Erase

Act 21: The Sacrifice

"Well, well. It is such a pleasure meeting you... Shino Sato..." Said Rokuro.

Shino struggles to break free from the grasps of the Deus Deorem cult members grabbing her. All the while, the cult's Fidei Defensor, Rokuro Murakami continues to taunt her.

"Anything the matter? Can't speak?" Said Rokuro. "Last time I checked, your posts were aggressive and scathing."

"But it turns out, it was the creation of a cowardly little child." Rokuro continued. "Oh, how pitiful."

"What do you want...?" Shino replied.

"What do I want, you say? Well, let's see..." Said Rokuro. "I want you dead, Shino Sato. But not just any kind of dead. I want you sacrificed, for the sake of the Almighty."

"You see, tonight marks a special day for our little cult called Deus Deorem. You might have heard of them." Rokuro continued.

"Anyways, tonight is the night when the Ascension will take place, where I, the Fidei Defensor, shall be ascended into a God!" Rokuro continued. "And in case you were wondering, one can only be ascended if he has dedicated 99 sacrifices to the Almighty."

"We have already accumulated a total of 98 sacrifices for only the past few months." Rokuro continued. "So what better sacrifice I should present... other r
than the biggest adversary of Deus Deorem itself?"

"You're delusional..." Shino replied.

"Delusional? DELUSIONAL?!" Said Rokuro. "You know NOTHING about the Almighty, you heathen! NOTHING!!"

"You are but a sad little creature that deserves no sympathy for the Almighty!" Rokuro continued. "And THAT... is the reason why you shall be sacrificed!"

The two cult members tighten their hold on Shino.

"That's it! Let us go to the Prime Altar and begin the Ascension." Said Rokuro.

"Hey, what are you-uh!" Said Shino.

The cult members, along with Rokuro, then take Shino to the Prime Altar to begin the ceremony.

-Mayuka's Bedroom 8:28 PM-

Back in the Goto residence, Mayuka can't help but worry about Shino's absence.

"Umm... guys... I'm worried about Shino." Said Mayuka.

"She's been away for... almost an hour now." Jun replied. "To be honest... I'm worried too..."

Yuichi didn't speak. But Mayuka and Jun can tell, deep inside, he was worried as well.

Eventually, the three of them received e-mails from Shino, almost at the same time as each other. The three of them opened the e-mails... and their reactions spoke for themselves.

Mayuka was devastated, Jun was shocked, and Yuichi was furious.

The message read:

~

SOS! He's in front of me!! Come qui

~

Mayuka, realizing that she accidentally put her girlfriend in the line of danger, began to sob.

"No... This is... this is all my fault...!" Said Mayuka. "How could I... How could I...?"

Yuichi, meanwhile, was getting more and more furious. Culminating in him punching the floor hard with his fist.

Music: "Given Up" by Linkin Park (Minutes to Midnight; 2007)

"...Yuichi?" Said Mayuka.