The plot thickens! Is Yohmei dead??? Chapter 8, the countdown to the last two chapters begins!!!

CHAPTER 8

Yohmei did not have a funeral.

Kino wanted to keep it small and quiet; almost like she did not want anybody to know that he had died at all. All that remained a memory of him was the empty patch of soil that bared a cross above it in the backyard of Kino's house. A small breakfast was brought to service on the night after his death, and it was just Kino and the gang at the usual café where they hung out.

The joyful atmosphere had disappeared totally.

And as they sat there inside the café with the rain pouring down from the skies in buckets, only one thought was on all of their minds.

"Who killed him?"

"It was Rukio." Ejio said in a voice of struggled calm as he tried to stack a layer of his sisters' lemon peels with shaky hands. "I cannot find an explanation or a reason behind that, but I am almost absolutely sure that. . ."

"Then you have no evidence." Hao said quietly, settling his cup of coffee down to the table. All of a sudden everyone's' eyes were on him. Hao looked up from his coffee to Ejio. "We can accuse, we can suspect and we can point our fingers at anybody. But without evidence we can do nothing to him."

Anna now slowly rose up to her feet, her eyes were malicious and there was a definite arch in her eyebrow; and the look in her eye was one of warning and shrewd understanding. "What do you know that we don't, Hao?" she said in a dangerous whisper.

Hao merely looked back at her. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Anna." He said to her casually.

"I noticed that look in your eye when you were told of Yohmei's death." Anna continued, continuing to glare at Hao with such ferocity that it seemed like she was trying to look into his soul. "Is this part of your plan, Hao? And if it is, then what IS your purpose of letting Yohmei die?"

Even the waitresses on the side turned down the volume of the radio to listen to their conversation clearer.

Hao took a sip of his coffee calmly. "Now you're just trying to use me as a scapegoat to blame for your anger of a loss of someone you loved and respected. Personally, I'm rather torn up at the death of the old man goat too, but if you want to be with him that badly, then why don't you cuddle up in a blanket over his grave tonight?"

"Asakura!" Sumiko said sharply.

Kino, who was quiet the entire time, rose up to her feet, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Watch what you say, Hao." She said menacingly. "Or I'll send you to Hell, right where you belong."

Hao smirked.

"I won't like that very much." came a soft from behind them, and they turned to find Rukio standing before them, a slice of cake in his hands on a plate, one of his hands in his pockets, smiling at them gaily. "Because I would very much rather kill him myself."

Hao turned round to face him as the others rose to their feet.

"Relax." Rukio said soothingly. "I didn't come to fight. I just wanted to speak to Hao."

"I'll give you something more than that." Horo growled, his ice cannons bursting out from both sides of his arms.

Rukio took a furtive look at him, almost in approval. "Ice, eh?" he whispered softly. "Well, I won't mind killing you."

Hao stepped before him before he had a chance to attack, a placid look upon his features. "Lay a finger on any one of them, and I'll mutilate your face to an extent you would not find yourself able to face the public anymore." He growled.

Rukio paused, almost as if amused at the prospect before sighing and placed his cake on the table, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Just as well." He said, shrugging. "I'm not after anyone else in particular, anyway." His eyes skimmed the others of the group before landing on a shivering pink-haired girl and smiled. "Besides, that little lady might cry her eyes out if I kill you, anyway."

Horo, confused, turned round; Tamao's petrified face met his through the crowd.

And for once, he saw her.

"Tamao. . .?" he whispered.

"What do you want with me?" Hao asked, cutting the silence. "Not that I don't enjoy you dropping by and seeing me or anything. . ."

Rukio chuckled, relishing in the silence laid out for him.

"How would you like to finish things once and for all?" he said in a deadly whisper.

"Sounds good." Hao replied.

"Tomorrow at 1. I'll see you outside your house if you want to finally settle this once and for all." He pulled out hand to point at Hao's face. Hao didn't even flinch. Rukio smirked. "Please do not be late."

"I won't." Hao said.

Anna noticed his fists clenched, almost shaking in excitement.

She frowned.

"Well then, till tomorrow, I bit you adieu." Rukio said, turning around to walk away.

"Yeah." Hao said, his lip quivering hopefully. "I'll try my best to not splatter your blood all over the sidewalk tomorrow."

Rukio merely smirked and turned to walk away.

"Rukio." came a soft voice from behind him. His eyes widened; as did Hao's. It was not the tone that mattered, nor was it the timing. . .it was more of who the person was, and how she called him by his first name. Something she never did for Hao. Rukio turned to meet the eyes of Sumiko, which bore such immense sadness and sorrow.

In her hands she held the slice of cake.

"You forgot this." She whispered.

In his face wrought full of surprise and tenderness before it was once again taken over by that alien-like smirk and he turned away from her. "You can keep it." He said. "It might possibly be the last thing you enjoy on this earth, anyway."

Hao stepped forward, his fists clenched.

Rukio stayed sullen.

"It's lemon cake, by the way."

Hao paused in mid-step.

Nothing else was said, and Rukio slowly took his leave out of the café.

Nobody said anything after that.

All of them stared at Hao, who was staring over at his wife with a look of bewildered curiosity as he watched her eat up the cake in her hands slowly, a reminiscent look on her face, and at one point Yoh actually thought his brother would cry.

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Three days and two nights to go.

How funny the world finds itself on a completely parallel universe with the others, and suddenly on its own mind and orbit flips us into an obliviation. Into a land which is so dissimilar from what we used to be so familiar to.

Where man finds himself on his own, isolate from the others.

Where a child can find itself crying out for a mother and never will be heard.

Where a woman would search endlessly for her loved one on Valentine's Day all in vain.

Where we all perish in the end, from dust to dust.

It's a strange world.

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Midnight was the time for sleep.

But somehow, Sumiko found herself devoid of fatigue. Her eyes were continuously looking around the room, as though frantically searching for something that had disappeared long ago before finding out that that person and dream had molded itself into her husband; Hao Asakura. Almost at the sound of the devil, the door of her bedroom creaked open and there he stood, a broad smile on his face, grinning down at her. "Sumiko." He said, giving her a small nod.

"Hao." She said in a melancholy tone.

He raised his eyebrows, turning his full attention to his wife now, whose eyes bore nothing but fear, worry, and the reason deep beneath for the first two.

Love.

Her hair was tousled up on the top of her head, a book propped up in her hands, but he could tell that she had not read a single word since the second she opened it up. She sat prim and upright, looking straight at him as he crawled into bed with her, her face tight with disapproval and anxiety. He got into the blankets with her and drew his finger lazily against the smooth skin of her thigh, looking into he eyes lovingly.

"What's on your mind?" he said to her in a soft purr.

There was utter silence that followed that, and it was cruelly shattered by her painful sobs.

"Sumiko. . ." he whispered, his eyes wide. "What's the matter?"

"Hao, I'm scared." She whispered, her words throbbing with emotion. Her throat, full of aching, grieving beauty, told only of pulsating pain. She turned to him, and he was surprised to see tears falling down her cheeks. "I know we constantly quarrel and argue about meaningless things. . ." she started.

"Now, I don't think. . ." he started quickly, but was cut off.

"But I don't think I could possibly continue living if I lost you."

His mouth opened and shut; suddenly speechless, suddenly unable to find a single commonplace sentence out of the billions that he knew. Tons of girls had said this exact phrase after he broke up with them. . .

But none of them made his heart feel such a wrenching pain like this.

She turned towards him with teary-eyes, a sight that too his breath away. He gently caressed her cheeks, wiping away her tears benevolently. "Listen, Sumiko. . ." he said to her, looking deep into her eyes, and from that moment on, it very well seemed like they were the only two people left in the universe. "I'll never leave you. You understand that?" he stroked her palm comfortingly, something he always did to her to prove some sort of point. Either that, or get into her pants. He kissed her lovely, curious mouth before pulling away; just slightly, so he could still feel the warmth of her breath on his face. "Even if I die, I'll get out of Hell to come back for you."

She nodded, suddenly shy, suddenly abashed.

"Understand me?" he said, smiling.

"What are you planning to do, Hao?" she said, her voice soft with concern, her eyes gentle with compassion. "What are you up to this time?"

"Nothing." He said, and once again, there was that unfamiliar yet recognizable look back on his face as he started deep into her tranquil eyes. "I'm just going to destroy the man who made you cry."

"You mean yourself?" she said witheringly, and he laughed.

"Nope." He said, getting to his feet. "Not yet, anyway."

He was about to head to the bathroom when he felt her hand tugging his cloak, and he turned back to look at her, and his eyes widened at what he saw. Her face was ridden with not fear and concern like before, but lust. Pure, uncontrollable, undeniable lust. Her hands had drawn themselves to the back of her hair, undoing the knot, letting a waterfall of hair splash down on her shoulder. Desire weakened his heart at the look of her, and at that moment it seemed impossible for him not to take her.

"Hao." She said in a whisper so softly that her voice was like music heard faintly in the street outside a great concert hall.

"Yes?" he said, his voice hoarse.

She said something that he knew he wanted to do and always had done, but it was the first time since their marriage that she had requested it or begged for it. Her voice left her mouth like a song played only once a year, and he could not help but feel stiff at the mere tone of it, appreciating the beauty of the sound, or the familiar tune of the notes that played on her tongue he heard so often in his head but never from her lips herself.

"Take me." She said. "Please."

And he did.

He bent his head down to kiss her, one of his hands pressing down gently on her right breast, the other fingering the strap of her negligee playfully. A moan erupted from her throat, almost toppling him off balance, but he steadied himself, pulling the strap down, her left breast in plain view. He pulled away from her lips for a second to glance down, and licked his dry lips in feverish hunger.

"What's the matter?" she said to him lustily.

"Nothing." He groaned, cupping her breast, bringing it to his hungry mouth, earning an enticing gasp from her; a whimper following that as he licked the nipple soundly. "God, you taste so damn good." He said throatily, pulling down the other strap of her negligee, taking her other breast into his mouth, giving it the same ministrations and care that he did with the other.

"Oh my God, Hao. . ." Sumiko moaned, tugging at his hair with her hands.

He smirked and left her aching breasts and pulled himself down, tugging her nightgown upwards to view the dull white panties that she wore which were wet with excitement. "Well, well, look what we have here." He murmured, pressing soft kisses to her tender area, once again gaining appreciative gasps and moans from his loved one.

"Please, Hao, I can't take it any more." She cried out helplessly, tears almost welling up in her eyes. She tugged at his hair. "Please."

He grinned at her.

"As you wish."

In a swift movement he removed her of her nightgown and underwear, and as she lay there underneath him, naked and helpless, he felt a painful throb in his pants, and unknown tears that were starting to fall from his face. He removed his clothes and joined her as once, relishing her gasps and whimpers and moans as he entered her, feeling her fingernails digging into his back.

"I love you, Sumiko." He whispered.

She smiled at him; an action that always took his breath away.

"I love you too, Hao." She replied.

And he took her, taking his time as he did it; fully aware that pleasing her was on a much higher priority than pleasing himself, something he never quite gave a damn about in the past, even with her. Because he already gave them pleasure naturally in the first place. But this time was different. How many times she screamed his name he did not know, but all he knew was that she was enjoying it. Oh yes, she was enjoying it. How many orgasms she had was almost uncountable.

But it reached a point when he himself felt his limit reaching, and he tensed his shoulder, his hands stiffening, his eyes looking down at Sumiko in tender loving lust, a look that reflected across her face like a mirror.

"I'm going to come, Sumiko." He said, his voice echoing in her ears, pulsating her ears.

"Me too." She moaned.

Sweat mixed with sweat.

Fire erupted and coursed with fire.

Love entwined with love.

Until they all became one.

"HAO!!!" she gasped, gripping onto him helplessly, painfully. . .ecstatically.

"SUMIKO!!!" he roared, her hips bucking to meet him, and for the first time in years he came into her, something he was always able to control.

Not this time.

She was just too beautiful.

Just too damn beautiful.

And as they lay there on the bed, tired but not sleepy, aroused but not awakened, he smiled at her.

"Ready for another one?" he said joyfully.

"In a minute." She said, desperately trying to catch her breath.

He smiled and turned away.

They had never been closer in their years of love and marriage, nor communicated more profoundly with each other even through closed lips and unspoken words.

She brushed her lips against his shoulder, their fingers entwining together; the tips of his fingers touching the end of her fingers, as though she was asleep.

"Please don't leave me." She said quietly.

"I never will." He said tenderly. "Even through death."

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It was five in the morning when Horo found his sister sitting on the front steps of their household, her legs crossed, her hands entwined within each other, leaning against the wall behind her, her head propped up in an angle where she could only look up at the sky. He smiled at her and stepped up behind her silently, earning a jump from her as he shut the door behind him.

"Holy Moses!" she gasped, clutching her chest. "You scared me!"

"My bad." He said, chuckling. "Is that seat next to you taken?"

"Nope." She said simply, gazing up at the sky once again, which now had a faint colour of red; the first hint of a sunrise.

He paused.

"Thinking about Ren?" he whispered.

She stayed silent for a moment before nodding her head. Except it wasn't really a nod. A nod is when you bob your head up and down. Pirika merely lowered hers, and it never rose again, her head now facing the floor miserably. "Yeah." She said.

He sighed and patted her on the back.

"Need a hug?" he asked.

"Nope." She said, sniffling.

"Oh, yes you do." He said, grabbing her into his arms, hugging her comfortingly. And after a while, she hugged him back.

"Thank you." She mumbled.

"No problem." He said soothingly.

And above them rose the sunset, a beautiful blend that signified a wonderful day to come. Either that, or it merely showed the coming of blood; the red tinges that dripped across the sky.

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Morning had come.

Anna sighed and arose from her bed. "Funny how the things that you least look forward to, or dread to happen holds time by the hand and slaps you right in the face before you even know it." She mumbled, getting to her feet, scratching the back of her neck tiredly, opening the door of the room which she slept in, and came face to face with her husband, Yoh.

Extremely uncomfortable silence.

And it was as her eyes stayed fixated on Yoh's face when she noticed that his eyes never looked at her; as thought too ashamed to even meet eyes with her. She just looked him straight in the face unabashed. Somehow, it seemed like his embarrassment had instilled her with confidence. How long they stood that way she did not know, and she spoke, knowing they would never leave this spot unless one of them said something.

"Good morning, Yoh." she said; her voice unnaturally, deliberately polite.

He blushed crimson, looking, if possible, even further down at his shoes.

"Good morning, Anna." He mumbled in an incoherent voice.

She opened her mouth to say something; but quickly shut it once more at the remembrance of the past events. Especially what he had done. Or thought of doing, more like it. She nodded sullenly and tried to step past him, but he moved his body slightly so he blocked her path. His eyes finally met hers, and she flinched at the sight of pure sorrow within them.

"I never should have done what I tried to do, Anna." He said, heart-wrenching pain in every syllable of his words. "There's nothing that can be put into words of how much hatred I have for myself at the moment." He swallowed something that seemed to hurt his throat immensely, like there was something jammed between his gullet and his stomach; words he wanted to speak to his wife, the woman that he loved. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I don't know how to explain it, but I hope you believe me, Anna. I'm begging for you to believe me."

He was just so pitifully cute that she wanted to hug him in her arms and kiss him on the cheek and tell him everything was going to be alright.

She wanted to forgive him.

Hell, she already did.

But her touch on him was off-boundaries, right?

She shrugged past him, nodding, almost to herself in a self-satisfying head bob.

"I understand, Yoh." She said. "I'll see you when I get back from work."

He paused before shutting his eyes miserably.

"Okay." He said softly.

And without a word, he heard the door shut; a very visible device to divide him and his wife apart. He sighed and sat down on the floor miserably.

"Where did I go wrong?" he asked himself, his voice echoing through the hollow halls of the empty household. And nothing but silence answered him.

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Rukio had not slept at all.

He was awake the entire night, deliciously eager for the day to end, to bring forward his confrontation with Hao, the one man he was never able to beat. He looked at his clock, possible the umpteenth time so far, and sighed as he realized what the time was. He leaned against his bed-head, bored as the day was young. "It's still the morning." He muttered under his breath impatiently.

"It's still the morning."

Footsteps approached him, and he opened a lazy eye.

"Well, these last few days certainly have been taken up a lot with the meeting of old friends." He said with a sarcastic smirk, sitting upright in his bed. "What can I do for you, Ejio?"

Ejio stayed silent for a moment, nothing moving except for the smirk on Rukio's face, which was widening after every passing second.

Then, like those moments when you're watching a DVD and you reach a boring part in the movie and fast-forward it and find out to your shock that the main character died in the last scene; Ejio burst forward with a terrible thirst to slash at the man before him, but froze in the action as an ice-pick cracked out from the ground underneath, hovering just centimeters away from his throat.

"Holy Crap." Was all that Ejio could think. "I didn't even see the bastard move. Not a muscle."

"You might want to cool off with that for a moment." Rukio said in a falsely soothing voice. "Or I'm going to have to hurt you."

Ejio's eyes were wide, but they were maliciously glaring at the man before him.

"What are you here for, anyway?" Rukio pressed on. "Surely you didn't just come here for an unsuccessful attempt to kill me. Very poorly done, I might add. Your sister would be disappointed in your performance."

Ejio paused before nodding sullenly, gaining his cool once more.

"You truly have strengthened." He said solemnly.

"To heights even you cannot possibly imagine."

Ejio fell into a state of silence for a moment before stuffing his hands into his pockets, looking forward, not breaking eye contact with Rukio at all. "Are you really planning to fight against Hao Asakura?" he asked him.

"Of course I am."

Ejio's face split into a grin, a smile of happiness that Rukio had never seen him carry before.

"That's good." He said softly. "This would finally teach you a lesson to make my sister cry all these years."

A nitrogen bomb, once exploded, sends a fissure of diffusion of electronic power to all circuits in the area around it.

Silence filled the room, but the pressure passed between the two of them seemed to crack and splinter the walls around them like needles through holes across the surface.

"You're saying I'm weaker that him?" Rukio said in a menacing deadly whisper.

"That's precisely what I'm pointing out to you." Ejio said through clenched teeth.

And they smirked at each other, laughing at the others' stupidity, trusting fully in their own beliefs, not knowing of the fissure bomb that was going to be dropped upon them that was going to prove them of their dumbness in their own ways in no time at all.

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Anna twirled the pen between her fingers.

The day was going by dreadfully slowly; much slower than the others days at work, and she didn't know if she dreaded the end of the day more, or if she just wanted to get the damn thing over with. She bit her lip and looked out of the window, the paperwork before her totally forgotten.

"What's up with you?" Yoko said, stepping up to her calmly, a cup of coffee in her hands. When Anna gave no reply, a small smile surfaced upon her lips. "Ah, you're thinking about Yoh." At the sound of her husband' name, Anna looked up sharply, curiously, as though only just hearing her friend's voice. Yoko placed her coffee cup down and grinned at Anna. "Hey, good news. This whole thing might just be over in no time. I already got the calls made. It's been about a month already anyway." She smirked. "You ready to put your husband to the test?"

Anna blinked.

Ah.

The week was almost over.

"When. . .?" was all she could say hoarsely.

"Anytime." Yoko said, poking at her coffee cup, making the drink inside tremble. "Any time you want. Be it today or tomorrow. Any day, pretty much." Yoko smirked. "You ready for this? Either you get closer to your husband that you have ever been to. . ." she picked her cup up. "Or he cheats on you, and you two break it off straight away."

Anna picked up her own cup of coffee, sighing in resignation.

"Just like doomsday." She said gloomily.

"Yep." Yoko said happily. "The Armageddon cometh."

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Dinner time.

Rukio looked around his house for something to eat.

Dry cereal.

He sighed gloomily.

"A sound diet brings forth a sound mind." He said moodily, grabbing the packet of cereal and spraying it into the bowl before him.

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"So. . .you're basically eating your last lunch in the coffeehouse?"

"Don't say it that way." Hao said, eating his steak savagely. He, Ren, Horo Horo, Pirika, Sumiko and Anna were sitting at the usual table, eating dinner with Hao. "I'm just having a meal here before going onto the battlefield." He grinned at them goofily.

"Is this dude strong?" Horo asked, interested.

"I don't know, to tell you the truth." Hao said, through mouthfuls of meat.

"Can we go over and watch you pound the stuffing through him?" Pirika asked excitedly.

"Oh, I don't think so. . ." Hao said hesitantly.

"Whoa, where did the confident Hao Asakura go to?" Ren said coyly. "I thought you would be boasting your nipples off about you trashing him flat."

"Boasting his nipples off?" Pirika asked with raised eyebrows.

"Seems like someone is not fully confident of his skills to beat an apprentice of his." Anna said dryly.

"Is that true, Hao?" Sumiko said, turning to her husband.

Hao paused.

"Of course I'm confident." He said, with seemingly perceptible reluctance.

"Then it's settled then." Horo said, rubbing his palms together with coherent glee. "We'll head over after this to see Hao beat the crap of some loser who thinks he can top him."

Anna suddenly felt a sick feeling in her gut, like something extremely bad was about to happen, and the others just did not know about it. Were her dreams a sign? Or were they just a bout of paranoia? She clenched her fists. She would just have to stand by the sidelines and watch for herself. She didn't think that Hao would need much of her help, but if things go ugly, then she would be there to help him out.

"I won't let you die." She thought to herself furiously.

It was at that moment when he turned to her, such a pensive quality across his features, and suddenly she wasn't sure if she knew him or not.

"Anna." He said to her solemnly.

"Yeah?" she whispered throatily.

"Can you do me a favour?" he said to her, in such a calm and serene voice that if they spoke over the phone she would have mistaken him for a father.

"What?"

"While I'm fighting Rukio, I want you to go to Yohmei's house, and bring Kino along with you as fast as possible. Understand?" He said slowly and steadily, as though speaking to a five-year-old child.

"Ren," Anna said, turning to the Chinese boy. "I want you to. . ."

"No, Anna." Hao said softly, cutting into her words. "I want you to do it."

Silence befell her as she started at him in fazed, unflattering curiousity.

He covered his hand over hers, reassuring.

Sumiko saw this action, and bit her lip.

"I want you to do it." He said to her clearly. "You understand me?"

Silence.

Even the waitresses by the side of the table were waiting for Anna's answer.

"Yes." She whispered softly.

"Then it's settled then." Hao said happily, his hand leaving Anna's.

Sure, Anna hated him.

Sure, Anna wanted him dead so many times that her hatred could not be numbered by her fingers and toes.

So why did she feel a sudden chill, a sudden emptiness as his hand left hers?

Hao got to his feet, a small smile on his face.

"Well, then." He said. "I guess we should get going, shouldn't we?"

His words sank into them until they finally processed the meaning of it, and they all got to their feet at the same time, a wordless motion that would someday be remembered with some sort of significance, but Anna just could not put a finger on it at the moment.

Hao turned to Anna, his hands in his pockets.

"I'll see you soon." Hao whispered, as he left the coffee shop, Ren and the others trailing behind him.

Leaving Anna there alone.

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Rukio was almost tired of waiting.

His legs were crossed on the front steps of Hao's house, his head leaning against the front door, his tongue clicking incessantly until even he himself could not stand it anymore. "Where the Hell is he?" he murmured impatiently. Suddenly, the lemon tree not far from the house rustled, and a plain leaf fluttered from it, floating lazily before him.

Then it crackled in mid-air by the pressure in the surrounding air.

Rukio smirked and got to his feet, his eyes never leaving the man who was stepping into garden, not once taking notice to the people behind him.

He grinned and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"You ready for death, Hao Asakura?" he whispered.

"Not as ready as you should be for the coming of Hell's Mouth."

Rukio grinned and a pale finger slowly pointed itself at Hao, and a pale sheet of ice burst out at him. Hao merely batted it away with his finger lazily. But the next second Rukio was behind him, an ice pick in his hand, holding it at Hao's throat.

Without even a wrinkle on his coat.

"I'm more dangerous that you can imagine, Hao." He whispered.

Hao smirked and nodded, fire bursting out of him, causing Rukio to jump away in alarm.

"Not bad." He said. "Let's go then."

The Spirit of Fire flew out from behind him.

"You have no idea how happy you just made me by saying that." Rukio said, licking his lips, the Spirit of Water bursting out from behind him.

"HOLY COW!" Horo gasped.

"Things might just get nasty." Ren muttered under his breath, Pirika clutching onto him, petrified.

Sumiko clutched her fingers together as a silent prayer, terrified.

"Please, Lord. . ." she whispered to herself between clenched teeth. "Don't let him die. Please don't let him die. . ."

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Anna was slowly walking to Yohmei's house, her brow furrowed, her fingers rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "Why did Hao want me to fetch Kino? He knows she's clearly no match for Rukio." she muttered to herself. "What was his purpose?" She continued walking, and suddenly it seemed that with every step that she took, the horrible sense of self-dawning seemed to befall her.

"Get away." She whispered. "Leave the scene."

Her eyes widened.

"Yohmei's the only person in the world that Rukio fears." She remembered Ejio telling her during dinner, a serious look on his face.

Hao wanted Anna out of the way.

He wanted her to. . .

Her mouth hung open in horror.

"Oh my God. . ." she whispered, her legs catching off in a run, just praying that she could make it back to the scene in time.

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Hao was having the clear upper hand.

While Rukio's spirit was larger than his, it once and for all proved that size did not matter. The Spirit of Fire swept from left to right, slashing the Spirit of Water in places it had never been cut before, the large creature seeming to diminish and get smaller with every passing second. Rukio was frustrated, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, while Hao still had his arms crossed upon his chest, a look of calm and understanding on his face.

It was as the Spirit of Fire took one last slash at the Spirit of Water, earning a howl of pain from both the creature and the owner, and the Spirit of Water fell to pieces.

There knelt Rukio, breathing hard, his position looking just like a man who had been completely beaten by a man totally out of his league, and he was begging for the man to let him live. Hao looked down at Rukio, a soft look of disgust on his face.

"Is that all you've got?" he whispered.

Rukio's teeth barred as he got to his feet, the sweat falling from his face never ceasing to fall. He wiped his forehead. "You son of a bitch." Rukio growled out. "I'll kill you if I have to. Then I'll murder Sumiko after you die."

Hao nodded his head softly.

"Ah." He whispered. "Is that so?"

Rukio roared out in anguish, his hands held out to the heavens like a plea. And for a moment there it seemed like there was an answer. Large walls of ice started bursting out right, left and center, creating somewhat of an arena for him and Hao.

"Now." Rukio said, a wide grin on his face, pointing a finger in Sumiko's direction.

Hao's eyes widened.

A large ice pick burst at Sumiko's direction, and she let out a gasp in horror. But the next moment it was over, and Hao stood before her, a burst of fire emitting out of his hands, glaring at Rukio menacingly. "You sick son of a bitch." Hao growled.

Sumiko watched her husband's clock billowing before her face, and she reached out to touch it with trembling hands, but the next second he was gone with the wind, and was right before Rukio, his hands ablaze.

"Hao." Sumiko whispered.

The requiem of a dream.

END CHAPTER 8

Chapter 9 will the most thrilling and exciting chapter of all chapters in this story, so please look out for it!!! The happenings of Yohmei's death, Hao's destination, the conclusion on Yoh and Anna's troubles, and Horo and Pirika's leaving day edging closer and closer by the seconds. Please read and review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I need at least 10 reviews :)