Souls In Hiding

Soulless Witch

She's the perfect victim, everyone loves her so if I take her soul, everyone else will lower their guard. The traitor slit a bandits throat as the group was attacked yet again. I'm glad King Monokuma accepted my request for a group of bandits to attack as a distraction. Kaede stood beside the unknown spy, crossbow in hand as arrow after arrow flew into the enemy. Her scream alerted the traitor, they noticed a bandit snap her crossbow before their chest split apart from Kaede's blade.

Fuck this is uncomfortable. The traitor adjusted the rope wrapped around their waist, having prepared themselves for the murder. "Come on!" They shouted at Kaede, dragging her away from the commotion and hiding behind a large bush in the thick foliage of the woods. "Rest, you're not focusing like normal."

"Thanks for worrying about me but I'm fine!" Kaede attempted to stand but a yank on her arm pulled her body back towards the ground.

"Please, at least wait here for a bit. Everyone will be fine, these aren't the first bandits we've faced. I also hate to ask a favour of you like this, but I need a sword or dagger. Some type of blade." 

"Why do you need one?" Kaede questioned, her eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"I never grabbed my spare, with the whole theft of our supplies I just forgot." Kaede nodded, seeming to understand the false predicament the traitor found themselves in as she created a fancy dagger perfectly moulded to the traitor's hand shape. Without warning, Kaede created a second dagger and thrust it behind the traitor, who felt a warm, sticky liquid splatter their back. Turning around, the traitor watched blood pour from the hole in the bandit's chest left behind by Kaede's knife.

Grabbing their hand, Kaede bolted further into the woods. As they ran, the two came across Korekiyo trapped underneath a fallen tree. Oh shit, this could ruin everything if he sees me. If Kaede says my name then I can't kill her either. The traitor rushed out of Korekiyo's line of vision as they approached the trapped human. "Can you help him? That way I can save my spells." Kaede asked the traitor, who silently praised God that she didn't say their name.

Grabbing the moderately sized tree, the traitor pretended to struggle in lifting it, shaking their head to indicate they were unsuccessful. Kaede sighed, muttering Latin under her breath as she approached the tree. Lifting it with ease, Korekiyo crawled to safety as the traitor ran towards a bandit out of sight to conceal their identity. "Thank you, Kaede, your powers rival no other." Except for mine.

"It was nothing Korekiyo, we can't stand around talking though, stay safe." Kaede parted from the human with her last words, making her way towards the traitor to find them standing above a deceased bandit. "I never saw them here, thanks for getting rid of them."

"No problem." They exaggerated their last word, causing multiple bandits to jump out from the woods' cover, surrounding their two victims. "Shit." Perfect. The traitor leapt towards the closest enemy, thrusting their new dagger past them and pretending to miss. "Now." They whispered so the bandit could hear, being right next to each other.

Following orders, the fake bandit struck their superior's side with their elbow, throwing the traitor flat on their back. The sound of a sword being unsheathed alerted both criminals, causing the traitor to move their head slightly, only to find a sword embedded in the dirt. Pretending to attempt to stab the bandit standing over them, the attacker grabbed his victim's wrist, disarming them as throwing the dagger into the thick of the bush.

Without warning, the bandit stiffened before falling onto the traitor, who scrambled away in a hurry. Behind where the bandit stood, they saw Kaede with a crossbow in hand, a circle of dead bodies around her. Kaede let out a loud sigh, dropping the crossbow before stumbling forward, the traitor caught her before she could hit the ground. "I'll get you back to the cabin, just hold on." Again, a swarm of bandits appeared out of thin air, causing the traitor to curse under their breath and run further into the woods.

"Where are we going?" Kaede mumbled, trying not to fall asleep after using up her five spells for the day.

"With your state, you're an easy target. We have to hide for a bit until you regain your energy. I can't fight alone after all."

"Why don't you... call for you?" 

"I can't risk calling more bandits too. Trust me Kaede, I won't let you get hurt."

"I trust you." Kaede smiled at her friend, unaware of her fate. The traitor rested her against a tree, her body slumping from exhaustion. 

"Are you awake?" The traitor knelt, lowering their eye level to hers.

"Don't worry, I'm just really tired. I used all my energy up after five spells, so I can barely move." Kaede chuckled, her voice barely coming out as a whisper.

"Oh. I know." The traitor's expression grew a malicious grin as they shoved the witch against the tree, hurrying to tie her with the rope wrapped around their waist. Kaede struggled but to no avail. Attempting to scream, the traitor shoved part of the rope into her mouth which was succeeded by a cracking noise accompanied by pouring blood. Tears seemed to melt her face as the situation resonated in Kaede's mind.

"I trust you." The traitor mocked her previous words, laughing in her face as they struck flint together, a tiny ember sparking the tree. Blowing on the flame, they watched in glee as it grew, crackling up the tree towards the victim. "It's exhilarating, isn't it? Can you believe how lucky I am? Being able to watch you burn the same way you had to watch your pathetic twin sister? You were so pathetic then, crying on the ground, begging."

Laughing as they stood towering over the girl, the traitor's eyes sparkled with reflections of flames. "And for the grand finale, I'll trap your soul in this... little... jar." They reached into their cloak, pulling out the clear glass container. "You know, for King Monokuma. The one I'm working for. Goodbye Kaede Akamatsu, may your soul live on."

The traitor grinned as they took a seat before the crying, burning girl. Muffled screams soaked into the rope as she knew nothing could be done to save her. All she could do was watch a friend she once trusted eagerly grip a glass jar in their hands as she could no longer feel her arms, the nerves burning away.