Fruits of a Rose

Chapter 11

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..."

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"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 butt!"

"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?!"

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"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.