A/N Whoa, I can see some of the readers have got their pitchforks and torches ready, preparing to lynch Kuyou if he doesn't die very soon. And D-Generation XX actually gave suggestions for how he should die, that was very, um, considerate of him.

"Considerate? You can't do this to me, I'm the star of this fanfic, it'll fall to pieces without me."

Yeah, you keep believing that. And before I forget, the following numerical specifics were courtesy of the Rosario + Vampire Guide Book. Thanks to GrrDraxin for providing the necessary information.

"Um... numerical what?"

"I think you know, Moka-san."

"EEEEK!"

SMACK!

"PERVERT!"

Ouch, should've seen that coming. And as always, I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania, they are the licensed properties of their rightful owners. Now, while I get an icepack for my face, onto the show.

Part I Chapter XIX
Depths of Despair

The party returned to the ground floor. As they retraced their steps, they unlocked all the cells that were previously inaccessible. One such cell had the remains of a deceased inhabitant, and a torn piece of paper near its bony hand. "Hmm," Yukari mused and took hold of the paper. It looked similar to the note they found on the floor below, except the bottom part had been torn off.

"Yukari-chan," Tsukune spoke up, "is that another piece of the note?"

"I think so," the eleven-year old girl replied over her shoulder. "Seems to be the top part, desu."

"Finally," Kurumu remarked in frustration, yet happy that they'd made further progress in the dungeon. "What does it say, Yukari-chan?"

The young witch hummed to herself and began reading the note. "'My torment seemed to no know end'," it started. "'Ninety years have I been deprived of the sunlight, ninety long years of isolation within this darkness. And soon, they shall come to drive me deeper into this lightless hell, and others will come to take my place here. Oh, if there be any sort of god in this world, tell me, when will my suffering end?'"

"How horrible," the cyan-haired girl commented with a slight shiver.

"And this was just the beginning," the snow girl added. Though her expression didn't betray her, she was also aghast at the concept of being locked away for all time, with no chance of release.

The next locked cell produced a strange black crystal, that lied on the floor.

"What in the world is that," Kurumu asked.

Yukari entered the cell and knelt by the crystal. She picked it up and examined every side of it. "Hmm, this seems to have a very distinct demonic aura." She looked up to her fellow witch. "Wouldn't you say, Ruby-san?"

The chairman's assistant looked to the strange magical object, and nodded in response. "Yes, this seems to be a small form of crystallized youki. Though I'd have to confirm it with the chairman, I'm sure we could use crystals like these to replenish our power in a hurry, should such a situation arise."

"And this was just left lying here," Michiru asked with a peculiar expression. "How did the guards miss this?"

Ruby thought about it for a moment. "I couldn't tell you," she replied.

"Maybe the chairman left it behind on purpose," Mizore asked.

The older witch looked surprised, and turned in her direction. "You know, you could be right. It would definitely reaffirm that Mikogami-sama wanted us to come here."

"He's too kind," the snow girl noted with a wry smirk.

Kurumu groaned in aggravation. "So let's hurry up and find him, I have a lot of questions for that guy."

Tsukune smiled sheepishly, and rubbed the back of his head. "Yes, so do I."

The rest of their would-be treasure hunt produced next to nothing, save for a couple more small youki crystals. One cell had a fifty yen coin hidden under the straw bed. Another locked cell was curiously next to a blocked off passage. Even more curious that the cell was apparently empty.

"Eh, am I missing something here," Kurumu asked with a perplexed look. "What would be the point of locking an empty cell?"

"Good question," Ruby mused.

Yukari examined the side walls, and found them both reasonably intact. She tried the rear wall, and still found nothing. "Hmm, what is the purpose of this," she asked with a slightly annoyed frown.

"Hold prisoners," Mizore offered in response, "that's what cells are for, aren't they?"

The child prodigy groaned at her friend's somewhat sarcastic remark.

At that moment, Tsukune noticed a soft white glow coming from his choker, and realized he was before the same wall Yukari was inspecting. Curiously, he walked past her and touched it. Once he did, a large part of it slid away, and revealed a previously unseen passage.

The young witch looked shocked and confused for a moment, but it soon gave way to elation. "Yay!" she exclaimed joyfully. "Tsukune-san found a secret passage! It's not an adventure quest without them, desu!"

"I'm lost," the snow girl commented. "Who'd be crazy enough to build secret passages in a dungeon?"

"Hmm," the chairman's assistant mused with a pondering look, "let's find out."

The group headed down the new passage, which was a narrow hallway. After a good minute of walking, it seemingly came to an end. Most of the group looked to one another, perplexed by the dilemma before them. Without a word, Tsukune moved to the front and touched the wall. As before, it slid open and revealed a new passage.

"Tsukune," Kurumu asked, disbelief in her violet eyes, "how did you know it was there."

"I didn't," the human student replied tentatively. "Well, not really. I mean, it seems pointless to build a secret passage that goes nowhere, doesn't it?"

The incognito succubus shrugged indifferently. "I guess. Anyway, let's go, it's really crowded in here."

"Just a bit," Michiru asked.

As the group passed through the opening, it slowly closed behind them. No sooner than they did that they were assaulted by sunlight. They took in their surroundings, and found themselves near the exit of the dungeon.

"What the hecht," Kurumu asked, "how did we wind up back at the beginning?"

"And who'd build this," Michiru added, "it's far too easy of an escape route, if anyone ever found it."

Ruby smiled and tilted her head to the side. "I'd say it was Mikogami-sama constructed this route."

"What?" the rest of the group exclaimed in unison.

The PSC officer glared at her. "How can you be so sure?"

The older witch's smile never faltered under the undercover agent's piercing stare. "It reaffirms what he once told me long ago. 'The wise king designs his cells for his own escape.' And since Tsukune-san holds one of his artifacts, the route was opened to us."

"How truly devious," the cyan-haired girl remarked with a wide-eyed expression.

"Just as expected from one of the Three Dark Lords."

Kurumu sniffed disdainfully and placed her hand on her hip in annoyance. "Remind me to thank him for putting us through this whole nonsense once we find him."

"Ditto," Mizore added.

The group turned back to the main stairwell near the entrance. They descended the stairwell and entered the first floor beneath the surface. They quickly found the first locked cell, and quickly opened it. When they did, they found a small jar on the floor. As Ruby illuminated the area with her wand, they saw it was filled with a strange purple-colored liquid. Yukari immediately knelt down and picked it up. "Cool!" she exclaimed. "This looks like some of the medicine jars at the infirmary."

"They left medicine lying on the floor," Mizore asked suspiciously. "Okay, this is getting a bit hokey."

"Hey, don't complain," the younger witch protested, "we should br grateful for this find. It'll surely help us in our quest, desu."

Kurumu groaned to herself. "There she goes with the 'adventure quest' again."

Tsukune laughed nervously. "At least it's something," he commented, trying to sound optimistic. "This has definitely been worth our time."

"Exactly!" Yukari exclaimed happily. "So let's find Moka-san and the chairman and complete our quest, desu!"

Mizore groaned audibly, as her blue eyes rolled into the back of her head. The cyan-haired girl's reaction was very similar. Tsukune smiled in embarrassment, as a sweatdrop ran down the side of his head.

They went forward and finally came to the floor section that collapsed under them earlier. Kurumu and Ruby helped carry the others across as they flew over the gap, and went forward. There wasn't much found in the locked cells, save for a couple more youki crystals. The hallways seemed more like a serpentine labyrinth, and the opened cells were their only guiding points.

They reached a locked door at the end of one of the corridors. Mizore tried some of the keys, and found a crimson key released the lock. She opened the door and everyone entered. They found themselves in a vast rectangular room, with torture racks and bladed pendulums that swung over them. Most of the room and its devices were covered in cobwebs and thick dust, which indicated it had been abandoned for countless years. There were also bludgeoning implements along one of the walls. Ruby knelt down by one, and lovingly stroked it, as an elated expression crossed her features.

"Um, Ruby-san," Tsukune asked nervously.

The older witch gasped and sprung to her feet. "Oh, Tsukune, it's nothing. I, um-"

All the other girls groaned in unison, as respective sweatdrops ran down the back of their heads.

The brown-haired you scanned the area, and saw a skeleton still bound to one of the racks, which had a large canister overhead, with a small opening at the bottom. As he cringed at what he saw, the choker glowed and then everything went white.

Once the flash subsided, the brown-haired youth saw a live person strapped to the torture rack, screaming in pain as electricity coursed through the prisoner's body. He looked up, and saw the canister was releasing small drops of water onto the captive. He saw the prisoner was male, very gaunt, stripped from the waist up, and wore a black leather choker with a Rosario attached to a small chain. All the factors told Tsukune the prisoner was definitely a vampire.

"You have not won, Mikogami!" the man screamed through his pain, his fangs bared in hatred. "He will rise again! Fear the day of our lord's rebirth!" He screamed again in agony, and then everything went white.

Tsukune cried out in fear and surprise, and looked about the room. He saw it had returned to its former state, covered in dust and cobwebs. He looked to the rack before him, and saw a skeleton bound upon it again.

"Tsukune," he heard Ruby's voice ask in concern.

He turned, and saw the dark-haired witch nearby, along with the others, who all wore worried expressions on their faces.

"I'm alright now," he spoke up.

"What happened, Tsukune-san," Yukari asked.

The brown-haired youth paused and collected his thoughts. "The Eye, showed me a vision." He pointed to the corpse on the rack. "That man, he was a vampire in life. He told the chairman, to fear the day of his lord's rebirth."

"Dracula," Michiru spoke darkly.

Tsukune nodded briskly. "Yes, I'm sure of it. It seems this prison held Dracula's followers."

"Do you think Dracula himself was locked away here," Yukari asked curiously.

"Only the chairman would possibly know that. Let's go find him."

The younger witch smiled. "Sure thing, desu."

The group returned to the stairwell and proceeded down to the lowest level. Ruby tried an onyx key on the ring on the locked door, and it fit perfectly. She opened the door and the group passed through. Once they did, the encroaching darkness surrounded them. Though it was the most intact floor, it was also the most foreboding, as the darkness loomed menacingly around them. Kurumu immediately latched on to Tsukune's arm for support, and Mizore did the same. Exposure to such pure evil was still very new to them, and they did what they could to withstand it. Only Michiru seemed unaffected, for she was one with the darkness. She proceeded forward through the blackened halls, though she kept careful watch on Tsukune.

They returned to the first locked cell on that floor, and opened it. Michiru kept watch in case anything attacked them, and the others inspected the cell, as Ruby's wand barely illuminated the small room. They found a lone skeleton, lying on the floor. Upon closer examination, the cadaver had elongated canines.

"No way," Kurumu uttered with a blank look, as a horrid thought came to her, "you don't think-"

Yukari examined the body, and covered her mouth with her small hands. "It can't be!" she declared. "Moka-san!"

The other girls gasped in unison and looked to the skeleton. Though none of them had any dealings with necromancy, they were sure the body before them had been female in life. Tsukune finally came to the front, and looked to the vampiric corpse. Despite its gender there was no other evidence that indicated it was Moka. However, the thought that Moka might've passed on before he had a chance to rescue terrified her to end. "No," he began in a hopeless voice, "no, it can't be!"

"Relax, Tsukune," Ruby suddenly spoke up, "it's not her."

The human student abruptly turned to her. "How can you be sure, Ruby-san?"

The dark-haired witch sighed gravely, and looked downwards. "I killed a lot of people on Witch's Hill," she began somberly, "and disposed of the bodies afterwards." She looked intently at the body before her. "Corpses don't decompose this fast, so I highly doubt it's Moka-san."

"Are you sure," Yukari tentatively. "What if... what if they accelerated time so the body would decompose rapidly? Don't you think it's possible, desu?"

Ruby frowned a bit at that. "All that effort for such a petty goal," she inquired. "Somehow I can't see Colton sinking that low."

"I guess," Kurumu interjected, and then turned to the young witch. "Accelerating time," she asked quizzically. "Don't let your imagination run away with you, Yukari-chan. We need your brain right where it is."

"Uh, what she said," Mizore warily concurred.

Tsukune smiled sheepishly at his friends, and then felt a familiar aura from his neck. He saw the choker was glowing again. He looked forward, and saw a message on the far wall, written in blood. As he began to read it, he shivered over its content.

"What is it, Tsukune," Kurumu asked in concern.

The brown-haired youth looked at her with horrified eyes. "D-d-d-don't you see that," he asked in a shaking voice as he pointed towards the wall.

"See what," the cyan-haired girl asked in confusion, and looked towards where her friend had indicated. "There's nothing but a blank wall."

The older witch also saw a blank wall, but then noticed the Eye of Mikogami was glowing again. "It must be only for the chairman's eyes," she noted. "What does it say, Tsukune?"

The human student held his arm out, as he paused to get his breathing and anxiety under control. After a few moments, he managed to sufficiently calm himself, and turned back to the wall. "'You false rulers shall rue your folly,'" he began hesitantly. "'Our Lord shall return in all his unholy glory, and the third pretender's spawn shall make it so. She shall be the gate through which our King returns to reclaim this wretched world!'" The brown-haired youth began trembling at what he'd relayed. The amount of hatred the writer possessed was overwhelming to him. More than that, it seemed to verify what Kuyou had relayed earlier in the day, and that scared and incensed Tsukune to no end.

"Tsukune," Kurumu asked in concern, and came to his side.

The frightened human warded her off with his arm, and looked back to the wall. "'And you vile usurpers shall suffer eternally for defying Him,'" he continued, "'as will all others who dare attempt to refute his sovereignty! All hail Count Dracula, the one true Lord of Darkness!'"

The group looked to Tsukune with shocked expressions, and then to the wall which was still blank to them. The young man breathed heavily for several seconds, reared back with a growl, and put his fist through the wall with the bloody message upon it. "How dare you!" he screamed at the wall. "Moka-san is mine! You disgusting worms have no right to her! How dare you think you can have your way with her!"

Kurumu gasped in horror at what he'd spoken.

"Tsukune-san, stop!" Ruby yelled, as she saw a familiar aura surrounding his body. "That's why we're here, isn't it? To stop them from enacting these twisted machinations!"

"Eh, twisted what," the cyan-haired girl asked, unfamiliar with the word.

"Their sick plans," Mizore explained, and then turned to the enraged youth. "Tsukune, don't lose yourself. We're all behind you on this, we won't let anything happen to Moka-san, trust us."

The anger on the young man's face remained for several seconds, and then as he considered what they'd spoken, his rage subsided as did his dark aura. "Thank you, Mizore-chan," he spoke gratefully, "I'm glad you're all here. I wouldn't want to go through this place alone."

"That would've been worse than suicide," Ruby commented, "let's keep going."

"Right," the brown-haired youth concurred.

They left the cell and continued to examine the floor. Only a couple of cells were locked and none of them had anything of import. Unlocking the doors proved to be far more beneficial, as it made traversing through the floor much easier. They eventually came to the last cell before the sealed door. As they unlocked it and entered, they saw a lone skeleton lying on the straw covered floor. As they looked further, they found a torn piece of paper near the corpse's skeletal hand.

"This must be it," Yukari said assuredly as she quickly claimed the paper and examined it. She found it was just like the others, except the top edge had been torn off. She began to read the note aloud to the others. "'This is the end,'" she started. "'After eighty-eight more years in this hell, I shall be cast down below and be forgotten for all time. But I shall not suffer alone.'" She cringed for a moment as the note went on, but she quickly resolved herself. "'Our King shall return, and punish those who overthrew him and attempted to erase him from existence. But he shall never truly disappear, His glorious ascension shall come, and woe to those who dared oppose him. Eternal glory to Lord Dracula!'"

Yukari looked horrified by what she'd read, but her shock soon gave way to anger. "I can't believe I felt sorry for this guy!" she exclaimed. "He was another of Dracula's followers, desu!"

"I wonder how many were locked up here," Mizore asked.

"I couldn't tell you," Ruby interjected with a dejected shake of her head. "The Chairman never revealed that to me. Now that I think of, neither he or anyone else on campus ever spoke Dracula's name, let alone anything else about him."

"It sounds like the chairman was trying to conceal all evidence of Dracula's existence," Michiru noted. "Unfortunately, it seems like it's come back to haunt him, and us."

"Yeah," the snow girl interjected, "sounds like he didn't appreciate being forgotten like that."

Around that time, Yukari took all three pieces of the torn note. She held two in one hand, one in the other, and moved them together. "Hmm, there are three numbers in this note," she spoke to the others. "Ninety, fifty-six, and eighty-eight." She blushed brightly in response. "I want those to be my numbers someday," she thought to herself.

"Are you serious," Kurumu asked with a leery expression. She thought about it for a moment, and then glared at her classmate. "What is the point of that?" she declared in exasperation. "What sort of an idiot leaves a woman's measurements on a raggedly old note like this?"

"Uh, measurements," Tsukune asked, wholly oblivious to the subject.

"Hmm," Ruby began thoughtfully, "almost sounds like mine, but they're a centimeter off. Pity." She ran the numbers through her mind, and it reminded her of the physical exam the female students had earlier in the year, where Yukari was transformed in a young woman by the old school nurse, before she was exposed for her criminal actions. She recalled a few of the girls from the exam, but none of them were an exact match.

"I got it!" Yukari suddenly declared.

Everyone nearly jumped when they heard her outburst.

"Yukari-chan," Tsukune said tentatively, "don't do that! You're gonna scare us to death like that."

"Sorry, Tsukune," the young witch spoke I an embarrassed voice, "but I figured it out!"

"The point of this fruitless exercise," Michiru asked wearily.

"Exactly! These are undoubtedly Moka-san's measurements!"

The PSC officer fell hard onto the back of her head, with her legs sticking up into the air. Everyone but Ruby and Tsukune joined her on the floor. The latter was quite taken aback, as mental images of Moka appeared in his mind. Though he tried hard not to think of his first friend in a perverted manner, the previous conversation made it hard to resist the temptation. As he did, he realized Moka wasn't quite Ruby's size, and was quite nervous about her figure. A thought came to him, and he imagined the other Moka, the silver-haired woman who was supremely self-assured about her figure. A stream of blood erupted from his nose and he fell hard onto the floor.

Yukari looked embarrassed at her friends. "Um, was it something I said?"

Kurumu immediately umped to her feet and bopped her over the head. "You nitwit!" she snapped. "She was asking you the point of all this! Has this whole note quest been nothing more than a big perverted diversion or something? And you're supposed to be the bright one here!"

"I am," the young witch replied as she waved her wand behind her back. At that moment, a washing basin fell atop the succubus' head, which drilled her hard into the floor. "I can't believe I didn't see it before. Moka-san's just so hot, wouldn't you say?" Before she could go further, she was immediately encased in ice.

"You are hopeless," Mizore spoke with an unimpressed frown. "And you missed the point entirely."

"Uh, yeah," Tsukune spoke up nervously, trying to get the images of Inner Moka out of his mind. That was even more difficult with Yukari's earlier comments about her being naked. "Those numbers must mean something else,"' he spoke up defensively, his face a brilliant shade of red as a trail of blood left his nose, "like, I don't know, maybe the combination to a-" He stopped in mid-sentence as the answer came to him. "-safe."

All the girls looked to him incredulously, and then to one another. A very tense silence existed between the five youkai gathered in the cell.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Kurumu screamed at the top of her lungs, shattering the silence. "What kind of an idiot uses a woman's measurements for the combination to a safe?"

"Someone with too much free time on their hands," Mizore replied in an offhand manner.

"Not to mention someone who never lived to see Moka," Ruby noted. She quickly shook her head dismissively. "But I think we're looking into this too hard, there's no way a youkai from centuries ago could've known Moka's measurements, it must be just a coincidence."

"I certainly hope so," Tsukune spoke up. "This is too humiliating for words." He finally got control of his train of thought again. "Anyway, let's go back to the office and try it."

"Gladly." The dark-haired witch sauntered up to him, and leaned very close. "And just so you know," she whispered in his ear, "mine aren't that far off."

"That's not what I needed to hear," a flustered Tsukune replied, as his face became flushed and a sweatdrop ran down the side of his head.

The group returned to the ruined office, and weren't surprised as they saw nothing had changed. They made their way around the demolished desk and reached the combination safe on the back wall.

"Is this really gonna work," Mizore asked with a dubious expression.

"Why not," Yukari replied with a bright smile. "I knew if we searched hard enough, we'd find the clues to this puzzle. It's all part of an adventure quest."

"You're enjoying this too much."

The child prodigy bent her left leg behind her, and tilted her head to the side. "Guilty as charged."

Ruby shook her head, and sighed in feigned exasperation. She wasn't sure to be more worried about her fellow witch's desires, or her apparent love of puzzles.

"Come on, Tsukune-san," the youngest of the five girls spoke up, "try Moka-san's numbers, they can't possibly be wrong."

The brown-haired youth gave her a strange look. "Are you sure about this?"

"Why not, she would be honored that she helped us out in this fashion."

"Who do you think you're fooling," Mizore asked with a dubious glance.

"Ditto," Kurumu added.

Tsukune groaned at that, and shook his head in disbelief. He took hold of the knob, and turned it to the numbers specified in the message they'd assembled. One he'd turned it to the last knob, he turned the lever beside it, and then pulled towards him. The human student looked inside, and found a stone object inside. He brought it out into the light generated by Ruby's wand, and everyone saw a stone carving of the academy insignia in his hands.

"What the hecht," the snow girl asked with a confused expression.

The younger witch looked at it for a moment, and then realized its importance. "Yes! We've found the key to the sealed door! Now we can reach the bottom level, that must be where they've locked up the chairman."

"And Moka-san," a hopeful Tsukune added. "Finally, we can free her from this darkness."

"Let's be on guard," Ruby spoke up, and looked squarely at the brown-haired youth. "Especially you, Tsukune. You must know by now it's not just Moka they're after."

The human student bowed his head solemnly, and closed his brown eyes. "I know, Ruby-san, but, I can't let them-" He growled in anger and frustration. Though he didn't fully understand what his enemies had planned for Moka, he knew it was something she never wanted.

"Are you truly certain that's what they have planned," Michiru asked with a stern look.

Tsukune blanched in surprise and turned to the undercover agent. "What do you mean?"

"This could be but another deception, designed to attack your weakness. Our enemy seems incredibly skilled at that."

The snow girl looked genuinely surprised. "Hmm, good point. I hadn't thought of that."

"Wait a minute," Kurumu interjected, "you're saying they left that message behind just to make Tsukune lose control?"

"It's possible," the PSC officer replied, "so we must be on guard for anything once we're past that door."

The human student looked warily at them, and then closed the safe door. He was just as incensed that the bloody message might've been a ruse. He wasn't pleased that Michiru had called it his weakness, and desperately wanted to prove her wrong. "We will be," he spoke up. "Let's go, and save Moka-san."

The group nodded in agreement, and began to filter out of the room. Michiru watched them all leave, a concerned look on her face. "Hopefully it's not just her we have to save," she thought to herself, and then followed the others.

The group returned to the sealed door, in the lowest level of the dungeon.

"This has to work," Tsukune spoke in a worried voice as he brought out the academy's crest.

"You think," Mizore asked, "we certainly went to enough trouble to find it."

"But it was definitely a lot of fun," Yukari happily interjected.

Michiru said nothing in turn. She was still troubled by the notion that Kuyou had willingly assisted in the ruse they were uncovering. Even though she knew he'd been afflicted by Dracula's curse, she also knew he'd been a threat to the school beforehand. And after everything that had occurred since the previous night, she barely saw any reason to defend him, though she found that the most disturbing part.

Tsukune walked up to the door, and placed the crest in the relief. The crest glowed with a soft lavender aura, as did the whole door, which became translucent and then slowly vanished. In its wake was a stairwell leading down into the darkness. No sooner than it did that the brown-haired youth felt a tremendous evil aura below. He instinctively jumped back as the horrible youki came forth from the stairwell, as if it had reached out to him.

"Tsukune!" Kurumu cried out and immediately ran to his side.

"Are you alright, Tsukune," Mizore asked.

The human student shivered for a moment, as he sought to get his breathing under control. As he did, he felt a distinct stirring in his blood, and his right hand went to his heart.

"Tsukune," the cyan-haired girl asked in concern.

The brown-haired youth didn't respond at first, as he considered the sensation that coursed through him, and soon discerned the source. "Moka-san," he spoke quietly, "she's down there. I can feel it."

Michiru gave him a questioning look. "Are you certain," she inquired. "I can't sense anything except that, satanic aura down there."

The girls looked warily at her over her choice of words, as did Tsukune. They fearfully looked to one another as they considered what the black-clad woman had spoken.

"You know," the snow girl spoke up, which broke the tense silence, "I think she's right. This goes way beyond demonic."

"And it's the perfect place for an ambush," the PSC officer added with a hard look. "Anyone could be hiding down there and we wouldn't be able to sense them."

Kurumu looked worriedly at her Mate of Fate. "And you're saying Moka's down there? How can you be sure?"

Tsukune grimaced slightly and looked away. "I don't know," he replied as he turned back to her. "I'm not sure how to explain it, I just, know."

The cyan-girl looked less than convinced at his somewhat dubious explanation.

"It must be Moka-san's blood," Yukari offered, "perhaps it's reacting to her."

The brown-haired youth looked to the young witch, grateful that she'd spoken the words that had eluded him. "Yes, yes, I think you're right, Yukari-chan."

The youngest of the girls lightly chuckled. "Anything for you and Moka-san."

Ruby considered what her fellow witch had spoken, and deemed it a plausible explanation. She then looked down the stairwell, a deep scowl on her face. "And to think she'd be locked away in the darkest depths and forgotten," she remarked. "Such a fate was reserved only for the worst offenders."

"Like Kuyou," Michiru noted bluntly.

Mizore looked surprised by the clearly disgruntled officer's remark. "You sure about that?"

"Yes, he deserves no less for betraying this school. And since this facility was apparently designed to hold Dracula's agents, he'd fit right in."

Kurumu watched the exchange from where she stood. She detected a distinct hesitation in the undercover agent's voice as she spoke. As she glanced at Tsukune, she had an idea of its source, and approached the incognito shadow creature. "Michiru-san," she spoke up, "are you really alright with this?"

The dark-haired woman turned in her direction. "What do you mean?"

The cyan-haired girl sighed deeply, as she closed her violet eyes. "It sounds like you don't want to fight him."

"But-"

"I'm not saying I think you'll betray us," Kurumu interrupted, "more like, you'd be betraying yourself if you faced him."

A startled look appeared on Michiru's face. "Was it that obvious?"

"Definitely not at first," the incognito succubus replied. "We assumed the PSC followed Kuyou just out of mindless loyalty." She solemnly bowed her head. "But it's not like that for you, is it?"

The black-clad woman looked away in shame.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to," the cyan-haired girl spoke softly. "I just want you to know, that when the time comes, you won't have to face him alone. We'll be right there with you."

Mizore gave her head of purple hair a light shake, and then smiled and came to Michiru's side. "Yes, we will."

"We won't let him push around innocent youkai anymore," Yukari added with a determined look.

"We're all behind you, Michiru-san," Tsukune interjected. "And together, we'll put an end to his reign of terror."

"Yes," Ruby calmly declared, "he shall rue the day he betrayed Mikogami-sama and jeopardized his dream." She looked back to the stairwell. "Now, let's rescue Moka-san, find the real chairman, and then escape this deathtrap."

"Yes," the brown-haired youth replied resolutely.

The group cautiously proceeded down the darkened stairwell. Ruby's wand glowed in order to provide light for everyone. It was eerily quiet at the bottom, and an great sense of foreboding hung in the air around them, which seemed to grow stronger once they reached the bottom. Everyone closely viewed their surroundings, prepared for any surprises that awaited them.

The lowest level of the dungeon was completely enshrouded by darkness, and the malefic aura they felt dwarfed even what they felt just above them. It also seemed to verify Michiru's estimation, for it far surpassed any kind of evil they'd ever experienced. The bottom floor comprised of one single hallway, with cells on both sides. Any torches along the walls had long since burnt out. But the stench of decadence remained even after so many decades. And unlike the upper levels, the corridor comprised of hard stone walls, and metal doors with small barred windows. Kurumu tested out the walls and doors, and found them much sturdier than those above them. Clearly, the cells were designed to hold the most dangerous of youkai criminals, so they would've never threatened the outside world again.

As they proceeded down the hallway, Tsukune looked inside each cell window. Many of the cells were empty, but a few possessed the skeletons of deceased prisoners, and he soon realized the horrific stench he smelled earlier came from the cells. Most of the group reeled at the sickening scents that exuded from behind the heave metal doors. Michiru in particular held her nose, as she intently scanned her surroundings.

The group proceeded to the end of the hallway, where they found a solitary cell door. Ruby brought her glowing wand close to the window, so Tsukune could've seen inside. The interior was much larger than those of the other cells, which was a surprise to the older witch. She would've surmised the most securely guarded cell would've been the smallest and most uncomfortable one. She couldn't imagine the kind of punishments the former prisoners endured while locked away in the nigh impenetrable darkness, as she remembered what they found in the torture chamber two floors up. A couple of the implements seemed quite appealing to her. She blushed brightly, quickly brushed her more deviant thoughts aside before anyone noticed, and continued her inspection of the cell.

As she looked to the far wall, she saw a lone figure suspended upon it, the wrists bound by heavy mannacles, and the feet dangling off the floor. Its head was bowed, and its very long hair hung over its face, so it would've been impossible to discern any features. The figures' garments were in tatters, which revealed a truly feminine form. As the light from Ruby's staff shined upon it, a familiar red sparkle shone from her chest, which made the witch inhale sharply. "Moka-san," she said in a voice barely above a whisper.

Tsukune took a closer look, and recognized the crimson light from the center of the Rosario. "You're right," he replied, "it is Moka-san."

"Lemme see," Kurumu spoke up as she tried to move towards the window. Once she did, she stood on her tiptoes, and managed to look in side the cell. She saw a young woman in tattered clothing bound to the far wall, her pink and silver hair covering her face. "Finally, we've found her."

"I wanna see!" Yukari piped in as she made her way towards the door. Kurumu reached down, picked her up and brought her face to the window. The young witch was a bit disappointed by what she saw, but she quickly shook it off. "Finally, let's save Moka-san and get out of this creepy joint."

"I couldn't agree more," Mizore added as she made her way towards the window. She took out the set of dungeon keys, and began flipping through them. She ignored the keys she'd already used and kept going.

Tsukune watched as his friend flipped through the keys. As she got near the end, he noticed an onyx key with crimson edges amongst them. "It's that one," he spoke up.

The snow girl stopped, and looked to him in surprise as she held the aforementioned key. "How can you be sure, Tsukune," she asked.

The brown-haired youth blanched in response. "I don't know, I just get this, eerie feeling when I look at that key, almost, like it represents the blood-soaked darkness of Dracula himself." He shivered as he stood near the door. "Let's be careful, I can feel a lot of evil in there."

"Sure thing." The snow girl placed the key in the lock, and found it a perfect fit. She glanced quickly at Tsukune, turned the key and removed it. She was still a bit confused about how Tsukune guessed it was the right key with but a look, but decided to ask after they escaped. With a concerned look, she grabbed the handle and pulled the door open. Once she did, a gust of darkness emerged from the other side. Mizore covered her face to protect herself from the gust, as did the others.

"What the hecht is this?" Kurumu called out over the storm. "Did we just unlock Hell or something?"

"I don't know!" Ruby replied as she held her ground. "But I do know I've never such powerful evil before. It seems, limitless!"

"You're right!" Michiru added. "It feels like we've opened the lair of the Devil himself! Or someone close to it."

"No way!" Yukari exclaimed. "Are you saying Dracula's in there? Then Moka-san's in real danger!"

"Hold on, Moka-san!" Tsukune called out. "We're coming!"

After a few moments, the gale died down. However, the immeasurable evil they sensed earlier remained, which kept the group on their toes. They slowly made their way into the cell. As they neared the wall where Moka was bound, they saw more skeletons shackled to the side walls. Ruby brought her glowing wand close to them, and saw the skeletons looked humanoid. She tried hard not to gasp, as the scene reminded her of her time on Witch's Hill before Tsukune and his friends arrived. A couple of the skeletons had elongated fangs, which indicated they might've been vampires in life. The stench of death and decay around them nearly overwhelmed Kurumu, and made Yukari sick to her stomach. Mizore tried not to gag, as did Ruby. Michiru was also visibly disgusted by the rank odors within the cell, but she never took her eyes off Tsukune, as she saw dark crackles of energy around his body.

The brown-haired youth stopped in front of the manacled girl. She was clad in a crude two-piece brown dress that completely exposed her arms and a good part of her toned abdomen. Her skin was paler than he remembered, and he noticed more of her hair was silver rather than pink. Her bare feet hovered a few inches off the ground. As he examined her, he saw the regular rise and fall of her chest, which indicated she was breathing. He was relieved, for it meant she was still alive, just unconscious, or at least he hoped she was just unconscious. "Moka-san," he began in a pained voice, "I'm here."

A soft groan came from the bound girl's direction. As the human student watched, her mouth opened slightly, which revealed significantly longer fangs than her sealed form usually possessed. The girl's eyelids slowly opened, and the brown-haired youth saw her eyes held a more reddish tint than before, which mixed with their usually emerald color. "Tsukune," the female vampire asked in a barely audible voice.

"Yes, Moka-san," the young man promptly replied, trying to ignore the darkness that seemed to attack his entire being, "it's me. Hold on, we're going to get you out of here."

"Just what do you think you're doing," an unseen voice asked from behind the group.

Yukari's youki flared up in response. "That voice," she spoke with a dark glare.

She and the others turned, and saw a young woman in the traditional PSC uniform standing in the doorway of the cell. Her long dirty blonde hair reached the small of her back, and she wore a conceited expression on her face. The young witch seethed inwardly as she shot a murderous look into the newcomer's blue eyes, who merely smirked in response. "You do realize this facility is off-limits to students," she remarked in a condescending voice, "do you not?"

"You!" Kurumu called out angrily, as she recognized the woman, who wore a green nurse's uniform when they last met.

"Mako Yakumaru," Michiru spoke with an intense glare. "What is the meaning of this?"

The former nurse chuckled in response. "Oh my, I should be asking you the same question, shouldn't I? Assisting a band of known felons, and possible agents of Dracula, no less." She gave her accuser a sinister grin. "Kuyou-sama will not be pleased."

"Enough with the charade," the dark-haired woman retorted. "It was the Public Safety Commission that assisted Dracula's agents, allowing them to take over the school. Kuyou betrayed his duties just to exact revenge on one girl, who's been wrongfully incarcerated here."

"What," the blue-eyed woman asked in mock indignation, "you dare denounce your own order, not to mention your master. Hmph, and you were supposed to be the loyal one."

"You are no one to judge me, felon," the undercover agent shot back. "The fact that you now wear that uniform demonstrates the commission's corrupt ways."

"You wound me," Mako retorted in clearly feigned sadness. "Whatever I, might've done in the past has been wiped clean."

"What are you talking about," the young witch demanded, livid at the former nurse's obvious conceit.

The dirty blonde woman chuckled in response. "It's very simple, Yukari-chan. All I had to do was one little task, and Kuyou-san cleared my, supposed record. He even made me a full-fledged member of the Public Safety Commission, no less. Such generosity is rare these days, wouldn't you say?"

"More like such arrogance!" Kurumu shot back. "As if I didn't have enough reason to tear apart Kuyou and the whole stinkin' PSC!" Her wings burst forth from behind her sweater, her tail emerged from her under her skirt, and her fingernails extended into deadly claws. "What have you done to Moka-san, you backstabbing bitch!"

The dirty blonde woman laughed hysterically at the killer intent directed at her. "Oh my, are you threatening a sacred defender of justice," she asked mockingly, "that just won't do," she continued as she narrowed her eyes into deadly slits, "that won't do at all."

Suddenly, Tsukune gasped as he felt a malicious intent directed at Kurumu. Without thinking, he moved aside and knocked her aside with his shoulder. A split second later, a stabbing, burning sensation shot through his shoulder, which caused him to scream in pain. Everyone turned, and saw Moka standing behind him, a lifeless look in her eyes, and holding a dagger that was plunged into his back.

"Where's she come from?" Mizore exclaimed in shock.

"How did she get loose," Michiru asked in disbelief.

Tsukune grimaced in pain as he felt the blade stuck behind his left shoulder. Even worse, he felt the darkness rising up in his soul again. And in his stricken state, he found it more difficult to resist it. "You," he spoke in a rasping voice through clenched teeth as he regarded Mako with hateful brown eyes, which turned into slitted crimson irises. "What have you done to Moka-san?"

The deposed nurse gave him a sinister chuckle. "I think it's pretty obvious, don't you," she asked with a small yet clearly malicious grin. "Kuyou-san thought it would've been appropriate if the Newspaper Club destroyed itself, so he acquired my services for just that purpose. The fluids I've injected into her make her the perfect executioner." She chuckled venomously as her grin widened. "And if any of you do survive, Kuyou-san will rectify that matter in short order. So much for the 'sacred defenders of justice,' eh Michiru-san? With friends like them, who needs enemies?"

"YOU!" the incensed woman screamed in outraged, furious at her enemy's audacity. She was even more enraged that Mako's actions were authorized by Kuyou himself, and she planned to hold him accountable for it when she found him.

"How dare you!" Yukari declared in her anger. "You won't get away with this!"

The sinister woman chuckled in satisfaction. "As if you and your little friends are in any position to stop me. Hmm, I suppose everything is well in hand now." She turned towards the cell door, opened it, and looked back to the young witch. "Farewell, Yukari-chan, we shall not meet again." She laughed wickedly as she made her way out.

"GET BACK HERE!" Tsukune screamed at the departing woman, and rushed for the closing door. His dark aura surrounding him, he reached out to take hold of the door. However, he reached it a split second too late, as the exit was securely closed. Consumed by rage, he slammed both fists onto the hard metal door, and the banging sound echoed throughout the cell, and rung in everyone's ears. Tsukune looked for the door handle, but found none. He tried to find any opening between the door and the wall to fit his fingers inside, but again to no avail. He pulled on the barred window, but found the door wouldn't budge. With the dagger still in his shoulder, he couldn't muster the strength he wanted at that moment.

"Crap!" Mizore remarked with a blank look of fear. "Don't tell me she's locked us in!"

The hybrid youth screamed incoherently as he continued to pull at the barred window.

"Tsukune, stop!" the older witch called out. "These cells were designed to hold vampires!" She felt a sharp pain in the back of her head and she was knocked to the ground.

"Ruby-san!" Yukari cried out, as she saw Moka stood over the fallen woman.

Kurumu got to her feet, and had seen the vampire seemingly materialize behind Ruby and drive her elbow in the back of the witch's head. "This is bad," she said to herself, "we can't sense her in this vile aura." She saw Tsukune still struggling with the door, and then felt a cold chill nearby. She looked, and saw Moka encased in ice, with Mizore next to her.

"I hope someone has a plan!" the snow girl called out urgently. "This won't hold her for long!"

The succubus took the initiative and flew over to Tsukune. "Hold still," she said to him, "I'll get this thing out." She grabbed the handle of the blade and pulled on it, but it wouldn't budge. She used both hands, but her efforts still seemed futile.

"Kurumu-chan," the hybrid youth spoke in a growling, yet kind voice.

Incensed, she braced one foot on the wall near Tsukune, and the other in the middle of his back, as she used her arm and leg strength to pull on the blade. She growled through clenched teeth as the dagger stubbornly refused to yield. Even after many moments, the blade had barely budged from his position. She heard Tsukune also screaming, and she redoubled her efforts, exerting more strength than she ever had in her life. Livid at what her enemies had wrought, she pulled with more strength than even she knew she possessed, and the blade slowly began to yield. After a few more seconds, Kurumu extracted the dagger and went flying off Tsukune's back. She tumbled backwards on the floor several times until she came to a stop, and rose to her knees. "No one toys with my friends," she spoke in a deadly voice as she stood up. "Not Mako, not Kuyou, not Colton, not Dracula," she went on, and then hurled the dagger into the floor by her feet. "NOT ANYBODY!"

Suddenly, the sound of breaking ice came from behind her. She spun around, and saw Moka had freed herself from her icy prison. The possessed vampire rushed towards her, only to vanish before she got within striking distance. Kurumu looked around, but saw no trace of her.

"Behind you!" Tsukune's voice called out from the door.

As the cyan-haired girl was turning around, she felt a powerful side kick right in the middle of her back, which knocked her fifteen feet away, and she landed hard on the floor.

"Kurumu-san!" Yukari cried out, almost overwhlemed during the chaotic situation. Never in her young life did she imagine she'd ever have to fight Moka Akashiya, regardless of the circumstances. As she tried to focus on her next course of action, she saw the vampire reaching for the dagger on the floor. "No!" she called out, and ran towards the blade. As she dove towards it, she felt a strong kick right in the ribs, which knocked her into the far wall.

"No! Yukari-chan!" Tsukune shouted, as he watchd Moka reclaim the dagger on the floor. He streaked with lightning speed towards the possessed girl, and wrapped both arms around her from behind. "Stop this, Moka-san!" he yelled in a snarling voice. "Stop this right now!"

The long-haired young woman seemed oblivous to his words, she hadn't even reacted when she was restrained. Suddenly, the female vampire disappeared in Tsukune's grasp, which left him holding empty air.

"What is this," Ruby asked in shock. "I never knew Moka-san had such abilities."

"She seems awfully alert for a mindless opponent," Michiru noted sourly.

Tsukune scanned the area intently, when he sensed a murderous intent behind him. He instinctively reached behind his back, and he found his hand had taken hold of Moka's wrist. He looked over his shoulder, and saw the young woman behind him, her dagger aimed right at his back before he stopped it. "What is the meaning of this," he asked in a growling voice. "You dare attack me like a coward?"

"Oh no," Mizore spoke warily as she feared the darkness was overtaking Tsukune again.

Almost as if on cue, a black and crimson aura surrounded the hybrid youth, and he pulled hard on Moka's wrist, which caused her to stumble past him. He pulled her in front of him, and then reached out and grabbed her neck. "Miserable wench, you are no one to challenge me." The whites of his eyes turned black, and his pupils blazed a fierce shade of red. "Kneel down before your master!" he shouted in an echoing, commanding voice.

Kurumu regained her footing, and saw the hybrid bringing his dark will down on Moka, just as he did to her in the tower. "Tsukune, stop!" the cyan-haired girl called out and ran to his side. She took hold of his shoulder, but the incensed youth roughly tossed her aside with his free hand, all without looking in her direction.

"Kurumu-san!" Yukari cried out as she ran gingerly to the fallen girl's side, her hand still on her ribs.

"I'm fine," the succubus retorted as she regained her footing. "But Tsukune," she continued as she watched the scene before her, "he's... he's lost his mind."

Tsukune continued to try and subjugate Moka's mind, as the female vampire looked blankly at him. Even with his hand on her throat, her blank expression never changed, which enraged him even more. Suddenly, Moka's eyes flashed bright red, and the incensed youth screamed in pain as an intense force attacked his mind, causing him to lose his chokehold on the supposedly mindless girl. He held the suides of his head, as crackles of dark energy shot around it.

"What the hell was that," Mizore asked fearfully.

Ruby also looked on with frightened lavender eyes. "Some sort of, psychic feedback," she replied, and then looked gravely to the others. "This is getting out of hand. If we don't do something soon, Tsukune-san and Moka-san could destroy one another."

"We nee to find Mako!" Yukari called out. "If we defeat her, Moka-san will wake up!"

"How are you planning to go after her," Mizore asked, "that false friend locked us in."

The younger witch turned to the black-clad woman. "You can get outside, can't you Michiru-san?"

"Yes, but I can only take one of you with me in that fashion."

"Then take me! Let's stop Mako so she'll never toy with any more lives."

"Here," the snow girl interjected and handed them the key ring. "Think you can unlock the door while you're at it?"

"Definitely," Michiru replied succinctly. "We'll deal with Yakumaru, try to keep Aono-san and Akashiya-san from hurting one another."

"And make sure Moka-san gets this!" the younger witch added, as she threw the case that contained the clean uniform.

Ruby quickly raised her staff and the box floated magically towards her. She took hold of it and tucked it away. "We will, Yukari-chan," she called out.

"What was she doing with that," Kurumu muttered to herself, shook her head, and turned to her younger classmate. "Leave this to us!" she said aloud.

Suddenly, Moka rushed Tsukune with an overhead slash. The hybrid student barely recovered in time to catch her wrist with both hands, and held it at bay. However, he found it was all he could've managed with his current strength, so he couldn't attempt to remove the Rosario. And then, he felt a familiar presence beside him, and saw Moka's arm being pushed upward. He looked out of the corner of his eye, and saw the succubus struggling alongside himde him. "Kurumu-chan," he spoke gratefully.

At that moment, Moka's right shoulder and upper arm were covered in ice, which left her unable to move her arm.

"Now, Tsukune!" the snow girl called out. "Get the Rosario!"

"Right! Thank you, Mizore-chan!" He removed his right hand, and saw the possesed girl's arm didn't move. He then reached out towards the Rosario, but soon felt a strong grasp on his wrist. He looked, and saw Moka had seized it with her free hand.

"No," the stricken girl spoke weakly, "don't do it."

"Moka-san," the young man asked in bewilderment.

"Tsukune," the female vampire continued, pain and desperation in her voice, "run away!" she shouted, and then her arm broke free of the ice. She then slashed down Tsukune's torso with her dagger, and cut him from his let shoulder down to around his right kidney.

"Tsukune!" Kurumu cried out, and ran to his side.

Suddenly, the hybrid youth's body erupted with a vile black aura, and he screamed in demonic rage. "How dare you assault your master!" he shouted at the possesed girl, and nailed her with a powerful backhanded blow which knocked her across the cell. "Miserable creature," he snarled as he walked menacingly towards the fallen girl, "you shall rue the day you def-" He was abruptly cut off when his entire body was imprisoned in a huge block of ice.

Mizore's claws glowed with an icy hue, as she tried to maintain her hold on the incensed youth. However, she sensed his youki building within, and noticed as cracks began to form in the ice. "Get going!" she called out to Michiru and Yukari. "This won't hold him for long!"

The PSC agent nodded, and ran towards the door along with the young witch. "It's up to us," she spoke with a determined look. "Let's bring Mako Yakumaru to justice."

"Gladly, desu."

With that, the shadow creature melted into the floor, along with her new friend. They slid under the door and disappeared from sight.

At that moment, Tsukune broke free of his icy prison, roaring in demonic anger. The force of his release actually sent Mizore flying back into the wall. She slid down to one knee, thunderstruck by the amount of power he'd demonstrated.

"I WILL DESTROY EVERYTHING!" the hybrid youth screamed at the top of his lungs. Suddenly, he lurched over, and held the sides of his head, groaning in obvious pain. "Everyone," he spoke in a stricken voice, "get away from me! The darkness, is taking over. I can't, hold out much longer."

"No!" Kurumu cried out as she ran to his side. "Don't lose yourself, Tsukune!"

"Blast!" Michiru's voice snapped from the other side of the door.

The cyan-haired girl immediately turned in her direction. "What is it," she called out.

"Yakumaru! She's broken her key in the lock! There's no way to open the door now!"

The succubus growled in aggravation. "Forget it!" she snapped. "Get going and clobber that bitch!"

"Gladly," the PSC officer spoke darkly. The next sounds that came from the outside was her and Yukari's hurried footsteps as they raced upstairs.

Tsukune screamed in pain, as the dark energy within him threatened to consume his entire being. As she grimaced, he felt Moka's presence close to the unaware succubus. "Behind you!"

Without asking, Kurumu spun around and delivered a hard reverse back kick, which caught the vampire flush in the sternum and forced her to stumble away several paces. But before she could thank him, she was greeted with a powerful blow to the face, which knocked her into Moka and sent them both across the room and into the far wall.

"Insolent pest!" the hybrid youth snarled at the stricken girl. "How dare you lash out against my servant!"

The cyan-haired girl collapsed to her knees, injured on many levels by the attack. "Servant," she asked bitterly, "is that all she is to you now?"

"Kurumu," the female vampire said weakly.

The succubus looked over her shoulder towards the possesed girl, relieved that she still had some semblance of coherence. "Moka, you'll probably hate what I'm about to do, but there might be no other way to stop Tsukune."

The long-haired girl gasped in response. "Kurumu, no! Run away, he'll kill you."

"We can't," the violet-eyed girl replied as she rose to her feet, "that bitch Yakumaru broke the lock and trapped us inside. I just hope Michiru and Yukari-chan catch her before long."

At that moment, Mizore and Ruby ran to their side.

"Are you alright," the snow girl asked in concern.

"Yeah," the succubus repleid, trying to sound casual amidst the chaos that surrounded them. "Listen, I have a plan to stop him." She whispered low so only the girls could've heard her.

"That's too dangerous!" Moka protested, and then held her head again.

Mizore glared at the cyan-haired girl for several seconds. "Fine," she consented as she brandished her icy claws, "but you owe me for this one."

"There's no time to debate," Ruby spoke up. "If Tsukune can't stop himself, then we must act in his stead." She produced her six wings floated behind Moka, and ensnared her with her extended feathers. As she did, both Kurumu and Mizore stood in front of her to obstruct Tsukune.

"Don't get too enthralled," the snow girl warned her companion.

The cyan-haired girl nodded sadly. "I know, I wish it didn't have to come to this, but I do appreciate your help."

The purple-haired girl looked away and nodded mutely. "Same here."

"What do you think you're doing?" the hybrid youth demanded. "Release my servant at once!"

"We won't let you do this, Tsukune," the frightened yet determined succubus shot back. "This, this is not what you want!"

"Ha!" the dark teenager snapped defiantly. "I decide what I want, and I take it!" He immediately ran straight at her. "And no one stands in my way!"

"Do it!" the succubus shouted.

Mizore stretched her hand forward, and a bolt of ice shot forth and created an incy patch on the floor. Tsukune ran over it, lost his footing and stumbled forward. Once he was close enough, Kurumu immediately reached out, grabbed the back of his head, and drove it into her large chest. The sinister youth growled in anger and surprise as he was smothered in the succubus' bosom. He flailed his arms wildly, and Kurumu hung on for dear life. He wrapped his arms around her, trying to crush the life out of the cyan-haired girl. The succubus grimaced in pain as she felt the viselike grip on her ribs, but she never relinquished her hold. He pushed her backwards, until she collided with the still bound Moka, but she still held on.

"I'm sorry, Tsukune," Kurumu said through her pain. "Hate me if you will, but I just can't stand by and watch you and Moka-san destroy each other."

Tsukune flailed his arms again, as he realized his attempts to free himself were unsuccessful. His struggles slowly became weaker, as the loss of air rapidly drained his strength. His vile aura began to diminish, as did the seething hatred within him. The trapped youth felt his knees giving way, as his flailing all but ceased. "I don't hate you, Kurumu-chan," he spoke in a barely audible voice, "I hate myself, for losing myself, again. Moka-san, forgive me." With one last flail of his arm, he passed out in Kurumu's tight embrace. However, the familiar sound of a metallic snap caught everyone's attention, coupled with the release of a powerful demonic aura. The succubus released her hold on him, and noticed Moka standing two feet from her, an incoherent look on her pale features. The cyan-haired girl also saw her Rosario was missing. She immediately looked down, and saw the artifact held in Tsukune's seemingly limp hand.

Ruby immediately released Moka once she felt the seal was broken, and was scared that instead of dropping to the floor, the female vampire's body seemed to hover in midair, which was very uncharacteristic of her.

"Oh crud," Mizore spoke warily, "what's going on here?"

Kurumu was wide-eyed at the transforming girl before her, as fear raced through her heart. "I don't know, but I do know that's not Moka-san's aura!"

Tsukune immediately awoke as he felt the sinister presence close by. He watched as Moka stood like a statue as her metamorphosis continued, her face concealed by her long white hair. He noticed crackles of black energy shot around her body, seeming to electrify the air itself with darkness. He stiffened in response, as he recognized the vile aura that manifested before him. He actually felt the malevolent darkness that had previously permeated the dungeon rush into the cell and converge within the transforming girl before him.

And then, a low sinister laugh came from the female vampire. "You little fools have just awakened your doom," she spoke ominously, as a second voice became overlapped with it. However, the second voice wasn't that of either Moka, but of a far more malefic entity. The white-haired woman raised her pallid countenance, which was decorated by a sinister grin, that exposed her deadly fangs. Her eyes glowed blood red, as black crackles of energy continued to streak around her hovering body, and a vile black sigil appeared on the floor under her. "Kneel down and pay homage to the one true Lord of Darkness!"

Tsukune was immediately taken aback. If he had any doubts about the second voice's identity, the being's revelation made it abundantly clear. "DRACULA!"

Lightning crashed down outside the cell, and illuminated the entire floor. The group was startled by the phenomenon, but even more so as they watched the wall behind the vampire. That was where they saw the shadow of not Moka Akashiya, but of a massive cloaked being, towering over the comparatively diminutive group before it.

Oh crap! What a time for HIM to show up again. Will Tsukune and his friends survive the encounter with the Demon King? Will Yukari and Michiru find Mako in time to save their friends? And if they do, will they be able to escape and save the school from implosion?

"And when are we coming back, author? We were in three chapters and then you made us disappear. Not that I crave the spotlight or anything, but is this any way to treat Moka-chan's older sister? Chichiu-e isn't very pleased, and this really makes me sad."

Um, yeah. Anyway, tune in next time for Part I Chapter XX Majesty of Darkness

"WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Everyone, run for your lives!