The chains creaked. Only the cold sound of iron echoed through the dim, abandoned factory. "[cold]Now then. Have you made your peace?" The man in the black cloak—Thanatos—slowly approached Rei. Deep within his hood, dark eyes glinted. Rei gripped the chains tangled around her ankles. Further inside, tied limply to an iron pillar, was Tsukasa. (*Move… please…*) Her chest felt frozen solid. Her body, completely drained of spiritual power, was nothing but an empty husk. The familiar heat in her fingertips was gone. "[scared]Tsukasa-kun…" Calling his name was the full extent of her resistance. "[cold]Last chance. Submit quietly and become mine." Thanatos reached out. His rough fingers seized the collar of Rei's shrine maiden robes. *Riiip.* The sound of tearing fabric. Only her white undergarment was exposed. "[angry]Stop…!" "[cold]Sing for me in that lovely voice. Right in front of your lover." Cold fingertips traced the line of her collarbone. A revolting sensation, like a snake slithering across her skin. Goosebumps erupted all over Rei's body. Tears spilled over, unbidden. "[crying]Stop… please…" A warrior's pride, a shrine maiden's dignity—now they were nothing but dead weight. "[cold]The highest grade of *Koinoodo* is born from the despair and pleasure of the moment purity is stolen." Thanatos grabbed Rei's chin and forced her face upward. Forced her to look toward Tsukasa. "Rei-san…!" Bound, Tsukasa shouted, his face twisted in anguish. The restraints on his wrists clattered noisily. "[scared]Don't come near me! You can't do anything anyway!" Rei's scream reverberated through the rusted steel beams. "[cold]That's right. Let him have a good look. The moment your woman becomes mine." Thanatos whispered into Rei's ear. Close enough for her to feel his breath. "[crying]No…!" Rei desperately twisted her body within the limits of the chains. She thrashed her legs, and the momentum drove her toes into Thanatos's knee. "[cold]Oh?" For an instant, Thanatos's movements stopped. Perhaps he had misjudged the chain's length—in that opening, Rei retreated to the wall. But. "[cold]Futile." He yanked the chain. With twice the binding force as before, Rei's body was slammed against the wall. The cold of the iron plate stabbed into her back. "[cold]Stop struggling. It's unsightly." The shoulder of her thin undergarment was about to be pulled aside—at that very moment. *CLANG!!* The grating sound of metal being torn apart rang throughout the factory. "…Ugh, AAAAAAAAHH!!" Tsukasa had ripped his wrist restraints clean off the wall, metal fittings and all. Skin tore, blood splattered. Even so, he ran straight for Thanatos. "[scared]Tsukasa-kun, don't—!" Before Rei's voice could reach him. *THUD.* Thanatos's knee drove deep into Tsukasa's abdomen. "Gahah…!" Vomiting blood, Tsukasa's body crumpled to the floor. A red stain spread across the concrete. "[crying]Tsukasa-kun!!" Rei's scream reflected off the iron walls of the abandoned factory, echoing endlessly. "[cold]Still alive. He has a pulse." Thanatos grabbed Tsukasa by the hair and lifted him carelessly. Closed eyelids. Lips wet with blood. "[cold]If you want him treated, become mine." He dropped Tsukasa to the floor with a thud and approached Rei once more. "[cold]Otherwise, I'll simply leave him as he is. Someone might find him by morning—but I can't guarantee he'll still be alive by then." Rei collapsed to her knees. She stretched her hand as far as the taut chains would allow, reaching her fingertips toward Tsukasa's fallen body. Sobs welled up from deep in her throat, unstoppable. "[crying]Anything… I'll do anything…" Those words spilled from her trembling lips. A warrior's complete declaration of defeat. "[crying]So… please, save Tsukasa-kun…" Her tear-streaked, ruined face turned toward Thanatos. "[cold]Good girl." Thanatos slowly approached Rei and lifted her chin. —At that moment. The fingertips of Tsukasa, who should have been unconscious, moved faintly. "…Protect… Rei…" A voice seeping with blood. A whisper so faint it barely stirred the air. "[surprised]…!" It reached Rei's ears, without a doubt. "[cold]Are you ready?" But Thanatos didn't notice. That carelessness was the sole light left in the darkness. A faint flame flickered to life in Rei's eyes. It wasn't over yet.