The Crimson Cross.
Chapter 4: Greener than Grass.
Ethan Cross.
My ribs hurt, but that wasn’t that surprising after going through the meat grinder that was called Saizo. And the worst part was that it wasn’t the only place that hurt like a bitch.
Fucking monster and his perverted ways. Who on earth went after a girl the way he had?
The world was insane.
I tried to ignore the craters in the clearing. Then snorted at the ones Not-Moka caused in her berserker rage and winced at my own handiwork after enduring the monster's assault.
It was disappointing. I was disappointing.
And way over my head.
Moka didn’t look like the kind of girl who enjoyed harming even a fly; she was genuinely one of the sweetest girls I had ever met.
But Not-Moka showed that a monster was beneath the sweet façade. Obviously, there had to be something else going on with her Rosario and transformation. Even with similar features, there was no way in hell that Not-Moka and Moka were the same person.
Kunou observed me from her seat, looking at me as if I were a truly fascinating puzzle just ready to be solved.
“Come on, Ethan-kun,” she repeated, her voice composed despite the destruction around us.
Admittedly, it pissed me off a little bit. Here I was, panting for breath as the adrenaline and whatever magic I had tapered off, and she was acting as if this was a usual Tuesday.
“We have a lot to go over,” she smiled calmly, “But first, what are you planning on doing with the giant problem over there?”
“He’s not that big in his human form,” my brain provided before I could think of what to say.
“I wasn’t talking about his size,” Kunou rolled her eyes.
I conceded that point and hoisted myself up, wincing as my muscles burned in pain. Limping, I dropped onto the grass a few feet from her.
Close enough to show I was willing to talk, but far enough that I could pretend personal space was still a thing when someone absurdly more powerful than you wanted something.
I hated this.
Kunou’s eyes flicked towards the cunt. “Saizo is not like the majority of monsters, Ethan. You shouldn’t allow his example to color the rest of them.”
She giggled a little at my deadpan, dubious glare. It probably came more tired than anything else.
"Believe me, his weakness gives him an inferiority complex, and he is just an unpleasant brute. Don’t assume every other monster is like him; it’s the same with humans. Everyone is different, good or evil."
“How sure are you that he won’t wake up? I genuinely don’t think I can go another round with him.” I looked at his downed form.
“I said I sealed his monster form; he should stay that way until I decide what to do with him,” Kunou shook her head. “However, the academy will want to know what happened around here.”
“He started it,” I stated firmly, “Moka just acted to defend us from the bastard.”
“Be that as it may, a human managing to halt, even briefly, a mid-class monster like him means you won’t just have to worry about school bullies,” she snorted, her fluffy tails swishing. “While most students haven’t realized you’re human, not everyone is so oblivious. One rumor and you’ll draw attention from the factions Nekonome-sensei mentioned. Trust me, Ethan, you aren’t ready for that.”
“You don’t have to tell me that,” I sighed.
"You’re new at this, right?" she giggled behind her hand. "I saw your fight… you’re as green as they come. I could beat you with my eyes closed."
I started to speak, but she raised her hand and chuckled.
“When I was ten, I meant.”
"That’s a low blow, princess," I muttered. "I didn’t even know magic existed before yesterday."
She burst out laughing, “Oh my, you’re adorable.”
I didn’t blush. No matter what anyone said. A compliment from a cute girl wouldn’t bring me down.
Kunou cocked her head, ears twitching. "I’ll do you a favor. I can erase his memory of the fight. He’ll only remember trying to intimidate you, a minor scuffle, and waking with a headache. How’s that?"
“Yes. God, yes,” I nodded immediately, feeling a weight disappear from my shoulders, “Wipe the bastard’s mind, and don’t be gentle with it. Please.”
“Fucking creep,” I murmured under my breath.
She grinned, then offered a genuine smile. She looked less like a princess and more like the eighteen-year-old girl she was. She raised her hand, golden energy flickering at her fingertips before she flicked it toward Saizo. It sank into his skull and he started screaming in agony.
She whistled innocently and ignored his screams. "Done, now to the important part."
My shoulders tensed at that.
"What exactly are you, Ethan Cross? Born to normal parents who work for the church, but they’re not in the know about the supernatural. You aren’t an experiment, right?"
“Woman, I’m just British,” I said plainly, realizing that she knew more than I expected.
What did she mean by my parents working for the church? They didn’t… right?
She ignored my silence. "I watched you tank blows that would have hospitalized a normal human, then summon armor unlike any that I’ve seen. That's not even mentioning the energy you're using, which wasn’t in you the first time I saw you. It doesn’t feel like Youki, demonic power, or anything like that. I’ve met many beings from different pantheons, but none felt like yours."
I had no idea why she was saying that. It wasn’t like I understood these powers.
The belt was a surprise, and everything I’d done was just dumb luck. When it appeared on my desk, it stayed by my side, then became something that made me feel like a better version of myself.
I just pulled the damn energy into the open, but I didn’t understand what I was doing. And it sounded like not even someone as knowledgeable as Kunou could help me.
“I have no idea, Kunou,” I said, “I was honestly hoping you would have some answers for me.”
She hummed quietly, looking at the unconscious Not-Moka for a moment before looking back at me. “The supernatural world is held by a very delicate, very volatile balance of power. You have the Yokai factions in Japan, our Gods, and the families that they use to keep us in line. The devils and the fallen angels inside the underworld, as well as many, if not all, Gods of the dead. Every faction is looking for an advantage. And you’re an anomaly, Ethan. You will become a walking target until someone pushes you too far and something bad happens.”
She looked up at the sky. “It always ends like that,” she murmured.
“Brilliant,” I gulped thickly, “And I suppose your faction already knows about me.”
"Only my mother and several trusted advisors," Kunou nodded, unashamed. "We reached the only logical conclusion. It must be a Sacred Gear. A new one, since no one has seen armor like that."
“How would they know?” I sighed, “The fight ended literally minutes ago, Kunou.”
"I transmitted the fight as it happened. If it had been seen before, they would know… they’re old."
“I wonder how your mother would react to you calling her a hag,” I snorted.
She glared at me before she burst out laughing and nodded.
"Mutually assured destruction, I’d expect," she giggled. "You keep silent, I don’t share info about you with anyone else. Deal?"
“Deal,” I laughed, oddly enough, trusting her word despite everything.
She didn’t look to be the bad kind of monster... maybe.
“But…” I pursed my lips, “What exactly is a sacred gear?”
Kunou shook her head in amusement.
“Sacred Gears are artifacts created by the God of the Bible. He gave them to humanity to defend against the supernatural, but the results are mixed. His intentions were good, but little has changed overall. Not every Sacred Gear is equal; some are much stronger than others. Others are barely useful to act as a signal for the supernatural to pay attention.”
“Like what, exactly? I’m barely understanding anything here, Kunou,” I sighed.
“The Longinus are the strongest kind, said to be capable of felling a deity,”
“That strong?” My mouth dropped.
"Not exactly," she grimaced. "That’s just theory; no god has died from a Longinus user. And only thirteen exist, so don’t get your hopes up."
"Fuck," I cursed, glaring at the sky. "That’s just some bullshit."
Kunou grinned at my misery. "Don’t lose hope. As I said, mother and the few advisors aware of it don’t recognize your Sacred Gear. If it’s new, who knows your theoretical limit? You’ll have to learn about it."
"That’s easier said than done. I barely know what I’m doing, as you saw."
The possibility of a gift from the Almighty made me feel warm inside. Like my parents, I was Catholic. I didn't attend church as much as they did, but I truly believed in his existence.
But I wasn’t sure she was right. I just couldn’t say why.
“And how do they work, exactly? Sacred Gears, I mean,” I asked.
At this point, anything was better than the nothingness I knew about my power.
“It resides inside your soul,” she explained patiently, “they are also known to respond to the user’s desire. Your desperation to protect Moka-chan must have triggered yours. The armor and physical enhancement can be explained that way, and since it was your first time using it, it has the hallmarks of a mid to high-tier Sacred Gear. I could be wrong, though.”
Before I could ask for more information, because, again, she was making a lot of assumptions that weren’t exactly facts, I was interrupted by a low hiss.
We both snapped our heads toward the side. Where the previously unconscious Not-Moka was currently twitching.
Her silver hair was plastered against her pale face, and those wild, blood-red eyes jerked open with another hiss.
She didn’t look particularly confused, only furious.
And she lunged at us with an animalistic speed that I couldn’t follow.
I flinched, hard. Trying to back up and reaching for the heat inside my chest, but Kunou was infinitely faster. Without even looking, the fox princess snapped her fingers, and a second ring of golden fire sprang from the ground and wrapped around Moka’s wrists and waist with chains.
The vampire hit the ground hard, snarling and snapping her teeth, pulling against the ground with enough force to crack it.
… What in the world had I done?
“Fascinating, but incredibly troublesome,” Kunou murmured, walking calmly toward my berserker friend.
“Is she going to be okay?” I asked worriedly, “I don’t think this was supposed to happen, Kunou.”
"I fucked something up, right?
"You could say something like that" Kunou smiled sadly. "But I might be able to help."
She knelt beside Moka, completely ignoring the fangs inches from her face, and picked up the silver Rosario that was discarded in the dirt.
"This Rosario is a master-crafted seal," Kunou explained, turning the cross over in her small hands. "It suppresses the Shinso bloodline inside her, but that doesn’t exactly explain why she has two different personalities. You were supposed to gently release it."
"I tried!" I defended myself, stepping slightly closer as my worry won over my fear. "It wouldn't budge! She said only someone who loves her could take it off. I met her yesterday!"
"Yes, and instead of a key, you used a siege engine to break it," Kunou said dryly.
She pointed at a hairline fracture running down the center of the cross. "Whatever energy you channeled into this, it didn't just unlock the seal. It completely destroyed it. You’re lucky that the spell didn’t fail completely."
My guts twisted, and I could feel myself going pale. "What can I do?"
"Nothing," Kunou sighed, her tone softening slightly at my panic. "You have affected the seal irreversibly. I can repair it to the best of my ability and force the Shinso personality back to sleep and bring back your pink-haired friend."
She placed her hand over the Rosario, her golden aura flaring beautifully in the forest. The metal glowed brightly for a second before the crack mended itself together.
"However," Kunou continued gravely. "This is merely a band-aid. I have no idea what your specific energy did to the spell. It will function, but the barrier between both personalities is permanently thinned."
She stood up and walked back to me, pressing the repaired Rosario into my hand with surprising care.
"When you reapply this, Moka will return. But the other personality will no longer be asleep. She will be awake and conscious, watching everything through Moka's eyes. Every moment of every day."
I looked at the silver cross in my palm, the magnitude of my ignorant fuck-up finally sank in.
"Brilliant," I muttered, massaging my temples as a headache began to form. "Just bloody brilliant."
“Was the second personality acting weird to you? Why could that be?” I asked, doing my best to ignore the snarling Moka.
“I suspect that the method you used sent her into a berserk mode. Returning inside should calm her down. That energy inside your body is… dense and strange. Powerful, too. I am almost sure this is what happened.” She tried to assuage my worry. “You’ll just need to be careful later and talk to Moka. She might know more than I do.”
I nodded firmly, vowing to try to learn everything I could about my second friend here.
“Now, to finish this meeting, I have an offer for you, Ethan,” Kunou stated seriously.
I looked at her. The playful, curious girl was gone.
“You’re an unknown who possesses a powerful Sacred Gear.”
“Supposedly,” I couldn’t help but point out.
She glared at me, and her ears twitched in irritation, “The point is, you have potential. But you’re in the middle of an academy filled with monsters who see humans as prey, and you have befriended one of the strongest monsters in the academy. If you go through this as you are, you will lose. Whether that means death or worse, I can’t say.”
“What can be worse than death?” I asked, having a bad feeling about the answer.
“Slavery,” Kunou said drily, “For thousands of years, if you’re unlucky. Or you escape and go crazy, then start killing humans for sustenance before someone puts you down.”
I was right. I shouldn’t have asked.
“And the alternative?”
“You stay with me,” Kunou said simply, “You, your other human friend, and Moka. You stay close to me, and in exchange, I will place you under my protection.”
Seeing my doubtful gaze, Kunou laughed behind her hand, “You might have noticed Nekonome-sensei glancing in my direction. I’m the daughter of Yasaka, the leader of Youkai Kyoto. We’re not the strongest faction around, but we care for everyone who works with us.”
“I’m unsure if I want to join a faction without knowing everything about them,” I responded hesitantly.
Despite expecting anger, Kunou just looked at me approvingly.
“Good, I knew there was a brain inside that head,” she nodded with an impish grin, “You can depend on me during our stay at the academy, that way you’ll get enough time to get to know me better. I will help you grow stronger and train you to get that Sacred Gear to its full potential so you don’t blow yourself up or your friends while trying to help.”
“And what do you get out of this, princess?” I asked, my eyes narrowing. “Why take two squishy humans you don’t even know?”
Kunou frowned minutely as many expressions flickered over her face, too fast for me to single any of them out.
“Let us say that the political climate in Kyoto is… complicated at the moment. Having an ace in the hole with an unknown sacred gear and a Shinso vampire might prove useful down the line. Aono might be able to learn some human magic down the line, but mostly, I’m interested in you two. But my reasons are my own,” she held out her hand, “Do we have a deal, Ethan?”
I looked at her hand. Then, at the unconscious Moka. I thought about my weird armor and even weirder energy flowing inside my body. Then, there was the sheer panic on Aono’s face inside class.
I hated being manipulated. I hated knowing I was being manipulated but understanding that they were right.
But I hated dying even more. And I wanted to learn everything about my power and grow strong enough to protect my family. And my friends.
I owed Moka that, at least. After what I put her through.
“Fine,” I reached and gripped her hand tightly, “we have a deal, princess. If you treat us as friends, you’ll have someone on your side. If not? I guess we will have a very different conversation down the line.”
Kunou’s lips curved into a victorious smile, “You’ll see that not all monsters are evil, Ethan. Now, put the collar back on your vampire before she gives herself an aneurysm trying to get rid of my chains.”
I sighed, walking over to the struggling Moka. “Why do I have the feeling that these will be some very long years, Kunou?”
She just grinned, watching me while I crouched next to Moka and reattached the Rosario to her neck.
“I will make sure you end up alright, Moka,” I sighed, softly patting her now-pink hair.
Why did I feel like my previous life was truly, officially dead?
Later that night.
Ethan Cross.
The dormitories at the Academy didn’t feel much safer at night. If anything, the perpetually clouded sky cast a glumness that made my hair stand on end.
And that wasn’t saying anything about the sounds.
I found Aono sitting on the steps at the back of the boys’ dormitory building, gazing vacantly at the tree line where the sounds came from. His shoulders were hunched, and he clasped his hands together so tightly that I could see them going white.
I walked over, glad to finally get a few minutes to myself. Kunou had taken Moka’s body to her room, and I hoped Moka would wake up feeling better.
There was much I had to talk to her about.
The sound of my walk alerted Aono, who turned in my direction.
My legs throbbed with every step, but each minute made it a little easier.
“What are you doing outside at this hour, Aono?” I sagged next to him.
"You look like a train ran you over," he snorted, glancing at the clouds. "I was just thinking. Found some interesting things at the library."
“I feel like that,” I snorted in morbid amusement, “there was a situation with Moka and Saizo, but it was handled. Both Kunou and Moka are incredibly strong compared to the rest.”
“Really? Sounds like you had an eventful night,” he said calmly.
I shook my head in confusion. "I’ll tell you about it tomorrow. For now, I really just want to forget about that and collapse on my bed, Aono. Are you still thinking of leaving? Because if so, I have some bad news."
“I wasn’t thinking of leaving,” he said plainly, “not anymore.”
I frowned. That didn’t sound right.
He had been, even if not vocal about it, clearly thinking of leaving.
Kunou explained that this was quite impossible.
But I didn’t focus too hard on that, figuring maybe he’d simply had a change of heart.
Pretty weird, but I didn’t know what he had gone through.
I didn’t plan on leaving anymore. With Kunou’s support, I could get everything I could need to grow stronger, and so could Aono if he was sure.
"It wouldn’t help to leave now," I began, catching Aono’s attention. "Kunou explained a lot during the incident. She said normal humans are protected by a spell as long as they remain unaware of the supernatural. If you leave now, your family could be in danger."
He didn’t react outwardly, only nodding and staying silent.
I frowned even harder. What the hell happened while he was alone?
“It’s not all doom and gloom,” I smiled, excitement rising for tomorrow. “Kunou offered her help. She knows we’re humans but will train us if we stay close and get to know her. She wants to recruit us eventually, but she’ll wait until we graduate.”
“Magic? There was mention of human magic in the library. Kurumu-chan helped me find those books,” he said excitedly.
Hoh? Was he blushing?
A sly smirk tugged at my lips as I bumped my shoulder against his.
“You dog,” I laughed, “is that why you’re not thinking of leaving anymore?”
"Not exactly," he replied, even as he started to blush. "But she was very helpful. I actually enjoyed studying, and that never happens for me."
“Right,” I rolled my eyes, “Anyways, you’re interested?”
He looked at me this time, frowning for a moment before he nodded, “Will she truly make us stronger? Capable of protecting ourselves?”
“She will. I trust that she will do as much as she can. We’re useless to her if we remain as we are.”
“Then I will. Knock on my door when it’s time. And go to sleep, you look like you’re about to drop dead,” he grinned.
“Solid choice,” I said, struggling to get to my feet. “Frankly, I have no idea what I’m doing with this magic crap. I need someone I can rely on, and that’s you, mate.”
Aono grinned and gave me a fist bump that I returned with a smirk.
“You’re an idiot, but we’ll make this work. Hopefully we won’t die anytime soon, eh?”
“Here's hoping,” I said as I started walking toward my room, leaving Aono to his thoughts.
Inwardly frowning, because he wasn’t acting entirely like himself.
Or maybe he was. It wasn’t like I truly knew him.
But something kept itching in the back of my skull.
Why didn’t he react that much when I mentioned that he would put his family in danger if he were to leave?
The next day.
The ground had the taste of soil, grass, and a regret I already knew well.
An hour ago, I didn’t know regret had a taste. Now I did.
I spat a mouthful of muddy saliva onto the grass, pushed myself upright, then rolled onto my back as the clouded sky of this dimension was merely starting to lighten.
Still grey as fuck, though.
The cold air didn’t help my freshly bruised ribs.
"You're distracted, Ethan. Distractions will get you killed."
Kunou stepped into my field of vision. And the reason for my distraction became clear.
She was dressed in shorts and a sports bra, showing what the uniform hid from the rest of the Academy. But it wasn’t just that a very beautiful kitsune was showing more skin than I expected of Japanese women, no.
The true indignity was her immaculate state. She’d spent over an hour flinging me like a ragdoll while I struggled to match her pace and bullshit spells, yet nothing I did even rumpled her clothing.
Her nine tails swished in a teasing rhythm, distracting me more. They looked so damn fluffy.
She knew it was working; her smirk barely left her face.
"Just checking which rib you cracked, Princess," I wheezed, levering myself up on my elbows.
She always perked up when I called her like that.
"None of them," Kunou replied with a roll of her eyes. "Your durability is much higher than that of a normal human, even without the armor. But you need to stand up. You take too long to summon your power. It needs to be a reflex."
She was right. I was stronger and faster than a normal human, but compared to monsters, it meant little. The armor narrowed the gap but was useless if I couldn’t summon it in time.
I groaned and forced myself up. Drawing the energy from my chest took around two seconds. In a real fight, two seconds was too long because many of these monsters had insane speeds.
"Again." Kunou raised one hand, and a sphere of golden fox fire ignited above her open palm.
I shut my eyes for a fraction of a second. I didn't try to pull the full suit this time. I focused entirely on my right hand and my intent to do something against her spell. The golden energy snapped into reality, bypassing the full transformation.
Instead of armor, the energy turned into a weapon. A handgun appeared in my grip.
The Magnum Shooter 40X, my mind whispered.
It felt completely natural in my hand, as an extension of my own arm.
Kunou snapped her wrist and threw the fireball toward me while lifting an eyebrow in curiosity, her look following my reaction closely.
I raised the gun, aimed quickly, and squeezed the trigger. A blast of red and golden energy flared from the barrel, colliding with the fox fire midair. The resulting explosion shoved me back a foot; my boots dug trenches into the damp soil as the heat passed over me, singeing the tips of my messy hair.
Kunou disappeared from my sight for a beat before reappearing ten feet away, her grin both pleased and impressed.
I brought down the gun, feeling a sudden dip in the energy inside my body.
So that’s how it worked. They weren’t bullets per se, but I basically shot my own energy through the pistol.
Good news: I could use more energy for stronger shots, or less for faster ones.
"That's new." Kunou nodded. "Much faster. If you can’t get the armor in time, just calling the weapon is a smart move to get some extra seconds. That blast was reaching the level of a mid-class attack. You have a way of actually harming monsters at this point."
"Right," I muttered, flexing my wrist. With a thought, the gun melted into light and retreated into my chest.
"Take five minutes," Kunou said. "And check on what Aono is doing. Maybe you’ll learn something from it."
I noticed her lips twitching when she mentioned my friend’s name. Wonder what that was about.
I wiped my forehead and glanced at the clearing's edge where Aono was seated cross-legged on a stone, blindfolded, still as a statue.
He wasn't dodging fireballs or learning to throw a punch. Kunou had been brutally honest with him hours ago. He was a normal human. If he tried to block a monster, his arms would break. His only path to survival was not being where the strike landed.
Around Aono, five tiny wisps of Kunou's fox fire drifted like fireflies. They felt like beacons of her energy to my senses.
Kunou, standing aside, called out casually, "Dodge."
One of the wisps flew toward the back of Aono's head. Aono jerked his head to the left, and the spark sailed past his ear.
I lifted an eyebrow. “How does that work, exactly?"
"Humans can sense every kind of energy around the world, their kind is in fact really delicate to them," Kunou explained, walking over to stand beside me. "They just rationalize it away. An abrupt chill or the feeling of someone watching you is just your brain ignoring the supernatural. I am just forcing his brain to realize that it shouldn’t be ignored.”
Another wisp shot toward Aono's ribs. This time, he was too slow. It tapped his side, and he flinched.
"He's learning, slowly. It looks like he has some talent." Kunou crossed her arms. "If he succeeds, he’ll be capable of running away in your direction.”
I snorted. "Glad to know my official role in this group is the meat shield."
"You are the one with the glowing armor, Ethan." Kunou laughed softly. "Act the part."
I turned away from Aono's training and grabbed my water bottle from the base of a nearby tree.
Moka was sitting on a thick tree root nearby, watching us carefully. After last night's disaster with the seal, I had privately decided to categorize her two personalities to keep my own sanity intact. The pink-haired, bubbly girl was Moka. The silver-haired, terrifyingly strong vampire was Inner Moka.
Calling her Not-Moka felt wrong, even in my head.
Thanks to Kunou's minute repairs, the Rosario was stable enough to keep Moka in the driver's seat. Inner Moka couldn't physically get out unless both of them agreed. But the barrier between them was paper-thin now. They were both conscious, both watching, and the second personality was no longer asleep.
Moka blinked, and for a split second, her bright green eyes flashed red.
"You drop your left shoulder before you pull your energy," Moka stated. “Every single time.”
The voice was slightly deeper, carrying an arrogant tone that oddly suited her. It was Inner Moka speaking through Moka's lips.
"It's a tell that anyone fast enough will spot," she continued, her alluring crimson eyes locked on mine. "If I fought you, I'd take your arm before the gun formed."
I lowered my water bottle, meeting her gaze evenly. “Good morning to you, too, Sunshine. Sleep well?”
"I don't sleep anymore," she replied calmly. "Thanks to you."
I hid a wince at that.
"I will work on that tell," I said smoothly, refusing to let her intimidate me. "Though I'd prefer not to test it against you. I like my arms attached, thank you very much."
Moka's lips twitched into a small smirk. "You have raw power, human, but you fight like an idiot. It is pathetic."
"I learned about the supernatural two days ago, woman." I shot back, rolling my eyes. "Give me a week. And I won’t make you embarrassed. A month? And I’ll clean the floor with you."
That was a bald-faced lie, and everyone here knew that. But I wanted to tease inner Moka to break the ice between us. She was still a bit salty about last night.
Inner Moka scoffed softly, but I could see a hint of amusement in those red eyes.
Then, Moka blinked again. The crimson faded back to bright green, and her posture instantly softened from her ‘I’m better than you, and you know it’ into something bubbly and sweet.
"Ethan! You're all muddy!" Moka gasped, her voice peppy and filled with genuine concern for my well-being.
She hopped off the tree root and hurried to my side, reaching out with both hands to brush dirt from my ruined shirt. "Are you hurt? I told Kunou to take it easy on you."
"I am fine, Moka." I smiled, though my muscles were screaming.
She looked up at me, her green eyes almost shining with how happy she was. Then, her gaze dropped to my neck. The sweet scent of her shampoo filled the air as she leaned in close.
"You smell so good," she murmured, leaning closer before giving me a dangerous puppy-eyed look. “May I have a nibble?”
Before I could say a word, she leaned forward, pressing her lips against my neck as her arms held my shoulders in place, then sank her fangs into my skin. The initial pinch faded instantly, replaced by the same warm, euphoric rush that made my knees weak.
I groaned as my muscles relaxed into the bite as she drank. It felt incredible.
Moka pulled back a moment later, a thin trail of blood on her lip. She smiled brightly, licking it away. Then, her eyes flashed crimson for a fraction of a second.
Inner Moka said nothing, but a low, satisfied hum vibrated in her chest. Apparently, both enjoyed the meal.
I wiped my neck and looked over at Aono. He had removed his blindfold and was watching us. But instead of looking weirded out or being jealous, he just looked uncaring.
He observed in silence, then closed his eyes again.
I wiped my face and let Moka drag me toward the dormitory path, frowning because my friend wasn’t acting like before.
Not that Moka let me frown in peace, as she started babbling about inviting me for something nice during breakfast.
What a cute little vampire I found myself with.
Later that day.
The final bell of the day was the only sound I genuinely enjoyed in this bloody academy.
It signaled that I had survived another eight hours of pretending I wasn't a walking buffet. I zipped my bag closed, slinging it over my shoulder. My left arm, as always, already had Moka clinging to it.
Because of course she did. She latched onto me the very second the professor dismissed the class, pressing herself snugly against my side.
She was having fun telling me about a horror movie she watched before coming to the university, then blabbering about having a movie night or something one of these days.
I wondered if she didn't realize the irony of talking about horror movies while we attended a place filled with monsters.
She was cute like that.
I nodded along, mumbling a few grunts of agreement, but my eyes kept scanning the classroom, passing over each desk as Moka continued talking.
I was looking for Aono.
My friend wasn't a brave bloke, and we had both made our peace with that. His primary survival strategy was to stay exactly three feet behind me at all times. So, when my eyes fell on his empty desk, the itch in the back of my skull returned with vengeance.
His bag was gone. And he hadn't said a word to me.
"Moka." I gently stopped her mid-sentence. "Did you see when Aono left?"
Moka glanced around. "No. Maybe he went to the restroom?"
"He wouldn't go alone. Not since the centaur used the stall next to him." I snorted.
"He left ten minutes before the bell."
I glanced toward the window, noticing Kunou sitting at her desk with her chin propped in one hand. She hadn’t started packing or moved at all; instead, she simply watched us in silence.
"Ten minutes ago?" I frowned. "With whom?"
"The blue-haired girl who sits in the front row," Kunou said smoothly. "Kurumu Kurono. She asked him for help carrying some papers. He followed her like a lost puppy."
I racked my brain. Kurumu. The girl with bright blue hair and proportions that defied gravity in a way that couldn’t be real. She had been shooting glances at our side of the room every once in a while.
And Aono had mentioned a girl with that name helping him in the library last night.
The pieces clicked into place. His blank stare. His sudden change of heart about leaving.
"Brilliant. He's been weird since yesterday. You knew, didn't you?"
"I had my suspicions." Kunou stood up and grabbed her bag. "I kept an eye on him to make sure he wasn't in immediate danger. Consider it a test of your observational skills. Kurumu Kurono is a succubus."
I stared at her. "A succubus. As in the demons that suck everything inside humans?"
I didn’t raise a stink as I wanted to, because she wouldn’t risk our deal for something this small if... very big if, it wasn't as big of a deal as she said.
"Crude, but accurate." Kunou walked toward us. "Succubi are illusionists and charmers. They secrete a magical pheromone that rewrites a target's mind. A human like Aono possessing absolutely zero magical resistance never stood a chance."
I scowled, feeling the strange golden energy inside me flicker. I didn't know exactly what it was, but at least it seemed to keep my head clear. Aono, though, had nothing to protect him.
"Where would she take him?" I asked seriously.
"Anywhere private." Kunou stopped a few feet from us. "But before you go charging through the halls, you need to understand why she is doing it. Succubi are not mindless predators. They are a dying species."
I stopped for a moment, "Dying?"
"Yup." Kunou nodded. "Their birth rates are abysmal. They are biologically driven to find a mate strong enough to pass on their lineage and save their race from extinction. They build harems to test males, searching for the one who can carry their future. Quite a pitiful race, if I were to be honest."
It was horrifying, but there was some kind of logic to it. She wasn't an evil mastermind. She was just acting on biological instincts she couldn't ignore... Supposedly.
Still… Dying race or not, she wasn't getting Aono.
"So she looked around the room, saw Aono, and decided it was him? Have you met Aono?" I asked, genuinely confused. "He's a good guy, but he just learned about magic today. She met him last night."
"If I had to guess, she didn't choose him for his power," Kunou said simply. "She chose him because he sits next to you."
I gaped at her. "Come again?"
"I told you already, Ethan. There's something weird inside of you. Whatever that strange energy is inside you, it makes you immune to her charm. And you have the most beautiful girl in the class hanging off your arm while the other one is your friend." Kunou gestured toward Moka, then pointed at herself. "Kurumu's pride won't allow that. She wants you. But since she cannot compel you directly, she just got prime bait for you."
I let out a heavy breath and stared at the ceiling.
Suddenly, Moka’s grip on my left arm tightened, her fingers digging painfully into my sleeve as she stiffened beside me.
I looked down. Moka’s face had completely changed. Her eyes were red.
"She thinks she can take what is ours?"
Inner Moka was awake, and she was highly offended at the idea of another monster trying to steal me away.
I didn't even know how to feel at being claimed that way. What was it called? Scaroused? The fact that Inner Moka considered me hers was a surprise.
I placed my right hand over Moka's, gently trying to calm her as she gripped my arm. I wasn't sure if she would mind her strength or rip it off one day.
"Easy," I said firmly, keeping my voice steady. "I'm not going anywhere."
Moka blinked, and red faded into green. She looked up, rubbing her forehead. "E-Ethan? You're not changing us just because she has bigger boobs, right?"
"Of course I wouldn’t." I chuckled, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Don’t worry your pretty little head about it. We're going to get Aono back."
I looked back up at Kunou. She watched the exchange with a raised eyebrow, clearly amused by the vampire's possessive streak.
"Can you track her magic?"
"Succubus pheromones leave a very distinct magical trail." Kunou sighed, looking almost offended. "I can track them easily. I’m a kitsune, Ethan."
"Then lead the way, please." I let go of Moka's hand. "Let's talk to Kurumu about boundaries."
Kunou's lips curved into a sharp smile. "Try not to break the academy's property this time, Ethan. I don’t think we’ll get the chance to erase everyone’s memories."
"No promises," I muttered, dropping my bag.
I walked out into the corridor with Moka sticking close to my side. The golden energy in my chest pulsed with each step.
I focused on steadying it, doing my best to keep it under control. I hoped we could resolve this without a fight.
And if that failed, there was always the gun. She should thank whatever god she believed in that I wasn’t given a knife for my first weapon. No one wanted to see a South London bloke with a shiv in his hand.
Scene Break.
The sweet scent of the succubus pheromones was obvious to me now that the princess mentioned it. Kunou tracked it through the academy with an ease that showed her sense of smell was incomparable to that of humans.
We moved past the main halls and deeper into the older wings of the school. Moka stuck close to my side, her fingers gripping my sleeve tightly.
I could feel Inner Moka’s presence behind Moka’s green eyes. She wasn't fighting for control, but I could feel her annoyance radiating outward. Someone was trying to mess with our weird group, and she didn't like it one bit.
"We are close," Kunou murmured, but this time, I ignored the fluff behind her. "The charm is getting stronger around here. She likely charmed other students to act as guards."
We turned the corner into a dark stairwell. A hulking Yokai stepped out of the shadows. It looked like a troll, standing seven feet tall with glazed pink eyes that had fucking hearts instead of pupils.
It grunted and lunged toward us.
"Good opportunity to practice what we went over this morning," Kunou suggested, stepping back to give me space.
The bratty princess reached out and wrapped one of her fluffy tails around Moka, pulling her close.
… Why was I jealous? I needed to focus, for God’s sake.
I breathed in and pulled the energy from my chest. The armor snapped over my body just as the brute swung a massive fist at my head. I used exactly what Kunou taught me.
Which meant not getting hit by someone vastly stronger than you.
I dropped my center of gravity and slipped underneath the telegraphed punch. Using his own momentum, I drove my armored boot into the back of his knee. The joint buckled immediately. As he stumbled forward, I delivered a sharp strike to the base of his neck.
He dropped to the floor and stayed there.
I let the armor dissolve to avoid wasting my limited energy, feeling a surge of pride. The troll was definitely weaker than Saizo, but I handled the situation effectively. I was getting the hang of this.
"Not bad," Kunou teased from the back. “Not good enough, though.”
I clicked my tongue and ignored the brat.
We moved up to the third floor. Suddenly, a strange instinct flared in the back of my skull. It was a weird hunch that yelled at me to move.
Sensing danger, I quickly shoved Moka backward into Kunou's arms just as a blur dropped from the ceiling.
A gargoyle hissed at us, its eyes glowing with that same pink aura around it. It scrambled up the wall with insane speed, preparing to dive again.
The armor wouldn't help me catch something that fast. I focused on my right hand and pulled the energy, summoning the handgun.
The gargoyle launched itself off the wall. It was way too fast for a concentrated shot.
Also… I would get in trouble if I shot a bullet like during the morning, or even stronger, only to miss and hit the building.
I aimed and fired a rapid burst of low-energy shots, spreading them out to cover its path. The blasts slammed into its wings and chest, knocking it out of the air without outright killing it.
The monster crashed onto the floor, groaning in pain but no longer a threat.
"Nice shot," Kunou grinned excitedly.
I wondered whether I would get something more if I used the gun while wearing the armor.
"Just trying to keep my head attached to my neck," I replied, letting the gun disappear into motes of light. “I doubt that’s impressive.”
“He’s not a tengu, but he was fast enough. You did a good job.” Kunou smiled while Moka clapped happily.
The sweet scent grew suffocating outside the heavy doors. I kicked them open with a frown on my face.
It was an abandoned music room. Aono sat on a piano bench in the center of the room. He stared at the wall with a dumb smile on his face.
Kurumu stood behind him. The blue-haired succubus was undeniably beautiful, but her smile turned into an annoyed frown the moment she saw the girls standing next to me.
"You just had to bring them with you, didn't you?" Kurumu sighed, glaring at Kunou and Moka like their presence offended her. "I went through all this trouble to set up a private space."
"You kidnapped our friend, Kurumu," I grunted, keeping my hands in my pockets and my energy ready to call the weapon. "I am just here to pick him up."
"He was just bait." Kurumu rolled her eyes and stepped away from Aono. "I don't want him. He couldn’t ignore my basic charm, unlike you. I want you."
Her eyes flared with pink light. The charm in the room condensed into a physical wave of magic that rolled toward me. Kunou stepped forward and vanished, appearing next to Aono.
The magical wave rushed over me and squarely struck my chest.
And nothing happened.
I had no idea what was going on. But the strange energy inside me just hummed quietly, completely ignoring her magic. It felt like a warm breeze passing by.
Kurumu gasped, taking a step backward in shock. "How are you doing that? You should be on your knees right now! This isn’t my passive charm!"
"Sorry to disappoint," I said dryly. "I am not really into the mind control thing. That’s a weird kink, woman."
Before Kurumu could respond, a shiver ran through my body.
Moka's grip on my arm tightened painfully. I looked down and saw her green eyes turn red. Inner Moka pushed to the surface, and she looked ready to commit murder.
Why in the world did Moka agree to make the switch?!
"You think you can steal what is ours?" Inner Moka snarled.
She stepped forward, baring her fangs at the succubus. She looked downright vicious.
"Please, Moka." I reached out and placed my hand firmly on her shoulder. “We’re not here to fight.”
Inner Moka glared at me, but she stopped moving. She let out a frustrated breath. "She challenged our claim, human. That’s not something that can go unpunished."
"And she failed," I reminded her calmly. "And you hear what Kunou said, she wasn’t being malicious, just panicked. Wouldn’t you do the same in her place?"
Inner Moka huffed and crossed her arms. She stayed right where she was, glaring holes into the terrified succubus, but she listened.
I turned back to Kurumu. "Kunou told me about your situation," I said quietly. "I know your race is struggling. I know you need to find someone to save your bloodline."
Kurumu flinched and looked away. "If I don't find someone, I fail my family. But I don’t want someone unworthy."
"Kidnapping guys and brainwashing them isn't going to fix anything," I pointed out gently. "You can't build a real connection like that. Is that what you want your future to be, Kurumu?”
Kurumu looked up at me. Her blue eyes studied my face carefully.
She also blushed, and I was reminded that these people liked their honorifics perhaps a bit too much.
"You didn't even flinch," Kurumu said curiously. She took a step toward me, her sad expression vanishing.
A look of curiosity replaced it. "My charm hit you point-blank, and you just brushed it off."
"My mum says I’m special," I replied, feeling a new kind of headache forming behind my eyes.
She seemed to ignore my quip, "Is it because of these two?" she shot a glare at the vampire and the kitsune.
I didn't know how to answer, so I just shrugged and tried to stop Inner Moka from ripping her throat out.
She stared at them for a second before her eyes lit up, then, much to my surprise, she chuckled.
"Fine. You win today." Kurumu smiled brightly. “I'll win you over another way.”
She snapped her fingers, and the pink haze around Aono vanished.
Aono groaned, blinking rapidly as he looked around in confusion.
"I am joining your group, by the way," Kurumu announced casually, crossing her arms to aggressively highlight her chest. "I am going to figure out how you resisted me. And maybe my destined one is the guy who didn't blink."
Inner Moka let out a low growl behind me. Kurumu just smirked back at her.
I let out a heavy sigh that echoed in the room. My quiet life back in Britain was officially dead. I had an ice princess testing me, a cute and adorable or possessive and scary vampire clinging to my arm, an ordinary bloke relying on me to survive, and now a very determined succubus making me her primary target.
I wasn’t exactly complaining… but damn.
"Come on, Aono," I grunted, turning toward the door. "Let's go get some dinner. We’re going to need all the fuel we can get for the next kitsune-shaped beating we’re going to get. And hopefully you’ll pay more attention to this lesson.”
Aono reddened as I confronted his earlier mood. I yanked him into a one-armed hug, while Moka squeezed my other side under Kurumu's glare.
This could be the most amazing year of my life, or it could explode in my face for being too greedy.
And I couldn’t wait to find out.