The stage was set. The players were in place. The time was near.

The challenge was simple: Neku and Apollo would play a duel version of the Reaper's Game. The rules would be slightly different than usual. Instead of Game Masters giving missions, the two players had written out individual missions and put them in a hat. For Neku, he'd also had Shiki write one for Apollo, and Rhyme write one for him. Sanae would pick one randomly each day until there were none left. Once that happened, the last day would be counted as the Final Day, and a final test of wills would be the deciding factor, and that test would be treated as a Battle of Supremacy, with Neku standing in for Joshua, giving true meaning to his title. If Neku won, Apollo would leave and never return, after restoring Joshua somewhat so the blonde would be able to tend to his district again. If Apollo won, Neku would become Composer, and Apollo would continue to break Joshua to his heart's content, without having to worry about Shibuya getting destroyed in the process.

The rules were also simple. 1. Directly attacking each other on any day except the final day was prohibited, unless a mission dictates contact necessary. 2. Neku was playing alive, so he was allowed to refrain from having a partner since he was more powerful than he would have been had he had one. Apollo was ascended, but had to turn down his power so he would be even with Neku. 3. Both Players were allowed one hint per mission, however either player could ask Hanekoma for advice at any time, as well as asking about Joshua's status. 4. Kariya, as acting Conductor, was not to interfere at any point with the Game, except to prevent rules from being broken. 5. Depending on the circumstance, more rules would be added to even the odds. 6. The Final Day would have its own set of rules that would be explained on that day.

The Game was set to be played in five days. Both Neku and Apollo agreed to the terms, and the ginger was dead set on preparing until the very last minute. Apollo had a different idea on how to spend some of his time…

By deliberately hanging out at Wildkat and having talks with Sanae.

The Producer wasn't interested in much the other Higher Being had to say, but he was inclined to engage the suave blond because Apollo actually did have some interesting things to report once in a while concerning the goings-on in the HP. Unfortunately, Apollo rarely came to talk about the other plane, and Hanekoma was forced to engage tersely with him more often than not. These talks most often were filled with tension thicker than rice pudding,

On the third day though, Apollo actually came in and engaged in a civil, thought provoking and relatively tame conversation that actually saw the two beings on civil ground, and that was on the subject of Neku Sakuraba.

"He's a wonder to behold, Sanae. That boy has every bit a chance to succeed in life as he does in becoming the next Composer. In fact I'm rather curious to see what he does once he reaches that inevitable path."

Sanae sipped his coffee, for now relaxed and leaning back in the chair he'd pulled up, "He does have a bright future, if you'd let him live it." he snorted "Oh, so you know J's wishes then. I imagine the council approves of the Composer's decision concerning his successor?"

Apollo laughed "There is no one else they want to take Yoshiya's place, Sanae! Sakuraba has demonstrated his ability to not only change for the better, but his passion for Shibuya has also grown to levels acceptable to Seraph's demands of the next in line. I've no doubt in my mind that he'll make a fine Composer when his time comes. Even without Yoshiya's blessing, Neku Sakuraba's fate is assured. Seraph wants him in power."

"Regardless of what he wants, I assume." another sip, a bitterness entering the tone.

"That is inevitable. The High Councilman gets what he wants." Apollo took a swig of his own cup. "It's a mystery why you refuse to replace him. Had you done so earlier, this whole mess could have been avoided. You alone knew my crimes yet you stayed silent until They forced you to reveal all through your Mind's Eye. Even then, here I sit, unpunished because of the way They work."

Hanekoma narrowed his eyes "You're suggesting again that this is my fault, this turn of fate that led us here. My answer remains the same as it was two days ago, Apollo. I may have kept your crimes a secret, but it was still you who performed those crimes. Your greed for the suffering of the one person who defied you when you demanded his submission led you to commit deeper atrocities than simply childish bullying. You two could have been the closest of friends but instead you woke up one morning and chose violence. No, this is entirely your doing. But...I still haven't the slightest idea on the why."

Apollo sipped slowly, then put his mug down and narrowed his eyes "You know what he did during his Games. The lives he sacrificed. He felt nothing. I am not the only monster here."

"That was his Games. I want to know the why before even that, before he even came to me the very first time. Try to make me understand why you felt so threatened by a skinny, sickly little boy that you just had to make his life hell even after he died."

Apollo leaned back, a hungry grin on his face as he sighed with his eyes closed before answering, his air one of complete reminiscence, as if relaying some great memory. Perhaps to him it was, but that made it all the more disturbing.

"That's it, isn't it, Hanekoma...Maybe because he was weak, frail...sickly. Maybe it was because he was a freak in more ways than one. When a wolf pack singles out its prey, does it go for the strong because there is more meat to be had, or does the pack fall on the sickly and the slow because they make easy targets? When I saw him, my first instinct was to pounce, because he'd bow to me. He had no choice, I outweighed him. I was second only to his family's earnings, not because he could match me in physical strength. I was going to make him owe me, kiss my feet. Because I could with sheer strength and he knew it. I saw it in his eyes that he knew I was his master."

"But you misinterpreted his signals didn't you" Sanae said curiously "He wasn't easy prey as you'd initially thought."

The blond being chuckled "No, he was exactly that...physically. But it was I who underestimated his being prey. Prey are that for a reason. They have traits that allow them to stay prey, not lunch. He was cunning, a trait I grew to both appreciate and hate completely. I wanted him to cower before me, but he weaseled out of my attempts with the ease of a snake! He stuck close to others with the power to stop me...my parents, our teachers, his mother...Daichi, even students that had no liking to him but were bigger than me. For years he avoided even casting a hesitant glance in my direction. It infuriated me! Oh...but then the day came when I finally tasted his blood...a day I will never forget because on that day he finally looked at me in genuine fear."

"Yeah I heard about it. You punched him in the face so hard his nose broke." Sanae said cocking his head.

"No, that was simply the first time I made him bleed. Although that was a milestone that I do look back on fondly, that was just the preview. The glorious day I'm refering to...is when I literally tasted his blood. The details of the moment hold no significance, as I'd put him through much worse over the years, but what stays cemented in my mind...is the way he looked at me. For the barest of seconds, those violet eyes of his were wide in genuine terror...of me! I felt elated. I craved more!"

"But he refused to give you what you wanted." He sipped again, one fist clenching under the table "So you tried your hardest to repeat it. To no avail. He defied you at every turn. Then he became your little project, didn't he."

A grin that sent shivers down the Producer's spine followed, "Exactly! What you say is true however, no matter how far I pushed him, he never looked at me that way again, at least, not when he was still breathing. But that wasn't what really led me to my feelings now, was it? No. My desire to see him will-less...soulless...it stems from one act he commited when he was 12. The day he openly defied me. Humiliated me in front of the entire school. That day...I swore he would kneel at my feet like the mongrel he was. I would break him, Sanae, and I would make him bow. Time and again he defied me...humiliated me, and my desire grew until it would not be satiated!"

"Not even in death could he escape. You made sure if it."

"I went before him, if you remember." Apollo said with a hand gesturing subtly "It was he who followed me, in the end."

Hanekoma sighed "This is dissatisfying you know. What you want is clear, but why you want it seems sketchy. He defied you and humiliated you...so you choose to make his afterlife hell? A bit petty don't you think? Especially considering you don't care that an entire district is suffering alongside your intended victim."

"Shibuya's suffering is Yoshiya's suffering, is it not?" The tone was satisfied and a bit bragging "I find that cause enough for my indifference."

Sanae frowned "Of course you do. Meanwhile the rest of us get to clean up your mess. In this, you and J aren't so different. But one thing seperates him and you. He has friends that are dead-set on avenging him. You praised Phones earlier. But you'll find that he and J have the same attitude concerning bowing to you. They both refuse, and in Phones' case, he's willing to do what J never did directly."

Apollo cocked his head "What is that, Sanae Hanekoma?"

The barista stood, draining the rest of his mug, and turned away, head to the sky as he turned his head with a cheeky smirk.

"Fight back."