A/N Hello everyone, hope you all had a great St. Patrick's Day. Still hard at work to get this story finished by April 15, hope everyone enjoys it for the remainder. The last arc shouldn't be more than three chapters, so it won't be long before we reach the finale. Get ready everyone, it will be a bumpy ride.

The following chapter contains lots of blood, some gore, and a very explosive character death. Anyone offended by such can turn back now. Also, if anything conflicts with chapter eighteen, I just edited it so it's consistent.

I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania. They are the licensed properties of their rightful owners. And so, without further ado, on with the show.

Part I Chapter XXII
The Forbidden Power

Mizore quickly retreated back to where the others stood, as they watched the exchange between the two combatants. Once she did, she sensed a familiar presence nearby. She turned, and saw Kurumu had also rejoined the others, a sheepish look on her pretty face. The snow girl had a few questions for her, but quickly decided she would've disliked the answers, so she said nothing and turned back to the intense scene before them.

The gargantuan beast threw his primal head back and laughed uproariously at the threats he'd just received. "Oh, you wish!" he shot back. "You don't know what you're up against, Moka-san! I have the strength of ten orcs now," he declared with his arms spread wide, "and it's all thanks to Count Dracula! You don't have a prayer!"

"I don't need prayer," the smaller woman spoke coldly.

The white-haired woman unleashed a high kick from where she stood, which released a cutting wave of air that streaked towards her opponent. Komiya immediately brought his arms up to shield him as the air blast struck. He growled in exertion as he struggled against the force of his enemy's attack, but he held his ground against his enemy's power. After a few seconds, the massive beast lunged forward and spread his arms apart, which effectively dispelled the assault. The smaller vampire was surprised, but it only seemed to anger her further.

"No way!" Kurumu exclaimed in disbelief. "He canceled out Moka-san's attack?"

"This isn't good," Mizore remarked.

"Moka-san," Tsukune spoke worriedly.

Ruby said nothing, as she knew the female vampire wouldn't have crushed her current opponent with impunity, as she usually did. Though she wasn't questioning Moka's chances too much, she knew it wouldn't have been an easy victory.

The massive creature lumbered towards his opponent with a primal roar, his huge claw raised aloft. The white-haired woman decided not to wait, broke into a sprint and leaped into the air. Once she was within range, she unloaded with a powerful cyclone kick right to Komiya's temple. The orc vampire spun around with a painful grunt, but then retaliated with a hard left cross to Moka's midsection while she remained airborne. The super monster was sent flying back towards the others, sailed over their heads and slammed hard into the wall behind them, which shook tremendously from the impact. Tiny pebbles fell from where the vampire was embedded and landed around the group below.

"Moka-san!" Tsukune cried out.

The white-haired woman growled in annoyance as she began to extricate herself from the wall. First she pulled out both arms, which enabled her to free her head and shoulders. She had less trouble freeing her legs and lower body, and with a final push, she popped out of the wall and landed amongst the group, a grimace evident on her pale face.

"Are you alright," Kurumu asked worriedly as she came towards her.

"I'm fine," the white-haired woman spoke irritably through clenched teeth as she glared at the succubus.

The cyan-haired girl reeled back from her response, still shaken after being slammed into the wall herself earlier.

The unsealed vampire scowled at the teenage youkai, but her harsh look gave way to a more solemn expression. "Leave this to me," she spoke to her. "I'll deal with this idiot, you get those two off the ledge."

"Sure thing, Moka," the succubus replied without hesitation. "And after that?"

The S-class monster turned her gaze back to her opponent. "Stay out of my way."

Kurumu sighed sadly as her friend charged back into battle again. The succubus felt a great sense of remorse in the vampire's usually harsh words. "Moka," she began with a worried glance, "you don't need to do this all alone. Has our time together really meant nothing?"

"Moka-san," Tsukune added with a despondent look. He remembered her anger from his dream the previous night, along with her dismissal of him, a stark contrast from her usual proud and supremely self-assured demeanor. He would've never guessed she hated herself, or possessed such a painful and terrifying past. He longed to be with her and ease her pain, though he knew she wasn't in the mood to be soothed at the moment.

The white-haired woman sprinted towards her enemy, who raised a massive claw overhead. As his huge hand came crashing down, it seemed to pass through his enemy and landed hard on the floor, as the form of Moka wavered and dissipated as it kept running. Saizou grunted in confusion as he realized his attack had hit nothing. As he looked about for his target, Moka leaped into the air behind him and unloaded with a tremendously powerful kick right to the back of his head, which caused him to stumble forward slightly and double over from the impact. Before he could've recovered, the female vampire maneuvered to his left side and kicked him hard in the gut, which actually lifted his gargantuan body almost a foot into the air before he landed. She unloaded with three more kicks with the same results, but then took a hard elbow to the side of the head. As she was sent sprawling, she twisted her body and placed her hand on the floor, and then propelled herself feetfirst into the wall, which became badly cracked from the impact. She then launched herself towards her foe, as the wall began to collapse behind her.

Off by the edge of the room, Kurumu gasped as she realized the wall that had just crumbled was right under the ledge where Yukari and Michiru lied unconscious upon. She immediately took to the air, and waited for an opening. She watched as Moka twisted her body in mid-flight, and then drilled both of her feet in Saizou's washboard stomach, which sent the massive beast flying backwards. The succubus took the initiative and flew towards the ledge. Once she reached it, she saw the bodied of her friends, and was grateful they hadn't fallen off during the fight. "Yukari-chan," she spoke softly, "Michiru-san, you're in good hands now." She scooped up both girls, one under each arm and began a more roundabout flight path to avoid Saizou's notice. Though it was difficult carrying two people at once in the air, the young witch was very light, so it was less of a burden to the cyan-haired girl.

Down on the floor, Saizou was knocked back after being drilled in the stomach by another of Moka's kicks. However, he had the presence of mind to drive his huge feet into the floor. He skidded back a few more feet, as skeletal remains were sent flying as he slid through them. He quickly came to a stop and growled in apparent pain, but then laughed lowly. "Oh my," he remarked in his bestial voice, "I almost felt that. Is it because you've become so weak, or it is because I'm that much more powerful now?"

"Get over yourself," Inner Moka tartly replied, her upper lip curled in contempt which exposed one of her deadly fangs. "The only thing about you that's been empowered is your weak-minded delusions. Regardless of what newfound prowess you claim to posses, you are still trash, and this time I will dispose of you," she spoke menacingly as she narrowed her eyes into deadly slits, "permanently."

The larger youkai laughed uproariously in response. "You wish! You may talk tough, but I see the fear in your eyes. I can smell it, too, and it's so delicious. It suits you, Moka-san," he spoke with a ravenous grin, as he narrowed his beady red eyes in anticipation. "After all the people you've trampled underfoot, it's about time you learned how the, other half lived. I'll make you feel what you made everyone else feel for two long years. And once I'm done pummeling you, Moka-san, the real fun begins, that'll be even more delicious." His long tongue shot out and licked his lips as he looked up and down the vampire's body.

Kurumu tried hard not to gag when she heard the orc vampire's boasts. The implications in his words were impossible to ignore. By the time she returned to the others, with Yukari and Michiru and tow, she was positively seething.

"How dare you!" Tsukune spoke under his breath, his face absolutely livid. "How dare you!" he shouted indignantly. "You will not have Moka-san!" he shouted as he charged towards his opponent.

Mizore's mouth dropped open in response. "Tell me I didn't just see that."

"Tsukune, get back here!" the cyan-haired girl called out.

The brown-haired youth ran at top speed towards Saizou, as he emitted a fierce battle cry. He launched himself forward and rammed his shoulder into the small of the monster's broad back. Unfortunately, the impact damaged him a lot more than his opponent, and he felt like he just tried to tackle a petrified tree. He bounced off painfully and landed hard on the floor, his hand on his formerly good shoulder.

"Tsukune!" Moka exclaimed, a look of shock, rage and disbelief on her face, her crimson irises widened accordingly.

The massive beast looked down at his fellow student, wholly unfazed by the surprise attack. "What was that," he asked. "I felt like a mosquito bit me."

The brown-haired youth groaned in pain as he rolled onto his back, shocked that his attack was ineffective. "Why," he asked himself through clenched teeth, "why can't I use my power?"

"Hmph, you've gotten cocky, Aono," the gargantuan Saizou commented, "seems Moka-san's massive ego is rubbing off on you. But I got just the thing to cut you down to size, human." He fully turned towards the fallen student, and raised his huge foot aloft. "Realize where you stand!"

"Tsukune!" Kurumu cried out from the edge of the room.

The human student found himself unable to move as his enemy's foot came crashing down. But before the fatal blow came, his vision was momentarily obscured for some unknown reason, followed by a thundering impact. When he opened his eyes again, he noticed long ivory tresses that fell onto his face. He looked up, and saw the pained and incensed visage of Inner Moka, as she knelt protectively over his body. "Moka-san," the startled youth exclaimed.

"Tsukune," the sophomore spoke in a low menacing voice as she absorbed another stomp from her enemy, "you are beginning to try my patience. Interfere again, and I will not hold back."

The boy gasped in shock as he knew what she meant, just as he felt another massive stomp that would've crushed him had the vampire not intercepted it with her body.

"Oh, how touching," the monstrous beast spoke in a haughty, growling voice. "The two misguided lovebirds, wanting to die together." He raised his foot once more. "Consider it done!" He roared in triumph as he brought his massive foot crashing down towards Moka. But before he could've blinked, the white-haired woman turned towards him as she rose to one knee, and caught his foot in her grasp, which caused him to flail his arms in order to retain his balance.

"Who said anything about dying," she asked as she stood over Tsukune's body. As she held her enemy's foot, she looked down towards the shocked youth. "But you will if you peek," she spoke in a quiet, deadly voice and exposed her deadly fangs for emphasis.

The human student grimaced in response, and looked off to the side. As his mind considered what she said, he was reminded of the time Yukari controlled his body with a voodoo doll, and wound up seeing more of Kurumu than he wanted. A jet of blood erupted from his nose as he thought about Inner Moka in such a position.

The white-haired woman turned her brooding gaze back towards her opponent. "And you dare call me misguided," she asked darkly as the scent of Tsukune's blood reached her nose. "You have more than sealed your fate, Komiya." A monstrous crimson arua surrounded her, which magnified her already superhuman strength severalfold. She rose slightly, leaned forward and drove her knee into Tsukune's bruised ribs. She heard a pained groan from him and grit her teeth together, certain that the human student had defied her again, which further incensed her as she rose to a standing position again. All the while she pushed back Saizou's huge foot. "Trash like you will never dominate me!" she declared fiercely. "Disappear!" she shouted, as she pushed back with her aura enhanced strength, which actually sent the enormous Saizou flying through the air. The orc vampire landed hard on the floor near the opposite end of the room.

Inner Moka took advantage of the temporary reprieve and turned back towards Tsukune. She leaned over his body, grabbed him by his injured shoulders and jerked him up to his feet. "I will not repeat myself again," she spoke warningly as her burning red eyes bored into his own, "stay out of my way."

"You don't understand," a wincing Tsukune replied, as a trail of blood ran down from the corner of his mouth, "Komiya's just toying with you. He's not using his full strength."

The white-haired woman's left eyebrow quirked up slightly, then slowly lowered again. "And how do you know this?"

"I can feel it," the human student replied through his pain. "Can't you feel it, too? You're a vampire, a daiyoukai. You must be aware of it, Moka-san." His pain increased as he felt the incensed woman had tightened her grip on his shoulders.

"You've defied me time and again, and now you have the gall to lecture me," she asked as she bared her fangs in anger. "What must I do to make you obey me?" she snarled in frustration, and grasped his shoulders even tighter.

Tsukune cried out in pain from the vampire's crushing grip. He was amazed she hadn't crippled him already, but feared she would've if he angered her further. "I'm sorry, Moka-san," he began in a pained voice, "but I could never... forget you. I've never hated you, so please... don't hate yourself."

The white-haired woman gasped in response, as her red eyes went wide in shock. She lost her grip in that moment, and the brown-haired youth's body fell onto the floor without her notice. She merely stood in place, frozen by what he'd just spoken. She never would've imagined he would've discerned her self-loathing over what happened in her past, let alone confronted her on it. As she stood dumbfounded, the shaking of the floor and a massive killing intent quickly got her attention. She looked back out of the corner of her eye, and saw Saizou was headed towards her again. The gargantuan demon roared in anticipation as he reared back and unleashed another claw swipe towards Moka, seemingly unaware that she'd already seen his advance. The female vampire reached back with both hands, caught hold of the orc's huge wrist, and used his own momentum to hurl him over her shoulder. The monstrous creature yelled in surprise as he was sent hurtling into another wall, as the entire room shook violently. The wall he'd smashed upside down into splintered and soon crumbled, as Saizou's body fell onto the floor, pelted by the falling pieces of debris.

"Holy smokes," Kurumu uttered in disbelief, shocked that her friend had thrown her much larger nemesis over her shoulder.

"So much power," Mizore added, also thunderstruck by what she'd just witnessed.

"Incredible," Ruby spoke silently, "truly incredible." Though as much as she wanted to believe Moka had the battle in hand, Tsukune's earlier claims that Saizou was toying with his opponent worried the older witch. She kept hold on her wand, and watched as the battle continued.

The white-haired woman saw her enemy's current predicament, and knelt down by injured youth. "Tsukune," she spoke urgently as she helped him into a sitting position, "there's no time to discuss this further. But please, if you truly care for me," she continued, as she leaned forward towards his ear, "let me be who I am," she whispered softly. "None of you should die for my mistakes."

The human student gasped in response, touched by his close friend's words. "Moka-san," he replied in silent awe.

"I'll be fine," the vampire continued warmly as she gently brought Tsukune to his feet. "Just stay with the others where it's safe, I'll be back shortly." Unable to restrain herself in the moment, she wrapped her slender arms around him, and pressed him tightly against her chest. "And, thank you, Tsukune," she added quietly, as she felt a wave of tears about to gush out, though she fought to suppress them, "for everything."

A bright blush appeared over the human student's cheeks as he processed what the white-haired woman had relayed to him, and wrapped his own arms around her. "Thank you," he replied affectionately, "Moka-san."

The super monster tensed slightly as she felt one of Tsukune's arms had caressed the middle of her bare back, but no further. She exhaled in contentment, touched at receiving his embrace, as her blood red lips stretched into a warm smile. Despite the anguish she wanted none of them to discover, she was honored that the human student bore her no malice, and even desired to attempt to defend her honor at his own peril. Though she was certain he didn't know the severity of said peril, she planned to address the issue after the battle was over. She carefully rubbed down his bare back in response with her elongated fingers, separated herself and looked fully into his face. "Go now, Tsukune," she spoke in a quiet, yet affectionate voice, "I'll take it from here."

The brown-haired youth nodded, happpy that his close friend was smiling again. "Sure thing, Moka-san." He began to walk back towards the others, despite the injuries he'd already suffered.

Inner Moka slowly closed her crimson irises, touched by the warm feelings of Tsukune. Her deepest desire was to maintain his safety, as well as his humanity, what she truly valued above all else. If he lost that, it would've devastated her more than any beating she could've imagined. To prevent such a calamity, she would've sacrificed her entire being to protect his own. On that note, she turned back to her opponent, who'd just regained his footing and was busy dusting the debris off his body.

"Now what's this I hear about you holding back," she asked aloud, an unimpressed look on her pale face as she dug her knuckles into her left hip. "You're only making a fool of yourself. But even if you did employ your full strength it would change nothing. The outcome has already been decided."

"T'ch," the monstrous creature quipped as he turned back to her, "you always were too full of yourself, Moka-san. But soon, you'll learn what true power is, and true terror."

"And you're going to demonstrate this," the S-class monster asked pointedly, "I find that hard to believe."

"Don't worry," her opponent responded with a sadistic grin, "you will."

The white-haired woman wasn't intimidated, and then she noticed as her opponent approached, a wound on his shoulder reopened, one she knew she hadn't personally inflicted. She saw it closed up just as quickly, but the fact that it reopened wasn't lost on her. She surmised Saizou was drunk on his newfound prowess and hadn't even tried to master or even understand it, which made her despise her opponent even more.

The monstrous beast roared as he brought both fists into the air. As they came crashing down, Inner Moka deftly avoided the crushing blow, sprinted up his extended arm, and landed a running kick right between his beady eyes. The orc's brutish head snapped back in response, and the white-haired woman kicked off his shoulder, curled herself in a fetal position in midair as she performed a backflip, and unloaded with a double front kick which sent the beast staggering back. Fortunately he managed to firmly plant his feet in the ground, which lessened the impact from her opponent's attack. After a moment he regained his bearings, and saw Moka was still in midair. He immediately shot out his tongue, which caught hold of her calf right before she landed. His opponent looked revolted as she felt his grip on her. Not giving her a chance to react, the orc vampire pulled her off her feet with his tongue, swung her around and slammed her into a nearby wall.

"Moka-san!" Tsukune called out in shock.

The orc vampire slammed his enemy into the walls several more times, as each impact cracked the walls further. Finally, he slammed his opponent hard onto the floor, and the entire room shook from the impact. He looked lustfully at his opponent, as he relished in her suffering. He'd waited almost two years to exact vengeance on the one who'd humiliated him time and again, and who seemed no longer satisfied with her usual carnage. Unable to contain his vile urges, his froglike tongue shot out again and began licking at the stricken Moka. He laughed to himself as he licked the exposed skin of her legs, arms, and midriff, coating her with his saliva as he did to her other half the first day they met. As he was about to probe other areas, he gagged as he felt a crushing grip on his tongue. He looked down, and saw Moka tightly held his hidden weapon with both hands. She pulled with all her strength, and the massive beast was shocked as he felt he'd left the ground was flying towards his opponent. Unable to alter his trajectory, he could only watched as the white-haired woman planted her right hand on the ground, and drilled her foot flush into his primal face. The tremendous impact knocked him all the way back to the far wall, and he collapsed to his knees.

The orc growled in pain, as his huge claw covered his face. "Ow, my nose!" he exclaimed.

"I'll break far more than that when I'm through with you, Komiya," the white-haired woman spoke in a low menacing voice as she rose to her feet. "You may have held power over my alternate persona, but NO ONE takes a royal vampire against her will!" she declared, as her youki flared up and evaporated the sickening substance on her body. "Especially a disgusting piece of filth like you!"

The wounded beast laughed defiantly, which enraged his opponent even further. "Oh, you think so, do you," Saizou asked mockingly. "Heh, this is perfect," he noted as he began to rise from the floor. "Keep thinking like that, Moka, I'm about to show you how wrong you are!"

"Go ahead and try," the incensed woman spoke in a menacing voice.

The monstrous Saizou chuckled to himself, bent over slight and wrapped his arms around himself, as a dark power began to build up within him. Soon a vile ebony and crimson aura surrounded the huge demon, as he groaned in pain from the increasing energy within him.

"What in the world," Kurumu asked warily, as she also felt the new power within Saizou. Though it paled in comparison to Dracula's, it far exceeded what the huge sophomore previously possessed.

"Moka," a chagrinned Mizore asked, "why did you have to call his bluff?"

"Oh dear," Ruby remarked worriedly, "was Tsukune right all along?"

"Moka-san," Tsukune interjected with frightened brown eyes.

"As you wish," the monstrous creature retorted with a vicious grin. "MAJESTY OF DARKNESS!" He arched his back, and spread his fists out to the sides, as the increasing power erupted from within him, and filled with the room with a twisted demonic aura. Saizou slowly began to grow before the group's eyes, his huge muscles bulging to an even greater degree, one thought only possible in myths and legends, never in real life. Tsukune recalled a similar occurrence in Moka's cell, when Dracula called forth his full might near the end of their battle. He knew that once the transformed bully had employed his new might, the tide of battle shifted in his favor. He only hoped Moka was ready for her opponent's coming onslaught.

Saizou roared powerfully as his transformation was complete. He stood fifteen feet high, with an insanely developed musculature. The spines that emerged from his shoulders lengthened dangerously. Surprisingly, his trousers had survived the metamorphosis, though that was of little consolation to the group, especially Inner Moka, who never imagined the oversized bully would've been granted such a powerful ability.

"What do you think," the titanic beast spoke in a deeper, more feral voice, "feeling afraid, Moka-san?" He laughed in unholy delight as he relished in his newfound prowess. "Now do you understand, the power Count Dracula can grant has no equal! Your time is over, little girl!" He roared in megalomaniacal laughter, which resounded throughout the entire tower and shook its very foundation, as his greatly enhanced youki flared around him and filled the room.

"What power!" Kurumu exclaimed frightfully as she covered her face with her arm.

"This is bad," Mizore remarked, though her expression never changed.

Tsukune looked blankly at the intense battle before him. As he watched the titanic beast roaring in laughter, he saw several more of his earlier wounds had opened up. Moreover, he saw wounds on his body that he was sure weren't inflicted by any of his friends. It seemed to him that all the damage the orc vampire had endured during the fight was catching up to him, and the most frightening part was the huge creature seemed oblivious to the fact. "Komiya," the brown-haired youth said to himself, "you fool. You have no idea what you've done."

Inner Moka looked defiantly at her foe, incensed by his arrogance and his ignorance. Even though she knew he'd been tricked into accepting Dracula's power, the fact that he even made the choice infuriated her to no end, and she planned to express her ire to Saizou with her own strength. "So you think it's all about power, do you," she asked her adversary. "Very well, I'll demonstrate how little you know of the subject."

"You wish!" the huge beast retorted. He emitted a primal roar as she raised his huge claw high into the air. As it came crashing down, Moka leaped into the air herself, and unloaded with a side kick right to Saizou's oversized jaw, which staggered him slightly. He retaliated with a wild backhanded blow that knocked the female vampire hard into another wall.

"Moka!" Kurumu cried out.

"Crap," Mizore added, "she couldn't get out of his reach fast enough."

Ruby gasped in shock. She realized the snow girl's assessment was correct. She realized that Saizou's tremendous reach advantage made attacking him effectively all the more difficult, especially to a fighter who specialized in close quarters combat like Moka.

The gargantuan beast lumbered towards the fallen vampire, reached down, grabbed her arms and pinned them against her sides as he picked her up and kept her at arm's length. He chuckled with vulgar intent. "I should've done this from the start," he growled. "No matter, now that you're off your feet you can't even touch me."

The white-haired woman struggled to get out of Saizou's grasp, but found his grip much more powerful than she wanted to believe. She kicked her legs out, but they weren't long enough to reach her nemesis. She was furious at being in such a helpless state, and cursed herself for her carelessness.

"But I can definitely touch you," the orc vampire said snidely, as his tongue shot out and began licking at Moka's prone body, as the trapped teenager growled in revulsion.

Kurumu glared viciously at the depraved beast before her, as a dark purple aura surrounded her. "That's it!" she snapped as she unsheathed her claws and wings, livid at her enemy. "He's toast!"

"Burnt toast," Mizore added as her hands transformed into icy claws.

"Wait here, Tsukune," Ruby spoke up sternly as she turned to him, "we'll handle this."

The human student groaned in chagrin and frustration. His inner power was still exhausted, and he was incensed at his helplessness. He truly wanted to protect his friends from harm, yet the means had escaped him for the moment. He could've only watched as his friends converged on the amoral monstrosity on the other side of the room.

Kurumu flew in with a fierce battle cry and slashed down Saizou's broad back, as vile blood gushed out of the wounds she'd inflicted. The huge monster gasped in shock and looked behind him.

"I can't believe he didn't notice," the snow girl said to herself as she raced towards the orc vampire's blind side, and then leaped high into the air. "Up here!" she called out. Once the gargantuan beast looked in her direction, she sent down six ice kunai into his primal face.

"Gah! My eyes!" the orc vampire cried out as he found himself blinded after the attack.

Ruby produced her wings and took to the air beside her enemy. She raised her wand aloft, as her right wings extended to almost twice their normal length. She thrust her wand down, and her razor sharp wings cut into Saizou's left arm, as more of his blood gushed out. He also lost his grip on Moka, who dropped to the floor in front of him. Without a word, she focused her aura into her legs, as the floor cracked under her. She then propelled herself straight into the air, and unloaded with a rising knee right under her opponent's chin. The force of the attack sent the huge beast lumbering back, as his massive arms flailed out by his sides.

"Where are you little brats?" the wounded youkai demanded as he lashed out blindly with his claws, staggering about the room as he attacked. Though he hit nothing but air, the sheer force of his swipes cut into the walls around the room, and knocked out chunks of stone with each slash.

Kurumu was stunned at what she'd seen, and remembered how powerful his attacks were previously. She didn't dare imagine being struck by them after he'd powered up, and took to the ground. Mizore was also intimidated by her opponent's force attacks. But then she noticed they were passing high overhead.

"Kurumu-chan," she called out, "let's cut him down to size!"

The succubus thought about it for a moment, then groaned at her foolishness. It hadn't occurred to her at the time to attack beneath Saizou's swipes. She shook off her self-deprecation and smiled fiercely at her friend. "Right!"

The two female youkai rushed towards their gargantuan opponent, who was still flailing blindly in the air. They split off to his flanks, and slashed alongside his knees, which caused him to scream in pain and disrupt his attacks. Moka rushed in behind Saizou and delivered a hard roundhouse kick to the back of his knee, which made him lose his footing.

The white-haired woman gave her comrades a reproachful look. "Took you long enough," she remarked with an annoyed scowl. "Were you waiting for him to bury you?"

The three girls groaned in chagrin, as sweatdrops appeared over their heads.

"But enough of that," the vampire spoke dismissively, as she flicked her hair behind her ear, "let's finish this."

The two sophomores and the administrative assistant nodded in unison, and hummed in approval.

Ruby produced her wings and floated into the air. "Dracula's power is a threat to all living things," she declared as a violet aura surrounded her. "We will not allow it to corrupt our world any longer!" She raised her wand aloft. "In the name of all witches, begone infidel!" A slew of countless deadly feathers slashed into the stricken Komiya, who was still blinded and too slow to defend himself properly. He fell to one knee, and almost fell over but used his massive clawed hand to catch himself before he landed facefirst on the floor.

"Let's try this again!" Mizore called out. "ICE GLACIERS!" she shouted, and thrust her arms into the air. A slew of icy stalagmites rose up from the floor and pierced the kneeling beast's exposed stomach.

The injured Saizou raised his massive torso up, and everyone saw the agonized look on his brutish face, as well as twin trickles of blood that flowed from his injured eyes. Kurumu took to the air and swooped in towards her enemy. Though his pained cries disturbed her, she didn't plan to forgive him for hurting Yukari, who was a fourth his size. She mercilessly slashed at his exposed chest with her claws, as vile blood flowed with each attack. Soon her entire front was coated with blood, and she flew back with a disgusted sound.

Once Kurumu had landed, she and the other girls saw more blood gushing out of Saizou from wounds they hadn't inflicted, as their massive enemy groaned in obvious agony. "What's going on," the cyan-haired girl asked in confusion.

"He's out of time," a sad voice spoke from behind them.

The cyan-haired girl turned and saw her supposed Mate of Fate had rejoined them. "Tsukune."

"What do you mean, 'he's out of time,'" Mizore asked.

"His body can't handle Dracula's power," the brown-haired youth exclaimed. "And when he called forth even greater strength, it only hastened his demise."

Ruby gasped in shock. "Tsukune, how do you know this?"

The human student looked away. "I don't know, it's almost like I can, feel it. I'm sure Moka-san feels it, too. Look, she's about to deliver the final blow."

Inner Moka stood beside her dying enemy, as she ground her right foot hard into the floor, which cracked under the pressure. A remorseful look was apparent on her pale face, as her bangs fell into her eyes. Though by her vicious aura, the group knew she was about kill Saizou, though her expression told them she felt no joy about it.

"Komiya," the white-haired woman spoke solemnly, "don't think badly of me. With this, you shall be freed from your suffering." With that, her expression turned murderous, and her suddenly exploded as she got into her striking position. "OHODO SHI EI!" She unleashed a powerful roundhouse kick right into her opponent's badly wounded stomach, and the massive beast was lifted into the air and landed on his feet. The monstrous being convulsed violently, as loud popping and cracking sounds came from within him. His veins bulged abnormally under his skin, which began to crack under the building internal pressure. But instead of blood oozing out, streaks of black energy shot forth from the cracks.

"What the hecht's going on," Kurumu asked nervously.

"He looks like he's about to explode," Mizore noted.

"He is," Ruby replied with a grave expression. "His body couldn't handle the power of the vampire, and now it's breaking down. Those popping sounds you heard earlier were his organs imploding."

The succubus looked disgusted at what she'd heard, even more so at what was about to occur. She warily stepped back, and the others followed suit.

"Komiya," Tsukune spoke sadly as he retreated. Even though the brutish orc was never truly a friend, he still felt his enemy didn't deserve such a cruel fate.

Moka watched mutely as black beams shot from her opponent's eyes and open mouth. After a few seconds, his body was ripped apart in a violent and bloody explosion, as his veins, bones, and ruined organs shot forth in all directions. A wave of blood and innards splashed down upon the white-haired woman, who made no effort to avoid the bodily wreckage. She heard her friends cry out in shock and disgust, followed by Kurumu trying to prevent from vomiting after what she'd witnessed. The vampire was tempted to wretch herself when the putrid stench of the vile blood that coated her body reached her nose, which crinkled in sheer revulsion. The scent became even more rank as she saw the orc's scattered remains being dissolved by the blood that destroyed him. Even the innards that fell on her body were slowly reduced to nothing. She heard the others gagging, which told her the foul stench had reached their senses as well. Despite that, she solemnly closed her crimson irises and composed herself. "Komiya," she spoke somberly, "you pitiful man. You were deceived by him, and thus became his puppet." She lightly shook her head, as she folded her arms under her chest. "You fool, even after what you did, the other Moka still believed in you. What will I tell her?"

"Moka-san," Tsukune spoke mournfully from the edge of the room. He remembered the day when Saizou's parents came to visit the school, and dreaded the thought of telling them that their son was dead. It reminded him of the previous day, when the vampire rebuked him for putting his life in danger again. He didn't want to die in the school, especially not with his parents none the wiser. He knew their grief would've been immense.

At that moment, a strange slurping sound came from the blood-covered woman's direction, as a strange ebony and crimson aura surrounded her. Everyone watched, as Komiya's blood seeped into her skin. Moka looked to her hands and arms, and noticed the same phenomenon. Even the blood on her crude prisoner's garb was absorbed into her body.

"What's going on here," the succubus asked nervously. She felt a sickening sensation on her skin. She looked down, and saw the blood that coated her drained out of her clothes and pooled onto the floor.

"Oh man," the snow girl added as she saw where the tainted blood was headed, "this can't be good."

The white-haired woman suddenly gasped, as she had a horrifying idea of what was occurring. She looked ahead of her, and saw her fears had already been realized. "Get back!" she spoke sharply, as she spun around to face the others. "All of you!"

"Moka-san," Tsukune asked in concern, "what's happening?"

"No time to explain! Stay there where you're safe!"

Even as she voiced her warning, the remaining blood slid across the floor towards her. She looked down behind her, and saw the deceased monster's blood reached her and crawled up her leg. Moka scowled in disgust as the vile substance went past her thigh and continued upwards, over her crude raiment. Within moments, her body was covered in the rank-smelling blood of her fallen nemesis. She tried to shake it off her, but to no avail. More slurping sounds followed, as the blood seeped into her body. Moka's visage displayed her revulsion, as she felt she'd been violated again.

"That is too wrong," Mizore remarked, "don't tell me this is where she gives birth to Dracula."

"What did you say?" the female vampire demanded fiercely.

Before she got a response, a vile energy coursed through her body, which made her scream in agony. The aura that surrounded her blazed forth in intensity, as crackles of demonic power shot around her stricken form.

"Moka-san!" Tsukune called out as he instinctively ran towards her.

"Get back!" the white-haired woman shouted through her pain, as she felt every fiber of being assaulted by the black power she fought to resist.

Tsukune inhaled sharply as he felt the ominous power that surged within his close friend, and as much as he wanted to get close, the monstrous aura lashed out at him and halted his advance. He shielded with face with his left arm, and watched from his position as the sophomore girl slowly began to grow in stature, screaming as she held her head in agony. However, her crude prisoner's garb wasn't designed for such an occurrence. The hem of her skirt rode up her leg, which revealed slightly more muscular yet still very feminine thighs and calves. The top piece of her attire also rose up and revealed a pale yet greatly toned midriff. Tsukune's mouth gaped open as he saw the outline of each of Moka's abdominal muscles. His eyes then nearly popped out of his head when he saw her chest expanding beneath her crude raiment. Twin blasts of blood erupted from his nostrils as he saw the half tunic being stretched outwards by Moka's swelling bosom. Soon it became quite constricting, as it managed to conceal her breasts but nothing more. A small tear soon became visible at the top of her attire, and it slowly ran down, exposing more pale cleavage in the process. Tsukune's cheeks almost glowed red in response, as he tried in vain to get the image before him out of his mind.

Kurumu watched the scene with a mixture of awe, fear, and chagrin. "She's definitely getting bigger," she remarked warily.

"Yeah," Mizore replied, as she nearly lsot her lollipop by what she'd witnessed, "just not the way I expected."

"I am so glad for that," the succubus spoke to herself with a shiver.

The white-haired woman soon towered a good foot over her companion, her physique a nigh perfectly blended combination of superhuman power and divine beauty that all but defied imagination. Finally, the sophomore girl threw her head back and emitted an ear-piercing scream of indescribable agony, as her colossal aura erupted around her. Tsukune was nearly blown off his feet, and struggled to hold his ground as the vampire's energy was released. The others weren't so fortunate, and found themselves blasted against the far wall. Once it had died down, Moka's body teetered visibly, a blank look in her blood red eyes. "Tsukune," she uttered in a dazed voice, as her eyes rolled up into the back of her head. The human student instinctively moved forward and the white-haired woman collapsed into him. Tsukune tried to remain upright, but Moka's increased weight took him off-guard and he stumbled back onto the floor, with the unconscious woman atop him.

At the far edge of the room, Kurumu, Mizore and Ruby groaned as they slowly picked themselves off the floor.

"What in the world was that," the cyan-haired girl asked as she held her forehead.

"Such horrible power," the snow girl added.

"Is everyone alright," the older witch asked as she looked about their end of the room. She noticed her fellow spellcaster nearby on the floor. "Yukari-chan!" she spoke urgently, and crawled over to her. "Yukari-chan, are you alright?"

The younger girl groaned wearily in her unconscious state. "Moka," she spoke in her sleep, "Tsukune, watch out."

Ruby sighed in relief. Though her fellow witch's injuries were noticeable, she knew her self-regeneration would've mended them soon enough. "Good, she should recover soon," she remarked with a smile. She looked over to Michiru, who was also unconscious. The undercover agent winced in pain as Ruby felt around her stomach, which told her she'd broken at least two ribs. And since she didn't know of the healing abilities of Shadow Hounds, or even if they possessed any, she was uncertain about her well-being.

The dark-haired woman soon felt she wasn't alone. She looked up, and saw Kurumu and Mizore nearby. "How are they," the succubus asked in concern.

"Yukari is just resting now," the Chairman's assistant explained, "but Michiru-san needs medical help. It's not dire, but it's definitely necessary."

The cyan-haired girl looked to them in disbelief. "Did Komiya do this," she asked sadly. "How could he?"

"Dracula's power went to his head," Mizore replied blandly. "He killed that guy upstairs, and tried to kill us all, just because he thought he could."

The voluptuous teenager exhaled bitterly, incensed at the seemingly limitless audacity of their enemies. They'd managed to subvert the school and many of its people for their own twisted ends. And the people she cared about the most were their biggest targets. She gasped then, as she remembered what had just occurred. "Tsukune!"

The succubus looked towards the center of the room, and a cloud of black smoke obscured everything from her sight. Once it had dissipated, she saw her Mate of Fate on the floor, with an unconscious Inner Moka atop him. Kurumu's violet eyes went wide at what she saw, and her whole world just froze in that moment. "Tsukune," she asked uncertainly.

The human student looked up, and saw Moka had returned to her original size, much to his relief. He gently moved her off his body, and laid her on her back beside him. He then turned and looked to his friends. "I'm okay," he said to them, "really." Though he did his best to smile, he couldn't miss the despondent look on the cyan-haired girl's face, and his smile faded. "I'm sorry, Kurumu-chan. I've worried you so much, haven't I?"

The sophomore girl looked away, and sobbed to herself.

Mizore was also stunned by what she'd witnessed, though she managed to maintain her composure. "Tsukune," she spoke as she approached him, "is Moka alright?"

The brown-haired youth looked down at the comatose woman, and despite her current state, Tsukune couldn't help but notice a sad look on her sleeping face. "I think so," he finally replied. "I'm so glad she came back, or we might all be dead right now."

Though the snow girl was also hurting, she managed to smile for her dear friend. "Yeah, me too."

Ruby remained silent as she looked at Moka's body. As she considered what had occurred during and after their gruesome battle with Komiya, many pressing questions she had were answered. But as she pondered what it entailed, she realized it made the situation even more dire. "Is that their objective," she thought to herself. "Yes, that must be it. Had Tsukune fought in that battle-" She shuddered as the answer terrified her. She looked gravely at the human student who she feared might not have been wholly aware of the implications. "Tsukune."

Far away from the chaos consuming the academy, a pink-haired woman saw behind her office desk, and mentally reviewed the case file before her. She wore a light green business suit with matching knee-length skirt, with brown high-heeled shoes on her feet. Under her suit was an unassuming light blue blouse, with a short crimson necktie around her collar. A pair of rings adorned her appropriate fingers, each with a small cross forged onto the band, a tiny ruby situated in the center of each symbol. Her employees had inquired repeatedly about their purpose, but were quickly silenced by a hard stare. Some of the more daring ones asked what she did outside of work, but were only answered by a distant look and silence.

It had been a grueling day at the office, as the caseload had becoming very strenuous as of late. The most grueling and aggravating case in particular involved the murder of every student and teacher within the Azinu Elementary School, many of whom were found drained of blood, which made her look even more fearsome to her staff. The only possible suspect fled the scene of the crime, headed into a nearby tunnel, and never emerged on the other side. The same suspect was wanted in connection with the Velvet Moon nightclub massacre, where almost forty people were killed. She was having a hard time dealing with the increasingly persistent inquiries of the police, who specifically asked for her assistance in the matter. She knew if the whole truth were known, not only she but her daughter would've been in dire peril, among others.

On that note, she glanced at the small family photo on her desk, which had herself and a much younger girl with matching hair and features. A somber look filled her jade eyes as she regarded her treasure. Her daughter's beaming smile was genuine, while hers looked tired and run down. Thoughts of burn out came to her mind, but she quickly pushed them aside and returned to the task at hand. The current matter was one that she never wanted her little girl, under any circumstances, to discover.

Suddenly, a sharp pain arose in her heart, as she fought down a pained cry. In her mind she saw a beaten little girl with silver hair, wearing a torn black regal gown, crying alone amongst the darkness. The scene changed, as the little girl was replaced by a deathly pale white-haired woman in a crude two-piece dress, who screamed in agony as an unspeakable power arose within her. The next thing she saw was two burning red eyes that stared menacingly at her, followed by a low demonic laugh that chilled her to the very core of her being. She couldn't muffle her cry of terror, as it reminded her of the nightmare from nine years before.

She held her face in her slender hands, as her faded pink bangs fell into her eyes. She remained in that position for several moments, as she realized the import of the vision she'd received. "Moka," she said to herself.

"Akashiya-san!" a woman's voice called out from the office.

The sealed vampire looked up, and saw one of her subordinates before her desk. She was a bit annoyed that her employee hadn't knocked, but knew her pained cry had probably drawn a lot of attention. And since she was the head of her own law firm, it was more than she could've afforded. "I'm fine," she replied curtly with a dismissive shake of her head.

"Akashiya-san, Lieutenant Kuroshiro is on the line."

The pink-haired woman frowned at that. "I don't have time to deal with him now. Tell him I'll call him back when I return," she replied as she rose from her desk and grabbed her long light brown overcoat.

The younger woman reeled back with a startled look. "Wh-where are you going?"

"You don't need to know," the head attorney replied as she slipped her coat on and grabbed her pocketbook. "Just continue what you're doing, I'll be back later on."

"How much later?"

The incognito youkai looked meaningfully at her subordinate, then walked past her and headed out of the office.

"Akashiya-san!"

"Outside, now," she spoke over her shoulder as she held the doorknob.

The young attorney quickly made her way out of the office, and the former Lady Shuzen locked the door behind her. She then marched straight to the exit, ignoring the urgent requests of her staff. Within two minutes, she'd left the building and reached her tan-colored Honda Accord in the company parking lot. She quickly ducked inside and closed the door behind her. With a turn of the ignition key, she pulled out of her parking space and into the busy Tokyo streets.

Ayumu Akashiya made her way through the busy traffic, headed for the multidimensional tunnel that would've led her to the academy. She frowned darkly, as she knew it was the same tunnel through which the suspect in the Azinu Elementary School and Velvet Moon massacres had escaped. Moreover, the suspect drove a rusted-out Winnebago, with a Texas license plate. She immediately knew the suspected killer was a youkai, as were all the victims in the nightclub. That was information she couldn't have let Kuroshiro or any of the human authorities know about.

A deep mournful sigh escaped her, as she feared the world she'd left behind nine years before was trying to drag her back in. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel, as she remembered her silent vow to keep her daughter safe from the world that nearly destroyed her. "Hold on, Moka-chan," she thought to herself, "I'm coming."

Moka found herself in a dark haze, as she lapsed in and out of consciousness.

"Ruby-san," a distorted voice asked, "what's wrong?"

"Tsukune," a second voice nervously spoke up, also distorted by the vampire's somewhat delirious state. "I think, I've finally discerned Dracula's strategy in this matter."

The incoherent vampire merely groaned, still pained by the mention of her enemy's name.

"You have?" Tsukune's voice asked excitedly. "Ruby-san, please, tell me! What is Dracula trying to do here?"

"I want to know, too!" a third voice interjected just as excitedly.

"Ditto," a fourth voice spoke blandly.

The half-conscious Moka groaned in pain. As much as she detested hearing her enemy's name, she was also curious about what the older witch planned to relay. However, she found she couldn't fully awaken, and it frustrated her to no end. "Please," she spoke weakly, "I want to know, too."

"Are you sure," Ruby asked gravely, "you're not gonna like what I'm about to reveal."

There was a long pause, and the white-haired woman sensed her close friend's uncertainty. As much as she wanted to encourage him to listen at that moment, she was still trapped in a partial coma, which unnerved her.

"I'm sure," Tsukune's voice finally replied.

"Very well," the dark-haired woman's voice responded. "This all began a little over a month ago, when the Chairman observed strange energy fluctuations within the campus grounds. We investigated the matter, but couldn't discern the source, or the effects at the time."

"That long?"

Within her half slumber, Moka knew Ruby was correct. She'd also sensed such disturbances around the time the witch mentioned, but never determined the cause, either.

"Yes," the assistant continued, "I'm sorry I never told you sooner, but the Chairman didn't want to alarm anyone over a seemingly trivial issue." A deep sigh escaped her. "And then Pierce Colton appeared, and the attacks began, as well as your visions, Tsukune-san. It came to a head last night, when we thought we lost Moka-san in that tomb. After that, something evil awoke in you, Tsukune-san."

"What?" the brown-haired youth's voice exclaimed.

"Yes, and the battles we'd fought today, have greatly increased the darkness within you, and nearly overtaken you more than once. At first I wasn't sure of its nature, but now there's no doubt." She paused for a moment, and the white-haired woman girded her mind for the coming revelation. "Tsukune," Ruby continued, "that power within you, is Dracula's power."

"WHAT?" the third voice, which Moka knew belonged to Kurumu, exclaimed in shock.

"No way," the fourth voice, which she recognized as Mizore's own, remarked blankly.

"No!" Tsukune shot back. "That can't be! You must be wrong!"

"Am I," the older witch asked sternly. "Ririko and Saizou gained their powers from Dracula. And once they were defeated, their abilities were passed on. You've already inherited Destruction Ray, and used it more than once. And who knows what abilities you received when we fought Dracula himself in Moka-san's cell. And had you been the one that felled Saizou, I'm almost certain you would've obtained his ability, but that might've consumed your soul completely." A sad sigh escaped her. "Then you would've become the perfect vessel for Dracula's evil. Or even worse, for Dracula himself."

The female vampire all but cried out in sheer horror as she finally regained consciousness. She immediately sat up, and breathed in short rapid spurts, as she looked about the area. She blinked her eyes repeatedly, and covered them with her long slender hand. She looked behind her, and saw Tsukune and the others staring in her direction. She grit her teeth together, as she realized she'd probably got their attention once she awakened so vociferously. The white-haired woman slowly rose to her feet, and turned to face the others.

"Ruby," Moka spoke up, a hint of fear in her usually cold voice, "tell me I misheard you. That idiot is trying to turn Tsukune into-" She paused for a moment, as the very thought disgusted her like nothing else she'd ever imagined her her life. "-himself?"

The older witch looked on nervously, frightened by her inquirer's intense stare, but didn't look away. "Yes, I did say that," she admitted. "I truly hope I'm wrong about this."

Inner Moka noted the dark-haired woman was quite intimidated, though her eyes remained locked on her own, which slightly soothed the rage within her. "But you don't think you are."

The chairman's assistant finally looked away, as she covered her face with her slender hands. "Moka-san," she spoke worriedly, "your eyes."

The unsealed vampire looked to her in confusion. "Why, what's wrong with them," she asked curiously. As she tentatively rubbed under her eyes with her long fingers, a disturbing sight came into her view. She looked to her hand, and saw her fingernails had turned blood red. Her eyes went wide in shock, and she inhaled quietly. She looked to the others, and noted their frightened expressions. She found it disappointing, as she felt they'd been around her long enough not to fear her. She looked away for several moments to collect her thoughts. "I need a mirror."

Ruby looked to her, then to the others, and then to her, as her eyes widened in realization. "Coming."

Moka watched as the dark-haired witch reached behind her, and produced a large cardboard box. She carefully removed the cover and reached inside. She pulled out a handmirror with an onyx frame, and batlike wings on the handle. "Where did you find that," the white-haired woman asked curiously.

"In the storage room near the top of the dungeon," Ruby replied.

Intrigued, the female vampire walked towards her, and noted her worried expression. Despite that, she held out the mirror for her. Moka reached out with her elongated fingers, and took hold of the handle, as she felt the older woman had released her grip on the article. The super monster slowly brought the mirror into position. Within it she saw her face had become deathly pale. Her lips were the color of blood. Moreover, the area around her eyes had darkened, which gave her a skull-like appearance. Upon closer look, her sclera had turned a sickly yellow, though her irises remained the same, blood red with slitted pupils.

Her mouth hung open as she saw her reflection. "What has he done to me," she asked in a whisper. As she looked down at herself, she noticed her rags had become torn in rather embarrassing places. She immediately covered herself with her arms, and glared menacingly at the others, as a vicious growl resounded from her throat.

"Wait!" Tsukune spoke hastily. "Moka-san, it's not what you think!"

"OHODO SHI EI!"

Kurumu groaned as she regained consciousness. The last thing she remembered was Moka realizing how revealing her attire had become, and went into a frenzy before she or anyone else could've explained the situation. "Darn you," she muttered to herself, "why must you fly off the handle like that? We're not your enemies, how many times must I explain it?"

"Kurumu," the vampire's voice called out from above.

The cyan-haired girl gasped as she realized she'd been heard. She looked up, and saw the door that led out of the room was opened. She shivered, as she felt the white-haired woman's enormous youki from her vantage point. "Moka," she asked nervously.

"Get up here," came the unseen woman's cold reply.

The voluptuous teenager sighed wearily, as she guessed the vampire was still upset over what they did. "Coming," she spoke in a deflated voice, as she flew up to the doorway and passed through into the hall outside.

"Close the door," Moka's voice spoke sternly.

The succubus did as ordered, and then turned to her friend. She saw her back was turned, and her hair was pinned up. The vampire had discarded the rags she'd worn in her cell, which lied on the floor beside her. She was currently in her undone bra and underwear, which seemed a different shade than what the cyan-haired girl remembered. But what got her attention more were several scratches on her friends back, as well as dried blood. "Moka-san," Kurumu exclaimed in shock, "what happened?"

The white-haired woman brought her hand up, and wiggled her elongated fingers. The incognito succubus looked at them for a moment, and quickly made the connection. She realized the vampire was having difficulty getting dressed with her hands in their current state, and wound up scratching herself repeatedly. She knew she would've been in the same position if she were unable to retract her claws. She didn't want to imagine being burdened with them all the time. Without another word, she took hold of the clasp and fastened it together.

Moka sighed in welcome relief. "Much better," she remarked in a pleased voice. "Now," she continued as she turned towards Kurumu, "care to explain this," she asked in a suddenly harsh voice.

The shorter girl shivered at the slight but noticeable spike in her friend's youki, as well as the intense gaze in her blood red eyes. Her violet eyes tentatively looked upon the barely clad torso of the vampire. She quickly shook her head to avoid staring, for she didn't want to start thinking like Yukari, or even be accused of such. As she took another look, she noticed her friend's undergarments had changed to night black, with crimson lining around the edges. Her bra was in the same color scheme, and the straps had a crimson stripe in the middle.

"W-wait a minute!" the teenage youkai protested. "Those were white when we found them! What, what kind of sick joke is this? Is Dracula trying to make a complete mockery of you or something? Urgh, this is just, too depraved!" she declared indignantly, as she brought up her clenched fists.

Inner Moka looked to her for several seconds, and then gave her a wry smirk. "Glad you agree," she replied. "Now before we continue, where did you find these," she asked as she motioned to the large box by her side.

The smaller girl winced in chagrin. "In the storage room upstairs," she replied nervously. "We all thought we were going to find some magical treasure, and we end up with a clean uniform instead."

The white-haired woman groaned in aggravation, and slapped her hand over her forehead. "Just continue, before I get even more annoyed."

The rest of the clothing process went rather smoothly, save for buttons and snaps. Kurumu helped her in that regard, under the vampire's scrutinizing gaze, which held unspoken threats within it. As the cyan-haired girl buttoned up the front of her blouse, she reached around halfway up her chest, and found the buttoning process increasingly difficult.

"What's wrong," Moka asked lightly.

The cyan-haired girl frowned. "This button's being stubborn," she grumbled as she tried to pull the next button into its hole. "Darn it, we don't have time for this!"

"Leave it," the white-haired woman spoke crisply.

Kurumu gave her a strange look. "Are you sure," she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes," the vampire replied in an offhand manner, "never could button those up anyway."

The incognito succubus looked at where she stopped, and noticed a lot more cleavage with one less button done. She wasn't sure if the blouse was too small, or another reason Kurumu chose not to consider. "I don't know," she spoke warily, "this just looks wrong."

Moka looked down and gave the shorter girl a broad smile. "This coming from you," she asked archly.

Kurumu winced instantly, closed her eyes shut and grinned in embarrassment. "Touche," she replied.

The white-haired woman gave her a low chuckle, and then looked to the ceiling with a warm smile. "I really am becoming like you," she spoke in a dreamy voice, "Aneue."

"Moka," the shorter girl asked in confusion.

The sophomore simply smiled at her. "I'll tell you in a little bit," she responded, "continue."

The rest of the process went without a hitch. Moka had donned her skirt and green jacket. She was pleased that Kurumu knew to untuck her collar and fold it down over the lapel of her jacket. Once her socks and shoes were on, her attire was complete.

"You surprise me," the vampire noted as she removed her hairpins, which let her white locks fall down her back like a cascading waterfall. "You know exactly how I wear my clothes." She leaned close to the succubus, as the tip of their noses touched. "You wouldn't have been watching me one day," she spoke sweetly, though there was a thinly veiled threat in her voice, "would you?"

"Whoa whoa whoa, hold the phone here!" the succubus protested. "I am not that kind of girl!"

"Not yet, perhaps, but how long shall such ideals prevail against your, nature?"

"Hey!" the shorter girl protested, as she stood on the tips of her toes. "Stop that! You're starting to sound like my mother! And I thought you hated her!"

Moke giggled in a wicked manner, as her crimson eyes narrowed. "But enough jests," she spoke as her demeanor darkened, which made her companion instantly apprehensive. "Kurumu, tell me. Why did you come here?"

The succubus sighed as she looked away. "We came to find the chairman," she replied. "That choker he gave Tsukune, it led us here."

The white-haired woman's eyes widened in surprise. "What, the chairman has been imprisoned as well?" She growled to herself, and closed her crimson eyes as she folded her arms under her chest. "That explains everything." After a moment, her gaze fell upon the smaller girl before her. "Where is he?"

"We still haven't found him," she replied in a discouraged voice. "In your cell, he told us we'd find him if we found Yukari-chan." She lowered her gaze. "We've found Yukari-chan, but-" She found herself unable to complete her sentence, ashamed at admitting her apparent failure.

"You're not getting weak I hope," Moka remarked in a perturbed voice as she turned away with her arms folded under her chest. "Otherwise, you'll never find him, or even hope to defeat me, little succubus."

"Are you mocking me?" the instantly enraged Kurumu snapped. "I'll show you, Moka! I'll find the chairman and then beat you for Tsukune!"

The white-haired woman replied with a devilish chuckle. "Much better," she remarked, "it wouldn't be any fun if you didn't try."

The shorter girl growled in aggravation, but then chuckled as well, glad that her friend had regained her more tolerable demeanor. Despite all the differences she had with the vampire, she considered her one of her close friends as well. And she knew she had to fight alongside her, rather than against her, if they were to have any hope of stopping the insane ambitions of Dracula. Only after that could they have settled their differences and fight for Tsukune's heart. Even if their truce would've been short-lived, she planned to savor every moment with her.

"Tsukune-san!" a little girl's voice cried out. "Tsukune-san, wake up!"

The brown-haired youth groaned as he finally regained consciousness. He looked up, and saw the concerned face of a familiar girl over him. "Yukari-chan," he spoke up. "When did you wake up?"

"Just a few moments ago," the young witch replied. "Tsukune-san, are you alright? What happened to the floor? Where's Moka-san?"

"Up here," a deep woman's voice called out.

Both looked up, and saw a white-haired woman in the open doorway, clad in an academy uniform. Tsukune smiled in relief, glad to see his close friend out of the demeaning rags Dracula's agents placed upon her person. "Moka-san," he spoke happily.

The female vampire leaped from the doorway, and landed in the middle of the room. A few seconds later, Kurumu dropped down from above amongst the others. No sooner than she did that the older witch had begun to stir, followed by the snow girl.

"Ruby-san," the brown-haired youth spoke warmly, "Mizore-chan."

"I really wish she'd stop doing that," the purple-haired girl muttered as she picked herself off the floor.

"Such wonderfully executed punishment," the dark-haired woman remarked happily. "I'd expect no less fom you, Moka-san. I hope Tsukune-san would do the same for me someday."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," the vampire commented with an annoyed scowl.

The group slowly picked themselves off the floor, and walked up near the white-haired woman, who stood alone in the center of the room.

"I'm, sorry I worried you all," the S-class monster spoke solemnly. "I wasn't trying to deceive any of you," she continued as she folded her arms, closed her red eyes and looked away. "It's just, I-" She stifled a sob as a pained look crossed her pale features. "This is, difficult for me to say."

"It's alright, Moka-san," Tsukune said warmly, "I'm definitely glad you didn't die last night. I didn't, want to lose you again."

The unsealed vampire turned to him and smiled, as her usually fierce gaze softened. "Thank you, Tsukune," she replied. "That means so much to me, more than you know." Her smile faded in the next moment. "But that's why I couldn't let any of you know what happened that day, the last thing I wanted, was for you to think, I brought this upon you." She grit her teeth together, and exhaled bitterly through them.

"We don't blame you, Moka-san," Yukari interjected. "We just want to know the truth."

Inner Moka looked at the young witch for several moments, and found no hesitation or deception in her words. A small smile appeared on her face. "If you wish to know what really happened, I shall tell you." She furrowed her brow as she stared intently at the group. "But understand this," she continued in a cold threatening voice as she pointed her long index finger at them. "What I am about to relay, you will tell no one. And I mean, no one!" she said sharply with bared fangs, as her eyes glowed red and her right index finger lashed out to the side. Even her youki flared up for emphasis. "Fail to comply, and you put your life, and anyone else you foolishly inform at risk."

All five teenagers hastily voiced their compliance to Moka's demands, fearful of the dreadful aura around her. Satisfied, the white-haired woman slowly closed her crimson irises, and lowered her arm to the side, as her youki died down. She folded her arms under her chest, and placed her left foot behind her right. "This all began on my seventh birthday."

Holy smokes, so now the ugly truth is about to come out. Just what happened on that fateful day? How will the group respond to the coming revelation? And will they be able to save the school before it's too late?

"And will the author be able to get his head out of his pants?"

Wh-what are you talking about, Moka-san?

"I'm talking about that, ugh, sickening enactment of your perverse fantasies after the fight with Saizou. You've read Bleach to Vampire too much, you probably have dozens of pictures of that Yamazakura floozy. Or is it those, charlatans from dogsfang's latest fic."

"Oh come on, Moka-san. Don't knock another author's work, they were definitely, um, unique."

"Do they have to be that tall, Tsukune?"

"Or that buff."

"Nothing like that's gonna happen to me, right Tsukune?"

"If that perverse thought crosses the author's mind, I will rip out his large intenstine and garrote him with it."

"Good thing this fic is rated M."

"Hold on, Moka-san, let's not jump to conclusions."

"How can you not, he practically went halfway with that embarrassment he put me through, dare you allow him to finish the job? Not with my body he's not. And how could we forget how he showed me getting dressed near the end? We need to find another author so we can terminate this imbecile!"

"Hey, cut the guy some slack, he knows what he likes."

"He has no taste, Gin."

"Sure he does, Haiji, not quite mine, but, we're on the same page."

"I'm really going to kill him now."

Geez, can't we all just get along? Anyway, before I forget;

daiyoukai = "great demon"

Aneue = "oldest, most respected, or feared sister"

Thanks again to Ou-Rex for the Japanese help, as well as her permission for using the part with Moka's wardrobe problems.

"I'm going to kill you for that as well."

Uh, yeah. Anyway, tune in next time for Part I Chapter XXIII Shadow of the Dark Lord