Release the Panic

“Ah!” A shrill scream disrupts Kana’s playing abruptly. “He-, help me! Someone? Anyone? I need help!” The voice from afar pleads for help from anyone who may be nearby, but the flat tone suggests she doesn’t believe anyone will. However, her survival instincts persist. “Help!”

Kana gets to her feet instinctively and starts towards the voice. She exits the room and follows the path of the sound. It eventually leads her down the corridor and into a large kitchen. Pots and pans are scattered all over the place and she catches a whiff of something rotten. However, the thing that immediately catches her attention is the massive canine creature before her. ‘Ongaku?’

The creature stalks down low as it inches closer to something. It growls lowly and occasionally snaps its jaws aggressively, but it doesn’t strike. It almost seems to be relishing in the fear of its prey. That prey comes in the form of a young girl, who is whimpering and cowering in a corner. She soon catches sight of Kanade. “You’ve come to help me, yeah? Please, be quick about it!”

Kanade shifts her attention from the Ongaku, and focuses it instead on the girl. ‘Is that seriously how you’re going to ask for my help? You dare to rush me when you need me? Isn’t that rude?’

“That flute…were you the one playing just minutes ago?” She stares at the flute in Kana’s hands like it’s her true salvation. “I heard a lovely tune playing earlier as I was scrounging for food, and suddenly this beast came walking towards me from somewhere. However, at that time, it was in what seemed like a daze. It was as if it was waiting for some command. I was curious, but not so much that I wanted to risk my life, so I attempted to go around to escape. However, just as I nearly got to the door, the music stopped. Immediately, it became aggressive and snarled at me. I feared that running would only put me at more risk, so I tried taking cover behind the counters, but it managed to corner me, and now here we are. Perhaps the music is key? Go on, play more!”

Kana shakes her head at this girl’s demanding attitude, unable to believe that she could be so presumptuous with someone she’s only just met. She frowns with dissatisfaction and considers walking away. ‘This isn’t my problem. I don’t even know her.’ However, past those determined eyes, she observes them trembling and her reserved tears. She soon understands that she’s merely pretending to be strong and brave. The reality is that she’s terrified, and Kana is her only hope.

Kana raises her flute to her lips. ‘I can’t deny, I am curious.’ She begins to play a lullaby; one that Uta sang to her since she was a baby and later decided to make the first song she learned to play with her flute. As soon as the sound leaves the instrument and begins to spread around the open area, the Ongaku immediately halts its approach. Just as the girl had described, the beast falls into a trance-like state and makes no attempt to attack. ‘This is…just like when Uta sang! They would become entranced just like this. But she had to sing with her voice. Humming or songs without words never worked. I remember when the Duke tried it in the hopes they could stop the Ongaku without Uta if she decided to rebel against them. So how? I don’t understand.”

“Die!” With the girl’s angry shout, Kana is brought back to the present and stops playing once again. Her full attention now falls upon the Ongaku who’s fallen still, a thick metal pipe now protruding through its chest and out the back as blood pools beneath it. The girl huffs hard as she steadies her breathing; her panic beginning to finally subside. “Die you wretched beast.” The girl who previously had trembling eyes now looks upon the lifeless creature with unfiltered rage. She grabs a backpack from the side and makes her way for the exit. “Cheers, Mate.” She mutters this as she passes Kana, but shows no intention of interacting any further. She makes a swift escape.

Kana remains standing there, utterly mystified by everything that just happened. But the girl’s dual demeanors have left her in disbelief. ‘Is that the same girl I found when I arrived here?’ She quickly banishes the thought as she shrugs it off. ‘Well whatever. Not like I was here looking for friends anyway.’ She exits the kitchen and prepares to go back the way she came. ‘I wonder where that annoying bird went? Not that I really care, but I guess I was a bit harsh on him….’

Lost in her thoughts, she doesn’t hear the rapid footsteps coming towards her from behind. However, she soon hears someone call out to her. “Run!” She stops and quickly turns around with a curious expression. She soon sees the same girl from before charging towards her in a panic. “What are you standing there for? Didn’t you hear me?” Kana is still confused and doesn’t move. The girl lets out an annoyed sigh just as she reaches her, and without a second thought grabs Kana’s hand. “Come on, we have to run if you don’t wanna die!” She pulls Kanade along without waiting for her permission, and Kana in turn starts running alongside her despite her own confusion. Soon she begins to hear numerous snarls and growls behind them. “Don’t look back!” Before she can even consider it, she shuts Kana’s intent down, so she focuses only on running together with her as fast as she can. They soon make it outside, but find there’s danger there too.

Before them are a large group of Ongaku completely blocking their path forward, but the horde of Ongaku behind them leave them with no path back. They each look to their respective sides, but it’s not long before more Ongaku flank them from those directions too. ‘We’re trapped!’

“Hey!” The girl breaks her from her panic. “Before you sink into your despair, how about you hurry and play that flute of yours again? It worked on that other one before, so it’ll work again.”

Kana grips her flute as though she just remembered it was there. She shakily takes it from her bag and lifts it to her mouth, but the sounds that come out are nothing as pleasant as before. In fact, her playing is rough and out of tune, and as if responding to this, the Ongaku grow more aggressive; snapping and snarling at them even more. Then at last, they charge them and attack.

“Bloody Hell!” The girl instinctively reacts, grabbing a metal food tray and lifting it to shield them and deflect the first Ongaku to make contact. In the Ongaku’s moment of disorientation, she manages to grab a rusted sword left behind by a fallen knight and stabs straight at its heart. However, like hitting a wall, the blade ricochets and falls to the ground, ultimately left useless. “What? Why didn’t it work this time?!” She uses the plate to smash and defend with pure brute force, as that’s all she can manage in the moment. “We’re no match for them like this. Can’t you do anything?! Do something, or we’re both gonna die!” She demands of Kana with desperation.

Kana fumbles the flute in her hands, but she can’t manage to bring it to her lips again. She’s already lost in her panic. She begins to shake in her fear, and crouches herself down and places her hands over her ears in an attempt to hide herself away behind her arms. She can hear the grunts and shouts coming from the girl as she desperately fights to defend them both, but she’s unable to do anything for her, which overwhelms her even more. ‘This girl is going to die here, and I can’t do anything to save her. I don’t care if I die. I want to die. But this girl’s desperate to live. I can tell with how she fights with such determination. Yet all I can do is cower in fear like this. I’m so useless. Just a defect that never should’ve been born. Utaha…please…save me….’

“Oi! I don’t know who you’re hoping to save you, but I’m betting they ain’t coming here, Mate.” Once more, this strange girl pulls Kana out her head, and into the moment. “Sort yourself out and fight! Even if we’re to die, let’s not make it easy for 'em!” She faces forward with fierce resolve.

Kana looks up at her from behind, and for a moment she sees Uta’s image alongside her. She can feel courage swell within her, but before she can rise, blood not her own splatters across her face.