"Keiko, for the last time. I don't know where Yusuke is. He told me that he was coming back on Sunday."
"Well, today is Sunday and it's 8 o'clock!" Keiko whined. "He said he'll call me as soon as he stepped foot in Osaka!"
Tsuki gave out an exasperated sigh. Her patience had run out with her dear friend. She has been studying and training all day. The priestess was ready to crawl into bed and cuddle with her XL fox plush. "I'm sure he's fine. Please stop worrying about him. He's in great hands."
Kuwabara, who came back three weeks earlier, asked about the spirit detective as well. He had the unfortunate luck of fighting the disguised demon Randou and was injured severely. With his newly divine spiritual powers, Kuwabara was able to recover quickly.
Botan didn't contact Tsuki either. She had her Spirit World duties to attend to. The grim reaper will call her when there was a new mission.
"Ok, ok, ok. I'll stop worrying." Her best friend paused for a second. "Do you want to go to his house tomorrow morning?" She innocently asked.
"I'll pass. Just don't be too disappointed when he's not there ok." Tsuki didn't want Keiko to get distracted. Her mother had always taught her boys before books.
"Yeah, I know. Have a good night!"
"Night!" She hung up the phone and flopped onto her bed. Before closing her tired eyes, she heard a strange whistling sound.
What the. She never heard this sound before. The music felt strange to her ears. The melody was high-pitched with an eerie minor.
Tsuki headed to her window. Weird, it was dark outside. She didn't see anything roaming near the trees. No one was near the shrine. The sound was getting buoyant and thrilling each second.
When she opened the window, the wind immediately gave her chills throughout her entire body. She glanced at the full moon with uncertainty. Where was the whistle coming from?
Suddenly, the music stopped. Tsuki's heart sank when she closed her window. All she could do was fall back asleep and worry about it tomorrow morning.
"Grandfather, I have a question," the priestess stated before putting her backpack on. "Did you hear a strange whistling sound last night?"
Today, Grandfather Saito was sweeping the staircase. He stopped and shrugged his shoulders.
"I did. The melody was close, but I couldn't find the source."
"Me neither," Tsuki replied as she stared at the clear blue sky. "I don't think it came from the Human World."
"You've noticed that too. Good, your senses are getting better," Grandfather Saito complimented. "Just stay alert. You need to go to school and prepare for the test. I'll let you know if something is up."
"Ok, me too."
So far nothing was suspicious as she casually headed to school. Tsuki observed students strolling towards the front entrance. They laughed and talked about the latest gossip. Some were stressing over their finals. It was typical normal behavior. Yet, something didn't seem right about today. Her instincts were screaming that something catastrophic was about to happen.
When she walked into class, Tsuki didn't spot Keiko or Yusuke. That was interesting. Yes, Yusuke skipped school, but Keiko was always on time. Especially when their semi-finals were coming up.
Even Takenaka-sensei found the situation odd. He turned to Tsuki. "Ms. Saito, have you seen Ms. Yukimura?"
"No I haven't," Tsuki stated. She sat down and took out her notebook.
When the bell rang, Takaneka-sensei immediately began today's lecture. "Good morning students, today we need to go over the important questions that are going to be on your finals. Turn to page 411 in your history book."
Before Tsuki could get to her book, she was distracted by the hilarious scene outside the window near her view. Keiko was dragging Yusuke inside the school building.
Tsuki's eyes widened. Yusuke's spiritual energy was impressive. His muscles were tight and robust. There were scratches and bruises all over his arms and face. He clearly has been through hell.
Tsuki smiled brightly. She was glad to see him. However, the priestess knew their entrance wasn't going to be so pleasant.
She closely watched the door. 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1
"Sorry I'm late sensei!" Keko burst in. She tugged on Yusuke's wrinkled white shirt. "I had to drag someone out of their apartment."
Yusuke huffed as he put on his school jacket, flexing more of his built muscles. "I just got back home, woman! And now you want me to come back to school! Are you nuts?!"
"I'll show you crazy." Keiko barked back. Her index finger pointed at his buffed chest. "You LIED to me. You TOLD me that you were going to contact me. You never did! You're so inconsiderate to your friends!"
Takenaka-sensei pressed his lips together. "That's enough of your love quarrel! Take your seats! Welcome back Urameshi. You have tons of homework to catch up with."
"Great," Yusuke strolled to his desk. The students didn't even bother to glance his way. He slouched heavily when he settled down. "I look forward to it."
Tsuki waved at the happy couple. Keiko smiled back while Yusuke grumbled in defeat.
"Wow, Yusuke. I can't believe Genkai-sensei training was that severe. I knew she was brutal but that's insane," Tsuki commented as she sipped her strawberry shake.
They were at Tenoji park, waiting for Keiko to get her and the boys their chocolate milkshake from the ice cream truck.
"Yeah, tell me about it. I'm going to have nightmares for the rest of my life," Yusuke confessed.
Kuwabara grinned cheekily as he sat next to Yusuke on the bench. "You should show me some of your new moves. I bet I can still kick your ass with my spirit sword."
"Oh please, you wish. How's your arm? Or better yet your ribs? Is it still hurting from that demon fight?" The spirit detective teased.
"Psh, that was nothing! I was able to recover in one day thanks to Master Genkai. My spirit energy is definitely superior to yours," Kuwabara retorted back. He glanced at Tsuki. "How do you know her?"
"She and my grandfather have been close friends since childhood. They even went on missions together," Tsuki explained. Master Genkai was intimidating. Ever since she was a child, Tsuki knew that Genkai wasn't the woman to be messed with. Her mother trained with her for a week and stayed in bed for a whole month.
"Wow, that's awesome. Your grandfather must be a legendary master. I wonder if he could train me?" Kuwabara seemed hopeful with the idea.
"Um, I don't think he's taking apprentices right now. I'll ask though." It wasn't unusual for her grandfather to mentor other students. Sometimes monks and mikos from different regions trained at their shrine for a little while.
"Yeah, I don't want to hear about training anymore, especially after what I've been through. All I wanted to do was to relax and maybe gamble a little. But no, I have to bond with my friends," Yusuke complained while glaring at Keiko. "Not only is she making me pay for everyone's dessert, but she also wants me to buy the movie tickets too."
"Well, Mondays are a discount for students. We need a break for all the studying we've been doing." Tsuki wanted to see the American art film that some students were raving about. The movie theatre was only a few blocks away from the park. "Plus it's up to the boyfriend to pay for his girlfriend's meal and entertainment."
"We're not together!"
"Not yet," Tsuki smirked. "I'll give it three weeks."
Kuwabara suddenly stood up. "I say two. I'll bet you 20 bucks."
"Deal." They eagerly shook hands.
"Hey!" Yusuke rose. "This isn't negotiable, Keiko is j-"
"Keiko is just what?" Keiko's brown eyes stared curiously at Yusuke's nervous face. She was carrying the tray of milkshakes.
Yusuke blushed heavily and squirmed. He didn't even bother to look at her as he grabbed the milkshake. "I was about to tell them that you're a great...friend."
"Yes," Kuwabara agreed. He also grabbed his milkshake and tightly wrapped his arm around Yusuke's shoulder. "He was just telling us that there wasn't a day he couldn't stop thinking about you. The only thing that kept him going in that difficult training was one day coming back home to see you."
Keiko gave Yusuke a sweet smile that made his face redder. "Thank you. Now, let's go. The movie is about to start in ten minutes." She skipped towards the sidewalk, giggling excitedly while sipping her milkshake. Keiko didn't care to acknowledge the grinning faces of Tsuki and Kuwabara.
"She missed you, Yusuke. We all miss you," Tsuki admitted. "School hasn't been the same. It's boring without your presence."
"Yeah, now that you're here. Maybe you, Keiko, and Botan, and I can go on a double date. I know the perfect sushi spot," Kuwabara suggested as they finally made it to the movie theatre.
"Don't be ridiculous. Botan has other things to do than spend time with a loser like you." Yusuke stopped walking. "We're being followed," he stated in a serious tone.
A group of young men was trailing them. They weren't trying to say hi either. The students glared intensely at Yusuke and Kuwabara. Some already had their knives and pipes out.
Yusuke glanced at Tsuki. "Keep her distracted. We'll be back in five minutes."
The boys strolled past Keiko who was at the ticket booth. Tsuki stood behind her and waited.
"Is there something wrong? Why are they leaving?" Keiko questioned. She had four movie tickets in her hand.
"Kuwabara left his wallet. They'll return soon." Tsuki watched them turn right into an alleyway. If they were still near the area, she can trance them with their spiritual energy. Tsuki grabbed Keiko's hand and squeezed it. "Let's go get some popcorn."
"Oh ok." Keiko followed her inside the movie theatre.
Since finals were next week, only a few adults were there. The girls waited as a worker filled up their large popcorn.
"So how do you feel about Yusuke being back here?" Tsuki asked.
"He's gotten hotter. Have you seen his arms?" Keiko swayed her body. "That training sure did pay off."
"When are you going to tell him how you feel? It's obvious that he cares about you too."
"I honestly don't know. He just got back." Keiko touched her flushed face. "I know I've been acting a little crazy, but I just want to be near him. That'll be enough for me."
They got their popcorn and headed to room 1. The lights were already dimmed as they sat in the middle seats. A few people were in the back row while three people sat in the front.
After two movie previews, Keiko started to huff. Eventually, she munched on her popcorn. However, Tsuki noticed her annoyance by the way she was strumming her fingers.
"That's it! He's going to pay for this!" Keiko threatened.
Tsuki grabbed her wrist. "No, let me go. I'm sure everything is fine. We should be back when the movie starts." She pleaded with her eyes for Keiko to stay and be safe.
Keiko took a deep breath. "Fine, please bring them back."
"Don't worry. It won't too long." Her best friend had the right to feel worried. Something wasn't right. She watched Yusuke pound boys in less than five minutes.
After she exited the movie theatre, Tsuki turned the corner and followed their spiritual energy. They were close. She walked further until she reached an open abandoned construction area.
In front of her stood Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Botan.
"Tsuki, great! You're here." Yusuke sounded relieved. "Let's go. We have a new case."
"New case? Botan, what's going on?" The group of men that followed them laid unconscious on the floor. They didn't have any bruises or broken bones on their body. Yusuke must've used his new spiritual powers to finish them off.
Next to Botan's white boots was an unconscious lizard man demon. Her bat had a large dent in it.
The grim reaper shook her head. "I wish I could visit with some extraordinary news. However, the Saint Beasts declared war on the Human World. They demand we open the Kekkai barrier."
"What?" Tsuki shook her head. "That can cause chaos in the Human World."
"Exactly. Lord Koenma refused. Unfortunately, they decided to retaliate. The leader of the Saint Beasts just sent insects to conquer Osaka."
"What insects?"
"Look closely at the young boy's face." When she glanced, a tiny brown insect with six legs and a long needle escaped from the student's mouth.
"That's gross," Kuwabara remarked.
"Ew." Tsuki's stomach clenched as she watched the bug fly away.
"They're called makai insects," Botan exclaimed. "Normal people can't see them. Once they're inside people, the host will have a destructive mindset, increase physical strength, and the desire to kill innocent people. It'll be a disaster. Right now the insects are only focusing on sinister people. The only way to destroy them is to find the demon flute that's inside the lost demon city. The mission is going to be tough since that's where the Saint Beasts live."
"No wonder I heard that whistle last night." Tsuki turned to Yusuke. "I'm afraid I can't go with you. I have to stay here and protect the Human World."
"She's right, Yusuke. Tsuki must fulfill her duty as a Saito tribe member. You as a spirit detective have no choice but to go on this mission. I can't go either. Demons can't roam freely in the Human World. I have to stay here and update Lord Koenma."
"Wait," Kuwabara blinked. "Tsuki has spiritual powers too?"
"Yes, I'm a priestess."
"I know that! I didn't know you have powers!"
Before he could ask another random question, Yusuke interrupted him. "Then who's going to assist me on this mission? I'll be alone in a city with a bunch of crazy demons. I need a team!"
"Clearly me dummy! In case you forgot, I got a sword! I also can see these bugs." Kuwabara retorted while snatching another makai insect. "I can't just sit here and watch this city go nuts. I have family and friends to protect!"
"You have to give him credit. If it wasn't for him, we probably would've got severely burned in that fire," Tsuki exclaimed. "I'll take Keiko home. Just go. I have to let my grandfather know about this dreadful ordeal. I'll also tell Shizuru and Atsuko that you guys went on a new training session in the mountains."
"Thanks, Tsuki. You should be careful. Botan was right. These guys were seriously trying to kill us," Kuwabara warned.
"I'll come to your shrine later, Tsuki. I need to take them to the portal of the lost demon city," Botan stated. "We need to figure out a plan. Me, you, and your grandfather can do different sections of Osaka to control the insects."
"Right, good luck Yusuke and Kuwabara."
"Thanks, we're going to need it," Yusuke growled. Her friend just couldn't get a break.
Grandfather Saito lifted his fan high and created a barrier surrounding him and his granddaughter. They had their back against each other. "Tsuki, go home."
"Kill...Kill...Kill!" The zombies moaned. A dozen of them were coming in every direction.
"One more hour, grandfather." Tsuki yawned as she transformed her spiritual energy towards her divine bells. She needed to end this now. After her shift in the park, Tsuki had to patrol their neighborhood district. "Just one more hour."
Grandfather Saito pulled out papers with spiritual markings. "I released them from this demonic energy. Begone and be purified!" He chanted loudly, tossing the spiritual papers at their bodies. The zombies instantly fell from pure shock.
He waited for Tsuki to finish her side. "No, go home now. You have school tomorrow."
"Holy light!" Tsuki yelled. Multiple light projectiles released towards the zombies. They all grunted from the powerful move and collapsed.
Grandfather Saito studied his granddaughter. He took down the barrier and shook his head. "You're tired. Go home."
Tsuki's energy was low. For the past week, she's been sleeping for three hours. Even if she did close her eyes, all Tsuki thought about were the insects or the finals.
"Grandfather," Tsuki protested after she took another deep breath. Her new profound attack took a lot of her spiritual energy. "The insects are controlling more people. It's been days since Yusuke left on his mission. I must do my part!"
She heard the faint sound of that demonic excuse of music. Tsuki glanced at the waning moon and screamed, "I'm also tired of hearing that damn flute!"
Things were getting out of hand. Osaka was in a state of emergency. Hundreds of insects were roaming the city. Everyone wasn't safe. The mayor even threatened to possibly send the army to control the citizens.
Botan at her whits end tried her best to keep Yusuke updated. His mission was difficult too. Even with additional teammates, the demon fights were tough and brutal. Kuwabara barely finished his battle with Byakko.
"You have done enough. Shrine maiden or not, you're still my granddaughter and will listen to me. Go home." His eyes softened. "You also have the responsibility to rest. Allow Inari to take you to the shrine."
Tsuki lowered her head. She couldn't disobey her elder any longer. "I'll let Botan know I'm heading back," she mumbled.
"Tenoji park is secured now. I'll be heading to the streets. Don't worry if I don't make it back to see you off to school. Goodnight, granddaughter." He squeezed her shoulder before heading downtown.
"Goodnight. Please be careful, grandfather." She took another deep breath and closed her eyes. "Inari, let's go home."
Inari's spirit morphed into her physical form. The two tail fox whimpered and tilted her head as Tsuki got on her back.
"I'm just tired," The priestess admitted to her guardian. She wished this horrific nightmare would end.
Once she was secured, Inari flew high in the sky. It was chilly, but flying through the breeze felt good to Tsuki's skin. She relaxed a bit more and snuggled closer. Just like a pillow, Inari's fur was warm and fluffy.
It took about 20 minutes to get back to the shrine. Inari landed on top of the entrance and growled cheerfully.
Tsuki got down and patted her head. "Thank you. I'll give you some rice balls tomorrow."
Her guardian licked her before transforming and entering Tsuki's body.
The priestess took out her radio and pressed the talk button. "Botan, I'm sorry. I have to leave earlier than expected. My grandfather is still downtown. Can you please keep an eye on him?"
"No worries, Tsuki. I'll radio him as soon as we're done with our shifts. We're honestly doing the best that we can. Please, get some rest."
"Ok, night." She glanced at the moon one more time and prayed.
Yusuke, please hurry.
The next morning, Tsuki woke up extremely late. By the time she got dressed, Tsuki already missed her second period.
Iwamoto-sensei is going to kill me. Not only was he a despicable teacher, but he was also notorious for detentions.
She went downstairs to the dining room. Her grandfather wasn't here. He must've stayed up last night.
"Why do I feel like I'm doing my part," Tsuki groaned. Not feeling too hungry, she grabbed an apple and drank a large cup of water.
It was strangely quiet as she jogged to school. People haven't been coming outside since the outburst of the insects. Who could blame them? They were living in an apocalypse. She even noticed that houses and businesses were boarded up. Worse was purifying children and old people that were consumed by the evil flute.
Three security school officers were at the front entrance. After Tsuki showed her student I.D. and answered a few questions, she was allowed to enter Sarayashiki's school building.
Third period was tedious. Iwamoto-sensei despised when people abruptly came late. Especially when they had a lame excuse. Since her grandfather didn't call, Tsuki couldn't escape his wrath.
She knocked on the door and slowly opened it. Everyone peered in her direction with widened eyes and gaped mouths. They were taking a pop quiz. She cursed herself for entering at the wrong time.
"Well, well, well," Iwamoto-sensei began. He looked at her up and down. "Ms. Saito finally decided to show up."
"Apologies, sensei." She bowed. "I woke up late."
"Don't bother, Saito. Stay after school to take the pop quiz while you're in detention. We can't let your grades slip from your mediocrity. Now go to your seat."
"Yes, teacher." Tsuki proceeded to her desk that was in the middle row behind Keiko.
Her friend peeked at her and waved.
Tsuki just rolled her eyes and slunk on the desk. Now she had to text Botan that she was going to be late for her shift.
"I'm awake. I'm awake." Tsuki lifted her head when she was nudged again. "Sensei, I was doing my quiz. I swear!"
"It's me, Tsuki," Keiko stated as she gave her a napkin. "Here, you got some drool on your chin."
"Ew." Tsuki took the napkin and wiped her face. She glanced at her blank paper. "Thank you. Sensei would've given me detention for a week if he caught me like this."
"He's at the teacher's lounge talking to Takenaka-sensei about Yusuke and Kuwabara." Keiko sat next to Tsuki and pulled out her notebook. "You have time to finish it. I'll wait for you."
Iwamoto-sensei was easy on them today. It took another fifteen minutes for Tsuki to answer the questions.
"Tsuki, are you alright?" Keiko asked her tired friend.
"I'm fine, Keiko. I just need to find balance. Taking on new responsibilities is giving me more weight to carry," Tsuki explained as she rubbed her eyes. She was worried about Yusuke too. The priestess hoped he had the power to defeat the beasts.
"Well if you're worried about the tests, I can take notes for you," Keiko suggested. "The way you talk about your training, I know it's not easy being a priestess."
"Keiko, don't do that." Tsuki got up and put her paper onto their teacher's desk. "You have your own problems to deal with."
"Tsuki," Keiko closed her notebook and crossed her arms. She stared sternly at her friend. "I'm not doing it because you're a burden. I'm doing it because I care. You barely can keep your eyes open when Takenaka-sensei even begins his lecture. You're also napping on the balcony during lunchtime. I know your hiding spot Tsuki. You may be small but I can still see you. And, whenever I communicate with you about anything, you're here but I know your mind is somewhere else. Yes, I honestly don't know anything about this whole priestess thing. However, I do know when my best friend needs help."
Tsuki wanted to hug her friend and cry for an hour. Instead, she beamed with twinkles in her eyes. "I'm grateful for your friendship. Thank you."
"I know. That's why I'm here."
Iwamoto-sensei entered the room. "Alright, detention is over. Don't stay here too long. I want to make sure you students go home safely. There's too much going on in this damn city."
Tsuki needed to leave anyway. She had to meet up with her grandfather downtown. Since the priestess couldn't finish her shift last night, Botan decided to roam their neighborhood this afternoon.
"Any news from Urameshi and Kuwabara? It's been a week now."
"Don't know, they're probably still training. I'm sure they will be back soon," Tsuki answered as she grabbed her backpack.
"Whatever, Yusuke can stay there if wants," Keiko stubbornly remarked, rising from the desk.
"You got that right," Iwamoto-sensei unnecessarily commented. "He's a roach that needs to stay in his tiny hole."
Tsuki and Keiko both stuck their tongues out as he exited the classroom.
"Let's go," Keiko stated. "I just need to get some papers from the student council room."
As they walked down the hallway, Tsuki heard the flute playing an intense tune.
What is Suzaku trying to do now? She anxiously thought as they went inside the room.
When Keiko was roaming through the papers, Iwamoto-sensei entered the room.
"Yukimura...Saito...why are you still doing here?" He gritted his teeth.
Tsuki observed his veins popping around his arms. He had tension on his set jaw and rigid neck.
Keiko, aloof to what was happening, put her papers inside her backpack. "We were just about to leave sensei," she paused and gazed at his red eyes. "Are you alright?"
Before she could step forward, Tsuki pulled her back.
"Keiko stay away!"
Her friend raised her eyebrows. "What's going on Tsuki?"
Iwamoto-sensei's chest thrust out. He curled his hands and lunged towards them. "It's time for your detention!"
Tsuki and Keiko managed to dodge his punch. His fist landed on the window, breaking the glass.
The girls didn't bother to turn around. They ran out of the room and headed downstairs towards the school exit.
"What happened?" Keiko's eyes widened with fear as she stared at her friend. "He just went crazy!"
"We have to leave the school grounds!" Tsuki pushed the door open.
They stopped dead in their tracks and gulped. People were waiting for them outside. The security guards from earlier were being possessed too.
"Yukimura…Saito…." They moaned. "Kill...Kill...Kill!"
Keiko started shaking. "What's happening?"
"Stay close to me," Tsuki commanded.
More people surrounded them. Students, teachers, and workers. The girls were the targets of the Saint Beasts.
"Come on Keiko!" Tsuki knew she couldn't take all of them. Her energy needed to be reserved.
They ran near the gym location as more zombies started to come after them. They turned right near the bike racks. From a distance, a girl with blue hair popped out inside a large green bush.
"Tsuki!" Botan urgently whispered. "In here!"
Tsuki obliged and tugged Keiko inside.
"You girls can't hide forever!" Iwamoto-sensei had murder in his eyes when he lurked around.
The girls froze in their spot. They waited anxiously as the zombies walked past them.
Botan touched their shoulders. "Are you guys hurt?"
"No, but why are they suddenly attacking Keiko?" Tsuki questioned. "I get me, but why her?"
"I don't know. I'm guessing that the leader is using her to hurt Yusuke."
"What's going on? No more lies." Keiko leaned closer and stared straight into their eyes.
There was no use in hiding it anymore. The demons got her human friend involved in another pointless mess again. "We're being invaded by makai insects. My grandfather, Botan, and I had been trying to control the city. That's why I've been so tired lately." Tsuki transformed her bracelet into her divine bells.
Keiko's eyebrows furrowed. "Tsuki, what are you saying?"
"My grandfather and I have spiritual powers," the priestess simply explained. "We protect the Human World from evil beings."
Botan took out her communicator. "Yusuke, this is Botan. Do you copy?"
"I know! I know! I'm on it! One more bad guy to go!" He was sprinting towards an unknown destination.
"We have a big problem, Yusuke." She displayed Keiko and Tsuki onto the screen.
He gasped. "What's Keiko doing here?!"
"Yusuke, it's getting serious," Tsuki continued. "The zombies are targeting me and Keiko now. Possibly my grandfather as well."
"What?!"
"It's true. They want to kill them. Suzaku is using the flute to-" Botan was cut short when Iwamoto-sensei found their spot.
"Ah!" The girls screamed in terror.
"Never hide from a teacher!" He slammed his bloody fist towards them.
Tsuki swiftly created a barrier to block his punch. "We have to run, now!"
The zombies continued to chase them. After they created enough distance, the girls decided to take a breather behind the main entrance building.
Tsuki leaned onto the wall. Her heart was pounding at an uneven rate. She found it difficult to control her breathing with her spiritual energy running low.
The priestess composed herself. Yusuke couldn't help them. They had to deal with this terrible situation alone. Even though Tsuki couldn't summon Inari, she can still fight.
"Look," Keiko initiated as she grabbed Botan's hand. "I don't care if something is going on between you and Yusuke. Just tell me where he is?!"
Botan chuckled awkwardly and lifted her hands. "Believe me. He's all yours. We can discuss all of this after this is over."
"...She's right Keiko...We need to find a spot…and I have to contact my grandfather."
"Let me do it," Botan offered. She pressed the talk button on her radio. "Mr. Saito. This is Botan. I'm with Tsuki and Keiko. Where are you?"
"Botan, I'm still downtown. The zombies are attacking me too. I'm doing my best to head in your direction. If you can find a teacher that's not affected, go and protect yourself inside a room."
"Takenaka-sensei!" Keiko replied. "He's still in the teacher's lounge!"
"Then we should get going." Tsuki pressed her radio button. "We'll see you soon grandfather!"
"Please be careful everyone. I'm on my way."
The teacher's lounge was located on the second floor. When Keiko opened the door, Takenaka-sensei was quietly sitting on his desk.
"Sensei, we need your help," Keiko pleaded. "There are dozens of people out there that are trying to hurt us!"
No response. He didn't even budged when they approached.
"Sensei?" Keiko touched his shoulder. He his head collapsed on the desk, revealing a black eye and a couple of bruises on his face.
Keiko and Botan gasped and covered their mouths.
Fearing the worst, Tsuki gulped and touched his neck. Her teacher had a pulse but was unconscious. "He's out, we have to get out of here! It's no longer safe for us to be here!"
When they exited the room, 10 zombies crept closer.
"Yukimura...Saito…." They sang together. "Die...die…die!"
"Ah!" Keiko screamed.
Their horror had just begun. The waning moon showed like a silvery claw in the night sky. They ran until they reached a dead end.
"Oh no," Botan stated as they pressed back against the wall.
Not thinking twice, Tsuki fired. "Spirit beam!"
Five beams shot out and collided with the front row zombies. Botan grabbed a fire extinguisher and sprayed the rest that was standing.
"That was awesome!" Keiko cheered. "Girl power!"
Iwamoto-sensei was able to grab Botan's jacket and lift her with his strong grip.
"Botan!" Tsuki yelled as aimed at his head.
"Let her go!" Keiko slapped him so hard, he dropped Botan and toppled onto the ground.
Tsuki blinked multiple times. Keiko was a powerful girl.
"A knockout!" Botan cheered. "You should do a self-defense class!"
Keiko glanced at her hand. "I just hit a teacher."
"Let's go inside a classroom. I can create a barrier to by us some time." Tsuki was exhausted, but she couldn't rest her eyes now.
They ran into a nearby classroom and locked the door.
"There's no escape!" Iwamoto-sensei pounded the door. His strident voice boomed outside. "You girls have been very naughty!"
Tsuki continued to hold her barrier while the zombies kept banging, kicking, and screaming at the door. If it wasn't for her spiritual earrings, Tsuki would've fainted a long time ago. "I don't know how long I can hold it. Hopefully, this will give us time to think of a plan."
Botan observed the classroom. "Well, we better act quickly."
"Quick, give me your school tie Tsuki. Botan, your jacket." Keio placed the items halfway inside the teacher's closet.
She gave herself and Botan a broom. "Tsuki, let go of the barrier. We're ready to hide."
As they hid behind the window curtain, Iwamoto-sensei busted the door window. "I wanted you to stay away from Urameshi! Now I can see he damaged you girls already!"
After a few more punches and kicks, the zombies forced the door open. They instinctively headed to the closet.
The girls sighed in relief but trembled when they watched their teacher and other students beat the closet into pieces.
The zombie stood confused. There was no scream of agony or even blood coming out.
"Now!" Tsuki shot a few beams at them.
Keiko and Botan opened the curtains and hit the zombies with their brooms.
Botan led them down the hallway. "We got to get to an exit!"
Why aren't they staying down? Tsuki wondered. Each time they attacked, the zombies kept coming back with more allies.
"Ug!" Botan flopped to the ground.
Young thugs turned the corner. Each of them had pipes in their hands.
"Die...Die…Die!"
"Oh Botan," Keiko cried. She kneeled and cradled the grim reaper into her arms.
"...Run away…" Botan spoke with her eyes still closed. There was a huge gash on the side of her head.
"We can't leave you here!" Tsuki stood in front of them as the zombies crept closer. Her hands were shaking. She didn't know how much strength she had left. "No matter what!"
Iwamoto-sensei was behind them now. There was nowhere to escape.
Tsuki hurriedly took down the thugs with her beams. She turned around to strike, but Iwamoto-sensei was able to slice her with sharp scissors.
"Arrgh!" Tsuki winced in pain. She grabbed her arm as fresh blood began to leak on the school floor.
"You'll die first Ms. Saito." Her teacher grinned evilly.
"YUSUKE!" Keiko and Tsuki screamed as they closed their eyes. Iwamoto-sensei and the rest of the zombies were ready to pounce.
Tsuki expected instant pain, but nothing came. She heard a couple of thumps before opening her eyes. The zombies unexpectedly fainted around them.
After a couple of minutes of reassuring herself that they stopped attacking, Tsuki kneeled next to Keiko who lightly smiled at her.
"Yusuke, you did it," The priestess mumbled before collapsing.