A/N: Sorry it took a while for this chapter. I have just not done a longish fight scene before so I wanted to make sure it was at least alright. I rewrote it a couple times actually. Anyways thank you everyone for your support and my beta for his help.
Edit: Also my beta has his own side story to Fate New Rebellion on his profile. It is lightly tied to this story and the events in it do not impact FNR but it is well written so if you want to check it out look for To Rebel Against Fate it's a Tsukihime crossover. That's all, thank you for your time.
XxXxXx
Esdeath charged at me with reckless abandon, a sadistic grin on her face. It's slightly unnerving to see how much she desires conflict, even for me. I have seen plenty of battle hungry individuals, mind you. Achilles, the Rider of Red, was a battle maniac himself, but he certainly isn't as bloodthirsty as this woman. Vlad III, the Lancer of Black, was sadistic in nature, but nowhere near the same level of sadism I can see in the eye's of the Empire's Strongest.
"The starting penalty is five."
The words leave my mouth with power coating each syllable. Right Arm: Wickedness Predation is already storing prana, shaping it for my attack, but it will take time. So, until then…
I jump backwards, dodging a vicious heel drop that annihilates the thick branch I previously occupied. Landing on the ground below. I decide to take her strength more seriously.
Materializing three Black Keys in my left hand, I deflect the rapier intending to skewer my lungs.
'She's not only strong, but agile and skilled with her blade as well,' I thought.
I'm no fool. My skills with the Black Keys are superb, and I was capable of holding off Berserker of Black with them and the katana Caster of Red was able to supply to me, but I am far from a true master. Akame, for instance, is more skilled than me with a blade. My victory over her depended on me being physically superior to her. Esdeath, however, is another case.
I shift my head to the left, narrowly dodging the jab aimed at my face, the whistle of the wind pierced by the rapier rings in my ear. Knowing what is coming next, I bring my Black Keys up, blocking the path of the rapier before Esdeath can bring it down on my neck. My right hand makes a beeline towards her exposed stomach as three more Black Keys emerges from the handles held in my fist.
Esdeath is experienced, and sensing the approaching danger, she creates a blade of ice to parry my strike. before sending a side kick my way in retaliation. I disengage, dodging the kick in the process.
With pride, I can tell that Esdeath now has at least some grudging respect for my abilities. The sadistic gleam is still there, but she is taking things more seriously. It seems the initial brief charge was her way of testing me.
That's fine by me. The longer this drags on, the better it is. More time to prepare my little surprise...
"You've already done better than most of the scum I have fought, by surviving that exchange." Esdeath calls out to me.
"I can say the same to you. At least, you can take more than one blow, unlike your big-bodied subordinate. What was his name? Deidara, was it?" I reply.
Now, it may seem stupid of me to try and rile up the Empire's Strongest, but I'm trying to goad her into an opening. Giving into one's emotions in combat will lead to death.
Unfortunately, Esdeath doesn't bite. A frown marred her face for the briefest of moments, but her sadistic grin quickly replaces it.
"If he died, that just meant he was too weak. You'll find me different, though, and my blade will have your blood! That's the best condolences I can give to him."
Her reasoning is cruel, but isn't wrong in any way.
Enough talk.
I take the initiative this time, sending a volley of Black Keys at Esdeath as I close the distance, new blades already appearing in my hands. A pillar of ice emerges seemingly out of nowhere, blocking all of them.
From my analysis so far, Esdeath doesn't need any ice on her person to use her Teigu's ability. I couldn't know for sure with the ice sword she crafted the first time, because some ice could have been in her hand beforehand. But now I'm quite certain. That fact will make things more annoying.
The pillar of ice begins to disperse, and I jump over its remains, bringing down the Black Keys. I see Esdeath preparing to parry and riposte my attack, but this is exactly what I predict. I will my Black Keys away to disappear, making her overextend her parry from the sudden lack of resistance.
My feet touch the ground, already in position to deliver the most striking power possible. The blade of ice in Esdeath's free hand makes its way towards my left side fast. I Reinforce my left hand, strong enough to block high-powered artillery, and block the weapon with its back.
To my astonishment, the blade still manages to cut the skin shallowly. The Teigu must produce something other than normal ice.
My right hand thrusts forward into her gut through the previous opening. I feel my fist pushing through some solid resistance, but it's too late to ponder any further. My fist twists, delivering more penetrating power through my blow.
Esdeath is sent skidding back from my strike, but the impact doesn't deliver as much effect as I expect. That punch will liquefy her internal organs if received properly, but from the shards of ice falling through from her clothes, I surmise she hastily erected an ice barrier right before she was hit. She repeatedly coughs, one hand on the place she was hit, and from her breathing I can tell at least my strike was debilitating, if not as fatal as I hoped.
An angry glint in her eyes warns me of her worsening temper. She's done playing around now.
The Empire's Strongest lifts her arms, before sending a hail of ice at me from behind her.
I raise my arm and set a Bounded Field in front of me, more or less the same one I used against against Liver.
The ice melts before it could reach due to the super-heated air in front of me. A pulse in my right arm signals me to continue my preparations.
"Life penalty, body penalty, freedom penalty, fame penalty, fortune penalty. Give the penalty that extends so much punishment, mud, darkness, and malice."
With my latest words, a slight shift in the air is felt. Almost unnoticeable, I drop my Bounded Field and jump to my left as a spear of ice flew from behind to try and catch me unaware. How crafty of her.
Her ability to create ice isn't limited to her immediate surroundings, it seems. Now, I have to fight even more carefully.
Esdeath is already on the move before I even touch the ground. Shards of ice fly my way, but I deflect them with my Black Keys. However, the blue blur moving towards me is not deterred. She goes in for a swipe at my legs, but it proves to be a feint, as she sends a spinning hook kick at my face.
I lean into her kick, reducing the impact on my neck while simultaneously coiled my arm around her leg, trapping it. I trip her other leg, lifting her into the air, before a front kick sends her flying. Again, I felt some resistance against my leg just now, but I've compensated by kicking a lot harder than before.
Perhaps half-expecting the blow, the general manages to somewhat gracefully correct herself in mid air, using the tree as a springboard to launch herself back at me. Our weapons clash in a deadly dance, wishing fervently to spill the blood of the other.
I Reinforce my body a little bit more, giving me the edge in strength. My blows are now overpowering the general, eliciting a look of surprise in her eyes. The aftershocks from my strikes crack the ground below her, as she strains herself to block and parry them.
I kick out at Esdeath, forcing her to back off so I can dodge the spikes of ice emerging from the ground.
"Elimination of human rights by castration, exile, execution. Torture and sadism upon the body through digestion. Denial by consensus of the colony that eliminates all honor."
"Die."
As soon as the words leave my mouth, another change happens in the air, stronger than before. Esdeath twitches as she starts to notice my spell.
My blue-haired opponent points her rapier to me. "I don't know what you are hoping to accomplish right now, but your words hold power. No matter how powerful they may be, I will not fall. I hold the title of the Empire's Strongest for a reason."
'We'll see about that, General. Let's see if the evil in your heart is strong enough to hold back All the World's Evils,' I thought.
"Let me ask you something, General. What is your view on society? How should other people live their lives?" I ask my opponent.
"Trying to talk philosophy, now? There is no room for petty talk of such things on the fields of war. My blade can do all the talking for me," Esdeath ruthlessly replies.
A mocking smile works its way to my face. "A typical answer for someone so weak."
The next moment, Esdeath is upon me with a burst of speed, her rapier thrusting and slashing at me in quick succession at a speed putting her previous attacks to shame. This increase in intensity calls for me to concentrate even more, if I don't want to be skewered, though I doubt her rapier can punch through my Reinforcement.
"You have the gall to call me weak in such a tone to my face?! I don't think you recognize who you are fighting at this point! I AM ESDEATH! The strongest person in the Empire, and you think you can call me weak!? In a world where strength rules everything, I am on top! If ill fortune falls on someone, it's because they were not strong enough to defeat their problems. I am far past that point, that is why I shall not fall." Esdeath screams, a snarl on her lips.
Our weapons are in a deadlock. I must admit, it's impressive that she's keeping up with me so well. I am at the limit of my Reinforcement without resorting to my sacraments or Noble Phantasms, but throughout the fight Esdeath seems to get faster and stronger, as ridiculous as it sounds.
Perhaps she hasn't reached her peak? If so, she's a truly frightening enemy. Her anger because of my insult has strengthened her, making this fight even more dangerous. I am right in the end for deciding to assassinate her right now, to avoid further problems.
A blur appears on the bottom edge of my vision.
'Shit.'
A dull pain spreads through my stomach as a well-placed side kick worms its way through my guard, sending me flying back a couple yards. I right myself in midair, just in time as a flurry of ice is sent my way. I blocked them with my Black Keys, before flinging the blades at my opponent to give me a little breathing space.
I shift my body into the familiar Bajiquan stance. As a gigantic ice spear launches itself from the ground, I bring my right fist down, shattering the pillar of ice. Sensing Esdeath's approach, I dash through the remaining ice dust. One particular style of Bajiquan emphasizes on sliding motion, allowing the practitioner to cover more distance than possible.
A roundhouse kick is aimed at my face. However, my dash is faster than her movement, allowing me to trap her thigh one more time, while my elbow digs itself deep into her solar plexus. This time, she has no time to put up her ice armor, as globs of blood flies towards my face.
Her ice-blue eyes meet my own dark orbs.
"Scorn from the judgment and selfishness that takes away men's fortunes. Death penalty penal servitude imprisonment custody fine penalty, crime from a grudge, crime from self-interest, unconscious crime, self-conscious crime, civil war, inducement, false statement, theft, robbery, kidnap, suicide, rape, arson, bombing, violation, negligent homicide, mass violence, death at work, overconfident accident."
"Die."
The great general falters a little as the words left my mouth. I smile slightly, as I can feel my imminent victory. One who has committed great atrocities such as her are more resistant to a curse. Resistant, but definitely not immune.
My left arm wraps around Esdeath's leg tighter, keeping it closer to my body and trapping her in place. I pull my right arm back, then drills forward with my Reinforced strength, intent on destroying her ribcage.
Esdeath recognizes the danger she was in, and covers her chest with thicker ice, unlike last time.
My fist simply shatters through the ice.
Not letting her go this time, my fist repeatedly rains down on her body, leaving behind satisfying cracking sounds everytime it lands. However, her determination makes her to still be able to swing a newly formed ice blade towards me in a counter.
It is weak.
I catch the blade with my bare hand, but my vision turns red momentarily, as Esdeath spits the coagulated blood in her mouth at me. It surprises me, enough for her to send her free leg hard towards my jaw, using my leg lock on her as leverage. Inadvertently, my hold on her leg is released.
Her kick is on point, exactly hitting the nerve in my jaw to momentarily stun me. It is a testament to her abilities that she still have the consciousness to perform such a precise manouvre under extreme pain and injury.
"That felt immensely satisfying." The blue haired general says, after righting herself back up.
Actually, she's bluffing right now, as even a blind man can see her lips trembling to restrain any weaknesses from showing. If she wants to indulge in a bit of conversation, I won't stop her. I've won anyway.
"Well," I reply, "I commend your new armor."
Because her ice armor was pierced like paper against my punch, she did something both utterly stupid and brilliant. It manages to dampen all my punches, even when I went for the kill which each and every one of them.
She used her blood.
Her pale skin is marred with arteries and veins bulging like spiderwebs. It is caused by freezing her blood, all inside her main blood vessels and the capillaries that branches into her muscle tissues and organs. As a result of this momentary freeze, her body became a solid piece of pressurized ice, which my Reinforced punches couldn't break completely.
"Well, I am the strongest for a reason. I am not one to die... No matter who I am facing," Esdeath shoots back.
"Interesting." I smile, "Well, you're not wrong."
As if on cue, her knees buckle under her weight.
She immediately creates two ice pillars to support herself, but the suddenness has caught her out. She tries to exert some energy to her arms, but all she can muster is a row of heavy, wet bloodied coughs. The ground is soon stained red, and as the blood seeps into the grass, I step slowly towards her. That's when I realized something.
My legs are stuck.
I look down.
It is ice.
'Great.' I thought.
Esdeath staggers back up to her feet, pulling her rapier off the ground. She beams at me with a sadistic smile on her face, before lifting a hand to her mouth as a fit of coughing raps through her body again. However, that sadistic grin still never left her face.
A rain of crystal ice pelts me.
Thankfully, due to her injuries, they don't have as much power as before, when they won't be able to seriously injure me anyway. Multitudes of cuts appeared on my skin, causing minor scabs and frosted skin. It hurt but the damage isn't anything serious. The most gratifying damage is to my clothes. It's of expensive material, and it'll be a pain to fix or buy a replacement. The only consolation I have is the fact that my Holy Shroud was strong enough to withstand the barrage unlike the rest of my attire.
Haughtily, she laughed. "Oh, how the mighty has fallen!" Disregarding the hypocritical comment from herself, she continues to gloat. "Where's all of your bravado now, Shirou Kotomine?! Weren't you the one that called me weak? Called my reasons, and resolve, weak? Who's the weak one now?!"
The general stands right before me. The ice has crept its way up to my chest, covering most of my arms. She raises a lone hand to my cheek, caressing it in glee. The look in her eyes promise pain and sufferings she used to dish out towards her preys.
That's too bad. I am not some sort of lowly prey.
"I'll say it now. You are strong, remarkably so. If you weren't such a danger, and if your resolve wasn't so strong, I would probably try and break you. Sweetly... slowly..." She licks her lips seductively, a blush creeping up her face. "...Make you into a toy for my own pleasure and a weapon for the Empire!
"Men like you don't break, though. Meaning, I'm going to have to kill you here. Take pride in knowing that you caused the Empire's Strongest harm. Curse your own weakness for your death!" Esdeath exclaimed in ecstasy. Lifting her rapier, she aims straight at my heart.
"You're the fool."
I revel in the look of utter shock on Esdeath's face as my hands breaks through their frozen prison like they are eggshells, catching her blade between the palms of my hands before it can skewer me. Really, did she really think she had me?
Again, for the umpteenth time, I'm grateful for my knowledge of my previous world. Many people dabbling in the Moonlit World would at least expect a Bajiquan master to be capable as much, and approach close-combat with more care. Kirei, my adoptive younger brother, broke himself free when he was bound into a thick trunk. A normal Executor can do miracles, as long as their joints aren't completely prevented from delivering power. I will admit a normal human with skills in Bajiquan probably wouldn't have been able to break free from that icy prison.
Of course, comparing a normal human to a Servant is just unfair.
I look Esdeath straight to her cold blue eyes, and chant.
"Misdiagnosis, concealment, violation for benefit, violation for self-protection, violation for love, violation for respect, selfish █████. Stealing fraudulent fraud concealment murder theft crime crime personal grudge attack attack attack attack dirty dirty dirty you are dirty atone atone atone atone every violence every crime every victim atone for everything. This world is ruled by something not human. Know the conscience to reform crimes."
"Die. Die. Die."
A flurry of emotions runs through Esdeath's face for the briefest of moments. Among them, I see confusion, anger, shock, worry, and most enjoyful of all, a bit of fear, before shutting it all under a cold mask. Now, it's my turn to grin in her face.
I want her to remember this grin: a grin of victory.
The curse takes an even stronger hold on the general. Her previous resistance to its effects was admirable, but no sinner has the power nor will to resist it forever, not even her. Even with the weaker version I am trying to invoke, her strength slowly weakens.
Far too easily, my hands clench down upon the steel rapier, and with a quick powerful twist, Esdeath's blade is now in two pieces. I generate strength to all my muscles, shattering the ice prison in its entirety.
I snap my leg up into a vicious front kick, cleanly connecting with Esdeath's jaw, sending her off her feet. To be honest, the move wasn't the mots optimum I could've chosen, but I did it anyway to pay her back for her previous kick. Being forever young does leave you with some rash impulses.
A barrage of Gandr flies at Eseath as I dash closer to her. She retaliates with her own barrage of ice, but it's far weaker than her previous efforts. Seeing this, she hastily erected a thinner wall of ice to block the curses. The Gandr I used are superior in physical force than the Edelfelt family, partly due to my Servant abilities, so the bullets tear through her defensive wall and pulverized her body, albeit also weakened by the impact with the wall.
'Breathe in. Breath out.'
My fist buries itself deep inside her abdomen, with such force that her body doesn't even have time to fly backwards before my other hand grabs her throat. Behind her, a part of the forest is decimated by the aftershock of my punch.
Tenderly, I speak close to her ear.
"My right hand is known as the Evil Eater, Esdeath. Do you know what it's telling me about you?"
I take pleasure in her desperate attempts to release my grip, but her two ice blades shatter in the moment of impact with my Reinforced skin.
"You are destined to be consumed by my power," I whisper softly in her ear.
I slam her body into the ground, caving it in the process. Her body lay limply inside my palm.
I am a vengeful angel. An arbiter of retribution for all she has wronged. The sinner is below me, broken, but not yet defeated. She still has her will and desire. She needs to break. I retrieve one last Black Key from the tatters of my garb and pin her shadow.
"Know the penalty to reform crimes. People's kindness is here. There is so much it cannot be noticed. Know the violence to hide crimes. Know the power to hide crimes. People's malignance is here. It is so rare that it is noticed. A hundred kindnesses and one malignance. Malignance shines bright to keep the balance and exists as a great "evil" to compete with the masses of kindness. The starting penalty is five."
"Die. Die. Die. Die. Die."
Instantly, her body convulses heavily with pain. The sudden increase in sensation is caused by the curse finally overcoming her resistance, and now All the World's Evils freely rampages inside her mind and soul. Her mouth stretches wide open, trying to eke out a scream, or any sound to relief the pain, but even her voice box fails to accommodate her wish.
As our eyes meet, mine a source of calmness against her manic fear, I explain what is actually happening in her body now.
Not all of it, of course. I'm not a classic villain in a cheesy heroic movie, after all.
"I see that you're finally starting to truly feel the power of this curse. However it's not the end yet. Let me tell you something quickly. I've heard that against people with even the strongest of resolves. A resolve as unmovable as the strongest steel can't even be immune to this curse. Of course a person like that won't suffer the worst effect the curse can give but nonetheless I heard that at the very least that person's brain would explode. Again, I can't evoke the full power of this curse. I don't think anyone but the true wielder of such an evil power ever can, but I don't think your resolve is as strong as the strongest steel. Let's see if we can have your brain explode or maybe something worse." I finish a manic smile on my face. Reveling in the now visible panic in Esdeath's eyes.
I lean closer to her face. Her facial muscles are rigid due to over-clenching them to ease the pain, so I calmly smile and whisper closer to her ears.
"Can your will rival that of the strongest steel?"
I take a deep breath.
I spread my arms out before me, as if finishing a long prayer.
"█ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self █ █ for self inducement, false statement, theft, robbery, kidnap, suicide, rape, arson, infringement, dirty dirty dirty dirty dirty dirty you are dirty atone atone atone atone atone atone every violence every crime every victim atone atone atone with death!"
A shrill scream rips through the sky. Esdeath, the great and powerful general, is screaming her throat dry. Her body starts to creak, as her convulsions fight against the restraining power of the Black Key.
I want to watch her in pain even more, so I remove it.
The instant the Black Key dematerializes, Esdeath's body uncontrollably throws itself around, her muscles and bones twisting and turning to different directions due to her nerve endings being fried. Her hands reach for her throat, aiming to scratch it, but it ends up in a broken dance, like a puppet being thrown around with only one end of its strings.
She screams. She screams, and screams even more, blood spewing out from her strained throat.
I am not one of torture, but I enjoy her suffering.
So much that I almost died, if my Revelation skill didn't kick in.
"ADRAMELECH!"
'Aw, fuck!'
It seems I've been cursing too much lately, for a man of the cloth.
A gigantic pillar of lightning pierces the ground where I just was a split second ago. It's a powerful strike, comparable to an A-rank spell or Mystic Code, and I judge it would've caused horrific injuries to me in my off-guard state just now. It wasn't enough to kill a Servant, but with my Prana running thin after the fight with Esdeath, my Reinforcement was slipping.
In hindsight, charging here for a fight without my full equipment was probably a mistake.
The intensity of the lightning blast still singes parts of my clothes and left minor burns on my right side. Nothing that I can't heal later, but now I'm at a disadvantage.
From the information I gathered, the user of the Teigu 'Adramelech', General Budo, is every bit Esdeath's equal in strength, if not fighting prowess due to his relative inexperience in the battlefield. He probably came over here due to beng able to sense my battle with Esdeath. Any other day I could fight him just like I did Esdeath, but fighting him after I already exhausted myself fighting the Empre's strongest wouldn't be good. Also invoking that curse upon took a lot of my mana. Besides, Esdeath is crippled for the meantime. I wished to ensure a kill but this will have to do.
She took considerable damage, perhaps leading to complications that would be fatal. I hit her cleanly numerous times, and the damage to her mind and soul was also severe, if not as maximized as it could be. If I had a bit more time, the accumulated curse would've finished her off, but it required a steady feed of Prana, one which was destroyed by Budo's assault. She is powerful though. If anyone in this world could recover from that curse it's her. But it will take time. Time that I can use.
Well, the most optimum thing to do is retreat right now.
Using the dust kicked up by the lightning strike, I swiftly flee.
"Can this get any worse?" I softly say, berating myself, as I make my way back to the mansion. I can inform Night Raid of what happened later, if need be.
XxXxXx
Upon my return, my mansion turned into a riot.
My subordinates swarmed me, asking where it hurts or whether I'd like a hand, and so on. Now, I'm not as prideful as many Heroic Spirits to reject help, but for just what amounted to minor wounds, this commotion was very annoying.
I couldn't really blame them, though. They knew me as an invincible leader, the hero that would transform the Empire back into its peaceful glory. Therefore, having your idol return from a battle in rags was admittedly quite worrying.
Ignoring the protests, I made straight towards the dining hall, intend to just tell my story once to all these people than repeating it multiple times. I was unashamedly tired and hungry, so I hurried my pace.
"Shirou!"
I turned my head, and saw Spear vaulted down the stars, from the second floor, and quickly rushed to my side. From the signs of exertion, she must have instantly rushed over once she heard I returned injured. What a good girl.
"How did this happen? Are you going to be okay? Who could have possibly done this to you?"
Spear shot off a barrage of non-stop questions, which became unending, but I stood with my previous decision to only recount the events once.
Soon, we arrived at the main corridor. It was longer than I remembered, but perhaps my fatigue was playing with my perception.
'Hmmm... some hot soup would be nice,' I thought.
Behind me, Spear's voice still ranted on and on, only stopping when Chouri stepped in and dragged her off. I gave him a grateful nod, and shot Spear a pleading smile to quiet her down. It worked, at least momentarily, as both of them walked ahead of me to join the others at the hall.
'Now, is there something missing? I feel like...'
"ANIKIIIIII!"
'Ah, yes. There it is.'
I saw Yoru run towards me but something seemed off… different.
The boy skidded to a stop, in a manner not too dissimilar to those of figure skaters, except he's on proper shoes. The floor and carpeting were scratched badly, but I wasn't paying attention to those. His face was a mix of worry and confusion, a far cry from my piercing glare.
'Oh, dear God. I don't feel like playing this right now...'
My hand shot up, grabbing 'Yoru' by the neck like a steel clamp. 'His' eyes widened, as an added sensation of sharp steel poked into 'his' stomach, courtesy of my Black Keys. Both of 'his' hands lashed out in a counter, but I simply squeezed harder.
A puff of smoke enveloped 'him', and the body in my grip was no longer that of a teen boy
It's a young girl.
Her figure was slim, befitting her age, which seems in her late teens.. If I wasn't distracted by the fact that I was contemplating whether or not to kill her I would have admitted that she was very attractive. The girl had pale skin, auburn hair, and light red eyes. Her body was slim, but still fit, more so than Mine but less than Leone's She was wearing a butterfly headphone accessory on her head. Her attire consisted of vocalist-like clothing. A white long sleeve shirt with the collar tied and a red ribbon under a black vest, a red checkered mini skirt, and black leather below-the-knee boots. She was also holding what seemed to be a makeup kit in her right hand. She used to have a lollipop in her hand but that has now fallen onto the floor.
Looking at the makeup kit it didn't seem like anything special, but I felt a power from them. Definitely a Teigu. Perhaps that's how she shapeshift?
She's a very skilled mimic, and any other person would;ve been fooled, even if they're close acquaintance with the identity she's masquerading as. It's just her bad luck that my Noble Phantasms granted me with enhanced perception, which, combined with my Revelation skill, made it virtually impossible for anyone to fool me in such a manner.
Looking into her eye's I could see she was trying to think of a way to escape the situation she found herself in.
"Your disguise would have been flawless to anyone else besides me, I would be impressed if it wasn't for the fact that the person you were impersonating was someone close to me and I don't know what you did with them. So tell me." I press the black key more firmly into her stomach
"Where is Yoru?"