Sitting on the edge of the veranda, the wolf and the stag converse about the things that occurred in their lives during the last few months. The wolf's intense stare is fixated on Louis, who idly looks down at his lap. In truth, he's overwhelmed by Legoshi's pure expressions, a stark contrast to the hate-filled glares he got from you during this evening.

"A lot has happened. I presume you understand everything from what you saw there. I am colluding with the Shishigumi as their leader."

"It's my fault, isn't it?" Legoshi asks, hiding his face in his hands in shame. "It's all because I came to their hideout..."

"Don't take me for a fool! I wouldn't throw my future away because of you!" Louis shouts, unsure whether the wolf is simply stupid or ego-centric. "I knew that you rescued Y/n from the Shishigumi...But don't you dare think that I gave myself up to the Shishigumi for your sake. I chose this path out of my own volition!"

Having said enough on that topic, at least in Louis' mind, he turns his head to Legoshi with an annoyed, 'holier than thou' expression. "Let's change the subject. I don't like that you hugged me while you're intimate with Y/n."

"Intimate?! We're not like that! In fact, we're not even going out right now..."

"What? But you saved her life. Did she reject you or something?" The deer questions and crosses his arms over his chest, watching the wolf with scrutinizing eyes. Legoshi, ever the shy wolf, averts his gaze and rubs his arm in embarrassment, before slumping forward. "Well, uh...We're kind of taking a break right now. I was stupid and broke up with her and now, she's in a bad place so we're just staying friends for the time being. I think she wants you back as much as I do though. I can get used to a harsh training routine but trying to figure out how girls think is never going to be easy for me."

Though as he says this, a familiar scent of vanilla enters his nose and soon after, a quiet cough is heard from behind them as you awkwardly clear your throat. The two males glance back at you, only to see you stuffing your hands into your pockets and sitting down next to Legoshi with a sigh. Other than that, you stay quiet.

For a couple of long, striking moments the atmosphere between the three of you is ruled by graceless silence and it doesn't get any better when you take out your combat knife and playfully twirl it around in your hand.

"You should hurry up and say what you need to say, Legoshi." You finally tell the two young men, Legoshi's ear flicking backwards at the sound of your unusually cold voice. It holds a bitter tone that he never heard you use, at least not as long as he can remember. It sounded robotic, emotionless and worst of all, void of any sign of life. "The pussycats in there are getting their tails in a twist with worry about their cute little boss. So you need to make it quick. I'm sure Gouhin's freaking out right now, too."

Legoshi nods, whilst Louis hunches over to look at your expressionless face, a trait you seemed to have forged into your personality. "They're not pussycats, they're lions!"

"Same thing, Twiggie."

"Twiggie?!" The deer shouts, his face boiling with anger at the new nickname. Meanwhile, the poor wolf inelegantly sits between you two and acts as a sort of barrier. Though his face shows his clear discontentment at the situation.

Still, he can't keep his stupid tail from wagging, both from being near you and from Louis' shining presence.

Although Legoshi knows that you aren't as fond of the male deer as you used to be, he had hoped that you'd be happy to see him and forget your qualms once you managed to find the young stag. However, much to Legoshi's dismay, that wasn't the case. Instead, your attitude and clear hostility towards the herbivore made him realize that you wouldn't let go of this grudge as quick as he had hoped. To be fair, he wasn't sure if you'd ever forgive Louis for joining the Shishigumi.

And you're not so sure about it either. From this point on, rebuilding the friendship you used to have with the young herbivore seems impossible. Not meeting his eyes, you respond to his eminent outburst. "Yeah, Twiggie. You know, because you're becoming a literal twig? Really Louis, you need to cut the crap with the meat-eating and get some vegetables into your body."

"You insolent little-" Cutting himself off at your harsh, icy glare, Louis takes a deep breath and runs his hand over his face with a heavy sigh. "What happened to Bambi and Golden Boy? I found amusement in those nicknames."

"Well, your friendship privileges have been revoked." You casually answer. "You're back to assaulter status."

At this, Legoshi raises a questionable brow. Assaulter?

"What? Why?!"

"Because you're an asshole." You mutter in a loathsome tone, your body language evidently showing that you wouldn't respond to any further questions or teasing insults from the stag. Legoshi, totally lost and oblivious to the former history you and Louis share, decides to try and remedy the situation.

"Louis-senpai," He starts, his eyes flickering to the sharp edge of your combat knife as it gleams in the moonlight. "Why don't we run away? Right now."

Your movements halt immediately and your eyes grow wide at his suggestion. Has he gone entirely mad?!

"I can't. The Shishigumi need me." Louis answers gloomily. "They respect me."

"No...They're deceiving you." Legoshi argues but internally, you have to disagree with him. You're more than sure that Louis fits in perfectly with those criminals. "They're going to corrupt you to the very Brim. And I can't accept that."

"You're still the same goody two-shoes." The deer smiles warmly, leaning closer to the wolf as he speaks in a calm voice. "Listen, in the society of adults, everyone deceives each other. For their own benefit. Naturally, when I started as their boss, our relationship was purely out of business..."

Suddenly, you hear the cocking of multiple guns behind you, your stomach tightening into an uncomfortable knot, and you mentally scold yourself for being so careless.

You shouldn't have let your guard down and more importantly, you shouldn't have expected the deer to have any honor left. Even Zuko before his redemption arc had more honor and decency.

"But now, we're close enough to pull this off."

The moon shines brightly above you as you peer out of the corner of your eye, taking note of the sadistic sneers on the felines' faces as all four of them hold a gun to yours and Legoshi's head. Your hatred for the stag only intensifies when you see his hand gently touch the wolf's cheek, cradling it as if he hadn't just handed you to a bunch of murderers on a silver platter. At that point, you know it's a fact.

Louis hadn't changed a bit. He's still the same person that assaulted you on the basis of believing you're a carnivore.

Everything in between was a fucking lie.

"...You...tricked me?" Disbelief and betrayal are written all over Legoshi's face, his ears hanging low and instinctively, his tail curls around your body next to him. Your breathing was as calm as ever, though he's painfully aware of your history with guns.

And so are you, of course. Despite the lack of fear in your life for the past few months, the thought of facing a gun or holding one is still a topic that invites your brain to go into fight or flight mode; though your body tends to choose fighting for your survival, rather than fleeing from the danger. Even now, your body's being pumped full of adrenaline as you slowly hand over your knife at the Shishigumi's demand.

"Guns." You mutter quietly, ignoring the questioning gazes of the felines. "Why is it always guns?"

"Don't take this the wrong way. I'm not doing this out of contempt. I just want to show my dear underclassmen a taste of reality." Louis says tenderly, his hand finally leaving Legoshi's short fur as he joins the Shishigumi and stands between the four lions. They sneer at you and the wolf, the hands holding the guns to your heads not wavering despite the slight midnight breeze. "Don't underestimate a feline's instincts. If anything out of the ordinary happens to our boss, we notice right away."

"Perfect for protecting him from punks like you."

Gritting your teeth, you try to keep your intense animosity and urge to maim these animals at bay, even as your body quivers with rage. Truthfully, you're not sure if you've ever felt so furious in either of your lives.

"I think you're aware now that I can never come back." Two of the lions retreat their firearms, leaving only one targeting you and Legoshi each. "I've been corrupted a long time ago."

What surprisingly true words for a notorious liar.

What the Shishigumi don't know, is that they've given you the perfect opening to devise a good strategy to escape. Not only have they reduced their guns, they've also given admirable access to their vital organs.

Because according to Valentina, every good mercenary knows to always keep more than one knife on your body.

"They always let their guard down...They think just because our boss is a herbivore that the Sishigumi's gotten soft. That's made work a lot easier." The Lions tell you, their sadistic expressions remaining on their faces throughout the whole ordeal. "A lot of livestock herbivores place their hopes on us..."

Livestock...herbivores? Wait...

Your horror taints your facial features and your widened eyes bring a nasty snicker out of one of the felines. Bile burns in your throat as the realization dawns on you.

Are they talking about child trafficking?!

"The poor kids feel saved that a herbivore is in charge of the vendors that sell them."

You let your head hang low, your heated glare meeting Louis's gaze. If looks could kill, he's be thirty-six feet under.

"It's a vicious means, but I must do whatever it takes to enforce my beliefs. However..." The red deer adds, the pale moonlight giving his fur a deadly glow as he addresses Legoshi. "You can push yourself towards the path of light! Be a hero! And don't give me that 'but I'm not cut out for it' garbage! Improve yourself and become a leader of the outside world! Got it?!"

Legoshi stares bewildered at the stag and the two lions that are holding the guns glance at each other in utter confusion.

This is your opening.

Before Legoshi can even think about taking action, you stem your hands onto the ground and twist your body as you propel your leg upwards. The gun is knocked out of the lion's hand, tumbling down the hill and disappearing into the night. Quickly bringing yourself onto your feet, you stay in your flow and grab a hold of the other lion's arm. He shoots but promptly misses when you dislocate his forearm with a well-aimed hit with your elbow, taking a hold of his gun. Twisting your body once more, you knock the feline out with a high roundhouse kick to the head.

Swiftly taking your second combat knife out from a secret strap on your waist, you dodge another feline's punch and ram the blade through the sensitive skin on his hand. Ripping the sharp knife through the appendage until it leaves the lion's hand, leaving a heavily bleeding slit going from the palm to the skin between his middle and ring finger, you grab his head and knock your knee into it.

Like the last one, he drops to the ground unconscious. That leaves you with two more opponents, although the first one you knocked out is beginning to regain his consciousness. So you choose the best option available to you.

Pressing your newly acquired gun to his temple, you grab Louis from the back and turn to face the lions. Legoshi stands on the side-lines, a good distance away from you and the felines.

His shocked, almost terrified eyes bore into your skin, but you pay him no mind.

You're saving his life here and frankly, you see nothing wrong with what you're doing. Not only is this self-defence but really, Louis has continued to keep children in cages as livestock for carnivores. The material of the pistol feels foreign to you, waking both a deadly curiosity and a panicked itch that flushes your head with memories of the lady that murdered you.

"D-Don't shoot!" The lion with the glasses shouts as he and the other members of the Shishigumi observe the situation in front of them with utter terror. Now, it's your turn to sneer at them. "Well would you look at that, Twiggie...they really do respect you. You must feel so honoured."

"I know you're not going to hurt me." The stag states confidently, not showing fear or weakness in front of his subordinates. Even if he's utterly terrified at the moment. A few months ago, when he last saw you, he would've bet his life on the fact that you would never intentionally hurt him. But it's clear that you're not the same girl anymore; though he's confused what brought on this immense change.

"You sure?" You chuckle, sending an icy chill down his spine as you press the gun harder against his temple. "Give me one good reason why I wouldn't, leader of the Shishigumi."

There is one main reason why you refused to carry a gun, even when Valentina offered to teach you how to shoot.

You're not the same person you were all those months ago. What would you do if you got your hands on a gun? To be honest, you're afraid to find out. How far could you go if you have a firearm at your disposal? At this point, you're sure it's less than ethically justifiable. Nothing keeps you from becoming the same as your own killer. But here you are, holding a person you once considered to be your friend at gunpoint.

And you're totally fine with it.

Pure enmity and resentment towards the herbivore have buried themselves deep within your soul, the dark voice in your head urging you to pull the trigger. You want revenge; you crave to see his blood taint the elegant clean floor boarding of the Shishigumi's hideout a sinful red.

"Y/n-" Legoshi tries to call out to you, his ears pressing flat against his head as you cut him off. "Quiet! This is between me and Louis. It doesn't concern you."

"But it does!" The wolf argues further, desperation evident in his bellowing deep voice. "The outside world needs someone like Louis-senpai!"

For a moment, it's quiets while you proecess his words. Then, a dark chuckle fills the area.

"You're right! How could I be so stupid!" You laugh, tightening your hold on the deer and pressing the barrel of the gun painfully against his skull. "The world totally needs someone with shitty morals, who justifies selling children as livestock to fulfil his selfish beliefs because he's so fucking insecure!"

Your gaze travels over to the four members of the Shishigumi, all of the lions having regained consciousness and standing to face you with either furious or pleading expressions. The wood beneath their shoes turns red from one's wounds; the other gently cradles his dislocated arm.

"I have no reasons to keep you alive, Louis." You spit hatefully. "I trusted you and you betrayed me. You convoluted with the criminals that tried to kill me for amusement, simply to follow a stupid dream of yours that is utterly pathetic. You didn't want to be a tool for society anymore? Guess what, you still are!"

"You're still as weak as you were the day we met, when you attacked me because you thought I was a carnivore. And now, you justify child trafficking so you can obtain true strength?"

The stag grows more and more tense with every harsh word that comes from your lips, his brain finally realizing that his chances of getting out of this alive are basically non-existent.

"That's bullshit. You know, there's no greater evil in the world than those that are willing to hurt those that are too young to protect themselves. A person who lets children suffer is worse than scum."

"I've been through a lot in my short life." You state coldly, your eyes flickering over to Legoshi for a split second. "I've been shot, taken from everything I hold dear, almost murdered again by those pathetic little pussycats and am now so utterly fucked up in the head that it wouldn't make a difference if I shoot your brains out. Right here, right now. It wouldn't fucking matter. At least you have rights, Louis. I'm just allowed to exist because I'm useful to those doctors that enjoy putting poison into my body."

"But nothing justifies what you're doing to those children. Not your weird quest for strength, not a carnivore's need for meat; nothing. You have the power to free them, to end their suffering and you're choosing to remain a fucking weakling and do nothing. Wait no, you're doing something even worse."

Growling with gritted teeth, you angle your grip on him in such a way that he winces in pain. Legoshi's currently the only thing keeping you from committing your first kill.

"You're giving them hope. You're giving them the cruel sense of hope that they'll be able to play outside in the grass again and go to school like normal children. Only for you to leave them in that hellhole because you're a lying piece of shit."

A human's set of morals is one of the strongest set of beliefs in your opinions. Whether they're good or bad, questionable or reasonable, a human's morals only strengthen their conviction. A person who believes they're in the right is basically unstoppable without using violence. Your own set of morals, shaped throughout your entire lifetime and drastically adapted to this new world you're living in, aren't against killing Louis.

In your mind, you're giving him his rightful punishment.

However, you couldn't live with yourself if you'd force Legoshi to witness someone he still considers a friend die right in front of his eyes. You couldn't do that to him; you couldn't do that to anyone.

"Legoshi!" You call out to the wolf, his ears peaking up instantly at your commanding voice. "If you have something to say, then say it. Be quick."

With a determined nod, he walks closer to you and locks gazes with Louis. "I know the culprit behind the murder at the drama club."

"What?!" Shocked, Louis gapes at the wolf, freezing once more when he remembers the pistol at his temple.

"It's true. Cherryton needs you to remedy its madness." Rolling your eyes at his idiotic comment and oblivious faith in the herbivore, you still continue to let him speak. You owe him that much. "Well, I'm doing whatever I can to catch the culprit...But at this rate, the school's going to forget something really important."

Moving closer to the edge of the veranda, you catch onto his idea and funnily enough, you had the same plan to escape only a few moments earlier. Legoshi's hand gently touches your back, silently pleading for you to let go of the stag.

"They need someone with your strength!"

The wolf catches your eyes, letting you know that he's finished. His dark eyes hold the same begging glimmer and your heart slightly aches with guilt. Not for holding Louis at gunpoint; but because Legoshi had to witness it.

"One day, I'll have your head for your crimes, Louis." You whisper menacingly into the stag's ear, only to grin and slightly change the angle of your gun. "But luckily for you, that day is not today. I'll be taking a souvenir though. I hope you don't mind."

The loud bang of a gunshot echoes through the air and Louis screams in surprise and pain as one of his antlers breaks off, leaving behind a bloody mess. You grin manically, catching the trophy in your hand before moving to the edge and gently knocking back Legoshi. Together, you let yourself fall off the edge of the veranda, your gleaming eyes catching Louis' golden ones for one last time.

"Sayonara, assholes!"

Your bodies tumble down the hill, the Shishigumi and Louis watching he ordeal with astonished expressions while the deer attempts to calm his racing heart after his near death encounter.

"Shit! They fell off! We're gonna chase them!"

"Argh, they knew they wouldn't die from that height!"

As the lions leave the proud deer behind in hopes of catching either you or your companion, the stag keeps his eyes on the spot you disappeared from. Blood continues to flow from his fresh wound, tainting his fur crimson.

Never in a million years would he have thought that one day, you'd threaten his life as confidently as you did today. You, the girl he developed feelings for despite trying his hardest not to.

The girl he left behind and unintentionally betrayed. The human he unknowingly pushed towards her breaking point, making her the destructive mess she is today.

Glancing back up at the pale moon, Louis lets his mind wander back to the days spent in your atelier. He remembers how full of light you had been, an animal he connected to on an eerily familiar level.

You truly had changed. 

****

Hello dearest Homies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Again, it's a few hours later than planned, Sorry about that!

The meme up above was created from my lovely friend DoctorPortal455, so thank you for that! It fits perfectly in my opinion! Legoshi constantly switches between "no thoughts, head empty" and "IQ 1000", it's exhausting.

Here is another meme of his:

But damn, shit got intense this chapter! Really, I didn't mean for it to go off the rails that much but bloody hell, the MC was out for blood. Truthfully, I really needed this. This is the one part about Louis' whole character that I hate with a passion. I love children with my entire heart, mainly because I was a kid when shit happened to me that brought on every mental health problem I still have to this day.

And child trafficking is a terrible thing that happens so often, it's sickening and tragic. Please guys, watch out for yourselves and be safe! The world is a dangerous place with dangerous people!

I never could get behind how Louis just continued to sell off these kids when he himself came from one of those livestock vendors. Especially because his entire arc with the Shishigumi just like...ended like he quit a job at McDonalds.

So yes, this will be a grudge that me and the MC will hold for a long while, be prepared for it.

But how did you guys enjoy murderous MC? She's going down a darker road now, one that I find particularly interesting and fitting for a human that grew up in our society and world.

Also yes, a roundhouse kick to the head can knock someone out. Actually, with enough training, power and precision, you can kill a person with a kick to the head. Now, the possibility of her killing a lion that way are basically 0.1% to none, but knocking them out is plausible.

Anyways, I hope y'all are safe and sound and healthy in this Corona-crazy world! Stay safe guys, gals and nonbinary pals!

See you in chapter 60! (What the fuck, I can't believe this book is getting this long!)