Jurina was taking a walk around the hall, Marika following her as she didn’t have anything else to do. However, she looked out and saw something out in the garden.

“J-san!” she screamed, clinging to the girl. “I think there’s someone collapsed outside!”

 

“Let me go check it out,” Jurina said as she ran down the hall to the staircase.

Marika stared outside at the collapsed figure. She saw Jurina run out towards the girl and shook her, trying to wake her up.

After a while, Marika saw her pick the girl up and carry her inside. She soon heard the girl walk back up and returned with the unconscious girl cradled in her arms.

“Who is she?”

“I don’t know… But she’s not waking up. I’m taking her somewhere to rest.”

“Okay…”

-----------------------

“School…?”

“Mako-chan, are you alright?” Natsuki asked.

“Um… yes. I just, erm, I need a minute.” Mako got up and walked away.

Unfamiliar with her surroundings, seeing she was in a school she had never seen before, she stood under a shady tree, trying to collect her thoughts.

“What happened to me..? My memory’s all fuzzy…”

 

It was then that she felt something hit her head. She yelled out in pain, looking down to see a shoe. When she looked up, she saw Yuka taking a nap, her foot dangling from the branch she was sitting on.

“Hey, Yuka!” she called out, making the girl jolt from her sleep and fall to the ground.

“Ow! My !”

“Serves you right,” Mako pouted. “What were you doing up there?”

“What do you mean? Just napping in my usual nap spot, of course,” Yuka said as she dusted off her skirt.

“‘Usual’?”

 

“Hm?”

“...Ah, nevermind.”

 

The short girl just raised a brow before shrugging.

 

“Come on, let’s go back inside.”

“Eh? Where?”

“What do you mean? Free period’s almost over. It’s almost time for our last class.”

 

“Class?!”

 

---------------------------

 

“MAKOOOOO!!!” Yuka called into the inside of a cave, her voice echoing off the stone walls. “ARE YOU IN THEEERE?!”

 

“I don’t think she is,” Rena said, shining a flashlight into the cave. “It’s pitch black… We should go. We don’t know who or what could be living here.”

 

“She’s right, Yuka. Let’s go,” Nana insisted.

“Oh, alright. Besides, you have a point. I wouldn’t wanna wake up a werewolf and get eaten.”

They walked away from the cave, continuing on, until Yuka’s nose twitched.

“Hm? What’s that smell?” she asked, soon coughing and holding her nose. “It stinks!”

Rena and Nana also gagged, covering their noses as the smell got stronger.

“Th-this putrid odor… It’s ichor!”

“What-chor?”

“Ichor! Demon blood!”

They could then see a black mist that looked like smoke rising in the air. A clear sign that the demon was close, probably dead.

 

However, the closer they got, they could hear a low growling. It sounded like a hungry wolf.

“W-what is that..?” Yuka pointed out a shadow of what looked like a large wolf. However, Rena’s eyes widened as she soon realized what it was.

“Girls, we need to run!”

Once she said that, the wolf let out a roaring howl and started to charge towards them. The three started running, Rena loading her gun and shooting it towards the oncoming wolf.

 

“What is going on with this wolf?!” Yuka screamed, seeing blood dripping down from the wolf’s fangs.

 

Rena shot the bullet and it hit the center of the beast’s head. It collapsed to the ground, the awful smell of demon blood surrounding it. Rena could see wounds around the wolf, and its blood was black instead of red.

“I knew it…”

“Rena-san, what happened to this wolf?” Nana asked.

“It’s been corrupted.”

“Corrupted?”

“When an animal consumes demon blood… this is what happens to them. They become a Fallen being.”

 

“So.. this wolf drank demon blood and became like this?” Yuka asked, seeing Rena and Nana both give sympathetic looks.

“The poor thing… It never meant to go through such a sufferable fate.”

 

“At least now, it won’t be in pain any longer.”

 

They slowly walked off, Yuka still shook by the sight. They remained silent as they continued walking, but Rena stopped as she could hear voices approaching them.

“Shouldn’t we go looking for them?”

“We’ll go after them once we reach the school building.”

“Are you sure? What if a hunter finds them? Or something worse…”

Yuka’s eyes widened. “Wait… That’s Natsuki and the others!”

Yuka and Nana saw the group approaching, immediately running to them.

“Natsuki-nee-san!”

“Guys!”

“Yuka?! Nana!” The two immediately hugged everyone, the rest of the group surprised to see them.

“Oh my God, I’m so happy we found you all~” Yuka cried.

“What happened to you two?!”

“WealmostgotkilledbythishugewolfbutthenthisgirlcameandshotitandthenwealmostgotattackedbyANOTHERwolfand--” Yuka spoke in a panic, her voice slurring a bit with her crying.

“Woah, woah, slow down!” Tomu said, wiping her tears away. “Were you able to find Mako?”

Yuka shook her head. “No… But we made a new friend.”

She pointed over to Rena, who was leaning against a tree. She waved her hand, everyone acknowledging her presence.

“Well, I guess we’ll just have to search for her ourselves.”

“You all are going somewhere, right?” Rena then voiced. “I’ll go find her. You all should get where you need to be.”

“Th-thank you!”

“Just find us at the old school building, it’ll be that way,” Yuka pointed out. Natsuki and the others grew worried, but Nana mouthed that everything would be okay.

“School building?”

“Yes.”

“That doesn’t seem right…” Rena said, confused. “I actually know a shortcut that could get you there faster.”

“Really?!” Nao’s eyes widened.

“Where?”

“Just take the west path,” Rena pointed out, “and look for the path that’s lined with round white stones and rose petals. If you start to see the clock tower up ahead, you’re going the right way.”

“Thanks, Rena-san!”

“Good luck, girls,” Rena said as she walked away, disappearing into the night.

“That girl seems…”

“Super nice, right?!”

“Well, didn’t you find it a little strange? How would she know a shortcut to the former school building for Magnolia?”

“More importantly, did Magnolia have a clock tower..?” Natsumi murmured.

“That’s not what I’m talking about.”

“Yuka, Nana, are you sure we can trust that girl?” Natsuki asked. “She could be leading us to the hunters’ base?”

 

“She killed a demonic WOLF to save our lives! I think we can trust her!”

Natsuki looked at Nana, who gave a silent, serious nod. The girl just sighed.

“Alright. Let’s go then.”

-----------------------

“Takayanagi-san, is this really the right way?”

“Can’t we take a break? My legs are tired~”

Akane just looked around, examining the path. “Where is it..?”

“Hey, don’t tell me we’re lost?”

“No, we’re not. You just never know when the path is going to appear.”

“What does that mean~?”

They then saw a figure running their way. Karen tensed up, putting a hand near her gun. However, once the person came up to them, the girls let out sighs of relief.

“Ah, what? It’s just a girl…”

“Who are you people?” the girl asked.

“We’re hunters. And what about you?”

“My name’s Madoka. I’m a student at Magnolia Academy… I’m looking for my friend.”

“A Magnolia student, eh?” Akane smirked.

“Takayanagi-san, we don’t have time for this,” Karen said. “Let’s just--”

“Takayanagi-san?!” Madoka’s eyes widened. “Takayanagi Akane-san?!”

“Oh, so you’ve heard of me.”

“You’re an amazing demon hunter! Of course I know you!”

“Well, Madoka-chan, if you’re a Magnolia student, you must want to be a hunter yourself. Although…” Akane stared at her intently, “you don’t look like the type who’d be a hunter.”

“Eh?”

“You seem much more like the musician type. Do you play piano?”

“Erm, yes. But how did you know..?”

“Takayanagi-san!” Karen shook her shoulder, “Over there! It looks like a shortcut!”

 

They saw a pathway that seemed to lead somewhere. Everyone looked down the path, wondering where it could lead.

 

“Should we go?”

 

“I don’t know… It could lead to anywhere.”

“I’m going! I have to find Marika!” Madoka said, beginning to walk down the path.

“Takayanagi-san, what do you think we should do?” Yukari asked.

The woman just looked on, silently. Then, she took a step forward and started walking down the path.

“Eh..?” Ryoka looked at everyone. “Well… I guess we have no choice.”

Karen nodded, leading the rest of the group. “Let’s go.”

---------------------------

 

“Mako! Hey, Mako, are you listening?!” Akari waved her hand in front of the girl’s face. Mako just sat, trying to wrap her head around what was going on.

“S-sorry… What were we talking about?”

“Mou, what’s wrong with you today?” Nao asked worriedly. “You’ve been spaced out all afternoon.”

“I’m sorry…”

Tomu patted the girl’s head, “Don’t be so down about it.”

“Just tell us if something is going on.”

“I just feel like… I’ve been dreaming this whole time.”

“Dreaming?”

 

“It’s like I’m always stuck in a dream… I just wish I could wake up. None of this feels real.”

Everyone just looked on in worry and confusion. Natsuki approached her sister, tapping her shoulder to get her attention.

“Mako-chan, you’re not getting sick, are you?”

“I’m fine, Natsuki… Really.”

Natsuki frowned as her little sister stood up, leaving the classroom. As she walked out, she saw someone standing at the window and looking outside. She started to walk past them, until…

“Mako?”

Mako suddenly froze in her spot, her eyes widening.

“Was that… Nana?”

She turned around, seeing her eat an apple. She glanced over at Mako, and waved to her with a smile. Mako wasn’t sure what to do, biting her lip a bit. Nana swallowed the apple, raising a brow.

“Are you okay?” she asked. Mako nodded, still tense.

“We’ve met before… you just don’t remember.”

“Nana… is this a dream? A memory?” she muttered. “What is going on?”

Nana just tilted her head, “What do you mean?”

Mako shook her head, “N-no. Nevermind…”

The girl then handed her another apple to eat. Mako stared at it for a minute, remembering the fruit that she had eaten in…

“The garden… that school..!” She gripped onto the red fruit, gulping. “This school… my memory… If this is the key to my past…”

“Mako?” Nana held her cheek, making her look up.

And gently… she kissed her.