purrtagonist | [Week 4, Sunday: Assassin]

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reapsody

[Week 4, Sunday: Assassin]

[it's late]

[Akira waits until it's late on purpose, to let the events from this afternoon settle. maybe it's also more mysterious when meetings like this occur in the dark? either way, at some point that evening, the finest Ass in Shinjuku will hear a voice calling out to him from above]

Hey, Shin.

[further investigation will reveal that the speaker is, naturally, Akira. who has perched himself on top of a building like a cat, crouched on the edge, toes hanging over. he almost looks ready to pounce]

[but he doesn't]

Let's talk.

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[He looks up and smiles. Coward.]

Sure, Lupin. Just don't get too close to me. I might get hives.

And I may lose a head, so for both our sakes, I'll stay up here.

[his posture relaxes and he shifts, legs dangling over the edge. he gets right to it]

You want to kill me.

[yeah. he's very much aware that the threat during the trial wasn't just for show]

. . . why?

[ A cackle.

Then, drawn out laughter, sinister and maniacal. ]

Why don't you look at the mirror and ask yourself that?

What will you get out of winning, Akira? Tell me.

[his answer is immediate, delivered without hesitation]

Nothing.

[nothing. absolutely nothing. it had always been that way, hadn't it? he tilts his head back to stare at the sky, leaning back on his hands to brace himself]

I don't want to win.

. . . and I never have.

Haha! I guess we'll see about that, won't we? Because I—I want to win. I desperately want to win. I want to win so, so much. It's why I was brought to life there. It's why I play here.

A Holy Grail that can grant any wish. The promise of a new life. Who wouldn't want to fight for those?

[ But he was never summoned to fight for the Grail. Instead, his Master asked for the salvation of humanity—

Ah, they were so kind. ]

If I still had the doppelganger in my Saint Graph, I might have chosen differently. Right here, it's just me. I'm sure of who I am. And honestly, I've never felt any better.

But that only lasted for a moment! Do you know why?

[there's something about the phrase "Holy Grail" that causes Akira to flinch. but even so, he says nothing as he tears his gaze from the sky to look back towards Assassin. his expression is carefully neutral]

Why?

[he thinks he knows why]

[ His face twists. ]

Oh, don't give me that. You know what you did.

But you know? I could be convinced to turn the other cheek. You have an offer, don't you?

[. . . his smile is rueful. tired. completely wan. yeah, he does]

No, actually. I have no offers, no deals to make, no grand plan to talk you out of whatever it is you and your important people may have been planning. I don't think I could. And I don't really want to try.

[he draws one leg up, resting his chin on his knee. his posture is far more relaxed now than it was at the beginning of this conversation]

But I do want to understand.

Why do you want to win?

Did you know, Akira? When a Heroic Spirit is erased, they can't be summoned again. I don't know if it'll happen, but I don't like working with the uncertain. Of course I want to be summoned. Of course I want to live!

Life in itself is a miracle, isn't it? If I had a second chance, I want to eat and drink sing and dance and fight and laugh and love—

[ His throat tightens. Akira can't see it, but his knuckles turn white. ]

A chance to do everything right. A chance to live with pride... Hahaha! Who doesn't want that, Akira!?

Who took that away from me, Akira!?

[there is nothing about Shin's reaction that is wrong. nothing about it that is unfair, or misdirected, or misguided. and Akira accepts it all with grace-- the raised voice, the levied accusations. truthfully. . . he deserves this, doesn't he?]

[because the real answer to that question is, "some asshole who wasn't strong enough to break his bindings before he was forced into hurting people he never wished to hurt."]

[his voice is level when he next speaks]

Do you really think it's gone, Shin?

[despite that, that's a genuine inquiry. does he think it's gone? does he think. . . there is no going back from here?]

[ He bristles, tense and white-knuckled, enraged as the dragon on his skin.

He spits, ] What do you want from me?

[for a moment, he looks. . . pained. but he keeps his tone level]

I want you to trust Setz.

[not him. Shin can't trust him; Akira would never ask him to try]

I want you to help us save the Erased. I want you to help us give everyone here another opportunity to live.

[. . .]

And to achieve that, I want your help in extending this Game to the time limit. If you can do that. . .

[he spreads his arms to either side, palms facing forward]

Then on the last week, so long as one Reaper in my group remains to keep the Game from ending prematurely, I'll offer you my neck. And you can do with it whatever you please.

[ah]

...

[ So that was it. That was Akira's offer. ]

Haha.

[ Of course he was talking to Setz. It's not like Assassin didn't know. Ah, he's cornered on all sides...

But the light is still at the end of the tunnel, and vengeance and glory are so, so close. ]

Hahahahahaha... Alright. I'll help you.

But if you go back on your word, Akira, I'll make sure you regret it.

[Max was right. being a "martyr" or whatever was annoying as fuck. there are many people who would yell at him for this deal. many others who would be chomping at the bit to see it executed, just as Shin is right now. Akira's no fool; he knows people want him dead. it wouldn't be the first time. it probably won't be the last]

[he has no desire to die. not when he believes his survival is required for the sake of reviving the Erased. but if this. . . is what it takes for that goal to be achieved, then. . .]

Don't you remember what I told you when we first met?

[a strained smile, sharp and jagged. but it's one that doesn't reach his eyes]

I work in deals. And I never go back on my word.

Give and take, right?

[ An echo of days long gone. ]

Same here.

[. . . heh]

If you let me, I'll even make it interesting.

[a shrug. his gaze goes back to being affixed on the sky above]

As interesting as I can. I'm just a thief, after all.

[. . . he probably wouldn't even stand a chance against a trained assassin. still. . .]

Oh! A performer, are you? Alright. I like the sound of that.

Not exactly.

[. . .]

[he just can't go down without swinging a little bit. it's in his nature]

Hahahaha! Oh! Ohhh, yeah. I like that more.

Then give it to me, Akira. I'll make it really good for you.

All right.

[that settles it, then. three weeks. three weeks from now. if Shin could wait that long, then . . .]

I'll make sure it's fun on your end, too. So you can enjoy every second of it.

Mm.

[ Three weeks.

Assassin can almost taste it. ]

I'm looking forward to it.

[ He licks his lips and disappears in a flash. ]

[and he's gone]

[. . . that smile fades. that confident bravado evaporates with it. and for a moment, he's just some kid in way over his head, seated on the rooftop of a building, overlooking a Shibuya that doesn't belong to him. he draws his knees up, and rests his chin on top of them as his eyes grow distant]

[three weeks]

[. . .]

[he can make it. . . right?]

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[Week 4, Sunday: Assassin]

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