20/09/2007 - 0 days left

Outside the mansion it was possible to see Lullaby, Ouhi and July on a concrete floor, it looked like some kind of training ground. Their clothes were slightly different, but what was most different was that both July and Lullaby were holding a scythe, Ouhi seemed to be arranging something in her hands. 

- Oh, how I've missed holding my little love... - Lullaby held her sickle affectionately

- Heh, hasn't it rusted after all this time? - July turned her scythe, which was relatively smaller than Lullaby's, from side to side.

- My dear~ your scythe is a gardener's scythe, when your scythe is as big as mine you'll come and talk to me - She glared at July.

- Everyone knows that brass knuckles are much better - said Ouhi, as she got up from the stool she was sitting on.

She had several sheaths and small compartments along her clothing where she kept knives and daggers, and on her wrists she had two extremely detailed silver knuckles.  In addition, July had two hand scythes, adorned with purple details, and Lullaby had a single large scythe with a pink detail on the blade. 

- Right, right. No more jokes.

Nakano had arrived, she seemed to be wearing a slightly more formal and detailed outfit than usual, Fuan was right behind her, her outfit also looked slightly different.

- Take it seriously, will you?

- Yeah, we've heard that a thousand and one times Nakano, for god's sake - Lullaby complained

- Listen, sweetheart, doesn't Fuan have anything to defend herself with? - Ouhi commented

- Oh no, Ouhi, you're not going to give her a knuckle or anything - Lullaby said

- Relax - Nakano smiled - Fuan, don't you want to tell them? 

- Right - Fuan took a few steps forward - Sorry Ouhi, but I'm going to have to reject your offer. I can defend myself very well. 

- Huh, doubt it. 

- Well, I think that having mastered karate, judo, taekwondo, jiu-jitsu, and that I've recently started training in boxing, is enough for me to be able to protect myself minimally, don't you think?

- Oh damn - Lullaby didn't know how to express her surprise

- And... how old is that crazy girl again? - Ouhi looked, completely surprised, at Fuan

- Fourteen - Fuan replied

- FOURTEEN YEARS OLD? MY SATAN WHEN I WAS FOURTEEN I WAS....- Pause - Damn, I don't remember - Ouhi looked thoughtful

- WAIT, I'M FOURTEEN! - Lullaby was in shock

- OH YEAH, YOU'RE FOURTEEN! - Ouhi was also in shock - LULLABY WHY DON'T YOU KNOW EVEN 1% OF WHAT THAT GIRL KNOWS?

- I DON'T KNOW BRO, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING WITH MY LIFE! 

- HOLY SHIT, START TRAINING NOW! NOW!

- Calm down. Everyone has their own qualities, Hunters are specifically trained for these types of fights and martial arts, so Fuan is naturally more physically fit than you - Nakano said - Although if I consider that you are technically goddesses... AH, well! Anyway, you get the point.

- Okay, my life wasn't ruined by seeing someone my age more successful than me - Lullaby seemed to be trying to convince herself of something

In the midst of all the commotion, Chizuro and Urash approached them, unlike Nakano and Fuan who had arrived from the mansion, they were coming from outside. Chizuro and Urash were wearing a completely different outfit to any they had worn so far, it was clearly their goddess outfit. Chizuro's outfit was very detailed, with several gold ornaments, the rest of her outfit was entirely white, it even seemed to reflect the glow of her staff, which looked very much like an ostensory. Urash's outfit looked as if she was wearing a flower, literally, and her hair was tied up in a bun, she seemed to have a kind of halo full of branches and flowers. 

- Nakano, Fuan, July, Lullaby and Ouhi, good morning! - Chizuro said calmly

- What's up? - Ouhi replied

- Any news? - Nakano added

- Yes, we have more or less the perimeter of where the attack will take place. Shiroh's already there, and everyone better hurry - Chizuro said

- So, WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR? LET'S GO BEAT THIS MOTHERFUCKER UP! - Lullaby cheered up

- HELL YEAH - Ouhi joined in the excitement

- Let's tear that asshole apart - Nakano grinned

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Shiroh was floating above some buildings, monitoring the city from above, her clothes were half white half black, and she had a cloth passing between her arms. She had a large halo that resembled the moon in a waning quarter, all of which was in perfect harmony with her long, white hair, which was almost as long as her height. 

- Ah, to think that all this only happened because that fucking Commander neglected Earth - she sighed - seriously, if it wasn't for ME, who would have stopped these attacks? - She laughed - Of course, you'll have me to thank for that one. 

It didn't take long for the rest of the group to show up; they were all spread out in a large perimeter, monitoring every slightly suspicious action. Until a huge explosion occurred at one end of the perimeter they were monitoring. Fuan, Lullaby, Ouhi, July and Nakano headed there immediately.

- Shiroh, Chizuro and Urash, as agreed, stay and monitor. We'll take care to evacuate everyone and hold off the things. Stay there until the asshole shows up. Don't waste your energy. - Nakano said

While Nakano and Ouhi took care of the fire and the creatures that had appeared, the others evacuated everyone in the area. 

- July and Fuan, go further inside the perimeter, there will probably be more explosions in the distance! We can take care of these creatures easily, so as long as I don't ask for support, focus on evacuating everyone! - Nakano maintained order among them

However, shortly after the first explosion, two more occurred on the other side of the perimeter.

- Nakano, permission for me, Chizuro and Urash to help evacuate the people? - Shiroh said

- Get going! - Pause - LULLABY, GO TAKE CARE OF THE CREATURES THAT APPEARED IN THE OTHER EXPLOSIONS!

- Understood. 

Nakano and Ouhi were able to contain the creatures in the first explosion, immediately the two split up for the other two that happened. 

- Shiroh, Chizuro and Urash. Fall back. Go back to your posts at the top and keep monitoring everything, we'll keep everything under control here! - Nakano said

- Lesgo - Shiroh replied

However, before Shiroh and the others could take up their old post, several more explosions occurred around the perimeter. 

- FUAN, JULY, how's the evacuation of the area going? - Nakano began to worry

- Everything's under control here, Master - Fuan replied - but the explosion areas are places we haven't been able to evacuate yet.

- Shit - Nakano grumbled

- Nakano, Urash and I will take care of this, leave Shiroh to rest - Chizuro replied

Urash and Chizuro split up to cover the recent outbreaks of fire, they avoided getting into a battle as much as possible, just removing people and putting out the fire. By the time they had finished removing all the people, they had moved on to another area, and when the others had finished killing the creatures, they had moved on to the next area. Shiroh watched all this from above, she couldn't help but get nervous, they were all doing their best. After a few minutes, maybe hours, the explosions stopped.

- No matter what part of the perimeter you're in, if you've finished your work, take some time to rest and heal if necessary. - Nakano spoke

Everyone except Shiroh was completely exhausted. In the last few hours they had focused entirely on saving as many people as possible and killing all the creatures. It had been tireless and unceasing work, they had barely solved anything and would already have to go somewhere else to solve something else. 

- Ah, it's so fucking hot - Ouhi said as she sat down in the middle of the street. 

Where Ouhi was, there were some broken cars, burnt-out houses and almost the whole ground was broken, signs of an intense battle. 

- At least I didn't get fucked up so badly, heh - She said as she wiped off her sweat

- Those little bitches were a piece of cake - Lullaby wiped her scythe, full of sludge

Lullaby was in a relatively good place, it seemed that the explosion hadn't been so strong there, but she was covered in all that dark slime.

- Fuan and I are fine too - July replied

- Unfortunately we weren't able to save some people. - Fuan had a slightly sad tone in her voice

- Relax, think about how many people we saved, okay? - July patted Fuan on the back

The two of them were leaning against a wall that was badly burnt, the whole area they were in was completely shattered and falling apart.

- Urash, Chizuro? How are you? - Nakano said

- Yes, we're just finishing removing some people from the perimeter - Chizuro replied

- It's taking a while because most of them are injured, so we decided to heal them - Urash added

- Good work - Nakano said - But don't lower your guards - She fixed her hat.

High above, Shiroh watched it all. However, a few minutes after the explosions stopped, Shiroh felt something, it was a familiar feeling, and without a second thought she went straight for it. It was right in the center of the perimeter, a feeling so... common, but at the same time so strange. It was uncomfortable, if she could she would tear it out with her bare hands, but she still felt the urge to understand it, to seek it out. 

- SHIROH? Why did you leave your post? - Nakano raised her voice

She didn't have an answer, but she couldn't pay much attention to Shiroh anymore, because suddenly countless explosions happened all around the place, countless, infinite slime creatures appeared along with the explosions. 

- At least we evacuated everyone. - Nakano tried to remain calm - LISTEN HERE EVERYONE! I WANT TO SEE ALL OF YOU DOING YOUR BEST TO DESTROY ALL THESE BITCHES! DID YOU HEAR THAT RIGHT? 

- YES! - They all answered

They all answered, except one: Shiroh. She was passing through the streets, alleys, jumping on cars that had been dumped by people, jumping between houses, nothing mattered, no matter the noise, the shockwave, the heat of the explosions, the grunt of the creatures, no, nothing mattered. 

I only care about one thing: Him. 

I've been waiting for you, for so long. 

You.

All this time, lodged in the darkest corner of my mind.

Just waiting for the right moment.

She stopped running, faced with a surprising scene. In the middle of the city, a huge crater had appeared, the surrounding buildings and constructions were all leaning backwards, as if avoiding, running away, from the crater. No, but none of this was important, none of it caught Shiroh's attention. Nothing, absolutely nothing was as attractive as what layed in the center of that crater. From the middle of the crater, a black sludge, as black as ebony, gushed out like an oil fountain, and from this dark sea that was forming, a being emerged from the middle of it, submerging itself in the sludge. All this dark liquid was slowly opening several eyes all around it, and the eyes were all directed at Shiroh. As if this overwhelming sight wasn't enough, as the creature submerged, the liquid seemed to create a life of its own, they acted like uncontrolled tentacles, breaking everything around them, crushing, consuming absolutely everything. 

I've been waiting for this for so long.

When the creature finally finished appearing, to Shiroh's surprise or not, it looked incredibly familiar. It was so familiar that it was uncomfortable. 

Shidou

I've been waiting for you. 

You have no idea how much I've missed you.

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- SHIROH! SHIROH! ANSWER!

 Nakano had completely lost her composure, as if being tired wasn't enough, there had been several explosions in a row, and so many creatures had appeared that it seemed unending, and to make matters worse, they had all suddenly become much stronger and bigger. They didn't respond to any attack, any shout, nothing, they all headed for one place: the center. 

- Shiroh, where the hell did you go?