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― You really think I can trust a girl like you?
Shouko didn't knew how it had ended like this: Here she was, with Satou, the girl she considered her best friend and mere seconds ago had wanted to give a second chance to become a better person. Satou, who had been the kidnapper of Asahi's little sister all this time. Satou, who was now covering her mouth and keeping her trapped against her with one hand while holding a really big knife in the other.
Satou was saying something, but Shouko wasn't listening anymore. Right now, she was aware of just two things: The crazed, empty look in her friend's eyes, and perhaps more importantly; the knife that was so dangerously close to her throat.
Being a young girl who liked to fool around with boys way more than she probably should, Shouko had self-taught herself a lot of self-defense tricks and fight techniques. After all, not all boy were princes. The idea of getting kidnapped and murdered by some psycho or raped in a dark alley by a guy who had seemed nice scared her to death. So, until the day the prince she was waiting for appeared, she wanted to be ready to defend herself against anything...
She just never expected that she would have to use that knowledge against the girl she thought was her best friend. But her feelings of betrayal and heartbreak would have to wait. She had to survive.
So she reached her hand to grab the knife before it could slice her neck.
It wasn't what she would have wanted to do, but Satou's hand and arm were out of reach, and clawing and biting at the arm that was holding her down would probably only slow her down at best. If she had to sacrifice some fingers to get out alive from this, so be it.
Satou seemed surprised for a moment, but not for long: She pulled the knife from Shouko's hand, causing her to scream in pain as the knife bit on her skin. Before Satou could try to stab her again, she reached to Satou's face to claw at her eyes, with a sheer desperation only someone in pain and in danger can understand. Satou shrieked, lowering the knife for just a few seconds. Those precious seconds were all what Shouko needed.
Ignoring the pain of her now injured hand, Shouko grabbed at Satou's wrist with that hand and tried to move to the side, all while she striked several hits to her knees with the other. Satou, with bloodied scratches on her face now, lowered herself to end her with the knife, but Shouko took that chance to elbow her up in face. She dropped the knife to the floor.
In the minute that followed, Satou struggled to try to pick up the knife, but Shouko was grabbing on her arm with an strength only adrenaline can provide. She stood up and kicked her down, hitting her head hard against the wall.
Shouko's heart skipped a beat when she heard the sickening crunch of her friend's nose breaking against the wall. She wanted to ask her for forgiveness, to just forget this madness, but something inside her told that if she lowered her guard Satou wouldn't doubt to try to kill her again. So she instead grabbed her weakened friend by the hair and continued to hit her the wall again, and again, and again...
When Satou recovered consciousness, Shouko was on top of her, strangling her. She desperately tried to reach the knife, but it was too far away from her.
― I told you I didn't care! ―Shouko wailed, tears rolling down her face ― I told you that even if you are the devil, I would still love you! So why? WHY?
Satou was trying to speak again, to manipulate her again. Not this time.
Shouko just kept strangling her until Satou stopped moving.
Shio was alone in the room, with her hands over her ears. Whatever was happening outside was something she was sure Satou didn't wanted her to know for her own good. So she waited in silence for Satou to return.
But the girl who opened the door was not Satou this time.
Shouko stood there, with four fingers of her right hand almost sliced in half, dropping drops of blood down the floor, and crying her eyes out.
― You must be Shio...― She said, her face covered in tears and blood. The little girl just nodded in growing fear.
Where was Satou-chan? Was this girl a friend of hers?
The girl seemed to realize her confusion, because she ceased to cry and smiled at her. ―Everything is going to be fine now. You are safe now.
― Where is Satou? Is she there with you? ― Shio asked. Sadness once again seemed to come out of the girl's eyes.
― Satou... Satou is fine, but she's not here right now.
Shouko looked at the scared little girl in front of her. She needed to call an ambulance: Satou was just unconscious. She had to be. She would call an ambulance to pick her up... And the police too, so they would also know what happened. Her friend would need some dire psychological help when all this got solved.
But first... She knew of a certain sad-looking prince who would be happy to have his little sister back.