Hello! Welcome to my newest brainchild! I had a rough time polishing the rough draft for this, spending almost a year on it. I hope that all of this effort meets with your approval!

YOUKAI ACADEMY BUS STOP

LOCATION UNKNOWN...

A yellow bus was roaring along it's route, the driver making his rounds and dropping off his passenger, a young man about 16 years of age who was listening to his MP3 Player while trying to go over all of the events that led up to this moment in his head...

FLASHBACK...

The Ray Sphere incident...Something that forever changed the lives of many people who unknowingly carried the Conduit genome. The blast had affected hundreds, possibly thousands around the world and even the RFI blast meant to destroy the Conduits only made their powers permanent along with other unforeseen side effects like wiping out the plague, but it severely crippled the Beast thanks to Zeke Dunbar's tinkering and sheer dumb luck.

One such person was a boy named Isaac Rodriguez, who was only 12, the youngest of 4 siblings, when he discovered his power, Aerokinesis, power over Air and the atmosphere around him. At first, he was terrified of it, but he soon learned how to control it on his own in secret. He didn't dare tell anyone, because he had heard in the news and from his friends at school that Conduits were seen as freaks. He was already something of an odd bird due to his irregular hobbies compared to other boys his age. He was into martial arts, freerunning and parkour since he was very young and had the medical record to show for it, having broken each arm once already performing tricks, but now he was getting pretty good at it and he was able to convince his elder brothers to teach him Marine MCMAP.

Once he had established decent control over his powers, he began to ponder what to do with his new abilities when he saw a picture of his eldest brother, when he graduated from the Police Academy and joined the LAPD and another of his second brother in his Marine Dress Alpha Uniform, having just graduated from Marine Boot camp. The whole family was so proud of the two of them and to him, they were his heroes. When he was very young, they stood up to the gangbangers that constantly plagued the area and he got his inspiration. Now, Michael was a police officer and while Felix died a hero in combat, his memory served as inspiration.

It was very dangerous work for a young boy, but he was also a very smart one. He had been studying up on his science to maximize the effectiveness of his powers and also give him inspirations in how to use them. To add to that, he had been training with a strange old man, a monk he called himself, in Chinatown in Ba Gua Zhang and Bai Ji Quan, along with other forms of Kenpo and Chinese martial arts. Also, one of his teachers at school happened to be a Mestre, a recognized master of Capoeira, and had taken to teaching him after school, increasing his fighting ability. After 6 months, he was able to at least rid his neighborhood and the Echo Park area of the gangs, garnering the admiration of many as a local hero. Even Cole, having survived the incident in New Marais and gone into hiding had heard about him all the way over there, but this also grabbed the attention of some less than desirable people.

Moya Jones had heard the news of this new hero in Los Angeles and immediately recognized him for what he was, a Conduit, a very powerful one like Cole and a handful of others. She had been conspiring with the remnants of the First Sons for years now, surviving the Steel Harbor incident some how. At first, she was trying to get hold of the Ray Sphere but Cole had thwarted her on that end by destroying it and the RFI. Now, she was kidnapping Conduits, using special collars that could suppress their powers to keep them contained while they literally hacked them apart, trying to reverse engineer and produce their own.

The epidemic of Conduits going missing was scaring Cole, so he came back out of hiding to try and protect the remaining Conduits. Back in LA, Isaac was now facing his biggest and most dangerous opponent yet, another Conduit that had risen from the gangs and united them. This Conduit, Clayton Diggs, was once just a pathetic lackey for a small time gang, but once he gained his powers over fire, he eventually took over the gang and subjugated several others, going as far as declaring LA as his personal kingdom. He constantly had his followers attack, rape and pillage at will and began to target police officers. One fateful day, his eldest brother Michael and his partner responded to a police call, a school bus full of kids being held hostage, but found an ambush on top of that. His partner was killed instantly by a fire blast, but Mike kept on fighting until the bitter end, dying a hero for buying time for the kids to escape. This was his first major test as a hero, to see if he would still uphold justice, or fly off the handle and seek revenge.

He visited the graves of his brothers, side by side, one lonely night, desperately seeking an answer. He read the epitaph on each headstone.

Sgt. Michael Rodriguez

LAPD

March 27 1982 - May 2 2009

Willingly gave his life so others may live

SGT. Felix Rodriguez

1st MEU USMC

August 24 1985 - October 14 2008

Najaf, Iraq

Served his country with Honor and Dedication

Silver Star recipient

After reading them, he could feel...Something. There was something before him, just barely registering within his senses, but he just couldn't place it. Soon, that feeling became stronger and more intense, as two distinct shapes appeared before him...Two people he knew very well.

"Little brother...Prove that you're better than him...I have faith in you, Changuito (Little Monkey...Issac's family nickname)..." Michael told him as Felix took over.

"Hey Changuito...Look at you, a badass hero, huh? You've been doing good, little bro. Keep it up..." Felix stated as the two returned to whatever afterlife they came from, where ever heroes go when their time comes.

After hearing his brother's words seemingly from beyond, his mind was made up. Clayton Diggs was going to face justice even if it killed him. He then began to systematically strike at the gangs, chipping away at them until Diggs came out of hiding. Finally, his patience paid off. Diggs left himself wide open, allowing Issac to open up with a withering barrage of wind attacks and catching him off guard, but he recovered and the battle raged on. For two hours, the super powered beings fought tooth and nail with the police and citizens watching on, but Issac's studying of science and his skill in martial arts gave him the edge. After beating him senseless on a rooftop overlooking the city, Diggs tried to run away, but forgot where he was. He plummeted over 20 stories down and wound up being impaled by a steel fence post, killing him instantly.

After he finally achieved victory over the would be dictator, Moya Jones had struck, attempting to capture them both. Isaac escaped and tried to return home only to find that Moya had been there first. She and the First Son mercs with her had killed his family and burnt most of his neighborhood to the ground looking for him, later written off as the work of a mad Conduit.

Now an orphan, he fled into the city's backstreets, continuing his hero career and avoiding Moya and her lackeys for another 6 months until his luck finally ran out. He had been captured and taken to a secret testing facility, exactly where he didn't know, but he was subjected to painful and torturous experiments. Since he was what they called a Prime Conduit, they refrained from doing anything that could kill him but being kept alive only meant more pain. He was eventually strapped to a bastardized Transfer device, like the one Cole found in New Marais along with another young Conduit his age, a Water user. This resulted in Isaac inadvertently absorbing her powers and killing her in the process. Cole had found out about this place and attacked with everything he had, overwhelming the guards and soldiers posted there and attempting to free the imprisoned Conduits. However, all of them were already dead or vegetables from the cruel and inhumane experiments that were being done there...All but one. Cole found young Isaac in his cell, nearly comatose and largely unresponsive. Shocking him slightly to knock him out, he carried the child to safety while the facility fell apart, taking all of its secrets with it.

He had taken the boy to New Marais with him where the good people hid them and covered up their existence. Cole and Zeke managed to get through to the boy and after that, Cole began to teach him more about being a Conduit, eventually having him join him in defending New Marais alongside himself and Zeke. During his time there, the child learned to utilize his water abilities and even pull the ambient moisture from the very air around them. Another ability he'd gained was the ability to propel himself in water like a torpedo and the ability to stand on water as if it were solid, as well as absorb it to heal himself as Cole does with his electricity. That ability had a rather strong limitation, as the water had to be purified first, or else he'd poison himself instead. He had also expanded his wind abilities, such was the ability to remain aloft for extended periods of time and power jumps that could propel him on to rooftops easily, giving him the ability to do combat in midair. Cole, having another Conduit to spar against, discovered a new way to use his powers as well, the E-Mag Gun ability. He could place a small metallic object between his hands and have them act as a Railgun, shooting the object with incredible force, as well as getting some extra exercise and practice with his ice powers. On top of that, Zeke managed to replace Cole's Amp with something better, the Galvanic Knuckles. These hyper-conductive, metal plated gauntlets could amplify Cole's electrical melee attacks and were like having stun guns attached to his fists. There were differences in their powers, as well. Cole had overwhelming force and sheer power, while his new young companion was very, very fast and agile but not near as strong physically although his young age was also a factor.

Their time in New Marais lasted for a year, until Moya returned with her new organization, the DUP or Department of Unified Protection. She used the propaganda from Empire City to justify hunting down Conduits, killing them outright if they didn't have the powers she wanted. She attacked the city with a full assault, trying to get at Cole and Isaac. During the assault, Roscoe LaRoche told the three of them to run and leave things to them while he and a grateful city protected their hero for once. It was the last they saw of him and New Marais as from a distance, they saw a massive fireball envelope the city. Moya had set off a massive FAE to destroy the city once she found that they had escaped once again to cover her tracks, blaming it all on them. Now on the run, they were hiding out in the forests of Yosemite in California, but they still tried to help Conduits where they could. Their kind were now labeled as a danger to all mankind, one to be eliminated at all costs and as heretics in the eyes of religion. The three of them had bore witness to several horrifying acts committed by the DUP, including their agenda of genocide. This was beginning to take its toll on the younger Conduit, who was beginning to question if they should ever trust humans outside of Zeke, let alone co-exist with them. He was also deathly silent now, barely even saying a word to anyone.

Tenmei Mikogami had followed the Conduit situation since the beginning, since they were a new type of border being like Witches. He understood their plight, but as he tried to contact these people, many refused to come out of hiding and some even killed themselves while the rest had been captured and killed, the DUP rounding them up. Finally, he managed to contact Cole, appearing before them while Isaac slept.

"You've been very difficult to find, Mr. McGrath." The Exorcist remarked, spooking them and nearly getting his head blown off by Zeke's shotgun.

"I can assure you that I mean no harm. In fact, I would like to extend a welcome into the Monster Community. I am Tenmei Mikogami, and it has been discussed at length and decided that Conduits are now considered Boundary Beings, the bridge between humans and Monsters..." Mikogami stated as he explained about the Monster world, a separate world where Conduits just may be able to live in peace and of Youkai Academy, where young monsters Isaac's age went to get an education and to learn to fit into the Human world.

"...This Youkai school sounds like the kinda place where the kid could fit in, Cole. Be around kids his age for a change 'n make some friends." Zeke commented out of concern.

"You got a point, Zeke. I've seen what all of this chaos and bloodshed is doing to him, and it's not good." Cole agreed with his friend.

"I'll talk to him in the morning. You said that there was a place where we could go that the DUP can't get to?" Cole replied to the robed man.

"Yes. An Enclave of Witches have agreed to host the three of you and I could have you taken there, should you come with me. I'll leave you to think on it and return in the morning." The man stated as he disappeared the same way he came, leaving the two men with a decision to make.

Morning came and with it, Mikogami returned to hear their decision.

"We'll do it. It's for the best." Cole told him, the mysterious man smiling as he ushered them into a cluster after they finished pack what little they had and whisked them away, leaving nary a trace of them behind.

They suddenly appeared within the Enclave of Witches in the Monster world, a place that would prove to be a safe haven for them as he took them to the Grand Matron of the Enclave, Hannah Cross. She was an extremely powerful witch who came from America, like themselves, and she could help them settle in.

"Ah...So you are the famous Cole McGrath. Your reputation precedes you, young man." She stated without even turning to see who she was talking to.

"Whoa...So witches really DO exist...Cool." Zeke muttered, catching her attention.

"Mr. Dunbar...I assure you that Witches such as I are only the tip of the iceberg. You are just now taking your first step into a much larger world, yet you do not seem to panic. Why is that?" She asked.

"Well...I guess when you've seen as many freaky things as I have, you kinda get used to it. 'Sides, Cole's my best friend and stuck with him through everything, why should this be any different?" Zeke replied, the old witch chuckling.

"Good answer, Mr. Dunbar. Your unique perspective will serve you well in this world." She cackled as they were settled in, Isaac being filled in on his new school, where he would be going in a week's time. Classes had already started a month ago, but he would be squeezed into one of the first year classes and with a friendly teacher that should be a good fit for him.

He was equally pensive and excited about doing this. Even though Cole and Zeke were going to venture out into the Human World again to find more Conduits and try to guide them there, he was taken in by a small family, the Sendo family. The mother, Fujiko, was a mute, but she was able to speak through a combination of gestures and a form of telepathy. She also had a daughter that was a few years younger than himself, but was going to be in the same grade. He couldn't understand a word of Japanese, but Hannah and Fujiko managed to brew the Lexiconus potion, a draft that would allow one to quickly become fluent in a new language, for them so they could understand what many of the witches and wizards were saying since they were mostly Japanese. That single gesture gained them a measure of the reclusive teen's trust and he began to open up again.

"Coming here was the best move we could have made. Look at how the kid's opening up again...This place will do him a world of good." Cole surmised, Zeke nodding in agreeance.

"Yeah, but you have to admit that this is pretty cool. I mean...I can speak, read, and understand Japanese now and from a real witch's brew. I'm gonna love it here!" Zeke exclaimed.

A week had passed and the time to depart had arrived. The bus rolled up to the gates of the Enclave to pick Isaac up, but Fujiko wanted to ask him to watch over her daughter, as Witches were generally ill-received by other monsters. Her daughter, Yukari, had been informed of him and knew to expect him. Finally, Cole and Zeke had their say.

"I'm not too good at stuff like this, but good luck kid. We'll see you when you get back here for Summer Break." Cole stated as Zeke took his turn.

"Take care of yourself, kiddo. Oh yeah...Try to snag yourself a girlfriend while you're there, huh?" Zeke joked, the teen coloring slightly as he stepped aboard and was on his way...

FLASHBACK END...

"...A scary place...Hey kid, you there?" The bus driver asked, noticing that the teen was zoned out during his little speech.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about some things..." He replied.

"As I was saying, Youkai can be a really scary place. It's not too late to turn back now." The driver offered.

"I've lived through worse..." The young Conduit muttered as they came to a stop.

"We're here..." The driver stated, letting the young man off and then driving back into the darkness of the tunnel, leaving him to wander over toward the school and take in the surroundings.

"Looks like some cheesy horror flick threw up all over the place..." He commented as he padded along a path to the school when a scream ripped through the air.

"What the hell?" He muttered as he tried to locate the source of the scream, using wind currents like a form of sonar to locate the source. Upon finding it, he used his wind abilities to increase his speed, making him look like a blur as he raced toward the source.

Yukari's mind raced as she thought through all of the events that had led up to this moment. She couldn't help it if she was smarter than the rest of her class or that she was a Witch, but their prejudice ran deep and left her isolated. In response to their treatment, she resorted to pranks with her magic to get even with them and to put on a front that what they did wasn't bothering her, but inside she felt completely alone. She then tried to latch onto Moka Akashiya, who she claimed she was in love with and tried to drive away the boy she was with, Tsukune Aono. It didn't work out as planned, so she ran off, only to bump into the Class Rep for her class, who had a particularly strong dislike for her. After she dropped steel wash tubs on their heads in response for their nasty comments, the chase was on, ending with them cornering her in a swamp outside the ground. Once there and convinced that they would get away with killing and eating her, they reverted to their monster forms, that of Lizardmen.

"Annoying little bitches...But you look so tasty...Nobody will miss a disgusting half-breed or this pink haired slut, right boys?" The Class Rep boasted to his two fellows as they advance on Yukari and Moka, memories and images of some very unpleasant times running rampant through Isaac's mind.

"Disgusting freaks!"

"Die, sinners!"

"Heretics!"

With that, he snapped, sending out a massive but focused blast of wind to knock them away from the girls.

"BACK OFF!" He roared angrily.

"W-who did that?! Who's there?!" The leader yelled out, becoming panic stricken as a somewhat tall young man with olive skin and shaggy black hair stood in front of the young witchling protectively with his arm pointed in their direction, a fierce scowl on his face. Yukari chanced opening her eyes as saw this stranger standing there, protecting her.

You see, due to all of the pent up stress, life threatening situations, and massive trauma in his past, he developed a rather severe case of PTSD. Seeing these girls being attacked and hearing the reason for it was just enough to send him careening over the edge.

"You bastards...Preying on someone who can't even fight back. If you come any closer...I'll kill ALL of you." He snarled, not really himself in his enraged state.

'Who is this guy? Why did he protect me? He has on a school uniform, but I've never seen him before.' Yukari thought as the three lizards were getting up again.

"You son of a bitch...I'm gonna eat ALL of you!" The leader roared as all three of them lept forward at the fight was on, Tsukune and Kurumu entering the area.

"Moka! What's going on here?!" He yell above the din of combat.

"Those jerks were about to eat Yukari and I, but that guy jumped in and saved us." Moka stated.

"Whoa...He hasn't even used his monster form yet, but that guy's giving those jerks all they can handle." Kurumu commented, but she spied one of them peeling off and attempting to attack Yukari again.

Kurumu couldn't respond in time, but the new student saw it and seemingly flickered away from the fight to shield the young witchling since he didn't have time to pre-empt the attack , the claws leaving three long, deep bloody gashes in his back before he hook kicked his attacker in the face as he rolled out, carrying her to safety. He could have just eradicated them all easily, summon up one of his cyclones to rip them into confetti, but it would have been very messy and he was already pushing his luck by using his wind powers once. He was told that he was to keep his powers and identity as a Conduit under wraps until Cole could find more unless absolutely necessary.

"Here...Take the girl and go!" He yelled as he lept back into the fray, still limiting himself to martial arts and his enhanced physical abilities.

"Moka, we have to get Yukari and get out of here!" Tsukune reasoned, but Moka wouldn't have it.

"No! I have to help him, Tsukune! He helped us!" Moka cried as Tsukune nodded and removed her Rosary, breaking the seal and allowing her to transform into her true Vampire persona. The raw Youki was flooding the area, making the combatants halt their fight and the lizards tremble.

"What the hell?! A Vampire?!" The leader cowered in fear as the formerly pink haired girl transformed into this scary looking silver haired woman.

"You all thought that lowly scum like you could actually eat a Vampire?" She sneered at the three offenders, her tone scathing and look condescending, readying an attack as they lept at her out of instinct.

"LEARN YOUR PLACE!" She bellowed as she wiped out all three of them with a single attack, the young Conduit watching on in awe and a little bit of horror.

'I was told that this was a school for Monsters, but seeing it is really freaking different...I just hope all of that Twilight bullshit isn't real...' He couldn't help thinking as the hormonal teen in him kicked in.

'But still...Panties and hot girls...This place might not be so bad. I bet Zeke would sell his soul to come here.' He added as this new person addressed him.

"You...You were holding back in that fight." She stated simply, but her tone of voice left no room for compromise.

"I was under the impression and told that we weren't supposed to reveal our monster identities." He replied in a matter of fact tone, trying not to sound defensive, but with the amount of pain he was in that was a tall order. On top of that, based on what he saw, he was no match for her in his current state should she attack him as well, so he tried not to provoke her.

"I can tell that there is much more to you than meets the eye, much stronger than you appear. However, if you want to survive here, do not hold back. I won't be here to save you next time. Since you defended my other half, I will give you the benefit of the doubt, but I will be watching you." She promised as she snagged the Rosary from Tsukune and re-sealed herself, changing back to her light side and slumping from the effort.

"Duly noted..." He grimaced. The pain in his back was teaching him that holding himself back was a pretty stupid idea, but hindsight is always 20/20. Yukari stepped forward to speak to the one who stepped in on her behalf.

"Why...I don't even know you..." She whispered as she walked up to him where Kurumu was helping him stand, the wound on his back bothering him. The wound just happened to be in a place he couldn't reach, or he'd heal it himself.

"Don't really need a reason to help someone...You just do it because it's the right thing to do. That's what I was taught to believe growing up." He replied through a grimace, stumbling slightly due to the blood loss.

'What I wouldn't give to be able to heal like Cole...This really freaking hurts...' He thought. He can heal rapidly, but not nearly as fast as Cole can. With a wound like this, it would take hours for it to heal without revealing himself too much, so he'd have to bite the bullet for now, at least until he knew who he could trust.

"Easy there...That wound looks pretty bad. We really should get him to the nurse and we can talk more there." The succubus cautioned as she shifted his weight slightly to get a better grip, the group dragging him to the infirmary.

Inside his office, Mikogami saw the whole thing and would deal with the three offenders accordingly, but what made him smirk was the fact that Isaac hadn't even been there more than thirty minutes and already fell into saving someone.

'Heh...Cole taught him well. This will be an interesting year, that's for sure... If he lasts that long.' He thought as he contacted his homeroom teacher to let her know what happened.

NURSE'S OFFICE

The group had gotten their new companion to the Nurse's Office to have his back treated, but also to get some answers. He got his first real good look at them without someone trying to kill him. Moka, the pink haired girl, was hands down one of the most beautiful girls he'd ever seen and she seemed to be rather sweet. The aquamarine haired girl was also extremely beautiful, but also had proportions that would make any model literally green with envy, and quite a few men a little tight in the pants. The young girl he'd rescued wore a cute little witch's hat and cloak with the standard uniform as he'd guessed, but with a corset and stockings with a possible garterbelt.

'Seriously? This place is a pervert's paradise. Now I KNOW Zeke would do anything to come here even for a few minutes.'

The rest of them took a good long look at this person who jumped in on their behalf. He was tall, athletically built with jet black hair and light hazel eyes, but had tanned skin. He was also able to fight extremely well in human form, but what raised some questions about what he was was when one of the lizardmen lunged at Yukari, he seemingly blurred from sight in a burst of speed when he was a good 20 meters away and still arrived in time to shield her.

"While we really appreciate that you jumped in when you did, who are you?" Tsukune asked in a confused tone. The prospect of having another guy around to talk to was a very inviting one, being surrounded by girls as much as he was.

"Oh...I'm new here, my first day. My name is Isaac...Isaac Rodriguez." He replied, garnering a gasp from Yukari.

"Wait...My mom told me to expect you...You're him?" She asked as he nodded.

"That must make you Yukari, then. Yeah...Your parents are pretty nice. They took me in and let me stay there in a spare room until it was time to come here." He supplied, explaining a little of how he came to be there.

"So humans discovered your people and now they're on the verge of extinction?" Tsukune asked, fearing the answer. He was human, but he didn't think like they did. Monsters were just like him, living beings, and just because they were different didn't give his race carte blanche to commit genocide.

"You can say that. The Headmaster found the three of us hiding in the Yosemite Forests, saying that an Enclave of Witches offered to take us in. We never knew about this world or of Youkai until a week ago, but it didn't take very long to decide what to do. It was either wait to be discovered and destroyed, or seek asylum. Cole and Zeke, the ones who rescued me from that...place..." He spat out with venom as he continued, making them wonder just what could have possibly happened to him at the hands of humans.

"Already left to find more of our kind. Granny Hannah gave them permission to bring back any more of our kind that they can find, but their chances of finding them aren't good. We might be the only ones left." He finished, a haunted look taking over his face.

"Wow...And I thought we Succubi were in trouble..." Kurumu whispered as Yukari walked up and gave him a hug before she turned to face them all.

"I'm really sorry about the way I was acting...If I hadn't been such a brat..." She confessed, tearing up but Isaac stopped her.

"This wasn't your fault. I knew that getting hurt was possible when I jumped in to save you. From what I heard, our kind isn't really welcome here, are we?" He asked.

"...No. Witches have been persecuted for centuries by both monsters and humans, as well as other Boundary Beings and hybrid monsters. Not all monsters feel that way, but many still do, as you saw today." Moka explained sadly as she turned to Yukari.

"You're not alone anymore, Yukari. Your problems are ours now. You don't have to put up such a tough front anymore." She added as the young witch took in all that was said to her. In time, things had settled down so lighter questions could be asked.

"Your name...It doesn't sound Japanese. Where are you from?" Kurumu asked, an honest enough question.

"America, from Los Angeles." He answered.

"But...You don't look like the typical American." The Succubus inquired, quoting manga and anime as her only references since she'd lived her whole life in the Monster World with only the occasional trip to the human world.

"Based on what?" Isaac asked, an eyebrow raised to which she chuckled sheepishly, but he answered anyway.

"That's because my parents were from Mexico when they were kids, but came to the States, met, married and had me." He answered.

"Did you have any siblings? I have three sisters." Moka asked.

"I had my older brothers, Michael and Felix, and my elder sister Magdalena. I was the baby of the family, my sister older than me by 4 years and my eldest brother by 16. What about you guys?" He replied.

"Only child, but my cousin Kyoko is like an older sister to me." Tsukune replied.

"Same here, but I always wanted an older sibling." Yukari added.

"Don't really know anything about my father or other members of my family. All I've ever known was my mother. Succubi don't normally have large families." Kurumu answered honestly.

"Well, out of my sisters, I'm the third child. My eldest sister is Akua, then Kahlua, myself and my younger sister Kokoa." Moka answered with a bright smile.

'So...All named after drinks...' The others thought with a sweatdrop as they continued to talk until his wound finally managed to heal enough for him to leave, but by that time, school was already over for the day.

"Well...I guess we should be headed for the dorms now." Tsukune suggested, the others nodding as the left the building.

YOUKAI CAMPUS DORMS

The group trekked the long path to the dorms, where they bade each other goodnight but not before Yukari had something special for the newcomer.

"Hey...I just wanted to say thanks for standing up for me like that. When I said I wouldn't have minded an older sibling, I thought about what you told me, that my parents took you in. Maybe...You can be my new big brother?" She asked hopefully, using the puppy dog eyes on him to good effect. He was stunned that she would ask him something like that so suddenly, but then understood how lonely she must be, an only child and on top of that, she is years younger than her peers here, making her even lonelier. He was the baby of his family, when he had them, so he didn't know much about being an elder sibling.

"I...guess so. I mean, I've never been anyone's big brother before, so I guess I'll give it a shot." He replied honestly, making the young girl beam with happiness.

"Thank you!" She cheered as she jumped into his arms and gave him a tight hug, which he returned awkwardly since he wasn't used to this kind of physical contact. She sensed his discomfort and let go.

"We'll work on it." She told him with a wink as she and the girls took off to get some sleep but not before Kurumu and Moka gave Tsukune the usual affection, meaning Kurumu's patented full frontal face rape and Moka snagging some blood.

'Lucky bastard...' Isaac whined internally.

"C'mon...I'll show you around." Tsukune offered kindly as he led the other boy into the building.

"So...What room number are you?" He asked.

"Room 324." Isaac replied.

"Wow, so you're my new neighbor! Cool!" Tsukune cheered. He was happy that this guy was his neighbor and that he seems to be a generally okay person as he helped him settle into his new room. All that Isaac had on him was his street clothes, workout clothes, combat gear, and a few personal effects such as his MP3 and small but powerful speakers that Zeke gave him for his birthday a year ago, along with the required textbooks.

"Why do you have these?" Tsukune asked when he saw the combat gear.

It consisted of Kevlar gloves with light steel plates attached, his battle jacket made of lightweight Kevlar with light armor plates sewn into the chest, back and forearms, all developed by a friendly armorer in New Marais in collaboration with Zeke. He and Cole trained constantly to be able to bear the weight without it slowing them down or wearing them out.

"We had to fight every step of the way to survive. It wasn't easy, I'll tell you that." He answered the question.

"So that was how you were able to fight so well in your human form?" He asked.

"Yeah...Something like that. I've been training since I was little and I got really into martial arts, parkour and gymnastics. I still do them to keep in shape." The conduit replied as he yawned loudly, putting on some music as he got ready for bed.

"You're probably exhausted from that fight earlier. I'll let you get some sleep and I'll come get you in the morning for breakfast." Tsukune said, headed back to his room and leaving Isaac to think for a few moments.

'This place...It might not be so bad. I mean, those three lizard dudes are considered the norm around here, so maybe I can fit in...just maybe...' He thought as he drifted off to sleep.

THE NEXT MORNING

Tsukune woke up slowly, hearing a knocking at his window to see his new friend rapping on the pane.

"Uhh...What's up?" He asked sleepily, not even noticing that he was clinging to the sill outside of the window easily and on the third floor at that.

"C'mon, man! I was waiting down there for 20 minutes and I'm hungry!" He exclaimed, the brown haired boy's eyes flying open and rushed through getting dressed, running downstairs to see Isaac dropping down from his window. He cringed, but the other boy wasn't even fazed by it, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"What? I told you I was into parkour." He stated in response to Tsukune's wide eyed gawking, and everyone else's too.

"You mean...Like in those internet videos?" Tsukune inquired.

"Yep. It's a hobby and a faster way of getting from point A to point B." He explained, doing a few parkour tricks to demonstrate on their way to breakfast to meet the girls, who saw him perform a shooting star flip off of a covered walkway, landing in a crouch.

"How did you do that?! WHY did you do that?!" Kurumu exclaimed.

"He's into parkour and free running! That's so cool!" Tsukune answered her on their way in, each of them grabbing their food and sitting down.

"What are those things, anyway?" Moka asked.

"Yeah...I was meaning to ask that, too." Kurumu added.

"The basis of both is to get from one place to another in the most efficient manner possible without losing too much momentum, but freerunnig has you adding style to it. You need to be in good physical condition to even attempt it without hurting yourself, as well as very flexible and agile. I've been doing it for years and in a huge city like Los Angeles, it's a free runner's playground with plenty of places to train if you can get away from the cops and security guards." Isaac explained as he gulped down his bacon and eggs, pounding down his orange juice.

"That sounds really hard, but fun too." Moka thought aloud as they did their dishes before headed off to class.

"I forgot to ask...Who is your homeroom teacher?" Tsukune asked.

"Uh...Something about cats...Nekonome! That's her name." He thought, then remembered.

"Cool! We're even in the same homeroom." Kurumu chirped. She was beginning to like this guy. He was kind of interesting and had interesting hobbies...But there was something else about him that didn't add up, her thoughts being drawn back to the fight yesterday.

'Bah...No use trying to figure it out now...Maybe later.' She thought.

"I gotta go now! Bye!" She chirped as she glomped Moka but gave Isaac a tight hug before going in.

'Aww...I wanted him to be in my homeroom...' Yukari whined as she sat down.

"Are you the new student? I was told what happened yesterday and I hope you're alright." She stated, the concern in her voice making him like her a bit.

"Yeah...I heal quickly, but I'm used to it. Thanks for asking, though." He replied, making her curious, but her questions would have to wait until the end of homeroom since the bells rang to start classes.

"Alright, everyone!" She called out, her voice peppy and perky, to get their attention.

"We have a new student joining our class today! Please step forward and introduce yourself." She coaxed, seeing that he was slightly uncomfortable around crowds.

"Umm...My name is Isaac Rodriguez, 16 and from Los Angeles in the United States." He answered quickly, that last bit of information garnering some interest from the other students.

"You lived in the human world?" One boy asked.

"Uhm...Yeah. My whole life. Born and raised in East LA." He answered quickly and was about to go sit down until a barrage of questions came at him. Before he could do anything else, the teacher asserted herself.

"Okay, kids...We can ask questions later, but for now, it's time for class." She stated as homeroom began.

A FEW HOURS LATER...

Time passes, as is its wont and we now find ourselves after third period, where the class has been split into male and female groups for PE. Isaac was thinking about how his day had gone so far and academically, he was at least two years behind despite his best efforts. Thankfully, Ririko Kagome and Shizuka Nekonome were understanding after he explained that where he was, there was no one to teach him and he had to teach himself with books he could scavenge. Then, he regarded the teachers themselves.

'Hmm...Miss Nekonome. The vibe I get from her is nothing but positive and open. She was pretty patient with me and I'm thankful for it. Not my fault I didn't have time to study when we were too busy trying to stay alive. Miss Kagome, though...Shit. Zeke would blow his wad just looking at her and even Cole would probably get a little tight in the pants. But there's something...weird about her. Something that's not right...I'll have to think about this later and when I have more info.'

In the changing rooms, all of the students were getting changed into their gym clothes to head out to the quad. Issac simply got wrapped up in the motions and forgot where he was when he peeled off his shirt in full view of the rest of the class. Many of them stared with mute horror at what they saw.

"This...That's sick, man...What the fuck are you?" Saizou stammered, the supposedly tough bully horrified by the many nasty looking old wounds and even numbers and letters engraved into the skin on his right shoulder blade. Then a noise that sounded like a gunshot rang out, grazing the bully with a wind bullet that left a clean hole punched through the metal lockers behind him.

"Look away...NOW." Isaac snarled, his eyes glowing with a faint blue light as he quickly covered himself up and headed outside. His scars were a sore point for him, marks of shame from when he was held in captivity and used as a human lab rat, not including his most recent addition to the disturbing mosaic of scarred skin on his upper body. Tsukune snapped out of his daze and chased after him.

"Hey...What did they do to you? Who could be so...cruel and sadistic?" He asked, trying but failing to grasp just what kind of people could carve up living people like a freaking Christmas turkey.

"Not now...Another time, but just not now." Isaac whispered, the other boy getting the subtle hint to leave it alone, but said one last thing.

"We said this to Yukari, but you need to hear it too. I can't even begin to imagine what happened to you or your race, but you can trust us...We're your friends, aren't we?" He reminded the conduit, who nodded silently as they lined up for class, a majority of the other boys staying away from him and his scary looking scars as the coach walked out.

"Alright you worms! Listen up, today, we're doing agility drills and the obstacle course! Fastest time gets a free period tomorrow while the rest have a marathon run!" The coach smirked.

"Aw crap!" Many of the young men whined, making the teacher chuckle.

"Then that reward is a hell of an incentive to move your candy asses, now isn't it? Line up!" He barked, but noticed the new student.

"Oh...You must be the new kid. Nekonome told me to expect you. Since you're new, you get to go first!" He grinned, as Isaac sighed in resignation. He wanted to use that time to train in his own way, not the teachers, so he'd smoke the course as quickly as possible to wipe that smirk off of his face.

"What's the fastest time and the obstacles just need to be negotiated, right?" Isaac asked, his tone all business.

"2 minutes flat, set by me when I went to school here and yes, just get through the course as quickly as you can." He replied smugly as the conduit got ready to begin.

"GO!" He was ordered, so he set off like a shot, hurdling the first wall in almost one leap.

The next set of walls were handle with similar ease. Next came the hurdle logs, which he simply hopped over from post to post without even breaking his rhythm and hit the rope climb. He quickly clambered up the rope with only his arms and rang the bell, Kotsubo stopping the clock at just under a minute.

"Wha...How...?" The teacher stammer, struck speechless, but Tsukune wasn't terribly surprised, having seen him use his freerunning and parkour on their way to school this morning.

"You must have cheated...no way a brat could have beaten my time..." Kotsubo accused, but he simply shook his head.

"No...I've been into Freerunning and Parkour for years. Besides, you said to run it as quickly as possible, so I did." He replied simply as the female coach walked over.

"Wow...That was pretty impressive! Where did you learn to do that?" She asked.

"On the streets of my home city, by watching other freerunners." He explained, Kotsubo not able to follow up on his accusations anymore.

"Fine...Your time stands. I guess that was pretty impressive." He relented as he turned to the rest of them, the other teacher walking over to her group again to usher them through their exercises.

"Alright you maggots! See if you can top 58 seconds!" He yelled out as Isaac sat down to do some cooldown stretches.

"That was quick." Tsukune commented.

"Yeah...I just wanted to get this out of the way so I could go through my routine. Still a little upset from earlier." He replied, the other boy nodding, but neither of them were aware of the pair of snow colored eyes staring at the newest arrival with intrigue.

She had been peeping into the boy's locker room when she saw the scars, along with how defensive he was over it and how the other boys were avoiding him now. She could tell that he was somewhat like her, that he could possibly understand how she felt, lonely and isolated. Suddenly, she heard her name being called.

"Miss Shirayuki! We're ready to begin the next exercise!" The teacher called out to her, also catching the attention of the one she was look at, himself getting a good look at her, gaining a healthy appreciation for the female gym clothes here.

'She's...pretty cute. Wait...Why was she staring at me?' He wondered as he got back to what he was doing, going through a few katas to keep himself from getting rusty and stiff until the class was over with.

AFTER SCHOOL A WEEK LATER

School had finally let out for the day, like it had for the past week. School had been interesting for Isaac, getting caught up in his subjects. Yukari had been helping him out on that, but on the subject of relations, the witch and the conduit had been keeping to themselves, hanging out with the others only during breakfast and lunch for the time being. Isaac and Yukari had bonded pretty well, the young witch taking to the older boy like a younger sibling would to her elder, following him everywhere when not in class, but he didn't seem to mind the company.

It was now getting ready to let out for the weekend, but not before a miffed Saizou once again accosted Tsukune, trying to muscle in on not only Moka this time, but Kurumu as well.

"Not just one, but two babes...heh. Fappy little bastard, you really think you're man enough for even one?" Saizou mocked, having just kicked Tsukune in the stomach and dropping him easily.

"Bastard!" Kurumu yelled as she raked her claws across his face, drawing blood and his ire.

"Little bitch...I'll enjoy taming a Succubus and have a delicious vampire for dessert." The Orc boasted as he roughly fondled Kurumu while ignoring hers and Moka's protests.

Isaac was just coming out of the building with Yukari when they happened upon the scene, the small witchling dropping a metal tub on his head to stun him while Isaac delivered a discreetly wind-powered open palm blow to his sternum in a show of unspoken teamwork. The blow was strong enough to leave Saizou imprinted in the wall and incapacitate him, but not enough to knock him out yet as he saw who attacked him.

"Y-you...The scarred freak..." He muttered fearfully, but Isaac knocked him out before he could say more and walked over to help up Kurumu while Moka and Yukari saw to Tsukune.

"You three alright?" He asked all three of them.

"Yeah *cough* I'm fine." Tsukune answered.

"Same here. Thank you for helping us again." Moka replied.

"Yeah...That jerkoff had the nerve to feel me up. Slashing his face was the least of his worries, but nice job. You kicked his ass!" The Succubus cheered.

"Well...That was a team effort." He stated with a small grin as he gestured to the small witchling, who winked and giggled.

"You look like you're doing better now." Tsukune commented, seeing his attitude already getting better.

"Yeah...Sorry for acting like a hermit all week, man. Everything is still sinking in." He apologized to them.

"Don't worry about it. I didn't realize how sensitive you were about that." Tsukune replied, careful not to mention anything about the scars, but the girls overheard Saizou's muttering.

"What about you had Saizou so freaked out? You've only been here a week and he looked terrified of you." Kurumu inquired while Moka heard Ura, her inner self, talking to her.

"I knew it. He's hiding something and if that wretch Saizou was more scared of him than me, you can bet that it is something big." She stated to her outer self, growing suspicious of this new person Tsukune had invited into their fold.

"But...He can't be bad! He saved us twice and saved Yukari when he had no reason to!" Moka argued.

"...I can see that you are going to be stubborn. Fine, but watch out. He has yet to reveal what he truly is to you and he could be very dangerous." Ura warned before she faded back into the Rosary.

"I...Can I trust you?" He asked them seriously.

All of this cloak and dagger crap with keeping himself under wraps was killing him already. He found these good people who would likely become close friends and he wanted them to trust him, but trust worked both ways. They all looked taken back at the question, but recovered and nodded.

"Good...Follow me then. I'll tell you. Not everything, but I'll at least tell you what I am and how I came here." He stated as they made their way to his room, but a trio of students were watching them leave with contempt...At least for the male members of the group.

'You...Heretics! Defiling our sacred Goddesses with your filthy presence!' They thought as one.

YOUKAI MALE DORMS - ISAAC'S ROOM

After a 10 minute walk where they discussed the days classes with each other, they reached the dorms, headed up to the young Conduit's room. Once there, he locked the door to make sure no one would come in and stuffed towels under the door to muffle any sound. It looked suspicious, but his expression was far too grave for anything pervy or sinister. After a moment, Kurumu spoke up.

"Well, we're here. What did you want to tell us?" She asked.

"Now...I have to ask you. Have you ever heard of the Ray Sphere Incident, or the Calamity of Empire City a few years ago?" He asked.

"Yeah...My father mentioned something about it. An entire city was wiped out by some massive explosion. He said something about a strange experiment and humans gaining strange powers from it." Moka replied.

"Well, that's a good start. That incident awoke a special gene within certain people all over the world, later called the Conduit Genome. I was only 12, living with my family in Los Angeles, when I discovered my powers, the power to control wind and the atmosphere around me. At first, I was terrified of my powers, but I got over it due to curiosity and managed to master them on my own." He revealed. They couldn't believe it.

"You're...a human? Kurumu gasped.

"Not quite. Remember when I told Yukari that we were the same?" He asked her.

"Yeah...I do. Oh, yeah! That means you're a Boundary Being like her?" She realized.

"Yeah. That's right, but I was an ordinary human at one time." He clarified.

"You learned how to control your powers all on your own? Wow..." Yukari whispered in awe. She had been hanging around him all week, but this was the first time he'd opened up.

"So that's why you lived in the Human World and know so much about it. Wasn't it scary not being human anymore? Did your family ever know?" Moka asked.

"It was pretty scary at first, since I had heard of the incident and after learning what my kind was called, a Conduit, I learned that we were blamed for what happened in Empire City. But, I had a teacher in my old school who came from there after the quarantine lifted who told us that it wasn't true." He said to them.

"What wasn't true?" Tsukune asked.

"That a Conduit tried to destroy the city and take it over. The truth was that the Conduit the government blamed was actually a hero. After the Blast, the city was quarantined and those trapped inside were cut off from the rest of the world. Gangs began to grow bold and started wreaking havoc, other Conduits appeared and began to rampage. It was like the fall of Rome. However, the man that rescued me, Cole McGrath, stood tall to fight the gangs and re-take the city, street by street and block by block. At first, he was blamed for everything, but he believed that with his powers, he needed to use them to help people, regardless of what they thought of him. Over time, they warmed up to him and eventually came to see him as a hero for driving back the gangs, protecting the innocent, and helping them re-claim their city." He stated, telling them more about Cole and his accounts of what happened there and in New Marais.

"Wow...Like a real life comic book hero." Tsukune gasped in wonder.

"He sounds like a good man. Someone to look up to." Moka agreed.

"Yeah. I admire him a lot and he was one of my inspirations for what I did next, but to understand the rest, I need to tell you about my family." He replied, pulling some old pictures out of his bag, ones that he miraculously managed to salvage from the ruins of his old home and hid in a dead drop. He was able to come back and find it later after he was rescued.

"Who are they? Your family?" Yukari asked, seeing a sad smile on his face.

"Yeah...This is my father, Enrique Rodriguez, when he was a Fire Fighter. He was on the squad for almost 30 years, and had medals for bravery. The next is my eldest brother, Michael. He was a Marine and then he became a Police Officer, where he earned a Medal of Valor. Finally, my second brother, Felix. He joined the Marines as well, wanting to make it a career. He died in combat a year before I got my powers, protecting refugees in Southern Iraq. To me, they were my heroes and when I was little, I wanted to be just like them. I began fighting crime and the gangs that ran loose all over our neighborhood and in the surrounding areas using my powers." He unveiled to them snippet of his past.

"That explains why you saved Yukari without a second thought...Courage just runs in the family." Kurumu commented with a small smile.

'Not to mention that his elder brothers are kinda hot...' The Succubus giggled to herself, not being able to help her nature.

"That's not all, is there? There's more." Moka urged him gently, seeing him close up again.

"You're right...I might as well get it all out. I continued on like that for 6 months, until our area was cleared of the gangs. But one day, a guy named Clayton Diggs, some lowly street punk, discovered that he was a Conduit too, a Pyrokinetic Conduit. He used his powers to dominate the other gangs and force them to serve him as he tried to take over the city. I fought back against it alongside the police, but something bad happened." He told them but stopped to brace himself for what was coming next. Yukari could tell that this was becoming very upsetting for him, so she sidled up to him and took his hand, draining away the tension as he gave her a grateful smile.

"That psychopath started intentionally targeting police officers and killing them without mercy, trying to send a message that opposing him was hopeless. He lured my brother and his partner with a distress call from a school bus driver who called for help, that a gang had taken them hostage. When they arrived, they were ambushed, his partner killed instantly. Mike put up a huge fight, managing to hold out long enough to free the hostages and for myself to arrive to help drive them away, but by that time, he was already dying from several gunshots that penetrated his body armor. He wanted to see what I looked like before he died, so I showed him my face. He said that he was so proud of me for doing all that I had done so far and that he'd be watching over me. Then...He died, right there in my arms." Isaac managed to get out before having to stop to calm down, tears leaking from his eyes as he struggled to regain control. The small witch hugged him tightly as she seemed to have a calming effect on him, helping him master himself again.

"At first, I so was lost. I wanted to track down and kill Diggs so bad I could taste it, but killing him wouldn't bring my brother back. I went to visit his grave one night, asking him what I should do. He told me...At least I think it was him...that I should prove that I was better than him. He kept me from falling down a very dark path that night from beyond the grave. I started to chip away at his gangs and his power to get him to reveal himself again and after a month, it worked. I cornered him and forced him to fight someone who could fight back. After a 2 hour fight, we ended up on top of a tall building, where I finally beat him. He tried to run away but forgot where we were in his panic, falling to his death from over twenty stories up and getting impaled on a fence post. It wasn't the way I planned it, but I had finally avenged the death of my brother." He wound down that part of his story.

"Wow...Just...Wow..." Tsukune breathed.

He never imagined that there was so much to this new student, or the Conduits, or that his new friend was one. Moka and Kurumu were also speechless. Even Ura had little to say about this, but her suspicions about him were erased as he took a huge risk in trusting them, along with gaining her respect for his unwavering courage and dedication to his cause, something that was severely lacking in the world today. Even his family deserved her respect despite being humans, their example being his inspiration and Cole McGrath for his unyielding valor and resolve in the face of impossible odds.

On the ledge outside of his room, a girl with icy blue hair and eyes couldn't believe what she heard. This boy she was watching...had been through so much pain and suffering, yet here he was.

'He's so much like me...Maybe...He's the one...' She wondered to herself as she sat and listened in more.

However, Kurumu knew that wasn't the end of his story, not by a long shot. She heard Saizou stammering about scars and Tsukune tried to steer the conversation away from it.

"There's more to this, isn't there?" Kurumu asked, but not really sure she was ready to hear the rest of the story.

"Yes...But that will have to wait...I'm still coming to terms with that." He responded, the rest understanding and letting it drop.

They all left the room shortly after that, everyone knowing that even with all they had gone through, there was always someone who had endured worse and soldiered on. The respect they felt for him rose and the loyalty they felt for one another intensified, two new people now entering their fold. For Moka, she never had many friends growing up, but since coming to Youkai, she's gained 4 good friends in the span of a month who have all stood up for her and beside her. For Kurumu, she was trying to find her destined one, but had no one she could truly call a friend. Now, she could honestly say that she did. She had people to whom she could trust her very life to. Yukari was forced to grow up so quickly. She wasn't given much time to act her age, but now that she adopted a pseudo older sibling, one who needed her just as badly, she felt that a gap in her life had been filled, gaining friends to boot. Tsukune was feeling completely isolated and alone there at Youkai, being the only human and all. But now, these girls were staunch allies, steadfast friends. With the addition of another male in the group, he felt like he could go on here at Youkai.

Finally, we come to Isaac, our young Conduit. The old life he had was long dead, but he was given the chance to create a new life, these people reaching out to him with acceptance. Moka, even though her other self was a frightening Vampire, she was easily one of the sweetest people he knew. For being a Succubus, Kurumu was actually a sweetheart instead of some sexual deviant. Yukari was a cheerful girl who had quickly worked her way into his heart. These monsters...Were better and more decent people than the ones who hated their kind. Sure, he was somewhat forced by them to spill the beans about his past, but something good came of it. Instead of re-opening old wounds, this actually helped him heal. Yes...Sometimes the best balm for the soul is disclosure.

After finishing up what homework he could understand, a quick workout, and a bath, he was ready to get some much deserved sleep. In her own room, the mystery girl lay on her bed, dissecting all that she had heard. One thing was for certain...She had made her choice. She would risk reaching out to him. By watching his routine, be would be out tomorrow, exercising by running all over campus practicing that Freerunning discipline he was so fond of, winding up back at the dorms by 0630. She would introduce herself then.

Youkai Academy...Heh...I never would have believed it if I hadn't lived it myself. Some of the things I've seen and heard over the past few days shattered the belief that Conduits are the only non-humans roaming the earth. However...These students that reached out to me in friendship...The Sendo's taking me in to their home. My new friends, my new family, my new life...I think I found where I belong, now. Thanks for everything, Cole. I'll never be able to thank you enough for what you've done. I'll defend them with the life you gave back to me, no matter what.

ELSEWHERE ON CAMPUS...

In one of the club rooms on campus, three...I guess you could call them fanboys, were cuddling and fondling cardboard likenesses of Moka, Kuruku and Yukari.

"Oh, Moka...My pink haired goddess..." One moaned, somewhat more normal looking than his other two cohorts.

"Yukari...Your tiny body is so cute..." Another crooned, this guy tall, lanky and bespectacled.

"Kurumu...Those magnificent breasts of yours are worthy of worship..." The final loon proclaimed, short and portly, but all three stopped and scowled intensely.

"But those two worms...That wimpy looking Aono kid and that crazy foreigner...How dare they interfere with our divine love?!" The tall skinny one bellowed.

"We should get rid of them! For the sake of our divine love!" The chunky one agreed.

"DOWN WITH THE HERETICS!" They cried as one, continuing their creepy worship practices.

AND…SCENE!

Well…That concludes the first chapter of my newest brainchild. Now to explain a few things.

I wanted to avoid a Gary Stu as much as possible. Isaac has a few…problems stemming from being in captivity. He tends to be a little reclusive and introverted. The only reason the group got through to him was due to diligence. On top of that, he was very lonely, wanting to trust someone and he couldn't have picked better people. Yes, he opened up, but only after Tsukune and the girls wore him down. Like I mentioned before, he got tired of being lonely. Take it from me...It sucks more than you can imagine.

Also, He will be paired with a Youkai girl, no harem for him and it is NOT Moka, but judging from the slight foreshadowing earlier, you can hazard a guess as to WHO the girl is.

As my usual readers already know, if you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them to the best of my ability. CIAO!