« If what I'm seeing outside is the outcome of this fight, who won? And why are some people still here? »
The woman shifted slightly on the couch, limiting her movements because of her injured hands. She grimaced lightly in pain before continuing.
« No one really won, it only caused flames and deaths on each side. Mrs. Kate eventually left, saying she had nothing left to do here. Everyone still here are the last survivors of this rebellion. »
Yumiel looked at the injured woman, asking her a surprising question: « What do you think of monsters? »
« Wha… You mean what I think of monsters like you? »
Yumiel nodded: « Be honest, I often keep my word, I'll let you live. »
She hesitated to answer yumiel, yet yumiel had shown herself to be very understanding toward her. She decided to answer with complete honesty.
« To me, I've always seen you as monsters in the literal sense. You've slaughtered and killed so many people. Yet, seeing you today, I'm beginning to doubt. »
« And yet I have slaughtered, and I will continue to do so. If this exchange helped you open your eyes about us, then that's enough for me. I am what I am, nothing more, nothing less. »
Yumiel stood, heading toward the door: « One last thing. Do you know where Mrs. Kate went? And do you know a certain Mathis or Mr. Norman? »
« I'm sorry but I don't have any of that information, she just vanished with a small group of us.
« I see, I'll give you a few minutes to leave this place. »
« What do you mean? » The woman tried to sit up from the couch to see yumiel's face.
« The monster who threatened them… that was me, and I often keep my word. »
Yumiel stepped out the door, closing it behind her before drifting her gaze toward the moon shining brightly.
« The full moon is coming soon… Kate… you used me well for your little masquerade. We'll meet again. »
Yumiel walked down the street, heading to the far end. « Alright, time to work. »
Entering each building, yumiel killed absolutely everyone, making no distinction. Young, old, women. Absolutely everyone fell; they could do nothing against yumiel.
On top of that, yumiel could finally let loose, opening her senses to their maximum and drinking blood to recover from mental overload. With her senses fully open, she could control up to seven different forms, commanding seven crystallized-blood daggers.
The humans in each house barely ever had time to react, dying in an instant, slashed by her daggers. She made sure to always drink the blood contained in the heart, keeping herself well supplied.
During this one-sided massacre, she saw the woman she had spared fleeing with a family. She decided not to pursue them, continuing her carnage until she reached the end of the other street. Ending with the last house.
She had counted the number of hearts she had crushed, which also corresponded to the number of victims. There were currently 32.
The last house had nothing special compared to the others. With her senses at their peak, she knew exactly how many people were inside—four grouped together in the attic.
Yumiel didn't waste time, jumping directly to the attic window and ripping it off.
Inside, the four huddled people were terrified, slowly backing into a corner as yumiel approached. Just as she was about to kill them by sending her blades, one of the boys spoke.
« Yumiel, is that you? » The blades stopped just inches from his face.
Surprised, yumiel stepped closer to see their faces better, recognizing the two boys.
« You're the two boys who were sitting right in front of me during Mr. Adam's class? What were your names again? »
The two boys stood up, placing themselves in front of the two terrified people—apparently two girls—as if trying to protect them.
« I'm Léandre and he's Théo. You already forgot us?! Ahahah, we're good buddies, right? »
Yumiel didn't really pay attention to them. She had already decided to wipe clean the people she knew—except for her family and close friends.
« Have you seen Mathis or his father or even Morgane? »
The two boys looked at each other, then one of the girls behind Théo stood up and stepped in front of him.
« I saw him! I saw Mathis and his father. »
« Where? »
The woman looked at yumiel. Yumiel expected once again some kind of request like: If I tell you, will you let us live, or something similar.
« If I tell you… » yumiel cut her off.
« Stop. I know what you're going to say, but it will depend on the information you give me. But know this: not all of you will make it out alive, classmates or not. »
The four of them broke into cold sweats before ending up frozen in fear. Yumiel also deactivated her sense and stored her daggers in her flask, feeling that this might take a while.
« So uh… I… if I tell you, will you let my brother and me live? One piece of information involving two people, in exchange for two lives! »
The girl who had spoken was visibly Théo's sister; as for the other two, their faces were stunned—they felt completely betrayed.
As for yumiel, she didn't care; if the information was useful, she would let the two siblings go.
« Are you serious, you fucking bitch?! You're abandoning us? You're not even trying to save us. And to think I believed we were best friends, you don't even consult your own brother! »
Yumiel watched the scene, thinking that popcorn would be welcome. The two girls started fighting while the two boys tried to calm them down.
« Girls, stop, I'm sure we can find a solution. And for now everyone's fine, I'm sure yumiel isn't that mean. »
Yumiel stared at Théo's sister and said only one word: « Speak! » Speaking gently, yet with deep authority.
Théo's sister stepped beside her brother, making sure to distance herself from Léandre and her best friend.
« I saw Mathis and his father going toward the cemetery. »
Yumiel crossed her arms, manipulating blood from her flask to form a blood sword, pointing it directly at them.
« You'll have to do better. »
« Wait! I followed them and they didn't go inside the cemetery, they changed direction. »
Yumiel guided her sword back toward herself.
« I then saw them heading toward the train station, maybe to flee the city? As for me, I got too scared so I came back here. I don't have more information, I swear. »
« That's enough. »