NOVEL NEXT Chapter 0 – Part 2
During lunchtime.
-Oops! Sorry, Nishimiya!
As soon as the girl entered the cafeteria, a bucket of cold water fell on her head, drenching her body completely in an instant.
A stylish blonde gal clasps her hands together in an insincere apology. She is Kuzunoha Satome, one of Sae's causeless harassers. With a rude personality, she has earned a reputation for being the one who leads the intellectual current that treats Nishimiya Saeko as the enemy of all the girls in the school.
Taking place in front of Sae, Shuri and Maria protest:
-Again, Kuzunoha! We've told you several times to stop doing these things!
-Let's take this to the management! Let's go, Sae-chan.
After Kana lends Saeko her blazer, Maria turns around and seeks to take her hand.
-The teachers will be happy to hear it. Kuzunoha-san has gone too far this time. -. Ouka says in a kind voice to Saeko.
They are all ready to take Saeko away to report this. But the person in question remains immovable.
Grim. Saeko ignores each of her classmates and goes to order something to eat.
Not in the mood to deal with the others, it's just the way she's always been. Sae, with her food on a tray, takes a seat at a table and despite feeling cold from the water that drenched her, she seems to be completely indifferent to it.
The pain in her belly was greater than all those painful sensations of having her skin at a lower-than-ideal temperature.
The others had no choice and went to order what they were going to eat as well. Leaving Kuzunoha right where she was. It was a victory for her.
Saeko ordered curry. Shuri followed her choice. Maria ordered udon. Ouka decided to eat yakisoba and Kana ordered udon as well. The five sat in silence to devour their meals, only sharing some details about the homework they left for the next class, which is chemistry.
Saeko grimaces in pain when suddenly the wound pricks.
She hides the gun in her blazer along with her notebooks, so as not to attract anyone's attention. She might catch a cold later, but she didn't care about this herself.
(Kuzunoha-san is a bad person... she must pay... for everything she's done...)
That train of thought traveled through her mind as she walked towards the chemistry room because of the change of classrooms. Restlessness was what Shuri felt as she tried to imagine what was going through Sae's mind.
Saeko's seat in this room is right next to Satome. The two exchanged glances that showed the discomfort they felt for being next to each other. A level of contempt that only the two of them understand from all the times they have been alone together. Saeko's injury the day before had been from one of those solitary encounters.
Saionji Kashii and Kasai Yuuki watch the exchange between these two. Showing the same level of disgust towards Saeko. The two of them are friends with Kuzunoha Satome and are more of the people who pose a direct danger to Nishimiya Saeko.
None of these four seem to like each other, but they must put up with each other so that the hateful streak growing in them does not boil over. One of the reasons why the bullying increased was that Shuri had left her girlfriend, Sotomura Hiyori, and decided to fall in love with Nishimiya Saeko. She was friends with Kuzunoha and the others.
The chemistry class was just starting.
-Hey, Kuzunoha-san...
Something that rarely happened, Satome hears Saeko call her last name. She was a little surprised by this, but before she could even turn around properly, she heard one more thing.
-I'll see you in hell. -. That was the last thing Kuzunoha heard as she looked into Saeko's eyes.
In an instant, a bullet pierced her skull right after Saeko pulled the trigger. Blood sprayed out and Kuzunoha's face distorted as the bullet pierced through her.
The corpse fell to the ground and all of Saeko's classmates were shocked to have seen this.
-Kyaaah! -. Saionji Kashii was the first to raise her voice at all this.
Kuzunoha's brain was scattered on the floor. Torn to pieces. A sea of blood formed under her head.
And Saeko...
She simply shot her again.
(Bang!)
(Bang!)
(Bang!)
(Bang!)
(Bang!)
Each shot rang in the ears of the horrified students who were unable to move out of fear, and the remains of Kuzunoha Satome's head scattered over the floor and splattered blood on the uniform of the nearby students.
After Saeko finished shooting her, she turned to look at Saionji. And without thinking too much she fired a bullet into her head as well, whose corpse slumped over her friend next to her. Kasai Yuuki was drenched in her friend's blood. And before Saeko shot the last of them...
-Nishimiya-san, please stop now! -. Shuri stepped in front of Saeko who was aiming at Yuuki.
Saeko's determination wavered and forgetting her communication disorder...
-Get out of my way! Shuri! Let me kill her! You don't have to get involved in this!
Tears were beginning to form in the corners of Saeko's eyes. She was confused by this, as she thought Shuri was her ally.
-That's enough! You already killed Kuzunoha and Saionji! Can't you even spare one life?!
Those words shocked Saeko's heart.
The hand holding the gun starts to tremble. Saeko's pupils dilate. And her heart starts pounding more frequently. She feels her chest pressing down as if there is an anvil on top of her ribs.
Saeko is losing her cool.
-Don't do it, Sae-chan!
Suddenly, Maria hugs Saeko's right arm, causing her to lower the gun she was aiming at Shuri.
By this time, those who were afraid, started to escape from the chemistry room at high speed. Including Kasai Yuuki, who is the most horrified of all. The chemistry teacher also did so, to alert her other co-workers so that they would all neutralize Saeko.
Kana and Ouka also left, but they did so in order not to be crushed by the crowd of students who ran away like barnyard animals.
Only Shuri, Maria, and Saeko were left in the classroom.
-... kill her...
A timid murmur escaped from between Saeko's lips. Maria couldn't hear him properly. And then, making sure Saeko dropped the gun, she hugs her.
-What's wrong, Sae-chan?
Maria lent her friend her shoulder to let off some steam. In the middle of this hug, Saeko felt a warm liquid running down her cheeks.
They were tears.
It had been years since Saeko had been able to cry properly. Those tears descending from her eyes were proof that she was relieved that her despair was relieved.
But... there was something...
Something was broken and could not be repaired.
Saeko's desire is not yet completely over.
She picks up the gun once more, and silently...
-Nishimiya! -. Even though Shuri heartbreakingly shouted her name, Saeko didn't stop.
Saeko's humanity had been discarded. That was the moment when all the gears started to work simultaneously and prepared for the worst possible scenario.
And then-
Saeko shoots point-blank at Maria, who isn't going to let her go unless she shoots her.
-Ah!
So that she wouldn't die, Saeko shot her in the belly. It is the last consideration she has for her friend. Maria then loses stability and releases Saeko from her embrace. But Saeko doesn't quite let go of her.
-I'm sorry... but this isn't over yet... -. Saeko carefully lays Maria down on the laboratory floor.
Maria looks at Saeko, a sweet smile on her face.
And raising her hand to Saeko's cheek, Maria wipes a slowly falling tear from her face.
-I forgive you... Sae-chan. I love you very much, so please... find Yuuki-san and make sure to kill her.
Even though her wound hurt a lot, Maria tried her best to encourage Saeko to go through with what she set out to do. The bespectacled girl herself decided to go through with it. It had barely been two or three minutes... she needn't have escaped far enough.
Saeko stood up once more, and with an iron will, began to run after Yuuki.
With only Maria and Shuri left in the chemistry room, they have a short conversation.
-Sae-chan... she's finally going to take revenge...
-This isn't right. We let her go kill someone else and you got shot.
-I was waiting for this... Sae-chan's the type to let loose... hey, you ape.
-What?
-Call an ambulance... I'm going to bleed to death at the rate I'm going...
-Okay... but Maria, why did you hug Nishimiya if you knew he was going to shoot you?
When Shuri asked that question, Maria could only smile a little. Because of that guy's innocence and sense of propriety. These questions, to Maria, were anchors that were going to stop Saeko from continuing what she was doing.
-You see... I would have killed them too... so, I understand Sae-chan in that sense... I wanted her to know that she has someone who supports her... How can you say you like her... if you couldn't even support her? Haha...
Maria let out a bitter laugh, which was accompanied by vomiting blood. She needs help, but that story will never be seen.
At the same time-
Saeko was running with everything she had. Her body felt lighter than it had in years. And she kept running through the corridors as if she was being chased by someone.
But it's the opposite, the whole world is running away from her.
All the students are horrified that a murderess is running through the corridors as if it's the most normal thing, but she doesn't care.
Saeko feels free. She feels like she can fly.
Her feet never stop moving as she makes her way to the roof of the school. It is the only place where she would think of escaping her prey as it does not represent an easy target.
Saeko knows this because that is the place where several of the abuses against her took place, and she ran harder already on the last stretch.
Arriving on the rooftop, Saeko notices that someone is trying to climb over the school's security fence.
With the door being slammed open, the person in question turns in terror to see Saeko.
Indeed, it is Kasai Yuuki, who was halfway up the mesh. When Saeko runs back up, Kasai gets desperate and starts to climb faster.
-Hyah!
But it was all in vain, as with a single false step, Kasai lost her balance and fell to the side of the rooftop once again. And it was too late, Saeko caught up with her.
Kasai looks at Nishimiya, despairing at what was happening.
-Forgive me...! I always told the others not to be so rude to you! Plea-!
Kasai's words were interrupted by the butt of the gun. The backlash that ensued was so strong that it dislodged the girl's jaw in one fell swoop. And she collapsed to the floor.
Saeko had hit her.
Seeing the posture Kasai took, terrified... it was as if a switch turned on in Saeko's head.
Without any remorse, Saeko started kicking her face, stomach, and genitals. Kasai's reactions were like a feast of delicacies for Saeko, and only motivated her to keep up the attacks.
Saeko spent about ten minutes like that.
The sirens of ambulances and police patrols were beginning to be heard nearby. And by this time, Kasai had several broken teeth from Saeko's relentless kicking.
Without the strength to get up, Kasai could do nothing but cry.
-If you can't make someone love you, you must make them respect you. If he doesn't respect you, then make him fear you... you're pitiful, Kasai-san.
The gears then, gave coercion to the last thing that would happen that day.
By the time Saeko was about to fire the last bullet from her gun...
The gun fell to the ground.
And so did Saeko.
This had only happened because Nishimiya Saeko at that moment was pierced by a "luminous body" whose origin was unknown. Her chest and Kasai's chest were pierced at the same time by this object she had never seen before.
[Welcome to the "System". An analysis of the individual will be started to prepare a suitable "Vessel"]
A voice replayed in Saeko's head, but her thought process had stopped at the sudden pang that split open her chest and caused blood to gush from the wound.
She is unable to comprehend what is going on around her.
[Poor physical endurance detected. "Longevity Lvl. 1" has been added to the skill list]
Saeko's consciousness flickers.
Unable to continue supporting the weight of her body on one knee, she ends up collapsing to the floor as she bleeds out.
[Wounds inflicted cannot be regenerated with "Longevity Lvl. 1". "Immortality Lvl. 1" has been added to the skill list]
With the drops of her life being poured out of the vessel of her human body, Saeko becomes unable to sense things anymore. Her range of vision contracting and retracting, the girl is on the verge of death.
[The player's vision is not optimal. "Night Vision Lvl. 1" has been added to the skill list]
While all these things were going on, a single thought passed through what was left of her mind.
The most primitive and selfish thought that could have been recorded at times like this is from a human who has murdered others.
Nishimiya Saeko...
On her deathbed, she thought-
(I don't want to die... my aunt... she's going to get mad at me... I don't care if she lets me get caught by the police... I still don't want to die no matter what...)
Nishimiya Saeko had then become "unworthy" of being human.
["Vampirism Lvl. 1" has been added to the skill list. We will proceed to search for an individual who meets these conditions. Skill points have been awarded]
And Nishimiya Saeko died. A voice was heard in the deep darkness of death. A distinct voice. But one that Saeko couldn't hear properly, saying...
[You will create chaos wherever you go, for your fangs will have the power to devastate the mightiest beasts. It matters not if you do not forgive yourself. It does not matter if others do not forgive you. I forgive you. I will give you the chance to fulfil the dreams of the people who trust you. From now on, you must restore peace in the world.]