"What the heck happened?!" Hikari screeched when she saw them, rushing to Korū's side. Ichika looked surprised and horrified, her gaze fixed on the unconscious form of Tsukiyama.
Linda rushed forward, "Why is your neck bleeding?" She asked Alina, frowning at the slit on her neck..
"Maybe I'm suicidal." Alina joked halfheartedly. Linda gave her an unimpressed look. "I'll tell everyone the whole story after we all get a drink of truth potion." Alina added placatingly.
"Korū's still out, though," Shōhei said, while trying to get Hikari to stop fussing. "He's fine. I think."
"He is. Ichika, go get Rihito and come to the living room." The witch said.
Ichika raced away without another word, because she had always intimidated her. Everyone else went to the living room to wait, and the witch went to retrieve some potion.
"What happened?" Hikari demanded. "Why the hell are there two knocked out people?"
"Akui paid a visit." Alina said. "Like I just said, we'll tell you in a moment."
"What?!"
Alina shrugged nonchalantly.
"How did he even get in?" Linda asked.
"Him, if I had to guess." Alina gestured towards Tsukiyama, who was now on a couch.
"What the fuck?" Cayne said helpfully.
"Yeah, what the heck?" Hikari growled. "I'll kill him." She stole Korū's gun.
"Questioning first, guys. And why do you always have to threaten to kill people?" Alina chastised, rolling her eyes. These people were so self contradictory. But then again, who wasn't?
Hikari lowered the gun and placed it on the coffee table, though her fingers hovered over it, ready to snatch it up if she had to.
"I'm back." The witch said, Rihito and Ichika right behind her. Korū chose that moment to wake up, wincing at the sight of Shōhei, who looked like he was about to tear someone's throat out.
"Yo." Alina told him.
"Holy fucking shit," he huffed, jerking backwards after seeing Hikari leaning over him. "Don't do that-"
"How do you feel?" Cayne asked him.
"I'm just so damn glad to breathe. It doesn't hurt."
"Have you even introduced yourself?" Cayne questioned abruptly, frowning at the witch as he opened his mouth, wanting to ask how they wanted to go around doing this, before he realised that she never told them her name.
"Er… my name is Shizuna." She said, bringing out a vial of clear blue liquid. She poured small amounts into a few different cups, one for each of them. "Okay, drink up."
"What the hell is this?" Korū narrowed his eyes at the liquid.
"Truth potion."
"How do we know that you didn't poison it or anything?" Linda asked suspiciously.
"It's basic manners not to, especially in our own house. That guy," Rihito jabbed his finger in Tsukiyama's direction with slight disgust, "is an exception."
"It's also illegal." Shizuna added, eyeing Alina, who snorted.
"And what if we don't want to drink the potion?" Korū questioned.
"You would make things much harder for everyone." Shizuna answered.
"Can we tie him up?" Alina asked as Tsukiyama stirred. At least his wand was still with Shizuna.
Hikari raised an eyebrow. "In what sense?"
Korū wrinkled his nose as he glanced at Tsukiyama, "No, shoot him."
"We need answers from him." Alina said to Korū. She then turned to Hikari, "We need to know that everyone is telling the truth, so that we don't get stabbed in the back by them, and they don't get stabbed in the back by us."
"We're the ones dying here," Hikari pointed out. "It doesn't make sense for us to stab you in the back."
"Talking about stabbing people, why didn't you take the chance to capture Akui?" Ichika grumbled.
"He'll pay eventually if what he did concerns us." Rihito told her. The Fujihana picked their battles carefully, and very rarely picked an entire war.
"For all we know, it could be some elaborate ploy against us, considering that it seems to already be established that your family does carry a curse. You could be holding a grudge. We had no reason to suspect that before, but we need to take action to ensure our own safety, and that you didn't frame Tsukiyama or something." Shizuna explained.
"Get him to talk first, then." Hikari glared at Tsukiyama.
"Sure." Shizuna said. She then poured a portion of the blue liquid down Tsukiyama's throat, before grabbing the rope that Rihito, with a lot of foresight, had conveniently conjured up, and tying his limbs together. Lastly, she cast a spell that made him jerk awake.
"Ah!" Was his immediate and very informative response.
Three guns were inconspicuously being pointed at him in case he somehow managed to escape or pull out a weapon.
"What-"
"Do you work with Akui?" Alina interrupted.
"'Course I do-" he blinked, then gaped at Shizuna.
"See? We're not framing people." Korū stared at the truth potion as if it was revolting.
"Precautions." Rihito answered, glaring at Tsukiyama, "Why would you work with him?"
"He's not part Saeki, right?" Hikari asked.
"Not as far as I know. Also," Tsukiyama waved his hand around, "can't tell you why."
"You want me to make it so you seriously can't tell us?" Korū threatened.
"Eh." He glanced at his hand. "Better than the other option."
"What in the world is he promising everyone that would make them willing to make an ikrar?" Alina commented exasperatedly.
"Right, he's never gonna speak ever again." Korū was about to cut the guy's tongue off.
"Hold up." Alina told him, before turning to Rihito, "Is there really no way to reverse an ikrar?"
Rihito just blinked at her. "No." he drawled, hesitating.
She cocked her head to the side, giving him her most convincing, pitiful look. It was playing dirty, but it had to be done. "Please? If anyone knows, it's you."
Rihito sighed, "It's a family secret."
"Oh." Alina turned away sadly, pretending to give up.
Another sigh. "Fine. I'll go get the book."
Shizuna stared at his retreating figure before raising an eyebrow at Alina, who grinned impishly. That was strangely satisfying.
Korū's hands were less than an inch away from Tsukiyama's throat, on the brink of wrapping themselves around the traitor's throat.
"Alina's skills-" Hikari laughed.
Alina shrugged. "People think you're cute when you're," she glanced down at herself and cringed, "tiny."
Linda laughed, "Seems like you've found one of its merits, though."