I had faced a werewolf under a full moon, drunk the blood of an S‑tier monster, and kissed and unravelled a Shinso Vampire. None of that prepared me for reliving the moments of 'big' exams and the stomach butterflies you could get in anticipation and nervousness.
The days until the exams disappeared faster than I expected. One moment we were cramming in the Newspaper Club room, the next I had to present myself and take my exams.
The mid‑term exams had arrived.
The morning of the first test, the Academy felt different. The usual chaos of students shouting across hallways and lockers slamming was gone, replaced by a tense, hushed atmosphere.
Even the air seemed heavier, thick with the scent of fear, stale coffee, and the faint, coppery tang of adrenaline from students who had clearly not slept or had time to wash themselves after shoving all the curriculum into their Yokai brains in a single day.
Meanwhile, I was relaxed and cool as a cucumber. I was fully confident in my preparations and my Vampire brain to pass all the exams with flying colors.
Before we got into our assigned classes, there was some time left until the start of the exams. You could either reread your notes or just try to calm your nerves. Moka and I were in this exam together since we shared the same letter for our last names, me with Aono, hers with Akashiya. Kurumu did not have such luck, being separated from our shadow.
We stood outside the main hall, a cluster of students parting around us like water around stones. Kurumu was bouncing on her heels, her amethyst eyes darting left and right as if she expected the exam papers to leap out of the shadows and attack her.
Inner Moka stood beside me, with her arms crossed over her chest. Her expression was its usual cool mask, but I could feel the faintest trace of anticipation from her body language, she was beyond ready for this.
I guess someone wanted to prove a point.
Kurumu grabbed my arm, her fingers digging into my sleeve with enough force to tear fabric. Her eyes were wide, almost feral.
"I am going to die," she whispered, her voice trembling. Then she held up her pen and pretended to stab herself in the neck with it. A few passing students laughed nervously.
She was terrified, but she was still performing. That was my Kurumu.
"You will be fine," I said, keeping my voice low so only she could hear. "Just remember what we practiced. Find your targets. The ones with glasses and the nerdy looks. And make sure not to fail."
"I got it. I already took a look before I came to catch up with you two." She glanced around, lowering her voice even further. "There is a guy in my assigned room, Suzuki‑kun, with glasses so thick they could stop a magic bullet. I heard he has been top of the E‑class in every quiz. And lucky me, after some convincing work to switch tables, I am seated next to him."
She told me that she had already done the first steps at charming him. A suggestive smile here, a light touch on the arm there, and the most important part, a subtle hypnotic suggestion layered beneath her words so he would not even realize he was being influenced.
By the time the exam started, he would be more than willing to let her copy his answers.
"Strategic thinking," I said, shaking my head. "Why is it that only when it comes to scheming, you are this excellent, but with other things, you are a mess?"
Kurumu huffed, crossing her arms under her chest in a way that drew the eye of at least three passing male students. "Excuse me, Tsukune‑kun. I will have you know that scheming is an art form. A delicate dance of psychology and timing. It is not my fault that math does not care about how charming I am. Numbers are rude and they have no appreciation for a beauty's aesthetics."
"So you are saying you are good at manipulating people but bad at algebra."
"I am saying that algebra is the enemy of joy, and I refuse to be friends with it." She poked my chest with her pen. "Besides, you are the smart one. You are supposed to figure out the numbers for both of us. I am just here for moral support and to look pretty for you."
"Which you accomplish effortlessly."
She preened, flipping her blue hair over her shoulder. "Flattery will not get you out of helping me cheat."
"I would never." I said with a malicious smirk on my face.
"Liar."
Before I could respond, the bell rang.
The sound echoed through the hallway, sharp and final. The murmur of conversation died instantly, replaced by the rustle of fabric and the shuffle of feet as students began to move toward their designated rooms. A few people exchanged last‑minute words of encouragement, but most just looked pale and determined.
Kurumu turned to me, her bravado flickering for just a moment. The mask slipped, and I saw the real fear underneath, the one she tried so hard to hide.
"Wish me luck," she said, her voice softer now.
"Good luck, Kurumu‑chan."
She nodded, swallowed hard, and then faced Inner Moka. There was a beat of silence, an awkward pause, and then Kurumu spoke.
"Good luck to you too, Moka. Inner, I mean. Whatever."
Inner raised an eyebrow. Her expression did not change, but something flickered in her crimson eyes, surprise maybe, or the faintest hint of approval. "You are going to need it more than I do."
"Thanks. I think."
"Good luck," Inner said, and even though the words were flat, they were not unkind.
Kurumu blinked, clearly not expecting that. Then she smiled, a real smile, and disappeared into the crowd, her blue hair bouncing with each step.
I turned to Inner. She was watching Kurumu's retreating form with an expression caught somewhere between disdain and grudging amusement.
"I think she is going to fail if she puts that nerd she mentioned under her spell," Inner said flatly.
I raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that?"
"Because the type of student who wears glasses that thick is usually either a genius or a complete fraud who memorizes answers without understanding them. Or someone with bad eyesight. If she copies from a fraud, she will fail as spectacularly as he will."
"That is… actually a fair point."
"I am not just a pretty face, Tsukune."
I laughed. "I know. But you have to admit, watching her try to cheat her way through an exam is going to be entertaining."
Inner's lips twitched, the closest thing to a smile she would offer. "Hmph. If she gets caught, the Headmaster will have her cleaning toilets for a month. That might actually be entertaining to watch."
"Now who is being mean?"
"Realistic."
She reached out and took my hand. Her fingers were cool, but not cold, and they interlaced with mine as naturally as if we had done this a hundred times. We walked hand‑in‑hand back toward Class 1‑B, the crowd parting around us without quite realizing why.
"You seem relaxed," she said.
"Why should I be? I am confident in my skills and, of course, my improved brainpower. Who would have thought that becoming a Vampire has such perks? It is basically cheating, but legal."
"Debatable."
"Also, I am not the one who spent last night reading the same history chapter three times while muttering about the Meiji Restoration."
Her grip tightened on my hand, just a fraction. "I was not muttering."
"You were. I heard you through the bond I have opened with the Vampire Familiar. Adorable, by the way."
She stopped walking. Her crimson eyes narrowed, and I felt a chill run down my spine.
"You have been eavesdropping on me? That bat was supposed to be watching for Outer, not spying on my study habits."
I shrugged, keeping my expression innocent. "It is not eavesdropping if you are muttering loud enough for a bat to hear. Besides, I could not help it. You were so focused. Your lips were moving, and you had this little furrow between your eyebrows. It was cute."
Her cheeks flushed, just a hint of pink beneath her pale skin. "I will end you."
"No, you will not." I leaned in, close enough that I could see the flecks of gold in her crimson eyes. "Besides, you would not want me to use my 'devilish' hands on you right now, would you?"
She did not dignify that with a response, but she did not let go of my hand either.
We reached the classroom and took our seats. Mine was by the window, hers was beside me, as always. The desks were arranged in neat rows, each one holding a single blank answer sheet face down. The clock on the wall ticked loud enough to echo.
I watched Inner settle into her chair, her back straight, her hands folded on the desk. She looked like a queen surveying her domain, utterly unruffled.
But I knew better.
While she did not show it to others, I had seen her reading materials for the exam late at night in the Newspaper Club room, her crimson eyes scanning page after page, her lips moving silently as she memorized passages. With that cold exterior of hers, where she liked to dismiss even the idea of these exams as nothing but triviality, she could not allow herself to fail and tarnish her reputation. She had too much pride for that.
If anyone could handle these exams, it was her.
I looked out the window. The sky was overcast, grey clouds pressing down like a lid on a pot. Rain was coming. Even the Heavens were mourning for the dejected young Yokais.
But not everyone was looking out the window. Many of them were too busy flipping through last‑minute notes or muttering formulas under their breath like prayers. Some students had their eyes closed, lips moving silently as they beseeched their clan's patron gods. I even heard one boy whispering to Jesus and Yahweh, begging for divine intervention.
I was surprised they were not struck by the Heaven's System, but maybe it was only targeting the mortal enemies of Heaven, that being the Devils of Pandemonium Hell. Or maybe the System did not care about desperate yokai students. Either way, they were still breathing.
Each student worked with what they had. If prayers could assist your brain into solving a problem or question, my hat goes off to you. Yet, you cannot expect God to fill up your answer sheets.
At this point you could cut the tension in the air with a butter knife, it was this high as I could see and feel the nervousness of others around me. One girl was hyperventilating. A boy in the back row was tapping his pencil so fast it looked like a hummingbird.
'Kids these days.'
I glanced at Inner. She looked unbothered, her expression as serene as a frozen lake. She caught my gaze and raised an eyebrow.
"Stop staring," she murmured.
"Why not? You're this cute when you're all focused and concentrated."
Her cheeks flushed again, just a fraction, and she turned her attention to the front of the room.
With my own last preparations, I stretched my arms behind my head, cracked my neck, and took out my fountain pen. A sleek black body, gold nib, ink that flowed like water. Yeah, I was a fancy guy for having a fountain pen instead of a basic ballpoint.
The door opened.
It was time for the hardest subject on the curriculum, that being mathematics. I was curious what teacher would be the proctor for mathematics since we had three math teachers in the whole academy.
The door opened, and to some surprise it was Ririko‑sensei who walked in.
A wave of groans and muttered curses rippled through the classroom. Some students began cursing their bad luck. Why? Because she had a reputation of not letting her students get away with cheating, being one of those teachers that took her job seriously, almost too seriously.
"Not her," someone whispered. "Anyone but her."
"She caught me looking at my neighbor's paper on my mock exam," another voice added, bitter and resigned. "I was just trying to see the time."
"She has eyes in the back of her head. I swear."
The complaints faded quickly as Ririko‑sensei's gaze swept across the room. Her glasses caught the light, glinting like something dangerous, and the chatter died.
She moved with the same effortless confidence she always did, her dark hair pulled back in a severe ponytail, her glasses catching the fluorescent light.
Today she wore a black blazer over a white blouse, the top two buttons undone just enough to hint at the curve of her collarbone. A pencil skirt hugged her hips, and her heels clicked against the floor in a rhythm that seemed to echo the anxious beating of every student's heart.
After the classroom got quiet, she spoke.
"Good morning," she said, her voice carrying across the room without effort. "I think there is no reason to explain too much how this exam will be conducted in my presence."
"You have ninety minutes to solve the test. I expect there will be no talking, not even a whisper in my room. And if I catch anyone cheating, that means even taking a peek at your neighbor's paper, you will receive an automatic zero and a personal meeting with the Headmaster."
She let the threat hang in the air, her lips curving into a small, satisfied smile.
"Yes, ma'am," some of the students replied to her, their voices subdued.
Then she began to circulate, handing out the exam sheets face down. When she reached my row, she paused, and I did not know if she noticed the increase in my Yoki or that my presence had changed, solidifying into something much stronger.
Usually, this serpentine lady was quite sensitive to changes that partook in me.
"Ara~ What a surprise. Aono‑kun, you have been assigned to my class." Her voice was low, almost intimate, and I felt her presence beside me before I saw her. "I expect a flawless answer sheet from you. Do not disappoint me."
She placed the exam sheet on my desk, but her fingers lingered on the edge, not quite letting go. I looked up, and my brown eyes started to morph into my Vampire Gaze. It became almost instinctive when someone with some kind of intent on me was in proximity.
She was standing closer than necessary, close enough that I could smell her perfume, dark and expensive, the same vanilla and leather scent from weeks ago.
Ririko‑sensei smiled at me, and I could notice that her gaze also shifted to reveal serpentine eyes, though my System remained dormant, not alerting me if she had showed any hostile intent on me. Must be something else entirely.
[Name: Ririko Kagome]
[Threat Level: A (Lamia)]
[Status: Playful / Curious – No hostile intent detected.]
Then, while she had my full attention, her tongue flicked out.
It was not a human tongue. It was long, forked, serpentine, and it traced a slow line from the corner of my jaw up to my ear. The sensation was lukewarm, wet, and utterly unexpected. I felt the delicate scales brush against my skin, and for a heartbeat, I forgot to breathe.
She pulled back just as quickly, her expression unreadable, but her eyes glittered behind her glasses.
"Do well, pretty boy," she whispered, and then she moved on.
My Vampire Heart was pounding. I could feel the eyes of the students around me, some curious, some envious, but most too focused on their own exams to care.
I forced myself to breathe, to push the distraction aside, since temptation over Ririko‑sensei was on a high challenge, along with other hot teachers I had the occasion of meeting.
From her look, I could tell that she wanted to make herself a new snake‑leather bag. Inner's glare was cold enough to freeze the Blood River.
'It wasn't me. I did nothing wrong, okay?'
Finally, after calming down with a long sigh, I turned over the exam sheet. But then I heard Ririko‑sensei do some small talk with Inner, as she was still familiarizing herself with this other personality of the model student that was the pink‑haired Moka Akashiya.
"Oh, good to see you in my classroom too, Akashiya‑san. The silver hair suits you better than the pink, by the way. Very striking." Ririko‑sensei's voice was casual, almost friendly. "You should hold tight to that boyfriend of yours. He is quite the catch. I would hate to see some other woman steal him away from you."
Then, by the end, as she went on to distribute the exam sheets, she added, almost as an afterthought, "You know what they say about pretty boys. Everyone wants a piece of them."
'Fuck.'
The aura around Moka shifted colder.
'Ririko‑sensei, please stop it! There is nothing between us, okay?'
'And even if there would be something between us, you'll not be one of my main girls.'
'Oh well. There is no reason saying these in my heart.'
'I am screwed regardless. So let us just focus on the exam at hand.'
The problems were challenging but not impossible. Derivatives, integrals, a few word problems that required careful reading. I had seen most of these concepts before, either in my past life or during Ririko‑sensei's lectures. My university education had prepared me well for such an event in my youthful life.
I filled the answer sheet quickly, my handwriting neat, my steps confident. The numbers flowed from my pen at such a rate that you might think I was cheating by using a calculator on the table.
I finished with nearly twenty minutes to spare. I did not bother checking my work. I knew it was correct.
When I looked up, Ririko‑sensei was watching me from the front of the room. Her glasses caught the light, hiding her eyes, but her lips were curved into a small, knowing smile.
She winked at me, then her tongue flicked out again, just once, before she shifted her attention away from me, or at least gave the impression of doing so.
'Creepy. But kind of hot and freaky at the same time. Maybe, I need to get my head examined.'
'Besides, I doubt I can postpone meeting that woman, Chisato Hasegawa, much longer.'
'I don't know how such a character from another anime verse jumped into this Chaotic World, but at this point anything is possible here. I shouldn't be surprised if I see Saiyans coming out from space to conquer Earth.'
'She has also begun showing signs of watching me, of wanting to make contact but not knowing how to approach me. Must be related to All-Black since she had to cure the wound I put on Gin. Eventually, if that wound was not treated, it might even lead to the eventual death of the one corrupted by the Void powers of the sword.'
'Such powerful debuff of the Necrosword could only be cured by that 'Goddess' from another world.'
Looking around, Inner also finished the exam early. She did not wait for the other students to file out. Instead, she sent a small blood pellet flying into my forehead, getting my attention away from Ririko and making me stare at her.
I whispered back, my voice low enough that only she could hear. "She is just like this with me. You have seen her around in class. She flirts with everyone."
Inner's only response was a slight narrowing of her eyes. The temperature around us dropped another degree.
When the math exam was over, Ririko went on with her duties, collecting the answer sheets with efficient grace. But she did not forget to get my attention in her silent ways. As she passed by my desk, her fingers brushed against my shoulder, light as a feather, and I caught the faintest whisper of her perfume. She did not look at me, but the corner of her mouth twitched.
Then Inner grabbed me by the ear and pulled me out from the classroom.
"Ara, Akashiya‑san, do not be too harsh on him." Ririko‑sensei's voice followed us into the hallway, sweet and unhurried. "He did answer every question correctly."
Inner did not stop. She did not even look back. Her grip on my ear tightened, and her voice cut through the air like a blade.
"Stay out of this, snake. He is mine."
The door clicked shut behind us, and the only sound was the echo of her heels and my own pained groans.
Inner did not release me until we reached the rooftop. The door to the roof was heavy, rusted at the hinges, but she shoved it open with her free hand and pulled me through. The wind hit us immediately, cold and sharp, carrying the scent of rain that had not yet fallen. The sky was still overcast, grey clouds pressing down like a lid.
She finally let go of my ear and crossed her arms over her chest. Her crimson eyes bored into me with an intensity that made me want to confess to crimes I had not committed.
"What does the snake want from you?" Her voice was flat, but I could hear the edge beneath it, the cold fury of a woman who did not like sharing, or was in conflict about this arrangement.
I rubbed my sore ear, wincing. "I have no idea. Her attitude has changed a lot, especially since I attended that event organized by the club she advises. The Math club thing I told you I will attend, remember?"
"That does not explain why she went to do something so intimate. Only someone who holds that person dear would do such thing."
"True. She may want more than a student from me." I shrugged, trying to keep my voice light. "You know how some teachers get. Power imbalances and all that."
Inner's eyes narrowed. "I do not buy it. She has shown more interest in you since you got here, from the first week. Before you even had any power to speak of."
I sighed. There was no point in hiding my suspicions from her. She was too sharp, and she had been watching Ririko just as closely as I had.
"I think she picked up on my human scent back then," I admitted. "But now I cannot even consider myself human. I am almost a full‑fledged vampire. And you know the rumors. The students she tutors privately, they turn into mind‑numbed puppets. They do well on tests, but they lose something. Their spark, their initiative. They just… follow orders."
Inner's expression did not change, but her arms uncrossed just slightly, a sign that she was listening.
"I think she drains their essence," I continued, keeping my voice low. "Or maybe she uses some kind of Lamia ability to cloud their minds. Either way, she is dangerous. And now that my Yoki has grown to levels that are not normal usually, even for the supernatural world, she is like any other predator in this messed‑up Academy. She is curious. And curiosity leads to obsession."
"She wants to use you," Inner said. It was not a question.
"Probably. Or she just wants to see what makes me tick. Either way, I am on her radar now, and she is not going to lose interest easily."
Inner was silent for a long moment. The wind whipped her silver hair across her face, but she did not bother to push it aside. Her crimson eyes were fixed on something in the distance, though I doubted she was seeing the clouds or the trees or the grey sprawl of the Academy below.
"I do not like it," she said finally. Her voice was quieter now, but no less intense. "I do not like it when other women eye you, Tsukune. Especially not in front of me. I can handle Kurumu being all over you since I agreed to allow her to pursue you, but not with other women. That snake was practically undressing you with her gaze, and I had to sit there and pretend I did not notice."
I opened my mouth to apologize, but she cut me off.
"But I understand why they would be interested." Her gaze shifted back to me, and there was something soft in her expression, something that did not appear often.
"You are strong now. You have power, presence, and you do not cower in the face of danger. That is attractive. And now that you have the Vampire gift, it is undeniable that you are better looking. I cannot blame them for noticing."
"That does not mean I have to like it."
I stepped closer to her, closing the distance between us. The wind seemed to die down, or maybe I just stopped noticing it. Her silver hair was still, her eyes locked on mine, and I could see the tension in her shoulders, the way her hands had curled into fists at her sides.
"You do not have to like it," I said, keeping my voice low. "But you also do not have to worry. I am not going anywhere. And I am certainly not going to let some snake lady sink her fangs into me."
I reached up and cupped her face in my hands. Her skin was cool, smooth, and she did not pull away. Her crimson eyes searched mine, looking for something I hoped she would find.
"I am yours," I said. "If you do not like me getting close with other girls, tell me. Okay? I will stop it immediately if it hurts you. Just say the word."
She did not answer with words. Instead, she grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me down into a kiss.
It was not gentle. It was hungry, demanding, and full of the possessiveness she rarely showed outside of our private moments. Her lips moved against mine with a ferocity that left no room for doubt. She was claiming me, marking me, reminding me who I belonged to.
I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her closer. Her body molded against mine, warm and solid, and I felt the tension drain from her shoulders. The kiss softened, deepened, and for a moment, the world outside the rooftop ceased to exist.
When we finally parted, she was breathing hard, her cheeks flushed.
"Better?" I asked, my voice a little rough.
She did not answer. She just pressed her forehead against mine and closed her eyes.
We stayed like that for a while, tangled together, the wind picking up again but not bothering us. The clouds rolled overhead, and somewhere in the distance, a bell rang, signaling the end of another exam period.
Then my phone buzzed in my pocket.
I pulled away reluctantly and fished it out. The screen glowed with Kurumu's name and a picture of her winking, her tongue stuck out, her fingers making a peace sign.
I answered.
"Tsukune! Where are you?" Her voice was bright, almost giddy, and I could hear the smile in it.
"The rooftop," I said, keeping my voice neutral. "Why? What happened? How did the exam go?"
"Everything went according to plan!" She laughed, a sound of pure relief. "Compared to Ririko‑sensei, Yamada‑sensei is far more lenient. He did not stop me from peeking at Suzuki‑kun's paper at all. I think I will get a great grade because I filled out every single question."
Inner scoffed loud enough for Kurumu to hear through the phone. "Do you even know if the answers you copied were correct? Suzuki‑kun might be a fraud, remember?"
Kurumu's voice sharpened. "I heard that, Ice Moka! And for your information, I checked his answers against the girl on the other side of me. They matched perfectly. So there."
"Two frauds agreeing with each other does not make them correct."
"You are just jealous because you had to actually study, and I got to use my natural talents."
"Cheating is not a talent."
"It is when you are as good at it as I am."
I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Ladies, please."
"Stay out of this, Tsukune," they said in unison.
Then Kurumu's voice softened, losing some of its edge. "Anyway, how did the exam go on your end? You sounded weird. Is everything okay?"
I glanced at Inner. She was watching me, her expression unreadable, but her hand had found mine and was holding it loosely.
"The exams themselves were easy," I said. "I have problems with other things that I cannot control."
"What kind of problems?"
"The kind that involves a snake that has become obsessed with me and a jealous vampire girlfriend."
There was a beat of silence. Then Inner's voice came, sharp and defensive.
"I am not jealous!"
I just gave her that look. The one I had perfected over weeks of dealing with her, the one that said "Oh, really?" without me having to utter a single word. I raised an eyebrow, tilted my head just so, and let the silence do the talking.
Her cheeks flushed. She looked away, crossing her arms again. "I am not."
"You literally dragged me across the school by my ear."
"That was different."
"How?"
She did not answer.
Through the phone, Kurumu snickered. "Oh, this is good. I can hear everything, you know. Ice Moka is jealous. I never thought I would see the day."
"Shut up, succubus."
"Make me."
Inner's eye twitched. I could see the argument brewing, the kind that would escalate into a full‑blown shouting match if I did not intervene. But before either of them could get another word in, Kurumu's voice shifted, dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
"Wait there, Tsukune‑kun. I am on my way to the rooftop. I want to hear more directly from you."
The line went dead.
I looked at Inner. She raised an eyebrow.
"She is coming here," I said.
"I figured this much."
"Are you going to be nice?"
"No."
I sighed.
'This is going to be a long day.'