7:07 PM, Wind Instrument Club.
Sakiko was practicing piano in the Wind Instrument Club. After all, the band's formation was mostly settled, and the one who needed the most practice now was herself.
"Rikuo has helped me so much; I can't let him down."
Sakiko played a relatively complete version of "Ave Mujica." Although there weren't many people left in the school, the piano music still attracted something.
The keys under her fingertips suddenly became sticky.
Sakiko frowned and stopped playing. Moonlight streamed through the French windows onto the dark grand piano, and the lid reflected her slightly distorted image.
"Why is it suddenly damp? It's not rainy season today." She looked down, rubbing her finger across a key, and it picked up a trace of dark red liquid.
Thump—
A low note suddenly sank on its own, emitting a muffled sound.
Sakiko abruptly stood up, her chair scraping an ear-piercing sound across the floor. A rustling came from inside the piano, as if something was crawling between the strings.
"Could it be an Anomaly? Are there Anomalies in the school too?"
Her voice echoed in the empty music room, unanswered.
But the next second, the piano keys moved on their own.
An unfamiliar tune began to play, its melody twisted and eerie, like the noise of countless fingernails scratching piano strings. The piano stool slowly moved backward, as if someone was sitting there, yet their form was invisible.
Sakiko's breathing quickened slightly, but she didn't panic.
"Playing tricks."
She sneered, picking up an opaque plastic bag beside her, which contained the octopus mug.
Placing it at her waist, she took out the Ace of Hearts and threw it directly at the transforming belt.
"Henshin!"
She completed Chalice's transformation in an instant.
She reached out and slammed her hand onto the keys, forcefully interrupting the performance.
A sharp shriek came from deep within the piano's soundboard.
Immediately after, the piano lid snapped open, and the black strings writhed like living things, coiling into a giant "hand" that lunged at her!
Sakiko pulled out the Chalice Arrow and quickly took a step back. However, due to the spacing, she bumped into the music stand. Sheet music scattered across the floor, and she glimpsed one piece of paper on which, at some point, blood-red notes had been written.
"The scene looks impressive, but in a fight, strength is what matters! Take this, you mongrel!"
Sakiko seemed to know nothing about holding back, showing no intention of probing the opponent. She transformed the Chalice Arrow into blade mode and charged straight forward.
"Rikuo said that Anomalies can't leave their doors! So you can't escape!"
At this moment, the Anomaly in the piano felt like the prey.
...
Security Guard's Perspective: 7:15 PM
It was almost closing time, and the security guard was patrolling the school.
Old security guard Yamada, with a cigarette in his mouth, slowly ambled towards the music building.
"Hmm?"
He squinted, looking at the lit music room on the second floor from which piano music was emanating, though it seemed a bit too dense.
"There's still a student practicing piano this late? Playing like that, even an amateur like me can tell it's not going well. Maybe they're getting frustrated with practice?"
He was about to go upstairs to remind them, when suddenly—
Bang—
A loud crash, and all the windows in the building vibrated simultaneously.
Yamada was so startled he dropped his cigarette.
"What the hell?! Are kids this noisy when they get angry now?"
He looked up, only to see the curtains of the music room wildly swaying, as if a hurricane was raging inside.
Immediately after, the piano music erupted—
But it wasn't a beautiful melody; it was jarring, almost screaming notes, as if someone had slammed all ten fingers onto the keys.
"Hey! Who's playing pranks in there?!"
The atheist Yamada, of course, didn't believe this was an Anomaly as rumored online; he just shouted at the music room, but there was no response.
He hesitated for a moment but decided to go upstairs to check.
However, the moment he stepped onto the stairs—
Thump—
All the lights in the building went out.
In the darkness, Yamada heard something crawling in the hallway.
"Better safe than sorry... I'll come back tomorrow."
He silently turned around and quickly left the music building.
...
Late Student's Perspective: 7:20 PM
Kato from the Track and Field Club didn't leave the club building until after 7 PM due to extra practice.
She walked across the sports field, humming a song with her bag, when she suddenly heard eerie piano music coming from the direction of the music building.
"Someone else is as diligent as me, still practicing piano this late? So hardworking..."
She sighed, looking up.
Then, she froze.
In the window of the music room, a blurry figure stood. No, that wasn't a person.
The outline of the thing was vague, looking like a stretched shadow, giving a very eerie feeling. Its hands were pressed tightly against the window, as if it was looking down at her from above, and its hollow eyes revealed endless pain and despair, sending shivers down her spine.
Even more chilling was that the eerie "piano music" continued to play, as if coming from the depths of hell. However, when she looked at the window in horror, she found that the "figure" wasn't playing the piano at all; it just "stood there silently," "motionless," yet it seemed as if it could break through the window and rush in at any moment.
"Wh-what the hell?!"
Kato's legs began to tremble.
Just then.
Crash—
The music room window suddenly shattered, glass fragments scattering.
A dark shadow shot out of the window, crawling down the wall like a spider, disappearing into the night in a flash.
And immediately after, Chalice's figure appeared in the broken window, coldly staring in the direction of the dark shadow.
Kato stood frozen until Chalice's gaze swept over her; only then did she snap out of her daze, screaming and running towards the school gate.
...
Sakiko's Perspective: 7:23 PM
Sakiko stood before the broken window, looking down at her hands.
A trace of crimson luminescence lingered on her fingertips.
"Why was it so weak! I didn't even get to have fun!"
Sakiko shook her head, trying to dispel these frantic thoughts.
"Is this Chalice's side effect? Was that emotional outburst last time not a coincidence after all? I can't let Rikuo see me like this..."
Sakiko saw the fleeing student's back at the school gate and suddenly felt a little scary.
"Anyway, first, seal the Anomaly."
Sakiko stopped thinking about these things and jumped directly from the third floor; now she didn't need invincibility frames to do these things easily.
Sakiko took out a blank card and threw it at the gradually dissipating and completely distorted Anomaly.
The Anomaly's twisted face seemed to show relief, and it was quickly and completely absorbed.
Sakiko looked at the Undead Card that flew back into her palm.
"3 of Hearts - Chop Head (Ability: Increases the power of karate chops; AP: 600)? So weak!"
The 3 of Hearts trembled slightly upon hearing Sakiko's words, then immediately calmed down, as if still filled with fear of Sakiko.
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