"Souza! Souza, where are you?!"

The sliding door was opened abruptly. Darting into the room, the black Tantou found the wounded Uchigatana lying on a futon spread on the tatami floor. He was heavily injured; his head, arms, legs and torso were all covered in what were supposed to be white bandages. Though, they were no longer white due to the excessive crimson splotches seeping out from his wounds.

"Souza," the boy knelt next to him, taking his hand, "Souza, why? I told you to take me along, didn't I?"

The Uchigatana slowly opened his eyes, and upon recognizing the presence beside him, his thin lips were drawn into a weak smile. At this sight, the black Tantou felt as though his heart was being crushed.

"Why?" asked him again as he hung his head, "If only you'd let me come, I would've been able to protect you."

Still wearing the same smile, the Uchigatana simply shook his head slowly. The two of them were engulfed in silence; the black Tantou didn't let go of the other's hand. However, it was at that moment he realized those heterochromatic eyes were beginning to lose their light.

"…Souza?" he called his name as an unpleasant premonition beginning to creep into his heart, "Souza, are you alright?"

The Uchigatana looked as though he was casting a blank stare at the distance; his eyelids only half opened. When the black Tantou kept calling him, eventually his lips moved ever so slightly as he spoke in a faint voice.

"…Closing my eyes…the dream of flames…I…"

"No, don't close your eyes!" the boy squeezed his hand, "Souza, stay with me! Whatever happens I will protect you, so—"

The black Tantou couldn't bear to continue his words. It was clear as day how the Uchigatana's breathing was growing weaker with every passing second, but even though he knew exactly what was coming, still he refused to accept it.

"So please…" once again he held that slender hand; bringing the palm to his face as he kissed it gently, "Please stay with me…"

To his pleading, the Uchigatana slightly turned his face towards him. A smile was drawn on that pale face once more, but tears began to form at the corner of the boy's eyes upon hearing the last words leaving those thin lips.

"Burnt twice…and reforged…again… But there is no next time… At long last…freedom…"


Beep… Beep… Beep…

Souza woke up to the faint mechanic sound continuously chiming next to him. His eyelids were heavy, and when he did manage to open them, all his blurry sight could ever see was the color of white. Moreover, the air was so heavily dyed with the smell of medicines that he couldn't help but cringe upon breathing it in.

"Are you awake?"

It felt as though his heart just leapt out of his chest the moment he heard that familiar voice greeting him. He couldn't believe it, but as he looked aside, the figure of a man with long greenish silver hair returned his gaze gently.

"…Ani…ki?"

Kousetsu smiled at his question. Still staring at the unexpected presence of his brother, Souza found himself at lost for a few seconds before he finally came to it.

"Aniki—!"

He lifted himself and was about to rush towards the older man when sudden pain struck his body entirely. The pink hair grimaced and nearly fell back to the bed. It was only at that moment he noticed the countless bandages wrapping various parts of his body under the plain hospital cloth he was wearing. There was even one circling around his forehead and neck.

"Take it easy, Souza. Your wounds haven't fully healed yet," in a soothing voice, Kousetsu carefully helped him to sit on the bed.

"Aniki, I…"

"It's alright," replied his brother while stroking his hair, "It's alright already, Souza."

It felt as though those words just opened a place he'd been locking deep inside his heart. Like a big flood bursting out of a dam, countless feelings erupted inside of him that Souza threw himself into his brother's arms, choking back tears. He didn't know why he cried, he didn't even know whether he was happy or sad. At this moment, the presence of his brother was so relieving that everything he'd been holding back simply exploded all at once.

"Aniki, sorry… I'm sorry…"

"It's alright," once again, Kousetsu repeated his words, "You've been through a lot, Souza. It's okay to let it out now."

Ignoring the excruciating pain spreading all over his body, Souza remained clutching at his brother, almost as if he had degraded back to a child. Meanwhile, the older man only smiled and kept stroking his back, patiently waiting until he calmed down before talking to him.

"I'm glad you're okay," said him while letting out a faint sigh, "I was really worried when the first thing I heard upon my arrival was that you were in a hospital. I'm so glad that you're alright."

"When…did you arrive?" the pink hair asked in a raspy voice.

"It was last week," replied him, wiping away the traces of tears from his younger brother's swollen, reddened eyes, "That said, it meant that you had been unconscious for a week. It was fortunate that the driver of the car that hit you managed to pull the brake at the very last moment, so it didn't become fatal."

Not knowing how he was supposed to answer, Souza casted his gaze down for he was also surprised by the fact. Indeed, he recalled that he ran to the street when the light of the pedestrian was still red, but with this recollection another question emerged to his mind. Timidly, he looked up at his brother.

"A-Aniki…" he called.

"Yes?"

"Have you…heard?"

"Heard about what— Oh…" although he seemed confused at first, Kousetsu quickly caught on to his intention. Souza hung his head again; his heart started to race at the thought of how his brother would react to this. If anything, he could say in all honestly that he was scared.

"I have been a disgrace to our family."

"Well, truthfully I was quite shocked the first time I heard about it," replied the other man while letting out a sigh once again, "It was beyond my imagination that you would do something like that. I thought… If only I was doing a better job as the eldest son, there was no need for you to go to such length."

"But it wasn't your fault—"

"I know you would say something like that," Kousetsu smiled kindly at his respond, "And I know blaming myself wouldn't provide us with a solution. In the first place, you are free to make your own choice and even though this was what you decided, your intention was by no means bad. You only meant to help your family."

"…Does Sayo…know?"

"He does."

At these words, Souza could feel his heart sinking. Of all people, Sayo was the one person that absolutely mustn't know about this.

"Sayo… Sayo must be ashamed when he heard about it…right?" asked Souza while clutching at the sheets of his bed, "To find out that his elder brother had been working as a prostitute…"

"Is that how you think it is? Souza, you should have more faith in your family," his brother chuckled at his words, "You know that Sayo loves you very much. Even if he'd found out about this, his love for you would never cease."

As he said this, Kousetsu slightly cocked his head to the opposite direction. When Souza looked back, on the couch there laid the blue-haired boy, sleeping soundly while covered in his brother's jacket. To this sight, the pink hair could only stare in surprise.

"It's been a week," said Kousetsu, "He insisted to stay with you here and asked me to help get permission from his school. When I didn't agree, he came here every day after school and did all his homework and study in this room. Do you still think he hates you now?"

"…"

Souza hung his head down, unsure of how to answer his brother. While he remained deep in thought, his elder brother rose from his seat and headed to where the blue-haired boy was sleeping. Wrapping the boy in his jacket, he carefully lifted him to his arms as not to wake him up.

"I'm taking Sayo back home," he said, "Rest well, Souza. I will return soon."

The pink hair nodded at his brother's words. However, right after the older man opened the door, his steps were halted before he could even step outside.

"Aniki? What's wrong?" asked Souza, slightly tilting his head in confusion. Hearing the bewildered tone of his voice, Kousetsu turned at him and showed a meaningful smile.

"I take back my words. It seems that I won't need to return after all."

"Eh?"

Still with the same smile drawn on his face, Kousetsu stepped outside while bringing along the still sleeping Sayo in his arms. What appeared before Souza after the figure of his brother disappeared was an exhausted young man whose grayish purple eyes went wide upon seeing him sitting on the bed; his hair messy and his face pale.

"You're…awake…?"

"…Yagen…"

"Souza, you're awake…?"

For a split second, there was fear taking hold of his heart as Souza couldn't help but remember what had happened back then. However, that feeling soon vanished when he had taken a good look at this man standing before him. Yagen kept staring at him in disbelief, almost like he was looking at an apparition. When he walked into the room, it seemed as if he could crumble to his feet at any moment. He was exhausted, both physically and mentally, and Souza could realize at least that much.

"You're awake…" finally reaching his side, Yagen took those slender hands and held them tight, burying his face on the surface of the bed, "Thank goodness… Thank goodness, Souza…"

Was he crying? Souza couldn't stop that thought from floating to the back of his mind as he heard the other man's voice weakly chanting his name like a spell. This calm and composed man… What had he done to make him break down like this?

"Y-Yagen, I…"

"I'm sorry," the black hair whispered before Souza could finish his words, "I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry I make you scared. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, Souza."

"But I'm the one who…"

Souza opened his mouth, but he closed them again. He was the one who should apologize. He was the one who betrayed this man, and yet why was Yagen the one who apologized? Biting his lower lip, Souza breathed in and attempted to control his own voice from shaking as he talked.

"It's… It's not your fault, Yagen," he said, touching the other man's shoulder, "I… I should apologize for lying to you. It's my fault and you have the right to be angry at me."

"It was your last night," replied the black hair, still not lifting his face up, "You have decided to resign, and yet I went ahead of myself instead of listening to you first. I hurt you and made you scared. It was my fault that you were injured like this."

"H-How did you know about that?!"

Yagen seemed unwilling, but eventually he explained that he met his manager before leaving the brothel. It was from him that he heard about Souza leaving the business altogether, which was the reason why he chased after him.

"But it was too late. You ran away when you saw me because I forced myself upon you. I ignored your pleas instead of giving you a peace of mind. I claimed that I will protect you, but in the end, I was the one who bring you harm," as he said this, Yagen's voice shook and he kept hanging his head down, "Now I finally understand why you left me back then. No matter how many centuries have past, I still am incapable of protecting you."

Souza could see dark circles under those grayish purple eyes. Had he been watching over him all this time he was in the hospital? And now that he thought about it, this room seemed to be too expensive for his own family to afford. Though… More than anything, when he saw Yagen in such a state, he couldn't help but feel a déjà vu. This desperate face… He felt like he had seen this a very long time ago.

"Yagen…" once again, he touched the man's shoulder, prompting him to look up and see him in the eyes, "Please don't think so badly of yourself. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Haha, you're too kind, Souza. After what I've done to you, still you said I didn't do anything wrong," with a bitter smile, the black hair shook his head, "In the first place, I shouldn't even be here. I do not deserve to be by your side anymore."

Souza was at loss of words. He could see Yagen's hands trembling as he said this, even though the man attempted to look strong by forcing a painful smile on his face. He wondered what he was supposed to say at a time like this. If it was Yagen, since a long time ago he had always managed to calm him down with simple words and gesture.

"Why am I always like this…?"

"…Souza?"

Not knowing what else he could do, the pink hair leaned forward and circled his arms around the other, hugging him tight. He thought he could hear a small gasp of surprise coming from Yagen, but at this point, any words he said might not be enough to convince this man that he didn't need to blame himself for what had happened.

"Why are you doing this, Souza?" instead of returning his embrace, Yagen shrank back as though he was trying to escape, but the pink hair held him tight.

"You always did this to me whenever I was feeling uneasy," he replied in a small voice, burying his face in the crook of the other's neck, "You've always…calmed me down by doing this, so I want to return the favor."

"Stop it, Souza. I told you I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be allowed to be anywhere near you."

"Why?"

"Because I don't know what I might do to you," said the black hair in a restrained voice, "Please let me go now before I lost myself."

"No," Souza shook his head, "I don't care what you will do to me. I don't want you to go."

Yagen gritted his teeth, and in the next second Souza felt himself being pushed back to the bed. Even though the other man was being careful as not to cause his wounds to reopen, he wasted no time to seal those thin lips with his own, holding the wrists of his hands above his head.

"Why are you doing this?" Yagen said in a husky voice; a transparent thread was formed between them when they separated, "Why are you doing this to me, Souza? You always tossed my heart around. Don't you know that I love you so much I can barely keep myself together?"

He gazed into those pair of heterochromatic eyes with a painful look on his face.

"That's right. I love you. I love you, Souza. I love you so much I don't even know what to do anymore. No matter how many times I was reborn, I could never throw these feelings away. You…" almost as if he was already in the brink of tears, Yagen finally rested himself on the other's chest, "You're the only one for me. Always… Always, I can think of no one else but you that it drives me crazy."

As the grip on his wrists weakened, Souza slowly moved his hands to Yagen's back, clutching at his shirt. Looking at this man right now, he couldn't help but recall those days they had spent together in the past. Even as a mere sword, even when he was reborn in the body of a boy, Yagen had always remained by his side and showered him with affection. And in all those times, never once had he thanked him. If anything, in the end he always ended up leaving this person although not by his own will.

"…You… You've always been very nice to me," stuttering with his own words, Souza finally found his voice back as he answered timidly, "Even though I have hurt you so many times… If… If you are fine with someone like me…"

"You don't seem to be aware of your own worth," the black hair sighed; his hand brushing those strands of pink hair over Souza's ear, "You are the prettiest, the most beautiful. How can you even think so low of yourself?"

"I was claimed by so many people because of this so-called beauty and robbed of my freedom because of it."

"Which is why I've always been so jealous," said Yagen as he frowned, "Then and now, when I thought you were finally within reach, someone always took you away from me, claiming you as their own when in fact, what they'd ever done was stripping away your happiness. I was angry at them for ignoring your feelings, but more than that I was angry at myself for being so powerless."

As he said this, he gently held the other's hand.

"All I ever want is to protect you from harm. Why is it so difficult to do just this…?" kissing the back of that slender hand, his whisper sounded weak as he spoke in a sad voice. But at the same time, to Souza his words sounded sincere. He had heard a lot of people praising him for his beauty, but none of them actually loved him for who he was. Even now as a human, all those men he'd slept with also admired him simply to satisfy their vulgar desires. If it was Yagen…

"Perhaps…with him, I can finally be at peace."

When he thought about it, he had never felt any repulsion when Yagen stayed close to him, touched him and showered him with kind words. Unlike those people whose falsehood gave him nothing but disgust, Yagen was the only person he never hated to be with. Maybe… Maybe… Since a long time ago, he had unconsciously had his heart taken by this man.

"Will you…really protect me?" his voice shook as he talked, but when those grayish purple eyes looked at him, Souza gulped down his doubts and continued, "Will you really love me…for who I really am?"

"I will."

"Even if…I'm no longer beautiful? Will you promise not to throw me away?"

"What are you talking about?" the black hair chuckled. For the first time since that night, Yagen finally showed his genuine smile and Souza must admit his heart leapt when he saw that dashing face despite the traces of exhaustion that remained. "To me, there is no soul more beautiful than yours. I can't imagine myself with any other person except you."

His face must be turning red right now, Souza thought to himself when he felt his cheeks growing hot. However, before he could say anything in return, Yagen put his hands on both sides of his face, softly bumping their foreheads together as he whispered.

"I promise I will protect you and love you for the rest of my life. So, Souza… Please don't leave me ever again…okay?"

"…I won't," the pink hair answered in a small voice, struggling in vain to hide his embarrassment. Yagen let out a soft laugh once again, and with one hand brushed those strands of pink hair lovingly while his other hand taking that delicate body into his arm. Knowing very well that he had no more means to escape, Souza returned his embrace and tightly clutched onto him.

"…Y-Yagen…"

"Hmm?"

"I…" he was about to speak, but for some reason his words were stuck in his throat. Yagen waited patiently until he regained his composure, and eventually, the pink hair managed to find his voice back although still he stuttered as he spoke. "I… I think… I love you, too…"

He expected the other man to laugh and stroke his hair at his confession. However, in the next second he noticed that Yagen's shoulders were shaking visibly as though he was struggling to control something inside himself from exploding.

"You…" the black hair replied in a restrained voice, "I told you to stop it, didn't I? If you keep this up, I don't know what I might do to you."

The both of them remained in silence for awhile, but in the next moment, Souza found himself bursting into a fit of laughter. His head hurt, his ribs hurt, his entire body hurt, but for some reason he couldn't stop laughing. How long had it been since he last laughed like this? But even though Yagen didn't seem amused, he could tell that this man was at the very least relieved to see his reaction. In the end, he really did stroke his hair and helped him to lie back down on the bed, kissing his forehead. As the black hair once again whispered his love to him, Souza smiled and circled his arm around the other's neck.

"Maybe… Maybe with him, I can finally be happy…"