'Mikan is mine… you can't get her while I am Alive!' Taka shouted.
'Then die you freak!' shouted Natsume and with all the strength he could muster up, landed a punch on Taka's face. This time, Taka didn't dodge and felt the full impact of the punch. He fell out of the fire circle, which vanished.
'Nice one…' said Taka.
He got up and said, 'now let's see how you deal with this…'
He duplicated himself into many and surrounded Natsume. Natsume was at the ready to fight.
Chapter 7
The Dark Truth
'Natsume, any last wishes?' asked the many Takas smirking.
'I should be the one asking you that!' snapped Natsume, his red eyes moving with all the Taka's movements.
Taka laughed an evil laugh that echoed through the area. Natsume shivered something he had never done before. All the other Takas vanished as the real one started to laugh.
'Natsume,' said Taka, 'Natsume… Natsume… Natsume Hyuga…'
He was still smiling, a cold one at that. Natsume had nothing to say. He was still worried as to how to attack this weirdo.
'Do you really still think that you can actually beat me?' he asked, 'The Gem of the American Alice academy—the most Dangerous Alice ever to walk this Earth?'
Natsume was still thinking as to what to do next. But he realized talking would be a good option to give him time for to revamp his strength.
'I don't know whether I could,' he said slowly, 'but I have to do it, for Ruka!'
'Friendship?' asked Taka.
'You should know about that!' snapped Natsume.
'I do know…' said Taka, 'otherwise, I wouldn't bother coming here…'
'Yeah…' said Natsume, 'a guy like you… the Gem of the American Alice Academy… The Most dangerous Alice to walk the Earth… why did you bother to come here. And don't tell me it's out of sheer friendship for Mikan…'
Natsume was still playing with time to get his energy back. But at seeing how his last question had affected the Duplication Alice, Natsume continued.
'So, why did you bother to come to Japan,' he asked, 'all the way from America?'
Taka looked down. His eyes were contorted in thought. It was as though he was wondering whether to be honest with Natsume or not. Suddenly he looked up. There was something different in his eyes; something that Natsume had never seen in the guy before—sadness.
'I could easily answer you question,' said Taka, 'but, what difference is it going to make? Since death is going to descend its hands in a few minutes….'
With that, he pounded suddenly on Natsume with a fiery hand and Natsume went flying and hit with his back on the Sakura tree. It was too much of a surprise even for our Black Cat.
Natsume, with some difficulty, managed to get to his feet. He was seriously wounded. A line of blood flowed from his mouth. His back ached like hell but he went on. He had to defeat that guy.
'Will you ever give up?' asked Taka through gritted teeth.
'No…' answered Natsume in a low tone, 'No way… I'm not going to let you kill Ruka… and I will never let you take away my Mikan…'
With that, Natsume started towards Taka but a second before Natsume's fire touched Taka, the fire vanished into thin air and Natsume stopped. At the moment he stopped, Taka multiplied and all the duplicates started to hit Natsume, who was in the middle of the circle, with electricity.
'That', said Taka 'was for calling her your Mikan…'
Natsume's body was still numb. He had been in bad situations before and had been electrocuted many times, but not as much as this. He felt weak and thought he was going to die. But then, Ruka appeared before his eyes, then all his classmates and finally Mikan.
Then suddenly a vision blurred his mind.
'Don't worry…' he said, closing his eyes, 'Everything is going to be fine'
A smile bloomed in her face and she closed her eyes too going, 'I'm sure… It's going to fine'
It was a few days ago, in front of the hospital wing, where he had hugged Mikan for the last time. He had felt her tears on his uniform and swore that he would not let that happen again as well as to kill the person who made it happen.
Natsume got up. His body was still numb. He was still powerless but he had to get up. He had to fight. He had to save Ruka. He had to keep his promise. Everything will be fine. It will be. It should be.
'What the?' gasped Taka.
Natsume's body began to be surrounded by fire. It was circling Natsume whose eyes went blurred. Natsume had one thought guiding his mind, hypnotizing it—Kill Taka Kouzuki!
Taka reduced to only one just in time for Natsume's attacks. Natsume attacked Taka like hell. He hit him with such force that Taka was unable to react in time. After a series of hits, taka fell down.
Natsume looked down at him and kneeled beside him. His face was filled with anger. However, Taka was actually smiling.
'What are you smiling at?' asked Natsume.
He was inched away from killing the guy when a voice echoed through the empty air.
'Stop it Natsume!'
Natsume who was holding onto the front of Taka's shirt with his left hand and his right hand clench into a fist for the final blow slopped in mid-act. The fire surrounding his right hand vanished. Natsume turned to look at the person who spoke. So did Taka.
'Hotaru?' whispered Natsume.
'Miyu?' gasped Taka.
'Let go of him Natsume' said Hotaru in a low voice.
'Imai you don't know what he did!' exclaimed Natsume.
'I know… and I know about him more than you do!' she snapped back.
Natsume looked at Taka. Taka's eyes turned a little small. It became a little watery. Natsume let go of him and stood up. At once, the blonde girl with Hotaru who Taka had called as 'Miyu' ran towards them, kneeled before Taka, who got up a little, and hugged him tight.
'I told you not to go!' she wailed, 'I told you!'
'Yeah,' said Taka, 'you told me… but I had to… stop crying Miyu…'
'What is going on here?' asked Natsume to Hotaru.
'Taka Kouzuki…' she said, 'he is…'
'Dying…!' said Miyu with a sob.
Natsume's eyes widened.
'Even if don't kill him,' she said tears flowing down her cheek, 'he is going to die in a few hours…'
'WHAT!' exclaimed Natsume.
Sorry about the late update guys…I've been busy with other stories… So, you could easily guess his problem, I think… Please log in for the next chapter in THE FALCON AND THE FLAME
