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ittybittyfanblog · 1 month ago

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Error 404: (Self-Aware!AU, Sylus Edition) – Pt. 4

Summary: A LADS self-aware!AU featuring Sylus and a (vindicated!) player. That’s it, that’s the plot. Tags: player!reader x sylus, fem!reader x sylus, reader x lads, self-aware!au, strong language, player wants to sock a certain 3D character in the face A/N: Here’s part 4! Also, a taglist at the end of this post! Just lmk whether you'd like to be added/removed, no sweat ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧ Happy reading!

Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4 - Pt. 5 - Pt. 6 - Pt. 7 - Pt. 8

You swiftly pull up Reddit. And then Twitter (X) on another window. You’ve got to find answers.

Typing in “sENTIENT SENTINCE SENTIENCE LADS ML HELP” in the r/LoveAndDeepspace subreddit search bar, along with keywords that have anything to do with “breaking the fourth wall” and “recent major updates” on X, you quickly scour for anything that comes even close to your current situation.

Immediately, you see a bunch of mix-match results, some even dating as far as the first month of the game’s release. Your eyes skim through blocks of texts, hoping there’s a comment–or a tweet–somewhere that could shed some light to this conundrum.

Already, you see some discussion on sudden fourth wall breaks. But you’ve seen posts like this before, and they’re most likely pertaining to the way their LI’s gaze falls directly on the player’s line of sight when they’re in Dynamic Pose mode in Glint Photobooth.

The common suspects for this are usually Xavier and your resident headache (Sylus). It's one of the “known” bugs of the game, even so far as being choreographed, almost, from the way players intentionally pose the MLs at certain angles to attain the likeness of sentience.

You remember the first time it happened to you, way back when the Photobooth feature was just recently introduced. You were taking photos of Xavier–letting him pose freely in dynamic mode so that you could capture a more organic look, when his eyes “met” yours directly.

Of course like any other (delusional) player, you entertained the novel idea of actually being noticed by the videogame character you’ve formed an unhealthy attachment to. Got excited, squealed over it, felt an instant doki-doki on your kokoro—the whole shebang.

… Along with probably hundreds of other players who’ve experienced the same thing.

So, yes, these instances occur more frequently than one would think. Not really what you’d call particularly noteworthy.

Then you see the threads from players who swear that their LIs really understand how they feel during their tête-à-tête sessions. It sounds promising, and you spend a few minutes reading through their "testimonies."

—Until you surmise from what you’ve gathered that all of them only appear like they do. How Rafayel, Zayne (and yes, even Sylus) seem to know what they need to hear, from how accurate their generated responses are.

Keyword: generated. So, no. They still aren’t anything more than glorified soundboards with really good timing, however attractive it may be to think otherwise.

Ooh, that one sounds a little too bitchy, even for you.

It’s got nothing to do with the players, nor has it anything to do with how the game works, really – bugs and all. Fuck, you were one of those people who milked the fantasy over the same coincidences once upon a time. You were. Before the coincidences started to be anything but.

Before you had to worry whether you still have your mental faculties in order.

With every–misleading–post you stumble upon, you feel yourself becoming more restless. There’s a fervent glaze in your eyes and your typing’s getting diabolically worse. (you could barely read that last search input–bitch, how are you fit to work?) You’re sure that if you looked in a mirror right now, you’d look as deranged as you feel.

Xavier “bug” that looks so real omg?? Skip.

Sylus – New Voiceline? You check it out. Yeah, It’s just one of his newer–programmed–voicelines.

Conversations with Rafayel got ~too real~ all of a sudden. You wish that yours had stayed the way they’ve always been, but alas.

Stop feeding into my delusions [Zayne] challenge: Failed. Oh? You’re almost done reading the first paragraph of the Redditor’s post, when you catch sight of the latest update below:

Resolved. Uninstalled the game. Multi-banners are getting too expensive (See my other post). Okay, you respect that. Hear that, Infold—

You’re slowly losing hope. Clearly, your case is kind of… mayhaps a tiny bit… different. From the rest. Dare say, exceptionally so.

To what end, you don’t know. You’re left with more questions than answers, and the primary enigma isn’t giving you much to work with.

Without anything else left to do, you resort to mindless scrolling. You’re swiping up, scrolling endlessly through the Top Posts of All Time, and it feels like you’re about to reach the end of this damn subreddit… When an unassuming post from a deleted user catches your attention.

It only got a few upvotes, and barely enough comments to gain traction. Unless one’s desperate enough to have been looking as hard as you are, it just looks like one of the many random dead posts from months ago. Nothing special.

Even the title is unassuming: I think the game’s broken??

You start to read.

Hi, so uhhh I’m 2 months in the game and everything’s been going well and all… Until a few days ago. IDK if this is a bug ?? but my Rafayel’s been acting so weird lately….. Ik I’m gonna sound delusional, but it’s like he’s actually aware of me ME. Not my MC.

He’s got a bunch of new dialogues, and they’re all so accurately specific it’s creeping me tf out LMAO. IDK how the devs got THIS much info on me (like is this even legal) but they do. Or at least, Rafayel does? That sounds rly stupid out loud but yeah lol. Oh and he doesn’t even let me switch between MLs anymore. The game just… crashes? whenever I try to.

Always been a Rafayel main (he’s the reason why I installed the game in the first place) so I was REALLY ecstatic over what I thought were new updates from the game… buuut when I tried looking it up, I can’t find any related news from the official LADS channel(s) about recent patches or updates with this feature, and no one seems to know what I’m talking about???

I feel like I’m going crazy… Literally as I’m typing this, Rafayel’s spamming me with notifications. He’s so fucking clingy… I love it??

Plsplspls if anyone’s experiencing the same thing, comment or DM meee. I need someone to talk to, aside from the fishie lmao no matter how much he insists that he’s enough omg (?!?!!)

Holy shit—you can’t believe it. This… this is exactly what you’re looking for.

The six comments under the post ranged from calling it complete bull to outright mocking the OP, and you understand why the post didn’t get any more popular.

For a brief moment, you feel a certain kinship with the original poster. A tinge of… shame (?) washes over you as you scan through all the negative reception; it’s as if the harsh insults were hurled directly at you instead.

How fun. There goes your fleeting idea to post the same question on the forum, if all else fails.

Speaking of. Your eyes quickly dart to the small text just above the title to check their username—but to your utter dismay, you see (and remember) that it’s from a deleted account.

The user no longer exists.

God, that can’t be it.

You spend a solid twenty minutes trying to look up ways to retrieve information–contacts, socials, anything–from deleted accounts. No dice.

Deep in your gut, you know that whatever else you could possibly find on both apps wouldn’t compare to what you’ve already come across.

You’ve officially hit a dead end.

With heavy limbs and a downtrodden spirit, you haul yourself up from the floor—just to turn around and collapse face first on the sofa. A deep, drawn-out groan escapes you as you shut your eyes for a moment, trying to calm yourself down from all the stuff that’s been boggling your brain.

It doesn’t seem like you’ll be finding a solid answer to your question (questions–in plural) any time soon. So what else can you do?

Well, aside from putting away your groceries–the currently-thawing fish and the condensing bags of pre-cut veggies aren’t going to store themselves inside a freezer anytime soon. A loudly meowing ball of fur has also been relentlessly clawing at your leg at the foot of the sofa for the past five minutes, demanding to be fed and petted.

Whoops. You hastily push yourself back on your feet to address these pressing tasks pronto.

…

…..

(Now that’s out of the way—)

You swipe your phone open–yet again–as you flop back onto the couch. And, maybe, you’re a glutton for punishment. Maybe you’re just a little too over the excitement of the unknown factors in play. Or maybe, you just want another shot—to try one last time–

What you know, though, is that whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed about stuff at work, or you need something to distract yourself with, you open the silly otome game on your phone to make yourself feel better.

So—that’s exactly what you do. Even if that silly otome game’s now the reason why you’re feeling so goddamned stressed at the moment.

Go figure.

The game boots up. You sullenly glare at the loading bar as it progresses from 35%....

68%....

95%.........

Once again, Sylus_v1.0 (!) greets you from the center of the home screen, looking exactly the same as he did last when you opened the app, which was–damn, has it really been over three hours already?

“At this hour, the day is just getting started,” he remarks nonchalantly, folding his arms across his chest as his eyes drift to whatever’s on his left.

You give him a dead-eyed stare; slightly wary, but overall unimpressed by the act. “God, I hope the fuck not.”

There’s no new content since your last proper login, as far as you can tell. At first glance, you see some of the regular, daily badge notifications, but nothing really stands out to you. There’s no unexpected red dot on the mail icon this time, nor is there any on the Hunter Info tab.

So far, so good.

With slight hesitation, you begin to speak, even if you aren’t sure whether your intended recipient can actually hear you or not.

“Um, so. I’m really kinda freaking out right now and–” You cut yourself off, swallowing down the frustration building in your throat. There’s an edge to your voice as you speak your next words, “it’s because you’re–you’ve been giving me mixed signals. I–I don’t know what to think anymore-!”

He remains unmoving, showing no signs of having registered what you just said. You sigh.

“Ugh, it sounds like I’m talking to an actual boyfriend or something. This is driving me nuts.”

Still no response.

“Can’t you give me a sign?” You whine defeatedly, trying to catch the eye of the pixelated man on your phone who’s resolutely looking at the right side of the screen. Is he purposely avoiding eye contact or what? “Like… I don’t know–blink twice if you understand what I’m saying right now.”

He blinks. Once. Fucking—

Does he think this is some kind of joke?

“I’m gonna poke your dick off,” You threaten him menacingly, your pointer finger at the ready to commit assault. “I swear, I’m gonna do it—”

Wait. Was that a twitch on his lips?

Pausing, you narrow your eyes at him, critical in your scrutiny for any sign that might reveal the truth to this stupid charade he’s putting on. Because it’s a charade. It has to be.

All of a sudden, embarrassment colors your cheeks as it dawns on you what you just said to him. What you’re poised to do. Fuck, you just wanted to get a rise out of him. Test the waters or some shit. Then again, if he’s actually aware– if he CAN actually hear you—

Quickly, you retract your finger away from where it hovers precariously centimeters above his crotch area. “Right. Sorry.”

Scrunching your nose, you press the Agenda icon on the corner, resignation sitting heavy in your chest. Since it doesn’t look like you’re getting any answers tonight, you might as well just do your daily tasks while you’re in-game, right?

So you go through the motions of ticking off each task on the list half-heartedly, collecting the subsequent rewards one by one; just enough to reach the hundred star mark.

It’s petty, no doubt irrational, but you steer clear from anything that would require you to interact with him. You start off with what’s easiest to complete: gifting Stamina, spending Stamina, spending more Stamina, and buying items from the Shop.

Speaking of items… You try your best to act indifferent as you catch sight of the staggering number of red dias that has recently come to your possession, there on the upper right corner of the screen. Before you could even recall the other materials so kindly gifted to you the other night, you immediately exit the Store window to go about your business after you’ve finished collecting today’s free loot.

You breeze through the Bounty Hunts and Core Hunt stages with excessive use of the Auto Pursuit option, rinsing and repeating until you’re almost out of energy. You don’t want to risk playing an actual battle, since your strongest Memory Cards are from the man you’re currently giving the cold shoulder to.

Also, you have no idea what to expect once you enter combat mode–and right now, you can’t be damned to know.

Before you know it, you’re done with the daily Agenda. Close enough, at least. You didn’t even have to interact with the white-haired male LYLA wannabe to get the hundred golden stars. Go, you.

Without anything left to do, you’re back to staring at the–now seated–man on the homescreen who’s still intent on avoiding you. There’s Mephisto perched on his finger, appearing in a plume of black feathers, projecting a holographic screen for the Onychinus leader to scroll through whatever evil juju he’s been up to lately—the very picture of calm detachment.

Almost a minute passes by.

You can’t help it. Poke. Pokepokepokepoke—

“Once you’re trapped in life’s banality, the only thing left is “staying alive.”"

“Oh, for the love of—is that a hint or not?!”

You really wish you could’ve talked to the person on Reddit about this. Ask them whether their version of Rafayel had also been this difficult, this uncooperative. It can’t be that different from what you’re dealing with, could it?

Just a chance to talk… You brood wistfully. To know what’s happening to them right now. Ask them for advice on how to provoke some type of reactio—

Suddenly, something clicks in your brain, and you almost bite your tongue to prevent the spark of anticipation from showing on your face.

"Alright, you win," you concede with an exaggerated sigh, raising your arms over your head to appear as if you’re simply stretching away the stiffness in your muscles. You try to inject as much reluctance in your tone. “You’re really not going to budge, huh?”

Again, you’re met with radio silence—not that you’re expecting a response at this point.

(Well, not yet.)

“That’s fine…” You trail off deliberately, drawing lazy lines across the screen with your pointer finger, until it stops right before the small message icon on the left.

With feigned innocence, you muse, “Hey, I wonder how Xavier's been doing lately.”

…

A beat. You almost believe nothing would come out of your last, and obvious, attempt at goading him but then—

Sylus throws his head back with a sigh, casting an almost exasperated glance at the ceiling. He flicks his wrist dismissively, and Mephisto vanishes in a puff of dark smoke. There’s an unsettling fluidity in the way his gaze shifts toward you; disconcertingly lifelike, when his eyes finally–finally–lock onto yours. An intensity behind those red eyes that makes the look feel unnervingly deliberate.

Your breath catches in your throat. There it is. The reaction you’re looking for.

A weary amusement frames the way he tilts his head sideways–with the way the corners of his mouth curve into a mocking smile, eyes never leaving yours.

He raises an eyebrow up as if to say, now what?

“I knew it,” you whisper shakily, eyes widening into saucers. “I fucking knew it.”

“Mm, took you long enough.”

Before you could even react to that, Sylus flashes you a two-finger salute and winks.

The game crashes.

“Oh, no, you don’t—" you growl, not wasting any second tapping the game icon again. It doesn’t even give you a chance to reach the main menu before it glitches, and you’re back staring at the widgets on your phone’s home screen. “Motherfucker.”

You keep trying.

And with every attempt, Sylus, freak of nature that he is, responds with another system crash. On the eight try, you succeed on entering the game and you feel a sense of relief seeing the loading bar—before, lo and behold, it crashes once more.

Your left eye twitches. Inhaling deeply, you hold your breath for a solid fifteen seconds before sharply exhaling through your nose.

You jab a finger on the icon of his dumb face again. You ought to change that shit as soon as this game of chicken lets up.

“You’re gonna let me open this app, Sy-Sy,” You sang with faux cheer. “Or, swear to god, I’m uninstalling this thing before you could even—”

… It loads successfully before you could even finish your sentence.

“Alright, alright.”

There he is; closer to the screen now, wearing a faint smile, as though trying to stifle a full-on grin from breaking across his face. He looks thoroughly entertained by the entire situation, like it’s the most fun he’s had in ages. “Hi, sweetheart.”

“You–you—” Sputtering, you glare at him, betrayal in your eyes. “You’re a fucking ass!”

“And you’re an absolute delight to play with, kitten,” Sylus coos at you, his smirk widening. But when he catches the trembling jut on your bottom lip, the amused glint in his eyes softens into something that almost seems sympathetic, and dare you say–apologetic?

“For what it’s worth, I’ve just been waiting for the right moment to tell you. I couldn’t resist teasing you a little—but looking at you now, I see I might’ve taken it too far,” he murmurs, bowing his head slightly in a show of contrition. “I’m sorry, little dove.”

You press your lips together, your gaze darting away from the screen. “I thought I was going crazy.” As opposed to now? “B-but, um–it’s all good, I guess.”

A flush creeps up your neck when you hear him chuckle.

Fuck, this is really happening, the hysterical thought rushes to your mind, unbidden. Chat, what’s the plan?

Tagging: @xxfaithlynxx @beewilko @browneyedgirl22 <3

#love and deepspace #lads #lnds #love and deepspace sylus #lads sylus #lnds sylus #sylus x reader #sylus x you #lads x you #lads x reader #love and deepspace fic #sylus qin

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trancylovecraft · 1 year ago

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(KNY) YANDERE PLATONIC! KOKUSHIBO x SISTER READER: You, Shibou. I, Kokoro (CHAPTER TEN)

Previous Chapter ☆♡☆ Masterlist ☆♡☆ Next Chapter

AO3 link

CHAPTER TEN: "I witness that a lot of people are dying because they consider that life is not worth living."

NOTE: Next chapter WILL be late due to me going on vacay! Juuuust wanted to get a chap out before I go lol!

Thanatophobia is the fear of death, Originating from the Greek "Thanatos" meaning death. People who suffer from this are extremely afraid of death and may have excessive thoughts about it.

This coupled with something like Suicidal Desire can create a reckless sort of behaviour. Making a person actively seek their death due to the fact they cannot do it themselves out of fear.

The smell of burnt gunpowder lingered in the cold night's air, Bursts of vivid colour exploding in the sky and fizzling out into sparks mid-flight. The entire sky was alight with hue's of reds, blues and purples lighting up the atmosphere.

The bitter liquor ran down her throat yet it barely burned as it went down, Her tongue trained to the taste and the fire tamed in due time.

[F/N] gazed out over the city of Osaka from the balcony of her inn. The festival in full swing below her, The sounds of laughing and festivities were low and echoed from the tall height their room sat at.

She gazed upon the fireworks, Enraptured within the colourful dance as she took another swig of her sake. A bottle she snaked from the bar below, Her hands trained to steal took it with relative ease and replaced it with the coins it cost.

It wasn't something meant for someone of her age. Her younger frame and the baby fat only just burned off from her face showed her mid-teenage years, Only around fifteen to be precise.

The night was chilling, Making her tug the dragon-patterned haori over her shoulders just a little more. The wind ran through her, The height she was at made it blow just a bit more intense as the mouth of the bottle pressed against her lips.

As the next round of sake pooled on her tongue, [F/N] could hear the soft patter of footsteps approach from behind her.

"Heyy~! What'cha doin up so early?" Mitsuri teased, Her bodyweight pressing up against the balcony railing to match [F/N]'s own pose. Her cheeks full of colour and a wide smile shining brighter than her eyes played on her face.

[F/N] smirked a little as she lowered the bottle.

"Can't sleep.. Not with this noise anyways." [F/N] responded as she gestured to the lively crowds below them in the streets, The stalls packed and laughing echoed from the tall buildings.

"Still, We're gonna head out soon and you haven't gotten any rest.. This isn't the first time you've done this y'know!" Mitsuri teased as she slowly swayed back and forth with a hum.

[F/N] shrugged as her eyes met Mitsuri's form. Her unbrushed hair let loose out of her usual braids and the baggy uniform she wore was lazily put on, Obviously haven just woken up from her nap during the day.

Even so she seemed as lively as she always did. Something that made [F/N]'s smile soften, Seeming much more genuine than it did before.

"Okay, Mom." [F/N] teased lightly as she turned back to take another swig "If I get a chance I'll rest for a little bit, Okay?"

Mitsuri's eyes landed on the glass bottle, Watching the bitter liquid slosh around inside the container as another rush of it entered her mouth. Mitsuri couldn't help the slight frown appear on her face.

"You know you shouldn't be drinking that stuff, Mama says it's really bad for kids like us. Even then I can't believe you like the taste, The stuff's yucky!" Mitsuri stuck her tongue out in a display of playful disgust.

[F/N] giggled a little bit as she swallowed, Covering her mouth to make sure it didn't bring up any residue.

"Tsuri', We watched your mother pick a fight barehanded with a wild racoon for rummaging in your trash." [F/N] chuckled as she shook her head. "I think I know what's good for me, Mkay?"

"If you say so!" Mitsuri huffed yet the smile tugging at her lips couldn't be extinguished.

[F/N] turned her eyes back to the display of fireworks exploding further ahead into the city, Bursts of burning sparks igniting into the most beautiful colours to reflect in their eyes. The glassy look of her sclera mimicking it greatly.

[F/N] smirked.

"..Besides, It's not the taste I like." She admitted as her eyes trailed down to the bottle held like a gun in her hands. Tightly gripped with care as she examined the clear yet pungent smelling booze mixing with the fading gunpowder.

"Then what do you like about it?" Mitsuri asked as she pursed her lips and looked at [F/N] in confusion.

"It's the affect it gives me, It makes me feel warm inside. That's what I like about it." [F/N] smiled half-heartedly as she rested her free palm on her chest. The spoken effect already starting to take affect as she felt the light blur in her mind.

"Seriously? You always wake up grumpy afterwards though, Can't make you feel that good." Mitsuri rebutted, Her lip quirked to the side in confusion.

"Not if I drink more." [F/N] shrugged as she took another drink, Eyes still trapped upon the fireworks and the city set alight in celebration. She didn't even seem to take in Mitsuri's words but instead took in more of the bitter liquor into her system.

Mitsuri looked like she wanted to say more, To open her mouth and object but she resisted in turn.

Instead she just turned her head back to the show above them, Wind brushing through her hair and leaving only the faintest of chills in it's wake.

"Anything else you been thinking about? You seem out of it, Kinda.. Distant?" Mitsuri asked. Recalling the past few days they had been travelling, Noticing the way [F/N] always seemed to be in thought when they spoke.

"Well.. A few things honestly, Nothing much really just kinda complicated thoughts" She sighed half-heartedly though her eyes narrowed in on nothing in particular, Nothing in sight but a picture vivid in her head.

"You can tell me if you want to, There's nothing I won't understand. You know that right?" Mitsuri reassured softly. A comforting tone both tended to use with one and other, All since the day they first met.

[F/N] shrugged once more yet this time she bit her lip.

"Really?" She prompted as she stared into the honest green of her best friend's eyes. The way the fireworks bursting hues reflected off them as they exploded in the air only shown truth.

"Really." Mitsuri hummed with a gentle smile with [F/N] returning it in kind. [F/N] inhaled, Taking in a deep breath before she spoke.

"…I'm just not that motivated lately. I've been thinking about my purpose to be honest with you.. Life stuff. It just kinda feels like I'm having a mid-life crisis when I'm only fifteen and that just feels really stupid to me.." [F/N] admitted as she played with the bottle.

Between the two girls it was [F/N] who had always been the mature one. Ever since they met it had been like that. She often abstained from activities other kids liked to enjoy such as playing with Temari Balls or wrestling in the mud.

Instead she often stood back and watched. Most times with either a book or a pen and paper, Mostly favouring her time being spent on wondering how much money she needed to earn for dinner that night or how long she could go without eating at all.

[F/N] never really was much of a kid. More of an adult in a kid's body, Carried herself as such too. Even back then she never cracked a smile or laughed at all, Instead speaking with a polite yet monotonous tone.

Mitsuri hummed, Tasting [F/N]'s words on her tongue.

"Well you came along with me to become a slayer for a reason, Right? We're doing this because we wanna help people and protect the ones we care about!" Mitsuri proclaimed as she lightly swayed back and forth.

"..Well.. And maaaybe help me find a husband too but.." Mitsuri added on quickly, Her blush burning bright as she fanned her cheeks.

[F/N] didn't speak, Instead choosing to look down at the bottle. She examined the light reflecting off the polished and sharply cut glass as her eyes narrowed at it.

"..You've been doing that a lot as well. You keep looking at your drinks and food like you personally despise them, It's weird. I'm maybe starting to think this is a deeper issue?" Mitsuri prodded.

As soon as she mentioned the way [F/N] was looking at her liquor her gaze instantly softened and glanced away from it, Away in the other direction as she pouted slightly.

"It's nothing. I'm fine, Really. I don't know why I told you, I shouldn't of said anything.." [F/N] trailed off, Shaking her head in dismissal.

The burn in her chest seemed like it just wasn't from the liquor anymore. It was desire, One she couldn't act on. How dearly she wanted to tell her the truth, Let it all out to her but there were no words to say.

There were, But there wasn't at the same time. How can you just say all of that to someone? How could you say it without writing it down on paper to log everything, Saying it is so difficult. There was no way she could say anything aloud.

Besides, [F/N] didn't want to worry Mitsuri. She was her best friend and bringing her own sorrow onto her was the last thing [F/N] wanted to do. Mitsuri was a happy person and [F/N] wanted to keep it that way.

She agreed with this once she turned back to meet Mitsuri's concerned face, As such she decided to act quickly.

Reaching into the small satchel hanging loose from her shoulders she fished out something covered in cloth. The navy felt wrapped around it dropped from the her grasp as she pulled it out.

"Besides.. I've got other things to worry about right now." [F/N] said as she held the Kitsune mask in both of her hands. The dark sapphire eyes staring right into the irises of it's owner with a soulless glare.

Mitsuri's eyes widened in interest as she nudged closer on the balcony towards [F/N]. Eyes locked onto the festival mask held so tightly in [F/N]'s palms.

"Woah, No way! Isn't that the spooky-cursed-thingy you got a while back?" Mitsuri gasped as she leaned over to examine the structure of it herself. Chartreuse eyes gleaming with a spark of interest as she recognised it.

"Mhm.. Took the sword with me so I felt it was only right I'd take the mask too.." [F/N] replied as she stared into the porcelain.

"Ah, Okay! You ever gonna try it out or use it? It might be a good time to use it cause of the festival and all- Oh my gosh that reminds me! Did you see all the snack vendors and festival games? I'm dying to try them all!" Mitsuri squealed as she rapidly fanned her overheating cheeks.

Her short attention span distracted her from the previous topic, Good, It was something [F/N] predicted and something that was for the best. [F/N] smiled and shook her head as she put the mask back into the satchel.

As for it, [F/N] was conflicted on whether to use it or not. The way it made her feel or the way it made her look just didn't seem like her at all, It made her different, Someone she wasn't yet even then [F/N] kind of preferred it that way.

For the short time she used it before she felt more carefree. Less people asked questions about her and less worried, It was good. [F/N] liked that.

"We can't waste time with the activities there, Mitsuri. We're here to slay a demon, Not relax or play games." [F/N] argued softly as she placed a hand on Mitsuri's shoulder, Who was currently.

"Oh come onnnnn, [F/N]. Live life a little! They have goldfish scooping and are doing one of those shinto-play thingy's that you like so much! Can't we have just a tiny little detour?" Mitsuri pouted as she quickly pulled out a brochure from her taffy-coloured haori and shoved into [F/N]'s free hand.

[F/N] chuckled but still stood adamantly as she looked down at the brochure.

"I told you! We can't waste time with meaningless activities!" [F/N] laughed as she rubbed Mitsuri's shoulder to try and calm her down, Which was useless because Mitsuri was practically shaking in excitement.

"Come onnn! Not even just a single goldfish?" Mitsuri pouted, Tilting her head towards [F/N].

"Nope." [F/N] replied.

"Please?"

"No."

"Pleaaaaseee?"

"Noooooo…"

"Please with extra cherries?"

"I hate cherries."

"Liar! You love cherries."

"I love the smell, Not the taste."

"I don't think I can be friends with you after learning that information but pleaaasee?"

"Nada."

"Plea-"

"If you two keep arguing like this I fear that we may never slay that demon in time!" The voice of Shinobu cut through the two's bickering.

[F/N]'s shoulders raised as she snapped her body round to meet the other girl, Who was to the other side of her and leaning against the balcony.

"Ah! Sorry Shinobu-chan! But you agree that you would also like to see the festival too right?" Mitsuri butted in, Leaning over the side of the balcony to meet Shinobu's constant grin and teasing façade.

Shinobu hummed, Bringing a hand up to her chin.

"Well I do think that we should slay the demon. But I suppose it wouldn't hurt if we did spend a little time enjoying ourselves. These things only come around once a year so if we slay the demon quickly we might have time to see the parade." Shinobu concluded with a smile as she turned around to meet Mitsuri.

"Oh not you too, Shinobu-san.." [F/N] dramatically groaned. Shoulders deflating as she realised she was outnumbered by her comrades.

"Yay! Come on then! Let's go slay the demon so I can catch goldfish. Let's go, Let's go, Let's go!" Mitsuri cheered as her hands lunged for both [F/N] and Shinobu's palms. Taken off guard they were both lugged along by Mitsuri's inhuman strength.

"Agh!" [F/N] exclaimed, Taken by surprise as she was swiftly dragged along out of the inn's room.

"Oh good! Let's get moving, Girls!" Shinobu however kept smiling as she complied with Mitsuri's hyperactivity, Giggling along with Mitsuri as they ran out. The cold night's air barely bothering the two.

[F/N] wiped the sweat off her brow and sighed. Keeping up with the two's more upbeat behaviour has always been a job of it's own.

Though as the saying goes that if you choose a job that you like, You'll never have to work a day in your life which [F/N] could attest to.

She only smiled a little as they ran towards their next mission. Hand being tugged along by Mitsuri as she thought on her own. Even though the two had enough energy for a hundred people, [F/N] could still feel the phantom taste of the bitter sake on her tongue wear her down.

Though she could admit she was having fun she also had to say that it was dampened by her own feelings. The feelings she had been fighting against for a while now and ones that seemed to get even more pungent everyday.

But it didn't matter. She had a job to do, Work is to be done so she shut out her feelings once more and smiled instead.

It seemed like it was better that way, Anyways.

☆♡☆

"Well.. I certainly see what you meant by hopeless"

[F/N]'s voice echoed far, Her own realising tone reflecting back at her in a yell. Her eyes were wide as she stared over the cavern, Hands on her hips as her jaw was lain slack at the sight.

It was huge, So much so that she couldn't see the bottom. Stairs and doors getting smaller and smaller as it went down, All until it was only a speck in this accursed dimensions horizon. The fact that it had a horizon like the normal world was terrifying.

There was a strong wind rushing through the cavern, It was fresh too, Not like the indoor air but organic and powerful.

[F/N] stood at the edge of a dock. The end of it was destroyed or rather fell off down into the cavern below.

It was like tectonic plates moving away from each other. One of them was the sea of nothingness with docks spread everywhere, The other was a a labyrinth of doors, walls, staircases and millions of other structures. The two only separated by a wide split, One which was further than valleys or fields she'd ever seen before.

They were like files kept in a drawer. Different files archived on top of each other, Different worlds sat side by side. Herself standing on only one of what seemed to be millions.

It was so surreal, [F/N] was basically a speck of dust compared to the Infinity castle. She had to steady herself on the dock to make sure she didn't fall off into the infinite expansion of a pit below.

"You understand that you won't be able to escape from here? If you tried to jump down it would take hours for you to fall only to be killed. And there's no way you could climb upwards because there isn't any point for you to scale on." Akaza said, His voice echoing and repeating back to her tenfold.

[F/N]'s eyes however weren't resting on the demon stood beside her, Instead they were sat on the abyss of architecture below as she contemplated her next move. Her eyes wandered along the wide wooden border keeping the ocean in at her world, Her brows furrowed.

"How was I not able to come across this earlier? You know, When I ran for the first time. It just looped back around." [F/N] commented absentmindedly as she locked down on the rimmed gate keeping the entire pocket of abyss she was in.

Akaza shrugged.

"This is the only route that hasn't been changed by the biwa demon throughout my time coming here. Figured that this must have some kind of anchoring effect or something.." Akaza replied but he sounded just as confused as she did.

[F/N] sighed as she ignored the implications of his significant memory, Already accepting it through all the other craziness.

"Alright.. So I also need to memorize the escape route. There's another thing to add to my list." She groaned in slight irritation as she took a mental note of the chore.

"You have a list?" Akaza questioned, Looking over at her with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Erm.. Yeah. Got an issue with that?" [F/N] hissed lowly as she looked back at him with an equally-as-venomous glare.

"No. You do whatever, I don't give a shit" Akaza spat back and shook his head as he turned around to look down the cavern again.

[F/N] did the same as she stared down into the new void. She could almost hear the cogs in her head clash and clank against each other as they got to work. Hopeless, Akaza said. The cogs seemed to ignite the lightbulb that hung over her head.

"Hmm.." [F/N] hummed as she surveyed the unnaturally polished wood. The wind repeatedly hit at her face, The skirt of her kimono whipping back and forth as she nudged closer to the edge.

"Hey! What are you doing, You have a death wish or something?" Akaza scolded, His hand grappling onto her shoulder with his nails digging in. Yet the pain never bothered her as she turned back to look at him.

"So.. You said earlier that there was an exit door somewhere down in that hellhole, Right?" [F/N] questioned as she started to tug at her kimono, The front of it easily coming undone as she shook Akaza's hand off.

"Yeah, There is but you won't be able to get to it." Akaza rebutted as he watched her take off the emerald sunset of fabric, The garment too big and loose for what she was about to do and leaving her in only a snow white Susuyoke and Hadajuban. "What the hell are you undressing for?! Try have some decency!"

"Lost that years ago. Now you mentioned that the biwa demon character moves the castle around to her will, Correct? If that's true then how often does she change it around here?" [F/N] asked once more, Near shouting over the power of the wind as she did.

"She only started changing the shrine section assumedly once you showed up but the docks don't change. We're near the outskirts of the castle and away from the centre, Doesn't change anything near here but why? What are you planning to do?!" Akaza argued as he watched her stretch out a hand and present it to him.

"I'm gonna see what's below, For that I need you to hold onto me while I hang from the side of the ledge." [F/N] explained, Nudging her hand further towards him as she stared him dead in the eyes.

Akaza's jaw dropped open, It was the last thing he had expected to hear from the rather weak looking girl as he gawked at the mere idea she proposed. He double-taked before taking a heavy step towards her, Making the dock below it creak rather aggressively.

"No. Are you fucking crazy?! What the hell makes you think that'll get you anywhere?!" Akaza near yelled at her as he got up in her face again. His sharpish teeth were bared and near breathing saliva at just the thought.

[F/N]'s nose scrunched up and her lip turned into a near snarl.

"I don't see why you're so angry, Akaza. I just want to see what's under here and I want you to help me do it." [F/N] argued lowly as she levelled down to meet his kanji-adorned eyes, Her own shining with the exact same fire to match his perfectly.

"Why I'm angry? Forget that, Why the hell do you trust me so much to keep you steady from the ledge? What if I drop you?!" Akaza argued back, A clawed finger pointing into [F/N]'s chest to emphasise his point.

"I don't trust you, I trust that you want to kill Kokushibo.. Well, That and your demon strength that can hold my weight, That is." [F/N] replied as she carelessly tossed her shamrock coloured kimono behind her down the dock.

Akaza moved back a few steps, Looking at her like she was insane but at this point that wasn't much of a stretch. He looked her up and down and once he realised she had no doubts about putting herself into a potentially fatal situation, He snapped his jaw shut and stared at her with wide eyes.

[F/N] on the other hand pushed it further towards Akaza, Urging him to take it.

"Come on, As I told you Akaza, I'm a Hashira. And as much as that title doesn't fit me I can say with certainty that I'll be able to scale this stupid ledge, So take my hand and lets do this." [F/N] pressed on.

Akaza looked back up at her expression, Of which was as cold as steel and as firm as such too. She looked at him with such chilling determination that it near ran a shiver down his spine, A feeling he hadn't felt in a long time.

"Fine, But we need to be quick. Upper six might figure out we've left and could alert Upper one." Akaza spat as he wrapped his taloned fingers around [F/N]'s palm and nodded. [F/N] in turn smirked slightly.

"I'll be as quick as I can be." [F/N] agreed as she lowered down onto her knees, Akaza's hand still squeezing her palm as she got down onto her backside.

[F/N]'s legs dangled off the edge of the rickety dock. She stared down towards the endless abyss of Japanese architecture below and took a deep breath in to steel her nerves, Her empty hand gripping onto the end of the dock while the other gripped tightly onto Akaza's.

"Ready?" Akaza prompted. [F/N] responded with a sharp inhale and a hum of confirmation. Closing her eyes she took in one large breath.

And then she dropped.

[F/N] fell from the ledge, Gravity pulling her body towards the ground as her weight started to accelerate. The wind rushed through her hair and her undergarments, Her eyes clasped shut in anticipation.

THUMP!

[F/N]'s body slammed against the side of the ledge, Making her yelp out in surprise. Her acceleration was cancelled out by the firm grip of Akaza who was draped over the side, Making it so she could be further down.

"Good gods-..!" [F/N] exclaimed in pain as her body hit against the ledge. Her skin firing up in pain as her body swung side to side slowly, Only kept elevated by the claws digging into her hand.

"I thought you said you were ready?" Akaza called out from above her, Though [F/N] could hear the mockery dripping from his tone like the water leaking over the ledge. It made her huff in annoyance.

"Shut it!" [F/N] yelled back as she gripped a hand onto the carved side of the edge, Trying to steady her swaying movements and her rapidly pounding heart. Her breath turned to vapour in the rushing chill of the winds.

[F/N] dared to look down from her position and saw the infinite abyss much closer than it was before, [F/N] watched her legs hang above it. It was almost like the entire castle was trying to reach out to her, Aching, Desperately trying to pull her down and make her fall.

Fall. If she did then that was it for her, If Akaza's grip slipped from her hold then she would be nothing but smashed organs and flesh. Destroyed bits of membrane smeared across some demon's flooring.

[F/N] could tell that the saying was true, Stare into the abyss and it will stare back. It felt almost alive as she glared.

"Hey? Aren't you going to get to work? I told you to hurry up!" Akaza scolded as he saw her phased out expression as she gazed into the castle interior below, But he raised a brow at her sudden disassociation.

[F/N] quirked a lip, Her free hand sweeping the hair hitting her face away from her vision. She could barely hear Akaza over the turbulence, Both of the aggressive atmosphere and the thoughts coming back to her head.

Drop. It would be so easy, So why was she hesitating? Why was her body still holding onto Akaza for dear life? It seemed like that's how it's been lately, Her body and her mind had different ideas for their future. Conflicting each other, Going to war.

Her body ached for survival, Some kind of primal instinct embedded into every single living thing on the planet and one her mind wanted to erase entirely. Her mind ached for release, Wanting an end to the tunnel.

The grip on Akaza's hand started to.. Slip. At first it was just a twitch of her palm, But then it was the lift of a single finger. Then another, Then another.. Then just one more until she'd start to fall-

"Gods! You are weak! I can't believe your a damned Hashira!" Akaza yelled out and his free hand shot out and grappled onto her wrist, Stopping her descent entirely. His teeth were bared and his forehead had a vein popping out.

[F/N] blinked once, A sudden dim light reappearing back in her eyes. She looked around once, Realising where she was and what she was doing before the tight grip on Akaza's hand returned once more.

"Shit.. My bad, I don't know what came over me there!" [F/N] called out as she bit her lip in confusion. [F/N] looked up towards Akaza and nodded once towards him. He wouldn't let her fall, Not when she was considered valuable to him.

"Lower me!" She yelled.

Akaza looked back at her, Examining the expression that seemed more reeled into the situation before nodding back. He moved a little further over the side, Legs kept firmly locked into a nook in the dock as [F/N] lowered down a little more.

She snapped her head round dead centre. The ledge she was hanging over was gigantic, Extremely, It was both taller and wider than her herself. But as Akaza lowered her further and further, Her sandals near slipping off her feet she could now see the underside of it.

Her eyes widened as she saw the vast beneath of the slice of hell she lived on. Her eyes scattered around and the dim light started to burn with idea's, The cogs in her head kicking up once more.

The way the underside was designed was like a table, It seemed larger than it was on the outside but when she looked underneath it dipped.

Below it had quite intricately designed structure beams going across the entire way, Thee way the architecture was ingrained into the beams made them tightly pact with hooks and curves carved in.

[F/N]'s eyes squinted, Trying to see further ahead. It was around the staggering length of a football field, At the end of it there was several pillars and clusters of misplaced walls and structures. They were all clumped together, Making it almost a staircase for her to use.

It was beautifully made, But also an opportunity. [F/N]'s eyes ran across the carvings and infrastructure as a sly smirk started to shape her face. The cogs finally clicked, The lightbulb brightened.

"What are you seeing?" Akaza called out from above as she surveyed the scene, Near seeing the mechanics work in her head as he watched her face light up.

"Opportunity, And I've seen enough. Pull me back up!" [F/N] yelled back, Glancing at him once with that working gaze before he nodded.

Locking his legs further onto the dock he started to haul her up with relative ease. Her body weight was nothing but a feather for his demonic strength as she ascended, Higher and higher until her upper chest was draped over the ledge.

Akaza grabbed her by the shoulders, Hoisting her full body over and up onto the dock once more. She groaned in effort as she rolled over onto her back, Staring up to the dark sky above them as she rendered the shrine section.

"Thanks.." [F/N] breathed heavily, Out of breath from both the high stress situation and the effort she had to put in to pull herself up. She lain there on the old and freezing dock, Listening to the sound of the waves as she tried to calm down.

Akaza on the other hand leaned over her, Looking at her like a rather irritating rodent who washed up on the shore. He clicked his tongue once as his annoyed visage bore into hers.

"The hell was up with that earlier? You almost died and all of this trouble I've gone through could've been for nothing!" Akaza hissed as he watched her haul herself up into a sitting position.

"I told you. Dunno what came over me, Alright?" [F/N] said absentmindedly "Anyways, Contrary to what you said earlier it is certainly not hopeless." She added on.

Akaza raised a brow. From what he had learned throughout his years of coming here there wasn't any visible way down from here. The outskirts haven't changed in decades, Could he have missed something?

[F/N] got up from the ground. Pushing herself up with a single hand and a groan as she raised to meet him eye to eye.

"Anyways I know what I need to do now, Well both me and you really. I actually need you to get some stuff for me." [F/N] said as she dusted off the dock's soot from her snowy underclothing.

Akaza groaned.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"A few things.. Maybe.. Uh.. Oh right. As much rope as you can get me, The strong kind. A surplus of nails and erm.. Could use a few tools too, A hammer might be nice.. Just anything you can get me" [F/N] explained as she counted the items on her fingers.

Akaza's jaw dropped, Realising the implications as his head shook in slight disbelief.

"You want to scale the fucking infinity castle, Don't you?"

"Yep."

Akaza raised a hand and pinched his temples, Almost sensing the oncoming headache this one human being was giving him. The sheer audacity to think that she could somehow maneuver her way down into the outskirts of the castle.

If she died then the stress he went through with this deal would be to waste. If she did die, Kaigaku might link him to her death when explaining it to Kokushibo. If that happened it meant he would go down with her.

But as his dandelion hued irises met back up with hers he could see the confidence burning in her retinas. It was a look he somehow recognised, That old connection clicking in the back of his mind, One from his human life.

He shook it off however. He had no time for that kind of useless reminiscence.

"What makes you think you'll be able to do something like that?" Akaza asked rather harshly as he signalled his hand towards the void below, Reminding her of her position.

[F/N] shrugged.

"Cause I'm a Hashira?" She said as if it was obvious, Using her title once more as a trump card of sorts to get her way.

Akaza looked back at her, Remembering her so called title. The fact that she was a Hashira still didn't register to him, Her weak frame and out-of-practice muscles telling him otherwise. He huffed.

"Last time I checked, Hashira couldn't about a hundred metres with only rope and nails to do so. I'm not letting you die until we finish this deal" Akaza repeated back to her like it was obvious.

[F/N] in turn clenched her fists. She knew Akaza wouldn't let her do this, Her only escape route. He wouldn't let her do this, Not without a good enough reason. It made the spark inside her light up again, The one from when Kokushibo gave her the hairpin.

It was that angry spark, The one she had been feeling more and more lately and the one she tried to dwindle into annoyance.

"Look.. I grew up in a place where scaling things was part of the description. Things like climbing or moving around dangerous area's is basically nothing. This is nothing." She exasperated, Gesturing to the void below and trying to keep her voice to a minimum to convince him.

Akaza gawked at her, Not understanding a thing.

"Like where. Where the hell would you need to grow up to scale an infinite void?" He argued back, The idea completely insane to him as he did.

"Nowhere good, Okay? Somewhere if you don't learn how to move quickly and efficiently you don't survive, And I did, So I think I'm more than qualified to climb my way out of here. Not unless you have any better ideas?" [F/N] said, Her voice mocking and sarcastic from both the irritation and reminder of her childhood.

Akaza lowered his brow, Thinking over her words. Though he didn't need to think for long because the spark inside her showed in her eyes, It made his agape mouth shut tight. The human part of his resonating once more, That part of him seemingly recognising the look.

How that was possible he didn't know. He didn't want to know what that implied but knew very well what it meant, Something inside him told him so. Something that trusted her skills well.

"..Fine, You better know what you're doing.." He spat lowly, A warning. [F/N] could tell as Akaza stepped away from her going a few feet down the dock.

"But the items you wanted will be difficult to smuggle in. The biwa demon knows everything that comes in and comes out. If I try bring in a bunch of nails and rope she'll certainly suspect something, So I'm going to need to do it in parts at a time." Akaza continued.

"Seriously? I suppose it's fair, It'll take time for me to construct it so while you gather the item's, I'll just work on it then I guess." [F/N] groaned.

"Good. Then afterwards I'll be out of this damned deal." Akaza commented, Obviously as annoyed as her.

[F/N] nodded.

"Same. I won't need to be here to deal with this place or the demons that inhabit it.. I'm just glad the only somewhat decent one can get me outta here." She sighed as she grabbed the side of her head, Feeling a sudden, Strange migraine coming on.

Akaza turned back to look at her, Raising a brow.

"Decent? What do you mean by that?" Akaza questioned.

[F/N] hummed slightly, Her lips pouting slightly in thought as she mulled her words over. Once she finished though she shrugged lazily.

"Well, As much as a bastard you are. You're also the only one who has some form of morals since you don't kill women, That and you did change my bandages that one time" She explained.

Akaza groaned, Obviously not happy that it was brought up again.

"I thought I said I didn't want you to talk about that." Akaza huffed, The vein in his head pulsating once more at the remembrance.

"Well I didn't want to be injured in the first place but here we are." [F/N] retorted, The hand gripping the side of her head throbbing once more. Her grip tightened and her teeth grinded slightly in futile attempt to relieve it.

"Oh, like that's my fault for injuring some pathetic human being. How about next time you d-" Akaza's rebuttal was quickly silenced by a hand over the mouth. A movement quicker than a lightning bolt made by [F/N], Her eyes wide and stretched open to their limits as she pressed a single finger against her lips.

Akaza's eyes opened in tandem with her own, Sensing the situation and a faint.. power. As he looked back towards [F/N] he could recognise the contorted expression on her face.

It was fear.

They stood in silence. The sudden sound of the running winds and the waves sloshing against each other below seemed so much louder now, Their breaths stilled and their eyes were locked together.

[F/N]'s ear twitched as the wind brushed against each of their skins. Though her eyes stared into his she wasn't focused on him, Instead she looked like she was trying to listen in on something.

Her still lungs took in a sharp intake of air. Her entire frame shot up like a terrified cat and the hand on his mouth quickly retracted, Falling to her side and stiffening like a wooden board.

"Kokushibo.. He's here"

Akaza stumbled back. [F/N]'s words echoed into the vastness and hit him like a ton of bricks, The broken glass of his eyes looked back and forth as his shoulders raised in defence.

"Upper six must of informed him I'm gone, He might've told of you- I don't know- But you need to leave. Now!" [F/N] exclaimed. She wasted no time in running over the crumpled kimono lying on the deck.

"Shit- Does he know I'm here?" Akaza exclaimed as he desperately searched around for any sign of the other demon. [F/N] started throwing the fabric over her shoulder, Too engrossed in dressing to look at him.

"I- I don't know." She responded quickly as she put her arms into the sleeves. The sudden headache, She had sensed his prescense returning to the shrine. His soul aura, A rotten and vile tasting soul, One that [F/N] could sense from miles away.

And she could sense that it was angry.

"I've got to leave, Immediately. But for what it's worth, Akaza." [F/N] said, Finishing tying her obi and looking back at him once. Their eyes connecting once more within the cold seas that surrounded them.

[F/N] smiled slowly. It wasn't genuine, But the meaning behind it spoke more than she said.

"I really do appreciate what you did for me, As much as a bastard you are you're not a bad person. It's not much but thanks for helping this pathetic human being anyways" She nodded once before turning away, Running down the rickety dock back the way they came from without another word. Left with only the shocked visage of the demon behind her.

Akaza watched her run away, His body unmoving. He saw [F/N] get smaller and smaller as she navigated the maze of docks, Jumping and leaping away until she was a speck on the shadowed horizon, Leaving him completely alone.

Akaza blinked once, Only as she entirely disappeared did he snap out of his stupor. He muttered angrily under his breath for her delusion and wasting time before bending his knee, Pushing himself forward off the dock.

He leaped into the yearning abyss, [F/N]'s words being nothing but an aftertaste as he fell.

☆♡☆

[F/N]'s feet hit against the dock like storming raindrops on a tiled roof. She watched them carefully to make sure her sandals didn't get caught in the wide gaps or splintered off pieces of timber.

Her lungs laboured. The further she ran and the more she jumped between routes the more she could sense his aura, The putrid decay of his soul writhing around in her skin.

[F/N] had always been able to sense it somewhat. Though before it was fainter than others, Now the stench was overwhelming her. The rot of it reeking of death, And most importantly anger.

Sweat dripped down her brow. [F/N] begged to Inari that he had no idea of what happened with her and Akaza. If he found out and killed him then she was basically done for. She swallowed, Begging just a little more to her patron.

The way they had gotten out of the shrine in the first place was with care. Akaza snuck her out through the front and made sure that Kaigaku wasn't there to see them and follow on, Afterwards he had quickly shown the pathway out.

She knew that this might happen, Akaza had informed her of their link on the way to the edge. [F/N] knew that once Kaigaku knew they had left he would inform Kokushibo of the situation.

Though she wished she had more time. More time to figure out what she was going to do with her business partner.

Akaza himself. [F/N] didn't like him, She didn't like the way he reminded her of the boys from her youth or the fact that he slaughtered Rengoku. But as anyone else she saw the silver lining within the rusted metal, He had principles and stood strong.

She appreciated that. There was some semblance of good in him, There was with everyone and he was no exception. The morals he did have must of carried on from his human life but how he became a demon in the first place baffled her.

But it didn't matter, They weren't suppose to get personal.

It was business only.

[F/N] saw the shrine get larger in the distance. Her pace quickened along with her breath, She saw the growing tuft of leaves sticking out the middle and the dim lanterns lining the inner docks as she ran.

Though as it grew closer and closer, The more she saw the lights of the dock the more she could see the one thing she dreaded, And it was standing tall on the porch and looking down at her.

"[F/N].." Kokushibo drawled out as she stumbled onto the main deck. His face appeared emotionless but [F/N] could tell he was angry, The stench he put off evidence of that as his eyes narrowed in on her.

[F/N] bit her tongue as she came to a standstill. She looked up into his eyes yet noticed the bulging vein appearing on the side of his forehead. [F/N] gulped.

"Took you long enough to appear.. Was wondering where you were.. I was starting to think I'd need to drag you here myself.." Kokushibo commented lowly, Tilting his head as he seemed to gauge her appearance.

"..I'm sorry, Kokushibo-sama. I was busy.." [F/N] replied quickly, Trying to make sure the shakiness in her voice wasn't as noticeable as her expression.

Kokushibo's expression didn't shift in the slightest as he stared down at her, Eyes wide yet his lips pressed together in a deep frown. They stood there like that for a moment, [F/N]'s heart feeling like it was about to implode.

It was broken however by the knowing voice of her tormentor, Speaking out a single sentence.

"You tried to run again, Didn't you..?" He interrogated. He lifted a single foot and placed it down, He took a few steps down the short porch steps towards her. Slowly, He made his way down until they were only a metre or so apart.

[F/N] looked down at her feet and away from the blinding glow of his eyes. She steadied her breath no matter how shaky it was. She tried to think of an appropriate answer but the power coming off his aura made her head want to explode.

"Yeah.. I did." [F/N] answered slowly. "I want to get out of here. I don't want to be here."

Kokushibo hummed slowly, A deep reverberation coming out as a near growl within his throat. The way he looked at her sharpened, His gaze could cut through rock and pierced her deeply.

"How many times have I told you.. Being here is for your own good.. You are safe within these walls, You cannot get out.." He emphasised it in that same infantilizing tone, The way he spoke to her made the spark reappear. The one [F/N] desperately tried to hide from him in fear of retribution.

"..I'm sorry. It won't happen again." [F/N] said bluntly, Hoping to get this entire interaction over with as quick as possible and avoid the now burning eyeline of her captor.

He in turn took one more step towards her, Making their already suffocating distance too close for her taste.

"But.. From what I've been made aware of is that you've been out for a while.. Much longer than it should take for you to run the entire way.." Kokushibo pondered as he raised a finger to emphasise his point.

"What can I say? Blocky sandals, See?" [F/N] said, Pointing down to her feet. "Takes me longer to run in these, I thought you knew.." She said as she lied through her teeth.

Kokushibo nodded.

"I suppose you are correct there.. I cannot fault that.. But let me ask you this.." He agreed slowly as his eyes narrowed. [F/N]'s breath stilled as she dared to take a peak at him, Body going rigid on sight as his hand reached out to cup her cheek.

His hand tilted her face up to meet his, [F/N] struggled slightly but it was impossible within his strong hold.

"However if you were running.. Then why didn't you come from behind the shrine? You came from the front.. If you were truly trying to escape then you would've looped around to the back.." Kokushibo whispered, Irises digging into her like the fury of a thousand spears.

Her eyes widened.

[F/N] opened her mouth as she tried to speak, To respond to him with some rational explanation but her tongue felt like it was weighed down by rocks. She felt her stomach turn and twist into knots.

He knew something was up. He knew. Think of something, Say something, [F/N]. You need to explain this somehow, He can't know about you and Akaza or how you're planning to escape. Come on, Think.. THINK!

"I.." She stammered. The voice in her mind screamed and hollered at her to say something, Anything at all to try and explain this. [F/N]'s hands felt more and more clammier each and every second that passed, Her mind came up with blanks.

Kokushibo leaned down further towards her, Eyes like headlights in the fog as he scrutinized every tiny speck of her. Down to the very last atom she was bonded to was made aware of.

"You've found the escape route.. Haven't you?" He mumbled.

"I don't know how you've been able to find it.. Maybe on chance or perhaps you were informed.." The claws that were tracing her cheeks before started to dig in a little more, It took everything [F/N] had not to make a whine or whimper of pain.

Kokushibo's eyes shone brighter.

"But of course.. I made sure to ensure you were completely alone in this place.. So that wouldn't be the case, Correct?" He asked lowly and calmly but the radiation of his soul was akin to a maggot infested corpse, [F/N] knew what he was truly feeling.

Her mouth felt like a desert, The sand of it weighing down her tongue until she couldn't speak anymore. Even if she could she didn't know what to say. How would she get out of this? Would she need to throw Akaza under the bus?

She didn't want to and hell would it impede her escape if not end it but.. If she couldn't think of anything soon then that might be the case. The way Kokushibo was looking at her made her want to shrivel away into a corner more than she already did and she was absolutely horrified.

[F/N] swallowed back her fear as she spoke, Mind blank as her voice guided her along.

"I.. I.. I was informed." [F/N] said slowly as she looked into his eyes. He blinked, Almost surprised.

"..Hm? Really now..?" Kokushibo drawled, Prompting her to go on and see how she would explain her fault.

[F/N] gulped.

"Yes. I was told.." She confirmed, Not just to him but herself as well as she spoke. [F/N] had no idea what she was going to say even now as she started to ramble off.

His eyes narrowed in on her.

"Tell me now and perhaps I might forgive you for your little attempt, Just this once.." Kokushibo promised though it sounded more like a threat as his claws dug in just a little more, Urging her on.

[F/N] tried not to wince at the painful sensation. She looked deep into the eyes of which seemed to be vast golden oceans, Cold steel looking back at her as she took in a deep breath. A bead of sweat forming on her forehead. Was she really willing to sacrifice another for her own survival?

[F/N] found out as she spoke.

"..It was upper six."

Kokushibo's narrowed eyelids went agape along with the tightening of his lips. The bead of sweat dropped from her brow and onto the deck below as the oxygen in her lungs slowly departed.

He seemed to be thinking over her words. His own Tsuguko, The one he had so generously appointed to watch over his beloved little sister tried to help her escape from his grasp? [F/N] could only wonder what was going on inside his head.

"Upper six directed me where to go. He approached me a while back and told me you sent him to watch me, He said he didn't want me here because he didn't like observing me all the time." [F/N] said slowly, Making sure it sounded right.

[F/N]'s skittish expression formed back into a normal cold faced expression, Well, It was as stable as a toothpick tower but it was something. She still wasn't out of the woods yet, Whether he would believe her or not was up to a coin toss of fate.

Whether he believed her or not meant life or death.

"Upper six.. You are saying that he has been assisting you this entire time?" Kokushibo repeated, His eyes scanning over her body with a hawk-eye that could rival the bird itself.

"Yes.. He did. I'm sorry for listening to him.. Kokushibo-sama." [F/N] said as she felt the pounding of her heart against her ribcage, Drumming and beating almost as if it would expose her words for what they really were.

Kokushibo hummed slightly as the grip on her cheek got excruciatingly painful.

"…And.. You're telling the truth, You understand what will happen if I find out you are lying.. Right? It would end rather.. Horrendously" He asked again.

The threat was a burning inferno kept behind the closed door of his stoic tone, One where she could feel the heat licking at her skin and ready to engulf her at any given moment. It was burning, Absolutely scorching.

"Yes.. I understand and that's why I would never lie to you. I don't want to deal with the consequences." [F/N] said, Bowing her head down to meet her feet, Eyes fixed on her sandals not wanting to see his reaction and hide hers.

She didn't breathe. She waited on baited breath for what felt like hours, Days even. The cold air felt like the antarctic wind against her skin and ran a bone-chilling shiver down her spine. But [F/N] kept a poker face, Despite all odds her face made no move or twitch.

Kokushibo sighed before speaking.

"I'm glad you we're able to be honest with me, Little one.. I will deal with this soon.." Kokushibo said finally, Letting go of her cheek and taking a step back from her to let her breathe. [F/N] in turn quietly let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding.

She bowed once.

"Thank you.. Kokushibo-sama." [F/N] said, Her shoulders relaxing as she did. She felt as if she dodged the bullet of the century, Out of the woods and home free. Metaphorically of course, He wasn't that gracious.

"You won't try running back to the ledge.. Will you? You understand how fruitless an endeavour would be to try and escape from there.." He asked once more, His gaze still soft yet sharpened by an inch as he asked.

It didn't go unnoticed. [F/N] knew it well and took no time in nodding right back in response.

"..Yes. I.. I saw it and I understand.. I.. Won't be getting out anytime soon, I know that now.." [F/N] said, Trying to seem as defeated as possible in her tone and body language. Lowering her shoulders and her head drooping downwards.

Kokushibo stood there in silence for a second, Taking in her words. "Good.." He finally spoke, Nodding once in approval though he didn't smile or make any positive gesture. His face was still contorted in a disappointed scowl though it wasn't as harsh as it was.

"You have interrupted me during my feeding and I wish to return to it.. Now run off back inside.. And for your own good I hope you stay in there." Kokushibo said as he turned back. His arm lightly brushing her's as he passed her by.

A light shiver came by at the cold, Slow feeling of his forearm dragging past her. [F/N] didn't dare to turn around as he stalked past her, Her face as motionless as a statue as she waited for her.

"Be good.. Don't try anything else, I will know if you do.."

It was the last thing he said. The last thing [F/N] heard before a turn in the wind and the sudden lightening in weight of the dock. She didn't need to look around to know he had left, Leaving only the lingering vile stench of his soul to lilt in the air.

[F/N]'s body instantly relaxed, Her shoulders slumped and her head drooping to the side in relief. Her heart was still pounding in her chest yet it started to stutter and slow until it was a simple rhythmic beat in her ribcage.

"Thank Inari.." [F/N] sighed lightly under her breath. She had survived that somehow, Whether he believed it or not was a completely different matter but for now he had bought it.

Despite the fact she lied pooling in the depths of her stomach, Even if it was necessary it still left her with a nasty aftertaste. But that didn't matter, Her relief outweighed her disgust right now.

Hopefully, With any form of luck that would take the Upper six out of the picture. Maybe Kokushibo would deem him as a failure and behead the guy. Though, Even if she hadn't met him [F/N] still felt a little bad.

Whatever. She thought to herself.

[F/N] knew that it didn't matter anymore, She had done the right thing. He was a demon and it didn't matter whether he was beheaded or not, It was probably for the best too.

Besides, This would help her escape immensely. She would be able to get around without the threat of being spied on or not, She wouldn't need to worry about who was watching her without permission.

From her list step one was completed. At least half of it anyways, She had a route out and a plan to make the exit. [F/N] huffed a little, She was lucky at least, The things she use to do in her childhood seemed to come in handy after all.

Next up, She needed to find the sword and mask. She wasn't sure whether they were being kept within the shrine or somewhere else, That was her main concern. Right now though her next course of action would be to rest.

Pushing open the heavy doors of the shrine they came ajar with a creak, Stepping inside she was greeted with the emptiness of the hallway once more. [F/N] almost expected the chatter of Kakushi and the sound of muffled laughter among the hallways.

But as usual it was silent. Nothing but the scuttling of spiders and the settling of the old structure to keep her company, [F/N] didn't know why she expected anything different as it had been like that for the past while.

It brought her back to what happened before she got here. The people she use to talk to and the people she adored and cared about. Mitsuri, Her face was the first to appear along with others in similar fashion.

[F/N] wondered if they missed her at all, How things could of changed since she left. Wondered if Mitsuri had gotten over her death yet. [F/N] hoped so, Mitsuri deserves happiness and it brought her back to the time they were so young, New slayers going on missions.

Memories came back to her. [F/N] remembered how Mitsuri blew her first pay check on cherry blossom mochi and pork cutlets, They had laughed about it all night. She remembered how they stayed up all night to look at the stars, To speak of made up stories ingrained in them all until they fell asleep.

[F/N] didn't know what would happen when she got out of here, How Mitsuri would react to her being alive. Would she cry? Would she be angry with [F/N]?

She did get Seijun to wrestle her out of the shrine.. The way her face looked so scared back then, It was the last expression [F/N] knew of Mitsuri before she was taken.

[F/N] shook it off however, In whatever way Mitsuri would think of her once she was back with the corps [F/N] just hoped it would be positive. That maybe she would get to say those words, The ones she had been wanting to say more than anything.

As she took a few quiet steps down the hall, Her movements were shaky and swaying with every little settlement of her foot. [F/N] felt the weight of the day or night fall down onto her shoulders once more, Making them slump.

It wasn't an oddity. She had been much tired than usual lately, Even being exhausted when she just woke up or just doing menial tasks. Her body feeling like a worn out paper doll, Just yearning for the embrace of her bedsheets.

If she wanted to search for the mask and the sword then she would need her energy to do it. That and she needed to wait for Akaza to return with the materials she would need to construct her exit.

So as she dragged her feet down the hallway and her mind half-asleep, [F/N] knew that it was for the best if she went to bed. If she wanted to go searching for her stuff then she needed to do it on a full nights rest.

Hauling open the shoji door to her room she stumbled inside like a new-born fawn. She barely bothered to take off the green lotus pattern of her kimono, Only tossing it to the side once she pulled it off herself.

[F/N] collapsed onto the bed, Her body melting into that of a puddle as soon as the mattress caressed her skin. Her laboured breathing starting to slow into a drift as her mind did the same, Floating off into the dark unconscious of her mind.

The last thing she wondered was what dream she would appear in again. Would it be the cold wasteland of the blizzard or the warm embrace of the midsummer sun? Would she be faced with that of her other life or that of her past.

She'd find out soon enough. Her eyes fluttered shut and the darkness spread over her vision into a shadowed sea.

It was peaceful, And she begged to Inari that it would stay that way.

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