Rosario Vampire Fan Fiction ❯ He Who Fights Monsters ❯ Knife's Edge ( Chapter 6 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: hawker_748 
Anime/Manga: Rosario Vampire Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Hentai | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.21.2013 | Pages: 4 | Words: 7.5K | Visits: 620 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Rosario Vampire Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Hentai | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.21.2013 | Pages: 4 | Words: 7.5K | Visits: 620 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: See Chapter One
Rosario + Vampire:
He Who Fights Monsters…
Chapter Six: Knife's Edge
Written by: Hawker_748
Tsukune sat up slowly and rubbed the sand out of his eyes, giving his clock a baleful look. 6:13 on a Monday morning. Too early to get up for school, but there was no way he'd be able to sleep again, so he might as well get ready for another school day. Running his left hand through his hair and idly scratching his scalp, Tsukune scowled as details of his dreams became clearer. The night before hadn't been a fluke, the way he dreamed seemed to have changed.
He'd had the occasional wet dream before, he was a normal growing male. Hormone wise at least. And Tsukune had been forced to endure nightmares every single night since he'd arrived. But now he was having them both. At the same time. And in both cases, the same person was both the source of the horror, and the lust. Also at the same time. 'I've never heard of anyone having wet nightmares before,' Tsukune told himself, frowning as he took note of the sticky mess in his boxer shorts.
Letting out a breath the human slipped out of bed, pulled off his sweat soaked shirt and pushed down his underwear, tossing both of them in the hamper. Stepping into the shower, Tsukune let the hot water wash over him, sluicing off the sweat and grime; at least he'd been able to get rid of the chest wraps yesterday, his ribs healed up enough that they didn't ache with every breath anymore. As he lathered up he unconsciously shuddered as a vivid image from his dream came to him, the odd combination of fear and lust making him worry for his sanity.
If he didn't do something to stop these new wet nightmares, Tsukune suspected that he'd end up single-handedly buying some psychiatrist a new condo when he was older. Provided the doctor didn't listen to his story and then immediately have Tsukune committed as clearly insane.
The call to his parents the day before had also been awkward to Tsukune, having to make it sound as if the date had been a disappointment, only without going into detail on why. He hadn't mentioned the kiss, or having to eat a bug, figuring the less his mom and dad knew the better. When his mom tried pressing for more information, Tsukune had mumbled something about a long line up at the phones and ended the call. He'd spent as much of Sunday as he could in his room, skipping breakfast and lunch, not wanting to be the subject of yet more gossip in the cafeteria over the very public display of affection Keito had given him. He'd made the call home, then eaten as late as he could, wolfing down his food and trying to be discrete, but overhearing a few students mentioning his name in hushed whispers.
Rinsing off the soap and letting the hot water flowing over him kick his weary mind into full alertness, Tsukune turned off the tap and reached for a towel, drying off in front of a fogged up mirror. He wiped it off and scowled when he got a good look at his reflection. Without the wraps covering his chest he could see the collection of scars he'd picked up. Some were from his first couple of days at Youkai Academy, others from fighting off Guno Yasai's attempt at revenge. Even his 'girlfriend' had left bruises on his arm when she'd been affectionate.
Still, when he considered how many dangers he'd faced since arriving, a nice collection of scars seemed to be getting off lucky. And while his body continued to give notice of its injuries, at least they were healing, albeit slower than he liked. Aside from having to deal with the amorous attention from a possibly sociopathic spider woman, he hadn't been hurt that bad, and he was almost back to full strength.
Tsukune pursed his lips as he considered Keito for perhaps the hundredth time. She'd forced herself on him with no regard for his feelings, saying he really wanted it when he'd been unable to break free. He'd been effectively violated, and he was fortunate that she'd had other plans, or who knew how far she might have gone.
Now if only he could say that all of him agreed with that sentiment…
Considering his dreams, the sticky messes Tsukune'd discovered in his boxers these two mornings, and the dark thrill that had run up his spine, he couldn't tell whether he was more horrified or turned on. The kiss had been forced upon him, but it had still been one helluva kiss. Resolving to make sense of his feelings later, probably a few years after he was able to transfer out, Tsukune finished drying off, combed his hair, and got dressed, mostly on autopilot. Making sure his weapons were securely on his person, and clearing away the slightly reassuring barricade from the door, the human made his way to the cafeteria for breakfast, and to do some studying before class started.
If the students in the cafeteria had heard about the kiss between Keito and Tsukune, they were at least quite discrete about it. No fingers were pointed, and any chatter was muffled enough that he couldn't hear it, but one student gave Tsukune a sly grin, arching his eyebrows lecherously before returning his attention back to his meal. Eating in his usual silence, and keeping careful watch for his supposed romantic rival, Tsukune flipped through his notebooks, discovering he was having some difficulty keeping focused. Gnashing his teeth in frustration, he forced himself to push images of affectionate arachnids out of his mind and replace them with cold, dispassionate mathematics.
It was half an hour later when it dawned on Tsukune that he hadn't seen any sign of Harunobu since Saturday. Granted, he'd mostly stayed in his room Sunday, but the jealous rival had been a nearly constant presence around Tsukune since the first date with Keito. He looked around, but unless Harunobu had dramatically improved his stealthiness, there was no trace of him anywhere. Contrary to his expectations, this made Tsukune even more uneasy, as the other guy hadn't seemed like the type to just give up and walk away.
Tsukune spent the rest of his time keeping his eyes peeled for Harunobu, or his girlfriend, half expecting either of them to just pop up without warning. Given his luck, they'd both show up simultaneously. But despite his fears, no one interrupted the rest of his breakfast, even though he wasn't able to get any productive studying done. He was relieved when the time came for him to head to class, and Tsukune packed his satchel and began walking, wondering when the other shoe would drop.
When he reached his class, Ms. Nekonome's ears flattened right against her head, and she practically hissed at him, and he was certain that she knew about the kiss. He wouldn't have been surprised if Keito had told her personally. Not needing to act to look guilty, Tsukune slunk to his desk, briefly making eye contact with the long haired girl who sat next to him. She quickly averted her eyes, but Tsukune thought he saw a hurt look before she looked away.
When his teacher took attendance and started class, Tsukune concentrated on the lesson, finding it easier to focus on his studies than deal with the newest difficulty attending a school for monsters had stirred up.
XXX
Tsukune glanced up at the clock, feeling profound relief that it would soon be lunch. The entire morning's classes had been awkward; he'd known that Ms. Nekonome didn't approve of him seeing Keito, and news of the kiss, even if he'd been unwilling, hadn't done anything to change her mind. What he hadn't expected was for her to be so petty about it. When she'd started the class, she'd ask who knew an answer, and she never called on Tsukune, no matter how many times he raised his hand. The first time he didn't know the answer and kept his hand down, she called on him.
After three times, Tsukune raised his hand if he couldn't answer a question, and kept it down if he could. He felt a rather childish and petty satisfaction at the look on his teachers face when he surprised her by telling her the capital of North Dakota was Bismarck. If that had been the end of it, Tsukune would have been understanding of her feelings.
However, Ms. Nekonome just seemed to take it as a challenge…
While she didn't completely ignore her other students, Tsukune came close to having a one on one teaching session with Shizuka, as she began going beyond what she had taught, and watching him carefully, asking him questions if he seemed not to understand. Feeling his own hackles rising, Tsukune did he best to not give her the satisfaction of seeing him struggling, even though the questions got harder and harder. When he happened to glance around to buy another second to think of a reply, he noticed that some of his classmates were taking amusement at his predicament. A few had even closed their books and were leaning back in their chairs, openly enjoying the show.
During the break between classes, Tsukune heard someone stage-whisper, 'lover's quarrel,' and the snickering that caused made him feel like a fool. The rest of the morning had been interminable, and when the clock finally reached noon, Tsukune got to his feet as quick as he could, wanting nothing more than to get away from the entire awkward situation. He'd just picked up his bag when the door to the class opened and Harunobu Kouji walked in.
"This ends today, Aono!"
Tsukune felt his jaw tighten; the last thing in the world he'd needed was yet another source of irritation. "I'm sorry, what ends?" he asked through clenched teeth.
"Today I make Keito mine!" Harunobu announced. "I finally figured out why she likes you…"
"Do tell." Tsukune was a little curious about that himself.
"She likes that you always stay human, so that's how I'll beat you!"
Tsukune's eyes narrowed. "Beat me?"
"I'm challenging you to a fight, in human form, right here, right now," the jealous suitor declared. "The winner gets Keito."
Tsukune was certain the spider woman wouldn't think much of being thought of as property. While letting Harunobu beat him might be an acceptable way to palm Keito off and get her off his back, he was sure that she wouldn't agree to the terms and keep an interest in Tsukune regardless. And on another note, if he let this guy beat him, it might encourage other monsters to challenge him, and Tsukune didn't want that.
Harunobu was brazenly standing in front of him, an arrogant smirk on his face. But Tsukune noticed that his hands were by his side, and he was positioned completely open, not even angled away to present a smaller target profile. His romantic rival might have decided he wanted to fight in human form, but it was obvious he didn't know the first thing about it. Tsukune could hear his classmates talking in hushed tones, speculating on the outcome of the fight, and in a few cases placing bets. The door to the class was also open, and passers-by were looking in, blocking his escape path, drawn by the commotion Harunobu had caused with his brash statement.
Tsukune looked over his rival's shoulder and his eyes suddenly went wide with shock. "What the hell…?"
Harunobu quickly turned his head to see. "What-?"
Harunobu had never had a lot of success in his life; he'd never been that strong, and he'd been forced to be a bystander for most of his life. Even when there'd been a chance for him, he'd almost always wasted it, usually because of some incredibly stupid mistake. Taking his eyes off of Tsukune Aono after challenging him was simply his most recent…
Leg muscles hardened by months of running powered his foot forward in a vicious kick to Harunobu's groin, causing the monster to let out an agonized shriek, and had some of the male spectators wincing in sympathy. The monster clutched himself with both hands, hunching over in an attempt to stop the pain, only to have Tsukune take hold of his head and drive a knee into his opponents face three times, breaking teeth and turning cries of pain to wet mumbles.
Tsukune was a little surprised that Harunobu was still conscious, and he slammed his head against Ms. Nekonome's desk. It was old, solid oak, and built to last. The monster's head connected with a solid thud, the wooden surface not yielding an inch, and Harunobu dropped bonelessly to the floor, blood flowing from his ruined face as he lay motionless on the ground.
Letting out a breath, Tsukune looked up from his handiwork and saw his teacher gaping at him, the rest of the class in stunned silence. He felt like he should explain himself, but Harunobu had literally been asking for it, and since he didn't want to appear as if he thought he was in the wrong, he didn't bother making an excuse. Giving Ms. Nekonome a vaguely apologetic look, he hadn't wanted her to get caught up in his problems, Tsukune bent down to pick up his bag where he'd dropped it.
"B-bastard… This… isn't… over…" Harunobu rasped suddenly.
The fallen monster's skin was rippling like water, and an inhuman hissing burbled through ruined lips. Harunobu's head lifted slowly, his hands starting to grow, and when he turned to face his opponent, his eyes were a glowing, evil green.
Then Tsukune smashed the corner of a student's desk onto his head, driving it back into the floor. The sickening crunch was still echoing when the human lifted the desk back up and crushed it back down on the hapless monster. The third strike sent a spatter of blood all over Tsukune's pants and shoes. The fourth blow caused Harunobu's skull to shatter like an egg under a pile driver.
Again and again Tsukune brought the desk down onto the monster's head, each hit crushing bone and brain, a wet crunching sound punctuating the bang of each strike. Harunobu was motionless on the floor, only twitching when Tsukune used the desk to inflict more traumas on his brain. By now the monster's head looked like a crockery pot that had been full of chilli and then thrown against the floor. The human knew that his opponent was dead, but he continued to slam the desk into the blood and gore, the ongoing stress and anger finally being released. Tsukune might have continued smashing the desk down, but he managed to hear a desperate cry through the fog of his rage.
"Stop!"
Tsukune paused, the desk over his head, gore dripping from the corner. Through the ragged gasps of his breathing, he realized that Ms. Nekonome had been screaming for him to end his assault, and he saw the look of shocked horror on her face. The sound of retching reached his ears, and Tsukune glanced over his shoulder to see two of his classmates vomiting at the carnage he'd caused, and a few others looking green. Lowering the desk, the human surveyed his work; Harunobu was obviously dead, his head smashed beyond any recognition. His corpse was also the most human looking of any of his victims, and to anyone who hadn't known the circumstances, it looked as if Tsukune had simply murdered someone.
Kenichi had been burnt to ashes; Guno had literally been washed away. But Harunobu's remains were just sitting there, flies beginning to swarm around his ruined head. This had been the hardest Tsukune had ever worked to kill someone, but other than being tired, he felt nothing else. There was a faint twinge of another emotion, but Tsukune wouldn't acknowledge that it was satisfaction. Using his fingers to touch his face, they came away with red spots, and he realized he'd need to wash up before going to lunch. A quick glance at his classmates, and through the door of his class, revealed disbelief, and more than a few respectful nods.
One obvious exception was Saizo, who gave him a contemptuous sneer from his desk. Moka Akayashi, the school idol, scowled as she approached him, and Tsukune wondered if he'd have to fight her as well.
"How can you be so… so… human?" Her voice was dripping with disappointment.
"Human?" Tsukune murmured.
"You're the most ruthless student here." Moka walked by carefully, acting as if she was afraid she'd catch something by brushing against him, joined outside the class by the young witch, Yukari Sendou. The bruises had cleared, and her arm wasn't in a sling anymore, but she was apparently still as insufferable as she'd ever been. She just was more careful in who she chose to antagonize than she'd first been.
Tsukune thought about what she had said, then realized he was hungry, and he picked up his satchel, leaving the class without even a look back. After using a sink in the washroom to wash his face and hands, the water running pink for a bit, Tsukune dried off with paper towels and went to the cafeteria to eat.
XXX
Tsukune hadn't really paid attention as he entered the cafeteria and got in line, not noticing the meal until it was on his tray. Pasta with meat sauce. It kind of looked like what Harunobu's head had been like after he'd crushed it. As he headed for his usual table, he recalled his latest murder, playing it out over in his mind as he sat. Before he'd arrived at Youkai Academy, the visceral nature of Harunobu's death would have made him nauseous. Now it didn't faze him as he took a forkful of pasta and began chewing.
Considering how fast word about his previous actions had spread, Tsukune suspected that everyone would have heard about it before lunch ended. As he looked around, the solitary human noticed the people at other tables were whispering amongst themselves, and occasionally gesturing in his direction. Tsukune let out a short breath. At least he didn't have to worry about Keito's unlucky suitor stalking him anymore. He also didn't bother keeping an eye out for the Enforcers; he'd already killed two students before this one, and he'd never had to answer for either of those.
His meal was thankfully undisturbed this time, and after clearing his tray, and making a quick detour to the school's administrative offices, Tsukune headed back to class, pretending not to notice the guarded looks some of the students gave him in the hallway, or the way they seemed to stop talking as he passed. He kept himself alert, on the off chance that Harunobu had a vengeful friend who'd be out for his blood, but he wasn't really expecting that to be a problem.
"-guy had to be nuts, what was he thinking?" a voice came from the classroom.
"Yeah, picking a fight with Aono like that? He musta had a death wish…" another student chimed in. The speaker looked over his shoulder and flinched a little when he saw Tsukune in the doorway.
Tsukune just walked in, not bothering to react to any of the discussion about him, and not seeing the way the speaker slumped with relief. The first thing that did register with him was that Harunobu's body was gone, and the class had been cleaned so well there was barely a trace of what had happened, except for dents in the floorboards where the desk had struck them. This had been the first time that a clean-up had been required, and Tsukune wondered if the school's custodial staff took care of it, or maybe one of the other students had simply eaten the body and licked the rest clean.
The fact that neither of those notions disturbed him had Tsukune wondering whether he was even human anymore. Everyone else seemed fine with what had happened, and they'd even cleaned up virtually all the evidence, save for the spatter that still covered his clothes. Looking down at himself, Tsukune raised an eyebrow when he noticed a rather sizeable speck of matter on the lapel of his jacket. 'Oh, wait, that's just some sauce I spilled at lunch,' he realized. He idly used his finger to pick it up and ate it, deciding that the Cafeteria made a pretty good Bolognese sauce.
His classmates didn't realize what the spot had actually been, and many were awestruck by the off-hand way he'd done that.
Ms. Nekonome walked into the classroom, took attendance again –Saizo had taken the afternoon off, as usual- and resumed the lesson from the morning. Tsukune noticed that the normally upbeat teacher seemed far more reserved now, and she'd stopped the little game she'd been playing with him earlier, not asking him questions when his hand wasn't up. He barely even recalled the class after lunch, not once even trying to participate, and Ms. Nekonome all but ignored him. Tsukune spent the afternoon thinking about how little he was feeling about what he'd done, and just noticing that between classes, his classmates made a few cautious attempts to talk to him, a few of them talking to him as if he was an upperclassman.
When the school day came to an end, Tsukune walked out of the class and returned to his room, showering and changing clothes, doing a little studying before going down for dinner. When he reached the cafeteria, a classmate of his allowed him to enter the line in front of him, and Tsukune nodded faintly at that. The way Youkai Academy seemed to reward cruelty had once horrified him, but it was getting easier to accept, something that Tsukune felt should have bothered him more than it did.
Tsukune ate slowly, alone at the table he'd always used, knowing that people were whispering about him at other tables, but not letting it affect him. The overly pragmatic part of his mind even decided that it might be a good thing, as it was less likely that he'd have to deal with anyone else before he was able to transfer to a human school, and put the entire nightmarish situation behind him
"Tsukune-chaaaaaan…"
The human nearly jumped out of his chair in fright; the syrupy sweet voice had been right behind him, and he'd had no idea someone had gotten that close. Mentally cursing his lack of attention, and feeling lucky that his guest hadn't been planning any violence, Tsukune managed to force out "H-hello Keito…"
The spider woman took a seat without asking, as usual, but this time she sat next to him instead of across the table. "I heard about what happened at lunch."
"Word must get around," Tsukune replied weakly.
Keito was practically beaming. "I had no idea you could be so romantic."
"Romantic…?"
"Showing that idiot that you were willing to fight for me," Keito gushed. "Even if you'd lost I wouldn't be caught dead with him, but I knew you wouldn't lose."
"Wait… You knew what he was planning?" Tsukune murmured.
"Of course," Keito replied dismissively. "But I knew you'd take him out for me."
"I didn't do it for you," Tsukune hissed, his hackles rising at the spider woman's carefree attitude.
Keito smiled indulgently. "No need to be so modest," she told him, before she leaned close, holding his head in place with her right hand. Tsukune shuddered when he felt her breath tickling his ear. "I've made sure I'm free this weekend," Keito whispered. "When we finish our date, I'll invite you in to… look at my stamp collection…"
Tsukune's chopsticks dropped from nerveless fingers as his mind seized up. Keito gently bit his earlobe and then pulled back, a smile on her face that was nowhere near innocent. She got up and slowly walked away, her skirt playfully swinging from side to side, not caring that Tsukune had gone as pale as a ghost, frozen solid for a few moments after the spider woman made her exit.
Lurching to his feet, abandoning his meal, any trace of hunger driven away by terror, Tsukune scrambled to his room, not even stopping to apologize to the students he collided with in his frantic dash. In his room, door locked and barricade erected, the human trembled in fear, trying desperately not to think about what would happen in less than a week. Tsukune still had the bug bombs in his closet, but he had no idea if they would work on his girlfriend, and if they weren't up to the task he didn't think he could take her in a fight if she was serious. Ambushing her might work, but he didn't have anything that could do enough damage to guarantee Keito wouldn't be able to launch a vengeful counterattack.
After half an hour of acting like a terrified animal, Tsukune managed to calm down enough to consider things more rationally. He still couldn't think of a way out of this predicament, but he took some consolation that he was in better health than he'd been in some time. There was also a chance that he'd have another inspired flash of brilliance and figure out a way to take Keito down. Shambling into the bathroom, his shaking hands turning on the tap and splashing water on his face to calm down more, Tsukune slipped into bed. Again his dreams were both erotic and horrifying, leaving him covered with the cold sweat of fear and the warm sweat of lust.
XXX
The next day had been a blur to Tsukune; starting with a night of sleep that was as frightening as it was torridly sensual, being so rattled that he'd only been able to keep vigilant, and remember nothing about breakfast, his morning classes, lunch, and anything that had been taught after that. The idea that he was sexually attracted to Keito, at least as far as his subconscious was concerned, disturbed him, even though he'd admit she was rather lovely. But since she'd all but guaranteed he'd get lucky that weekend, Tsukune couldn't keep his thoughts focused, scared of what that might lead to. He was a nervous wreck by the end of his classes, barely even acknowledging anyone's presence, even when Saizo had made a few especially disparaging anti-human remarks.
Slipping his book into his bag, grateful that there was a cross-country run after school, those always gave him a chance to clear his head, Tsukune let out a terrified yelp when someone touched his shoulder. When he saw it was just Ichiro, he sagged in relief, feeling embarrassed at making a fool of himself.
"Wound a little tight?" Ichiro asked the shaken human.
"Sorry, just had a bad night's sleep," he admitted.
The werewolf nodded in understanding. "I'm glad I was able to reach you, this time."
"This time?"
"A lot of us have exams this week, so I decided to cancel tonight's run," Ichiro explained.
"I see," Tsukune grimaced in disappointment. "Can we run on our own, like last time?"
"That's my boy," Ichiro replied proudly. "Yes, by all means, go ahead."
"Thanks," Tsukune told him solemnly. "You're a good guy."
Ichiro looked a little awkward. "Don't get all misty on me, I'll see you Thursday."
"Right. Thursday. You take care…"
"Later." Ichiro gave a final nod and walked out of the class, leaving Tsukune to finish packing his bag.
The human was the last one out of the class, and he turned around and gave it a quick look before making his way back to his dorm room. Once inside, he changed into his running clothes, slipped his improvised weapons into their hiding places, and slipped a few additional things into his pockets, then left the room. Tsukune made his way to where the cross country club usually mustered, and began stretching, his heart beating faster than normal today. Satisfied that he was sufficiently loosened up, he began running along the same path he'd used the first time he'd ever run alone.
After a few minutes he'd passed all the school buildings, the chattering and activity of students fading away until there was only silence. Resisting the impulse to go flat out, Tsukune kept his normal pace, following along the cliff edge, idly noticing that the view wasn't bad, and that he could even learn to like it.
But Tsukune had no intention of ever seeing it again.
When the cross country president had told him the normal run had been cancelled, Tsukune'd had an epiphany. His visit to the school's administrative office at lunch the day before had confirmed that it would be at least a few months before he could transfer out of Youkai Academy. So he'd decided to simply make a break for it after Ichiro mentioned he could run on his own. As Tsukune had made his way to his room to change, he'd found himself wondering why he hadn't left after all the violence he'd seen and been forced to take part in, but a promise of sex from his girlfriend had him running for the hills.
At any other school, fleeing from the prospect of a physical relationship with an attractive woman would have made Tsukune question his sanity, or perhaps his sexual orientation. But at Youkai Academy, nothing was ever as it initially appeared. Tsukune knew that black widow spiders devoured their mates afterwards; he had no idea whether or not Keito was somehow related to the black widow, and he had no intention of finding out the hard way.
Even if she didn't believe that an after sex snack should consist of her partner, being that close to her made it very, very likely she'd be able to figure out what species he was, and given what she's said about humanity, that wouldn't be healthy for Tsukune either. A pre-emptive strike might have worked, but even if it did, taking out an Enforcer might bring the rest of them on top of him. And Tsukune figured he had enough blood on his hands already, and he didn't want to add more.
In addition to bringing along his usual improvised weapons, Tsukune had taken along his wallet, which held every piece of identification he had. The school file on him was apparently missing some information on where he lived in the outside world, and if someone decided to come after him, they'd have to find that out for themselves. It was more likely that the school wouldn't even notice if he went missing, considering how little of a deal they made over the three students he'd already killed. 'They'll probably just assume something dragged me away and ate me…'
Granted, just up and leaving Youkai Academy would cause him some difficulties when he got home. Without transfer papers, he'd be unable to resume classes until the following year, but that was a price he was willing to accept. His parents would also be disappointed, but if they were willing to ostracize him over that, after what he'd been through he no longer cared. Being a ronin may have been a source of shame, but you had to be alive to be ashamed, and after his time here, he'd never take that for granted again.
When Tsukune looked up and saw the tunnel, he had to suppress an urge to cheer, and simply start going flat out. He had no idea how long that tunnel was, and he didn't want to tire himself out running through it. And if the school did send something in pursuit, Tsukune wanted to have the energy to make a sprint to escape; once he was through, it didn't matter if he dropped and passed out, he'd be able to call his folks, or a cab, or do something to make himself safe.
But as the entrance grew closer with every stride, Tsukune realized that there were a few things about Youkai Academy that he would actually miss. Being on his own was nice, and while being back home would be wonderful, it had been nice to experience life without his parents. The cross country president, Ichiro, had been pretty close to being a friend, and Tsukune felt a touch of regret at not seeing him again, even if his friendly gestures hurt like hell.
Ms. Nekonome had been one of the best teachers he'd ever had, the enthusiasm she brought to her classes was contagious, and she'd always looked out for him. Tsukune figured he probably had had a schoolboy crush on her, and he was sorry that one of the last memories of her would be the petty disagreement they'd had the day before, which had lead into his third homicide of the semester. If he hadn't known better, he would have figured that she'd almost been jealous of the relationship he had with Keito.
Even Keito was the unexpected source of a few good memories; he'd come to like spending the occasional meal with her, and the afternoon they'd collected insects was almost like a normal date between two ordinary people. She'd also been his first kiss, albeit without his consent, but it was far nicer than he would be willing to admit. She was also violent, pushy, virulently anti-human, self-centered, and very possibly psychotic. But even with all that baggage, Tsukune felt kinda bad about leaving her in a lurch like this. Leaving behind a note might have been more polite, but for all he knew, she would have simply come after him.
Tsukune was running on the narrow strip of land between the road and the cliff edge, with only a few trees and boulders for company. He stayed off the blacktop because the ground was softer to run on, and he didn't want to encounter any vehicles if he could avoid it. Tsukune could see into the tunnel now, and while it looked like a yawning cave, there seemed to be a pinpoint of light in the darkness. The sand speck sized brightness gave him hope that he'd be able to make good his escape. He hadn't seen any traffic so far, and it could only be a few miles until he made it to the other side-
There was no warning. None.
The massive blow struck Tsukune between his shoulder blades, driving him violently forward into the ground, knocking the wind out of him and leaving him momentarily senseless. As he lifted his head to try to get his equilibrium back, a second shot to his lower back launched him forward, making him black out momentarily when he crashed back down. Tsukune came to just in time for a razor sharp spike to slice into his right leg; screaming in pain he covered the bloody gash with his hands, warm blood making them sticky.
"Not so tough when you get surprised, huh?" an arrogant voice mocked.
Tsukune jerked up his head. Saizo. He must have been lurking behind the large boulder Tsukune had passed by moments ago. At least it looked like him, but his monster form was a mish-mash of different parts, and it took the injured human a few moments to recognize him as a monstrel. He quickly reached for his aerosol, but Saizo smacked his hand as he brought it around, making the entire arm go numb, and sending the can beyond his reach.
"No human tricks, punk." Saizo sneered. "Let's see what you really got…"
Tsukune tried to keep pressure on his wounded leg. If that strike had hit the femoral artery, he'd have already bled to death, but he was losing a lot more blood than he thought he could. He cursed himself for losing his focus, thinking more about life after getting out than simply getting out. Now he was hurt, bleeding, and virtually helpless against someone who liked his opponents that way.
Patience wasn't one of Saizo's virtues either. Tired of not getting what he wanted from Tsukune, the thug began smashing him across the face with an open palm, the blows making the human see stars. "Enough with the 'resourceful human' act, transform and fight me!" Saizo shouted. "That Enforcer bitch isn't here to bust your balls, you pussy, now change!" The monstrel punctuated the challenge by stepping on the wound in Tsukune's leg.
Unimaginable pain shot through Tsukune's nervous system, and he nearly passed out again.
Saizo scowled deeper and began punching Tsukune in the face; the blows obviously weren't full force, or just one would have killed him, but they cut him, and his left eye was so swollen he couldn't see through it. After a few moment's contemplation, a thoughtful look completely out of place on his features, Saizo got a look of dawning comprehension. "You can't change, can you…" he spoke more to himself than to the badly hurt human in front of him. "You're not pretending to be human, you ARE human…"
Through his haze of pain, Tsukune managed to go pale. Someone had finally figured it out, and it was possibly the last monster he would have wanted to know. He'd been within sight of freedom, only to have it cruelly yanked away by some thug. Tsukune rolled over, trying to get his legs under him to make a last, frantic break for the tunnel, but his right leg refused to listen to him, and he was forced to try to drag himself towards the tunnel with his hands.
Saizo let out a loud, cruel laugh, as if he'd just heard the greatest joke ever told. "A human, pretending to be a monster, at Youkai Academy!" he chortled, enjoying the sight of the wounded human desperately trying to escape. With deliberate slowness he followed the scrabbling human, even going as far to helpfully kick a rock out of Tsukune’s way to give him an easier path. "Gotta give you credit, you're the bravest human I ever met," Saizo related with grudging sincerity, before he almost playfully kicked Tsukune's wounded leg. "But you're still too weak to beat me."
After a few minutes of watching the pathetic looking human vainly trying to get away, Saizo reached down and grabbed him by his neck, easily lifting him up at arm's length. "Tell you what, I'll let you decide how I'll kill you," he explained cheerfully. "I can crush your skull, pluck off your arms and legs, or crumple you into a ball. Whaddya say?"
Tsukune's lips moved a little, but virtually no sound came out.
"What was that? You'll need to speak louder, or I'll pick something worse." He brought the injured human in close, until they were practically nose to nose.
Tsukune's right eye snapped open and met Saizo's, a surprisingly triumphant look in it.
"Sucker…" he hissed.
The simple dinner knife he'd stolen an apparent lifetime ago, and sharpened methodically was still only a weapon in the broadest sense of the word. Tsukune had palmed it in his right hand, and with speed born from panic and adrenalin, drove the sharpened point through the surface of Saizo's left eye, giving the blade a quick twist as he pulled it back, the vitreous humor of the eyeball still pouring out as the human plunged it into the monstrel's right eye.
The monstrel screamed in agony and dropped Tsukune, its hands clutching at the ruined eyeballs, desperately trying to save his vision, well after the fact he was now blind. Saizo spewed obscenities, his eyelids blinking over ruined eye sockets, nostrils flared with the desire to punish the weak human that had done this to him.
As soon as Tsukune had hit the ground, he dragged himself away from the monster that was flailing blindly in a search for him. The human forced himself to his feet, and as soon as he was sure he wouldn't just fall over, called out to the monstrel thug. "You stupid motherfucker!" he taunted. "A chimp wouldn't have fallen for that! What does that make you, you dumb half-breed!"
Saizo bellowed in fury, his head facing the direction of the human's shouts, his now worthless eyes still trying to see. "You're dead!" he screamed.
"I took you out with a fucking table knife!" Tsukune shouted. "You, murdering humans? Only if they die laughing at how pathetic you are!"
Saizo could hear the human clearly, knowing he was close, and preparing to charge. "After I'm finished with you, I'll rape your mother to death!"
Tsukune laughed in contempt. "She'll just need a spoon to finish you off. You're nothing!"
The monstrel rushed towards the sound of the voice of the human it would kill slowly, bellowing in fury.
The human kept laughing loud, watching Saizo thunder blindly towards him. When the monstrel was close enough he could smell its breath, Tsukune mustered his strength and jumped to the left, hitting the ground hard, stifling his cry of pain. Saizo stampeded right where he'd been standing, and charged over the edge of the cliff.
XXX
Saizo's throat was burning with a horrified scream, which started when he'd felt the ground drop out from under him, and realized the human had lured him into running over the precipice. As he screamed, he could still hear the sounds of breakers crashing on the rocks getting louder, and the human shrieking, "Can you fly, you fucker!?" It wasn't fair! Humans were weak, powerless, they needed tools to fight, he shouldn't even hav-
The scream cut off abruptly, and a sound like a carton of eggs being crushed came up from the rocks. Only louder. Much, MUCH louder. Still clenching the knife in his hand, Tsukune pushed himself up and managed to get back to his feet. Hobbling unsteadily, he cautiously approached the cliff edge, half expecting Saizo to loom up over it and strike him down. But peering down he could see the monstrels broken body on the rocks, a rapidly spreading pool of blood under him, his head split open and the contents splattered as far as he could see. Tsukune saw the rising tide washing away the blood, and crabs scuttling over to feed on the newly arrived bounty.
Tsukune decided he would never again eat any shellfish, not just crab.
Tsukune could feel his breathing getting harder and with one last breath he thrust his hands in the air, threw back his head and let out a bestial roar of triumph. The cry was loud, long, and didn't even sound human, closer to a Neanderthal after taking down a sabre-toothed tiger. When the shout ended, the adrenalin left his system and he stumbled, falling onto his side, his head spinning. Tsukune saw that his leg was covered with his blood, and he was amazed he'd managed to stay conscious.
"Can't be healthy, bleeding like that," he told himself in near delusion. Putting his head down, the human listened to the waves crashing on the rocks below, thinking that it almost felt like footsteps this high up, as he saw everything getting dark. He would rest for a while, then go through the tunnel later was his last thought before his mind shut down.
End of Chapter Six
Author's Notes:
Blah blah blah pre-read by random1377 and Mereo Flere Blah blah blah.
Rosario + Vampire:
He Who Fights Monsters…
Chapter Six: Knife's Edge
Written by: Hawker_748
Tsukune sat up slowly and rubbed the sand out of his eyes, giving his clock a baleful look. 6:13 on a Monday morning. Too early to get up for school, but there was no way he'd be able to sleep again, so he might as well get ready for another school day. Running his left hand through his hair and idly scratching his scalp, Tsukune scowled as details of his dreams became clearer. The night before hadn't been a fluke, the way he dreamed seemed to have changed.
He'd had the occasional wet dream before, he was a normal growing male. Hormone wise at least. And Tsukune had been forced to endure nightmares every single night since he'd arrived. But now he was having them both. At the same time. And in both cases, the same person was both the source of the horror, and the lust. Also at the same time. 'I've never heard of anyone having wet nightmares before,' Tsukune told himself, frowning as he took note of the sticky mess in his boxer shorts.
Letting out a breath the human slipped out of bed, pulled off his sweat soaked shirt and pushed down his underwear, tossing both of them in the hamper. Stepping into the shower, Tsukune let the hot water wash over him, sluicing off the sweat and grime; at least he'd been able to get rid of the chest wraps yesterday, his ribs healed up enough that they didn't ache with every breath anymore. As he lathered up he unconsciously shuddered as a vivid image from his dream came to him, the odd combination of fear and lust making him worry for his sanity.
If he didn't do something to stop these new wet nightmares, Tsukune suspected that he'd end up single-handedly buying some psychiatrist a new condo when he was older. Provided the doctor didn't listen to his story and then immediately have Tsukune committed as clearly insane.
The call to his parents the day before had also been awkward to Tsukune, having to make it sound as if the date had been a disappointment, only without going into detail on why. He hadn't mentioned the kiss, or having to eat a bug, figuring the less his mom and dad knew the better. When his mom tried pressing for more information, Tsukune had mumbled something about a long line up at the phones and ended the call. He'd spent as much of Sunday as he could in his room, skipping breakfast and lunch, not wanting to be the subject of yet more gossip in the cafeteria over the very public display of affection Keito had given him. He'd made the call home, then eaten as late as he could, wolfing down his food and trying to be discrete, but overhearing a few students mentioning his name in hushed whispers.
Rinsing off the soap and letting the hot water flowing over him kick his weary mind into full alertness, Tsukune turned off the tap and reached for a towel, drying off in front of a fogged up mirror. He wiped it off and scowled when he got a good look at his reflection. Without the wraps covering his chest he could see the collection of scars he'd picked up. Some were from his first couple of days at Youkai Academy, others from fighting off Guno Yasai's attempt at revenge. Even his 'girlfriend' had left bruises on his arm when she'd been affectionate.
Still, when he considered how many dangers he'd faced since arriving, a nice collection of scars seemed to be getting off lucky. And while his body continued to give notice of its injuries, at least they were healing, albeit slower than he liked. Aside from having to deal with the amorous attention from a possibly sociopathic spider woman, he hadn't been hurt that bad, and he was almost back to full strength.
Tsukune pursed his lips as he considered Keito for perhaps the hundredth time. She'd forced herself on him with no regard for his feelings, saying he really wanted it when he'd been unable to break free. He'd been effectively violated, and he was fortunate that she'd had other plans, or who knew how far she might have gone.
Now if only he could say that all of him agreed with that sentiment…
Considering his dreams, the sticky messes Tsukune'd discovered in his boxers these two mornings, and the dark thrill that had run up his spine, he couldn't tell whether he was more horrified or turned on. The kiss had been forced upon him, but it had still been one helluva kiss. Resolving to make sense of his feelings later, probably a few years after he was able to transfer out, Tsukune finished drying off, combed his hair, and got dressed, mostly on autopilot. Making sure his weapons were securely on his person, and clearing away the slightly reassuring barricade from the door, the human made his way to the cafeteria for breakfast, and to do some studying before class started.
If the students in the cafeteria had heard about the kiss between Keito and Tsukune, they were at least quite discrete about it. No fingers were pointed, and any chatter was muffled enough that he couldn't hear it, but one student gave Tsukune a sly grin, arching his eyebrows lecherously before returning his attention back to his meal. Eating in his usual silence, and keeping careful watch for his supposed romantic rival, Tsukune flipped through his notebooks, discovering he was having some difficulty keeping focused. Gnashing his teeth in frustration, he forced himself to push images of affectionate arachnids out of his mind and replace them with cold, dispassionate mathematics.
It was half an hour later when it dawned on Tsukune that he hadn't seen any sign of Harunobu since Saturday. Granted, he'd mostly stayed in his room Sunday, but the jealous rival had been a nearly constant presence around Tsukune since the first date with Keito. He looked around, but unless Harunobu had dramatically improved his stealthiness, there was no trace of him anywhere. Contrary to his expectations, this made Tsukune even more uneasy, as the other guy hadn't seemed like the type to just give up and walk away.
Tsukune spent the rest of his time keeping his eyes peeled for Harunobu, or his girlfriend, half expecting either of them to just pop up without warning. Given his luck, they'd both show up simultaneously. But despite his fears, no one interrupted the rest of his breakfast, even though he wasn't able to get any productive studying done. He was relieved when the time came for him to head to class, and Tsukune packed his satchel and began walking, wondering when the other shoe would drop.
When he reached his class, Ms. Nekonome's ears flattened right against her head, and she practically hissed at him, and he was certain that she knew about the kiss. He wouldn't have been surprised if Keito had told her personally. Not needing to act to look guilty, Tsukune slunk to his desk, briefly making eye contact with the long haired girl who sat next to him. She quickly averted her eyes, but Tsukune thought he saw a hurt look before she looked away.
When his teacher took attendance and started class, Tsukune concentrated on the lesson, finding it easier to focus on his studies than deal with the newest difficulty attending a school for monsters had stirred up.
XXX
Tsukune glanced up at the clock, feeling profound relief that it would soon be lunch. The entire morning's classes had been awkward; he'd known that Ms. Nekonome didn't approve of him seeing Keito, and news of the kiss, even if he'd been unwilling, hadn't done anything to change her mind. What he hadn't expected was for her to be so petty about it. When she'd started the class, she'd ask who knew an answer, and she never called on Tsukune, no matter how many times he raised his hand. The first time he didn't know the answer and kept his hand down, she called on him.
After three times, Tsukune raised his hand if he couldn't answer a question, and kept it down if he could. He felt a rather childish and petty satisfaction at the look on his teachers face when he surprised her by telling her the capital of North Dakota was Bismarck. If that had been the end of it, Tsukune would have been understanding of her feelings.
However, Ms. Nekonome just seemed to take it as a challenge…
While she didn't completely ignore her other students, Tsukune came close to having a one on one teaching session with Shizuka, as she began going beyond what she had taught, and watching him carefully, asking him questions if he seemed not to understand. Feeling his own hackles rising, Tsukune did he best to not give her the satisfaction of seeing him struggling, even though the questions got harder and harder. When he happened to glance around to buy another second to think of a reply, he noticed that some of his classmates were taking amusement at his predicament. A few had even closed their books and were leaning back in their chairs, openly enjoying the show.
During the break between classes, Tsukune heard someone stage-whisper, 'lover's quarrel,' and the snickering that caused made him feel like a fool. The rest of the morning had been interminable, and when the clock finally reached noon, Tsukune got to his feet as quick as he could, wanting nothing more than to get away from the entire awkward situation. He'd just picked up his bag when the door to the class opened and Harunobu Kouji walked in.
"This ends today, Aono!"
Tsukune felt his jaw tighten; the last thing in the world he'd needed was yet another source of irritation. "I'm sorry, what ends?" he asked through clenched teeth.
"Today I make Keito mine!" Harunobu announced. "I finally figured out why she likes you…"
"Do tell." Tsukune was a little curious about that himself.
"She likes that you always stay human, so that's how I'll beat you!"
Tsukune's eyes narrowed. "Beat me?"
"I'm challenging you to a fight, in human form, right here, right now," the jealous suitor declared. "The winner gets Keito."
Tsukune was certain the spider woman wouldn't think much of being thought of as property. While letting Harunobu beat him might be an acceptable way to palm Keito off and get her off his back, he was sure that she wouldn't agree to the terms and keep an interest in Tsukune regardless. And on another note, if he let this guy beat him, it might encourage other monsters to challenge him, and Tsukune didn't want that.
Harunobu was brazenly standing in front of him, an arrogant smirk on his face. But Tsukune noticed that his hands were by his side, and he was positioned completely open, not even angled away to present a smaller target profile. His romantic rival might have decided he wanted to fight in human form, but it was obvious he didn't know the first thing about it. Tsukune could hear his classmates talking in hushed tones, speculating on the outcome of the fight, and in a few cases placing bets. The door to the class was also open, and passers-by were looking in, blocking his escape path, drawn by the commotion Harunobu had caused with his brash statement.
Tsukune looked over his rival's shoulder and his eyes suddenly went wide with shock. "What the hell…?"
Harunobu quickly turned his head to see. "What-?"
Harunobu had never had a lot of success in his life; he'd never been that strong, and he'd been forced to be a bystander for most of his life. Even when there'd been a chance for him, he'd almost always wasted it, usually because of some incredibly stupid mistake. Taking his eyes off of Tsukune Aono after challenging him was simply his most recent…
Leg muscles hardened by months of running powered his foot forward in a vicious kick to Harunobu's groin, causing the monster to let out an agonized shriek, and had some of the male spectators wincing in sympathy. The monster clutched himself with both hands, hunching over in an attempt to stop the pain, only to have Tsukune take hold of his head and drive a knee into his opponents face three times, breaking teeth and turning cries of pain to wet mumbles.
Tsukune was a little surprised that Harunobu was still conscious, and he slammed his head against Ms. Nekonome's desk. It was old, solid oak, and built to last. The monster's head connected with a solid thud, the wooden surface not yielding an inch, and Harunobu dropped bonelessly to the floor, blood flowing from his ruined face as he lay motionless on the ground.
Letting out a breath, Tsukune looked up from his handiwork and saw his teacher gaping at him, the rest of the class in stunned silence. He felt like he should explain himself, but Harunobu had literally been asking for it, and since he didn't want to appear as if he thought he was in the wrong, he didn't bother making an excuse. Giving Ms. Nekonome a vaguely apologetic look, he hadn't wanted her to get caught up in his problems, Tsukune bent down to pick up his bag where he'd dropped it.
"B-bastard… This… isn't… over…" Harunobu rasped suddenly.
The fallen monster's skin was rippling like water, and an inhuman hissing burbled through ruined lips. Harunobu's head lifted slowly, his hands starting to grow, and when he turned to face his opponent, his eyes were a glowing, evil green.
Then Tsukune smashed the corner of a student's desk onto his head, driving it back into the floor. The sickening crunch was still echoing when the human lifted the desk back up and crushed it back down on the hapless monster. The third strike sent a spatter of blood all over Tsukune's pants and shoes. The fourth blow caused Harunobu's skull to shatter like an egg under a pile driver.
Again and again Tsukune brought the desk down onto the monster's head, each hit crushing bone and brain, a wet crunching sound punctuating the bang of each strike. Harunobu was motionless on the floor, only twitching when Tsukune used the desk to inflict more traumas on his brain. By now the monster's head looked like a crockery pot that had been full of chilli and then thrown against the floor. The human knew that his opponent was dead, but he continued to slam the desk into the blood and gore, the ongoing stress and anger finally being released. Tsukune might have continued smashing the desk down, but he managed to hear a desperate cry through the fog of his rage.
"Stop!"
Tsukune paused, the desk over his head, gore dripping from the corner. Through the ragged gasps of his breathing, he realized that Ms. Nekonome had been screaming for him to end his assault, and he saw the look of shocked horror on her face. The sound of retching reached his ears, and Tsukune glanced over his shoulder to see two of his classmates vomiting at the carnage he'd caused, and a few others looking green. Lowering the desk, the human surveyed his work; Harunobu was obviously dead, his head smashed beyond any recognition. His corpse was also the most human looking of any of his victims, and to anyone who hadn't known the circumstances, it looked as if Tsukune had simply murdered someone.
Kenichi had been burnt to ashes; Guno had literally been washed away. But Harunobu's remains were just sitting there, flies beginning to swarm around his ruined head. This had been the hardest Tsukune had ever worked to kill someone, but other than being tired, he felt nothing else. There was a faint twinge of another emotion, but Tsukune wouldn't acknowledge that it was satisfaction. Using his fingers to touch his face, they came away with red spots, and he realized he'd need to wash up before going to lunch. A quick glance at his classmates, and through the door of his class, revealed disbelief, and more than a few respectful nods.
One obvious exception was Saizo, who gave him a contemptuous sneer from his desk. Moka Akayashi, the school idol, scowled as she approached him, and Tsukune wondered if he'd have to fight her as well.
"How can you be so… so… human?" Her voice was dripping with disappointment.
"Human?" Tsukune murmured.
"You're the most ruthless student here." Moka walked by carefully, acting as if she was afraid she'd catch something by brushing against him, joined outside the class by the young witch, Yukari Sendou. The bruises had cleared, and her arm wasn't in a sling anymore, but she was apparently still as insufferable as she'd ever been. She just was more careful in who she chose to antagonize than she'd first been.
Tsukune thought about what she had said, then realized he was hungry, and he picked up his satchel, leaving the class without even a look back. After using a sink in the washroom to wash his face and hands, the water running pink for a bit, Tsukune dried off with paper towels and went to the cafeteria to eat.
XXX
Tsukune hadn't really paid attention as he entered the cafeteria and got in line, not noticing the meal until it was on his tray. Pasta with meat sauce. It kind of looked like what Harunobu's head had been like after he'd crushed it. As he headed for his usual table, he recalled his latest murder, playing it out over in his mind as he sat. Before he'd arrived at Youkai Academy, the visceral nature of Harunobu's death would have made him nauseous. Now it didn't faze him as he took a forkful of pasta and began chewing.
Considering how fast word about his previous actions had spread, Tsukune suspected that everyone would have heard about it before lunch ended. As he looked around, the solitary human noticed the people at other tables were whispering amongst themselves, and occasionally gesturing in his direction. Tsukune let out a short breath. At least he didn't have to worry about Keito's unlucky suitor stalking him anymore. He also didn't bother keeping an eye out for the Enforcers; he'd already killed two students before this one, and he'd never had to answer for either of those.
His meal was thankfully undisturbed this time, and after clearing his tray, and making a quick detour to the school's administrative offices, Tsukune headed back to class, pretending not to notice the guarded looks some of the students gave him in the hallway, or the way they seemed to stop talking as he passed. He kept himself alert, on the off chance that Harunobu had a vengeful friend who'd be out for his blood, but he wasn't really expecting that to be a problem.
"-guy had to be nuts, what was he thinking?" a voice came from the classroom.
"Yeah, picking a fight with Aono like that? He musta had a death wish…" another student chimed in. The speaker looked over his shoulder and flinched a little when he saw Tsukune in the doorway.
Tsukune just walked in, not bothering to react to any of the discussion about him, and not seeing the way the speaker slumped with relief. The first thing that did register with him was that Harunobu's body was gone, and the class had been cleaned so well there was barely a trace of what had happened, except for dents in the floorboards where the desk had struck them. This had been the first time that a clean-up had been required, and Tsukune wondered if the school's custodial staff took care of it, or maybe one of the other students had simply eaten the body and licked the rest clean.
The fact that neither of those notions disturbed him had Tsukune wondering whether he was even human anymore. Everyone else seemed fine with what had happened, and they'd even cleaned up virtually all the evidence, save for the spatter that still covered his clothes. Looking down at himself, Tsukune raised an eyebrow when he noticed a rather sizeable speck of matter on the lapel of his jacket. 'Oh, wait, that's just some sauce I spilled at lunch,' he realized. He idly used his finger to pick it up and ate it, deciding that the Cafeteria made a pretty good Bolognese sauce.
His classmates didn't realize what the spot had actually been, and many were awestruck by the off-hand way he'd done that.
Ms. Nekonome walked into the classroom, took attendance again –Saizo had taken the afternoon off, as usual- and resumed the lesson from the morning. Tsukune noticed that the normally upbeat teacher seemed far more reserved now, and she'd stopped the little game she'd been playing with him earlier, not asking him questions when his hand wasn't up. He barely even recalled the class after lunch, not once even trying to participate, and Ms. Nekonome all but ignored him. Tsukune spent the afternoon thinking about how little he was feeling about what he'd done, and just noticing that between classes, his classmates made a few cautious attempts to talk to him, a few of them talking to him as if he was an upperclassman.
When the school day came to an end, Tsukune walked out of the class and returned to his room, showering and changing clothes, doing a little studying before going down for dinner. When he reached the cafeteria, a classmate of his allowed him to enter the line in front of him, and Tsukune nodded faintly at that. The way Youkai Academy seemed to reward cruelty had once horrified him, but it was getting easier to accept, something that Tsukune felt should have bothered him more than it did.
Tsukune ate slowly, alone at the table he'd always used, knowing that people were whispering about him at other tables, but not letting it affect him. The overly pragmatic part of his mind even decided that it might be a good thing, as it was less likely that he'd have to deal with anyone else before he was able to transfer to a human school, and put the entire nightmarish situation behind him
"Tsukune-chaaaaaan…"
The human nearly jumped out of his chair in fright; the syrupy sweet voice had been right behind him, and he'd had no idea someone had gotten that close. Mentally cursing his lack of attention, and feeling lucky that his guest hadn't been planning any violence, Tsukune managed to force out "H-hello Keito…"
The spider woman took a seat without asking, as usual, but this time she sat next to him instead of across the table. "I heard about what happened at lunch."
"Word must get around," Tsukune replied weakly.
Keito was practically beaming. "I had no idea you could be so romantic."
"Romantic…?"
"Showing that idiot that you were willing to fight for me," Keito gushed. "Even if you'd lost I wouldn't be caught dead with him, but I knew you wouldn't lose."
"Wait… You knew what he was planning?" Tsukune murmured.
"Of course," Keito replied dismissively. "But I knew you'd take him out for me."
"I didn't do it for you," Tsukune hissed, his hackles rising at the spider woman's carefree attitude.
Keito smiled indulgently. "No need to be so modest," she told him, before she leaned close, holding his head in place with her right hand. Tsukune shuddered when he felt her breath tickling his ear. "I've made sure I'm free this weekend," Keito whispered. "When we finish our date, I'll invite you in to… look at my stamp collection…"
Tsukune's chopsticks dropped from nerveless fingers as his mind seized up. Keito gently bit his earlobe and then pulled back, a smile on her face that was nowhere near innocent. She got up and slowly walked away, her skirt playfully swinging from side to side, not caring that Tsukune had gone as pale as a ghost, frozen solid for a few moments after the spider woman made her exit.
Lurching to his feet, abandoning his meal, any trace of hunger driven away by terror, Tsukune scrambled to his room, not even stopping to apologize to the students he collided with in his frantic dash. In his room, door locked and barricade erected, the human trembled in fear, trying desperately not to think about what would happen in less than a week. Tsukune still had the bug bombs in his closet, but he had no idea if they would work on his girlfriend, and if they weren't up to the task he didn't think he could take her in a fight if she was serious. Ambushing her might work, but he didn't have anything that could do enough damage to guarantee Keito wouldn't be able to launch a vengeful counterattack.
After half an hour of acting like a terrified animal, Tsukune managed to calm down enough to consider things more rationally. He still couldn't think of a way out of this predicament, but he took some consolation that he was in better health than he'd been in some time. There was also a chance that he'd have another inspired flash of brilliance and figure out a way to take Keito down. Shambling into the bathroom, his shaking hands turning on the tap and splashing water on his face to calm down more, Tsukune slipped into bed. Again his dreams were both erotic and horrifying, leaving him covered with the cold sweat of fear and the warm sweat of lust.
XXX
The next day had been a blur to Tsukune; starting with a night of sleep that was as frightening as it was torridly sensual, being so rattled that he'd only been able to keep vigilant, and remember nothing about breakfast, his morning classes, lunch, and anything that had been taught after that. The idea that he was sexually attracted to Keito, at least as far as his subconscious was concerned, disturbed him, even though he'd admit she was rather lovely. But since she'd all but guaranteed he'd get lucky that weekend, Tsukune couldn't keep his thoughts focused, scared of what that might lead to. He was a nervous wreck by the end of his classes, barely even acknowledging anyone's presence, even when Saizo had made a few especially disparaging anti-human remarks.
Slipping his book into his bag, grateful that there was a cross-country run after school, those always gave him a chance to clear his head, Tsukune let out a terrified yelp when someone touched his shoulder. When he saw it was just Ichiro, he sagged in relief, feeling embarrassed at making a fool of himself.
"Wound a little tight?" Ichiro asked the shaken human.
"Sorry, just had a bad night's sleep," he admitted.
The werewolf nodded in understanding. "I'm glad I was able to reach you, this time."
"This time?"
"A lot of us have exams this week, so I decided to cancel tonight's run," Ichiro explained.
"I see," Tsukune grimaced in disappointment. "Can we run on our own, like last time?"
"That's my boy," Ichiro replied proudly. "Yes, by all means, go ahead."
"Thanks," Tsukune told him solemnly. "You're a good guy."
Ichiro looked a little awkward. "Don't get all misty on me, I'll see you Thursday."
"Right. Thursday. You take care…"
"Later." Ichiro gave a final nod and walked out of the class, leaving Tsukune to finish packing his bag.
The human was the last one out of the class, and he turned around and gave it a quick look before making his way back to his dorm room. Once inside, he changed into his running clothes, slipped his improvised weapons into their hiding places, and slipped a few additional things into his pockets, then left the room. Tsukune made his way to where the cross country club usually mustered, and began stretching, his heart beating faster than normal today. Satisfied that he was sufficiently loosened up, he began running along the same path he'd used the first time he'd ever run alone.
After a few minutes he'd passed all the school buildings, the chattering and activity of students fading away until there was only silence. Resisting the impulse to go flat out, Tsukune kept his normal pace, following along the cliff edge, idly noticing that the view wasn't bad, and that he could even learn to like it.
But Tsukune had no intention of ever seeing it again.
When the cross country president had told him the normal run had been cancelled, Tsukune'd had an epiphany. His visit to the school's administrative office at lunch the day before had confirmed that it would be at least a few months before he could transfer out of Youkai Academy. So he'd decided to simply make a break for it after Ichiro mentioned he could run on his own. As Tsukune had made his way to his room to change, he'd found himself wondering why he hadn't left after all the violence he'd seen and been forced to take part in, but a promise of sex from his girlfriend had him running for the hills.
At any other school, fleeing from the prospect of a physical relationship with an attractive woman would have made Tsukune question his sanity, or perhaps his sexual orientation. But at Youkai Academy, nothing was ever as it initially appeared. Tsukune knew that black widow spiders devoured their mates afterwards; he had no idea whether or not Keito was somehow related to the black widow, and he had no intention of finding out the hard way.
Even if she didn't believe that an after sex snack should consist of her partner, being that close to her made it very, very likely she'd be able to figure out what species he was, and given what she's said about humanity, that wouldn't be healthy for Tsukune either. A pre-emptive strike might have worked, but even if it did, taking out an Enforcer might bring the rest of them on top of him. And Tsukune figured he had enough blood on his hands already, and he didn't want to add more.
In addition to bringing along his usual improvised weapons, Tsukune had taken along his wallet, which held every piece of identification he had. The school file on him was apparently missing some information on where he lived in the outside world, and if someone decided to come after him, they'd have to find that out for themselves. It was more likely that the school wouldn't even notice if he went missing, considering how little of a deal they made over the three students he'd already killed. 'They'll probably just assume something dragged me away and ate me…'
Granted, just up and leaving Youkai Academy would cause him some difficulties when he got home. Without transfer papers, he'd be unable to resume classes until the following year, but that was a price he was willing to accept. His parents would also be disappointed, but if they were willing to ostracize him over that, after what he'd been through he no longer cared. Being a ronin may have been a source of shame, but you had to be alive to be ashamed, and after his time here, he'd never take that for granted again.
When Tsukune looked up and saw the tunnel, he had to suppress an urge to cheer, and simply start going flat out. He had no idea how long that tunnel was, and he didn't want to tire himself out running through it. And if the school did send something in pursuit, Tsukune wanted to have the energy to make a sprint to escape; once he was through, it didn't matter if he dropped and passed out, he'd be able to call his folks, or a cab, or do something to make himself safe.
But as the entrance grew closer with every stride, Tsukune realized that there were a few things about Youkai Academy that he would actually miss. Being on his own was nice, and while being back home would be wonderful, it had been nice to experience life without his parents. The cross country president, Ichiro, had been pretty close to being a friend, and Tsukune felt a touch of regret at not seeing him again, even if his friendly gestures hurt like hell.
Ms. Nekonome had been one of the best teachers he'd ever had, the enthusiasm she brought to her classes was contagious, and she'd always looked out for him. Tsukune figured he probably had had a schoolboy crush on her, and he was sorry that one of the last memories of her would be the petty disagreement they'd had the day before, which had lead into his third homicide of the semester. If he hadn't known better, he would have figured that she'd almost been jealous of the relationship he had with Keito.
Even Keito was the unexpected source of a few good memories; he'd come to like spending the occasional meal with her, and the afternoon they'd collected insects was almost like a normal date between two ordinary people. She'd also been his first kiss, albeit without his consent, but it was far nicer than he would be willing to admit. She was also violent, pushy, virulently anti-human, self-centered, and very possibly psychotic. But even with all that baggage, Tsukune felt kinda bad about leaving her in a lurch like this. Leaving behind a note might have been more polite, but for all he knew, she would have simply come after him.
Tsukune was running on the narrow strip of land between the road and the cliff edge, with only a few trees and boulders for company. He stayed off the blacktop because the ground was softer to run on, and he didn't want to encounter any vehicles if he could avoid it. Tsukune could see into the tunnel now, and while it looked like a yawning cave, there seemed to be a pinpoint of light in the darkness. The sand speck sized brightness gave him hope that he'd be able to make good his escape. He hadn't seen any traffic so far, and it could only be a few miles until he made it to the other side-
There was no warning. None.
The massive blow struck Tsukune between his shoulder blades, driving him violently forward into the ground, knocking the wind out of him and leaving him momentarily senseless. As he lifted his head to try to get his equilibrium back, a second shot to his lower back launched him forward, making him black out momentarily when he crashed back down. Tsukune came to just in time for a razor sharp spike to slice into his right leg; screaming in pain he covered the bloody gash with his hands, warm blood making them sticky.
"Not so tough when you get surprised, huh?" an arrogant voice mocked.
Tsukune jerked up his head. Saizo. He must have been lurking behind the large boulder Tsukune had passed by moments ago. At least it looked like him, but his monster form was a mish-mash of different parts, and it took the injured human a few moments to recognize him as a monstrel. He quickly reached for his aerosol, but Saizo smacked his hand as he brought it around, making the entire arm go numb, and sending the can beyond his reach.
"No human tricks, punk." Saizo sneered. "Let's see what you really got…"
Tsukune tried to keep pressure on his wounded leg. If that strike had hit the femoral artery, he'd have already bled to death, but he was losing a lot more blood than he thought he could. He cursed himself for losing his focus, thinking more about life after getting out than simply getting out. Now he was hurt, bleeding, and virtually helpless against someone who liked his opponents that way.
Patience wasn't one of Saizo's virtues either. Tired of not getting what he wanted from Tsukune, the thug began smashing him across the face with an open palm, the blows making the human see stars. "Enough with the 'resourceful human' act, transform and fight me!" Saizo shouted. "That Enforcer bitch isn't here to bust your balls, you pussy, now change!" The monstrel punctuated the challenge by stepping on the wound in Tsukune's leg.
Unimaginable pain shot through Tsukune's nervous system, and he nearly passed out again.
Saizo scowled deeper and began punching Tsukune in the face; the blows obviously weren't full force, or just one would have killed him, but they cut him, and his left eye was so swollen he couldn't see through it. After a few moment's contemplation, a thoughtful look completely out of place on his features, Saizo got a look of dawning comprehension. "You can't change, can you…" he spoke more to himself than to the badly hurt human in front of him. "You're not pretending to be human, you ARE human…"
Through his haze of pain, Tsukune managed to go pale. Someone had finally figured it out, and it was possibly the last monster he would have wanted to know. He'd been within sight of freedom, only to have it cruelly yanked away by some thug. Tsukune rolled over, trying to get his legs under him to make a last, frantic break for the tunnel, but his right leg refused to listen to him, and he was forced to try to drag himself towards the tunnel with his hands.
Saizo let out a loud, cruel laugh, as if he'd just heard the greatest joke ever told. "A human, pretending to be a monster, at Youkai Academy!" he chortled, enjoying the sight of the wounded human desperately trying to escape. With deliberate slowness he followed the scrabbling human, even going as far to helpfully kick a rock out of Tsukune’s way to give him an easier path. "Gotta give you credit, you're the bravest human I ever met," Saizo related with grudging sincerity, before he almost playfully kicked Tsukune's wounded leg. "But you're still too weak to beat me."
After a few minutes of watching the pathetic looking human vainly trying to get away, Saizo reached down and grabbed him by his neck, easily lifting him up at arm's length. "Tell you what, I'll let you decide how I'll kill you," he explained cheerfully. "I can crush your skull, pluck off your arms and legs, or crumple you into a ball. Whaddya say?"
Tsukune's lips moved a little, but virtually no sound came out.
"What was that? You'll need to speak louder, or I'll pick something worse." He brought the injured human in close, until they were practically nose to nose.
Tsukune's right eye snapped open and met Saizo's, a surprisingly triumphant look in it.
"Sucker…" he hissed.
The simple dinner knife he'd stolen an apparent lifetime ago, and sharpened methodically was still only a weapon in the broadest sense of the word. Tsukune had palmed it in his right hand, and with speed born from panic and adrenalin, drove the sharpened point through the surface of Saizo's left eye, giving the blade a quick twist as he pulled it back, the vitreous humor of the eyeball still pouring out as the human plunged it into the monstrel's right eye.
The monstrel screamed in agony and dropped Tsukune, its hands clutching at the ruined eyeballs, desperately trying to save his vision, well after the fact he was now blind. Saizo spewed obscenities, his eyelids blinking over ruined eye sockets, nostrils flared with the desire to punish the weak human that had done this to him.
As soon as Tsukune had hit the ground, he dragged himself away from the monster that was flailing blindly in a search for him. The human forced himself to his feet, and as soon as he was sure he wouldn't just fall over, called out to the monstrel thug. "You stupid motherfucker!" he taunted. "A chimp wouldn't have fallen for that! What does that make you, you dumb half-breed!"
Saizo bellowed in fury, his head facing the direction of the human's shouts, his now worthless eyes still trying to see. "You're dead!" he screamed.
"I took you out with a fucking table knife!" Tsukune shouted. "You, murdering humans? Only if they die laughing at how pathetic you are!"
Saizo could hear the human clearly, knowing he was close, and preparing to charge. "After I'm finished with you, I'll rape your mother to death!"
Tsukune laughed in contempt. "She'll just need a spoon to finish you off. You're nothing!"
The monstrel rushed towards the sound of the voice of the human it would kill slowly, bellowing in fury.
The human kept laughing loud, watching Saizo thunder blindly towards him. When the monstrel was close enough he could smell its breath, Tsukune mustered his strength and jumped to the left, hitting the ground hard, stifling his cry of pain. Saizo stampeded right where he'd been standing, and charged over the edge of the cliff.
XXX
Saizo's throat was burning with a horrified scream, which started when he'd felt the ground drop out from under him, and realized the human had lured him into running over the precipice. As he screamed, he could still hear the sounds of breakers crashing on the rocks getting louder, and the human shrieking, "Can you fly, you fucker!?" It wasn't fair! Humans were weak, powerless, they needed tools to fight, he shouldn't even hav-
The scream cut off abruptly, and a sound like a carton of eggs being crushed came up from the rocks. Only louder. Much, MUCH louder. Still clenching the knife in his hand, Tsukune pushed himself up and managed to get back to his feet. Hobbling unsteadily, he cautiously approached the cliff edge, half expecting Saizo to loom up over it and strike him down. But peering down he could see the monstrels broken body on the rocks, a rapidly spreading pool of blood under him, his head split open and the contents splattered as far as he could see. Tsukune saw the rising tide washing away the blood, and crabs scuttling over to feed on the newly arrived bounty.
Tsukune decided he would never again eat any shellfish, not just crab.
Tsukune could feel his breathing getting harder and with one last breath he thrust his hands in the air, threw back his head and let out a bestial roar of triumph. The cry was loud, long, and didn't even sound human, closer to a Neanderthal after taking down a sabre-toothed tiger. When the shout ended, the adrenalin left his system and he stumbled, falling onto his side, his head spinning. Tsukune saw that his leg was covered with his blood, and he was amazed he'd managed to stay conscious.
"Can't be healthy, bleeding like that," he told himself in near delusion. Putting his head down, the human listened to the waves crashing on the rocks below, thinking that it almost felt like footsteps this high up, as he saw everything getting dark. He would rest for a while, then go through the tunnel later was his last thought before his mind shut down.
End of Chapter Six
Author's Notes:
Blah blah blah pre-read by random1377 and Mereo Flere Blah blah blah.