The Pervert Trio didn't mind the insults. They were cursed at every day by girls. Words like "get lost" or "disgusting" were commonplace, and they had become immune. So, they patted Tetsuya Hoda on the shoulder, continuing their stream of verbal comfort.
"We might not be in the same class, but we're still classmates. We'll go to the woods with you and teach that pretty boy a lesson."
"Exactly. Having Reina and those girls isn't enough for him, and now he's making a move on Tsubaki-senpai and Akeno-senpai."
"Damn him! (Kishō!) The worst part is he actually succeeded."
"It's truly enviable... no, I mean despicable."
...
Inevitably, the conversation drifted back to women. Truly, there were no mistaken nicknames, only those that were accurately earned. The Pervert Trio lived up to their name.
Tetsuya Hoda initially wanted to explode in anger, but he managed to restrain himself. I told them to get lost. If they won't listen, then it's not my fault. He sneered inwardly. Free tools. Might as well use them.
"Fine. After school, we'll go to the woods together." Tetsuya Hoda forced a smile that looked worse than a grimace. "Since I never said I was going alone, we'll teach that pretty boy a good lesson."
He still didn't understand why Caleb had suddenly cornered him, slandering him with fabricated lies. Because of Tsubaki Shinra and Akeno Himejima's ambiguous stance, he had planned to tolerate it for a peaceful resolution. But being approached by the Pervert Trio and comforted as one of their own made him increasingly angry the more he thought about it.
Bringing three ordinary humans along, he figured, would surely make Tsubaki Shinra and Akeno Himejima pull back even if they were the ones instructing Caleb. If they weren't involved... If I don't cripple that pretty boy, I'm not Tetsuya Hoda!
The Pervert Trio had only been talking tough. They had the desire but lacked the courage. They were all talk and extremely cowardly, let alone getting involved in a group brawl.
The bespectacled Motohama quickly said, "Ah, I almost forgot. I have club activities today. Let Issei and Matsuda go with you."
The shaved-head Matsuda immediately caught on and followed up. "My bad, I have something important at home. I have to rush back after school. I'll leave Issei to you."
Tetsuya Hoda: "..."
Watching his two friends sprint away faster than rabbits, Issei Hyoudou was completely bewildered. Just as he was about to make an excuse to slip away, he felt a sudden weight on his shoulder.
Tetsuya Hoda stared at Issei Hyoudou ominously. "It's settled. I'll find you after school, and we'll go teach that pretty boy a lesson together."
Feeling the increasingly tight grip on his shoulder, Issei Hyoudou realized that if he tried to refuse now, he'd be beaten up before the school bell rang. He twitched his mouth and nodded gravely.
"Good. I'll come to your classroom after school." Tetsuya Hoda released his grip, his expression sinister. "If you run, I'll come find you every day afterward for a nice little 'chat'."
Issei Hyoudou froze, his face becoming even heavier.
"Don't worry... I... I definitely won't run. We're all kindred spirits, and we must help each other..."
"Heh heh, I hope so."
Tetsuya Hoda saw right through Issei Hyoudou's cautious mind. If the boy dared to run, he'd definitely take his frustration out on him. Thanks to the warning, Issei Hyoudou didn't dare skip out after school. Going to the woods didn't guarantee a fight, and even if there was a fight, it didn't guarantee he'd be the one getting hurt. But if he ran, Tetsuya Hoda truly would come looking for trouble. The boy's tone and attitude earlier were not a joke.
The Woods...
No, it should be called a small forest. Kuoh Academy was built on a mountainside. Beyond the main campus, past the club activities building, was a scene resembling a dense, old forest. This area was protected by a magical barrier. To ordinary people, it looked like a small grove, and a wall stood just a few dozen meters away. Some practical training and special educational activities for the Underworld Academy were held here. Similarly, since ordinary people couldn't enter, students from the Underworld Academy often chose this location to settle conflicts.
Caleb had become a prominent figure recently, and Tetsuya Hoda naturally knew a thing or two about him. The sudden awakening of his Succubus bloodline, his enrollment in the Underworld Academy, and the rumor of his high magical talent were all factors. Not to mention the rumor that having sex with him could boost power—a rumor that made many female Youkai and witches flock to him. Combined with Caleb's pretty boy looks, they were even more eager. Even Heavenly Maidens of strength and beauty like Akeno Himejima and Tsubaki Shinra were easily entangled with him.
Tetsuya Hoda immediately tracked down Issei Hyoudou after school. Ignoring Issei Hyoudou's expression of utter despair, he dragged him past the barrier. Issei Hyoudou was startled, seeing Tetsuya Hoda seemingly walk into the wall, but before he could stop, he was suddenly pulled through.
Looking at the strange scene before him, Issei Hyoudou's face was filled with utter confusion. The existence of the supernatural world was a secret to ordinary people. However, there was no strict mandate against revealing it to normal people. If the impact was too great, there were specialized personnel to handle the situation.
So, Tetsuya Hoda had no intention of explaining anything. Issei Hyoudou was merely a tool. Whatever happened to him afterward was not his concern.
"Ho... Hoda..." Issei Hyoudou stared blankly at Tetsuya Hoda, completely at a loss. "Where are we?"
Tetsuya Hoda didn't even look at him. He shouted and initiated his Youkai transformation. Since his Youkai bloodline wasn't particularly potent, the so-called "Youkai transformation" merely meant his nails grew longer and sharper, his muscles bulged, and his face became uglier. In any case, Caleb, who was nearby, didn't think Tetsuya Hoda had gotten much stronger. But that ugly face did have a certain Youkai feel to it. An ugly freak is also a Youkai.
With the pre-battle rituals complete, Tetsuya Hoda began to search for his target.
"Pretty boy! I'm here! How long are you going to hide?"
"Ugly freak, compared to you, everyone's a pretty boy." Caleb leaped down from the tree canopy, sneering. "I thought you wouldn't show up. Turns out you have a little spine after all."
Betting on the off-chance that he would come, Caleb had been waiting in the designated hookup... no, fight spot in the woods since school ended. Of course, Caleb wasn't alone. Tsubaki Shinra and Akeno Himejima were concealing their presence with magic, watching the scene closely.
"Hmph. If it weren't for those two women..." Tetsuya Hoda carefully sensed his surroundings, finding no one else, but still chose caution. "If it weren't for Tsubaki-senpai and Akeno-senpai covering for you, what are you?"
"Yes, I rely on women for protection."
Caleb scoffed, his gaze sweeping over Issei Hyoudou beside Tetsuya Hoda. "It's better than relying on a man for protection."
"What's wrong? You couldn't scam girls, so you started going after cute boys?"
Tetsuya Hoda: "..."
He realized that he couldn't out-argue Caleb.
"Enough small talk. How did I offend you? Why are you slandering me?"
First he curses, and when that fails, he starts talking sense. That's what shameless people do.