ã€ŠLunaã€‹


 Prologue + Chapter 1 - Confession

    Prologue

    2 years ago...

    In an empty room on top of an abandoned apartment building, a girl sat in the corner of the room alone. She was naked except for a patient gown that hung loosely around her body. Dark red blood stained the girl, from her hair down to her toes. She sat hugging herself with her legs drawn up to her body as she stared down at the floor with hollow eyes.

    "Everything in this world is hateful." The girl said. She looked around the empty room and an eerie smile played across her face. "I want this world to disappear."

    She crept up from her sitting position and crawled towards the single window on the opposite wall.

    "Pain..."

    She crawled closer, breathing out each time. "Suffering..."

    "Despair..."

    "Envy..."

    "Disgust..."

    "Hatred..."

    She was under the window, still down on her hands. "I want to kill everyone in this world." The girl laughed.

    She pulled herself up to the window, clinging onto the hinges and glared outside bitterly.

    "I want to be happy." She muttered to herself.

    Out the window, a boy walked alone in the middle of the night wearing a school uniform. He was holding a microwave dinner he bought from the convenience store. The girl watched the boy but he didn''t notice her staring down at him from the apartment window.

    Chapter 1 - Confession

    The dead cherry blossom tree swayed gently against the cold winter winds. Its flowerless branches drooped downwards in a lifeless manner and chunks of missing bark littered its surroundings. Despite the prominent signs of decay, the tree stood stubbornly upright, towering to my side.

    I stared fixedly at the tree, pondering over its refusal to face demise. To be honest, I was really just trying to distract myself. The last class had finished 15 minutes ago and I was standing behind the school''s main building, staring at a tree. Not just any tree, a dead tree. It was a sombre depiction of the melancholy that was my life.

    I sighed, pulling my jacket closer to my body as I felt another cool breeze passing over. I was actually waiting for something to happen. Something that I was sure that wouldn''t happen, but something that I stayed to wait for in case it did happen. It really didn''t make much sense.

    And it was at that moment, where I was gathering the last of my resolve to try to leave before I wasted any more of my not-so-precious time, that the "something" that I was waiting for to happen... actually did happen.

    An all too familiar figure popped out from the end of the building wall, startling me out of my thoughts. It was a girl, dressed in a school uniform with the exact same colour scheme as my own. She turned to look at her side opposite from me, then not finding what she was looking for, turned to the side towards me. She stopped, seeing me, then waved, a faint smile on her face. I responded to her wave with a frozen stare. Despite this, she made her way towards me, jogging in a manner that suggested her will to be quick and her reluctance to run too fast as to create an awkward scene.

    As the distance between us came to a close, it became glaringly apparent that the girl was a beauty of remarkable features. Dark, black hair fell to either sides of an angelic face, pink lips strutted out enticingly and a pair of otherworldly eyes, distinctively coloured to the shade of pale violet, stood out amidst the storm of perfection. I couldn''t help but to stare mesmerisingly into her face.

    "Sorry," she breathed, her cheeks flushed as her jog came to a stop in front of me. "I tried to come earlier but the teacher wanted me to stay behind to help with some clean-up."

    "It''s... it''s okay." I managed to cough out, averting my gaze with difficulty.

    She breathed out again, trying to catch her breath. Meanwhile, I was still having trouble accepting the reality of what was happening. The girl standing in front of me right now was called Luna. She was an idol student at our school, adored both within the school and outside, ranking number one in the state for her academic ability and for her athleticism. But as if that wasn''t enough, there was also the undeniable fact that she was completely beautiful in all sense of the word.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    "So, what did you call me here for?" Luna finally caught her breath, though her cheeks were still red. She stared at me with anticipation.

    There was the million dollar question. What exactly was someone of her stature doing with someone like me? And for the record, no, there was nothing extraordinary about myself unless you count the fact that I could finish a whole bottle of Mountain Dew in one sitting. The truth of the matter was that I had simply placed a note on the inside of her desk tray that told her to meet me behind the school''s main building after school. To much of my bewilderment, she had actually came out.

    "I... uh..." I felt my face growing red, my ability to construct a sentence quickly deteriorating. Luna glanced down worriedly at my face. My eyes had wandered off to her feet without my volunteering to do so.

    Yes, ladies and gentlemen. This was a confession by yours truly. As cliche as it sounded, I had fallen for Luna over the course of two years of being in the same class as her. Who would have guessed? Somehow, I had mustered the courage to slip a note into her desk and managed to get her out here alone. Now was time for the crux of the show.

    "Ryo...?" Luna said, her tone soft and gentle.

    It came as a surprise to me that she actually knew my name. We had never really seriously spoken to one another before, and my classroom presence was comparable to that of someone with the power of invisibility to say the least. However, my surprise was quickly overwhelmed by the feeling of idiocy as I realised how awkward I was making her feel by staring silently at her feet.

    "Luna¡ª!" I spoke in a tone louder than I expected as I straightened up my posture, raising my eyes to meet her.

    "Y-yes?!" Luna jumped, startled by the sudden change in tone.

    I noticed her discomfort. "Sorry, I didn''t mean to scare you." I apologised with a weak smile, my face still red. Everything was going completely wrong.

    She laughed lightheartedly, slightly nervous. "No, it''s fine, what did you want to talk about?"

    I took a breath in a feeble attempt to calm my mind. Come on, let''s not screw this up again. "I called you out here..." I paused, trying to get the words out of my mouth. "To tell you something."

    Luna perked up curiously. "What is it?"

    "The thing is..." Another pause. "Uh..." Oh man, not again.

    "Mm?" Luna nodded encouragingly.

    "It''s kind of difficult to say, really..." My eyes darted to the side, avoiding her stare.

    Luna waited patiently.

    "I..." Say it already! "I... I like you!"

    I bowed my head and closed my eyes preparing for rejection.

    I couldn''t believe that I had actually said it. The words I had been meaning to tell her for so long. A strange sensation of vulnerability and relief filled my body.

    For a while, there was nothing but the sounds of insects chirping in the background.

    What the hell was going on? Why was it so quiet? Did she leave? I mean come on, was I that ugly? Paranoia crept up my mind the longer the silence seemed to etch on.

    I rose up slowly to see what was going on but something crashed into me, pushing me backwards. The sky and ground switched places and suddenly I found myself lying flat on the floor. Luna was on top of me, her arms on the ground next to my head, keeping her up. She stared down at me, her cheeks red.

    Multiple alarm bells went off in my head but I didn''t know what to think. How did we even end up in this position? What on earth was going on? Did she trip over or what? It didn''t even feel like she tripped. It had felt like she pushed me onto the ground. Nothing seemed to make sense anymore.

    "Ryo¡­" Luna''s pink lips parted slightly, and a strand of dark hair fell past her ear.

    "Are you alright¡ª" I started, but I never got to finish my sentence.

    Luna leaned towards me, her eyes closed and suddenly our lips touched. Her soft lips pressed onto mine and time seemed to freeze.

    When she pulled away, I was still lost in my mind, paralysed from my scalp down to my toes.

    "I was waiting so long for you to say that!" Luna said, her voice ecstatic.

    With that, Luna got up and ran away, leaving me lying on the ground. I listened to the sound of her footsteps fading with a blank mind. It was only after the footsteps had completely disappeared that I started to breathe again, slowly at first. Just what the hell was going on? Why the hell did she kiss me? Did she say she was waiting for me to confess to her? Was I dreaming?

    I raised a hand up to my face and pinched myself on the cheeks.

    "Ow!"

    The pain seemed to confirm that this wasn''t a dream. Luna actually kissed me... me! Of all people. The whole idea seemed ludicrous. Did that mean she had liked me too all along? I mean, that''s the only reason why you would kiss someone, right? I felt dizzy. What did she even like about me? I couldn''t believe that my first kiss would be with Luna. I had never once considered it a possibility.

    I managed to pick myself up on the third try and felt myself walking home in a daze.

    Author''s note: Much thanks to Chiisutofupuru for editing. I don''t know how I would live without you!

 Chapter 2 - Horror

    I stood surrounded by a shroud of misty fog in an unfamiliar place. In the distance, a petite figure gradually made its way towards me. Their footsteps echoed as they neared and each step revealed distinguishing features of the person approaching. Dark, black hair and an uncanny pair of pale violet eyes. It was Luna. I opened my mouth to greet her but was interrupted.

    "Did you honestly think for one second that I would go out with a loser like you?" Luna crossed her arms in front of her. "Are you that deluded? Who the hell do you think you are?"

    "L-Luna..." I stuttered.

    I was speachless. The words that came out of her pink lips stung me in the chest painfully. Luna was always so nice and polite in class, how could she be this mean now? Was this her true self?

    My eyes began to water and I covered my face instinctively, feeling like an idiot.

    "I really liked you¡­" I muttered.

    Luna looked at me disbelievingly.

    "Ryo, don''t be delusional. There''s just no way I could go out with someone like you." She said, looking me up and down with disgust. "Look at you... you''re just so... average."

    Luna sighed and turned her back on me.

    "W-wait!" I called out.

    "Bye Ryo." She said, walking away.

    "Wait, Luna!" I called again and reached a hand forward.

    She flicked a short wave without turning back.

    I tried to run after her but her figure quickly disappeared into the darkness.

    "Luna!"

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    I swung my body up from the bed, jolting up from the nightmare. I was panting unevenly and my back stuck to my pajamas, soaked in hot sweat.

    I lifted a hand to my eyes and felt tears, surprising myself. I had actually cried in real life... over a dream.

    "Oh man." I muttered, shaking my head. "This has to be a joke..."

    I pulled myself out of the bed wearily and noticed my phone flashing by my bedside. Apparently I had missed a call from my best friend; Eiji. He was in the same grade as me and not so coincidentally we shared all the same classes. Probably because we chose the same subjects. I guess he wanted to know how my confession went¡ª

    Suddenly I was jolted with the memory of the confession and I quickly raised a hand to my lips, feeling perplexed. Had I really kissed Luna? The most popular girl at school? A feeling of absurdity crashed over me but the details of the confession flashed vividly in my mind. I could remember Luna''s soft lips pressing onto mine, the feeling of her body against me, the smell of her conditioner on her hair...

    I shook my head violently, trying to bring myself back to reality.

    The question remained however... why? I racked my brain for an answer but the best that I could come up with was that this was all a joke. I grimaced at the thought. I would have to ask her about the ordeal next time I see her. There was no way for me to contact Luna other than at school. I didn''t have her number and today was a weekend so that means there was no school. I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, my mind still in a drunken haze from thinking about the kiss.

    Half-way through brushing, I heard a gentle knocking at the door.

    I looked at the clock. It was still pretty early in the morning. Who could be knocking at this time? Could it be Eiji? I grinned sheepishly at the thought. Eiji was going to drop his jaw if he heard about how my confession with Luna went. The bastard didn''t have any confidence in me, although I couldn''t really blame him. Luna was known to have rejected anyone that has ever asked her out.

    I walked to the front door, opened it and found myself choking on toothpaste. Standing outside the door was... Luna. She was dressed in her casual attire, not her school uniform and her hair was tied up so that long streaks fell on the sides of her head. On the opposite hand, I was dressed in my boxers with the handle of a toothbrush sticking out of my mouth.

    "Hey Ryo." Luna smiled energetically.

    I froze in my place. Luna was the last person on the planet that I would expect to knock on my door. What the hell was she doing here? She looked dazzling in her casual clothes. I had only ever saw her in uniform but this was something else.

    "L-Luna?" I stammered, my cheeks flushing. "What are you doing here?"

    "I just wanted to see you, Ryo..." Luna said, she glanced down for a second and noticed my boxers. Her face reddened. "Is this a bad time?"

    "N-no." I said quickly. I moved to the side of the door.

    "Do... you want to... uh, come in?" I asked, rubbing the back of my head. "I just need to get changed first."

    "R-really, you''re inviting me in?"

    "Yeah..."

    I moved further away from the door, giving her space to walk in. Luna walked past me and I was drowned in her scent. She always smelled really nice for some reason. I swallowed and closed the door behind her.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    Luna was looking around the small living room, studying everything as though it was extremely interesting.

    "Just wait over there." I croaked nodding my head over at the kotatsu table.

    "Okay." Luna nodded shyly in response as she walked over to the kotatsu table. She sat down obligingly, and I walked into the bathroom, feeling like a robot.

    As soon as I got in, my body went on full blast. What the hell was she doing here? I spat out the toothpaste from my mouth and rinsed as fast as I could. I was in a complete rush, I didn''t want to make her wait. Luna was the first girl to ever visit my apartment apart from my mother who had came to visit once¡ªmy mother lived in Okinawa with my father. My parents had sent me to Tokyo to get a better education but I spent most of my time sleeping in class or playing arcades.

    My mind was still frantic thinking about Luna. I had only just confessed yesterday and here she was, at my house the very next day. It didn''t seem to make sense but quite frankly I didn''t really care. I was just ecstatic to see her again. I pulled on a pair of jeans and slipped into the best shirt I could find in the bathroom. I looked in the mirror. Something needed to be done about the hair.

    Grabbing a comb and a handful of gel, I began a frenzied assault on my hair. When the ordeal was over I sprayed on some deodorant. There. Now I was presentable, fresh and smelled somewhat acceptable. I placed a hand on the doorknob of the closed door between the bathroom and the living room. My heart was racing at the thought of having to talk to Luna. I stood there for a few more seconds before I mustered the courage to open the door.

    Luna was sitting down on the kotatsu table her small, delicate hands flicking through a stash of magazines she had found.

    I walked out from the bathroom, moving towards her and I froze feeling my heart drop. Those weren''t just any magazines, they were my ero magazines. I could see the slight outline of what could only be a naked girl on the page she was staring intently at.

    I contemplated going back into the bathroom and waiting for a few more minutes but I was already half-way to the table. It took several more seconds before I resumed walking from my frozen state and sat down on the seat in front of Luna.

    Luna jumped startled by my presence and hastily slid the magazine back under the kotatsu table with a look of embarrassment on her face. She was silent and I was silent.

    "So," I coughed finally. "What did you wanted?"

    Luna shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her face red. "I thought I would get to know you more since we are going out together, right?"

    "Oh." My mouth replied. And that was it. Nothing else came out. My mind had froze, refusing to work as the word going out echoed again and again in my mind.

    "Oh?" Luna repeated upon not hearing anything else. She looked nervous. "Don''t you think we should get to know each other more?"

    "Yes, we should." My head nodded without thinking. She waited for me to make an additional comment but I didn''t.

    "I was thinking we should go on a date." She said.

    "Huh?" I apologised and shook my head. "Sorry, I didn''t catch that."

    "I said we should go on a date."

    I stared dumbfounded at Luna. So it was true that she liked me? I was completely stumped. What was I suppose to say in a situation like this? I had never went out with a girl before and the first kiss I had was just yesterday. Everything seemed to moving so fast.

    "S-sure." I answered.

    I waited for her to say more but she sat silently, twirling her dark hair with a nervous look.

    That''s when I realised I was supposed to be the one to think of something!¡ªbut nothing came to mind. If I had known she was coming to my apartment, I would had spent an entire day organising something in complete detail. What did Luna even like? Where does she usually go for fun? I knew practically nothing about her.

    Suddenly I felt panic creeping up on me. What if this was a test? A test to see if I could entertain her? And perhaps if I failed, she would think I was boring and stop seeing me? With that thought in mind, I got up quickly and opened the door.

    "Let''s go." I said.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    We ended up at a park across my flat. Luna was following behind me while I pretended to have a clue what I was doing. Damn it. What the hell was I doing here? I couldn''t even bring myself to hold her hand. I felt pathetic.

    I looked around hoping for a ray of inspiration. There were children playing in the playgrounds, a group of elderlies having a conversation and a group of guys on the side by the road.

    I took a seat down at the closest bench and Luna sat besides me. We both stared out at the scenery.

    My head was in a complete mess and I had no idea what I was doing at all. I peeked to my side and to my surprise Luna had a happy look on her face. I felt warmth spreading through my body and I turned back to face the scenery. She was actually enjoying herself. Had I struck gold by choosing to go to a park? Perhaps she was a tree hugger?

    "Ryo¡­?" Luna was looking down, tapping her fingers together. "What do you like to eat, Ryo? Next time I come over I''ll bring you food."

    I was ecstatic at the idea. Luna cooking food for me? I felt like I was in a dream. I opened my mouth to answer when the group of guys in the park surrounded us.

    "That''s a cute girlfriend you have there." One of them sneered, and the rest laughed. There were six of them in total, all of them older than me. The one who sneered had short hair and held a cigarette to his mouth. They spelt bad news. I looked up at them in dismay as the one who sneered blew smoke into our faces.

    I coughed, waving the smoke away as I flinched back. What did they want with us? Were they going to rob us? I didn''t even have any money on me. Heck, even if I did it wouldn''t be much.

    "Leave us alone." I said pathetically. I glanced at Luna but her eyes were hidden behind her hair. I had to protect her. Maybe if I grabbed her hand and ran¡­ no, there were too many of them. But I couldn''t possibly fight them either. I had only ever been in one or two fights in my life and all they involved were a few seconds of shoving and name calling before a teacher interfered. I''m not sure if they even counted as fights. Shit. Why were we so unlucky? I didn''t care about myself but I needed to make sure Luna could get away safely.

    "Woah, sorry. I guess we will leave you alone." He said, lifting his hands up, then he reached into his pockets and pulled out a knife. "Just kidding."

    My heart leaped at the sight of the knife and I flinched backwards instinctively. These guys were serious, they were the real deal, there was no doubt about it. I could feel my legs shaking and sweat building up on my back.

    "Hey, Kaiji. Just knock the kid out and let''s grab the girl, man. I can''t wait to have some fun with her." A taller male at the back said licking his lips. The others nodded in agreement.

    "Yeah, Kaiji." A male next to the taller one said. "Why are you wasting your breath on him? He''s just a highschool kid."

    "I don''t like the look of that kid. Maybe we should give him a cut on his face to remember this day." Another laughed as he pulled his own knife out.

    I looked around the park desperately, but everyone else was leaving at the sign of danger. I couldn''t believe it. Even the parents were just taking their kids and leaving. Is nobody going to help? Call the police? Something? Sweat was gathering on my face and I gripped my palms tight.

    "So that''s how it''s going down kiddo." The man they were calling Kaiji said. "Don''t worry though, we will give her back to you when we''re done."

    I could hear the others snickering as the second guy who pulled out a knife walked towards me. He reached a hand out and tried to grab my shoulder.

    All of a sudden, Luna pushed me out of the way and stepped forward from the bench.

    "What¡ª"

    He was cut short when Luna did a slashing movement across his neck. He fell backwards into the grass and suddenly blood sprayed out of his neck.

 Chapter 3 - Apartment

    Blood sprayed out of the guy''s neck, splattering on to Luna''s face and clothes. He crashed into the ground and shook violently. I heard him make a gurgling noise causing blood to jump up from his mouth.

    "Don''t touch Ryo." Luna towered over his body with a dark look on her face. I could see something gleam in her left hand but I heard a flicking noise and the light was gone. The sun had gone down completely and darkness was beginning to settle in.

    "Y-you bitch!" Kaiji ran towards Luna, thrusting his knife forward. Luna stepped to her side, avoiding the blade. As he passed her, Luna reached out, grabbing tightly onto Kaiji''s forearm. With her other hand, she pushed her palm into the back of Kaiji''s upper arm, hard. The force of her push created a crackling noise as Kaiji''s arm gave in, snapping into the opposite direction from the elbow.

    She released her grip on Kaiji and he fell down to his knees, dropping his knife. For a second, he didn''t seem to recognise the pain, staring dumbfoundedly at his broken arm, then suddenly he screamed, his face turning to horror. The other members of his group turned their backs and fled, sprinting as fast as they could.

    Luna towered over Kaiji''s kneeling figure like an executioner and his prey. She raised her hand up, preparing the killing stroke. That was when I woke up from my daze.

    "L-Luna, stop!" I ran towards them, tackling Luna off her feet. Seeing this, Kaiji sprung up from his knees and made a break from the park, running as fast as his legs could take him.

    I laid on top of Luna breathing heavily. Did that really just happen? I turned my head slowly and came eye to eye with the face of the guy that Luna had struck in the neck. He was motionless, his face stuck in a look of pure terror. I flinched, resisting the urge to throw up.

    "He was going to hurt you, Ryo." Luna said in a muffled voice underneath me. "I had to do it."

    "I-it''s alright, Luna..." I said trying to sound soothing.

    I pulled us both up from the ground. The front of Luna''s shirt was covered in blood and it had seeped onto my own shirt as well. "We have to get out of here..." I said. "Let''s go..."

    The suburb I lived in was a quiet one and we managed to get back to my apartment without bumping into people because of the close distance to the park. I closed the door behind us and turned on the lights.

    "Wait here..." I said in a daze. I walked into my room and came out with two sets of clothes. I had to get rid of our old clothes. I gave Luna one set of clothes. "Here. Clean up and change into this."

    I pointed to the bathroom and she nodded coyly, colour returning to her face. I waited till she shut the door before I slumped into the kotatsu table. What was I doing? I felt lost. Would I also go to jail for helping Luna? I mean she did literally kill someone. I stared up at the ceiling and listened to the sound of the shower. I really didn''t know what to do.

    I heard my phone rang and I picked it up.

    "Hello, Kyosuke residence." I said. I heard the shower turning off.

    "Hey Ryo! It''s me Eiji." The other line said.

    "Oh, Eiji..." My mind was still stuck on the murder in the park.

    "You haven''t been picking up my calls, Ryo. Are you still upset about Luna rejecting you?" Eiji snickered.

    I opened my mouth to answer when I heard Luna call out from the bathroom.

    "Ryo, you didn''t give me a towel."

    My heart froze and I heard silence on Eiji''s end.

    "Uh¡­ That was¡­" I didn''t know what I was suppose to say. That Luna killed a man and was taking a shower at my house to clean up?

    "Ryo," Luna cried. "I''m cold."

    "H-holy shit. You actually managed to score with Luna?!" Eiji''s voice was in complete disbelief. "You gotta tell me how you did it when we see each other."This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    "N-no, it''s not like that-"

    "Anyways, I will let you have your fun." Eiji laughed. "I still can''t believe it though."

    "Listen, Eiji?" I spoke into the phone, but the call had already ended.

    "Are you mad at me, Ryo?" Luna sobbed from the washroom. "I''m sorry¡­"

    "H-Huh? No!" I quickly grabbed a towel from my room and handed it to her through the door. "I was on the phone¡­ sorry."

    My heart was throbbing. Right behind this door, Luna was standing there completely naked. The thought made me light-headed. I wonder how she would look like without clothes- I shook my head, trying to retain focus.

    "T-thank you..." Luna said. She took the towel and I closed the door.

    I let out a sigh of relief and sat back down. What should I do with our old clothes? Burn it? I looked at the clock. It was getting pretty late. I hope Luna''s parents wouldn''t mind her coming home late- Shit. What would they think if they saw her coming home dressed in my clothes?

    The door to the bathroom swung open and Luna stepped out, draining all of my attention. She looked incredibly cute in male clothing, despite the fact that it didn''t fit her at all. The clothes hung loosely to her body, almost in a teasing way.

    "Is something wrong?" Luna noticed my eyes staring at her and her face went red, glancing down at herself nervously.

    "Nothing." I coughed, then I watched as she hobbled over to the kotatsu table, clutching onto the waistline of the pants that I gave her. I shook my head, trying to stop myself from staring, then I walked into the bathroom with my set of clothes to take my turn at cleaning up.

    When I was done, Luna was sitting on the kotatsu table, quietly watching the television by herself. It was a calming sight and made me think about how it would be having Luna as a wife.

    I grabbed some empty grocery bags from the kitchen and returned to the bathroom so that we could store our dirtied clothing. It was then that I realised that Luna''s underwear were among the pile of clothing she had removed. If Luna''s underwear were there... then it could only mean that she was... wearing nothing underneath.

    The revelation swarmed my mind with unwanted thoughts, and I closed my eyes, hastily grabbing her clothes and shoving it in the grocery bags along with mine. I stepped out of the bathroom again, glancing at Luna.

    "H-hey..." I started.

    "Hm?" Luna continued watching the television with a fixed stare.

    "By the way, I put all your clothing away." I waited for a response but there was none. "I was thinking that we should burn it."

    "Good idea." Luna replied.

    She didn''t mention anything about her underwear so I pretended not to know as well.

    "Anyways where do you live?" I asked putting the bags of clothes aside. "I''ll take you home."

    Luna glanced up at me, causing my heart to skip a beat. She was way too pretty.

    "Can I stay for the night? My parents will be angry if I go home like this." She asked hesitantly. "They have work in the morning so it will be easier for me to sneak back in after that."

    I didn''t know how to answer her. This felt like a dream come true... except the circumstances were all messed up.

    "I can sleep on the kotatsu table..." Luna added.

    "S-sure." I stuttered. "No problem."

    "I hope I''m not being a bother." Luna laughed weakly.

    "Are you sure your parents won''t mind?" I asked. "Isn''t it a bit weird for a girl to sleep out alone."

    "N-no, they won''t." She replied hastily. "I''ll tell them I''m sleeping at Akane''s house. I will call them right now."

    Akane was Luna''s best friend at school. She was always around Luna.

    Luna pulled a phone out of her pockets and started dialling numbers. I watched as she placed the phone to her ear and waited.

    "Hello¡­ mom?" She said. "Can you hear me?"

    She paused. "Uh-huh, um... Mom, can I sleep at Akane''s place tonight?"

    Another pause. "Yes, we''re just going to catch up on some study¡­ just for tonight."

    "It''s just near Hibiya Park."

    "Is that okay?"

    I looked at the wall trying to pretend I''m not eavesdropping.

    "Really? Are you sure you don''t mind?" Luna said into the phone.

    "Okay! Thanks so much! I love you mom. Bye!"

    She pushed a button on the phone ending the call and looked up at me, excited. "She said it''s okay."

    "I guess it''s okay then..." I said. I wanted to offer my bed to her so that she wouldn''t have to sleep at the kotatsu table, but it would probably be weird for her to sleep in some guy''s bed. I grabbed my phone off the table and stood up, heading to my bed, feeling unsure. I glanced backwards to see Luna smiling up at me.

    "Goodnight Ryo." Luna waved a petite hand at me.

    "Goodnight Luna." I stammered, feeling my heart skip a beat.

    I turned away, heading inside my bedroom and closing the door behind me.

    Luna was a normal girl after all. She just killed the man as self defence¡­ I slid in my bed. It still didn''t feel right. How did Luna move so fast? She slit the guy''s throat so easily! Just remembering all the blood made me feel sick. I looked at my phone, then realised I had picked up Luna''s phone by accident. I was about to get up and give the phone back when my finger slipped on the home button, unlocking the screen and showing a blank calls menu.

    I froze. She had not called anyone the whole day. Then who was she on the phone with just then? She had not called her parents. Luna lied to me. I felt a sweat roll down my forehead. I went through her contacts to find her parent''s number and instead saw my number there.

    What the hell was going on? How did she get my number? I never told her my number... then something hit me.

    I never told her where I lived.

    The images of the fight started flashing in my mind. Luna slicing the guy''s neck open- Hang on... Why the hell was Luna carrying a knife on her?

    Suddenly I heard the door creaking open.

 Chapter 4 - Yumi

    "Are you awake, Ryo?" Luna whispered, standing by the door.

    I was back on my bed, turned the other way, with the covers over my head. My hands were shaking and I could feel my heart racing. I was scared. Why did Luna know where I live? The only one at school that knew was Eiji. And the knife¡­ she carried a knife around with her!

    I could hear Luna taking a step closer. I tried not to make a sound but my breathing was shaky. Was I just being paranoid? There really wasn''t anything to worry about, was there?

    I heard Luna take another step. I mean¡­ why would she kill me? Didn¡¯t she say she liked me? Then the image of the dead man flashed into my mind. He had a look of absolute horror on his face and his eyes were permanently glued to his last moments of desperation. Was I going to end up like him?

    Luna took another step. If she were to kill me then there would be no witnesses left to retell the tale. The man that was called Kaiji and the four that ran were unlikely to tell the police. They most likely held a criminal record. All credibility would be lost as soon as the police looked up their background.

    I could feel Luna standing over me now, her shadow covered the light coming from the open door. My heart was pounding against my chest and I couldn''t control my breathing. I squeezed my eyes shut and gripped onto the blanket. Luna was going to kill me.

    Luna placed a hand on top of me and I immediately froze, frightened to show my trembling. Her touch felt warm and gentle which confused me. ¡°Ryo?¡± Luna murmured, then paused waiting for a response. I didn¡¯t respond. She lifted the blankets up from her end and I felt coldness seeping in for a second before a warmer presence emerged. The bed shifted and something soft pressed up on my back.

    "Are you having a nightmare, Ryo?" Hot air blew onto my ears, feeling slightly moist. Then arms wrapped around me, slowly squeezing into my chest. ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­¡± I could feel her breathing quietly into my ear. ¡°They¡¯re all dead.¡±

    I jumped up from the bed, throwing myself out and Luna cried, surprised by my sudden movement. ¡°R-Ryo!¡± Luna reached a hand out towards me, but I was already sprinting for the door. She extended herself too far and fell from the bed, colliding onto the ground painfully. I heard her head banging onto the floor but I didn¡¯t even bother looking back. I ran out of the room, then straight for the front door, almost ripping the handle off as I flung the door open.

    I was running outside in the cold night, wearing nothing but my PJs. It felt like a surreal experience, something straight out of a dream. Except, the pain of my feet hitting the concrete constantly reminded me that I wasn¡¯t dreaming. I breathed hysterically, trying to collect my thoughts, figuring out just where the hell was I going.

    There was no way I was going back in my apartment with Luna there. She was crazy. I needed somewhere else to stay¡­ the only place that I could stay was¡­ Eiji¡¯s. He lived in an apartment by himself since he was an international student so I often went there to muck around and hang. Except this time I really needed his help.

    Eventually, I arrived at Eiji¡¯s house, panting frantically as I knocked my hand on the door, then waited, then knocked again louder and waited again, then repeated the process several times. I heard shuffling inside the door, and stepped back to wait.

    The door swung open, revealing a guy of mixed race, golden blonde hair and shamrock green eyes.

    "Who the fuck knocks at¡ª¡± The annoyed expression disappeared from Eiji¡¯s face as he glanced into my face, puzzled. ¡°Ryo?¡±

    ¡°I need a place to stay.¡± I said, then pushed past him, walking into the inside of his apartment.

    Eiji shrugged, closing the door behind me, then followed me to his couch, watching as I slumped down with an overbearing familiarity. ¡°Why the hell are you in your pajamas?¡± He glanced at my feet. ¡°And where are your freaking shoes, dude?¡±

    I placed my forearm over my eyes, taking a deep breath. ¡°I¡­¡± I wanted to tell him about Luna, but then I realised I didn¡¯t want to get him involved with the ordeal. It was enough that I was the only witness to Luna¡¯s murder. ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± I said.

    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Eiji said, still perplexed. He could tell that I didn¡¯t want to talk about it, but then he raised his head, remembering something. ¡°Hey¡­ aren¡¯t you supposed to be on a date with Luna or something?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t going to let that topic go.

    ¡°How on earth did you get Luna in your house, taking a freaking shower?¡± He emphasised the fact that it was Luna, his face in disbelief. ¡°The whole school is going to kill you if they found out.¡±

    ¡°L-listen, Eiji.¡± I sat up from the couch, alert. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone, okay?¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Whaat?!¡± He laughed. ¡°Who do you think I am? I¡¯m your best friend, man.¡± He pushed me jokingly on the shoulder. ¡°As if I would do something like that.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± It was weird talking normally to Eiji after all that has happened.

    ¡°But seriously¡­¡± He brushed his hair back, breathing out. ¡°This is crazy, man¡­ I can¡¯t actually believe you managed to pull it off with Luna.¡±

    I groaned. He was still going on about it.

    Eiji noticed my expression, then chuckled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stop teasing you and give it a rest.¡± He turned away and headed for his room. ¡°You can stay here for as long as you like, just don¡¯t take my food without asking like last time.¡±

    Food was the last thing on my mind. The lights to the room turned off, and I sunk down into the couch, trying to get into a comfortable position. Even though Eiji¡¯s door was closed, I could hear him falling back on his bed, the mattress creaking noisily as he did so.

    Eiji lived in a small apartment alone like me. He was born in America, his father being a full-blooded American. His mother was from Japan and died when he was 7 years old. Because of her death, he went back to Japan to study, blaming himself for not being there at the time. Since then, we¡¯ve been friends from middle school all the way to today.

    I sighed and rested my head against the side of the couch. I couldn¡¯t believe everything that has happened. My life had spun out of control in just two days. I was probably now an accomplice to murder. Thinking about that made me think of Luna. She said she loved me¡­ it had to be a lie. She must of had some type of ulterior motive. I didn¡¯t even know her that well. And what kind of girl carried a knife around with her?

    I shuddered as the memory of the park came back to me. She didn''t even flinch when she slit that guy¡¯s throat open. I could still remember how lifeless her eyes had looked back then. It was completely different from the Luna I knew at school¡­ the Luna I thought I knew. My eyes began to droop and I fell into a deep slumber.

    <hr />

    I felt something kicking into my ribs and I opened my eyes. Eiji was standing over me, brushing his teeth.

    "Wake up, Ryo." He said between a mouthful of toothpaste. "We''ve got a bunch of things to do today."

    I rubbed my eyes wearily and yawned. "Just five more minutes..."

    I yelped as Eiji kicked me again.

    "I''ve got something exciting planned for today." Eiji said. I crawled up to my feet sleepily. "Trust me, you''ll love it."

    By the time I was done with the bathroom, Eiji had changed into a pair of jeans and a white collared shirt. I was dressed in some clothes I had left over at Eiji¡¯s place, nothing fascinating. Eiji glanced at me, then eyed me hair annoyed. ¡°Do you ever brush your hair?¡±

    ¡°What does it matter.¡± I shrugged.

    Eiji sighed then swiped his keys off the table, opening the front door. The sunlight shone into the apartment and I placed a hand over my eyes, squinting. We walked down the stairs, exiting the apartment building.

    ¡°I know something bad probably happened with you and Luna.¡± Eiji said.

    My heart jumped, hearing Luna¡¯s name. I had almost forgotten about it too. God damn it Eiji¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve prepared something to cheer you up today.¡± Eiji grinned, looking at me. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t look like that.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow. He was probably talking about the arcades or something. "And what pray tell might that be?"

    "You''ll know when we get there." He laughed and we crossed the road. There were quite a lot of people out on the streets today. "Don¡¯t worry about yesterday."

    The phrase reminded me bitterly of Luna and I frowned. I could almost feel her breathing into my ear. I turned around, there was no one.

    "Even if you couldn''t get it up with Luna." He added snickering. I punched him lightly on the arm, and he laughed, weaving away from me.

    Eventually we arrived at a caf¨¦ in a Shinjuku shopping mall. We sat down and I looked down at the view. There was a large window besides us showing the levels and the vast amount of people in the shopping mall. They looked like ants from up here.

    "So?" I smirked at Eiji as the waitress placed down the menus. "You didn''t come here just to shout me lunch did you?"

    Eiji grinned at me and slid a bunch of notes across the table. I picked it up, confused. There was around six thousand yen.

    "Put it in your pocket quick." Eiji said, glancing down at his watch. "They should be coming soon."

    I had no idea what was going on but Eiji wouldn''t just throw money at me for no reason. He must have had something planned in his mind. I stuffed the notes in my pocket hesitantly and tried to make sense of the whole situation but Eiji sat looking at the time and searching around him.

    It couldn''t be¡­ could it? I opened my mouth to say something when Eiji suddenly called out.

    "Hey, Kyoko!" He raised his hand and waved to two girls standing at the entrance. And as they approached us, I realised what was going on.

    "Hi, sorry we''re late!" One of the girls beamed. She had shoulder length hair and wore a yellow blouse. The girl behind her had pink hair that was tied up at the back, a purse around her shoulder and wore a white tank top. She seemed to be hiding nervously behind the girl with the yellow blouse.

    "About time!" Eiji exclaimed. He got out of his chair and gestured towards me. "Kyoko, Yumi, this is Ryo. Ryo, this is Kyoko,"

    He placed a hand around the girl with the yellow blouse and grinned. Then he pushed the girl with pink hair forward. "And that''s Yumi. Well, you two have fun. Don''t do anything too naughty, ok?"

    He winked at me then led Kyoko out of the caf¨¦ while Yumi stood awkwardly at the spot where she had been abandoned by her friend. I sat there with my mouth hanging open still trying to take it all in.

    "I-if you don''t want to go out with me, I''ll just leave¡­" Yumi mumbled, her eyes staring at the ground.

    "N-no," I stood up and pulled a seat out for her. What was I doing? "Please, have a seat."

    She sat down and I got back on my seat. Now what?

 Chapter 5 - Lottery

    Somehow I ended up ordering a club sandwich while Yumi pointed at something on the menu that resembled an oversized ice cream.

    "It should be done in 15 minutes." The waitress smiled at us as she took away the menus.

    Yumi sat staring at her lap while I looked out the window. What was I doing here? I didn''t need another girl in my life straight after the two days of madness I had. And besides I hadn''t officially stopped seeing Luna¡­ yet. I felt a sudden twinge in my heart. Why did I still think about Luna? She was insane.

    "Um¡­" Yumi fiddled anxiously with her hands before reaching into her purse and pulling out a box.

    "Here." She offered the box towards me and stared down at her lap, refusing to say more.

    I looked at the box confused. What was going on? Was it some kind of tradition to now give presents on a date that''s been set up by friends? I took the box in my hands. "Thanks¡­ what is it?"

    "D-don''t get me wrong, it''s just an obligatory chocolate." Yumi said. I was still confused. Chocolate? Why would¡ª

    Suddenly it hit me and I looked around in awe. There were couples all over the place that I had not noticed before and the shopping mall was decorated in pink ribbons and heart shaped objects. In a large love heart painted at the bottom floor of the mall that was previously hidden by a crowd of people, were the words:

    "Happy Valentine''s Day!"

    I had completely forgotten. Then that must mean¡­ I looked at the box in my hands. Everything made sense now. Yumi must have had no date for Valentines so her friend dragged her along. And Eiji, thinking that Luna had dumped me, had planned everything from the start of the day while I was asleep!

    "So what kind of things do you do?" Yumi stuttered, her eyes fluttering. She had light blue eyes. I could see she was nervous. This must be her first date or something.

    "Uh¡­" What was I supposed to say to a question like that? "Well¡­ I like to play arcades¡­ I go to Hibiya High¡ª¡±

    "Hibiya High!¡± Yumi leaned forward from her chair, astounded. ¡°T-then you must be really smart!¡±

    "Haha¡­" Hibiya High was a school famous for its high level of standard. Normally you''d need to pass an entrance exam to enroll but you could also pay an extraordinary hefty admission fee for transfer students. It wasn¡¯t any surprise which of the two I was. "I guess you could say that."

    Yumi opened her mouth to say something more when thankfully the waitress suddenly appeared and placed a club sandwich on my side of the table.

    "Thank you¡ª"

    I dropped my jaw at the sight of the giant strawberry parfait placed down in front of Yumi. It was enough to feed a normal person for a day. And I was suddenly aware of other couples eating the same thing¡­ except they were eating it together. My club sandwich looked like a midnight snack next to her parfait.

    "Are you sure you can finish all that?" I stammered.

    "What?" Yumi asked confused. "Why not?"

    I stared at the giant parfait. "It looks a bit big." I replied. "Especially for a girl your size."

    Yumi paused for a second. "Are you calling me fat?"

    "N-no." I said hastily, then I scrambled my brain for something to say. "You''re very pretty, you''re not fat." What the hell?!

    Yumi¡¯s cheeks immediately turned red, stunned. "W-what are you saying?!" She glanced down nervously, shifting on her chair.

    I mentally slapped myself on the face. "Uh¡­ sorry..." I didn''t know what else to say at this point.

    Yumi sunk her head down trying to hide her red face and took a bite out of her parfait. "Jeez¡­"

    I followed her lead and took a bite out of my sandwich in silence. My mind went back to thinking about Luna. She always seemed to be somewhere inside my thoughts. I didn''t understand why. Was it possible that I still liked Luna? After all the crazy things that she did?

    I chewed on the sandwich bitterly. I remembered Luna had said she was going to make me food today. Maybe I was just caught up in the atmosphere yesterday. I wasn''t thinking straight and just kind of ran away without thinking. I felt a little crazy myself.

    By the time I finished my sandwich, Yumi had finished her parfait at the same time which was surprising. I got out of my chair and paid for the meal with Eiji''s money. Yumi followed me and we left the caf¨¦ together.

    We stood outside silently. Why was she still following me? I had already paid for the meal¡­ although it was Eiji''s money. I had thought that she would want to leave as soon as possible after that random outburst by me. I waited for her to say something.

    "Where are we going next?" Yumi finally said.

    Well. That was unexpected. I looked around the shopping mall, scouring for ideas. Apparently, there was some kind of event at the bottom level. "Let''s go check it out." I said pointing at the event.

    Yumi nodded and we went down to the ground floor. The first thing I noticed when we arrived was that there was a lot of couples around. The second thing was that there was a large platform where everyone seemed to be looking at. The third thing was that there was a machine thing that a bunch of couples were lining up for. There was a sign at the top that read; "Lucky Love Draw. Are you lucky love enough?"

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    It was so cheesy and stupid. What kind of ridiculous name was that? I felt like leaving the place but a couple behind us ushered us forward and we somehow ended up being pushed into the queue. The couple in front of us was making out while waiting in the line and I saw Yumi averting her gaze, embarrassingly.

    When it was finally our turn at the magical machine that everyone was queuing up for, it displayed a few sets of instructions on the screen such as entering your birth date and the time you''ve been going out for. Seeing as there was no option for "never" I clicked the "six months and less" button. After it was all done, it requested 500 yen which I unwillingly gave before it finally printed out a ticket with a number on it.

    I took the ticket and we joined the crowd of couples as they waited eagerly for a timer on the stadium to count down. So this was basically a lottery disguised as a love event. Interesting. We waited a while longer before the count reached zero.

    "It''s the moment you''ve all been waiting for ladies and gentlemen!" A voice bellowed from the stadium. I saw a man dressed in a suit and holding a microphone coming out from behind the set. "Let''s see which couple is going to be lucky love enough to win this year''s lucky love draw!"

    The crowd cheered. I didn''t even know what the prize was. I hoped it involved something that could compensate for my 500 yen. I had to pay Eiji back for this.

    "First off, we will have our complementary winners come up on stage." The man announced. He pressed a button on the board in front of him and I saw the screen where the countdown was previously displayed flashing. "And the winning numbers for our complementary prize are¡­"

    I heard drums rolling in the background and the numbers on the screen began to slow down. Everyone seemed to be holding their breaths so I did the same.

    "463!" The man declared as the numbers halted on the numbers 463. "Will number 463 come up to the stage please!"

    I realised that I had not even looked at our number so I unraveled the piece of paper in my hand and looked at it. Not that I was expecting anything but¡­ I heard people around us screaming. We were number 463.

    "They''re number 463!" Someone cried next to me in my ear, I saw Yumi covering her ears with her fingers with a painful expression on her face. That was probably a good idea. The crowd moved aside, making room for us to go forward. We walked hesitantly up to the stage. I didn''t know what to think about the whole situation so I decided not to think instead.

    When we managed to get up to the front, a few security guards in suits helped us onto the stage. Was this really happening?

    "And here we have the winners for our complementary prize!" The announcer shook hands with us and we stood there looking out at the crowd as they cheered. The announcer went behind the stage and produced a large teddy bear about half the size of an adult male which shocked me. "Now before you get the prize, why don''t you do a nice kiss for the crowd?"

    Everyone began cheering in the crowd. This wasn''t happening, was it? I didn''t even want a teddy bear. Yumi''s face went red but I could see her staring at the doll. I could tell that she wanted it.

    "Look I know what you''re thinking." I tried to say amidst the deafening chant of the crowd. "I will just buy you another doll at¡ª"

    Before I could finish my sentence, Yumi moved towards me, grabbing onto my face and planted a kiss on my cheek.

    The crowd cheered again and the announcer started laughing. I was beyond speechless. He handed Yumi the teddy bear. "What a cute couple." He announced on the microphone.

    Yumi blushed and we stepped down from the stage rejoining the crowd of people while I was still figuring out what the hell just happened. I guess Yumi must really love dolls.

    In the end, they announced the numbers for the top three actual prizes which was something like a two week vacation to Hawaii. We left the shopping mall after it was all over and Yumi decided to exchange numbers with me.

    "So¡­ uh. I''ll take you home then." I said, feeling awkward. Tomorrow was a school day and I needed to get home to prepare. It was already late in the afternoon. The streets were pretty clear now.

    "Okay." Yumi beamed. She looked cute, carrying the bear behind her back and her cleavage was even more visible since she was leaning forward to carry the bear. She definitely had a bigger chest than Luna¡­ What the hell was I thinking? I looked away embarrassed.

    Yumi, noticing my averted gaze, grabbed my arm and pulled me towards her.

    "Come on, it''s this way." She said, I could I feel her chest pressing up against my arm.

    We were about to walk when I saw someone standing in our way.

    It was Luna.

 Chapter 6 - Insanity

    A black rectangular box dropped from Luna¡¯s hand, hitting the ground and spilling food messily.

    I froze in my place. What was Luna doing here? Was she going to kill me after my escape from last night? A sweat ran down my temple. Luna made no effort to pick up the box she dropped and stood staring blankly at me and Yumi.

    "What''s wrong, Ryo?" Yumi asked. She looked at me then at Luna. "Do you know her?"

    I opened my mouth but I couldn''t find my voice.

    "Get away from Ryo." Luna said silently. She had a dark expression on her face.

    "Huh?" Yumi blinked. She was still holding onto my arm.

    Luna started walking towards Yumi. I saw her reach behind her skirt. She couldn''t be¡­ was she actually going to kill Yumi? My brain snapped back to reality. I had to do something.

    "R-run!" I grabbed Yumi and started running the other way.

    "Ryo!" Luna cried and I looked behind me. She had the most pathetic look on her face and I could see tears welling up in her eyes. She held a hand to her chest and looked at me desperately. "Don''t leave me alone again¡­"

    I felt a stabbing pain in my heart. Wasn''t she mad at me for running away last night? Maybe she wasn''t so crazy after all but¡­ I looked at Yumi. She had a lost look on her face but she held onto my hand tightly. I had to at least get her away from Luna safely.

    I kept running and I heard Luna crying in the distance.

    We eventually stopped after I realised Luna had not followed.

    "What was that all about?" Yumi gasped, she fell on the ground and panted. Her face was red from running. I could tell she wasn''t very good at sports.

    "Never mind about that," I glanced down at her. She was sweating and her cleavage¡­ why did I always have to look there? I offered a hand and looked away. "Are you alright?"

    Yumi grabbed my hand and I pulled her up. She leaned onto me breathing heavily.

    "I-I''ve got asthma." She panted, as though that explained everything. She closed her eyes and held onto me. Her face was really hot and I started to get worried.

    "Here, let me take the doll." I took the bear off her back and helped her walk. What was I going to do? I didn''t know she had asthma. And this damn bear was in the way. It would be night by the time we reached her house at this rate.

    "I''ll carry you." I lifted Yumi off her feet and she let out a cry of surprise.

    "W-what are you doing?" Her face reddened and she struggled helplessly to get off. "I can walk by myself, I''m not a kid."

    "Stop moving or I''m going to drop you." I kept walking and Yumi gave up with a look of embarrassment on her face. Although Yumi was light, it was an effort to carry her and keep the bear on my back. Yumi wrapped her arms around my neck and I could feel her face close to mine.

    "W-what are you trying to do now?" I stuttered trying not to look down at her cleavage.

    "I''m just keeping the bear from falling off." Yumi said embarrassingly, she rested her head on me and closed her eyes. I could feel her hair on my neck and she smelled nice. It reminded me of Luna. I hope she wasn''t going to do anything crazy. She looked so sad when I had left her for Yumi.

    Eventually we arrived at Yumi''s house. She got off awkwardly and I handed the oversized doll back to her. Yumi''s face was red and she seemed to be waiting for something. I didn''t know what so I stood silently waiting for her to say something. She didn''t.

    "So¡­ I guess I''ll see you then." I said and waited. Yumi was staring down at my shoes intensely and her face was really red. I hope she wasn''t still sick. But I guess she''d be fine seeing as her house is right there.

    I turned around and Yumi grabbed my hand. I turned back. What did she want? Was she still mad at me for carrying her? I really didn''t understand girls. I stood silently with Yumi holding onto my hand, refusing to let go.

    "Aren''t you going to kiss me¡­" Yumi finally said, her eyes still staring down.

    "Uh¡­" What the hell was going on? Did Yumi somehow fall in love with me in the short time we''ve spent together? I thought her friend had simply forced her to come out on Valentine''s Day. What am I supposed to do? I mean¡­ wasn''t it okay? Since I wasn''t really going out with Luna, was I? She was crazy but I felt a stabbing pain in my heart.

    Yumi looked up at me and her cheeks reddened. She was actually really cute especially with the bear on her back. I saw Yumi close her eyes and got up on her toes. She was leaning towards me and her pink lips parted slightly. I leaned in towards her. What was I doing? I stopped in front of her lips. We were so close that I could feel her breath. I couldn''t do it.

    "Sorry." I moved back and looked away embarrassingly.

    Yumi opened her eyes. She had a depressing look on her face. I rubbed my head and stood silently.

    "I should get going now¡­" I turned away.

    "Is it because of her?" Yumi blurted out and I turned back. Her cheeks were really red and I could see that she was fighting back tears. She sniffed and pulled the bear close to her. "Was she your girlfriend?"

    We stood staring at each other silently. I didn''t know why I couldn''t kiss her. Yumi was a cute girl, not as beautiful as Luna obviously, but at least Yumi wasn''t a psycho¡­ so why? A part of me wanted to hold Yumi and wipe away her tears. But I couldn''t do it.

    "I¡­ I don''t know."

    I looked down grimly and turned away. I didn¡¯t want to stay any longer. Yumi was making me feel extremely guilty and I needed to get back to Luna to figure out exactly what was going on. If I stayed any longer, I would probably do something stupid. I trudged my way back home solemnly.

    When I arrived I saw a figure lying at the doorstep of my apartment. I moved closer. It was Luna.

    She was looking dully at the horizon and her face was wet with tears. She made no effort to wipe them. I hoped she was alright. I moved slowly towards her.

    "Luna." I kneeled down and she turned her head in my direction. It took her a few seconds to recognize me before colour jumped back to her face.

    "Ryo!" Luna cried and wrapped her arms around me. She was really cold. "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry."

    "I won''t kill anyone again, I won''t kill." She sobbed into my shirt. "So please don''t go out with another girl."

    "L-Luna you''re really cold." I pulled her up to her feet and searched my pocket for the keys. "Let''s just get in first."

    I opened the door and led Luna to my room. This wasn''t normal. Her hands were freezing! I sat her down on my bed and noticed something trickling down my hand. It was blood. "W-what the?¡ª"

    I looked at Luna and saw a dark red smear trailing down the arm of her shirt. I pulled her sleeve up slowly and saw several deep cuts on her arm. Blood was still gushing out and I stared in disbelief. "W-what the hell did you do to yourself Luna?"

    I ran into my bathroom and flung things onto the floor as I searched for bandages. There was so much blood and the cuts were so deep. I felt my legs trembling as I carried the bandages back to Luna. Was she going to die? I didn''t know a single thing about first aid.

    I returned to the room, and leant down to her, wrapping the bandages on her arm clumsily.

    "I-I''ll call an ambulance." I stammered. My hands were shaking and I couldn''t put them on properly. I managed to get them on loosely but I could already see a dark stain spreading on the bandages. I had to call for emergency. I got up. "I''ll go get help¡ª"

    "Don''t!" Luna cried. She grabbed me with her other arm and pulled me towards her. "J-just stay with me, Ryo."

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    "But there''s so much blood! Y-you''ll die if we don''t stop it." I tried to move away but I couldn''t. Since when was she this strong?

    "Please." Luna whispered and she pulled me closer. "I just need you Ryo."

    I looked at her arm. She was still bleeding and it didn''t seem like it was going to stop. "Come on Luna, we''ll just get you to the hospital and you can come back when you''re feeling better."

    Luna didn''t say anything. And I felt a sweat trickle down my forehead. She wasn''t letting go. I heard her whisper. "I don''t like white walls."

    "I-I''ll get you one with pink walls." I replied hastily. If I wasn''t quick enough, Luna could die from the loss of blood.

    Luna looked at me grimly. "Are you trying to leave me again?"

    I didn''t know what to say. I opened my mouth and closed it again. I couldn''t get out of her grip.

    "Are you going to go back to that girl?" She asked, then her voice grew eerily soft. ¡°Do you like her more than me?¡±

    My knees began to shake and I tried to say something but I couldn''t find my voice. I think the bleeding was starting to slow down.

    "You like her more than me¡­" Luna said blankly. She was answering her own questions.

    "N-no." My voice was shaking and the word came out weak and uncertain.

    "Why¡­?" I could feel Luna''s grip tighten and it was starting to hurt. "Why do you like her more than me? Is she rich?"

    "L-Luna stop, you''re hurting me." I tried to pull her hand off but I couldn''t.

    "Is it because of her breasts?" Luna''s head lowered, her fringe covering her eyes. "It''s because her breasts are bigger than mine, isn''t it Ryo?"

    "L-Luna¡­" Her nails were digging painfully into my skin.

    "Is my body not good enough for you, Ryo?" Blood was beginning to trickle down my arm, but Luna showed no signs of stopping. ¡°Just cause my chest is smaller than hers¡­¡±

    "Snap out of¡ª"

    Luna jerked me towards her and I fell forward into her body. My head landed on her shoulder and she hugged me tightly.

    "Why, Ryo?" She cried, tears falling from her face. "If you want money I can steal it for you, if you want bigger breasts I can get it done, if you want to sleep together we can do it anytime. Why do you have to go out with another girl?"

    "S-stop it Luna, we didn''t do anything." I tried to push her off but I couldn''t. She really was crazy.

    "Do you like her?" Luna murmured, her head was resting on my shoulder.

    "N-no."

    "Then you won''t mind if I kill her?"

    "W-what?"

    "Just kidding." Luna giggled. She laid me down the bed and went into the living room. My heart was racing and I slowly got up. What the hell was that all about? There was something seriously wrong about Luna. How could she still move after losing that much blood? I glanced at my bed and saw the sheets soaked in blood.

    Luna came back into the room and my heart jumped as I turned back to her. She leaned down to me, smiling. She was holding something behind her back. My hands were trembling. The blood on her arm had stopped completely.

    "Guess what I got you for valentines?" Luna sang. She pulled her hands out from behind her back and revealed a box wrapped in ribbons. I saw her cheeks reddened. "I spent the whole of last night making it."

    "Thanks¡­" I took the box from her hands and opened it slowly. It was a heart-shaped chocolate. Oh right, Valentine¡¯s Day. I had completely forgotten after being in the same presence as Luna for a few minutes.

    "I made you a bento for dinner but I dropped it when I saw you at the mall with that girl." Luna sighed. "I''m so clumsy."

    I didn''t know what to say. Luna was emotionally unstable. If I said something to offend her, she might end up doing something even more crazy. I felt like I was walking on eggshells.

    "It looks really good." I said looking down at the chocolate. I tried to change the topic away from Yumi.

    "R-really?¡± Luna blushed.

    I picked up the chocolate and stuffed it into my mouth, chewing. It felt awkward having Luna watch me as I ate. She seemed nervous about what I would say. I swallowed, then smiled weakly.

    ¡°That was really good.¡± I said, and I wasn¡¯t lying. Luna was a top student back when she attended cooking classes. She was pretty much good at everything. This wasn¡¯t the scenario I had imagined where I would be eating her cooking however.

    Luna seemed glad that I liked it. She let out her breath. ¡°I didn¡¯t have much time to make it so I thought it wouldn¡¯t be that good.¡±

    "Haha¡­ it was great¡­"

    Luna glanced down at my arm and gasped.

    "What happened to your arm, Ryo?"

    I raised my arm and looked at it. I had completely forgotten that it was bleeding. There were five short cuts along the side and a mark from when Luna had gripped me. It was nothing compared to Luna''s cuts though.

    "D-did I do that?" Luna touched my hand gently and I could see a distressed look on her face. "I-I''m so sorry, Ryo¡­ I-I was just holding you. I didn''t want you to leave me again¡­"

    I could see tears well up in her eyes.

    "I''ll get you some bandages." She got up and ran to the bathroom. Now it was the opposite scenario. Interesting turn of events. She returned quickly with the bandages and wrapped them around my arm quietly. Her handiwork was a million times better than mine, and I gazed at her own arm where the bandages I had wrapped were falling off. The cuts on her arm were already resealing. What the heck?!

    "There." Luna said when she was satisfied with the bandages. She looked at the time. "It''s getting pretty late."

    "Y-yeah." I got up quickly, grabbed some clothes and headed for the bathroom. "I''m going to take a shower."

    I closed the door behind me and let out my breath. How the hell did her arm just heal up like that? Could I really trust Luna? She suffered from violent mood swings and I couldn''t tell whether she was actually joking about killing Yumi. My head felt dizzy. I took off my clothes and turned on the shower. I could hear Luna humming from outside.

    I finished my shower quickly. I just wanted to sleep. And I had school tomorrow. I opened the door and walked into my room. Luna was sitting on the carpet, she had changed the bed sheets.

    "Don''t you need to go back home, Luna?" I asked wearily. I wondered what her parents were doing. And whether or not they knew their daughter was this crazy.

    "They said I could stay again." Luna exclaimed cheerfully and she slipped past me carrying clothes and a towel behind her back. "I''m going to take a shower now."

    I nodded and sunk into my bed. I closed my eyes. It felt so relaxing to finally have some peace. I snuggled under the warmth of the blanket and fell asleep soundly.

    <hr />

    I woke up when I felt something pressing against my back. It felt soft and tender. I opened my eyes reluctantly. It was still night. I rolled around and found myself face to face with Luna, shocking the hell out of me. She was wearing a revealing negligee and I could see her cleavage. Her eyes weren¡¯t even closed; they were wide open staring at me. I tried to move away but she pulled me closer to her.

    "I really love you, Ryo..." Luna breathed, her cheeks flushing. "I mean it."

    ¡°Ah, okay¡­¡± Our faces were so close that our nose was almost touching. She looked really cute, but I knew that she was actually screwed up inside.

    ¡°Do you¡­ still like me, Ryo?¡±

    I hesitated. I didn''t know whether I still liked Luna after all that has happened. My crush on Luna seemed so far away ago. Luna was a psychotic murderer slash stalker. Could I really still like her after knowing all this? I know I confessed to her, but I didn¡¯t sign up to be an accomplice to murder!

    I looked into her pallid violet eyes and her pink lush lips. I felt my heart jump a beat.

    "I like you too¡­"

 Chapter 7 - School

    I woke up again when I heard the alarm ring. I felt exhausted despite having slept for an adequate time. The events of last night came slowly flooding back to me and I swung up from the bed, alert. Did I really tell Luna that I liked her as well? I couldn''t remember. It felt like a hazy dream. I looked besides me but Luna wasn¡¯t there. I could smell food from the kitchen.

    I opened the door and found Luna at the kitchen area in my living room. She was cooking something on the stove and had her hair tied up so that her fringe didn¡¯t fall over her eyes. She was staring at the contents in a pot with a fixed expression, her eyes furrowed in concentration and she was biting her lower lip intently. She looked really cute.

    Luna let out a cry when she saw me behind her and turned around with a weak laugh, her face red. ¡°Oh, hey Ryo¡­¡± She was wearing an apron over her school uniform and the bandages on her arm were gone. There wasn¡¯t even a sign of her cuts.

    ¡°H-hey¡­¡± I replied, staring down at her arm. Did I just imagine everything last night?

    ¡°I wanted to cook you breakfast¡­ I hope you don¡¯t mind¡­"

    I nodded awkwardly and headed for the bathroom to get ready for school. I still didn''t know what to think about the whole ordeal. There was no way her arm could heal that fast. But if I had imagined everything last night, then why the hell was I seeing Luna in my apartment? Was I dreaming? Could I be becoming a schizophrenic?...

    No¡­ let¡¯s not go there¡­

    I will just assume everything is real.

    Then could I trust Luna? How could I be sure that she wasn''t just pretending to like me so that she could find an opportunity to make me disappear without a trace? I was still the only plausible witness to the murder that she committed.

    I brushed my teeth with that thought in mind. After that, I threw on my uniform and sat down with Luna for breakfast. Luna was awfully quiet and seemed to be watching me with an anxious expression on her face. She was pouting her lips nervously and hasn''t even touched her own breakfast yet.

    I looked down at the food. It was a traditional Japanese breakfast consisting of rice, broiled fish, miso soup and some other small dishes. It looked really good. I couldn''t actually believe I was sitting at home about to eat a breakfast that Luna had specially prepared just for me. I could feel a warmth spreading though my body and I picked up a spoonful of miso soup eagerly.

    I raised the spoon to my mouth and stopped. Luna was still staring at me. Her own meal lay untouched in front of her. I felt awkward having someone watching me eat. Why wasn''t she eating, herself? She couldn''t have¡­ I glanced slowly at the spoon I held in front of me. What if the food was poisoned? I felt a sweat roll down my temple. What if this was how she planned to get rid of me?

    "W-why aren''t you eating, Luna?" I asked uneasily.

    "I''m not hungry." Luna answered. She didn''t move. And I didn''t move either.

    Luna frowned sourly and I saw her cheeks reddened. "Why aren''t you eating, Ryo? Don''t you like the food?"

    I didn''t know what to say. At this rate, I would have to take the first bite. "Uh¡­"

    "You don''t think that I did something to the food, do you?" Luna had a hurt look on her face and I could see her chewing her lower lip flustered.

    I didn''t say anything. Luna''s cheeks got more red and I could see tears in her eyes.

    "I thought you said you liked me." She blurted out and a tear rolled down her face.

    I was shocked by her sudden burst of tears. I didn''t expect her to cry. Had she really done nothing to the food? Was I just being paranoid? I didn''t know whether I could trust Luna or not. I tried to say something soothing but nothing came to mind.

    "Ryo doesn''t like Luna at all." Luna sobbed and I could see more tears flowing down her face. "Ryo is a liar."

    "N-no." I said meekly. I didn''t know what else to say.

    "Ryo hates Luna." She sniffed. "Luna should just kill herself."

    "H-here, I''m eating the food." I said quickly. I drank the soup and looked at her. She waited and I swallowed.

    God, I was such a pushover.

    Luna got out of her chair, then walked to me. ¡°H-hey¡­¡± I wasn¡¯t comfortable with how close she was getting. She pulled me into a tight hug, her head on my shoulder.

    ¡°Luna¡­¡±

    ¡°I love you so much, Ryo¡­¡± She whispered into my ear.

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± I felt awkward. Was I supposed to tell her that I loved her too here?

    ¡°Please trust me¡­ I would never do anything to purposely hurt you...¡±

    Her words felt genuine and it made me feel guilty for doubting her, but I couldn¡¯t help it. It was hard to trust someone that could kill without any emotion. Anyways, I guessed I had to play along.

    ¡°I trust you, Luna¡­¡±

    She pulled away from me, then smiled. I felt something flutter in my stomach. Damn it, why was she so cute?

    I watched her walk back to her seat and eat her meal nonchalantly. I sighed and ate the food silently. Luna sure cooked well. I couldn¡¯t believe I had thought that she would actually poison my food. I guess Luna really did like me after all.

    When we were done eating, Luna cleaned the dishes and I waited for her to walk to school together. It seemed she had bought all her stuff to my apartment. Was she actually planning to live here?

    "Done!" Luna exclaimed cheerfully when she was finished with the last dish.

    I opened the door and Luna raced to my side. I felt her wrap her arms around my arm.

    "We can''t go out like this." I said embarrassingly.

    "Why not?" Luna pouted. I could feel her fingers slipping through my hand and holding it.

    "Well, what will people say when they see us¡­" I tried to shrug her off but she clung on tightly.

    "I will stab them if they say anything."

    "N-no!" I cried horrified. I grabbed her shoulders and pulled her in front of me. She was staring at me with a red face. She thought I was going to kiss her or something. I looked at her and tried my best stern expression. "Luna¡­ I don''t want you to carry a knife outside."

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    Luna looked at me puzzled. "How will I protect you then?"

    She was actually carrying a knife? Then, she carried one every day to school? I didn''t know what to say. I felt like if I said anything wrong, she might jump up and slit my throat.

    "If Ryo says so." Luna sighed, her pink lips pouting and I saw her reach behind her skirt. She pulled a knife out and placed it on the table.

    I stared fixedly at the knife. It wasn''t any ordinary kitchen knife. It was a switchblade. A large one too. The handle was completely black and was made to fit petite fingers. A menacing aura emitted from the switchblade.

    "Let''s go!" Luna said excitedly as she pulled me out of the house.

    Eventually we arrived at the front of the school. I pulled my hand out of her grasp.

    "Luna, at school let''s pretend we don''t know each other." I said. I had stopped behind a bush so that no one would see us. There were hundreds of students walking to school at this time.

    "Why?" Luna groaned and she tried to reach for my arm again but I pulled it away from her.

    "Because, it will be weird and we would attract too much attention." And if we attracted too much attention people would realise Luna was a psychopath.

    "Fine." Luna sulked and she handed me a box. "This is your lunch, don''t forget to eat it."

    I took the bento and she left without another word. I hoped nobody saw us walking to school together.

    I started walking a few minutes after her and entered the school grounds. Hibiya High was a prestigious school for the talented and we had over a thousand students. The school itself was quite big compared to other schools and we even had our own swimming pool.

    "Hey, Ryo!" Eiji greeted, slapping me on the back. "How did it go with Yumi?"

    "Next time you go around finding dates for me, let me know first." I reached into my pocket and gave what was left of Eiji''s money back to him. "I don''t need a girlfriend."

    "Just trying to help a friend out." Eiji laughed, taking the money from my hand.

    I sighed and watched as Luna stroll past us, laughing with her best friend Akane. Akane had brown hair that fell to her shoulders and a pair of hazel eyes. I saw a pack of boys following them, trying to initiate a conversation. They sure were popular.

    "Cheer up, Ryo." Eiji said, patting my shoulder. "Luna and you just don''t match."

    What the hell was that supposed to mean?

    I heard the bell ring and we proceeded to our homeroom. Eiji and I were in all of the same classes. Luna was also in the same classes as us. The more I thought about it, the more I realised it probably wasn¡¯t a coincidence Luna was in all of my classes. We entered the classroom and I heard laughter explode.

    "Hey look it''s Ryo!" A student at the back jeered, everyone laughed and I looked around confused. What was going on?

    "That''s enough, everyone." The teacher said. I could see rows of paper stapled at the front of the classroom where a crowd of students were gathered around. I walked towards the papers. It was the mid-term results.

    I could see Luna''s name at the top of the page in every subject. Wow. She had scored between 98s to 100s for all her tests. I searched the papers for my name and I heard the student next to me giggle.

    "No need to look, your name''s on the last pages." She pointed out.

    I saw my name on the very last for maths with a remarkable 21 per cent. The rest were almost as bad. Eiji was somewhere in the lower half of the class.

    "Haha!" Eiji laughed finding my name. "You''re almost the lowest in every subject!"

    Hey, you didn¡¯t do too good either¡­ My eyebrows twitched in annoyance.

    I stared back at the papers and groaned. I didn''t spent much time studying and I couldn''t afford cram school but I never thought I would get this low. I turned around to find a group of classmates snickering.

    "Ryo, just go back to Okinawa!" One mocked. "You''re only here because your parents paid for the exchange entrance fee anyway."

    I frowned bitterly and saw Luna glancing at me with a worried look.

    "Be quiet and get to your seats, class will start soon." The teacher said. I took my seat at the back next to Eiji. I didn''t have any other friends besides Eiji. And although Eiji was popular with both girls and boys for his athletic skills and looks, he spent most of his time with me.

    Class began and I tried hard to concentrate but in the end I decided to just close my eyes and sleep. It was so boring and tedious. An absolute waste of time.

    When I woke up, it was lunch time. I was about to get up and buy something from the cafeteria when I remembered that Luna had made my lunch. I took the bento out of my box and opened it.

    "Woah! You bought your own lunch?" Eiji threw his arm over my neck and looked at the bento surprised. "Who made that for you?"

    It seemed everything in the bento was cut to resemble a heart and Luna had taken the effort to make sure that everything was placed as neat and appealing as possible. I could see Luna glancing behind and winking at me. I hope nobody saw that.

    "No one." I replied hastily as I took a quick bite. It was delicious and I ended up wolfing down the rest of the bento while Eiji stared enviously eating the lunch he bought from the cafeteria. By the time I was done, I was famished and I glanced over where Luna sat. Akane and several other girls were surrounding her. She sure was popular.

    "Hey, Luna, have you planned on dating anyone yet?¡± One of the girls asked

    ¡°No¡­¡± Luna shook her head, forcing a polite smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s a shame¡­ you¡¯re so pretty!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you could probably get any guy you wanted!¡±

    Luna laughed modestly. ¡°No way¡­¡±

    ¡°Luna doesn¡¯t need to go out and date random guys, just for the sake of it¡­¡± Akane interjected, crossed.

    <hr>

    Lunch ended without anything happening and I slept through the last few periods. The bell rang announcing the end of school and everyone began packing up. I picked up my stuff and left the school. Eiji had to stay for homeroom cleanup.

    I was heading for the train station when I felt a hand wrap around my arm. I looked back and saw Luna, besides her was Akane.

    "Ryo!" Luna sang happily. "Let''s go to Akane''s house for a study session."

    I saw Akane shift uncomfortably. And I sighed. "I thought I told you to pretend we don''t know each other."

    "You said that only when we''re at school but school''s over now." Luna replied, pouting her lips. She pulled me closer toward her and dragged me in the opposite direction. "Akane said she doesn''t mind."

    "It''s ok if it''s Luna¡­" Akane said, her cheeks reddening but Luna seemed to ignore her.

    "Come on, Ryo. Let''s go."

    <hr>

    We ended up at Akane''s house and it seemed her parents were not home. Luna kicked off her shoes and dragged me to Akane''s room while Akane walked behind us sullenly. I felt sorry for her but Luna seemed fine with it and she was her best friend. We plumped ourselves down on her kotatsu table and Akane excused herself to make some tea.

    "Are you sure Akane doesn''t mind about us intruding her house like this?" I asked when Akane disappeared to the kitchen. "It seems kind of rude¡­"

    "Don''t worry, she likes me." Luna replied.

    "Yeah but that doesn''t mean we can just intrude like this." I sighed. Sometimes I really didn''t get what Luna was thinking. Most times, actually.

    "As in really like." Luna repeated. I raised an eyebrow.

    "Akane is a lesbian."

 Chapter 8 - Massacre

    "W-what?" I stuttered.

    Luna looked at me and tilted her head slightly to the left.

    "Akane''s a lesbian." Luna repeated.

    "And¡­ she likes you?" I left my mouth hanging open.

    "Yes."

    I mused over this new found knowledge silently seeing as Luna felt no need to say any more. I still couldn''t quite believe it. I mean¡­ Akane was popular with the boys and she had a pretty face, so why the hell would she give up on the opposite sex for Luna?

    I glanced at Luna. She was cute for sure. Her violet eyes were of a dull hue, but drew attention to her face in an enigmatic way. There was something about her eyes that seemed out of this world. It contrasted her dark hair and pale skin. Moving my eyes down to her lips that seemed to be of the purest pink, my head went dizzy knowing that she actually kissed me.

    I snapped back awake when I heard Akane opening the door. She placed a tray of tea on the kotatsu table and sat down on her knees. It could be my imagination but she was slightly leaning towards Luna''s end.

    "L-Luna." Akane stammered. Luna looked at her and Akane looked away blushing. I watched Akane reached into her bag and pulled out a small box wrapped in pink ribbons. "I-I made you chocolate for Valentines¡­"

    Akane extended the box towards Luna and faced her head at the ground. I could see her cheeks reddening. "I couldn''t find you yesterday and¡ª"

    "I don''t want it." Luna interrupted.

    Akane looked up with a painful expression on her face. "B-but¡ª"

    "I said I don''t want it!" Luna yelled. She swiped the box off Akane''s hands and I watched in disbelief as the box hit the ground spilling chocolate on the floor. There was a deafening silence that followed as I tried to make sense of what just happened. I couldn''t believe it. Did Luna just fling away her best friend like a fly?

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Luna¡­¡± Akane got up shakily to clean the mess, her face pale. ¡°It was my fault¡­¡±

    ¡°I told you a lot of times not to give me stuff like that.¡± Luna seemed repulsed as though a bug had flown on her. ¡°You know that I already have Ryo.¡±

    ¡°I-I know¡­¡± Akane flinched.

    ¡°Yet you pull this type of stunt right in front of him? Do you know how disrespectful you are being?¡±

    ¡°Hey, Luna¡­¡± Luna was going too far, but my mouth was dry and the words came out weak and soft.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Luna¡­¡± Akane repeated herself like a broken record. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    Luna glared at her emotionlessly. ¡°Kneel.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± I raised an eyebrow, unable to contain myself.

    I watched in shock as Akane fell to her knees in front of Luna. It was a miserable sight.

    ¡°Kneel and apologise to Ryo.¡± Luna said annoyed. Her face and tone was completely serious. ¡°Don¡¯t apologise to me.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Luna¡­¡± I spoke up now, clearing my voice. This was getting way out of hand. ¡°This is ridiculous¡­¡±

    Akane shifted herself over to face me, still in a kneeling position. She was about to bow her head down to the floor and I immediately rushed over to pick her up. This was a pathetic scene. I couldn¡¯t stand it for a second longer.

    ¡°Luna!¡± I glanced back at her, incredulous. ¡°Are you really going to watch your best friend do this crap?¡±

    ¡°She insulted you right in front of your face, Ryo.¡± Luna said bitterly. Her tone softened when talking to me. ¡°She should apologise¡­ I¡¯m not going to sit here and do nothing while you get insulted¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t believe her. ¡°Luna¡­ are you serious?¡±

    ¡°I just want people to treat you right¡­¡± Luna shifted uncomfortably. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?...¡±

    I shook my head. I couldn¡¯t deal with her total lack of empathy. ¡°This is not how you treat people¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Luna went speechless, seeing the look on my face.

    At that moment, Akane who was in front of me, shoved me off her angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t make Luna upset!¡± She breathed out. I stumbled backwards, losing my footing and fell to the ground lightly. She wasn¡¯t strong, but I had tripped over my own feet.

    Luna shot up from the kotatsu table in the blink of an eye and grabbed onto Akane¡¯s neck, squeezing tightly. She lifted her off her feet by her throat and Akane went red-faced, choking and spluttering saliva from her mouth.

    ¡°Luna!¡± I screamed, struggling to get up quickly. ¡°Let go of her!¡±

    Her grip went loose at my words, and Akane dropped onto the floor, unconscious.

    ¡°Y-you¡­¡± I was in disbelief at what she had done.

    ¡°I was trying to protect you!...¡±

    I walked to the door in awe. Luna made a move to grab my arm, her face desperate, but I pulled myself away. ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± I snapped. I didn¡¯t want to look at her in the eye. ¡°Just look after Akane¡­¡±

    I left the house, feeling overwhelmed, but no idea where I was going. I wanted to get away from her. Get away from all this madness.

    Luna was absolutely crazy. She had no feelings towards her friends and it seemed like she was intent on killing everyone that raised a finger at me. What the hell was wrong with her? She almost choked Akane to death for absolutely no reason at all.

    I kept walking for a while, my thoughts in disarray. Eventually, I stopped to catch my breath. I was sweating and I felt the cold wind stinging my cheeks. I closed my eyes and my mind began spinning. Luna was obsessed over me. I didn''t understand. Why did she like me so much? I had only confessed to her a few days ago¡ª

    What if she liked me before then? It was a likely explanation for the madness I had gotten myself into. Perhaps I had talked to her before my confession? That was impossible though. I had never been able to muster the courage to have an idle chat with Luna before. And she had only transferred to the school two years ago¡­

    I waived the thought away. Whatever was the reason that she liked me didn¡¯t really matter at this point. What mattered was whether I could still be around her. I took a quick scan of my surroundings. Now where the hell was I? How far had I even ran?

    I was about to turn back when I felt something hard hit the side of my head. I fell to the ground painfully and looked up at the sky in a daze. My vision was fading quickly and I could feel the world spinning around me in a haze. The last thing I saw was a figure standing over me, a baseball bat in their hands.

    <hr>

    I didn''t know how long I was knocked out for but when I started regaining consciousness the first thing I realised was the overwhelming pain on the side of my head. I felt the world flashing a murky red as a wave of sickness fell over me. I felt like I wanted to vomit and I tried but I couldn''t. I could hear voices around me but I couldn''t make out what they were saying. Every word was coming out in a slur and I felt like I was in a dream. The air was thick with the scent of smoke.

    Eventually I could feel my body again. I was sitting on a chair and my hands were behind my back. I tried to move them but I felt a tight resistance. Perhaps I was tied up. Blood was trickling down my forehead and I was sweating all over. My lips felt dry and I squinted my eyes slightly.

    I was in a dark warehouse or something by the looks of it and the place was huge. I could see dark figures shuffling past me but I couldn''t pick up any faces. Where the hell was I? My head was hurting and I couldn''t think properly. I tried to recollect my thoughts. The last thing I remembered was¡­ I was hit on the head!

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    I felt panic sweep over me but I tried to remain calm. Think! What was I doing before I was attacked? I was¡­ I thought hard but the pain on my head drowned my thoughts out. I groaned. It was so painful. I could feel my head throbbing.

    "Hey, he''s awake!" A voice shouted. I heard footsteps striding towards me and I looked up at a figure standing over me. My eyes were gradually getting used to the dark and I could make out spiky hair but that was it. My head still felt fuzzy.

    I watched the figure bent down and pick up a bucket besides him. He poured the contents over me and I snapped awake as I felt cold water splashing over my head soaking me in my clothes. I could feel pieces of ice stuck in between my clothing and I shivered.

    "W-what the hell?" I chattered. I was freezing.

    "Is he the one?" A figure at the side asked. They ignored me.

    "Yeah, he''s definitely the one." The figure standing in front of me answered.

    "So, he killed Takeshi?"

    I was alert now. What the hell were they talking about? I had never killed anything more than insects in my entire life. Were they on drugs or something? This had to be a mistake. A huge mistake.

    "Y-you''ve got the wrong guy, I¡ª" I was interrupted when something hard slammed me across the face flinging my head the opposite way. I fell onto the ground along with the chair and the figures hurriedly pulled me back up. I could taste blood in my mouth. The figure in front of me kneeled down so that we were face to face and I gasped.

    "Remember me now?" Kaiji asked. He was wearing a cast on his arm and the images of the day at the park flashed back to me. Kaiji and his friends were planning to kidnap Luna at the park and she ended up killing one of them with a knife. I couldn''t believe I was seeing him again.

    "Where is she?" Kaiji asked solemnly. He was brandishing something in his hands and I could feel my face growing sore from where he had hit me.

    "Who?" I mumbled under the pain.

    Kaiji revealed a gun in his hand and before I could open my mouth, he pushed the muzzle against my forehead and cocked the gun.

    "Where the fuck is she?" Kaiji bellowed. I felt the cold steel pushing hard against my forehead as his voice echoed off the walls in the warehouse. I looked up at Kaiji''s face contorted in an intense hatred and I knew he was serious.

    "W-wha¡ª I don''t know!" I screamed, closing my eyes. I was going to die for a crime I had never committed! Unless confessing to Luna was a crime in itself, I didn''t find it very fair that I was going to die in such a stupid way. I was sweating heavily and I had held my breath without even knowing. Was he going to pull the trigger? I wonder if I would feel pain if he shot me through the skull. I felt the cold steel moving away from my forehead slowly.

    "He doesn''t know." Kaiji said and I heard whispers from the figures crowding around me. I let out my breath. I couldn''t believe my luck. What had I gotten myself into?

    My eyes were getting used to the darkness now and I could see thirty or so males surrounding me. They looked like young yakuzas, tattoos staining their bodies and sporting dyed hair. I glanced around me at the warehouse and saw what seemed like a drug lab. My heart was falling quickly. This was serious.

    "What should we do then?" One of them asked. "Isn''t he the one who killed Takeshi?"

    "No, it was a girl. This is just her boyfriend." Kaiji answered. He walked away to a box lying on the ground and shuffled inside searching for something.

    "So we should use him as a bait then?"

    They were after Luna! I tried to pull my hands away from the chair but I couldn''t. They had tied me up with steel chains. But I guess they wouldn''t kill me until after they got Luna. I needed to think of something by then. They had taken everything in my pockets including my phone and wallet.

    "No." Kaiji said. He leaned back up finding what he was looking for and headed towards me. "I''m going to fucking chop him up and show what''s left to that girl."

    I saw a long rusty knife in his hands and my heart dropped. He was planning to cut me up! I swung my body against the chair frantically. This couldn''t be happening!

    "W-wait! Stop! P-please!" I begged. The other guys just laughed and grabbed the chair still.

    "Make sure he doesn''t move an inch." Kaiji ordered as he approached me slowly. "I''m going to make a nice scene for that bitch to see when we find her."

    "N-no!" I pleaded. I tried to throw the chair off balance but they were holding it down. I saw Kaiji raising the knife and I screamed. I didn''t think about what to scream, I just screamed.

    "LUUNAA!"

    I heard a loud bang and light filled the place.

    "W-what the fuck?" Kaiji shouted, covering his eyes. Everyone was looking over at the entrance where a figure stood alone. I squinted through my eyes. It¡­ it was Luna.

    I couldn¡¯t believe it. What the hell was she doing here? How did she even find me?

    "It''s her!" Kaiji cried pointing at Luna. "S-she''s the one that killed Takeshi!"

    I heard the figures roaring as they charged towards Luna. There was about twenty males that had ran towards her empty handed. The other ten scrimmaged in boxes placed all over the place for weapons.

    "R-run Luna!" I cried. There was no way she could possibly fight off twenty males at once. But Luna didn''t run. Instead she pulled something out from behind her back, and a blade shot out of nowhere in her hand. The sharp noise made my heart jump. It was her switchblade.

    Was she planning to fight all of them with just a knife?! I couldn''t do anything but watch. How was she planning to fend them off? They were close enough to lunge towards her now and I watched as the first guy leaped towards Luna. Everything seemed to slow down from that point and as I watched the guy moving slowly in midair with his arms outstretched towards Luna, I cringed.

    Luna took a swift step under the man and plunged her left hand into the man''s stomach. I saw her grabbing the man''s waist with her other hand and with one quick motion she threw the man several feet across her, his body slamming into several other drug addicts. I heard an agonizing crack as the man''s skull came into contact with the concrete floor. He skidded several more feet before his body rolled to a complete stop. The man''s stomach erupted spraying blood all over the ground.

    The group that had charged towards Luna empty handed now froze in their spots having second thoughts about their impulsive rush. But Luna didn''t stop. She threw herself in to the middle of the group and drew her blade across the throat of three frozen yakuzas. Then without waiting for a response she ducked past them and dived her knife into her next victim.

    I watched in horror as she easily slipped past outstretching hands, cutting down and ending the lives of those she passed. There were cries of agony and pieces of human organs flying all over the place.

    The ones who had not grabbed a weapon before now ran back picking up whatever they could find. Some of the yakuzas chose to run but no one came even close to the entrance. I winced as Luna split a man''s skull open by crushing their head against the concrete wall. She ducked under a propelling baseball bat from behind and jumped several feet into the air before coming down and cleanly decapitating the one who had threw the bat.

    Eventually it seemed the thirty yakuzas that had once occupied the warehouse were now lying in pieces all around the place. Everyone was either dead or on the ground bleeding to death. Luna stood silently in the middle of the mess covered in a thick layer of blood, the knife hanging loosely in her hand. Her eyes were glowing eerily, her pale violet eyes now vividly violet for some reason. The light flickered and shot sparks down from above, damaged by a metal pole which had rammed itself in to the ceiling during the course of the fight.

    Luna didn''t move and I sat frozen in a puddle of sweat. I could hear my heart thumping against my chest. The silence was deafening and it seemed it would etch on forever until a faint whimper pierced the deathly silence.

    Luna''s head flicked sharply in the direction of the disruption and I watched as she slowly walked towards the source of the noise. The light flickered on and off as her footsteps echoed in the silence, her vivid violet eyes burning during the short spasms of darkness.

    I saw movement in the direction that Luna was heading and a man in his early twenties crawled out from under a mass of mutilated bodies. He had his right leg hacked off from the middle of the thigh and a look of absolute desperation fixed on his face. I could hear his panting growing uneven and rapid as Luna gradually approached him.

    "P-please, don''t kill me!" The man cried as the distance between Luna and him closed. I could see tears running down the corners of his eyes as he pushed himself frantically towards the exit.

    Luna walked slowly towards the direction of the exit, blocking the man''s path. She stood over him and looked down at the crawling figure emotionlessly. The man looked up at Luna''s eyes in despair as the awareness of his inevitable doom sunk in. I could see more tears flowing down the man''s face as the last trace of hope left his eyes.

    Luna raised her leg and without hesitating stomped on the man''s skull. My eyes widened as his face crushed into the cold concrete floor splattering into a heap of bloody mess. Luna looked down at the figure unblinkingly and an empty pit formed in my stomach. She was a monster.

    Luna turned to me and I saw a cold unfamiliar look for a split second before colour jumped back to her face as she recognized me.

    "Ryo!" She cried running towards me. She dropped her knife and threw her arms around me hugging me tightly. I heard her sobbing into my shoulder. "I was so scared when you ran away."

    "L-Luna¡­" I stammered. I didn''t know what to say when all of a sudden I noticed a figure hiding in the corner of the warehouse. He pointed something at Luna then I recognized Kaiji''s face. Luna had her back on him with her arms wrapped around me and she didn''t notice Kaiji. He had a gun in his hand.

    "Luna!" I cried then there was a loud bang.

 Chapter 9 - Sorry

    Luna grabbed the chair I was sitting on and spun it away from the path of the bullet. I heard the bullet piercing Luna''s shoulder and she let out a soft cry as blood flew in the air. A red stain spread quickly across her right shoulder and Luna glanced behind her searching for the source of the bullet.

    As soon as she spotted Kaiji, Luna pushed the chair over and I landed with a cry behind a pile of deformed corpses. I saw Luna dashing towards her knife and a second bang resounded in the empty warehouse.

    Luna ducked and the bullet whizzed above her head harmlessly. She rolled past her knife, picking it up and bolted in Kaiji''s direction. I heard the sound of metal vibrating as Luna flicked the blade out of the handle on her switchblade and Kaiji cocked the gun for a third shot. His hands were shaking and I could see a sweat rolling down his face.

    "W-what the fuck are you?" Kaiji cried. He fired the gun again and Luna jerked the knife across her. I heard a loud clang and the sound of a bullet hitting the floor followed. I felt my eyes widening and my mouth falling open. She just deflected a bullet with a knife.

    Kaiji dropped the gun and screamed. He turned around and made a desperate break for the exit, his arms flailing in the air. But Luna was faster. She grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled Kaiji down on the floor.

    He hit the floor with a loud thud and skidded several feet away from the exit. I saw Kaiji struggling to get back up when Luna threw down her hand on his leg. Kaiji let out a bloodcurdling howl as the blade pierced the flesh of his skin, digging its way into the bone.

    The lights flashed and sparks shot down from the ceiling before darkness enveloped the warehouse leaving the place completely dark. I listened to Kaiji''s cries of agony as Luna dismembered his body tearing flesh from flesh when finally, all was left was the wet gurgle of something less than human. The gurgle continued with the sound of something thrashing around the floor until it finally died down leaving silence in its place.

    I heard Luna getting up and my mind began to race. She had sat watching Kaiji rolling around with no arms and legs till his last moments of death. The gurgle noise could have been the result of a non-fatal cut on the throat. So it meant that she had purposely made him suffer before killing him.

    The sound of footsteps echoed silently as Luna approached me. I didn''t know what to do. Not that I could do much seeing as I was still tied up but I had to do something about Luna. She had proven time and time again that she was completely out of her head and yet I had still not managed to get away from her.

    I felt Luna''s figure standing over me and I froze. She leaned towards me and I felt her breath on my ear.

    ¡°They¡¯re all dead now¡­ I told you they would all die¡­¡±

    A flashback to when Luna hugged me on my bed at the apartment for the first time came to mind. It was weird that she had told me then to not worry and that ¡®they were all dead¡¯. Now I knew why. She had already planned to kill them all, even if I didn¡¯t get kidnapped.

    I felt her arms wrapping around me and there was a soft clack as the chains loosened. I tried to get up but Luna pushed me back down on the chair. She sat on my lap and before I could say anything pushed her lips against mine.

    I couldn''t believe we were making out in the middle of a warehouse filled with mutilated corpses. The place reeked of rotten flesh and I felt my stomach curling but Luna smelt so nice. I wonder what kind of shampoo she used. There was an underlying scent of¡­ blood on her. All of a sudden I was aware of all the blood she was soaked in. I felt it seeping through my clothes and I was jolted with the images of the fight. I threw her off my lap.

    She fell on the ground with a cry and I got up and ran for the exit.

    I didn''t stop running till I was back at my apartment.

    I slammed the door shut and threw the lock on. I was breathing heavily and I was soaked in blood and sweat. I ran to the toilet and threw up all over the seat. I couldn''t believe that I had kissed her.

    I pulled myself up wearily and looked at the mirror. I was shaky and my face had turned pale. Blood was smeared over the side of my cheeks and it covered my clothes.

    I had to get away from Luna. I had to break off our relationship. She knew where I lived and went to the same school as me. How could I possibly get away from her? I pulled off my bloody clothes and threw them in a plastic bag. At this rate, I would end up throwing out my entire wardrobe. I stepped into the shower and turned it on.

    I felt the water stinging the bump on the side of my head but it didn''t really hurt. I guess I was still numb from shock. I looked down at my hands and noticed them shaking uncontrollably. What the?¡ª I couldn''t stop them from shaking.

    I grabbed my right hand with my left in an attempt to stop it but the shaking continued. My hands were so cold and my body felt soiled with blood, as though I couldn''t wash it off. I stood absent-minded in the shower for a long time when I heard a knock on the door.

    "Coming." I called as I turned the shower off. Could it be the owner asking for the rent payment? I haven''t paid my rent in a while now. I dried myself and dressed quickly in a new set of clothes.

    I was walking towards the door when it banged open and I jumped.

    The chain on the door stopped it from opening any further and I saw an eye peering from the gap between the door and the wall.

    It was Luna.

    "Ryo¡­" Luna said. I could see her violet eye looking up at me without blinking. "Why did you lock the door?"

    "L-Luna..." I stuttered. My legs were frozen in their spot and a sweat fell from my temple. "H-how did you get the keys?"

    "I made a copy when you were sleeping yesterday."

    ¡°What¡­?¡± I was astounded.

    ¡°Let me in.¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Cause you¡¯re a psychotic murderer? I didn¡¯t say that though.

    ¡°Luna¡­¡± I pleaded. ¡°Just leave me alone¡­ please¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you saying, Ryo¡­?¡±

    ¡°I just want to have a normal life¡­¡±

    ¡°But¡­ but I love you¡­ so much¡­ you said you like me too¡­¡±

    ¡°I-I¡­ I said that before you killed so many people.¡±

    ¡°I killed them for you¡­ they all deserved to die...¡±

    ¡°What¡­ What are you saying?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want them to die too?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°You wanted them to die, Ryo.¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°No...!¡±

    ¡°You wanted me to torture and kill them¡­ deep inside¡­¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Luna didn''t say anything. Her eye was staring into mine unblinkingly.

    "I''m not letting you in, Luna¡­" I said. It sounded like a question and my voice was shaky.

    "Ryo?" Luna said.

    "Go away!" I yelled. I ran towards the door and threw my body against it. The door slammed shut and I heard Luna let out a short cry. I pulled the lock back on and stepped away slowly.

    "What''s going on, Ryo? Did I say something wrong?" Luna asked desperately. "Let me in!"

    I stood panting staring at the closed door. Luna was standing behind it right now. She had the keys but as long as the chain lock was on, she shouldn''t be able to get in. I searched around frantically for something to block the door. I didn''t want to see that cold emotionless eye staring into my apartment while I slept. I heard Luna banging on the door.

    "Ryo!" She cried. I grabbed the television shelf and dragged it across the floor slowly. "What did I do wrong? Please let me in!"

    I moved the shelf in front of the door and walked back. The lock unlocked and I heard a thud as the door collided with the shelf. That should do it.

    "Ryo¡­" Luna sobbed. "Let me in. It''s raining."

    I heard the sound of rain pattering as I walked back to my room. I couldn''t let Luna in. She was absolutely crazy.

    "It''s cold." Luna sniffed. I could hear her crying outside the door. "I''m sorry..."

    I closed my room door and crawled into my bed. I felt my head spinning. Should I really do that to Luna? All her clothes were in my apartment. How was she going to get to school tomorrow? She actually did kind of save me back there¡­ not that I''d need her help if she hadn''t killed Kaiji''s friend but¡­ the memory of Kaiji''s agonizing cries flooded back and I flinched.

    I could hear Luna saying something outside the apartment under the heavy rain and a lightning bolted. It sounded like it was raining pretty hard outside. I hoped she would go home soon.

    "I''m sorry. I''m sorry. I''m sorry."

    I froze. She was still outside? I pulled my pillow over my head but I could still hear her voice in my head.

    "I''m sorry. I''m sorry. I''m sorry."

    I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to think about something else but Luna kept popping up in my head. Her face, her hair, her pale violet eyes, her pink lips. I couldn''t stop thinking about her. I really hoped she was alright though¡­ out there¡­ all alone¡­

    <hr>

    I woke up the next day to the sound of the alarm beeping. I yawned and threw a hand down on the snooze button. My head was fuzzy and I felt a sore pain on the side. I could hear birds chirping outside and I got up wearily.

    I saw blood on the pillow and I jumped back in shock. Why was there blood on my pillow? I touched my head with my hand and winced. I remembered yesterday.

    Luna... She had killed everyone in the warehouse. And the only one that knew was me. I wonder if they would show it on the news. I walked towards the door and slid it open. I could see the television shelf in front of the door where I had placed it.

    I had locked Luna outside my apartment. I swallowed. I wonder if she was still outside. I shouldn''t have locked her out like that. I didn''t know what came over me. I walked slowly towards the shelf and began moving it away. I hoped she was okay. I unlocked the door and took a deep breath.

    I opened the door and looked out at the balcony. She wasn''t here. I breathed a sigh of relief and closed the door. She probably went home. I wonder how she would get to school without her clothes. Maybe she had another set at home. I looked at the time. Crap. I needed to get to school soon.

    I was about to go to the bathroom when I noticed a box lying on the table. It wasn''t there last night¡­ I walked slowly towards the box and opened it. It was a bento.

    I stared inside at the bento. The food was still warm. It could only mean that¡­ Luna entered my apartment somehow. I spun around frantically and scanned the room. How the hell did she get in? I could feel my legs shaking. I couldn''t believe it. Was she here watching me sleep the whole night? I felt something rising from my stomach and I ran to the toilet. I lifted the seat up and gagged into the toilet.

    Breathe.

    I breathed with my eyes shut. I could feel sweating running down my body and my breathing came out in heavy pants. I wiped the sweat off my forehead and stood up looking in the mirror. There was dried blood plastered across the side of my forehead where I had hit my head. I wanted to stay home. I couldn''t meet Luna at school.

    I undressed and stepped into the shower. I should have put bandages on yesterday.

    I felt the warm water hitting my face and I closed my eyes. I won''t go to school today. I will stay home.

    When I was done, I slipped into a pair of jeans and a clean shirt. I walked over to the table, picked up the bento and emptied the contents into the bin.

    I sat down on the kotatsu table and turned on the television.

    "¡ªthe massacre happened at approximately 7PM yesterday and¡­"

    They were talking about Luna. I turned the volume up.

    "¡ªthe police are still looking for witnesses, if you have seen anything please contact your local police station."

    They haven''t found any leads yet. I wonder what would happen if they caught Luna. Then I realised I could easily go to the police and tell them about it. I could get rid of Luna and she would stop bothering me. She would go to jail and I would continue my peaceful high school life.

    I got up. I should do it. I will tell the police. After all, it''s only right¡­ but¡ª

    I heard the phone ringing. I was about to pick it up when I froze. What if it was Luna? I could hear the phone continue ringing. She would have noticed that I didn''t come to school and might have decided to call me to check up on what''s going on¡­ or she might have saw the news. She would know that I had a chance of telling the police about it.

    What if she planned to kill me to eliminate the risk? I swallowed and felt my hands shaking. Should I answer it? The phone continued to ring and I sat looking at the phone. Just before it stopped I grabbed the phone and picked it up.

    I could hear breathing on the other side.

    "H-hello¡­" I stammered. I could hear silence from the other end.

    "Ryo, is that you?" A timid voice said. It was a girl. But I wasn''t sure whether it was Luna or not.

    "W-who is this?" I asked.

    "It''s Yumi." The voice pouted. "I can''t believe you forgot my voice so soon."

    I remembered Yumi. I had spent the day with her on Valentine¡¯s because of Eiji. I breathed a sigh of relief. I wonder why she was calling me.

    "Sorry, just had a lot going on yesterday." I replied. I turned the television off. "So what''s up?"

    "I was wondering¡­" Yumi started and I heard her voice trailing off.

    "Yes?"

    "if¡­"

    "Uh huh."

    "you''re not busy today¡­"

    I could see where this was going.

    "Don''t you have school today?" I asked.

    "Oh. We have the day off school today." Yumi answered. "Because of the massacre."

    "W-what?"

    "It happened near our school. You know, I go to a girl''s school and the teachers are worried."

    "Oh. Ok."

    "Oh. Didn''t you get the day off?" Yumi said. "I guess they wouldn''t let you off since you go to Hibiya High, huh?"

    "N-no. I''ve got a free day today as well." I didn''t want to stay home. Luna might come back to see why I didn''t go to school.

    "Then do you want to come with me to see a movie?" Yumi asked nervously.

    "S-sure."

    She told me which cinema to meet and I answered yes.

    "So I''ll see you there then." Yumi said shyly.

    "Yeah, okay." I hanged up and looked out at the window absent-mindedly. It was a pretty sunny day today. I got up, took my wallet and left the house.

 Chapter 10 - Ichiro

    "Ryo! Over here!"

    Yumi waved at me excitedly, amidst the crowd and I scuttled myself over. The cinema seemed to be packed with people today.

    "Hey." I said patting her on the head. She was so short compared to Luna.

    Yumi swiped my hand off and looked at me pouting. "I''m not a child."

    "Haha, so what movie are we watching?" I asked, trying to change the topic.

    "Um¡­" Yumi glanced at the large rows of screens on the side of the cinema. I could see action, sci-fi, comedy and romance movies. I guess Yumi would choose something to do with romance. Then I saw a screen displaying a horror movie. I froze staring at the blood flickering on the screen. It reminded me of Luna. All that blood in the warehouse. I couldn''t believe it had actually happened just yesterday.

    Yumi glanced at me and saw me staring fixedly at the screen.

    "Let''s watch that." Yumi said pointing at the horror movie.

    "H-huh?" I broke out of my trance. "Are you sure?"

    "Yup." Yumi exclaimed cheerfully. She pulled me towards her side and dragged me into the line. We somehow managed to book into the earliest screening of the movie and I paid for both the tickets before Yumi could protest.

    We headed to the cinema and sat down at our allocated seats. The advertisements were still playing and I took out my phone looking down at the time. There was still a while before school ended. Luna should had realised I didn''t go to school by now. I turned the phone off and shoved it back in my pocket.

    "So¡­" Yumi started in a soft voice. I could hear the advertisements playing in the background. "We''ve got our entrance exams for university coming up soon, huh?"

    "Yeah." I answered. That wasn¡¯t a topic I usually wanted to talk about. But right now, it seemed a heck of a lot better than to think about Luna.

    "What are you planning to do after high school?"

    "I¡­" I looked up at the ceiling. "I don''t really know¡­"

    "You should think about it, Ryo. It''s good to have dreams." Yumi said. I saw her looking down nervously. "I want to be a preschool teacher."

    "Haha, that''s good for you." I said. Then I added snickering. "You would fit in with the children perfectly."

    Yumi pushed me playfully on the arm.

    I could see the movie starting and Yumi quieted down. I spent the remainder of the time watching the movie and thinking about Luna. The movie seemed like a children''s bedtime story compared to yesterday''s events. I mean all the special effects seemed so unrealistic. The pain on the actor''s face and the ones I saw on the yakuzas¡¯ faces were so different. I felt dull watching the fake blood spilling on the floor.

    About half way through the movie, I felt a petite hand slipping around my arm and I looked at Yumi welling up in tears. She buried her head against my shoulder and I felt her hand tightening. It made me remember that Yumi was just a normal girl.

    Eventually the movie ended and I left the cinema with Yumi clinging onto me embarrassingly.

    "Jeez. That was so scary." Yumi sighed as we stopped at the exit of the cinema.

    "What did you think it was going to about?¡± It was pretty obvious from the poster outside that the movie was going to be about horror.

    She laughed weakly. ¡°I actually like horror movies, but I¡¯m always too scared to watch them alone.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I mocked in a disbelieving tone. ¡°I thought the type of movies you would like are romantic comedies.¡±

    "N-no." Yumi stuttered at my light-handed teasing. "Anyway let''s get something to eat."

    We somehow arrived at the same caf¨¦ as the one from last time. I ordered a different sandwich while Yumi pointed at the thing that resembled a giant ice cream again. I couldn¡¯t understand how someone lived solely on a diet of desserts.

    Yumi was looking at the television so I glanced at the screen as well. It was the news. I could see a large warehouse with people carrying bodies out of the place and a reporter standing at the front.

    "¡­and it has been estimated that there were at least thirty corpses found in the warehouse. Many of the victims were found horribly dismembered and disfigured." The reporter announced. "The police have yet to release a statement on the matter."

    "That''s terrible..." Yumi said. "Why would someone do something like that¡­"

    "Y-yeah¡­" I stammered. The police are going to investigate the massacre and a few forensic tools could possibly lead to me and Luna''s DNA traces.

    I swallowed. What if they catch us and send us to prison for the rest of our lives? I mean, I could be charged for obstruction of justice and withholding vital information to a crime scene. There were at least thirty people killed.

    Yumi looked at me with a worried look seeing the expression on my face. She opened her mouth to say something when the waitress placed our food down on the table.

    "Enjoy." The waitress smiled.

    Yumi beamed at her strawberry parfait while I chewed down bitterly on my sandwich.

    I ate quietly while Yumi talked about school. All I could think about was Luna. At this rate she was definitely going to get caught and I would also go to jail when they found my DNA all over the place. I had to do something.

    "¡ªare you listening, Ryo?" Yumi sulked.

    "Uh¡­ Yeah." I answered. "Listen Yumi, something really important came up. I need to go first."

    I got up and watched Yumi frown sourly.

    "Ok then¡­" Yumi trailed off. "I-I''ll see you then¡­"

    "Yeah." I replied, rubbing my head awkwardly. Yumi always made me feel so guilty when I see her sad. "It was a fun day though. See you."

    I walked over to the counter and paid for the meal. That was all my money gone for the month. I should be receiving more money from my parents in the next few days though. As I walked out of the caf¨¦ I turned back to see Yumi sitting in the empty table alone. I hoped she would get home alright.

    I left the shopping mall and made my way to the warehouse. I could still remember some of the route from when I had ran back to my apartment. Eventually I arrived at the abandoned warehouse and I could see that the area was surrounded with police tapes restricting people from entering.

    I looked around for any signs of police vans or media but they all seemed to have left. I guess they had already collected all the evidence they needed.

    I didn''t know why but I ducked past the tape and walked towards the warehouse. I stepped inside and looked around. They had cleaned the place up completely but I could still make out a thick scent of blood. I walked slowly towards the centre of the warehouse and my footsteps echoed softly. The sun was still up and light leaked through the holes in the ceiling.

    I stood in the centre of the warehouse looking up at the sky though a ceiling hole. The light shone down on me and I sunk in the warmth.

    "Who are you?" A voice spoke from the corner of the warehouse.

    I snapped my head towards the direction of the voice and I saw a figure revealing himself from the darkness. The figure was clad in a dark tattered cloak from head to toe. He pulled back the hood and revealed a boy with a smooth pale face. Long streaks of brown hair fell over a pair of pale crimson eyes.

    I couldn''t believe that I didn¡¯t see him there when I had walked in. I could have sworn there was no one else in the warehouse. I watched him walking slowly towards me with a dull expression on his face.

    "I¡­ uh¡­ was trying to find something." I stuttered. I didn''t know why I was explaining myself to a boy around the same age as me. I could easily ask him the same question. But it felt like he had a dangerous aura around him, something was setting me on edge.

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    He didn''t say anything and I kept my mouth shut. I was starting to feel scared.

    He stopped in front of me.

    "You''re lying." He said.

    "I-I''m not." I stuttered. I felt a sweat trickle down my forehead. "Besides what are you doing here anyway?"

    He didn''t say anything and I saw his eyes sharpen for a second. The sound of metal screeching pierced the air and before I could open my mouth I saw a silver light flash across my eyes. A strong force jerked me backwards and I fell on the ground before hearing a loud clang.

    Luna stood in front of me, her switchblade dangling loosely in one hand. She was wearing her school uniform and the back of her hair was tied up behind her head. The boy jumped backwards, landing soundlessly away from Luna and me.

    "Luna..." The boy raised a hand from beneath his cloak and touched the front of his neck. There was a long shallow cut stretching across his neck, almost invisible. "That was pretty classy. Jumping down from the ceiling hole."

    I had no idea what was going on. Did he know Luna? How did he know her name? What the hell was going on? I could see a single drop of blood on Luna''s blade.

    "Are you ok, Ryo?" Luna asked without leaving her eyes off the boy.

    "Y-yeah¡­" I stammered. I picked myself up and staggered to keep my balance.

    "What are you doing here, Ichiro?" Luna asked the boy. She didn''t move from her spot and had her switchblade hidden behind her.

    So they did know each other. I glanced at the boy named Ichiro hesitantly. Something about him spelt danger and I couldn''t find the strength in my legs to run. There was only one exit and it was also the only entrance. Ichiro was standing in front of it. I guess hiding behind Luna was the only choice.

    "You know why." Ichiro said grimly. "I was sent here to take you back."

    Ichiro started walking towards us slowly and I could hear something dragging across the floor. "You hid your tracks well, Luna. We might never had found you again... but killing an entire group of yakuzas¡¯ and leaving the bodies to rot? That was stupid, Luna. I took one look at the cuts and knew it was you."

    Ichiro stopped at a safe distance away from us and looked at Luna. "The cuts were so clean and accurate, you had the NPA profiling a neurosurgeon with up to ten years of experience. And that handiwork on the man... you purposely avoided all major arteries leaving him alive for at least ten minutes before he died from a loss of blood. He was living in a state of complete pain."

    "Poor guy." Ichiro smirked. He raised a hand out towards Luna and his face grew serious again. "Leave him alone, Luna. We don''t have times for your childish games any more. You have no idea the time and effort we put into relocating you."

    "I''m not going back." Luna said, not moving from her spot.

    Ichiro let his hand down and looked at Luna with an intense glare. I could see his crimson eyes glowing unnaturally. ""

    Suddenly Ichiro sprinted towards Luna at an incredible speed. I heard a loud clash as they collided and Luna skidded several feet backwards. Ichiro threw off his cloak revealing a dark blue suit with a sleeveless top. He wore heavy gloves and I could see a large scar running down his right arm. In his hand he held a long silver katana that fell down to the ground. The katana seemed to illuminate in the dark and I could hear a distant vibration ringing in my ears.

    "Do you hear that, Luna?" Ichiro asked walking in a circle around Luna. "It''s the sound of death."

    Luna didn''t say anything. I saw dark blood trickling down her right hand from under her school blazer and I gasped. Luna had been shot on her arm just yesterday. There was no way she was going to defeat him with a wound like that.

    "Soon the sound will fill your ears." Ichiro said. "You can''t escape it."

    Ichiro''s eyes sharpened and he dashed forward again, his blade dragging across the floor. I saw Luna bracing herself for the impact but Ichiro jumped on the last step and landed behind her swiftly. He drew the blade across his side and Luna rolled out of the attack just in time. However, this time Ichiro didn''t stop. He leaped forward pursuing Luna with a relentless barrage of assault to which Luna parried and dodged stiffly.

    "What''s wrong, Luna?" Ichiro jeered between his strikes. He threw an upward cut and Luna winced as she deflected the blow painfully. She was thrown off her feet and landed several feet backwards, stumbling to remain her balance. "You''re weaker now."

    He didn''t give her a chance to recover. Ichiro rushed forward sending her further back against the wall. It seemed with each strike, the sound of metal vibrating grew louder and my ears throbbed as the sound rung irritatingly in my ears. I could see Luna''s face straining to keep up with Ichiro''s pace.

    The sun was beginning to set now and the warehouse grew dark. He threw another stroke towards Luna''s side and she weaved under his blade taking another step backwards. More blood was trickling down her right arm and I clenched my teeth uneasily. Was Luna going to lose?

    "Is it because of your injury?" Ichiro asked hacking into her right side. I saw a painful expression crossing Luna''s face as she was forced to switch her blade to her right hand, deflecting the blow. "Or¡­ is it because of him?"

    Luna jumped away from another strike and her back hit against the wall. The sun was gone now and darkness was quickly sinking in to the warehouse. I could hear the sound of Ichiro''s katana pounding against my ears.

    "It''s over, Luna!" Ichiro charged forward his crimson eyes flaring and aimed his blade towards Luna''s chest. All of a sudden Luna''s eyes glowed a terrifying violet and she pushed herself off the wall with one foot on its surface. She moved across Ichiro''s katana with ease, just avoiding the blade before she plunged her hand under his arm and into his ribcage, using his momentum against him.

    I saw the blade digging into flesh and Luna pushed the knife in. Ichiro let out a sharp cry before jumping back with an arm to the side that Luna stabbed. Blood dripped down his hand and he flinched as the pain travelled across his body. He moved the hand aside, took a look at the wound then looked back at Luna with a hysterical look on his face.

    "R-really, Luna?" Ichiro spat out. I could see blood dribbling down his mouth and the colour in his eyes had grown dull. "Singling out my spleen in a single stroke? You god damn monster¡­¡±

    He coughed and fell down to his knees. The sound of Ichiro''s katana vibrating had stopped now and the warehouse was deadly silent like the time Luna had killed all thirty yakuzas in the one room. I could see Luna''s figure standing over Ichiro. How did she move so fast? I didn''t even hear her footsteps.

    Ichiro looked up at Luna''s emotionless face and grinned. "All this time I had thought I was the predator and you were the prey¡­ but you''re the one that was hunting me the whole fight."

    Ichiro coughed and looked at the ground grimly. "Bidding your time and waiting for the perfect opportunity to retaliate. I should had known something was up when you let yourself back up against a wall. You would never make such an elementary mistake without knowing what you were doing."

    Ichiro looked back up at Luna, his face weary. "Y-you''re perfect, Luna¡­¡±

    Luna threw her hand up and I saw the blade flashing.

    "S-STOP!" I screamed.

    Luna hesitated and Ichiro used that chance to push himself out of her way. He swiped his katana off the floor and threw on his cloak. He turned around looking at Luna.

    "They''re coming to get you." Ichiro warned. He took one last look at me before disappearing into the darkness.

    I panted heavily covered in sweat looking at Luna. She wasn''t moving. I wonder what the hell that was all about. What did Ichiro mean by ''they''re coming''? Who was ''they''?

    Luna turned her head to face me and I saw her eyes burning a dark violet in the darkness.

 Chapter 11 - Hostage

    Luna sheathed the switchblade behind her skirt, glancing down as she did so. Her eyes dulled to the usual pale violet, a blank expression on her face. Her school uniform was torn from her left sleeve exposing her upper arm and blood was trickling down the gun wound that had reopened in her shoulder.

    She walked to me, stopping in front of me.

    ¡°Are you okay, Ryo?¡± Luna asked softly. She had an eerie look on her face, lacking the usual brightness she had when talking to me. I took another glance at the gash on her shoulder. She didn¡¯t even show any signs of pain.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I replied hesitantly, then pointed to her arm. ¡°Luna, your arm¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, this¡­¡± Luna glanced down at her shoulder with a disinterested look. Blood dripped down from her fingers hitting the ground. A red puddle was beginning to form from where she but she didn¡¯t move.

    ¡°Luna?¡± I called out meekly.

    She didn¡¯t respond.

    I took a step towards her cautiously.

    ¡°Are you alright, Luna¡­?¡± I asked softly. I waited for a reply. Nothing. I took another step towards her.

    Suddenly, Luna glanced up at me. ¡°Do you hate me?¡± She asked.

    ¡°W-what?¡± I uttered, caught off guard. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you¡­ why did you ask that?¡±

    ¡°Nevermind.¡± Luna shook her head, then smiled faintly with a tired look.

    She pulled the broken sleeve off her shoulder and wrapped it around her wound tightly. I watched her tie the ends together as a familiar red began spreading across the fabric. I grimaced at the sight. Luna stood silently after wrapping her arm and I didn''t dare say a word. It was as though she was waiting for me to say something. I didn''t.

    "Let''s go, Ryo." Luna said at last.

    "Yeah..."

    She turned to face the exit and I saw a tear run down her cheek. I opened my mouth to say something but then closed it again as nothing came to thought. Luna started walking without me and I just stood there watching her as she raised a hand to her face and sobbed.

    Why was she crying? I didn¡¯t understand. Should I stop her? But¡­

    She paused at the doorway for a second as though hoping that I would chase after her. Seeing that I didn¡¯t, she disappeared into the night outside.

    My eyes were locked to the door where she left. I didn¡¯t know what the hell I was supposed to do. If I chased after her, wouldn¡¯t she think I still liked her? Maybe I should had just answered ¡®yes¡¯ when she asked me if I hated her¡­ but I also didn¡¯t want to make her upset. All I wanted was to quietly slip back into my old life where there were no murders or being chased by a psychotic stalker¡­

    ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    A sigh escaped my lips. I didn''t even get a chance to ask her about the boy she fought... Ichiro. I could still remember the piercing noise his katana had made¡­ I shook my head and recollected my thoughts. I should be getting home now.

    I walked out of the abandoned warehouse and stepped into the cold night, still stumped from the day''s events. My head ached and I simply couldn''t take in all that had happened. My life had spiraled out of my control ever since the day I confessed to Luna. I wonder whether I would ever have my old life back.

    By the time I got back to my apartment, I was exhausted. I didn''t see Luna waiting at the doorstep so I guessed she must have had already gotten in somehow. I took a breath and knocked on the door.

    "Are you there, Luna?" I called out. No answer. I took my keys out and opened the door.

    "Luna?"

    I stepped into the apartment and turned on the lights. The place had been cleaned but there were no signs of anyone home. I closed the door behind me and walked to my room. All her belongings had disappeared. The luggage that she had brought in containing her clothes was now an empty space in the corner of the room. Everything was just as they were before Luna had moved in. I couldn''t believe it. I looked around the apartment again.

    She was gone.

    I didn''t know what to feel. I guess I had always wanted things to go back to normal but instead of relief, I felt an empty pit sitting at the bottom of my stomach. I shook it off and decided to hit the shower and sleep. I would see Luna tomorrow at school. When I got out of the shower I was completely worn out. I fell on to my bed and closed my eyes.

    When I opened my eyes again, light was shining into my face from the window and I raised a hand covering the sunlight. I could see the sun floating above the city, a cherry blossom tree blocking a quarter of the view. I yawned and got up wearily, rubbing my eyes.

    I went through my daily routine empty-minded with a light feeling in my chest as though a weight had been taken off. When I got to school, I was still in a trance, everything felt like a hazy dream. I saw Eiji waiting for me at the school gates as usual. He had a bored look on his face as he watched students passing by. He was leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets and his school bag swung over his shoulder. I made my way through the crowd towards him. A look of recognition crossed his face and he smiled at me as I gave a brief wave in his direction.

    "Ryo!" Eiji greeted me with a pat on the back and followed me in my stride towards the classroom. "You sneaky bastard, where''d you head off yesterday with Luna and Akane?"

    I stopped. Now I remember, Eiji stayed back at school for his homeroom clean up. And I...

    "Nothing." I replied. I continued walking and Eiji shrugged.

    He switched the subject to last night''s latest drama shows and I yawned. This continued on for a while till the bell rang. We entered the classroom after a few more minutes and I took my place at the back of the room with Eiji. I stared intently at the doorway as students began to flow in.

    My heart stopped when Luna stepped in. Her dark hair fell down her shoulders and over the front of her ears complimenting her rosy cheeks. Her pink lips were slightly parted and her distinctive pale violet eyes seemed to turn the rest of the world into a quiet hush. I barely noticed Akane trailing behind her, her eyes plastered at the ground.

    The teacher walked in shortly after her and I snapped back to reality. As everyone began settling down, the teacher marked the roll and I fell back into a daze, waiting for school to end. Eventually the bell rang for lunch and I got up reflexively to head to the canteen.

    "Where''s your home made lunch today?" Eiji snickered following my lead.

    "Don''t have any." I mumbled. We reached the canteen area amidst the confusion and everything was chaos there as usual. The place was crowded with students carrying trays of food trying to avoid each other in a desperate search for vacant seats, and a line so long it almost went to the end of the room. It was quite a sight.

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    "Oh god." Eiji said.

    I opened my mouth to say something witty when a rush of students dashed between us heading for the line. At the same time I felt someone grabbing my hand and pulling me backwards. When I got back my sense of direction, I was outside the canteen and the hand that held mine¡ª I looked up at Luna. I didn''t know why but I felt a wave of relief wash over me knowing that she still wanted to see me. She smiled at me and let go of my hand.

    "What are you doing, Luna?" I asked.

    "It''s boring, isn''t it?" Luna yawned stretching her arms up in the air. I could see her stomach exposed as her shirt pulled upwards and I looked away instinctively, warmness surging on my face.

    "So?" I asked staring at the clouds in the sky.

    "So..." Luna repeated putting her arms down. She twiddled with her fingers, blushing. "I was thinking... we could go somewhere...?"

    "Uh..." I trailed off while my mind searched for something to say. I didn''t dare ask her about Ichiro or why she left my house yesterday but Luna seemed back to normal again. I looked around me and saw students watching us, whispering to each other. Crap. I leaned towards Luna with my eyes on the students and whispered. "Let''s get out of here."

    ¡°Okay.¡± She nodded.

    We left the school in a hurry, escaping the glances that fell on us. Eventually we ended up outside the school, at a spot where there was nobody around. I breathed out, half relieved that we were out of sight and half sighing from exhaustion. ¡°So¡­ where did you want to go?¡±

    Luna looked up at me. "Want to come to my house?"

    "Huh?" I uttered surprised.

    Luna grabbed my arm and pulled me towards her as she started walking. "I got a surprise for you."

    "Alright..." I answered, uncertain. There was something strangely suspicious about this. I didn''t like the sound of a surprise.

    Luna laughed light-heartedly, but it was an empty laugh. "Come on, Ryo. My parents want to meet you."

    "They won''t mind we skipped school?" I asked. Luna ignored me and I followed her hesitantly. My suspicion lingered at the back of my mind.

    It''s not like Luna was going to kill me or anything... right?

    I walked for a while with Luna clinging on to me, pointing directions. Eventually we stopped at her house. It was a dark, gloomy looking house and all the blinds were shut. It didn''t look like anyone was home. I slowly turned my head towards Luna.

    "What''s wrong, Ryo?" Luna whispered. I couldn''t see her eyes, her hair had fallen over her face.

    This was bad. Something was wrong. It didn''t feel right. I tried to take a step away from her. "Luna?"

    She pulled me back. "Come on in."

    At that moment, I pushed her away and made a sprint for it. I didn¡¯t get very far. A few steps in, something pricked the side of my neck and I collapsed onto the ground, feeling my senses rapidly deteriorating. I could make out Luna¡¯s face over me. She had a disillusioned look on her face, her eyes empty. My vision faded and I lost consciousness.

    <hr>

    Where was I?

    I felt drowsy and my head was hazy. I could make out a figure in front of me but not a face. The figure leaned towards me and I felt something pressing against my lips. I tried to stay awake but everything slipped and I fell asleep.

    I opened my eyes again. I didn''t know how long I was out for but this time my head was clearer, the world still seemed fuzzy but I could make out objects in the dark. I was in a room. Luna had brought me in. I think I was laying down.

    I pulled myself up and shook my head. I had to stay awake. Stay awake. Stay awake. I looked around me. I was in a bed. There was a drawer next to me and a closet at the end of the room. Was this Luna''s house? I pushed myself out of the bed and felt my legs giving in. I fell on to the ground with a thud and everything began to spin. I wanted to just close my eyes and sleep. Whatever Luna had injected into me must had been really strong... the thought of Luna pulled me awake again.

    I could die here if I didn''t get out. I had no idea what the time was and Luna had taken away my phone. I picked myself up and stumbled to keep my balance. I staggered towards the door and opened it slowly. My breathing was shaky and I was scared. I was on the upper floor. I could see stairs leading down and other rooms across the corridor. There were no lights. No sight of Luna. I walked cautiously towards the stairs and looked down. No lights down there either. I took a step down and felt the anesthetic sinking in. My eyes began to droop and I shook my head again. Come on, Ryo. Stay awake.

    I crept down the stairs slowly holding my breath still. I was fighting a constant battle in my head between staying awake and falling asleep. It felt like I was in a dream. I made it down the stairs without losing my consciousness and breathed a sigh of relief.

    "Oh you''re awake, Ryo."

    I jumped up and snapped my head in the direction of the voice. I could see Luna sitting in the corner of the room with her legs up against her chest. I didn''t see her there before. My knees went weak and I swallowed. She stood up with a blank look on her face and walked towards me. I could see my phone in her hands.

    ¡°Where were you yesterday?¡± Luna asked.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Before you were at the warehouse.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I didn¡¯t want to tell her about Yumi. There was no way she could tell just from my phone, right? I had called Yumi, but there were no details of our meetup in text messages. She couldn¡¯t listen to my old calls. I tried to think of something to say.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, Ryo.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to¡­¡±

    ¡°Then where were you yesterday?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what to say.

    Luna sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer, I was following you yesterday.¡±

    ¡°W-what¡­¡±

    She pulled a kitchen knife out from behind her back and at first I thought she was going to stab me but she flicked the light switch on with it. I raised a hand over my eyes as the light blinded my vision for a second. I could see a table in front of Luna and there was a figure lying on top of it.

    It was Yumi.

    She was unconscious and her hands and legs were tied down onto the table with several layers of plastic wrap. She had on a white sleeveless dress that stopped above her knees. Luna walked towards the table and pulled the knife in front of her passing it down Yumi''s cheeks.

    "You haven''t even gone to the movies with me yet..." Luna muttered in an eerie voice. I couldn''t believe this was happening.

    "L-Luna, let''s talk this through." I stuttered, my eyes refusing to leave the cold steel of the blade as it ran down Yumi''s face without a cut. Sweat was falling from my face as time seemed to slow down.

    "You said you liked me." Luna said in a bored tone, her hollow eyes staring fixedly down at Yumi''s face.

    "I... I-I do..." I looked around the room for some sort of hint or sign from god as to what I could do. There was a human''s life at stake here! At this rate, Yumi was going to die and it would be all my fault. I could feel my heart pounding against my chest. Why was I such an idiot?!

    "Kiss me." Luna said.

    "H-huh?" I stuttered looking back at her.

    "Kiss me." Luna repeated. She had an emotionless look on her face. "You said you liked me."

    I looked at Luna. She didn''t say anything and her eyes stared into mine blankly. I swallowed and took a step. I looked up at Luna for any sign of encouragement but she didn''t make a single sign or gesture, just that empty look. I made my way towards her slowly. My shirt was beginning to soak with sweat and my legs trembled with each step. I kept my eyes on the knife that she held loosely on to her hand, it''s blade resting on Yumi''s cheeks. She was still unconscious.

    Eventually I came to a stop in front of Luna. She looked up at me with that lifeless look. Everything became quiet. There was only the sound of my breath as it came out in ragged breaths.

    "I''m going to kiss you." I breathed out shakily. I looked at Luna for a response. She didn''t say anything. I moved in slowly, leaning towards her. A sweat fell down my chin and I stopped in front of her lips. I had to do this. I had to kiss her to save Yumi. I took a breath.

    But I couldn''t.

    "Liar." Luna''s lips moved.

 Chapter 12 - Mayu

    I felt my mouth moving open and close as I tried to think of something to say. I couldn''t do it. I couldn''t kiss her. Now Yumi would be¡­ I swallowed as my eyes met Luna''s. A flicker of hurt flashed across her face.

    She leaned towards me and stood on her toes. I felt her lips pressing against mine for a brief second before she moved back quickly, turning her head away. Her hair brushed against my face as she dashed towards the door hiding her face. I heard a soft clatter as the knife fell from her grip hitting the cold hard surface of the floor.

    "L-Luna¡­" I called hesitantly raising a hand towards her. She ignored me and the sound of the door closing slammed in my ears. My legs were frozen and I could feel the back of my shirt soaking up in sweat. She was gone.

    Accompanying the darkness, an eerie stillness enveloped the house. I could only hear my ragged breathing coming out in puffs. I wondered where Luna was going¡­ then I shook my head. First of all, I had to get Yumi out of here. It was my fault that she had gotten into this mess in the first place.

    I tore my eyes away from the door that Luna had disappeared into and looked down at Yumi''s unconscious form. My eyes had adjusted to the darkness and my mind seemed to be slowly getting back in track. From the looks of it, it looked like Yumi might have been taken from her bedroom in the middle of the night. She was wearing what I presumed to be girl''s nightwear. I really hoped that Luna hadn''t hurt her.

    I pulled off the layers of plastic wraps that Luna had wound around her and picked her up from the table.

    "It''s going to be okay..." I breathed softly as I gently pulled Yumi onto my back. I felt my heart skip a beat as her chest pressed against my back and my face reddened instinctively. What the hell was I thinking about at this time? I needed to get her back home safely!

    "Come on Ryo, snap out of it." I muttered to myself. I carried her out of the house on my back and squinted up at the round moon illuminating down on us. The night was lit with stars and the sky seemed to shine mysteriously down on us. It was quite a sight.

    "¡­ beautiful..." Yumi whispered into my ears and I glanced back at her. Her face was pale and her eyes seemed to gaze into mine with a drained look but I could see a small smile on her face. "Hi Ryo¡­"

    "H-hey." I answered softly. She closed her eyes again and I felt her head lying down on my shoulder. I began walking in the direction of Yumi''s house and I glanced back again making sure she was okay. I could make out dark red marks across the front of her neck. It looked like Luna had tried to strangle her. I flinched.

    When I finally got to her house, I paused looking up at her unlit house. No one seemed to be awake and I wasn''t sure how I was going to sneak Yumi back into her bedroom without looking suspicious. I wonder how Luna did it. I crept silently around the house peering through the windows in a desperate attempt to find Yumi''s room. There was a room that seemed to be decorated with girlish objects on the upper floor but I wasn''t sure. At this rate I would have to bring her back to my flat... damn it. It will never work, what the hell would her parents do if they found out she had disappeared in the middle of the night?

    I clenched my teeth tight. I had to do it somehow. If Luna could do it... I flicked my eyes towards the tree that seemed to extend towards the upper room. That will have to do. I pulled Yumi closer towards me and put on a determined look. I walked towards the tree and studied the surface thoroughly, making notes of the branches sticking out and various dents on the surface. After making a mental image of how I would climb the tree, I took a breath and placed a feet on the surface. Time to do it.

    It took a while but I managed to climb on to the upper branch that extended towards her room. All that was left was to go through the window and hope it was unlocked. I kept my balance still as I walked across the branch with Yumi on my back. I could hear her breathing on to my ear and my heart pounded loudly against my chest. God knows what would happen if the branch collapsed and we both fell down from this height.

    I breathed a sigh of relief as we reached the end of the branch and I pulled open the window. Unlocked.

    "We''re here, Yumi." I murmured under my breath. I pushed us through the window and stepped in to the carpet of the room. The strong fragrance of a girl''s room instantly filled my nose and I breathed the scent in dreamily, I just wanted to fall down and sleep. Wearily I walked towards her bed and laid Yumi down softly onto the bed, pulling the covers over her. "Goodnight."

    I took one last look at her peaceful sleeping face before making my way out through the window and climbing back down the tree. I almost slipped off in the last few steps and the fright jolted me back awake. Don''t fall asleep, Ryo. Not yet.

    After leaving Yumi''s house, I made my long journey back home in a half awake, half asleep state of mind. By the time I reached my place, the sun was beginning to rise and I could see a faint bluish colour etching across the sky as the stars began to clear. What a night. I unlocked the door to my apartment and somehow managed to lock the door behind me before falling onto my bed and slipping instantly to sleep.

    <hr>

    I woke up in the afternoon missing school all together. I yawned rubbing my eyes as I pulled myself out of the bed.

    After going through the morning ritual, I threw on a shirt and a pair of pants before sitting down on the kotatsu table with a drowsy feeling. I tried to collect my thoughts and think about what to do.

    So Luna was missing again after threatening Yumi''s life and it was obvious that I had to do something about it. I now knew where she lived¡­ another thought came to mind. Was it really her house? I couldn''t remember anything in the house that showed that she actually lived there. The room she had put me in was plain and undecorated. There were no family pictures or personal belongings in the house, and just where the hell were her parents?

    Drowned in thoughts, I picked up the television remote and pointed it at the television screen absent-mindedly. A new drama was playing, this must be what Eiji was talking about in class the other day. After the episode finished, I switched off the television and looked up at the time. It was already getting close to sunset. I guess school would have finished by now.

    Let''s see if Eiji had called. I stood up and was about to walk into my bedroom when I froze. My phone¡­ it was at Luna''s house. I remembered she had left it on the counter yesterday. Images of last night flashed in my mind and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. I would have to go to her house and get it back¡­ There was no other choice.

    I grabbed my wallet and a coat before leaving my apartment and heading for Luna''s place. The walk took only a while and when I arrived the sun was still up. I stopped behind another street and scanned the area thoroughly for anything suspicious before proceeding ahead. It just looked like a normal neighbourhood from here and Luna''s house seemed to blend in perfectly with the rest of the houses.

    I took a deep breath and walked anxiously into the front steps of her house, stopping at her door to take another breath. The neighbourhood was extremely quiet, there was not even a single insect crying or a bird chirping. I raised a shaky hand and touched the knuckles of my hands against the cold sturdy wood. Too soft. I knocked again, this time, loud enough to make a noise. I waited for a minute straining my ears to hear the sounds of footsteps but there was no response.

    "L-Luna," I called shakily, "I left my phone at your house¡­"

    I waited for another minute but again there was no response. I decided to knock one more time before just forgetting about it. When my hand hit the wooden surface of the door, I heard a soft creak and I jumped back startled by the noise. The door had slightly opened and it took me a while before I realised that it had been unlocked the whole time. Maybe she hadn''t even gotten back home yet. I couldn''t remember if I had locked the door before I left last night.

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    "Luna?" I called again as I slowly pushed opened the door, walking in to the darkness. I found the switch on the wall and flicked the lights on, closing the door behind me. I saw my phone on the counter where Luna had placed it and I walked towards the counter.

    What happened next took me completely by surprise. I heard the sounds of rapid footsteps coming my way for a split second before someone grabbed me by the throat and slammed me against the wall on the side. The force of my skull hitting against the wall knocked my vision out and all I could see was a hazy red for a good few seconds.

    I could hear the person talking to me but I couldn''t make out any words, just a loud ringing noise inside my ears. I felt their grip loosening on my throat and I fell down on my knees hitting the floor gasping for air.

    "¡ªare you? Where is she?" I heard the voice saying as my vision gradually recovered. I felt blood trickling down from the back of my head and I raised a hand rubbing the sides of my neck. I couldn''t think properly and when they pulled me back up to my feet, I saw a girl around Luna''s age with light skin and a pair of vividly emerald eyes looking at me. She had light blue hair that went down below her shoulders and she wore a long jumper falling over a short skirt and black stockings.

    She was really pretty.

    "Who are you?" The girl repeated in an unhappy tone. I could see she was getting frustrated as apparently I wasn''t the one she was aiming for but I sort of had an idea who her actual target was.

    "I''m¡­ uh¡­" Quick! Think, Ryo! Think! I opened my mouth and said the first thing that came to mind. "Are you interested in a subscription for the Asahi Shimbun?" The Asahi Shimbun was a newspaper.

    I had no idea why I said that. The girl tilted her head slightly to the left and looked at me with a confused look. I felt a sweat roll down my temple.

    "Look, uh I''m sorry about intruding into your house like that but the door was unlocked and I was just worried that something was going on¡­" I drifted off looking into her eyes praying for a miracle. There was no doubt this girl was after Luna and for all I know she could be as strong as Ichiro. I had to buy some time before she came back.

    "Aren''t you supposed to have a business card?" She asked doubtfully. I noticed the colour of her eyes growing dull as she moved back giving me some space.

    "I, uh-"

    At that moment, the door flew open and I saw a figure shrouded in a dark tattered cloak walking in. The figure pulled down his hood and I felt my heart drop. It was Ichiro.

    "Ichiro." The girl said moving her attention away from me. "What are you doing here?"

    Ichiro looked at her for a second with a solemn expression before glancing towards my direction. Oh no, I''m going to die now. He looked back at the girl. "Mayu¡­ I thought I told you, I would take care of Luna."

    The girl called Mayu looked at Ichiro with a disbelieving look before laughing. "You don''t honestly think that I''m just going to sit back and watch after you''ve already tried and failed."

    "Mayu, you won''t defeat Luna." Ichiro said bitterly. He glanced back in my direction. "And that boy¡ª"

    "Shut up, Ichiro! I will be the one to bring Luna back!" Mayu pouted angrily clenching her fists. I could see her eyes growing back to the vividly emerald colour I had seen before. "You don''t know anything!!"

    Her voice exploded on the last note and it echoed in the empty house. I heard the sounds of birds flying away outside. Ichiro waited for complete silence before he slowly took a step forward. I saw him place a hand down on the handle of his katana. "I''ll let this go if you leave now."

    Oh good, now we could get out of here before Ichiro actually got serious.

    Mayu smiled. "I''ve been waiting to kick your ass for a while now actually."

    I couldn''t believe it. Was she serious? I turned my head towards Mayu in disbelief and saw her smiling. Ichiro pulled out his blade slowly and the sound of metal scratching against metal pierced the air. Mayu didn''t even flinch. When his blade was drawn, Ichiro gave Mayu a stern glare.

    "You know I don''t go easy on anyone." He said coldly.

    "Good¡­" Mayu said walking across her side, her eyes watching Ichiro. "Cause I don''t either!"

    She flicked a kitchen knife out of its case from the counter of the table and leaped forwards catching the knife in the air as she did so. Ichiro slashed his blade quickly across his side but Mayu swerved under the blow, throwing the knife up towards his chin. He stepped back and Mayu dashed away from the backslash that followed Ichiro''s step. A table on the side was sliced into pieces as his katana collided.

    Mayu rolled under another sweeping stroke and managed to get behind Ichiro. She ripped the knife across his shoulder and blood splattered across the floor along with the motion of her knife. She jumped back before Ichiro could retaliate. I could see a short gash across his shoulder but he showed no signs of pain.

    I had no idea what I was supposed to do. The door was over to their side and I didn''t want to risk becoming sashimi by running across in the middle of their fight. Mayu ran forward, throwing the kitchen knife ahead and pulling out her own knife from behind her skirt. Ichiro stepped to his side avoiding the kitchen knife and Mayu threw herself over his head with a jump, lashing out at his neck as she did so. The kitchen knife she threw bounced off the wall and landed in front of me.

    She missed his neck and landed behind him. Her feet slipped on impact and she took a split second to catch herself. "Shit¡ª"

    Not missing his chance, Ichiro raced backwards and swung his katana across her legs. She jumped over the blade but fell back down as her left feet got caught in the strike. I heard her petite body crashing into the floor as blood flew into the air. Ichiro towered over her and picked her up by the throat. She tried slashing at his hand but he hurled her across the room before the blade could connect and she slammed into my side of the room with a loud bang.

    Mayu pulled herself out of the wall, coughing blood and Ichiro lunged for her. She dived under him just in time and kicked him into the wall before retreating a few steps back clutching her wounded leg. I could see a deep gash where Ichiro''s blade had struck, severing her movement greatly.

    Ichiro flung away from the wall and towards Mayu posing his katana in front of him. She defended the blow with her knife, tearing herself away from him. A loud piercing noise erupted from Ichiro''s katana and I remembered that his blade vibrated with every hit it made. He slashed upwards into the ceiling and the lights were cut off. Darkness instantly filled the room. I heard Mayu let out a sharp cry and something was flung across the room. I could hear objects being thrown around as the two battled it out but my eyes weren''t adjusted to the darkness yet. Just what the hell was going on?

    The lights flickered on for a second igniting sparks from above and I could see that Ichiro had caught Mayu by the throat again, this time her knife was on the floor. There was a new cut across the side of Ichiro''s neck but it wasn''t deep enough to cause any serious damage. She was lifted off her feet by just Ichiro''s left hand and she struggled desperately in the air to break the grip.

    "Almost." Ichiro said emotionlessly touching his neck. He tightened his grip across Mayu''s neck and I heard her gasping as saliva dribbled down her chin. This continued on for about a few more seconds before my mind snapped back awake. She was actually going to die! Ichiro wasn''t letting go and it seemed there was nothing she could do. I could see the life slipping out of her emerald eyes as they grew duller.

    I didn''t know what I was thinking. All that I knew was that this girl was about to die if I didn''t do anything. I picked up the kitchen knife that she had thrown on to the floor and ran for Ichiro.

 Chapter 13 - Meeting

    I picked up the knife from the ground and ran for Ichiro. He glanced towards me and my heart dropped. I wasn''t close enough, he was definitely going to dodge it. But he didn''t. I saw surprise flash across his face as the blade sunk into flesh. Ichiro let out a short gasp. Mayu''s lifeless body hit the ground with a thud as he released his grip and I took a step back still not sure what happened.

    The hand I used to hold the knife was covered in blood and Ichiro stood swaying to his side, a fatigued expression on his face. He pulled the knife out of the wound and fell down on his knees coughing blood. The sound of the knife clattering on the floor shook me awake and I jumped up alert. What the hell was I doing? I had to get out of here before he recovered.

    I saw Ichiro giving me a deathly glare behind the streaks of brown hair falling over his eyes before his eyes drooped and he collapsed on the ground, unconscious. I guess I must had hit something important because he stayed motionless on the ground. I waited a full minute staring at his unmoving body before clambering towards Mayu. My legs were shaking uncontrollably and my face was covered in sweat. It was the first time I had actually hurt someone seriously in my life. I could still remember the gruesome feeling of the steel blade sinking into flesh.

    Mayu was laying face first down on the floor with her hair covering her face. I could see her hand stretched out towards the knife that she had dropped even when she was unconscious. I guess it must had been important.

    I picked up her knife and turned back to Mayu thinking about what to do. I shook my head, mustered my courage and turned her body over carefully so that she wasn''t lying face first. Her head tilted towards me and I felt my heart skip a beat. She was actually pretty cute and I fell in a hypnotised trance staring at her slightly parting lips.

    "H-hey, are you ok?" I croaked. My voice was dry. She didn''t reply and her eyes didn''t open. I passed a hand over her nose. Breathing. She was still alive. I let out a sigh of relief.

    I glanced behind me at Ichiro''s unconscious body and back at Mayu. It was obvious that I had to get us out of here. There was no telling what Ichiro might do to us when he wakes up. It was simply a stroke of luck that I had somehow managed to even get close to him with the knife. I was still dazzled as to why I was still alive and not lying on the ground in two separate pieces. I thought he was definitely going to dodge my attack.

    I washed the blood from my hands at the kitchen sink before I pulled Mayu onto my back, picking up her knife with me. I left by the front door, closing the door behind me and headed back to my apartment. I wondered where Luna was. The sun was setting and there were people walking around in the streets. I felt the eyes of passerbys as I walked from street to street carrying Mayu on my back.

    When I got back to my apartment, I closed the door behind me and turned on the lights. Luna wasn''t here and it didn''t seem like she had stopped by either. Everything was exactly where I had left it. I let out a sigh of relief and walked into my bedroom, laying Mayu down on my bed gently. She was surprisingly light even though she was so strong. I could hardly believe that this girl had actually pinned me against the wall with a single hand.

    I went to the living room and placed the knife down on the kitchen counter. It resembled a dagger of some sort and it was in a strangely sculpted silver casing. The handle was designed elegantly to fit petite fingers. I tried gripping it. Nope, it didn''t fit my hand.

    I felt something trickling down my back and I touched it, looking at my hand to see what it was. Blood. I ran back into my room and looked at Mayu then down at her leg. I had completely forgotten the wound that Ichiro had given her when she slipped on her jump.

    Blood was beginning to soak up the spot where her leg laid. I felt my stomach curling at the sight of blood but I swallowed and dashed to the bathroom, returning with some disinfectants and a bunch of bandages.

    I sprayed the disinfectant on the open gash, wincing as I did so before wiping the wound down with a towel. It was a deep cut. I wrapped the bandages around her leg and marvelled at my handiwork. I had no idea whether I should call an ambulance or not. The blood was slowing down and I suddenly envisioned back when Luna had cut herself and urged me strongly not to call the hospital.

    Mayu was breathing heavily in long puffs and her face was hot. I could see sweat trickling down her face. I placed a hand down on her forehead and jumped back in surprise. She was burning.

    I grabbed an icepack from the kitchen fridge and placed it over her head in desperation. This wasn''t looking good. I had no idea what I was doing and I wasn''t a medical expert. Maybe I should call Eiji for help¡­ No good. He would want an explanation and I didn''t want to drag him along with me into this mess. It was enough that I had gotten myself into this trouble.

    After the icepack had melted, Mayu was still sweating all over her body and I could see it beginning to soak into my bed. I had a plan at the back of my mind that I didn''t want to use but there was no choice now. I picked her up from the bed and took her to the bathroom, my heart pounding against my chest.

    I laid her body down on the floor of the bathroom before drawing a deep breath to calm myself down. Relax, Ryo. This was for medical purposes only. I closed my eyes and removed her clothes trying my best not to touch anywhere unnecessary. What the hell was I doing? Seriously. Here I was stripping an unconscious girl naked in the floor of my bathroom. It was hard not to feel like a perverted freak.

    When it was all done, I lifted her body up and placed her gently in the bathtub still taking careful measures to avoid her privates. I felt my face growing red as my hand made contact with her naked skin, she felt so fragile and her skin seemed flawlessly smooth despite the scratches on her body. She was covered in sweat from head to toe and I felt the heat radiating from her. When I managed to get her into the bathtub, I turned on the cold water.

    Her face sank halfway down the water with a painful expression. Her breathing started slowing down and I grabbed a towel, wiping her face clean. Her temperature was beginning to drop now and I could see her body relaxing. Thank god. I grabbed her old clothes and left the apartment, throwing them in the washing room downstairs.

    I returned back to my apartment and pulled some of my clothes from the drawer. There really wasn''t a choice. Her old clothes were covered in blood. I went back into the bathroom and carried Mayu out of the bathtub with my eyes closed, setting her down on a chair. I got a towel to wipe her clean before pulling a shirt over her head and a pair of shorts.

    I almost even felt satisfied with the feat I had accomplished. I carried Mayu back to my bedroom, changing the stained sheets before laying her down. I was about to leave the room when I heard a soft cough coming from the bed.

    I turned around and found myself staring into Mayu''s eyes. Her light blue hair still damp fell over her emerald eyes and she was sitting up on the bed with half her face covered by the blanket she held to her face.

    "You saved me¡­" She trailed off, her voice slightly muffled behind the blankets. Her eyes stared fixedly into mine and my brain seemed to hit a blank as I realised the reality of the situation. I had kidnapped a girl, taken her into my house, stripped her naked, gave her a shower and dressed her in my clothes. I felt very guilty all of a sudden.

    "I-I didn''t look." I blurted out.

    She looked at me confused then down under her blankets. I saw her face turning red. She lowered a hand under her clothes looking for something. Apparently it wasn''t there because she turned back to me cowering more of her face behind the blankets. I could see her face blushing wildly and her eyes seemed to refuse to look into mine.

    "D-did you¡­?" She said pulling the blankets closer towards her.

    "I uh¡­ well your body was really hot." I answered without really thinking. Mayu''s face grew even redder. It took me a few seconds before I realised the gravity of my words. "No, I mean your temperature-"

    I heard a knock from the door and I let out my breath in relief. Now I can buy some time to think how I was going to explain the whole mess.

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    "Wait a second, I''ll get the door." I told Mayu, turning around. I walked to the door and unlocked it. "Who is-"

    My eyes met a pair of violet eyes and I felt my breath waver. Luna stood in front of me wearing a short dress and her hair was tied up neatly.

    "L-Luna¡­" I said looking at her bewildered.

    "Ryo." Luna said tilting her head with a cheerful smile on her face. "Don''t worry about yesterday, I was just joking."

    I didn''t know what to say. I found myself grasping for words. Mayu was in my bedroom right now.

    "Jeez." Luna frowned looking up at me. "Are you going to let me in or what?"

    "Uh."

    She walked past me and I turned around. "Wait!"

    Mayu was standing by my bedroom door with the blankets wrapped around her and Luna stopped.

    Mayu looked at Luna for a split second then she dashed towards the kitchen counter throwing the blankets onto the ground. Luna sprinted forward, her hand pulling out a knife from behind her skirt. I heard a sharp flick as Luna pulled the blade out and she leaped forward throwing the blade towards Mayu''s neck.

    Mayu slammed the counter and her encased dagger flew up in the air towards her, she caught it and managed to block Luna''s blade by a mere inch away from her neck. She pushed Luna back against her blade and unsheathed her dagger before jumping over Luna, landing at a safe distance away.

    The bandages on Mayu''s leg had fallen loose but I could see the wound was already resealing after only a few hours.

    "What are you doing with Ryo, Mayu?" Luna asked darkly. "Do you want to die?"

    "Ryo?" Mayu repeated. She looked at me then back at Luna. "Is he your boyfriend?"

    Luna stayed silent but her eyes scanned the room, seemingly to study the environment.

    "Ryo doesn''t like you." Mayu said. Luna''s concentration broke and she looked up at Mayu.

    "Y-you''re wrong."

    Mayu walked towards me slowly, her eyes on Luna. "Ryo was sleeping with me while you were gone."

    "W-what?!" I said.

    "It''s true." Mayu said with a playful smile, then she pointed at her clothes. "He undressed me and saw everything."

    "That''s not true..." Luna''s voice faltered. Her grip on the knife loosened.

    "Why do you think I''m wearing his clothes?" Mayu stood next to me, she leaned her head towards me and I saw her lips moving close.

    Luna bolted towards us at an insane speed. Mayu pushed me out of the way just in time and I fell backwards on the floor while she stepped to the side avoiding Luna''s attack. Mayu jumped out of the way of another of Luna''s strike and landed on the top of my kotatsu table. I could see her wincing and I realised that her leg had not actually recovered yet. The wound had reopened and blood was seeping out of it as a result of her rapid movement.

    Luna charged forward again and Mayu fended off multiple strikes while twirling her dagger around her.

    "You''re not a very good fighter when you''re angry, Luna." Mayu said. I saw blood fly in the air along with Luna''s knife and Luna let out a cry as she jumped backwards holding onto the hand she had held her knife with. I could see a small cut across the top of her fingers. The knife landed with a clatter on the ground next to Luna.

    Luna slowly raised her fingers to her nose and sniffed it. "Cyanide."

    "Bingo." Mayu winked. "A small cut like that wouldn''t faze people of our calibre but if absorbed enough, cyanide will interfere with the red cells ability to extract oxygen leading to internal asphyxia."

    "Naturally nothing much would happen at first but you''ll soon notice every breath you take getting harder and harder. Muscle movement stiffens, dizziness and convulsions can follow." Mayu stared at Luna with an unforgiving look. "Eventually even breathing gets too hard, moving would be simply impossible and at the end you''ll be clawing at your neck for air."

    I was jolted by the memory of Ichiro''s surprise when I was running for him. He wasn''t surprised that I was charging at him, he was surprised that he couldn''t move, perhaps he had realised he wasn''t even breathing. If Mayu hadn''t slipped on that jump, it was possible that she could have been the one to kill Ichiro.

    Luna walked back to her knife picking it up with her left hand. Her right hand where she was cut had turned pale.

    "Ryo." Luna said staring away from me. "You didn''t sleep with her, right?"

    "No, I didn''t..." I replied.

    Luna''s eyes grew back to its vivid violet and I saw Mayu''s emerald eyes glowing in response. They stared at each other in silence for a while. Luna was the one to move first. She dashed forward poising her knife close to her face with the blade pointing downwards. She unleashed the blade forward and Mayu deflected it with her dagger, pulling the blades towards Luna''s side.

    Luna twisted to her side throwing the knife across her shoulder, Mayu ducked under the blade and jabbed her dagger forward in repetitive successions. Luna swayed from side to side, dodging the strikes as she moved forward pressuring Mayu against the wall. I saw Mayu stumbling on her own feet as Luna rained a volley of strikes at Mayu, all of which were aimed at vital points.

    Mayu tried to step past Luna''s side but Luna cut her short sending her knife out at Mayu''s shoulder. I saw her wincing in pain as blood splattered down onto the floor. Luna continued to pressure her against the wall with a relentless barrage of slashes. I could see Mayu beginning to wear down and her movements were getting slower as she was forced to move back with her injured leg.

    On the last step before she hit the wall, Mayu jumped towards the wall and used it as a stepping block to push herself over Luna. She managed to pull Luna down by her shoulders midway in the jump making her trip over. As soon as Mayu landed, she stabbed her knife down at Luna''s head but Luna managed to roll away just in time.

    Luna pushed herself off the ground and jumped at Mayu whirling her blade across her. She was cut on the back by the attack and I heard Mayu let out a muffled cry. Luna didn''t stop, she landed gracefully at Mayu''s side and continued pursuing Mayu against the wall.

    The sound of metal clashing filled the air as their blades collided endlessly. Although Mayu was faster than Luna, Luna could predict her movements easily controlling the flow of the fight. Luna threw a feint at Mayu''s shoulder and used her evasion to slash out at Mayu''s neck. Mayu barely managed to stop her movement in time to swing her head out of the attack.

    She was barely avoiding most of Luna''s attack whereas Luna twirled her body gracefully past Mayu''s strikes with ease. Luna threw a kick towards Mayu''s side catching her off guard and sent her flying towards the wall. She crashed against the wall and I saw her coughing blood on impact.

    Luna swung herself towards Mayu before she had a chance to recover. Mayu slipped her blade from hand to hand deflecting Luna''s attack. Luna was using only one hand to overpower her. Mayu slipped on her injured leg and Luna took advantage of her mistake to pull her forward cutting her wrist.

    Mayu pushed herself away, retreating from Luna''s assault and looked down at her wounded hand. It was a short cut on her wrist but Mayu had a horrified expression on her face.

    "There are other ways to immobilise the human body." Luna said. "Severing the link between the wrist muscles and hand for example."

    I saw Luna bolting forward again and Mayu weaved away from another cut at her neck just in time. Eventually Mayu tripped over as she was stepping backwards away from more impending blows and Luna shot her knife at Mayu''s neck again. This time she made a slight cut on the side of Mayu''s neck as Mayu tried to roll away from the strike.

    Luna ran forward slashing every stroke of her knife at Mayu''s neck. She dodged the cuts but her own attacks were not even close to connecting. I was certain now that Luna knew precisely what Mayu was going to do.

    Mayu jumped back towards me, her legs shaking and Luna dashed forward. Blood flew in the air and Mayu fell down on her back with a painful cry. I saw her dagger fling across the room stabbing itself into the wall.

    Mayu had lost.

 Chapter 14 - Ashens

    "What did you say about you and Ryo again?"

    Luna''s eyes glowed violently in the sudden dark that followed the fight. The sun had setted now and the rays of sunlight that once fell through the window were now disappearing at a rapid rate. Luna moved towards Mayu in a single step and grabbed a fistful of her hair. Before I knew it, Luna lifted Mayu off her feet by her hair.

    "How dare you try to touch Ryo''s lips with your filthy mouth..." Luna said, her voice shaking with anger. She rose her knife in her other hand, pointing the tip towards Mayu''s face. "I''m going to tear your face apart and cut you like a pig."

    "L-Luna, STOP!" I ran up and grabbed her hand preparing to wrench the knife away from her but at my touch, Luna released her grip on both Mayu and her knife.

    "Ryo, why do you keep stopping me?!" Luna let out frustratingly. Her voice started breaking and I saw tears beginning to well up in her eyes. "I love you sooo much and even so you do this to me? H-How could you...?"

    "This girl is a WHORE. She''ll do anything to pull us apart!" Luna continued straining her voice. "Don''t let her trick you with her looks. She is just trying to USE you!"

    I looked at her and she looked back at me breathing in heavy puffs refusing to look away. Her hair that was once neatly combed and tied when she entered the apartment, had come messily undone and hair was plastered across her cheeks sticking to the sweat.

    "Luna... please..." I started off slowly. "You promised me you wouldn''t kill anyone."

    She bit her lips and looked down at Mayu. I followed her eyes. Mayu''s body was quivering in a heap of sweat and blood, the final slash that Luna had given her caught Mayu by the waist. Dark blood was oozing out from the wound and onto the floor. It almost seemed fatal.

    "I didn''t hit any organs." Luna said still looking down at Mayu''s body.

    I looked at her surprised and grateful. Maybe she wasn''t so crazy after all. "Luna..."

    "I didn''t want her to have such a quick death after what she tried to do to you." Luna continued. "She doesn''t deserve to die so easily. She should had been torn apart."

    The sudden gratitude I had for Luna quickly disappeared. I couldn''t believe I even thought for one second that there was a speck of sanity in that mind of hers.

    "She''ll be fine." Luna said. "I''m going out."

    And with that, Luna turned her back and left the apartment. I watched as she closed the door shut behind her and I waited a full minute listening to her footsteps fade away.

    Realising I had held my breath the entire time, I exhaled in relief. She was gone... at least for now. Snapping back to reality, I turned towards Mayu and scurried over to examine the full damage done. I grimaced at the sight. There was a lot of blood and it was hard to tell for any serious wounds except for the one on her waist by Luna and the other on her leg by Ichigo. Her eyes were closed and I could hear her panting, her chest moving up and down with each breath.

    "Mayu..." I called out softly but she didn''t respond. I moved closer. "You alright?"

    Still she didn''t respond. Of course she wasn''t alright. She was covered in blood and had just taken a knife to the waist. What a pointless question. I had no idea why I asked that. Feeling like an idiot and still worried about the amount of blood she was losing, I got up to prepare some bandages.

    Before I could stand up, a hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me back down. I looked at Mayu. Her eyes were open and tears were falling down her cheeks. Her lips were shaking as she spoke. "D-don''t leave me."

    She pulled me into a tight hug and I heard her sniffling. I felt the blood from her clothes seeping into mine but I barely felt it. I couldn''t believe Mayu was crying. She had appeared so strong and arrogant when fighting Ichiro and Luna that this person who was now crying right in front of me didn''t seem like Mayu.

    "S-she was really going to kill me." Mayu said, her voice muffled. "I-I was going to die."

    I tried to pat her back and be as supportive as I could, but no words came out of my mouth. I simply didn''t know what to say. I waited until Mayu cooled down and drifted back into a semi conscience state before I decided to move.

    I had to clean her up. If I had done it once then I could do it again. I picked Mayu up carefully off the ground and carried her to the bathroom. Turning on the shower head, I rinsed the blood off her body as best as I could. Once satisfied, I wrapped bandages around the wound and again dressed her in my spare clothes, taking her to my bedroom to rest. I laid her down gently onto one side of the bed and sat down on the other. There was not much else I could do now. I wondered where Luna was. She had said she was going out for a walk but it''s been over an hour now and still she was not back. I hoped that meant that she wasn''t coming back.

    I laid down on the bed to rest for a while. It was tough work carrying Mayu around the house, cleaning her up and fixing all her wounds. I felt completely exhausted. I still had to set up a place for me to sleep in the living room. I guess I could just close my eyes and relax for a minute or two. I wondered why Luna is being chased by Mayu and Ichiro. And why does she seem to be so skilled in combat? Nothing made sense and the more I thought about it the more my head hurt. Eventually I dozed off to a sleep.

    In my dream I was being chased but I didn''t know by what. I just kept running and running. I tried to turn back to see but all there was, was darkness. Complete utter darkness. It frightened me. There was a beam of light in front of me that I was trying to reach but no matter how long or fast I ran, it always seemed to be the same distance away from me. I cried for help but there was nothing but the echo of my voice repeating back to me. No one here. Nothing.

    I woke up staring into emerald. It blinked at me. And I moved back. "W-What the?"

    It was Mayu. She looked at me confused and I looked back at her surprised. There was sunlight entering the window and the bed had little trace of blood. Surprising for someone that had a severe cut on the waist. Mayu picked herself from the bed and yawned.

    "Thanks for taking care of me last night." She said. Mayu got up from the bed and headed to the living room.

    "Where''s my clothes?" Mayu asked, looking around.

    "Uh, I threw them in the wash, I''ll go get them for you." I said following her out to the living room.

    She blinked at me and I quickly hurried outside the apartment and down to the washing room. I got her clothes back up to the apartment and held it out to her. She grabbed them with a thank you and went into the bathroom to change. I waited for her to finish.

    When she was done, she stepped out of the bathroom and I looked up at her from the kotatsu table.

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    "Thanks for everything, Ryo." Mayu said quietly. "I better get out of here before Luna comes back."

    She moved towards the door but I grabbed her hand. "Wait..."

    "You''re just going to leave? After all that happened?" I exclaimed. "I saw your wounds reseal itself at a rate that was inhuman. At least tell me why you and Ichiro are chasing Luna or how the three of you are so strong, and more importantly who... what are you?!"

    Mayu looked at me and sighed. "Do you really want to know?"

    I swallowed. "Yes."

    She turned around from the door and sat herself down at the kotatsu table quietly.

    "Look... this... all these things..." Mayu said. "Luna, Ichiro and me. We aren''t like you."

    "What do you mean?" I asked scared.

    She sighed again and got up for the kitchen. She returned with a knife.

    "W-what?" I moved away from her but Mayu laughed at me.

    "I''m not going to stab you, silly." Mayu pouted as she sat back at the table with me. But I pushed myself further away from her and saw a flash of hurt across Mayu''s face but it disappeared in a second.

    "Look." Mayu said. She lifted her free hand up and made a cut across her forearm.

    "W-What are you doing?!" I jumped back towards her and grabbed her hand. It was a short cut but blood was already flowing from the wound.

    Mayu laughed at me again. "Relax, Ryo. Just wait a second."

    I tried to say something but all of a sudden, Mayu''s face looked very serious. She stared at her forearm fixedly and her eyes began to take on an eerie glow. I held my breath and watched her wound.

    The blood stopped seeping out and it began to reseal itself. I looked in disbelief. "H-how?"

    When the once bloody cut on her arm became a scar, Mayu closed her eyes. She opened them again and I saw the usual dull emerald blinking back at me. "That was synthesis."

    I looked at her confused. "Synthesis?"

    "It''s an ability we Ashens share," Mayu replied.

    "What are... Ashens?" I asked pausing at the word.

    "Project Ashen was an initiative by the Japanese military during World War II. It was planned to be a means of creating supersoldiers for combat via human genetic engineering." Mayu said. "Little did we know, the Americans had already created the Atomic bomb."

    She laughed eerily. "Only high ranking officials knew about the operation so when Japan surrendered to the bombings and most of the Japanese government were executed for war crimes, naturally the project was lost and all documents relating to Project Ashens were destroyed in the process."

    "The project had always been underground and with everyone who knew about it in the above, dead. It was shrouded in even more secrecy. The Americans never found out about Project Ashens, and it continued running alone." Mayu stopped.

    "It was during the bombings that the research had come to a revolution." Mayu looked at me. "It had discovered something truly amazing. Something that could actually make supersoldiers a reality. Something that would heighten all five senses of the human brain."

    "Do you know what that is?" Mayu asked.

    I shook my head.

    "Emotions." Mayu whispered. "Mankind''s greatest weakness. Without emotions... humans were essentially perfect creatures. There would be unlimited potential to unlock."

    "Imagine a man without fear, pain, anger, greed, envy, pride, lust or idleness. It would be like an unstoppable train. The strings that once held the human mind and body behind would be broken." Mayu said. "And with the lack of emotions, we discovered that all five senses of perception heightened dramatically as a counterbalance to the void."

    "Try closing your eyes." Mayu told me.

    I did as I was told.

    "Do you notice your other four senses of perception heightening? Hearing, smell, touch, taste." Mayu said. "It is the same concept, by cutting off a major sensory part of the brain like emotion, the five senses of perception heighten to compensate for the lost of a sense."

    "That is what the research discovered." Mayu said as she got up for the kitchen. I looked at her dumbfoundedly as she rinsed the blood off her forearm along with the knife. "They did this through genetic engineering and impairing the limbic system in the brain."

    Mayu sighed putting down her arm and looking upwards. "Luna, Ichiro and me... are subjects of Project Ashen."

    I didn''t know what to say. I was at a loss for words. "S-so you''re telling me... you''re all part of this secret organisation?"

    Mayu turned to me and smiled bitterly. "We''re simply subjects."

    She finished rinsing the blood off her hand and wiped her hand dry on a cloth. She was right. The wound had completely healed now without so much as a scar.

    "Anything else you want to know?" She asked as she stepped back into the living room looking at me.

    I hesitated for a second. "Do you have any emotions?"

    Mayu''s face went dark at my question.

    "Little." She answered. "Complete impairment of human emotions has still not been perfected. Most subjects have differing levels of emotions. The most potent Ashens have the least emotions while the ones with higher levels of emotions are the weakest."

    She paused. "I''m going to go now." Mayu stated. She headed towards the door.

    "Wait!" I called.

    She stopped but didn''t turn back.

    "If you have no emotions... if you truly have no emotions." I said. I saw a flashback of Mayu crying in my head. "Why did you smile? Why did you laugh?... why did you cry?"

    Mayu went silent. I sat there staring at her for an answer. I couldn''t believe that she didn''t have any emotions. It wasn''t possible. She was smiling and laughing like a normal person not long ago. There was no way that she didn''t have emotions. Did that mean Luna also had no emotions? Why did she do all those things then? Why did Luna say she loved me?

    Mayu let out a breath. "Ashens are created in test tubes. As soon as we are born, we are placed into a procedural upbringing of lab tests and strict training. The pretence of emotions is simply a skill taught for Ashens to adapt to social settings and manipulate enemies."

    She turned back to look at me with a blank look on her face.

    "Bye, Ryo."

 Chapter 15 - Help

    "Wait, Mayu!" I called out and ran for the closing door. It closed in my face before I could reach it and I jerked it open only to be welcomed by the sight of an empty balcony and the peaceful chirps of birds. She was gone.

    I let out a breath and went back inside my apartment, closing the door behind me before falling down to a slump leaning my back on the door. I could not believe what Mayu had told me. If what she said was true... then she and Luna shouldn''t have emotions. I cringed at the thought as a flash of Luna''s face crossed my mind. So she didn''t love me after all. It was all an act? A sudden wave of sadness fell over me and I shook my head in frustration.

    I pulled myself together and got off the floor looking up at the time. I was supposed to be at school but I had missed it again. School seemed like the bottom of my priorities with everything going on right now. I turned on the television and sat down looking at the screen but not really watching. I was piecing together everything Mayu had told me in my head.

    Hours passed and I sat there staring mindlessly at the flicker of images projected by the television. The news was still talking about the massacre in the warehouse but police have refused to answer questions. I yawned and continued to think about the situation. Luna was an Ashen. Ashens are supersoldiers enhanced by their lack of emotions and creation through the lab via genetic engineering. Luna had escaped from the project. Mayu and Ichiro were Ashens sent by the project to retrieve her... And then it hit me. Luna was in grave danger.

    I shot up from my sit shocked by the discovery. I had to help her. I grabbed my keys and left the apartment. I didn''t know where she was and I didn''t know how I could help her but I knew one person I could rely on.

    I arrived at Eiji''s apartment. I knocked on the door loudly and waited impatiently.

    "Eiji!" I cried. "Open the door!"

    I knocked again and heard the sounds of shuffling from within the door. Within a few moments, the door swung open to reveal a confused looking Eiji.

    "Ryo?" He asked confused. "Where were you? You haven''t been to school in ages..."

    "Look, there''s something I need to tell you." I said in a rush. "Can I come in?"

    I didn''t wait for an answer and brushed myself past him and into his apartment. Eiji closed the door behind me and sat with me at the table.

    "What''s wrong?" He asked. He knew that whatever it was I had to tell him, it was serious.

    I took a breath. "It''s Luna."

    He looked at me and I looked back at him.

    "What is it...?" Eiji asked in a cautious tone. "Did you..."

    He paused.

    "What?" I asked.

    "She''s not pregnant, is she?" Eiji finished.

    I looked at him with a hysterical look on my face. "W-what? No!"

    Eiji let out a breath of relief and laughed. "If it''s not that then everything is good then I suppose."

    "No Eiji, you''ve got to hear me out," I said and he stopped laughing. I tried to think of the right words to say. "Luna... is not human."

    Eiji''s face broke out again and he resumed laughing. "Come on, Ryo. Who do you take me for? I''ve known you for years. You expect me to believe that?"

    "No, Eiji seriously." I pressed on a bit frustrated. I knew this was going to be hard to explain.

    Eiji gave me a second chance and tried to be serious once again as I told him the whole story of what Mayu had told me. When I had finished, he was silent and there was a sudden solemn atmosphere in the air.

    "If what you said is true..." Eiji finally broke the silence. "Then you need to go straight to the police. They''ll find the right authorities to handle this."

    I sighed. "Won''t you listening? Project Ashens is a highly classified military operative that practically no one in Japan know about. Even if I go to the police they''ll never believe me."

    "You should still tell the police. It is their job to investigate every case taken to them seriously." Eiji said. "They''ll know if the story is true if they can study Luna."

    I grimaced and Eiji noticed my reaction.

    "You..." Eiji said. "You want to protect Luna?"

    I paused for a second. "Yes." I answered firmly.

    Eiji stared at me silently thinking about everything I had told him before sighing. "Fine but I still don''t believe your story. It is simply unbelievable. Until I see with my very own eyes what super human powers Luna have, I can''t take you completely seriously."

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    "Eiji-"

    "I''m sorry, Ryo but you can''t expect me to believe everything you said without showing me some proof." Eiji stated.

    I hesitated and realised I had nothing to prove anything I said at all except for my words.

    "But you are still my best friend after all." Eiji continued. "And I can come with you if you want, to find Luna so I can see this whole ordeal myself."

    I nodded my head and with that, we left Eiji''s apartment together in search of Luna. We tried the warehouse where I had met Ichiro for the first time and to the house that Luna had claimed was hers but both places were empty and the sky was beginning to darken when we arrived back at my apartment to see if Luna had come back.

    She hadn''t. Eiji sighed and sat down at the kotatsu table with me. We were both exhausted from the search but Eiji was still determined to help me find Luna.

    "Where could she be..." Eiji mumbled to himself silently as he stared out the window.

    I tried to think of where Luna could be but nothing came to mind besides the places we had already searched. I flipped my phone from my pocket out of boredom and was surprised to realise I had received two text messages.

    Had a nightmare that I was kidnapped and you saved me! I even woke up with a sore neck. Miss you haha and going to the cinemas with you was super fun. Really want to do something like that again, give me a call if you''re not busy!

    Yumi

    "Someone''s having fun." Eiji said peeking over my screen.

    "W-we''re just friends." I muttered embarrassed as I pulled the phone away from his sight to read the second message.

    This is Luna.

    My heart stopped.

    This is Luna. I''m at Akane''s place. Come see me.

    unknown

    I swallowed and looked up at Eiji. He had resumed to staring blankly out at the window still thinking about where Luna was. This was it. I was sure this was Luna messaging me. I did not have Luna''s number on my phone but I knew she had mine. It seemed obvious now. She could not return back to my apartment now that Mayu knew where I lived so she went to Akane''s place.

    "Eiji." I said. He was still blankly staring at the window. "Eiji!"

    "What?" He shook his head and regained focus, looking at me.

    "I know where Luna is." I said. "She''s at Akane''s place."

    We had run out of my apartment and now stood panting in front of Akane''s house. We looked at each other and nodded. Luna was here. I could see lights on inside the house. We walked up to the doorstep and I hesitated for a second before knocking on the door.

    The door creaked open and an eye stared from the small opening at us. It was a dull violet colour and I instinctively knew it was Luna.

    "Luna!" I said and the door swung wide open.

    A figure swept forward and I heard Eiji let out a muffled cry before he collapsed onto the floor unconscious. Luna stood over his body nonchalantly, looked at me and frowned.

    "Why did you bring him here?" Luna asked, her dull violet eyes gazed into mine. She had knocked Eiji unconscious without so much as a blink of her eye.

    "We''re here to help you." I said angrily. "Mayu told me everything."

    "Oh...?" Luna questioned, her eyes didn''t falter at my declaration and suddenly I felt uncertain.

    "What did you do to Eiji?" I asked looking down at my friend.

    "Just made him sleep for a bit." Luna replied. "It was a punch to the solar plexus."

    I grimaced and pulled Eiji''s body up to lean onto me.

    "And what did she tell you?" Luna asked.

    "She told me about Project Ashens." I said.

    "Is that all?"

    I looked at her but she refused to let me in without an answer.

    "Yes..." I replied.

    Luna smiled at my answer. "Come in."

 Chapter 16 - Emotions

    Luna moved away from the door and I carried Eiji in. I saw Akane sitting at the living room watching television by herself. I laid Eiji onto the couch carefully.

    "Ryo."

    I heard Luna''s voice call from behind and I turned around to be tackled by a tight hug. Her hair went in my face because of her height. She smelled really nice as usual.

    "Luna?" I said trying to pull her off but I couldn''t.

    She didn''t reply. "You okay?" I asked looking down at her.

    "I''m sorry." She said. "About everything."

    "What are you talking about?" I asked.

    "I''m sorry for all the things I''ve done that you didn''t like." Luna said, her face was buried into my chest. "I just wanted to protect you..."

    I pushed her off me. She was caught by surprise and yelped at the strength I used.

    "Look, I know you don''t have emotions." I said. "Mayu told me all about it. How Ashens work."

    Luna looked at me with a quivering lower lip. "M-Mayu? She doesn''t know everything..."

    I refused to back down. "Just stop it, Luna. You were trained to imitate emotions so that you can interact normally. I know all about it."

    "That''s not true, Ryo..." Luna said with a hurt look on her face. "My feelings for you are real."

    "You''re lying." I said. "You don''t have emotions."

    Luna winced at my words and anger took over her face as she looked away. "That whore... I''ll kill her."

    I grabbed her shoulder. "Look, Luna. Mayu''s got nothing to do with it."

    Luna went silent for a while. "Do you like her?" Luna asked.

    "W-what? No." I stuttered surprised by her question.

    Luna pulled my arm towards her and pulled me into a hug again. "Don''t ever leave me for another girl, Ryo. I really love you so much, you mean everything to me."

    "I-I didn''t say I was leaving..."

    I felt her body relax against mine. "I can''t live without you." Luna breathed out. "I can''t imagine a world without you in it..."

    "Stop pretending to like me, Luna..." I muttered. Luna pulled away.

    "I''m not!" She cried and I could see tears in her eyes. She walked away from me tugging at the top of her head. "Can''t you see that I love you? Why would I pretend that I love you?!"

    I was at a loss for words. Luna seemed genuinely frustrated. I realised that she had nothing to gain by pretending to love me. But nothing made any sense. Mayu had told me that Ashens weren''t capable of emotions.

    "You''re hurting me, Ryo..." Luna said.

    "So what Mayu said..." I hesitated. "About Ashens. Is it true?

    "Yes..." Luna replied.

    "Then it is true that you don''t have any emotions?"

    "No!" Luna said immediately. I looked at her for an answer but she didn''t elaborate.

    "Explain."

    Luna looked stiff, she avoided my gaze. "It''s true that Ashens draw their power from their lack of emotions. Their heightened senses are a result of that and synthesis is only possible by the disconnection of emotions."

    "But most Ashens still have slight fragments of emotions." Luna continued. "Mayu must have told you already-"

    "The stronger an Ashen is." I interrupted. "The less connection to human emotions they have."

    "Yes." Luna said.

    "Are you a weak Ashen?" I asked realising this was the question to end it all.

    Luna looked at me and for a moment I saw a blank look on her face. Then she smiled and her face lit up. "Yes! Exactly!"

    It felt like a huge weight had been lift off me and suddenly I was happy. "So that''s why you have emotions?"

    "Yes!" Luna urged on cheerfully. I stopped to think about it for a moment while Luna disappeared into the kitchen. If Luna was a weak Ashen then it could explain why she had feelings for me.

    Luna came back to the living room with dishes of home cooked food and smiled at me. "Come sit with me and Akane at the table. We were just about to eat."

    I nodded at her and joined Akane at the table while Luna went back to the kitchen to finish up. Akane had a bitter look on her face. "Luna went through a lot of trouble to prepare dinner for you."

    "That''s nice of her." I laughed half-heartedly.

    "You better not hurt her..." Akane mumbled. "I don''t even know why she likes you in the first place."

    I was about to say something when Luna announced her return.

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    "Dinner is ready!" She exclaimed cheerfully as she placed down the plates of food. It was extremely well made and seemed to be the quality you''d expect at a restaurant. Akane ate in silence while Luna brightly chatted with me the whole time. There was extra food for Eiji but he was unconscious during the time we were eating.

    It was only until after we had finished eating that Eiji finally woke up.

    "Ryo?" He called from the couch and groaned. I went to see how he was doing and saw him clutching onto his upper stomach with his hand over his eyes. "W-what happened?"

    "Uh..." I looked at Luna but she merely winked at me, guess I had to tell him what happened. "Luna-"

    "You tripped over the doorstep and hit your hit on the ground." Luna interrupted.

    "Did I...?" Eiji said in a confused voice. "I don''t remember that..."

    "Yes, silly." Luna continued. "You''re lucky we were here to help you. It would have been unfortunate if there was no one around."

    Eiji shuffled on the couch uncomfortably and tried to get up but fell back down. "My stomach hurts."

    "Don''t worry, you can rest here for the night." Luna said. "Akane''s parents are overseas and she doesn''t mind."

    Akane frowned. "I thought we were only having Ryo over..."

    Luna turned her eyes towards Akane. "Do you mind if Eiji stays over?"

    "N-no... he can stay... if Luna wants..." Akane''s voice trailed off.

    "That''s settled then." Luna smiled then turned to me. "Ryo, you should stay over for the night since Eiji is here too. It''s also quite dark outside. I wouldn''t recommend walking home alone at this time."

    "I guess." I said unwillingly. It wasn''t my plan to stay overnight but since Eiji wouldn''t be able to go home in his condition, I would have to stay. I needed to find out more about Luna. I still didn''t know enough about the Ashens.

    "Akane will be sleeping in her own room. Eiji, you stay on the couch." Luna said as her voice got more excited. "Ryo and me will sleep in the guest room."

    "What?" Akane and I said at the same time. I thought I would be sleeping with Eiji in the living room. Akane had a look of jealousy on her face and her face got red.

    "Y-you can''t sleep with, Ryo. He''s a guy!" Akane said clenching her skirt.

    "Yeah." I agreed. "Maybe it''s not such a good idea."

    "You don''t want to sleep with me?" Luna asked pouting. I could tell she wasn''t going to take no for an answer. I shook my head reluctantly.

    Akane opened her mouth to say something but Luna waved her off.

    After we had all showered and dressed, Akane mumbled good night and closed the door of her bedroom leaving me and Luna alone in the guest room. The bed was bigger than I expected and I felt relieved knowing that I wouldn''t have to squish in with her as we did at my apartment. Akane''s family was pretty rich it seemed.

    I looked at Luna. She was wearing a semi-transparent negligee that was made of white fabric while I borrowed some spare guest pyjamas off Akane. I felt my heart skip a beat. Luna jumped on the bed first and made herself comfortable under the blankets. "Come here, Ryo." Luna said, hiding half her face under the blankets.

    I obliged hesitantly and set myself at the edge of the bed as far away from Luna as I could. I had my back turned towards her but she didn''t seem to mind. I peeked behind me and saw her staring up at the ceiling with her face red. She seemed content just to sleep in the same bed as me.

    "Ryo." Luna called, still staring up at the ceiling. I turned around slightly and saw her blush. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

    I didn''t know what to reply to that so I didn''t say anything.

    "I wish we can sleep together like this every night." Luna said.

    I turned around to face her completely. "You... have emotions right? You''re not faking or anything..."

    Luna turned to face me and I could see she was hurt by what I said. "I told you this already." She said in a painful voice.

    I felt guilty seeing her hurt and I backed off the subject by apologising. I had no choice but to accept her words as the truth. She turned back to face the ceiling pouting while I turned my back on her once more as I recollected my thoughts. It didn''t take long before I fell asleep.

 Chapter 17 - Trust

    I woke up in the middle of the night when I heard a scream pierce the air. I looked around the room frantically and realised that Luna was not on the bed. I was about to get up when I heard a soft coughing coming from the floor on Luna''s side of the bed.

    "Sorry, Ryo." Luna coughed. She rose up from the ground with her eyes looking weary and a hand to her head. "Fell off the bed. My bad."

    I watched her in disbelief as she tried to find a comfortable position on the bed. "I thought something serious had happened." I said.

    "I''m sorry, Ryo." Luna repeated with an apologetic look on her face. "I don''t know what happened... I just kind of rolled off the bed."

    I went back into the bed slightly irritated, my mind still fuzzy from being asleep mere moments ago. "I don''t know how you can fall off a bed in your sleep." I said with my back turned towards her.

    She didn''t say anything.

    "You could''ve at least not screamed." I muttered almost to myself as I drifted back to sleep.

    <hr />

    When I woke up again, it was to the sound of the alarm ringing. It was morning and this time, Luna was really gone. I turned off the alarm and looked around for Luna but to no avail. I walked out of the bedroom and into the living room and was greeted by the scent of breakfast.

    "Morning!" Luna smiled from the dining table. She was with Akane and Eiji who were just about to finish eating.

    "Hey, Ryo! About time you woke up!" Eiji said between mouthfuls.

    "Luna said not to wake you up." Akane added.

    "Yo..." I said looking at Eiji. It was an awkward sight to see him eating so casually with Luna and Akane whom he had never talked to before but I guess Eiji didn''t really care as long as there was free food on the table.

    "Man, Ryo! Does Luna cook like this for you everyday? The food is delicious!" Eiji said, placing down his bowl with a satisfied look on his face. "I should come over here everyday!"

    "Um. No, you shouldn''t." I replied. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

    Luna looked at me with a suspicious look and Eiji nodded carelessly as he finished off his bowl. We walked to a place in the room where we couldn''t be heard.

    I gave him a look of disbelief. "What. Are. You. Doing?" I said emphasising each word.

    Eiji just laughed it off. "Luna is a nice girl, you should treat her better instead of thinking up of delusions about her all the time."

    "We were supposed to find out information from her!" I exclaimed in a quiet voice. "Not spend the night with her and Akane then eat breakfast with them like nothing is wrong!"

    "Come on, Ryo. Don''t be such a party-pooper." Eiji said apparently not taking me very seriously. "I''ve talked to Luna and there is no way she can be an Ashen, or whatever it is that you said she was. She doesn''t even look like she can hold a knife!"

    "Fine. But I was going to show you the evidence that she wasn''t normal." I said.

    "Then show me." Eiji said. He smiled. "In the meantime, don''t you think Akane is very pretty?"

    I dropped my mouth. "What happened to Kyoko?" Kyoko was the girl that she was seeing on Valentines Day when he had introduced me to Yumi.

    "I got tired of her." Eiji said waving me off. "You can''t expect a guy to stick with only one girl during the prime of his youth."

    I shook my head. "Just make sure you don''t get too close to Luna."

    "Don''t worry, I know she''s your girl." Eiji laughed.

    "I mean with the whole Ashens thing going on." I explained hastily. "We shouldn''t come to this house anymore."

    "I thought you wanted to protect Luna?" Eiji said. "How will we find out more about her and keep her safe if we don''t keep seeing her?"

    I stopped and thought about it. Eiji had a point there.

    "We should just hang out with Akane and Luna more now. Even at school." Eiji continued. "That way there would be a greater chance for Luna to slip and expose herself if she really is this Ashen thing you are talking about."

    "Right..." I nodded.

    "Besides," Eiji said. "If we do it this way, you get to investigate more about Ashens and you can protect Luna at the same time. While I get to know Akane more."

    "Eiji..." I said scratching my head. "Akane... she''s-"

    "Ah! Look at the time!" I heard Luna cry from the kitchen. She was washing the dishes and looking at the clock. "Ryo, you better hurry up and eat otherwise we will be late for class!"

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    I tried to finish my sentence but Eiji patted me on the shoulder and winked. "You should start eating before Luna gets mad."

    He walked over to talk to Akane at the couch and I grudgingly went to eat the breakfast Luna had cooked. The first bite surged my appetite and I ended up wolfing down the food in minutes. When I was done and Luna had cleaned everything, we made our way to school in what feels like a very long time.

    Somehow we got to class on time and Eiji suggested that we all sit together which Luna agreed to enthusiastically. I sat down at the seat closest to the window and sighed as Eiji, Luna and Akane joined me. I could see everyone in the class looking over startled by the sudden new arrangement. There were whispers going around.

    We had some time before the class started so I sat idly staring out the window trying to avoid unwanted attention. Luna was preparing her notes and Eiji was talking to Akane.

    "Were you born in Tokyo?" Eiji asked Akane.

    "No... I was born in Kyoto." Akane answered stiffly.

    "Wow." Eiji wooed smiling at her, but it didn''t seem to have an effect on Akane. "I''m mixed blood. Father from America and mother from Japan but I was also born in America with my father."

    There it was. Eiji''s ace card. Usually girls would be dancing in his palm at this point but Akane merely nodded slightly as a sign of acknowledgement. She was completely uninterested and I felt myself laughing inside, almost feeling sorry for him. Eiji looked bothered by Akane''s response but he didn''t give up.

    "You have lovely skin, were you raised in Kyoto too?" Eiji said, still smiling as he leaned over to grab her hand.

    Akane moved her whole chair away with a push of her leg. She gave Eiji a disgusted look as though he had offered to slit her wrists and I chuckled to myself. Eiji glanced at me with genuine confusion on his face. He wasn''t expecting the reaction he was getting from Akane. He was spoilt by the countless number of girls that would throw themselves at him over his foreign background and blond hair. This was going to be a good lesson for him.

    "A-anyway," Eiji coughed, trying to take the conversation in a different direction. He shifted his seat. "You and Luna are really good friends, right?"

    "Yes," Akane replied almost instantly. "I was the first one to introduce Luna around the school when she exchanged here."

    Eiji smiled, relieved that he finally found something that perked her interest. "Yeah, I know! You guys are always sticking together!"

    "That''s cause we''re best friends!" Akane said, almost too proudly but Eiji paid no heed. "Luna is the prettiest girl in the school so sometimes people get jealous at me since we are always together but Luna always sticks up for me!"

    Luna yawned.

    "I remember this time Luna-" Akane paused and looked at Luna.

    "Yes?" Eiji said.

    "Nevermind..." Akane said, her voice trailing off.

    Eiji was about to press on about the topic when the teacher entered the classroom and everyone fell silent. I sat up trying to look like I was paying attention as it appeared it was going to be a long day.

    "Good morning, class." The teacher said fixing his desk, his head remained down.

    "Morning." The majority of the class replied in unison.

    I yawned.

    "Is it true," I heard a voice calling from the back of the class. "There''s going to be a new transfer student?"

    Excited whispering broke out in the class and I saw Luna raising her head from the desk which was unusual. I didn''t really care about any new transfer student so I kept my eyes on the sky outside. I had enough on my mind to worry about than trivial matters. I wondered if I would ever find out more about Ashens from Luna.

    "Yes, it''s true." The teacher answered, finally raising his head. "In fact, she''s here right now."

    He looked over towards the door at a person standing outside. "Please come in."

    I still had my attention on the window and my head was drowned deep in thoughts. If Luna said she was a weak Ashen it would explain why she appeared to have emotions towards me. But the only problem was whether or not I could trust her.

    "Everyone, please welcome Mayu."

 Chapter 18 - Blackmail

    "Everyone, please welcome Mayu." The teacher said in a dull voice.

    I spun my head from the window to the front of the classroom. Pale emerald eyes and light blue hair, there she was. It was Mayu. She grinned at me, waving slightly. The other students turned around to look at me wondering what our relationship was. Luna''s face darkened.

    "This is Mayu, she recently transferred and moved here from Asahikawa in Hokkaido so please be nice to her." The teacher said then he scanned the classroom. "Ah... you can sit at the front of the class."

    He pointed to an empty seat near the front corner and Mayu nodded silently, heading towards her allocated seat. I watched as she placed down her bag and took out her books nonchalantly. I couldn''t believe my eyes. It was actually Mayu. There was no doubt about it. But what was she doing here? And how did she even transfer to the school? I looked at Eiji to see his reaction but realised he had no idea who Mayu was. Luna had a tensed look on her face unlike her usual self. I wondered what was going through her head.

    In the end, Mayu didn''t act any different. She paid attention and followed the teacher the entire time. She didn''t even turn her head back once. Time flew by quick and when the lunch bell rung, I watched as Mayu immediately got up from her desk and went for the door.

    Akane and Eiji did not feel the tension between me and Luna. "Man, can''t believe there is going to be a practice test tomorrow." Eiji groaned as he flipped through his notes. Luna stood up from her desk as Mayu left the classroom.

    "What''s wrong?" Akane asked in a worried tone. Eiji was surprised too but I got up with Luna.

    "We will be right back, ok?" I told the two of them. "Won''t be long."

    "Huh?" Eiji said confused. Then he shrugged. "Ok..."

    "Where are you going?" Akane asked looking at Luna nervously. "Can I come with you?"

    "No. Stay here." Luna said without so much as glancing at Akane. She didn''t explain any further and headed for the door. I apologised in her stake and followed after Luna as she quickened her pace.

    "What is that whore doing here?" Luna mumbled between clenched teeth as soon as we were out of earshot. Luna took the stairs up and I tried my best to follow her. She had her hand on the back of her skirt the entire time we went up the stairs and I swallowed. Was she planning to kill Mayu in the school?

    It didn''t take long before we arrived at the school rooftop. Luna kicked the door open and we were welcomed by a small breeze of wind and the glare of the sun. I covered my eyes and squinted at the end of roof. There was a lone figure facing the scenery standing by the fence.

    "Mayu!" Luna called out angrily. She pulled her knife out from behind her skirt and flicked the blade out of its handle. I saw the blade glint in the sunlight. Mayu turned to face us and smiled.

    "Hello Luna." She said, then she looked at me. "Hey Ryo."

    "Mayu..." I trailed off, not sure what exactly was going to happen now. Luna couldn''t possibly be thinking about killing Mayu now, could she? She had revealed herself to the entire class. It would be strange if she stopped coming after her first day.

    I looked to my side and to my surprise Luna was chuckling to herself. "Thanks for coming to the rooftops, Mayu." Luna said. "It makes staging your suicide much easier."

    Mayu laughed innocently. "Come on now, Luna. I didn''t transfer to your school just to fight you."

    "Mayu," I said and she looked at me. "You shouldn''t have come here."

    She tilted her head slightly and made a love heart with her hands. "I missed you, Ryo."

    I saw Luna flinch. "I hope you like heights." She said. Then without any more hesitation she rushed forward for Mayu. Luna had her blade by her waist preparing to unleash it forward and Mayu took on a fighting stance. Mayu''s hand reached behind her skirt.

    Luna pushed her knife forward, lunging for Mayu''s heart and I saw Mayu pull out her dagger still encased in its sheath. She raised the sheath up just in time to deflect Luna''s blow before rolling away. Luna didn''t give Mayu a second to breathe and followed her movement to unleash another slash, this time for Mayu''s neck.

    Mayu ducked under Luna''s knife and with a fluid motion she pulled her dagger out of its sheath and slashed it forward at the same time. Luna threw her knife downward catching Mayu''s attack and I heard a clang as the blades collided. Mayu was pushed backwards by the force of Luna''s blade.

    Luna took a step forward immediately and slashed at Mayu''s head. Mayu swerved her head out of the way but I saw strings of her hair flying into the air as she narrowly avoided the attack. Mayu swung for Luna''s arm hoping to land one cut on her but Luna spun around. Mayu''s dagger missed and as Luna was spinning back to face Mayu, Luna launched her knife out using her motion to add power to her strike.

    Mayu pulled her dagger up, knowing that she couldn''t dodge the attack seeing the speed of Luna''s momentum. Luna''s blade struck Mayu''s blade at an awkward angle and it slid against the edges. The impact caused Mayu to lose grip on her dagger, and Luna''s blade slid down slicing the top of Mayu''s hand. She winced and tried to move away from Luna.

    Sensing Mayu''s weakness, Luna continued her assault with a quick stab at Mayu''s thigh followed by a diagonal cut going upwards. Mayu kicked her leg away from the attempt at her thigh then swerved to dodge the cut but her movements were barely avoiding the attacks. Mayu jumped backwards and landed at a safe distance away from Luna.

    "Luna, I''m not here to fight you." She declared slightly puffing. I could see blood trickling down her hand. "I know I can''t defeat you."

    "Stay away from Ryo." Luna said darkly. "Or I will kill you."

    Mayu thought about it for a second then smiled. "I don''t think you understand the situation, Luna..." She said.

    "And what''s that?" Luna replied.

    Mayu walked towards me and Luna''s pale violet eyes started glowing. I could see Luna tightening her grip on her knife. "Don''t get any closer to Ryo." Luna warned.

    Mayu stopped and twisted her head at Luna then back at me, she smiled. "Do you remember the Navigator, Luna?"

    Luna''s grip on her knife loosened and her eyes returned to its normal pale violet. I didn''t understand what Mayu was saying.

    "What do you mean?" I asked then looked at Luna, she seemed to get what Mayu was saying but I couldn''t see the point.

    Mayu looked back at Luna with a victorious grin stretching across her face. "What do you think would happen if I reported his address back to headquarters using the Navigator?"

    "Y-you..." Luna looked angry. She stifled then flicked her knife back into its handle, returning the knife behind her skirt. "What do you want, Mayu?"

    "That''s more like it, Luna!" Mayu laughed as she sheathed her dagger. "Now we''re talking!"

    Luna stiffened and Mayu smiled. "I know where you live as well, Luna." Mayu turned to me and winked. "Ryo showed me the direction last night."

    I opened my mouth in shock. Mayu must had followed me last night because she knew I would lead her to Luna. It was so obvious! I couldn''t believe I had not thought about it.

    "Don''t worry. I haven''t told anyone yet." Mayu said stretching her arms up in the air, I could see her stomach being revealed as her jumper pulled with her arms but she didn''t seem to care. She lowered her arms back down when she caught me staring at her. I saw her reaching into her pocket and she pulled out an entirely black device that resembled a mobile phone. She waved it at Luna. "Here it is! You remember?"

    Mayu pressed a button on the side of the device and holographic images began projecting on top of it. "I was quite upset when they gave us the Navigator because I thought it was quite ugly." Mayu said as she pressed a few buttons on the holograms. "But it''s actually quite useful! For example..."

    She pressed another button and a screen popped up. She enlarged it and spun the hologram to face Luna. "You can enter locations of your choosing that will be immediately uploaded as priority zones alerting all other Navigators. And also of course headquarters." Mayu explained pointing at a zoomed in map that was on the screen. "I heard Ichiro accidentally selected a house in Akita, you know, he''s always been bad with technology, and the next day the house was reduced to merely ashes along with the house owners."

    She looked at Luna for a reaction but Luna was completely silent. Mayu frowned then smiled again. "See if I accidentally press this location here..."

    I could see Mayu''s finger moving towards what looked to be the location of my apartment.

    "Stop." Luna said and Mayu turned her attention away from the navigator, her finger was a mere inch away from touching the map. Luna clenched her fists."What do you want?"

    Mayu smirked realising Luna was absolutely defeated now. She moved her finger away and turned the navigator off with a flick of her wrist then placed the device back in her pocket. "I''m going to stay in this school." Mayu stated.

    "Ok." Luna replied.

    "And I''m going to talk to Ryo without you trying to kill me." Mayu added.

    Luna''s face turned upside down and I could see her head shaking slightly as she fought the urge to refuse her request. She swallowed and forced herself to nod.

    "Good." Mayu said with a smile then her smile erupted into a laugh. "I never thought I would see this day come where the all mighty Luna would bow her head at me! Can you believe it?"

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    Mayu continued laughing as she waved goodbye, leaving the rooftop from the door that we entered. I dropped to my knees as soon as she was gone. It was impossible now. There was no way we could escape from Mayu. Even if we ran away we would simply endanger Eiji and Akane... we could take them with us. But it would be simply selfish to drag them into this mess. There was no guarantee that Mayu wouldn''t report Akane and my house on the navigator either. Who''s to say that she''s not just playing with us and entering the locations in at this very moment? I didn''t know what to do. I was at a complete loss.

    "Let''s go Ryo." I heard Luna''s voice say from above me. I looked up. She was standing next to me staring at the door where Mayu had left, I did not even realise she had walked this close to me.

    "Go where?" I groaned then the school bell rung signalling the end of lunch.

    "To class." Luna answered. "For now we just have to follow Mayu''s rules. It''s the only way."

    I stood up unenthusiastically and looked at Luna. She was still staring intently at the door, thinking. Then I heard her voice softly say; "If only we could get our hands on that navigator..."

    When we got back to class, the teacher was already in the room beginning the lesson. We quietly slipped back into our seats and Eiji and Akane gave us worrying looks each. Luna sat with a dark face chewing her lower lip for much of the lesson. I could tell she didn''t like Mayu''s rules at all.

    The teacher copied a question off the textbook onto the board and looked around the classroom for volunteers to answer the question. His eyes stopped at Luna and his face lit up. "Luna! Come up and show the class how to answer this question. It''s one of the hardest question that relates to the test tomorrow."

    Luna gave the teacher a glowering look and he looked away quickly. "Nevermind..."

    "No one here is going to be able to solve this question, it''s of a university difficulty so I''m just going to explain how-"

    Mayu raised her hand up, smiling. "I can solve this." She said.

    "Uh..." The teacher was surprised. "I don''t really think so, you''ve only just transferred here..."

    Mayu got up and walked over to the board. The teacher moved out of her way with a doubtful look on his face and Mayu picked up the chalk. She began to write something on the board.

    "No, you got to-" The teacher stopped as he realised what Mayu was writing. His face turned from doubtful to pleased. "That''s exactly right!"

    Mayu had skipped the working out all together and simply wrote down the answer to a long complicated maths equation. She turned around to sit back at her desk. As she was walking she caught me staring at her and Mayu stuck her tongue out for a second before closing it smiling.

    "We should all learn a thing or two from Mayu." The teacher praised as he returned to the board, continuing the class. "She must''ve studied her syllabus really well before transferring."

    Akane looked at Mayu suspiciously. The rest of the lesson went on in a blur as I tried to catch up on what I had missed out in class while thinking about a way to grab Mayu''s navigator off her. When the final class was over and the bell rung signalling the end of school, we joined the herd of students rushing to leave the school.

    "I just can''t believe that transfer student solved the equation so easily without even working it out." Akane told Luna as me and Eiji trailed behind them. Akane was ranked number two in academics out of the whole grade with Luna being first so it was natural that she understood the question. On the other hand me and Eiji had no idea.

    "Maybe she already knew the answer." Eiji suggested from the back.

    "She only just transferred here." Akane replied frowning. "I didn''t even see her touch a calculator."

    We pushed past a group of students and eventually made it out of the school building. As we were leaving the school grounds, I felt a hand slip itself around my arms. I looked to my side and saw Mayu.

    "Hey Ryo." She said.

    Luna reached behind her skirt instinctively and looked at Mayu with a bitter look on her face. "Stop bothering Ryo." Luna told her.

    We stopped walking and Eiji and Akane looked between the three of us confused. Mayu refused to let go of my arm and pulled me closer towards her.

    "What?" Mayu said in a questioning voice. "Ryo doesn''t even like you. The only reason he''s with you in the first place is because he''s scared of you"

    I could see Luna tensing up and a hurt look fell over her face. Mayu had hit a soft spot.

    "What''s going on, Ryo?" Eiji asked. He looked at Mayu then back at me. "Why are you with the transfer student?"

    I opened my mouth to say something but I felt Mayu leaning in towards my ear. "Don''t you want to know more about Ashens?"

    I looked at her doubtfully but she met my gaze. "I can tell you more about Luna." Mayu whispered, I could feel her warm breath on my ears. "There''s something Luna''s not telling you."

    "Ryo? What''s going on?" Eiji asked, his face confused.

    I looked back at him hesitantly. Something that Luna isn''t telling me? What could it be? There might not be another chance where I could get information like this from Mayu. There was also that navigator that I needed to get a hold of...

    "Well we''re going now!" Mayu declared hastily as she dragged me away from the group. She waved backwards as we walked away "Bye Luna!"

    "W-wait Ryo!" Luna called from behind. I tried to turn back but Mayu pushed me forward. I couldn''t move my body against her. She was surprisingly strong for her stature.

    "Just forget about Luna for now." Mayu said annoyed. "What''s so good about her anyway."

    "Mayu..." I glanced down at her as she led me across the streets. "Why did you come to our school?"

    Mayu sighed. "I know I can''t defeat Luna in a fight. I wasn''t planning to in the first place. She''s always been beyond my league."

    "Even back when we were in Asahikawa I would always challenge her." Mayu recalled, then her face went bitter. "And I would always lose..."

    "That thing I said about using the navigator to report your location..." Mayu hesitated. "It was a lie. I wasn''t going to do it I just wanted to scare Luna."

    "Then what are you here for?" I asked.

    "I actually came to see you." Mayu answered.

    "Y-you''re joking."

    Mayu pouted. "Why? Am I that ugly compared to Luna?"

    I gave her an unbelieving look. "You''re an Ashen... you don''t have emotions."

    "Some Ashens can still have emotions." Mayu sighed with a hurt look. "You should think about what you say, Ryo."

    "Right..." I said. I didn''t know if I could trust Mayu.

    After a while, we stopped at an impoverished looking apartment block. I wouldn''t be surprised if it had been an abandoned building. "We''re here!" Mayu declared cheerfully. She dragged me by the arm into the entrance.

    "Where are we?" I asked looking around with a suspicious face. The apartment was extremely worn down. I felt like a brick might suddenly fall down from the ceiling and knock us both out.

    "It''s my house." Mayu replied. We pushed open the door and walked up the stairs of the building. "Well, technically my apartment but whatever."

    "You own this whole place?"

    "No, I just rented a room here." Mayu laughed. "All the Ashens are given some money when they are sent for a mission."

    We stopped at an apartment door and I watched as Mayu fumbled clumsily for her keys in her bag before opening the door. I walked in after her and found myself in a really plain living room.

    "This is your place?" I asked. I couldn''t believe any human being could live like this. There were no television, computers or even decorations. In the living room was simply a bed, a couch and a fridge. Another door led to the bathroom which was incredibly small consisting of a shower and a toilet. The walls were run down by the years of lacking maintenance and the only light in the place was a small lamp on the floor.

    "Yeah!" Mayu said as she propped herself down on the bed. There was a large window next to the bed that was broken. "I love the window. It has a really great view."

    I walked towards the bed and peeked out through the window. It really did have a good view despite the cracks and I could see the whole of Tokyo from a decent height. Below the apartment was a river leading to the sewers.

    "Do you like it?" Mayu asked peeking out the window with me.

    "Yeah." I replied.

    She looked at me and smiled with her round pale emerald eyes. Her dark eyelashes was complimented by her pale skin. I looked away awkwardly. Mayu pulled the navigator out of her pocket and dropped it on her bed. It bounced on the surface for a bit and stopped. "That thing is so annoying in my pocket."

    My eyes gazed at the navigator and Luna''s words recalled in my head. If only we could get our hands on that navigator.

    "But I have to keep it on me all the time." Mayu sighed and pulled her legs towards her body. "It''s the only way to stop Luna from taking it off me."

    Mayu looked up at me. "Did you know that I''m faster than Luna?"

    I cocked my head. "Is that impressive?"

    Mayu frowned. "Luna is unarguably the strongest Ashen."

 Chapter 19 - Intruder

    "N-no way..." I looked at Mayu with a doubtful look.

    "She didn''t tell you?" Mayu asked and smiled. "I thought she wouldn''t tell you."

    Mayu stood up and walked around the room. "I guess she also told you that she was a weaker Ashen."

    "Yeah..." I said confirming her thoughts.

    "Luna definitely wouldn''t have told you. If she did, you would have thought she didn''t have any emotions." Mayu explained. "And it''s true. Scientifically speaking she shouldn''t be capable of emotions beyond ones necessary for survival."

    "Hunger for example."

    I swallowed. "Exactly how strong is Luna?"

    "Every Ashen varies in their specialities and abilities. It''s what put together that makes Luna undefeatable." Mayu mused thoughtfully. "Luna is versatile at all levels of combat, there are Ashens that surpass her in power and speed but her awareness is unparalleled."

    "Her mental capacity and ability to perceive and comprehend is what I would say makes her so strong." Mayu pulled her jumper off and threw it on the ground. "In other words, she is just incredibly smart. A human supercomputer."

    "She can glance at an opponent and draw up thousands of possibilities in which they can move then from those possibilities, she will find the most likely considering the opponent''s state of mind." Mayu loosened her tie from her collar and let it fall to the ground. "From then on, you''ve already lost."

    "With her intelligence, she also carries extensive knowledge of the human anatomy. Throw in her pin-point accuracy and you''ve got a sadistic monster that keeps a victim alive for the sole purpose of causing as much pain as medically possible..." Mayu''s face was dark and she paused. "It''s scary to face Luna as an enemy."

    "Do you plan to kill her?"

    Mayu looked at me strangely. "Taking another life is one of the only ways an Ashen can truly feel something close to being alive. The thrill of the hunt and the smell of blood as a conscience cease to exist... the feeling is only amplified when killing another Ashen."

    What Mayu said frightened me. I guess she could tell that she had scared me because she quickly brightened her face and motioned for me to sit next to her on the bed. I obliged cautiously.

    Mayu sighed. "But no, I''m not going to try to fight Luna again. I can''t defeat her even if I tried."

    "What are you going to do then?" I asked, curious.

    "You know, Ryo..." Mayu said. "The truth is I like being out of Asahikawa. I like being out on missions. It''s not often that an Ashen gets to go out and experience a big city like Tokyo. If Luna is captured, I will be sent back to Asahikawa..."

    I nodded silently. What Mayu was saying made a lot of sense. Although she frightened me, I felt like I could trust her.

    "Besides," Mayu continued. "I think I found something else to make me feel alive."

    "What''s that?" I asked.

    Mayu looked at me with her pale emerald eyes, her face had a slight blush. I didn''t notice how close she was to me until now, her shoulder was leaning against mine. "It''s you, Ryo."

    I stood up and moved away from Mayu. Her body fell on the bed and she looked up at me with strands of hair falling over her pale emerald eyes confused. Those eyes. They were devoid of life even though her face looked alive. There was an eerily blank look in those eyes exactly the same as Luna.

    As I was looking into her eyes, the pale emerald began to darken and intensify in color. I could see it emitting an unnatural glow and Mayu had a solemn look on her face.

    "Watch out, behind you Ryo." Mayu said as she got up from the bed. "There''s someone behind the door."

    I turned my back and looked behind and sure enough there were two dark figures standing outside. The door had opened during our conversation when it was previously locked and I could see what seemed to be the silhouette of a tall male. Behind him was a girl around Mayu''s age.

    The man stepped in from the shadows and I saw an unfamiliar face. He had black eyes and spiky hair that was wrapped with a bandanna. He wore a thick coat and chunky boots that clacked with his steps. The girl followed behind the man, revealing a pair of vividly burning azure eyes that glowed like Mayu''s. She had dark hair and was dressed in a fluffy coat. There was a blank look on her face.

    "Mayu." The man said, addressing Mayu. "Finally found you."

    "Daike..." Mayu said looking at the man then her eyes fell on the girl. "What is Kaori doing here?"

    The girl called Kaori did not even glance at Mayu. Her eyes were on me. She did not have the slightest expression on her face and I felt an intense fear settling in.

    "We heard you found Luna." The man, who Mayu had called Daike, said. "Why haven''t you reported her location on the navigator yet?"

    Mayu stiffened but her eyes remained glowing. I could see her dagger tied behind her skirt which was hidden from the view of the two visitors. "I want to keep her for myself." Mayu replied.

    Daike glared down at Mayu with his pure black eyes. Suddenly Mayu''s eyes flickered in color and the vividness began to dim. I could see a shocked expression on Mayu''s face as she stumbled. "Y-you took away my synthesis."

    Daike sneered at Mayu. "We want Luna."

    "You''re asking for a fight." Mayu said angrily as her hands sped to the handle of her dagger. Her eyes had returned to a pale emerald now. "I don''t need synthesis to kick your ass."

    "You think you can defeat us both? Without synthesis?" Daike scoffed and looked at Mayu with a ridiculing look. "Don''t be stupid Mayu. It''s true that you are stronger than me but Kaori will kill you."

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    "We will see about that." Mayu replied furiously. She glanced at me. "Get out of here before it gets dangerous."

    I nodded hesitantly and Daike turned his attention to me. "Who''s that? Your boyfriend?"

    "None of your business." Mayu snapped.

    "M-Mayu, please be safe." I warned her and her face beamed.

    "Thanks Ryo."

    "This is pathetic." Daike said scratching his ear.

    Mayu''s eyes sharpened and before I could blink, she lunged forward in an inhuman speed. She pulled her dagger out of its sheath mid-dash and jumped for Daike aiming for his neck. Kaori suddenly appeared in front of her path and I heard a loud clang and Mayu was thrown back. She was hurled into the wall on the opposite end of the room.

    "W-what the?" I stuttered. In Kaori''s hand was a long metal rod. It extended from the bottom and the top of her hand. It was around the length of Kaori''s height. She flicked the rod and it retracted from both sides until it fitted comfortably in her hand.

    "Don''t make me kill you." Kaori said, her azure eyes glowing. Mayu pulled herself out from the wall coughing. I saw her cover her mouth and she looked down. There was blood in her hand. She wiped it down on her skirt and picked up her dagger that had fallen onto the floor then she looked back at Kaori with her pale emerald eyes.

    "Y-you..." Mayu said. "Since when did you team up with Daiki?"

    Kaori didn''t answer.

    "Just give up Mayu." Daiki sighed. He pulled out a gun and pointed it at me. "Tell us where Luna is or I''ll kill him."

    I stood frozen staring into the barrel. It was a silver glock. Mayu looked at me panicking.

    "H-hey can''t we talk about this?" I suggested in desperation. I had no clue what I was supposed to do. Why didn''t I just follow Luna? I was an idiot. This would had never happened had I simply followed Luna home.

    "This would all be very simple if Mayu just told us where Luna is." Daike said shrugging. "Too bad she''s too damn stubborn and prideful."

    "So what is it Mayu?" Daike asked looking over at Mayu. He had his finger on the trigger. "You''re going to let this guy die for your pride?"

    "Alright." Mayu said lifting her dagger up in the air. "I''ll tell you."

    Daike snickered. "So you do have a thing for this guy after all."

    Daike nodded at Kaori and she took out her navigator. She threw it to Mayu and Mayu caught it with her free hand.

    "Upload the location as a priority zone." Daike said, not moving the gun away from me. "I''ll know when my navigator receives the signal and alerts me."

    Mayu looked at the navigator hesitantly and she lowered her dagger to allow herself a free hand to touch the holograms. As she lowered her body, she suddenly changed her movement and pushed herself forward. Kaori was taken by surprise, she extended her rod but Mayu caught her by the waist with her dagger.

    "Mayu!" Daike cried as he squeezed the trigger.

    A loud bang echoed in the apartment and I covered my head closing my eyes. "Argh!"

    I waited for the pain that would come but it didn''t happen. I opened my eyes slowly. Mayu was standing in front of me panting heavily. She was bleeding from the shoulder and I realised she had taken the bullet for me.

    "You took the bullet for him?" Daike said unbelievingly. Mayu poised her dagger and lowered herself to a fighting stance. Mayu charged forward and I heard another bang. She ducked the bullet and was inside Daike''s reach. She grabbed Daike''s arm and pulled him forward, with her other hand she elbowed downwards at his forearm and his hand lost his grip on the gun.

    She slashed across at Daike''s neck but he pulled out a knife with his other hand and blocked the dagger before it reached its target. "Kaori!" Daike cried looking over at her. Kaori stood immobilised by the cyanide that entered her waist. Her vivid azure eyes stared intently down at her wound and I could see it resealing.

    Mayu jumped and kicked Daike with both her legs sending him flying at the wall. She fell down on the floor in the process and I rushed to pick her up. "We gotta get out of here before Kaori recovers." Mayu said wincing. I nodded. Kaori began to move again and her azure eyes flashed at us.

    "Out the window!" Mayu cried. She pushed me forward and I jumped without really thinking. When the ground left my feet, I suddenly realised we were several stories high. My stomach leaped up and I felt the wind rushing past me as my blood rose.

    "ARGH!"

    Everything began to blur as I felt my body falling against the wind, I tried desperately to hold onto something to stop my fall but there was nothing but wind brushing past my body.

    I hit water and it immediately filled my lungs. My vision faltered and breathing became difficult as I found myself choking for air, bobbling in and out of water. My whole body was sore as though someone had slapped my entire body and the pain soar through my entire being. Even though I couldn''t feel my arms, I waved them out desperately trying to stay afloat as the water pushed me along with its current. The whole time I was thinking about Luna and memories of our time together flashed in my mind.

    Somewhere between my consciousness I felt my hand touch solid. My fingers slid across the rough surface and I mustered all remaining strength into pulling myself away from the water and towards the solid. I managed to pull half my body on the solid before my strength crumbled and my consciousness faded away.

 Chapter 20 - Caught

    "... Ryo!"

    "Wake up!..."

    "Ryo..."

    I felt something press against my lips and air filled my lungs. The feeling left my lips and a weight fell down on my stomach pushing down. Something from behind my throat surged up and I choked, coughing out warm liquid.

    "God dammit..."

    The sensation touched my lips again and air breathed in. Again it left my lips and weight fell down on my stomach. I choked as the nauseous feeling of water forcing its way out from behind my throat came again. Warmth began to spread across my body and I could feel a figure towering above me.

    "Ryo..."

    I saw a pair of vivid emerald eyes blinking at me. They emitted an unnatural glow and it almost seemed blinding in the dark. The eyes hovered in the dark looking down at me and then it slowly came closer till something touched my lips. Air flowed through my mouth filling my lungs and I choked.

    Suddenly I was aware. My consciousness came back in a wave, everything flooding back as though a tsunami had finally hit. Memories flashed in my head and I saw myself falling down Mayu''s apartment. She had jumped with me and I had caught a glimpse of her but my mind had only concentrated on stopping myself from falling.

    There was pain all in my entire body and everything hurt. I felt like I had bruises everywhere, from my toes to my head. The feeling of intense dizziness came afterwards and I realised my vision was completely blurry. Then I felt something building up against my throat and I pushed the figure off me.

    She fell off with a cry and I rolled over as an ejection of vomit forcefully propelled itself from deep within my stomach.

    "Ugh..."

    It didn''t come out easy and I couldn''t breathe for several seconds as the contents of my stomach threw itself out. I heaved and for a second I thought I was dying. Then the ordeal was over almost as sudden as it begun and I heaved again, panting for air. I felt sweat dripping down from my chin and I looked up at the figure standing over me.

    "You ok?..." Mayu looked at me with a worried face.

    "Yeah..." I said.

    I was lying down on my knees and palms on the concrete in the walkway of the sewers. The water seemed to have pushed us pretty far down the sewer system but luckily we had jumped into the river where the clean section was. There were dim lights across the sewer but the place was still dark.

    Mayu looked unconvinced and I watched as she bent down to take a closer look at me.

    "Here." She said. Then suddenly she pushed my lungs with a hand and I felt water choking up my breath. It forced itself out from my mouth and I moved away from Mayu as water spilled from my lips.

    "W-what was that for?" I coughed as water came spluttering out.

    "You should feel better." Mayu answered. "There was water clogging up your lungs."

    I looked down at myself, feeling my body. I did not realised it but now my breathing had become clear and the pain in my lungs subsided. My body was sore from colliding with the water but I could think properly now. "Y-you''re right..."

    She smiled at me and tilted her head. "Let''s go, Ryo." She reached a hand out towards me and I looked at it unsure. I still had doubts about whether Mayu was simply using me to anger Luna... but she was the only person I could trust right now. I grabbed her hand and she pulled me up.

    I saw her wincing as she pulled me up and I noticed the blood flowing down her arm. I suddenly remembered the bullet that she had taken for me and I felt guilty. "Are you ok?"

    She nodded weakly. "It''s only a bullet... My synthesis is already repairing the wound."

    Her eyes flashed a eerily dark emerald in response to her words and I saw the blood slowing. She gripped my hand and pulled me with her as she started walking. She had a blank look on her face with those glowing eyes.

    "What is synthesis?" I asked watching the back of her head.

    "It''s an ability we Ashens share." Mayu replied as she continued walking. "A neurological state achieved by the complete disconnection of emotions. It allows the Ashen to enter a state of enhanced awareness and peak physical ability."

    She turned back to look at me. Her face was completely empty. "So all the abilities that come with being an Ashen are heightened to a new level."

    Then her eyes flashed, losing its brightness. She winced closing her eyes. I saw her looking away from me. "But every Ashen has their limits. I cannot use synthesis for long, the strain it puts on the mind and body... it''s excruciating. It''s powers differ with every Ashen."

    I felt myself hurting at the sight of Mayu''s pain. She had taken the bullet for me after all, but yet she was the one dealing with the bullet wound. It made me feel pathetic.

    "You know that man you saw." Mayu said. "He took away my synthesis for a moment..."

    "Daike." I said remembering the man''s name.

    Mayu nodded. I could recall in my memory how he had glared at Mayu and made her lose her synthesis. There was something about the way he looked and talked that was weird but I didn''t really think about it. I could tell the girl called Kaori was definitely an Ashen from the familiar glow of her eyes but Daike''s eyes had been pure black, unlike the eyes of an Ashen.

    "Is he an Ashen too?" I asked Mayu.

    Mayu shook her head. "Daike''s not an Ashen... he''s a humanoid robot designed to disarm and combat Ashens."

    Mayu winced and stumbled slightly. "He disrupted my synthesis and my body is weakened because of him..."

    "How does he do that?"

    Mayu looked at me with a bitter look. "It''s hard to explain without going into scientific detail but quite simply put, there is a large generator built inside his body that is capable of emitting and directing powerful electromagnetic fields. The frequencies are not designed to affect a normal human''s brain but to an Ashen, the intensity of these fields are enough to disrupt the functionality of our brains..."

    She paused then turned her head back at me again. "You know how every Ashen has healing capabilities superior to a normal human?"

    I nodded slightly.

    "That''s one of my weakness." She said. My eyes moved to the blood flowing down her arm, it was quickening. "I can''t... heal my wounds as fast as the others... and it''s worse without synthesis."

    She had a painful look on her face but she smiled at me weakly. "But of course, it''s still faster than a normal human."

    "Are you going to be alright?" I said worried.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    "It should be fine. We''re almost out anyway..."

    Mayu paused suddenly. "Did you hear that?"

    I looked at her questioningly. "We''re almost out?"

    "No..." She looked behind me.

    Then I heard it. It was a faint sound, so quiet it could almost be mistaken for the water surging past our feet. It was a footstep.

    The noise erupted and I turned back to see a figure lunging towards me. Mayu pushed me out of the way, her shoulder getting caught in the process. Blood flew in the air and Mayu whipped her dagger out from behind her back slashing at the attacker. The figure ducked under Mayu''s dagger and slammed Mayu against the walls with a sweep of something in her hands. It caught her by the throat and Mayu was held against the wall by the figure.

    Azure eyes flashed in the darkness, glowing unnaturally and the figure rose slowly from her crouching position with the rod still held firmly against Mayu''s throat. I could see the outline of Kaori''s face in the darkness.

    "Mayu." She spoke, there was not a single tone in her voice. Her hair was wet from jumping down to the sewers after us. "Why are you helping Luna?"

    Mayu flinched under the relentless pressure of the rod pressing against her throat. Her eyes were flashing rapidly, struggling to stay in synthesis. They burnt out and on repeatedly but Kaori didn''t loosen her hold. Kaori looked at Mayu with sharpened eyes but there was an eerily blank look in them. "You hate her."

    Her grip loosened slightly just enough to allow room for Mayu to gasp. I could see Mayu choking for air, she had both her hands pushing against Kaori''s rod but she was not strong enough to push away the rod. "None... of your business..." Mayu said between breaths. Her face was white. Kaori was silent for a while.

    "You think that because you know where Luna is, I won''t kill you." Kaori said slowly. "But you''re forgetting that there are other ways to force a person to talk."

    Kaori retracted her rod and grabbed a fistful of Mayu''s hair. Without hesitating, Kaori pulled Mayu''s head down towards her leg and Kaori shot her knee up. Mayu''s skull made a cracking noise as it collided with Kaori''s knee and Mayu cried. Kaori pulled Mayu''s head back up revealing her swollen face. Dark blood was dripping down from her head and there was a sharp cut on her lips. I could see bruises forming on her face and her eyes were half-closed, dazed from the hit.

    Mayu looked up from behind her hair, her emerald eyes now dull and lifeless losing the once eerie glow that it emitted. Her lips were shaking involuntarily and she opened her mouth slightly, struggling to find her voice.

    "Tell me." Kaori said.

    "N-no..."

    The rod hanging loosely onto Kaori''s hand suddenly extended making a loud clinging noise. Kaori pushed Mayu back up against the wall with a single hand and before she could move, Kaori jabbed the rod down at Mayu''s knee with all her strength. I heard Mayu let out a scream and her body dropped into the water running past our ankles. Her leg appeared to be bent the other way.

    Kaori looked down at her with a relentless look. Her entire face was dark, save the glowing azure of her eyes, and there wasn''t the slightest resemblance of emotion on her face.

    "Are you ready to tell me now?" Kaori asked.

    Mayu was breathing in gasps, her eyes were closed tightly and there was an expression of utter pain on her face. She had sweat all over her body and her injured leg was shaking uncontrollably. She couldn''t respond. Kaori kicked her in the stomach and she lost her breath. Mayu vomited in the running water and whimpered, curling up in a ball.

    Kaori turned her glowing eyes at me and my heart jumped.

    "Pick up her body." Kaori ordered.

    I did as she told me, taking careful measures to not cause Mayu any more pain. I winced at her broken leg and was thankful that Mayu had fallen unconscious. Her eyes were closed but her face was still swollen and bloodied from the assault. I looked back up at Kaori bitterly. How could she do this to another human being?

    "What do you want me to do?" I asked. Kaori looked at me with her glowing azure eyes, silent. She seemed to study me for a bit before she turned around.

    "Follow me." Kaori said as she lead the way. I hesitated for a second staring at her back as she began walking. In my head I was trying to think of a plan to escape from Kaori.

    "You won''t be able to find an exit on your own." Kaori said without looking back at me. I tried to act unmoved.

    "I wasn''t going to." I said but she didn''t say anything.

    I had no choice but to follow Kaori and she led me towards the path that Mayu had been taking me before. It wasn''t long before we reached a clearing in the sewer tunnels. This was where all the tunnels were connecting and led to a waterfall sort of pipe system. On the side there was a ladder that led up above.

    "Give me Mayu." Kaori said. "You won''t be able to carry her up the ladder."

    I nodded unwillingly and handed Mayu over. Kaori wrapped Mayu to her back and motioned for me to climb first. I went on the ladder and started climbing. Kaori followed me on the ladder, one hand holding onto Mayu''s arms that were wrapped around her neck and one hand to climb. When I reached the top, I pushed open the exit and climbed out of the sewers.

    It was midnight and we were in an alleyway. I looked to my side at the entrance of the alleyway and realised we were at a red-light district of Tokyo. The streets outside were still alive with masses of people moving around.

    Kaori lifted herself out of the sewers with Mayu on her back and walked up to me.

    "Carry her." Kaori said.

    I lifted Mayu off Kaori''s back and placed Mayu behind me, wrapping her arms around my neck. I could feel Mayu''s warm breath against my ear. Kaori started walking out of the alleyway and into the district outside so I followed after her.

    When we were out of the alleyway, Kaori stood silently, her glowing azure eyes observing the environment. There was no emotion on her face but I could tell she was confused from the crowds of people scurrying the streets and the amount of interaction going on around us. I remembered how Mayu had been confused by using chopsticks to eat. Kaori was probably like Mayu, she didn''t have much interaction with the rest of society.

    "Hey, you guys!" A voice called out.

    I turned to the source of the voice and came face to face with a middle aged man dressed in a sleezy outfit.

    "Looking to have some fun?" He smiled, he indicated at a building behind him. "Want to come visit our host club?"

    "Uh..." I looked at Kaori but her face was blank.

    "Come on!" The man insisted.

 Extra Chapter 1.1 - Bully

    ¡°Falling helplessly in love, then having that person break your heart when you¡¯re at your most vulnerable.¡±

    Eiji looked at me with his green eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t want to have that happen to you, man.¡±

    I sighed.

    Eiji was trying to talk me out of my crush for Luna again. Ever since I told Eiji that I had feelings for Luna, he had been giving me advice nonstop. I knew that he was trying to cushion the fall, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly annoyed that he didn¡¯t believe in me at all.

    ¡°Look, Ryo. I¡¯ve been there myself.¡± Eiji said. He stretched his hands out trying to emphasise his statement. ¡°And it¡¯s not a pretty place down here.¡±

    ¡°A fall from the third floor hurts as much as a fall from the hundredth.¡± I quoted, remembering a passage I had read on the internet.

    ¡°Who said that?¡± Eiji asked.

    ¡°Paulo Coelho.¡± I answered.

    ¡°Look, whatever.¡± Eiji waved away my answer. ¡°The point I¡¯m trying to make is that, no matter how we look at it, Luna is simply way out of your league.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that yet.¡± I said angrily. ¡°I haven¡¯t even asked her out.¡±

    ¡°Ryo, you wouldn¡¯t know how to build a table if your life depended on it, and now you¡¯re trying to build a rocket ship?¡± Eiji asked. ¡°Do you see where I¡¯m coming from? I¡¯m not trying to look down on you or anything but you¡¯re going on a suicide mission. This is only going to end up bad for you.¡±

    ¡°Gee, thanks for believing in me Eiji.¡± I replied sarcastically.

    ¡°You¡¯re my best friend, Ryo, that¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you this.¡± Eiji said. ¡°If you weren¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t be telling you anything.¡±

    ¡°I think I should at least try.¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°What¡¯s the worst that can happen?¡±

    Eiji palmed his forehead and shook his head. ¡°Ryo, Luna¡¯s not just any random girl in the school. She¡¯s Luna, the most popular girl in the entire school. She¡¯s number one in the school in sports and in grades. That girl¡¯s got the most perfect face I¡¯ve ever seen in all my years of living on this planet.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve even seen models that have a better face than her.¡± Eiji added, lifting his head from his palm. ¡°And believe me, I¡¯ve looked at my fair share of models on the internet.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± I said.

    I looked away from Eiji, losing interest in the conversation. In my heart, I knew Eiji was right but a part of me wanted to believe the lie. I didn¡¯t want to give up without trying.

    We were in the classroom waiting for the day to begin. School had just started so there were still students entering the room every so often. I was waiting for Luna to arrive.

    I saw Akane walk in and my heart skipped a beat. This meant that Luna would walk in next.

    Luna entered the classroom after Akane and the class stopped their conversation to glance at her. Luna looked perfect as usual. Her dark hair flowed behind her as she walked and her pink lips stuck out enticingly from the rest of her face. Her pale violet eyes scanned the room briefly.

    It felt like her eyes stopped at me for a second. The moment ended almost as soon as it began and she looked away, walking to her seat at the front of the class.

    She sat down and Akane took up the seat by her side. The rest of the classroom resumed their conversations after Luna sat down.

    ¡°Jesus¡­¡± Eiji said staring at Luna¡¯s back. ¡°Just look at her. She¡¯s damn perfect.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± I agreed dreamily. I was also staring at Luna¡¯s back.

    ¡°Anyone that perfect is bound to have some skeletons in their closets.¡± Eiji added. ¡°If you can find out what they are, you might actually have a chance...¡±

    ¡°Come on, Eiji.¡± I defended Luna. ¡°Don¡¯t say that about her.¡±

    Eiji laughed. ¡°I was just joking, man. Take it easy, will ya?¡± Eiji punched me lightly on the arm.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    By now, most of the class was here, but the teacher was late. I saw Kazuo glancing back at me. Uh oh. Kazuo was the captain of the school¡¯s soccer team, he was also a bully. I tried to avoid his eyes but it was too late. Our eyes had met.

    Kazuo leaned to his group and whispered something to them. They smirked and turned to look at me. Kazuo got up from his chair and strolled towards where Eiji and I sat.

    ¡°Shit, Ryo. Did you look at Kazuo?¡± Eiji whispered to me as he saw Kazuo walking over.

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°Dude, you don¡¯t look at Kazuo! That¡¯s asking for trouble!¡± Eiji hissed.

    Kazuo stopped in front of my desk and I looked up at him with a weak smile. He had short blond hair and a well-built figure.

    ¡°H-hey Kazuo.¡± I stuttered. ¡°W-what¡¯s up?¡±

    Kazuo placed a hand on my desk, leaning against the surface. ¡°Yo, what¡¯s your name again?¡±

    ¡°Ryo¡­¡± I replied

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± He said looking at the nails on his free hand. ¡°Look, I have a small problem today.¡±

    He looked away from his nails and smiled fakely. ¡°I forgot to bring money for lunch, so I was wondering if I could borrow some money.¡±

    ¡°Come on Kazuo.¡± Eiji butted into the conversation. ¡°You¡¯ve got heaps of money man.¡±

    Kazuo glared at Eiji. The two didn¡¯t like each other. They were both on the soccer team and Kazuo had asked Eiji to join his group because of his athletic skills but Eiji had refused.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to you, Eiji.¡± Kazuo said quietly. ¡°Now shut the fuck up.¡±

    Kazuo turned back to me, again with the fake smile. ¡°Anyways, I don''t need that much. I just need enough to buy lunch today.¡± He said.

    "How much...?" I asked.

    "Oh," He looked upwards as though he was thinking. "Only 50,000 yen."

    "W-what?" I was shocked. "I don''t have that much money."

    "Give me your wallet." Kazuo said.

    ¡°N-no¡­¡± I stammered.

    ¡°I said give me your fucking wallet¨C¡±

    ¡°Stop that.¡±

    We all turned to the source of the voice and saw pale violet eyes glaring over. Dark hair fell over the sides of her face emphasising a perfect complexion. It was Luna. The whole classroom became silent and everyone was watching.

    ¡°L-Luna¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°Luna?¡± Kazuo sounded confused. He rose his hand from my desk.

    ¡°Don¡¯t pick on other people.¡± Luna said. ¡°You''re making yourself look stupid.¡±

    A brief anger flashed across Kazuo¡¯s face but he smiled.

    ¡°We were just playing around.¡± Kazuo laughed. He placed a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, buddy?¡±

    I felt him gripping hard.

    ¡°Let go off him.¡± Luna stood up from her seat, pushing the chair backwards and it made an unpleasant noise as it skid on the surface of the ground. There was anger underneath her voice.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Kazuo said.

    ¡°I said let go off him.¡± Luna repeated darkly.

    Kazuo released his grip on my shoulder. ¡°Alright¡­¡± He said slowly. ¡°No need to get worked up Luna, we¡¯re just playing around.¡±

    Luna stared him down and Kazuo looked around the classroom. Everyone was watching him. He made a tsk-ing noise and returned to his desk quietly with an annoyed face.

    Luna watched him go back to his seat before she sat back down and returned to preparing her notes. The whole classroom began talking again.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Eiji breathed out. ¡°Luna just totally saved your ass there.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah, I don¡¯t know.¡± The adrenaline was still flowing through my body and my voice was shaky. ¡°Maybe she just doesn¡¯t like people being picked on.¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡± Eiji replied then he shook his head. ¡°Anyways, don¡¯t even look over Kazuo¡¯s way again. The last kid that met Kazuo¡¯s eyes ended up drinking urine in the boy¡¯s toilet. It¡¯s fucked up man.¡±

    I nodded my head.

 Chapter 21 - Release

    "Um, no. I don''t think so." I said.

    "Aw. Don''t be like that." The host said, his eyes turned away from mine and instead to Kaori''s. He looked genuinely shocked as Kaori met his gaze, revealing her face and glowing azure eyes.

    "Wow..." He breathed in shock. "You''re very pretty, and your eyes..."

    He reached a hand out towards Kaori''s hand. Kaori turned away from the host and began walking in the direction she faced, ignoring him completely.

    "Sorry, we''ve got to go." I said urgently as I chased after Kaori with Mayu on my back. This place was dangerous for two girls and one guy, I could already see people''s gaze following Kaori as we moved around the district. My eyes fell down to the rod hidden behind Kaori''s skirt. I guess we were safe with Kaori.

    We turned into an empty alleyway with Kaori being silent the entire time. Although she didn''t turn to look back at me, I could tell she felt my presence and that she expected me to follow her. There was something that told me I would be killed the moment I didn''t follow after her.

    Kaori stopped suddenly and I did so too.

    "What''s wrong?" I asked staring at her back. I was confused. Kaori turned back to look at me, her azure eyes were still glowing vividly. It seemed she was always on synthesis. Mayu had said that synthesis placed a great strain on your mind and body. It didn''t make sense that her eyes were never normal.

    "We are being followed." She said.

    Suddenly a group of men stepped out of the darkness surrounding us. All of them were holding knifes. There was about ten of them but Kaori didn''t bat an eye. They started sniggering, edging closer. I swallowed and edged closer to Kaori.

    One of them took a step forward.

    "We''ve been watching you for a while." He spoke to Kaori in a strange tone, almost ecstatic. "The nerve of you to have such a pretty face and strut around a district like this. You''re just asking for it."

    Asking for what? I thought. That''s a strange way to end a sentence. One of them pointed at me. "Is that her boyfriend? He''s got another girl on his back."

    "We''ll fuck her too."

    Uh oh. I flinched and pulled Mayu close to me. Mayu was still unconscious and her wounds had not healed at all.

    This was a red light district so it made sense that there would be thugs like them running around. I just couldn''t believe it was actually happening to us. The group of men began closing in.

    "If you take another step, I''ll kill you all."

    Kaori suddenly warned, her voice toneless. She had a dark face and her azure eyes glowed brightly. The thugs looked at each other for a second then laughed, none of them paid any heed to her warning. Was Kaori really planning to kill them all? Could she even do it? One of them took another step towards us and Kaori lunged forward at him. My question was answered quickly.

    Kaori''s hand snapped forward grabbing the man''s throat and her fingers dug in. Her nails pierced the surface of the skin until all her fingers were submerged in the man''s throat. Kaori grabbed on tightly before pulling her hand out, letting blood erupt from his  neck. Her hand was soaked in his blood and she held something in her hand. The man tried to scream, his hands reaching for his neck but no voice came out. I saw Kaori drop what appeared to be his vocal chords down on the floor.

    "R-Run!" One of them cried as he realised the severity of the situation.

    They ran for the exit of the alleyway but Kaori jumped forward, pulling her rod out from behind her skirt. The rod extended making a clanging noise and with a sweep of her hands, Kaori bought the rod against three of the men''s skulls. The rod easily crushed their skulls, creating a loud cracking noise and they dropped on the floor like flies.

    One of the men tried to sneak behind Kaori with a knife but he was cut short as the rod suddenly extended further from the other end. The extended rod hit him in the centre of his chest and he was thrown several feet back.

    His body skidded next to where I stood and his chest had a deep dent from where the rod had hit him. I looked down at his face and saw blood drooling down his mouth, his eyes were up in its sockets. He was already dead.

    I looked back up at the fight just in time to see Kaori stomping her feet into another man''s face, crushing it into something unrecognisable. There was a man on the side that was dashing at Kaori with a knife.

    She spun around and kicked the knife out of the man''s hands before he could reach him then she bought the rod down on his shoulder with a massive swing. His entire arm was pushed out of its socket and the rod continued to push down until the arm was dislodged from the rest of his body. The man looked at his arm in disbelief, it was hanging to his body by the skin but the bone had been separated.

    Kaori raised the rod up from his arm and slammed it against the side of the man''s face, breaking his cheekbone and shattering teeth. He fell onto the ground, his face a disfigured mess.

    True to her words, no one had escaped from the ordeal and nine men laid dead on the floor. The last man alive huddled against the wall as Kaori approached her. His knife was on the ground and he had his hands cowering his head. I could see his entire body shaking.

    "P-please, don''t kill me. I-I have a daughter." He was crying.

    Kaori looked unmoved. She raised her rod up like an executioner.

    "There''s no reason to kill him." I coughed, my voice shaky.

    Kaori was silent for a moment, staring down at the man. The man moved his hands away from his head slowly. There was a look of relief on his face.

    "There''s no reason not to."

    The rod came down bludgeoning the man in the face and he screamed. I grimaced looking away. The screams continued with the sound of the rod being bought down on the man''s head, each time pummelling him into further mutilation.

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    Eventually the screams died down and Kaori retracted the rod back behind her skirt. She stood up still for a moment, staring down at the bloody mess. It was as though she was admiring her handiwork. I could faintly remember Mayu talking about ending another''s life as a way for Ashens to feel alive. I shuddered.

    Kaori looked at me. "Are you nervous?" She asked.

    "N-no..." I answered weakly, feeling sick in my stomach.

    "Are you afraid?"

    I looked at her carefully for any signs of emotion but there was none.

    "I''m not afraid." I said.

    Kaori suddenly walked up close and stood in front of me, her face blank. I could see her reaching behind her skirt.

    "Really?" She asked.

    I looked down at her hand. She pulled out the rod slowly, there was still wet blood on the silver metal. My breathing accelerated.

    "You''re not afraid...?" She asked, her azure eyes glowing in the dark.

    "N-no."

    Clang. The rod extended and blood splattered onto the floor, some of it flew on Kaori''s face. I felt a sweat trickle down my forehead and I looked down slowly at the thug that Kaori had pummeled to death.

    He was lying on the ground, his back up against the wall. Dark red liquid oozed out from his head and there were various holes that had broken out on his face from being repeatedly bashed by Kaori''s rod. His eyeballs were hanging out from their sockets and blood was dripping down. His jaw had detached from the rest of his skull hanging loosely downwards and his gums were toothless. There were shattered teeth lying on the top of his chest and on the floor.

    "Are you afraid?"

    Kaori''s voice boomed eerily. Her hand was wrapped tightly around her rod.

    I looked back up at her shakily. "N-no..." Something told me I would die if I said yes.

    "What are you?"

    I thought about it for a while.

    "Disgusted."

    She tilted her head at me as though she didn''t understand. I shifted uncomfortably. She stared at me, her vivid azure eyes scanning. It felt like she was trying to read me. The silence seemed to etch on forever.

    "You can go." Kaori''s rod retracted and she placed it back behind her skirt, walking away from me.

    I looked up at her stunned. "What?"

    "You can go." She repeated. I didn''t know what to do.

    "Are you serious?" I asked in disbelief.

    She nodded her head confirming her statement. I felt unsure as though I was waiting for her to give further directions but she didn''t. I still had Mayu on my back. Did she not want to find Luna anymore? I didn''t want to give her any reason to reconsider her decision. I swallowed, looking around.

    "What are you going to do with all these bodies...?"

    "People die all the time." She replied. "It''s nothing unusual."

    I felt stupid for asking. She was right. Even if the police did arrive at the scene, they would probably write it off as a gang fight or the likes, considering the character of the victims. No one cared about criminals.

    "Well... See you then." I said hesitantly.

    "Bye." She said, then slowly she lifted up a hand in the air and waved it at me. It was a strange and awkward movement as though it was her first time doing it.

    I gave a brief wave back and turned away from her. I could feel her eyes peering into my back. I walked to the exit of the alleyway. When I finally reached the end, I turned around to look. Kaori was gone.

    I breathed out, feeling relieved. She was actually going to kill me for a second. If I had told her I was afraid, I had a feeling she would had taken pleasure in bashing my head in. The intense emotions produced by someone facing death... That must be what Ashens feed off to feel alive. I shuddered and thought about something else.

    Why did she even let me go anyway? She even let me take Mayu with me. It was a complete surprise. I shook my head, I didn''t want to think about it too much. I had to get Mayu to safety first. I hurriedly headed for home.

    I had to take a train because of how far the district was. When I arrived at my station I got off the train and stood still for a second weighing my choices. I definitely couldn''t go back to Luna with Mayu on my back. She wouldn''t hesitate to kill Mayu while she was injured. Luna... She was probably really worried. I didn''t even want to know what kind of crazy stunts she had pulled during the time I was gone.

    In the end I decided to go back to my apartment.

    I unlocked the door and pushed it open. I felt Mayu stirring in her state of unconsciousness. I took her inside and laid her on my bed carefully. Her right leg was bent in a weird angle because of the strike that Kaori had delivered. Just looking at her leg made me wince. The swelling on her face was slowly fading which felt like a good sign.

    I allowed Mayu to rest in my room and I closed the door behind me. I was fatigued and my body was sore from crashing into the water. My adrenaline was wearing off and the pain was getting worse because of it but I had to go back to Luna. I didn''t want to make her worry and do something crazy.

    I left the apartment and walked down the lonely streets. The sky was still dark but I had a feeling the sun would be rising soon. It took me a while to reach Akane''s house in my half conscious state. I knocked on the door a few times before I could hear footsteps approaching from inside. The door swung open and I was greeted by the sight of Luna.

    "Hey..." I started then she crashed into me, her petite arms sliding around me.

    "Don''t ever leave me again." She cried.

 Chapter 22 - Competition

    "L-Luna..."

    She pulled away and tears rolled down her face. "You disappeared for a whole night." She sniffed.

    "Yeah, I''m sorry..." I said rubbing my head awkwardly.

    Luna stepped aside from the door and I walked in, slumping down on the couch. Luna closed the door and sat with me.

    "Is everything okay Ryo?" She asked.

    "It''s fine." I replied weakly. All I wanted to do at the moment was sleep.

    "Did... anything happen between you and Mayu?"

    I looked at Luna. She was staring at me intently with her pale violet eyes, the tears had stopped but her cheeks were still wet. I couldn''t really tell what she was thinking. Her face appeared to be full of emotion but her eyes reeked of something inhumane... it was as though her face was simply a facade for a monster inside.

    I shook my head slowly.

    "Are you sure?" Luna persisted.

    "Y-yeah." I replied.

    Luna edged closer to me on the couch. "You were gone the whole night with Mayu."

    "We didn''t do anything..."

    "Really?" Luna refused to let the subject go. Her face seemed to be closer than I had realised. Her pink lips looked soft and vulnerable. I shook my head.

    "Seriously, Luna. Nothing happened."

    "You know you can tell me anything Ryo."

    "I-I know..."

    "I would always be with you Ryo. No matter what." Luna grabbed my wrist. "I wouldn''t ever leave you no matter what you do."

    "O-okay Luna..." I looked down at my wrist. She was gripping on tightly.

    "I-I really love you... so much..." Luna stared at me, her cheeks red. I felt her grip tighten. "More than any other person could ever love you."

    "T-that''s good to know."

    Luna noticed me wincing and immediately released her grip on me. "S-sorry Ryo." Luna looked upset at herself. "I get carried away sometimes."

    I laughed weakly. "It happens to the best of us."

    Luna got up from the couch and walked to the kitchen. I stared at her back.

    Should I tell her about Kaori and Daike? I couldn''t predict how she would react. Luna was like a ticking time bomb. Someone that you had to treat with care at all times. I knew I definitely couldn''t tell her about Mayu resting in my apartment.

    "I made some food for you." Luna called from the kitchen. She placed a box on the kitchen table. "You can eat it when you want."

    "That''s great Luna..."

    Luna walked over to me. I was lying on the couch. "Are you sleeping here?"

    "Yeah." I replied, not sure if that was the right answer.

    Luna frowned disappointed. "Okay... good night Ryo."

    I looked at the clock. "It''s morning." I said.

    "Haha, that''s right..." She laughed meekly. I watched as she went upstairs to the bedroom disappearing from my sight before I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

    <hr />

    "Hey Ryo... wake up."

    My eyes opened and I saw Eiji staring down at me dressed in uniform.

    "Are you planning to go school or not?" He asked.

    "Why are you here?" I groaned, my head fuzzy from being suddenly awoken.

    "Luna had me come over from my house to wake you up."

    I looked over to the clock. I had only slept for a few hours. My body was still sore but my mind was feeling a lot better from the nap. "I''m getting up now."

    "Well, hurry. Luna and Akane already went ahead of us."

    I got up wearily, rubbing my head. It didn''t seem that Eiji knew how long I had been out for yesterday. Luna must had made up an explanation.

    <hr />

    We were running late when we finally made it to school. Being late meant that you had to see the school principal and no one wanted to see the principal. The principle was an old man that shouted at every chance he could get.

    Eiji slid open the door to our classroom and I trailed behind him. I looked around for the teacher and breathed a sigh of relief when he was nowhere in sight. Everyone was using the chance to talk to each other.

    "Hey Akane, hi Luna." Eiji greeted as he sat down in the desk behind Akane. Luna was sitting besides Akane and she had a troubled look on her face. I could see jealous faces looking over at us as Eiji sat down.

    "Yo..." I said looking at Luna and Akane, Luna smiled at me but my words drifted off when I caught a glimpse of the person sitting at the front of the class. Light blue hair and pale emerald eyes. It was Mayu. She smiled at me. I could see bandages wrapped around her broken leg and light bruises on her face.

    Luna whispered something to Akane and Akane stood up pouting. She moved over to the seat behind Luna and next to Eiji.

    "Sit with me Ryo." Luna said cheerfully.

    "Ryo!" Mayu called my name. "There''s a seat next to me!"

    I looked between the two. My heart sunk into my chest. On one hand, I felt guilty that Mayu saved my life yesterday. On the other hand, Luna also saved me before. I thought about the dilemma for a few seconds. It didn''t take me long to make a decision.

    "Sorry Mayu." I apologised. "I think I''ll just sit with Luna."

    Mayu pouted at me.

    "It''s okay, Ryo." She said dejected. At least Mayu wasn''t crazy like Luna was. I quickly shook that thought away from my head. What the hell was I thinking? Did I actually compare the two?

    I dropped my bag off at the desk next to Luna and sat down.

    The teacher walked in shortly after I sat and immediately the class went silent, turning to face the front. Oh joy, another day of learning things that we will never need to apply in real life. I looked to my side at Luna who was blushing happily that I chose to sit with her.

    I looked back to the front of the class and my mind dozed off.

    <hr />

    School ended without anything of note happening, besides the silent war between Luna and Mayu. I was dreading the moment when all their pent up frustration would soon be allowed to set loose.

    I felt Mayu''s eyes on my back as I walked out of the classroom with Luna by my side. Eiji and Akane were following close behind us.

    "Why don''t you like me?" Eiji asked Akane who looked like she was ignoring him. "Come on, give me a shot at least."

    "I told you, I''m not interested." Akane breathed out, frustrated.

    "Why? Is there another guy you like?"

    "N-no."

    "Then why not?"

    "You''re not my type..."

    "Then who is your type?"

    Akane glanced at Luna''s back. "Someone smart, caring, polite and... beautiful."

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    "Beautiful?" Eiji repeated confused then he shook his head. "That sounds like me."

    "No."

    "One date?"

    "No." Akane repeated.

    "Please?"

    "Saying please doesn''t change anything."

    Eiji sighed and Akane looked relieved that it seemed like Eiji was giving up but I knew Eiji better. He wasn''t going to give up any time soon. I was wondering when I should tell him that Akane actually has a crush on Luna.

    We reached the school gates where most students were rushing out to go home. Eiji stood at the side talking to Akane.

    "Ryo!"

    I heard a voice call out. I had a faint clue who it was. I turned to the voice to see Mayu coming towards me and Luna. Although one of her legs was broken, she could still walk at a decent pace albeit hobbling. The top of her collar slipped down slightly on her collarbone revealing the edge of a bandage on her shoulder. I remembered that she had taken Daike''s bullet for me and I felt very guilty.

    Luna took a step to Mayu, I saw her hand gripping onto the handle of her knife.

    "H-hey." I grabbed her by the arm stopping her.

    "If I kill her, there will be no one between me and Ryo..." Luna mumbled to herself.

    Mayu noticed where Luna''s hand was and she stopped at a safe distance from Luna. "Luna, you should really stop hounding Ryo to yourself."

    Luna looked at Mayu bitterly. "Why can''t you just leave us alone?"

    Mayu was staring at Luna''s hand. "Don''t forget I still have the navigator, Luna."

    "What are you guys talking about?" Eiji and Akane walked up staring at Mayu.

    Mayu waved her hand casually. "Luna and me are just having a little chat, we''re old friends."

    Akane looked at Mayu jealously. "How do you know each other?"

    "We... used to work together." Mayu said.

    "We thought you two were long lost enemies." Eiji laughed.

    "N-no way..." Mayu laughed weakly with Eiji.

    "Anyways I''m Eiji and this is Akane." He gestured at Akane.

    "Nice to meet you." Akane reluctantly bowed her head.

    "Mayu." Mayu said, smiling brightly. She looked cute when she smiled.

    "And what is your relationship with Ryo?" Eiji asked grinning.

    I groaned. Eiji was another ticking time bomb. It seemed he had the ability to stir up trouble wherever he went.

    Luna glared at Mayu. There was silence for a moment.

    "I love Ryo." Mayu said out loud. Eiji was surprised at the sudden confession and I dropped my jaw. She hesitated. "But it''s one-sided."

    The tension in the air was chilling after she uttered those words. Even Eiji and Akane could feel the aura suddenly radiating from Luna. I had no idea what to do.

    "I-I just remembered I had something to do." Eiji said, his eyes set on Luna. Eiji turned to me and whispered goodluck before he left in a hurry. That bastard... He caused this whole fiasco and now he tucks his tail and runs?

    I looked back at Mayu, I was too afraid to look at Luna. Was Mayu actually serious? Or was she just messing with Luna? I couldn''t tell. I thought Ashens weren''t even supposed to be capable of emotions.

    "That was all I wanted to say anyway." Mayu said. "And I really mean it."

    Mayu turned to me. "You don''t have to give me an answer Ryo. I just wanted you to know."

    "A-alright." I replied. I didn''t know how I should feel about her confession.

    "Anyways, I have to get going." Mayu said, she waved bye to me and join the crowd of students leaving the school gate.

    It was just Luna, Akane and me now.

    "Um... sorry, Luna I have to go home now, my mum wants me home early today." Akane apologised clapping her hands together as though she was praying for a miracle. She waited for Luna to say something but she didn''t. Akane quickly made her exit knowing Luna was in a bad mood. I waited for Luna to say something.

    "Let''s go, Ryo." Luna said quietly. Her eyes were hidden behind her hair.

    "Uh... are you sure you''re alright, Luna?"

    Luna lifted her head up, revealing her eyes. She turned to me and smiled. "Yes, Ryo. Everything''s fine."

    She looked eerily calm. I felt unsure.

    "Alright..." I said.

    Luna grabbed my hand and dragged me with her. I didn''t know where we were heading but I followed.

    We ended up outside my apartment.

    Luna had been quiet for the entire journey and the atmosphere made me anxious. We stopped outside the apartment, facing each other and the only noise I could hear was the ringing of insects in the background.

    "Ryo." Luna broke the silence. "What do you think about Mayu?"

    "W-what do you mean, Luna?" I tried to feign ignorance to give myself more time to think about my words.

    "Do you think she''s pretty?"

    "No way." I laughed weakly. "I wouldn''t let what Mayu said get to you. Mayu''s probably just trying to make you upset."

    "You think so?"

    "Yeah. She probably doesn''t mean it."

    Luna frowned at me. "I don''t want to ever lose you, Ryo."

    I shifted uncomfortably. Something in the back of my mind tugged at me. "Luna... there''s something I wanted to ask you."

    Luna was looking to her side, the wind blew against her dark hair gently and she tucked the hair behind her ear. I couldn''t make out the expression on her face but she looked really pretty, almost as though I was looking at a photo shoot. Her complexion was perfect and so were the rest of her features.

    I coughed, feeling my cheeks go red. "Luna, why do you like me so much?"

    "Huh...?" Luna turned to me. "You don''t remember?"

    "Remember what?"

    Luna shook her head, a sad expression on her face. "Forget it, Ryo. You probably don''t remember."

    I was confused. What was Luna talking about? Did something between the two of us before? I had thought the confession was the first time that we had seriously spoken to each other. Unless something had gone on before then, but I didn''t have any recollection of what Luna was talking about. How could I forget meeting Luna?

    "Can we eat dinner together?" Luna suddenly asked, breaking my thoughts.

    "W-what?"

    Luna''s face was slightly red. She stared at me carefully. "I-I want to eat dinner with you, Ryo..."

    I thought about it for a while.

    "S-sure."

    I didn''t know if I had done something very stupid.

 Chapter 23 - Trapped

    I was sitting in my desk at school staring blankly at Luna in front of me.

    Surprisingly she had not done anything out of the ordinary yesterday night when we ate dinner together. It was a normal dinner although her face was blushing wildly with joy, and we talked casually about nothing in general. She almost even seemed normal. It was strange to think of Luna as normal after all that had happened.

    I sighed and pulled my head down on the desk.

    Nothing interesting was going on in class as usual and the teacher droned on in a toneless voice about nonsense while everyone in the class took notes.

    Mayu glanced back at me and smiled. I couldn''t tell if she was serious about her confession or if it was just a ploy to annoy Luna. What did I even do to make her feel that way?... I guess, I did help her out a few times when she was injured. I was also there when she cried after almost being killed by Luna... It sort of made sense.

    But what about Luna? Were we even dating? I mean, sure, I had confessed to her, but she did so many crazy things during that period. Wasn''t there some sort of dating rule that said if your girlfriend is a psychopathic serial killer, your confession becomes void? I sighed. Did I still like Luna?...

    "Ryo!"

    I snapped out of my trance and looked up at the figure calling my name. Luna was standing in front of my table with her bag in one hand. She looked down at me with a worried look on her face.

    "Didn''t you hear the bell? It¡¯s lunch time." She told me.

    "O-oh, really?" I stuttered under Luna''s studying gaze. Her pale violet eyes seemed to pierce my thoughts. It felt like she was attempting to read my mind. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she could. I got up from my desk, grabbing my bag.

    "Let''s go." I said trying to ignore her intense stare. I walked past her and she followed my lead. Akane and Eiji were eating in the classroom, having not noticed that we left.

    We stopped at the roof of the school. Luna was still staring at me and I gave her a defeated look.

    "What is it, Luna?" I asked at last.

    "There''s something bothering you." Luna replied. "Something¡¯s on you mind Ryo."

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Luna¡­¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m just tired, that¡¯s all.¡±

    "Is it Mayu? Is she bothering you?" Luna asked. "If she¡¯s bothering you, I can kill her for you.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I exclaimed. What kind of thought process was that? I was bewildered by her solutions to problems.

    ¡°Ryo!¡± A voice called out.

    We turned to the door that led to the roof. Mayu stood there, holding the door open.

    ¡°Can I talk to you?¡± Mayu asked. ¡°It¡¯s something important.¡±

    Luna had a grim look on her face.

    Something important? What could it be? I wanted to find out what Mayu had to say.

    ¡°Sorry, Luna. I¡¯ll be back really quick.¡± I told her. ¡°I promise.¡±

    Luna frowned. ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    I jogged over to Mayu and she gestured for me to go through the door. I did as she wanted and she closed the door behind us.

    ¡°We¡¯re alone!¡± Mayu said excited. ¡°Hooray!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± I said confused.

    ¡°Just joking.¡± Mayu laughed. ¡°But really I need to talk to you.¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    Mayu gave me a serious look. ¡°We need to talk about Kaori.¡±

    Kaori. The memory of her slaughtering the ten thugs flashed in my mind. I saw her pummelling the last thug in the face with her rod, bashing his skull in. Her face had been completely blank during the whole ordeal, not a single emotion.

    ¡°Y-yeah, I remember.¡± I said.

    Mayu leaned her body against the wall. Her chest pressed together and I could see the top of her cleavage from her shirt. Her chest was slightly smaller than Luna¡¯s. ¡°So what happened after I was knocked out? How did you even escape from her?¡±

    I looked away from her chest. We were talking about something serious here and I was looking at her chest? ¡°She¡­ uh. She let me go.¡± I responded.

    ¡°She¡­ let you go?¡± Mayu repeated.

    ¡°Yeah. We were attacked by thugs and after she beat the last guy up. She said we could go.¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°I didn¡¯t really think much about it.¡±

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    Mayu raised a hand to her head. ¡°She¡­ she wouldn¡¯t of let you go that easily, Ryo.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.

    Mayu was quiet.

    She lifted her head up from her hand. ¡°She must had followed you.¡±

    ¡°W-what?!¡± I stuttered.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way she would had just let us both go.¡± Mayu said. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense at all.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± I said.

    Mayu was thinking to herself.

    I didn¡¯t say anything else so that Mayu could think. I felt like I had screwed up big time. How could I be so stupid? It wasn¡¯t like this was the first time it happened. I remembered that Mayu had done the same thing to me and I had lead her right to Luna.

    I remembered a question I had been wanting to ask. ¡°Mayu, why are Kaori¡¯s eyes always glowing?¡±

    Mayu paused. ¡°She¡¯s stuck on synthesis.¡±

    ¡°Stuck?¡± I repeated confused.

    ¡°Kaori¡¯s lost control of herself.¡± Mayu said. ¡°If you use synthesis too long, there¡¯s always a risk of losing yourself. That¡¯s why synthesis is stressful on the mind. When you¡¯re on synthesis, you lose touch with what little emotions you have.¡±

    ¡°So what happens if you become stuck on synthesis?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well¡­ the first thing that happens is that you lose your emotions completely.¡± Mayu said. ¡°Then your memories become muddled, you will feel like time is skipping. Eventually you just descend further into madness until you become an empty killing machine.¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­¡± I wanted to say horrifying. ¡°Is that what happened to Kaori?¡±

    ¡°She still remembers me and she can talk normally so she shouldn¡¯t be too far down the road.¡± Mayu pushed herself off the wall. ¡°But she will probably end up there.¡±

    ¡°What about you and Luna?¡± I asked.

    ¡°If we stay on synthesis too long, then it¡¯s bound to happen.¡± Mayu answered. ¡°That¡¯s why every Ashen knows their limits.¡±

    I nodded silently and Mayu placed a hand on the handle of the door. ¡°We should warn Luna about Kaori.¡± Mayu said.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡±

    Mayu pushed the door open. Luna was sitting down by the fence.

    I hurried over to her and Mayu trailed behind me. ¡°Sorry, Luna. That took a while.¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay Ryo.¡± Luna picked herself up from the ground.

    ¡°Luna, there¡¯s something I need to¨C¡±

    ¡°There you guys are!¡± Eiji¡¯s voice interrupted me. I turned my head to see Eiji and Akane at the door to the rooftops. ¡°We were looking all over the place for you guys!¡±

    ¡°You left us behind¡­¡± Akane said dejectedly, then quietly. ¡°I had to be alone with Eiji¡­¡±

    Mayu frowned at me but there was nothing I could do. I had to wait for another time to tell Luna about Kaori and Daike.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on up here?¡± Eiji walked up to us, grinning. ¡°Some sort of secret love triangle?¡±

    He laughed and Luna glared at him. ¡°There¡¯s no love triangle.¡± Luna said. ¡°There¡¯s just Ryo and me.¡±

    Eiji stopped laughing seeing Luna¡¯s serious face.

    ¡°Anyways, we¡¯re going now.¡± Luna grabbed my hand and dragged me to the door.

    ¡°Where are you guys going?¡± Eiji asked confused.

    ¡°Alone.¡± Luna replied.

    <hr>

    We ended up in an abandoned parking lot that was across the school. It was undergoing maintenance and repairs so the entire place was deserted. We were in one of the middle floors and dim lights surrounded us.

    ¡°Luna, there¡¯s something I need to tell you¡­¡± I started.

    ¡°If it¡¯s about Mayu, I don¡¯t want to hear about it.¡± Luna replied. She was leading me by the hand. ¡°I just want to be alone with you, Ryo.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about Kaori.¡± I said.

    Luna stopped walking and I stared at her back.

    ¡°That day I was with Mayu¡­¡± I said. ¡°We met Kaori and Daike.¡±

    She was silent.

    ¡°Kaori¡­ she¡¯s coming to find you¡­¡±

    Luna turned her head around slowly, her violet eyes were glowing vividly in the dark.

    ¡°She¡¯s here.¡±

 Chapter 24 - Defeat

    The lights in the parking lot darkened.

    "W-what?¨C"

    Luna placed a finger to my lips.

    "Shh..." She glanced around us, there were some lights that were still working but the place was dark.

    I couldn''t hear anything besides the sound of ventilation buzzing in my ear but Luna heard something. She pulled her switchblade out from behind her skirt and flicked it open. Dried blood stained the edges of the blade. It made me wonder who her last victim was.

    "Ka-o-ri." Luna sung into the darkness. "Come out please."

    There was no response.

    Luna moved away from me and walked to the centre of the parking lot. Her knife was dangling loosely in her grip.

    "Don''t make me look for you." Luna said.

    I heard a faint noise and glowing azure eyes emerged from the darkness. The rest of her body was hidden by darkness.

    "Luna..."

    Kaori''s soft voice echoed eerily in the parking. The azure eyes seemed to float in the darkness.

    "What do you want, Kaori?" Luna asked.

    "I want to defeat you..."

    "That''s going to be a bit of a stretch."

    "..."

    Kaori took a step forward. Her dark hair fell over her ears and her rod was in her hand. Daike walked in from the other side of the parking lot, blocking the exit. His footsteps echoed and his gun was in his hand.

    Luna glanced at Daike and the glow in her eyes flickered. I remembered that Daike could interfere with synthesis and I grimaced. Shit. I couldn''t do anything but watch. If only I could get Mayu to help. I looked down at Daike''s gun. There was no way I could get past him.

    "So this is the strongest Ashen." Daike mused. "I''ve disabled her synthesis partially Kaori."

    Kaori walked towards Luna, her grip on the rod tightened and it extended with a clang. There was a dark look on her face.

    "Do you really want to fight me?" Luna asked.

    "I won''t lose again, Luna."

    Kaori jumped forward and swung her rod down. Luna took a step back from the attack and the rod collided with the ground, smashing concrete. Pieces flew out from the ground and Kaori swept the rod to Luna''s side. Luna jumped backwards, avoiding the rod.

    They stood apart glaring at each other.

    "You can''t turn it off, can you?" Luna asked, her vivid eyes were still flickering on and off.

    Kaori was silent.

    "I guessed so." Luna smiled.

    "I saw your boyfriend with Mayu the other day." Kaori said tonelessly. "They make a good couple."

    Luna rushed at Kaori and slammed her knife to Kaori''s head. Kaori lifted her rod up and blocked the attack but the impact of the blow pushed her sideways.

    "I''m going to kill you." Luna said.

    Luna slid the knife down and jabbed at Kaori''s neck. Kaori swung her head out of the way but Luna pushed forward, slicing the side of Kaori''s neck. Kaori swung her rod in front of her as hard as she could, causing the air to vibrate and Luna swerved under it.

    "Kaori, she switched hands!" Daike yelled.

    Kaori looked down, the knife on Luna''s hand had switched. Luna came up with her knife and cut the front of Kaori''s jacket. Luna slashed again but Daike shot the blade causing it to miss her target. Luna''s arm overextended and Kaori used the opportunity to jab Luna with her rod. Luna moved backwards but the rod extended further jabbing her in the stomach.

    Luna jumped back wincing as she held onto her stomach. Kaori launched herself forward and swung her rod at Luna''s head. Luna ducked under the rod and Kaori followed with a whirlwind of hits at Luna''s body. She parried and avoided them with difficulty and Luna slashed back at Kaori, counterattacking. Luna''s eyes were dull, her synthesis wasn''t working.

    Kaori''s shoulder was caught by her blade but she seemed unphased. Luna slashed again and Kaori stepped to her side to dodge. The knife jumped from Luna''s hand following the motion and Luna grabbed it with her other hand. She shot the blade towards her side, aiming for Kaori''s face. Kaori wrenched her hand out, grabbing onto Luna''s wrist.

    "S-shit." I stuttered. Kaori had caught her.

    I could see Luna''s hand shaking as she tried to push the knife into Kaori''s cheeks but she held on. Kaori''s other hand was holding onto her rod, she pulled the rod backwards and swung. It smashed the side of Luna''s ribs causing her whole body to shake and she uttered a cry.

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    "L-Luna!" I shouted.

    Luna pulled her wrist away from Kaori and slashed at her neck. Kaori spun the rod in a circle around her body, deflecting Luna''s attack. The rod spun around Kaori effortlessly as it simultaneously defended and assaulted. It hit Luna on the side of her head making a cracking noise and she was thrown into the air.

    Luna rolled onto the ground for a few seconds before she stopped.

    "This isn''t like you, Luna." Kaori approached Luna''s body, her rod by her side. "Why do you anger about that boy?"

    She towered above Luna''s body, looking down with her glowing azure eyes. Her hand reached out to Luna, grabbing a fistful of hair and she lifted her off the ground. Luna''s face was hidden behind her hair, and blood dribbled down her chin.

    "I only said a few words and you lost your focus immediately." Kaori spoke, staring at Luna''s face. "You''re weak."

    "Kaori!" Daike''s voice shouted and Kaori turned her head to him. "She''s still conscious!"

    Luna''s face was dark but her eyes glowed behind her hair. She was staring down at Kaori from the height.

    "Die."

    Luna slashed at Kaori''s neck and blood erupted. Kaori stepped back with a surprised look on her face. She grabbed onto her neck but blood kept pouring down between her fingers. She had moved back before Luna''s blade could find a clean cut otherwise she would had been decapitated.

    Daike shot at Luna with his gun but she flicked her knife, deflecting the bullets. "You''re going to have to try harder." She said.

    Luna rushed at Daike, appearing in front of him and Daike''s eyes widened. She stabbed the knife into his abdomen and ripped upwards. The skin like material tore open, revealing machinery inside. Sparks ignited and Daike dropped down to his knees before falling face first into the concrete. His body shook violently on the floor.

    "You were close, Kaori." Luna turned around with an eerie smile, the front of her shirt was covered in Kaori''s blood. "Too bad you lost your focus."

    "Y-you pretended to be unconscious..." Kaori coughed blood, dark circles formed underneath her eyes.

    Luna stuck her tongue out playfully, revealing deep bite marks. The blood that had dribbled down her chin was self inflicted. "I had to find a way to get closer to you. Your rod is too long." Luna shrugged.

    I couldn''t believe it. For a moment, I thought that Luna was going to lose the fight. She couldn''t even use her synthesis, just exactly how strong was she? The air in the parking lot was chilling.

    Luna walked towards Kaori slowly. "What do you think hurts more? Breaking someone''s face with a rod or ripping them apart with a knife?" Luna played with the knife in her hands.

    "L-Luna..." I started.

    "I think knifes are better." Luna said. "If you beat someone''s head in, their brain just becomes muddled, they can''t feel pain properly when you''re breaking nerves and bones."

    "But the pain from a knife is sharp and sudden. It jolts the entire body and keeps them awake when you''re cutting into flesh." Luna laughed. "I skinned someone''s entire body while keeping them alive once. You just have to find a way to keep the blood in their body."

    She was crazy. Luna was going out of her mind.

    Luna stopped in front of Kaori. Kaori was breathing heavily, her hand on her neck. Kaori crouched down leaning onto her rod.

    "Aww." Luna kneeled down in front of Kaori. "Are you tired? Do you want me to slit your eyelids open?"

    I tried to say something, but I couldn''t.

    "Here." Luna pushed her down with a hand and Kaori fell backwards with a cry. Luna crawled on top of Kaori. She pushed the blade under Kaori''s skin and Kaori screamed, her hands pulling at Luna. Luna didn''t budge.

    "L-LET GO¨C"

    Luna moved her free hand over Kaori''s mouth, grabbing onto her tongue. I watched, frozen in horror, as Luna tugged at her mouth, pulling as hard as she could. Kaori made an inhuman squeech as the muscle separated. I flinched, feeling my legs waver.

    "Don''t move please." Luna said staring down with an eerie cheerfulness at Kaori''s quivering body. Luna dropped the tongue on the side of Kaori''s head and lifted her knife up. Blood splattered out as Luna hacked away at Kaori, tearing apart flesh and skin with a demonic look on her face.

    Eventually Luna finished with the ordeal, leaving a disfigured mess on the floor. She picked herself off the ground and stared down at the hunk of meat, covered in blood.

    Luna turned to me and smiled.

    "That was fun to watch, Ryo, huh?"

 Chapter 25 - Fallen

    Luna wrenched her knife out of Kaori''s body, splattering blood on the floor.

    She returned the knife behind her skirt and stood up, facing me. Blood splattered the side of her pale cheeks and the front of her shirt was soaked in red. "We should go now, Ryo. We don''t want anyone to find us like this."

    I was in awe but I felt my head nodding slowly. Luna had killed Kaori and tore her body apart in front of my very eyes. The gruesome image burned in my mind.

    At that moment, I heard footsteps running up the stairs of the parking lot. I spun around wildly, facing the door but Luna stood calmly, her eyes watching the door.

    The door swung open and Mayu was standing there, her emerald eyes glowing. She was panting slightly and her light blue hair was somewhat ruffled by the wind.

    "Ryo... Luna..." Mayu looked at us, then looked down at Daike''s body before she saw Kaori''s dismembered body on the floor. Mayu winced seeing Kaori. "Y-you killed Kaori...? Luna...?"

    Luna shrugged nonchalantly. "I asked her if she really wanted to fight me."

    The glow in Mayu''s eyes dimmed seeing that we were fine. "Kaori..." Mayu stared at Kaori''s body and walked over slowly as though she wanted to confirm with her eyes. She winced again as she stood over the body.

    "Did you tell her where I was?" Luna asked.

    I felt alarmed by Luna''s question. "L-Luna, Mayu didn''t say a word." I stuttered, finally finding my voice. "Kaori and Daike attacked us, but we escaped from them and Kaori followed me to find you."

    Luna glanced at me and frowned. "Ryo..."

    I felt tension in the air and I tried to change the subject. "Just how strong was Kaori anyway?" I asked, glancing over at Mayu.

    "Number 6." Mayu replied without looking at me.

    "Number 6?"

    "She was the sixth strongest Ashen." Mayu elaborated as she turned her eyes away from Kaori''s body and instead over to Daike.

    "How do you know this?" I asked.

    "Back in Asahikawa, when we were growing up we made a list of numbers to rank each other. That way weaker Ashens wouldn''t challenge stronger ones for fear of death." Mayu walked over to Daike''s body. "Luna was number one, I was number nine. The list hasn''t changed much over the years."

    I swallowed, pondering over this new found fact. "Just how many Ashens are there?"

    "Fourteen remaining." Luna answered suddenly. I turned to face her and saw a small smile tugging the corner of her pink lips. It kind of creeped me out.

    "There used to be thirty." Mayu stopped at Daike''s body and kneeled down, inspecting the robotic material inside.

    I didn''t ask what happened to the rest. It made sense that Ashens would kill one another for fun. I caught Luna staring at Mayu''s back with a strange look and I grabbed onto Luna''s wrist firmly.

    "Luna..."

    Luna turned to me, frowning. "The Navigator, Ryo. We have to get it off her." She whispered.

    "Mayu... she''s helping us now, Luna. You can''t kill her." I tried to talk in a stern voice. "She''s our ally, Luna."

    "He''s right." Mayu sighed, her back was turned to us as she studied the interior of Daike''s body. "I want to help you, Luna. I don''t want to go back to Asahikawa and be trapped there again."

    "R-Ryo... we can''t trust her..." Luna stared at me desperately but I refused to let go of her hand. "We have to kill her. She will tell the other Ashens where we are."

    "Luna, we''re not killing Mayu." I said exasperated.

    "It''s too late anyway." Mayu said, she pointed at a flashing light inside Daike''s body. "Daike already uploaded this city as a priority zone before he died."

    "What?!" I spun to Mayu, stunned.

    Mayu reached into Daike''s body and pulled out the source of the flashing light. Cables tugged backwards, but Mayu pulled hard, ripping out the cables. She held a metallic device covered in a slime-like material that looked similar to the Navigator.

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    "Daike couldn''t pinpoint an exact location, but he managed to upload this entire city as a priority zone." Mayu said, looking at the screen of the device. She gripped hard, and the device crushed in her hand. "The other Ashens will be coming to Tokyo soon."

    "No way..." I said in disbelief.

    "It''s okay, Ryo. I will protect you." Luna said trying to cheer me up.

    "L-Luna can beat them all, right?" I asked. "She''s the strongest Ashen."

    Mayu shrugged and sighed. "I wouldn''t be so sure about it."

    Before Luna could reply, a voice sounded from behind us.

    "What''s going on here?"

    We turned around to see a security guard at the door, he held a flashlight in his hands and his face turned white as he saw the blood all over the floor. He clutched onto his radio and spoke to it quickly.

    "T-this is Isao, I need back-up righ¨C"

    Luna appeared in front of Isao, and her knife snapped out from behind her. She sliced his hand off, and the hand fell on the ground along with the radio he was holding onto. Blood gushed out of the open wound and Luna pushed her hand over his mouth before he could scream. His face twisted in pain and his eyes were wide open as he made muffled noises behind Luna''s hand.

    "L-Luna!" I uttered.

    Luna pushed the security guard against the wall with her hand against his mouth. He pulled at Luna''s arm with his remaining hand but she held on tightly. She pulled her knife back on her free hand aiming for his neck as she stared into his eyes emotionlessly.

    Then without hesitation, she stabbed the blade forwards, piercing into his throat and he made a gargling noise as the knife dug in deep. The knife jerked inside his throat along with the squirming motion of his body as Luna slowly moved the blade sideways along his neck.

    His body dropped down stiff on the floor when she was done, and Luna turned to us.

    "We have to go now." Luna said, blood covering her face.

    <hr>

    We arrived back at my apartment and I closed the door behind us, feeling numb as I stared at the floor. I looked up to see Mayu sitting by the kotatsu table, playing with the remote for the TV and Luna standing in front of me with a worried look.

    "Are you okay, Ryo?" She asked. "Your face looks white."

    She had blood smudges on her cheeks even after cleaning up.

    "Y-yeah. I''m fine." I replied. Her pale violet eyes gazed into mine. Dark hair fell by the side of her face and her pink lips pouted at me.

    "I had to kill the security guard." Luna said. "He saw us and he knew what we looked like. If I didn''t kill him, he would give the police our description."

    "Y-yeah, I guess you''re right..." I laughed weakly.

    I walked away from Luna and sat down on the opposite side of Mayu on the kotatsu table. Luna bit her lower lips and her hands curled into fists by her side.

    "R-Ryo..." Luna mumbled. She walked to the kotatsu table and sat down on the seat between Mayu and me.

    Mayu gave up on the TV remote and placed her head down on the table, sighing. She glanced between Luna and me, noticing the atmosphere in the room.

    "Ryo, are you still thinking about that security guard?" Mayu asked, staring at me. Her arms were crossed in front of her and her head leaned on her arms. Streaks of light blue hair fell over her pale emerald eyes.

    "Y-yeah..." I looked away, feeling her gaze.

    "Hmm..." Mayu mused staring at me. She pulled herself from her side of the table and moved towards me. "It''s okay, Ryo¨C"

    Luna sprung up and pushed Mayu with both hands before Mayu could come close. Mayu fell backwards, crashing onto the floor with a cry.

    Luna towered over Mayu, her pale violet eyes staring down at Mayu between streaks of dark hair. She pulled her knife from behind her back. Snap. The blade shot out of the handle, coated in dried blood. The edge of the sharp steel glinted.

    "This is all your fault..." Luna mouthed.

 Chapter 26 - Allies

    "L-Luna!" I shouted, standing up from the table but it was too late.

    Luna lunged at Mayu with her switchblade. She raised her hand up, preparing to strike the knife down at Mayu''s neck. The blade shot down and stabbed itself into the ground as Mayu rolled sideways, narrowly avoiding the attack.

    "W-what the hell, Luna?!" Mayu breathed out, staring at Luna. Mayu''s arms were on the ground behind her, keeping her upper body up where she sat.

    Luna wrenched the blade out of the ground unfazed, she faced Mayu again.

    "Luna..." Mayu edged away cautiously. "What are you doing?"

    Luna moved towards Mayu nonchalantly. "Killing you."

    She lept forward with her knife and Mayu snapped her dagger out from behind her, unsheathed. The scabbard made a loud clanging noise as it met Luna''s blade but the force of the attack pushed Mayu''s dagger downwards. Her wrist twisted in an awkward angle and Mayu yelped, dropping her dagger on the ground.

    Luna immediately pushed herself on top of Mayu, using the weight of her body to sit down against Mayu''s hips. Mayu flung her arms out, making a desperate attempt for Luna''s knife but Luna raised the knife up, keeping it away from Mayu''s reach.

    Luna then shot her free hand down, lifting Mayu''s upper body up by pulling on her collar, then without warning she slammed Mayu back down against the ground, causing the back of Mayu''s head to crash against the ground, stunning her.

    "Mayu, do you want to know how I killed Kaori?" Luna asked, her knife dangled dangerously above Mayu''s face. "Kaori was really scared when I got on top of her like this. She couldn''t even open her eyes. I had to slit them open for her."

    Luna moved her hand up from Mayu''s collar and grabbed onto Mayu''s cheeks tightly. Luna turned Mayu''s head sideways against her will.

    "I started with her face first." Luna leaned down closer to Mayu''s face. "I didn''t like how pretty she was, so I started cutting into her face. She kept begging me to stop but she couldn''t talk because I tore out her tongue. I didn''t stop cutting until I thought she was going to die from all the blood she lost."

    "Luna..." My mouth gaping.

    "You must had seen her, her entire jaw was falling off her face." Luna giggled. "She looked pretty funny like that."

    I stood there in disbelief staring at the scene. How did things become this chaotic all of a sudden? I snapped out of my trance and rushed over.

    "H-hey Luna! Get off her!"

    I grabbed onto Luna''s hand that was holding the knife and pulled her up. To my surprise, there was little resistance. She bit her lower lips as she stood up, her hands curled into fists by her side. "Why do you always help Mayu, Ryo?"

    "Mayu''s our ally, Luna..."

    "But things would be so much easier if she disappeared, Ryo!"

    "P-please don''t."

    Luna sighed at my response. "Okay, Ryo..."

    I jumped as her switchblade make a sharp metallic noise as it retracted. With that, the tension in the room disappeared and Luna returned the switchblade behind her skirt as though nothing had happened.

    Mayu got up from the floor shakily, her face pale. Small droplets of blood stained the floor from where her head had slammed the ground.

    "That, was for going near Ryo." Luna said to Mayu. "Anyways, I hope you learned your lesson."

    What lesson? I thought to myself. That she was going to kill any girl that ever came close to me?

    <hr>

    "Hey, Ryo. Wake up!" Eiji snapped his fingers at me.

    We were at the classroom and it was lunchtime. After Luna''s attack on Mayu last night, we called it a night and decided to go to sleep. Mayu didn''t say much last night or this morning which was unlike her usual self. I guess she was scared of Luna.

    I pushed Eiji''s fingers away from my face. "What is it?" I asked annoyed.

    "I need to ask you something." Eiji replied, then in a lower voice. "It''s about Akane."

    I groaned. "You''re still trying to go after her?"

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    "Y-yeah." Eiji said, his face reddened slightly as he looked around which shocked me. Eiji had always been a playboy so why would he be embarrassed talking about Akane?

    "You know yesterday when you and Luna left me with Akane. I tried everything to get her to go on a date with me." Eiji continued. "I offered to pick her up, pay for shopping, go to the movies, I even tried to use the sympathy card. Literally nothing would work."

    I nodded my head. No wonder Eiji was embarrassed. He was probably feeling insecure since he was used to girls swooning over him.

    "I mean, all she kept talking about was wondering where you and Luna went." Eiji said in disbelief. "She wouldn''t stop talking about it. It was almost like she was worried, and that got me thinking..."

    I stopped nodding. Could Eiji have found out about Akane?

    "I''m just wondering, Ryo..." Eiji stared at me in the eye. "Does... does Akane like you?"

    "W-what?" I stammered. He completely missed the mark.

    "I mean, it sort of makes sense now, why Akane''s always trying to butt in between you and Luna." Eiji said.

    "Listen, Eiji." I sighed. "You''ve got the wrong¡ª"

    I was interrupted when a ball of paper hit me in the head. "Ow!"

    Eiji and I turned to face the direction where the ball of paper came from. A boy dressed in the school uniform with an athletic build and a tall figure met our gaze. It was Suzuki, the class bully. He was a popular and handsome guy that came from a well off and respected family, as most people in Hibiya High did but his was an exceptional case. Standing next to him was his gang of like-minded individuals.

    "Oh, sorry. Did that hit your face?" Suzuki said, his gang snickering behind him. "I was trying to aim for the trash can but I guess I was mistaken."

    The other students in the classroom edged away from the conflict, ignoring what was happening. This always happened whenever Suzuki found his target. Everyone in the school was too afraid of being the next victim that whomever Suzuki was targeting would always be shunned away and isolated from the rest of the school. I was only wondering why of all people he would pick me.

    "Suzuki, don''t do this." Eiji warned. "Ryo is a friend of Luna''s."

    The classroom went quiet at the mention of Luna''s name. Being the most popular student in the school, Luna held a large sway over the school. Even Suzuki seemed to hesitate for a second. I looked around for Luna but she wasn''t in the classroom. Maybe she went to the restroom, Akane wasn''t here either.

    Suzuki regained his composure. "So what? You think I''m scared of Luna?" He shrugged. "What is she going to do? Kill me?"

    "Uh..." I started.

    "Anyways, did anyone here even see me throw that piece of paper?" Suzuki asked loudly, then waited. As he expected, the classroom was silent. He smiled, satisfied with the response. "Exactly. For all we know¡ª"

    "I did."

    Mayu stood up from her desk, staring eye to eye with Suzuki, her cheeks puffed out.

    "You. You''re the new transfer student?" Suzuki raised an eyebrow. "You might not know about this since you''re new but in this school, I own the place."

    He nodded his head to his group, and they nodded back at him as they moved towards Mayu.

    "H-hey!" I yelled. "Leave her alone!"

    "Suzuki, what the hell?!" Eiji said behind clenched teeth.

    The group around Mayu grabbed onto her hair and dragged her towards Suzuki. She couldn''t resist because everyone in the classroom was watching. If a girl with a petite figure like hers overpowered a group of athletic guys more than twice her size, the news would spread like wildfire.

    I ran over to help but a member from his gang blocked my path, kicking me in the stomach. "Eargh!" My breath escaped me and I dropped down to my knees, clenching my stomach.

    Eiji tried to help as well but three of Suzuki''s gang grabbed him from behind, holding him back as he struggled to reach Mayu.

    I could hear laughter as the gang bought Mayu to Suzuki, holding her in place by her hair and her arms. Suzuki leaned down to look at her face and she flinched backwards.

    "Hmm, you''re pretty cute." Suzuki said. "Shame."

    "Leave her alone!" I shouted

 Chapter 27 - Luck

    "L-let go off me!" Mayu told the guys holding her from behind. "Y-you''re going to regret this!"

    The gang howled in laughter, while Suzuki smirked at Mayu''s words. "We''re going to regret this?" He repeated. "Can you not see the situation at hand at the moment?"

    "Y-you bastard!" Eiji tried harder to escape from the grip of the guys holding him in a lock but it was three against one. There was nothing he could do.

    Recovering my breath, I stood up from the ground. I had to do something. Everyone else in the classroom was frozen in fear, and Luna was nowhere to be seen. How convenient.

    "Suzuki!" I called out, and he turned his attention away from Mayu and to me instead. I took a breath and mustered my courage. "If you''re a man, fight me one on one without your goons."

    Suzuki seemed disinterested.

    "Or are you too scared without your gang?" I added hastily. "Because you''re actually a coward deep inside."

    Suzuki leaned away from Mayu and stood up tall, emphasising the height difference between me and him. He walked over slowly, while my heart dropped lower and lower down my chest.

    "You''re an idiot." He said and punched me in the face.

    The hit propelled me backwards and I fell onto a table behind me. The adrenaline pumping through my body neglected much of the pain and I pushed myself forward immediately. This surprised Suzuki and I caught him with a punch of my own straight onto his jaw using the momentum of my movement. It was a move I had seen Luna used.

    The problem was that I wasn''t Luna.

    His head moved slightly on impact but that was it. The cold reality was that he was much more muscular and stronger than me. However, it seemed that my punch made him extremely angry despite doing no damage. Perhaps it was due to the fact that no one had ever dared to hit him before.

    "Y-you!" Suzuki''s face twisted into a maddening look and he hurled himself onto me. Frightened, I stepped to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. Somehow, his feet caught onto mine as I was moving away and he tripped forward, his forehead smacking hard on to the desk that was formerly behind me.

    He fell down to the ground, motionless and the classroom went quiet.

    "R-Ryo..." Eiji stared at me. "You beat him..."

    The goons released their grip of their victims, as they stood confused, lost without their leader.

    Suddenly the classroom exploded into cheers as the realisation of what had just occurred sunk in. The goons swarmed Suzuki, picking up his body from the ground as they tried desperately to revive him. Unfortunately, he was knocked out cold by his own undoing.

    "T-that was actually impressive." Mayu said, her face red. "Thanks, Ryo..."

    I was still in shock from how things played out. It almost seemed like a fairytale of sorts. The pain from the punch that I took was slowly building up as my adrenaline wore out, confirming that this was not a dream.

    "It''s okay, Mayu. I should be thanking you for sticking up for me there." I replied.

    In my mind, I was preoccupied with thoughts about Suzuki''s awakening. He wasn''t the type of guy that would simply let something like this go, and there was no chance in hell that I would be able to pull off a lucky stint like that in a second fight. Would I have to stick by Luna''s side for the rest of my life at school?

    <hr>

    "W-what?! Ryo, you did that?" Luna stammered upon hearing the story from Eiji.

    "I-I didn''t purposely trip him over, I was trying to get out of the way and I moved my leg too slow." I explained, trying to clear up Eiji''s version of the event that took place. "That''s when he tripped over and hit his head on the table."

    "I''m so proud of you!" Luna cheered.

    "Did you even listen to what I said?" I asked. "Anyways, the point is that Suzuki is going to literally kick my ass when he wakes up, Luna."

    School was over and there was no sighting of Suzuki even though he had been sent to the school ward for recovery. My nerves were jittery, and I was on high alert for an ambush attack.

    "Ryo, you''re going to be fine." Luna said, noticing my unease. "If Suzuki dares to touch you, I will chop him up and feed him to the school birds, literally."

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    "You''re funny, Luna." Eiji laughed. "I haven''t heard that one before."

    "I heard Suzuki''s last victim committed suicide after two weeks of bullying." Akane chirped in standing by Luna''s side, away from Eiji as far as she could. "Apparently, it was really bad."

    "Thanks, I feel a lot better now." I rolled my eyes.

    We came to a stop by the school gates and I looked around briefly for Mayu but there was simply too many people rushing out of the school for me to spot her amidst the crowd. Luna saw me glancing around and frowned.

    A group of students pointed at me, chattering among themselves. "Hey it''s Ryo, the Suzuki slayer." One whispered.

    "I heard he single handedly bashed up Suzuki''s gang, one by one, before besting Suzuki in hand to hand combat."

    "I heard he knocked Suzuki out with a flying roundhouse kick to the head."

    "Eh? I heard that he broke his knuckles trying to punch Suzuki''s jaw."

    I sighed. It was ridiculous how fast the rumours had circulated. At this rate, there was no doubt that Suzuki would come back for revenge.

    "We''re going to go now." Luna dragged me away from Eiji and Akane, much to their confusion.

    "H-hey, Luna."

    We were walking down the road, ahead from the other students leaving school.

    "Where are you taking me?" I asked, unfamiliar with the road.

    "To teach you how to fight." Luna replied.

    We stopped at an empty park away from the path of where students normally walked. Luna turned to face me, smiling. She reached behind her skirt and threw something at me.

    I caught the object with both hands and almost dropped it, surprised by the weight. I looked down and saw her switchblade in my hands. The black delicate handle emitted an ominous aura even when the blade was retracted.

    "L-Luna¡ª"

    "Try to kill me." Luna said.

    I stared at her dumbfounded.

    "Go on, Ryo." Luna urged, excitedly. "I won''t hurt you."

    "Okay..." I said unsure.

    I looked down at the switchblade again, studying the handle. How did this thing even open? There was no button or slide on the handle like with normal switchblades.

    "You have to flick it." Luna said.

    She walked up and grabbed my hand holding onto the switchblade. She was standing really close and her cleavage revealed slightly from the top of her shirt as I looked down. My face grew hot but I was jolted awake from my thoughts when Luna suddenly flicked my hand and a sharp metallic noise resounded. The force of the blade shooting out from the handle made my arm drop but Luna held onto my hand tightly so that I wouldn''t lose grip.

    "Yay! You did it Ryo!" Luna said, thrilled. She released her grip of my hand and the weight of the switchblade fell on me again. I had to hold on as tight as I could to not lose grip. Luna stepped backwards until she was at her original spot.

    "I want you to try your best to kill me." Luna said. "Pretend I''m someone that you don''t really like."

    Someone that I didn''t really like? I thought to myself. Why the hell would I kill someone that I didn''t really like?

    "Okay, Luna." I sighed. The whole idea seemed ridiculous to me. "Here I come."

    I walked slowly towards her, eventually picking my pace up to a half jog with the switchblade raised in my hand. She stood still, a smile on her face and her hands sitting idly behind her back.

    "Don''t blame me if I hurt y¡ª" I started.

    Suddenly a huge force jerked me forwards, then backwards and I felt myself tumbling into the grass, all the while with something cold pressing onto the skin of my neck.

    When the world stopped being a blur, I realised I was lying on the ground with Luna sitting on top of me, the switchblade in her hand and on my throat. I looked down at my own empty hands wondering what the hell happened.

    "You never show them your intentions, Ryo." Luna said, staring at me from above. Her face slightly red. "The way you raised your hand was too obvious."

    I stared up at Luna''s face. She blinked at me, her dark eyelashes fluttering and her pink lips parting slightly in an alluring manner.

    "L-Luna, you''re really close."

    She ignored me and leaned closer until our lips almost touched. I felt her breath on me and my mind melted.

    She stopped above my lips. "Do you want me to kill Suzuki for you?"

 Chapter 28 - Plan

    "What?"

    "I said, do you want me to kill Suzuki for you?" Luna repeated, her cold eyes staring into mine.

    The intimate moment we had a while ago seemed to disappear instantaneously.

    "It wouldn''t have to be quick for him, Ryo." She leaned next to my ear and goosebumps raised at the back of my neck. I felt her breathing onto me. "I could make him suffer. Like really suffer."

    I glanced away, feeling uncomfortable. Somehow I wasn''t as scared as I normally was. Perhaps I was even getting used to Luna''s constant inability to follow social norms. The thought surprised and frightened me at the same time. Something clearly wasn''t right when you start thinking of a psychopathic serial killer girl as normal.

    "Look, Luna..." I began slowly. "You said you wouldn''t kill anymore."

    Luna twitched. "I-I know."

    "Then why would you suggest that?" I sighed.

    She went silent, and I waited patiently for a response.

    "I-it''s just..." Luna''s voice broke and I felt her hand tightening its grip on my shirt.

    "I-I love you so much, Ryo..." Luna bubbled, tears falling from her cheeks. "It reeally hurts me to hear what he did to you."

    "H-hey Luna... it''s okay..." It always surprised me when Luna cried, even though I should had been used to it by now. I tried to get up to comfort her but the cold blade pushed against my neck reminding me to not move.

    "I wanted to find Suzuki straight after hearing the story from Eiji..." Luna continued sobbing by my side. "I wanted to hurt him reeally bad."

    "Luna¡ª"

    "I don''t understand why anyone would ever do that to you, Ryo. You''re always so kind and quiet in class. It makes me really angry thinking about it."

    "Your knife¡ª"

    "I wanted him to disappear. I wanted to kill him." Luna said. The blade pushed down hard against my throat and my breathing became jagged.

    "L-Luna!"

    She snapped out of her trance and instantly removed the blade from my neck. The weight of the blade leaving my neck made me exhale deeply in relief. She pulled herself off from me.

    "R-Ryo..." Luna''s face went red. "I-I''m so sorry! I didn''t mean to do that!"

    "It''s okay." I coughed, sitting up from the grass. "I''m fine."

    "Stupid Luna. Stupid Luna." Luna banged her palm to her forehead repeatedly and I laughed awkwardly, rubbing my neck.

    She stopped and looked at my neck.

    "W-what is it, Luna?" I asked, feeling creeped out by her stare.

    "Let me see it."

    "Huh?"

    "Your neck."

    "What for?" I said confused.

    She brushed my hand aside and leaned her face to my neck.

    "W-what are you doing?¡ª" I started.

    She moved closer and I felt her soft lips pressing onto the skin of my neck, making my mind melt. Her hand went to the back of my head, grabbing a fistful of hair and she pushed me back down to the grass. The weight of her body came down on me as her lips tugged against my neck, gently caressing the surface.

    My hands went on her petite figure without my realising, and for what seemed like a long time, we remained on that spot in the grass with her on top of me.

    <hr />

    The sun was setting by the time we decided to head home. When we got to my apartment, we were surprised by a familiar face upon opening the door.

    "M-Mayu?!" Luna closed the door behind us. "What are you doing here?!"

    Mayu was lying by the kotatsu table, her legs up in the air behind her as she flicked through a page of the magazine she was reading. "I was beginning to think you guys wouldn''t come back, jeez."

    Mayu closed the magazine and lifted it up, smiling. "By the way, I really have to commend your tastes in magazines, Ryo."

    I saw the cover page of a naked woman in what appears to be a provocative pose and I walked over quickly, snatching the magazine out of her hand. "Those were left behind from the last tenants!" I lied, my face flustered.

    "Suure." Mayu laughed, clapping her hands together. "That makes perfect sense."

    "This is Ryo''s place, you can''t just sneak in!" Luna walked next to Mayu, staring down at her annoyed. "Why can''t you stop bothering Ryo?"

    "Why can''t I come in?" Mayu puffed her cheeks at Luna. "I have nowhere else to go now after helping you guys."

    "We don''t need your help!"

    "H-hey! If it wasn''t for me, Ryo would had died to Kaori and Daike on that day!"

    The two continued arguing and I used the opportunity to secretly stash the magazines back under the kotatsu table.

    "Listen, why don''t you just go find a quiet place where no one can find you and kill yourself!" Luna breathed out. "You''re ruining everything!"

    Mayu''s cheeks reddened. "Am not!"

    "Yes you are!"

    "H-hey Luna." I placed a hand on Luna''s shoulder, trying to defuse the situation before it got out of hand. "Mayu''s right. She''s our ally now and we need all the help we can get against the Ashens."

    Luna crossed her arms together and bit her lower lips, hesitating. "F-fine... as long as Ryo doesn''t mind..."

    Thank god. I thought to myself. I didn''t know what I would have to do if Luna didn''t listen to me.

    "Thanks Ryo." Mayu smiled at me, tilting her head in a cute way. "You''re the best."

    A murderous aura emitted from Luna''s direction, so I nodded nervously at Mayu without saying anything as a response.

    "Mayu, if you''re going to be our ally, you can''t stay in Ryo''s place." Luna rubbed her fingertips on her forehead, trying to calm herself down. "As much as I hate it, you''ll have to stay with me at Akane''s house."

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    "Why can''t I stay here?" Mayu pouted.

    "Who knows what kind of sleazy move you''ll pull on Ryo!" Luna snapped. "Besides, I need to keep a close eye on you.

    Mayu looked disappointed.

    "Have you destroyed your navigator?" Luna asked.

    "Yes..." Mayu said hesitantly.

    "Good." Luna said. "We don''t want anyone to track down where you are."

    "Luna, you can''t hurt Mayu okay?" I quickly added.

    Now it was Luna''s turn to look disappointed.

    "A-anyways." Luna continued. "Since the Ashens are coming to this city, we have to be extra careful from now on."

    "How do I tell who''s an Ashen?" I asked, figuring it was an important question

    Mayu pointed at her pale emerald eyes. "Their eyes, Ryo, it will be an unusual dull colour like ours when they''re not synthesized."

    "Ah..." I nodded, musing to myself. Now that I thought about it, Luna and Mayu''s eyes did look quite different from normal people''s.

    "If you endanger Ryo.... or if I even think you will do something stupid..." Luna stared at Mayu tensely. "...I won''t hesitate to kill you, Mayu."

    "Don''t worry, Luna." Mayu waved a hand, laughing nervously. "I would never do something like that."

    "Good." Luna smiled, and the mood brightened. "Then I guess we''re all clear on where we stand."

    "Right..." Mayu gave Luna a distrusting look.

    I breathed out a sigh of relief. It finally seemed like the two were somewhat co-operating together in their own unusual way. Despite Luna''s strength, it was good to have Mayu on board. She was more open than Luna and was always willing to let me know about what was going on. It also helps that she seemed to be more stable mentally.

    Mayu got up and walked to the kitchen, casually grabbing a packet of chips from the cupboard before returning to her sit.

    "Hey, what are you doing? This isn''t your house." Luna said annoyed.

    "I''m so hungry." Mayu complained. "Besides, Ryo doesn''t mind."

    Luna looked at me for a response, and I laughed it off. "It''s okay, I got plenty of food."

    We watched silently as Mayu stared at the packet of chips, unmoving.

    "Uh... Mayu, do you need help with that?" I asked, remembering that this was her first time away from Asahikawa.

    "N-no, I know how to do this." She said hastily, then she squeezed the packet of chips from both sides with the palm of her hands. The air in the packet exploded, and crumbs of chips flew everywhere, much to Luna''s irritation.

    "You dirtied Ryo''s apartment..." Luna said between clenched teeth.

    Mayu looked distressed. "I''m sorry Ryo."

    "It''s fine." I tried to laugh it off but it was hard. Luna''s murderous aura was overwhelming, it felt like she was going to strangle Mayu for her mistake.

    After we cleaned up, a soft knock sounded at the door.

    "Coming." I called without thinking.

    Both Luna and Mayu''s face darkened, their hands already reaching for their weapons. They watched me cautiously and unease settled over me. I didn''t stop to think for a second before announcing my presence to an unknown visitor knocking on the door. Now I couldn''t ask for Luna and Mayu''s advice because the person waiting outside could hear, but if I didn''t open the door soon they would wonder why I was taking such a long time.

    A sweat trickled down my forehead as I walked closer and closer to the door. It was unusual for me to get visitors, the only one that knew where I lived was Eiji and he would always call my home phone before coming over.

    I grabbed the door handle and breathed heavily. Luna and Mayu were too far to save me if anything happened and they couldn''t risk coming closer because the person behind the door would be able to hear them. Could it be another Ashen?

    I swallowed and turned the handle slowly, opening the door.

    It was Yumi.

    "Haha, you look panicky..." Yumi said nervously.

    "Y-Yumi?" I breathed out. It felt like a long time since I last saw her. "What are you doing here?"

    "I-I got your address from Eiji." She glanced behind me at my apartment, but Luna and Mayu were hidden. "I was worried about you because you haven''t answered your phone in ages."

    "Oh, right. Sorry." I laughed awkwardly. My phone stopped working after I jumped into the sewers with Mayu. "It fell in the water. Were you trying to call?"

    "Y-yeah..."

    Yumi stared at me anxiously and I stood up straight, regaining my composure. "Is there something wrong?"

    "I''m not disturbing you, am I?" She asked timidly.

    "No way." I answered but I still wasn''t sure why she was here.

    "D-do you think I''m annoying...?"

    "Uh... No..."

    "I-I actually came..." Yumi hesitated slightly. "To ask you out."

    "What?"

    "N-not in that kind of way." Yumi added quickly. "I-I just wanted to go to this t-t-...theme park with you."

    I looked at Yumi confused.

    "Cause my friend gave me some tickets." Yumi said, her face red. "And they''re expiring today."

    "Well..." I didn''t know what to say.

    "Theme park sounds good." Mayu''s voice came from behind, and I spun around to find her standing next to me, smiling.

    "M-Mayu!" Luna hit the palm of her hand into her face, following Mayu from behind. "What are you doing?!"

 Chapter 29 - Trio

    What the hell was I doing here?

    The sound of amusement rides coming to life roared aloud, and in the background squealing children and crowd noises drummed against my ear. It was evening and the sky was dark, but flashing lights from all directions of the theme park blurred my vision as I stumbled past the entry gates, the three girls trailing behind my back.

    "Oh! So you''re Ryo''s co-worker!" Yumi said to Mayu, her voice excited. It was a lie I had made up on the spot.

    "Haha, yeah that''s right..." Mayu laughed awkwardly, rubbing her head. "I guess you can say that..."

    Yumi turned to Luna shyly. "And you are...?"

    Luna opened her mouth, presumably to say something inappropriate and I cut into the conversation quickly.

    "A school friend." I said, glancing at Luna worriedly. She pouted in my direction.

    "Hmm..." Yumi squinted her eyes, studying Luna''s face. "I feel like I''ve seen you somewhere before..."

    "It''s probably just a coincidence!" I laughed, trying to break her attention. It was lucky that Yumi didn''t remember seeing Luna from the shopping mall, or even worse the kidnapping incident.

    "Probably!" Yumi stopped studying Luna''s face, and laughed. "I don''t know, but you''re very pretty!"

    Luna smiled politely, the way she did at school. "Thank you."

    Mayu glared at Luna enviously from the side, and Yumi laughed, noticing Mayu''s reaction. "You''re also very pretty, Mayu!"

    I breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that Yumi had not recognised Luna. There was already enough drama going on without that happening. The three of them continued chatting behind my back, while they followed me idly and it was then that I realised I was supposed to be taking them somewhere. The only problem was that this theme park was too damn big, and it didn''t help that there were hundreds of people walking around aimlessly.

    Something hit me on the leg from below and I looked down to see a boy child, bouncing backwards and falling into the ground. He landed on his behind, and sat there looking confused.

    "H-hey Ryo, be careful where you walk." Yumi said worriedly.

    "He walked into me." I replied but no one cared.

    Mayu walked over and leaned down to the child. "Are you okay?" She asked softly.

    The child looked up at Mayu for a moment with the same exact confused expression on his face, then out of nowhere, his face crunched up and tears erupted from his eyes.

    "Waah!!" The child cried loudly and Mayu leaned back, wincing as she covered her ears.

    "Hey..." Yumi also bent down to the child, trying her best to look accommodating. "What''s wrong? Are you lost?"

    The child ignored Yumi''s words and seemed to only cry louder, attracting the attention of onlookers as I shifted uncomfortably at my feet. I didn''t like the attention of the crowd. Mayu and Yumi stepped away, a look of defeat on their faces.

    I was about to give a go at comforting the child when Luna walked past me and knelt down to the child, her face calm and serene. The child, feeling her presence in front of him, glanced at her between his tears, and suddenly, lo and behold, a miracle occurred.

    "It''s okay." Luna raised a gentle hand to the child''s head, stifling his tears. "Everything''s going to be okay."

    The child sniffed and Luna pulled him up from the ground without resistance as the crowd around us cheered, impressed by Luna. At that moment, his mother walked in hurriedly from amidst the crowd.

    "There you are, Hoshi!" His mother cried, picking the child up from the ground, then turned to Luna. "T-thank you so much! I''m so sorry if he caused you any trouble!"

    Luna laughed. "Not at all."

    The mother thanked Luna for a while more, before leaving with her child and disappearing into the crowd.

    "T-that was so impressive!" Yumi said to Luna, staring at her with admiration. I remember Yumi saying that she wanted to be a teacher. I guess that explained why she was so impressed.

    "It''s nothing." Luna smiled modestly in response.

    "Exactly." Mayu said, crossing her arms. She seemed annoyed that the child reacted to Luna and not her. "It''s nothing..."

    "I thought that was impressive too." I added.

    Luna''s face changed to a blush, contrasting the graceful persona she put on with others. "R-really?"

    "Yeah..." I laughed, feeling awkward by her change in tone. I didn''t want her to get too carried away. "A-anyways, let''s find something to do since we''re here at the theme park."

    <hr>

    The safety harness fell slowly on top of us, before locking into place. I pushed against the steel weakly, feeling a pit forming in my stomach.

    "A-are you sure we won''t fall out?" I asked nervously.

    Luna laughed, sitting next to me. "Don''t worry, Ryo. We''re completely safe."

    An employee walked past us along the platform, his eyes searching for any problems with the ride.

    "And even if you fell out, I would jump down and save you." Luna added.

    "Why do you get to sit next to Ryo?" Mayu complained from behind. Sitting besides Mayu was a fidgeting Yumi, a look on her face that somewhat resembled a mixture of regret and fear. Probably what my own face looked like.

    "D-do you thinkthey will let me out if I asked?" Yumi asked shakily. "I-I don''t think I can do this..."

    As she finished her sentence, the roller coaster jerked forward for a second, slowly beginning to move.

    "I think it''s too late now..." I replied, staring at the long, ascending path stretching out in front of us.

    "Can you believe we''re on a roller coaster together?" Luna asked excitedly. "This is the best day of my life."

    "Haha..." I laughed uneasily.

    Luna lowered her voice. "If only we were alone..."

    "H-hey, don''t get any ideas Luna..." I said alarmed. She wasn''t planing to push Mayu and Yumi off half way through the ride, was she?"

    "Just kidding." Luna laughed.

    The ride ascended to the top of the climb, emphasising the fact that we were a hundred feet above from the ground. The theme park looked like an ant colony from this height and I gripped onto the harness tightly, feeling myself perspire. I closed my eyes and mumbled half a prayer I remembered from elementary school.

    "Hey Ryo, open your eyes, we''re gonna¡ª"

    Suddenly, my stomach rose to my chest and the force of the wind rushed against me. The pressure of the fall made my entire body tense as I clenched my teeth.

    "¡ªFALLLLLLLL!" Luna screamed, laughing.

    <hr>

    I leaned against the wall, my legs shaky and my heart racing from the adrenaline of the ride. Luna and Mayu stood besides me worriedly. Yumi had excused herself to the toilet straight after the ride. Probably to throw up.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    "Are you alright, Ryo?" Luna said, leaning to me.

    "That was horrible..." I groaned, facing the ground. "Never again..."

    "It wasn''t that bad, was it?" Mayu asked. "I thought it was really boring."

    Of course, it was boring for you. I thought to myself. You''re an Ashen.

    "Here, have some water." Mayu held a bottle of water out to me and reached her hand to touch my back.

    Luna striked the bottle out of Mayu''s hand, the force of her hit cracking the plastic in the middle and spilling water in the air. The bottled crashed into the ground, breaking into two from where it cracked, exploding water. Luna caught Mayu''s wrist before she could touch me.

    "What the hell do you think you''re doing?" Luna asked quietly, her face lost its usual brightness and was now dark and inhumane.

    "I wanted to help Ryo out." Mayu winced at Luna''s grip. Luna squeezed hard and Mayu yelped.

    "H-hey, stop it!" I pulled Luna''s hand away from Mayu''s wrist. "She''s our friend!"

    Luna released her grip and Mayu stepped back, rubbing her wrist. "T-that really hurted..." She said.

    At that moment, Yumi walked towards us with a puzzled expression on her face. "What''s going on?" She asked, glancing from Luna to Mayu and back again. Uh oh. Did she see the whole thing?

    "Nothing!" I replied quickly and tried to laugh it off. "They were just having fun."

    "They looked like they were fighting..." Yumi said, giving me a skeptical look.

    "Really, it was nothing." Mayu joined in, laughing weakly as she tried to help my cause. "Me and Luna fighting? As if..."

    "Well I would hope not..." Yumi said, frowning. "You two seem like sisters."

    "S-sisters?!" Mayu blurted out.

    "Yeah." Yumi laughed. "It''s just that it feels like you two are really close."

    That''s an interesting thought. I mused. In a way, Luna and Mayu were somewhat akin to sisters. They were born in the same way, grew up together and probably suffered many hardships together too. I could see why it felt like there was a close connection between the two of them.

    "No way..." Mayu said weakly. "We''re not like sisters at all."

    "I''m just saying." Yumi giggled. "Anyways, I saw a haunted house over there when I was coming back, we should go check it out." She pointed behind her.

    "Sounds good!" I said quickly. Anything would be better than to stand here and wait for Luna and Mayu to fight again.

    "Haunted?" Luna repeated, raising an eyebrow.

    "Why do you look like that?" Yumi laughed, as we followed her lead. "It''ll be fun! I saw really cute skeletons!"

    We stopped at a large, grim-looking house decorated with dark ornaments. Workers dressed in skeleton costumes patrolled the front of the haunted house, looking for passerbys.

    "That seems really scary." I said, looking the haunted house up and down.

    "But the skeletons look so cute!" Yumi pointed to the workers excitedly.

    "Uh..." I wanted to say that this was probably a bad idea but a worker approached us before I could get the words out of my mouth.

    "Are you here for the haunted house?" The worker grinned. His skeleton makeup and costume seemed deceptively innocent compared to what the haunted house looked like.

    I looked at Yumi, she seemed like she really wanted to go. I sighed. "Yeah, can we get four tickets?"

    "No problem." The worker replied eagerly, as he handed us four tickets in exchange for cash. "You''re a really popular guy, huh?" He added, nodding at the three girls next to me.

    "They''re friends..." I laughed weakly.

    We followed him as he lead us to the front of the haunted house, telling us instructions as he did so which I didn''t really listen to.

    "Okay then guys, have fun!" He said, ending his lengthy speech.

    "We will." Yumi replied brightly.

    He opened the door to the haunted house and we strolled in, with me leading the pack and Yumi at the back. The door closed on us almost as soon as we got in and we found ourselves in a long, dark corridor faintly lit by fake torches lined in rows on the walls. The haunted house was completely soundless.

    "This is scarier than I thought." Yumi said, breaking the silence. She turned back to the door we came from and tried feebly to open it to no avail.

    "Ryo, be careful." Luna said to me worriedly, as I started walking ahead with a sigh. I just wanted to get this over and done with.

    "You''re so brave, Ryo." Mayu laughed, watching me walk ahead.

    "Come on guys, let''s just do this." I said. "We''re just going to get more scared if we hesitate."

    "W-wait for me!" Yumi called out, before running after me. "I''m really scared!"

    "Hey, you''re the one that told us to come." I said as I turned around.

    Yumi ran into me, holding my arm tightly which made my heart skip a beat. I wasn''t expecting her to touch me.

    Luna''s face turned red. "G-get off him!"

    "Eek!" Yumi cried.

    Luna pushed Yumi with both hands and she flew forward before falling to the ground.

    "What the hell, Luna?" I dropped my jaw and ran to Yumi, feeling panic in my head. Oh god. Luna could had seriously hurt Yumi. There was no telling how much strength she put into that push.

    "Ow..." Yumi rose up from the ground, rubbing her back.

    "Are you alright¡ª" I was cut off by a hidden step on the ground and I fell forward.

    "Eh?" Yumi looked up confused.

    I landed on top of her in an awkward position and only managed to stop myself above her face. She stared at me, her face bright red.

    "W-what are you doing, Ryo?" Mayu''s own face went red as she rushed over.

    "R-Ryo..." Luna looked devastated, her face red as well.

    "I-it was an accident!" I said, waving my hands in front of me as though that showed my innocence. I lifted myself up from the ground quickly but that was short lived.

    Mayu tripped over the same step that I missed, and fell forward, crashing into me. I felt her arms wrapping around me for support as the momentum of her movement pushed us further ahead from Yumi.

    As we stumbled further along the path, the ground suddenly disappeared beneath us and we screamed as we felt ourselves falling. I stared up into the air and found Luna''s face sticking out from the top of the ledge.

    "Ryo!!" She shouted down at us, but instantly the ledge closed, Luna''s face disappearing from view as we fell further down, Mayu clinging onto me desperately.

    We landed on something soft, and the air escaped from my stomach as I breathed heavily, shocked by the fall.

    Mayu rose up next to me, staring around us. We were in a large basement and our fall was supported by an equally large air bag. Like the corridor we were in before, the basement was also faintly lit by fake torches lined on the side of the walls.

    "Where are we?" I groaned, lifting myself up.

    Mayu turned to me, beaming. "We''re alone, Ryo!"

 Chapter 30 - Azumi

    "We''re alone, Ryo."

    Mayu sat facing me, her legs by her side with her toes pointing behind her. Her hands rested in front of her, holding her up. The top of her jumper had fallen down on one side from the fall, revealing her naked shoulder.

    "Come on, we gotta get back to the others." I shook my head, trying not to stare as I moved off the airbag. In my mind, I was panicking. Who knows what Luna would do to Yumi without my supervision. For all I know, Yumi could be dead right now.

    Mayu grabbed my hand, preventing me from leaving and I felt her strength as she pulled me back to where I was.

    "W-woah!" I fell down with my back on the airbag and Mayu laughed.

    "Let''s have some fun, Ryo." She said, bouncing herself on the airbag playfully. "Come on."

    "Mayu..." I pulled myself up again and stared at her with a serious look. "We have to find Luna and Yumi, they''re going to be worried about us."

    Mayu stopped bouncing. "Why?"

    I sighed, raising a hand to my head. "Look... to be honest, I don''t know what Luna is going to do to Yumi while we''re gone."

    "So?" Mayu raised an eyebrow. "Who cares."

    "I-I care!" I replied. I mean who wouldn''t care if someone is going to die. Wasn''t there some sort of law that said you must do your best to prevent another human being''s death? Something along the lines of negligence?

    Mayu stared at me silently for a while. "Do you like Yumi?"

    "What?!" I said, feeling incredulous. Didn''t she get what would happen if we left Luna and Yumi alone? "No! Yumi''s going to¡ª"

    "Then do you like Luna?"

    I glanced to my side, feeling nervous for some reason. "I-I don''t see the point of these questions..."

    "You do like Luna then?" Mayu pulled herself up to her hands and knees. "Is that right?"

    "N-no..."

    Mayu moved on her hands and knees towards me, all the while her eyes fixed on mine. I glanced down momentarily and noticed the front of her jumper hanging loosely downwards, showing the top of her breasts. It didn''t seem like she was wearing any bra and the thought made my head spin.

    Mayu stopped in front of me, not caring that I was staring at her chest. I noticed that some of her hair had fallen over her eyes and her soft lips were moving with each breath she took. "Do you... like me?" She whispered.

    "T-that''s..." I felt myself losing my voice, noticing how close she was. "I-I can''t answer..."

    Mayu pouted at my response, but then sighed, leaning backwards onto a sitting position. It seemed she knew what I was going to say.

    "Sorry..." I rubbed the back of my head, feeling flustered.

    Mayu stayed silent for a while more, staringto her side. She muttered something to herself.

    "One day, I''ll make you love me."

    "What?" I said, not hearing what she said.

    She shook her head and smiled. "Don''t worry."

    "Alright then..." I said slowly, then I moved off the airbag for the second time. "Let''s go find the others."

    Mayu jumped off the airbag and landed next to me at the same time I got off the airbag. "Alright!" Mayu said energetically.

    The basement was as spacious as a car park, and the centre was dark because the lights emitting from the fake torches only covered the walls. Like the corridor, this place was also soundless.

    I started walking ahead into the darkness, but Mayu grabbed my hand, stopping me. "That''s the wrong way, Ryo." She said.

    "Ah, okay." I followed her lead instead, feeling her soft hand tugging mine.

    We walked for a moment in silence with Mayu leading the way.

    "Ryo..." Mayu said, breaking the silence.

    "Hm?" I said, looking at her but all I could see was the back of her head.

    "You followed me without even questioning me." She said.

    I stopped to think. "Uh... You can see better than me, Mayu. You''re an Ashen."

    "What if I lead you the wrong way?"

    "Why would you do that?" I asked puzzled.

    "Maybe I wanted to be alone with you." She chuckled. "Who knows. Do you trust me?"

    "Yeah, of course." I answered. "You''re my friend, Mayu."

    "Friend?" Mayu mused. She turned to me and smiled. "Geez, Ryo. You''re too nice." Her voice was back to its normal joking tone. "That''s what I like about you."

    I felt my face grow hot seeing her smile and I looked away."Let''s just focus on getting out of here."

    We stopped at an old, steel door at the end of the basement but Mayu didn''t release her grip on my hand.

    "Uh, Mayu." I said, lifting our hands up. "You''re still holding onto me."

    "Ah! Sorry!" Mayu laughed, her face reddening as she released her grip. "My bad."

    I pushed open the door and we found ourselves in another corridor similar to the one that we were in before.

    "Let me go first." Mayu said, stepping in front of me. "That way, you won''t walk into any traps."

    "That makes sense." I said.

    She walked in front of me, one hand feeling the wall as she did so. I followed behind, my thoughts wandering off to what happened between us a moment ago. Did she really like me or was she just teasing me? I couldn''t tell. Mayu always seemed to be talking in a half serious half joking tone so it was hard to know when she was actually serious.

    "H-hey Ryo, you''re falling behind!" Mayu turned to look at me and I snapped out of my thoughts to see a distance between me and Mayu. "Come here quickly!"

    "Ah, crap." I jogged towards Mayu but suddenly the ground of the corridor shook violently, sliding from left to right in a rapid motion.

    "W-what the?!" I stopped in my tracks, and instead focused my attention on balancing myself. "What''s going on?!"

    In between me and Mayu, a wall was quickly falling from above, separating the two of us.

    "R-Ryo!¡ª" Mayu tried to run back to me, but the wall fell down quickly and slammed shut to the floor, locking itself in place. Her voice disappeared with it and I felt my heart drop.

    "Dammit!" I reached the wall and slammed my hand against the surface out of frustration. I winced, regretting my decision as I realised it was made from steel. I turned around to face the empty corridors with a sigh, and noticed a new path had opened up in the wall that we had previously passed. Why was there so many traps in this place. I groaned and headed for the new path, feeling lonely. I already missed Mayu''s company.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    The new path led to another corridor, and as I turned in, someone bumped into my me causing me to jump.

    "W-what?!" I stumbled backwards, frightened.

    A girl around my age stared back at me, her round eyes a natural hazel colour. Light brown hair tied in ribbonsfell past the sides of her head, complimenting a perfect complexion and pink lips.A graceful and elegant aura emitted from the girl.

    "S-sorry." She mouthed, raising a hand to her lips. "Are you alright?"

    "Yeah..." I said, half laughing as I recollected myself. "I-I was just surprised. I didn''t really expect to bump into another person."

    "Me too." She laughed nervously. "I haven''t seen anyone in ages, are you stuck here too?"

    "Yeah." I replied, feeling calm now. "I''m just trying to find my way back to my friends."

    "I''m looking for my sister. What a coincidence." She said, smiling. "I''m Azumi by the way. What''s your name?"

    "Ryo." I said. "Nice to meet you, Azumi."

    She bowed her head slightly in a traditional manner. It felt good to not be alone, but something tugged at me. Oh crap. I was supposed to be careful for Ashens. I looked at her eyes carefully. They were a natural hazel colour. Not dull or pale like Luna''s and Mayu''s. A sense of relief fell over me.

    "W-what are you looking at?" Azumi leaned back, raising her hand to her cheek. "Is there something on my face?"

    "Sorry!" I apologised quickly, shaking my head. "I just kind of zoned out for a second there. It happens."

    "Oh,okay." Azumi said, confused. "Anyways, do you want to check out this corridor?" She pointed behind her.

    "Um... Didn''t you just come from there?" I asked confused.

    "Uh..." Azumi paused for a second, then blushed as she touched her fingers together nervously. "The truth is... I was scared.So I wanted to go back and see if I could find other people."

    "Ah..." I felt bad for asking. "A-anyways, let''s go together. This place is pretty scary for me too." I said, trying to make her feel better even though it was the truth.

    "R-really?" She said. "I thought it was just me."

    "The worse part is when you''re alone." I laughed, rubbing the back of my head. "It doesn''t help that the lights are so dim."

    She laughed with me. "I know what you mean."

    The way that she laughed made my face redden. She was actually very beautiful, and her graceful mannerisms only enhanced this fact. "A-anyways, let''s get going then." I coughed awkwardly, trying to change the topic.

    "Okay, that''s a good idea." She nodded with a small smile and stepped to the side so I could pass. I walked ahead of her, leading the way as we made our way tothe end of the corridor.

    "What does your sister look like by the way?" I asked while walking. "I''ll try to keep an eye out for her."

    "Hm..." Azumi paused to think. "Well... she should be slightly shorter than me right now."

    "Right now?" I repeated. "You haven''t seen your sister in a while?"

    "No, I haven''t. We''ve lived away from each other for a few years so I was planning to surprise her tonight."

    "You sound like a great sister." I laughed. "What else do you remember about her?"

    "She''s very beautiful...¡ª"

    Halfway through to the end, a screeching noise came from behind us causing us to turn and look. My jaw dropped when a mutilated corpse of sorts stood at the opposite end of the corridor that we came from.

    "W-what is that?!" Azumi said, her face pale.

    "R-run!" I snapped awake and grabbed onto Azumi''s hand without thinking. She blushed, looking down at my hand but I didn''t care to stop. "Lets go!" I shouted as I began sprinting for the end of the corridor, pulling Azumi with me as I did so.

    The monster let out another high-pitched screeching noise before bolting towards us at a quick pace. We reached the end of the corridor, which led to a door with no handle. I let go of Azumi''s hand and ran into the door, slamming my shoulder against it but it didn''t budge.

    "Dammit!" I took a step back and tried again, this time harder. My shoulder crashed against the door painfully. Still the door refused to budge and the monster was fast approaching us.

    "I-it''s getting closer!" Azumi said, glancing between the monster and the door. "W-we need to do something, Ryo!"

    I didn''t bother turning back to look. I knew it was a waste of time so instead I took another step backwards but this time I took a deep breath to refocus as I stared intently at the handle-less door. My heart was racing but my mind was telling me to focus. Come on, I can do this. I thought to myself. You got this, Ryo.

    "Open you piece of crap!" I yelled as I charged at the door again. I threw all my energy into the door, slamming it with the weight of my entire body. I felt the door wedge as I collided and it pushed even further, opening completely.

    "L-let''s go, Azumi!" I said, feeling relieved. I grabbed her hand and ran inside the door, pulling her in with me. I quickly slammed the door shut behind us and leaned my back against it, just for extra reassurance.

    "Thank god..." I sighed, my back sliding down the door.

    Azumi laughed weakly next to me. "T-thank you, Ryo. You were amazing."

    I blushed, shaking my head. "It was nothing..."

    Azumi looked down at the ground, her eyes searching. "I lost one of my contact lens." She said, but I didn''t hear her.

    I looked around us to study the room that we entered, it was a large great hall. A marble staircase stretched out in the centre of the hall, leading up to a higher level with many doors. At that moment, a click sounded from one of the doors. The door creaked open slowly and two figures emerged from the door. The two figures stepped to the ledge and looked down at us.

    Dark hair, pale violet eyes and light blue hair, pale emerald eyes. It was Luna and Mayu.

    Luna saw me and a look of relief fell on her face, she was about to call out to me when she noticed the person standing next to me. Her face instantly turned upside down.

    "R-RYO!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "GET AWAY FROM HER!!"

    "Huh?" I turned to look at Azumi.

    Azumi lifted her head up, one of her natural hazel eyes was a dull hazel colour.

    "SHE''S AN ASHEN!"

 Chapter 31 - Battle

    Every strand of hair on my body stood up as my eyes met the unusual dull hazel that was Azumi''s left eye. I tried to react, move away, do something, anything, but Azumi was quicker, much quicker. Her hand wrenched out towards me in a blur of motion, and before I knew what was going on, I felt her perfectly shaped nails digging into my forearm, piercing skin and flesh, as she grabbed on tightly. Her grip was strong, stronger than anything I had ever felt in my life, so strong that my bones fractured, bending inwards from her sheer strength.

    I didn''t even have time to react to the pain, because she pulled me towards her immediately and once again I was subject to her overwhelming strength. My entire being jolted towards her as she spun me in front as though I was made of paper. She locked me into place and the motion suddenly ceased causing the air to leave my lungs. The rollercoaster ride didn''t come close to preparing me for the force Azumi used on me.

    Cold, razor sharp metal touched the skin of my neck and I glanced down to see a curved blade the size of a small sword pressing into my neck. I gasped, as her movements stopped, and the pain came flooding like a giant tidal wave uncovering multiple waves of pain. First, it was my forearm, Azumi was holding on tightly to keep me in place, and the sharp pain of her nails digging into skin and flesh was the first layer of pain at the forefront of my mind.

    Second, the sensitivity of my fractured bones emphasised by the deathly grip she had on my forearm became the middle layer, throbbing intensely in pain. It was like the worst bruise I''ve ever had in my life, only ten folds worse and imagine having someone squeeze it with all their strength, although I doubted Azumi was using all her strength. Lastly, as though to ensure that my mind couldn''t escape the pain, the curved knife at my throat sliced my skin as she pressed on, threatening to push the blade into my vocal cords by less than an inch.

    "R-Ryo!"

    I heard Luna''s voice, but it was hard to see when your brain was screaming inside your head. All I could think about was the pain, but despite all this, my body seemed to recognise the bigger threat of death that Azumi presented. I didn''t dare to move a muscle or struggle against her.

    "If you move, I''ll slice your head right off." Azumi whispered into my ear, reaffirming my thoughts. All traces of emotion or personality she showed to me earlier seemed to have disappeared completely. She was standing behind me, using my body as a shield against Luna.

    "L-Let go of Ryo!" That was Mayu''s voice. Mayu jumped down from the ledge, a look of serious concern and worry, which was unusual for her. I guess that only highlighted how serious she took Azumi. "P-please, Azumi!"

    Azumi raised an eyebrow seeing Mayu. "So what they say is true after all, Mayu. You''ve betrayed us?" Azumi''s voice was soft but toneless, reminding me eerily of Kaori. "Is that right?"

    Mayu went silent, but her eyes searched Azumi, desperately trying to find a way to turn the situation around. Luna was doing something similar but I could see her eyes looking beyond Azumi and at her surroundings instead.

    "No matter." Azumi said, she turned her eyes to Luna and for the first time, emotions flashed on her face. Her grip on me softened, and so did her face.

    "L-Luna... please come back to Asahikawa." Azumi''s voice held a pleading tone, somewhat compassionate, despite the fact that she was threatening a knife to my throat. "I don''t want to fight you..." She said softly.

    "Let go of him, Azumi!" Luna said angrily. "You''re hurting him!"

    Azumi glanced down at my forearm and noticed all the dark blood trickling down and the state of my bones. I felt her grip loosen even more, and I exhaled painfully.

    "Humans are so weak." Azumi said. "I just wanted to grab him, and his bones crushed so easily."

    "Y-you could had tried to do it more softy!" Mayu said, wincing at the sight of my forearm.

    "I couldn''t afford to take any chances when I saw Luna." Azumi said. "Besides, what does it matter if one person dies? I killed a couple dozens just on my way here."

    Even though Azumi''s grip on my forearm relaxed, the knife at my throat did not move at all. The blade was incredibly sharp, it felt as though one swift stroke was all it would take to cut my head clean off.

    "Azumi..." Luna called out cautiously, staring at my neck. "Please let him go..."

    Azumi looked surprised, hearing the sincerity in Luna''s words. "You really care about him that much?" She asked.

    "Yes." Luna said. "I''ll do anything you say. So please, don''t hurt him."

    "Come back to Asahikawa with me then." Azumi said. "We all missed you..." She added in a quieter tone.

    I stared at Luna waiting for her response and so did Mayu. Luna was silent for a while.

    Luna nodded her head. "Okay. I will go back with you."

    I felt my heart drop.

    "L-Luna..." Mayu said.

    Azumi''s face brightened up at Luna''s response. Her grip loosened on me completely and she pushed me aside, the blade sliding across my neck like a deep paper cut as blood splashed with the motion of her knife.

    "Argh..." I groaned, holding onto my neck as I fell down sideways into the ground. The pain was etching across every corner of my mind but I strained to keep my eyes open to watch what would happen. "D-don''t go..." I croaked, staring up at Luna.

    Luna glanced down at me, worry on her face.

    "Let''s go now, Luna." Azumi smiled happily, as she made a move to withdraw her curved knife. "The others will be very happy to¡ª"

    Luna rushed at Azumi at an incredible speed, surprising Azumi, Mayu and me. A blade shot out from her left hand and I realised that she had been holding her switchblade under the sleeves of her jumper all along. It took less than a second before Luna appeared before Azumi, slashing out violently at her neck.

    Azumi swung her body backwards, narrowly avoiding Luna''s blade by a hair width. She jumped backwards into the air and landed a safe distance away from Luna.

    "L-Luna..." Azumi raised a hand to her neck, her voice shaky. "You said¡ª"

    "I lied." Luna said tonelessly, then she turned to me and smiled. "I would do anything except to leave you, Ryo."

    Mayu ran to where I was, leaning down quickly to look at my wounds. "It''s okay, Ryo. You''re going to be okay." She breathed, ripping the sleeves off her shirt. She wrapped the fabric around my neck and arm, pushing down against it to stop the flow of blood. I groaned as she pushed down, the pain was mind numbing.

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    Azumi''s face went dark, her eyes hiding behind her hair. Her hands were clenched into fists by her side. "Luna..." Azumi pulled her knife backwards and she lowered herself slowly into a fighting position. "I knew it wasn''t going to be easy to bring you back." She said.

    Luna also braced herself into a fighting stance, her switchblade poised behind her. Her face looked serious and cold, and something in her eyes sent off a murderous vibe.

    "M-Mayu..." I coughed, trying to raise myself up to get a better view. Mayu helped me up gently. "Is Luna going to be alright?" I said.

    "It''s..." Mayu glanced at Azumi and shook her head. "It''s going to be hard."

    "W-what?!" I said. "What number is Azumi?"

    "Number 4." Mayu said. "But she could be strong enough to be higher."

    "B-but Luna''s number 1?!" I said. "How can Azumi beat her?"

    "The truth is..." Mayu sighed. "Luna''s gotten weaker... since she met you."

    At that moment, Azumi took the first step of the fight, charging forward with her curved knife. My eyes couldn''t catch up with her at all. She was lightning fast, as fast as Luna or maybe even moreso, I couldn''t tell. In no time, she was in front of Luna, throwing a frenzied assault at her vital organs. Azumi''s blade shot out in awkward angles, made only more confusing by the curviness of her knife.

    Luna parried the attacks with difficulty, her teeth clenched tight as Azumi forced her backwards. There was hair and blood flying in the air as Azumi''s knife swept dangerously close to Luna, pecking at her body. Some of the attacks Luna could dodge, some caught her by the skin or hair as she swung her head out of the way.

    Luna lifted her switchblade to block an attack on her face. CLANG. Azumi''s blade struck Luna''s switchblade, knocking it aside, and Luna stepped back as Azumi''s blade sliced the skin of her cheeks. A long horizontal cut on Luna''s cheeks was visible, bleeding slightly.

    "L-Luna!" I winced seeing the blood dripping from her cheek. I turned to Mayu, pleading. "Mayu, can''t you help Luna?"

    "I''ll try..." Mayu stood up from me, exhaling. She pulled her dagger out from behind her and leaped forward, running at Azumi from her side.

    Azumi glanced sideways at Mayu, her face emotionless. Mayu''s dagger whirled out in front of her as she spun her body into the dance-like fighting style she used. Azumi parried the attack, while lashing out at Luna, simultaneously attacking and defending at the same time. Each time Mayu stuck out her dagger, Azumi would parry with one swift motion aimed at both Luna and Mayu.

    "S-shit..." I mouthed, seeing Azumi continue to push back against both Luna and Mayu. For some reason, it didn''t seem like Luna and Mayu were coordinating properly together. I guess that was because of their dislike for each other.

    Luna threw a slash with her switchblade aimed at Azumi''s throat and Azumi swept her head under the attack. The blade zipped past Azumi''s head and swung into Mayu''s neck. Mayu stopped her motion, disrupting her dance as she leaned back to avoid the attack. Azumi used the opportunity to slash Mayu''s waist, spilling blood as her curved knife found its target.

    Mayu yelped, falling backwards into the ground and she clutched onto her waist in pain. Azumi rushed at her to finish the job, stabbing her knife into Mayu''s head. The knife dug into the ground as Mayu rolled sideways, narrowly avoiding. Mayu quickly bounced back up on her feet, just in time to deflect Azumi''s blade from her head.

    Luna ran in to Azumi''s side and shot her blade forward, stabbing into Azumi''s waist, but missed by less than an inch as Azumi spun her body around to deliver a slash as she came back to face Luna. The attack pushed Luna backwards, forcing her on her heels as she defended with her switchblade, wincing as she did so.

    Mayu sidestepped into Azumi''s back to attempt a sneak attack on the back of Azumi''s neck, but without even turning back, Azumi kicked her leg backwards, surprising Mayu and hitting her right in the centre of her stomach. Mayu coughed out blood as she flew into the air, crashing into the wall with a loud THUD. Debris broke off the wall as she collided.

    "M-Mayu!" I yelled, straining my voice despite the cut on my neck. The adrenaline from watching the fight made the pain feel distant. I wanted desperately to help out, but I knew there was nothing I could do. My eyes could barely catch onto their movements.

    Luna and Azumi continued battling it out while I hobbled over to check on Mayu. She was sitting on the ground, her back against the wall and was out stone cold. Blood dribbled down her chin, as well as down from the gash by the side of her waist. The wall behind her had cracked from the impact of her body hitting against it, which showed how much strength Azumi had thrown into that kick. I flinched seeing her condition and tried my best to stop her blood loss while watching the fight.

    Luna and Azumi were now by the marble staircase in the centre of the room. Azumi''s back was against the railing, and she jumped backwards, landing elegantly onto the railings before flipping back forwards into the air to unleash a whirlwind assault on Luna. Luna''s shoulder was caught by Azumi''s blade and Luna flinched, retaliating with her own attack to try to catch Azumi off guard as she was landing.

    Azumi fended the attack mid-air, and landed perfectly before throwing her knife across at Luna''s face. Luna blocked the attack with her switchblade, creating a loud CLANG as the blades collided. This time Luna held her guard and she slid her switchblade across Azumi''s knife to reach Azumi''s face. The switchblade made a screeching noise as it slid on Azumi''s knife, and Azumi released the tension between the blades causing Luna to miss her target as her switchblade stabbed harmlessly into the air besides Azumi''s head.

    Azumi threw her head forwards, headbutting Luna''s forehead. Luna stumbled backwards, dazed by the attack and Azumi snapped her knife into Luna''s stomach. The knife slid in, piercing flesh and splattering blood as the blade dug deeper and deeper. Luna gasped and her hands went onto the handle of Azumi''s knife as Azumi pushed the knife completely into her stomach using both her hands.

    "L-LUNA!" I screamed, my heart pounding against my chest.

 Chapter 32 - Trap

    The blade sunk into Luna''s stomach, sliding all the way in until the handle stopped the blade from going any further. Dark blood splattered out, some flying onto Azumi''s face as she moved closer to Luna''s body with the movement of her knife.

    "U-ugh..." Luna''s voice came out weak and soft, her hands gripping onto the handle of Azumi''s blade. "A-Azumi..." Luna mouthed, she moved her empty hand to Azumi''s back, grabbing on and imprinting a messy blood mark.

    "It''s your loss, Luna." Azumi whispered, glancing to her side at Luna''s head. Azumi''s face looked gentle and sympathetic in contrast to the dark look she had during the course of the fight. "Let''s go home..." Azumi said softly.

    Luna made another quiet groan, her eyes hidden behind her hair. "A-Azumi..." Luna''s hand was tightening on Azumi''s back, gripping onto the fabric of her shirt. Azumi glanced back at Luna''s hand and Luna raised her head, revealing her violet eyes that were now illuminated by an eerie glow. "You''re so stupid." Luna smiled, a dark smile.

    "W-wha?!¡ª" Azumi spun back to face Luna and noticed her eyes. She tried to move back, but Luna held on tightly. Suddenly, the switchblade that was in Luna''s hand shot out from its prior place on the handle of Azumi''s blade. The switchblade stabbed through to Azumi''s abdomen, tearing flesh and muscle as the blade dug in deeply while Azumi gasped painfully in response, but Luna didn''t stop there. She wrenched the switchblade with all her might and tore Azumi''s stomach wide open, sending intestines and organs flying into the air as the blade violently ripped out from within Azumi.

    More blood than I could ever imagine seeing sprayed out like a fountain into Luna''s face and clothes, covering her from her head to her toes. Azumi''s screams pierced the air as she stumbled away from Luna, clutching frantically to her ripped stomach as more and more blood poured out. She fell as she tried to move away from Luna, crashing into the ground and rolling pitifully in a pool of her own blood. Her eyes were flashing in and out of synthesis, glowing a vivid hazel color one second and her natural dull hazel the other second, while her face was in a state of pure agony and panic.

    "N-n-no... n-no..." Azumi breathed hysterically as she crawled on the ground away from Luna, one hand holding onto her stomach and the other in front of her, pushing her forward.

    Luna followed Azumi slowly, ripping Azumi''s blade out of her own stomach without so much as wincing. She threw the blade aside, clattering as it hit the ground. "What''s wrong, Azumi?" Luna called out playfully. "I thought you said you''ve won?"

    "L-L-Luna... p-please..." Azumi''s face was completely pale, half of it was covered in blood. Her hair stuck messily to her cheeks. She turned to me and tears broke from her face. "P-please, R-Ryo! H-help me!" She cried.

    "L-Luna..." I mouthed inaudibly, my lips shaking. There was so much blood pouring out of Azumi that my mind froze. The sight of the scene reminded me eerily of the warehouse fight where Luna had killed dozens of people in a similarly gruesome fashion. The images flashed in my mind and my consciousness began to waver. It felt like the air in my lungs was gradually being squeezed out of me. I couldn''t speak.

    "A-zu-mi," Luna sang, her footsteps echoed as she neared Azumi. The switchblade spun playfully in Luna''s left hand. "No one''s going to help you here."

    Azumi breathed in heavy puffs as she turned to glance back at Luna with a terrified look. Her eyes were still flashing from a glowing vivid hazel to dull every few seconds. "P-p-please Luna..." Azumi pleaded, her face wet with a mixture of tears, sweat and blood. "I-I don''t want to die..." She croaked, crying.

    Luna looked somewhat maniacal as she smiled, her front teeth showing as she held back a laugh. She raised a hand to her face, trying hard to stifle herself while making weird noises almost as though she was about to burst out laughing. "A-Azumi, please." Luna exhaled, trying to calm herself. "Even Kaori didn''t sound as pathetic as you."

    Luna was now standing behind Azumi''s crawling figure. She sighed and leaned down, grabbing onto Azumi''s left ankle to stop her from moving any further. Azumi shrieked and kicked her legs wildly at Luna''s touch but to no avail.

    "Stop moving," Luna complained, furrowing her eyebrows. "You''re only making this longer for yourself."

    Luna''s switchblade shot out from her hand, slicing the tendons in the back of Azumi''s left thigh. Azumi screamed, pushing frantically against Luna but it was useless. Azumi''s left leg lost movement after the cut inflicted by Luna. She kicked at Luna with her right leg and the switchblade shot out again, cutting the tendons there. Azumi''s right leg fell down limply and she screamed louder as blood gushed out of the wounds.

    "P-P-Please, L-Luna!!" Azumi''s voice was hoarse from screaming, the loss of blood was causing her eyes to roll up into their sockets. "L-Luna..." Her voice was growing soft and her eyes were no longer flashing into synthesis.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    "Oh no," Luna noticed Azumi''s eyes rolling up, and she ripped her jumper off, pulling the fabric into pieces. She wrapped the pieces tightly around Azumi''s wounds, stopping the blood from flowing. "You can''t die yet." Luna said, smiling as the blood soaked the fabric. "I haven''t even hurt you yet."

    Luna pushed herself on top of Azumi, sitting down at her hips. She pressed down hard on the uncut part of Azumi''s stomach with both hands and I heard a hideous cracking noise as the ribs broke from Luna''s strength. Blood splurted from the edges of the fabric tied around Azumi''s stomach, and Azumi gasped, coughing out dark red blood as her body jerked upwards involuntarily. She breathed deeply in rasps, blood and spit bubbling out of her mouth and her eyes returning from their sockets.

    "See, is it better now?" Luna smiled, staring down at Azumi.

    The pain came flooding back to Azumi, and she started screaming again, struggling futilely to get Luna off from on top of her but Luna didn''t budge.

    Luna raised the switchblade in her hand, it was drenched in blood from the tip of the blade all the way up to Luna''s hand, and the blood dripped down repulsively into Azumi''s face. Azumi shook her head, trying to avoid the blood.

    "I''m going to kill you." Luna''s voice was soft and chilling, her eyes wide and frightening. Azumi stopped moving at Luna''s words, and slowly stared up at her terrified. The expression on Luna''s face was spine-chilling. "And it''s going to hurt... a lot." Luna finished.

    I had seen enough. I needed to do something, and quick. Even though my entire body was screaming at me to leave, I swallowed and mustered what little courage I had left. My mind was beyond traumatised from witnessing all the gruesome torture Luna inflicted on others, but somewhere deep inside, I was somehow getting used to the horror that unfolds with being around Luna. I didn''t know if it was even possible, but I found myself walking forward towards Luna.

    Luna glanced up at me and the deranged look on her face gradually evaporated. "Ryo?" Luna said confused. "What''s wrong¡ª"

    I grabbed onto Luna''s arm and pulled her up, surprising her. "We''re going." I said. "We have to get out of here." I breathed heavily.

    Luna looked at me, then glanced down at Azumi. "But I haven''t¡ª"

    "We''re going!" I exclaimed, dragging her with me as we headed to Mayu''s unconscious body. "W-we have to go, Luna." I stuttered. The smell of blood coming from Luna was nauseating, she was drenched in it.

    "R-Ryo..." Luna said, but she followed me without resistance. Her head was down and she stared at our interlocked hands with a flushed face.

    When we got to Mayu, I released my grip of Luna''s arm and pulled Mayu onto my back, grimacing as I did so. My left forearm was still badly damaged from Azumi''s attack so I had to do the task with my remaining good arm.  She was still out cold but thankfully breathing. I felt Mayu''s breath on my neck as I managed to position her on my back, her arms wrapped around my neck. Luna looked jealous, but I grabbed onto her hand and that look disappeared. "Let''s go." I said softly.

    Luna nodded, sliding her switchblade behind her skirt. "Okay." She said, her face was still red. "I''ll go wherever you go, Ryo."

    Azumi coughed behind us and I glanced back. She was still lying on the ground, covered in blood. Her body was shaking and she groaned, her voice hoarse but wet sounding. Blood drooled from her mouth and her eyes were closed tightly, wincing. I felt sorry for her but there was nothing I could do.

    <hr />

    I slammed the apartment door behind us, falling into a slump. Luna walked past me, carrying Mayu''s body. It ended up being too hard to carry Mayu with the state of my arm so Luna took up the job instead. Luna disappeared into the bathroom, dropping Mayu into the showers and I heard the water turning on.

    "What happened to Yumi anyway?" I called out to Luna. "Is she safe?"

    "She''s fine." Luna called back from the showers. "She fainted after a ghost jumped out from the walls, so we ended up taking her to the first aid centre at the amusement park."

    I breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, Luna was more responsible than I thought. I glanced at the bathroom door and realised that Luna left the door open.

    "H-hey, Luna what are you doing?" I asked, feeling my face grow hot.

    "Showering." Luna''s voice was slightly muffled by the sound of the showers. "I have to get the blood off Mayu and me."

    "Y-you could had closed the door." I mumbled.

    "You can come shower too." Luna replied. "There''s enough room for you."

    I palmed my face, feeling my cheeks grow even hotter. Calm down Ryo. Control yourself. I ignored Luna''s statement, falling silent as I waited for them to finish.

    The showers eventually turned off and Luna stepped out from the bathroom. She was naked from her head down to her toes.

 Chapter 33 - Footsteps

    ¡°W-wha¡ª Luna?!¡±

    My jaw dropped, and my face instantly grew bright red, staring at Luna¡¯s body. She was completely bare skinned from her head to her toes with not a single thread of clothing in sight. Her angel-like figure emitted a radiant, healthy glow, complementing a perfectly shaped physique.

    ¡°W-what¡¯s going on, Luna¡ª¡±

    I was interrupted when Luna dashed forward, appearing in front of me in what seemed like less than a second. Her hand went over my mouth and she pushed against it firmly, silencing me mid-sentence. My heart skipped a beat at how close she was and how good she looked. I felt myself getting light-headed as crazy thoughts bounced around in my mind. What the hell was going on? Why was she naked? Why does she look so good? Did she even care that I was looking? Did she wanted to sleep together? Oh god, what are you thinking, Ryo?!

    Luna raised a finger to her lips, breaking my thoughts and motioned for me to be quiet. She had on a serious look, her eyes staring at the door behind me. Oh, so someone was outside?

    ¡°I can sense an Ashen near us, Ryo.¡± Luna whispered. She was still slightly wet from the shower, and a waterdrop dripped from her neck, trickling down slowly between her breasts. My face grew hotter, staring at it. ¡°They have their synthesis on¡­¡± Luna continued, her words coming in quiet breaths.

    I nodded stiffly, trying to glance away from Luna¡¯s body. I was too distracted by her nakedness to concentrate on what Luna was saying. It was the first time I had ever seen a girl¡¯s body without clothes on in real life, and it certainly didn¡¯t help that Luna looked like she could be a model. I could feel the after-warmth of the shower radiating off Luna¡¯s skin and onto mine.

    ¡°Listen, Ryo,¡± Luna mouthed, her soft lips looked enticing, ¡°they¡¯re walking up the stairs now.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t hear what she was talking about. There was nothing except for the sound of the clock ticking, the birds chirping outside, the traffic on the streets, and¡­

    Suddenly, I heard what Luna was saying. Quiet, almost imperceptible footsteps stepping off the stairs, now turning, and walking through the open verandah. They were walking to our apartment! Did they know we were here?

    The footsteps stopped at the first apartment they reached, pausing momentarily. A feeling of relief washed over me, until I heard them proceeding forward, walking to the next apartment and doing the same thing. Crap, they were going to get to our apartment soon and Luna was completely naked with nothing to defend herself. Mayu was probably still unconscious in the bathroom, and I obviously couldn¡¯t do anything to fend off an Ashen. I glanced at Luna anxiously, hoping for her to tell me a plan, but she was silent, staring fixedly at the door.

    The footsteps finally reached our door, and I held my breath as they stopped. They turned to face our apartment and I felt their looming presence behind the door, a menacing aura emitting from them. I was completely still, except for the rapid beating of my heart which I could not help. Please move forward, please move forward, please move forward. I repeated the thoughts in my head, praying for them to continue onwards.

    The footsteps turned away from the door, and moved to the next apartment. Relief fell over me again, and I sighed feeling partially relaxed.

    We waited, unmoving in our positions, until the footsteps eventually left the apartment building, the sound of their steps disappearing from our ears.

    ¡°T-thank god¡­¡± I sighed, slumping against the door, then I glanced up at Luna, feeling my face flushing again. She was still naked and she didn¡¯t even seem to care.

    ¡°Lucky they didn¡¯t just go through every door,¡± Luna said. She lifted a hand to her face and brushed her fringe back, her fingers gliding through the silk-like smoothness of her hair, ¡°that¡¯s what I would¡¯ve done anyway.¡±

    ¡°Uh, what if you went to the wrong door?¡± I asked.

    Luna stopped, then glanced at me with a weird look for a few seconds. ¡°Nothing.¡± She said, smiling, then she turned around, heading back to the bathroom. Something told me she wouldn¡¯t have done nothing.

    I watched as she left, staring at her body. Mesmerized by her beauty, I sat motionlessly for a while even after when she disappeared into the bathroom. Catching myself in my thoughts, I shook my head, hitting myself in the face lightly.

    ¡°What are you doing, Ryo?¡± I groaned, then leaned away from the door. The thoughts flashed again in my mind, and I rubbed my hands against my head, flustered. ¡°Why am I having these thoughts?! Argh¡­¡±

    I went to preoccupy myself with the television while waiting for Luna to finish with the shower. Flicking to the news channel, I watched reports about strange killings happening around the city.

    ¡°¡­a 48-year-old security guard named Isao Himuski was found brutally murdered while patrolling an abandoned parking lot near Hibiya High School. Police do not have leads on the perpetrators involved¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± I sighed, shaking my head. That was the security guard that Luna killed after the fight with Kaori. It was a weird feeling watching the event being discussed on television.

    ¡°¡­and in another case, a person was found dead tonight in what appeared to be another gruesome murder from what police believe to be the same serial killer that has slain dozens over the recent week. Officials are still investigating the circumstances behind the murders and have declined to reveal further information¡­¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± I perked up from my seat. This wasn¡¯t Luna¡¯s work. Could it had been Azumi? Didn¡¯t she say that she killed dozens on the way here? But¡­

    I continued watching the news report as a map of the killings were shown on the screen. None of them were on the amusement park that Azumi had said she killed people. I didn¡¯t recognise the locations that were shown, but from the date and timing, they seemed to be heading towards¡­ Hibiya High. Our school!

    ¡°Crap¡­¡± I muttered, staring intently at the television screen. I should probably tell Luna about this.

    Just at that moment, the door to the bathroom opened, and I turned my head towards it. For a split second, my heart stopped thinking Luna was going to walk out naked again, but this time she came out wearing a set of sleeping clothes. I felt a faint sadness washing over me. What the heck? Was I disappointed?The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Luna glanced at me, catching me staring at her. ¡°What, Ryo?¡± She asked, then smiled. ¡°Did you wanted me to walk out naked again?¡±

    It felt like she had read my mind. My cheeks grew hot, and I shook my head. ¡°W-what?! No.¡± I said, then I tried to be serious. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m watching the news at the moment and they are talking about this serial killer that¡¯s been popping up recently.¡±

    ¡°Uh huh.¡± Luna walked up closer to the television, staring at the screen. ¡°Seems like another Ashen, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I said solemnly. ¡°They just keep on coming.¡±

    The memories of all the Ashens that we have faced so far popped up in my mind causing me to grimace. First, it was Ichiro, the guy that welded the reverberating katana. The ringing of his blade was still firmly embedded in my head, how it got louder the longer the fight dragged on. We still had no idea where he had disappeared to after the fight with Mayu.

    Second, it was Mayu. She was now on our side, but as an enemy she was frightening to face against. Her poisoned dagger would paralyse people from the smallest cut, and a full blown cut would kill in minutes. Not to mention, her unbelievable speed and agility. Then, it was Kaori whose preferred method of killing was to crush the skulls of her prey with a metal rod. Luna had killed her in a gruesome fashion, that it still made my stomach sick thinking about it.

    Finally, our most recent opponent was Azumi. She used a curved blade, and it seemed her specialty was the awkward angles at which she threw her attacks. Even in the fight against Luna, I could remember Luna struggling to fend off against Azumi¡¯s attacks. Was it the right decision for me to save Azumi? The truth was I wasn¡¯t entirely sure, but I sure as hell didn¡¯t want to see what happened with Kaori to happen again right in front of me.

    Thinking back to all these memories, I felt hopeless, as though we were being slowly squeezed to death. Could we really defend ourselves against what was to come next?

    ¡°Things are going to get fun, isn¡¯t it, Ryo?¡± Luna said, breaking my thoughts. She smiled at me, and for some reason that I didn¡¯t understand, the feeling of despair left my mind seeing the carefree look on her face.

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± I stammered, my face was getting hot again, but this time it wasn¡¯t because I was thinking about Luna being naked. It was because of the genuine smile on Luna¡¯s face, it wasn¡¯t often that she smiled like that. Despite the context of what was being said, her smile made me feel warm inside. What was this feeling? Was I falling for her again? Hang on. Didn¡¯t she just say that it was going to be fun to kill people, and I was falling for her? This didn¡¯t make any sense.

    ¡°Ryo?¡± Luna studied my face, leaning closer. ¡°Are you okay? Your face is red.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing!¡± I said quickly, staggering away from her closeness. Her face was getting way too close. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really!¡±

    ¡°Are you sure, Ryo?¡± Luna asked, she gave me a disbelieving look.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± I insisted, trying to end her inquisition. ¡°Honestly.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Luna stared at me, thinking. ¡°You¡¯re not¡­¡± She paused. ¡°Still thinking about when I was naked, right?¡±

    ¡°What?! No!¡± I said.

    ¡°Well, cause if you are, you just have to ask, Ryo.¡± Luna smiled playfully. ¡°I can go naked for you a-ny-time.¡± She said, emphasising the last word.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it!¡± I cried, but Luna just giggled.

    ¡°I mean it. You can do more than just looking if you want."

    I groaned. She was playing with my feelings. ¡°I¡¯m going to shower.¡± I said dejectedly, waving my hand as I headed for the bathroom.

    Luna laughed at my reaction, watching me for a few seconds. Then she seemed to have remembered something, and her face went anxious. ¡°W-wait, Ryo!¡± She called out to me, but it was too late. I walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind me, sighing as I did so.

    I couldn¡¯t make sense of my feelings for Luna. Did I really like her for who she was? Or did I like her because of her looks? Did I even know who she really was? There seemed to be two different Luna¡¯s that I knew. One was beautiful and somewhat normal in behaviour despite her overwhelming love for me. The second was a deranged switchblade-welder that chopped people to pieces for fun. Who was the real Luna? Argh¡­

    As I thought about my feelings, I undressed to my boxers in a zoned out state. Just as I was about to take my boxers off, I froze in my place. Hang on... There was someone lying in the bathtub. Light blue hair¡­ it was Mayu, and she was completely naked, half her body was submerged in water.

    She groaned, raising a hand to her head and opened her eyes slowly. ¡°W-who is it¡ª¡±

    Her eyes went wide open when saw me in my boxers, with my hands looking as though I was about to pull them off. This definitely didn¡¯t look good.

    ¡°W-what are you doing?!¡± Mayu yelped, her face bright red. Her hands went to her chest, touching skin. Then she froze, looking down slowly.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I tried to think of something. ¡°This isn¡¯t what it looks like¡­¡±

    Mayu¡¯s face went even redder upon realizing that she wasn¡¯t wearing any clothes. Then she glanced back up at me, and we were both silent.

    Suddenly and without warning, Mayu started screaming at the top of her lungs, splashing water everywhere as her legs scrambled frantically to get up from the slippery surface of the bathtub.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± I yelled back against her screams, pulling as hard as I could at the bathroom door, but failing to open it due to my rushing. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were here! I swear!¡±

    At that moment, the door flung open from the other side, sending me backwards and falling right into the bathtub with Mayu. I landed on top of Mayu, pushing her down into the bathtub with a splash. I felt her breast between us, squeezing against my body, and my mind went dizzy, spinning in chaos. Mayu pushed me back up with both hands, still screaming as she tried to get me off her.

    ¡°Ryo!¡± Luna cried, as she grabbed onto me from behind, pulling me out of the bathtub. ¡°A-are you okay? I kicked the door too hard!¡±

    I was dragged out of the bathtub by Luna¡¯s strength, my body half soaked in water. I felt like I was almost dying, my mind blank and my body refusing to move as Luna pulled me around like a ragdoll.

    ¡°Get out!¡± Mayu yelled, her face was now completely red. ¡°Now!¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay¡­ Jeez¡­¡± Luna pouted, dragging me to the kotatsu table and laying me down on the side. ¡°She¡¯s acting like she¡¯s the one that should be upset.¡±

    I heard the door to the bathroom slamming shut with a loud thud, and I groaned, breathing out as I raised a hand to cover my eyes. Luna patted me on the head, laughing light-heartedly. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ryo. It was my fault.¡± She said, trying to cheer me up.

    <hr>

    The next day, I woke up in my bed and my eyes were greeted by the view of the ceiling. It was a weekend so there was no school today, thank god. I thought to myself. I sure as hell didn¡¯t feel like going to school today. Especially after the big day yesterday. I rolled to my side, and came face to face with Luna¡¯s sleeping face.

    ¡°Ah!¡± I jolted backwards, surprised, and Luna stirred, waking up from the movement.

    ¡°Ryo?¡± Luna rose up from the bed, a hand rubbing her eye. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Memories of last night came to my head, and I remembered that Luna had gone to bed with me, despite my insistence that Mayu and her should share the bed while I slept on the kotatsu table. In the end, Luna got her way because Mayu was still upset by what had happened in the bathroom, thus she chose to sleep on the kotatsu table alone.

    ¡°Nothing¡­¡± I replied. I noticed Luna¡¯s shirt was a bit too loose, revealing a cleavage. I glanced away, feeling uneasy.

    Luna stretched her arms in the air, yawning. ¡°You¡¯re such a loud sleeper, Ryo.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I asked, surprised. I didn¡¯t know I snored in my sleep. Probably because I didn¡¯t have anyone to tell me since I never slept with another person¡­ until Luna came into my life.

    Luna smiled at me. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± She said. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t care as long as I get to sleep with you, Ryo.¡±

    I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly. Luna was always saying things like that. It sort of made me happy inside, but it also made me confused about my feelings for her.

    ¡°Anyways, I have a plan for today.¡± Luna said, jumping out of the bed. ¡°I know a way we can find the Ashen we saw on television last night, before they find us.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± I watched Luna as she jumped out of the bed. She was always so full of energy, it made me wonder if she was ever tired. I guess not, being an Ashen and all. ¡°Do you think that was the same Ashen that came to the apartment?¡± I asked, remembering the footsteps yesterday.

    ¡°No.¡± Luna replied quickly without thinking. ¡°The one on television was still searching outside of this area, the one that came to the apartment last night almost pinpointed our exact location.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense.¡± I said, nodding. Luna was right. From the map of the killings that were shown on the television, the Ashen that was going around killing people were still finding their way towards Hibiya High. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We find the Ashen, then we kill them.¡±

 Chapter 34 - Shinjuku

    ¡°Kill them?¡± I repeated, tensing. Luna¡¯s face didn¡¯t change, she stared at me with wide eyes.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Luna replied casually as though the subject of the conversation was about where to eat dinner. ¡°The best way to stop an Ashen is to kill them.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there something else we can do?¡± I asked, feeling on edge by Luna¡¯s stare. ¡°I mean, do we have to kill them?¡±

    ¡°Ryo.¡± Luna sighed as she glanced down, the look on her face disappeared. ¡°These people coming after us¡­ they¡¯re going to kill us, if we don¡¯t kill them.¡±

    ¡°I-I know¡­¡±

    ¡°When the moment comes¡­¡± Luna paused, looking back up at me. ¡°I want you to trust me to know what¡¯s best.¡±

    I fell silent at Luna¡¯s words, thinking about what she said. It really didn¡¯t seem like we had any other choice. It was either us or them, and I certainly didn¡¯t want to die¡­ but did that really justify killing another person? Wasn¡¯t there another way?

    Luna noticed the expression on my face. ¡°Come on, Ryo.¡± Luna said softly, her face softening. ¡°It will be okay... I will protect you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about that,¡± I said, then opened my mouth to say more but paused. I shook my head. ¡°Forget it, Luna.¡±

    I pushed myself off the bed, walking out of the room. Entering the living room, I saw Mayu lying by the kotatsu table, a dull look on her face. She saw me, then her cheeks went pink, turning her body to the other side.

    I couldn¡¯t believe that she still was upset about yesterday. On the other hand, Luna didn¡¯t seem to care at all when I saw her naked. Their two reactions were completely bipolar, I would had imagined Mayu was more carefree about this type of stuff, considering how she acted so confident all the time.

    ¡°I said I was sorry.¡± I called out to Mayu, trying to awkwardly laugh off the situation. Mayu didn¡¯t respond, and I stared silently at her back. I tried a different approach. ¡°It''s not like I saw anything anyway¡­¡± I said, glancing up at the ceiling. ¡°It was too steamy in the bathroom...¡±

    She didn¡¯t respond for a moment, then just as I was going to give up.

    ¡°Really?¡± Mayu suddenly said, taking me by surprise. I thought she was going to continue ignoring me. ¡°Did you really see nothing?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± I said, startled. I didn¡¯t like lying but I also didn¡¯t want Mayu to feel bad about what happened. I¡¯d rather suffer the guilt of having lied than to have her feel embarrassed. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything, honestly.¡±

    ¡°Okay...¡± Mayu said, breathing out. I guess that sort of eased her mind.

    Luna walked into the living room from behind me, then stopped, glancing down at Mayu¡¯s curled up body by the kotatsu table.

    ¡°Come on, haven¡¯t you gotten over it yet?¡± Luna asked, annoyed. ¡°We got things to do today.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Mayu quickly jumped up from the ground at the sound of Luna¡¯s voice. She seemed embarrassed that Luna saw her like that. ¡°What do you mean things to do?¡± Mayu puffed, trying to put on her usual demeanour.

    ¡°We are going to catch the Ashen that¡¯s been going around killing people. The one I told you about, on television.¡± Luna clarified, pacing to the bathroom. ¡°I think I know who it is.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Mayu seemed astounded that Luna had thought so far ahead. ¡°Wait, hold on. First of all, how do you even plan on catching them?¡±

    Luna was doing her morning routine in the bathroom, pulling out a personal toothbrush and toothpaste by the sink. When the hell did she even put that there? I didn¡¯t remember seeing it before. ¡°The murders aren¡¯t random, there¡¯s going to be another one happening tonight.¡± Luna said. ¡°All we have to do is wait for it to happen, then ambush them. Simple.¡±

    Luna said no more, as she started brushing her teeth, while Mayu contemplated what Luna had said. I went to the kitchen to prepare some cereal, waiting for Luna to be done with the bathroom. That was the problem with the apartment. It wasn¡¯t made to handle more than one person living here, and certainly not one guy and two girls.

    When Luna was done, I went in the bathroom after her, proceeding with my own routine which was considerably more straightforward and short compared to Luna¡¯s. As I brushed my teeth, I listened to the conversation taking place between Luna and Mayu.

    ¡°How do you know the murders aren¡¯t random?¡± Mayu asked suspiciously. ¡°The television said the police didn¡¯t reveal any information about the victims.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about who they are killing.¡± Luna sighed as though Mayu was a nuisance. ¡°It¡¯s about where they are killing, and the time the murders have been taking place.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡±

    ¡°From what we know, the Ashen has been making a killing once every night¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hang on,¡± Mayu interrupted, ¡°there were gaps between some days, so they haven¡¯t always been killing once per night.¡±

    ¡°The gaps were the days the killings went undiscovered,¡± Luna explained, ¡°I¡¯ve already crossmatched the dates with people that have been reported missing.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡±

    ¡°The times of the murders have all been occurring between sunset and midnight, so it¡¯s pretty obvious what time it will happen tonight.¡± Luna continued. ¡°And from the way they¡¯ve been moving between cities, it¡¯s clear they¡¯re going to end up here.¡±

    I glanced behind me and saw Luna pointing at a spot on a paper map laid on top of the kotatsu table with Mayu staring intently by the side.

    ¡°Shinjuku.¡± Mayu muttered.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Luna said. ¡°That¡¯s where we will wait.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    I finished brushing my teeth, and walked out, motioning for Mayu to take her turn. She got up from the kotatsu table, then walked past me into the bathroom. She smelt nice¡­ hang on. What the hell was I thinking? I shook my head and headed to the kotasu table where Luna was sitting.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you also know who it was?¡± I asked as I sat down. ¡°Are they strong?¡±

    ¡°Not really.¡± Luna replied, then she smiled. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry, Ryo. I¡¯ll always protect you.¡±

    I laughed weakly, glancing back at Mayu. I caught her rolling her eyes at Luna¡¯s words from the mirror.

    <hr>

    The sound of city noise filled my ears, while the flashing lights of shop signs blinded my vision momentarily. We were at Shinjuku, and we were surrounded by people walking mindlessly in a chaotic fashion. I looked to my side at Luna and Mayu, both were wearing hooded jackets that covered their hair to disguise their appearances.

    ¡°We should split up.¡± Luna cried against the noise of the city. Cars were honking left and right, people were chattering loudly, and advertisements played from tall buildings around us. ¡°Mayu, you go alone, I will go with Ryo.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Mayu said, biting her lips. ¡°How does that work? Why do you get to go with Ryo?¡±

    ¡°I have to protect him.¡± Luna replied, waving Mayu off. ¡°I¡¯m stronger than you, so it makes more sense that I go with him.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Mayu conceded with a sigh, then flashed me a sad smile. ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys in a bit then.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I nodded, feeling sorry for her. ¡°Remember to use the phone to call us if anything happens.¡± I had bought a phone for Mayu so that she could reach us anytime. It took a while to teach her how it worked, but in the end she got the hang of it. I also had to buy another phone for myself because my old one had broken during the first meeting with Kaori.

    Mayu reached into her pocket, and lifted up a pink cellphone in her hand. It was a cheap one, the sorts that could only call and text, a sad reminder of how poor I was. The colour was her choosing.

    ¡°Thanks again for the phone, Ryo.¡± Mayu beamed, blushing slightly. ¡°This is the first present you gave me.¡±

    I felt my heart skipping a beat, looking at Mayu¡¯s face. What was this feeling? My cheeks were growing hot. Did I also like Mayu?

    Luna grabbed onto Mayu¡¯s shoulders turning her away from me, and pushed her forward into the crowd. ¡°Just hurry up and go.¡± Luna said, annoyed by Mayu¡¯s words.

    ¡°H-hey¡­¡± Mayu stumbled into the crowd, eventually disappearing from view, leaving Luna and me alone. I didn¡¯t know if being along with Luna was a good thing.

    ¡°She¡¯s so annoying.¡± Luna grumbled, staring into the crowd, then turned to me with a completely different expression. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ryo.¡± Luna smiled excitedly, almost child-like.

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡±

    Luna moved up close to me, wrapping her arms around mine. I immediately felt my face growing hot. I wanted to say something, but Luna pulled me along with her as we started walking through the crowded streets. Her body felt so soft against mine, it was surprising to think that she was actually a killing machine behind the fa?ade.

    ¡°We should go to that shop over there, Ryo!¡± Luna said, pointing at a girly merchandise shop. Dolls of all sizes and shapes were lined up behind the shop window, along with various feminine accessories. ¡°It looks fun!¡±

    ¡°H-hey Luna, this isn¡¯t a date¡­¡± I protested, but she dragged me with her, entering the store.

    As soon as we entered the shop, we were greeted by the sight of even more dolls and items that were clearly targeted towards teenage school girls. Dozens of boy band wallpapers were plastered across the walls, and the smell of cheap perfume filled my nose.

    ¡°Welcome!¡± A voice sounded from the side, and I swung my head to see an old man standing behind the counter. He was dressed in clothing that seem way too young for his age. ¡°Ah! A couple?¡± He said, seeing us.

    ¡°Hi¡­¡± I laughed awkwardly, rubbing the side of my head. ¡°We¡¯re not really¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re a couple!¡± Luna interrupted me before I could finish my sentence. She pulled me closer towards her, almost as though she was telling the shopkeeper I was taken.

    The shopkeeper turned his eyes to Luna, and his face turned red, seeing her. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re extremely beautiful, young lady¡­¡± Then he turned to me, and looked me up and down with confusion. ¡°You¡¯re a very lucky guy.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± I said, smiling with clenched teeth. What the hell was that? Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?!

    Luna ignored the shopkeeper¡¯s words, and pulled me along with her as she strolled through the aisle. ¡°Woah, look at this Ryo¡­¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡± I stared at Luna¡¯s face as she pointed at another doll that I didn¡¯t really look at. She looked so cute, it was amazing that we were actually somewhat together. Her eyelashes were so dark and long, and her pink lips strutted out enticingly without effort.

    ¡°¡ªRyo!¡± Luna called my name, staring at me with a frown. ¡°Are you listening?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah!¡± I replied, my face hot. I glanced away from Luna¡¯s stare.

    ¡°Really?¡± Luna asked dubiously.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°What did I say then?¡± Luna pushed on.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I tried to recall what she said earlier, hoping that my brain had somehow picked it up through osmosis. Nothing came to mind. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Luna stared at me for a few seconds before sighing and heading out of the store. I followed after her, feeling guilty about what happened.

    ¡°Already having a fight?¡± The shopkeeper asked as I walked past. I gave him an annoyed face, before leaving the store.

    I mean, was it really my fault that I didn¡¯t care about dolls? What kind of guy would be interested in stuff like that anyways? Ugh¡­ But, I seemed to have hurt Luna¡¯s feelings. That meant it must had been important to her¡­

    ¡°L-Luna!¡± I called out, pacing after her.

    She stopped in the middle of the street, her back towards me.

    I stopped as well, there was a distance between us. What was I going to say? Should I apologise? I mean, I guess I sort of had to here.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I said, staring down at the ground. I scrambled my brain for something to say. ¡°I didn¡¯t know the dolls were that important to you¡­¡±

    Luna was silent, her back still towards me. There were people walking past us, none of them paying attention to what was going on.

    ¡°I¡¯m not upset about the dolls.¡± Luna said. She turned around to face me, and I could make out a hurt look, hiding behind a faint smile. ¡°It¡¯s just that we aren¡¯t often alone together¡­¡±

    ¡°Luna¡­¡± I said, stunned. I didn¡¯t know how to respond.

    ¡°I just wanted to spend some time alone with you, Ryo¡­¡± Luna laughed weakly, her cheeks blushing. ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have gotten upset at you. I probably am just being stupid.¡±

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re not.¡± I said, taking a step closer to her. ¡°It¡­ it was my fault, Luna. I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know you felt that way.¡±

    ¡°Ryo¡­¡± Luna was blushing wildly, staring at me. She looked so pretty, I wanted to just walk up and hug her tightly.

    With that thought in mind, I took another step closer to Luna until I was standing directly in front of her. My own face was also completely red and I felt my heart racing inside my chest. Luna was so close to me, and she smelt so nice. I could even see her warm breath in the cold air.

    ¡°Luna¡­¡± I breathed out, gazing into her eyes.

    She stared up at me with her cheeks still red. I leaned in towards her, moving closer and closer to her lips¡ª

    ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Mayu¡¯s voice came from the side and I jolted backwards, surprised. I looked to my side at Mayu with a dumbfounded face. She was standing next to us, an annoyed expression on her face.

    ¡°W-what, Mayu?! How long were you there?¡± I stuttered, my heart still pounding from what was happening before.

    ¡°A while.¡± Mayu replied, giving me a crossed look. ¡°I was searching for the Ashen and bumped into you guys out here.¡±

    ¡°Argh¡­¡± Luna made a noise that sounded as though she was extremely angry. I glanced slowly towards her and saw Luna glaring at Mayu with a seething look. Luna¡¯s hands were clenched into fists by her side and an ominous aura reeked from her direction. ¡°J-just one more second, and Ryo and I could have¡­¡±

    Holy crap. Luna was going to explode. I was freaking out just looking at the expression that was on Luna¡¯s face. It felt like she was about to leap at Mayu and slash her throat.

    ¡°C-calm down, Luna.¡± I laughed amicably, grabbing onto Luna¡¯s shoulders and pulling her away from Mayu.

    Mayu rolled her eyes, seemingly unaware of the imminent danger that she was in. She stopped when she saw someone next to me.

    ¡°R-Ryo!¡± Mayu¡¯s face went alert, and I glanced to my side to see who she saw.

    A hooded boy with long brown hair and a familiar face stood by my side. It was Ichiro.

 Chapter 35 - Choice

    Mayu reached towards her dagger but stopped, seeing Ichiro raise open palms in the air. Luna¡¯s body was relaxed against my grip which surprised me as she was usually the first to react. Perhaps she didn¡¯t sense any threat coming from Ichiro.

    ¡°I¡¯m not here to fight,¡± Ichiro said, staring at Mayu, then glanced to Luna, completely ignoring my presence. It felt like he didn¡¯t think I was someone that was worthy of his acknowledgement. ¡°I¡¯ve already tried to capture Luna, and I failed my mission.¡±

    ¡°What do you want then?¡± Mayu asked rigidly. Her hand was poised behind her back, ready to unsheathe her dagger at any time. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you came here for shopping.¡±

    ¡°I came to warn you guys, about tonight.¡± Ichiro said, a solemn look in his eyes.

    ¡°What?¡± Mayu raised an eyebrow. ¡°Warn us? Why would you do that?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s in it for you?¡± I added, irritated that he was still ignoring my existence. Ichiro glanced in my direction, startling me and I shrunk back slightly from his gaze. God, his eyes were so cold.

    ¡°Look,¡± Ichiro sighed, showing the first sign of emotion I¡¯ve seen from him. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything to happen to Luna¡­¡± He paused for a bit. ¡°Some of the other Ashens aren¡¯t planning to capture Luna¡­ they¡¯re planning to kill her.¡±

    I flinched hearing that. Luna yawned by my side.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it though.¡± Mayu shook her head, confused. ¡°If you get caught, you¡¯ll be treated as a traitor. Why are you doing all this?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Ichiro shrugged. ¡°I just don¡¯t want Luna to die¡­ She¡¯s the only person I¡¯ve ever cared about.¡±

    Luna scrunched up her nose, disgusted. ¡°Don¡¯t ever say that again.¡±

    Ichiro wasn¡¯t fazed by Luna¡¯s comment which surprised me. For some reason I felt some respect for Ichiro. I guess if the girl I liked said something like that to me I would be completely destroyed.

    ¡°Anyways, I only came here to warn you guys about the Ashen that you are searching for.¡± He carried on as though nothing had happened. ¡°You should already know who she is, then you should know why I¡¯m giving you a warning.¡±

    ¡°How did you know we are searching for an Ashen anyway?¡± Mayu asked hesitantly. She seemed wary that Ichiro already knew of our plans.

    ¡°You¡¯re at Shinjuku, are you not?¡± Ichiro said, glancing around his surroundings. ¡°And tonight of all times for you to be here. This is too much to just be a coincidence.¡±

    ¡°Anyways, we don¡¯t need your help.¡± Luna waved of Ichiro¡¯s good intentions. ¡°Can you just leave us alone now?¡±

    ¡°H-hang on Luna, let¡¯s just hear what else he has to say first.¡± I quickly chimed in, hoping that Ichiro wouldn¡¯t be put off by Luna¡¯s hostility. We needed all the help that we could get, and Ichiro might be able to provide us with some important information. I turned to Ichiro. ¡°What did you meant by saying that we should already know who she is, and that was why you are warning us?¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you don¡¯t know?¡± Ichiro glanced to each of us, stopping at Luna. ¡°Luna knows¡­ you should ask her.¡±

    ¡°Luna?¡± Mayu crossed her arms at Luna, feeling annoyed that she was hiding something.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Luna said flatly. ¡°We can handle it.¡±

    Ichiro smirked. ¡°As expected, Luna. Always so confident in your abilities.¡± He turned away from us, his cloak swaying with his motion. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you guys to it.¡±

    He stopped, raising an index finger in the air. ¡°One more thing¡­¡± He said, then paused. ¡°They know you are coming.¡± With that, he walked off into the crowds, disappearing from view almost instantly.

    I felt on edge by what Ichiro said. We originally had planned to set a trap for the Ashen, but were we the ones that were actually walking into a trap?

    Luna and Mayu were both silent next to me too.

    ¡°Maybe we should call it off.¡± I coughed, trying to break the silence. ¡°I think Ichiro doesn¡¯t have any reason to lie to us.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Luna shook her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if they know we are coming. We will kill them all the same.¡±

    Mayu sighed. ¡°Luna, are you sure about this?¡± Her arms were still folded in front of her. ¡°I mean, if they know we are coming¡­ maybe they¡¯ve prepared something?¡±

    I nodded, feeling myself side with Mayu. ¡°We don¡¯t have to catch them tonight, right? There¡¯s always next time.¡± I added.

    ¡°We are going to find the Ashen, and we are going to kill them.¡± Luna said, refusing to take no for an answer. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of.¡± She turned to Mayu. ¡°You know that Ashens don¡¯t like to team up. This case isn¡¯t going to be any different.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Mayu glanced to her side, unsure. ¡°I don¡¯t know about this¡­¡±

    ¡°Come on,¡± Luna urged. She seemed really eager to find the Ashen. Or maybe she was just desperate for blood. ¡°We¡¯re already here. Stop being such a coward.¡±

    ¡°C-coward?¡± Mayu recoiled, her face went red. ¡°I¡¯m not a coward!¡± She shook her head, flustered. ¡°You know what? Fine, let¡¯s go do it.¡±

    ¡°Are you serious?!¡± I said, shocked that Mayu was manipulated so easily. I groaned, hitting the palm of my hand to my face. ¡°Whatever¡­¡±

    ¡°Ryo, don¡¯t worry, okay?¡± Luna said excitedly, turning to me with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re going to be safe with me. I wouldn¡¯t let anyone touch a single hair on your body.¡±

    Images of the fight with Azumi flashed back in my mind, and my arm throbbed as I remembered the pain that I endured. It was lucky that Luna was well versed with the human body that she treated my arm better than what most hospitals would had offered.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I breathed, ¡°how are we going to do this? Are we just going to keep searching like before?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Luna said, ¡°I know who she will kill.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Who?¡±

    Luna smiled, tongue-in-cheek. ¡°You saw him, Ryo. You even talked to him.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t recollect what Luna was talking about.

    ¡°The shopkeeper.¡± Luna said. Her eagerness was bordering on the edge of creepiness. ¡°The shopkeeper is going to die tonight.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Mayu glanced between Luna and me, perplexed. She had no idea who we were talking about.

    ¡°How do you know this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I looked back at the killings that took place, and there was something similar that bounded all the victims.¡± Luna explained. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m sure about this. The Ashen will kill the shopkeeper after the store closes tonight.¡±

    ¡°What? So you already knew who the victim was going to be?¡± Mayu asked, annoyed. ¡°Why the hell did you tell me to search the city then?¡±

    Luna ignored Mayu¡¯s inquiry. ¡°The store is going to close soon.¡± Luna glanced at a clock that was out on the streets. ¡°We should wait outside, and follow the shopkeeper when he leaves.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± I nodded, while Mayu continued glaring at Luna who was ignoring her.

    <hr>

    The silhouette of the shopkeeper¡¯s figure paced slowly around the store as he set up for closure. We waited silently, hiding in the corner of the street across from where the store was. Finally, the lights of the store turned off followed by the front door opening, revealing the shopkeeper himself. In his hand was a small video camera.

    ¡°Ah, there he is!¡± Mayu whispered next to me. ¡°Took him long enough.¡±

    ¡°Poor guy¡­¡± I mumbled, thinking of the fate that was in store for him. The thought of him dying made me unsettled. ¡°Luna, we are going to save him, right?¡± I glanced behind me at Luna.

    Luna was silent for a few seconds, before replying. ¡°Are you sure you want to?¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± I asked.

    Luna shrugged. ¡°Just wait and see.¡±

    I felt confused by what she meant by that. What do you mean wait and see? If there was a life that we could save, doesn¡¯t it make sense that we should save it?

    ¡°He¡¯s leaving.¡± Mayu said, motioning for our attention. ¡°We need to follow him.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± I nodded, following Mayu and Luna as they moved from their positions.

    The shopkeeper walked for a while before stopping in the middle of the street and glancing back momentarily. We blended in with the crowd and for a second, I thought he had realised that we were following him but he turned back and continued on his path.

    Eventually, he turned into an alleyway, disappearing from the crowded main streets.

    ¡°Where is he going?¡± I mumbled, musing over the sudden change in direction. There was no way he was heading to his house from this alleyway.

    We turned into the alleyway after him, slowing our pace so that our footsteps couldn¡¯t be heard. The alleyway was dark, lit only by the moonlight coming from the sky, and large dumpsters lined up against the walls, creating a repulsive stench.

    The shopkeeper headed deeper into the alleyway, making a turn at the end of the path. Luna and Mayu followed quickly, their steps were completely silent despite their speed and it almost seemed as though they were gliding across the surface of the dirty floors of the empty alleyway. On the other hand, I was trailing further behind, being extremely careful to not step on any of the empty bottles that littered the place.

    Luna and Mayu stopped at the end of the alleyway, their heads peering the turn on which the shopkeeper had travelled. When I finally caught up to them, I breathed a sigh of relief at successfully crossing the alleyway without making a noise.

    ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± I whispered, then followed suit in peering at the turn.

    The shopkeeper was standing in the middle of the alley next to a large dumpster, his back was turned towards us. He was staring down at a flashing light coming from his hands. I squinted in the darkness and realised it was the video camera he was holding earlier on.

    A familiar noise came from the video camera, and I gasped as I recognised what it was he was watching.

    ¡°¡­ Thanks¡­¡±

    ¡°Woah, look at this Ryo¡­¡±

    That was Luna¡¯s voice! Except it wasn¡¯t coming from her, it was coming from the video camera. The shopkeeper had recorded us when we were shopping at his store¡­ But why? It didn¡¯t make any sense.

    ¡°So she was wearing black underwear¡­¡± The shopkeeper muttered to himself, then snickered in an eerily perverted manner.

    There was my answer. The shopkeeper had been recording customers secretly for his own perverse entertainment. I felt myself cringing at the thought.

    ¡°There was that stupid guy with her though.¡± The shopkeeper continued, his tone shifting to annoyance. ¡°Ugh! I wanted to grab that girl so badly, she was so goodlooking!¡±

    He sighed, then turned to the large dumpster by his side, bending down to his knees. He reached under the dumpster, pulling out a large dark bag which seemed abnormally heavy from his movements.

    ¡°At least I still have this girl¡¯s corpse from last week.¡± He giggled, and I felt my stomach turning upside down.

    He was kidnapping young girls at his store and killing them! I wanted to throw up and now I knew why Luna had asked me earlier if I really wanted to save the shopkeeper''s life.

    Just as I was about to turn around to gag, a figure dropped down from the building to the side, landing behind the shopkeeper.

    ¡°What the¡ª¡±

    The shopkeeper didn¡¯t even have time to turn around. The figure pulled him into a chokehold, cutting his voice short and an inhumane splutter came out of the shopkeeper¡¯s mouth instead.

    ¡°Luna!¡± I yelped almost instinctively, but without my telling, she and Mayu had already moved forward.

    The figure turned towards us, and a bright gleam blinded me momentarily. In one hand, the figure was holding onto a large machete, the blade was pointed downwards, relaxed in her grip. In the other, was the shopkeeper¡¯s throat, pulled into a tight chokehold that was causing all of his veins to pop out on his face, a sign of how strong the figure¡¯s strength was.

    The moonlight shone down on the figure, revealing a hooded girl with a young face that matched her short stature. Pale blood red eyes fell beneath streaks of blond hair that came out from the hood of her cloak. She almost looked like a child and for a second, I thought we had caught the wrong person until I noticed the same deadpan expression in her eyes as I saw in Luna.

    ¡°Emi!¡± Mayu seemed stunned by the girl¡¯s appearance. The girl responded with a cheerful smile, though her deadpan eyes only made the ordeal seem creepy.

    ¡°Hello, big sister Mayu!¡± The girl said, raising her machete in the air and waving it dangerously close to the old man¡¯s face. It was inches away from slicing his nose clean off. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a while¡ª¡±

    She froze as her eyes met Luna, the fake smile evaporating from her face. Suddenly, a look of genuine euphoria took over.

    ¡°B-big sister Luna!!¡± The grip on the shopkeeper''s throat released slightly, and I heard a haggard inhale coming from him. ¡°I-Is that really you?¡± Emi stumbled over her words. She leaned closer to Luna, her mouth gaping. ¡°Luna, I-I missed you so, so, so, sooo much!¡±

    Luna ignored Emi¡¯s outburst, and instead, swung her switchblade out, the blade snapping out of the handle dauntingly. The sharp noise of the blade shooting out shocked me, as well as the fact that I wasn¡¯t expecting for it to happen.

    Emi glanced down at the blade for a second, then gazed back up uncaringly. ¡°I knew you were going to come find me!¡± Emi rambled on, her cheeks flushing from excitement. It was as though she didn¡¯t recognise that Luna had just pulled a blade out on her. ¡°That¡¯s why I tried to send you a message with the killings because I knew they would be broadcasted on television! I was sure that you were the only one that could had figured it out, and I was right! Luna, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Emi, shut up.¡± Luna sighed, raising her fingertips to her forehead. Emi immediately went quiet. Her obedience to Luna was astounding.

    Luna spun to face me, and the annoyed expression was quickly replaced by a pleasant smile. ¡°Do you still want to save that shopkeeper?¡± She gestured to the figure squirming helplessly in Emi¡¯s grip. I couldn¡¯t tell what was more bizarre, Luna¡¯s inappropriate smile or the sight of a grown man struggling in the hold of what appeared to be a prepubescent girl.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say anymore. The answer I had before didn¡¯t seem so clear. All eyes were suddenly on me and it was making me feel very uncomfortable.

    ¡°Well, Ryo?¡± Luna pushed me eagerly for an answer, and I glanced back up at the shopkeeper''s face, his eyes looked desperately into mine.

    ¡°P-p-please¡­¡± He coughed, a mixture of saliva and blood bubbled out of his lips. ¡°S-save me!¡±

    I glanced at Mayu in hopes of inspiration. She met my stare and shook her head furiously in response. Then almost as though she thought I didn¡¯t get the message, mouthed ¡®no¡¯ in a very slow and conspicuous manner. I could almost hear her voice speaking to me through her clearly transparent enunciation.

    The shopkeeper stared at Mayu¡¯s reaction with a horrified look. Gee Mayu.

    I didn¡¯t even think about turning to Emi for advice. I could feel her cold stare burning into my soul from my peripheral sight. I had a hunch that she didn¡¯t like me.

    Then the last person was¡­

    I caught a sight of Luna¡¯s spine-chillingly blank face for a fraction of a second, before a pleasant smile replaced the emptiness as she noticed my eyes moving to her. It was like a complete 180 of her prior look. Was that how she looked like whenever I wasn¡¯t watching her? Freaky¡­ but almost expected at this point¡­

    ¡°What¡¯s your answer, Ryo?¡± Luna asked, the smile was still on her face. ¡°Let him live?¡± She raised her switchblade up to eye level and a rusty smell filled my nose. God damn, was that blood?¡ª Hang on, what the hell was she doing with that knife?

    The switchblade spun around in Luna¡¯s fingertips, frightening me. The motion suddenly stopped as Luna grasped the blade of the knife, holding the handle out towards me.

    The smile on Luna¡¯s face stretched bigger. ¡°Or kill him?¡±

 Chapter 36 - Breakdown

    Talk about being put under the gun. Did I really have to be the one to decide the fate of the shopkeeper¡¯s life? It didn¡¯t seem very fair.

    ¡°Let him live, or kill him?¡± Luna repeated the question, pushing the handle of her switchblade closer to my face, her eyes were disturbingly wide. ¡°Choose.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I glanced down at the knife, the stench of blood was sickening. ¡°Isn¡¯t there an in-between choice? Can¡¯t we just take him to the police station?¡±

    Luna tilted her head as though she didn¡¯t understand. ¡°So you want to let him live?¡± She drew the blade back slightly. ¡°Even though he killed so many people?¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s not it¡ª¡± I started but then noticed the confused expression on Luna¡¯s face. It wasn¡¯t as though she was going to understand. I looked up into the sky and let out a defeated sigh. ¡°Yes, let him live¡­¡±

    Luna frowned, disappointed, while Mayu scrunched up her nose.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Mayu flashed a disgusted glance at the shopkeeper. ¡°Do we really have to let this guy live? Can¡¯t we¡­ can¡¯t we just kill him peacefully?¡±

    That was the moment I realised I was standing with a group of genetically engineered humans designed for the sole purpose of being destructive war weapons. None of them had any concept of proper morality. I had to be the one to make the decision.

    ¡°We have to take him to the police station and let the police deal with him.¡± I said firmly. ¡°We can¡¯t execute him based on our own judgement. There¡¯s a justice system in place to take care of matters like¡ª¡±

    ¡°Tsk.¡± Emi turned her nose up at me, scorning. ¡°That¡¯s the dumbest thing I¡¯ve ever heard.¡± She turned to Luna, her face softening immediately. ¡°You¡¯re not really going to listen to him, right Luna?

    ¡°Yeah, I am.¡± Luna replied, drawing the switchblade away from me. She turned to face Emi. ¡°Let the shopkeeper go.¡±

    ¡°W-what?!¡± Emi flinched back, a hurt look on her face. ¡°L-Luna¡­ you want me to let this cockroach go?¡± She glanced at the shopkeeper in her grasp, then at me angrily. ¡°You¡¯re going to listen to him? Really?...¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Luna¡¯s tone was blank.

    Emi¡¯s head lowered and the darkness from her hood covered her eyes. She had gone eerily silent. We stared at her, waiting for a response. The atmosphere in the alley felt like it was changing. There was a different aura coming from Emi, and I was suddenly feeling very scared.

    ¡°You¡¯re... you¡¯re not the same, Luna¡­¡± Emi broke the silence. ¡°You¡¯re not you anymore¡­¡±

    ¡°Emi¡­¡± Mayu looked at Emi, concerned.

    ¡°Whatever.¡± Emi released her grasp on the shopkeeper, pushing him forward, then turned her back on us.

    I felt my entire body relax seeing the shopkeeper stumble forward from Emi¡¯s hold, his face was in disbelief.

    ¡°I-I¡­¡± The shopkeeper stared down at his hands. He couldn¡¯t believe he was still alive. ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Tears streamed from his eyes as the relief swept over him. ¡°Thank you! Thank you so much! I promise I won¡¯t kill anyone ever again! I will turn myself in right now!¡±

    I laughed lightheartedly, feeling awkward, but somewhat glad that he could atone for his sins in prison.

    ¡°I mean it! I¡¯m going to turn myself in and¡ª¡±

    Emi spun around, throwing her giant machete across the shopkeeper¡¯s neck. His head flew into the air and blood exploded everywhere, spraying across the walls, the floor and into our faces. The decapitated head hit me on the side of my chest causing me to falter backwards, then it dropped surrealistically onto the ground in front of me.

    ¡°W-what¡­¡± I stared down at the head, horrified, as it rolled to face me, the shopkeeper¡¯s face stuck in a crying laugh. I glanced up, just in time to see the rest of his body collapsing rigidly into the ground. It crashed into the concrete, twitching as though it was having some type of headless seizure. Blood was gushing out non-stop from the hole where the shopkeeper¡¯s head once was.

    ¡°That¡­¡± Emi smiled, her eyes glowing vividly blood red. ¡°That felt good.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ what the fuck?¡± I managed to let out.

    Even Mayu had a disgusted look to my side, but she also seemed to have expected it to happen. ¡°Gross.¡± She said, staring at the head that was still rolling in front of me. Gross was a huge understatement.

    Luna sighed, then raised her hand to wipe the blood off her face as though it was ketchup sauce that had spilt from her burger. ¡°Did you really have to do that, Emi?¡±

    Emi¡¯s look of admiration for Luna had turned to one of hatred. The once genuine smile on her face was completely gone, replaced by a dark, perturbing expression. ¡°You¡¯re not Luna.¡± Emi said quietly, lowering her head. ¡°You¡¯re just a fake...¡±

    ¡°Uh-oh.¡± Mayu reached for her dagger behind her back. ¡°She¡¯s gone into synthesis.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± I asked, edging slowly away from Emi.

    ¡°When Emi goes into synthesis, she loses control of her mind.¡± Mayu explained, her eyes fixed on Emi. ¡°She hasn¡¯t learned to control it¡­¡± She glanced down at the blood dripping from Emi¡¯s machete and hastily added, ¡°Also her one is especially powerful.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    Emi staggered towards us, one hand holding her head, the other clinging loosely to her machete as the edge of the blade dragged across the concrete floor creating a noise that resembled nails on chalkboard. She was whispering something to herself, but I couldn¡¯t make out what she was saying.

    ¡°What¡¯s her number?¡± I asked, feeling more scared by the second.

    ¡°Three.¡± Mayu replied as she took a slow step back. Even she was getting nervous from Emi¡¯s approach.

    Luna stood her ground, her eyes scanning the surroundings next to Emi.

    ¡°¡ªit¡¯s¡­¡± Emi made a noise louder than the rest, then her hand slid down from her head, pulling the hood down. Strawberry blonde hair fell past her neck accompanied by an attractive face despite her child-like look. She raised her head up and the image was shattered as the madness in her face showed, her blood red eyes glowing horrifyingly. She looked like a blood-thirsty demon.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m going to kill you if you come any closer.¡± Luna warned.

    ¡°Luna?¡± Emi¡¯s face softened as her eyes met Luna. It seemed like she recognised her. I raised my head up, worried. Maybe she will fall out of synthesis. We shouldn¡¯t fight her if we didn¡¯t have to. She reached a hand out in the air. ¡°L-Luna, I¡­¡±

    Emi sprinted towards Luna at an alarming rate, her hand jolted to Luna¡¯s neck, clutching it with all her might, choking her. Luna was caught off guard, and the machete in Emi¡¯s hand shot forward instantaneously. At the last millisecond, Luna snapped her switchblade out, slashing at the machete and changing its movement.

    The machete stabbed harmlessly into the air next to Luna¡¯s stomach and Luna kicked at Emi, forcing her to release her grip on Luna¡¯s throat.

    Mayu ran forward, hurling herself into a frenzied assault on Emi¡¯s body. Emi swayed her body away from the attacks, her machete was too big to wave around to deflect Mayu¡¯s dagger. Emi spun away from one attack then hurled her machete as she came back, slamming the blade into the brick wall as Mayu narrowly ducked under the attack.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    The wall exploded upon collision with the machete, sending pieces of broken bricks flying into Mayu, bruising and cutting her.

    Mayu yelped, covering her head from the flying debris. Emi chucked her machete downwards, aiming to chop Mayu in half. Mayu looked up just in time, then threw herself sideways, dodging the machete as it smashed into the ground.

    ¡°Luna!¡± Mayu cried out as Emi pursued her, throwing the machete wildly in chaotic maneuvers.

    Luna hesitated for a second, reluctant to help Mayu, then sprinted forward to enter the fight. Meanwhile, I stood a safe distance from the fight, watching intensely. Maybe I should help out¡­ but there was nothing I could do! I was just a normal human. How the hell was I going to do anything?

    I glanced down at the empty beer bottles that littered the place. Maybe I could¡­ ugh, but what if Emi started running for me. She could send me to the next life with one swing of her machete. I moved my eyes to the decapitated head on the ground, my breathing quickening.

    Whatever, let¡¯s just do it. I took a deep breath, then leaned to the floor, picking up one of the empty bottles. I looked back up at the fight, the three of them were intertwined in a deadly battle where one mistake could mean losing a limb. I felt stupid, but I didn¡¯t want to stand on the sidelines doing nothing anymore.

    Luna and Mayu dashed at Emi together, one throwing an attack at Emi¡¯s upper body and the other aiming for her lower body. Emi twirled the machete in front of her, the blade turned sideways, creating a shield that covered the majority of her body. Their blades collided with the machete, bouncing off as the force of their momentum turned against them.

    Mayu winced, her wrist crumpled into an awkward angle, causing her to lose grip of her dagger. It dropped onto the ground, spinning itself away from her.

    Luna managed to keep a hold of her switchblade, though she was also wincing from the pain of her own attack. Her eyes widened at Emi¡¯s machete as it whirled around to meet the both of them. ¡°G-get out!¡± Luna screamed at Mayu.

    Mayu didn¡¯t notice the machete in time, and Luna jumped backwards, pulling the back of Mayu¡¯s shirt. Mayu fell away from the machete as it flung across the air where Mayu¡¯s head previously was.

    ¡°C-crap¡­¡± Mayu stared at the machete, her face sweaty and her breath uneven.

    Emi swung the machete again, refusing to give up the pressure. The blade made a screaming noise as it cut the air, making its way towards Mayu. At that moment, Mayu¡¯s eyes rapidly intensified in colour, catching the unnatural glow of synthesis. Her face muscles relaxed and her breathing slowed.

    Mayu dived away from the machete and towards her dagger, picking it up in mid-roll. Emi leaped after her, bashing the machete relentlessly at Mayu¡¯s figure. She deflected the blows with difficulty, wincing each time the machete crashed into her dagger.

    ¡°Argh!¡± I didn¡¯t think. I just ran forward, chucking the bottle I held in my hand into Emi¡¯s face. Except it didn¡¯t come close to hitting her face. The bottle whizzed in the air, colliding onto Emi¡¯s leg and shattering into pieces on impact.

    Emi stopped the motion of her machete, her entire body coming to an abrupt halt. Her eyes moved slowly away from Mayu until they came into contact with mine, and every hair on my body stood up.

    ¡°Ryo!¡± Luna shot a panicked look at me. ¡°Y-you¡ª¡±

    She didn¡¯t even have time to finish her sentence. Emi sprang herself forward, charging for me at an incomprehensible speed. She shot past Mayu and Luna, the machete screeching as it slid across the floor. There was nothing blocking the path in between Emi and me, and the realisation of death dawned upon me in the figure of a prepubescent girl and an oversized machete.

    I turned back to run, and tripped immediately on one of the empty bottles lying across the floor as though an omen reminding me of my bad decision. I landed face first into the ground, my head smacking into the concrete. I didn¡¯t even recognise the pain. I spun around frantically to see the blade of a giant machete plummeting down into my face. I closed my eyes, preparing for demise.

    CLANG!

    I opened my eyes to see Luna¡¯s switchblade right in front of my face, stopping the momentum of the machete. Luna and Emi stood in front of me, both their eyes were glowing menacingly, one blood red, and the other vivid violet. Luna jerked her blade backwards, pulling Emi¡¯s machete away from my face.

    There were trembles throughout my entire body which was drenched with sweat. Just moments ago, I was actually about to die. My heart raced inside my chest, while my heavy breathing was causing me dizziness and nausea. How stupid was I to try to throw a freaking beer bottle at a lethal killing machine?

    I glanced up to see Emi rushing for me again, and I scrambled away, my hands flailing as I pulled myself up. Luna stood in between us, clashing her switchblade against the machete. Luna was fending off better now that she was using her synthesis. The monstrous rage of Emi¡¯s strength was being slowly contained by Luna¡¯s predictive fighting style. It seemed that the longer the fight went on, the stronger that Luna got.

    Seeing this, Mayu charged in from the back, constructing an assail on both sides of Emi. Emi pivoted on her heels, repelling the two of them as she veered her machete around her.

    Luna jabbed her blade into Emi¡¯s side, puncturing into flesh as the switchblade dug itself through the incision. Emi didn¡¯t even flinch. She hurled her machete back at Luna, using their close distance to her advantage.

    The machete burrowed into Luna¡¯s forearm, almost slicing it off as Luna snapped her arm away, pulling the switchblade with her. There was a massive gash on Luna¡¯s forearm, but she also didn¡¯t show any signs of pain.

    The stab that Luna inflicted on Emi was gushing with an abnormally large amount of blood. It poured down Emi¡¯s leg, staining her clothes dark red and formed a growing puddle where she stood. It seemed like Luna hit a vital organ.

    Mayu walked towards me, breathing heavily as she leaned onto the wall for support. Her glowing emerald eyes dulled in colour, eventually turning into her usual pale emerald. Her hands were bleeding profusely from fending off Emi¡¯s machete with her dagger.

    ¡°Y-you alright, Mayu?¡± I asked, staring at her hands and the cuts on her body.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Mayu exhaled painfully, then turned to gaze at the standstill between Luna and Emi. ¡°This fight should be ending soon¡­ Emi¡¯s going to bleed out to unconsciousness¡­¡± She went silent for a few seconds. ¡°Unless she can kill Luna before it happens.¡±

    I swallowed, then stared intently at the two of them, unsure about what would happen. The gash on Luna¡¯s arm was pretty deep too, but it was bleeding nowhere near as much as the wound on Emi¡¯s side.

    Emi glanced down at her wound, her expression unchanging, then she looked back up at Luna with a weird smile, her pearly teeth baring like fangs.

    ¡°I told you, you would die.¡± Luna said hollowly.

    Emi let out a low-pitched giggle, her eyes lowering to the ground. She raised a hand up, covering her face, trying to suppress her laugh. Her shoulders were shaking erratically as her laughter grew louder and more deranged in nature. For a moment, that was all she did, and I watched, stunned, as I thought she wasn¡¯t ever going to stop.

    In between wheezes, at last, she said, ¡°I-I¡¯m going to die?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Luna was staring at her, unfazed.

    Emi stopped laughing all of a sudden, then glanced at Luna in between the gaps of her fingers. It was a haunting sight to see her glowing blood red eyes glaring at us from the darkness.

    ¡°Then kill me.¡±

    Emi shot forward, her machete whirling out in front of her and her face contorting into a maddening look. The machete slammed itself into the wall as Luna swayed backwards from the attack, but Emi pushed on, gliding the blade inside the brick surface and hurling the machete back at Luna from the opposite angle.

    Luna slashed at the giant machete, wincing as she deflected its movement away from her. The machete came back again, whizzing dangerously past Luna¡¯s skin as she weaved away from the attacks.

    Emi was throwing a never-ending sequence of wild swings for Luna¡¯s limbs. My breathing had stopped, watching the machete scream through the air, missing Luna by fractions of a second.

    Luna was on her back-foot, forced to fight on her heels as Emi¡¯s machete crashed into the walls with each attack, bouncing back immediately into Luna as Emi controlled the blade with a mercurial rampage. It was impossible to predict where the attacks were coming from because of Emi¡¯s unstable state of mind. Luna struggled to keep up with Emi¡¯s momentum, and each time that Luna had to deflect her machete, blood gushed out of Luna¡¯s hands, showing the force of Emi¡¯s onslaught.

    Emi flung the machete into Luna¡¯s waist, catching her by surprise, and the blade sunk into flesh, nearly tearing her apart. It was lucky that Luna had threw herself with the motion of the machete, minimising the distance the blade could travel.

    Luna dropped onto the floor, rolling away from Emi. My heart sunk, seeing the blood spurting out of Luna¡¯s waist. That was a heavy blow, probably fatal for a normal human. I moved forward to help but was stopped as Mayu placed a hand to my shoulder, her head shaking.

    I turned back to the fight and to my surprise, Emi didn¡¯t follow up on her attack despite the damage she caused. She stood motionlessly, staring down blankly at Luna, her machete clinging loosely to her hand.

    ¡°L-Luna?¡± Emi raised her eyes, looking up at nothing. She glanced around her, confused. ¡°L-Luna, where are you?¡±

    Emi took a step forward, her eyes disillusioned but still glowing a frightening blood red. ¡°W-what¡ª where am I?¡± There was fear rising up on Emi¡¯s face. ¡°Ah!¡ª¡±

    Emi glanced down at the gash by her side, blood was still pouring out of the hole, drenching her clothes. The glow in her eyes flickered, dulling for a moment, and Emi gazed at it, puzzled. ¡°It¡­ It hurts...¡± She touched a hand to her wound, then stared blankly at the dark blood staining her hand for a few seconds.

    Suddenly, a terrified look took over Emi¡¯s face and the glow in her eyes dulled further.

    ¡°It hurts!¡± Emi screamed, her machete dropped onto the floor, clanging loudly. ¡°It hurts!¡± She fell into a crouching position, both hands gripping tightly to her skull and her eyes squashed closed. ¡°It really hurts!¡±

    I stared at Emi, my mouth wide open, not believing what I was seeing.

    ¡°That¡¯s what happens when she comes down from synthesis.¡± Mayu explained, her face suggested that she felt sorry for Emi. ¡°Luna probably planned it all along.¡±

    At that moment, Luna rose up from the ground, the switchblade gripped firmly downwards in her hand. She was covered in blood, her face dark and chilling. She turned to face Emi and the air in the alleyway went icy cold.

 Chapter 37 - Unity

    ¡°Aghh!!¡±

    Emi¡¯s fingers pressed firmly into her skull, her veins popping out on her hands and face. It was a frightening sight to witness. I couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for her, seeing her struggle with the pain in her head.

    ¡°It hurts! It¡ª¡±

    She was hyperventilating, breathing rapidly in and out, her eyes glued to the floor. Sweat was falling off her face at an unnatural rate.

    ¡°I-I can¡¯t¡ª I can¡¯t b-b-breath!¡±

    Her entire body was trembling and tears were now falling from her cheeks.

    ¡°L-Luna, help me!¡± Emi forced her head up, shuddering. She was still crouched on the ground. Her wide-opened blood red eye, flashed in and out of synthesis. ¡°I-I¡­¡±

    Luna stood in front of her, clutching her switchblade loosely. Her face was shrouded in darkness and all that could be seen was a pair of vivid violet eyes gazing down disturbingly at Emi¡¯s squashed-up figure.

    ¡°It hurts¡­¡± Emi whimpered. ¡°It hurts so much¡­!¡±

    Luna¡¯s lips moved.

    ¡°Let me fix that for you.¡±

    I jumped up, alert. ¡°N-no!¡ª¡±

    Mayu stopped me, grabbing onto my arm. ¡°Ryo¡ª!¡±

    I glanced back at her, my chest pounding.

    ¡°Just leave it¡­¡± Mayu winced at me, her face fatigued. ¡°Don¡¯t let Emi live¡­ she¡¯s too strong¡­¡±

    I hesitated, contemplating the decision, then the images of all the people that had died flashed into my mind, blinding my vision. The guy with the slit throat at the park. The warehouse massacre. Kaiji. Kaori. The images surged in my mind, and my vision returned, staring into Mayu¡¯s face, my breath heavy.

    ¡°I can¡¯t let her do this¡­¡±

    ¡°Ryo¡­¡±

    I pulled Mayu¡¯s hand off mine, her fingers released reluctantly, and I turned to face Luna. She had the switchblade up in the air, the edge of the blade pointing down at Emi.

    ¡°L-Luna!!¡±

    I yelled, sprinting towards the scene. She didn¡¯t respond. She didn¡¯t hear me. My heart sunk as I realised that she was too zoned out to hear her surroundings. The knife was falling now, and I was still sprinting, my legs pushing me faster than I had ever ran before.

    Come on, come on!

    The switchblade was falling into Emi¡¯s face, the handle gripped tightly in Luna¡¯s knuckle. I was so close! I was almost there! But the blade was falling fast, rapidly approaching Emi without a sign of stopping.

    I couldn¡¯t get there in time! It was dropping too fast and I¡­

    I leaped on the last step, throwing myself over Emi, my hands wrapping around her.

    ¡°Luna, stop¡ª!!!!!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    The edge of the blade stopped right in front of my face, and I mean literally right in front of my face. If I had to say how far it was, then it would be about one millimeter. I could feel my skin screaming, staring the knife down. I moved my eyes away from the switchblade, slowly looking up at Luna.

    She was gazing down at me, her violet eyes glowing terrifyingly, but a look of recognition on her face.

    ¡°Ryo¡­?¡± She seemed puzzled.

    I swallowed. ¡°Put your knife down, Luna...¡±

    Luna stared at me, unmoving. My entire body was tense and my breathing had stopped on its own.

    Then, the switchblade moved back, dropping onto the floor. I breathed at last, feeling sweat on my face and back. That was so close¡­ way too close for comfort. I heard Mayu exhaling too, seeing the switchblade hit the ground. It seemed she had also held her breath during that scramble.

    I turned down to Emi who I was holding in my arms. Her luminous blood red eyes stared up at my eyes, shocking me for a second before the glow dulled completely and her face relaxed. Her eyes closed, then her head slumped to my chest, unconscious.

    Thank god. I made it in time.

    I lowered Emi gently to the concrete pavement.

    ¡°R-Ryo!¡±

    Luna kneeled to face me, her palms on the ground. Her face was filled with worry and tears bubbled in her eyes.

    ¡°Why did you do that?!¡±

    ¡°Luna¡ª¡±

    ¡°I-I could have killed you!!¡±

    ¡°I know¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Luna¡­¡±

    She didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°I said I¡¯m sorry¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ever do that again!¡±

    Luna pulled me into a hug, her arms wrapping tightly behind my back and her chin on my shoulder. I felt her sobbing quietly next to my face, and I stared to my side, awkwardly. Then slowly, I raised my hands, putting them around her back.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Luna¡­¡± I soothed.

    I glanced up at Mayu who was staring down at Luna and me, a relieved smile on her face, though her eyes seemed sad.

    <hr>

    ¡°Ah, she¡¯s waking!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Come!¡±

    Emi¡¯s eyes twitched, her eyelashes fluttered, then slowly her eyes opened, squinting at the light from the apartment. She tried to move, but her arms pulled lightly at the ropes that were tied tightly around her. She was bound to a chair, her arms and legs restricted by the ropes that held her in place.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°You alright?¡± I kneeled to her, worried.

    ¡°W-where am I?¡± Emi groaned. Her waist was wrapped in bandages, soaking up the blood that was leaking from her wound. Luna had done the handiwork, making sure that she wouldn¡¯t lose any more blood.

    ¡°You lost,¡± Mayu said, sitting on a chair behind me. Her legs and arms were crossed, and her face seemed as though she was still pondering if letting me save Emi was a good idea. She sighed, shifting on her seat. ¡°We should have killed her¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not too late to fix it.¡± Luna said cheerfully from the side. She pulled her switchblade out from behind her, moving towards Emi.

    ¡°What¡ª no!¡± I blocked Luna with my arm, pushing her back. ¡°Luna! That¡¯s not what we¡¯re doing!¡±

    Luna frowned, but didn¡¯t resist against me. She hid the switchblade back behind her, then walked off to the kotatsu table, plopping down on the cushions.

    ¡°Listen¡­¡± I turned back to Emi with a serious look. ¡°We want you to help us.¡±

    Emi blinked at me. ¡°You¡¯re the one that saved me¡­¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Emi bowed her head sincerely. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for that¡­¡±

    I was surprised by her maturity despite her young look. I still didn¡¯t know whether she was 12 years old or what.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay...¡± I replied.

    ¡°Although I would have been happy to die at Luna¡¯s hand too,¡± Emi raised her head, smiling, ¡°I still appreciate what you did.¡±

    Warmth gathered on my cheeks, seeing the look on her face. It was a cute smile, one that made my head spin. I didn¡¯t know she could smile like that. All I remembered from the fight was her deranged look along with her murderous blood red eyes. That moment when she charged at me with her machete was still glued to my mind.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Mayu stuck her tongue out as though there was a bad taste in her mouth. ¡°I knew this would be a bad idea¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyways,¡± I shook my head, trying to be serious again, ¡°we want you to join us, Emi.¡±

    ¡°Join you?¡± Emi repeated, confused.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I nodded, ¡°right now we know the Ashens are planning to capture Luna and take her back. We¡¯re trying to stop that from happening.¡±

    ¡°W-what¡­¡± Emi glanced down worriedly at her pockets. ¡°Where¡¯s my Navigator?¡±

    Mayu held up a crushed-up device in her hand. ¡°I destroyed it.¡±

    ¡°Uuoo¡­¡± Emi¡¯s face seemed sad, looking up at her Navigator. ¡°That thing was so cool¡­¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t planning to tell the other Ashens where we were, right?¡± I asked hesitantly.

    Emi shook her head. ¡°No, I was just worried it was still recording the location.¡±

    My face perked up, hearing that. ¡°So you agree to help us?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Emi had a look on her face that said she was pretending to think. She glanced up, her lips pouted. ¡°If Luna gives me a hug, I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

    Luna flinched from the kotatsu table. She was lying on the table, her head turned away from us. I got up from the ground and walked to her, tapping her on the shoulder.

    ¡°Luna, Emi said she will help us if you give her a hug.¡±

    ¡°Ryo¡­ I can¡¯t hug anyone else¡­¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I can only hug you¡­¡±

    ¡°Haah?¡± I furrowed my eyebrows, not comprehending the logic of what she was saying. Then, an idea came to my mind. I turned away from her, sighing. ¡°That¡¯s too bad¡­ I was planning to go out with you tomorrow¡­¡±

    Luna raised her head and stared at me, giving me her full attention. Got you. I grinned sneakily, then quickly hid my smile. I shook my head, acting disappointed.

    ¡°I had a really fun day planned out¡­¡± I glanced back at her. ¡°Just the two of us¡­ alone¡­¡±

    ¡°I-I will do it¡­¡± Luna said hastily, her cheeks red.

    It was almost too easy. I felt sort of bad for manipulating her like that, but we really needed to get Emi on our side. I guess I could make up for it tomorrow with her. I didn¡¯t plan on lying about my part of the deal.

    Luna pulled herself up from the kotatsu table, taking a deep breath. Her cheeks were still red, but there was a determined look in her eyes.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m only doing this¡­ for you, Ryo¡­¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± I said.

    Luna marched over to Emi. I saw an ecstatic look breaking out on Emi¡¯s face. ¡°Ah!! Luna! Really?!¡±

    I nodded over to Mayu. ¡°Get Emi out of the ropes.¡±

    Mayu sighed, then groaned. ¡°Why am I doing this¡­¡± She got up from her chair, walking behind Emi¡¯s chair and untied the ropes grudgingly. They fell loose at Emi¡¯s feet, and she sprang up, staring dreamily at Luna.

    Luna closed her eyes, looking as though she was in pain. She reached her shaky arms out slowly by Emi¡¯s side. Luna took another deep breath, her face flushed with unwillingness. Then gradually, her arms closed around Emi¡¯s small figure, until they were wrapped loosely around her back.

    Emi squealed, her own face was flushing with excitement. She pulled Luna into a tight hug, pushing her cheek onto Luna¡¯s chest. She was too short to reach Luna¡¯s head.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m so happy!! This is the first time you hugged me, Luna!!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Luna looked as though she was disgusted.

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough.¡± Luna grabbed onto Emi¡¯s shoulders with both hands, and pushed her as far back as possible.

    Emi bounced up and down, exhilarated. ¡°This is the best thing that¡¯s ever happened to me!¡± She glanced at me, then without warning, she ran into me, throwing her arms around me tightly. ¡°Thank you Ryo!!¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey¡­¡± I tried to pull her back, but she stuck onto me like glue. My face was growing red.

    ¡°Emi!¡± Mayu yelped, her cheeks flushing. She ran over to help pull Emi off.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± Luna ran forward too, flustered.

    Luna and Mayu grabbed onto either hands of Emi and pulled her away, using their entire strength. Emi was strong¡­

    Emi pouted as they pulled her back onto the chair. ¡°No fair, there¡¯s two of you¡­¡±

    I sighed, palming my face. Now there was going to be more trouble with another person in our group. But inside, I was relieved that she wasn¡¯t killed. We are now a lot stronger with Emi on our side. She was the number 3 ranking Ashen¡­ I wondered who was number 2¡­ If we could defeat the number 2 Ashen, then there would be nothing else in our way¡­

    Luna and Mayu dropped Emi in the chair, panting. She had been squirming in their grasp.

    ¡°Ryo!¡± Luna turned to me, pointing at me with a flushed face. ¡°Don¡¯t forget your promise!¡±

    I laughed weakly. ¡°I won¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°When do I get a day with Ryo?¡± Mayu complained, sinking back into her seat.

    ¡°Never.¡± Luna snapped.

    ¡°H-hey, I wasn¡¯t talking to you!¡± Mayu retorted.

    ¡°If you¡¯re talking to Ryo, then you¡¯re talking to me!¡±

    ¡°What?! How does that work?¡±

    ¡°Because we¡¯re intertwined as lovers! We share the same soul!¡±

    ¡°Haah? That¡¯s so dumb I want to vomit!¡±

    The two continued arguing while I groaned from the side.

    ¡°Come on guys¡­ let¡¯s be mature¡­¡±

    It took a while before I managed to eventually stop the arguing. I had placed them apart from one another, Mayu sitting on a chair in one side of the room, and Luna on the kotatsu table on the other side.

    ¡°Finally¡­¡± I breathed, wiping my forehead with the back of my hand, exhausted. ¡°Let¡¯s get back on topic¡­¡± I turned to Emi. ¡°So¡­ what is your answer?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Emi swung playfully on the chair. She had a lot of fun watching Luna and Mayu fight. ¡°I¡¯ll help you guys out!¡±

    A sigh of relief escaped my lips. That was one problem solved.

    ¡°If you are planning to join us, then you need to transfer into the school with us.¡± Luna said. ¡°We need to keep an eye on you at all times.¡±

    ¡°H-hey Luna, don¡¯t say it like that¡­¡± I glanced at her, frowning.

    ¡°No problem.¡± Emi nodded her head. ¡°I want to stick by you all the time anyways.¡± She said, beaming at Luna.

    Luna shrunk back, her lips curling. She looked as though she regretted her decision.

    ¡°Emi, we have some questions for you¡­ in regards to the military group that is controlling the Ashens.¡± I chose my words carefully.

    ¡°Oh, you mean the R.E.M.?¡±

    ¡°The what?¡± I was surprised by her willingness to reveal information. It didn¡¯t seem like she had any sense of loyalty towards the military lab that had created her.

    ¡°Revolutionary Evolution Movement.¡± Emi replied casually. ¡°They¡¯re the ones in charge of Project Ashens now. Luna might not know since she left before they took over, but Mayu should know.¡±

    I can¡¯t believe I never asked Mayu about it. Ugh. Let¡¯s ask something that Mayu might not know.

    ¡°Anyways, how much do the other Ashens know about Luna¡¯s whereabouts?¡± I rubbed my head, feeling embarrassed by my first question.

    ¡°They haven¡¯t pinpointed a location besides Tokyo.¡± Emi said and relief fell over me. ¡°Although¡­¡± Emi continued, and the relief disappeared. ¡°Number two, Aya, seems to have a much better idea.¡±

    I flinched, hearing that. She must had been the one that came to our apartment last time.

    ¡°How strong is Aya?¡± I asked hesitantly.

    Mayu sighed. ¡°She¡¯s gotten insanely strong since Luna left the organisation. It will be a tough fight if she were to face with Luna.¡±

    ¡°Us three should be able to overpower her though.¡± Emi chimed in, and I was reminded of the fact that Emi was the third strongest Ashen. It was hard to keep that in mind when she looked like she was at the age where she just got admitted to middle school.

    I exhaled. ¡°When will the Ashens stop chasing Luna¡­¡±

    ¡°Never.¡± Emi answered. ¡°Luna is the strongest of all the Ashens. They will keep chasing her forever no matter what.¡±

    I winced, hearing that. ¡°So I guess the only option is to fight¡­¡±

    Emi smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

 Chapter 38 - Amnesia

    ¡°Luna¡­ would you stop squeezing so tight to me?¡±

    ¡°You said it was a date!¡±

    ¡°Yeah I did say that¡­¡±

    ¡°Then it should be fine.¡±

    We were walking through a hiking trail together and Luna was right next to me, her hands clutching fixedly onto my arm. Onlookers glanced at us¡ª well, glanced at Luna to be honest. She was stunningly beautiful and dressed in a cute outfit for hiking that complimented her perfect physique. On the other hand¡­ there wasn¡¯t much to say about myself. Trackpants and t-shirt was what I saw fit for the occasion.

    ¡°This was such a fun idea to go hiking!¡± Luna said, her excitement bubbling to surface.

    I laughed weakly in response. Originally, I had planned to go hiking because I figured that it would be the place with the least people around. I didn¡¯t want to attract attention and I had enough of crowds after what happened at the amusement park and Shinjuku. To my surprise, there was actually a small number of people out here today.

    Well¡­ a promise is a promise¡­

    ¡°Ryo, look at that waterfall!¡±

    Luna waved her hand, pointing at a waterfall to our side, but my eyes instinctively went to her face. Her pale violet eyes stood out in an enigmatic way from the rest of her face, drawing attention in an alluring manner. Velvety eyelashes, a dainty nose, and strawberry-sweet lips. I could feel my head beginning to spin.

    ¡°¡ªRyo?¡±

    Luna was blinking at me, staring at me with genuine concern. ¡°Ryo, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Uh,¡± I woke up from my daze, trying to recover my breath. Why does this always happen? ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? I can carry you if you¡¯re tired.¡±

    ¡°W-what? No, of course not. I''m fine.¡±

    How pathetic would I look? Being carried by a girl¡­ as if I would accept that offer.

    ¡°Or you could carry me.¡± Luna said dreamily. ¡°You¡¯ve never carried me before.¡±

    I was tired as hell from walking all over the place. If I had to carry Luna as well, I would probably collapse and faint.

    I didn¡¯t say those words though, I just laughed meekly in response.

    Luna pointed at the waterfall again with her index finger. ¡°We should take a picture together!¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    Before I could respond, Luna dragged me in front of the waterfall. I was helpless to her power, though I didn¡¯t resist. She pulled her phone out from her pocket and pulled me closer to her, till our cheeks were almost touching. My face grew hot. I could hear her breathing next to me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Luna whispered, positioning the camera in an angle that would capture both our faces and the waterfall in the background.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to¡­¡± I mumbled, feeling uncomfortable by her closeness.

    A moment of silence, then a shutter sound came from the phone. Luna pulled away from me to glance down at her phone, seeing if the photo turned out okay. I glanced to my side, thinking about how close we were just then.

    ¡°Ah! It¡¯s actually pretty good!¡± Luna said, lifting her phone up to show me. I squinted at the screen. "What do you think?" She asked.

    The photo made us seem like lovers, our cheeks were almost pressed together and Luna had a cheerful smile on her face. I didn¡¯t really like how I looked, but I never liked how I looked in photos anyway. From the photo, we seemed somewhat normal despite the fact that Luna was strikingly pretty¡­

    I wished that we were actually normal.

    "Pretty good." I replied.

    ¡°Ahh! I finally have a photo of us two together!¡± Luna hugged the phone to her chest, weaving from side to side in joy. ¡°I¡¯m going to print it out and frame it on my wall!¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­¡±

    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll send you the photo.¡± Luna said, pulling the phone away from her chest and tapping the buttons on the screen. "That way, you have a copy."

    My text message ringtone sounded, and I lifted my phone up to see the photo that Luna had sent me. In addition to the waterfall photo, she sent me a selfie of herself, doing the v sign at the camera, from what I presumed was her bedroom.

    ¡°You can use that as my contact photo.¡± Luna stood on her toes next to me, glancing down at my phone. ¡°Do you like it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I stared at the selfie. ¡°When did you take that photo?¡±

    ¡°It was at Akane¡¯s house. Not too long ago.¡±

    So, it wasn¡¯t her bedroom. Did she even have a house? I doubted the one that she took me to when she kidnapped Yumi and me was her actual house. There was still so many things I didn¡¯t know about Luna.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with that face?¡± Luna peered into my face. ¡°You don¡¯t think there¡¯s something going on between Akane and me, right?¡±

    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t thinking of that at all...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s one-sided from Akane¡¯s end. I would never do anything with anyone else other than you, Ryo.¡±

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m supposed to be happy about that?¡± I phrased it like a question.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy?¡± Luna laughed, then pulled me to her, wrapping her arms around me. ¡°You got me all to yourself!¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright¡­¡± I pulled Luna off me, my face red. There was people around but she didn''t seem to mind. ¡°Let¡¯s just keep walking.¡±

    We continued down the path for a few more seconds before Luna suddenly stopped. The people that were around us before, walked ahead on the trail, eventually disappearing from sight.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Luna?¡± I turned to face her, puzzled.

    There was a serious look on Luna¡¯s face and my confusion turned to worry. Could it be that there was an Ashen at the park?

    ¡°There¡¯s someone following us, Ryo.¡± Luna whispered, her eyes glanced to her side. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice before, but they¡¯ve been there for a while now.¡±

    I swallowed. ¡°We should probably get out of here then.¡± A forest was the last place I wanted to be confronted by an Ashen.

    ¡°Hang on¡­¡±

    Luna waited for something, and I kept my mouth shut, enveloping us in silence except for the noise of our surroundings. Insects buzzing, birds chirping, wind blowing. It was hard to make out any other noise. I waited impatiently, my heart growing faster the longer the time etched on.

    All of a sudden, Luna spun around and threw her switchblade straight behind her, the knife whirling through the air at a lightning speed. The blade slammed itself into the trunk of a tree, pushing past the wood and almost piercing straight through despite the tree¡¯s thickness.

    Besides the switchblade was a head and streaks of light blue hair. A frightened Mayu stood by the tree, unhurt but shaken. The blade was right next to Mayu¡¯s ear, narrowly missing by a hairline.

    ¡°Mayu?!¡± I exclaimed, shocked.

    ¡°Hey, Ryo¡­¡± Mayu laughed meekly, waving a shaky hand. "That was close..." She breathed.

    Luna walked to the tree to retrieve her switchblade. ¡°Why are you following us? I told you that today Ryo and me were on a date, for us two only.¡±

    ¡°Well I don¡¯t want to stay in the house alone.¡± Mayu pouted. ¡°It¡¯s soo bo-ring¡­¡±

    ¡°You got Emi though.¡± I said, letting my breath out. Mayu and Emi were supposed to be staying at Akane''s house. Thank god it was only Mayu that had been following us.

    Mayu scrunched up her nose. ¡°Ugh¡­ Emi just keeps talking about Luna the whole day.¡±

    ¡°Whatever, I don''t care.¡± Luna pulled her switchblade out of the tree, the force of her strength shook the entire tree. The leaves rustled, falling from the branches. ¡°Get out of here, you¡¯re in our way.¡±

    Mayu¡¯s cheeks flushed. ¡°Come on, can¡¯t I just hang with you guys¡­¡± Mayu turned to me, giving me a puppy eyed look. ¡°Please, Ryo?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Luna snapped. ¡°Just go do your own thing!¡±

    ¡°Come on, pleease,¡± Mayu cried, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be alone with Emi!¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    I sighed. ¡°Luna, just let her stay¡­¡± Why did I always have to be the one to make the hard decisions? I tried to give Mayu a stern look. ¡°But Mayu, this was supposed to be just Luna and me. Next time you can¡¯t do this again¡­¡±

    Mayu beamed at me. ¡°Thanks Ryo! You¡¯re the best!¡±

    ¡°Argh¡­¡± Luna bit her lower lip, her arms crossed. ¡°This always happens¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, Luna.¡± I tried to cheer her up, laughing gently. ¡°It won¡¯t happen again. Besides, we can have more fun with us three.¡±

    Luna¡¯s gave me a look that said she seriously doubted if that was possible. Then, she shook her head, and forced a weak smile. ¡°If you are fine with it, then I¡¯m okay, Ryo.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± Mayu skipped to join us, walking by my side as we continued down the path. I was stuck between the two of them and an uneasy feeling formed in the bottom of my stomach. The atmosphere was intense.

    Hang on¡­ now that I was actually in the situation¡­ this was a horrible idea¡­

    ¡°Hey Ryo, look at those flowers over there! They¡¯re so pretty!¡± Mayu pointed to her side, then nudged me gently on the side of my waist with her hand.

    Luna¡¯s eyes twitched and she jerked me away from Mayu, stepping in between the two of us. ¡°Do you want to die?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± Mayu shrugged. ¡°I was just trying to tell Ryo about the flowers.¡±

    ¡°Y-you¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep walking.¡± I chimed in nervously, trying to end the tension.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she understands her place here.¡± Luna refused to budge. ¡°She¡¯s just here as a third wheel, something akin to an annoying house fly that flown into the wrong place.¡±

    Mayu¡¯s cheeks turned crimson. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not a fly!¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are!¡± Luna retorted. ¡°You¡¯re a disgusting fly that needs to die! And I would have killed you already if it wasn¡¯t for Ryo!¡±

    ¡°Try it!¡± Mayu reached behind her skirt.

    ¡°Hey, hey!¡± I stepped in between the two of them. ¡°Let¡¯s just keep walking! We¡¯re never going to make it to the end like this!¡±

    Luna and Mayu shot venomous glares at one another, but the argument died down and a quiet tension took its place. We continued walking silently, Luna and Mayu refusing to look at one another. I sighed, walking in between the two of them. If only there was a way to make them get along.

    We continued walking further ahead, until the trail split into two. Stopping at the intersection, I glanced between the two paths, confused.

    ¡°Which way should we go?¡± I asked.

    Luna glanced down at the footpath and pointed to the left side. ¡°The footsteps of the other hikers went that way.¡±

    ¡°That looks boring though.¡± Mayu yawned, raising a hand to her mouth. ¡°The right path looks more exciting.¡±

    I glanced at the right path. It descended into a trail that was less clearly marked and more narrow, whereas the path on the left was much more wider and clear. It was obvious which path I preferred.

    ¡°There¡¯s a sign there that says to not go through that path.¡± Luna said, pointing at a sign near the right trail. It was covered in grass, almost hidden from sight and in big, black letters were the words; ¡®OFF TRAIL. DO NOT ENTER.¡¯

    ¡°I guess we shouldn¡¯t go then.¡± I laughed, feeling relieved that the decision seemed to be settled.

    ¡°It does look more interesting though¡­¡± Luna added, and I stopped laughing. She smiled at me and nodded her head to the right path. ¡°Come on, Ryo, let¡¯s go and check it out!¡±

    ¡°Right? That¡¯s what I said!¡± Mayu walked ahead, leading the way as Luna dragged me with her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about this, Luna.¡± I said, then glanced down at the uneven footing of the descent. ¡°The sign told us not to enter¡­¡±

    But it was too late, and we were already heading down the path.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ryo.¡± Luna laughed by my side. I could feel her hand gripping onto my arm tightly. ¡°I¡¯ll protect you if anything happens.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also here too.¡± Mayu said, annoyed that Luna didn¡¯t include her. She glanced back at us, and her face turned red, seeing Luna clinging onto me. ¡°H-hey, why am I walking in front?¡±

    Luna flicked a hand at her, motioning for Mayu to keep walking. ¡°Just be quiet and keep going. You¡¯re annoying us.¡±

    ¡°Argh...¡± Mayu¡¯s face flashed a look of anger. She jogged to my free side, and tried to grab on.

    Luna jerked me away and I was subject to her immense strength. It was like I was a ragdoll and she pulled me behind her, shielding me away from Mayu. ¡°I already told you not to do that.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t fair.¡± Mayu complained. ¡°Why do you get to hold onto Ryo?¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a matter of fair.¡± Luna stated. ¡°I¡¯m his girlfriend, and his soulmate. You¡¯re just a nobody.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not.¡± Mayu shot back. ¡°Stop making up delusions in your head.¡± Then Mayu turned to me. ¡°Is Luna your girlfriend?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± We never really made anything official. Sure, I had confessed to her, but I had never actually asked her to be my girlfriend. It was a complicated question.

    Luna noticed my hesitation and tried to change the topic. ¡°You¡¯re just trying to confuse him.¡± She said to Mayu angrily. ¡°Why are you always trying to get in our way?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t just keep him all to yourself like a pet.¡± Mayu said. ¡°That¡¯s not humane!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m doing!¡± Luna exclaimed, frustrated.

    Mayu made a move towards me, trying to get around Luna. Luna¡¯s eyes sharpened, and her switchblade made a frightening noise as it came out from behind her, the blade snapping out of its black handle.

    The switchblade swung forward, narrowly missing Mayu by the front of her neck as she swerved away on the last second, a look of surprise on her face.

    ¡°H-hey, Luna!¡± I yelled, but Mayu¡¯s own face took on a serious look as she pulled her dagger out from behind her skirt. The sound of metal clashing erupted as Mayu dashed forward, retaliating with her own attack.

    Luna took a step back, blocking the attack, but pushed me backwards in the process. I lost my footing on the uneven ground, and felt myself falling backwards.

    ¡°W-wha¡ª¡±

    I never got to finish my sentence. The ground that was supposed to be behind me disappeared, and I realised I was falling down a hill. Leaves and branches shrouded me as I fell into what I presumed was a bush, and more bush hit me as I fell further along the way. They weren¡¯t stopping my fall and instead the razor-sharp leaves cut into my skin as I scrambled helplessly to stop my fall.

    ¡°Ryo!¡±

    I heard Luna and Mayu shouting, but they quickly disappeared from my view.

    I kept rolling further down, and it felt like it would never end, until my head hit onto something hard, and my vision faded.

    <hr>

    I woke up to the feeling of something warm on the top of my forehead, and I opened my eyes slowly, wincing as I did so.

    A blurry figure came into view, looming over me. I couldn¡¯t out make out anything besides their long hair, and a gentle face. They had the palm of their hand on top of my forehead.

    ¡°L-Luna¡­?¡± I whispered, staring up into her eyes. The hand moved away from my forehead.

    My vision gradually grew more focused and strawberry blonde hair and pale maroon eyes were revealed.

    She frowned, tilting her head slightly. ¡°I¡¯m not Luna.¡±

    ¡°Emi?¡± I said, surprised, but my voice was weak. It came out more like a cough.

    She nodded energetically with a cute smile. ¡°Hi, Ryo.¡±

    My face grew red, and I felt my heart fluttering in my chest. I realised she had laid my head on top of her lap, her soft thighs acting as a pillow. She was so close to me, and I was staring up at her chest and face. It was an awkward position to be in.

    The sun was still up and the sky was a clear blue. That meant I must not had been out for long.

    I tried to get up, but pain soared through my body.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± I groaned, resting my head back on her lap.

    ¡°You fell pretty badly.¡± Emi said, watching my reaction. ¡°You should stay still for a while more.¡±

    I glanced at our surroundings. We were in a small clearing, surrounded by forest, and on our side, was the giant hill that I had rolled down from. The climb was filled with large trees and bushes that made it impossible to look further beyond. My body was covered in small cuts and bruises from the fall, but miraculously, I wasn¡¯t too badly injured.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Luna and Mayu?¡± I asked, gazing up at Emi''s face. Even though she looked like a child, she was still extremely cute. There was a certain charm about her that seemed to captivate your attention.

    ¡°Searching for you.¡± Emi said, glancing around. ¡°This place is pretty big.¡±

    I closed my eyes, focusing on my breathing. My head was still hurting and my body was aching. I opened my eyes when I remembered something.

    ¡°Hey¡­ what are you doing out here anyways?¡± I asked Emi. ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to be at Akane¡¯s place?¡±

    ¡°Yep¡­¡± Emi said. ¡°But I decided to follow big sister Mayu after she sneaked off alone.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, if I didn¡¯t come, you might had been dead.¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    ¡°You should thank me.¡± Emi said cheekily. ¡°For saving your life.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ you¡¯re right¡­ thank you¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t tell if she was just joking around or not.

    ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± Emi smiled, once again flashing her cuteness. ¡°You saved my life too.¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­¡± I laughed weakly, remembering what had happened. A brief memory of a demonic-looking Emi charging at me with her giant machete and glowing blood red eyes streaked across my mind.

    I glanced over Emi¡¯s shoulder and noticed she was carrying a giant mahogany-coloured bag on her back. It looked like it was holding something solid and heavy. There was no doubt in my mind that it was carrying her machete.

    ¡°I would like a hug as a thank you though.¡± Emi said. ¡°You didn¡¯t hug me back last time.¡±

    What¡¯s with her and hugs? I was already feeling uncomfortable from having to lie on her lap and now she wanted a hug?

    But she did save me I guess, so I should probably listen to her request.

    ¡°Alright.¡± I said, then lifted myself off from her lap. I was still hurting slightly from the movement, but I felt a lot better after resting while talking to her.

    We were sitting down, facing one another. Emi had her legs tucked beneath her, from giving me her lap to lie on, and I was also sitting on my knees. She was staring at me with overwhelming excitement, it looked like it was hard for her to keep still.

    I leaned forward, and wrapped my arms around her small frame. Her body felt soft, but my hands touched the bag she was wearing on her back, and I felt the hard, sharp steel of the machete. My body shivered, feeling the blade against my fingertips.

    ¡°Yay!¡± Emi pulled me closer, wrapping her arms around my back tightly. ¡°Thank you, Ryo!¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ no worries¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t like I was doing much. I was just giving her a hug.

    Eventually, I pulled away from her when she was satisfied. I glanced at her face. Her cheeks were red and she seemed overjoyed.

    ¡°You¡¯re the second person that¡¯s ever hugged me in my life.¡± Emi said. ¡°The first time was at the apartment when you convinced Luna to hug me.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I felt bad. I remembered that Emi wasn¡¯t a normal human like me. She was born in a laboratory where she never had the love of parents, family or friends. It all made sense now that I thought about it. Why she acted the way she did.

    ¡°Anyways, you should be feeling better now.¡± Emi said. ¡°Let¡¯s go and find Luna and Mayu.¡±

    ¡°T-that would probably be a good idea.¡± I coughed, breaking from my thoughts. ¡°Let¡¯s hope they haven¡¯t hurt each other.¡±

    ¡°That would be fun to watch.¡± Emi giggled. ¡°Although, Mayu stands no chance.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow, but shook my head. Ashens had a different idea of fun, and I guess I had to just accept it for now.

    I stood up from the ground, and like Emi had said, my body was feeling much better than before. Emi got up too, and as I was about to walk, she grabbed onto my hand, pulling me in another direction.

    ¡°You should follow me, Ryo.¡± Emi laughed. ¡°This place isn¡¯t anywhere for humans to find their way out alone.¡±

    I nodded, following her lead as she tugged my hand, pulling me along with her as she strolled through the forest, maneuvering past raised tree roots, overhanging branches and thorny plants. It wasn¡¯t unusual for people to die getting lost while hiking, so I was glad that I had Emi by my side.

    Emi bounced energetically as she swung our interlocked hands. ¡°You¡¯re the first person I ever held hands with, Ryo!¡±

    I laughed, seeing her cheerfulness. I had a whole different outlook now that I took to mind Emi¡¯s lack of a proper upbringing. I guess I should be more easy on Luna too.

    ¡°Hold on.¡± Emi stopped in her tracks, and I followed suit. She stared in front of us intently, and I waited.

    Slowly, a wild boar emerged behind from one of the trees. It didn¡¯t seem to notice us, and was nibbling on the grass near the tree.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that cute?¡± I laughed, then glanced to my side at Emi. ¡°E-Emi?¡±

    There was a serious look on Emi¡¯s face and the same murderous aura that she had when I first met her was seeping out rapidly. She raised her free hand slowly to the bag behind her back, and her pale maroon eyes were starting to shift colours.

    It couldn¡¯t be¡ª she never saw a boar before?

    I grabbed onto Emi¡¯s shoulders. ¡°H-hey, get a hold of yourself.¡±

    Emi¡¯s attention broke, and her eyes fell back to its usual pale maroon.

    The boar, hearing my voice, turned and saw us, made a weird snorting noise, then quickly darted off to the side, disappearing from view almost immediately. Smart decision.

    Emi glanced at me, blinking, her hand still raised to the bag behind her back. She had on a confused look.

    ¡°Ryo?¡± Emi said, lowering her hand. ¡°Why are you staring at me?¡±

    ¡°Hah?¡± I left my mouth hanging open, perplexed.

    Hang on.

    Don¡¯t tell me... she suffered from amnesia every time she was about to get violent¡­

    That was when I realised.

    I was in an incredibly dangerous situation.

 Chapter 39 - Forest

    Trailing behind Emi, I stared studiously at the giant bag swinging on her back. Every step that she took caused the bag to swing to one side, then to the other side with another step. The bag was big enough to shelter her entire stature due to her shortness, but since it was always tilted to the side, I could still see parts of her body, namely the back of her head bobbing as she walked, her strawberry blonde hair bouncing.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Emi turned to glance back at me, frowning, ¡°why are you walking so slow? You¡¯re going to fall behind, Ryo.¡±

    I laughed nervously, waving my hands in front of me. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, just keep walking, Emi, haha¡­¡±

    She gave me a confused look, then shrugged, turning to face the front again.

    I breathed a sigh of relief. It looked like she hadn¡¯t caught on that I was purposely falling behind. That encounter with the boar made me realise how dangerous being alone with Emi actually was. It didn¡¯t seem like she could control herself when she felt threatened, and what¡¯s more was that she couldn¡¯t recollect her memories during those episodes.

    If I wasn¡¯t careful, I might end up being chopped up into pieces by her machete. I shivered, thinking about the maniacal look on Emi¡¯s face when she was fighting Luna and Mayu. It was completely different to the child-like expression she normally had on.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Emi raised a hand in the air, gesturing for me to stop. ¡°I hear something¡­¡±

    Uh oh¡­ not again¡­

    Emi glanced to her side with a grim look. She reached for the top of her bag, and the handle of her monstrous machete revealed itself. No surprise there. I swallowed, feeling the hair on the back of my neck stand up. The air around us quickly became ghastly, reeking of something ominous.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing, Emi!¡± I squeaked. I wanted to run forward and grab her, but I was scared she was already losing control of her mind.

    ¡°Shh¡­¡± Emi motioned for me to be quiet, placing her index finger on her lips. Her face was completely serious, contrasting her usual look.

    I obliged her command, my feet frozen in their spots. I could do nothing but watch helplessly and pray that she wouldn¡¯t go completely berserk.

    ¡°HRGHH¡ª!!¡±

    Emi suddenly shouted, and threw her machete across her side, slicing the giant tree besides her in half. The tree didn¡¯t even resist against her strength despite its great size. The machete shredded through its thick trunk as though it was slicing through butter.

    ¡°W-woah¡ª!!¡± I yelped, seeing the tree crumbling down and I jumped out of the way as the upper half of the tree smashed into the ground, narrowly avoiding me.

    I landed without much problem, my fall cushioned by dead leaves and dirt. I gazed up in disbelief at where the tree previously stood. All that remained was the bottom half of its trunk.

    A frightened shriek came from the tree, jolting me out of my daze, and I realised that there had been a deer hiding behind it, which was what attracted Emi¡¯s attention.

    ¡°A-are you serious?!¡± I shrieked, breaking Emi¡¯s attention and allowing the deer to escape. It dashed into the inner sanctums of the forest, disappearing from our sight.

    ¡°You scared it off!¡± Emi turned to me, pouting and blowing up her cheeks. ¡°Why did you do that?¡±

    ¡°W-why did I do that?¡± I repeated, bewildered. I shook my head, trying to get a hold of reality, then I stomped up to Emi. ¡°Don¡¯t just kill everything that you see that moves!¡± I grabbed onto her shoulders, shaking her body furiously.

    ¡°Ahh! Okay, okay!¡± Emi¡¯s body flailed like jelly, not putting up a resistance to my hold on her. ¡°I get it!¡±

    I breathed a sigh of relief, letting go of her. It seemed that she didn¡¯t always lose control of her mind when she was about to get hostile. It most likely only happened when she was about to use her synthesis. I glanced at Emi¡¯s unnatural pale maroon eyes, and she glanced back at me, confused. I had to keep a close watch on her¡­

    ¡°Come on, keep leading the way¡­¡± I said, nodding my head forward. ¡°We need to get out of here before sunset.¡±

    ¡°I know that.¡± Emi said, sheathing her machete back in the bag behind her back. It was scary how easily she could swing the giant machete with only one hand.

    We continued on our path, Emi humming a playful tune while I walked besides her, making sure that she wouldn¡¯t go berserk again.

    <hr>

    The sun was beginning to set and we were still stuck in the forest. I sighed, glancing around us at our surroundings, then something struck me.

    ¡°Hey¡­¡± I called out to Emi. ¡°Haven¡¯t we already walked through here before?¡±

    Emi¡¯s body jolted sharply in response, and she turned back, smiling weakly at me. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that!¡± I furrowed my eyebrows in disbelief. ¡°You¡­¡± Then something sunk into my mind. ¡°You¡­ have no idea where we¡¯re going, do you?¡±

    Emi laughed, embarrassed. ¡°Haha¡­ you caught me¡­¡±

    I sighed, placing my face in my palms and shaking my head. ¡°We¡¯re going to die¡­¡± Or probably I was the one that was going to die.

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic!¡± Emi said, coming over to cheer me up anxiously. ¡°I still have a better idea of where to go than a normal person.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I raised my head, giving her a dubious look.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not as good as Luna and Mayu at directions, but¡­¡± Emi glanced to her side, avoiding my gaze, then looked back at me, trying to put on a firm look but it just made her cheeks puff out in a funny looking way. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ryo, I¡¯ll make sure we get out of here alive.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s reassuring.¡± I sighed. The quicker that we got out of here, the less chance of Emi having one of her amnesiac, delirious episodes.

    ¡°Besides,¡± Emi said, forcing a smile, ¡°at least we are spending time together!¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡± I said slowly, then raised an eyebrow as another thought came to mind. ¡°Emi¡­ you don¡¯t¡­ uh¡­ you don''t like me, do you?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I like you!¡± Emi replied instantly. ¡°You saved my life!¡±

    ¡°You like me¡ª?! I, um¡­ I don¡¯t mean like as in¡­¡± Why was it so hard for me to ask her the question? My cheeks were flushing and it didn¡¯t help that Emi was staring into my face. ¡°I mean... more like¡­ love?¡±

    ¡°Love?¡± Emi repeated, puzzled. She had a genuine look of confusion on her face. ¡°What do you mean ¡®love¡¯?¡±

    "Wait, how old are you?" I asked. I had just assumed that she was the same age as me, but she didn''t look anything like it at all, and she sure as hell didn''t act it.

    "Thirteen." Emi replied, confused. "Why? You didn''t tell me what''s ''love''?"If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    No wonder. That explained her height and child-like face. Now I felt like a creep.

    ¡°Ah, forget it.¡± I shook my head, not even sure why I had asked the question in the first place. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Emi. Let¡¯s just keep going.¡± She probably knew nothing about love. The memory of Mayu''s confession to me was causing me to be suspicious of everything.

    ¡°You¡¯re funny, Ryo.¡± Emi laughed. ¡°That was a weird question.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± I laughed back, trying to change the subject. ¡°Come on, where do we go now?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know.¡± Emi was still laughing, her face carefree.

    ¡°Come on, seriously.¡± I was laughing too. She must be joking.

    ¡°I really have no idea.¡± Emi continued laughing, rubbing the back of her head with a hand.

    I stopped laughing. ¡°W-what¡­ wait, didn¡¯t you just say you have a better idea of where to go than a normal person?¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I know where to go.¡±

    ¡°What¡ª?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, Ryo!¡± Emi tried to soothe me again. ¡°Worst that could happen is that we live out here in the forest for the rest of our lives.¡±

    ¡°W-worst that could..." I choked on my words. "That¡¯s not good at all!¡±

    ¡°Come on, Ryo.¡± Emi laughed, seeing the look on my face. ¡°We can play hide and seek!¡±

    My face darkened, and I turned away from Emi, trying to gather my thoughts. She¡­ she wasn¡¯t bothered at all that we were going to end up stuck here. I knew this was a bad idea to trust Emi. At this rate, we were never going to make it out of here alive¡­

    ¡°Ryo?¡± Emi peered at me from the side. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    I drew a deep breath¡­

    ¡­

    Then shouted as loud as I could.

    ¡°LUUNNAA!!!¡±

    ¡°¡ªAhh!!¡± Emi squealed, clamping her palms over her ears with her eyes shut. Then slowly, opened her eyes again when my shouting ended.

    ¡°That should do it.¡± I said, satisfied. ¡°Luna will be sure to find us now.¡±

    ¡°R-Ryo¡­ you shouldn¡¯t have done that¡­¡± Emi said weakly. ¡°All the creatures in the forest are going to be attracted to the sound now¡­¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± I spun to face her, stunned. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t think of that.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Emi said, her face was still in pain from my shouting. ¡°We should get away from this spot.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay!¡± I said, following her lead as she started to walk.

    At that moment, a low growling suddenly emerged from the trees in front of us.

    ¡°W-was that you?¡± Emi said, turning back to look at me, and I shook my head slowly, my eyes fixated at the spot from where the growling came from.

    Slowly, an enormous shadow flickered on the ground of the already dimming sunlight, and massive claws shot out of nowhere, clutching onto the trunk of the wide tree in front of us. We stood frozen in our feet as a gigantic black bear emerged from behind the tree, snarling fearsomely as it did so.

    My heart was about to leap from my chest, then I realised that Emi was standing next to me. ¡°Hah¡­¡± I chuckled nervously, though relieved. ¡°That should be nothing for yo¡ª¡± I turned to look at Emi and my mouth stopped working when I saw her face.

    ¡°W-w-w-what i-i-is t-that¡­?¡± Emi mouthed, her body paralysed. She was staring at the bear with absolute fear.

    ¡°I-it¡¯s a bear¡­¡± I said slowly. ¡°Emi¡­ y-you can defeat it¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s so big!¡± Emi shrunk away from the bear, edging behind me. Her voice was terrified. ¡°I-I can¡¯t do it, Ryo¡­¡±

    A-are you fucking serious?! I wanted to say, but the realisation that there was an enormous hostile bear several feet in front of us and the fact that Emi was completely powerless against the bear made my mouth frozen. What¡­ what the fuck do we do?!

    Calm down, Ryo. Let¡¯s assess this situation properly... At the moment, there¡¯s a gigantic bear in front of us that¡¯s staring our way. The distance between us probably gives us around 5 seconds to react before it reaches us. However, the bear still hasn¡¯t made a move yet despite having clearly seen us¡­

    I stared at the bear, it was standing rigidly upright, boasting its enormous size. It must had been at least twice my height. The thick tree next to it seemed like a skinny twig in comparison. Its black eyes were staring fixedly at us, watching. I guess the fact that we weren¡¯t moving, also made it hesitant to move.

    ¡°Listen, Emi¡­¡± I whispered, my voice hoarse. I didn¡¯t dare take my eyes off the bear. ¡°If we slowly back off, we might be able to get away.¡±

    Emi nodded, her face pale. ¡°O-okay¡­¡± A barely audible whisper came from her lips.

    We began taking a slow step backwards, keeping ourselves faced towards the bear. ¡°Slowly¡­¡± I whispered, a sweat rolling down my temple.

    The bear didn¡¯t seem to react, still watching. That seemed like a good sign. I turned my eyes to Emi, and a flash of panic ran through my body as I saw a raised tree root at the spot where her feet was moving towards.

    ¡°Emi, watch¡ª!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t finish my sentence. The back of Emi¡¯s feet hit the raised tree root, causing her balance to topple. I reached out to grab her, but as soon as I held onto her wrist, I felt my body falling fast towards her. What!¡ª She was unimaginable heavy! It must had been the oversized machete on her back!

    ¡°Ryo¡ª!¡± Emi cried as she crashed into the ground with me falling on top of her.

    ¡°Argh!¡± I landed above her, my elbows hitting hard onto the ground, keeping me from falling on top of her.

    I heard a loud roar from behind us, and my entire body jerked awake as I flung my head back to see the giant bear bouncing towards us, running on all four legs and causing what felt like an earthquake each time its massive black paws hit the ground of the forest.

    ¡°R-Run!¡± I shrieked, pulling Emi up from the ground. Her bag carrying her machete had slipped off her shoulders, now lying on the grass where we had fallen.

    But she wasn''t running.

    ¡°Ahh!!¡± Emi screamed, tears gathering at the corner of her eyes. ¡°W-We¡¯re gonna die¡ª!!¡±

    She was clutching onto my shoulders, her hands shaking uncontrollably and her feets frozen. I didn¡¯t think for another second, I placed my arms on the back of her thighs and swept her off her feet, taking her by surprise. She was much lighter without the machete on her back.

    ¡°R-Ryo?!¡ª¡± Emi blushed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± I shouted, as I pushed my feet forward, holding Emi¡¯s petite body in my arms. Giant thuds pounded in my ears from the bear¡¯s charge towards us. They were almost as loud as the sound of my heart thumping against my chest.

    ¡°C-come on!¡± I groaned to myself between clenched teeth. It was hard trying to manoeuvre across the tangled floor of the thick forest, while also carrying Emi at the same time. Not to mention, there was also a humongous bear right on our tail.

    I jumped over the ledge of the path, narrowly avoiding several raised tree roots, and continued running, my breath dwindling rapidly. Where the hell should I go? There was no way I was going to outrun the bear! I didn¡¯t even have a plan!¡ª Fuck! What the hell do I do?!

    The only way¡­ was to hide!

    I took a sharp right as I passed one of the many trees in the forest, changing my movement abruptly.

    ¡°Ryo?¡± Emi squeaked.

    ¡°I-I got a plan¡­¡± I panted, sweat forming on my forehead.

    I took a few more zig-zag patterned turns until I was satisfied that the bear had lost vision of us, then I dived behind a tree, falling onto my back painfully.

    ¡°Erk!¡± Emi let out a short cry as I dropped her onto the ground.

    ¡°Shh¡ª!!¡± I motioned frantically for her to be quiet, and she nodded her head quickly. I was trying my best not to breathe loudly, but I was so out of breath that it was taking up all of my strength. My chest was heaving in and out, and I closed my eyes, focusing on controlling my breathing.

    Calm down, Ryo¡­

    Let¡¯s just visualise¡­

    Imagine I¡¯m in a peaceful place¡­

    ¡­

    It felt like a long time had passed. I slowly opened my eyes, seeing Emi¡¯s face, her pale maroon eyes, and strawberry blond hair that fell past her ears, touching her shoulders. She glanced at me as my eyes opened, her face still pale. Her lower lips were quivering, but she didn¡¯t dare make a noise.

    Instead, she slowly mouthed something to me. I didn¡¯t catch it, and I gave her a confused look. She shook her head, then mouthed it again.

    Is... It... Gone¡­?

    I raised my eyes above, but could not see past the tree that we were hiding behind. Slowly, I shifted my body up so that I was no longer lying on my back. There were dead leaves all over the place, so I had to be extremely slow, otherwise the leaves would crackle. It was a miracle that I managed to do it without making a noise.

    I peeked past the tree, my head hesitantly popping over.

    ¡­

    It was clear¡­ Nothing, except the thick wilderness of the forest.

    I turned back to Emi, giving her a weak smile and a thumbs-up.

    She immediately let out a sigh of relief, and a loud roar blasted in my ears, jolting my entire body awake. I fell forward into Emi from how loud and sudden the noise was, and landed messily on top of her as she screamed, staring behind me with a horrified look.

    I glanced back, and came eye-to-eye with the giant black bear, towering over us, and its mouth wide open, revealing a line of dagger-like teeth.

    How the hell did I miss it before?!

    I shifted away from the bear, but still shielding Emi underneath me.

    We were too close! There was nowhere to run or hide! We were actually going to die!!

    The bear lunged for us, its mouth rapidly closing in.

    ¡°ARGH¡ª!!¡±

    A loud cry sounded from behind the bear, and the bear¡¯s movements was halted sharply. It snapped its jaws shut, narrowly avoiding my face, as it was pulled backwards and away from us.

    ¡°H-hah?¡± I breathed, still in shock as the bear slid on the ground away from us, dragged by an unknown force.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ you¡­ dare¡­¡± Luna¡¯s face appeared from behind the bear, wincing but with a firm resolve. She was dragging onto the bear by one of its legs! I couldn¡¯t believe what I was seeing. The bear was struggling helplessly on the ground, unable to get out of her grip.

    She drew a breath, then bellowed, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare eat RYO¡ª!!¡±

    On her last word, she twisted her body, dragging the bear along with her motion, mustering all of her strength to throw the bear into the opposite direction away from us, sending it flying into the air.

    ¡°WHAT?!¡± I jumped, flabbergasted.

    The bear smashed into several trees, before crumbling down into the ground. As soon as it hit the ground, it jumped back up, scared and not seeming to care about its pain. It immediately fled into the forest at the direction in which Luna threw the bear, as though chased by something more threatening than itself.

    I stared at Luna''s back, stunned.

 Chapter 40 - Problems

    ¡°B-big sister Luna!!¡± Emi stared up tearfully at Luna as though she was looking up at a figure of religious worship. ¡°Y-you came to save me!¡±

    Emi scrambled up to her feet, then ran at Luna to embrace her. Luna raised her palm so that Emi¡¯s face would collide into it, then pushed Emi off to the side carelessly.

    ¡°Hak¡ª¡± Emi fell into the grass, landing on her bottom.

    Luna raced towards me, leaning down with a panicked look. ¡°A-are you okay, Ryo?!¡± She asked, her eyes were darting all over my body for signs of injury. ¡°I-I came as soon as I heard you yell! I-It was that stupid Mayu¡¯s fault for pushing you down the hill!¡±

    Mayu was standing by the side, sighing, but she had a relieved look seeing me. She was holding onto Emi¡¯s giant mahogany bag with one hand, dragging it by the roped opening at the top.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Luna¡­¡± I tried to wave her off from me as I got off the ground.

    ¡°Are you sure? You¡¯re covered in scratches!¡± Luna wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°We need to get you back home. I-I will treat your wounds.¡±

    ¡°Really, I¡¯m fine, Luna.¡± I insisted. ¡°Besides, shouldn¡¯t you worry about Emi as well? She was taking care of me the whole time!¡±

    We all glanced over at Emi who was sitting down on the grass with a smile on her face, gazing dreamily at Luna.

    ¡°M-me?¡± Emi coughed, realising everyone was staring at her. ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m fine, Ryo. Thanks for asking!¡± She laughed, waving her hands in front of her, cheeks red.

    Luna gave her an annoyed look, then sighed. ¡°I guess I do have to thank you, Emi¡­ for taking care of Ryo¡­¡±

    ¡°H-huh?¡± Emi seemed genuinely surprised by the generosity that Luna was displaying. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Luna¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, now that everyone is fine,¡± Mayu chimed in, speaking loudly. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of this stupid forest.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± I nodded, agreeing with Mayu. I was so sick of being in the forest after everything that¡¯s happened. It felt like I had been stuck here for years.

    ¡°And, carry your own stupid machete.¡± Mayu complained, throwing the bag she was holding out onto the ground in front of Emi. ¡°It¡¯s so damn heavy!¡±

    The bag hit the ground with a dull thud, causing the dirt underneath to crack under its weight. It felt like the ground shook when it landed, and I stared at the bag, swallowing.

    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m so sorry, big sister Mayu¡­¡± Emi laughed weakly, picking up her bag with ease as she rewrapped it around her shoulders. ¡°Thank you for picking it up for me!¡±

    ¡°You know you¡¯re supposed to keep your weapon on you at all times.¡± Mayu sighed, putting a hand to her face. ¡°That¡¯s one of the first things we¡¯ve learnt back at Asahikawa. I can¡¯t believe I have to tell you this¡­¡±

    Emi nodded her head obediently, frowning at her own mistake.

    I felt sorry for Emi. She seemed like the little sister that everyone picked on.

    ¡°What are you even talking about, Mayu?¡± Luna rolled her eyes. ¡°You almost got Ryo killed today.¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± Mayu winced. ¡°You¡¯re still going on about that? You were the one that pushed him down the hill!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because you knocked me towards him!¡±

    ¡°You started the fight!¡±

    I had no energy to stop them from arguing, so I let them bicker on with a sigh. Something wet fell on my face, and I glanced up in the sky. The sky was covered in dark clouds, and the sun was completely gone now. The sound of thunder in the distance crackled from above.

    ¡°Rain!¡± Emi laughed. ¡°Let¡¯s dance, Ryo!¡±

    Luna shot a venomous glare at Emi, and she quickly straightened up, wiping the smile off her face.

    ¡°Just our luck¡­¡± I groaned. Of all times to rain¡­

    ¡°Let¡¯s get to a shelter!¡± Mayu said in a more concerned tone than I would had thought. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get my clothes wet!¡±

    I looked down at her clothing. She was wearing something different to her usual self, probably new. I guess she still had to buy her clothes, despite being an Ashen and all.

    ¡°We passed a cottage before,¡± Luna said, ¡°let¡¯s go, Ryo.¡±

    I nodded, and she grabbed my arm, pulling me with her as the four of us ran from the rain.

    <hr />

    We arrived at the cottage that Luna was talking about. It was made almost entirely of wood, except for the glass windows. I had imagined a small one-room cottage in my mind, but it was bigger than I thought, almost being the same size as a normal house.

    Mayu pushed past the unlocked front door hurriedly, and we followed after, eager to escape the rain that was now turning into a full-blown storm.

    ¡°Ah, my clothes!¡± Mayu cried. ¡°I only just got them as well¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s bad luck...¡± I said, feeling her pain. I was also soaked in rain, though it wasn¡¯t too bad as we had gotten out before it got heavier. The sound of rain hitting the roof was drumming lightly in my ear, though looking out the window, things were much more chaotic than it sounded. Seemed like the cottage was pretty sturdy.

    ¡°Are you guys sure no one lives here?¡± I asked, looking around. ¡°Where¡¯s the owner?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a note here.¡± Luna said, standing by the closed front door. She was staring at a paper that was encased in a glass on the wall. ¡°It says: ¡®Dear visitors, this cottage is a safe house for lost hikers and to shield against the terrible weather that frequents this park. Please make yourselves at home. Signed, Koji.¡±

    ¡°What a nice guy!¡± Emi said.

    ¡°Well, we probably have to stay here until the storm clears.¡± I said, unsure. I didn¡¯t like the idea of being locked up with the three of them in one house.

    Something clacked, and I glanced at Mayu to see her bending down by the fireplace, having started the fire. The smell of burnt wood filled the air.

    ¡°It¡¯s so cold!¡± Mayu said, huddling to herself. ¡°I need to get my clothes dry¡­¡±

    Feeling the warmth from the fireplace, I quickly joined Mayu, and plopped myself down in front of the fire.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go take a shower.¡± Luna said, walking to the bathroom.

    ¡°Can I come with yo¡ª¡± Emi started.

    ¡°No.¡± Luna replied, then the door to the bathroom slammed shut.

    Emi pouted, then came over to the fireplace with us. She sat next to Mayu, yawning. Mayu ignored Emi, and turned to me, smiling. ¡°Hey, Ryo¡­¡± She leaned to me, and the top of her shirt fell sideways, revealing a healthy dose of cleavage. Instantly, my face went red.

    ¡°Do you want me to warm you up?¡± Mayu said, her pale emerald eyes locked with mine. ¡°You look really wet¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­ Uh¡­¡± I was dazzled by her cleavage. I shook my head. ¡°No. Mayu, uh, no.¡±

    ¡°Come on,¡± Mayu moaned, ¡°Luna¡¯s gone. Let¡¯s warm each other up while we wait for the shower.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a good idea!¡± Emi suddenly said, then jumped on Mayu, wrapping her arms around her waist. ¡°Yay!¡±

    ¡°Ugh, what are you doing, Emi?!¡± The serious look on Mayu¡¯s face disappeared, replaced by irritation at Emi. ¡°L-Let go of me, Emi! I didn¡¯t mean you!¡±

    ¡°Whaat?¡± Emi complained, looking up but refusing to let go. ¡°Why? You¡¯re so warm!¡±

    ¡°Cause I wasn¡¯t talking to you!¡±

    I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank god Emi was here to stop Mayu from doing anything crazy. I didn¡¯t want to have to witness another fight break out between Mayu and Luna.

    Mayu continued struggling to get Emi off her, while Emi held her in an unbreakable hug. I closed my eyes, letting the heat from the fire sink in. It felt so good, after having been stuck out in the cold outside for so long.

    Something wrapped around me, and I opened my eyes to see Mayu hugging me, her eyes squeezed closed and cheeks red. Emi was still holding onto Mayu from behind, with a face that said she was enjoying the warmth.

    ¡°M-Mayu?¡± I said, surprised by the contact.

    ¡°You¡¯re so mean, Ryo.¡± Mayu said, her eyes still tightly closed. ¡°I just wanted to hug you¡­ Why can¡¯t you just say yes¡­¡±

    ¡°I-it¡¯s not like that¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know how to respond to her.

    Her chest was rubbing against me, and I could almost feel her naked skin through the wet clothing.

    Mayu breathed on my neck, the hot air of her breath tickling my skin.

    ¡°I really¡­ do like you¡­ Ryo¡­¡±

    ¡­

    Hearing those words, my mind went completely blank. It felt like I had to give her a proper answer, but my own feelings were so muddled. Did I like Luna, or did I like Mayu?... but they were both Ashens. Weren¡¯t they not supposed to feel emotions? How did I know that I wasn¡¯t being tricked? Mayu¡¯s pale emerald eyes were now open, staring deeply into mine. She was waiting for me to reply, but I didn¡¯t know what to say. I couldn¡¯t just not say anything here¡­

    ¡­

    ¡°Mayu!¡± Luna was standing by the bathroom door, her face red. She was wrapped in a towel around her body and her hands were tightly curled into fists by her sides. ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡±

    Mayu jumped back from me, her elbow hitting into Emi¡¯s face causing her to let out a short cry.

    ¡°Uh, I-I¡­ I wasn¡¯t doing anything¡­¡± Mayu said, not concerned about Emi.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t doing anything?¡± Luna repeated, then stomped over towards us. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± Mayu glanced down anxiously at Luna¡¯s fists.

    ¡°That hurt¡­¡± Emi complained, rubbing her face.

    ¡°Emi!¡± Luna snapped, and Emi stood up, quickly getting into the posture of a soldier at attention. All playfulness was wiped off her face and was replaced by a somewhat serious look, but her child-like face betrayed her intentions. I was amazed at how fast Emi reacted.

    ¡°What was Mayu doing while I was gone?¡± Luna asked, giving Emi a deathly glare. ¡°Tell me everything that happened.¡±

    ¡°Mayu was seducing Ryo using her sexual body parts, namely her chest-¡±

    ¡°H-hey¡ª!¡± Mayu interjected.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°-which performed as a distraction to close the distance between Mayu and her target without raising awareness-¡±

    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean to do it like that¡­¡±

    ¡°-then, Mayu created a fabrication, with the pretext being to get warmth, to ease the target into accepting a proposal constructed for ulterior motives.¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you betrayed me like that, Emi!¡± Mayu said.

    Emi stuck her tongue out playfully at Mayu. ¡°Sorry, big sister Mayu. I like Luna more than you.¡±

    ¡°And?¡± Luna pushed on. ¡°What else happened?¡±

    Emi continued. ¡°However, the target refused the proposal for reasons that I do not know. Then Mayu¡ª¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s enough! Okay! Fine, I tried to seduce him!¡± Mayu said loudly, her face red. ¡°Are you happy now? There, I said it!¡±

    There was an awkward silence around the room. I wasn¡¯t really sure what was about to happen.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Luna broke the silence, her cheeks flushing.

    ¡°H-hey, Luna¡ª!¡±

    I tried to stop Luna, but she lunged at Mayu, catching her by the shoulders and into a short roll on the floor. Luna got herself on top of Mayu, but she couldn¡¯t get a clean hold on Mayu, and they struggled in a mess of limbs, with Mayu holding onto both Luna¡¯s hands, preventing her from using them.

    ¡°G-get off me!¡± Mayu yelped, and Luna punched her fists down at Mayu¡¯s cheek, but it was a soft hit since Mayu was holding onto her hands.

    ¡°Y-you whore!¡± Luna yelled.

    Oh my god. They were fighting again! I was still sitting by the fireplace, stunned by what had occurred over the span of a minute.

    ¡°Go Luna!¡± Emi cheered, laughing, while standing by the side. ¡°You can do it!¡±

    The scene was so surreal, seeing Luna and Mayu fighting on the floor, and Emi rally them from the side. My brain stopped working for a moment, contemplating what I was witnessing, before I snapped back to reality.

    ¡°W-what are you doing, Emi?¡± I said, picking myself off the ground. ¡°Stop them!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Emi looked up from the fight, and at me with an innocent gaze. ¡°Why?¡±

    Luna ripped her switchblade out from behind her, and slammed it into Mayu¡¯s head. Mayu yanked her head just in time, and the switchblade pierced into the wooden floor, sending chips of wood into the air.

    ¡°Aah~!¡± Emi turned back to the fight with an ecstatic face. ¡°Big sister Luna is getting serious!¡±

    Where the hell did she even get the switchblade out from?! I was astonished, seeing Luna now waving the switchblade around dangerously amidst their fight. Wasn¡¯t she wearing only a towel?!

    I glanced at Luna¡¯s back, and noticed the towel had almost come undone, showing her bare behind and parts of her lower back. There was a black bandage-like wrap around Luna¡¯s naked waist, which I now realised was where she kept her switchblade under her clothes.

    The sight of Luna¡¯s body was making me dizzy.

    ¡°E-Emi, make them stop!¡± I tried to cover my eyes from looking at Luna¡¯s body, but it was hard to resist. ¡°Please!¡±

    ¡°I-I can¡¯t Ryo¡­ Luna wouldn¡¯t like that¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I guess I had to do it myself. But Luna¡¯s switchblade was jumping around everywhere. And, it wasn¡¯t like she could hear me.

    ¡°L-Luna¡­¡± I called out.

    Luna was struggling with Mayu on the floor, the switchblade now at Mayu¡¯s neck, begging to push into skin, but Mayu was holding on with all her strength to stop it from happening. Her hands were shaking from the force that Luna was using to push the switchblade down with.

    I snuck behind the two of them, then waiting for Luna to keep still, I grabbed her from behind, quickly yanking her backwards.

    ¡°Ah¡ª!¡± Luna cried, falling on top of me. She was still warm from the shower, and I was getting dizzy again from the touch of her skin, although parts of her towel were still hanging on loosely, covering most of the important bits.

    Mayu crawled away from us, breathing deeply. ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe, y-you¡¯re still doing this¡­¡±

    ¡°Aww¡­¡± Emi wailed, seeing the fight break apart. ¡°It was just getting started¡­¡±

    ¡°L-Luna¡­¡± I said, keeping her in my hold, though she wasn¡¯t resisting. ¡°Please¡­ No more violence¡­¡±

    Luna took a deep breath. ¡°Okay¡­ You¡¯re right, Ryo.¡±

    ¡°I-If you¡¯re going to live a normal life¡­¡± Mayu was still wheezing. ¡°You need to start acting like a normal person¡­¡±

    ¡°Tch.¡± Luna looked at Mayu distastefully. ¡°I don¡¯t need to hear that from you.¡±

    Luna got up from the ground, helping me up in the process. I glanced down at her bare back, mesmerised for a second, before Luna rewrapped the towel around herself properly, not noticing that I was staring.

    ¡°You know what, Mayu?¡± Luna breathed out. ¡°Next time you¡¯re in trouble in a fight, I¡¯m just going to let you die.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Mayu fell silent, still lying by the floor.

    ¡°Luna, you don¡¯t mean what you said.¡± I said. ¡°Come on, you and Mayu are a team.¡±

    ¡°Team? She just drags me down all the time!¡±

    ¡°H-hey, I helped you out when¡ª¡± Mayu started to say, but Luna interrupted her.

    ¡°¡ªYou¡¯re just so fucking stupid, do you know that, Mayu? I¡¯m sick of having to carry your dumb ass around every single fight we get in. Like, how do you always manage to make a mistake in the middle of every fight? Do you even have a brain in that thick skull of yours? Or is the only thing that you know how to do is to try to get Ryo to sleep with you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s actually fucking disgusting watching you flirt with Ryo. You are really low, do you know that? You¡¯re just so desperate, Mayu, you really¡ª¡±

    ¡°Luna, that¡¯s enough!¡± I quickly grabbed her by the wrist, dragging her to one of the bedrooms before she could say anymore. Pushing her in, I closed the door behind us, then I turned to her with a look of disbelief.

    ¡°Luna!¡± I said. ¡°That was way over the line!¡±

    Luna glanced at me, saw the anger on my face, then avoided my stare, choosing to look away instead.

    ¡°She started it, Ryo¡­¡± Luna mumbled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that!¡± I was stunned by her excuse. ¡°How can you not see that what you¡¯re doing is wrong?!¡±

    ¡°What did I do wrong?¡± Luna flinched, looking up at me. ¡°I was just protecting you!¡±

    ¡°Y-you¡­ Are you serious?¡± I shook my head. ¡°You¡¯re not protecting me¡­ You¡¯re just lashing out at people.¡±

    ¡°I did it for you!¡± Luna said. ¡°I did it because I love you!¡±

    ¡°If you love me, then you would stop trying to kill Mayu!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sick of this¡­¡± I glanced away from her. ¡°And, Mayu¡¯s right, you know? You can¡¯t live a normal life if you¡¯re going to attack everyone around me.¡±

    Luna was silent for a while more. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Ryo¡­¡±

    ¡°You always apologise and end up doing the same things over and over again.¡± I sighed. ¡°There¡¯s no point apologising if you don¡¯t mean it.¡±

    ¡°I-I mean it¡­ I won¡¯t do it again¡­ I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡±

    I didn¡¯t really believe her, but I sighed again. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go back to the others.¡±

    I opened the door of the bedroom, and led us back in to the living room. Emi and Mayu turned to glance at us when the door opened, still sitting by the fireplace.

    ¡°Luna has something to say to you, Mayu.¡± I said, walking over to the two of them, then turned to Luna, waiting.

    Luna glanced at me, then down at the floor, shuffling. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Mayu¡­¡± She said reluctantly. ¡°For trying to kill you.¡±

    I raised my eyebrow at the last sentence, but shrugged my shoulders. Whatever. This was good enough.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Luna¡­¡± Mayu said hesitantly, then glanced at me, with an expression that said, ¡®What the hell is going on?¡¯

    ¡°You two need to get together, okay?¡± I ignored the expression on Mayu¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re a team. You guys are going to be helping each other out to defeat the other Ashens, right? Then it makes sense that two you need to get along.¡±

    I glanced over at the two of them, then realised I forgot to include Emi, who was staring up at me, confused. ¡°And Emi.¡± I added. ¡°The three of you need to learn to co-operate.¡±

    They glanced at each other hesitantly, then nodded their heads slowly, as though tied together by an invisible string.

    ¡°Now that, that¡¯s over.¡± I sighed, then waved at them. ¡°I¡¯m going to go take a shower.¡±

    Without waiting for a response, I turned and went in to the bathroom, shutting the door behind me.

    <hr />

    It was still pouring heavily outside by the time that we all took our turns at the shower, but the whole cottage was now comfortably warm, with the fire being on for a while. There was one remaining task on hand.

    I glanced at the doors leading to the bedrooms.

    There was¡­ one¡­ two¡­ three.

    Three bedrooms.

    We had four people.

    ¡­

    It was like a wave of terror washing over me. How the hell were we going to make this work? After all that ¡®being a team¡¯ speech by me, I was faced with another looming problem, one with seemingly no solutions. There was no way that Luna was going to sleep with Mayu. That was given. Luna also hated being touched by anyone other than me, so that ruled Luna and Emi out of the equation.

    What about Mayu and Emi?

    I glanced over at the two of them. Mayu was still sitting by the fireplace, drying her clothes, while Emi was staring inside the contents of a fridge in the kitchen.

    I then turned my eyes to Luna, who was on the landline phone that was left in the cottage. She was trying to call for help so that rescue services could pick us up from the storm. Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t get through to anyone because of the terrible weather.

    None of them seemed to have picked up on the newly found problem that I have discovered. At least, I¡¯d imagine that if one of them did, then there should be a noticeable commotion happening already. Seeing as that hasn¡¯t happened, it must mean that the three of them are still unaware.

    Now, I needed to make Mayu and Emi agree to sleep together before another fight break out over sleeping arrangements.

    I decided to start off by asking Mayu first, as I thought she was the most reasonable person in the cottage.

    Walking over to Mayu, I sat down next to her by the fireplace.

    ¡°Clothes still aren¡¯t dry, huh?¡± I asked, laughing slightly. Let¡¯s start off slowly. Mayu probably didn¡¯t want to sleep with Emi either. After all, she had come to the park where Luna and I were having our date, because she didn¡¯t want to be in the same house as Emi.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Mayu sighed, staring down at her shirt and touching the fabric. ¡°I think the clothes are ruined by the rain, they look more baggy than before.¡±

    Uh-oh. She already wasn¡¯t in a good mood.

    I laughed again weakly. ¡°That¡¯s no good¡­¡± Dammit. I can¡¯t think of what to say next. Quick, just try to change the topic to something positive. ¡°What do you think about Emi?¡±

    Huh? What the hell?! Why did I ask her that straight away?!

    ¡°Emi?¡± Mayu glanced up at me suspiciously. ¡°Why are you asking me about her?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know.¡± I rubbed the back of my head. ¡°I just wanted to know what you think¡­¡±

    Mayu sighed, then turned back to her clothes. ¡°I told you what I thought before, Ryo. We shouldn¡¯t had saved her. She¡¯s way too strong to have as an enemy.¡±

    ¡°But she¡¯s our ally¡­¡±

    ¡°For now.¡± Mayu replied. ¡°You don¡¯t know when she will turn her back on us. She isn¡¯t all too mentally there. She¡¯s still developing and has the mind of a child. You don¡¯t know if she could suddenly change her views on us one day.¡±

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right¡­¡±

    ¡°Also,¡± Mayu continued, ¡°you saw what happens when she uses her synthesis. She can¡¯t control it yet. Even though she¡¯s really strong, she might just end up hurting us in the end.¡±

    I nodded solemnly. ¡°Right¡­¡± Crap. This wasn¡¯t the topic that I wanted to talk about. ¡°But, w-what do you think about her personally.¡±

    ¡°Personally?¡± Mayu seemed confused.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, ¡°you know, like, do you see her as a friend?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ like, do you like her?¡± I tried to clarify myself.

    ¡°No!¡± Mayu suddenly snapped, surprising me. ¡°I don¡¯t like her, I thought you know that, Ryo. She¡¯s the reason I didn¡¯t want to be stuck back at the house in the first place. All she ever talks about is Luna. Luna this, Luna that!¡±

    ¡°R-right¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not to mention, she just sold me out to Luna moments ago. I thought she wasn¡¯t even listening in to our conversation before, but she was actually listening to everything!¡± Mayu¡¯s face got red. ¡°She even got all the details¡­ ugh¡­¡±

    ¡°So, you wouldn¡¯t be able to give her a chance¡­?¡±

    Mayu looked at me as though I had just punched her in the face.

    ¡°Chance?¡± Mayu said, shocked.

    ¡°Ahh, forget it.¡± I shook my head, afraid of what she might say next.

    Quickly, I picked myself up from the fireplace, scuttling away as fast as I could.

    Crap, that didn¡¯t go so well. Not well at all in fact. It didn¡¯t seem like Mayu was going to be forgiving Emi anytime soon. Was this plan all for naught?

    I glanced over at Emi, my last beacon of hope.

    Maybe if I could get Emi to apologise and make things up with Mayu¡­

    It was worth a shot.

    I strolled over to Emi, who was still staring inside the fridge, one hand keeping the door open.

    ¡°H-hey, Emi.¡± I said. ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    I glanced inside the fridge, and saw nothing inside.

    ¡°Food.¡± Emi said.

    ¡°Huh?¡± I didn¡¯t know what she was saying. ¡°But there¡¯s nothing inside.¡±

    Emi turned to me with a tearful expression. ¡°Food, Ryo¡­ I¡¯m so hungry...¡±

    ¡°W-wha¡ª calm down Emi!¡± I said. There were tears running down Emi¡¯s face, although it wasn¡¯t really serious. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s food somewhere in the cottage.¡±

    ¡°I looked everywhere!¡± Emi cried. ¡°There¡¯s nothing, not even scraps!¡±

    ¡°Maybe, you aren¡¯t looking in the right places.¡± I said, walking to other parts of the kitchen to check the shelves, but just like Emi said, there was nothing.

    ¡°I¡¯m so hungry, I¡¯m gonna die¡­¡± Emi gripped onto the sides of my arm, shaking. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to faint¡­¡±

    ¡°A-are you serious?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡±

    ¡°I-I think I have something on me.¡± I touched the pockets of my pants, looking for food that I might had placed on me for the bushwalking journey I had planned with Luna. ¡°Ah!¡± I touched something solid, and I pulled out a muesli bar that was somewhat squashed from my fall earlier.

    ¡°That will do!¡± Emi snatched the muesli bar out of my hand, and bit it with the wrapper still on.

    ¡°You have to take off the wrapper!¡± I grabbed the muesli bar out of Emi¡¯s hand, tearing it open, before handing it back to her. ¡°Here.¡±

    Emi started eating straight away, gradually regaining her composure. ¡°Thanks, Ryo, you¡¯re always saving me¡­¡± Emi said, chewing with tears still running down her face, but this time it was tears of joy.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I laughed shakily. That whole ordeal was bizarre. Was she serious about fainting? Did she really need food that bad? But, Luna and Mayu was fine, so it didn¡¯t make seem like it was an Ashen thing.

    ¡°I feel a lot better.¡± Emi breathed out. ¡°That was great.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡± I said, nodding. ¡°Uh¡­ listen, Emi¡­ could you do me a favour?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Emi beamed, ¡°what do you want me to do, Ryo?¡±

    ¡°Could you apologise to Mayu and make up with her?¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡± Emi replied back, almost instantly. ¡°Did you want me to do it now?¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± I was taken aback by her willingness, ¡°sure, yeah, do it now.¡±

    Emi strutted past me, and straight over to Mayu, while I watched her in bewilderment.

    Standing by the kitchen, I couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying properly, but it appeared like Emi said a few words, then Mayu replied back, then Emi, then¡­

    WHACK!

    Mayu smacked Emi on the top of her head, and Emi took the hit without doing anything back in response, while I winced from afar. Emi turned away from Mayu, then walked back over to me.

    ¡°Okay! I did it, Ryo!¡± Emi announced, seemingly pleased by herself.

    ¡°Y-you did what?¡± I said in confusion. ¡°Wait, what did you say to her exactly, Emi? And why the hell did she hit you?¡±

    ¡°I did what you told me to do.¡± Emi replied back. ¡°I went over and told her that I am sorry that she wasn¡¯t as good looking as Luna, and that I would like to make up with her by helping her find another guy to sleep with.¡±

    I looked at Emi in awe, my mouth refusing to shut.

    ¡°Then she asked me if that was all I had to say, and then I told her that, although it was smart of her to use her chest as a distraction to close on to a target, it is also to her disadvantage because Luna has a bigger chest than her.¡±

    ¡°W-w-w-wha¡­?¡± I couldn¡¯t comprehend what I was hearing.

    ¡°That¡¯s when she struck me on the head.¡± Emi ended the story. ¡°I think it went reasonably well.¡±

    This plan was a complete and utter failure. A dead end. There was no way this was going to work. No way in hell.

    ¡°O-okay¡­ thanks, Emi¡­¡± I said, dazed.

    ¡°No problem!¡± Emi grinned.

    I stumbled away from Emi, wondering how everything went so badly, then I bumped into Luna, surprising me. She had been standing in the way that I was walking.

    ¡°L-Luna!¡± I said, taking a step back. ¡°H-hey¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you doing, Ryo?¡± Luna asked, smiling slyly.

    The look on her face made me suspicious. ¡°Uh¡­ nothing¡­ why?¡±

    ¡°I have something to tell you, Ryo.¡± Luna said, excited and ignoring my question.

    ¡°What is it¡­?¡±

    Luna leaned over to whisper in my ear.

    ¡°There¡¯s only three bedrooms, so we can sleep together tonight!¡±

 ~Rewrite~

    Hey, thanks for all the support guys.

    I have decided to do a rewrite of the story which is available here:

    https://royalroadl.com/fiction/15725/bloody-killing-gameThe narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Reasons for the rewrite is that I wanted to change the MC into a stronger character (as per feedback received).

    Also, improve upon some things such as changing the title to something more engaging, borrowing a more appealing cover art while I think about how I want to go about things.

    Also I wanted to keep a darker mood for the story, and do some more character development.

    Thank you very much!!