Lucy sat up and looked around. Shock appeared on her face. She was still in the park, but there was no one alive around. Blood spilled on the streets and the grass. She had killed everyone, she knew it, without consciously doing it herself. She could tell it was her work by the bodies cut in half and the limbs littering the ground.
Lucy put a hand to her face. This was why she had to leave. She knew something like this would happen. She could've never lived with herself if she had killed Kouta.
Lucy froze when she heard crying nearby. She glanced around and spotted the girl that had been picked on by those boys. She was covered in blood, but she looked physically unharmed. How had the little girl survived?
Lucy started toward the girl. The child spotted her and fear completely overcame her as she let out a horrible scream. Lucy raised a hand and smacked the girl across the face, instantly quieting the child.
"Consider yourself lucky," Lucy said coldly before walking off.
She had to get far away. She knew that police and military personnel would be there in no time to take charge of the situation, and she didn't have any plans on being locked up again.
"She must be far if we have to take a train to get there," Kouta said as he held onto a pole to keep himself steady as the train moved. Nana stood beside him, holding his hand. The train was full and Kouta felt uneasy.
"She must've gotten stronger somehow," Nana said. "Otherwise I couldn't have sensed her from this far away. But the power died as quickly as it came."
"And you're sure it was Nyu?"
Nana nodded. "Lucy, Mariko, and I are the only diclonii left. There's no way it could've been anyone else."
Kouta grasped Nana's hand tighter. "I hope you're right."
Yuka and Mayu sat at home in the sitting room. Yuka twitched nervously as worry about Kouta, Nana, and Nyu filled her. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of trouble Nyu was in now, and what the other two would be in as soon as they found her.
"Yuka," Mayu said suddenly.
Yuka looked up from the table. "Yes, what is it?"
Mayu had her palms down hard on the table. "Do you think you could calm down? You're shaking the table really bad."
"Oh! Sorry, Mayu." Yuka pulled her arms off of the table. "I'm just really worried. I hope things will be okay."
The sound of the front door opening hard sounded through the house. Yuka and Mayu stared at the door leading into the foyer. "You don't think they're back already, do you?" Mayu asked.
"I'm not sure," Yuka said as she slowly stood.
Suddenly the wall separating the two rooms was torn to shreds and the sliding door was tossed aside. Without hesitation Yuka lunged to Mayu and shielded her as debris whipped across the room. A massive gust of wind circled the room and kept the debris floating. Yuka tried to look to see what was happening and a piece of the wall sliced her left cheek.
"Maybe you can tell me where Lucy is," said a cold voice.
"Lucy?" Yuka repeated as she tried to catch a glimpse of the person in the hallway. "You mean Nyu? What do you want with her?"
"That's none of your business."
A powerful burst of wind hit Yuka in the back, tearing her shirt to shreds and pushing her and Mayu across the room. Yuka placed her hand down to catch herself from falling on Mayu and rolled to the side. The debris fell to the floor as the wind died.
"I'll be the only one asking questions here, you got that?" the cold person said.
Yuka raised her head slowly but an invisible opposing force pressed against her chest and forced her back to the floor. "Please, let me go," Yuka begged with what little breath she had.
"Tell me where Lucy is!"
"I ... I don't know," Yuka choked. "Please, let go."
The force released from Yuka. She looked up with blurry vision and was unable to see the person that stood in the doorway. They had gone. Who was it?
Mayu sat over Yuka now. "Are you okay?" she asked timidly, her voice shaky from the experience.
Yuka grabbed her left wrist and sat up. "I think I'm fine," she said, happy to breathe again. "But I think I sprained my wrist."
The wind the helicopters created behind Kurama disturbed him as he looked over the gruesome scene. He knew only one being could be capable of doing such a horrible thing. He had dealt with her for a long time. There was no doubt in her mind that she had done it.
Blood littered the scene roped off by the local police. Torsos, limbs, and heads were scattered over the park. It was truly a devastating sight. But it still bugged Kurama how a single little girl, maybe no more than eight years old, managed to survive.
The girl had been discovered just sitting on a bench covered completely in blood, but physically unharmed. She was crying uncontrollably. She would definitely have psychological problems after such an experience, Kurama thought.
"Chief Kurama," came a soldier from behind. "There's been no other reports of the diclonius in the area. It's like she just disappeared, sir."
Kurama clenched a fist. "Or she's smart and knows we're after her." He turned to the officer. "Search the area within a twenty-kilometer radius. She couldn't have gone that far."
"Sir!" the soldier said obediently with a salute before turning and leaving.
Kurama adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose. If Lucy was getting more vicious then she had to be brought down. Even though she was a perfect test subject, there's no use for her if she's going to kill like this. The life of humans were more important than hers.
"Sir!" Kurama looked up and saw another soldier coming to him. "Two children showed up at the perimeter."
"Tell them to leave," Kurama ordered.
"Actually, sir," the soldier said, "one of the kids has horns. She didn't seem dangerous, but we're holding them right now."
"Another with horns?" Kurama said in surprise. "Nana?"
"I'm telling you it wasn't us!" Kouta cried out the window of the police car. His hands were cuffed to a bar inside. "We're just looking for a friend who should've been in the area!"
"Hush up, kid," one of the officers commanded. "We'll determine your innocents in time."
Kouta sat back in the police car with a sour look. They had taken Nana from his side. He had no idea what they did to her. He tried holding back tears as thoughts of her being taken away from him filled his head. He had done his best to take care of her, and now he couldn't do a thing to help.
The door to the car opened and a hand reached in to undo Kouta's handcuffs. Then the hand grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him from the car. Kouta found himself staring at a tall, official-looking man in a black suit with shaggy black hair and glasses.
"Look," Kouta said immediately, "I didn't do this, and neither did Nana. We just got here. You have to believe me!"
"I know you didn't," the man said. "Calm down, you're not in trouble."
"Papa, you're here!" Nana cried as she raced to the man's side.
A small smile came across the man's face. "Hello there, Nana. How have you been?"
"Great, Papa!" Nana said joyfully. "Kouta has been taking really good care of me."
"Um," Kouta said uneasily, "you're her ... 'papa'?"
"My name is Kurama," the man said, "but that's all I can tell you. I recognize you as the one spotted with Lucy on multiple occasions."
"You mean Nyu? Yeah, she's been staying with me for some time now."
"What brings you here?"
Kouta looked down at his shoes. "Nana said she sensed Nyu in the area, and at a pretty far distance. I've been trying to find her for a few days. She took off suddenly without saying a word. And now Nana thinks that something might be wrong with her."
"'Nyu' as you call her just killed a populace of about a 20 meter radius," Kurama explained. "She's highly dangerous, especially since " He stopped and didn't finish his sentence.
"Since what?" Kouta asked.
Kurama sighed. "I suppose you deserve to know this much. We noticed a change in her genetic makeup. She's undergoing some kind of transformation that we've never seen before. It could be possible because she's the oldest diclonius alive. Normally they're killed at birth."
"What are you trying to say?"
Kurama adjusted his glasses. "The transformation is causing an increase to her power and her bloodlust. I'm sorry to tell you this, but you won't see 'Nyu' again. Now, go home. This is no place for a kid."
Kouta's jaw dropped. "What do you mean I'll never see her again? What're you going to do to her?"
"Kill her," Kurama said simply.
"What?" Kouta grabbed Kurama by his blazer. "You're going to kil Nyu? I can't let you! I won't!"
"Kouta!" Nana said in worry. "What're you doing to Papa?"
Kouta became aware suddenly that the police officers had surrounded him, holding their pistols ready. Kurama raised a hand and motioned for the officers to lower their weapons.
"You can't," Kouta said as tears formed in his eyes. He slowly released Kurama and held his hands at his sides. "You can't kill her. It's not right. She's a human being."
"She's not human," Kurama said. "She's a diclonius an evolved human. She wants to destroy this entire race to start her own. If you're not careful she'll even kill you."
"Then what do you think of Nana, huh? She's the same as Nyu. Should she be killed too?"
Nana looked up at Kurama. "Papa?"
"Go home," Kurama ordered Kouta. "Forget about Lucy. You're better off that way."
Kouta clenched his fists. He wanted so much to punch Kurama, but he couldn't assault him, especially if he's a government official. Kouta had no choice but to go home. He couldn't continue searching for Nyu with the police and the rest of the government intervening.
"Come on, Nana, let's go home," Kouta said finally.
Nana looked up at Kurama. "Papa, I want to stay with you."
Kurama shook his head. "As much as I need your help now, Nana, you can't be with me. You have to stay hidden. I'll come get you once I can."
"But Papa!" Nana argued.
"Come on, Nana," Kouta said as he took the girl's hand. "I'm sure Yuka and Mayu are worried."
Nana continued to stare at Kurama. Finally she turned and began walking away with Kouta.
"Please, take good care of her," Kurama said suddenly.
Kouta stopped. He looked back slightly at Kurama. "Nana means as much to me as Nyu," he said and continued walking.
Kurama returned to the heinous scene. He continued to look over it. A soldier walked up to him. "Sir, we think we may have found a trace on the target. We're getting ready to close in on the kill."
"Wait," Kurama said. "I want it known that Lucy is not to be killed. Do whatever you have to to apprehend her, but she must remain alive."
"But sir "
"That's an order!"
The soldier saluted and walked away.
Kurama looked to the dark sky. He hoped he wouldn't regret his decision.