Top 10 Ways to Betray Everyone

Chapter 2

Saya awoke early in an uncomfortable position. The sun had not yet risen, and the night was cool and quiet.

Standing from the floor, she stretched, her muscles protesting the movement. Grimacing from the discomfort, Saya decided to pack her uniform into her backpack and change into something comfortable enough for a run.

Grabbing a water bottle, she clipped her front strands out of her face and began heading down the stairs of her apartment complex.

Walking towards the school, she was grateful for the close distance as the quiet night had her on edge. Arriving at the gates, she leapt over the wall, placing her school bag on a branch of the overhanging tree, before climbing back down.

Stretching a little, Saya allowed her mind to wander as she began her run. She wasn't familiar with the layout of the city, but she had memorized the map.

She knew that she should be researching her classmates now that she had the list, but she couldn't bring herself to stay in that empty apartment.

Running at a steady pace, she reveled in the burning feeling of her lungs, the strain of the muscles in her legs. Whenever she ran, she could escape her worries and allow her mind to wander.

She lost count on the number of laps she had done. The sun was beginning to rise, though it was still far from morning time. The dawn was appreciated as Saya transitioned her run into a walk to look around the town a bit more.

Looking around, the hairs on the back of her neck stood as her body went ridgid. Whipping her head around, Saya saw a shadow move. Too quick to have been a normal person out early.

Keeping her eyes fixed on the spot, Saya began taking steps backwards. Her breathing was shallow, ears straining to hear anything. Her heart thumped in her chest.

'Someone from the League? Or maybe just a creep?' there were too many possibilities. It wasn't as if the Kazami clan didn't have a plethora of enemies. Many of them would jump at the chance to kill the youngest member out on her own.

Sensing movement to her left, she pivoted, just catching the edge of a coat. 'Red coat, okay, now I have some sort of description,' she thought. Continuing to follow the sounds of movement until she had gone in a full circle.

"Okay," she said softly, "new plan," before taking off at a sprint in the direction she had come. If her memory was correct, she would run through a quiet neighborhood before arriving back at the school.

She could hear the stalker following her, glancing over her shoulder, her eyes widened in alarm. "Shit," she gritted out. A member of the Red Guild was the last thing she needed at the moment.

The Red Guard are a group of mercenaries, many years ago, there was a full battle between them and the Kazami family. Though there wasn't an official winner, or even any documentation of the battle, the Kazami had gotten whatever document they had been hired to retrieve.

That battle sparked a quiet war between the two. One would usually try and kill the other if they spotted them. "The Red Guild are supposed to be based overseas!"she called out through panting breaths.

Rounding a corner, Saya just wanted to get away from the residential areas. If she had to fight, she didn't want to do it around civilians.

Saya's lungs burned, she could see the school up ahead. One more corner and then she would be in an open space. Perfect spot for a brawl.

Glancing over her shoulder again, she noticed with pride that she had placed some distance between her and the would-be assassin.

Though her joy was outlived by the throwing star traveling directly at her head. Moving her head to the side, she felt it graze her cheek, as the star clattered to the ground.

"Shit!" she yelled, her fingers brushing her now bleeding face. Shoving her hands into a small pocket in her shorts, she produced a small gray marble.

Tossing it behind her, she was satisfied to see a cloud of smoke appear. Yet again, her small victory was taken away as she crashed into someone walking towards the school.

In her defense, he came out of one of the side streets and she had been too busy trying to run because her life truly depended on it.

Trying to untangle herself from the stranger, she was about to apologize when they began yelling at her. "What the fuck is your problem!" a voice thundered below her.

Looking down, she saw it was one of her classmates, the angry one she tied with in the softball throw. 'What was his name?' she didn't have time to think about it as another star whizzed past her head.

Shoving the angry blond boy's head down with her palm, she stood quickly, grabbing his arm and pulling him with her.

They made it a solid two steps before he planted his feet, Saya was forced to stop, nearly falling from the abruptness. She gave the scowling boy an incredulous look, "um, excuse me, what the hell is wrong with you?" she asked.

"What is wrong with me?!" he screamed back, "you're the one running around without a thought in your head, you idiot!" glaring daggers at the girl. Saya furrowed her brows "We don't have time for this! Someone is literally trying to kill me so either run or fuck off," she yelled back.

No one had ever managed to get her to yell. Truthfully she didn't even know if she could, but the arrogance of this guy managed to bring her to an anger level unknown to her.

Her blond classmates' posture changed at that, shoulders squaring in response. "Someone is trying to kill you?" he asked suspiciously. It would explain why his classmate, who had seemed cold and unapproachable yesterday, was running around, eyes wide.

Looking behind him, Saya was confused. Where was her attacker? Surely they could have caught up and killed either one of them by now.

Ignoring the questioning glare from her classmate, Saya looked around her surroundings, they were close to the school, only a couple of steps until the gate. The sun was mostly up now, and the streets were getting busier.

"Don't ignore me!" he shouted, grabbing Saya by the front of her shirt. Saya allowed her face to return to its neutral position - facing the boy with a blank, nearly bored look.

Grabbing his wrist, Saya looked up at him, "don't touch me," she said, beginning to look around again, "I don't see them anymore so I guess it got too busy," she said with a sigh of relief.

The blond boy slowly released her as she walked away from him without a word. Picking up a discarded throwing star and heading towards the school.

A scowl rested on his face, just who the hell was this girl and why doesn't she seem bothered that someone tried to kill her. 'If anything, it seems like my presence was the cause of her annoyance,' he thought.

Saya once again leapt to the top of the fence, grabbing her bag that she had left tied to the tree and continued onto school property.

The school may technically be closed, but the security was lacking. She was able to get into one of the back doors with a bobby pin.

Walking down the silent halls, she headed into the women's bathroom to rinse and change. 'What are the odds that a Red Guild member is back in Japan at the same time that the League approached the Kazami clan?' she wondered.

Closing her eyes, she allowed the warm water to relax her muscles. Surely the odds are not high that she gets attacked as soon as she is alone. "I'll have to be more careful going home from now on," she said to herself.

This mission was turning out to be even more complex than she initially thought. 'What a pain.'