"I can do that."
She nodded, and without another word, she stepped back. Her hands began to weave, tracing complex patterns in the air, and crimson energy gathered around her like a shroud. The air grew thick, heavy, and I felt the pressure building.
'Here goes nothing.'
Gin's gold eyes locked onto me, and a snarl twisted his lips. "You think you can hold me off alone? You could not even scratch me before your girlfriend stepped in. What makes you think you can do anything now?"
I did not answer with words, instead I charged at Gin, All-Black leading the way.
He met me head-on, his claws clashing against the Necrosword. The impact sent shockwaves through my arms, and I gritted my teeth, holding my ground.
He was still stronger, still faster, but the gap had narrowed. The wounds I left using All-Black were bleeding, his Touki flickering, and every exchange cost him.
'I just have to keep him occupied and give Moka time for her cast. There is no need to try to hurt him. It would just waste my energy.'
We circled each other, and I changed my approach. Instead of meeting his charges head on, I used the environment. I kicked gravel into his eyes, forcing him to blink, then darted to the side. All-Black's tip traced a shallow line across his flank, not deep enough to cripple but enough to make him snarl.
"You fight like a coward," Gin spat, swiping blindly.
"Says the perverted coward who abducts innocent girls for whatever sick pleasures he has. Did you even think this through? What got into your head to go to such lengths and abduct someone else's girlfriend?"
"You think I would have gone to the extent of harming Moka-chan? Do not fuck with me, bloodsucker! I took Moka-chan because she was the only way to get to you directly and beat the crap out of you."
"This is payback for being a smartass and destroying my chances with my cute kohais!"
"Really now?" I ducked under another wild swing and drove my elbow into his ribs. "You really are a dumbass to even consider you had any chances with Moka or Kurumu. From the beginning, you stood no chance of even getting their attention."
"They are mine."
"That is it!" Gin's voice cracked with fury. "That is the reason I despise you! That arrogance and overconfidence pisses me off. If it were not for Nekonome-san holding you to high esteem and for the survival of the Newspaper Club, I would not even have accepted you into the club."
"You are an eyesore, always taking the lead with the projects and ignoring me as the club president."
I feinted a thrust at his chest, and when he raised his claws to block, I dropped low and swept his legs. He stumbled but did not fall, his werewolf balance too good. But the half second of instability was enough. I drove my shoulder into his wounded side, and he howled, staggering back.
"You are just jealous of the friendship I have with Moka and Kurumu," I said, pressing forward. "Say whatever you want, but that will not change my view."
His claws raked across my forearm in retaliation, tearing through the symbiote's reinforcement. I hissed in pain, but I did not retreat. I pressed forward, All-Black swinging in a tight arc that forced him to block with his Touki coated forearm.
The silver aura sizzled against the dark blade, and I saw him wince.
But Gin was relentless. He pushed forward, his claws raking across my chest, and I felt the burn of his Touki. I stumbled back, gasping, and he pressed his advantage.
"Finally, you're dead meat, bloodsucker," he snarled. "You only know how to run and avoid direct clashes with me. All that big talk from you, but what can you do to me?"
I spat blood onto the gravel. "Plenty to stop you, idiot."
I lunged again, feinting high then striking low. All-Black carved a line across his thigh, and he howled, stumbling. I pressed forward, driving him back, step by step. But he retaliated immediately, his fist slamming into my gut.
The impact folded me over, and his knee rose to meet my face. I barely got my forearm up in time, the symbiote absorbing most of the blow, but the force still sent me reeling.
'Just a little longer.'
Behind me, I could feel the energy building. The air was thick with crimson light, and I could see the dome beginning to form. Inner Moka's voice echoed across the rooftop, low and steady, chanting words I did not recognize. They sounded like Latin, ancient and resonant.
"Blood Sanctuary."
The dome erupted around us, a sphere of shimmering crimson energy that blocked out the moonlight. Gin screamed as his connection to the moon was severed, his Touki flickering and dying.
"What... what have you done?" His voice was raw, desperate.
"Cut you off from your crutch," Inner Moka said.
She walked toward him slowly, her heels clicking against the stone, and blood began to spread like a tidal wave around the rooftop with her as the source. It enveloped everything your eye could see, taking the shape of a dome, thick and impenetrable.
The moonlight that seeped through was quelled, weakened, and I could feel Gin's aura dropping like a stone.
The blood dome pulsed, and Gin's body convulsed. He tried to crawl away, tried to force his way out of the dome, but the energy held him in place. His claws scraped against the crimson wall, but it did not budge.
"You are strong," Inner Moka said, almost conversationally. "For a mutt. But strength without control is just violence. And violence without purpose is just noise."
She raised her hand, and the blood that had splattered across the rooftop began to move. It pooled together, forming a crimson circle around Gin, and I felt the air grow heavy.
I had this metallic taste flooding my mouth, sharp and cold, like I had bitten down on a mouthful of old coins. My skin prickled, every hair on my arms standing on end, as if the air itself had become charged with static electricity.
The temperature dropped.
The wind died, and the crimson light from Inner Moka's gathering spell seeped into my vision, staining the world red, and for a moment, I could not tell where the blood dome ended.
"What... what are you doing?" Gin's voice was raw, desperate. He tried to crawl away, but the blood circle pulsed, and he froze in place.
"Cutting you off from your crutch," Inner Moka said.
The blood circle flared, and a dome of crimson energy rose around us, enclosing the rooftop in a sphere of shimmering red. The moonlight that seeped through was muted, weakened, and I could feel Gin's aura dropping like a stone.
[❗]
[Inner Moka has activated Blood Sanctuary. Full Moon empowerment to Gin has been severed. Gin's threat level is degrading from S-tier to A-tier.]
Gin screamed. His body convulsed, and I watched as his fur receded, his muscles shrank, and his form shifted back toward human. The golden light in his eyes faded to a dull yellow, and his Touki sputtered out like a candle in the wind.
"No," he whispered. "No, no, no..." His voice cracked, raw with desperation. "It cannot be like this! Not like this!"
He collapsed to his knees, his hands pressed against the gravel. His chest heaved, and I could see tears in his eyes, or maybe it was just sweat. His body was human now, still retaining the distinct features of a werewolf, pale and trembling, and he looked small.
'Still, he has the power of an A-tier Yokai. He is not done yet.'
The moment Gin tried to stage a comeback, his eyes flared with a desperate fury. He lunged toward Inner Moka, his claws aimed at her throat, trying to take her down and dismiss the Blood Sanctuary before it was too late.
"I can't lose. Not until I prove myself to everyone who had mocked me. I will tear you apart and burn this bloody cage to the ground!"
Even cut off from his source of power, Gin's rage ignited. His eyes flared gold, and his body swelled, fur sprouting, muscles bulging. He was forcing himself back into his werewolf form through sheer will, the silver aura flickering around him like a dying flame.
"Futile," Inner Moka said, her voice cold and unimpressed. "You cannot break my Sanctuary with willpower alone."
She did not even move to block him. She simply stood there, her arms crossed, her expression bored.
But it was not enough. His transformation halted halfway, his body caught between forms, and his Touki guttered out completely. He collapsed to his knees again, gasping, his chest heaving.
Inner Moka, standing inside the Blood Sanctuary, looked exhausted. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and sweat beaded on her forehead. But she was not done.
She moved.
One moment she was ten feet away. The next, she was in front of Gin, her leg already rising. He barely had time to blink before her foot connected with his chest, and her voice cut through the night like a blade.
"Learn your place, scum!"
The impact sent him crashing against the wall of the Blood Sanctuary. The crimson dome rippled where he struck, and he slid to the ground, gasping.
Inner Moka walked toward him slowly, her heels clicking against the stone. She stood over him, her leg pinning him to the ground, her crimson eyes cold and unyielding. The Blood Sanctuary pulsed around us, casting everything in shades of red.
The golden light in Gin's eyes was gone. His Touki was gone. His power was gone. He lay there, spent, his chest heaving, his body refusing to obey his commands.
While holding onto All-Black, I forced myself to stay on my feet. The symbiote clung to my body, reinforcing my muscles, keeping me upright. My wounds still throbbed where Gin's claws had torn through, and blood seeped from the cuts on my chest and shoulders.
Honestly, if it were not for the reinforcement, I would be done, even in my Vampire form.
'Finally. This fight is over. It felt like an intense hardcore-mode boss fight where even a mistake could seal my death.'
I just had to do the final touches.
"Now, Tsukune." Inner Moka's voice was cold, as if she had made peace with herself. "While he is weak, finish what he has started."
"Blood spilled needs an appropriate response."
I looked down at Gin. He was not fighting anymore. He was not even trying to mount a comeback as he lay pinned beneath Moka's leg. He just stared at the blood sky formed by the Sanctuary, his eyes dull, his expression blank, waiting for his doom.
'One swing. That is all it would take.'
And then, from inside my mind, a voice I thought would not show up made his presence known.
['What are you waiting for, Tsukune-kun? Do it. Kill him. Take his power and grow stronger. But before that, drink all of his blood to rejuvenate yourself. Werewolves, since the past, have been a race that held a lot of power in their bloodlines.']
Alucard's voice slithered through my thoughts, dark and seductive. I could feel him pressing against the edges of my consciousness, trying to push through, to take control.
'Shut up. I cannot even lower my guard for a moment and think straight with a rat like you watching from the shadows.'
While Alucard was trying to tempt me, I noticed how All-Black's symbiote started to stir. The dark tendrils pulsed against my skin, reacting to the presence of the ancient Vampire Lord within me.
['Hmph. A mindless beast wants to consume me?' Alucard's voice dripped with contempt. 'While I am the Lord of Darkness, it is undeniable that I am also your master. Do you not think so, Tsukune? You have enjoyed my gifts so far.']
'Your gifts? Do not make me laugh. I only found out I have Wealth of Power, and it is a C-tier ability at best.'
['Huhuhu. Poor child. You did not even finish embracing my gift. What did you expect? A handout?']
'Screw off. Do not make me bring Kuriboh. He can hurt you again with a punch.'
['Insolent!']
I ignored Alucard for now, but the thought of slaying Gin and claiming most of his essence instead of being satisfied with a portion was tempting.
One swing of All-Black, and it would be over. He would never bother anyone with his perverted antics again. He would never hurt anyone by pursuing his deranged hobbies. The girls would be rid of a massive headache.
'But...'
From my exchange with this idiot, I know he isn't that intelligent, just like a beast who follows his instincts. He and I had plenty of opportunities to destroy eachother afterschool, but he waited for the moment he would be at his most powerful to strike.
Meanwhile, I didn't want to strike first because I feared that I wasn't quite ready to face a A-tier or worse an S-tier Werewolf, so I bid my time and trained like a madman day and night.
There's also the factor of Shizuka-sensei having invested so much in guiding Gin into a path that would set him straight, but because this horny dog brain is ridden by hormones whatever enters his ear escapes on the other side.
'Do not do something you will regret later… Nonsense, what is there to regret?'
'Even if I have to face the Headmaster's expulsion if I kill Gin, I think it would be akin to releasing a caged beast into the wild.'
Just the thought of how many Stray Devils, Devils and all sort of Yokai and Monsters lingered in the Human World made my grip over All-Black tighten ever so slightly.
Still, I could not let this idiot go scot free. I had to punish him so he never forgot the consequences of touching anyone's woman for his perverted desires, or bothering innocent girls. But above all else, there were the consequences of trying to kill me.
I remembered the state I found Kurumu in when she came to me for comfort. I remembered tonight, when he knocked her unconscious without a second thought. I remembered how he had abducted Moka, tied her up, and touched her face like she was already his.
I was justified to kill him, since it was an eye for an eye in the Supernatural World. You want me dead? You try to kill me? Then do not be shocked if I sink my blade into your heart.
However, considering the potential this guy had, it would be wasteful to just kill him for some extra stats when the amount I required had increased considerably with each tier.
This guy, in this moment of contemplating his future, reminded me of the Dog Whisperer. From our exchange, I could tell he was not a monster without morals. In fact, he seemed to be the type who was constantly rejected by girls, which had left him with deep scars around rejection.
And just like in my first world, even a dog who could become your most loyal friend could turn feral when mistreated and abandoned. Feed it, and it will be your loyal hound.
However, that did not excuse what he had done.
"No." I lowered All-Black. "I am not going to kill him."
Inner Moka's eyes widened. "That's unexpected."
She stared at me, her crimson eyes searching mine. I could see the confusion in them, the disbelief. She had expected me to finish it, just like with Saizo Komiya. I had killed that netorare orc champion without hesitation. Why was I hesitating now?
"Well, I guess it is your choice," she said after a moment. "From the way your heartbeat has settled, I could tell what you would choose."
"But again, you do not seem to have been corroded by the Shinso blood. You have passed the dangerous stage where a vampire would fail their transformation and become a Ghoul.""
"You're fine with me not killing him?"
"I beat him enough to release my pent-up steam for daring to touch me. I will leave the aftermath to you, Tsukune."
Gin weakly turned his head to look at me as I approached with the abyssal blade in my hand. His gold eyes were dull, unfocused, but there was still a flicker of fear in them.
"You know, Moka," I said, stopping a few feet away from him, "for a moment, I did consider killing him. He is scum, but he seems to have some redeemable qualities, such as being dedicated to his hobbies."
"But what should I really do with you?" I let out a dry laugh. "Should we just sterilize you?"
"You heard him, right? He is the one causing all the trouble with the girls from the Academy clubs. This peeping ghost is so famous in the circles of girls that they even put a bounty on his head. It should only be fair that we sterilize him and give him to the girls. Haru-senpai would love to skin him alive."
Gin's eyes went wide. His whole body shuddered, and he tried to scramble back, but Inner Moka's leg held him in place.
"Please, no!" His voice was high, desperate. "Anything but that! I cannot… not being able to use my tool!"
'Of course that is what he is worried about. Priorities take precedent. He doesn't mind being skinned alive by a hot babe.'
I knelt beside him and grabbed his chin hard, forcing him to look at me. His gold eyes flickered open, dull and unfocused, and I saw the fear in them. The fear of a cornered animal waiting for the killing blow.
"Do not worry," I said, my voice cold. "Your fate is worse than just me cutting your little dick. But it's irrelevant right now." I released his chin and stood. "Instead, I can give you a chance to escape from Death's grip."
I looked down at him, All-Black still in my hand, its blade pulsing with dark energy in anticipation of the final blow where it could have a returning feast.
I signaled to Inner Moka to take a step back. She lifted her leg and moved aside, though her eyes never left Gin's trembling form. I stepped forward, placing my foot on his chest and pressing down just enough to make him gasp.
I could hear him cry out in pain, a choked sound that was part whimper, part snarl.
"Assh…"
He tried to throw curses at me? I will not have it.
I put more weight into my feet as I pressed down onto Gin's chest.
"What are you getting emotional about? This is just the first part of the payback you'll recieve."
"You lost. Even after spending so much into this fight, you still lost." I met his eyes, letting him see that I was not bluffing. "So here is your choice. Submit to me. Swear to become my servant, and I will let you live. I will only give you this option. If you reject my offer, I will cut you right now and devour all of your essence."
The silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating.
"Now, it is your moment to choose, Gin-senpai." I tilted my head, a cold smile playing on my lips. "Ah, but before that, I have a question for you."
I pressed my foot down just a fraction harder, feeling his ribs flex beneath the weight.
"Have you ever experienced being anemic?"