One by One part III

"This is it..."
"It will be over."


The men chained Ryuu's hands on a wooden log constructed into a cross shape. The troops revealed Aika's bloodied corpse to him. The death of his sister confirmed him he'll be next. He knew it will be over. He wanted this... this will sure end everything. He saw the reserved space just for him.

He'll be finally resting in peace... with his sister.

Ryuu saw Aika's pale eyes half closed. The cut on her stomach. Her guts and intestines. Her blue eyes now losing color. He knew he'll be dead next to her. He felt sorry he left her to die. But right now, he'll be killed.
On the west side, Miyako is imprisoned inside a cell. Her blonde hair have gone messy and tangled. She just wore an untidy dress. Her fingers grasped on the metal pipes. When she saw Aika dead, her heart pounded wildly. Aika was... her best friend. Now she's brutally killed...

"Aika-chan..." she trembled.

Now Ryuu's next. She grew scared, and trembled in horror.

N-no... n... not Ryuu-kun! she thought, her eyes widening in terror. T-t-t-they can't kill him! H-h-he...


The chief's assistant arrived. It was a middle-aged woman. Kazuya Otome. The chief sent the responsibility to slay Harugii Ryuu. Her heels pounded on the floor as she approached. She placed her hands on her waist with a mocking grin.

"Hello there, Ryuu-chan," she grinned. "Long time no see, eh?" She looked into his emerald and bitter eyes.

"Otome..." he winced.

The woman chuckled. "Fufufu~ isn't that adorable? Ryuu-chi always wanted to be next to Aika-chama. Ahahaha!" she let out a cutesy laugh. Otome's grey eyes glistened towards him and chuckled again. "Ryuu-chan, how was our surprise attack? Hmm?"

The male redhead snorted. "Lame."

The woman doesn't seem insulted. She just laughed. "You're lucky we didn't mummify you like your dear little sister. But since you are known to be aggressive and resourceful compared to your innocent and passive sibling, we're gonna do it the other way." One of her troops handed her a blade. A dagger. A mad smile spread across her face.

"You..." she hissed. "You destroyed our reputation! You made the entire village stand up against us! You turned our lives into misery! You and your filthy sense of wisdom!" she yelled. She pressed the tip of the blade lightly on his chin. "Now, now, Ryuu-chan. No need to fidget."

But he was not. He just gave a bitter stare. Otome prevented from baring her teeth.

"So... tough guy, eh?" she smiled maliciously. "How about we put you to sleep while tearing you limb from limb? What do you say?"

Ryuu suddenly realized something.

"Ha. So that's how you killed Aika, eh?!" he said in his cold and serious tone. "Sedating her so she won't have any slightest clue she got killed!"

Otome flinched as she forced a smile. "Ohohoho! Very good, Ryuu-chan~! Aika-chi is forcing her eyes opening even though the sedation is complete. Our men cut through her skin and did some dissection for sacrifice. She's very weak and... brave."

Ryuu smirked. "You know. You guys are a bunch of scaredy-cats. You're scared because everyone will turn against you once they found out you're only using us as tools. It's for the chief's personal paradise that valued absolutely nothing but filthy crap."

Otome clenched the dagger on her fingers. "You got a sharp tongue there, Ryuu-chan." she said with a mad grin. "It's obvious you already know why we brought you here, huh?"

"Duh? To kill me. What else could it be?"

Ugh... this boy's starting to disgust me. she thought. Her fingers grasped around the hilt of the dagger. "If you want to get your final wish granted, say your last words, Ryuu-chan. You'll die peacefully like your sister. She's waiting for you~"

But Ryuu retorted. "Die peacefully? Huh. Who do you think I am? A baby? Aika forced her eyes open because she wants to see you tearing up her skin so she won't forget it!"

Otome smirked. "Really? She was screaming helplessly. We even got it in here," she pulled out a tiny remote with a red button. She pressed her thumb as she stepped sideways, revealing a holographic screen. Ryuu watched in silence.

The men uncovered the bag and revealed a struggling Aika inside. They tied ropes on her wrists and ankles. They tied a handkerchief around her mouth still opened as they broke her glasses. But before they proceeded to their dissection, Otome appeared on the scene, holding the same dagger. She was mocking Aika while his sister just glared back.

Just as when Otome started talking, Aika was screaming. She was struggling from the ropes but she failed. Getting annoyed, Otome stated stabbing her left wrist. The girl's blue eyes widened as tears started leaking. She struggled from strangled shrieks. Otome felt overjoyed from her screams.

"A..aaagghh...." Aika managed to mouth out.

"HAHAHAHA! Does it hurt? HUH?! It's very pleasant!" Otome laughed like a maniac.

"Ta.... t-t-t... t-t-tassu..."

Ryuu felt rage. He was there in the crime scene. But... he didn't hear her screams. She was... screaming for help. But one thing that he did was... he only hid somewhere and yet he only saw her, she was already dead...

"T-t-tass....k-ke-e..."

Tasukete... tasukete.... tasukete.... tasukete....


Help...


Help me...


Tasukete... o-onii...


"Don't feel anything anymore on your left?" Otome mocked again. This time, she proceeded to her right wrist. Blood was everywhere. Aika is screaming again. Otome started stabbing her several times on her pulse. What Ryuu saw is... they didn't sedate her. Otome was stabbing her tremendously when the dissection begun.

"Tas... tasu...kete... R-Ryu..."

The screen faded. He was back in reality.

Otome's heels pounded on the floor. She gave the remote back to the men as she held the very same dagger stained with Aika's blood.

"Usoda..." Ryuu hissed. Liar!


"Me? A liar?" she asked. "Why would I?"

"You said you sedated her when you didn't."

But the woman ignored him. "So. How would it feel like dying peacefully? That would be magnificent."

"No." Ryuu said sharply as his green eyes stared intently at Otome's grey ones.

"Kill me without putting me to sleep."

The air went silent. Otome's lips formed a smirk.

"Very well then," she stepped forward and raised the blade. "Since that's your decision, I'll do it!" She abruptly jabbed the blade on Ryuu's left wrist. The boy winced. Blood spurted out. Otome dug through his skin like a stick poking the ground. A mad smile spread across her face, expecting him to scream.

Why isn't he screaming?! HE'S SUPPOSED TO! 


"You want some more?" Otome forced another smile. "I'll do it to the other one!"

Ryuu opened one green eye. "Go on. You want to kill me, right? I'm not gonna scream like a girl. Because I can see a victim screaming helplessly will probably make you happy!"

Otome felt outraged. He had outsmarted her. But that's not gonna stop her. She continued stabbing him on the wrists but this time, more violent than what she did to Aika. More blood started spurting out. Ryuu is enduring the pain. Deep inside, he felt terrible pain. This is what his sister felt... he never felt it this... painful.

Aika... now I know what you felt.


You were screaming for me... 


You were... crying.


Otome's raging stabs drenched the silence. She was getting impatient and annoyed. She wanted him to scream and cry. But to no avail. He was looking down, pondering, as he stared towards Aika's corpse drenched in blood.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't help you.


I'm sorry, little sister. Otome really hurt you, and now she's doing it to me. 


... ...


I know you're there, Aika. You're crying. I can see your tears... you can't stop crying. 


Don't worry, sis... just a little bit more. 


He almost forgot... a girl's screams coming from the area. A girl's bloodcurdling scream.

"RYUU-KUN! RYUU-KUN!"

"NANDE?! NANDEEEE?!"

"Shut up, you brat!" Otome yelled.

It was Miyako. The blonde-haired girl inside the cell. She was clinging on the long pipes and begging for mercy.

"YAMETE!"

"PLEASE STOP! DON'T KILL HIM!"

Miyako was shedding tears, watching Ryuu get stabbed by the madwoman. Blood was everywhere. Otome pressed the blade into his stomach to cut it open. Miyako couldn't help but to scream. Otome is cutting Ryuu's stomach. The guy let out muffled grunts.

"Do whatever you want, Otome! Tear me open! I won't forget this," Ryuu smirked, his face drenched in his own blood. His green gaze went on Miyako, who is sobbing uncontrollably. He knew this girl. Ichinose Miyako. She, as Aika's bestfriend, was his... lover.

"M-Miyako..."

The girl looked up, her eyes filled with tears. "R-R-Ryuu-kun...!"

He let out another muffled grunt. "Don't worry about me... I...I'll be fine."

"Yada yada yada yada yada!!" Miyako shook her head rapidly. "Why won't I worry about you?! WHY CAN'T SHE KILL ME INSTEAD?! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Otome interrupted, but she didn't stop.

"YOU'RE A MURDERER! CARELESS BITCH FROM HELL!"

"URUSAI!"

"YOU KILLED AIKA-CHAN! YOU KILLED MY BEST FRIEND! AND NOW YOU KILLED RYUU-KUN! WHY DON'T YOU KILL ME?!"

"Right after I'm finished with him!" Otome retorted. "He seems too strong to die!"

Ryuu felt his focus losing. He shot another look at Miyako.

"Miyako-dono..."

"Da..."

"Daisuki da yo..."

Miyako's eyes widened. Her heart pounded wildly. The pain in her chest grew. When she heard his solemn words, she started crying. And there he was. She can only see Ryuu now lifeless. He gave in his last. He had loved her all this time...

...and now she won't be hearing those words again. Miyako's tears dripped on the ground.

"R-Ryuu-kun..." she sobbed. "I... I love you, too!" But she was too late.

"You're next."

Otome's heels approached. The men unlocked the padlock and slid the cell door open. They grabbed Miyako's arms, despite her face leaked with tears. She saw Ryuu's corpse, the cut on his stomach and fresh blood. Then to Aika and her own cut. The men unchained Ryuu and finally threw him on the reserved space next to Aika. Miyako cried.

Now she'll be going with them... very soon.

+TBC