Kamakura City Hospital
Watching the raindrops drip down her hospital window Kanami can't remember the last time she was this bored. During the day time, her hospital stay was durable as Kanami's friends visited her, but now she is alone with a roommate who is too engaged with her book to pay her any attention. Looking over to the dark-haired Toji Kanami can't figure out how she can handle being cooped up inside of this room with only a book while the pair still had their Okatana and could easily find enough space for a friendly spar.
"Hiyori," Kanami speaks up gripping Chidori.
"No," Shooting her down instantly Hiyori doesn't even look up from her book as she gives her reply.
"You don't even know what I was going to say," Kanami complains with a pout.
"True but I know it is most likely involves us sneaking off somewhere where there's more space to spar with each other despite the fact the doctors told us to stay in bed and rest," Hiyori tells her.
"But," Kanami tries to continue but she can't.
"You know what happened to our mothers," Hiyori interrupts instantly making the sword crazed girl remember the pain of being motherless. "They are worried we will end up like them, so we need to let them run their tests because although we sealed away Tagitsuhime in a different way, then our mothers did we still used a similar technique to them and even spent time wondering around the netherworld. They just want to be safe."
"But I'm bored," Kanami moans collapsing onto her bed.
"Then read a book like me," Hiyori suggests. "Mai brought you a book too."
"…" Kanami grunts with displeasure at the thought, she has never enjoyed reading. Turning over onto her side Kanami can feel her heartbeat quicken as she stares at her friend. Kanami doesn't know why but she often felt her heart hammering against her chest and a warmth flood her cheeks whenever she looks at the Heijou Toji. Another problem Kanami finds herself having is that she can no longer take her eyes off of her friend as she watches Hiyori read and think of her as beautiful. Just thinking about thinking Hiyori is beautiful makes Kanami blush but she shakes her head playing off her thoughts and feelings of those of friendship. "All friends tell each other they are beautiful from time to time," Kanami tells herself. "All friends must feel nervous about being alone together from time to time."
Opening her mouth to voice her displeasure Kanami is interrupted by a sudden loud bang that makes the ground shake. Both girls quickly turn and look out of the window to see smoke rising in the distance, and the buildings illuminated by the orange glow of a fire that neither girl can see. Both of the young Toji grip their swords as they see the cause of the explosion and fires,. A large black serpents head with glowing orange eyes and markings slivers up on of the tall building causing the glass to shatter and parts of the building to crumble.
One Hour Later Across town
Meanwhile, at Special Sword Administration Bureau, the command room is in chaos as several strong Aradama suddenly appeared from nowhere and attacked Kamakura City. Already reports are coming in from all over the city describing the devastation and listing the dead and wounded alongside people who have been reported as missing. For most people, the scene is starting to remind them of the Great Disaster of Sagami Bay as more casualty reports flood in.
"What's the status of our teams in the field?" Yukari Origami asks.
"The Aradama by the central station has been contained and so has the Aradama in the industrial sector," A Toji making one of the computers reports. "The Aradama in the museum has been dealt with but the on that was running around the outskirts is giving us some trouble, and the field team is requesting S-Equipment."
"Deploy the S-Equipment right away," Yukari orders shaking her head and clenching her fists.
Meanwhile in the Gifu prefecture
A young man clutches his shoulder trying to stop the bleeding as he watches his father fall lifelessly to the ground with the sword that killed him still buried deep in his chest. The young man glares at his fathers kill trying to not show his fear, but his body betrayed him as it starts to shake as the killer pulls his sword out of the boy's fathers body. A figure of darkness with eyes as that fill the boy with fear the creature starts to advance towards the young man who tries to scurry away only to be stopped by the growl of a dog.
"Don't try anything," A woman advises him who is dressed as though she is moaning a loved one as she steps up behead the killer. "It will be over before you know it and you will be at pieces."
"Why?" The boy growls. "Why do this?"
"Because your mother and her friend stole something from us," The woman explains as the dark figure stops right in front of the boy. "Your mother and her friend took something important to us and unfortunately for you that object is now stored within their children bodies. I am sorry you have to pay for your mother's crime, but there is no other way we can do this."
"I won't help you," The boy tells her in a shaky voice.
"I'm sorry it has to be this way," As the words leave her mother the dark figure's hand wrap around the boy's throat lifting him into the air. "We wanted to do this more gently, but it seems that is impossible." The dark figures freehand glows orange as it moves towards the boy's stomach. "You may think we are monsters, but this is your mother's fault and the only way we can do this so, please don't resist further, and you will soon be at peace."
Thirty Minutes Later Kamakura City Hospital
"It looks like it is over," Mai sighs in relief as she watches the last giant Aradama fall.
"…" A smaller white-haired girl nods her head in agreement.
"After everything that happened it feels strange not to be in the center of things don't you think Sayaka?"
"Yeah it does," Sayaka agrees.
For the last hour these two young ladies watched the battle in the city after visiting their friends awaiting the order to engage in battle but the only message that received told them to remain on stand by at the hospital. Countless times Sayaka and Mai felt the urge to leave and fight, but every time those feelings emerged both young Toji would find a way to restrain themselves before they went off and disobeyed orders.
"I'm sorry Sayaka," Mai says causing her companion to look at her.
"You haven't down anything wrong," Sayaka assures her confused as to way her friend is apologizing.
"But I just realized we can't go to that café I promised to take you to tonight," Mai tells her. "How about I treat you to some homemade cookies instead, and we go to the café another time." Mai never gets tired of the way Sayaka eyes would light up when the smaller girl is excited. "I have some in my room. Do you want to come over and hang out?"
To anyone who may have overheard this exchange, it would sound as if Mai was asking the white-haired Toji out, but Sayaka is too naive to see that while as Mai blushes slightly as that thought enters her head. Looking down with a slight blush on her cheeks Mai comes to the realization that she would mind people thinking she was in a relationship with her friend and found a slight appeal to the idea of dating the white-haired girl next to her that makes her heart flutter.
"Sure," Sayaka smiles but as the two girls turn to leave a helicopter roars overhead circling the hospital before it lands next to the girls.
Both Sayaka and Mai cover their eyes as the wind brought caused by the helicopters rotor blades slams against them and neither Toji looks up again until they hear the engines die down. Sayaka is the first to see the occupants exit the craft, but Mai is the first to realize that something is wrong by the look two of her close friends have on the faces.
"Both of you need to come with us," Sana Maniwa says as she walks past the two girls who quickly fall in line with their friends and does as she says. "I haven't got time to explain right now, but Kanami and Hiyori are in grave danger."
"What's happened," Mai starts to panic after losing her best friend for serval agonizing days she starts to lose the happiness she felt for their return hearing that both girls are still in trouble.
"I'll explain everything once we get to their room," Sana tells them.
Mai may have had only a few meetings with Sana but it that brief amount of time she has come to see the serious and dutiful reputation the president of Osafune Girls' Academy has is well deserved. The look in Sana's eyes, the fact that Kaoru isn't complaining about work and the way Ellen isn't as cheerful as Mai has come to know her as is enough to let Mai know that something is wrong. As the group enters the hospital, Mai sees several trucks arrive carrying members of Special Ritual Riot Squad.
Something is wrong. Mai can't put her finger on it, but she knows something is wrong, and her friends are in grave danger like Sana stated. For some reason, Mai can't shake the feeling in her gut of something bad that is going to happen, and she isn't the only one who feels it as Sayaka steps closer to her making Mai's heartbeat increase. Neither Mai or Sayaka can shake this feeling of imminent danger, and their hands grip the hilts of their swords ready to draw their blade at a moments notice.
When they enter Kanami and Hiyori's room, the Minoseki Toji smiles while the black haired Toji merely looks up from her book. Both girls must sense that something is wrong as Kanami's smile soon fades and Hiyroi puts her book down before both girls stand up. Outside another helicopter arrives along with a few more trucks. To everyone I this room the hospital is starting to resemble a fortress, but only Sana doesn't think the security is unnecessary and excessive.
"Kanami, Hiyori you two are not allowed to leave this hospital room for any reason until further notice," Sana tells them. "You are also to carry your Okatana's at all times and…" Sana turns to face the two Toji's friends. "You four are to protect them and guard this room."
"What's happened?" Now it's Kanami's turn to ask that question, but unlike when Mai asked it Sana is now ready to answer.
"A powerful Aradama is after both of you and will kill you if it gets its hands on you," Sana says before her eyes meet Kanami's and are filled with sorrow. Sana has never liked to do this. "Kanami, I have some bad news." Sana has to take a minute to prepare herself, giving this news to anyone is hard but knowing Kanami's past only makes it harder. "I'm sorry to tell you this but…" Already tears fill Kanami's eyes making Sana pause for a moment. Kanami knows what she is about to be told, her father said something similar when her mother died. Hiyori must know it too as she takes Kanami's hand. "But the Aradama that is after you attacked your home, I'm sorry, but both your brother and father have been found dead at the scene."
