Conviction

“This is impossible!” Takada shouted. “Everyone said you died! You should be dead!”

Saiken laughed. “Do you really think that? And here I thought my best friend would be on my side…”

“It can’t be…” Maki stammered. “You’re alive… I can’t believe it!”

Her eyes lit up. A smile of disbelief spread across her face slowly as she began to let her guard down.

“Yeah, I’m alive and kickin—no thanks to your brother and friend tryin to assassinate me in the dead of the night!”

Takada clenched his fist. “You still believe that?! I can’t believe you! And here you are allied with—”

“I believe you!” Maki cried. “I didn’t before, and I’m sorry! But I truly believe you now!”

She held the kunai in her hands close to her heart. Her eyes began to shine with tears.

“Maki…” Saiken shook his head, “What is wrong with you? I infected you! You’re going to become a psycho because of me—assuming they don’t slaughter you first!”

“But I’m okay with that! I could forgive anything you do, my darling!”

The last word made Saiken wince.

Darling?, he thought to himself.

Since when?

“What the hell are you talking about? ‘Darling’?” he chided. “We aren’t married! How could we be?! Your family tried to kill me! The whole clan did!”

That’s right. All because I have ‘cursed blood’!

“That’s not true and you know it,” Zashi interjected. “We welcomed you into our home! We trusted you! But what did you do? You chose to kill Izumi!”

As always… They won’t listen to me.

“Okay,” he admitted. “You’re right. I killed her—so what? You tryna welcome me back or something?”

“Hell no!” Zashi yelled. “You really should be dead! I hope you rot!”

Oh, I do Zashi… Everyday.

Maki waved her hands frantically. “Do-don’t say that! We’d love to have you back! It’s not too late to work things out!”

Sigh…

“Look, Miss Tsukiyuki, I’m not your fiancee anymore. That ended a long time ago.”

Tears started to fall from the girl’s eyes.

“But why? We could make them accept you!”

Tch! So persistent!

“Nah, I’m good,” he said. “Besides—unfortunately for us all, I’m currently working with demons.”

“But why?! At least explain it to me!” Maki pleaded.

“It’s because I aim to destroy all of the Psycho Hunters. They all need to die!”

Takada nearly dropped his sword. “Are you insane?!”

They’d never understand.

“You sound like an ignorant child!” Zashi spat.

“And you would know from experience,” he shot back. “Besides, without you all, there’d be no more pointless conflicts. The Psycho Hunters? Specter Slayers? The various clans and families? No more.”

“And if I help you?” Maki asked. “We could do it together!”

She clutched her uniform tightly, clearly desperate.

My life is constant suffering.

“I refuse. You’re a Psycho Hunter, aren’t you?”

I can’t drag a kind young woman into darkness with me. She’s not like me.

“...”

She looked away, unable to answer.

“I’d hate to interrupt this…” Feavor shook his head. “Whatever this is, but we really gotta get going, Saiken. Grab the psycarrion and let’s go!”

Saiken nodded.

“Pardon me. I’ll just be taking that, and I’ll be on my way. Just let your older brother know I said hi.”

“Not a chance!” Takada shouted. “We’re taking you in right here and now!”

“Oh brother… The sun’ll be up shortly!” Feavor complained. “I’ll leave you to it.”

He walked off, pulled open one of the large doors, and left.

“... Aaaand he just up and left me…” Saiken sighed. “Oh well, it can’t be helped. I guess it’s time for me to show you how I’m not weak anymore. You guys tried to kill me before, and now I’ll return the favor!”

He took off running, straight for Takada, his blade still in its sheath. Before he could get close, Takada drew his katana back.

“Manifest Pathos!”

Both of their eyes began to glow a bright blue, and Takada began to take a swing.

“Nice try!” Saiken said as he closed the distance.

At the last minute, he ducked and reached his left hand under the blade, reaching up to grab Takada’s arm. Saiken then pushed his body away with his shoulder and pulled his own sword out of the sheath.

Clang!!

Before he could cut the arm off, Zashi blocked it with her kunai.

Saiken hopped away, creating some distance again.

“Now now… This won’t do! Manifest Pathos: Blue Thunder!”

Water sprouted from his shadow, and it started taking shape.

“I’d like you to meet my shikigami!”

An armored creature with a bluish silver exoskeleton now stood tall behind him. It resembled a praying mantis, complete with two folded arms—but it had a long, thick plated tail.

“What is that thing?” Zashi muttered.

“It can’t be real…” Takada shook his head. “Impossible! You shouldn’t have a shikigami!”

Always treating me like I’m inferior…

“What’s the matter?” he shot back. “Jealous that you aren’t the only one with a summon?”

Zashi walked towards him, staring deep into his eyes. “Just die already!”

Doesn’t matter how many times this plays out—

“You’ve ruined our family enough as it is. Your death would actually make you useful for once!” she ranted in his face.

—It’s always the same. It seems like I’ve got no other choice…

He looked down at her glaring face, in her glowing eyes. “If that’s how it’s going to, then I have no choice but to kill you.”

Bam!!

Saiken left his fist buried in her stomach as she slumped over.

“Uugh!!”

Zashi tried to call out, but the most she could manage was to grunt. Saliva—he hoped it was just saliva—shot out her mouth. He watched as her siblings called out to her with shocked expressions.

“!!”

Saiken then looked down.

She stabbed him in his left arm and stomach with her kunai. All she could whisper was “Frozen Remora” then passed out.

He gently rested her head against his chest before she could fall, then laid her down carefully.

“Sister!!” Maki screamed. “Saiken, why?! Why go this far?”

Sigh… She truly is just so… innocent.

“Because,” he started, pulling the weapons out of his skin. “Your brother is evil, and you people let your politics dictate everything!”

“Politics?”

“I was supposed to lead the Tsukiyuki clan! Don’t you get that?!”

I’ve kept this to myself for so long now…

“But you idiots wanted to lead the Psycho Hunters so bad! So what do you do? You try to kill me so I don’t ‘drag your clan into the accursed Specter Slayers’! Is your stupid tribalism all that matters to you people?!”

“Of course not!” Takada shouted. “We’d never stoop that low! There may be some of us who aren’t completely on the straight and narrow, but my brother would NEVER do something like that.”

“What he said!” Maki blurted. “You meant the world to me! You mean the world to me now! Just come back!”

Takada must not have been able to bear watching his sister pleading anymore, as he stood forward placing his hand on her shoulder.

“Is it being the village chief that you want?” he asked.

These guys just don’t get it… They don’t get it!

“Why can’t you people understand?” Saiken asked. “Without apparition hunters, then the monster’s power will weaken significantly! They’re the ones with the most fear of apparitions! The common man can’t even see them! The one’s who become victims are just treated as insane anyway!”

Without you all, the natural world order would return.

“But that’s not…” Takada trailed off.

“Am I wrong?! If protecting the weak and innocent is truly what you do, then this sacrifice would be the ultimate service to them! Or would your hypocrisy get in the way? After all, you are also assassins—killing anyone you’re told to as long as the price is right.”

“Manifest Psyche!” Takada chanted.

When you know you’ve lost the argument…

“Frigus Ryu!”

You always try to silence your opposition.

* * *

Takada took a deep breath as a dragon emerged from his blade, leaving frost on the sharp metal.

What memory will I part with?, he asked himself.

“Blue Thunder? Please kill him,” Saiken commanded.

The shikigami started walking in his direction.

Badum!

“Gaah!!” Takada screamed. “Just… Aah! Just what did you take?”

He looked at the small silver and white dragon flying around him. It smiled and replied, “I took your liver.”

Damn! How am I supposed to fight like this?

“Okay… Here I gooo!!”

He charged the large creature and swung his sword upwards to cut its arm off.

Clang!!

His katana bounced right off.

Are those plates metal?!

“Watch out, Brother!”

He jumped back and a moment later, the monster burst into flames.

“Grooo!!!” it cried out.

It started to turn and began walking over to Maki.

“Stop!!!”

It stood in place, frozen.

“I didn’t give you permission to harm her! Leave her alone!” Saiken shouted.

What? Wait—this is my chance!

Takada sheathed his sword and said, “Glacial Arts!”

As he took a stance, the dragon floated around him, swimming through the air.

Whoosh!!

He dashed and drew his sword, slicing the creature’s legs. Each slice was faster than the eye could see. The dragon followed the blade, going along with each strike. He then leapt into the air—slicing it up as he ascended. When he landed, he returned his sword to its sheath. “Frozen Lotus.”

All of the cuts on Saiken’s shikigami shot indigo blood out, then began to freeze over. Thick ice burst through its armor plating from the flesh underneath.

It cried out, and Saiken shouted, “Blue Thunder, return!”

It suddenly melted into water that swirled around in the air. Then the water returned to its owner, disappearing.

“This is most troublesome. But seems like your dragon is gone too—so now you’re at a disadvantage.”

Takada watched his shikigami disappear as well—freezing up into a ball of ice, then compressing into thin air.

“It didn’t have to be this way…” Maki whispered. “You could’ve come back…”

“She’s right,” Takada agreed. “You’ve even abandoned your little sister! Now you’re abandoning your fiancee too?! You have a responsibility to her! How do you think they feel?!”

Badum!

Wait… Fiancee?

“You must be out of your minds!” Saiken laughed. “You think I’d bring Amira to come work with demons?! You must be insane!”

Fiancee… I had one… didn’t I?

Maki dropped her kunai and put her hands on her heart. “But I loved you! I gave you my heart and soul! Was that not enough for you?!”

Yeah… I know I did. But what was her name?

“After I work with them to rid the world of you hunters and slayers, they’ll be weak,” he replied. “I’ll kill them all myself. If it so pleases you, I’ll take my own life afterwards as well—so I’m free of your kind of hypocrisy.”

“That’s insane!” she shouted. “Besides, that’s not what I asked! Tell me—is there some other woman you love or something?! Is that it?!”

Saiken sighed.

“You really aren’t listening… I’ve cast aside my feelings of attachment to anyone so I can do what’s necessary. On top of that, I’ve been stuck around man-eating demons and vampires, day in, and day out.”

“Saiken Tsurana, I’m begging you! Please come back to me! I’ve missed you so much!” she cried.

Takada’s eyes opened wide.

“Tsurana…” he muttered. “Of course… Iome Tsurana!”

That’s insane! How could I forget her?

Saiken sheathed his katana and put his hands together.

“I’m sorry, Maki, but I can’t. I have to go now.”

“Wait! Don’t go!”

“Manifest Pathos!”

She started running frantically to him.

He made a sign with his hands that resembled a skull and said, “Hollow Husk.”

“Stop! Please!”

She tripped and fell.

“Goodbye, Maki. It was good to see you again.”

A psycho emerged before him from his shadow.

That technique stole my memory of her! That’s why I forgot!

The frost spread up to Saiken’s fingers, and one froze completely. He tore it off and said, “Turn Undead” before tossing it to Maki.

“Because you’re infected, you should be able to get my memories if you eat this. A parting gift from me to you.”

He pulled a scroll out from his Psycho Hunter uniform.

“Teleport: Hemograd.”

“Takada! Stop him!” Maki shouted desperately.

“Huh?” he uttered, snapping back to reality. “Oh shoot!”

He stood up and dashed at Saiken.

As the blade was going to make contact with him, a blue light bathed him—

—And the next moment, he was gone.

“Damn it!!!” Maki screamed.

She curled up into a ball on the floor, crying.

Takada then beheaded the psycho and looked at his sister.

“Saiken…” he whispered. “You bastard.”

He looked up to the ceiling of the vault.

One, solitary tear fell from his eye, freezing before it hit the ground.

—————————————————————————————————————————————

I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

The next chapter will conclude the story of Psychophage 0: Cold-Blooded Assassin!

If you have any thoughts, theories, or feedback, I'd love to hear them in the comments!