It took Tamao a few minutes to gather enough strength to stand on her own. I helped her up, ignoring the way some of the other mermaids tensed at the sight, and guided her to one of the few remaining lounge chairs that hadn't been destroyed in the chaos.
Nami appeared at her side instantly, wrapping a towel around Tamao's shoulders, pressing a bottle of water into her hands. The quiet mermaid shot me a look that was equal parts suspicion and assessment—like she was trying to figure out if I was really as different as I seemed, or if this was just another trick.
The other mermaids who'd woken up were gathered nearby, watching me with expressions that ranged from naked suspicion to barely contained hostility. They'd fought me. They'd lost. And now their president was shaking hands with the enemy.
I didn't blame them for being skeptical. If our positions were reversed, I'd be watching too. Waiting to see if this was real or just another angle.
Tamao took a long drink from the bottle Nami had given her. Then she looked around at the pool. At the mermaids being tended to by their sisters, and the boys who were beginning to recover their lost vitality.
Her voice, when she finally spoke, was steadier than I expected.
"Everyone who's not part of this club needs to leave."
She raised her voice, projecting across the pool with the kind of authority that only those who had tasted authority and power could possess.
"The Swimming Club will not be accepting new members for the foreseeable future. If you want to apply, check back next semester. Maybe."
The boys groaned. Some of them tried to protest, waving their half-filled application forms, pointing at the pool, at the mermaids, at anything that might convince her to change her mind.
One look from the gathered mermaids sent them scrambling for their clothes and the exit.
Within minutes, the pool deck had cleared of everyone except the mermaids, me, and two very curious girls standing at the edge of the chaos.
(Moka's POV)
Moka watched the people leaving the Swimming Club's Pool and was rather happy to see all these perverts leave and stop ogling her. However, she felt a presence approaching her that wasn't Tsukune nor Kurumu trying to pull a prank on her.
It was none of them. It was the blonde Mermaid who previously acted like a nasty bully girl, upsetting her, and the fact that she even splashed her with some of the pool's water was not forgotten.
If this girl was coming to start something else, Moka wasn't sure she could just stand there and take it again. Something had shifted in her chest during the fight. A heat she didn't recognize, where she refused to be bullied anymore.
She straightened her spine, lifted her chin, and met Rin's approach with a glare that would have made Inner proud. Her fingers twitched, ready to reach for the rosary if things went bad. Ready to let the scary one out.
If Rin wanted a fight, she'd get one, but the Mermaid stopped a few feet away from her. Then, to Moka's absolute shock, she bowed. A full bow, her head low, her posture submissive, her blonde hair falling forward to hide her face.
"I..." Rin's voice was strained, like the words were being dragged out of her against her will. "I want to apologize. For acting like a bitch to you earlier. For splashing you. For..." She swallowed hard. "For everything."
Moka stared at her. This had to be a trick. It had to be. Any second now, Rin would pop back up with that cruel smirk, and the other mermaids would laugh, and—
"I don't have an excuse." Rin straightened, just slightly, her eyes fixed on the ground. "I was jealous. Of you. Of the way Tsukune-kun looked at you. Of the way you didn't have to scheme and degrade yourself just to survive." She stopped, shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I was wrong. I'm sorry."
Moka studied her, from the way her voice wavered to how her shoulders hunched. The way she kept her eyes down, not meeting her gaze was convincing, but what if she was scheming something?
No way, she sounded remorseful. Genuinely so.
Moka puts on a stern look, eying Rin, but then she turns to look at the one who went overboard with splashing her, that being Mizuki. The turquoise-haired mermaid must have felt the weight of her stare because she flinched and immediately looked away, finding something fascinating to study on the wall. Her shoulders curled inward, making herself smaller, trying to disappear.
Moka's lips pressed together.
Then she looked back at Rin.
"...Okay." The word came out softer than she intended. "I accept your apology."
Rin's head snapped up, disbelief written across her face. Her mouth opened, closed, opened again. "You... what? Just like that?"
"Just like that." Moka met her eyes, and there was something different in her voice now. Something harder. Wiser. "But if you ever do something like that again, if you ever try to hurt me or anyone I care about, I won't just accept an apology."
She let her fangs show, just for a moment. Let her eyes flash with that inner crimson light.
"I'll show you my vampire form. And I'll drain you until there's nothing left."
Rin stared at her. Her face went through several interesting shades—pale, then red, then pale again. Her throat worked as she swallowed hard.
"Understood," she managed. Her voice came out small, nothing like the confident bully from before.
(Kurumu's POV)
Kurumu had been watching the whole exchange with growing irritation, especially with what she knew about the exchange between Moka and the mermaids. She heard from the gossipy boys as they shared the info that the mermaids splashed Moka with water, one of the main weaknesses of a vampire, as stupid as it sounded.
So here was this blonde bitch, bowing and scraping, begging for forgiveness like a few nice words could erase what she'd done. Like a pretty speech could make up for hurting Moka.
Kurumu's tail lashed behind her, the heart-shaped tip twitching with annoyance.
It came from a place of camaraderie, she told herself. Moka was her love rival, sure, but she was also... something else apart from being a rival. She was one of the friends she had made inside the Yokai Academy.
She didn't display much of this friendly relation, but the connection was there. Urgh, it was weird and complicated to describe it, but watching Moka accept such a weak apology didn't sit well with her
To accept it without delivering some punishment? Without making them pay. It showed weakness and gave the impression that Moka accepted being stepped on.
It pissed her off.
"Hey." Kurumu's voice cut through the moment, sharp and demanding. "I've got a question for you."
Rin turned to face her, wary. "What?"
"Why do mermaids even need to feed on people anyway?" Kurumu's eyes narrowed. She planted her hands on her hips, wings flaring slightly for emphasis. "I heard what happened. You splashed her, you mocked her, you treated her like garbage. And now you're all sorry about it."
"It seems that idiot pink-haired vampire has accepted your nonsense, and I will not get involved."
"But I want to know why? What's the point of all this? Attracting guys to your swimming pool, acting all cute and coquettish only to hunt them and eat their vitality?"
Rin's expression flickered. Annoyance, maybe, at the aggressive tone. A flash of her old fire resurfaced, but she grounded herself since this Succubus seemed to be involved with Tsukune.
Instead of firing back in her own bitchy attitude, she took a breath and let it out slowly.
"It's... complicated." She glanced back at the other mermaids, at Tamao who was still recovering, at the pool that had been their sanctuary. "We weren't always like this, you know. Mermaids, I mean. We used to be something else."
Kurumu crossed her arms, waiting. Her tail kept twitching, but she was listening now.
"In the old stories, the real mermaids were nymphs." Rin's voice took on a distant quality, like she was reciting something she'd been told many times. "Handmaidens of Persephone herself. We served the Queen of the Underworld, well before all the abduction events . "
She shook her head.
"Then Hades took Persephone. Demeter searched everywhere for her daughter, and when she couldn't find her, she used the services of the Witch Goddess Circe to curse us, the handmaidens who failed to protect her daughter. "
Kurumu's wings folded slightly, taking in this lore dump, and it sounded heavy. She didn't know about this—well, not that she bothered reading about the story of the Mermaids.
"Without mercy, we were made what we are now. Part human, part fish. Because of a conflict with our ancestor, Scylla, who was loved by the Sea-God Glaucus, Circe made her into a Sea Monster to spite her for trying to 'steal' her 'beloved'. To add salt to our wounds, she also cast a strong curse that would make us dependent on the vitality of others to survive."
Rin's voice was flat, matter-of-fact. "Do you really think I would want to steal the vitality of those losers? It's just something we have to do so we can survive the next day."
She met Kurumu's eyes. Kurumu was quiet for a moment. The fire in her eyes dimmed along with the realization that maybe she had her own prejudice about the Mermaids.
"That's... rough," she finally said. "I mean, I've got my own stuff with the whole succubus thing. The whole 'must find my destined one' deal and continuing our bloodline. But at least I can choose who I feed from. At least I have some control."
"Your situation might suck, really badly."
Rin nodded slowly. "Yeah. It does."
Moka, who'd been listening quietly, spoke up. Her voice was soft, thoughtful. "It explains why you didn't mind the guys coming in. Why you let them stay and do all those perverted things, even though you were planning to... feed."
"It's easier when they come willingly," Rin admitted. "Even if they don't know what's really happening. The hypnosis helps. Makes it less painful for everyone involved and speeds things up."
Kurumu shifted uncomfortably. She'd used hypnosis herself, well, that should be said 'back in the day' not until she was discovered by Tsukune. Now she is a reformed Succubus Princess trying to be loved by her Destined One.
She didn't say anything else about it. Just shrugged and muttered, "Whatever. Still doesn't excuse being a bitch about it. But I guess I get it now. A little."
Rin accepted that with a small nod. From the looks of things, having a warmer relationship with those two girls would make it easier for the Mermaids to get favors with Aono Tsukune.
Moka didn't add anything more, but her expression had softened, just slightly.
(Tsukune's POV)
Tamao watched the back and forth between Rin, Moka and Kurumu while also seeing the boys off. Her golden eyes tracked each interaction with interest, filing away information, assessing dynamics. She was probably already calculating how these relationships might affect the alliance, how the pieces fit together, who might be useful and who might be a problem.
Then she turned to me, noticing that I'd changed back into my uniform at some point during the chaos. The familiar fabric felt good after all that time in swim trunks.
"Aono-kun, let's go to my office." Her voice was firm despite her exhaustion. "We have to talk about this new faction or group. Whatever you want to call it. Now."
I nodded.
Behind me, I heard Kurumu whisper loudly to Moka: "Did he just recruit an entire club? Is that allowed? Can we do that?"
Moka's response was too quiet to hear, but whatever it was made Kurumu giggle. Probably something about me being ridiculous and impossible and somehow making things work anyway.
I shook my head and followed Tamao toward the back of the pool complex.
---
Tamao's office was small but well-appointed. A desk, a few chairs, shelves lined with trophies and photos of the Swimming Club through the years, and there were even older photos with club members that I didn't recognize.
It smelled faintly of salt and something floral, perfume maybe, or the natural scent of mermaids.
I sat in one of the chairs, Moka on my left, Kurumu on my right. Across from us, Tamao had reclaimed her desk, Nami standing silently behind her like a shadow. A few other mermaids—including Kaiyo, Rin and, surprisingly, a subdued-looking Mizuki—had gathered around the edges of the room.
Tamao had recovered enough to look mostly human again, though there was still a pallor to her skin that spoke of deep exhaustion. Her golden eyes, when they met mine, were wary but no longer hostile.
We talked for a while, hammering out the details. How decisions would be made. How conflicts between members would be resolved. What happens if someone wants to leave? It was surprisingly productive. Tamao was sharp, practical, and clearly used to negotiating and surprisingly tame after agreeing to surrender to me.
But there was one thing we couldn't seem to settle.
"What would you even call this... group?" she asked, leaning back in her chair. "This faction you're proposing?"
I opened my mouth to answer.
And realized I had no idea.
"...Huh."
Kurumu giggled. Even Moka's lips twitched.
"You didn't think of a name?" Tamao's voice carried a note of disbelief, but there was something else there too, the barest hint of amusement. "You come in here, destroy my club, defeat me in front of everyone, offer me this grand vision of unity and mutual protection, and you don't have a name?"
"In my defense," I said, "I was a little too busy focusing on other things. Like not dying (Mainly training and adjusting to the Ghoul form)."
"That's fair." She picked up a cup from her desk, hiding what might have been a smile. "Still. You can't start a movement without a name. It's bad optics."
"Then you name it."
"I'm not naming your little group after I just lost to you."
Tamao puts on some airs, as she gets comfortable talking with me, and not trying to seduce me, which clearly didn't work on me.
'Hmph, are you trying to hypnotize me or doing mental attacks on me? Hehe, bad luck, I have Kuriboh to save the day!'
"And I told you I can't think of anything right now. So why not have a brainstorming session? The girls wouldn't want to miss the chance to name our new thing."
Tamao glanced around the room at the gathered mermaids. Some looked interested. Others looked like they'd rather be anywhere else. Mizuki, in particular, seemed to be trying to merge with the wall.
"...Fine." Tamao sighed. "Everyone, sit down. We're doing this."
What followed was forty-five minutes of pure chaos.
Kurumu, predictably, dominated the early suggestions.
"What about the Crimson Pact?" She struck a pose. "It sounds mysterious and dangerous!"
"Too edgy," Tamao said flatly. "And too focused on vampires. This is supposed to be an alliance of different yokai."
"The Shield?" Moka offered quietly.
Everyone turned to look at her, and I myself was imagining Marvel's Captain America for some reason. Could I summon monsters from the Marvel or DC universe? Who am I kidding, D&D is a thing even in this world.
"What?" She blushed slightly. "It's just... shields protect things. That's what we're trying to do, right? Protect each other?" - Inner Moka's talking to her [You poor innocent thing.]
Tamao considered it. "Not terrible. But a bit passive, don't you think? We should not just defend, instead we also have to push back against our enemy."
Moka nodded, conceding the point.
"The Coalition?" Rin suggested.
"Too political," Nami murmured from behind Tamao. "Sounds like we're planning an election, not a fight."
"The Pack?" Kurumu tried again, imagining a werewolf pack.
"We're not wolves."
"The Circle?"
"Too mystical."
"The Union?"
"Too union-y."
On it went. Kurumu suggested increasingly ridiculous options: "The League of Extraordinary Yokai!" "The Justice League!" "The Super Cool Awesome Group!" Each one shot down with increasing exasperation.
My eyebrow shot up when I heard some interesting mentions such as 'Justice League' but all for the wrong reasons.
Moka offered a few more quiet suggestions that got lost in the chaos. Tamao shot down her own ideas before anyone could react. Even some of the other mermaids threw out names, none of which stuck.
Finally, Kurumu threw her hands up in frustration.
"Ugh! Why is this so hard? We're just a bunch of yokai who want to stop getting pushed around! Why can't we just call ourselves something like Antithesis and be done with it?"
She said it in frustration, not as a serious suggestion.
But the moment the words left her mouth, everyone went quiet.
Tamao blinked. Moka tilted her head. Even I felt something clicking.
"...ANTI-THESIS…" I repeated slowly, and a smirk began sharpening on my face.
'Why not just take over their own identity since I plan to kill all of those parasites messing around with my hunting ground.'
'A good name compared to what I had in mind as 'Yokai Academy'.'
Kurumu froze, her hands still in the air. "Wait. That was a joke. I was just complaining."
"No, say it again," Tamao said, her voice thoughtful.
"Antithesis?" Kurumu tried it more deliberately. "You know, like... something that's the opposite of something else? Because we're the opposite of what the leaders of the Academy are like?" She trailed off, shrugging. "I don't know. It sounded cool in my head."
"That's actually..." Moka started.
"...not terrible," Tamao finished.
"I like it," I said. "It's simple, which is what we're looking for. It tells people exactly what we are without trying to be scary or mysterious."
Tamao nodded slowly. "It's not flashy. It's also not that cringey . That's more than I expected from this circus."
"Should we put it to a vote?" I asked.
Tamao looked around the room, her golden eyes sweeping over each face. The mermaids, Moka, Kurumu, me. All waiting.
"All in favor of 'ANTI-THESIS'?"
Hands went up around the room.
Moka's, tentative but clear. A small, careful raise of her hand, like she wasn't quite sure she was allowed to vote on something like this.
Tamao's own, with a slight shrug, as if to say "well, it's better than nothing."
Nami's, silent as always, her dark eyes fixed on me with that same assessing look.
Even a few of the other mermaids raised their hands, looking relieved that the torture of naming was finally over. Rin's went up with particular enthusiasm, probably hoping to score points after her apology to Moka.
Kurumu was the last.
Her hand hovered in the air, her expression caught somewhere between disbelief and dawning delight. She looked at her own hand like it belonged to someone else.
"Wait," she said slowly. "Wait wait wait."
She turned to me, eyes wide.
"You're telling me my idea? The one I said as a joke? You're actually picking that?"
"It's a good name," Moka said quietly. "It doesn't sound bad."
Kurumu's face lit up like the sun coming out from behind clouds. Her wings fluttered, her tail started wagging, and for a moment she looked less like a scheming succubus and more like a little girl who'd just won a prize.
"I named something!" She was practically vibrating with joy. "I actually named something! Tsukune, did you hear that? I named our thing!"
Her eyes were sparkling, genuine tears threatening to form at the corners.
I couldn't help but smile. "I heard, Kurumu-chan. Good job."
She preened, striking a pose that showed off her figure to maximum effect. "Of course! I'm amazing! You should all feel honored to be in the presence of such a genius!"
Moka's eye twitched. Tamao rolled her eyes. Even Mizuki, Rin and Kaiyo from her corner, let out something that might have been a snort.
But no one argued.
This was how another version of ANTI-THESIS was born.