Chapter 2: A First Encounter
Usaki high school stood near the center of Kyoto. It was a mid-level high school, and thus was modeled after 21-century schools; yet still relied on nuclear fusion, provided by the "Kaishi" reactor in the heart of the city.
The reactor was built in 2078, at the dawn of the industrial renaissance, when the need for clean and reliable energy was desperately needed; following the exhaustion of fossil fuels in 2065 which led to an economic and societal depression.
The reactor was created and has been monitored by the "Da-jin" corporation which has pioneered many of society's advancements in energy and robotics.
The day was like most others: math, science, english, but when gym came around, I decided to walk over to see my friend Torako, who had been leaning against a tree in the school yard.
He was one of my closer friends. We were in the same year and had some of our classes together.
The only difference being he was quite handsome for his age and excelled at all things physical.
But his family wasn't very well off; he lived alone with his father and had to take on side jobs to keep them afloat.
"Hey, Tora!" I greeted him.
"Oh- Mada" He responded. "How goes it?"
"I just came to chat is all-"
"Oh?" He looked at me, intrigued. "Somethin' on your mind?"
I looked back to the rest of the class who were currently completing their physicals.
"Maybe..." I said reluctantly.
"It's that new girl," He said. "isn't it?"
Torako despite not being very social was good at reading people, a skill that always helped him find new jobs.
"I'm sitting next to her in my first period actually."
"Hm, ya don't say?" He took a glance over to her as she completed the high jump effortlessly. "She's certainly somethin' huh-" He said, "Sure to give me a run for my money."
"Huh? Yeah- She doesn't seem too keen on opening up to people though." I sighed.
Torako stood up, patting me on the back. "Give 'er time man," He smiled. "She'll come around."
"You think so?"
He grinned as he waved goodbye. "I sure did-"
The end of day finally came around and I said goodbye to Saya as everyone left.
"Y-you sure you don't need help?" She whimpered. "The student council room is..."
'Yeah, I'll be fine. I can clean the meeting room myself, no problem!"
Saya was always the last to make up her mind, but she never hesitated when she wanted to help a friend; honestly, it was one of her best qualities.
"Oh- okay..." She looked down to the floor. "I'll, uh- see you tomorrow..."
She waved goodbye and left me to clean.
It was pretty late by the time I finished; the school was dark and quiet. But I was friends with the janitor so he would always keep lights around the exit lit whenever I stayed behind.
"Alright, time to head out-" I said to myself as I stepped out into the hallway.
It was empty, yet peaceful, a calm never truly found during the day. I eventually came to the entrance door, but it was locked for some reason.
"Ngh..." I jiggled the lock for a bit, but it didn't seem to budge. "Crap, I'll need the keys..."
I then made my way to the janitor's closet; the room was dusty and smelled of old paint and chemicals. There was a dimly lit lightbulb hanging from the ceiling; it was clear they needed some remodeling.
I saw a ring of keys on the door but before I could reach for them a voice came from behind me.
"Those are the bathroom keys," said the voice.
I nearly jumped out of my skin. "Huh!? Oh- Mr. Shoda, it's you..."
"Was wrong? Did I scare you Mada?" He chuckled.
"No-" I retorted "You just caught me by surprise-"
"Uh-huh" He grinned. "Here's the keys to the north exit, you can give them back tomorrow."
"Thank you sir," I bowed. "have a good night"
By the time I got back to the entrance the lights had shut off, "What- the lights are supposed to be on..." despite the lighting, I tried the key anyway, but- "Dang, why won't it work!?"
I moved towards a window where the moonlight peered in, "...This is the key to the East entrance..." I sighed. "He's really gotta look into getting glasses."
I calmly walked the darkened hallway; I never realized just how creepy the school was without it's lights on.
*gulp*
"I just need to find Mr. Shoda, get those keys and go home…"
There was an odd smell that hung in the air; like something was rotting. I held my nose, hoping to protect myself from the foul odor.
"Is he cleaning the bathroom or something?" I thought.
Mr. Shoda was standing at the end of the hall. He was oddly silent; like a statue, not moving one bit.
I called out to him, "Mr. Shoda!" but he didn't respond, I ran up to him. "Hey- I took the wrong key, could you-"
He let out a low groan, whispering something under his breath. "Run-"
I let go of my nose placing my hand on his shoulder, the stench was much stronger now- It was absolutely nauseating, I felt like I was going to throw up.
"Hey, ugh- do you know what that-" he turned to me, his face in tears.
Blood splattered across his chest; his eyes giving off a sense of pain and sorrow. "Mada, I'm sorry-"
"Wha-" I looked down and noticed a long metal tenderable protruding from his stomach; it was silver but rusted over, covered in a greenish black flesh. It pulsated out from the cracks in the metallic shell, like it was alive.
"I- what is that-"
He shoved me away, as he was yanked back into the darkness of the hall. "Mr. Shoda!!" I screamed.
I heard a weird noise come from the back of the hall, it sounded like wet meat being squished together. A voice that sounded like so many creeped its way into my ears, "Madaaaaa..."
Out from the darkness slithered a mass of meat and metal; it pulsated with swelled blisters and sagged like its skin wanted to escape its body.
The mass had many limbs that dragged its hideous body; some much larger than others, some made of machine. Its back was covered in glowing bulbs and antennas that flickered like stars; tubes jut out from its sides, dragging along the floor, leaking some orange fluid.
The face was swollen, a single eye stared at me, a flow of orange fluid dripping from beneath its lid.
Another voice was let out, this time it was sharp and static, like it had bad connection,
"MA-dadAAaaa..."
"Ah- ah- AHHHHHHH!!!!" I screamed.
I quickly turned away and ran as fast as I could down the darkened hallway. I turned around corners and ducked under staircases yet still I could hear it coming for me, calling my name-
"Maad-d-d-d-aaa..."
As I ran, I made it to the boiler room; I immediately slammed the door shut, barring it up with a pipe. It was hot and steaming in the room, but the boiler was loud and noisy, so it drowned out my breathing.
The voices grew closer as the creature dragged itself through the halls. I held my breath praying for it to move past.
Suddenly the voices stopped; "Wah?" I got to my feet, creeping over to the door. I held my ear against the wood. "..."
"Is it gone?" I thought.
I placed my hand on the door handle when, suddenly the pipes in the walls lunged out, grabbing hold of me. "What!?"
I was pulled through the wall; "Ah!" I screamed.
Broken wood and drywall scattered across the hallway floor. I coughed up blood, "My ribs..."
I looked up noticing the creature, its limbs merged into the floor as if it had become one with the building itself. "Madadada..." It bellowed.
I struggled to get free, prying at the pipes. "Ngh..." I was dragged closer to the creature; it made a creaking noise as it's face gaped open revealing a gigantic maw.
"It's going to eat me." I thought as I stared into its mouth.
I kicked and squirmed with the ferocity of a wounded animal. "Let go of me!" I cried.
This only seemed to annoy it, as it then tightened its grip on me. "Gah!" I could hear the sound of my bones cracking even more.
Its fat tongue slithered out of its mouth; bloated and swollen, slowly coiling around me, dragging me in.
"Mgh..." As my vision began to blur, I noticed something on the inside of its mouth.
"No. VIII" Tattooed into the flesh of its tongue. "Why... does it...?" I thought, as I was moments from being consumed by this abomination of dead tissue and rusted metal.
I had all but accepted my fate when-
/Slash!/ The creature's tongue was cut clean off, dropping me to the floor. "Gah!"
It screamed as the stump left behind sizzled from the intensity of the strike.
I looked over, and saw a girl adorned in what appeared to be silverish blue armor.
Her right arm had transformed, replaced with that of a massive white blade that radiated an immense heat.
I focused my vision... "Eva?"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone