Marigold's scream alerted the group as The Hound was tailing behind them, Marigold buried her face into Natsumi's neck, trying her best not to look behind them. Shido's lungs burned as he ran, the group running through the corridors.
The Hound snarled and growled, it prowled on all fours. Its ears twitching as it listened to their fleeting footsteps ahead of it. It let out a terrifying roar, as it spoke. "Get.....back here.....Get....back here." The words still came out like someone who was learning to speak after being in a coma for a long time.
"Eyes forward people." Kotori spoke "Don't look back." Her tone was stern and cold, she was in commander mode. There wasn't any time for her to act all sweet and innocent, she cast aside her little sister act and knew there would be a better time and place for her to act sweet and innocent. But now was not the time.
Mana cursed under her breath as she was at the rear. "And I thought Scarlet was the stubborn one who wouldn't stay down, no offense."
No one spoke, they all knew deep down that Mana was right, after their first battle with Scarlet, yeah sure they were told the original Scarlet had been killed by Goku's spirit bomb, but even then. The current Scarlet they knew, was just a back up clone of the original. Yet she still held the memories the original had.
The dim emergency lights flicker overhead in a sickly orange glow. The Hound's claws scraped through the concrete somewhere in the labyrinth of corridors, its distorted growl reverberating like something alive inside the walls themselves.
Miku dared not look back, she was keeping Kotori's advice, eyes forward, don't look back. "We need to lose this thing, if it gets any closer-"
Miku's voice died down as it got lodged in her throat. As the lights flickered The Hounds shadow flicked on the wall to their left, its shadow vanishing as the lights flicker, Miku's heart was beating rapidity in her chest.
Yuzuru and Kaguya split off to check a side passage, their voices overlapping in a rapid exchange before reporting back"Dead end."
The group pressed forward. Yoshino clung to Yoshinon, her puppet's voice trembling with manufactured bravado. "We're fine, we're fine—!" But Yoshino's eyes were wide, darting toward every shadow.
The shelter's corridors narrowed ahead, forcing them into single file. The Hound's breathing grew louder, as though it was directly behind them, yet when Shido risked a glance — nothing but emptiness. That was worse.
~~~
The smell of salt and blood filled the air, mingling with the reek of Grimm. The black shapes moved in from the treeline, their bone masks glinting faintly in the moonlight.
Tohka stood her ground, Sandalphon, the violet glow of her Astral Dress casting her in an otherworldly light. Beside her, Kurumi was still laying down, her skin pale, a faint black-violet corruption crawling through her body. The Lunar Howl attack from Lupus Caelestis had pierced her earlier. She clutched the wound, her breathing uneven.
"They're closing in." Tohka said, voice raw with determination. "Stay behind me."
Kurumi's smile was faint but tired. "I don't think I have much of a choice… You'll have to be my shield, Tohka."
The Grimm surged forward. Tohka swung, her blade cleaving through the first wave, black ichor spraying across the sand. Another lunged from the side, jaws snapping, she pivoted, cutting it down before it could reach Kurumi.
But for every one she felled, more emerged from the dark — eyes glowing, claws scraping against stone and root. Somewhere beyond the treeline, Kurumi thought she saw Lupus Caelestis. Was Mukuro coming back to finish the job? No....that wasn't it. Kurumi hated having to refer to Mukuro as a Grimm, but her heart told her she needed to stay strong and keep Mukuro's name while her mind told her differently.
Kurumi's hand trembled as she reached for her Flintlock pistol, but the corruption had already numbed her fingers. "Mukuro....she's still hunting us." She whispered.
Tohka didn't answer. She couldn't afford to — her entire focus was on the arc of her blade, the timing of each strike, the rhythm of survival. Tohka knew what Kurumi was saying, but her focus on more on the Grimm that surrounded them.
A Beowulf lunged at Tohka, its claws sharp as it went to swipe at her. But Tohka was quick, she swung Sandalphon, slicing it in half. But even as the Beowulf had died, another came charging from behind it. It growled and tackled Tohka, it pinned Tohka onto the wet ground, its jaws snapping at her. Tohka grunted as she pushed back. "D-Dammit.....Dammit!"
Kurumi glanced over, seeing Tohka struggling to get the Beowulf off her. She winched as the poison had spread through her once more. "F-Fuck me...." She muttered.
Suddenly a figure rose up from the shadow, Kurumi's shadow to be exact. The figure fired several shots into the Beowulf. Tohka kicked it off her as she got up to her feet. Standing there, guns at the ready, was Past Kurumi, her black and white Lolita dress blowing in the wind. She glanced down at Kurumi as she scoffed.
Kurumi chuckled weakly as she watched her past self aim the Musket at her, firing "Dalet." The bullet hit Kurumi as the poison in her was vanishing and the Grimm spine had fallen out of her body.
Past Kurumi glanced around a bit. "Don't thank me yet, I'm only doing this because I know if you die, we all die."
Kurumi got up to her feet as she stood with her back against her past self, both Kurumi's had their guns drawn on the Grimm. Tohka smirked as she raised Sandalphon, her grip on it tightened.
~~~
The corridor opened into a wider chamber, its ceiling lost in darkness. Shido slowed, sensing something wrong. The others hesitated, the space too open, too inviting — like a trap.
Then the Hound appeared. Not from the doorway, not from a corridor, but from the wall. It busted through the wall, It lunged at them. But Kotori intercepted, using Camael to counter.
"Scatter!" Kotori barked as her crimson red eyes glowed. "Go!"
The group split up, each one taking their own paths. Natsumi still holding Marigold rushed down a corridor, Kaguya and Yuzuru split up down different paths, the same was said for the rest of the group. Except Kotori, The Hound howled as it swipes its claws at her, the flame spirit maneuvered backwards, swinging Camael at the Grimm.
Miku ran down a corridor by herself, she heels clicking and clanking against the floor. Her breath was heavy as she ran. She stumbled a few times but she managed to get some distance, then something happened. A tear in space and time tore open behind her, and arms came out, grabbing onto the pop idol. Miku screamed as her scream rang through the corridor. Reaching Kotori's ears.
Kotori scoffed, she kicked The Hound back, and ran off in the direction of Miku's scream. "Hold on!"
The Hound on the other hand, sniffed the air. It lost interest for now, it retreated back to the surface, it would be there waiting for the right moment to hunt again.
Kotori had reached the spot Miku's scream came from, only to see a smirking face of White Queen as she pulled Miku in. "No!"
"Ta-ta." Queen purred as the rift closed.
~~~
Both Kurumi's and Tohka fought hard against the Grimm. Tohka slashed and sliced through the Grimm with Sandalphon, letting out a battle cry. her blade a blur of violet arcs. But even she couldn't stop the sudden change in the air — the stillness, the static that made her hair lift slightly at the ends.
Kurumi felt this familiar presence, she glanced towards an empty space as a tear opened up. Her eyes widened as she shouted. "Tohka! Look out!"
Tohka turned her head to Kurumi's direction as she saw the tear open. Her breath hitched in her throat White Queen smirked as she grabbed Tohka pulling her in. Tohka struggled to break free.
"Queen! Let her go! Take me instead!" Kurumi shouted.
Queen chuckled darkly. "I would love to, but you see...I'm not here for you, I'm here for Princess and The Diva. I have plans for the two."
Kurumi's eyes widened, why was she after Tohka and Miku? It didn't make sense. She went to run towards Queen, but a Grimm caught her off guard, slamming into her side as she screamed. Queen waved to Kurumi as the tear closed up. Her voice whispers in the storm raging wind. "Until next time.....Nightmare."
The Grimm around both Kurumi's started to dial back. Past Kurumi noticed, was the change in the air causing them to back off? No....it was something else. Something darker. Past Kurumi bid her farewell to Kurumi without saying a word. She dipped back into Kurumi's shadow right as Salem arrived.
"Oh you poor thing." Salem spoke in a mocking tone, her voice cold as ice. She knelt down and cupped Kurumi's chin in her hand. "It looks like your saviors have failed to rescue you." Her crimson red eyes glowing with malice and malicious intent. "And now, you have nowhere left to run..." Standing up she looked down at Kurumi. "But alas, seeing as I have your precious friend Mukuro under my control as a Grimm. I don't have any use for you anymore."
Salem snapped her fingers as a large Griffon Grimm swooped down from above, snatching Kurumi up.
"You will be reunited with your darling daughter....what's left of her that is." Salem spoke, unaware that The Hound had lost interest in its hunt. "Take her away, take her back to that ruined city."
The Griffon let out a bellowing roar as it flapped its wings and flew through the stormy skies. Salem turned her attention to the raging sea as multiple Sea Feilong's swam through the stormy waters. "As for me, I will be here, waiting for my own offspring...."