[ ]

After leaving the sisters, Neopolitan was swiftly brought into Hecate's mayoral room, where Pyrrha was waiting. Seeing that they were about to have fun, she decided to join them. After a few hours, they eventually fell asleep. Where Hecate found herself inside her own mind once again.

"Ugh.. again? What's up now?" Hecate picked herself up off the floor, seeing Neo and Chris once again.

"Well.. Uh.. Guess I have to be the one to say it, eh?" Chris scratched his head and muttered, sharing a look with Neo.

She shook her head ruefully and urged him to continue.

"Right.. Well first off, I think this new name change is a step in the right direction. I can't tell you what you need to do here but I can say you're doing good so far" Chris happily told her with a nod.

"Given Hecate is just the Greek equivalent of Trivia, it made sense. And my authorities fit the name anyway" Hecate shrugged.

"Funny how that worked out huh? Well, onto the more serious part. You're teetering over the Abyss and our big bad enemy knows it" Chris told her seriously, summoning a plastic chair for himself.

"I am? And how does he, she or it even know this?" Hecate asked, pulling her own plastic chair out from nowhere.

Neo rolled her eyes at the two and pointed up, drawing attention to the two hearts far above them. The dark one was alarmingly powerful. Radiating a nigh infinite amount of energy in comparison to the smaller light heart. Hecate's eyes widened as she saw it and quickly looked at Chris for an explanation.

"You've been leaning more on the dark side but there's an external influence. Our enemy. The one the System and Michael expects you to take care of in due time. They're doing something. All you need now, is a push and that thing will submerge you. You'll be just like our enemy. So, this is a warning. Be very careful about your negative emotions. One wrong step and.. Well, you can guess" Chris warned.

"I'll have to prep for the possibility then. I'll talk to Tearwyn as soon as I get up. Thanks for the heads up" Hecate stood back up and looked at the two.

"Hopefully we don't see you back too soon" Chris and Neo waved her off as she woke back up.

Though what she awoke to was not what she expected. All around her, as far as the eye could see, were spheres. Spheres of different colors that contained countless amounts of little lights. They were so very far away yet it felt like she could reach out and crush them in her hand with ease. She reached her hand out subconsciously and realized.

It wasn't her hand. It was paler, more muscular, almost ethereal with how it glowed a soft white. She tried to pull it back and inspect herself and speak but no words came. The hand gently touched the sphere and her perception focused in on it. It was a universe.

~What the fuck is this? Where am I?~ Hecate tried to gain some manner of control but failed as she saw the hand reach down into the Universe.

All the way until it reached a familiar blue and green planet. And still, it reached down further, into Japan. It wasn't until it easily passed a large barrier did Hecate know where it was going. To Yokai academy. More specifically, down to Kuyo.

"K̵u̵y̷o̷,̶ ̷w̸i̷l̷l̸ ̷y̴o̷u̸ ̵t̶a̷k̸e̵ ̸t̷h̴i̶s̵ ̵h̷u̷m̶i̴l̵i̷a̶t̸i̵o̶n̶ ̵o̶r̷ ̷w̷i̴l̸l̸ ̸y̷o̶u̸ ̴f̷i̸g̴h̴t̶ ̵y̶o̴u̶r̴ ̶i̵n̷s̶t̶i̴n̵c̶t̶s̶ ̶a̴n̶d̷ ̶t̴e̶a̷c̸h̸ ̵h̸e̵r̴ ̴a̴ ̷l̸e̶s̷s̴o̶n̵?̷ ̵T̵h̶a̷t̶ ̸y̵o̸u̴ ̵a̷r̴e̷ ̶t̴h̵e̵ ̴t̵o̶p̵ ̵i̶n̷ ̵t̵h̴i̸s̸ ̵s̸c̸h̵o̸o̵l̸?̸" She heard a distorted voice whisper from herself, directly into the mind of Kuyo.

Hecate hadn't noticed but the Yokai in question had steadily begun to look more and more erratic every time she saw him run from her. His instincts were strong but after having his pride wounded day after day, his mental state was worsening. It also didn't help that this entity had been whispering in his head and telling him to do something drastic.

"I've had enough... I've had enough.. I've had enough..!!" Kuyo muttered with a deranged scowl, his hands tightly gripping his head.

"T̸a̴k̸e̵ ̴f̷r̸o̶m̴ ̷h̴e̸r̸,̵ ̸a̶s̷ ̶s̵h̴e̸ ̸h̵a̶s̸ ̸t̸a̶k̴e̸n̵ ̴f̵r̶o̶m̴ ̶y̷o̸u̴" The voice once again whispered, prompting Kuyo to stand up in his club room.

"Take from her.. I know just how.." He smiled, feeling a foreign power bolster his own.

He began to walk towards the Newspaper club, softly cackling on the way.

Seeing this, Hecate felt her chest tighten before she woke up, laying next to Pyrrha and Neopolitan. Panting and sweating, she immediately threw the covers off her and stood up, waking both of her lovers as she willed her clothes back on.

"What's wrong? You look like you've had a night terror.." Pyrrha asked worriedly.

"I hope it was.. But I think the Yokai gang are in trouble. Where's Rias?" Hecate asked, calming her breathing.

Neopolitan looked at her with a brow raised before answering with a look. That Rias had gone to Yokai earlier without her with Tearwyn. Apparently they had some sort of plan in mind. Hecate's eyes widened as she summoned the system and quickly used it to get to Yokai Academy.

-Yokai Academy-

What Neopolitan had said was right. Rias and Tearwyn had gone ahead to Yokai Academy for a specific reason. Rias wanted to recruit them for the town, since they had access to Youki and could teach the others how to use it. Tearwyn came to supervise, knowing Rias was important to her sister.

"Hmm~ Something feels off" Tearwyn murmured to herself as Rias started to explain her offer to the Newspaper club.

Only to be interrupted by Gin storming in and slamming the door with an alarmed face.

"Gin! What's the big idea? Did you get caught trying to peek inside the girl's locker room? I thought Neo explained to you she'd shove Saizo's head up your ass if you did that again" Kurumu joked, but stopped upon seeing the genuine fear on Gin's face. Tearwyn seemed to understand what was happening, right as Rias ran over to the door and put up a magic barrier as it exploded.

Gin, Moka and Kurumu were violently thrown back as Tearwyn sat atop Rias' head. Thankfully, she saved them from the lethality of the blast. Though the students walking out in the halls were another story.

"Rias just hold on, okay? Neo's on her way over. That uptight kitsune boy's being bolstered and influenced by a strange God. Almost feels like..-" The rest of Tearwyn's words were droened out by yet another explosion.

Rias bit her lip and held on as her barrier cracked under the force. Despite bolstering herself with Youki, it was like holding back a tidal wave. The cracks started to fix themselves until she came face to face with Kuyo. His body was pale and he was covered in bright flames. Behind him she could see seven flaming tails that sprouted out of his lower back.

"Take from her.." He muttered with a maniacal grin that stretched across his face.

Rias' body lit up in a bright orange glow before a colossal blast of fire hit her, knocking her unconscious and drowning the room in its glow. Tearwyn looked at Kuyo, recognizing the dark influence looming over him. Having come from a particularly powerful Dark god of corruption. She looked at the downed Rias, considering a difficult choice until she felt Hecate arrive. She sighed and grinned as Kuyo looked behind him, seeing Hecate emerge. His eyes reddened as he held out his hand and glared at Hecate.

"TAKE... FROM HER!! Hahahahahaha!!!" He cackled psychotically as he shot a lance of flame at Rias' body.

Though thankfully, Hecate moved in time to catch the lance, crushing it in her bare hand. She ignored Kuyo's deranged appearance to look at Rias and Tearwyn. Tearwyn was fine, of course but Rias had third degree burns on her body that clearly showed through her ripped and burnt clothes. Hecate felt as if time slowed down as she looked at the injured Rias.

"B̵a̷l̸a̶n̷c̶e̵. ̷A̶ ̸v̷e̵r̸y̶ ̷u̶n̵i̷q̷u̵e̸ ̷a̴u̶t̵h̵o̶r̸i̶t̴y̶.̵ ̵T̴h̶e̷ ̸r̵e̶q̸u̵i̴r̷e̵m̷e̸n̶t̵s̵ ̴t̷o̶ ̶s̵t̵a̸y̸ ̴i̶n̵ ̶b̴a̴l̵a̷n̴c̵e̵ ̷a̸r̶e̴ ̵n̴o̷t̸ ̶d̵i̶c̵t̶a̸t̸e̴d̵ ̶b̵y̸ ̶s̶u̸c̸h̷ ̵a̵ ̴m̵o̷r̴t̶a̴l̵ ̷c̵o̶n̸c̵e̷p̷t̶ ̵k̸n̷o̴w̷n̸ ̴a̷s̷ ̷'̵M̶o̷r̵a̴l̷i̷t̵y̸'̸.̷ ̶I̵t̸ ̷i̶s̶ ̷d̶i̵c̵t̶a̶t̴e̶d̷ ̶b̵y̴ ̴a̸ ̸f̸a̸r̶ ̸s̶i̷m̴p̴l̴e̴r̴ ̴t̴h̶i̷n̷g̵.̸ ̷F̵e̸e̴l̸i̸n̸g̷s̸.̷ ̶E̴m̴o̵t̶i̸o̵n̷s̵.̶ ̵T̸h̷e̶ ̵g̶o̷o̵d̸ ̵y̷o̴u̸ ̶f̷e̶e̸l̴ ̵a̸f̵t̶e̶r̸ ̸h̵e̶l̸p̴i̵n̸g̷ ̵o̶t̷h̸e̶r̸s̷.̵ ̷T̴h̷e̶ ̸g̴u̶i̷l̴t̶ ̵o̶r̷ ̴r̷e̵v̶e̸l̷i̷n̷g̸ ̷y̸o̷u̴ ̸f̸e̶e̷l̶ ̵a̶f̶t̵e̷r̸ ̷k̴i̸l̵l̵i̸n̸g̵ ̸a̵n̸ ̶e̴n̵e̸m̵y̴.̷ ̷I̷t̴ ̶i̶s̵ ̸a̴l̶l̴ ̵d̵i̴c̶t̶a̸t̵e̵d̶ ̸b̸y̷ ̶y̷o̵u̵r̸ ̵e̵m̴o̸t̴i̶o̵n̵s̷.̵ ̴A̵n̸d̶ ̶r̸i̷g̴h̴t̴ ̷n̷o̴w̷?̸ ̷Y̷o̵u̶ ̶k̷n̵o̶w̸ ̵i̸t̷,̷ ̷r̷i̵g̵h̶t̵?̴ ̸H̷a̷t̶r̵e̴d̷" The distorted voice spoke up as Kuyo nodded frantically.

"Yes.. Yes, I hate her.." Kuyo spat out through grit teeth.

Though the voice only laughed mockingly at his response, "H̵a̷h̴a̵h̵a̶h̶a̶!̸ ̶I̵'̶m̵ ̷n̷o̸t̸ ̵t̴a̸l̷k̷i̸n̷g̸ ̴t̶o̷ ̶y̶o̸u̶"

Kuyo furrowed his brows before looking back at the Newspaper club. That Neo girl had revealed her true form. Nine tails of white, pink and.. black? Her ears standing up on her head. Her eyes, now pink and an ever darkening black. Kuyo stepped back apprehensively. Her Youki and other unidentifiable auras leaked out from her, despite looking as if she was trying to hold it all back.

"Tear..wyn... Rias.." Hecate grunted through her elongating teeth as the schoolgrounds trembled.

"I'll send help. Just hang on, okay?" Tearwyn grabbed Rias, tossing her into a portal and took Kurumu and Moka with her for good measure.

"N..Nine tails!? Th-That's wh-" Was all Kuyo could get out before his body exploded in a shower of blood and viscera.

Hecate looked at her sharpened nails and cursed under her breath.

"Fuck... Fuck... Fuck!!" A growl escaped her lips as the ground cracked under her overbearing power.

It felt like an ocean was bearing down on a small dam within her. There was no stopping it. And the will to stop it was waning as well. It just felt so addictive. A wild laugh was let loose from her lips.

"Oh!!? Is this how Artoria feels!?" Hecate laughed before a black miasma came out of her body.

All over the school, she felt students unleash their true monster forms. The barrier shattered and inhibitions were removed. Hecate slowly walked out into the halls, ignoring the monsters fighting each other. She was still fighting to keep it all back but a seemingly infinite amount of darkness was gradually escaping her body. She stopped as a tear in space opened up behind her. Raven, her sister, had walked out with a rather serious expression.

~Feels like part of me is slipping away.. Fuck.. I'm in your hands, Raven. Just don't mess up my perfect face too much~ With one last joke, Hecate was forced to let go.

"What a handful.."

[Chapter title: Corruption]

[A/N: Sorry about the upload schedule. Been on vacation but still busy. Just with fun stuff instead of work stuff, you know? Thanks for reading!]