IC || THE LAST CASE || VIDEO
[From the moment the video feed rolls, the audio is distorted with static and a tinny, dual-toned laughter that lacks any real warmth or cheer. No, the sound is instead cold and cruel, cutting through the tranquil silence of night like a knife, as sharp as the smile that now twists its owner’s lips. Crowing, Tohru Adachi stares straight-on at the
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It must be adrenaline spurring him on, adrenaline and determination and fury, because he's already bruised and bloodied, but it doesn't matter. It occurs to him that it keeps boiling down to this, him chasing after Adachi, and now he's sprinting over the ground, sword at his hip.
He's too exhausted to really summon Izanagi - Adachi had made sure of that. But it doesn't matter. What matters is that he catches up.
Other people will come too, he knows, but he has to be there. He has to put a stop to this - because he started it. His ineffectiveness, his hesitance, his good will --
Thinking like that won't do him any good, he knows, so instead he focuses on running. There's a stitch burning in his side but he doesn't care. He won't slow down. He can't. He can see Adachi's shadow up ahead, a silhouette in the dark night, and knows that if he gets into the forest he's as good as gone.
So he moves faster, somehow. Because he needs to catch up. He needs to finish it ( ... )
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Continuously, he calls out to the god, tries to reconnect to Magatsu Izanagi, but the being is silent. No, it's more than that, and he knows it. His persona has been defeated, the Fae Queen's boon, useless! He should have known! That witch, that fucking enchantress! The way she looked at him when she blessed him, that enigmatic smile she flashed him. She knew this would happen! What is he...nothing more than a ( ... )
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He needs to be incarcerated, he thinks. Locked up, guarded, so that this can't happen again. His eyes track the blood trickling down Adachi's face for a moment and he shakes his head. When had that happened? Did it matter?
Shock starts to ebb away, making way for the pain he knew would come. He'd been Adachi's target, and for all his friend's shielded him - they shouldn't have had to, this shouldn't have happened, my fault my fault my fault - the brunt of the damage was still done.
He doesn't know how long he can keep standing. But he does so, anyway. He stands, and faces him directly, surprising himself with how still his voice manages to be.]
I'm taking you back to the village.
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Adachi starts talking and he finds himself falling into a guard position anyway, as if there's an attack coming. His eyes sharp, ready, Adachi may well be pointing the gun at him.
What comes is worse than a bullet. Souji freezes, muscles all tensing at once. He feels like he's been shot, and the sudden blaze of white noise is enough to make him wonder, for a split second, if maybe he has been. Or perhaps he's just trying to distract himself.
No. He's lying. Adachi has to be lying - he's trying to unsettle him, trying to make him freak out, and Souji will not give him the satisfaction. That blood - that could have come from any time during the fight. Hell, most of it is probably Adachi's.
He's lying, he tells ( ... )
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[Damn, his muscles burn with the need for release, but Adachi remains still, body locked, knowing that Souji is too wary for a successful physical assault. That's fine. Adachi has plenty of material to work with. He pours his whole being into his next words, expression open and cruelly honest, demanding Seta face the truth.]
Souji, she's dead. See this? [A gesture to his shoulder, displaying the shallow gunshot wound.] As far as she got. Not the best of aim, that one. Tell her thanks for me when you see her corpse - well, the top half of her corpse, at least. Izanagi's attack was...a little messy, aha!
[There is a fanatical gleam in his eyes.]
Call Satonaka. She was there for it. Go on. I'll wait.
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Ange.
She'd been through enough already. That had been what he wanted - to change things for her, to show her something different. Barely two weeks in and what had he given her, but more of the same. The how of her death doesn't matter. All that matters is that it's happened and he wasn't even there - where was he ( ... )
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I suppose that depends on the nature of your question. Who else did I dispose of? Who else did I fight? Who else did I...play with?
[He begins to circle Souji.]
You really want to know? Heh, well, let's just say most of this blood isn't mine.
[A smirk.]
It's Karkat's. What a chump. He honestly thought he had a chance!
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This isn't a game! These people aren't here to entertain you!
You could have had a second chance here! [Hope was his blessing, but sometimes, it was more folly than anything else.]
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[Peculiarly, he's speaking heatedly now. He doesn't actually believe any of this bullshit, or care really, but lying about it...it's a second nature to him. So easy to slip into the role of furious victim. He continues circling, anger furrowing his brow.]
You're damn right I could have had a second chance, but not under these circumstances! You made a deal with me, Seta! We had a deal!
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He doesn't have the luxury of wondering about it right now. Instead, his head snaps up again, and he meets his eyes once more, terse.]
And you were any better? You attacked Saki Konishi - [and what had souji done? so very, very little.] - and would have harmed her if it wasn't for a passer-by. Your secret was still kept!
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Do you know why I attacked her!? She tried to run screaming from the building! Do I honestly have to reiterate my point about how you seriously fucked up keeping your people under control? I tried being diplomatic, but that bitch wouldn't hear any of it! Should I have just let her run and confess everything that happened? Grow up, brat! Sheik came in after the fact and it was only through him that she'd listen to damn reason.
[His eyes are cold.]
It shouldn't have been him. It should have been you.
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Come on.
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[A powerful adrenaline rush possesses him now, bringing new energy to his movements. He can sense it, can see that Souji is struggling with himself, is fighting a losing battle with his conscience. It's almost disappointing how easy he is to manipulate. But enough is enough.
His circle loops tighter and tighter until he is standing shoulder to shoulder with the boy, watching him askance. The anger has been flipped off for the time being and replaced with amusement.]
I guess I should thank you, Seta. If not for your inaction, I wouldn't have been able to collect Saki's debt. You remember it, don't you? The day that I found Link asleep in the woods... I let you speak to her on my communicator.
Where were you, hero, when she got on her back and let me fuck her...all for information on where her precious boyfriend was? Well done, Seta. She trusted you to be there.
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His head turns abruptly to look at Adachi directly, eyes wide, mouth ajar in shock.
He's lying, he tells himself, weakly, and he forces himself to ignore it, knowing it's stupid, knowing that's the lie. He can't start trying to delude himself, not now - he's turned from that possibility long ago, and besides, he owes it, owes it to --
who? Who would care? Will it change anything? If he accepts it or not, it still happened, it won't help Saki. The best of intentions don't mean a damn thing when you're too late.
Loki's anger is venomous, Tam Lin's unease flaring to a twisting ache, Izanagi's scorn bound by Souji's own horror.
He moves, suddenly, whole body jerking as he flings himself at Adachi. End it end it end it!]
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