"Didn't you still want to check out the items module?" inquired Akise of Izaya. They walked along the field between the two southernmost households. They were at least two-thirds of the way there by now, and Twelve and Suzuya walked along behind them, having a cheery and childish-sounding conversation about what ghouls were. ("Yeah, some ghouls have weapons that come out of their ass!" "Really! Sounds painful. I'd hate to be a ghoul, whaddaya say, Suzuya?" "Uhh, I like being Suzuya.") Izaya glanced at Akise, who had his hands in his pockets, casually walking alongside the informant without looking at him.
"I did plan on it initially, yes," Izaya conceded. "But Suzuya brought up a good point – just because Yato is a god, it doesn't mean he won't make bad choices, knowing him… No, even he can sin, I think." He held up his index finger, adorned with a silver ring. "Yato, you see, is rather fragile right now in terms of what kind of decisions he might make. All things considered, I think it would be best for me to head to the items pillar with him – if I throw too much on him at once that I've done on my own, without his consent… well, frankly, it might piss him off," he grinned. The smile dropped quickly. "And I don't want that. As wonderful as it is that Suzuya and Twelve are working with me now, Yato is very strong, and I'd like for him to continue working with me. We need as many people in on this plan as possible, in any case, because our goal is to make as many alliances as we can."
Akise nodded. "Allying as many as feasible…sounds perfect. That's the kind of plan I'd put into action, myself. I'd like to go along with it too…"
"Akise-kun," Izaya smiled mirthlessly, "I don't know what group you're in…but I'd love for you to stick around. As said, I need as many people involved as possible…" The informant shrugged. "And anyway, you did give me the updated info sheets, so I shouldn't complain, hm? It's much appreciated. Now I can take a look at the new players and at least get an idea of what kind of people they might be~"
"I'm happy to have helped," Akise responded in kind, closing his rose-red eyes.
It was then that the announcement about the females was made, and Izaya clicked his tongue in vague annoyance, pausing in his walking. Another game? he thought, glaring upwards with cold eyes. Sighing lightly, he perked up again, spinning around to face the others. "The girls are coming in, hm?~ Wonder who we'll find!" He laughed a bit, patting Suzuya on the head. The white-haired, androgynous one frowned. "Does this mean you're a boy after all, Suzu-chan?"
"I am a boy," Suzuya confirmed, gazing flatly at him.
"I couldn't tell at first," Izaya shrugged.
As Suzuya's eyes narrowed, Akise tilted his head questioningly. "Are you supposed to just say that?" inquired Twelve, quirking an eyebrow.
"I was only being honest," Izaya shrugged.
Suzuya blinked. "…Yeah." He brightened up. "Yeah, I guess you're right!" And he laughed like a child, obviously pleased with his truthfulness. Izaya raised an eyebrow of his own, but otherwise didn't comment.
Though the informant wasn't looking, he wasn't surprised when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Celty Sturluson in her black jumpsuit and yellow biker helmet, holding up her cellphone, having typed the words, [You've been caught up in this, too?]
"Ah, Celty!" Izaya grinned, spreading his arms welcomingly. Akise, Twelve, and Suzuya all stared with intrigue at this new person, apparently mute.
[Izaya. Are you okay?]
Izaya stared at the words with comical surprise before smirking and shrugging her question off. "How strange, asking that kind of thing. You know that I'd do fine, even in a game like this!"
"Mute?" remarked Twelve, putting a hand to his chin. "Aw… Too bad."
"Why can't she talk?" Suzuya frowned, tilting his head.
"No need to pry," said Akise, holding up a hand. "We'll find out if she tells us."
Celty bowed her helmet at Akise in thanks before typing out her response. [Who are these three? Your group?]
"Ah, of course! Introductions are surely due," Izaya beamed, bowing. "Everyone, this is Celty Sturluson! She's from my realm – she's also known as the Dark Rider. Pretty cool, huh? Rumor has it she doesn't have a head," he added, knocking on her helmet. She took a swipe at him with her fist, but having anticipated this, he dodged easily with a laugh.
"Nice to meetchya, Celty!" chirped Twelve, saluting her. "I'm Twelve!"
"Suzuya," said Suzuya distractedly. "Ahh… Juuzou Suzuya."
"And I'm Aru Akise," Akise smiled. "Pleasure to meet you."
She nodded her helmet to each of them in turn. She started typing something out, paused, and deleted it all.
"Hmm? What's wrong, Celty?" asked Izaya. "Keeping something from me?"
She shook her helmet in denial. She tapped at where her chin would be, thinking, and then tapped at her screen before holding the phone up again. [Izaya, who else is in this game?] She paused, typed some more, then held it up again. [Anyone I know?] Pause. [Anyone we know?]
None of the other three knew the answer, so they all looked to the informant. His mouth twitched as though his mask was beginning to falter. His red-brown eyes were shadowed and flat. "Ahh, Celty-san," he began, smile spreading thinly over his pale lips. "Yeah, Shizu-chan's a player."
She leaned in, surprised. Tap-tap-tap. [Shizuo's in this game?] Tap-tap-tap. [Where is he?] Tap-tap-tap. [Is he alright?]
"There's one other person in my group named Yato," he said, his voice oddly hollow even though his tone followed the same patterns. His smile was gone, mouth showing something reminiscent of annoyance. "We need to head to him."
More frantic typing. [Izaya, answer me!]
Izaya put his hands in his pockets, the top half of his face shrouded. He did not respond.
Her tapping was slower. [Is he…] She didn't seem to want to finish it.
Izaya began to walk forward as had been his initial mission. The others, not completely sure of all that had gone on there, followed behind him. "No time to waste," Izaya said, smile plastered on. "Come on along, Celty-san~"
She stood, watching him go. Izaya… Celty wasn't sure what to think about the situation. If Shizuo was truly gone, would Izaya be upset? Something was definitely wrong here, but she couldn't tell anything for certain. Her perspective began to shift – it hadn't occurred to her; did Izaya care after all, even if it was only a miniscule amount?
…No, he definitely didn't, at least not as she remembered. So then, what had she missed?
Unable to come to a conclusion yet, she began following behind the others.
When Yato finally awoke, he opened his glowing blue eyes to darkness. He didn't want to move. He felt no need to. There was no rhyme nor reason. No motivation. His chest ached; it throbbed. He didn't understand.
"Hiyori…"
That was right, Hiyori…he needed to make it back for her. He sensed that Izaya wasn't in the house – where could he have gone? Right now he found that he didn't care.
The god rolled over onto his back, slow and steady, then propped himself up by his elbows. Slow, so slow, he got up from his bed-mat, bringing the blanket with him. He longed for something warm. It was so cold. Where was the heat?
Empty, he stepped to the door and slid it open to muted shadow. He saw sunlight shining through the windows in the other room, casting rectangular shapes of gold onto the floor. It was well into daytime by now, he was sure.
Here, Yato shed his blanket, leaving it in the doorway of the bedroom before shuffling into the living area where he had talked with Izaya the night before. That was the night before, right? The memory didn't feel real despite the clarity of the moonlight.
Looking around for something, anything, the crimson sword that had belonged to Yoh Takami caught his eye, lying neatly by the wall as though Izaya had set it out for him. Did he expect him to use it? The sword that had cut down Yukine?
I can hear him now – he thought drily – 'what better way to take vengeance?' He shook his head slightly, then stared at the sword for some time before lifting it carefully by the hilt. He moved it around, testing its weight. It felt alright, in retrospect, though it definitely wasn't the same as using a Shinki, who always matched the needs of the user – so long as they worked together well.
He gave it a test swing, and he could hear the air whooshing as he sliced through it. It had a good swing; that was fair. Yato then examined the blade – it was satisfyingly sharp, and he could sense a power about it. Extending his arm, he checked out his range.
If I'm not going to let myself be worthless in this game, he thought, gripping the hilt with both his hands, then I'm going to have to fight when I need to.
Releasing a shout, he tested the swing again, creating a gust of wind that shook the house. That's right, without Yukine, why should I hold back? Without…
…I want Yukine back.
Ejaculating a raw cry of despair, he swung the sword with all his might, destroying the wall in front of him.
Yukine got killed. I still need to find Hiyori.
As the hopeless despair transformed into fury, he took another strike, shattering the foundation beneath him. From here he began to rampage, as though in an attempt to reach a catharsis for all of the negative feelings and all of the cold determination rising within him and spilling over into his aimless attacks. He kept at this until he was gasping for breath, tears streaming down his face like hot rivers.
Dropping to his knees, he wiped at his face with the sleeve of his jersey. In the ringing silence, the Voice made its announcement. Yato froze, holding his breath only to release it in a hoarse whisper: "Hiyori…" Was she involved? Was she okay?
With a new sense of urgency, he got to his feet, making sure the last of the moisture on his face was gone. Gripping the crimson sword tightly in his hand, he walked quickly to the door and swung it open with force, much of the house behind him destroyed. Standing on the blue circle that the original Group 6 had appeared upon were two girls, one with blond hair in limp pigtails and the other in traditional wear that looked all too familiar. Yato stiffened.
The two girls turned to Yato, one with prospective green eyes, the other with burgundy eyes that narrowed pleasurably in recognition when she saw Yato. "Ah…" The latter brought the sleeve of her kimono to her mouth, smiling. "…It's you."
"Who?" inquired the other. The blond in the long black jacket turned to Yato. "I am Maka Albarn, pleasure to meet you." She bowed respectably. "We're from…another game – it looks like the same game area, too…," she remarked.
"Nora." Yato spoke lowly. The knuckles that gripped the crimson sword were white.
"I know him," said Nora to Maka, and she shifted slightly.
"Yeah? I don't sense anything mad about him," Maka commented, "but his wavelength is hard to read…"
"My name is Yato," Yato said. His voice was harsh and blunt. He wanted nothing to do with Nora. This doll-like girl… like a representation of his cruelly-led past, painted with the red color of calamity. "I want nothing to do with either of you if she's involved." He jerked his arm to indicate Nora, who tilted her head, narrowing her eyes with further amusement.
"I understand you two might have some kind of grudge," said Maka reasonably, holding up white-gloved hands, "but right now we all need to work together… whether we like it or not. I'm not her ideal Meister, and she isn't my ideal weapon. It's the only choice we had."
Yato only continued glaring coldly at Nora, gaze unmoving.
"Where is the blond one?" inquired the jaded spirit, lowering her sleeve from her mouth. "The one with the pretty eyes… Could it be that he isn't here? Did he leave? Or did you finally abandon him?"
"I would never abandon Yukine," Yato hissed, teeth bared. "Back off, Nora, or I'll kill you."
"Oh, I see… is it that he perished?" Nora smiled.
Yato stood strong without response, gripping the hilt of the crimson sword with his other hand. Maka watched the two of them, unsure how to go about quelling the conflict. For now, she could only assess the situation.
The Shinki tilted her head. "Is it that you killed him, too?"
"I DIDN'T!" Yato bellowed, and ran at her.
"Haken!" Maka barked, and Nora became a scythe in a flash. Maka and Yato clashed blades – Maka was blown backwards by the impact, sliding in the dirt. "We don't have to fight! Nora, stop egging him on! I release you – let's talk this out like normal people!"
Nora returned to human form, and Yato remained in his fighting stance. Maka, too, remained on her guard. It was only Nora who seemed relaxed, taking a casual step towards Yato. The god took a step back in answer, and she smiled her doll-like smile. "I want nothing to do with her," he growled.
Maka was about to respond when Nora spoke up again: "That's not a weapon fit for a god." Maka's eyes widened in realization – he was a god as she'd described, the kind of being Nora was made for, wasn't he? This situation suddenly had the potential to become very nasty. "You need a Shinki, don't you?" Nora was gone, then, and just as quickly as she'd disappeared she was in front of Yato, caressing his cheeks with her thumbs, gazing into his eyes with deceivingly warm burgundy orbs. "Use me," she whispered, and Yato held eye contact with her for a long moment. At last, he spoke.
"No." And he knocked her away from him, sending her flying backwards and onto the ground. She stood with a dark form of annoyance as she wiped at her cheek.
"Nora, are you okay?" Maka asked, keeping an eye on both of them.
She ignored Maka. "There's no use fighting me. That other Shinki's gone, isn't he?" She spread her arms invitingly, though she looked a bit miffed. "Use me, Yato. Call me by the name you used to speak so long ago."
"I won't," he spat.
"Your human friend is dead," Nora added, and Yato went rigid. "Yes, that's right… The half-phantom? She died in our game…"
Hiyori…? Horrified, Yato looked to Maka for confirmation – where he might not be able to trust Nora, he might be able to trust her.
"Ah… The brown-haired girl in the pink scarf, right?" Maka inquired, and she watched Yato's eyes widen in terror. "Um…" These were becoming increasingly horrible circumstances. "I'm very sorry, Yato-san… She…"
Yato's grip loosened on his sword as he slumped, head bowed. "…Who did it," he croaked out.
Nora smiled. "It was a dark, headless woman by the name of Celty," she said. Maka furrowed her brow, confused, but Nora continued on. "There's nothing to hold you back, now… If you find the gods of this game, you can force them to do as you wish, right? No, in fact…in this game, why shouldn't you show your true nature? You know you really wouldn't like it any other way, would you? This is what you're made for. You know I'm the best option you have. You know what it is you truly want to do…" Her red eyes narrowed, content. "Use me, and kill Maka. It's the best way to start… She has a name for me; it wouldn't do for me to serve you both."
"Now, wait a minute here—" Maka began, but the Shinki continued.
"For you to show your true nature, well, the only one I'd ever want to work for is you, Yato." Her expression softened. "Maybe you loved that boy, but you abandoned me… All I wish for is a loving family… I want what we used to have." She took another step forward. "But I'm offering another chance. You're still the only god I wish to serve… Use me, Yato."
Maka looked between the two of them. This is dangerous… If this god were to take Nora's offer, would she be able to escape? She analyzed all her options, but on an open flatland like this, there wasn't much she could do… And if he refused, would he attack again? She had to be prepared for that regardless, because despite how uneasy Nora's soul made her feel, she was her only option in regards to weaponry. At this point, Maka wasn't sure of any optimal outcome.
For Yato, though his eyes were fixed on the ground, he did not see the brown earth beneath his boots. Before him he saw visions of the determined amber eyes of Yukine, of the warm magenta eyes of Hiyori. He heard her cheering for him, scolding him. He heard him grudgingly rooting for him, complaining to him. He saw the angry hazel eyes of Shizuo, softening when they looked upon Yukine. He thought of Izaya reminding him he had Hiyori to go back to. He heard the informant say, "I'm sure… that he thought of you like a father." What kind of father was he, to let Yukine die? What kind of god – no, what kind of friend was he to let Hiyori perish, too? What kind of person?
The god's eyes flashed, and reacting quickly, Maka yelped "Haken!" in preparation.
Nora came to her gloved hand as a scythe just as Yato dropped the crimson sword to the dirt. When he spoke, his voice was low, barely audible but somehow holding the weight of a thousand kings. "Hiki," he said.
Maka didn't understand at first, but then Nora was wrenched from her hand as the Shinki transformed into a thin sword with a wooden hilt that was swiftly caught by the God of Calamity facing her. She watched him raise his head with glowing blue eyes, pupils only slits. She gave a nervous and aggravated tch, widening her stance in preparation for defense, heart pounding in her ears.
For a time, Yato stood there, and Maka grew increasingly tense, unsure of when he'd strike. She watched his feet. As he shifted his footing, she thought, He will fake a left, then go right. Left! She dodged to the left as Yato did as she predicted, but he was too fast, now behind her – when did he—?
She spun around and turned her side to him, narrowing the surface area he had to strike. He jabbed between her ribs, puncturing both of her lungs and rupturing her spleen. He yanked the sword back out of her, and she gasped, sucking the seeping blood into her lungs. Here she choked, regaining her footing as best she could and maneuvering backwards on pure instinct. I'm not going to make it, she thought, and was beheaded.
Yato gripped Nora's hilt tightly, releasing a long breath. Blood had stained his white scarf – his skin was spattered with the red. He heard footsteps nearby.
"Yato!"
It was Izaya's voice, calling in his overly-friendly, mocking way…though there was a trace of surprise. Yato looked at Izaya to find three faces he didn't recognize. His sharp gaze settled on the helmet of Celty Sturlson. "That's her, the one that killed the half-phantom," said Nora through their bond, and he brandished the sword, staring in cold fury.
"What's happened, Yato-kun?" Izaya asked. His tone was tentative, more careful than was usual. "I take it someone needed to be disposed of?" He glanced at Maka's body as if to prove his point. He was obviously choosing his words carefully. The odd one with the red slippers and colorful suspenders, Suzuya, was crouching by the Meister's head, staring curiously at it. Twelve had his hands up in the air as if he were being called out by the police, and Akise had his own hands out of his pockets in a show of peace.
The biker woman, Celty, held up her phone. [There was no need to fight. Lay down your weapon; I don't want to fight either.]
"You," said Yato, tone ice, "killed Hiyori."
Celty, not understanding, began to type again while Izaya stepped in front of her, waving his arms. "No, no, this is Celty – she's actually a decent person, you see, unlike myself – I think you might like her!"
Yato began to growl lowly. Izaya was on her side? "Of course he is – he seems like a cruel liar, and you know it," said Nora. All of his emotions filling and spilling from within, the god angrily struck the ground with a scream, causing the ground around him to fissure and crumble. The air around him appeared to crackle as blue lightning, and his eyes sparked as blue fire might. The wind stirred, circling him as a whirlwind, upturning small stones and clumps of dirt.
Akise backed up, recognizing the dangerous situation. His hand was over Suzuya's chest, telling him to stay back with him. "Celty-san, I'd suggest you back up as well," Akise warned, and she clutched her phone to her chest, lost.
Twelve had sat down, staring in fixated, if terrified, awe. "I just witnessed… the roar of god," he said softly.
It was the informant who stepped forward. "Yato-kun, hear me out!" Izaya called out over the noise. "You don't want to make any choices you'll regret, do you? Think on it – don't make the wrong choice, here… I fear you, the god, may even sin!"
Yato turned to his teammate, dark purple hair billowing around. The wind died, and the god glared at Izaya with his piercing eyes, shining blue. "Izaya Orihara, you don't seem to understand," he said. "Gods cannot sin. Sin is something for the humans, judged by the gods. Gods themselves can be rather selfish beings. Humans can sin; humans can do things that are right or wrong… Gods, on the other hand, can do whatever they want." His mouth began to twist, upturning cruelly. "Whatever a god does, it is right, just, holy. So if I were kill all of you, right now… then it would be a god's judgment. I can do no wrong, Izaya…do you understand? Yukine, a human, my 'moral guidepost,' is dead! Hiyori, who was the only one to remember me, is dead! I am the God of War, the God of Depravity, the God of Calamity!" His eyes flashed brightly, glimmering with sadism. "And according to me, you have sinned!"
Izaya shoved Akise and Celty backwards, sprinting for the crimson sword. Celty, too shocked at Izaya's response, remained frozen. Izaya was someone who never did the actual fighting – he had someone else do the work… He never allowed his own hands to be dirtied, so why…?
Izaya spun around and blocked Yato's strike with the red sword just as he came down on him with the strength of the heavens. The informant was blown backwards, shoes skidding perhaps thirty feet backwards before he felt his footing slip – Izaya jumped up and flipped backwards, regaining his footing after propelling himself back into proper fighting stance with his palm. By now Suzuya, ignoring Akise's blocking hand, jumped towards the fight, brandishing his scythe and laughing childishly as he charged. "Izaya-san's not so bad, huh~"
Here, Celty dropped her phone into her sleeve and formed her scythe made of darkness, ready to join them in their battle. As she joined the fight, however, Yato smirked at her and, in a flash of blue light, disappeared. The scythe that Celty had begun to swing had to be halted before the force took off Izaya's head. The informant stared at the scythe warily.
"Teleportation," Izaya explained shortly, smiling as he wiped at his brow. "He'll be… tired; we're safe for now." Shrugging off the loss of the only other original member of his group, he looked at the silver-haired detective-to-be. "Akise-kun… what did you say about being the fourth member of this group?"
Akise, taken aback, blinked at him and smiled lopsidedly, helping the awestruck Twelve to his feet.
"That," said the terrorist, "was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." They all turned to him. "What?" He shrugged. "You know… in the worst kind of way."
And so, an antagonist was born.
Hope you enjoyed uvu Have a lovely day, everyone~