He leaned and started to fall. He wasn't afraid at that moment. The temperature around him started to burn his skin as he dove deeper down into the wall. He was surrounded by smoke. Auquirious had slowly glided down near him, it seemed she had jumped off after him. She was covering her face with a rag to not breathe in the smoke.
"Yer fuckin' insane, Kid!" She yelled, Tsuki smiled. As they got closer to the city buildings, they pressed the retractor button on the sky gear and reeled themselves down to the fiery ground. Screams came from every corner. Glimpses of white appeared in the flames and rubble. The rest of the group landed around them. Mei had a look of fear on her face, everyone was looking at Tsuki, maybe as a symbol that he was leading them now. They were waiting for instructions of what to do next. Tsukiyomi sighed and drew his katanas.
"The flames are too high for us to glide over the buildings to the cathedral. We have to get there by food. It isn't far from here and it seems it's the only building that hasn't had any damage yet. Fight off anyone who tries to attack. Protect Mei and Qingse, they don't have any weapons. I need people to have my back from the Chi members." He instructed Fukuro to transform. She was going to crush the attackers with her giant owl claws, having Mei and Qingse on her back. She flew off towards the flames. As Tsuki and the rest of the group that stayed ran towards the cathedral, they were already getting attacked. Behind Tsuki, Kiri shot her arrows at a constant rate, hitting every corpse and Chi member who approached. Tadashi slashed them in half with one swing of the Moon blade. Karasu attacked with his throwing knives and a couple pistols. Auquirious shot with her gun that were attatched to her swords. They all fought while Tsuki kept running, he never looked back. He reached closer and closer to the Cathedral, the theater was close too. He slashed every attacker around him, not stopping to look, not to take a breath, he kept running.
He glanced through the flames around him, seeing the theater was still intact and undamaged. Once he reached the doors of the cathedral, they had to hide. The doors were guarded heavily with Chi members, too many the five of them couldn't take out. Tsukiyomi looked up at the Cathedral as fire began to gather around them and the edges of the building. There was an open window above them. He glided up into it as the rest of the group followed. It led to the first floor of the building, the hallway to the life and time room. Dead, burnt, bodies of yokai who lived in the cathedral lay all around, broken doors of broken rooms were all around the corridor. If Lazhu was anywhere it was the last door in the cathedral, the life and time room. The walls that were once full of murals of Rose and paintings of the world outside were destroyed. Tsukiyomi stopped in front of the doors of the room Lazhu was in. He breathed in and kicked open the door. Lazhu was surrounded by Chi members, she was at gunpoint, in a circle of swords. And Kibishi.
"You can't do this! The cathedral of time is a sacred place to Rose that should be protected and not led and taken by a monster like you! You can't have Clorina!" Lazhu protested, Kibishi laughed.
"A mere child, stubborn, Might as well just kill you and take what should have already been mine. You are barely even a wall leader, this wall could just as well as be called unclaimed. Just let me have the wall and I won't hurt anyone!"
"You Dirty Liar!"
"Get away from her, Kibishi." Tsukiyomi exclaimed, walking into the room. Kibishi cocked his head to Tsuki, his long crimson hair swaying as he turned. It was nothing like Rose's luscious hair and nothing close to Auquirious's either. He started to chuckle as Tsuki inched closer.
"I am surprised, my pet. Who knew you'd be the one to come to me. Where did all this determination and strength, courage even, come from? Who put you up to this?"
"Did I stutter, Kibishi? I won't say it again!"
"Tsukiyomi! Don't do this! You're going to get hurt!" Lazhu cried. Kibishi laughed again.
"Oh, Darling, you've got it all wrong! See, he won't get hurt! It will only be you, his little friends, and that son of a bitch over there!" He snapped his fingers and the Chi members went to attack Karasu, Auquirious, and Kiri, dragging them out of sight, then restraining Tadashi.
"YOU'RE A MONSTER!" Tadashi yelled, struggling to escape the chains that were put around him.
"Better s monster than an arrogant child!" Kibishi chuckled, Tsuki was about to go for an attack when he was caught by a member by the throat. Kibishi walked over to Tadashi, grabbing his hair and pulling his head up. Terror filled Tadashi's eyes as he stared into Kibishi's dark golden irises.
"We meet again, Tadashi!"
"L-Let them go you son of a bitch!"
"Now I remember you as a child! I didn't know your little name but I remember those golden canine eyes you have and this black and white hair. You were so helpless when he died. You must have blamed yourself, your whole family left you!"
"SHUT UP!"
"And tell me, little wolf, do you wish to punish those who have wronged you as well?"
Tears formed in Tadashi's eyes. He was helpless. Tsuki slammed his foot on the guard's foot, releasing himself and ran at Kibishi, slashing his shoulder with the Katana. He only cut it slightly, Kibishi had thick yokai skin. Kibishi threw Tadashi aside and turned to Tsuki, holding his shoulder. "YOU!" Kibishi yelled, anger filled his eyes, Tsukiyomi stood strong, ready to attack again. Tears filled Tsukiyomi's eyes.
"I will end you!!"
"How? Why do you cry at such a time? Give it up, Mina. You can't go against me. Those tears are full of fear, aren't they?"
Tsukiyomi's body began pulsating, his heart grew fast, his skin began changing. His yokai side of him began to turn. He ignored the feeling though, it only made him stronger.
"This? These tears?" He replied, "They are not weakness nor are they fear. They show just how strong you are and how strong you've been. But before I finish you, look back and know that you were strong but I've grown to overcome my fears and overpower you! Overcome what I once thought to be impossible." Kibishi pulled out his own blade and a pistol and shot one of the katana's out of Tsuki's hand.
"Just to make this a fair fight, love!" He smirked, getting prepared for combat. Lazhu screamed, as she did, Kibishi pointed the pistol at her.
"Tsukiyomi, please don't do this!"
Kibishi chuckled as Tsukiyomi was now trapped with choices.
"I'll leave it up to you then! Either she dies and I take the wall and you come back with me and I let everyone go or she lives and I kill your friends and you get a year of freedom. And HE will be the first to die." Kibishi said, Tadashi from across the room began to struggle, yelling at Kibishi. Tsukiyomi's ears began to ring after the sound of a gunshot. His eyes widened, seeing the hole in Tadashi's leg start gushing out blood. He turned to Kibishi, charging at him with his only katana. Kibishi blocked the attack with his blade, dropping the gun. He pushed Tsuki back, making him slide across the floor in his own blood. Tsukiyomi got back up and ran at him again for another attack. He swung at Kibishi's legs, missing as Kibishi jumped back as he had disappeared into Tsuki's blind spot. A sharp pain pierced through his back, right next to his spine. Tsukiyomi fell to the ground, he thought he could endure the pain.
"Clever little bitch.." Kibishi muttered, spitting on Tsukiyomi. From the background, Tsukiyomi saw Lazhu struggle and squeal. "YOU BASTARD!" she screamed. She clasped her hands together as a fiery aura surrounded her. She shot fire from her fingers and set every guard in the room on fire. Her body was surrounded by a flame of blues and reds and oranges, her eye was empty white and her face lit up. Her horns shot up in flames as well as her tail and her hair was flailing around her.
Tsukiyomi got up and tried to aim at Kibishi while he was distracted but missed again. Tsukiyomi fell, staring into Kibishi's eyes as he was about to meet his dismay, Kibishi's sword was about to pierce through him. He closed his eyes, preparing himself as everything around him felt to be in slow motion. But he never felt the blade. It seemed like forever until he opened his eyes only to see he wasn't the one stabbed. He was pushed aside. A cramped squeak, the cracking in her voice as she trembled. She slowly looked over at Tsukiyomi, then slowly looked down at the blade through her chest, feeling it with her blood covered hands as it sputtered and sprayed onto herself. Kibishi twisted the blade, slicing her insides more. She choked on her blood, not even screaming. It had gone all the way through her. Kibishi ripped the blade out, leaving her to stumble and lose her balance. Tsukiyomi wasn't stabbed, Lazhu was.
Tsukiyomi got up and ran to her, holding her seizing body. She couldn't even process that she had been twisted and injured. Tears rushed down her face.
"No, no, no, no, no, no,! Please, not again! Not again! No, no, no, Please!" Tsukiyomi panicked, trying to hold her wound. Her entrails had fallen out of place, her blood gushed out on the perfectly tiled floor, staining it the color of her powerful yokai blood. Her breathing was fast and trembling, she struggled to say Tsuki's name. Her shaking hands pushed away Tsukiyomi's attempt to stop her bleeding. Tsukiyomi wiped her tears, holding her as she continued to bleed. She was so small in his arms, it felt familiar. "Lazhu, you're going to be okay! You're going to be fine! I'm going to get you help! I'm gonna"
"Tsukiyomi! Please..do not shed your tears for me. This is all part of fate, I could never see my own. We each have our endings and this was mine. I hope…that in my next life…the world will be beautiful again. That is all up to you…"
"Lazhu! Don't say such nonsense!" Tsukiyomi put her hand on his cheek and leaned closer to her. "I can't let you leave! I don't know what I need to do! How am I supposed to leave the walls, you know everything, I can't do this without you, Lazhu. I need you! You can't leave me, please Lazhu, what am I supposed to do!"
With a forced breath, she whispered, "Tsukiyomi….go see the world…for me…" Her hand then went limp and fell to the floor, her eyes still staring up at him, filled with tears. Tsukiyomi was dragged away by his hair, Kibishi had called in more of his army. He struggled and kicked and screamed, filled with adrenaline. Tadahsi cried behind him, trying to release himself. Tsukiyomi's voice was strained as he continued to scream. Kibishi approached her body, stepping in her blood and on her loose entrails, his bloody blade in his hand.
"My love, I believe it is time you learn something about the real world, our world. Discipline and punishments are things you have forgotten in our world. I shall teach you again, Mina." Kibishi raised the blade and quickly slammed it down, piercing Lazhu's body again and again and again. Stab after stab, after stab. As it went all the way through, the blade clinked against the tiles, pleasing Kibishi. The puddle around her body grew. Tsukiyomi sobbed and slumped over, he couldn't bear to watch even when his head was pulled up. Kibishi finished wiping his hands and blade with a handkerchief. Tsukiyomi slumped on the ground, soaked in his tears, his back and everything else drenching with blood. But he just couldn't give up. He grabbed his katana and pulled himself off the ground. He slashed the man behind him.
"Kibishi… I don't want to live in your world anymore. I want to teach you something…" Tsukiyomi mumbled, charging at Kibishi. He lifted himself up and slashed Kibishi's back, going deeper than before. Kibishi turned and stabbed Tsuki's side. Tsukiyomi struggled to keep his balance as he pulled his blade out. He ducked as Kibishi tried to attack again. Tsukiyomi stabs his katana through Kibishi's leg and slides behind him, slashing Kibishi's nape. His blood splattered on Tsuki's face, a bitter taste entered his mouth. Tsukiyomi attempted to attack again but missed and got hit. He quickly got back up. Kibishi attacked but missed, only nipping Tsuki's hair, cutting the ribbon that held it up. Tsukiyomi's hair fell onto his back, sticking to the blood. Kibishi kicked at Tsukuyomi's chest, pushing him over again. He felt his ribs crack. He got back up and weakly pounced on Kibishi, pinning him onto the bloody tiles, his katana at Kibishi's throat. But he paused as the tip of the blade his Kibishi's skin. Kibishi chuckled.
"Why do you hesitate?! You have cornered me, haven't you? Isn't this what you want? I can see it in your eyes, Mina. Kill me now while you can."
No matter how much he pushed himself to kill him and cut his throat, he couldn't do it. Something held him back.
"Kill me! Or can you not? Is it because I truly loved you, you truly love me! You cannot kill what we have, Mina. I raised you, I gave you everything and I took it away. I have what's yours and if you kill me it will be gone."
Tsukiyomi sighed, dropping his katana. Kibishi had full control, like he always did. He smiled, holding a knife to Tsukiyomi's nape. They were both face to face. Kibishi still saw determination in Tsuki's eyes however. The knife slowly broke Tsukiyomi's skin as Kibishi spoke. "I took your innocence. You are no child. I made love to you, I defiled and pillaged every inch of you, Mina. I ravished your body and made it mine. That is why you cannot kill me."
Tsukiyomi glimpsed away to see Tadashi escape his restraints, he ran towards the two with his moon blade. Kibishi glanced over and quickly grabbed Tsuki, moving him in front of himself. The moon blade sliced through both of them. Tadahsi's faced changed to terror as he realized what he had done.
The moon blade is a sacred weapon that Tsukiyomi's past self used in battle. It is a large blade that when struck with the injured individual can die right away if not treated.
Tadashi pulled the blade out and dragged Tsukiyomi towards him. Kibishi stood up, holding his wound. He took a gun from his belt and shot it in the air, it was a grappling hook. He escaped through a hole in the glass ceiling. The rest of his army had run out of the cathedral. Tadahsi held Tsuki's chest where the moon blade had struck him.
"Tsuki, I'm so sorry!!" He cried. Tsukiyomi tried to smile through his tears. He wanted to tell Tadashi that it wasn't his fault. He wanted to tell Tadashi he was going to be okay. Drops of rain fell from the ceiling above them onto Tsukiyomi's face. It wasn't just them crying, it seemed the heavens were as well, it wanted to wash away the blood and flames. Tsukiyomi closed his eyes to find himself lying in the empty dark void. He laid lifeless in the dark water. The reflection of himself echoed everywhere.
"It doesn't matter if we die now, right? We killed her. We had Kibishi;s blood on our hands as well as Lazhu's blood and Tadahsi's blood. And ours. It leaves an everlasting taste. I should know. I've been feeding off of it, the people we've hurt. When we die. Hell will bring us together as one. I shall see you on the other side."