Chapter 14 (FINAL chapter (1/2)
<b style="font-weight:normal;">“Yuka, Nana!” Nao’s voice called out, “There you are!”
“Nao!”
Nao hugged Mako tightly. “Thank goodness you’re okay…”
“Where are the others? Where’s Natsuki-nee-san?”
“One of the hunters found Natsuki-san! She’s fighting her right now, but she’s hurt! Tomu’s gone to help her, but.. I’m worried!”
“I knew it… Hunters.”
“What should we do?!”
“Tomu said we needed to go to the roof… but I feel like Natsuki-san is in danger.”
“Don’t worry! Natsuki-san will be fine!” Yuka insisted. “Let’s go find everyone else. We’ll get them to safety on the roof and then look for Natsuki-san and Tomu!”
“Alright! Let’s hurry!”
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“J-san~? Where are you~?” Marika called out, “Anyone~?”
On the other side of the hallway, Madoka could hear her friend’s voice.
“Marika?” She then called out, “Marika! I’m here!”
“Madoka-chan?!”
Marika ran down the hall, seeing her friend. They dashed down to meet each other in the middle.
“I’m so happy I found you!” Marika cried as she hugged her friend’s waist.
“Jeez, you wanna break my back?!”
“Ah… sorry.”
“Hello~” Natsumi waved at her, making Marika confused.
“Hey, you’re that girl from before…”
“Natsumi, let’s go. The others are probably waiting for us,” Akari whispered, but the other girl just ignored.
“Marika…” Natsumi repeated. “You remember me?”
“Uh, yeah? Kinda, anyways.”
“Weeeeeeell,” Akari then grabbed Natsumi’s wrist, dragging her. “This was FUN, but we gotta go!”
As she turned around, she yelped as she came face to face with someone. However, she and Natsumi recognized the person.
“Rena-san?”
“Yo.”
“Yo!”
“What are you doing here?!”
“I’m actually here for you girls. I forgot to mention something.”
“Eh?”
“There’s a rare phenomena that occurs every four years that’s been rumored to happen tonight. If you go to the roof, you should see it right at the stroke of midnight.”
“Eh..?”
Rena smiled and waved goodbye to the girls as she walked down the hall.
“Hey, hey, Akari, let’s go see it! I wanna see it!”
“What?!”
“Let’s go! Let’s go to the roof and see it,” Natsumi spoke like an excited child. She tugged Akari’s arm, eventually beginning to drag the girl towards the staircase.
“Oh, alright! Just stop tugging!”
Madoka and Marika watched them in confusion, not sure of what to do.
“Should we… leave?”
“I-I guess. We can just go home… once we find our way out.”
“How will we do that?”
Marika pondered for a bit.
“Ah! I’ll know! We’ll go find J-san! Maybe she can help us!” Marika grabbed her friend’s hand, pulling her down the hall. “Let’s go!”
“Hold on! Who’s J-san?!”
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Natsuki was desperately trying to outrun the hunter, her hand still bleeding. The bullets flew past her as she ran up the stairs, trying to find everyone.
“Nana?! Mako?! Where is everyone..?” <b style="font-weight:normal;">“Natsuki-san!”
She then saw an approaching figure coming her way, it was Tomu.
“Tomu!”
“Natsuki-san… your hand!” Tomu’s eyes widened as she saw the older vampire’s bloody hand. “Did the hunter do this?!”
“Tomu, we have to run!” Natsuki urged as the hunter was drawing closer to them.
“Find one of your friends?!” Karen called out.
“Go!” Natsuki and Tomu dashed off, Karen following close behind them with a tight grip on her gun.
“Just follow them… and I’ll find them all.”
Meanwhile…
Nao was searching for Mako and the others, when she happened upon the school’s music room. The room was covered in dust, and overgrown vines were seeping through the windows, threatening to get inside.
Nao saw a grand piano in the center of the room, standing in the open as if waiting to be played. Nao brushed the tips of her fingers on the dusty keys before playing a chord.
A loud, clear note was played…
“It still works…”
“Can you play piano?” a voice then rose, making her turn around.
She saw a young girl with short hair staring at her with a catlike grin.
“Um… a little. I’m more of a sax player.”
“Ah, that’s right…” Jurina muttered as she looked around. “Let’s see… Saxophone… Ah, here it is!”
The girl handed her a black case, opening it up to reveal a silver alto saxophone. It looked polished, untouched. It was beautiful in Nao’s eyes.
“Go on. Play it.”
Nao took it in her hands and pressed a note as she blew into the saxophone. <b style="font-weight:normal;">The melody played through the brass instrument was clear and deep. The sound captivated her, moved her as she formed and sculpted each note. <b style="font-weight:normal;">Jurina looked on, smiling as she silently admired the music being played.
“I knew it.”
When Nao finished, she looked up at Jurina, her eyebrows furrowing when she saw her smile.
“Do I… know you?”
Jurina tilted her head. “I was hoping you’d remember… But it was a long time ago, so you probably don’t recognize me.” <b style="font-weight:normal;">“Should I recognize you..? Do you know who I am..?”
“Hmm… you could say that, but this is actually the first time I’m meeting you.”
“Eh? So how--” Jurina then touched Nao’s forehead. The girl suddenly collapsed, asleep with the saxophone still cradled in her arms.
Jurina caught her as she fell, still smiling softly.
“How should I say it? ‘It’s nice to meet you’ or ‘it’s been a while’?” she mumbled as she walked out of the classroom. “It’s been awhile… I guess.”
“This way,” Jurina then heard footsteps coming her way. “I think I heard someone!”
She turned her head slightly and saw Yuka run out into the hallway, along with Nana and Mako.
“Oi! What are you doing with Nao?!”
Jurina just smirked and teleported out of the hallway, disappearing.
“Hey!” Yuka tried to catch her, but it was too late. “Who was that?!”
“Another vampire?”
“They had Nao…”
“Crap! What is going on with this place?!”
“Mako!” Mako then heard her sister’s voice calling to her. She saw a wounded Natsuki and Tomu run towards them, letting out tears of relief.
“Nee-chan!” She hugged her sister tightly, clinging to her jacket.
“Tomu!” Yuka hugged Tomu, crying as well.
“Oi, what’s wrong? Were you scared?”
“Because… Because someone just..!”
“Eh?”
“Mou, I don’t understand anything anymore! I just wanna go home!”
“But, Yuka--”
“Aha!” Karen pointed both her guns at the group of vampires. “I’ve got you all…”
“Crap, a hunter!”
“What do we--”
Nana pushed through the others, stepping out in front of the hunter.
“Leave my friends alone!” she shouted, holding her arms out.
“You’re a brave one… But that makes you an easy target.”
“Nana, you don’t have to--”
“No, I must.”
“But…”
“I swore… I swore to always be by Mako’s side!” Nana exclaimed. “To protect her, to never leave her alone!”
“What?” Mako’s eyebrows furrowed.
“I don’t care if she doesn’t remember our past together! I’ll still be her best friend!”
“Cut the crap!” Karen yelled, angrily charging at Nana.
“Nana, look out!”
The short girl dodged her attack and kicked her, blowing her back into the wall.
“Ow..! Y-you’re..strong… But I’ll still..!”
Nana screamed and tried to punch Karen, the hunter dodging. A tent was left in the wall from the impact of her blow. Nana tried again and again, the hunter moving swiftly.
“You hurt my friends..!”
“Yeah, you think you’re all so innocent?!” Karen grabbed her wrists. “You took away my best friend and turned her into one of you!”
“Karen….” Yuka’s eyes widened.
“Yuka… I’m sorry. I was weak before. But now..!” Karen pushed Nana away. “I’ll kill these monsters! I’ll kill them for turning you into a vampire!”
“Wait!”
“And then… and then….” Karen suddenly fell silent, looking up at her friend. “Then… I…”
“Are you really going to kill me, Karen?”
“I…”
While she was distracted, Nana grabbed her and pinned her to the ground, punching her in the face.
“Natsuki-nee-san is my family! Mako-chan is my best friend! If you threaten to hurt my friends, my family!”
“Argh!” Karen kneed Nana in the gut and freed herself. “Shut up shut up! I’ve had enough out of you!”
She cocked her gun, ready to shoot Nana. However, right as she shot the bullet, a green energy surrounded her and Nana disappeared.
“What the..?” Karen’s eyes widened. “Where did she--?!”
The same energy then surrounded her and she also vanished.
“Eh..? What happened to them?!”
“Guys..?!” Yuka looked at her hand, seeing the green energy appear around her and Tomu.
After they disappeared, Natsuki and Mako were left alone, the green aura now started to surround their feet.
“Nee-chan..!” They hug each other as a bright flash surrounded them.
They found themselves on the roof, everyone else present, looking around in confusion.
“Natsuki-san! Mako-chan!” Akari and Natsumi ran to the rest of the group.
“Yahoo~”
“Guys, what the HECK is going on?!”
“No clue. We saw Rena-san earlier and she told us about something that was supposed to happen tonight…”
“Wait, you saw Rena-san?!”
“Yeah?”
“And how did you guys appear here like magic?” Natsumi asked.
“We’re not sure…”
“More importantly, where’s Nao?”
“Ah! She’s sleeping over there!” the spacey girl pointed out, all of them seeing Nao collapsed with the saxophone still in her arms.
“Nao!” They all ran to her, Tomu leaning down and shaking the girl. “Hey, wake up! Nao!”
Nao groaned as she slowly got up, holding her head.
“What happened..?”