Malice Incarnate Pt. 2
“Ah, well would you look at this! Everyone is already making merry! Maybe I won’t even have to do anything, hm? Although, it’d be quite the boring case.”
Damon felt ice running down his spine at that voice, the one voice he was hoping he didn’t have to hear yet. Hearing it meant he was out of time, that there was no chance of him being able to do anything. Yet, all he could do was turn around, dread washing over him, as a familiar red eye greeted him from behind an eerie goat mask. The eye seemed to glow with excitement, bloodlust filling its every corner. Tozu laughed heartily as everyone in the room had fallen dead silent, his voice echoing throughout the dining hall. Eva’s face had turned completely stark white, agonizing fright behind her widened blue eyes. As ready as she seemed, it didn’t make all the fear go away, and the gravity of his presence now, when there was nothing to warrant it, meant only one thing.
“Aw, what a shame the theatrics died out the moment I stepped in. Though, I do suppose that makes me the center of interest. Curious as to why I’m here?”
“D-Don’t… touch her… I WON’T LET YOU TOUCH HER!”
Diana, who had gotten up from her chair at some point, wobbled in front of her roommate, an arm outstretched in front of her with protectiveness, screaming at Tozu. Her entire body was shaking in terror and pain, looking closer to passing out on the floor than being a shield, but she kept a determined gaze locked on their kidnapper. Her shouting had definitely given her a migraine, as her eyes wavered between focused and glazed over. The man narrowed his one visible eye at her, looking her up and down before bursting out into manic laughter. The debater felt his blood run cold at the emptiness in it. There was no amusement in his voice, only feral, animalistic predation within every heave and gasp, like a beast toying with its struggling, dying prey. He approached Diana, his eye upturned with glee at her suffering. Leaning forward, he got right up into her face, his mask nearly touching her nose, and made direct eye contact with her.
“How adorable, standing up for your friend. Yet, how utterly pointless your effort is. I do find it admirable though,” he hummed in a low voice. “The way humans will always struggle to protect what they love, even when it won’t bear fruit… It's tantalizing. Though, I’m surprised you’d try to protect someone who tried to frame you for murder. Still naive as always, little chameleon~”
“I… I believe in Eva… I trust that she never wanted to kill anyone… and I forgive her for what she did, because I care about her!”
“Hahaha!” the goat man chuckled boisterously. “You really are so beautifully foolish! Truly, you’d make for such an interesting killer! Though, now is not the time to discuss such theories! I have things to attend to, so I’ll need you to move out of the way.”
With a single motion, he pushed Diana away with one finger, causing her to tumble into the influencer with a yelp. The two of them fell to the floor, with a thud, but no one ran to help them back up. In fact, no one else dared to intervene in any way as the man approached Eva. The mathematician was practically staring a hole through the man, her eyes never leaving his face as she bit her lip anxiously. Wordlessly, he stopped in front of her, and held out a hand. Damon was confused at first, but quickly realized what the man wanted as soon as the girl pulled out an unassuming, red gaming console. His mind flashed back to what she had mentioned, and he knew that object was the perk. It made sense that he’d want it back if she failed her task, since it was obviously something he could use again in the future, not to mention far too valuable a tool for the students to have if they weren’t planning a murder.
“Perfect! And here I thought I’d be pulling teeth out to get you to hand it over!” he exclaimed, inspecting the device in his hands before holding it up for the room to see. “Yes everyone, this adorable little console is a special tablet that gives you access to the school cameras! This is only one of many perks I can give to you, so long as you earn it and kill.”
“You… You lured her,” the lawyer growled, emotional tension in his voice that Damon hadn’t heard since the mock trial. “You purposely used an equation to target her!”
“Are you implicating that I dared to manipulate the outcome of the game?”
“How else would you explain the puzzle?!” he yelled.
The masked man simply chuckled. “That’s rather insolent of you, but I can’t deny you’re correct! Though, your little mathlete friend already told you all about it, didn’t you?”
“Shut up…” Eva hissed at him, attempting to stand strong against her manipulator despite her quivering form.
“Ah, ah, ah. You knew it was a trap, yet, you kept on solving it all, inputting the code and then finally, taking a deal you thought you could get around. I’m honestly flabbergasted you thought for even a second I wouldn’t have planned around that!” He gasped in faux woe, dramatically bringing his hand up to his forehead like someone would see in over the top stage plays.
“You took advantage of her, you abhorrent-!”
“Now there, Wolfgang,” Tozu interrupted, taking a few steps towards him before pausing when Grace moved in front of him. “Ahem… I’m surprised you care so much about this. Aren’t you part of the reason she even tried to solve the puzzle in the first place? And isn’t she the one who tried to kill you?”
Wolfgang hesitated at his words. “She… she may have tried to kill me… b-but still, she wasn’t doing it because she wanted to. You gave her no choice.”
“Sheesh, and here I thought Ms. Victim & Superiority Complex over here was bad enough to listen to. You and your Savior complex are truly infuriating.”
“Huh? What are you-?”
“Do you actually want to help her out of good will, or are you deluding yourself into thinking that in order to make it easier to digest the fact that all you want is to satisfy your own ego?” Tozu sneered maliciously. Damon watched as the Ultimate Lawyer’s face slowly twisted into shame and horror. His hand that had been pointing accusingly at the masked man dropped limply at his side. He could see the bitterness in his eyes as he stared at his feet, the host chuckling victoriously at his petty win. Grace shot the man a scathing look, but as soon as he looked back at her with a glare, her face paled. She must have recalled what happened before…
“Now then, with interruptions out of the way, I should get to the reason I’m really here! Your little friend here already explained the details of our deal, so you must know what I’m really here to collect, right?”
“Y-You can’t… that’s not…” Kai fumbled out the words, his eyes screaming at him to do something. Yet, what was he supposed to do? What could he do?
“If you say it’s not within the rules, do remember who made them in the first place. Besides, the stipends were quite clear. So long as she commits the first kill, she could use the perk. If she failed to do so in a timely manner, she’d die. It’s straightforward and clear cut, wouldn’t you agree?”
“W-Wait!” Damon yelled out, the words tumbling out of him before he could think. “You… you shouldn’t kill Eva.”
Tozu raised an eyebrow at him. “You too? Ugh, and here I thought the teacher’s pet understood what-”
“If you kill her, what do you get out of it?”
“Hm?”
It was the factor he had been considering: what did Tozu get out of this deal beyond the Killing Game starting? What use was it for him to kill Eva himself if she failed? He had specified that the Killing Game was between fellow students, meaning he wanted them to kill each other. He wasn’t going to be doing the killing. So, why would he threaten her with death? How did that benefit him? It didn’t make any sense to Damon, so it was the one vantage point he could exploit. If there was no good reason, he’d turn that into his argument.
“You want the Killing Game to be between the students only. You killing Eva defeats that point.”
“How so?”
“W-Well,” Damon stammered, not anticipating that question. “You clearly want us to commit the murders and then be in Class Trials. It’s more interesting that way, right?”
“It does make for some wonderful free entertainment!”
The debater bit back the bile he felt at just imagining Tozu in whatever security room he used to observe them, eagerly watching someone murder with a grin on his face. “Anyways… if you kill Eva now, wouldn’t that be boring? Wouldn’t it be more interesting… to see what she could offer to the game?”
“Y-Yeah!” the influencer stuttered, understanding the direction of his argument. “What’s the value in killing us yourself when you could get more entertainment from… watching us…?”
Tozu seemed to ponder their words, and for a second, the Ultimate Debater thought he could hook him. However, the look of bliss on the man’s face made his heart drop, as he shook his head and waggled his finger in his face. “My my, you seem to have many ideas for why this Killing Game is happening! Well, I can assure you that while I do get entertainment from it all, that is merely a bonus. The reason you lot are here is for another reason entirely. Ending her life because she failed her end of the deal is a simple transaction. There isn’t any deeper meaning. You seem rather fond of trying to find meaning in places where, sometimes, there is none at all.”
He snapped his fingers and before he could even blink, the woman with the black panther mask appeared, armed to the teeth as usual, a pistol in hand with its muzzles touching Eva’s forehead. Diana yelled, trying to crawl off Kai and rush over to the mathematician as he could only stare in terror. However, she stopped in her tracks as they all watched in shock as she closed her eyes in acceptance, a singular tear streaming down her face. The masked man looked amused at the display, patting his enforcer on the shoulder before approaching the cosmetologist whose desperate cries had fallen silent.
“The world is more than simple black and white. Within it exists many shades of grey,” Tozu stated, kneeling down at eye level to the pink haired girl, his voice dark and icy. “However, it is undeniable that humans are sinners, and for sinners, the only fate that remains is death. It is the only way anyone’s wretched soul may be cleansed.”
He jolted upwards after those words, his faux amicable expression back on his face behind the mask, that red eye glowing with excitement. “Now then! I suppose we shouldn’t delay any further. Our dearest Mara has come just in time to finish the job we set off to do! Do not avert your eyes, and let our justice stir the hearts of everyone bearing witness today!”
“No, DON’T!” Diana screamed.
Before he knew it, her name slipped onto his tongue. “EVA!”
Those next few seconds felt like hours, each frame of action vivid in his mind. He could see every muscle contracting in Mara’s finger as she pushed down on the trigger, all the while Eva smiled weakly at them. He wanted to turn his head away, but his eyes remained fixated on the tragedy unfolding in front of him. Despair filled his every vein, helplessness rushing over him like a geyser. He could see the desperation in Diana’s eyes as she cried words of protest in vain, Kai covering his mouth as all the color drained away from his face, and Wolfgang’s horrified expression at the scene about to unfold. The familiar sense of dread from five days ago resurfaced in all of their minds. Yet this time, it was happening pointblank, directly in front of them, with no chance of missing. However, his eyes were directed towards one thing, one thing that shattered a piece of his heart.
‘Goodbye.’
*BANG!*
Those were the words she mouthed before the gunshot cracked through all their eardrums. Damon slammed his eyes shut at the sound, his heart pounding in his chest, beads of sweat dripping down his face. He didn’t want to see it. He didn’t want to see it. He didn’t want to believe Eva would die. If he opened his eyes, the debater would have to face the music. Even for just one second more, he wanted to pretend everything was okay. But, reality called his name, and human curiosity was a curse in itself, as it made him peel one eye open. He was prepared to see her body slumped in her chair, for blood to be splattered on the floor as her eyes remained closed in peaceful, eternal slumber. It would have probably been one of the first times she ever felt like she was at peace, a girl who had known nothing but loathing from both reality and the machinations of her mind whispering paranoia into her ear. Yet, his eyes opened to a bloodless dining hall. In fact, everything looked the same as before, minus the one stray bullet that had embedded itself into the wall. The mathematician’s eyes quickly snapped open, pupils shakily turning towards the now smoking barrel of the pistol that remained right near her head.
“... h-huh…?” was all Eva was able to muster out, as she paled at the gun that had failed to hit its target.
“Pff… ha…” Damon’s gaze snapped over to the masked man, who was doubled over trying to suppress his chuckles. Tozu continued to hold it in, until it eventually turned into an uproariously manic laugh, his entire body in the action. The students stared at him in disgust and fear, no one daring to say it, but everyone collectively thought the exact same thing: This man isn’t human. He can’t be a human being.
“Phuhuhahaha! You really all thought I’d simply let her off that easy, huh? Killing her with a single bullet to the head? Well, your debater friend was right about one thing: the killing of this game shall remain between the students residing in the academy. Even I wouldn't dare to change that stipend. Besides, I never said I’d kill her.”
“What…?” the black haired girl asked, dumbfounded, eyes widening.
“It’s exactly what I said, foolish girl,” Tozu scoffed, shaking his head in disappointment. “And here I thought you were the smart one. Though, I suppose you never were considering you listened to me.”
“Wh-What do you mean?!” she repeated her question, voice raising in tension.
“Recall what I told you: ‘If you don’t use this perk to kill someone in a timely manner, you will die.’ When did I ever say I’d be the one killing you?”
Damon repeated the words in his head, and at the same time as Eva, he realized the same fact. Tozu always would win with this deal, for it wasn’t about him killing her, but rather the perk being the cause of her own death. Regardless of what she ended up doing, she would act because of the perk, and whether she could use it to her advantage or die while utilizing it was hardly something Tozu cared about. All the man needed was a sacrificial lamb to fuel hatred and distrust, and what better person than the one most bitter about her treatment, one who trusted no one and would do anything to escape a fate she felt cursed to.
Tozu’s red eye curled upward within a smile. “It seems you realize the truth! Yes indeed, I was never going to kill you. It was always going to be that you killed someone, or someone else did the killing for you. After all, with a perk like that, it wouldn’t take long for someone to learn of its existence, especially if I tipped someone off about it. And, when they found out, what do you think they’d do?”
“N… no… you… I… that can’t…!”
Mara stepped to the side, holstering the gun with a click, allowing Tozu a clear path to get near the mathematician. Damon wanted to move to protect her, but his legs refused to budge. He was frozen in place, a spectator to this show he never wanted to be an audience of. Eva flinched away, shaking violently as the devil incarnate walked towards her. He leaned forward, malice laced into what little they could see of his expression. With another sadistic laugh, he spoke again, his voice completely devoid of all emotion.
“Don’t lie. You always knew what would happen. You knew that I wasn’t going to kill you. That’s just an excuse. You knew of the trap, but ignored it. Let’s be honest with ourselves, Eva Tsunaka. You wanted to kill someone.”
Whatever color remained in her face vanished in an instant. “N-No! I didn’t! I didn’t want to! That’s not…!” However, her words were fully ignored as Tozu turned to all of us, his intentions clear as day.
“Let it be known that Ms. Tsunaka had every intention to murder in cold blood!”
“St-Stop… please…”
“She did so for her own selfish escape, but that’s not all,” he chuckled.
“Please stop… I-I-I’m sorry… I’m sorry… so please…!”
“Look at her plan? Isn’t it obvious what kind of person she is from that wicked scheme?”
The girl slammed her hands over her ears, her breathing ragged, sobs wracking her frame. “STOP IT!”
“She was always born to be a killer, for she has always been a cruel individual incapable of loving, and one no one could love!”
“Aa… aaaaaAAAAAAH!”
A scream erupted from her as she curled into a fetal position, squeezing herself into a tight ball. Guilt ridden tears ran down her face as her eyes were full of acceptance of that man’s awful words. Damon reached a hand out, if only just to comfort her, to reassure her that he was wrong. And yet, it fell limply back to his side as he listened to her cries ringing in his ears like an incessant siren. Why couldn’t he say anything? Why was he believing what this man said? He had no reason to trust in his words. However, it was like he was being enchanted, his statements capturing him in a web of magic that was controlling his every thought and action. The debater couldn’t do anything but listen in silent suffering, gritting his teeth together in frustration. Why… why can’t I move damn it?!
“Get the hell out of here, you bastard.”
Damon’s eyes snapped open, his head whirling around to the direction of the speaker. His thoughts were answered by a singular voice. It was crisp, its clarity allowing it to echo throughout the entire room. With that undeniable accent in her voice, Grace Madison stood strong in front of Tozu, her eyes full of burning determination and loathing. The golfer had placed herself between Tozu and Eva’s collapsed form on the floor, her body not positioned in a protective manner, but clearly was being defensive of the panicking girl. The masked man narrowed his eye, hints of annoyance dripping from his gaze. Nonetheless, he feigns ignorance to those emotions, opting to tilt his head in confusion at her words.
“I beg your pardon?”
“You heard me,” she snarled. “I said get the hell out of here! No one gives a damn about what you have to say, you manipulative dickhead! Your words mean jackshit!”
Tozu merely shook his head, scoffing in disbelief. “I’m afraid I’m being completely truthful on the matter, so I’d suggest retracting that-”
“It doesn’t matter what you did or didn’t say. I say it’s still your damn fault.”
“And what do you mean by that…?” he questioned darkly.
“Whether or not you said you’d kill her or not yourself, you still took advantage of that and played us like puppets. You’re still the one at fault, asshole. So, get the hell out of here, and stop trying to turn us against each other.”
The man fell silent, closing his eye in thought. Meanwhile, the Ultimate Debater stared at Grace in a shocked stupor. She had been the one most eager to see Eva beaten up, and despite standing down earlier, it was obvious she still wanted to hit her. Yet, now she was the one defending the one she viewed as an enemy. Damon couldn’t make heads or tails on what was running through the woman’s mind in the moment, but he couldn’t complain. Her words were everything he wished he could say at that moment. His attention turned back to the present, as finally, Tozu let out a sigh. Opening up his eye, he shot them all an icy look, devoid of any discernible emotion.
“I’ll keep that in mind for next time, golfer.”
With that last comment, he gestured to Mara to follow him, and the two overseers left the room in silence, leaving behind their distraught group to sort through the events of the past hour or so by themselves. Feeling the strength leave his body, Damon fell to his knees in relief that the man was finally gone. Kai, helping Diana over to Eva first and foremost, crawled over to his side and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. He raised a hand to indicate to his roommate that he was okay, but gave him a small smile of gratitude for his concern. His main subject of focus was the Ultimate Golfer, who stood still next to Eva’s crying form, who was now looking up at the blonde woman with confusion.
“... why did you help me? I don’t deserve it…” the mathematician mumbled out between hiccups. “I… I willingly tried to kill someone… I’m a monster… I’m heartless and cruel… just like Tozu said…!”
Grace let out a breath of exasperation, rolling her eyes and kneeling down to place her hand on the girl’s shoulder. She jolted at the touch, but locked her eyes on the golfer’s.
“Come off the grass and stop letting that fucker get in your head,” she told her pointblank. Eva tilted her head in confusion, causing the blonde to awkwardly turn her gaze away. She definitely wasn’t comfortable doing this sort of thing, but she preserved regardless.
“Look, I’ll ask you this once… Did you actually want to kill Wolfgang?”
“N-No… but… maybe I’ve just tricked myself into thinking that and I-”
“Stop right there,” Grace cut her off. “What you said first, that’s your answer. You didn’t want to. What you did is fucked up and no, I haven’t forgiven you and I still don’t like you, but… I don’t hate you, and I didn’t like seeing that bastard manipulate you like that, just like he probably did before.”
She turned her gaze back to the black haired girl, her eyes softening ever so slightly. “He used your fear to control you… that’s an undeniable fact as all of us can see now. I may be able to blame you for a lot of things, but I won’t blame you for something that wasn’t your fault at all, not to mention complete bullshit lies.”
Whether or not Grace had changed from that moment forward, Damon didn’t know. But, as he looked at Eva break down, choked sobs tumbling out from her lips, he couldn’t help but think ‘maybe.’ Her words came from some unknown place that didn’t originate from hatred or care. He didn’t know if Eva was crying because of the mercy, the understanding, or supposed kindness that could be perceived, but whatever it was, it had touched her heart. For his own sanity, he chose to believe that something had stirred in the golfer’s heart. He looked out upon the scene in front of him, of Diana dragging herself forward to Eva’s side, despite the concerned calls of Toshiko and Ingrid at her pushing herself, of her holding the girl in her arms and crying tears of relief at holding her warm, living body, of Grace, now standing up, staring down at her face with her eyes unreadable, of Wolfgang looking towards his roommate, the same wondering present in his gaze as the debater. As he looked upon it all, exhaustion beginning to overwhelm himself, he prayed that he could be proven wrong, that in the end, they would all get out of this alive, even if it seemed impossible. If not for his own survival, than for Eva Tsunaka, who deserved to understand what living truly was.