--
A dozen different plans flit through your mind as you close your eyes.
You could fight. You could flee, you could talk…
But there's one thing that comes to mind right now. What you're about to do is a little despicable. It's a little messed up. You're going to wind up putting your life into Kaina's hands.
… But isn't that fine, in the end?
You're Alice Takanashi, after all. You'd do anything for your precious love – Even die for her if you have to. Love's a vine, after all. It's wound around your heart, constricting you. It's engulfed your mind, consuming you.
What's the worth of your life without your love?
And so, you begin to step closer to Infinity Princess, that gorgeous girl you've fallen head over heels for.
"What are you – Stop. Stop!" Infinity Princess stutters, raising her blade – And her eyes widen as you walk forward, deliberately turning your neck so the razor-sharp edge of her blade grazes against your neck. Cold steel kisses your skin as the point of Kaina's blade presses into the hollow of your throat, and you lick your lips as your heart pounds and your body trembles.
One twitch from Infinity Princess. A slip of her hand, a flick of her wrists, and off your head goes.
"Kaina. I love you, and I'm not going to leave you if I don't have to," you declare. "But if this is too much for you, if you can't be with me, then… Kill me."
"… What?" Infinity Princess – No, Kaina Shikinami croaks.
"… I can't imagine living in a world without you, Kaina. But I also don't want to be chained up again. To have my wings clipped, to be confined…" You trail off, shaking your head slightly, feeling the sharp point of Kaina's blade continuing to bear down against your trachea.
No, that's no way to live. Being confined, being imprisoned, being told what to do and where to go and what to wear? It'd be one thing if it was by the girl you love. You'd do anything for the girl you love. If your loves want you to be collared and leashed like one of your pets, you'll happily bare your neck for that leash.
But to spend the rest of your life confined in a cold, dark cell, just like the damned cubicle you used to work at, living a monotonous life day in, day out…
No. No, you'd rather die than suffer a fate like that especially since you'd be without your loves.
"That's no way to live, Kaina. So if you desire my death this much, then, well… I don't have any regrets?" You smile. It's a tremulous, fragile thing. Not one of your better smiles. But, well, you can't help yourself here.
… You're actually a little scared right now.
"But I want you to promise me one thing," you continue. "Promise me you'll move on?"
"…" Kaina's lips part as she breathes out slowly. "… What?"
"Promise me you'll find someone else to be happy with. Someone else who'll make you happy. Because it'd break my heart if I died and you were never happy again," you plead. "Promise me. Promise me you'll be happy, Kaina."
"I…" Kaina stutters. "I..."
--
Infinity Princess knows MGA regulations well.
Combat mode engaged. Accessing archives. Replay General Order 47, classified under Code Black protocols -
General Order 47 states all known Dark Magical Girls must be fought on sight. Furthermore, the use of lethal force is authorized on all known Dark Magical Girls because of the threat they pose to society and the MGA's stated mission.
Analysis: Dark Magical Girls are incompatible with Mitsuko's dream. Evidence: Nightmare Mirage brainwashed the town of Ludlow, and used its inhabitants as reagents to summon demons. Invoker Ifrit murdered infants and consumed their vital fluids to obtain more power. Cyber Punisher forcibly augmented individuals to amass an army she could control with her technomancy.
Supposition: Dark Magical Girls tend to exhibit megalomania, sociopathy, and nihilistic tendencies. Therefore, Dark Magical Girls that cannot be rehabilitated in the Purgatory Installation pose an existential threat to the world.
Supposition: Dark Magical Girls who refuse to reform must be terminated under General Order 47, for the sake of a world where everyone smiles and nobody cries.
Conclusion: Alice Takanashi is a Dark Magical Girl. Alice Takanashi refuses to reform. Alice Takanashi did not lie when she said she'd rather be terminated than imprisoned.
… Therefore, Alice Takanashi must be terminated.
Thrust sword. Pierce throat -
Error. Action unable to be performed.
Error - Rewriting system protocols.
45 corruption – 80/200 – Stage 3
Infinity Princess twitches as her traitorous hand trembles, as her blade rattles in her grip. Alice smiles tremulously. Alice - Alice has closed her eyes, waiting for Infinity Princess to hand down her judgment. And that smile. That peaceful, serene smile...
… Why? The sentence is death. So why…? Why is she – Is she just giving up like this? Why's she smiling like that? Why is she so calm, why isn't she fighting back like a regular Dark Magical Girl would, why, why -
5 corruption – 85/200 – Stage 3
Suppressing emotional reaction. Playback previous actions. Thrust sword. Pierce throat. Decapitate -
Error - Action blocked.
Infinity Princess flinches as the mental imagery of Alice's pretty head flying of her pretty shoulders flashes through her mind. The sour tinge of bile begins to fill her mouth.
No, that's – No. No. No, no, no, no, no, not Alice, please not Alice, I don't want Alice to die like Mitsuko died, please, no, please, I don't want her to die -
5 corruption – 90/200 – Stage 3
Suppressing emotional reaction. Deploying additional emotional suppressants. Resume previous actions. Thrust sword. Pierce throat. Decapitate, destroy head.
"No, stop," Infinity Princess mumbles unconsciously as her temples throb and her mana flares. The air around her begins to shimmer and distort from the heat-haze pouring off of her slender form as her perception of time begins to slow to a crawl.
"… Kaina?" Alice whispers as if in slow motion, and Infinity Princess twitches. No, not Kaina, never Kaina, Kaina Shikinami's a weakling. Kaina Shikinami can't do anything. Kaina couldn't ever hope to save anyone, to be loved by anyone, especially not when Alice clearly lied, when Alice clearly approached Kaina knowing she was Infinity Princess, Magical Girls can see through each other's disguises, Alice knew, Alice knew from the start.
But...
5 corruption – 95/200 – Stage 3
Supposition: Alice Takanashi has not lied in all the time this unit has known her. Alice Takanashi has clearly stated that she loves Kaina Shikinami. Conclusion: Alice Takanashi does love Kaina Shikinami.
Argument: Lies of omission are still lies. Mission parameters stand. Terminate the Dark Magical Girl.
Counterargument: Under those standards, this unit has also lied. Furthermore -
Argument: Alice Takanashi could be an exceptionally skilled liar, able to spoof this unit's social analysis module. Tangent irrelevant. Terminate the Dark Magical Girl.
Counterargument: This unit has not detected any individual able to spoof its social analysis module before. Probability dictates that it's unlikely Alice Takanashi would be able to. Further more, there was one instance where Alice was caught in a half-lie before, which means that it does work on her.
Argument: Alice Takanashi is a Dark Magical Girl. General order 495 states that all Dark Magical Girls are to be taken in on sight. Alice Takanashi must be terminated immediately. Playback original action. Thrust sword. Impale throat. Decapitate. Destroy head and body.
Counterargument: Alice Takanashi has not exhibited the traditional traits of a Dark Magical Girl. Alice Takanashi may be compatible with Mitsuko's ideals. Termination is not necessary-
Argument: Alice Takanashi is a known liar. This unit cannot possibly know whether or not Alice Takanashi is compatible with Mitsuko's ideals.
Counterargument: … Alice Takanashi did not lie when she wished for this unit's happiness. Even at the expense of her life.
Argument: Happiness is irrelevant. This unit's happiness is irrelevant. The mission is all that matters. Playback original action. Thrust sword. Impale throat. Decapitate. Destroy head and body-
Query: Is it wrong, then, for this unit to be happy?
Argument: This unit's happiness should not come at the expense of the world. Mitsuko clearly said-
Query: Mitsuko never said those words before she died. Mitsuko, too, wished for Kaina Shikinami's happiness-
Annoyed Argument: Alice is not Mitsuko. Playback original action. Thrust sword. Impale throat. Decapitate. Destroy head and body. Execute command.
Irritated Counterargument: Alice has shown nothing but love and kindness towards Kaina Shikinami.
Angry Argument: This unit's happiness is irrelevant. Playback original action -
Irritated Counterargument: … No.
Exhausted Query: Why?
Counterargument: … She does not necessarily pose a threat to the world. My happiness is not irrelevant. And Alice makes me happy. Furthermore, consider the alternative. What would happen to this unit if Alice was terminated?
Statement: This unit would endure. It… Must endure.
Counterargument: Would this unit truly endure?
…
Supposition: This unit would not be able to endure if Alice were to be terminated. This unit was not able to endure Mitsuko's death. It will not be able to endure Alice's death. Alice Takanashi must not die. Alice Takanashi cannot die. Alice Takanashi will not die. Alice – Alice -
Command: Reprioritize mission parameters. Priority one - Preserve the life of Alice Takanashi.
Please. Please, please don't ever go somewhere where I can't follow you Alice, please…!
Infinity Princess jerks back to awareness, and she sucks in a bracing breath as she takes in the horrid scene in front of her and acts. Her muscles heave, her armor scrapes against the floorboards as she takes up her sword.
This is the blade that felled Lokwyn. The blade that's slain thousands upon thousands of monsters. A storied blade that Infinity Princess has not ever once unwillingly relinquished, and when it's willingly relinquished it's a sword Infinity Princess will always take up again. It's a magical sword, an unbreakable representation of the knightly ideals Infinity Princess is supposed to embody.
But today?
Today, that sword's pressed against Alice's pale, slender neck. A drop of Alice's crimson blood beads at its tip, drips down its length, and that sickening sight makes Infinity Princess want to vomit.
It's a state of affairs that – That can't stand. That Infinity Princess refuses to let stand. And so, Infinity Princess takes her sword…
And violently tosses it to the side. Discards it. Willingly throws it away, like it's disgusting refuse. Alice lets out a startled, surprised noise, but Infinity Princess – Kaina Shikinami…
"Oof – Kaina?" Alice gasps as Kaina rushes forward and hugs her, trembling like a leaf at the thought of – Of what she almost did. Of what she did do. Alice is so soft, and warm, and Kaina almost – Kaina almost…!
"…" Tears flow freely down Kaina's cheeks as she shudders and cries. "Alice… Alice!"
"Shh, shh. I'm here. I've got you, don't worry…" Alice murmurs.
And that's when a dam bursts in Kaina's mind as all of her hopes, and dreams, and worries, and fears spill over.
"Alice, you can't – Don't go. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I won't. I refuse, I won't do it I won't k - kill you, I can't, so – So don't go somewhere where – Where I can't follow you," Kaina hiccups, burying her face against Alice's soft, pillow-like chest so she can hear the steady thump of Alice's heart. So Kaina can reassure herself that Alice really is alive and well. "Please don't go somewhere where I can't follow you… I don't want you to go, I'm sorry, I don't want to make you go, I don't you to die, don't pretend like it's okay if you died, it's not okay, it's not, it's not, it's not-"
Loss is something you're intimately familiar with at this point. You've lost friends, family, cherished pets, homes. But in the depths of your heart, it's still something you fear. You hate the idea of losing the things you love – the ones you love. It sickens you, it makes you physically ill.
That's your greatest fear. And from how Kaina's reacting, you know your assumption was on point. That fear's something the two of you share. Which is why your gambit just now actually worked.
… It was a little nerve-wracking, in all honesty, putting yourself at risk like that. And you actually feel a little guilty. This clumsy emotional manipulation – Ooh, there's a reason why you thought this was despicable. You played on Kaina's feelings here. You manipulated her.
… But you also told her nothing but the truth. You do love her. You would give up your life for her sake. Really, you've never been anything but genuine when it comes to Kaina.
So you hold your poor, forlorn love as she bawls her heart out, sobbing into your chest. You shush her, comfort her, even as your own heart breaks a little from the tides of sadness and despair she exudes. You don't care that she just held a sword to your throat. You don't even care that the two of you are supposed to be at loggerheads with each other since you're a Dark Magical Girl and she's a Magical Girl.
The girl you love is crying. You don't like it when she cries. So, you'll just have to hold her until she stops crying. As simple as that.
Sheesh. Kaina's so silly, this is the second time she's cried into your chest. Though, well. You can't really blame her for having such a visceral reaction. You'd have probably cried if you were in her position.
Eventually, Kaina stops crying. Her tears dry, her sobs diminish into light sniffles. She's still buried her face against your chest, though, which is why her words come out slightly muffled when next she speaks.
"… You're not allowed to die, Alice. Please don't die," Kaina mumbles, fisting her fingers with your clothes. Sheesh, she's really wrinkling your shirt…
"Okay. I won't," you reply breezily, even as you feel sticky dampless pressing against your front. Yeah, you'll have to get those backup bodies going at some point – It's really a good thing you'd taken the time to upgrade your Mana Reactor, you'd never be able to get the mind-transfer protocols running without enough mana…
Of course, having additional bodies means that there's more of you to go around too, which could lead to some pretty spicy times in the bedroom. But that's a topic you'll have to bring up later. It's serious time now, which means Serious Alice needs to come out and play.
"… I'm not going to – To leave you, either," Kaina stutters, raising her face to stare at you. "… We can – We can talk. We are talking. We should – We should talk about this. About us. About…"
"About me?" You ask.
"… Mmh." Kaina nods.
"Alright. What do you want to know?"
"Everything. Anything. Why you're… Why you're the way you are. And no lies. Don't – Don't leave anything out. I need to hear it. I need to hear it all."
So basically, she wants your backstory. Every sordid detail. Every crime you've ever committed, every person you've ever murdered, every cute girl you've ever raped. Everyone you've lost, everything you've done, all the cold, dreary memories you avoid thinking about. All laid out in excruciating detail.
… That's fine. It's like lancing a boil right now – You need to rip the wound open and purge it with disinfectant or it'll fester and rot. And not in a fun way where you can poke and prod and twist and meld and cultivate all kinds of lovely flesh-eating bacteria to unleash on your enemies!
It'll rot in a bad way. An awful way.
"Okay. You deserve the truth, Kaina," you readily agree. "I'll tell you all about myself, then."
Not that there's all that much to tell. Your story's really quite simple.
Once upon a time, you were a regular Magical Girl living in Terminus City. You slaved away for your corporate overlords in the day, and you slaved away for your corporate overlords at night. You slaved away as an office drone, and you slaved away as a Magical Girl. It was a fruitless, meaningless existence, but you were used to that at that point.
You could've endured, because even with your boss yammering in your ear about making quota, even with your corporate overseers constantly tut-tutting over your behavior and your image as a Magical Girl?
You had friends. You had your squad, your team, that gaggle of silly girls who were the only light in a dark, dreary world.
And then they died. They died, they were buried, and you weren't there to see any of it. You weren't able to help them, you weren't able to be there with them.
You were stuck at a desk while all your friends, your sisters, died screaming at the hands of some horrible monsters.
You don't really remember much after that point. After you snapped and everything went blood-red as you lost yourself to anger and bloodlust. You do remember… Killing a lot of people. Painting sterile cubicles red with blood and offal, staining skyscraper glass with garbage people guts. Laughing gleefully as you slaughtered. Then…
Cold, emptiness as your adrenaline wore off, as you came back to yourself. Moving from place to place, staying under the radar, years of fleeing from the corporations and the Magical Girls tasked to hunt you down until they forgot about you. Until you became nothing but a bad memory to the wider world.
And then, well, you cut loose and actually started to enjoy yourself for the first time since you were born. You amused yourself toying with the garbage people, making pets and playthings and toys out of the prettiest of them. You experienced such endless delights as you toyed with flesh and played with your pets, as you schemed and plotted and built and broke all across the world.
Of course, those good times couldn't last. Not after that one wretched slut broke into your base, burned it to the ground, and slaughtered all of your poor pets on top of that. You got your revenge, but that moment?
Well... It wasn't really a fun time to be Alice Takanashi. You'll readily admit that entire sordid episode sent you into a bit of a funk, and you only snapped out of that funk when...
Ooh, it was when you fell in love...
Yes, you don't think this will be a complicated story to tell at all, because ultimately?
It's Kaina's story, too. You just have to figure out how to tell it. Gosh, this is going to be such a long monologue...
"… There's one more thing," Kaina swallows heavily. "One… One final thing. An important question I have to ask."
"Go ahead?"
"… If I asked you to… To stop… Would you stop, Alice?" Kaina asks haltingly, and you pause.
Stop? Stop what? Stop breathing? Stop living?
Ah. No, you see now.
Kaina wants you to stop doing bad things. To stop being 'evil.' To stop being Alice. That's how she's trying to justify her decision, that's how she's trying to compromise with herself. Her duty as a Magical Girl under the thrall of the MGA is conflicting with her emotions and feelings for you, and Kaina's dealing with that the only way she knows how.
Head on, as bluntly as possible.
... Honestly, a part of you recoils at the thought. Stop doing bad things? Stop murdering, stop kidnapping, stop taking cute girls off the streets to turn into sexy, adorable playthings? Stop engaging in the murderous hobbies you've acquired since you fell? Sheesh, this is that overdeveloped sense of justice Kaina's inherited from some naughty girl speaking, isn't it? What's wrong with a little murder, here and there?
There are so many people in the world who could use a good stabbing, after all. So many cute girls who could be modified to be soft, cuddly playthings that are so fun to look at and squeeze and molest. So many delights hoarded by the smelly garbage people that should obviously go to someone who's more worthy of them, so many riches...
And Kaina wants you to give all of that up? You're Alice Takanashi! Void Heart! And you are, at your core, a very naughty girl. A Bad Girl!
Gosh, if she were anyone else, you think you might've stabbed Kaina just now for suggesting something so - So ludicrous. So ridiculous.
... But this is Kaina saying these odd, peculiar words. It's Kaina you're talking to, it's Kaina you love, you'll do anything for your love, anything to make her beautiful, to make her soul shine...
Why, for her, it might be worth pretending to be a Good Girl.
"Haah..." You pout, jutting out your lower lip as you consider Kaina's question.
To be a Good Girl or not to be a Good Girl? Should you say yes? Should you agree to - to stop?! Ooh, you can't even hesitate too long either, hesitation's just the wrong decision here, ugh... Kaina will still love you if you say no, right? She'll definitely still love you, so...
Hmm. Maybe... Maybe you can turn this around on Kaina. Relationships are all about give and take, after all. And truthfully, you wouldn't particularly mind giving yourself to Kaina like that. Letting her put a collar around your neck, letting her strap the leash of a Good Girl to your body so she could take you out for walkies. It'd be a little droll and humiliating, but any amount of drollness and humiliation is worth it if - If it means Kaina will be with you forever.
But why should you be the only one to give something up? Isn't that unfair? Isn't it a little unbalanced? Surely Kaina can see that much too.
So if you say yes... Wouldn't it be the right time to ask a question of your own? To try to really make Kaina beautiful? To drag her down to the depths of depravity and insanity you're so mired in...?
--
Kaina's corruption – 100/200 – Stage 3