Part 17

“Who... are you?” Shaya’s voice trembled, barely audible, as if the weight of the moment was choking the life out of her. Fear clung to her words—an emotion no one had ever seen in her before.

Hiroki giggled, a sound so twisted and hollow it felt like it echoed inside their very bones. Eucalyptus couldn’t bring herself to speak. Guilt gnawed at her insides like a parasite. She had led them all here—into this nightmare, into Litkesb. Now, they were paying the price.

“My name is MisuShi,” the man behind Hiroki finally spoke, his voice devoid of warmth. His smirk, however small, was terrifying. “What do they call me? Oh, yes... the Sub-Boss of the Tear.” His tone was as cold as death itself.

“And I’m the Boss!” Hiroki interrupted, bouncing in front of MisuShi like a twisted puppet seeking attention. His grin was unnervingly wide. “Oh, I know! Have you met Yuri? She’s awful! But you guys would like her, right, MisuShi? She’s just like them.” He cocked his head to the side, his movements unnatural and disturbing.

MisuShi didn’t react. “Yuri’s probably eating,” he said in a voice that felt too calm, as if death itself were a mundane occurrence here.

“W-wait.” Moki’s voice, usually so steady, cracked. “You’re with the Tear? We... we need to talk.”

“Talk?” Hiroki blinked, confusion written on his face as he spun back toward them, mocking the very idea.

“I’m the Boss of the Liberty,” Eucalyptus managed, her voice breaking under the pressure. “We... we need your help. We’re here to stop the Cross.”

The stench of death thickened around them, and Eucalyptus’s stomach lurched again. The overwhelming smell of rotting bodies clung to the air, choking her. She felt weak, barely holding herself together.

Hiroki’s eyes darkened instantly, his grin vanishing, replaced with something far more dangerous. “I don’t care,” he snarled. “This is my territory. And you’re all going to die.”

The sudden menace in his voice sent a jolt of terror through the group. NaïKu, trying to stay strong, stepped forward. “We outnumber you. We’re five, you’re two. Don’t push your luck.”

Hiroki laughed—a sound so cold, so sinister it froze their blood. “Oh, you’re right.” With a flick of MisuShi’s wrist, everything changed. The world collapsed around them.

The air seemed to thicken, crushing them. They fell to their knees as if an unseen hand had pressed them into the ground. Eucalyptus gasped, the pressure unbearable, her vision swimming. Her ears rang, her body trembling under the invisible force. The only sound that cut through the oppressive silence was Hiroki’s bone-chilling giggle.

NaïKu felt a cold hand tilt his chin upward, forcing him to look into Hiroki’s eyes. That smile... it was monstrous, as though humanity had been drained from him long ago.

“You’re all going to die,” Hiroki whispered softly, savoring each word. His eyes flickered toward Shaya, then Moki. “Oh... you’ve used your Final Form, haven’t you?” he sneered, his voice thick with cruel delight.

Everyone froze. His words were a death sentence. The Final Form... a power that came at a terrible cost.

Hiroki’s grin widened. “Here’s a deal. One of you shows me your Final Form, and I’ll let the rest of you live. How about that?”

For a moment, no one spoke. The air around them seemed to solidify, trapping them in their own terror.

“Why?” Shaya’s voice was barely above a whisper, her strength drained from her body.

“You don’t need to know that.” Hiroki waved her off dismissively. “So? Who’s going to do it?”

“I will.” Moki’s voice shattered the silence. She stepped forward, his face etched with determination, his eyes burning with quiet resolve.

NaïKu’s eyes widened, panic clawing at his chest. “No! Moki, no, you can’t do this!” His voice cracked, desperation turning into anguish.

But Moki didn’t stop. He knew what needed to be done. Hiroki giggled, delighted. “So you’ve figured it out, haven’t you, Moki?”

“How... how does he know your name?” Zephyr asked weakly, his confusion palpable. But Moki didn’t answer. There was no time for questions.

“Moki... if you use your Final Form again, you’ll die,” Eucalyptus whispered, her voice breaking. “You know that. You’ll die.”

Moki turned, locking eyes with Eucalyptus. In that gaze, Eucalyptus saw everything—Moki’s love for them, his resolve, her acceptance. It hit Eucalyptus like a tidal wave. Tears welled in her eyes. “No, please... don’t do this.”

Moki smiled softly, his lips barely trembling. “I have to.”

“Please...” Eucalyptus begged, her voice a mere whisper. She knew there was no changing Moki’s mind, but the pain in her heart was too much to bear. “Don’t leave us.”

Moki turned to NaïKu, her eyes filled with sorrow. “I love you,” he whispered, his voice trembling with the weight of goodbye.

NaïKu’s heart broke. “No... please don’t do this,” he begged, tears streaming down his face. “You promised me we’d face this together. Don’t leave me!”

Gently, Moki cupped his face, his own tears falling. “I have to. To keep you safe.” He kissed him softly, his lips lingering in a final, heart-wrenching goodbye. “Live, NaïKu. For me.”

“Moki, please!” NaïKu’s voice cracked with despair as Shaya pulled him back, but it was too late. He stepped forward, determination etched in her face.

NaïKu, choking on his sobs, reached for her. “MOKI! Please... we can find another way... we have to!”

But Shaya held him back, her arms trembling as she fought back tears. She knew, just as Moki did. There was no other way.

Moki gave them all one last glance, his face etched with love and sorrow. She was walking to her death, and they all knew it. The weight of her sacrifice hung in the air, suffocating them. They were powerless to stop it.

The ground beneath her trembled as Moki activated his Final Form. Her body shook violently as a spectral, otherworldly dog began to take shape around her, howling in pain and fury. The very air seemed to scream with her agony.

Zephyr, tears streaming down his face, pulled an arrow from his quiver. His hands shook as he nocked it to his bowstring. “Should I...?” he whispered, his voice breaking.

Eucalyptus nodded through her tears, her heart shattering with every breath. “Do it,” she whispered. “Before it’s too late.”

With trembling hands, Zephyr drew the bowstring back and released. Time slowed as the arrow flew toward Moki’s heart, a single tear escaping her eye as it pierced her chest.

Moki staggered, his form collapsing as the spectral dog around her dissolved into nothingness. His body crumpled to the ground, lifeless. His sacrifice was complete.

“MOKI!” NaïKu’s scream was raw, filled with unspeakable pain. He broke free from Shaya’s grip and ran to him, collapsing beside his still form. “No... no, no, no...” His sobs were broken, desperate, as he cradled him in his arms. “Please wake up... Moki, please...”

But Moki was gone.

Eucalyptus knelt beside NaïKu, tears streaming down her face. She reached out, her hand trembling as it rested on Moki’s cold cheek. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, her voice so fragile it felt like it would break. “I’m so sorry...”

Zephyr stood frozen, his bow hanging limply at his side, unable to move. Shaya’s silent tears fell like rain as she stared at the empty space where Moki’s spirit had once been.

The world felt wrong. Empty. Darker without Moki’s light. He had been their friend, their strength, their hope. And now, he was gone. All they had left was the unbearable weight of her sacrifice.

NaïKu’s sobs echoed in the deathly silence, the grief too much for any of them to bear. He clung to Moki’s lifeless body, whispering through his tears, “I love you... I love you... please come back...”

But Moki would never return. His name would be etched into their hearts forever—a memory, a wound that would never heal. And in their silence, the world seemed to mourn with them, as though it, too, knew it had lost something irreplaceable.

Moki’s death wasn’t just a sacrifice—it was the heart of their story, the loss they would never escape. The grief they would carry forever.

Part 18