Devils + Vampire (Post-DMC 5 X Rosario + Vampire Fanfic)

[LinkOnScepter]

Shizuka Nekonome was sitting at her teacher's desk in her first year class room. She was leaning back in her seat, a piece of raw fish she had gotten from the human world in her mouth. People who didn't know the Nekomusume would believe that she had no care in the world. That she was simply waiting for the first year students to come in and start their journey through high school.

Anyone who knew her, however, could tell that she was extremely nervous.

"Nyaa~," she whined over her early morning meal. Usually, she wouldn't be eating such a delicacy this early in the day. But she needed some way to calm her nerves after what the Headmaster told her today. And it was sitting right there in her lunchbox!

Her ears, the same blonde color as her hair, drooped as she swallowed a piece of her meal down. When she had arrived at Yokai Academy, she thought it would be a simple year. She'd come in, say high to the shining faces of her new first years, and get started on teaching them about the wonders of the human world. Instead, she was called to the Headmaster's Office the moment she arrived. There he told her that there was a new Patron Librarian, and that she had a new Teaching Assistant effective today, and that she would be in charge of showing them the ropes!

Not that she minded doing that.

But why did he have to drop it on her right when the school year started? If she was going to have an Assistant, then wouldn't it have been better to tell her before the students showed up? So she could give them a tour of the Academy and help ease them into things?

She shook her head while putting the half-eaten fish back in her lunch box. She wanted to keep at least some of it for later. Her tail hung low behind her, the white tip almost touching the floor below. Her eyes remained closed yet she could still see the empty seats in front of her. Seats that would soon be full of young Yokai all waiting to experience the best years of their lives. Students that she would be able to guide towards a brighter future...alongside a total stranger that she hadn't even met yet.

Uncertainty began to enter her mind. It wasn't that she doubted the Headmaster's decision. She had been here at long as Nurai, so she trusted Mikogami to know what he was doing. But there was always the small chance that he had made a mistake. What if they turned out to be a bad influence on the students? What if they was actually a delinquent who would extort the students while she wasn't looking? What if they were older than her and-

Shizuka shook her head, lightly slapping her cheeks to get her thoughts in order. No! No! Bad Shizuka! Don't think that way about your new Assistant. You need to be confident and ready to show them the ropes. Just like any good senpai! In fact, she shouldn't be sitting around waiting for them. They're probably wandering around the school in a total daze with no idea where to go! She should be finding them and giving them a warm welcome to Yokai Academy!

"Right!" she stood up from her chair, pumping her fists as a determined glint entered her eyes. She walked over to the door, back straight and tail flailing behind her. She placed a hand on the handle and said out loud, "Don't worry, my new Assistant! Your reliable senpai is on the wa-Nyaa!~"

Shizuka ran into something the moment she tried to walk out the door. She wasn't sure what it was, but it felt as solid as a brick wall! She stumbled back, tripping over her own feet as she went. A frightened "Eeek!" left her mouth as she started falling backwards...only to be saved by a hand on her back.

"Woah there, Kitty Cat," the man Shizuka had run into said with a smile, "What's the rush? I'm right here. Bright and early for our important lesson."

Shizuka was speechless as she stared up at the man's face. He was clearly older than her, but he wore his age well. He had a "Cool Older Uncle" look that the few wrinkles on his face enhanced. He was clean shaven, with only a hint of stubble on his chin. His silver hair fell around his face in an uncontrolled mess, but that only seemed to make him look cooler. A red coat over a black shirt with matching pants seemed to flutter in an invisible breeze. His teeth were pearl white with no a speck of yellow on them, and his breath smelled minty fresh.

He looked down at her with sharp gray eyes.

When she met his gaze she felt her cheeks heat up.

Then she started to flail around in a panic, "Waah! Waah! Uh, um, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to...I-I-I mean I was looking for....I-I-I mean...uh."

She covered her face in embarrassment, ears flicking back and forth atop her head. The man simply chuckled and helped her get to her feet. He patted her on the head, easy considering he was a head taller than her. Then he shrugged, "Don't sweat it. Can't exactly blame ya for not expecting me. From what Gramps told me, you ain't exactly had a Teacher's Assistant before."

"Teacher's Assi...oh yes!" Shizuka started to rush passed the man, "I need to find my new Assistant before class starts! I need to make sure they meet the students!"

The man held out a hand, stopping her in her tracks. She looked up at him in confusion, but he merely smiled, "No need to do that, Kitty Cat. You're looking your new Assistant dead in the eye."

"Wh-Wh-What?"

The man's grin widened. Then he spun around on the spot, seeming to pull a rose in full bloom from thin air. He bowed while holding it out to Shizuka, "Hello there, Ms. Nekonome. The name's Dante. I'll be your Assistant from this day forth. For you."

Shizuka took the rose in a daze. Without a word she brought it to her nose and took a sniff. Her eyes widened at the very real scent that hit her nose. She looked at Dante, expression one of shock, surprise, and curiosity.

This man was her new Assistant?

...Well...he certainly would influence the students.

But she didn't think that would be a bad thing.

---

As you can tell, this isn't the full Chapter. It's just a Sub-Chapter that I wanted to add before going to bed. Hope you all enjoy it. When the full Chapter is ready, I'll post it as a Threadmark and add a Title.

Also, no, no shipping here.

Dante is just that good.

 

[LinkOnScepter]

The first class of this new year had barely begun, and Dante could already tell that something was up with this whole situation.

His first clue was when Gramps gave him the Teacher's Assistant position without even a how do you do. He didn't make a fuss about it. Tantrums had been something he left behind way back when he still in diapers. But he did start grilling the guy about why he gave him the position. If there was one thing he knew, it was himself. And one of the major things he knew about himself was that he had no experience with kids. Especially hormonal teenagers, that happen to be monsters of various types that he's killed before.

Gramps' response?

"It would be a good experience for him."

In Dante's experience, the only people who say that are those who have some kind of hidden agenda. And it just so happened that he and Vergil were apart of it. Made him glad that his older brother hadn't told Gramps the whole story behind how they got here. He just said that he used his sword to open that portal. If Gramps ain't gonna tell them everything, that they ain't gonna tell him everything.

But whatever. It's not that big a deal. He just had to hang out in a couple of classes, help the kids with some math or something, then it's off to get pizza and sundaes while Vergil figures out a way home. He would help his older brother out every now and then, obviously. While he wasn't as well versed in the whole "Dimensional Travel" stuff, he did know a thing or two about arriving in other worlds. Well...one other world. He's still wondering how that Fiend kid is doing now. Killing the God of your world isn't something you can just walk away from without some consequence biting ya in the ass.

Either way, everything he'd seen of the place so far hadn't rung any alarm bells. Other than the fact that he could smell monsters of all types all over the place. And when he said "all types" he meant it. Mermaids, cyclops, tanuki's, some of those weird umbrella monster things. He never really expanded the Devil May Cry outside of the Western Hemisphere, so a lot of the names of the monsters that exist here escaped him. He'd have to ask Vergil to give him a better run down when they got a moment.

Upside was they all seemed to be following one of the major rules of the place: Don't drop your human disguise. Wouldn't really be learning how to blend in with humans if you couldn't look the part. Though he did see a few kids that needed to be reminded of that rule. Which he took the liberty to do. It was his duty as one of the Faculty.

Though, that brought him to the second clue that leads him to believe Gramps has something cooking in the background. He remembers how the old Demon mentioned that no human could through that barrier without an invitation. And if his own experience didn't fail him, he would bet money that the only people who would have access to those things would be him and the Bus Driver.

So, he had a hunch that the two of them were responsible for the human currently pissing his pants in this classroom filled with monsters.

And if his hunch was right, then he was gonna have some words with the two of them later.

But right now, he had to make sure that the kid didn't get into too much trouble. Cause from where he was sitting? The boy wasn't supposed to be here in every sense of the word. Dante was sitting next to Kitty Cat's desk, leaning back in a fold out chair with the Faust Hat on his head. He had it deactivated with the tip tilted down to cover his eyes. He pretended to be asleep when in reality he had scoped out the entire classroom the moment it had started. Which was how he was able to see the black haired human kid pissing his pants right now. He wasn't even being subtle about it. His mouth was wide open while his eyes had turned to white dots. Dante was surprised that none of the other students seemed to notice his panicking. If they had, they'd probably have jumped the kid by now.

It only got worse as Nekonome reiterated the fact that this school was exclusively for monsters. How humans had taken over the planet and how the monsters had to learn how to live with humans to avoid conflict. She hadn't introduced Dante yet, at his request, of course. If this was gonna be his job for the foreseeable future, then he needed to be sure he made a good impression on the students. The best way to do that was to make his own entrance. He originally planned to do it after Kitty Cat made the typical spiel all first years high schoolers got. But, now that he knew that one of the students was just some schmuck who got caught up in the machination of a Demon Lord, he was inclined to move the time up just a little bit. He was at least willing to let Kitty Cat finish her introduction.

"Do you understand?" the cat girl in question said to the gathered students, "It's a matter of being able to disguise yourself well as a human! This is the foundation of coexistence. You are never to allow any of your fellow students know your 'true form'. Understand!?"

Dante smirked. Pretty simple rules. But if his earlier analysis of the students told him anything, it's that there were more than a few bad apples in this bunch. And one of them was about to say something in three...two...one...

"Hey, teacher," came an arrogant, gruff voice that carried a hint of growl in it, "Wouldn't it be better for us to eat up those puny humans? And in the case of beautiful girls, better to molest them?"

Right on cue. Dante had to choke back the urge to scoff. This kid wasn't even trying to be subtle about it was he? He'd have to get the kid's name from the roster. Keep an eye on him. Like a responsible Teacher's Assistant.

"Oh! Incidentally, here at Youkai Academy, the teachers and students are alll monsters. There are no genuine humans here!" Nekonome said, seemingly ignoring what the kid actually said. She raised the pointer stick in her hand up as she continued, "Since this Academy is within a secret sacred world! To those humans who come to know of our existence, we will bring them death or something."

Aaaaannnnndddd the human kid was panicking.

Alright. 'Bout time he got in on this.

"Woah, woah, there Kitty Cat. I think that's a bit much don't you?"

All eyes in the room immediately turned to Dante. Some of the students looked like they had only just noticed him. Including the single human kid. In fact, Dante could spot a hopeful glint enter his eyes. Hiding a grin beneath his hat, Dante leaned forward in his chair. The Faust Hat still kept his features hidden as he spoke, "If the students here are supposed to learn how to live with humans, then telling them to kill one just cause they happened to take a wrong turn isn't the way to do it."

"Uh," Nekonome looked at Dante nervously. Her eyes flicked between him and the students who were watching the two of them with confusion written on their features. Her ears drooping a bit, she replied, "Then what would you supposed we do, my Teaching Assistant?"

Dante's grin grew wider. He placed a hand on the brim of his hat, "Well, if you were to ask me? We should..."

He threw his hat into the air. At the same time he jumped from his seat, sending the chair skidding backwards. It hit the wall and, somehow, neatly folded itself back into its original form. He landed right in front of Nekonome, the cat woman letting out a loud, "Nya!~" as he hit the floor. The students closest to the front leaned back in their chairs in surprise. Dante stood up as his had fell onto his head and activated. A long, golden scarf materialized around him in a flash of crimson. All the students gasped at the display as their eyes focused entirely on Dante.

"...give them a winning smile," Dante flashed a grin that sparkled in the morning sun. The girls in the room suddenly swooned as he twirled in place. He stopped, holding his hand out to the door as another student walked in. This one was a girl with pink hair and flowed down to her thighs. The entire room seem to take notice of her, with that one human kid taking particular interest.

The new girl stumbled upon seeing Dante, but the Son of Sparda acted first. He stepped forward and took one of her flailing hands in his, pulling her towards him until she stood next to him.

"Offer them a friendly handshake and pat on the back," he proceeded to do exactly that to the pink haired girl. She coughed a bit as his hand hit her back, the cross hanging from her neck jingling as her body shook. He kept his grin on as he started walking her to the only empty seat in the room...which happened to be right in front of the human kid.

"Then, we lead them over to where they're supposed to be. In the case of a human, right out the door they came in from. But in the case of this lovely little lady," he gently placed her down in her seat, "we take her to the best seat in the house."

He made an exaggerated bow, then back flipped back to the front of the classroom.

"Hey there Little Chickens!" Dante pointed twin finger guns at the class, "Name's Dante! Party animal and a professional when it comes to all things related to humans. I'll be your Teacher's Assistant for the foreseeable future. If you need anything, don't be afraid to stop on by."

He kept his gaze on the entire class, who seemed to be in various stats of infatuation. The girls were all blushing, the guys were clapping, and even Nekonome had dropped her pointer in astonishment. The only ones that weren't enamored at his performance were the exact people he expected.

The pink haired chick. She was too busy hugging the human kid.

The asshole who had suggested molesting girls. He was alternating between staring at the pink haired girl, and glaring daggers at Dante.

And then there was the human kid.

Who was staring at Dante with his mouth open. But, though astonishment was in his eyes, it was drowned out by another emotion.

Hope.

---

"Uh, M-M-M-Mr. Dante?"

Dante grinned as he sat up in his seat. He tilted the brim of his hat up to see the human boy standing in front of him.

"I-I-I-I c-c-could use your a-a-advice," he was shaking like a leaf and had his hands clasped in front of him. Sweat dripped from the top of his head, getting into his brown eyes and making him blink them reflexively.

Dante nodded, "Sure thing...Aono, right?"

 

[LinkOnScepter]

"And you're sure that'll work, Dante?"

Dante smiled at the student as he wiped down Ms. Nekonome's desk. He nodded his head at the disguised "Kappa" standing across from him, "Sure it'll work. Just go up to her and tell her how you feel. Worst thing she can say is n-"

Dante stopped himself. He looked at the floor to hide the frown that appeared on his face. He had just remembered that he was giving this kid, a monster, advice on how to get a female monster to date him. There were, actually, plenty of things that she could do to him that were decidedly worse than just saying no.

When he got his smile back he met the kid's eyes and shook his head, "Scratch that. Just go on and live a little, kid. But remember that getting a date ain't worth losing blood over. Alright?"

The kappa nodded his head, green matted hair barely moving as he did so. A goofy smile split his face as he started heading towards the door, "Alright! I'm gonna go talk to Misuki-chan right now! Thanks, Dante-senpai!"

"Don't mention it," he shouted without watching the kid leave. When he heard the door close, he sighed with a shake of his head. He put the dust cloth into a drawer in Ms. Nekonome's desk before leaping over it. He landed on the other side, picking up a bag that had been left for him as he did so. He started to walk along the room, reaching into the bag every now and then to get a clean cloth out. Then he used it to dust off the students' desks as he passed by.

He had been with her for two more classes now and nothing really interesting had happened. He made sure to give both of the new groups of students a different greeting from the one with Lover Boy in it. Mainly to keep things interesting for him and the kids. Now he had some free time, but Kitty Cat asked him to clean up while she went off on her own. He didn't really mind that much. It gave him some time to himself. Let him consider a few things.

The first thing on his mind was what he was gonna do for lunch? Obviously he would drag Vergil along. The two hadn't had a family dinner together since...forever. So, he figured it would be a good idea to have one. Especially since, technically speaking, they didn't have to worry about demons destroying the world anytime soon. Though, he was worried that Vergil would get him to go somewhere really fancy. Rather than accept the simple pleasures of finding a pizza joint or a ice cream shop and enjoying each others company. Well...in a way that didn't involve them trying to kill each other.

As he walked down the rows of chairs, he spotted a crumbled up wad of paper on the floor. With a cheeky grin, he kicked the paper ball up onto his foot. He kicked it a few extra times to keep it in the air. Alternating between feet he eventually managed to get a rhythm going. Once he counted up to fifty kicks, he did one more that sent the wad into a trash can next to Kitty Cat's desk.

"It's good," he said to himself with a chuckle. Then he went back to cleaning the room.

The second thing on his mind concerned Lover Boy. Specifically, how he was gonna manage teaching the kid anything. With the "Give him a bunch of guns" plan scrapped, he had to actually put in some work to help him out. Which was easier said than done. Dante was good at a lot of things. But something he had never had to do was teach someone else how to do...anything really. Well, someone who wasn't already at his level or near it like Nero was. He had no frame of reference for how he was gonna actually show the human kid how to fight. Not to mention that most of his own skills were more instinctual than anything. He had trained to ensure that his fighting prowess was at the pinnacle, sure. But, usually, he just "got" things when it came to fighting. The best ways to use his Devil Arms came naturally to him.

That's not to say he's completely without a paddle when it came to training the human. At the end of the day, Martial Arts was, at its most basic, finding the best way to block and throw a punch or kick. Something anyone could learn with enough repetition. Granted for a normal person that repetition will usually take weeks or even months of study and practice. But it was possible. So, leading the kid through some basic moves to both take and throw a punch would work at the start. From there, though...he wasn't entirely sure.

He frowned while wiping down one of the desk. When the dust cloth seemed to be getting too dirty, he replaced it with a new one. Then he went back to cleaning.

Teaching the kid normal Martial Arts was easy. It was getting into the "real stuff" that would be difficult. Him and his brother had the luxury of their own demonic power sources to draw from for their abilities. And, unless Lover Boy was hiding something, he didn't have that. Or that "Yokai Power" stuff that Vergil was talking about. Meaning Dante would need to figure out some other way to get the kid into the Supernatural side of Martial Arts.

Loaning the kid a Devil Arm was a possibility. But that was-

Dante stopped what he was doing. He looked up from the desk he was wiping down and turned his attention towards the door to the classroom. The next moment a student, clearly a third-year if Dante remembered the uniforms each class got correctly, stepped into the room. He was taller than any of the students Dante had met so far. Actually came up to Dante's neck. Kid looked like he was almost old enough to drink. He wore a black version of the Academy's uniform, with dark brown hair that fell down the back of his neck. He wore glasses over his dark brown eyes, and stepped into the room with a air of curiosity about him.

His gaze met Dante's a second later. The student straightened up and bowed deeply in greeting, "Oh, so you are in here. Greetings. My name is Kaneshiro Hokuto, the Student Council President of Yokai Academy. Would I be correct in suggesting you are the new Teacher's Assistant that was recently hired?"

Dante put on his trademark grin. He put his dust cloth in the bag and leaned against one of the desk, "That would be me. Name's Dante. Just Dante. Don't really do all that honorifics stuff you kids like to do."

"So, you are a foreigner, then?" Kaneshiro asked while straightening himself.

"Yep. Born and raised in a little hole in the wall somewhere in the west. Can't hardly remember a thing about it though," Dante shrugged before heading over to the student. He stopped a respectable distance from Kaneshiro, "So, what's Mr. President doing here? Shouldn't you be off at one of your official meetings?"

Kaneshiro shook his head, "Oh, no. We're not going to be meeting this week. It's meant to give us sometime to get used to the new year. And say hello to the incoming first years."

Dante nodded, "Ah, alright then. But, sorry to say, you're a bit late to say hello to these first years. They've all gone off to do their own things."

Dante waved an arm at the empty classroom. Kaneshiro chuckled, "I can see that. But, no. I came here to greet you."

"Really now?" Dante raised an eyebrow.

Kaneshiro stood straighter and looked into Dante's eyes as he spoke, "As Student Council President, I am devoted to helping Yokai Academy reach its full potential. To ensure that the students here grow up safe and happy. So, that they may go out into the human world and become model citizens. In order to accomplish this, I must ensure I speak to all the Staff of the Academy. That way I am able to make the correct decisions to improve the lives of the students, while making things easier on the faculty members."

"Thus, why I came to speak with you. I wanted to let you know that, if there is anything you believe needs to be done in regards to improving the school, then you can come to me about it," Kaneshiro ended his speech with closed eyes and a warm smile.

Dante whistled, "Quite a speech there, Mr. President. But why give it to me? I just got hired and don't know much about this place. Still need to go on a full tour of it."

Dante walked over to Ms. Nekonome's desk. He leaned his back against it and stretched his arms towards the ceiling. He closed both his eyes but waved a hand to show he was still listening to the third year. Kaneshiro continued, "That's actually a boon in my eyes, Dante. Your inexperience with the school can offer new insight that someone who has been her for years couldn't give. Especially due to your origins. Such as, if you don't mind my asking, what is something that western schools do that would improve this Academy if we were to implement it?"

"Do you guys serve pizza in the lunch room?" Dante was quick to ask.

Kaneshiro blinked. Then he cleared his throat, "Um, I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?"

"Pizza. You know? Round, hot, covered in cheese, tomato sauce, and all kinds of toppings? You serve that here? I didn't get an definitive answer when I asked Gramps. So, I figured you'd be the next best person to bring it up to," Dante explained.

"Gramps?"

"Your Headmaster. The guy who hired me."

"Oh," Kaneshiro looked at the ground. He placed a hand on the back of his head as he thought about Dante's question. Then he answered, "I don't believe so. Do you think that would improve morale among the students if we did so?"

"100%," Dante's voice was filled with confidence, "There's not a single person on this planet that doesn't like a good pizza pie. Serve that at lunch? The students will be going crazy for it."

"I see. I will...see what I can do," Kaneshiro said before looking up at the clock in the classroom. He nodded his head, "I think it's about time I left. Thank you for giving me a moment of your time, Dante. I hope we can speak again later."

"Sure thing, Mr. President," Dante said while waving the kid off. Kaneshiro had just put his hand on the door when Dante called out to him, "Oh, but one more thing before you."

Kaneshiro stopped and turned to give Dante his full attention. His eyes were closed and his grin was back, "Did you need something from me, Dante?"

"Not exactly. Just wanted to give you some friendly advice. As thanks for listening to my proposal."

"Ah. Well, I'd welcome anything you have to tell me. I'm certain it'll help me improve the school. What did you wish to say?"

"If you try to hurt others because you're hurting, it doesn't make the pain go away."

Silence fell between the two.

Dante had opened one of his eyes and had it locked on Kaneshiro.

Kaneshiro still had his grin on his face.

After a few seconds of silence, the third year spoke, "Forgive me, Dante. But I'm not sure what you mean by that."

Dante shrugged, "Just giving you some pointers. I know a little something about wearing masks to hide your true feelings, kid. And let me tell you, yours is paper thin. I don't know what happened to ya to make ya like this. But making a bunch of other people's lives miserable because yours was won't make you feel better. Trust me."

Dante saw Kaneshiro's lips twitch. His mask cracked just a little bit. Then it came back as the Student Council President hummed, "I see. I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Thank you, Dante."

"No problem. Oh, and tell that friend of yours that he's not as sneaky as he thinks he is. I knew he entered the room before you, and saw him move into the shadows over there," he pointed a finger in the direction of a corner of the classroom. His eye locked onto it, then followed along as the invisible student in question left the room before Kaneshiro.

Kaneshiro pretended to not see anything. He just tilted his head in confusion, before excusing himself and leaving the room.

Dante let out an exasperated sigh, "Great. Another thing to add to the plate. Kid'll probably be going after Vergil next."

Dante chuckled, "Wish I could be there to see that."

 

[LinkOnScepter]

To give information on Dante's Arsenal for this Fic....

First he has every weapon he had by the end of DMC 5. So:

- The Devil Sword Dante (replaces Rebellion and The Devil Sword Sparda)
- Cavaliere
- Balrog
- Faust Hat
- Ebony And Ivory (though he always has those)
- Coyote-A
- The Double Kalina-Anns (AKA Two Rocket Launchers)
- King Cerberus (The Version With Ice, Fire, and Lightning)

Next are the ones he's picked up over the series:

Melee Weapons:
- Nevan (Cause, obviously. She'll be making an appearance eventually)
- Gilgamesh (DMC 4 Gauntlets)
- Lucifier (He still uses its rose, and honestly, the weapon is just so Dante)

Ranged Weapons/Guns:
- Pandora (The Multiple Purposes Weapon From DMC 4)

Powers/Abilities:
- Devil Trigger
- Sin Devil Trigger
- Quicksilver
- Doppleganger

And that's about it for him. You could technically count Vergil's weapons too, but Vergil ain't gonna be lending those to Dante any time soon. Ifrit has basically been replaced by Balrog and he sold Agni and Rudra cause they wouldn't stop talking. Alongside Artemis and Spiral to pay the bills. I'm not counting any of his weapons from DMC 2, cause technically that was just a sword. Most of his explosive ranged weapons were sold as the Kalina-Anns are just better. Same with the submachine guns cause he can fire Ebony and Ivory fast enough to make them obsolete. I'm guessing Alastor was sold too.

As for Vergil...he has what he's always had in all his playable appearances:

- The Yamato
- Mirage Edge (Replacing Force Edge)
- Beowulf
- Doppleganger (he still has his normal Devil Trigger but he doesn't use it as much now. Because he's Vergil. Of course he would drop a previous form once he got a more powerful one)
- Sin Devil Trigger

 

[LinkOnScepter]

"I have agreed to no such thing," Vergil looked up from his book to yell after Dante. But his younger brother was already walking off, Saizo digging his heels into the ground as he tried to get away. Dante merely waved without looking back at Vergil. Then he and Saizo disappeared into the distance.

Tsukune and Vergil watched them go. Tsukune with confusion and awe on his face, Vergil with annoyance.

Then they both became aware of footsteps heading their way. They turned around to see Moka rushing their way.

Vergil felt his annoyance grow as the vampire girl threw her arms around Tsukune in a form of greeting. She spoke in her normal, kind tone of voice, "Morning, Tsukune! If we don't hurry, we're gonna be late."

With a scoff, Vergil elected to walk a few paces ahead of the two. He would stay close enough to hear the two, but otherwise would try to ignore them. He had not agreed to watch the two while Dante was gone. Thus he wouldn't go out of his way to keep them in sight. Mentally adding this to his list of grievances against Dante, he began to focus his attention on the book in his hand. He had managed to reach a chapter discussing the possible uses of sealing magic.

"Uawww," Tsukune couldn't hide the uncertainty in his face as he stepped away from Moka.

Moka hummed while staring at Tsukune, not hiding the curiosity in her eyes. Her gaze fell onto the letter in Tsukune's hand. She leaned over his shoulder to get a closer look, "What's that? Is it a letter to someone?"

Vergil hummed as a particular passage caught his interest. The book detailed how sealing magic could, in theory, be used to seal away more than simply a Yokai's strength. Other possible uses included sealing away memories, body parts, even someone's personality could be locked away. However, the book stressed that such things could only be done by someone skilled in the art of sealing magic. And those were few and far between. Even among Yokai. And everything it stated was merely theoretical.

Vergil committed the knowledge to memory anyway. He wasn't sure how this world's magic would affect him and Dante. The last thing they needed was for someone to seal them away. While he doubted it would hold them forever, it would increase the amount of time they spent in this world by months at the least.

He was briefly brought from his musings by a loud gasp from the vampire. He frowned as she spoke with surprise and worry in her voice, "A withdrawal notice!? Why...is something wrong, Tsukune?"

Tsukune turned away from Moka to look at the dusty earth beneath his feet. A nervous chuckle left his mouth as he spoke, "It's...I...I can't help it, Moka! This school is just too scary for me! I'm thinking of leaving and going to a human school."

Vergil clicked his tongue at the boy's foolish statement. He should be thankful that the vampire likely misconstrued his words. Otherwise she'd have figured out what he actually was.

As if to confirm his thoughts, Moka shouted to Tsukune, "No way. You can't go off to some human school. I hate those humans!"

"...Huh!?" Tsukune sounded schocked by Moka's words. Vergil kept walking, starting to get further away from the two. They had made it halfway to the school gate by this point, and Vergil had already decided to leave the two behind. They had made it to school. They should be safe enough that Dante couldn't complain if he left them behind. He caught Moka speaking of her time at a human middle school where they insulted her for saying she was a monster. After that, he got far enough away that he couldn't hear them anymore.

At least when they were speaking at a normal volume.

But he could still hear the human boy when he yelled, "I am a human! Through some kind of mistake I ended up being let into this school, but I'm different from you!"

Vergil had to resist the urge to drag his free hand across his face. He knew the boy was stupid, but this exceeded all of his original expectations. No matter how much he may like that girl, yelling that he's a human at a school for Yokai is asking for death. He should be glad that they took so long getting to school that most of the student body are in the building already. Otherwise, he would've been torn limb from limb...or Vergil would've had to intervene. If only to stop Dante from making a fuss over the death of his student.

He heard more shouting but put it out of his mind. He was ten paces away from the entrance to the school. That's all he needed to focus on. That and his book. Just a bit more and he'd be back in-

"Vergil-sensei!" he felt someone slam into his back. He hardly moved while they fell backwards into the dirt, "Ah! Ow!"

Knowing it was the vampire, he stopped walking but didn't turn to look at her, "What is it?"

Moka quickly got to her feet and ran to Vergil's front. Her eyes were wide with panic as she spoke, "I need your help! Tsukune he...he just ran off towards the school gate!"

"Yes....and?" Vergil didn't sound the least bit interested.

"We-we need to go after him! We need to stop him from-"

"Why? Isn't he one of those humans you said you hated?" the vampire flinched at Vergil's cold tone. He didn't bother looking at her as he started walking towards the school again, "If he is leaving, then all the better for everyone involved. He isn't in danger of dying, while you and your fellow monsters can rest easy knowing he's gone."

Caught off guard by Vergil's blatant dismissal, Moka took a moment to get her breath back. When she did, she was quick to yell after Vergil, "But-but-you-you're one of the staff! Shouldn't you stop him!?"

"I am a Librarian. Not a teacher. It is not my place to ensure a student who does not want to be here remains," he was seven paces from the school now.

"But what if he really does leave?"

"What would be the harm in that?"

"Then he'll go to a human school!"

"I still fail to see the problem."

"But if that happens then...then...I won't ever see him again!"

Vergil stopped three steps away from the school's threshold. He didn't turn to look at Moka as he spoke, "Then was what you said before not true? Do you not truly hate humans?"

Moka, surprised that he actually stopped to listen to her, took a moment to realize what he said. When his words registered she found her original worry replaced by uncertainty. She started to fidget in place while looking at the ground, both of her hands curled into fist in front of her chest. Her voice trembled as she spoke, "That's....I....I mean....I don't know."

"Is it just him then? Are you willing to make an exception for that boy?"

The thought of Tsukune gave Moka a little courage. She looked up and nodded her head, "I...yes. Yes, I am."

"Why?"

"Because...because he was the first person to accept me for who I am. Not what I am or what people think I am. At the human school, everyone made fun of me for being a monster. Everyone hated me and treated me like I was delusional. I thought coming to Yokai Academy would change things. And while I certainly feel more welcome here...it hasn't exactly been what I thought it would be."

She bit her lip as she gathered her thoughts. Vergil stood patiently awaiting her next words. Her tone grew steadier as she spoke, "When I tell the other students that I'm a vampire...they all start treating me differently. Boys want to go out with me, girls flock around me and give me gifts, everyone treats me like I'm someone really special. I know I should feel grateful for the attention, but I can't help but feel like nothing's changed. Everyone's still treating me differently. No one's accepted me for me...except for Tsukune."

Moka placed a hand over her heart as she continued, "When I told him I was a vampire, he didn't run away. At first, I thought it was because he was a Yokai with a kind heart. But now, knowing he's human...it actually makes me happier. He knew I was a monster. Someone who feeds on human blood...but he didn't run away. He only ran away when I said I hated humans. He was willing to be my friend despite what I am. So, that's why...that's why I want to keep going to this school with him. So, please help me, Vergil-sensei!"

Moka performed a full body bow to Vergil's back. Vergil remained silent for a few moments. Then he spoke once again, "You must know that, should he continue going to this Academy, his life will be in danger?"

Moke looked up at Vergil's back. When he felt her staring at him, he continued, "This is a school for Yokai. Many of these Yokai are known to kill and eat humans. Sometimes for sport. That Saizo student that my brother dragged away is but one of the aggressive kind. There will be more. Some that aren't as obvious as he was. Even if they don't learn that he is a human, Saizo has proven that students are willing to attack each other and staff to get what they want. If Tsukune stays here, there is a high chance that he will die."

"But you and Dante-sensei-"

"I am not that boy's guardian. And my brother will not always be there to protect him. Knowing that, would you still ask for him to stay? If so, then what will you do to ensure his survival?"

Moka went silent. She was at a loss for words. If Tsukune died because she wanted him to stay, could she bare knowing that? That she was the reason he had lost his life? Her mind raced with worry, panic beginning to set in. How was she supposed to answer Vergil? What could she say to him? How could she keep Tsukune from-

"I'll protect him."

She was stunned even as she said the words. Yet she continued to speak, "I-I-I can't fight. But I'm a vampire. I'm really strong. And-And while I don't like to hurt people...I don't want to let Tsukune get hurt. Not if I can do anything about it!

"And if your strength turns out to not be enough?"

"Then I'll get stronger! However I can! If it means keeping Tsukune safe, then I'll get strong enough to protect him from everything. So...so...please, Vergil-sensei!" Moka went back to bowing, closing her eyes as she awaited Vergil's answer.

Vergil was silent for two minutes. Then he closed his book in a single motion, "Passable. Foolish. But passable. I shall assist you."

"Really?!" quick as a flash Moka straightened herself up. Her eyes snapped open to see Vergil turning around to face her. She ran forward to hug him, "Thank you so much, Vergil-se-"

Vergil stopped her by putting his hand on her face. She backed up while holding her stinging nose. Vergil stared at her with indifference, "Do not touch me without my permission. Now I suggest you follow close behind. We must catch him before he reaches the bus to the human world."

Orders given, Vergil wasted no time fast walking in the direction Tsukune went. It was easy enough to follow the boy. He had done little to disguise the footprints he left behind. Moka, still massaging her nose, followed Vergil while yelling for him to wait for her.

---

Just got this done tonight. Have it to prove I'm still in this.

 

[LinkOnScepter]

Tsukune stood at the bus stop with his bags in his hands. He didn't even bother with the withdrawal notice. He just ran to his dorm room, got his things, then headed towards the bus stop. His fear of the school had come in handy, as he hadn't bothered to unpack any of the bags he brought with him. Made it easy to simply grab them and rush his way towards the bus stop.

This was it. He was going to wait for the bus, get on it, head home, then get his parents to put into a normal school. He didn't belong here and would be much happier somewhere else. Somewhere that didn't have students that wanted to kill him at it. It would be fine.

Yet, even as his mind kept telling him that, he found himself turning his eyes back towards the Academy. An image of Moka flashed across his face. The pain in her eyes when he had run off. The way she shied away from him when he said he was human. What she had told him on the roof about her rosary.

...He would be better off leaving...right?

He shook his head and turned back towards the dark tunnel that would lead him home. He leaned forward, frowning down the tunnel. The bus should've been here by now. What was taking it so long? It's not like there was another bus stop anywhere near here. Unless that bus driver was hiding something from-

"Tsukune!" the human boy nearly jumped out of his skin. He turned towards the school to see Moka rushing towards him. One of her hands was held up as she ran, an expression of panic on her face. Behind her, Vergil was walking at a leisurely pace with a bored expression on his face. He ran a hand through his hair when an errant breeze blew a lock out of place.

"M-M-Moka-san?" Tsukune unconsciously stepped towards the vampire as she ran towards him. He moved forward, mouth gaping as he watched the pink haired girl close the distance between them. Then he noticed that she wasn't stopping even when she was ten paces away from him. His eyes went wide and he threw his hands up, "Waitwaitwaitwai-"

His words went unheeded as Moka tackled him to the ground. He felt the wind get knocked out of him as he experienced the vampire's physical power. The two hit the ground in a heap, Tsukune losing his grip on his luggage and it hitting the dusty earth along with him. He saw stars for a moment, before his breathing was suddenly cut off as Moka hugged him close to her chest.

"Don't go!" she shouted, while pressing the human closer, "I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't mean it. I...I don't want you to go! Please stay Tsukune!"

"Hmmmmmppphhh!" was his muffled reply. His arms flailed around as he struggled to breathe around Moka's strength and assets. She didn't seem to notice and increased her grip on the boy. Tsukune's flailing got worse but he had no way to get out of the vampire's grasp.

He was saved by Vergil grabbing the vampire by her shirt collar. The Son Of Sparda carried Moka in one hand, holding her like one would a small dog with little difficulty. Tsukune gulped down lungfuls of sweet air, while Vergil stared disapprovingly at Moka. The Son Of Sparda spoke in an unamused tone of voice, "Be wary of your own strength. You do not wish to crush the boy, do you?"

"N-no," Moka said while pressing her fingers together, "Sorry, Vergil-sensei. Yo-You can let me down now. Please?"

Vergil unceremoniously let the vampire drop. A cute squeak left her mouth as she hit the ground. She got to her feet while dusting off her skirt and legs. Vergil turned to the still gasping Tsukune. His tone didn't change even as he addressed the human, "She wishes to speak with you, boy. I'd suggest you listen."

"Wha-what?" Tsukune got to his feet as he glanced between Moka and Vergil. He eventually settled them onto Moka. Her cute face and bubbly expression made him flinch. He turned away from her, frowing as he spoke, "What more is there to say? I'm a human, remember? She wants nothing to do with me."

A hurt expression came over Moka's face. She turned to Vergil but found no help there. The Son Of Sparda merely rolled his eyes before waving towards the human boy. Gathering her courage Moka straightened herself up. Then she bowed deeply to Tsukune, "I'm sorry! I...I think about what I said. Tsukune you...I...I don't hate you. I can't bring myself to hate you. Even if you are human."

"Why?" Tsukune didn't sound upset, but truly curious as to her answer.

"Because...because you didn't run away," Moka straightened up to look Tsukune in the eyes, "You didn't run away when I told you I was a vampire. You didn't care about that. You just...you just wanted to be my friend. And I...I want to be your friend too. Even if I'm a vampire, and you're human. I...I want it to work between us. Because I've never...I've never really had a friend before and you...you..."

"She wishes to become your companion," Vergil cut in when it was clear Moka was going to make this far harder than it needed to be. Both of the high schoolers went silent as he stepped forward. He waved a hand at Tsukune, "You believe the same, do you not? You have told Dante and I multiple times that being this girl's friend is enough to keep you in a Yokai infested Academy. While that is not nearly sufficient enough in my eyes, I will not stop you from making that decision. And if this vampire wishes the same, then why not reciprocate?"

Caught off guard by Vergil's sudden interruption, Tsukune was temporarily stunned. He blinked twice as he stared in confusion at the Librarian, "Vergil-sensei. But...I thought you didn't care-"

"I do not," Vergil pointed a finger towards Moka, "But she has shown that she has the will and resolve to protect you while you are here. Or at least the start of it."

Tsukune felt a combination of surprise and gratefulness fill his heart. He slowly turned to look at Moka. She turned her eyes away while kicking at the ground, cheeks red in embarrassment. Feeling his own face getting hotter, Tsukune turned back to Vergil, "She...she said she would...protect me?"

"And I see that as enough reason to help her convince you. Of course, another question remains: What will you do?"

"Huh?"

"If you choose to stay at this Academy, do you plan to allow this vampire to defend you forever? Do you believe that she can overcome every obstacle that will come your way? Are you willing to sit back and be protected while she faces danger after danger?"

"N-N-No! I don't want to see her hurt," Tsukune bit his lip, "But...but I can't fight. I'm just-"

"Then do as she has said she would. Gain power," Vergil lifted his hand up, palm first, then started curling it into a fist, "Consider your options. Discover the best way to improve yourself. Then take it. Get stronger. Obtain the power you need. For power is-"

Vergil stopped.

In an instant he remembered what happened during the times he followed through that statement. Every time he gave up everything for the pursuit of power.

He defeated Dante in their first battle...then lost in their third.

He lost to Mundus and was forced to become a servant to that Demon.

He managed to survive, stole his son's arm, then used the Yamato to split his two halves apart. His demonic half became truly powerful, even managing to defeat Dante yet again...but even after he devoured the Qliphoth Fruit, he still lost to Dante.

It was only after he accepted his human side that he managed to match him. And even then he still lost to his son.

All his plans were foiled time and time again. He lost to his supposedly weaker brother time and time again. And, at the end, was pursuing power at all cost truly what gave him the strength he had now?

No...it was acceptance.

Acceptance of his once thought weak human half.

In the present, Vergil let his hand fall to his side. He remained silent long enough that Tsukune and Moka started getting worried. He briefly hummed as he thought of what to say to the boy. Eventually, he spoke with uncertainty in his voice, "Power...is not everything. Simply seeking it...will not bring you happiness or fulfillment. Do not seek power for its own sake. Down that path lies little but ruin. Seek power to defend those you care for."

"Vergil-sensei," Tsukune reached out a hand to grab Vergil's shoulder. But Vergil stepped away from him and turned his back. Tsukune pulled his hand back then frowned. He thought about the Librarian's words for a moment. Then he closed his eyes and nodded, "Alright. OK. Thank you, Vergil-sensei. I'll...I'll be sure to get stronger. For Moka-san's sake."

"You mean...you're going to stay?!" Moka said, hoping beyond hope that it was true. When Tsukune nodded she surged forward and pulled him into another bone crushing hug, "Yaaaayyy!~ Tsukune!~ Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Y-Y-You're wel-come-Moka-san," Tsukune managed through the vampire's crushing embrace.

Vergil shook his head while keeping his back turned to the students. Dante was starting to rub off on him. He sighed before taking his book back out and holding it in his left hand. Perhaps now he could read in peace. He opened it to the last page he was on and continued to read. The text continued detailing the theory of how sealing magic could be used on things other than powers. It discussed how, even if the user was skilled at sealing magic, sealing requires an object to act the primary "Lock" alongside a "Key" for what has been sealed. Any object will do, but ones considered "holy" or "supernatural" work best. This includes prayer beads, paper talismans, rosaries, pendants and-

Vergil paused on that last sentence. He went back to how it mentioned rosaries. Images of the rosaries across the Headmaster's body flashed through his mind...then he remembered who else has a rosary on their person.

"Thanks for helping me, Vergil-sensei," Moka said with a bow. The rosary on her chest shook as she stood up. Tsukune was standing on her right, rising from his own bow. The two began to walk passed Vergil's right side, "We'll be heading back to class now. We'll see you later."

"Hold," Vergil reached out and grabbed Moka's rosary. The vampire gasped as the Son Of Sparda pulled her over to him. He lifted the rosary up while putting his book away, "I must examine this."

"Aaahh! Vergil-sensei, what are you doing?" Moka said while trying to pry Vergil's hand off her rosary, "Please don't touch that! It's important to me."

But Vergil didn't listen. He kept his eyes focused on the object in his palm. With a thought he fed some of his own demonic power into the object. It seemed to spark for a moment but nothing else occurred. He grunted, "Hmm. Perhaps it requires a specific key? What could that be?"

"Le-L-Let her go!" Tsukune appeared at Vergil's side and grabbed the older's man's wrists. He tried to pull Vergil away but accomplished little save for making his own arms hurt. Moka, seeing Tsukune try to help her, redoubled her efforts to no avail. The situation was almost comical, in a way. Two high schoolers, one a pink haired vampire girl, and the other a normal human boy, failing as they attempted to pull an older man's hand off a rosary.

Seeing that the rosary wasn't going to be removed easily, Vergil let the object go...just as Tsukune put his right hand on top of Vergil's. When Vergil moved his hand away, Tsukune's fell onto the rosary.

It came off with the sound of a latch being unlocked.

Instantly, the immediate area around Moka exploded into a huge pillar of energy. Bats appeared from no where, while birds took the skies in a panic. Moka's body floated in the pillar as her hair shot straight up towards the sky. It quickly changed color from pink to white as power surged through her form. Tsukune fell onto his backside, eyes wide as dinner plates as he watched Moka transform.

Vergil paid it no mind.

He immediately grabbed the rosary while it was mid-fall. Then he turned his back on the transforming Moka and began to examine the object. His brows furrowed as he started feeding demonic energy into the rosary. This time he received some feedback. It wasn't much. Just bits and pieces of what the seal on the object was like. But he could tell that something was different about it. That this was no normal seal.

"M-M-Moka-san?" Tsukune said, eyes watching as Moka landed on her feet. She had on hand on her hip, while her now red eyes stared examined her surroundings. They temporarily landed on Tsukune, making his heart skip a beat as he locked eyes with her. He briefly felt like a fly standing before a hungry spider. Unable to move as his body locked up in fear.

Then Moka turned away and he returned to normal. He asked himself if this was really Moka-san. She felt...different. Stronger. More confident. As if she knew she was the strongest person in the room just by virtue of being herself.

"Hey, you," she pointed a finger at Vergil's back, "I don't know what the big idea is, but I'd suggest you give that back. Right now."

Vergil didn't even bother turning around. He kept his eyes firmly on the rosary.

Moka scowled, "Hey, I'm talking to you."

He didn't turn around.

A cocky chuckle escaped Moka's lips, "You must think you're pretty strong. Turning your back on a vampire who's speaking directly to you."

Still no response.

"Look, just give me back the rosary, and I'll let everything go. We can forget this ever happened."

No response.

Moka grit her teeth, "Fine then. Have it your way!"

In an instant, Moka kicked off the ground and launched herself at Vergil. Yokai power surged into her leg as she aimed it directly at the side of Vergil's head. Tsukune felt the earth shake as she attacked, the power of a vampire making him shiver in fear. Moka's blow flew towards Vergil at speeds that made her leg look invisible to Tsukune.

Vergil raised his left arm up to block.

And the attack instantly stopped.

There was no shockwave.

There was no rustling of Vergil's clothes.

He didn't even look at Moka to block the attack.

He just stopped it.

Moka and Tsukune stared in disbelief at what just occurred.

It was at this point that Dante finally returned.

---

Another sub-chapter, because I'm not done yet.

As stated, we have Moka's Humbling to go through, then the two getting mad at the Headmaster.

 

[LinkOnScepter]

When Saizo woke up, he was unable to see anything. His entire body felt like it got hit by a runaway freight train. He groaned in pain while trying to get his feet under him. Yet, for some reason, he couldn't feel his arms or legs. He could tell they were still there. He just couldn't move them for some reason And, based on the feeling on his face...

"Did someone blindfold me?" he spoke aloud, part of him hoping that whoever did it heard him. Maybe it would make them panic and get the blindfold off. He could still move his head at least. So he lifted it and shouted out, "Hey! Whoever did this better let me go! If you do, I promise to make it painless."

Silence was the only response.

"I know someone's out there! Say something ya piece of shit!"

More silence.

He growled while preparing to speak again, but he felt something prick the back of his neck. A warm liquid fell down his neck. He recognized the familiar scent of blood.

"Ah, good. You shut up. I was getting annoyed," the voice sounded light and playful. Like whatever was happening was a game to it. Saizo tried to turn his head but felt the sharp object press deeper into his neck.

"Tell us what happened in your fight," a different voice, one deeper and with a serious tone compared to the other. But it had an edge to it that made a shiver run up Saizo's spine. The voice spoke again, "Do you remember how your opponent fought?"

"What...you mean that fucking Teacher's Assistant? Why? Is he here? Tell him to come over here so I-"

More pressure and more blood.

"Answer the questions. Before I get bored and split your neck open like a fat cow in a slaughterhouse."

Now thoroughly aware of the situation he was in, Saizo felt much of his pride and arrogance desert him. He started to speak, "I-I don't know nothing! What the fuck do you want me to say?"

"How did he fight? What weapon did he use? What powers?"

"I don't fucking know! He just turned read a couple of times. Then it feels like I'm trying to cut through something...harder than steel somehow. Then he punches me once and it sends me flying!"

"That's it?"

"The fuck you expecting me to say? It wasn't exactly a drawn out fight. I don't know what that guy is, but he's gotta be double or triple S at least. Why the fuck do you care anyway? Who the hell-"

Saizo felt something hit him on the back of the head. Then everything went blank again.

---

"I told you this was going to be a waste of time," Kiria said while dragging the unconscious Saizo away with one hand. His other was slowly shifting from its organic blade form back into a normal arm. He stared at Kaneshiro's back as the two walked through the empty forest and back towards the school. He walked with a swagger to his step as he followed behind, a smug smile permanently on his face. His voice carried that smugness in his tone of voice, "This guy didn't just got beaten. He got humiliated. And he's too stupid to try to analyze anything about his opponent."

"It wasn't completely useless," the Student Council President said, adjusting his glasses as he led the way back to the school, "We have added onto our growing pool of insight into these two brothers."

"Sure we have," Kiria didn't sound convinced. He tapped his chin with a finger from his now normal hand, "Lets see, what do we know? We know that both of the brothers are sharp and can see me even when I'm trying to hide. We know that the blue one is on a hair trigger and has a sword that can slow my regeneration. We know that both of them are aware of our plans, even if they don't know what they are. Oh, and the red one turns red when he does something with his powers. That about right?"

Kaneshiro turned around and raised an eyebrow at Kiria, "Is something bothering you, Kiria? You sounds uncharacteristically upset about all this."

Kiria waved Kaneshiro's words off, "Oh, no, no. I'm not upset. Really. Not like thinking about how strong those two are individually is enough to send shivers down my spine or anything. Not at all!"

Kaneshiro sent a glare Kiria's way. Kiria raised his hand up placatingly, speaking with a playful tone in his voice, "Scary~! You've got a scary look on your face, Kaneshiro! Don't worry. I'm not getting cold feet or anything. It's just something I've been thinking about a lot."

"Then you would do well to stop," Kaneshiro said as he began to walk again, "No matter how strong the two of them are, they won't be able to stop us. Vergil has stated that he doesn't wish to get in our way as long as we leave him alone, and Dante won't be able to do anything until it's too late. Our plans will already come to fruition."

Kiria nodded his head in response to Kaneshiro's words. But, despite what his comrade said, he couldn't help the pit of doubt that had formed in his stomach. His right hand still throbbed from when it was cut off by that strange weapon. He wasn't sure what it was about that sword, or the way that Vergil person wielded it. But his body, something that could usually recover any wound easily, couldn't seem to adapt to a wound from this weapon. Most injuries he suffered only took a few minutes to heal. Even those inflicted by magic or Yokai Power. But that weapon? The wound it inflicted?

Two hours.

It had taken two full hours for him to heal from.

And, for some reason, he could tell that it wasn't going to change. His cells couldn't adapt to whatever it was the weapon did to him.

He didn't know how he knew it. He just did.

And that made him understand something: Vergil could kill him.

For good.

And whenever he thought of that, he could always feels two emotions towards it.

Excitement...and genuine fear.

---

"So, you've learned nothing?" Mikogami asked the Bus Driver who was standing in front of his desk.

Nurai shook his head, "Nothing at all. I've called up every contact I've got in the human and Youkai world. Not a single person or monster has heard of 'The Sons Of Sparda'. Nor who or what this 'Dark Knight Sparda' is or was."

Mikogami hummed, drumming his fingers against his desk, "Then what about the two themselves? I'd imagine twin monster brothers as strong as those two would make some waves. Especially in the human world. They don't seem like the types to keep themselves beneath others' radar."

"You'd think that, but no," Nurai shook his head again, replacing his cigar with a new one. He lit it with his lighter and blew a ring of smoke out of his nose before he continued, "Couldn't find a single thing about a Dante or Vergil either. Well, nothing that wasn't about a certain duo that supposedly traversed the nine circles of Hell."

"Hmm...do you think-"

"Nope. They'd be older than either of us if they were one of those two."

"Good point," Mikogami leaned back in his seat, "Lets put the question of who they are to the side for now. Instead, do you have any ideas as to what they could be?"

"You mean the kind of Yokai? My best guess? Oni," Nurai took his cigar from his mouth and tapped a finger on Mikogami's desk, "They match up pretty well. Dante wears red, is energetic, tends to be impulsive, and usually acts based on his emotions. Guy came up to me and had me get him Pizza from the human world just cause he was craving it. So, he certainly fits that mold."

"And his brother is the exact opposite. Cool, collected, quiet, and clearly the more thoughtful of the two," Mikogami replied as the image began to take shape in his head. He nodded, "If you're right, then we may need to stock up on sake."

"For the brothers to keep them docile, or for yourself when they start giving you headaches?"

Both men shared knowing smiles.

Nurai tilted his head while putting his cigar back in his mouth, "Good to talk with ya some more, old friend. 'Fraid I need to get back to work though."

"As do I. We'll talk later, Nurai. And keep me informed in case you learn anything new," Mikogami waved goodbye to the Bus Driver. Nurai did the same, walking through the only door that lead in and out of Mikogami's room.

For a few moments, Mikogami was alone with his thoughts. His mind went back towards his various plans. He had made good progress on speaking with the governmental official of Japan. It would take a bit more work, but he was certain he could get them to listen to him if the worst case scenario came to pass.

He also hadn't heard anything from Anti-Thesis so far. But he doubted that would last forever. Those troublemakers would make their move sooner or later. And when they did, he would be ready to take care of them. Hopefully.

Then there was his biggest gamble: Tsukune Aono. That human boy that he had let into the school. He could only hope that the child managed to survive his years at this school. His survival was tantamount towards proving coexistence between humans and monsters was possible. However, he knew he couldn't do much to help the human teenager. Any hint of favoritism from him may cause complications. Either with the young lad or the rest of the school. He would have to watch from the shadows and-

The door to his office was forced open with a loud bang.

Mikogami looked up just as Vergil stomped into the room. His eyes glowered at Mikogami as he made his way across the room. Mikogami put forth an image of calm, but one of his hands went to one of the Holy Locks on his body. Just in case.

"Patron Librarian Vergil," Mikogami said as the older Sparda brother stopped in front of his desk. He smiled up at the blue-clothed man, "Can I help you with something?"

"What did you do to the vampire named Moka Akashiya?" Vergil's question was clear and concise.

Mikogami didn't let his surprise show on his face. He merely smiled wider, "Why, whatever do you mean? Who exactly is thi-"

"Do not try to deflect, demon," Vergil raised his Yamato but didn't take it from its scabbard, "I am in no mood for your games. Answer my questions or else."

Mikogami's grip on his Holy Lock tightened. In his mind he was already thinking about what to do if Vergil pulled his sword. He knew the man was fast, skilled with his weapon, and strong. Extremely strong. If he made one wrong move, he could end up on the floor bleeding from ten different cuts before he could blink. But if he could get the first move off, he could possible trap Vergil in a barrier and hold him in place to get off a blow of his own.

The two stared each other down.

The tension in the air thickened with each passing second.

Then it was cut in twain as Dante appeared and pushed Vergil out the way. His easygoing smile helped to calm Mikogami down, "Sorry about that, Gramps. Told you my brother was a bit trigger happy. Don't let it get to ya though. If he tried anything, I'd give him a good spanking as punishment."

---

Shit...again?

Sorry everyone. Didn't mean to take so long. It's just been hard for me to get myself to sit down and write recently.

Hopefully this Sub-Chapter makes up for it.

 

[LinkOnScepter]

Two Days Later

The doors to the Youkai Academy library opened and closed as students entered and exited. Now that the school year had some what started, the more diligent students were attempting to get a head start on their reading assignments. The less diligent were simply looking for a place to relax and try to forget about their homework assignments for a bit. Though these types usually left the library early after being reprimanded by the new Head Librarian. However, three students in particular were standing outside and to the left of the library door. They were huddled together, trying to appear subtle...and failing at it.

"OK, everyone remember the plan?" the leader of the trio of male students said as he turned to his two companions. He wore the standard greenish Youkai Academy uniform, but with a white coat hanging off his back. On it the kanji for "Battle" stood proudly in red ink. The student was taller than his companions but he was on the leaner side. His muscles were nearly non-existant at a glance.

His two companions were mirror images of him. With the main difference being one wore glasses while the other held a large kanabo that he got from somewhere. Where exactly he wouldn't tell anyone. The two other students looked at each other, then back at their leader, confusion still on their faces. The one with the kanabo spoke first, "I thought we were just gonna go in the library and beat up that new librarian."

The leader's palm hit his face. His voice was muffled as he spoke, "We are gonna do that. But we're gonna be smart about it. We can't just run in there and expect to get him. Not to mention we'll only get one shot at this and we can't afford to mess up our revenge now."

"Y-Yeah!" the one with glasses shouts enthusiastically. He pumps his fist in the air as tears start to fall from his eyes, "I-I'll never forgive him for taking Sakura's away from me! He'll pay for enchanting her with his evil wiles!"

The kanabo wielder scratched the side of his head, "But...I thought you and Sakura were just friends. How could he steal her if you weren't going out?"

"We-We weren't going out yet," glasses is sure to correct his fellow. His tears flow in an ever increasing amount as he speaks, "bu-bu-but I was planning to ask her out when the time was right! But I can't do that as long as he's in the way!"

Kanabo shrugged, "I just want to get back at him for throwing me out while I trying to hit on a girl."

"Look it doesn't matter!" their leader stated with finality, "Point is that we all have a reason to get back at this Vergil guy. And we have a better chance of doing it together than separate. So, what we're gonna do is go in there, challenge him to a duel, then when he starts walking towards us, you hit him with your kanabo! Then we all kick him while he's down!"

"Yeah!" the other two shouted in unison.

"You two ready!?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Then lets g-"

"Excuse me, boys?~"

The three men all froze on the spot. Slowly, they turned their heads in the direction the feminine voice had come from. When their eyes fell on the newcomer, they all felt their hearts skip a beat. The blue haired high school girl took a single step forward, leaning forward to accentuate her large breasts. She pouted as she started up at the three comrades with a sad look in her eyes. She started to sob while stepped closer to the three of them, "It's just...I'm so lonely here. No one wants to be my friend. And I...I don't know why."

The three immediately moved to surround the girl and started to bow to her. Their leader stepped forward, chest out and hands on his hips as he spoke with confidence, "Don't worry, young lady! We honorable gentlemen will gladly be your first friends!"

"Wait but what abougggh!" the kanabo wielder was elbowed in the stomach by the one with glasses.

Glasses stared at the blue haired girl, eyes not going above her neck line as he spoke, "Ye-Yeah! We'll be great friends! Uh, what's your name, cutey?"

"K-Kurono Kurumu," the now named girl looked up at the men and met their eyes. Within moments all three started to blush. The kanabo wielder dropped his weapon as a dopey expression came over his face. His comrades followed suit, all staring at Kurumu with a lustful fervor. But they didn't move towards her at all. They simply stood rooted to the spot without taking their eyes off her.

Kurumu's disposition changed within moments. Her sobbing stopped and there was no wetness around her eyes whatsoever. She flipped her hair with one hand while turning towards the door to the Library. She didn't even say anything to the three students that were now under her "Charm". She merely waved a hand and they followed after her obediently like loyal dogs. Despite the clear use of her power, none of the other students called her out. Mainly due to the fact that most of the males were completely enraptured by her beauty.

She chuckled, feeling her plan get closer to fruition. It would only be a matter of time before every male student in the Academy was her slave. Her Yokai Academy Harem Transformation Plan was foolproof! No student at the school could resist her succubus "Charm". One look in her eyes would be all it took. And for some she wouldn't even need to go that far. A confident smile remained on her face as she entered the library. However, her glee only lasted for a few moments. Then an ugly thought came to the forefront of her mind. The fact that, despite her looks and efforts, there was one huge wrench in her plan.

The Vampire, Moka Akashiya.

Her hands tightened into fists at the thought of the girl. While she could get the males here with her "Charm" they were all dreaming about that damned vampire! Why? She clearly had far more feminine charm than that twig could ever hope to have!

She huffed, before her lips started curling into a smile. A hand went to her chin as she started talking to herself, "And I'll prove it too. I know exactly how to humiliate that Moka, while getting one step closer to accomplishing my goal. That boy that's always with Moka. Tsukune Aono. I'll steal him from her. Proving once and for all-"

"Excuse me," Kurumu nearly jumped out of her uniform at the sudden voice. It was cold, firm, and clearly direct at her. She stumbled back, finally taking notice of the shadow that looming over her...and its owner. Her eyes widened as she came to face to face with the new Head Librarian, Vergil.

And the first thing she noticed was, for an old man, he looked good.

She'd never go for him. Her plan only involved the Student Body. None of the teachers or staff. But she couldn't deny that any other succubus would probably be head over heels for him. And who could blame them? That professional aura that hung around him, the smooth yet chiseled facial features, that slicked back white hair and dark blue outfit. If someone were to look up "Cool" in the dictionary, Kurumu had no doubt his picture would be rest next to its definition.

Of course, the thing that really caught her eyes were his eyes.

Namely, the sharp glare that he leveled at her. She felt a chill go up her spine as he stared her down. He held up a finger as he started to speak, "Firstly, you are speaking too loudly. This is a library. Be quiet."

Kurumu blinked in surprise at his admonishment. She looked behind her, wondering why none of her slaves were coming to defend her...only to see all three standing at attention. Her jaw dropped as she saw that each one was staring at Vergil with fear in their eyes. They were still under her "Charm" she could tell that. But something was...overriding it?! How was that-

"Look at me when I speak to you," Kurumu's head darted back around to look Vergil in the eye. That same chill ran up and down her spine as he continued, "And second, you have clearly been used your powers on these young men, succubus. Though it may have occurred outside my library, you are now inside my library. Release them. This instant."

Kurumu frowned at the taller man. How dare he try to order her around? He may good looking, but that didn't mean he could just tell her what to do! Even if he was a staff member. She opened her mouth to retort but paused as she considered something. Then she narrowed her eyes at Vergil, looking him up and down while humming to herself. While he wasn't her type, he was still a man. And if she were able to get someone like this under her thumb, then she could lord it over Moka! An unappealing girl like her could never manage to get one of the staff to follow her every whim!

Hiding her smug grin beneath her hand, Kurumu put on her best pouting face. She made her body shake while placing both of her hands together. Her lips were quivering as she looked down at the ground. She started to sob as she spoke, "I-I-I"m so sorry, Vergil-sensei. I-I-I didn't mean to-to-waaah!"

She dashed forward and pressed herself against Vergil's body. She only came up to his lower chest but that was enough. Pushing her chest as close to his body as she could, she looked up at him and in a husky voice, "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

When her eyes met his, she activated her "Charm". She couldn't stop her lips from curling into a smile as Vergil stared into her eyes. Within a few moments he'd be all hers. Then she'd get him to-

Then something Kurumu didn't expect happened.

She thought that Vergil would show her the same dopey expression the other students she had charmed had.

Instead, his face contorted into an expression of absolute disgust.

Before she could question it, she felt him grab her by her hair. She yelled as he pulled her off him then threw her towards the other students. The three she had charmed moved to cushion her fall, catching her before she could hit the ground. She got up and glared daggers at Vergil, "Hey! What's the big-HEY!"

Kurumu felt her hackles rise as she beheld what was happening in front of her.

Vergil had taken a handkerchief out of his pocket and was using it to wipe off where she had grabbed him.

 

[LinkOnScepter]

Vergil placed the last returned book for the day back on its shelf. He stepped away from the shelf then took a moment to look at the arrangement of the books. They were all non-fiction, each with detailed histories on the various Yokai races. Exactly what the tomes entailed depended upon the author. Some had the tone of research papers. Books made to tell history without any embellishments or bias to be had. Others were, more or less, primarily focused on detailing how "amazing" and "wonderful" the lands of Yokai used to be before humans or other Yokai showed up.

He had read through them in his off time. Mainly for information gathering. Seeing if there was any point in this worlds history where someone from a completely separate dimension arrived in it. If there were, then Vergil could further look into them and see if and how they got back to their world. See if there were any hidden methods to make pinpointing the exact location of their home dimension easier.

Sadly, he was proven wrong. Though he was upset, he was certain Dante would make light of the situation. He would smile and point out how the two of them were "The first unlucky bastards to be sent to this place from somewhere else!"

Vergil grimaced, turning away from the shelf when he was certain all the books were in alphabetical order. He heard the school bell ring twice, indicating that it was time for the students to go to class or lunch. For him, it singled his lunch break for the day. He easily made his way towards his desk, briefly adjusting his collar with a hand. It wasn't hot, he just felt the need to do so. He easily slid into the seat behind his desk and opened up one of the drawers. With a hand he pulled out a bowl of "Instant Ramen" that the lunch lady had given him for some reason. He wouldn't complain about being given sustenance for free. While he may not necessarily need to eat, doing so would ensure that his body remained energized for future conflicts.

He got up, the bowl of readily made ramen in his hands as he made he way towards the exit. None of the students in the library got in his way as he walked passed them. None even bothered looking at him. They only continued to read their books as their backs shook with fear. Vergil paid them no mind as he opened the library doors.

"Now then," he said to no on in particular, heading towards the nearest microwave he knew of, "To the Teacher's Lounge."

"Um, excuse me?"

Vergil kept walking but slowed enough to let the owner of the voice catch up to him. He glanced to the side to see one of the female students keeping pace with him. Her face was red and she kept staring at the ground. Her brown hair bounced with her every step, alongside the tied box lunch in her hand. She kept her gaze on her feet as her mouth opened and closed, no words leaving her lips. Vergil chose to ignore her after the fifth time she failed to communicate what she called out to him for. He began to speed up when he heard more footsteps coming up from behind him.

Taking a step to the right, he let another female student fly passed him. She skidded to a stop in front of the two with two bagged lunches in her hands. She was barely hiding her true nature. She wore gym clothes and her face was that of an actual dog's. She stepped in front of Vergil and held out both of her bags, "You! Me! Lunch! Together!"

Vergil gave the girl points for directly stating what it is she wanted with him. But, that didn't mean she was going to get a pass. He held his ramen up in one hand, while his other summoned the Yamato out of thin air. Ignoring the surprised gasps of the two girls, he gave the Inugami in front of him a firm strike on the head, "You are meant to maintain your human form at all times. Consider this a warning."

The Inugami whimpered, backing up and both hands going to her head as Vergil walked passed her. He heard a "poof" behind him, followed by more footsteps. The Inugami appeared at his side, her face much more human than before. She holds up both of the bags, "Done. Now will you come-"

The other girl moved over and interrupted the Inugami. Her nervousness seemed to disappear in the fact of a potential rival. She started to speak, "Mitsuki-san-I-I got here first! I was going to ask him to eat with me."

"I saw, and you were kind of sucking at it, Iji" Mitsuki said matter-of-factly, "So I was gonna do it instead."

The newly named Iji gasped in shock. She began to form a response to Mitsuki, but Vergil didn't hear it. As he had already turned the corner and made it to the door to the Staff Room. Said room was what he expected from a school based off Japanese High Schools. Multiple desks with a few dividers here and there for privacy. He saw a few of the teachers there, usually in human form eating lunch of their own. Thankfully, the microwave wet up against the wall on a counter top wasn't occupied at the moment.

Without skipping a beat, he placed the bowl in his hands on the counter near the device. He had almost taken the covering off when he realized that he had forgotten something. Water. Fresh water. Not tap that he could get from the nearby sink. Water that was kept in a bottle and, preferably, not refrigerated so it would be at the perfect temperature for this purpose. He cursed under his breathe, admonishing himself for forgetting something so basic. Especially with how he managed to prepare for this the other day.

He admonished himself while thinking of what to do. But his thoughts were soon interrupted by the sound of a plastic bottle hitting the counter. His eyes moved to his right to see a bottle of water, not yet opened and free of any condensation, sitting next to his ramen bowl. One eyebrow rose as he turned to regard the one who had placed the water bottle there. It was a female teacher who seemed to be in her early 30s or late 20s. And while Vergil had known that the dress code for teachers was rather lax, he doubted even Dante would think what she was wearing was appropriate.

A tube top with slim jeans, pumps on her feet, a golden necklace, and a bandana over her long braided hair. All of it didn't really seem appropriate for a teacher. He's certain he would've mistaken her for a student if she wasn't in the Staff Room. The only part of her ensemble that he understood was the long trench coat she wore. And that was only because of the paint stains that covered the article from top to bottom.

"Seems like you forgot something," her voice was light and teasing, one of her fingers pointing towards the water bottle on the counter, "so, I thought I'd help you out."

Vergil stared the woman down. He didn't even acknowledge the water bottle as he did so, "What do you want?"

The female smiled smugly, "I want to give you some water for your ramen."

"That is not what I meant and you know it, Medusa," the woman blinked as Vergil called out her species. He turned so his full body was facing her as he spoke, "What do you expect me to give you return for this 'gift'."

---

Finally managed to start working on this. I would've written more, but my brain decided that now was time for a headache.

 

[LinkOnScepter]

"That is not what I meant and you know it, Gorgon," the woman blinked as Vergil called out her species. He turned so his full body was facing her as he spoke, "What do you expect me to give you in return for this 'gift'."

Her expression fell but she kept the smile on her face. She turned to fully regard Vergil one hand still on the counter, "You're one of the new guys, right? The Librarian? I think I saw the other guy stop here and carry out a whole pizza once. You know him?"

"That would be my witless brother. Why do you ask?"

"Brother?" the female looks shocked. Then her eyes narrow as she looks Vergil up and down. Realization dawns on her as she snaps, "Oh yeah. Now I can see the resemblance. Though, I'd say you got the looks of the fam-"

"Enough with idle pleasantries and platitudes," Vergil didn't even hide his annoyance, "What do you want?"

The female's expression fell further. Her smile disappeared as she pushed herself off the counter. She shrugged, "Fine. Fine. If you're gonna be rude about it. My name is Hitomi Ishigami. I'm the Art Teacher here. My specialty is stone carving. I was wondering if you or your brother would be interested in being a new model. Perhaps this weekend when the students are in their dorms?"

Vergil considered the woman's suggestion. He looked at the bottle of water, then at his ramen, then at the clock on the wall in the Lounge. His break was only meant to be half an hour. Cooking the ramen should take about three or so minutes. Then it would take him a minute to find a suitable place to eat. Some place secluded, without others to bother him, and with enough ambiance to allow him to think clearly about his next moves. If he took the woman's offer, that would shave minutes off his time. If he said no, he would have to either settle for boiling tap water or search for a water bottle of his own. The latter would likely take him longer.

"...Fine. But I request that we do so tomorrow after school."

Hitomi blinked in surprise, "So soon?"

Vergil turned towards the electric kettle, took the top off, then grabbed the water bottle off the counter. He spoke to Hitomi without looking at her and unscrewing the top, "Unlike you, I have important matters I must see to this weekend. Thus I'd rather we finish our deal as soon as possible. Unless you cannot acquire the supplies you need despite being the Art Teacher?"

He glanced at her out the corner of his eye while pouring the water into the kettle. He had already set the temperature perfectly, so now all that was needed was waiting for the water to boil. Hitomi's mouth opened wide at how Vergil so casually dismissed her, while also agreeing to her proposal without issue. All for a bottle of water. She shook her head then cleared her throat, "Um, yes. I can. I shall see you tomorrow then."

Vergil hummed without looking at the Art Teacher. She stuck around for a few moments until she realized that he was not going to give her any more of his time. Clicking her tongue, she turned and walked out of the Lounge. Vergil was aware that a few of the other teachers had stopped to stare at his back, but he didn't care. He was focusing on his rapidly heating water.

Precisely three minutes later, he had a bowl of ramen ready to eat along with chopsticks. He calmly made his way out of the Lounge and through the halls...dragging a folding chair behind him. He would need a place to sit after all. He was accosted by a few more female students, and one or two males trying to challenge him to a duel. He ignored or avoided these people. He had a lunch to get to. In his search for a place to eat, he ended up finding the perfect spot. A place that was far enough from the school that no one would bother him, but close enough that he wouldn't be completely off the grounds.

He easily unfolded the folding chair so that his back was to the school. He sat down and opened up his ramen. The still-hot meal let out steam that carried the scent of pasta, egg, and broth with it. He sighed with contentment as he took his chopsticks and grabbed a long roll of ramen in between them. He pulled it up towards his mouth then-

"Comin' through!"

Instincts honed from years of fighting demons kicked in. He quickly sat back while holding his lunch up as high as he could. A few feet away from him, Dante came speeding passed with the human boy and Moka Akashiya under his arms. He looked to the side and winked, "Hey Vergil! Bye Vergil!"

Then he was speeding away as fast as his legs could carry him.

Vergil shook his head with a sigh, "That brother of mine."

He brought his ramen down, ready to get back to eating it-

"Get back here!"

Once again, he raised his ramen up to protect it.

This time, Kurumu came racing by right in front of Vergil. Her passing kicked up sand, pebbles, and dust that fell over Vergil's body. The succubus didn't even slow down as she continued to chase after his twin. Vergil let out a sigh, lowering his ramen while ignoring the dust on his clothes. He'd deal with that later. Right now, he had food to eat.

He reached for his chopsticks with his right hand...only for a few pebbles that got into his sleeves to fall into the broth.

"...."

Vergil stared at his now ruined lunch.

Then he stood up, held the bowl in his left hand, summoned the Yamato in his right, then slowly made to follow the succubus and his brother.

---

"Get back here!"

Dante rolled his eyes, skidding to a stop near one of the walls of the main part of the school. He put Lover Boy and Fangs down, the two teens falling to their knees after being carried by Dante for who knows how long. As Tsukune started to cough and Moka shook the dust out of her hair, Dante turned around to face the rapidly approaching blue-haired succubus.

"Does that girl know when to quit?" Dante shook his head with annoyance. He had been planning to give Blue the slip way earlier than this. But the girl just wouldn't stop following them. He doubted she was actually as fast as he was, but he couldn't exactly go full speed carrying Lover Boy and Fangs with him. Didn't wanna give them the worse case of whiplash ever. He was going to just drop them off at their class, but then the Lunch Bell rang. Just his luck.

So, he decided to take this outside. Hoping that the wide open space would give him more room to lose the girl. But apparently, she held one heck of a grudge. Or her succubus nature gave her a GPS when it came to guys. He'd have to ask Nevan about that later. Right now though, he needed to find a way to handle this.

"H-H-How about...we just talk to her?" Lover Boy suggested, getting to his feet. He placed both hands on his knees, words coming out between heavy breaths, "I'm...I'm sure she'll listen...if we just try."

"I'd-I'd like that," Moka said, brushing dust off her skirt. She looked up at Kurumu and frowned, "As long as she doesn't get too close to Tsukune though."

"Already marking your territory, huh Fangs?" Dante said with a smirk. The girl and boy both blushed while he turned to face the oncoming Blue, "But I don't think she's gonna listen to us. No one runs like that unless they're possessed of some great purpose."

"And what purpose is that?" Moka asked him.

Dante shrugged, "Heck if I know. But it probably has something to do with Lover Boy over that. You do anything to get her attention?"

Tsukune wilted under the combined stares of Moka and Dante. His mind went back to earlier when Kurumu had done...something to him. He could only remember his mind getting hazy and her pressing her b-boobs against his chest. He didn't really know what happened after that...save for how Moka ran off looking upset. He turned away while laughing nervously, "I-I-I have no idea. Hehehe...heeeee."

Dante shook his head again. Any further conversations were interrupted by Kurumu finally catching up to them. She skid to a stop, her arms flailing about while she tried to regain her balance. She nearly fall over but managed to right herself on one foot. She planted both of her feet, then started panting with her hands on her knees. She pointed her finger towards the three, "F...F...Finally, stopped running like cowards have you!"

"Look, Blue," Dante started while waving a hand through the air, "How about you just forget this and head on to lunch? Don't want to miss out on the good eats in the lunch room. Heard they're gonna have pizza one time."

"Really?" all three teenagers asked in unison. Moka looked excited, Tsukune's mouth was watering, and Kurumu actually let her angry expression fall. But that only lasted for a second.

She shook her head then took a stance while pointing a finger at Moka, "No way! I'm not gonna let you trick me! I've come too far to let this chance slip up now. I will prove I'm better than you Moka Akashiya."

"Uh, Kurumu, I don't really want to do this. Why can't-"

"Shut up!" the succubus snapped, making Moka shrink back. Her reaction only made Kurumu angrier. She seemed to point at Moka even harder, "See? You're supposed to be a vampire, yet you're shrinking away from a direct confrontation. How could any be attracted to you and not me?"

"H-Hey, leave Moka alone!" Tsukune spoke up, though his cracking voice made him sound less confident than he meant to. He still continued to speak up, "She's fine as she is. I-I like her just fine. A-A-As a friend!"

Moka smiled at Tsukune's words, but Kurumu just got angrier. She stomped her foot, "That's exactly what I'm talking about! Oh, that's it! I'm done being nice."

Dante felt power start gathering around the succubus. He shook his head and called out, "Don't do it, Blue. You'll regret it."

Kurumu ignored him as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her fingernails grew into long thin claws, while bat-like wings sprouted from her back. A spaded tail came out from her her skirt while the air around her whipped into a frenzy. She flapped her wings and took to the air, brandishing her claws with an angry scowl on her face, "Everyone's getting in my way today. First, it was that Librarian, then Moka, and now whoever the hell you are! I've had it! I'm taking Tsukune and beating Moka Akashiya if it's the last thing I do!"

Tsukune started panicking, arms flailing as he looked up at the now airborne Kurume, "Wha-What-What is going on?"

Moka moved to stand next to Tsukune, arms held out while she stared up at Kurumu. When Tsukune stopped panicking to look at the vampire standing in front of him. She kept her eyes on Kurumu while she shouted in a trembling voice, "I-I-I'll protect you Tsukune!"

"Moka-san," Tsukune's voice was filled with awe. Dante nodded at the vampire, while he got ready himself. He didn't want to hurt the girl, obviously. He was just gonna give her a good disciplinary chop to the back of the head. That should be enough to-

A chill ran through the air.

Kurumu froze in midair.

Moka and Tsukune felt their blood run cold.

Dante face-palmed. He groaned as he turned his gaze toward the path they had come from, "That's not good."

"Wh-Wh-What is that? What is this feeling?" Moka's trembling had grown worse. Her knees were knocking together and her whole body was shivering in fear. Her, Tsukune, and Kurumu all had their eyes focused on the path they had come from...and the slowly approaching figure in the distance.

"That?" Dante said, jerking his thumb in that direction. At Fangs and Lover Boy's nods, he turned back, "That's my brother. And he's pissed."

 

[LinkOnScepter]

A knock on the door brought Kurumu out of her medicine induced fugue. Her uniform ruffled as she pushed herself up with her elbows, wincing as her body throbbed in pain. Her frame was covered head to toe in white bandages, matching with the white sheet of the bed. Her wings, tail, and claws were hidden, making her look like a normal student. Her tone was anxious as she called out, "C-Come in."

The door slowly opened up a crack. Once it was wide enough, Tsukune poked his head through the opening. He glanced around the room before his eyes fell onto the only occupant, "Kurumu?"

"Tsukune?" Kurumu replied, sitting up straighter. Her eyes sparkled a bit, "You came to see me?"

He nodded and Kurumu's great mood only improved. That was until another person made themselves known. Poking her pink haired head through the crack, Moka stared right at Kurumu with a bright smile. She waved at the succubus, "Hi, Kurumu! We both came to see how you were doing."

Kurumu's mood fell slightly. She slumped a bit as her eyes narrowed, "Oh, you're here too Akashiya."

Tsukune pushed the door open to let Moka inside. He followed the vampire in, closing the door behind him and being careful not to drop the plastic bag in his arm. Kurumu glanced at the bag curiously, but her attention was soon taken by Moka standing at the side of her bed. The vampire looked her up and down, side to side, and even pulled the cover up a bit to look underneath. The injured girl pulled the blanket away and glared at Moka, "What? You looking for something to make fun of? Well too bad. The nurse said that I'll be fine as long as I take it easy."

"So...you're gonna get better?" Moka asked, completely ignoring the annoyed tone in Kurumu's voice.

"Of course I will! No thanks to that white haired jerk! Who does he think-urk!"

Kurumu was suddenly pulled into a crushing hug by the vampire. Caught off guard, she was unable to react as Moka started to rub her cheek against her own. She held the succubus tight with her eyes closed as she spoke, "Oh thank goodness! I'm so glad you're gonna be alright, Kurumu!"

"H-H-Huh?" Kurumu asked, totally confused by the vampire's actions. She remained still, eyes blinking as Moka continued to hug her close. Tsukune walked to the other side of the bed, pulling out a chair to sit in as he watched the girls with a small smile on his face. After a few moments, Kurumu's eyes moved to look at Moka. Her confusion was evident in her voice, "Wait you're...you're happy I'm gonna be OK?"

Moka pulled away from Kurumu, tilting her head in confusion, "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because I'm your rival? I tried to kill you earlier. And I said I was gonna take Tsukune away from you," Kurumu pointed out, making note of how Moka's arms were still around her shoulders.

Moka pursed her lips and tapped a finger against her chin. Her brows furrowed as she thought about Kurumu's words. She slowly nodded, "Yeah. That...did upset me."

"Then why-"

"Because," Moka interrupted, eyes closed as her smile returned full force, "I want to be your friend."

"Friend? But...I'm your rival! I'm trying to prove I'm better than you," Kurumu said, not understanding Moka's words in the slightest.

Moka just shrugged, "But that doesn't mean we can't be friends, right? I'd really like it if we were. Because you seem like a good person, Kurumu."

Kurumu's mouth hung open as she stared at the beaming smile on Moka's face. She swore the vampire was glowing so brightly that she had to shield her eyes from the radiance. She turned to look at Tsukune, as if he would have an answer for why the vampire was being so kind. But all he was look sheepish at the succubus' stare. Wanting to avoid looking at the confusing vampire, Kurumu spoke to the boy, "Then why are you here?"

"Well...I was worried about you. Just like Moka was," Tsukune said while rubbing the back his neck, "Especially after what happened."

The mood in the room turned sour. All three students turned their gazes toward the floor. Kurumu's hands gripped her blanket as she thought back to what happened. After Dante punched Vergil, he grabbed the Librarian by the collar. Then he told Tsukune and Moka to help Kurumu to her feet. He led them to the nurse's office and told her what had happened. When she heard the explanation, she seemed almost ready to lunge at Vergil with the scalpel in her hand. She only reason she didn't was because Dante promised that he would make sure Vergil was "properly punished for pulverizing one of his precious pupils." Tsukune and Moka left her in the room, while Dante took Vergil off to who knows where.

"A-Anyway," Tsukune said, reaching into the bag he was carrying, "We know you probably missed lunch. So, we decided to bring it to it."

"Huh?" Kurumu's confusion only grew. Then it turned to surprise as Tsukune pulled a medium sized square box out of the bag. When he opened it up steam wafted out of the cardboard with a familiar smell following it. Kurumu gasped as she recalled the delicious scent, "P-Pizza?"

Indeed, within the cardboard box was a medium sized pepperoni pizza. Completely intact and ready for consumption. Floored by the revelation, Kurumu turned her gaze onto Tsukune. The boy smiled, "Turns out, Dante was telling the truth. They put pizza on the lunch menu. Though, they said it would only be for today and special occasions. So-"

"Me and Tsukune got one for all of us to share!" Moka said as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

Kurumu could only stare at the two students with awe. Her body wouldn't listen to her, nor would her heart stop beating in her chest. She could only ask one simple question of the two, "Why? Why are you doing this? Why are you being so nice to me?"

Moka and Tsukune shared a look. Then they both nodded with smiles on their faces. Without hesitation they both said aloud, "It's what friends do, right?"

Kurumu froze in place. For a moment, she didn't react to their words. Tsukune and Moke shared a worried look, wondering if they had said something wrong. Then the succubus body started to shake. The two other students quickly asked her if anything was wrong. But Kurumu simply shook her head. Then she raised her head and gave the two a bright smile as tears of happiness streamed down her face.

"Th-Thanks you, two," she managed through her sobs of happiness, "I'd...I'd love to be friends with you two."

Then she reached forward and grabbed a slice of pizza. With smiles on their faces, Moka and Tsukune did the same.

The pizza tasted three times as good to them all.

---

"Could you please, repeat that, Dante? Why did you drag Vergil by his collar to my office?"

"Because, Gramps," Dante said while patting his sulking brother on the back, "He nearly killed a student because she ruined his lunch."

Mikogami blinked in disbelief.

 

[LinkOnScepter]

"Could you please, repeat that, Dante? Why did you drag Vergil by his collar to my office?"

"Because, Gramps," Dante said while patting his sulking brother on the back, "He nearly killed a student because she ruined his lunch."

Mikogami blinked in disbelief. He looked between the Sparda Brothers sitting before him. Dante had the smugest grin he had ever seen on his face, leaning back in his chair with a sparkle in his eyes. The red cloaked man seemed happier than Mikogami had ever seen him. Which, admittedly, wasn't saying much since he had only known the man for a less than a week. But Dante did little to hide the absolute glee he felt at the current circumstance. Mikogami was pretty sure his smug grin could be seen from space.

A complete contrast to his hunched over, scowling brother Vergil. The older brother was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and hands on his chin. The expression on his face was a strange fusion of frustration and shame, eyes locked onto the floor and avoiding Mikogami and Dante at all cost. Even his hair looked deflated from where Mikogami was sitting.

Mikogami took a moment to think on what Dante had just said. Then he shook his head and mumbled, "I might need to reassess my original theories."

"What theories you talking about Gramps?"

Mikogami shook his head, "Oh, nothing, Dante. Nothing at all. Ahem. So, you're saying that Vergil attacked a student?"

"Indeed he did. All because she got some dust on his noodles," Dante shook his head while patting Vergil on the back, "Real shame he let that get to him. My brother's always been about keeping a cool head. But I guess that somethings you just can't let go of. Can you, Vergil?"

Vergil didn't respond to his brother. He did lift his head to look at Mikogami, eyes narrowed in shame. With grit teeth he reluctantly bowed his head to the headmaster, "It is with great shame that I admit my brother is...correct. As Patron Librarian I have...allowed my emotions to get the better of me."

"Ain't that the understatement of the century. But don't you worry brother of mine," Dante started to tussle Vergil's hair, "I promise that I will hold this over only as long as I'm on this earth."

Vergil cut his eyes at Dante but he didn't say anything against his brother. Dante just kept on smiling as he turned back to Mikogami, "But I don't think that's enough punishment for my older brother. Assaulting a minor with intent to cause significant harm is a serious crime after all. So, what should we do with him? Gonna take away his coveted Head Bookkeeper position? Gonna make him scrub the floors until they're good enough to eat off of? Or how about you make him my assistant for a while?"

"I wouldn't be adverse to any save the last punishment!" Vergil's tone was suddenly very insistent.

Dante clicked his tongue and wagged his finger, "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Dear brother, you should know that the one getting punished doesn't get a say in these matters."

"I was not speaking to you, Dante."

"Oh, what? You gonna try to cut my legs off next?"

Sparks flew as the two brothers stared each other down. Mikogami could feel that the two were moments away from fighting each other. Wanting to stop such a thing from occurring, Mikogami cleared his throat to get the two's attention. Once both moved their eyes onto him he spoke, "I believe I understand what has happened. In which case, I believe that the best thing to do is give Vergil a write up before he goes back to work."

Dante and Vergil went silent. Slowly, they both turned their heads to look fully at Mikogami. Confusion and anger was clear on Vergil's face, while Dante still had his confident smile. However, Mikogami could swear he saw something sharp in the younger Sparda's eyes. Dante put his arm on Mikogami's desk and leaned forward. He cleared his throat, "Ahem. Uh, I don't you heard me there, Gramps. Vergil nearly cut a high schooler's legs off because she messed with his lunch. Don't you think that deserves something a bit more severe than what amounts to a 'Oops, don't do it again!'?"

Mikogami shrugged, "It's not as bad as you may say, Dante. This is a school for monsters, after all. There are bound to be instances were the students try to use their powers against teachers and vice versa. Whether it be for self-defense or otherwise. If I punished everyone for such a thing, then I doubt that-"

"Shut it," Mikogami clammed up at Dante's words. He met the Son Of Sparda's eyes and nearly pulled off one of his Holy Locks on reflex. Dante hadn't moved or done anything. He simply stared at Mikogami with his flat gray eyes. But the thing that got the Headmaster to suddenly go on guard was what lay beneath those eyes.

A frown.

Dante's jovial tone was nowhere to be found as he aired his grievances to Mikogami, "Monsters or not, fact of the matter is that they're kids, Mikogami. High schoolers. High schoolers who hardly even know what they're gonna be doing once they grow up. They shouldn't have to worry about whether or not they'll be killed by one of the faculty because they stepped on the wrong toes."

"Uh, but I assure-"

"No, no, no. Shut it," Dante repeated himself, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms, "Unless what you're about to say is how you're gonna punish my brother for nearly maiming a student, I don't wanna hear it."

Still stunned by Dante's words, Mikogami looked toward Vergil. If he was looking for support from the older brother, he was dead wrong. Vergil actually looked more angry than Dante did, his glare burning a hole into Mikogami. Vergil sat up straight, his shame forgotten as he joined Dnate in berating the Headmaster, "If that is truly how you plan to run this school, then you have created a place where no one has to fear reprisal from an authority figure. Your position as Headmaster is an empty one. So much so, that I feel the need to punish myself if you will not."

"You heard the man himself and me myself," Dante said while tapping a finger on the table, "So, either you start doing your job or else we're out. And, considering how dangerous this Alucard guy is, I don't think you'd want to lose any good assets you have, now would you?"

Mikogami flinched, "You're certainly acting shrewd, Dante. Never would've expected this from you."

"I can be pretty dang obstinate. Especially when kids' lives are on the line," Dante stated without taking his eyes off the Headmaster.

Mikogami's eyes flicked from one brother to the next. Both were glaring at him with barely contained anger. Neither looked like they would back down from this course of action. And Dante's frown had yet to abate. The entire situation made the Headmaster feel trapped by the brothers. Like if he made one wrong move, they'd strike without mercy. Even if he did unleash his full power, something told him that it wouldn't be enough to stop the two in front of him. Tense minutes passed as he thought over their conversation. Then he finally answered, "Very...very well. I will...see about being more strict when it comes to punishments."

Dante's frown disappeared as quickly as it came. Vergil's shoulder dropped.

Instantly, Mikogami felt the malice in the air abate. He resisted the urge to pant while letting go of his Holy Lock. After taking a few minutes to compose himself, he continued speaking to the two, "As for Vergil's own punishment...hmm...I may have an idea."

"Lay it on me, Gramps," Dante said with a wave of his hand, "How do you think my brother should atone for his crimes?"

Mikogami hummed while turning his gaze to Vergil, "Your knowledge of Japanese Culture is extensive, is it not?"

"I know more than the average person who isn't from Japan would," Vergil admitted, even as he felt a small chill go up his back, "Why?"

"I was just wondering...do you know what a dogeza is?"

 

[LinkOnScepter]

The thought process behind students joining clubs was a simple one. Humans have multiple types of activities that they have in their schools. One of the most important parts of being at Yokai Academy was learning to be human. So, having the students get involved with club activities was meant to help them learn how to be human. Thus the reason why it was pushed so much for the students to do so.

Many simply walked around and chose a club that interested them. Unfortunately for Moka and Tsukune...

"Why are there nothing but weird clubs?!" Tsukune shouted as he and Moka ran away from the throng of students. They managed to get free and stopped just outside the hallway filling group. Tsukune's hands went to his knees as he tried to get this breath back. Worried, Moka gently patted him on the back to comfort him. Tsukune thanked her while straightening up. His face was sweating from the stress of dealing with all the clubs that approached them. A spirit Photography Club that asked for nude pictures. A Chemistry Club that wanted to make love potion powder. An Acupuncture Club run by literal mummies. The only club that seemed normal was the Swimming Club, but he avoided it outright considering Moka's issues with it. Though it did hurt to skip out on seeing the pretty girls.

"Urgh, it doesn't look like it's gonna be that easy to find a club, Dante," Tsukune looked up but was confused when he didn't see the Teacher's Assistant near him. He looked around, "Dante?"

"He's back there," Moka pointed toward the throng of students looking for clubs. Tsukune turned around to see where she was pointing. What he saw was Dante walking through the sea of students while being accosted on all sides by various clubs. Including the ones that he and Moka had just run through.

Dante kept smiling but waved each one of them off, "Sorry, kiddos. Need to keep myself open in case Kitty Cat needs me. And I've never been the kind of guy to slack off on a job."

He did point some finger guns at a few of the clubs he passed by. They were upset but most went right back to trying to recruit more students. The main thing was when he started passing by the swimming club. As he passed in front of it, Tsukune and Moka saw the girl in front of the club's stand make her way to him. She got close and tried to throw her arms around Dante's arm...only for Dante to spin on his heel and dodge her. As the girl blinked head turning to follow Dante's movement. Dante wagged a finger at the girl and shook his head, "Now, now, young lady. You shouldn't just hug teacher's like that. While it's a nice gesture, it is also inappropriate for this school environment."

She pouted, "I was just trying to get your attention, Dante-sensei. The Swimming Club is only girls, but we'd love to you as an adviser. I'd put in a good word for you as the Club's Captain."

She smiled, a bright sight that made multiple male students immediately decide to sign up for the Swimming Club. Dante, meanwhile, just shook his head with a shrug, "Nice offer, but I'll have to decline. Though it certainly looks like you got plenty new people to join up."

He winked at her, walking backward while waving goodbye. The Captain continued to pout but her attention was swiftly taken by the other students who were interested in the Swimming Club. Once she was gone, Dante around and walked over to Tsukune and Moka. He stopped in front of them, "So, see anything ya like? I'm pretty sure that club where they swing those wooden swords is open. Might be good for ya, Lover Boy."

Tsukune looked away from Dante and shook his head, "I...don't think so. I wasn't really able to find any...normal clubs. What about you, Moka?"

Moka placed a finger on her chin and hummed in thought. Then she shrugged, "I want to go any club that you want to go to, Tsukune."

Her beaming smile made Tsukune blush. He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. But Dante rolled his eyes, knowing that the two were gonna go back and forth with this. He tapped his foot against the floor while looking around the room. He could remember but the clubs, but figured that most of them wouldn't interest the two teenagers in front of them. Especially since most of them aren't exactly "normal". Though considering where he was, expecting a club to be normal to a human isn't a good idea.

Dante smiled then walked around the two to put his hands on their shoulders. He looked down at them with a smile, "How about we leave that for later? Instead, lets head off while classes are out to get started on our little project?"

"Project?" Tsukune and Moka said in unison. Then Tsukune's face turned pale, "You don't mean-"

"Yep!" he turned the two of them around and started walking them away from the clubs, "Time to get back to training!"

---

Sorry it's been a while. But I just got a new laptop that I've been using to write more. So, hopefully, I can get more chapters of this written.