Chapter Twelve: Fools Errand: Part Two
The ash and dust from the fallen clung to Yozora's face and hair, coating him in a gray, haunting mask. The mayhem that had once filled the area now gave way to an oppressive silence. His mind raced, consumed by a single thought: Why hasn’t she shown herself?
“Why... why... why!” Yozora repeated like a madman, his voice strained with frustration and fury. His hands gripped his face, chuckling darkly as his anger simmered.
Suddenly, the faint sound of a creaking door broke through the silence. On the shattered second floor of the compound, a door opened slowly, and out stepped Jezebel, her figure almost ghostly in the dim light. A sinister smile curled across her lips as she appeared, her eyes gleaming with sadistic anticipation.
With a loud, mocking laugh, Jezebel spread her arms wide. "Oh, you poor, stupid boy," she sneered. "You actually came! Ha! HAHAHA!" Her laughter grew louder, her body shaking as she held her stomach, relishing the moment.
Seeing her, the madness inside Yozora boiled over. His rage flared, and without hesitation, he launched himself at Jezebel like a bullet, his scythe gleaming in his hand. "Star Gazer’s Fumi—Form Four: Spectral Slash!"
But Jezebel yawned, utterly unfazed. With a simple movement, she deflected his attack as though it were nothing. In the blink of an eye, she countered, slamming Yozora to the ground and pinning him there with ease.
Leaning in close, her breath hot against his ear, she whispered, “Another big move by the child prodigy. How laughable. Pathetic.” Her voice dripped with venom. “You don’t deserve what you have. Your arrogance... it’s why..." Her words twisted into a cruel laugh filled with malice. "...SHE IS DEAD."
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Yozora’s eyes widened in shock. His heart felt like it had been ripped from his chest. Jezebel continued, her voice a venomous whisper. “Oh, I enjoyed it so much—her screams. Piece by piece, I ripped open her pretty little body." She giggled wickedly. "But don’t worry. I saved her face for last. How she screamed... ‘Zora, Zora, please help,’ blah blah blah. She thought you’d save her, but I knew better. After you found out what mommy and daddy did to you, you’d lose it. And you did... like a moth to the flame. That little power of yours came back, and you thought you were unstoppable again. So arrogant, so blind. At least the old you might’ve had the skill to realize Mara’s frequency was flatlined."
Yozora’s heart shattered. The madness that had driven him moments ago evaporated, replaced by a soul-crushing despair. “You’re lying...” he muttered, tears spilling down his face. “S-she... she can’t be gone!”
Jezebel’s laughter rang out again, colder and harsher. “Oh, look at the baby crying! Hahaha!” She paused, as if a sudden idea struck her, and crept in closer, grabbing Yozora’s face roughly. She licked the tears from his cheek, savoring his pain. "You want proof? Fine. I’ll show you.”
With one finger, Jezebel pressed down on Yozora’s forehead. The ground beneath him cracked from the pressure as his mind was flooded with vivid, agonizing images—Mara’s screams, her suffering, her torment. Every cruel detail Jezebel had spoken was burned into his memory. Yozora’s body went limp, his tears drying as the weight of the truth crushed him. His spirit shattered.
“This isn’t some game where you’re the hero and you win," Jezebel sneered, stepping back to admire her work. "Oh, and I should mention—Mara was Zeroed, just like you. She chose it because she wanted to be by your side. So, in truth, you are the reason she’s dead."
Jezebel’s voice twisted into something even more sinister. “Yes, yes, she died because of you. I got to enjoy torturing and killing a Tuner as powerful as Mara... because of you.” She shrugged casually. “I’m sure mommy and daddy didn’t tell you that, either.”
Yozora was silent, his mind broken. He lay there, paralyzed by grief, unable to move or speak.
Slowly, Jezebel stepped away, grinning and laughing at the sight of his despair. “Oh, what fun I had, playing with my toys,” she mused, her laughter filling the air like a twisted lullaby. “But I’ll leave you a little gift—something you won’t ever forget.”
With a sickening grin, she tossed something toward Yozora. It rolled across the ground, coming to a stop at his feet. Mara’s head. Her once beautiful face now lifeless, a grotesque reminder of the horror Yozora had failed to prevent.
Jezebel chuckled darkly, fading into the shadows. “See you around, kiddo,” she called back, her voice vanishing into the darkness, leaving Yozora alone broken, defeated, and in utter disarray.