A/N Whoa, hard to believe it's been over a year since I started this fic. Harder to believe it's almost reached 100 reviews during this time. Thanks to those who have read it and enjoyed. Special thanks to those who are still reading after all this time, it really means a lot to me.

And as always, I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania. They are the licensed property of Ikeda Akihisa and Konami respectfully.

Part I Chapter XVII
Dungeon of the Forgotten

The group made their way through the woods, and reached the entrance of a ruined building. Unlike the Tomb of Wisdom, the structure before them had clearly seen better days. The windows that remained were all barred, and the east tower crumbled near the top. Signs of decay and neglect were evident throughout the entire structure, even from the outside.

"This place gives me the creeps," Kurumu remarked, as she felt a familiar chill in the air about them.

"Me too," Yukari added, "I feel a lot of evil here, desu."

Tsukune nodded, as he also felt a malefic aura about the ruins before him. "It's just like the tomb last night."

Everyone looked at him, and then nodded in agreement.

"What the hecht is this place," Mizore asked.

"In the old days," Ruby began, "it was a dungeon, used to imprison youkai who had murdered either on campus, or in the human world. Needless to say, it's been abandoned." She looked up at the broken structure. "Though it seems the tales of unspeakable evil within the ruins were definitely true."

The snow girl thought about it for a moment. "Hmm, you're right. Be the perfect place to hide someone who's supposed to be dead."

The brown-haired youth looked in her direction. "You're saying Moka-san is here, too?"

The purple-haired girl shrugged. "I dunno, but it would've been too easy if Kuyou brought her back to his base."

"You're right," the succubus responded, "that would've been the first place we'd have looked."

Tsukune looked pensively at the ruined dungeon. "Clever," he thought to himself, "just like a fox. But the Chairman's Eye led us here. And he said Moka-san was in danger." He bowed his head for a moment. "Saint Germain was right, she is alive. Hold on, Moka-san. I'm coming to save you."

"Tsukune," a girl's voice asked in concern.

He broke out of his train of thought, and saw Kurumu looking at him in concern. He winced in embarrassment. "Sorry about that," he replied as he rubbed the back of his head, "didn't mean to space out on you. I'm alright now, really."

"Well don't worry us like that," the succubus replied, as tears began to well up in her violet eyes. "I don't want anything to happen to you, Tsukune."

"I'll be fine," he spoke, trying to reassure her, as well as himself. Even though he knew it wasn't entirely true, he didn't want to admit it to his friends, lest they became even more worried. He immediately took hold of the door handle, only to find he couldn't pull it down. He tried three more times, with no success.

"Big surprise," Mizore noted dryly, "who would've thought to lock up a prison?"

"Your sarcasm isn't helping," Kurumu remarked.

"Will this help," Michiru asked, as he held up the key they obtained from Ririko.

Tsukune looked curiously at her, as she placed the key in his hand. He quickly found the keyhole in the door and inserted. It turned with a squeak, and an audible click followed. He tried the door handle again, and it yielded to his grip. The barred door opened with a nerve-grating creak.

"They've definitely got a flair for the dramatic," the cyan-haired girl commented with a sweatdrop.

"That goes without saying," the brown-haired youth added with his own sweatdrop.

"Let's be careful," Ruby spoke up, "Kuyou might've anticipated this move."

Tsukune frowned at that. But as he pondered the issue, the fact that Ririko held the key to the dungeon before them indicated their enemies might've been prepared for them. However, he knew if they did nothing, they would've forfeited their chance to rescue the chairman, and possibly Moka as well. The brown-haired youth scowled at the thought, for he wasn't about to abandon his first friend at school. "Yes," he finally spoke with a determined look.

The group found themselves in a long dilapidated hallway. Abandoned cells lined both sides of the corridor, many with the doors partially opened. Dust and pieces of debris covered the floor beneath them. Many of the walls were badly cracked from decades of neglect. The only light in the area came from the actual entrance behind them. An overwhelming sense of gloom and despair exuded from all around them.

"This place is way too quiet," Kurumu remarked, as a cold chill ran up her spine.

"You think," Mizore asked as they went forward.

The snow girl absently looked in some of the cells around them, but they were all long abandoned. She came across a seemingly empty cell, though the door was tightly shut. She tried the door, but it refused to relent to her. "Hmm, now why would these cells still be locked?"

"Good question," Ruby noted suspiciously. She concentrated her youki into her staff, and focused it on the door. "OPEN!" she shouted, and a shower of purplish sparkles shot everywhere, which startled most of the group. The older witch frowned at that. "No good, these doors can't be opened magically."

"Then let's try the old fashioned way," the succubus replied. She took hold of the bars and pulled with all her youkai might. She groaned and growled as she exerted herself, but found the bars weren't bending a centimeter. After a few seconds, she released the bars and exhaled wearily. "Darn, what are these things made out of?"

"Unknown," Michiru finally spoke up, "but the cells were clearly designed to hold youkai."

The cyan-haired girl grumbled under her breath, annoyed that she'd overlooked the basic fact.

"That means there must be a key to these cells somewhere else in the facility, especially if it's still being used without anyone's knowledge." She bowed her head, as a sad sigh escaped her.

"And what if it was Kuyou," Tsukune spoke up, "would you still think so highly of him if he truly has betrayed the school?"

The PSC officer shook her head lightly. "I don't want to believe it," she replied, then looked ahead gravely, "but there's only way to find out."

"Yes, by going forward."

They proceeded down the abandoned corridor. As they moved further from the entrance, the area around them grew progressively darker. After a few moments, Yukari created a small sphere of light above her wand, and it illuminated the way forward. They continued down the darkened hall, and found a couple of more locked cell doors. At the end of the way forward, the corridor turned left. They also saw an imposing wooden door, reinforced with heavy metal bands before them. A simple ring-like handle was in place of a doorknob, which signified it was made in an older style. It was clearly very suitable for a dungeon. Tsukune pulled on the handle, and found the door wouldn't budge. Three more attempts led to similar results. He inspected the door further, and found a keyhole near the handle. He winced in chagrin, and expected belittling remarks from his friends about his apparent lack of common sense.

"Relax, Tsukune-san," Yukari finally spoke up, "there's probably a key to this somewhere else in the dungeon."

The human student smiled ruefully. "Yes, you're right. Thanks, Yukari-chan."

"Don't mention it, just leave the puzzle solving to me, desu."

Michiru frowned at the younger girl. "You need to take this more seriously, Sendo-san," she spoke in a chiding voice, "this is not a game."

"We know that, Kawasado-san," Tsukune spoke to her as he turned in her direction. "And we're tired of Dracula and Colton toying with people's lives. We need to stop them, permanently."

"Our sentiments exactly," Kurumu added with a determined look.

"Ditto," Mizore remarked.

The undercover agent sighed to herself. "Fine, let's continue then."

The group proceeded further down the darkened hallway, and found the way forward obstructed yet again by debris. Upon further inspection, there weren't any gaps wide enough for any of the group to crawl through, not even Yukari.

"Man," Kurumu muttered, "could this possibly be any more annoying?"

"You get riled up too easily," the younger witch responded. "Remember, this is just the first floor. It'll probably get a lot harder as we go forward, desu."

The succubus groaned in response, feeling less than encouraged.

"So what are you proposing, Yukari-chan," Mizore asked with a mildly curious look

The young witch tried the cell door beside her, and found it unlocked. With her glowing wand, she inspected the holding chamber. The walls looked reasonably intact, but the floor was conspicuously absent. "If we can't go through the obstacle," she spoke to the others, "we go around it." As she looked at the missing floor, an idea came to her. "Or in this case, we go under it. There must be another way back up downstairs."

"Wait, Yukari-chan" the older witch interjected, "take a closer look."

The brunette looked to her fellow spellcaster, and then through the hole. When she did, she saw a gaping dark pit below her. There were no walls to identify the edges, only a seemingly never-ending darkness. She was visibly shocked, for she assumed there was another cell beneath, yet she saw no evidence to suggest it. She grimaced to herself, mortified at the thought of nearly leading her friends down the pit before her.

Kurumu came up beside her, and looked down where Yukari's wand shone. "Um, where's the floor," she asked with a wary expression.

"Let's find out," Mizore remarked. She created a large icicle in her hand and hurled it down the pit. Everyone watched as it disappeared into the darkness. They waited for almost twenty seconds, and heard nothing in response.

"What the hecht," the cyan-haired girl asked timidly, "what's a bottomless pit doing here?"

"Gee," the snow girl blandly replied, "you never seen one before?"

Kurumu gave the purple-haired girl a mild glare. "Of course not, they're not supposed to be real! A pit's always gotta have a bottom."

Michiru came to the edge of the pit and looked down. "Care to test that theory," she asked. "I don't see any bottom, either. Our enemy is more resourceful than I'd anticipated."

"Let's try across the hall!" the incognito succubus hastily spoke up.

"Good idea," the snow girl replied just as hastily.

They inspected the opposing cell, and found its floor was also missing. However, when Yukari's wand illuminated the scene below, they saw another cell, with a couple of skeletons lying on the floor.

"Ugh," Kurumu remarked wanly, "how long were they in there?"

"For the rest of their lives," Ruby replied, "which seemingly ended long ago."

"At least there's a floor there, let's go!"

The incognito succubus immediately dropped down the hole and into the cell below. She stood under the hole with her hands upraised. Yukari quickly got the hint and dropped into her classmate's grasp, and was gently placed on the floor. The other girls joined them in the floor below, and finally Tsukune dropped down the hole.

Ruby illuminated the cell with her wand. The walls were badly cracked, and the floor reeked of death and other foul odors. Most of the group was sickened by the stench that assaulted their senses. They saw that near the skeletal hand of one of the bodies was a torn piece of paper, which looked very old. Curiously, Yukari knelt down and took hold of the parchment. She felt no resistance, so she deftly removed it. She brought it to the light of her wand, and saw it was note. She quickly decided to read it aloud.

"'I do believe I've finally learned the definition of Hell'," it began. "'The darkness is impenetrable, uncompromising. To think I've already spent fifty-six years down here alone. There are those who've been here longer, driven deeper down into this abyss. There is no guidance, no remorse within these walls. My only companion is my loneliness, who will never leave me regardless of my fate.'"

Kurumu couldn't help but shiver, as she wrapped her arms around herself. The thought of being locked away and forgotten horrified her to no end. She couldn't begin to understand the torment the prisoners endured.

"How sad," Yukari remarked as she put away the note. "They were locked away for that long?"

"They were criminals," Michiru responded bluntly. "They were incarcerated so they wouldn't threaten either the youkai or human worlds again. The worst punishments are reserved for the worst offenders."

"Spoken like a true offender of justice," Mizore flatly remarked.

"What did you say?" the undercover agent demanded.

"Enough!" Ruby snapped. "My master lost her life because of a grudge, will you make the same mistake?"

The snow girl gasped lightly, as she remembered their battle on Witch's Hill. She shook her head of purple hair. "Sorry," she spoke somberly, "I just... can't forgive the PSC for what they've done to the school."

The older witch sighed in response. "I can't deny we might end up fighting them again, but please stop denouncing Michiru for being part of their order. We all need to work together in order to find the chairman." She looked to Tsukune. "As well as finding Moka."

The human student nodded gravely. "Yes, then we need to escape from this dungeon, and stop Colton's plans." Inwardly, he was touched that Ruby had reminded him of the reason he even came to the dungeon.

The group went forward down the hall. As they turned the corner, they saw the path ahead was again blocked by debris. Ruby surveyed the area, and noted the ceiling above them had crumbled. Moreover, the debris was piled in a manner that made climbing possible, so they could've headed back to the upper floor.

"Now we're going over the obstacle," Mizore noted with a smirk.

"Yes," Yukari interjected happily, "it's all part of an adventure quest, desu."

The party made their way back to the ground floor, and was surprised to see a pair of lit torches along the left wall. As they neared the light source, they found themselves near a rusty steel door. Situated in front was an imposing knight statue in blue armor. The statue rested its hands on the pommel of its sword, the tip of the blade situated on the floor. Yukari frowned as she examined the apparent statue, which was suspiciously missing its base.

"Could they possibly be any more obvious," she asked, audibly insulted by the ruse.

"Just the same," Michiru pointed out, "a prison is useless without guards." She got into a defensive position. "But it's not one of ours."

"Well I've long tired of their games," Tsukune remarked, as his eyes glowed red, with murderous intent behind them.

Suddenly, the would-be statue came to life and brandished its sword. An elongated kite shield appeared on its left arm as it took up a readied stance. The girls quickly got into a defensive position and waited for their enemy's attack. Their wait was very short, as the knight performed a backhanded slash with his sword, which released a wave of fire across the ground. Mizore quickly scampered away before the fire got close to her, and the others followed suit. It released three more fire waves, each streaking across the floor and dissipating ten feet from the knight.

The armored figure slowly walked towards them, brandishing his blade as he approached. Once he got within range, he reared back with his longsword, and unleashed a heavy overhand slash at Tsukune who just barely dodged the attack. Yukari immediate got behind him, and waved her wand in the air. The air shimmered above the knight, and a kitchen sink materialized. The young witch thrust her arm down, and the sink smashed over the enemy's head. The monster grunted, and stumbled slightly forward. Kurumu moved in and slashed across his helmet with her claws, which snapped his head to the side and sent yellow sparks everywhere. Unfortunately, her attack inflicted little damage on the knight, which annoyed her to no end.

"Try shrugging this off!" Mizore called, and hurled six ice kunai at her opponent. The knight quickly moved his shield into position, and the daggers shattered on impact, much to her chagrin. The enemy reared back with his sword, and unleashed a series of thrusts. The snow girl took a couple of hits before she quickly backed away, her hand just under her throat where she was stabbed.

"Mizore-chan!" Tsukune called out.

"I'm alright!" the snow girl insisted. "It's just a scratch! He's nothing compared to Hahau-e."

Ruby targeted her enemy, and raised her wand aloft. "BEGONE!" she shouted, and a bolt of lightning crashed down onto the evil knight. The armored figure convulsed violently for a few seconds as the electricity coursed through him.

"Awesome, Ruby-san!" Yukari declared from behind the knight. "I should've known," she thought to herself, "metal conducts electricity. That attack must've really hurt him."

An incensed growl resounded from behind the monster's helmet, and he unleashed his fire wave across the floor again, which forced the others back. He unleashed three more, as if to further demonstrate his ire.

"Stop that, you bully!" the young witch snapped at her enemy, and then raised her staff aloft. "HAPPY HEART!" A slew of iron tarot cards came crashing down on the knight from behind, as sparks repeatedly flew off its armor. But in the middle of the attack, the knight spun around and unleashed another fire wave with his sword, aimed right at Yukari. Taken by surprise, the child prodigy was knocked back by the surprise attack, and landed hard on the floor.

"YUAKRI-CHAN!" Kurumu cried out, and then anger filled her heart, as an ominous violet aura surrounded her. "You're going to regret that, buckethead!" she snapped, as the knight turned back to face her. "RIPPING CLAWS!" She rushed forward and unleashed a multitude of claw swipes at her opponent, who quickly brought up his shield to defend himself. The enraged succubus' attacks slowly began to cut through the shield, as sparks flew everywhere. She reared back for one last slash, which went down the entire length of the enemy's armament. The shield cracked, and then splintered into pieces. The knight was visibly shocked, but then quickly retaliated with a heavy backhanded blow with his now free hand, which knocked Kurumu into the wall, and she slumped down to her knees.

"Kurumu-chan!" Tsukune called out.

"I'll be fine," the cyan-haired girl responded as she slowly regained her footing. "Stay back, Tsukune, we'll take care of this idiot."

Ruby immediately produced her wings, rushed forward and used them to slash across the knight's armor as she raced by him. She quickly knelt by her fellow witch, who was visibly burned from the knight's previous assault. "Are you alright, Yukari-chan," she asked in concern.

The younger girl gave her a pained smile. "I'll be fine, Ruby-san. We just need to finish him off and keep going."

The older witch was relieved, as she knew well the powerful regeneration that witches possessed.

"You're wide open!" Mizore called out as she unleashed six sizable icicles straight at her enemy, who no longer had his shield. They smashed against his armor, and he stumbled slightly but remained on his feet.

"What the!" Kurumu exclaimed. "Why didn't that work?"

"He must be undead!" Yukari called out. "They're strong against cold attacks, desu!"

The snow girl growled to herself, as she remembered the zombies that attacked her two nights before were also unaffected by cold. "Figures." She quickly jumped back as the knight moved in and unleashed his multiple thrust attack.

Michiru quickly saw the momentary opening after the knight's attack. Her body turned black and insubstantial, as she streaked towards her enemy. "SHADOW KICK!" she shouted, as she became corporeal again and drove her foot right into her enemy's chestplate. The knight staggered back several feet before he regained his bearings. Though it was nowhere near as powerful as Moka's patented attacks, it was still an admittedly potent assault.

The knight quickly unleashed another fire wave, and the PSC member became insubstantial again and streaked back across the floor to avoid the attack. Enraged, the knight screamed aloud, as a crimson aura surrounded his body.

"Uh oh!" Kurumu uttered. "Looks like we just got him mad!"

"Wouldn't have guessed!" Mizore added.

The armored figure gripped his sword with both hands, and pointed the blade down towards the floor. With a furious growl, he raised it aloft and smashed it onto the floor, which released a huge wave of crimson energy which spread out in all directions. Those in front of him desperately scampered away, while Ruby protected Yukari with her body and spread her wings out defensively. She screamed as the energy slammed against her, and she slumped slightly.

"Ruby-san!" the younger witch cried out.

"I'll be fine," the dark-haired woman spoke through her pain. "I won't let you die, my fellow witch."

Yukari was touched, but then clenched her teeth as she regarded her opponent, who raised his sword yet again. He unleashed another crimson wave, which Ruby took fully with her back and wings. The older woman looked visibly pained after the second attack.

"Darn it!" the child prodigy snapped. "All we need is more good attack and he's finished!" She looked to Ruby, and though she knew her fellow witch could've ended the fight with another lightning spell, she couldn't have done it without putting Yukari at risk.

"RUBY-SAN!" Tsukune called out, as she saw her predicament. He immediately summoned his hidden vampire power as he saw the knight preparing to unleash another energy assault. He rushed forward with superhuman speed and tackled the armored figure, which sent them both flying over the two witches and through the obstructed passage behind them. Tsukune pinned his enemy to the ground, and screamed as he reared his fist back. He unloaded with a powerful blow right through the knight's chestplate, which resulted in a huge explosion that shook the entire building. Everyone covered their faces as the force of the explosion passed over them.

Once the eruption had subsided, everyone looked to the scene ahead. They watched as the dust cleared from the area. They saw Tsukune standing alone, as small crackles of crimson energy shot around him. They saw the broken remnants of their enemy's armor, but bodily remains whatsoever. The brown-haired youth fell to his knees, as the crackling intensified.

"TSUKUNE!" Kurumu cried out, and immediately ran to his side. She knelt down in front of him, a concerned look on her face. "Are you alright," she asked.

The human student groaned in response. "I'll be fine, Kurumu-chan. How about you?"

The cyan-haired girl wasn't wholly convinced, but held him regardless. "Just fine, that idiot was no vampire, that's for sure." Though she was smiling, she still sensed Tsukune was in pain. She wondered if it was because of Moka's blood, or Dracula's curse. She was concerned about how long a human body could've withstood vampire blood, and planned to ask Moka once they found her.

"Kurumu-chan," Tsukune said softly. He didn't need to be reminded that the incognito succubus genuinely cared for his well-being. Though her expressions of it were rather unusual and easily misunderstood, he never doubted how she felt.

Mizore sighed irritably as she rejoined them, her hand covering her wound but seemingly no worse for wear. Michiru supported Ruby, who looked to be in serious pain but still kept walking. Yukari was also visibly hurt, but was still on her feet.

Tsukune got to his feet and looked to the others. "Ruby-san!" he said worriedly.

"I'll be fine," the dark-haired witch spoke with a pained smile. "To suffer for your sake, or the sake of this school, is worth it. Besides, my regeneration shall take care of this in no time."

"Same here," Yukari added, "I'd gladly suffer for you and Moka-san."

The brown-haired youth blushed at that, as a sweatdrop ran down the side of his head.

"Some people, huh," Mizore asked in a bemused voice. "Guess they're not pulling their punches this time, so let's go get 'em, Tsukune."

The human student smiled that his fiends were alright. "Yes, let's go."

The group passed through the door their enemy had guarded. They found a small spiraling staircase before them, going in both directions. They went up to the next floor, and saw it ended in a closed door. Tsukune reached for the handle, and saw it wouldn't budge. He ruefully shook his head. "Looks like we're headed downstairs."

"Fine by me," Yukari responded. "We'll find the key somewhere else in the dungeon. Let's go, desu."

The group turned back and headed down the stairwell to the floors below. As they did, Ruby noticed her fellow witch's light orb had waned considerably. Yukari noticed it as well, and frowned in response.

"What's wrong, Yukari-chan," Kurumu asked, "is your spell wearing off?"

The young brunette shook her head. "No, it's as if the darkness is trying to extinguish it."

Tsukune looked about him, and felt a small shiver run up his spine. "Yes, the darkness is stronger down here," he noted. "And this isn't the bottom floor, is it?"

"I doubt it," the older witch noted with a sour look. "Just don't let it overwhelm you, Tsukune-san."

"Thank you, Ruby-san," the human student replied with a warm smile.

The group cautiously continued to the bottom of the stairwell, two floors below ground level. They were barely able to make out another steel door. However, when Tsukune tried to open it, the door also proved to be locked. Perturbed, they went one floor up, and tried the door on that level. It submitted to their grasp, and opened the way to the first basement.

The party down the seemingly abandoned corridor, both sides lined with cells. A couple were locked, though most were opened. Clearly no living being or otherwise had existed within the hall for countless years, as the stench of death was evident around them, even more than the ground floor.

As they walked, Yukari came up beside Michiru, who seemed unaffected by the lack of light. "Nurse-chan," she spoke warily, "no, Kawasado-san. How long have you been involved with the PSC?"

The black-clad woman pursed her lips together, as she looked quite unsurprised. "Since the start of the year. I was only assigned to keep watch in the infirmary after Mako Yakumaru was removed for her criminal activities."

The young witch scowled at the mention of the treacherous woman's name.

"But right now," the female officer continued, "we have more pressing matters. We need to stop Dracula's followers from dishonoring the school any further."

Ruby pursed her lips at that. "Yes, if word of these atrocities reach the youkai worlds, the student's parents will be reluctant to allow their children to return. That's why we need to find the chairman, he must be here somewhere."

"Not to mention Moka," Kurumu added. "She knows something, I can tell now. If Ririko had lied about everything, Moka wouldn't have been hurt by what she said." She furrowed her brows together as her lips contorted into a scowl. "Why, why couldn't she just tell us? Doesn't she trust us?"

"You can't think she's in league with Dracula, desu!" Yukari protested with an insulted pout.

"I don't, but then why are they after her? Ooh, this really makes me mad," the succubus grumbled with a cross expression.

"You're not alone, Kurumu-chan," Tsukune spoke up. "I want to know the truth, too. I want to help her, any way I can."

The cyan-haired girl gave him a sad smile. "So do I," she replied. "Thanks, Tsukune. You and Moka are so precious to me."

"Me too," the younger witch replied, "so let's keep going."

The group continued further down the abandoned hall. They soon found their path blocked by a collapsed part of the ceiling. Large pieces of rubble laid upon one another, which created a sizable obstruction.

"Geez, what a pain," Kurumu grumbled, as she frowned at the obstacle before her.

"They're definitely not making it so easy this time," Mizore added.

"Can't we just break through this," Tsukune asked irritably.

"I wouldn't suggest it," Ruby replied. "This dungeon looks quite unstable. Too much excessive force could bring the whole place down on us."

The brown-haired youth groaned in aggravation. He remembered smashing through the obstacle on the ground floor, and was amazed that nothing disastrous occurred as a result.

The snow girl looked up thoughtfully to the damaged ceiling. "Uh yeah, almost makes me glad Moka isn't with us."

"Mizore-chan!" the human student protested.

"No offense, Tsukune, but she'd bust through that without a second thought, and possibly bury us alive as a result."

Kurumu winced, as she realized her friend had spoken the truth. She knew Moka, especially when in her full vampire form, had little patience for such obstacles.

"That won't be necessary," the younger witch spoke up.

Everyone turned to her.

"What do you mean, Yukari-chan," Tsukune asked.

The child prodigy smiled broadly. "Simple, if we can't safely go through the obstacle, we'll go around it."

She motioned to a cell beside her, and happily skipped inside. The group looked and saw one of the side walls had completely crumbled, which allowed entry into the adjoining cell. They watched as Yukari went through the hole and disappeared from sight. They heard a metallic creak from the other side of the hole. A few moments later, the child genius poked her head back into view. "What are you waiting for," she asked the others. "Follow me." She then disappeared from sight again.

Ruby entered the cell, using her staff to illuminate the way forward. She passed through the crumbled wall into the adjoining room. Once she did, she found the cell door already opened, walked out and found herself on the other side of the collapsed ceiling. She immediately went back and poked her head through the hole. "It's alright," she spoke up, "right this way."

Tsukune was the next to enter, and precariously followed the path the older witch had indicated. He soon found himself on the other side of the obstacle. He blinked in surprise, and felt rather foolish that he'd overlooked the possibility of an alternative to breaking through the collapsed ceiling. Kurumu and Mizore soon joined him, with Michiru in the rear.

"See," Yukari spoke up happily, "I was right. We can around around this. Brains are vital in an adventure quest."

The cyan-haired girl winced in chagrin. "You're not gonna let us hear the end of this," she remarked sarcastically, "are you?"

"Probably not," the snow girl replied.

"When did this become an adventure quest," Tsukune asked with a sheepish smile.

"Think about it," the younger witch replied, "we're going through a spooky dungeon to find the real chairman, and hopefully find Moka-san. Doesn't that sound like an adventure quest to you?"

"Sounds like it's gonna be a real pain in the neck," Kurumu muttered irritably. "But if Moka-san is here," she continued with an annoyed expression, "she and I are gonna have a long talk about last night."

"Save it for later," Michiru interrupted, "if that's true, then this dungeon isn't as abandoned as it looks. Let's not alert anyone of our presence."

The succubus laughed nervously. "Yeah, right."

The group went down the darkened hall. Before they reached the next turn, the floor under suddenly them crumbled. Kurumu immediately grabbed Mizore and Tsukune and produced her wings. Ruby was able to take hold of Yukari and unsheathed her own feathered wings before she took a nasty fall. Michiru quickly bounded back, but wasn't able to reach solid ground. She began to plummet, but she managed to grab the side of the still intact floor before she landed.

The group reconvened on the floor below, thanking their lucky stars they'd avoided a rather nasty fall.

"That was too close," the young witch remarked, still somewhat shaken by the experience.

"I'll say," the incognito succubus replied.

"You think they're trying to bury us here or something," Mizore asked warily.

Ruby winced in response. "At this point, that wouldn't surprise me. What better way to eliminate us, out near the edge of the campus, where no one's watching." She cringed even more at their circumstances. "This also reaffirms that the dungeon is unstable. Let's proceed cautiously."

Tsukune nodded and sighed wearily. "At least everyone is alright," he mentioned. "That's what's most important, isn't it?"

"Yes," Ruby replied. "Let's go now."

The group continued through the dungeon. The floor they walked through was the darkest one yet. It wasn't overly surprising, since they were on the lowest level at that point, but the darkness seemed far more ominous than just above them. It almost seemed like a living entity, bearing down on the traveling group that had dared venture into its territory. Even worse, some of the corridors were blocked by locked doors, let alone debris. Coupled with several locked cells, their trek through the floor proved very difficult.

After several minutes of searching, Ruby gasped as she sensed a magical presence in the area.

"What is it, Ruby-san," Tsukune asked in concern.

The older witch pointed towards an open doorway, barely visible even with the light from Yukari's wand. "There's something in there," she replied and headed inside.

"Hey!" the brown-haired youth called out. "Wait up, Ruby-san! It could be dangerous!"

"Let's follow her," Yukari suggested, and followed her elder through the doorway.

"Yukari-chan!" Kurumu protested, and then growled in aggravation when she found her warning unheeded. "Honestly, that girl."

"But there's definitely something in there," Mizore pointed out. "You sense it, too, don't you?"

The cyan-haired girl sighed to herself, and concentrated on the room. She soon detected a substantial source of magical energy inside. "Yes, I do now. I just hope this isn't a trap."

"So do I," Tsukune added, as he led the way for the others.

They found themselves within a small nondescript room. In the center was the life-sized statue of a priest, that looked very similar to the chairman, all the way down to the glowing white eyes.

"No way!" the younger witch exclaimed in shock.

"No way what, Yukari-chan," Kurumu asked.

"The chairman!" the smaller girl cried. "Has he... has he been turned to stone?"

Tsukune gasped at the concept, shocked that such a fate could've befallen the First Dark Lord. He heard several other gasps, especially from Michiru, which told him the others were just as mortified.

"I don't think so," Ruby remarked. "If he had been petrified, there'd be no magical energy present. This seems to be just a statue, made in his image. But for what purpose, I cannot say."

"Ruby-san," Tsukune spoke up, "is it dangerous?"

The dark-haired witch pondered on the issue. "I'm not sure, it's aura is different from that of the dungeon, but there's no guarantee that it's safe." She looked back to the others. "Stay back, everyone."

"Ruby-san!" Yukari called out. "Don't!"

The chairman's assistant looked longingly at the carved image of her superior. She knew it was no coincidence, for the Eye of Mikogami had led them to dungeon. She only hoped they were closer to locating the real chairman, and freeing him for whatever predicament had befell him. She tentatively reached out and touched the statue. No sooner than she did that a tremendous amount of dark magical energy was released. Though it was clearly youki, it didn't seem nearly as malefic as what they'd already encountered.

"Ruby-san!" Tsukune called out.

The older witch gasped as she felt the energy flowing into her. The group watched as her wounds from the earlier battle closed up before them. Ruby noticed as well, along with her own youki had returned to full strength. She removed her hand from the statue, as a long sigh of contentment escaped her lips. "That was exhilirating," she said to no one in particular.

Kurumu quirked an eyebrow up as she regarded her peer. "Um, right, sure," she remarked. "Whatever you say."

"Don't be like that," Yukari protested. "That statue can restore our strength, we should use it while we can, desu." She went up and placed her own hand on the lone monument. She gasped joyfully as she felt the energy flowing through her, and was soon completely refreshed, even her fatigue was gone. "It's magically delicious!"

The cyan-haired girl looked less than amused, but chose to humor her classmate. She placed her slender hand on the statue, and her breath caught in her throat as she felt her body being infused with youki. A light green aura surrounded her, as she felt her aches and pains being soothed away. After a few moments, it felt like she'd just woken up for the day. She inhaled deeply, and exhaled in satisfaction. "Much better," she commented with a warm smile.

Mizore tried not to laugh, for the thought of a succubus being infused with youki always brought up disturbing images. She pushed them aside and touched the staue. She also felt quite exhilarated as her own wounds and light burns had been healed. "Now this is good stuff," she remarked with a light smile.

Tsukune winced in response, for her knew the snow girl's comment could've easily been misconstrued.

Michiru demurely stepped up to the statue, looked dubiously at the others, and touched the statue. After a few moments, she felt her demonic energy had been restored. What was most surprising was she manged to endure it with a straight face.

The brown-haired youth giggled to himself, and then stepped forward.

"Wait, Tsukune!" the older witch said sharply.

The human student turned to his friend. "What is it, Ruby-san?"

"This statue is clearly safe for youkai, but there's no telling what might occur if a human touches it." A pained sigh escaped through her clenched teeth. "I'd be devastated if anything happened to you, Tsukune."

"She's right, Tsukune," Yukari added. "Remember, this is a school for monsters, everything was designed for them, even this prison." She motioned back towards the statue. "It might be dangerous if you used this, desu."

The brown-haired youth turned away, his bangs falling into his brown eyes. "Not for much longer," he said to himself, and walked out of the room.

"Hey!" Yukari called out. "Wait up!" She followed him out of the room.

Michiru looked suspiciously at the others. "'Not for much longer,'" she asked. "What did he mean by that?"

Kurumu looked away sadly, while Mizore mutely bowed her head.

"The curse," Ruby finally spoke up, "it has to be. Bringing him here might've exacerbated it."

"I know," the cyan-haired gril replied, "but was there really a way around it? Moka tried to get him to safety, and he was brought right back into the fray. They won't let us escape, any of us."

Michiru looked away at that. She remembered that Kuyou had intercepted Tsukune and Mizore while they were fleeing from the tomb, and quickly subdued and apprehended them. The thought that her superior might've been manipulated incensed her to no end. However, she knew she'd receive no sympathy from the Newspaper Club, who'd been at odds with the Public Safety Commission for almost three years, so she said nothing.

"We're not escaping," Mizore said to the others, "not until we find Moka and the chairman and get some answers, right?"

Kurumu nodded, and regained her smile. "Yes, that's why we came here. Let's just keep an eye on Tsukune."

"Just an eye," the snow girl remarked wryly, "right? Nothing else."

"Whatever." She quickly left the room, and the others soon followed.

The group continued through the hallways. They soon came upon a huge sealed door, with the academy insignia carved in the center. There seemed to be no doorknob, or keyhole of any kind.

"Watch out!" Tsukune announced, as he felt a sinister aura in the area.

The girls quickly backed away from the door. A few seconds later, a shadowy disc appeared on the floor before them. From it arose a towering figure in faded green armor with gold trim, wielding a very long great sword. A pair of baleful purple eyes gazed them from under the knight's visor. "This is your end, intruders," the enemy spoke in a hollow voice, "you shall interfere with our lord no longer!"

"You wish!" Kurumu shot back defiantly. "Time to send this oversized tin can to the trash heap!"

"With pleasure," Mizore added, as her hands transformed into icy claws.

"Same here, desu!" Yukari proclaimed, as she produced her wand.

The knight moved towards them in his readied stance. Though he lacked a shield, he was over a foot taller than his fellow warrior on the ground floor, and his armor looked much stronger, as did his blade. The group planned to avoid it at all costs. The armored figure swung his blade in an overhead slash towards Yukari, who deftly moved out of the way. The blade struck the ground where she once stood, and sparks flew up and briefly illuminated the hall, only to be swallowed up by the encroaching darkness. The knight advanced on them again, but Mizore used her power and froze its armored feet on the floor. The enemy looked down and saw his current plight. "Now!" the snow girl shouted, and she and Kurumu rushed forward and unleashed a double side kick right into the monster's chestplate, which caused him to stumble back. The knight quickly recovered, brought his sword into a thrusting position, and rushed towards his enemies. The two girls quickly jumped out of the way to avoid being skewered by their opponent's blade.

"Yukari!" the older witch called out. "Douse him!"

"Sure thing, Ruby-san!" The witch raised her wand into the air, and her familiar washing basins appeared over the knight. With a twist her wrist, the basins turned upside down, and dumped several loads of water onto the armored opponent.

"BEGONE!" the chairman's assistant shouted, and a huge bolt of lightning crashed down onto the knight. His metal armor and the water served only to amplify the damage of the attack.

The knight convulsed violently, clearly injured from the attack. Smoke rose from his armor as the assault subsided. Once he'd recovered, a menacing aura exuded from him, and he rushed forward with blinding speed, as he thrust with his sword. Ruby managed to get Yukari out of the way, but took a hit in the side as the enemy's blade cut through her.

"Ruby-san!" the younger witch cried out.

The dark-haired woman winced from the wound in her side. The lapse was all her opponent needed, and he slashed down her front with his blade, leaving a huge gash behind. He followed up with a reverse slash across her torso, which wounded her further, as more blood flowed from her gashed body.

"RUBY-SAAAAAAN!" Tsukune screamed, as he saw the knight hold his sword with both hands, and then raise it overhead. Without thinking, the brown-haired youth summoned his vampire power, streaked forward with inhuman speed, rushed past Ruby and slammed his shoulder into the knight's armor. The monster was knocked back into the sealed door with tremendous force, so much that the entire hallway seemed to shake.

The rest of the group was stunned by what they'd witnessed. The most surprising part was the door didn't buckle instantly from the impact. Tsukune ignored that, and focused on his wounded friend, who was barely able to stand with her serious injuries. "No!" he thought to himself. "She's losing a lot of blood. Isn't there anything I can do?" He thought back to his battle with Dracula, where he found his aura healed his injuries. An idea came to him, but he wasn't sure whether it would've worked. "Only one way to find out." He concentrated his inhuman aura, and channeled it into Ruby. The dark-haired witch screamed as the unfamiliar energy flowed into her. As he watched, the grievous wounds began mending themselves, even her dress was repaired to its former state. The hybrid student was relived that his healing attempt worked, but then winced as a sharp pain shot through his body.

"Tsukune-san!" Ruby spoke up in concern.

"Tsukune!" Kurumu called out from the back. "Watch out! That guy's not dead yet!"

The brown-haired youth looked forth, and saw the knight approaching yet again. His staggered motions betrayed his weakened condition, but he was still on his feet. "Impossible!" the transformed teenager declared.

"You cannot defeat our lord," the armored figure maintained. "He rules over all that is dark, including you and your foolish compatriots." He grasped his sword with both hands. "In the name of Count Dracula, we pledge to fight eternally for His glory!"

"Your fight ends here!" Tsukune countered, and summoned his unholy aura. He channeled his energy into his right fist, and flew towards his enemy. "DIE!" he shouted, as he thrust his fist straight through his opponent's armored torso, which resulted in an huge explosion of crimson energy.

Everyone shielded their faces as the energy passed over them. Once it subsided, they looked forward and saw Tsukune in front of the knight, a huge hole in the monster's chest, and the student's arm inside the hole. He removed his arm, and the lifeless knight fell back onto the floor, his sword broken in half. The corpse immediately caught flame and burned into ashes, leaving the remnants of its broken armor behind. The brown-haired youth turned and walked from him, as crackles of crimson energy shot around his body, coupled with a few black sparks. Pain was evident on his face, which greatly concerned the others.

"Tsukune!" Kurumu called out as she quickly ran to his side. "Are you alright?"

The young man was in too much pain to respond, as it felt like his insides were being torn apart. "Moka-san," he spoke htrough his torment. "Must... find... Moka-san."

"Don't worry, Tsukune-san," Yukari said reassuringly as she came to his side, "we'll find her."

Ruby was about to respond, when she noted an unnatural sapphire glow in the area. She looked towards the sealed door, and saw a spectral entity behind Tsukune, exuding murderous intent. "Look out!"

The cyan-haired girl pulled her Mate of Fate by his arm, just as a blade sliced through the air behind him, grazing his skin. Tsukune felt the attack, and immediately looked behind him. He saw a ghostly blue figure, whose form resembled that of the fallen knight, its broken sword in its grasp. "No way!" the brown-haired youth exclaimed in disbelief. "You're still alive?"

"Even if our bodies are turned to dust," the ghostly knight declared, "our spirits shall serve Lord Dracula until the end of time itself!"

"Can it!" Kurumu snapped, and slashed through the enemy with her claws. However, she saw her attack harmlessly passed through her opponent. She was stunned for a moment, and didn't see the knight's counterattack. Fortuantely, she felt herself pulled out of harm's reach before she was hurt. She looked beside her, and saw Tsukune had taken hold of her arm. "Thanks, Tsukune," she spoke gratefully.

"Anything," the human student spoke with a pained smile, "for my friends." He hunched over in agony. Even more, the darkness seemed to invade his body and permeate the core of his being. He struggled to keep himself from being overwhelmed.

"Tsukune!" the succubus cried out, frightened for her friend's well-being. She felt the same darkness from earlier in the school day, trying to reassert its dominance over the young man. "Tsukune," she pleaded, "stay with us. Don't let it defeat you!"

Mizore saw the brown-haired youth was in dire straits, so she stepped forward. She sent two bolts of frozen energy towards the spectral entity, which promptly encased it in ice. "Did that work," she asked expectantly.

Almost on cue, the ghost knight fazed out of the ice, though its sword was still encased. Yukari noted that it paused to pull on its blade, almost reluctant to loose its grip on the weapon. A couple of seconds later, the ghost pulled its sword free of the ice, as frozen shards went everywhere. "Thought so!" she quipped, and raised her wand aloft. A sizable kitchen sink materiailzed and smashed down onto the knight's sword, who actually reeled back in pain. "Everyone!" she called out. "Aim for his sword! It's his weak spot, desu!"

"That's definitely original," Mizore noted, as she hurled six ice kunai at the broken blade. Her blades were sharp enough to pierce through most skulls, and they inflicted substantial damage to the sword.

Ruby raised her wand aloft, and her six wings manifested themselves. She moved past Tsukune and Kurumu, and unleashed her deadly feathers on the damaged blade. Each feather nicked at the weapon, creating more damage. After the dozens of feathers were unleashed, the ghost knight was reeling, and its sword was barely holding together.

"Take this!" Kurumu shouted, and slashed the ravaged blade with her claws. Finally, the sword broke into the pieces, and the ghost groaned in agony as it vanished from the worldly plane.

Once the enemy was completely defeated, a small metallic clink was heard. Tsukune looked back, and saw amongst the broken pieces of the knight's sword was a small silver key. He immediately showed it to the others.

"Man," Kurumu muttered irritably, "all this work for a scrap of paper and one little key?"

"It's better than nothing," Mizore spoke with an offered shrug. "How's Tsukune?"

The cyan-haired girl sighed gravely as she turned back to her stricked friend. "Tsukune, please," she spoke worriedly, "you mustn't fight anymore."

"But I can't let any of you get hurt," he countered, as the crackling lessened. "You're all so precious to me."

"I know, but I'm afraid... what might happen if you keep pushing yourself." She sighed as she closed her purple eyes for a moment. "Tsukune, this whole setup seems like a big trap. I'm afraid what might happen if you stay down here." She placed her slender hands on his shoulders, and looked atraight into his brown eyes. "Besides, we're youkai. We don't die that easily. Even if our opponents are getting stronger, we'll get through this together. Don't you know you can count on us?"

"I know, Kurumu-chan," the brown-haired youth replied with a rather concerned smile. "It's just-" He sighed to himself, frustrated over his inability to verbally relay his desires. However, he did surmise that she noticed his struggle, and though he agreed with her, he couldn't abandon Moka, not when he was seemingly clsoe to finding her again.

"Tsukune-san," Yukari spoke up as she came to his side, "I'm worried about Moka-san, too. That's why I want to fight, and find her and save her from that fiend Colton. You can always count on me, Tsukune-san."

The human student smiled at that. He wondered if she knew she was thinking about the female vampire. "Thanks, Yukari-chan," he finally replied, and then a questioning thought came to him. "How did you know his sword was his weak spot?"

"It's something I learned from my mother, desu. Some undead creatures attach their souls to certain objects to avoid second death. It could be a talisman, a wand, or in this case, a sword. Simply break the attachment, and the creature's soul is released from the world."

Tsukune was once again impressed at his fiend's intellect, and glad that it helped win the battle for them. "Thanks again, Yukari-chan."

The young witch gave him a beaming smile. "Anything for you, Tsukune-san."

The brown-haired youth looked at the key they found after defeating the knight. "Now, let's see what this unlocks, shall we?"

"Something on this floor," the cyan-haired girl asked nervously, "maybe?"

Tsukune thought about it for a moment. "Only one way to find out."

The group retraced their steps, and tried the key on every locked door they found. However, none of the doors or cells opened, which annoyed the group to no end. They managed to find the priest statue again, and used it to heal their wounds. Once they were at full strength again, they went forward into the darkness. After a while, they finally found the ceiling they fell through earlier, and climbed back to the higher level.

After several minutes of climbing through collapsed ceilings and up piles of debris, they finally made their way back to the ground floor. They returned to the first locked door they encountered. Tsukune tried the key again, and that time it fit perfectly into the keyhole. With a simple turn, the door came unlocked and was quickly opened, much to his relief. "I'm just glad to be up here again," he thought to himself. He remembered what happened on the lowest floor, and shuddered at the thought of losing himself to the darkness. He was horrified that he'd lashed out at Yukari when she tried to stop him earlier in the day, and feared if he remained in the dungeon, there was a risk it would've happened again. However, he was sure Moka was being held behind the sealed door, so he wasn't about to turn back. "We will save you, Moka-san. Just hang on a little bit longer."

"Are you alright, Tsukune," Kurumu asked, which interrupted his train of thought.

The human student quickly regained his composure and turned to the shorter girl. "I'm fine, Kurumu-chan. I'm just glad to be above ground again."

The cyan-haired girl hummed to herself and nodded. "Me too, I was really getting the shivers down there."

"Me too," Mizore added.

The girls looked to one another, chuckled at the unspoken joke, and then went through the opened doorway.

They passed through a small passageway, which ended with another door. A quick inspection revealed it was unlocked. Once they opened it and passed through, they found themselves within a great tower, with a spiraling staircase that led the way up. To their left they found another heavily fortified door. Tsukune inspected it more closely than usual, and was quite perturbed to discover no handle, or keyhole. Kurumu looked it over, and frowned as she also found no means of opening the door.

"Lemme see," Yukari piped up, and moved in closer to the door. After around twenty seconds of careful inspection, she also found it visibly impossible to open the door. She brought her wand close to the door, and a spark of dark energy erupted. "This could be a problem, desu."

Mizore moved forward, and pushed on the door. She heard a hollow metal clank from the other side. "Sounds like it's barred, too," she noted.

The cyan-haired girl gave her a strange look. "What would be the point of that," she asked. "They're stuck down there now."

"And we're stuck out here, that's probably the idea."

The incognito succubus frowned at the notion, annoyed that their enemies would've gone so far as to incarcerate themselves in order to halt their progress.

"Kawasado-san," Yukari spoke up, "can't you slide under the door and open it from the other side."

The undercover agent reached out towards the door, but received a shock of demonic energy and quickly pulled her hand back. "No, it seems to be protected against any form of youki. We'd have to open it the old-fashioned way."

"Then let's head upstairs," Ruby suggested ,"we can still go that way."

Kurumu winced at that, embarassed that she'd missed the obvious. Tsukune wore a chagrinned smile, as a sweatdrop ran down the side of his head. Even Yukari felt somewhat foolish, as she laughed in self-deprecation. She was so intent on figuring out how to open the locked door, she'd forgotten the way up was unobstructed. Mizore looked at them, and shook her head. "You try too hard," she noted.

The group began to ascend the staircase. At regular intervals, the stairwell ended in a flat landing, and had a door on their left. However, they found each door was locked. As they passed the second floor going up, they saw sunlight coming from above. They found the stairwell ended at the third floor, as the way up had crumbled away. A final door stood to their left, the last one in the tower. Tsukune tentatively took the handle, and surprisingly found it unlocked.

They passed through the doorway, and found themselves in the remains of a circular room, with hanging manacles on the only intact wall. As they neared the center of the room, Tsukune gasped as he felt a dark presence in the area. "Get back!" he called out to the others, who quickly responded.

A black portal appeared on the floor. From it arose a huge figure in heavy green armor, with a large spiked ball and chain in its hands. "You have done well to come this far," the newcomer remarked in a hollow voice, "but you shall go no further. None shall interfere with the ascension of Lord Dracula."

"You're wrong!" Tsukune shot back. "We'll destroy you and your lord and master! Then no one will dare threaten our school again!"

"Foolish mortal, you belong to the master, as does the girl. He has no need for the rest of your pitiful lot," he continued as he brandished his mace. "This tower will be your grave!"

"Wrong, buckethead!" Kurumu boldly retorted. "It'll be your grave!" she shouted as she unsheathed her deadly claws. "Time to recycle you!"

The armored fiend immediately began spinning his ball and chain over his head. The group spread out and prepared themselves, unsure about who their enemy would've attacked first. With a flick of its wrist, the knight hurled his mace at Yukari, who tried to evade the attack, but got caught in the leg as she jumped away, and landed hard on the floor.

"Yukari-chan!" Kurumu cried out in horror as she saw her friend struck down. She turned to the fiend before her, murderous intent in her violet eyes. "You're gonna regret that!" she snapped, as her wings erupted from her back. She flew towards the knight as he pulled back his weapon and slashed him across his chestplate. Sparks flew from his armor after each slash, but aside from that, the succubus' attacks appeared less than effective against her opponent. The knight briefly released the chain of his weapon, and unloaded with a huge right cross rom his armored fist, which knocked Kurumu back into the others, bowling them over for a moment.

As the group recovered from the spill, they saw the knight swinging his mace overhead once again. "Not this time!" Ruby snapped as she raised her wand aloft. "BEGONE!" she shouted, and a huge lightning bolt crashed down onto the knight, which visibly staggered him and disrupted his concentration, as his mace fell onto the floor.

"Nice shot!" the younger witch spoke through clenched teeth, trying to ignore the pain in her leg. Though she was sure it wasn't broken, it hampered her regardless. Despite that, she managed to raised her wand aloft. "SINK SMASHER!" she shouted, as five kitchen sinks materialized, one after another, and smashed down onto the distratced knight. Each managed to injure him noticeably, as he stumbled during the assault.

Once he regained his senses, the armored figure began spinning his mace again. "I don't think so!" Mizore called out, and looked towards Kurumu. "Let's nail him!"

"Right!"

The two youkai girls rushed the knight as he prepared his attack and unleashed a double side kick on their enemy. The imposing monster stumbled slightly, but soon recovered and resumed his preparation.

"You're kidding me!" the succubus remarked in disbelief.

"I really miss Moka now," the snow girl added.

"Ditto."

"SPINNING FLAIL!" the knight shouted and hurled his mace out in a swinging arc, which nailed both girls and knocked them hard onto the floor.

"My ribs," Kurumu groaned as the pain coursed through her.

"Is this guy a vampire or something," Mizore asked from the floor.

"I certainly hope not." The cyan-haired girl had flashbacks of their fight the night before against Kokoa, and she wore no armor. The thought of fighting an armored vampire made her cringe.

"You big bully!" Yukari spoke heatedly as she confonted her enemy. "Eat this! HAPPY HEART!" A slew of iron tarot cards rained down on the knight, but the bladed cards seemed somewhat ineffective against their armored target. Though he was still damaged from the assault, it wasn't nearly as much as the young witch had expected.

"This is not good," Michiru noted to herself. Their opponent was well-defended against their more common attacks, which made their chances less than admirable. Pushing those thoughts aside, her right arm turned black and insubstantial. "SHADOW SKEWER!" She thrust her arm into the floor, and a long shadow moved from where her hand struck towards the knight. Once it neared its target, a black spike shot up from the floor right into the knight's stomach. The monster staggered back, and groaned in pain as the spike had pierced through a weaker part of his armor. The stalagmite receded back into the floor, and the shadow returned back to Michiru, who then removed her hand from the floor.

Ruby realized the effectiveness of the attack, and spread forth her wings again. As she raised her scepter aloft, a swarm of deadly crow feathers launched and struck their enemy in the breadbasket, where his armor seemed to be weaker. Though most of them bounced off, a couple managed to break through, which injured the knight further.

"Enough of this!" the armored fiend snapped, and swung his mace around, as it glowed with an ominous dark aura.

"This is gonna suck!" Kurumu declared, as she felt the murderous intent from their enemy.

"BLACK NOVA STAR!" The knight hurled out his mace, and as it impacted, a huge explosion of negative energy erupted with in the chamber, which seared the intact wall and spread out in all directions. Coupled with it were shards of ice that went flying everywhere. Once the eruption died down, he saw Mizore in front of the others, her claw stratched outwards and her hair turned an icy color. The snow girl breathed heavily as she struggled to remain on her feet.

"Mizore-chan," Tsukune spoke in awe, "you stopped it."

The purple-haired girl looked over her shoulder and gave him a weak smile. "We have to keep fighting," she replied. "Moka-san would be furious if we lost to this idiot."

Ruby dusted herself off and regained her footing. "That won't happen," she spoke firmly. "We won't let this school fall to Dracula's machinations!" She turned to her fellow witch. "Yukari-chan!"

"Got it, Ruby-san!" the child prodigy responded, and got to her feet again. She raised her wand overhead. "Bathtime!" A large washing basin appeared over the knight, which unleashed a deluge of water onto its target. Some of the water seeped though the opening in its visor and got into its eyes, which momentarily blinded the fiend.

"BEGONE!" the older witch shouted, and cast down another lightning bolt. The metal armor and the water conducted the electricity, and since it got inside, the monster felt it directly, and was seriously damamged from the attack. Smoke rose from the monster's armor and as struggled to shake off the effects.

"ICE GLACIERS!" Mizore shouted, as she raised her arms upwards. Once she did, an icy mist appeared around the knight's feet. After that, a slew of frozen stalagmites erupted from the floor and impaled the armored menace.

"RIPPING CLAWS!" Kurumu shouted, and repeatedly slashed at the knight's damaged stomach plate with her claws, which slowly beagn to cut through the fiend's armor. However, in the middle of the attack, she got nailed with a heavy left cross, and was knocked back towards the others.

"I grow weary of this!" the knight announced irritably. "MACE CRUSHER!" He hurled out his ball and chain without spinning it, and Kurumu was nailed full in the stomach, which knocked the wind out of her. The armored figure then dashed across the room with surprising speed, and rammed his pauldron straight into the succubus, who was sent through the door behind her, and into the far wall.

"KURUMU-CHAN!" Tsukune cried out in horror.

"You're next, boy!" the knight spoke in a snarling, taunting voice. "MACE CRUSHER!" He hurled his mace into Tsukune, who was knocked down hard to the floor. He waited for Tsukune to rise to his feet. Once he did, the knight rushed forward to deliver his tackle. However, upon impact he sensed an immense demonic power suddenly erupt, which knocked him back across the room.

Once the knight recovered his bearings, he saw his opponent glowing with a vast, malefic crimson and ebony aura, and his purple eyes went wide in shock.

"I will not be crushed!" the hybrid youth announced. "I will not be conquered! I will rise above all others, until the whole world kneels before me!" He got into a readied stance, as a sphere of black energy appeared between his hands. "Prepare to feel the power that your master fears most!"

"What is this malefic power," Michiru asked in shock.

"Oh crap," Mizore spoke with a blank look, "is he gonna fire a Hadoken or something?"

Ruby mutely shook her head. "No, it's much worse than that."

"Insolent boy!" the knight roared. "How dare you claim to surpass Lord Dracula!" He swung his mace overhead, as it glowed with a similar black aura. "You shall be the first to die!"

Tsukune gave him a rather sinister smirk. "As if you can possibly defeat me," he retorted, as he channeled more dark energy between his hands.

"BLACK NOVA STAR!" the knight shouted, and he hurled out his mace.

"DESTRUCTION RAY!" the inhuman youth shouted, and unleashed a huge beam of seething black energy. It broke through the mace and the erupting explosion was pushed back towards the armored fiend. And to make matters worse, the beam smashed him through the back wall and outside, and the group watched in mute shock as their enemy sailed off into the distance.

Wow, did I just see that? I did, didn't I? Hoboy, how will the group respond to this latest development? Will they be able to bring Tsukune back to his senses? And just what has become of those four officers who arrested Ririko?

"Heh heh heh, I think the last chapter title said it all. Justice is gonna get served, heh heh heh heh."

Man, the girls aren't the only ones who're enjoying this too much. And, in case any one was wondering, "Hahau-e" = most honorable mother. Anyway, tune in for Part I Chapter XVIII Approach of Disorder