Important NPC's's Story

The day had started just like any other day. You woke at your regular time and went about your normal morning routine with just enough time to get to school. Lectures remained an utter bore, lunch was completely uneventful, and what would seem like another peaceful day seemingly drifts by as if nonexistent. When the final bell rings, the students and faculty prepare to go home to enjoy the upcoming Golden Week. That is to say, all except for you. For those who are members of the Homurahara Occult & Horror Club, the day has yet to come to an end.

As the sun ventures beyond the horizon and the dim red light fades from the hallways, you and the other members gather in a "special" classroom on the third year floor. The room itself contains an atmosphere akin to hollowed ground. The air is unusually heavy considering how easy it is to take it. With each breath you take, it's as if a heavy stone rests within your lungs and dissipates as you exhale. All of the desks have been pushed to the side in haphazard arrangements and simple formations to accommodate whomever has chosen to use them as a seat. The lights which buzz endlessly during the day have been neglected in favor of candlelight and the faint glow of the moon illuminates what the ghostly flames can not.

"Hmm...I thought I marked that page..."

Amongst the blending of static rain and idle chatter, you hear the president's voice above all else. This is likely due to the nature of the meeting; "a special late-night event that all shall remember". Bearing this in mind, your eyes once again drift to the center of the room where what appears to be a ceremonial circle has been drawn. You've always known Haruka to have an eerie aura about her, but this has long since surpassed anything she has done in the past. Furthermore, the peculiar tattered tome which she has been attentively flipping through for the past ten minutes is continuing to draw your suspicion.

"Hey, Haruka," the vice president who has been standing next her the whole time finally speaks up, "Don't you think we should just get on with this? I'm sure it'll be fine if you can't find one little ghost story."

"Just wait a minute, will ya!? I know I can find it!"

With that being said, you begin to feel an unnatural sense of unease. It was as if something terribly unavoidable was about to happen...

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

Prelude to the Nightmare
Welcome to this little game we like to call Onigokko. I am the "Director". If you are reading this, then you are either a very brave soul or a fool to be punished. But for now, I suppose we can allow you a brief moment of peace. After all, the festival of carnage doesn't have to begin just yet. We'll have the rest of eternity to spend together either way~

If you care to enjoy this last precious moment of peace, perhaps you'd like to briefly introduce your character? It doesn't matter to me...

When you're ready to begin the game, just walk up to Haruka at the front of the class and ask "did you find it yet". I'll be eagerly awaiting those words. So try not to keep me waiting for too long~

Suddenly, a shout rang from the corner of the classroom.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!"

The seemingly urgent shout came from an unkempt, light-haired boy who was seemingly, intently staring at the desk in front of him. His chair was lying in the floor, seemingly pushed over as he had jumped up from his position, and he was shaking his, rather skinny looking, fist at the table. His heated voice echoed through the classroom.

At what appeared to be a black handheld game system of some sort.

"What with this completely formulaic plot construction? Judging from the reviews, this should be a "masterpiece" with an innovative and unique storyline, but this is just a fancy rehash of the same themes you have shot out for the past three or four games, just more convuluted in it's execution! Increasing the number of completely arbitrary secondary characters to the main plot does not cooount! "

"Give me my money baaaack!"

Raising his dark brown, almost black eyes towards the sky, he raised his fist and now shook it seemingly at the heavens themselves.

"A pox upon thy house, Square-Enix. A pox! Damn you and your money grubbing ways!"

Then, finally noticing that everyone's attention was on him, he lowered his head and looked at the rest of the classroom. His wide, dark eyes quickly scanned over the room before he spoke.

"Ara...? Kaichou, are you trying out another rumor? Please tell me it is not going to be like the time we tried out Bloody Mary? Staring at the mirror for three hours gave me a headache the next day."

"Maybe it would be better for you to resolve all that sexual tension between you and Fuku-kaichou, instead of trying out these theories? It would seem like time better spent."

The student was sitting in the aisle next to the panes of windows, staring longingly into the horizon. He fumbled with a strands of hair as the burning orb of gas began to descend behind the horizon, the point beyond the trees and cityscape next to the school. The monotonous words of his teacher were drowned out by the incessant ticking of the clock. The young man had been counting down time, by the second, without break in pace and tally. ”Four-hundred fifty-three… four-hundred fifty-four…” Reaching the conclusion of today’s class, Varren leaned over the side of his desk and grabbed his messenger’s bag. He glanced up at his fellow classmates, half of them being faces he spoke with on a daily basis. The extents of the bonds formed between each individual and himself varied, but for the most part, they were beyond the acquaintance level. There were some who simply acknowledged his existence, and he did the same in return. Then there were those which he conversed with in a casual manner, the young man was able to count them on one hand. Troph, Koizumi, Yuujuri, and Yotsuki. The rest Varren mentally labled as fellow classmates and club members, who simply resided within the same domain as him. The young man stood up a second too early, and the bell finally rang throughout the school, bringing an end to classes for the day.

A small portion of the class made their way to separate activities, but the remaining percentage converged into a single clump. ”And, the militia is formed.” Varren thought to himself, nodding to his fellow clubmates as they proceeded to their classroom. Since a majority of class 3-G consisted of members of the occult club, they were recognized as a unit to leave as a whole. The club itself was like a communistic dominion. Although the club president was by no means Stalin, she still had her way of swaying people’s decisions in her favor. Definitely got her scott free from a few tussles with the student council when her antics got out of hand. Because of this lenience, and her light iron fist, the club has been given free reign to do events within their boundaries. Through this open window, the club has hosted many get togethers, made a name for itself, and scared the crap out of first years from time to time. And for some odd reason, Keiza-sensei always let it slide, no matter how daunting of an idea the president conjured up. Perhaps the man is naturally evil, and sympathizes with her ways?

But today, he was holding his bag closer to his person than usual. Yes, he definitely trusted the president. Varren has had to put up with her antics and radical ploys for nearly three years. Although, tonight seemed to be different from the hundreds of meetings. The president described it as a special late-night event that all shall remember. The ambience outside the glass windows, which suddenly came to fruition within a few minutes’ time, was by no means helping Varren’s anxiety. He could usually keep a cool head and wrap his mind around a scenario in the blink of an eye. But it was always Haruka who stumped him, and came up with the unfeasible. The aura which flew at him the second he opened the door do him any better. It was as if he was stepping into a separate plane of existence. But what was a horror and occult club without a spooky atmosphere? The student let out a sigh and stepped into the classroom, taking a seat next to a few of his morally closer classmates. With a glance up at the president’s seat, Varren’s eyes focused on Haruka. The girl was nose-deep into a piece of literature, sifting through page after page. As if she was a hair away from obtaining the object of her desire. But then a sudden screaming to his left alerted his attention, drawing it away from the bookwork of a president to his snazzy looking friend. His taste in apparel did not mix well with his personality, the boy Troph was in the midst of cursing out a gaming device.

Then the student proceeded to comment about the pair of overseers, ”Now now, Troph-san. We shouldn’t tease them about their emotional intercour- interactions. I’m sure Kaichou has something interesting in store for us.” Yes, now he was back in his comfort zone. Playful passiveness, protected by a blank facade. A quick clear of his throat, writing off the correction he made mid-sentence as a slip of the tongue. Varren still had his arms crossed around the bag, now fastened comfortably on his lap. ”Aside from the strifes going on between you two, I do agree with Troph-san. Let’s see what you have at your disposal. And it better not be like the time we ventured in search of the Ghost of Class 1-E. You know how well that turned out.” The last sentence ended off with a tint of a hiss. Varren disliked wasting time doing unproductive things. But, the president wasn’t ever one to displease, or leave you not entertained. ”Jeeze. Going to be hell cleaning up the firing range later today.”

“From even the greatest of horrors irony is seldom absent.” Maya whispered, flipping the page of "Tales of Love craft." a novel on.. Lovecraft, who is noting on horror- Maya's favorite subject. Looking up from the book, she peered up at the sign of the club, "hm." Snapping the novel shut, she slipped it under her arm and went in. "Hello you guys!" She smiled kindly at the arrived students- her demeanor completely different from the one who was previously reading the books of lovecraft- calm and seemingly cold.
Dropping her own bag, she looked around the room, taking everything in which was a little habit of hers. She pushed her glasses up, before giggling. "This is going to fun." Maya chirped, watching Troph break out, "A pox upon thy house, Square-Enix. A pox! Damn you and your money grubbing ways!"
She giggled, before she jumped slightly at the sound of books falling.

"Are you okay?" She asked, kneeling near the red head who appeared... annoyed. It was safe to assume that she didnt want to be here, but Maya saw no problem in trying to help and be her friend. "What a shame, the fort seemed magnificent." She commented with a soft grin, as she picked up the books. She looked at one of the covers, she blinked while pulling it out of recognition. "Ah "The Mist." She showed the book to her, "This was one of my favorite horrors.. if I remember its about a group of teenagers who are stuck in a blood ridden mist." Maya's eyes shined in remembrance, before laughing subtly, "Im quiet the book worm, I apologize." She rambled on sheepishly toward the girl, before snapping to attention, "Oh yes, how rude, my name is Maya Kisayuki!" She smiled gently, "hopefully we can be friends."

---

---

"Wonder what fun will appear tonight~!" A boy cackled, twirling a white mask upon his slender fingers. A Cheshire grin pulled at his lips, seemingly plastered on there permanently. "Maybe a little scares here and there, with help by me of course!" He rambled on to himself. Now usually people will give him odd looks, but today he decided to take the faster routes- by the roofs.
Slipping down the slope, he hopped down onto the ground, before the school. "Do you think Im late?" He grew silent, before smiling happily, "Nah, I dont think so." He replied to himself.
Quickly he trotted inside, and down the hallways to the familiar club room of horror. "Yo Yo!" He cheered, spinning on his heels- hands in his pockets. Looking upon the room, he saw Troph fumbling around, and it only attracted him with hopes of mischief and trouble. But then again, he looked at the girls picking up the remnants of a fallen fort, 'That seems fun too.' he frowned, stuck in conflict... "innie.. minnie mo, catch a t.." He continued on, before his finger settled down onto Troph's fun group. "There it is!" He chirped, skipping towards the men, catching the interesting word 'Ghost'
His eyes widened curiously, "Eh what are we talking about here?" The same grin grew on his lips, his eyes now filled with excitement. "eh eh? Come on tell me? Did you find it?"

[didnt know how to slip that in there]

keiza had finished his round in the school prior to the rest of the club showing up, deciding to spend the rest of his night with the as the hours will pass. In fact many of the other clubs that have late activities had already left and to his knowledge only about four other clubs were left on the school grounds.

He now spent the majority of his time next to the windows at the front of the class as Haruka kept her fingers running through the pages of her old tome, still searching in vain for an old story to share with the other club members. Keiza on the other hand kept the window next to him cracked and smoked the last of his clove cigarettes for the night, something he had told himself to quite time and time again. Though he was always ready to crack and break his promise for the night, a fresh pack resting in the left pocket of his red track suit made sure of that.

As the last of the days sunlight had disappeared from view, he took off his shades and clipped them onto his collar. Rubbing his emerald eyes as the light touched them for the first time in hours. Taking one last draw from his smoke, he flicked the butt off into the darkness below, letting it fall to the concrete below.

Turning and cutting an eye at Troph for a moment as he stepped from the window, closing the glass behind him. "Mister Takeda.. The fact this is a school club, does not give you the option to turn it into a WiFi hotspot."

"Put it away and join the others."

The student he spoke of was known more commonly as Troph, though his real name was Nicholas. A fact that he seemed to abhor over most others and the reason Keiza called him by his family name. It was still a very effective way to draw a reaction from the young man.

He walked over next to Haruka and leaned over, peering into the pages of the tome.
"I do hope this goes off without a hitch, though I do love the fun you kids can get into. Its just that the headmaster is still breathing down my neck after last year." His eyes scanned the pages as Haruka continued to flip through, one after the other.

---

---

It was the beginning of another typical day for the young woman known as Shizuka Kimura. Waking upon a fresh new day at roughly noon like she did most every other day. Normally she'd just get up, grab a sucker, and hop on the computer but not so today. Today she was actually going to go to school, well, for a little bit at least. And so she went through the morning rituals befitting any normal member of society, a light breakfast and quick shower. She always hated getting dressed for school though, the uniforms were so boring and she had so many other things to wear that were far cuter. With a sigh however she resigned herself to donning the school ordained outfit and jacket before grabbing her bag and heading out. The sky was cloudy, that much Shizu was thankful for, reports said there was a good chance of rain but it hadn't started yet. Erring on the side of caution Shizu quickly ducked back inside to retrieve a plain looking umbrella before officially setting off once more.

Shizu arrived just before lunch break ended and wandered into her next class for the day. The students and teachers gave her some odd looks but none of them said a word, this had become something to be expected, Shizu showed up when she pleased and disappeared just as quickly with the always convenient excuse of her health. Few people made their polite or obligatory hellos to the girl, but all in all it was a quiet afternoon and quite boring. All the expended energy of walking to school and attending class had begun to catch up the anemic girl, and so she decided to skip her final class for the evening and retreat to the club room early. She knew Tanaka had her ever reliable nap-corner set up and she figured she wouldn't mind sharing. The room was, as expected, empty and suitably dark. Slipping out of the outer and less comfortable layers of her school uniform she buried herself in the blanketed corner of the club room and swiftly fell asleep.

Her peaceful little rest however was rather rudely interrupted by the enraged shouts of one nerd better known as Troph. As consciousness was forced upon the girl she sat up and rubbed her eyes looking and feeling rather groggy. Warm and snuggled up at her side laid the still sleeping Tanaka, Shizu could only sigh and shake her head, envious of the girl's ability to sleep through anything. But alas, she was awake now and so she began to scan around the room, taking in all the faces of the people who had assembled thus far. What caught her attention was the redhead whose fort seemed to have collapsed atop her head. Shizu smiled at that, it had been quite some time since she made a pillow fort of her own. A matter requiring her immediate attention however quickly arose as she detected the presence of their supervisor, Keiza-sensei. With a swift pull at the blanket over her head she began to dig around for her uniform to get dressed. It wasn't a matter of being embarrassed, no no, she just didn't want to get in trouble again, she couldn't stand the looks and lectures from her parents.

After a few moments of struggle she was dressed, though quite disheveled. As she tossed away the blanket she gladly took a deep breath of the cool, fresh air that greeted her. With a quick dip into her jacket pocket she retrieved a brightly wrapped sucker and popped it into her mouth, the bad tastes were always the worst after she woke. Gracefully she popped up to her feet and made an effort to straighten out her uniform and her hair before waltzing over to the tragic site where Fort Homurahara laid fallen. She wasn't the only one to take interest however, Maya had come to investigate as well. Shizu only smiled as Maya talked deciding to take it upon herself to help the poor redhead uncover herself and pick up some of the mess that had been made. With that done she finally spoke up softly as she knelt down. "Well, it's been a while but I was quite the little blanket engineer back in my day." She gave a firm nod, looking as if this was something to be proud of. "If you want I'd be happy to help you put it back together, or even just give some tips. Or I could do nothing, I'm pretty good at that too."

She didn't bother with any introductions or words of casual conversation. She wasn't very familiar with the red head but she had heard some stories and got the feeling this more casual approach to interaction was the way to go. With a quick a yawn she began to stretch her arms and sat back to give the girl some more space, scaring her off was the one thing she was looking to avoid at this point, her curiosities about the meeting could wait for now.

---

---

---

---

"Kaicho?"

Haruka tilts her head not only in response to the sudden outburst but also to the foreign student's odd expression. It's not that it didn't make complete sense...just fairly broken sense. And, sadly, that says a quite a bit. Still, something that odd is fairly character for the person who hadn't figured out the Bloody Mary event was a penalty for losing in a penalty game.

"Haicho," reading the confused expression on her face, Justin calls out to her with a sigh, "He meant to say Haicho."

Flustered at how easily she was thrown off at her own language, Haruka pouts and leers at Justin over her shoulder. Basically, this was there unspoken language...

Justin visibly stiffened at Troph's blatant intrusion of his and Haruka's personal affairs. Haruka on the other hand, paid his comment little to no attention, as her attention was fixated at another matter at hand.

”Aside from the strifes going on between you two, I do agree with Troph-san. Let’s see what you have at your disposal. And it better not be like the time we ventured in search of the Ghost of Class 1-E. You know how well that turned out.”

"Don't worry. I promise it'll be something amazing this time." Ignoring the initial portion of Varren's statement, Haruka absentmindedly replied, her vision never leaving the confines of the tome.

Almost as if trying to block the curious newcomer out, Haruka turned to face the group that had herded around her, now holding the tome between them, hiding her face. "Gensou-kun, right? I'm in the middle of that. Just wait a sec. Jeez, you guys are all so impatient."

"I do hope this goes off without a hitch, though I do love the fun you kids can get into. Its just that the headmaster is still breathing down my neck after last year."

"Don't worry, Keiza-sensei. If by chance something does go wrong, I got Issei-san to bring me special spiritual charms straight from the Ryuudou Temple. But I wouldn't worry too much about it. After talking to one of my father's colleagues, I've determined that with the little amount of 'mana' we will produce, we'd achieve a partial haunting at best. Just enough to prove if this is the real deal." Haruka explained, saying a little more than was necessary in order to pacify any further questions Keiza might have regarding the ritual or safety measures.

Without any kind of warning, the look of pure concentration plastered on Haruka's face is blown away by sheer delight.

"Found it!" Her sudden outburst fills the small room and calls attention to herself.

Ignoring those gathered around her, she practically skips towards the center of the room. As she enters the circle, she slows her steps and spins to check that everything is in order. Satisfied with her work, Haruka nods and positions herself at the focus of her creation. She'd lost time due to her carelessness, but that didn't matter to her anymore. It was the last day before Golden Week and Haruka had yet to truly entertain all of her club members. She absolutely had to go all out tonight.

As the remaining members sneak in, the main event starts to get under way. A single cry of thunder sounds in the background. The wind howls through the rain soon after. Iddle chatter of personal exploits, investigations, and ghost stories end and the room is given up to silence. As Haruka happily reads over the material in her hands, the shadows teetering on the edge of candlelight become noticeably darker.

"So, as I'm sure you're all aware, I've called this meeting for a very special reason. As residents of Fuyuki, I'm sure you're all aware of the many legends this city has to offer, such as the dragon under the Ryuudou Temple and the Castle in the Forest. But what I'd like to talk to you all about today is the one about the 'Fuyuki Phantoms'. You see, in preparation for this event, I've been conducting a lot of research and I think you'll all be pleased with what your beautiful president has discovered."

As Haruka introduces the subject of the evening, you notice a few of the members snap to full attention. Normally the teen would only avidly discuss mysteries that were based in reality. The story of the Phantoms has been one which has widely been speculated to exist in fantasy. After all, it is a tale of ghostly spirits who've risen from the dead and caused countless disasters over the years. While some have argued the truth behind the story, the legend remains nothing more than a series of events linked together by skepticism. The fact that Haruka would take such an interest in something like that can only be seen as out of character.

"It's a story which dates back over 200 years in Fuyuki's history...and it's one which even seems to be continuing today. Countless people with unknown origins of death, unexplained phenomena during the night, and entire neighborhoods which look like they'd been scorched by hellfire. It's all seems to be part of a ritual situated in this city," Haruka flips a page in her book and looks up with an excited smile on her face, "The Phantom Battles, if you would. Epic battles which leave there mark on our world and then fade away as if they never happened."

"Wait a minute, Haruka," The vice-president who had quietly been listening from the front of the class suddenly speaks up, "I know you tend to get ahead of yourself with these kinds of things, but just take a moment to listen to yourself. This is real life we're talking about here, not some kid's manga. For the stuff you're talking about to happen... it would take nothing short of..."

Justin's words are cut off by the sound of Haruka's foot tapping slowly against the floor. Once again, attention is drawn towards the large formation inscribed in the center of the room. Slowly putting two and two together, a look of disbelief fills the American's face as he looks up into Haruka's eyes. Even in the dim light, even though she was glancing over her shoulder, the confidence in her eyes was as clear as day.

"Ten years ago, a fire engulfed this city and claimed several lives, but no one knew how the fire started nor how it spread so quickly. Around the same time, a large number of children also went missing and later reports would reveal that they'd all been murdered. But what wasn't revealed was the manner in which they were killed," Haruka returns her attention to the book in her hands, her eyes appearing to go over a note in the margins, "'They all looked as if they'd been sacrificed for some kind of ritual' is what was said."

Haruka pauses for a moment as if taking in her own words. The enthusiasm which was flowing from her just seconds ago is practically flushed from her being. This is only momentary though as a light smile soon reappears on her face.

"Furthermore, if you recall, one of our fellow peers was attacked earlier this year, Mitsuzuri Ayako-san. During my investigation, I approached Mitsuzuri-san and asked her to tell me all that she could about the event. Naturally, I didn't get much from her, but what little I did get was pretty interesting... She told me she was attacked by a 'shadow' and felt 'completely drained afterwards'."

For the few who are already knowledgeable on the subject, the cause of Haruka's inquiry is already apparent as the Holy Grail War. It would certainly explain all of the events the president has described and seems to be the most likely answer. The real question however is where the young girl is going with this.

"Geez," Justin lets out a sigh, "People have pretty much been over this already. Bad stuff happens everywhere. Not to mention typically happening in bursts. Unless you're bringing something new to the table, there really isn't a point in talking about this sort of thing."

Justin criticizes his partner once again; however, this time she smiles in response. She turns to face fully and beams at him with a cheeriness unfit for the setting.

"So have you heard about it? ...The Legend of the Seven Warriors from Hell?"

Haruka smiles drives Justin further back into the wall. As Haruka joyful rubs the binding of her book with her fingers, Justin's eyes become fixated on it as if threatened. You notice this sudden change in the American, but it becomes a minor point of interest.

"Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Acedia, Wrath, Envy, Pride, and Vanity... Seven embodiments of sin resurrected as phantoms into our modern world to wage unholy battle for the sake of one wish. It's something that I discovered while going through my great grandfather's books...and something that sounds an awful lot like a certain legend we all know. Apparently, it's a ritual which was formed by using the lives of the living to reach what is known as Akasha. After all, ghosts need energy and there has to be some kind of payoff at the end of it all. So, going off of that, I theorize that all the murders and the incident with Mitsuzuri-san was all a part of the ritual. It was all a way to feed energy to these phantoms."

The room falls silent yet again. The air becomes so dense with tension that it practically becomes a palpable form. But it doesn't seem to affect Haruka at all. Right now, one could pretty much say she's running on confidence alone.

"...Hey, Haruka..." Justin breaks the pause, sounding unsure of if he wants to speak, "I get that you wanted to do something big... and I get that you wanted to tell some kind of ghost story or whatever...But..." The American teen glaces back at the floor, "...what's with the circle?"

The smile on the girl's face broadens. Despite the serious tone with which her partner was now speaking, she remained excited about what was happening.

"Elementary, my dear Watson. You guys are all going to line up around this circle and we're going to figure out whether or not this urban legend is real."

And just like that, Haruka seemed to say the words Justin was fearing the most. But realizing there was nothing he could do to talk his friend out of this, all he could do was remain silent.

"Don't worry, will ya. It's just for fun. It's not like magic is real or anything. But if it makes you feel better, does anyone have any remaining questions before we start?"

---

#E068F2

---

One shouldn't expect this day, following many days that have repeated themselves many times, to be any different from yesterday or tomorrow. It was a boring way to look at things, but even the afternoons spent in the classroom where the Homurahara Occult & Horror Club's activities took place had started to feel the same. Some days Maina would be entertained more than others, though. The club was full of numerous people with varying personalities. When she first decided to participate in the club, it was an exciting new experience. Of course, she would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy spending her evenings there, but there wasn't much to be learned there, and learning new things was one of the reasons she wanted to join a club in the first place.

Maina had showed up a little later than usual. When the bell rang to signify that school was over, she always waited until the classroom was empty before taking her leave so that the hallways wouldn't be as crowded, however an underclassmen in a hurry to get home had run into her, the flustered girls books and school work decorating the hallway floor in the process. Maina felt slightly annoyed, mostly from the unexpected collision that had just taken place, but assisted the younger girl with cleaning up her schoolwork anyway, resulting in her reaching the Horror Club's room after most of the members had already arrived. She wasn't really the type to converse unless spoken to first, unless she felt she needed to share her input in something, so she took a seat near the door by herself and quietly began reading through her history text book and taking down notes. She'd taken on an extra assignment for extra credit, not that she really needed it. She mostly just wanted to read more about human history, not really feeling like her classes went over the subject as thoroughly as they could've.

Though she looked to be engulfed in her own activities, she continued to listen carefully to the antics of the other members in the room. Troph's frustration with his video game caused her to lift her head for a brief moment to watch him shake his fist at the ceiling as if someone was actually listening to him to from above. Varren's comment wasn't hard to miss, either. Whether her purposefully mixed up his words or not, Maina couldn't really be sure. She meant to continue reading through her textbook, but the trays Yuzuki carried with her when she entered the room caught her attention. She wasn't a massive fan of sweets, herself, but she hadn't eaten much for lunch and peanut butter cookies were an exception.

Rising from her seat, she made her way over to the tables where the baked good had been set and helped herself to one of the star-shaped cookies. "Marking pages that interest you make it much easier to find things, Haruka-san," she said, turning to face Haruka, her last few words being somewhat muffled as she bit down on the cookie. As expected, Yuzuki's culinary skills never did disappoint. The sweets she baked were probably the only ones Maina actually liked. Just as Maina swallowed the bite she'd taken, Haruka jumped to attention, announcing that she'd found the page she was looking for.

As she began to read off from the page, Maina glanced over at the desk where she had made her place. She'd have to get back to her assignment later. She was almost finished with the book, and the notes she had gathered were plenty for the essay she needed to write. Spending her afternoons in the clubroom had taken up some of her time, but she would still manage to finish it within a couple of days.

Taking the last bite of her cookie, their club president finished her story and gave directions for everyone to stand around the magic circle. Looking at her herself, it seemed to be perfectly correct. She wasn't a magus herself, but she'd done plenty of research in the past. Haruka stating that magic wasn't real was indeed the definition of irony. If she ever became aware of the different creatures that shared the world with her, the girl would probably go crazy with excitement.

---

---

---

#FF6F00

---

A number of students rushed to escape the smoke-filled science room, coughing and letting out annoyed moans. Once again, Milo had mixed the wrong ingredients at the wrong time and ended up with a face full of smoke, his cherry-red hair barely visible under the layer of black matter that covered him from head to toe. He'd been told multiple times to make sure he was constantly reading over the directions provided to him, but he'd just assumed the red liquid should go in with the purple liquid because those colors looked best together. At least it didn't smell of rotten eggs this time, but most of the desks and floor was covered in black soot. Luckily this was Milo's last class of the day, though. After cleaning up his mess, he washed himself using the gym showers and, being familiar enough with his uniform somehow becoming a disaster, put on the spare uniform he always brought with him for these exact emergencies.

His hair was still wet when he made it to the Horror Club's classroom just in time to hear Yuzuki announcing the good she had brought for the day. "Ah, Yuzuki-senpai! You're amazing!" he said cheerfully, an enthusiastic smile plasters on his face as he hurried over to the desks where his upperclassmen had left the beautifully-decorated goodies. He didn't have to think twice about plopping down into one of the chairs of the desk that held the brownies and cupcakes. The one thing the boisterous boy couldn't resist was food, especially sweets. He'd always been quite the big eater, yet no matter the amount of food he ate, it didn't seem to do much for his height.

Three cupcakes and a brownie had already vanished from the trays of sweets, and a chocolate chip cookie was on it's way to Milo's mouth when the president suddenly interrupted it's trip. Come to think of it, Milo had no idea what was planned for today. He'd forgotten that they were supposed to be doing some special event, but forgetting things wasn't really new for him. He listened to her as she began reading from an old-looking book, something that looked like a prop for a movie, before he stood up and grouped in with the others, bringing his cookie along with him. His eyes moved to the floor in front of him, only just now realizing that an interesting whatchamacallit had been drawn on the floor. Was it supposed to be a magic circle? This was a bit different from the usual afternoon activities that the club performed, but they had gotten into plenty of shenanigans in the past, so Milo was ready to go on with whatever Haruka had planned for tonight. They got in trouble now and then, but they always had fun doing it.

"Does anyone have any remaining questions before we start?"

His eyes darted up from the drawing on the floor and his free hand shot up, the other hand still holding a half-eaten cookie. "Yes, I hereby claim any sweets that are leftover!" he said quickly, having an unusually serious look in his eyes, though his smile had not left his lips. Yuzuki's baked goods were a serious matter, after all.

(Double post. Ignore!~^^)

"Hai-...chou..." Troph continued to stare at the pair, pondering what the difference between kaichou and haichou is. Ultimately losing interest in the subject, his attention was now focused towards a new arrival.

"Ah! If it isn't the marksmen of my party!" Troph exclaimed. Already knowing about Varren's background with a gun, Troph was more than aware of the fact that he carried a real one around. However, Troph not exactly being the most alert in terms of danger simply went with Varren's excuse that it was just an airsoft model. He could always use a deadeye around when enemies show up, after all.

"Mister Takeda.. The fact this is a school club, does not give you the option to turn it into a WiFi hotspot. Put it away and join the others."

Troph's ear perked at the mention of his surname. Having a well-known distaste for his real name, Troph clicked his tongue in minor annoyance, but quickly masked it with a whiney façade. While never being particularly fond of his real name, Troph has gotten somewhat used to Keiza-sensei referring to him by his surname.

"Come on, Keiza-sensei. A healthy, young adult like me needs some kind of filter to get him through the day. For me, video games are just the solace I need. Surely you can understand my plight, yes?" Troph asked, pointing towards the object of interest, residing in his left pocket. While not exactly visible, there was a slight sag in Keiza's pocket that Troph could only assume was a pack of cancer sticks.

It was then that the heavenly aroma of fresh baked goods had entered the room. Troph subconsciously carried himself to the location of the desired goods, completely forgetting that Keiza had just gotten onto him.

"Ah! Mama~♥ Don't tell me you brought us some delicious goodies again?" Troph began wafting the scent of her treats deeply into his nasal cavities, clearly not wanting to forget it.

While most would find Troph's nickname towards Yuzuki disturbing, it is one he has mentally labeled her by. Therefore, him referring to her as such has become common throughout their club meetings. Although, Troph himself had to admit the atmosphere felt kind of awkward whenever he first began calling her that.

"Ah. Kai-chou is abogrrrth mmmn rrrgh so-ffinsssh-..."

Grabbing a couple of ghost cookies, Troph made an attempt to explain the situation. The effort however had seemed somewhat futile, as he had been simultaneously stuffing his face with sweets.

After taking a second to clear the contents of his mouth, Troph makes a second attempt at retelling his previous statement, with less food involved.

However, Haruka had already begun explaining the reason for tonight rendezvous before Troph could manage the beginning of his sentence. Listening to her ramblings, Troph gave Haruka the best attention he could offer. While missing bits and pieces here and there, Troph managed to comprehend the majority of what she said.

One part in particular held Troph's interest. The part about the fire that claimed several lives. Upon hearing this, Troph began spacing out, thinking back to what happened to him as a child. Despite his delusions, Troph was all too aware of what had actually happened at that time.

"So have you heard about it? ...The Legend of the Seven Warriors from Hell?"

Troph quickly snapped back to attention, Haruka's loud outburst returning him to his senses.

'Hmmm. Seven warriors? Like Asmodeus, Leviathan, and those kinda guys?' Troph thought to himself. While not being the most experienced magus with demonology, he did know a thing or two from old books and tomes he had read himself, that involved such things. Of course, he did also ramble on about how he couldn't just absorb abilities from books, rather than having to actually read and practice them.

Upon hearing Haruka ask if anyone had any questions, Troph took note of something Haruka said that didn't quite fit.

"Hey, Kai-chou. You named off nine sins but said there are only seven embodiments. What's up with that?" Troph asked, surprised that he was one of the few who saw that the numbers didn't exactly add up.

Varren never really noticed the transition from a horror club into a sleepover and get scared once in a while club. A good portion of the room was devoted to the construction and establishment of fortifications, built out of blankets and pillows. How people could sleep so nonchalantly in the presence of others, the young man would never know. Though, like many castles from times of chivalry, the makeshift fortifications fell. Whether it was by the abrupt awakening of those residing within them, by an accidental shove or slip, or by a random teacher dismembering them. Varren had only dared to sleep in the clubroom once, but what followed was so traumatizing, he vowed to never take a rest in the classroom ever again.

Sometime last year, he had passed out due to sleep deprivation. When he awoke, the student had found crude works of art drawn on his face. But what was even more horrifying was the first thing he saw when he woke up. After his eyes finally focused, standing before him was Maina with a sliver of a smile on her face and a sharpie in hand. Literally nothing in this world was more mortifying than seeing that girl with even a glimpse of a grin. It easily ranked highly in his list of ’Horror-esque Experiences’, only beaten by the Spectre of the Literary Club and Troph's infatuation with tommy guns. Varren had nearly poured steaming water down Troph’s throat when he found out that the fedora wearing classmate was the one who edged her on. It was only the girls who fell asleep during club gatherings, since they were lucky enough to have male club members who were entirely pure at heart. They also feared Haruka’s iron fist and Yotsuki’s stainless ladle. The cookware was a perfect weapon for bludgeoning, since blood never left a mark on it.

Speaking of the the fellow senior, she had arrived at the room bearing a voyage of sweets. She was only preceded by Kirio, who easily could pass for the devil’s child. With a grin that only screamed mischief and passive-aggressive playfulness, he skipped over to Troph and Varren. Varren glanced up from Troph while he was being chewed out by Keiza, then shrugged in response to the newcomer’s question, ”Well, Troph-san is in the middle of trying to regather the fragments of his broken heart. I just arrived, just waiting for Kaichou to show us something exhilarating. The young man motioned for his classmate to take a seat, then averted his eyes to the door, when Yotsuki strolled in with her cuisines. Varren was never too fond of sweet goods, but if they were made by this certain individual, they were by far too enthralling to pass up. ”Cookies and cupcakes, eh? The green frosting is definitely quite spooky. And brownies? It’s like you cooked these in preemptiveness, as if we’d all be cut off from any source of food. But, thanks.” After making the comment, the young man treated himself to peanut-filled cookie. The second he took a bite out of the pastry, his undiverse palette tingled with approval. The young woman took a seat and gave a friendly reprimanding to Varren, slapping his shoulder with an innocent smile stretched on her face. She made a similar query as Kirio, to which Varren gave a more interesting answer. ”Well, Troph-san is currently recripracating the effects of the ploy put on by most gaming industries. I call it the Three R’s. Renaming, Repackaging, and Reshipping. I feel truly sorry for our friend’s loss. May his wallet rest in peace.” He took another bite out of the cookie, letting out a sigh of relief. Her magnificent culinary masterpieces were almost as captivating as her massive rack.

Of cooking utensils, obviously. Varren had only been to her house once, when she requested the help of a few classmates for a club celebration party. She had enough silverware to equip an armada of chefs and cooks. The pastries she crafted for this gathering quickly gathered for her the admiration of her clubmates. Soon enough, a reserved Maina, a Milo who appeared to have waltzed through a monsoon, and a lethargic Ayame entered the classroom. After a few more minutes, all of the members had congregated for the special event. Once the students gained some cholesterol from the delivered sweets, Haruka quickly shouted out, finally acquiring the page she had been sifting for. The president ran through with her introduction of the ‘Fuyuki Phantoms’, a phenomena which Varren was somewhat informed about.

The name had already piqued his interest, since over the past three years, the club had only chased urban legends and mysteries. But this was considered to be affiliated with past disasters and murders. Most of all, it was something tangible. His eyes slowly trailed towards the president, but then shifted over to his American friend, whose expression was slowly unfolding into unease. As their president continued on, Varren shared his reaction. Internally, that is. He kept a straight face, even when she mentioned their hospitalized classmate. The young man had visited her a few times throughout the school year. She was doing well overall, but she was still frightened by what she believed was an assault. Haruka then delved into demonology, which Varren wasn’t too versed with, so he left it to Troph to pick up where he faltered. Both Justin and Yinyues glared at the floor, their gazes focused on the scriptive circle below their feet. And, much to their avail, they would be the ones used in the summoning. Varren wasn’t sure whether to be happy that they were doing something real for once, or doubtful due to how it will affect the students. The young man had no questions, but was caught off guard when Milo shot to his feet, with an upright figure. After his proclamation of sweets, Varren let out a sigh, given the fact that the student was completely unphased by the president’s findings. ”That’s not a statement, my dear boy. But, I believe this saying does apply to his claim.” He cleared his throat, then pointed at the redhead, ”Give this man a cookie!” And with that, he reclined in his seat, finished with his announcement. ”Oh, and Kaichou? Do we need to offer blood? I’d rather not. Perhaps we can sacrifice pillows instead? The young man asked in all seriousness. He did not want a repeat of the event, concerning those deceased children.

Having ended his student duties, Ryusuke left the broom leaning against a chalkboard.

"Later, Kazehaya. Good luck with clean up." He stated nonchalantly as he walked out the classroom door.

"Oi! Sakum-" The irritated outburst of Ryusuke's classmate was cut off short by the slamming of the door.

Finally reaching the clubroom, Ryusuke found that the majority of the club's inhabitants had already shown up.

'Good. I'm late. So I don't have to wait around while these fools make an attempt to talk to me.' Ryusuke thought, breathing a sigh of relief, due to his convenient tardiness.

Ryusuke was not the brightest student in the school. No, that would be quite, quite far from the truth, and he knew it as well. He was sure his parents probably would’ve liked it had he paid more attention in class and tried harder, but no matter how hard he tried, he knew his studies would never be his strong point. Rather than his intellectual abilities, he took pride in his physical ones-which might make someone wonder why he was in the Occult club, rather than one of the sports clubs.

But he had his reasons.

Unfortunately, while he did hear most of what the president had been talking about from his position atop one of the desks in the room just now, he still wasn't quite sure what relevance it had to what they were doing.

Phantoms, spirits who rise from the grave? While such a thing sounded quite cool, and would be indeed interesting if they really existed (he’d certainly love to meet one) in all likelihood, they were just made up tales, things people made up for some reason or another.

The seven sins incarnating and fighting for one wish? That sounded a lot like a light novel plot.

Well, it didn’t seem like that part was too important for what they were doing this afternoon. Instead, it seemed like they were going to use the circle to try and call something out.

“So, Pres. What you’re saying is, we’re going to use that circle and try to summon one of those... Phantoms, which you were talking about?” He asked, trying to clarify.

---

---

---

---

"Hey, Kai-chou. You named off nine sins but said there are only seven embodiments. What's up with that?"

"Troph-kun, I'm glad you noticed that. You see, to be honest, I found that weird myself when reviewing the text; however, upon inspection I found that it's no mistake. Nine sins, but only seven warriors. I looked quite a bit for a further explanation to this, but I couldn't find anything. So... I came up with my own theories. The most concrete being that only seven warriors can be chosen from a pool of nine. After all, it makes sense because in order for a single spirit to fully manifest, it would take a lot of energy. Then you're talking about giving them physical form and making them strong enough to cause wide-scale damage on top of that. Now I'm no expert on the subject, but going off the scarcity of phantom tales and the number of deaths which accompany those events, I'd say we're talking about a quantity of energy which would take some decades to accumulate, and even that seems to be pushing it. At the very least, this theory coincides with how there are nine deadly sins, but only seven are really recognized."

The club president has clearly switched back into full investigation mode. The fact that she has conducted so much research into something she normally wouldn't give the time of day shows that she has just about convinced herself. But what is truly terrifying is just how close to the truth she has come.

"But then I came up with another theory: the 'Extra Player' Theory," Haruka's voice lowers as she brings one hand to her chin, "You see, after looking at the information again, I realized that this folio doesn't describe the warriors as being chosen, but resurrected. So, in a way, what starts off as nine phantoms of sin becomes two plus seven warriors. So, through the use of this ritual, we'd end up with seven beings which can interact with the physical would and two which can interact with the spiritual world... Kind of like unborn persons or wandering ghosts. Of course, this theory is still sketchy, but I do believe there is some significance in the wording and the ratio of sins to warriors."

By this time, the club president has fully immersed herself in the text resting in her hand. It was as if she was trying to break down the text in real time, unaware that she was already in the middle of something.

"Either that... or we have the 'Sacrifice' Theory, in which the life energy of the living isn't enough. With this third theory, I believe that in order to make up for the lack of energy, the unchosen two are used in order to make up for the difference. This one is still fairly new, but certain things in this writing hint towards the possibility. Such as never mentioning the participation of nine in the ritual, but always listing all nine sins..."

The inquisitive young woman finally lifts her eye from the text and scans the room with a smile. Realizing that she's gone on somewhat of a tangent, she sticks out her tongue jokingly and gives off a light shrug. With that, she closes her great grandfather's folio and tucks it neatly under her arm.

"Anyways, what we'll be doing tonight is just a little exercise of our city's urban legend. Since we've yet to look at anything local in this club, I thought it would be kind of fun to try out before Golden Week. Even more so because there is so much information out there on it," with a look of confidence on her face, Haruka takes the mysterious book from under her arm and waves it through the air, "If it's bunk, we can proudly say we squashed one of Fuyuki's great mysteries. And if it's real... well... I guess we'll talk to a ghost."

"And no, Varren-kun. No blood sacrifice is needed whatsoever." Haruka replied, brimming with confidence that would almost be reassuring, had she actually known what she was getting into.

"As far as summoning spirits goes, I surely hope it works. It'd be pretty interesting, wouldn't it?" A mischievous grin crept upon Haruka's face as she finished these words.

'Extra Player Theory?!' The mere mention of these words stirred Troph from any half-awoken state he might have been in at the time. However, as Haruka delved more into the context of the Theory, Troph's train of thought quickly succumbed to confusion.

Content with Haruka's answer, albeit a little confused because of her complicated theories, Troph nodded. Having no further questions, he was ready to begin the ritual once everyone else was situated.

Until...

"WAIT! If you fall from this height, who knows how much fall damage you'll sustain!" Troph called out, reaching for Ayame and Yuzuki who were both already out the window.

Upon realizing he was too late to stop them, Troph leaned against the window sil in defeat.

"Uwah~ Mama gets so serious when it comes to her cooking." Troph commented in a state of false bliss, enjoying the view of their 'game of tag'.(Huehuehuehuehue~)

All in all Troph was ready to get this show on the road. Retreating from the window sill, he stepped onto the chalk circle, while grabbing an extra cookie or two along the way.

"Ready when you are, kaichou."

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

Ryusuke was skeptical with Haruka's explanation. There was simply no fact or reason to it. While those two words rarely applied to the supernatural, Ryusuke refused to pile his hopes on wishful thinking.

'Hope it works? You're not serious, are you?'

Despite his thoughts on the situation, Ryusuke reluctantly made his way over to the chalk circle and awaited whatever was to come of this so-called ritual.

As he waited for the others, his mind slipped over to his brother.

'That's kinda weird. Sin is usually already here by now. Don't tell me he forgot where the clubroom is again...' Ryusuke thought, a tinge of worry affixed upon his naturally scowling face.

'Whatever... It's not like he's a kid anymore. He can take care of his own problems.'

Dismissing his earlier doubts and worries, Ryusuke crossed his arms, becoming more impatient with each second he had to wait.

Watching silently as everyone finds a spot on the circle, Haruka can't help but smile in excitement. It was true that she might not have thought the whole thing out, but she figured she didn't have to. After all, the text was a mystery to her. If she'd known all the answers to it already, she wouldn't be able to enjoy it with her friends. And while the mystery delved into something she didn't particularly care for, the extensive notes left by her mentor were an oddity. For as far back as she could remember, Haruka was always told to only investigate the mysteries of reality as they'd provide far more entertainment than those of fiction. So for her great grandfather to have chronicled so much on something generally accepted as fiction before his death... it was as if she was holding the old man's life work in the palm of her hands. To share something like that with her extended family, however nonsensical it seemed, it was the ultimate mystery for her.

"Alright," Haruka snaps back to reality as she reopens the book, "Let's get started!"

Just as Haruka gets ready to read off the chant for the ritual, she notices that one spot on the circle has yet to be filled. Turning a full 180 degrees, she sees none other than Justin still standing by the chalkboard. Naturally, she wanted to yell at him playfully as she always does, but she soon finds that she can't. It was just for an instant, but there was a fierce, almost scary, intensity in her friend's eyes as he gazed at the circle. It was as if his eyes had become a never-melting ice holding back and intense blaze, if only for a second.

"Just-"

"Geez."

Before the president can even mutter the boy's name, he seemingly returns to normal and steps towards the circle, grabbing the chalk off of the teacher's podium as he does. He walks past the boundary and steps into the circle alongside Haruka, kneeling down upon stopping. The action causes Haruka to step back, as she opted to wear a skirt, but it allows for her to notice what Justin was doing.

"If you're going to draw something with chalk, at least try not to mess it up when you walk all over it." The young man speaks with a sigh as he redraws a portion of the area Haruka was just standing on. His voice still portrays a certain reluctantness to go about the ordeal, but his swift reconstruction of the ruined area seems to argue the opposite. In just a matter of seconds, he's done and he stands back up to assume his position on the circle. "Honestly, you were about to get us blown to bits or something." With his trademark sarcasm, Justin takes yet another shot at his dear friend with a smile on his face.

Feeling somewhat reassured, Haruka mindfully gets back into position and opens the book to the page tabbed 'chant'. The storm brewing outside grows in intensity and roars, but Haruka becomes calm as breathes deeply and begins to read.

Blood and iron to the flames. Mind and body cast into Hell.
The heart falls upon thy sword and forsaken life is woven into thy vessel.
The inferno is birthed from collective sin spilling out and thrown to the four directions.
Death and rebirth. Constructed five times over, the defiled body paves the way to unholy ruin.
Even still, a hollowed being is a simple price to pay.
Therefore, I announce---
You whoms fate shall be chained to my own as mine chained to yours,
in accordance with price to claim the Holy Grail, if your avarice extends beyond emotion, reason, pain, and torment, then answer!
I am the one who will become all the good of the world of the dead.
You are the one who will become all the evil of the world of the living.
So, great keeper of balance clad in chaos, step through this magic ring and release me from these chains which bind reality!
Allow me the chance to grasp that which is seeped in blood and sorrow!

As the last word is spoken, silence once again fills the room. Sheets of rain continue to buffet the classroom windows and the wind continues to wail in the darkness. Everything remains unchanged and the elaborate ritual dies off into the night.

"..."

"...Haruka!"

The nightly doldrum is broken by none other than Justin as he instantly dives towards his friend. At the same moment, the young woman instinctively turns to look behind herself and is shocked at what she finds. There, as if impersonating her own shadow, a black figure looms over her person. It possesses no features, nor any kind of presence, but the human-shaped body resonates despair, paralyzing Haruka instantly.





Finally noticing the figure in the darkness, you move to react but find that your body doesn't respond. Unparalleled pain soon races through your body as the circle you stand on fills the room with a crimson hue. Soon after, your body as well as everyone else's begins to deconstruct. Everything is happening in an instant, but what you're now experiencing seems to go on for an eternity. As your body vanishes into the air, you feel as though every cell in your body is being carefully burned and the compounding pain assails your brain. And just before your mind succumbs to the immense torture, you witness as the black shadow's arm scythes through the air and cuts Justin in two. The young man is silenced before he even knew what happened and his best friend is forced to watch it as she slowly fades away.

"Thank you... Master..."

The mouthless creature speaks with an inhuman gurgle which rings clear in your ears. As the scene before you returns to real time, your mind slips into blissful darkness.

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

Let the Game Begin~
Welcome all to my little playground. Here is where all the fun will begin. Now that you're all seperated, I can play with you all a little bit~ But I wonder what I should do first? Pluck one of you off!? Send in a horde!? The possibilities are endless now. And I've got the rest of eternity to play with my new toys~

Oh? What's that? You want to know what to do? HAHAHAHAHA! You're on your own! I'm just here to watch you rot in despair as I slowly kill each and every last one of you~ How you survive up until the end is none of my concern... However, I suppose if I'd want to make this more interesting for myself... I could say to learn from those who have already lost.

School BuildingPark

Hospital Building

Keiza was happy to see the others in good enough spirits for this event, knowing full well that they would need to cooperate for this to be enjoyed to the fullest. Keeping an eye on the other students as they conversed and played to their hearts content and awaiting for the groups meeting to begin.

Though he was never really a member of the group, as per the schools designs, he has always been fascinated with them as they worked. More so with the fact that he would more or less stick with them for the whole night, instead of going on his rounds as the school insisted.

But as the group settled down and everyone was told to take their places, he could tell that this night was not going to be like the others. The lights and the mood were not enough for him to see past what was going on, but the circle and imagery were weighing on the back of his mind as he watched them all play their parts in the unfolding event. Haruka's reading of the old dusty tome was more then enough to draw and ire of dread from Keiza as he looked on as the pale shadow appeared.

His first instinct was to move and try to save self, but something had gripped him and was holding him in place. To call such a thing fear, no matter how primitive would be a childish thing to do. It was something else all together that was ensuring they all bore witness to what was happening and as Justine is cut down before their very eyes and Keiza grits his teeth in response. Almost being too aware of the feeling of red life streaking across his cheek and the warmth of that life being replaced by the echoing blackness.

He could barely make out the words being said, though he had a decent enough grasp on what they might be.

But for now he was alone in this world of stark blackness and the only company there for him was the sound of his own breath. This state in turn gave a greatly separated feeling of euphoria, as if his body were amputated from his mind and the two could feel one another to an extent. He could feel his arms move, though it was obvious that he was not budging in any direction at the least.

This silence and calm was broken after what seemed to be far too long as Keiza could feel himself returning somehow. The new found cold stale air began filling his lungs and he became aware now that he was for some reason on one knee. His eyes blinked eagerly into focus as the class room came back into sight.

The room was as he last saw it, though one would be wrong to guess it the same.
All the air was cold and brim with stillness, everything else being coated in a uniquely thick layer of dust. His mind wondering as to how long that he had been out of it for now. He looked before his feet, realizing that both sections of Justine's body were now gone. His eyes widened as he realized that some of the students themselves were gone as well.

Leaning over laying a hand on Akira's shoulder, he could tell that she was still alive and well, no matter how little the term of "well" meant at the moment. She was still alive, despite the fact that there was a thick layer of dust on her body as well as the others.

Kaoru and Milo were passed out beside one another, with Shizuka, Maya and Sin still somewhat maintaining their own locations around the now fading circle on the floor. He gave Akira's shoulder a cursory jostle in order to wake her from her sleep and spoke out, clearing the dust from his own throat in the process.

Stepping over to help Haruka and lend a hand for Yumiko as well.

"Everyone.."

"Wake up"

Coughing more as he tried to speak with a clearer voice.

He stood and pressed his hand against the desk at the head of the class for added leverage, again feeling how wrong the room was. The wood was brittle and grimy with the passing of time for so long, adding to the image of how the room had not been cared for after so many years and its years of prime lay in the past.

---

---

---

---

Troph chuckled at Haruka and Justin's little display before the ritual began. It was a light-heartening scene to say the least. The calm before the storm. The storm itself came crashing down harder than the strongest of waves.

Troph's momentary amusement was quickly dispelled as the dark tension from earlier returned to the room. Although Troph had managed to avoid it earlier by keeping his mind focused on his game and the arrival of his fellow club mates, he now found it somewhat difficult to ignore.

'H-holy shit, Kaichou... You've really stepped up the difficulty level...' Troph thought as Haruka finished the incantation. Up until then, he had failed to accumulate an individual thought, completely entranced by Haruka's sermon. He hated to admit it, but the atmosphere slightly unnerved him.

As he paused to take a calming breath, his moment of tranquility was interrupted by the panicked exclamation of his vice president.

...Haruka!

Troph's eye shot open, as he found himself unable to move, speak, or even breath. As if all control had left his body. Hopelessly, Troph stared in utter horror as an entity loomed over Haruka, threatening to strike at any moment.

'Fuck... Don't tell me this is one of those boss fights, where you're supposed to lo-' Before Troph could even process the rest of his thought, unimaginable pain shot through every crevice in his being.

He wanted to die; he wanted to cry out. Both options were denied to him at this point. All he could do was hopelessly wait as every cell in his body was dismantled and burned away into nothingness. For what seemed like an eternity, Troph felt that he knew what true agony felt like. But it was only a taste, as within a few seconds the pain subsided, along with Troph's vision.

But not before a shade of scarlet flew through the damp air, along with half of his vice president's body. And then... Black.

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

Nothing but the sound of incoherent mumbling could be heard, as the darkness threatened to dissipate, leaving Troph in the middle of a horrific reality. Troph was not only conscious, but alert.

The memory of Justin's death still fresh in his mind. One might think something of even that nature would subside after experiencing the excruciating pain Troph and no doubt his fellow classmates had endured. But Troph refused to let it go. As if that scene was the one thing currently holding him to reality.

Cautiously opening a single eye, Troph scanned the area above him. To his surprise, he was met not with a ceiling or even the shadowy face of their attacker. What he saw puzzled him to no end.

-----

[Ability Activated: Gamer's Mind] A passive ability that allows Troph to stay completely calm in any situation and think things clearly, like that of a video game character. This allows him to mentally adapt to almost any situation.

-----

'Sky?' Deciding now wasn't the time to be taking a nap, Troph rose up with a jerk, taking in his surroundings as quickly as he could. Realizing that he was no longer in the classroom, he didn't feel like he was in any immediate danger.

Nothing but a thin sheet of white mist. Upon further inspection, he noticed a small building within a short walking distance away. Beyond it, the fog was much too deep for Troph to make anything out. Other than a bridge and load of trees, there wasn't much else to see.

Although, he was already aware of the other's presence, Troph figured it was better to see if their current position was safe before checking on the wellbeing of his comrades.

With a calm face, Troph moves over to Varren and shakes his shoulder. "Oi, Hawkeye. Don't shoot me in the face or anything. You seem more like the type to wake up shooting rather than swinging... I won't accept any friendly fire." Before checking on the others, he wanted to make sure the guy with the gun was keeping watch.