“Yuka, Nana!” Nao’s voice called out, “There you are!”

“Nao!”

Nao hugged Mako tightly. “Thank goodness you’re okay…”

“Where are the others? Where’s Natsuki-nee-san?”

“One of the hunters found Natsuki-san! She’s fighting her right now, but she’s hurt! Tomu’s gone to help her, but.. I’m worried!”

“I knew it… Hunters.”

“What should we do?!”

“Tomu said we needed to go to the roof… but I feel like Natsuki-san is in danger.”

“Don’t worry! Natsuki-san will be fine!” Yuka insisted. “Let’s go find everyone else. We’ll get them to safety on the roof and then look for Natsuki-san and Tomu!”

“Alright! Let’s hurry!”

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

“J-san~? Where are you~?” Marika called out, “Anyone~?”

On the other side of the hallway, Madoka could hear her friend’s voice.

“Marika?” She then called out, “Marika! I’m here!”

“Madoka-chan?!”

Marika ran down the hall, seeing her friend. They dashed down to meet each other in the middle.

“I’m so happy I found you!” Marika cried as she hugged her friend’s waist.

“Jeez, you wanna break my back?!”

“Ah… sorry.”

“Hello~” Natsumi waved at her, making Marika confused.

“Hey, you’re that girl from before…”

“Natsumi, let’s go. The others are probably waiting for us,” Akari whispered, but the other girl just ignored.

“Marika…” Natsumi repeated. “You remember me?”

“Uh, yeah? Kinda, anyways.”

“Weeeeeeell,” Akari then grabbed Natsumi’s wrist, dragging her. “This was FUN, but we gotta go!”

As she turned around, she yelped as she came face to face with someone. However, she and Natsumi recognized the person.

“Rena-san?”

“Yo.”

“Yo!”

“What are you doing here?!”

“I’m actually here for you girls. I forgot to mention something.”

“Eh?”

“There’s a rare phenomena that occurs every four years that’s been rumored to happen tonight. If you go to the roof, you should see it right at the of midnight.”

“Eh..?”

Rena smiled and waved goodbye to the girls as she walked down the hall.

“Hey, hey, Akari, let’s go see it! I wanna see it!”

“What?!”

“Let’s go! Let’s go to the roof and see it,” Natsumi spoke like an excited child. She tugged Akari’s arm, eventually beginning to drag the girl towards the staircase.

“Oh, alright! Just stop tugging!”

Madoka and Marika watched them in confusion, not sure of what to do.

“Should we… leave?”

“I-I guess. We can just go home… once we find our way out.”

“How will we do that?”

Marika pondered for a bit.

“Ah! I’ll know! We’ll go find J-san! Maybe she can help us!” Marika grabbed her friend’s hand, pulling her down the hall. “Let’s go!”

“Hold on! Who’s J-san?!”

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

Natsuki was desperately trying to outrun the hunter, her hand still bleeding. The bullets flew past her as she ran up the stairs, trying to find everyone.

“Nana?! Mako?! Where is everyone..?”

“Natsuki-san!”

She then saw an approaching figure coming her way, it was Tomu.

“Tomu!”

“Natsuki-san… your hand!” Tomu’s eyes widened as she saw the older vampire’s bloody hand. “Did the hunter do this?!”

“Tomu, we have to run!” Natsuki urged as the hunter was drawing closer to them.

“Find one of your friends?!” Karen called out.

“Go!” Natsuki and Tomu dashed off, Karen following close behind them with a tight grip on her gun.

“Just follow them… and I’ll find them all.”

Meanwhile…

Nao was searching for Mako and the others, when she happened upon the school’s music room. The room was covered in dust, and overgrown vines were seeping through the windows, threatening to get inside.

Nao saw a grand piano in the center of the room, standing in the open as if waiting to be played. Nao brushed the tips of her fingers on the dusty keys before playing a chord.

A loud, clear note was played…

“It still works…”

“Can you play piano?” a voice then rose, making her turn around.

She saw a young girl with short hair staring at her with a catlike grin.

“Um… a little. I’m more of a sax player.”

“Ah, that’s right…” Jurina muttered as she looked around. “Let’s see… Saxophone… Ah, here it is!”

The girl handed her a black case, opening it up to reveal a silver alto saxophone. It looked polished, untouched. It was beautiful in Nao’s eyes.

“Go on. Play it.”

Nao took it in her hands and pressed a note as she blew into the saxophone.

The melody played through the brass instrument was clear and deep. The sound captivated her, moved her as she formed and sculpted each note.

Jurina looked on, smiling as she silently admired the music being played.

“I knew it.”

When Nao finished, she looked up at Jurina, her eyebrows furrowing when she saw her smile.

“Do I… know you?”

Jurina tilted her head. “I was hoping you’d remember… But it was a long time ago, so you probably don’t recognize me.”

“Should I recognize you..? Do you know who I am..?”

“Hmm… you could say that, but this is actually the first time I’m meeting you.”

“Eh? So how--” Jurina then touched Nao’s forehead. The girl suddenly collapsed, asleep with the saxophone still cradled in her arms.

Jurina caught her as she fell, still smiling softly.

“How should I say it? ‘It’s nice to meet you’ or ‘it’s been a while’?” she mumbled as she walked out of the classroom. “It’s been awhile… I guess.”

“This way,” Jurina then heard footsteps coming her way. “I think I heard someone!”

She turned her head slightly and saw Yuka run out into the hallway, along with Nana and Mako.

“Oi! What are you doing with Nao?!”

Jurina just smirked and teleported out of the hallway, disappearing.

“Hey!” Yuka tried to catch her, but it was too late. “Who was that?!”

“Another vampire?”

“They had Nao…”

“Crap! What is going on with this place?!”

“Mako!” Mako then heard her sister’s voice calling to her. She saw a wounded Natsuki and Tomu run towards them, letting out tears of relief.

“Nee-chan!” She hugged her sister tightly, clinging to her jacket.

“Tomu!” Yuka hugged Tomu, crying as well.

“Oi, what’s wrong? Were you scared?”

“Because… Because someone just..!”

“Eh?”

“Mou, I don’t understand anything anymore! I just wanna go home!”

“But, Yuka--”

“Aha!” Karen pointed both her guns at the group of vampires. “I’ve got you all…”

“Crap, a hunter!”

“What do we--”

Nana pushed through the others, stepping out in front of the hunter.

“Leave my friends alone!” she shouted, holding her arms out.

“You’re a brave one… But that makes you an easy target.”

“Nana, you don’t have to--”

“No, I must.”

“But…”

“I swore… I swore to always be by Mako’s side!” Nana exclaimed. “To protect her, to never leave her alone!”

“What?” Mako’s eyebrows furrowed.

“I don’t care if she doesn’t remember our past together! I’ll still be her best friend!”

“Cut the crap!” Karen yelled, angrily charging at Nana.

“Nana, look out!”

The short girl dodged her attack and kicked her, blowing her back into the wall.

“Ow..! Y-you’re..strong… But I’ll still..!”

Nana screamed and tried to punch Karen, the hunter dodging. A tent was left in the wall from the impact of her blow. Nana tried again and again, the hunter moving swiftly.

“You hurt my friends..!”

“Yeah, you think you’re all so innocent?!” Karen grabbed her wrists. “You took away my best friend and turned her into one of you!”

“Karen….” Yuka’s eyes widened.

“Yuka… I’m sorry. I was weak before. But now..!” Karen pushed Nana away. “I’ll kill these monsters! I’ll kill them for turning you into a vampire!”

“Wait!”

“And then… and then….” Karen suddenly fell silent, looking up at her friend. “Then… I…”

“Are you really going to kill me, Karen?”

“I…”

While she was distracted, Nana grabbed her and pinned her to the ground, punching her in the face.

“Natsuki-nee-san is my family! Mako-chan is my best friend! If you threaten to hurt my friends, my family!”

“Argh!” Karen kneed Nana in the gut and freed herself. “Shut up shut up! I’ve had enough out of you!”

She cocked her gun, ready to shoot Nana. However, right as she shot the bullet, a green energy surrounded her and Nana disappeared.

“What the..?” Karen’s eyes widened. “Where did she--?!”

The same energy then surrounded her and she also vanished.

“Eh..? What happened to them?!”

“Guys..?!” Yuka looked at her hand, seeing the green energy appear around her and Tomu.

After they disappeared, Natsuki and Mako were left alone, the green aura now started to surround their feet.

“Nee-chan..!” They hug each other as a bright flash surrounded them.

They found themselves on the roof, everyone else present, looking around in confusion.

“Natsuki-san! Mako-chan!” Akari and Natsumi ran to the rest of the group.

“Yahoo~”

“Guys, what the HECK is going on?!”

“No clue. We saw Rena-san earlier and she told us about something that was supposed to happen tonight…”

“Wait, you saw Rena-san?!”

“Yeah?”

“And how did you guys appear here like magic?” Natsumi asked.

“We’re not sure…”

“More importantly, where’s Nao?”

“Ah! She’s sleeping over there!” the spacey girl pointed out, all of them seeing Nao collapsed with the saxophone still in her arms.

“Nao!” They all ran to her, Tomu leaning down and shaking the girl. “Hey, wake up! Nao!”

Nao groaned as she slowly got up, holding her head.

“What happened..?”

“Hey, where the hell are my guns?!” Karen then yelled angrily. The group of vampires saw her frantically checking her body. “My daggers! All of my weapons! Where did they go?!”

“The hunter…”

“Karen!” The other three hunter girls joined her as all of them looked in confusion.

“The vampires?!”

“Why are they up here?!”

“Well… I actually don’t remember how we got up here…”

“Those are the hunters?”

“They look like high school students.”

“Hope you guys can forgive me~” A new voice rose as Jurina appeared. “I had to confiscate all the weapons.”

“You..!”

“Hey, you’re a vampire, too, right?! How did you bring us all up here?!”

“With my magic, of course,” she spoke with a playful wink. “Now then, two left. Come on~”

She snapped her fingers and two more girls appeared, looking around confused.

“Hey, hey, Madoka-chan! How did we get up here?!” Marika asked, shaking her friend.

“Ah! It’s Madoka! Madoka~” Natsumi waved.

“Phew, now we’re all here. I was starting to tire out from using my magic to teleport you all up here,” the vampire sighed, floating in the air above the group of girls.

“Sh-she’s levitating!”

Jurina then cleared .

“Now then, since we’re all here, it’s time to commence the class reunion of the 48th 2nd-year Class-A of Tsubaki Academy!”

As she was applauding, everyone else just stared, confused by her words.

“48th class..?”

“2nd-year Class A?”

“Of Tsubaki Academy?”

“That’s right! Exactly 600 years ago today was when we all last saw each other!”

“What?! 600 years ago?!” Ryoka’s eyes widened.

“600 years… But, if I recall right,” Juri then pondered, “Wasn’t that when..?”

“The revolt…” Tomu gasped.

“600 years ago, on this day,” Jurina continued, “A blood red moon turned the sky crimson. And suddenly, all the vampires went crazy and started killing any human they saw. This school in particular was a tragic site, as it saw the deaths of both students and vampires.”

“It was specifically from this sudden vampire revolt that the hunters and vampires have been at war for years,” Yukari said.

“And now, the blood red moon shall shine again in the sky!”

“Wait a second!” Karen interrupted. “What’s going to happen then?! Why did you bring us all here for?!”

“That’s right!” Yuka agreed. “Are we all gonna go crazy when we see that red moon in the sky?!”

“No, no! I wouldn’t bring you all here for that purpose.”

“Then what?!”

“To end this war.”

“Huh?”

The full moon shone down on everyone, beginning to reach its peak. Jurina smirked.

“It’s almost time.”

“No way… I won’t stand for it!” Karen ran towards the vampires, grabbing Mako by her neck and pushing her towards the edge of the school building.

“Mako!”

Nana quickly ran towards Karen, ripping her away from Mako and hugging her.

Mako stumbled as the girl hugged her tightly, regaining her balance.

“Nana…!”

“I’m not losing you again…”

Mako hugged her back, burying her face into her shoulder.

Karen growled, screaming angrily before pushing them both, causing them to fall off the edge.

“NO!!!” Natsuki screamed as they both fell. She ran to catch them, but when she looked down, she was confused to see they had both disappeared. “Wha..? Where did…?”

“That was close,” another voice rose.

Natsuki and Karen saw Rena holding both Mako and Nana, fainted in her arms while holding each other.

“You… saved them..!” Tears welled in Natsuki’s eyes as she fell to her knees. “Oh thank God..!”

“Rena-san, how did you..?”

“Looks like our work here is almost finished,” Akane spoke as she appeared before the group.

“Akane-san?”

Karen and the hunters then saw… Without her eyepatch on, they saw her other eye. And how it glowed red like a vampire’s.

“You’re a… vampire?”

“Actually, I’m a Dhampir,” the woman confessed. “But close enough.”

“Churi, it’s time!” Jurina announced as the full moon reached its peak. “The ruby!”

“Okay!”

Akane held out the blood ruby to the sky, reflecting the light of the moon.

“All of you, don’t look away,” Rena advised as Jurina raised her hands. A red energy surrounded her.

“Tempore implicata, memoriam suscitant, praeterita redire, lux in posterum (time, unravel; memories, awaken; return to the past; light the future).”

She shot her energy into the ruby, which beamed into the sky and turned the moon blood red.

“Luna nova!”

The red light filled the sky like flames, the sight spreading across all of Japan. Everyone stared in awe at the scarlet light of the moon. Mesmerizing them all… and allowing memories from long in the past to resurface.

Memories of more peaceful times before the war had started. Before the sky first turned blood red. Before it rained blood…

“AAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!” Yuka screamed, holding her head. Her mind and everyone else’s overflowed with memories of a distant past.

A past where they were all together… in this very place.

“Argh… what are these.. Visions?” Karen groaned, tears falling from her eyes. “I… I remember… this place..!”

Natsuki’s eyes widened. “I remember, too… I used to go to this school..!”

Nao looked down at the saxophone she was holding, clutching onto it.

“The brass music club…”

Tomu looked over at Yuka, who was still crying in pain. She had a vision of the girl as part of the track and field team, and how she fell one day and hurt her leg.

“Tomu… it hurts..!”

She knelt down and hugged Yuka, surprising the girl.

“Tomu..?”

“600 years ago, you were a loud idiot… Even now, you’re a loud idiot..!” she chuckled, tears streaming down her face. “I missed you, you chibi.”

“Hey, I’m not a chibi!” Yuka retorted, sniffling a bit. But she smiled and hugged her back, nonetheless.

“Madokaaaa…” Marika cried loudly. “Why can’t I stop crying..?!”

“Mou, so noisy…” Madoka spoke, tears also falling down her eyes. She then looked up and saw Natsumi standing in front of her. “Natsumi-chan..?”

“Madoka-chan… hisashiburi.”

The girl just chuckled, standing up and hugging her.

“Madoka-chan, you remember me?”

“Of course I do, baka…”

“Good. You’re all starting to remember your past lives, right?” Akane asked.

“Akane-san… no… Akane-senpai!” Ryoka exclaimed. “That’s right! You were our senpai, right?”

“That’s right, girls.”

“Senpai..!” Juri stood up slowly. “You planned all of this out, didn’t you? All three of you planned this from the beginning.”

“Yup. All of Japan should be experiencing the same things that you are. They’ll remember how the past was, before this chaotic war. There may be some confusion, they might be disoriented at first. But these memories are the key to a new future.”

“A new future?”

“Hope,” Jurina spoke. “To reconcile with one another.”

“And, to hopefully come to a better understanding,” Rena continued. “And coexist.”

“A new society, where humans and vampires can live together peacefully.”

“Is that… possible?” Karen asked.

“Do you believe it is?”

Rena then heard the two start to stir in her arms, slowly laying them down.

“Looks like they’re waking up.”

Mako was the first to open her eyes. She saw Nana and memories of the past flickered in her mind like an old film.

“Nana…!”

Nana opened her eyes, staring into Mako’s. She smiled widely, raising her hand to touch her face.

“I found you,” she whispered before kissing her lips shortly.

“Nana!” Mako hugged her tightly, crying. “I’m sorry..! I’m sorry I forgot you!”

“It’s okay! I forgive you!”

As the two embraced, crying, Karen stared at them. She saw the vampires with new eyes, with new memories.

She also looked over to Yuka and Tomu, walking over to them.

“Yuka…” her voice came out shaky. “I-I… I’m so sorry..!”

She cried as she fell to her knees, lowering her head. Yuka crawled towards her, holding her shoulders.

“I don’t want to kill you..!” Karen cried. “I never wanted to kill you! I wanted to save you! But I was afraid! I.. I..!”

Yuka just hugged her, her head as she cried.

“It’s okay…”

“I’m not strong at all,” the hunter whispered in between sobs. “All I’ve been was angry… and afraid…”

“It’s okay, Karen… It’s over. You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

Karen broke the hug, wiping away her tears.

“We’ll get through this, together.”

“Welp, looks like we’re done here,” Jurina said, stretching her arms. “Rena-chan, Churi, let’s go.”

“Eh? Where are you going?” Nao asked as the three started to leave.

“Places to go, things to do.”
 

“You girls wanna come?” Rena offered. “We’re the start of a new generation, after all.”

“But, what about our homes?” Marika asked. “We all have families of our own, so…”

“Not you girls. You’re still students,” Akane said.

“We mean, you,” Jurina pointed at the group of vampires. “You girls need a new home, right? With us, you’ll always be home.”

“Home…”

“I… I want to come, too!” Karen exclaimed. “This time, instead of killing vampires, I want to try and understand them better.”

“Then, I wanna go, too!” Ryoka said.

“Hey, are you serious?!”

“I want to walk with Karen. We’re friends, after all.”

“Madoka-chan, Marika-chan, when you graduate, we’ll come for you. Sound like a deal?” Jurina asked.

“I-if that’s alright.”

“Well, shall we get going?” Jurina raised one finger in the air. “Open.”

A forcefield that was invisible to the girls opened up, allowing them all to leave the area. Jurina closed it back up, so the Fallen couldn’t enter.

“Goodbye, our precious place of memories,” Jurina spoke. She then walked up to Rena, taking hold of her hand. “Where shall we head first? New Tokyo?”

“I’d say that’s our best bet.”

As they were walking, Nana saw a folded piece of paper fall out of Jurina’s pocket. She picked it up, unfolding it to see a photo of her, Rena, and Akane together.

Mako looked over her shoulder at the photo. “When was that taken..?”

Nana turned it over and looked at the date, also seeing three names written on it.

“Tsubaki Academy, 48th class, 3rd year Class C, 03/10/1612”

“Yagami Kureha”

“Akazaki Shizuku”

“Hanazono Yuri”

Akane swiped the photo back, placing one finger against her lips before slipping it back into Jurina’s pocket.

“That was… their past lives?” Mako whispered to Nana.

“Perhaps…”

“Ahh, my head hurts after all that’s happened today,” she groaned, laying her head on Nana’s shoulder. “I can’t wait to just relax and take a nap after this.”

“Hehe, that’d be nice.”

“Hey, slowpokes, hurry up!” Yuka called out.

“Coming!”

The girls walked off into the night, the full moon watching over them with a crimson light…