"Haru," Yamaken persuaded, "You shouldn't have agreed to send them out there all alone like that. What if they get in danger?"
It was Haru's office room that Haru and Yamaken were talking in. Haru was standing on the other side of the desk with an expressionless face while Yamaken was standing before him with a desperate face.
Yamaken was way much more younger in that time. But his eyes were not as bright as it is these days. He was still on his way to grow handsome.
On the other hand, Haru was a boy with a head full of black hair and with a pair of green eyes. He was handsome, too. However, he was a little taller than Yamaken and also, he was elder.
[Note: Haru and Yamaken's eye colours have been exchanged]
"It was an order from the higher-up(s). I dare not talk back to them," Haru replied simply.
Yamaken was enraged, "What? Are you kidding me right now? Why would you care about the higher-up(s) when it's Kaori we're talking about?!"
"It's an order, Yoshii," Haru reminded him firmly.
"You know what?" Yamaken snapped, "Sometimes I regret abiding by your every single order."
"Yoshii!"
"Enough of this!" Yamaken yelled back, "If anything happens to her, I won't forgive you. Mind it."
Yamaken turned around and stormed out of the room, slamming the door off hardly behind him.
Haru let out a sigh, watching the other's behaviour, "You're not the only one who's worried, brat."
**************************************
"Argh!" Kaori fell on her knees, facing a blow from the giant spirit.
"Kaori!" Yukine called as he fought the other spirits that were being hindrances on his way to her.
As the giant roared in joy because he had been able to give his attacker a blow off, Fujinuma started to calculate the situation as he observed his sorroundings.
𝘞𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. 𝘒𝘢𝘰𝘳𝘪 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥. 𝘠𝘶𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰'𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘒𝘢𝘰𝘳𝘪..
He cut a spirit off that had lunged on him from the back without even turning around to look at it.
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘐 𝘥𝘰? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘐 𝘥𝘰? 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬!
As he saw a spirit approaching Kaori, he took out two of his shuriken and threw it, targeting the spirit. They hit on its vital spot, making it dissolve.
Another roar and he couldn't tolerate it anymore, "Yukine! Call for help! We can't do it alone!"
"Okay!" By tapping his wristband, Yukine sent a message to the clan, asking for help.
But due to the slight break of their concentration, both of the two didn't see what was coming on Kaori's way.
Kaori couldn't stand up because she had sprained her leg, bearing the throbbing pain. It had swelled up into a bruise and started to hold her back from being able to move her leg as she wished. She was using her healing ability but it wasn't something that she had practiced before so it was taking time. But the moster didn't wait for her, it stepped forward to grab her up with its hand.
"Hey? Wait!" Kaori yelled out, because she hadn't expect this, "Put me down!"
Hearing her yell, Yukine and Fujinuma realized what was happening. But they couldn't do anything for her, too because all the other spirits sorrounded the two and blocked their way to her again.
"Seriously, are they just spirits?" Fujinuma couldn't help joking at this time as he saw what was happening, "They rather seem like high IQ prominent inhuman beings. Or is it just me?"
Yukine snickered at his joke, "I agree with you."
"I have to admit, their plans are superb," Fujinuma took out his weapon, "But not enough to take us down."
Yukine shouted, attacking a spirit, "Let her go!"
While the two fought on the ground, Kaori was squirming in the spirit's hand to get herself out of its clutch, "Let me go! Now!" She punched its hands and kicked its wrists.
𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘠𝘶𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘦.. 𝘕𝘰, 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵. 𝘏𝘦'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧𝘧. 𝘐𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦..
𝘞𝘢𝘪𝘵, 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳!
"You," She tried one last time, "Let me go."
Instead of letting her go, the spirit roared loudly on her face.
"...."
"Fine," Kaori's eyes glew red. A scarlet aura also surrounded her body. Her hands were encompassed by a crimson light. "But I want to let you know, your breath stinks," She made a disgusted face before reciting -
𝘼𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡, 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝!
**************************************
!Ding!
Haru glanced at his digital wristband on the table to see the name 'Yukine' lighting up on its display.
"Yukine?" He took the band on his hand to recall that Yukine had said he would send message if they needed help.
Haru immediately tapped on the display to view the message - "Haru, help!"
He jumped up from his seat and sent a message to Yamaken - "Yoshii, we're going out there to help them. Call for an emergency meeting, now!"
**************************************
The beast roared in pain but didn't let go of Kaori.
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵? 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨?!
Kaori took the advantage of the situation and flipped her body around to give a hard kick on the wrist to loosen its grip and it worked.
She landed safely on the ground and looked up at the Shadow Reaper.
"You're one of the highest rank spirit," Kaori said to it, "But I'll finish you off." She smirked as she wiped the blood off of her lips, "Right about.... Now."
"Come, Raiki!"
"Haru?" Both Yukine and Fujinuma said in unison and surprise.
Soon enough, more portals opened and Yamaken, Maki, Hinata, Gin, Koutarou, Okinawa, Saki, Mabuchi, Ishika, Hayami, Chika, Shinobu and many others entered the scene. All of them had received the message of Yukine.
The long, sharp dual sword fit perfectly in Kaori's hands. She lunged forward to finish the spirit off with one strike while all the others turned the scene into a battlefield in an instant.
But Kaori's strike failed. The Shadow Reaper had changed its form and became way bigher and powerful. Even Raiki, a blessed vessel, couldn't even bore a cut on its skin.
"Shoot," Kaori cursed under her breath as she tried harder to cut in. Before she could even look up at it, it slapped her away like a mosquito.
Haru slipped away from her hand as she flew away. She hit her head hardly on a broken concrete wall of the village barrier. A sharp breath of pain left her mouth as she felt her back crash on the wall. Blood started to stream out of her head full of short hair.
The spirit started to walk up to her again. Haru wanted to stop it with his abilities but he couldn't since Kaori hadn't reverted him back to his original form.
𝘾𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙩, 𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙘 𝙗𝙞𝙣𝙙.
!Roar!
"Yoshii, be careful!"
!Slap!
"Yoshii!"
Saki ran to the male who had failed to protect Kaori from the spirit.
Kaori slowly stood up as the spirit neared her, "Nobody... Move. Don't move," She said barely to the others.
Everyone was awaiting what was about to happen. It's not going to be anything pleasant for sure but they had to hold their breaths back.
Kaori felt the spirit's unpleasant breath and beared it. She had deep cuts in her hands, she couldn't move them. She couldn't stand with the pain on her legs, back and head that she fell on her knees again. She was like a broken doll, about to be torn apart.
𝘐𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘥?
Her whole life flashed past her eyes as the spirit raised its hand to finish her off.
𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴..
𝘾𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙪𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙩, 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡!
Strong wind made Kaori shut her eyes off, not being able to see what was happening.
𝘞𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘥? 𝘉𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮?
**************************************
Fujinuma was watching the attacks from the back. He couldn't bear to watch them, but he couldn't expose himself like this, either.
"𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘵," he thought, "𝘐'𝘮 𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥."
But still, it was being extra hard to him when he saw Kaori getting hurt. He was on the edge when he saw the spirit approaching her again at the end. And he didn't give it a second thought when the spirit raised its hand to kill her.
He moved to protect her, "𝘾𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙪𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙩, 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡!"
The spirit at once froze in its position.
Fujinuma had left everyone dumbfounded and shocked. Never would they have thought that he had such abilities.
"Now leave and never let me see you again," He ordered the spirit stern and strongly.
The spirit obliged to his order and bowed to him slightly as if he was its master and dissolved in the thin air.
After this, Fujinuma turned to look at Kaori when he saw that she was already on her feet with the help of Yukine. She was looking at him in strong disbelief and... Fear?
𝘞𝘩𝘺..?
Seeing her expression, he took a step at her with a forced smile on his face, she took a step backward. This made him freeze in his position.
𝘞𝘩𝘺...?
He was hurt by her actions.
𝘐 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘚𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘺..?
He decided to think that she was just too taken aback by the sudden showcase of his abilities. He then looked at all the others who were present to suddenly realize what he had done.
He had controlled the actions of a corrupted spirit. That would, of course, run one wild thought in all of their mind.
What if he was to control that spirit and use it to destroy them all off?
**************************************
"Eliminate him!"
"Kill him!"
"Lock him up!"
"He's a curse! He's a demon!"
"He'll kill us all! Kill him before he kills us all!"
Kaori was hearing the hateful comments of the clan residents from the balcony of the student council's meeting room.
She was here because the president of the council had asked for her presence in the meeting. It was a meeting to decide whether they should eliminate Fujinuma Hiiro or not and, if so, by whom would the job be done.
The room was too noisy inside, so Kaori had come to the balcony. But now she thought that it was better inside than being here. So she entered back inside.
"According to the rule," Aiza, the preside, was saying, "A master should be the one to eliminate his/her shinki when they commit betrayal."
"I won't do it," Kaori announced coldly, glaring at the boy with orange hair and turquoise eyes.
"Why not?" He said, amused, "You are his master. He committed betrayal, you must punish him for this."
"Elimination is not the answer," Kaori gritted her teeth.
"Look at you," He pointed at her, "Still trying to cover up for him when he committed such a crime? He hid his true abilities!"
"He did it to protect me!"
"So what?" He shouted, "What if he hadn't protected you, huh? What if he had used that against you intead?!"
"He didn't do it!" Kaori's voice broke, "So doesn't that mean that he wouldn't?"
The room fell in silence at the two student's arguement. Nobody dared to say anything on anyone's behalf.
"Yeah," Aiza mocked Kaori's question, "Keep on believing him like that. We'll see how he keeps your trust."
Kaori didn't say anything back this time. Was there any meaning to it? They wouldn't listen to her anyways.
𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦? 𝘐𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘵. 𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐'𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶.
"I, Murakami Aiza, the president of the student council of the Power Clan claim Fujinuma Hiiro to be eliminated by the head of the guards of this clan, Senjin Shen on the same day of the next week since Izumi Kaori refused to take the responsibility. Decision made to be final!"
*************************************
Three days later at night.
!Beep beep beep, Ring ring ring!
"It's the prison alarm!"
"Fujinuma's cell!"
All the higher rank students and guards ran to the prison in the dungeon with kaori leading them while Yamaken and Yukine was right beside her. They met with Haru on the way - he was guiding Fujinuma's cell that night.
Kaori barged into the cell to see Fujinuma had broken the cell barrier and was about to escape.
"Stop him!" Aiza ordered. The prison guards and all the others attcked Fujinuma.
A short fight followed until Fujinuma faced Kaori. They made a deep eye contact and she could see sadness in those deep gray eyes.
She had been shaken inside.
"𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘐 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮?"
"Kaori, look out!"
Haru hugged the girl and pulled her away from the way.
"He's escaping! Get him!"
Kaori didn't understand what just happened and was about to get up and follow the others to stop Fujinuma when she saw blood on her hands.
𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥? 𝘐'𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥-
She snapped her head towards Haru to see him bleeding heavily.
"Haru!" She yelled. She then did the thing that first came to her mind - pulling the boy's head onto her lap and tried to stop the bleeding on his abdomen by pressing it hardly with her hands.
Yamaken and Yukine came back running to her again as they heard her voice. When they saw Haru, they stopped dead on their tracks.
"Haru, haru," Kaori called as her hands started shaking. "Yamaken, Yukine, you guys look after him. I'll go-"
"Don't go," Haru grope her hand tightly with his bloody ones, "Don't leave, please."
Kaori sniffled, "Okay, it's okay. I'm not leaving, okay? I'm not leaving."
"Th-thank you," As Haru said this, blood came out of his mouth.
Kaori was frightened by the sight. So she pressed the wound harder so that the blood flow out would decrease. She felt the sharp object in his wound as she did so.
𝘚𝘰 𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧?
"Haru," Kaori tried to assure the boy on her lap, "You're going to be fine, okay?"
"Kaori..." Haru spoke again lowly, "I'm sorry."
Tears formed in Kaori's eyes by this sudden apology, "What?"
"I'm sorry..." He said again, "I, I'm sorry for a lot of things. I should've been better to you, I'm sorry."
"Stupid, what are you talking about suddenly?" Kaori half cried, "Stop talking, it's not helping the blood from coming out."
She turned to look at Yukine, "Call the doctor."
Yukine held his head down, ".... The doctor left the headquarter in the morning. He won't make it in time."
"Call any other doctor," Kaori ordered.
"There are none others," Yamaken said this time.
"Kaori," Haru called her as he held her hand, "Stop worrying."
"You're the one making me worry," Kaori said back, "Am I worrying because I want to?"
Haru smiled weakly, "I'm sorry."
"Stop apologizing," Kaori sniffled again.
𝘐𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴...
"Yoshii," Haru called Yamaken this time, who sat down on the ground beside him right at once.
"Promise me something, will you?"
Yamaken nodded quietly, tears forming in his eyes, too.
Anyone would be able to make what was happening right now. Haru had a lot less time remaining in his hands and it was reducing every moment.
"Promise me," Haru said, his voice lowering down further, "That you'll protect Kaori until the end."
"...."
"Yoshii?"
".. I will. I promise," Yamaken's voice broke.
Haru smiled in content, "I'm happy, Thank you."
"Kaori," He called again, "I know that I'm dying now. So if we ever meet again, let's be best friends again. Let's enjoy our life differently then. I always wished to be there for you, but most of the time, I failed to do so. I'm really sorry."
A lump grew on Kaori's throat and held her back from replying to Haru.
"I wanted to apologize to you for so many things. But nothing is coming to my mind right now," A tear left his right eye as he tried to laugh.
"You have apologized enough," Kaori cried, "I should be the one to apologize! I'm sorry for treating you so meanly all the time. I'm sorry for hurting your feelings! I'm sorry.."
Kaori's tears hit Haru's face that he ended up smiling, "Idiot, stop crying like that." He touched her face and caressed it gently, "It's okay. I was hurt, but now I'm f-fine." Haru vomited blood.
"Haru!"
He coughed, blood coming out of his mouth again, "K-kaori.. Tell me, s-something. D-do you still trust F-fujinuma?"
Kaori stopped.
𝘋𝘰 𝘐?
"Don't st-stay quiet," Haru begged, "An-answer m-me."
But he didn't get any answer. Instead, more blood came out of his mouth.
"K-kaori," He tried to catch his last breath, "Revenge is not always the way, remember that. I'll alw-ways be-e r-right h-here, w-with y-you.." He pointed at Kaori's heart shakily, two more tears falling from his eyes before he closed his eyes and his hand plopped on Kaori's lap.
"Haru?"
"Haru?"
Kaori shook Haru, "No, please don't die on me. Haru? Haru! Haru, please."
"Haru!" Kazuma rushed into the prison to see Kaori with Haru's lifeless body on her lap, Yamaken sitting on the ground beside her looking devastated and Yukine standing there as if he was frozen to his spot.
He ran to Haru's body, "Kaori..."
Kaori was soobing and sniffling silently as she held Haru's body close to her. She quickly stood up as she saw her teacher and grabbed his shoulders, "Sensei, Haru, he.. He.. Bring him to a doctor. We need a doctor. Please, he just passed out."
Kazuma looked at the body on the ground. He knew that Haru was dead, but he didn't know how he could consult that to Kaori.
"Kaori.. He's no more," Kazuma said quietly with a broken voice and tears in his eyes.
"No. No, he's not," Kaori denied, "He promised me long ago. He promised me that he wouldn't leave me behind. He promised, sensei! He's not dead, not yet. Please, save him."
"Kaori, it's okay," Kazuma hugged her as tears started to stream down his face, too, "Calm down, calm down."
Kaori hugged him back as she cried in his arms.
"Save him.. Please.. Save him."
[End of flashback]
*************************************
"You still remember every details, don't you?" Yamaken commented.
"That night," Kaori said, "Was the darkest night of my life. I still hate to recall it. But I can't also erase it from my mind."
Kaori turned to look at Yamaken with a playful smile, "And you had left me right on the next day."
Yamaken felt a sense of guilt, "Sorry.."
"Nope, it's okay," Kaori looked back at the sky, "It's better that you did. That's why I am who I am right now. An upgraded version of me," She grinned.
"Is that so?" Said Yamaken, not as a question.
"I'm even thinking of forgiving Fujinuma for what he did."
Yamaken looked at Kaori with wide eyes of surprise, "Really?"
"Yeah," Kaori smiled. "It was Haru who told me to remember that revenge was not always the way."
"Whoa," Yamaken teased, "You really upgraded yourself well."
Kaori laughed at his singing tone.
While these two were talking by themselves at the balcony, Wood was watching them quietly from the dining room at the table.
He was thirsty, so he had come to drink a glass of water when he saw the two conversing at the balcony on the other side. Despite not being able to hear their conversation, he decided to watch them.
"Wood?" Willia asked as she closed the door to her room behind her back, "What are you doing here?"
Wood gave a small nod at Willia and went back to staring at Yamaken and Kaori afar.
"What are you watching?" She stopped when she saw Kaori and Yamaken laughing as they talked. "Oh, it's Kaori and Yamake-" She was stopped from calling them by Wood as he hissed at her.
"What's the matter?" She asked him, surprised.
"Just let them be," Wood answered curtly.
Willia shrugged, "Okay." She poured herself a glass of water.
As she drank from the glass, she noticed the look on Wood's face when he watched Kaori and Yamaken. She was taken aback by the expression. She wondered whom he was looking at like that to see that it was Yamaken.
She stopped in her position as her eyes widened.
𝘞𝘢𝘪𝘵, 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘫𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘺?
She looked back at Wood again to make it sure. Then she looked back at the couple on the balcony.
𝘕𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘞𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘒𝘢𝘰𝘳𝘪?
⭐🌟⭐❤⭐❤⭐❤⭐❤⭐❤⭐❤⭐🌟⭐