Something is about to take place. I slowly move further back from the middle of the crowd with Saeki. I hand signal Saeki to follow my lead, and she nods. A few others seem to have the same idea and did the same. As it seemed like my feeling hit the mark, a few monsters walk over to us and grabbed the 10 nearest students within their reach.

"Wh-What! No, no! Help!!" (???)

"Megi, please help me!!" (???)

"Ah! D-Dammit! L-Let go, you monster!!!" (???)

Various screams of fear are heard, but in vain. Suddenly, a female student run out to grab her friend’s hand from being dragged away. I also see at another side a male student is doing the same for a different girl. The monsters who see this as seeming an eyesore, grabbed the stragglers along as well with its other arms. The 10 students with the few stragglers, were thrown in front of the red monster. The red monster grabs a male student, and-

"Wh-Wait, please!!" (???)

-chomped his head off. It passed the body to a nearby monster unfazed, and the body is taken away. It moves onto the next victim. A male student pushes another ahead of him, and he got caught.

"Oi! Y-You bastard, Grag! Gah!! Wait, d-don’t eat m-" (???)

and his head was bitten off. This continued until all the male students in front of it were gone.

"S-Sam… *sobs*" (???)

"Hi-Hiieeee!-" (???)

The girls were beyond in fear and anguish. Some of them wet themselves, while others threw up from the thick smell of blood. Passing the last male student’s corpse to a nearby monster to take away, it begins eyeing the female students. I cover my mouth. I see Saeki holding her stomach with an arm as she covers her mouth as well. She knees the ground and throws up the contents. I bend down and rub her back as I eye the monster's next action, trying not to avert my eyes. Everyone was either in fear or shock as their body shook or felt sick to the stomach throwing up their contents. That gruesome display was just too much for most of us. It moves to grab a female student, but she attempts to run away from the monster’s reach.

"N-No! I-I don’t want to die!!" (???)

It was an attempt in vain, as she was caught after a few bare steps and lifted from the ground. The monster removes the female student’s undergarments, and something begins to appear in its nether regions. It was small, but everyone can guess what is about to take place. It sticks its tiny member into the female student and sounds of grinding meat resounded for the next few moments. The victim was making a pained expression in pleasure, but suddenly she started screaming in pain; but the red monster continued without any regard. The victim suddenly went limp in the middle of it, so the monster stops moving it's hands up and down. The monster lifts her up from it's member, and a large amount of blood spurts out from the her nether region. The member was now huge from the human eye. It was as long as a meter, and it's diameter looked inhumanely wide as an adult palm. I was scared. I was very scared. I don't want to die that way. As if in ignorance of my thoughts, it continued towards the next victim.

"N-No!! W-W-Wait!! O-Ow-Ow-It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! Please stop already!! A-... A-A-AhhARGHHHHH!!?" (???)

It didn't seem to fit in, so the red monster grabbed both of the female student’s legs, and forcefully pulled her down. As it entered her, it grabs her and resumes moving her up and down in its grip. Most of the girls already closed their eyes and covered their ears from the disgusting sounds of grinding meat and screams of pain, while the boys were averting their eyes from the cries of despair and pleasure. The grass around the red monster was being further dyed red, as drops of blood flew every time the victim is lifted and thrusted. As a girl, I can only see raw pain coming from being penetrated by ‘that' monster size, so I am left horrified how such a pleasurable voice can come out from the victim. The cries of different victims carried on for the next long whiles until all the female students ended up dead through the deed. It felt like forever. As the cries of the last victim finally stopped, silence fell upon us. I was averting myself from witnessing the tragic ends of the female students. As I carefully turn to take a peek after silence takes over, I was full of fear as I catch a glimpse of the corpse of the headless victims being taken away. In the end, it bit on all the girl's heads too, leaving more headless corpses behind. The red monster holds its head as if it is in pain and starts discussing something with the other monsters. It turns our way and smiles before it turns it back on us, exiting the space. It leaves, finally silence falls upon us once more.

"Hiieee!!?-" (???)

A girl finally awakens from the horror that had transpired. Another realizes the reality of the situation. Everyone reacts differently, but most simply broke down in tears of fear of death and helplessness.

"Oi! Someone stop him!" (???)

I turn to see some commotion among a group of first years. Saeki also redirects her distressful gaze to the group.

"W-Why are you stopping me!?” (1st year student)

"Killing yourself isn't going to solve anything!" (1st year student)

"It’s better than getting eaten by those monsters!!" (1st year student)

I have heard enough. I look up towards the sky. The sky is cloudy. The winds are slightly cold, so it felt like we're currently in the middle of autumn. I don't know how long it's going to be before night falls. I huddle close to Saeki.

"Saki… where are we really…” (Saeki)

"...I don't know." (Saki)

Is this still somewhere on Earth? or are we dragged into some other world… Those monsters might be the results of human experimentation by some country; but ironically, it's more realistic to think of this as another world entirely.

"I wonder if our parent are worried about us…” (Saeki)

"Uhn." (Saki)

Our parents, huh? Our whole school appeared in the middle of nowhere, so I assume the other side must be in a huge panic from the disappearance of an entire school.

"Are all of us going to die here…” (Saeki)

"..." (Saki)

"..." (Saeki)

"..." (Saki)

"…H-HicHic… Hicc-... I… I don't want to die..." (Saeki)

Saeki sobs beside me. Just looking at the cloudy sky makes me lose hope.

...

…

Hours pass by as I stay close to keep warm with Saeki. It seems a few monsters have entered the space and are dropping a few bags holding familiar-looking fruits in strange colors inside. Are they telling us to feed ourselves, so we won't die from starvation? I would choose starvation over dying ‘that’ way, albeit I don’t know which is a more painful way to die… I heard dying from starvation is like experiencing hell itself. I wouldn't want to do such a stupid thing when Saeki still remain beside anyway. I rid myself of such thoughts. I still need to search for Shuka too. The monsters begins bringing in something else.

"S-Students…?" (Saki)

I voice under my breath. They are carrying bodies of students from our school, and they are being dropped inside the space. Are they unconscious? There were about 16 brought in. I gasp and shake Saeki to rouse her up.

"Saeki, wake up! Hurry!" (Saki)

Saeki wakes up with a tired expression. She holds her head and adjusts her glasses.

"Ow, ow, ow… W-What is it...?" (Saeki)

She looks at me in a daze, with red eyelids as a sign that show she cried a good deal. She suddenly remembers our situation and jumps from her half-asleep state.

"Ah! D-Did something happen!?" (Saeki)

She panickily glances around and turns to me with an expression now becoming confused. Noticing I am gazing at something, she follows my line of sight. A few students are already catching sight of their own friends. I stood up and held my hand out to Saki.

"S-Shuka!?" (Saeki)

“Let’s go!” (Saki)

She grabs my hand and I pull her up, then we ran over as soon as the monsters left. I quickly bend down and touch her cheek, which was warm to the touch.

"S-She's alive." (Saki)

I sigh in relief as I voice my thoughts. Saeki catches my comment and also sighs in relief. I begin to notice some gazes on us. I look around to see it was from not just our classmates, but 2nd years from other classes as well as a few 1st years. Shuka is pretty popular amongst the 2nd and 1st years after all, but… the gazes made me feel uncomfortable. Am I becoming paranoid?...

"What do we do now…” (Saeki)

I look at the sky as it was becoming a shade of orange.

...

A day passes as morning arrives. I open my eyes and turn to my side. There was an empty space.

"Eh?" (Saki)

"Ah. You're awake, Saki?" (???)

I hear a lighthearted voice near me and turn to find Shuka sitting nearby.

"S-Shuka!? You're awake!?" (Saki)

"Uhn." (Shuka)

She looks at her hands with a relieved expression.

"I’m alive... I’m still alive." (Shuka)

I move to hug her.

"I’m glad. I’m really glad you are okay… I was being too rash when I ran out the classroom back then. I was worried ever since." (Saki)

She returns the hug. I let out a breath of relief.

"I was worried too. That’s why I am very relieved to see both of you safe." (Shuka)

"You already spoke to Saeki?" (Saki)

Ah, yeah. The spaces around me are empty now. I guess I am the last one up. I turn to the pile of fruits from afar and catch sight of Saeki with a bunch of other students.

"Uhn. She said she was going to grab a handful of fruits for us..." (Shuka)

Shuka turns to glance at the pile of fruits as well. Ah, the pile the monsters left behind last night...

"Saki, can I ask you something?" (Shuka)

I release Shuka from my hug.

"W-Where… did you find me?" (Shuka)

"..." (Saki)

I don't know if she was attacked or was unconscious by the time a monster found her. I thought for sure she managed to escape on her own but… No, considering how long I’ve known Shuka, she wouldn't run without Me and Saeki with her…

"You were carried in along with a bunch of others by… a few monsters." (Saki)

"...I-It wasn't a dream…" (Shuka)

She holds herself wrapped in her arms in terror from the memory of it.

"Eh…?" (Saki)

"I was… caught by one of its hands... I thought I was going to die… No, I thought I died." (Shuka)

Shuka places her hands on her chest, attempting to calm herself down.

"My heart is still beating..." (Shuka)

She seems to have been heavily affected by the attack if the memory of it can shake her up this much. She gazes around after calming down as if she just remembered something.

"Saki, was Chiiai brought in together with me!?..." (Shuka)

"C-Chiiai?... A-Ah. Is Chiiai the 1st year girl who always follow you around? The one from your tennis club?" (Saki)

"Yeah, her! D-Did she also get captured by the monster!?" (Shuka)

Shuka grabs my shoulders. I shake my head.

"N-No, I didn't see her. There were around 16 students brought in, but I didn't spot her among them. I only recognized you." (Saki)

"I-I see..." (Suuka)

Shuka sighs in relief.

"I-Is everyone from our school here…?" (Shuka)

"Yeah... at least most of us- Hm?" (Saki)

I notice Saeki quickly pacing over to us with a frantic expression. I look around to discover that not a single monster was in sight anymore. Not a single one.

"S-Saki! Shuka! The monsters are gone!" (Saeki)

Saeki reaches within earshot amidst panicking as she hastily conveys her shocking news to us.

"Oi, you guys! The monsters are gone!" (???)

"Lukan! Sai! you guys! The monsters are gone!" (???)

"Everyone, the monsters are gone! We have to take this chance and escape!" (???)

I look around to find a few others running back to break the news to their friends and classmates.

"What’s going on? Did something happen?" (Saki)

"I-I don't know, but I noticed there wasn’t a single monster around anymore! They all disappeared!" (Saeki)

I notice a few students attempt to escape, but the result was electrocution. The ‘magic barrier' was still up. Is this a false alarm…? The monsters might simply be trekking somewhere for the rest of the day, so we might only be safe for a few hours. It can't be no more than a day considering the amount of fruit was left behind, unless… they want us to starve, or worse… they have no more use nor interest in us and simply ‘up and left’ us. As I was lost in thought, the red monster enters our sight from the entrance. It was running towards us and it… looked injured!? One of its arms was missing, and it’s body was oozing red blood all over. It was getting closer and closer, with bloodshot eyes in a frenzy.

"Shuka! Saki! Stand up! Hurry!" (Saki)

I grab both their hands and pull them up, but suddenly Shuka falls on her knees. She holds her ankle with a pained expression.

"O-O-Ow, ta-ta-ta- W-Wait- S-Sorry, Saki. Saeki. I didn't get the chance to tell both of you yet, b-but I sprained my ankle…" (Shuka)

"Eh!?" (Saki)

"S-Shuka, are you okay!? I’m sorry!! I never noticed!" (Saeki)

"No, I didn't tell you after all. I should've told you and Saki sooner… I know I will be a burde-" (Shuka)

I chop her head with my hand to cut her off from finishing what she was about to say, and kneel down.

"O-Ow! S-Saki!?" (Shuka)

"Saeki, help this stubborn girl up and place her on my back." (Saki)

"Eh?" (Saeki)

"Hurry!" (Saki)

"O-Okay!" (Saeki)

Saeki lifts the light-weighted Shuka to my back, and I ready myself to stand up.

"Uwawa!?-" (Shuka)

I turn to look at the red monster. It was opening an entrance into the space.

"A-Aren’t I heavy?" (Shuka)

I smirk at her.

"Yes, you are. So don't ask me. Save that line for your future boyfriend." (Saki)

"S-Saki! This is no time to be joking around!" (Shuka)

Despite the situation, I feel calmer than I thought. I thought I was already calm because of Saeki but… I tighten my grip as I held Shuka’s weight on my back. I’ve really changed, have I? The presence of two of my closest friends are keeping me rational. If this were the old me, I would be just as scared as any other normal girl. Maybe I’d already be running away for my own life. I see the red monster finally opening a gap and is running towards the nearest student. Everyone tries to avoid getting gripped, but in vain as it catches up in no time. In a frenzy, it picks up and bites a student’s head off, and moves onto the next. It ate, and ate, and ate, regardless of gender. It ate and threw the rest of the corpse aside like trash. I was sick to my stomach as I was forced to witness the gory sight, so I try my best to tighten my stomache and hold control from falling in fear. I try fleeing in complete opposite directions from the red monster, but it was moving so erratically I couldn't tell which direction was safe anymore. Suddenly, it was moving to my direction.

"Saki!! Shuka!!" (Saeki)

Saeki running ahead of us turns her head around to find the red monster reaching out for us and screams our names. The hands were reaching for me. Everything felt like it was happening in slow motion. I grab Shuka and drop her off to the side as I sharply turn around to face the red monster.

"S-Saki!!" (Shuka)

Ah, I understand why I’ve remained this calm now... It wasn’t just their presence, more so it was the promise I held on between me and him. Because of that promise; my earnestness to keep Shuka from harm’s way... which pave its way to courage, which in turn overturned my fear. Meirou and Shuka’s smile flashes before my eyes. My regrets. My guilt. How I took a full year off from school. My friends turning their backs on me. How I met Meirou’s sister. My apologies and Meirou’s forgiving smile. Mei’s unforgiving expression and her slap across my face. My younger brother. My deadbeat parents. Everything that went down the wrong direction in my life.

「Meirou, I’m sorry. It seems I can't carry our promise any further… I'm sorry, I wish I could have conveyed this in person… I’m-」 "I’m sorry, Kiku… I truly do regretted everything I’ve done… " (Saki)

"Saki!!!" (Shuka)

The red monster grabs me. I turn to gaze towards Shuka’s direction to find a frantic expression, trying to reach out for me. I smile at her. I feel as if everything has come to an end.

「Shuka, no matter what... find a way back and reunite with your brother. I am glad you wholeheartedly accepted me as your friend. I was saved by it. Thank you… Thank you. So please, don't give up.」 "Live..." (Saki)

This was my last thought, and my last words. Kiku’s expression overlaps with Shuka. I guess karma decided my grave to be in this unknown forsaken place. Serves me right… My consciousness was then finally cut.

…

The red monster bit on Saki. The monster. The monster bit on my childhood friend who was always by my side. I scream.

"SAKI!!!" (Shuka)

The red monster quickly turns to another victim, oblivious of my screams. I notice Saeki frozen on the spot. She focuses on the headless body of Saki, with an aghast expression. She looked as if she is about to cry and break down on the spot. She suddenly jerks as if realizing the current situation, and quickly glimpse at me. She was glimpsing at my legs to be exact.

"S-SAE-" (Shuka)

"I-I’m sorry, Shuka!! P-Please forgive me!" (Saeki)

With a teary, aghast expression, now full of guilt, she turns her back on me and starts running to the direction of the forest. I was left behind in shock and confusion. Saki, why Saki... I feel like I don't want to care about anything anymore. I drag my body over to Saki and take her hand. There was blood everywhere in the surroundings.

"I see... Saki is just another student among everyone else that was killed..." (Shuka)

Ah, there is so much blood. There is blood everywhere. What do I do? The monster threw Saki’s body after killing her, so most of the blood that flew around here are from her. It came from her body crushed by the grip of the monster, and the neck. There is so much blood. With a teary face, I feel something rising from my throat. I quickly cover my mouth.

"Hmhhff... Hah, hah... Bro… please save me…" (Shuka)

Why am I here? Why are we here? How did we get here? What is this?...

"Siiiiiiiiiiiiiishiiiiiiiiii" (???)

A loud high pitch sound, like a special kind of whistle rings in my ears.

…