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Chapter 76: Dark Magician Girl (I)
Since the end of the sparring against Shizuka, I think the Dark Forest couldn't wait and spat me out like some decayed bone that it's been gnawing on for too long for its taste. It was bad business to begin with, I was destroying decorum, I didn't contribute to the fertilization of the roots since I was devouring all of the essence of the beasts and Yokais I was killing.
I stumbled across the treeline, my feet scraping against the moss-covered earth, my breath coming in short, ragged gasps. The blood-red moon hung overhead, its crimson light painting the world in shades of rust and shadow.
My body felt like it had been put through a meat grinder and then reassembled by someone who had only a vague understanding of human anatomy.
'That cat woman really knows how to put a guy through his paces and wish he was taking a milk bath.'
'Still, I can't deny that her Nekomata form is truly a peak experience. In fact, I believe she could defeat Inner if the girls would get in a fight for whatever reason.'
'Apart from being hot… She's also strong. If this doesn't deem it a 'Mommy' title, I don't know what else.'
Shizuka-sensei had held back, I knew that. Even with my full Vampire form and the Dragon's Might boosting me to S-tier, she kinda had been toying with me akin to a mouse.
If she had actually wanted to kill me, I would have been a smear on the forest floor.
Well, I can defend myself here with the fact I haven't used my Annihilation Maker to bring out my strongest summons to this day.
I pressed a hand against my ribs, feeling the dull ache of bruises that were already starting to heal. My regeneration was working, but slowly, there were remnants of the Senjutsu energy from Shizuka's attacks that hindered my healing.
'First lesson of today's session… Senjutsu is a bitch to face against.'
Don't let anyone hit you clean with an attack marked in Senjutsu or all the advantages you enjoy for being a Vampire will be stripped away.
'I need to practice more. I need to understand what I felt and make that power mine. My Vampire Physiology would be receiving a massive boost if I use Senjutsu or even Touki to augment it.'
However, this looks to be harder than I expected. I spent the longer part of the session trying to replicate that sensation I had when sensing Senjutsu. I wouldn't forget that sensation for as long as I breathe.
That way, where you can say you felt the pulse of the world. Even if it was for a fleeting moment, it was a larger than life moment.
It slipped away from my grasp, leaving me feeling hollow and off-balance, but nothing was perfect in life. If I struggled so much to awaken my Sacred Gear, suffering in silence could be said to be my specialty.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I almost missed the shift in the air.
It was subtle, barely perceptible. A change in pressure, a disruption in the natural flow of the wind. My Vampire senses, even dulled by exhaustion, screamed a warning a fraction of a second before the attack came.
I didn't have time to dodge. I didn't have time to summon a weapon or raise a barrier. All I could do was react on pure instinct, calling on the one ability that could save me in an instant.
'Wealth of Power.'
My body dissolved into blood mist just as the blade passed through where my neck had been. The crimson vapor scattered across the clearing, and I felt the wind of the strike pass through me, cold and deadly. I reformed on a low-hanging branch of a gnarled oak, my heart starting to pound, and I did breathe out in relief that my senses have turned Supernatural, otherwise, I would have been dead.
'Phew, that was close. Too close to my liking and comfort.'
I looked down at the clearing below. Six figures stood where I had been moments ago, their forms silhouetted against the blood-red moon. They were dressed in dark, form-fitting clothing that seemed to drink the light, and their movements were precise, coordinated, utterly professional.
These were not random thugs looking for an easy score. These were assassins.
'Are they sending assassins to take me out now? Who could it be? Is it Kuyo or the Student Council? Someone else entirely that paid them to remove me and claim the hearts of girls?'
I forced myself to focus, pushing past the exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm me. My body was screaming for rest, but my mind was sharp and I could squeeze some moves in my repertoire.
'System, identify.'
The windows flickered in my vision, overlaying each assassin with data. I scanned the information, my jaw tightening with each new entry.
[Name: Uesugi Kaito]
[Threat Level: A]
[Yokai Race: Mizuchi (Water Dragon/Serpent)]
[Name: Tanaka Ryota]
[Threat Level: A]
[Yokai Race: Kappa (River Imp)]
[Name: Suzuki Haruka]
[Threat Level: A]
[Yokai Race: Ningyo (Mermaid)]
[Name: Nakamura Takeshi]
[Threat Level: A]
[Yokai Race: Samebito (Sharkman)]
[Name: Sato Yuki]
[Threat Level: A]
[Yokai Race: Amabie (Water Spirit)]
[Name: Ishida Kenji]
[Threat Level: A]
[Yokai Race: Wani (Sea Dragon/Crocodile)]
There's six of them, all at A-tier and similarly water-themed Yokai. The coincidence is uncanny.
'They are all themed, of course it is that idiot from the Student Council, Mizuki Ueshiba. Who else would have a beef with me to actually send assassins after me?'
The leader of the group stepped forward. He was a gaunt figure with scales that glistened like wet stone, his eyes cold and calculating. His claws seemed sharp, and from his shape his movements were also top notch as a Water Dragon.
"I don't know who you are," I said, my voice cold and flat, "how I have offended you, but haven't you heard that it is distasteful to backstab your foe in the Yokai Circles? This only gives me a reason to kill you."
"Besides, you will not escape from this alive."
Kaito's lips curled into a thin, cruel smile. "You are tired, Aono Tsukune. Exhausted from your little spar with that cat woman. We have been watching you, waiting for the perfect moment. Now that you're exhausted, you are left at our mercy to beg for your dirty life. A vulnerable Vampire about to die."
"Vulnerable?" I let out a short, humorless laugh. "You think I am vulnerable?"
"I know you are." He took a step forward, his claws glistening in the moonlight. "Your regeneration is slow. Your yoki is depleted. Your body is spent. You cannot fight us. You cannot run from us. You are all alone."
'He nailed all of the points except a big thing, that I am alone. As the possessor of Annihilation Maker I am nothing but alone. A walking disaster commanding monsters that could overwhelm this world.'
"Enough talk," Kaito snarled. "Kill him."
The assassins lunged. They moved as one, a coordinated wave of death aimed at my position.
Uesugi Kaito led the charge, his claws extended, water forming around them like liquid blades. The moisture in the air condensed into razor-sharp crescents that trailed behind his hands like a wake of death. He moved with the fluid grace of a serpent, his body twisting mid-lunge to adjust for my expected dodge.
Tanaka Ryota followed close behind, his massive club raised for a crushing blow. The Kappa's webbed feet slapped against the earth with surprising speed, and I could see the water gathering around his weapon, adding weight and momentum to his strike. He was slower than the others, but his attack carried enough force to pulp stone.
Suzuki Haruka hung back, her hypnotic voice already weaving a disorienting melody. Her song curled through the air like invisible threads, trying to snag my thoughts and slow my reactions. I felt the edges of it brushing against my consciousness, a seductive pull toward stillness.
Nakamura Takeshi flanked from the left, his shark-like form cutting through the air with predatory speed. His jaws opened wide, revealing rows of teeth that could shear through steel. His dorsal fin, visible even in his humanoid form, caught the moonlight as he closed the distance with terrifying efficiency.
Sato Yuki dissolved into mist, reappearing on my blind side. The Amabie's form was indistinct, a shimmer in the air that could solidify into a killing blow at any moment. Her presence was the most unsettling, a constant reminder that I was being watched from angles I couldn't track.
Ishida Kenji brought up the rear, his massive frame blocking any escape route. The Wani's crocodilian eyes tracked my movements with cold patience, and I could see the water gathering around his jaws, ready to snap shut on anything that came within range.
They were fact, and also coordinated enough to seem professional.
I was already moving.
Wealth of Power activated again, but this time I shaped it differently. Instead of dissolving into formless mist, I compressed myself into a smaller, faster form. A Vampire Bat. The transformation cost less mana, less yoki, and it allowed me to slip through the gaps in their formation like a shadow through fingers.
Kaito's claws passed through empty air. Ryota's club smashed into the branch where I had been standing, splintering it into pieces. Haruka's song faltered as she lost track of my position. Takeshi's jaws snapped shut on nothing. Yuki's strike hit where I had been a second before. Kenji's massive fist cratered the earth where I would have landed.
I reformed a few meters away, my feet touching the ground with barely a sound. The assassins turned, their eyes wide with disbelief.
"How did you—"
"You clearly have failed this mission if you haven't considered the powers of a Vampire." I said, my voice flat.
Kaito's composure cracked. "You are a mere first-year. You should not be able to move like that. Your yoki is depleted. Your body is spent. How—"
"Did you think I would be a one-trick pony?" I let a cold smile spread across my lips. "I have been fighting monsters for months to the point I just want to quit and enjoy some gaming back in the Human World. Did you really believe that exhaustion would make me helpless?"
The assassins exchanged glances. The professional calm in their eyes was wavering, replaced by something else. Doubt.
Kaito recovered first. "It does not matter. You are outnumbered. You cannot escape. You will die tonight"
I reached into my shadow, and a small, crystalline vial materialized in my palm, its contents glowing with a faint, blue luminescence. The liquid inside swirled like captured sunlight, and I could feel the mana radiating from it even through the glass.
'A mana potion. I had the idea after the Gin fight when I noticed the effects of fighting to exhaustion. It took weeks of experimentation to get the right version of Mana Potion out of World of Warcraft.'
I uncorked the vial and downed it in one gulp.
The liquid burned as it went down, hot and electric, like drinking liquid fire. It spread through my veins, and I felt my reserves surge, the depleted wells of my mana filling with a rush of power.
The exhaustion that had weighed on my shoulders lifted, replaced by a sharp, focused clarity.
Kaito's eyes widened. "What was that? What did you just drink?"
I let the empty vial dissolve into shadow, returning to the depths of my Sacred Gear. I rolled my shoulders, feeling the familiar warmth of my Yoki returning to full strength.
"Reusable mana potion," I said, my voice flat. "I created it using Annihilation Maker. It took a while to get the recipe right since I don't have a potion master to rely on, but I think I've perfected it."
"Don't even bother with your reasoning or excuses later on," I said, my voice carrying a note of finality. "I'll get my answers when I need them."
The assassins tensed, sensing the shift in energy. Kaito raised a hand, signaling caution.
"Whatever you are planning, it is too late. You cannot summon help fast enough. We are—"
He stopped mid-sentence as the shadow at my feet began to ripple.
'Annihilation Maker: Power of Creation Activated.'
I had been neglecting my Annihilation Maker summons for too long. I had been so focused on my own growth, on mastering my Vampire powers, gaining and catching up to the other Yokais' fighting experience, learning Spellcasting and now learning Senjutsu, maybe Touki if Shizuka sees me diligent and rewards me.
However, those were powers that complemented myself and made my survivability if I was left exposed higher while my pawns were handling my foes.
A harsh analogy, but if you were colder and detached you would see the creations and summons of the Annihilation Maker as nothing but pawns, tools made by you to serve a goal.
And this Longinus was truly my power. What made me, Aono Tsukune, a Fated One that has been entangled in the fates and lives of so many endearing characters.
'It is time to remind myself and reveal this power to others without fearing their greed and envy.'
"Come out, my most loyal retainers!"
Silent Swordsman LV.5 emerged first.
He materialized silently, his silver-blue armor gleaming in the moonlight. His massive two-handed sword rested on his shoulder, its blade catching the crimson light and reflecting it like a mirror of blood. He took a position to my right, his visor fixed on the assassins. His presence was calm, lethal, and utterly patient.
He said nothing, and I don't think he was a mute, it was just his nature that didn't seem worthy of his words.
Kaito's eyes widened. "What is this? A familiar?"
Archfiend of Gilfer appeared next. A hulking, demonic figure with crimson skin, bat-like wings, and a wicked grin that showed rows of razor-sharp teeth. His claws crackled with dark energy, and the air around him seemed to shimmer with heat. He cracked his neck, letting out a low, rumbling growl that echoed through the clearing.
"Parlor tricks," Kaito spat. "You think these monsters will save you?"
Darklord Marie followed. She was a somber, celestial figure, her long, flowing white hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall of moonlight. Her floor-length white gown billowed in an unfelt wind, and her pale skin gleamed faintly with an ethereal light. Her eyes were hollow, but there was a cold intelligence in them. She floated above the ground, her presence chilling the air around her.
"Master," she said, her voice soft and distant, like a prayer carried on the wind. "We are honored to answer your call. These fools will learn the price of threatening one such as you. I will see to it that their souls are weighed and found wanting."
Then came the Amazoness Queen.
She made a wild entrance, her massive cleaver carving an arc through the air as she materialized from my shadow. Her single eye blazed with battle-lust, and I could feel her hunger for combat radiating from her like heat from a forge. She looked at the assassins with an intensity that made even Kaito take a step back.
But she did not rush head-on with a battle cry. Instead, she planted her feet and returned behind my back, her cleaver resting on her shoulder.
"Husband! You finally called me to your World." she said, her voice rumbling with barely contained excitement.
"I was ready to carve them into pieces. But I understand the wisdom of waiting. A proper hunt requires patience."
'...'
'Is she already claiming me? Reminds me of the Amazoness from One Piece. Are they by chance influenced by the power of Annihilation Maker to follow me without questions?'
'In a way, it does make sense for the creations to follow their creator… Until they start rebelling.'
She was about to launch herself into the fray, but Darklord Marie, even Silent Swordsman and the Archfiend gave her that type of look, and she wasn't hopeless enough to not read the room.
She paused, then added awkwardly, "Ahem. This Queen apologizes for her eagerness. It has been too long since I have faced worthy foes. I forgot myself due to the excitement."
Darklord Marie's hollow gaze flickered toward her. "Remember your place, Amazoness. The Master's strategy comes first. Your bloodlust can wait."
The Amazoness Queen's single eye narrowed, but she inclined her head. "I am aware, Fallen One. I was merely… enthusiastic."
She simply stood, tall and terrifyingly relaxed, her weight settled onto her hips with a regal arrogance that needed no throne to validate her sovereignty. Her voluminous, spiky blue hair defied gravity, swaying slightly in the residual magical gale, framing a face of dark, sun-bronzed beauty.
A black leather eyepatch, embossed with a grinning golden skull, covered her right eye, while her left eye, sharp, predatory, and gleaming with battle-lust, surveyed the assassins as though they were nothing more than curious insects.
Her deeply tanned skin gleamed under the arcane light, the intricate, swirling tribal tattoos on her left arm. She was clad in her signature battle regalia: a viciously spiked, segmented bikini armor of deep blue and burnished gold, clinging to her muscled, mommy frame.
It was her weapon that stole the air from the clearing. Her right hand clamped around the bone-and-spike hilt of an impossibly massive, jagged cleaver of a blade. The giant sword rested with its tip touching the floor beside her, the hollow-eyed, grinning skull at the base of the hilt staring directly at the assassins like a mocking death's-head.
She simply raised her chin, her single visible eye narrowing with disdain toward those weak foes that wanted to harm their Lord. The silence stretched, suffocating, as the Queen of the Amazoness slowly dragged the tip of her massive blade across the forest floor, sending a sharp, metallic screech echoing through the clearing.
Finally, her lips curled into a cruel, haughty smirk.
"Standing is more fitting for a warrior, don't you think, Husband?"
"Why make me wait when I can send them to their grave? I'll carve out a drinking cup for you out of their heads."
I appreciated her eagerness, but I shook my head. "Patience, Amazoness. We are not finished summoning yet. Fighting alone would drag things out, and I have better things to do tonight."
Before she could respond, a darker, more maleficent voice came from the depths of my shadow. It was cold, ancient, and dripping with amusement.
"The Dark Lord speaks wisely. There is no glory in a rushed victory. Let us savor their fear. Let us crush their hope slowly. That is the way of achieving true darkness."
This was when Caius the Shadow Monarch materialized next. He emerged from the darkness itself, a menacing, armored fiend clad in dark, spiky obsidian armor with glowing purple and crimson accents.
A massive, tattered cape billowed behind him, and his face was shrouded in shadow, only his sinister, glowing eyes visible, eyes that were said to drive onlookers mad. He carried a scythe, its blade gleaming with a dark, ethereal light. He did not speak. He simply waited, his presence a promise of inevitable death.
Berfomet followed. A winged, goat-like fiend, his head was demonic, with twisting horns and a menacing stare. Towering angelic wings spread from his back, and his twisted, muscular form crackled with dark energy. He let out a low, guttural growl, his hooves scraping against the earth.
The assassins had not remained still like some brainless villains. No, they tried to stop me from summoning more of those spirits radiating with the power of an A to S-tier Yokai.
However, the Archfiend and Silent Swordsman easily intercepted their attempts at killing me. Even the Amazoness threw her giant curved blade at one of the Yokais, managing to cut off an arm in the process. The limb regenerated at a naked eye speed.
"So these are monsters with high regeneration speed, similar to Trolls… You have to destroy their hearts to completely stop them in their tracks."
Caius's voice echoed from the shadows. "Or you could simply annihilate them. One attack strong enough to pulverize them into eternal darkness. That would be simpler."
The assassins stood frozen, their professional composure cracking as they stared at the small army that had materialized around them.
"This is impossible," Kaito breathed. "There are limits to a Summoner's ability. Not even the Legendary Warlocks can hold this many powerful creatures all at once. The mana cost alone would be excruciating to handle."
I did not answer. I was already reaching deeper into my shadow than I had ever done before.
Since the time Mikogami-san had removed the last fragments of the Seal he placed on me while Tsukune was younger, I had gained another boost to my Sacred Gear's Manifestation which was seating at a humble 45% settled overnight to 60%, allowing me to comfortably summon monster cards up to 6 stars or even bring out other monsters from other verses.
However, for my own mental peace, and because I didn't want to overwhelm my mind with too many random monsters from other verses that I had some awareness of, I chose to focus strictly on the only game I could say to know from the depths of my heart.
"Stop him!" Kaito shouted, his composure finally breaking. "I feel that something is not right. If we let him finish whatever he's about to summon, we'll all fail the mission."
"Too late."
The final summon that I wanted to bring arrived.
Instantly, there was a soft glow, a warmth that contrasted with the darkness. It contained the shape of a woman, and she quickly materialized in a swirl of light and shadow. From there on, her features began to take shape as if a craftsman was completing a masterpiece.
As she materialized, her distinctive blue-and-pink magician robes flowed around her like a gentle breeze. Her wide-brimmed wizard hat sat atop her blonde hair, and her green eyes found me immediately. Her face lit up with a genuine, joyful smile.
To everyone who didn't know this woman, she was none other than the beloved waifu of many Yu-Gi-Oh players, including mine, Dark Magician Girl.
This was her first appearance since I managed to shape her and bring her out.
Her outfit was composed of an off-the-shoulders blue garment with pink trimmings and yellow accents, extending to her upper thighs and ending as a pink skirt. Her pointed hat matched the blue and pink theme.
Her thigh-high boots reached halfway up her legs, and her wand, blue with a yellow spiral, glowed with arcane energy. She wore pink and blue gauntlets. Her figure was developed, akin to Inner Moka in proportions, big-breasted, maybe a tiny bit smaller, but still striking.
She looked around at the other summons, the silent swordsman, the raging archfiend, the fallen angel, the proud amazoness, the shadow monarch, the beast, and then back at me.
"My Master," she said, bowing her head, her hat tipping slightly. "I have waited so long to be summoned. It is an honor to finally stand before you."
'For many young men growing up, Dark Magician Girl was their first waifu. Their first crush. One of the cards they would be excited to pull out from the Card Packs. The one they wouldn't trade for nothing in the world, not even Black Luster Soldier… well, if it was The Envoy of the Beginning version, I would have traded her.'
'Yes, I know, I am a shameless narcissist.'
'Ahem, without a doubt, she was the heart of my deck of cards. And now, she was here in this chaotic mess of a world that I have been transmigrated to, right in front of me.'
I managed a small smile. "There's no need for formalities between the two of us. Just call me Tsukune. And before I forget, welcome to my World, Mana. I have been wanting to summon you for a long time."
Her eyes widened when she heard her name before she turned into a spirit. She tilted her head, a strand of blonde hair falling across her face. "Tsukune-sama?" She tested the name on her tongue, then smiled. "Humm, I like it. It feels about right. If I called you Master, then if I met Master Mahad, it would be awkward to explain myself that I didn't betray him by switching teachers."
I chuckled. "Mahad would be happy to reunite with you in this World."
Her face lit up with excitement. "Could you bring him too? Master Mahad? The Dark Magician himself?"
"Not right now," I said, shaking my head. "My powers are not stable enough. But soon enough, I will be able to summon him too."
She couldn't hide her excitement at the thought of reuniting with her mentor. But then she stopped in place, and she shuddered at the thought that Mahad would make her catch up to all the lessons she had missed since Ancient Egypt.
"On second thought," she said, her voice dropping, "perhaps I can wait a little longer. He would never let me hear the end of it if I showed up without having studied."
Recovering, she stepped forward, positioning herself beside me. She looked at the assassins with a calm, assessing gaze, her wand glowing softly. "Tsukune-sama, these ones. They tried to hurt you?"
"Tried and failed miserably." I straightened, feeling the familiar warmth of my summons' presence. "They are the lackeys of a man who wants to see me dead just because I thwarted one of his plans for claiming power. He sent them to kill me because I got in his way."
"I see." Mana's voice cooled, losing its warmth. "They threatened my Dark Lord."
She raised her staff, and arcane energy gathered at its tip.
Kaito, finally finding his voice, snarled. "You think I would be threatened by a bunch of spirit familiars, Aono? You are outnumbered, no, you are outmatched. We have been sent by Mizuki-sama to deliver a message."
"Message?" The Amazoness Queen let out a dark chuckle. "Deliver this, little fish."
She took a step forward, her cleaver scraping against the earth.
Kaito's composure cracked. "You cannot protect everyone, Aono. Soon, everyone you hold dear will fall because of your actions, especially that girlfriend of yours, Moka Akashiya."
I felt a cold fury settle in my chest, but in the end it was just another petty attempt at making me step out from the protective circle of my summons. I did manage to recover some energy to fight those six trash cans, but this would leave me exposed to maybe another life attempt.
I turned to my summons, a thin, predatory smile on my lips. "You heard him, my Amazoness? He even disregarded your presence which is a slight I wouldn't accept. Let none survive. Not even one. I will get my answers from their dead souls."
"The same applies to all of you, my cohort. Let none survive."
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