24

Predisposition

Chishiya

Chishiya couldn't shake the feeling that had settled in his chest when Niragi had tumbled forward onto the tile. It was an emotion so foreign, so unexpected, that it had nearly paralysed him. In that split second, when Niragi's hands slapped against the cold stone and the flickering light cast eerie shadows, Chishiya had felt something he hadn't allowed himself to feel in years.

It wasn't fear that gripped him, but a deep, gnawing concern. A concern that Niragi might die before his very eyes, because they had ventured into this twisted game together. And what struck him most was the realisation that if the trap had gone off, Chishiya wouldn't have regretted dying. Not if it meant he died alongside Niragi, who had somehow become more than just a reluctant ally in such a short amount of time.

When Niragi had looked back at him, eyes wide with a mix of fear and apology, Chishiya had been overwhelmed by the desire to reassure him, to tell him that it wasn't his fault. He'd seen the regret in those dark eyes, the unspoken guilt that Niragi carried. In that moment, Chishiya had wanted to thank him—thank him for making him feel something again after years of numbing his emotions, of suppressing every shred of humanity in the name of survival.

If this was how it ended, Chishiya realised, he was strangely content with it. He was happy, even, to face death with Niragi by his side. But the trap hadn't gone off, and the relief that washed over him was almost as powerful as the worry that had gripped him moments before. He hadn't said anything then, hadn't let on that his cold, indifferent mask had nearly cracked, but the feeling lingered, even as they moved forward with their plan.

Now, as they approached Sato's cell, Chishiya forced those thoughts to the back of his mind, focusing instead on the task at hand. There would be time later—if they survived this game—to process everything that had happened. For now, they needed to get those bolt cutters and move on.

As they approached, the sound of Sato's voice, harsh and filled with impatience, echoed through the corridor. "Hurry the fuck up, Takei!" he barked. "If you don't get us out of here soon, I'll..."

"I'm trying!" A panicked Takei shot back, his voice strained as he fumbled with the wire in his hands. The two men were tethered together by a shackle around one wrist each, and Sato's constant yanking on the chain wasn't helping Takei's concentration. "But you keep yanking my arm around, and I can't focus!"

Sato's response was another string of curses, and it was clear that his patience was wearing thin. Chishiya instantly witnessed the desperation in Sato's eyes as they came into view, and it was a desperation they could easily exploit.

Niragi stepped forward, his expression cold and taunting as he approached the bars of Sato's cell. "Well, well," Niragi began, his voice dripping with mockery. "Look at you, still stuck in that cage. How's that working out for you, Sato?"

Sato's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing as he glared at the two men. "What the hell do you want?" he growled, suspicion lacing his words.

Niragi smirked, his gaze sweeping over the cell with a mixture of disdain and amusement. "Oh nothing really," he replied with feigned innocence. "Looks like you're in quite the bind, huh?"

Sato's eyes flashed with anger. "If you're here for the bolt cutters, forget it. Yeah, we heard your little conversation back there. I'm not handing them over unless you release us first."

Chishiya and Niragi exchanged a brief glance before Niragi let out a low chuckle. "Bolt cutters? Who said anything about bolt cutters? We're just here to gloat, Sato. Thought we'd stop by and see how the mighty have fallen."

Sato's shackled hand tightened it's grip on the bolt cutters while his free hand clenched into a fist, and his entire body tensed as he glared at them. "You little bastards think you can mock me? I heard you loud and clear back there. You need these." Sato held up his bolt cutters, once again carelessly yanking Takei's right arm away, before he continued. "Sounds to me like I'm the one now holding your lives in my hands. And believe me when I get out of here, I'll—"

Niragi cut him off with a cruel laugh, his pierced eyebrow raised in wicked amusement. "You'll what? You're trapped, Sato. Helpless. Powerless. We could leave you here to rot, and there's not a damn thing you could do about it. You seriously believe we can't break a stupid padlock without your fucking bolt cutters? Give me a break!"

Sato's temper flared, and in a blind rage, he lunged at the bars, his hand shooting out to grab Niragi. But Niragi was ready for him this time. He caught Sato's wrist with a quick, fluid motion, twisting it violently and using his body weight to pin Sato's arm against the bars. Sato let out a grunt of pain as Niragi applied more pressure, the threat of dislocating his shoulder dangerously close at hand.

"You really don't know when to quit, do you? Lucky for us, that just so happens to make you tragically predictable," Niragi hissed, his voice low and dangerous. "Now, hand over the bolt cutters before I break your arm."

Sato's face contorted with pain and fury as Niragi applied a little more pressure, but Sato still refused to cooperate. "Fuck you! I'm not giving you anything!"

Meanwhile, Chishiya had already moved with quiet, calculated precision, aiming the gun at Takei, who stood frozen in place, the wire still in his free, trembling hand. "I'd stay out of this if I were you," Chishiya warned, his tone cold and devoid of emotion. Takei's eyes were wide with fear as he glanced between the gun and Sato, clearly torn between his survival instincts and his fear of Sato's wrath.

Niragi tightened his grip on Sato's wrist, leaning in closer as he spoke through gritted teeth. "Last chance, Sato. Give us the bolt cutters, or I'll make sure you'll never be able to use this arm again."

But Sato, his pride and anger overriding any sense of self-preservation, spat back defiantly. "Do your worst!"

Niragi cocked his head to the side, eyes darkening with elation and a disturbingly diabolic grin playing on his lips. "Exactly what I wanted to hear," Niragi mused, voice filled with disdainful scorn. With a swift, brutal motion, he drove his palm into the back of Sato's arm, forcing his elbow to bend in the opposite direction. The sickening crack of bone echoed through the cell, followed by Sato's scream of agony as he crumpled to the ground.

The bolt cutters loudly clattered to the floor as Sato's grip finally gave way. Chishiya acted quickly, reaching through the bars to snatch them up before stepping back, his gaze never leaving Takei, who remained frozen in place, too terrified to move.

"Good boy," Niragi sneered, watching Sato writhe in pain on the floor. He turned to Chishiya, his smirk widening. "Shall we?"

Chishiya nodded almost imperceptibly, his expression cold and impassive as he lowered the gun.

As they left the cell block, Chishiya watched Niragi glance back at Sato one last time, the satisfaction of victory in his eyes unmistakably evident. But beneath that satisfaction, there was something else - a darkness, a reminder of who he had become and what he was capable of. It was a darkness that Chishiya himself, was all too familiar with.

As Chishiya and Niragi made their way back to the others, Sato's howls of pain echoed through the narrow corridor, reverberating off the cold, unforgiving walls. His curses followed them, growing more desperate and guttural with each step they took away from the cell. Chishiya could hear Sato's frantic attempts to pull himself together, but the pain was too intense, his voice cracking with every scream. Chishiya's grip tightened on the bolt cutters, his mind already shifting focus to what lay ahead. The thrill of their small victory was short-lived, there was still so much at stake.

When they finally reached the others, Chishiya noticed the tension in the room as Akiyama and Kanda looked up, their expressions a mix of curiosity and wariness. The sight of the bolt cutters in Chishiya's hand, combined with the lingering echoes of Sato's agony, quickly told them everything they needed to know.

Akiyama's eyes flicked over to Chishiya, then to Niragi.

Niragi held up the bolt cutters, a dark smirk playing on his lips. "Piece of cake," he proudly announced, but Chishiya noticed that his smirk didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Good," Akiyama said, nodding in approval before his expression turned serious. "We need to move fast. Let me fill you in on what we've uncovered."

He began to explain the symbols they'd identified during their exploration. "The ones you need to avoid are the White Chrysanthemum, the Cat facing to the left, the Snake, the normal Crow, and the Red Spider Lily. Each of those triggers some kind of trap."

Chishiya listened intently, committing each dangerous symbol to memory, while Niragi kept his gaze directed at the path ahead, yet his distant stare betrayed him, his attention seeming far,far away.

Akiyama continued, "The safe symbols are Yatagarasu—the three-legged crow— the Camellia Blossom, the Beckoning Cat, the Plum Blossom, and the Rabbit. As long as we stick to these symbols, we should be able to navigate safely."

"Yatagarasu," Chishiya repeated, almost to himself, recalling the moment when Niragi had landed on the tile with the crow symbol. It made sense now. A symbol of guidance and protection. They had been fortunate, more than they realised.

Chishiya shot a glance at Niragi, who stirred at the mention of Yatagarasu.

"Let's not waste any more time, then," Niragi decided, already stepping forward, his impatience evident.

The group moved as one, carefully navigating the room as they followed the safe symbols toward the locker room.

When they reached the locker room, Akiyama gestured toward the lone locker at the far end. It was an old, battered metal locker, its surface marred with scratches and rust. A heavy combination lock secured the door, barring them from whatever was inside.

Niragi stepped forward, hefting the bolt cutters in his hands, Chishiya beside him. The air in the room grew tense as everyone watched, waiting for him to make his move. With a swift, practiced motion, Niragi positioned the jaws of the bolt cutters around the shackle of the lock. For a brief moment, the only sound was the distant echo of Sato's cries, still faintly audible from the cell block.

Then, with a sharp snap, the lock gave way, falling to the ground with a heavy clang. Niragi swung the locker door open, revealing its contents.

Inside, there was only a single piece of paper. Chishiya stepped forward, reaching in to retrieve it. He unfolded the paper and scanned the contents, his eyes narrowing as he read the six-digit code scrawled in black ink.

He turned to face the others, holding up the paper for them to see. "It's a code," he said, his voice steady. "But what it's for, we'll have to find out."

The atmosphere in the room shifted, a mix of relief and anticipation hanging in the air. They had the code, but the game was far from over. Chishiya's mind began to race, already working through the possibilities of what this code could unlock. Whatever it was, it was bound to bring them one step closer to the end of this deadly game.

Chishiya gazed up at the clock hanging above the lockers. "We have one hour left. We should move."