December 4, 2008, 02:43.
Katsushika District, Tokyo Metropolitan Tōbu Chiiki Hospital.
The third-floor corridor appeared dark and silent.
The air pressed against the chest, thick enough to drown in.
Zzzzt… tek~Beep!
Sreekk~pyurrr…
The corridor lights flickered unstably. Heart monitor alarms echoed one after another, displaying Leads Off on their screens. Dust from the cracked walls fell, covering the corridor floor. Wheelchairs and medical equipment lay scattered across the ground.
The ICU ward stretched into darkness all the way down the corridor.
Dust still floated in the air. Cracks gaped open along the walls, electrical cables dangled loosely, and the lights flickered weakly.
Silent, far too silent.
"Hah… hah… hah…" Only Diana's breathing could be heard, ragged as she stood staring sharply toward the rubble across the room.
Krek… krek… krek…
Not footsteps, and not the sound of someone rising. From behind the debris, something moved-
like a body knitting itself back together.
The female Urqell's hair appeared first.
Black strands crawled out from the gaps in the concrete, spreading across the floor, the walls, and the ceiling, creeping slowly, patiently like roots searching for fertile soil. The hair anchored itself, tightening between the ceiling and the walls.
KRRRAAAKK!
The entire wreckage trembled. It was not the Urqell that rose, the ruins were being pulled toward her. Concrete shattered. Steel bent. The Urqell's body lifted upside down, her spine arched at an impossible angle. Her head hung low, her face completely hidden beneath her hair.
Tap~Tap!
One Gamma-coated claw pierced into the floor, supporting her hanging body. The second claw dug into the other side, holding her in a twisted backbend position.
With a slow movement, almost lazy, the Urqell turned her neck one hundred and eighty degrees. A soft crack echoed as the bone rotated beneath her scaly skin. From behind the curtain of hair, one blood-red eye opened, staring directly at Diana.
The gaze was not angry, not panicked. But, hungry.
Heavy breaths slipped from between her fanged lips. Each exhale released a dark vapor.
"Grrooo~krrrsshh…" The Urqell descended to the floor without jumping. Her body slid along the wall like thick liquid, then landed in a crawling stance, four limbs touching the ground, her back arched low.
A pure predator.
Her hair hissed softly, trembling as if it too were sniffing out prey.
Diana narrowed her eyes, looking tired yet still calm. "Tch… Not an ordinary Urqell. A Qurr Urqell[1]." She murmured softly, letting out a long breath that carried not the slightest trace of fear on her face.
The Urqell lifted her head slightly, just enough to reveal a thin smile that was never meant for humans.
The ICU corridor seemed to hold its breath along with them.
"Gerhhhh… hikksss… gerhhh…" The sound of inhalation mixed with a low growl, the distinctive breathing of a Qurr Urqell. Hot vapor slipped out between her fangs.
"So… if I kill the one-horned Urqell Queen, the Alpha will hunt me?"
Diana gave a crooked smile, watching the game before her.
Hikksss... Brakkk…
With a single inhale, the Qurr Urqell shot forward like a bullet. Ready to crash into Diana's body standing right in front of her.
Tap ~ Srekhh…
Diana leapt aside, avoiding the attack with speed and precision, as if the monster moved through water.
BRUAKKKKK~Brakkk... Brakkk…!
Two walls burst apart, shattered by the Urqell's violent dash. Relentless attacks, aggressive and lethal, continued to launch toward Diana without pause.
Tapp... Tapp... Tapp…
"Shit..!" Diana kept dodging the merciless assaults of the Qurr Urqell. If I kill it, the risk is that the Alpha and its pack will surely attack, she muttered inwardly.
Vuuu~Zinggg…
Diana spread her palm. "Jwala-Bomb! Explode." Diana's voice remained calm. Small pale spheres emerged, and in an instant flames burst out, enveloping them.
Brakkk ~ Wusshhhh…
The Urqell lunged again, her hair fluttering like a net ready to ensnare Diana.
Bomm~Bomm~Bomm…
A chain of explosions struck the Urqell's body, instantly halting her attacking leap.
"GRAHHHH...!" The Urqell growled, several layers of her scales peeling away. Yet she continued moving swiftly, preparing to attack again.
Grebhh!
The small hands of Bayang-Loka pressed its body down onto the floor.
"Stay still!" Diana snapped, pointing toward the restrained Urqell. She raised her fingers and tapped three times on the gemstone surface of her ring.
A blue light ignited, forming a Holographic Display. Diana typed several numbers, showing a contact named 'Arkhōn Goofball.'
Tert... Tert~Sing…
The holographic screen displayed Hugo's face.
"O… Diana-Swannn~! Did you miss me? Eheh…" Hugo greeted casually, chuckling with his ridiculous expression.
"I absolutely did not miss you!" Diana replied, looking exhausted and annoyed at having to deal with the old man.
"O… is that so." Hugo paused, his face suddenly serious. "Then… would you like to play chess, Diana-Swannn~?" he continued, a friendly smile still drawn across his face.
"NOT THAT..! Ahh… for heaven's sake."
Diana shouted in half-frustration, her face looking far more exhausted than when fighting the Qurr Urqell. She shook her head and let out a long breath, calming her emotions.
"Here… look," Diana concluded, her voice still irritated as she directed the holographic view toward the Qurr Urqell that remained restrained.
"Ohh… look at that miserable face."
Hugo replied casually, far too casually, with a wide grin carved across his face.
"If I kill it… then-" Diana turned the holographic view back toward herself, a hint of hesitation appearing on her face. She was about to explain the risk if she killed the Qurr Urqell, but her sentence stopped midway.
"Kill it." Hugo answered quickly, without thinking, without hesitation an absolute command.
"E… B-But… the Alpha and its pack?"
Diana asked, slightly hesitant as she considered the risk of Hugo's decision. A moment later, she nodded firmly.
"That's my concern… just do your part." Hugo replied calmly. His gaze remained relaxed, as if it were not a big problem for him at all, before cutting the connection.
***
At the same time. Katsushika House, living room.
Klik.
The sound of Hugo's lighter cut off the holographic connection. "Hah… young people these days… always hesitating," he said calmly with a faint smile.
"Checkmate!" The silhouette in front of Hugo moved the rook beside the king's piece.
"E… S-Since when was your rook within the king's radius, ehh…?" Hugo asked with an annoyed expression.
"Mhh… two minutes ago," the silhouette replied, sounding confident, without hesitation and unwilling to accept any objection.
"Ehh… you old geezer, stop cheating," Hugo snapped, his face irritated as if the game were a matter of life and death.
"Stop calling me old… And… I have never cheated since the day I was born," the silhouette replied, slowly revealing the face of Hiji.
"Ehh… never cheated, you say… Do you think… I only met you yesterday afternoon, huh?!" Hugo leaned forward, his expression ridiculous yet dramatic.
"What… you want to fight me, bastard?!" Hiji challenged, leaning forward as well.
Now their foreheads pressed against each other in fury above the chessboard.
***
Back at Tokyo Metropolitan Tōbu Chiiki Hospital.
Klik.
The holographic connection was cut off. Diana gave a crooked smile and lifted her chin. Now the gleam in her eyes burned red.
"So…" Her voice was calm, accompanied by a thin, cold smile. "So… I'm free. Free to kill!" Diana continued, her gaze that of a hungry predator.
Syuuutt!
The Bayang-Loka released their grip at once, retreating from the attack radius. As if they knew what their master was about to do.
"Grohhh~Kishhh…" A low growl and the sound of heavy breathing rumbled from the Qurr Urqell's throat.
BRAKKK!
The Urqell lunged wildly, aiming straight for Diana's face. Yet Diana remained standing upright in her place, not moving in the slightest. With a relaxed motion, she simply raised one hand.
PLAKKK~BRUAKK!
A single powerful slap landed squarely across the Qurr Urqell's face. The monster's body was violently flung away, crashing through the wall of the adjacent room.
"Gorrhhhh...!" The Urqell groaned deeply, its mouth opening wide, revealing its surging fury.
Sessss~krrrsshh…
The Urqell's hair trembled violently, stretching and spreading in every direction. The tips hardened, forming thousands of sharp needles pointed forward.
"Gerhhh... Hiksss…"
BRAKKK!
With one long inhale, the Urqell shot forward as fast as lightning. Thousands of hair-tips hunted from every direction, ready to pierce Diana's body with countless sharp strands.
Diana still did not move. Her eyes merely glanced coldly at the incoming attack. She clenched her teeth, then spoke in a calm yet absolute tone.
"Sunya-Graha.[2]"
Instantly, a black vortex emerged from the shadows behind Diana. The darkness spread rapidly across the entire room, swallowing every particle of light.
No sound.
No vibration.
The vortex of shadow wrapped around the Qurr Urqell's body completely, even before a single strand of hair could touch Diana's skin. As the shadows enveloped the Urqell entirely, a massive internal gravitational force was formed.
An implosion occurred, pulling every cell, flesh, and bone toward a single central point in the blink of an eye.
No blood, no scream, and no trace.
Shut!
The Qurr Urqell vanished completely, leaving no residue behind in this world. In an instant, the corridor fell silent, as if a life had just been erased.
But far beyond the city, something was awakening.
The Alpha had already sensed the death of his Queen.
[1] Qurr-Urqell:The Qurr-Urqell is the Queen of an Urqell pack. Urqell naturally live in groups similar to lion prides, led by an Alpha and a Queen, followed by Betas and the rest of the pack. To kill the Queen is to invite the inevitable retaliation of the Alpha and its entire pack.
[2] Sunya-Graha :Inspired by supernatural beings such as Genderuwo, Hantu Raya, and Gandarewa-entities found in the folklore of Indonesia, Malaysia, India, and Iran. They are often depicted as towering, massive figures covered in thick hair, with glowing eyes or protruding fangs. These beings are known as powerful and dangerous demons, feared for their calm yet deadly nature.