x.X. The Shadow .X.x
I do not own anything. Weekly updates now that I have time.
Author's note: Thank you so much for sticking by this fanfic, it's almost done :) I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter and all the best!
IX
In all my time as a shadow, it had only been once in the past that I had made a critical error of judgement in my actions which had lead to a death. But it seems that my list just keeps getting longer and longer, I can only hope that the consequences are not as deadly as the last one had been. The guilt of the past one had yet to subside.
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I could have turned back so many times, I could have prevented all of this.
"Fine, but he will be your responsibility from now on. You'll be his mentor and superior; do you understand that, Tetsuya?" Esme stared at me. She had warned me but I had still been so foolish.
"I've already accepted that role." Maybe I had made a rash decision. It's hard when you know it was your fault.
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"Do you not know what you have just done?" We had just exited the Grand Library as we walked towards the main hall. Despite the calm air that surrounded us, I could tell that Esme was not amused at all. I did not dare reply. "That human will endanger all one day." How right she had been.
But how was I supposed to have known that back then? Instead, I had to disagree. "Not unless he's shown the right path he will not." I corrected her. "That human is now my 'Light', and I shall make him shine." And so I did.
Esme's eyes narrowed at me, her arms were folded neatly behind her back as we walked. Her lips tilted downwards as her posture stiffened. "To merge a human hunter, and equip him with the skills of a shadow... it's asking for a death wish, Tetsuya. His skills would be incredibly advanced, more than a shadow, more than what you or I can handle if you train him properly. Now imagine the danger if he is controlled by a sin. His mind would be eradicated, his thoughts would only be wired to kill us all, Tetsuya. Do you understand how powerful you're making him? How dangerous he'll be if he falls into the palms of the sins?"
"I understand."
A slender hand reached out and placed itself on my chest, stopping me from walking any further. "I want you to make an oath to me that if it does happen, you will kill him." I did not reply, instead I simply nodded. "Say it Tetsuya, say that you oath on your own soul that if Kagami Taiga ever becomes possessed by a sin, you will kill him or else you'll ascend in his place." Stupid.
I nodded as my eyes never left Esme's, "I oath on my own soul that if Kagami Taiga ever becomes possessed by a sin, I will kill him or else my soul will be ascended in his place to heaven." How stupid I was. I had gambled my own life.
"Remember your oath."
I do, it's haunting me right now.
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So this was what Esme had feared... Crap! My feet dropped down to dodge the strike of an on coming blow, within seconds my head swung to the left but it didn't anticipate the oncoming kick from the right. A low grunt escaped my lips as I felt myself fly back in the air. Kagami let out a vicious roar as he pounced towards me, his sword pointed right for my neck. "Shit," my body shifted as I made my quick escape, my shadow form hitting the ground and slithering away as quick as I was physically able to. I resurfaced moments later but I didn't have more than a second to catch my breath before there was a sword in the place where my head had been only moments ago. His instincts were really on point.
Gleaming red eyes, popped blood veins in his neck, hunched posture... The sounds of Kagami's heavy breathing did nothing to sooth my uncomfortableness of this situation. I could feel myself on edge. There was something not right here, my eyes narrowed. I know he's possessed, I can confirm that much... but his actions and his appearance, the more he fought, the further his sin transformation went but never fully... He didn't look like any of the humans who underwent full transformation... Ah, my eyes widened in realisation, his possession was incomplete, I deduced. He had previously been purified to the core in the pit, the time frame he was missing was less than 72 hours, it would be impossible for even a greater sin to possess his body completely so soon. If Kagami was a normal human, then maybe, but he's not - he became a shadow. No, he became my light. That would mean that if there was any slight chance, there is a possibility of turning him back to his original form. 'Yes' I nodded to myself, my arms crossed as I met his weapon head on. Now the only question was how. The clash of our weapons sent a ripples of air around us, the hunters and vampires fighting beside us paused as they stumbled in their steps for a moment, shocked by the impact of two heavenly weapons. "Don't worry, Kagami-kun, you'll be released very soon." I assured him, my tone blank as I gazed into his blood red eyes. My arms moved away, just as his did too but within moments they were clashing all over again. Kagami seized every moment to attack when I took the chance to move away, his instincts were sharp as they appeared to seize every opportunity to move. "I know you're still down there. I know that you don't want to kill me, or hurt anyone else here."
Kagami's eyes narrowed, "Kill you? Like how you tossed me to rot in that hole?" He growled back at me.
'Ah, yes. That did happen didn't it.' "Are you still bitter about that?" I mutter beneath my breath, it was not something of such a big deal. The process was drastic, but not uncommon.
Kagami growled louder, "You left me there to die!" He cried out, lunging at me. His movements suddenly became sloppy, but that's what happens when you're too overcome by your rage. "Don't think you're going to get away so easily, Kuroko!" He cried out.
'You're open!' I lunged right back at him, it should have been easy to attack him since he was overcome by his rage. But I guess it was a miscalculation on my part this time. My eyes widened briefly as I slid to my knees, my eyes glanced to aside where a small gash opened. Droplets of fresh blood dropped to the ground, my face remained dead, refusing the betray the true emotions I felt now from the stinging flesh wound. My finger instinctively lifted and pointed at Kagami, "Debilito." I whispered, a ball shadows shot out from my finger like long arms, paralyzing him momentarily. My eyes glanced back at the inflicted wound, it was gone now. "I may have underestimated your fighting instinct, Kagami-kun." I stood up before him, my left arm swung to the right as I slashed the on coming sin who had attempted a surprise attack. It let out a cry before dropping to my feet. "I'm occupied." With a twirl of my dagger, I let it drop onto the sin. A painful cry echoed by my feet, followed by the flash of a blinding light that engulfed the sin. My feet kicked at the dagger, tossing one half of Fides into the air before I caught it. "Now where were we..." My eyes dropped back to where Kagami stood paralyzed. 'Ah, that's right.'
"As if I'd let him get caught so easily," called out Haizaki. I jumped back as the ashed haired vampire landed between us, Haizaki smirked as he touched Kagami, releasing him from his shadow binds. "For some of heavens strongest beings, your spells are pretty shitting weak." He laughed as he petted Kagami's back. "Finish them off, but leave little Kuroko for me." He licked his lips as his eyes gleamed, Haizaki laughed as he took slow steps forward. "I've always wanted to drink your blood, Kuroko, man was I surprised to find out what you've become but damn..." He smirked tauntingly. "That just makes me want to suck your blood dry even more. So lets make this easier for both of us, why don't you just come here and let me drink you dry while Kagami kills the rest of your petty friends."
My fingers gripped the handles of my blade even tighter, my face remained dead but I could feel my anger rising slowly. "Silence you pathetic piece of trash," Akashi dropped to the ground beside me, a barely surviving sin in his hand as he glared harshly back at Haizaki. Blood dripped along his cheeks and stained his shirt, he must have had a huge feast. "Your opponent shall be me." It was no secret that Akashi truly hated him, and that feeling was mutual between them. The only question was whether Haizaki was willing to take Akashi up on that offer to fight.
Apparently merging with a greater sin had boosted his confidence as Haizaki tossed his head back in a roar of laughter, "I'll wipe you to the ground widow boy! You're too weak for me! It's no wonder your precious lover died!" Crack! Akashi crushed the neck of the sin in his palms before tossing the body aside, all he could see was red as he lunged towards Haizaki.
Shit! He's baiting him. "Habere!" I whispered as black shadow chains shot from the grounds and circled around the ash haired vampire.
Within a flash, Haizaki vanished from the spot as the chains grasped nothing. I flinched as I side stepped back to dodge his kick. "Hey asshole, you've been excused." He muttered beneath his breath before jumping back to avoid Akashi's lunging grasp.
"Stay out of this Tetsuya." Hissed Akashi, his eyes began to glow. He was seething in anger. "This scum is my prey."
His words only made Haizaki laugh even harder as he moved to avoid Akashi's attacks, "I know what you can do shadow boy, why don't you play with your light?" With a snap of his fingers, he released Kagami from the frozen stupor he was placed in before. Kagami launched right for me. "Kill him Tiger!"
My eyes narrowed as I took a defensive stance. I needed to immobilise Kagami first before I could cleanse him of that sin, but how... My gaze dropped to his knees. Within seconds, Kagami was before me as he swung his arms into the air, slashing his sword down on me. 'Now!' My body dropped to the ground as it twisted to avoid the attack, but not before I lightly reached to tap his knees. Before my fingers could even graze his leg, Kagami instinctively turned and moved away. He swung his leg, kicking me straight across the chest. I felt the wind being knocked out of my lungs as I flew back, crashing into the hard surface of the ground. My eyes winced from the pain. 'He's smarter than I give him credit for.'
Kagami moved towards me, his weapon out and ready to finish me off. My eyes glanced to where I had dropped Fides. None of my daggers were within range, crap... I was in danger. My mind began to race, I needed to think of a solution, fast.
Suddenly out of the blue, a dark blur dashed out from the shadows, knocking Kagami to the ground. My eyes widened in familiarity. "Back off, Tetsu you asshole." A familiar low voice growled. That voice... Aomine.
He stood between Kagami and I.
Kagami laughed as he stood up, a feral grin decorated his lips. "I've been meaning to pick a bone with you, you damned bloodsucker."
Aomine's eyes narrowed. "I may be a blood sucker, but I was still here first faker." Aomine turned back and met my gaze. "We're still partners aren't we, Tetsu?"
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"They say that the stronger the light is, the stronger the shadow will become." I told him as we sat on the hill outside the manor, the sun was setting. It truly was a calming scene.
Aomine snorted, "Are you saying that we should be lovers, Tetsu?" He asked, jokingly. My hand shot out and instinctively jabbed his side painfully as I frowned at his words. "Fuck, that freaking hurt, Tetsu."
"I was not implying that at all. Don't be ridiculous, I was just stating a scientific fact, Aomine-kun." I corrected him.
"Well you pretty much move like a shadow anyway," replied Aomine. He smirked before adding. "Hey, since you're a shadow already, how about I'll be your light to make you stronger?" He lifted his fist out towards me with a grin on his lips.
I smiled as I lifted my fist to meet his. "Yes, Aomine-kun." We fist bumped.
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"Yes," I replied, a soft smile lacing my lips as I stood up and dusted my gear. "We are for now at least." My eyes stared back at Kagami. "Don't worry, Kagami-kun, we'll do anything we can to purify your soul." I informed him. "Even if it means I'll have to kill you again." 'If you don't, then it'll be my soul that's going to die.'
To be continued...