Cottus despised tasks that required intricate thinking. He much preferred straightforward solutions—yes or no, approve or decline. Over the years serving Mikogami, he’d been thrust into situations requiring nuanced decisions. At first, his monstrous nature often surfaced, resulting in collateral damage that Mikogami would have to contain.

  But time and experience shaped him. He learned control, honed his judgment, and became adept at navigating complex problems. So when Moka posed her question, he already knew exactly how to respond.

  With a hint of amusement in his voice, Cottus said, “According to academy rules, managing one’s monstrous nature requires an appropriate outlet. This can include participating in clubs that help release excess energy—whether through physical sports or, naturally, combat. Fights between students are permitted, provided they don’t end fatally. Furthermore, the one responsible for any injuries must ensure the wounded party is taken to the nurse’s office, infirmary, or hospital, depending on the severity.”

  Moka’s lips curled into a smile, while Lucas blurted out, “What?!”

  Unlike the two, Tsukune heaved a sigh of relief, realizing his previous actions of bringing unconscious students to the infirmary were perfectly in line with the rules.

  Cottus shrugged nonchalantly at Lucas. “You’re enrolled here, so you’re a student. Simple as that.” He then stepped aside, gesturing for Moka to deal with Lucas herself.

  Lucas quickly raised his hands in surrender. “I made a mistake.” he said, his tone exhausted. “We can handle this like civilized humans.”

  Moka smirked as she stepped closer. “Unfortunately, I'm not a human. After all, you’re the one who so painfully reminded me of the difference between you and me. But don’t worry. You’ll answer my questions, one way or another.”

  Despite sensing no immediate danger, Moka remained cautious. Lucas might still have a trick or two left in him.

  Lucas, on the other hand, resigned himself to defense.

  I just need to hold out long enough to escape. Cottus won’t risk angering the organization. I just have to—

  A sudden shift in the air cut his thoughts short.

  Lucas froze, his expression twisting in panic as he, Moka, and Cottus all felt the abrupt change in the area. Tsukune and the others sensed it moments later.

  No…, Lucas cursed internally, realizing with dread that the vampiric youki coursing through him had dissipated. The vampire blood that had bolstered his strength and agility was gone, leaving him once again as just an exceptionally fit human.

  Moka might have laughed at Lucas’ predicament if not for her upbringing, which taught her that such behavior was uncouth. Instead, she settled for a smirk, her confidence unwavering.

  Lucas, on the other hand, saw no way out. Running was pointless—Moka, with her seemingly endless reserves of power, would catch him without breaking a sweat. His only option was to fight, regardless of the consequences.

  With a resigned determination, Lucas charged at her, fully aware of the futility. At least they’ll patch me up in the infirmary afterward, he thought grimly.

  Moka raised her hand, beckoning him forward with a calm, almost taunting gesture.

  What followed was a quick and decisive beatdown. Moka overpowered Lucas with calculated precision, delivering blow after blow while carefully avoiding any lasting damage or disfigurement. By the end, Lucas lay crumpled on the ground, utterly defeated.

  With Tsukune, Kurumu, and Yukari present, it wasn’t difficult to carry the unconscious Junya and Lucas to Nurse Mayumi. However, Moka, still in her unsealed state, caused another stir. This time, she outright refused to let herself be resealed until Lucas answered her questions about the source of his organization’s vampire blood.

  No one argued with her.

  When the group arrived at the infirmary, Mayumi glanced up from her desk, looking thoroughly exhausted from the lizardman incident. She was about to chide the group for barging in but stopped short when she noticed Cottus towering behind them. Swallowing her words, she exhaled heavily.

  “Come in,” she said, her tone flat and drained.

  Behind them, a small crowd of curious students gathered, whispering excitedly. It wasn’t every day you saw a new transfer student, ‘three’ vampires, and a towering 7-foot enigma in one place.

  Inside, Cottus addressed Mayumi, while pointing at Lucas. “This one needs immediate care. He is human—do not administer any youki-replenishment medicine.”

  Mayumi’s eyes briefly turned to Tsukune but quickly returned to Lucas. Nodding, she said, “Put the human on one of the beds. I’ll treat him in a moment. I assume you performed some basic healing before bringing him here?”

  Cottus remained silent, his mask covering his expression.

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  “I did, nurse Tsumugi!” Yukari piped up cheerfully.

  Mayumi’s lips curved into a small smile at Yukari’s enthusiasm. I knew I’d like this one.

  “Good,” Mayumi said, her tone softening. “If you’ve already done that, I’ll take it from here. The rest of you can leave now.”

  However, neither Cottus nor Moka moved. Both stood silently, watching her.

  Mayumi sighed, rolling her eyes. “Or no. It’s not like this is my office or anything,” she muttered under her breath.

  Before Mayumi could proceed, the growing crowd outside the nurse’s office grew louder, their excitement bubbling over into chaos. Annoyed, she shot a fierce glare toward the door.

  A sudden, icy chill radiated outward, washing over the gathered students like an unexpected frost. The murmuring quickly stopped, and the crowd dispersed in haste, each person eager to escape the biting cold.

  Unfortunately, Tsukune and Kurumu, caught in the wave of Mayumi’s temperature manipulation, shivered violently as if they’d been plunged into an icy lake.

  What did I do?? they both thought in dismay, teeth chattering from the cold.

  Yukari, however, fared much better. With a quick incantation, a small spell circle flared to life beneath her, enveloping her in warmth and shielding her from the icy assault.

  Feeling slightly more at ease, Mayumi snapped her fingers, summoning a skeletal servant. The undead figure clattered into existence, promptly shutting the door and taking up a post outside to ensure no more interruptions.

  “Alright, let’s get this over with,” Mayumi said with a tired sigh, turning her attention to her patients. She started with Junya, her expertise in monster biology making his treatment straightforward. Moka’s attacks had inflicted severe injuries—dangerously close to lethal—forcing Mayumi to administer emergency care. Her hands worked deftly, patching up the worst of the damage and stabilizing him before binding him securely, per Cottus’ instructions.

  Next, she turned to Lucas. As she examined his injuries, memories of her residency at a human hospital surfaced. It had been a challenging time, learning human skills and translating it so it could be applied to monsters.

  Drawing on those long-dormant memories, she carefully tended to Lucas’ fractures, which were spread strategically across his body—clearly inflicted with precision to incapacitate rather than destroy. Her hands moved with practiced ease, her expression neutral but focused as she worked to set the breaks and ensure he was stable.

  Mayumi cast a brief glance at Moka, who stood nearby with her arms crossed, watching Lucas’ recovery with an unyielding intensity.

  What a ruthless young lady… Mayumi mused, suppressing a sigh.

  Turning back to her work, Mayumi—who was able to wield both anki and youki with practiced skill—channeled a high-circle healing spell into Lucas’ battered body. The damage inflicted by Moka’s attacks began to mend under her touch, bones realigning and bruises fading with unnatural speed.

  Nearby, Yukari watched with wide-eyed fascination, her gaze locked on the intricate, glowing sigils that hovered over Mayumi’s hands.

  Wow… Nurse Tsumugi can cast fifth-circle spells without even inscribing them! She’s incredible!

  The young witch couldn’t help but admire Mayumi’s effortless command of advanced magic, something Yukari had only seen from her own mother before.

  “There,” Mayumi finally said, straightening up. “He should be fine now.”

  “Restrain him,” Moka ordered coldly, her voice sharp and unwavering.

  Mayumi’s eyes narrowed as she turned to glare at the younger vampire.

  For a tense moment, the air in the clinic grew thick with hostility, as though a spark might ignite another confrontation at any second.

  Please, not another fight… Tsukune silently begged, his heart pounding as he watched the standoff unfold.

  Mayumi, however, held her ground, her gaze hard and unyielding.

  “Excuse me,” she said, her voice laced with irritation, “but this is my clinic. You can make requests, but don’t bark orders at me, little miss vampire.”

  Moka’s crimson eyes flashed, but she remained silent, her arms tightening over her chest as she respectfully stepped back.

  Satisfied with the small victory, Mayumi gestured toward her skeletal servant. “Bind him properly and secure the restraints. Let’s avoid any unnecessary surprises when he wakes up.”

  Once Junya and Lucas’ immediate wounds were treated, Mayumi returned to her desk, jotting down notes for a report on their conditions. Cottus, meanwhile, remained silently stationed near the nurse, his imposing presence making Mayumi uneasy.

  Kurumu, her curiosity getting the better of her, stole a glance at the quiet giant.

  Her staring didn’t go unnoticed. In an unnervingly swift motion, Cottus snapped his head toward her.

  “Kya!” Kurumu yelped in surprise, stumbling back slightly.

  “Yes?” Cottus asked, his body turning toward her with a calm, deliberate movement.

  “Ah, nothing! W-Was just curious about… who you are!” Kurumu stammered defensively, trying to mask her nervousness.

  Before Cottus could reply, Mayumi, exhausted by the number of conscious people in her clinic, interjected with a dry tone.

  “This giant weirdo is Cottus. He’s the headmaster’s personal assistant and the academy’s bodyguard. And, for the record, he’s very eccentric.”

  “Oh! You’re the academy’s bodyguard?” Kurumu asked, her curiosity reignited.

  Cottus nodded. “I protect the academy from outside threats, such as unruly hunters who fail to properly investigate.”

  Lucas might have retorted, but he remained unconscious.

  Meanwhile, Tsukune stayed quietly by Moka’s side, watching her as she kept her unwavering gaze on Lucas.

  “Are you okay?” Tsukune asked gently, trying to probe her thoughts.

  “...”

  Moka’s silence was heavy, her unsealed state radiating an aura that made even Tsukune hesitate. He gripped the silver rosary in his pocket and tried again.

  “You seemed angry… with them. Did the—”

  “Tell me,” Moka interrupted, her voice flat yet charged with unspoken emotion. “What would you do if you found out your family was kidnapped and used for someone else’s schemes? Or worse… for a group?”

  Her question, delivered with unnerving calm, hit Tsukune like a cold wind. Beneath her composed tone, he sensed a storm of emotions brewing.

  “I’d do everything in my power to get them back,” Tsukune said firmly, meeting her gaze. “No matter what.”

  Moka nodded once, a brief acknowledgment. “Good.”

  She turned her focus back to Lucas, her earlier conversation with Tsukune now closed.

  “You said he was using vampire blood?”

  Tsukune recalled her earlier words clearly. “But… I thought being bitten by a vampire doesn’t transform you?” he whispered.

  “It doesn’t,” Moka replied curtly, unwilling to elaborate further.

  “Then how did he gain power?” Tsukune pressed.

  Before Moka could respond, a raspy voice interrupted.

  “It’s a special solution,” Lucas muttered, his breathing labored as he began to regain consciousness.

  “It’s not,” Moka said sharply, her crimson eyes locking onto him. “I sensed a vampiric aura. Where did it come from?”

  Lucas hesitated, his expression shifting. “It’s… it’s made from vampire blood,” he admitted reluctantly. “But…”

  “But what?” Moka’s voice was as sharp as a blade.

  Lucas glanced at her, weighing his options. “How can I trust you?”

  “You can’t,” Moka said without hesitation, her tone icy and resolute. “But I have no interest in the greater world—only in finding out if you or your people are holding my family hostage.”

  The room fell silent. Lucas stared at her, deliberating. Finally, he relented.

  “Okay…”

  The tension in the clinic spiked as every conscious person turned their attention to Lucas. Even Mayumi, who had been focused on her report, subtly tilted her head to listen. Yukari, mid-conversation with Mayumi about the intricacies of high-circle spells, abandoned her curiosity to focus on the unfolding exchange.

  Cottus, however, remained the only one uninterested, his gaze fixed on the wall, as though lost in thought.

  “As you already know…” Lucas started.