Rosario Vampire: Magical Encounters

by AverageGamer1

All his life, despite being not like his own kind, Elijah Everett dreamed of bringing peace between the worlds of humans and monsters. Life at Yokai Academy is not exactly easy, but with the help of his new friends, just maybe he can make that dream a reality. Maybe even find some love on the side? Who knows?

37. Volume 37: Salvation

Tsukune

"How could anyone ever love you?"

I stood there, aimlessly staring at the empty doorway that my best friend had just stormed out of. The words he uttered to not just me...but to everyone else in this room ring through my head. There's no way that all just happened, right? Surely, I was just imagining things... But I knew that was impossible because everyone in here heard the same thing I did. No one dared to speak up, not even me...but I bring myself to anyway.

"Guys-"

"That's not my Elijah," Kurumu cuts me off before I utter another word. "He promised me that he'd never leave us..."

"What are you talking about?"

"Didn't you hear a word he just-"

"I heard it just like the rest of you!" My Succubus friend darts her gaze back to us, her eyes stinging with tears...and pain. "But do you all believe for a second that the Elijah we know would ever say something so...so...cruel?!"

"Of course not," I say.

"Because that's not Elijah anymore," Ruby adds, making me and the rest of the girls turn to her with confusion. "Not entirely, anyway..." She sighed.

"What do you mean?"

"I've been researching nonstop ever since we dealt with those thugs, I thought I recognized the substance Elijah used to..." Ruby shudders at the memory of Elijah tearing apart that Doppelganger. "I needed to find out everything I could if we were to get that parasite out of him."

"'Thing'?" I ask. "Ruby, what the hell is going on with Elijah?"

"And how long have you known about this?!" Kurumu, now more angry, grabs Ruby by her shoulders. "You're going to tell us everything right now! You hear me?!"

"Kurumu..." I rest a hand on her shoulder, silently telling her to calm down. I know she's upset—I am, too—but we can't fight ourselves if we're to help Elijah. Mizore needs our help, too. We can't leave her to be stuck in a forced marriage; it's not right.

Kurumu seems to understand my touch. Her shoulders relax, and she releases Ruby. "Just...please, tell us everything you know."

"Right," Ruby nods. "Let me start from the beginning," Her eyes darken, and something about them tells me that this will not be an easy conversation for us to hear. "It all began with a project known as...'Servus Animi'..."

---

Mizore

Inside the throne room of the Great Snow Oracle...

After being taken away from the field of Snow Whites, Mizore soon enough found herself kneeling before the very woman who was in control of her people...the Snow Oracle. The elder sat on her throne made entirely out of ice that was also surrounded by an array of shards that looked as if they were taken from the ends of a snowflake. The robe the Snow Oracle draped over her fair skin was as pure white as a fresh blanket of powdered snow.

"Mizore Shirayuki," She grinned. "Welcome to my temple, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. As I'm sure you've surmised by now, I am the Snow Oracle."

Mizore grew astonished by the sight of the leader of her people, but she was more confused than anything else. Why of all people would the Snow Oracle would want to see her? "Please, I don't understand... Why?" She questioned. "Me and my lover were close to..." Mizore's cheeks burned with slight embarrassment. "Right when you-"

"No," The Oracle stops Mizore from going on, her eyes peering through the young Snow Fairy's soul. "I see all that is to come. You and the Blessed Child named Elijah Everett...are fated to never be together.

"...What?" Mizore's heart dropped at the Oracle's assure words, she nearly dropped the lollipop from her mouth too.

"So that I would not be recognized, I disguised myself within the very snowflakes that fell down to the earth and waited in the field of flowers where I had foreseen that I would meet...'The One'," The Oracle points to Mizore with an all-knowing grin. "Then you arrived, Mizore Shirayuki. You are the girl in my prophecy, the one I have been searching for."

"What do you-"

"Well, well... What have we here?" Mizore's spine shuddered at the sound of a deep governing voice, she turned...and her eyes met with the man to whom the voice belonged. His deep black eyes pierced into the Snow Fairy's heart which already gave her an uneasy feeling in her stomach. "I was wondering what was so urgent," He grinned. "I'm pleased to see that it's my future wife."

"Who...Who are you?" Mizore's voice shook with fear. This wasn't supposed to happen. She thought.

"Allow me to introduce you to Mr. Fujisaki," The Snow Oracle cordially greets the man in the dark long coat, the hem lightly whips in the small breeze of the room. "In the human world, he has achieved the status of a high-level executive. He is also your husband-to-be. Because you see, by marrying this man, you will become the savior of our dying people."

What? Savior? What is she talking about?

"Please..." As Mizore's head filled itself with questions, the dark-haired man stepped closer to the man. Despite the kind smile he showed to the young Snow Fairy, the cold and dead look in his eyes spoke more words than his smile ever could. "Since we're destined to be together, call me, Miyabi."

---

Tsukune

"Oh, my God..."

"That's horrible..."

"Truly despicable creatures..."

"..."

While the others could voice their emotions, Kurumu and I could only remain silent after Ruby's explanation. The thought of all of those people suffering just to turn into... My stomach is rejecting the hefty meal I had only hours ago but I don't want it to come back out, I need to stay strong. I knew that Elijah wasn't himself the moment we all came back to Yokai Academy, but to think that he's been suffering for so long... This is all my fault, if only I was more attentive and a better friend to him, maybe he wouldn't be losing himself right now. I can't believe I've been so stupid and couldn't see just how much he was suffering...all because of some stupid experiment made by a bunch of evil people...

This pisses me off more than anything...

"Once we manage to remove that...parasite from Elijah," Ruby continued on despite our shaken state. "He should return to normal. But that won't exactly be an easy task..."

Of course, it wouldn't...but we still have to try.

"And even when we remove that horrid creature from the boy, it won't be the end of our troubles," Archimedes adds.

"What do you mean?"

"I've observed the boy a few days ago, that's how I associated with young Ruby here," The bird nudged his head to the Witch. "Something the boy said that night put more fear in my heart than the very creature that had changed his entire personality."

"What did he say?" Moka asked.

"He uttered the words, 'Fairy Tale'. And I do not believe it to be a mere coincidence."

"Why?" Yukari tilted her head with slight confusion. "What does 'Fairy Tale' mean?"

"Archimedes told me everything," Ruby answered her. "Fairy Tale is a nefarious anti-human terrorist organization," Everyone gasped at her words. It's not surprising that such a group exists, but it's still unbelievable to hear it for myself. "They are entirely dedicated to throwing harmony into chaos and ruling over the human world."

"I have seen them grow over the years waiting for the Blessed Child to be born and to awaken his powers once again," Archimedes sighs, his head dropping to the floor. "They are well connected and maintain a great deal of assets, both in finances and in unimaginable power."

"But what do they have to do with Elijah?" I ask. "He would never associate with people like that, Elijah wants to bring peace between humans and monsters."

"That's the thing, Tsukune," Ruby looks at me with a saddened look on her face. "It won't matter if his will is no longer his own, that parasite would be more than happy to associate with the likes of them. And if an organization like Fairy Tale had someone potentially as strong as the next Merlin..."

"..." I see, then our priority is much clearer now. I stand, the grip of my fists bearing into the palms of my hands. "Then we just have to save him, both Elijah and Mizore."

"Tsukune?"

"There's no way I'm letting my friend be married to a man she doesn't love just because of a law, and I'll be damned if I let some stupid...parasite take away my Brother! Elijah's always been there for us, to protect us..now it's our turn to save him."

"He's right," Moka agrees, taking her stance beside me while she grabs onto my hand. If the situation wasn't so dire, I think my heart would be pounding against my chest. "Elijah and Mizore need our help, so let's go save them!"

"I'm right behind you guys!"

"I will be right beside you to lend a helping hand."

HOO! HOO!

"Here, here! I shall provide all that I can as well!"

"Well, if my sister's going, I guess I can help too..."

"Kurumu?"

I look over to her, she hasn't uttered a word ever since Elijah left the room. I can imagine that she's probably the one most hurt by what Elijah...no, what that thing made him say to her. It hurt me too, but now that I know it wasn't of his own free will, it makes me want to rip that black shit out of him and send it to hell. And with how Kurumu feels about Elijah...I bet anything that she felt completely heartbroken about the last thing he said to her.

"Are you-"

"She still betrayed us..." Kurumu cuts me off, her earlier sadness now replaced with anger. "'Snow Fairy laws are just a lame excuse!"

"Kurumu! How could you say-"

"She needs to make up for this," She cuts me off again, turning away from us. "And until she does, I'm not letting her have a happy little wedding! And as for that...'symbiote'..."

I could practically feel the venom dripping from her mouth when she said that last word, but it filled me with hope rather than dread. I know that look, and it makes me smile. "You mean...?"

"We're taking Mizore back to Yokai Academy by any means necessary! And once we get that parasite out of Elijah, we're making sure it can never hurt him or anyone else again!"

Hell yes! Couldn't have said it better myself!

"If you all truly intend to assault the Great Snow Oracle," Tsurara speaks up with a warm smile. "perhaps I can be of some assistance."

"Ms. Shirayuki?"

"The Oracle's temple is vast and heavily guarded, you'll need a plan."

"Of course," I nod, knowing that we're gonna need all the help we can get if we're going to save Mizore. Tsurara takes a slip of paper and sets it down on the nearby coffee table, it turns out to be a blueprint of the Snow Oracle's temple.

"I suggest you have a diversion team and a strike team. Mizore is undoubtedly being held in the most secure quarters," Tsurara points to the corner of the blueprint page. "in the east wing. D-Team will create chaos to draw security westward and out through the west wing emergency exit, leaving S-Team free to make their way to the east wing, seize Mizore, and escape through this exit here."

"Wow," I, along with the others am astonished by how well thought out Tsurara's plan was. "That's awesome..."

"Now commit this map to memory, all of you, while I assemble your arsenal."

"Arsenal?" Before I could ask any further, Tsurara began to slide a bookcase from the wall...revealing a small hidden compartment that had a large variety of guns from pistols, rifles, and shotguns. "What the?!" Why the heck does she have so many guns?!

"Are you some kind of anti-oracle guerrilla?!" Yukari was equally as baffled as me.

"Oh, dear, no," Tsurara giggled. "But ever since I was a little snowflake, I've always dreamed of being a spy."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! We're not gonna kill anybody!"

"Well, of course, we aren't," Tsurara smiles at me. "I'd be insane to send you all in there with real, human guns. These are made specifically by us Snow Fairies that shoot crystalized ice shards. They aren't entirely lethal but can still pack quite a punch, so I suggest you use the best of your precision to keep yourself and my people from too much harm," She grabs one of the pistols from the wall and examines it, she keeps going with her conversation as well. "The Flower Offering ceremonial chamber itself provides the perfect access to the temple. All you need are some dress clothes...and one wig."

"A wig?" Just as that question escaped from my mouth, Ms. Shirayuki plopped a silver wig on top of my head... Oh... "Please don't make me..." I can hear the girls giggling at my unfortunate circumstance.

"I'm sorry, Tsukune, but it's stated that only girls are allowed to enter the ceremony. After a little bit of makeup, no one will know the difference."

"You look cute already," Moka tries to reassure me and it actually helps a little...but this still sucks.

"What do we do about Elijah?" Kurumu exclaimed with understandable frustration. "Who knows where he is right now?!"

"He's going to save Mizore too."

"What?"

"Before he stormed out and before he said...all those things, Elijah was ready to march forward to help her. Even with that thing on him, somewhere deep within his mind is still the same friend we all know and admire, right?"

"Even if that's the case, how are we supposed to get close to him if he..." Yukari shook her head so she could correct herself. "If that Symbiote wants to take Elijah away, how are we supposed to get close to him and make sure he stays in one spot so we can get it out of him?"

"Well, since half of us will be going after Mizore, we have a better chance of running into him since that's where he'll be going...and I can imagine he'll tear his way through that palace just to get to her."

Moka has a point. If Elijah would tear apart a durian fruit monster for trying to eat us and nearly kill a man for trying to kill us...I can't even begin to imagine what he'll do to all those guards in the palace or the person who was chosen for Mizore.

Hoo! Hoo!

"Either we can waste time wondering what to do, or we can start preparing ourselves for what is yet to come! Come on, now!"

Archimedes is right, the more time we waste, the more likely we are to lose Mizore and Elijah. But...there is one thing I need to ask Tsurara. "Ms. Shirayuki, I mean, Tsurara, why are you helping us?"

"Hmm?" She tilts her head at me.

"I mean, aren't you flouting the laws of your home and your ruler by helping us?"

"..." Tsurara's agape mouth slowly forms into a small smile, she closes her eyes when she answers my question. "I have received another message from the oracle, she has already chosen someone to be Mizore's husband."

"What? But...the ceremony isn't until tomorrow!"

"Exactly... But tomorrow, Mizore will be taken away from me and begin her schooling as this man's wife."

"What?!"

"That's...that's insane..."

"Quite," Tsurara seems to agree with how I described the situation. "The Oracle never moves so quickly, her behavior lately could be described as...odd," She frowned. "I suspect something is amiss."

"What do you mean?"

Tsurara doesn't answer me at first, she walks over to the window and places her hand over her heart. "I love this land, Tsukune, and like my little girl, I would do anything to protect it. But..." She looks back at all of us with tears in her eyes...but her smile still remains. "But I also love my daughter, I love her more than life itself, I would gladly give my life if it meant she could be happy. And right now, she's alone and afraid in that temple, and what she needs is not our laws, or a prophecy..."

"Tsurara..."

"What she needs, only you and all of your friends here can give."

---

Mizore

Alone in the highest room of the tallest tower, a young Snow Fairy sits herself in a rocking chair and looks down at the ethereal glow of her village. In all her life, she had never seen her hometown in such a light before, it almost made her wish she could stay in this one spot forever if it weren't for a certain prophecy she was to fulfill. But then again...it was not the life she wanted.

I never wanted this... I just want to be with my friends... I want to be with you all, especially you, Elijah.

CLICK!

Mizore didn't bother herself with looking at the door where her soon-to-be husband walked through, her eyes were glued to the city below. "This certainly is a lovely world," He spoke, twirling a small spoon in his teacup. "I'm sure you appreciate it as well?" Miyabi took a small sip from his tea, soon smiling after setting it back down. "So perfectly ordered. A rule of prophecy that lifts one above chaos and anxiety, a place of ideal form," His words cause Mizore to glance over at the man, the cold look in his eyes only complimented his eerie grin. "Oh, how I love perfection. And I would gladly give my heart and soul to preserve this world's perfection."

Preserve protection? What is he talking about?

"And since you are to be my wife," Mr. Fujisaki talked down to Mizore after making his way to her side by the window. "you must achieve perfection as well. To start, get rid of that candy in your mouth," He spoke of Mizore's lollipop. "I don't like it."

What?

"I understand those lollipops act as a refrigerant," He continued. "that you suck on them to cool your body as a defense against the warmth of the outside world, but now you're here to stay, you don't need them anymore."

"..." Mizore had already removed the candy from her mouth as if his words were enough to make her comply, she stared at the grape-flavored stimulant as the memories came flooding through her mind. Don't need them...? No. They're a souvenir of my time with my friends... These lollipops have become a part of me... Mizore allows herself to cry a single tear, the salty drip falls down her cheek and reaches all the way down to her chin. How am I supposed to be with a man who won't let me hold onto my memories?

Mizore's saddening thoughts were brought to a grinding halt at the sound of a step against the hardwood floor, she looked up...and received a sudden, unwanted, and forceful kiss against her own. Myabi's aftershave stung her nostrils, adding more discomfort to her situation.

Fujisaki pulls back but his hand remains upon Mizore's chin. "Your lips... So cold..." He spoke, leaving the Snow Fairy helpless in his violating touch. "Have no fear, I won't be harsh. With you or your world."

"N-No..."

Mizore was left with no other choice but to endure the contact of her aggressor's physical dominance, Miyabi forces her to the bed...and he touches her in the most unwanted areas. He forced his hand upon her waist...then her breasts...and then along her inner thigh, leaving the poor Snow Fairy feeling violated, panicked...and powerless.

I don't want this! I want to be with my friends! I want to be with Elijah! Please...help me! Someone! Anyone! Mother! Elijah! Help me!

---

The Flower Offering Ceremony...

The midday sun rose over the snow village, one by one, young ladies who had come of age walked along the snowy, dressed in their traditional kimonos adorned with intricate snowflakes. Each of them had already picked a Snow White from their most sacred field, all that was left for them to do was to pray for a future mate and receive their prophecy from the great Snow Oracle.

As they entered the Oracle's temple, the priestess leading the line of young women raised her kagura suzu high above her head and purified the space of the ancient building with her dance. One by one, the young girls line themselves up before an elder woman who stands behind a pedestal with a microphone, she taps the condenser and a slight feedback is heard throughout the spacious room.

"Congratulations," She greets the girls with a warm smile, one she wears every year during such a wondrous occasion. "Your day has come, your turn to celebrate the ceremony of the Flower Offering. You have all reached the age of seventeen. From this day on, you join the ranks of adulthood..."

As the elder continued on, one girl in the back of the lineup felt a slight itch atop her head. After all...it was only a wig. Man, this thing itches! 'She' thought to herself... On the opposite end of the line stood three other girls, the tallest of them had beautiful pink hair that was tied into a ponytail with a black bow, the short girl's hair was of an orange-red color that she had tied up into pigtails, and the third had her deep brown hair all the way down to where it just reaches her lower back...but all of these girls share a single goal. They all share a knowing nod before they break away from the formation, turning to a nearby snow priestess.

"Um, excuse me?" The pink-haired girl shyly approached her, and the two girls behind her shared an equally shy blush on their faces. "We, uh...really have to use the bathroom."

"Right now?!" The snow priestess hushedly shouted with an eye roll. Despite her annoyance with the sudden interruption to the ceremony, she rushes the three young ladies out of the main room and leads them to the ladies restroom. "This couldn't have waited until after the ceremony?!" The snow priestess spoke much louder now that she could. "You all should have just gone beforehand!"

"I really am sorry..." The girl of pink hair placed her hands together and gave the older woman an apologetic bow. The other two turn their backs to the snow priestess...fiddling with their kimono.

"Grils these days..." The elder sighed.

"...But this was the only way."

"'Only way'?" Now more curious, the snow priestess tilted her head to the side...this girl wasn't quite done with what she had to say.

"Last night," Her sweet, kind voice now replaced by a cold, authoritative one. "a friend of our friend was kidnapped."

"W-What?"

"Mizore Shirayuki," The pink-haired girl continued, reaching into the sleeves of her komino. "And her kidnapper was the Snow Oracle."

"What are you-"

"Excuse our bad manners, but..."

The young woman reveals what she was grabbing ahold of, and so do the other two girls behind her. Each of them was equipped with an ice-powered firearm. The girl in pigtails adorned a snow-powered shotgun, the long, dark brown-haired woman had herself a machine gun with a decorated icicle acting as a bayonet, and the pink-haired young lady had herself twin sub-machine guns with snowflake patterned magazines.

"We're here to bring Mizore back!"

---

Tsukune

BOOM!

"H-Huh?!"

"What was that?!"

"An explosion?"

"Some sort of prank?"

Sounds like Moka and the others are getting their part of the plan started, good job, guys!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The crowd begins to panic as more gunshots are heard throughout the temple, I play my part and act panicked as well as gather with Kurumu and Yukari at the opposite end of the room. All we need to do is wait just a little longer before the three of us make our way to the east wing and snag Mizore, hopefully we can run into Elijah as well so Ruby and Yukari can contain him. I adjust the earpiece Tsurara gave each of us, I really hope they work like in those movies she talked about.

"Sheesh," Yukari covers her ears after hearing another explosion. "Don't you guys think that they're going a little overboard?"

"A little," Kurumu agrees, but she points out her index finger. But don't forget that all of us are the only thing standing between Mizore and a lifetime of marriage to some creep. You don't want that, do you?"

"Of course not!"

"What about you..." Kurumu smirks at me. Don't say it, please don't say it, Kurumu... "Tsukasa?"

I groan. I hate that everyone collectively agreed that Tsukasa would be my cover name until we rescue Mizore and get the hell out of here. I don't even know why I need one in the first place, I feel like it's just another way to tease me. It's already bad enough that my face is practically plastered with all of this makeup and I have to wear this stupid wig, at least Moka said it looked cute...

"No. It's not what I want. So let's get a move on!"

---

Moka

"Intruders! Stop them!"

"There they are!"

"Shoot them!"

BOOM! BOOM!

Moka, Kokoa, and Ruby dodge the onslaught of snowball blasts. The guards aren't making their job easy for them...or so they thought. Little did they know that this was exactly what the girls wanted, now their attention was being drawn to the other side of the temple. Along the way, they caused as much destruction as possible with their weaponry provided by a certain Snow Fairy.

"Keep it up, you guys!" Moka exclaimed, reloading one of her submachine guns. "The main corridor is just up ahead!"

"We're supposed to create chaos, right, sis?" Kokoa smirked, cocking back her snow shotgun.

"Kokoa?"

"Then don't worry," The youngest Vampire sister turns back to the chasing guards with her shotgun ready to fire. "That's my specialty!" Kokoa cartwheels in the air...and pulls the trigger.

BOOM!

"Ah!"

"Take cover!"

"Kokoa!" Moka shouts after seeing the guards getting caught in the crossfire. "We're not supposed to really shoot them!"

"But they're shooting at me!" She retorts.

Ruby sighs. "Looks like Kokoa has found her true passion..."

ZZTT!

HOO! HOO!

Feedback from the girl's earpieces pierces their eardrums along with the sound of a hooting owl. "So far so good, everyone," It was Archimedes, he was tasked to provide visual overwatch as the plan went into motion. The wise owl was also tasked with keeping an eye out for a certain Wizard and telling him when he showed up. "Now I suggest S-Team gets a move on to save the young woman before they get wise!"

"We're on it!" Tsukune's voice comes through the communication devices in a hushed whisper."We're heading up the east wing now, we should extract Mizore in a few minutes."

Great job, Tsukune.

"Has anyone seen Elijah?" Kurumu asked.

"Unfortunately, not," The owl answered. "Perhaps... Wait a minute..." His voice trails off, this makes D-Team worry. What could the owl be seeing? "D-Team! Incoming through the corridor window-"

CRASH!

"Look there!" One of the guards points to the circular window atop the wall where a black figure stands...it is holding two bloodied, unconscious guards in its hands. If the three young ladies were not familiar with whom it was underneath that darkness that covered his entire body, they would assume it was a ravenous monster just like the other guards...especially with how both of his eyes had no pupils and were now big, green, and almost...spider-like.

"What is that thing?!"

"It's disgusting!"

"A wild beast?!"

"...You have no idea." The figure spoke before dropping into the building with the unconscious guards. He tosses them both to the side like two worthless sacks of rotten flesh...because that's exactly how he saw those two men. "Where is she?!"

---

Moments before...outside the snow temple...

Two guards stood alone in the front of the west wing, both have been assigned to keep watch for any potential intruders while the Flowering Offering ceremony took place for the next hour or so. As they stood watch with their weapons in hand, one of the guards had a very important question to ask his comrade.

"Hey."

"Yeah?"

"You ever wonder why we're here?"

"It's one of life's greatest mysteries, isn't it... Why are we here? I mean, are we the product of...some cosmic coincidence or, is there really a God...watching everything? You know, with a plan for us and stuff. I don't know, man, but it keeps me up at night."

"..."

"..."

"What? I meant why are we out here instead of going on break to get lunch?"

"Oh, uh...yeah."

"And what was all that stuff about God?"

"Uh...hm? Nothing."

"...You wanna talk about it?"

"No."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Seriously though, why are we still out here? The ceremony's not going anywhere and I haven't eaten since last night."

"And whose fault is that?"

"Shut up, asshole."

"I may be an asshole, but at least I'm not a kiss-ass."

"That's it, I'm gonna..."

But before the taller guard could say anything more, he spots...a man approaching down the snowy path. Normally, this wouldn't be much of an issue and he would only give the man a formal greeting...but today is of much importance. Raising his weapon, the tall guard stood his ground.

"You there! State your business!"

"Huh?" His buddy now saw the figure, and his eyes widened as he got a better look at him. He was covered in some sort of black ooze from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. "N-No civilians other than official priestesses and the young ladies coming of age are allowed inside the temple today!" The short guard aimed his weapon. "Leave now so we won't have to use force!"

"...Where is she?"

"What? Gaugh?!" The taller guard was suddenly lifted off of the ground by a black tendril wrapping around his neck, it came from the figure's back.

"G-Get your hands off- AUGH!" Just as his friend aimed his ice weapon at the dark creature, another tendril emerged from his arm and slithered around his wrist...snapping it like a twig.

"Guess your boss should've let you have a day off today, but now..." The guards couldn't see it, but they both knew for sure that the monster was sneering underneath the black ooze on his face. "You get to see what it's like to be helpless."

Another pair of tentacles emerge from his back, now acting as legs that lift the monster and the guards to the circular window above. The guards wriggle helplessly in pain; they both feel that this day could possibly be their last. The taller guard who is choking passes out, and the shorter guard cries in pain. Reaching the window, the monster smashes it with a swift punch and steps onto the edge.

"Look there!" The blackened man sees a patrolman inside calling out and pointing at him. His eyes squint as he counts exactly how many other people are in the main corridor. He also counts three young women in one corner of the room.

"What is that thing?!"

"It's disgusting!"

"A wild beast?!"

"...You have no idea," It snarls, jumps down from the window, and tosses the two outside guards to the side. "Where is she?!"

Kill...

"AAAUUUGGGHHH!" The beast leaps across the open room, slamming his fists into the ground and releasing an onslaught of black spike-like tendrils that send a group of surrounding guards flying back. "Where is Mizore Shirayuki?!" He demanded in a guttural roar.

"Open fire!"

BOOM! BOOM!

The guards' efforts to shoot to monster proved to be futile, it was too fast for them...and too strong. "What is that?!"

"It doesn't matter! Just keep shooting!"

"Tell me!" The rampaging figure didn't let up, he now used his tentacles to grab onto at least four individual guards, yank them up, and pull them toward him. "Where!" He then throws each guard one by one into the walls, shattering the ice-like stone of the temple more and more with each person he throws...and their bones. "She! IS!"

Kill...

Nearby, three individual girls could only watch as...their friend went on a wild rampage, nearly slaughtering everyone in his path. He wasn't killing them...but with their injuries...they won't be getting back up. Luckily for these girls, he wasn't even focused on their presence.

"It's even worse than I imagined..."

The pink-haired vampire turns to her Witch friend. "What do you mean?"

"It's...bonding with him."

"Bonding?" The younger Vampire asks what she means.

"Do you both remember what I said about the Symbiote surviving by bonding with its host?" They nod at the girl's question. "The more Elijah uses that power, the more likely he's bound to succumb to its embrace. We must separate them both entirely before it's too late."

"WHEEEEERE?!"

Elijah towers over the last remaining guard, the scared man shakes as he looks up into his glowing green eyes...but he won't answer him. Since he won't take silence for an answer, Elijah extends four tendrils from his back and grabs onto a stone column, he breaks it away from the foundation and raises it above his body, silently threatening to crush the man if he doesn't talk. The guard quickly realizes his impending doom and points toward a direction that leads deeper into the temple.

"T-Top floor... The East Wing..."

"...NGHAAAH!" Now with an answer, Elijah throws the stone column toward where the guard pointed, smashing the wall entirely and soon sprinting into the makeshift hole on all fours like a wild animal.

"Dear God..."

With no more guards to distract, the diversion team comes out of cover with their weapons lowered. All three young ladies bear witness to how much destruction their friend had caused, every guard that was defending this temple was now either writhing in pain or unconscious.

"Can... Can we really save Elijah?" Moka hesitantly asked. "He's not... He's not too far gone, right?"

"I'm not sure," Ruby admits to herself. "But we have to try, I refuse to let such a monster turn my...my friend into...this." The brown-haired Witch brings her hand to her earpiece, wanting to contact the other team. "Tsukune, come in. We...We managed to get the guards' attention. A little too well. But you don't have a lot of time."

"Why? What's happening down there?"

"...It was Elijah. He's here, and he knows where Mizore is and he's on his way. I suggest all three of you get here and get out of there fast!"

"We're on it! We'll extract Mizore as fast as we can!"

"We'll try and get Elijah to follow us and lead him back to you so we can do our thing, Ruby!" Yukari adds.

"Roger that," She nods and turns off her earpiece, Ruby ten turns to Moka and Kokoa now with her wand in hand. "We should see if any of the guards need medical attention, I can feel that all of them are in terrible pain."

"No shit," Kokoa rolled her eyes. "Are you sure some gross mind monster is taking over him, or is that how he always is?"

"Kokoa!"

"What? I was just kidding!" She laughed. "Just trying to lighten the...mood..." Kokoa's words trail off as she felt...something off. A cold chill ran down her spine, and she knew it wasn't because of the weather.

"What's wrong?" Moka noticed this quickly.

"...Something's not right," The youngest Vampire sister looked around, it's almost as if she was...searching for someone. After all, the last time she felt such a familiar presence..was when she was home. "No...it can't be..."

"What are you talking about, Kokoa?"

"She can't be here...not her..."

---

Tsukune

"Roger that!"

"Come on, Tsukune!"

"We're almost there!"

"I'm right behind you!"

I follow Kurumu and Yukari up the stairs, the only thing that's standing between us and Mizore now is this flight of stairs. But with how Ruby's last transmission over our communications devices went...I'm afraid this will go down differently than we planned. And I swore...I thought I could hear screaming on the other end of the line.

I can't think like that, I need to stay focused.

The three of us reach the top of the stairs and find ourselves in a small corridor with stone columns on each side, there is also another flight of stairs on the opposite end. This is it, this must be where Mizore is being kept...but why are there no guards?

"No guards at all?" Yukari voices my last thought. "This'll be a cinch! The room we want is right up those stairs, I memorized the map."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

"We still need to be cautious," I say. There are no guards; that's not what we were expecting. So everyone, be careful."

Both Kurumu and Yukari nod at me, and we make our way to the foot of the stairs. But all of us stop once we hear footsteps tapping against the marble floor. We turn back and find ourselves being approached by an older man in a long black coat and deep black unkempt hair.

"I wonder why anyone would attack the West Wing. It's quite a clever diversion." He greets us with a low, controlling voice and a sly smirk.

Dammit... I didn't want to have to get into a fight this soon...but I might not be left with much choice.

"Do not be afraid," the man continues. "My name is Miyabi Fujisaki. Like you, I am an outsider here." He speaks as if this will put our minds at ease, but if anything, it's having the opposite effect. "So...you're here to rescue Mizore Shirayuki?"

The three of us stood there in shock as the man suddenly mentioned our friend's name. How did he know about that? "How do you know her name?!" Kurumu demanded an answer from the man.

"I'm sorry to say that little Miss Shirayuki will not be able to join you. You see, she belongs to a man now," The authority in his voice sends a cold chill down my back...don't tell me- "The Snow Oracle has forged a union with a certain human organization in order to revive the land of the Snow Fairies. To secure that union, she has offered them a girl, a very powerful girl...as a hostage."

"..." What?

"I don't suppose I need to tell you her name? Even if you reached her, she wouldn't come with you. The consequences to her people would be too disastrous."

"I...I thought this was about an arranged marriage," Yukari's voice shook, she, like me and Kurumu couldn't believe what we were hearing. "You make it sound like the oracle is using Mizore." Surely he must be lying to us, right? This is just a ruse to keep us distracted, it has to be...but I couldn't hear any form of mendacious intent in his voice. But there was a hint of pride in that smile of his...and it makes me wanna rip it off of his face...but Kurumu beats me to it.

"Kurumu?!"

In a heartbeat, she was gripping the man's shirt collar and gritting her teeth in fury. Despite the small tears forming in her eyes, my friend flowers at the man and says, "Tell me... What did you do to her?! ANSWER ME, SCUMBAG!" I was about to step in to pull her away...but I was stopped by the familiar...broken voice of my friend. I turned my head back and found Mizore at the top of the stairs...crying.

"Kurumu...don't," She spoke, her voice croaked. "Please...just go, all of you."

"Mizore?" How could she say that? A small pit formed in my stomach as I saw how much she was...shaking. What did this bastard do?

"It's true," She cried but looked down at us with a pained smile. "I'm part of the pact, I can't go back with you."

"What are you talking about?!" Kuurmu, who now released the man now that Mizore was here, shouted.

"I'm sorry..." Mizore raises a hand over her heart...but she still smiles. "But my life no longer belongs to me," The way she says that clenches my heart, how could she say such a thing? "Please go," She cried...her face now shattering just like ice... Wait...ice? "Go...and forget all about me. Tell Elijah...that I really am sorry." The more she spoke... the more Mizore was falling apart.

"An ice doll..." Yukari came to the same conclusion that I did. "That's not Mizore, she sent an ice doll in her place! She..." Yukari couldn't keep herself from crying. "She doesn't even want to say goodbye to us...?"

"Mizore..." I threw the wig off of my head and wiped my face with the sleeves of my kimono to get all of the makeup off, my face was now clean and I made my way up the stairs. "I don't know what they told you, but you can't give up! Your happiness, your life... You can't just throw it all away! Please," I reach my hand up to her, begging for her to take it. "Come home with us."

"...Tsuku-"

KSHING!

"..." As soon as the ice doll's hand touched my own, it shattered completely in front of me. I heard the silent, shocked gasps of my friends behind me as I fell to my knees, some of the crystals from the ice doll landed in my open hands...and they melted at my warm touch.

"Heh heh heh... AAHAHAHAHAHA!" The man's cruel cackling poisoned my ears. "Oh, how tragic. Such a sacrificial lamb. Honestly, if not for me, would her life be of any value at all?"

"..." I could feel a vein in my forehead begin to bulge, the nerve of this...monster. "What did you just say?" I speak, I don't even bother looking back yet.

"Other than as a hostage, she's utterly worthless," I could feel the vile, nefarious grin that formed across his face without even looking at him. "Worthless as a wife, that's for damned sure. I couldn't get more than a kiss out of her. But in time...and pressure...I can break the recalcitrant little thing."

That was the last straw. I turned my head back and I could enamel in my teeth wearing away from gritting them. "That 'thing' you're talking about...is my friend!" Using the stairs as my launching point, I leap towards the man with my fist raised and hatred in my eyes. "YOU BASTAAAAAARD!

"Oh. So, you're a man. Well then..."

DMM!

As soon as I got close, the man pounded me into the marble floor with a loud thud and crack with just one punch. I could already feel the blood trickling down my head. What...what the hell?

"No need for me to be so gentle..." He said with a condescending grin.

"Tsukune!" I managed to look up, my arms shaking from the pain but not enough to keep me down. Kurumu closed in to strike the man in the abdomen, but he caught her by the wrist and kept her in his grip like a vice. "You!"

"Do not worry, I won't hurt her. Not as long as she holds collateral value. In the meantime, I shall teach her to be the perfect woman. How to obey. How to surrender...completely."

CRASH!

All our heads turn to the sound of stone breaking, finding that a hole has been broken into the wall. When the dust and rubble cleared, there was...a guy covered in black muck and glowing green eyes. The tendrils coming from his back retreat back into his shoulders. Wait... I manage to get myself to my knees, my eyes squint to get a better look at the appearing figure. Don't tell me that's...Elijah?

"Oh?" The man releases Kuurmu, now intrigued by the sudden appearance of our friend. "And what do we have here?"

He simply ignored the man's question and approached us, the floor cracking with each step he took... "Where is Mizore?"

"She's still upstairs," Yukari answers first. "But- W-Wait! Elijah!" My Witch friend calls out to him as he marches up the stairs, completely ignoring her pleading voice.

"Elijah! We have to-"

"HE RAPED HER!"

Kurumu's raged-filled shout managed to get Elijah to stop dead in his tracks up the stairs, his head slowly turning back to look her directly in the eye. I couldn't see it for sure, but I know for a fact he was scowling underneath all that darkness covering his face.

"...What?"

"He told us himself!" Kurumu spoke through clenched teeth, she pointed at the cloaked man in accusation. "Are you gonna stand there after how he forcefully had her way with Mizore?! What are you waiting for?!"

"..." Elijah turned his body completely, now facing the man with his fists tightly gripped. "You did...what?!"

"Please. I could barely-"

"RRRAAAUUUGGGHHH!" Elijah didn't even let him finish and he dashed forward and tackled the man into several columns, smashing them completely. I could feel the ground shake as Elijah dragged him through another hole in the wall, I got to my feet and wiped some of the blood from my mouth.

"Now you're in for it..."

"That should buy us some time," Kurumu says, helping me up to my feet. "Let's go get Mizore! Now!"

---

Kurumu

"Stand back!" Tsukune takes a step back and breaks down the door of Mizore's room door. "Mizore!"

Once the door is broken off of its hinges the rescue team rushes inside to the bedroom. Inside... Ice, so much ice. From the edge of the bed to the cracks in the walls, ice shards have been created all over the room and even broke some of the furniture in the process. But this was not what caught the attention of S-Team, not by a long shot. Their hearts caught in their throats when they saw Mizore standing in an open window...her heels hanging off the edge and hovering over a towering hundred-foot drop.

"Hey," The Snow Fairy trembles as she smiles down at her friends. "I told you all to leave me..."

"Mizore..."

"What are you doing?!"

"E-Easy, Mizore. We're here to help...just come down from there..."

"..."

"Mizore," Kurumu slowly steps to Mizore, raising her hands to show she means no harm. "I know it's been...horrible, but it's okay now, we're here to-"

"I'm sorry," Cutting off her sentence, Mizore closes her eyes...and releases her grip. The Snow Fairy feels the cool wind against her entire body as she falls, where an entourage of ice spikes is waiting to end her short life. I really am grateful for you all. She thought. For trying to save me...I only wish I got to spend the rest of my life with each and every one of you.

SMASH!

"YOU IDIOT!"

After running through and smashing the window, Kurumu extends her wings and races to Mizore's falling body with a reached-out hand. Time seemingly slows down for both the Succubus and the Snow Fairy as each foot per second squared reaches its maximum acceleration. Just when Mizore felt like she was close to the ground, Kurumu thankfully wrapped her arms around the Snow Fairy and pulled up, only missing the ice spikes by just a few feet.

"Kurumu...w-why?" The Snow Fairy's voice cracks as the Succubus lifts her higher into the air. "I tried to take Elijah away... I tricked you... I lied to all of you... I'm not-"

"Mizore."

Kurumu spoke firmly, slowed down her flying so she was now hovering in the air, stared Mizore dead in the eyes...and firmly pressed her lips onto hers. The young Snow Fairy squeaked and tried to fight out of Kurumu's unexpected action, muffling her grunts against her mouth. The Succubus finally pulled back after a few seconds and Mizore let out a gasp, her face almost entirely red.

"What the heck was that about?!" She wipes her wipes with her free hand. "On the lips too?!"

"Sorry," Kurumu chuckled, her eyes stinging with her tears. "I just...wanted to erase your memory of that creep's kiss."

"You...you know about..." Kurumu nods, Mizore couldn't bear to finish that question. She holds her friend tightly as her entire body shakes, her voice muffling thanks to her face now buried in Kurumu's shoulder. "It was horrible!"

"I know..." Kurumu returned how firmly Mizore was holding onto her, she rubbed her hand up and down her back in slow and gentle circles.

"He held me down. He...touched me everywhere! I was afraid to fight back..."

"I know..." The Succubus felt so betrayed last night, but she never could've imagined Mizore had to endure something so horrible. Kurumu would never wish for something like that even for the person she hated the most, no one deserves to be treated like someone's...play thing.

"The Oracle... I've never been so scared..."

"It's alright," Kurumu flapped her wings, slowly flying back up to the room she jumped from, where Tsukune and Yukair were waiting for them. "You're safe now. Let's go home...okay?"

"Oh, Kurumu!" Mizore couldn't longer fight back her tears, she wailed into Kurumu's shoulder, staining her kimono with her tears.

I'm so sorry, Mizore... I'm so sorry...

"You guys!" Yukari calls out to the Snow Fairy and Succubus, the latter lands them both back inside the room and the former is immediately greeted with relieved cries. "Mizore!" The Young Witch wrapped her arms around Mizore's waist and buried her face into her chest. "You're okay!"

"I can't...I can't tell you how relieved..." Tsukune cried into his hand, doing his best to keep himself from completely breaking down. "I'm so glad you're okay! I thought...I really thought we'd lost you!"

"You guys..."

ZZZTTT!

"You guys! Come in!" But their sentiment did not last long, the three of them that were wearing earpieces heard the panicked voice of Kokoa on the other line.

"Kokoa?"

"What's she so worried about?"

"What's wrong?" Tsukune brings up a finger to his device. "We have Mizore, we're coming down to-"

"NO! All of you have to get out of there now! It's gotten bad, real bad! The enemy...we didn't realize who it really was..."

"What do you mean? Who are you talking about?"

"Tsukune? What's going on?"

"Hold on," I brush Yukari off and fiddle with my earpiece, nothing but static is coming through right now. "Dammit. It sounds like something bad is happening in the west wing, but my connection is dying. You guys try yours."

"Nothing..."

"Mine's dead too!"

"Dammit!" I exclaim in frustration. What the hell is going on now?!

ZZZTTT!

"...Big...Sist-"

---

The Distraction Team...

"She can't be here...not her."

"Kokoa, who are you talking about?"

TK...TK...Tk...

What only could be the sound of high heels tapping against the marble floor caught the attention of the diversion team, they all turned their heads to the rising sound as it seemingly got closer. From the rising fog, they saw a figure taking the shape of...a woman. Upon closer look, they could see that she was tall, she had wavy light blonde hair that reached just below her shoulders and was held back by a tiara, and her bangs framed her forehead...just above a pair of glowing red eyes. She appeared in a flowing white dress accompanied by a pair of snow-white gloves and boots, and she adorned two bedazzled earrings in the shape of crosses made of gold that matched the bell hanging in the middle of the open room.

"Who..." Ruby had her weapon at the ready, but she didn't aim it at the woman...not yet. "Who is that?"

"No..." Koko spoke in disbelief, her voice shaking in fear...because she knew exactly who this woman was. "What are you doing here?!"

"Kokoa, who is she?" Ruby asked again.

"That's...my sister...Kahlua."

Sister? Ruby thought to herself, analyzing the sudden change in their situation. So she's Kokoa's and Moka's...? So she must be a Vampire too. What is she doing here in the land of Snow Fairies? And why... The Witch sees out of the corner of her eye that Kokoa is shaking in fear. Why does Koko look so frightened? Even her bat, Ko is quaking. Is she a friend...or a foe?

"Wah!" Upon her approach, Kahlua made the mistake of accidentally stepping on the hem of her long skirt, this made her trip and fall flat on her face. "Ow..." She wined before getting back on her feet, readjusting the tiara on her head and straightening her bangs. "That's great, just great! Tripping over my own skirt..." The older vampire sister brushes herself off before greeting the diversion team with a smile. "Sorry, I figured a funny entrance would put everyone at ease."

"You really expect me to believe that?" Kokoa, despite the shakiness in her legs, speaks up to her big sister. "What are you doing here, Kahlua?!"

"Oh! Long time, no see, Kokoa!" She dodges the question and greets her little sister with a sweet smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Kahlua..."

"Hmm?" The light blonde woman responded to Moka's reconnecting voice, both she and Kahlua had not seen each other in years and this was not how their reunion would go. "Moka?" Kahlua couldn't resist keeping her jaw from dropping to the floor in a gaping smile. "It is you, Moka!" She takes her by hand and practically bounces in place like a giddy little kid. "It's been so long! Still cute as a button I see! Oh! And I see you're still sealing your powers away with that Rosary."

"Uh," Moka, not knowing how to respond to her sister's arrival and sudden closeness, nods. "Yeah, I am."

"This is so much fun!" Kahula wraps both her arms around Moka and Kokoa's necks and squeezes them both in a warm hug. "Who'd thought that I would run into my adorable little sisters all the way out here!" Opening her eyes back up, she meets the gaze of a certain Witch. "Oh! Are you their friend? Hi! I'm Kahlua! Any friend of my sisters is a friend of mine!"

"Oh, hello..." Ruby's greeting fell flat, she couldn't quite grasp what to make of the new Vampire. She sounds friendly...but why would Koko be terrified of her? What exactly is she hiding?

"Argh! Kahlua, let go of me!" Kokoa fights out of her sister's grip.

"K-Koko?"

"Don't call me that either! You still haven't answered my question yet!" She burrowed her brow, a small bead of sweat betraying her strong attitude. "What are you doing here?! You only leave our home when you've got a job to do! So who did you come here to kill?"

"Kill...?" Both Ruby and Moka were confused by what Kokoa meant by that, but Kahlua...the older vampire seemed hurt by such an accusation.

"That's so mean, Kokoa!" She wined like she had been scolded, blood flushed to her cheeks. "Don't say things like that. People might get the wrong idea. I'm here today as a goodwill ambassador for the organization."

"You? A goodwill ambassador?" Kokoa spoke as if that was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard in her life.

"Mhmm!" Kahlua nods, feigning ignorance of Kokoa's sarcasm. "And the person we're negotiating with is here too! Please, come this way," She looks back and extends out her right hand. "Snow Oracle."

The Snow Oracle? But she's- Ruby's thoughts were cut short as soon as she saw the unfortunate sight of the leader of the Snow Fairies. The Snow Oracle is now accompanied by a group of men in black suits, each of which carrying a handgun armed and ready to fire. As for the Snow Oracler herself... The Elder has been strapped down to a wheelchair and is forced to wear a straightjacket and a Scold's Bridle, a medieval head device used to punish women who were perceived as being troublesome, who gossiped and nagged their husbands, or who were accused of witchcraft. This horrid headwear keeps the wearer from speaking their minds but this one was modified to where the Snow Oracle's eyes were covered.

Kahlua turns back to the three, her sweet smile never faltering for even a second. "I'm going to need you to cooperate with us as well."

---

Tsukune

"What?!" Yukari exclaimed in disbelief when I explained the last thing that Kokoa said through my earpiece. "'Big Sister'?! What would Moka and Kokoa's big sister be doing in Mizore's village of all places?"

"I don't know, but I know for sure that I heard Kokoa call her that..."

TNNGG!

I felt a small twinge in my right arm that went all the way up to my neck, the last time I felt like this was before the Holy Lock was forced to remain around my wrist. The time...I nearly turned into a ghoul. But why is it acting up all of a sudden, is Moka's blood within me reacting to the sudden change in our plan? Or is it...trying to warn me?

I have a bad feeling about this. First, there was that bastard Fujisaki man, and now Moka's sister is here? How does this all fit together? What the hell is really going on in this village?

Chk...

My ears twitch at the distant sound of...someone reloading a gun. How did I even hear that? "Wait," Mizore seemed to hear it too. "We can talk later, I just heard something from outside," She whispered to us, making all of us look at the half-broken door. I couldn't see them, but I somehow could feel their lurking presence.

"Oh, no..."

"This is bad! We're completely surrounded!"

"What do we do?!" Yukari hushedly shouted. "There's only one way out of this room!"

"Well, not the only one," Kurumu glances at the window.

"But wouldn't they shoot at us the moment they see us outside?" It's not a bad plan but I don't want to risk any of us getting shot...but I'm not willing to surrender either.

"I have an idea for that," Mizore speaks up, now sounding much more confident than before. "If you're willing to trust me, that is..."

---

The Distraction Team

Damn this stupid thing! Kokoa smacks her ear, hoping that the others could've heard her over the communication device. They need to get out of there, now!

"Allow me to explain," Kahula continues. "The name of the organization I work for is named 'Fairy Tale' I know, silly name, but that's what it's really called! Fairy Tale wants to form an alliance with the village as soon as they hand over a hostage named, Mizore Shirayuki," The second oldest Vampire sister walks around the Snow Oracle, stopping once she's behind the elder and places a warm hand on her shoulder. "My role is to do whatever it takes to make this alliance happen. Like detaining the Snow Oracle for instance," She bows her head almost apologetically. "This way is to keep her from backing out. If she happens to have a prophecy or something that shows her what this is really about-"

"Miss Shuzen," One of the armed guards carefully cuts her off, he leans in close and whispers in the Vampire's ear which makes her smile in relief.

"Oh! That's good news!" Kahlua turns to the others. "Well, it seems that our team has already nabbed Mizore, along with her allies.

"Her what?!" Moka shouted, her worry focusing on her friends now and the boy she cared deeply about.

"But we're supposed to be the decoys," Ruby muttered to herself. This is bad. How in the world is an organization like Fairy Tale involved with Mizore's home?!

"Phew!" Kahlua wipes her head. "Mission accomplished!"

"And also," The aforementioned guard snapped his fingers, another came along carrying a bloodied white cloth in their hands. "We found this pest outside, we think it was scouting for Miss Shirayuki's supposed 'rescue team'."

"Pest?" Kahlua slowly unwraps the cloth, revealing...an injured Pygmy Owl. The blonde vampire, along with the opposing girls gasp in shock at the sight of the hurt bird. Kahlua saw a sweet, injured animal, but the three girls saw a hurt friend. "Oh my goodness!"

"No..."

"Archimedes..."

"Aw man, this is bad. Whee!"

"What did you do to him?!" Kahlua, now showing more irritation, shouts at her subordinate. "Is he...dead?"

"No," The grizzled man shook his head. "One of my men shot it out of the air and recovered it, but it'll-"

SMACK!

"...How dare you?" Kahlua smacked the man...right through one of the windows. Once he was gone, she looked down at the injured bird and began to cry. "You poor, sweet thing..."

Seeing the part of her sister that terrified her, Kokoa fell to her knees and dropped her snow shotgun. This is it... This is what I feared all along! We can't fight Kahlua! I grew up in her shadow, she's the second-oldest of the four of us sisters...and the most innocent and gentle of all. But as far back as I can remember, she was already working and no one would ever tell me what her job was. She took care of me like I was her own baby and she always had the smile of an angel. But for some reason...deep down...I always feared that smile.

"Ruby...take Kokoa and run," Moka whispered to the Witch which made her raise her brow.

"What are you-"

"I'll be another diversion this time, just take Kokoa and get yourselves out of here!" Moka didn't waste another second and tried to make a run for it, hoping that the armed guards and her sister would follow. We need to get out of this place! Even if one of us escapes, they can just come back with reinforcements to rescue the rest of us!

Kahlua sighed after seeing her running away, she gently set the injured bird aside, and before Moka could even realize it, she moved faster than her eye could see that she was already ahead and blocking her path. "Making a run for it, Moka? Then that must mean you're one of Mizore's would-be rescuers," The blonde vampire gives her sister a sad frown. "Please don't put up a fight, I hate having to hurt people...especially my little sister."

"Kahlua," But Moka was unphased by her sister's speed and authority, she scowled and prepared herself to run again. "Get out of my way."

"Oh, why..." Kahlua reaches her hand out, ready to stop her sister from running any further. "Why are you making me do this?!"

CRASH!

The sound of a smashed window causes the older Vampire to turn her head back, she sees...a girl with aqua-blue hair with wings carrying another young woman with lavender hair. "There they are!" The former called out. "They're surrounded!"

"Then it looks like we have a job to do."

"You got that right! Time for some fun! let's celebrate the renewal of our friendship!"

"Intruders!" A few of the guards aimed their pistols at the flying women.

"I thought our team captured the perpetrators!"

"It doesn't matter! Shoot them!"

"Black and White Duet: Number Three!"

Now hand in hand, Kurumu Spins Mizore around in the air and she releases an onslaught of ice shards from her free hand while Kurumu slashes everything in her path with her own claws. This joint attack easily takes down all of the opposing guards and keeps them from getting back up on their feet, truly a remarkable display of power and most of all teamwork. Once the path was cleared, Kurumu landed herself and Mizore on the ground, Tsukune and Yukari were close behind as hey appeared from the clouded rubble from the Succubus and Snow Fairy's attack.

"You guys?!"

"Moka!" Yukari, delighted to see that her friend was okay, ran up and hugged the Vampire.

"What are you guys doing here?! We...We thought you guys got captured. How are you here?"

"We jumped through the window before they caught us," Kurumu answered, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "Then I flew us all the way around the temple and got us here. I wish you guys weren't so heavy though!"

"B-But they said you guys were captured!"

"Then it must've been my ice dolls they nabbed," Mizore informs Moka of her initial plan. "They should be melting right about now, those guards'll feel like real idiots."

"Forget the ice dolls!" Kokoa exclaimed. "That move you two pulled off was so cool!"

"I hate to admit it, but I have to agree with Ms. Kokoa! Whee!"

"What about Elijah?" Ruby asked. "Where is he?"

"He's busy taking care of...a real piece of shit," Kuurmu shudders at the thought of that man but ultimately smiled to herself knowing he was getting what he deserves from her rampaging friend. "He's getting what he deserves if you ask me."

"But where is he?" Ruby demanded to know. "We still need to get that thing out of him before it's too late."

As the others carried on the conversation about what should be done about a certain Wizard's whereabouts, Mizore's attention was caught by the state of the leader of her people. "Snow Oracle?" Mizore's slightly shocked words captured everyone's attention, even more so as the young Snow Fairy approached the elder of her village. "Tell me, do you really want to form an alliance with people who would do something like this to you, to your people?" Mizore knows she won't get an answer thanks to the headwear that was forced upon her head, but she smiles sadly as she slowly removes said hardware so she can look her leader in the eye. "I know... You're going to say, 'It's for the good of the village', aren't you?" The Scold's Bridle is completely removed, and the Snow Oracle finally takes a proper breath before meeting Mizore's eyes. "Don't worry, I don't hold a grudge against you. I love my home, and I will do anything to keep it safe... But please, give me a little more time," Mizore begged, her eyes threatening her with tears. "Just a little bit longer to be with my friends who risked their lives for me."

"Mizore..." Her friends rarely ever heard their cold friend speak of them in such high regard, they always knew she cared, but to hear it out loud meant so much more to them all.

"Yeah! You heard her!" Yukari cheered on with glee. "Why would an organization need a hostage for an alliance anyway?"

"Mizore is too important to us just to let go of!" Moka added.

"So with all due respect, ma'am," Tsukune steps up, placing a warm hand on Mizore's shoulder. "We're bringing Mizore back home with us, no matter what it takes."

"..." The Oracle sighs, the warm breath from her pallid lips fogging in the air. "Then...you all had better start running."

"...What?"

"Take...everyone from the village...and run. Now!" The Snow Oracle spoke through ragged, labored heaves, her body began to shudder as her jaw hung open and her eyes changed in dilation.

"S-Snow Oracle?!"

"Gh...ngh...gllllgh," What appeared from the Oracle's mouth...not Mizore or a single one of her friends expected. A white, ooze-like material began to emerge from the back of her throat, soon coming out to reveal itself as...a spirit. "Gluh...Gluh...Ngh...ooohhh..." After a few seconds of gags and coughs from the Oracle's body, the spirit... began to speak for itself with a deep, authoritative voice.

"A pity... Such a pity... All this effort... All for nothing..." The spirit reveals itself to Mizore and the others, taking the shape of a small, snowman-like body with a jack-o-lantern patterned face, its eyes were thin, squinted, and they had no pipils. "Forming an alliance with the organization that planned to invade this village was the only way to prevent bloodshed."

"Wh-What... What is that thing?"

"That gross little guy came from the Oracle's mouth!" Yukari shouted in a grossed-out tone. "What the heck is going on?!"

"I am Jack Frost," The spirit answered, the booming tone in his voice sounded as if it were a matter of fact...because it was. "The ectoplasmic embodiment of the Snow Oracle's power of prophecy. In the simple words of man...I am the one who does the fortune-telling of the future around here."

F-Future? Kurumu thought to herself, she found herself truly baffled by the sight of such a spirit before her. "But what the heck are you talking about?"

"Yeah, what do you mean forming an alliance will prevent bloodshed?"

"That is what I indeed said, that is my prophecy. 'Attempt to oppose Fairy Tale, and a rain of blood will pour over this village'. Don't you see it for yourselves? Look. The darkness is right beside you."

"What-"

JAB!

Mizore's words were cut short when she heard a squelching sound from her left...and a jolting pain coming from the same place. She looks down to find...Kahula's gloved hand stabbed into her abdomen, her blood staining the white cloth. "Y-You...?"

"Hey!" Kurumu growled at the sight of someone hurting her friend, she took a step closer to Kahlua with her claws extending by a millisecond. "What's the big ide-" Kurumu never got another word in as the older Vampire sister retracted her hand from Mizore's side, reared it back, and slammed a fist into the side of Kurumu's head. Kahlua's powerful blow sent Kurumu back into a nearby column...and she wasn't moving.

"Kurumu!"

"...I tried to ward you," The light-blonde Vampire spoke through gritted teeth, fighting back her tears. "Why do you think I fought so hard for you to agree to this allegiance?" Kahlua looks at the others, her eyes stinging with tears because now she must look at them all...as her targets. She cries her heart out like a small child, tears pouring down her cheeks and washing away the small spots of blood that managed to get onto her face.

"Why..." Ruby is puzzled by this display of not only Kahlua's power but her whining display. "Why is she crying?"

"...Run," Kokoa's voice shook in absolute horror...because she knew exactly the reasoning behind her tears. "This is one of her fits, Kahlua always has one right before she gets down to work!"

"'Down to work'? Kokoa, what are you-"

"Kahlua is the Shuzen Family's master assassin!"

"Moka!" Tsukune moved to shield the Vampire as she was tending to a hurt Mizore. "Get Mizore and run, we need to- Grrh!" A hand is sent right into his chest, causing him to cough up a little blood. The hand...belonged to Moka's older sister.

"Tsukune!" Kahlua was preparing to stab the human with her other hand but was stopped momentarily as Moka moved to grab ahold of her left arm while Ruby wrapped her arms around the older Vampire's head. "Kahlua! Stop it!"

"No! You idiots!" Kokoa calls out to them both. "Just run!"

"Listen to Miss Kokoa! Whee!"

"Once Kahlua gets started, she's an unstoppable killing machine! You can't-" But Kokoa's warning was too late, Kahlua had moved on to taking out her next targets. In a swift and brutal kick, Ruby is sent into the marble wall of the temple and Moka is dealt with a powerful uppercut that brings her down to the floor in a second. Next...was her little sister and Yukari.

"Ngh..." Mizore fights to look up just as Kahlua starts attacking the youngest of their group of friends, a small line of blood trickles down the corner of her mouth all the way to her neck. "This... This is why the Snow Oracle agreed to the alliance. To prevent...this."

Not to all but one's knowledge, Kahlua never hesitates when she kills, it's what she was raised to do. And her tears wash everything out of her head...except for her purpose. Her love for her sisters... Her hatred for fighting... They're all washed away by her tears. So no matter how many people she kills...she stays as pure as ever. Kokoa believes that is what truly terrifies her, the strange innocence of hers...more than the madness she holds.

"Waaaaaaaaahahahaaaaaaaaa!"

Kahlua cries as they all fall in defeat, each and every person in the room is bleeding from a mortal wound and has collapsed on the ground. As the older Vampire cries, her head rings with the exact order she was given. "Kill them all. If you fail to forge an alliance with the village of the Snow Fairies, your job is to kill every man, woman, and child you can find. If any survive...I believe they'll get the message." With just a part of her mission seemingly accomplished, Kahula begrudgingly takes another step forward to continue with her mission...only for her to be stopped when her second youngest sister grips her boot.

"Kahlua..." Moka coughs up a little bit of blood. "Sister... Stop... You've done enough..." Unfortunately for Moka, Kahlua is not one to reason with once she begins her killing spree. The blonde young woman readied herself to put down her little sister...but fortunately for her, a certain human was already back on his feet and moved faster than anyone in the room could react. Using the very blood that Moka gave him, Tsukune had dashed himself behind Kahlua and reeled his hand back for an attack...or so Kahlua thought. Instead of going for her, Tsukune reaches down and snatches away Moka's Rosary in one swift motion.

CHING!

Just like every other time the Rosary was removed, everyone was blinded by the sudden light emitting from Moka's body, her hair changing from bright pink to pure silver...and her eyes now glowed bright red. "M-Moka..." Kahlua is surprised by the sudden remover of her little sister's seal...and her true appearance, throwing her off guard. "Your seal..." This leaves Inner Moka to deliver her signature round-house kick right into the side of her older sister's head, sending her back a few feet and destroying a few stone columns in the process.

"It's been a long time, Kahlua, so nice to see you again. I hope you liked the special greeting I just gave you, I gave it a lot of thought and knew you'd like it."

"M...Moka..." While Tsukune managed to get back on his feet, he was still in pain from Kahlua's previous attack.

"Tsukune!" Inner Moka helps him stand up straight, she notices that Ruby has already gotten back up as well and she is attending to the others. Despite her obvious injuries, she moved quickly to lend her friends the proper aid before herself.

"I'm fine, Moka," Tsukune stands up straight, not needing Moka to lean on right now. "Is everyone else okay?"

"They're fine. Well, not fine. They're alive, but everyone here is going to need medical attention soon," Inner Moka sighs. "I can't believe any of us are even alive after facing one of my older sisters, even I will do anything to avoid fighting her in combat. All of you need to get out of here before she gets back on her feet, or all of you will-"

"Wow," Moka's words were cut drastically short as Kahlua's voice echoed through the open room, her tall, slightly curvy figure slowly rose from the dust and rubble. "You're all really strong, I didn't even kill a single one of you. Well then...I guess I'll have to get serious."

"What?!" Moka's eyes widened at the sight of her sister without a single scratch. Impossible... She thought. I hit her directly in the head with all of my strength, how is she already back on her feet?!

"Listen, sister..." Kahlua, shocking her little sister and everyone else conscious in the room, takes a bow, lifting the hem of the long skirt of her dress. Lifting her head and opening her teary eyes, Kahlua smiles at her little sister. "First, allow me to congratulate you. I'm overjoyed to see you take off your Rosary and free your true, inner self. Well done."

"...What are you planning, Kahlua?" Moka knew better than to accept such a formal greeting and praise.

"Of the four of us sisters, you contain a special strain of our bloodline. It's inspiring to see those powers finally awaken. Father..." Kahlua sniffs, another tear shedding down her cheek. "Father would be so proud!"

"...So," Moka squints her eyes, still skeptical of her sister. "does this mean you'll stop fighting and let your dear 'inspiring little sister' go so we can end this?"

"End this? Certainly not. These are two different matters entirely," Kahlua looks down, her hands falling to her side. "I must kill you. You, Kokoa...and everyone in this village. It's my job," Minus Moka, everyone was shocked by her words, she knew this wasn't going to go down easy. "This is why I don't want to fight you. Since your powers have awakened," Kahlua lifts her hands to one of her cross-shaped ear accessories, slowly filling with it as she sadly smiles. "I'll have to remove one of my restraints as well..."

PIING!

With equal shock that was shared with Moka and the rest of her friends, they watched on tenterhooks. While her two younger sisters knew what this meant, Tsukune and the others couldn't possibly imagine what horrors awaited them. If Kahlua could nearly kill them all while restrained, they couldn't begin to think what her true power could be like.

"Ah...ah..." As little buzzes of electricity sparked around her right arm, her limb began to...break itself apart, metamorphosing into a claw-like weapon made from five large, sharp bat wings. Kahlua sigh through the pain the transformation puts her in, but despite the physical pain she had to endure, she raises her newfound arm over her head, ready to strike down her little sister.

"W-What the... Moka, what's happened to-"

"Get back, Tsukune. Get way back. This is a fight I know you can't win...because I'm not entirely sure if I can. She's ready now."

"But-"

Faster than Tsukune could argue, Kahlua moved in and swiped with her bat wings with all her might, seemingly cutting through Moka's entire body like it was nothing to her. Kokoa called out to her sister and watched in disbelief as she saw Kahlua's claws go through Moka's head, neck, abdomen, and legs...or so she thought.

"I see...so that's how you use that arm," The Moka everyone saw Kahlua cut through was only an afterimage thanks to Moka's speed, she now appeared beneath her sister but only with a serious attitude rather than delivering a snarky comment. This is a fight Moka needs to take seriously in order to win. Shifting her weight and turning her hips, Moka front kicks Kahlua straight up in her jaw. This move seems to knock her off balance as her head is flung back with a loud snap. I attacked from her blind spot and broke her jaw. That ought to slow her- But Moka's initial plan did not go the way she hoped, Kahlua's eyes rolled back forward so she could look straight and swing her mutated arm. Moka barely managed to dodge Kahlua's continuing attacks, Tsukune and the others watched on as their battle to the death raged on.

"Moka!"

"I don't understand... What's up with her arm?" asked Kurumu. "Moka's arm doesn't do that! Isn't Kahlua supposed to be a Vampire?!"

"She is!" Yukari shouted, Ruby helped her up to her feet so she could keep explaining. "Kahlua's using her vampiric ability to transform."

"what the heck does that mean?!" Mizore demands.

"Vampires are best known for their incredible strength, but they can also transform into bats, rats, and other animals. The problem is that most Vampires consider it to be vain, some even think it's disgusting to use a power such as that. But now Kahlua is using it in quite an innovative way...this is exactly what I expected from a Vampire who's been raised purely to slaughter others."

"so what do we do? We can't just sit here while Moka-"

"Tsukune," Yukari dons a serious tone, looking up into Tsukune's eyes despite the pain in her body. "I want to help her too, but if any of us step into that fight right now, we'll die. I don't like it, but that's how it is. All we can do right now is wait...and pray that Moka can win."

"..." Dammit, she's right. Tsukune thought. I hate being useless like this, but Yukari is right. My chest still hurts from Kahlua's strike, I'm honestly shocked I'm even standing up right now. I can barely even focus on their movements. even if I were to jump into the fight, I'd only be a hindrance to Moka. And...I can feel it in my bones that I would die if I even got close.

"Wait," Yukari looked around, now realizing that another member of their group was missing. "Where's Archimedes?"

"Over there..." Ruby points to a damp white cloth that was set down away from all of the destruction. Upon seeing it, Yukari wrestled away from her Witch friend's grip, nearly falling over in pain as she made her way over to the injured bird. "What...What happened?!"

"He was shot by Kahlua's guards."

"Oh, no... Ruby!" The young Witch looks back at her friend with tears stinging her eyes. "Help me heal him! I can feel his life fading away!"

"But we still need-"

"We'll still be able to help Elijah but we have to save Archimedes too! Please!"

"...Of course."

The fight between the Vampire sisters comes to a standstill, and the pair of them take a moment to catch their breath. Both valiant fighters heaved deep breaths as they stared daggers into each other's eyes, both waited in anticipation for one of them to make the next move. Why...? Why won't she fall? Moka silently questioned. How is she this strong? That arm of hers is a pain in the ass, but the biggest problem is how effortlessly she absorbs all of my blows. If I can't inflict any damage, it's pointless to keep attacking her. And if I'm not careful, I'll just be a sitting duck for that arm.

"...Stop it, Moka," Mizore's shaken voice echoed through the open house of the temple, she fought away from Kurumu's grip and fell to her knees...and she started begging. "It's all my fault that all of you got dragged into this fight, and if you lose, we'll all be killed! I can't let that happen!"

"Mizore!" Kurumu couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Please..." Mizore knows it's not ideal, but she can't stand the thought of all of her friends dying."I just...need to go with them...and..."

SMACK!

"Ow!" Mizore jolted in pain after Moka had slapped her across the face. "What...what was that for?!"

"What do you mean 'if I lose'?!" Moka retorts. "Exactly who do you think you're talking to?" She faces her sister once again, her hair whipping as her head turns on a dime. "Just shut your mouth and watch!"

"But Moka-"

"Just watch, it'll all be over soon," Moka moves in close to her sister, voluntarily striking the next blow directly into her shoulder with a loud snap. I can't afford to hesitate. I have to pull off one perfect attack. Ground myself...gather all my energy together...and unleash it in one deadly force. Moka plants her left foot on the floor, the marble cracking underneath her strength and leaving an imprint. The second youngest Vampire sister glares up at Kahlua...all her strength now going straight into her right leg. I'm sorry...sister.

DMM!

KRAK!

SHK!

My God... Everyone watched in astonishment as Moka unleashed the perfect attack, blood poured from Kahlua's mouth as she bled internally from Moka's swift kick to her ribs. That sound... Ruby thought. Her ribs are shattered...and they pierced her organs... She did it...

"I'm sorry, sister," Moka voiced her condolences with a blank expression. "There was no other way-"

THK!

But even that wasn't enough to stop Kahlua, the blonde Vampire, fighting through gargled heaves of blood, swooped her amalgamation of an arm up...piercing Moka in her shoulder, her abdomen, and her arm. "AAAAAAHHHHHH!" Moka cries out in pain, blood spills from the corners of her mouth as she looks up at her sister. "Im...Impossible...not after what I did to... Are you fucking immortal?!"

"I'm sorry...sister," Kahlua, now with her teeth coated with her own blood raises the last wing over her head...but it does not come down.

DKDKDKDK!

SMASH!

Through the temple wall, a black-coated figure crashes through the stone and is slammed into a column. Moka, Tsukune, and the others immediately recognize him as he angrily gets back on his feet. "Is that all you got?! Come on!"

"Elijah?!" Kurumu shouted, her attention breaking away from Moka and her sister. I thought he was taking care of that creep, what is he doing?!

"Huh?" Elijah heard the voice of the Succubus, making his head turn. The green-colored eyes formed on his face squinted as he saw Moka being hurt by a person he'd never met. The young man growls at the blonde Vampire and faces her. "RAAAUUUGGGHHH!" Elijah dashes forward with his arms held out in front of him, ready to pounce on the woman hurting Moka and tear her apart...but he never made it within five feet of Kahlua. Someone had appeared and punched him into the wall once again, forming a cloud of dust and smoke from the impact.

"...What?" Kurumu couldn't believe who it was that appeared and slammed her friend into the marble wall, it was none other...than Miyabi Fujisaki, the man who violated Mizore. The Snow Fairy unconsciously hid herself behind her Succubus friend, her entire body shaking at his presence. He's still alive?! There's barely even a few scratches on him! What...what the hell is this man?!

"That will do, Kahlua," The dark-haired man turned to the blonde Vampire, placing a gentle hand on her tan shoulder. "That will do...for now."

"Mr. Fujisaki..." Kahula seemed surprised by his sudden presence, she removed her claw-like wings from Moka and her sister fell to the floor.

"Thanks to you, I've accomplished what I came here for. But what exactly are you up to now?" Miyabu looks around,m seeing all of the bloodshed Kahlua had caused. "I don't recall asking you to go on a killing rampage. Was this the boss' order? Did they tell you to massacre the village?"

"..."

Miyabi lets out a deep sigh after Kahlua's silence. "I caution you, Kahlua. No matter what the boss says, I am the one who hired you, you work for me. And I'm telling you now that you are under no orders to kill anyone."

"...R-Really?"

"Come..." He reached a hand out for the Vampire to take. "Let's go come, Kahlua."

"I don't have to kill anyone? You're...You're canceling my job?"

"Yes," Myabi sighed once again, speaking as if Kahlua were a mere child. "I'll speak to the boss about it."

"Then, my sisters...the people of the village..."

"Yes. They can live. All of them."

Now with her order cancelled, Kahlua's arm slowly returns back to normal. She groans from the pain shooting up her right limb and all of her other injuries, but nonetheless, she smiles gratefully at her little sister, Moka as she begins to fall to the floor. "I'm...so Glad. So glad..."

Before she can hit the ground unconsciously, Miyabu catches her in his arms and picks her up as if she were a princess. "The hell is your deal?" Moka asked, slightly wincing in pain. "Now you're helping me all of a sudden?"

"'Helping'?" Miyabi lets out a low chuckle. "Heavens, no... I didn't stop the fight to help you. You see, Kahlua here is able to block out all of her pain during the heat of battle," He removes a white handkerchief from his coat and gently washes away the blood from her mouth. "Combined with her Vampire strength and regenerative powers, that makes her pretty much invincible...but only for a short period of time. It also means she might not realize when she's been fatally wounded. If you had continued your fight, Kahlua would've been the first to die. So, congratulations," Miyabu slightly bows his head and smiles. "You and your friends win...this time. Now if you'll excuse me," He turns away, walking toward a door that leads to an outside balcony. "I'm going to take care of this girl's wounds."

"Hey!" Tsukune roared at the man before he could take another step, his teeth clamping down in anger. "Just because you helped doesn't mean you can just walk away, asshole! I still haven't forgotten what you've done to Mizore! Why...? What was the reason for all of this?! Tell me!"

The dark-cloaked man looked back at Tsukune with his cold grin...and the sound of helicopter blades whipping in the air pierced everyone's eardrums. "All shall be revealed...someday. But for now, I think you have more important matters to attend to," From behind appeared...an actual helicopter with its side door open, ready to take away Miyabi and Kahlua. "Until we meet again...young man."

The cold wind picks up as the helicopter takes off with the enemy escaping, Tsukune shields his face from the piercing wind as he runs outside...and watches helplessly the air vehicle fly away. They got away... "GET BACK HERE!" That's what he wanted to shout...but someone else beat him to it. Now back on his feet and with his fists clenched, Eliajh perched himself on the ledge of the balcony...ready to leap after the airborne vehicle. He's not going to... Tsukune didn't allow the question in his head to finish as he grabbed onto Elijah and there him back inside the temple with great strength, unintentionally breaking the glass door leading onto the balcony.

"Sorry, man..." He apologizes as his friend gets back to his feet. "I just..." But Tsukune cuts himself short as Elijah slowly turns his body toward him, the disfigured eyes on his face scowl in anger as Elijah lets out an animalistic, guttural growl produced from the back of his throat, creating a menacing and unsettling tone in the air around them. "W-Woah, dude..." Tsukune raises his hands, carefully showing Elijah he's not a threat. "It's...It's just me."

"RAAAAAAHHH!" Elijah roars, his head arching up to the ceiling.

"Tsukune! Run!"

"Elijah! That's Tsukune! Your friend!"

"No, guys!" Tsukune held a hand out as the others tried to get closer to them. "Stay back!"

"Are you crazy?!" Moka protested. "You're in no shape to fight!"

"I know! But this is between me and him...I can do this."

He said, but Tsukune still wasn't entirely sure if he could. He doesn't want to hurt Elijah, he's like a brother to him...but it feels like he might not have much of a choice. He takes a page from Moka's book...and feels like he just might have to beat that parasite out of Elijah. Tsukune removes his kimono, revealing his black tank top underneath drenched with blood and sweat that shaped his slightly toned muscles. He took his stance...the same one his opponent taught him. This was a fight he never thought he would have to face. Friend against friend... Brother VS brother... Even so, Tsukune stands strong and raises his fists.

"Come and get me, Elijah."

---

Tsukune

My eyes dart to my Holy Lock around my wrist, I can feel Moka's blood fueling my strength, and my eyes begin to glow red. I don't wanna do this, but I have no choice. Elijah screeched in rage before leaping toward me but I was ready for it, I dodged his attack, ducking out of the way and landing a punch on his side.

"Elijah, you can't just chase after them man, you'll get killed!"

"You're in the way, Tsukune!" Elijah snarled, his voice distorted and echoey, stabbing at my heart. Always in the way!" I continued to dodge as Elijah desperately tried to attack me. That parasite in his head was taking him over. Still, I had to try to get through to him. "I could've fixed everything!"

"How? By abandoning us and chasing after them to get yourself killed?" I retort, dodging and weaving around Elijah's tendrils. "That's not what friends do!"

"Don't try to mentor me! You're the one running away from your problems! You're the one who isn't strong enough!"

I clench my jaw as I duck from another attack, the words coming from my brother's mouth cut me like a knife but I do my best to keep my composure. "All I wanted was to protect our friends. Protect you!"

"You're not better than me!" I grunt as I barely manage to dodge the two tendrils coming out of Elijah's arm.

"I'm not saying that. You're stronger than some parasite, Elijah! Don't listen to it!"

"And what? Listen to you?!"

"Yes! Listen to me!" I landed back on my feet, thinking of how to get through to my best friend. "What are you so afraid of?!"

"I'm not afraid of anything!" After I leap forward in hopes of getting Elijah to the ground, he grabs onto my chest with a large tendril and slams me into the ground. This knocks the air out of my lungs and Elijah towers over me. "I need this power, it makes me a better Wizard!" His eyes meet my own, they widen at me and squint immediately right after. "You just want it for yourself!" Elijah picks me up a few feet off of the ground and slams me down again, I can feel my chest bleeding more...but I can't stop now. This monster is twisting my friend's thoughts, and I have to stop it.

"All I want is to save you!"

"I'm the hero! I don't get saved!" Elijah tried to punch me while I was down, but I managed to move my head just in time and plant my foot against his stomach. With a strong kick, I broke free from his grip and knocked him back a few feet. "Why are you doing this?! I made you! I turned you into a fighter! You owe me!"

I got to a crouching position as Elijah yelled, he got back on his own feet as well. The words sting, but my anger at the monster inside his head kept me focused. "I know you don't mean that!" I moved in close, I was now on the offensive as Elijah blocked my hits.

"All I wanted was to keep you all safe! To protect you all! To make you proud!" Elijah cried out...and he sounded hurt. "Kurumu, Mom, Dad, all of you... But now you guys think I'm the problem! You even made a group chat behind my back!" He knew...? "You think I'm the problem! But I'm not anymore!" Elijah found an opening in my offensive attacks, punching me in the gut and knocking me back. "I'm the solution!"

I flip myself back on my feet, my legs shaking a little. He's still in there somewhere, I can hear it in the way he's speaking. I just have to keep fighting! Elijah roared and lunged for me again, throwing a barrage of punches. I dodged and weaved away from the hits, managing to land a few of my own. Elijah is way stronger than I am, but the parasite is making him rely on his anger and rage rather than his instincts, this leaves him more open to getting hit more than before.

"RAAAH!" Elijah stretches out a large tentacle at me, attempting to grab onto me again but I front flip onto it just before it reaches me and launch myself at him, pinning him down to the ground with my hand on his chest and my knee on his stomach. "I can't let this go, I'm finally everything everyone needs me to be! I'm finally worthy enough to be the Blessed Child!"

"Yeah?" I gritted my teeth, I know this'll be harsh, but it could be enough to drill into Elijah's head. "You don't even talk to us anymore, man! And since when did you ever care about that title?!" Like he did to me, I pick him up a few feet from the ground and slam him down. The impact cracks the marble floor and his head makes a loud thud. "And what about Moka, Mizore, and Kurumu?! You could've killed them!" I slam him into the floor again, hoping that my eyes are meeting his underneath those green ones. "I know you're hurting, Elijah, but you're better than this!"

"...I know," For the first time...I could hear my brother. "I know...but... No," But it doesn't last for too long, his mind is struggling with the parasite in his head. "NOOOOO!" The Symbiote wasn't giving up so easily, Elijah pushed me back with a tendril forming from the center of his chest. I stumble backward with a pained yelp but I get back up and take my defensive stance.

I'm almost there, I just need to dig deeper. "Elijah, the people in my life, everyone I love, they keep getting in danger. Sometimes, they even almost died. I blame myself for not being strong enough to help! They all needed a hero and...if I thought some power could save them, maybe I'd be in your shoes right now!" Elijah tries to hit me with his tendrils, but they all miss and break the columns I dodge through. "But this kind of power is the very thing you fight against! It's this power that's what's wrong with the world! Not you, not me! You told me that yourself!"

"Shut up!"

The two of us were locked in a fierce battle, each of us was trying to gain the upper hand. The pain and exhaustion from my earlier fight are starting to catch up to me, we need to finish this before I... No, I can't think like that. I'm saving my friend...but I can't rely on physically beating him. Ruby told us that the parasite bonds with its host, creating a symbiotic relationship, hence why they were called, 'Symbiotes'. But in Elijah's case, this is pure parasitism. And the only way for the host to survive...is to get rid of the parasite itself.

"We have to be stronger than this, Elijah! This time...you have to save yourself!"

"Ngh... I...can't!"

I felt a twinge in my chest as I heard Elijah's desperate cry, I could feel his pain ringing out through the open room. I know for a fact that Elijah is somewhere under all of that. Even under all that darkness, my brother is fighting for his life, he just needs a little push. "You will, I know you will! I'm not losing you, Elijah!"

"NNNGGGHHHAAAAAA!" Elijah threw another tendril punch my way as I leaped toward him, I turned my body so it would miss me just by a hair. I landed on the ground and saw Elijah's punch go up and hit the bell hanging in the center of the room.

GONG!

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" The sound ringing of the bell echoes throughout the open room, filling it with a deep and resonating echo. Elijah's body immediately recoils from the sound...and the black ooze covering his body spasms out as he screeches in pain. "AAAUUUGGGHHH!"

Wait a minute... I think back to that moment on Parents' Day, when Elijah reacted the same way to that bell falling.

Elijah throws the tree back toward the school using the tendril and it goes right into the bell tower, the concrete crumbles and the bell from inside falls to the ground not too far from us, creating a loud gong sound.

GONG!

"AAAAHHHH!" Elijah screams in pain, he drops Ageha and Tsurara as the black substance around his body begins to spazz out. "AAAAUUUUGGGHHH!"

"That's it!"

"Tsukune!" Yukari calls out to me from the sidelines, she ignores her own pain to wave her wand. Instead of it being washtubs she makes appear, she laid out at least ten to twelve steel pipes before me. She nods at me and I know what I need to do now.

Thanks, Yukari. I take two of the metal beams in my hands and look right at my friend, he still has his head in his hands as he tries to block out the ringing. Sorry, man, but this is for your own good! "HAH!" I clang the metal pieces together, the sound reverberates through the room and Elijah cries out louder in pain...but I don't stop. I take a step closer to him and slam the pipes straight into the ground.

"AAAANNNNGGGHHH!"

"RAH!" I look to my left and see that Ruby has grabbed a few metal pipes like I did and followed my lead, we share a nod as I see the others are coming to help me too...even Inner Moka. "All together now!" We surround Elijah on all sides with the metal rods sticking out of the hardened floor, despite having to ignore the pained, tormented screams of our friend, we all hit the metal pipes constantly to keep the ringing going.

"AAAAAHHH!" Elijah falls to his knees, clutching his head tightly.

"Elijah..." My arms were getting heavier. "Come on man, just...just focus on us!"

"Fight it, Elijah!" Ruby cries out, hitting one of the pieces of metal once more.

"You're better than some stupid parasite!" Yukari adds. "Listen to us! We're your friends!"

"Fight it!" Moka speaks, wincing in her pain. "You really wanna die with the way you tried to leave all of us?!"

"You may be an ass, but if my sister's fighting to help you, you must be worth it!"

"Right on, Miss Kokoa! Whee!"

"Follow our voices!" Mizore begged him, her eyes stinging with tears. "We're right here!"

"Young...Everett..." A tiny voice called out from below me, I looked down and saw...Archimedes hobbling over in pain to help us. "Remember who you really are!"

"Elijah..." The last voice of our group breaks as she falls to her knees. I know that Kurumu is the one who's the most affected by this, I can't even begin to imagine what's going on in her head. But I know she wants more than anything to have her best friend back. "Please...come back to me."

"HA...Ha..." Our friend lets out a few exhausted heaves of breath before looking down at his hands, they begin to shake as he gripped them tightly. I hold my pipe at the ready and watch Elijah carefully as he struggles...my eyes widen after seeing what he does next. Elijah doubled over and brought both of his hands to the back of his head, he began to pull on the black ooze that was attached to his skin.

"Yes!" I cheered on. "That's it, dude!"

At first, it seemed that it wasn't coming off...I guess the parasite doesn't wanna give up so easily. So Elijah starts clawing at his own face, eventually pulling away the black ooze...revealing his pained face underneath. "Nnnngggh!"

"Keep going, Elijah!"

Now with his face revealed to us, Elijah tears off a small part of the black tissue away from his left arm...and it seemed to be reattaching itself afterwards as Elijah then moved his hands to his chest. "NNNGGGHHHAAAAAA!" Elijah rips away more of the ooze as he pulls his arms apart, revealing his bare-toned chest. The way he's screaming out in pain tells me more than enough, I can imagine that it feels like he's peeling off his own skin. But what really made my skin crawl was the fact I could hear the Symbiote screeching out in pain too, the excess ooze after being ripped off wriggling around as it tried to reattach to Elijah's body.

The others flinch at the sound of Elijah's screams, the sight of him forcibly removing the parasite from his body was both horrific...but somehow beautiful at the same time. "Stand back!" Ruby cried out, she hit the pipe to keep the ooze that was torn away from moving any closer to us. "Don't let it touch you!"

"When the moment's right, well get him out!" Yukari adds with her wand at the ready, she looks up at Ruby and they share a nod.

"Hah...hah..." Elijah, now having torn off what was left of the parasite from his boy, was on his hands and knees as he breathed heavily. I can hear the raspiness and husk in his voice.

"Now!" Waving their wands, Ruby and Yukari lifted Elijah from the ground and levitated him over to us and away from the black ooze that was still wriggling around in pain on the ground.

"Elijah!" Kurumu caught his head before it could hit the ground, seeing that she was closer to the ground than the rest of us. The others immediately rush over to his side as Kurumu rests his head on her thigh, her finger lightly brushing his slightly sweaty hair from his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Nnnghhaaaarauuuurrooooreeeaughhh…"

That sound... Elijah's mouth was moving as he groaned...but it wasn't him that made that noise. I slowly turned my head back...and my eyes widened at the source of what made that sound. The living black ooze was reforming itself despite being forcibly torn away from Elijah's body, it twisted and contorted as it made itself bigger than all of us. Forming at the top of the mass was...a large monstrous face with razor-sharp teeth, it screeched down at us like a dying, rabid animal...and I could just feel the intent to kill radiating from it.

"SCREEEE!"

"AAAHHH!"

GONG!

The symbiote recoils again at the sound of a metal pipe banging against another, only this time...it was Elijah holding the metal rod in his hands. Without us even realizing it, he fought through his exhaustion and managed to stand up to face the very creature that tormented him for so long. I was about to step in to help him before he hurt himself, but I stopped once he glared back at me with...glowing blue eyes. Most of my worries seemed to wash away once I saw the mark on his left arm glow the same ethereal blue.

"Stand back..." He tells us in a calm but firm tone before he faces the spasming creature, Elijah then spreads his hands outward, engulfing them in beautiful blue flames. We and the Symbiote recoil at the sudden rising heat...but I could feel a grin tugging at the corners of my lips as he raised his flaming limbs over his head. "I made you a promise..."

Go get 'em, Elijah.

"DIE!"

Elijah slams his arms in a downward motion, unleashing a whirlwind of flames onto the Symbiote that begins to dissolve upon impact. The monster screeches in pain as Elijah roars with the swirling rage in his heart, his determination pushing him beyond his limits but making sure he will win. We watch in absolute awe as the blue flames die down, the Symbiote lets out a few desperate final squeals...and the last of any of that monster is finally incinerated. I let out a long breath of air I didn't even know I was holding onto...it's finally over. Elijah turns back to face the rest of us, his eyes burning with exhaustion...along with a few of his tears.

"Guys...I'm...so..." His words trailed off, he could barely even stand on his own two feet. Thankfully, Kurumu was able to catch him before he fell to the floor. With the help of Mizore, they carefully lower our friend down on the stone floor and the rest of us gather around him.

"Elijah..." Kurumu softly whispered as her finger traced along Elijah's face, I kneeled down beside her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Is it...Is it finally over?"

"Let me see him," We give Ruby some room, she closes her eyes and lightly presses her fingers onto Elijah's face before silently reciting to herself. "Tenebris Revelare..." Seconds of silence pass before Ruby opens her eyes, she smiles as she looks up at the rest of us. "Yes," She allowed herself to let out a happy sob. "Any trace of dark magic within him is...gone."

A sense of relief washed over us as Ruby's words sank in, I let out a sigh as I looked over my friend's exhausted face. I can't read his thoughts, but I can imagine the emotional weight that's been lifted from his head...because I feel the same.

It's good to have you back, brother.

"Fairy Tale," Mizore's distaste for those words breaks our attention away from our friend. The Snow Fairy looks around at the sheer destruction caused by the series of unfortunate events that occurred today. "They did this to my home..."

She was right, and I fear that this will not be the last time we see them. I can still hear that man's condescending tone stinging at the back of my head. 'You and your friends win...this time.' Bullshit. He lied straight through his teeth, he was toying with us. I could feel it in my bones, he could've killed all of us if he wanted to. This is not good...

"We need to get stronger..."

---

Mizore

With the events of the snow village finally over, and peace is restored...for now. The students of Yokai Academy have gathered their belongings and are now gathered before the bus that shall take them back to their beloved school, most of their injuries have been tended to and healed thanks to Yukari's healing magic, and Archimedes will be able to make full recovery. Unfortunately, he will not be able to fly for a short period of time. Based on reports, many were injured from Elijah's rampage and only one man was found dead on the temple grounds, the same one that Kahlua had forced out of the window and plummeted to his death. After a thorough explanation from Ruby, the Snow Oracle was kind enough to understand that Elijah was truly not himself and held no ill intent toward the young man. As for his condition...

Elijah still remained unconscious, Ruby theorizes that the amount of physical and mental turmoil he's been through for the past two weeks is to blame. The Witch also believes that even when Elijah wakes up, it will take some time before he can even start behaving like his old self again. As for now, he'll be taken to the infirmary back at Yokai Academy until he reawakens. As for now, everyone prepared to depart from Mizore's home and said their farewells to her mother. And much to their surprise, the Snow Oracle had come along to offer her goodbyes.

"I offer you all my deepest gratitude," The elder bows. "Thanks to you, all of you, our village may live in peace another day. And from this day forth, we will no longer burden our people with decrees and prophecies. I see no need now. After all," The Snow Oracle stands up straight, tilting her head as she smiles at the young students. "You saved this village by defying my prophecy."

"Hey, guys," Ruby calls to her friends. "The Bus Driver says we'll be leaving soon." They all share a nod and start piling onto the bus, all but a certain Snow Fairy after hearing the Snow Oracle calling her by name.

"Mizore Shirayuki," She turns back to her, not knowing what she could have to say. "I apologize for treating you so harshly...even if it was for the good of the village."

"Snow Oracle," Mizore found herself feeling perplexed by her apologetic tone.

"But I still have one more prophecy that I must share with you," The elder woman waves her hand, and an ethereal white light beams from her palm where the spirit of Jack Frost appeared once again, only now it was a smaller version. "Be careful, Mizore Shriayuki..." The spirit spoke, its voice deep as before and remaining so sure of itself. "I can sense that three of those young ones you associate yourself with share a unique destiny, something even greater than preserving the land of the Snow Fairies. Specifically, the ones named Moka Akashiya, Tsukune Aono, and Elijah Everett..." Mizore looks back to the bus where her friends are now seated as they wait for her. She's not entirely sure what the fortune-telling spirit meant, but there was one thing she knew for sure... "It's as if their fate will shape the entirety of our world," The spirit continued on. "I am telling you this to warn you, Mizore Shirayuki. You should not consult yourself with dangerous people like that, so perhaps it would be wise if-"

"I don't care how dangerous it is!" Mizore shouts, interrupting the spirit. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out another one of her grape-flavored suckers. "My time back home has made me finally see what really matters to me...and where I belong," She opens her candy and pops it into her mouth with a smile. "I'm going with my friends, no matter what fate awaits me."

"Hmm..." The spirit of Jack Frost hums, taking in Mizore's words before it nods. "Very well, if this is what you wish..."

"Then I do wish you all take care of yourselves," The Snow Oracle finishes the spirit's sentence with an understanding grin. "And may all of your futures shine like the snow upon a sunny day."

"Thank you, Snow Oracle," Mizore nods before she turns to the bus, but the young Snow Fairy is stopped, spun around, and brought into a warm hug from Tsurara. "Mother?" Surprised by her sudden gesture, Mizore doesn't hug her back immediately.

"Mizore..." Tsurara fights to keep her composure as she holds onto her daughter tightly. "I know I haven't been the mother you deserve, and I can never take back what that...revolting creature did to you, but you must know," Tsurara pulled herself back and lowered her stance so she could be at eye level with Mizore, her arms holding her shoulders firmly as a few tears escape from her eyes. "You are the most precious thing in my life, I was truly blessed to have someone as kind and strong as you as my daughter...and I'm ashamed of the kind of person I was when I was raising you. I made a vow long ago that I would never become the wretched woman who raised me in their household...and I failed you as a mother, I see that now."

"Mother!" Mizore immediately returns her mother's hug, wrapping her arms around her neck and holding her tightly. "That's not true, I was the one who was blessed to be born from someone as caring as you. I would never want anyone else to be my mother..."

"Mizore..." Tsurara holds her daughter close, allowing a happy sob to escape her pale lips. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Mother."

"Go now," Mizore removes herself from their hug, wiping her tears with a soft sniff. "Go with your friends, and remember, you all are welcome here anytime. And never forget just how much you are loved."

"I know, Mother," Mizore nods, her body turns to the bus and she gives her mother one final wave. "Goodbye, Mother."

"Goodbye, my child." Tsurara smiles and waves back as Mizore steps into the bus, the doors and the vehicle begins its journey back to Yokai Academy. The young Snow Fairy makes her way to the back of the bus where a certain Wizard boy remains unconscious in the back seat, along with a Succubus who silently watches over him. "Hey."

Kurumu sees Mizore take a seat next to her. "Hey..."

"How is Elijah looking?"

"...I wish he would wake up," Kurumu places a hand over his chest, feeling the gentle heartbeat underneath his shirt. "...Tsukune's right," Her words made Mizore tilt her head in confusion as Kurumu's left hand tightly clenched into a fist, and an angry frown formed on her face as well. "We have to get stronger, we need to be better when we face Fairy Tale once again. None of us are a match for them right now."

Mizore laughs softly. "Are you sure you wanna keep training with me? I might betray you, or trample on your generosity again, or even-"

"Will you quit it with that?!" Kurumu cuts her off with a hushed shout. "The same goes for me, I might try and get ahead of you if the opportunity comes, but..." She looks down at Elijah's sleeping face, knowing what she means by that. "So what? Just because we're rivals in love..." Kurumu's gaze meets Mizore's once again, this time bearing a genuine smile. "doesn't mean we can't be friends, right?"

"..." Mizore sighs a soft exhale through her nostrils, this time meaning her words when she says with a smile. "I wouldn't want it any other way."