[Inari Standoff]: A Seaside Villa in Sicily

The next morning was a daze for Osamu. Nothing felt real to him. He stood before the bathroom mirror, his reflection blurred by the steam from the running shower. His silver peace sign necklace dangled over his black and blue chest, his dirty bandages strewn around his bare feet. He leaned over the sink with a completely blank expression.

His hands trembling, he slowly pulled his hair back into a bun, tying it with one of Yoko's black hair ties. Every breath he took, every heartbeat thumping in his chest reminded him of Inari. He still couldn't believe that it was her heart in his chest, her blood pumping through his veins and keeping him alive. Tears stung his eyes and blurred his vision. His hands squeezed the edges of the bathroom counter so tightly they could snap right off.

"...Why?" he sobbed. "This isn't what we promised, Inari..."

His gaze crawled over to Izanami's grooming scissors laying on the countertop. Tremors rocked his hands as he stared at them. He snatched them and rubbed away some of the fog on the mirror, glaring at his reflection. His chest puffed outwards and sucked inwards as his shallow breaths escaped from his mouth.

A sudden knock on the door brought him back to his senses, or what little remained of them. Tsukiakari entered the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

"Osamu. I know you only just woke up, but we need to talk. It's urgent." Tsukiakari said.

Osamu dragged his hand down his face and set down the grooming scissors. "...Okay."

"First...I'm sorry. I never would've guessed that Inari's death would hurt you so much. I guess you two got close during the standoff."

Osamu shook his head. "I'm the one who's sorry. I couldn't bring your friend back."

Tsukiakari tucked in her lips and bowed her head, trying her hardest not to break down in tears. "It's not your fault. Thank you for staying by her side until the end. Thank you for taking her side. Inari sacrificed everything to protect me and Izanami. We have the lives we have now because of her. I never got to thank her for what she did. I'll never get that chance, but at least I know she wasn't alone in her final days. Instead, the best man in the world stood by her side when no one else would. I know she must've been extremely grateful for that."

"Don't thank me. I couldn't do anything. She should be alive right now. Not me."

"Osamu!"

Quietude settled for a few moments that felt like hours.

"Osamu, the standoff isn't really over."

"What do you mean?"

"Listen to me. There are exorcists on their way right now. They're coming to take you into custody."

"What?!" Osamu shouted, spinning around to face Tsukiakari.

"They arrested Taeko and the others after Inari died, but you were still unconscious at the time. I convinced them to let me nurse you at home. They couldn't put you on trial if you were unconscious. Now that you're awake, they're coming to arrest you. Osamu, a lot of people died in that standoff.

“You took Inari's side and I'm grateful for that, but because you did that, the exorcists view you as an enemy. Most likely, the trial will be quick and they'll rush to execute you. However, it's a lot worse than that. You have Inari's blood and heart within you. That's the source of her power, Osamu. Do you understand? It means that you're the one person in this whole world with the power of blood magic."

"I...I have it? All because I have her blood and heart?"

"This isn't just about crime and legality. You're being thrown center stage of the most severe political crisis the pantheon has ever seen. The whole reason the standoff happened was because Heaven wanted that power from Inari. Now that she's dead and you have it, we're all at an impasse. They want to execute you and take back Inari's blood and heart, but they know we won't let them do that to you. They'd be asking for a war."

"Gekko...what the hell do we do?"

"When they come to take you, I'll be going with you. I have to present something to the Divine Court. We've only got one chance to stop everyone from getting executed. It's a gamble. Taeko's idea, actually. I can't say I'm too thrilled about it, but it's all we've got right now. Take your shower and get dressed, then meet me downstairs."

Tsukiakari left the bathroom, leaving Osamu to shiver in fear in front of the mirror. He had only just woken up, just dealing with the emotional aftermath of Inari's death and the end of the standoff. And yet, he was in far deeper trouble than he knew. His life, as well as the lives of Taeko, Shinju, Cyanide, and Black Maria, all hung in the balance. Nonetheless, Osamu did only what he could do.

He took his shower and dressed himself in a pair of navy-blue jeans and a black, short-sleeve tunic. He sat on the bed for a moment, savoring what few minutes of freedom he had left. Everything was hitting him all at once. The misery of losing Inari, the life and death urgency of his coming arrest. Those few minutes of quietude in the dazzling sunlight bursting through the window helped calm his mind. He closed his eyes and waited.

The doorbell rang, chiming through the entire house. He let out a deep breath, stood up, and marched downstairs. Tsukiakari, Yoko, Izanami, Amatsuki, Aika, and Rei were downstairs waiting for him. The only dry faces in the kitchen belonged to Osamu and Tsukiakari. Everyone else practically drowned in their own tears, each one taking turns giving Osamu would could've been their final hug goodbye.

"You'll come back. I know you will." Yoko cried.

"I love you guys. All of you." Osamu said. "Thank you for everything."

"We'll be praying for you." Rei wept.

Osamu smiled. "I know."

"Ready?" Tsukiakari asked, earning a nod from Osamu.

Tsukiakari opened the front door. Sure enough, four men in white robes stood at their door, with six more standing by the SUV's parked outside.

"Osamu Ashikaga. You're under arrest for the assisted murder of hundreds of exorcists-"

"I know what my charges are." Osamu said, holding out his wrists. "Let's get this over with."

The exorcists stared daggers at Osamu, and he back at them. Each side had taken something precious from the other. Everyone there had lost someone they loved and no one could forgive or even understand the other. No one even had the desire to. If it wouldn't get them arrested themselves, Osamu had no doubt the exorcists would be willing to kill him and his family in their own home.

"As you wish." said one of the exorcists, putting the cuffs on him.

"I'll be coming too. I have urgent business with the divine court." Tsukiakari said.

"As you wish, princess."

Osamu took one final look upon his friends and family as Tsukiakari shut the door behind them. He only wished he could've seen them smiling again, just in case that truly was the last time he'd see them. He didn't want to remember them by the heartache they felt watching him get arrested. But in a way, he was thankful that was his last sight of them. It gave him just a sliver of motivation to hope for the best, to place his faith in Taeko's all-or-nothing gamble.

That morning, Taeko awoke to the metallic ring of the guard's baton slamming against the bars of her cell door. She sat up in her bed, the soles of her feet stinging as they touched the cold, concrete floor.

"Today's the day." the guard said. "Your execution is in two hours. Your friends will go first and you'll go last. Did you have any final requests?"

Taeko laughed. "What, no last meal?"

"You're lucky we even gave you a bed to sleep in, traitor. Ah look, the first one's already here."

Grunts and the sound of something being dragged across the floor echoed down the hall until the guards finally presented the first one to die. It was Cyanide, his face black and blue from merciless beatings from the guards. His blonde hair was dry and matted with dirt and congealed blood.

"Boss..." Cyanide cried. "This is it, isn't it?"

Taeko knelt down by her cell door, grabbing hold of Cyanide's hand. She looked into his eyes and smiled. "Arthur. I don't know if my gamble is really going to work this time. I just don't know. When you get there, think of a place you've always wanted to go. Perhaps a villa on the Sicilian seaside, or a farm full of sheep and horses in Wales. Wherever you want to go. Lose yourself in the warmth of the sun, the feeling of the wind combing through your hair. The scent of flowers lingering in the air. Focus only on that."

Cyanide nodded, squeezing Taeko's hand. "Okay. Okay..."

"Move it along!" shouted one of the guards as he dragged Cyanide away.

Taeko wept as she watched them take her companion away, dragging him off to a separate room to be executed. There was nothing she could do to save anyone now. She had gambled plenty of times throughout her life, but this one proved to be the most painful. The chips she was playing with were the lives of her comrades, her dearest friends.

Cyanide was dragged a seemingly endless series of snaking hallways and cell blocks, the guards finally stopping at a wooden, double door. One of the guards knocked twice, prompting the guards on the other side to open the door for them. Cyanide was taken inside of a large, white room awash with sunlight streaming in through the row of rectangular windows on the right side. An audience of gods and exorcist leaders sat in attendance like spectators at a coliseum.

To the left stood a squad of five men, their faces hidden behind black veils. They wore black uniforms with golden buttons, each man holding a rifle in their hands. A single, wooden pole stood in the center of the room and off to the side of sat two shinto priests in black robes, most likely there to deliver final rites.

The guards dragged Cyanide towards the pole, sitting him on his knees. They tied his hands behind the pole and blindfolded him so he couldn't see a thing.

"Arthur Nakamura, serving under the moniker of Cyanide." one of the guards announced. "For your crimes against Japan and the Shinto pantheon, you will be executed by firing squad. Do you have any final words?"

Cyanide swallowed the lump in his throat. "...Sicily sounds nice, doesn't it?"

His statement left the room in confused silence. Nonetheless, those were recorded as his final words. Cyanide closed his eyes as the priests prayed over his body. He did just as Taeko instructed him to do and put himself in a sun-bleached villa on the coast of Sicily.

He lied on his couch adorned with soft, knit blankets, a glass of red wine resting on the brown, leather Ottoman in front of him. The breeze flying in through the opened doors and windows tugged at the collar of his unbuttoned, white shirt. The ocean-scented air was cool and the sunlight was warm. The gentle purl of the ocean and distant birdsong lulled him to sleep.

A volley of gunshots struck like thunder in the room. Cyanide winced and jolted before slumping over on the pole, motionless. Blood slowly leaked from the entry wounds over his heart as one of the guards checked his pulse, then shined his flashlight into his pupils.

With a simple nod, the guard confirmed Cyanide's death. His body was untied and laid on a stretcher. The guards covered him with a white cloth and wheeled him away, much to the satisfaction to the gods in attendance. Taeko heard the shots from her cell. She bit her knuckle to stop herself from crying out in grief and rage.

"I'm sorry, Arthur. I'm so sorry..." she wept.

An hour later, Taeko heard the footsteps of another person passing by her cell. It was Black Maria, her eyes red and swollen from crying. Even though she didn't aid Inari directly, the exorcists treated her as a traitor for not killing Taeko and the others when she had a chance. She empathized with the enemy for saving her life, and now it was going to cost her.

"Taeko..." Maria cried. "I'm scared..."

"Don't be, sweetheart. You have nothing to fear." Taeko said. "It won't hurt for long. It'll be over before you know it. And when it is, you'll wake up in a beautiful place. You'll see White Saint and all your friends again. Don't be scared."

"I hope you're right, Taeko..." Maria wept, pushed away by the guards.

Taeko was stunned speechless. She had hoped the exorcists would show lenience for Black Maria, but not even she was being spared. Maria disappeared down the hall, and in a few short minutes, Taeko heard her scream before a volley of gunshots silenced her.

Taeko chuckled to herself as tears streamed down her face. "I guess...I've finally lost my wager."

A half hour later, the guards that escorted Maria sauntered past Taeko's cell. She banged on the bars with her arm to get their attention, stopping them in their tracks.

"Shinju Miyakawa is next, isn't she?" Taeko asked.

"What's it to you?" one of the guards scoffed.

"Let me go first." Taeko said.

The guards looked at each other and shrugged. "It's just these two left. Osamu hasn't been tried yet. I guess we can take her first."

Taeko sighed in relief. "Thank you."

The guards unlocked Taeko's cell and let her out, guiding her down the hall and towards the execution room. On the way, they passed by Shinju's cell. Her unbound, sunset-orange hair was all frizzled and wild, her right eye black and swollen to the size of a baseball.

Seeing Taeko, Shinju rushed to the bars of her cell door. "Taeko?! No! I was supposed to be next!"

Taeko smiled as the guards forced her to walk along. "I'm sorry Shinju. I want you to know that I love you with all of my heart. Thank you for being my friend."

"Taeko! No!" Shinju sobbed, falling to her knees.

If it meant Shinju could have even a half hour longer to live, Taeko was more than happy to lay down her life. The cold, concrete floor stung her lacerated soles as she marched down the halls of the prison, stopping before the double door leading to the execution room. The doors opened and the guards pushed her through.

As soon as she walked into the room, the various gods and goddesses in attendance all perked up in their seats. Their eyes were glued open and trained on her. After all, she was special. She was the woman that nearly exposed Bishamon during the Warring States period, the woman that faked her death at his hands and disguised herself as the most respected exorcist of the modern era. Taeko's cunning and survivalist instincts made her into one of the fiercest enemies Heaven had ever faced, and she was only a mortal. Her death deserved extra attention.

Taeko scanned each of their faces, some of them ragged and time-worn, others eternally youthful and radiant. Their irises shined like dazzling lights over their scowling faces. Taeko turned her head towards the pole, seeing the blood of Cyanide and Maria soaked into the wood and congealing on the white, marble floors.

The guards tied her hands behind the pole and offered her a blindfold, but Taeko refused it. She wanted to see her killers and the gods watching her death for sport. The two priests gave Taeko her last rites, praying over her just as they did with Cyanide and Maria.

After tying her hands, one of the guards took six paces away from Taeko and spun on his heel to face her. "Taeko Akiyama, a former member and co-founder of the Senkumo clan, guilty of impersonation of an exorcist, issuing orders under her false identity, terrorism, murder, assisted murder, and treason, among other crimes. Do you have any last words?”

Taeko closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was it, the end of the line for her. She focused only on the happiest place she could imagine, and funnily enough, she found herself in Yoko's house, sitting around the kitchen island with Osamu, Tsukiakari, Izanami, Aika, Rei, Amatsuki, the Shoku Twins, Shinju, and Cyanide. The aroma of Yoko's cooking, the jokes and friendly insults flying across the room, the joy of laughter. What she wouldn't give to just spend one more day with all of her friends and Tsukiakari's family.

And now she had nothing left to give, nothing else to wager. It took a massive political crisis and the entirety of the Exorcist Program and the gods backing them to bring her down. That was at least something to be proud of. No one could deny that she was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life, and was about to have an equally astonishing death.

"Gekko..." Taeko whispered. "It's now or never..."

"Aim!" the guard barked at the riflemen. "Five. Four. Three. T-"

The doors suddenly flung open, an exorcist barging through with an envelope in his hand. "Wait! New orders have come in from the divine court!"

Gasps lifted across the room as the exorcist approached the guard, handing him the envelope. He stroked his grizzly beard as he read it, then aimed a sharp glance at Taeko. Taeko glared right back at him as if she somehow had control over the situation. There she was in a room full of gods waiting to see her die and guns pointed right at her, a word away from death. And yet, all of a sudden, Taeko's eyes were alight with confidence. Reading the letter, the guard understood why.

"The divine court has accepted a resolution put forth by Lady Amaterasu and Lady Tsukiakari. Osamu Ashikaga, his family, as well as Taeko Akiyama and Shinju Miyakawa will be forbidden from leaving Kyoto. In return for the exorcists slain during the standoff, Osamu's family has agreed to put Izanami's child into service with the Exorcist Program." the guard announced. "She isn't pregnant as far as we know, but Tsukiakari Senkumo has also agreed to conceive with Osamu and put her child into the program as well. The divine court believes that two children of extraordinary lineage are enough to warrant the losses incurred during the standoff for now. It seems, as part of that resolution, Taeko Akiyama and Shinju Miyakawa are to be released. Furthermore, Osamu Ashikaga has been found guilty of his crimes. Until his children are fully integrated into the Exorcist Program, he will be spared the death penalty and will face no prison time."

Taeko smiled and hung her head in relief as confused groans and angry shouts flew across the room. She laughed as the gods accosted the guards and talked amongst themselves. Of all her achievements, robbing the gods of a good time seemed like a pretty good one to be proud of.

"Sorry to disappoint you all." Taeko said. "But I always win my gambles. Release me already. My wrists are chafed."

The riflemen lowered their guns as the guards untied Taeko. She smiled and waved at the gods and goddesses in attendance, rubbing a bit of salt in their wound.

"It took all of you to corner me, and you still couldn't kill me." Taeko mocked. "I have a question for the guard, if you don't mind."

"...Fine." the guard responded.

"Was the firing squad really going to shoot after you said 'one'?"

The guard shook his head. "One of the rifles is loaded with a wax bullet, but the volunteers don't know which one. I count down from five, but we typically shoot after 'two'."

"That's what I thought." Taeko said. "Good job, Gekko. Right at the last second."

The guards escorted Taeko out of the room. Her gamble paid off, but at a terrible cost. Cyanide and Black Maria were both dead, and Osamu's children were to be put into the Exorcist Program. It costed far too much to make her survival possible.

Taeko knew this resolution would only buy them a few years of temporary peace. It did nothing to solve the political crisis both sides were in. Furthermore, the exorcists still had plans to kill Osamu. They were simply going to let him be a father for a few years until his children became full-fledge members of the program.

At least for now, no one else would have to die.