"OMG - You Mean Like - The School is Totally Cursed!?"

"THIS PLACE IS LIKE - TOTALLY RAD! OMG, IT'LL BE LIKE A SLUMBER PARTY EVERYDAY!"

Alexis exclaimed the next morning as she woke up and performed a dynamic cheer jump in her new room, in her new house in Tokyo that was shared with Kaylee and her parents, along with Natsuki and her parents as well! Alexis couldn't help but feel a prominent sense of surprise, as related to the fact that she didn't actually feel the effects of "jet lag" at all, not even a little bit! As she blinked and then stretched, she looked around her new room, and figured that she was simply too grateful and simply too excited to feel the lethargy that accompanied significant timezone changes. 

When the two jets had landed safely in Tokyo the previous night, teams of professional movers who had been hired in advance jointly by James, Jessica, Hideaki, and Yumeko - quickly unpacked and staged the boxes in the various rooms of the new house that they belonged in, a task that was made efficient and simple due to all of the boxes having printed on sections in both Japanese and English that were dutifully marked as to designate which room they belonged in. What this meant was that inside the strictly traditional architecture-designed, red with gold accents, white tiled roof, two story house that was surrounded by evenly designated, token rectangular groves of bamboo, and cherry blossom trees alike - the rooms were neatly filled but still crowded all the same, with cardboard moving boxes that had yet to be unpacked. Yet, even this sight didn't bother Alexis, for she was far too excited about this new arrangement to really worry abut anything!

Suffice to say, by the end of the school day that day - Alexis' mood wouldn't be nearly so carefree!

Alexis used this spur of excitement to get ready for school at a much later pace than she usually had, with her step all the lighter, and her smile all the brighter, especially as she brushed her teeth and put her hair into a ponytail next to Natsuki and Kaylee, as they all stood in front of one of the mirror that was in one the three total bathrooms in their new house! Alexis blushed and smiled at Natsuki, as she finished getting her lovely blonde hair into a high ponytail, while Kaylee rolled her eyes in a humorous fashion, before she let out a supportive giggle. 

Natsuki blushed hard and smiled at Alexis, and then at Kaylee briefly, before averting her gaze back to the mirror to finish arranging her hair in twin-tails. 

"Welcome to Japan, Blade-chan! But, how are you not more tired after such a long flight and a timezone change?"

Natsuki asked Alexis as she bowed politely and then bit her lip, not ready to leave the bathroom just yet, despite once again being dressed in her San Russo High School cheerleading uniform, with thigh high white socks - the same as Alexis. As it turned out, the mascot name for the school would be the Slayers - and the school colors and the logo would be exactly the name as San Russo High School, which meant that since Alexis was the Cheer Squad Captain, with Natsuki as her Co-Captain, they wouldn't have to learn new routines, or even feel all that nervous about being in a new school, in a land that was at least new to Alexis and Kaylee. As such, this rather cemented sense of continuity translated into the three girls taking the morning with at least a certain degree of relative ease. 

"Like, how could I be tired when I've got my like - totally rad girlfriend, and my totally adorable sister here with me!? Like, OMG, are you being totally for real, Natsuki!? Ugh - I so love you!"

Alexis blurted out without a second thought, as she pulled Natuski in for a meaningful kiss, while Kaylee giggled and rolled her eyes playfully again.

"Sis, why don't you guys get a room - but a different room than this one?"

Kaylee replied with her signature sort of biting humor, as she did her makeup, making her face pale, before applying her black eye makeup and blank lipstick as the final touches! Natsuki smiled and giggled with Alexis, as they then both made their way downstairs to grab the shiny, rib-level short, red and white, cheerleading letterman jackets with their names embroidered in them. Alexis and Natsuki knew that they’d wait for Kaylee, so that they could all go to their new school together. Plus, since their parents were already at the new school - Alexis, Kaylee, and Natsuki could move at their own pace in terms of getting ready and getting to school on time. 

All the while, Kaylee finished applying her makeup, and then looked at her outfit fit the day - which consisted of a white thigh length dress with a black and white studded belt, and large black bows on the front of the dress, along with vertically-striped, black and white stockings. Her footwear that day would be mock ruby platform high heels. All the same, Kaylee didn't know that her first day at her new high school in Tokyo would be even more bold and dramatic than her outfit choice, to say the least!

Before long, Alexis, Kaylee, and Natsuki were walking the less than one hundred foot distance to their new school: the Tokyo International High School of Excellence! 

"Wow! Like, talk about a difference in style - OMG! This school is like, totally the meta and modern version of Japan, and our epic house is like, totally an old classic!”

Alexis blurted out with excitement as she jumped with glee, while they all stood at the entrance! Natsuki simply blinked and gave her a kiss, while Kaylee laughed and shook her head in amused support, before hugging Alexis. 

The Tokyo International High School of Excellence an entirely glass building with metal scaffolding that was fifty floors - with the glass being treated in such a way that it sparkled when it reflected the sunlight. The revolutionary part was that what could be considered the basement area of the school was the athletic area, with indoor astroturf fields, as well as state of the art lighting and climate control!

To say the least, the school was beautiful on the outside - and yet, though Alexis was correct about the school itself being “meta and modern” - there was something far older, and far more malevolent under the indoor athletic fields. 

As Alexis, Kaylee, and Natsuki were receiving their class schedules, and settling into their new school - with getting used to their sleek, red and white fiberglass lockers being one example - James, Jessica, Hideaki, and Yumeko were standing at the center of the main indoor, astroturf athletic field, with some of its square layers having been removed, as well as a large, rectangular slap of concrete. 

“Blade-san - how do you propose that we ensure the safety and security of our students, our subordinate faculty, and ourselves? For she cannot be moved. These interred remains of Queen Kiku, they carry the curse that she put in place on herself in the last days of her life during the Heian Period. Worse still, if that talisman on her forehead is removed - then she shall unleash the wrath of the undead.”

Hideaki asked as he sternly looked at James, Jessica, and Yumeko, with all four of them dressed in black suits, shirts, and ties, or strapless dresses, respectively - as they collectively stared down at the sarcophagus that contained the skeletal remains of Queen Kiku. The sarcophagus itself was carved and fitted to what was once Queen Kiku’s body’s size upon her death centuries earlier. It was made of shining ivory, with pure silver inlaid inscriptions that were in a long since antiquated form of Japanese characters. 

The carved and detailed outline of her body that made up the sarcophagus revealed that she was once a beautiful woman on the outside - and her flirtation and infatuation with the darkness drive her to be an undying curse - that even without a functioning physical body, she would live on forever. That was where the twenty-sided star, pure silver talisman, with a glowing Japanese moonstone at its center came in, and stood out - being fitted into a perfectly carved opening on her forehead, within the molded and carved top half of the sarcophagus! 

“That Alexis will rise to the occasion if need be, as her and my ancestors have done in this land in centuries past. If Alexis can slay Queen Kiku, should she reawaken - then her lingering curse that controls the sporadic re-emergences of the undead that the Blade namesake has slain for centuries, will be extinguished once and for all.”

James responded with a sigh, yet there was no sign of doubt in his eyes - only the grim acceptance that Alexis didn’t know the legacy of her bloodline. Jessica and Yumeko then nodded to each other, as Hideaki bowed slightly to James, with James returning the courtesy. 

“Then we need to keep all of the school personnel and students alike out of this area until we can have Queen Kiku’s sarcophagus removed to a more secluded area. Suffice to say, it’s better that we are safeguarding it, as opposed to having it and her be uncovered by other, far less knowledgeable parties.”

Hideaki added in closing, as all four then bowed to each other and made their way to the main elevator. 

"I think we should check up on Blade-chan, Balde-chan, and Natsuki."

Yumeko stated, as the others nodded, which meant that they'd have to stop on the twenty-fifth floor, where all of the classrooms for the Seniors were, with the Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen on the lower three floors. James, Hideaki, and Jessica all nodded in agreement as the elevator began its ascent.

"What did the script say on the sarcophagus? I could only decipher minuscule sections - yet it's too antiquated for my and my husband's knowledge, I'm afraid."

Jessica asked as Yumeko sighed, and looked at her, James, and Hideaki, as her husband nodded to her to continue and answer.

"It tells the story of Queen Kiku - the Vile - as her dishonorable title became. As you well know, her legacy is seen and felt with the somewhat random appearances of the undead, that your namesake, Blade-san, have vanquished before any panic or mass carnage could ensue. During the Heian Period, Queen Kiku consorted with the forces of darkness - Oni, Onryo, Yurei, and other sorts of malevolent Yokai - who in exchange for her devotion, would grant her the powers to transform the living into the undead, as well as the power to possess whoever removed the talisman from her forehead in death. And yet - the script etched into the sarcophagus states that one can only slay Queen Kiku the Vile with a blessed sword of silver - such as the sword that your eldest daughter, may need to wield."

Yumeko concluded, just as she and the others made it to the twenty-fifth floor, looking into the classroom where Alexis and Natsuki were dutifully taking notes. As they each emailed at their daughters being such good students, they didn't notice that Kaylee had made her way up to that floor, due to being bored and finishing her classwork early - and was no quietly hiding behind a tall display advertising the upcoming cheer squad tryouts!

"Let's hope that they'll never have to face Queen Kiku the Vile, answer that the athletic field in the basement level of the school can be just that - the land made pure."

James stated as they then went back to the elevator, on their way back to the fiftieth floor. Though they didn't realize it, Kaylee had been watching and listening to them closely, and with a mischievous grin, she quietly made her way to the elevator, and down to the basement level. 

A few minutes later, Kaylee stood there with her mouth agape at the sight of the unique sarcophagus with the exposed twenty pointed star talisman made silver, with a carved, shining moonstone at its center on Queen Kiku's skeletal forehead - the only part of her remains that was exposed. As Kaylee smiled to herself, she reached out and removed the talisman, figuring that it was too beautiful not to take!

Not even one second later - Kaylee wouldn't be able to regret her decision!

A mass of odious black energy mixed with black and grey ashes forced themselves down Kaylee's throat - as the pupils went from in each eye and blue, to three in each eye and red, with her mouth becoming slit open on it's size and her teeth turning into fangs - a striking contrast with her otherwise effeminate, human looks! The now-possessed Kaylee, who was actually Queen Kiku - made a soft pushing motion with her hands in the air, which caused the metal doors leading upstairs to the street level to blow off the hinges! And once Queen Kiku on the street level, she laughed maniacally and smiled to herself, looking around at the masses of people. 

"And now - let the undead be born - let the apocalypse be unleashed!"

Queen Kiku then swiftly pushed her arms out tot he side, her hands firm and open with her fingers together, as a massive storm of that same odious, evil black energy infused with grey and white ashes consumed Tokyo in a cursed miasma! Above Queen Kiku, this energy formed into a visage of her head, as if it were going to swallow the metropolitan epicenter whole!

Then it began: everyone who was outside in Tokyo in that moment - turned into the ravenous, fast, mindless, and vicious undead!