Another day passed and they were far from done with the Nogitsune. Lydia was in despair of the death of her best friend and Stiles felt all the guilt he could. Regardless of what they said, it was hard to accept that any of this wasn't his fault. He let this happen. He gave up.
He watched as Scott paced as he talked to Derek.
"What do you mean, she's with the Nogitsune?", Scott heard Derek yell in his phone. "It's a part of the plan. She said she had to.", Scott said, sadly. "I didn't think it was gonna happen so soon."
Derek growled in frustration on the other side. He was disappointed with the situation. Disappointed in himself for not seeing that she was in danger from the start.
He felt agitated, realizing that the Nogitsune may have gotten to her like he had gotten to him, Isaac and the twins. Whatever she's feeling now, it'll fuel the Nogitsune if Stiles wasn't enough.
He sighed. "I have something you can keep it in. But you find that girl and you bring her back." He said his goodbyes and frowned, putting his phone away.
"That damn girl.", he grumbled. If this plan failed, he'd lose her too. That's not something he was ready for just yet.
"You really do care about her, huh?", Ethan asked him.
Derek frowned. "I'm just worried. She's stubborn and she cares too much. She's… too selfless. I know she means well. I know that, but…"
"She's a kind girl. Despite the way she acts, she cares. She cares about her friends.", Aiden says, looking at Derek. Derek frowned softly. "She'll be okay.", Aiden reassured.
She's sweet. He knew that. She'd sacrifice herself if it meant making things right.
Derek and the twins went to the school, prepared for the Nogitsune who waited for them.
Derek was already fully shifted as he and the twins walked toward the school; the twins waiting in the shadows.
Derek's eyes widened as he saw Sam beside the apparition. The Nogitsune sat on the stairs with a smirk on his face, having two Oni behind him, prepared to attack at his will.
"Did you bring us a present?", Void Stiles asked, tilting his head as he glanced at the triskele box Derek had set down.
"I brought two," Derek said as the twins came out of hiding.
Void Stiles' smirk grew, shaking his head a bit. "Now, I've heard of an Alpha Pack, Derek, but not a pack of former alphas. It's a little sad, isn't it?"
"I might not be an alpha anymore, but I can still fight like one.", Derek growled, flicking his claws out.
Sam, who seemed to be lifeless, stepped in front of the apparition as a shield, confusing the former alphas.
"Sam, get out of the way!", Derek ordered. "The hell is she doing?", Ethan asked.
"You wouldn't hurt your poor friend, would you?", Void Stiles teased, standing behind Sam. Derek frowned, but ducked as an Oni rushed to attack the former alphas.
"Where the hell are they?", Ethan asked as he jumped back, dodging an attack.
"The Jeep's here. They have to be somewhere," Aiden shouted.
"They're in the school!", Derek yelled, noticing the box was left alone. "You have to get on the box. Someone get on the box!"
Sam's face contorted into a slight pained grimaced as she tried to snap out of the Nogitsune's control.
The Nogitsune noticed, his smirk easily dropping into a frown. "Don't even. Don't fight it.", he growled, dragging her into the school.
Derek noticed the Nogitsune pulling Sam into the school and fought the urge to run after them.
"We can't do this! We can't beat them!", Aiden yelled.
"Take the box,", Ethan yelled, dodging another attack. "Go! We'll hold them off!"
Derek lunged for the box only to be knocked back by an Oni. He roared loudly before rushing to attack it, but before he could, an arrow soared through the air, sticking in the Oni's chest.
They all watched as its chest began to glow yellow. Once the Oni yanked out the arrow, it disappeared in a dark puff.
One was gone and the rest still stood.
Everyone turned to see Chris standing at the top of the stairs, a crossbow in hand. Isaac jumped to the bottom of the stairwell, joining the fight with his expression hardened at the Oni.
"What was that?", Derek asked the older man.
"Silver," Chris answered.
"Derek's got the triskele box. He's going to meet us at the school.", Scott told Lydia, Stiles and Deaton. Lydia suddenly started to fall back but Scott quickly caught her.
"What's wrong?", Deaton asked her.
"Something's happening, I had this sudden rushing feeling like we're running out of time.", Lydia said, looking up at them. "Stiles is still here, but the Nogitsune has Sam, he's getting more powerful."
"Yeah.", Stiles said, standing next to Kira. "Yeah, I kinda got that feeling too."
The teens got into Stiles' Jeep and headed to the school.
"Scott, hold on.", Stiles called his friend. Scott paused. "I know what you're all thinking. If this works it might kill me too but even if it does, you have to go through with it, stick with the plan okay?"
"Then, the plan is to save you.", Scott said. "That's the plan I'm going with."
They walked into the school, but it seemed to have changed into a snow covered garden. The door closed behind them and they looked at each other in confusion.
"Oh, this is definitely not part of the plan.", Stiles muttered as they all looked up at the snow that fell around them.
Their eyes widened as the nogitsune and Sam came out near the door.
Kira unsheathed her sword, readying herself for defense. "Sam.", Stiles stepped up. She didn't respond.
She looked drained. There wasn't a speck of light in her eyes like there used to be, her round cheeks were nearly sunken in if they looked hard enough and it made the boys uneasy. It wasn't like her.
"Like I promised Stiles, we're going to kill all of them," the nogitsune spoke up. "One by one."
"What the hell is this? Where are we!?", Scott said as the teen stared at the nogitsune.
"Between life and death.", Sam's dry voice spoke up.
"Bardo.", Lydia realized.
"But there are no peaceful deities here, Lydia." Scott and Kira looked around. Sam tilted her head, "You're dying, Stiles. And now everyone you care about is dying too."
"What– what do you mean", Stiles shakily asked.
"I've captured almost all the territories on the board, Stiles.", The Nogitsune said. "The hospital, the Sheriff's station, and now the animal clinic." The nogitsune turned to Sam with a smirk. "I may even kill this one here and now."
Stiles' eyes fluttered as he blinked away unshed tears, watching Sam's blank, weary expression. Scott and Kira frowned at the nogitsune angrily.
"Do you know the ritual of seppuku, Stiles?", the Nogitsune asked.
The boy shook his head. "No and I don't want to."
"When a samurai disembowels himself with his own sword to maintain his honour.", the Nogitsune defines. "But that's not the cut that kills him. The killing stroke is made by his kaishakunin, the one who beheads the samurai with his own katana." The Nogitsune glances at Scott. "Scott is your kaishakunin.", he said, making Scott and Stiles share a look.
"I'm going to make your best friend kill you, Stiles. And you're going to let him, because just like you, they're all going to die. Everyone touched by an oni's blade, unless Scott kills you first." The Nogitsune walked up to Stiles, much to the boy's fright.
Scott boiled in anger as he glanced at Sam then back at his best friend.
"Why– why are you doing this!?", Stiles asked the nogitsune.
"To win the game.", he replied then signalled for the oni.
Scott and Kira readied as she raised her own blade to the oni and began fighting the oni while Stiles and Lydia stayed back.
"How is this happening, how are we in this place!?", Scott shouted.
"You're asking me, a month ago I'd never even touched a sword!", Kira replied as they kept fighting the oni but were outnumbered.
Kira lost her sword as Scott and was attempting to hold them off but nothing was working as more Oni pulled up.
Stiles rushed to grab Kira's sword, positioning it towards his stomach, much to the teens fright.
"Stiles, no!", Scott yelled.
"Stiles, don't!", Lydia screamed.
"Stiles!", Scott yelled again.
"What if it saves you, what if it saves all of you?", Stiles whimpered, looking at Sam who stared back dully.
"What if it's just another trick?", Lydia argued.
"No more tricks, Lydia.", the nogitsune said and looked at Scott. "End it, Scott. Let your friend fall on his own sword, do for him what he cannot do for himself. Do it Scott. Be his kaishakunin, give up the game."
Stiles squeezed his eyes shut as he prepared himself for the pain but stopped. "You have no moves left." Stiles lowered the sword as everyone looked at him. "I do."
Stiles tossed the sword at Kira who caught it.
"A divine move.", the nogitsune snarled at him.
"Stop fighting them! It's an illusion you have to stop fighting them! It looks real and feels real but Scott, Kira, you gotta trust me! It's an illusion!", Stiles yelled as he held onto Lydia.
Scott turned back to the doors but the Oni continued slashing at them before the teens ran out of the doors, their wounds disappearing.