Marionette ¦¦ Chishiya Shuntarou x OC

Home - Part Two

After he was shot down, Chishiya found refuge behind a car while Arisu was hiding behind another just across from him. He really should have made sure that Niragi died back at the hotel. Now, karma was coming back to bite him.

As he checked his own wound, Chishiya was listening to Niragi rant. He talked about how the three of them present were similar to each other: unable to adapt to society, selfish, no touch with reality yet they desired the real world experience. How sad was his life to be boiled down to a few words?

A battle royale was to ensue between the three, and Chishiya was oddly intrigued.

Not Arisu, however.

"Stop it, Niragi! What good will come of this?" he shouted. "Stop involving others in your own self-abandonment!"

Arisu's words struck a chord in Chishiya.

Self-abandonment...was that what he had been doing this whole time?

All the things he did, he thought it was because he did not care enough but all this time, it was because he was abandoning himself? What exactly was he doing here?

"I'm just doing what I want to do!" Niragi said. "You two are the same! Whenever you open your mouth, it's just me! Me! Me! For people like us, it has always been all about ourselves.

"We continually stare death in its face and survive. We've experienced countless deaths, and we feel like we know everything. Does that make us smart? No. We're just pieces of trash who'll never grow up. No way it's for someone else's sake! The only thing that's certain for people like us is our worthless ego! We can never change, so the only thing to do is embrace it!"

"You're right..." Arisu said, his voice just about loud enough for them to hear. "For pieces of trash like us, a shootout amongst ourselves might be perfectly apt. That's why, right here, we have to change."

Niragi's words hit close to home. Everything he did, up until this point, had only been for himself. Chishiya had been selfish from the get go, but somewhere along the way, something changed. Niragi was wrong. They were not similar after all. Because Chishiya met Kurenai.

She showed him that even in a world of desolation, there was light. In her, he saw the change he wanted to make. Self-preservation, yet at the same time saving as many as she could. That was the type of person Kurenai was, the person he should become for her. For himself.

Arisu was right. They were pieces of trash, but right here, right now, they should change.

Refusing to participate in this sick battle royale, Arisu stood up from his hiding spot and put his gun down. Chishiya watched him, though distracted when someone else unexpectedly joined.

"Usagi..."

"What are you guys doing?" Usagi asked, shocked to see Niragi alive while Chishiya was hurt.

"It's you..." Niragi slowly raised his rifle, pointing it at Usagi. "Because of you, this kid will never come to our side. If you disappear, the three of us will return to being the same. I don't want to be alone anymore!"

Bang! Bang!

Two distinct gunshots went off.

The first was from Arisu, shooting Niragi down. The second gunshot came from Niragi pulling the trigger. But he did not hit Usagi as intended. He did not hit her, because she was pushed out of the way by Chishiya.

"Chishiya!"

Rushing over to his side, both Arisu and Usagi were shocked that of all people, he would have stood to protect her. As he collapsed on the ground, however, there was only one thing on his mind. He knew he was done for, this time. His body moved before he could think it through, and he did not know why. Maybe he did. Maybe it was because of what Arisu said before...

"The bleeding is not stopping," Usagi said, trying to tie a tourniquet around his abdomen.

"There's likely internal damage. Without the proper facilities in Borderland, I probably have a few hours left, maybe half a day."

"Why...Why did you protect me?" Usagi asked. "That's very unlike you."

"Maybe I just wanted to be unlike myself," Chishiya smiled.

They went silent for a moment.

"You said you wanted to talk before, what was it?" Arisu asked.

"I used to view humans as foolish beings. I despised the sincere ones, and I couldn't help but berate those who put in all their effort. I couldn't stop the psychological abuse, I couldn't get by without hurting someone, I couldn't help shunning people's good will and intentions. I was probably jealous...they were things I didn't have. For what purpose do I live? Whose purpose? To what end? It was like I existed to show just how empty a human can be..."

Was that why he chose Arisu to sacrifice? Because he was jealous of the effort Arisu was willing to put in just to survive. What a sad excuse...

"Arisu..." Chishiya called out, his voice weak as his life was draining. "If you see Kurenai, could you please tell her...Never mind, she knows."

Moving both Chishiya and Niragi somewhere more comfortable, Arisu and Usagi left to participate in the last game. They had no idea what would happen if they were to clear the game, but they had hopes that it would bring them back to the real world. Then Chishiya and Niragi would have a chance at living.

Closing his eyes, Chishiya let out a soft sigh.

What was the last thing he said to Kurenai before they parted? Did he tell her he loved her? Surely she knew he did. He had plenty of regrets, though if he were to die here right now, his biggest regret would be not seeing her.

His light in the darkness.

He had no idea how much time had passed, though he had been in and out of consciousness. He had been trying to hold on but it was getting harder by the minute. That was when he felt someone holding his hand, and pressing their ear to his chest. Chishiya smiled.

It was her.

"Hey..." he whispered.

"Hey," she replied. "We meet again."

She was crying, and he did not even have the strength to wipe her tears for her. "Sorry I couldn't keep my promise."

"Don't say that," she cried. "Please don't say that...you promised you will stay alive. Don't be another liar."

"Kurenai, when we get back to the real world...let's date."

With a soft laugh and a smile, Kurenai nodded. "Let's date."

He felt at ease just having her with him. Using whatever strength he had left, Chishiya squeezed her hand as hard as he could. She squeezed right back. And for God knew how long, she stayed with him, holding his hand while laying her head on his chest.

"Congratulations, with the last game cleared, players have now cleared all games." The long awaited announcement. Arisu did it. "All surviving players, please individually answer the following. From now until forever, you have the right to continue these death matches as a citizen of Borderland in the next games with permanent residency. You now have the choice to accede or abdicate the position. Will you accept it or refuse it?"

"I refuse."

As soon as they refused, a bright light shined in the sky and everything blacked out.