Tsukune

Well, at least classes at Yokai Academy haven't changed. But no matter where I go or which school I'm in, I will always hate math. Our teacher didn't make it any better either, I still get chills whenever I think about the time I had to take her 'private tutoring' sessions. Thankfully, my grades have improved so much in the past year, I still need to thank the others for that.

"...Ngh..." I just wish Kurumu would take it seriously too, this is the third time this week she's fallen asleep in math class. "Say...me..."

I look at Elijah, seeing that he's too focused on his own work to wake up Kurumu so I decide to do it for him. "Kurumu," I gently shake her on the shoulder, hoping she'll wake up from whatever dream she's having.

"Ms. Kurono," Our math teacher, Ms. Kagome, calls on her. "can you solve this problem?"

Crap. "Kurumu!" I whispered, shaking her shoulder a little harder. "Wake up!"

"Need...to know..."

"I called on," I look up to see Ms. Kagome holding a plastic triangular ruler over her head...aiming directly at Kurumu. Oh, no, she's not gonna- "You, Kurumu!" My worry came to life as I saw the plastic measuring tool thrown by our math teacher, the sharp end landed directly into my friend's head.

Kurumu's eyes jolt awake and she shoots up directly out of her desk. "YEEOOW!" Everyone else in the classroom, except my other friends, reacted amusedly to her pain.

"Good morning, Kurumu," Ms. Kagome greeted her with an innocent smile, completely ignoring the fact that she just assaulted my friend. "Did you have a nice daydream?"

"Ow..."

"Hold still," Elijah says, taking it upon himself to remove the triangle ruler from her head.

"Be gentle," Elijah ignores Kurumu's request and just yanks out the tool from her head. "OW! You-" Silence follows after when Elijah threw the measuring tool back at our teacher, narrowing grazing her cheek...and making a decent-sized crack in the middle of the chalkboard behind her.

"Oops," He shrugs. "my hand slipped..."

"Ahem. Well, Mr. Everett," Ms. Kagome keeps up her innocent facade, but I can see her left hand shaking. I don't know if it's from anger...or fear, but she knows that Elijah is one student she has no control over. "Since you seem so keen to have the floor, can you solve this problem for me?"

"Well, since you're desperate for attention, I'll humor you."

Elijah took no time at all to solve the problem written on the chalkboard, easily impressing most of the class with how swiftly and efficiently he solved the math equation. Once he picked up the piece of chalk, it was over before it even began. Elijah didn't even bother with explaining his work, he just sat back down at his desk and got back to his work.

"Well, done, Mr. Everett. As for the rest of you, things may have been easier when you were freshmen, but you are all sophomores now. It's time to get serious. So, Kurumu," Ms. Kagome smirked. "I suggest you follow your friend's example."

"Better than following yours," Elijah muttered under his breath.

Kurumu

The rest of the class went as smoothly as everyone expected despite the young Succubus poking at her head injury every ten seconds. Kurumu had put a bandage on it, but it still hurt. Dammit! I'm finally doing decent in school, and now I'm making a fool of myself! And why did he have to yank it out like that?!

"You okay, Kurumu?" Tsukune expressed his concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It just stings now."

"Well, that's what ya get for not 'following your friend's example', Kurumu!" Yukari exclaimed with a smug huff. "Follow it like a prayer and maybe you'll survive!"

"Yukari, don't make fun of her," Moka expressed.

"Oh, come on!" The Young Witch repeatedly slammed her hands on her desk, finding hilarity in the situation. "Kurumu's stupidity is monumental!"

"Yukari!" Tsukuen chimed in just in time before Kurumu grabbed her by the throat. "That's going too far. Ms. Kagome was only talking about math, we all have our strengths, right?"

"Yeah, but math is Kruumu's best subject," Mizore couldn't help herself from laughing.

"Shut up, Mizore!"

"I mean, in a non-mean way, she has a point," Elijah pointed out. "When was the last time you had a proper good night's sleep?"

"He's right, Kurumu," Moka agreed. "You're usually on the top of your game when you're in class, now..." Moka trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"Oh, yeah?!" The Succubus, now with her pride getting the best of her, stands from her desk and marches right up to the Vampire. "I may not be the best when it comes to classes, but I always win when it comes to hotness!"

"Wh-What?"

"Aww, I'm sorry," Kurumu intentionally presses herself against Moka, more specifically, her chest. "Did I hit you? You're so small I didn't even notice!"

"Kurumu!" Moka scowled, red flushing her cheeks. "Is your body all you have to offer?!"

"Of course not! I can be pretty smart too!"

"And you're showing that how?!"

"Guys, stop!" Tsukune intervened. "This argument is stupid, so let's just take it easy, alright?"

"It's time for us to settle who is the better one in classes!" Kuurmu smirked. "What's our next class? That's where we'll have our showdown!"

"Hmm, what is our next class anyway?" Tsukune raised a very good question, making the others think the same thing.

"Guys, over here," Elijah calls from the front of the classroom, looking at the chalkboard where a piece of paper had been taped over the crack that he made. The others soon join him and read what it says. Written in ink says, 'Periods 3-4, Self Study, Assemble at the bus stop in front of the school'.

"'Self Study'? What's that?"

"Only one way to find out," Elijah shrugged at Tsukune's question.

Tsukune

Ms. Nekonome gathered us all and we headed off away from Yokai Academy and into the middle of the forest, this only confuses me more because I've never heard of a self-study class where they take you out in the middle of nowhere. Ms. Nekonome gathered our class around a table she had set up with a small cardboard box, a cleaver, and a cutting board.

What the heck is she planning?

"Alrighty then!" Ms. Nekonome's ears perk up with excitement, her tail wags just the same. "Everyone's all here, time for our special self-study project; The Spring Fruit Hunt!"

'Fruit hunt'?

"Uh, Ms. Nekonome?" I raised my hand. "Why are we hunting fruit?"

"And how is this educational?" Elijah adds.

"I'm glad you asked, boys! It's because there's a lot of fruit in season! This forest is full of wild strawberries and grapes, and since birds come to eat them, it's also full of carnivorous plants that feed on the birds! So we must take advantage of nature's bounty!"

"Uh...but what does that-"

"And this is the prize of the hunt!" Ms. Nekonome pulled out what I could only describe as an abomination against fruit from the cardboard box. "The Monster Durian!" This 'durian' had four mouths with sharp teeth, and they had what I can describe as gooey tentacles extending from each of them. I swear I thought I saw it twitching. "This fruit is so rare and quite difficult to harvest, and it has such a distinctive aroma and beautiful flaming red flesh!" Ms. Nekonome shows us by taking the cleaver and chopping the fruit in half, its...'distinctive aroma' pierces my nose, making me gag. "It's one of nature's genuine treasures!"

"People actually eat that?" I asked myself before I turned to the others. "Can you believe this...guys?" But the others had the complete opposite reaction that I did, even Moka found herself looking famished by the sight of the Monster Durian. Kurumu declared that it 'looks so yummy', even Mizore looked hungry. "Dude, can you believe this?" I ask Elijah. "Dude?"

"..."

Man, even Elijah is drooling at the fruit. What is u with his appetite lately?

"Well," Kurumu smirked at Moka. "looks like we know what our showdown will be, Moka."

The Vampire nods in response. "The one who finds that Durian first wins!"

"I'm in the running too," Mizore steps up.

"Me too!" Yukari added.

Yeah, they can count me out. There's no way I'm eating that-

"I'm game," Elijah says with a smirk. "You guys are going down."

"Seriously, dude?" I look at him like he's crazy. "Does that thing look that appetizing to you?"

"Who cares? I'm hungry."

"Didn't you have breakfast this morning?" Yukari asked.

"Clearly not enough!" Elijah yelled. "Now let's get this show on the road, people!"

Guess I need to watch everyone's back today, no need for all of us getting hurt over a little competitive spirit.

"This forest is dangerous, everyone!" Ms. Nekonome says that before we can get going, "So remain in groups of four or more. I don't want anyone getting lost either, so don't stray too far off from the path. That's all, good luck, everyone!"

We've been looking for this plant for the past half hour now but all I have been able to find are a few bugs, some strange-looking flowers, and some mushrooms that were alive. They were harmless, but still a little creepy. Yukari and Moka thought they were cute though. This whole forest gives me the creeps. Sure, it can be pretty in certain places like where Elijah showed me where he first met Kuurmu, but a place like this so close to the academy just sends a chill down my spine. But I can't let the others get too competitive with each other here, who knows what else we'll encounter out here?

"Come on, you guys," I say. "let's all work together. We can do anything if we combine our strengths! Plus, we'll be a whole lot safer."

"No way!" Kurumu refuses my advice. "How am I supposed to win if we 'work together'?"

"That's not the point!" I retort. "I think we'd be safer if we stick together."

"I don't care what you think, I'm hungry!" Elijah yells before peeking his head into a bush.

"Yeah, what he said!" Yukari agrees.

"Come on, you guys," I try to calm them down. "Why don't we just have a regular fruit hunt, okay?" I take a second and look around, I find some grapes on some nearby vines. "Look! There are some grapes right over there."

"Don't want grapes."

"Want Durian."

"Durian."

"Durian."

"Huh?!" Elijah pops out from the bush, his mouth dripping with saliva. "Where?!"

"Seriously, guys?!" My patience is wearing thin due to every one of my friends going blind with hunger thanks to that piece of fruit. "Why would you want to eat a gross thing like that anyway? Besides, It's not like we're gonna find one. This forest is huge, and Ms. Nekonome said they were really rare, we have the faintest idea where-"

SHKSHK...

The crinkling of leaves on the ground causes me to turn around...and wouldn't you know it, the Monster Durian was just crawling around on the ground right behind me. "You gotta be kidding me..."

"There it is!"

"Already?!" I exclaimed. "It hasn't even been an hour!"

"Why does it walk like that? Gross."

"I got it!" Moka sweeps the fruit from the ground, she holds it above her head in triumph. "Yay! I win!"

"Dammit!"

"Save me a piece!"

"Uh, Moka?" Her victory was only unfortunately momentarily. The tendrils from all four of its mouths extend, reaching down and wrapping themselves around Moka's arms. "Moka, let go of that thing!"

"Huh?" Moka notices the creeping tendrils with confusion. "They're sliding over my clothes...and under them!" She cries out, dropping the little freak to the ground. Moka shudders in disgust from being touched and drops to the floor.

"Moka!" Yukari falls to her knees and aids my friend.

"Yes!" Kurumu cheered, eyeing down the Durian. "Now it's mine!"

"Out of my way, Kurumu," Mizore readies herself with her ice claws. "You'll get hurt."

"Huh?"

"Time for my secret anti-meddler weapon," Mizore slashes outward with her arms, shooting many sharp ice projectiles from her hands. "Absolute Zero Ice Bullets!" Some of them whisp past me but none of them hit, they only made contact with the monster plant. Mizore smirks down at the fruit before she picks it up, tossing it up and down in her hand with a smug attitude. "Moka is a fool, letting her prey slip from her grasp. Now the Durian belongs to-"

SMACK!

Kurumu snagged a nearby tree branch and slammed Mizore over the head with it, only now I see the three ice bullets that had hit her. Ouch... "You hit me too, you idiot!" Mizore falls to the ground with a growing bump on her head, giving Kurumu her chance to chase after the fruit. "It's gonna get away again! Come on, you guys!"

"Right behind you!"

"Wait!" I call out and make them stop from leaving. "We can't just leave the others."

"They'll be fine, Tsukune!"

"But we..." I couldn't even get a word in edge-wise before they just ran off, leaving the others to fend for themselves. "Guys...augh!" I groan and chase after them, Moka and Mizore will be fine with Yukari looking over them.

Man, I wish you guys were a lot slower!

"Slow down, you two!" I call out, eventually catching up with them since they stopped to catch their breath. "Just...slow down...for just a second!"

"But it's right there!"

"I know, but..." I look down at the Monster Durian... Why is it just stopping? I take a step closer to it and it immediately starts running in the opposite direction, I stop...and it does the same. "That's weird..."

"You're right," Elijah agrees with a quiet groan escaping his mouth. "Somethin' ain't right here."

"What are you two talking about?"

"Well, if we chase it, it runs," I start explaining. "but we never lose sight of it, it's trying to maintain a certain distance from us."

"Trying to lure us somewhere," Elijah adds. "I may be hungry, but I know a trap when I see one."

"Yeah," I nod. "We're gonna need everyone together to deal with this."

"Huh?"

"Let's wait for the others here," I say. "I don't think we should take that thing on by ourselves."

"As much as I hate it, Tsukune's right. I just hope the others get a hold of themselves and get over here soon."

"Are you two nuts?!" Kurumu yells at us. "Victory is right in my grasp! I'm not gonna wait for the others to steal it!"

"But I've got a bad feeling about this, we need everyone together to take down something we don't understand."

"I may have been up for a friendly contest, but not when there's real potential danger in play. There's no time for petty squabbles."

"But..." Kurumu looks at us like she's about to cry. "Don't you guys want to eat the Durian with me?"

"That's not the point!" I yell. "We can't be rash about this."

"I would rather not want to have to clean house again," Elijah adds. "Let's just wait for a few minutes."

"No!" Kurumu ignores us and runs straight for the fruit, swooping it off of the ground and cradling it in her hands with a big smile tugging on her lips. "Yes! I did it! See?" She turns back to us, her smirk slowly turning into a warm smile. "I can take care of it all by myself. If I waited for everyone else, then I'd always be second best."

"Kurumu..."

"I know I've been falling behind in class recently, but I really wanted to try harder this time, and now...we can all share this Durian together."

"Kekekekeke..."

If I didn't know any better, I would've sworn I heard a light chuckle from that monster fruit. And it didn't help that I could feel the ground underneath me begin to shake, and a faint sound of growling got not only my attention but Elijah's too.

"Kurumu!" Moka's voice rings out through the dying forest, she comes in running straight for Kurumu. "Look out!" She pushes Kurumu down to the ground, landing right next to us and making her drop the monster fruit.

"Hey!" Kurumu was not happy seeing Moka pick up the Durian, she scowled as she got back on her feet. "Give that back, Moka!"

But Moka couldn't move...but it wasn't because she didn't want to. Large, long, and sharp teeth emerge from the ground with Moka in the epicenter of the giant mouth coming out of the ground, taking her and the fruit along with it.

"Wh-What the heck?!"

"Oh, shit..."

"This is the Durian's true form!" Yukari finally catches up with us, and Mizore follows close behind. "A giant carnivorous plant! The fruit only acts like a lure to catch its prey, just like an angler fish!"

"I always hated that thing in Finding Nemo!" Elijah quipped.

"Moka..." Kurumu was shaking as the monstrous plant came out of the ground, towering over us and showing just how big it was. "She...She saved me. Moka!"

"SCREEEEEEE!" The oversized carnivorous plant stands on its multiple roots acting as limbs, it looks almost like a giant pitcher plant. The high-pitched scream it let out caused me to cover my ears in slight pain. Damn, that thing is loud!

"How is this a self-study class?!" I shout.

"I understand why," Elijah says. "This class has nothing to do with academics, it's about teaching monsters how to survive in the harsh world that we live in! Look out!"

RUMBLE! CRASH! DMMM!

The giant plant uses its root-like tendrils to swipe at us, breaking a few trees and leaving craters in its wave of destruction. No one got hurt, but this thing is way stronger than I anticipated.

"It's awful strong for a plant!" Mizore yelled, taking cover behind a broken tree.

"We have to do something before Moka gets digested!"

"Get behind us, Kurumu?" I say.

"Kurumu?" Elijah's concerned tone makes me turn back, and that's when I see Kurumu shaking like a leaf.

"Why did you save me, Moka?" her voice was as shaky as she was, in fact...I can see small tears forming in the corners of her violet eyes. "This is all my fault. If I had just listened to you guys, this never would have..." Kurumu lets out a soft sob, covering her mouth in the process. "Idiot... Why did I have to get so competitive?"

"...There's still time," I say, balling my fists. The Holy Lock around my wrist begins to shake. "We can still beat this thing. But this time, we all have to work together."

"Tsukune? What are you-" I didn't have to think twice about what I had to do. This will probably hurt, but I somehow know it'll work. I charge at the beast, I hear the others calling my name but I don't stop.

"Tsukune!"

"Get your ass back over here!"

"You can't take that thing on by yourself."

This sucks! But I have to get to Moka and get her Rosary off!

The carnivorous plant grabs me, wrapping its roots around my body and lifting me up from the ground. I immediately regret this decision! It lowers me into its mouth in one swift swallow...and now all I see is darkness.

Kurumu

The Succubus watches in horror as another one of her friends is eaten whole by the carnivorous plant, immediately and internally blaming herself for what's happening. Why? Why did I have to be so fucking stupid?! Kurumu grits her teeth in anger, her claws slowly extending and her wings protruding out of her back.

"Tsukune...oh, my God..." Mizore couldn't even believe it herself.

"Why...Why did he go in alone?"

"That Durian won't get away with this!" Kurumu exclaimed, her eyes darting up at the giant plant. "I'll make you pay for eating two of my friends!"

"Oh, please," An all too familiar voice called from...inside the monster Durian, a pinch of annoyance in her tone. "Seriously, Kurumu. Did you honestly think a little sprout like this could take me?"

"That voice...it's Moka's, but where-"

"There!" Yukari pointed at the carnivorous plant, specifically at its stomach where something...or someone was moving around inside. "Inside the plant!"

And there Moka emerged from the Monster's stomach with her signature kick, tearing through the flesh as she carried Tsukune over her shoulder. The monster bleeds an eerie midnight red, a dark contrast to the human's fresh blood. The Durian loses its balance from being attacked internally and falls back onto the ground with a loud thud, Moka readjusts the way she carries the young human boy, holding him in her arms rather than lugging him over her shoulder.

"Moka!" Kurumu claimed with relief. "Tsukune! You guys are okay! But...how?!"

"Isn't it so obvious?" Elijah quipped with pride and slight annoyance. "Tsukune allowed himself to be caught so he could get to Moka and pull off her Rosary. Once he did that, getting out of there was child's for you,' Elijah cocked a smirk at the Vampire. "Ain't that right?"

"Perceptive as always," Moka grinned. "As usual, he's a dummy," She looks down at the unconscious boy, an affectionate grin tugged on her lips when she sees his faint smile. "but brave and loyal to a front."

"Yeah, well, we're not quite done here," Elijah pointed out. "He's getting back up, looks like your kick wasn't enough to take it down. Isn't that interesting?"

"Excuse me?" Moka sneered, a vein bulging at the corner of her forehead.

"Doesn't matter," Elijah shrugged, stepping forward to the rising carnivorous plant. "As usual, it's up to me to clean up the mess."

"Are you crazy?!" Yukari exclaimed. "You can't take that thing on by yourself! It's got big teeth!" Elijah turned back to the Young Witch's warning, smirking with his teeth. But that's not what got her attention...a black, tentacle-like substance started crawling up Elijah's neck.

"So do I," Elijah turned his back on his friends...and the black ooze only grew in size, eventually forming long, oozy, tendrils that came out of his back, arms, and hands. They seemed to...wrap themselves around his body, leaving only a few spots to reveal his uniform and skin. Not only did this shock the girls...but it even seemed to shock Elijah as well as he let out a soft gasp. "Huh..." He looks down at the substance that had grown around his body...forming a fist. "This feels...good!"

"..." What is going on? Is this some new spell he learned?

"Let's go!" Elijah roared, jumping up at the screeching plant and extending the ooze around his arms. He punches the monster plant multiple times, a loud thud can be heard with each hit. The Monster Durian screams in pain as a few of its teeth are broken by Elijah's overwhelming strength. "You think you can just come along and eat my friends and get away with it?! BIG FUCKING MISTAKE!" Elijah's guttural scream echoes through the forest, the others can practically feel the anger behind his words in the pits of their stomachs. His primal yell even wakes up Tsukune from his unconscious state.

"Nngh..what the?" Tsukune shakes his head, waking himself up. The next thing he saw was his best friend tearing apart the Monster durian's limbs, forcing a shock gasp to escape his lips. "Is that...what the hell?"

"Let's see how you like it!" Elijah screamed, bringing himself closer to the overgrown plant and keeping it pinned with his black tendrils. What he did next...no one could've expected. Elijah bared his teeth...and chomped down into the durian's flesh. This makes the plant monster screech in pain, its blood squirting out of Elijah's but and splattering all over his face. He swallows, wiping the blood away from his mouth and grinning up at the monster's face. "Delicious..."

What the heck?!

But Elijah didn't stop there, he raised himself to be eye level with the carnivorous plant, and then he extended his extra tentacle-like limbs and grabbed onto the monster's upper and lower jaw...and he started pulling them apart. The sound of tearing flesh is overcome by the ear-shattering pained screech coming from the Durian, the pain seemed almost too much for the giant plant. Fortunately, its suffering came to an end when Elijah ripped the upper part of its head off of its body. The body falls lifelessly to the dirt ground and Elijah slowly lowers himself to the ground using his extra limbs. Once he's on the ground, they seem to...go back into his body and he returns to his normal self, picking up the Durian Fruit that had been dropped to the ground from when Moka first got herself and Tsukune out of the monster's belly.

"Well," He says, turning back to the others with a wide grin on his face as he tosses the fruit up and down in his hand. "looks like I win."

"..." What the heck was that? That was unlike anything I'd ever seen Elijah do before. "...Elijah-"

"That was so cool!" Yukari cheered before Kurumu could press her concern, the Young Witch ran right up to the Wizard Boy, her eyes sparkling with wonder. "Where did you learn how to do that?! I've never seen a spell like that before!"

"I gotta admit," Mizore stepped over to Elijah, a faint hint of red flushing her cheeks. "that was pretty cool."

"...So," Tsukune whispered up to Moka, remaining in her arms. "are we just gonna ignore the fact that Elijah just did that? What the heck is going on?"

"...I don't know." The Vampire admitted to herself. "Whatever just happened...it's not what any normal magic person would do."

"Elijah..." Kurumu watched as Yukari and Mizore praised Elijah for his efforts, feeling a pit of jealousy forming in her stomach.

CHOP!

Despite the...unexpected way the situation was dealt with, everyone seemed to be thrilled once they realized that they had gotten the succulent Monster Durian Fruit. Well, everyone minus the human. Even as Ms. Nekonome chopped the fruit, the smell still made his nose scrunch up in disgust.

"Congratulations, everyone!" The Neko teacher cheered, handing everyone a slice of the fruit. "It's been years since any students actually brought back a Durian! So enjoy this special occasion, you guys!"

"It's so delicious!" Kurumu smiled with a mouthful of the fruit.

"So rich!" Moka adds.

"And so sweet!" Yukari stopped munching on her fruit to add to how good it was.

"It sure is," Mizore smiled and took a bite of her piece of fruit.

"Eugh," Tsukune scowls at his piece, grimacing at the fact that it was twitching. "It smells like blood and old socks..."

"...You know," Kurumu spoke a little louder to get the others' attention. "I know I wanted it to be a contest to see 'who's better' and all that, but...sharing this fruit with all of you, all of my friends, it's nice."

"Really nice," Moka adds. "But it was still a fun class."

"Come on, Tsukune!" Yukari elbows him with enthusiasm. "Eat up! It's really good!"

"Uh...you know what? That's okay, I'm good."

"Oh, come on!" Kurumu cheered. "It's scrum-diddly-umpctious! At least try a bite."

"...Well," Tsukune looks down at his piece, shrugging off his doubt but not doing a good job of it. "If it's just a bite..."

"He's totally gonna get indigestion," Elijah whispers to Kurumu.

"What about you?" She asked. "You haven't even touched your piece."

"I'm good," Elijah shrugged. "I feel full...weird. I was hungry earlier."

"..." Did he completely forget what he did? I mean...

"Kurumu?" Elijah waved his hand over her face, making her flinch a little. "anybody home?"

"Oh, uh...nothing." Kurumu shakes her head.

"...Well, do you want my piece? I'm not gonna eat it."

"Really?" The Succubus was slightly shocked by the boy's kind offer. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," He nods and hands her his slice of Monster fruit, Kurumu smiles to herself and takes a small bite. "Did you say something?" Kurumu tilts her head in confusion at Elijah's sudden question, she shakes her head no so as to not speak with her mouth full. "...Never mind."

Kurumu doesn't think too much about it and continues enjoying Elijah's piece of fruit, the sweet taste made her smile and the pleasant smell filled her nostrils.

Wow, it tastes even better than before...maybe because you're here too.