A deep, throaty chuckle rasped from beneath the platinum curtain of Lye’s hair. It sputtered into a cough and globs of thickened ichor spilled on his leather vest.

“Interesting,” Lye groaned. His head raised. “For someone who didn’t want to champion her…” He sputtered again, accompanied by the myriad of bones cracking and crunching into place. “You act just like it.”

“If you recall, I said that discussion was between me and her. Not for you,” Taka growled. Black tendrils stretched from beneath the samurai’s armor and up his neck. Lye used the dented bars to help raise him up and casually tossed the lace choker in front of Amari.

“There she is.” The assassin eyed Taka’s odd markings, drawing similarities to Amari’s. “So, speak.”

The Ronin carefully picked up the lace choker and moved to put it on Scarlet. If he was put off by the pain the woman’s hand was inflicting he refused to let it show as he put the choker back on her. His voice held a softer tone than he had given Lye, “Be still. Please, for our sake Amari-Chan…”

Lye shook his head with a grin as the ronins actions did little to alleviate her pain. Even as the choker was placed back around her neck her body continued to spasm in pain. Her eyes were half lidded. She let go of his ankle and instead pushed him aside, only to rip the collar off herself again. “Y-YoU’re NOt….my MaStER…wOn’T WoRK.” She hissed between clenched teeth. “M...mORe PaIn...MoRe AnGeR….” She heaved in ragged breaths as the black markings continued to spread across her body.

Taka gripped her shoulders to steady her before he spoke, showing none of his prior etiquette and decency, “It's killing you! Stop it now Amari!”

“It’s not,” Lye commented behind the Ixian who only glowered at him as he returned his attention to Scarlet. As Lye wiped the blood from his lips with a sleeve, he continued. “It causes pain, nothing more. So, will you champion her or not?” The assassin drew his blades against an unarmed samurai, expecting a stubborn response.

“Amari, we need to talk, stop this now…” His voice gave out and was almost unable to be heard under her trashing and cries of pain, “Please.”

She didn’t listen to him, she pushed Taka aside and slowly rose to her feet. It wasn’t the first time she had managed to stand under such duress, so it did not surprise Lye when she did. “NeEd MoRe…” She heaved as she staggered forward to clasp the iron bars that remained.

“Tick tock, tick tock.” Lye walked to where Amari stood and held out one of his blades to her. His gaze never drifted from the corruption on the Ronin’s own body. “What to do, what to do.”

A smile stretched across his lips when Amari reached out and clasped the handle of the blade. She staggered as she turned the blade onto herself, pushing her shoulder against the tip. Amari then crumpled to the floor in a pool of her own blood.

The Ronin’s act was swift as he grabbed the blade and tossed it aside. He knelt beside her before he growled out, “You have the power to put an end to this. End it now!” He looked up at Lye as the dark tendrils seemed to slowly spread higher up his neck.

“Yes or no, Taka,” Lye asked. The humor fell from his expression to a flat slate.

Taka looked upon Lye, it was almost as if two sets of eyes were staring at him, before a low voice otherworldly growled, “We accept.”

“Excellent.” Lye snapped his fingers. From the ground, her lace choker leapt into his hands. Lye approached the two of them, watching Taka as he clasped the collar around Amari’s neck. For the wound, he let it bleed instead fetching the second of his blades from the ground before he rose.

“Scarlet, he is yours,” Lye stated.