Sylvia's heart ached.

Slowly, the woman walked over to the body of the child, who lay on the ground with blood splattered around him and a knife through his mind.

"I'm sorry."

Sylvia whispered these words before falling to her knees, slowly removing the knife from the child's head.

And as she did this, tears formed in her eyes.

"I'm sorry...", she croaked, covering her eyes with one arm. "I... I'm sorry..."

[Hahah... why are you apologizing so much? After all... it's just one kid. And he would probably have killed you anyways. Even if he didn't... wouldn't he have just been a burden?]

The voice of Number One spoke into the mind of Sylvia, who was not in the mood to hear such things.

"It was... my fault. This boy is dead... because of me."

[What could you have done to save him? Your attack wasn't aimed at the boy.]

Number One seemed to be unable to comprehend the emotions which welled up within Sylvia, speaking with a cold disinterest - yet Sylvia was shaken to the core.

"He could have been alive now... but instead he's dead. Not because that man killed him. Not because he was caught up in something."

Her voice became cold for a moment as the woman gulped down a lump in her throat.

"I killed him."

[And like I said.]

It was at that moment that the hair of Sylvia floated up into the air, wrapping itself around each and every one of the knocked out children in the room.

The children were lifted by their necks as they hung like dolls, unconscious as their bodies drooped lifelessly.

"Hey... One... what... what are you-"

[What does it matter if they die?]

And at that moment, whispering these words into the mind of Sylvia, ice ran through the business woman’s veins as she realized what was about to happen.

[Isn't that better than forcing them to live in this hell?]

"STOP!!!"

Sylvia shouted out, and in the next instant Marcus too was shouting.

"Seven!! Aren't you going to do something? Tell her to stop!! These children had nothing to do with you! There is absolutely no reason for them to die!!"

[No reason for them to die?]

Even as Marcus pleaded, Seven spoke without a shred of sympathy.

[Marcus... Sylvia... Do you two think you can just pick up around 30 children and take care of them in this world? What, are you going to start an orphanage and become their parents? Hahaha... the only reason they're even still alive is because they were locked in this basement by that man. But do you even understand what these children have probably seen?]

"I don't care what they've seen. Let them go."

Sylvia spoke in a deadly tone, responding to the voice of Seven - whom both of the two could hear.

"If you kill them... if you slaughter all these children... then I'll..."

[You'll do what?]

Silence.

Marcus and Sylvia sat in silence, the voice of Seven playing itself over and over in their minds.

'What... will we do?'

'What... will we do?'

'What will we do!?!?'

They thought, and thought, and thought.

But nothing came to mind.

Not a single idea.

"I'll... do anything you want."

[Refused. I have no need for your cooperation with anything.]

"Please, Seven. There is no need-"

[Do you think there is a need to force these destroyed ones to live any longer in this ruined world?]

Cut off by Seven, Marcus couldn't handle it anymore.

"The ruined world that you created!!", Marcus shouted.

[So what if I created it?]

It was at that moment that the hair which wrapped around the children tightened, drawing blood from the necks of all of the children who had been lifted into the air.

And then, with horrid laughter, Seven spoke.

[It's exactly because I created it... that I'm going to see everything through to the very end. An end... that these children have no part in. Heh... ah... but just to show you... yes... that sounds about right. One.]

[Yes?]

Number One responded as she was called by her name, both teeming with joy as the strands around the children became tighter and tighter.

Marcus and Sylvia could do nothing more than watch with horror as the children were choked without even being conscious to know what was happening.

'Stop...'

'Stop...'

The two were bombarded with thoughts of madness, trembling as they were powerless to go against the creatures who could control their very bodies.

[Do it.]

[Hehe... understood.]

Splat!

The thudding sounds of dropping bodies filled the ears of the two as the children's heads were separated from their necks, the extended hair slicing straight through them like wires.

Blood sprayed all over the room, covering the two in the center of the chaos as they watched with dreadful expressions.

'How... could this happen?', Marcus thought as his vision became hazy.

The man toppled back and forth, unable to take in the information as he bounced on the verge of unconsciousness.

However the horrible words of the thing inside of him then forced him to his feet.

[I will leave just this one for you. See if you can take proper care of it... or if it would have been a waste of time to try to rehabilitate these children in the first place.]

As his vision focused, Marcus saw it.

From the many strands of hair that returned to their natural state of Sylvia's head, a single one of them remained.

Slowly, the child within this strand of hair was gently laid on the ground, fast asleep.

It was a young girl with long navy blue hair.

She wore nothing more than rags, just as the other children wore.

And right now, she was fast asleep.

Marcus found himself crawling towards the girl, whose life still remained within her.

"One?", he quivered. "Only… one?"

[Exactly. You may have this one. Do as you please with her.]

As Marcus heard this, he immediately felt the urge to fall back.

'I need to get away from that child.'

'Before they kill her as well...'

However as he thought this, Marcus knew.

If he left this child, she would die.

If he stayed with this child, she might die.

[I won't kill her, Marcus. Don't worry about that.]

[After all... you're going to be the one to do that.]

"You're wrong."

With a low tone, Marcus spoke with positivity in his voice.

"I will never... never kill this child.", Marcus said.

[Even if you had to die yourself?]

"Yes."

[Hahaha...]

Number Seven laughed even as Marcus displayed his resolve, mocking his very being.

[Very well. Then why don't we have a bet?]

"A... bet?"

Marcus was caught off guard at the sudden request, however he knew one thing for certain.

Seven held no obligation to keep his word.

"Why would I make a bet with you?"

[If you win... I won't ever kill any innocents ever again. How does that sound?]

Number Seven spoke with confidence as he laid this deal on Marcus, to which Marcus grit his teeth.

"And what happens if I lose?"

[Let's see... if you lose... then I suppose I'll just kill every innocent person in this world.]

A bombshell.

He spoke with such a casual tone, bringing up such a thing as if he were speaking of what he had for lunch.

Yet without a doubt, the monster inside of Marcus was completely serious.

Without a doubt, he held the power to do so.

And without a doubt, he held no moral obligations preventing him from doing so.

For to Number Seven, who had been molded into a monster, humanity was the very bane of this world.

The people who benefitted from his suffering, or tried to do so.

"I... accept your deal."

[So foolish, Marcus.]

[You don't even confirm the conditions before you accept such things.]

[Did you even consider the fact that I hadn't mentioned a time limit?]

It was then that Marcus understood.

The thing inside him never had any intention to help humanity in the first place.

----

[Hahaha... the world is a ticking time bomb. So long as you manage to protect that girl, I'll do as I please to all the innocents of the world. If you kill her, then I will slaughter them all, therefore you absolutely must protect her - with everything you have. Ah... but there is one way that you can save all the other people in this world.]

With what would almost certainly have been a grin, Seven whispered into the mind of Marcus.

[By letting her die.]

With a chuckle, the voice trailed off as Marcus and Sylvia were left together in the room of slaughter.

[But could you possibly do something so heartless… again?]

"Were you really human once?"

Marcus had gone beyond hopelessness.

He had gone beyond despair.

He had gone beyond desolation.

"Tell me, Seven. How the hell were you ever human?"

And now, he was irritated.

"You suffered. You experienced pain. You knew what it was to be hurt. You understood better than anyone what it meant to be killed. You know better than anyone in this world what it means to die, and how horrible it is. So tell me."

As if all sadness in his voice had left, there was only one emotion left as Marcus spoke.

Exhaustion.

"Why the hell are you so bent on making everyone else suffer like you did?"

[Wrong.]

With a sharp tone, seven cut at Marcus as if a landmine had been stepped on.

[Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.]

And then, as if he was hearing hundreds of voices, the head of Marcus exploded in sound.

[Wrong Wrong Wrong Wrong Wrong Wrong Wrong Wrong Wrong WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG!!!!]

Then, they all stopped.

And they joined into one.

[You're wrong, Marcus.]

Hundreds of voices.

Voices of all kinds.

Male and female.

Old and young.

Quiet and loud.

Cheerful and distorted.

Despairing and hopeful.

How many different voices joined together in that choir of the mind?

Marcus did not know.

[I told you.... over and over. And you know well... that I am no human. How many times must I REMIND you, Marcus?]

With this sentence, the voice of Seven went back to that demented voice of the male who Marcus knew so well.

[I am a monster.]

[A Human Calamity.]

[And I... no... we were created for one purpose.]

[To destroy the world.]

[And if I'm going to destroy the world... then I'm going to do it my way.]

[Now then... let's see if you can keep your word.]

[See if you can manage to NOT kill the child.]

With this statement, Seven's voice disappeared.

Marcus was left in a state of disarray, looking around him with a tired expression as his eyes fell upon the body of the girl who was still breathing.

"Ah... I'm too exhausted for this...", Marcus said under his breath.

"Me too, Marcus."

Placing her hand on his shoulder, Sylvia looked to him with eyes of concern.

She had heard everything, linked to the conversation within the mind of Marcus through the strange bond which One and Seven held to one another.

"Me too."

However as they looked to one another with sour expressions, a figure sat up from her slumber.

The blue haired girl looked to the two with dead eyes, slowly getting up without so much as batting an eye as she looked around her.

Bodies, blood, corpses, and two zombified humans entered her vision as she slowly stood up.

Then, looking down, she noticed one particular corpse as she walked up to it without so much as letting out a peep.

She looked down, staring at the corpse for a moment before closing her eyes for just a brief moment, as if taking in the scene.

"Big brother. It seems that my other siblings are dead."

And then, she spoke out.

The coldness in her voice sent shivers down the spines of Marcus and Sylvia, who stood up as they watched the girl with intensity.

"Hey... little girl... he-"

"It would also seem that these two are the cause of this. While you have never been one to care whether we fall, it would surely be a burden to you to have less labor. Therefore... I'm sure you're likely very angry. Should I kill them as well?"

The girl spoke to the headless man as if he were alive, not so much as blinking as she looked down to the headless body, awaiting an answer.

An answer which would never come.

Or so Marcus thought.

"Can't you see that he's dead?", Sylvia spat.

Stepping forth, Sylvia walked with authority as she gripped the shoulders of the child.

"And I was the one who killed him.", she said, staring the girl directly in the eyes.

The girl was barely 8 years old.

She was so small that Sylvia could feel the weakness as she gripped the girl.

Yet the girl merely looked up, her expression ever unchanging as she spoke in a robotic tone.

"I don't think that's the case. After all... do hearts beat when people are dead?"

As the girl said this, Sylvia's eyes went wide.

"Wha-"

Turning to the body, she saw it in the corner of her eye.

Movement.

"How... no... that... why..."

Unable to even get a sentence out, Sylvia and Marcus both watched in horror as the unthinkable happened.

The head of the man which had been crushed was regenerating.

"Seven... One... are one of you-"

[Did you think I would sit back and let things go without nudging the situation a bit?]

Inside her mind, the voice of Seven played.

And then, outside.

[Isabella. They slaughtered all the others.]

With a grin, the blonde haired man stood up as his face reformed.

The whites of his eyes became blackened, and his expression was one which was filled with a sadistic joy that surpassed mere ecstasy.

[Make sure they regret it.]

At that moment, Marcus and Sylvia looked to each other, their expressions darkening as they realized the situation.

'I see...', they thought in unison.

"I understand, big brother."

It was then that the girl rushed forward, gripping the knife which had been hidden inside her rags.

"I'll start with their tongues."

As the girl said this, Marcus and Sylvia realized one thing.

The girl before her was no little girl.

The image of a certain blonde haired girl who laughed while she bathed in blood overlapped with the girl as she rushed forth, knife in hand.

Yet there was one crucial difference between the two.

"But maybe... that would be a bit too difficult to start out with. Therefore..."

The girl pretended to aim for the face of Marcus before quickly changing her maneuvering, instead slicing at his kneecap, cutting his leg clean off.

Marcus fell to the ground, his leg separated from his body as he lost his balance in the chaos.

'She... those motions... it's as if she's been... trained...'

"I suppose I'll take out their ability to fight back first. After all..."

The girl rushed forth to attack Marcus once more, however Sylvia stood forward, blocking her path.

"No you don't... you little brat...", the woman whispered as she stood weaponless - for her weapons had been left in the streets when she was taken.

However as she held out her hands, the girl smiled - ever so slightly.

"That's what you taught us."

It was at that moment that the girl bent down in her rush, grabbing the rotten leg of Marcus which was on the ground.

Slicing it open with the knife in her hand, a spray of rotten blood rained upon Sylvia, forcing her to close her eyes.

"Agh!"

And the moment Sylvia closed her eyes, she felt not one - but both of her legs as they were sliced clean off while she fell to the ground.

"To never stop moving... until our opponent has lost the will to fight."

"To attack where one is weak... using any method possible."

"To use the fact that we are children... to obtain the PITY of our opponents."

"To use the mercy they show us... so that we may stab them in the back later."

The words of the girl shot off like a robot, and in that instant Marcus and Sylvia felt something which they could never have imagined they would have felt from a human.

They felt frightened.

Frightened beyond belief.

For the girl before them was so distorted - so demented - so destroyed - that she could defeat them in an instant.

All their hardship and trial had amounted to nothing in the face of this child.

And this... ruined them.

'Are we... going to die? Because of this child?'

'Are we so weak... that we couldn't even defeat... no... that we couldn't even SAVE a single child?'

"Wait! You don't have to do this!", Marcus shouted as he held his hand out towards the girl.

However she merely looked down upon the man with a cold glare.

"No. I do have to. Because my brother told me to."

However it was then that the hair of Sylvia wrapped itself around the girl.

In an instant, the young girl was trapped - completely constrained and unable to move a muscle.

"Ah. It would seem that I've been trapped."

The girl said this without concern, trying to use the knife to cut the hair - yet unable.

"It would seem that this is too dull to use.", she murmured.

[Sylvia. All I have to do is tighten things a little. Hehehe... just a little bit more... and the girl's head will snap. If I kill the girl, Marcus wins the bet. Then we'll never kill any innocents again. So now it's your turn. Tell me, Sylvia.]

With childish laughter, One whispered into the mind of Sylvia as she presented a horrible decision.

[Do I kill her? Or do I let her go?]