((Collab Post between BrokenPromise and Letter Bee.))

[color=slategray]”Aerith! Stop it!.”[/color] Hiro attempted to to stop Aerith from killing herself, but he hadn’t reacted in time.. In such a state of passion, Aerith had fatally sliced her own neck open. The light in her eyes faded before she dropped to her knees and rolled over onto her side. There was no saving Aerith this time. Hiro’s fists shook in quiet anger.

[center][b][h1][i][color=black]DEATH COUNT[/color] : [color=RED]31[/color][/i][/h1][/b][/center]

[color=slategray]”Damn it.”[/color] Hiro grit his teeth. [color=slategray]”Is this really it?”[/color]

[color=orange][b]”Oh, she really did it.”[/b][/color] Elder Sibling lifted a hand to their chin. [color=orange][b]”Perhaps I could have done something, but I’m not really in the business of saving humans.”[/b][/color]

That was when Flame and Gris showed up on the scene. [b]”Chiyo!”[/b] Gris assumed a fighting stance. [b]”I don’t know what’s going on, but I don’t like the look of you, buddy.”[/b]

Quill stood up and turned to look at Gris [color=dab666]“Relax, we’d do nothing to hurt her.”[/color] The oni crouched down beside her. [color=dab666]“She’s on our side anyway.”[/color]

Flame looked at Gris, then Quill and Elder Sibling, before saying to the older Oni, “These guys are members of a ‘Demihuman Liberation Front’ who are trying to hunt us down thinking we have precognitive powers. They plan to either kill or enslave us, and, well, let’s just say that we’re willing to owe you a favor if you’d be willing to help us avoid such a fate.”

A sigh, “Let’s just say that though I am a scowling cynic, you don’t seem like someone who’d let racial hatreds get in the way of being owed a favor.”

Footsteps were heard as Ashton arrived at the scene, taking in how he had arrived too late and how Aerith was already dead. Drawing his ‘borrowed’ paring knives, the boy looked at Flame, and then Gris, his next words being:

“You’ve brought help? Good; if this needs to come to a fight, we’re going to need all the help we can get.” The boy breathed in the slightly smoked air and said to Fritzi, “[b]Jiwald.[/b] Thank you for teaching me this, by the way.”

The silk handkerchiefs wrapped around the knives came off, and Ashton held them out in a reverse grip as new energy flooded his body. Flame looked at his boyfriend, seeing an invisible signal as he said to Gris, “We’ll be backing you up, by the way, unless you object.”

[b]”Oh there's [i]definitely[/i] going to be a fight.”[/b] Gris drew his sword. [b]”No one, and I mean [i]no one[/i] drags my own into a mess like this.”[/b] He broke into a sprint. [b]”I'm coming for the lot of  you!”[/b]

Not one to miss a beat, Hiro joined the fight as well. He wasn't experienced with these group fight situations, but he would wait for an opening. There was no point in everyone attacking Elder Sibling at the same time.

Flame sprinted just behind Gris’ left, before breaking off to place himself protectively in front of Chieko once more, putting himself between her and Quill… And then turning to the Chunni and saying, “You were just about to succeed, weren’t you? You would never have lost the rhetorical battle with the Female Oni by yourself.”

He faced said Female Oni, saying, “May you tell us what exactly happened? I think that your boss and your miniature assassin can handle the fighting for a few seconds while we try and establish how exactly my friend - Aerith - killed herself.”

Ashton, meanwhile, was to Gris’ right and hopefully Hiro’s left, feinting and weaving behind both combatants’ backs. He let Fritzi see him, trying to attract her attention, but did not try more than the most perfunctory of attacks lest he stab Gris by accident… Or Hiro [i]before it was time to kill him.[/i]

Quill folded her arms. [color=dab666]“She was feeling sorry for herself and was weak, That's all. We didn't do anything.”[/color]

[color=orange][b]”I'm glad you're making use of my teachings, Ashton.”[/b][/color] Elder Sibling rolled their neck, causing it to crack loudly. [color=orange][b]”My next lesson will teach you your place.”[/b][/color] Elder sibling extended their fist outward and teleported in front of Gris. The action was unexpected by the older oni, who essentially ran his head directly into her fist. Once he was stumbling backwards, Elder sibling appeared behind Hiro, and kicked Ashton into the stumbling Gris. Hiro had just enough time to turn around and spot them. But Elder Sibling had already taken hold of Hiro's arm and flung him over their head. Hiro was still flying through the air when Elder Sibling appeared beside Flame and kicked him square in the ribs. He could feel his ribs crack before tumbling across the street like a runaway tire. [color=orange][b]”Very well Chieko.”[/b][/color] Elder Sibling bent over to pick her up. [color=orange][b]”We will discuss your terms elsewhere. I believe we can come to an agreement.”[/b][/color] With Chieko slung over one shoulder, Elder Sibling bent over the other one to pick up Chiyo. [color=orange][b]”Let's regroup Quill. Do not harm any of them.”[/b][/color] They looked to Aerith's body. [color=orange][b]”Though nothing can be done if they choose to kill themselves.”[/b][/color] and with that, Elder sibling vanished with Chieko and Chiyo.

[color=slategray]”Don't you dare.”[/color] Hiro struggled to stand up. There was blood running down the side of his face, and it looked as if one of his arms had been broken. [color=slategray]”Don't you dare run away from me.”[/color]

Quill snorted and turned her back to Hiro. [color=dab666]“As amusing as a fight between us would be, I have my orders.”[/color] She strode away from the others. 

[color=slategray]”Gah!”[/color] Hiro limped after Quill.

[b]”How do you feel, boy?”[/b] Gris locked eyes with Ashton. [b]”I hope I softened your fall, because between getting hit by that kick and your head, I'm not sure I can move right now.”[/b] He gestured towards Hiro and Quill. [b]”Get up! I can't let them run off with Chiyo!”[/b]

Ashton nodded as he stood up, fear filling him as he knew what he was going to do; what he [i]needed[/i] to do. But considering how Aerith had killed herself and how his next actions would be seen by the others, he had to ask: Would there even be a group after he did this? Would he not just shatter what semblance of unity they had after what he was going to do?

He walked towards Hiro, letting go of the knife in his right hand as he held it out to help him up. But once the boxer had taken it, Ashton would stab his chest with the blade in his left, saying only two words: 

[i]“I’m sorry.”[/i]