4) The Murderer in the Woods
Part 2
Matt shockingly sees the severely and bloody injured girl lying on the school grounds. "Oh, my lord!" Matt shouted. Without hesitation, Matt zooms and passes his members and reaches the front doors. Everyone noticed him as he got all of his members' attention.
"Hey, what's the matter, Matt-san?" Setsuna asked.
"No time to talk." Matt replied and panicked, "Hurry and help me."
Matt exited the room, and the members looked at each other. They put down their food and followed Matt.
Everyone exited the building, and Matt runs around the whole building. Negi and all the girls followed Matt. "Hey Matthew! What's wrong!?" Negi shouted to Matt and followed him. Matt didn't want to stop, and he made a sharp turn around the building's corner. The rest of the gang was a few feet behind him and coming up to the corner.
Once they passed around the corner and looked for Matt, there they see a frightful sight. In their view is a girl lying on the ground with Matt crouching next to her. They got a closer to see the horrifying sight of the bloody girl.
"What happened?" Yue said in fright.
"I don't know," Matt replied in a worried and scared mood. "She was like this when I looked out of my club's window."
Chachamaru crouches and turns the girl showing her scratched face. Setsuna gets close to the girl and picks up her right hand and uses her two fingers, index and middle, and touches the wrist on the girl's hand.
A few seconds later, Setsuna makes a comment, "We're in luck. This girl still has a pulse, but very faint." They all observed her scratches, blood marks, and bruises everywhere on her body.
"Oh god…" Satsuki said frightfully. "What could've happened to her?"
"I don't know," Matt said with a stern look. He then looks up to his members. "Call the security and medical team. This girl needs help." Satomi and Chisame nodded and went out to get help.
After a half-hour passed by, Dean Konoe, Prof. Takahata, Nurse Shizuna, and Mahora's emergency medical team arrived at the scene where the injured girl was found. The members watched the wounded girl as the medical team put her on a soft blanket and gave an oxygen mask with it. She is slowly breathing trying to recover her strength.
The dean looks at Matt Oda and his members. "Thanks for the call, Oda-san," the dean said. "I would've thought she couldn't make it if the medical team didn't arrive right away."
"No problem Dean," replied Matt. "We're just lucky she is still breathing and alive."
"Still though, it is a dreadful sight." Prof. Takahata stated. "I can't believe this happened to a Mahora middle schooler."
Negi and his students were terrified to see this girl smothered with severe cuts, even Eva made a chill.
Shizuna, Mahora's nurse and guidance counselor, walks up to the medical team. "How is she?" the nurse asked.
One of the medical team members stood and replied. "Not really good. These wounds are serious, and she is also showing a sign of a fever." The nurse moaned.
Then the whole group heard a siren sound that's was coming in towards the group. An ambulance and a fire truck entered the gate entrance and approached the group with the damaged girl. The rescuing team got out of their vehicles and got the stretcher to pick up the girl.
The dean walks up to the firemen. "Perfect timing," he said calmly. "I thought you'd never make it."
"It's alright," one of the firemen responded. "We got it under control."
The firemen picked up the girl and put her on the stretcher. Just as they were about to put the girl into the ambulance, she coughed and got her breath again.
"Oh God! She's breathing." Asuna yelled.
They all got a little closer to the girl. "You're going to be alright," Takahata says to the girl. "They're going to help you."
The girl kept breathing in and out, and then she said "Be…ware. Beware…" Everyone listened in on the girl. "St…ay, Stay away… from… the forest." Matt's eyes widen a little, and so did his members. "Keep… away from… Kuyoku Forest." Matt blinked after hearing what the girl painfully said. He thought something in that forest caused this girl to give in this painful condition.
"Ma'am, I need you to rest. Otherwise, you won't heal your wounds." said one of the firemen carrying her into the ambulance.
After she was put inside into the ambulance, the fireman team got into their vehicles and drove off to the nearest hospital. Everyone watched the two emergency vehicles drove into sunset roads as it faded away into the vanishing horizon.
"Thank you guys for calling help for that girl," the dean said. "But the way that girl appeared, I say something terrible and vicious must've happened to her."
"No doubt about it," Matt replied, "and we're going find out."
All the members looked at Matt in a little surprise. "You don't mean…" Nodoka said timidly.
"Yep Nodoka, We're going into Kuyoku Forest."
"EEEEHHHHH!?" Everyone shouted in shock.
"I know everyone, and I understand it's scary. But a gentleman like me does not want to see another girl or man get into the same condition as that last girl did. If we let this slide, there's no telling how many more innocent victims will end up looking like her. You don't want that right?"
Negi and the girls looked at each other in a worried look, but they agreed what Matt said. They hate to see another person get assaulted and painfully injured.
"I have to agree with Matt," Satsuki replied. "I know it's scary, but we can't let this happen again."
"Indeed," Setsuna followed. "I think it's wise and best to find and stop this thing that hurt that girl."
Everyone else nodded and agrees with Satsuki and Setsuna's words.
Matt grins a little. "Then it's settled," Matt said, "We're checking out that forest tomorrow in the afternoon."
The dean looks at Matt. "You are brave man, Oda-san." the dean says to Matt. "But, are you sure you and your team will handle this situation in the forest?"
Matt gives thumbs up to the dean. "If we work and stick together as a team, we'll be ready and tackle anything that comes in our way."
The dean raised his left eyebrow and smiles. "Alright then, I wish the best of luck. Kuyoku Forest is located behind the World Tree and just close to Library Island."
"We know where that is," said Yue to the two men. "We'll show you tomorrow in the afternoon."
"Thanks Yue, that means a lot," Matt replied happily.
"When do we specifically start, Matt?" Chisame asked.
"As soon as you're done with your classes, rendezvous at the Mystery Club, and we'll head into the forest."
Everyone nodded and understood. Professor Takahata and Shizuna all wished the Mystery Club good luck. The three faculty members and the medical team left as the Mystery Club went back to the club room and cleaned up the party.
The next afternoon, right after everyone's classes, Negi, Matt, Chamo, and the girls took a trip into the Kuyoku Forest to search for the culprit of the injured girl. They walked down the hill of the World Tree and made it to the border of the forest.
"This is it Matt," Yue told him. "Are you ready for this?"
Matt crossed his arms and says, "I'm not afraid, and I'm ready. How about you?"
"Same for us Matt," Setsuna replied. "As long as we stick together, we will be safe."
Every girl was ready on their feet, but Negi is a little bit timid. Matt sees the shaky Negi and tries to cheer him up. "Don't worry Negi," Matt said. "Stay close to us, and you will be alright." Negi looked at Matt and nodded.
The whole club entered the forest as the opening behind them started to disappear.
Inside the forest, the trees are tall and green, and everywhere around the team were many bushes and rocks. As the team went further into the woods, some of the girls got this haunting feeling that they're being watched.
Matt sees the girls trembling a little in fear. "Don't worry," Matt said trying to calm the girls, "as long we're together, there's no need to be afraid."
Crack! Matt, Negi, Chamo, and Eva heard the sound and turns towards the direction from that sound.
"What was that?" Asuna asked.
"Shh!" Matt hushed her and raised his hand at her.
Everyone stopped and tries to listen to where the noise is coming from. A few seconds passed by and still nothing. But then, they heard a rustle coming from the bushes not too far from the group. Matt spots the moving bush and walks up closer to it.
"Matt, be careful," Nodoka said and cautioned him.
Matt bends over the bush to get a closer look. After a few seconds…
A rabbit popped up right in front of Matt's face. Matt jumped back, but he slipped and fell into a mud puddle. His clothes were all muddy from his shoes to his head.
A few of the girls giggled at Matt. "(Giggle) Oh Matt, you're afraid of a little bunny?" Haruna said in a mocking mood.
Matt stares at Haruna. "Ma'am, sometimes a gentleman has or needs to admit he is scared," Matt said as he stood and tries to wipe the mud off of him. "I mean, you get scared too if something unexpected pops up right in front of your face, right?"
"Yeah, you're right Matt." Haruna gruffed that she couldn't tease Matt.
"No complaining here." Negi followed up.
"Hey, I know those voices." Someone said out of nowhere.
The mystery team looked around to see who said that. The rabbit moved and grabbed everyone's attention. The bunny's head was raised, and it turns out it was a girl wearing a bunny's head as a hood over her head.
She looked small like an eleven-year-old, and she has pink hair with hair bun covers on the side of her head. Matt started to shake, but Negi and the girls blinked in surprise.
"Fumika?" Negi said in a shocking mood.
"What are you doing here?" Konoka asked.
"Sister, where are you?" another girly voice called out.
Fumika and the others turned toward the direction of where the voice was coming from. Walking towards them is another eleven-year-old girl with a bunny hood on her head, a tall girl with brownish and gray hair wearing a ninja outfit, and a young teen girl with blonde hair with her bangs tied sticking out to the side of her head and wearing a martial artist dress. Matt begins to shake even more, but Negi and the other girls blinked again.
"Fumika, there you are!" said the other small girl calling to her sister.
"Oh, hey sis," said Fumika. "Hey, guess who I bumped into." She pointed towards Negi and the gang, and the three girls all smiled.
"Hey there, Negi-kun," said the other little girl.
"Oh, it's you Negi-bozu," said the tall girl.
"Oh, Kaede, Fei Ku, Fuka," Negi replied in a surprising mood.
"Hey, girls," Satsuki called out, "What brings you here in this neck of the woods? So to speak."
"Hey there, everyone," Fei Ku answered. "We were just practicing and training our fighting skills."
The little girl Fuka ran up towards Fumika. "Sis, you know better not to get go on ahead without us," Fuka complained.
"I'm sorry, Sis," Fumika replied, "but I thought I heard something, so I came to check it out."
Matt is all shaken up of seeing the girls that he created splish-splash puddle sounds from the mud. The splash sounds drew the little girls' attention. As the girls were staring at Matt, he begins to sweat even more.
"Hey mister, who are you?" Fumika asked.
Matt didn't reply since he was too scared. Fuka called out for Kaede and Fei Ku to come over and observe and Matt. Kaede didn't know who this young man is, but when Fei Ku observed Matt's face very carefully, she blinked and snaps her fingers.
"Hey, I know you!" Fei Ku replied in a surprise. "You're Matthew Oda! We met the other day." Kaede and the twins jolted a little at Fei Ku, and then they looked back at Matt. The twins smiled.
"Oh Wow!" Fuka replied in astonishment. "You're Matthew Oda!?"
"The Matthew Oda?" Fumika replied, "Like from the news?"
"Oh… so this is the famous Matthew Oda-san we heard so much about-degozaru," Kaede replied with a smile.
The twins got closer to Matt, and their eyes sparkled at him.
"Is it true you solve those mysterious cases: the kidnapping, and the science fair incident?" Fuka said cheerfully.
"How did you do it?" Fumika said, very happily. "Please tell us."
Although the twins smiled faces were honest and cheery, to Matt's view, it looked more frightening. Matt sweat even more and shook more that he got out of the mud and ran behind Asuna and Nodoka's back. He was shivering a lot, making the mud drop from him. The twins and Kaede were confused.
"You'll have to forgive our good friend Matt," Haruna smiled in embarrassment.
"Our Matt Oda friend here has a mental fear condition called gynophobia, and he's doing his best to overcome his mental state," Chachamaru explained.
Kaede and the twins are confused by Chachamaru's words, but Fei Ku knows the meaning.
"Oh right, they're saying Matt Oda has a fear of girls of any kind," Fei Ku simply explains to the three confused girls.
"Oh…, that's why Matt looked so scared of us," Fuka said.
"We didn't mean to hurt you Matt," Fumika said ion concern.
Chao and Konoka patted Matt's shoulders to comfort him. "It's okay, Matt," Konoka said. "They're our friends and classmates."
"Go ahead Matt-san," Chao said in a cheerful mood. "They won't bite."
Matt looks both at Konoka and Chao's smiling faces knowing that they are telling the truth. Matt took a breath and slowly walks up to the twins. He fearfully speaks, "(Cough) Hey there…, I-I'm Matthew Oda. Y-Y-You can call m-me Matt for short."
"Hi Matt," said Fuka. "It's nice to meet in person. I'm Fuka Narutaki."
"And I'm Fumika Narutaki," said the other little girl.
"We're twins." They both said in unison.
Matt shakes his right hand to get rid of most of the mud off and sticks out his hand. "Nice to meet girls." He said as he shook the twins' hand.
Kaede walks closer to Matt. She was a little bit taller than Matt's height, but that didn't scare Matt too much. "Hello there Matthew-dono, I'm Kaede Nagase," she said and sticks out her right hand to Matt.
"Hey there Kaede," Matt replied as he shook her hand.
Fei Ku came out and walks towards Matt and the other girls. "You remember me, Matt. Don't you?" she said to Matt.
"Oh yeah, you're Fei Ku," Matt said in a gleeful surprise. "I met you back at the dorms."
Negi and the rest of the girls walk towards Matt and the others. "So doing more hand-to-hand combat training, I presume?" Setsuna asked.
"We sure are!" Fei Ku replied. "My martial art skills are getting better every day, and Kaede's ninja skills are improving."
Matt blinked in a little astonishment. "Huh, I didn't know you girls are a ninja and a martial artist."
"Of course, Matt," Fuka replies, "We been training in these woods ever since we moved here in Mahora Academy."
"Yeah Matt," Fumika followed. "We might be the youngest students in our class, but we have big and courageous hearts. And we act like we're matured women."
Kaede giggled. "They're so adorable."
The twins blushed by Kaede's sweet words. "Kaede!" the twins yelled in sync. "We're not that adorable!"
"So, what are all of you doing here, anyway?" Fei Ku asked.
"If you want to know," Yue replied, "We're on a hunt to catch a killer."
Fei Ku blinked, and Kaede and the twins jolted a little. "A killer?" Fei Ku questioned.
"What do you mean?" Kaede asked.
"I guess I should've told you guys first when we first met," Matt said. "We are Mystery Club members, and we are on the case to catch a murderer that just brutally injured a girl yesterday."
"A murderer?" Kaede replied in shock. The twins started to shiver a little.
"Yes, indeed," Negi replied. "That's why we are here to stop this killer before more innocent victims get killed."
"The girl that we recovered from yesterday had severe deep cuts and wounds all over her body," Satomi stated. "It was a horrible sight, and we can't let that scene happen again."
The twins started to shake in fright as they hold each other. Matt saw the twins in their frightening position. "Are you girls scared?" Matt questioned the twins.
The twins flinched as they stood up straight and tall like they weren't afraid of anything.
"Of course not!" Fuka exclaimed.
"W-W-We aren't afraid o-o-of anything," Fumika followed trying to hide her fear.
Matt smiled and gave an honest look. "It's okay to be scared girls," He said and then patted their heads. "When you show your fear, it not only tells me you need help, but you're honest to yourselves. And a good and honest person like me is destined to help that person to regain your smile again." The twins' fears were slowly fading away, and Matt winked at them. The twins smiled again.
"Thanks, Matt," said Fuka.
"You're very kind and generous," Fumika said.
"Well, that's our Matt Oda," Konoka said. "He really is an honest and kind gentleman." Chisame, Eva, and Satsuki looked at each other and smiled, knowing that Matt is an honest gentleman.
Setsuna turns to the sky and notices the sky is turning into orange-yellowish color. "It's almost the end of the day," she said to everyone. "We better get out of here before we get lost in this forest for good."
Everyone turned to the sky and agreed with Setsuna's advice. "You're right, Setsuna," Matt replied. "And I don't want to be killed in the dark."
"We'll show you a quick way out of here," Kaede told everyone.
Everyone followed Kaede and her group out of the woods and back to the opening of Mahora Academy. When the gang walked down back to the opening public, something rustled in bushes. Two red and evil-looking eyes watch the gang walk away from the forest.
