"NAAAGITO KOOMAEDAAA!" A thunderous voice bellowed throughout the market. A deafening hush fell through the place as spirits and souls alike vanished quickly, leaving no trace of their presence.

Hajime's head snapped toward Nagito, his heart rate speeding up. How could she have found them so fast? They hadn't left any clues behind, hadn't told anyone of their departure.

Hajime reached for Nagito's hand, but just when he was about to grab it, the Grim Reaper was yanked backward austerely by the collar around his neck.

Nagito's fingers scrabbled at the collar, his face twisted into an expression of discomfort.

"Get him, too." Hajime looked up to a pair of menacing blue eyes and peach colored pigtails.

Hajime pulled out his gun, shooting the guards in the chest. They fell with a thump, dissolving into the air.

"Let him go." He threatened, aiming the weapon directly at the Queen.

"What? This?" She hoisted Nagito upward by the chain, causing him to emit a choking noise.

Without thinking twice, Hajime pulled the trigger twice, firing continuously. Just as he was about to lunge toward the Grim Reaper, the cold barrel of a gun met the back of his head.

His breath left his lungs when a sharp feeling in his back forced him down, the heel of a shoe digging into his spine.

"You really think that'd work?" The mocking tone of Junko bounced off the walls. The Queen crouched in front of Hajime, a smug smile plastered on her face. "Just because you shot down two guards doesn't mean I don't have reinforcements."

"Should I shoot him, Your Majesty?" A voice above him spoke.

His eyes widened at the familiar tone, one that he had heard barely ten minutes ago.

"That'll be all, Nightshade. Thank you for your service." Junko tossed her a bag of coins.

"You should have learned not to trust anyone in the black market, Nagito."

"You can't touch him," The Grim Reaper wheezed, his fingers clawing at the collar. "He's already freed." Nagito smiled slyly.

A sudden thought crossed through Hajime's mind like a bullet. He understood why Nagito told him to take off his chains first, why he didn't hurry when taking his own off.

Nagito knew this was going to happen. He had predicted all of this. He had told Hajime to go first because he knew that Junko would come and take them back.

But he wasn't going to allow that. That's why he had freed Hajime first, so even if they were found, only Nagito would be punished.

"NAGITO!" Hajime attempted to rise from the floor and snap Junko's wrist so that she wouldn't be able to hold on to the albino's chain.

"And where do you think you're going?" Nightshade dug her heel deeper into Hajime's back, her gun now positioned higher on his head. "Down, boy."

Junko smiled in amusement, tugging on Nagito's chain so that his face was in level with hers.

"Oh, darling. Just because I can't touch him doesn't mean that Nightshade can't. Although she is part of my kingdom, she isn't necessarily part of my court. You really should go over every scenario before you act, Nagito."

"She promised me his wings." Nightshade licked her lips, her mouth curling upward to show her fangs. "His beautiful wings."

Nagito's smile faltered when Nightshade reached down to caress Hajime's wings.

The brunet gasped sharply as her hands came into contact with his newfound wings, the nerves beneath the skin tingling at a simple brush.

"Don't touch him." Nagito sneered into Junko's complacent expression.

"It's not your place to say what I should and should not do, lover boy. He made you break the rules the first time and this time as well. He's going."

Hajime gritted his teeth, his wings twitching in sensitivity. Going where? Were his wings going to be cut off?

"You wouldn't. His Majesty would never let you." Nagito gasped, his eyes traveling between the brunet and the Queen.

"He said I could do whatever I wanted with him. He's in my possession. I have full control over him."

"You can't. Anything but him. Please." Nagito was begging, his voice cracking as he landed on his knees.

There was not one ounce of sympathy or forgiveness in Junko's eyes as she stood up, the chain still in her hand.

"Don't do this. Please. I'll do anything. Just leave him alone."

Hajime was angry.

Furious.

Absolutely vehement.

Nagito's eyes were filled with hopelessness; despair. And he was on his knees. His knees for heaven's sake. The once powerful Grim Reaper had been reduced to nothing but a worthless dog, groveling at the feet of its master.

Hajime loathed it. He hated how Junko treated him, how she was successful in making Nagito lose all hope.

A sudden burst of energy ran through his veins as if someone had injected him with adrenaline.

He twisted his body sideways, twisting the gun upward just as Nightshade shot and aimed a swift kick at her head, knocking her backward.

Hajime took the gun, blinded by rage as he started shooting at Junko repeatedly. The Queen dodged, leaving enough space for Hajime to grab Nagito by the hand and sprint away from the royal.

"Hajime-"

"Hurry up and run!" Hajime snapped back, tugging Nagito by the arm.

The two ran as fast as their legs could carry them, toward the exit. The exit out of the Underworld was through the giant mouth of a dog, one of those vortexes that would allow them to leave to the world of the living.

"There!" Nagito gasped, pointing at the exit.

Just as they were about to leap into the hole, an army of skeletons rose from the ground, blocking their path. They whipped around, only to face another group of the walking dead.

Hajime tightened his grip on Nagito's hand and he felt the Grim Reaper squeeze back. Hajime drew out his gun, his heart thumping wildly against his chest. Beside him, Nagito drew out his spear, holding it like a lance.

Nagito barreled through the first line of defense, chopping down bones and skulls whereas Hajime started whacking the dead with the butt of his weapon.

"Hajime!" Nagito gasped out sharply, his eyes wide in fear as a bony hand wrapped around his arm.

Hajime pulled on Nagito, his fist turning white from his grip.

"Come on!" He groaned as more hands grabbed Nagito by the forearm. "Come on, come on, come on!"

His voice broke when the other group of skeletons took hold of his arm.

Hajime's muscles strained as he was being torn away from Nagito. The sweat from his palms caused their hands to slip slowly away from each other.

"NAGITO!"

Hajime's fingers slipped away from Nagito's, and they were separated with a brush of their fingertips.

White bones overwhelmed his vision and he lost sight of the albino, his flailing limbs aching as he hit multiple skeletons while attempting to escape.

But it was hopeless.

It was over.

He had lost.

~

The prison cell was a dark place. Hajime had forgotten how many hours he had been here for. Two? Three? Maybe even four?

His vision had turned black when he had been subdued by the skeletons. All he remembered was Nagito's hand slipping away from his.

All he could care about was Nagito.

Nagito, Nagito, Nagito.

Where was he now? All Hajime knew was that his execution was set in stone and he would die. To die in Hell would have been an honor when he was still alive.

But now? Now he wanted to live. He wanted to spend the remaining three years with Nagito at his side.

Too bad his new life was about to end before it had even started.

The lock on the prison door rattled, its hinges creaking as it was opened.

"Up." A feminine voice growled. Nightshade's. "I said up."

Hajime was single-handedly picked up from the floor by the chains around his wrists. A sharp pain erupted in his abdomen as Nightshade kneed him in the gut.

The Mafia lord reeled backward, clutching his stomach as he struggled to regain his breath.

"Oh, good. You're still alive." She spoke blandly. "Walk."

The brunet followed the merchant out of the cell, coughing profusely as he inhaled the heat from the lava outside of the castle.

"Where are we going?" he wheezed.

"Your execution. Duh." Nightshade threw open the doors, and Hajime was greeted by the contrasting hues of gold, white, red, and black.

The courtroom where he had been testified in before had been transformed into a stadium with spectators on the sides of an endless black hole.

Nightshade tugged Hajime up a ladder, shoving him onto the platform. She proceeded to connect his restraints to a chain from the wire connecting from one side of the room to the other.

Her foot connected with his back, sending him down the wire and to the center of the pit.

"Have fun." She smirked, turning away from his hanging body.

Hajime's arms were already starting to ache due to his weight, and the heat that accompanied his torment did nothing to help.

The doors slammed open, revealing Junko and Nagito, who was being pulled by the collar around his neck. He looked beaten and tired, stumbling with every step he took.

"Nagito!" He yelled, swinging his legs to inch closer to the Grim Reaper.

The albino's head snapped up, his jade eyes widening at the sight of him.

He opened his mouth to say something, but a jerk from the other end of his chain sent him onto his knees next to Junko's throne. A guard forced Nagito's head upward at Hajime when he refused to look.

"Hajime Hinata," Junko said with superiority.

The room fell silent immediately.

"You have been charged with treason against the Afterlife and as a criminal to Hell."

"I didn't-"

"You have bribed the Grim Reaper into escaping Hell with you, wooing him over with your false claims of intimacy."

"That's not-"

"Your sentence for your crimes is..." Her eyes flickered toward Hajime, boring into his soul. "Death."

The crowd cheered in agreement, hurling insults at the brunet.

"And you, Nagito Komaeda, will be the one who watches him die. Luckily enough, I've gotten you front row seats."

Nagito was pulled up to his feet and dragged toward the ladder by Junko, his fatigue weighing his down.

Hajime gritted his teeth, sweat dripping down his forehead as he tried to swing himself back onto the platform. The wire swayed with every movement, threatening to break.

By now, Junko and Nagito were on the platform, both watching Hajime from the other side.

"You get to watch me cut the wire. Isn't that fun?" Junko snickered. "You should be honored. Most people don't even get the privilege of standing next to me when I send criminals to their death."

The Queen pulled out a pair of fashionable scissors, the blade gleaming as she set them at the sides of the wire.

She held up five fingers, grinning sadistically at the crowd. As if on cue, the spirits in the stadium began chanting.

"Five!"

Hajime looked at Nagito, smiling softly at the Grim Reaper.

"Four!"

Hajime took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

"Three!"

A scream erupted from the platform, causing Hajime's eyes to snap open.

In front of him, Nagito had tackled Junko off of the platform, holding her down with his arms as they plunged into the empty vat of black.

Hajime's heart stopped. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't do anything.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

The albino turned his head toward Hajime, his mouth moving as he formed his last word which was directed toward Hajime. Darkness then consumed his body, drowning out the scream of the Queen of Hell.

And then it was silent.

They were gone.

Junko and Nagito's existence was wiped out from the Afterlife. They would cease to live. They couldn't be resurrected. They were gone.

A heavy lump formed in Hajime's throat as his body went limp from shock, the aching in his arms and hands disappearing.

His chest constricted and his dry throat could only form one word.

"NAAAGIITOOOOO!!"