Frozen Motives

Blood dripped from the wound in Takada’s stomach.

Cough! Cough!

“G-guys?” Takada whispered. “I won’t make it. You need to finish me off right now.”

He slowly reached down and grabbed the arm sticking out of him. The psycho it belonged to disintegrated ever so slowly, as if to torture his conscious with the dread of its departure. As it slowly faded from reality, he awaited an immediate death—one he was absolutely certain would follow.

This is it. It’s over for me. I hope I made everyone proud. If only Saiken could see that we aren’t all bad…

He closed his eyes, slowly descending to sit on his knees.

“Iome? I’m sorry. Though, this is to be expected when you marry a Psycho Hunter.”

Zashi? Take care of yourself.

“I’m going to miss you. Maybe I’ll get to reunite with father and mother in the afterlife.”

“Brother! Get a grip! We can still save you!”

“...Huh?”

He opened his eyes and looked up. “Z-Zashi?! What are you doing?”

His sister towered over him, then she bent down so their faces were close together.

“Why the hell would I let you die? If we live, then we can stand to fight another day!” she chimed.

Her smile was wide and warming, like a gentle breeze in the springtime.

I can tell she’s really hurt by this. Her lip is quivering.

“Hehe… I guess I don’t get the option to die, do I?” he laughed.

Argh… Damn, that hurts! I’ll have to be more careful.

“O-of course not! You idiot! You’ve come back from way worse! How is this any different?!” she protested. Zashi grit her teeth and she blinked, leaving her eyes with a glossy sheen. Her face began to flush red, and she fell to her knees.

Any minute now, the cold embrace of death will take over. There’s nothing we can do.

He placed his free hand the disintegrating arm, feeling it crumble. “I’ve only been wounded by other humans before. If I’d ever been caught by a psycho before, I’d have been dead by now.”

She knows that. So why does she cling so hard to my life?

“Zashi? Please. I want you to tell Iome that I’m sorry, and that I—”

“Shut up already!” she snapped. “You can tell her yourself!”

His eyes widened.

“Why? I don’t understand. What makes you think I’m going to live?”

The moon finally shone down upon them, finally rising above the trees. The light reflected beautifully off her blue hair.

Death is just a part of the cycle of life. Does it even matter if I die?

The dirt crunched from behind him, slightly drowning out the sound of the accompanying footsteps.

“A threat?”

I’ve got to protect her! I don’t have a choice! It doesn’t matter WHO it is!

“I’ll protect you with my life! Cough Cough! Manifest Psyche! Frigus R—”

“Stop it! Don’t throw your life away for me! It’s just Kairo!”

His sister lunged forward, pulling him into a tight embrace. The arm sticking out of him finally disintegrated enough for it to no longer fill the void left in him. Blood began to pour out of his body at an alarming rate. Anyone who knew anything about the human body would be able to agree. There was no saving him from the gaping hole in his body.

“Please! You saved me when I first got here,” Kairo said. “I know that I tried to kill you and all. For that, I’m genuinely sorry!” Despite not seeing behind himself, Takada already could tell what the boy was doing.

“I was scared! I didn’t know anything, and I pushed away the one person who tried to help me. Sniff! You really are a good person, and I’m sorry for doubting you! I know I can’t do anything, but,” he paused.

That naive boy.

“I didn’t save you because it was the right thing to do—it wasn’t anything close.”

I saved you because you remind me of him.

“Regardless, I want to save you! Just like you did for me! Please Takada, let me help you!”

What? I was going to have you executed.

“The best outcome you could wish for is a life of servitude—fighting against monsters, always risking death. There’s nothing glamorous about what we do.” Takada whispered.

“I appreciate the sentiment… However, I’m not a good person like you think I am.”

Whap!

Takada blinked once. Then twice. Then he let go of his sword and held his cheek.

“Brother?! How the hell could you have the nerve to say that?!”

I don’t understand. What did I say?

“I am an assassin!” He shot back. “I murder people—stabbing them in the back in the dead of the night! I’m a coward! How is anything I do honorable?”

“Are you going to tell me that a refined lady like Iome brought shame to her family when she married you?!” she screamed at him. Tears were streaming down her red cheeks.

“I mean…”

I guess I didn’t mean it like that, but still…

“...”

He had no response for either his sister, nor the idiotic child that he saved just a day prior.

“How can you forget what you’ve already put her through once?! Forget it! I’ve had enough! Manifest Pathos!” Zashi exclaimed.

“W-what are you doing?!”

“Ice Kiss!”

The girl put her hand to her mouth and blew a kiss at his open wound. The air she blew froze, freezing the blood trying to escape from his body. It was an impressive use of her magic that would hopefully keep him alive a little longer. Of course, there was no way that it was enough to heal him in any short of way. His life was now practically hanging in a delicate balance between life and death. 

“AAArrrrgh!” Takada groaned in pain.

The cold licked the exposed flesh, causing vicious, unrelenting pain.

“Damn it!”

She’s insane! This will never work!

“Kairo! Hold him still! Don’t let him go!”

The brief moment of pause as she called for the kid brought immense relief—more than the psycho hunter could describe.

I can’t even die in peace? I can’t even die gracefully?

“On it!” the boy replied, grabbing him from behind.

“Damn it you two! It won’t work! I’ll die before you finish! Focus on saving those who are weaker than yourselves!”

He tried to struggle, tried to shake free, but the pain was too much. The young man had quite a grip on him too.

“Hilarious! Right now, both of us are stronger than you are! I guess that puts you at the top of our list!” the boy chuckled. The ice began to completely fill the space the evil creature’s arm had occupied.

No way… Did it actually work?

“There we go. I managed to stop the bleeding, but we still need to get you to a healer!” Zashi declared. She stood up, sighing a breath of relief.

“So what are we still doing waiting around here? Let’s go save my new friend!”

Kairo stood up as well, and they both offered their hands to help him up.

I don’t deserve this. I’m a killer.

“Takada? What’s wrong?” they asked.

“Guys?” he asked. “Please. Let me sit here for a moment. I think it’s going to rain.”

Kairo and Zashi looked at each other, then laughed.

“No way dummy! We still need to get moving! You need a healer!” Zashi said, chopping his head lightly. He looked down—straight at the pool of his own blood he sat in.

Brother would be so disappointed in me…

“Don’t worry! We’ll take good care of you! Just get some rest!” Kairo said.

Iome… I can’t… I can’t accept this. Not someone like me!

“I don’t deserve this! I let that guy take the princess! Zashi! I almost let you die! I killed you Kairo! Don’t you see that?” Takada lectured. “Why are you fighting so hard to keep me alive? I’ve done nothing for you! We’ve failed, and we’ll absolutely get punished when we get back!”

Tears pushed their way out of his eyes.

Don’t cry. Please. Don’t. It’s unbecoming of you. It’s unsightly.

Kairo and Zashi seemed to gulp and flinch at the word ‘punished’. Regardless, looks of utter irritation returned to their faces. It was clear they thought he was just whining and complaining, despite being saved from the brink of death. Takada could this himself, but he wasn’t about to let two children talk down to him like this nor act like their situation wasn’t dire.

“Don’t even get me started on the fact I kill people to make money! I’m ashamed to think that’s how I pay to take care of Iome! I’m a scumbag! I don’t deserve her love!”

“Now wait a minute…” Kairo started.

“Zashi. I’ve taught you how to be an assassin too! I brought you down my same dishonorable path! I want you to live an honorable life without regrets!”

Why don’t you understand? Zashi? Why? And this boy…

“He doesn’t even know me, but he’s trying to save me—even though he can’t even do anything!” he muttered.

“Listen…” Zashi extended her hand out further. “I understand, and if I can’t change your mind, then how about this? Give up on being an assassin! You can live out your final years with her. I’m sure that’s what she would want too!”

What? That is the absolute worst idea I’ve ever heard in my entire life.

“You expect me to just sit on the side, letting people die? Getting eaten by spectral apparitions? Why would I ever?!”

“Who said anything about giving up hunting psychos?” she asked.

“...What?”

She sighed.

“You’re so dense. Half of your time is spent hunting psychos, the other half being an assassin. Give up being an assassin, then you can give half your time to your wife!”

That’s right… I made Iome a promise before we left the village.

“Come on, man… You saved my life! At least allow me the opportunity to repay you before you die!” Kairo smiled through his tears.

They won’t take no for an answer.

“I guess I don’t have any other choice,” he whispered. There was no helping it. These mere children were no t going to allow him to take the easy way out. 

I’ll have to spend what’s left of my life trying to atone for my sins.

“You win. I’ll keep on living, for as long as I can.”

“That’s the spirit! Come on, let’s get you home!”

Zashi…

Kairo…

Thank you.

Iome?

Please wait for me to return home. 

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I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

What did you think about Takada’s reasoning for choosing to abandon life? 

Did you read this after reading Psychophage 0?

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