My thanks to Nonasuki-chan and everyone who was kind enough to write a review.


Chapter 7

Shadows and light. Metal and blood. Pain. Madness…

I got lost in the whirl of the fight, no longer thinking, just reacting. The yellow gaze was fixed on me, the white mouth curved in a smile I almost reciprocated. It was so simple and purifying.

A new shaper pain and I realized I was laying flat on my back, Farfarello's knife on my neck. He mastered the fight with these weapons, while I had fought only with my katana. The result was obvious.

I blinked, cooling down a little. While it was not in my nature, I should have retreated this time. I should have remembered Aya-chan. Now there was no way back.

Sister…

"You are afraid of death," he observed, "yet, you weren't so disturbed by the death of others."

Others? What..?

He tilted his head little in the direction of the corpses and I got it. But he was wrong. Of course it agitated me, I just had no time to pay attention to it.

"Denying never helped anyone," he remarked and I gave him a black look. He stared at me, intent, yet was somewhat distant. It unnerved me. His lips moved as he began to murmur:

Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace

And rest can never dwell, hope never comes

That comes to all, but torture without end…

For those rebellious; here their prison ordained

In utter darkness..."¹

His eye focused on me fully. "Are you falling, angel?" he asked softly.

"I'm no angel, wacko," I growled.

He lowered his face to me and I tensed. There was something questioning in his expression before he closed the distance between us and…

…kissed me on the forehead?!

In the next second he butted me with such force, that I saw starts. When my sight cleared, Farfarello stood in the doorway, sliding his knives to sheaths.

"I'm not sure if it's right to kill you," he stated.

Huh?

"He means, he's not sure whether your death would hurt or please God," said a new voice as Schuldig materialized in the doorway. I sat up abruptly and immediately regretted it when my head swam.

"Schuldig…"

He smirked at me, looking better than ever before. Changing the green coat for a black one, his hair was even more striking. His bandanna was also black but he still wore those pink sunglasses.

/ Glad you approve. /

"Let's go," said Farfarello interrupting my scowl.

"Let's go," repeated the telepath mockingly. "And who'll clean the mess you made?"

Farfarello looked behind him. "The boy will, he always does."

"As if I have much choice," said an annoyed voice and Naoe entered the church.

I began to guess when Crawford would appear.

/ He's not here, sorry. /

/ Schuldig…/ I started but stopped when I saw the bodies to be lifted and then crushed with a terrible noise, like if clenched by a gigantic fist.

/ He grinds them up. Nothing remains. /

/ That's disgusting. /

/ It works. No body, no evidence. /

Even the spilled blood began to lift from the floor and joined to the mass in the air. Naoe opened a large plastic sack and it moved towards him.

I fought the sickness down. /People will notice they're missing. / I thought rebelliously.

/ No, / he tapped at his temple, / they won't. /

Sakura's face came to my mind, her eyes…

/ The kidney-girl had a breakdown? / he asked amusedly.

"Yes," I hissed with a sudden anger. "And you are the guilty one."

He laughed. I wanted to move to him, wring his neck…and realized that I couldn'tmove.

I snarled at the boy who gave me a bored look.

"Always guilty," murmured Schuldig, entertained. "Someone had to show her reality."

"You could leave her out of this. It wasn't her business."

"I'm terribly sorry," he said, his face indicating everything else than regret. "Anyway, it's too early to speak about her. We're leaving."

"Wait!" my thoughts took abruptly different direction. You can't leave yet."

He raised an eyebrow. "Watch me."

I fought the hold on me furiously, refusing to let him disappear again.

Naoe flickered me an annoyed look and then I was abruptly hurled into the air. Some part of me realized I had about a second before being smashed against the wall.

In the next moment I ended on the floor again, trying to catch my breath. When I lifted my head and looked at their direction, I saw Farfalello holding Naoe by the arm. There weren't any knives involved, but he was looking at him threateningly.

"He's not yours to kill."

Schuldig was watching them intently but when he felt my look on him, the blue eyes glanced in my direction.

/ Be careful, it's never good when Farf takes an interest in someone like this. /

/ Great. /

I expected he would grin at me, amused, but that didn't happen.

"Enough," he spoke up, sharp tone in his voice. "Farf, let him go. We're leaving."

Farfarello didn't obey until Naoe murmured: "Whatever." The boy then lifted the plastic bag and without another look at me they headed to the door. I just decided to make one last attempt when Schuldig said:

"Nagi, hold him down."

I felt his power on me and cursed violently.

"He's falling," said Farfarello happily.


I murmured good morning to everyone and disappeared into my room to tend my wounds. It was just a few scratches but I wanted to sterilize them properly. And my forehead too.

The shirt was ruined so I threw it away. I worked automatically, my thoughts still in the church and finished just as someone knocked on the door.

"Yes?"

"It's me, Aya-kun," said Omi. "I need to speak with you."

I sighed and moved to open the door. The day was getting better and better. Omi smiled at me and slipped into the room, not waiting for an invitation. I heard him to take a breath. He frowned and looked at me searchingly.

"Are you hurt?"

I closed the door and leaned against them, arms crossed. "No," I said calmly.

"But I smell disinfection."

"The world is just too dirty to run without it."

He pursed his lips in irritation but remained silent. I also didn't offer any comment, waiting for him to begin with the matter he had come for.

"Aya-kun," he said at length, "I understand that what happened with Sakura-chan was… very unfortunate, but that's not reason to behave towards us the way you do."

"The way I do?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Especially towards Yoji-kun. He only tries to help you."

"I didn't ask him to be nosy and I won't allow anyone to interfere in my business."

Omi shook his head. "Don't you care about anyone other than your sister?"

I went rigid. How dare he. "Why should I?" I said coldly. "In the line of work we do it could kill me."

"That may be the truth," said Omi quietly, looking at the floor. "Still, with the work we do, that's the only thing which saves me," He lifted his eyes, calm and sad. I realized I was staring at him but I couldn't help myself. Omi was always cheerful, almost disgustingly happy. While I knew that it was just a mask, it was still shocking to see him without it.

"I'm sorry that I bothered you." He moved towards me. "If you could step aside so I can leave," he said politely.

Something inside me clenched and without understanding why I almost panicked. But I had played this game long enough so my own mask didn't crack. I simply stood still, refusing to move.

We stared at each other, thoughts whirling widely through my mind.

Who the hell did he think he was? Who gave him the right to say something like that? He should know better.

…you weren't so disturbed by the death of others…

Damn them. They should have found out that I wasn't a nice person by now.

"There is something you better know, Omi."

He tilted his head, curious.

"Schwarz is back."


¹ Milton, John. Paradise Lost.