"Anna…"
"You have heard me loud and clear." Anna took a step back as Yoh tried approaching her, made the man stopped at his place. "I want this…to be over."
Both of them stood still. No one made any movements and their eyes were still on the same place. Yoh stared at his ice queen and Anna refused to see him. The shuddered breath was heard from the girl while the other boy silently has a miserable breath too.
They knew the boundary that separated them was rising. And the wall of uncertainties lies forth in front of them.
After few moments, Yoh let out a sigh. "Let me ask a question, Anna. How's your feeling now?"
*BAMM!
Suddenly an attack was launched to Asakura's resident, aimed well to its second floor. There was no one injured and still safely stayed on their place. Both Ren and Jeanne didn't flinch at all by the sudden intruder came in. On the contrary, they seemed have been waiting for this.
"You really loves wasting time, Shorty," said Zhang Ching after welcomed them with his chakrams. "How many times you want to die because of your pitiful behavior?"
*BLARRRR!
A big bushin suddenly blew the intruder to fly away with the destroyed balcony railing, while his owner now stood calmly beside the impassive Jeanne. "At least, let me kill you first as you already seen things you should never see."
"Owww, just because we see a crybaby young master shed his tears, huh?"
"Tougenkyou."
*DAARRR!
And Ren didn't hesitate for his second attack. He pierced his Hou Rai Ken to the ground which covered the places with thousands sharp weapons. It was really useful though, as it knocked Tarbain from his hiding place. "I already told you that I still have furyoku left, so don't underestimate me." He jerked his eyes to the direction where he made Zhang Ching flew. "Include you."
*DAARR! CTAR!
A big sword was almost cut down the place into two if a lightning didn't strike it first. It made the one who made the giant skeleton Oversoul struck as well as he didn't expect it to come. "How could you…know…?"
"I never let myself lost twice by the kinds of you." Ren looked at him mercilessly. "Just leave us, will you?"
"Hmmm…"
A humming was heard from a nearby tree that almost broke down when Zhang Ching flew. Again, 'that' person came for the several times. "Are you sure you think like that, Ren?" asked Hao while sitting on the tree branch.
His appearance made Jeanne's suddenly got up from her place, only to be stopped by Ren's hand which stretched in front of her protectively. That movement was enough to make her aware about something that need to be looked about. Mostly when she saw how the bloods were rushing through his body more rapidly than before.
"Safe your furyoku to revive that idiot and his fiancé. Don't mind me. I still have furyoku left."
But, hearing his last words didn't convince the young lady at all. It was just giving her an opposite notion about Ren's condition right now. Hao surely noticed this. But, the blue haired boy seemed stood firmly in his determination.
"Ren—!"
Hao winched his eyes as he saw the blockheaded's guy suddenly fell down and then supported by the panicked Jeanne. This wasn't her first time to see someone covered with so much blood or to being protected by someone until he nearly died. But now, it was different. For her, it was her first time to see someone that she almost killed, now saved her from the people that wanted to hurt her.
Gentleness. From the power of rage she witnessed, lays a strong heart to forgive that no one could ever dive into its deepness. From someone who only knew how to destroy and now existed only to protect.
And suddenly, it made her felt anxious when realized the current condition now.
"Perhaps, you only have two options, Holy Maiden." Hao was still calm as if could read what's on her mind. "Safe the haughty boy now or save it for later like he said. But well, both of it isn't one of my concern. All of you will be dead after this."
"Don't hear him any bit." Ren panted heavily as he tried as far as he could to be conscious. "I hate to say this, but… please, safe Yoh… you must…"
"Ren!"
Ren suddenly collapsed only made a horror for Jeanne when he fell to her lap. He was almost nearly dead as he forced all his furyoku in a heavy damaged body. But, it didn't mean that Hao was giving any mercy.
"Oh well, let's end this, shall we?"
*BLAARR!
"How's your feeling?"
It was one of the most absurd questions that Anna's ever heard in her life. She was already predicting how Yoh will panic and screamed at her with this one-sided decision. It even crossed at her mind that her fiancé might jumped at her and told her to be lying, to be so selfish, to be so 'not understanding'…
But, that thought was flying away as she saw how the brown eyes locked deadly at her.
"You asking me…?" said her jittery and still want to confirm what she had heard.
"Yes. I asked you about your feeling. In this case, your heart."
"What else do you need to know?! If it's about Hao—"
"About Shaman Fight, right, Anna? If I become a Shaman King."
Anna startled. Now, she could see how wavered his eyes when he looked at her, but he refused to stray away. Yoh realized very well at how his heart pumping too fast as beating his guts away. As the time went by and without any words, both of them already exchanged lot feelings about the thing they avoid to discuss all this time.
When Yoh becomes a Shaman King, Anna couldn't there beside him. Forever.
They never told each other about this nor discuss it together. They already knew what's ahead in this Shaman Fight since the first time Yoh won the preliminary match. There was nothing to be said about this as they didn't want to worry each other by supporting their partner with their very best for this tournament. Yoh wanted to be a Shaman King for her and she helped him just to be always stayed beside him. Everything was exactly as they planned, but,
Deep down inside, both of them realized the probability of losing each other like this was making them restless and it was 'unbearable'.
Yoh closed his eyes. He could feel that the realities which come into the surface were now starting to suffocate them both. For Anna, a life without Yoh Asakura… Ah, he knew it very well how painful it was, like when he felt losing his fiancé for the first time. Unacceptable. Unforgivable. Hatred. She must be feeling like that.
The faith was turning upside down, almost started to fade if only Yoh didn't encourage himself to look again at her with his gentle eyes.
Anna noticed the stares full of demand from her fiancé. As always, she could never pretend to make her wall stood high when she confronted him with something like this. "Wh-What do you expect me to say…?"
"Anything. Anything you want to say." Yoh soften his eyes, full of patience and affection. "And only to me. Only for me."
She snorted. "You idiot! Of course you will— you will be the Shaman King or else I…" But, no more words came from her lips, replaced by a heavy gasped as if to say all those things were cutting her life into half.
Yoh noticed that and carefully supporting her. "What will you do if I become a Shaman King?"
"I—" The question choked her down. Both of them did know how tensed their situation was, more than they could expected. Anna turned her head away and still continued her scattered façade. "Don't play stupid. We already went this far. If we want to exit this point of no return, we need to break."
"Are you regretting by being with me?"
"No!" She barked automatically. Yoh's voice may softly be heard in her ears, but it was the thing that hurt her the most. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not… I don't want to force you to understand…"
She thought she already said the right words. But, when she saw Yoh's down face, she startled. This wasn't the thing she expected to see. "Then, would you explain it to me, please?" said him with a calm tone, although it was clear there was a sting of pain laid in his eyes. "The thing that I don't understand about you?"
"Yoh, please…" Anna bowed down, tried as hard as she could to suppress her feeling from outburst. She realized it very well that the boy always never wanted to hurt her, although in the end, it was her who hurt him the most. "I don't want to see you—" She stopped for a while and murmured lowly. "dead."
The brown haired boy startled by the answer. Unexpectedly, it brought a thin smile to his face. "And then?"
"This burden… And you become stronger…"
"Hey, look at there! There are human's souls!" suddenly 5 Onis appeared from a nearby cliff with his friends.
"You're going further and much further from me…"
"Yeah, Foods!" replied the nearest Oni, while the others started surrounding them.
"I already told you about this before you left home, but—"
"Ah, I wonder why they are so lazy by staying at that place in such a loonnnggg time." Suddenly an Oni's voice sank Anna's words with his loud voice. It was enough to make the Itako dimmed away. "They are really brave at staying calmly in Hell while we—"
"SHUT UP!"
*SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
Zenki and Gouki was already launched their attacks as her mistress rage was flown toward the Onis. Although she was depressed, she never forgot her dislike when hearing someone cut her talking. After several blows without mercy, she unintentionally glanced at Yoh and snapped at what she found.
Yoh was angry. Yeah, he was doing the same thing that she did. His Byakou was severely sliced down the Onis, in more sinister way than she was. His sharp eyes and deadliest silence was the only thing she could never dare to face against with. This was one of the rarest sight she ever saw him mad since the day he saved him at mount Ozorezan.
After he rested his Byakou into a standby mode, he sighed out for a while, tried to gobble up all the annoying feelings that bother him. When he opened it again, he continued to stare at her, came back into his tenderness.
"Please continue, Anna." He smiled assuring. "I'm hearing you."
Alright! Another Chappie arrived! It was a bit difficult to find the perfect feeling to write this story. Hehehe ^^. Hope you like it! R&R Please! =D
Next! The couple decision!
