Interrogation Room, Present
Niche's eyes snap open. White ceiling. White walls. His wrists are bound to a chair with chains.
Niche squirms in the chair, attempting to fall over. The chair doesn’t move, as it is bolted to the ground. Niche attempts to melt the chains, but they simply absorb his energy and glow faintly. The rest of the chair also fails to melt, as it too simply absorbs Niche’s energy. Raizen leans against the wall next to him.
"Finally awake," a voice says.
Niche blinks, trying to focus. "Where... Boss? You finally showed yourself?"
"Boss?" Pluto says. "You think Jupiter would dirty his hands with actual work?"
"Jupiter? Who the fuck—"
"You don't even know our names." Pluto sounds disgusted. "The sun bearer, stumbling blind through everything, and you don't even know who you're fighting."
"I know you're Vestige Court—"
"Who do you think you are questioning this?" Pluto interrupts. "Neptune told you the rules. Seven days. Peaceful merger. You broke every protocol."
"What rules? No one told me any rules—"
"Ignorance isn't an excuse. You killed Mercury. You exposed our operations. You resisted extraction." Pluto picks up Raizen. "So now we have to cut this short and do it early."
"Cut what short?"
"The civilized approach. Neptune wanted to do this properly - let you have your seven days, merge naturally. But you've forced our hand." He examines Raizen. "We'll extract what we need from you piece by piece if necessary."
"The sun's energy—"
"Is already being redirected. Your cooperation just determines how much of you survives the process." Pluto heads for the door with Raizen. "Jupiter's tired of you running around disrupting operations. So, you'll stay here while we accelerate everything."
"Wait. Where are you taking Raizen?" Niche asks as Pluto walks away.
"He’s going to be studied. A conscious weapon is rare. Neptune wants to understand the binding mechanism." Pluto holds up the sword, examining it. "Don't worry, we won't damage it. Much."
Pluto walks out of the room, leaving Niche alone in his chair.
"Niche,” a voice from somewhere faintly says to Niche. “I've left a way out for you. It'll break you free once Pluto walks away far enough."
From the other room, Niche hears a massive crash. Metal clanging. Raizen's making as much chaos as possible.
"What the—” Niche hears Pluto’s voice from the other room. "How is it moving on its own?"
As more crashing from the other room ensues, Niche feels movement in his coat pocket. Something starts crawling in Niche’s coat, creeping toward his wrists. Leaving Niche’s sleeve to reveal itself, Niche sees what this creature is.
A roach scurries around Niche’s arm.
Niche would run away, but the chains prevent his escape from this disgusting creature.
“Relax, Niche,” a voice says, seemingly from the roach. “It’s me: Raizen. I’ve created this roach and placed it in your coat pocket while you were unconscious before I was confiscated. It’ll get you out of here,” Raizen assures.
“Yeah, yeah,” a faint voice dismisses Niche’s requests.
The roach goes down to Niche’s hand and starts nibbling.
“Fuck!” Niche exclaims. “Not there. Eat my wrists, not my hand.”
“Oops,” Raizen chuckles, scrawling back to Niche’s wrists and biting there.
Niche squirms while the roach makes its way through Niche’s right wrist. Obviously in discomfort, Niche’s right hand is eventually severed from his arm. His arm freed, he immediately raises it in the air, regenerates his right hand, and stands up. Seeing his left hand still tied to the chains, Niche rips his left arm off with his right hand. Niche regenerates his left hand, grabs the roach – who, after severing Niche’s arm, crawled up to Niche’s right shoulder – and yanks it into his coat pocket.
Masuto Café, Present
Shima and Arius meet at the usual coffee shop, but Niche isn’t there.
“Where is he?” Shima checks her phone. No messages.
“His house?” Arius replies.
“Do you know where he lives?”
Arius thinks. “No. Do you?”
Shima shakes her head. “Maybe Maruka knows something,” Shima adds.
“Do you know where lives?” Arius questions.
“Yeah. I…used to live in a building next to her place. Let’s go,” Shima says casually.
“Really? You never told me that,” Arius says, half surprised but riddled with suspicion.
Maruka’s House, Present
Arius and Shima go to Maruka’s door. Shima knocks, but the door slowly opens from her knocks.
“Does anyone leave their door locked in this country?” Arius asks. “This area isn’t safe enough to be leaving your doors open.”
They walk in the house to find Maruka doing homework.
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“Have you seen Niche?” Shima asks.
Maruka jolts up surprised. “H-how did you get in here?” she asks.
“Your door’s open,” Shima replies flatly.
“The fuck?” Maruka asks. “Whatever, I’ll close it after. What do you need?”
“Have you seen Niche?” Shima repeats.
“No. Why?”
“He was supposed to meet us. Never showed,” Arius interjects, annoyed.
Maruka frowns. “That’s… weird. He usually texts if something comes up.”
“Where would he go?” Arius asks.
“I don’t know. School’s closed. He doesn’t really go anywhere else,” Maruka says.
Residential District Streets, Present
Arius and Shima thank Maruka, close her front door, and leave, walking back through the district.
“How do you find someone who doesn’t want to be found?” Shima asks.
“Check everywhere systematically?” Arius suggests.
“That’ll take forever.”
Walking through an alleyway, the two pass by an old government building. The door’s slightly open, and a large sheet is draped over the entrance to dissuade visitors. Graffiti litters the side of the building.
“Was that open yesterday?” Arius asks.
“Don’t know. Should we check?”
“He’s probably not in there. What could he be doing in there?” Arius says, but he rethinks his rhetorical question.
“Yeah, but we’re here already.”
They lift the sheet and go inside.
When their eyes acclimate to the darkness, they see a dusty hallway with most doors being locked. One storage room is open. They look inside and see someone there sitting on a crate, scrolling through his phone.
“You can’t be here,” he says, his eyes not looking away.
“We’re looking for someone,” Shima says.
“East wing. They’re doing some procedure,” the man replies.
Shima notices the scarf. “What’s that?”
“Some old thing. Guy named Jupiter used to come by every week for it. Paid me to watch it.” He shrugs. “But he stopped showing up like a month ago, so now I’m just sitting here.”
“He stopped paying you?” Shima asks.
“No, still getting paid. Direct deposit. So, I keep showing up.” The man keeps looking at his phone. “Three more hours on this shift.”
“Can we take it?” Arius asks.
“I’m supposed to watch it, not protect it. You taking it means I can finally go home,” the man says.
They pick up the scarf. It feels heavier than fabric should, but otherwise normal.
“So, what happened to this scarf? Why’s it so important?” Shima asks.
“I got some info but…my memory’s not too good. I think I need some food to help jog my memory, but I don’t have any money for food.” The man holds out his hand.
Shima rolls her eyes, scoffs, and puts a $20 bill in the man’s hand.
“Woah, thanks!” the man says enthusiastically, pretending to be surprised. “Well, now that I can jog my memory…I think I overheard something in one of the other rooms. Apparently, Mercury stole the scarf’s power; it had godlike abilities or something, but now it’s just conscious fabric. Can’t do anything without those powers.” The man is already getting up to leave. “Whatever it used to be, it’s basically just a scarf now.”
“Thanks for the info,” Shima says formally.
“Yep. East wing’s that way.” He points down the hall, already walking the opposite direction.
Shima wraps the scarf around her neck. They head toward the east wing, following signs and half-lit corridors.
Interrogation Room, Present
Niche is finally free from the chains. The roach makes itself comfortable in Niche’s pocket after completing its task. Niche listens for footsteps and quietly follows Pluto’s down the corridor.
“Raizen. Can we still talk?” Niche whispers, readjusting his mindset to his current situation.
“Yes, I’m here. Curious to see how you’ll get out of this one.” A pause. “Pluto’s element is… not confined, in a way.”
“What does that mean?”
“He has more facets than you might expect. Let’s say fighting him would prove… educational. Brief, but educational.”
“So if we can’t fight him, I need to find you and escape.”
“Don’t concern yourself with me. I’ll be fine,” Raizen casually suggests. “Focus on your own exit. I’ll meet up with you later.”
Niche starts running in the large, dimly lit hallway. Suddenly, Niche freezes. A familiar presence lies ahead, though Niche can’t place why it feels familiar.
“Well,” a voice in the shadows says, walking with consistent footsteps. “Aren’t you supposed to be with Pluto?” Sol steps into view from the darkness. “That incompetent fool can’t manage basic containment. I suppose I’ll have to take custody of you myself.”
Niche’s mind races.
“Raizen, you still there?” Niche asks as Sol walks forward.
“Yep,” Raizen responds.
“Follow my orders exactly,” Niche commands Raizen.
Niche whispers a plan quickly to Raizen before Sol walks up to Niche.
Niche looks up, his eyes meeting Sol, who stands right in front of Niche. Sol glares down at Niche, not with anger or pride but with pity masked under an emotionless state.
Niche, filled with all emotions that conflict – as Niche doesn’t know exactly what emotion to feel at that moment – speaks to Sol in a booming voice. “I have a compromise. My friend will come running down the hallway to us from behind your back. I have called for backup. When he arrives to us, ask him what he wants most; ask him what his greatest desire is.”
“Ah, yes,” Sol responds. “That sword of yours that can turn into a human, right? I’ve heard about it and its immense power. What are doing with that object?”
Niche is taken aback but continues. “Ask him what he wants the most. Freedom from the sword would probably be his answer. You guys can make that happen, right? You’re the ones who put him in that sword anyways.”
Sol’s demeanor grows serious. “How the hell do you know about that?”
Niche ignores him and continues. “Now, offer him that freedom if he cuts my head off. If he does behead me, I’ll be dead, which automatically releases all the energy in my body, starting the merging. That’s what you and your stupid court wanted anyways. If he chooses not to comply and doesn’t kill me – meaning if he stops the attack or redirects it to try and attack you – I will willingly give myself up to you to start the merging. Either way, you win. In both situations, I will die, and your dumb plan will come to fruition.”
Niche directs his voice to Raizen, saying, “Kill me as soon as you see me.”
Raizen confirms to Niche, now appearing around the corner in his cat form, leaping towards Niche and his foe and holding the sword in its mouth by its hilt.
“Look behind you,” Niche says triumphantly to Sol. “My friend is running to me now. You can look; he is behind you in the distance. He approaches us with sword in his mouth. Soon, he will get to us and make his decision; either he will attack me or not. You agree with my conditions now, right?” Niche says, looking at Sol mockingly.
Sol grins, responding. “Nice try,” Sol starts, “but I know you’re immortal. You won’t die if Raizen cuts your head off. You’ll fall on the floor and try to put on a cheap act, but it won’t start the merging. I can’t believe how low you’ve gotten, Nishihara. You’ve fallen quite a lot from when I knew you .”
Sol continues. “How about this: If Raizen does slice your head off, I’ll imprison him. We’ll steal his essence, just like we did to—well, that’s what happens to him. You’ll be able to go free, but the merger will happen immediately. You’ll live a long life, Niche. Immortality is a long time, so I’m sure you’ll grow to love your life eventually. Or, if your friend decide to fight me or kill you, I’ll quickly subdue and imprison him. His energy will be siphoned, you’ll be taken into captivity, and, once the merger is done, your immortality will be removed, and you will be killed. So, if he attacks you, he will be killed, and the merging will happen. If he doesn’t attack you, both of you will die, and the merging will also happen. What is your next move?”
