“This way,” Akane commanded as she lead the group of hunters.

They stepped out and faced the old school building. All of them stared confused at the sight.

“What is this?” Madoka asked.

“An abandoned school building?”

“Looks like it…”

Karen looked around, heading towards the entrance gates. She noticed footprints made in the long, overgrown grass.

“Someone was here… Several people before us.”

“Eh? Seriously?!”

“Yes… and it’s possible they could still be here.”

“You mean… vampires could be living here?!”

Akane nodded, confirming their suspicions.

“It’s completely plausible they’re hiding out here.”

Karen gritted her teeth, continuing to enter the gates.

“H-hey, wait up!” Ryoka and the others followed suit, Akane just looking on at them. “Karen!”

“If vampires are here, I’m gonna blow their brains out!”

“Karen!” Yukari grabbed the girl, but she broke away from her.

“Why don’t any of you understand?! They’re monsters! They’re entire kind should be eradicated!”

“But what about Yuka?!” Juri asked.

“Yuka is--!”

“Our friend! YOUR friend! Are you really willing to kill her?!”

“I’m..!”

“Your anger is going to consume you,” Akane said. “I suggest you not keep that heart of yours closed off.”

“Huh?” Karen looked at the woman confused.

“You girls go in and investigate. Madoka-chan, too. I’ll stay outside.”

“Y-yes, ma’am!” Juri, Ryoka, and Yukari head inside. Karen stormed off angrily. Madoka just looked at Akane suspiciously before going with them.

“Just a little longer…” Akane whispered, staring up at the sky.

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

“Mako..! Mako..?!”

Mako’s ear twitched as she heard someone call her name.

“Is that… Yuka?”

She walked out and saw Yuka and Nana walking around the halls.

“Yuka! Nana!”

“Mako!” Nana ran to her, hugging her tightly. Mako’s arms instinctively hugged her back. She herself was surprised at her own movements.

“We’re glad you’re okay!” Yuka said as Nana broke the hug.

“Are you okay? Did anything happen to you while you were here?”

“No. But, there is someone else here besides us.”

“We know,” Nana said seriously. “Everyone else’s already split up looking for you.”

“Let’s go back down to the lobby. We’ll wait for them there.”

“Okay…”

However, as they were heading down the stairs, Nana suddenly stood frozen, a terrified expression on her face. She pulled the two back, hiding behind the staircase.

“What’s wrong?” Mako asked in a whisper.

“I smell… humans.”

“Hunters?!” Yuka’s eyes widened.

“Oh no… How did they find us already?!”

“I don’t know!”

“We can’t go down to the lobby… They’ll see us for sure.” Nana looked tense.

Mako wanted to comfort her in some way, so she placed her hand on her shoulder. She looked at her with surprise, but slowly calmed down.

“M-Mako…”

“Nana, Mako, what should we do?” Yuka asked.

“I think we should find the others. The hunters will most likely search the area looking for us, so we should find everyone and warn them.”

“You’re right.”

Meanwhile…

Tomu was looking around, walking through the empty halls, when she saw someone outside the school building. It looked like she was holding a red gem.

“Hm? What’s going on out there?” she pondered, opening up the window. “Hey! Whatcha doing?!”

The woman looked up at Tomu, and she was surprised at what she saw.

“That person has… one red eye?!”

“You!” She then called out. “What’s your name?!”

“Uh… Muto Tomu! Why are you--?!” Before Tomu could finish, the woman suddenly disappeared, only to reappear right in front of the window. “Eh?! How are you doing that?! Are you floating? Levitation?!”

“Flight is quite a special power for vampires. However, nowadays, there aren’t many who can do that easily. Not unless they tap into those ancient genes within them.”

“Huh? What are you talking abo…” Again, Tomu lost her voice.

The woman had held out a red gem in front of her, the glow mesmerizing her.

“Pretty…” she whispered in a trance-like state.

“This is a blood ruby. Centuries ago, humans found they could use these rare gems to control vampires. However, now, vampires have also learned new ways to control its power and not fall for its influence.”

“Why are.. you telling me.. all this..?”

“Tell me, who else is here with you?”

“M-my… my friends…”

“And they’re all vampires like you, correct?”

“Yes ma’am…”

“Then, I’d like you to assist me with something. Gather your friends to the roof of this building before midnight. Do you understand?”

“Yes… to the roof before midnight… I understand…” Tomu repeated sleepily.

The woman smiled, “Good.”

The next second, she disappeared from her sight. Tomu blinked, suddenly waking from her trance.

“Huh..?” She looked around, confused. “What was I… doing just now?”

“Gather your friends to the roof of this building before midnight.”

“The roof… I gotta find the others.”

Tomu sharply turned around, running down the hall to find her friends.

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

Akari and Natsumi were walking together, the spacey girl humming a song to herself. Akari held the girl’s hand, keeping her from wandering off.

“Natsumi, what exactly are you humming?”

“Hum… a familiar song… I don’t remember name.”

She kept humming, then the two heard footsteps coming towards them. They stopped as a shadow appeared from down the hall.

“W-who’s there?” Akari called out.

She saw a young girl standing there, confused. Natsumi’s eyes widened.

“Madoka!” She waved happily at her. “Madoka, hi! Madoka!”

“You again?!” Madoka’s eyes widened.

“Natsumi, who is this girl?”

“It’s Madoka! Madoka!” Natsumi broke away from her friend, running toward the girl.

“Hey!”

“Madoka, hisashiburi!”

“What are you doing here?!” Madoka asked the girl.

“Hm? This is… my new home!”

“Home?”

“Yeah! Mine and everyone’s! Mako-chan, Natsuki-san, Nao-chan, Yu--mm! Hm?”

“Okay, that’s enough out of you,” Akari covered the girl’s mouth, silencing her. “Please, don’t pay attention to her. She can be a bit spacey.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“More importantly, why are you here?”

“I’m looking for my friend.”

“Ah! So are we!” Natsumi said, Akari shushing her again. “Hey, Madoka, why don’t you help--mm!”

“Natsumi, listen!” Akari spoke firmly. “We can take care of this ourselves. Right?”

“But this is Madoka’s home, too.”

Madoka raised a brow. “What?”

“This is EVERYONE’s home! Madoka, welcome home!” Natsumi hugged the girl tightly.

“Hey, let go!”

“Madoka~” Natsumi whined as the girl broke from her.

“This isn’t my home! This is an abandoned school building!”

“But we all used to meet here and have fun together, right?”

“Eh..?” Akari looked at Natsumi. “What are you talking about? This place… it’s been abandoned for hundreds of years.”

“Yeah! One, two, three hundred! Five hundred, ten hundred! One thousand years ago, too, this was our home!”

“One… thousand?”

“I’m hoooome!!!” Natsumi shouted louder in a happy tone.

“Hey, quiet!” Akari tried to silence her, but it was no use. Natsumi shouted again, her voice echoing.

“I’M HOOOOOOME!!!”

“Hoooome!”

“Hooome….”

Meanwhile…

Karen’s ear twitched. She sharply turned around, a fire burning in her eyes.

“I knew it. Vampires.”

She then heard footsteps approaching her. She readied her gun, pointing it out.

“Come out, vampire!” she yelled. “I’ll kill you! Turn you into dust!”

The ones hiding were Natsuki and Nao, both of them tensing up as they saw Karen. They looked at each other worried, unsure of what to do.

“Stop being cowards! Come out!”

“Fine! Stay here if you’re that scared!”

Natsuki gripped her fists.

“We can’t… run away anymore!” She stepped out into the hallway, standing behind Karen. “Oi, hunter!”

Karen turned around, her eyes wide as she stared at the vampire.

“Looking for me?”

Karen tried to shoot her, but Natsuki dodged. The hunter kept trying to shoot her, but Natsuki wasn’t giving up. She never allowed herself to fight back, but she didn’t let her guard down and kept dodging the bullets.

“Quit dodging! You’re making yourself look even more cowardly!”

“I can’t allow myself to be killed,” Natsuki argued. “I have friends… and a little sister to protect!”

Karen then shot another bullet, which ended up hitting Natsuki’s hand. She screamed out in pain as her hand bled.

“Natsuki-san!” Nao ran out to the older vampire’s side.

“N-Nao… run! Find the others! And find Mako!”

“But--”

“I’ll be fine! Just hurry, please!” Another bullet was shot, grazing Nao’s hair, the loud noise causing her to scream. “Go!”

“Okay!” Nao quickly ran from the scene, dodging Karen’s bullets.

“Please..! No..! Mako!!!”

As she was running, she suddenly ran into Tomu, both of them falling to the ground.

“Ow! Hey, what happened?!” Tomu groaned as she sat up. “Nao, where did you come from?”

“I… eh?” Nao looked up at where they were. “Where is this?”

“The second floor.”

“Second floor?! How fast was I running..?” Nao pondered in confusion.

“More importantly, Nao, you and the others have to go to the roof!”

“Eh? The roof?”

“Yes. We need everyone on the roof before midnight!”

“Why..?” Nao asked, then she remembered, “No! Natsuki-san! One of the hunters found her, and she’s hurt!”

“No way!”

“I’ll try to find Mako and the others! Go help Natsuki-san!”

“O-okay!”

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

Juri, Ryoka, and Yukari re-grouped in an abandoned auditorium in the building.

“This is crazy… How big is this place?” Ryoka said, out of breath.

“And now Karen’s not answering her walkee…” Yukari spoke, worried. “Should we go find her?”

“No way! What if a vampire shows up and attacks us?!”

“We’d have to fight it… right?”

Ryoka turned her head around, seeing a pair of red eyes staring at her.

“Uh… guys?”

She pointed up and the three saw a girl hanging upside-down on the stage lights like a bat. They screamed as the figure flipped down, landing on her feet on the stage.

“Why hello, cuties,” the girl smirked.

The hunters drew their guns, pointing them at her.

“Hey, hey, what’s with the hostility?” the vampire asked. “I don’t mean any harm.”

“Y-you’re not going to… drink all of our blood, are you?”

“No, of course not. I’ve turned over a new leaf,” she jumped down from the stage, facing the trio. “You girls can trust me.”

“Y-you’re a vampire..! Why should we--?”

“She’s right,” another voice rose. “You girls can trust her. Same goes for me.”

A girl in black leather and long hair walked towards them. The vampire smiled, running toward the girl.

“Rena-chan!” She pecked a kiss on her cheek, clinging to her arm. “Where were you? I missed you!”

“Mou, Jurina, you know I had important business to do. And what about you?”

“I was just about to.”

“Hey… are you two..?” Juri started to ask, but was interrupted when Jurina rose her hand, a purple energy being emitted from it.

“Sleep.”

Speaking those words, the purple light surrounded the three hunters. Their eyes slowly closed, each of them collapsing and falling into a deep sleep.

“Churi is making the preparations. I’ll get these girls to the roof.”

“I’ll leave it to you,” Jurina smiled as Rena kissed her head.

She then rose her hands again, this time, a green aura surrounding them.

“Teleport.”

The four disappeared, leaving Rena alone.

“Let’s hope this works…”