Author's Note: Welcome to Halloween 2022! I decided to do something a little bit different this year. Instead of one big crossover for Halloween, I decided to do three separate chapters with a common link between them. And holy moly! 10,008 words! This is the longest halo I have written in the history of this series. This author's note is going to make it longer. I couldn't stop. It just kept coming out. There is so much going on in this halo alone! So you are going to have to get yourselves a nice hot drink and strap in. Your night is going to be long. There's going to be another halo this Wednesday as well. For now, enjoy the Halloween special.
Halo Thirteen: Halloween:
Within one night, the apocalypse game started the next round.
6:00 p.m.
Chisa walked up to the podium in the sanctuary of the compound. By now, Ten no Shin'en had grown in numbers. Mostly women sat in the pews. Chisa couldn't help but smirk to herself. Her powers were growing each day. Tonight would be the perfect time to test them out.
"Kitano-sama," Hina said, bowing. Chisa gave her a gentle smile as she patted her on the head. The woman walked up to the microphone. The crowd stood up and clapped. Chisa held up her hand. The congregation went quiet and sat down.
"My flock, I am happy to see us grow over these past few weeks," she said. The room started clapping. It felt so strange. The attention gave her quite a buzz. The more she spoke, the more they fed her ego. Chisa gave the congregation a little pout.
"But alas, we are growing in a poisoned world," she said. "We have so much going wrong. So many wars. People dying of starvation. The environment is suffering. This country isn't having as many babies as they used to." She put her hand to her chest.
"The world is sick! The world is dying! We are all dying!" Chisa paused for effect. Whispering filled the congregation. Kanacchi and Kiyomin leaned intently. The priestess hid her smirk before turning somber again. She lowered her hand by her side.
"But there is some good news," she said. "I know what is poisoning the world. Knowing what the problem is is the first step to fixing it." There was a gleam in Chisa's eye.
"Men," she said. "Men have always been the cancer of the world. For centuries, they have ruined women, the world, and the future. But the time has come to take it back. We have to rid the world of this cancer. But fear not. We don't have to kill them." Whispers filled the congregation. Chisa held up her hand.
"We don't have to kill all men. We will correct them," she said. One woman raised her hand.
"How will we do that Kitano-sama?" she asked. Chisa broke into a huge cold grin.
"I will show you the way," she said. The woman's face went grim for a second.
"However, we have another problem," she said. Chisa had a cold look in her eyes.
"An abomination is in the way of our growth," she said. The women in the pews hung to every word intently. Now for the final selling point.
"We have to eliminate the tadpoles," Chisa said with a growl. The women stood up, cheering. The priestess stood with that smirk on her face.
9:00 p.m.
The women of Ten no Shin'en weren't the only ones on a tadpole hunt.
A black man had been on the run for days. Never a moment's rest all over Tokyo. These demons wouldn't stop chasing him. Tonight was no different. Actually, no. Tonight was even worse. Why did it have to be Halloween?
The man of twenty-four kept running. Good thing he was good at running and didn't get tired. That didn't help that his pursuers could keep up. He tried not to look behind him. The man knew they were behind him. Two…
"Leave me alone!" he shouted. The man forced himself to keep running. The pursuers saw that as a challenge. It didn't help that there were so many people in costumes tonight. The man had to not step on any little kids while running too. Maybe he could blend in with the partiers on the street. All he had to do was to keep running.
That might not be so easy tonight. It didn't help that he stood out in this crowd.
5:00 p.m.
Ryota stretched his neck from side to side. He had just finished washing his face. Everything was almost in place. The deity grinned at the Kanji for "famine" on his chest. The black marking stood out against his pale skin. It was like his badge of honor. The mark and his silver chain stood out in the mirror. Ryota looked at it with a smirk. l It wouldn't be too long. Just a few more hours.
The deity slid on a black t-shirt. Now came the hoodie. Ryota zipped it up and pulled on his hood. He was ready to go. The deity turned and walked out of the bathroom.
"I'm leaving now," he said at the front door.
"Okay," Osamu said. Ryota walked out the door and closed it behind him.
Meanwhile, Osamu looked at his phone.
"Heh," he said. The man guessed that he should get going too. Osamu got up and left his apartment. He closed the door behind him too.
Izaya has been holed up in his office for three days now. Ran and Namie were gone. His other allies were keeping their distance. The information broker could feel the walls closing in on him. Tandeki was expecting him to make the next move. They expected him to act and make a rash decision. Izaya clicked his tongue.
"I'm not playing their game," he said to himself. Izaya looked at his phone. No calls tonight. The information broker leaned back in his chair.
A few days ago, he got an email from an unknown sender. Usually, Izaya would ignore these things. But something about this title caught his attention.
"We have an answer to your problem."
Izaya stared at the screen. Was that right? It could be a trap by Tandeki. But it didn't look like their style. Welp, the information broker still lived for the challenge despite his circumstances. He clicked on the email.
Good morning, Orihara-san,
You and I have the same interest. We too want to stop the apocalypse game. We can't do this alone. We want to meet with you. Please contact us.
"Heh," Izaya said. But yet, he didn't delete the message. It just sat in his inbox for a couple of days now. At first, Izaya didn't think much about it. But lately, that email looked like it was going to be his lifeline.
Right now, he looked at that email again. Izaya shook his head. He closed his email and turned off his computer. He wasn't doing Halloween this year. No parties or handing candy out to the children. Not even a scary movie. Kururi was off partying with her friends again. Of course, she had to put on a little fashion for him.
"How do I look?" Kururi asked. Izaya didn't look up from his computer.
"Uh-huh," he said. His sister frowned and threw a book at him. The information broker looked up and caught it.
"What?" he asked. Kururi held out her arms to show off her costume. She grinned as she waited. Izaya got a good look at her costume. So she was going for the sexy witch instead of the cat. The short black dress hugged her curves. Her breasts were pushed together and up, showing off her cleavage. An orange ribbon held up her breasts. The bow choker around her neck matched said ribbon. Her black skirt with white lace trim showed off her black lacy panties. Black stockings, gloves, and a big witch hat completed her look. Izaya didn't look impressed.
"Turn around," he said. Kururi giggled as she turned around.
"Nice," Izaya said in a flat tone. The girl's eyes lit up.
"I'm so glad you like it! I wasn't sure if I wanted to go with the cat one or this," Kururi said. "I think this one is cuter." Izaya raised an eyebrow at her skirt and panties.
"You going out dressed like that?" he asked. Kururi eyed him with a smirk.
"Jealous?" she asked. Izaya leaned back in his chair.
"No," he said. Kururi stuck out her tongue at him. Izaya didn't even try to argue. She was going to do what she wanted.
"I'll go put on some shorts if it will make you happy," his sister said. Izaya just sat back and shrugged. Kururi turned and walked back to her room. She wouldn't be back until really late. Hell, she would most likely be staying with Aoba tonight. The information broker rolled his eyes.
"Whatever," he muttered to himself. Izaya locked the door and turned off the lights. In fact, he was calling it an early night. He planned to be out like a light. The information broker got himself a good cocktail for sleeping. His phones were off. Izaya expected to get a good night's sleep tonight.
After a nice long bath and some of that cocktail, Izaya changed into pajamas and went to bed. It didn't take long for him to be out like a light.
"Izaya. Izaya. Izaya!"
The man's eyes shot open. "Huh?" He looked at the foot of his bed. Namie sat staring at him. Izaya sat up as fast as he could.
"Namie?" he asked. The information broker narrowed his eyes.
"What are you doing here? Aren't you dead?" he asked. The ghostly woman frowned.
"Of course I am!" she shouted. Namie clicked her tongue. She snorted.
"Wait… are you haunting me?" he asked.
"Yes," she said. "This was the only time I could see you. The veil's thin tonight and all."
"I don't get it," Izaya said. The ghost frowned at him.
"Get what?" she asked. The room started to feel a little bit colder. Izaya shivered. Still, he didn't take his eyes off of his former secretary.
"Why are you here to see me?" Izaya asked. "I thought you would go and see Seiji. Maybe haunt Mika while you're at it." Namie's cheeks looked slightly pink as she looked away.
"I will get to that!" she said. "But I had to see you first." The information broker had a curious look on his face.
"What's it like being dead?" he asked. Her face looked so red as the rage started to overflow.
"I'm in hell!" she shouted. "Tojo Hideki makes me sit in his lap at dinner. They make wear this ugly French uniform. They always try to grab my ass! I am about to be married off to some sleazy bastard with a pig face and he smells awful. And I have to watch Seiji and that whore's sex tape every night!" Izaya busted out laughing. Namie frowned and smacked him on the arm.
"Ow," the information broker whispered.
"It's not funny!" she shouted. She cleared her throat and calmed down.
"Anyway, I don't have much time. So I am going to say this," Namie said. "You weren't really a bad boss. You were an asshole but you tried."
"Aw, I'm touched," Izaya said. "And to be honest, I was hoping that Hisayo would've taken you last or not at all." The ghost rolled her eyes and stood up.
"You're leaving?" the information broker asked. Namie said nothing as she walked to the door. But then she paused and looked over her shoulder.
"Oh, by the way, they are going to try and kill you tonight," Namie said. "Just thought I would let you know."
And then she was gone.
Something about her words stirred something inside of Izaya. He bolted out of bed. Pretty soon, the information broker was dressed and out the door.
None of the tadpoles should be out at night. But here we are.
The man kept running through the streets. Two… No three of them this time. Fuck.
"Fuck!" the man cursed to himself. He couldn't look back. But he still heard the footsteps rushing behind him. Sometimes, they would just stop. But that's the thing. No footsteps were even worse. That means they could be flying.
No. Don't look up. Just keep running.
He didn't know how long he was going to keep this up. The man looked around. He needed to hide while he thought of a way to get out of his situation. Meanwhile, he was able to move around a group of small children trick or treating.
"Hey what was that?" one of them asked behind him. The man didn't stick around to listen.
10:00 p.m.
Megumi paced around in front of a big house. She held her phone in her hand. He should be able to find his way here. Megumi was going to end this tonight. Kento's gotten worse. From what she learned the other day, it was easy to see why.
-Two Days Ago-
Megumi was trying to enjoy some beer when her door buzzed. She looked over at the door with the can to her lips. Who was that? There wasn't the shiver down her spine. The door buzzed again. She rolled her eyes as she stood up.
"Who is it?" she asked as she looked out the peephole. A woman about her age looked nervous as she paced around outside. Confused, Megumi opened the door a crack and peeked through.
"What do you want?" she asked. The woman's hair was long and curly. She had her right finger in her mouth, chewing on her nail. Her jeans and black sweater seemed to swallow up her body.
"Can I help you?" Megumi asked.
"Do you know a Kaneko Kento?" the woman asked in a mumble. The sex tadpole narrowed her eyes.
"Who's asking?" she asked. The woman lowered her finger to her side.
"You are going to want to call the police soon," she said. "He's really dangerous!" Megumi raised her eyebrow.
Pretty soon, the women sat across from each other at the dining table. Megumi tried to offer her a drink but the woman waved her off.
"Okay," Megumi said. "What are you talking about? What is your name?"
"Tomoka," the woman said.
"Tomoka?" the sex tadpole repeated. Her guest nodded.
"Okay, what about Kento?" Megumi asked. Tomoka hesitated to speak at first.
"I saw you with him the other day," she said. The woman looked around for a bit.
"Are you…?" she began to ask.
"No!" Megumi said, waving her hand back and forth. "I am not dating him. He's not my type. He's just developed some fascination with me." Tomoka relaxed but then got serious.
"Oh thank goodness," she said. Megumi gave her a confused look.
"To the not dating part, not the fascination," the other woman said. The sex tadpole narrowed her eyes.
"I have a guess on where this is going, but I am going to ask anyway," she said. "Has he done this before?" Tomoka nodded once.
"Did he stalk you?" Megumi asked.
"Yes," she said. The sex tadpole narrowed her eyes.
"You're not the only one, are you?" she asked. Tomoka slowly shook her head. Megumi took another drink of her beer. She should've known.
-Present Day-
Megumi looked up when her phone rang.
"Hello?" she asked.
"I'm here at the gate," Kento said on the other line.
"Cool," the sex tadpole said. "I will go let you in." She hung up and shoved her phone into her pocket. Megumi walked down the long driveway.
Kento felt his heart pounding against his chest. Megumi hadn't tried to contact him over the last few days. Now she wanted to talk to him? He couldn't even guess what. The young man gulped.
"No matter what she has to say, I will take it the best way that I can," he said to himself. "If she wants a relationship with me, fine. If she doesn't want to see me again, that will also be fine." He looked up to see his goddess all dressed in black behind the gate. She didn't speak as she unlocked it. Megumi stepped back. Kento felt a warm buzz in his chest as he followed her onto the property. Megumi leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Kento's heart went into double time. This felt more like a dream. He vowed to follow her where ever she went. In his mind, he would give her everything-heart, soul, mind, and body.
Megumi led him up to the front door. She opened it and slipped inside.
"Where are we going?" Kento asked in a dreamy tone. Megumi turned her head and smiled at him. She walked further into the house.
"Who's house is this?" Kento asked. Something about this place seemed familiar. Almost like he had been here before.
"Megumi-san, which friend's house did you say it was?" he asked. She didn't answer. The sex tadpole made it to the glass back doors. By now, Kento was getting confused. Still, he felt compelled to follow his goddess. It was then he noticed the picture of spiders about to mate on the wall next to the door. A strange memory popped up in his head.
He had been here before.
A girl invited him for the night. What was her name again? It wasn't ringing any bells. However, she did talk about that picture. He found it rather odd and unsettling.
"Why does your mom have that up there?" he asked. "It's so weird." She giggled.
"It's not weird," she said. "I think it's quite beautiful." She ran her fingers along the glass.
"The male is so hypnotized by the female that he will still mate with her even though it will cost him his life," she said. "It's my favorite kind of dynamic, to be honest." Kento could only nervously laugh. That was the only time that he was turned off by a girl.
He found it strange that he was thinking about that now.
The cool night air hitting his face brought him back to reality. Kento found himself standing near the pool. Piece by piece more memories about the house came back. Megumi kissed him on the lips before he could say anything. He felt himself melting inside. Kento kissed back passionately. Fireworks exploded in his head. Yes! This was what he wanted. He willingly gave himself over to the goddess. This scenario played out in his head many times. Was this finally going to happen?
Megumi pushed Kento into a chair facing away from the pool. She crawled into his lap and kissed him on the lips. She even pushed her tongue into his mouth. He moaned as he tried to kiss back. Her hands ran along his body. His heart raced against his chest. So they were really going to do this? His bliss started to overflow in his head.
I love you! I love you! I love you!
Sadly, his body felt cold. Kento jerked his eyes open. He noticed Megumi backing away from him with an angelic smile on her face. The boy tried to get up but found himself chained down to the mental chair. Panic washed over his face as he started to struggle.
"What… What the…?! What the…?!" he shouted. Megumi smiled as she walked over to him. She pushed him right into the pool. He didn't have time to think as he fell back into the water. The last thing he would ever see on the surface was that saccharine smile of hers.
Megumi may have been smiling but her eyes looked so dull. She only had one thing left to say to her prey.
"Goodbye."
She lit a match and threw it on the pool. Megumi watched as the surface caught on fire. Nothing like some chemicals mixed won't fix. And that was the end of Kento's obsession with her.
-Fleeing Man-
I don't know how much longer I can do this. I'm a sitting target out here. I have to get somewhere safe and wait it out until morning. What was I thinking going out tonight? I don't even remember why I went out.
That isn't the only thing that has my attention.
There's been a strange man in a coat standing across the street staring at me. He has on a long black coat and one of those old-time gas masks that go completely over your head. He's just standing there, staring at me. At least I think he's staring at me.
I don't know what the hell is his problem. Why is he just standing there? That's kind of creepy.
But I don't dare to move. This could be a trap. I wouldn't put it past those demons to try and trap me. They can be crafty like that, you know?
Suddenly, the stranger turned his head to the left. Huh? I turned and looked at what he was looking at. The street was empty. He was still looking. What is he doing? Something sparked in my brain the more I stared at him.
Go down that way.
Is he sure? It could be a trap. But I can't stay here. I looked up at the sky and looked left and right down the street. There's nothing around but I still don't trust it. The stranger is still looking to his left. I took in a breath. Fuck it, I have to go.
I counted to five and took off running down the street.
Ryota and Yuuko blended in with the crowd of partyers in the street. The latter had her horse with her tonight. Her brother couldn't help but smile. Just two more acts of vice.
Yuuko looked over at Ryota.
"Is your horse near yet?" she asked.
"Yes," he said. Yuuko reached over and patted her horse.
"Who is it that you need to act on for him to come here?" she asked. Ryota took a moment to think.
"There's so much to choose from," he said. "One of my meals is about to commit a violation." Ryota paused and looked around for a moment. He leaned in close to Yuuko's ear.
"There's going to be a tadpole's going to give into vice," he whispered. His sister turned to him with her mouth covered.
"Don't tell you—" she said, trying to hold back a smile like she was getting away with something. Ryota held up his hand.
"I didn't eat his soul," he said. "Kitano-sensei won't let me do that." Yuuko raised her eyebrow.
"Since when has that stopped you?" she asked.
"I have my reasons," Ryota said. "Besides, Yokubo has already latched onto him. I just want to see how it all plays out."
"Ah! So the sins are back?" Yuuko asked. "This should be rather interesting." The whole time, Ryota kept his ear out for his horse. So close but yet not close enough.
The drink became Noda-san's constant companion. Ever since he lost his job, he felt hopeless. Then the strange boy with the white hair sat down next to him and said that he was hungry. Noda-san couldn't describe what happened next. It was like he felt empty afterward. Since then, he lost the will to care.
It all came to a head on Halloween night.
Chiyomi didn't feel like going out to party with Kururi and her posse. She hadn't expected much that night. Her mother was the one handing out candy this year. (She managed to pick up some discount candy from the local Dollar Mart.) Chiyomi stayed in her room and studied for another test. Things had gotten a little bit better around the school. The boys backed off and through the girls sometimes stared at her, they said nothing. Kururi must have worked wonders for her. She was going to have to thank her later.
The girl sighed to herself. If only things at home would get better. Her father stopped caring about himself and the family. Her mother had to work two shifts and was wearing herself down. Just today alone, she looked like she should go back to bed.
"I can help you get another job," Chiyomi said at the table this evening.
"Chiyomi-chan!" her mother snapped. "Don't upset your father!" The girl went quiet as she shoved more rice into her mouth. Her father glanced down at her breasts in her uniform.
Tonight, Noda-san had been drinking at the bar. Kind of bold to be doing that on Halloween. He looked out of place with his shirt and tie among people in costumes. The bartender had a nervous look on his face. Noda-san was reaching his limit.
"Excuse me, sir," the bartender said. "I think you've had enough." He reached for the mug but Noda-san slapped away his hand.
"Get away from me!" he snapped. He tried to grab his glass again but the bartender pushed him off.
"No!" he shouted. The men got into a scuffle. Noda-san got the upper hand.
"I will tell you when I've had enough!" he shouted. That ended up getting him tossed out of the bar.
Noda-san stumbled home among the partiers still looking for Halloween thrills. His mind was in and out in a haze. His body was on autopilot. Alcohol has a strange way of controlling a person. Sometimes, it can lead to some rather devastating consequences. Tonight was going to be one of those times.
The drunken man made it back to his apartment. He didn't remember making it back home. He didn't remember opening the door and walking in. Noda-san wandered down the hall.
Chiyomi was in her room with the door opened with a loud bang. She about jumped out of her chair at the sound. Her father stood in the doorway with a red face.
"Dad?" she asked. "Dad, what are you doing here? Why didn't you knock?" Against her better judgment, Chiyomi walked over to him. Noda-san grabbed her and kissed her on the lips. His daughter tried to push him off.
"What are you doing?!" she shouted. "You're drunk!" Chiyomi tried to get out of his grasp but her father held her tightly to him as he could. He kept trying to kiss her.
"Stop! What are you doing?!" she shouted. Her mother was sound asleep across the hall. Noda-san still wouldn't let up on his daughter. He pushed her down into the bed. Chiyomi looked up with panicked eyes. This was happening. This was really happening.
Since when was he this strong? Noda-san grabbed at her dark red tank top. He covered her mouth when she started to scream. He started saying something to her. Chiyomi could make out his words through his slurring. Noda-san started pawing at her shorts.
"Stop! Please! Stop!" his daughter begged. "Mom's sleeping across the hall." She got a good look at her father's eyes. They looked so empty, so dead. This wasn't her father. Chiyomi didn't know who this was. Tears ran down her cheeks as he unbuckled his belt.
It seemed to go on for hours. He tore at her clothes like a rabid animal. Nothing she could say or do could get him to stop. Noda-san's trousers went with his shirt and tie. Their clothes were scattered around her floor. The scent of booze and sweat made Chiyomi want to vomit. By now, she could only surrender to her fate. Why was he doing this to her?
"Dad… please…" Chiyomi whimpered. He put a heavy hand over her mouth. He used the other one to push apart her thighs. He started to stroke himself. She tried to look away. The girl winced as she felt his cock being pushed inside. He moaned as he started pounding into her. This hell didn't seem to end. Tears ran down Chiyomi's round face. Why was he doing this to her? She tried to disassociate herself from this nightmare. Maybe she was dreaming this? She was still at her desk studying and she dozed off.
But no. Every fiber in her being was telling her that this was real. Each second seemed to go on forever. Chiyomi pleaded for it to be over. Her pleas would fall on deaf ears that night. He turned her over onto her stomach and took her from anally. Noda-san had his hand over her mouth the whole time. He grabbed her by the hair at one point. The man pounded into her as hard as he could. His grunts filled the room. He threw back his head and moaned. Chiyomi could only pray that this would be over soon.
Noda-san came inside his daughter without a word. He thought that he would feel something, anything. But no. He felt nothing. She meant nothing in that moment. He didn't even get dressed as he walked out of her bedroom. Chiyomi lay on her stomach in sweat and shame. Tears soaked her pillow.
By now, the man was running after the Stranger. His guide ran really fast for a man in a heavy coat and a gas mask. Still, the hunted man was able to keep up with him. Naturally, he had his own questions about the stranger. That was going to have to wait until he got to safety.
But still, he had to know where they were going. He doesn't dare to ask out loud. Too risky. He didn't want to draw attention to his pursuers in the sky and on the ground. He kept his eyes on the stranger's back. For a man in a heavy coat, he could run pretty run. Still, why was the stranger helping him? This could be a trap. But he didn't have a choice at the moment. For now, this was better than standing in that alley for hours at a time. The man decided the first chance he got, he would try and make a break for it.
So many people out here. Three people in their twenties were on their way to the next bar. One man dressed up like a pirate turned to his friends.
"Either of you heard the legend of the Bull Man?" he asked. The woman, dressed up like Playboy bunny, looked up at him.
"The Bull Man?" she asked. The other man dressed up like Goku rolled his eyes.
"Not this again," he mumbled.
"I'm serious!" the pirate insisted. "He's real, I'm telling you!" His friend rolled his eyes. The Playboy bunny cocked her head to the side.
"Who is the Bull Man?" she asked.
"Not a who, a what," the pirate said. He paused and looked left and right for dramatic effect. His friends leaned in close to listen, at least the Bunny did. Goku frowned.
"Here we go again," he said to himself.
"There is a Bull Man who roams the streets of Ikebukuro at a night," he said. "He has the head of a bull and the body of a man. His hands are fused like hooves. They say he roams around at night looking for children to eat."
"Ooo! Spooky!" the Playboy bunny said. Goku groaned.
"Really? You can't honestly believe that, can you?" he asked. The Bunny girl waved him off.
"Shush!" she said.
"If you make the Bull Man mad, he will raise up and stomp you to death!" her pirate boyfriend said. "His eyes glow like the coals from hell! And if you aren't lucky after he stomps on your body, he will rip out your heart and eat it!" He jumped up in her face, waving his fingers around.
"Boo!" the pirate shouted. His girlfriend squealed. Goku threw back his head and groaned.
"That's enough!" he barked. Suddenly, the pirate paused.
"Shhh, did you hear that?" he asked. The friend rolled his eyes.
"I said cut it out!" he shouted.
"I'm not joking," the pirate said. "I thought I heard someone walking this way." His best friend and girlfriend took a listen.
"I don't hear anything," Goku whispered.
"Shhh!" the pirate insisted. The trio took a closer listen. It sounded like something or someone was dragging something toward them.
Drag. Drag. Drag. Drag.
The Bunny girl shivered.
"What is that?" she asked. The dragging noises grew closer. The Playboy Bunny grabbed the pirate by the arm. Goku reached for his phone in his pocket. In the distance, a figure walked out from the alley. The trio began to look confused.
"What… What is that?" Goku asked.
-On the Other Side-
Shizuo wandered out in the streets. The minotaur had no idea where he was going. He just had to keep walking. The smells of the city overwhelmed him. He could barely see anything. Everything was in black and white. Shizuo didn't know why he was still walking. Something inside of him compelled him to move. His body still felt so heavy. He did manage to get more feeling and control of his legs. The first couple of days were hard to walk. It took a while but Shizuo was now walking better. He still didn't have a sense of direction to work with.
Tonight, there were so many people walking around. Not like anyone was going to really pay any attention to him. It was Halloween and the bull head on his head looked like it was part of a costume of some sort. (Not that he knew what day it was. Shizuo still couldn't tell day from night.) Anyway, his wandering led him out of another alley and near a more deserted part of the city.
Three shadowy figures stood inches away from him. Both of them were in a standoff.
Meanwhile, the pirate, bunny, and Goku stared at the minotaur staring at them.
"Holy shit, he's real," Goku whispered.
"What do we do?" the Bunny asked.
"I… I… I don't know," the pirate said. Neither side seemed to know what to do. The pirate slowly stepped forward.
"Don't!" Goku shouted.
"It's fine," his friend said. "We just need to slowly approach him. Don't. Make. Any. Sudden. Moves." The bunny and Goku stayed back. The pirate slowly got closer and closer. Shizuo didn't move.
"Ren-kun, come back!" the bunny shouted in a whisper. The pirate held out his hand to the minotaur.
Suddenly, his girlfriend's phone rang. She screamed as she jumped. Startled, Shizuo charged toward her.
"Look out!" Goku shouted. The pirate ran to his girlfriend. Shizuo took off toward the bunny and Goku as they ran away.
"Guys!" the pirate yelled. "Wait!" He tried to run after them as fast as he could.
Speaking of running…
Shingo was looking at surveillance footage on his laptop. So many people walking around in costumes. He, Taishi, and Madoka were on watch tonight. The bloodlust had been getting worse lately. So far, the members of Ten no Shin'en were in church tonight. However, no one was fooled.
The tech tadpole clicked around to change the images on his laptop. More people walking around in the streets. Though the numbers are starting to dwindle as the night went on. Pretty soon, there was going to be no one in the streets. Well, maybe a couple more partiers still looking for a thrill long past Halloween. Shinra had been handing out candy all night. Most of the tadpoles and some of the normal humans were watching horror movies in the apartment.
"[You sure you don't want to join?]" Celty asked the tech tadpole with her PA. The boy shook his head.
"I'm good," he said.
"[All right,]" the dullahan typed. "[We'll be in the living room if you change your mind.]" Shingo nodded. He stayed in the room of the guest room for most of the night.
But then the boy paused.
"Hm? What's this?" Shingo asked. He zoomed in on the footage from one of the outside cameras. A black man was running through the streets. He didn't look like he was dressed for Halloween. Shingo studied him for a moment. Why did this man look so familiar? The boy narrowed his eyes.
Suddenly, that old spark jumped up his spine. Shingo's eyes widened as he looked at the screen. Wait…
He looked at the man running on the screen again.
Shingo wasn't the only one who felt that.
"Another one?" Naomi asked. The tadpoles looked at each other.
"Where?" Miya asked.
Guys! I think I know where he is! He's coming this way! Shingo kept his eyes on the screen. He's heading this way to the apartment.
"What does he look like?" Yukio asked.
Black man. Dark shirt. Jeans. Hang on.
Outside, the man kept running. By now, the Stranger was gone. He was all alone but he didn't have time to think about that. There were more demons following behind. The man forced himself to look forward. If there was only a place to hide until morning.
Hey!
The man about jumped.
What the fuck?!
It's okay. Relax, relax. I'm here to help you.
The man looked confused as he kept running. Who are you?
I'm like you. You don't have time to ask questions. You want to get to safety, yes?
Yes!
Then listen to me! Do you see that apartment building up ahead?
The man looked in front of him. There was that big building up ahead.
Yes!
Run there!
Got it! The man pushed himself to go as fast as his godlike speed would allow.
Shingo got hold of Shinra and Celty's security system with his laptop and disarmed it. Somebody unlock the door!
Kenma leaped to his feet and ran to the door.
The man ran to the doors. He teleported into the lobby.
I'm here. Where do I go now?
Run to the elevator and go to the eighth floor. We'll guide you the rest of the way.
Okay! The man didn't have to turn around to know that he had been followed into the building. He ran straight to the elevator and hit the up button. To his surprise, the doors opened wide. The man said a quick thank you to himself before getting on. The doors closed behind him.
Meanwhile, Shingo watched him from his laptop. He counted down to how long it would take for the man to get there. The tech tadpole saw the demons flying around.
"Come on," Shingo whispered. "You can do it!" The tech tadpole touched his screen.
The man felt the elevator going up as fast as it could. He thought his ears were going to pop.
Hang on!
You don't have to tell me twice! The elevator stopped and opened wide. The man took off running down the hall. He spotted a door opening up down the hall. A hand motioned him closer. The man took a breath and pushed himself to keep running. He made it to the door. Hands grabbed him into the apartment. The door slammed shut.
The man dropped to the floor. He sat up on all-fours, panting.
"Are you okay?" Naomi asked. The man lifted his head. It was around this time that Yukio came around the corner. He paused when he got a good look at the man's face. He narrowed his eyes as a lightbulb lit up in his head.
"Wesley?" he asked. The black man looked up in slight shock. Before he could speak, there was a loud bang on the door. Wesley huddled down on the ground.
"Salt!" he shouted. "Get some salt!" Another bang on the door was all it took to spring the tadpoles, Celty, and Shinra into action. The doctor grabbed some salt and poured it at the foot of the door. He recognized that he's done this before. There was still banging on the door. However, there wasn't that much force behind it.
"It's not much," Wesley said. "But it will hold for now." Yokio and Miya helped him to the couch. The newest tadpole took a breath. Yukio walked over with a curious look on his face.
"What happened to you?" he asked. Wesley looked up at him.
"I was chased by demons," he said.
"What?" the tadpoles asked. Wesley leaned back on the couch and sighed.
"I can't explain it, but I found myself drawn here to Ikebukuro," he said. He pulled out his phone.
"I got this DM from the Dollars chatroom," Wesley said. "The account blocked me before I could reply. I would've thrown it away and moved on. But there was something about it that I couldn't quite ignore. And so I came here."
"So how did you get those demons chasing you?" Naomi asked. Wesley shrugged.
"I don't know," he said. "They must have picked up on my scent or something." The tadpoles looked at each other. There was now scratching at the door. Wesley sighed and shook his head.
"I think I might have dragged you into my problems," he said. More pounding and scratching came on the door.
"We know you're in there, Wesley-kun!" a deep, growling voice shouted. "Come out! Come out! You can't hide us!"
"Brother, there's more of them in there," another voice said. The soft sound of sniffing filled the air.
"You're right," a third voice said.
"Why don't you bring out your little friends too, Wesley-kun!" the deep, growling voice. The banging and scratching kept up at the door. The tadpoles looked at each other.
"Hey, you don't think…?" Chie began to ask. She didn't need to finish to show what they were thinking. Miya pulled out her phone.
"I'm going to text Erina and Hifumi to be safe tonight," she said.
"Good idea," Itori said as she pulled up her phone. The tadpoles started to text the others warning them about the demons on the loose tonight. Yukio sat down next to Wesley.
"It's okay, Wez," he whispered. "You'll be safe here." Wez didn't respond. Her kept his eyes on the door. The banging and scratching still went on. They were going to need something stronger to keep the demons out.
Ryota lifted his chin.
"It's about time," he said. Yuuko looked at him with her head cocked to the side.
"How much more do you need?" she asked. Her brother looked over his shoulder.
"There's just one more stop that I have to make on this tour," Ryota said.
"Have fun," Yuuko said with a wave. He waved back at her as he walked away.
Mikado hadn't seen Yokubo all night, but he wasn't out of the woods yet. Lately, he's been thinking about Anri. He's tried to keep her at bay. To get her pregnant would be a death sentence. But fate doesn't play fair. It will sneak and drive its victims to do as it says. Tonight, that voice wouldn't get out of his head.
You love her, Mikado. She is going to be the mother of your child. You would still have a piece of her forever. You can even save her from dying. It will only cost one night.
Mikado tightly shut his eyes.
No! He could not let this happen. He wouldn't!
But yet… Here he was. His heart sank and his eyes looked so dull. Mikado stood outside Anri's door with a small box of chocolate candies and a small bouquet of oleander and dragon lilies in his hand. Part of him wanted to turn around and leave. The shame already started to take him. Maybe he could just turn around and leave.
Mikado lifted his head when the door opened.
"Mikado-kun?" Anri asked. "What are you doing here?" The tadpole didn't know how to answer.
"Um… um…" he said. Why was he so nervous? This was Anri he was talking to. They have been dating ever since they first slept together. Maybe because he knew what was coming next. Maybe he knew that fate was catching up to him. Or maybe he knows this was going be the last night anything is going to be normal between them
"Happy birthday," he said in a quiet voice. His cheeks turned red. They stood there for a moment. It was like they were daring the other to move.
"Uh…" he said.
"Thank you," Anri said in a small voice. They didn't speak again.
"Um… do you want to come in?" she asked. Her cheeks turned bright red.
"Okay," Mikado said, lowering his eyes. Anri backed into her apartment. The tadpole reluctantly followed him inside.
Neither one spoke. He sat on her bed as if waiting for something to happen. The tadpole couldn't even look her in the eye. Mikado shouldn't be here. This was a bad idea to come here.
"Is something wrong?" Anri asked. Mikado kept his head down as he handed her the flowers.
"Are these for me?" he asked. Her boyfriend nodded once.
"Oh, thank you, Mikado-kun," she said. The girl took the flowers. Mikado kept his eyes down.
"Did you have a good birthday today?" he asked.
"Yeah," Anri said. "Seiji and Mika took me out to dinner."
"Oh, I see," the tadpole said. They've had this conversation before. The scene was already playing out in his head. He already set things in motion.
"This was a mistake," Mikado said to himself.
"Excuse me?" Anri asked. He kept his gaze down.
"I shouldn't have come here," the boy said. His voice trembled as he spoke. Mikado turned to her with tears in his eyes.
"I'm going to kill you tonight!" he blurted out. His girlfriend looked confused.
"What are you talking about?" she asked. Mikado sniffled as the tears rolled down his cheeks. He couldn't bring himself to tell her the future. The joy of being a mother dashed when Tandeki learned back the pregnancy. Anri laying up in a hospital bed wasting away because of Saika. Her inevitable death when she was all used up.
"Mikado-kun?" she asked. She took a step closer.
"No!" he shouted. The tadpole held up his hand.
"Don't," he said. "Please…" Anri ignored him as she walked over and sat down next to him on his bed. She reached for his shoulder but he moved away from her touch.
"Mikado-kun, talk to me," she said. "What's wrong?" The boy looked down at her bed. He was going to push her down onto her back on in a few moments. Might as well, get the truth off before he became her executioner. Mikado broke down and told her everything from his fight with Yokubo and the visions of her death that he saw. Anri sat there and took it all quietly. Her lack of response made it so much worse.
"Please… say something," Mikado pleaded at last.
"Why do you think you will kill me?" Anri asked. The color drained from her boyfriend's face.
"Our child," he said. "I don't want him to become like me." More images flashed in his mind. An isolated, dimly lit lab. A clock ticking in the background. So many tubes everywhere. Their son laying on the lab table, scared and crying.
"I can't let that happen," Mikado said. "I can't lose you!" Anri leaned against his back.
"What are you doing?" the tadpole boy asked. She didn't answer. Did she have a death wish or something? The girl looked up at him.
"Mika told me everything," she said.
"What?" Mikado asked.
"I'm going to be here for you," Anri said.
"Don't you understand?" he asked. "You will get pregnant and die because of me." She didn't respond. Mikado's heart sank. That's when he noticed it.
That smell.
The lemony smell made his blood run cold. No…
"Mikado-kun?" Her voice sounded so distant. Many images flashed in his head. He began to see his heart placed up against a dull silver T-cross in the middle of a barren wasteland. The veins and arteries were wrapped around the body. The eyes of his tormenter looked down from a triangle in the sky. His heart beat against the cross. Six iron nails floated around it, waiting for the kill. Mikado his eyes. He knew what was coming next. The tadpole could already feel the pain coming.
"Mikado-kun? Mikado-kun!"
The tadpole felt his body being turned to face Anri. She had a worried look on her face. Mikado could tell what Anri was thinking. He could hear ringing in his ears from his heart pounding against his chest.
The next words out of his mouth sealed her fate.
"I want you… to… kiss me…" Mikado said. Anri didn't say anything. He hoped that she would turn him down. If she did, Saika's mother would have a chance to save herself. Instead, Anri leaned and kissed him on the lips. The panic rose but then it became calm. This was different when Yokubo kissed him. Anri wasn't trying to drain the life out of him. She really wanted to help him. This seemed like the only way she could tonight.
But why doesn't he stop her?
Anri pushed him down onto her bed. They didn't stop kissing. She reached down and unzipped his jacket. Mikado didn't stop her as she slid off his jacket. He could stop this with his words. Something inside of him screamed at him to speak up. Tell her to stop.
"No!" Mikado shouted. He gently pushed her off. Anri paused.
"I'm so sorry," she said, bowing her head. "Should I stop?" He hesitated. Mikado could stop this and save her life. Save her from being used up until she died. They both could walk away from this.
"No…" Mikado said, shaking his head.
"You sure?" Anri asked. The tadpole boy nodded. She leaned close with a curious look on her face.
"I didn't bring protection," he said. The tadpole didn't know why that came out. Maybe it was a warning. She said nothing. That scent of spider lilies filled his nose. The pounding in his chest slowed. Those damned flowers were whispering to him again.
It's just to be fine. Just let her take you. Anri-chan isn't going to die.
Mikado gulped.
"Mikado-kun?" Anri asked. He sat up and kissed her again.
Anri found herself lying on her back. She stared up at him with her eyes glazed over. It was then Mikado noticed that something was off. Her pupils were dilated. He could hear how fast her heart was racing. Anri started to breathe heavily.
"Anri?" Mikado asked. He waved his hand in front of her face.
"Hey. Hey. Hey!" he said. "Are you okay? Hey. Hey!" Realization washed over him. The tadpole had been so busy wrestling with himself that he forgot to do one simple thing.
"I think I'm doing this to you," Mikado said. "I forgot to take my pheromone blocker tonight. Hold on, I'll go take it now." He started to get up but Anri grabbed him by the wrist.
"Huh?" the tadpole asked. He looked down to see a dreamy, glazed-over look in Anri's eyes. Mikado tried to hide his nerves.
"You don't want me to go?" he asked. Anri shook her head as her cheeks turned red.
"But…" Mikado started to say. But then he noticed her saying something to him.
"What?" the tadpole asked. Anri looked into his eyes.
"Please… can you… kiss me?" she asked. She didn't even need to ask. Mikado leaned down and kissed her on the lips. He slid her dress over her head. By now, the tadpole stopped caring. Both were resigned to their fates at this point. This was what his tormentor wanted. Desire was going to be Anri's death sentence.
Mikado sat up and took off his shirt. They've done this before. He's lost count of how many times. The tadpole knew that he wasn't ripped like a god but the girls still loved him. Even he couldn't piece it together. Mikado stared down at his girlfriend. Cute black bra, little white socks, and a pair of cotton lace panties. He's seen her body before. She was what a goddess would look like if she had a physical form. He wondered what he looked like in her eyes. She reached up and caressed his cheek. He leans down for another kiss.
More clothes started coming off. It almost came second nature to them both. Anri didn't try to stop him. She could've. She could've saved herself from him. But why doesn't she? Mikado glanced up from kissing her neck.
"I don't understand it," he said. Anri looked down at him.
"What?" she asked.
"Why do you let me do this to you?" he asked. "Why won't you make me stop?" She looked into his eyes.
"Because that's not what you really want," Anri said. Hearing that was like the first nail in his heart.
"How can you be sure about that?" he asked. The tadpole felt the tears welling up in his eyes. Anri reached up to wipe away one of them. Did she have to be so gentle? He was going to be her executioner tonight. Yet she didn't show any fear. The tadpole sat up.
"But aren't you afraid of me?" Mikado asked.
"I am," Anri admitted. "And I don't want to die."
"So… why?" Mikado asked.
"It's because I love you," she said. The tadpole shook his head.
"Please… don't say that," he pleaded. The second nail was driven deep into his heart. She's telling the truth. That's the part that hurts the most. He loves her and yet he was about to sign her death warrant. She lay underneath him, naked and waiting spread eagle. There was that smell again. His mind flashed back to that field of spider lilies. No, this wasn't that. He had to get Yokubo out of his head. This had to be the only way to do that.
Mikado tightly shut his eyes.
"I love you, Anri-chan!" he blurted out. He shoved his erect cock between her wet lips. Anri moaned at the sensation. This wasn't like the first time they had sex. That first night was needy. Tonight was even more so. He needed her for something. Something he couldn't put a label on. By now, it was too late to turn back. He grabbed onto her shoulders. Mikado started to get lost back in that field of spider lilies. More nails started to pierce his heart. Still, he couldn't stop. His body moved into autopilot. All of that sorrow, frustration, rage, self-loathing, desire, and lust started to take their toll. Anri already wrapped her arms around him. That touch alone told him not to hold back. His pounding gradually grew to be more animalistic. Anri didn't mind it. Her own moans told him as such. The ecstasy in her voice was all that it took for him to go wilder. Mikado's mouth was drawn to her neck. He found himself tempted to bite down hard enough to make it hurt. Hard enough to draw but. But Mikado does his best to resist.
Lilith has taught him some things. Just some little tricks to make Anri scream. Mikado didn't know whether to use them on her or not. It wouldn't matter. His mind became lost in a haze. All he could focus on was pleasing Anri. Her voice guided him. Her moans made his pulse quicken.
However, another sound caught Mikado's attention. The sound of laughter filled his ears. It was her laughter. The tadpole happened to look up and saw her. Yokubo stood in the corner of the room. That cold smirk on her face made him shiver. This was all her doing. She wanted to turn him into a self-loathing, raged-filled beast driven by desire. She got what she wanted. His tormentor had won.
Anri's moaning brought him back to earth. That was right. Nothing else mattered. All he needed to do was focus on Anri. She was all that mattered. Mikado leaned down and kissed her on the lips again. Anri kissed him back. A strange sense of calm washed over the tadpole. Maybe everything was going to be okay. It would be nice to start a family with her. She didn't have to die. He would find a way. With all of that in mind, his nails dug into her soft skin. His pounding became just as savage as his body could allow. Anri cried out in pain and pleasure. All Mikado had was her voice and his pent-up feelings guiding him through. His body could take it after all. Tandeki turned him into this after all. Part of him worried that he would end up breaking her bed before the night was over. He grabbed onto her hips and pulled her closer in when he could feel himself reaching his breaking point.
The couple reached their climaxes at the same time. Mikado sat up, panting.
"Happy birthday, Anri-chan," he said in English. His girlfriend lay there looking spent and covered in sweat underneath him. Something about her made her look so beautiful lying there spent.
"I love you," Anri said in a whisper. Mikado leaned in for one more kiss before collapsing beside her. His heart was still beating as it was nailed against that cold steel in the middle of that empty wasteland. That cross looked so good covered in his blood.
Ryota smiled to himself outside of Anri's apartment.
"It's time," he said.
Meanwhile, Mikado awoke when he sensed a presence in the room. The tadpole lifted his head. A boy about seventeen stood at the foot of Anri's bed. His skin and hair looked so pale that he stood out in the darkness. His eyes glowed a deep red. His black clothing swallowed up his body. Mikado looked confused.
"Who are you?" he asked. The boy smirked at him.
"Oh come on, Chirin-kun. You know who I am," he said. Mikado flinched at hearing that name.
"No," he said, shaking his head. His eyes darted over to Anri sound asleep next to him. The boy looked over at the girl in bed next to the tadpole.
"Oh don't worry," he said. "She can't hear us." The boy took a breath.
"Hey!" he shouted. Anri didn't stir.
"See?" the boy asked.
"Who are you? What do you want with me?" Mikado asked.
"Heh," the boy said. He held out his hand and whistled. Suddenly, the ground shook violently. Despite it being a clear night, thunder ripped through the sky. Was that a horse neighing? Mikado looked around.
"What's going on?" he asked. The whole time, Anri didn't stir. Suddenly, a black hole opened in the air. A giant horse jumped through the hole. Hazy green light surrounded its body. Its eyes glowed in the dark. Mikado got a better look at the horse. Black rags covered the beast's body. Green mist floated off the body. The boy took the horse by the reigns.
"I am Ryota, horseman of famine," he said. He patted the horse on the nose as it whinnied. Mikado struggled to say something but nothing was coming to his brain. His jaw dropped to his lap. Ryota took his horse and walked over to the door. However, he stopped and looked over his shoulder.
"I thank you," he said. "For him." The horseman nudged his head over to his horse at the last part. Ryota and his horse walked out of the room. Mikado was left with a sinking feeling in his stomach.
By morning, the stakes in the game were raised as everyone was dragged into the new level.
-December 15, 2015-
Kadota, Saburo, Erika, and Kathy sat across the street from the crime scene. The crowd had slowly dispersed by now. Kathy popped up from the back.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"They found a body over there," Erika said.
"Who is it?" the girl asked. The fujoshi otaku didn't have an answer. The boys watched as the body was loaded into the silent ambulance. Kadota's mind was elsewhere. He remembered the phone that he got the other night. What did Anita mean by that message she left?
"What's on your mind?" Saburo asked. Kadota shook his head. Suddenly, Erika's phone pinged.
"Hm?" she asked. The otaku pulled out her phone. It didn't take long for her to read the text. She opened the door and bolted out of the van.
"Erika?" Kadota asked. She was already gone. Kadota and Saburo looked at each other confused.
By morning, the remains would be identified as male. Meanwhile, the stranger stood across the street watching the van and crime scene. Somehow, he already knew what was coming next.