You're the judge, oh no, set me free,
I know my soul's freezing,
Hell's hot for good reason, so please,
I don't know if this song is a surrender or a revel,
I don't know if this one is about me or the devil.
- The Judge; Twenty One Pilots

Chapter Six: Lost Sight of Something Important

"Clear!" One of the doctors shouted as the body lying on the bed made no response on the defibrillator. The head doctor gritted his teeth as he ordered to raise the level of the shock. He tried again, putting the equipment above the brunette's chest. The woman's body rose up momentarily but her heart rate made no changes. The frenzied beeps of the vital monitors didn't help to alleviate the thickening tension inside the emergency room.

Meanwhile outside, a bespectacled man sat right beside the door of the emergency room. He was just as nervous as the doctors inside—if not more. He closed his eyes while clasping his hands together. "God, please..." He sobbed as he muttered quietly, "Please don't take her away from us yet."

He prayed every single minute ever since he found his girlfriend lying inside her room—a lot of blood oozing out from her stabbed chest—about a couple of hours ago. He still felt that dread when he found a letter beside his girlfriend's unconscious body that he spent no time reading because he immediately dialed for a nearby ambulance.

Speaking of that letter...

He grabbed the letter from his pocket and began fumbling on the envelope. The paper is already crumpled due to his panicked state earlier and had a noticeable blood stain that was now mixed with the continuous flowing tears from his eyes. He opened the letter—the lovely handwriting of his girlfriend that was written by an ordinary black pen welcomed him as he did so.

Ichimatsu looked at the crying figure in front of him as the man read over the contents of his girlfriend's perhaps final letter. The reaper yawned as he stayed on that same place for a couple of hours already.

To be honest, he already planned to get the soul of the woman right after she stabbed herself and fell on the floor of her own room. However, he decided not to...yet. He knew that her affiliates need to check on her yet despite the fact that it was useless.

Human emotions irk him the best but he was advised to wait until the whole situation settled down which meant until the last heartbeat had been made and the physical body is finally dead.

Just a few seconds.

The doctors inside the emergency room suddenly panicked as the vital monitors beeped violently as all the lines featured went flat.

They're losing her.

The doctors tried to set up the defibrillator to the highest setting for the last time. This is our last chance. "Everyone, clear!" The doctor shouted as he repeated the steps of defibrillation.

No changes on the lines.

Shit.
They finally lost her.

The doctors inside sighed as they set all the equipments aside. "Time of death, 04:13pm." The head doctor muttered, followed by an apologetic bow and a small prayer for the soul of the recent dead.

Now to deliver the news.

The doctor silently trudged towards the door of the emergency room, silently preparing himself for the reaction of the one who brought her here. Who was that again? His boyfriend? Ah, yes. The poor woman was already an orphan.

The doors finally opened after an agonizing half hour. The bespectacled man immediately rose from his position, wiping off the tears from his eyes. "S-Sir! How did the operation go? Is she safe? Is she fine? Tell me," he asked nervously.

However, he unconsciously knew what the outcome was already.

And it was further confirmed by the grim look on the doctor's face.

He just sobbed as he crumpled the paper that he held. "C-Can I...go inside?"

The doctor nodded as he put a hand on the man's shoulder, "I'm so sorry for what happened. We tried our best but she didn't make it. Please do go inside."

Ichimatsu took this as a go signal to fetch the soul. He entered the now quiet room and saw the woman's soul standing there, looking at her own lifeless body. She smiled upon the entrance of the reaper, silently pleading for a short extension. Ichimatsu sighed. Why does this need to happen every damn time? He just nodded grimly as he stood on one corner, watching as the woman's boyfriend entered the room as well.

"Hey, dear." The man smiled as he sat beside the bed, holding the lifeless hand of his only beloved partner. He kissed her hand as his tears started to spill once again. "Why? Why would you take your own life? You're not being smart as you are again. You gave up. W-Why?" He choked up. "I was here with you the whole time. A-Am I not enough?" He sobbed more, removing his glasses as he clenched his lover's hand tightly. "I miss you. I miss you so much. I don't know how I'll live my life again without you. You're one of the greatest things that ever happened to me. Yet, why?" His voice wavered quietly. "Why do you have to leave me?"

Ichimatsu just stared at the scene in front of him—the woman's soul biting her lips as she looked at his crying boyfriend. She suddenly looked at Ichimatsu, her eyes now hoping that she could go away now from here.

"What a waste of time." Ichimatsu muttered as he materialized his scythe. Every time a human dies, their souls still have some uncut ties on this physical world—it's a reaper's duty to cut it off and deliver the soul to where they shall go.

"You've committed several sins in your life..." He raised his scythe as he enumerated her wrongdoings in her life span; each one of it contributing to the judgment that she will face.

And the fact that she killed herself was the last, and perhaps the biggest, factor to her ticket to Hell.

"I failed, big time, didn't I?" The woman chuckled bitterly as she glanced at her boyfriend for the last time. "Goodbye. I'm sorry that you have to spend next Christmas without me. I'm sorry that I left you. I-I'm sorry that I gave up despite your endless support." She sobbed as she knelt down beside her boyfriend. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry for wasting your endless love. I love you...so much." She mutters as she pressed her lips on his temple. "I need to go. I love you." She smiled as she nodded to the reaper in front of her.

Few moments after, Ichimatsu finally brought his scythe down.

_________________

"His loved one died." Jyushimatsu's smile was absent as he viewed one of the humans that he guided. He can feel from Heaven how distraught the man was, but he knows he can't do anything aside from watching him.

Jyushimatsu had been a witness of everything that the man had experienced in his life—including that one Christmas where he met his beloved one. The angel didn't remember the name but he was certain that they had loved each other so much.

But things happened and she gave up on life.

"Such a waste, isn't it?" A girl's voice suddenly invaded Jyushimatsu's ears. He whipped around and was welcomed by a bitter smile on his colleague's visage.

"Homura-chan." He nodded as he went back viewing the man, "You were her guardian angel, right?"

The brunette angel nodded as she sat beside Jyushimatsu, "Yes. I was so shocked when she stabbed herself because I thought that she had already found her support for her depression—and her life in general." She wiped a tear from her eyes. "It's really sad whenever I lose someone that I guide. I feel like it's my fault for not guiding them properly."

Jyushimatsu gave her a comforting pat, "It's not your fault, okay? It's just our role to guide them—not to intervene with their lives. You have done your part as her guardian angel. And you did well." He smiled at her.

She chuckled weakly as she spoke, "Thank you so much, Jyushimatsu-kun."

"No problem!" The angel cheered. "I hope he will be fine soon."

"Have you seen the reaper that came in to fetch his girlfriend?" Homura suddenly asked. "I heard that he's one of the leaders of the reapers from...that place."

"Really?" Jyushimatsu pondered. Why would a reaper like him be in a small place like that?

"Yes. And I heard that he has really an important place in that place." Homura bit her lip. "It just bothers me why would he go out of his way to fetch a small soul like her and why would he prolong his waiting for her soul.

"As far as I know, they are given a list of who will they fetch every day and they need to follow that strictly. They also have their timetables and cannot afford to be left behind in time." Homura added. "Yet, he waited for a couple of hours and a bit more due to unknown reason. I've been watching the whole ordeal and I just found it odd that he let that happen."

It was indeed weird.

Reapers were well-known for their time-consciousness and not being patient. But this one was different.

It piqued Jyushimatsu's interest.

"I see. Thank you for that information, Homura-chan." Jyushimatsu stood up.

"Where are you going?"

Jyushimatsu's wide smile went back as he opened his wings. "Permission for emergency surveillance." He waved at her as he began levitating. "See you around!"

Homura nodded, "Take care!"

Jyushimatsu flew fast—leaving some of his vibrant, white feathers behind. Homura took one and smiled to herself. Still hyper and always persevered.

Jyushimatsu never changed.

__________________

Another trial ended and Ichimatsu yawned for the umpteenth time today. This job is so tiring. He sighed. He wants to retire for the day already but he was summoned by Tougo.

As Ichimatsu walked towards the King's room, he visibly saw the small fry demons waver on their places. Why are they even scared? It's not like he'll kill them.

Oh. His scythe was still present on his back.

He grabbed his scythe and dematerialized it from his grasp. He forgot to put it away.

Arriving at the grand mahogany door of the King's room, he briskly knocked at the polished wood. "Tougo. I'm here."

The door opened. "Oh, welcome, Ichimatsu. Please do take a seat."

The reaper did as what he was told. "What's the matter for today?" He took a sip from the cup of coffee that was laid out on the table in front of his seat.

"I apologize for the sudden call." He didn't mean that, for sure. "I just thought of having a chat with you. Is that bad?"

"Not at all. Just weird."

"You see. I just noticed how Osomatsu would often do some things to purposely kick himself out of Hell," Tougo started. "Even the last time when you reported that he intervened with your daily schedule, resulting into the delays of your soul collection which is really unpleasant. Perhaps you are aware of what's happening?"

Ichimatsu almost spat his coffee. Fuck. This is not a topic that he was expecting. "He's a demon. You should be expectant of his shenanigans."

"I know." Tougo muttered. "He's my right hand and all but why does he keep on doing those stuffs? It would've been better if he just followed my orders."

"Maybe it's a phase?" Ichimatsu suggested. "He's just maybe quite rebellious."

Tougo seemed to take that. Good. "I'm very worried. He's the one who helped me take this throne and all but now he's being rebellious? Of all times?"

"You haven't told me that one yet." Ichimatsu suddenly spoke. "He helped you to take over Hell?"

Tougo grimly nodded. "I hate to admit it but he's one of the major factors of my success. He's the one who infiltrated the old Kingdom and took the former King down. He's a genius on his own right—he's just too lazy to execute it. So I guided him for the performance of the whole plan and it succeeded. He's a formidable pawn that I polished through the years."

"But you never really cared for him?" Ichimatsu spat without thinking.

"No." Tougo chuckled. "Such a silly notion, wouldn't you think? Care? Love? Our race doesn't know that. Chaos, apathy, indifference; that's us. We don't do frivolous ideas, Ichimatsu."

"I see." The reaper deadpanned. "I'm sorry but I really don't have any conclusions on why Osomatsu acts that way."

Tougo chuckled. "It's all right. I kind of expected it already." He pat Ichimatsu's back. "Do continue your great work on collecting souls."

Ichimatsu just nodded as he stood up. "I shall go—"

"Tougo-sama, someone requests your audience." A guard from the door announced.

"What is it this time?" Tougo mumbled. "Who is that and what does he need?" He shouted at the guard.

"A devil named Chibita. He says he had something to say about Osomatsu-sama." The guard responded a few seconds later.

"Audience granted. Let him in." Tougo gave Ichimatsu a look, requesting him to stay. The reaper just nodded as an austere thought suddenly dawned into his mind.

I hope I'm wrong this time.

"Tougo-sama. Thank you for granting me an audience with you." A small demon bowed in front of them. "Oh, Ichimatsu-sama. You're here, too." He bowed again.

"Enough pleasantries." Tougo scowled. "What is it about Osomatsu?"

"Someone gave me this letter." He fumbled inside his pockets and fished out a sealed envelope. "It told me to give it to you. I don't understand why but I just followed it."

Tougo grabbed the letter from Chibita's small hands. Bring this to Tougo unopened, said the writings outside the envelope. He tore the side and slipped the letter open. Tougo thoroughly read through the contents, his grin slowly building up as he did so. Afterwards, he chuckled.

"You may go now." He regarded the small demon for the delivery. Chibita bowed once again and went outside the room.

"What did it say?" Ichimatsu inquired.

"Osomatsu is really a genius." Tougo chuckled as he passed the letter to the reaper. He walked away from his room and ordered his guards to prepare for a trip to the mortal world.

Ichimatsu's guts twisted in agony as he heard the order. To the mortal world? He began reading through the contents of the letter. "What the fuck, Osomatsu. What have you done?" He whispered to himself.

I saw Osomatsu with a goddess in the mortal world.

"Shit." Ichimatsu pinched the bridge of his nose.