Something thudded the window again; frost crunched against the sides. Doors around the city closed with wooden boards, most entrances were piling up snow outside. "CLATTER!" The thundersnow pierced the skies with purple bolts.
Jotou tossed and turned in her bed, shrivelling up under her covers. Her breath puffed out fog—teeth clenched. She remained closing her eyes, trying to force herself asleep.
The simple nightgown, even within multiple sheets over her didn't help much.
At least her long strands of hair kept her ears warm- 'Huh?' She felt a jolt in the back of her mind, flowing through her blonde hair. Jotou opened her eyes to… nothing.
'Nothing?' Her eyes widened, realizing she was circled by pitch black shadow. She jerked up from her pillow. Looking down to the bed, she noticed it being consumed by darkness before hundreds of ruby red eyes glowed in the room.
"The hell!?" a tentacle-like limb struck at Jotou's head as she ducked, the jolt through her hair warning her before fading away.
Her flinched eyes opened as the shadows went through her with no harm. She flailed her arms trying to whack the shadows; no effect to them either. Her clothes were the only thing making contact.
"Fumeko!?" Jotou peered to her side, but the entire room was cloaked in black shadow, not even the window was visible for light. The shadows began engulfing her bed more. She pushed herself inwards onto the mattress, legs unravelling the sheets…
"JOTOU!?" the familiar voice yelled back as Jotou was backing away.
"Hang on!" Jotou could hear her through the darkness. 'Think Jotou, think!' "Spark!" she lit up her fists. Electricity coursed through her fingertips and glowed in the pitch-black.
She grabbed onto one of the shadow-made limbs, "I can touch you now bastards!" she kept them at bay, flailing as she pushed through their attack.
The shadows retaliated; at least attempted to while Jotou kept her body closed in, knocking away the velatos from her dress. They didn't appear to be taking damage, merely pushed away by her punches before they came back.
"Jotou! There're shadows everywhere!!!" Fumeko gave off a bloodcurdling scream.
"I'm coming!" Jotou pushed through to the edge of her bed and fell down into the shadow barefoot as she punched down—grabbing the hilt of her sword. The lighting flowed across the metal akin to wood catching on fire.
Her heart raced, scanning for a direction in the darkness; the sensation of someone constantly watching you… the red eyes seemed so far away.
'Not the time to choke Jotou. You got magic on your side and friends to save.'
She swallowed up her fear, "Keep yelling Meko!" She struck left and right, keeping the limbs at bay. She moved through; the shadows unable to grab a single exposed part of her.
"JOTOU! THEY'RE GRABBING ME, IT HURTS!!! OW, OW, OW!!!" Fumeko kept going till she saw a yellow spark light up through the corner of her eye.
The velatos had hold of Fumeko's wrists and ankles, pulling her towards the ceiling as her dagger dropped to the floor.
Jotou saw the struggling brunette and rushed up, jumping onto her bed. She grabbed around Fumeko's waist and yanked her back down. Groans—fighting against the shadows as they tried to grab Jotou's wrists, only to fail.
"Get away from her!" Jotou could pull her down enough to wrap one arm around the wriggling Fumeko completely. Her hand wielding the sword began swinging around like swinging a torch to wild animals.
She struck upon the shadows grabbing Fumeko, releasing her binds enough that Fumeko could place her feet down on the bed. Now with two of them going against, the shadows began to lose as Fumeko wiggled free.
They both jumped down from the bed into the shadowed floor, "Stay close!" Jotou told as Fumeko nodded in a pant. Fumeko got close, holding onto Jotou as the blonde kept them at bay with her sword.
Fumeko glanced around, only eyes were watching her… a glimpse of her bed and where Jotou came from… where the window would be… she connected the dots, "That way!" Fumeko pointed through the shadow.
"Okay!" Jotou prepared to run as Fumeko held on. Jotou could almost feel the brunette's heart about to jump out. Her own heart ran on adrenaline as well. Their eyes stared in fear; into the dark, "One, two," Jotou readied.
"Three!" they said simultaneously before running through the shadow, Jotou shielding her as—"THRASH!" "STUMP!" "CRACK!"—her sword swung with lightning's glow before they reached the door of which shadows surrounded the knob of.
"SMASH!" The lock was busted with a slash. She shoulder rushed out the door, landing out in the hallway with Fumeko in her arms. Jotou flipped over to her back and watched the door. 'It's not over!'
The shadows retracted from the hallway, almost as if trapped within the room. 'Guess it is then…' Jotou stood and helped Fumeko up, who could not stop staring into the room.
"What in the world was that!?" Fumeko yelled. Jotou could feel the air through her yellow nightgown—tears from the velatos trying to pierce her.
Jotou glimpsed down the hallways; people jumped out their doors and pulling their friends out left and right. The screams and yells throughout the guild now they heard, deafened before.
"Looks like it's a party," Jotou panted, the lightning around her blade fading.
Fumeko turned to Jotou, "Hotaru, Asobi," she reminded and looked to the left a few doors past; a door was still closed while most of them were open with panicked adventurers running out and around.
"We need to get them," Jotou grabbed Fumeko's hand as she rushed to the closed door.
"No shit!" Fumeko ran past, dragging Jotou instead.
"Spark!" Jotou busted the door knob before kicking in.
"BACK! STAY BACK YOU CREEPY CREEPAZOIDS!!!" Asobi had her wand out, shining a bright white light which lit up the shadows, keeping them at bay as she stood on her bed like a cornered cat.
"I'M NOT AFRAID TO USE MY MASTER LEVEL SPELLS- Jotou! Hi! I'm in a bit of a predicament here," Asobi smiled seeing the two enter as the darkness whipped at her.
Half of the room was completely engulfed in shadow while the right side was being invaded only to be kept away by Asobi's light. "Asobi! Let's go!"
"Get out dumbass!" Fumeko added.
Asobi jumped off the bed and pointed her wand to the ceiling as she ran towards the door. "Clasp!" Like shackles, the shadow grabbed her ankle and tugged her back, "Meep!" Asobi verbalized as she was about to be dragged back.
Jotou and Fumeko grabbed each of her arms; the two were dragged in by the heels of their feet as Asobi had one hand on the doorframe, "DON'T YOU MAKE ME DO IT!" she pointed her wand at the shadows.
The shadows began taking over where Asobi once was and only pulled her in harder, "I WILL!" it was obvious she was bluffing at this point.
Her light no longer kept the velatos away, engulfing her hand with her wand as well, "AH! SCARY!"
"Dammit!" Jotou began pulling Asobi in one hand, straining her arm muscles as she struck past Asobi's head; she hit the velatos grabbing Asobi with her sword.
"EUAG!" Asobi flinched as the blade hit down, staggering the velatos to let go.
The ones pulling her legs were too far to reach. Fumeko, now pulling most of the weight, was inching slowly into the room.
Jotou raised her sword, aiming it sideways to the two limbs that were grabbing Asobi's legs in the air, "Hiya!" she flung it. The sparkling blade was about to lose its shock. "Strck!" It collided with the limbs making them stagger in response.
The sudden jerk allowed Fumeko and Jotou to gain the upper hand in their tug of war. Jotou quickly held on with both hands, "Ngyeh!" and pulled Asobi out as they all crashed into the banister on the other side.
They got up as the shadows retreated into the room, "Guess I can only trick a velatos for so long… ehe, hehe," she giggled; eyes not blinking till she began sobbing, her laughter going into crying as she hugged herself.
"Why didn't you use a master level spell if you had it!?" Fumeko scolded.
"I can only cast expert level spells! Hotaru taught me the levels-" Asobi's whining went away immediately, "Oh yeah, Hotaru's in there," she pointed into the room.
"Crap! Jotou?" Fumeko looked to her for guidance.
'Me!? I can't!' Jotou glanced around, seeing the people barely escaping with tattered clothes, screams still filling the hallway…
She looked to Hotaru's room; her blade engulfed within the shadows while Fumeko awaited her words… 'I'm the only one who can…'
She sighed, alleviating the fear slightly… 'Even in this world I'm forced to do things-' Before she smiled back to Fumeko. '-At least my life can matter this time.' "Help the other people," Jotou ordered Fumeko.
"What?"
"Meko listen, I'm the only one who can go in there. Help the others, I promise I'll bring Hotaru back," Jotou was already sprinting in, fear engulfing her heart like it was engulfing the room.
Fumeko reached out with Asobi in her arms, "Jotou!"