Author's Note: I decided to try this concept again. I did Psalms again last year. Last year, I ran out of time and had to cut some people. I did better this year. I did have to switch out some characters just to get what I needed. Again, I got the idea from the Grey Rooms podcast. (I'm sad they are still on hiatus. I want them back.) I thought I was going to run out of time again, but I made it work. I love how it turned out too. Now, I have next week planned just like I said for the past two weeks. I might have the first week of January planned out too. The Christmas special is going well and I know what I am doing for the last bite in Wonderland Bites. For now, enjoy this week's halo.

Halo Nineteen: Psalms:

Mikado

Things are starting to repeat themselves. I don't know how to deal with Anri's pregnancy. If I don't do something, she's going to die. Maybe I could convince her to get an abortion. I could tell her that this baby could kill her and the abortion would save her life. That would be telling the truth in a way. If she wanted to, she could still be able to have children later on.

I frowned to myself.

I couldn't do that. It would be too cruel. Anri wouldn't do something like that. Besides, Asato-sensei or Nakahara-sensei would get in her head and convince her to keep the baby. They might even tell her that the baby won't kill her.

Because of that, I am back where I started. That isn't the only thing on my mind, however.

I looked down in my futon at Michiko's place. Marin lay asleep next to me. It won't be long before the rest of them find me again. I already know how that part will end up. How long before Marin decides she wants to have sex with me? How long before I give in? Not just her, but to all of the others that I have slept with? I know how it happens and I have to be the one to stop it before it gets to that point. I can tell that I am about to be forced down into that old downward spiral to feel something again. That's not the only vice to call to me though.

The other day I stood in front of a cigarette vending machine in a 7-11 store. I stared at the Seven Stars pack and thought about it.

Yeah, it's really starting to come back and get worse.

I really don't know what to do with myself.

Masaomi

I am starting to see that I do have a problem. I looked at this girl lying next to me in bed. I don't know what her name is. I met her at the karaoke bar. I don't know how it happens but I keep meeting girls there. Nobody asks questions anymore. They wouldn't even look at me. I don't know if that makes things worse.

This isn't working anymore. But what else can I do? I just feel so… empty. I don't know I feel that way. Something happened and I ended up like this. I wish that I could remember. Michiko makes it worse when she looks at me in pity. I want to tell her to stop looking at me like that.

"What happened to you, boss?" Yatabe said. I couldn't answer him. I didn't look him in the eye. He's ashamed of me now. He doesn't understand. I don't think I understand it myself. Now that I think about it, I don't think I want to.

I already know what's going to happen next. She's going to slip away in the middle of the night and I will wake up alone. If not that, I will have to push her off and convince her to leave. We'll probably never see each other again. I never ask them to stay. I should ask them to stay. I really should. But I don't know why. Speaking of which…

I reached for my phone next to my futon. Oh. It's her again. Ruriko. I don't know what she wants from me. We keep running into each other out in public. She didn't try to interact with me at first. But last night, she came over and talked to me while Mikado was getting his laptop from his apartment. I have no idea how she found me. Ruriko just walked over and started talking to me. I didn't know how to take it. She kept touching me on the arm and getting closer to me. I don't remember what all she said, but I can tell she was flirting with me.

"See you around, cutie," she said just as Mikado was walking out with his laptop. Ruriko winked and blew a kiss before walking away. I just stood there and awkwardly waved.

"Who was that?" Mikado asked.

"No one," I lied. We walked away without saying a word. I still don't know what she wants from me.

I sat up as I opened the text. My heart leaped up into my throat. Ruriko wants to see me again. Oh…

Anri

Two and a half months. I am handling all of this better than Mikado-kun is. He isn't avoiding me anymore. We still won't talk about the baby. I'm alone at least. Mika, Erika-san, and Itori-san have been there for me. Itori-san is also pregnant. She's also two and a half as well. The problem is that Yukio-san doesn't know. Itori-san said that she was going to talk to him.

Things have been getting tense lately. There aren't many people out walking around. We can go in and out if we want to. But something keeps telling me that I shouldn't. Then there is Saika.

I don't know what she wants with the baby. She wouldn't let me take the morning-after pill. Saika won't tell me anything either. I don't have a good feeling about this. Hers isn't the only voice I hear.

Itori-san asked if I heard them too.

"What do you mean?" I asked. I didn't need to ask. I couldn't but a name to it, but I knew deep down inside. The other tadpoles can feel it too. Itori-san asked if I was having weird dreams. I didn't understand what she was asking at first. She didn't know how to explain it herself. Just by the look on her face, I remembered something.

I put my hand to my stomach.

"Well… there was something… last night…" I admitted. Itori stared at me intently.

"What is it?" she asked. I took a breath as I lowered my hand. I broke down and started talking.

Mika

I don't remember anything about my parents. I don't remember where I lived before. I don't remember my old face. Addresses do confuse. (I can work around this by Googling where I need to go.) I do remember Seiji and Anri. I remember everything about the previous loops. I have been writing down everything I can remember. I also made a list of things I can't remember. I don't think I will be able to get those memories back. I am okay with that. I still have Seiji and Anri.

But I couldn't focus on that now. I still have to kill him.

I keep looking up a legion puppet master monster. So far, I keep coming up with nothing. Sometimes, I can see what he sees. I can see his victims. I want to scream at them to run away but they can't hear me. I can only watch as he hollows them out and remakes them into his legion. They become empty. That could've been me. My Seiji saved me.

I looked at the key in my hand. Victor-sensei left me with this for some reason. I turned it over in my hand. What are you trying to tell me, sensei? That's when I saw the number etched into the surface. 29. This key looked like it could lead to a locker of some sort. I think I know where I can find it. Nothing a little Google search can't fix. However, Celty won't let us go anywhere alone.

I lay back on my futon. I'll just ask Seiji to go with me. He wouldn't mind. How did we meet again?

Sawako

I looked at what I had to do next. Sowers of discord. I frowned as I looked at Orihara Izaya's photo. He would've been perfect for this one. But he's dead. Oh well. I guess I will have to keep looking. The last two kills took work. I get the feeling the rest are going to be just as tough if not harder.

Shizumu Ieshige. A doctor stealing from his own hospital. This one was a fan request. (Ha! I have fans. It's actually kind of funny.) Shizumu-sensei was going to be for hypocrites. But then I got something better. However, I didn't forget about him. I saved him for the thieves part of Inferno.

I sat at my computer and smiled.

I had a few ideas for him. So much so that it took all of my lunch break to figure out what I was going to do with him. When I settled on what I wanted to do, I couldn't stop laughing in my apartment. You can see my handy work in the basement of that hospital. Apparently, I might have another fan in the police force. Someone keeps leaking information about my arts and crafts. I have to say, I'm not mad. Honestly, the fans are a perk. The mission itself comes first. We all have to keep that in mind.

Imai Genji. This was one was a bit of a pain. I didn't want to do another politician. They are too easy. Almost so that it's boring. So I decided to change it up. I hate MLMs. They are the definition of the counsellors of fraud. The problem was who was I going to pick off for the mission. Google helped me find the worst MLM in Japan. Which led me over to Sunshine Happy. You can see what happened with that one in his office. That was not so easy. Setting up was the worst part. Carbon monoxide. It's not a top choice for a murder weapon. It's a good thing that we were working remotely. It lets me be more flexible if you know what I mean.

I frowned at my screen.

Sucks that we'll have to go back to the office when this mess is over. Though we will have Christmas Eve off. I smiled as an idea came into my head. I should give Ikebukuro a little "Christmas" present in the middle of the city. That would give them something to talk about. Merry Christmas!

I still have my own questions. What happens when this is all over? Will I go to prison? Am I going to die? Part of me doesn't believe I will fully get away. I don't know what I will do when it gets to that point. The others don't know what they are doing either. I can at least take comfort in that. It is still not enough. We need a plan to do something when this is over. Especially since…

I rubbed my forehead and shook my head.

Stop doing that! You're overthinking again. I lowered my hand and frowned. I really need to get back to work.

Sachiko

Osamu keeps fucking with my head. I want to slap him but I want to kiss him all the same. His smug face. Why does he have to look so hot? I screamed as I messed up my hair.

"Fuck!" I shouted. I didn't care who was staring at me. I was having a moment. I leaned back in my chair and frowned.

More memories keep coming back and I don't like them. Shiki-san might not have been lying. I might have been at that motel. I shivered at the thought. I started to remember the room that I frequented night after night.

It's always the same room. The dingy red wallpaper looked like it was peeling off. The room always smelled like cigarettes. The lights are rather dim too. I don't want to go any further than that but I have to know. My memory still has gaps in it. But there is something new to this memory.

I don't really have the full picture, but it's been playing on repeat in my head lately. The only thing I remember is lying naked and face down on the soaked sheets below. I was trembling and panting hard. I could feel myself smiling. I looked and felt spent as my ass and back were sore and bleeding. My neck felt just as sore. The last thing I can remember is the sound of my master yanking off his condom. He laughed to himself afterward.

I looked so pale as I shivered. I think I am going to be sick.

Osamu

I took a drag in my apartment.

She'll be back. She is my responsibility. How do I explain this? Well, I am the one who is her handler. That's right, I am the one who has to look after her and keep her on the mission.

I'm not sure why I was the one who had to do it. I must have been staring at Kitano-sensei like he had grown a second head out of his neck.

"You want me to do what now?" I asked. "Wouldn't Aya-sensei be better for this?"

"If I wanted Otomo-sensei, I would've asked her. This is more suited for you. I know you can do this," he said. "Think of it like pet training." I will never get him. I can never figure out what was going on in his head.

I flicked out my cigarette.

Well, I ended up liking my job. My nights are great and I love teasing her like this. However, it's starting to get old. I'm tired of explaining everything to her to get her to remember. This time, I am dropping clues for her to get it. She's smart enough to figure it out.

Meanwhile, I have shit to do.

Daichi and I got the orders to do the Big One. I was working on the next batch of flowers when I heard him on the phone.

"I understand. I understand," he said. "We will get on it." Daichi hung up and turned to me.

"Is it time for us to get started on that project?" I asked. That smirk on his face told me all that I needed to know.

So I have babysitting, gardening, and chemistry. Okay, so it's not exactly that. But that's what it is in a nutshell. I may be oversimplifying it, but that's what it is. Damn it, I need that little whore now. I don't feel like going out to the motel tonight but it's too risky to have her over at my place.

I snubbed out my cigarette.

Fuck it. I picked up my phone and sent her an instant message.

Michiko

They took out the signal for the phones. They're starting to move faster than before this time. Something's gone wrong. They should not have advanced this soon. I don't know if we have time to find out what went wrong. The game has reached the final stages. We don't have much time.

Okay, I need to calm down. Panicking is not going to work.

Tiresias has been looking for the final Gate of Light. However, she doesn't know where it is. The current situation isn't helping either. There are more demons and monsters roaming the streets now. They are just looking for humans to attack. However, I heard that there are some out there that want to help us. It's so hard to tell which one is which. We don't have time to play guessing games, but we don't have a choice.

Then there is Masaomi.

I don't know how to help him. He's hurting on the inside and he doesn't understand why. I need to sit him down and talk to him. Masaomi may act like everything is fine, but I can see that he is hurting. He is ashamed of what he is doing but he can't stop. He's trying to fill a void that woman took from him. He can't keep doing this. Masaomi will end up wearing himself down. And then what? End up fathering a child that he does not want? Come down with a disease that he can't get rid of? I have to get him to stop. I am worried that he will not listen. But I can't give up on him. I am going to talk to him tonight. I need to talk to Makoto and Noriko too.

I don't know if I can reach them. I just have to get through.

Kaori

I'm getting my horse back! My siblings already have theirs. Mine always loves to take his sweet time. I don't know what it is. I just think he loves to be fashionably late. He can be such a diva. He's going to be the last horse before the party can truly get started.

However, there is one more horse.

We had a sister long ago but she's gone now. However, she is coming back. We only have half of her. The other half isn't ready yet. When she comes back, she will get her horse back.

I clapped as I twirled around.

Everything keeps taking its sweet time. I can't stand it anymore. Mama pats me on the head and tells me to calm down. I am forced to smile and agree.

"It will be well worth your time," she says. "Trust me on this." I want to believe her. She hasn't let me down in the past. But still…

I paused and turned in the street.

She's back again. She wants to ruin the fun. I don't like her. She has to go.

Shiki

How the hell can we not catch this guy? The police can't get the Dante Killer. Even our guys on the inside can't figure it out. Despite working with the police, we are getting nowhere with this case. The men are getting restless with their need for revenge. It doesn't help that the Dante Killer's fanbase keeps growing each day.

I looked at the at app they frequent. It took my all not to vomit.

What the hell is wrong with these people? I have seen some fucked-up shit in my years. (We are yakuza after all.) But this…

"These people," Mikiya said. The boss is doing everything in his power to find the Dante Killer. It's not a complete loss, however. We do know who the next victim is going to be.

Sowers of discord.

Now under normal circumstances, Orihara Izaya would've been the perfect victim. But someone already beat them to the punch. This could be our opening. While the killer is looking for the next victim, we will make our move. The boss had all of us read the Inferno part of The Divine Comedy. Speaking of which, we have another problem in this case.

One of our CSIs on the inside told us about someone leaking the crime scene photos to the Dante Killer fans. The police are still looking at who but we already know who it is.

First, we will take him out and then we will deal with the Dante Killer.

Master of Lies

Things are starting to change. My little dolls are deep in the thick of it. I am proud to say that I have made them better. One has gotten stronger with their powers. One goes out more into public. One now has a little girlfriend. One saved her teacher from a life of misery. One got herself out of a bad situation. And I am still not done.

Let's see… I have three of them left now. That now leaves me with Yukari, Tomoya, and Yukio. I already know who I will be talking to me next. So far, it's all been easy to get through to them. I am going to have to try and push them a little further. I was going to save that for the second round but things are getting fast-tracked around me. Honestly, I don't mind it. In fact, I welcome it. This should make things more interesting.

I apparently have the blessing of their creator. Kitano is a strange man. I don't know what to make of him. He's the one behind this version of the game. Honestly, I don't know whether to run from him or embrace him. Either way, I can't wait to see what is going to happen next.

I made it to where Tokiwa Tomoya was working. I already know how I am going to approach him.

Namie

This is what I get for trying to be helpful. And look what happens. Izaya is dead and Mikage is having to look over her shoulder. She is probably going to do something stupid like keep that people. Her funeral. I tried. His baby isn't worth dying over.

I just walk around in the streets and they don't bother me anymore. I still see those two demons who used my Seiji. I will never forgive them! I will keep hunting them down until this place is wiped off the map. Even then, I will keep chasing them down.

I cleared my throat.

It's still all falling to pieces, you know? Only, it's about to end soon. They are all going to die. Well, some of the little freaks are going to live. I won't let my Seiji die either! I will do what it takes to keep him alive.

That reminds me, I heard about what to that little whore with him. That one has me torn. One the one hand, I couldn't help but laugh at how the Chuku tried to take her. On the other hand, I was happy that she broke free. That would've been kind of lame if she got taken by them. I'm not sure why. I guess that's because, and I hate to admit this, but she's too strong to be taken down like that.

In any case, things are to get worse. Winter is already here and this city doesn't have long to live.

Chisa

Election Day will be here in two days. I should be happy. I stared down at my wine glass. I sighed at my wine.

It doesn't feel like it's enough. I don't know why I feel this way. Everything has been going great. Our numbers keep growing. The polls are in my favor. It looks like I am going to win. But still, it is not enough. I think I know why.

It's my father and his damned tadpoles. I can't have them around in my kingdom. I refuse to have other gods than me! They have got to go! I took another sip of my wine. It wasn't going to be difficult. I have the means to do it now. Unfortunately, it was going to take time and patience to do it. But first, I have to win this election.

I looked up when I heard a knock on the door.

"Yeah?" I asked. Sachie poked her head in the doorway.

"They are ready for you," she said. I rose to my feet and followed her out of my room.

Kitano

I sat at my desk and hit record.

"My daughter is going to win. There was no question about that. This puts me in quite a predicament. On the one hand, Chisa will push the game even further. On the other hand, she could be a disruption to my plans. I am going to have to deal with both Chisa and the Ten no Shin'en before it gets out of hand. A couple of the blood knights want to deal with the latter. Who I am to stand in the way?

"Speaking of which, everything is falling into place for us. However, there are a few potential interlopers looking for a way to disrupt the game. This will not do. Even the Vozrozhdeniye and Mam are starting to see it too. I am going to have to call them in for a meeting. For now, the horsemen are spying around the city for the interlopers. In the meantime, we have to keep the game going.

"There's something else on my mind. The police lost Izaya's body from the morgue a few days ago. Plus, three days before his remains were found, I heard that someone who looked like him came to the police station to talk. I am assuming about the game and us. Now, we all know that he's been dead since last month. So who was that in the police station? This is going to sound crazy. Then again, what is crazy anymore? I wouldn't be surprised if Izaya's ghost came back one more time to try and sabotage the game. It's something I would do if it were me in that situation. Now, I could be overthinking things but I have seen stranger things.

"In any case, I am prepared if the police want to talk to me—again. I'm not too worried about it. I'm used to it by now. Heh. When there is no more room in hell, the dead will work the earth. My daughter and Izaya are going to see to that themselves."

I hit stop on my recorder.

Yorokobi

I sat on my throne, looking bored. There's nothing going on right now. I threw back my head and groaned.

"I am so bored!"

I know I can go down and wreak more havoc. The others are going down to make things happen. And they are doing it rather impressively. Why aren't I doing it too? Honestly, I don't know.

There is so much going on in the living world. Even in their current situation, there are things starting to unfold. I could check in on Kasuka again, but I could give him a rest for now. Still, it doesn't do anything for my boredom.

Heh? What is this? I leaned over for a closer look. I let off a low whistle. Oh! This looks interesting. There was a woman in a dark red cloak carrying a large white box walking through the streets in the snow. Despite the disguise, I knew who it was. I haven't seen her in years. What is she doing down there? I felt that old tingling in my system perk up. I think I might have found something else to do until I see Kasuka-kun again. I could just pop down and say hi really quick. I smirked to myself as I vanished out of my room.

Byakko

I danced around in the empty streets. I just got the package! I just got the package! I squealed to myself and clapped. I only got a peek inside but for I already know what it is. I looked up at my mistress with big eyes.

"Do I really get to use these?" I asked.

"Yes," she said as she patted me on the head. It took my all not to jump up and squeal.

"Can I do it now?" I asked. "Can I? Can I?"

"Yes," she said. I quickly bowed.

"I won't let you down!" I shouted. I vanished into thin air. I could finally get started on my mission.