(Kai POV – Forest Near Dorms)
I raise an eyebrow as Moka appears, breathless and dishevelled, and despite looking exhausted, her gaze locks onto me instantly.
Before I can even say anything, I notice Kurumu grinning, her wings snapping open behind her.
In a single beat, she launches forward at a dizzying speed, claws angled straight at Moka in a vicious attack.
'I can play around any other time. But not when you're going after Moka.' I instinctively move to intercept her, the ground cracking faintly beneath my feet as I dash into her path, ready to counter, when I realise something.
'Huh? It's a feint?' I think, analysing her movements rapidly, and notice from her posture and positioning… she isn't committed to attacking Moka. And quickly it becomes obvious that her real target is me.
My fist, once aimed at her stomach, suddenly opens as I twist out of her path and grab her wrist.
I watch her eyes go wide in shock, certain she probably didn't even see me move, and using our momentum, spin, dragging her body in an arc and fling her skyward, sending her tumbling high above the forest canopy.
A distant "EHHHH—?!" echoes down through the trees.
'That should buy me a few seconds.' I think, exhaling slowly. 'That was close. I almost beat her up.'
Did I want to? No. But if she had genuinely tried to hurt Moka, I'd have done so.
'And speaking of Moka…' I turn, only to find her still standing in place, her head tilted up, lips parted in a tiny 'o' as she stares dumbfounded at the patch of sky where Kurumu disappeared.
'…Why is she so cute?' I think, watching her face.
And as she's still dazed, I quickly close the distance, arriving right in front of her, and blocking her view.
"Didn't I tell you to stay put?" I ask, raising an eyebrow, jolting her awake, as she meets my gaze. And before she can respond, I reach up and flick her forehead softly. Just enough to sting slightly.
"Ah—?!" She squeaks, both hands flying up to cover the spot, pouting with watery eyes as she looks at me in confusion.
I struggle to restrain a smile. 'She's even cuter now. Should I flick her head more often?' I think dangerously, when she finally answers.
"I-I thought you were in danger…" She mumbles in a small voice.
"I beat Saizo. Even if Kurumu has claws…" I shrug. "…I'd be fine."
"That's not it." Moka shakes her head quickly, lowering her hands as she speaks in a serious tone. "Kurumu is a succubus. They charm and enslave men. I was so worried…" She whispers, her voice trembling slightly. "What if she managed to charm you…? What if I was too late and you were already…"
She doesn't finish her words, her gaze searching mine. "Are you… okay? You're still you, right?"
My heart warms at her concern, and my gaze drops to the Rosary at her chest for a moment.
'…Did Inner Moka tell her about the charm? She wouldn't know about it otherwise.'
I briefly wonder why she would, given how obvious it is that I'm immune, or at least, resistant to Kurumu's charm. But I'll consider all that later.
I reach out and gently place my hand on top of Moka's head, my fingers sinking into her soft pink hair.
"I'm okay, Moka." I say softly. "I'm still me."
Finally at ease, she smiles, letting out a relieved sigh. "I'm so glad."
"Thank you, Moka." I add. "For worrying about me, and running all the way here."
Her cheeks bloom pink as she gives a shy nod.
"But… I'd still prefer if you stayed safe." I continue, ruffling her hair gently. "If anything happened to you because you came after me… I don't think I could forgive myself."
Moka's lower lip trembles, and she looks like she might cry… but instead, clenches her fists, and meets my gaze with quiet resolve.
"I want you to be safe too." She says firmly, much to my surprise. "If you're in danger… I want to be there." She presses on, even as her cheeks flush a deeper red. "I don't want to just… wait and worry while something might be happening to you."
She fidgets, fingers twisting together, but her eyes don't leave mine. "Even if I can't do much… I won't slow you down, and I could help you… somehow."
Then, as if she suddenly realises how forward she's being, she squeaks softly and ducks her head, her hands flying up to cover her burning cheeks.
"…I-Is that selfish of me?" She whispers, peeking up at me through her lashes.
'…This girl.' I sigh internally, letting out a small chuckle. 'How can I refuse after all that?'
"No." I say softly. "It's not selfish at all."
The moment is ruined as a piercing shout assails us from above.
"You—! YOU BASTARD!" Kurumu's voice tears through the air, sounding almost feral and raw with humiliation.
She drops out of the sky like a comet, hair dishevelled, and fresh tears streaking the dirt on her cheeks. Her violet eyes burn with an all-consuming hatred.
"Not once…" Her wings beat hard once, sending leaves skittering across the forest floor. "But TWICE?! I'll make you pay for that! Even if it's the last thing I do!"
She rockets toward us, claws extended, fully intent on killing me.
'Like you have the ability to kill me.' I think, sarcastically, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.
And while both genders may be equal before my fists…
'Waifus are an exception.' I click my tongue.
Overall, I'm not too concerned since that rule doesn't apply to Moka, who did ask to help.
I immediately turn to her with a smile.
"Moka, looks like your chance to help arrived quite quickly." I say warmly, my hand drifting to the Rosary hanging at her chest. "May I?"
Moka's eyes widen.
"E-Eh?! Y-You want to take it off?!" She squeaks, looking at me with a mixture of shock and disbelief. "B-But… it's really dangerous! The other me… s-she's scary, and—"
"It'll be fine." I assure her gently, holding the cross between my thumb and forefinger. "Trust me."
She hesitates, biting her lip, glancing back and forth between me and the rapidly approaching succubus. Then, in a small voice…
"…O-okay. I trust you…"
I give her a soft smile, and right as I'm about to pull the Rosary off… A shiver runs down my spine, making me freeze.
It's not fear… exactly. It's closer to an instinctive warning of some kind, hammering at the base of my skull, screaming at me to stop.
'…Something's off.' The thought rises unbidden, accompanied by a strange, faint sense of deja vu and familiarity. Like I've experienced something similar.
I glance at Moka. Her bright green eyes look up at me, full of nothing but worried trust. I glance at Kurumu. Still incoming, still screaming, still not an actual threat.
Nothing about the situation seems to justify the warning.
'No. This is fine.' I dismiss the feeling, and with a gentle, deliberate tug, I pull the Rosary free.
Click.
For a moment, the world goes still. Then a pulse of yokai energy detonates from Moka. Although… for some reason, apple logos keep flashing through my mind.
Having gone through this once before, I preemptively close my eyes as a blinding flash of light floods the clearing. And when I open them, Moka's transformation is complete.
Her hair has turned a beautiful silvery-white, and her eyes a deep, mesmerising crimson. Her posture has shifted entirely, now exuding confidence, and casual amusement.
She doesn't look like she just woke up. She looks like she's been waiting.
Behind us, Kurumu's furious dive falters mid-air. I hear her wings stutter, and breathing pause as her advance slows, then stops entirely, and she hovers in place, frozen.
"…W-W-What…" Kurumu stammers, her eyes wide. "What is that…? Is this the power of a vampire…?"
The colour drains from her face, and her arms tremble. She's not posturing anymore. She's terrified.
'Maybe they won't even need to fight?' I wonder, turning my attention back to Moka, only to discover that despite her calm half-smile and her narrowed, slightly amused gaze, she looks very much like someone preparing to beat the absolute hell out of somebody.
That's encouraging. Given she's my backup, you know. The only issue being that instead of looking at Kurumu… she's looking at me.
'…Maybe I'm in the way.' I think, casually taking a step aside, exposing Kurumu more clearly in her line of sight, but Moka's eyes track me without so much as glancing at the succubus.
…And suddenly, with a sinking feeling in my stomach, I remember why that earlier sense of dread seemed so familiar.
'…Am I about to get turned into an apple logo?'
The thought barely finishes crossing my mind when her hand clamps down on my shoulder.
Neither hard, nor painful… but firmly enough that I know, with absolute certainty, that I'm not moving from this spot until she lets me.
Could I break free? Probably. Could I run? My odds aren't zero.
But running from Moka, in any form, feels wrong regardless of the situation… so I stay put.
"…Moka?" I venture.
Inner Moka tilts her head slightly, like a cat observing a mouse.
"You enjoyed yourself…" She says, voice low and smooth. "Didn't you?"
"…Enjoyed what?" I ask innocently, genuinely confused. I'm not scared she'll hurt me, but it's concerning nonetheless.
Her lips curve into a slow, dangerous smile. "This."
Her free hand rises to my face, two fingers extended, drawn back into the unmistakable shape of a forehead flick.
Oh. Oh no…
BANG.
Her fingers snap against my forehead with a sound that cracks across the clearing, and pain explodes between my eyebrows as the world tilts.
A small flock of birds takes flight from a distant tree in alarm as my head snaps back from the force, and I stagger half a step, just staring up at the morning sky in a daze.
The pain fades almost instantly, but the trauma remains.
I take a few seconds to steady myself, blinking the ringing out of my ears, before finally dropping my gaze back onto Moka.
She stands with one hand resting lightly on her hip, her weight casually shifted to one leg, head tilted curiously as she observed me.
"Next time…" She says unhurriedly. "Remember whose body you're messing with."
"And if you bully Moka… I'll bully you." She grins menacingly, but to me, it's quite charming.
'…Is that a warning, or encouragement?' I wonder. 'Joke's on her. I'd probably be into it.'
Her gaze sharpens, narrowing slightly, as though she's somehow picked up on the gist of my thoughts.
'Hehe.' I smile faintly. 'You think I'm scared of you, Moka?' I take a breath. 'In for a penny…'
"If you're gonna punish me for everything I've done…" I say, meeting her eyes head-on. "Don't half-ass it. At the very least, you haven't returned all the headpats I gave Moka."
Her eyebrow climbs higher.
Indeed, I'm being quite audacious. But this is me holding back.
'If I tried to headpat her right now, she'd probably bite my hand off and beat me to death with it.' I think, mentally striking that option from my list of intrusive impulses. 'And if I mentioned that I'll be pinching Moka's cheeks after this… I probably wouldn't survive long enough to actually do it.'
For a long, silent moment, Moka simply stares at me, seemingly taken aback. I feel sweat begin to prickle at the back of my neck, despite myself, then…
She laughs.
A single, genuinely amused huff. Her shoulders relax. The corner of her lips curls upward into a small, knowing smile.
"…Hmph." She murmurs, eyes glinting. "You're quite arrogant. Is it bravery or stupidity? Maybe a mix of both?"
"Love that doesn't turn you stupid is no love." I reply easily, with a nod.
Moka blinks, then her smile widens just a bit more.
"I see." She says quietly. "Then my assumption was correct."
I tilt my head. "What assumption?"
"You needn't concern yourself with that." She says simply.
Somehow, I get the sense I barely passed a test I wasn't aware I was taking. And with that, her desire to punish me seems to fade.
Moka turns her head, crimson gaze settling on the nervous succubus hovering several meters away.
"H-Hiiieee—!" Kurumu whimpers, the last of her bravado evaporating in real time as Moka's smile sharpens.
"Now then…" She says, almost gently. "Let's deal with you."
********
A/N: Hello Everyone! How are you all? If you've enjoyed the chapter and book thus far, please consider leaving me some comments, reviews, or power stones. It really helps the book out.
So, I'll ask straight up... Should I stop referencing other anime?🫠 Considering its chaos Gacha, and Heavenly Restriction is his strongest ability, as well as what contributed to the danger sense... I thought it's be fun🫠. Maybe I overdid it. Do let me know.
As for his... Bravery... Yeah, I'll call it bravery. He actually has no reason to be scared of Inner Moka. All things considered, he knows she's also a huge softy, and wouldn't kill him, unless he really crossed a line. And even then, Saizo wasn't killed the first time.
Yes, he admitted he loves Moka to Moka, but with a big enough heart, can't you love many people👀. Ahem, that's not relevant for now. I just think the dynamic is gonna be more fun, with Inner certainly getting annoyed with how presumptuous Kai is about to become😂.
You can also read 5 chapters ahead and support me at [email protected]/AMV_WEAKLY
But anyway, that all from me. Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter, and have a wonderful rest of your day/night😁