Chapter 83: Yandere vs Kuudere (III)
I disappeared from where I was standing, appearing before the Kitsune using my Blood Stride. After closing the distance between us, my fist connected with her face before she could react.
The impact sent her mask cracking, the spectral surface splintering into spiderwebs of fractured light. She stumbled backward, her hand flying to her face, her eyes wide with shock.
"You're left only with the big talk, doggy."
The words hung in the air between us, sharp and mocking. I watched her process the insult, watched the disbelief in her eyes shift into something hotter, something more volatile.
Chizuru's composure shattered.
Her calm, knowing smile vanished, replaced by a mask of pure fury. The golden flames around her flared, surging outward in a wave of searing heat that forced me to step back. Her tails lashed behind her, each one wreathed in fire that burned brighter than before.
"How dare you!?"
"How dare you mock me!?"
The flames around her intensified, blazing so brightly that I had to shield my eyes. The temperature spiked, and I felt the heat of her Yoki pressing against my senses like a physical weight.
"I was going to be merciful," she hissed, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "I was going to let you walk away with your pride intact. But now? Now I am going to enjoy breaking you, Akashiya-san."
Her tails lashed forward, each one wreathed in blue flames that burned with an intensity that could melt steel. The Kitsunebi came at me from multiple angles, a barrage of searing heat that left scorch marks on the tiles where they passed.
I dodged the first, ducked under the second, and scattered into crimson vapor to evade the third. The flames passed through me, their heat licking at the edges of my mist form, but I reformed a few feet away, my claws already extended.
"You're really too noisy," I said, keeping my voice cold. "There will be no rat to catch after this fight if you keep making such a racket."
"So what if she was alerted?" Chizuru spat, her eyes burning with golden fury. "She would be a disgrace to the Yokai Race if she failed to sense the commotion outside her own Art Club building. And frankly, I do not care anymore. All I care about is putting you in your place."
She lunged, her Nine-Tails Whip lashing out in a frenzy of golden fury. Each tail moved independently, striking from multiple angles, forcing me to stay on the defensive. I dodged the first, deflected the second, and took the third to my shoulder with a grunt of pain.
The impact sent me stumbling sideways, and I felt the heat of her flames seeping into my skin. My regeneration was already working, but the damage was significant.
She followed up with another of her attacks '[Claw of the Fire Fox]', her hands transformed into razor-sharp weapons wreathed in blue flames. She closed the distance between us in an instant, her claws aimed at my throat.
I barely had time to raise my guard before the impact sent me flying across the rooftop. I hit the ground hard, rolling to absorb the force. The tiles cracked beneath me, and I felt the sting of gravel against my skin.
'She is faster than before. Her attacks also seem to be focused.'
I pushed myself upright, my eyes fixed on her blazing form. Chizuru stood in the center of the rooftop, her tails swaying behind her, her eyes burning with golden fury.
"Still standing? Even after my Fire Claws you're still standing." she asked, her voice carrying a mocking edge. "By this point, most enemies would have fallen."
"I wouldn't be focusing on how others would have done since I am not like others you have faced in your past."
"No, you're right. You are not." Her smile was sharp, predatory. "This is why crushing you makes it more satisfying. Having the Belle of the First Years below my heels does indeed feel good."
She came at me again, and this time, I was barely keeping up. Her speed was overwhelming, her strikes relentless. I deflected what I could, dodged what I could not, but each exchange left me more battered than the last.
I could feel the strain in my muscles, the ache in my bones. My regeneration was working overtime, but the damage was accumulating faster than it could heal.
She used her Youjutsu then, weaving what I could only assume to be a S-tier Illusion Spell that caught me off guard. The world around me shifted, the rooftop melting away to be replaced by a familiar scene.
The grand Shuzen Castle, followed by the images of the training grounds. However, what disturbed my focus was, my mother's face, her usually sunny and cheerful expression, now only twisted into coldness and disappointment.
"You are weak, Moka," my mother's voice echoed in my ears. "You will never be strong enough to protect anyone. Not yourself. Not your sisters. Not anyone. Weakness is never accepted in the Shuzen Clan."
I felt the sting of the words, sharp and cutting deep in my heart, even though I knew they were not real.
Then before I could even react, I was kicked hard in the stomach by Akua-neesan, sending me straight to the floor, having a hard time catching my breath. I looked up at her, and she was the same young girl I remember from the days we spent time in the Shuzen Castle, older by 4 years than me.
"Get up Moka and fight. If you can put up a fight against me, I will make sure to burn your whole book collection after this spar."
The illusion was powerful, pulling at my old wounds and doubts, even if they never happened in this way. It managed to pull me into the illusion.
'This is not real. This is just a petty trick.'
But the seconds of confusion were enough. Chizuru's flames engulfed me, a torrent of searing heat that threatened to consume me entirely. I felt the burn of her fire on my skin, the agony of flesh being seared.
I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to focus. The illusion shattered by the pain, and I was back on the rooftop, my body wreathed in blue flames, my regeneration working desperately to repair the damage.
I had used my Blood Clone to fool Chizuru earlier, and it had worked like a charm. That face smack had been a wake-up call for her, the moment she realized she was fighting someone who could match her in tactics, not just power.
But now, she had adapted to the point the fight started to shift in her momentum. She could not lower her guard anymore against this 'Bloodsucker', such was her pride and arrogance. Not until I was defeated or dead.
I pushed through the pain, my body reminding me of my bad fighting decisions. The flames still licked at my skin, but I forced them aside, my will stronger than the fire clinging to my skin.
Chizuru's eyes widened as she saw me still standing. "You... you should be a pile of ash!"
"I told you already," I said, my voice hoarse but steady. "I am not like the others you have faced."
I launched myself at her, my form dispersing into crimson vapor and reforming behind her with a burst of speed. My claws raked across her back, tearing through her clothes and drawing a line of red across her pale skin.
She hissed, spinning to face me, her tails lashing out in a frenzy of golden fury. I scattered into mist again, the vapor spreading across the rooftop, and reformed a few feet away.
'This is not sustainable. She is too fast, too strong in this form.'
I stepped back, giving myself a moment of space. Chizuru paused, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"Giving up, bloodsucker?" she taunted. "How disappointing."
"Giving up is not something I do, especially not to the likes of you."
But even as I said it, I knew I was fighting on the back heel. My defenses were cracking, my regeneration struggling to keep up. If this continued, I would just hurt myself.
I had to do something and turn this fight around in my favor, and quick before she gets more comfortable in her Battle Form.
The answer was in my hand, waiting for me to grasp it. But I still hesitated to pull the trigger and activate my own Vampire Form Transformation.
The power sleeping within me, awakened when I saw my mother being hurt by my older sister, Akua. I had almost ended up killing her, if not for father and mother intervening to seal my powers. Such a moment where the monster inside of me took over and unleashed the darkness within and I couldn't do anything to stop myself from hurting those dear to me.
I knew something was not normal with me, compared to my other sisters. I was stronger even though I was the third sister. I could feel something twisted and corrupted when I lingered on that power, wanting to take over me, to dominate me, to turn me into a bloodthirsty monster.
I, Akashiya Moka, Heiress of the Shuzen Clan, was hesitating on using my own bloodright for fear I would lose myself.
In exchange for unstoppable power, I would lose everything I held dear.
I might hurt someone. I might hurt my new sister and consume her personality.
['Sister...'] Outer's voice was soft, concerned. ['You are hesitating. Why?']
I deflected another of Chizuru's strikes, my feet scraping against the tiles as I was pushed back. ['I am worried about losing control. The Shinso blood is... volatile. If I release it fully, I might not be able to stop myself. I might hurt those I care about once I defeat this annoying fox.']
A pause. Then Outer's voice came through, carrying a certainty I had not expected out of this shy and trembling mosquito.
['You will not lose control.'] She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. ['You are the strongest person I know, sister. Not because of your power, but because of your will.']
['This is way too different, sister. You don't know how it feels to turn into a bloodthirsty monster.']
['I don't! You're right on that, but I don't want to see you get hurt any further.'] Outer's voice was firm, unyielding. ['You have always been the stronger one between us. I believe in you, sister. I trust you. You will not lose control. Trust in yourself and your abilities.']
Her words settled in my chest, and that fear I had been holding back slowly began to fade while I was blocking this Kitsune's attacks. My resolve strengthened, and I finally let go of that worry of mine.
I was no longer a child unable to control her powers.
A small smile touched my lips.
['You are right.'] I paused, gathering my Yoki. ['I cannot win this fight holding back. If I do not release my power, I will lose. And losing to someone as entitled as this girl cannot be allowed. I will not be able to face Tsukune when we meet, knowing I lost the "right" to be beside him.']
['I know.'] I could hear the smile in her voice. ['Now go. Show her what a Vampire badass can do.']
Chizuru came at me again, her claws aimed at my throat, her flames roaring with renewed intensity. I punched back even though I got caught by her blow, sent flying across the rooftop. I landed on my feet, skidding across the tiles before coming to a halt.
But I was done holding back.
"Release the monster within me."
"Sanguine Battle Form."
The words were more of an encouragement for myself, a way of focusing on the fight ahead. Words that carried the weight of a command.
My Yoki surged, crimson energy erupting from my body like a wave. The air around me shimmered, distorted by the dark power flowing through my veins. Chizuru's advance faltered as she felt the sudden shift in pressure, her eyes widening behind her fox mask.
My features sharpened, becoming more angular, more predatory. My fangs extended, pressing against my lower lip. My eyes, already crimson, flared with renewed intensity, the pupils slitting into vertical lines. There was no change there, since they had always been the eyes of a predator.
But everything else changed.
My hair grew longer, cascading down my back like a river of molten silver. My body shifted, my curves becoming more pronounced, more defined, as if I had aged a few years in an instant. The lean muscle beneath my skin tightened, and I felt the power flooding my body, burning with a heat I had almost swear I had forgotten.
Devil-like bat wings erupted from my back, their membranes a deep crimson, casting blood-red shadows across the rooftop. They spread wide, each one easily the length of my body, their edges sharp and angular, the webbing thin enough to see the moonlight through them.
My uniform dissolved, replaced by something far more elegant and deadly.
A form-fitting combat dress of deep crimson and black materialized around me, reinforced by my Yoki. The fabric hugged my curves, but it was not restrictive.
The design was elegant but practical, with golden filigree tracing along the edges, the mark of the Shuzen Clan. A high collar framed my throat, and the fabric cinched at my waist with a black sash that seemed to drink the light. The dress's skirt was short enough to allow full freedom of movement, with slits that revealed the lean muscle of my legs.
Crimson gauntlets formed over my forearms, their surface etched with blood runes that pulsed with my Yoki. My claws extended further, the tips gleaming with a sharp, metallic sheen.
Chizuru stared at me, her eyes wide with disbelief. "What... what is this? Your Yoki... it is darker than before. Far stronger than normal. This power... it is reaching... S+ tier territory."
"Impossible..."
She was right. The power flowing through me was intoxicating, and just as I entered into this state, I sensed the darkness within whispering promises of dominance. But I held it in check, my will the leash that kept the monster at bay.
"Why it should be impossible? Did you truly think I was at my limit?"
"Did you think this was all I had to offer?"
Chizuru's confidence wavered. "You... you were holding back this entire time? I thought Vampires are already in their 'Yokai' form by default."
"Of course, I was fighting to teach you a lesson at first. But now?" I stepped closer, my wings spreading behind me. "Now, I am fighting to win for myself."
She attacked, her claws aimed at my throat, her flames roaring with renewed fury. But I was faster now, stronger. Her claws met my gauntlets, and the force of the clash rippled outward, cracking the stone beneath our feet.
I pushed her back, my strength overwhelming her defenses. Her eyes widened as she felt my Yoki pressing against her, and for the first time, I saw fear flicker in their depths.
"You... you are stronger than me," she admitted, the words tasting like ash in her mouth.
"I know."
'Shuzen-ryu: Crimson Eclipse.'
The technique was devastating, a wave of crimson energy that erupted from my claws and engulfed her. She screamed, staggering backward, her flames flickering as they struggled to contain the onslaught.
I did not let up.
'Shuzen-ryu: Crimson Fang Fist.'
My fist connected with her ribs, and I felt something crack beneath my knuckles. She gasped, doubling over, and I drove my knee into her stomach, sending her stumbling backward.
'Blood Shatter.'
The technique sent a shockwave through her body, shattering the golden threads she had been weaving around me. She staggered, her concentration broken, and I pressed my advantage.
'Blood Lance.'
A spear of crimson energy materialized in my hand, and I drove it into her shoulder. This is one of those ingenious skills that I took inspiration from my boyfriend, whereas as Vampires we took advantage of our mastery over blood.
She screamed, the blade piercing through her flesh and pinning her to the rooftop. The impact sent a tremor through the tiles, cracking them beneath her.
'Blood Prison.'
Crimson energy erupted around her, forming a cage of blood that trapped her in place. She struggled against the bars, but they held fast, reinforced by my will.
'Crimson Tide.' (A/N: Wink, wink, for those who know)
A wave of crimson energy washed over her, extinguishing her flames and leaving her gasping for breath. The heat that had been so oppressive moments ago was gone, replaced by a cold that seeped into her bones.
Finally, not wanting to stay too long into this form, as the influence of this darkness was becoming troubling in containing, I pushed to end this senseless clash that I didn't ask for.
'Blood Dominion.'
I reached out with my power, feeling the pulse of her blood through the air. The technique was subtle, allowing me to control the flow of blood in her body, to slow her heartbeat, to sap her strength. She gasped, her body going limp, her Yoki flickering like a dying flame.
I stood over her, my wings spread wide, my eyes burning with crimson light. My claws were still extended, dripping with her blood. My breathing was steady, my heart calm.
"It is over, Minamoto-san. You have lost."
She looked up at me, her green eyes wide with shock. The fox mask had shattered, revealing her face beneath. She was beaten, broken, at my mercy.
"You... you are stronger than I thought," she admitted, her voice barely a whisper.
"I know."
She tried to say something else, but the words would not come. Her body was shaking, her Yoki flickering like a dying flame. She had pushed herself too far, and now she was paying the price.
She stared at me, her expression unreadable. Then, slowly, she smiled, a broken smile of a defeated woman.
"You are not what I expected, Akashiya-san. You have won." She paused, her voice dropping. "Go ahead, kill me. I deserve it fully for trying to steal someone precious from you."
I knelt beside her, my hand reaching for her throat. She tensed, expecting the killing blow.
But I did not strike.
Instead, I leaned in close, my lips brushing against her neck. I could feel her pulse, rapid and frantic, the blood pumping through her veins. The scent of her was rich and inviting, carrying the warmth of her Kitsune fire deep within.
"Do not move," I said, my voice low.
Then I bit down.
The taste of her blood flooded my senses, sweet and potent, rich with the power of a Nine-Tailed Kitsune. I felt her Yoki surge into me, replenishing my depleted reserves, healing the wounds I had sustained during the fight. The warmth of her blood spread through me, and I felt my strength returning.
She gasped, her body going rigid. But she did not struggle. She was too exhausted, too defeated mentally to resist my power move.
I took only what I needed. Enough to replenish my strength, but not to the point I would leave lasting damage to this Kitsune. Even if I was in my Battle Form, with the impulses of my Bloodline haunting me, I was not one of those to give in to my instincts and turn into a mindless bloodthirsty monster.
I released her, licking the wound closed with a flick of my tongue. Her blood was still on my lips, but I did not mind. It was a small price to pay for her life.
She stared at me, her eyes wide with shock. "You... you did not kill me."
"As annoying as you were trying to best me, I was not planning to."
"Why?"
I met her gaze, keeping my expression flat. "Because killing you would upset Tsukune. And despite everything, I understand why you want him. You are not the only one who has fallen for his charms."
She blinked, caught off guard. "I... I do not understand."
"You do not need to understand. You just need to accept reality. Besides, having a stronger ally beside Tsukune does not hurt in this stupid Yokai Academy where everyone thinks of themselves as the next big Demon Lord."
I rose to my feet, looking down at her. The flames around her had dimmed. She was no longer in that Battle Form, instead she returned to her Kitsune form. In the end, she was just a girl, broken and defeated.
I dismissed my Sanguine Battle Form, the crimson energy receding as my body returned to its normal state. My wings folded against my back, my hair shortening to its usual length. The combat dress dissolved, replaced by my Academy uniform.
"Tsukune is not a possession to be claimed," I said, my voice soft. "He is a person. And he will choose his own path, regardless of what either of us wants. I have made peace with the idea that I will not be the only woman at his side. But that does not mean I will give up my place as his Main Wife. I am willing to share, but I will not be replaced."
Her eyes widened. "You... you would share him?"
"I would. Because I love him. And because I know he loves me. In our world, how many strong men don't have a Harem of their own? As women we tend to be attracted by the strongest in our circles of men, the one that would assure the stronger and healthier child. So you learn to accept that nothing in the world is perfect, especially not something as complex as romance."
She stared at me for a long moment, her green eyes searching mine for any hint of mockery. She found none. Slowly, she let out a breath she had been holding, and her shoulders sagged.
"I don't understand you at all," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "But I think... I think I can try."
She didn't say she would give up. She didn't say she would stop loving him. But she reached out and took my hand. That was enough.
We stood there, two rivals, bound by our shared love for a man who had changed both of our lives. The tension was still there, simmering beneath the surface, but it was no longer that hostile, life-or-death tension between us. It had shifted into something else, something more complicated.
I think if we had some tea dates, we might learn how to handle our emotions better when it comes to Tsukune.
Then we felt it.
A darker presence shot out from the shadows. A monster in the shape of a woman with a head full of hissing snakes. Her skin was pale, almost gray, and her eyes were cold and calculating. The snakes that formed her hair writhed and hissed, their tongues flickering as they tasted the air.
"Marvelous, simply marvelous," she said, her voice a low, sibilant whisper. "Your fight was delightful to watch. The passion, the fury, your display of power. But now, I have to break up whatever drama route you were about to go on."
She stepped closer, her eyes fixed on Chizuru with a predatory hunger. "Sensei is not into the Yuri genre, you see. I prefer my art to be more... refined."
Chizuru tensed, her body still weak from the fight. The snakes on Hitomi's head hissed louder, their eyes gleaming with malicious intent.
"I'll start first with you, Chizuru Minamoto," she said, her voice dripping with cruel anticipation. "I cannot wait to see your peerless figure stand bare before me, to capture your beauty into stone. Imagine the masterpiece I could create from your frozen form."
Chizuru tried to move, tried to summon her Yoki, but her body was too weak. The fight with me had drained her, left her vulnerable. The snakes on Ishigami's head lunged forward, their fangs aimed at her exposed throat.
But before they could strike, I moved first.
I kicked out, my foot connecting with Ishigami's chest with enough force to send her flying backward. The impact was devastating, a shockwave of crimson energy that erupted from my foot and carried her through the wall of the Art Club building.
Stone and debris exploded outward, and I heard the crash of breaking furniture from within. The snakes on her head writhed in confusion, their hissing turning to shrieks of pain as she crashed through the interior.
"Hmph, learn your place, scum!" I snarled, my voice cutting through the night air. "You think I did not notice your disgusting Yoki stalking from the shadows? I was waiting for you to show yourself."