With all the spectators gathered around the pool's edge, their eyes fixed on me, I looked down at Tamao as she lay crumpled against the wall, half in the water and half on the tile. She was still in her Mermaid form, but sensing that the turmoil I was under had calmed down granted her a sense of assurance.
She returned to her human form as it made it easier for her to move as a Mermaid. Her transformation had fully receded now, but it wasn't the enchanting girl I first met, instead she looked haggard, exhausted and broken from the defeat she suffered.
I could feel the weight of all the eyes staring at me, but I didn't let it affect my decision, that being recruiting the Swimming Club to take part in a grander plan of mine.
I met Tamao's golden eyes, still defiant, even now, even with nothing left, and told her with my voice carrying across the pool, calm and steady.
"Are you willing to submit in defeat to me?"
"If you do that, I'll spare your life. Along with the rest of your club."
Tamao's jaw tightened. Her teeth ground together so hard I thought they might crack.
"Just kill me." The words came out through gritted teeth, sharp and bitter. "Leave the others out of this. This is between me and you. I was the one who tried to devour your essence. I was the one who planned this whole thing. They just followed my orders."
She tried to push herself up, failed, and settled for glaring at me from the shallows.
"So do what you came here to do. Kill me. Let them go."
I stared at her for a long moment.
Then I sighed.
"Why are you so stubborn right to the final moment?"
She blinked, clearly not expecting that response from me.
"Hmph." She turned her head away, but I could see the vulnerability beneath the bravado. "You're just like the other males. If I submit to you, then what's next? Do I become your plaything? What about the Swimming Club? Would we have to bow down to you and call you Master?"
I couldn't help it. A laugh escaped me. Not cruel, just genuinely amused.
"Pfft. Girl, you're overthinking this way too much."
She tensed as I crouched down, bringing myself to her level. Ready to fight even now.
"It's just a ritual of combat for us vampires." I kept my voice calm, steady. "You lost. I won. That's it. I'm not asking for slaves or servants or whatever dark fantasy you've cooked up in that head of yours. Nonetheless, I wouldn't mind having a Mermaid Maid to serve me."
She frowned when she heard my last part about making her a Mermaid Maid, but hey, you can't have everything perfect in life young lady. I need to broaden my horizons.
Still, she calmed down, her eyes searched mine, looking for a trap I might plan for her, for any intent of lying to her.
"As for what my plans are for you and your Swimming Club..." I paused, letting the weight of my next words settle. "I know the basics of your club's situation."
Her expression flickered.
"I did some digging before the festival. Nothing crazy, just paid attention, asked around some senpais from my dorm about who I should avoid setting my sights on and offending them."
"This is when the name Punishment Committee first entered my attention, and by the next month, I noticed a peculiar pattern with this group. They would extort, humiliate, imprison, and even punish without proper ruling or evidence anyone who dares to challenge them, from simple students that earned their ire to clubs that caught their attention."
"And this is where your Swimming Club came into my attention, when the rumors that you girls were harassed by some officer of the Punishment Committee reached me. Of course, I can guess you didn't dare to retaliate because you feared Kuyo's power, and who could blame you, he's an S-tier Kitsune."
Tamao's hands clenched into fists at her sides. Water dripped from her fingers.
"Everyone knows about Kuyo by now. This 3rd Year Tyrant who can step and shit on our heads without consequences. A bastard who, for whatever reason, doesn't want to graduate, and even goes to the extent of threatening teachers to have him fail classes so he couldn't graduate."
"He's someone with a fragile ego who gets a rush out of seeing others miserable."
I leaned closer, my voice dropping.
"And you know what the worst part is? The reason he can do all of that, the reason everyone from freshmen to third-year senpais fear him, isn't because he's unstoppable. It's because nobody's ever tried to stop him. We all just let him walk around like he owns the place."
Her eyes widened, just slightly.
"Think about it. The Committee is supposed to protect the rules of the Academy. They're supposed to keep violent monsters in line, maintain order, make sure everyone can live in peace. Instead, they've become the very thing they were meant to stop. Tyrants. Bullies. And everyone just accepts it."
I leaned back, letting her process.
"If you want a bully to stop messing with you, you can't just cry to the teachers or run to the Headmaster. They won't do anything. I mean, apart from being an S-tier Yokai whose power might overshadow the teachers, he might also be politically connected to some big shots."
"This leaves us without guardians to help us. And for this reason, you have to take justice into your own hands." My voice gained an edge as I got caught into my own emotions.
"He bullies you? Fight back. Punch him in the face. Break his nose. Break his arms. Crush his balls with a good kick. Shove a pencil in his eye if you have to. Make him understand that every time he comes for you, it's going to cost him something."
I caught myself, realizing I'd started ranting out of my own experience when it came to fighting bullies.
"Ahh..." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Sorry. Got a little carried away there. What I'm trying to say is that to stop a bully, you have to fight back with equal force. Stronger force, if you can manage it."
Tamao stared at me. For a long moment, she didn't say anything, but I could see the gears turning in her head, processing everything I'd just said. In fact, I could tell that she was ready to run away when I approached her again. But as I talked, as I kept talking, that tension had slowly bled away.
Now she was just listening.
"Then," she said slowly, "are you suggesting that if I submit to you, if I follow you, you'll become that force? The one that stops Kuyo and his gang?"
"Not wrong." I tilted my head. "But not entirely right either. I'm not going to lie to you, the current me can't beat Kuyo alone."
Her eyes narrowed again. "Then be more specific, Aono Tsukune. What do you want from me?"
I took a breath. This was the moment I was waiting for.
"Fine." I met her gaze. "You'll be the first person I tell this to." I paused, letting the weight of the moment settle. "I want to build a new faction inside Yokai Academy."
Tamao blinked, like she did it over and over, as if she didn't hear me the first time.
"I am not talking about making a new club, instead it would be a new group, a faction of aligned people and clubs joining together to fight and better coexist inside the Academy."
She stared at me blankly.
"You don't seem to be following me." I scratched my head. "Okay, let me make it simpler. You know how humans back in the day formed alliances to fight bigger threats? Like NATO against the Soviets?"
"...You're comparing your little group to a military alliance?"
"Just listen." I pressed on while rolling my eyes at her. "In this faction, if anyone from outside tries to threaten one of the members, everyone joins together to push back. If one of us gets targeted by an up-and-coming new Tyrant we all respond with equal strength."
"So imagine this. If we build this faction right, if we grow it enough, do you really think idiots like Kuyo would be able to act the way they do when every time they try something, they have to face all of us?"
Tamao's lips parted, but no words came out.
"He might be an S-tier Kitsune. Sure. Fine. But a fight against a handful of B-tier and A-tier elites, plus whatever S-tiers we can pull in, would be more than enough to put an overconfident bastard like Kuyo in his place."
I leaned back, letting her process.
"Think about it. Really think about it. Such opportunities don't land often in your laps. Of course, our relation will not be of one of master-servant, in this new group of mine we'll all stand equal, and all decisions will be put to a vote."
Her jaw tightened, but she didn't argue. The silence stretched and I could feel the awkwardness around us increasing by the second.
Tamao stared at my hand like it might bite her.
"You're so strange. Instead of trying to kill me for wanting to eat you, you're giving me a chance at getting stronger by freeing myself from Kuyo's shadow."
If this is how she interpreted my choices... well, I'd avoided killing Yokai in the dorms after reaching D-tier because the Headmaster warned me not to cause a scene on campus. I could have boosted myself quickly, but I held back.
I couldn't help but let my shell mask slip, the one that contained my sarcastic, jokingly, ecchi, and casual attitude to reveal another side of me, the narcissistic one that could react almost sociopathic when being crossed.
"If we were outside the Academy and you attacked me, the story would be different." My voice came out flat. Cold. The kind of tone that didn't leave room for interpretation. "You'd be singing with the Mermaids in the Underworld right now."
I meant every word.
The moment the words left my mouth, movement flickered in my peripheral vision. My shadow rippled, and then my Vampire Familiar emerged from the darkness beneath me. The tiny bat fluttered through the air and shot toward Tamao, its little wings beating furiously, its fangs bared in a hissing screech that sounded ridiculous coming from something so small.
But the intent was clear.
Tamao's eyes went wide. She flinched back, raising her hands instinctively, her exhausted body unable to do much more than that.
The bat hovered inches from her face, still screeching, still showing off those tiny fangs, doing its best impression of a terrifying guardian beast.
It was almost cute. Almost.
I didn't call it off immediately. Let her simmer with the 'cute' threat inches from her face for a couple of seconds.
'Okay, Bat, return to my shadow. You're not up for big fights anyway.'
With that mental nudge of mine, the familiar giving off some semblance of intelligence registered the command. It dived back into my shadow like it had never left.
Tamao swallowed hard. Her eyes were still wide, her chest heaving, and she did a slow nod, only once, but even that was enough for now.
I'd done all the heavy lifting, sold the story about the new faction I wanted to build. All that was left was for Tamao to process the information and reach a conclusion
---
While she thought, I let my eyes drift over the spectators.
The mermaids were clustered in small groups, watching us with worried expressions. They were trying to figure out what was happening, what would become of their president, what would become of them. I could see the fear in their eyes, the uncertainty, but to all those emotions I could only shrug internally and move on.
Then, my eyes settled next on two figures standing close together at the edge of the pool deck. I expected Moka to be around since she might have been worried about me getting defeated by the Mermaids and was readying herself to have her Rosario removed, but in the end it was not required; my ego wasn't bruised by calling for Inner Moka to rescue me.
What surprised me was Kurumu who was all animated now after seeing me return to normal.
Unlike the shy, timid Outer Moka who held the Rosario with worry plastered all over her face, Kurumu was the complete opposite. She was practically bouncing on her heels, her eyes shining, her whole face lit up with excitement.
When she noticed me looking, she didn't even hesitate and began to wave at me, her big tits once more defying gravity as they bounced, while shouting from that side of the pool.
"Tsukune! You're amazing! You're the best for teaching those stinky fishes a lesson."
"I love you! Did you hear me? I LOVE YOU!"
Several mermaids turned to stare at Kurumu, some of them already bruised from clashing with me, wanting to let go of their frustration but were stopped by Rin, who signaled them to keep quiet.
Meanwhile, a few boys who hadn't quite made it out yet looked like they'd just been stabbed in the heart. One of them actually clutched his chest and made a sound like a dying whale.
Moka's eye twitched, and out of nowhere her hand shot out and pinched Kurumu's arm. It was the kind of pinch that used every ounce of her sealed S-tier Vampire strength.
"KYAAAA!"
Kurumu's scream echoed off the tiles. She stumbled back, clutching her arm, her eyes wide with shock and pain. The skin around her fingers was already turning red.
"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" Kurumu's voice hit a pitch that would have shattered glass. Her form flickered, and suddenly her wings were out, spreading wide behind her in a dramatic flare that cast a shadow across half the pool deck. Her impish tail lashed through the air, the heart-shaped tip twitching with fury. "Are you looking for a fight, you pink-haired mosquito?!"
She looked like an offended Gyaru who'd just been told her brand-new designer bag was fake. Hand on her hip, wings flared, tail whipping back and forth like an angry cat's. Her expression cycled through about seventeen different shades of outrage in the span of two seconds.
"I mean it! You can't just go around pinching people whenever you feel like it!" She jabbed a finger at Moka, her wings fluttering with indignation. "What? Are you jealous of my hot body? Is that it? You're jealous because Tsukune-kun wants me? Because he totally does, you know. I can tell. A girl knows these things."
Moka crossed her arms, her expression perfectly calm except for the slight smirk tugging at her lips. She looked absurdly pleased with herself, like a cat that had just knocked something valuable off a table.
"Hmph." She tilted her head, green eyes fixed on Kurumu with an intensity that was part challenge, part amusement. "I think you're the jealous one, Kurumu-chan. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here, would you? Pestering me and Tsukune."
Kurumu's mouth opened, then closed.
"Besides." Moka's smirk widened just a fraction. "Can you even win? What if I turned into the scary vampire?"
Kurumu froze.
Her wings drooped. Her tail stopped lashing. The fire in her eyes flickered and died, replaced by something that looked a lot like uncertainty.
"..."
She deflated like a balloon with a slow leak. Her wings folded back, her tail curled around her leg, and she suddenly found the floor very interesting.
"That's what I thought." Moka's voice was calm, satisfied. "Just keep quiet and be on guard."
[Heh, now using me to put that imp into her place. You're learning, you, weakling. Not bad. Not bad at all.]
She turned her green eyes to the mermaids, scanning them with that same intense focus.
"They might have other plans. They could band together to attack Tsukune and rescue their president."
Kurumu rubbed her arm, still glaring at the floor, but she didn't argue. She just muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like "crazy vampire bitch" and shuffled a little closer to Moka anyway, her eyes also drifting to the gathered mermaids.
I bit back a laugh.
Those two were going to be the death of me.
When I turned back to Tamao, I found her watching me with an expression I couldn't quite read. Amusement? Exasperation? Something in between?
"You have interesting taste in women," she said.
"They have interesting taste in men. It works out."
She huffed out something that might have been a laugh. Then she looked at my hand again. The one I still had extended toward her.
"I'm in." The words came out rough, barely audible. "But we're going to need to talk about details. Properly. Not here in front of everyone."
I nodded. "That's fair."
[You have subjugated a (B-tier) Mermaid, gaining a part of its essence]
The changes that were triggered inside of me were noticeable to me, the enhancements of my evolved stats spread all over my body, and even to Tamao the boost from my Yoki and Mana shook her inside since she thought that she got a better grasp of my own power, but it seems there was an abyss left to be discovered.
Out of habit, I pulled out my status window, curious to see how much my stats had grown since the fight with the Mermaids. The numbers scrolled past, and I had to blink a few times to make sure I was reading them right.
[Status Window]
[Name: Aono Tsukune]
[Race: Human (Infected - Shinso Vampire)]
[Threat Level: C (Human)]
---[Core Stats]---
[Strength: C (16/100)]
[Agility: C (14/100)]
[Vitality: B (8/100)]
[Intelligence: C (92/100)]
---[Supernatural Stats]---
[Mana: B (8/100)| - (1250/1250 MP)]
[Demonic Energy: C (64/100)]
[Bloodline Purity: 44.01%]
[Bloodline Control: C (17/100)]
[Sacred Gear: 'Annihilation Maker' – Responsive]
[Manifestation: 25%]
---[Skills/Passives]---
[Shuken no Ippatsu – Crimson Fang Fist (LV.1 – 300 MP/usage)]
[Ghoul Vampire Trigger (Active)]
[Yoki Manipulation (Passive/Active)]
[Annihilation Maker – Monster Creation (Active)]
I focused on the last entry, the one I hadn't really had time to process yet. Monster Creation as it was registered by the System. That was the core of Annihilation Maker, the thing that made it a Longinus instead of just another Sacred Gear, the power that was said to have the potential of being a World Ending ability.
The skill wasn't fully explained in the status window nor was there a new window being created for my skills, but in a way, this power was accessible, sitting there in the back of my mind waiting to be summoned.
From what I could tell, and what I remembered from DxD, this mysterious Longinus Sacred Gear had this frame-work for activation. I could spend MP and Yoki (Demonic Energy) to create monsters and creatures based on my own imagination and vision. The more resources I put in, the stronger the monster I could create would be.
However, there seemed to be a limitation: I had to have a detailed understanding of the creature I was creating, otherwise it might fail outright, but that was something I would have to put to the test and confirm.
In the back of my mind, I wondered why I created Kuriboh at that moment? While it is true that I was truly familiar with the monster cards from Yu-Gi-Oh, there were other series that could also influence me. Oh, maybe Kuriboh had a subconscious imprint on my mind since childhood?
This Sacred Gear had so much potential, but it was used to create a bunch of golems and nothing more… That Leo brat had the imagination of a blank page to only build an army of golems.
The possibilities were spinning out in my head when Tamao shifted beside me, reminding me that I was still kneeling in a puddle with an exhausted mermaid who'd just agreed to join my faction.
Right. Priorities.
A/N: Hello World!
Back to work (writing) after a one week break (kinda want another break lol). Also in this break, I picked a fanfic on warcraft that I translated, ik, chinese novels are bad, but this one is kinda good nothing braindead has happened in 160 chapters I've read. (So? Interested in posting it?)
For the monsters of the Annihilation Maker, I am thinking/leaning into only focusing on Yu-Gi-Oh since we have plenty of monsters there that are popular in the fandom. Tho, I'm looking for your feedback.