Oh man... feels like I haven't updated in forever. Still, nice to get back to work with... wait... (Sees date of last update) No... no that can't be!

I SLEPT TO LONG!

All joking aside, I am so so sorry for the wait you guys. It has been a MAJORLY CRAZY YEAR, all caps, so you know it's serious. Still, I'm back now, and that's what's important. When we last left our heroes, they had their first encounter with the Safety Commission. After a couple of battles, some investigating, and a shadowy figure, things were really heating up.

Now we continue with this arch, already in progress...

-Dealing With Youkai Academy-Chapter 9: Dealing with Secrets and Retaliation

Kishin.

A god class creature of insanity and fear. Only one has been proven to exist, and if the world had its way, that was one to many.

At Youkai Academy, they were the only creature hated more then humans. Yes humans had wagged war on the monsters for as long as both had walked the Earth, but they were, in the monster's eyes, weak and little threat in comparison to the Kishin. The Kishin had no sense of loyalty to its fellow monsters It would rampage and destroy and drive mad all in its wake.

The Academy, even though it was exclusive to supernatural entities, would never allow a Kishin to enter. From the legends told about the creatures, and the aura of madness that leaked off them, there should be no way for them to slip in unnoticed.

"I do not believe you." Kuyou said simply to the dark. The voice had promised him a way to execute Crona without consequence, and all it brought him was a half baked claim that the boy was one of the rarest creatures in existence. He was Justice at this Academy, and it was his job to protect the peace. But even if he hated Crona, and he most certainly did, the notion of a Kishin in his school was nonsense. He'd sooner believe a human had somehow snuck in.

The voice chuckled, seemingly amused by Kuyou's remarks "Don't you want to see the destruction of the Newspaper Club, which has been defying the Public Safety Commission for how long now?

Koyou ground his teeth. He did want to destroy them. But he couldn't do it without proof. He glared at a photo on his desk of the boy. He looked so nervous in the picture… how was that a Kishin?

"The newspaper club's Crona Gorgon… if he really is a Kishin, what are you going to do?" Kuyou glared at the darkness, which continued to speak regardless of the fact that the room had started to heat up drastically "According to the Law, it wouldn't matter if he were killed would it? Right along with his friends at the newspaper club… am I right?"

Kuyou clenched his fists, glaring down at the papers on his desk so hard they started to smolder. He had a dilemma, and the solution sounded so tantalizingly easy…

-Dealing With Youkai Academy-

Meanwhile, with the Newspaper Club, the Next Day:

"You FUCKING STUPID IDIOTS!" Gin yelled so loud the ground shook! It was the day after his meeting with Shu, and he was not in a good mood. Apparently, the paranoid demon couldn't get him in to see the security room that day, at least not without leaving a suspicious trail to anyone who might have their eyes on Gin (say, the Safety Division); so the werewolf was forced to wait until Shu could pull some strings and get him in in secret.

Now he found out that not only had his fellow club members defied his wishes, they had managed to make things about a thousand times worse. "You're saying not only did you start something with the Academy Cops, but then you went and beat some of them up?!" he cried, veins in his face visibly pulsating at the idea.

Thank goodness Crona hadn't fussed up to killing Keito. Poor Gin might have had a damn aneurysm in the middle of the class.

Crona and the rest could only stand by stoically as Gin ranted on (except Ragnarok. He had taken out a notepad and was playing Mash to kill time).

"Didn't I say you'd be in monster trouble if you put one hand on those guys!" Gin said, pounding his fist against the blackboard "The Academy Police is a violent gang formed right at the center of Japan's monster population! It's rotten all the way to Kuyou at the top, it's an organization of badasses!"

Here Ragnarok couldn't hide a snicker "Really? 'Cause we took care of that Keito bitch pretty easily." he said rather smugly "And it didn't look like Kurumu had much trouble with her little bug gang; and even Moka managed to nearly choke a bitch out." he said, listing off the groups victories over the gang. He turned to look down at Yukari "Heck, only pipsqueak here didn't get any action, and even then I bet she could have taken those losers. Probably just drop a table on 'em, it'd be more then enough." he shrugged, ignoring the look Gin was giving him.

Finally, the werewolf just canceled club for the day. Apparently he needed time to think, and just looking at them was giving him a headache. He told them (practically begged was more like it) to stay out of trouble, and stay out of sight of anyone who looked like they might be able to even spell safety commission.

-Dealing With Youkai Academy-

Crona sighed as he headed back towards his room after dropping the girls off at their's. Gin was, in a way, right. There was no way the SC was just going to let this go, especially once they figured out that Keito was never coming back. Then there was the problematic fact that they knew about his… extracurricular activities with the student body. While he'd stick by his mission to the very end, he knew the SC would either use it as an excuse to either blackmail him, or barring that arrest him should he refuse.

No two ways about it, the SC would have to be taken care of… permanently. But while Ragnarok was practically salivating at all the souls they'd acquire, Crona took no joy in the thought of the coming slaughter. If he thought for a moment they would keep his secret, he'd just let them be. But he knew that wouldn't be the case; and it wasn't like he could just stop! There was no way! What would Maka think-

Crona blinked as someone bumped into him, and felt something pressed into his hand. It was a girl, possibly in the same year as him, with a terrified look in her eyes. The moment their eyes locked, she bolted, leaving a confused Crona in her wake.

Looking down, he saw that she'd passed him a note. Unfolding it, he quickly took in its contents, Ragnarok hovering just over his shoulder.

Once he'd read it twice to make sure he'd gotten it right, he tore it to pieces. Then, after watching them flutter to the ground, he turned around and tore off in the opposite direction of the boys dorms.

-Dealing With Youkai Academy-

Moka watched her love walk away, the other girls heading off to their rooms. She managed to maintain her composure until the door shut then she could bare it no longer. She dashed to her medicine cabinet to find her aspirin, as the worst headache she'd ever had tore at her skull.

Ever since they'd walked out of the Newspaper Room, her head had ached something fierce; so badly she could swear she was hearing some kind of high pitched whining in the background. Seeing as how Crona and the girls hadn't acted like anything was amiss, she'd dismissed this option.

After taking her pain pills, she'd tried to relax; setting up her easel and taking out her paints, she tried to do a simple landscape. But she just couldn't. No matter how hard she tried to focus, the whining droned on in her skull! Her hands grew shaky, and she could barely draw a straight line!

Standing up, Moka's legs nearly gave out under her. She stumbled, and knocked several art supplies to the floor. 'What the hell is wrong with me?' she thought, beginning to get seriously worried. Maybe she should see the school nurse?

As she straightened up and considered seeking medical aid, her eye caught sight of the mirror she kept by her dresser. For a slight moment… she could have sworn… had her eyes changed color? What if this was… no, couldn't be. Ridiculous; her inner self was locked down tight. She was just seeing things. Which meant now she REALLY wanted to see the nurse!

And so, with clumsy footsteps, Moka headed back out onto the campus grounds; the high pitched whine still buzzing in her head…

-Dealing With Youkai Academy-

The moment her beloved and friends were out of sight, Kurumu released a pent up sigh. Sitting on her bed, she gazed at her reflection in a nearby mirror. She hadn't slept well at all last night, but had managed to hide it well. She couldn't… no, wouldn't be able to explain herself if her friends started asking questions.

Normally she'd be bustling about her quarters: baking, plotting to get Crona, doing homework, fantasizing about Crona, doing some extra work for the Newspaper club, doing unspeakable things to herself beneath her sheets while thinking about Crona… you know the usual. But tonight she just didn't have the energy for it. And she didn't know if she ever would again.

A pain ran through Kurumu's body and she wrapped her arms around her stomach, groaning in pain. After a moment it passed, leaving a dull ache behind.

"We need to talk about this." the voice in her mind sounded a mixture of concerned and determined.

"Leave me alone." Kurumu said, speaking out loud, if only to fill the quiet of her room. "This is all your fault. I should have never listened to you!"

The voice 'sighed' and Kurumu could feel the exasperated eye roll in the back of her mind "Continue to think that if it makes you feel better. But may I remind you that without me, you'd likely be dead?"

Kurumu flopped down on her bed, burying her face in her pillow. "I'd almost rather be. Better to be dead then… then…"

"Then what?"

She couldn't finish the sentence. That would be as bad as admitting what she was.

"Admitting it is the first step in getting over it!" the voice barely raised its voice, but to Kurumu it might as well be shouting.

The room suddenly seemed much to small. Grabbing a jacket to protect her against the night air, Kurumu slipped open her window and flew out into the night. She needed some fresh air to clear her head anyway.

"Don't think you can just ignore me." The voice warned "This isn't like just something that's going to go away if you don't think about it."

The voice was right of course, Kurumu knew that. Hell, it wasn't like she could stop thinking about it. That horrible day… what led to this pain inside her…

"FLASHBACK!"

Kurumu stood over the bodies of the three girls who so recently would have killed her. If not kill her, at the very least they would have brought her to their master to be turned into a lobotomized slave like them. It had taken awhile, with some help from her… Mind Voice(?) but she had emerged victorious.

But then the girls had started screaming. Apparently their master was… gone, and without her these girls were nothing more the hollow shells. Kurumu frankly hadn't been sure what to do. Until the Mind Voice offered a suggestion.

"YOU WANT ME TO WHAT?!"

"You heard me. You've looked into their heads. These girls have no mind to speak of. They are essentially dead, and I want you to finish the job. I want you to kill them."

Kurumu couldn't believe the voice. It sounded so cold and clinical, she could hardly believe it was part of her. "I can't do that! It's murder!"

"No it isn't." the voice responded, not at all put off by Kurumu's dislike "It's an act of mercy. Think of it like this… these girls suffered in silence as they were made into obedient slaves to that wretched Keito girl. Now, with their mistress gone, their brains are fried. If we don't do anything, they will likely spend the rest of their days in the school infirmary, collecting dust. That is, unless one of the victims of the Safety Commission finds out they're there and decides to take revenge. Or some pervert decides to take advantage of their comatose state." Kurumu winced, the words made sense, yet she still felt like their had to be another option.

"Such as?" the voice asked "The Safety Commission deciding to take care of them? Doubtful. Send them back to their families? Please, not all monsters are like Crona, and you know how most would react" That statement did ring true. In the monster world of might makes right, these girls would never be taken in by their families.

"See…You know what you must do. An act of charity now to spare them from future suffering." Kurumu struggled to come up with a response. Something, anything to make what the voice said not true. After all, she had to do something, as she certainly couldn't just leave the girls lying in the middle of the woods. Oh, what would Crona do…

The voice answered her thoughts "Crona always does what is right. He spared you. He helped Yukari. He stood up to the Safety Commission. He would do what needs to be done."

Kurumu gulped… that was it. The last vestiges of her resistance crumbled before the argument of the voice.

Stepping towards three girls, Kurumu lengthened a single nail to sword length, it's razor sharp edge glinting in the light. This wasn't like that perverse slug boy, or the menacing mermaids… these three could no longer defend themselves. Still, they had tried to kill her…brainwash her even.

Taking a deep breath, and knowing that if she didn't do it now she'd loose her nerve, she stepped for ward and stabbed downward three times in rapid succession. Each strike was precise, piercing the heart of a girl and ending their life as quickly as possible.

As her nail returned to normal, Kurumu released a shuddering sigh. That hadn't been…to bad. And now it was over, and she could put this out of her mind because…

Wait. What was happening? Why were the bodies-

"FLASHBACK END!"

'NO!' Kurumu screamed inside her head. She didn't want to think about this anymore. She was done! It wasn't real, it didn't happen!

"Keep saying it all you want. You know exactly what happened next was real…"

And as the argument in her mind went back and forth, Kurumu didn't seem to notice her body was on autopilot, carrying her further and further away from the safety of the campus…

-Dealing With Youkai Academy-

Crona couldn't help but gulp. This place… was certainly more intimidating then the school proper. While the Safety Offices weren't as tall as the main school building, laying low to the ground like some great beast, the aura it gave off… was nearly tangible. Despite its name, Crona could tell this was not a Safe place to be, and if he was smart, he would turn around right now, and forget he'd even heard of such a place.

Crona opened the door and stepped inside.

Inside looked like a common reception area. There was a reception desk, currently vacant, several chairs with semi-comfortable seats, magazines that looked to be about three years to old… if Crona didn't know better he'd say he was in a doctor's waiting room then the headquarters for what was basically a school mob.

Emerging from a door just to the left, Kuyou stuck his head out and looked around. Seeing him, he gave a smile that might have been pleasant to those that did not know him. "Ah, Crona, right on time. Please, follow me." Reluctantly, Crona followed.

Stepping through the door, the atmosphere immediately changed. Electric lights were replaced by torches, and carpeted floors was replaced by stone tiles. It was like stepping into a completely different building. Descending some steps, Crona was sure he could hear a dull din coming from just ahead, but couldn't quite identify what it was.

Then Kuyou opened a door, and the answer was clear.

It was a long hallway, with cells on either side. The noise was sobbing, pleading, and screaming of the prisoners contained therein. None looked to be in good health, some were beaten, and other just stared blankly ahead, as though they had given up hope. The ones who pleaded their innocence were completely ignored by the guards that stood outside the cells every twenty feet or so.

As he and Kuyou walked down the hall, the torches flaring as the head of the commission walked passed, Crona noticed that each cell had a number identifying the prisoner, and the charge for which they were being held. And while some would have normally been on Crona's hit list (the drug dealer, the sexual harasser, and the guy who stole from the Baking Club's first bake sale) it was hard to get in a killing mood when they were right besides those who clearly did not belong there (the litterbug, the jaywalker, and the 'guy who looked a little bit too suspicious').

Finally the hallway ended and they entered a dark room, with only a single desk and a single light shining on it. Kuyou took his place behind the desk, and Crona took the seat in front of it. The vibe in the room was so tense that you could cut it with a chainsaw, and Crona found he couldn't even enjoy the overly comfy chair he was sitting in.

Kuyou steepled his fingers. "I'm not one to beat around the bush Crona, so I'll just come right out and say it. We know."

Crona said nothing, but his body stiffening (even more so then usual) told Kuyou more then words ever could.

"Know what exactly?" the silence was broken by the little blood demon breaking out of Crona's back, casting a glare at Kuyou and his surroundings "That's a pretty vague statement. I know lots of things too, but they don't let me drag people down to my secret basement of evil." he snorted, crossing his arms.

A frown marred Kuyou's face "Evil? Is that what you think. We are not evil, we are justice at this-"

Ragnarok rudely butted in "Please just… don't. Just don't. Nobody wants to hear the 'we're really the good guys despite acting like a complete bunch of assclowns' speech. My time is too valuable for that. Besides…" he pointed looked at the dark room "How many 'keepers of justice' do you know that hang out in a dark dungeon plotting the downfall of a newspaper club?" he asked as Kuyou's frown only got deeper and deeper.

The sudden change to a smirk, however, was what put both Crona and Ragnarok off guard. "True…" Kuyou said slowly, lowering his hands to the table "I suppose to the uneducated this would look like a strange set up…" then his smirk got truly viscous "Not the same as say… hunting students down and killing them when no one is looking?"

Now it was Crona's turn to frown. So that was how it was going to be.

Kuyou continued "Did you think no one would catch on? Oh sure the slug boy was the first one we actually saw, but did you think no one would find it strange that just about everyone you've had an 'encounter' with is now either missing or whoring themselves out to you?" Kuyou took great pleasure in Crona's clenching fists, clearly that last comment about his friends struck a nerve. "And you have the gall to call us evil? How hypocritical."

Crona stood up at that "At least the those people were actually evil!" he would not have his mission questioned by these frauds. Maka would have approved his mission, and that's all he needed, and he would not have them questioning her hypothetical judgement "All you do is harass people and extort money from them! You're the real bad guys here not me!" nearly shouting, Crona's eyes were wide and he was close to becoming hysterical.

Kuyou leaned back in his chair, scratching his chin "I suppose we'll just have to agree to disagree." he said, his comment catching his guests off guard. They had felt sure that Kuyou would defend his position as keeper of justice to the bitter end. What was he playing at.

"Crona" he said, suddenly sitting up straight "I want you to join me. Join the Safety Commission. You may be a little rough around the edges, but we could use a monster of your power…" his eyes glowed in the dark of the room "A Kishin…" he whispered.

Crona nearly blacked out in surprise. "A… a what?" he said, not sure how to handle what was going on. The killing thing he got but… how did they know about THIS?! That was a secret he hadn't told anyone! No one should know!

Kuyou chuckled darkly "Don't try to deny it. The aura of fear and madness you project into the air… the fact that no one can identify a monster with any of your traits…besides, I already have testimony that that is what you are." Crona blinked, trying to think of who would know that would tell, but came up blank "And the fact that you are one, even suspected of being one in fact, is enough to execute you and everyone you've spoken to since coming here." Kuyou explained. "So what's it going to be boy? Will you join us in making this school pure with the fires of justice… or do I end your life right now?"

Crona and Ragnarok didn't even have to think about it. "Never." "Yeah, besides its not like you even have any proof! Expert testimony my ass! Probably someone you just paid off. It'll never fly dumbass!"

Kuyou just laughed, a deep throaty chuckle that echoed in the large stone room. "Perhaps your right. I barely believe it myself. Still, I do have SOME evidence, even if it isn't to the crime I'd like to nail you for."

Now that got the two's attention. "Evidence…" Crona whispered nervously, looking to Ragnarok in worry. The blood demon shrugged, not really all that concerned. They were gonna kill the guy anyway, now they had all the more reason to.

Kuyou just smiled, resisting kicking his feet up on the desk "Yes, evidence. I just got it a little while ago…" his thoughts turned to the little package that had been delivered to him not moments before Crona had arrived and was safely tucked in his desk. "The final nail in your coffin, boy." His eyes locked with Crona's "What a shame all of your friends will have to pay the price for associating with a criminal."

-Dealing With Youkai Academy-

Gin blinked, taken aback as he studied the room. Shu had contacted him telling him that if he wanted his chance, now was the time. Apparently Shu had convinced the student in charge of looking after the room (a Naru-something or other) to take an extra long lunch break. He and Shu were apparently old friends, so he had assured Shu that no one would bother them. If they needed any extra help finding what they were looking for though, the freshmen intern that was shadowing him would be there to help.

There were video tapes stacked from the floor of the room to the very top of the ceiling. Each tape was labeled with a few letters, and a date and time stamp.

"What… how… there are so many!"

Shu just snorted "No shit. You'd think more people would notice the cameras, but I'm told they're enchanted so that only the most senior faculty members and the Headmaster know. Them and maybe the Safety goons, I always kinda figured they knew. They're enchanted so you can only see them if you know they're there, so now that you know, you should start seeing them around campus. There are enough cameras covering the school that you can't hardly go anywhere without big brother watching."

An unbidden smirk crept onto Gin's face "Really… everywhere you say?" he asked, his cheeks darkening as mature fantasies worked their way into his head.

A roll of the eyes and a grunt of disgust was his only response. Shu sometimes wondered why he associated with this horndog. "Get your head out of the gutter you stupid wolf" the tanuki mumbled in annoyance "Areas like that are stored in a separate room, and can only be accessed by a teacher or higher. So if this guy committed a crime there, sorry man but you're shit out of luck. On a different note, you also can't access the tapes to the faculty lounge, the headmasters office, or the Safety Committee's HQ. " he explained, as though to a three year old, making Gin's eyes narrow. The wolf hated being talked down to, and if he didn't need Shu he might punch him in the face.

Sucking it up, Gin went back to scanning the tapes "That still leaves a hell of a lot of ground to cover, it's not like the academy is exactly small…" he ran his hand through his hair, trying to think of a way to narrow down the search.

"Yup" Shu added helpfully "And unless you know exactly what you're looking for, you could be here forever, which I imagine is more time then you wanted to spend here."

Gin wanted to bang his head on the wall in frustration; he was so close to catching the bastard! The answers were practically right in front of him, and he STILL might not find what he was looking for! "Dammit…" he growled, and began grabbing tapes to start scanning.

As he made a small pile in front of him, he heard the door to the room open again "Ah, and there's our little helper now! How are you Asadme-chan!" he heard Shu say in a teasing voice. Turning, he saw a short, obviously freshman blond blush at Shu's address.

"Oh h-hi Shu…" the girl's yellow eyes darted anywhere but the taller boy, her hands clenched as though in prayer "I-I didn't expect to see you again so soon. W-was the tape I gave you not the right one?" she asked looking at him curiously.

Shu frowned, as did Gin behind him "Asadme what are you talking about? I just came to look for the tape I needed now…?" he trailed off uncertainly.

Now the poor girl looked even more confused "B-but why would you n-need to look for it? You knew exactly which one you wanted earlier? You came right in and asked Uzumaki-sensei for the tape, smiled at me" here her blush deepened "And left. I thought… well I mean… I don't know what's going on." she confessed dropping her head.

Gin and Shu shared a look "Asadme… when exactly did 'I' come and get this tape?" he asked.

The blonde looked back up "It w-was just th-thirty minutes ago." she replied.

Now Gin was beginning to freak out. He knew for a fact that Shu had been with him practically since he left his club, and couldn't be the one who took the tape. It was unlikely the girl was mistaken in who took the tape, given how she was acting around Shu. But that could only mean one thing: Someone else had the tape.

But how would they know what was on the tape? Did they know? And how? And why would they take it minutes before the real Shu and him would come for it? Were they trying to nail Crona as well, or protect him? So many questions, but one of them that was most pressing:

Who had the tape now?

-Dealing With Youkai Academy-

Crona tensed, his knuckles white as snow as he restrained himself from leaping over the desk to decapitate the smug looking bastard before him. "What have you done to my friends?" he asked carefully.

Kuyou smirked "Well you see Crona…" he drew the sentence out, enjoying the suffering he was causing. "If they knew about your little… escapades, and didn't inform anyone about what you were doing; why that's aiding and abetting a criminal!" he said in mock horror, fiendish glee in his eyes. "That's more then enough to arrest them right now." he said with a smirk.

"They knew nothing!" Crona could barely keep himself from screaming as he slammed his fist down on the desk. There was no way in hell he was going to allow his friends to be brought to this awful place. He'd burn it to ground so they'd never even have to SEE the inside of this foul building.

Kuyou's smirk only grew "So you say." he said, waving dismissivly "But how am I to take the word of a criminal? A possible Kishin no less." he asked rhetorically. Crona shot to his feet but Kuyou just rolled his eyes "Oh sit down will you, I don't plan on arresting them." he said.

That statement made both Crona and Ragnarok blink. They had almost expected trumped up charges to be brought against them, and to a lesser extent their friends. But to find out this guy didn't plan on brining them in…

"What are you playing at?" Ragnarok asked, cracking his knuckles, hoping the display would intimidate some answers out of the Commission leader. It didn't work, but he needn't have bothered.

Kuyou leaned back in his chair "Well you see Crona, my people and the Newspaper Club have been going at each other for some time now. It seems every year or so a new group springs up that doesn't want to play by our rules, and we have to teach them a lesson." Crona's frown deepened, knowing exactly what kind of lesson the Safety Commission would teach to anyone that didn't kowtow to them.

Kuyou continued "However, it seems like the Newspaper Club never learns its place in this school. No matter how hard we stomp them down, they just crop back up, like a weed." Kuyou leaned forward, interlocking his fingers as he rested his elbows on the desk "But I finally think I figured out a way to solve the problem. Permanently." he practically hissed, his aura seeping to the air, making it grow uncomfortably warm "You see, I don't plan on arresting the rest of your pitiful little club. I plan on making them… disappear. And you with them."

By the time Crona leapt to his feet, it was already to late. Beneath his chair a hidden trap door fell away, taking a surprised Crona with it. He fell and fell through a long tunnel, the walls etched with seals to prevent the use of supernatural powers so that monsters with flying or magical abilities couldn't escape.

After what felt like ages he left the tunnel and was suddenly in an open, dome-shaped room the size of a colosseum. Slamming into the ground didn't cause him much pain, as the space between the massively tall ceiling and the floor below was more then enough for him to harden his blood to take the blunt of the damage.

As he stood up, he surveyed the massive room. There were levels wrapping around it that practically went to the ceiling. And each level was lined with cells, each crammed with monsters. Some were howling their innocence, others were crying at the injustice, and others just sat in the cages silent and broken. The whole place stank of filth and misery.

Before Crona could even think of what to do next, the screech of a PA system caught everyone's attention. The sound of clearing throat indicated that it was Kuyou, and Crona could practically hear the smug dripping from his every word.

"Attention criminal scum of Youkai Academy. Today, the forces of justice wish to offer you a very special deal. A deal which, if you come through, will earn you your freedom." Now he had everyone's attention, as each prisoner quickly moved to press their face against the bars of their cells.

"There is now a boy in your midst named Crona Gorgon." Crona started when he heard his name called "Does everyone see him? Get a good look now…" Kuyou jeered "What I want you to do… is kill him. The prisoner who takes this boy's life shall walk free." and with the challenge given, each and every cell slid open, allowing the occupants to walk out for the first time in ages.

Crona felt all eyes on him as each prisoner took a moment to examine him, sizing him up. Then, almost as one, they gave a guttural scream and leapt at him.

-Dealing With Youkai Academy-

Yukari sighed as she closed the book in front of her. She had finished all her homework and had been studying for an upcoming exam (despite all else, Youkai Academy was still technically a school). She had found it extra hard to concentrate tonight, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts and ideas. So much had happened recently, and she was still taking it all in.

Lord Crona had been in another fight, and this time he had had that big breasted cow Kurumu with him to help out. Yukari didn't really dislike the succubus, but she couldn't help but feel jealous every time she looked at the extremely well developed girl.

But this was more then just about boob size. Yukari knew that her Lord was not so shallow that he wouldn't accept a small breasted girl like her into his eventual harem (though come to think of it, Ragnarok might). This was about that fact that she wasn't particularly helpful when it came to fights. Kurumu could fight. Moka could fight. Lord Crona fought extremely well. Her? Not so much… She could distract an enemy with her tricks, but that's all they were, tricks.

Flopping back in her chair, Yukari wished she could figure out what area of magic she was best at. What was her familiar animal? What was her element? What was her special brand of magic that she could use to open a can of whoop-ass on the next person who looked at Lord Crona funny? She felt so weak…

Yukari was broken out of her funk by a knock at the door. "Yukari?" an all to familiar voice called. Yukari's face immediately brightened and she ran to the door, throwing it open

"Lord Crona!" she cried. She was surprised he had come back, she figured he would have gone back to his dorm by now…

Crona scratched the back of his head, looking unsure of what to say "You…um… you looked like you had a lot on your mind. Did you want to talk about it?"

Yukari's eyes widened. He had known she had a problem and needed to talk even before she'd known herself! She knew that he cared for her! This was just another checkmark on the list of attaining his absolute love for her.

She was so overwhelmed that she couldn't help but grab Crona around the waist in a tight hug "Oh Lord Crona you do care!" she squealed, making Crona wince as at the noise.

Crona returned the hug, muttering "Oh course I care Yukari, you're one of my best friends and I-"

Whatever Crona was going to say next was lost on Yukari as something very important occurred to her: Crona was hugging her.

Crona was hugging her.

Crona was hugging HER!

She had initiated the hug, and now he was returning it. That had… never happened before. Normally Crona was stiff as a board when people touched him, but now he was hugging her like any normal person would. And while she'd like to think that maybe Crona was simply loosening up around her… her ear was close enough to his chest that she could hear his heartbeat. It was calm and steady. Crona would never be THAT comfortable after so short a time span… but that meant… oh god!

Stepping back from 'Crona' Yukari tried not to let her panic show. "Hey Lord Crona" she said, trying not to gag from a combination of worry and disgust that she had to address this impostor as though he were her lord. "Since you're here, can I show you a new trick I learned?" she asked as sweetly as she could.

Not-Crona nodded "Sure, and after that, there's something really important I need to show you…" he trailed off as Yukari gathered her wand, some magical cards, and some other stuff. What was this strange half-blood going to show him?

Then Yukari took what looked like a red cherry and threw it at the ground at his feet. Instantly the room was filled with bright red cloying smoke. Not-Crona's coughed and he couldn't see. He heard some muttering, and turned to face the noise, only to be hit upside the head as what he suspected was a metal washbin banged against his head.

"I don't know who you are, but when I get the REAL Crona you are in SO MUCH trouble!" the little witch shouted before Not-Crona felt his arms bound by magically enchanted sheet.

As he heard her footsteps retreat and the dust settle, an ugly look could be seen on the Not-Crona's face. "So the little bitch found me out huh? She's a smart little half-blood. Very well" Sucking in a breath, Not-Crona's body shifted, becoming unnaturally flat and allowing the bindings on him to fall to the flood.

Stepping out of her room he took a deep breath to gather her scent. There was no way to hide. Not-Crona popped his neck and rolled his arms, chuckling a little "The chase is on… little girl."

-Dealing With Youkai Academy-

Before Kurumu's eyes, the bodies of the girls dissolved, even their uniforms, all turning to a sort of ethereal dust. The only thing left behind were three glowing orbs, each a sort of olive green with flecks of pinkish-red. They pulsed slightly, hovering just over the ground. They made no noise, yet Kurumu felt like they were calling out to her, or rather, to some deep primal part of her.

This seemed familiar, but how? It was almost like they were…

"Oh my god! Those are souls!" she nearly shouted, taking a shaky step back and falling on her ass. Suddenly it all fit, those three things were the souls of those girls! Her mother had once told her, when discussing the history of their race (what little she bothered to remember), that succubi had once been able to gain strength and power by consuming the souls of the men they bedded. But over time, as the race dwindled in number, fewer and fewer cases of soul consumption were recorded, until it was thought to be a myth.

And yet, here they were…

Kurumu realized she was much closer to the souls now then she had been a second ago, the three orbs gathered in her hands. The pulsing quickened, as though the souls sensed what had grabbed them.

All that those girls were or would have been rested in their souls. These tiny things contained the spark of their lives. And with little effort, she could-

No. No she couldn't. Ending their suffering had been one thing, but this, this was something entirely different.

'Kurumu, listen to me. You need to eat those souls.'

Kurumu blinked, had her inner voice really just told her to… "Why? I've already freed them, why should I…. I eat them too? That's too much!"

'Because if you don't, those souls will dissipate naturally; going who knows where, if they go anywhere at all and don't just fade away. Then they're no good to anyone. If you eat them, you can become stronger. Then you won't have to worry about being weak or pushed around, you'll be able to fight off anyone without fear!'

Kurumu shook her head, her blue bangs whipping about "No… it's not right! I never should have listened to you!" she wanted to drop the souls and run away from this place. But she couldn't. Her body shook, but her hands would not drop the souls. "What's going on?"

'Don't look at me, this is your bodies natural instincts girl. Your own body wants this. Get on board. Consider it a reward for besting them and then freeing them? Claim their souls and let's get out of here.'

Her hands inched closer to her face, and she found she couldn't take her eyes off the souls. Souls didn't have a smell, or really any of the appealing features one found in food, and yet she couldn't help but think they looked delicious.

NO! To consume their life essence… it was to weird, to wrong… Wasn't it? Well… technically it was what her people did… but did that make it right? Her people also enslaved men, and she didn't want any part of that.

Though really… what could it hurt? These three girls, allied with the worst people in the school… she didn't even know their names… she couldn't imagine that they had a lot of friends that would come looking for them, given who they worked for. But did that make it right? Did she have the right to do this to them? They were dead weren't they? Would they really care?

The souls were right in front of her face now, and she still didn't know what to do. She was fighting her own racial instincts, and she wasn't even sure of her convictions! Suddenly, her stomach gave a pained growl, and she owned her mouth to release a low moan of pain.

That was when her body struck, shoving the souls into her mouth. It would get rid of that pain for her… Kurumu wasn't sure what was going on… she could feel the three souls, crammed into her mouth, making her cheeks puff out like a chipmunks. She could taste the souls, so sweet warm… oh gods they were perfect.

Still…she should spit them out. They were people, not food! This… this wasn't right… probably… maybe…

Back and forth she went, sitting there in the middle of the woods, with a mouth full of souls. Until finally she couldn't take it anymore, and swallowed, giving in to her bodies instincts. She basked in the glow as the souls settled into her body.

Maybe she had been overreacting. As she stood up and brushed herself off though, things began to take a turn. Emotions, thoughts, and memories began to flash through her head. They were distinctly alien to her, and at no point did she mistake them for her own… but still…

"What… what's going on?" she grunted, doubling over as multiple sets of lives flashed before her eyes, giving her impressions of thoughts and ideas before, in an instant, they faded away.

Then it struck her: These were the lives of the girls, every moment they had experienced up to this point. And all those moments were being eaten away, absorbed into her body to strengthen it. With every memory that flashed before her, she felt a tiny bit more powerful.

"Stop it… stop it!" she cried, willing the horror to stop. She couldn't bare it, all those thoughts and feelings that weren't hers… It was like she was robbing the dead of their peace! She didn't want to know these girls! And here she was seeing their every moment in fast forward.

And so, with a great mental heave, she halted the process. Her body clenched in great agony, her succubi physiology not meant for such a strain. A soul absorption wasn't meant to be done halfway, it was an all or nothing deal. But Kurumu didn't know, understand, or care about any of this. She shakily made her way back to her feet. It was unlikely she'd be able to vomit up souls, but she damn sure wasn't going to experience that again.

She walked off in search of… anyone really. She didn't want to be alone right now. She ignored her inner voice calling out to her. It was her fault, she never should have listened to her in the first place. Kurumu didn't know what to do, so she settled on burying it. The souls, the voice, all of it, burying them down and doing her best to forget about it.

"FLASHBACK END!"

But she hadn't been able to forget about it. The voice called out incessantly, begging for her attention. Turns out it was rather hard to ignore your own thoughts. As for the souls, the act of halting the process, and keeping it halted, caused her daily pain. Letting up for a moment caused the absorption to start up again.

Kurumu landed and couldn't help but start to cry. She had killed three people and eaten their souls because she'd listened to a voice in her head. Was she going crazy? What would the others think? More importantly, what would Crona think? The fact that he was still her friend after she tried to mentally enslave him was miracle enough, but how would he deal with her when he found out she was a murdering soul eater? The future seemed bleak, and she couldn't cope.

"Is…is someone there?" a strained voice called from out of the dark, making Kurumu jump. Who could possibly out here so late… besides her anyway?

"Please…please help me!" the voice called again, sounding to be in genuine pain. Kurumu hesitated, then followed. No matter how she may feel, she would try to be a good person. And that meant helping someone in need, even if she SO wasn't in the mood.

Entering a small clearing, she saw the owner of the voice. It was clearly an older student, and a big muscular one at that; with wild hair and stubble on his chin. He was also pinned beneath a very large tree. His legs were hidden, and Kurumu dreaded to think what had happened to them. He had one hand visible, and it was straining against the tree.

"Oh thank god!" he gave a sigh of relief at the sight of her. His voice was deep, and shook Kurumu to the core with every word he spoke. "I thought I was gonna die out here."

Kurumu stepped closer "What exactly happened?" she asked, wondering how such a large student could get caught like this.

"Help first, explanation later…please!" he managed to mutter, and Kurumu realized that now was probably not the best time for an interrogation. Stepping forward, her fingers became like swords, and she quickly hacked he tree into smaller logs. Four slices later, the boy was able to push the main log on him away. Thankfully his leg didn't look to hurt, though his ankle was clearly twisted. Kurumu helped him into a sitting position.

The man grunted in pain a bit "Well… I'm part of the Lumberjack club" he waited a second, as though he expected Kurumu to laugh or make a snide remark "Anyway, we're having a contest tomorrow, and I came out here to practice." he grunted in frustration "I should have known better then to come alone, but I got cocky" he ran one of his large hands through his messy locks. As he was lost in thought, Kurumu couldn't help but notice that his shirt had been torn open, revealing an absolutely Amazing set of abs.

"I went to work on this tree here as fast as I could, but I must have made a mistake in the cut… because it didn't collapse the way it should have. It… well it fell on top of me instead." he looked at her sheepishly. He had the most beautiful green eyes she had ever seen. "If you hadn't come out here… my god I could have died!" he suddenly moved forward and wrapped her in a hug. Normally Kurumu would have kicked his ass for this… but something held her back. Maybe it was nice just to be thanked and take her mind off her troubles. Maybe it was because she knew that she could easily take a man that had lost a fight to a tree. Or maybe it was because he smelled so good… like sweat and musk and something… primal?

He pulled back and looked at her in the eyes again "My name is Sado. Sado Yuchimaou. Please let me repay your kindness" he said, his words like honey, his touch feeling wonderful on her skin, his eye like twin pools.

"N-no" Kurumu stuttered, then blushed. No one made her stutter like this except Crona! "That's really not necessary. Le-let's go and get you fixed up eh?" she wanted to look away from him. Why did she suddenly feel so hot inside? This Sado seemed nice enough, but he wasn't her type. Crona was the only man for her. And yet…

As she helped him up, Sado tilted his head, a small pout gracing his features "But Kurumu, you've been so wonderful. Why not let me make you feel wonderful in return?" he asked, his voice echoing in her head. For a moment, she was very tempted. After all, it wasn't like she was getting anywhere with Crona anywhere fast right? Why not indulge a little with this hunk of a man. Why not let go and have a bit of fun? Why not-Wait a second….

"How do you know my name?" Kurumu gasped, a part of her mind beginning to panic, even as the heavy warmth she got from being so near Sado grew stronger.

Sado blinked, and reached up to awkwardly scratch his stubble "Hmm…gave myself away a bit there didn't I? Shouldn't a said that…" he sighed, before his look suddenly intensified, and he spoke one word:

"Charm"

-Dealing With Youkai Academy-

Moka was trying to get to the infirmary, but it always seemed so far away. It let like she'd been walking for hours, when really, it couldn't have been more then a few minutes. Either way, something was definitely wrong.

Her head felt like it was splitting open. Somewhere in the distance, she could almost hear the cracks… She passed a window, and nearly died of fright, her reflection was GLARING at her!

She'd picked up her pace, and was now stumble-running to find a nurse that would help fix…whatever this was! But as she rounded a corner, she stopped dead.

There, walking towards her… was Her! But not real her, Inner her!

"Oh please, we both know that I'M the real one, you're nothing but a fake with an attitude problem" she said, her voice just as smug as Moka remembered.

"How…how are you here?" She whimpered "I locked you up, and threw away the key! You can't be here!"

Inner her grinned, baring her fang; had they always looked so much sharper then her's? "The how is unimportant, I imagine it has to do with your weak little mind being unable to hold me. Not surprising, considering that imprisoning the genuine article must be harder then locking up a fake" she gloated, though with a bit of a bitter bite towards the end. "What is important is that I finish what I started. First I'll discipline you a little, then I'll find Crona and-"

Upon mentioning her beloved Crona, Moka got her fire back. She lashed out, grabbing Inner by the throat, and slamming her into the wall. "You Stay the Hell Away From Him!" she screamed, her eyes closed as the droning became even louder in her ears…

"Wh-what? I don't know what you're talking about…" a frightened voice replied. Moka's eyes snapped open, her pupils shrinking to pin pricks as she saw before her, not Inner Moka, but some random freshman girl, her eyes wide and full of tears "Pl-please don't hurt me…" she began to cry, and Moka dropped her like her skin was acid.

"I… I…" she stuttered, not sure what to say. Eventually, she just turned and ran.

-Dealing With Youkai Academy-

Crona sighed as he pulled his sword from the last of the prisoners. They hadn't been all that difficult to combat, but there had been so many of them, coming at him so quickly that he had been forced on the defensive for a good while. One or two had even managed to get some good shots in; leaving him sore and wanting to sit down for a little while.

Hearing movement behind him, Crona turned. But he saw not someone good naturedly bringing him him a chair to sit down on. No, he instead saw a massive fireball burning through the air. He had only a split second to conjure a shield before he was hit; though this did nothing to stop him from feeling the heat. The fire was so hot that his sweat evaporated and his skin began to chap and crack. Then with a bang like a cannon, the ball exploded, sending Crona flying backwards.

Hitting the ground hard, Crona pointed Ragnarok (now in broadsword form) at the direction the fire had come and shot his own sonic blast in response.

Kuyou dodged to the side and charged him, fire held in his fist. His speed was incredibly, nearly as quick as Gin had been, he was on Crona in a second. He brought the fist down, and Crona just managed to roll away, the burning fist making a crater in the ground. He slashed his sword, managing to nick Kuyou's side.

A blast of fire was his response, once again forcing Crona to roll away. Ragnarok formed a wing from his back and made to bat Kuyou away with it. But the burning man surprised both of them by grabbing the wing and, with nothing but pure strength, breaking it. Ragnarok quickly disconnected the wing from the rest of the body, and Crona returned the wing to liquid blood, then proceeded to wrap Kuyou with it, before pushing the blood away from him.

The bound official slammed into the wall, his body glowing like a star as Crona tried to solidify the blood. But no matter what he did, the blood just wouldn't become hard. That was when Crona had a terrifying realization. It was too hot. Kuyou was actually putting off enough heat to keep him from making the black blood a solid mass. And it was only getting hotter, even now Crona thought he saw the black goo start to bubble. Kuyou was doing what many would call impossible, and boiling the black blood!

Fine, if blood wouldn't work, he had other skills to fall back on. And while this may mean he couldn't form the blood into a solid construct, he could still control it as a liquid mass. Besides, while Kuyou was bound…

"Screech Alpha!" Ragnarok unleashed a blast of sonic energy right at the struggling Kuyou. With no way to dodge, the blast was as direct hit. The blast, plus the damage Kuyou's fire had already done to the walls caused them to collapse, producing a thick layer of dust as decades of architecture collapsed into rubble.

Crona blinked dust from his eyes and coughed. He doubted that was the end of it, but he-

A noise behind him made him turn just in time to receive a fist, glowing white hot, impacted his face.

-Dealing With Youkai Academy-

She'd run and run, but she didn't think she could run anymore. She ran into a nearby bathroom, and pressed her back against the door to keep it closed.

Sadly, she hadn't run into any large groups of people like she had hoped. It was like everyone knew to stay inside while she was on the run for her life. Still…even if she had seen a lone student out an about, she didn't know if she would have been able to trust them, given that this guy could apparently make himself look like someone else. If he could look like Lord Crona, why couldn't he make himself look like another student, or a teacher? Hell, she couldn't even go looking for one of her other friends, because HE might be THEM!

Her thoughts were broken when a fist punched through the wood of the door, groping about for her head. It grabbed her hat, but she managed to leap away before the hand retreated through the hole. The hand reached through again, and Yukari used her wand to summon two razor sharp tarot cards. They flew through the air and managed to slice the bugger's arm clean off.

The arm dropped to the floor, but instead of blood, it just turned into a semi-blue jelly like substance. Weird. Even stranger, there was no hiss of pain which one would expect from the sudden loss of a limb. Instead, the door just opened calmly, revealing Not-Crona sans an arm.

"That… was entirely uncalled for." he said simply, stepping on the hand. The jelly like substance seemed to crawl up his leg and disappear under his shirt. A moment later, Not-Crona grew a new arm which quickly changed color to match his skin tone; and before Yukari knew it, it was like he'd never lost it at all. "Still, no harm done I suppose." he said with a shrug, before advancing on her.

She panicked. A trio of cards went at him, but his body lost all color and passed through his now slime body. A wash basin dropped from the air onto his head, but his body twisted and melded around it without him even slowing down. The bright little witch ran through all the spells she knew, but realized she probably wouldn't have the time for any of them.

That moment of hesitation was all Not-Crona needed, as with a quick as lightning motion he snatched the wand away from her and threw it into one of the stalls. With his newly regrown hand, he slammed his fist into her chest, sending her flying backwards into the wall.

Lights danced in front of her eyes. She was winded and she worried that one of her ribs might have cracked. Her wand was gone, and frankly this guy seemed totally invulnerable to harm. Not-Crona seemed to think she was totally beaten, because he was now stalking towards her like a predator ready to deal the final blow to his wounded prey. His hand began to shift and change, turning into a wicked looking blade, one that would no doubt end her sadly short life.

"Pl-please…" she managed to squeak, her back pressed against the wall. "Just…just change your face. I don't want to die… looking into his eyes." she whispered. While it was true that IF she was going to die, she'd prefer it not be by someone looking exactly like her beloved Lord, she was also hoping to stall as long as she could, trying to either come up with a plan, build up enough power for some kind of attack, or have someone come save her.

Not Crona tilted his head slightly in thought. "Well… normally my targets don't usually last this long, so it's usually not a problem. You're one of the first in a long time that's managed to figure out what I was. I guess it must be kinda weird for you huh?" he scratched his chin with the hand that was not a vicious looking sword. "Ah what the hell, Kuyou never said I HAD to look like someone else when I ended you, so I guess it's alright…" he trailed off, not noticing Yukari's eyes going wide.

Kuyou? The head of the Safety Commission? Oh god the situation was a lot worse then she thought! If that… Yukari thought a word that if spoken would get her mouth washed with soap for a year… had sent a hitman out to kill her, it stood to reason that he would probably do the same to the others! Fear for her friends drove Yukari to dive deep into her very soul, searching for the power she needed to win…

Not Crona's body changed, along with his face. While his hands stayed blade like, his clothes morphed into the black suit of the SC. His hair turned brown, and his eyes vibrant green. Overall, he really didn't look like anything special, just another face in the crowd really. Yukari supposed that was sort of the point for a monster with his talent and line of work.

Not Crona began to slowly walk towards her, both of them knowing she had nowhere to go, and nowhere left to hide. He raised his blade, planning to end her life in one quick strike. No need to draw things out anymore. He may have been an assassin, but he was also a professional. While he may use the faces of those closest to them to get near his targets, he bore those unfortunate souls no ill will, and was not looking to prolong the inevitable.

"Sorry kid" he said "It's just business…"

She didn't hear him. She was to focused on her goal. Down she dove, mentally assessing her magical core, and finding it woefully to small for the job needed. She needed more power! If she had more energy she could maybe do something about this prick, but as it was…

Wait… there!

There, deep near the very core of her being, she saw it! A small ball of purple light. As she got closer to it, Yukari became distinctly aware of herself, which was a peculiar feeling. All her thoughts and memories became clearer, her body felt better… she just felt more in tune with it and who she was as a person. This was just what Yukari was looking for. If this thing couldn't help her win, nothing would.

And so, with childlike glee, she mentally reached out, and began to draw on the power of her very soul.

With a flash of light and a boom like rolling thunder, her eyes snapped open. They were pure white, and shined like a lighthouse in the darkness. Not Crona grunted in pain, trying to shield his eyes. A deep rumbling shook the whole room, and Not Crona knew that something was about to happen. He didn't know what, just that his target was probably the cause; so maybe if he killed her, it would stop whatever final trick she was trying to pull.

He stepped forward, his blade raised, when her hand shot out. He was proud to say he kept himself from flinching. That didn't stop the sinks next to him from exploding, their watery contents slamming into him with far more force then should be possible for school sinks.

They knocked him into one of the stalls, but before he could stand to regain his bearings, the water seemed to wrap around his legs and pull them out from under him. The water gripped him like an angry fist and held him a few feet off the ground. He tried morphing his features, but the pressure was to intense. And that was when the lights began to flicker.

Yukari's other hand shot out, the chaotic energy she was running on barely controlled into following her will. She made a yanking motion and the lights exploded, revealing their inner workings while spraying the floor with glass shrapnel. Neither were much affected, Yukari because the energy formed a sort of shield around her, and the debris just bounced off. Not Crona because he was by now trapped in a bubble of water and could not be touched by such things.

Yukari saw bubbles burst from Not Crona's mouth. Maybe he had worked out her plan. Maybe he was making a plea for mercy. Maybe he was cursing her. Right now though, Yukari didn't have the strength to care. It was all or nothing at this point, and if this didn't work, her friends would soon be mourning her passing.

With what little willpower she had left, she grabbed the sparking wires that ran in the ceiling with her magic. And then she forced them into the bubble prison floating below them.

Their was another flash and a hiss of energy as massive amounts of electricity were forced through the conductive water…and the unfortunate prisoner contained within.

Not Crona spasmed as the volts passed through him. His limbs twisted and jerked like a puppet made of taffy, this features distorting as he lost all control over his ability due to the immense pain. Soon it became so severe that bits of him actually began to flake off and evaporate.

With a final scream, muffled though it was by the water, the ball burst, much of the water turning to steam while the rest was sprayed about the room. A somewhat muffled meaty thump was heard impacting the floor.

Yukari sank to her knees, panting in exhaustion. She had no idea how she had done that! By all accounts, she should be dead! It was an incredibly feeling though, being able to command things around her with just her thoughts. And that power source… had she weaponized her soul?

Still, no time for pondering. She had to-

Yukari stood, and nearly passed out as dark spots danced in front of her eyes. She was so exhausted from that little display that she could barely walk. But she couldn't stay. She had to check on the others. If a killer was coming after HER of all people, that meant the others were probably in some kind of danger as well.

Hobbling forward, she glanced down at what was left of Not Crona. It didn't look like a normal dead body, for that she was grateful. It looked like a lump of blackened burned pudding, and smelled like burnt plastic. She gave it a swift kick, and watched part of it crumble like a sandcastle.

She wasn't sure she had meant to kill him. She had wanted to hurt him, certainly, but kill him… she couldn't be sure. With his abilities, she was almost hesitant to say he even WAS dead. Still, he hadn't planned to show her any mercy, so she couldn't pity him to much. He had come to kill her, and hadn't been able to handle her. Yukari couldn't fight back a smile at that. For the first time, she had been able to hold her own against a much older opponent.

"I can't say I'm sorry… whoever you were." she muttered under her breath as she made her way out of the room. "It's nothing personal. It's just business." her words echoed his own as she closed the door behind her, leaving nothing but a destroyed bathroom and what was left of a burnt up shapeshifter.

-Dealing With Youkai Academy-

Kurumu grunted in pain as her back was slammed into a tree. Why was it that all her fights for her life and virtue seemed to take place in the woods?

She tried to break away, but with her hands held tight, and the bastard's eyes never breaking contact with hers, it was practically impossible. Thankfully her legs weren't bound, and she managed to land a kick on his rbis that forced him to release her.

The man before her was an Incubus, basically a male succubus. And now he was trying to make her into his slave.

Kurumu wasn't afraid, which was odd given the situation but she chalked that up to her other half taking care of her fear. Still, she could feel her body becoming more sluggish as his eyes bored into her. Her arms felt heavy and just wanted to hang at her side. Down south, things were getting hot and uncomfortable for her. She knew it was all his influence.

'Any suggestions?' she asked her inner voice, using her claws to block his as the two of them slashed back and forth. He managed to leave a gash on her side while she left a scratch by his cheek. Her reactions were shot and she wasn't doing nearly as much damage to him as he was to her; and she could really use some help.

"Well, I could take over your lust, just like I did with your fear, allowing you to fight without his influence over you. He'd never suspect it, and you'd have the upper hand. If you moved quickly, you could end this in a snap." the voice recommended.

Kurumu hid the smirk so as not to betray her plan 'Great, do it!' she thought, waiting for the heat in her loins to leave her. Only Crona was allowed to make her feel that way dammit!

"No." the inner voice said simply.

The finality of that statement was so great that Kurumu was stunned, and unable to block a punch to the face that broke her nose and sent her flying through not one, but TWO trees!

'What the fuck do you mean 'no'?' she demanded, trying to shakily stand up.

"What's the point? Even if you win, the souls inside you will continue to tear you up inside because you will not dominate them. They will destroy you. So why try?"

Kurumu was about to reply when Sado slammed into her, pinning her to the already heavily damaged tree. While the inner her may have been keeping the majority of fear at bay, the reality of the situation was beginning to make her feel a twinge of panic.

"The only way I would consider helping" the voice continued "Would be if you gave me control of your lust AND, allowed yourself to absorb the power of those souls. Those girls are dead. In life they were not strong enough to keep themselves free. Now you are about to make the same mistake. Do not be so foolish. Absorb them and their power, so that you will not have to share their fate." the voices words drowned out whatever Sado was saying, as the Incubus lowered himself onto Kurumu, one hand holding both wrists to keep her from fighting, the other roaming over her. "Or perhaps you'd rather stay as you are? Become a lust-slave to this demon, and forget all about Crona and your friends. It's not like you really cared for them, right? Otherwise you wouldn't allow yourself to go out like this." Kurumu couldn't tell if the voice was mocking her or not. But less then a moment later, she could feel the voice retreating into the back of her mind. The moment for victory would soon pass if she sat ideally by.

'Alright!' she practically shouted in her mind. 'Please help!'

"Are you sure? I don't want you to think I'm turning you into a monster…"

'For God's sake save me!'

"As you wish…"

And with that thought, Kurumu felt Sado's influence drain away. Where once she found his charm irresistible, she now saw only her attacker. The heat that he had built up in her was replaced by cold indifference tinged with hatred and a desire for vengeance.

Sado was saying something, but she chose not to acknowledge any of his words, for they were unimportant. Her tail lashed out, wrapping around his throat, his eyes bulging from surprise. Before he could react, she jerked him forward, slamming his head into the tree behind her. Her hands free, she drover her fingers into his chest, her nails spraining forth, piercing his worthless heart. He gasped, his lungs punctured in several places. The blood ran down her nails, stained her skin and dropped down onto her face. She felt nothing. Just like the voice had promised.

With a push, she got out from under the dead teen, and watched impassively as his body dissolved into dust, leaving only his tainted soul behind.

This time there was no hesitation. Sado had been scum who prayed on women, much like that bastard slug who tried to blackmail her (come to think of it, she may have to pay him a visit later) before him. He had planned to make her suffer, it was only fair she return the favor. Grabbing his soul, she downed it with ease. She felt her body tear it apart, and absorb it into her own spirit, growing stronger overall. The souls of the girls were next, their lives passing in such a dizzying blur that she saw next to nothing of their lives. Soon they were gone to, their energy now one with her own.

And just like that, things were back to normal. Her body slumped as adrenaline and the voice's powers wore off. She was tired, a little shocked and scared… yet she did not feel the guilt she had felt when she had killed the girls, and she felt no lasting affects of Sado's Charm. Good.

If she could, she would go back to her room and sleep for a decade. Yet she knew she couldn't. There was no way that a Safety Commission assassin would target only her. If the others weren't already in danger, it was possible they would be soon. She had to help them. Spreading her wings, she leapt into the air, ready to do what needed to be done to save those close to her.

-Dealing With Youkai Academy-

There was no escape. No hope.

Moka ran as fast as her legs could carry her, but everywhere she turned, her Inner self was there, that smug grin on her face. And what was worse, Moka couldn't do anything to them, because she might accidentally hurt someone!

"Oh, so now you care about hurting people? You certainly didn't seem to mind imprisoning me in MY body!" one of the Inners called out.

Moka picked up the pace, her body drawn by an unseen force as she tried to escape her own mind.

"Of course, turns out you were to weak to even do that properly. I've nearly shrugged off the bindings you've put on me, and soon I will be free!" All at once Inner Moka was right in her face, to the left and right of her, and right behind her eyes. The next moment she was gone. But her voice stayed behind to continue its torment…

"And you know exactly what I'll do once I'm free don't you?" Inner chuckled darkly. "Me and your little friends are going to have… so… much… FUN!"

Moka whimpered, hands wringing as she tried to think of what to do. But she couldn't form a coherent thought, the ringing in her ears was to loud. She had to focus!

Inner would break free and kill her friends! She had to stop her! But how? Nothing could hold her back! She thought she'd imprisoned her for good, but now she was coming back even angrier!

Moka stumbled as she reached a set of stairs. What was she doing here? It didn't matter. She kept walking.

"I think I'll start with that succubus whore. Maybe tear off her wings and strangle her with her own tail" Moka could feel Inner's breath right on her ear, but when she swung at the darkness, she felt nothing.

"Then the little half-blood. A witch is barely better then a human, don't you think? Better I just crush her throat!" Moka nearly slumped against the wall, but felt she had to keep moving.

"And last but not least…" Moka could feel Inner's sadistic pleasure "The black blooded mongrel that started all of this.

"No…" Moka whispered as she opened the door, and realized that she had made her way up to the roof of the school.

"Yes…I will tear out his beating heart, and burn him upon an alter of fire! I will cleanse us both of his taint!" Inner roared, and Moka could feel the malice as surely as she felt the ringing in her ears.

She saw it all: Her friends twisted and beaten bodies, the subject of Inner's cruelty. She knew for a fact that Inner would make good on all her threats. Moka had to stop her, but she didn't know how. Nothing would hold her back for long. The only thing that seemed like a permanent solution was… Moka's eyes widened as she stared at the ledge of the roof.

Could she…? No! But still… If she threw herself from the roof, she would surely die, right? And if she ended her own life, she could drag her Inner's soul with her to whatever place awaited on the other side! It was a terrible decision, and Moka wept at the thought of having to leave all her friends behind, likely to wonder why she did it… But she was doing it FOR them, to keep them safe!

She stepped on the ledge, Inner Moka glaring at her from the right. She didn't think she'd really do it. That she wasn't brave enough to sacrifice everything she had to protect all that she loved. Moka closed her eyes, accepting what she was about to do. She could just make out her hammering heartbeat over the ringing. It was beating like a jack hammer. Ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump…

But then Moka frowned. There, beneath her rabbit like heart rate… was another? A beating heart that was hardly moving faster then normal. She looked at Inner, but she couldn't hear any heartbeats from her; which made sense given that she wasn't real. Turning her head to the left, she saw only empty space. But that was surely where the noise was coming from.

The ringing got louder and Inner Moka spoke "Chickening out? I knew you wouldn't have the guts. A little thief like you would never have the guts to-" but Moka wasn't listening any more. The thumping of the other heart was moving away from her, as though the owner was taking a step back. The ringing was almost unbearable at this point, but Moka felt something in her rebel against it and all that had been put before her.

She lunged at the invisible source.

Were she in a better mood or a sounder state of mind, Moka might have enjoyed the look of shock on the girl's face as her hand wrapped around her dainty throat.

She was dressed like Keito and those other bullies from the Safety Commission. So they were behind this. In her hands was a flute, and Moka could see the faintest aura of magic coming off of it. Moka used one hand to yank it from the girl, and crush it into powder with pure strength. The moment it was broken, the ringing faded, and Inner Moka fizzled out like so much static.

"H-how?" she choked out "You shouldn't have been able to break my illusion! It's imposs-" she wasn't able to finish as Moka's grip tightened to vice like proportions.

This girl… this girl had played with her head. Messed with her mind and toyed with her fears. She had nearly been driven insane by this little bitch. She wanted to ask why, why she would do such a terrible thing. She wanted to scream and shout and cuss and beat the ever loving shit out of this girl.

But she couldn't. She couldn't think straight to do any of those things. Because from the moment she'd grabbed her, Moka noticed how her once calm heart rate was now pounding so fast Moka could almost dance to it.

Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

Subconsciously, Moka moved the girl's head slightly, exposing the neck vain. The heart was beating so fast, like it was trying to escape from the girl's chest.

The girl was saying something, begging most likely, but Moka couldn't bring herself to hear the words. They didn't matter anyway. All she knew, all she felt at this moment, was something deep and primal. Something that promised one simple action could make her feel a hundred times better, and make this whole dreary experience worth it.

"Please don't kill me! I'll tell you anything! Do anything! I'll even testify against the Committee to the faculty if you want! I'll be your slave! I'll be your anything! Just please don't-"

The girl's cries were silenced as Moka's mouth widened, almost like she was going to scream, her eyes flashing red and her fangs sharpening like daggers. Then she jerked the girl in closer, and the nameless enforcer knew no more.

-Dealing With Youkai Academy-

After about twenty minutes of searching Kurumu and Yukari were able to meet up with each other, each struggling to tell the other what had happened to them, with both deciding they would save it until after they found Moka.

They found the pink haired vampire shakily descending the stairs that lead to the roof, looking pretty shaken up. The look in her eyes told them that she too had been attacked. After making sure their friend was alright, they made to find the one person they needed most: Crona.

As though in answer to their thoughts, an explosion rocked the campus, and drew the girls to it like a flame. Soon they found themselves standing before the Safety Offices. Well… at least what USED to be the Safety Offices. Now it was a smoking burnt out hole in the ground, with only the barest hints of structure standing to denote it had ever been anything resembling the once imposing offices.

As the girls ran towards it, they past several other students. Some were wearing prison uniforms, while others were dressed like Safety Officers. Either way, both were running as fast as they could from the center of the carnage. Some weren't even that lucky, and more then once the girls passed bodies strewn about the grounds. Dead or unconscious, they could not tell.

But none of that mattered as the girls reached the lip of the crater, and were able to peer down on the seen below. What they saw made them gasp, their eyes so wide they may have well popped out of their heads!

For their, at the epicenter of the destruction, stood Kuyou, his body wreathed in fire, holding a battered and bruised Crona by the throat, a look of triumph on his face….

End Chapter 9

-Dealing With Youkai Academy-
Oh my goodness what's happened to Crona! Will our lovely ladies be able to save him in time? Will Gin's investigation ever get any traction? Will I ever be able to update in a speedy fashion? The answers to all these questions and more await in the next chapter.

While this chapter may seem like filler at first, it's really not. This chapter replaces the manga chapter wherein Tskune is arrested and everyone but Moka doubts him. That was unnecessary for Crona, as he is both clearly a monster, and all the girls love him and would never doubt him. Gin would, but he didn't like Crona to begin with. Instead of that, we got Crona lured into the SC headquarters, while the girls faced off against some SC assassins. This is important because:

-We find out what happened between Kurumu and the girls.
-Yukari finally got to show off, and took her first steps towards discovering her true power as a witch

-Moka got her mind jacked with again. Poor girl, I sure do seem to pick on her. I hope that what happened here doesn't have any long lasting side effects (whistles innocently)

-Gin and his investigation. Seems like someone is always one step ahead of Gin. But you know that hound dog won't give up.

Alright, if you enjoyed this story, feel free to say so in a review. If you didn't I'm sorry (but please no flames), maybe next time. And if you liked this story, feel free to check out one of my other many amazing stories.

Oh, and just to be sure you all come back next time...

Next Time: The war with the SC comes to a head. It's Crona and the girls against the god-like power of Kuyou. Is their any hope?

AND

"42 42 564... whenever you want to knock on Death's Door..."

"I AM THE ETERNAL GOD OF JUSTICE! ALL WILL OBEY ME OR DESPAIR!"

It bounced once, twice, then settled on the ground, a heavy silence filling the air as all eyes landed on the trinket...

"Very well.. if their is no other way..."

Moka was choking, her very being being crushed as something from deep inside her came rushing to the surface

"Reaper-Class Seal Restriction Level 1... Release!"

"Moka... is that you?" Crona asked taking a step towards the hunched figure

"Oh Crona" the figure raised it's head, tossing silver hair over her shoulder "I've been waiting for this for a long, long time..."

Next Time On Dealing With Youkai:Chapter 10: The Chapter Absolutely Everyone Has Been Waiting For Since the Beginning

Until Next Time...