In the wake of our last encounter, I spent most of the rest of our summer break talking to my Mother about the matter of what should be done about Witch Hill. She suggested that the humans could be bribed to move their development to a different location, but seeing what Her Ladyship had already done, she came to a conclusion that would benefit not only the hill but humans as well. She had a few connections to a few other Witches who lived a human life within the city and seeing that each of them didn't like the idea of a former witch's home being demolished, they happily obliged. I'm told that after a few...'negotiations', the humans have changed their plans from building a landfill and now they're building a composting recycling center. And thanks to the number of plants that are now going to waste, not to mention the number of dead Hanabakes, it would not only be efficient, but better for the environment. In fact, the development plans are much more compact and precise so the entire hill won't be destroyed.

I believed that this news would move Ruby, but the girl has been out cold ever since that night. Even when we returned to Yokai Academy, we handed her over to Ms. Nekonome who said she'd be taken care of, but that doesn't really ease my worries for her. But, as always, there were more pressing matters to attend to, pun intended.

For the new article to kick off the new semester, Tsukune and I's piece summarized the Newspaper Club's experiences in the human world and Witch Hill. Of course, we had to keep a few details vague. Monster identity was not much of an issue owing to the circumstances dictating the parties needed to be in our true for to fight. What we left out was the involvement of my mother and her associates getting involved in human development. But overall, our article made a fun read for our audience.

In fact, a good amount fo our articles so far went over the several incidents at school. Tsukune was a little hesitant to do so, but after reminding him that we were the ones who wrote about Gin being the peeping tom and vindicating us, it became a lot easier. Several incidents did come to mind like the student council members bullying Yukari. There was also one about the three creeps sexually assaulting Kurumu, Moka, and Yukari. We included the attempted murder that involved the entire Swim Club and the blackmail threats from that slimy prick, Nagare. But the most daring ones were the ones detailing the former art teacher's cruel attempt at kidnapping and the former gym coach wanting to molest poor Mizore. Weirdly enough, we didn't get any backlash from anyone we've exposed minus the teachers who were fired. In fact, most of the students treated these events as a normal occurrence. Still, this wouldn't stop us from our hard work.

"Our first addition to the Yokai Gazzete since summer break ended is shaping up nicely, huh?"

"It sure is!" The young witch agrees with Tsukune.

"I think the real highlight is the featured article on the latest fashions of the human world," Moka adds. "The girls on campus will love it!"

"Well, obviously!" Kurumu playfully bumps into Moka. "That's because I wrote it!"

I roll my eyes. "Kuru, all of the 'latest' fashions you wrote about are from over twenty years ago."

"So?" She smirks. "That just means that we can bring it back when we all go back to the human world!"

A bunch of monsters running around in late 90's clothing? That actually might be interesting to see. Humans would just think of it as a throwback kind of thing.

"Either way," Tsukune continued on with a smile. "I'm really impressed with our latest issue, you guys. We have a lot of content our readers are gonna want to see."

"Yeah!"

"So am I..." Mizore sneaks up behind both me and Tsukune, scaring the ever-loving hell out of us...again. "Hey, you two."

"Oh...h-hey, Mizore."

"We really need to get you a bell."

"Come on, at this point we know each other well enough, so there's no need for formality or 'bells'," Mizore smiles with a faint blush. "So why don't you two refer to me as...your little 'Snow Bunny'?"

"H-Huh?"

"...Why would-"

"If you're done, we still have a lot of copies to print out so let's get to work, you guys!" Kurumu shouts at us in a huff, surprising me most of all.

"Wow, you're really worked up about this," Mizore adds with almost the same amount of revelation.

"Of course I am! It's because I worked on it with..." Kurumu glances at Tsukuen, stopping herself from necessarily holding onto the boy. But what caught my attention for what felt like a second, Kurumu looked me in the eye then quickly broke our mutual eye contact, but she recovered and went back to her usual upbeat self. "It's because I worked on it with all of you, that's why!"

Honestly, I'm kind of glad she's showing a little restraint, that means she's respecting Tsukune's personal space and avoiding unnecessary conflict. I'm proud of her, of course. But...why does it...hurt a little? I haven't really given my...affection towards Kurumu much thought ever since the events of Witch Hill. In fact, I haven't really talked with her outside of mutual conversations with the others. And on top of that, I'm still debating when the three of us should disclose Tsukune's...'condition'.

"You know," Mizore speaks to me, breaking me out of my thoughts. "at first I thought you guys were just a clique, a weird one at that...and then..."

"'Then' what?" I ask.

Mizore glances over at me, bearing a small smile. "...Then I thought that this Newspaper Club wasn't half bad."

"Well, I'm glad." I offer a small smile of my own.

"Me too," Tsukune added, seeing that he must've heard our short exchange. He then turns to the rest of the gang. "Alright, guys, we still gotta little time before class, so let's go hand these out."

We all collectively agree with Tsukune's suggestion, sharing his enthusiasm...too bad I didn't know what awaited us out there.


Our earlier enthusiasm is somewhat diminished when we all walked towards the front gates of the school to hand our our paper. I even noticed that Kurumu's attitude was slowly changing.

"Huh, there's already a crowd," I noted.

"What's going on?" Kurumu muttered.

I carefully examine the students, noticing that they're each holding...a newspaper. It wasn't one of ours, either. "Am I seeing things?"

"Just what the hell are they all reading?!" Kurumu growls, pushing her way to the source of where the students got their newspapers.

"Looks like it said, "Yokai Square.'" Yukari noted.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?! We're the Newspaper Club! Who gave you guys permission to hand out newspapers?!" Kurumu shouted in anger at three girls that were handing out this other newspaper.

"Huh? What do you mean by 'permission'?"

"And this rag?!" Kurumu snatches a newspaper from one of the girls. "this 'Yokai Square' or whatever it is, It's not even a legitimate paper, unlike the Yokai Gazzete put out by the Newspaper Club!"

"Yes, it is," Another girl's voice turned our attention to a senior student with dark purple hair, crossing her arms.

"Who are you?" Kurumu asks in annoyance.

"I'm Keito, the president of the Super Newspaper Club." She responds, sneering at us.

"'Super' Newspaper Club? Wow. How original." I quipped. "Besides, there's already a Newspaper Club."

"We've gotten permission from the school and we're an officially recognized club." Keito held up documentation to show that she meant business, which only confused me more.

"I don't understand," Tsukune adds.

"Well, your little newspaper was just so unbelievably boring, so we decided to create our own newspaper, one that'll make everyone forget about you."

"Like hell, it will, Big Mouth!"

"Calm down, Kuru," I rest a hand on her shoulder. The Succubus calms down at my gesture before I ignore this...obstacle. "And what exactly is 'super' about your newspaper compared to ours? From what I've seen, your newspaper is shallow and only focuses on the derogatory side of humans. Your cover image is literally a picture of a girl in a bikini. The way I see it, you might as well be selling pornography rather than this. I bet your club doesn't even go for the truth."

"Well then," Keito sneers at me. She keeps up her smile, but the way her left eye is twitching, It's clear that I've struck a nerve. "If you don't believe me, then try competing against us, 'kay?"

"That's exactly what we'll do!" Kurumu gets the last word in as Keito walks away with the other three girls following their president. The Succubus turns to us with fire in her eyes. "Come on, guys! We can't let them beat us!"

"I agree," Moka says.

"We got our latest and greatest issues, so let's start handing them out!"

"Gladly," I say before walking over with my stack of papers to a group of students. "Hey there, Yokai Gazette's newest issue is here. It's got the latest developments in the human world and what we can do as monsters to provide further advancements. We even have a section on the latest fashion trends for the ladies."

"No thanks," One girl shakes her head. "Black and white isn't as good as color."

"And you don't have any swimsuit photos." A guy waved a newspaper page, showing what he meant. The group dispersed with the rival paper in their hands.

"If it's naked women you're after, you're better off sticking with your right hand!" I remarked.

"Easy, dude," Tsukune offers a hand on my shoulder, easing my rising anger. "You don't want to start something."

"Not like I wouldn't be able to finish it," I add, but he's right. There's something else that's bothering me. Yes, Keito gave me the creeps, but I'm not entirely sure what it was. Sure, I like the color purple, but there was another girl that I've seen with purple hair that gave me the creeps when I was younger. I never want to play that game again... Regardless, this entire situation wasn't fair to us. Who do these people think they are?!


"Who the hell is this 'Super Newspaper Club?!" Kurumu, sharing my frustration, demanded Ms. Nekonome.

"Meow! I'm sorry! I only learned about them yesterday." Our teacher's cat ears twitched in fear.

"Still, surely the school wouldn't allow two newspaper clubs. How did they even get approval?" I ask.

"I'm afraid I don't know myself. And...they wouldn't allow that... You see, it turns out the plan is to keep the most popular club and...scrap the one that's not..." Ms. Nekonome sadly says.

"What?! That's ridiculous!" I shout. "Who's to say that these guys can just come along and ruin everything that we're trying to do?! Unlike them, we strive to find the truth and provide our readers with what they deserve to know!"

"Elijah, calm down."

"..." I take a few breaths after hearing Moka's rising worry, I really need to get my anger under control before I do something rash. "Ms. Nekonome, surely there's something you-"

"Bring it on I say..." We all turn to Kurumu. For the first time, I've never seen her this...angry.

"Kuru...?"

"It's between us at the Newspaper Club and those up-states at the Super Newspaper Club! This is about who's more popular. So let's show those assholes who's number one!"

"..." That's right. Before I was friends with Kurumu, she was number two regarding Moka in looks and beauty. At least from what I've heard. I don't like ranking people I consider close friends so I hate when I have to think about it, but I remember just exactly how angry and competitive she can be...and she won't easily back down without a fight. It's..ironically one of the things that I like about her, she's a fighter.

"Wait! Just...hold on a second, Kurumu."

"He's right," Moka sides with Tsukune. "We need to talk to Gin anyways before we can do anything about this, he is our club president after all."

"Who gives a crap what that perv thinks?!" Kurumu retorts, her anger still there. "I bet you anything that he's off with a camera right now peeping on girls again!"

"Even so, we should at least get his perspective on this."

"Fine! If you guys wanna go find that creep, go ahead!" Kurumu storms out of the teacher staff room. I nod to the others, seeing that I could be the only one who can talk to her without getting my head bitten off. I find her at the end of the hallway, staring out the window with her arms crossed.

"...Hey."

Kurumu groaned, "I said you guys can...oh," When she sees me with my hands raised in a non-threatening way, she stops herself from shouting. "...Hey."

I join her, staring out the window. "...I'm pissed off too, you know?"

"I noticed, I haven't seen you that angry in a while."

"Same goes for you. What I don't understand is... Why?"

"..." Kurumu shakes her head, looks like I won't be getting a straightforward answer right now. "It doesn't matter. I already have an idea to get more people to read our newspaper."

I raise an eyebrow. "What's that?"

Kurumu smirks at me. "Leeeet's just say I'm gonna need a little help from you skills at cooking."

I chuckle. "Didn't think that my skills as a chef had such an effect on you."

She shrugs. "What can I say, you have the...magic touch."

"...You didn't."

Kurumu giggles and playfully nudges my shoulder. "I did and you'll like it!"

"Never said I didn't."


I understood what Kurumu was trying to do with the assist of my skills. She wanted to incentivize people to take the Yokai Gazette with the offer of free cookies. And since I was the best at cooking in our club, she wanted my help most of all. Although... My face met my palm upon seeing her idea at the school gates. Kurumu and Yukari were both dressed in...Maid outfits in an attempt to get the attention of the students.

"...Really guys?" I say to myself, hating the fact that it was working.

"Hey, it's working, isn't it?" Kurumu shrugs.

"Yes, but why didn't you tell me that...this," I gesture to the pair. "was also your plan?"

"Oh?" Knowing that smirk, Kurumu sees this as a perfect opportunity to tease me. "And why would you want to know? Don't you think I look rather...ravishing?"

"I never said anything otherwise, but..." I looked away slightly as I readjusted one of her shoulder straps that had slipped off. Did she really have to go with a maid outfit that's so...revealing? "Don't you think this sets our club a little low?"

"Hey, it's not like we're practically giving them free nudes or something, I also threw in some of those cookies you helped me bake yesterday."

"Even so," Yukari speaks up, blushing. "I'm still embarrassed about this whole thing."

"Don't worry, Yukari," Kurumu reassures the young witch. "We just have to bear with it for now to get our droolers, I mean, readers to notice our paper."

"I know, let's just get it over with..."

Seeing that they're still going through with this, I decided that it's better to join them. Besides, I can watch for anyone who decides to get a little too close to the maids. "Anything I can do to help?"

Kurumu shakes her head. "That's alright, you..." The Succubus Maid stops herself from finishing her sentence, thinking before a lightbulb goes of in her head. "Actually, I have something that you could do."

I tilt my head. "Being?"

"Since Yukair and I are already getting a lot of attention from the guys, we could have you attract some of the girls."

"..." Okay, am I crazy, or did Kurumu really just say that? "...I could what now?"

"Yeah!" Yukari, surprisingly to me, agrees with the Succubus. "Kurumu and I have seen only guys for the entire morning! But now with you here, we can appeal to our female audience as well!"

"And you guys couldn't ask Tsukune to do it? He's obviously the... You know what, never mind." I regret I even asked, knowing that Kurumu would most likely not be comfortable with a bunch of random girls staring at her 'Destined One'. Plus, I don't want to have to get into another ordeal on top of the one we already have with this damned 'Super' Newspaper Club. "What do you need me to do?"

Kurumu happily nods. "Yahoo! Thank you so much for doing this, but first..." Kurumu looks at me, noticeably at my...uniform? "I think I should make you a little more...presentable."

I look down at my uniform, confused. "What's wrong with my clothes?"

"Nothing, except for the fact that you look like every other guy we've seen this morning."

"Except that you're much taller and not a creep like most of them were," Yukari added.

I scowl. "What does that-"

"We're fine, Elijah, don't worry," Kurumu tells me but doesn't exactly answer my question. "As for your clothes..." The girl approaches me, closing the distance to where she's now around a foot in front of me. "Firstly, I'm gonna need you to take off that blazer."

I sigh, seeing that there's no way out of this. "Fine," I follow her order, taking off my blazer. "Now what?"

"Let's see..." Kurumu starts off by rolling up the sleeves of my white button-down and untucking it. Next, she takes off my red tie. "Honestly, you rarely wear this stupid thing. Why now all of a sudden?"

I shrug. "Felt like switching it up, what's wrong with looking more professional?"

Kurumu rolls her eyes at me. "You? Professional? Don't give me that. Now, hold still..." Now the girl starts ruffling with my hair, practically making a mess of it.

"Hey...Kuru? What are you-

"I said, 'hold still', dummy!" After a few more seconds of messing around with my hair, Kurumu takes a step back. From that smug grin on her face, she must be thinking that she did a good job on me. "Hmm...that's good. But just to be sure..." Kururmu then moves her right hand and rests it behind her head and looks up to the sky. "Could you go like this for a second?"

"Uh...okay?" I do my best to mimic Kurumu's pose, feeling ridiculous. "...This good?"

"..." Oh...wow... I didn't expect him to look that good. He's already a handsome guy...but with how laid back he looks...not to mention his hair... It's practically flowing with the breeze.

"Uh, Earth to Kuru?"

"O-Oh! Yeah, that's good..." She tells me, making eye contact with the ground rather than me. It doesn't help that I can see the red rising in her cheeks. "G-Go get 'em, Tiger...ehehehe..."

I do my best not to show any reaction from that, but Yukari giving me that knowing smirk is not helping in the slightest. I just decided to do what this whole 'makeover' thing was for, my head screaming with the fact that Kurumu just referred to me as 'Tiger'. What is this, Spider-Man Two?

Alright, shut up, Elijah. She was just being good old-fashioned Kurumu, don't think much of it.

"Oh! Elijah, wait!" Kurumu calls out to me. "Take some of these, too." She hands me a few plastic goodie bags filled with the cookies I helped her bake. "Girls do like a guy who can cook, after all." The Succubus giggles and winks at me, making my heart beat much faster than before.

"...Right." Better get a move on before this girl becomes the death of me.

It wasn't too long after I stepped inside the front gates that I found a small group of girls just chatting away. Lucky for me, they don't seem to be reading our rival's newspaper. So...

I clear my throat as I approach them, preparing my best 'casual' facade. "Excuse me?"

They all look at me, their eyes widening at the sight of me...surprising me but I do my best not to show it. The first to respond is a short girl with teal-colored hair tied in a ponytail. "H-Hello there."

I smile. "You guys interested in Yokai Gazette?" I hold up the said newspaper. "It's filled with the latest news around Yokai Academy, including some developments made in the human world. We even have a special section for the latest fashions in the human world."

"Wow, really?" A second girl with glasses asked.

I nod as I hold out a small plastic bag of cookies in my other hand. "And as a bonus, I'll even add this bag of cookies. I made them myself." I smile as I tilt my head. Each girl collectively gasps in amazement, nodding to my offer. I give them each a copy of the newspaper and a bag of cookies. Mission accomplished. "You girls have an awesome day!" I happily say as I leave.

"Thank you!" They all collectively say, but what catches my attention as I leave is what they say under their breath.

"Wow! He was so cute!"

"Right?! And talk about that hair!"

"And he baked these cookies, too! He's so sweet!"

"..." Not gonna lie, it kinda felt...good hearing those compliments. I mean, I know I've heard them from the others, but they're my friends, they're supposed to say that, right?

"You are not ugly, Elijah."

But the way Kurumu spoke to me that way...

"I'm not just saying that because you're my friend, I'm saying this because you are a kind, caring, smart, funny, and strong person. You've done so much in your short time, and..."

She sounded so sure, like...she wouldn't say it to anyone else...

"You...mean a lot to me."

"...You mean a lot to me too, Kuru."

"Are you kidding me?!" The girl I just named shouts from the school gate.

That's when I noticed a good amount of male students had grouped up...away from the girls in their maid outfits. When I see what exactly it is they're gathering around, I widen my eyes. Kurumu's anger and my disbelief were due to the Super Newspaper Club's counterattack. The same three girls that had been passing out their newspaper had shown up wearing bikinis and posing...sensually.

"If you subscribe to our newspaper, you'll have oh-so-sexy photos of us in swimwear on a daily basis!" One of the girls promised cheerfully.

"Okay, now it's becoming borderline pornography," I remark as I reunite with the maids. But the way those promises came almost too cheerfully... I can't help but think that seems almost too happy. Even the most sultry of women would be beyond uncomfortable with how much exposure and leering these three are dealing with. Buth the members of the Super Newspaper Club didn't seem the least but phased... Something isn't right.

"Are they even allowed to do that?" Kurumu exclaimed in disbelief.

"Well, the Swim Club did it and now you guys are trotting around in Maid outfits. So...unfortunately, it's fair game. Still...I think a better question is why."

"'Why' what?" Yukari turns to me.

"Why are those girls comfortable doing this? Would either of you two willingly go into a two-piece in front of a large crowd of boys for our newspaper? Let alone promise practically nudes of yourselves?" They both shake their heads as I notice...a lone male ogling Yukari and starting to approach too close to her. "Speaking of comfortable..." I walk up to the creep, pushing him to the ground. He readjusts his glasses before looking back up at me, widening his eyes as he meets my life-threatening glare. He weasels away with his tail tucked between his legs.

"Thanks," The young witch bows. "I didn't like the way he was looking at me."

I nod. "No problem, Yukari."

"And he fights off creeps too!" Our attention is brought to the group of girls that I recently just talked to. "Yokai Gazette has such gentlemen!"

"Not to mention cute!" The group of girls giggled as they walked into the Academy, leaving the three of us bewildered.

"...Well, at least we've won over our female audience," I say to try and lift our spirits. "Right...Kuru?"

I get concerned when I see a frown on her face...but I don't have time to question it as I see her storm off. She...really hates losing. But as far as I'm concerned, she looks way better in her outfit than all of those three girls combined in those stereotypical swimsuits.

"Here's your tea..."

I nod to the beautiful girl. "Thank you, Kurumu."

"...Is there anything else you require..." The maid looks away before looking back at me with a yearning look in her eye. Begging, pleading, praying... "...Mas-"

SMACK!

"Uh...you good, Elijah?"

I smile at the young witch. "Yeah, why?"

"Weeelll, you just smacked yourself in the face."

"Oh, that?" I wave a hand bashfully. "Just...needed to get a bad thought outa my head...that's all."

"...O...kay?"

"WHAT THE HELL WAS I JUST THINKING?"


When the three of us finally regrouped in the club room to find the others..to no avail. Once the three of us are finally alone, Yukari, now feeling safe with people she trusts, starts...crying.

"Yukari, what's wrong?" I ask out of major concern.

"I know you helped, but that guy was still so creepy! Why do most guys in this school have to be such pervs?!"

I shake my head and hold the bridge of my nose. "I don't know, Yukari, but you're alright now, don't worry."

The young witch wipes her tears away, looking up at me with a faint smile. "Thanks, Elijah."

"Now then," Kurumu continued on as if she didn't hear a thing just now. "We just need to get more skimpier outfits!"

"Kurumu..."

"We'll get bikinis too! Even more skimpier ones than theirs!"

"KURUMU!" The girl flinches at my shouting and looks back at me. "Now's not the time to be thinking about 'skimpier' outfits! We'd be no better if we keep sinking to their level!"

"While I would like to see that, I'm afraid my answer is no." Gin finally appeared with Tsukune and Moka in tow. For once, he looks serious. "If you're planning on continuing to mess with the Super Newspaper Club, don't."

"I'm sorry, but we didn't feel good about this so we spoke to Gin," Tsukune said apologetically.

"He is our President, after all," Moka adds.

"This is a fight we're going to have to lose," Gin said further. "Nothing good can come from taking these guys on."

"Excuse me? You're just gonna back down when these people just come out of nowhere with these underhanded tricks?" I demanded.

"I'm more worried about what's behind them...and that would be the Security Committee."

"'Security Committee'?" I echoed.

"Who is that?" Mizore asked popping in out of nowhere as usual.

"...Well, in a nutshell, they're a basically more violent version of a disciplinary committee. They're all about fighting first and asking questions later," Gin explained. "They claim that they're just 'keeping the peace' and taking the 'bad guys' down on campus. 'Student Police' would be a better name for 'em."

"What kind of bullshit is this?!" I shout. "They haven't done shit! They have never disciplined me, Moka, or Seizou for our first day fight. They did nothing when the Student Council was bullying Yukari. They've done nothing about those three creeps who sexually assaulted the three of you!" I point to Moka, Kurumu, and Yukari. "And don't even get me started with the attempted murder by the Swim Club, a teacher kidnapping and torturing poor girls, a slug that blackmailed Kurumu, and the coach who was trying to molest Mizore!"

"...You're right. It's just the same thing that always happens. As soon as they got a taste in power, the so-called 'Security Committee' started getting more and more corrupt." Gin sighs. "The Committee is just a sham now and they use force to get whatever they want. They're nothing but a bunch of thugs extorting cash from other students."

"It's hard to believe a group as criminal as that would be allowed to exist on campus," Moka says.

"As for why they're targeting us," Gin continued. "the Yokai Gazette is becoming more and more popular, not to mention our articles on incidents, so I'm guessing that our paper..." He looks at my and Tsukune's way. "...has become a thorn in their side."

"That's our job!" I retort. "One of journalism's best roles is to not only expose the truth but to also expose corruption to the public!"

"He's right Gin," Good to see that Tsukune has my back. "If there's a gang like that at Yokai Academy, then it's our job to expose them!"

"Yeah!" Kurumu and Yukari agree as well.

"...We're not going to debate this nonsense anymore!" Gin stood up and turned his back. "All these newspapers are going to the incinerator and that's the end of it! Got it?"

I growled and stood up from my seat. "What are you so afraid of, Gin?! You know that this isn't the first time I've brought up this kind of topic! I asked you if you believed there was something going on behind the scenes at Yokai Academy and you gave me the exact same look as you have now! So, enlighten us, wolf boy, what the hell are you so afraid of?!"

"...Do what I told you, Elijah. This is an official club decision. Besides," The Werewolf flares back at me. "they'd give any excuse to go after your kind especially..."Gin leaves the clubroom, making me more furious than before.

"FUCK!" I punch the wall, leaving a decent-sized hole but I honestly don't care. This is unbelievable! There's a corrupt gang in Yokai Academy and Gin is just gonna walk away and not do a damn thing?! Why the hell would he... Unless... Unless this has happened to the Newspaper Club before. It would explain Gin's somber and dismissive attitude. This 'Security Committee' could have gone after him before until he fell in line like a 'good dog', pun intended.


Unfortunately, I settled for complying with our president's orders. But I couldn't even look at everyone as they all faced the aforementioned incinerator. They all began disposing of the papers as I just stood there with an angry scowl and looked down at the ground, my fists balled up to the point where my knuckles started turning white. If this 'Security Committee' could discourage Gin, who is an S-Class monster, then these people must be a real threat. Even so, I'm not just gonna let this slide.

"Is that all of them?"

"There's still a few more boxes inside," Moka answered Tsukune. "I'll go get them."

"You need any help, Moka?"

"Don't worry, Tsukune, I'll give her a hand." Yukari offers to take the boy's place, leaving with Moka to get the rest of all of our hard work.

"This sucks..." The boy lamented. "We worked so hard on this. Mizore's off pouting who knows where... So far as the Newspaper Club goes, what's gonna happen to us?"

"...Elijah, Tsukune? Let's just take these papers and go hand them out right now." Kurumu, who'd been silent ever since we left the classroom, finally said.

"You heard what Gin said, he's club president so we can't just-"

"Who cares?" Kurumu cuts Tsukune off, her tone indicating that she's...emotional. The breaking of her voice caused me to kneel down next to her.

"Kuru?"

"...These newspapers, you have no idea what they mean to me, Elijah. They're something that I made with you...guys. They're something we made together." She sobbed a little, hugging the stack of newspapers close to her chest. "So...the thought of burning what we created... I can't! It's just too much!"

"..." I rest my hand on her shoulder and offer a gentle squeeze, hoping I can comfort her in some way. That's it... These mother-fuckers think they can get away with making my best friend cry? "...Let's do it, then."

"H-Huh?" Kurumu offers eye contact.

"If it's anything I know I learned from my Dad, it's that you never run away from a bully. If they think they can get away with this, then this 'Security Committee' has got another thing coming."

"Hehehehe!" But our conversation was interrupted when I heard the sound of giggling behind me, the source, unfortunately, came from the same three girls from the Super Newspaper Club. "Oh, Misstress!"

"These three are still planning on handing out their crappy newspapers!"

"Unleash your divine wrath upon them!"

"It's you three again!" Kurumu growled.

"And who's this 'Misstress'?" Tsukune's question is answered when a web suddenly shoots out of nowhere, snatching the newspapers away from Kurumu. They land in the hands of Keito, balancing on a series of webs.

"Huh, these papers weigh so little, I guess they really are light on content!" She remarked, descending via another web down to the ground. "Good job keeping an eye on them, girls."

"We live to serve you, Mistress." The three girls say in unison and kneel before Keito. What the hell is this? Not only is she some sort of Spider Monster but she has the three girls seemingly under her control.

"What the hell?! Why'd you have them watching us?!" Kurumu demanded before Tsukune put a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, please, and tell us. Why are you trying to run our newspaper into the ground?" Tsukune tried to approach the Spider calmly.

I try to follow his lead. "Things don't have to get any worse here for anyone, so how about you offer us a little insight?"

"You three sure are full of questions. Well, I guess that Ginei Morioka hasn't told you about us."

"Told us about what?" Tsukune asked.

"It doesn't matter. From this moment forward, your little club and this paper are done." Keito proclaimed.

"No, they're not! Those are our papers! Give them back right now!" Kurumu demanded.

Keitou's eyes flashed. "...What did you just say?"

"Did she stutter?" I retort, causing this knockoff Yuri to scowl.

"Who exactly do you think you're talking to, you peons!" As she said this, she threw our newspapers into the incinerator. "See? I knew your paper was nothing but page after page of trash. And just look at how well trash burns."

"All paper is naturally flammable, you idiot." I quipped. "Yours would burn no differently!"

"Those are our papers!" Kurumu made a break to save them, only to be grabbed by those three same girls.

"Not anymore!"

"They're gonna burn!"

"Those are our Misstress's orders!"

"Don't worry Kurumu, I'll get 'em out!" Tsukune moved to save the papers, only to be seized by a web. "What the hell?!" He shouts while he is strung up, arms bound to his torso.

"Tsukune!" I turn my attention back to the Spider, seeing that she ditched her uniform to reveal a black one. Not only that, but multiple insectoid legs sprouted from her abdomen.

"That's your true identity, huh?!" Kurumu scowled.

"...That uniform," I say, gritting my teeth. "So...you're with the Security Committee."

"Well, well. It looks like you are good at digging up information, Mr. Reporter. You and your entire club of insects." Keito continued on and put on a white armband on her upper left arm.

"Great, another armband for an oppressive group of people," I said sarcastically.

"We preserve order and justice in this school." She declared, making me laugh.

"You guys are nothing more than a bunch of lowlifes and thugs! What peace do you idiots even bring? If you'd bothered to read-"

"We know about your snitching, yours and the other boy's, parasite! And you all need an attitude adjustment!" Keito proceeded to shoot a web at me, but I dodged her attack only to realize that Kurumu got caught in the crossfire. She and the three fellow 'club members' are now tied in a web.

"Kurumu!" I cried out.

"Come on! Damn, these webs!" Tsukuen shouted as he tried his best to wriggle out of his sticky situation, pun intended.

"What even is this?" Kurumu groaned, held spread-eagled by the webbing.

"There's no point in fighting it." One of the girls said, but her voice was distorted. And there were now individual insect wings and antennas on each girl. Alarms were going off in my head.

"Trust us, we know."

"Our Mistress caught you, just like she caught us."

"If you're wondering who these girls are, they were former members of clubs who defied the Security Committee," Keito said. Then to my horror, I found that the girl's faces had also been turned into insect-like ones.

"..." Anger surged through me when I started putting two and two together. This was no mere coincidence. This Keito bitch has messed with these poor girls' heads, possibly their bodies too. This was borderline slavery...and I bet that's exactly what she plans to do with us. I quickly went for my deck, only to be pinned against the wall by the Spider. Keito holds me up by the throat, nearly choking me.

"Like you, they were insignificant pests who dared to defy our order. but once I injected them with my venom, they became my faithful servants." The Spider confirmed. "And all it's going to take to change that bad attitude of yours is just a tiny 'bite' of my venom. Now..." She traced the side of my face with her finger. "Be a good boy and hold still."

"No! Leave him alone! Elijah!" Kurumu shouted helplessly as she was held down by the three girls.

"...Disspell...Magic!" I manage to squeak out and throw a Tarot Card toward the three girls. I don't even know if this will work, but this venom is just another way of mind control. Disspell Magic can disorient even the highest level of spells even for a moment, surely the same rules can be applied here. Please work!

Thankfully, and to not only my surprise but to Keitou's as well, the three girl's insect-like forms seem to dissipate. Their faces returned to their normal forms, their expressions now replaced by a look of confusion but soon upon seeing Keito...they're terrified.

"...It's her!"

"D-Don't hurt us!"

"We're sorry!"

"RUN!" I manage to yell, only to be thrown into a nearby tree. Damn, that hurt! I manage to get to my knees, seeing that the three girls are running away in fear. Good, at least they're safe. Now all that's left is- "Guagh!"

"YOU!" Keito seized the chance to grab me by the throat once more, her grip even stronger than before. "How dare you?! Who in the hell do you think you are to defy us, bug?!"

"...My name...is Elijah Everett!" I croaked. "Make sure...your Security Committee...remembers that name!"

Keitou brought my face closer to hers, smiling with malice in her eye. "Oh, I don't think so. I believe that you'd be better off as my meal!"

"Tsukune!"

Before Keitou could continue on, Moka appeared having heard the commotion. She and Yukari made their way toward the boy. Yukari provided a few steps thanks to her signature wash tubs so Moka could leap towards him. I smirk back at the Spider because I know what's about to happen. Moka called out his name and Tsukune reached for her hand, only to tear off her Rosary...and Inner Moka has now awakened.

"You fucked up now," I say.

"No... What is this?!" Keito shields her eyes with her arm at the sudden burst of energy, dropping me in the progress. I take this opportunity to run over to the still-webbed Kurmu and get her down. It takes a few tugs but now with Yukari and Tsukune helping me, we get Kurumu out with ease.

"You really think you could've handled this without me?" Inner Moka sneers at me.

I roll my eyes. "I managed to free those girls of their control, didn't eye?"

"True, but you're still a far way to go to take on monsters like her."

"You cost me my meal! A perfect excuse to get rid of that wretched half-human waste to add!" Keito shouted. As she did, her face became more and more like an arachnid's. The Spider shot a web at Inner Moka who caught it smugly on her forearm. "You think you're hot shit with that power but compared to Kuyo, the President of the Security Committee, your monster streak is just a joke!"

"...And?"

"And I'll prove it to just how weak you really are! Hrrrgh!" Keito pulled with her arm on the web line, but it did not move.

"Hrrrgh!" She grunted as she tugged again.

And again...

And again...

Inner Moka could barely contain her mirth at the sight. I myself was struggling not to laugh, and so were the others. We all knew what was coming. "Oh, will you now?" She chuckled, slowly wrapping the web around her forearm. "Wind, wind the little thread..."

Keito was pulled to the ground and dragged closer and closer, her spider legs digging gouges in the pavement. It was clear as day now, Keitou knew she fucked up. "N-No! Wait! Stop! Can't we talk about this?!" The Spider begged while Inner Moka continued the little nursery chant. "If you let me go, I won't report this to the Security Committee, I promise! I won't tell them a thing! What do you say?!" By now, she was in the range of the Vampire.

We share a look and I smirk. "Can I say it too?"

"...Fine."

Our reply to the Spider was simple, yet brilliant.

"Know your place."

Moka sent Keito flying upward, and then Kurumu flew in and delivered a kick of her own. Keito flew what was left of her webbing, which became a ball that rolled away and eventually crashed into a distant tree. Both Moka and Kurumu land with their legs spread and on their toes like one of my favorite childhood heroes. Yeah, Inner Moka looked awesome doing it, but the way Kurumu did it too...it was really-

"So, that makes it seven now."

"Seven?" I ask Inner Moka. "What do you mean seven?"

"Seven beat downs that I've delivered, I count at least three for you, I don't include your 'assists'."

"You keep count?"

She smirks. "Someone has to."

"At least acknowledge the fact that I went up against two trios."

"And I acknowledge that you delivered an entertaining explosion to a Kraken." Moka countered.

"Don't forget that Tsukune managed to help us as well." I add.

"I don't, but that doesn't make him strong like me."

I roll my eyes. "Moving on," My mood became a lot more somber. "The Security Committee wants to shut us up? Then I say we do something about it. Starting with that slaver.

"Agreed." Inner Moka nodded. "And I have a feeling that you're going to need my help."

I can hear she sounds a little annoyed. "We can handle it for now, but if we ever need you, well..." I smirk. "I know you can't really say 'no' to a well-deserved ass-whooping."

"You're not wrong there." Inner Moka says to me with a genuine smile.

"But they'll fight back. Which means...we need to cover all our bases."

"What do you mean?" Kurumu asked.

"...We'll talk about it back at the clubroom."

"Here, Moka," Tsukune hands the Vampire her rosary. When he held it out, he said something else. "...I could've fought her, you know?"

"..." Moka, even though it was for a second, widened her eyes at Tsukune's somewhat confident remark. She takes the rosary, dropping the boy's remark. "If you say so."


When I gathered everyone in the club room, I didn't include Gin. Not because I don't trust him but because he obviously wanted no part of this. And who knows how he could possibly react. I also asked Yukari to use magic to mute any possible sounds that could leave the room.

"So, why are we gathered here like this?" Kurumu asked.

"And why did I cast this spell?"

"I'm getting there..." I take a deep breath, not really sure if this is the way to go about this, but we need every angle possible. "Okay, everyone. The Security Committee will be coming for us. So that means we're gonna be going for them. They're guilty of assault, extortion, threats, bribery, slavery, and brainwashing. We need to expose and take down this gang of thugs that rule Yokai Academy."

"Yeah!" My friends cheered, even Mizore whom we managed to find watching the previous fight.

"...But before we do that, we need to be on the same page. To be more specific, there are going to be risks, especially for...one of us."

"What does that mean?" Mizore asked.

"..." I look to Tsukune and Moka and they nod, giving me the extra push. "...There's a reason why Tsukune is the only one who's never shown us his true form. And with his consent, I'll tell you why. You all deserve to know. The reason why he hasn't show his true form...is because...he is in his true form."

"What?" Kurumu said, confused, but Yukari was not. She looked to Tsukune.

"...That means you're-"

"Yes," Tsukune nodded somberly. "I'm...a human."

The three girls who did not know had different levels of reaction. Yukari's face fell, Mizore let her sucker fall out of her mouth, and Kurumu's mouth dropped in shock.

"No! That's impossible! How could a human even get in here at Yokai Academy?!" Kurumu voiced desperately.

"A mix-up," Tsukune answered. "My grades weren't so great back in my old schools, so this was the one that accepted me and I went."

"It makes sense," Yukari added. "You've never transformed, you have the familiar scent and presence of a human, and you were so happy when you returned to the human world."

"...Kuru?"

Kurumu's head fell. "Why? Why didn't you tell us sooner?! We're your friends! You're...supposed to be my Destined One!"

"...We didn't consider it until Elijah came to us on our summer trip," Moka stepped in. "he talked to us and said that we should let you know. We're telling you now because we trust you."

"And the Security Committee will come after us and they will notice the discrepancy in his record. We...might need to get him out of Yokai Academy."

"..." Through angry tears, Kurumu stormed out of the clubroom.

"I'm glad you trust us that much," The young witch said.

"Me too," Mizore added.

While I'm glad that those two aren't upset, I'm more concerned about Kurumu so I follow her out. I find her leaning against the wall, her face filled with tears. "Kuru?"

"...He's a..." She stopped herself from saying it. "That's why we had to protect him this whole time, and why you give him so many fighting lessons. He...can't really fight back."

"But that never stopped him from trying. Remember how many times he's stepped up to help us?" I point out.

She sniffed. "...I know, he's a good friend."

"...But you're-"

"I'm angry because you never told me!" Kurumu shouts, getting closer. "You're my best friend, Elijah! You've known since the beginning and you kept it from us for so long...kept it from me."

"...Kuru, I-"

"Did you really not...trust me? It was only until after our summer break that you even considered telling us, now with this Security Committee, you decide it's better to tell us so we can handle the situation-"

"Kuru!" I hold her firmly by her shoulders, causing her to gasp in response. "...I wanted to tell you, I really did. I just...didn't know if it would hurt you.

"Huh?"

"Look, we all know it's no secret what you feel for the guy, so to just tell you such a truth. I...didn't want to imagine how much that could possibly hurt you in any way."

"...You...didn't want to hurt me?"

"Of course I didn't, you're my best friend, Kuru." I retort. "I...never want to hurt you."

"...I...I understand." Kurumu wipes away her tears and I release her. Her face now becomes more angry than before. "That skank...those girls...they were enslaved. She was going to make us like them." She shuddered. "And to think that Succubi do the same."

I rest my hands back on her shoulders, looking deeply into her violet eyes with conviction. "You're not like her, do you hear me?"

"We are," Kurumu insisted. "We use charms to bend men to our will... We can enter someone's mind... And if we kiss a man...we can enslave them and feed upon them until they die. I...was planning on doing that to Tsukune when I first met him...even you."

"But you're not like that," I state. "You're my best friend, and you...love him," I say that last part flatly.

"...I honestly don't know anymore," Kurumu confessed, taking me by surprise.

"What...What do you mean?"

"...Can I...be honest with you, Elijah?" The Succubus looks up at me, the look in her eye... They tell me that I'm the one person she can count on right now.

"Always."

"...Lately, I've been thinking that..." She looks away and blushes. "Maybe Tsukune...isn't my Destined One."

"..." This confession throws me for a loop. The fact that she's telling me such a thing is making my head spin.

"Look, I'm not stupid," She continued. "I know that Moka has a thing for him...and I can't deny the way he looks at her sometimes. It's a look that he never gave me. And...there's also the fact that I never even asked who he likes, or how he even feels about me in the first place. I've just been...throwing myself all over him in hopes that he'll see me the way he sees...her." Kurumu says that last part as she grits her teeth but she soon calms herself down. "I just...need to figure this out on my own, I guess. I'll continue to protect him, but as far as love goes... I just don't know anymore."

"...You'll figure it out," I reassure her. "And when you do, make sure you do it for yourself, not just for species."

"...And if he isn't my Destined One?" She asked.

"...I don't know, but if he isn't...then...you'll find the one. You're a really special person, Kuru. Just...listen to your heart. And...I'll be there to support you, always." I say with a gentle smile. Kurumu smiles back...and hugs me tightly like she's never done before.

"...You're the bestest friend that I could ever ask for, thank you so much...for everything, Elijah."

I hug her back, resting my chin on her shoulder and holding the back of her head with my left hand. It feels...nice to be in her arms, but...it also hurts when she referred to me as a...'friend'. i really need to figure out what I feel for this girl. Is this really...love, or am I just fooling myself?

"...Elijah?"

We pull away slightly, my arms rest around her waist while hers rest around my neck. If anyone were to come along and see us, they would definitely get the wrong idea. But I don't have time to worry about pointless rumors, my best friend needs me right now.

"Yeah, Kuru?"

"...Promise me you'll always be my best friend?"

I smile, knowing that I'll never have to think twice about the answer to that question.

"I promise."