Author's Note: Merry Christmas, dear Wastelings! Welcome to the 2024 Christmas Special and the last halo of 2024! It's rather fitting that this special would take place on New Year's Eve. The more I kept writing, the more it came pouring out. I have been sitting on a couple of ideas for quite some time now. I am so happy to be finally getting them out. Some characters will end up with a gruesome fate by the time you reach the end of this halo. There are some images that I ended up using to write that will come back in the near future. The next time I will be seeing you in this fic will literally be next year on New Year's Day. I already got a good start on that halo. For now, enjoy the Chirstmas Special!
Halo Twenty-One: New Year's Eve:
Today is the last day of 2015. Somehow, the beginning of the end is closer than it looks. The Tandeki group, Mam, Vozrozhdeniye, and all of their associates began to move.
Now, the countdown has begun. The following is a record of what happened on December 31st, 2015.
10
Uehara Kazuha was seventy-nine when he was murdered. What started out as a noise complaint turned into a murder investigation. Neighbors started making calls when what sounded like talking wouldn't stop for three days straight. The landlord had to unlock the door when there was no answer. The thing that the police noticed was how cold the apartment was. So cold that they could see their own breath. Two of the cops drew their guns as they walked further into the house. They listened to the voice coming from the speaker. One cop paused and took a listen.
"It's Korean," he said. His partner looked up.
"Huh?" he asked. The first cop put his finger to his lips and pointed to the air. His partner listened closely. There it was. It sounded like audio recordings of Kim Jong II and Kim II Sung talking on a loop. The sounds were enough to make the cops wince. However, that started to raise more questions. With those questions came a lingering sense of dread.
The cops ran down the narrow hall.
When they kicked down the bedroom door, they were not expecting what they would find.
The first thing they noticed was the giant North Korean flag hanging against the back wall. So big that it covered the balcony windows. The audio tracks were so loud that the cops had to cover their ears and back up. The body was propped up in a computer chair. Uehara was dressed up like a North Korean soldier. Everything from the hat to the boots. Thick sunglasses covered his eyes. There was a single bullet hole in his chest. The endless speeches were coming from a speaker hooked up to the computer on a desk in the corner of the room.
The cops had their jaws on the floor as they looked at each other. They had one thought in mind.
"Call for backup!" they shouted.
Moments later, Nakamura and the CSI team were processing the crime scene. The detective shook his head. He already knew who did this but he had to go through the motions.
"Can you tell me anything about the victim?" the detective asked. The landlord shrugged.
"Not much," he said. "We rarely saw him leave the apartment."
"Did you have any trouble with him?"
"Up until now, now. He kept to himself and paid rent on time."
Nakamura listened as he took a look at how the body was set up. He couldn't take his eyes off of the North Korean flag and the soldier's uniform. The detective already knew they were going to have to take the computer away. He made a bet with himself on what the lab was going to find.
That just left betrayal to one's guests and betrayal to one's master.
Meanwhile…
"Hey, Kitty."
"What?"
"When this is all over, you should go live with your sister in America."
"What?"
"You should go live with your sister when this is all over."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"You are not a killer."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"I shouldn't have dragged you into this."
"What are you talking about? Where is this coming from?"
"Goodbye."
Kokomi stared at the DM's on her phone as she hid out in an internet café. What the hell was Yuri thinking? It wasn't just her either. Sawako stopped by her apartment and told her the same thing.
She looked up at the computer screen in front of her. It had been a while since Nee-san had heard from her. The least the squire could do was send her a quick email.
Kokomi shoved her phone into her pocket and started to type.
9
It started with the dogs.
"Anyone heard from Shiki?" Aozaki asked.
"He's not picking up," Kazamoto said as he looked at his walkie-talkie. Mikiya clicked his tongue. He didn't have a good feeling about tonight. Aka-chan looked out the window. She looked like she was reaching out for something.
"Doggie," she said. The men looked up.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Aozaki asked.
"Doggie!" Aka-chan said again as she pointed outside. The men got up for a better look. They looked confused.
"What are you talking about?" Aozaki asked. The child kept pointing outside. Mikiya got a better look.
"What is that?" he asked. A giant brown, black, and white dog with giant wings was pawing at the ground. Aka-chan pushed open the door and ran outside.
"Hey!" Aozaki shouted. The little girl ran up to the winged dog and patted it up on the head. The dog looked so happy to have some affection. The Awakusu men didn't know how to process this. Mikiya had the feeling that something rotten was on its way.
Meanwhile, the distraught god stood at the gates to the living world. He didn't look up when he heard pounding footsteps running up to him. A giant golden shiba inu ran up to him. Small claps of thunder and sparks of lighting danced at his little white paws. The god smiled to himself as he reached down and patted the dog on the head.
"Good boy," he whispered. Raiju looked up at him like a faithful soldier awaiting his orders. He and the god had been together since birth. Raiju was the animal equivalent of "ride or die". If the god said they were going to work, the dog didn't complain. Right now, the pair was about to wage a war over the loss of their favorite.
"Hiroyoshi!"
The god looked over his shoulder.
"Oh, it's you," he said. A goddess with long pink pigtails stood in the doorway, panting. She reached out to her brother.
"Please… Don't do this!" she pleaded.
"I'm sorry, Hami-san," the god said. "But I must." The goddess shook her head.
"Don't!" She tried to reach out to Hiroyoshi. Raiju turned and stood growling. Hami stepped back with a gasp.
"You are not taking him with you!" she shouted. "Raiju, come here!" The dog refused to come here. Hami reached over for the dog's neck. Raiju growled and backed up.
"Stand down!" his master shouted. The dog settled back into place and went quiet. Hiroyoshi reached down and patted the dog on the head.
"What will it take to stop you?" Hami asked. Her brother's face looked so cold.
"Nothing," he said. The god reached behind him and opened the gate.
"Hiroyoshi!" Hami shouted. Her brother and his dog vanished into thin air. The goddess sank to her knees with her hand to her chest.
She's not the only one who can see that a dog might sound the alarm to something going sideways.
Vanessa could tell that the worst was starting to come. It began when she heard panting out outside her office door. She looked up from the paperwork on her desk. The woman narrowed her eyes as she took a listen.
"What is that?" she asked. Vanessa rose to her feet and pressed her ear to the door. The strange sound of panting set off alarm bells in her head. She cautiously reached for the door and slowly slid it open. A giant black dog with three heads stood outside. The heads were panting like they were in the heat of Hell.
"Cerberus?" Vanessa asked. The dog cowered back when he saw the manager of Purgatory.
"Hey, hey, it's okay. It's okay. It's okay," she said. Vanessa reached up and patted the dogs on his heads. He slowly began to calm down. Cerberus settled down at her feet. It took a moment before the questions started to rise in Vanessa's mind.
"What are you doing here, buddy?" she asked. The three heads looked up at her like an innocent child in need of attention. In that moment, Vanessa pieced together how bad things were going to get.
"Listen, why don't you come along with me," she told the demonic dog in a soft voice. "I think you wanted to show me something." Cerberus rose to his feet and walked down the hall. Vanessa followed behind without saying a word.
8
Death and the Maiden are getting married.
Sonomi has had this dream before. She found herself walking around in a forest made of bones. The cold was eating up her body from the inside. The ground burned into the bottoms of her feet with each step. But the girl won't stop. Something inside of her wouldn't let her. Sonomi didn't or couldn't remember where she was going. All that she knew was that she had to keep going.
Suddenly, she noticed a dull red light in the distance. Sonomi couldn't take her eyes off of it. A low humming filled her ears. Her eyes looked so empty. She started walking down the blackened hill as if in a trance. The trees parted for her with each step. It was like something was calling her closer to the light. Her wings began to tingle on her back.
Come closer, my dear.
Sonomi came up to the clearing in the woods. The dead, bony roots parted like a curtain in front of her. The girl gasped with a start as if waking up from a nightmare. That red light hung over the clearing like a parody of the sun. Below stood two figures. The one on the right was a skeleton in black robes. It held out its hand to a figure in white robes. Just by looking through the thin fabric, Sonomi could tell that the figure in white was a woman. Said woman was holding out a red glowing lantern. It didn't take long for Sonomi to piece together what was going on. When it came together, the color drained from her face.
She screamed at them to stop. However, her voice was muted. The couple couldn't hear her voice. The bride handed her lantern over to the creature who was to be her husband. The groom's bony fingers caressed the heated glass. The maiden's body stiffened as she let out a small gasp. He walked up and kissed her on the lips.
And with that, the marriage was sealed. Death and the Maiden were now husband and wife.
Lately, Sonomi's been having this dream more often. She couldn't make what it all meant. All that she knew was that time was running out. Sonomi had to act fast on her mission.
She had no idea how much she was making things worse. Or that there is a body of deities hot on her trail with their mission involving her.
7
The scent of flowers teased Mikado's nose. A warming sensation came over his body. The tadpole put his hands to his chest.
"Mmm."
Mikado opened his eyes. At first, everything was dark. His heart raced as his mind went to the worst-case scenario. Was he trapped in another dream?
Soon, his eyes adjusted to the darkness. A deep sea of red greeted his eyes. This looked like one of the dreams. Only… This was different. The clean scent of flowers became sharper. Cherry blossom petals covered the floor. Vintage red wallpaper decorated the walls. Most of the furniture was either gold or pink. A red throne sat in the corner of the room. A red and gold chandelier hung from the middle of the ceiling. A light pink dresser and wardrobe sat untouched to the left. The former had perfume bottles, make-up, and a jewelry box. Red curtains covered up one side of a wall. Sensual Renaissance paintings lined the rest. The Birth of Venus hung over the bed. Speaking of the bed, white silk and red lace waited for a warm body to lay on it. The headboard was inches from the ceiling. So many grooves were carved into the wood. The bed looked like it was floating off the floor.
Mikado took a step back.
He wasn't alone this time.
She lay on the bed in a seductive pose. Her ivory-pale skin stood out in the darkness. A nubile woman was lying naked with her arms behind her head. Her long black hair rested on a silk white pillow. Mikado tried not to look at the beautiful woman before him. However, he found himself put off by the snakes crawling around her. There was a snake biting at each of her plump breasts. The woman didn't scream or make a sound. The tadpole wasn't scared of them, but did there have to be so many of them?
But yet, Mikado didn't find himself afraid.
Her amber eyes locked on him. The tadpole froze. His brain screamed at him to run away but he felt compelled to come closer. He started breathing heavier. The snakes crawled against her skin on the bed. Mikado gulped. A gentle breath brushed past his right ear.
Don't be afraid.
He's heard that voice before. His heartbeat slowed down. Mikado walked over to the snake-covered woman on the bed. She never said a word. Her eyes stayed on him. Mikado almost unconsciously unzipped his jacket and took off his shirt. He climbed onto the bed and kissed the woman on the lips. She felt so cold to the touch. Mikado shivered as a snake crawled across the back of his ankle.
Relax.
Mikado climbed on top of the voluptuous woman. He ran his hands along her cold skin. She let him slip his tongue into her mouth. There was no taste. No… There was a slight taste there. Marshmallows maybe? The woman pulled him closer to her cold body. Mikado jumped at her touch. This was the first time that she interacted with him. She just laid there and let him do as he pleased.
The woman ran her hands down his chest. Mikado shivered at her touch. He broke off the kiss as a snake crawled up his side. Anyone would've run off from the bed of snakes. The tadpole didn't understand why he hadn't tried to get up. His jeans sliding off wouldn't let him think. His boxers followed behind. A smaller snake curled itself around his leg. Mikado froze, not knowing what to do.
Just let it take you.
Those words relaxed his mind as he sank in for another kiss. The woman placed her hands on his back. Her fingers ghosted down his spine. Mikado found his mind in a confusing place. The tadpole didn't know why anything was happening. It felt like his body was on autopilot. That all became apparent when his cock started stirring awake.
The woman didn't say a word the whole time. He felt her thighs spreading underneath him. She surprisingly got wet rather quickly. Mikado breathed heavily as he stared into her amber eyes.
"Is this okay?" he asked. "Do you want me… inside of you?" She didn't speak as the snakes bit into her harder. Even Mikado couldn't ignore them crawling against his skin. The wanton look in her eyes commanded his attention. There was only one thing that he had to do.
He hadn't expected her to feel so warm when he slid inside of her. Mikado's body broke down shivering. An unexplained need to start moving took over his being. The tadpole started pounding into the snake-covered woman. Soft whimpers underneath him sent him into a strange place. His mind would've completely clouded over if not for the snakes biting into his legs. There was no pain, but they felt like tight pinches into his flesh. Mikado took in a deep gasp. His lungs along with the rest of his body felt like they were on fire with each thrust.
Why is this happening to me?
Just let it take you.
Huh?
A pair of invisible graceful hands grabbed onto his hips. A heated breath breathed on his nape. Soothing words tumbled into his ear.
This is healing. Just let it take you.
Her voice was all the encouragement that he needed. Mikado sped up with his thrusts. The invisible hands didn't leave his body. They acted like a guide to every motion he made. Mikado closed his eyes and took it in. The snakes bit on his legs, arms, hips, torso, and neck. The tadpole thrusted through the burning sensation in his body.
His head spun as he reached his climax. Mikado collapsed on top of the woman, panting. He looked up to see her with a little smile on her face.
How are you feeling?
"Better," he said, panting. Mikado rested his head on the snake woman's breasts and slowly drew his eyes closed.
Meanwhile on the outside, the tadpole was looking for Masaomi to try and save him from himself.
6
There is a parade going on tonight. But this is not one led by humans.
A group of figures were dressed in kimono of different colors. They all ranged from different ages judging by their appearances. Some of them looked like adults while others looked like children. Their gender didn't matter. However the one thing that stood out was their white and red kitsune masks. One of the figures walked up ahead of the group. They wore a black and dark blue kimono with their mask. All eyes fell on them. There were no words needed to convey what needed to be done. The leader held up their arm in the air. The people nodded and held up their hands in response.
And then the parade began.
Aoba shivered and winced at the ghastly sight. He shook his head as he tried to get himself to focus. Mikado put him on a mission.
Six Hours Earlier
Mikado had Anzu, Sota, Naomi, Shuichi, and Aoba in a room in Michiko's apartment. The blue-haired boy didn't know why he came here. Mikado took a breath.
"I am going to need your help," he said. Shuichi raised an eyebrow. No one else said a word. Mikado took another breath.
"Rena is on the move again," he said. "I get the feeling that she's going to try to pull something tonight." Mikado leaned into the group that he gathered.
"I want to solve this as fast as possible," he said. "If we get the others mixed up in this, Rena will catch on and change her tactics."
"So what are we supposed to do?" Shuichi asked.
"For now, keep your eyes open for anything out of place," Mikado said. Aoba didn't know what the hell was going on. He didn't even know why he came here. Still, the founder of the Blue Squares sought him out. It was by chance if he was being honest. Aoba had heard Mikado's name before. He found it weird and Kururi kept talking about him like he was some great guy. He just couldn't figure out why.
"Are you sleeping with him or something?" Aoba asked. She cuddled up to his chest.
"Jealous?" she asked.
"No," Aoba said as he pushed her off in bed. Still, he couldn't let it go. The boy just had to find out what made this Mikado person so great. Aoba insisted on being used. (Why did that seem so familiar?) Mikado had been reluctant to take him in but the boy insisted.
Now
This task that Mikado gave him should be easy. Aoba just had to make sure that nothing was out of place. The tadpole wasn't clear on what exactly he was looking for. Just find something strange. Did this kitsune parade count? If it did, now what? Mikado did invite him to use one of those chat apps to keep in touch. But those were unreliable half of the time. The updates couldn't come fast enough. Still, Aoba was going to have to try. He reached into his pocket for his phone.
"Where do you think you're going, lad?" he heard behind him. Aoba froze. Wait a second. He's heard that voice before. Against his better judgment, the boy turned around. Junko stood in the alley with a ghoulish smile on her face. At first, Aoba was confused.
"Sensei? What are you doing out here?" he asked. Junko covered her mouth as she snickered. Suddenly, her face darkened. Her eyes grew cold.
"You've been a thorn in my side," the nurse said.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Aoba asked. He noticed the zip tie cuffs in her hand. Junko closed the distance. She towered over him with that demonic smirk on her face. This was it. This was her chance to get sweet, sweet revenge. But then the nurse froze.
"What's so funny?" she asked. Aoba had his eyes down as she walked up to him. Now, he was laughing. The boy lifted his head.
"You shouldn't underestimate the presence of a nuisance," Aoba said with a smirk on his face. Junko raised her eyebrow.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked. The boy smiled and shrugged. This was what happened the last time she did this.
"I've seen the way you look down on me," Aoba said. "You act all high and mighty! Your plans suck. I overheard everything from Izaya's conversations over the phone."
"How much have you heard?" the nurse asked. She started to assess the situation in her head. Aoba threw up his hands in a shrug as he smirked.
"I think this game is stupid," he said.
"And why is that?" Junko already made up her mind. If looks could kill right now…
"Bringing back some goddess to end the world? How much of a joke this is that?" the boy asked. "It's so pathetic!"
"You talk big for someone with no allies."
"I don't need them! I can do fine on my own."
"Is that right?"
"Yes!" Aoba puffed out his chest as he said that.
"Very well." She wasn't going to fall for it this time. That's when something caught her attention.
"What did you say?!" she asked. Aoba might have had the face of an angel but the eyes of a demon.
"What would your mother say about this?" the boy asked.
"She's fine with it, thank you," Junko growled.
"You sure about that?" Aoba asked. "Heh. You don't get it, do you? I don't need anyone. To be your own only ally... A parasite like you can't understand that. I won't need to—"
Wham!
Junko struck him as hard as she could with a small pipe she had hidden behind her back. Aoba dropped without a sound. The nurse stood over the boy. She clicked her tongue. Was he dead? Junko leaned down and checked for a pulse. Good. Still alive. But she had to make this quick.
Junko picked up Aoba's unconscious form and dragged him away.
5
Everyone loves a party. Just not this particular party.
Twenty-eight bodies all sat around at a table. They had party hats on. Some of the guests were naked. Some of them looked like they had been tortured for days. The one that stood out the most sat at the head of the table.
The look of terror was permanently etched into her face. A yellow paper crown was sewn into her head. Her wide-open jaw was stuffed with red tissue paper. Her make-up had been ruined like she had been crying. There was a giant hole in the woman's chest. A fork and knife were taped in her hands ready to dig in.
Flies buzzed around the table. The food looked less than appetizing. So much mold and decay with maggots crawling all over. If it wasn't that, some of the pieces looked freezer-burned. One of the cops had to step out into the hall to throw up. Nakamura had a mask over his face as he looked at the crime scene.
"The victim's name is Iwasaki Suki," the CSI tech said. "Age twenty-nine. Worked at a local hospital. Lived alone."
"I see," Nakamura said. He wrinkled his nose at the grotesque sight. Some of the bodies at the table matched some of the missing persons cases involving foreigners.
"Well this will clear up several cases back at the station," the detective said under his breath.
"I've seen her before," another CSI said. They were pointing to a woman who looked to be twenty years old. Her hair looked dark with either dye or blood. The body's throat had been slashed to the point where she was nearly decapitated. Her clouded eyes relaxed the fear of someone in their last moments on the planet. That alone told Nakamura that this case just got more complicated.
"Keep watch over the crime scene," he said to the CSI standing next to him.
"Alright," they said. Nakamura turned and walked out of the apartment. He made his way down to the lobby. This apartment building was one of the few places that still had a landline.
"Chief, we're going to need backup," Kota said. "I think we might have found some of those missing foreigners in that other case."
Meanwhile…
"Have you heard from the boss yet?"
"Nope."
"Oh…"
"Just stick to the plan. She will be back. Are you having doubts?"
"No."
"Good. I'm heading out to the party on the street. You can come along if you want to."
"Nah. I'm good. I'm not in the mood. I'll just stay in tonight."
"Okay. Have a good night."
"You too. Love you."
Yuri shook her head as she looked at the screen. "No, you don't." She turned off her phone and shoved it into her coat pocket before disappearing into the partying crowd.
She already knew what was coming next.
4
The beasts are on the loose now. It's all because of Hiroyoshi's new "friend". Does the god know what he's about to unleash on the world? It didn't matter to him. He wanted revenge. But he has no idea how much worse things are about to get.
Neither do the normal people around Ikebukuro. But let's back up a bit.
There's so much going on out there. It is the last day of 2015 after all. Time to celebrate surviving another year. Time to party, right? Well, there are some that have the feeling that something is about to go wrong.
Sota kept his eyes around him as he and Anzu walked. He knew that she could feel it too.
"You seen anything yet?" he asked. The blood tadpole looked over her shoulder.
"Like what?" she asked. Sota put up his hands in a shrug.
"I don't know. Something," he said.
"You're not helping."
"Not my fault that Ryugamine wasn't clear on what we were looking for."
"We just have to keep looking."
"Right…" Sota followed close behind. There had been something that he had been meaning to ask Anzu for quite some time. Before, no moment felt right. But with the way that things were going, he might as well get it out before it was too late.
"Anzu," Sota spoke up.
"What?" the blood tadpole asked. The shield tadpole was about to speak up when he heard something behind them. Anzu held out her hand.
"Stand back," she whispered. Sota put up his hands as if ready to fight. The pair took a closer listen. Anzu looked across the street. She reached for a blade in her coat pocket. Sota tilted his head to the side when he saw it.
A giant lion beast-man had his eyes locked on them. His claws were itching to tear some flesh to pieces. The tadpoles didn't know what they were looking at.
"What the hell?" Sota whispered.
"We might not have to fight him," Anzu whispered.
"Huh?"
"Look." She pointed at the lion man pacing. Sota narrowed his eyes.
"What is he doing?" he asked.
"I don't know. He's probably waiting for something."
The shield tadpole looked even more confused. "Waiting for what?" Anzu shrugged and shook her head.
There were more beasts around the city.
Kana, Chikage, and Hideki were looking out the window with the lights off. They couldn't make out what they were looking at. There was a giant gray ram man standing outside of the house looking at them.
"What the hell is that?" Chikage asked as he caught sight of the creature's glowing eyes. The couple didn't have an answer. The creature just stood there, staring at them.
"Is it going to do anything?" Hideki asked. The other two looked at him. The adults clearly didn't know what to do.
More people could see these beasts standing around like they were waiting for something to happen. They couldn't figure out what was going on. Was this some sort of a publicity stunt? It didn't feel like it.
Celty thought that she was seeing things. She passed a horseman on the sidewalk as she rode around the city looking for some of the tadpoles. Why did some of them have to take off like that? No one was telling her what was going on. This was not a good night for any of them to be out.
Those thoughts were pushed out of her mind when she saw that horseman. He looked like a centaur with a horse head. He held a bow and arrow ready to strike. Celty couldn't stop staring at him. She didn't know what she was looking at. Instinct told her that she should be on her guard. However, the horseman wasn't making a move to attack. The dullahan couldn't figure out why.
Still, that wasn't enough to ring all of the alarm bells.
Mikado was on his patrol when he heard flapping noises. He looked up at the sky as snowflakes fell to the ground.
"Oh…"
Was that a creepy-looking angel creature flying toward him? It didn't move like it was gunning for him. More like she was slowly drifting down to the ground. The tadpole tilted his head.
This was no angel he was used to seeing. Not in this timeline at least. She looked more alien-like than angelic. Her white skin was so bright that Mikado had to shield his eyes. Body of was a curvaceous woman, legs like a harpy, claws, giant white wings, and an alien face. The halo over her head might as well have been a spotlight over this corrupt angel's head. She flew slowly down to the ground. Mikado narrowed his eyes. That was all it took for him to know that he needed to look for his friend.
The tadpole turned and took off running toward the crowd. Something in his gut told him that he had to find Masaomi before it was too late.
Megumi was asleep at the time. She awoke to the smell of mud. The tadpole wrinkled her nose as she opened her eyes. She had not expected to see a half-rotting mermaid floating in front of her. She could see the bones of the rotting torso. The arms looked so skinny. Megumi blinked as she looked from decaying face to rotting tail. She threw up her hands in the air.
"I am not dealing with this right now," Megumi said. She got out of her futon and walked out of the room. Strangely enough, the rotting mermaid didn't float after her. Still, Megumi kept looking over her shoulder as she made it down to the living room. However, she stopped in the doorway and looked around, confused.
"Where did everybody go?" Megumi asked. It wouldn't be long before that was going to be the least of her worries.
3
Mikado managed to track down Masaomi in the streets. It wasn't intentional. There was something inside of him that told him he needed to find his best friend. Only one thought ran around in his head.
I have to get to Masaomi before it's too late.
Turns out, tracking him down was easier than he expected. Mikado was surprised to find his friend among the crowd. The boy spotted a blond head in the crowd further down the street. He tilted his head.
Masaomi?
Before he knew it, Mikado was pushing through the crowd. It didn't matter who was around him. He just had to reach his friend. Something bad was going to happen if he didn't. Mikado didn't know how to explain. He just had to get to him.
"Masaomi!" the tadpole shouted over the crowd.
Meanwhile, the boy stopped in his haze. That sounded like Mikado's voice. Masaomi turned his head. His friend was pushing his way through the crowd to get to him. At first, the former shogun thought that he was seeing things. He blinked and rubbed his eyes. Mikado was now inches away from him, reaching out. His hand grabbed him by the shoulder.
"I found you."
Everything seemed to stop around them. Masaomi felt so small in his friend's eyes. His face turned bright red as his mind went blank. His lips trembled as if trying to think of something to say. Mikado gave him a look of concern. Masaomi started breathing heavily. The boy could barely hear a word that his best friend was saying.
"Masaomi? Masaomi?"
Without warning, Masaomi leaned in and kissed his best friend on the lips. This time, Mikado didn't stop. He pulled his best friend closer into his arms. This might be the only way to get through to him.
Mikado led the way back to his apartment. It was Masaomi's idea.
"Are you sure?" the tadpole boy asked. The former shogun cuddled up to his chest. His cheeks were so red like he was drunk. He was drowning in pheromones.
"I don't mind," Masaomi said in a dreamy tone. "I wanted to come back to your place." Mikado just had to go with it long enough to keep his best friend safe. The boys walked up to the front door. Mikado unlocked the door and walked inside. He had to drag his friend inside. They ended up over by his futon. Masaomi dropped backward onto the sheets. He stared up at his best friend standing over him. There was no emotion on Mikado's face. Masaomi's heart hammered against his chest. He felt like an actor on the casting couch for a powerful director or a salaryman about to ask his handsome boss for a raise.
"Why are you doing this to yourself?" Mikado asked. Masaomi stared up at him with his head spinning. He gulped hard.
"I… I…" Masaomi pressed his lips together. Why was he so nervous? This was Mikado. This was his best friend since they were in grade school together. This was the boy who would cry when there was a rumor said about him. This was the boy who was so awkward that it was painful to watch. What changed? When did Mikado become so powerful?
Masaomi shifted his eyes away from him.
"I feel so empty." It came out so quiet. Mikado sank down to his knees in front of him. He took Masaomi by the cheeks and turned him to face him. The other boy's heart was racing. Neither one dared to speak. Only one thought ran through Masaomi's mind.
Please don't hurt me.
"I'm not going to," Mikado said. He leaned down and kissed Masaomi on the lips before he could ask. The other boy let him be taken into his own desires. Mikado reached down and took off his coat. He could hear Masaomi's desperate thoughts running through his head. The tadpole pulled away. His best friend shivered, longing for the warmth that embraced him. Mikado grabbed Masaomi by the cheeks.
"Tell me what you want."
Masaomi trembled as he opened his mouth to speak. "Please…"
"Please what?"
The boy gulped as he forced himself to speak. "Please… fuck me?"
Mikado raised an eyebrow. "Is that what you want?"
"Yes!" Masaomi was breathing like he had been running for miles. He grabbed onto the sheets underneath him.
"Are you sure?" Mikado asked. His best friend pouted as he nodded. Mikado resigned himself to what he needed to do. This was all to keep Masaomi safe after all.
"Fine." Mikado took off his own coat and tossed it aside. His scarf and shirt followed behind.
"There," the tadpole said. Masaomi couldn't take his eyes off of his best friend. Had he always had abs like that? If not, where did they come from? Masaomi felt the pressure stirring awake in his jeans. This was really about to happen. The boy had dreamed about this moment before and now it was coming true. Mikado leaned down and kissed him again on the lips. It was then that Masaomi couldn't help but feel that this feeling was so familiar to him. His brain wouldn't let him connect the dots as his best friend slid off his shirt.
Their clothes were scattered all over the floor. Masaomi stared up at Mikado with a dreamy look in his eyes. He started to speak when the tadpole gently placed a finger to his lips.
"I know," Mikado whispered. Masaomi slowly drew his mouth closed.
"Good. Turn over," the tadpole commanded. The former shogun turned over onto his stomach. Mikado climbed on top of him. This was the second time that he would be topping his friend. He grabbed onto Masaomi's shoulders as tightly as he could. It didn't take much for his erect cock to slide inside.
Mikado pounded into his friend with the thought of protecting him dominating his mind. There was no emotion on his face. Nothing seemed to reach him. Not even Masaomi's soft moans of pleasure. The former shogun closed his eyes and took it all in.
"Harder. Please… Fuck me harder…" Masaomi let out another low groan. The sounds made Mikado's body move faster as if on autopilot. He didn't love what his friend had become. The tadpole saw his future and knew that it was only going to get worse if he didn't stop. He told himself that this temporary distraction was to save him. Save him from himself. If words weren't going to reach him maybe physical intimacy would.
"I love you," Masaomi said breathlessly. Mikado shook his head. He knew the truth otherwise. He wanted to say it out loud, but there was no point. He couldn't focus on that right now. All that mattered was keeping his best friend safe just for tonight at least.
Mikado reached his climax and collapsed next to his worn-out friend. He looked over at Masaomi's back covered in sweat. The boys lay there panting. Mikado sat up on his knees.
"Now, don't do it again," he said. Masaomi looked up with his eyes half-closed.
"Which one? Sleeping around or lying to myself?" he asked.
"Both," Mikado said. He slipped out of his futon as Masaomi was slowly falling asleep. The tadpole quietly got dressed and slipped out of his apartment.
There was one more thing that he needed to do.
2
Things just got even worse just moments before midnight. It all started with a message broadcasted all over Ikebukuro.
Yoemon had always wanted to do this. He found the perfect way to do it. Kitano gave him free rein to do it. Not even Tsukumoya could stop him. (He had been long since swallowed up by his captor.) Minutes before the year was ending was the perfect time to do it.
At 23:15, Yoemon took over every screen in Ikebukuro. His face even appeared on the giant screen outside of the movie theater. What the hell? What was this? People couldn't close out of the screen. The creepy-looking old man grinned back at his audience.
"Good evening," he said. "I hope you are all doing well. My name is Yoemon Kenji. Yes, I was named after the professor who died in Moscow. No, this is not a prank and I am not a ghost. I am merely just an AI replica of him. Anyway, I am here to offer a challenge." There was a gleam on his glasses.
"I have placed a bounty on each of the members of the Dollars heads'. I know what you are thinking and no this isn't a joke. To make things easier, we will start off small. Let's say, oh I don't know, about… a thousand yen per person. That's right, you will get a thousand yen for each member of the Dollars that you bring in. This is just the first night. Each night will rise by a thousand yen. So tomorrow night, it will be two thousand yen. And then the next night will be three thousand, and so on and so forth. How high are we going to go? That's up to you."
He had everyone's full attention now. What was this weird, creepy man getting at? Some of the members of the Dollars started to get nervous. This couldn't be real, right?
Yoemon chuckled.
"If you think this is a joke, then look at this." A list in green text appeared on the screen. At first, they all looked like a random string of numbers by names. The panic bells started to go off when pictures started to match up with the names and numbers. It all sank in faster than a stone in a river.
"These are all of the members of Dollars," he said. "This is not a trick. These are all the names and IP addresses of all of the members of the Dollars. Like I said, one thousand yen for each of them starting tonight. The price will go up each night."
The panic was starting to build as questions were flying. Could he even do this? How was he going to pay everyone? What was he going to do with all of the members of the Dollars? And how did he get all of that information on everyone?
That's when Yoemon delivered the peace le resistance.
"I have sent everyone emails on what you need to do and how we're going to do this little bounty hunt. Follow everything down to the detail or you won't get any money. Oh and here is the founder of the Dollars."
Ryugamine Mikado's picture appeared on the screen with all of his information on full display.
"The price for him will be triple what will be paid for the others," the dead professor added. Shock and chatter ripped through the city in waves. There was no way that boy could be the founder of one of the most powerful gangs in Ikebukuro. This had to be some kind of a joke. But yet, they just couldn't help but wonder…
Meanwhile, Mikado backed up in the streets while panicking as he saw it all fall apart around him. I don't need this! The final words were like a killing blow to the tadpole's sense of sanity.
"I wish you luck and happy hunting!" The live feed ended without much fanfare.
1
The ally stood watching everything unfold from the skies. He didn't turn around as loud footsteps matched up to his side.
"You haven't gone out there yet?" he asked. A giant bull beast man stood next to him and snorted. The ally turned and looked at his companion. The massive creature's dark brown fur looked so warm. His horns could pierce the space above. He looked ready to scream. The ally shrugged.
"Fine," he said. "But I expect you to be at full attention and ready to deliver when the time comes." The bull-man huffed in response.
Meanwhile, everything was building and racing to a climax down below.
The Awakusu still couldn't reach Shiki. None of them knew where he went. Mikiya clicked his tongue. He already lost one executive. He didn't need to lose another one.
"Shiki, do you read me?" the boss asked. No answer.
"Shiki, do you read me? Come in, damn it!" Mikiya shouted over the walkie-talkie. There was still nothing on the other line. The yakuza boss started to get angrier. What the hell was Shiki thinking? His men had no idea where he went. One of the underlings said that he had something to do. Mikiya had a good idea of what Shiki planned to do. The yakuza boss rose to his feet.
"Get the car," he said. No one had to even ask. The question was where were they going to start?
"Goat!" a small voice spoke up. Mikiya, Aozaki, and Kazamoto turned to see Aka-chan looking out the window again. Aozaki rolled his eyes.
"What is it now?" he asked. The child was pointing outside the glass door.
"Goat!" she said again. The men walked over for a better look. They spotted a person looking into the house. They had their hands cupped around their face for a better look. The black and red goat mask stood out in the darkness.
"It's him!" Kazamoto shouted. The masked person took a step back before they turned and ran. The men ran out of the house.
"Get him!" Mikiya shouted. The men ran out of the door. Some of the underlings and bodyguards followed behind. They all ran out the front door in time to see the person running to the road. In the streetlights, it looked like they were wearing black jeans and a black hoodie. They didn't turn around as they kept running.
"Come back here!" Aozaki shouted. The blue oni pushed himself to run faster. One of the men reached out and grabbed the figure, pulling them to the ground. The rest of the Awakusu surrounded the masked person on the ground. One of the underlings was about to go back inside and call Nakamura.
"Wait!" Mikiya said. All eyes fell on him. The young man stopped in his tracks and turned his head.
"Get his mask off," the yakuza boss ordered. "I want a look at the bastard's face." Aozaki bent down and pulled off the black and red goat mask. A young man with blond hair and glasses lay on the ground groaning in pain. The Awakusu men were confused. This was the Dante Killer? No way!
There was something else at play.
Across town, Sota felt himself trembling. There was now a bounty hunt for members of the Dollars. It didn't help that some of the tadpoles were in the gang. How was Mikado faring through all of this? Those who were in the know saw this gimmick for what it really was.
Maybe that was what prompted Sota to ask the next question.
"Anzu, will you marry me?" he asked. Anzu whipped her head around.
"What?!" she asked. The shield tadpole shrugged.
"I don't know," he said.
"You want me to marry you?" she asked. Sota nodded once. Part of him wondered if he should just keep his mouth shut. Anzu stared at him with narrowed eyes.
"You want me to marry you?" she asked.
"I don't know," Sota said again.
"You don't know? You don't know?" she asked. Sota was about to say something when he spotted something behind her.
"How long have they been staring at us?" he asked.
"Don't try to change the subject," Anzu hissed.
"No, I am serious. Look!" Sota whispered as he pointed behind her. The blood tadpole rolled her eyes and turned her head. She quickly fell into high alert. Three men with glowing eyes stood across the street staring at the pair. Two of them had knives in their hands. Anzu had her blade pressed against her arm.
"Think they are human?" Sota whispered. Anzu shook her head. The question of marriage was going to have to be put on hold for the time being.
As if the game didn't have enough pieces to work with. There just had to be another pawn in use. We're about to meet one right now.
A man sat alone in a diner. His eyes looked so empty. It looked like he had been crying. This had not been his year. His wife left him on Valentine's Day. He lost custody of his daughter. He got fired over the summer. His mother died at the beginning of fall. Most of his friends were too busy with their lives to even check in on him. Christmas and New Year's Eve were not happy times for him. The man just wanted to be alone.
There weren't many people around in the diner. Most of everyone was at home. Only a small amount of the graveyard shift remained. The man didn't want to get up from the table. He didn't order much tonight. Just a burger and fries. He didn't know why he came here. The apartment was too depressing to stay in. He didn't decorate this year. No one came to visit. There were no presents. The man was all alone. For some reason, he thought to come here to this diner. The staff watched him from the counter.
"Do you think he's okay?" a waitress whispered. The cook shook his head. They didn't know what to do. They probably should say something. The man groaned with his head on the table. He just wanted the year to end.
Outside, none of the humans could see the demonic shadows looking inside. Their eyes glowed white as some of them pressed their hands against the glass. They all had one target in mind. The man was just ripe for them to harvest for this game spiraling to its end.
Still, they weren't the only ones to interact with would-be pawns in the game.
There would be one more distraction that Mikado had to deal with. He already had the problem of being exposed as the founder of the Dollars. It didn't help that there was now a bounty on his head. It wouldn't be long before fights for survival caused by greed would take place. Right now, Mikado was more worried about Anri. Masaomi was sound asleep back in his apartment. He would have to retrieve his friend later. Masaomi had no idea what was going on.
Mikado shook his head. He needed to do things one at a time. First, he needed to get out of here. The tadpole was going to have to be stealthy to back to Michiko's apartment. Mikado ducked through the back allies. He always had to look over his shoulder. How long before he was going to be followed again? The tadpole tried to push that question out of his mind.
I have to get home.
It's so quiet down here. Mikado's eyes shifted back and forth. There was no one around here. Still, it was not a good idea to take any chances. He just needed to get back to Michiko's apartment and wait out until midnight. When that was over, he needed to figure out what to do next.
An odd smell caught his nose. Mikado closed his eyes and took a sniff. It smelled like fish and flowers. The tadpole took a step back and covered his nose. What was it now? Mikado slowly looked forward.
A woman in a bright orange and yellow-striped kimono was floating in his path. Her skin looked so pale. Her face looked so tired with bags under her eyes. Her black obi made her waist appear tinier than it looked. Her long black hair was peppered with grays as it floated around her. Mikado tried to focus on the skull in her hands.
"Who are you?" he asked. The woman's thin lips curved into a smile.
"Nobody," she said. Mikado fought to keep himself together. What the hell did this woman want? He should be used to the creepy and weird right now. However, the tadpole didn't have time to deal with this.
"Look, I don't know what you want," he said. "I don't want any trouble. Just let me through. I have to get home." The woman craned her neck.
"Home?" she asked. Mikado nodded once.
"Home," she repeated.
"Yes," he said. They stared at each other for a long moment. Mikado tried to work out how to handle this. Cell phones were no use. The Dollars would be too busy trying to avoid being captured by crazed, greedy bastards. Could he try to contact the tadpoles for help? That seemed like a gamble. He could end up dragging them into something potentially dangerous.
Suddenly, the woman was inches away from his face. Mikado's eyes widened as he jumped back. The expression on her face never changed. The woman cupped his face with her graceful hands. Her eyes had no soul in them. She only said one thing to him.
"I will deny you death until you beg me for it."
That sent Mikado running back to Michiko's apartment as fast as he could.
Still, death would have been a mercy for some.
The patient slowly woke up. Junko sat at her desk, taking notes. She glanced up when she heard her latest project stirring.
"Oh good, you're awake. I know that you have plenty of questions. Not to worry. We'll get to that in all due time. All due time." The nurse chuckled to herself.
"I could tell you why you're here, but that would spoil the surprise, now wouldn't it? I can tell you this though." Junko tried to keep herself together to deliver the final blow.
"Let's just say that I cut off your little dorsal fins. You won't be swimming any time soon, shark boy!" She covered her mouth to stiffen a laugh.
Aoba looked confused at first. He tried to piece together what happened before Junko started talking to him. The last thing he remembered was being on the lookout for strange things for that Mikado guy before he ran into the crazy nurse. And now he was here. Wherever that was. Her words didn't sink until she mentioned something about dorsal fins and swimming. On instinct, the boy looked down at his body and pulled back the sheet. Aoba was met with a horrifying sight. His legs just above the knee were gone. The boy tried to scream but no sound came out.
"Oh, did I forget to mention?" Junko asked. She walked over and leaned in close to her victim's face with a huge grin.
"I took out your vocal chords," she whispered. The nurse finally broke down laughing. Aoba stared at her with big eyes.
Meanwhile across town, there was another development happening.
"I'm home," Mikado said softly. The tadpole slipped into Michiko's apartment and closed the door behind him. Silence greeted him. Mikado looked around.
"Where did everybody go?" he asked. Suddenly, he froze as he felt a jolt up his spine. What… What was that? There was another tadpole here? Who was it? Mikado looked to the left and then to the right.
"Hello? Is anybody here?" he whispered. Mikado kept looking until he turned his attention forward. To his shock, Anri stood in front of him in the living room.
"Mikado-kun?" she asked. Mikado couldn't say a word. His eyes trailed down to her belly. How long had it been since they first conceived their son? The tadpole boy started going pale.
"Mikado-kun, what's wrong?" Anri asked.
"Oh…" was all he could say.
10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1!
Happy New Year!