DISCLAIMER: CORPSE PARTY AND ITS CHARACTERS BELONG TO TEAM GRISGRIS/GRINDHOUSE. THE ORIGINAL CHARACTER, PACKER, BELONGS TO ME.
Author's Note: We're slowly closing in on the one year anniversary of me posting this story on the site. Can't believe it's been that long already. XD
I hope you're in for some reading, because this is easily the longest chapter I've written thus far, at almost 9,500 words. Also, this chapter does contain some graphic sequences, so consider yourself warned.
CHAPTER 21: COLD TOUCH OF DEATH
(Corpse Party's Cold Tears begins playing in the background)
Packer couldn't believe his rotten luck. There was a way to bring Seiko back from death, but it would mean using one of the most powerful spells in black magic… and the cost of using such a forbidden spell terrified him.
"Um, Packer, what exactly is Vivification?" Mayu asked.
"It is derived from the word 'vivify', which means to endow with life or renewed life," Packer explained. "In black magic, Vivification is the process of reuniting one's spirit with their body, essentially resuscitating them and saving them from the grasp of death." He looked up at his group. "Many years ago, before our time, there was a doctor who tried to perfect the process of Vivification through science rather than black magic, but all of his experiments ended in failure. The only way to successfully use Vivification is through the use of the Arcane Arts. However, it comes at a terrible price."
"What kind of price?" Ayumi asked. Packer closed his eyes and sighed heavily.
"All forms of black magic, from the most basic of spells, to spells that require a tremendous amount of power, are governed by an ancient law, one that also governs the ancient art of Alchemy," he continued. "The Law of Equivalent Exchange."
Everyone gasped. The entire group looked at each other with stunned expressions.
"T-Then, that means…" Yui began.
"Yes. Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange," Packer explained. "The same law applies to the Arcane Arts. In order to use a black magic spell, you must sacrifice something of equal or greater value… and that includes the spell of Vivification."
"Then, in order for you to use the spell, you'd have to sacrifice… a human life…" Yoshiki choked out. Packer nodded slowly.
"Precisely," he said.
Everyone looked at each other once again. Now they understood why Packer was so skittish about using such a dark, powerful spell. In order to revive Seiko, Packer would have to take the life of another human being, something he did not relish doing.
"That's not the only thing," Yuki piped up, drawing everyone's attention to her. "In addition to sacrificing a human life, there are two other requirements that you must fulfill in order to use this spell. First, the body of the person you intend to vivify must be completely whole, meaning they can't have ANY missing limbs under any circumstances, or the spell will fail, and I don't need to remind you that the spirits of Heavenly Host love to cut off the tongues of their victims."
"Indeed," Morishige replied, pushing his glasses further up his nose.
"Secondly, the soul of the person that is sacrificed must not be possessed by the Darkening, or the spell will not work," Yuki continued. "And considering that most of the people in Heavenly Host have already succumbed to it, the likelihood of finding a person whose spirit is pure and also willing to sacrifice themselves for this spell is virtually nonexistent."
"That won't be a problem," Packer replied, causing the others to look at him in surprise.
"Packer-kun, I can't believe that you're actually considering taking the life of someone else to use this spell!" Ayumi exclaimed. "I know that it would mean bringing Shinohara back to life, but to be this willing to take the life of a person you may not know…"
"I'm not sacrificing anyone else," Packer interjected. Everyone looked at him with dumbfounded looks on their faces.
"What do you mean by that?" Morishige asked.
Packer sighed, but didn't answer. It was only a few seconds before Seiko realized what he was talking about. She ran up to him and turned his face so that she was looking into his eyes, and just by looking at him, it confirmed what she was thinking.
"Packer, no!" Seiko yelled. "You are not sacrificing yourself for me! Yes, it would give me my life back, but I would lose you in the process, and I couldn't bear that! You mean too damn much to me!"
Tears streamed down her face like a waterfall, and a few sobs escaped from her diaphragm as Packer gazed down at her with sad eyes.
"Do you think I want for this to happen?" he asked. "I don't want to give my life up, because it would mean losing you all over again…" He paused as he tried to gather his thoughts and emotions before continuing, causing Seiko to look up at him once again. "…but in the end, I might not have a choice. If sacrificing my life results in the salvation of billions of lives, so be it. As long as the Nine make it back alive, my mission will be a success. What happens to me…" He glanced away from Seiko, refusing to look into her eyes. "…is irrelevant."
Everyone present gasped at Packer's words. It was amazing to them that Packer would be willing to make such a noble sacrifice, for the sake of billions of people he didn't know. But it pained Seiko for her to hear Packer call himself irrelevant.
"But, Packer, you're not irrelevant. You have meaning. You have a purpose!" Seiko said, unshed tears shining in her eyes. "You belong with me, Packer, just as I belong with you! There has to be another way to do this! We've just got to find it, that's all!"
Packer looked back at her, a small smile on his face. Even in this most difficult moment, she was still trying to give him hope.
"I wish there was, Seiko, but I don't know if there is another way," he replied. "But we'll worry about that later. None of this will matter if we don't get to your body before Sachiko does, and we still need to find the Mochidas and Naomi, or vivifying you won't matter in the slightest."
Seiko nodded in agreement, and Packer glanced over at Yoshiki.
"Yoshiki, are you coming with us? I would be eternally grateful if you did," he said.
Yoshiki looked into Packer's eyes and saw the pleading yet confident look within them. Yes, it would mean returning to that hellish place, but he also didn't want to leave his friends behind, especially Satoshi. He wouldn't even be a part of this circle of friends if it had not been for the elder Mochida. Letting out a small sigh, he finally gave in to Packer's request.
"Alright," Yoshiki sighed. "I'll go back with you."
Ayumi gasped, her eyes shining as she looked at Yoshiki.
"You mean, you're really gonna come with us after all?" she asked hopefully.
"Yeah, I guess so," Yoshiki replied. "After all, I don't have a lot of real friends, and I'd hate to lose the ones I do have…"
Ayumi smiled gratefully at him, and Packer nodded his head in approval, also smiling broadly.
"Alright then. Let's go get our friends back," Packer declared.
Seiko merged her spirit back with Packer's body, and then, the three children led the group through the fissure… back into Heavenly Host. When all of them entered the fissure, it slowly closed behind them, leaving no trace of its existence.
The earthquake finally came to a stop, and Yuka sighed with relief.
"Whoa, that was scary," Yuka shuddered. Kizami chuckled as he helped her to her feet.
"Ah, it's okay now," he assured. A small blush appeared on Yuka's cheeks as she watched Kizami brush himself off.
'Kizami-san, you protected me again. I'm reassured because I'm with you,' she thought.
"Thank you," she said with a smile. Kizami smiled back and held out a hand to her.
"Shall we go?" he asked.
"Yes!" Yuka exclaimed happily, taking his hand. It was at that moment that she had once again forgotten a very important detail. "Mmmmmmmmm…." Kizami raised an eyebrow at her moan. "Um… Kizami, the toilet can't wait anymore. Crap, I'm gonna end up going here…"
"That's no good," Kizami said. "You're a girl, so can you try to wait a little longer?"
"Uh, um, but, uh, I really need to…" Yuka began, but Kizami cut her off with a chuckle.
"You should listen when I say it's no good, Yuka," Kizami replied.
"Yes, sir," Yuka complied, but then thought of what he had said. 'Wait a sec... Was Kizami calling me Yuka before? I wonder if it's because we became friends…' she thought. She smiled up at him.
"I bet your little sister is happy she has such a cool older brother," Yuka said. "My brother's name is Satoshi, and he's not very cool. He's a scaredy cat, and a bit of a loser." Kizami glanced down at Yuka as she continued. "Oh, but he's always watching out for me, and he also waits for me when I can't keep up. When I'm unhappy, he says nice things to make me feel better, he's really nice, and pretty cool sometimes. I like him best out of everyone in the world!"
As he listened to her rattle on about her brother, Kizami's demeanor suddenly changed. His eyes became extremely vacant, and a small sneer appeared on his face.
"Hey, Kizami, what kind of girl is your little sister?" Yuka asked.
"Uhh… well, she has short hair, she usually wears a blue skirt…" Kizami began, causing Yuka to look down at herself.
'Wait… I'm the same…' she thought. But what Kizami said next made her eyes widen.
"…and her name is Yuka," he finished.
A confused look came over Yuka's features, and she quizzically glanced up at Kizami, her mind buzzing with questions.
"So… your little sister's name is Yuka, too?" she asked, although she had a sickening feeling that wasn't the case.
Her fears were answered when he suddenly whirled around and grasped her roughly by the shoulders.
(Corpse Party's Fear Tracker begins playing in the background)
"What are you saying?" he asked, leaning down to stare into Yuka's eyes. The look he was giving her was sending chills down her spine, but not the warm ones she felt earlier. "You're my sister. And I'm your brother, aren't I? Right, Yuka?" The crazed look she now saw in his eyes sent fear rattling through her bones. This was not the same Kizami she had befriended. It seemed that his demeanor had changed drastically.
"Kizami-san, what… are you talking about?" she asked fearfully. At her question, Kizami's face twisted into something that resembled a psycho's.
"You and I will live here together forever. Always, until the day we die!" he said evilly, causing Yuka to gasp in fear. Kizami's hand snaked out and grabbed her by the wrist. "Hey, come with me. I'll show you your brother's room."
Yuka let out a yelp and desperately tried to break free from his grasp.
"Please, stop!" she yelled, pushing him away. He lost his grip just enough for her to escape. She ran down the hallway as fast as her legs would carry her. Kizami brushed his hair out of his eyes and smiled evilly.
"Run, rabbit, run! HAHAHAHA!" he cackled, taking off after her.
Yuka ran down the stairs to the second floor. She didn't know if he was chasing her, and she didn't care. She had to get as far away from him as possible.
'Why… why did Kizami start acting so strange? He was so nice to me. Something must've happened…' she thought frantically.
"Got to find Onii-Chan," she gasped, still running at full tilt. Suddenly, her foot slipped in something wet, and she went crashing onto the floor. Her hand had landed in whatever the substance was, and when she pulled herself up to her knees and looked at her hand, she gasped. There were blotches of red liquid on her hand.
"Blood?!" she gasped.
Then, she looked down in front of her, and her face went completely white. Lying on the floor, face down in his own blood…
…was Kurosaki.
"Kurosaki-san!" she yelled, rolling him over onto his back. She shook his shoulders, desperate trying to wake him. "Kurosaki-san, please wake up!" But he wasn't moving, nor did it look like he was breathing. "Oh, my God… he's dead… he's dead!"
Then, she heard footsteps come up behind her.
"So this is where you went, Yuka."
Yuka gasped as she recognized the voice. But before she could get away, he was on top of her, pinning her down.
"I CAUGHT YOU!" Kizami declared, grasping her arm and head so that she wouldn't move. Yuka tried desperately to move, but he was just too strong. "You won't run anymore. Hold my hand and let's go."
When she didn't respond, he rolled her over onto her back, and before she could even react, he brandished a hunting knife, holding it up to her neck.
"Come with me already," he said, almost in a trance-like state. Yuka was shaking in fear when she saw the knife, and hot tears were coming to her eyes as she screamed out.
"HELP ME, ONII-CHAAAAN!" she screamed.
Suddenly, they heard another person's voice.
"CUT IT OUT!"
All at once, someone's fist connected with Kizami's jaw, knocking him off of Yuka and onto the floor. Gathering himself and wiping the blood from his lip, Kizami looked up… and his eyes went wide upon seeing who it was that struck him.
"Get away from Yuka-Chan… Kizami…" Kurosaki growled, his knuckles red from where he had struck Kizami. His abdomen was still bleeding, and blood was dripping from his own mouth. Yuka gasped in surprise.
"Kurosaki-san, you're alive!" Yuka exclaimed. Kizami chuckled at Kurosaki's resilience.
"So, Kurosaki, you're still alive, huh? I thought I stabbed through your internal organs, but I guess I missed," Kizami scoffed.
'Wait… Kizami stabbed Kurosaki?! Why would he do such a thing?!' Yuka though incredulously.
"Stop this already, Kizami," Kurosaki said. "Your hurting and killing other people is improper."
Kizami glanced up at Kurosaki, an irritated look on his face.
"What are you talking about, Kurosaki?! What is improper about me?!" he yelled. "Living beings' attachment to life before death is the most beautiful event I've ever witnessed. What is morality? It's a pity! You don't understand! Isn't it your way that's improper?!"
Kurosaki sighed as he held a hand to his bleeding stomach.
"Kizami… I'm sorry," Kurosaki apologized, causing Kizami to grunt in surprise. He certainly didn't expect that from someone he tried to murder in cold blood. "I didn't realize that you were acting so strange, having been driven into a corner. Despite that, you're my close friend."
Kizami's mouth dropped open, not quite believing what he was hearing.
"Close friend? You are? Mine?" Kizami inquired. "You think you were my close friend?! Were you my ally even for a moment?! YOU WEREN'T! YOU WERE ALWAYS WITH MY OLDER SISTER! If you really did understand my feelings…" He glared up at Kurosaki. "THEN WHY WERE YOU ALWAYS RUNNING AWAY, HUH? THAT'S "IMPROPER"!"
Kurosaki sighed in exasperation and pain, as he listened to Kizami vent at him.
"Right… I'm… reflecting on it…" Kurosaki sighed.
"No, it's fine… because I don't even care!" Kizami yelled. "I DON'T NEED SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS ME! MY FEELINGS… AT ANY RATE, YOU PEOPLE CAN'T UNDERSTAND!"
Feeling his anger reach the boiling point, Kurosaki rushed forward and grabbed Kizami by the collar of his shirt.
"Don't act like such a spoiled brat! Wake up, Kizami! Because you can't accept other people, DOESN'T MAKE IT THEIR FAULT!" Kurosaki exploded. "Everything you've done… you only made yourself more ignorant of the truth. You're just averting your eyes!"
Kizami continued to stare up Kurosaki, shock registered on his face.
"There'll be nothing left for you if you keep going down this path! NOTHING! DON'T YOU GET IT?!" Kurosaki yelled, trying to get through to Kizami. Kizami looked down at the floor and sighed.
"Yeah… I do…" he said, almost with a sad tone. Then, without warning, he lunged forward… and buried his hunting knife deep into Kurosaki's neck. Yuka gasped in horror, and Kurosaki gasped at the new pain in his neck. Kizami gave him a smile that only a demented killer would be proud of.
"I know there's no future. I knew that from the moment we came here," he growled. "Later, Kurosaki. This time… DIE PROPERLY."
In one quick motion, he jerked the knife across Kurosaki's neck, completely slicing through his skin. Blood sprayed from the open wound like a geyser, and Kurosaki felt his consciousness slip away, his body collapsing to ground.
"Yuka-Chan… run… away…"
Those were his last words before his eyes slowly closed, never to open again. Red liquid continued to pour from the open wound in his neck. Yuka collapsed to her knees beside him, tears running down her face.
"KUROSAKI-SAN! WHY?! WHY?!" Yuka screamed. Kizami snickered and walked up to her.
"Oh, Yuka…" Kizami said playfully before kicking Yuka squarely in the stomach, knocking her to the floor. She struggled to breathe as the air was knocked out of her. She could feel a warm liquid in her lower region, and she realized that she had wet herself, unable to contain the pressure in her bladder any longer. Kizami casually strolled up, kneeled down next to her and stroked her hair.
"Isn't it bad if you don't listen to your brother?" he asked, a smirk still present on his face. "This is your punishment." He grabbed her hair and started to pull her up to look into her eyes, which were full of unshed tears.
"N-No… my brother… is… Satoshi Mochida…" she gasped, still trying to get her air back. A blank stare came across Kizami's face, and he held up the hunting knife for her to see, still dripping in Kurosaki's blood.
"Are you also denying me… Yuka?" he asked, staring into her eyes with a crazed look the likes of which she had never seen before. The look on her face resembled that of a deer caught in the headlights.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" she apologized, hoping that would appease him, but that didn't even seem to help, as he rolled her over and glared down at her with a sadistic look on his features.
"You're not listening at all to what your brother says," Kizami hissed. "Even if you apologize, I won't forgive you."
"W-What?!" Yuka gasped. Kizami stood up, grasping Yuka by the arm and pulling her along with him.
"Come, Yuka. I'll take you to my room," Kizami declared.
But what he said next would effectively drain all semblance of color from Yuka's face.
"I'll kill you when we get there. My sister… of course I have to kill her in the most brutal of ways."
He cackled evilly, and Yuka realized that her life was in serious jeopardy. She struggled to free herself, but she had no strength left. He was just too strong. Tears streaming down her face, she screamed as loudly as she could.
"ONII-CHAAAAAAAAAAN!"
Satoshi finally began to stir from his slumber.
"Yu… ka…" he mumbled. He grunted as he felt the stinging pain from his head. "Ooh, my head… is throbbing…" He reached up with one hand and felt the knot that was forming on the top of his head. He tried to look around, but it was pretty dark in the room. "What… happened? I remember there was a big earthquake…" He tried to feel his way around, and his hand landed on something… soft. "Hmm? What's this? It's really tender… like some kind of… meat?! What the Hell am I…?!"
As his eyes began to adjust to the darkness, he could hear someone moaning underneath him. Looking down, he realized that the person underneath him… was Naomi, and in his left hand was her…
(Hysteric Birthday's Oozing With Sex Appeal begins playing in the background)
"UWAAGH!" Satoshi yelped, immediately removing his hand from her breast. His face turned cherry red upon realizing that he had been feeling her up, and had no idea.
"Wow, Mochida, I didn't know you were that kind of boy."
Satoshi blushed violently as he glanced over at Tohko, who had also awakened and was staring at Satoshi with a sly smile on his face.
"N-N-No, it was an accident!" Satoshi yelped. "I swear, I'm not that kind of person..."
As if his timing wasn't bad enough, Naomi began to stir from her slumber, and Satoshi hoped she didn't know what he had just been doing.
"Unnngggh… Satoshi…?" Naomi mumbled, slowly raising herself up to a sitting position, before looking up and gazing into Satoshi's eyes.
"Naomi, I'm so sorry! Please, don't misunderstand! I didn't mean it!" Satoshi blurted out in a panic, but Naomi didn't seem to take notice of it.
"Satoshi… Is your head okay?" Naomi asked. In an instant, Satoshi's panic was replaced by confusion.
"Eh?" he stuttered. Tohko covered her mouth to stifle the giggles that were threatening to escape.
"A beam fell on your head during the quake, and it started bleeding," Naomi explained. "Your face is… really red. I guess it must hurt. Thank you… for shielding me."
Satoshi let out a small sigh of relief. Thankfully, she hadn't realized why his face was so red…
"Uh… th-think nothing of it," Satoshi stuttered nervously. "And I'm fine. I'm not bleeding anymore, at least."
Naomi shuffled closer to him, causing him to gulp in response.
"You're not?" Naomi whispered, gazing into his eyes.
Satoshi couldn't believe how close she was to him… and to his face. It was so tempting for him to just lean forward, and kiss her on the lips. He wanted to do it so badly, and he knew he might not get another chance. So, he started to inch closer to her face, ready to kiss her.
Naomi caught onto what he was doing, and even though her face turned a dark crimson, the same though echoed in her mind. They might not get another chance to do this. Puckering up her lips, she leaned forward and closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable contact. Satoshi closed his eyes as well…
Tohko gasped as she watched the two of them drift toward each other, ready to kiss each other for the first time.
'I knew those two had the hots for each other...' Tohko thought wistfully.
Just before their lips could touch, the lights in the room came back on, causing both Naomi and Satoshi to jump in fright. After realizing it was just the lights, Satoshi and Naomi gazed at each other and chuckled nervously. Tohko could only shake her head.
'Damn it. Figures the moment would be ruined right before it was going to happen...' she thought.
Brushing himself off, Satoshi pulled himself to his feet. He held out a hand to Naomi, who gratefully took it and allowed him to pull her to her feet.
"W-Well, what are we supposed to do now?" Naomi asked.
"Well, we still need to find Yuka, and hopefully meet up with the others," Satoshi replied. "For now, let's see about getting to that second building."
"Sounds good to me," Tohko said, rising to her feet.
Satoshi, Tohko and Naomi walked out of the custodian's closet, only to find a shocking discovery.
"What the…?" Satoshi gasped.
(Corpse Party's Revolving Door Brass begins playing in the background)
The layout of the school had changed drastically. Instead of coming out of the secret door and into the hallway, they found themselves in a completely different area of the school.
"What… What's going on?" Naomi asked. "The school's completely changed!"
"I guess that wasn't just an ordinary earthquake after all," Tohko surmised.
"Yeah, it's like we were feeling the building expand and contract around us… again," Naomi realized.
"Either way, we need to get moving. Come on," Satoshi said. As he turned to walk down the hallway, Naomi noticed something on the back of his shirt.
"Hold up a second, Satoshi," she called to him.
"Hm? What's wrong?" Satoshi asked. Naomi walked up behind him.
"You've got splinters all over your back," she replied, picking the splinters out of his shirt.
Packer sighed as he gazed at his surroundings. The classroom they were in looked similar to the one he woke up in.
"Welcome back to Hell, Packer," he said sarcastically.
"I'm sorry. I really am, but I wish you the best of luck," Yuki said. Packer and the others turned to look at the three children.
"The three of us are prepared for the challenges ahead, now that our tongues and body parts have been restored," Ryou said.
"But due to our momentary awakening, the balance of these closed spaces has begun to collapse. Be very, very careful," Tokiko interjected.
"Understood," Packer replied.
"Remember, in order for Sachiko to feel remorse, you must appeal to her humanity," Yuki explained. "You must purify her soul. It's the only way." She grunted slightly, holding a hand to her head. "My mind… has already come under attack, so the next time you see any of us… run…"
With that, the child spirits disappeared, leaving no trace of their existence.
"She's gone…" Ayumi whispered.
"Yeah, for now," Yoshiki replied. "For now, let's just focus on finding Satoshi, Yuka, and Nakashima."
"Agreed. Our next priority after we find them is… finding Seiko's body," Packer struggled to get the words out of his mouth. He knew he had to obtain her body in order to use the Vivification spell, but he was afraid to see what she looked like in death.
"Don't worry, Packer. Naomi should know where my body is. Once we find her, she'll be able to tell us," Seiko assured. Packer sighed and nodded.
"I know. I'm just… I don't know if I'm ready to… you know… see you…" he admitted.
"Hmm… I see," Seiko replied, understanding Packer's uneasiness.
"The only thing I'm worried about is if we are able to find them," Morishige said. "We explored almost every nook and cranny. How can we be sure they are here?"
"Remember what Yuki told us? The closed spaces, without the child spirits to fuel them, have all merged into one space," Packer explained. "This should make finding our friends easier, but I fear it'll be more likely that we'll run into Mr. Hammerhead as well. So be on your toes."
"Gotcha," Yoshiki replied, although he stopped and scratched his chin. "Although, it kind of makes me wonder… If it's not those child spirits summoning hordes of innocent people to this school and trapping them here until they die, then you kind of have to ask yourself, who IS responsible, you know?"
"Indeed," Packer agreed. "But we'll worry about that later. Right now, let's focus on finding our friends."
Everyone nodded, and together, they walked out the classroom door and into the hallway. Almost instantly, Ayumi noticed something very out of place. The school seemed to look… a different color than before, and several rooms were completely out of place.
"Hey, does anything look… different to you guys?" she asked. Everyone looked around and nodded.
"Very, very different," Yui replied.
"This… isn't the same school we were in before. It's a totally different Heavenly Host!" Ayumi exclaimed.
"Yeah, and its creepiness factor is off the charts," Yoshiki replied. "The chill in the air, the constant dark presence, it's all worse than ever."
"My feelings exactly," Packer responded. "We need to find the others, revive Seiko, and get the Hell out of here. Follow me."
Packer turned around and walked down the hallway toward the stairwell, with the others in tow.
Eventually, the group arrived on the first floor of the school. As they continued to walk down the hallway, Yoshiki suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"Shinozaki… ummm…" he stuttered, causing Ayumi to stop and look at him.
"What is it?" she asked. Yoshiki rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to figure out a way to properly word what he was about to say.
"Are you… hurt? You've got a whole lot of blood on your… erm… posterior…" Yoshiki stammered.
"W-What…? Are you serious?!" Ayumi stuttered, causing her to look behind her, down at her skirt. She gasped as she saw a pretty significant red stain on the bottom of her skirt, near her rear.
"You scrape your butt on a piece of broken wood or something? Looks kind of painful…" Yoshiki said, causing Ayumi to unwittingly blush.
"S-Shut the Hell up already! Geez! Just look the other way for a minute!" she yelled indignantly at him, causing him to flinch in response.
"Huh?" he said, but Ayumi had already turned and run further down the hall until she was no longer in sight. Packer face palmed in response.
"Real smooth, dummy," he said with a sigh. "You know how sensitive Ayumi can be about that sort of thing, Yoshiki."
Realizing his mistake, Yoshiki slapped his forehead and moaned.
"God, I'm such an idiot," he muttered, before breaking into a run and taking off after Ayumi. "Shinozaki, wait!" Packer chuckled at his friend, followed by everyone else in his group.
"Those two are a match made in heaven. It's such a shame they don't realize it," Mayu said, holding a hand to her mouth to keep from laughing.
"Shall we follow them, Packer?" Seiko asked with a giggle.
"Yeah, let's go," Packer replied, walking down the hallway with the others in tow.
Ayumi stopped running as soon as she thought everyone was out of sight. Taking a second to catch her breath, she huffed at how Yoshiki could be so blockheaded.
"God, does that boy have no sense of shame?! Damn it all…" she muttered to herself before reaching back and pulling the back of her skirt around so she could get a better look at it. The red stain on it really stood out like a sore thumb, causing her to sigh in frustration.
"What do I do about this? I don't have my gym bag here, so a change of clothes is out of the question," she mumbled quietly. "I really don't want to meet up with Mochida or the others looking like THIS, though…" She buried her face in her hands, tears of frustration flowing out. "Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, DAMN!"
"Shinozaki!"
Ayumi looked up to find Yoshiki running up to her, stopping so he could catch his breath. Ayumi placed her hands on her hips, a scowl on her face.
"What do you want, Kishinuma-kun? Can't I have a little time to myself for once?" she said with distain. She gasped in surprise when he suddenly walked up to her and took her hands in his.
"Shinozaki, please don't be mad. I'm sorry I embarrassed you in front of everyone," he apologized, his face red. "I-I just happened to catch a glimpse of the red spot on your skirt, and I was worried you might've been injured or something, but I should've been more considerate. Can you forgive me?"
Ayumi was speechless. She never expected Yoshiki to apologize like this, or to be so considerate of her feelings. Maybe he wasn't as bad as she thought he was…
"I accept your apology, Kishinuma-kun," she said with a smile. "I realize you were just looking out for my well-being. I guess I'm just still a little skittish about… well, things like this."
Yoshiki nodded, glad that she understood where he was coming from, but it also reminded him of another apology he had to give.
"Also, Shinozaki," he began. "I really want to apologize for my outburst back at Kisaragi. I was… way out of line, and I never should've spoken to you like that, and I never wanted to speak to you like that. I was… afraid, because I knew that if we came back here, there was a chance that we might not make it back out, and I let that knowledge control my emotions. I'm so sorry, Shinozaki."
He bowed to her in apology, causing Ayumi to gasp in surprise. His apology was one thing, but for him to bow to her in order to apologize, it was something she never expected Yoshiki to do, considering his delinquent past.
"Kishinuma-kun, I want to apologize, as well," Ayumi replied softly. "I shouldn't have belittled you like I did. It goes against everything a class representative is supposed to represent. And… I don't want to lose you as a friend."
Yoshiki smiled down at her.
"So, can we say… all is forgiven?" he asked in a hopeful voice, causing Ayumi to giggle in response.
"Yeah, all is forgiven," she replied. Yoshiki chuckled in response.
"Aw, you two made up."
Both turned to see Packer giving them a lopsided smile, and everyone else was giving them the same goofy smiles as well.
"I'm just disappointed they didn't kiss and make up," Seiko said with an evil giggle, causing the group to erupt into laughter and both Yoshiki and Ayumi to blush a deep, dark crimson.
"Dang it, Shinohara, why do you gotta embarrass us like that?" she whined.
"Aw, Ayumi-Chan, like I said before, you're just way too easy to tease," Seiko giggled. Yoshiki just shook his head in disbelief, although a smile was still present on his face.
Packer's smile suddenly vanished when he looked ahead, past Ayumi and Yoshiki, further down the hallway. Ayumi was the first to notice Packer's change in demeanor.
"Packer, what's wrong?" Ayumi asked.
"There might be people nearby… but I'm not sensing any malice coming from them," Packer replied. If that was truly the case, then could it be…?
Deciding to take a chance, Packer cupped his hands over his mouth like a megaphone.
"SATOSHI! NAOMI! YUKA! ARE YOU THERE?!" he yelled, hoping that they could hear him.
(Corpse Party's Fear of the Occult begins playing in the background)
Yuka's screams echoed throughout the room she was in. Kizami struck a match and lit a candle, illuminating the room they were in. Various beakers and instruments lay all over the floor and on the tables. Kizami glanced over at Yuka and chuckled evilly. He had her tied down on one of the tables, her hands tied over her head, and her feet bound together.
"Welcome to our room, Yuka," he said. He reached into his pocket and brandished the knife once again. "Now... I'll kill you."
Yuka screeched as she saw the knife, and frantically began pulling on the ropes that bound her hands together with all her might, but she couldn't break free.
"Kizami, please stop!" she pleaded with him, which earned a small chuckle from him.
"Scary, isn't it?" he asked. "When you got up this morning, you never would have guessed the day would end like this, would you? But death isn't extraordinary. It's the same for those who die suddenly or accidentally. Death is always drawing closer to us, every day." He jumped up onto the table and towered over Yuka, whose face was covered in tears, and her breathing had become ragged. "When I confront death in my final moment, how will I react? I just want to see it."
He stared down at her as she continued to not say a word.
"You're pretending to have no response, to annoy me, aren't you?" Kizami inquired, pointing the knife threateningly at Yuka, eliciting a small gasp from her. "Won't you show me... your fear of death?"
"Kizami... please... quit already. Please!" Yuka begged.
"If it hurts, let me hear you scream, okay, Yuka?" he asked, a sadistic look on his face. "It's not embarrassing... RIGHT?!"
He suddenly turned and swung the knife, catching Yuka's leg and putting a long gash in it. Yuka screamed as the pain coursed through her body, as blood began to seep out through the wound and onto the table.
"ONII-CHAAAAAAN! HEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLPPPPP!" she screamed, causing Kizami to erupt in laughter.
"That's it, Yuka! Let me hear you SCREAM!"
As Naomi finished brushing the splinters off of Satoshi's back, they suddenly heard a shout coming from further down the hall.
"SATOSHI! NAOMI! YUKA! ARE YOU THERE?!"
Satoshi, Tohko and Naomi gasped as they recognized that voice.
"Satoshi… that sounded like Packer!" Naomi exclaimed.
"A friend of yours?" Tohko inquired. "Is he nearby?"
"Yeah, I think so," Satoshi replied, cupping his hands over his mouth.
"PACKER, WE'RE HERE!" he shouted back down the hallway.
Packer gasped as he heard Satoshi's shout. He turned to the rest of the group and nodded.
"Let's go!" he ordered, breaking into a run. The others followed close behind as they made their way down the hall.
Eventually, three figures came into view, and as they got closer, two of the figures they recognized them almost instantly: it was Satoshi and Naomi, standing alongside a girl they didn't recognize.
"Satoshi! Nakashima!" Yoshiki yelled as they ran up to them. There was no denying the looks of happiness and relief on both Naomi and Satoshi's faces as they were finally reunited with their friends.
"Yoshiki, Shinozaki, Packer, everyone! You're all right!" Satoshi exclaimed.
"Class rep! Oh, thank God! I was hoping we'd run into you!" Naomi said happily.
"Me too. I was beginning to wonder what I'd do without you guys!" Ayumi replied with a smile.
"Same here. I'm glad you two are okay. We've been so worried about you!" Yui said.
"Ah, the group is back together again!" Mayu squealed.
"Heh… Pretty sorry lot we've drawn, eh?" Yoshiki chuckled.
"Maybe, but at least we've reunited. We just might have a chance after all," Packer declared. He glanced over at Tohko, who was looking him with a bewildered expression on her face. "I don't believe we've met. The name's Packer. Pleased to meet you."
"Um, I'm Tohko Kirisaki, Byakudan High School Grade 11," Tohko replied. "Uh... why are you wearing body armor?"
"This may seem hard to believe, but I'm a Knight of the Covenant, a warrior with supernatural powers," Packer explained. "I've come here from America to help nine individuals escape from this place."
"After what I've seen and experienced in this place, I'm willing to believe you are what you say you are," Tohko replied. "I only wish I could've met you earlier, so that I would've had a chance to save my friends."
"I'm sorry," Packer replied solemnly. "I know what it's like to lose someone close to you."
Naomi glanced at Packer, and a wave of guilt came over her as she remembered something.
"Packer-kun…" Naomi began with a shaky voice. "Seiko… Seiko is…"
Packer glanced over at her, a sullen look now on his face.
"Yeah… I know. She told me everything," he replied, causing Naomi to gasp in surprise.
"She?" Naomi repeated in confusion. Satoshi, by this point, had noticed something… off about Packer.
"Um, Packer, why are you glowing?" he asked, perturbed. Tohko had noticed as well, and her eyes were wide as saucers.
"Hey, Naomi, long time no see, babe! Nice to see you too, Mochida-kun!"
Naomi gasped as she now noticed that Packer had been glowing with a faint blue light. Satoshi's mouth was hanging open as he stared at Packer as well.
"Shinohara… is that you?" Satoshi asked.
For an answer, Seiko's spirit emerged from Packer's body and materialized right next to them, causing Tohko to gasp in surprise. She grunted as the pain in her neck returned in full force.
"Damn, I forgot about that," Seiko said, rubbing her neck. She looked up to see Naomi staring right at her, tears forming in her eyes.
"Seiko… Seiko…" Naomi muttered, her voice cracking with emotion. Tears began to form in Seiko's eyes as well.
"Hey, Naomi. Sorry you had to see me like this," Seiko replied, as she drew Naomi into a hug. Naomi embraced her, tears finally spilling out of both their eyes.
"I'm just glad to see you again, Seiko," Naomi cried.
Packer smiled at the scene in front of him, before glancing around and noticing there was one person missing.
"Satoshi, where's Yuka?" he asked. Satoshi glanced over at him, a concerned look on his face.
"I don't know. We were separated from each other. I've been trying to find her ever since," Satoshi replied.
"Shit," Packer cursed. "We need to find her and pronto."
"Why? What's going on?" Satoshi inquired.
"We manage to free the three child spirits that we're inhabiting this place, but if this entire place has merged back into one dimension, who knows what we'll run into now," Packer explained. "And with this place being more dangerous now than ever before, she won't last long by herself."
Suddenly, a loud scream seemed to echo all around them.
"ONII-CHAAAAAN! HEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLPPPPP!"
Satoshi and Packer gasped as they recognized the scream.
"I was afraid of that," Packer mumbled.
"Yuka!" Satoshi yelled.
"Sounds like she's in trouble," Morishige surmised.
(Corpse Party's Unavoidable Tragedy begins playing in the background)
At that moment, Packer gasped, and his eyes widened. Satoshi glanced at Packer, concerned.
"What the heck is wrong with Packer?" Satoshi asked. Seiko broke from her embrace with Naomi to glance at Packer.
"It's his Future Sight. It must be showing him something important!" Seiko replied.
Packer's breathing became ragged as his mind was filled with a series of images…
He was standing in a familiar room. Across the room, he could see a tall figure, wielding what appeared to be a large hunting knife. Suddenly, the figure brought his knife down, and the next thing Packer heard was a loud, piercing scream, causing him to gasp as he recognized the voice. It was Yuka!
The tall figure stepped back, laughing as he gazed at his knife. Packer gasped as the blade of the knife was covered by a small round object, with blood coating the surface of the blade. The evil bastard had forcefully extracted Yuka's right eye with it. The young girl was screaming in pain, which was unlike anything she had ever experienced.
Sliding the eyeball off of his blade and squishing it between his fingers, the tall figure then readied his knife and proceeded to bury it into Yuka's stomach, causing her to scream in agony once again. Then, in one swift motion, he extracted the knife, and with a psychotic look in his eyes, he stabbed downward with all his might and buried the blade of the knife into her head, right between her eyes. After taking one last breath, her remaining eye rolled into the back of her head, and she ceased all movement, never to awaken again.
The tall figure let out a psychotic cackle, his laughing growing louder and louder with each passing second…
(Corpse Party's Fear 3 begins playing in the background)
Packer gasped as he came out of his Future Sight. His face was completely white upon realizing what he was shown.
"Packer, what did you see?" Seiko asked.
"Yuka… her life's in danger!" Packer replied.
"What?! Do you know where she is?!" Satoshi exclaimed.
"Yeah, the Science Lab," Packer replied. "I've got to get there fast, or she'll be killed. Seiko, you watch over the group. I've got no time to waste if I'm gonna save her!"
"Do what you gotta do, Packer! We'll be right behind you!" Seiko replied with a nod. Packer closed his eyes and yelled as the energy inside him built up. His body glowed with a bright light as he exploded the energy outward.
"SHINING SPRINT!"
He exploded down the hall, leaving a spectral trail in his wake. Papers and debris were blown all over the place as he zoomed down the hall and up the stairs, praying that he would make it to the Science Lab in time.
Satoshi and Tohko's mouths dropped open as they watched Packer showcase his supernatural abilities. Seiko noticed this and giggled in response.
"That's right. This is the first time you've seen what Packer can do, right?" Seiko asked. Satoshi and Tohko could only nod.
"Come on! We've got to follow him!" Yoshiki shouted, taking off after Packer, following the trail Packer had left behind. The others were quick to follow suit.
Kizami cackled as he watched Yuka squirm in pain, her blood seeping out and onto the table. His eyes wide with excitement, he pressed the tip of his knife against Yuka's neck, just hard enough to draw blood. Yuka could only whimper in fear and pain, her eyes red with tears.
"You have lovely eyes, Yuka," Kizami said. "I think I'll take one for myself."
With a psychotic smile, he raised the knife in the air, intent on bringing down into Yuka's right eye. Yuka screamed as she saw the knife coming toward her.
Suddenly, the door to the Science Lab was completely knocked off its hinges, causing both Yuka and Kizami to look up in surprise. Kizami gasped as a figure bathed in white light was approaching them at an impossible speed, covering the length of the room in almost no time at all.
"YUKA!"
Not giving Kizami time to react, the figure reared back and clocked Kizami in the side of the head with a devastating punch, knocking Kizami off of the table and onto the hardwood floor, causing him to lose his knife. The figure landed on the ground and slid to a stop, and the light surrounding his body gradually began to fade, until it disappeared completely. Yuka gasped upon recognizing who it was.
"Packer-kun?!" she gasped.
Seeing that Kizami was out for the moment, Packer turned and let out a small gasp as he noticed that Yuka's leg had been sliced open. Thinking fast, he quickly ran up to her and powered up a spell.
"Light of the Heavens, lend me your healing aura," Packer chanted. "FIRST AID!"
A ball of green light appeared in Packer's right hand, causing Yuka to gasp once again. He quickly ran the ball of light up and down the wound in Yuka's leg, causing it to slowly heal and close. Yuka could feel the pain lessening until it was gone completely, as the wound was eventually closed.
Taking out one of his glass daggers, Packer made short work of the ropes bounding Yuka to the table, and she was quick to jump into his arms, tears of joy running down her face.
"Oh, Packer-kun, thank you! I thought I was a goner!" she yelled gratefully.
"Don't mention it. It is my job to protect you, after all," Packer replied with a smile.
"Where's Onii-Chan?" Yuka asked.
"Right here."
(Corpse Party's Kizami's Awakening begins playing in the background)
Packer and Yuka turned to see that Kizami had gotten back to his feet, an angry look on his face.
"Yuka, you've disobeyed your brother for the last time," Kizami growled.
"You know this dirtbag?" Packer asked.
"I thought I did, but he's changed. He's crazy. He thinks I'm his sister!" Yuka exclaimed. Packer cracked his neck and shot a death glare at Kizami.
"So you get off on killing little girls, huh? You sick, perverted bastard," Packer growled.
"I prefer the name Kizami… Yuuya Kizami," Kizami replied. "And you are?"
"The name's Packer," Packer replied. Kizami's eyes widened.
"Ah, so you are the one Yuka calls Packer," he replied. He took a second look at his green-haired adversary, taking note of the sword strapped to Packer's back. "Judging by the sword you carry, I'd say you've also had your fair share of killing people, much like I have."
"True," Packer replied, causing Yuka to look up at him in surprise. "But I've only killed in self-defense. Unlike you, I don't relish killing others."
"Really? That's a shame," Kizami responded, psychotic merriment in his eyes. "You see, when I kill someone, it gives me a thrill, a thrill the likes of which I have never felt before. To witness a person's reaction when they know that their death is imminent… it fills me with joy. It fills me with merriment, with desire, with… pleasure. I've always wanted to know what a person looks like on the inside… and I take great pleasure in finding out."
Packer couldn't believe just how deranged this person really was.
"So, being trapped here has severely affected your judgement as well," Packer inquired. Kizami glanced at him quizzically.
"That is where you're mistaken," Kizami sneered. "I have always been a sociopath… even before I was trapped in this place."
Packer realized that this was not a person affected by the Darkening. This person had always been like this, even before Heavenly Host.
"So… you've always been a cold-blooded killer?" Packer asked with a glare. Kizami scoffed at him.
"I wish," he replied coldly. "I've killed various animals from the time I was a kid. Of course, my bitch of a big sister was always getting in my way, so when I realized that we were trapped here, never to return…" An evil smile appeared on his face once again. "…I realized that I could finally live out my fantasy. It has always been my desire to kill human beings, but I never had the chance… until now."
"You are one sick, disgusting human being, you know that?" Packer replied with vitriol.
"Pot calling the kettle black," Kizami replied with a sneer. "From what I can tell, just by looking at you, you were bred to be a killer. You were trained to maim, to hurt, to injure… to kill. Why else would you use a sword as your primary weapon? And I can also tell that you use more than just that healing spell. I'm willing to bet you use spells that are more than capable of killing people. Am I wrong?"
Packer stared at him for a long, silent moment, before letting out a sigh.
"No, you're not," he admitted. "But you see, here's the difference between me and you, Kizami. Yes, I have killed people, even in this very school where we now stand, and yes, I've used my sword and supernatural abilities to do such a thing. But I've only used my talents in self-defense. Not once have I ever thought of hurting or maiming someone intentionally. I only use my talents because I have to, not because I want to. The bottom line, Kizami, unlike you, I don't kill for sport."
Kizami crossed his arms and chuckled at Packer's explanation.
"So you've gone the noble route, eh?" he inquired. "You think you'll be able to keep that level of nobility when I rip your insides out?"
In response, Packer readied himself into a fighting stance.
"You're not even in my league, Kizami. I've beaten assholes more psychotic than you in my spare time," Packer declared. Kizami shrugged nonchalantly and cracked his knuckles.
"I guess we'll have to find out, eh?" he declared. Just then, the rest of Packer's group showed up, causing Kizami to stop and glance at them for a second. Tohko gasped upon seeing her classmate and former crush.
"Yuuya!" she shouted, causing Kizami to gasp in surprise at her sudden appearance.
"Kirisaki..." he murmured.
"Yuka!" Satoshi shouted, causing Yuka to look over at him. Her eyes widened upon seeing her brother.
"Onii-Chan!" she yelled, running over toward him.
"Yuka, stop!" Kizami shouted. He tried to move toward her, but was stopped in his tracks when Packer placed Shiden in between Kizami and Yuka.
"Don't even think about it," Packer growled.
Yuka ran into her brother's arms, thankful that he was able to find her, while Kizami stared at Packer's sword, watching the blade pulse with electricity. He chuckled in disbelief.
"You're a riot, Packer," he said. "Not only do you use a sword, you use a sword that can utilize electricity. And you have the nerve to call me disgusting!"
"Enough!" Packer roared, pointing the blade at Kizami. "Game's over, Kizami, and you've lost."
Kizami crossed his arms over his chest and smirked again.
"Now how is that fair? I'm willing to fight you hand to hand, and yet you want to brandish your sword at me," Kizami said, an air of cockiness about him. "Also, wearing armor? That's weak sauce, man. Maybe you're not the man I thought you'd be."
"Yuuya, stop!" Tohko pleaded. "Why are you doing this?!"
Kizami chuckled at Tohko's inquiry.
"Isn't it obvious?" he replied with a sneer. "It doesn't really matter if you're killed by me or whatever lurks in this school. We're all going to die in here, one way or the other. Kurosaki found that out the hard way."
Tohko gasped at Kizami's words as she realized what he was insinuating.
"You killed Kensuke?" Tohko gasped. "You... you monster!"
Packer remained silent for a moment as he digested Kizami's words. Eventually, without saying a word, he sheathed Shiden, disconnected his badge, which caused his armor and weapon to vanish in a bright flash of light, and tossed it over to Yoshiki. He was now back in his Kisaragi school uniform.
"Packer, what are you doing?!" Seiko asked worriedly.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Packer retorted. "This psycho wants to fight me man to man… and that's fine with me." Kizami cackled in response.
"You really want to fight here?" Kizami asked. "There's not that much room with all of these tables and desks sitting all over the place."
"That won't be a problem," Packer replied with a sneer. Summoning his powers, he created a small vortex of wind that circulated throughout the room. Using the wind to lift the desks and tables, he pushed them out of the way, creating an empty space within the Science Lab. Kizami snickered at him. "Satisfied?"
"Much," Kizami replied. "Now, let's see how good you are."
Packer readied himself in the Shaolin Fist fighting stance, to which Kizami gave a small chuckle.
"So you know Shaolin Fist, eh?" he said, causing Packer to look at him quizzically.
'Wait a minute. How does he know what fighting style this is?' Packer thought.
"Just so you know, I've studied martial arts myself," Kizami declared, readying himself into a fighting stance Packer was very familiar with.
"You've studied Jujitsu," Packer realized.
"Very good," Kizami answered. "Now let's see how well you can defend against it."
Packer's eyes narrowed at Kizami's intense declaration.
"Bring it on," Packer growled.
In a flash, Kizami dashed across the room, charging at Packer. Packer steeled himself for the brutal battle that was to come.