《HEAVEN'S DAWN》


 Prologue

    A deafening crash stuns the narrow hallway of fleeing students. The light breeze accompanied by dust particles, which can be felt shortly after, indicates that an opening has been created somewhere within the old building¡¯s walls. My gaze carefully rotates to where my back previously faced. Amongst the layer of smokescreen, a pile of rubble covering dead bodies is revealed, and on top of it a large, dark humanoid figure, trampling over its victims.


    It¡¯s here. Descended to us through this old and crumbling building. Now, a dozen eyes lay upon the unholy sight. Its mangled yet robust body frame. A thin layer of flesh and skin barely covering the skull, revealing its exact outline. Empty eye sockets beneath its thick horns running out of the forehead. And finally, the foul smell the beast emits. Everything is now visible to us, clear as day.


    The school¡¯s hallway becomes filled with cries of terror as the students try to push their way out of the building, using the single exit that has not been cut off. Joining them would be the optimal decision, yet I cannot bring myself to move. My mind is in chaos and my limbs deprived of strength by fear, planted, as I watch the demon before me step closer and closer, climbing down the debris.


    "N-no, stay back!"


    To my surprise,  as I yell out, the monster stops and gives me a chilling evil grin instead. Then something unthinkable happens to my sight. Some kind of a disturbance in my vision. Through the view I have before me phases another image, almost as if I¡¯m having a vision of two events happening before me at the same time, fighting over my attention. These images swap each other out and show me a feminine figure standing in the demon¡¯s place in irregular intervals. I can make out her long straight hair flailing behind her as she speaks.


    ¡°The time is near. Prepare, for my rebirth is imminent. Yuuna Argento.¡±


    At that very moment, I wake up.


    "Huh¡­Where am I?"


    A sudden beam of light strikes through the branches of a tree above me; it¡¯s a direct hit to my sight as if I was not confused enough already, but it also is an efficient way to wake up. I rub my still-tired eyes and look up at the sky.


    It is a beautiful day with a sky clear as the blue oceans and a gentle spring breeze. I often like to gaze upon it every morning as I lay beneath this freshly bloomed cherry blossom tree. It¡¯s giving me a nice cool shade, but that¡¯s just a bonus.


    I sit up and then begin to stretch my arms while yawning.


    "Finally. I knew that I would find you napping out here."


    The voice enters my right ear and almost leaves through the left. I navigate to the source with my sight and shortly spot a girl crouching near me. The two golden eyes of hers look vicious with the combination of a disappointed face she¡¯s putting on for display.


    "Oh¡­hey..."


    I say in a sluggish manner.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®Oh¡­hey..¡¯ me! I was trying to wake you up for several minutes! I swear, did you not sleep? You look like you are about to fall apart!¡±


    If I recall correctly, a nightmare woke me up several times. I couldn¡¯t help it.


    The crouching girl who dares to interrupt my peaceful rest is my older sister, Lena. Hair so short it stops beneath her neck, so black it could consume light around her. But despite those dark colors, her eyes shine with a bar of bright gold, just like a ray of light piercing through the darkness. She is always dependable and kind, but her words have the power to inflict mental scars. Currently, at the age of sixteen.


    She¡¯s about to go on a rant when another girl¡¯s voice starts echoing in the near distance. Together, we respond to that voice and redirect our gaze. A girl is running towards us while waving.


    "You are late."


    Lena and I pronounced in unison.


    "Sorry, I couldn¡¯t find my necklace! I always put it somewhere and forget."


    That¡¯s a lie. She was touching herself again. The girl out of breath connects her hands for a praying sign before Lena, while closing one of her eyes and slightly sticking out her tongue. She then looks at me, her expression goes from playful to a disappointed sort of expression.


    ¡°How was your beauty sleep, Yuuna?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    I answer as I rub one of my eyes.


    ¡°You are drooling all over the place.¡±


    Oh, she¡¯s right.


    This is my second older sister, Charlotte, fifteen years old. Possessing black hair hanging down to her hips, accompanied by two crimson eyes as red as blooming roses - It goes well with her tanned skin. A big rack too, and not just that, she''s squishy in all the right places. She is known by the people around her for her beauty and laziness, which often brings her to sleep, hence the ¡®Sleeping Beauty¡¯. She¡¯s currently the tallest of us three.


    She oversleeps so often that we usually don¡¯t bother waiting for her, but since school is starting again, Lena has put in extra effort to get her ready in time. And yet, she still somehow managed to make us wait.


    For just a few seconds, Lena looks at her with a serious expression before letting out a sigh.


    "Whatever, let''s just go. We don¡¯t want to be late on the very first day, do we now?"


    She then gets a hold of my hand and pulls me up to my feet. It¡¯s time to march through the town of Hikone. A small town in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the darkness of a forest spread miles across. Its population shouldn¡¯t be more than a thousand, but I¡¯m no expert on that matter.


    The streets are surrounded by houses built out of wood with floors of hardened earth and a thatched rooftop. Their openings are sealed off with sliding doors or windows. Most of the architecture is made this way, just for a few exceptions. For example Mayor¡¯s mansion, that guy is living in a castle. Oh, how I wish that I could live that man¡¯s life. Lazying around all day long as I¡¯m protected from danger by countless guards. Just like a princess.


    I¡¯m stuck in my little daydream when I suddenly bump into something and knock it over, or rather someone. I¡¯m struck by a terrible odor, almost as if I¡¯ve crossed paths with a bunch of rotting garbage. But that¡¯s not the case. It¡¯s a child boy with a gaze saying it wants something from me. His clothes resemble a dirty piece of cloth. His body is covered in all kinds of stains, from dirt¡­ to bruises. It¡¯s one of those children. What does it want? Help? I don¡¯t want to deal with it, but I also don¡¯t want to be mean to it either.


    As I attempt to organize my thoughts in hopes of finding a way out of this situation, I¡¯m suddenly struck by a feeling of heavy pressure. I glance from left to right and find myself in the center of several gazing pairs of eyes. Everyone passing through the street has the same hateful look on their face. I can feel their negativity seeping into me and my pulse rising as my body trembles with it. I can¡¯t deal with a bunch of people staring at me.


    ¡°There there, take this and share with your friends too. Okay?¡±


    In an instant, I feel at ease after I catch one of my sister¡¯s soft voices. Lena is crouching down and offering the child her entire lunch that she has made for today. She¡¯s helping the boy without a thought about what the bystanders think of it. It doesn¡¯t affect her.


    The kid springs up with joy before bowing with gratitude and running away with its new possession, soon disappearing into the crowd of people moving through the street. Lena then brings her attention to me with a gentle smile, almost as if she¡¯s checking if I¡¯m alright. My eldest sister is really kind, sometimes too kind for her own good. Whoever stood by to observe is now returning to their original path and the circle made of people falls apart.


    ¡°Was it alright to give him your food?¡±


    I ask my sister as she stands up and looks back in the direction of the child.


    ¡°Would you rather leave him starve to death?¡±


    She answers my question with another. I can¡¯t find any words to answer her with.


    ¡°Just so you know, I¡¯m not giving you any of my food.¡±


    Charlotte adds to the short conversation with her little selfish remark. I wonder if the kid will be alright.


    The people of this town go by a strict rule. In a few words - become a warrior for the people or you¡¯ll be abandoned by the people. Children are trained from a young age to be just that. If they refuse, they are thrown out onto the street. To most adults, we are just potential tools of war. Though, I was lucky to be born into a kind family.


    As you can tell, the adults here have their pride when it comes to fighting, or maybe hunting is a better word. It¡¯s not people they fight, but nightmarish monsters that crawl to earth from the pits of hell. In other words, Demons. What once used to be just a myth became a reality just a few hundred years ago. Nobody knows how or why they came, but one thing is certain - humanity wasn¡¯t ready for this kind of threat. As a result, it has been split into parts and scattered across our land.


    Now things are different compared to back then. We have been blessed with powers strong enough to protect ourselves. We simply call those powers ¡°gifts¡±, they are pretty much like a special ability of some sort. And even then there are a few exceptions. The chances are close to none, but if I child fails to show any signs of gift possession by the time it¡¯s ten years old, the child is labeled as defective and is abandoned after.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°Hey, look. I can see the school. Are you excited for your first day?¡±


    Lena asks me with curiosity. I nod, but I can¡¯t say I¡¯m all that interested. Suddenly, I catch the sound of a thin and hollow metal object hitting a hard surface, coming from one of the dark alley paths leading into a small opening between the houses - It¡¯s a sound familiar to me. As divert my gaze towards the source, I catch a glimpse of someone in the distance, just before they disappear behind a sharp corner. I guess someone just knocked over some garbage.


    I¡¯m about to continue down my original path when my eyes catch something else lying on the ground a bit closer. I don¡¯t know what it is, but something about it has caught my attention. The rooftops of the neighboring houses connect and shelter the back street from sunlight. I end up ditching my sisters to have a better look at it. What is that? It¡¯s covered by something but doesn¡¯t look like garbage. Why does it feel so odd? It¡¯s really hard to see.


    I casually move on, with each step bringing me a better picture of the thing before me, until some kind of liquid splatters beneath my foot. For a moment my attention is stolen. Is that water? It looks kind of dark, and why is there such a metallic scent in the air? No¡­


    With a mind filled with nothing but questions, I come to a dark realization. That puddle isn¡¯t made of water. It¡¯s blood! Then that means¡­


    What I¡¯m looking at indeed isn¡¯t trash lying around, or just some kind of an object. It¡¯s a person. I pull off the cloth covering the bleeding person in hopes of helping them, but it¡¯s too late. It¡¯s just a child, its expression is filled with pain and still open eyes are the first thing I see. I recognize this kid. It¡¯s the boy from earlier. He¡¯s¡­ dead.


    Struggling to keep my stomach¡¯s contents where they belong, I lean to the wall and avert my eyes just a bit behind the corpse. There I spot Lena¡¯s lunch box with food scattered all around it. The child didn¡¯t even get to enjoy that much.


    ¡°Yuuna! Where did you go?!¡±


    They¡¯ve noticed. I should go back before they find me here. It¡¯ll be better if they don¡¯t know about this. And just, like that I turn my back on the victim of this unforgivable act, that our people commit. There¡¯s nothing I can do but turn a blind to it and move on. That¡¯s the kind of world humanity lives in now. Cruel and unforgiving.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    A three-story tall box structure made of stone and supported by wooden pillars as it carries tiles on its roof - our old and crumbling military school. A sudden breeze passes, gently moving my hair tied in a ponytail to the side as I stare down the building. Thoughts of the scene I¡¯ve witnessed earlier still float around within my mind. Charlotte speaks up from my rear. She¡¯s standing a few meters behind me together with Lena.


    ¡°C-c-c-cold! There¡¯s no way it¡¯s spring, we probably got the season wrong. I think we should retreat to the warmth of our home until the school actually opens.¡±


    Is she trying to make excuses? Or is it for comedic purposes? She¡¯s always like this.


    ¡°Get a grip, will you! You might as well warm yourself inside the building since we are already here.¡±


    Lena fiercely grabs one of her ears. Her victim starts crying out in pain before suddenly switching to what could be arguably a sexual tone¡­


    ¡°Kyaaa! Save me! I¡¯m being assaulted!¡±


    Right, she has a thing for embarrassing us in public too. Hearing her moans and seeing everyone¡¯s eyes on us, I immediately face-palm myself as I stare at the ground. A few moments later, the wind blows again, this time somewhat colder and more vigorous, strong enough to rob the cherry blossoms of their petals.


    One of those petals happens to fall toward me. I extend my palm and let the petal land on it as I gaze upon the bright pink flower. It looks so beautiful yet feels so fragile compared to your everyday leaf.


    ¡°No spacing out, Yuuna. We are going to be late.¡±


    Lena warns me just before she suddenly grabs my arm. It startles me, and the pink cherry blossom petal escapes my grasp.


    ¡°No! My petal!¡±


    I desperately but quietly yell out whilst extending my hand towards the flower, slowly gliding to the ground. Lena¡¯s grip is strong. I can¡¯t escape even if I want to. I might as well let myself be taken away. So long, you won¡¯t be forgotten.


    "Look, it¡¯s her. The defect of the S rank"


    "How did someone like her get in? She''s just a stain on her family¡¯s bloodline."


    "Tell me about it. I feel bad for her sisters."


    "Smoking hot! I wish I were in the same class as her..."


    I can feel a lot of eyes on us. Our break was so peaceful I nearly forgot this feeling. In response to the gossip among the students, Charlotte stops in her tracks and faces the students standing on the sidelines before yelling out.


    ¡°Which one of you punks said that?! I¡¯ll smash your teeth in-¡±


    She¡¯s halted by her older sister before she gets to continue with her threats.


    ¡°Charlotte, it¡¯s alright. Come, we¡¯ll be late for class.¡±


    And so we continue as if nothing has happened. It¡¯s sad to see that nothing has changed since the last school year. The people are as discriminant as ever.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    I walk into the classroom; there¡¯s nobody here yet. Charlotte ran off to somewhere again, hopefully she isn¡¯t getting into a fight. I place my bag on the desk, then instantly do a one-eight turn and kick the desk in front of me to the back of the classroom.


    ¡°Assholes. All of you.¡±


    What did Lena do to deserve this kind of hateful treatment? We would be better off if everyone was slaughtered by a demon. They can rot in hell.


    I let out a light sigh just after abusing a desk that had done nothing wrong to deserve it. Luckily I came early and managed to release my anger before anyone could catch me, or so I thought. A male voice sounds from the entrance direction and pronounces my name as a question. It¡¯s a voice I haven¡¯t heard in quite a while, and so I respond accordingly. With aggression.


    "Huh? Ya want sum?¡±


    ¡°N-no¡­ thanks.¡±


    Two people are standing there. Charlotte and the boy in question. I can see the confusion in his expression. On the other hand, my sister seems to be showing a tad of surprise.


    ¡°You could have let me join in.¡±


    She said jokingly. The guy standing next to my sister is Hidiku Kikuchi. Medium-length hair covered in a shade of black just like Lena¡¯s. In addition to that, his blue eyes are as dark as the deep seas. His height reaches one-hundred and seventy-four despite being the same age as me. He also has a thing for Lena. You could say we are childhood friends, including his other two siblings.


    ¡°You should stop growing.¡±


    I say as I have to ascend my gaze; otherwise, looking him in the face is impossible. At this rate, he will become a giant.


    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m not that tall yet. Just wait a couple more years.¡±


    He then smiles. Is he taunting me? Is he making fun of my height? No, knowing him, he¡¯s just being oblivious as usual. The next thing I know, we are interrupted by the students flooding in. First class is about to start, we should catch our seats. Hidiku proceeds to do just that. He¡¯s followed by Charlotte, holding her pillow with her arms up in the air.


    ¡°Yay, nap time!¡±


    I accompany them in silence. Charlotte is in the same class as me despite our age gap because our school organizes us by rank rather than age. There are seven ranks in total - F, E, D, C, B, A, and S. The three lowest ranks are on the first floor, the next two on the second, where we are located, and the last two on the third.


    What¡¯s the difference? Well, apart from combat and study ability, there are different levels of luxury for each rank, which means rewards, lunches, and even classroom appearances. The rank of students is decided by exams held on the second day, meaning tomorrow. Last year I managed to get out of the rotten classrooms on the bottom floor to C rank. This year, I aim to skip B rank and go all the way to the top!


    Meanwhile, given Charlotte¡¯s ability, she could have easily been enjoying her luxury in the higher ranks together with Lena. But, well¡­ she¡¯s too lazy to study.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The bell rings, and our fourth period ends. It¡¯s lunch break time! For this break all of us get together, meaning my and Hidiku¡¯s siblings. Normally we would do it behind the school where the garden is located, but unfortunately, I¡¯ve noticed that there¡¯s some outside work being done there today. So instead, we are meeting up in our classroom instead. I don¡¯t think we¡¯d be welcome up in the higher-ranking classes.


    ¡°At last! Nap time!¡±


    ¡°But you have been napping this whole time.¡±


    Hidiku chatters with Charlotte in the background as I begin to fuse four of our desks to create one larger. Then the first awaited person arrives - Lena. Though weren¡¯t expecting her to come alone. Hidiku¡¯s older sister usually tags along since they are in the same class and basically best friends.


    ¡°H-hey, Lena. Long time no see. Isn¡¯t my sister with you?¡±


    Hidiku blushes as he sees Lena again after a while. That¡¯s cute.


    ¡°She¡¯s helping our teacher with carrying some stuff, so I went ahead.¡±


    We then sit down at our forged large desk, except for one of us. Hidiku lets out a mild sigh and leaves towards the exit. Tracking him down with my gaze, I catch a glimpse of someone peeking through a small opening between the door and its frame. And with a pretty intensive stare at that. Is that¡­


    Hidiku slams the door open.


    ¡°Just come and join us already-¡±


    Hidiku is suddenly caught off-guard as the person before him swings his arm. It¡¯s blocked successfully.


    ¡°Oh, you are approaching me? Instead of enjoying your time with the others, you have come for me?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t drag your buttocks to the table without getting closer.¡±


    That¡¯s an exchange of cheesy lines alright. The guy¡¯s Enmei, Hidiku¡¯s older brother. Currently, at the age of fifteen. Hair just like his younger brother¡¯s, with a combination of clear green eyes. He¡¯s even taller than Hidiku, no wonder his younger brother has a strong belief in his growth. If I had to guess, I would say it¡¯s one-eighty.


    The brothers stare into each other¡¯s eyes with an intense atmosphere surrounding them. Are they about to kiss? Then, a loud female yell can be heard, coming from the corridor. No, it¡¯s more like a certain someone¡¯s war cry. The guys seemingly investigate the direction of the loud noise, and their faces turn pale shortly after. Oh well, I will miss them. Well, one of them.


    I get up from my chair just in time to catch a glimpse of the girl student diving one of her knees into Enmei¡¯s face, at what could be described as lightning speed. Hidiku¡¯s older brother is sent flying from the door¡¯s entrance further into the school¡¯s corridor. I¡¯m left speechless, Charlotte notices me staring down the classroom¡¯s exit.


    ¡°Yuuna, you are staring pretty intensively there. Did you see a ghost or something?¡±


    ¡°No, but there might be one haunting this place soon enough.¡±


    My two sisters redirect their focus to the hallway when the girl that just struck Enmei starts yelling again.


    ¡°Oh, they are at it again.¡±


    Charlotte isn¡¯t all that surprised. Can¡¯t blame her though.


    ¡°Should we go stop them?¡±


    Lena asks despite her tone showing more curiosity than concern, and so we get up from our seats. When we get to the crime scene, Enmei is lying on the floor, and Hidiku is holding the girl back, locking her arms up with his own.


    That¡¯s Himari, the guy¡¯s older sister. Sixteen-year-old petite girl, about a hundred and fifty-two centimeters tall. Her hair and skin tone are engulfed by pure white, drawing out her bring red eyes. Apparently, her unnaturally bright looks are some kind of a genetic disorder. She¡¯s kind to the people around her but strict when it comes to family. She can be very short-tempered at times¡­ very.


    "HOW DARE YOU LAY YOUR FILTHY HANDS ON MY PRECIOUS LUNCH! I PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO MAKING THAT SO THAT I COULD SHOW IT OFF TO EVERYONE! NOT FOR YOU TO HAVE IT FOR BREAKFAST. HOW ABOUT YOU MAKE YOUR OWN DAMN FOOD FOR ONCE!?"


    The rage-overflowing girl still manages to stomp Enmei¡¯s testicles. Once, twice, and finished off with a kick. Wait, he isn¡¯t moving. Is he dead?


    ¡°Sister, please stop! He¡¯s already out cold!¡±


    Hidiku then looks before himself, as if though he has realized something and mumbles to himself.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what he meant this morning.¡±


    ***


    [This morning]


    Hidiku descends the stairs from the second floor, still in his sleeping clothes, as he spots Enmei leaving unusually early.


    ¡°Where are you going this early? There¡¯s still plenty of time before our classes start.¡±


    He asks with a sleepy tone in his voice while rubbing one of his eyes.


    ¡°Hidiku, I¡¯ve just unleashed great evil into this world. That evil will soon awaken, so I must prepare before I face it. It will be a tough and dangerous journey. Hidiku, remember. No matter what happens, I will always be your big brother.¡±


    The boy is left standing on the staircase in confusion.


    ***


    [Back to present]


    Hidiku¡¯s gaze is sent back at his older brother; tears start streaming out of his sockets. What the hell is he crying about?


    ¡°I will never forget you, big bro!¡±


    He yells out. Enmei''s expression changes to a gentle smile despite being unconcussion. He now looks like he¡¯s at peace. He might just be dead at this point. And the cause - flattened testicles.


    So much for our peaceful day before ranking exams. I just hope nothing will screw up tomorrow.

 Chapter I. - First Contact

    ¡°Umm¡­.ugh¡­the sun¡¯s too bright¡­someone turn it off.¡±


    Why must morning come? Why doesn¡¯t the night last longer? Why do classes start so early? These are questions I ask myself every morning on a regular basis. It¡¯s such a pain, I wish I could sleep forever. Wait, what¡¯s the time?


    I search for the clock hanging somewhere on my wall as if it were placed in a different spot each time I want to look at it. My brain is still asleep. Oh, there it is, and the time is¡­Crap, I overslept. Oh well, being a few minutes late for class won¡¯t kill anyone¡­Except that, today is the ranking exam!


    I swiftly throw myself into my uniform and descend the stairs while tying up my hair into my usual ponytail, attempting to make it look decent to at least some extent. My next objective is the exit across the living room- I kick my pinky toe into the corner of our dining table and freeze up on the spot; I¡¯m barely holding back my tears.


    ¡°See, that wouldn¡¯t have happened if you went to bed early as I told you to.¡±


    My mom steps in with a ¡®told you so¡¯ line as she creeps up on me from behind. A tall and black-haired woman with violet eyes. Recently I¡¯ve come to notice my sisters resemble her much more than I do. Maybe I¡¯m after my dad, or I just might be adopted.


    ¡°Here, I¡¯ve made you this. I had a feeling you would oversleep. After all, sleeping in on important days is your specialty.¡±


    She gives me a steel box containing food. I wonder what she made me. Never mind that, I need to run! I thank her and continue towards the exit when she stops me one last time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be heading out now, and when I return, I¡¯ll be one of the top-ranking students! So you better prepare a party by then!¡±


    And with that, I dash out through the doorway. Leaving mom and my home behind. I¡¯m excited; at last, I can display my ability. I¡¯ve been training hard with Dad the whole break just for this day to come, but so did everyone else. It¡¯s either school or training on free days, it¡¯s only the older or talented kids that get to have free time since they usually pass the exams with flying colors. Lena and Himari belong to those people.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    [Sometime later]


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you have left me behind! Some sisters you are!¡±


    I¡¯ve successfully caught up to my older sisters just as they¡¯re entering the school. Charlotte looks at me with displeasure while Lena has more of a confused look on her face.


    ¡°Look who decided to show up.¡±


    Says Charlotte proudly as I stand before her covered in sweat and a messy uniform.


    ¡°We woke you up, but you told us to go ahead and that you have everything under control. That there¡¯s no way you would miss out on the exam day. So we left without you.¡±


    ¡°What are you-¡­ Wait, yeah. That really happened, hasn¡¯t it.¡±


    Charlotte is right. Now that she told me, I can somewhat remember waking up. I was too sleepy to get up and decided to stay in bed for five more minutes. But still!


    ¡°There there, you¡¯ve still made it on time. That¡¯s all that matters, right?¡±


    Lena fixes up my clothes and wipes my face with a clean tissue. I¡¯m starting to slowly calm down.


    ¡°How come you are never this kind to me?¡±


    Charlotte¡¯s disappointment only increases as I give her a smug look.


    ¡°Maybe because I can¡¯t have a single morning without fighting you to get you out of the bed sheets.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I got up on time today!¡±


    We are interrupted by the sound of bells ringing throughout the whole school building. The exams will be starting soon, I need to get ready! Without a second thought, I sprint out toward the changing rooms, this time being the one leaving my sisters behind. When I arrive at the girl¡¯s changing room, everyone is already getting prepared. I¡¯m still on time though, now I just gotta find some space, it¡¯s practically packed in here.


    ¡°Yuuna! Over here!¡±


    I spot Himari shortly after scanning the area. She¡¯s waving at me from a corner across the room. I squeeze my way through the crowds of students all dressed in the same black tops and shorts. Who¡¯s idea was it to make a single changing room for all of the girls in the school?


    ¡°Where are your sisters?¡±


    Himari questions me as soon as she gets the chance since she notices I¡¯m alone.


    ¡°They should be here soon.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help it. I finally get to demonstrate my power. A great way to boost my ego!


    ¡°Did you know? The same guy from last year will be overseeing the exams. Apparently, he¡¯s one of the highest-ranking commanders straight from the capital. I can¡¯t wait to see him again!¡±


    If I can remember correctly, he¡¯s pretty old. Like past middle age-old. With a full beard and a bushy mustache being an addition to his mean-looking face. That kind of guy.


    ¡°Since when are you into older men?¡±


    Red as a tomato. That¡¯s the only way I could describe her current skin tone. I guess she responds with colors now instead.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only found out myself after last year. That single time our eyes have met was the moment my love for sprouted and has been blossoming ever since.¡±


    I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s referring to that one time the guy was walking around as we students were lined up. He was trying to intimidate us with his stare while explaining some stuff. I can¡¯t believe she means these cheesy lines seriously. I¡¯m caught off guard when someone¡¯s arm wraps around my shoulder.


    ¡°There you are. What happened to all that ¡®waiting for your sisters¡¯ talk? And what¡¯s up with her?¡±


    Oh, they found me. Rather than being focused solely on me, their attention is stolen by our drooling lovebird. Charlotte seems more confused than myself.


    ¡°She¡¯s having a love-struck episode.¡±


    Lena walks out of the man-made swarm and approaches Himari as she pronounces -


    ¡°Nothing unusual there.¡±


    I guess this normally happens to her. Despite knowing Himari for quite a while, I¡¯ve never really seen her like this. I guess Lena manages to calm her down before I get to see this side of her. Since they are classmates and all that.


    ¡°Calm down, Himari. Do you really want to go through this again? Don¡¯t make me remind you how the particular type of men you specifically choose to shamelessly fall in love with end up ditching you anyway because they aren¡¯t the kind that would enjoy girls as clingy as you. Honestly, just ¡®clingy¡¯ doesn¡¯t do you justice. How many times have you been dumped already in the past year? Go find a normal loving guy for once, but maybe work on yourself first.¡±


    The girl full of love and joy suddenly drops in mood, leaving her happy-go-lucky attitude behind and entering the seven stages of grief. The exams will be starting soon, will she be alright? Three students walk by and one of them pushes Himari over onto her fours.


    ¡°Oh, my bad, didn¡¯t see you there. You¡¯re so pale you blend it with the walls.¡±


    All there of them start laughing. They¡¯re obviously here to pick a fight, their grins say it all. Typical peanut-brain goons with big egos. I help Himari back up onto her feet. She looks alright, but I ask her just in case to which she only nods. The main girl of the trio is an arrogant princess from a wealthy family named Aura. Her father is the Mayor of this town. The other two goons tagging along are just her yesmen without a personality.


    ¡°Do you need something?


    My eldest sister confronts them, but she¡¯s only met with more harassment.


    ¡°The monster and the failure, what a combination. The biggest failure around even, I can¡¯t imagine the disappointment your parents must have felt when they¡¯ve finally realized that you¡¯ve reached the end before anything even started. The only reason you are in the S rank is because you happen to have some borrowed power. But that doesn¡¯t matter anyway, because out in the wild, you¡¯ll be nothing more than demon bait.¡±


    Coming from the bitch that happens to be somewhat relevant only because she was born into a rich family. She gets really up close to Lena¡¯s face as she whispers the last sentence. As if trying to strike fear into my sister. Not like that would ever work with the person this crap came from.


    Lena remains calm throughout this whole encounter. On the other hand, Charlotte smiles with a vein clearly visible on her forehead.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna pounder her teeth in so deep that they will come out of her ass.¡±


    She quietly whispers to herself. Loud enough for us to hear and Lena responds by shaking her head. She doesn¡¯t care enough to start a fight. Now personally, I¡¯d love to do exactly what Charlotte said she would do, but someone else gets ahead of me. Before anyone gets to react, Himari¡¯s palm is diving deep into one of Aura¡¯s soft cheeks, leaving just a red mark behind. The sound it produces is music to my ears.


    Princess Aura is in shock. She definitely didn¡¯t expect this coming, even though she should have. Her parents have never laid a finger on Her Majesty, yet here she now is, sitting on the cold floor after getting smacked by a midget.


    ¡°Say whatever you want about me, but keep my friends out of your filthy mouth.¡±


    There¡¯s no response to Himari¡¯s warning and her victim¡¯s expression displays anger before her goons pick her up and all of them leave in silence.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    [School¡¯s training grounds - Exam time]


    Just like last year, all of the students are lined up before a small podium upon which the overseeing commander stands.


    I¡¯m standing between Lena and Hidiku. The rest got separated from us, but it didn¡¯t take me long to find them. On one side, a bit further, stands Charlotte with Enmei. And of course, she somehow managed to fall asleep standing up straight.


    ¡°Fight me.¡±


    Enmei elbows her just to call her out.


    ¡°Shut up. Don¡¯t touch me creep.¡±


    A valid response from my older sister, she pretty doesn¡¯t want to have anything to do with the guy. I hope he was only referring to the sparring session we''re going to have later as a part of the exams. Though, if I can hear them all the way here, then that means so can the commander. In fact, he didn¡¯t get to start his speech yet and he¡¯s already down his little stage, heading towards them.


    Both of them freeze up before his ¡®majestic¡¯ presence. He gets close up and personal, straight into Charlotte¡¯s face, so close Himari would have already been smooching him if it were to be her. Maybe he¡¯s just trying to show off the scar that goes over his eye. Was that always there? I haven¡¯t noticed it last year, it looks pretty cool. On the other hand, sis looks traumatized.


    ¡°Having fun?¡±


    The questioned girl shakes her head in denial to his calmly asked question, but unlike Charlotte, her partner in crime somehow catches a glimmer of hope and nods with a nervous smile. Charlotte falls into a silent panic.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll see you in the principal''s office after exams.¡±


    The soldier walks away as my sister gives him a timid ¡®sir, yes sir¡¯. Enmei continues grinning. Knowing him, he sees this as some kind of special training opportunity only the chosen ones are worthy of, freak. I feel kinda bad for sis. Meanwhile, Himari is located on the other side. She¡¯s somewhat closer compared to them and¡­ sobbing.


    ¡°It¡¯s not fair. It should have been me.¡±


    Was she always like this?


    ¡°Yuuna, are you going against her today? You were raring to go last time.¡±


    Lena notices me staring down our friend. She¡¯s right. Despite Himari¡¯s current state, she¡¯s strong, really strong. And her fighting style is pure art. She¡¯s the second-highest-ranked student for a reason. I can feel the motivation fueling my determination. Today I¡¯ll beat her and prove to everyone that I belong at the top. Just watch me!


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    The commander climbs back up to his previous location.


    "Greetings, future soldiers. My name is Nolen Spriggan and I will be your instructor for today''s ranking exams. Here we will determine what rank you are qualified to hold, but keep in mind, that you have your fellow comrades on the field with you. Be aware of your surroundings to avoid harming anyone else. I''m hoping to see some promising students today. That is all from me, I wish you all the best of luck."


    "Sir, yes sir!" The ranks chant in unison.


    Alright, It is time to begin! The exams are divided into multiple parts. There are different categories for each ability group; hand-to-hand combat, combat with weapons, and some endurance tests. Everyone will be using a wooden sword as a weapon; it¡¯s the standard and only option here.


    We are starting with the hand-to-hand combat. For this test, everyone is required to find a partner they will face. There will be multiple groups at once monitored by the teachers and the instructor. Getting beaten by your opponent doesn''t mean you have failed or anything of the sort, it all depends on how you perform.


    My partner is Himari. She''s well-trained in hand-to-hand combat. What''s more, she has a habit of not holding back. It''s not a bad habit... Actually, that depends on the situation, but you won¡¯t hear me complain since that means I can also go all out.


    I slowly make my way towards my chosen opponent as cold sweat slowly emerges from my skin.


    ¡°You want to go?¡±


    I ask her without a second thought. For a second, the petite girl looks at me with surprise in her eyes, but that feeling changes to joy in a matter of seconds.


    ¡°Alright! But I must warn you, I won¡¯t be holding back on you just because we are friends.¡±


    Himari says with a joyful smirk on her face.


    ¡°Oh please, don¡¯t insult me.¡±


    I pull out a confident smirk of my own despite slightly trembling with anxiety.


    ¡°Time¡¯s up! Everybody, begin!¡±


    Commander Spriggan yells across the field. His signal makes me reflexively direct my sight at him, but when I look back, Himari is already raring to go; her face says it all. Oh, man¡­.I might actually end up with a broken bone or two if I¡¯m not careful enough. Alright, Yuuna! This is no time to be scared. Show her what you are capable of! And as I stare directly into Himari¡¯s eyes, she suddenly vanishes.


    It takes me a moment to realize the speed that this girl can reach, but it¡¯s just enough to evade her roundhouse kick from my rear. I lean to the side far enough to flip myself over as I use my arms to support myself in my leg¡¯s stead and bounce back to my feet.


    ¡°Not bad, but there¡¯s more where that came from!¡±


    Himari dashes towards me and launches a barrage of punches from every angle possible. I attempt to block them until she strikes a blow stronger than the previous ones. This one breaks my guard and throws my arms back, but she¡¯s not stopping here. I try to regain my guard as she continues, yet my efforts are close to being in vain. She¡¯s not letting me block, so I try dodging instead and as a result, one of her fists grazes my cheek, causing a cut.


    My blood begins to boil as I block one punch after another, it¡¯s outright irritating! Think Yuuna, use your head!


    Your¡­ head.


    My rival is happily punching away when I, without a second thought, force a step forward, just like a crazy person would, and throw myself at her. The confident girl misses her punch by an inch and ends up getting head-butted. I fall to the ground as I hold my head and tremble in great pain. Himari falls on her back as her soul leaves her body.


    This year¡¯s exams are a bust.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    [Even later that day - After exams]


    ¡°Where¡­ am I?¡±


    As the room is filled with sunlight of the afternoon, coming through the windows and the medical bed creaks, Himari slowly sits up while regaining her consciousness.


    ¡°We are in the school¡¯s infirmary.¡±


    I answer her question with a smile as I sit in a neighboring bed while having my forehead wrapped in bandages. We both do.


    ¡°The¡­ infirmary?¡±


    Himari slightly leans her head downwards and rests it on one of her hands when suddenly it comes back to her.


    ¡°You head-butted me!¡±


    The injured girl yells out as she points her index finger in my direction. I kind of wish I would have thought my actions through. I can¡¯t think of an excuse, so I giggle it off while scratching the back of my head. Two knocks sound from the doorway, then the door opens; it¡¯s Lena.


    ¡°Hey, you two. You are finally awake.¡±


    She makes her way to our resting space and then sits down on my bed.


    ¡°Seems like you are doing fine.¡±


    To which Himari answers with her evil-portraying gazes targeted at me.


    ¡°We could have been better off if one certain person used her head.¡±


    I look back at her as confusion lingers on my face.


    ¡°I did though.¡±


    ¡°Not literally!¡±


    We must look stupid with the bandages on our heads in this situation. Or at least it made my older sister giggle. Himari sighs before proceeding with a question.


    ¡°Is everyone still doing the exams?¡±


    ¡°They sure are, I¡¯ve completed mine a bit early so I took the opportunity to come and check on you.¡±


    That¡¯s nice of her. Though, I feel sorry for whoever went up against her.¡±


    [Around the same time - Somewhere in the Hikone town]


    A mother and her daughter are walking through the crowded streets of Hikone, holding hands so the little girl doesn''t get separated from her mother and get lost. The little girl suddenly stops and begins to gaze at the sky. Her mother stops a bit further and looks at her.


    "Sophie, come. We¡¯ll be late again."


    Her daughter points at the clear blue.


    "Mom, look! There''s something flying up there."


    The mother looks up at where she''s pointing at. As they stand there watching the object in the distance, more and more people gather around them as they start noticing the floating object and stare at it. At that range, a person could think it¡¯s just a bird. Just that the thing is standing still.


    The longer they stand there and gaze upon it, the more apparent it becomes that it''s slowly descending towards the town. The mayor''s mansion to be precise. It''s been built on a small hill at the edge of the town. One of the guards on the lookout routine uses his spyglass that allows him to see into great distance. Once the object gets close enough, its nature becomes painfully clear.


    A muscular humanoid figure at least two meters tall, black as ash. Knees bent backward, a twisted spine through the body piercing through its back and becoming visible to the naked eye. Thick horns come out of its forehead and the face practically outlines its skull, with missing eyes in the sockets.


    A demon has descended from the heavens.


    As soon as the observing knight realizes what the town and its people are up against, he runs to the nearest emergency bell and starts ringing it to alert the rest of the guards about the dangerous threat.


    It doesn¡¯t take much time for some of the troops to group up and head for the mayor''s mansion. At the current height the demon is at, and with its speed, they have enough time to get to the mayor and escort him out. There are only five of them as they are in a hurry and the rest are still on the way.


    Running towards the mansion, they notice the demon stops moving for a few good seconds just before they enter the mansion. It looks down at them with a sinister grin that appears on its sightless face. The uneasy feeling becomes mutual between the soldiers. One of them halts his advance before the entrance with cold sweat running down his body.


    "Wait! Don''t go inside!"


    He tries to warn them. Unfortunately, it is too late. As the rest of the soldiers take their first step inside, the demon comes ramming down into the building, crushing his comrades right before his eyes; he freezes up.


    Standing right behind the demon, he looks at his friends crushed beneath the destruction. Streams of blood flow down from beneath the rubble. Their bodies have been torn apart; parts scattered all over the place with visible organs hanging out of them and intestines hanging off the wooden supports for the roof.


    Frozen in place, unable to attack nor run for his life. The monster looks at him with the same grin it had given a few moments ago. As if forcefully pushed to the ground, the soldier feels immense pressure on his body. The beast then walks off, further into the mansion. The guard feels completely powerless, he drops down to his knees and follows the demon heading deeper into the building with his gaze until finally, it disappears into the vast darkness of the corridor.


    It takes him a bit, but he soon comes back to his senses. The soldier gets up on his feet before turning his back on the mansion and the man he¡¯s supposed to rescue. The Mayor has his own skilled personal guards at his side at all times and so he leaves the threat in their hands. Instead, he decides to return to the town and help with the evacuation. Little did he know the same demon was standing right behind him.


    It came back for him. Or to be exact, it never let him go in the first place. It is merely toying with the troop. In a matter of seconds, his lower jaw comes loose. The demon swung its arm, ripping apart the skin and muscles that were keeping his face together. His tongue is hanging out; the man lost his ability to speak words and now only yells in unrecognizable sounds as he falls on his back after his legs fail him.


    He has nowhere to run. The monster steps on his stomach with its full weight. Unable to breathe, the man slowly suffocates. Tears begin streaming down his face when the demon leans towards the guard and gets into his face, then gently strokes him on the head as if it''s patting him.


    The thick and rough texture of the demon¡¯s hand can be felt as it runs down the soldier''s head before running its fingers through his eyeballs and into the eye sockets. Cries and groan-like sounds echo out with the tortured victim in great pain.


    The demon lifts its victim up, holding him by his skull from the inside of his bleeding eye sockets. It carries the soldier to a snapped wooden pillar and finally ends his suffering by swinging him with full force onto the pointy edge of it, impaling him completely.


    Now the demon is truly headed inside the mayor''s mansion. Creaking accompanied by an ear-aching sound can be heard throughout the mansion''s first-floor hallway.


    The demon proceeds to walk through the mansion, scratching the stone walls and dark wooden pillars supporting the structure of the building, leaving claw marks and the corpses of its victims behind. A trio of guards comes descending from the ebony-paneled stairs leading to the second floor, at the end of the hallway the demon is walking down.


    "Man, this place reeks."


    One of us yells out after catching a displeasing scent. The demon doesn''t show any signs of stopping. The trio is made up of two men and a single woman, they are the mayor''s elite guards; only the most skilled can be assigned to such a position. The demon is well aware the mayor is on the second floor, getting ready to escape. It has no intention of slowing down. Instead, it starts moving faster.


    As they descend all the way to the flooring, their captain takes a step before his team. Blond short crew-cut hairstyle with a short goat beard and dark brown eyes, the right one bearing a scar. The symbol of a battle-hardened veteran. Brown, light, but thick leather clothes cover everything but his head with some light metal plating over his arms, legs, and torso. On the left side of his waist is a katana scabbard, in which its blade is stored - attached to him with a belt. His name is Cliff.


    The two soldiers accompanying him have the same gear; it''s their clan''s style. The Ryoshi clan - a clan of demon hunters. They specialize in this kind of thing. The woman, Rose, has slightly orange hair with a side cut and blue eyes, while the last man of the group has long brown hair tied into a ponytail with a short beard and hazel eyes. He''s Kenjiro. The three are the elites of their clan.


    The demon begins its run towards them. Standing before the two soldiers, Cliff switches to his battle stance as he grasps his blade, but he doesn¡¯t pull it out just yet. He patiently waits for the demon to get close as it is running down the long corridor. Two seconds later there''s a five-meter distance between them. The captain firmly leans towards it, producing a creak.


    In an instant, the wooden flooring makes an audible crack as Cliff dashes towards the enemy, leaving a distance only of an inch between the two of them with not even a single second passing by. It is almost as if he teleported or vanished for that very short moment, and it is only now that his sword is being drawn.


    Cliff swings his blade, attempting to slash the demon before him, but its reaction speed doesn''t allow that and the demon bends backward, completely dodging the swing. Its crooked spine can be heard through the hallway as its joints dislocate.


    "Damn, you are one agile bastard."


    Rose, standing behind her leader together with the other guard, suddenly has a little bit of a surprised expression on their face.


    "I don''t think I''ve ever seen anyone dodge this attack unscathed. Impressive."


    Kenjiro standing beside her then grins.


    "Unscathed? Just look at it, the thing had to break its back."


    Both of them start giggling. The man fending off the beast lets out a sigh as the demon bends back towards him.


    "Hey! If you two aren''t planning on doing anything, at least go get me some milk until-"


    Before he gets to finish his sentence, the demon begins its assault and swings its arm at the captain. He evades it by jumping back a few meters and the demon hits the wall instead, leaving a hole leading outside in it. With no time to spare, Cliff dashes tuns it, then jumps and spins with his blade in hand. However, it grabs his arm just in time to keep his blade just centimeters away from its uncanny face.


    As the demon is distracted, the other two soldiers are now behind it, drawing their blades and swinging their katanas simultaneously from both sides as they head back in the direction of their original position. Before their blades reach it, the demon completely turns around using only its torso, leaving the bottom part of its body behind, as the bones can once again clearly echo through the building.


    Using the momentum it built up, the demon throws the captain at Rose, knocking her back, but misses Kenjiro. It tries to evade his slash but despite its very fast reaction speed and agility, it is too late. Instead, it tries to counter by throwing its fist at him but Kenjiro manages to dodge as he lowers his center of gravity and cuts through the demon''s right ankle.


    It is only partially cut and the foot is still hanging on to the rest of its flesh, but it does the job and makes the demon unable to walk on both legs. While Rose is trying to pull her captain back on his feet, the Demon lets out a fearsome roar. It is loud enough to make the three of them cover their ears and momentarily stun them.


    "What the heck was that?"


    Rose looks at the demon after being momentarily deafened; it¡¯s gone. Kenjiro then yells out.


    "Behind you!"


    Rose doesn¡¯t get the chance to turn around when the demon swings its arm and sends her flying through the wall to the outside of the broken-down mansion, hitting a carriage mounted to a horse that is meant for escorting the mayor. As Rose tries to grab the carriage and pull herself up on her feet, the demon briefly gazes at her before getting interrupted by Cliff throwing a rock at the inhuman beast.


    "Hey, I''m your opponent."


    Blood is trickling down my his. The demon looks his way for a few seconds, then ignores him as it looks back. It takes a step towards the hole when Kenjiro appears behind its nape, moving in for the strike but the demon doesn''t bother to turn around. Instead, it puts its hand behind the nape and grabs the blade which then gets squeezed and destroyed.


    For whatever reason the demon is showing no interest in fighting them anymore. But even so, Cliff dashes, positioning himself before the beast in an attempt to pierce it as it is distracted by Kenjiro. The demon effortlessly uses its second hand to grab his head and throws him outside, through the hole in the wall.


    As the soldier lands, he does a few barrel rolls before stopping near next to Rose.


    "I see things are going great on your end."


    She pronounces sarcastically as she struggles with the pain. Injured, Cliff looks at her with exhaustion as he notices something going on in the background. He spots the mayor. A short, round guy with a mustache and an ugly face. He is still in the upper half of the mansion, but instead of escaping, he''s maneuvering something down with a rope from the window of the second floor.


    ¡°What the hell is he doing?¡±


    It''s a suitcase. The soldier stares in confusion. Rose notices and follows his gaze. Then it becomes clear what is going on as money slips out of the overflowing suitcase.


    "You can''t be serious¡­"


    Rose limps toward where the mayor is easing his money down as Cliff stays put and tries to recover, even if just a tiny bit. Meanwhile, the demon is ready to drop down from the building but once again gets interrupted by Kenjiro. He grabs the demon by its legs and lifts it up.


    It is caught off guard by Kenjiro''s unexpected strength and ends up in the opposite wall, giving Rose more time to get the mayor and the captain back on his feet in order to help the soldier holding the demon back. Meanwhile, Rose finally gets beneath the mayor''s window and grabs the rope as the suitcase is about to reach the ground.


    "Excellent! Now stow the case away into the carriage before anything happens to it!"


    The mayor shouts as climbs out of the window to let himself down the rope. Rose is still holding onto the rope irritated, so she pulls it with all her might and sends the mayor crashing down to the ground. Having problems standing up with his heavy body, she looks at him with disgust and pins the round man with her foot.


    "Hey, fat swine, there are soldiers risking their lives to protect you, some even lost their lives, and for what? So some greedy pig can save his precious pennies, putting them over the lives of people? Those soldiers have families that are waiting for them to come back home but instead of helping them you trample over them for some money?"


    Rose starts pushing his foot harder into the mayor''s sternum as he screams out in pain. Then she pulls out her sword and points it directly at his face.


    "It will be better for all of us if you die here."


    "KENJIRO!" A sudden yell can be heard from the captain calling out to his comrade.

 Chapter II. - Grand Entrance

    The female guard investigates the direction fast in worry as a yell like that couldn''t mean anything good. But before Rose manages to find her two comrades in the distance, she first notice something rolling towards her feet.


    Trembling in fear, she looks down. Rose already suspects what she¡¯s about to see, yet hopes her assumption is incorrect - it Isn''t. The roundness of the object. The pigment and hairstyle. The bloody trail it left behind. The painful expression on it. Her vision blurs as she looks down upon the remains of her dear comrade.


    "No... Kenjiro..."


    A shaky voice escapes her lips as she covers her mouth with a single hand and tiny tears start running down her cheeks.


    "Damn it. What is this monster?! It''s on a completely different level, we don''t stand a chance. There is only one thing I can now do."


    Cliff mumbles to himself before yelling out.


    "Rose! Take the mayor and run! I will stay here and give you some time!"


    Rose looks at my captain with terror in her eyes.


    "What!? Are you out of your mind!? I''m not leaving you here and I''m definitely not saving this swine!"


    "This is our only option, Rose. This demon is something far beyond us. We aren''t prepared. Go and alert the rest of the town. Let them know how dangerous this thing really is! Save the Mayor, be better than him, or would you rather stoop down to his tier of degeneracy!? Now go, and don''t let Kenjiro''s death be in vain!"


    "Tsch."


    The guard lets out a sound of visible annoyance as she helps the mayor to stand up and get to the carriage. She barely gets into the driver''s seat and shout with the last of her strength.


    "You better survive, you hear me!?"


    Rose then hits the horse in order to make it advance and heads to alert the rest of the soldiers.


    "Heh. Giving me impossible tasks, that''s so like you. Now then, shall we?"


    The captain prepares for his last stand.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    [Back at the school]


    The emergency bells can be heard across the training grounds. The instructor immediately halts the exams and sends everyone to hide inside the school until he has a better understanding of the situation. While inside, each teacher attempts to group up each class assigned to them in order to ensure all of us are present. There is a lot of panic caused by some of the younger students... and some older scaredy cats.


    "What do you think is going on out there?"


    Himari curiously asks while standing next to Lena. Confusion lingers within her expression - something all of us can relate to. We will most likely be stuck here for a while.


    "It''s probably just another B-Class demon. Hopefully it''ll be dealt with soon, I would like to go home."


    Lena murmurs to which Himari reacts with a smile.


    "That''s just like you. Most people would usually panic in a situation like this."


    ¡°I guess¡­¡±


    Himari¡¯s words got Lena thinking.


    The teachers are steadily finishing with checking their students, after which we are sent to classrooms on the first floor, filling up their capacity. Since Charlotte and Hidiku are in the same class as me, we end up separating for the rest of our group and as we are sitting down, legs stretched, leaning on the cold stone wall beneath one of the windows, Charlotte descends her head directly onto my lap.


    "So sleepy.... I wanna go... Home..."


    She immediately falls asleep so I start patting her.


    "It¡¯s kind of impressive you can just fall asleep like that given our situation."


    Hidiku mumbles while sitting next to me. But as soon as he finishes hi sentence, something explodes in the distance and rocks our building to its core. Not even Charlotte manages to stay asleep through this one.


    "Who dares to interrupt my slumber..."


    I look out of the window behind us. There is smoke coming out of another building at the end of the district, on a hill. That¡¯s the mayor''s mansion.


    "Is that... the demon?"


    My friends join me in the observation.


    "Hey, our house is in that direction."


    My expression takes the shape of clearly visible nervosity after Charlotte¡¯s uncomfortable realisation. Out of sympathy she gently hugs me, shoulder to shoulder.


    "It will be alright. Mom and Dad can handle themselves just fine. You know what they are like first-hand, so there''s no need to worry about them. Okay?"


    It kind of helped... a bit, but Hidiku¡¯s place isn¡¯t far from ours. Knowing that, my big sister drags us both back down and starts chatting with us to ease up the mood. And as we are hiding in the school, the commander is outside on an investigation.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    [Before the school entrance]


    Commander Spriggan stands not so far from the school¡¯s main entrance. Being informed by another fellow soldier serving as a messenger, Nolen realizes just how dire situation may be and decides to evacuate the school when something in the distance catches his attention.


    Looking down the long street leading into the town of Hikone, nobody could possibly miss the large clouds of dust forming one after another. The smokescreen progressively becomes larger and larger as the particles of dust stack upon each other and soon enough, a humanoid figure takes form within the fog of destruction.


    Soon enough, the instructor¡¯s greatest fear is revealed. It¡¯s the demon, heading straight for the school. And as it marches down the narrow district, all of the buildings surrounding it crumble after merely sliding its finger over their walls. This leaves only chaos and destruction in the shade of what used to be the homes of families living happily just earlier this day.


    Countless soldiers attempt to stop it, one after another, yet anyone that tries to get into its way gets torn to pieces, has their body mangled to an inhumane state or suffers a different kind of horrible death. Nobody can stop it, and the commander knows too well he will be no match for this monstrosity either. After all, it has wiped out the best of the best the town had back in the mayor¡¯s mansion.


    Commander Spriggan instruct the messenger to carry on with his duty and returns to the school to begin the evacuation process.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    [Yuuna''s class]


    It took some time, but most of us have somewhat calmed down. Or at least until one of our panicked teachers barged into the classroom and instructed all of us to group up in the hallway. Did the evacuation begin?


    Panic arises yet again and seeing our teacher in the same state doesn¡¯t help it either. Normally the threat would have already been dealt with. Yet, in a town practically swarming with soldiers, this thing is still moving around freely. I can¡¯t help but wonder just how horrifying must that monster be. I begin to tremble in fear when Charlotte grabs my hand.


    "Come, we need to find the others."


    She smiles faintly and drags me out with Hidiku into the hallway full of students. The adults start leading everyone to the nearest shelter, out through the only back exit our school has.


    As we are making our way through the corridor swarmed by all of the students, we happen to find the others. Student after student leaves the building and head straight for the shelter without looking back.


    The exit is near when a another tremor stuns the student body. What is that? An earthquake? The ceiling comes crashing down before our eyes, blocking our route and creating a large smoke screen of dust in the process.


    I happen to inhale a large amount of it and catch myself momentarily choking together with a few other people. But that is the least of our problems at this moment. I ascend my gaze from the dust covered ground, fearing that the worst outcome possible just became reality right before my eyes.


    A heap of rubble lies beneath a hole in the ceiling, shedding sunlight into the previously covered hallway. That pile of stone bricks now serves as a grave for many unfortunate students and you can see their body parts sticking out of multiple openings. Beams of setting the setting Sun color the building in a crimson color and reveal a dark tall silhouette within the artificial cloud.


    It has the flavor of decay and an aura of pure evil emitting from it. A strong scent of death.


    The smokescreen is about to disburse when a distinct cracking sound echoes through the building as the figure with a demonic presence progressively straightens up its posture. Followed by its head being tilted towards us, a nasty grin covers its face.


    No lips, its human-like teeth are visible at all times. No hair nor ears, just holes in its skull. The nose is pure bone and its eyes are also absent, as if they were gouged out, leaving you to stare straight into the demon¡¯s void. Eventually, the rest of the beast¡¯s crooked body is unveiled. It¡¯s almost as if someone has resurrected a mangled corpse with a beast-like volume of muscle still well preserved on it.


    Soundless and motionless, the crowd stares back at the universal living nightmare as it has made its grand entrance. Petrified by the first sight of a demon, the feeling of pressure combined with fear has overwhelmed us all.


    One¡­ two¡­ three¡­ four¡­ five. The number of cracks that can be heard as the unholy thing makes slight movements before our eyes gradually increases. It¡¯s like nothing I¡¯ve ever imagined. Its strong presence, accompanied by the awful stench and overwhelming dread, turns my stomach upside down.


    Its head bearing a human-like menacing grin and large, empty eye sockets slowly rotates towards us. It almost feels like the creature is staring directly at me. We are jolted awake as the terrible Demon takes one stride forward, crushing through the back of a body that has already been mangled. Everyone falls victim to panic. The race to get through the school¡¯s main entrance peaks in intensity. The real pandemonium has barely started.


    Without a warning, the remaining students before us surge through the constrained hallway, separating me from the rest of the group. Then one of the passing pupils knocks me to the ground, using me as a prop to distract the Demon. I¡¯m left behind.


    I hear some of my friends reaching out to me as they are being swept away, but it''s all in vain. Soon I feel something wet wrapping around my hand. What is that? It¡¯s all tender but also complex and pointy at the very bottom. I¡¯m aware that I have somehow damaged the object beneath my palm. In a strange sense, it already feels unpleasant as it is, but realization occurs only when I run my eyes down my arm, all the way.


    Red, purple, yellow, all these colors intertwine as the yellow and purple fragments are drenched in the liquid swirling around my hand. My palm is piercing through the lungs of a dead girl as her chest has been torn open by the debris. Her expressionless face reveals how painful her demise was.


    I vomit almost instantly; there is no longer a way to resist the urge. Slowly, tears start to trickle down my cheeks. Before I know it, my breathing becomes unstable and I¡¯m slowly falling into despair. My legs have given out; getting up isn¡¯t an option, and I¡¯m in too big of a shock to call for help. My body trembles more and more as the beast moves forward, crushing through the corpses with each stride.


    As the smell of death grows stronger, a sudden headache deepens me into a sea of visual illusions. The rear of a girl covered in white hair. Buildings engulfed in flames. An unrecognizable boy lying on the ground and smiling as blood pours out of his mouth. It all phases through so fast that I can¡¯t comprehend what is happening, and once it¡¯s over, I find myself gasping for air. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    What was that? A hallucination? A vision of some kind? It felt like I wasn¡¯t breathing at all for a moment. The noise in the background is slowly fading away¡­ or is it just my consciousness? Staring at the ground after being startled by an event I can¡¯t understand, two dark and rigid feet appear before me. The tough-looking skin makes the twisted bones beneath it appear even tougher, and the odor¡­


    The contents of my stomach are thrown out once more; I can still make lunch out of the image before me, even if just barely. Suddenly I can feel an intense scorching sensation coming from the back of my head as my body is being lifted from the ground.


    The Demon grabs hold of me and drags me up by my hair, untying it out of a ponytail. But it doesn¡¯t pull me up to my feet. It continues and leaves me hanging in the air. The pain is overwhelming; I grit my teeth, trying to clutch its thick arm while kicking the air, yet I can''t help but cry.


    Ignored while still streaming down my mouth, the vomit gradually combines with the tears. The struggle takes away most of my strength, and my arms give out. They are left hanging with the rest of me. All I have left is to pray for a miracle to occur, and as my voice trembles with the last of my strength, I utter my final faint words.


    ¡°Help¡­ me.¡±


    At that very moment, one of the walls next to us gets forced open. Pieces of stone and dust shoot our way when a sharp blade and a manly figure just behind it emerge from the artificial smokescreen. The weapon pierces the hellish creature¡¯s side as it gets propelled through the opposing wall, forcing it to release me.


    I drop down on my knees and begin to pant heavily. Fear is still controlling my body, but it¡¯s progressively improving as if part of the weight has been lifted. Have I been saved? I¡¯m slowly regaining consciousness and gathering myself. I need to get out of here.


    Someone grabs my arm and pulls me towards the back entrance as I get back on my feet. I then inspect the person dragging me out. It¡¯s Enmei; he has come to get me out of here. Soon a blinding shine hits me directly as we escape our school''s crumbling building.


    Enmei halts beneath the steps where Lena stands with her two watery eyes. Her face is stained, and her hair is partially covered in dust, but I''m probably the winner when it comes to looking like a mess. She touches me all around, then wipes the fluids off with a tissue. All that while interrogating me.


    ¡°Are you alright? Does it hurt anywhere? Has the thing done anything to you?¡±


    She¡¯s worried sick. My body is still trembling, but seeing her face again brings me great relief. I hug my older sister as I spill tears once more. In response, she hugs me back and sheds tears alongside me. I wasn¡¯t the only one who felt anxious. Lena was terrified for me the entire time, if not more so than I was.


    Something explodes inside the building and a big cloud of dust is released. Both of us pause as we look at the same rumbling structure.


    ¡°What are you standing there for?! Let¡¯s get a move on, we are still in danger!¡±


    Our attention is again redirected to Enmei as he stands behind us with the rest of the group. They all waited for me. Lena nods and begins to move down the street. My arm is being held firmly in her grasp. I can feel she doesn¡¯t plan on letting go; it makes me feel at ease.


    We are headed for the nearest shelter located about fifty meters away.  Running between the damaged buildings, we encounter just a few dead soldiers. It doesn¡¯t appear like much has happened in this direction.


    "Are you alright? Your hand is covered in blood!"


    Hidiku freaks out at the sight.


    "I''m fine, The blood isn¡¯t mine. It''s just a few scratches."


    "And wet panties."


    Enmei tries to crack a joke. Big mistake as he''s right before me - I kick him in the back. Charlotte, running behind me, lets out a sigh.


    "Man, I wish I was there to witness it."


    "I didn''t wet myself!¡±


    I wish they¡¯d stop with this.


    ¡°All of you shut up! We are almost there!¡±


    Himari startles all of us with her usual loud voice possessing a slightly hostile tone. She¡¯s right, a bit further up front is a space between two of the houses and in that space peaks out a metal bunker entrance. Safety is within our reach, but just as we approach it Lena suddenly yells out from the very back.


    "Everyone, heads up!"


    The rest of us turn around to see what¡¯s going on, but before we get any time to react, something zooms right past us and hits the ground. It¡¯s a body wrecked beyond recognition, but one thing about it I can identify is the outfit that looks just like what the commander overseeing our exams wore. But I thought he was supposed to be strong. Was the Demon too much even for him? There¡¯s no time to mourn him as another object rockets past us and strikes a tower right on top of the bunker. Debris explodes out of it and the structure collapses into the street. Everything is up in dust.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Ow¡­ my head. What happened? ¡­Did I black out for a moment?¡±


    I sit up and touch my head after being knocked down by the impact. There¡¯s blood coming out of it. My vision is distorted. I¡¯m too busy swaying my blond hair covered in dirt from my field of view when one more blast startles me. A hole has been forced open through the remains of what used to be the collapsed tower, and through it passes two people. Though, there¡¯s too much dust to tell who they are.


    ¡°What kind of a monster are you?¡±


    That¡¯s Lena¡¯s voice.


    ¡°What are you talking about? This much is normal.¡±


    And that¡¯s Himari¡¯s. I¡¯m guessing they have been separated from us by the debris. That would explain the blast too. Himari is a monster of its own class when it comes to physical strengt. She probably had no problem making a hole in that wall with her gift, she must have cleared the bunker entrance too. I try to get up, but my legs fail, and I fall to my knees. At least by doing so, I make enough noise to get their attention.


    ¡°Yuuna! Hang on, I got you!¡±


    Himari is the one to recognize me first and rushes to support me, leaving Lena to concentrate on searching for the others. As she supports me with her shoulder I can feel just how much strength this petite girl has in her. Though it¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t felt it during the exams. Soon enough, the smokescreen breaks up just a little bit and reveals two more people marching toward us. It¡¯s Charlotte supporting Hidiku. She smiles and salutes; Lena rushes to their aid.


    We are carried to the bunker and left on the staircase leading down into the depths when Hidiku brings attention to a missing member.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my brother?¡±


    He could be injured badly. What¡¯s more, we don¡¯t know anything about the demon¡¯s whereabouts. We need to get him as soon as possible. Everyone is already waiting inside, except for the missing boy¡¯s older sister.


    ¡°Yeah, I know. I will go look for him. You guys go hide. We will be back in a second.¡±


    She announces as she¡¯s about to go on a search further in the school¡¯s direction, where dust rules over the street.


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯m going with you.¡±


    Hidiku responds as he wants to help out his siblings.


    ¡°No, Hidiku. It¡¯s too dangerous. Listen to your older sister and go take shelter.¡±


    With no intention of listening to what her younger brother has to say, Himari marches into the slowly resolving mist. But it¡¯s too late as a large silhouette crossing through the smokescreen becomes more visible with each passing second, until it finally steps into our field of clear sight. It has caught up to us. Where¡¯s Enmei? Did it get him? Is he still somewhere hidden in the layers of dust? I can¡¯t tell.


    ¡°We need to go.¡±


    Charlotte pronounces as she takes a step back. Her voice trembles with fear.


    ¡°Are you saying we should leave my brother behind?!¡±


    I gaze in the direction of the two friends about to get into a fight as Hidiku responds with aggression. He¡¯s right, I feel the same way. Maybe we can fend it off together until we get Enmei back. If we combine all of our abilities then maybe-


    However, my brainstorming comes to a fast stop as the beast makes a heavy step. So much so it crushes a large rock beneath its foot. I take another good look at its build containing a crooked bone structure supported by its dense muscle mass. And that creepy smile¡­ it makes my skin crawl. I can yet again feel the heavy pressure it emits. I¡¯m frozen in place.


    The bunker¡¯s two trapdoors are right next to us. I could just shut us in and we would be safer, but there¡¯s a feeling stopping me from doing so. What is it? Is it fear for my friend¡¯s life? Nevertheless, my sisters grab one of the giant metal plates each as Himari yells.


    ¡°Close the bunker! Now!¡±


    What¡¯s going on? I was lost in thought for only a second. The Demon is tossing fragments of the rock it just crushed beneath its foot. The exit is shut before anyone gets to see the outcome and all that can be heard is the banging sounds of a hard downpour.


    It¡¯s quiet, almost too quiet. The area has just been bombarded, but after that, it''s complete silence as we are shut out from the outside world. Being the closest to the gateway, I take the liberty of opening it up just enough to sneak a peak, fearing to witness the worst outcome.


    The demon is still standing in the same position. To my surprise, my friends are nowhere to be seen. It¡¯s still slightly hard to see, but the dust remains only in a small portion of what it used to be. They must have escaped.


    Taking aim with its unholy gaze, the beast remains to look at me with the same old expression before launching itself above the streets to a different location. I don¡¯t know what it is about this creature. Am I imagining it glaring at me all the time? It¡¯s almost as if the being straight from hell is observing me, as if it wanted me to watch. But for what purpose?


    I¡¯m thinking too hard about this, I need to calm down. The metal doorway is forced open by another person and the last beams of the setting sun strike my sight.


    ¡°Where did they go? We need to go after them!¡±


    Hidiku¡¯s anxiety is rising and it feels like it''s slowly influencing the emotions of the rest of us in the process. He jolts out of the bunker, but not before Charlotte manages to grab the back of his top and stop him for just a moment.


    ¡°Where do you think you are going? Come back down! This is beyond our power, leave it to the adults!¡±


    Without a single word, Hidiku looks at my sister with anger in his eyes.


    ¡°What adults!? Most of them are already dead and those that aren¡¯t will probably be nothing more than meaningless sacrifices. I won¡¯t let my siblings be one of them!¡±


    He slaps her hand to break loose, and takes off into the street. In hopes of stopping the boy, Lena rushes after him, and without thinking I follow her lead.


    ¡°Are you serious?! Fine! But just so you know, if anything happens, I¡¯m leaving you behind!¡±


    Charlotte is irritated beyond belief, yet she decides to step out of the shelter¡¯s safety and follows us. I can¡¯t believe we are doing this, I still fear what could happen. Hidiku isn¡¯t showing any signs of stopping, I don¡¯t think he knows where he¡¯s going either. What¡¯s more, the monster could be lurking anywhere. Who¡¯s to say there¡¯s only one of those monsters roaming the town? I¡¯m scared, I don¡¯t want to be here.


    Along the way can be seen bodies of fallen soldiers as well as some innocent families caught up in this tragic event. All of a sudden, Hidiku starts climbing one of the taller houses in the street and Lena is right behind him.


    Are they crazy? I know those two are agile, but come on, I¡¯m not climbing that! The race continues on the rooftops, though it¡¯s halted for a moment when an earthquake violently shakes the ground; it lasts only for a few seconds.


    Was that the Demon? What¡¯s going on? I notice the two house-climbers staring into the distance, surely they must have spotted something from there. I follow the direction of their gaze and find a black cloud of smoke rising beyond the buildings. That must be it.


    ¡°What was that? Did you find them?¡±


    Charlotte barely catches up to us when Hidiku gets back to moving, leaving us behind again. I¡¯m not confident enough to join them up there so I¡¯ll have to take the first turn along the path.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go before we lose them.¡±


    I instruct my older sister before she gets to catch her breath. Fortunately enough there is a turn close enough to keep an eye on my friends before me and behind that turn the cloud of black becomes much more visible. We might be on the right path, but the fear within only grows stronger with each step. What are we supposed to do once we reach them? It¡¯s only now that I ask myself this important question.


    My head is struck by a shocking pain, forcing me to stop in my tracks. It feels like it¡¯s about to split. It¡¯s happening again. White flowers in an open sunny field, A black crown swimming in a puddle of blood, and something that seems to be a town square full of corpses. Yet again I¡¯ve been drowning in a sea of illusions. It¡¯s still hard to tell what I¡¯m seeing, and what is this numbing pain? Why is this happening to me?


    ¡°Why now¡­¡±


    ¡°Yuuna? What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Charlotte runs up to my me, but I decide to keep it to myself. It would only make things worse right now.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    I reassure her before catching Hidiku¡¯s voice in the near distance.


    ¡°Sister!¡±


    They have located them! Please, don¡¯t be too late! We are almost there. It¡¯s just one more turn when another aggressive bang rocks us to our cores. Moments later we are about to cut the final corner when we witness someone get launched out of it, straight into the house.


    Whoever that was is going to be in a fatal condition after a crash as such. We rush over to the damaged structure; the impacted wall has collapsed. Its contents make it difficult to get through. The person is partially buried beneath it, covered in blood and unconscious. Yet despite all that, it¡¯s not hard to identify the person lying before me.


    My breathing gets out of control, and I¡¯m nearly passing out again, but I won¡¯t let that stop me! With my sweating palms, I get to work instantly, clearing rock after rock from the motionless body, only praying my older sister will pull through.


    ¡°Charlotte, help me, please! It¡¯s Lena, she¡¯s hurt badly!¡±


    I cry out to my second sister as tears begin to emerge from beneath my watery eyes. Charlotte hurries over and joins the rescue mission. Looking at us, I can¡¯t tell who¡¯s more worried.


    ¡°Everything will be alright. We will get everyone out of here and find help. It will work out just fine.¡±


    She murmurs to herself. I¡¯d like to be optimistic, but the only people around, except for us, are the dead ones. Are we really going to die here? Like this?


    ¡°Yuuna, help me out!¡±


    Charlotte brings my attention back from the land of thoughts; she¡¯s trying to move Lena out of the house. We move her a bit further from the construction, in case it were to collapse. And just as we place my sister on the cold ground, one more blast echoes throughout the area.


    ¡°Hidiku! Take care of Lena, I¡¯ll go help him!¡±


    ¡°Yuuna, wait!¡±


    I call out to my friend before jetting off without a second thought, leaving my sisters behind. The rest are still fighting. Himari! Enmei! Please be alright! I¡¯m heading down the final street leading to my destination and at its end I spy the back of a familiar, tall, dark figure. However, I¡¯m unable to reach before entering an unnaturally expansive landscape. I stop to take a moment and assess the situation that¡¯s seemingly beyond my comprehension.


    A large area littered with the remains of formerly standing structures, crumbled stone bricks, and splintered wooden boards all over the place. Even though some of those buildings are severely damaged, they nevertheless remain around the area¡¯s perimeter, giving the place the appearance of an arena formed by a meteor crash. And almost as if showcasing its work, in the center of it all stands tall the rotting cause of this destruction.


    ¡°Yuu¡­na..¡±


    The voice is faint and thin, barely spoken or heard. It¡¯s Hidiku¡¯s, I can tell. Throwing my gaze from left to right, I desperately search for my friend. With nothing but an unclear lead of his whereabouts, I ask for his attention one more time.


    ¡°Where are you? Hidiku!¡±


    ¡°Save her¡­ please¡­¡±


    This time concentrating on the direction of Hidiku¡¯s voice. It became much clearer to me. The only problem is¡­ it leads straight to the Demon. I swallow my saliva fearing the outcome of their encounter, yet my fear becomes true as I catch a glimpse of something moving beneath the beast¡¯s foot. The Sun has already set; it¡¯s hard to see anything. Desperate to get a proper visual in, I squint my eyes until I can make out what exactly I¡¯m focusing on. All of that ruble doesn¡¯t make it any easier, but what I¡¯m looking at is undeniably a pair of legs. That¡¯s him!


    A bone snaps, then another, and another. The continuous cracks of its spine send a stunning chill down my spine as the beast slowly rotates its bony head toward me. It feels as if I¡¯m watching some kind of a force controlling its vessel - a puppet. My skin is overrun with goosebumps. I need to get him out of there, but in order to do that, I have to force the demon to move its leg.


    It¡¯s now or never; I will have to use my gift if I hope to achieve anything. Suddenly, my mind finds itself full of distressing thoughts. What if I fail to move it? What If it catches me instead? I¡¯m beginning to doubt myself. The clock is ticking, I don¡¯t have time for this. In a hurry, I brace my cheek muscles and give them a slap resonating throughout my entire body.


    I grab the nearest piece of wood that looks stable enough for at least one strike and get into focus. Stay calm, Yuuna. You won¡¯t get any more chances if you fail. Once I feel I¡¯m prepared to give it my all, I take in a deep breath and dash off against the gawking monstrosity.

 Chapter III. - Pandemonium

    Pressure builds up within my chest and warmth covers my body whole as I let my souls energy flow through my veins and channel it into my bottom limbs, but also my arm equipped with a weapon. Faint sparks of electricity flashing violently surround me and my hair rises steadily as I become the slight beam of light in this darkness. I¡¯ve successfully accumulated enough force, a portion of which I then transfer to the stick and toss it like a thunderbolt at my target.


    The impact is just enough to move the beast by a step - it¡¯s exactly what I need. I move on to phase two of my operation and unleash the built-up energy within my legs all at once. Only a bright blinding flash can be seen as I traverse from my position across the landscape with lightening speed, grabbing my injured friend along the way.


    Unfortunately enough I¡¯m still incapable of properly controlling my power and an obstruction in our path forces us to a full stop. Though, I¡¯ve managed to slow down sufficiently and avoided any major injuries. My legs are steadily going numb; I can barely move them, the stress generated by my ability is far too great. My body is too weak to manage that kind of power and my ability to control it isn¡¯t there just yet either.


    To my surprise, even with my in-humane speed, the enemy was fast enough to react. It attempted to strike me with something and whatever it was covered me in wet marks. Wait, is this blood? Is it Hidiku¡¯s? I check up on my friend lying cushioned by my own body; his body bears some slight wounds, yet they don¡¯t seem to correspond with the amount of fluids drenching my clothes. I swiftly redirect my sight back to the threat - my eyes widen with disbelief.


    Hanging by her short white hair, within the Demon¡¯s grasp lays the rescued boy¡¯s older sister. Covered in wounds and dirt, Himari¡¯s abdomen is slit open, leaving its contents hanging outside. The girl displays no emotions making it apparent she¡¯s already been through her hell and any strength she had left has been squeezed out with force.


    My body is already shivering from stress when it¡¯s sent into a state of shock once more due to the sight of Himari. The smug-looking Demon seems to grin only in my presence. It slightly wiggles her relaxed body before sticking its tongue out, revealing a shiny object - It¡¯s a soul stone, it stole Himari¡¯s!


    A soul stone is what makes using abilities possible. It¡¯s the core that fuels of with energy, hidden without our bodies. But it also happens to be the very thing Demons are after as consuming it gives them a boost in power. The boost depends on how much the vessel¡¯s power and how it has been refined through honing its skills. Losing it means losing your abilities altogether.


    This thing¡­ it¡¯s taunting me. I notice Hidiku¡¯s consciousness revert back to this cruel world when he grabs the cloth covering me and tightens his grip.


    ¡°You can still save her¡­ please¡­¡±


    Suffering from fatigue, he struggles to speak with his voice thin as a strand of hair. I look at the girl again - it¡¯s faint but visible. I can see her chest moving as she intakes air into her lungs. Can I really save her? - I begin to doubt myself and by doing so I only give the monster more time to mess with my head.


    Equipped with nails sharp as blades, the Demon begins to bury them beneath its victim¡¯s facial skin. A single heartbeat reverberates within my body, a beat louder than any of the previous. Anger sprouts deep within my heart and spreads all the way to my mind. As a result, I lose control of my emotions, and without thinking I use all of the strength I have left.


    Another sharp gust of wind, generated by my own kinetic energy, hits the ruined arena. I¡¯ve crash-landed on my starting point and with Himari in my arms we continue rolling a bit further down the street. All I can feel is the pain of bruises and wounds covering my body, caused by my inability to control my own powers. Thankfully I¡¯ve gotten my friend out of the enemy¡¯s clutches. Now we just need to find hel-


    My words are immediately swallowed as I lower my gaze to check Himari¡¯s condition. However, before I¡¯m even able to process her state, an unpleasant feeling swirls within my stomach as its contents are being forced out. Her face is gone. Completely ripped off, exposing her bloodied-up muscle tissue and yellowish fat. I can¡¯t recognize my friend anymore.


    The urge is unstoppable and I once again throw up. Did I do this? Is this my fault? Blame towards myself fills up my shaken-up mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­ Himari¡­¡±


    I silently say just before I begin to weep tears and slowly progress to crying out loud. I can no longer even look at her face without becoming ill. The feelings of regret and sorrow overwhelm me. I feel disheartened and powerless once more. In the end, I couldn''t do anything to save her. My mourning is soon interrupted by the movement I sense behind me.


    I sneak a glance at the demon. It''s approaching me while chewing on Himari''s remains, I can see some of her skin poking through its powerful-looking jaws. All I can do is hopelessly stare it down.


    What should I do? I can¡¯t run away. I can¡¯t even feel my legs. My ability has rendered them useless. But¡­ I don¡¯t want to die. The demon eventually appears above me, and as Himari''s blood drips from its stiff jaw, I gaze at its awful grin, knowing it''s the last thing I will ever see. I close my eyes as all hope escapes my list of possibilities.


    I catch the sound of a rock hitting the ground before me. I open my eyes and see the demon above me turning its focus away. Moments later, a rock strikes it and drops to the ground, creating the same noise I heard just earlier.


    "Yuuna! Run!"


    A voice beckons me, and I turn to face the direction where the sound is coming from. It''s Charlotte. She''s desperately throwing rocks at it, but there¡¯s no point. I can¡¯t use my legs. I don¡¯t even have enough strength to tell her anymore.


    "What are you doing, Yuuna? Get away from it, NOW!"


    She¡¯s still trying to distract it. I guess she doesn¡¯t realize that It''s already over. There is nothing we can do. Please run, Charlotte. Take Lena and run¡­ please.


    The monster puts its fist into motion and I can see my life flash before my eyes, yet there¡¯s no impact. Not even any kind of physical contact I could feel. For whatever reason the finishing blow hasn¡¯t been delivered. Instead, the beast''s arm is severed in two.


    As if nothing had ever happened, the demon calmly straightens up and an arm materializes from its bloody wound. The rapidity of the beast''s regeneration abilities astounds me. But what I want to know is why its arm suddenly fell off. Did Charlotte do that? My mind becomes puzzled to the extent that I fail to notice the footsteps coming from behind me.


    "Are you alright?"


    It''s a boy whose voice I don''t recognize. I swiftly direct my attention to him. He appears to be approximately Lena''s age dressed in black. His short, spiky black hair is imperfectly concealed beneath the general cap he is wearing. His crimson eyes lock onto mine as his dark cloak sways in the light breeze.


    He looks just a little bit taller than me. He also has a katana strapped to his hip. Could he be the one who has wounded the demon? The mysterious person offers me a hand to help me get up and I take it with gratitude. Is he a soldier? His military uniform differs from everyone else''s of this town. Who is he?


    "Was she someone close?"


    He calmly asks me as he views Himari lying on the ground. I confirm with a nod.


    "You have my condolences."


    The boy takes notice of the demon looking our way. It became angered. With each step the beast makes, its movement speed increases until it finally transitions into a full sprint. We find ourselves within the demon¡¯s range when it waves one of its arms at us, and as the force hits the ground, a small layer of dust gets lifted into the air, ending up covering us whole.


    It''s only a matter of seconds before we swiftly emerge from the cloud with my arm in the boy¡¯s grasp. He pulled me further back together with Himari¡¯s body, to where Charlotte is standing, ensuring a better chance of my safety. It all happens so fast. Before I get to say a single word, my savior is gone within the blink of an eye as I observe him beginning the assault.


    ¡°Yuuna¡­ who is that?


    I look at my older sister, standing above me with an expression showing strictly the feeling of terror. She¡¯s glancing at the lifeless body lying on the ground next to me.


    ¡°Is that¡­¡±


    Charlotte knows exactly who it is, her face is proof of that. But the cruelty of this truth makes her hesitant to ask. Seeing her in this state only makes my urge to cry stronger.


    ¡°It¡¯s Himari.¡±


    Shifting my gaze away from her while tilting my head downwards, I hide my face, and then give her the unwanted answer. I tried to avoid eye contact, yet I still witnessed her kneel before me in disbelief. It feels like it¡¯s too big of a shock to shed tears.


    My thoughts are rapidly interrupted by a sudden loud bang made from within the ongoing showdown.


    It¡¯s a battle to the death. The young soldier is driven back as the angered demon swings its two rock-hard-looking arms. Every attempt at a blow is either evaded or deflected by the boy¡¯s sword. Though the beast''s fury is fraying, its strikes are still well-aimed. ¡­Until one of its missed whips gets mocked by the boy.


    His arrogant look and protruding tongue make the monster furious. Although it may appear clever, it is certainly not on a human level. At its core, it¡¯s still just a beast. The demon swings its fist at the youngster, this time with considerably greater force and range, but it¡¯s uncontrolled and driven purely by anger. It¡¯s a mistake the soldier takes full advantage of.


    One step to the left. The demon waves to the boy¡¯s right side, the boy leans forward and spins in the same direction as the single step he made, slicing across its abdomen in the process, but he isn¡¯t done just yet. Due to the monster''s wide attack, its side is now fully open, and under its ribcage, another scar develops.


    The demon won¡¯t give in and attempts to defend itself, but the young soldier has already taken command. All of the demon''s strikes, although launched one after another, are successfully blocked within an instant. The fight is heating up, it¡¯s getting more intense with each second. I can hardly keep up with them as I see the soldier leaping and whirling all around the beast.


    ¡°We need to help the others. Let¡¯s make use of this opportunity and find them while he¡¯s distracting the demon.¡±


    Charlotte is back on her feet and she looks determined, but I¡¯m still shaken up after everything that has happened. Did she get over it already? No¡­ her hands are shaking, her cheeks are still bright red beneath all the dirt. She¡¯s forcing herself into this. My sister is right, we need to secure them while we can.


    ¡°I¡¯ve left Hidiku over on the other side. He should be safe there, but I haven¡¯t seen Enmei. He could be in danger.¡±


    I rise up to match my older sister¡¯s spirit to at least some extent.


    ¡°Alright. In that case, let¡¯s go look for him first.¡±


    And with that, we move out. During the ongoing fight, the soldier is doing a good job keeping the beast in one place, making it easier for us to circle around. After some time of searching through destroyed paths and crumbled buildings, we finally managed to spot our friend.


    Enmei is lying beneath a wall, covered in its contents. Most likely the remains of someone¡¯s home. He¡¯s unconscious. Charlotte quickly crouches down in front of him and places one ear next to Enmei''s lips.


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    ¡°He¡¯s breathing!¡±


    That¡¯s a relief. I don¡¯t know if I could take losing another friend. Slowly and carefully, we begin to remove the debris. After lifting one of the stone bricks, I find a bloody bruise on one of his thighs.


    ¡°There¡¯s a chance his leg might be fractured.¡±


    Charlotte informs me. Can we move him like this? I¡¯m worried. We become troubled trying to find a way to help Enmei. I don¡¯t know how to check if it¡¯s broken and I don¡¯t want to worsen it either.


    ¡°If only Lena was here.¡±


    My sister murmurs, most likely without thinking. I don''t expect it and so my eyes once again tear up without a chance of stopping. Realizing her words aren''t helping the situation, she swiftly directs her attention toward me and embraces me in her arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But it¡¯s alright, Lena is safe.¡±


    I glance over at my older sister sitting once she lets go of me and spot a rock heading straight for us from above.


    ¡°Watch out!¡±


    I yell out as I cover my sister¡¯s body with my own. The rock misses us and hits a house further behind us. I¡¯ve completely overlooked the fact that there¡¯s still a fight going on as well as my legs being nearly out of juice. Just getting here was enough of a stretch.


    ¡°We need to get him out right now. It¡¯s too dangerous to wait for someone else to help.¡±


    Charlotte stands up and carries the boy on her back.


    ¡°I will move him to Lena. You go get Hidiku.¡±


    She says before carrying Enmei away. Isn¡¯t he heavy? I only turn around for a moment when I hear the soldier¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Watch out!¡±


    Who is that directed at? I point my gaze toward the boy; he¡¯s looking Charlotte¡¯s way as the demon flees and heads in her direction. Its arms are in place, it can regenerate this fast? It¡¯s not letting her get away easily. Charlotte is frozen in her tracks as she watches the beast rush towards her while rapidly regenerating its arm.


    ¡°Shadow Art - ninth form: Eclipse!¡±


    Just before my elder sister''s eyes, the young soldier descends on the beast''s back from above with great force, pushing it down to the ground. He then slashes the beast''s head off. The cut was precise and the sound of the blade sliding through the thick flesh was satisfying to hear. The path of the blade leaves behind a shining fiery trail, creating a lare ring that appears to be running through the beast¡¯s throat.


    Dust briefly blanketed Charlotte and Enmei as a result of the hit, but the demon''s severed head continued to move through it and gently tapped Charlotte''s foot. She panics and drops flat on her butt.


    ¡°So your brain was inside your head after all.¡±


    Says the boy as he stands on top of the freshly deceased body that¡¯s now slowly disintegrating into ashes. A kind of weird thing to say. Where else was it supposed to be? And what was that call out he made? It almost sounded like a chant of some sort, not to mention the move he used. It was kind of cool...


    As I¡¯m mesmerized by our savior, he proceeds to pick up two soul stones that are left behind. One of them is Himari¡¯s¡­ Oh right, I still need to get Hidiku.


    I hear slow-moving footsteps behind me. It sounds almost as if someone is limping toward us, and I''m right. It''s Hidiku, now about to fall over. I catch him as gently as I can; he''s gasping for air.


    "What are you doing?! You shouldn''t be moving!"


    I reprimand him with concern. He asks a query in response. A situation I¡¯ve never dreamed of finding myself in is now present.


    "How¡¯s¡­ my sister?"


    Should I be truthful in my response? He''s already in poor condition, so it could wait until later, right? No, even if I wait, how am I going to tell him his sister has died? As I pause to brainstorm for an appropriate answer, Hidiku pushes on.


    "Yuuna... Where is she?"


    Anxiety begins to rise within me yet again. I''m not too fond of this feeling. I don''t want to be the one to tell him. Before I know it, I give him the first words of comfort I can come up with.


    "Don''t worry about her. We need to get you patched up."


    "Yuuna, answer me! Where is my sister?!"


    Hidiku aggressively grabs my collar as he raises his voice. I''m startled, unable to give him a straight answer. Instead, I look at the ground in silence and fear combined.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    That¡¯s the only thing left within my chaos-struck mind, repeating itself over and over again.


    ¡°Hidiku. This way.¡±


    With those few words Charlotte stole his attention and I¡¯m released from his grip. I can see the discomfort and grief leaking through the serious face my sister is trying to put up. She took over the role I¡¯m unable to fulfill. Both of them head back as I observe with the soldier.


    I¡¯m sorry, Charlotte. Why did things have to end up like this? I sink to my knees and stare up at the pitch-black sky, overcome with regret. If it weren¡¯t for that single Demon, we would have been peacefully sleeping in our beds right now. Wait, what about mom and dad? Are they alright?


    Soon enough my thoughts are interrupted by a cry in the distance. He found her. I can''t bring myself to look his way. I couldn''t even bring myself to lead him to his sister or comfort him. What a friend I am. And so I quietly pronounce a single sentence, only to be heard by myself.


    "I feel pathetic."


    After which, two watery droplets, one from each eye, come running down my face.


    ¡°Hey, girl.¡±


    The young soldier walks up to me just before handing me a small object.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure this is your friend¡¯s¡±


    It¡¯s Himari¡¯s soul stone. Small, sharp and rigid. It looks like any other rock you could pick up from the ground with some small extra details. Just that it¡¯s yellow in color. Hard to believe this small thing is the source of our powers.


    ¡°They say that the colour of a person¡¯s soul stone reflects their heart. Yellow usually represents warmth and kindness. She must have been a good person.¡±


    I nod in approval as I continue to stare down at what are my friend¡¯s remains. Though soon enough my vision begins to dim and shortly after I black out.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Black. Pitch black. That¡¯s all my eyes discern. I gaze into the darkness, but no matter how hard I look, no light is present. Where am I? What happened? I can¡¯t see my legs. The only thing assuring me that I¡¯m standing is the sensation I¡¯m feeling at the bottom of my feet.


    ¡°Charlotte? Hidiku? Anyone?¡±


    I call out to the two I recall being with the most recent but get no response.


    ¡°Is anyone there?¡±


    Still nothing. There¡¯s no echo, and I¡¯m not being kept in some kind of empty room. That¡¯s the most I can make out of my situation because I''m still perplexed. My mental condition is steadily being overtaken by fear. I take each step cautiously and gently, moving forward. I keep walking, but the trail appears to go on forever. My footfall is the only sound I hear for some time as I stutter through the pitch-blackness. Suddenly, I detect another noise.


    What was that? The closest way I can think of to describe it is the sound of chains dragging across the floor. It''s become clear that I¡¯m not alone. The din is all around me. I scan every angle of the space but can''t find anyone. What''s more, I no longer remember where I was heading. Wandering around in the darkness wasn''t the best idea.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    I let my voice resonate through the open space, with no response. Instead, I hear a peculiar hissing sound. A cat? Some kind of an animal? I get the feeling that it''s hostile. I take a few careful steps back before suddenly going blind, although briefly. I soon get my sight back, and to my astonishment, I see light shining down on me.


    I¡¯m so confused. What the hell is going on? Where is that light coming from? There¡¯s no source visible whatsoever. Once more, I hear the rattling of chains echoing around me, which makes me feel more uneasy. Let me out! I don¡¯t want to be here! I¡¯m scared! As soon as these thoughts run through my mind, I spot a pair of crimson dots resembling eyeballs glowing through the layers of darkness. A chill runs down my spine.


    My first instinct is to run, but a single step back is all I make when I see the illuminated edge of the glowing circle surrounding me. I feel secure here. I¡¯m not keeping an eye on whatever is hiding in the shadows, and upon realizing it could be lurking up on me this very moment, I frantically begin searching for the entity.


    I scan the area from left to right until I spot the creature again. It doesn''t make me feel any more at ease. It begins to move. The two red pupils first descend to a point just above the ground, then they furiously zigzag around the area. As panic sets in, I take a few steps back out of instinct. My anxiety is peaking. I then lose control, trip over my foot, and land on my butt.


    Just before entering the circle of light, the silhouette vanishes, leaving no trance. Alright, Yuuna, calm down and take a deep breath; my heart is racing. I¡¯ve almost left the lit-up area, I was sitting on the edge of it. Am I safe? Where did it go? Unable to comprehend the situation, I continue to stare ahead.


    ¡°Time¡¯s up.¡±


    A sinister female voice whispers into my ear. It startles me and forces out a reaction; I quickly direct my view toward whoever just spoke to me. Once more, the two red eyes meet mine, this time point-blank, staring. I startle awake when I open my eyes and find myself gasping in terror. It was just a dream, a nightmare. I cross my arms over my chest and clench my hands; the chills are not at all comfortable.


    But of course, it¡¯s chilly, It¡¯s still spring, and I¡¯m outside, cold, probably around where I was just earlier¡­ wait, what happened? Have I passed out? And what am I laying on? I wonder because, unlike rocks or soil, the surface seemed strange but soft. I look to my right and find Lena right next to me.


    She''s sleeping, facing away from me, leaning against a wall. It seems I¡¯ve been taking a nap on her legs. A sudden light beam comes into view, forcing me to cover my eyes. The sun is rising, blinding me while revealing Lena¡¯s right side from the darkness. I stand up and walk over to my older sister in an effort to rouse her up. I don¡¯t want her to catch a cold out here, so I grab her right shoulder and gently shake her.


    ¡°Lena, wake up. You will get sick sleeping out in the cold.¡±


    I release my hold on her, and she stumbles to the corner of the wall. I approach my sister to pick her up, but for some reason I have a strange feeling. The upper portion of my sister¡¯s torso is shaded by a structure blocking the sun''s path. Lena¡¯s body is entirely exposed as soon as the light passes over the building.


    The left half of her face is detached from the flesh, ultimately revealing it while hanging on to the right half only. My legs lose all of their power, and I find myself on my knees. My blood pressure increases and my breathing becomes uncontrollable. My head is starting to spin.


    ¡°Lena?¡±


    My eyes begin to tear up as I firmly grasp my hair. I think I''m going crazy.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t real! It can¡¯t be!¡±


    I finally give in to the rage that has been building up inside of me the entire time, and in tears, I begin to yell from the bottom of my lungs while facing the ground.


    ¡°Why?... Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why Lena? Why Himari? Wasn¡¯t one enough already? How many more are you going to take from us? How much more are you going to make us suffer? What have we done to deserve this? To hell with God! Is this your idea of enjoyment? Do you take please from seeing us being tortured, you freak?! To hell with the powers you have gifted us! They are useless! They¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m so powerless.¡±


    Overcome with dread and driven by hatred, I curse God together with the holy powers he has gifted us. I¡¯m breaking down.


    ¡°Lena, Himari, they didn¡¯t deserve this. So why, God? Why have you forsaken them? Why have you forsaken us?¡±


    I have so much more that I want to say and so much rage that I want to express, but at the same time, I¡¯m exhausted. All the squealing is making me tired. And so, with just tears by my side, I come to an end of my diatribe. Or so I think.


    ¡°Yuuna.¡±


    I¡¯m still trembling, struggling to breathe when I hear a crooked voice calling out to me. What was that? It doesn¡¯t sound in the least bit human. And the tone, it¡¯s as if it¡¯s trying to sound friendly but can¡¯t disguise its sinister tone. I take a look at Lena; I¡¯m sure it came from behind the corner of the wall she is leaning on. I go cautiously in the direction of the towering wall since it doesn''t appear as though the creature intends to show itself. Is it the demon? But it was defeated. Is there more than just one of them? If there is, it might as well take my life too.


    That''s not the case, though. More than I could have imagined, what I discover around that corner completely petrifies me. A tall and slim figure, the body, resembles a demon¡¯s. Its abdomen is open, allowing the intestines to protrude. But its head is what grabs my attention.


    Its face closely resembles Himari. It''s in the same condition as when I last saw her lifeless, decomposing body. Why? why can¡¯t you just let her rest?


    ¡°Yuuna, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m back.¡±


    It says, even giggles, and gives me a smile at the end. The thing is trying to impersonate her. I still didn¡¯t get a break to catch my breath, my lungs are being pushed to work even harder than before, yet they are already at their breaking point.


    ¡°Yuuna. Yuuna, what¡¯s wrong? Yuuna.¡±


    Shut up! Please! Make it stop! I¡¯m left standing there, unable to inhale properly anymore, just gasping aggressively as the creature repeatedly calls out my name. And when I¡¯m about to pass out, I open a new pair of eyes again, then jolt up. Just this time, I find myself covered in tears, screaming uncontrollably.


    ¡°Yuuna, calm down! It¡¯s me!¡±


    I don''t have time to take in my surroundings before I''m instantly offered a firm hug. I temporarily stop sobbing as I try to comprehend my predicament.


    ¡°It was just a nightmare. Everything is alright now.¡±


    This scent. That¡¯s Lena¡¯s voice and she¡¯s alright. Somehow I can tell this isn¡¯t a dream. This is real. I''m so overcome with relief that I start crying again, but this time my tears are more subdued and less dreadful. They are tears of joy. Then someone else comes up behind me and pats me on the head.


    ¡°There, there, no need to worry. You are safe here.¡±


    It¡¯s Charlotte. I can finally rest with ease knowing that my two sisters are next to me, hugging me tightly.