soon enough I was yanked away from her by all the girls in my harem, Miia and Framea included, as they were hugging me tightly and glared at Treyni.

Girls: KAZUTO IS OURS SO BACK OFF!!!

Ms. Nekonome: Wait, Suphia what are you doing?! Are you really dating your student?!

I wasn't expecting them to get this mad so easily, it took a moment but I then noticed two new faces in the group so I figured that they must've joined in rather recently.

Kazuto: ( I guess they're the last two to join. No wonder they're all acting so protective. )

Treyni: ( chuckle ) Oh my, it seems like you've gotten yourself quite a handful of girls Kazuto.

While Treyni looked at them kindly none of the girls let their guard down even for a moment.

Treyni: Although there's no need for any of you to worry. I have no intention of pursuing any romantic relationship with Kazuto. After all, I am his Godmother.

Us: WHAT?! GODMOTHER?!

Treyni: I'm honestly not surprised that you didn't know. As caretaker of the forest I have very little time to myself these days. But yes, on the day of Kazuto's birth his parents asked me to be his Godmother should anything happen to them. Hopefully one of these days I can introduce him to my sisters, they've been looking forward to meeting their nephew for some time now.

The girls hesitated for a moment before letting go of me so I could walk up to Treyni myself. I gave her another hug as I asked to know more about her later once the current threat was taken care of.

Treyni: Of course Kazuto, I would be very delighted to know more about you as well. That being said there is another reason why I came over here tonight, and it wasn't just because I wanted to see you again.

Kazuto: What is it?

Treyni then got on one knee as she put her right hand over her heart and looked me in the eyes with a serious expression.

Treyni: Kazuto Tempest, as the one who can gain the strength of other monsters, we humbly ask that you defeat the Orc Lord.

Kazuto: ( blink ) Huh?

Girls: ARE YOU SERIOUS?!

Suphia: Are you crazy, you want Kazuto to go out there and fight the Orc Lord?!

Miia: This is insane, do you really expect Darling to just agree to that?!

Treyni: I understand your concern, but I believe Kazuto is strong enough to end this threat once and for all.

Kurumu: What makes you so sure, we don't even know how he has a chance at beating such a dangerous monster!

Headmaster: Now now, let's not lose our heads. We should continue our discussion and see what kind of solution we can find before we make any rushed decisions.

Once everyone had settled down we continued to talk about what needed to be done.

Headmaster: Before we continue discussing our plans for facing the Orc Lord I want to open the floor to all of you. If there's anything you would like to discuss please don't hesitate to do so.

Shuna: May I Headmaster?

Headmaster: By all means.

Shuna: Souei, by any chance have you or one of your doubles returned to the village to see what was left?

Souei: I have.

Shuna: And judging by your tone I assume you didn't find any?

Kazuto: Find any what?

Souei: She's talking about corpses. None that belonged to them or ours for that matter.

Our faces easily gave away our thoughts on what we heard. It didn't make sense, how could a single person not be found from an incident that large? The only ones who didn't seem surprised were Benimaru and the other Kijin.

Benimaru: From the information we received we started wondering where they were getting the supplies for such a large army. How they could feed a total of two hundred thousand orcs.

It did sound rather odd, where on earth could they get that much for so many troops? Slowly but surely we started to see the bigger picture and the image in our minds wasn't a good one, if anything it was downright terrifying.

Moka: So what you're saying is-...

Framea: The orcs... ate them?

Miia: But why, haven't they done enough already?

Treyni: It's the result of a unique skill, simply known as Starved.

Kazuto: Starved? What does it do?

Treyni: Every Orc Lord is born with this skill, with the purpose of bringing calamity and ruin to the world. Its influence reaches all those who serve under the Orc Lord, making them devour everything in sight. Doing so allows them to absorb their victims strength and abilities, making those powers their own.

This was nuts, another skill that grants the user power by eating their prey. In other words the Orc Lord and I were similar in that regard. I suddenly felt someone grasping my hand and saw that it was Moka. She looked at me as if saying " You are nothing like them. There's no need to be afraid. " I gave her a nod and held her hand in mine as she gave me warm smile in return.

Treyni: How sweet, I can see why you like this girl Kazuto. She reminds me so much of your grandmother Amelia and how she interacted with Makoto when they met.

I could already feel the glares aimed at me by the other girls, no doubt I had to find a way to get them to calm down later otherwise I'll never hear the end of it.

Treyni: Back to the matter at hand, the unique skill Starved is somewhat similar to Kazuto's Predator skill. However I should point out that Starved has a low chance of inheriting the skills from the target, which means they need to repeatedly consume a similar target to increase their chances.

Kazuto: And my Predator let's me gain skills on the first try.

Suphia: So that would make Kazuto's skill the better of the two of them.

Gin: Is that why you want Kazuto to fight the Orc Lord, because he has a better skill?

Treyni: That's one of the reasons I'll admit. Another is because I believe he has what it takes to succeed in the battle ahead.

Headmaster: I would also like to point out that in return for the power of Starved the orcs have an insatiable hunger. Our enemies will only have one thing in mind.

Abiru: They will continue to march onward to satisfy an endless hunger to gain power. That is the wish of their king, and their clan as a whole.

In the end it looks like we have no choice but to fight. Looking at everyone in this room we all came to the same agreement. I wasn't afraid of putting myself in harms way, what I did fear was losing the people that mattered to me. If we do nothing our enemies will reach Yokai Academy sooner or later, and by then who knows how much power they might've gained. I will not allow the others to be put in that position ever again.

Kazuto: ( sigh ) I guess that leaves us with only one option. It's no surprise that Yokai Academy has an abundance of monsters. We have vampires, werewolves, succubi, and even Kijin. We might as well set the table and invite them over for dinner.

Benimaru: I think you're forgetting the main course Kazuto. We also happen to have the worlds strongest slime as well.

Kazuto: We do?

My confidence wasn't all it was cracked up to be. If anything I was still worried about our chances of winning. Still though, if I can increase the odds of winning, even just a bit, it would be good enough for me.

Treyni: Kazuto Tempest, as the one who can gain strength from other monsters, as well as the one who battled against a fox demon and claimed their power as his own, I wish to ask you once more. Will you lend us your power and help us avoid catastrophe?

Regardless of her being my godmother I wasn't too sure I could trust her. She was a bit shrewd but at the same time I felt no reason why I should reject her proposal.

Kazuto: ( What are your two cents Great Sage? Can we really trust her? )

Great Sage: The dryads are said to be the caretakers of the forest. They deliver divine justice upon any and all villains that threaten it.

Kazuto: ( I'm guessing by divine justice you mean something a bit extreme, don't you? )

Great Sage: Correct.

That sounded kind of hardcore. Still though, while protecting my friends was a top priority for me I still lacked confidence participating in a battle this large. This wasn't just a fight between me and one other person, we were basically on the brink of war.

Shion: Of course he'll help, there's no one in the world better than Kazuto! He'll show that Orc Lord who's the strongest!

I then felt Shion hugging me from behind as she pretty much agreed on my behalf.

Treyni: So I'll take that as a yes?

Shion: Yup!

Seriously what was I going to do with this girl. Guess I have no choice now, taking a deep breath I steeled myself for what I was about to do next.

Kazuto: Alright then, I accept. Not only will I join the battle but I will make sure the Orc Lord is defeated myself!

The other girls obviously protested against the idea but I had already made up my mind. Moka then insisted that she go with me to fight which I tried to turn down until Kurumu, Mizore and Rubi asked to join in as well.

Mizore: If you're going to put your life at risk to defend us than we're going to be there with you every step of the way.

Kurumu: That's the whole reason we began training ourselves. We don't want to just stay on the sidelines anymore when we can help you instead!

Rubi: That goes for me too. After everything we went through last year I don't want to leave you to face the brunt of the problem on your own. Plus I can't let our training go to waste.

Kazuto: But girls-...

Moka: Just like you we stand by our decision. With us by your side we can overcome this. Just trust us, we'll be fine.

Benimaru: ( chuckle ) I guess there's no talking them out of it, trust me Kazuto it's for the best if you just agree to their terms.

Kazuto: ( sigh ) I guess you're speaking from experience?

Albis: Of course he is, isn't that right Honey?

I ended up catching a glimpse of Albis pinching Benimaru's arm hard enough that he resisted the urge to tear up but his expression clearly gave it away that he was in a lot of pain right now.

Benimaru: ( strained ) Y-Yes dear.

As a collective chuckle was shared by all we proceeded to learn more about the battle ahead. Souei had one of his doubles scout the enemy army and judging from their current trajectory they would most likely reach the swamplands within six days.

Abiru: So the battle will take place in the home of our ancestors.

Souka: Lake Siss, hopefully my brother and his forces aren't doing something reckless like battling the enemy when you instructed them to stay put and fortify their defenses.

Abiru: Let's hope so, until then all we can do is prepare ourselves for the battle ahead.

After talking about our plans a bit more we were excused for the night. The headmaster informed us that we would be excused from our classes for the next few days so we could rest/train for the battle ahead. During that time I read up on some magic to see if I could find something to help us out while Kurumu and Mizore spent time with Benimaru and Souei training. Hakurou had asked Rubi to assist him with his own training alongside Shion to help refine his techniques.

As for Moka she asked me to train with her in her vampire form personally whenever I wasn't busy studying magic. We spent a good portion of our time on hand to hand combat and battlefield awareness so we wouldn't get blindsided easily. The other Kijin would often spar with us in the hopes of making us a little stronger to increase our odds of survival.

Inner Moka: I have to admit you're a lot stronger than when we first met. But don't think just because you're mine that I'll take it easy during training.

Kazuto: Heh, wouldn't have it any other way babe.

Inner Moka: I like your confidence lover, let's see how far you've come!

Soon enough the fated day had come at last, we were only an hour away or so before we would head out to meet the orc army face to face. I stood in front of the boy's dormitory building as I looked at the full moon shining above me.

Kazuto: This is it. It's time to settle this once and for all.