This chapter is co-written by Owlfeather45 and the whole idea of the chip was hers!

The life of a main character is a dark and dismal thing. Nobody wants to read about someone living a happy life, because a happy life probably doesn't include action or the pain all the sadistic viewers just revel in.

Nagisa could only hope he wasn't the main character, but then again, this was reality, and sometimes reality wasn't like books.

It was a feeling, really. Nothing much.

But Nagisa knew that feeling all too well. Death was coming, in a form of a scythe and a cloak. The only problem was that Death, also known as a man by the name of The Reaper, wasn't coming to kill him, despite the irony of his name.

And as Nagisa's eyes awoke from their slumber from behind his eyelids, he could only see the man he dreaded to see.

This man didn't like to waste any time.

"Silver-sensei!"

"Nagisa-kun, my boy. You've had 10 days off, I think that is plenty. Now come on, let's go." Silver's pale gold gaze was cold, the same cold Nagisa showered over his enemies when holding a knife to various vitals.

Let me repeat what I said earlier.

This man didn't like to waste time.

He really didn't, which often graced him with the bluntness only The Reaper could wield. It didn't mean he was heartless. But then again, that also didn't mean he had much of a heart to make a difference.

Karma, despite being able to sleep through practically anything, woke up with a hard gaze as he sensed the tension that was mounted like building blocks.

Karma quickly looked Silver over, not knowing what to expect from this so called "Reaper". Actually, wait, scratch that, he knew perfectly what was going to happen if he messed up. And he didn't need anybody to spell it out for him.

"He's not going anywhere with you." Karma stood now, his gaze filled with a fiery bloodlust like no other. Silver knew this wasn't going to be as easy as he'd hoped, but when was anything easy these days?

Silver sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He really didn't want to fight- fighting was so boring now that he didn't have anyone he could really fight with who would pose an actual challenge, but apparently this redheaded boy had both taken his protege and was determined to make this as hard as he could. He could feel the small thorn of a headache starting to bloom at the forefront of his brain, similarly placed near the metal trigger implanted within.

"Are we really going to do this?"

If Karma had to be honest with himself, if Silver wasn't the one speaking to him right now he'd probably say yes, though he shoved that thought in the back of his mind as he focused on the situation at hand.

Standing in perfect ready position, Karma's bloodlust simmered in his eyes like an ocean of inky black with nothing but a lamp to guide your way through. His muscles were taut, ready for action if he had to step in. Silver looked passively to Nagisa to see the boy wasn't in an obvious fighting position, but at the same time his guard was still up.

Between Nagisa's slitted azure eyes, Karma's raging mercury and Silver's glimmering gold, the only moving features were of Nagisa's thick eyelashes as he subconsciously blinked while his mentor continued to eye him carefully.

Karma took notice of where Silver's attention was, and took the first move, nearly hitting the professional with a right hook.

The older assassin dodged it with ease, gliding backwards as if he was nothing but a spirit, a Cheshire smile playing on his lips.

"Akabane-kun, this is not going to go well for you." He waved Karma's attempt off as nothing more than a fly, pissing off Karma as he grit his teeth in anger.

"Now then Nagisa-kun, this would be a much easier process if you just came with me. I don't see the problem with leaving here, but since we obviously don't see eye-to-eye, I'll just say it now."

He turned to his tutee. "Come with me, and I won't activate that chip."

Nagisa's eyes widened.

"I-I..." Nagisa took a deep breath and steadied himself. "Karma, please stop fighting. I'll die if you do."

Karma heard the words and obeyed before he even heard the part about Nagisa's death. He knew he'd never be able to bring himself to do anything Nagisa would genuinely hate, and the way he spoke practically tied Karma up and glued him to the spot.

Silver caught this immediately, now knowing Karma wouldn't dare move until given orders. Proudly, he essentially strutted over to Nagisa, his strides almost playfully slow and loud, taunting both boys who remained stuck to the marble flooring.

"Now, shall we go?" Silver said, his Cheshire smile widening.

Karma picked up his glass from the bedside table and threw it, aiming to hit Silver's head. He knew Nagisa caught onto his plan the moment his hand touched the clear material. It shattered him inside.

While he did his best to keep it hidden, Karma was on a roller-coaster ride. Breathe in, breathe out. Breath in, breathe out. Several times his breath would hitch, and there was a lump of words that Silver just dumped down his throat. Breathe in, and out. The same repetitive process that seemed too easy and yet he could barely process what was happening. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but it made him nauseous. When trying to speak, nothing but a pained, single note left his lips.

All in the time for that damned glass to make it across the room.

And Silver caught it.

The only satisfaction Karma could get was that some of the juice inside of it splashed onto his hair, making it annoyingly sticky. Silver glared and turned to Karma, his own bloodlust finally chipping through.

"I was going to make your death moderately painless for Nagisa-kun's sake, but you're started to get on my nerves, so I don't think that'll be possible Aka-"

Silver's voice caught deep in his throat as he felt something sharp graze his neck. Refocusing his gaze to his protege, he smirked lightly.

"You wouldn't." His voice was smooth as silk, wrapping Nagisa's thoughts up in a bundle like a mother would her child.

But Nagisa had already won.

The bluenette frowned slightly, his lips curved downwards. He didn't hesitate to respond.

"Silver-sensei," He started, his eyes caught up in the moments that Silver was the one he went to. "you were a friend, almost a father figure to me." His gaze hardened.

"But between you can Karma, there is no competition. There was never competition."

Silver's eyes flashed an emotion Nagisa couldn't recognize, his best guess being a mix of fear and betrayal with a hint of something almost prideful underneath, but he didn't care. His pearly teeth gleamed as he bit into Silver's neck harshly, the skin breaking as his teeth released both of his venom types directly into Silver's bloodstream. The skin cried softly as the red tears flowed from the wounds.

"Your time is running out, nothing you can do about it. Anything you'd like to say?"

Silver winced in pain as a numb sensation traveled over his body, his mind immediately realizing he could no longer control his muscles, nor would he be able to activate Nagisa's chip in this state.

Silver's breath was ragged as the smiled one last time.

"I was an idiot. But then again, so are you." He smirked somewhat sadly as he body shivered in pain and his teeth revealed the blood in his mouth.

He looked at Nagisa.

Closed his eyes.

And muttered, "And that was exactly who you were born to be. An idiot like me, whether you liked it or not."

And the light drained from his eyes.

Nagisa's gaze was blank as he looked down at his former teacher.

Karma finally broke from his self-imposed paralysis to instantly address the matter at the forefront of his thoughts.

"Don't leave... I know you had to step in and kill him... but please... can you just forget about the deal and stay..."

"This is home. You.... you are home. And I'm staying home this time."

"So you won't leave?"

"No... not this time. The deal's off. You won."

Not much later on, in a scientific laboratory

"This is not possible. This is not allowed! There are two ways to kill that monster and now I've lost one of them!"

The screams turned to cackles.

"But I have the other, and now that damn assassin is out of the way and won't be able to keep me from killing him. Be ready, Shiota-kun. Be. Ready."