Bound to Happen

Sayaka's expression hardened at the quip that Reathe lingered on, not sure whether to be angry, panicked, or mortified.

"D-don't you dare insult Kisaragi!" she said as rain dusted her face.

"You implied it, not me." They held their hands up. "All I said was that you ought to know him more, nothing derogatory about his motivations."

"S-stop playing around. Get to the point if there is any! What are you saying? That you've read his mind too?"

The twintailed figure raised a brow at her nonchalantly, though smiled all the same while the wind blew.

"Sheesh, you remind me of our dear Frivera, demanding directness instead of dramatics. But yes, I've read his thoughts as well. Just look at your bonds~"

She cautiously did just that as she positioned her hand a little better, tilting her head down to see the chains again as droplets began to fall from the sky in earnest.

"!" Wait, these were the remnants of the chainstake Reathe had used earlier to try and enslave Itsuki and her.

"You can't be serious."

"Rather clever, right?" Reathe chuckled as they patted the restraints. "You might've shattered a good half of it alongside its latent powers. But I can still use it to enhance my own magic if I expend enough energy. And unfortunately for you, I'm one of the few that possesses such pas skills as Enthrall and Soulsearch. Let me show you~"

The chains began to hum in contact with Reathe, draining them to ignite magic along its length. It quickly began to intrude, seeping into her skin while thunder rumbled in the distance.

Sayaka started to panic.

So they actually had seen her thoughts and Kisaragi's too? Just how much had they seen? How much did they know about their lives?

However, before she could break down completely, a different thought came to mind, and she forced herself to slow down and take a deep breath.

The chains were clearly physical, but they were also likely magic too in some way since she'd broken them before with her power.

Her pulse quickened as a plan formed in her head, hoping she could pull it off as she felt the effects beginning to grasp at her heart.

"Do you feel it working?" Reathe chimed with some difficulty in the rain. "It shouldn't be too much longer now until you're primed for our plans."

"Barely," she quipped, trying to keep calm as to not give away what she was doing.

Her breathing grew more labored as both magics built up, running parallel in a race. Yet despite the growing unease, Sayaka kept focusing her power on the chains.

"I see…" Reathe trailed off, sweat dripping from their brow. "I should mention, I did so adore the way you inner monologued to yourself in that dream. It was very cute thing to witness when you try to psyche yourself up~"

A tender touch trailed down her body alongside the magic when she didn't respond. It kept building stronger and stronger.

"What's wrong? Why aren't you saying anything? Ah, I get it. You're playing the hero. Stalwart in the face of an antagonist and hoping to redeem your past sins with penance~"

She shifted uncomfortably.

"You're wrong."

They grinned as lightning struck, igniting a fire despite the wettened wood of the forest.

"You say that, but I know what you feel—what truly makes you tick. After all, you actually loved it when those two girls called you two Mr. and Mrs. Hero, didn't you~?"

"D-don't you dare bring up either of them! Do whatever you want to me but leave Kisaragi and the sisters out of this!"

She shook slightly as she continued channeling more of her power into the bonds, starting to feel a tightness building within her.

"Did I strike a nerve?" Reathe tilted their head somberly as lightning struck nearby, igniting more of the brush. The stone beneath them began to flicker to life in a mystic glow.

"Ah, you almost remind me of how I once was. At least before I learned the harsh truth about reality."

They channeled a spike of energy in a noticeable push.

"!" A sudden headache returned as the magics flowed into Sayaka. It split her mind at the intensity as heat poured through her like fire. It took everything she had to keep focusing and not faint.

"Harsh truths?" She flinched. "S-stop speaking like you know everything. You barely know how to speak normally!"

"Fufu, a sharp tongue~ You really need to loosen up, darling. But why don't we get back to things? Specifically your bonds and how they're built on nothing but fragility and untruths."

"Stop spewing lies!" she snapped.

"Oh, but I haven't. I haven't fibbed a single bit~ I'm just stating facts… like how that sneaky twink of yours that you've come to idolize has something that he's been hiding in his heart of hearts from you."

Itsuki flashed before Sayaka's vision, locking gazes with her. That strange look was in his eyes again, almost glazed over.

"…" It was the same one that she'd tried asking him about before this entire thing started at the training grounds.

"Y-you're wasting your time!" she said through clenched teeth as resonance hummed. "This isn't going to work!"

"We'll see about that~" They cupped her chin in glee. "Attractive physique aside, you should realize that the twink is just another sad and shattered man. Do you want to know why he tried to save you at first sight? Why he was dragged down with you to your deaths?"

"S-stop this! I already said—"

"Hush." Reathe paused for dramatic effect as lightning tore through the sky. They ran their hand over her restraints as Sayaka channeled more of her strength covertly. Pain burned through her veins.

"The truth is, my dear, you're just something to use so he won't fall to pieces again. That's why he seems to care for you so much."

"I-is that supposed to shake me?!" she said as rain began to fall. "Everyone relies on someone! Why would he be any different?"

"Because you're nothing more than a substitution to him, Sayaka. A look-a-like. A fake."

She trembled as the inferno grew, a strange feeling tugging in her chest. Pressure was building in the atmosphere, pushing down on her.

"What the hell are you talking about? You're not making any sense at all!"

"…Surely you'd noticed it?" Reathe said softly, perspiration and rain dripping down their form. Their breathing had become labored.

"Whenever there was a couple passing on the street, or that dullness in his eyes whenever he thought he was alone, there was a reason for it all. He saw a former lover in you."

Thunder rolled as fire fought against rain.

"He felt guilty about projecting. Though, not enough to actually cease it. He just kept imagining her instead of you. Every. Single. Time."

"S-stop it," she said as the fire spread around them and the runic stone shone bright. "I don't care what you say. K-Kisaragi might be corny at times, but I know he means well!"

"Really? Don't you remember what he said? 'I refuse to let you go too!' You're barely an afterthought in the face of his real love."

Her heart clenched.

"B-be quiet! You're just trying to twist things! A-and I never said I liked him in that way."

"You don't have to say it when it's so obvious."

Sayaka felt something give as wetness trailed down her face. Yet the tugging in her chest still grew stronger—something different than the chain's power.

"!" A single golden thread came into view as he flashed in her vision like a strike of lightning. Her mind spun before she could focus on it though.

Reathe just continued their onslaught as the cracks grew, and a pulse emanated from them.

"I know that it's harsh, but I'm just trying to help you—make this entire process a little less difficult."

Reathe lightly smiled as their body shook with exertion.

"But it's good that we're making progress, because the moment you accept that you're unloved and alone, everything becomes so much—"

"I SAID BE QUIET!"

Sayaka yelled shakingly with as much ferocity as she could scrounge up. Golden threads began to weave from her, masked by the eerie glow and fire around them.

"I-I don't know what's true and what are lies, but I don't care if he's broken, annoying, or whatever else a nutjob like you has to say! He's a better person than I'll ever be! And even if he cannot love me, he's still given me reasons to live again!"

Reathe's eyes widened in the growing orange glow around them before they sharpened again in annoyance.

"Tsk. You're more stubborn than that twink. Still, I can sense something straining. You're just in that phase of denial. Why don't we speed that up just a bit?"

They swept their palm over her forehead, straining to pour more of their energy into the relic as the rain howled around them.

"!" A scream ripped from Sayaka's throat as her body felt the crush of a thousand weights upon her chest.

Reathe giggled upon seeing the glow despite the exhaustion now weighing their movements.

"Much better."

Their palm tightened with power.

"Ah, so you are compatible. What a wonderful result. I can also sense that you'll break soon, just like all those times you've done before. So give in and enjoy the freedom of letting go~"

They ruffled Sayaka's hair in a perversely sweet way, as if they'd already won. More wetness trailed down her face as the tugging grew stronger and closer.

"Ah, I can just taste it now—the artifact and its retributionist beneath our control~ So come on and give in, my dear. After all, much awaits your new life once this world is unbound—"

Metal snapped as power surged from her palm, and a flash engulfed them all as golden light shone like the sun.

Her wounds healed in a burst before gravity abruptly registered.

She felt herself begin to fall, but before she could hit the ground, warmth ran to catch her and let her softly to the glowing stone.

Her heart trembled once she realized who that warmth belonged to.

"I'm sorry, Usami. Didn't mean for you to hang on this long."

Itsuki postured himself between her and Reathe as the inferno grew hotter.

"I swear being late isn't my style. I hope you can forgive me."

Sayaka shook as tears rolled down her cheek and to the stone.

"Kisaragi… you idiot."