"Have you ever experienced being anemic?"
Gin blinked under my foot, his hateful expression twisting as if he wanted to bite my head off. His gold eyes flickered with confusion and rage, but he was in no position to do anything about it.
"Huh?"
I did not bother answering his unspoken questions. Instead, I reached into my shadow and summoned two Vampire Familiars. The bats materialized from the darkness, their tiny red eyes blinking as they took in the scene.
There was no way I was going to bite an ugly, stinking werewolf myself. That was beneath me.
The bats seemed to share my disgust. They fluttered hesitantly around Gin's throat, their noses twitching. But a command was a command, and reluctantly, they sank their fangs into his neck.
"Drink," I said. "But leave enough for me."
"What the—get them off me!" Gin thrashed, his body shaking as he tried to dislodge the bats. His claws swiped uselessly at the air, but the familiars held on, their tiny bodies swelling as they drank.
The more they drank, the more Gin's struggles weakened. His face paled, and his gold eyes grew unfocused. I let them feed for a few more heartbeats before I pressed my foot down harder on his chest, a sharp stomp that knocked the air out of his lungs.
"Stay put," I said, my voice cold. "If I have to do it myself, I might just kill you."
Gin froze, his chest heaving, and the bats continued their work.
The seconds ticked by, and the Vampire Familiars grew plumper and chubbier with each passing moment. Their bellies distended, and I half expected them to burst. One of them let out a tiny, replete squeak, and Gin groaned beneath me.
"I feel... sick," he muttered, his voice weak. "What are you doing to me?"
'Good, that's what you deserve.'
"Nothing that you should worry about. Just Vampire stuff."
I kept my foot on his chest, using my Bloodline Control to monitor his vital signs. His heartbeat was slowing, his blood pressure dropping, and I could feel him teetering on the edge of something dangerous.
If the bats took much more, he might not wake up. That would complicate things, but if he died, so be it. Maybe his plot armor has cracked when encountering the irregular transmigrator.
Who can tell right by this point? Beats me.
"Enough," I said, nudging the bats with my foot. "Do not be greedy. His blood is mine by right. I do not mind if you get some benefits since you have been useful to me, but do not forget to give me the royal size portion."
The bats obediently released their grip and flew to my outstretched hand. They regurgitated the collected blood into a crimson orb that floated above my palm, warm and pulsating with energy.
'Ewww, this feels disgusting for some reason.' I watched the orb hover there, a sphere of warm, thick liquid that seemed to glow from within. 'But I guess honey is also a regurgitation of bees. Same principle.'
'They also gave me some inspiration that I had not expected. Collecting blood in this shape might be better when stashing them for later usage.'
I brought the orb to my lips and drank.
The taste was not pleasant. It was metallic and hot, with an undertone of something wild, like the scent of a forest after a storm. But the effect was immediate.
[You have consumed a significant amount of A-tier Werewolf blood.]
[Stats are being recalculated…]
Bloodline Control rose sharply, the stat climbing from C (92/100) to C(98/100) in a few heartbeats reaching the boundary of B-tier. Strength, Vitality, and Agility all ticked upward, pushing closer to B tier in my human form. Even my Mana reserves swelled, the fatigue from the fight melting away.
[Core Stats (Human Form)]
[Strength: C (28/100) → C (48/100)]
[Agility: C (38/100) → C (58/100)]
[Vitality: B (18/100) → B (30/100)]
[Supernatural Stats:]
[Mana: B (12/100) → B (24/100)]
[Demonic Energy: C (74/100) → C (89/100)]
[Bloodline Control: C (92/100) → C (98/100)]
I let out a long, satisfied breath. The aches in my muscles faded, and the cuts on my chest stopped throbbing. Even the lingering exhaustion from the Ghoul transformation seemed to lighten.
I turned to Moka, who had been watching the process with her arms crossed, her crimson eyes unreadable.
"Maybe you should take a sip," I said, gesturing at the bats, who were still hovering nearby, their bellies still plump with stolen blood. "There is plenty left."
She considered the offer for a moment, her gaze flicking from the bats to Gin's unconscious form. Then she nodded.
Using her own Bloodline Control, she drew some of the blood from the bats, enough to fill an invisible wine glass. The crimson liquid swirled in the air before her lips, and she drank without ceremony.
Her eyes widened, just a fraction, and I saw the tension in her shoulders ease. The benefits of drinking the blood of a strong being were instant. I could see it in the way her posture relaxed, the way her Yoki stabilized.
But then she glanced at me, and her expression shifted. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but I caught it. However I could never guess what was on her mind, especially when it came to Inner.
'Nothing could beat drinking Tsukune's blood,' she thought, though she would never, not even in death, confess those deep emotions of hers.
She coughed a bit awkwardly, which only had the effect of breaking her cold persona, since she felt that I had noticed her gaze on me.
"He is not as useless as I thought he would be," she added, her voice recovering its usual coolness. "A good source of fresh blood for us vampires."
I could only agree with her words. "Now this changes everything," I said, looking down at Gin. "Not only does my consciousness and morality agree with my choice, but even you are more useful alive than dead."
Gin started to shudder as he stared at me. I was still in my Vampire form, with around two minutes remaining of my transformation. His appearance was rough after losing much of his blood. He was no longer the brash and prideful wolf who had wanted to prove he was an alpha. He looked small, broken, and afraid.
"Will you make me do all sorts of things if I become your servant?" His voice was hoarse, barely a whisper.
"Who knows?" I said, shrugging casually.
"What is certain is that you will start working for me from the moment we sign our pact. Your first orders will be to make amends with everyone you have hurt who was innocent. And tomorrow, we will write an article about your misconduct regarding the pictures you have taken illegally of the girls all over the Academy."
Gin's eyes widened. "You want me to confess my sins?"
"This will ruin any chances I have with the girls. I have a reputation to protect."
I slapped him hard across the face. The crack echoed across the rooftop, and his head snapped to the side. Before he could recover, I stomped on his chest again, driving the air from his lungs.
"You have nothing of the sort," I said, my voice cold. "You are known all over the Academy as a sleazy pervert. The only redeeming quality is that you are the president of the Newspaper Club and actually try to do your job. Even if that is lazily, one article per week. Pff, this is why Shizuka-sensei places more trust in me to handle the new projects."
I leaned down, my crimson eyes boring into his. "Another thing you will have to achieve is to try to become a better person. If you fail to achieve this by the next year, I will consume all of your blood and Yoki and throw your corpse to the beasts in the forest."
Gin's breath came in short, ragged gasps. "But I do not want to."
"And this is why I am not naive enough to believe your words that you will become my servant." I straightened, looking down at him. "I know trust is earned, not given. So to make sure you follow this oath, I have my own methods."
I reached into my shadow, and the darkness rippled.
From the depths of my shadow, I pulled something new. It was small, no larger than my thumb, its body formed from crystallized blood and shadow. It had six legs, each one razor sharp, and its eyes glowed with a faint crimson light. A blood insect, inspired by the world of Reverend Insanity. A creature that existed only for a sole purpose, to maintain oaths in a master-servant relation.
['Blood Oath Keeper' has been created.]
[Ability: Heart Devourer – If the host violates their sworn oath, the insect will consume their heart within seconds. Cannot be removed by external means.]
I held the insect in my palm, letting Gin see it. His eyes went wide, and his whole body tensed.
"What... what is that?" he stammered.
"A promise," I said. "You swear to me, here and now, that you will change. That you will make amends. That you will never again be a nuisance to others around you. And this little one will make sure you keep that promise."
Gin stared at the insect, his chest heaving. His gold eyes flickered between me and the creature, and I could see the calculation and scheming behind them.
"And if I destroy that bug?"
"Then it will blow your heart the moment someone tries to harm it. Simple as that. And if you still manage to be alive after that, I will kill you myself."
Gin's jaw tightened. His hands clenched into fists, then relaxed. He looked up at the blood dome, then back at me.
"You are serious," he said. It was not a question.
"I am."
He was silent for a long moment. The blood dome pulsed around us, and I could feel Inner Moka's impatience growing. But I waited. This had to be his choice.
Finally, he let out a long, shuddering breath. His body went limp, and his head thudded against the gravel.
"I accept. Better than dead. I still can see San-senpai…"
The words were quiet, barely audible. But they were enough.
I extended my hand, and the blood insect crawled off my palm and onto Gin's chest. It skittered across his skin, found the spot above his heart, and sank into his flesh. He gasped, his body arching, and for a moment, I saw the outline of the insect glowing beneath his skin. Then it faded, invisible.
[Gin Morioka has submitted to you. Essence integration in progress.]
[You have gained a portion of his essence.]
[Core Stats (Human Form):]
[Strength: C (48/100) → B (2/100)]
[Agility: C (58/100) → B (1/100)]
[Vitality: B (30/100) → B (50/100)]
[Intelligence: C (95/100) → C (98/100)]
[Supernatural Stats:]
[Mana: B (24/100) → B (38/100)]
[Demonic Energy: C (89/100) → B (3/100)]
[Bloodline Purity: 52.01% → 55.33%]
[Bloodline Control: C (98/100) → B (12/100)]
[Sacred Gear Manifestation: 25% → 40%]
I felt the power flow into me, warm and invigorating. The dark symbiote over my right arm pulsed in satisfaction, and I could feel All-Black's hunger recede, sated for now.
I dismissed All-Black, returning it to the depths of my shadow, and with the limits of my transformation approaching, I did the sensible thing and turned off my Vampire form.
'B-tier. Finally, In my human form I can say that I can find my place in this supernatural world.'
I stretched, rolling my shoulders and flexing my arms, testing the new strength that hummed through my veins. The difference was immediate. The fatigue that had clung to me like a wet blanket was gone.
My joints moved with a fluidity I had not felt since before the fight, and my muscles responded with a crispness that made me want to punch something in front of me, maybe Gin again? I clenched my fist, and I could feel the power coiled there, waiting.
Gin lay on the gravel, gasping, his hand pressed against his chest where the insect had entered. His face was pale, and dark circles had formed under his eyes.
Between the blood loss and now the feeling that a substantial part of himself had been stripped away, he looked like a corpse that had not yet realized it was dead.
"Just kill me. Please." The words were not spoken aloud, but I could read them in the slump of his shoulders, the slackness of his jaw. He looked like a man who had nothing left to fight for.
Inner Moka walked over and kicked him in the ribs, not hard enough to break anything but enough to make him curl up in pain.
"You mongrel, you should stop speaking. I have had enough of your voice for one night."
Gin did not argue. He just lay there, staring at the blood sky, his chest rising and falling in shallow breaths, most likely regretting all of his life choices.
Then he turned his head toward me, his eyes barely focusing. "Man, I am about to pass out," he muttered. "I used everything I had for this fight. Every last drop."
And then his eyes rolled back, and he went limp.
I stared down at his unconscious form, then looked at Moka. She raised an eyebrow, her expression caught somewhere between annoyance and disbelief.
"Did he just pass out?" I asked.
"It appears so."
"Just like that? After everything? He expects us to carry him home or something?"
Moka shrugged. "He is your servant now. You figure it out."
"Wonderful. Just wonderful."
I sighed and reached into my shadow, pulling on the connection to my Sacred Gear. "Fine. I will deal with it."
Two figures emerged from the darkness behind me. They were tall, broad shouldered, and clad in simple but sturdy armor. M-Warrior #1 and M-Warrior #2, were brought out from the Yu-Gi-Oh Dimension.
They looked around the rooftop with something like wonder in their eyes, taking in the blood dome, the shattered gravel, and the unconscious werewolf at my feet.
"Great One," said M-Warrior #1, bowing his head. "We are honored to be summoned to this higher dimension."
"The energy here is... different," added M-Warrior #2, his voice filled with awe. "So much denser than our realm. We are grateful that you selected us to assist you in conquering this world."
I waved a hand, cutting off their reverent musings. "Yeah, yeah, glad you like it. But I need you to do something for me. Take this idiot to the infirmary."
Both warriors looked at Gin, then at each other, then back at me.
"Boss," said M-Warrior #1, scratching his helmet. "We do not know where the infirmary is located."
'Of course they do not. They have never been here before.'
I sighed again and reached into my shadow a third time. A Vampire Familiar materialized on my shoulder, its tiny red eyes blinking sleepily as if he just went to sleep after a copious meal.
"You know the Academy," I said to the bat. "Lead them to the infirmary. And try not to let anyone see you. The last thing I need is a panic over a couple of armored warriors carrying an unconscious werewolf through the halls."
The bat squeaked in acknowledgment and fluttered off toward the edge of the rooftop. M-Warrior #1 hoisted Gin over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and M-Warrior #2 followed close behind.
As they disappeared into the darkness, I turned back to Inner Moka. The blood dome was still pulsing around us, casting everything in shades of crimson.
"Well," I said, letting out a breath. "That was an eventful night."
Inner Moka did not move. She stood there with her arms crossed, her silver hair settling now that the Blood Sanctuary had begun to fade. The crimson dome was thinning at the edges, letting slivers of moonlight seep through like cracks in a broken sky. Her crimson eyes were fixed on me, unreadable, and the silence stretched between us like a held breath.
"Indeed," she said finally, her voice quiet but not soft. "Truly an eventful night."
She uncrossed her arms and let them fall to her sides, a gesture that might have been frustration or simply exhaustion.
With a wave of her hand, Inner Moka dismissed the Blood Sanctuary. The crimson dome shuddered, then dissolved into motes of light that scattered on the wind.
"Tell me, Tsukune. Why have you decided to spare him?" Her eyes pinned me in place. "Where you could have killed him to claim a greater portion of his powers."
I met her gaze calmly, looking at her with my own brown eyes now that I had returned to my human form. There was still a nagging ache on my left shoulder where Gin had landed a powerful strike during the fight, a deep bruise that pulsed with every heartbeat. But compared to the exhaustion I had felt before drinking his blood, it was nothing.
"I did," I said. "Consider killing him, I mean. I did consider killing him too many times in my head when he was down."
"Do you mind explaining to me your decision?"
She tilted her head, waiting.
'I could give her the noble answer. Second chances. Redemption. But she would see through that in a heartbeat. I know that doing this, sparing Gin, might make me a hypocrite, but the guy can be useful to me, especially now that he is a blood bank dispenser.'
I let out a breath and rolled my shoulders, testing the new strength that still hummed through my veins. The symbiote had receded completely, leaving only some scars that were regenerating as we were speaking.
"He is more useful alive than dead from several directions you are looking at." I gestured toward the spot where Gin had lain, now just a dark stain on the gravel. "As you have seen, he is a great blood dispenser. I will need that as I continue transforming into a vampire. Regular infusions from an A-tier werewolf could smooth and calm down my hunger."
Inner Moka's eyebrow rose a fraction, but she did not interrupt.
"Yet, that does not mean I forgot what he tried to pull on you girls." My voice hardened. "The harassment. The pictures. And with Outer, abducting her. Who knows what he would have done, truly." The memory of Moka bound in Yoki chains, Gin's hand on her cheek, flashed through my mind and it made me want to send the signal for the M-Warriors to just kill the bastard.
"The blood oath binds him. His skills, his connections, his knowledge of the Academy's secrets, all of that is mine now." I flexed my hand, feeling the pulse of the new pact through the bond. It was faint, distant, but present. "Killing him would have given me a moment of satisfaction and maybe an additional boost to my power, but nothing groundbreaking that I could not make up with some training. Sparing him gives me a weapon."
Inner Moka's eyebrow climbed higher. "That is cold. Even for you."
I shrugged, then winced as the motion pulled at the half-healed cuts on my chest. "You taught me that power is not just about strength. It is about resources. About leverage." I met her eyes again. "You said that yourself, during one of our sparring sessions. When you were lecturing me about fighting smart instead of fighting hard."
Her lips parted slightly, just a fraction, and I saw something flicker in her crimson eyes.
"You remembered that," she said. It was not a question.
"You are a good teacher." I let the words hang in the air. "I would be a poor student if I did not listen."
She did not respond immediately. Instead, she turned her head away, her silver hair hiding her profile. But I could see the faint pink tint creeping up her neck, the subtle shift in her posture, the way her shoulders relaxed just a little.
'Hehe, she is so adorable when she gets flustered. Nothing like Outer, who would be so easily teased and blush openly. Inner tries to hide it, but she cannot fool my eyes.'
The wind picked up, carrying the scent of blood and ozone across the rooftop. The Blood Sanctuary was gone now, just a faint shimmer in the air.
"And... I did not want to become the kind of person who kills without thinking. Saizo was a different situation, only looking at him made me want to kill him. This clash with Gin feels different."
Inner Moka studied me for a long moment. Her crimson eyes searched my face, my posture, the way I held myself. I could feel the weight of her assessment, the same way I had felt it during our first spar when she had measured my potential and found me wanting.
Then, softly, she spoke. "I do not know what to say."
She paused, her eyes dropping to the gravel, then rising back to meet mine.
"You can be such a reckless idiot. Running into fights you are not ready for. Picking battles you should leave for another day. But at times, you can also make mature decisions without letting your emotions take over."
Her lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, I thought I saw something soften in her expression. Just a flicker, there and gone. "Honestly, you did well. If it were me, I would not have killed him either. Just beaten the shit out of him until he pissed himself at the sight of me."
I could not help it. A short, dry laugh escaped me, the tension in my chest easing. "That is a very specific threat."
She shrugged, a surprisingly casual gesture from someone of her usual poise. "I have had time to think about it. While I was sealed inside that rosary, listening to the other me complain about boys, Kurumu and homework, I planned a lot of hypothetical punishments for hypothetical enemies."
"It passed the time."
I stared at her. "You are terrifying."
"I know." She said it without ego, just a statement of fact. "Now, we should leave before someone comes to investigate the commotion. The fight was loud, and the Blood Sanctuary was not subtle. Even with the wards around the Academy, someone might have felt the disturbance."
She turned and walked toward the edge of the rooftop, her heels clicking against the stone. The moonlight caught her silver hair, turning it into a cascade of liquid light, and for a moment, I could not look away.
'My heart, please don't give me away. You know that I am in genuine love with her and that I try to compose myself when in her presence.'
We found ourselves walking toward the Academy's Garden, a place that held a lot of sentimental value for both of us. It was strange how my feet had followed her without conscious thought, as if my body knew where she was going before my mind caught up.
The Academy Gardens were quiet at this hour. The artificial moon of the pocket dimension hung low in the sky, casting soft silver light over the carefully arranged flower beds and winding stone paths.
The air was cool and carried the scent of night-blooming flowers, jasmine and something sweeter, a stark contrast to the blood and sweat that still clung to my clothes.
The walk had been silent, both of us lost in our own thoughts. Inner Moka had led the way with me one step behind, and I was surprised that she had taken me here.
I guess she remembered this place for being a quiet one, a spot where no one could bother us. It was the same garden where we had sat weeks ago, after the incident with Kurumu, when she had first agreed to train me. Back then, she had sat at the far end of the bench, leaving a clear gap between us, her posture rigid and her walls high.
She was the first to take a seat on the bench. That same wooden bench, weathered and worn, nestled under the shade of an old cherry tree that had long since shed its blossoms.
She sat with the composure of royalty, her back straight, her hands folded in her lap, and her silver hair catching the moonlight like a cascade of stars. I, on the other hand, felt like a lost peasant following behind her without saying anything, my hands shoved into my pockets, my shoulders still stiff from the fight.
She broke the silence first.
"Sit," she said, her voice quiet but not commanding. Then she did something that left me frozen in place.
She patted the seat next to her.
Not the far end. Not leaving a gap. Right next to her, close enough that our shoulders would almost touch.
I blinked, certain that my exhaustion was playing tricks on me. "What?"
"You heard me." She did not look at me, her crimson eyes fixed on something in the distance, but her hand remained on the bench, palm down, fingers slightly curled. "Sit down, Tsukune. You look like you are about to collapse. And I would rather not have to explain to the weakling why her precious blood bag fell down the stairs on the way back to the dorm."
'A blood bag. She called me a blood bag. But she patted the seat next to her.'
I could not help the small smile that tugged at my lips. 'What's up with those Tsundere tendencies, girl? Could it be that she remembers what I told Outer when I was trying to kiss her back then?'
'Only using me as a blood bag instead of being friends.'
'Touche.'
I walked over and sat down beside her, close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from her body, could smell the faint scent of roses that always clung to her silver hair. The wood creaked beneath my weight, and for a moment, neither of us spoke.
The garden stretched out before us, silent and still. The moonlight painted everything in shades of silver and shadow, and the only sound was the soft rustle of leaves in the night breeze.
"You know," I said, breaking the quiet, "the last time we were here, you sat all the way on the other end of the bench. You would not even look at me." I paused, letting the memory hang between us. "Oh, and it ended rather badly for you. You got so flustered you ran away before we could part ways."
Her entire body stiffened. I watched as the memories of that night came flooding back, the moment when she had sat rigid and distant, the words we had exchanged, and the way she had fled after I had teased her about feeding being like making out.
Her pale cheeks flushed a deep crimson, the color spreading from her jaw to the tips of her ears. Her hand rose, almost unconsciously, and her delicate fingers brushed against her full lips, as if she could still feel the ghost of that conversation.
I saw her relive the embarrassment. The way she had stammered. The way she had fumbled with the rosary, unable to meet my eyes. The way she had declared, "I hate you!" with no heat behind the words.
Then she snapped back to the present. Her crimson eyes flashed, glowing bright in the moonlight, and her lips pressed into a thin, irritated line. She glared at me with the intensity of a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her silver hair floating slightly as her Yoki responded to her agitation.
"Do not," she said, her voice low and dangerous, "bring that up. Ever again."
I held up my hands in mock surrender. "I am just saying. You were cute back then. Flustered. Blushing. It is a good look on you."
Her eyes widened, and the glow intensified. "I will break your ribs."
"You already did that. Multiple times. During sparring. Remember?"
She opened her mouth to retort, but no words came out. Her jaw worked soundlessly for a moment, and then she turned her head away sharply, her silver hair whipping across her face. I could see the tips of her ears burning red, and her hands had curled into fists on her lap.
"You are impossible," she muttered.
"So I have been told."
We sat in silence for a long moment, the tension between us shifting from confrontation to something else, something softer. The moon climbed higher, and the shadows of the cherry tree branches swayed across the grass.
Inner Moka's hands relaxed. Her shoulders dropped. And then, so quietly that I almost missed it, she spoke.
"I remember."
'What? Beating me up and taking sadistic pleasure in seeing me crawl in pain back to the dorms?'
I turned to look at her. She was not looking at me. Her crimson eyes were fixed on the fountain, on the water catching the light.
'I guess it's not that…'
"I remember every word you said that night." Her voice was barely a whisper. "Every teasing remark. Every time you made my heart race. Every time you looked at me like I was something more than a weapon or a noble or a sealed monster."
She swallowed, her throat moving.
"I ran because I was scared. Not of you. Of what you made me feel." Her hands uncurled, and she placed them flat on the bench on either side of her thighs. "I had spent six years telling myself that I did not need anyone, especially after my mother's disappearance and when I was the one sealed away in the Rosario."
"That the weakling was enough. That my only purpose was to protect her and wait for the day I could be finally free."
She turned her head, and her crimson eyes met mine. The glow was gone, replaced by something bare and vulnerable.
"And then you came along, managed to remove the Rosario Seal and release me."
"I've read that only a special person will be capable of removing this type of Rosario Seal."
"And you refused to be scared of me. You refused to treat me like a monster, even though back then you were only a weak human and I was a scary vampire. Instead, you looked at me like I was... beautiful."
Her voice cracked on the last word.
I did not speak. I could not. My throat was too tight, my heart was pounding too hard, and I was afraid that if I opened my mouth, I would say something stupid and ruin everything.
Instead, I reached out and took her hand. Her fingers were cold, trembling, but she did not pull away.
"Nothing that I have said to you was a lie. You are beautiful," I said. "And terrifying. And frustratingly headstrong. And I would not change a single thing about you."
Her breath hitched. Her lips parted, and I saw the gloss of tears in her eyes, though she would never let them fall.
"Tsukune..."
'All or nothing. I should go for it.'
"Do not run this time." I squeezed her hand. "Stay."
She stared at me for a long moment. The moonlight painted her silver hair, her pale skin, the delicate curve of her jaw. And then, slowly, she leaned in.
Her free hand rose, trembling, and rested against my chest. I could feel her palm flat over my heart, feel the way my pulse hammered beneath her touch.
"Your heart is racing," she whispered.
"So is yours."
She smiled. It was a small, fragile thing, nothing like the confident smirks or cold glares she usually wore. It was real.
Her lips hovered just inches from mine. I could feel her breath, warm and soft, against my skin. The moonlight caught the silver of her hair, the crimson of her eyes, the delicate flush on her cheeks. Her hand was still pressed against my chest, and I could feel her heartbeat, fast and wild, matching my own.
Time seemed to stop. The garden, the moon, the world itself faded away until there was nothing but her.
She was so close. So impossibly close.
'Is this really happening?'
Her eyes searched mine, looking for something, hesitation, fear, permission. I did not look away. I could not. I wanted this. I had wanted this for longer than I cared to admit. All the moments I would absentmindedly admire her beauty, stare at her lips when we were taking breaks in between spars.
Her lips parted, just a fraction, and I saw her swallow.
"Tsukune," she whispered, and my name had never sounded so fragile.
She closed her eyes, and her expression was just like any other normal girl about to have her first kiss. The sharp edges of her noble persona melted away, leaving only the vulnerable heart beneath. Her silver hair caught the moonlight, framing her face like a halo, and her lips were parted slightly, waiting.
I leaned in as well, closing the remaining distance between us. The slow, deliberate movement felt like the most important thing I had ever done in this second life. The warmth of her breath brushed against my skin, and the faint scent of roses filled my senses.
The space between us shrank to nothing. Her eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks, dark crescents against her pale skin, and I saw her whole body relax into the moment, every wall she had ever built finally coming down for me to climb over.
And then she did the boldest move, closing the final distance.