Rosario Vampire Fan Fiction ❯ He Who Fights Monsters ❯ Rubicon ( Chapter 8 )
[ 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: 08.23.2013 | Pages: 4 | Words: 8.7K | Visits: 648 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Rosario Vampire Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Hentai | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.23.2013 | Pages: 4 | Words: 8.7K | Visits: 648 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: See Chapter One
Rosario + Vampire:
He Who Fights Monsters…
Chapter Eight: Rubicon
Written by: Hawker_748
Tsukune put down his pen and flexed his cramping hand; he was spending a lot of time studying lately, even though he knew he would be transferring away in a matter of weeks. He wanted his transition to go smoothly, and that meant making sure he was all caught up on his subjects so he'd be able to join a new class with a minimum of unfamiliarity. But studying also made the time go faster, and pushed away the isolation and boredom he'd fallen into.
'Well, not really bored,' Tsukune corrected himself. 'More like routine…'
The human would never have been able to imaging it when he'd first arrived at Youkai Academy, but he'd become accustomed to the fear and violence that were prevalent there. His sleep was still haunted by constant nightmares, coupled with images that were as disturbing as they were torrid, but he'd gotten to the point that the cruelty he occasionally witnessed no longer horrified him. In the relatively short time he'd been there Tsukune had already murdered four classmates, and each had been easier to live with than the previous. If he was there much longer, there was the worrying prospect that he'd come to enjoy taking lives.
However, things had been pretty quiet for him since killing Saizo a few weeks back, and the brief respite had given him a chance to let his oft-injured body recover, even being able to remove the spider silk bandage from his leg. The gauzy looking dressing had been harder to remove than he'd expected, and Tsukune had been forced to use his makeshift knife to carefully cut it off. It was another rather ugly addition to his collection of battle scars, but Tsukune was relieved that there hadn't been any lasting damage done. Picking his pen back up, the human turned his efforts to his mathematics textbook. He was still immersed in the cold, clinical discussion of calculus when his ink ran out.
Taking this as a sign to give it a rest for a while, Tsukune glanced at the clock. The cafeteria would be opening shortly for dinner, and since he'd spent the entire Sunday holed up in his room, he figured he needed to eat at least once. Since fewer students ate early, going now would reduce the chances of having some kind of confrontation, or being the subject of gossip at other tables. After arming up, with an ease that spoke volumes on how often he'd done it, Tsukune headed for the cafeteria.
After filling his tray, Tsukune proceeded to his usual table, sat down and opened his textbook. He wasn't actually studying, but if he looked busy, people tended to let him be, which was what he really wanted.
"Tsukune…"
The now familiar voice made the human look up. Saori was standing opposite to him, her own tray in her hands, and a shy smile on her face. "Good evening Saori," he greeted politely.
"Same to you," she replied gently. "May I join you…?"
She'd never failed to ask him, and he'd never refused, mostly out of concern of what she'd be like if he jilted her. At first her inherent politeness had been refreshing, but it was starting to get a little irritating. "Have I ever said no?" he asked innocently.
"No," she admitted. "But it would be rude of me to presume."
Tsukune shrugged. "Go ahead." He supposed there were always worse personality malfunctions someone could have than excessive politeness. As was his habit whenever Saori, or some other girl approached him, Tsukune gave a discrete glance around, wondering if his previous girlfriend Keito was skulking about. She'd dropped him like a hot potato after learning he was human, but she'd integrated herself into his life so much he still hadn't gotten used to not having her around.
Satisfied his violent ex wasn't lurking around, Tsukune let himself give Saori a gentle smile. He felt rather guilty that he was just having her near him to keep some of the other girls who were inexplicably interested in him at bay. He was going to string her along until he transferred out, figuring it was probably safer doing that than having his other suitors take a more active role. Saori seemed like a sweet girl, and he would have felt awful about his treatment of her, but he reasoned that his life would be in danger otherwise, and he'd had enough of that to drive home the importance of survival.
"How are your classes going?" she asked.
"About the same," Tsukune replied. They shared most of the same classes, but they were apart a few times each day. "How about you?"
Saori pouted cutely. "I really don't like phys-ed," she complained. "Especially running. How do you do it?"
Tsukune stifled a grim chuckle. 'Necessity,' he thought. "It's just one foot in front of the other."
"But I get tired, my feet hurt," she whined.
"It's all in the motivation."
"So what's yours?" she wondered.
"It's a secret," Tsukune explained with a wink. 'Survival.'
Saori pondered that in silence as the two of them ate. After she'd eaten about half her meal, she gave Tsukune a thoughtful look. "Can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead…"
"What are you?"
Tsukune froze, his fork halfway to his mouth. "Excuse me?" he murmured.
"What kind of monster," Saori clarified unnecessarily. "Wendigo? Zombie? Devil?"
"We're supposed to keep that secret," Tsukune explained, working to conceal his sudden discomfort.
Saori gave a knowing look. "I bet Keito knows."
"She never asked." Technically, that was true. She'd accused him of being human, but never asked what he was.
Saori looked a little disappointed, but she let the matter drop, watching Tsukune return his attention to his textbook. "Sorry for asking."
Tsukune shrugged without looking up. "It's alright, but I won't tell anyone. Nothing personal." The two of them sat in an uncomfortable silence, until the human closed his book and finished off his meal "I should get back to my room," he remarked as he got to his feet. "I'll see you in class tomorrow."
"Pleasant dreams."
"That'd be a first," Tsukune muttered under his breath.
"Pardon me?"
Tsukune blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry, you too." He walked away before his wannabe girlfriend could further the conversation, making his way back to the sanctuary of his room. Safely behind his barricaded door, Tsukune let out a weary sigh. Saori was getting more and more determined to have him see her as a girlfriend, despite her initial insistence that she'd be patient. The fact she was in most of his classes made it harder to avoid her, and while she was unfailingly polite about it, even he could see she wanted more than their current friendly relationship. He would have cut ties with her by now, but there were several others willing to take her place, and they might not be as easygoing as she was.
Glancing at his calendar, Tsukune counted the days until the first semester break, now less than two weeks away. It was likely that his transfer wouldn't come through until after he'd returned, meaning the brief taste of freedom would be yanked away. If he wasn't so worried about how she'd react, he'd have pressed Keito to make it happen even sooner. But considering the fact she'd saved his life, and then let him go when she could have just as easily killed him, Tsukune didn't want to press his luck.
It was already pretty damn thin…
Tsukune found it somewhat worrying that he felt even lonelier without Keito in his life anymore, a sense of isolation that time with Saori did nothing to alleviate. Considering how the Enforcer had brusquely threatened his family, he should have felt nothing but disgust, but the time spent with her hadn't been all bad, which was probably why he hadn't made a move to exterminate her. Realizing he was falling into a familiar habit of reminiscing about Keito, Tsukune sat down at his desk and resumed his studying, working hard to keep his mind occupied until it was time to sleep.
XXX
Tsukune paused briefly at the entrance to his classroom, his eyes giving the class a quick scan to make sure nothing was amiss, before slipping in and heading for his desk. As he opened his book bag, he continued to discretely glance at his fellow students, letting his guard drop slightly when nothing seemed overtly threatening. There hadn't been any potential risks since he'd killed Saizo, but Tsukune still continued to keep up the routine, even after countless cases of being all clear. 'How much time did I waste doing that?' he asked himself.
'Not. One. Second.'
Opening his textbook and returning the shy smile Saori gave him when she arrived, Tsukune took a longer look at the rest of the class, this time not needing to be covert. He was no longer surprised to see Moka averting her eyes when he looked in her direction, but he knew that she'd been watching him when he arrived. The fact the school idol seemed to be showing signs of being interested in him struck the human as crazy, but considering all that happened at Youkai Academy that seemed to be par for the course.
The rest of the students might see her as a vision of loveliness, but to Tsukune, she was still the pink haired bimbo who'd damn near ran him over with her bike when he'd arrived. If she'd at least apologized Tsukune would have been willing to let that go, but the callous way she'd continued on unconcerned had soured him on her for good. He didn't wish her any ill will, but he'd rather get involved with anyone else (maybe even Ichiro) than give her the time of day. When Ms. Nekonome walked in to start the lesson, the human pushed aside all other thoughts to concentrate on the class.
Ms. Nekonome was her usual cheerful self; she continued to smile even when she scratched some luckless classmate who pointed out that her tail was sticking out from under her skirt. As Tsukune jotted down notes from the lecture, he found himself realizing that he'd miss the lively teacher when he transferred out, and he held out faint hope that one day she'd get a job wherever he ended up. Then again, if she couldn't do a better job of concealing her cat-like traits, she wouldn't do much for keeping up the masquerade of being human.
When the lunch bell rang, all the students packed up to make their way to the cafeteria. Tsukune was wondering if Saori would join him at this meal as well, absently slipping his books into his bag with his arsenal, when a voice called out for him.
"Excuse me, Aono…"
Tsukune hadn't expected that Moka would approach him. Her current apparent interest notwithstanding, she usually avoided him like the plague. "Yes…?"
"Do you mind if I ask you a question? About humans," she clarified.
Tsukune instantly went on guard. "Why me?"
"That's easy," Moka replied. "You're so brutal and violent, you're the most humanlike one here…"
For a moment Tsukune was certain she knew, but her eyes held no sign of concealment or guile; she simply thought he was an expert on human behaviour. He was, in fact. Just not for the reason she thought. "What do you want to know?" Her curiosity might be innocent, but it hit too close to home.
"I have a friend, she wants to know, how does a human girl tell a guy she likes him?"
'Don't run him over with a bike,' Tsukune thought unkindly. "Just be honest," he muttered, in no mood to help someone else with their love life when his was a train wreck.
"Hey! She just wants to know, that's all," Moka insisted.
Moka's sincerity got through to Tsukune, even though he wanted nothing more than to blow her off and go eat. Giving his head a resigned shake, the human looked the monster right in the eyes. "Like I said, just be honest. Come out and tell him." Lifting his satchel, Tsukune left the girl in the class alone to ponder his words.
When he finally reached the cafeteria, Tsukune took a smaller lunch, knowing there was a cross country run after school, and that having a too full stomach would make him cramp up. Bitter experience had taught him that running with a cramp was a step down from lingering death, and he wasn't going to make that mistake again. Pulling out a textbook as he ate, Tsukune used a highlighter to mark important sections, his eyes following the words on the page.
Halfway through the chapter, Tsukune glanced up, his eyes going wide when he saw Keito walking by a few aisles over, talking with a male student he didn't recognize. He couldn't hear what was being discussed, but whatever the guy said made the spider woman smile in amusement.
SNAP!
Tsukune flinched from the unexpected pain in his right hand, looking down and surprised to see that he'd broken the highlighter when his hand had clenched reflexively into a fist. The neon orange ink was staining his hand, the plastic remains of the marker a mess in his palm. His appetite suddenly evaporated and he used his clean hand to shove his book into his bag and stalked off, not even putting his partially eaten meal away. Tsukune marched towards the washroom, not noticing, or even caring, that as he exited the cafeteria he brushed against a black clad figure. As the human barged into the washroom, he paid no attention to the tall blond figure, with a sharp chin and ears, slowly flexing his white gloved hands as his eyes narrowed.
Scrubbing his hands under hot water, furiously lathering up to get the Day-Glo orange ink off, Tsukune was adamantly telling himself that he must have just had some kind of muscle spasm. There was certainly no way in hell that the strange tightness in his chest was jealousy. "Must have gone overboard with the push-ups," he muttered darkly, now using his fingernails to try to scrape off the ink. There was no need for him to get so upset over such a trivial thing as breaking a highlighter, so why was his jaw clenched so tight? Scrubbing until the skin on his hands was raw, Tsukune finally got rid of the ink, dried off with paper towels, and stalked back to class, knowing he was early, but not wanting to be anywhere near the cafeteria.
Taking his seat and losing himself in the notes he'd written, Tsukune made a point of ignoring everything and everyone until class resumed. He couldn't wait until after class, the run would help him work through this strange feeling he had. The human knew he was smouldering, but he tried to calm himself down, letting out a breath when class started back up again, focusing on the lecture to regain his composure. By the time the first class had finished, Tsukune felt almost normal again, even managing to return a smile from Saori during a break. But considering that she didn't make her usual effort to talk with him during a free period, Tsukune figured that he was putting out an aura that something was a little off.
He was a little surprised when he realized that the idea of maybe officially hooking up with Saori, even if it was only for a brief while, was more appealing than it had been before lunch. Shaking his head in disgust, Tsukune continued to suppress any thoughts about relationships, finding it difficult to keep his attention on the lecture when images of two women danced in his mind instead of one. With a palpable sense of relief Tsukune saw that classes were finally over for the day, wanting nothing more than to run as hard as he could, and if running the cross country club into the ground wasn't enough to exhaust him, then he'd do push ups until his arms fell off.
The dismissal bell rang its strident tune and Tsukune wasted no time in packing up his books, giving Saori a cursory wave as she walked out of the class, on her way to her own club. Standing up, taking a moment to regain his center, the human noticed that a few of his female classmates were giving him timid smiles, while Moka Akashiya looked different than normal. It was kind of unusual to see the school idol looking anything but either composed, or regarding him with disgust. Tsukune decided to wait a few moments, to give the hallways a chance to clear up a bit before leaving. There was no way he'd be late for his club, even after going back to his room to change, and the notion of something different occurring compelled him to stick around to make sure it wouldn't come back later to bite him on the ass. He wasn't about to stare however, so he just looked around to try to look like he wasn't overtly interested.
"C'mon, he's right there, do it…"
Tsukune heard someone admonishing someone behind him, and he discretely looked over his shoulder. One of Moka's friends was behind her, her lips hear her ear.
"I-I can't," the most popular girl in the school whispered back, loud enough for everyone left in the class to hear. "What if he just laughs?"
"Then we'll get over it with a carton of ice cream," the first voice snapped. "Do it before he leaves!"
"I'm not sure about this!"
"Then grow a spine! You just need some help," the friend insisted. "Rumiko, give me a hand…"
Tsukune didn't like where this was headed, and that maybe now was a good time to get out. Hefting his bag, Tsukune turned towards the door when a panicked yelp drew his gaze. His eyes went wide when he saw Moka hurtling towards him, her friends apparently deciding to give her a hand in the literal sense. Acting instinctively to protect the both of them, Tsukune put up his hands to try to catch Moka somewhat, feeling a blush when his left hand was filled with a warm squishy mass, while his right closed around something cold and metal.
After a half second of incomprehension, Moka apparently realized where Tsukune was grabbing her, and she let out an embarrassed cry, pulling back hard, a scandalized look on her face. Mortified by the unintended contact, Tsukune held up his hands in an apology, belatedly realizing he was still holding onto the Rosario that Moka always wore.
"I-I'm sorry!" Tsukune stammered. "I didn't mean it, really! It was… an… accident…?" he trailed off, noticing the look of dawning horror on the girl's face as she stared at the accessory that was in his grasp.
A breeze began to pick up, despite the fact they were still inside, and this seeming contradiction left Tsukune momentarily incredulous. When the wind began to blow like a typhoon, with Moka seemingly at the eye of it, Tsukune had to put up his hands to keep the wind from blowing dust into his eyes, barely able to make out the pink haired girl in the center of the chaos. Then the commotion died away as swiftly as it had started, leaving Moka untouched.
At least that's how it appeared at first glance. A second look would reveal something else entirely.
Moka's bright pink hair had turned silver; not the tired color of old age, but bright and gleaming, like a newly polished blade. While she'd never been modestly endowed, from the way her blouse had been forced open, she'd probably gained a cup size. But it was the differences in her face that were the most striking. Her facial structure hadn't changed, but she now had a harder look, like she'd been chiselled from ice instead of simply growing up. And her eyes… Bright red eyes, with reptilian pupils that seemed to announce to anyone with senses or instinct, 'predator.' And two long, gleaming white fangs that peeked out from between lips that were turned up slightly in an arrogant smirk. Fangs that turned Tsukune's blood cold, and made a chilled ball appear in the pit of his stomach as he came face to face with something else that had haunted his nightmares.
Vampire.
Moka wasn't sparkling. If she had been, Tsukune would have known that he'd finally lost his fragile grip on his sanity. But even knowing this wasn't some crazed hallucination was of no consolation, as it meant he was in greater danger than he'd ever faced. All the reference books he'd read, and all the gossip he'd heard confirmed it; vampires were the elite class of ghoul, the most powerful of all. They'd all had pretty much the same conclusion; when facing one, either make your peace with your maker, or get the hell out of there post haste. And the second option rarely worked. And Tsukune had just groped her, and she was looking at him the way a shark looked at a wounded seal.
The girl that had until moments before looked as dangerous as a Nerf ball stood proudly in the class, radiating menace. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply through her nose, shuddering in excitement. "You smell… exquisite…" Moka purred, her voice deeper and throatier than usual. "It's been too long since I feasted," she told Tsukune, nearly making his legs buckle. "But before that…"
The vampire turned to face the two friends who'd shoved her into Tsukune, and were now trembling in open fear. "You would dare lay your hands upon me…?" Moka hissed. "Know your place!" Almost faster than any eyes, human or monster, could follow, Moka delivered a savage snap kick that caught both the girls' heads, sending the two of them into a wall, dropping them like rocks, leaving them motionless on the floor. The vampire lowered her leg slowly, an easy, confident smirk on her face as she returned her gaze to Tsukune.
The human was already running, charging through the door, barging right through the crowd that had been drawn by Moka's transformation and curb stomping of her supposed friends. Tsukune went through the onlookers like a combine through a field of grain, not even caring who or what he knocked over as he struggled to escape. He normally tried to keep from antagonizing any other monsters, but right now anything else that chased after him would be an improvement; perhaps their interference with Moka might buy him a few more precious seconds to get away. Tsukune's only hope was to put as much distance between himself and the vampire, and maybe she'd find some other person she could volunteer as a blood donor. His satchel and the rosario still clenched tightly in his hands, Tsukune saw the staircase on the left, planning to jump from landing to landing and try to evade Moka in the dead forest.
There was a sound like a bullet train racing past, a blast of turbulence in its wake, and then Moka was standing in front of the staircase, an almost expectant look on her face. Tsukune frantically managed to divert his course down the hall, heading for the second staircase, panic pushing his heart rate and running speed ever higher. The books had all said vampires were swift, but that had bordered on teleportation. A second rush of noise and wind, and Moka was at the other staircase, making Tsukune want to scream at the unfairness of it all. She had to be toying with him, she could have caught him in a flash. Moka apparently felt like being especially cruel to her victim.
Tsukune's mind frantically considered his options, even as he kept running down the hallway at full tilt, knowing that there were no other staircases before it became a dead end. He'd seen Moka outside, even on days that passed as bright at Youkai Academy, so sunlight wouldn't hurt her. His dinner knife and makeshift flamethrower would be like launching spit balls at Godzilla. She'd been wearing a cross, so that probably wouldn't work, Tsukune had no idea where he could even find holy water here, never mind using it, and he didn't think he could reach the cafeteria to scrounge up some garlic. That left wooden stakes, but considering how easily she'd dispatched the two who'd shoved her, if he got close enough to use one, he'd be toast. He was certain that kick would have taken his head off.
"Nowhere left to run," Moka called out with cruel sweetness. "You're just making me hungrier, and you'll only get more tired."
Tsukune's eyes narrowed as his gaze locked onto a window at the end of the hallway. In his earlier familiarization with the school, he'd noticed that all the windows were single thin panes in wooden frames, all very old, with dried wood and peeling paint. Without breaking his stride he hiked up his jacket to cover his head, bringing up his bag to protect his face; this was going to hurt like hell, but there was literally nowhere left to run. Putting on a final burst of speed, the human threw himself bodily into the window.
CRASH!
Tsukune was barely able to keep in a cry of pain. It never seemed to bother the actors on TV when they did it, but even though the glass and frame disintegrated on impact, it was still like running into a wall at full speed. Then he felt what seemed like hundreds of burning cuts on his hands and arms, a brief feeling of disorientation as he fell, then an even harder jolt when he hit the ground. Tsukune had only been on the second floor, so the fall had been about ten feet, but it reminded him of getting kicked by Kenichi, only more painful. He'd had the wind knocked out of him when he hit the ground, but the human forced his aching body to move, struggling to regain his feet. Pulling his jacket back down, Tsukune saw he was covered with shards of glass, and his hands were riddled with numerous cuts. Fortunately it didn't look as if any of them were very deep, and he counted himself far luckier than he had any right to be.
Wincing in pain as he tried to catch his breath and regain his bearings, Tsukune glanced up at the window he'd leapt through. A chill passed through him as he saw Moka staring down at him, with an expression of frank interest, combined with visible hunger. The vampire took a stray glass shard from the frame, and Tsukune could see his blood on it. Keeping her gaze on him, Moka slowly licked the drops of his blood off the broken glass, her expression changing to something that looked like an orgasm, shuddering visibly. Her body was still quivering with excitement when Tsukune turned back around and simply started running as hard as he could.
The human ran as if his life depended on it; as far as he was concerned, it did. Tsukune went flat out, holding back nothing as he headed for the dead forest. Had the tunnel been closer, he might have tried making a break for his own world, but even at a dead sprint he knew he couldn't escape the vampire's pursuit. He might, just might be able to lose himself in the forest, long enough for Moka to turn her attention to someone else. Tsukune charged into a group of people, not even trying to avoid anyone, taking the most direct path, those in his way either scrambling to prevent a collision, or in a few cases being literally run over.
Tsukune hadn't seen any other signs of Moka since going through the window, no taunts or sounds of an onrushing train, and he felt his hopes go up a fraction. He was approaching the pool now, and in just a few seconds he'd reach the edge of the forest; it wasn't safety by any stretch of the imagination, but if he could make it that far, maybe he had a chance.
"Enough of this…"
The sound of Moka's voice practically in his ear nearly made Tsukune stumble in surprise. Moka made certain of that by casually sticking out her foot and tripping the running human, sending him sprawling. Tsukune crashed heavily into one of the tables near the pool where students would meet before or after a swim. His momentum sent him sliding across the ground, sending the table and chairs asunder, face down as he tried to recover from his second hard impact in less than a minute. Rolling onto his back, Tsukune saw Moka regarding him with open contempt, walking towards him with deliberate slowness, mocking the fact he'd never be able to get away on foot.
Terrified that if he took his eyes off her she'd be on him in an instant, Tsukune frantically scrabbled away backwards, trying to get himself back on his feet without looking away. His right hand touched something smooth and cool, and without hesitation he flung it at Moka, a desperate attempt to hold her off. The iPod whizzed over her left shoulder, catching a few strands of silver hair, but not even making the vampire blink. A glasses case became another makeshift projectile a second later, this time flying off wildly over Moka's right shoulder. The vampire was barely ten feet away when Tsukune tossed a wadded up towel at the approaching monster, desperation giving the throw added force.
A vicious but offhand looking swipe of Moka's right hand turned the towel into tattered rags, her nails cutting like scalpels. Tsukune tried to keep from mewling in terror as he desperately scrambled away, the vampire looming larger with every slow, methodical step. His left hand came upon a plastic cylinder, and without even taking the time to transfer it to his dominant hand flung it almost in resignation at Moka.
"Graaahhhhh!" The silver haired vampire let out an agonized shriek, throwing up her hands in an effort to cover herself, energy sparking all over her.
What the Hell…?
Tsukune froze in surprise, mouth agape as the vampire reacted with more force than he'd expected. For a moment he wondered if someone had left a bottle of acid sitting around for some reason, when he finally saw what the weapon had been. "A water bottle?" he heard himself murmur in surprise. Sure, holy water seemed to work in the movies, but he was certain the water available from the vending machine hadn't been consecrated. And supposedly vampires couldn't travel over it either, but a reaction like that from such a small splashing? For a moment he wondered if this was some kind of sick game to give him a false hope, before dashing it cruelly.
Noticing a second bottle of water on the ground, Tsukune grabbed it, spun off the cap, and tossed it at the shuddering Moka. When the water splashed over her this time, she let out another even louder cry, sparking where the water touched her. Tsukune wondered how a vampire could even survive, considering how prevalent water was on Earth. Eyeing the pool behind the struggling Moka, Tsukune saw a chance to make an escape; get her in the water, then make a break for the tunnel before she was able to get herself out and recover. Getting to his feet, the human gathered his courage and slowly moved to the side of the vampire, hoping with all his heart that she was in too much pain to notice him. Struggling or not, if she managed to connect with either those nails or a kick, he was probably a goner.
Resisting an atavistic impulse to let out a battle cry, Tsukune charged, his arms crossed in front of him, moving as fast as he could when he collided with Moka. The impact made him wince, killing most of his momentum, but he kept his legs moving, driving the both of them to the edge of the pool. The human eased back and used his arms to give a final push, crying out in surprise when Moka took hold of his tie, her inertia pulling him over the edge as well, yelling as they both hit the water.
Moka's grip on his tie was released when she hit the water, and Tsukune swam back to the surface with a few kicks. Breaking through the surface, Tsukune gasped for breath, treading water and realizing they were both in the deep end, under the diving tower. He became aware of Moka thrashing wildly, shouting in pain, vowing to send Tsukune to Hell once she got out of the water.
Tsukune had always been a pretty good swimmer, but the vampire looked like she was in danger of drowning. With practised ease Tsukune swam a few strokes until he was behind the floundering Moka, who was too busy trying to stay afloat to notice him. Treading water, he exhaled a few times, working to blow off the carbon dioxide in his lungs, taking a deep breath and swimming towards Moka. They were at the very center of the deep end, the bottom at least ten feet down. When the vampire's hands were down the human lunged forward, throwing his left arm around her neck, bracing it with his right, then arching his back, dragging the vampire underwater, kicking to drive them both deeper.
Even with no surfaces to push off of to give her leverage, Moka was incredibly strong, and her thrashing made Tsukune think that he was trying to hold onto a mad bull. He kept his arm tight against her throat, keeping his forehead pressed against the back of her head, so she couldn't snap it back and break his nose or jaw. Fighting back against Moka's struggles, Tsukune managed to roll them both over, so that she was under him, easing the water pressure on his inner ear a little by reducing his depth. He couldn't force her to the bottom, or she'd probably launch herself out like a rocket, but he couldn't let her take a breath either.
Tsukune could feel his own lungs starting to ache, and he exhaled to blow off some of the carbon dioxide. That eased the pressure a little, they no longer felt like they might burst, but he was still burning through what little oxygen was still in his system. Moka was kicking like a mule, but Tsukune had managed to get his legs between hers, removing an obvious target from her reach. It was oddly quiet, the water muffling almost all sound, but he could still hear Moka trying to say something even as he had a grip on her throat. He supposed that if he'd been able to hear her, she might have been screaming. Or perhaps pleading…
He couldn't tell how long they'd been underwater, but it felt like forever. Tsukune wanted nothing more than to be able to take a breath, but if he didn't finish this now, he was certain he'd never have another chance. Moka's struggling finally eased off and she went limp in his arms, almost serenely hovering in his grasp. Tsukune carefully released his right arm and drew it back, before clenching it in a fist and driving it into Moka's lower back, right at the kidneys. The vampire began thrashing even harder, managing to break free, even though Tsukune'd been expecting that she'd been playing dead. Through the agony of oxygen depletion, he saw the silver haired vampire kick for the surface.
Tsukune made a desperate reach and managed to grab a handful of silver hair, twisting it in his fist and yanking the vampire back down, locking his arm around her throat and holding on tight. He was barely able to keep from screaming when Moka grabbed onto his arm with her claws, trying to force him off her. Tsukune could feel her nails digging in, and he used the anger to push away the desire to breathe, tightening his grip even more, and driving his knees again and again into Moka's back, feeling feral glee when her mouth opened and a bubble of air escaped. 'Drown, goddamn you!' the human mentally screamed at his opponent. 'Pass out before I do!'
His vision starting to go grey around the edges, Tsukune felt Moka go limp again. Fighting an overwhelming need to bolt for the surface for air, Tsukune raked his fingers across Moka's eyes, bracing for a reaction. Feeling none, he did it twice more before letting go and frantically kicking for the surface. When his head broached out of the water, he took in a long, desperate gasp of air, feeling like he was about to pass out. Lying on his back, Tsukune kicked weakly so he was floating towards the ladder, taking hold of it and uncertainly pulling himself out, panting for breath as he stepped back onto the deck.
From the look of the crowd that had gathered, he'd guess that at least half of the school were watching as he wiped the water from his eyes and looked back into the pool. Moka was resting at the very bottom, completely still, and Tsukune stopped to consider what he'd done. He'd somehow succeeded in drowning a vampire. He'd never heard of anyone doing that in fiction, and the reference books he'd stolen hadn't mentioned anything about that. Was Moka really dead, or would she come back later seeking vengeance? Given how his luck usually went, Tsukune suspected the latter. So, he had no choice but to make completely certain; fortunately, there had been a few methods about doing just that mentioned.
Breathing hard to get his wind back, Tsukune walked towards the table he'd been tripped into earlier, setting it upright and placing his soggy blazer on it, also taking off the tie Moka had used to pull him in. Ignoring the curious glances and whispers directed towards him, the human picked up one of the wooden chairs, lifted it over his head, and smashed it down onto the deck. When it stayed frustratingly intact, Tsukune lifted it up and drove it down harder, this time breaking it into pieces. One of the legs had broken off with a good sharp point at the end, and it looked like it would make an acceptable stake.
Taking a few seconds to build his strength back up and remove his shoes and socks, Tsukune gripped the leg in his right hand and charged towards the pool's edge, jumping into a dive with the wooden weapon held in front of him. Swimming down towards Moka's still form, Tsukune thought he saw something else near her, but it darted away as he approached, crowding into a corner at the deepest part of the pool. Upon reaching the vampire, the human rolled her onto her back, then lifting the makeshift stake over his head with both hands and driving it down into her chest.
The stake penetrated maybe half an inch, the water's resistance and the durability of flesh making it harder to drive the stake in than movies made it look. Tsukune used the heel of his hand to force it in, gaining possibly an eighth of an inch with each hit. Running out of air, and not knowing if he'd get another chance, the human used his right leg to try to stomp the stake down, feeling it go in, but not enough for his peace of mind. Just when Tsukune felt like he was going to have to return to the surface to take a breath, and maybe look for something to use as a hammer, his last, desperate stomp forced the chair leg between the ribs, breaking them, and plunging the point into the vampire's heart.
Moka's body suddenly arched back, her eyes opened, and a scream somehow escaping from her water filled lungs. The sight and sound nearly stopped Tsukune's heart, and he frantically swam for the surface, pulling himself out of the water as if it was corrosive. Looking back, perhaps it was… The water was turning red around Moka's thrashing form, as her death rattle caused waves to appear on the surface. It was getting harder to see, but it almost looked as if the vampire was disintegrating, as a reddish black stain filled the entire pool. Then the water calmed down, and when the waves were replaced by ripples, the tainted water could still allow Tsukune to see the bottom of the pool, but there was nothing in it.
Feeling numb from yet another murder, Tsukune looked around and saw that the eyes of seemingly the entire school were upon him. He saw disbelief, shock, and even some respectful glances, but also something else now, something he'd worked hard to keep himself from showing. Fear. Several students were watching him carefully, looking like they were ready to flee if he made any sudden movements. There was no talking or whispering, just the sounds of the wind whistling by.
And then a washbasin struck him on the head.
"You murderer! You killed her!"
Tsukune shook off the effects of the bump on the head and saw Yukari Sendo, Moka's biggest fan, rushing towards him, tears flowing down her cheeks, a look of open hatred on her face. She started beating her fists on his chest, kicking at his shins, cursing him and vowing revenge. Something in Tsukune snapped; he'd had to kill yet again, and this little brat was giving him shit for daring to protect himself. The human clenched his right fist and smashed the little witch with a savage backhand that sent her on her back, and drew shocked gasps from the crowd.
Taking a step forward, looming over the sprawled out girl, and cocking his right fist back again, Tsukune's eyes met Yukari's. He couldn't see his own expression, but it must have been terrifying to behold as Yukari began trembling in sheer horror. His fist was in position to launch forward, probably to knock out teeth or break bone, when Tsukune caught himself. Yukari was a twelve year old girl; a witch, certainly, but still a twelve year old girl, and he'd just hit her as hard as he'd ever hit anyone before. She was going to have a nasty bruise, and from the way she was looking at him, it was obvious she was afraid he was going to kill her.
And with the rage in his system, she might be right.
Tsukune's anger evaporated. It was one thing to protect himself, but he'd assaulted a little girl, and shame he hadn't felt in a long time returned. Numbly, the human walked away from the terrified Yukari and went to retrieve his things. Slipping into his shoes barefoot, he put his socks into a pocket of his blazer, pausing when he felt something else in it. Tsukune pulled out the rosario and stared at it; he'd forgotten about it and must have slipped it into his pocket in his mad dash to escape. He considered throwing it into the pool that was now Moka's grave, but he put it back where he found it. He threw his tie over his shoulder, hung his blazer over his arm and picked up his satchel.
The crowd was surrounding the area, blocking his way and there were even a few in Enforcers uniforms as well. Tsukune just wanted to go back to his room and crawl into a dark corner. At this point he almost didn't care what happened, and he began to head for his dormitory, wondering if he'd have to fight his way through, and guessing how long he'd last if he did. Tsukune approached the crowd, speculating who would be the first to attack him.
A student moved aside.
And then another.
In front of a disbelieving Tsukune, the crowd started to get out of his way, clearing a path for him towards his dorm. He was astonished that two of them wore the black jackets and yellow armbands of the Enforcers. In a few moments his way was clear, with the exception of a lone Enforcer. This one was rather tall, with pointed ears, some odd facial markings, and wearing white gloves. Tsukune kept walking, not really caring what the man did, just wanting to be left alone, and if he was killed? Well, maybe it was his turn. The human kept moving, not even meeting the Enforcer's eyes, and when he was within a step or two, the black clad individual moved aside, causing a murmur to run through the crowd.
Tsukune didn't care.
Leaving everyone behind him, he continued to the dorm, taking a few moments to examine his injuries. He had many cuts from the glass on his arms, but nothing deep or serious. Moka's claws had gone deeper, but even they weren't too serious. Before he'd come to Youkai Academy, Tsukune hadn't even been able to handle a skinned knee. Now, unless an injury would bleed heavily, or impair his movement, it was to be ignored. They still hurt, but he'd gotten used to working through pain by now. The pool must have washed out all the slivers of glass, so all he needed to do was bandage them up and wait to heal.
Tsukune reached his room, entered, and closed the door. He went to lock it, but didn't. At this point he didn't care who or what came after him, he had enough blood on his hands to justify someone pursuing him. Taking off his shoes, Tsukune hung his blazer over his chair, the rosario dropping out onto the floor. Removing his pants and shirt, he sat on his bed in his skivvies, idly rubbing antibiotic cream into his newest injuries, slowly realizing he didn't have any second thoughts about his latest victim. Moka had nearly run him over when he'd arrived, and didn't like humans, but she'd seemed to be the nicest, most popular monster here. If he hadn't seen it himself, Tsukune wouldn't have believed she was a vampire. And now she was dead, and Tsukune couldn't even work himself up to feel upset at her passing.
The sound of his doorknob turning made Tsukune look up. He had his weapons within reach, but he didn't even consider going for them. The door opened and an Enforcer walked in and shut the door. He knew from experience that this Enforcer had rather soft lips. "It took you all long enough," he spat.
Keito raised an eyebrow. "What took us long enough?"
Tsukune let out a disgusted chuckle. "An Enforcer showing up after I killed someone. Why now? Did I go over a limit?"
"I'm not here about that," Keito assured him.
"Why doesn't that surprise me…?" Tsukune murmured.
Keito slowly walked over to Tsukune, standing in front of him with her arms crossed. "I was simply curious about something…"
"What?" The human didn't even look up, not caring what the spider woman thought.
"Are you sure you're human?"
Tsukune slowly looked up, his eyes narrowing as he saw Keito practically smirking at him. "I'm sorry…?" he hissed through clenched teeth.
"You heard me," Keito replied condescendingly. "For a simple human, you're awfully good at killing. Perhaps you really are a monster after all…"
Having his greatest fear told to him was bad enough. The fact it came from someone he knew to be a true monster, yet still had unresolved feelings for, made it even worse.
Tsukune lurched up in a fury, unleashing a vicious right cross at Keito's jaw. The strike would have knocked any normal woman to the ground. Even most men wouldn't have been able to stay upright after that hit. Keito didn't even flinch. "I'm human!" he snarled. Tsukune threw punches again and again, punctuating each one with another insistence of his humanity, the strength of each decreasing each time. His last punch barely even grazed Keito, and his voice was scarcely over a whisper now. "I'm human…"
The human staggered on his feet, nearly spent, just able to keep from slumping to the ground. He looked at Keito again; for all his efforts, she'd barely moved, her face didn't even look like she'd have a bruise. The look she gave him was a little confusing to Tsukune, it was almost… expectant. Tsukune felt sick when he realized that now he could add 'woman beater' to his list of crimes. It didn't matter that he'd have probably needed explosives to hurt her, he'd struck a woman, not her monster form. He wanted to just disappear, let his mind cease functioning. As his conscience went away to find a dark corner to huddle in, he needed to do something, ANYTHING, to stop thinking.
Tsukune's dormant or repressed feelings came surging back to the forefront, and he shot forward again, this time taking hold of Keito's cheeks and kissing her frantically, desperately, boldly forcing his tongue between her soft lips. He barely noticed when Keito pushed her own tongue back into his mouth, gripping the back of his head and behind his back. His primal hungers driving him now, Tsukune broke the kiss and spun Keito around, forcing her down onto his bed, holding her down with his body. Resuming the kiss he explored the inside of her mouth with his tongue, Tsukune reached down and pulled Keito's Enforcer jacket open, his hands squeezing and kneading the naked flesh underneath.
Keito moaned into Tsukune's mouth as she used her boot heel to push down his boxer shorts, allowing his rampant hardness to spring free. A little wiggling of her hips, and then there was the sensation of indescribable heat and friction, as they both frantically writhed together. Tsukune pushed himself up and gripped Keito's shoulders hard, holding himself up until he slumped forward into her sweaty embrace.
The only thing the human would remember with any clarity was Keito's warm breath tickling his ear as she nibbled on the earlobe playfully. "More…" she hissed softly.
Tsukune gave all he had.
End of Chapter Eight.
Author's Notes:
Pre-read by random1377 and Mereo Flere.
Thanks, dudes…
Rosario + Vampire:
He Who Fights Monsters…
Chapter Eight: Rubicon
Written by: Hawker_748
Tsukune put down his pen and flexed his cramping hand; he was spending a lot of time studying lately, even though he knew he would be transferring away in a matter of weeks. He wanted his transition to go smoothly, and that meant making sure he was all caught up on his subjects so he'd be able to join a new class with a minimum of unfamiliarity. But studying also made the time go faster, and pushed away the isolation and boredom he'd fallen into.
'Well, not really bored,' Tsukune corrected himself. 'More like routine…'
The human would never have been able to imaging it when he'd first arrived at Youkai Academy, but he'd become accustomed to the fear and violence that were prevalent there. His sleep was still haunted by constant nightmares, coupled with images that were as disturbing as they were torrid, but he'd gotten to the point that the cruelty he occasionally witnessed no longer horrified him. In the relatively short time he'd been there Tsukune had already murdered four classmates, and each had been easier to live with than the previous. If he was there much longer, there was the worrying prospect that he'd come to enjoy taking lives.
However, things had been pretty quiet for him since killing Saizo a few weeks back, and the brief respite had given him a chance to let his oft-injured body recover, even being able to remove the spider silk bandage from his leg. The gauzy looking dressing had been harder to remove than he'd expected, and Tsukune had been forced to use his makeshift knife to carefully cut it off. It was another rather ugly addition to his collection of battle scars, but Tsukune was relieved that there hadn't been any lasting damage done. Picking his pen back up, the human turned his efforts to his mathematics textbook. He was still immersed in the cold, clinical discussion of calculus when his ink ran out.
Taking this as a sign to give it a rest for a while, Tsukune glanced at the clock. The cafeteria would be opening shortly for dinner, and since he'd spent the entire Sunday holed up in his room, he figured he needed to eat at least once. Since fewer students ate early, going now would reduce the chances of having some kind of confrontation, or being the subject of gossip at other tables. After arming up, with an ease that spoke volumes on how often he'd done it, Tsukune headed for the cafeteria.
After filling his tray, Tsukune proceeded to his usual table, sat down and opened his textbook. He wasn't actually studying, but if he looked busy, people tended to let him be, which was what he really wanted.
"Tsukune…"
The now familiar voice made the human look up. Saori was standing opposite to him, her own tray in her hands, and a shy smile on her face. "Good evening Saori," he greeted politely.
"Same to you," she replied gently. "May I join you…?"
She'd never failed to ask him, and he'd never refused, mostly out of concern of what she'd be like if he jilted her. At first her inherent politeness had been refreshing, but it was starting to get a little irritating. "Have I ever said no?" he asked innocently.
"No," she admitted. "But it would be rude of me to presume."
Tsukune shrugged. "Go ahead." He supposed there were always worse personality malfunctions someone could have than excessive politeness. As was his habit whenever Saori, or some other girl approached him, Tsukune gave a discrete glance around, wondering if his previous girlfriend Keito was skulking about. She'd dropped him like a hot potato after learning he was human, but she'd integrated herself into his life so much he still hadn't gotten used to not having her around.
Satisfied his violent ex wasn't lurking around, Tsukune let himself give Saori a gentle smile. He felt rather guilty that he was just having her near him to keep some of the other girls who were inexplicably interested in him at bay. He was going to string her along until he transferred out, figuring it was probably safer doing that than having his other suitors take a more active role. Saori seemed like a sweet girl, and he would have felt awful about his treatment of her, but he reasoned that his life would be in danger otherwise, and he'd had enough of that to drive home the importance of survival.
"How are your classes going?" she asked.
"About the same," Tsukune replied. They shared most of the same classes, but they were apart a few times each day. "How about you?"
Saori pouted cutely. "I really don't like phys-ed," she complained. "Especially running. How do you do it?"
Tsukune stifled a grim chuckle. 'Necessity,' he thought. "It's just one foot in front of the other."
"But I get tired, my feet hurt," she whined.
"It's all in the motivation."
"So what's yours?" she wondered.
"It's a secret," Tsukune explained with a wink. 'Survival.'
Saori pondered that in silence as the two of them ate. After she'd eaten about half her meal, she gave Tsukune a thoughtful look. "Can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead…"
"What are you?"
Tsukune froze, his fork halfway to his mouth. "Excuse me?" he murmured.
"What kind of monster," Saori clarified unnecessarily. "Wendigo? Zombie? Devil?"
"We're supposed to keep that secret," Tsukune explained, working to conceal his sudden discomfort.
Saori gave a knowing look. "I bet Keito knows."
"She never asked." Technically, that was true. She'd accused him of being human, but never asked what he was.
Saori looked a little disappointed, but she let the matter drop, watching Tsukune return his attention to his textbook. "Sorry for asking."
Tsukune shrugged without looking up. "It's alright, but I won't tell anyone. Nothing personal." The two of them sat in an uncomfortable silence, until the human closed his book and finished off his meal "I should get back to my room," he remarked as he got to his feet. "I'll see you in class tomorrow."
"Pleasant dreams."
"That'd be a first," Tsukune muttered under his breath.
"Pardon me?"
Tsukune blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry, you too." He walked away before his wannabe girlfriend could further the conversation, making his way back to the sanctuary of his room. Safely behind his barricaded door, Tsukune let out a weary sigh. Saori was getting more and more determined to have him see her as a girlfriend, despite her initial insistence that she'd be patient. The fact she was in most of his classes made it harder to avoid her, and while she was unfailingly polite about it, even he could see she wanted more than their current friendly relationship. He would have cut ties with her by now, but there were several others willing to take her place, and they might not be as easygoing as she was.
Glancing at his calendar, Tsukune counted the days until the first semester break, now less than two weeks away. It was likely that his transfer wouldn't come through until after he'd returned, meaning the brief taste of freedom would be yanked away. If he wasn't so worried about how she'd react, he'd have pressed Keito to make it happen even sooner. But considering the fact she'd saved his life, and then let him go when she could have just as easily killed him, Tsukune didn't want to press his luck.
It was already pretty damn thin…
Tsukune found it somewhat worrying that he felt even lonelier without Keito in his life anymore, a sense of isolation that time with Saori did nothing to alleviate. Considering how the Enforcer had brusquely threatened his family, he should have felt nothing but disgust, but the time spent with her hadn't been all bad, which was probably why he hadn't made a move to exterminate her. Realizing he was falling into a familiar habit of reminiscing about Keito, Tsukune sat down at his desk and resumed his studying, working hard to keep his mind occupied until it was time to sleep.
XXX
Tsukune paused briefly at the entrance to his classroom, his eyes giving the class a quick scan to make sure nothing was amiss, before slipping in and heading for his desk. As he opened his book bag, he continued to discretely glance at his fellow students, letting his guard drop slightly when nothing seemed overtly threatening. There hadn't been any potential risks since he'd killed Saizo, but Tsukune still continued to keep up the routine, even after countless cases of being all clear. 'How much time did I waste doing that?' he asked himself.
'Not. One. Second.'
Opening his textbook and returning the shy smile Saori gave him when she arrived, Tsukune took a longer look at the rest of the class, this time not needing to be covert. He was no longer surprised to see Moka averting her eyes when he looked in her direction, but he knew that she'd been watching him when he arrived. The fact the school idol seemed to be showing signs of being interested in him struck the human as crazy, but considering all that happened at Youkai Academy that seemed to be par for the course.
The rest of the students might see her as a vision of loveliness, but to Tsukune, she was still the pink haired bimbo who'd damn near ran him over with her bike when he'd arrived. If she'd at least apologized Tsukune would have been willing to let that go, but the callous way she'd continued on unconcerned had soured him on her for good. He didn't wish her any ill will, but he'd rather get involved with anyone else (maybe even Ichiro) than give her the time of day. When Ms. Nekonome walked in to start the lesson, the human pushed aside all other thoughts to concentrate on the class.
Ms. Nekonome was her usual cheerful self; she continued to smile even when she scratched some luckless classmate who pointed out that her tail was sticking out from under her skirt. As Tsukune jotted down notes from the lecture, he found himself realizing that he'd miss the lively teacher when he transferred out, and he held out faint hope that one day she'd get a job wherever he ended up. Then again, if she couldn't do a better job of concealing her cat-like traits, she wouldn't do much for keeping up the masquerade of being human.
When the lunch bell rang, all the students packed up to make their way to the cafeteria. Tsukune was wondering if Saori would join him at this meal as well, absently slipping his books into his bag with his arsenal, when a voice called out for him.
"Excuse me, Aono…"
Tsukune hadn't expected that Moka would approach him. Her current apparent interest notwithstanding, she usually avoided him like the plague. "Yes…?"
"Do you mind if I ask you a question? About humans," she clarified.
Tsukune instantly went on guard. "Why me?"
"That's easy," Moka replied. "You're so brutal and violent, you're the most humanlike one here…"
For a moment Tsukune was certain she knew, but her eyes held no sign of concealment or guile; she simply thought he was an expert on human behaviour. He was, in fact. Just not for the reason she thought. "What do you want to know?" Her curiosity might be innocent, but it hit too close to home.
"I have a friend, she wants to know, how does a human girl tell a guy she likes him?"
'Don't run him over with a bike,' Tsukune thought unkindly. "Just be honest," he muttered, in no mood to help someone else with their love life when his was a train wreck.
"Hey! She just wants to know, that's all," Moka insisted.
Moka's sincerity got through to Tsukune, even though he wanted nothing more than to blow her off and go eat. Giving his head a resigned shake, the human looked the monster right in the eyes. "Like I said, just be honest. Come out and tell him." Lifting his satchel, Tsukune left the girl in the class alone to ponder his words.
When he finally reached the cafeteria, Tsukune took a smaller lunch, knowing there was a cross country run after school, and that having a too full stomach would make him cramp up. Bitter experience had taught him that running with a cramp was a step down from lingering death, and he wasn't going to make that mistake again. Pulling out a textbook as he ate, Tsukune used a highlighter to mark important sections, his eyes following the words on the page.
Halfway through the chapter, Tsukune glanced up, his eyes going wide when he saw Keito walking by a few aisles over, talking with a male student he didn't recognize. He couldn't hear what was being discussed, but whatever the guy said made the spider woman smile in amusement.
SNAP!
Tsukune flinched from the unexpected pain in his right hand, looking down and surprised to see that he'd broken the highlighter when his hand had clenched reflexively into a fist. The neon orange ink was staining his hand, the plastic remains of the marker a mess in his palm. His appetite suddenly evaporated and he used his clean hand to shove his book into his bag and stalked off, not even putting his partially eaten meal away. Tsukune marched towards the washroom, not noticing, or even caring, that as he exited the cafeteria he brushed against a black clad figure. As the human barged into the washroom, he paid no attention to the tall blond figure, with a sharp chin and ears, slowly flexing his white gloved hands as his eyes narrowed.
Scrubbing his hands under hot water, furiously lathering up to get the Day-Glo orange ink off, Tsukune was adamantly telling himself that he must have just had some kind of muscle spasm. There was certainly no way in hell that the strange tightness in his chest was jealousy. "Must have gone overboard with the push-ups," he muttered darkly, now using his fingernails to try to scrape off the ink. There was no need for him to get so upset over such a trivial thing as breaking a highlighter, so why was his jaw clenched so tight? Scrubbing until the skin on his hands was raw, Tsukune finally got rid of the ink, dried off with paper towels, and stalked back to class, knowing he was early, but not wanting to be anywhere near the cafeteria.
Taking his seat and losing himself in the notes he'd written, Tsukune made a point of ignoring everything and everyone until class resumed. He couldn't wait until after class, the run would help him work through this strange feeling he had. The human knew he was smouldering, but he tried to calm himself down, letting out a breath when class started back up again, focusing on the lecture to regain his composure. By the time the first class had finished, Tsukune felt almost normal again, even managing to return a smile from Saori during a break. But considering that she didn't make her usual effort to talk with him during a free period, Tsukune figured that he was putting out an aura that something was a little off.
He was a little surprised when he realized that the idea of maybe officially hooking up with Saori, even if it was only for a brief while, was more appealing than it had been before lunch. Shaking his head in disgust, Tsukune continued to suppress any thoughts about relationships, finding it difficult to keep his attention on the lecture when images of two women danced in his mind instead of one. With a palpable sense of relief Tsukune saw that classes were finally over for the day, wanting nothing more than to run as hard as he could, and if running the cross country club into the ground wasn't enough to exhaust him, then he'd do push ups until his arms fell off.
The dismissal bell rang its strident tune and Tsukune wasted no time in packing up his books, giving Saori a cursory wave as she walked out of the class, on her way to her own club. Standing up, taking a moment to regain his center, the human noticed that a few of his female classmates were giving him timid smiles, while Moka Akashiya looked different than normal. It was kind of unusual to see the school idol looking anything but either composed, or regarding him with disgust. Tsukune decided to wait a few moments, to give the hallways a chance to clear up a bit before leaving. There was no way he'd be late for his club, even after going back to his room to change, and the notion of something different occurring compelled him to stick around to make sure it wouldn't come back later to bite him on the ass. He wasn't about to stare however, so he just looked around to try to look like he wasn't overtly interested.
"C'mon, he's right there, do it…"
Tsukune heard someone admonishing someone behind him, and he discretely looked over his shoulder. One of Moka's friends was behind her, her lips hear her ear.
"I-I can't," the most popular girl in the school whispered back, loud enough for everyone left in the class to hear. "What if he just laughs?"
"Then we'll get over it with a carton of ice cream," the first voice snapped. "Do it before he leaves!"
"I'm not sure about this!"
"Then grow a spine! You just need some help," the friend insisted. "Rumiko, give me a hand…"
Tsukune didn't like where this was headed, and that maybe now was a good time to get out. Hefting his bag, Tsukune turned towards the door when a panicked yelp drew his gaze. His eyes went wide when he saw Moka hurtling towards him, her friends apparently deciding to give her a hand in the literal sense. Acting instinctively to protect the both of them, Tsukune put up his hands to try to catch Moka somewhat, feeling a blush when his left hand was filled with a warm squishy mass, while his right closed around something cold and metal.
After a half second of incomprehension, Moka apparently realized where Tsukune was grabbing her, and she let out an embarrassed cry, pulling back hard, a scandalized look on her face. Mortified by the unintended contact, Tsukune held up his hands in an apology, belatedly realizing he was still holding onto the Rosario that Moka always wore.
"I-I'm sorry!" Tsukune stammered. "I didn't mean it, really! It was… an… accident…?" he trailed off, noticing the look of dawning horror on the girl's face as she stared at the accessory that was in his grasp.
A breeze began to pick up, despite the fact they were still inside, and this seeming contradiction left Tsukune momentarily incredulous. When the wind began to blow like a typhoon, with Moka seemingly at the eye of it, Tsukune had to put up his hands to keep the wind from blowing dust into his eyes, barely able to make out the pink haired girl in the center of the chaos. Then the commotion died away as swiftly as it had started, leaving Moka untouched.
At least that's how it appeared at first glance. A second look would reveal something else entirely.
Moka's bright pink hair had turned silver; not the tired color of old age, but bright and gleaming, like a newly polished blade. While she'd never been modestly endowed, from the way her blouse had been forced open, she'd probably gained a cup size. But it was the differences in her face that were the most striking. Her facial structure hadn't changed, but she now had a harder look, like she'd been chiselled from ice instead of simply growing up. And her eyes… Bright red eyes, with reptilian pupils that seemed to announce to anyone with senses or instinct, 'predator.' And two long, gleaming white fangs that peeked out from between lips that were turned up slightly in an arrogant smirk. Fangs that turned Tsukune's blood cold, and made a chilled ball appear in the pit of his stomach as he came face to face with something else that had haunted his nightmares.
Vampire.
Moka wasn't sparkling. If she had been, Tsukune would have known that he'd finally lost his fragile grip on his sanity. But even knowing this wasn't some crazed hallucination was of no consolation, as it meant he was in greater danger than he'd ever faced. All the reference books he'd read, and all the gossip he'd heard confirmed it; vampires were the elite class of ghoul, the most powerful of all. They'd all had pretty much the same conclusion; when facing one, either make your peace with your maker, or get the hell out of there post haste. And the second option rarely worked. And Tsukune had just groped her, and she was looking at him the way a shark looked at a wounded seal.
The girl that had until moments before looked as dangerous as a Nerf ball stood proudly in the class, radiating menace. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply through her nose, shuddering in excitement. "You smell… exquisite…" Moka purred, her voice deeper and throatier than usual. "It's been too long since I feasted," she told Tsukune, nearly making his legs buckle. "But before that…"
The vampire turned to face the two friends who'd shoved her into Tsukune, and were now trembling in open fear. "You would dare lay your hands upon me…?" Moka hissed. "Know your place!" Almost faster than any eyes, human or monster, could follow, Moka delivered a savage snap kick that caught both the girls' heads, sending the two of them into a wall, dropping them like rocks, leaving them motionless on the floor. The vampire lowered her leg slowly, an easy, confident smirk on her face as she returned her gaze to Tsukune.
The human was already running, charging through the door, barging right through the crowd that had been drawn by Moka's transformation and curb stomping of her supposed friends. Tsukune went through the onlookers like a combine through a field of grain, not even caring who or what he knocked over as he struggled to escape. He normally tried to keep from antagonizing any other monsters, but right now anything else that chased after him would be an improvement; perhaps their interference with Moka might buy him a few more precious seconds to get away. Tsukune's only hope was to put as much distance between himself and the vampire, and maybe she'd find some other person she could volunteer as a blood donor. His satchel and the rosario still clenched tightly in his hands, Tsukune saw the staircase on the left, planning to jump from landing to landing and try to evade Moka in the dead forest.
There was a sound like a bullet train racing past, a blast of turbulence in its wake, and then Moka was standing in front of the staircase, an almost expectant look on her face. Tsukune frantically managed to divert his course down the hall, heading for the second staircase, panic pushing his heart rate and running speed ever higher. The books had all said vampires were swift, but that had bordered on teleportation. A second rush of noise and wind, and Moka was at the other staircase, making Tsukune want to scream at the unfairness of it all. She had to be toying with him, she could have caught him in a flash. Moka apparently felt like being especially cruel to her victim.
Tsukune's mind frantically considered his options, even as he kept running down the hallway at full tilt, knowing that there were no other staircases before it became a dead end. He'd seen Moka outside, even on days that passed as bright at Youkai Academy, so sunlight wouldn't hurt her. His dinner knife and makeshift flamethrower would be like launching spit balls at Godzilla. She'd been wearing a cross, so that probably wouldn't work, Tsukune had no idea where he could even find holy water here, never mind using it, and he didn't think he could reach the cafeteria to scrounge up some garlic. That left wooden stakes, but considering how easily she'd dispatched the two who'd shoved her, if he got close enough to use one, he'd be toast. He was certain that kick would have taken his head off.
"Nowhere left to run," Moka called out with cruel sweetness. "You're just making me hungrier, and you'll only get more tired."
Tsukune's eyes narrowed as his gaze locked onto a window at the end of the hallway. In his earlier familiarization with the school, he'd noticed that all the windows were single thin panes in wooden frames, all very old, with dried wood and peeling paint. Without breaking his stride he hiked up his jacket to cover his head, bringing up his bag to protect his face; this was going to hurt like hell, but there was literally nowhere left to run. Putting on a final burst of speed, the human threw himself bodily into the window.
CRASH!
Tsukune was barely able to keep in a cry of pain. It never seemed to bother the actors on TV when they did it, but even though the glass and frame disintegrated on impact, it was still like running into a wall at full speed. Then he felt what seemed like hundreds of burning cuts on his hands and arms, a brief feeling of disorientation as he fell, then an even harder jolt when he hit the ground. Tsukune had only been on the second floor, so the fall had been about ten feet, but it reminded him of getting kicked by Kenichi, only more painful. He'd had the wind knocked out of him when he hit the ground, but the human forced his aching body to move, struggling to regain his feet. Pulling his jacket back down, Tsukune saw he was covered with shards of glass, and his hands were riddled with numerous cuts. Fortunately it didn't look as if any of them were very deep, and he counted himself far luckier than he had any right to be.
Wincing in pain as he tried to catch his breath and regain his bearings, Tsukune glanced up at the window he'd leapt through. A chill passed through him as he saw Moka staring down at him, with an expression of frank interest, combined with visible hunger. The vampire took a stray glass shard from the frame, and Tsukune could see his blood on it. Keeping her gaze on him, Moka slowly licked the drops of his blood off the broken glass, her expression changing to something that looked like an orgasm, shuddering visibly. Her body was still quivering with excitement when Tsukune turned back around and simply started running as hard as he could.
The human ran as if his life depended on it; as far as he was concerned, it did. Tsukune went flat out, holding back nothing as he headed for the dead forest. Had the tunnel been closer, he might have tried making a break for his own world, but even at a dead sprint he knew he couldn't escape the vampire's pursuit. He might, just might be able to lose himself in the forest, long enough for Moka to turn her attention to someone else. Tsukune charged into a group of people, not even trying to avoid anyone, taking the most direct path, those in his way either scrambling to prevent a collision, or in a few cases being literally run over.
Tsukune hadn't seen any other signs of Moka since going through the window, no taunts or sounds of an onrushing train, and he felt his hopes go up a fraction. He was approaching the pool now, and in just a few seconds he'd reach the edge of the forest; it wasn't safety by any stretch of the imagination, but if he could make it that far, maybe he had a chance.
"Enough of this…"
The sound of Moka's voice practically in his ear nearly made Tsukune stumble in surprise. Moka made certain of that by casually sticking out her foot and tripping the running human, sending him sprawling. Tsukune crashed heavily into one of the tables near the pool where students would meet before or after a swim. His momentum sent him sliding across the ground, sending the table and chairs asunder, face down as he tried to recover from his second hard impact in less than a minute. Rolling onto his back, Tsukune saw Moka regarding him with open contempt, walking towards him with deliberate slowness, mocking the fact he'd never be able to get away on foot.
Terrified that if he took his eyes off her she'd be on him in an instant, Tsukune frantically scrabbled away backwards, trying to get himself back on his feet without looking away. His right hand touched something smooth and cool, and without hesitation he flung it at Moka, a desperate attempt to hold her off. The iPod whizzed over her left shoulder, catching a few strands of silver hair, but not even making the vampire blink. A glasses case became another makeshift projectile a second later, this time flying off wildly over Moka's right shoulder. The vampire was barely ten feet away when Tsukune tossed a wadded up towel at the approaching monster, desperation giving the throw added force.
A vicious but offhand looking swipe of Moka's right hand turned the towel into tattered rags, her nails cutting like scalpels. Tsukune tried to keep from mewling in terror as he desperately scrambled away, the vampire looming larger with every slow, methodical step. His left hand came upon a plastic cylinder, and without even taking the time to transfer it to his dominant hand flung it almost in resignation at Moka.
"Graaahhhhh!" The silver haired vampire let out an agonized shriek, throwing up her hands in an effort to cover herself, energy sparking all over her.
What the Hell…?
Tsukune froze in surprise, mouth agape as the vampire reacted with more force than he'd expected. For a moment he wondered if someone had left a bottle of acid sitting around for some reason, when he finally saw what the weapon had been. "A water bottle?" he heard himself murmur in surprise. Sure, holy water seemed to work in the movies, but he was certain the water available from the vending machine hadn't been consecrated. And supposedly vampires couldn't travel over it either, but a reaction like that from such a small splashing? For a moment he wondered if this was some kind of sick game to give him a false hope, before dashing it cruelly.
Noticing a second bottle of water on the ground, Tsukune grabbed it, spun off the cap, and tossed it at the shuddering Moka. When the water splashed over her this time, she let out another even louder cry, sparking where the water touched her. Tsukune wondered how a vampire could even survive, considering how prevalent water was on Earth. Eyeing the pool behind the struggling Moka, Tsukune saw a chance to make an escape; get her in the water, then make a break for the tunnel before she was able to get herself out and recover. Getting to his feet, the human gathered his courage and slowly moved to the side of the vampire, hoping with all his heart that she was in too much pain to notice him. Struggling or not, if she managed to connect with either those nails or a kick, he was probably a goner.
Resisting an atavistic impulse to let out a battle cry, Tsukune charged, his arms crossed in front of him, moving as fast as he could when he collided with Moka. The impact made him wince, killing most of his momentum, but he kept his legs moving, driving the both of them to the edge of the pool. The human eased back and used his arms to give a final push, crying out in surprise when Moka took hold of his tie, her inertia pulling him over the edge as well, yelling as they both hit the water.
Moka's grip on his tie was released when she hit the water, and Tsukune swam back to the surface with a few kicks. Breaking through the surface, Tsukune gasped for breath, treading water and realizing they were both in the deep end, under the diving tower. He became aware of Moka thrashing wildly, shouting in pain, vowing to send Tsukune to Hell once she got out of the water.
Tsukune had always been a pretty good swimmer, but the vampire looked like she was in danger of drowning. With practised ease Tsukune swam a few strokes until he was behind the floundering Moka, who was too busy trying to stay afloat to notice him. Treading water, he exhaled a few times, working to blow off the carbon dioxide in his lungs, taking a deep breath and swimming towards Moka. They were at the very center of the deep end, the bottom at least ten feet down. When the vampire's hands were down the human lunged forward, throwing his left arm around her neck, bracing it with his right, then arching his back, dragging the vampire underwater, kicking to drive them both deeper.
Even with no surfaces to push off of to give her leverage, Moka was incredibly strong, and her thrashing made Tsukune think that he was trying to hold onto a mad bull. He kept his arm tight against her throat, keeping his forehead pressed against the back of her head, so she couldn't snap it back and break his nose or jaw. Fighting back against Moka's struggles, Tsukune managed to roll them both over, so that she was under him, easing the water pressure on his inner ear a little by reducing his depth. He couldn't force her to the bottom, or she'd probably launch herself out like a rocket, but he couldn't let her take a breath either.
Tsukune could feel his own lungs starting to ache, and he exhaled to blow off some of the carbon dioxide. That eased the pressure a little, they no longer felt like they might burst, but he was still burning through what little oxygen was still in his system. Moka was kicking like a mule, but Tsukune had managed to get his legs between hers, removing an obvious target from her reach. It was oddly quiet, the water muffling almost all sound, but he could still hear Moka trying to say something even as he had a grip on her throat. He supposed that if he'd been able to hear her, she might have been screaming. Or perhaps pleading…
He couldn't tell how long they'd been underwater, but it felt like forever. Tsukune wanted nothing more than to be able to take a breath, but if he didn't finish this now, he was certain he'd never have another chance. Moka's struggling finally eased off and she went limp in his arms, almost serenely hovering in his grasp. Tsukune carefully released his right arm and drew it back, before clenching it in a fist and driving it into Moka's lower back, right at the kidneys. The vampire began thrashing even harder, managing to break free, even though Tsukune'd been expecting that she'd been playing dead. Through the agony of oxygen depletion, he saw the silver haired vampire kick for the surface.
Tsukune made a desperate reach and managed to grab a handful of silver hair, twisting it in his fist and yanking the vampire back down, locking his arm around her throat and holding on tight. He was barely able to keep from screaming when Moka grabbed onto his arm with her claws, trying to force him off her. Tsukune could feel her nails digging in, and he used the anger to push away the desire to breathe, tightening his grip even more, and driving his knees again and again into Moka's back, feeling feral glee when her mouth opened and a bubble of air escaped. 'Drown, goddamn you!' the human mentally screamed at his opponent. 'Pass out before I do!'
His vision starting to go grey around the edges, Tsukune felt Moka go limp again. Fighting an overwhelming need to bolt for the surface for air, Tsukune raked his fingers across Moka's eyes, bracing for a reaction. Feeling none, he did it twice more before letting go and frantically kicking for the surface. When his head broached out of the water, he took in a long, desperate gasp of air, feeling like he was about to pass out. Lying on his back, Tsukune kicked weakly so he was floating towards the ladder, taking hold of it and uncertainly pulling himself out, panting for breath as he stepped back onto the deck.
From the look of the crowd that had gathered, he'd guess that at least half of the school were watching as he wiped the water from his eyes and looked back into the pool. Moka was resting at the very bottom, completely still, and Tsukune stopped to consider what he'd done. He'd somehow succeeded in drowning a vampire. He'd never heard of anyone doing that in fiction, and the reference books he'd stolen hadn't mentioned anything about that. Was Moka really dead, or would she come back later seeking vengeance? Given how his luck usually went, Tsukune suspected the latter. So, he had no choice but to make completely certain; fortunately, there had been a few methods about doing just that mentioned.
Breathing hard to get his wind back, Tsukune walked towards the table he'd been tripped into earlier, setting it upright and placing his soggy blazer on it, also taking off the tie Moka had used to pull him in. Ignoring the curious glances and whispers directed towards him, the human picked up one of the wooden chairs, lifted it over his head, and smashed it down onto the deck. When it stayed frustratingly intact, Tsukune lifted it up and drove it down harder, this time breaking it into pieces. One of the legs had broken off with a good sharp point at the end, and it looked like it would make an acceptable stake.
Taking a few seconds to build his strength back up and remove his shoes and socks, Tsukune gripped the leg in his right hand and charged towards the pool's edge, jumping into a dive with the wooden weapon held in front of him. Swimming down towards Moka's still form, Tsukune thought he saw something else near her, but it darted away as he approached, crowding into a corner at the deepest part of the pool. Upon reaching the vampire, the human rolled her onto her back, then lifting the makeshift stake over his head with both hands and driving it down into her chest.
The stake penetrated maybe half an inch, the water's resistance and the durability of flesh making it harder to drive the stake in than movies made it look. Tsukune used the heel of his hand to force it in, gaining possibly an eighth of an inch with each hit. Running out of air, and not knowing if he'd get another chance, the human used his right leg to try to stomp the stake down, feeling it go in, but not enough for his peace of mind. Just when Tsukune felt like he was going to have to return to the surface to take a breath, and maybe look for something to use as a hammer, his last, desperate stomp forced the chair leg between the ribs, breaking them, and plunging the point into the vampire's heart.
Moka's body suddenly arched back, her eyes opened, and a scream somehow escaping from her water filled lungs. The sight and sound nearly stopped Tsukune's heart, and he frantically swam for the surface, pulling himself out of the water as if it was corrosive. Looking back, perhaps it was… The water was turning red around Moka's thrashing form, as her death rattle caused waves to appear on the surface. It was getting harder to see, but it almost looked as if the vampire was disintegrating, as a reddish black stain filled the entire pool. Then the water calmed down, and when the waves were replaced by ripples, the tainted water could still allow Tsukune to see the bottom of the pool, but there was nothing in it.
Feeling numb from yet another murder, Tsukune looked around and saw that the eyes of seemingly the entire school were upon him. He saw disbelief, shock, and even some respectful glances, but also something else now, something he'd worked hard to keep himself from showing. Fear. Several students were watching him carefully, looking like they were ready to flee if he made any sudden movements. There was no talking or whispering, just the sounds of the wind whistling by.
And then a washbasin struck him on the head.
"You murderer! You killed her!"
Tsukune shook off the effects of the bump on the head and saw Yukari Sendo, Moka's biggest fan, rushing towards him, tears flowing down her cheeks, a look of open hatred on her face. She started beating her fists on his chest, kicking at his shins, cursing him and vowing revenge. Something in Tsukune snapped; he'd had to kill yet again, and this little brat was giving him shit for daring to protect himself. The human clenched his right fist and smashed the little witch with a savage backhand that sent her on her back, and drew shocked gasps from the crowd.
Taking a step forward, looming over the sprawled out girl, and cocking his right fist back again, Tsukune's eyes met Yukari's. He couldn't see his own expression, but it must have been terrifying to behold as Yukari began trembling in sheer horror. His fist was in position to launch forward, probably to knock out teeth or break bone, when Tsukune caught himself. Yukari was a twelve year old girl; a witch, certainly, but still a twelve year old girl, and he'd just hit her as hard as he'd ever hit anyone before. She was going to have a nasty bruise, and from the way she was looking at him, it was obvious she was afraid he was going to kill her.
And with the rage in his system, she might be right.
Tsukune's anger evaporated. It was one thing to protect himself, but he'd assaulted a little girl, and shame he hadn't felt in a long time returned. Numbly, the human walked away from the terrified Yukari and went to retrieve his things. Slipping into his shoes barefoot, he put his socks into a pocket of his blazer, pausing when he felt something else in it. Tsukune pulled out the rosario and stared at it; he'd forgotten about it and must have slipped it into his pocket in his mad dash to escape. He considered throwing it into the pool that was now Moka's grave, but he put it back where he found it. He threw his tie over his shoulder, hung his blazer over his arm and picked up his satchel.
The crowd was surrounding the area, blocking his way and there were even a few in Enforcers uniforms as well. Tsukune just wanted to go back to his room and crawl into a dark corner. At this point he almost didn't care what happened, and he began to head for his dormitory, wondering if he'd have to fight his way through, and guessing how long he'd last if he did. Tsukune approached the crowd, speculating who would be the first to attack him.
A student moved aside.
And then another.
In front of a disbelieving Tsukune, the crowd started to get out of his way, clearing a path for him towards his dorm. He was astonished that two of them wore the black jackets and yellow armbands of the Enforcers. In a few moments his way was clear, with the exception of a lone Enforcer. This one was rather tall, with pointed ears, some odd facial markings, and wearing white gloves. Tsukune kept walking, not really caring what the man did, just wanting to be left alone, and if he was killed? Well, maybe it was his turn. The human kept moving, not even meeting the Enforcer's eyes, and when he was within a step or two, the black clad individual moved aside, causing a murmur to run through the crowd.
Tsukune didn't care.
Leaving everyone behind him, he continued to the dorm, taking a few moments to examine his injuries. He had many cuts from the glass on his arms, but nothing deep or serious. Moka's claws had gone deeper, but even they weren't too serious. Before he'd come to Youkai Academy, Tsukune hadn't even been able to handle a skinned knee. Now, unless an injury would bleed heavily, or impair his movement, it was to be ignored. They still hurt, but he'd gotten used to working through pain by now. The pool must have washed out all the slivers of glass, so all he needed to do was bandage them up and wait to heal.
Tsukune reached his room, entered, and closed the door. He went to lock it, but didn't. At this point he didn't care who or what came after him, he had enough blood on his hands to justify someone pursuing him. Taking off his shoes, Tsukune hung his blazer over his chair, the rosario dropping out onto the floor. Removing his pants and shirt, he sat on his bed in his skivvies, idly rubbing antibiotic cream into his newest injuries, slowly realizing he didn't have any second thoughts about his latest victim. Moka had nearly run him over when he'd arrived, and didn't like humans, but she'd seemed to be the nicest, most popular monster here. If he hadn't seen it himself, Tsukune wouldn't have believed she was a vampire. And now she was dead, and Tsukune couldn't even work himself up to feel upset at her passing.
The sound of his doorknob turning made Tsukune look up. He had his weapons within reach, but he didn't even consider going for them. The door opened and an Enforcer walked in and shut the door. He knew from experience that this Enforcer had rather soft lips. "It took you all long enough," he spat.
Keito raised an eyebrow. "What took us long enough?"
Tsukune let out a disgusted chuckle. "An Enforcer showing up after I killed someone. Why now? Did I go over a limit?"
"I'm not here about that," Keito assured him.
"Why doesn't that surprise me…?" Tsukune murmured.
Keito slowly walked over to Tsukune, standing in front of him with her arms crossed. "I was simply curious about something…"
"What?" The human didn't even look up, not caring what the spider woman thought.
"Are you sure you're human?"
Tsukune slowly looked up, his eyes narrowing as he saw Keito practically smirking at him. "I'm sorry…?" he hissed through clenched teeth.
"You heard me," Keito replied condescendingly. "For a simple human, you're awfully good at killing. Perhaps you really are a monster after all…"
Having his greatest fear told to him was bad enough. The fact it came from someone he knew to be a true monster, yet still had unresolved feelings for, made it even worse.
Tsukune lurched up in a fury, unleashing a vicious right cross at Keito's jaw. The strike would have knocked any normal woman to the ground. Even most men wouldn't have been able to stay upright after that hit. Keito didn't even flinch. "I'm human!" he snarled. Tsukune threw punches again and again, punctuating each one with another insistence of his humanity, the strength of each decreasing each time. His last punch barely even grazed Keito, and his voice was scarcely over a whisper now. "I'm human…"
The human staggered on his feet, nearly spent, just able to keep from slumping to the ground. He looked at Keito again; for all his efforts, she'd barely moved, her face didn't even look like she'd have a bruise. The look she gave him was a little confusing to Tsukune, it was almost… expectant. Tsukune felt sick when he realized that now he could add 'woman beater' to his list of crimes. It didn't matter that he'd have probably needed explosives to hurt her, he'd struck a woman, not her monster form. He wanted to just disappear, let his mind cease functioning. As his conscience went away to find a dark corner to huddle in, he needed to do something, ANYTHING, to stop thinking.
Tsukune's dormant or repressed feelings came surging back to the forefront, and he shot forward again, this time taking hold of Keito's cheeks and kissing her frantically, desperately, boldly forcing his tongue between her soft lips. He barely noticed when Keito pushed her own tongue back into his mouth, gripping the back of his head and behind his back. His primal hungers driving him now, Tsukune broke the kiss and spun Keito around, forcing her down onto his bed, holding her down with his body. Resuming the kiss he explored the inside of her mouth with his tongue, Tsukune reached down and pulled Keito's Enforcer jacket open, his hands squeezing and kneading the naked flesh underneath.
Keito moaned into Tsukune's mouth as she used her boot heel to push down his boxer shorts, allowing his rampant hardness to spring free. A little wiggling of her hips, and then there was the sensation of indescribable heat and friction, as they both frantically writhed together. Tsukune pushed himself up and gripped Keito's shoulders hard, holding himself up until he slumped forward into her sweaty embrace.
The only thing the human would remember with any clarity was Keito's warm breath tickling his ear as she nibbled on the earlobe playfully. "More…" she hissed softly.
Tsukune gave all he had.
End of Chapter Eight.
Author's Notes:
Pre-read by random1377 and Mereo Flere.
Thanks, dudes…