𝕃𝕖𝕥'𝕤 𝕊𝕖𝕒 (FEM! Reader X Arataki Itto)

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ⁹⁷

Y/n jumped as a loud thunderous voice erupted from all around them.

"PLEDGE YOURSELF TO THE TRUTH,
TO SEE THROUGH THE VEIL.
SPEAK OF DARKEST LIES AND DECEIT,
ONLY THEN WILL ONE AVAIL."

"Seriously? Another riddle?" Itto argued with the disembodied voice. "Y'know, you coulda said something sooner!" Itto sighed, "Alright, do your thing." He said and gestured to Y/n. "Use that smart noggin of yours."

"Right. "Pledge yourself to the truth"... I think we have to find out some or other secret. "See through the veil", I think you're right about this being an illusion. So if we can find out the "truth", we'll be allowed to leave."

Itto looked around him in thought. "A truth... But there's nothing here to work with? Maybe... It's a secret of our own?"
"You might be onto something."
"Hell yeah! Arataki "The Number One Riddle Solver" Itto strikes again!"

Y/n began to think of a secret. Perhaps something small to test it, she thought.
"(A small secret not many know about you.)" She waited but nothing happened.

"Wait, you what?" Itto thought he misheard what she had said. "Uh- doesn't matter! It didn't work. It's got to be something deeper."
"Deeper huh... I sleep with my eyes open!"
"I already knew that."
"I hate vegetables!"
"Figured."
"I occasionally steal from kids by beating them in games!"
"That's not–"
"I still wet the bed until I was six! I hide sweets in Ushi's outfit! I broke Akira's flute once and blamed Mamoru!"

He clearly didn't understand the objective here so Y/n tried to stop him.
"Itto, that's enough–"
"I have NEVER had a job in my LIFE! I used to love Ms Hina so much, that I spent way more money than I should've on her magazines and merch! I secretly wished she'd realize that I was her greatest supporter!"

No matter what Y/n said, he wouldn't stop. "Itto."
   He tilted his head back as if speaking to the voice. "I hate the dark! I'm afraid that people will forever see me as a monster! I'm also afraid to die alone! I wish the Arataki Gang would live on forever! I AM MADLY IN LOVE WITH–"

"SEIZE."

A low rumbling noise could be heard below them after the booming voice spoke. Itto blinked a few times, remembering everything he had just said.

He started to blush from the embarrassment and refused to look at Y/n. "Um... so... Haha..." He hid his face with his arms, trying desperately to cover up the redness. "ᵖˡᵉᵃˢᵉ ⁿᵉᵛᵉʳ ᵇʳⁱⁿᵍ ᵃⁿʸ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰⁱˢ ᵘᵖ ᵃᵍᵃⁱⁿ·"

Y/n wordlessly patted his arm before gently tugging on his coat. "C'mon. A new way opened." He cleared his throat and lowered his arms. "Yeah- Yep. AHEM. Let's go." He hurried down the stairs while Y/n followed.

Y/n dreaded having to go down all those flights of stairs again and thought if she should risk bargaining with the fragile Itto to carry her back down.

"Hey, Shortie...? Take a look at this." She saw him looking at something and when she descended the steps, she saw the room they began in, with the addition of a door.

"How–" She looked up and saw that the stairs were only about four flights. "So how long were we actually here?" It structurally made no sense. She couldn't see the bottom before.

"My head hurts too much to think about it. Let's just get going." Itto replied yet he sounded a little down in the dumps. Y/n figured his ego was badly wounded so she thought to try and lift his spirits.

"Cheer up, Itto! Without your brave and valiant sacrifice, we would have been still climbing those stairs." She patted his shoulder and he looked to be contemplating her words.
"I guess... Heh. What would ya do without me?"
"That's more like... Itto."

He followed her gaze to see two members of the Fatui standing there. They seemed to have been in the middle of a conversation before the two showed up.

Both parties stood frozen upon seeing the other. Y/n and Itto gazed at one another momentarily, as did the two pyro agents.

The one on the right was the first to move. "Hey, Kyle?" The pyro Fatui agent said to the other, "Are we... are we expecting guests?" The other stared at the newcomers for a brief moment before turning to his companion,
   "No. I don't think so, Steve... Hey, excuse us but where'd you two come from?" He politely inquired to which the two in question tilted their heads in confusion.

They couldn't believe that the two agents haven't caught on immediately. Y/n glanced at Itto who understood her secret message displayed by her eyes darting between him and the agents.

"Uh- ahem. Nah we were just on our way to buy lunch for the guys." Steve crossed his arms, "Lunch?" His doubtful tone made Y/n begin to sweat.

"Yes!" Y/n stepped forward with her hands clasped together, "Yeah but we forgot someone and only realized after we're almost outside. Gah, stupid us, huh? Anyway, if you two wouldn't mind... Steve and Kyle,"

The two looked at each other, surprised that she knew their names although they did say it out loud.

  "Could you two help us make sure we got all the orders right? We're actually the new guys." Y/n whispered the last part to the two agents who appeared to have looked at her sympathetically. It was hard to tell because of their masks.

"The new guys? I didn't know we employed yokai..." The one on the left questioned while looking at Itto. "I really wowed them at the interview." Itto answered proudly with both hands on his hips.

"Hmm. Where are your uniforms?"
"They didn't have my size." Itto explained simply. A rather clever response from him, Y/n thought. "Yeah, and there was an error with mine so they had to return it. Crazy week it's been, amirite?"

They were taking too long to respond. 'They don't believe us! Of course they don't, only idiots would believe a half-assed –'

"Of COURSE we'll take you!" Kyle suddenly exclaimed which caused Y/n to jump a little. "Y-You... you will?" It was hard to hide her confusion which was clear as daylight in her face and tone.

Steve chirped up, "Yes! I still remember my newbie days like it was yesterday... It was humiliating. They dumped trash in my cubicle and called me "Stinky Steve" for weeks." There was a long, awkward pause.

"Anyway. Let's help 'em out." Kyle asked his friend who nodded in agreement. "Alrighty. So where're we heading? Ground level? Factory production line?"

Itto and Y/n shared another questioning glance. Y/n scratched her chin as if trying to remember something.
    "Uh we spoke to... What was his name..?" She snapped her fingers, pretending to really think about it.
  
"The guy said he had something to do with the Delusion production? You know him?"
"Ah... You must mean Kent! Either that or the Overseer." When Kyle mentioned the Overseer, he seemed doubtful.

'Overseer sounds important. Better keep note of him.'

"Kent! That's our guy!" Itto stepped in when Y/n didn't immediately answer. She was grateful for his intervention.
     "Was it him or the other guy with that allergy?" Itto asked Y/n who caught on quickly. "I... Actually don't know. We should make sure. Please take us to Kent." She politely asked the two agents who happily obliged.

"Right this way, newbies!"

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