Kaname's hand slipped from Yasushi's face, leaving him feeling vulnerable. The warmth of her touch lingered for a moment before dissipating, replaced by the cold reality of their situation.
Her expression remained enigmatic in Zei's looming presence. The disconnect between her calm demeanor and the dire circumstances facing them only added to Yasushi's growing unease.
He shuffled over to place himself between Kaname and Zei, his hands clenching the crowbar, water droplets forming in the air around them, crafting a barrier.
"Stay away from her," Yasushi growled, his voice stronger than he felt.
Zei's eyes narrowed as he laughed watching the feeble boy's attempt to confront him. His hold on the yazumi's head tightened, forcing it to painfully gasp for breath, weakly squirming for freedom. "Oh, brave little prince," he mocked, "Do you really think you're in any position to make demands?"
Pulling his arm backwards, he threw the mangled yazumi at Yasushi with a force so strong it cut through his barrier like paper, sending him crashing into the wall. The yazumi mumbled in agony, tears streaming down its face lying on top of him.
Yasushi shuddered in horror. Staring into the yazumi's anguished eyes, his mouth went dry - the wetness of the yazumi's blood and organs absorbing into his clothing, the scent of burnt flesh, the mutters of the dying yazumi, and the actualization of his situation, all petrified him. Paralyzing his mind. Watching him succumb to his fear, the yazumi took its final breath, leaving his lifeless eyes fixated on Yasushi.
Kaname stood up, her movements fluid despite the constraints of her chains. She brushed past Zei stepping forward as he approached Yasushi, but the chains around her ankles and wrists impeded her progress. The metallic clink of the restraints from her light tug, soundly measured the length of captivity. She dropped her gaze to the shackles, her eyes tracing the length of the chains sturdily anchored in the stone wall.
Zei ignored her peculiar actions, setting his eyes on the crumbling boy. He kicked the yazumi's corpse off Yasushi, seizing his right arm, muscles rippling with contained power. "Lesson #1..." he snarked, unleashing a brutal twist, hurling him across the room. "Ears that can't listen to advice will always accompany the head when it's chopped off!"
Yasushi's body slammed into the wall with a sickening thud. Dust billowed around him as cracks spider-webbed through the stone. He slumped to the ground, coughing and spitting blood. Desperately, he raised his shaking hands. Water trickled from his fingertips, forming a pitiful barrier between him and his tormentor. Zei's lip curled in disgust at the display
"Is that all you can muster?" he taunted, striding forward. The weak stream of water parted harmlessly around him. "You're weak! Yet you continue to refuse to heed my words, clinging to this farce you call strength?!"
In a blink, Zei closed the distance. His hand clamped around Yasushi's hair like an iron vise. "Lesson #2...It's easier to build a strong child…" he snarled, hefting the boy's weight as if it were nothing. With a powerful swing, he sent the boy hurtling towards the opposite wall. "Than to mend a broken man!"
The devastating impact left Yasushi's body crumpled, ribs audibly cracking under the force. A shriek of agony tore from his throat as he collapsed to the ground.
Still, driven by terror and a primal will to survive, he continued to fight back. Water seeped from the cracks in the floor, swirling around his battered form. With a choked cry, Yasushi sent a volley of pressurized water shards hurtling towards his assailant.
Not even bothering to dodge, the water splattered harmlessly against Zei's skin, leaving not so much as a scratch. His expression darkened further.
"When will you learn boy!," Zei muttered, advancing once more. His foot came down hard on Yasushi's face, grinding it into the stone flooring. The ground beneath them fractured under the immense pressure. "... Lesson #3..."
He leaned in close, his voice dripping with contempt. "False confidence is a weak man's vice!"
Blood dribbled down Yasushi's forehead, obscuring his vision. Through the crimson haze, he reached out a trembling hand towards Kaname standing nearby. "Ka...na?!" he croaked, his voice less than a whisper.
Kaname remained unmoved and motionless, her face a pillar of indifference as she surveyed Yasushi's broken form. Her eyes, covered in an icy frost, betrayed no emotion. Without acknowledging his plea, she turned her head, gaze fixed back on the nearby clock.
11:08
Zei's eyes flashed with anger at being ignored. Delivering a savage kick, he sent the battered boy crashing through the stone wall, blasting him through several walls into the small gathering area beyond, where his subordinates lounged.
The group leaped to their feet, startled by the sudden intrusion. Dust and debris clouded the air as Yasushi skidded to a stop, a broken heap on the floor. He laid there, teetering on the edge of consciousness, each breath a monumental effort.
11:09
Striding through the hole in the wall, Zei grabbed Yasushi's leg. His voice rang out, addressing the room. "Let this be a lesson to all of you… This is the fate that awaits those who cling to weakness, who refuse to understand true strength."
Then, with contained, yet brutal strength, he hoisted him up, only to slam him back down into the ground. The sounds of the crack of breaking bones echoed through the room as Yasushi's leg shattered.
A scream of agony quickly faded into a whimper as the pain overwhelmed him. Fighting against the encroaching darkness, he managed to lift his head slightly. Waves of pain radiated down his spine as he struggled to focus on his injuries.
His body was now a canvas of violence. Lacerations criss-crossed his skin, blood seeping from countless wounds. His left leg, twisted and limp, became a gruesome sight that destroyed his will. Shards of glass, embedded themselves deep into Yasushi's flesh, each tiny movement sent fresh jolts of pain through his body.
Zei's cruel words rampaged through Yasushi's mind, each "lesson" cutting deeper than his physical wounds. The world around him blurred, reality distorting as his mind reeled from the brutal truths being forced upon him.
Memories flashed through his mind - praise from his teachers, proud smiles from his parents, the expectations of an entire clan resting on his shoulders. Each recollection now felt hollow, a cruel joke in the face of his current helplessness.
HOW??!!...
HOW AM I THIS WEAK?...
I AM THE HEIR TO THE CHIKA CLAN! I'VE EXCELLED AT EVERYTHING I'VE DONE!!
Everyone told me I was strong, the best. Was it all a lie?
AM I REALLY THIS WEAK?
11:10
The subordinates watched in stunned silence, a mixture of fear and morbid fascination displayed on their faces. None dared to intervene or even speak as Zei stood over the boy, his silhouette imposing in the dust-filled air. "Remember this boy, if your feeble mind can grasp it: You either live strong or die weak. There is no middle ground, no mercy for those who refuse to embrace true strength… You and your father need to learn your place!"
Yasushi laid there, a portrait of defeat and agony. Blood trickled from numerous wounds, his breathing shallow and labored. As consciousness began to slip away, his gaze drifted back to where Kaname stood, still watching the clock with icy detachment, her indifference cutting deeper than any of Zei's words.
Is that why you look at me like that?
Do you no longer care for me?
Do I mean nothing to you?
…Now that you know… I'm weak…
HAVE YOU ABANDONED ME?
The questions screamed in his mind, each one tearing at his heart. His world, once so certain and filled with promise, crumbled around him. The foundations of his identity - his strength, his status, his relationship with Kaname - all seemed to be built on sand, washing away in the face of this harsh reality.
Weak... Worthless... Rejected... The words pounded in his head, a relentless drumbeat of self-loathing. In this moment of utter desolation, with his beliefs shattered and his spirit broken, Yasushi lost consciousness.
11:11
Zei's eyes surveyed the room harboring a sinister intent. He stepped on top of Yasushi's stomach, causally proceeding towards a bowie knife lying on the ground. "Since you refuse to understand your disobedience... to accept your weakness…" he whispered, picking up the knife. "... I'll carve it into you."
Lifting his index finger, he formed a steady fire, rotating the knife over it until it simmered in smoke. Before the smoke could dissipate into the air, a deafening clash erupted from behind him. The sound froze him in place, an unfamiliar sensation of dread creeping up his spine. His hands trembled without permission, the knife clattering to the floor. Confusion warred on Zei's face looking upon his shaken hands. The screams of his men filled the air, a symphony of horror and pain.
Slowly, he turned around, eyes widening at the scene before him. Kaname. The child. The girl who'd been so conservative, so impassively, so apathetic was now a whirlwind of destruction. She moved with inhuman speed and strength, her small frame belying her immense power. The chains that were meant to restrain her now became lethal weapons. With each swing, Zei's subordinates were crushed, torn, and ripped apart, overwhelmed by her unexpected assault. The room descended into chaos as men scrambled to defend themselves, their efforts proving futile against her onslaught.
Zei stood transfixed, a bead of cold sweat running down his temple. For the first time, genuine fear flickered in his eyes as he watched Kaname lick the blood from her hand holding his decapitated subordinate's head by his hair in the other.
Kaname sighed, her voice meek and unbothered gazing at Yasushi's unconscious body. "I was ordered to not kill you… I don't understand why, but you're needed alive."
She narrowed her eyes, striking an icy gaze towards him. A gush of pressure hit Zei, forcing him to step back in realization of a dawning horror - he'd gravely underestimated the situation.
"So I'm going to break you…"
- -