Moka took deep breaths as she left the swimming building, holding the rosary in her hand. Maintaining a dignified expression, she followed the path to her dorm, where she could rest.

As she walked, dozens of other students saw her, mouths wide open in awe. While there were rumors of Moka being a vampire, there was no real confirmation until now.

Seeing the taller, more powerful silver-haired Moka walk toward the girls' dormitories left no doubt in their minds—she was a true royal monster, a vampire.

Despite the "oohs" and "aahs" from the crowd, Moka paid no attention to them. Instead, she focused on regulating her breathing, letting her regenerative powers work on healing her body. But the real damage she suffered wasn't entirely physical. Any injuries she sustained were just side effects of her youki spilling out uncontrollably, and because of that, her natural healing couldn't fully repair the deeper damage.

Only rest and time will fix this damage.

Reaching her dorm, Moka entered the lobby, dripping wet, but paid no mind to the curious glances from the other residents. She went straight to the elevator and pressed the button for her floor. When someone rushed to catch the closing doors, Moka sighed and held the door open.

The person thanked her profusely, but Moka remained silent. After a quiet ride, she reached her floor, stepped out, and locked the door behind her once inside her room. She peeled off her wet clothes and headed to the bathroom. It was specially equipped for her vampire needs, allowing her to bathe without any complications.

Closing her eyes, Moka enjoyed the warm water cascading down her body.

I feel… exhausted… I want to sleep.

After a long, soothing shower, Moka slipped into her other self’s clothes, though they fit a bit too tightly on her. With a sigh, she flopped down onto the bed and stretched out, staring at the ceiling as the exhaustion from the day's events finally washed over her.

But she couldn’t fully relax just yet. Moka extended her youki, sharpening her supernatural senses to scan her surroundings. Only when she confirmed she was completely alone did she let her guard down and allow herself to unwind fully.

The first thought that came to mind was how she ended her relationship with Tsukune.

I have to tell the other me…

Groaning, Moka turned to the side and saw the rosary’s sharp silver glint staring back at her.

Delaying the inevitable is disgraceful.

Taking the rosary, Moka puts it back on her choker, resealing herself once more. Darkness overtook inner Moka as the seal returned her to her comfortable, yet recently boring, void.

----------------------------------------

"Tsukune!!" shouted Moka as she suddenly sat up. Pain immediately assaulted her body, causing her to groan.

"Ugh..."

Leaning on her bedframe, Moka tried to open her eyes, only for a migraine to strike.

~Relax.~

The sound of a familiar voice eased her nerves, prompting her to slow her movements.

"I-I... Sorry, what happened?"

Despite outer Moka not following Inner Moka’s command, Inner Moka replied in a gentle voice.

~Do you remember what you last did?~

Almost immediately, Moka remembered leaping into the pool despite her other self’s persistent warnings.

“I-I’m sorry.”

Rubbing her forehead, Moka apologized to her other self, aware of how much trouble she had just caused.

~That is the past. I hope that you won’t repeat those mistakes anymore.~

“I expected you to be angrier.”

~Oh? Did you expect me to shout at you?~

Moka blushes a bit, embarrassed.

“Yeah,” she replies, sheepishly.

Inner Moka couldn’t help but chuckle.

~You’ve already suffered enough. There is no need for me to lash out toward you.~

Moka smiled.

“Thank yo- ow,” Moka said, holding her head as another migraine assaulted her.

~Take a deep breath,~ her inner self instructed.

Moka inhaled deeply.

~Hold it for a few seconds.~

She followed, keeping the air in her lungs.

~Good, now exhale.~

Moka let the air out, finding a bit of relief.

~Repeat this for a few more moments.~

Moka nodded and continued the breathing exercise. Gradually, the migraine eased, offering her some relief.

“Thank you.”

Inner Moka didn’t bother to reply. After a few moments, Moka asks her counterpart a question.

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“Did you slap Tsukune?”

Almost immediately, inner Moka replied.

~Yes.~

Moka sighed.

“Tsukune… is going to hate us now.”

The weight of her sadness resonated so deeply that inner Moka felt compelled to respond.

~He cannot.~

“He will… we already struck him… he won’t talk to us anymore.”

Moka could hear a sigh emanating from the rosary.

~Tsukune stayed in this school for you. He also saw what we went through just to save him.~

“I-”

~If he can still afford to hate us, then he is not worth your time nor your tears.~

Moka’s eyes started to tear up but she quickly wiped them away.

“I’m not crying.”

~You are not fooling anyone.~

“B-But Tsukune is my first friend. And it’s not like… it’s not like it’s all his fault.”

~While the fault lay with us for not informing him of our weakness, he should have at least considered your thoughts before rushing toward the swimming building.~

Moka pursed her lips, acknowledging her inner self’s argument.

“But he wanted to join the club with us. It wasn’t completely selfish.”

~Not in my point of view.~

“I don’t want us to be not friends.”

~I know.~

“Won’t you be angry?”

~I will not like it but I will not hold you back. Just do not do anything that would harm me as well. Do not forget that we share the same body.~

Moka sighs.

“Okay.”

~However, if you’re willing to listen. I want you to explain yourself to him. I expect an apology from him as well.~

Hearing that, Moka couldn’t help but feel happy.

“So, you’re willing to forgive him??”

~Only if he apologizes properly. If he does, then I will tolerate his presence.~

“Okay! Ow,” Moka winced as another headache began to come on.

~That apology will have to come later. For now, you must rest. Our body needs to recover.~

Moka lay back down, nodding to herself as she began to rest. She hoped that by tomorrow, she and Tsukune would be able to clear their misunderstanding.

Tsukune…

After years of dormancy, Moka’s body struggled to cope with the sudden loss of her youki, leaving her with a high fever. As a result, she remained confined to her dorm room for the next three days.

----------------------------------------

Tamao groaned as she regained consciousness. She looked around to find dozens of unconscious club members scattered throughout the pool, some submerged, others floating on the surface.

Recalling how the fight ended, she gingerly touched her throbbing cheek.

I need to heal myself.

Most monsters possess some form of regeneration and can use their youki to enhance this ability. However, this method is inefficient and significantly drains their youki; even a modest 10% boost can be exhausting. Powerhouses like Moka typically resort to this only when absolutely necessary, given that vampires have exceptional natural regenerative powers.

Unfortunately, mermaids are not known for their strong regenerative abilities, and Tamao was acutely aware of her species' limitations. However, she was fortunate enough to possess a unique ability that set her apart from her peers.

Tamao hailed from a bloodline of mermaids blessed by sirens, granting her the power to cast spells that mimicked siren songs.

Determined, Tamao swam upward, gathering her remaining youki. As she broke through the surface, she prepared to sing, only to be struck by intense pain in her jaw.

Touching her jaw, she quickly realized that Moka’s powerful hook had fractured parts of her mouth.

Internally cursing, Tamao decided to focus her regenerative efforts specifically on her jaw to conserve her youki, rather than enhancing her overall regeneration. Despite her efforts, Tamao was not particularly skilled with youki. She could handle basic techniques but preferred relying on her innate charm and claws when necessary.

After some time and considerable effort, Tamao managed to heal her jaw enough for it to function properly.

"Finally," she muttered, wincing from the lingering pain.

With her jaw finally functioning properly, Tamao took a deep breath, gathering her youki as she prepared to sing. Focusing her energy, she began to sing, her voice resonating with an enchanting and melodious quality. Invisible tendrils of her pseudo-siren song extended outward from her body.

Unfortunately, as a mere mermaid and not a true siren, Tamao's control over this invisible power was rudimentary at best. Despite the considerable drain on her youki, she directed these tendrils to heal her unconscious club members, mending the injuries inflicted by Moka and Kurumu.

After tending to those with the most severe injuries, Tamao, exhausted from the effort, climbed up to the poolside. However, she was met with someone waiting for her. Frowning, Tamao did her best to maintain a composed demeanor.

“I hope you didn’t come here just to leer at a bunch of unconscious women,” Tamao said, her voice laced with irritation.

Chuckling, the tall young man responded with a smooth tone, “Do you think so little of me, Maomao?”

Tamao narrowed her eyes at the tall figure before her. “San isn’t here, Gin. Stop being a creep.”

Gin’s smile faltered for a moment. “I’m not a creep!”

Tamao rolled her eyes. “Sure, whatever you say. After all the effort I made to get you on my side, you still didn’t help with the committee. It’s clear that busty, tall women like me aren’t your type, you pervert.”

Gin sighed and sat down cross-legged. “You know that’s not why I didn’t help you.”

Tamao looked away, her expression softening. “I know. And I also know you came here thinking my singing was San’s.”

Gin’s silence confirmed Tamao’s words.

“So… who did this? Did the committee come back to cause trouble?”

Tamao shook her head.

“No, it was my own mistake.”

“A mistake?” Gin’s curiosity was piqued.

Tamao nodded. “Remember our previous conversation? I planned to secretly strengthen the club members to avoid paying the committee’s fee the next time they showed up.”

Gin nodded. “Right, you wanted to recruit the strong freshmen and use the weaker ones to bolster the club.”

Tamao sighed. “Yeah. Today’s plan was to officially invite the strong freshmen as supporters and use the weak ones to enhance our club’s power.”

Gin smirked. “You’re quite ruthless. So, you intended to keep the strong ones and discard the weak ones?”

Tamao nodded. “I had to be. The safety committee’s power is too great. With San gone, no one can challenge Kuyo.”

Gin sighed. “This is why I can’t team up with you. You’re just too cruel.”

Tamao rolled her eyes, fully aware of why Gin left her alone. “I guess San really was a good influence on us…”

Gin chuckled. “Yeah… But why did you invite Tsukune and Moka?”

Tamao’s expression shifted. “I wanted to recruit them. I heard rumors about them being vampires. When I saw Tsukune at the entrance ceremony, I knew he was special. For a moment, I even thought he was a rare incubus.”

“What? Why?”

“Because he showed up in my dreams.”

Gin rolled his eyes. “What’s so special about him? He seems like an average guy and I don’t sense any youki from him.”

“Exactly. I was surprised when he accepted my invitation, considering the rumors about vampires and water,” Tamao explained.

Gin nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"After inviting them, I quickly realized that Tsukune isn’t a vampire. He’s not supernaturally strong and lacks any youki presence. When I drenched Moka, it confirmed that vampires are indeed affected by water, but Tsukune wasn’t."

Gin smirked. “So, Moka must just like him?”

Tamao smiled. “Yeah, it’s clear they have feelings for each other, but…”

“But?” Gin prompted.

Tamao shrugged with a chuckle. “They’re young. They’ll figure it out.”

Gin pulled out a plastic bottle and offered Tamao some juice. “Want a drink?”

Tamao reluctantly accepted and took a sip of the sweet liquid.

“There’s still something I don’t get,” Gin said, eyeing Tamao with curiosity.

“What is it?” Tamao asked, her irritation evident.

“Why didn’t you invite Moka and Tsukune properly? Why attack them instead?”

Tamao blushed and looked away, clearly annoyed. “I messed up, okay?”

Gin raised an eyebrow. “What happened?”

Tamao hesitated before admitting, “When I was finally in the pool with Tsukune, he smelled… so delicious. It was an irresistible scent.”

Tamao’s confession finally broke Gin’s composure, causing him to burst into loud, uncontrollable laughter.

“Shut up!” Tamao slapped Gin’s shoulder, making him laugh even harder.

“So you failed your task just because you got a bit boy-crazy?” Gin asked between fits of laughter.

Embarrassed, Tamao began hitting Gin’s shoulders.

“Ugh! You’re such a stupid pervert! If you’re just going to laugh at me, why’d you even come here?!”

Gin's laughter gradually subsided, much to Tamao’s annoyance. As she began to find the humor in the situation, Tamao joined in, both of them eventually relaxing into each other’s presence.

Leaning on Gin’s shoulder, Tamao sighed. “I miss San… It’s a shame we were in different classes last year, and this year, you’re always with Haiji, that lolicon.”

Gin chuckled. “Yeah, I know.”

Their gazes met, and for a moment, the world around them seemed to vanish. Gin leaned in, captivated by Tamao’s charm, and she mirrored his movement. Just as their lips were about to touch, Gin pulled back.

“We can’t,” he said softly.

Tamao looked into his eyes and then closed hers, nodding. “I know.”

They both turned away, the awkward silence stretching between them.

Eventually, Tamao broke the silence. “Won’t you really help me, Gin?”

Gin's expression turned melancholic. “You know I can’t.”

Tamao sighed. “I know.”

Feeling uncomfortable after rejecting Tamao twice, Gin stood up. “If you ever need help—except for that, of course—you know where to find me.”

Tamao nodded without looking at him, her gaze fixed on the open pool.

Without saying another word, Gin left the swimming building.

Once outside, his thoughts wander toward Moka.

A vampire… might just be enough.