JANITORS Volume 2

New to the JANITORS franchise? Check out book one here

https://www.inkitt.com/stories/1914354

01:13 AM — TOKYO

The school grounds were quiet.

Moonlight stretched across the empty playground, illuminating the swings, the walkways, and the dark windows of the school building. A few vehicles stood parked near the entrance, their headlights cutting through the night.

Four janitors stood outside the building, listening to a briefing they probably would have preferred to receive somewhere warmer.

The assistant supervisor held a tablet in one hand. A photograph displayed on its screen showed a bulky, bear-like creature, its body obscured by poor lighting and an unsettling collection of strange appendages.

“According to the reports, this creature has been sighted on four separate occasions over the past three weeks.”

Ryu studied the photograph.

Four sightings in three weeks. That wasn’t particularly unusual by itself. What bothered him was the expression on the supervisor’s face.

He didn’t look like someone delivering an ordinary mission briefing.

“Each sighting,” the supervisor continued, “was followed by a confirmed killing. After each incident, the creature disappeared before our teams could locate it again.”

Ryu’s eyes narrowed.

“Four sightings. Four killings?”

“Correct.”

The supervisor swiped to another section of the report.

“Two response teams have already engaged the target. Both operations were recorded as successful exterminations.”

Ryu looked up.

“Recorded?”

The supervisor paused.

“Excuse me?”

“You said both operations were recorded as successful. If it was exterminated twice, why are we still getting reports about it?”

For a moment, the only sound was the faint rustling of leaves outside the school grounds.

“That’s precisely why the case remains open,” the supervisor replied.

Ryu glanced back at the photograph.

The creature’s shape was difficult to make out. Its back arched unevenly, and several appendages protruded from its body at angles that made little sense. Calling it a bear was probably the closest anyone could get to describing it.

“Then why was the case put on hold?” Ryu asked.

The supervisor’s gaze shifted toward Terence.

Terence sighed.

“Because we’ve got other missions to handle.”

Ryu turned to him.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. Because when events like the Kyoto outbreak happen, smaller missions get pushed to the side. Even right now, the Kyoto investigations are on hold because of this and we’re standing right here because we’re finally available”

“But it’s killing people.”

" Its not our fault we’re low on staff. Not everyone wants to be a janitor .”

Terence nodded toward the school.

Ryu looked at the photograph again.

“So we’re supposed to kill it a third time?”

“That’s the job,” Terence replied.

The assistant supervisor cleared his throat.

“Regardless, your team has been assigned to investigate the latest sighting and neutralize the target if encountered. The school has been closed for the night, and the surrounding premises have been secured.”

Ryu stared at the dark windows.

Somewhere inside that building was a creature that had supposedly been killed twice.

And if the reports were accurate, it had killed again.

“Any questions before you go in?” the supervisor asked.

Ryu had several.

None of them seemed likely to get answered out here.

He adjusted his grip on his equipment.

“Yeah. What happens if we kill it and it comes back a third time?”

Sho, who had been studying the school entrance, finally turned toward them.

“We’re wasting time standing out here.”

He looked at the assistant supervisor.

“Any confirmed sightings inside the building?”

“None. The last report placed the creature somewhere on the school premises, but we couldn’t narrow down its location.”

Sho nodded.

“Fine. We’ll search the building.”

He turned to the others.

“Split up. Search the classrooms, corridors, and other accessible areas. If you find anything, report it immediately. Don’t engage anything suspicious alone unless you have no other choice.”

Ryu raised an eyebrow.

“You just told us to split up, and now you’re telling us not to engage anything alone?”

“I’m telling you to use your heads,” Sho replied. “There’s a difference.”

Terence snorted.

“Try not to get eaten, everyone.”

“Same to you,” Ryu muttered.

Sho gave them one final look.

“Move.”

The four janitors entered the school and disappeared into its dark corridors.

Behind them, the supervisor’s tablet still displayed the photograph.

Two successful exterminations.

Four sightings.

Four killings.

And one creature that refused to stay dead.

They entered the school and separated, their footsteps fading into different corridors.

The building was unnervingly quiet.

Ryu moved past a row of classroom doors, occasionally shining his light through the narrow windows. Desks sat in neat rows. Chalkboards remained covered in half-erased writing. Everything looked ordinary enough to make the darkness feel worse.

He checked the next classroom.

Nothing.

He continued down the corridor.

Then something moved behind him.

Ryu stopped.

He turned his light toward the sound.

A shape crouched near the far end of the hallway.

For a moment, he thought it was a person bent over on all fours.

Then it raised its head.

Its face was broad and flat, its bulging eyes catching the light. Its hind legs were long and folded beneath its body like a hare’s, while its forelimbs were thick and muscular, ending in webbed fingers. Its slick skin glistened beneath the fluorescent emergency lights.

Ryu stared.

“What the hell is that?”

The creature opened its mouth.

A second shape dropped from the ceiling behind him.

Ryu barely had time to turn before it lunged.

“WHOA—!”

He threw himself aside. The creature struck the wall where he’d been standing, its limbs scrambling for purchase.

Ryu stumbled back, bringing up his hands.

Down the corridor, the first creature sprang toward him.

He reacted on instinct.

BOOM.

The force struck the creature mid-leap and hurled it backward into a classroom door.

The impact shook the frame.

Ryu exhaled.

“Okay. Frog-hare things. Great.”

A wet croak echoed from the classroom behind him.

He slowly turned.

Three more pairs of eyes gleamed in the darkness.

“Oh, come on.”

Across the school, the others were discovering that they weren’t alone either.

A crash erupted from somewhere upstairs.

Then another.

And suddenly, the quiet school was filled with the sounds of creatures moving through the corridors.

The first scream came from the second floor.

Ryu snapped his head toward the staircase.

“Someone wanna tell me what those things are?!”

No answer.

Another crash shook the ceiling. Somewhere farther down the corridor, something shrieked.

Ryu turned back to the classroom.

The creatures had spread out.

Five of them now.

One clung to the wall, its long hind legs folded against the concrete. Two crouched beneath the desks, their swollen eyes fixed on him. The remaining pair occupied the doorway, blocking his exit.

“Right,” Ryu muttered. “This is why private schools get a better image.”

The first creature lunged.

He raised his hand.

BOOM!

It flew backward, but the second vaulted over its companion and came down on him.

Ryu twisted aside. The creature landed on all fours, immediately pivoted, and sprang again.

“Can’t you people take turns?!”

He fired another burst of force.

The creature crashed through a desk.

Then the one on the wall dropped.

Ryu ducked, feeling its limbs brush his hair, and bolted into the corridor.

He wasn’t the only one having a bad night.

Second floor.

Sho walked through the corridor with his hands in his pockets.

He had expected the usual search: abandoned classrooms, overturned furniture, perhaps the bear-like creature hiding somewhere inconvenient.

He hadn’t expected the thing hanging upside down from the ceiling.

Its body resembled a frog’s, but its limbs were unnaturally thin. Long, jointed legs curled around the ceiling fixtures, supporting it without the slightest sound. Its head rotated toward Sho.

Then another appeared behind it.

And another.

Sho stopped walking.

“...Three huh?”

The creatures released their grips.

He drew his weapon.

The first landed several metres away. The second landed directly in front of him. The third struck the floor behind him, cutting off his retreat.

Their mouths opened simultaneously.

A chorus of croaks filled the corridor.

Sho sighed.

“Of course.”

The first attacked.

Sho stepped aside and brought his blade across its path. The creature recoiled, but the second immediately leapt over it.

He turned, deflected the attack, and kicked the creature away.

The third came from behind.

Sho ducked.

Its claws scraped the wall.

He spun around and struck with the flat of his blade, sending it tumbling across the floor.

The first two were already getting back up.

Sho adjusted his glasses.

“I’m going to need a bigger hallway.”

Ground floor.

Terence heard the noise before he saw anything.

A series of rapid, wet impacts echoed from the cafeteria.

He approached the entrance cautiously.

“Hello?”

Something croaked.

Terence peered inside.

A creature stood atop a lunch table. Unlike the others, its body was broad and squat, with powerful hind legs and thick forelimbs. Its back bulged with several fleshy sacs that expanded and contracted as it breathed.

Another emerged from beneath a table.

Then a third climbed out of the serving counter.

Terence stared at them.

“They should have just called it pest control.”

The nearest creature opened its mouth and spat a glob of thick liquid.

Terence leaned aside.

The projectile splattered against the wall behind him.

He looked at the smoking patch of concrete.

His expression changed.

“Oh, you have GOT to be kidding me.”

The creature launched itself across the cafeteria.

Terence raised his broom rifle.

BOOM!

The shot caught it midair and sent it crashing through a row of tables.

The other two immediately charged.

Terence backed through the doorway, firing again.

“Sho! A little help would be appreciated!”

Only croaking answered him.

“Fantastic. Love the teamwork.”

Third floor.

Layla had encountered a different problem.

The creature following her didn’t attack.

It watched.

She had spotted it twice already: once at the end of the corridor, and once through the window of an empty classroom. Each time she’d approached, it disappeared.

Now it stood at the opposite end of the hallway.

Its body was leaner than the others. Its hind legs were long and powerful, but its forelimbs were short, ending in hooked digits. A narrow head rested between two raised shoulders, and its enormous eyes tracked her movements.

Layla raised her weapon.

“Come on, then.”

The creature remained still.

She took a step forward.

It vanished.

Layla barely registered the movement before something struck her from the side.

She slammed against the wall.

The creature landed several metres away, already crouching for another leap.

Layla straightened, anger replacing surprise.

“Fast little bastard.”

It attacked again.

This time, she was ready.

A burst of heat forced it to veer away before it could reach her. It landed, scrambled along the wall, and disappeared through an open classroom door.

Layla followed.

She entered just in time to see it leap through the opposite window.

She stopped at the shattered glass.

Outside, the creature landed on all fours and looked back at her.

Then it croaked.

From somewhere below, several others answered.

Layla’s eyes narrowed.

“Oh, that’s just wonderful.”

Ryu bolted into the corridor.

Behind him, the creatures poured out of the classroom, their long hind legs launching them forward in frantic bounds.

“WHY ARE THERE SO MANY?!”

He thrust his hand toward the floor.

BAM!

The force pushed him upward and forward. His shoes skimmed the tiles as he angled the repulsion beneath his feet, gliding down the corridor.

He was moving faster than he could comfortably control.

Classroom doors blurred past him. He tilted his feet, redirected the force, and shot around a corner, nearly clipping the wall.

A wet croak sounded behind him.

He glanced over his shoulder.

They were still following.

One bounded off a wall and sailed over the others. Another scrambled along the ceiling, keeping pace with him from above.

“Oh, COME ON!”

Ryu thrust his feet downward again.

BOOM!

He shot forward, practically flying above the floor. A creature landed where he’d been a moment earlier, its claws scraping uselessly against the tiles.

Ryu grinned despite himself.

“Yeah! That’s right! Keep up with—”

A shape dropped directly in front of him.

“OH, CRAP!”

He twisted sideways, firing Repel at the wall to change direction. His shoulder nearly struck a row of lockers as he shot past the creature.

The sudden turn sent him skidding out of control.

He caught himself with another burst, landed awkwardly, and stumbled through the nearest open classroom door.

Then he slammed it shut.

BANG!

Ryu leaned against it, chest heaving.

For several seconds, he could do nothing but pant.

“Okay... okay...”

He slid down slightly, trying to catch his breath.

Outside, claws scratched against the door.

Something croaked.

Then another answered from farther down the corridor.

Ryu shut his eyes.

“Please just leave.”

The scratching stopped.

Silence settled over the classroom.

He slowly straightened, listening.

Nothing.

He let out a long breath and wiped his forehead.

“Finally.”

Then he heard it.

A low, guttural growl.

Ryu froze.

It hadn’t come from the corridor.

It had come from inside the classroom.

His eyes slowly shifted toward the darkness between the rows of desks.

“...No.”

Another growl rumbled through the room.

Deeper this time.

Something large was breathing in the dark.

EARLIER THAT DAY — BUREAU HEADQUARTERS

Muro leaned against the wall, arms folded, while Sho sat nearby, looking as though he’d rather be anywhere else.

General Kira stood in front of them, casually scrolling through a report on his tablet.

“So,” Kira began, glancing up. “How’s Hamaru doing?”

Sho shrugged.

“He’s improving.”

Muro snorted.

“That’s one way to put it.”

Sho glanced at him.

“What?”

“Come on. You remember how he was when he started? The guy was practically figuring out his own ability as he went.”

“He still is,” Sho replied.

“Yeah, but he’s getting better at it.”

Kira lowered his tablet slightly.

“How much better?”

Muro considered the question.

“His control’s improving. He’s starting to understand how to use Repel for more than just pushing things away. He’s experimenting with movement, too.”

Sho nodded.

“He’s learning to react faster. Still rushes into things without thinking, though.”

“Sounds like Ryu,” Muro said with a grin.

Sho gave him an unimpressed look.

“Don’t act like you don’t do the same thing.”

“Difference is, I can take a hit.”

“And that makes you an idiot with better durability.”

Muro laughed.

Kira shook his head, a faint smile crossing his face.

“I’m glad to hear he’s making progress.”

He glanced down at the tablet again.

“At the rate he’s moving now, Hamaru’s going to be a great asset to the team.”

“Assuming he doesn’t get himself flattened before then,” Sho muttered.

“That’s what teammates are for,” Muro replied.

Sho looked at him.

“Since when are you so sentimental?”

“Since never. Don’t spread rumours.”

Kira chuckled and returned his attention to the report.

“Just keep an eye on him. Potential is one thing. Learning to use it when things go wrong is another.”

Sho stood, slipping his hands into his pockets.

“Yeah. We’ll see how he handles himself.”

Muro pushed away from the wall.

“I’m telling you, he’ll get there.”

Sho headed for the door.

“Then let’s hope he gets there before he gives me a headache.”

“Too late,” Muro called after him.

Sho raised a hand without turning around.

“Shut up, Muro.”

BACK TO THE PRESENT

Ryu stared into the darkness.

“Hello? Anybody there?”

For a moment, nothing answered.

Then—

“Help...”

Ryu straightened.

It was a boy’s voice.

“Help me, please!”

“Hey!” Ryu called, moving cautiously between the desks. “Where are you? I’m coming!”

“Please! Help!”

The voice sounded weaker now.

Ryu pushed past another row of desks, his eyes adjusting to the darkness.

Then he saw him.

A young boy was trapped near the back of the classroom, struggling in the grip of a massive creature.

Its bulky, fur-covered body hunched over him. Strange appendages twisted from its back, some scraping against the floor while others curled around the boy. Its uneven silhouette matched the photograph from the briefing.

Ryu’s blood ran cold.

“...The target.”

The bear-like creature tightened its hold on the boy.

“HELP ME!”

“HEY!”

Ryu thrust out his hand.

“LET HIM GO!”

He fired Repel.

The force blasted across the classroom—

But before it could reach the creature, Ryu’s feet sank into the floor.

“...Huh?”

He looked down.

A thick, black substance had spread across the tiles around him. It clung to his shoes, swallowing them as though the floor had turned into quicksand.

“What the—?!”

He tried to pull one foot free.

It only sank deeper.

The substance stretched and clung to his legs, dragging him down whenever he struggled. It was sticky, heavy, and impossibly difficult to escape.

Ryu fired Repel beneath himself.

The force pushed against the floor, lifting his upper body for an instant.

But the black substance held on.

He dropped back down with a sharp gasp.

“NO, NO, NO—!”

The boy continued struggling in the creature’s grasp.

“HELP!”

“I’m trying!” Ryu shouted.

He thrust his hands toward the ground again, desperately trying to force himself free.

The creature slowly turned its head toward him.

For a moment, neither moved.

Then the creature opened its mouth.

CUT TO:

Elsewhere in the school.

A creature sailed across the corridor and crashed into a row of lockers.

Terence lowered his broom rifle.

“Stay down this time!”

The creature answered with a furious croak and scrambled back onto its feet.

Terence stared.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

A hare-like creature sprang from the ceiling.

He ducked just in time.

“SHO!”

CLANG!

Sho’s blade intercepted the creature mid-leap, knocking it sideways into the wall.

“Stop shouting,” Sho said. “I’m busy.”

“THEN GET LESS BUSY!”

Nearby, Layla unleashed a burst of heat that forced two more creatures away from her.

One landed on a desk. The other clung to the wall, its enormous eyes fixed on her.

Layla narrowed her eyes.

“Are these things ever going to stop coming?”

“Probably not if you keep asking them questions,” Terence called.

She shot him an annoyed look.

“Focus on your own fight!”

Another croak echoed from the stairwell.

All three turned.

More shapes began appearing in the darkness.

Sho adjusted his glasses.

“...This is getting ridiculous.”

Terence raised his broom rifle again.

“Can we please finish this before the entire school shows up?”

Layla stepped forward, preparing another burst.

“Then stop talking and start shooting.”

The creatures lunged.

Ryu struggled against the black substance, his legs trapped beneath the surface. Every movement seemed to pull him deeper.

The boy was still crying for help.

“Hold on!” Ryu reached toward him, stretching as far as he could. “I’m coming!”

He fired another burst of Repel, trying to force himself forward. It barely moved him.

Think, Ryu. Think!

He couldn’t repel the substance itself. Not like this.

Then he remembered.

Repel wasn’t limited to pushing things away from him. He could direct the force outward, shaping it around himself.

A forcefield.

Ryu planted his hands against the floor and concentrated. Repel surged from his body, spreading outward in a continuous barrier.

The black substance shuddered.

He pushed harder.

BOOM!

The forcefield expanded, forcing the sticky mass away from him. Its grip loosened, and Ryu tore himself free, stumbling forward before catching his balance.

“Got you!”

He lunged for the boy.

Then he stopped.

Something was wrong.

The boy’s cries continued, but his face remained unnaturally still. The creature holding him hadn’t even bothered to tighten its grip. It had simply allowed Ryu to approach.

Ryu’s eyes widened.

The boy wasn’t a victim.

He was part of the monster.

A grotesque addition to its body. A lure designed to draw rescuers within reach. A way to guarantee kills every single time.

“...You’ve got to be kidding me.”

The creature moved.

Its massive arm swung across the classroom and struck Ryu before he could properly react.

The impact sent him crashing through the wall.

He burst into the night air, tumbled across the playground, and slammed against the ground. Pain shot through his body as he struggled to get his bearings.

“Ugh...!”

He forced himself onto one knee.

The hole in the school wall stood before him, dust drifting from its edges.

Something emerged through it.

The bear-like creature began to change.

Its bulky frame rose higher as its body reshaped itself into a towering, heavily built humanoid form. Its limbs thickened, its shoulders broadened, and the strange appendages along its body shifted with it.

Then Ryu saw the boy’s face.

It sat on the creature’s left shoulder, staring down at him.

The face opened its mouth.

“Help me.”

Ryu went still.

The creature leaned forward.

The boy’s face smiled.

Ryu barely had time to react before the creature lunged.

He threw himself sideways. The monster’s arm smashed into the playground tiles, sending cracks racing across the ground.

“WHAT THE—?!”

Ryu scrambled upright as the creature turned toward him.

It was enormous. Even standing several metres away, he could feel the weight of its presence. Its misshapen head tilted slightly, the boy’s face still fixed to its left shoulder.

“Right,” Ryu muttered, raising his fists. “Let’s see how you like this.”

The creature charged.

Ryu waited until the last possible moment before slipping to the side. He drove a Repel-enhanced punch into its ribs.

BOOM!

The impact shook his arm.

The creature barely moved.

Ryu’s eyes widened.

He followed with a quick combination: a jab to the torso, a rising strike beneath its jaw, then a spinning kick aimed at its head. He timed each movement with a burst of Repel, amplifying his strikes and using the recoil to reposition himself.

For a moment, he managed to keep the creature occupied.

Then it swung.

Ryu crossed his arms to guard.

The blow smashed through his defence and launched him across the playground.

He hit the ground, rolled, and slid to a stop near the broken wall.

“URGH!”

He tried to stand, but his arms trembled from the impact.

That was with Repel...

The creature hadn’t even staggered.

It advanced, dragging one heavy foot after the other. Its strange appendages scraped against the ground, leaving dark streaks across the tiles.

Ryu forced himself upright.

“Okay. New plan.”

He thrust both hands forward.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Three successive bursts struck the creature’s chest.

Dust billowed around it.

When the dust cleared, it was still standing.

The boy’s face turned toward Ryu.

“Help me.”

“Stop doing that!” Ryu shouted.

The creature suddenly accelerated.

Ryu tried to evade, firing Repel beneath his feet to glide out of its path. He shot past its shoulder, twisted in midair, and aimed another force-enhanced kick at its head.

The creature caught his leg.

Ryu’s stomach dropped.

“Oh, no.”

It swung him sideways.

Ryu was hurled across the playground and crashed through the broken section of the school wall, landing in the corridor beyond.

He barely managed to roll onto his side before a familiar voice reached him.

“RYU?!”

Terence appeared at the end of the corridor, his broom rifle raised. Sho and Layla were close behind him, with several of the frog-hare creatures pursuing them.

Terence stared at the hole in the wall.

Then at Ryu.

“Why are you coming through walls now?!”

“LONG STORY!”

“Of course it is!”

A heavy impact shook the building.

The three janitors looked toward the playground.

The creature was approaching the opening.

Sho adjusted his glasses.

“That’s our target?”

Ryu struggled to his feet.

“Yeah. And before you ask, hitting it doesn’t seem to do much.”

“Wonderful.”

Layla stepped forward, her hands ready.

“Then let’s find out what does.”

The creature entered the corridor.

For the first time, all four janitors stood directly in its path.

Sho drew his blade.

“Don’t bunch up. Keep it moving, and watch those appendages.”

Terence raised his broom rifle.

“Finally, a plan that doesn’t involve getting thrown through a wall.”

“Can you two shut up and concentrate?” Layla snapped.

The creature roared.

The sound rattled the windows.

Then it attacked.

Sho moved first.

He darted beneath the creature’s sweeping arm and slashed across its side. His blade bit into its body, but the wound seemed shallow against the monster’s bulk. Before Sho could follow up, an appendage whipped toward him.

He barely parried it.

The impact drove him backward.

“Ghh—!”

Layla unleashed a concentrated burst of heat at the creature’s torso. The flames washed over its matted exterior, forcing it to turn toward her.

“TERENCE!”

“On it!”

Terence fired.

BOOM!

The projectile struck the creature near the shoulder, producing a heavy explosion that filled the corridor with smoke.

For a second, the monster disappeared behind the haze.

“Did we get it?” Terence asked.

“Don’t get comfortable,” Sho replied.

Something moved inside the smoke.

The creature burst through it.

Its arm swept across the corridor, forcing Sho and Layla to dive in opposite directions. Terence fired again, but the creature twisted, and the shot struck the wall instead.

Ryu rushed in from the side.

He focused Repel around his fist and drove a punch into the creature’s knee.

BOOM!

This time, its leg buckled slightly.

“YES!”

Ryu followed with a second strike.

The creature turned and backhanded him.

He flew into Sho, knocking both of them against the wall.

“Watch where you’re going!” Sho snapped.

Layla thrust both hands forward, forcing the creature back with another burst of heat. Terence used the opening to reposition himself, firing at its legs while Sho recovered.

For several seconds, their combined attacks kept it from advancing.

But they weren’t winning.

Every time they created an opening, the creature forced them back. Every time they landed a meaningful hit, it recovered before they could capitalise on it.

Worse, the school itself was becoming a liability. The narrow corridors restricted their movements, and the damaged walls threatened to collapse around them.

“WE CAN’T KEEP THIS UP!” Terence shouted.

“No kidding!” Ryu replied.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and raised his fists again.

The creature lumbered toward them.

Its boy-face stared at Ryu.

“Help me.”

Ryu’s expression hardened.

“That’s enough.”

He rushed forward, weaving beneath an incoming strike. Repel propelled him into a short glide, carrying him around the creature’s side. He planted a foot against the wall, redirected his momentum, and launched himself into another punch.

The impact drove the creature sideways.

Sho seized the opening and slashed at one of its protruding appendages.

Layla followed with a burst of heat.

Terence fired.

BOOM!

The combined assault forced the monster through the damaged wall and back into the playground.

All four janitors followed, spreading out as they emerged into the open.

For the first time, they had room to move.

It changed nothing.

The creature charged Sho, who dodged at the last instant. Its arm smashed into the ground where he had stood.

Layla attacked from the opposite side, but the creature twisted and forced her to retreat. Terence fired repeatedly, each explosion briefly interrupting its advance without bringing it down.

Ryu kept moving.

He used Repel to accelerate, evade, and strike, combining each burst with the martial arts techniques he knew. He targeted its joints, its torso, the base of its strange appendages—anything that might make it falter.

The creature answered every attempt with overwhelming strength.

One sweeping strike caught Ryu in the side and sent him skidding across the playground.

He forced himself up.

Across the yard, Sho was breathing heavily. Layla’s attacks had become less frequent as she searched for an opening. Terence had lowered his broom rifle just long enough to check its remaining ammunition.

Nobody said it aloud.

They were losing.

And none of them knew how much longer they could keep fighting.

Then Terence looked toward the horizon.

“...Wait.”

A faint line of grey had appeared beyond the rooftops.

The night was beginning to give way.

Sho glanced at the sky, then back at the creature.

“Already?”

The monster seemed to notice it too.

Its movements changed.

The creature halted halfway through another advance. Its head jerked toward the brightening horizon, and the appendages along its back began to twitch.

Ryu pushed himself upright.

“What is it doing?”

Nobody answered.

The creature staggered.

Its massive frame shuddered, and a low, strained sound escaped its throat. The boy’s face twisted into an expression that looked almost human.

For one brief moment, it seemed afraid.

Then its knees buckled.

The monster crashed onto the playground.

The impact shook the ground beneath their feet.

All four janitors stood motionless, waiting for it to rise again.

It didn’t.

The strange appendages fell still. The boy’s face remained fixed to its left shoulder, its eyes staring blankly into the sky.

Ryu cautiously raised one hand.

“...Is it dead?”

“Don’t go near it,” Sho warned.

Ryu stopped.

They watched from a distance as the first rays of sunlight spilled over the rooftops, gradually illuminating the wrecked playground.

Nothing moved.

Terence slowly lowered his broom rifle.

“Did daylight just kill it?”

“Or did it run out of whatever was keeping it going?” Layla suggested.

Sho didn’t answer. He kept his blade raised, his attention fixed on the creature.

Ryu stared at the boy’s face.

The cries for help. The black substance. The strength that had overwhelmed all four of them.

And now this.

A creature that had supposedly been exterminated twice had appeared again, lured him into a trap, changed its entire body, and nearly beaten their team.

Then it had simply collapsed as the sun rose.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Ryu said.

“No,” Sho replied. “It doesn’t.”

A faint sound came from somewhere inside the school.

All four of them turned toward the building.

The frog-hare creatures had stopped croaking.

For a moment, the playground was completely silent.

Then Sho lowered his blade, though he didn’t put it away.

“We’re leaving.”

Ryu looked at him.

“What? We can’t just leave it here!”

“We’ve lost the advantage, we don’t know what caused it to collapse, and this entire area is compromised.” Sho glanced at the damaged building. “We report what happened, regroup, and come back with a proper plan.”

“What if it gets back up?”

“Then we deal with it when we know what we’re dealing with.”

Ryu looked back at the creature.

He hated it.

He hated that it had beaten him so easily. He hated that he couldn’t explain what he’d seen. Most of all, he hated walking away without knowing whether the thing was actually dead.

But Sho was right about one thing.

They had no answers.

And staying there wouldn’t magically give them any.

Terence slung his broom rifle into position and began moving toward the vehicles. Layla followed, casting one last wary glance at the fallen monster.

Sho waited until Ryu finally turned away.

“Come on, Hamaru.”

Ryu hesitated before following.

Behind them, the creature lay motionless beneath the morning light.

Its boy-face stared at the sky.

And none of the four janitors could explain what they had just witnessed.