December 3, 2008, late afternoon.
Katsushika District, school building.
Tap… tap… tap…
The sound of running footsteps echoed against each other as they rushed down the stairs toward the ground floor. Zulo and Kaito tried to get Sanna as far away as possible, as quickly as they could.
"Ahh… ahh… come on!" Kaito panted, pointing toward the exit door as he glanced back at Sanna behind him. "We're almost at the exi-"
BRUAGHH~SREHK…!
The floor in front of them suddenly collapsed. Something crashed down from the upper floor, creating an explosion that slammed violently into everything below.
Kaito, Sanna, and Zulo were thrown backward, unable to withstand the pressure of the air bursting in front of them.
"Kyaa…!" Sanna was hurled toward the row of lockers behind them, her small body thrown helplessly through the air.
BRAKKK!
Zulo reacted quickly, catching Sanna before she could crash into the lockers. His back slammed into the metal doors with tremendous force, denting them with a deafening sound.
"A-are… you alright?" Kaito asked in panic, crawling closer despite the pain and trembling in his body.
ZZZRRRTTT~SHHH!
The black spiked flail burned with dense steam, hissing sharply as it embedded itself into the floor just inches from where they had been moments earlier.
BRUGHH!
An Urqell figure leaped down from the upper floor.
The air around them instantly felt heavy and suffocating.
Sanna, Kaito, and Zulo froze, their bodies trembling under the crushing weight of fear pressing against their chests. Sanna sobbed quietly, covering her mouth with both hands to keep from crying out. Kaito wrapped his arms around her tightly, forcing himself to appear strong even though his legs were barely able to support him.
"Kaito… take Sanna and get out of here." Zulo lowered his head for a moment, closing his eyes and drawing a long breath. His voice was calm, though his jaw had hardened.
"Eh… Zulo, what are you-" Kaito's voice faltered, struggling to suppress the trembling fear in his body and the anxiety stirred by Zulo's words.
Grebh ~ Bethhh!
Zulo's hand grabbed Kaito's collar firmly. "You and Sanna leave… or none of us will!" His voice was heavy, absolute. Zulo shoved Kaito away.
"Heekss… Zu-Zulo…" Kaito's voice broke as he held back tears and fear, yet he still pulled Sanna along with him, moving away from the corridor. He tried to respect his friend's decision, even though every part of him resisted leaving him behind.
***
Meanwhile, on the third floor.
BRUAGHH!
Jōgan's body was hurled once again into the bathroom wall, unable to resist as he hovered on the edge of consciousness.
KRAKK ~ BYARR!
His back slammed into the sink, shattering it into pieces that cut and tore into his back. Water burst out wildly, flooding the floor.
"Uhukk… huekk…" Jōgan coughed violently. Fresh blood flowed from the corner of his lips, his body lying limp in the spreading water.
Crak… crak… Grebh!
The Urqell's footsteps sounded heavy, submerged in water that splashed with every step. With its left hand, the Urqell seized the collar of Jōgan's uniform and lifted his body into the air as if he weighed nothing.
VREEEEEETTTT ~ Wusshhhh!
The claws on Urqell's right hand vibrated with a sharp hum, coursing with shimmering Gamma energy, preparing for the final strike. The claws began to sweep forward, aimed directly at Jōgan's body.
***
At the same time, in the school courtyard.
Tap… tap… tap…
The pounding footsteps of running blended with Kaito's crying, the frustration of leaving his friends behind weighing heavily on him. Kaito ran toward the school gate while gripping Sanna's hand tightly.
"Heekss… hekss… he-" His sobbing suddenly stopped. In front of them, a strange girl walked calmly toward the school building, as if completely unaware of the danger.
"W-wait… don't go there. It's… it's dangerous over there…" Kaito's voice trembled as he tried to hold back his tears. His steps halted right in front of the girl.
"Shhh…" The girl gestured for silence, pressing her index finger against her moist lips. With a single wink, she walked past Kaito and Sanna without hesitation.
Kaito turned his head, staring at her back as she walked away.
"Jwala-Bomb…" the girl murmured softly as she opened her palm toward the air. "Scatter." From her hand, spheres of fire appeared, spinning and growing larger before shooting toward the ground floor of the school building.[1]
***
Inside the building, ground floor.
Zulo stood firm. He knew he might die here. But he was ready. As long as Kaito and Sanna could escape and save themselves.
KLANG~SREEEEKKK!
"Grohhh…" The Urqell's groan echoed as its body began lifting the massive spiked flail. The Gamma flail chain was pulled back, screeching loudly.
GRRRSHHHTTT ~ Wusshhhh!
The Urqell swung the spiked flail with full force toward Zulo. The head of the mace shot forward, closing the distance rapidly toward Zulo's head.
KAA~BOMMM!!!
A tremendous explosion shook the building. Fire spheres slammed into the Urqell's body and detonated at once, just two inches before the spiked flail could crush Zulo's head.
BRUAKKKKK!
The Urqell's body was hurled violently away, smashing through three school walls at once, creating massive holes and deep cracks along the path of its flight.
"Hah… hah… hah…" Zulo's breathing was ragged, mixed with relief. His knees finally gave out, striking the floor with a heavy sound.
Tap… tap… tap…
Footsteps sounded calmly as someone entered the ruined ground floor of the school. Zulo slowly raised his head. His eyes hardened, focusing on the figure approaching.
A girl stood there. Beautiful, with sharp wide eyes, full lips, and a tall slender figure. Her skin was exotic, and her wavy black hair fell freely over her shoulders.
In that instant, the terror of death twisting his stomach... flipped into something else entirely. His heart hammered, not from fear, but from her. Death and desire, indistinguishable.
KRRR~SHAAKKK!
"Grohhh…!" The Urqell roared. Its scales were torn away, its body covered in wounds, yet its fury still burned fiercely. From the pile of cracked concrete, the Urqell's body stirred, trying to rise again.
"Mm… still want to stand?" the girl glanced briefly and asked casually. She only smiled faintly, then leaned her body calmly against the edge of the shattered wall.
Brukk..! SSSSSSHHH~KRING!
The Urqell stepped forward, accompanied by the thunder of Gamma energy. The metallic resonance rang sharply as the iron molecules of the spiked flail vibrated at the level of Spectral Shift. The Gamma-coated spiked flail swung straight toward the girl.
"Akasabirawa," the girl said lightly, forming a cross symbol with her middle and index fingers. "Mm… you have already lost." she said calmly.
NGIIIIINGGG~HMMMMMM!
A high-frequency hum filled the room. The Gamma energy distorted, rebounding off an invisible layer created by Akasabirawa.
"Atma-Bindu… Absorb," the girl said, a thin, feral smile. From her palm, the form of a female spirit appeared, its shape terrifying, its aura cold and dark.[2]
Hihihi~Shhuuttt!
In an instant, the mysterious female ghost appeared, terrifying in its grotesquerie. With a shrill laugh and long hair flowing wildly, it covered the terrifying form and possessed the Urqell's body.
"GRAUHHHH!!" The Urqell screamed. Its skin turned pale, its eyeballs dimmed, as if its life were being drained from within.
Trang… Brughhh..!
The flail slipped from its grasp, falling powerlessly onto the floor. The Urqell's body collapsed, striking the ground, stiff, pale, and lifeless.
***
Meanwhile, on the third floor, the school bathroom.
Tes… tes… pluk…!
The sound of water dripping from Jōgan's shoes broke the silence, falling onto the surface of the cold puddle below. His body hung suspended in the air, trapped in the Urqell's grip as it choked his neck.
Wusshhhh!
"Gerhhh… Die!" The Urqell grinned sharply. Its claws swung forward, ready to tear Jōgan's body apart. The distance between the claws and Jōgan's body shrank rapidly.
50 cm.
30 cm.
10 cm.
NGINGGGG!
"ARGHHH…!!" A sharp ringing pierced Jōgan's forehead again, followed by pain splitting through his head. Jōgan screamed as he looked upward, the agony spreading more brutally through his mind.
BETHHH ~ Sluphhh!
Jōgan's vision turned black. His body felt light, as if it had been released from the world. Cold vapor drifted from his body as his consciousness flared back to life. Jōgan lowered his gaze.
"Hakss…" A choked sound escaped his throat. He was floating. Right above the Milky Way Galaxy. Billions of colors swirled before him, trillions of stars glittering in cosmic silence. Jōgan raised both hands. The wounds and blood on his body slowly evaporated, replaced by a piercing cold that sank deep into his bones.
Pukk!
Someone patted his back. The hand felt firm, powerful, unfamiliar, yet strangely connected to him.
"W… who?" Jōgan asked haltingly, trying to move his neck that felt stiff. He could not see the figure standing behind him.
"My Son… Horizon Echo - Lv19." The man's voice whispered heavily, firm and absolute. It sounded unfamiliar, yet deep within his soul he felt a blood bond with the one standing behind him.
NGINGGGG!
A violent pulse dragged Jōgan's consciousness back into the real world. At that exact moment, the distance between the Urqell's claws and his body was only two centimeters.
"EAAHHHH… HORIZON ECHO - Lv19!!" Jōgan shouted, his left hand gripping the Urqell's head as rage and pain erupted together.
DUMMMM~MMMM~MMMM!
A deep echoing blast shook the room, destroying the Urqell from within. The Urqell's body dissolved, fading until only atomic particles remained. It had no time to bleed, react, or even make a sound.
VWASHHHH ~ SINGGGGG~PYARRRR!
Cosmic frequencies fractured the entire third floor before everything was pulverized. The glass trembled for a microsecond, then turned into dust, merging with the fine fragments of the walls. Clouds of wall dust and glass shards burst outward through the windows and doors of the school building.
Brughhh!
"Hakss… Hakss… Hakss..!" Jōgan's body fell and struck the floor, his gaze empty. His breathing was ragged. His body was cold, trembling violently, and on the verge of death.
Tap… tap… tap…
The sound of running footsteps approached rapidly and in panic toward him.
"Jōgan!!" Zulo shouted in alarm. He embraced his friend's body, trying to hold him tightly as Jōgan trembled violently in his arms. "J… Jōgan! Stay awake… JŌGAN!!"
[1] Jwala-Bomb :Inspired by a spirit known as Banaspati, a ghost from Indonesia whose body is entirely made of fire. Banaspati can take the form of a human engulfed in flames, or transform into a floating fireball that can explode.
[2] Atma-Bindu :Inspired by a spirit known as Kuntilanak or Pontianak, a ghost originating from Indonesia and Malaysia that appears in the form of a woman. The Kuntilanak is depicted as a long-haired woman dressed in white, often accompanied by a piercing, eerie laugh.