Chapter Text
"Every person you kill will have a name... Don't forget that."
"When you're in a fight, no matter what it is, you must always emerge victorious. Defeat in battle has only one meaning. Death."
These words echo in Kafka's mind, each syllable targeting his skull in a painful and brutal way. As far as his mind recalls, he would never have suffered from a gunshot to the head, yet he's steadfastly believing that the pain he feels can be compared to a shotgun blast to the head.
"Where have they taken Stelle?" Kafka asks, his voice laden with a disdain and almost palpable hatred, completely different from the calm and melodious tone he's always had.
The woman, seated against the white wall, watches the tall and eerie figure of Kafka approaching.The katana in his hand leaves a trail of blood due to the small droplets that run down the blade. A beautiful yet still frightening sight.
The woman doesn't respond, but her plump lips contort into a sharp smile. For her, it's amusing and gratifying to see Kafka in this state, a true victory to witness the strongest woman in the universe desperate and tormented. The goddess would bless her for this.
Kafka finishes his approach and wastes no time with formalities.The katana's blade forcefully pierces the woman's knee. The pain cannot be described or compared. The blood from the strike trickles onto the gray floor.
"Where have they taken Stelle? Don't make me repeat myself" Kafka orders, increasing the cut on the woman's knee, but not enough to sever it... yet.
However, none of this matters. The woman continues disturbingly smiling, even with two streaks of blood running from the corners of her mouth. Kafka can only feel disgust for the madness before him.
"No matter what you do, Kafka. My goddess has made me eternal" the woman replies amidst the excruciating pain she feels throughout her body.
"Great, then this won't hurt at all."
Through the sword, thin and shimmering lines like spiderwebs begin to coil around the woman's body, enveloping her like prey. For a moment, the woman's body goes numb, causing her disturbing smile to waver slightly. However, she can't help but feel somewhat relieved as well, the pain and coldness of death temporarily receding.
But the relief is only momentary. Soon after, an inhuman pain erupts through her entire body, every fabric of her skin receiving an intense and violent shockwave.
The woman's ceremonial attire is the first thing to burn, filling the air with the unpleasant odor of burning fabric and flesh, which brings some satisfaction to Kafka.
"I will be eternal," are the woman's final words before she disappears in an explosion of flesh, blood, and purple flames.
The smile was the only thing that remained until the very last second.
Nothing of her existence remained, completely non-existent and erased from reality. No eternity for you, Kafka thought.
"That was unnecessary," Himeko said from behind Kafka.
Kafka glanced over his shoulder at the woman with bright red hair who stood by the door. Part of her fair face was splattered with blood, as was her white dress. Her beauty utterly defiled by the death she now carries in her hands.
"Did any of them spill the beans?" Kafka asked, completely ignoring the previous question and wanting to get straight to the more relevant matter.
A heavy sigh escaped Himeko.
"I really don't know what Stelle saw in you."
Kafka wanted to laugh or even retort to her statement. After all, she knows exactly why Stelle loved him, but nothing came out of Kafka. He remained impassive, waiting for the answer his heart yearned for.
Silence lingered for another five seconds until Himeko sighed again.
"One of them is willing to cooperate."
A weight lifted off Kafka's shoulders, and his heart raced against the bones of his ribs. A mixture of euphoria and anxiety permeated his entire being.
Two solitary tears washed away some of the blood on his face.