... loud screams of pain echo throughout the top floor of the office building, as the mercenaries collectively begin to scream and shout in utter agony.
Due to some- external, unknown reason, most of the mercenaries felt a sensual feeling of having a gun fire straight into the head. The surrounding men that were cornering her on the 3rd floor, simply undergoing and experiencing an unbearable pain ripping through their heads. Feeling an aching pain tremble throughout their heads, as if they were just all simultaneously shot in the head. Each tormenting second of tearing their insides out, piercing and puncturing entire parts of the brain, the men feeling a pain unimaginable- a once in a lifetime pain.
The cruelest of fates imaginable as they are subjected to pure, utter agony. Targets and victims of a power unreal, dropping their guns to the floor and holding their hands to their heads. Eyes flickering bright red as their neural devices were reporting error after error, rendering them out of action for the shortest of moments.
And Chouko- no... Kuroiwa... looked absolutely elated at this. A joy reminiscent of the most jolly of holidays, her eyes witness to the most beautiful sight she's seen in years. Their screams, a choir of tormented souls singing to the heavens. Their agony, a captivating show of magical and sparkling lights. Each passing second of this agony, a second that has her lost in the beauty of it all.
It's official... it's real. Whatever this phenomenon is- no, these phenomena are... they're all because of her. A feeling of control on the forefront of her mind, tingling and built up in her fingers... something capable of the most wondrous of sights. Sending to these few mercenaries a pain that she, herself, could feel... could concoct and create in her mind.
In other words, Kuroiwa has successfully imagined an unimaginable pain... and inflicted it on everyone else.
Everything about this perplexes Kuroiwa. Everything about this astonishes and astounds her. Not a thought exists in Kuroiwa's mind as to how this is possible, how this most magical of powers found themselves in her fingertips. It certainly had naught to do with technology, nor could she reason if this was an innate power, but- the important thing about it is... she has it. She has magic in her fingers, in her eyes.
And in this symphony of cruelty, as she's held in place, she gazes forward with a soulless, mindless gaze, riddled with utter glee, and witnessing... opportunity, in this brief window of time.
One poor soul spared from this collective anguish and agony is the Executioner, who seemed- almost horrified by the screams surrounding him. More confused about what was going on, his eyes wide in shock as he looks around, as he witnesses his men all screaming in pure pain. "W-What the...?!" Witnessing their eyes lighting up bright red, with errors and error messages plastered over their helpless gazes... unable to do anything but watch as this unfolds.
The Executioner is now distracted, too distracted to keep his attention forward on the girl in his grasp. Whether by instinct, or just because his brain couldn't multitask hearing the deafening screams and holding onto a murderous woman, his hands loosen their grip on both Kuroiwa and the knife.
And with this... opportunity strikes.
Kuroiwa quickly lunges her other hand up to snatch the knife out of the Executioner's hand, using this one small window of time- this slightest of chances to yank it out while he focused on the other mercenaries. Kuroiwa rather easily took the knife, and - tightening her grip on the blade's handle - her elation goes away in an instant as her cold, vicious expression comes front and center.
The killer's wide open... he's distracted and vulnerable in all of this confusion. Exposed and ready- ready to suffer, ready to suffer for all these years...
So... Chouko holds the knife tightly, and lunges forward, ready to seize the opportunity and-!
"Ghk-!"
Before she could attack, before she could even move one step, Kuroiwa was pinned against the cubicle wall again. Feeling a hand grab onto her wrist, holding it tightly. Forcing the hand that had the knife in it to be pinned against the wall. An invisible force simply preventing Kuroiwa from striking.
Right... right! Griffin...!
The Executioner is the only one who isn't suffering from the severe attack on his brain... but Griffin endured the pain better than the rest. The first one to experience this ability of Kuroiwa's, the one who had been front and center to whatever this sensory bullshit is... and the one who could push through the fabricated pain in his head and throw himself forward at Kuroiwa. instinctively lunging to stop whatever Ashford's plan was.
Kuroiwa anticipated all of the mercenaries being fully distracted, so it never crossed her mind that Griffin would show heavy resistance to this brutal trick. Then again, time and time again, Griffin's managed to stop and interrupt a lot of her acts- catching her off guard, merely because of his cybernetics.
That's the irritating part of his... power. His technological power, Kuroiwa thought. How unseen he is, with only trinkets. Here she is, a threat to dozens upon dozens of pathetic mercenaries, and she's stopped only by some fancy wires.
Kuroiwa's eyes glare forward, presumably forward at the invisible man... sickened beyond belief. Griffin is, has always been, and will always be an annoying pest. Simply vermin that needs to be exterminated. If she doesn't take care of him, he'll just relentlessly get in her away again. He'll stop her time and time again until he eventually gets the order to execute her.
So it's either now, or never...
The Executioner turns his attention back to Kuroiwa, a tense- look on his enraged face as he backs away. Watching as the girl is pinned against the cubicle wall again, held by his invisible force. "... Griffin!"
"S-Sir!" Griffin shouts loudly in response to the Executioner, his- his invisible self keeping Kuroiwa secured. Hands holding hers up over her head, keeping a close eye on the arms he's grabbed. "E-Enough is enough! Ashford NEEDS to die!"
"W... We've been over this, she-!" the Executioner exclaims in objection.
"Tch-!" Griffin grits his teeth hard, grunting as he painfully endures the mental assault on his brain. Ashford's words ringing in his head, how all of this had been needless bloodshed. "How much more of us need to die before this is over?! Sir, hurry up and put a bullet in her brain, or we'll all be dead before we even-!"
However, he- cuts himself off, stopping right in his tracks. Staring forward and realizing... right before his eyes, when he tried to grab BOTH of Kuroiwa's hands to pin her against the cubicle, he's mistakenly grabbed just one hand... and one of Kuroiwa's long twintails.
A long part of her hair that goes down to the middle of her thigh, longer than her arm and- being held oh-so-tightly by Griffin's other hand. Instead of an arm, Griffin has grabbed the girl's hair. No knife in sight.
This realization dawns on him in utter horror...
... as Griffin suddenly lets out a sharp scream. Screaming and shouting as a knife jabs straight into his shoulder. As Kuroiwa stabs the knife straight into his body, the metal blade sinking deep- disappearing right in the air as Griffin's own body hides the metal away.
Kuroiwa stares forward maliciously, as she has a deranged smile on her face. Deriving a massive glee from how Griffin foolishly took hold of her hair held up like it was an arm! He's locked himself in this position, and she knows where he needs to be to pin her down effectively... it was a simple matter of going for it, of going for the lunging stab!
And now, the handle floats in the air, securing its place in his shoulder. Giving Kuroiwa a wonderful indicator of where the man is at all times. While Kuroiwa was actually going for the head... the shoulder is a wonderful alternative, giving Kuroiwa a wonderful indicator of where the man is at all times.
"TCH-! DAMN YOU!" Griffin shouts loudly, backing away immediately. Pulling the knife out of his shoulder and tossing it away, getting rid of the knife right away. The blood trickling down his arm and dripping onto the floor, leaving him utterly faint and in agony. "Y-YOU...! YOU B-!"
The Executioner... shouts and calls out to the other mercenaries. With no other course of action to take, he can only give orders to his men. "Where are the restraints?! SOMEONE GET THE RESTRAINTS, NOW!"
Tch...! To his dismay, the restraints have been dropped. The mercenary that retrieved the handcuffs is now on the floor, collapsed. Hands clinging to his head, completely out of it, handcuffs over a dozen feet away.
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The infuriated, suffering Griffin hears the order and looks to the restraints, tensely- turning to the restraints, making a dash for it. A sharp exhale escaping his mouth as he kicks off the ground, as he runs to put an end to this madness. The aching pain still ravaging his mind as he dashes.
The Executioner, meanwhile- has some semblance of reason forced into him, as he rushes for his discarded knife, picking up the bloodied blade, and-
Bang.
...
Kuroiwa holds a gun... one of the spare ones in her skirt. One of the guns that she's snatched and collected, that had some number of bullets left.
Staring forward as she fired, Kuroiwa's red eyes almost glow in the dark as she stares coldly. As she takes a guess, and estimates Griffin's actions after the call for the restraints. Relying on a guess, relying on an assumption, firing the gun out.
The ring of the shot is... deafening. The Executioner witnesses Ashford just firing out, seeing her fire the gun right before his eyes. Watching her, tensely watching her in caution as...
... as...
... Kuroiwa had blindly aimed the gun right at his head. A successful shot that cleanly goes through Griffin's head, going through one side and out the other. Lined up with the disappearing wound that his head covered, perfectly timing her shot.
Witnessing as that knife, this gun- both of them were Griffin's undoing. Firing a point-blank shot that leaves thick gunpowder residue against his face, coating over the invisible man's face. Griffin's invisibility wavering as he loses focus, as some of his cybernetics are severed, as his blood gushes out of his head.
But... only the lower half of it.
Kuroiwa's eyes widen with glee, realizing she's hit his cheeks. And Griffin's eyes widen in despair and mortified terror as the bullet punctured holes in his cheeks. The bullet went cleanly through both sides of his face, traveling through the space between his teeth as he spoke, his- his tongue being blown off completely.
Griffin... trembles and shakes as he dashed forward, as his hands cover his mouth- unable to do anything to stop the bleeding. Feeling blood just seeping out his cheeks, with blood gushing between his finger and chin. Eyes trembling and twitching immensely, his- entire body left in shock...
And in this moment of ear-piercing ringing, with every other sound unheard by Griffin... his eyes look over his shoulder to his right, staring back at the gun. Looking as the gun follows his bleeding face... and the look of a devil stares back at him from behind. The twisted, ominous, wretched gaze of a devil's red, gleefully staring back at him.
Kuroiwa... stares listlessly before her, finally landing a shot on the pesky invisible man. This moment of triumph, of utter victory as the gun is aimed right at Griffin's temple. Staring forward and filled with certainty and resolve, only needing to shoot slightly above the bloody hole in his face.
"..." Griffin feels his world completely slow down as he stares the gun down. Mid-dash towards the metallic restraints on the floor, going for a fruitless effort. Regretting countless things as, like... so many others, his life flashes right before his eyes. Every single moment appearing right before him, feeling the certainty of death claim him.
And he finally hears, lingering in his head, the wretched girl's voice...
"... bye, bye, dreamboat..." Kuroiwa quietly and mockingly tells the man...
... as she fires again.
And the bullet pierces and punctures his head.
Griffin's invisibility cutting off completely, his brain short-circuiting with sparks as the bullet pierces his head. His clothing stained with his own deep red gushing down his jawline. Running for the restraints, only to begin falling forward, losing all feeling in his body, losing all perception of sight. The final blow, the final shot, sent falling to the ground and his death.
Unable to utter a single word... unable to say his last words... before...
...
Kuroiwa madly gazes at this sight, feeling... a temporary relief. A brief peace, watching the blonde bastard fall forward, seeing all hope strip from his now visible eyes as his brain ceases to function, as she's put down the threat before her.
She's put down Steele... she's exterminated Griffin...
... and now, only one left.
And a slow, drawn out ring sounds out in her mind.
Kuroiwa... now feels the most disorienting of sights, as time just slows for her. As her movements slow, as her breath slows, as the world around her halts to a snail's pace. Witnessing everything in outstandingly detailed clarity, given a time of respite now that most of the threats have been taken care of.
Nothing remains between her and her objective, after all... and everything just fades from view, with the screams and rings echoing out, this brief moment of opportunity the longest in Kuroiwa's life. Her survival effort paying off in this exact, very moment.
She turns to gaze upon the Executioner with mad glee, witnessing him in shock upon Griffin's death. The look on his face almost- filled with horror, whatever soulless emotion he felt on full display... seeing him for what he is, finally...
For years upon years, Kuroiwa... Chouko... has had the bastard on her mind. And her eyes light up the moment she sees his terror, his pathetic self on full display. Gazing upon his face, seeing his body language, observing ever inch of it in response to Griffin's death. Witnessing a superior simply seeing his right hand man die, the least expendable of all his mercenaries.
Maybe it was the clarity of seeing it right before his eyes. Maybe it was the greed of however much her life was apparently worth to the real Kuroiwa. Whatever it is, Chouko still stands. Chouko still lives. Countless times has this man gone for mercy, and received none, and yet she still holds value to him.
Which can't be said about him, for the man before her was the most wretched, insolent, despicable, worthless excuse of a human being. The blood on her hands smelled better than the knowledge that this man still lives, and no sight could ever compare to making sure he suffers for every ounce of it.
It isn't enough to shoot him. It isn't enough to strip all life from him with just a single pull of the trigger. "He consigned his unknown persecutors to the most horrible tortures he could imagine... and found them all insufficient."
No... Chouko needed to treasure this moment...
...
... and it starts, with a question.
Did he have a gun?
Did the bloody bastard still possess a firearm on him, right now? One to shoot and take her out if she goes for his head? Chouko doesn't see his gun at the moment, unless he's keeping it away in his pockets... but... for now, right now, he still holds just a knife... a bloody one, one stained with Griffin's blood with bits of his remains dripping from the tip.
The other mercenaries around them, the surrounding few that remain under the bastard's payroll, disarmed and out of action for as long as Chouko's power lasts... for however long that is.
Meaning... in this moment... Chouko has the advantage.
All of these years... all of these years preparing her for this moment. Her vision hazy for just a moment as Chouko ascertains her victory... as... as she raises her gun... as she aims... elsewhere...
"...!" Seeing her aim... the Executioner's eyes widen in shock... looking in the direction of her target. The first of many, one of his hired help collapsed against a wall and slumping against it. Pistol at his feet.
The man loudly calls out, calling out words that the mercenary will never hear...
... as Kuroiwa fires.
The contents of his head splattering out onto the wall, staining the wall in crimson. Unceremoniously finished off, spared from further agony as the real bullet tears his brain apart and strips his life away.
Kuroiwa moves her gun to the next target... the one closest to the restraints. No discernable characteristics to keep in mind... nothing that she cared to pay attention to. Didn't matter to her anymore...
Bang.
Next one... bang.
Over and over again... firing at the remaining mercenaries, finishing off the disoriented and agonizingly screaming mercenaries surrounding the two. Unloading bullets into helpless, vulnerable targets, doing to them what she's been doing this whole time.
The screams silencing bit by bit as Chouko finishes them off...
The Executioner beholds this sight as his men were killed off one by one... as he witnesses the monster in action. Staring at the little girl that unloads bullet after bullet into the mercenaries, firing at them in the dark, executing the last remaining mercenaries in this building.
All reason is lost as he beholds this, as he... as he...
...
As he runs.
He flees in the middle of the gunfire, fleeing from the scene and sprinting down the hallway. Cutting his losses and fleeing.
A coward's way out... but with reason. The Executioner has lost control of the scenario, with his men just- dead. He makes a sprint for it, running as fast as he could. Given a countdown of bullets, hearing them ring out over and over behind him as he runs. As he sprints and dashes, abandoning the room of corpses immediately.
He needs to get out of Indianapolis, immediately. There's a truck- a car waiting for him, any option to drive and flee. If he leaves and abandons Ashford, he knows now that she'll end up finding him again... at a more opportune time, to arrange more experienced assassins to capture her.
But first- he needed to go to his office, to gather up his belongings and flee with whatever he could, escape with everything he had left. Plotting his escape further as the bullets ring out, as Ashford is seemingly emptying all of the guns she's picked up.
He opens the door, and rummages through his belongings. Picking up papers, packing his laptop, stuffing all of them into a bag. Bullet upon bullet echoing out, seemingly given plenty of time.
So with his belongings arranged, he-
"W... wuh...?"
...
Tch...
The android...
The Executioner's been keeping the bald android in the office, restrained in the corner. The android that dons Ashford's clothes, the instrument to Ashford's victory. His eye twitching- noticeably at the sight of it.
If the mercenaries' testimonies are to be trusted, it was this thing that ended up giving Ashford the upper hand... its clothes and hair stripped from it, wearing Ashford's outfit...
"... ghk...!" Quickly going to his pistol on the corner of the desk, loading it and taking aim at Shortcake. Holding the gun at its artificial, silicone head.
Shortcake- looks at this in horror, her eyes widening as she processes the gun being pointed at her. Alarms echoing out, shaking in artificial fear at the man. "W-Wuh...?! W-What-?! P-Please, please don't- please-!"
The Executioner glares violently at the android, cocking the pistol with finger on the trigger. Ready to absolutely destroy its machinery. The orders were for Ashford to remain alive, not this thing...
"P-Please- PLEASE- NO- NO!"
Despicable little shit...
The Executioner lets out a furious grunt as he pulls the trigger.
"A-AAH!" Shortcake screams as she- winces, as her eyes close and she braces for... the... the shot? "... a... aaah...?"
The Executioner stares forward as the gunshot rings out, as the guns continue firing in the distance. As his men are being killed in the background. Blinking at the android for a while as he drops his gun.
As he drops his gun.
... as he... drops his gun?
He dropped his... he...
"..." Slowly looking down at his hand, watching his fingers instinctively release the gun- blood gushing out of his hand as a bullet goes clean through it. As a bullet's managed to shoot into his hand, piercing the knuckle bone between his palm and index finger.
Staring down at his hand in silence, left in shock as... in the complete darkness, currently fabricating each sound he heard in the distance with an empty hand...
... Chouko stands at the door. Smoking gun in hand... firing a single real bullet at him.
"..."