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Kida had spent the past few days not only in a miserable mood, but inflicting that mood onto everyone around him. He had decided he needed to sort out everything that was happening and stop being so paranoid. He'd written a letter of apology to Lion and snuck it to her house in the middle of the night. Hopefully she got it and would respond. He understood if it took her a while. He was especially cruel and unkind.

He'd also spoken to Zelos, who agreed to talk to the people at Dagon and try to get them to back off of Lion. Even if Mikado wasn't directly involved in any of it, he couldn't help worrying it would lead to all sorts of issues of miscommunications and misunderstandings because he was with Lion that day and he was learning magic now, too.

He wasn't really sure what else he could do at this point though, so he decided to take it easy at home with his friend and try to relax with his friend. That's why Kida threw a pencil at Mikado's head from his spot lounging on Izaya's couch.

"You spend so much time reading those books, do any of them have a spell for inventing television or the internet in them? Or maybe a spell to summon a super cute girl in a maid's costume who will use -sama and bow and blush in cute ways while she serves us."

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The Abbey was a public place, so naturally it had to be a certain level of safe and clean. Despite whatever horrors lurked and what madness was contained deep within, it had to look good. That sort of deception...was a nice little challenge.

Part of the game was flushing out the horrors. The other part was striking them down. By doing so, Erika revealed the true nature of that building. So far, no human causalities, either, which meant her game was a valid one to be played.

Some people had been terrified but oh well.

Erika stood on the roof of a building, the street in front of it leading to the Abbey itself. Three creatures were before her. And a swing later, they flew out under her. She hopped after them and didn't care what time of day it was or who was on the street. This game was fun and her scythe twisted into the creatures, crossing over them and splitting them open. All their truths poured out and she smiled.

Those were the last but oh well. Erika swung the scythe - larger than she was and glowing a faint, familiar blue - to rest on her shoulders. What a roadblock for Mikado.

Mikado skidded to a halt in his mad dash as Erika and the monsters appeared before him. He made a noise as the creatures fell before Erika, and also before him. It was the first time he'd really seen corpses of this type. It was rather scary and sickening, and his heart was already pounding madly.

For a moment he could only stare in shock.

Seeing Erika with her scythe, it sent another sensation down his spine. But there was enough confusion and worry already crowding his thoughts that he just didn't have time for that kind of fear. He was afraid though. Even along the way, his imagination had conjured up a lot of awful things.

Though seeing Erika and the monsters had made his mind go blank for a moment in surprise and shock, the images of Masaomi in peril were already coming back.

But there was a part of his mind that was removed from the panic and the danger, that was even considering his own muted reaction to the dead monsters. Was he really... This type of cold person? Or was it just that his concern for Masaomi outweighed his shock?

"Erika-chan!" But maybe, he had to consider that he might be in luck. If Masaomi was in real danger, seeing Erika fight this way, he could use her help. The thought was calm beneath the anxiety, it was even a little comforting.

Glancing up, Erika gave a pleasant, serene smile for her friend. "Good afternoon, Mikado-kun." Of course whatever cheerful tone her voice had was contrasted - complemented? - by the gleam in her eyes. That gleam was the same as when Mikado had driven stakes into her body.

But she tilted her head. Mikado was distressed. The obvious answer was also the incorrect one. New shock from her and the creatures was still a new coat that had been painted thin and brittle over a deeper concern.

"What has happened?" Even as she said that, Erika pushed the corpses into a space between buildings with her scythe. Mild clean-up.

"E-eh..." As she moved the corpses, Mikado wasn't sure what to say. Greeting her with a good afternoon seemed way too surreal in the circumstances. He recognized her excitement in her eyes, but he was hardly in the right frame of mind to really dwell on it.

"Um, to be honest..." He'd just rushed out without thinking, when Izaya's words had troubled his heart. Even now he wasn't entirely calm, but rather agitated and concerned. "I'm afraid that Masaomi is in danger from the church. Some dangerous looking people came by just now and left with him." If should be clear that he was rushing headlong to intervene in whatever might be happening. In comparison to his calm reasoning in the Witch Trial, his actions here were clearly unorganized.

Quick fact compiling said as much. Mikado could thrive in this sort of dangerous pressure as much as he could fail under it. Wasn't that part of her blue truth? Fragile illusions that came with thrills. She could understand that.

"If you don't have even a simple strategy to survive, you won't be coming back at all, let alone with Masaomi-kun." Blunt but true. Erika shook some blood out of her hair as she continued. "Death of a player is permanent. Death of a piece isn't. So?"

The scythe wasn't glowing now, just a simple but deadly blade propped against her. "Use me and use your brain if you want to save him. Absolute will, remember? Shall we simply storm the Abbey?"

It wasn't to remind him of the game or being playful. Simple truths to shake him. Being reckless, thrilled, afraid, that was all fine, as long as he could think.

Her words shocked him, but they were true. Or perhaps they shocked him because they were true as well as blunt. He swallowed, straightening his back, and nodded to her. She was right. He was reckless, but... He considered her for a moment. Almost, he refused her offer. Almost.

But he decided, in that moment, that even if he didn't want to get her involved in something dangerous, the amount of good he could do on his own wasn't worth commenting on. He truly was useless.

"I think death is permanent here either way, Erika-chan. This isn't a game." This wasn't a Witch battle, this was real and he needed her help if he wanted to get Masaomi back. He nodded, still concerned and agitated, but thinking again.

"So, not as a piece... But if you join me as my friend, I'd be really grateful. I don't think we have time for much of a strategy for entering--rather, I'm unsure of what time we have. So if you're coming, we need to go now."

"Partners, then. I've done my best work with a partner." Erika smiled and if there was time, she would curtsey, but she decided to believe Mikado. He was reckless but he was thinking now and if he still believed there was limited time, then so did Erika.

She heaved the scythe so it balanced over her shoulders and grabbed Mikado's hand. Maybe it wasn't a surprise that she could run fast but as she tugged him along, a grin split over her face.

"Just aim me and I will clear the way. Give me your orders. Be specific and direct." She said it simply because in this situation, she was armed, he wasn't. Erika wouldn't stop thinking but... "This is your rescue."

"Tell me when this is over, okay?" He meant it. He'd like to know more about his new friend. But he felt pressured for time. With Erika at his side though, he also felt a little calmer. She was strong. He was ashamed to have to admit that he couldn't do anything on his own, but the overriding feeling was worry, and he could not afford his own humiliation at that realization.

Therefore he nodded to her and headed for the Abbey.

"I just want to find Masaomi and get out of there. I don't want to hurt anyone if possible, and if not, just be gentle. That said, um, don't hold back if it's you or them." It was a sort of ruthless directive, but he valued her safety over the cultists by a long shot.

Not that he wanted to see anyone hurt. He just wanted to find his friend. "I'd really like to get there without any violence at all."

"I understand." And she did. Furudo Erika was not a piece but in a partnership, if the advice was valid, it was as good as an order. The request for story time about her angelic guardian was filed away for later. For now, focus.

Luckily for Mikado, Erika's hunger for knowledge and need to investigate meant she had a fair idea where Kida would be. Instead of any dramatics in storming the front door, Erika led him down a path off to the side, lined with grand statues of humans and some newer ones that seemed a little less so.

Zigzagging past some dormitories, a few followers started to gather and wave at them. Erika drew attention, after all, with her dress and scythe, dragging Mikado as fast as she could. There were actual pursuers now with a dead end wall in front of them and yet Erika turned and grinned at him.

"Trust me." The only warning given before Erika suddenly jumped up, throwing her arm out, specifically the one holding Mikado's hand. It was the sort of strength not expected from someone with a frame like hers. Hell, it probably wouldn't be expected to be possible. Mikado is only in the air by himself for a moment before Erika is holding him.

The next minute they tumble to the ground on the other side of the wall, now in the middle of some cloister. Erika is already picking herself up off the ground. "Straight and left. Passage to the Sanctuary. We shall descend hell from there."

Mikado couldn't help his yelp. He had no idea what she meant when she warned him, but then he was flying and there really wasn't much choice in trusting her or not. Maybe he should tell her some time to be more clear with her intentions, but as he thought that, he realized maybe it was better not to know at times. Maybe he would have resisted unconsciously if he'd had warning.

It wasn't worth thinking about anyway, though his heart was racing as they landed on the other side and Mikado had to get to his feet and convince himself he was intact.

"Um..." He has no words he could form for that little stunt of Erika's, so instead he nodded, determination replacing the shock on his face. They weren't here for fun and they'd been spotted. He was already winded with Erika dragging him at full speed, but he didn't have time to catch his breath either.

"Right." He acknowledged her directions and started forward. He didn't stop but hesitated to confirm the route when he turned left, and by the time they got to where Erika's directions ended it was obvious where to descend from. He didn't wait to let Erika go first, grabbing a lamp and hurrying down the dark stairs before him. Surely they were going to have to deal with cultists looking for them from earlier. Their time was growing shorter and shorter. Mikado didn't know what they'd find at the bottom of the stairs, but he had to be forming ideas for what to do in any situation.

Naturally he didn't consider the worst case scenario. There were many bad situations he could imagine, but when it came to 'worst case' he simply didn't spare it a single thought.

Perhaps it was being naive. Or maybe optimistic. Or perhaps part of him was already aware of the worst case, but in any event, consciously he refused to think about it and instead tried to consider plans for all the other possibilities.

As far as Erika went, she was trailing a little behind anyway. It was good that Mikado was focused on his task, because she was single-minded in her own. This sort of thing, well, it wasn't ideal. Ideal was a match of wits. Anything that got her gray cells scratching free of their bonds, thoughts that pushed logic to beautiful limits and beyond, that was truly thrilling.

But this would do, too. And so Erika gave some enthusiasm as she swung the scythe, knocking back a few cultists. For now and only for now she used the broad, blunt side where handle and blade met. It was harmless but a heavy blow.

It also kept Mikado safe, even if he wasn't aware of it. It did occur to Erika that quite likely these followers knew nothing of what was going on. Just bystanders trying to halt invaders. It was admirable, really.

Erika rejoined Mikado and stayed behind him, looking back and forward. In tighter spaces her scythe had limits and so she turned it carefully so less of the handle was free, hands closer to the blade.

Her hand closed around Mikado's upper arm and she gave a soft hushing sound. Just beyond was a corridor of flickering torch lights and lined with wooden doors. There were definitely some voices but she couldn't hear Kida's in them or anything that might indicate him. But being spotted now...

She just looked to Mikado for his decision.

Part of him was aware of a commotion behind, but he was focused ahead. Call it trust in Erika or naive foolishness, Mikado started only a little when she grabbed his arm. He looked back at her with a serious expression.

He didn't hear Masaomi. It could mean Masaomi wasn't here, but as Erika had said, absence of evidence wasn't evidence of absence. Or something like that. He considered the corridor ahead. He wasn't sure what to expect beyond the doors, he'd never been in these churches except to join Lion for books. These sinister underground rooms were an unknown matter.

He considered it, but the most likely bet was to head straight for the voices. There was the possibility Masaomi was in a room alone, but that meant he was safe (there was no other consideration) and if he wasn't, then if Masaomi was here, he was in a room with the cultists. That seemed decidedly unsafe.

Mikado nodded at Erika over his shoulder, he had a good idea which door to head for considering the direction of the voices, but it also meant they would be revealing themselves.

He'd dragged Erika into something really dangerous.

He had no time to be apologetic about it though, and he touched her arm in return. There was no one in the corridor as he stepped out into it, the lamplight patterning the walls in strange and unsettling ways.

It was a direct approach, but he was heading straight for the room with the voices. Possibly, if they were lucky, they could peek in without being noticed and confirm Masaomi's presence first. Unlikely, but it was a hope. He wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble.

If he wanted to do the direct approach, then Erika would follow him. Little cells itched in her head and gave spark, noting the width of the hall, the height, exactly how much space she had to swing and the best positions to stand in. Every minute adjustment in her hold and posture was precisely calculated to be to their advantage.

Oh but how she wished she had more data on the situation. Hungry eyes darted around in the dim light to take in whatever they could. What exactly had led to a situation like this? Some details she had heard from her window perch made things sound a little...

Well, there was too little to speculate on at the moment. Erika wasn't the type to jump to a wild theory. She was a good opponent because she reasoned to a finer and sharper point than any blade.

Still, there was a suspicion about all this. Ah well.

At the slightly ajar door, they could hear the voices clearer but not distinct enough. It didn't sound like Kida was inside. But it did sound like they were talking about him. Some ritual they felt would go well? Lucky that he was so well-suited for it? Or something about believing them but it was hard to hear right-

Erika did, however, hear the footsteps coming from the stairs and spun around. "Mikado!" she hissed but no, the only thing she could do was hope he kept close.

Grin cracking her face apart, she ran to greet them. Oh, swords? How novel. Blue lit up the hallway as her scythe swung.

Mikado straightened in frustration. He backed away from the door, wanting to stay out of Erika's way. But the men inside were alerted by the sounds in the hall. Mikado realized the only thing he could do was try to hold the door closed, but that rather futile thought was cut short anyway as they rushed out before he could even do that.

The ones coming down the stairs were at least prepared for resistance this time. There was some shouting as they raised their swords to clash with Erika.

Mikado, apparently not on the level of threat as Erika, was not grabbed immediately, instead the men from the room tried for the girl. But since her back was turned...

"Watch out!" Mikado stepped forward, raising an arm to shield his face even as he caught two, three heavy blows meant for Erika. His arm went numb from the shock of the blows, and one of the hits did catch his face as his arm fell; he himself was sent to the ground. The force being used, at least, was not intended to be lethal, but to someone with below average physical abilities, like Mikado, it was still difficult to withstand. It took a moment even to register the extreme pain.

Edited 2011-11-20 13:25 (UTC)

The first three attackers were very lucky. They were disarmed and knocked out before Mikado was hurt. Sure, there were bound to be reinforcements but maybe they would be lucky, too, if the detective's anger was quelled by then.

Because Erika turned and saw Mikado go down and that was worth a maddening laugh. She didn't stop laughing as she twisted the handle so the blade tipped to the sharpest point. Mikado could stay down for now. It was better that way as her sound echoed.

It was hilarious, so funny, how seeing that hurt.

But she didn't drag it out, as much as she wanted to. The impulse - hurt make them bleed and break and tear and split - was strong but Erika's blade struck one man through the heart and the next a fatal but quick slash of his throat on the back swing. The remaining two were shouting for help as they raced away.

Erika stood for a moment, breathless and giggling. "Hey, Mikado? Mikado, you are all right, right? You can get up, right...?"

Maybe the laughing wasn't actually happy. It might not have been since the start.

Mikado was distracted from his own pain by the shock of witnessing two people die right in front of his eyes. Even the corpses of the monsters before had been a different matter than seeing two humans simply cease existing in front of him.

He felt his heart stop for a moment as the world constricted painfully. He didn't know--what should he do? Was this his fault? He felt like he might faint, but was it because of witnessing the deaths or his own pain?

Did human beings... Really have so much blood?

It was an odd thought, among it all. It was just shocking, his mind must be trying to focus on something. Even Erika's laughter was a distant noise to his ringing ears.

Her question snapped him out of it, forced his heart to start again and his breath to fill his lungs. He was shaking like a leaf. They were here... There was a reason they were here wasn't there? There was... They had to find Masaomi.

He looked up at Erika with eyes a little unfocused and dilated. But he nodded, forced himself to stand, though he couldn't really get his one arm to move.

"I'm okay. Are you...?" Was he okay? It didn't matter. He didn't know. He could moved. Was Erika okay? He couldn't even yell at her for killing people, he didn't have the words. To be more honest, even through the shock his emotions weren't strong enough to raise his voice in the first place. He was well aware she'd done it to protect him. He might consider it excessive, but he was also not sure what right he had to be picky when he was the one who put her in this dangerous situation to begin with.

Was that attempting to justify? He wasn't sure.

"W-we... Need to find Masaomi. He's definitely here."

Taking a deep breath, Erika ran the final closed room of the sixth game through her mind. It was quick. She knew the answer now. Rather, it was for Mikado's benefit. Her mental instability was a liability at the moment and the comfort of flipping through a beloved puzzle calmed her.

"Dealing with those stakes the way I did wasn't just an effect of the dream." Which meant not to worry about her. Unless she actually fell, if she could stand, then she was alive enough.

Though...seeing him so shaken was a little concerning. Erika felt nothing at all for the dead but she had tried to kill them 'kindly' for Mikado. Apparently, there really were no kind deaths.

But he was all right. He'd be better once they found that idiot of his and got out of here. Mikado's safety still took priority, though.

Erika pulled Mikado closer to her, mindful of his wounds even as distant footfalls grew louder. "Allow me to handle this. Shut your eyes if you need to but keep yourself safe. After all, that's what my goal, too."

Tempting as it was to carry him, she decided to just keep an eye on him for now, pressing him quickly down the hall and deeper into what she had called hell.

He nodded, feeling all but useless. Really what would he have done without Erika? He'd already have failed to save Masaomi three or four times at this point.

"Thank you." His voice was soft, a light noise of pain escaping him after as they continued. He hadn't been hit hard in the head, and his previous head injury should have been healed enough. The dizziness was probably just the situation and the pain of his arm. He ignored it and continued with Erika, not voicing anything.

His thoughts were racing. Masaomi was the main point, fear and worry coloring everything with that driving need to find his friend. Regret and gratitude towards Erika also buzzed within him. He shouldn't have involved her and he couldn't have done anything without her. That she had killed for him was still a shock, but he honestly just didn't have time to consider it.

He had to concern himself with how they were going to get out once they found Masaomi.

After this was all settled, Erika really needed to sit him down and explain there was little to thank her for here. Accompanying him was for his safety and her enjoyment. Saving Kida - while she really didn't dislike him - was only on the list because it was Mikado's whole point.

And the killing, well. She wasn't about to tell him her head trick to trap Battler but 'ensuring death' was the job of a detective. The detective's right was to look at a body and declare the status of life, after all.

Ah, loopholes.

Erika was leading blind here but Mikado was just as lost as her, so it didn't matter. The silence was...unsettling. There were sure to be more to fight soon but this quiet felt wrong. And the dark reminded her of oblivion.

"...When we find him, stay with him and keep close to me. I can get us out of here. Enough magic is lingering in me to do more if needed." She spoke softly. Her scythe was at rest and she seemed calmer despite her sense buzzing and screaming at the growing magic the further they walked and what was this, an endless staircase?

Possibly Erika was agitated a bit.

The magic just got thicker the further they went. If there were a ritual being performed on Masaomi, this was probably the right direction. Mikado just nodded in affirmation at her words.

He could feel it too, though he recognized it from his studying and growing awareness, he didn't realize what he was recognizing at first.

"...Okay." He affirmed verbally as well. This time he did add, because the shock was so very fresh; "Please... Don't kill anyone else." There was a sort of dull calmness to his voice. Even while he considered the cost of human life, he also knew that this would get them in a lot of trouble with the church. It was very possible they were well beyond any point of recovery and further damage wouldn't matter. On the other hand, murdering more cultists would surely only enrage the rest further. Even if the cultists had absolutely no love for their fellows, their pride as an organization would likely be wounded.

That his thoughts could be so removed, detached even, scared him and worried him. But it was a consideration he realized he'd had in mind without acknowledging it, right from the start. He definitely didn't want anyone hurt. This also included himself, Masaomi and Erika, as well as Izaya who might end up caught up in things if they caused excessive trouble.

The people they were facing were dangerous. But while the immediate concern was Masaomi, future ramifications also existed.

Edited 2011-11-20 15:04 (UTC)

Shutting her eyes, Erika nodded. In the same way as Mikado, she also quietly gave verbal confirmation. "Unless you say otherwise, I won't." It gave him an out in case things got heated. Or when they got heated. Erika doubted this was going to go well, assuming they even found Kida alive. And even getting out alive could have a massive ripple effect.

In the wider perspective, she thought of Zelos, who went out of his way to vouch for foreigners - Lion and Mikado - here, and for Will, should anything get traced back to that strangely calm home. In fact, she had to consider all of those people, this long web of friendships and other relationships, that stretched and weaved between them all. If it was the red string of fate, it had tied them in a strange mess.

Worrying at all was strange for her and to this extent... she actually gave a soft laugh.

"Caring about you people...is more confusing than anything." Though only Will knew exactly what sort of terrible, disgusting excuse of humanity she was inside. If Mikado knew, he would be lost. And Zelos surely had to have some limits...

Soon, though, a sound came. Chanting? Yes, in some tongue that Erika recognised from the books. From human mouths it sounded surreal and impossible. The buzz was strong and her scythe was glowing brighter. The restless feeling of touching something wider than this world was driving her into a quiet, unseen frenzy.

The stairs opened to a small landing with a large archway. It was the perfect vantage point - with room to hide around the corner - for staring into the massive room beyond. In fact the ceiling couldn't even be seen; there was just a gray haze. Horrible statues of the gods were lining the room and hooded figures stood in a circle, reading from old scrolls and drawing symbols on the ground.

But more important was a very out of place figure: their target.

Kida had no idea his friends, well friend was so close. Instead he was watching the hooded figures as he toyed with the sleeves of his own robes. It was a simple protection spell, it would initiate himself into some magical guardian type roll, and give him the ability to prevent Lion's magic from going too far. It would eliminate the need for other churches to harass Lion or Mikado about their unaffiliated use of magic. Even if he wasn't part of the Church of Dagon, his status as a member of the Church of Martel was more desirable than no church backing at all.

The ritual had been explained to him as sending him to a place along the thin line between life and death. The work of the priests and priestesses would keep him on that line, and soften the echoes of the Great Old Ones, since his heart and mind and body weren't ready for the horror and wonder of those voices, according to one priest. Kida was also cautioned about the delicacy of this kind of magic. Any disruption at all could make the protections they built for him crumble. At that explanation, Kida had made a crack about it being like a souffle of magic. He was met with serious faces, although one hooded figure did crack a smile that they quickly tried to hide. That small reaction made Kida feel more at ease. The moment had passed quickly though, as they continued to tell him that his life and sanity were in the balance here, and they wanted to be sure he was absolutely certain before he agreed, because this type of ritual and this role required acceptance and compliance. Kida had agreed. He could do this, for his friends, and in a selfish way for himself, too. He would make himself a reliable person.

Explanations were over now though, all words said in a language he couldn't understand. Kida knew he had passed the point of no return as he felt arms remove the robe he was wearing, until he was only in his boxers. He was pushed inside one of the circles that was drawn on the floor. It was almost like a tiny pit in the floor, only about two shallow steps below everyone else. It could fit about three people, and that was a tight squeeze. All the hooded figures loomed over him now, except for the two that stood in the pit with him drawing symbols on Kida's body, around scars he'd gained in that Yellow Scarves fight Mikado had stumbled upon, and scars from fights that Mikado would never know about. He was surprised at how quickly his body was covered in symbols from head to toe. "Don't worry, it will wash off with a bath or two," one of the girls that drew on him said quietly into his ear, perhaps sensing that shallow concern of his. She pushed him towards one edge of the pit. Her voice was the only indication she was a girl. The robes did a good job of cloaking identities and genders.

The high priest in charge of the ceremony, not that Matthis peson he was told, took Kida's hands, binding them together as he continued changing. The priest pulled out a dagger. Kida was told this dagger contained some sort of drug that would send him into a trance, taking him to that borderline between life and death, between the world of the Great Old Ones and the human plane of existence. It would be an almost out of body experience, one they would contain and keep as pleasant and sheltered as possible. As the dagger sliced across his open palms, he started to feel dizzy. The dagger was quickly taken away and placed into a locked box. The dizziness grew more and more, but Kida had to stay standing, just for a few more seconds. He watched as his blood flowed into a large chalice. There was all ready blood or something in the chalice before his own blood started flowing, but Kida did not ask, too distracted with keeping himself on his feet.

The chalice itself was large enough that it took two attendants to hold it in place. A new dagger was brought out and carried by a third attendant. The chalice and dagger were moved around to three more of the church goers, out of the dozen or so there. As they spilled their own blood into the chalice they recited strange words in a strange tongue. Kida was walked through all of this beforehand, too. They were tying their life force to his life force to keep him tethered to this world.

Finally the chalice was brought back to the high priest, who said a few words before spilling his own blood into the chalice, too. His recitations were almost songlike as he took the chalice from the two attendants. His hands were steady as he raised it over his head, before bringing it back down and taking a sip. He then raised it over his head again, before bringing it back down to Kida's lips. Kida knew he couldn't hesitate now, so he took a sip, closing his eyes. His legs were becoming shakier and shakier. He only had to stay standing for a few more seconds. The chanting seemed to get louder and louder by the second, as the high priest held the chalice in the air one more time, before finally pouring it over Kida's head, blood pouring down his body. He was told he had to keep his eyes open here, and he watched, until finally the blood touched the floor and the symbols beneath Kida's feet. He could finally let go now.

Kida's knees buckled as he crashed onto the hard floor. Only it didn't hurt. Nothing hurt as the dizzying atmosphere tugged at him. He was no longer awake, he was no longer even one with his body, he thought. There were terrible voices and shades of colours crashing around him, but they were all muted. There was something terrible that could get him, that fear and horror could not be muted no matter what ritual was performed, but right now he was safe and protected. If anything, the chanting and the sense of the ritual happening around him gave him a sense of comfort that was close to euphoria, even as he was oddly and acutely aware at how lifeless his physical body felt at the moment. The chanting itself seemed less strange to his ears and mind and heart and more like a language he used to speak but forgot somewhere along the way. He was safe, and when this was all finished he could keep his friends safe, too.

From the distance and timing, all Mikado and Erika would see is the blood being poured on Kida and the young man falling shortly after. It was a terrifying instance to Mikado, to see his friend fall down, bloody and seemingly lifeless. Even in Mikado's studies he hadn't encountered a ritual like this one, so he had no way to recognize the purpose, no way to analyze what was really happening or what the cultists were truly up to and doing.

All he knew was that under the blood, Kida looked like he wasn't breathing.

He'd dropped the lamp in the earlier fight. The only thing he had was himself. Leaving Erika behind in his rush forward, Mikado didn't have time to really consider that he'd never really practiced magic and maybe using it was a bad idea when he didn't know how in the first place. He'd use it now if he had to.

He slammed into the cultist closest to the stairs, using his body and momentum to push him over. That hurt like hell, because it jarred his arm, but he couldn't care. The chanting stuttered to a stop as he picked himself up quickly and grabbed a torch, backing towards the center of the circle as he held it in front of him to keep the cultists at bay.

"Boy..." One of the robed figures gasped, stepping forward, and Mikado lashed out with the torch, catching the man's robe on fire.

Idiot. Even if it was sudden, even if Kida looked lifeless, think think think. Never stop thinking. Ugh. Erika didn't know enough about this magic. Bad. Very bad. But it didn't matter. Move made. Had to go with it.

If anything, Mikado was going to need protection now.

Erika heard an order, a little frantic but firm, to continue the ritual. Apparently this was the crucial moment. Even with one of their own on fire, they were trying. Impressive.

But a few were moving in to try to salvage the fallen and block the two from getting closer. Doubts seemed to flicker in the darkness under the hoods of the remaining desperate chanters. Erika twirled her scythe with nothing but pure skill and ease, a warning as she stayed near Mikado.

Even if Mikado had probably forgotten his order, she hadn't.

"Forget them and get Masaomi!" Erika hissed. Revenge could be later if he really wanted. If there was really something wrong and really something they could do, it would have to be now.

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1/2 - man, rituals take a lot of words to right, I hope this works

2/2 - the end

My tears

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