Chapter 33

“Ryuuko, did you do something with your hair?” Asumi asked with excitement as she sat on my bed, taking a closer look at my new hairstyle.

“Does-does it look strange?”

“Hmm ... it’s cute. But you’re missing something. Oh! I know!”

Reaching into her pockets she pulled out a pair of hairclips and carefully parted the bangs that drooped over my head.

“There we go. Now we can see your pretty eyes, hehe.” She giggled.

“Geez...” I muttered, trying to hide my embarrassment.

“So you’re really going to do it. Ah..., I’m so nervous.”

“Wh-why are you the one that’s nervous? I-I should be the one who ... ooh.” I held my tummy as I felt the strange feeling of fluttering, as if there were thousands of butterflies flying around inside.

“I know. But it’s your big middle school debut! Everyone is going to be able to see how gorgeous you are and then I’m going to have to share you with other people. Haa ... it’s going to hard. I bet I’m going to have to stand in line just to see you.” Asumi sighed as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders.

“You’re making it sound like I’m going to be super popular or something. T-there’s no way that’s going to happen.” I retorted, my face feeling hot as it turned bright red.

“Oh, don’t be like that Ryuuko. You’ve got to have confidence! You’re so cute, there’s no way anyone can resist you. I daresay that you even have a chance of being scouted and becoming a model.” She exclaimed as she nuzzled my cheek.

“S-stop it! You’re going to mess up my hair.” I giggled as I playfully pushed her back. “But ... I do hope that I will be able to fit in.”

I was quiet for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts. I stared at the bookshelf in my room, crammed full of the books I have read over the years, and winced as the all the horrible nostalgia came flooding back to me.

“Asumi ... I really want to change. I’m so tired. Of being pushed away by others, to be isolated from the rest of the class and ... of this terrible feeling of loneliness.” My voice was shaking as I spoke. Placing my hand on my chest, I tried to steady the feeling of tightness that gripped onto my breast like a bear trap.

“Ryuuko...” I heard Asumi as I felt her gently holding my hand, feeling the softness of her fingers as they interlocked with mine.

“ ... I’m sorry. To have to make you go through all that with me. I really am. I’m so sorry I made you stay with me for those horrible 3 years.” The words choked out from my mouth, my vision getting blurry as tears filled my eyes.

“Not at all. I was very happy.” Asumi replied as she shook her head. “I’m glad to have been together with you.”

“Uhh ... ughh ... I ... I really don’t understand you.” I sobbed uncontrollably. The tears kept coming and I couldn’t stop it no matter how hard I tried, as it dripped down my face and messed up my hair. “But thank you...”

“Ryuuko, I’ll always be with you.”

“KENJIROU, INCOMING PROJECTILES TO YOUR RIGHT!” Juntaro called to him as bloodied orbs flew towards the club president.

“KUH!” Kenjirou grunted, barely able to dodge. The bullets like orbs brushed pasted him and landed on the ground with a sickening splat that immediately dissolved everything in a matter of moments.

“PREZ! GOD DAMMIT!” Takuya screamed as he dashed away from the onslaught that rained at him before rushing towards the gruesome geyser of red.

But as if responding to his approach, Ryuuko let out a ghastly wail. The tentacles burst out from her as they wrapped around themselves, gathering the liquid that oozed from her body, and formed a giant sphere of blood before immediately launching it at his direction.

“Oh ... SHI-GAH!!” Takuya gritted his teeth as he tried to dodge, but a terrible pain came from his stomach, suddenly breaking his concentration as he felled to his knees. The ball of crimson flew at him at frightening speed while he clutched his stomach, unable to move out of the way.

“HIDEYOSHI!!”

BWSSSH

The devastating attack smashed into the ground, leaving a massive crater that melted deep into the earth. Barely making it, Kenjirou was able to grab Takuya and leapt out of the way in the nick of time. The explosion grazed him, scouring his back and melted bits of his clothes and skin leaving behind an expose of bubbling bloodied mess.

“Prez!” Takuya exclaimed.

“I’m fine! Hmph...” Kenjirou huffed as he tried to catch his breath.

“Guys! There’s more incoming and it’s a large one! You have to move!” Juntaro warned as the two boys turned to the sight of numerous red spear-like objects was being expelled from Ryuuko’s body.

Without wasting any time, Kenjirou immediately grabbed Takuya by the collar as they leapt into the giant crater that was formed and hide underneath, listening to the terrible splattering of the red rain.

“This is too much. At this rate, we won’t even be able to get close.” Kenjirou growled as he looked over to Takuya who was still clutching his stomach in pain. “Hideyoshi! Are you alright?!”

“S-sorry, Prez. Ugh ... it still hurts like crazy.” Takuya looked down at the mess of discolored skin that was burnt into his abdomen. It was throbbing profusely with every little movement, causing him so much pain he could barely even stand.

“The wound from before ... it still hasn’t healed? That can’t be...”

“It’s the air! Remember when you fought that thing earlier? When it released that shockwave that took you down, it was a massive mix of phytochemicals that was somehow able to surpass the virus in our bodies. It was why your wounds were in such bad shape and your bodies were in such pain.” Juntaro explained to them. “I’m still detecting a trace amount in the air, with more the closer we are to where that thing was.”

“Why didn’t you tell us that earlier senpai? What happen to our no withholding information rule?” Takuya barked before wincing as he continuing to grab his stomach in pain.

“Alright, smartass. Hold back on your snark for when we actually have the time. While the phytochemical isn’t as bad as before from that attack, there is still enough to have an adverse effect our bodies. My readings are telling me your wounds are healing slower than usual because of that.”

“What a pain. So Prez, what do we do now? We’re going to be in trouble if this keeps up. We can’t even reach Takatora, let alone save her.”

“Hmph, I know. Closer ... if only we could get closer. Dammit...” Kenjirou cursed as he struggled to think of a plan. He peeked out from the crater to scan the horizon. Ryuuko has suddenly stopped moving, instead only weak wails were coming from her bloodied body as it continued to contort and constricted in a gruesome manner.

“She’s not attacking. Could it be that she was only reacting to us getting close to her? Does she know what we’re trying to do?” Takuya asked as he also took a look.

“Hmph...” Kenjirou grunted in annoyance as his eyes moved over to where Alma and Armadat was. It was hard to see but he was sure that Alma was also glancing back and, no doubt, mockingly smiling at them. They’re running out of time...

Watching from afar, Alma chuckled with amusement even as they continued their hold on the colossal creature before them, the melody coming from it now growing louder, as well as the fissures that spread across their floating body.

“tadamrA kniht uoy t’nod, thgis ciglatson a tahw? Selggurts rieht, noitarepsed rieht; sruo sa emas eht s’ti.” Came the same alien sounds from Alma as they spoke. Smiling a devious grin, they turned back to the pinned creature with an emotionless look on their face.

“Ahiman...!!!” The creature growled yet there was no cognitive in their words, as only the singing from its second head continued.

“Rotiart a em dellac uoy, on tub, ti ton s’taht. Rotiart eht ton saw I, dog eslaf eht yb devalsne gnieb retfa neve seiromem ym niager ot hguone yletanutrofnu erew ohw eno ylno eht saw I esuaceb saw ti daetsni tub. Uoy fo tser eht ... esac eht ton saw ti tub emas eht neeb ev’dluohs ti. Ti thgif ot deirt uoy hguohtla ees nac I, gnorts oot raf si uoy nopu tsac sdnuob eht.”

“aimA retsis ... Yrros m’I. Ma ylurt I. Uoy evas t’ndluoc I yrros m’I, sretsis ruo fo tser eht ron. Sselrewop ym rof yrros m’I. Gnireffus tnerruc ruoy morf uoy eerf ot deliaf evah I taht yrros m’I. Yrros os m’I.” Alma spoke solemnly as they looked up into the brilliant skies, the tears of blood continuing to fall from their eyes and stained their cheeks a deep red.

“Uoy fo yna hcaer ton nac sdrow ym taht wonk I, os neve tub yawa delaes ylleurc os neeb evah taht sgnileef eht desserpxe I dluoc ron, Esimorp siht lla uoy reffo lliw I; Egnever evah lliw I. Segadnob ruoy morf ruoy fo lla eerf lliw I. Yhw s’taht ... em evigrof ot evah ton od uoy. Tey ton, enod si deed eht litnu rehtien flesym evigrof ton lliw oot I rof. Em rof tiaw ... Sretsis raed ym. Yad lufetaf taht no su neewteb edam saw taht hsiw lanif eht llifluf lliw I!”

With a manically laugh, Alma suddenly snapped their fingers at the direction of the boys.

SNAP

“So, like, Shougo was late to our date yet he still had the nerve to ask that I hold back on buying too much stuff. He said that his paycheck was cut this month! Can you believe him?”

“Ahahaha! Koto-chii, your boyfriend is such a loser. We keep telling you should’ve ditched him and gone for a more handsome and richer one.”

“I know, Suzuna. But after all he said, he, like, still brought me everything I asked for. Ah ... he’s so romantic.”

I laughed along with the group. The wind from the rooftop blew at the four of us, carrying a strangely relaxing cool breeze despite the harsh sunlight that was blaring down on the school today while we ate our lunch.

“I’m so sick of hearing you talk about your boyfriend, Kotono. Geez, you complain about him so much yet you always keep saying crap like he’s the only one or he’s so dreamy, like something out of a novel. It’s getting boring.”

“You’re just jealous you can’t find the real love that I have, Mifue. Ahh~ I’m, like, so lucky. Speaking of which, what about you Ryuuko?”

“Eh?” I looked up from my juice box in surprise.

“I’m asking about you. Weren’t you, like, talking with that guy from class 1-1 last time? How did it go? Come on now, spill it!”

“Ahahaha! Come on, you know there’s no way that she would fall for such a janky guy like that. Isn’t that right, Ryuu-chii?”

“Y-yeah. Hehehe...” I forced a nervous laugh as I tried to play off the conversation.

“Aww ... how boring. Ryuuko, you’re so much more quieter than we initially thought. Where was that spunk of yours during our class introduction?”

“I’m plenty spunky still!” I immediately retorted fiercely.

“Ahahaha! There it is! Go Ryuu-chii!”

Everybody laughed loudly as I felt my face turning red from embarrassment. Although I knew they were joking, it was easy to tell they were actually laughing and making fun of me. Even so, I felt happy as I was still being included.

Was this what I wanted? To be able to hang out with other girls of the same age and class, to laugh and poke fun at each other? It surely must be, right? Yes ... it has to be. Afterall, I’m happy aren’t I?

“Yo, ladies. Check this out.”

Everyone got up and went over to where Mifue was. I felt a lump in my throat, swallowing hard, as I turned to where she was pointing and my eyes met with a scene of a love confession. It was Asumi and a male student from another class, both of them at the back of the school.

“Ugh ... It’s that girl again, and, like, another of her love session with her boys.”

“That poor idiot! Ahahaha! Here it comes!”

It was impossible to hear anything from so far, yet it was easy to tell what was happening. I watched as she shook her head and give a small bow to the boy, before he promptly walked away, completely dejected.

“And boom! What’s that now? The fifth one this week? Geez, this would be hilarious if it didn’t happen so often. Now it’s just boring.”

“She really is a hard sell! It’s amazing!”

“How can you guys even enjoy any of this. Ugh ... that girl. Like, seriously.”

“What’s your problem, Kotono?”

“I heard from the other girls in her class that she never talk to anyone and the only people she hangs around with are the boys who flock to her, like, some queen bee. Disgusting...”

“Ahahaha! It sounds more like you’re just jealous, Koto-chii. But I do agree. She act as if she’s better than us. Last time I tried to talk to her, and she just totally brushed me off. What a jerk.”

“Exactly. When she’s nothing more than, like, some creepy loner. Tsk ... I seriously hate her. Ryuuko, what do you think?”

“Huh?!” I jumped at the sudden turn of questions that was directed at me.

“Say, didn’t the both of you go to the same boring elementary school or something? Do you know her? Come on, let us in on some info.”

“Stop it! Don’t lump Ryuuko with someone like that. So what if she went to the same elementary school, it’s not, like, you knew her or anything, right?”

“Eh? Y-umm ... yeah.” I hesitated yet agreed with Kotono, nonetheless. A strange feeling of flutter occurred in my stomach as I spoke. Was it because I was lying to them...?