5

The moment Lin had laid eyes on the numerous astral hands that appeared behind his sister was the moment that he spun around on his heel and ran the other way. However, now he was utterly and completely lost within the halls of the school, which wasn't helping him with trying to keep calm.

"Rin?" Lin called out as he tried to navigate his way through the school. "Rin, where are you? Please tell me! You know I don't like being alone!"

A small whimper escaped his lips as he was met with silence. He grasped onto the strings of his dog themed sweatshirt tightly and continued down the hall.

"That stupid head coward!" Rin yelled as she cut down the hands with her sword as they tried to grab her. "Why does he always have to run whenever things like this happen?!"

She cut down another set of hands before moving on. More hands appeared behind her and tried to make another grab for her but she proved to be too fast for them.

"Reach, reach, reach as far as you can!" Rin said teasingly, looking over her shoulder at the hands. "You can't catch me, for I'm too fast for you!"

She laughed at her own words and ran around a corner as the hands continued their pursuit. As she did that, she spotted two familiar looking boys ahead of her.

"Hey! Z-Loan idiots!" Rin exclaimed as she tried to catch up to them.

"Huh?" Chika said as he looked over his shoulder at her. "Oh, it's the kid from a while back."

"Don't you dare try to take my plushie money from me!" Rin yelled, glaring at the two boys.

Chika stared at her with a dumbfounded look on his face while Shito sighed.

"Your money!" Chika exclaimed. "That's my money, squirt!"

"I'm not a squirt!" Rin yelled.

"You are! I'm taller than you!" Chika pointed out.

"So what?!" Rin said. "Just means you'll make a good decoy!"

"Why you little-!" Chika said.

"I believe we have more important things to worry about, Akatsuki." Shito said.

"Ah, right," Chika said. "Gotta track Gopher down."

"And I need my plushie money!" Rin said with a smile.

"I've told you, that's my money!" Chika yelled.

Lin had managed to find his way to the nurse's office. To his luck, he could see that the light was on from underneath the door.

"Hopefully I can wait for Rin here," he thought as he rubbed his eye some.

He went up to the door, stood on his tip toes and managed to turn the knob.

"Excuse me?" Lin said, a bit timidly as he pushed the door opened.

"Huh?" Michiru said as she looked toward the door, "Oh, Lin-kun. What are you doing here?"

"Nee-san? What are you doing here so late?" Lin asked, not even hearing Michiru's question.

"I just asked you the same thing." Michiru said, sweating a little.

"Oh, sorry." Lin said, "I'm zombie hunting with my sister."

"Oh, I see-" Michiru started before cutting herself off. "Did you say "zombie hunting"?"

"Yup!" Lin said, nodding his head. "Rin really wants to get that reward tonight so we can go shopping on Sunday."

"But….aren't you a little young to be hunting zombies?" Michiru asked.

"We just look it." Lin said, "Anyway, what are you doing here, Nee-san?"

"Oh!" Michiru said, "Well, you see…"

"Kita-san?" the nurse said as she walked back into the room. "Who are you talking to?"

"Oh, Nurse!" Michiru said as she looked toward her. "I was just talking to a friend."

"A friend?" the nurse said, looking down at Lin as he looked up at her. "Oh my, well, isn't he a cute one?"

Lin's eyes widen as the nurse gave him a soft smile.

"Are you lost little boy?" the nurse asked. "Would you like me to call your parents for you?"

"...Ring," Lin said.

"Hm?" the nurse said.

"Ring?" Michiru said, looking at Lin questionably.

Lin pointed a finger at the nurse, mainly at her neck, and said, "You have a ring around your neck. You're the Z we're looking for."

To my understanding, it seems Zarame can see the rings around people's neck even with something covering it. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.