Chapter 19

Rushing in and shattering the glass door, Chisako grabbed Uddi by the face, spinning him around before sending him flying into the house across the street. him slammed down hard, causing him to crater into the wall as blood spewed from his mouth.

He slumped down, crimson leaking from his head, staining the white of his hair and clothes.

“That’s one down. Now,” Chisako said, an unhinged edge to her voice, “time for the second.”

Panka and Jason ran outside to check on Uddi, but before they were able to reach them, Chisako reached for Jason, which he was narrowly able to avoid.

Jumping into action, Jason pulled his hammer from his pocket, winding the rope up before casting it at Chisako as a strike.

She reached for the string, but before she was able to take hold, Jason reeled back, causing it to slip out of her grip. Flipping the wire, Jason then slammed the weight into Chisako’s shoulder.

Her eyes began to bulge as the air around her arms began to heat up. “Augh! That's enough of that immediately!” Her arm shook as she finally was able to grab hold of the line, dragging Jason towards her, before checking him in the gut. “I’m not going to let you get the upper hand on me; in fact, I’m going to make sure I kill you before you get the chance.” She then began to choke him, her arms holding him in place and wrapping around his neck like a vise grip.

Taking a deep breath, Jason spat onto Chisako’s face, causing her to release a shrill screech as the blood and saliva ran down her face, her grip tightening on Jason’s neck as he smiled.

“Gotcha.”

From the other side of the courtyard, Panka had flown in, slamming her foot into Chisako’s head, dragging her across the ground. The fire in her eyes burned so wildly the air around the two began to warm. Pulling her head from the ground and lifting her to eye level, Panka looked deep into Chisako’s eyes.

“I’m going to kill you.”

Taking hold of each of her 4 arms, Panka began to pull the prosthetic arms from their bolted bindings, causing Chisako to convulse in pain, her face twisting into something almost demonic. Suddenly though, she placed her feet into Panka’s chest.

“Blast!”

A shockwave emanated from Panka’s chest in Jason’s view, causing her to stumble back, dropping Chisako, who quickly caught herself.

“Panka, what just happened!?” Jason croaked sorely, coming up from the ground where Chisako had left him. She simply turned around, revealing that two craters had been created in her abdomen, golden blood oozing down, coating her loose black trousers.

Chisako grinned to herself before beginning to laugh maniacally.

“I replaced my legs with cybernetics as well! I realized it would be far more efficient in wiping you off the face of this rock if I replaced as much of my body as Ayn would allow me to,” she giggled to herself, “And now you’re going to suffer for it.”

As the soldier monologued, Panka breathed deeply before grabbing hold of her once more, causing Chisako to stop talking, her eyes wide.

Gripping onto Chisako’s arms, a grotesque rumbling started from within her chest.

Her jaw unhinged violently as a translucent arm gripped her neck.

“... What is this!? What the hell—agh!” The arm had begun to grip into her neck in a vise.

“The same trick won't work on me twice.”

While Panka held her still, seemingly having incapacitated the soldier, Jason shakily tried to stand back up before falling to his knees. As he glanced over at Uddi, enraged at his lack of ability to stand, he began to slam his fist against the ground.

At that moment, something inside had snapped.

“It's happening again… Just as I thought I was done being saved, as I thought I could finally hold my own… I’m being bailed out.” Jason's knuckle started to bleed as he almost began to weep, surprising even himself.

“Over, and over, and over, and over, I've been bailed out. How pathetic is that? Have I done anything on my own since I got here, besides failing? I beat up on a guy who barely knew where he was, and still, I got praised and called a hero...“

His anger had caused his voice to turn to a tearful scream.

“How can anyone say I'm worth anything… How can I save Uddi, or anyone, if I can't even save myself!?”

“You don't need to save anyone to be worth something, Jason.”

From in front of him, Chisako coughed a dry heave; the arm that had come from Panka’s throat retracted into her stomach.

“That's what friends are here for, you know. You can lean on us.” Panka began to walk over to Jason, dropping Chisako and standing on her head.

“We all want to protect you. Even in a short amount of time, you’ve become someone precious to me and to the rest of us as well. If you care about someone, you protect them, right? What makes you think we won't do the same for you?”

“Panka…” Jason wiped a tear from his face before standing up. “You’re right, I need to—”

“SHUT UP!”

From behind the two, Chisako stood once more, her hair matted and makeup fully deranged as she rushed at them, both just barely dodging out of the way as she started to focus her onslaught on Jason.
“I am so sick of hearing you cry and complain and whine, as your friends try pathetically to help you! I have never met someone so incompetent, so unwilling to change, and so utterly reprehensible as you!” Unable to block four arms' worth of attacks, Jason was slammed into the ground with an overhand fist from the teenage girl.

“I think that's what I hate most about you, Jason. Beyond your stupid face, your attempts to be charismatic, and your god-awful snark, you’re just pathetic underneath it all. You self-sacrifice and accomplish nothing. From where I stand, you are better off killing yourself, because at least then, I wouldn’t have to be subjected to your constant backslides. I've only met you three times, and yet, I think I hate you more than anyone I have ever met.”

Chisako spat on him as she slammed his body into the ground with an onslaught of punches. Panka desperately tried to pull Chisako off of his body, but the speed and intensity of the girl’s attacks made it difficult for her to gain purchase.

“I’m so generous, I'll even help you die, Jason! I know you want to be over with all of this, so just give up already!”

…

“Are her words true, Jason?”

Time seemed to stop for Jason in his mind. Chisako’s flurry of punches seemed to move so slowly it was as if she were frozen. The sound of his quickened heartbeat thumped in his chest as he found himself face-to-face with Ukali.

This time was different, though.

In his mind’s eye, perhaps fading out of consciousness, Jason found himself gazing out at the skyline of his home, on the same hill he would find himself on with his friends. Next to him, Ukali sat. Unlike her previous appearances, she had taken on a largely human size. Even though she somewhat retained her height, she was now closer in comparison to Jason, as opposed to the overwhelming figure she had been previously.

He sat quietly, not answering her question, attempting to take a drink from the bottle of soju he had found in his hands. He could almost taste it, almost feel the liquid fall down his throat. Almost.

With a sigh, he pulled the bottle from his lips as she repeated herself.

“Is what she says true, Jason?” Ukali pulled herself closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and laying on his shoulder.

“Because if it is, then I need to apologize. I have pushed you into a situation you were not equipped to handle, and it will all have been for nothing. All I have done, to that end, is cost you your life needlessly.”

Jason looked at her face; it was still formless, something he couldn't grasp. But in his head, at this moment, she felt human.

“Perhaps it is beyond a god to understand the emotions of mortals. When I felt your presence the day you descended here, I kept you in a limbo in order to stop your soul from being scorched. Eventually, when the situation was safe enough for you to arrive, I then freed you under the assumption that, even though you dwelled in my domain, on my path of death, you’d still seek life. I thought you would find things here to care about, perhaps even to love, despite what you had lost, and in the end, would leave here triumphant, having saved your brother.”

Jason averted his eyes from the goddess, prompting her to squeeze him tighter.

“Knowing what I know now, I would not have pushed you to this state. I could never force you to live.” She put her hand to his face, “So please, in my domain, if it's what you wish… Allow me to be the one to give you the grace of eternal peace.”

Softly, Jason put his hand onto Ukali’s, releasing himself from her and standing up, staring at the skyline. Despite the lowering of his eyes, his head was held high.

He remembered what Panka had said, her words jumping around in his head.

“You don't need to save anyone to be worth something.”

“Thanks, miss, but I think I’ll keep going, even if it's just for a bit longer.” He smiled, putting his hand out to the still-seated goddess. I wouldn't want to disappoint you.”

Despite the formlessness of her face, it was undeniable now that Ukali was smiling.

…

Chisako prepared for the final blow as Panka still desperately tried to wrench her from atop Jason. As the final punches fell, though, in the blink of an eye, Jason’s hand raised, swiping her arm clean off and sending her flying backwards.

In Chisako’s shock, she stopped her onslaught, looking down at the previously brutalized man now in pristine condition, besides the blood staining his face, as Jason forced himself to his feet. Her rage continued to worsen as the situation progressed, her reddened face even being visible from behind her makeup.

“No! For fuck’s sake, what is it going to take to get you down!” She raged, flinging herself towards him.