The fight had become an overwhelming crushing of Okuto. The Kraken suffered blow after blow, his tentacles severed, his hide cracked, his blood pooling on the frost. And what was most humiliating was that he even hurt himself using his own ultimate ability.
Desperate, Okuto summoned a vortex of water around his body, spinning it into a whirlpool of crushing force. He hurled it at Tsukune, hoping to drown him, to tear him apart with the pressure of the deep. The water surged forward, a maelstrom of dark energy and razor currents.
Tsukune did not dodge. He raised his hand, and the runes on Alucard's Mail flared. A sinister smirk played on his visible lips.
'Reflection of the Abyss.'
A shimmering crimson barrier erupted in front of him, three seconds of absolute defense and reflection from the artifact that had made the first Dhampir and Vampire Hunter famous. The whirlpool struck the barrier and rebounded, slamming back into Okuto with twice the force.
The Kraken screamed as his own attack tore into him, shredding his hide, crushing his remaining tentacles. He collapsed to the ground, gasping, his body a ruin of black blood and torn flesh.
"Reflection of the Abyss," Tsukune said, lowering his hand. "You should be more careful with your own power."
Okuto tried to rise, but his limbs would not obey. He lay in a pool of his own blood, his chest heaving, his eyes wide with terror and disbelief. He had never been defeated like this. He had never been made to feel so small.
Tsukune activated the Dragon Helm's strongest ability. Dragon's Might. The power surged through him, boosting his strength, his vitality, and his Yoki to S‑tier territory. The world seemed to slow, every detail sharp and clear. He could feel the heartbeat of every creature in the clearing, could sense the fear radiating from the fallen Kraken, could taste the blood in the air.
He walked toward Okuto, All‑Black dragging on the ground, leaving a trail of void in its wake. The Kraken's two remaining tentacles twitched, but he could not lift them. He was done.
"Please," Okuto whispered, his voice cracking. "Please, I will do anything. I will leave my job at the Academy. No, no, I will become your servant. I have noticed you like making your enemies your soldiers. I will never bother anyone again. Just let me live."
Tsukune stopped a few feet away. He looked down at the broken creature, at the pathetic remnants of a predator who had terrorized so many. He felt no pity. Only cold, quiet satisfaction.
"You made a mistake about me," he said, his tone cold and detached. "I give chances to those I defeat to serve me only if I feel they are worthy. You, a piece of trash, do not deserve such pity out of me."
Mizore watched from behind the line of defense that the Vampire Ghosts had formed around her while without noticing, out in the distance perked on a ghostly tree, was a pink bat watching this display with interest, its tiny eyes shining with crimson light.
At times, this bat would flinch and move strangely, as if wanting to join the chaos and take a bite out of the pathetic, filthy kraken. Yet it remained in a safe zone, just watching with intrigue and interest in those red eyes of it.
Meanwhile, Mizore's body was still trembling, but her eyes were fixed on the armored figure standing over the fallen Kraken. She had seen him gentle and patient in the library, had heard his warm laugh in the Newspaper Club, and had felt the softness of his smile when he looked at her.
Now she saw something else.
The oppressive S‑tier Yoki of Tsukune washed over her, a wave of crimson power that made her breath catch and her heart stutter. It was not directed at her, but its presence was undeniable. She felt pushed back, not physically, but spiritually, as if she was standing in the presence of a terrible beast. The ghosts around her bowed lower, their whispers fading into reverent silence.
'He is terrifying,' she thought. 'But… beautiful.'
She had never seen anything like him. The armor, the blade, the crimson eyes glowing beneath the Dragon Helm. She had heard from her own clan that amongst the supernatural, and especially in the Yokai circles, vampires were among the strongest. In terms of mystery and power, they rivaled the Pandemonium Hell's Devils, the Grigori Fallen Angels, and the Heaven's Angels.
Now, such a powerful vampire was brought into her life, like a myth from a fable story made flesh, all to save her.
Her heart, which had been frozen for so long, began to beat in a rhythm she did not recognize. It was not fear, though fear was there. It was not gratitude, though gratitude was there. It was something else, something warm and fierce and utterly unfamiliar.
'He is like no one I have ever met.'
She pressed a hand to her chest, feeling the rapid flutter beneath her palm. Her cheeks flushed, and the frost around her feet retreated, replaced by bare grass.
'I never felt my heart beat like this.'
'I do not think I hate this side of Tsukune‑kun when he reveals his Yokai Form.'
[> ^ <][> ^ <][> ^ <]
Okuto was desperate. Nothing worked against this monster before him. The Kraken's eyes darted around the clearing, searching for an escape, a distraction, anything. His gaze landed on Mizore, kneeling behind the line of ghosts, her eyes fixed on Tsukune. She was wounded, exhausted, vulnerable.
If he could reach her, if he could use her as a bargaining chip, he might still survive if he played this right.
Having made up his mind, he opened his mouth and spewed a torrent of thick, black ink. It covered the battleground he shared with Tsukune, a noxious cloud that obscured vision and stung the eyes. The ghosts hissed, retreating from the cloud, and even the Sorcerers flinched.
"You think your little shadows can protect you forever?" Okuto snarled, his voice dripping with venom. "I will tear through this mess and grab that ice bitch. Then we will see how brave you are, vampire!"
Then, believing that he had obscured Tsukune's vision, Okuto lunged. Not at him, no, that would be foolish. Instead, he aimed to grab his "out‑of‑jail" card.
"Come here, you little frost whore!" Okuto bellowed, his tentacles stretching toward Mizore. "Do not resist, and I might make your death quick!"
His two remaining tentacles shot toward Mizore, faster than they had ever moved. He ignored the pain, ignored the blood, ignored the curses that clung to his flesh from being hit so many times by that damned cursed demonic blade. He just needed to grab her, to hold her, to make the monster stop.
However, he felt his skin crawl, as if insects were crawling all over his body. The ink cloud parted.
All‑Black moved.
"That move was too predictable, Sensei." Tsukune's cold voice dripped with sarcasm, echoing from the void. "Did you really think I would fall for such a cheap trick?"
Tsukune appeared from the void, stepping out of a tear in reality. His blade swung in a perfect arc, severing both tentacles at their bases. They fell to the ground, twitching, and Okuto howled.
But Mizore was not idle.
"You will not touch me again!" she cried, her voice filled with defiance.
Even as she knelt, even as her body screamed in protest, she raised her hands. A wall of ice erupted between her and the Kraken, thick and jagged. It was not enough to stop him, not in his current state, but it slowed him. And then she struck.
She thrust her palm forward, and a spike of ice shot from the wall, piercing the Kraken's shoulder. He roared, stumbling back, and the ghosts surged forward, their hollow eyes fixed on him with hungry anticipation.
"Stay back!" Okuto screamed, flailing uselessly. "I am a teacher! You cannot kill me! The Academy will expel you! The Headmaster will have you executed!"
Down and ugly, Okuto cursed at Mizore. "You little bitch! This is your fault! If you had just accepted my offer, none of this would have happened! You think he actually cares about you? He is just using you, just like I was going to use you!"
Mizore's jaw tightened, but she did not respond. She had heard worse. She had heard it all before.
Tsukune's voice cut through the chaos, calm and steady. "Ignore the garbage spewing from his mouth, Mizore. I would never use you. You are my friend. Not a tool easily discarded once its usage has ended."
Mizore's eyes glistened, and she nodded, unable to speak.
Tsukune stepped over the fallen tentacles, his blade still dripping. He stood between Mizore and the Kraken, his shadow falling over the broken creature.
"Sensei, that was pathetic attempt at creating distrust in Mizore-chan."
"Please," Okuto begged, his voice cracking. "I will tell you everything. Who sent me. Who ordered this. Just let me live."
Tsukune tilted his head. "Who?"
Okuto's eyes gleamed with desperate hope. "Mizuki Ueshiba. The Student Council member. He wants her for himself. He has been obsessed with her since the start of the year. He sent me to… to soften her up. To make her desperate. To make her accept his advances."
Tsukune's expression did not change, but his Yoki flared, the pressure in the clearing intensifying. "Go on."
Okuto swallowed, his throat bobbing. "He is a Mizuchi. A water snake. From what I know, he needs a pure water‑based Yuki‑onna to evolve to S‑tier. He wants to use her, to drain her power, to… to…"
"To what?"
"To break her." Okuto's voice was barely a whisper. "He wants her broken. He said… he said if he cannot have her, no one will."
Tsukune was silent for a long moment. The Vampire Ghosts watched, the Vampire Sorcerers looked with disgust at the Kraken while maintaining the Blood Barrier along with Silencing Barrier that kept any disturbance to a minimum. Even the tiny bat was intent to see what would happen next, as it got closer to the scene.
All of them were waiting for his next action, just like the creations lurking deep inside his shadow wanted to see what was next. The only sound was Okuto's ragged breathing and the soft crackle of frost melting under the crimson light.
"What you just said is interesting," Tsukune said slowly. "But we are talking about a Student Council Member here. How can I trust you? Maybe you are just spewing lies to get out of this alive."
Then Tsukune moved.
He reached into his shadow and pulled out two figures. M‑Warrior #1 and M‑Warrior #2, clad in silver and blue armor, emerged from the darkness. They looked around the clearing, their helmets turning slowly, then bowed to Tsukune.
"Great One," said M‑Warrior #1. "We are honored to be summoned."
"Yes, yes, cut with the honorifics."
"Record this," Tsukune said. He pulled out his phone and tossed it to the warrior, who fumbled and nearly dropped it. "Start recording. I want every word."
M‑Warrior #1 stared at the phone, turning it over in his gauntleted hands. "Great One, I… I do not know how to use this device."
Tsukune's dead stare was enough to make the warrior flinch. M‑Warrior #2 sighed, stepped forward, and slapped his brother across the back of the helmet with a resounding clang.
"Idiot," #2 muttered. "I know how to use this world's gadgets. That Tanuki, Bunta, taught me last time we were out exploring this world." He took the phone, nodded respectfully at Tsukune, then fiddled awkwardly with the screen until a red recording light began to blink.
"Good," Tsukune said. "At least one of you is not that useless." He turned back to Okuto. "Now, could you return to your previous confession? I want everything you know about this Mizuki Ueshiba, any dirty things you know about the Student Council, the Disciplinary Committee, or the Teaching Staff. Everything. From the beginning."
Okuto hesitated, his eyes darting to the phone, to the warriors, to the ghosts, to Tsukune's impassive face. He saw no mercy there. No hesitation. Only cold, patient expectation, as if they had all the time in the world to torture him if he did not comply.
Then he began talking. He spilled everything: the names of missing girls, the locations of hidden rooms, the bribes and threats that kept the faculty silent.
He named teachers who turned a blind eye, students who acted as informants, and the quiet network of corruption that had grown under the Student Council's protection. The dirt on everyone Tsukune was interested in poured out like a dam breaking.
Finally, he reached the highlight of today's events.
"I… I have been working for Mizuki Ueshiba since I started at the Academy," Okuto said, his voice trembling. "He gave me access to students, to their records, to their weaknesses. In return, he protected me from investigations. He made sure that the girls who went missing were never found. He made sure that the rumors never spread."
"How many?" Tsukune asked.
"I… I do not remember. Dozens, maybe. Some of them were just… snacks. Others I delivered to him. He likes to… to play with them before… before…"
"Before what?"
"Before he drains them." Okuto's voice cracked. "He is a monster. Worse than me. I am just a predator. He is a collector. He keeps trophies. He has a room in the Student Council building where he… where he…"
"Where he keeps their remains, I assume?" Tsukune's voice was flat.
Okuto nodded, his face pale. "Yes."
Tsukune took a step closer. "And Mizore? What was your role with her?"
"I was supposed to wear her down. To make her feel alone, to make her desperate, to make her accept his help. He wanted her to come to him willingly, to beg for his protection. Then he would… he would use her. And when he was done, he would drain her."
Mizore's hand drifted to her chest, to the pendant resting against her collarbone. The yellow stone was cold, but beneath it, she felt warmth. She thought of the whispers, the stares, the loneliness. She thought of the figure in the shadows, watching her from across the courtyard. She thought of the letter, the snowflake, the open door.
She looked at Tsukune, at the armor, the blade, the crimson eyes.
'If it was not Tsukune today, I would have the same fate as the other victims.'
Tsukune turned to Mizore. His voice softened, the coldness receding. "Do you want to say anything to him?"
She shook her head, her throat tight. She had no words for this creature. No anger, no hatred, no forgiveness. He was beneath her.
Tsukune nodded and turned back to Okuto. "You have confessed. On video. The Student Council will learn of their member's crimes. The Headmaster will learn of your part in them. And you will face the consequences."
He raised All‑Black.
"Please," Okuto begged. "I told you everything. I cooperated. Please. I am willing to serve you."
"Your proposal… I will think about it."
A long silence. Okuto's eyes held a flicker of desperate hope.
"Maybe in another life."
The blade began its descent.