A/N: It's been another long minute since I updated this fic. I could make all sorts of excuses and say Veil had my full attention but that would be a lie. I was just lazy. Reworking this chapter didn't even take long. Less than two hours if I remember correctly. I just switched up the roles of Oosumi and Kaho and cut some rather cringe diatribes detailing Miya having an epiphany of some sort. I didn't feel it added anything but fluff so out it went. Anyway, before I leave you to the rest of this arc, I may as well plug another Sekirei discord group I'm a part of. It's a lot more active than the one I made and used to plug a few years ago, but you can only join by invite or link. And since links are a no go here on this site, well, you get the picture. If you want to hop on board, send a dm to me and I'll personally invite you to it. It's been very fun there as of late and the more Sekirei fans we have the better.
Pillar of Sacrifice
Part II
The pupils in Miya's bulging eyes twitched as she strained to think out loud.
"One more…" she groaned. Her wrist convulsed as if stricken by a seizure devil as she shoved her final finger into the device.
*SLYNCH!*
The toppled titan's psyche was so far gone now that she hadn't even reacted when the tenth digit was clipped off and reduced to ash.
Shallow, phlegmy exhales slip from her abdomen as her hand slid down from the device, smearing a fleshy streak where her finger once was, she shifts her eyes from the melted wax puddles that observed her in grave silence and neutral expression to the monitor. The timer centered between the tenants had stopped at 0:19 seconds. A few moments later, Jigsaw's team of pigheads came to view on screen and undid their restraints, removed the explosives, and dragged the Sekirei away.
A deluge of emotion sent a river of tears down the landlady's exhausted face. She had done it. It cost her all of her fingers, and she didn't know what their fate was to be or if she would ever see them again, but she had done it.
"Thank the heavens they're alright for now..." she weakly murmured. "There is hope for them...I gave them hope…"
She put her fingerless palms to her face and stared long and hard into them. The sharp agony was a feeling unlike anything she had ever felt. This was the pain that had been forced on her people by the same man who took her husband. This was her mortality reducing her to her knees.
"I'm thankful…" she hiccuped. "I'm thankful to be alive…"
...then the mechanism behind her began to power on.
"Gyah-!"
The garrote around her throat suddenly yanked Miya back, her cranium smashing into the throne concussing her. The gears of the mechanism began to wind back the garrote like a crank as if trying to yank her throat out through the back of the throne.
She gagged, and gasped for breath, but none of it mattered. She was being reeled in slowly but surely and was powerless to stop it. Her blood-greased palms brushed the metal rope on instinct to try and pull it off. Her fingers were gone. She couldn't grab onto it. She tried pulling with her neck, but that just made it harder to breathe.
She took another gasp in shock. No! She couldn't die now! She won! She passed her test! Why wasn't she released?! Who would want her dead in the first place?!
Her neck began to pop and crack in the mechanism the narrower the noose became. The material was too strong and the blood she lost made her too weak to pull herself free. The world was fading all around her. Everything was going black.
XXXXXX
Unbeknownst to Miya, she was being watched. In another room in the condemned Church was a person draped in a red wrestling robe and hideous pig mask, as was usual for Jigsaw's goons. It watched her on a series of monitors, sitting back and enjoying the show just the way she had planned it.
However, the fun suddenly came to a halt. The red bulb above the monitors began flashing.
That could only mean one thing: interlopers.
With a few slow strokes on the keyboard, the screens switched from the landlady to one of the doors that lead into the building. Sure enough, four people were coming. And as luck would have it, a Sekirei Ashikabi pair was among them. Seeing this, the watcher could not help but sigh into its voice altering mask.
"Pests."
XXXXXX
Meat Packing Plant
The pig head opened another chute to his small office. "Relinquish your weapon AND the crystal. I will not ask again."
"DO AS HE SAYS, SAITO-SAMA!" the tearful Kaho screamed, flailing her arms in a panic. "DO AS HE SAYS!"
"Alright, alright!" Saito backed away to the chute and dropped his weapons in after undoing his holster. He turned back to the pighead, hands in the air. "See, all gone!"
The pighead crossed it's arms. "Now, tell your sniper team to stand down."
Saito's eyelids retracted to his skull. "Wha-? How did you-?!"
"Just do it." the pighead demanded.
Saito took a deep breath and put a finger to his earpiece. "Alpha team...stand down. That's an order."
"Good," the masked psychopath said as Saito called off his little surprise from the hills. "As for the trade…" He turned to Oosumi. "...now, the jinki."
Kaho rushed over with the crystal. "Yes, YES! It-t-it-t's all yours!"
She dropped it into the box. "There, there! I swear to God it's the real deal! Now please, give me my Ashikabi back!"
The pighead looked at it sternly before nodding its head. "It's genuine. Very well." The lights in the small office went out. The door leading to Oosumi clicked open. "We're done here."
As the figure disappeared to the dark whence it came, Kaho burst into the room and ran up the platform to Oosumi's aid.
"I knew you would come for me, Kaho!" he cried tearfully.
She came to a stop right before him and panted. "That's what being an Sekirei is all about Oosumi; now and forever!" She leaned in and brushed her lips with his.
The force of the kiss and sprouting of her wings made the box above swing a bit; the razors brushed into his arms, making more blood surface.
She backed away immediately as she whimpered on his lips. "Oh, shit! I'm sorry! Did I hurt you? I thought the box was more secure!"
"No, you didn't hurt me at all," he blushed, looking away. "In fact, I feel so much better now that you're here…"
"So do I," he added. He looked over his shoulder. "Uncle! Get in here and give me a hand!"
"I'm on it!" he called out, hustling in. He took one hard look at the razor box and the blood inside. He wasn't feeling very comfortable about even touching the thing. "How are we supposed to go about freeing you without hurting you more; that's the big question."
Oosumi briefed the two. "The top of the box is removable. Kaho needs to climb up top so she can get it off. When she does, all she needs to do is reach in and twist the blades counterclockwise. That will loosen them and I'll be able to pull my arms through safely.
"Alright," Saito hunches over and cups his hands. Kaho took a step up and Saito hoists her up to the top of the box. "Easy does it now."
She unlatches the top and flips it off. Kaho pulled her arms out upon a few quick twists of Oosumi's wrists. She slumped to her knees as her Ashikabi climbs down.
The two embrace despite the blood. "Thank you...thank you so much, both of you!"
Saito nodded his approval at the loving reunion. "It's what we do." he took a step forward. "Now, let's get you to a hospital. We can't have those wounds getting infected."
"I'd normally be all for that, but it's going to have to wait."
"What? Why?"
"Those goons who ambushed me put a tape in my pocket and a set of coordinates," he said. "I don't know what it contains but it likely points in the direction of Jigsaw's next victim. I want to go."
"Out of the question. I'm hunting down a dangerous serial killer and I literally just saved you from him moments ago. I won't risk losing you again."
"If worse comes to worst you have access to Kaho's norito if I stick around. Something tells me you'll need it."
-Present Time-
"Are you absolutely certain this is the place?" Saito inquired.
"I'm certain." Katsuya said. "The tape in Oosumi's pocket mentioned a landlady and an old Church being the site of the next game. This place matches the description perfectly."
Kaho nodded, cracking her knuckles and reaching for her weapon. She slashed down on the lock fastened to the door, harboring no fear of confronting the dangers Jigsaw would bring her.
Kaho twirled her naginata to its butt and charged into the door with a battle cry. It burst open with ferocity.
The first thing that met their senses was the suffocating smell of boiling wax and burning flesh.
"Gah!" Kaho gasped as he covered her nose with his arm. "What is that stench?!"
Saito took it in slightly. He knew full well what it was. "If I had to guess…." he coughed. "It's a game."
Upon regaining herself and coughing a few times, Kaho let her sight drift to the top of the pillar. Grinding crunches and searing squeals were emanating from the apex. She gasped upon seeing Miya; fingerless, bleeding and gasping for breath. The garrote around her throat was winding back and she was coughing up blood. She wasn't going to last much longer if they didn't act now.
The four rushed up to the mechanism pulling her in. In a hurry, the group scoured it from top to bottom but there were no buttons, keys, let alone a control panel. The object in question must have been in some other part of the building.
"Katsuya!" Saito shouted. "Do you still have your firearm?!"
He nodded. "I do!"
"Use it to shoot through the wire!"
The detective immediately drew his weapon and fired two quick shots at the thick metal rope. The bullet just bounced off.
"Shoot it again!" Saito screamed.
Again he discharged a bullet. Not even a scratch.
"It's no use! I'll go look for a switch to shut the thing down!" Katsuya shouted, backing away and pacing out of the room, holstering his weapon.
"Hold on, kid! Wait a-" When Saito motioned to reply, he was already gone. "Dammit!"
Kaho then took initiative. "If firepower won't free her, they're only one option left!" She looked to her Ashikabi. "Norito; NOW!"
"Alright!" Oosumi nodded.
Their lips locked together not a moment later. Kaho's wings emerged. She drew her naginata from her back and leapt high into the air. Her wings sharpened as she recited her incantation. "This is the dance of my pledge; slash the calamities that befall my Ashikabi!"
Pink flames emerged from the tip of her weapon and steel met steel. Sparks clashed as the blade slowly sank in. In any other situation, her naginata would have snapped in two, but the clash ended in Kaho's favor, the garrote snapping in two and collapsing to the ground with a loud heavy thud.
But was it too late?
Miya fell from the alter and onto the floor, death rattles boiling in her lungs signifying her end was near. If they didn't get her out of here now she would surely die.
Kaho assessed her twitching, but still living body.
"Quick! Call an ambulance!" Oosumi shouted. The sight of the Landlady's bloodied gasps was enough to make him want to vomit.
Saito snapped his phone shut. "I already have it covered."
He looked down at Kaho, who was cradling Miya's head in her arms and lap. "How's she doing?"
"Not good. She's twitching and writhing!" she said. "C'mon, Miss Asama, stay with us! We're going to get you out of here! Don't give up!"
XXXXXX
In his desperate attempt to find a control panel, Katsuya noticed something odd coming from his right. At the top of the steps, a green light flickered and the faint airid hum of a desktop computer was heard.
He decided to go check it out.
Once up the steps, he saw that the light came from a room stationed halfway down the hall and to the left. Katsuya readied his glock and held it to his pelvis as he approached the door.
He peeked in.
Inside, a pig-headed deadbeat sat observing the monitors. Something was off here; the guy HAD to know Saito had arrived. Why had he not attempted to make his escape yet?
Katsuya shook his head. It mattered not. All that mattered was apprehending the suspect and making him free the victim. On the count of three, he 180'd out of cover and locked the pighead in his sights.
"Hands above your head; NOW!" he shouted, nervousness making his voice shaky.
The pighead froze for a second, but didn't look at man holding it at gunpoint. Katsuya shouted again. "HANDS ABOVE YOUR HEAD!"
Slowly, the pighead compiled.
"Now, stand up; NICE AND SLOW!"
It did this as well. Katsuya had a bad feeling about all this but there was no turning back now. He approached the suspect, grabbing his cuffs from his back pocket.
The individual in question was a lot smaller in size than he anticipated too. Could it have been a woman? Perhaps this would be easier than he thought.
He grasped one of her wrists and wrenched it behind her back. Motioning to put the cuffs on, there was a slight pull.
Katsuya got cocky and shoved a knee into the perpetrator's spine, prompting the cunt to grunt. "Hey, stay still!" he shouted. "Now how do we free the woman?! Answer me!"
The shrouded figure motioned its head to the screens.
Taking sight off the suspect for a moment, Katsuya looked at the monitors. The landlady was free and the EMTs had just arrived. Thank God they managed to get her out of there…
"Alright, so she's free. Now you come with us. You have the right to remain silent."
As he went to tighten the cuff, he noticed the pighead had freed its gloved hand. It was too late to take initiative, as the pighead then grabbed Katsuya by the arm and wrenched it around, slamming the law enforcer's head into the steel desk. The bitch bolted off as Katsuya slumped to the floor.
Static gurgled in Katsuya's ears as his blood poured from his forehead. He staggered to his feet as the pighead hightailed it out of the room. Although dazed, he knew he couldn't let the suspect get away. Nearly tripping over his steps, he gave chase.
"You fucking bitch! Get back here!"
Katsuya drew his gun and took a few shots at the escaping suspect. Each missed, and the pighead turned a corner. Katsuya followed, leaping over desks and furniture the deadbeat left in its wake.
As Katsuya caught up, the pighead burst through a swinging door, launching itself over the barricade. Before it went all the way over, Katsuya reached out and grabbed its mask, pulling it off; the inertia sending him to his rear.
Katsuya regained his bearings, grasping at the rail and peering down the stairwell. The drop had to have been at least fifteen feet. There's no way a normal person could have jumped that distance without breaking something. Yet to his astonishment, there the pighead was, as if it landed as safely as one would on a mattress.
This led him to one conclusion; the suspect in question was a Sekirei.
The suspect continued to run off again. Despite tearing the mask off, he had still yet to get a good look at them.
After leading him through a few more winding corridors, they came to a dead end. Nowhere for the little piggy to run now…
The pighead halted its footing, facing the wall.
"Turn around nice and slow," he said.
As the pighead did as asked, Katsuya took slight steps toward him; his foot caught on something. He looked down and noticed his sneaker brushed up against a thin wire. Then Katsuya looked up; the last mistake he would ever make.
XXXXXX
*POW!*
Saito and the others jumped as the noise rang throughout the building. It sounded like a car backfiring. Even with the whirring sirens of the ambulance blaring outside, the sound of the blast still made their ears ring.
"That didn't sound good…" Oosumi said, head over his shoulder. He turned back to the EMTs, who were stabilizing Miya's vitals on a gurney and readying her face with an oxygen mask. "You guys better get her out of here quick!"
The one in charge nodded.
The EMTs hoisted up the stretcher after the neck brace had been encircled around the landlady's neck and wheeled her out of the building.
"That it didn't," Saito commented. "Oosumi, I want you to accompany Miss Asama to the hospital. Kaho, stay with me."
They both nodded in agreement.
…
After some thorough searching of the building, Saito finally found what he was looking for after following a path of destruction that looked like it came out of a hollywood chase scene.
"Katsuya...no!"
He ran up to his fallen comrade's body. Kaho could hardly breathe.
The young detective's head was completely blown apart, and he was laying in a pool of his own brain matter.
Above, four shotguns aimed downward, hidden by the archway. A tripwire found beneath his foot stretching across the floor linked their triggers.
"Poor kid...you didn't deserve this…"
"Are you- are you alright, Fukushima-sama?" Kaho said sorrowfully.
"Katsuya had promise. He was a good kid...and now he's gone…"
"Is there anything I can do?" she asked.
Saito took a deep sigh. "Best notify the family. Other than ensuring his body is tended to, there's nothing we can do for him."
"Will you be okay?"
"This job never gets easier, but I'll manage..."
…
3 Days later…
Saito clutched his fedora to his abdomen as the physical therapist walked out of Miya's hospital room. He had just arrived not an hour after attending the funeral of his subordinate, Katsuya Yagami. Spirits weren't exactly high for him at the moment; Katsuya had a fine future ahead of him and now he was decomposing in the ground. Maybe the landlady would be able to have information as to who may have been responsible for his death. A few days had passed since she was admitted to the hospital, so the doctors should have had some news about her recovery and if or when she should be able to speak.
"What's the prognosis, ma'am? When will she be able to speak again?"
She sighed. "I'm afraid the damage she sustained is permanent. Whatever happened crushed the poor woman's larynx beyond repair. She'll never be able to speak again."
He stomped his foot. "Dammit!"
The therapist gasped.
"How about sign language?"
"Huh?"
"You know, sign language?! The method deaf people use to communicate!"
"Her fingers are gone, remember?"
"Then put them back!"
"We can't, Mr. Fukushima! The wounds were cauterized! And even if we could most of them were cremated!"
"Could she at least nod her head?!"
The therapist shook her head. "She can't even move her neck, I'm afraid."
"Is she even aware that people are around her?!" he asked frantically. "Give me something to work with here! The Jigsaw killer is going to strike again if we don't do something! I need info! If I ask her to blink, can she do it? Blink the left eye for yes, right eye for no?!"
"We have her sedated," she explained. "If she blinks, it'll likely just be a natural reflex. The pain in her neck won't go away for at least three months, so I'm afraid she will not be any help to you for the time being."
Saito let out a roaring scream, and put his fist through the wall. A passing nurse dropped a tray of medication having been startled by this. Saito paid her no mind. He stormed out of the hospital the way the landlady had entered, empty-handed.