To begin with, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I know I should be working on my current works, and I was, I was writing the next chapter of A Certain World Unknown or my other stories, but this idea suddenly took hold of my peanut-sized brain while watching DMC5 vids. Again, I'm so sorry. Now about this fic, the story is rated M. Besides plot, it will contain violence, smut, kink, dark themes and etc. It is centered entirely around supernatural or the occult rather than science.

Many thanks to Maderfole for beta'ing this for me when everybody was busy.

Everything ended just like that. A mere corpse was now lying on that bed. Long hair, a pretty-looking face, and a huge bust. Finally, a wide forehead above a pair wide-open eyes. A tiny stream of blood leaked from two puncture holes on the side of her neck. Though in the blackness of that quiet dormitory room, nobody could tell any of all this.

"That was delicious…." A voice interrupted the silence,

The dormitory room contained no signs of struggle or violence. It looked as ordinary as any room. However, a single window was swinging idly from the gentle breeze flowing in. The curtains inside fluttered much like a maiden's skirt, and a full moon was peeking in from the wide open gap.

The bed creaked as the silhouette of a woman sat up. Her bare butt straddled the young high school girl's legs. A pair of crimson red eyes looked down hungrily at her victim. The woman sighed contentedly and examined the girl thoroughly as if she were some kind of luxurious steak. She nearly forgot the red liquid dripping from the corner of her mouth. With a fingertip, she scooped it up and put it in her wet lips.

As she savored every last drop, her brain received a surge of energy. Her horrible bony limbs twitched as something moved under her skin. It was gradually filled with the flesh she been missing.

Weight became more obvious as the mattress receded down in the spots her knees and feet touched.

The woman sighed. It was not the sigh of being relieved from exhaustion. It was the sigh of quenching a stubborn thirst after hundreds of years.

Her mouth twisted into a crooked smile as she traced the innocent girl's body with her fingers. Sharp nails polished the color of blood adorned them. She ran them up from that flat stomach towards that amazing bust covered by the cute pajamas.

Her eyes seemed to glow after feeling that softness. Her teeth were white, and protruded out of the upper edge of her mouth. The sharp points bared themselves as she happily announced, "Thank you for the meal."

A high pitched scream rang out and disturbed the scientific atmosphere of Academy City.

Let's rewind the clock by a day.

Fukiyose Seiri was woken up by the ringing of the analogue clock sitting on the bedside desk.

With a lot of reluctance, she opened her weary eyes, sat up, and stretched her arms up wide. Her pajamas suddenly came close to splitting across the chest.

A gentle sun shone behind the closed windows and curtains of her room.

The place was quite spacious. She had considered getting a roommate in the past but had gotten to like the peacefulness of living alone.

Her legs eventually led her towards the kitchen, where bunch of sketchy health products lay scattered. She opened a packet of what could be called a powdery green tea mix and poured it in a cup with cold water. The drink tasted bitter, but she took that as a sign that her proportions would right themselves as stated explicitly in the label.

Next she did her usual morning stretches and exercises. Afterwards, she ate breakfast, took a shower, and got dressed for school just like usual. The way the room was facing towards the rising sun always gave a perfect picture to start the morning with.

As a student of Academy City, supernatural powers were a common experience, although Fukiyose herself didn't have any, it didn't stop her from enjoying her ordinary school life.

In that afternoon, the school grounds were unusually hot. Many of the students complained as they grouped themselves along the track line. Girls and boys were separated.

Fukiyose was no different. She had tied her jacket around her waist after a couple of minutes of bearing the swelteringly uncomfortable school field. Beyond where she stood, her teacher, Yomikawa Aiho, was standing at the starting line with her stopwatch running. She pressed on the button as the two boys who were running a short distance away finally reached the finish line.

"Alright, next up is the girls!" announced the teacher. "Fukiyose Seiri and Fujino Haruno!"

"Himegami!" Fukiyose went up to her friend. "Sorry, can you hold on to my jacket for a second?"

The quiet girl nodded. "Sure thing, I think you should tie your hair too. It's gotten quite long. Want to borrow my tie?"

"I have one in my pocket but thanks anyway." She gathered up all of the strands behind her head and used a pink scrunchie to hold her long, straight hair in a ponytail.

The rest of the students cheered for the two girls as they prepared at the starting line. Fukiyose stretched her arms from side to side and stretched downward to touch her toes while the girl beside her did a few low squats.

"Good luck, Fukiyose. Don't leave me too far in the dust." The girl named Fujino patted her on the back.

"Thanks, same goes for you. Also, you're giving me too much credit."

Yomikawa pressed the reset button on her watch. "Alright, are you two ready? Good. Now, get into your starting positions. And... Go!"

The two kicked off the ground. Fujino's fast start earned herself a quick lead ahead of the other girl. In a few seconds though, Fukiyose's greater athleticism allowed her to easily catch up and she stayed in the lead until the end.

"Well done!" shouted Yomikawa after recording the times for both girls. "You two are really fast, you know that? Fukiyose, you've drastically improved since the last time we did times."

They were catching their breaths as they listened to the announcement.

"Looks like you came in first again." Fujino shook the other girl's hand, her chest heaving in and out and sweat droplets trickled down her chin. "Nice running!"

"I honestly thought you were going to win for a moment there, Fujino," replied the pony-tailed girl as she wiped the sweat from her cheek. "It was a close race."

"You think? But I do believe your form really solidified in these past two months. Just what kind of intense training do you do? Do you take any supplements?"

"No, nothing special. I just jog every now and then."

"That's it?!" Fujino made a wry smile as she looked at the crowd and then back to Fukiyose. "Well... at least the boys enjoyed our race."

Fukiyose didn't get what she meant, so she directed her gaze towards the crowd for answers. It wasn't obvious at first, but looking closely, the boys were closely staring at her for some reason. When they noticed Fukiyose looking at their direction, they instantly dispersed from their spots so as to not get reprimanded.

"Hmm? Is something wrong with them?"

"You honestly don't know? I can't believe you."

"No, I don't. Is something stuck on my face or something?"

Fujino sighed and pointed at Fukiyose, specifically her amazing breasts. "Those god awful things have been jiggling for a while now since we started running."

"H-hey! Don't point at them like that!" The busty teenager turned red and covered her endowment with her arms. It wasn't the first time someone pointed this out to her. It frustrated her to no end how much people would always bring her insecurities into the center of attention. It was often the point of envy among the girls and the attention for boys.

Her friend sighed even more. "I honestly don't get how you won with those useless lumps weighing you down! That is called being unfair!"

"They're not useless! And I wear a sports bra when we're having P.E.!"

"If you say so..."

"Kh... The boys in our class sure are perverts. Just the other day, I caught Aogami stealing glances at Himegami's open blouse! I don't like that we share our activities with them."

"If it can't be helped then why not just be proud of what you got? Let them look all they want, it's not like they'll get further than that anyway." The girl shrugged and walked with Fukiyose away from the track. "I'm honestly envious because you've got such huge sex appeal."

Fukiyose hugged herself even more and looked at the carefree girl with a frightened look. "Do you think I'm some exhibitionist or something?! No way in hell I'll do that."

"What? I just said that you should be proud." She had a cheeky expression as she turned towards the busty girl. "Unless, you want to bare it all for me right here? I'd gladly welcome this awakening of a sexual goddess!"

"In your dreams! Honestly, this body of mine is so troublesome. I keep drawing attention anywhere I go." Fukiyose crossed her arms underneath her chest after meeting up with Himegami and getting back her jacket. Yomikawa spotted them as the next set of students were getting ready.

"Hey, you two! Great job." She came over towards Fukiyose while holding out her record book. "You beat your record again, Fukiyose. At this rate, you might even get recommended for varsity."

"E-eh?! I'm not good enough for that just yet but thank you."

"Isn't that good to hear? Maybe you'll get a recommendation to join the school's team." Himegami seemed to get excited over the prospect despite her usual expressionless appearance.

Yomikawa glanced across them. "Alright, I need to head back. You two should head for the showers while the rest of the class is taking their turns."

"Shall we?" The two girls who had ran with all their might looked at each other and nodded.

"What about you, Himegami? Want to come with us?" Fukiyose looked at her friend as she turned around to head for the school building.

"My turn is near. You two should go on ahead."

They went back to their classroom first to get their change of clothes and towels. The school had an indoor pool right next to the track and field, and inside was the shower area for the students. As expected the place was vacant at that time, even the pool area had no students around.

Fukiyose seemed to shuffle nervously, conscious of the other girl's presence as she stored all her belongings in the locker. Her body exuded a bit of sweat even now, so she stripped off her white shirt and shorts without hesitation, quickly covering herself with a towel so that none can see what lay inside. She turned her head to check that she wasn't seen by Fujino, who was gladly still busy rummaging through her belongings. Fukiyose let out a sigh of relief and carefully bent down to pick up her shorts and put it in along with her belongings. Once more, she checked on Fujino to make sure she was busy before taking her underwear off beneath its concealment inside the towel. Across the area, Fujino merely dropped her clothes in place and draped her towel over one shoulder. Her bare naked breasts and womanhood immediately caught Fukiyose's eyes as Fujino ambled along towards the shower stall. Fukiyose gulped as she gawked at girl's slim figure, feeling an odd sensation down in the pits of her stomach. She waited for her friend to get inside before stepping in herself. She had always been cautious when undressing with people around her, even though it was a normal occurrence from gym class.

Soon, steam rose in the shower stalls as hot water dripped and ran along the lithe bodies of the two schoolgirls, dripping to the tile floor. The comfortable white noise of showers running filled the area as they sluiced the sweat from their bodies and massaged the lactic ache from their muscles.

The two did not take long in washing themselves. Two doors opened at the same time, and immediately Fukiyose noticed the other girl's naked body, modesty out the window, while hers was tightly hidden beneath her towel. She couldn't believe just how casual Fujino was. She understood that they were both girls, but still, the thoughtlessness was so prevalent that she could mistake it for being a sign of showing off.

A hint of confusion struck Fujino as she noticed the girl standing by the door of another stall just staring at her. "Hm? Something the matter, Fukiyose? You seem flushed." She strolled over with a look of genuine concern.

Fukiyose tore her eyes away from her friend as she got found out. "It's nothing. I'm just surprised at how casual you are with being in public like this. Well, I've known it for a long time, but it still bugs me."

"Huh? What's there to be embarrassed about?" She used her towel to dry off the wet areas along her long, straight hair. "I have siblings at home so I'm used to it, but still, we're both girls. It's not like I have some sort of secret that I need to hide from you."

"I guess so..." replied Fukiyose while feeling embarrassed for making things seem awkward.

"Hey, is it alright if I get a tiny peek of them?" Her friend said out of the blue.

"H-huh? What do you mean?"

Fujino gave her a demure grin, despite her otherwise nonchalant attitude towards their current state of nudity. "Are you really going to make me say it? You know..." Her face got a little flushed, and not from the heat of the showers. "...your boobs. It's been a while since I last saw them. You see, mine are nothing like yours." She brought her chest out, hands angled away from it. Indeed, they couldn't be compared to something on Fukiyose's level. They're not impressive at all, though they have some shape to them.

Fukiyose was far more flushed from staring openly at the other girl's bare naked chest. Droplets of water fell from her back to her legs. Her hair wasn't dried out completely either. Humidity seemed to collect across her skin.

"Am I being too forthcoming?" The brazenly naked Fujino let out a dry laugh. "It's okay, if you don't want to. I'm sorry for being weird."

"No! There's nothing wrong with it." She couldn't believe what she was saying. "I don't mind at all. Here..." Her voice echoed in the entire room. She relented and gradually unfolded her towel, holding both ends at either side so as to not let it drop.

Whoaa... The girl's eyes went wide as she saw Fukiyose's flawless, wet skin, and more importantly, the two round masses which seemed even bigger now that they weren't being held back by some cloth. They were more impressive than she remembered. Captivated by the sight, she reached a hand out and touched the skin with her fingertip, which made Fukiyose gasp. "Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to do that! I... I just can't believe they're like that." This isn't good... I can't help myself...

The usual serious expression faded from Fukiyose Seiri's face as she too felt the heat more than ever before. "It's alright. You did nothing wrong."

"U-uhmm..." Fujino's breathing became heavier. "Is it alright if I touch them for a bit?"

Fukiyose's expression was hard to read, but she nodded after giving it some thought. "I don't mind..."

Fujino's hand advanced forward with a bit of hesitation. Her palms caught the bottom of Fukiyose's large breast and felt them up. "Wow..." She felt a distinct heaviness as she tried weighing it with her hand. It was the softest thing she had ever touched, not even her own could compare. Unbeknownst to her, Fukiyose's back arched from the touch and was leaning against the divider next to the stall. An odd kind of heat started to swell up in her.

The lack of refusal from her classmate motivated Fujino even more, so she started gently squeezing the soft mass with her hand. Fukiyose gasped. Still, Fujino couldn't believe how a single hand couldn't fit around it entirely! The sight made her feel something strange, a sensation of arousal. Warm, wet flesh pressed against her hand as she started kneading it.

Fujino's other hand let go of her towel. It dropped and hit the wet floor, immediately forgotten. Her attention was now fully on the fully grown boobs before her eyes. Fukiyose's eyes were shut tight, so she couldn't possibly see the other hand which was heading for her other breast. The girl leaned back a bit, the solid divider pressing firmly against the length of her back, as she felt both of her endowments get taken over and massaged. Her bare feet slipped and slid on the slick tile floor as her stance subtly widened, her bared thighs parting a little of their own accord. Fukiyose's breasts were given a firm squeezing and pressed together for who knows how long.

Fujino's hard panting, could be heard echoing around the shower room. She seemed to be so lost in the sensation of her friend's amazing breasts that she had almost forgotten about where they were or the passage of time.

This was a strange sight. The usual stern representative of the class was letting out soft gasps, barely able to stand straight. Fujino was unable to put into words the rare scene laid out before her by that beautiful girl, as she finally realized how long she'd been groping Fukiyose. She let out a gulp and regained her senses. Her hands hesitantly peeled themselves away from the other girl and clutched themselves together tightly as if binding themselves in apology. "I'm so, so sorry, Fukiyose! I don't know what came over me!" She bowed a few times and ran off towards her locker.

Fukiyose was finally able to regain her footing. She wrapped her towel once more around her body and walked off unsteadily to her locker, her eyes hazy but still kept her friend at the edge of her vision. Even though it counted as molestation in a way, she didn't reprimand her friend for it, who was now a nervous wreck. As she towelled herself up once more, she looked back on the event briefly, feeling a tinge of wetness between her legs. It's not like she allowed it to happen. It just sort of happened on its own. She wasn't mad or regretful that it happened. Well, it's not like anyone got hurt... I admit... it did feel good in its own way.

The day flew by without her noticing it. Fukiyose and Himegami left school and took a leisurely stroll through District 7. The distant sky was scarce of clouds. It was still quite bright outside when they reached the heart of the district.

The long haired beauty noticed her friend's refreshed look. "You seem to be in a good mood, Fukiyose."

The sunlight bathed the young girl's face as she seemed lost in thought until her friend called out to her. "Mhm…" Fukiyose smiled and raised a finger, pointing it towards the sky. "Last night, I finally bought that limited stock of special cucumber juice I'd been eyeing for over a month!"

"You mean the one you told me about that was sure to improve blood circulation and help you get your ideal figure?" Himegami tilted her head a little in a questioning look, trying to entertain her friend while hiding the skeptical side of her. She was not like her friend. All the ads her friend showed to her have told so many great things about their own products that it seemed so suspicious and full of lies.

The girl with the wide forehead puffed her impressive chest out with pride which made her friend stare with a blank expression filled with envy. "I stayed up all night until the last minute to order one."

"Are you sure you are not just being scammed?" Himegami sighed.

The two chatted for a bit, and Fukiyose remained energetic all the while.

The air outside as evening began to set in was cool and nice even though it was far from winter. Academy City felt oddly tranquil.

"You know, these past few days have been oddly great to me. Not only did I ace our tests, I also managed to beat my own track record by a wide margin. Tsuchimikado won't have anything to brag about now." She laughed to herself. "I don't believe in luck like that other guy, but it really does feel like something is different."

"Hmmm…" Himegami's curiosity was aroused. "Well, there are many theories that people have made in order to explain their own unusual streak of good luck, though none have been very convincing. Many tools and research have been devised to explore luck in the brief history of man."

Fukiyose's idle thoughts were suddenly grabbed by her friend. The interesting words spilled out from her mouth like honey from a tipped over jar as Fukiyose listened intently. The sounds of people's soles tapping on the pavement seemed to be drowned out by their small conversation.

Himegami glanced at her friend's reaction and then shied away towards the ground while walking along the paved path. A thoughtful expression covered her face. "I've heard in the past that the alignment of heavenly bodies has something to do with it." For a while, she pondered whether she should go any further in this topic as it was straying from the norm, into the realm of things which might be dangerous for her friend to know. But even so, she could hold herself back from being too specific. She was no expert in astromancy. Even if she wanted to explain that which was distant from science, her own existence did not completely belong on that side. As it was starting to get far out of reach from her knowledge, Himegami tried to bring back the conversation to something simpler. "But people tend to associate luck with karma. As simple as it sounds, that might be not too far from the truth."

Fukiyose didn't take interest in the occultic words, so she instead tried to imagining it scientifically. "Heavenly bodies? You mean like galaxies or planets? Well, I get that there are things like gravitational waves and inertia, but that only affects the physical. How does that have any relation to luck?"

Himegami looked troubled as if trying to piece something together, or rather, converting difficult words into an explanation that would make sense. For someone like her who could not even be an expert on that side, it was difficult. But in the end, her only example was the moon. The moon affected much of the tides, thus the circulation of water and life, and some assert that it affected people's disposition. "It's… not like that… but more of the meaning… the shape and form…" She tried to choose her words but couldn't find the right ones to describe the concept.

"Hm?" Fukiyose was trying to find a foothold within her imagination.

"The Moon and the Earth can rotate such their alignment forms in a meaningful way. It could somehow create a link towards an individual."

"Hmm… that's so abstract. I don't get it." Fukiyose was hard pressed in trying to decipher what her friend meant. She looked towards the astronomical book in her memory, but that wasn't it. She looked towards her cosmological book she had breezed through, but the answer wasn't there.

From the side, Himegami noticed of the trouble in her friend. "In any case, we should hurry to the shop before it closes."

They passed by the busy District 7 street where a long line of sweets shops were placed to one side. The sight made Himegami drool a little.

"But, you know, what you said reminds me of something I saw on TV." Fukiyose remarked as they set foot in the kingdom of unfortunate victims of cavities. "I think it was somehow related to the occult… It's quite embarrassing when I say it though."

The two friends sat themselves at a table by the window of a coffee shop.

A waitress came by to take their orders just as Fukiyose thought more of the topic.

"Umm… I'll have some hot tea please."

"You're really not going to order anything sweet?" Fukiyose let out a grin towards before giving her own order, asking for a banana shake.

"N-no, I shouldn't…" replied the quiet girl with reluctance. "I weighed myself last night and gained a little bit…" She looked depressed at the mere mention of the topic.

"So that'll be one hot tea and one banana shake," repeated the waitress. "Are you two collecting stamps?"

"Yes!" Fukiyose reached inside her school bag and took a colorful card out, handing it over. Himegami handed over hers as well.

"Oh, dear customers, you've collected the last stamp."

"Does that mean...?"

"Yes, we have the limited edition mugs ready. Which color would you like?" The waitress handed over a pamphlet to each of them.

Fukiyose took a while to decide on the color while Himegami immediately went with the white one. As the edge of her fingertip went by each one, she mumbled over how cute all the designs were until she stopped at the red one.

"I'll have this one."

"Understood, I'll be back with your orders."

As the waitress turned away, Fukiyose returned back to the topic at hand. "You know, I've been watching a lot of late night movies lately, but last night I arrived at this sketchy occult channel. Don't you think it's so weird that people still believe in that?"

Himegami gave a nervous nod. "It is pretty strange. You don't like the occult?"

"Well…" Fukiyose looked to one side. "It's not that I hate it. It's just that believing in something made up is kind of illogical."

Himegami seemed to want to say something but held herself back.

"But… it wouldn't be so bad if such things do exist." The girl smiled and looked outside the large window pane as she sat her head on one hand. "There's some kind of feel to the mystery in those things. I can't explain it properly."

"Hm?" The quiet girl noticed her friend blush slightly.

As people passed by outside, she paused for unknown reasons before clearing her throat. "D-don't judge me for this…. But I'm actually interested in occult monsters and urban legends…."

"Oh, is that so?"

"H-hey, what's with that dry reaction? Aren't you surprised I have these childish fantasies?!"

"Not really." Himegami took a sip of her tea when it arrived and examined the box with her limited edition mug while her friend shook with embarrassment. "So what is it that you like about them?"

"I-I, well, a lot of things… Like their strange behavior and otherworldly shapes. Monsters like zombies and aliens are so strange and exotic. And movies nowadays are so amazing and a lot of the monsters being shown usually look realistic!"

"Mummies are not bad too…" The shrine maiden quietly remarked.

"Mummies? Those things wrapped in silk and sealed in tombs?"

"Yes, they are very impressive. The ritualistic aspect of their nature goes back more than a couple of thousand years."

"Eh? Don't they instantly crumble the moment they step outside?"

"Well, that's… I just think they're cool…" She took a sip of her tea finally.

Fukiyose drank her shake as well as she glanced away. Admittedly, nothing interesting ever happened to her after entering Academy City. She was not some famous esper, or some heroic Judgment member.

Everything was so mundane for her. She must've thought that it was boring, behind her usual thoughts. It must've been the reason she was so glued in her shows, fantastical as they were. In truth, she might not have been lucky at all in the first place. It must've just been a small wish.

Yes, a small wish.

Her desire carried a wish to have her meager existence be swept through by a cloud of mystery and romance. Maybe she would like to see a monster after all, a terrible weight that would upset the balance of things and destroy the mundane cycle of her life.

In all honesty, that would be more than enough, was what she thought.

The prize she earned from the numerous stamps she collected lay next to her hand. The box was cleanly packaged and sealed. As always, she'll organize it along with the rest of her things at the dorm.

She sighed and watched Academy Cit, in all its scientific mundanity, trample over her dreams of a fantastic scenery.

"In a way, luck is quite fickle. You have to be careful what you wish for," said her friend. Her drink had already cooled down. The street lights outside suddenly turned on with a flash. Fukiyose's supposed luck must have lingered still in Himegami's mind as she said, "Unlike karma, luck swings wildly without notice. It is a very fickle thing that you cannot control even with some lucky item or charm."

That made Fukiyose start to think Himegami had some sort of connection to this kind of topic.

"Mhm…" She nodded.

"Also... be wary of your surroundings from now on, the better your good luck is, the more it will come back as something terrible."

Fukiyose chuckled but instantly felt bad for doing it when her friend was serious. "Sorry, I don't really believe in bad luck. And that goes for good luck as well, kind of. I just called it good luck because it seemed to be just a collection of good things that happened to occur to me in succession, not something superstitious to any degree. But I will take what you said to heart."

The quiet girl brightened up a little after hearing that.

"Thanks, Himegami, I'll be fine. Shall we get going? The sun's already going down."

Fukiyose arrived at her dorm and immediately set aside the cup inside her drawer.

Nothing was out of place. Keeping her dorm room clean was something she always made sure she did. She finally let out a sigh as she got ready for the night.

She stepped inside the bathroom and started undoing the ribbon of her sailor uniform. Her navy blue lace bra unveiled itself as she tugged the uniform up and folded into her laundry basket which sat next to a washing machine. She undid her skirt and let it fall to the tiled floor, exposing her navy blue panties. She stepped back, picked it up, folded it, and placed it on top of her discarded uniform. Just as she reached back to unhook her bra, she suddenly remembered the P.E. uniform she used that day still in her bag.

The young girl exited the bathroom in only her matching pair of underwear, not worried at all of being exposed as this was happening inside her own room where nobody had access to except for her.

She took the outfit outside the bag and brought it up to her face. She took a small sniffs and immediately smelled the sweat she discarded during the race earlier that day. Her mind pictured Fujino. Suddenly she was back inside the girl's shower room. Fujino was standing with a hand to her hip, her short black hair was slick, fresh from the shower. Water dripped from it and fell to her chin. Further down, more evidence of the shower could be found trailing down to her longish legs. Fukiyose's eyes darted all over the girl's womanhood when she noticed her friend staring at her, an indecent smile etched on her face, a clear message on what was to come next. Fukiyose felt a pleasant tingle run through her spine as she unfolded the towel she had been wearing with her hands.

The cold pricking her skin managed to wake her up from her daydream. She hurried off back to the bathroom with her things, not noticing the dampness which accumulated in her panties.

She took an oddly long shower full of thoughts of what happened during the day. A tiny bit of anticipation sprouted in her for the next time she would have class on that field again.

With a flick of the switch, her room turned bright. The pajamas she wore snuggled close to her body as she sighed and entered her bed.

Her state of mind didn't differ in the slightest. She might've imagined the events of today. She might've imagined being suddenly afraid of the monsters she knew coming to life.

But that was not it.

She innocently, and truthfully, felt she was in the center of normal everyday life.

She ran a very good track record. She got into continuous fights with boys in her class. She ordered sketchy health products online in order to fix her sore body(mostly her shoulders). Most of all, she had yet to find anything that could be considered amazing or astonishing. Thus, bored with yet another mundane day in her mundane life, did Fukiyose slip off to a quiet slumber once more

Several hours passed, as the night grew cool and the moon rose high in the sky. Wind gusted, a chill breeze managing to slip through Fukiyose's sealed window, making her stir somewhat uncomfortably in her sleep. Still, she did not wake when the window unlatched itself and began to ease open, as if pushed apart by invisible hands from within. The gap widened inch by inch until the full moon peeked inside the room. The curtain fluttered noisily. A form emerged out of the narrow gap.

A monster.

An apparition.

An oddity.

It could be described in many names or rather it resembled so many entities that it was hard to give one title.

The pitch black presence stepped on the carpeted floor with its elongated legs. A shadow did not stretch out from it. The presence itself was the shadow.

It seemed to reach out its long shape towards the sleeping body resting on the other side of the room. The head did not contain any features. It was merely a "head." Neither eyes nor a hint of light could be found anywhere from it. Like a murky liquid, it stretched across the room and reshaped itself on the bed without disturbing the master of this room. Its presence finally pushed against the mattress. A glimmer of white emerged from inside its featureless mouth. Two sharp fangs bared themselves, hungry for that exposed neck.

Without warning, Fukiyose Seiri shifted on the bed as if experiencing troubles in her dream.

The apparition halted for a moment until the young girl started letting out soft breaths in her sleep again. Its fangs seemed to be grinning when the girl's flawless skin came into view.

Gradually, the entity lowered itself as if being cautious.

No sound erupted as sharp teeth penetrated Fukiyose's skin, piercing her throat right over her jugular like needles passing through mist, drawing out deep red blood from her veins. Helplessly, unconsciously, the poor girl let her life's blood escape from her body in a crimson surge, suckled up like honeyed mead through twin bone white straws.

In the next moment, the unbearable pain forced her eyes wide open. The feeling of something narrow and sharp digging deep into her flesh caused her to utter what could be called the loudest scream her vocal chords had ever let loose. Her shriek echoed around the room for what felt like hours, but despite the volume of her cry, which should have roused her neighbors to both sides as well as above and below, no help came, not even the sounds of irritated students stirred from their restful slumber. Her fingers and toes curled as she began twitching frantically.

The shadow loomed over her, pinning her down with its giant mass. Its head was leaning down, pressed against the skin of the young girl's neck. She could only feel an unbearable cold from their contact. It gradually started moving, reckless even over her. Like a nest of snakes, several winding bodies writhed over her figure, pushing and pulling on her clothes. She could feel her usual vigor starting to drain away from her as the shadow behaved even livelier.

The feel of her body's fluids being sucked away from her was more obvious now than ever, more than the actual pain of those fangs digging into her. She could feel her weight starting to dissipate with each passing second until the pain could no longer be found, and its place, a feeling of lightness washed over her. The ringing in her ear disappeared. A harsh wave of coldness enveloped her as if she just got covered by a thick blanket of snow. Signals in her brain started changing. The pain was no longer excruciating but more of a gentle graze against her skin. It felt like a completely different sensation. Electric was one way of describing it. Minute amounts of blissful relief rushed in like electricity.

She could not tell how long her shadowy assailant remained crouched over her, fangs fastened to her throat as it gulped down her blood, feeding on her life until it seemed half of her mass had been drained, but she had noticed that even though she was wide awake, painfully so even, she could not see anything in her room. Not her desk, the window, the TV, not even her bed. It was as if her room had been replaced by sheer emptiness, a pitch black void.

"Huh?" She stared up at the void that had replaced her room. Her vision tried to adjust itself, which wasn't easy with the pain in her neck, but unable to struggle against whatever it was that was assaulting her… assuming this wasn't some strange dream… Fukiyose focused on what she could do. There was nothing in that space. Not a single object stood to give reference on which direction was the ground or the sky. It made her uneasy. The strange space was dauntingly muddled and overwhelming to her mind. This was definitely not her room anymore. She was in some different, faraway place out of reach from reality. Yet, she was sure this was not a dream.

If this place was not a dream, and if this place was not reality, then what was this place?

That question was only one among dozens inside her head.

Had she finally died?

"No, definitely not!" She cried out. "I don't want to die just yet!" Her voice dissipated as soon as it passed the reach of her limp arms, as if being swallowed up by the emptiness.

"Oh? Is that so?"

"That's right, I-I still have so many things to do!"

"Like?"

"Well, I..."

"What is it that you want to do?"

"That's..." The words suddenly stopped flowing from her thoughts.

"You get it don't you? You're nothing more than a mob, a disposable character, in this retinue of special lead actors, under complete control by a large, invisible guiding force." Fukiyose Seiri smiled as she came to face with the lost girl. Her crimson eyes were like a sharp beacon in this empty space. Cruel, cunning, and sadistic. Half-lidded, it judged the poor girl who was lost in the darkness, pitying her naked form. "There is nothing for you to achieve for you are simply living a life of an empty husk. You will simply go about your day without a trace of progress in your soul. You have no ambition, no dream. Your very existence carries no weight. And you know it yourself but you carry on believing otherwise."

Fukiyose tried to find search for answers in her cloudy mind but could not find the right choice of words to voice her rejection as her reflection gazed directly at her. She did not question why another version of her was speaking independently

"Just leave it all to me," said the other Fukiyose in singsong voice. She hovered closer until she was right in front of the girl she was consoling. Her smooth, pale hand reached out and caressed the other girl's chin. "I'll take care of all your burdens, all your frustrations, all your dreams. You don't need to worry about it all anymore. Just remain where you are and sink deeper in your sleep. "

"But what about everything I've worked so hard for?"

The bewitching young woman with bright crimson eyes drew closer to her twin. Their thighs slid against each other. "There's no reason to worry about your petty achievements anymore."

Fukiyose felt herself lulled by her own voice. The words coming out felt like soft caresses.

I don't understand. Why is my voice talking to me like this? Is this what I'm like? Something... is definitely strange...

"Relax…" Her hand reached out and stroked Fukiyose's cheek. It was smooth to touch yet painfully cold. The hairs all over Fukiyose's body stood up as she shivered with great intensity. "You have done your best until now..."

"But... I can't... Himegami... everyone... my place is there."

"They don't matter." That other Fukiyose frowned. Her eyes seemed to glow even brighter and menacing. They were hypnotic. But nonetheless, the innocent girl felt a nervous chill run down her spine. She unknowingly grabbed the other's arm for support from falling into the abyss as she felt her vigor slowly being drained from her, her skin turning pale.

Light.

Darkness.

The two met each other's eyes. One held a flickering match light and the other was a wildfire steadily growing in size.

The other Fukiyose smiled from ear to ear. Her hand traveled down, passing by the other girl's neck and unto the center of her chest. It passed through the skin with ease just like reaching down into a pond.

Fukiyose let out a soft gasp just like a moan. The will and strength supporting her back left before allowing herself to fall back to her twin's supporting arm. She was just hanging now, praying that she will not be released from that partial embrace.

"Feels good doesn't it?" The twin whispered. Her hot breath reached the other side. Her wrist began moving as if grasping, as if twisting, what was hiding beneath the shell of Fukiyose's entire being. The weak girl squirmed, eyes shut. The hand reached deeper inside, burying itself. "When you revoke all control, all feeling of stress and burden will be gone. You will achieve true peace of mind."

"No…" Fukyose's voice was faint. Her hands were already clutching at the other girl's hips, nails digging onto that soft flesh.

"What's wrong?" The other girl leaned in closer, her chest hugged the other's tightly. Her entire arm dived inside, sensing something precious. Her face changed to that of surprise and then contorted back into one of mischief. "It seems I've misjudged you. Though small, something is definitely there. You don't want anyone to find out about this, don't you? I can feel it. Your hidden desire." She licked her lips.

"That sounds wrong. Absolutely wrong." The frightened Fukiyose rebutted, shaking her head. "Stop it. Don't look inside. I am not what you think."

"Oh, but you are. Every person has a deep, dark side that they don't want to unveil. They put on masks to protect this side from the discriminating glances of society. And I find yours to be the most fun." Her shoulder moved by an inch, but it was enough to make Fukiyose's entire body squirm.

Fukiyose shook her head. "You're wrong! I am not the terrible person you think I am." Her eyes finally came out of hiding and met with the enemy's. With all her strength, she pushed the girl away with. The invading arm, now covered in pale light, released her before dispersing like ash. "These are all just lies trying to override my own ideals. To begin with..." Fukiyose glared at that unknown girl in front her. That girl had the same face, same body, and same voice. But this other girl looked far too terrifying and conceited. A hint of malice was abundantly clear from that distance. It was obvious now to her that a line separated them and this other Fukiyose was a whole different person. "Who even are you?!"

The apparition's expression went blank. Its arms spread wide from its body which looked like a reflection of the girl's. "I am what you would call an interloper."

"An interloper?" Fukiyose's eyes went wide as she stared at her vivid mirror image. It was as if a different side of her was talking directly to her mind.

"I have come to seek refuge after being gravely injured by a different monster, not unlike myself." She started to speak in a cryptic voice. "At first, I'd thought of claiming you for myself, but your reactions seemed quite genuine and fascinating." She once again smiled using Fukiyose's face. "Very well, be glad, human. As a reward for giving me so much of your vitae, I shall allow you a momentary bliss. With my authority, I allow you to remain as the master of this vessel."

The girl couldn't understand what that other person was talking about. It was only just now that she noticed that the pain that was tormenting her was already gone. She had no problem of breathing or moving freely now.

"But..." The visitor was not finished. "I shall let a fragment of myself reside here. It has been way too long since I took a much needed repose. Be grateful."

She furrowed her brows while trying to understand what that person meant. A feeling of uneasiness was evident in her body.

"We're done here, mortal. Go return to your mundane existence in this corrupt city."

The darkness washed away like fine liquid over a canvas, leaving Fukiyose Seiri bewildered. Her mind went blank and everything around her disappeared including that apparition which looked like her own reflection.

The sun was shining bright when it reached Fukiyose's dorm. It had no trouble penetrating the closed windows and hitting the young girls eyelids, stirring her awake. In that instant, she sat up on her bed, a cold sweat permeated across her back. Her eyes were wide in shock as her mind instantly went to work on describing what had happened. She looked across her room, her heart beating wildly in her chest.

The room didn't look any different from how it usually was. The entrance was locked. The window facing the sun was shut tight, and the translucent curtains were neatly spread across it.

She put a hand to her head, her breathing sporadic as if she had just been fighting an intense battle. "Was it just a dream? What on earth was that?" Her mind went back to what happened before she woke up. It was very hazy. She could only recall a pitch black void. Voices were talking in it, but she couldn't figure out whose it was. "It was definitely a dream. It felt so real though..."

The ticking of her desk clock urged her to get out of bed and get ready for school. She stepped to the kitchen and drank her usual bitter tea drink in one go.

The morning was the same as yesterday. She still felt a bit off but that didn't stop her from reaching her classroom and taking her seat. Her eyes darted towards Himegami's seat, but she didn't see her there. Then she looked across the room and saw Fujino, who was talking to her friends. The girl noticed Fukiyose and gave her a casual wave. She looked no different than her usual cheerful persona. Fukiyose's mind went back to yesterday. The actions they played out, the responses they exchanged, she was no doubt embarrassed by what she witnessed, although, it's nothing major that she should fret about. In fact, many girls her aged have already experienced fooling around with one another. She honestly thought it was going to be an awkward atmosphere between the two of them, but it seemed that wasn't the case. She gave a wave of her own despite feeling her cheeks get warm.

It didn't take long for Tsukuyomi Komoe to arrive and start class. She was about to announce to get started with the lesson for today when she remembered something urgent. "Oh that's right, class. Himegami-chan caught a cold and will be absent for today. Let's take this as a lesson that despite the nice weather we've been having, to take care of your body. Always remember to drink lots of fluids, everyone!"

The class mumbled among themselves. Fukiyose was a bit worried for her friend, so she decided to send her a message after this class was over.

Despite the weird yet scary start to her day, there was nothing amiss.

"Shall I visit you later?" Her message read.

"You might catch my cold, so I think it's better if you don't… Sorry for worrying you."

Fukiyose sighed and went back to reviewing her lesson.

Later, she was called out twice on different classes but had no problem getting the right answer. She was on top of everything, and her class relied on her whenever they needed help.

When school ended, Fukiyose was at a loss on what to do with the remainder of her after school time.

Considering Himegami, it was likely she will not accept Fukiyose coming to visit her despite her warnings. Either way, their homeroom teacher will most likely visit and take things into her own hands.

She waved goodbye to her classmates before leaving the school gates and heading straight for her dorm. The excess time she had meant that she could spend some of it to work out. She changed out of her uniform and into her running outfit which comprised of a T-shirt, jogging pants, and running shoes. The usual track she used was from her dorm towards the park three blocks away. It was not at all a difficult course. She merely used it during weekdays after school when she arrived early. The truly difficult course was one crossing District 7 towards another adjacent district then back. She picked this one on her off days.

As the arrival of students coming home gradually occupied the streets, Fukiyose was not hindered. In fact, she was running like the wind, as most people call it. The wind was brisk as she avoided the crowded side streets and chose instead longer routes with fewer people in it. In no time at all did she arrive at her dorm and then turned back for another lap. She could feel a tiny bit of sweat starting to drop from her forehead, but nowhere enough for it to consider her run enough.

It was surprising how quick her running was that day. Not to mention how little her exhaustion accumulated after her second lap. There was still a lot of time before sunset, so she went for her rare fourth lap.

Arriving at the dorm, she was bewildered by how much energy she had left. It's as if she just went for a leisurely walk. Did she even break a sweat in all four laps?

Her body must have improved drastically from all the running she did in the past couple of months.

For the first time she decided to do the difficult course on a normal school day, even after already completing her normal jogging route.

Retying her shoes, she set off, feeling exhilaration in her improvement. Passing through District 7 was a cakewalk for her, even more than she expected. As she ran further, it became clear that she could press her limits even further now. When she reached the next district, her pace slowed down a little due to choosing the right direction to take. Much of her surroundings became new to her, and it took a while to plan out the rest of her path. Before she knew it, she was running along a busy street. She had to slow down or else she would bump into somebody.

"Hey you, want to come inside for a drink?"asked a handsome man wearing a business suit while holding a sign. He caught Fukiyose's attention by waving his big sign around. "C'mon now, don't be shy. We'll be having our happy hour in a few minutes."

"Huh? Excuse me?" Fukiyose's walked turned into a halt when the guy disturbed her path.

Smiling, the handsome man pointed towards the nearby cabaret club for women nearby. "We have the cheapest deals in the entire district! Newcomers are given a discount right off the bat! What do you say to that?"

"Sorry, I don't have the time right now," she replied. In fact, I'm under aged anyway.

"Aww... don't be like that! I'll come in with you if you like! We'll definitely have a fun time." He took a step closer, a lecherous atmosphere surrounded him.

Fukiyose noticed the person was looking her up and down quite openly. A small hint of anger started rising in her. "Look, I'm not looking for a fun time. I'm just trying to complete my run. So if you would please excuse me, I'll be on my way."

That didn't seem to discourage the handsome man. In fact, it seemed to encourage him even more. "You won't regret it, I promise!" He placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "It's a very cool club. You'll find that we have a wide variety of drinks and accommodations!"

"Hey, let go of me!" Fukiyose tried shaking the hand away, but it was relentless in its grasp of her.

"Please? Just for a little bit?" The man pleaded, but it was quite obvious he had other plans for her. "A hot girl like you is looking for a fun time, am I right? What are you, a university student? The guys in our club love university students."

"I said, let go!"

A dull sound rung out across the street as fist collided with flesh. His body flew back and hit a wall, collapsing to the ground with a tiny bit of smoke trailing from the point of impact, after taking a direct hit on the solar plexus from the girl's devastating punch. Fukiyose's iron punch seemed to be stronger than usual. She could swear that there was smoke coming out of her fist.

She looked around frantically. The realization dawned unto her that she just knocked out a person doing his job in public, even though it could be called self-defense. It took her a while of shifting nervously on the spot before bowing in front of the unconscious body, apologizing, and escaping the scene of her crime with an amazingly fast dash almost breaking the sound barrier.

The dorm was at peace when she returned, a stark contrast compared to her rundown appearance. Beads of sweat ran from the pores of her exposed forehead. She had rushed all the way from the sketchy night club to her dorm. However, since she had not known how to get back to her dorm, she had to spend an excessive amount of energy on circling through wayward paths until she found a familiar road that could give hints on how to get back.

She heaved a hefty sigh of relief and preceded to her discard her soaked sportswear right before taking that hot shower. Her body moved in miniature frenzy as she finished up quickly. The dinner she made was simple and didn't take much time to make. The plate landed on the low wooden table as she sat on her knees before grasping her cheeks with both hands with a soft smack.

Numerous thoughts ran through her frantic mind. They were enough to make her forget about the warm food and her almost empty stomach.

She couldn't say that what she did was wrong. But having thought things through, it was possible that her special move caught the attention of the club's other workers, and the unconscious guy's friends. There was no telling what action they will take to compensate for their worker's state. Fukiyose had watched enough shows to know that they could press charges. An Anti-Skill officer might be on their way towards her doorstep already.

Ding-dong

The sound of her doorbell ringing set her off.

"They're already here?! But the situation can't be that serious, can it?!" She looked around her room for a possible way of escape but that seemed like a pipe dream. Getting on her tiptoes, she crept towards the door and peered through the peephole to check who was outside.

The person outside was not wearing an Anti-Skill uniform as she expected.

"What's wrong? You look like you've just seen a ghost," said the girl waiting outside as Fukiyose opened the door.

"No, it's nothing. I just had a long day, Musujime. Do you want to come in?" asked her while wiping a bit of moisture from her forehead.

"Don't mind if I do."

Musujime had come for a visit a number of times with Komoe, and sometimes with Himegami. She was not a stranger at all.

"So um… what brings you here?" Fukiyose asked while in the midst of her turmoil.

The red head did not fail to notice the off vibe the girl was displaying. "What's wrong? You look like you're expecting trouble." She said flatly as she took her seat.

"Before you came…" She swallowed something in her throat before continuing. "I was involved in an incident."

"Just spit it out."

"I punched a waiter in front of a night club while he was advertising for the place. There's no problem if this was just a guy in my class, but this is actually a grown adult! Adults have scary connections you know."

"You mean a 'host'? Also, that's quite a twisted logic."

"Yes, I think that's what they're called. I-I didn't mean it really! It's just that he was so pushy."

Musujime leaned on the low table with her arm supporting her face. She was trying to understand why this was such a big deal. Although, she might've been biased as someone who was a close friend of danger. "You should've been more careful at those kinds of places."

"I know! But I just wound up in that place because I needed myself to work up a sweat from jogging."

"Jogging?" Musujime's eyes widened. "You jogged all the way from that district... to here?"

"Yeah, I did a couple of laps around my usual course, you know, from that certain park to here. But I just couldn't feel the workout."

"Did you just get bitten by some radioactive spider and got yourself superpowers?"

"Don't be stupid, that only happens in manga. More importantly, what should I do?"

"Do about what? That guy you hit earlier." The red head just remembered the paper bag she was holding. She took a notebook from it and set it onto the table. "Here, Komoe said you forgot this in the teachers' office."

Fukiyose took the notebook and slid it on her lap. "Yeah, what if they report me to Anti-Skill? Or worse what if they come find me here?"

"And blackmail you? What if they exploit you by using the injured guy as leverage?"

Fukiyose's eyes widened at that and her cheeks grew redder than an apple. "I-I'll report them to Anti-Skill if they did that!"

"But they've got dirt on you, so you'll be at a disadvantage." Musujime said with an amused smile but instantly noticed the other girl on the verge of tears. "I'm joking. It's not going to happen, trust me."

"Damn it, Musujime! Stop teasing me all the time!" Fukiyose lunged at her and started pulling those twin tails apart angrily

When her friend finally calmed down, the red head raised a suggestion. "Why not just return to that place and apologize? I'm pretty sure they'll forgive you."

"W-what if they kidnap me and steal my organs? There's no way I could handle something like that." The ordinary high school girl felt a chill running down her spine. There was a lot terrible news lately about found disemboweled organs in alleyways lately and blood splattered across entire walkways behind factories at the dead of the night which led the news to believe that there might have been a series of dangerous illegal organ transactions by the mafia or some underground organization.

The red head let out a sigh. "This is a host club, not some underground syndicate. They pay taxes like everyone else. Just stop by the manager's office and bow your head, unless... you were hoping that they'd ask you for a different kind of compensation entirely?"

"Don't even joke about it," said the girl who just finished up her dinner.

"You're right." Musujime's words seemed to imply the complete opposite. "It's not like they'd want an attractive girl like you under their employ." She shot her a knowing look.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Fukiyose's voice suddenly reached higher notes upon noticing the meaning behind the red head's statement. "That's just not going to happen. And even if it did, I'll escape and report them to the authorities!"

"If you say so…" The girl shrugged. "In any case, that's all I came here for. Good night."

Fukiyose had finished washing her plates and changed into a new set of clothes with extra layers, just in case things got out of hand. She stepped outside the dorm and was greeted by the cool night air. Her skin felt an oddly pleasant sensation as if she had just returned under cover of a shade after taking a long trek across a desert. A large silver moon hung high above the sky. She walked onward, noticing a slight bounce in her step. All traces of worry and doubt fled her mind.

Academy City remained ever busy, but not as much as it did during the day.

Fukiyose felt confident she could head to her destination on foot again but decided against it as it would take time. She wanted to get this done as early as possible, so she rode the bus heading towards that district.

There was no driver at the head, merely an automated machine holding the brakes, steering wheel, and gear stick. The empty interior was eerily quiet. She found no soul in any of the seats. Her feet took her to the nearest seat as she did not want to spend the entire ride in the middle. Her gaze drifted towards the city lights outside.

The bus dropped her off two blocks away from the street with the nightclubs.

Her eyes swung from side to side, wary of her surroundings for any danger. She didn't carry the purse she usually brought with her when going outside. It was a fine target to be snatched and robbed. Only her essentials were with her, a phone in case she needed to call anyone and her wallet.

When she finally arrived at the supposed street, she was surprised by all the closed shops and the lack of people. This was supposed to be an area full of night life. Instead, it was full of shut doors and dead street lamps.

An ominous feeling sprouted within her. As she walked ever so slowly, the cold was penetrating her coat and crawling across her skin. She brought her arms together and embraced herself as she inspected each place she passed by.

The club that the handsome guy was working on had simple signboard with neon lights hanging above the entrance. If it was the peak hours, these lights would have been irritatingly bright and full of mismatched colors. The glass panes wouldn't be giving a view of what was inside as it was well tinted, but it would have shown hints of activity from the music. But all of those things could not be found.

Even as Fukiyose Seiri entered the empty establishment, there was no one there to greet her. There were no hosts or customers around. The entrance which had a lounge to the left had no one occupying the fancy chairs. Even the counter and reception area was vacant.

"Excuse me?" She called out to no one in particular. Her heartbeat pounded heavily. After waiting a few minutes in the dark, she decided to take a look further inside. "Hello? Is somebody here?"

She came across several lounges and bar tables but no one had come to answer her calls or forbid her from stepping into those private areas. The manager's office, the locker area, the bathrooms, they were all empty.

Fukiyose finally reached the end of the club. Only the door to the back alley was right in front of her. Its shining green light forming the word "Exit" was a small beacon to her wistful eyes.

The door opened and shut tight for her, leaving her out in the back alley, thinking of whether she should leave the place for good and come back tomorrow.

As she turned around to head for the main street, a small crunch was caught by her attentive ear. Her head turned almost automatically. Nothing could have prepared her for the sudden assault which sent her falling backwards into the solid wall. The surprise attack caught her off guard. It was already too late before she realized what had happened. Her head struck the wall with a dull sound echoing in the darkness. Her body met with the cluttered ground. Various signals were being sent to her brain telling her that parts of her body were in pain to which she could do nothing about it. Her vision was spinning too wildly to compose herself.

A distinct weight leapt and fell on top of her. Sharp fingernails tore through her coat, shredding the fabric into thin pieces, and digging into her skin. A hot cloud of breath escaped its lips which were lined with sharp, pointed fangs. It was talking in nonsensical garbage which resembled that of a brainless animal hungry for some food.

Fukiyose's vision recovered enough to find this inhuman tearing through her clothes. She could feel a stinging pain in her skin caused by the wounds opened by its claws. A stray slice was enough to cut open the front of her pants, sending a button flying away. In a desperate effort, she lifted her feet up and kicked this thing off of her with all her might, sending it flying farther than she thought she possibly could.

She forced herself to stand up, deep breaths from the adrenaline overtaking her mouth. Her gaze fell on the thing that was lying on its back not too far away. It wore clothes fit enough to be worn by a host. It seemed to be having trouble getting up as it took awhile for it to raise its torso.

Fukiyose was too petrified to think of running away. A tiny bit of blood dripped from her body towards the ground. With a painful sound, the attacker stood back up and advanced like a crippled person.

When this person finally reached a dangerous distance, Fukiyose noticed this person's features were distorted. Their eyes were a bright red crimson. Its mouth was split too across either cheeks and fangs could be found within instead of teeth. Their skin was like candle wax with veins running across different places. Their arms were abnormally large and long, nearly hitting the ground even though they were standing tall. Furthermore, this person actually resembled the man who tried to persuade her earlier. He no longer looked handsome at all. His features were far too monstrous.

In the next moment, the man dashed towards her. Fukiyose, however, could see that person's intention clearly even in the bleak darkness. As he swung his abnormal long arm in a wide arc towards her, sending tiny pebbles flying from the dirty floor, Fukiyose ducked and avoided the strike before slamming a fist upwards towards that person's jaw. The man was stunned and had his balance broken, which the girl immediately took advantage. Her arms found themselves wrapping around his hips, locking them in place. She lifted the body up without warning and suddenly threw it over head with her back arched outward, the remnants of her shirt revealing her navel and parts of her blue bra. The man flew and landed flat on his face on the ground. A pained groaned cried from his lips.

Fukiyose's chest heaved up and down while staring at the body, realizing she had executed that wrestling move perfectly on a person near twice her own weight. The slight breeze tickling her navel prompted her to wrap herself up with the fragments of her coat flaps. A tinge of red painted her cheeks. She was thankful her pants did not slip down even though nothing was holding it up anymore aside from her butt.

She walked over to the fallen man and turned him over so that he was facing up. His face now looked liked it had given up and was devoid of life. Her expression quickly changed into one of concern as she knelt down. But that was her mistake.

The man sprung to life and pushed the girl down to the ground. His garbled words were irritating to hear.

"Stop this! Let go of me already!" Fukiyose shouted at the top of her lungs and tried to push him off but the body pressing her down was using all its weight on her. Her sight fell on the man's exposed shoulder blade. Her eyes glowed red. Something dawned on her when she watched the blood pulse from within that person's veins. Her head began to move on its own. Opening her mouth, she bit hard on the man's flesh. A swirl of blackness invaded her vision.

And that's it. What do you think? Reviews are much obliged.