Chapter 10: The Hunter Becomes The Hunted

Riku's POV:

The day finally came, we all gathered around in my living room making some plans on how to stop the dark angel that's invading this world. Kotori said last night that Shido and the others wounded the angel, but she didn't mention which part of his body has been damaged. But it's all good, because that means our chance of stopping him increased slightly, I think.

The spirits appearance is really different today, instead of wearing their usual astral dress, they're wearing normal clothes that I don't know where they got it from. Well they are spirits, so I guess they can create their own clothes using their powers.

"We need to go back to the amusement park, I'm sure he didn't retreat very far from there." Kotori suggested.

We all jumped when the television suddenly turned on with high volume. All of us shot a stern glance at the person who's holding the remote.

"S-Sorry!" Kaguya chuckled, quickly lowering the volume.

"Welcome to today's news... Yesterday, something disturbing has happened inside the amusement park of Celestial City. A mysterious humanoid winged creature appeared at the park, injuring 1,013 and killing 457 people including children in it."

"Children?" I mumbled as I covered my face both with my hands and shake my head in disgust.

I glanced at the others and all of their eyes are fixed on the screen, all of them have anger and sorrow from their faces except for Yoshino... She was sobbing in Shido's shirt, her blue hair is covering her face.

"The city mayor already announced an evacuation for the people living in the city, but the plan failed when the evacuation building got over-runned by hostile humanoid creatures! The military quickly responded to this threat, but they got overwhelmed, thus forcing them to retreat. 147 soldiers and 127 evacuees were killed, 74 were missing, and 143 was left injured."

"The military discovered that the creatures are turning the evacuation building of what looks like a nest..."

"Nest?!" Shido's blurted out. "Do you think he's in there?"

"Possibly, but we can't be sure." Kotori answered.

"Then let's go investigate, we will never know if we just keep sitting here." Kurumi said before changing into her spirit form.

Her body got surrounded by black and red aura. Her normal black Lolita dressed got turned into a black and crimson colored frilled dress while her hair returns to its different length twin-tails that symbolizes the hands of a clock.

"Kihihihi~! What're we waiting for? Time is ticking." Kurumi quoted.

The news continues...

"Also, scientists called this creatures ghouls, ghouls are shape-shifting creatures that comes from Arabic folklore, while in European folklore, it is an undead creature, that feeds on human flesh."

"That's interesting, and very accurate." I commented.

"Well, no matter what they called it, those things are still gonna tear you apart." Kotori crossed her arms before looking at the others. Yoshino finally calmed down, and some of them are already itching to fight.

"Now we know where to go, are you girls ready for our final battle?" Kotori look at them one by one.

They all smiled confidently and nodded in response before summoning their astral dresses. Tohka, wearing her usual purple armor; Yoshino, wearing her green hoodie jacket with bunny ears; Kaguya and Yuzuru, wearing a bondage like clothing with chain on their neck; Natsumi, wearing a witch outfit; Miku, wearing yellow dress with a blue and white ruffles covering some parts of it; Origami, her attire resembles a wedding dress, she's also has a crown with a white veil attached to it.

Lastly, Kotori, she isn't wearing her kimono dress like the first time I saw her transformed into her spirit form. But instead, her supposed to be spirit armor got mixed with her uniform while her two horns are pointing out of her black ribbons.

"Would it be possible to give your powers back? I think you need it more than I do." I told her.

"As long as my emotions are still stable, it's useless to give it back." Kotori sighed. "But I can still call my angel, so don't worry about it."

"Angel?" I said while cocking my head.

"Oh! I forgot to tell you, the weapons that spirits wield are called angels." Kotori explained.

Kotori rubbed her chin and said. "Hmm... It's possible that you can wield my angel too, but I highly doubt it."

*CRACKLE!!!*

The whole house shook from the loud thunder, all the lights inside start to turn on and off on its own, and the television signal has been cut off.

"We shouldn't waste any more time, let's go find him quickly!" Kotori ordered.

All of us rushed outside the house. When we got outside, we felt the wind is slowly building up. I look around my surroundings and found almost anything are hardly alive: All the trees across the street are gray, the flowers are decaying, and you can smell the foul odor of the dead animals lying around all over the place.

"I-It looks like an apocalypse." Shido said while feeling disgusted from the smell that's coming out of the animal carcasses.

"It is the apocalypse. The world is slowly ending because of the unnatural balance." Origami explained while her face remains emotionless.

"I can't believe those crazy talk about the world is ending are real!" I said inside my mind with my hand covering my nose and mouth.

"Riku?"

I got brought back to reality when I heard Shido's voice.

"Yeah?"

"Maybe you should take the lead for now."

"Wh-What?!"

"You know where the evacuation building is located right?"

"Y-Yeah, It's really not far from celestial park." I told him. "I can take you there."

*CRACKLE!!!*

With fearful eyes, we all look up at the thick dark clouds covering the sky. The sun barely produced any light, it feels like it's 5 o' clock in the afternoon.

"That's the signal that we need to hurry!" Kotori said before looking at the dark spirit.

"Kurumi, can you transport all of us to the evacuation building using your shadow?" Kotori asked, looking at the dark spirit.

"Ara~! A surprising request from Kotori-san... Hmm... Yes, I can, but be warned though." Kurumi answered.

She clenched her right hand when all the sudden, multiple white hands emerged from the ground beneath me and the others. We all screamed and yelled in panic as it slowly pulling us down, it's like the hands are dragging us to hell or something.

"H-Hey what gives?!" I felt my adrenaline shot up.

"Kurumi! Are you trying to kill us?!" Kotori yelled angrily.

"Kihihihi~! Just relax, we'll arrive there in a jiffy." Kurumi said as she slowly sinks into the ground with us.

Seconds later, my vision got filled by the dark void of nothingness. It feels like I'm spinning around like I'm riding a carousel, giving me motion sickness. In the dark void, I can only hear the voices of the others, my head darted around the place but I couldn't see them anywhere.

Without warning, I felt my whole-body float in the air. I gasped as I start to ascend off the ground. I look up to see where I'm getting send off to, and there I saw a tiny circle of light that grows bigger and bigger as I get closer.

I close my eyes from the blinding light, I didn't open it until a gust of wind hits my face and hearing Shido's voice.

"You okay Riku? You look a little green?" Shido looked at me worriedly.

"Y-Yeah! I-I'm fi-urgh!!!" I hold my mouth with my left hand while my eyes start to water.

"Oh, you'll get used to it." Kurumi chuckled a bit.

I inhaled deeply before exhaling slowly, trying to calm my nerves so I wouldn't start vomiting in front of everyone.

"Alright... Where are w-oh?" My eyes widened when I saw what's in front of me.

All of us are standing outside the iron gate while staring at the building covered with black entrails with decaying corpses scattered all over the field. The odor of death lingers in the air almost made me lose consciousness, so I pulled up the neck of my shirt to cover my mouth and nose like a face mask.

"This is?!... Wh-What the heck happened here?!" Tohka stuttered, eyeing all the disfigured bodies lying on the floor.

Kotori didn't say anything, her body trembles while beads of sweat was dripping down on her forehead.

She slowly walks toward the gate and slowly opened it while it makes a squeaky.

Without facing us, I heard her say. "Are you all ready for our final date?"

The spirits responded by summoning their angels...

"Sandalphon!" A throne appeared. Tohka took out a large white broadsword on top of the stony throne. The sword is the same one Shido's been wielding.

"Zadkiel!" Yoshino summoned a gigantic monster bunny. I can feel the temperature suddenly decreased.

"Come forth, Zaphkiel!" A large clock appeared behind Kurumi while she wields a flintlock and a musket.

"Raphael! El Re'em!" A large lance that can pierce the heaven appeared in the right hand of Kaguya

"Respond, Raphael! El Na'ash!" Same angel, but Yuzuru wields a chain with a speared end.

"Gabriel!" Piano keys appeared in front of Miku.

"Haniel!" A witch broom appeared in the right hand of Natsumi. The end of her broom looks like a mirror.

"Metatron!" Multiple pillars like guns appeared behind Origami.

And lastly...

"Burn! Camael!" A large flaming red halberd ascended from the fire beneath Kotori's feet.

She turns her head on the right, and I saw her looking at us from the corner of her eyes while grinning confidently. It looks like she's ready for war.

"Now... Let us begin our date!" She quoted.

We all walk inside the gate towards the building, never looking back.

"I guess I'm the first one who's going to die." I thought, realizing I'm the only one with no weapons in hand. "I might as well throw some fireballs again."

We've reached the two broken doors, it has multiple claw marks, and fresh blood stains all over it. There seems to be a struggle.

Kotori hesitated first and look each one of us while putting a finger on her chin.

"Shido, Yoshino, Natsumi, and Origami. I want you four to stay here outside, make sure to keep an eye out of potential threats that can trap us." She ordered.

They nodded in response.

"The rest of you, come with me... That includes you Riku." She gestured at the seven of us to follow her.

As the four of the group was left behind, the seven of us proceeded to step inside the meat grinder. After taking my first step inside, my nose got filled with those rotting stenches like the one I smelled outside.

"The smell inside is a lot worse than outside!" I cried out.

"I-I'm getting sick!" Kaguya exclaimed while holding her mouth.

"Disgusted. I feel like we'll encounter more dead bodies in here." Yuzuru added, her eyes darting all around the dark hall.

The atmosphere inside only worsen my anxiety that I'm feeling quite lately, especially when I start to hear things.

"It's those things again?!" I whispered, and we all stop in our track to listen carefully. We all heard a faint growling noises across the hall.

"We'll be fine as long as we stayed quiet, let's keep moving." Kotori said as we continue to walk down the dark path.

I look at Kurumi who is so calm and relax. She's doesn't seem bothered by any of this.

"Riku-san, is everything okay?" Kurumi turn her attention to me.

"Uhh... Yeah... I was just curious." I quickly turn my gaze away from her while blushing.

"Curious about what?" Kurumi asked.

"You're really calm. I mean, aren't you even scared just a little bit?" I said to her while making a pinching hand gesture.

I got startled when she embraced my right arm before whispering into my ear.

"I've seen and done worse, so the answer is no."

I felt a sudden chill went down my spine, there's something in the tone of her voice that's warning me to never spend my alone time with her, or else I'll never gonna see the light of day again.

"Ehem!"

Both me and Kurumi noticed Kotori's glaring eyes.

"Move it!" Kotori demanded while pointing her thumb on her back.

"I'll talk to you later, Riku-san~." Kurumi chuckled before letting go.

After Kurumi went ahead, Kotori approached me with a stern face.

"So? What's your relationship with her?" She asked silently before tossing her halberd to me.

"Ack!!!" I fell on my butt.

"Jesus! Is she a weightlifter or something!!!"

I push the halberd to the side before silently saying. "I was just talking to her like a friend would do!"

"Just a friend? Then why are you locked arms with her behind my back!" She scowled.

"It was just a misunderstanding!" I argued back.

"Hmph!" She crossed her arms before violently turn her head away from me.

I sighed and wrapped my arms around her.

"Wh-What are you doing?! This isn't the time for doing something like this!" She silently exclaimed while blushing furiously.

"There... Feeling better now?" I let go of her.

"W-Well... Yeah..." She answered.

"What was that?" I said to her while smiling.

"N-Nothing!... Idiot!" She picks up her halberd before quickly walking ahead.

I chuckled a bit, following behind.

We've been walking for a long minute now, but for me, it feels like an hour. My eyes keep darting all around the place while sweats dripped down from my head. I'm expecting those ghouls would jump on us in any seconds now, but to our luck nothing happens.

But what makes it scarier is that, the inside of the building is quiet, too damn quiet... We couldn't hear the growling of the creatures anymore. The only noise we can hear was the echoing of our footsteps. It feels like they already know we're here.

All of us stop in our track...

"Is everything okay?" Miku asked while peeking her head behind Tohka.

"Ara~ looks like we'll be forced to split up." Kurumi said while pointing at the two paths.

"But we all know it'll be dangerous to do so, one of these paths could possibly a trap." Kurumi added.

"What are we going to do know Kotori?" Tohka asked with worry in her eyes.

"We don't have a choice... " Kotori sighed while rubbing her temples.

She turns to face us...

"Miku and Kurumi, take the left path while the rest of you, follow me." She commanded.

"Wh-What?! Just the both of us?!" Miku exclaimed. "We'll be outnumbered by those ghouls!"

"Don't fret Miku dear, you do know I have so many tricks up my sleeve." Kurumi chuckled. "Hmm, I don't mind if Riku-san will tag along with us... Kihihihihi!"

"Don't get your hopes up, I wouldn't let you lay your dirty hands on him!" Kotori growled.

"Looks like Kotori is a little jealous." Kaguya chuckled.

"Jealousy. It can destroy your relationship with him if you are too strict." Yuzuru added.

"Wh-What?!... I'm not... Auggghhh!!! Let's just go!" Kotori stomped away.

"Let's go Miku dear." Kurumi gestured to her before walking to the left path.

Miku nodded and quickly followed her. Both of them walk and walk until they are consumed by the darkness.

"We should keep moving too." I gestured to the rest.

We all went to the alternate path, following Kotori from behind.

"Riku? How did you and Kotori first meet?" Tohka suddenly spoke up.

"There's a storm that day when I saw her in my backyard lying unconscious in my flower garden, so I took care of her in my house. After a day or week, we became really close to each other" I told her.

"I have a question though? She mentioned to me that all of you got sent into a separate dimension, how did that happen?" I asked her.

"I don't really know, it happened so fast... I was with Yoshino and Yoshinon that time when we got sent into a different dimension." Tohka frowned.

"It was cold and lonely back there, no signs of any humans, the only thing I saw was those large black and white birds that's walking really funny." She made a funny penguin like walk while telling me.

"You mean penguins?" I answered.

"Hmmm, so that's what they're called." She scratches her face.

*SCREECH!!!*

We all look behind us.

'It's those things again!" Yuzuru exclaimed while she readies her weapon.

"The hallway is too narrow; we need to lure them into an area with more space!" I told them. "We'll be hitting each other if we fight them now!"

"Riku's right, but where?" Kotori shot a questioning glance at me.

"Follow me!" I run ahead while the others quickly followed.

We sprinted across the hallway, and turning in every corner when suddenly... A ghoul bursted out of one of the doors. While running, I conjured fireballs in my hands and throw it towards the target. The ghoul was roaring in agony before Kotori cleaved its torso, silencing him.

"R-Riku?! H-How much further?!" Kotori gasping between words.

"W-We're almost there!... J-Just hang on a little longer!" I yelled back.

"They're closing in!!!" Tohka exclaimed. She stopped and channels her energy to her sword before unleashing three destructive purple energy blades towards the swarm, killing some of them.

She quickly run again, catching up to us with ease.

"Nice work Tohka!" I praised her.

She smiled warmly in response.

I took a quick glance behind me, my eyes widened when I saw them.

"Her attacks hardly work, what are these things made of?!"

Waves after waves of those disfigured creatures are quickly catching up. Some of them are crawling across the ceiling and wall.

"They're not giving up!!!" Kaguya exclaimed.

I look back in front of me and I got filled with a sudden relief when I saw the doors. On top of it, the sign reads "Cafeteria."

"There's the door! Hurry!" I pointed at the double doors.

*SLAM!!!*

All of us bursted through the doors, and quickly locking it shut behind us. I'm praying and hoping inside my mind right now that all those creatures won't break inside, but I doubt it.

*THUMP!!!*

I fall back when the door suddenly got attacked from outside.

"The doors won't hold on; we need to find a way out!" Kotori demanded.

*CRASH!!!*

"Behind us! Get ready!" Kotori yelled.

When we're about to face the threat, all of us felt relieved when we saw two familiar faces.

"Th-This is a surprise, I guess we're not the only one who got the chance to play tag with those things." Kurumi said while breathing heavily. She closes the door behind and lock it.

"Th-Those ghouls, they never learn how to give up!" Miku sat down on the floor while catching her breath.

*THUMP!!!*

*CRACK!!!*

"The doors are breaking!" Kotori warned. "Get ready to fight!"

All of us regrouped at the center of the large room, we positioned ourselves back to back with each other while waiting for the creatures to break down the front and backdoor.

"This cafeteria is the only large room here in this building, I hope we don't get overwhelmed by them!" I prayed inside my mind.

Summoning fireballs with both of my hands are the only offensive ability that I can do. But it's better than nothing, right?

Suddenly, I saw Kotori raised her weapon up in the air.

"Camael! Meggido!" Her angel transformed into the giant cannon she used to kill the masked guys who attacked us during our first date.

"I'll blast them into oblivion!" she smiled mischievously.

*THUMP!!! THUMP!!!*

*CRASH!!!*

The debris was sent flying towards us with dust blocking out our visions.

"Gabriel! March!" Miku quickly used her voice to form a barrier around to protect us from the sharp woods and nails that comes from the destroyed door.

"Great job Miku!" Kotori praised.

All of us waited for the creatures to attack, but none of them budged. They're just standing outside the doorway, staring back at us. It feels like something is holding them back.

"So? All of you came?" A familiar chilling voice echoed.

"I-It's him." I stuttered.

Dark clouds are aggressively spiraling around in the air after entering from both of the entrances. The clouds are screaming... Scream of the tortured souls that this monster has took.

The clouds stop spinning and it manifested itself into a familiar dark figure... The fallen angel... the angel's hollowed eyes stared at us, it feels like he can see through anything, especially fear.

"Took you long enough." Kotori smirked. "Your day of reckoning, ends here!"

The angel grinned, showing his vampiric fangs. He held out his left hand to his side, summoning a large spiked cage with four prisoners inside of it.

All of us gasped when we saw the four people inside.

"G-Give them back!" Kotori raged.

With a mighty roar, she fired her cannon towards the angel, but he easily deflected it with the blade of his scythe.

The seven of us froze in place with our eyes shot wide open. I was in shock that he deflected an attack that can possibly raze an entire town. Not to mention, he even defeated four of our friends and imprisoning them.

"I-Impossible! H-How did he?!" Kotori mouth and eyes were wide opened while she fell to her knees.

"Foolish weaklings, let me repay you!... SOMBRA!!!" The angel roared when he swings his scythe, throwing a large black energy blade, even bigger than Tohka's attack earlier.

All the spirits formed a barrier like the one they did to barricade the house by combining their powers, except for Kotori. She's still in shock when her megiddo got deflected so easily. The fallen angel's attack collided with the barrier, and the spirits are struggling to contain it.

I quickly took action by running in front of Kotori.

"Hey Kotori! Wake up!" I grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

"Wh-Wha?!" Kotori coming back to reality.

"Snap out of it! We're going to die!" I exclaimed.

She finally realized the situation, she quickly got up and joined the others. She added her remaining powers on the barrier, but it wasn't enough. The barrier slowly formed a crack on it's surface, slowly breaking it until...

*SHATTERING!!!*

The barrier got shattered like a glass that fell on the floor. All of us was sent flying across the room, hitting the walls and knocking out our breath. Some of us was left unconscious from the impact, the only three remain barely conscious was me, Kurumi, and Kotori.

From my blurry vision, the angel landed in the ground and he slowly walk towards my direction.

"God, please save us..."

I tried to get up, but my body feels heavy and it's like gravity is pulling me down. So I just crawl and crawl, trying to get away from the angel.

My heart stopped when I felt a clawed hand grab the back of my shirt before lifting me off the ground. My whole-body trembles when the fallen angel turns me around to face him while gripping me by the neck of my shirt.

"L-Let me go!" I stuttered with my whole body shaking.

Without saying a word, he moves his scythe towards the middle of my forehead.

"No, please! Have mercy!" I cried out.

No words come out from him, he just moves the sharp end of the scythe closer and closer until my vision turns black when the tip of the blade touched my forehead.

After a few minutes, I opened my eyes, I noticed my vision is starting to become normal. But my surroundings, not so much.

When I open my eyes, I was met by a beautiful grassy plain sitting under the light of the moon.

"Where am I?" I said while looking all around my surroundings.