Topper's Pawn Shop was a mysterious place. It was a shop that sold, bought and traded curios, oddities and antiques of various origins and backgrounds. Often, the customers were people seeking for something special or seeking to be rid of something that was far too troublesome to keep in spite of its value. Always, there was a price for something. The owner, Topper Liquer, had a motto: "Everything has a price".

There was a storm, with thunder crashing and lightning flashing, the rain coming down as a heavy shower. The door opened and the bell above chimed as Topper entered. He was a Caucasian male, in his prime, with a long, sharp nose, and blonde hair. His choice of attire was a green overcoat over a striped shirt and black slacks with white pinstripes. He also wore a bowtie. His shoes were black and made of leather and atop his head was a black top hat. He folded up his umbrella and slid it into the umbrella stand.

Topper Liquer would often leave his shop to hunt down new items for his shop. Tonight, of course, Topper had just acquired a rare and unique item. Quite the unique item indeed.

"You can come in now," Topper said over his shoulder. Stepping through the threshold was a figure in black, an expression of weariness on his face. He just seemed so resigned and tired. Of what, only he and Topper knew. "I'll get everything ready. You just make yourself at home."

"...Thank you," came out from the mouth of Topper's guest. He just sounded so exhausted, both physically and emotionally.

"Don't thank me yet. We still have much work to do," Topper said.

Chapter 1: Kai, On Stage!

6 Months Later...

A young teenage boy was getting ready to head to school. He was wearing a green blazer over a white shirt with a red tie and brown slacks. He wore green sneakers on his feet and had his backpack hanging from his shoulders. On his hands he wore black gloves. He had feminine features, albeit slightly plain, with indigo eyes and hair. His hair was short, parted in the middle, with two strands sticking up on top.

With him was Topper and a young man around his age. He had dark hair that was slightly tinted green and tied into a short ponytail at the base of his skull. He was dressed in a black vest over a white and black checkered dress shirt with black, white pinstriped, slacks. He was giving the younger teen a caring smile, one given exclusively to family.

"Well, looks like today's the day, Shintaro," said Kaze. "You're going off to school."

"Hai, Kaze," Shintaro smiled. "Topper, thank you for taking care of me." He gave the top hat wearing man a bow.

"Just make sure to write," said Topper. "And don't bow. Gimme a hug." He wrapped his foster son in his arms and gave him a tight hug. "Just remember to write, call or even e-mail."

"I promise," Shintaro swore. He climbed onto the bus and said, "Well, hopefully I get to see you all during break."

"See you then. Au revoir," Kaze waved as Shintaro waved before entering the bus and taking a seat. As the bus pulled away, Kaze and Topper both watched as it moved further and further away from their sight.

"Papa, did you tell him about the school?" Kaze asked Topper who smiled mysteriously.

"Only that it was a co-ed boarding school," Topper replied. "The rest he'll find out on his own."

"Do you think he'll fit in?" asked Kaze. "I mean, considering..."

"He'll be fine," said Topper. "Besides, in Youkai Academy, almost everyone with unusual backgrounds can find a place to belong. Now, come on. We have a shop to open and customers to serve."

"Oui, Papa," saluted Kaze. Topper snapped his fingers and the door opened, which caused the bell above the doorframe to chime.

"Let's see what new surprises today will bring."

Shintaro was looking out the window as the scenery passed him by. The bus had driven out of the city just a few minutes ago and Shintaro just gazed out at the beauty of it all. He had never left the city since he could remember and wondered what Youkai Academy was like. He always saw kids in school uniforms pass by the shop and wondered what school was like. However, Topper simply told him that he was getting him ready for the right school. Until then, Shintaro was home-schooled by Topper. Kaze also helped out with his education, tutoring him, and Shintaro picked up on things quickly.

Shintaro looked around the inside of the bus. He was the only passenger and the only company he had was the bus driver up front. When Shintaro had first saw him, he wondered how the man got his eyes to glow like that.

"Say, kid," the bus driver spoke.

"Yes?" Shintaro replied.

"So, you're going to Youkai Academy, huh?" the bus driver questioned.

"That's right. It's my first day," Shintaro smiled. "I wonder what it'll be like."

"Oh, Youkai Academy is a scary and dangerous place," the bus driver warned. "Just be ready for anything, kid. The wrong step might be your last."

Shintaro cocked an eyebrow at the strange warning. He dismissed it as a joke since the bus driver was still grinning. However, Shintaro was wondering why a school would call itself 'Youkai Academy'. Youkai was a term mostly associated with spirits, ghosts or demons in Japan. For a school to be named that was indeed strange, but Shintaro was used to the strange and unusual. Living with the Liquer Family was not exactly an average affair.

According to Topper, the school was out in the country, away from the city. It was a boarding school too, which meant Shintaro would be staying on campus the whole time. Everything a student needed would be on campus. As for the fees, they were already paid for via scholarship. Apparently, Topper had connections and able to get him enrolled without the need for an entrance exam.

The bus drove into a tunnel and everything went dark. Shintaro blinked and his eyes widened as the bus exited the tunnel and into a place that was facing a blood red sea. The bus stopped at a bus stop which had a scarecrow for a sign.

"Here's our stop, kid," the bus driver said. "Remember what I said about this place being scary and dangerous."

"I will, and thank you," said Shintaro before stepping out of the bus. "Now, time to find the school." He looked at the forest ahead of him, with a path cutting through. There was a sign that told him that he would need to go through the path to reach school. "A walk through a creepy forest. Well, not exactly the first walk to school I expected, but it's the only way to go." He sighed, "I wish I could've taken my bike with me. Let's hope Topper can have it sent over as promised."

"...Okay, I know without a doubt that I'm freaking lost," Shintaro stated as he stood in the middle of the path. Well, it was a path but now he was standing in the middle of an intersection of paths and with no signs to give him directions. He took out the school's pamphlet from his blazer's pocket and opened it up. "And no map." He folded it up. "Fan-freaking-tastic. Now I'm gonna be late for orientation." He muttered while scratching his head, "This can't get any worse."

"KYAAAAAA!"

WHAM!

The last thing Shintaro remembered was something heavy and blunt hitting him in the back of the head before he made a very comical face-plant straight into a nearby tree. As the pain began to subside and his sight became more focused, he stared up at what appeared to be a pink, blurry blob or something.

"Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?" asked the blurry pink blob in a distinctive female voice. His eyes focused completely and he blinked as he gazed up at the girl. She had fair skin, long pink hair and emerald green eyes. She was dressed in the same uniform as him, except it was the girls' uniform. She didn't wear a tie and wore a skirt the same color as his slacks. Around her neck was a black choker with a cross hanging from it. "Are you alright?"

"Wow...you're pretty," he uttered and she blushed in response. He also blushed after realizing what he'd just said. Shintaro sat up and rubbed the back of his head. "What hit me?" he asked, hissing.

"That would be me," she admitted. "I lost control of my bicycle and accidentally hit you in the head from behind." She pointed to said bike. The front wheel was bent. "I won't be able to use it now." She asked, "Are you really OK? Do you need me to help take you to the nurse's office."

"Nah, I'm fine," he said. "I can walk it off." She then sniffed him. "Um...what are you doing...?"

"I'm sorry...but your smell...it's just...so good..." she leaned in. "I'm sorry, but I'm..." She wrapped her arms around him. "A vampire." She then bit his neck and Shintaro's body went rigid as her canines (fangs) sunk into his flesh. He then started to groan as he felt his blood being slowly sucked out. She then removed himself from him and gasped once she realized what she'd done. "Oh my! I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me!"

"That's...that's fine," he said, unsure what to say since the girl had just bitten him, claiming to be vampire. "So you're a vampire, huh? What's that like?"

"Oh...well...we drink blood," she said. "And well..."

"Would a stake through the heart kill you?" he asked.

"That would kill anyone," she replied.

"Oh, right," Shintaro nodded in agreement. A long stick of sharpened wood would kill anyone when pierced through their heart. "Wait, it's day time. How can you...?"

"You're one of those people who subscribe to the old mythology, aren't you?" she questioned. He nodded.

"I guess we can get to know each other later, but..." Shintaro checked his watch. If they didn't get moving soon, they were going to be late. "I need to stop at the dorm first." Along with his dorm key, he had received his new Student ID. Topper had told him that his things would be delivered right at his doorstep.

"I actually came from there," she said to him. "I can show you the way."

"Really?" he asked. That was quite courteous of her.

"Of course! I owe you for letting me drink your blood!" she beamed.

"Ah, right," he replied. 'Actually, you kinda went and took my blood,' he said in his mind. "Well, let's go."

"But my bike," she frowned sadly. Shintaro's gaze went towards the bicycle.

"I can fix it," he offered and he went and picked up the bicycle. Only the front wheel appeared ruined, bent because of the impact (with his skull).

"How?" she asked.

"I have the magic touch," Shintaro smiled and he ran his hand along the wheel. Right before her eyes, his hand glowed and the glow spread along the wheel and the rest of the bike. Slowly, the wheel began to slowly unbend until it was in the state it was in pre-impact.

"H-h-how?" she asked as Shintaro wheeled the bicycle to her.

"I have the magic touch, I told you," he smiled. He knew he risked alienating her for showing off such abilities, but she had claimed to be a vampire, so he thought it would be okay to help fix her bicycle.

"Magic? You can use magic?" she asked and her face brought out in a smile. "That's amazing!"

"Not really," he said. "All I can do is fix and restore things. It's nothing special. Now, come on, let's get to the dorm." He then paused and asked, "Say, since you bit me, I think it's common courtesy for us to introduce ourselves."

"Oh," she realized with a blush. "How could I forget my manners? My name is Moka Akashiya."

"Shintaro Mido," he told her. "Nice to meet you, Akashiya-san."

"Call me Moka."

"Only if you'll call me Shintaro, Moka-chan."

"So, this is the place, huh?" Shintaro managed to say at the sight of the dormitories. The dormitories looked like condemned flats that had been left abandoned. Like a set of a horror movie involving an escaped mental patient who had taken the building as his home and would kill any and all trespassers.

"It really has a nice and unique charm, doesn't it?" Moka smiled.

"Yes, unique..." he managed to say, pretending to agree. "Well, I guess I should head up to my dorm. Thank you so much. I'll see you later at orientation, Moka-chan." Moka smiled then rode off on her bike. As he turned to head up to his assigned dorm, he noticed a girl with luggage and boxes standing in front of the female dorm. He then walked over towards her. She had her back facing her and He saw that she was in a white sweatshirt with long blue sleeves, the same skirt as Moka's, and she had on purple and white striped stockings. Her hair was long and a beautiful shade of purple.

"Um...excuse me?" he asked. "Do you need help with your luggage?" She turned to look at him and he was taken aback. She was beautiful. Her skin was pale, almost snow white, and her eyes were like pools of water reflecting the color of the sky. She lacked pupils, but that didn't take away the fact that she was beautiful. She also had a lollipop in her mouth, the stick poking out between her lips. If all the girls at this school were this beautiful, well, Shintaro thought he was going to enjoy his time here.

"You want to help me?" she asked.

"Well, yeah," Shintaro said. "This seems like a lot of stuff for a lady like yourself to carry on your own. Besides, a gentleman must always give aid to a lady. That's what a friend of mine always say." That was one of the things Kaze had told him. Good, sagely advice from a close friend. He then introduced himself, "I'm Shintaro Mido."

"Mizore Shirayuki," she introduced yourself.

"Even your name is pretty," he complimented. "Now, come on. Show me to your dorm."

After helping Mizore move her things to her dorm, Shintaro went to find his way towards campus. Fortunately, it wasn't a very long walk and he found the building after following students walking towards the school's direction. It looked like a medieval mansion. "Must be a theme," he remarked. He then went in to find his classroom. His orientation would be taking place in Class 1-B. Meanwhile, as he walked through the gate, he did not notice Mizore poking her head from behind a tree with a smile on her face and a look of affection and adoration on her face.

"Shintaro~" she uttered before following him.

The entrance ceremony was fortunately a short affair. Basically, just to welcome the new students to their first year of school. Any other details would be explained by their homeroom teachers. Shintaro hadn't seen Moka or Mizore, as he had hoped, but he had a feeling he would be seeing them again. After the ceremony, he found his assigned classroom and took a seat

His homeroom teacher was a sight to see. She was a very pretty woman with short strawberry blonde hair, a spaghetti strap top and a short skirt. She sported a pair of cute glasses on her face and parts of her hair looked like cat ears. What really got his attention was the tail that was swinging behind her. Was she into cosplay or something?

"Welcome, everyone, to Youkai Academy!" she greeted cheerfully, bringing equal cheers from the students on the classroom. "I'll be your homeroom teacher, Shizuka Nekonome!" Shintaro couldn't help but cheer along with the students. His teacher sure knew how to brighten the mood. The people here didn't seem all that bad. He could get used to this. "Now, as I'm sure you're all aware," Nekonome-sensei continued, drawing a pointer. "This school is a school for monsters!"

That was when the cheering died in his throat. 'Wait...what!?'

"So, like it or not, humans run the world!" Nekonome-sensei continued. "We monsters have to learn to coexist with them. That is the mission of this school! To coexist peacefully with the humans! Which brings us to rule number one: always remain in human form! You must never expose your true self to anyone! Doing so will bring about strict disciplinary action!"

Was this some kind of joke? He quickly scanned his classmates. They were not laughing. In fact, they were taking this news like normal. He remembered Moka claiming that she was a vampire. Then it dawned on him that Nekonome-sensei was serious and not kidding at all.

Shouldn't he have known this at the entrance ceremony?

A school for monsters. He was in a school for monsters! Topper Liquer, his guardian, had sent him to a school for monsters!

"Does everyone understand this?" Ms. Nekonome asked seriously. "This is our first key of survival among the humans. To practice the art of disguise, please do not reveal your true nature, even to your fellow students."

"But can't we just eat all the humans ma'am?" asked one of the students. He had long brown hair that reached his neck and some piercings on his face. "I could start with all the cute girls."

For some reason, Shintaro felt angered by that remark. Eat humans, the cute girls especially? That was not something Shintaro would just tolerate. He heard whispers, "Hey, isn't that Saizou Komiya? Wasn't he sent here for causing trouble in the human world?"

"You can't do that!" Nekonome-sensei smiled as if one of her students hadn't just said something about eating people. "And there's no need to worry about humans. All the faculty members and fellow students are monsters just like you. This school exists behind a special barrier so no humans have ever seen it. Well, seen it and lived."

'Seen it and lived?' Shintaro repeated in his mind. Now he was starting to get nervous. He was a single human in a school filled with monsters-disguised-as-humans. How long until they realized he was human?

"I'm sorry!" a voice said as the door slid opened. "I got lost in the halls after the welcoming ceremony…and…sorry I'm late!"

"Ara, that's alright," Nekonome-sensei smiled at the student. "Just take whatever empty seat you find."

Shintaro looked to see who had come in and his eyes widened. It was the super cute vampire that he'd met this morning! He blushed while all the male students in the room began to gape at her beauty. Suddenly all the boys stood up from their seats, save for Shintaro, gaping as they saw the beautiful Moka trying to find her desk. The way she walked down the aisles of desks made her look almost like a model walking down the strip. She certainly had the face and figure for such an occupation.

"So kawaii..."

"That hair..."

"I want to embrace her!"

"No way that's a disguise," one of the boys drooled. "She's just too…"

"BEAUTIFUL!" the collected boys roared.

Moka seemed to be a little surprised at how the entire classroom seemed to be reacting to her entry. It didn't even occur to her that she was really that beautiful. Still, she continued down the aisle toward an empty desk. As she got closer, she noticed a familiar head of indigo hair with two strands sticking out.

"Hmm?" she blinked. Leaning close, she managed to peek at the face of the boy who owned the indigo hair. "Shintaro-kun?"

Clearing his throat, he decided to greet her. "Hey, Moka-chan, I didn't expect that you'd be in the same class with me."

"Shintaro-kun? It's you!" She cheered as she jumped forward and trapped him in a tight embrace. Shintaro couldn't help but smile at the way she greeted her first friend here, although the other boys in class weren't amused.

"Huh? Who is that guy?"

"How does he get a hug from her?"

"That little bastard!"

"JESUS!"

Obviously the males in the room weren't happy at how Moka was being so friendly with Shintaro. Saizou was also giving Moka a lecherous look as well. He snaked his tongue out lightly. He'd just found his target and something new to play with. The guy she was with of no consequence and would be collateral damage anyway. Shintaro looked weak anyway.

He wasn't the only one giving the pair a look. Mizore was also glaring at Moka who was hugging Shintaro. The temperature around her seemed to fall several degrees as her eyes glared sharply at Moka Akashiya.

After giving the students their orientation, which was basically going through all the basic rules, Nekonome-sensei gave the students the rest of the day off. Classes would commence properly tomorrow so today the students would be given the chance to look around and explore their new school campus. As Shintaro got up, Moka approached him with a smile.

"Shintaro-kun, do you want to look around the school together?" she asked, smiling with a faint blush on her face. She probably felt a little embarrassed to ask a guy to look around the school with her. Shintaro was a bit hesitant, considering the nature of the school and students. However, as he had shown her his own abilities earlier to repair her bicycle, she would think he was a monster too.

"Well..." he started to say when he felt a cold chill. He then turned and saw that it was Mizore Shirayuki, the girl he had helped carry her luggage. "Ah, Shirayuki-san!" The students had each given their introductions. He was surprised to see that she was in his class as well.

"Shintaro," she smiled. "Want to look around the school together?" Moka, annoyed, looked between Shintaro and Moka.

"Excuse me, Shirayuki-san, but I asked Shintaro-kun first," said Moka.

"He hasn't given his answer," Mizore countered. Moka glared back at her.

"Now, now, girls," said Shintaro placatingly, "Please, there's no need to fight. We're all friends here." He suggested, "How about we go look around together?" The girls gave each other one last glare and then turned to face Shintaro before nodding in agreement.

The group of three friends were walking down a hallway, with Shintaro in between the two girls. Wherever they went, jaws dropped at the sight of the pretty vampire, not that she seemed to notice. Moka herself just thought that she was plain and uninteresting. The male students took notice of Moka and how close she was to Shintaro. Instantly, they became jealous. They also noticed Mizore too and the jealousy increased. They wondered what a guy like him had that they didn't and how he could have two girls walking alongside him.

"Wow, what a cutie!"

"What a babe!"

"She must be mine!"

"Oi! Who does that guy think he is!?"

"Who cares? If he gets in my way, he's dinner!"

Shintaro's hearing was very sharp it seemed since he heard them all. He gave off a sigh as he heard all the whispers and subtle threats against him. He really didn't want this to be his high school life. Being friends with Moka and Mizore was good since they were really nice. Still, being ostracized because of who he was friends with wasn't something he wanted to go through. He decided that it was best not to cause any problems just because of someone who he was friends with.

Still, his mind was reeling from the revelation of Youkai Academy being a school for monsters. Everywhere he looked were students but in reality they were monsters in disguise. He knew Moka was a vampire from earlier, but he didn't know what Mizore was. Still, would it matter? Monster or human, it shouldn't really matter when making friends. That was just bigoted and racist thinking that gave way to discrimination.

"Shintaro-kun."

"Shintaro."

Shintaro blinked as he heard himself being addressed. "Yes?"

"Are you OK?" she asked. "You seemed to be zoning out."

"I'm fine," said Shintaro. "Just thinking."

"About what?" Mizore asked. Before Shintaro could answer, that was when Saizou Komiya decided to make his move. Intimidated students stepped back to give way to the delinquent. Many rumors had been spread about him being violent and brutal so they were unwilling to incur his wrath.

"Hey, babe," Saizou said as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and looking at Moka. "Moka Akashiya, right? Man, looks like I'm not the only one who thinks you're cute."

"Um, thanks," Moka nodded. "Who are you?"

"Ah, the name's Saizou Komiya," the boy introduced with a grin. "I'm one of your classmates."

"Oh…um," Moka nodded. "Good to meet you…I suppose."

"Well, maybe we can get to know each other better?" Saizou offered. "Leave the wimps here and come and hang with a real man?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm with Shintaro-kun...and Shirayuki-san right now," said Moka.

"Hey, that's fine by me," said Saizou as he gave Mizore a once over. She looked tasty too. "Your friend came come with, but let's ditch the wimp here."

"I'm sorry, but I really can't," Moka declined. Saizou's eyes narrowed.

"I said come with me," Saizou insisted.

"Hey!" Shintaro stepped forward. "She said no already! Can't you understand?"

Saizou took hold of Shintaro's collar and hefted him up threateningly. "What are you gonna do about it?" Saizou threatened. Instead of being intimidated, Shintaro just smiled.

"First I'm gonna kick you in the chest and then punch you in the face," Shintaro told Saizou. Saizou cocked his eyebrow before the wind was knocked out of him and he was sent flying across the hallway. He crashed into the wall on the opposite side. Shintaro landed on his feet and and fixed his collar. The collective jaws of the students in the hallway dropped at how easily Shintaro had struck Saizou. He then made his way to where Saizou was lying against the wall, grunting in pain.

"I thought...you said...you were gonna punch me in the face," Saizou recalled.

Shintaro smiled, "Oh, thanks for reminding me." He raised his fist to make good on his promise when Moka took hold of his wrist. She then dragged him away, quickly, with Mizore following. "Hey! Wait! Where are you taking me?"

Saizou, who had just been humiliated, started to snarl as he rose up. He dusted off his uniform and gave a glare to the students still staring at him. They backed off. His eyes went down the end of the hallway where Shintaro and the two girls had fled. He trembled with rage, veins appearing across his forehead, as he clenched his fists.

"Mido...!"

The trio reached the roof and Moka panted. Mizore didn't look winded at all. Shintaro, however, wondered why Moka had taken him up here. Then again, he could guess. She probably didn't want to see him get into any trouble.

"Shintaro-kun, you're really strong," said Moka.

"It's a gift," he said.

"I already knew he was strong," said Mizore. "He helped me take my boxes up to my dorm."

"You did?" Moka asked.

"It was after you helped me find the dorms. She had a lot of boxes and luggage so I decided to help her," Shintaro explained. "I was just paying it forward."

Moka wondered what Shintaro meant by that before turning to face the scenery around them. Shintaro also stopped to enjoy the sight before him. As creepy as Youkai Academy was, it had a charm that grew on him. He then felt a chill as Mizore wrapped her arms around his left arm. Moka, who was on his right, leaned in closer.

She started up another conversation, "I'm so glad I met you, Shintaro-kun. I'm not so good at making friend." She had on a shy blush as she averted her gaze.

"I'm glad I met you too," said Mizore.

"And I'm really happy that I got to suck your blood!" Moka smiled with a flush on your face. "You should be proud since your blood is just awesome! The texture, the aroma, the vitality, and there's even something in it I've never tasted before! Delicious!"

"What am I, a juice box?" Shintaro retorted with a deadpan look.

"Suck his blood?" Mizore asked. "Are you a vampire?"

"Is that a problem?" Moka asked.

"Are you really a vampire?" Mizore questioned. "You don't act like one."

"Have you met any?" Moka rebutted.

"No, but I heard vampires were supposed to be proud and arrogant. You're none of those," Mizore pointed out.

"Well, there's a real good reason for that," said Moka. She pointed to the cross hanging from her choker. "Do you see this rosary? It's a seal. If it gets taken off, I turn into a REALLY SCARY vampire," she said dramatically with her hands raised like claws.

"Really?" Shintaro said. "Then I hope not to get on your scary side then." Moka smiled. He hadn't been intimidated at all. Mizore's eyes, however, remained narrowed.

"So, where did you go to school before coming here?" Moka asked.

"Actually, I was home-schooled," said Shintaro.

"Home-schooled?" asked Mizore.

"It's complicated, but there were circumstances that prevented me from going to school with other kids," said Shintaro.

"Was it in the human world?" Moka asked.

"Well, yeah," he answered.

Moka confessed, "I think human schools are the worst. All through middle school everyone ignored me. They thought I was a weirdo. They made fun of me and told me that monsters didn't exist. So, I never made any friends. Eventually I thought it would be better if I really didn't exist. I just hate humans!" Shintaro sighed. He could understand her hatred for humans. If he had been treated that way, he probably wouldn't like humans either. However, that didn't mean that he would hate humans as a whole.

"You know, I understand how you feel," said Shintaro sympathetically. "I admit that there are bad people. Most people who see me use my powers instantly reject me and call me a freak." He paused for a moment and thought of Topper and Kaze, "But there are still good people out there, like the family that took me in when I had nothing and nowhere else to go."

"What do you mean?" Mizore asked.

"You had nowhere to go? You had nothing?" said Moka.

"Six months ago I didn't even know my own name," he told them. "That's the truth. I don't have any memories before the past six months. All I remember is living with my guardian and his son for the past six months. I don't know where I come from or even if I have any family still living in this world."

"Have you tried to look?" Mizore asked.

"It's a bit hard to do that," said Shintaro as he removed his right glove. He then showed them his fingers. "See? No fingerprints. I think they were removed somehow."

Moka gasped, "Someone removed your fingerprints?" Shintaro put his glove back on and nodded. "Why?"

"I don't know, but I intend to find out, someday," Shintaro swore. He then smiled, "Sorry if my story made you depressed."

"It's fine," said Mizore.

"At least I get to know you better, Shintaro-kun," smiled Moka.

School was let out early so the students could return to their dorms and unpack whatever luggage they had brought with them. Shintaro decided to go on ahead. He still had boxes and luggage to unpack. He just hoped nothing was broken when they were being delivered. Accompanying him were Moka and Mizore who wanted to see his dorm. He welcomed them. They could continue getting to know each other away from the rest of the students who seemed to be looking at them. If it wasn't because of Moka and Mizore's beauty, it was probably because he had stood up to Saizou.

Speaking of Saizou, he was following them like a hunter. He had been humiliated and he could not forgive anyone for making him look weak. He had a reputation, dammit, and nobody was going to take that away from him.

Shintaro, as he walked with Moka and Mizore, was thinking about what he was going to tell Topper and Kaze. Kaze, of course, would be proud of him for hooking up with two beautiful girls. However, Shintaro wanted to know if Topper knew the nature of Youkai Academy from the start. The man, for as long as he knew him, would often speak in riddles and Shintaro would have to figure out what exactly he was thinking or what he meant when he said anything. It made living with the Liquers awkward but they were his family as far as he was concerned. Since he had no idea if he had any living family, he had pretty much adopted them.

He then looked at Moka and Mizore. The two girls were sweet. Mizore, of course, seemed cold but she had a lovely smile. He just thought she was a bit shy. Moka, on the other hand, had been hurt before and wanted a friend. Well, if she would allow it, he'd be that friend. After all, he was human...sort of. He had not been offended by her admittance of hatred towards humans. He understood why she felt that way.

He'd show her that not all humans were bad.

"Well, what do we have here?" Saizou asked as he stepped out from behind a tree.

"Komiya..." Shintaro's eyes narrowed. "Here to pick another fight?"

"You little shit! You humiliated me in front of the entire school, dammit!" Saizou roared.

"You deserved it," countered Shintaro.

"Well, now you're going to get what you deserve!" Saizou shot back. He then began to change right before their eyes. His body began to expand until his clothes, save for his pants, were shredded. His shoes also couldn't contain his transformation. His nails grew into claws, his hair became wilder, and Saizou's face became more monstrous as his teeth became razor sharp. Some bony growths also emerged from his chest, his forearms, shins and he also had spikes protruding from his spine and shoulders. Finally, his tongue snaked out of his mouth. Shintaro was taken aback by the transformation.

"An orc," Moka identified.

"Really? I thought he was an ogre," Mizore retorted.

The orc, Saizou, roared, and charged towards the three of them. Acting on instinct, Shintaro pushed the two girls away before he got bulldozed by Saizou. The impact tore open his shirt and sent him flying through the air before slamming violently into a tree. Shintaro groaned, sore and in pain. He might've gotten a concussion too.

"Shintaro-kun! Shintaro!" Moka and Mizore cried out as they ran towards him.

"SEE THAT!? THAT'S THE POWER OF AN ORC!" boasted Saizou. "NOW, MOKA AKASHIYA, MIZORE SHIRAYUKI! BECOME MY PETS!"

"No!" Mizore protested and blasted Saizou backwards with a snowstorm from her hands. He was sent stumbling back by the attack. Shintaro stared at Mizore and she smiled.

"I'm a yuki-onna," she answered. Well, that explained her low body temperature and the chill he felt coming off her.

"Shintaro-kun, are you alright?" Moka asked.

"I'm fine, Moka-chan," said Shintaro as he reached for something to help him up. However, his hand got caught on Moka's cross and it snapped right off the chain, much to her surprise.

"You...broke the seal..." said Moka. Shintaro stared at the cross in his hand and then at Moka. He recalled what Moka had told them about what would happen when her seal was removed.

Saizou was making his way towards them when Moka started to change. A crimson aura erupted from her body, causing her hair to stand on ends.

Her pink hair was turning silver right before their eyes. Her skin seemed to become paler as the power continued to flow. The nails on her fingers became slightly pointed, looking like they could cut things. Her fangs became more pronounced while her eyes turned crimson and slitted. Also, her proportions began to fill out. Shintaro and Mizore could only stare at Moka after her transformation. She looked radically different, almost like a different person. She looked…more sensual, than before. She exuded a kind of sexuality that would make men drop to their knees, but Shintaro could feel the danger which was underneath it. This girl was dangerous!

"Crimson eyes, silver hair and a powerful demonic aura," Mizore listed in awe. "She's an S-Class monster, the vampire!"

"So, you're the one who removed the seal," Inner Moka stated to Shintaro who could only nod dumbly in response. "While it was brave for you to protect my other self, it was also foolish to put yourself in harm's way against a much superior opponent. You should know your place."

"He was trying to protect us," Mizore countered and Inner Moka glared at the yuki onna.

"Which is why I must repay the debt," said Inner Moka before casting a glare towards the orc Saizou, "By showing this brute his place." She walked towards Saizou who was shivering in fear and anticipation. Inner Moka was frightening, but also hot as hell. His hormones got the best of him and made the decision for him as he lunged towards her. However, her foot met his jaw and sent him flying, crashing through several trees. Saizou went tumbling before rolling to a stop on his back, in pain. His jaw was probably broken! Fortunately, he would able to heal from it.

"Wow, what a kick," said Shintaro in amazement.

"What's the matter?" taunted Inner Moka, "Didn't you want to make me yours? Why don't you come over and try and give me a hug?" She scoffed, "How pathetic." She cracked her knuckles. Shintaro and Mizore had both followed Inner Moka to where Saizou had landed to see her finish the orc off. It was Shintaro's idea and Mizore had protested, but he wanted-needed to see this.

"Now, time to show you your place," said Inner Moka as she began to make her way towards Saizou to finish him off. The orc was stunned by the earlier kick and now Inner Moka was going to kill. However, luck would be on his side as it started to rain. They would get wet, and probably catch a cold. It wouldn't be much of a problem. Unfortunately, for Inner Moka, the rain was a huge problem for her. As soon as the rain came down, Inner Moka felt her strength being sapped. She collapsed to her knees as what appeared to be electricity arched around her.

Saizou, seeing this, reset his jaw and started to laugh, "AHAHAHAHA! An S-Class monster, the vampire, taken down by water!? What a joke!"

"Water?" Shintaro asked. "The water's weakening Moka-chan?"

"It's a vampire's weakness," Mizore informed Shintaro. "Right now, not only is she being weakened, but paralyzed too. Now, Saizou is going to kill her."

"Mizore-chan, you need to help her," Shintaro pleaded. "Please!"

"...I will," she said. "For you." She then dashed ahead to fight Saizou. Meanwhile, the orc was making his way to Inner Moka, who was glaring at him defiantly, in spite of the pain.

"I am going to have my fun with you," he described, "I'm going to screw you in all your holes, make you beg for more, and then I'm going to kill you and eat you up." He then raised up his clawed hand. "Now, Moka! Time for some payback!" However, before he could bring down his claw, his body was frozen in ice. "WHAT!?"

"What?" Inner Moka looked to see that it was Mizore who had covered Saizou in ice. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm helping you," answered Mizore.

"I don't need your help," Inner Moka hissed in protest.

"I'm not doing it for you," Mizore retorted. "I'm doing it for Shintaro. I don't understand why, but he wants to save you, and I don't want to upset him."

"Why?" Inner Moka asked.

"That's what friends do for each other, I guess. Now, let's get you out of this rain quickly," Mizore told her. Inner Moka wanted to protest but her legs were weak, unable to carry her weight. Mizore put one arm across Inner Moka's back and then slung one of Inner Moka's arms across her shoulders. She then helped Inner Moka up to her feet to find some form of shelter or cover before Saizou broke free. That would not be long as cracks began to spread along the surface of the ice that had Saizou trapped. A growl could be heard within the ice as his eyes turned red and demonic.

"Moka-chan, are you OK?" Shintaro asked as Mizore carried her over.

"Don't speak to me so familiarly," warned Inner Moka. "I'm not sentimental like my other self."

"Your other self," Shintaro repeated. "I see." There was a loud roar in the distance and Shintaro paled. "Oh no..."

"He gotten himself free, sooner than expected," Mizore frowned. "He's stronger than I thought."

"Shirayuki-san, get Moka-chan out of here," Shintaro said to the yuki-onna. "I'll hold him off and buy you time."

"But you'll be killed," Inner Moka said.

"Didn't know you cared," Shintaro smirked and she bristled. "Now, go! I'll distract him!" Inner Moka wanted to retort. Her pride would not allow lesser beings to help her. She also felt ashamed since she showed weakness before a weak opponent. However, she was slowly growing weaker and could not find the strength to make another protest.

At that moment, Shintaro heard a faint ticking and fumbled through his pockets. He then took out a silver pocket watch etched with 'XIII-A' on the surface. It was special to Shintaro as it was one of the first gifts Topper had given him. Also, with the watch came a piece of advice. He remembered it as clearly as the day when he had first received it.

"If you are ever in danger, if it's a matter of life and death, open the pocket watch. It will save you. However, remember, once you've opened up Pandora's Box, it won't be so easy to close again," Topper advised.

Shintaro didn't know how a pocket watch was going to help save their lives, but considering the items in Topper's possession had unique properties, the watch perhaps had some kind of mechanism that would be able to protect them from Saizou.

"Well, it's now or never," he said and for the first time in like ever he opened up the pocket watch. The face of the watch glowed with a blue aura and then a beam of light shot straight into Shintaro's eyes. In that instant, a supply of images and information filled Shintaro's mind. There was just so much. Then, as quickly as he had opened it, Shintaro snapped the pocket watch shut. His eyes were narrowed with determination as he stood up.

"Time to get on stage," Shintaro announced.

Mizore and Inner Moka had both seen what had happened. The watch had done something to Shintaro. Something had changed within him. Despite being told to run, Mizore hadn't budged with Inner Moka. Instead, she used her ice powers to form cover to protect them from the rain. Like Shintaro had done earlier, the two girls remained rooted to the spot to watch what would happen.

Shintaro was walking towards Saizou who had broken out from Mizore's ice prison. He looked mad, enraged, with a sadistic grin on his face and bulging veins. He had to endure numerous humiliations. Now, the boy who had humiliated him earlier, was walking towards him.

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy this," said Saizou as he prepared to rip Shintaro's head off. Once he was done with Shintaro, he was going to show off his pieces to the girls to show them why they should've accepted his earlier offer. Unfortunately, that was not going to happen as Shintaro looked straight at Saizou. There was no fear, no hesitation, and no desire to back down reflected within those eyes.

Saizou, however, just saw his prey presenting himself to him. With his decision made, he went to strike Shintaro. However, a second before his claws reached Shintaro, a bright light erupted from Shintaro waist. The light also came with a shockwave that blew Saizou off his feet. Once more, the orc was sent flying and he crashed onto his back. Growling and grunting, Saizou sat up to see what had happened to Shintaro. His expression turned into one of shock as Shintaro now stood in a whole new form. That was when the sky cleared and rain stopped.

Shintaro was now clad in a suit of armor. Covering his entire body was a black bodysuit with an upturned collar, a green scarf wrapped in a circle around his neck, with matching black gloves and boots. Over this bodysuit he wore armor. The armor covering his torso was mainly black with a green chestplate which had plates that resembled pectorals and an additional plate on his stomach area which had multiple horizontal stripes running across it. On his shoulders were green pauldrons made up of overlapping green plates. Similar green armor plating was strapped to his forearms. He also sported green greaves on his shins and his boots also had steel toes at the tips. Staring back at Saizou was a pair of large, green compound eyes that were bisected by an X-shaped crest. The eyes and crest were mounted on a black helmet which had a silver stripe runned down the centre. In the centre of the crest was a green, rhombus-shaped stone. Set under the eyes, covering the lower half of his face, was a silver faceplate with three vertical stripes. Finally, around his waist was a silver belt with a green crystal sphere in the centre of the buckle.

The now armored Shintaro walked towards Saizou who was climbing to his feet. The orc roared and went to strike only for Shintaro to block the blow. Sparks scraped off Shintaro's forearm but he was not harmed in the slightest. Saizou continued to land strike after strike, only for them to be blocked. Finally, Shintaro blurred out of sight, causing Saizou to stumbled. Saizou had no clue what had happened but just as Shintaro reappeared behind him, with his back facing the orc's, Saizou's chest erupted in blood which splattered the ground. There were multiple deep cuts across the orcs chest as he hollered in pain. Said blood was also dripping from Shintaro's gloved hands.

"What...WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU!?" screamed Saizou as he whirled around to face Shintaro.

"Ore wa...Kai," Shintaro named his new form. He concluded, "Now, Time's Up for you." The now dubbed 'Kai' flicked the blood off his gloves and turned to face Saizou. Saizou went to charge but then all of a sudden he just froze. Under Saizou's feet was a glowing magic circle in the shape of a clock's face, and it wasn't moving. Saizou had just been frozen. A similar magic circle appeared under Kai's feet. He then leapt into the air before a series of clock face-like magic circles lined up and positioned themselves between himself and his opponent, forming a path. He then flew through the tunnel of circles, his body spinning and being filled with power.

'Chrono Drill Kick!' he called in his mind.

Falling like meteor, the drill kick smashed into Saizou's chest with explosive force, sending Saizou flying through the air. His screams could be heard before he was out of sight in seconds. Landing on his feet, Kai was just satisfied that he had dealt with the orc. He then turned went back to see the girls. Speaking of the girls, they had just witnessed the whole thing. Inner Moka's eyes were narrowed at Kai who looked back at her.

"I think this is yours," said Kai as he knelt down and handed Inner Moka her cross.

"Shintaro Mido," she spoke evenly, but there was definitely a threat and a demand laced with her words, "Who or what are you?" Kai reached up to his helmet and removed the faceplate which snapped off before he slid the helmet off his head. He shook his head, his twin ahoge springing up.

He then looked at Moka and Mizore before giving his answer, "I don't know." He took out the pocket watch and gazed at it intently, "But I intend to find out."

Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location, multiple monitoring screens came online. They all showed what appeared to be a map of the world and there was a blip on each map, pinpointing something like a beacon. A man was watching the screens and he smiled widely, "So he has returned...Kuro-no-Shinigami."

KAMEN RIDER CHROME: Well, that's Chapter 1 of my new story. Now, if you remember Showa+Vampire, then you can see that this is similar to that story, but I decided to work on it solo. So, there won't be too many characters spreading my focus. Also, I made some choice alterations in the storyline, like an earlier meeting with Mizore, causing some tension between the two girls who have developed crushes on our protagonist. Speaking of our protagonist, what exactly is he? Why can't he remember? What did that pocket watch do? And why is he living with Topper Liquer? Now, speaking of Topper, if you don't know who he is, then check out my other works. He's been known to appear. Anyway, I hope I made a good first chapter/pilot for you all to enjoy. This is just the beginning, but let's just say that from here on end, a lot of new information will emerge, gradually. Shintaro's now on the first step of finding out his true identity. But first, he needs to explain himself and make a call to Topper. As for the Shintaro's Rider form, well I took elements from the original "Kamen Rider Showa" and "Kamen Rider X Green Lantern" stories.