~from Decim's POV 2nd person~
You blinked. Is it...could it be...no, it can't be her...As you were thinking, you forgot about your other guest.
He grabbed Akira, one arm wrapped around her neck and the other around her waist, securing her arms. "I don't know what type of crazy you guys are," he said, eyes wide in shock and fear, the panic quickly growing and spreading, "but I want out, and if you don't get me out of here right now, I swear to God that I'm going to crush her windpipe." He swallowed, looking down at her almost apologetically, but his fear trumped all as he stared back at Decim, clearly prepared to use Akira as either a sacrifice or a shield, maybe both.
Akira didn't resist him, just hung limply in his arms, looking as though she weren't at all interested in whatever the new game seemed to be.
To you, this should have felt like every other judgement he'd passed. You should be able to look at the two humans objectively. You should be able to gather data on them with a calm, collected mind.
But...if that's really her...
Struck with images of Chiyuki in your mind, you pulled at the threads you usually used to separate aggressive guests in order to prevent harm, but today, the strings wouldn't relinquish control to you. "What is this?" you murmured, trying to grab hold of them, but your concentration was scattered. For the first time in a long time, in decades, you felt almost...human. What is this? Is this the "fear" that Nona told me about? For some reason, when you looked at Akira, helpless in the other guy's arms, you saw Chiyuki, smiling, crying, doing both. You saw her ice skating, you saw her reading the book Chavvot, you saw her drinking something at the bar.
And suddenly, even though you weren't sure whether or not Akira was Chiyuki's reincarnation, and even though you didn't have enough focus to use your threads, you knew that you had to help her, to save her.
Without warning, you lunged towards the two of them, and the guy's eyes widened in surprise, but then you were already upon then. You placed a carefully-aimed kick towards his ankles and lower shins, effectively sweeping out his legs from under him, and as he crumpled, you caught Akira in your arms.
"I'm terribly sorry about that, Miss," you said, bowing slightly as you set her down. But I don't want to let go of her, you immediately thought, then looked away, ashamed for having such indecently human thoughts. What else is it that Nona always tell me? Arbiters cannot possess human emotions.
"Argh!" the other guest yelled, and you swiftly dodged, sidestepping his would-be tackle and shielding Akira from him by standing between him and her. By this point, he was at the bar, and he must have seen something interesting because his eyes lit up. A few seconds later, he hopped over the counter with a large kitchen knife, looking slightly unsteady and more than a little insane.
As he lunged at you, you just tsked and sidestepped yet again.
"An arbiter cannot die, as they do not actually live," you explained, almost disappointed by his weak effort, but then your eyes widened as he passed you completely and stabbed Akira in the stomach.
She didn't seem to notice at first. It only registered a few seconds later, when her eyes widened and she touched her blood as though she didn't recognize it. After a moment, she fell to her knees, her eyes slightly unfocused. "The other kids...they always thought it was funny...to play jokes on the girl who couldn't feel physical pain. They would leave needles in my pencil case, or tacks in my backpack, or a pushpin on my seat, and then I'd walk around the whole day without knowing that I was bleeding." She looked horrified. "Every day at school and at college was my own special hell," she whispered, and tears began streaming down her face almost without her permission. "That's why...that's why I'm here now. I couldn't...I just couldn't...take it anymore."
The other guy dropped the knife, and it fell to the ground with a hollow clang. "I...I'm sorry," he whispered. "I...I didn't mean...to...to..."
You turned your eyes on him, eyes full of judgement. "Both of you are already dead, so technically, you cannot kill each other..." You leaned closer to him, your eyes practically glowing. "But one could cause extreme pain to the other. In case you've forgotten, it's my job to judge you." You narrowed your eyes. "In short, I determine what happens to you from here on."
The guy fell to the ground, tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry!" he wailed, sobbing. "I don't know what came over me. I just...It's not like I wanted to die! I had a life, too..." He opened his eyes, pleading with you. "Please! Just give me another chance!"
Your normally unbiased blue eyes were cold with anger and hatred. "Sinners don't deserve a third chance."
"What...what do you mean, a third chance?"
"You already lived a life full of sins, and then you come down to Quindecim and continue sinning. There is no reason for me to spare you." You paused, looking straight at him, all the way down into his soul. "Enjoy the void."
YOU ARE READING
Death Parade: Decim x OC [Chiyuki Reincarnation]
FanfictionDecim has been holding down Quindecim for the past few decades, waiting patiently for a certain soul to arrive for tribunal. This soul, of course, is none other than the reincarnated Chiyuki!