Chapter Text
“Ch-Chief…?”
Everything seemed to begin to fall apart around Yuma. The doctor was dead before they could save him from the hitman. Yomi and the Peacekeepers have caught them and are now attempting to arrest them once more. But none of it could compare to the scene before him.
His Chief, covered in blood. With a gaping stab wound in his torso.
“CHIEF YAKOU!!!”
Yuma and his ghostly partner Shinigami ran to Yakou without a second to waste. Yuma turned his Chief onto his back, careful to not move him around to cause any more harm than he already sustained.
Yuma’s mind raced a million meters per second, seeing one of his closest allies in such a state. This was worse than when he found Shachi, dead in a puddle of his own blood - seconds away from possibly being able to intervene and save his life.
But Yakou is, thankfully, still alive.
“There’s still a chance to save him - there’s gotta be…!”
“H-Hang on, Chief! This will help!” Yuma grabs his cloak off and presses it against the wound in an attempt to stop the blood. If he can just slow down the bleeding and get him somewhere safe…
“Ngh… Y…Yuma…?”
Yuma’s heart missed a beat hearing his chief’s voice again, but so weak and choked up from the blood he had coughed up.
“Chief…! A-are you alright…?!”
Without a second thought, Yuma attempts to help Yakou up off the floor. “Hold on, we’ll get you somewhere safe and call for-”
“D-Don’t…Yuma…” A familiar grip grabs his arm - a familiarity that should feel comforting but it causes Yuma to shiver as it begins to grow cold despite the warmth - and turns to Yakou’s unfocused eyes as he points down the hall, where Yuma had seen a mysterious cloaked figure walking away. “...F-Fink the Slaughter Artist…”
Yakou begins coughing more blood, falling back to the floor in his own blood.
“Chief!” Yuma kneels back down to his level.
“M-Master, wait…-” Shinigami floated over his shoulder to speak up, but Yuma’s adrenaline and panic overwhelmed him that he didn’t hear her.
“What do I do…?! Please… let me help you… and we can possibly-”
“No…” Yakou looks up at the rookie detective, giving him a small smile of encouragement. “L-Leave me here… Just… seek… the… truth…”
Yakou’s head falls to the floor, as he slowly slips into unconsciousness. Yuma shakes his head. “What are you saying…?! I can’t leave you to die!” Yuma cries, pressing the cloak back on the wound.
“Master…”
“I can’t…! I won’t leave you behind-!”
“MASTER, STOP!”
Shinigami shouts and floats in front of him, an unusually solemn look plastered on her face.
“Stop… that’s...not gonna work…” Shinigami’s eyes hover towards the covered wound. “It’s too late…”
“H-Huh…?”
“Fuzz Head… he’s going to die soon. I can sense his soul slipping.”
“What are you…?” Shinigami floats closely to the wound Yuma tried to patch up, her hand hovering over it.
“This wound is too deep to do anything… even with first aid.” She floats over her master’s shoulder, facing away. “... he has no chance of surviving.”
Yuma turns his head to glare at the ghost, the corners of his eyes stinging with tears. “Liar…! Don’t joke about that at a time like this!”
“I’m not. I… would never lie about someone’s death.” Shinigami’s tone had no tease this time - no hint of any light-heartedness. She was serious. Which means Chief may really be- No, she has to be mistaken. He’s going to make it. He’s gotta make it! He can make sure of it…!
“No… it… it can’t be…”
“Gotcha, you brat!”
His arms are suddenly pulled back, dropping the cloak, and he’s lifted off the floor. No, no, Chief! Yuma struggles to stay by Yakou’s side, but his small stature gives his resistance no effect.
“Always a nuisance, aren’t you?” Yomi sighs as he comes up to him with another Peacekeeper. “You really think you can escape me, vermin?”
Yomi takes a glance at Yakou’s body sprawled on the lab hallway’s floor. “Now… what do we have here…?” Yuma fought against his captor. He needed Yakou to be safe.
“Please… help him…! He needs his wound treated immediately…! At this rate… he will-”
Yomi lets out a small chuckle. “Well… looks like this is how it all ends. Yakou Furio, killed by his own people - the very people he oh-so fully believed in… heh. A pitiful yet fitting end for such an unjust life.”
Yuma’s tears began to build up as he struggled. Is this going to be how it all ends…? It can’t be…!
“P-Please… save Chief Yakou If you really believe in justice, if you really care about the city, please save one of your citizens… Just a chance… please give him a chance to live…!”
The peacekeeper turned to the director. “Should we?”
“Him?” Yomi glances at the Chief like he’s nothing but dirt as usual, and scoffs. “To hell with him. He’s not one of my citizens. He’s a blight that deserves to die - not that any sort of help would do him any good anyway. He’s as good as gone.”
He knows the man hates the Chief. It’s just the truth. But surely, there’s something in his dark heart that would offer mercy. Something. What did he even expect? “Please, I’ll do anything! Just please give him a chance to live-”
His cheek is suddenly on fire and his head whips to one side.
“MASTER!” Shinigami shrieks profanity and is suddenly between him and Yomi, flailing all over the latter’s face.
“Will you shut up?!” Yomi growls, his fist still raised. “God, it’s going to be so satisfying when I finally get you quiet-”
A soft groan suddenly, somehow, pierces through Yomi’s ranting. Everyone turns down to where it came from to see Yakou twitching just a bit.
“Gah! Why can’t you ever-” In the blink of an eye, Yomi suddenly swings his leg out and kicks Yakou’s side, emitting a whimper from the Chief.
“No! Stop!” Yuma pulls forward, but the Peacekeeper tightens his grip on him.
“Why are you always so infuriating?”
He kicks his side.
“I was going to judge you for myself-”
Thud!
“-but then you go ahead and get yourself killed!”
Yuma whimpers. He can’t keep his eyes off the bloody mess.
“I can’t even release my pent-up justice!” He moves his leg to stomp Yakou’s side. “Damn you.”
Stop…
“Damn it… Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!!”
“St-Stop…”
“DAMN IT ALLLLLL!!!”
“STOOOOOOOOP!”
Yuma screams as loud as he can. Enough to drown out Yomi’s anger and tear across the silence of the hallway to shred, unable to stop his anguished cry until his throat aches and squeaks.
”Ch-Chief?!” Yuma turns his burning eyes to see Desuhiko and Fubuki restrained as well.
“Hah… hah… even… the second time…!” Fubuki pants out, her face flush and sweating. Desuhiko turns to her.
“Huh… the second time… then… that means…?!”
Fubuki tried to keep herself from tearing up from the exhaustion and guilt, but it was no use.
“I-I tried to see… if there was anything I could do by… rewinding time… , but… I was too late… I’m… so sorry…”
Even the second time. Yuma’s heart sunk, as her sentence looped in his head over and over again.
Yomi’s tantrum finally comes to an end, as he pauses stomping Yakou’s body as the guards bring over Fubuki and Desuhiko, panting and huffing heavily. Taking a deep breath, the burning fury that radiated from the man a second ago turns into shivering coldness as he turns to his captives.
“It doesn’t matter.” Yomi brushes his hair back into place, composed once more, and glances at Yuma with cold eyes that stabs into his soul. “When I’m done with you all, everything will finally be under my control again. Let’s go.”
Yomi starts walking and the Peacekeepers force Yuma and the others to follow. Away from the Chief. To be tortured… What can he do now?
Luckily, Lady Luck blesses them with a coin hitting one of the Peacekeepers, halting the march. A shien coin. Belonging to one of the two people who step out of the shadow before them.
“Vivia! Halara!” Desuhiko cried, joy elating in his tone.
“You’re…You’re all here?” Yomi swerves his head back and forth at the detectives, his face conflicted with many emotions. Then, he grits his teeth and points at the two. “Don’t just stand there! Get them!”
The Peacekeepers immediately jump at the two before they can blink. They quickly spring into action before they can even lay a hand on them. Halara of course is holding up well on their end, sending any peacekeepers flying to the walls. Vivia surprisingly sneaks up on those holding Yuma, Fubuki, and Desuhiko and knocks them out with just a chop on the neck, to Yuma’s surprise.
Since when can he even do that…?
He notices Desuhiko joining the two in keeping the peacekeepers down.
What do I even do…? What can I do…?
Before he could come up with a course of action, someone grabbed him again, a more gentle grip - it was Fubuki. She pulled him away from the chaos, trying to keep her composure as she was still worn out from using her forte. “This way, Yuma… come on! Let’s find somewhere to hide!”
As they make a break for it, he takes a quick glance back. His heart was screaming for him to go back and grab the Chief. Make sure he’s still alive…
No, the others would never abandon him; they’ll bring him to safety.
The duo twisted and turned multiple hallways until stumbling upon an isolated office - which Yuma immediately recognizes as the one he was trapped in before Yakou and Desuhiko rescued him.
As Yuma tried to catch his breath, a collapsing noise was heard - he and Shinigami turned to see Fubuki, the adrenaline wearing down as she broke into sobs.
“Ugh… I am completely useless…”
“Fubuki…”
“The Chief ended up like that… and there was not a thing I could do for him… if only I had been stronger… then perhaps it’s… all my fault… because of my lack of experience…!”
Yuma kneeled to Fubuki’s level.
“It’s not your fault…! You helped me when I was still unsure of what to do… and we’re safe… thank you so much…”
Fubuki sniffled more as she wrapped her arms around him. Shinigami rolled her eyes, but given the situation, didn’t comment.
Yuma wasn’t sure what else to say as Fubuki sobbed - it was as if his feelings were stuck inside his throat like a lump. But he could understand how she was feeling… because he, too, wasn’t able to help his Chief when he needed it most.
If anything… I am the inexperienced one… Chief was right there with me… and I couldn’t do anything… how can I call myself a detective when I can’t even save a friend… Why… why did even I agree to come here…? If I had just stayed behind at the sub… and hadn’t been so selfish… then maybe the Chief wouldn’t be…
“H-hey… there there, Master…! You’re still a trainee anyway, so don’t act like you need to know it all!” Shinigami spoke up. Yuma didn’t take too kindly to that comment though, his head lowering.
“S-sorry…”
Yuma didn’t even have a chance to talk to Shinigami again as the door suddenly opened, and the rest of the NDA ran inside - with the Chief.
“Desuhiko, help me lay the Chief down. I’ll use my jacket as a makeshift gurney. Vivia, do you have any spare bandage wrap to stop the bleeding?”
Halara quickly jumped into action with the two’s help as Yuma numbingly watched, unsure of what to do - it felt like moving the slightest bit would cause him to feel nauseous. Desuhiko stood up and took a breath.
“Is everyone safe?”
“Everyone… except the Chief…” Vivia whispered as he finished assisting Halara. Yuma quickly stood up and ran to his superiors’ sides.
“How is the Chief…?!”
Halara looked at Yakou’s wound. “He’s unconscious… alive, but unconscious. His pulse is weak though… he lost a lot of blood.”
Yuma wiped the tears from his face, guilt overwashing him.
“I’m so sorry… I saw the hitman and… couldn’t even pursue him… I let him get away…”
Halara looked up at him softly but sternly.
“Don’t apologize, Yuma. You made the right call to not pursue him. You may not be alive right now if you had… whatever regrets you might have right now need to wait. Right now, we should focus on what our next move is… and if there’s anything that can be done for the Chief. We cannot waste any time.”
Halara was right…
A crackle echoes across the room, making the detectives tense up, and a sickly-sweet voice soon follows. “Attention, Peacekeepers. Be on the lookout for five detectives for the planned assassination of our beloved doctor, and their poor leader. We cannot let these sewer rats keep spreading their filths any longer.”
The intercom crackles shut, sending the room into intense silence. Yuma knows it won’t last long before they’re found. The Peacekeepers are no doubt on the hunt now, hoping to pin the doctor’s death on the detectives. Not aware the criminal is already within their lab, who could very well escape soon, amongst the chaos. They just need to find him before that happens.
Then they can leave and find help for the Chief, and everything will be okay.
Hang on, Chief. We’ll all get out of here together. I promise!
~*~*~*~*~*~
They are so close. There have to be more clues as to who could have sent Fink the Slaughter Artist. Who could have gone after the Doctor…? The pool looks vaguely big from what that robot researcher said. Halara suggested the last of the clues could be in the Doctor’s computer, to find the personal connections between him and whoever wants him dead.
Yuma, Shinigami, and Vivia (though a part of him wishes he wasn’t here) finally get on the Doctor’s computer. Thankfully, the computer was still logged in (no doubt the doctor didn’t bother since he was the only one locked in here). Yuma types away and pulls up what the three can find. Security logs. Reference folders. Documents. Things he knows will help in proving their innocence.
Would these prove our innocence…? I don’t know how they would help, but they should… They have to have something incriminating, right…? But, why do I have such a huge certainty?
“Kyahaha, maybe you were a serial super-hacker before you lost your memories!” Shinigami joshed. Yuma glances at her with an unamused look - there is no way.
But… why does this come so easily? It’s as if I’ve… done something like this before, like that feeling when I held Shachi’s gun… It all feels so… familiar…
He shook his head to snap out of his thoughts - he can worry about it later.
Bad news on the search: the last security breach before AMA-Pal was ninety days ago! And according to Vivia, it doesn’t look to be edited. So they just hit a dead end!
“Dammit,” Yuma muttered, slamming his fist down on the desk. “This mystery is impossible to solve!”
“Calm down, Master! Don’t let your emotions get to you.” Shinigami rests her hands on his shoulder and hums. “Though this does just deepen the mystery… Mysteriful~.”
Yuma rolls his eyes at her awe but does take a deep breath. ‘ You’re right. There might be more in here. Like the emails Halara suggested! Let me check .’
His fingers are back on the keyboard, quickly leaving the record logs and searching for his e-mails. And to his relief, there were.
“Looks like the doctor has been communicating with some people.” Vivia ponders, leaning closer to the screen. “Though unfortunately, they seem to be anonymous. But they could provide clues about the doctor we could go on. Start with the recent ones.”
“Right.” Yuma clicks on the recent chain of emails that dates back just a few hours ago.
The three tensed.
“…what the hell?” Yuma gasped.
.................................................
To: @U6P&G60
From: Doctor
I finally have a way out of the city. Just wait a few hours, and you’ll finally get the project data you want. As long as you keep up your end of the deal as well.
To: Doctor
From: @U6P&G60
We’ll await you at the assigned drop-off when you do so. You have 24 hours, or we’ll assume something has happened to you. Don’t let anybody know about this exchange. The Unified Government thanks you for your service.
.................................................
Yuma pressed his hand against his forehead, trying to process all this new information from the emails. “The Unified Government? Why was the Doctor in communication with them? And what trade is he talking about?”
“More importantly, what does he mean by ‘finally’ having a way out of the city? Did something change for him?” Vivia’s brows knit as he seems to start thinking.
“The email was exchanged a few hours ago, so he may mean…” Yuma gasped, the idea hitting him quickly. “The hitman! He was probably gonna use him for something! But how?”
“Let’s look at the other e-mails first. It looked like he had been talking with someone else besides the Unified Government.”
“Good idea,” Yuma said as he headed back to the computer, and clicked on the next email, dating back six months ago.
.................................................
To: Doctor
From: X5%&@HkGTA70
Doctor, I had heard rumors. You’re taking information about our projects. What are you planning to do?
To: X5%&@HkGTA70
From: Doctor
I’m done. I can’t stand the restrictions anymore. This partnership is over. I’ll be taking my research and my projects and head out. With the money, I’ll be able to fund my new research freely.
To: Doctor
From: X5%&@HkGTA70
Don’t you dare, doctor! Do you know what will happen if you do? Everything will be undone! I will not let you leave this city, dead or alive!
.................................................
“Geez, talk about a fiery response,” Shinigami comments up close on the screen.
“Considering the Doctor’s plans to leave, he must have been planning to escape for a long while. And Anonymous wasn’t going to let that happen.”
“And it doesn’t seem to just be about leaving Kanai Ward.” Yuma scrolls through the emails, taking in more pieces of information laid out before them. “According to the rest of the emails, they’ve been having a deal made to exchange secrets and data to outside sources. Makoto mentioned something like this was going on in the company.”
Unfortunately, there aren’t any clues they can go off on who the other Anonymous could be. But on the bright side, these emails can help point out new theories and suspects that the Peacekeepers can investigate for themselves. And hopefully, get them off the detectives’ backs.
“I think we got enough information. Let’s head back to the others and discuss-”
Shinigami suddenly lets out an audible gasp and starts shivering, clasping her hands over her mouth. Yuma glances at her, his heart pounding. ‘ Shinigami, what’s wrong? Did something happen? ’
She doesn’t answer him. Her face falls into a crestfallen expression. Yuma has never seen it before, nor think she was even capable of such emotions. Something is wrong.
‘Shinigami? What's the matter-?’
The ghost glances at him, her eyes swirling with emotions without a hint of joy or tease. Like her tone when the Chief-
“... It’s… Fuzz Head… he…”
His body went cold. He stumbles back from the computer, bumping into Vivia. “Yuma…? Are you… feeling alright?”
“We need to get back to the Chief now!”
Vivia’s eyes widen and become more awake. Before Yuma starts sprinting back to the room. Back to the Chief.
He needed to hurry. Whatever else they could find later can wait.
Please, please be okay, Chief. Please let her be wrong…!
~*~*~*~*~*~
The two burst into the room without warning. The detectives go on guard, but relax once they see it’s just them.
“Yuma, Vivia, how was the-”
Yuma pushes past them, ignoring Desuhiko’s queries, and runs up to his main focus.
“Yuma-? What’s wr-”
“Halara, is the Chief okay?! Is he still alive?!”
Halara doesn’t answer his question, nor even look up to meet his face. They stopped their CPR when Yuma and Vivia came in and made no move to continue. Please, please let her be wrong.
“I’m sorry…” Halara whispers, a crack of voice betraying their composure.
Yuma falls to his knees, his breathing going still.
“Huh… No…”
Vivia keeps Yuma on steady ground and prevents him from nearly passing out.
“Ah, Yuma…”
No…We were...too late…
“Wait, wait, what?” Desuhiko comes up to his side. “Y-You’re not saying the Chief is...dead… is he…?”
Halara’s hands slowly move from the Chief’s still chest to their knees. “He… passed away a little while ago… while Vivia and Yuma were gone.”
When we were investigating Huesca’s computer…
“No, no! He can’t be dead!” Fubuki cries, running up to the Chief and kneeling to his side. “Chief Yakou, please wake up! You’re just sleeping, right?”
“Fubuki…”
“I-I can fix it!” Fubuki gets up and the necklace clinks in her grip. “I’ll turn back time before Yuma leaves and we’ll solve the mystery! W-We can still save him-”
“Fubuki!” Halara snaps, finally looking up. A pained, forlorn expression hardened on their face. “He was dying from an extremely deep wound that we wouldn’t have time to treat... I’ll be honest… I don’t even think the wound was something that can be treated even with medical help. There’s… nothing we, or anybody, could have done.”
Fubuki gasps, trying to form more of her thoughts into words, but instead, she only dissolves into sobs and collapses to Yuma’s side as her mournful wails echo in the room. Yuma can barely make out Desuhiko trying to shush her, before quickly joining in the cries of mourning on the floor.
Yuma wishes he could cry with them, but he doesn’t feel like he’s in his own body again. He can’t even look away from... Chief.
The kind man who saved him. The man who let him into his home when he had nowhere to go. Even if he was pushy...and cowardly… he still did whatever he could to help Yuma feel like he had somewhere he could belong.
It was...all for nothing, then. Yuma choked on the sobs trapped in his throat, his body starting to shake. Chief was going to die...no matter what…
“It’s not for nothing, Master!” Shinigami zooms into his face, trying to block the Chief’s body. “We can still avenge him! All we need to do is just summon the Mystery Labyrinth and we’ll get that bastard!”
‘What’s the point?’ Yuma asks through his numbing mind. ‘The Chief is dead...because of that assassin. Even if we get out, what can we even do without him?’
Shinigami falls silent, unsure of what to say.
“Master…” Shinigami hovers over him, her ghostly hands resting on one of his shoulders. As what felt like an eternity, Shinigami gave him a small grin hoping her words could somehow get to him.
“Listen, I’m not all about the sappy stuff… but what I know is tha-”
Then suddenly, the sound of the door slides open, perking everyone despite the tears. Before Yuma can register, a whistle blows past his right ear and, after a small gasp, Fubuki suddenly collapses to the floor.
“Fubuki!” Yuma cries along with everyone else’s as they gather around her. He quickly grabs her shoulders to shake her awake but stops when his fingers brush on something unfamiliar on her.
It was a dart, but not just any dart - a tranquilizer.
Yuma turns around and his heart plummets to his stomach.
“Well, look who we have here?” Yomi puts the gun back in his holster, a smug smirk on his face. Behind him, a few Peacekeepers are waiting for his orders. “Why, it looks like the whole gang is here. Isn’t that heartwarming…?”
No, no, no, did they follow us when we were heading back? Yuma scrambles back until his back hits the body of his dead Chief.
Yomi catches his movement, his eyes narrowing at what’s behind Yuma. “Well, almost all.” Yomi clicks his teeth. “Ah, too bad. I would have loved for him to be here for this.”
“For...For what?!” Desuhiko glared despite his snot-filled face and hiccups.
”For your punishment, of course. For defying Amaterasu - quite the amount of times.” Yomi says in a matter-of-fact tone. ”You put us through a lot of shit that we can’t keep overlooking. It’s high-time you finally pay the price for your defiance.”
“L-Listen, man. We’re not the doctor’s killer. W-We know someone else hired the hitman to get the guy.” Desuhiko tries to explain, struggling to keep his sobs under control.
“Oh, I know.”
The detectives freeze.
“I already know exactly who did it. I’m surprised you great Master Detectives haven’t figured it out yet. Though I’m certain one of you has already figured it out.”
For a second, Yomi’s eyes glance at someone as he says the last sentence. Yuma follows his gaze and- No way… is he implying-
”So why are you trying to arrest us then?” Halara pulls him back out of his thoughts easily.
“Seriously? Are you all that self-righteous?” Yomi’s tone turns to something like the Chief would whenever the detectives have gotten into trouble. “You’re under arrest for all the trouble you have caused Amaterasu. Even right now, you are trespassing Amaterasu’s Lab and have assaulted the Peacekeepers once more.”
Shinigami quivered, trying to shake Yuma’s shoulders. “M-Master, I think the Devil Wannabe’s been planning your capture the whole time. Something is seriously wrong here! You guys need to get out of here now!”
“It’s high time you troublesome detectives finally pay for all the problematic shit you caused us, and for defying Amaterasu. Let’s call it, your penance, shall we say.” Yomi raises a hand and points at them. “Take them away.”
On cue, the Peacekeepers launch at the detectives and start restraining them. Yuma struggles to breathe as he’s forced up onto his legs, away from the Chief’s body. He can’t leave his side . Through his blurry vision, Desuhiko is quickly restrained, trying to calm down through his tears and catch his breath. While Fubuki is picked up and cuffed as well.
Halara and Vivia both still try to fight, their grunts heard through his sobs. Kicking away any Peacekeepers after them. But through his blurry vision, more keeps popping up in an endless flow. Can the two even outlast the wave?
“Master, what are you doing?!” Shinigami flies into his face, her face crestfallen. “You need to fight back!”
Is he not fighting back? His body is no longer shaking. Should he do something? What can he do?
“Come on, come on…! We have all the Solution Keys we need to summon the Mystery Labyrinth! We can use that to our advantage!” Shinigami flails around, sweat flying off of her. “Please, Master! You can’t let them get away with Fuzz Head’s death! You have to do something… ANYTHING!!!”
Fuzz Head…dead…
The Chief…is dead…
“There we go! Now everything is in order.”
Yuma looks up numbly. Halara and Vivia are restrained now, panting as they struggle to break free. The room is practically filled with Peacekeepers, both on the floor and up. Even with how many are incapacitated by the detectives’ best fighters, there are too many that can restrain them again.
It’s over. There’s no way to escape now.
“Sir, what do you want us to do with the body?”
Body? Yuma looks down. The Chief’s body. Bloody shoes come next to it. Then kicks it. Screams from some of his friends respond. “Throw it away like the rest of them. It’s nothing to us now.”
The Chief’s body is folded up like a package. Protests scream in his ears as they do. The Chief’s body is lifted and moves away from Yuma’s side. Swallow by the black wall of Peacekeepers. He tries to follow but is pulled back. “Please, no… ”
“Don’t bother crying for him. He’s worth nothing now.” Yuma looks up as the Director glances at every one of the detectives. Before lingering on him with a sickly sweet smile that stretches his face. “Now, let’s finally get you prepared for your penance.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
Everything turns to a blur of blue and white for Yuma, through both his hazy mind and blurry vision. The Peacekeeper holding him forced him down many paths, with Yomi leading the charge. He couldn’t even process the shoutings of his friends behind him as it became a cacophony of ringing in his ears.
He finally snaps out of his confusion when he is suddenly blinded by pure white and thrown onto the floor. Surprisingly cushy on impact. Yuma tries to shake out of his clinging stupor and looks where he is. A white padded room was bare of any furniture and colors. His friends aren’t with him. He doesn’t even hear them anymore. Except for Shinigami who frets over him with a concerned look.
“Put these on now.”
Something hits the back of Yuma. He turns to find a folded pile of a white and black robe coming undone on the floor. And looking up, Yomi glares down at him from the doorway, standing between the chance of freedom. Like he has a chance .
“Do as you’re ordered. Or else…” A crack hits near Yuma, and a whip is in the redhead’s hand out of his cloak.
With no choice, Yuma forces himself out of the bloody WDO uniform, are they the Chief’s? clothes and strip down to his underwear, much to the growing burning on his face. From the corner of his eyes, he notices the Director staring at his torso. Or more specifically, his scars. That only the NDA... Chief ...knew about. No doubt imagining the new scars he will get to place in. It sends a shudder down Yuma’s spine. Once he’s finally changed into the new outfit, Yomi snaps his whip that turns into a cane and grabs the dirty detective uniform with it.
“Now let’s hope you stay where you are and don’t cause trouble this time.” Yomi turns to leave, but his smirk still faces him. “I look forward to what I have planned for all you detectives. Especially you.”
With that final statement, the door is shut, plunging him into a room filled with pure white. Only Shinigami’s purple adds some colors for him, which soon turns into an ombré of pink-red.
“Master, what the hell were you doing? Why didn’t you summon the Mystery Labyrinth earlier? Now we’re stuck here with no way out or anyone to help!”
Yuma flinches under the ghost’s yelling. He looks up to meet her glare, and from the corner of his eyes, he makes out something black on the corners of the front of the room. Cameras. Am I being watched?
“Master, look at me!” Shinigami cups his face. As she stares at him, her face softens. “Okay look, I’m sorry for yelling. And… I’m sorry that Fuzz Head died…But please, don’t give up yet… I’m sure we can still find a way out of here…”
She took a quick look around the room before meeting his gaze again. But the look in her eyes tells him even she doesn’t have such high hopes of finding an exit and was growing desperate. They are practically in the heart of Amaterasu, of the Peacekeepers. With his friends gone and who knows where. This white, bleak room may practically be the rest of their lives.
“Master…?”
…
“ …haha… this is how it ends, doesn’t it…? ” Yuma chuckles, his head falling to stare down at the white void underneath him. “ All of what I’ve done as a detective… it was all for not… and I’m not even close to figuring out who I am… haha… ”
Yuma continues to chuckle, so dull and lifeless, before the laughs dissolve into cries. Cries soon turn into sobs, the huge lumps in his throat finally breaking free. His body collapses on himself and curls into a ball, burying his face into his knees. Not even processing a cold presence lying on his shoulder.
He failed as a detective.
He failed his friends.
He failed the city.
He failed his Chief…
He failed…