The Swimming Club building rose before us like something from an anime panel, and honestly, I don't blame them for tricking my eyes. All glass and white tile, catching the afternoon light and throwing it back in brilliant shards.
I was amazed by this display of creativity on the Mermaids' part, and can only take my hat off to them.
Through the walls, I could already hear the echo of splashing water, the high, musical laughter of girls enjoying themselves, the occasional shriek that could have been delight or something else entirely.
Tamao's arm remained locked around mine as we approached. She didn't let me linger too closely to Moka, and after some suggestive words, I walked back to receive my "VIP Tour". Her cool skin pressed against me with an intimacy that felt less like seduction and more like possession, which I think was the petty display to snide Moka, since she made sure to watch her reactions.
I realized that this was her strategy of using her body to lower my resistance, this wasn't the first time a beauty of this caliber was eying me. My reaction was as one would have it at my age, but I tried to fight back the embarrassment.
I can't say her strategy wasn't working, in fact, she had all the moves ready to take me down. I think… From her gorgeous body, to the attire, a skimpy bikini bathing suit, and now adding together the ambiance and the environment, any guy would have fallen.
And for this reason, I will not be a hypocrite and say I wasn't fighting the urge to turn into a pervert and start touching boobs, but that would just objectify Tamao and the other ladies. I was a pervert, sure, but I had my own boundaries that I wouldn't cross that easily.
Behind the tour group, as if we had have turned into an attraction, a small crowd began to gather. It was the same guys who braved getting too close to the sun, acting in a way that even the Boobs Dragon, Issei, would be impressed with.
There were maybe a dozen of them, ranging from first-years I vaguely recognized from other classes to upperclassmen who should have known better. And there was even that guy who got smacked by the Mermaid, Rin, sporting a webbed-like face print on his face, while his eyes were locked onto Rin's thick ass.
They trailed behind us like leeches following the scent of blood, their eyes fixed on the mermaids' swaying hips, their mouths slightly open, their brains clearly disengaged from higher function.
No, I think they were reaching a state of Enlightenment.
"Dude, are we really going in?" one of them whispered loudly.
"The Swimming Club! The all-girls Swimming Club!"
"I heard no guy has ever set foot inside. This is legendary!"
"Move faster before they change their minds!" A third voice urged, and the whole group surged forward like dogs straining at a leash.
I caught Rin's smirk as she glanced back at them, whatever she was scheming, I doubt it was anything good. Similarly, Mizuki started to giggle at this reaction from the boys. Meanwhile, the way Kaiyo adjusted her walk to put extra sway in her step, drawing appreciative murmurs from the boys behind us.
They had no idea what they were walking into, akin to pitiful insects being drawn into the Widow's spiderweb.
The pool building's interior was even more impressive than its exterior.
The main pool stretched out before us, Olympic-sized and impossibly blue, with underwater lights that made the water glow like liquid sapphire. Steam rose from the surface—heated, clearly, despite the warm day—creating an atmosphere that felt almost otherworldly. You could also spot palm-like plants decorating the corners, their broad leaves glistening with magical mist, and the main attraction was of course, the dozen lounge chairs lining the edges of the pool, all empty and waiting.
The mermaids who'd been inside when we arrived looked up as we entered. There were more of them than I'd expected—at least a dozen, maybe fifteen but I couldn't pinpoint if they were Mermaids or not since my System didn't work on long distance targets.
Amongst the functions of the System, there were plenty of mysteries and unknowns that I had to discover myself, either by triggering an achievement or by learning a new technique that would transform into an activable skill that I could access whenever I wanted.
With regards to the System Observation function as I liked to call it, there were proximity requirements, or maybe my eyesight hasn't reached the perfect Vampire state that would make it possible to peer into distance akin to an Eagle's Eye.
Nonetheless, respectfully I have to say that all these girls were smoking hot, all gorgeous, all wearing bikinis that left almost nothing to the imagination. They'd been lounging by the pool, swimming lazy laps, or simply floating on the surface like beautiful driftwood.
When we made our presence felt, their eyes found me first. Then the boys behind me.
And every single one of them smiled.
Getting closer to the pool, and now with all of the girl's of the Swimming Club in clear sight, my System did its magic, identifying any possible target that could be hostile to me.
[Threats detected: 17 Mermaids (B-tier: 1, C-tier: 10, D-tier: 6)]
The sight of the gorgeous Mermaids was breathtaking, and in hindsight, I couldn't help but lament the loss of Odysseus's comrades that lost to the temptation of the ancient nymphs turned Mermaids.
I understood the attraction, and could feel the way my mind was being influenced just staring at them. It should be the passive ability or trait of the Mermaids that worked in a way like a Succubi, pulling on the strings of a male target.
My first reaction was to get all alert when I felt my body tingling, and my unconscious reaction when being touched by this Charm/Hypnosis Ability of theirs was to trigger my goosebumps. I was still reeling from what Kurumu put me under, being trapped inside my mind without a way out, initially, was the type of experience I wouldn't want on anyone.
Yet, it was because of experiencing such failures that I could gain a resistance to a lower-level of Charm Spell, in this situation their Hypnosis.
The boys behind me, on the other hand, didn't have such fortune, and honesty, I think it's better to be clueless. I wish I was like them…
They surged forward the moment Tamao released them with a graceful wave of her hand, splashing into the pool with whoops of joy that echoed off the tiled walls. Within seconds, the serene waters were churning with bodies—mostly male, mostly innocent in their stupidity, all completely oblivious to the danger they were dragging themselves into.
"This is amazing!" one of them shouted, water spraying from his mouth as he surfaced.
"I've never seen so many beautiful girls in one place!" Another boy was already swimming toward the nearest mermaid, his strokes clumsy with excitement.
"Best decision ever!" A third had somehow acquired a floatie and was using it to paddle toward the deep end, where another Mermaid waited with a smile like a shark's.
"Dude, one of them just winked at me!" The boy who'd spoken sounded like he might actually faint from joy.
I stood at the edge of the pool, still in Tamao's loose embrace, watching the chaos unfold and knowing that they would be used by the Mermaids, there was this 'Angel' voice telling me to tell them the truth, but the 'Devil' would just choose to ignore them.
I mean, why should I bother to help rescue those idiots? Why risk exposing my plan this early when the Mermaids didn't show their hostility to me, just Tamao. And it's not like I could punch her in the face and start a fight.
I was reckless, sure, an idiot, why not, and many other derogatory things, but a psychopath I was not. Settling my thoughts back, my focus returned back onto Tamao, and on trying to resist her Hypnosis.
Back in the pool, the mermaids moved among the boys like sharks through chum—graceful, unhurried, utterly in control. Rin had already attached herself to three first-years, her arms draped over their shoulders as she guided them toward the deeper end.
Mizuki was playing some kind of water game with a group of upperclassmen, her turquoise hair floating around her like seaweed, her giggles disguising the way her fingers brushed against their necks, their chests, their temples.
Kaiyo had positioned herself near the diving boards, executing perfect dives that sent water spraying over the appreciative audience below. Each time she surfaced, she'd wave at whoever was watching closest, and I could see the hypnosis taking hold—glazed eyes, slack jaws, bodies moving toward her without conscious thought.
"This is unexpected," Tamao murmured beside me, her voice carrying that melodic quality that had probably hypnotized half the boys in the pool already. "But your addition to the club is also timely."
She raised her voice, projecting to the whole crowd with the practiced ease of a performer. "Everyone! Welcome to the Yokai Academy Swimming Club!"
The boys cheered with enthusiasm, like they'd won some kind of lottery instead of volunteering to be prey.
"Let's all swim together!" Nami had taken charge of the practical arrangements, distributing armfuls of cheap swimsuits to the eager boys. "We have spare swimsuits for everyone!"
The guys grabbed them like they were receiving gifts from the gods. A few started stripping right there, too excited to bother with changing rooms, until their friends yanked them away with embarrassed shouts that turned into laughter.
"Bro, at least wait until we're in the water!"
"Who cares? Look at this place!"
"I'm never leaving. You hear me? NEVER LEAVING."
The mermaids positioned themselves with practiced ease, clearly it wasn't the first time they experienced such an event, and from what I knew of the story, this should be the equivalent to a Feast Event for the Mermaids.
Some gathered near the diving boards, preparing to perform acrobatic jumps that would display their bodies to maximum effect. Others grabbed floating balls and drifted toward the deeper end, calling out to the boys with sweet voices that carried hypnotic undertones.
"Over here~ Can you help me with this?"
"Come play with us~ The water's perfect!"
"Don't be shy~ We don't bite~"
The guys obeyed like puppets, splashing into the water with grins plastered across their faces.
Within minutes, they'd organized themselves into some kind of water volleyball game, their attention entirely focused on the gorgeous mermaids who giggled and splashed and bent over in ways that were definitely not accidental.
"Nice serve!"
"Did you see that? She's so flexible!" Another boy was watching Mizuki execute a perfect backflip, his eyes glazed with admiration.
"I think I'm in love." A third had stopped playing entirely, just floating and staring at Kaiyo with an expression of pure worship.
I watched it all from the side of the pool, that same strange sense of detachment still lingering in my mind. Instead, I took the opportunity to spot any tell-signs from the Mermaids, cataloging their reactions could be helpful when eventually I would face them in combat.
Not one of the boys noticed that the games kept them in deeper water than they could handle.
Not one of them questioned why such gorgeous girls would bother to entertain, to spare a moment of their lives for some idiots who weren't even that strong or noteworthy.
"Aren't you going to change into a swimsuit, Tsukune-kun?" Tamao's voice dripped with honey as she released my arm, stepping back just enough to give me a full view of her body.
The sheer cover-up she'd been wearing was already discarded somewhere, leaving her in that deep sea-green bikini that barely qualified as clothing. Water droplets formed on her skin from nowhere—a mermaid trick, probably—catching the light and making her glow like something from a fantasy.
Before I could formulate a response that balanced politeness with refusal, she turned to the other mermaids with a smile that was all sharp edges wrapped in innocence.
"Come on girls, help out Tsukune-kun."
The effect was instantaneous.
"Ohhhh, immediately President!" Rin dropped whatever she was doing, and was the first to reach me, her fingers already working on the buttons of my uniform with practiced efficiency.
"Kyaa, this one is so cute up close!"
"Take it off, take it off!" Mizuki had materialized at my other side, her turquoise hair brushing against my arm as she tugged at my collar. "There's no need to be shy, Tsukune-kun~"
"Wow, oh my, oh my, look at his muscles." Nami had circled behind me, her cool hands pressing against my shoulders, my back, tracing the lines of muscle that months of training had carved into my frame. "He's been working out. I can feel it."
"Let me see, let me see!" Another mermaid joined the frenzy, and soon I was surrounded by a wall of cool skin and reaching hands and voices that overlapped in a symphony of manufactured desire.
I didn't reject their advances. That would defeat the purpose of being here, wouldn't it? Instead, I reinforced my mental barriers, letting the hypnosis wash over me like water off stone while my body played along with their game.
On the outside, I was just another overwhelmed boy—stiff, flustered, uncertain how to handle the sudden attention of half a dozen gorgeous girls, and I know in my heart that I was not faking it. I was flustered, how couldn't I be when I was in such a situation?
My arms stayed at my sides while my eyes went slightly wide along with my breathing hitched in all the right places.
On the inside, I was trying my best to gather some info on the Mermaids, high expectations when you were assaulted by a bunch of beauties.
It reached the point that I couldn't contain my embarrassment and out of habit started to react sarcastically in my heart, trying to deflect away from my vulnerable self.
'Hey, girl, watch your hand! That's not a place you should touch so casually.'
Rin, also felt the attraction of the scent coming from me, and it made her more aggressive, already unbuttoning my shirt, and her hands wandered downward into my pants, touching my crotch, which thank God, has not had enough time to become erect under such a hot situation.
I would die of embarrassment, inside of myself.
Let's move on, please. I'll change into swimtrunks myself. I'll be good, I promise, and not run away.
Come on, enough, I can only deflect this much from my suffering (pleasure).
Not being able to contain my erection any longer, being overwhelmed by these four gorgeous mermaids surrounding me like hungry wolves seeing for the first time a lamb.
I stared hard at Rin, and when she, feeling my eyes on her, stopped abruptly. Her fingers twitching slightly, as if checking to make sure I wasn't an invalid, or god knows whatever pushed her to check if I was potent?
I don't want to say it, but I will do it… She has a fish brain instead of a humanoid monster. This is how I can justify it for you, brave Mermaid.
She stared at me, and I was probably burning from the outside, my cheeks flushing in embarrassment.
"-_-"
"-_-"
The silence between us stretched, filled only by the ambient noise of the pool and the oblivious chatter of the other mermaids still working on my shirt.
Rin's face underwent a fascinating transformation. Confidence flickered. Then confusion. Then something that looked almost like panic as she realized her boldest move had landed with all the impact of a wet noodle.
She withdrew her hand like she'd been burned.
"I—that is—I wasn't—" Her words tumbled over each other, tripping and falling in their rush to escape. "I was just checking—I mean, we're supposed to—the president said—"
Her cheeks, already flushed, deepened to a shade that would have looked at home on a tomato, worse then mines I bet.
I almost laughed.
Instead, I leaned closer—just enough to make it intimate, just enough to make her breath catch and lowered my voice to a whisper meant only for her.
"You know," I murmured, letting my lips brush against her ear, "I'll forgive you, since I know that you are at an age you've grown curious about the other gender. But, please for your future as a woman, don't do this with other guys, it might end badly for you if you're not ready for that step..."
For all her aggressiveness, Rin was still a high schooler, a Yokai one, a Mermaid one, so it was normal she would react by being taken aback. Her cheeks got red, and without another word she jumped into the pool.
"Be careful to not slip, Rin-chan."
I watched her go, allowing myself the smallest victorious smirk.
'That was really awkward. What goes into the minds of these highschooler Yokais? Are they so mature that they don't mind going over that step, having intercourse and children?'
'On this subject… I'm kinda curious about how the Mermaids are born here. But… Let's leave it for another occasion. If curiosity hurts me that much, I'll just check on the Library or ask Chisato-sensei for her support.'
Tamao, watching from the pool edge, with her arms crossed, frowned when she saw the scene with Rin, but after Rin got away from me, she just smiled.
She wanted to see, waiting to see if I would break.
'Sorry, but you're going to be waiting a long time.'
They had my shirt off within thirty seconds. Another mermaid, Mizuki, seeing that Rin left the battlefield in defeat, took the lead in pulling onto my seduction strings. She let out an appreciative whistle that drew laughs from the others.
Their hands explored without shame, tracing the lines of my chest, my stomach, my arms, like I was a piece of art they'd just acquired.
"So defined~" one of them breathed, her fingers tracing the line of my pectorals.
"And warm." Nami pressed her palm flat against my stomach. "It reminds me of a human's warmth. Tsukune-kun, your transformation is so perfect. I'm sure you'll get the highest mark on the Human Etiquette exam."
"Wow, girls, feel his heartbeat." Mizuki pressed her ear to my chest dramatically, then looked up with wide eyes. "It's so fast."
"Ara~ He's nervous~"
I let them think that. Let them believe their touches were affecting me (they did, by this point I was already hard) that their efforts weren't unanswered, that I was just another fool falling into their trap.
My swim trunks appeared from somewhere—Nami had grabbed them during the frenzy—and within minutes, I was standing at the edge of the pool in nothing but that thin fabric, surrounded by mermaids who looked entirely too pleased with themselves.
"All done, President!"
"Such a cute one~"
"Bring him in already!"
Tamao pushed off from the pool edge, gliding through the water toward me with the effortless grace of a creature born to the sea. She stopped at the shallow end, looking up at me with those yellow eyes that held depths I still couldn't quite read. Water lapped at her waist, her hips, her chest—the bikini did nothing to hide her figure, and she knew it.
"Well?" She extended a hand, fingers glistening with droplets. "Are you coming in, or do you need more encouragement?"
Behind her, the pool was chaos. Boys splashed and played, completely oblivious to the danger they were in. Mermaids drifted among them like beautiful sharks, herding them toward deeper waters, touching them in ways that would subconsciously lower their resistance, hypnotizing them into a defenseless state, willingly offering themselves to them.
Laughter echoed off the tiled walls—genuine sounding, but wrong somehow, to my Vampiric hearing it sounded hollow.
I took Tamao's hand. Her skin was cool against mine, smooth as silk, and her grip tightened as she pulled me into the water. Initially, I thought I would be in water shock, since my blood was almost half that of a Shinso Vampire, but that response never came.
Well, if I could swim in the Blood River, being in this chlorinated water would be nothing. Besides, my theory gains more ground, that until I fill my whole system with Shinso Blood, I would be safe from the main weakness of a vampire since theoretically I'm still a human, body and soul.
Or it could also be because my state was closer to a Ghoul.
Either way, I was free to do as I wished in this pool.
The System, for all its annoying notifications and proximity requirements, was at least useful for tracking what was happening to my body, and it just so happened that I got access to a new skill after I defeated the Idiot Trio and had to return into my human form without assistance.
[Bloodline Purity: 38.01%]
[Bloodline Control: D (7/100)]
[Ghoul Vampire Transformation: AVAILABLE]
[Current: ACTIVABLE SKILL]
[Repeated conscious activation strengthens Bloodline Control]
[Safe duration: 8:00]
[Current status: INACTIVE]
Eight minutes. That was what the System had calculated after the last time, when I'd unconsciously triggered the transformation. Eight minutes before the Ghoul started taking over my body.
As for the Bloodline Control, it was initially a stat that left me troubled. It would only grow after I subjugated or killed a Yokai and every time Moka drank from me. Seeing that notification, made it easier to digest.
The trick that would exploit the hell out of this skill would be simple.
Use it, survive it, use it again. Every time I walked the edge of losing myself, I came back with a little more control. A little more time before the monster took over.
Call me a masochist, but I'd take that trade.
The alternative was being weak, and that I would never want to be ever again in such a world.
However, another question of mine that troubled me was… What would happen when my Bloodline Purity reached 50%? 75%? 100%?
Would I still be Tsukune? Would I still remember what it felt like to be human?
I didn't have answers. Probably wouldn't for a long time. But standing in that pool, with a beautiful mermaid at my side, getting to experience the bliss of being the center of attention, I realized something important.
I was no longer afraid of becoming a Ghoul, and why would I be? It was part of me afterall. That fear had faded when I realized that it was my only viable solution in surviving in this world and for the first time, I could see the path ahead of me.
Tamao's voice pulled me back to the present, her lips brushing against my ear, her hands sliding across my chest. "You're very tense, Tsukune-kun. You should relax."
I almost laughed.
If she knew what was going on inside my head right now, she wouldn't be trying to seduce me, instead, she'd be running as far away from me as possible.
"I'll try my best, but with so many beautiful girls around me, it is kind of hard to focus."
I smiled and let Tamao pull me closer. Just let her think she was winning.
Ten minutes in the water, and I'd learned more about mermaid hunting tactics than I ever wanted to know.
My form was good—better than good, actually. The month of training with Inner Moka had transformed my body in ways I was still discovering, but I can't deny that the System's effect wasn't a catalyst for this change.
I cut through the water with minimal effort, each stroke efficient, powerful, controlled. A few of the boys stopped their games to watch as I passed, their expressions shifting from oblivious enjoyment to something almost like respect before the mermaids pulled their attention away.
But Tamao wasn't about to let me enjoy solitude.
She'd been watching me swim for the past five minutes, floating near the edge with that patient predator's smile. I'd caught her yellow eyes tracking my every movement, observing my form and my breathing.
Now she pushed off and glided toward me, cutting through the water with the kind of effortless grace only possible for beings born to be in water.
"Your form is excellent," she murmured, appearing at my side like she'd always been there. "But you're using too much shoulder. Let me show you."
Her hands found my waist before I could respond, guiding me into a slower pace. Her body pressed against my back, cool skin sliding against mine as she adjusted my arm position, my hip angle, my breathing rhythm.
"You want to glide," she whispered, her lips near my ear. "Feel the water, instead of fighting it off. Become part of it."
I let her guide me. Let her hands roam across my shoulders, my chest, my stomach, as she "corrected" my form. Let her press close enough that I could feel every curve of her body through the water.
On the surface, I was a boy being seduced by a beautiful woman in a scene straight out of some trashy hentai.
She's getting overconfident. Her hands are lingering too long as if she's sure that she can claim me, her voice is dropping that seducing edge because she thinks I'm already caught.
'Doesn't she know that I'm not the hunted here? That in fact, I'm the one hunting her?'
'What overconfidence can do with your mind.'
A group of boys had gathered near the shallow end, their games abandoned, their attention fixed entirely on Tamao and me. They'd failed to attract any mermaid attention, apparently, and now they stood in the water like statues, watching the show.
Their whispers carried across the pool, just loud enough for my enhanced hearing to catch.
"Tamao-senpai really has that mature charm about her, doesn't she?" one of them muttered, his voice thick with longing that he didn't bother to hide.
"Yeah man." Another boy nodded, his eyes fixed on the way Tamao's body moved against mine. "I really want her to hold me like that. Cradle my head into her boobs and have her whisper sweet things in my ear."
"Forget that." A third boy's voice was darker, edged with something uglier. "I can't even look in that direction. Just why is that bastard Aono Tsukune always getting all the action?"
"Right?" The first boy's voice rose with indignation. "First it was Moka-san, then Kurumu-chan, I even heard rumors that Nonko-senpai from the Kendo Club is all friendly with him now."
"Oh yeah?" The second boy leaned in, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Then you probably haven't heard the new rumors. It's said that Minamoto-senpai—yeah, the Kyubi Goddess—has a thing with him after hearing him sing at the Theater Club."
A collective groan rose from the group.
"It hurts," one of them admitted, clutching his chest dramatically. "But not as much as the rumor that Ririko-sensei is giving him private Math lessons! I'm so jealous! Why is that bastard stealing all the beauties?"
"Yeah dude." The first boy's voice turned bitter. "And look at him now, acting like he didn't even come here with Moka-san. See her over there?" He jerked his chin toward the sunbed area, where Moka sat alone, wrapped in a towel, still in her school uniform, her eyes fixed on the pool with an expression that could curdle milk.
"I don't want to be anywhere near her right now. She gives off the vibe that she's about to bite someone's neck off."
"Enough!" One of the boys—the quiet one, apparently the voice of reason—threw up his hands. "Stop talking about it! You're just making it worse!"
"I'm gonna kill that bastard someday!" another boy declared, his voice cracking with the kind of impotent rage that came from knowing, deep down, that he'd never actually do anything about it.
[Hostile intent detected from multiple D-tier sources]
[Threat level: NEGLIGIBLE]
'I'm trembling. Huh, this is why the system can get annoying at times. Do I seem to care about their hostility? Especially in the future? Of course not. They are not worth the effort of catching them.'
I filed their reactions away for later amusement and returned my attention to Tamao, who was still pressed against me, and honestly, this type of sensation wasn't bad at all.
'If only we weren't meant to be enemies. Truly unfortunate.'
Still, I did notice that not all the mermaids were part of Tamao's inner circle.
I noticed them earlier—the ones who lingered at the edges, who played with the boys but kept their distance from the main action. There were four of them, gathered near the far end of the pool, their eyes fixed on Tamao and me with expressions of jealousy, hunger and resignation.
Their voices carried too, at least in my Vampiric hearing, once I focused.
"So that's the rumored Tsukune-kun." The speaker was a redhead I hadn't been introduced to, her hair floating around her like fire in the water. "The heartthrob everyone's been talking about."
"Mmm." Another mermaid—this one with deep blue hair and darker skin—nodded slowly, her eyes never leaving me. "I see why Tamao's been obsessed. He's got that... something. That scent. Even from here, I can smell it. But, is he really a human? I don't believe it for a second."
"Tamao-san really outdid herself bringing in prey like that." A third mermaid sighed, her voice carrying genuine longing. "Ahh, I wish I could feast on his essence. Just a taste. But no, we have to settle with..." She glanced disdainfully at the boys splashing nearby. "...those losers."
The fourth mermaid shrugged, her expression philosophical. "That's how it works. The president gets first pick. We get leftovers. At least the leftovers are plentiful."
"Plentiful and stupid." The redhead laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Look at them. They have no idea what's about to happen. They think we actually like them."
"Let them think that." The dark-haired mermaid smiled—sharp, predatory and at the same time beautiful. "It makes the harvest easier."
'Would you look at that? The Swimming Club, while in fact it seemed to be a pretense to gather the Mermaids students into a single group, has clear divisions within it.'
While pondering with a part of my active mind, another part of my mind focused on the beauty before me. One moment we were floating together, her hands on my body, the next she'd execute some kind of manuever I had only seen in anime or movies.
That's some ninja, no, some slippery, fishy, mermaid shenanigans, and suddenly she was behind me, her arms wrapped around my chest, pulling my back against her front.
Her breasts pressed against my shoulders, soft and cool through the wet fabric of her bikini. Her legs tangled with mine in the water, keeping us both afloat without effort. And her hands—those clever, naughty hands—slid up my chest, over my shoulders, until one of them cradled the back of my head and gently, inexorably, guided me backward.
Into her chest.
My head came to rest against the swell of her breasts, cradled there like a pillow. Her heartbeat thrummed against my ear, slow and steady, mind-numbing in its own right. Her breath stirred my hair as she leaned down, lips brushing against my forehead.
"Relax," she whispered, her voice resonating directly in my skull. "Just relax. Let the water hold you. Let me hold you."
From this angle, I could see across the entire pool. The boys still playing, still oblivious. The other mermaids watching with envy and hunger. The music still pumping from the speakers maintained the party atmosphere at the pool.
And Moka.
Moka, sitting on a sunbed near the edge of the pool, wrapped in a towel, pulling on its edges, her green eyes fixed on me with an expression that made my chest ache.
She looked miserable. Jealous, yes—I could see that clearly enough. But beneath the jealousy, something else. Fear. Frustration. The agony of being forced to watch, of being unable to join, of having her body betray her at every turn.
Tamao followed my gaze and smiled against my hair.
"Your little friend doesn't look happy," she murmured. "Maybe she should leave. This isn't really a place for someone who can't enjoy the water."
I didn't respond. Couldn't respond, not without breaking character.
Meanwhile, across the academy, in a different corner of the festival entirely, Kurumu sat on a bench, munching cookies she'd bought from a baking club booth, trying very hard not to think about a certain dark-haired boy with an infuriating smile.
(Kurumu's POV)
It wasn't working.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him. Every time she took a bite of cookie, she imagined sharing them with him. Every time she heard laughter from the crowd, she strained to pick out his voice.
'This is pathetic, I'm so pathetic…' she told herself firmly. 'You're a succubus. The pride of the Succubi Race. You're pursued, not the pursuer, so instead of acting like this just because you've seen him holding hands with that insufferable Akashiya Moka, you should work on winning his affection and everlasting love.'
But her heart wasn't listening.
"Hey, did you hear?" A group of boys passed by her bench, their voices carrying on the festival breeze. "There's a rumor that Moka-san might join the Swimming Club! People saw her heading there with that Aono guy."
"No way!" Another boy's voice rose with excitement. "Some say she actually got in the pool. Wearing a swimsuit and everything."
"A swimsuit? Moka-san in a swimsuit?" The first boy's voice went dreamy. "Let's go to the Swimming Club. I want to see her in a swimsuit. I hope it's one of those human bikinis from the Playboy magazines."
Their laughter faded as they hurried toward the pool building.
Kurumu's cookie stopped halfway to her mouth.
'Moka? In the Swimming Club?'
She frowned. Something didn't add up. Vampires and water didn't mix—everyone knew that. Well, anyone who bothered to read a book in their lives. It was basic yokai trivia. So why would Moka—
'Wait.'
If Moka was there, Tsukune was there. They were inseparable at this point, joined at the hip like some kind of two-person organism. And if Tsukune was at the Swimming Club, surrounded by mermaids in swimsuits—
Kurumu's cookie crumbled in her suddenly tight grip.
'No. NO. I am NOT losing to you, Akashiya Moka. Not again. Not ever.'
She stood abruptly, brushing cookie crumbs from her skirt with sharp, decisive movements.
'Fine. If you're joining the Swimming Club, then I'm joining too. I'll make sure Tsukune remembers exactly who fell for him first. Who changed for him. Who would do ANYTHING for him.'
She started walking toward the pool building, her expression set in determined lines.
'Just wait, Tsukune. I'm coming for you.'