Himeno Takeba, the sorrowful

It was fairly early in the afternoon, though the gray clouds covering the sun would make you think otherwise. Moments of silence and peace were disturbed by the sound of crashing thunder, whilst rain poured endlessly from the skies.

“If I go outside, I’ll be drenched,” Himeno muttered, slouching in her chair with a plain expression.

“I told you to bring your umbrella.” A spiky-haired man sat beside her, an umbrella resting on his shoulder.

“I was expecting to be in and out. I wonder what’s taking them so long.”

“Apparently, something big happened; everyone's attending some meeting regarding that something.”

“Right.” She let out an irritated huff of air, silently observing her surroundings.

The lobby in which they sat was mostly empty; a few others, like them, sat in velvet chairs awaiting assignment. The floors were squeaky-clean tile, allowing anyone to see their reflection so long as they looked down. Across the way was an elevator with golden doors, a spiral staircase just beside it.

“How annoying.” She groaned.

A whip of thunder boomed through the skies, a powerful rumble shaking the building in tandem with the powerful whip.

“The hell?” The building shook once more, following another powerful boom. The shaking became more violent, a strange sound coming from the elevator. Both Himeno and the spiky-haired man turned upward, pieces of rubble and debris falling from above as the rattling continued, becoming more violent with each passing second.
Something loud and fast zipped downward, and there was one final thud, more violent than the rest.

The entire lobby shook like there was an earthquake, the doors of the elevator bulging from the opposite end, the sound of screeching metal and creaking echoing throughout.

Finally, the elevator doors flew from their hinges, several men in two-piece suits rushing down the stairs, weapons in hand.

“Don’t let it get away!” One shouted.

Something strange emerged from the destroyed elevator. It was a monster.

“What is that?”

“Lockdown protocol: activated.” A robotic voice chimed.

Himeno couldn’t get a good look at the creature as it charged away from the elevator and barreled straight toward a dark window at the opposite end of the lobby. Shutters began to close around every opening, every window, every door, until the building was finally sealed off from the outside.

The creature continued barreling toward the sealed window, launching itself from the ground and slamming through the metal like it was nothing.

“She’s out!” One of the men screamed.

“They’re all moving so slow.” Himeno stood, her hands clenched at her side.

“Himeno, don’t.” The man stood, holding a hand on her shoulder.

“How high would I rise in the ranks for catching a rogue monster?” She completely ignored him, a fire lit in her eyes. She took off the coat wrapped around her button-up and handed it to the spikey-haired man.

“I’ll be back.”

“Himeno!” Before he could get a word out, she was already dashing toward the destroyed window.

She leapt through, the scent of water-stained concrete filling her nostrils, the sound of clamoring and panic echoing in her eardrums, and her heart pounding in her chest.

She turned toward the group of men running along the sidewalk, slipping and stumbling over one another, “damn it, don’t let her get away!”

She crouched down to one knee, hands placed on the concrete.

“Himeno… wait!”

The concrete beneath her exploded into bits; nothing but a cloud of dust remained where she once sat. A whistle of wind zipped past the men, and only a blur of Himeno could be seen blitzing beyond their reach.

Through the rain, she picked out a figure with gray skin and long silver hair, quickly scurrying toward the street. The beast turned its head and peered over its shoulder, eyes widening at the sight of her rapidly approaching pursuer. She ducked and pivoted to the side, changing directions in a near instant. Himeno set her leg off to the side and bent forward, pressing her hands into the ground in an attempt to catch herself.

She slipped a bit before regaining her footing, eyes once again set on the fleeing creature. Similar to before, the ground beneath her exploded, and only a cloud of dust remained.

The creature quickly ducked into a small opening between two buildings, just narrowly dodging her pursuer.

Himeno dug her front foot into the ground, nearly slipping as she caught herself. She turned around and into the alley, watching as the creature sprinted through the opening at the opposite end. Like clockwork, she got onto a knee, placed her hands on the ground, and charged forward. Everything zipped through her vision in a blob of dark colors.

She could feel her body make contact with that of the creatures, her arms wrapping tightly around it as they both flew forward at incredible speed.

The sound of glass shattering could be heard, and for a moment, nothing could be seen. There were screams of panic and terror, then the sensation of swelling and stinging in both their bodies as they came too.

Himeno groaned, her blurry vision slowly fixing itself as she attempted to stand. Her eyes fixated on the creature; finally able to get a good look at it, she took it all in.

Her skin was gray and scaly, her skin was long and silver, cascading toward the back of her ankles. She fit into a white button-up just like herself, with black slacks and dress shoes. She too, was on the floor, struggling to recuperate.

Himeno looked beyond her at the civilians staring into the store with terror. She glanced at her surroundings, from the tiled floor to the large assortment of dresses and suits put on display, to the fancy chandeliers hung above them. Shards of glass and pieces of rubble surrounded the two.

They stood at similar times, and it was then that Himeno realized the creature's short and small stature.

“Please, just let me go.” It begged.

“You can actually form a sentence.” She responded in surprise.

“I’m not like the other-” Before she could finish her sentence, Himeno was charging forward, her entire body twisted into a wild hook. The creature ducked around her strike, spinning beneath her body and fleeing. Himeno quickly turned, stomping down on the creature's long maim and stopping her where she stood. Her head jerked back, her body falling to the floor. She stared upward at Himeno's rapidly approaching fist. She twisted her body as best she could, getting into a kneeling position as the ground where she once lay exploded. She raised her hand into the air, dagger-like fingernails clawing through her hair and chopping her length in half.

“I don’t want to hurt anybody.” It pleaded, turning to the side and sprinting toward the shattered window at the front. She leapt through with Himeno close behind her, what remained of her hair bobbing from side to side as her feet desperately dug into the concrete beneath her.

She could feel her body jerk forward as the full force of her pursuer's body crashed into her back once more. They both struggled through the rain-soaked streets, their struggle ultimately ending with Himeno mounting her and holding a single hand on the creature's chest, a fist raised into the air. She huffed and puffed, raindrops trickling into her eyes, cheeks, and forehead. It trickled down, further and further, until they fell from her face and onto the creatures.

It looked as though it was on the brink of crying, its eyes wide with terror, and its claws digging into the concrete beneath it in preparation for what was to come.

“Please don’t hurt me.” It cried out.

Himeno could feel her fist waver, and the pressure she held on the creature's chest began to weaken. She slammed her balled fist into the concrete beside the creature's head, gasping for air.

They remained in this position, Himeno's head hung low, her eyes dead.

“You are hopeless and weak. How do you expect to survive like that?” The creature looked upward with confusion, her hands relaxing.

“I think they’re over there!” A distant voice echoed toward them, and Himeno looked back as multiple figures began to approach. She looked back down at the beast beneath her, from her glossy silver eyes, to its hair, to its expression, and stood. Without a word, she stood, hands clenched at her side.

“Thank you.” The beast stood and began to flee, the sound of multiple wet footsteps creeping up behind Himeno, as she stood motionless in the rain.

“Did it get away?” One man spoke.