Opening Song: "Run Away" by Alexandros
Episode 2: Backwards
"K-Kanna?"
Saya stood there, staring at her friend.
"Wh-what's...going on? What was...that...thing?"
And then, exhaustion suddenly overtook the bespectacled girl. Kanna quickly got up and caught her before Saya could hit the ground.
"Tch...not good...gotta get back...home..."
Collecting the katana, Kanna took her friend to her place.
A while later, after removing Saya's blood-stained clothes and laying her in bed, Kanna called Saya's mother.
"Hello Mrs. Himawari-san...it's me, Kanna..."
"Ogura-san? Is everything alright?"
"Yeah...there was an incident on my way home...don't worry, Saya is safe..."
"Ah, thank goodness...I'm sorry, but...would you be okay with having Saya stay the night? It's getting late, and with all the recent reports and such..."
Kanna smiled. "It's no problem at all."
"Oh, thank you, Ogura-san...I'll be expecting her tomorrow after school. Stay safe, and goodnight."
"Alright. Goodnight."
And with that, she hung up, just in time for Saya's eyes to flutter open.
"H-huh?"
Hearing her wake, Kanna turned to face her. "Ah, you're up. Your mom said it was okay to stay here tonight."
"Kanna..." She put her glasses back on.
"What...what's going on?"
Kanna sighs.
"Dinner's almost ready. I'll tell you then. Your clothes are in the wash by the way..."
She looked at her attire.
Clothes that didn't really fit Kanna anymore...but were still a perfect fit for Saya.
With a sigh, she got up.
"This is only the beginning."
Saya paused, looking around the empty room. That voice she heard...
It couldn't have been Kanna...
And yet...it sounded strangely...familiar...
With another sigh and a shake of her head, she left the room, heading to where Kanna was.
"Full?"
Saya sighed, setting the bowl down.
"Yeah...thank you."
Kanna cleared her throat. "You have questions. One at a time, please."
"First thing's first...what was that...thing?"
Kanna sighed and leaned back in her seat.
"That...was an Incognita...translates to the Unknown...an accurate name, as very little is actually known about 'em...to my knowledge, they feast on weak willed humans...where they came from, and why they do what they do...nobody knows..."
"Why were you fighting it?"
"I'm..."
"No more secrets." She said with an assertive tone.
Kanna was caught off guard. Saya was only like that when she was serious...
With another sigh, she bent forward.
"I'm with...a group of people...who hunt them...or rather...try..."
She looks at the katana.
"That sword...is the only thing that seems to work against them."
Saya looked as well, immediately getting a flashback to earlier...
It was...unsettling to say the least...
"Saya...I...I want you to promise me something..."
"If you're gonna tell me to stay out of this, it's too late."
"No no...I know it is..."
She took a deep breath.
"Please...don't tell Ayame..."
That...was not what she expected to hear...
But, Saya could understand why. Ayame may be strong of heart...but if it meant fighting these monsters...The Incognita...
Best she be kept in the dark.
"I promise."
Saya was quiet for a second...before asking another question.
"You mentioned you're part of a group that battles these...Incognita...who else is in it?"
Kanna leaned back again.
"I promise to introduce you to them. But not tonight. It's getting late and we have school tomorrow."
Saya's expression, which was mostly that of concern throughout the explainations, finally softened.
"Alright..."
The next day
"Saya-chaaan! Kanna-chaaan!"
Saya and Kanna stopped and turned to see their friend Ayame catching up to them.
"Huh? How did you guys meet up without me?"
"Saya stayed at my place last night."
"Eh!?"
"Saw her getting harassed by some thugs. Thought it better to have her stay with me rather than try to go home."
"Lucky! I never get to stay at your place!"
"That's cause you almost burned it down last time you did."
"I told you it was an accident!"
Saya giggled, listening to her friends bicker.
*RING*
And suddenly...something caught her attention...a noise only she apparently heard...
She turned around to look. But, apart from the blowing wind, there was nothing there...
"Saya, you okay?"
Kanna's voice pulled her back to reality.
"Ah, yeah...I-I'm fine."
"Come on. We'll be late if we don't hurry."
"I'll race ya!" Ayame said as she took off.
Kanna sighed and chased after her.
Saya turned and looked once more before following her friends.
[Intermission]
Saya left school late, being chosen for sweeping duty. Pulling the face mask off as she finished, she put the broom away and walked outside, the sun beginning to set.
"Mom is expecting me...gotta head home..."
With a sigh, Saya walked alone down the path, humming to herself.
"I swear...if it weren't for Ogura-san..."
Her mom smothered her poor daughter, glad she was okay.
"Mooooom..."
"You need to be more careful, sweetie...things have been getting pretty dangerous recently..."
"I know, I know..."
With a sigh of relief, she let her daughter go.
"Dinner will be ready soon. Go get washed up."
Saya nodded and went upstairs.
Later that night, Saya was on her phone, hoping to find more information on the Incognita.
No luck.
"Guess Kanna was right..."
*RING*
"Huh?" Saya heard the noise again. Getting up, she opened the window and looked around.
Nothing out of the ordinary.
*Vrr Vrr DING*
She got a message.
Walking back over to her bed, she checked...
[Help me!]
It was from Kanna.
Quickly putting on anything she could grab, she quietly climbed out the window and left for Kanna's house.
Upon arrival, Kanna was being held down by a grotesque spider-like Incognita. It stood on 8 legs, but had 8 more on top of its body, along with a strange scorpion tail-like appendage. Careful not to grab its attention, Saya slipped into the house and grabbed the sword.
As soon as she did...
"You must remember..."
A searing pain, ran through her head, just like last night...
She stumbled, losing her footing temporarily as she held her head.
Kanna's cry for help brought her back to her senses as she quickly ran outside. The Incognita, feeling another presence, quickly discoarded the weakened Kanna and turned to see a terrified Saya.
Saya was in a panic as the Incognita lifted its tail and attempted to strike her. She just barely managed to deflect it in time, but didn't see the leg coming to strike her. It slammed into her side, flinging her into a wall with a loud thud. The force from the blow made her cough up blood as she dropped to the floor. Saya didn't get any time to rest as another leg picked her up and slammed her to the ground, hitting her head on the floor.
For a second...everything went black, then, when her vision returned, fuzzy. She looked as the Incognita went after Kanna once more, watching helplessly as her friend was once more in danger.
"You must wake up, Saya..."
She tried to move, but no matter how hard she tried, her body wouldn't respond.
The Incognita towered over Kanna, pinning her down with its legs.
"K-Kanna..."
"Wake up, Saya..."
It raised its tail, ready to finish her off.
*RING*
The butterfly from yesterday gently fluttered into Saya's view, resting on the handle of the sword. Saya weakly reached out for it as the Incognita attacked, just narrowly missing. It raised its tail once more and used another leg to keep Kanna still.
"Wake up, Saya..."
As the butterfly fluttered away, Saya felt a burst of strength as her eyes once more changed. Grabbing the sword, she quickly got to her feet and charged at the Incognita, cutting off 2 legs. The monster screeched in pain and tossed Kanna aside as it tried to lash out at Saya, which only resulted in another leg being lost. As blood sprayed and dripped from the lost limbs, it attempted to strike Saya again with its tail, but she avoided it and sliced the tail wide open, rendering it useless as it sprayed blood everywhere. Wih the last of its strength, the Incognita flipped over and attempted to escape, but Saya swiftly caught up and jumped off a nearby wall to get on top. Raising her blade, she brought it down with all her might into its head, not letting up even as blood drenched her body and dyed her clothes red. With one last cry, the Incognita finally collapsed and went limp. Saya pulled the blade out and got off, swinging it once more at the ground to clean it.
She walked over to Kanna, who was knocked out cold. She picked her friend up and took her inside. She placed her in bed, put away the sword, and left.
As she headed home, the same pain from before stopped her.
"This is only the beginning..."
Saya then passed out.
{TO BE CONTINUED}
Ending Theme: "New World" by Hello Sleepwalkers
PREVIEW
Saya's fight against the Incognita has only just begun, and yet they don't seem to be getting any easier, especially when another student is in danger. But just who is he, and why does he seem to hate Saya?
Next time, on Blood-X
Episode 3: Canvas