Battler turned to Jessica, keeping his voice low. “You hear that?” He looked down the upstairs hallway. “I think it’s coming from there.”

Jessica nodded, putting on her brass knuckle. She remembered seeing George and Maria playing in the main room downstairs. Battler said he’d seen Shannon and Doctor Nanjo in the kitchen. Meaning, there was nobody else left to make the noises but the intruder.

It was now or never.

Battler moved first, managing to avoid even the slightest creak.

“Magnificent form he’s got there, lads.” Jessica whispered.

“Shaddap.” He hissed, smiling, in spite of the situation.

He put his hand on the doorknob.

“On three?” he asked.

“Three.” Jessica said

“W—"

Heeding no warnings, his or the ones ringing in her subconscious, she rushed past him, practically kicking the door open.

She froze.

The brass slipped from her fingers.

A name escaped her lips. “K—Kanon…?”

There he was. Standing in the middle of the room.

She took a step towards him. “Kanon…! You’re… You’re okay…!”

The door creaked behind her. She paid it no mind.

“You’re okay…!” She touched his cheek. It really was him. He was unharmed. Still okay. “I knew it… I knew you’d be okay. I—”

“Run.” Kanon said.

She blinked. “What? What are you saying? No, it’s me. It’s me, Jessica! Everything’s gonna be—”

“—Okay.” said the voice behind her.

The fist connected with her before she even had a chance to turn around. Landing on the floor hurt even more. Her mind went dizzy. She saw the ceiling light. She saw Kanon. She saw Battler.

Battler, with a bloodied brass knuckle on his hand.

Her blood.

“B—?” She tried, quickly realizing that single punch had likely dislodged her jaw.

Realizing as much himself, but deciding to take no chances, Battler sat on top of her, covering her mouth. She might not have vocalized coherent thought anymore, but she could still scream. And he had no use for screamers at this stage of the game.

“Oh, Jessica.” He laughed. “Oh, poor, sweet, dumb, Jessica. You really had me going back there for a second. Really made my heart race. ‘Came crawling back for some quick cash…’ Sister, you don’t even know how much quick cash we’re talking about. Hell, I didn’t either. Until I found the gold. Wow-wee. You should’ve seen it. A whole little mountain stack. Ain’t that right, Kanon?”

The boy said nothing.

His gaze failed to meet Jessica’s pleading, tearful eyes.

“I’m still not sure how I’ll exchange all of it. But it should be easy enough. Once I become the last surviving Ushiromiya. All I need is a contact or two. And that’s not all that hard to get these days, is it?”

Jessica tried biting down his hand. The attempts only made it hurt more. Made him press harder.

“I get it.” Battler smiled. “You’re not really processing this. I’d be pretty shocked, too. Up until about a minute ago, you were prepared for anything from a witch to Gohda. But me? Evidently not. I mean, how could you be so fucking stupid? Ha ha. And the little moment where Kanon told you to run. Oh, man. I mean,” he looked at the servant, “seriously, now. It WAS a bit too-little-too-late. This is totally on you as much as it is on me. Okay?”

Kanon said nothing.

“Anyhow,” he turned his attention back to Jessica, “I bet you’re still thinking how I did it. You don’t give a damn about the other ones, just Mommy and Daddy. Well, I’ll tell you. It’s easy. It’s so easy I almost burst out laughing then and there. Ha ha. Ten minutes before they entered the bedroom, I slipped a note in Aunt Natsuhi’s pocket. I had Kanon write it, so she’d recognize the handwriting. It said Jessica – that’s you, remember – had been poisoned at dinner, and would die without an antidote. And the only way Kanon, the cruel murderer, would give it to her, if he saw Natsuhi and Krauss die at the earliest convenience. I specifically put in the ‘earliest convenience’ part since I wanted to give her a chance to find the right opportunity. But damn, she was fast. I didn’t even know they had a gun in that bedroom.”

Jessica struggled. But Battler was too strong.

“So, get this.” The Devil showed his teeth. “Mommy and Daddy go in the bedroom. We all wait outside. Perfect alibi for me. Aunt Natsuhi – good, old Aunt Natsuhi – forced to choose between her husband and her daughter. She doesn’t know how long she has. But she knows whatever she’s about to do, she should do it as soon as possible. There’s the gun. There’s the two of them. And there’s the choice. What does it mean to be loyal to the Ushiromiya family? Saving its deceitful, corrupt family head, or ensuring the next one’s survival? Must’ve been a real brain-scratcher, eh, Jessica?”

Futile as it was, she would not stop struggling.

“And then Mommy takes the gun. And pow. Down goes Daddy. And pow. Down goes she. And that’s that. That’s all there was to it. I picked up the note while you weren’t looking, and as far as you were concerned, a ghost did it. Sometimes the real brain-scratchers are the fundamentally simple ones. Then again, it was a brain-scratcher for you. George actually suspected what might’ve happened. I think. He had that gleam in his eye. He’s clever. I’m surprised he doesn’t suspect me yet. Maybe he does. Maybe he’ll rush in through that door and save you! Let’s listen in! Shh!”

All was silent.

Then, through the thick walls, Jessica heard something.

Her ear pressed to the floor, she heard George’s voice. And Maria’s. They were downstairs. They were playing. He got Maria to laugh.

“No? Hm. Well. That’s a shame.” Battler sighed. “Don’t worry about the Doctor. I told you. He’s in the kitchen. At least, his head is.”

All Jessica wanted to do was kill.

Not cry. Not beg.

Kill.

Kill this disgusting monster.

If she could only muster some more strength.

If she could only push him off.

Battler did not appreciate the dedication. He turned to Kanon again. “Hey, Kanon. Look at what I’m doing. I’m going to kill your woman. Pretty messed up of me, right? You love her, don’t you? Why don’t you stop me? Come on, man. I’m right here. One push and you’ll overpower me. And the killings end. The witch dies. One push. One action. And it’s over. I won’t even be mad at you if you do it.”

Jessica looked at Kanon.

Kanon did not look at her.

Why?

Why was he not helping her?

Kanon—

Kanon—!

Battler laughed. “Come on, Kanon. What are you, a chair?”

The servant did not move.

“Aw, well. Sucks for you, doesn’t it?”

And then it happened.

That moment.

That moment he lived for.

The moment where Jessica’s hope withered. And she did not even think about killing. She only thought about Kanon. Her mind rushing through the memories of the past few years. Trying to figure out what she’d done wrong. Trying to figure out the lies from the truth. Trying to figure out if she’d always been just a puppet on someone else’s string. Trying to hope it was all some kind of a dream.

Battler had done it.

Battler had broken her soul.

All that was left was to break her body.

“Goodbye, Jessica.”

And down came the fist.