The lights in the parking lot darkened.

"W-what?–"

Luna placed a finger to my lips.

"Shh..." She glanced around us, there were some lights that were still working but the place was dark.

I couldn't hear anything besides the sound of ventilation buzzing in my ear but Luna heard something. She pulled her switchblade out from behind her skirt and flicked it open. Dried blood stained the edges of the blade. It made me wonder who her last victim was.

"Ka-o-ri." Luna sung into the darkness. "Come out please."

There was no response.

Luna moved away from me and walked to the centre of the parking lot. Her knife was dangling loosely in her grip.

"Don't make me look for you." Luna said.

I heard a faint noise and glowing azure eyes emerged from the darkness. The rest of her body was hidden by darkness.

"Luna..."

Kaori's soft voice echoed eerily in the parking. The azure eyes seemed to float in the darkness.

"What do you want, Kaori?" Luna asked.

"I want to defeat you..."

"That's going to be a bit of a stretch."

"..."

Kaori took a step forward. Her dark hair fell over her ears and her rod was in her hand. Daike walked in from the other side of the parking lot, blocking the exit. His footsteps echoed and his gun was in his hand.

Luna glanced at Daike and the glow in her eyes flickered. I remembered that Daike could interfere with synthesis and I grimaced. Shit. I couldn't do anything but watch. If only I could get Mayu to help. I looked down at Daike's gun. There was no way I could get past him.

"So this is the strongest Ashen." Daike mused. "I've disabled her synthesis partially Kaori."

Kaori walked towards Luna, her grip on the rod tightened and it extended with a clang. There was a dark look on her face.

"Do you really want to fight me?" Luna asked.

"I won't lose again, Luna."

Kaori jumped forward and swung her rod down. Luna took a step back from the attack and the rod collided with the ground, smashing concrete. Pieces flew out from the ground and Kaori swept the rod to Luna's side. Luna jumped backwards, avoiding the rod.

They stood apart glaring at each other.

"You can't turn it off, can you?" Luna asked, her vivid eyes were still flickering on and off.

Kaori was silent.

"I guessed so." Luna smiled.

"I saw your boyfriend with Mayu the other day." Kaori said tonelessly. "They make a good couple."

Luna rushed at Kaori and slammed her knife to Kaori's head. Kaori lifted her rod up and blocked the attack but the impact of the blow pushed her sideways.

"I'm going to kill you." Luna said.

Luna slid the knife down and jabbed at Kaori's neck. Kaori swung her head out of the way but Luna pushed forward, slicing the side of Kaori's neck. Kaori swung her rod in front of her as hard as she could, causing the air to vibrate and Luna swerved under it.

"Kaori, she switched hands!" Daike yelled.

Kaori looked down, the knife on Luna's hand had switched. Luna came up with her knife and cut the front of Kaori's jacket. Luna slashed again but Daike shot the blade causing it to miss her target. Luna's arm overextended and Kaori used the opportunity to jab Luna with her rod. Luna moved backwards but the rod extended further jabbing her in the stomach.

Luna jumped back wincing as she held onto her stomach. Kaori launched herself forward and swung her rod at Luna's head. Luna ducked under the rod and Kaori followed with a whirlwind of hits at Luna's body. She parried and avoided them with difficulty and Luna slashed back at Kaori, counterattacking. Luna's eyes were dull, her synthesis wasn't working.

Kaori's shoulder was caught by her blade but she seemed unphased. Luna slashed again and Kaori stepped to her side to dodge. The knife jumped from Luna's hand following the motion and Luna grabbed it with her other hand. She shot the blade towards her side, aiming for Kaori's face. Kaori wrenched her hand out, grabbing onto Luna's wrist.

"S-shit." I stuttered. Kaori had caught her.

I could see Luna's hand shaking as she tried to push the knife into Kaori's cheeks but she held on. Kaori's other hand was holding onto her rod, she pulled the rod backwards and swung. It smashed the side of Luna's ribs causing her whole body to shake and she uttered a cry.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"L-Luna!" I shouted.

Luna pulled her wrist away from Kaori and slashed at her neck. Kaori spun the rod in a circle around her body, deflecting Luna's attack. The rod spun around Kaori effortlessly as it simultaneously defended and assaulted. It hit Luna on the side of her head making a cracking noise and she was thrown into the air.

Luna rolled onto the ground for a few seconds before she stopped.

"This isn't like you, Luna." Kaori approached Luna's body, her rod by her side. "Why do you anger about that boy?"

She towered above Luna's body, looking down with her glowing azure eyes. Her hand reached out to Luna, grabbing a fistful of hair and she lifted her off the ground. Luna's face was hidden behind her hair, and blood dribbled down her chin.

"I only said a few words and you lost your focus immediately." Kaori spoke, staring at Luna's face. "You're weak."

"Kaori!" Daike's voice shouted and Kaori turned her head to him. "She's still conscious!"

Luna's face was dark but her eyes glowed behind her hair. She was staring down at Kaori from the height.

"Die."

Luna slashed at Kaori's neck and blood erupted. Kaori stepped back with a surprised look on her face. She grabbed onto her neck but blood kept pouring down between her fingers. She had moved back before Luna's blade could find a clean cut otherwise she would had been decapitated.

Daike shot at Luna with his gun but she flicked her knife, deflecting the bullets. "You're going to have to try harder." She said.

Luna rushed at Daike, appearing in front of him and Daike's eyes widened. She stabbed the knife into his abdomen and ripped upwards. The skin like material tore open, revealing machinery inside. Sparks ignited and Daike dropped down to his knees before falling face first into the concrete. His body shook violently on the floor.

"You were close, Kaori." Luna turned around with an eerie smile, the front of her shirt was covered in Kaori's blood. "Too bad you lost your focus."

"Y-you pretended to be unconscious..." Kaori coughed blood, dark circles formed underneath her eyes.

Luna stuck her tongue out playfully, revealing deep bite marks. The blood that had dribbled down her chin was self inflicted. "I had to find a way to get closer to you. Your rod is too long." Luna shrugged.

I couldn't believe it. For a moment, I thought that Luna was going to lose the fight. She couldn't even use her synthesis, just exactly how strong was she? The air in the parking lot was chilling.

Luna walked towards Kaori slowly. "What do you think hurts more? Breaking someone's face with a rod or ripping them apart with a knife?" Luna played with the knife in her hands.

"L-Luna..." I started.

"I think knifes are better." Luna said. "If you beat someone's head in, their brain just becomes muddled, they can't feel pain properly when you're breaking nerves and bones."

"But the pain from a knife is sharp and sudden. It jolts the entire body and keeps them awake when you're cutting into flesh." Luna laughed. "I skinned someone's entire body while keeping them alive once. You just have to find a way to keep the blood in their body."

She was crazy. Luna was going out of her mind.

Luna stopped in front of Kaori. Kaori was breathing heavily, her hand on her neck. Kaori crouched down leaning onto her rod.

"Aww." Luna kneeled down in front of Kaori. "Are you tired? Do you want me to slit your eyelids open?"

I tried to say something, but I couldn't.

"Here." Luna pushed her down with a hand and Kaori fell backwards with a cry. Luna crawled on top of Kaori. She pushed the blade under Kaori's skin and Kaori screamed, her hands pulling at Luna. Luna didn't budge.

"L-LET GO–"

Luna moved her free hand over Kaori's mouth, grabbing onto her tongue. I watched, frozen in horror, as Luna tugged at her mouth, pulling as hard as she could. Kaori made an inhuman squeech as the muscle separated. I flinched, feeling my legs waver.

"Don't move please." Luna said staring down with an eerie cheerfulness at Kaori's quivering body. Luna dropped the tongue on the side of Kaori's head and lifted her knife up. Blood splattered out as Luna hacked away at Kaori, tearing apart flesh and skin with a demonic look on her face.

Eventually Luna finished with the ordeal, leaving a disfigured mess on the floor. She picked herself off the ground and stared down at the hunk of meat, covered in blood.

Luna turned to me and smiled.

"That was fun to watch, Ryo, huh?"