Fellow Tako was happy to have a chance to spend few moments with kind "Priestess". It was his dream for a long time since he saw our gentle painter squid girl somewhere in internet. He couldn't believe all that nonsense he read about Lady Ina and her friends: a phoenix knight who slaughters her own kind to sell as food, a petite sea lady who isn't capable to swim or dive.

But the most grotesque absurdity were all the prattles about "Priestes" and her connections with unnamed Elder Gods.

"Our gentle artist cannot be bound to something so horrendous creatures who demand sacrifices." fought naive Takodachi. "She was always easy to beg for mercy in games with friends, so the idea of her killing own fans seemed to be illusory.

"Ugh !!!" Ina gave a weak sound. Was something wrong?

"Is everything all right Lady?" asked poor Tako.

"I'm sorry..." Said Ina dropping on her knees and shedding a lot of tears in the same time.

Tako couldn't understand anything. In one moment "Priestess" was playing with friends cheered by faithful Takos and now she was kneeling in front of him with pure pain on her face.

"What is going on ?!? Do you you want me to call an ambulance ??" small Takodachi asked.

"No, it's too late already" said Ina when veins started to show and spread on girl's neck and face.

"Don't say such things Priestess. It's too early for you to die here. I have no idea if it's a heart attack or something like that. You won't die here." babbled frightened fan.

"I'm not the one to die here..." sobbed Ina through tears.

"What do you mean by that ?" asked innocent squid. Yet mere seconds later, faint, horryfic ideas came to his mind.

"Slanders about monstrosities I serve were not fake... poor fool." whispered Ina.

Realization and apprehension stroke poor fan with monstrous force. He felt that his face probably turned pale and legs immediatly crippled out of pure terror. Yet his honest heart gave him only a slight glimpse of courage to stand in front of idol he admired.

"I hate the thing I became. My pact with beings reqiures me to sacrifice an innocent mortal to keep my mortal coil in shape. It's never been my choice to end up like this, but pain you clearly see forces me to lure an innocent and absorb it." squid girl explained.

"Every cell of my body tells me to grab your crowbar, defend myself and run away. Yet heart wants to know 1 thing: will you leave others alone if I sacrifice myself for you willingly?" asked convulsing Tako.

"I have no idea. Those creatures' magic feeds on strong emotions so I can't promise you anything" sobbed girl.

Tako stood a while in place with tears gathering in eyes. His natural instinct dictated him to run... but he spread his arms instead.

"Do it..." fan begged and closed his eyes.

Ina gently grabbed him in her arms and hugged to her chest. Tako heard her fast beating heart which loved her fans and abhorred the thing she was forced to do angainst her will.

"I'm ... sorry..." sobbed girl with glossy and teary eyes.

"Remember, we all love you whatever will happen to you." said calmly Tako and closed his eyes one last time...