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(no subject)
[Kyoko hasn't been quite the same for awhile now. The others had noticed it, had questioned where she'd disappeared off to for the better part of two weeks, but she had readily dismissed their concerns as nothing. And if there were still suspicions, no one saw it fit to press her when there were so many other issues to focus on. It was there, though, in how uncharacteristically quiet she had been. Withdrawn and awkward and scared--it felt like she was always scared these days.
The appearances of witches hasn't erased that, but it has allowed her to slip seamlessly back into the persona she had adopted back home. She was somebody who was strong, confident, and capable of taking on the world. She had been a part of this system for years, had survived the worst parts of it. If it was bound to be fleeting, for now she had an identity again. She was someone again.
Unfortunate, that someone hadn't planned on having a human accompany her into a witch's barrier. It's a pitch black world, with only streaks and lines and splatters of mismatched colors bleeding together fading in and out to provide any sense of direction. And yet, even in the complete absence of light, there's no sense of darkness to it. It's as though the inky black landscape itself were providing light with which to see, rather than absorbing it. The air is thick and heavy with an almost overwhelming despair, something sad and lonely and full of a desire to be wanted. To be needed, to be loved, to be anything at all.
That feeling is only underscored by the barrier's only residents. Headless mannequins revolve in place without purpose, not yet taking notice of the intruders. The colors and patterns that make them up are mismatched and conflicting, with a thick and rubbery texture making them up, like a child had made them out of play-doh without looking and called it a work of art. But there's something decidedly wrong about it all, like they weren't real, like even that solid look was just an illusion--like one were just looking at shadows and textures that gave the appearance of dimensions. They might be cardboard cutouts for as solid as they seem. They hang high and low, above and beneath and through where the solid feeling says the floor should be.
Kyoko doesn't even blink at the hideous sight. This isn't the first one she's run into. It was certain not to be, if anything; no matter how many she defeated, it felt as though they just kept coming. But she'll push down her weariness for this one as much as she had all the rest. It was nothing, it was necessary, and it was worth the reward.
She glances over her shoulder at Adachi, the only other living being in this twisted world. There's none of her usual joking manner now, no annoyance, just a stern resolve and just the slightest hint of concern in her knit eyebrows and her slight frown.]
Make sure you stay by my side. Don't wander off, no matter what you think you're seeing or hearing.
[Kyoko speaks to him in a hushed whisper, pausing once midway through to glance at the dolls around them. Once they were noticed, there would be no room for pause or error. Still, in the end she manages to cover up her concern and exhaustion with a smile,]
.... Well, even if you get lost it's not a problem, 'cause I'm used to stuff like this. I won't let anything happen to you.
The appearances of witches hasn't erased that, but it has allowed her to slip seamlessly back into the persona she had adopted back home. She was somebody who was strong, confident, and capable of taking on the world. She had been a part of this system for years, had survived the worst parts of it. If it was bound to be fleeting, for now she had an identity again. She was someone again.
Unfortunate, that someone hadn't planned on having a human accompany her into a witch's barrier. It's a pitch black world, with only streaks and lines and splatters of mismatched colors bleeding together fading in and out to provide any sense of direction. And yet, even in the complete absence of light, there's no sense of darkness to it. It's as though the inky black landscape itself were providing light with which to see, rather than absorbing it. The air is thick and heavy with an almost overwhelming despair, something sad and lonely and full of a desire to be wanted. To be needed, to be loved, to be anything at all.
That feeling is only underscored by the barrier's only residents. Headless mannequins revolve in place without purpose, not yet taking notice of the intruders. The colors and patterns that make them up are mismatched and conflicting, with a thick and rubbery texture making them up, like a child had made them out of play-doh without looking and called it a work of art. But there's something decidedly wrong about it all, like they weren't real, like even that solid look was just an illusion--like one were just looking at shadows and textures that gave the appearance of dimensions. They might be cardboard cutouts for as solid as they seem. They hang high and low, above and beneath and through where the solid feeling says the floor should be.
Kyoko doesn't even blink at the hideous sight. This isn't the first one she's run into. It was certain not to be, if anything; no matter how many she defeated, it felt as though they just kept coming. But she'll push down her weariness for this one as much as she had all the rest. It was nothing, it was necessary, and it was worth the reward.
She glances over her shoulder at Adachi, the only other living being in this twisted world. There's none of her usual joking manner now, no annoyance, just a stern resolve and just the slightest hint of concern in her knit eyebrows and her slight frown.]
Make sure you stay by my side. Don't wander off, no matter what you think you're seeing or hearing.
[Kyoko speaks to him in a hushed whisper, pausing once midway through to glance at the dolls around them. Once they were noticed, there would be no room for pause or error. Still, in the end she manages to cover up her concern and exhaustion with a smile,]
.... Well, even if you get lost it's not a problem, 'cause I'm used to stuff like this. I won't let anything happen to you.
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Ever since these things started setting up shop in domains all throughout the Box, it didn't take long for her to slip back into that same old routine. This time, at least, she at least was able to net some of those Grief Seeds for her trouble after going for such a long time without. It wasn't like the last time where she'd burnt herself out too quick. All the same...
Adachi had insisted on accompanying her. Twisted her arm, more like. But for once, mansplaining seemed to have pulled through for him. Otherwise, he wouldn't be standing just a few paces behind her, taking in the sights. It reminds him a lot of that warped version of the Box that he himself had created when he'd challenged the Technicians so long ago. Or better yet, the world beyond the television. It twists and distorts itself based on peoples' desires. Nightmarish beings dance into and out of view like otherworldly mirages.
The Shadows, at least, had paid him no mind. He'd convinced himself that it was because they had the same goal, but now, he knows better.
Her concern draws him out of his thoughts, forces him to wrinkle his nose at her. What is this, all of a sudden? Take your kid to work day?]
C'mon, gimme a break... I'm not useless, y'know.
[He's brought his gun, too, which he waves at his side to remind her. She's heard him brag long enough about what a skilled shot he used to be back at the Academy - mainly because she's the only one who will listen at this point. But still.]
...Well, not that useless, anyway.
[There are no Gods to bail him out this time. No hidden powers lying dormant. Apart from the revolver in his hands, all he's got right now is a magical girl who's sworn to protect him if things get hairy. He won't admit it if he can help it, but he does appreciate that.]
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A smart remark about his willingness to get her, along with himself, killed to offer himself a small win finds its way up her throat, and a you slips its way out before she manages to swallow it back down. She sighs and shakes her head, searching for a better way to word it. She's never had patience with many issues, and least of all when it came to her line of work.]
You can't afford to run out of bullets.
[Not here. Not when there's so many pressing threats outside of this barrier. Don't be an idiot, she wants to say, but she bites that back too. He'll just wind up ending more idiotic if she tells him to stand down.
This is so much easier when she's alone. She hesitates for a moment, and then slowly concedes,]
But it'll work in a pinch. Just do me a favor and save 'em for when I'm about to get my head torn off, 'kay?
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[Adachi saunters up to her side and takes his left hand off the gun. Without warning, he tucks his index finger behind his thumb and playfully flicks Kyoko on the side of her head. Not hard enough to hurt all that much, but enough to try and get her to loosen up a little.]
Try not to get your head torn off, period. You keep your head. I keep more bullets. We kill some witches. Everybody wins.
1/2
There's a little grumble, almost a whine, that is equally undignified.]
What's this "we?" You've just been tagging along this entire time, y'know...
2/2
Guess I'll try and keep it that way.
[That didn't come out as she'd hoped, and there's a tinge of frustration as she realizes how thoroughly he'd thrown her off, but she rolls her shoulders all the same.]
I'm going.
[And without another word, she sprints forward. That sudden movement alone is enough to catch the attention of the mannequins floating about the barrier, but by that time it's already too late. They're slow and stupid, weak even for a witch's familiars, and Kyoko makes quick work of them. It takes little more than a few slashes of her spear to dispose of the first handful.]
[1 / 2]
[There she goes. The little freaks have their sights set on Kyoko for the most part - they don't appear to have noticed Adachi just yet. The former detective clasps his hands together, keeping his gun in a low, neutral position. He's a fast enough draw that, should the situation require it, he can take the shot and - ]
[2 / 2]
[Something seismic rattles through Adachi's body, from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. The high-pitched chatter of a little girl's laughter rings in his ears. He winces in pain, grits his teeth to try and ground himself. What the hell was that...?
He forces his eyes back open. Whatever it was, it seems to have passed for now. Focus. He's nowhere near close to reality in a place like this but it'll have to do for now. His gaze finally settles on a blur of red growing smaller by the second.
Dumbass. You're going to get yourself killed if you're not careful. But just who's the dumbass here?]
H-Hey! Don't run off too far!
[He'd better stop squawking and take off after her if he doesn't want to get left behind, so he'll do just that.]
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That's true even now. Her body feels light. For the first time in months, she feels like she's living again. It's sure to be short lived, and the second she stops to consider what she's really doing she's sure to crash, but for the moment there's nothing but pure elation to guide her.
It's enough to make her nearly forget her tagalong. Kyoko slows her pace as she disposes the last of the familiars, glancing over her shoulder at Adachi. He'd fallen farther behind that she had anticipated, and her sprint slows to a leisurely walk. She nods towards the staircase that stood before them, with the couple of short steps that show through making the entryway look far smaller than it is, and no dimension to suggest that they should properly lead down. Its as though the stairs had just been sketched onto the floor, with no regard for physics.
They work just as functionally as any other stairs, fortunately, and just a few short steps down the scenery changes entirely. The inky blackness is still there, but it's far more finely decorated: There's a window hanging high off to one side that shakes, looking like a crudely drawn chalk animation, contrasting sharply with the scene that it shows: A bedroom, just as real as any other room, with dainty curtains fluttering back and forth.
The rest of the space is coated with similar animations, looking like they were made for a small child, with chalk-draw stars and suns and crescent moons shifting and rotating. It's a warm and calming sight, one that only makes the moss greens and bright red stains and scratches and tears that are littered here and there all the more eerie. Towards the end of the staircase--far longer than the eyes suggest it should be--there's a red spill. It drips down and pools onto the little white circle that might be the floor, or otherwise a spotlight, and creeps underneath the cheerful yellow door that acts as its centerpiece.
It's only once she's reached the very end that Kyoko stops to look to make sure Adachi's still there. Is he still okay?]
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Magatsu-Inaba was an unsettling enough sight, but for different reasons altogether. That was a twisted ideal of a town he'd never wanted to live in. This was like something you'd find out of a child's sketchbook, the pages hastily ripped out and hung with high. The kind of drawing that really wasn't that good, but you'd pride yourself on it all the same because your mother saw fit to stick it up on the fridge for everyone else to see. Then there's that splotch of red that stretches and bleeds across the floor. It almost reminds him of...
Adachi forces the notion out of his head before his mind can drift back to that night. To the feeling of glass and tar beneath his heel. This place really creeps him out. He should leave it at that.
He forces a simpering grin onto his face as he breaks her gaze and looks to the door. This place really creeps him out but there's no reason she needs to hear it from him. Not after he went through all this trouble in accompanying her this far. Even so, he's not sure he's going to like what's waiting for them on the other side.
Like that's going to stop him.]
Lemme try something. I've always kinda wanted to do this...
[Adachi doesn't wait for Kyoko's permission. It's something that's really getting to be a bad habit of his. Let her scream at him later for it, he doesn't care. He takes a large step forward and raises his foot. With a fluid motion, he delivers a swift kick that forces the door open with a burst.
Guess they'll be finding out sooner than expected.]
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It's a grand room, ill-fit for the rest of the mismatched and childish themes that the barrier had sported. At a first glance it might look to be a room the size of a small house, with candy-stripe walls, but closer inspection would reveal it to be more of a cage than a room. The pink stripes that decorate the white walls are bars, thick and metallic and cold, and the door that slams shut behind the pair of them would be better suited to a animal's cage.
The room is decorated with bright and girlish colors--vibrant pinks and reds and whites, with flecks of yellow and sky blue and purple to add color to the decor. There's present boxes scattered about, all neatly wrapped and sporting tags with strange runes written on them. Large dog toys litter the pristine floor, giant squeaky bones with ribbons tied around them, plush toys that resemble bears and frogs and sheep, and balls with star stars and hearts to decorate them. There are a few mannequin familiars are stationed here and there, spinning in circles without rhyme or reason, but only a few. The rest had gotten lost along the way.
There's little furniture to be had, few tunnels and hoops here and there, aside from the grand bed that sits in the direct center of the room. It's a little girl's dream, with a carefully sculpted frame and tons of colorful pillows and elegant bedding, and pink sheers hanging down from the top.
Laying on this bed is the canine witch, Uhrmann. The dog, closer to a lion in size than any domesticated animal, is as colorful and well decorated as the room around her. Her pristine white coat contrasts sharply with her pink mane, covering her face almost entirely, with only a button nose and a tiny bit of muzzle peeking out from behind it. Her mane is decorated with colorful, two-tone ribbons. She lays on the bed and to look at her, one would almost be able to feel the loneliness radiating off of her, despite the continued presence of her minions. Lonely, empty, and wanting only to be loved. Wanting only somebody to stay.
But isn't everyone alone in the end? No matter how many friends they surrounded themselves with. It was such an empty, loveless affair.
The witch doesn't seem to immediately notice the newcomers, or at least not react to them. A small victory, Kyoko supposes. She reaches her arm out in front of Adachi, as though he might run off ahead on his own if she didn't, shooting him a wordless glare.
What was he thinking?]
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[The door bursts open, but there's no room awaiting them on the other side. Not immediately, anyway. Instead, the two of them are propelled forward through a series of bright and flashing colors and door after door after door. It certainly throws Adachi for a loop - he's so stunned by the unexpected shift that he can't keep from toppling onto his backside. Now here he is, flat on his ass, staring down a cartoonish dog in the midst of what has to be this thing's inner sanctum.]
That... could've gone better.
[He says with a wheeze as he slowly pulls himself back up. The good thing, at least, is that all this noise appears to have escaped this creature's notice. No sooner does Adachi get to his feet than he bumps into Kyoko's arm. That look in her eyes... Adachi returns it with a cavalier smile and a sheepish shrug.]
All right, all right. Maaaaaybe I should follow your lead from here on out.
[Implying that wasn't her intent from the very start.]
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She regrets ever hearing him out on the issue. She regrets letting him twist her arm until she agreed to bring him with her even more. But while there's no helping the fact that he's here now, Kyoko resolves to ensure that this is the last witch that he's present for. He was going home.]
... Are you alright?
[Her voice is soft, laced with concern far greater than him tumbling down would warrant (which in her mind, is none.) Witches did more than feast upon people. They corrupted them. They ruined them. They took all the worst parts of a person and dragged them front and center. And if they couldn't do that, then they turned even the most vile acts into something glorious and amazing.
With that thought, in addition to her question, comes a warning:]
Make sure you stay back. I mean it.
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Relax, sweetheart. I'm just fine. No need to worry about little old -
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Hrrrrgk!
[There's that strange sensation again. Adachi's body starts to quiver and quake like he's being electrocuted. It's as though someone flicked a switch in the back of his skull to make everything fuzzy and, perhaps more critically, to disable any basic self-preservation instinct. That much is evident in the way he lets out a bloodcurdling screech, sinking back to his knees as both hands rush to the side of his head, eyes squeezed tightly shut.]
W-What the hell...?! My head... Why am I - ?
[3 / 3]
Not just beyond the barrier or trapped in the Box. Why is he here? There had to have been a reason that he'd kept himself alive after all this time, but he can't... he can't seem to remember what it was. Should he even bother trying? What would that accomplish, if he did? He's never going home. Things are never going back to the way they used to be. He's still a worthless piece of shit.
Always has been, always will be.
The sharp piercing pain in the base of his skull starts to subside, giving way to an almost suffocating sort of fog. They're still deep within the barrier but Adachi pays little mind to that fact. His eyes glaze over as he lowers his hands. He doesn't process the girl at his side, the alien-looking canine that's just perked up, or the scores of minions that could threaten to surround them at any given moment.
The only thing he can clearly see is the gun in his hands.]
Tch. What a pain...
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The smart thing to do would be to end things now. Whatever was wrong with Adachi, it would likely disappear along with the witch's barrier. She needs to prioritize. She needs too stay focused, but--]
Tohru...
[She doesn't move, ignoring every instinct and bit of good sense as she turns her back on the witch, opting to watch him with concern as she searches for the right way to handle things.]
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[His hands start to shake as he stares down at the gun. There's a faint flicker of something in the corner of his eye treading water, trying desperately to keep itself from drowning.]
No, no, I can't - I shouldn't -
[Adachi clenches his teeth to try and brace himself through what follows next. The sound of the little girl's laughter echoes in the back of his head once more, getting louder and louder by the second. All too quickly that fire in his eyes is extinguished and his grip on the gun tightens.]
I shouldn't have come here. I... shouldn't be here at all. I'm... Aha. Ahahahaha! I'm such a dumbass...!
[Despair. There's no better way to describe what he's suffering through. It's a feeling of emptiness and inadequacy that far outweighs what he felt the first time Ameno-sagiri swallowed him up and spat him back out. He can feel his eyes stinging with tears like he had back then, as those wizened claws grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and dragged him down into that monstrous underworld. Flashes of black and red flit through his head. It wasn't the only time he'd felt that way, either.
The next set of images is fuzzy, like the antenna's been busted, but he can faintly make out Seta and the others standing over him. The kid's mouth is moving, but there's no sound. Just the unintelligible buzzing of white noise. He's saying something, but...]
I don't know...
[...but does it really matter?
Adachi opens his eyes halfway and stares into nothing, raising his gun to the side of his head. With an almost inaudible click, he switches off the safety.]
I don't know why I didn't think to do this sooner...
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[Her stomach bottoms out and for a moment, Kyoko is helpless. She can't move. She can't move. She can't think, can't so much as breathe through the weight pushing down on her chest. It's nothing she hasn't seen before. She's dealt with a hundred times, but not like this. Never like this.
She reaches out as he raises his gun, struggling to find something to say. Her heart is beating so fast that it feels like it'll explode in her chest. She can hear panting behind her, the padding of paws on barrier's tiled floors. Not much longer, no time to act.
Don't, she wants to say. Stop. Ute needs to stop, and she needs to as well. Stop thinking. Stop remembering the blood on the floor. The smell. The soft creak. the splatters on the pavement and the grass stained and it was always, always too late.
She really is an idiot.]
Tohru!
[Her spear falls to the ground with a clatter and disappears, forgotten. She rushes to try and grab his hand, to guide the barrel of his gun anywhere else. Her entire body is shaking ass her voice comes out in a broken stammer. It's fine if she gets hurt, anything and everything is fine, but she won't--]
Don't you dare... Don't you dare leave me alone here! I won't let you! I'm not... I'm not going to be responsible for letting anyone else die!
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...and a tiny set of hands clutching desperately at his wrist. What...? Adachi blinks blearily, a low sort of whine rising up the back of his throat. His vision's still clouded over, but in this twisted blend of garish neon colors, he can make out a thick burst of scarlet close by. That thick, blurry reddish form is - it's trembling.
That voice... He remembers that voice, but...]
Ky... oko...?
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Stop this. I'm tired of being there only one who survives. I'm tired of living like that, y'know, so... So...
[Ahh, there's so much more she wants to say. There's so much she wants to do, but there's no time. She lets one hand fall down, leaning against him just slightly, just for a moment letting her forehead touch his chest.]
I'll take care of everything, so just trust me.
[1 / 3]
He doubts she'd agree with him, but honestly... he doesn't deserve to have her in his life. Not one bit. She was right about him, after all. He was in over his head, all because he didn't want to lose her again. It makes him want to puke. Did he seriously think that he could change the future...?
"Everyone has the power to do that."
Hanamura's voice rings through his head, solemn and stern, and for a fleeting moment, he's not here in the barrier with Kyoko clutching onto him...]
[2 / 3]
"Live and face your punishment..." Hanamura continues. "That's how it works in our world."
That's right... He'd made a promise, didn't he? He'd agreed to play by the rules of the world and accept reality at long last, no matter how painful. But what the hell was the point when there was no going home...? Was he meant to die here, again and again? Maybe that was Tohru Adachi's true punishment after all. But...
"You can still start over."
Seta. He can finally hear what Souji-kun was trying to tell him all this time. Kyoko might be right about him. He might not be what he used to be, but he...
He can still...]
[3 / 3]
Look out!
[The sound of padded paws scrambling across the nonexistent floorboard snaps Adachi back to attention as he breaks his wrist out of Kyoko's grip. He wraps his free arm around Kyoko and pulls her in close to him, his hand clamping itself down over her ear so as to block out what's coming next -
BANG.
Adachi's bullet hits its mark, knocking Uhrmann back across the floor with a sharp yelp of pain. His breathing grows heavy as he tries to get a better look. Did he kill it...? Doesn't look that way. If anything, he's gone and pissed it off even more. So how the hell is he supposed to -
The former detective grits his teeth as another low rumble makes itself known in the base of his temples. Dammit, not again...! Only wait a second... This doesn't feel a thing like what that witch just put him through. Strangely enough, there's something almost familiar about it...
Another voice starts speaking to him. Not the little girl. Not Hanamura or Seta, but a voice that... that almost sounds like his own.
"Tch. Finally taking matters seriously, are you?"]
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She had been prepared to deal with the consequences of letting her guard down. With her weapon bone and her attention solely focused on Adachi, any attempts at staving off the witch would be clumsy at best. Most likely, she couldn't hope to get out of it unscathed. Even as she put all of her efforts into Adachi, she was rolling over the short checklist of what needed to be saved. Her head was essential, her torso would be too difficult to function without, but if it was just looking to sink its teeth into something then her arm would suffice. She could hold a spear with one.
What she hadn't anticipated was that she would be pulled close. The last person who had done that was her mother. Her mother, kind and loving, protecting her from even her father's harsh words. She flinches just like back then, but the sound that leaks through is something far less painful. The harsh bang of a gunshot rings out and echoes off the wall, followed by an agonized howl that sounds more like a scream. The look she gives Adachi is brief, but the question that she wants to ask is written clearly on her face.: Why?]
Tohru, you...
[She'd never used his name before. Not until the day she died, but now it's all that comes to mind. Everything else just draws up a blank. There's a presence about him that wasn't there before, a magical signature that had been absent for months. It's like somebody had flipped the switch back on. Did that mean that...? No, best not to think about that.
She looks over her shoulder. There's a hold where the bullet punctured Uhrmann. It's cleaner than it should be and what spouts out from it doesn't even moderately resemble blood. It's a thick, pink liquid, sparkling with the glitter that's mixed into it. The dog whines as it struggles to pull itself up. That whine quickly turns into a growl. Its posture shifts, standing straight and leaning forward with its heckle raised. Its tail, which had once been wagging, now sticks straight up, quivering slightly.
No time to think about it now. Kyoko pushes the growing list of questions aside for now, gingerly moving to push away from Adachi. She has this. She has to.]
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"Well? Are you going to let her die?"
It's a voice that sounds so much like Adachi's, but there's something almost dignified about it. Stuffier, is probably the word Adachi himself would choose to describe it. But even so, it sounds just as harsh. There's no way...]
That's... You're... I don't believe it...
["I know," sneers the voice. "That is what led to your failure before. What you harnessed before was but a fraction of my potential, yet you did not hesitate to squander it all for your own selfish ambition. What you accepted was not the truth, but your own distorted perception of it.
"Even now, you find it difficult to believe, so tell me. Why should I return the favor?"]
C'mon. Ahaha...
[Adachi winces somewhat as he pushes himself up to his feet, his focus on Kyoko as she charges forward to face off against the witch and its familiars. That little girl is nothing but trouble. In spite of himself, Adachi smirks.]
Do I really have to spell it out for you...?
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