Subvert Up

When Roko woke up the next day, the morning sky was already dark with flurries of snow. People huddled about in the inn's restaurant floor, talking to each other as they crowed together for warmth and to wait out the blizzard. Roko would not be one of those people as he had his breakfast of a warm, spicy curry in a corner of the room before he dressed himself up doubly warmly and headed out into the gloomy day.

"I'm here." Roko announced as he walked into an empty restaurant.

"You really came." Hachi frowned as he looked up, "I don't suppose you're here for a meal?"

"I just ate." Roko sighed as he put down his backpack onto the ground.

"I can't believe you actually convinced me to do this." Hachi scowled as he dug around below the counter, "I told you my blacksmithing days are over."

"It wasn't much of a job." Roko scoffed, "It's literally just a pole."

"There's the balance to consider you know!" Hachi cried as he slammed a long wrapped object onto the counter, "And there's not a lot of metal around here to work with so I had to make sure I was making it properly!"

"Well, thanks for your work." Roko said as he picked up the staff and tied it to the side of his backpack.

"Why do you even need it anyway?" Hachi growled, "You have a perfectly good sword right there."

"I'm up against a legend." Roko replied as he hefted his backpack onto his back once again, "I need every advantage I can get."

"A legend you say?" Hachi rubbed his chin, "Not a lot of people qualify for that nowadays. When's this duel?"

"Today."

"What, are you going to fight in the snow? It's going to be snowing cats and dogs all day and night!"

"I can't afford to lose." Roko said as he walked back over to the door, "Though I'm not confident I can win."

"Then don't pick a fight with them."

"There are some fights you can't avoid." Roko replied as he left the store.

"And don't come back, you hear?!" Hachi called as the door slammed shut behind him.

Roko walked out of Fuyuki and trekked up to Shizuka Castle. And he continued beyond it, strapping his snowshoes on as he stepped out into the endless snow. Keeping his hood up and pulling his backpack up on his back, Roko pushed himself against the snowy storm, heading north into unknown territory. Before long, he had left the castle behind and the leafless forest around him had disappeared, leaving him in a white void. Roko lost himself to the monotony of moving forward, making one step after another without thinking, only pausing to have a small lunch in the middle of the blizzard. He moved onward, the sky too cloudy and stormy to tell the time. No time, no space, only a white snowing void that Roko stepped steadily through, unsure of when he'll arrive at his destination, if there even was one in the distance. But before long, he saw something poking out of the snow. A large emerald castle, styled like the Momokan castle but much smaller. Its luster has been lost over the years though there was no real damage to it that could be seen. Snow piled up over its roof and as Roko neared the entrance, he could see snow had piled up over the doors inside, making it impossible to enter through them. Luckily, the snow had also piled up to the height of the windows and Roko managed to slide himself through one to land on the inside.

He was immediately in a large ornate foyer, sparsely decorated but colorfully carved with stylistic patterns decorating the walls, though the color has largely faded. The only other doors aside from the entrance was a set of large black doors that lead directly into the castle. Walking over to them, Roko tried opening them but they were locked shut, their rattle echoing creepily around the empty foyer. Stepping back to consider his options, Roko suddenly heard the crunch of snow behind him. He spun around as a figure dropped themselves through the window.

"Oh! Roko!" Kaguya smiled as she dusted the snow off her pants, "Fancy seeing you here."

"What are you doing here?" Roko asked.

"Hm? Oh well, talking with the rebels lead me here." Kaguya explained as Mikado dropped into the foyer behind her, "Apparently, their leader has been camping out here. The door was locked so I was checking around the castle for any other way in."

"So the necromancer's here?"

"Seems like it." Kaguya shrugged, "What about you? What happened to your investigation? Why are you all the way out here?"

"I found the killer."

Wow really?!" Kaguya clapped, "That's impressive! No one's been able to figure out who it was for years! And? Who is it?"

Roko paused, steeling himself for what will come next. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and looked Kaguya in the eye as he answered,

"It's you. Isn't it?"

Kaguya looked at Roko, her smile never wavering and her eyes showing no surprise or fear.

"What makes you think that?" Kaguya asked, her voice leveled and calm.

"If I had known about the situation around healing magic, I'd have figured it out much sooner." Roko sighed, "No, I might still have gone through everything, trying to find some other answer. But in the end, the answer is simple. The killer made their murders by cutting the victim's throat and sealing the surface of the wound with healing magic. I thought there were a number of people who could use healing magic but it appears healing magic is practically extinct."

Roko's gaze turned serious as he confronted Kaguya, "But I've scanned you. I know what spells you know. And the only spell you know...is Close Wounds."

Kaguya's expression didn't falter, her body never even shaking at Roko's accusations.

"Even now, I don't want to believe it." Roko frowned, "I don't want to believe it was you. But it all makes sense if it was you. That's the only answer I've come up with."

"..."

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Kaguya looked straight at Roko for a few seconds before she chuckled softly, "I knew you were exceptional. If anybody were to find out my secret, I'm glad it was you."

"So it's true."

"...Yes." Kaguya nodded, "I'm the killer."

Roko's blood froze over. He knew that. He thought he had prepared for the truth but he still couldn't bring himself to believe it. Maybe he didn't want to believe it. So he spoke, "So you assassinated people by slicing them in the throat and then healing them?"

"Exactly so. My heal spell is an abnormality worthy of study if not for the fact that it was so weak that all I could do was close the surface skin of a wound."

"Why? Why did you do it?"

"...After losing my family once and losing my home twice, I had nowhere to go." Kaguya closed her eyes, "I could've build another home but I didn't. That part of my life was over. Left dead in the snow like this castle. There would be no peace for the people so long as we kept fighting and no peace for me so long as I lived, noble or not. I couldn't run away from the problem anymore. I had to confront them. I returned to the court to ensure peace. No matter what it took."

"...How many did you kill?"

"The history books would know more than me." Kaguya looked down softly, "I couldn't bring myself to count them."

"So you killed Homura Tatsuki?"

"That was one of my more remorseless killings." Kaguya smiled, "That woman was as bloodthirsty as I was. Probably more. She would've done anything to get the throne. Though I suppose I'm not one to talk. Our emotions might be similar but our reasons were different. Our ideologies were too different to let each other live. Though I was the only one who knew that."

"And you killed the Hagorumos?"

"That wasn't an easy kill for me." Kaguya bit her lip, "Both emotionally and in execution."

"You killed Daichi then? How?"

"Well, Daichi was an experienced soldier so we couldn't exactly overpower him. Luckily, I had managed to establish myself enough back in noble society to have a nice midnight chat with him. I even bought some sweets for the occasion. Naturally, they were poisoned with a paralytic. Unfortunately, Daichi had enough of a resistance to move and grab me by the neck. Mikado tried to pull him back until I stabbed him in the chest. Once I got away from him, I killed him and slipped away to kill his wife. It was the hardest kill in my career."

"And you killed Lady Yuno?"

"She was the first one that I killed. I didn't really know what I was doing then but I knew we weren't going to let each other live."

"Why?"

"Oh, do you not know?" Kaguya blinked, "Yuno's full name is Yuno Katsuragi."

"Katsuragi." Roko gulped, "The same family that started the rebellion that killed your family?"

"The same family that stormed my village home, trying to end the loose end they had left." Kaguya sighed, "How selfish right? First they conspire to kill my family, then they decide ruin my life, despite the fact that I had no desire to cross them, all on a whim." Kaguya's eyes narrowed in a spiteful, sarcastic anger, "We killed Gundou Katsuragi that night and Yuno was quite furious over the death of her husband."

"So you did meet her that night."

"Indeed." Kaguya nodded, "Though she was dressed in armor and armed with a sword. So prepared for battle she was that the village could barely recognize her as she came to the ruins of the farm. I met her there and we talked. She was fully aware of the atrocities that her family had committed against me and she was very sympathetic and sorry for what happened. But we were both beyond reconciliation at that point. I had just lost my second life the night before and to Yuno, she had not only lost her husband but lost the only way for her to gain power. She was a kind person with kind ideals but she too had ambition. Ambitions that couldn't be realized as a lone woman. Without the power of her husband. She was just as eager to take revenge on me as I was for her. And in the end, I managed to kill her before she killed me."

"And you decided to hide her body?"

"The operation against my little farm was secret to only the nobles not allied to Katsuragi. Their allies knew and the village knew once I told them. But Yuno was different. Yuno was supposed to be safe in the castle and finding her where her husband died would have no doubt drawn more attention to me. At this point, I had already resolved to force my way back into high society. But I needed time and this murder was only going to cause trouble. So I sneaked back into the castle with her body. I knew the patrols well enough to avoid detection. I knew where her room was and dressed her back in her regal robes before leaving her in the garden. They remarked about how the shoes were suspicious but they never suspected that her entire outfit was the problem."

"Then you're the one who has Calcify?"

Kaguya reached into the inside of her coat and pulled out a large mechanical knife. It bore no jewels or precious metals and had a brass metal frame built into the blade.

"My mother gave this to me while I was escaping the Katsuragi rebellion. Something to defend myself with while I escaped. I never ended up using it. Kept it stowed away until Kirito found it among the ruins of the farm. He immediately recognized it and realized I was still alive. Stormed the village trying to look for me. This was the morning after we killed Gundou so I was still fresh off losing my home and the villagers were trying to keep me hidden. He was always a loyal friend of my parents so he was quite relieved to see me alive. At that time, I was nervous. Still having doubts about what I should do. But when Kirito found me and returned Calcify to me, I saw it as a sign. That I knew what I had to do."

"...Did Kirito ever find out about you?"

"In the end, he did." Kaguya looked down, "He recalled a time when I used a bit of healing magic on an animal and connected the dots. He confronted me and I confessed, much like right now. He was distressed and he would have taken me in for sure. But he was loyal to a fault. I don't know if he had any sympathy for me or believed in what I was doing even if he didn't agree with how I did things. But he allowed me the chance to take his life willingly to keep my secret."

"And you did?"

"...I was not yet close to my goal." Kaguya looked away, "It pained me to kill such a good man like Kirito but in the end, I couldn't just stop now without getting to my goal."

"...Was Kirito the only one to discover you?"

"No, actually." Kaguya chuckled, "There's one more. Azayaka."

"Your temporary king?"

"Indeed. He found me out and confronted me about it. In exchange for not revealing my secret, he asked that he be made ruler for a bit. He said he didn't have any problems with me assuming the throne but as I was, my education was incomplete. As such, he offered to send me to Memoria Auspice. To learn more about becoming a ruler and in exchange, he'll look after the nation in my stead."

"That's a pretty generous offer for you." Roko noted.

"As I understand it, he was quite afraid of becoming my next victim. He already tipped his hand by confronting me about it and not anybody else so the one in most danger was himself. What's more, I don't believe his ambitions aren't all too grand. He simply has some changes he wished dearly to implement and I did not find them disagreeable. So there was no reason to not take him up on his offer when he's offering to pay my way through such a prestigious school."

Kaguya's smile remained on her face as she finished her confession. A mask like a pool of water that had no ripples. Something Roko knew Kaguya was good at, but to be able to maintain this veneer while confessing to her own crimes was nothing short of impressive.

"Now then." Kaguya smiled, "I suppose it's about time."

"Time for what?" Roko asked as Kaguya knelt down and placed Calcify on the floor in front of her.

"I'm glad you're the one who found me, Roko." Kaguya sat back on her feet, sitting straight up as she closed her eyes, "If I were to face retribution for my actions, I'd happily face it if it's you."

"Wait...you want me to..."

"I will not resist." Kaguya replied, "Mikado will not attack you either. I only ask that you allow him to leave once it is over. He's stood by my side all these years but he's never killed anybody for me. All the assassinations, I did myself. I alone am the killer."

Roko looked at Mikado. Mikado closed his eyes and gave a small bow, but unlike his princess, his body was shuddering ever so slightly. Roko looked at the two of them, Mikado unable to look up and Kaguya waiting serenely for her end. Roko scratched his head and sighed,

"Well, I know you want to atone for all your murders right now and I hate to say it but you've got the wrong guy."

"Huh?" Kaguya opened her eyes, shocked.

"I know you've killed people. And I know killing people is wrong. Probably the worst thing someone can do to another. But I'm not naive enough to think death and killing is wrong in all scenarios. I'm not saying killing is an ideal answer and I would take the effort for a more peaceful option wherever I can but I cannot condemn people for acting on emotion. Even the most senseless mass murderers take a glee in killing that, while abhorrent, is nonetheless a pursuit of happiness that I can understand. Killing in rage, in jealousy, in despair. Losing to emotions is perhaps the most human thing you can do. Being trapped by your own emotions is a prison that binds your very existence and I can understand the essential need to break free of that by any means necessary. You lost your life twice and resolved to create a life that can't be taken by violence again. I won't say that a stable life built on violence is any better than one built by peace, but it's no less legitimate. Peace is an option you can play when you still have chips to risk but for people with nothing left to risk but their lives, how else are they going to find happiness? I know that murder is a choice and you can choose not to murder but that objectivity does nothing but condemn genuine people. I don't hate you for killing. I don't respect you for killing but I do still believe you deserve happiness. I can't divorce people from their actions. I believe that even killers deserve sympathy."

Roko stopped talking. He wasn't sure where his speech came from. They were never thoughts that crossed his mind before. He's never thought that deeply about his stance on murder but he didn't feel like anything he said needed to be overturned. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more embarrassing it was to have expressed himself so earnestly. Roko felt his face beginning to heat up a little and he hoped nobody would nice. Thankfully, after listening to his explanation, Kaguya's shocked head had turned to the ground and a soft giggle mixed with soft sobbing and tears could be heard echoing lightly around the foyer.

"What kind of saint are you?" Kaguya asked, keeping her face down and hidden but her voice trembled from the unexpected and strange mixture of emotions she was faced with, "Are you sure you're not just too afraid to kill my yourself?"

"It has nothing to do with whenever or not you're my friend." Roko answered automatically, "I don't have a reason to kill you. That is all."

"So I get to live? Is that what you're saying?"

"I'm saying I'm not going to kill you."

Kaguya began laughing wildly, her head swinging up and revealing the tears that flowed around a smile that showed more life than any expression that Roko had seen on Kaguya.

"Roko..." Kaguya said as she rubbed away her tears, "You've exceeded all my expectations. I was resolved to die today. The last thing I expected was sympathy from you."

"If you really don't want to live, I guess I can end you." Roko grumbled, Kaguya's genuine jubilation only making him more bashful.

"Haha. Ahahaha. No." Kaguya said as she stood up, picking up Calcify as she did, "I have a destiny to fulfill. I'll bring peace to this country. Even if I will one day be hung by my own actions, I will do so having united the people."

"Don't go transitioning into a martyr. That's not a fun way to die."

"When have you seen a martyr with this much blood on her hands?" Kaguya laughed, "Oh, you really are interesting, Roko."

Roko thought to make another snippy comment but he decided to just take the compliment. Kaguya took a deep breath, calming down with the most natural smile she ever had on her face, "This is the situation now. What will you do now?"

The doors to the inside of the castle suddenly unlocked, startling Roko. Slowly the door creaked open and Tsukishiro Kyousei walked into the foyer. Alongside him floated the necromancer, dressed in their black robe and carrying the black grimoire. Roko's hand gripped the sword by his waist, ready for any sudden action.

"...What kind of nonsense is this?" The necromancer spoke, "Killers don't deserve any sympathy."

"I wish I could tell you." Kaguya giggled, "I know I certainly didn't expect this outcome. But I suppose this means your plans have been thoroughly thwarted."

The necromancer reached up and removed their hood, revealing a familiar face whose hair was now bleached white.

"Right? Takeko."