HEY YOU!

That's right You! I know most people skip this part but just read, okay? I just wanna say that before all of this ends, I want you guys to know that I am very honored of you my readers. You have given me the energy and inspiration to think, write and create this story. Because Honestly, I have fallen in love with this Fanfic. So thank you.

Alright, this is a long one, and I cannot wait for your reactions!

~Her Existence~

Chapter 10

As soon as Hao heard the gun shot, he knew somehow that Nagi was in danger. His gut was telling him to find her at once. Hao gave one deadly stare towards the injured Marco, a few yards away from him, before the spirit of fire threw his Angel to its owner. Without a second glance, Hao rushed towards the deep part of the forest, scanning for any human thoughts within the area. Searching for her voice. . . her familiar train of thought.

I'm bleeding . . . He heard her. Hao ran faster at the sound of her thoughts, frustration growing within him at her choice of words.

bleeding. . . .

Hao ran in the darkness with nothing but the moonlight to guide him. He could see flickers of lights a few meters ahead. He could also sense Nagi only a short distance from him now. And when he broke towards the small clearing, he didn't miss a thing.

Nagi, about to fall on the ground.

Eight men holding machineries and lamps across from her.

And the man on the east end, holding the gun.

Help. . . .

He ran for Nagi and reach out his right hand to catch her by her head before she hit the ground. His leather glove pressed softly on her ear. She was bleeding, her hand was covered in fresh blood. But the wound was on her stomach. She was still warm, yet he could see her spirit feigning and slowly leaving her body. He instinctively brushed his knuckles on her pale cheeks in a silent way of saying he was there with her.

And without a sound being made, without a word being said, without him being seen. . . She knew.

Her thoughts where as weak as her senses but she still manages to think about him. She pictured his face perfectly and in every detail. In her mind, He was smiling, a memory of him when he would playfully tease her every afternoon at the lake passed her mind. His fingers stoke her chin as he tried to reason himself on what he was about to do. He heard the men talking in the dark, their thoughts confused and afraid.

No mercy.

He softly laid Nagi to the ground and stood up. The humans where frantically squinting, trying to see in the darkness. The one in the middle who seemed to be on everyone's thoughts must be the leader. Hao fixated his eyes on him for he was sure the man can see him now.

"You Jackasses." He murderously said as the fire within him unleashed it flames. No, he will not leave anyone alive tonight. For these people didn't leave Nagi alive for him. Hao could feel his power going up to a maximum. The man in the middle kept his gaze lock on his, his eyes wide in fear, his forehead sweating and his mouth muttering soundless words.

"De-dedevil eyes." The man said.

You got that right.

In a split second, Hao burned the man into ashes and when he said 'No mercy' he meant it. Not even his soul survived to tell the tale. The other men watched in horror as their leader disappeared into thin air. They had nowhere to go, Hao made sure of that. Slowly he begun killing the men in the area, making sure he would save the one with the gun for last.

"Yoh, do you feel that?" Anna briskly asked. Yoh, who was currently brushing his teeth and getting ready for bed took a deep breath and close his eyes.

"It's Hao." He confidently said.

"I could feel his furiyoku, and it's not likely for him to use that much furiyoku at a time like this." Anna stated as she walked over towards the window. Yoh peeked from the bathroom door in a childish manner with his toothbrush hanging from his mouth. "Actually, it's not likely for Hao to use this much furiyoku at all."

"Do you think something up?" Yoh asked with a blink. Anna gave him a disappointed look before climbing out the window and head towards the roof. Yoh followed after he rinsed his mouth, he climbed the same way Anna did and was surprised to see Ren was up there with her.

"Hey Ren." He cheerfully said. Anna was staring at the horizon with a serious expression. Ren was doing the same, well until Yoh distracted him.

"Unbelievable." Ren muttered while shaking his head. "Yoh, don't you feel anything? Hao is currently fighting someone, well either that or he's going on a rampage." Tao Ren complained.

"I'm sure he has good reasons." Yoh announce with a smile.

"Really?" Ren asked seriously. "Is that a good reason for you?" Yoh turned around to where Ren was pointing and where Anna was still looking. Out in the night, in the horizon was a bright flickering orange light miles and miles from where they stood. Yoh could already tell that is was Hao's fire that was flickering. But he realized that from this distance and with that brightness, the fire must be big. Why would Hao burn down a forest? So unlikely for someone who loved nature dearly.

"To be able to feel this strong furiyoku from such a distance. . . . " Anna muttered.

"He would only unleash this certain power against one thing." Yoh stated before the two of them stared at each other for a second.

"Humans." Anna muttered.

The two continue to stare at each other, communicating with their eyes. Ren tapped his foot while staring at the two, awaiting their verdict. Anna walked towards Yoh without losing eye contact. And when Ren thought she was about to hug Yoh, he watched intently only to be proven wrong. Yoh smiled softly when Anna walked passed him, her way of saying 'Do anything you want' .

"Don't wait up." He said silently before hearing her shut the window below. He knew she heard him. Yoh turned to Ren with a confident look on his face.

"What was that about?" Ren asked. Yoh just gave him a smile.

"Let's move." The two jump down to the ground and head towards the direction to where Hao is. Bason and Amidamaru trailing their backs. Yoh kept his gaze at the flickering orange light up ahead, thinking of his other half.

Marco slowly walked up towards Jeane, injured and ashamed of what he did. With a forlorn expression on his face he went by his mistress side and stare into the horizon. His eyes bugged at the sight before him. The darkest of nights it was and yet, the light from the Angus forest fought for superiority. Marco didn't know why Hao had spared his life, he wasn't thankful for it, but he wasn't wishing for it either. In the back of his mind he knew it might have something to do with the human girl he saw.

It was very sad, how that human girl got tempted by a demon like Hao. She was indeed angelic, that human girl.

"That was very foolish of you Marco." Jeanne calmly said. Hands together pressed on her chest, fingers laced as her eyes kept still on the dancing flames.

"I'm sorry, Jeane-sama. I acted out of recklessness, it was stupid of me." Marco replied.

"Hao is currently at a dangerous state. His spirit is angered, we must stopped him from burning everything." Jeanne spoke in a monotone voice before turning to give Marco an innocent smile. Marco's injuries didn't matter at the moment. One smile from his mistress, and he would be alright.

"Yes Jeanne-sama!" The two head towards the dancing flames, not knowing the situation at hand. The Iron maiden knew that Yoh Asakura was on his way too. She could feel him and his furiyoku getting prominent and closer. On the way, his friends joined him and Tao Ren.

Tao Ren . . .

The boy she revived a few weeks ago. He was a strong willed person with a good heart. Stubborn by nature but soft within the shell. Jeanne was suddenly aware of the heat on her face, she shook her head in a way to pull other thoughts behind and focus on the situation at hand.

Stopping Hao.

Yoh ran into the forrest. Seeing the bright orange light getting closer and closer. He didn't know what was happening, but he could feel, deep within him that Hao was in a deep emotion. What was it? Anger? Pain? Sorrow? He couldn't be sure. Amidamaru floating behind him as he ran upfront with his friends trailing behind.

"Yoh-dono, Hao is destroying the forrest." Amidamaru announced. All the trees on the far east side was burned down.

"We have to stop him." Horo horo yelled, eyes piercing with anger as they close onto the burning forest. The ice shaman loved nature as well. But so did Hao, Yoh reasoned to himself. The seven shaman arrive in the center of a burned clearing where the spirit of fire was.

Yoh saw Hao at once. He was standing below the spirit of fire with a lanky human on his grip. Asakura Yoh noticed that Hao's hair was raised and pointed, He also noticed a couple of things that lay on the ground. An axe, chain saws, broken lamps, caps. . . . two caps. Could there be more human in the area? But Yoh could only see one, the lanky man Hao was strangling.

Did he already killed the others? If so, how many?

"HAO!" Yoh yelled. Hao stopped moving for a few second before turning to look at Yoh with a murderous stare. Choco Love, Lyserg and Ren prepared themselves while Ryu and Horo Horo just stared in shock at the way the fire shaman looked. Faust and Yoh remained calm. Yoh walked towards his other half despite the warning his friends gave him.

The fire shaman returned his stare at the wriggling human in his hands. He didn't laugh, he didn't bragged and for the first time, Yoh saw Hao in a dead serious state. Normally when Hao kills people, he would be in his nonchalant attitude, chill and uncaring. This isn't the case with him right now.

"Hao enough." Yoh tried to say. "ENOUGH!" Amidamaru fused with Yoh's sword to an oversoul state.

Still no response.

The man made croaking sounds as he stares in Hao's eyes in terror. Hao scrunched his eye brows with a death glare in response and squeezed the man's neck in a deadly manner.

"You didn't mean to pull the trigger huh?" Hao muttered towards the human before engulfing him in flames.

"NO!" Yoh jumped in an attempt to stop him but the Spirit of fire blocked his way with a swing of its flaming hands. Ren and Chocolove tried to attack the spirit when Yoh went down but also received the same treatment. Yoh stood up, looking up to the spirit and finding a way to cross to the other side, Hao had already killed, no burned to crisp, the man that he was holding a second ago. Yoh couldn't stomach the scene, He couldn't bear the thought of killing people, no matter how bad they were.

"HAAAAOOOO!" Yoh yelled before plunging into Hao, the fire shaman didn't lift a finger yet Yoh 's attack was still blocked just by Hao's furiyoku itself. Glaring dangerously, Yoh tried to do another attack but something unexpected happened. Hao froze and he turned around, his back facing Yoh, to take a peek behind. Yoh jumped back when he did this. What was it that caught Hao's attention?

He followed Hao's gaze and he froze as well.

A girl, with dark hair and pale skin lie on the unburned ground in a terrifying state, a dying one. Her arms and stomach were bloody and her breathing was slow, so slow that she could stop breathing at any moment. And yet, the girl still had a small smile on her face, flames danced on her slightly opened eyes, which Yoh noticed was fixated on Hao. Then, like a raindrop falling from a leaf, the girl stopped breathing. Yoh lowered his harusame as he ponders further on what to do, panic sinking in.

Yoh ran towards the body, examine it carefully. Trying to block this unending deaths that keeps on happening in his mind. He realized that the girl was harmed by a gun shot, not by Hao's wrath. Yoh stared at her pale face as he listens to her un-beating heart.

"We can revive her." Yoh said in a grave voice.

"I won't." Hao whispered.

"You won't?" Horo Horo asked. "Does life mean nothing to you?! This person is innocent. She's not even a shaman!" He yelled.

"Faust! Do what you can!" Lyserg told the tall shaman and he walked towards Yoh.

"If you touch her, I will kill you." Hao threatened, but something was off. The fire in his eyes were dim. There was no sign of any anger on his face as he stare at the girl in Yoh's arms. Yoh halted Faust's action as he place the girl on the grass. He stood up to walk towards Hao, whose gaze never left the girl.

"You know her." Yoh knowingly said. Hao looked at him then. The twins stared at each other in a silent way of communication. "Why won't you bring her back?" Yoh asked him seriously.

Hao started to laugh. . . it didn't reach his eyes.

"Why should I?" He said mockingly before returning back to his dead expression. "Why should someone like her stay in this tainted world? Why should she stay in a place full of evil, suffering and pain?" His words slow and deadly. Anger coming back to his features, the fire shaman looked more menacing.

"When her soul is already with the great spirit, eternal and glorious place. And I dare pull her back down here with the rest of the humans who knows nothing than killing others or themselves! And for what? For her to experience anything like this again!" He yelled in grief. It felt like an older brother scolding his younger one. Even Ren stared in surprised.

"Why should I?" He whispered to Yoh, the only one who listened to his every word with a straight face.

"To live." Yoh simply said.

Hao took a step towards Yoh, his mouth a few inches from he's ear. The rest of Yoh's friends waited tentatively on what was happening. The sky was still dark and yet there was light beyond the clouds, slowly . . . rain started to pour.

"When I change this world, when I get rid of its evilness. . . . when I DESTROY all Humans. . . . THEN and only then will this earth deserve her presence." Hao enunciated each word, breathing deeply. For a moment Yoh saw through him, and he was shocked to see that he was dead inside. He was empty, his eyes were void like he was staring back at Yoh but was seeing nothing.

Yoh could only stare back at him. After a long moment, the fire shaman walked towards the girl's limp form, scooped her in his arms before disappearing into flames under a brisk shower of rain.

"Hey! Yoh are we just gonna let him leave?" Choco love demanded, face falling when Yoh didn't have an answer for him. "Aren't we going to do anything for that girl?" He asked once again in a frail voice.

The group stared at their leader, awaiting a response.

"Asakura Yoh." Ren turned swiftly to point his weapon on the intruders. Marco and Jeane stood on the far north of the burnt clearing. Their expression kept and composed, although Yoh knew they had witnessed everything. "Do you think it's wise, your decision to let her stay dead?" Marco asked.

No response.

"That girl was the one Hao visited in these woods every day." Jeane softly told everyone, everyone froze at her words. "It's true that Hao, had somehow shown compassion for her, I fear even more." Jeane continue to say.

The group continued to stand there in the rain, thoughts still bent on the recent meeting that they had. Yoh looked up in the sky, trying to lift the heavy feeling within him.

"We can't do anything for the girl anymore." Yoh announced as his companions listened to his words. "But the men that Hao killed still needs peace, and their families need knowledge. We can only do that for now." He grimly said.

At the North east part of Angus Forest, the Fire shaman walked in the rainy twilight. At mid morning, Hao had placed Nagi's body on her bed. With just a gentle touch on her cheek he knew everything was over. He stayed outside her window all day, clinging to whatever was left of her for as long as he could. He watched Nagi's grandmother cried for hours before finally turning on his heels and left.

Heading towards the lake, his body felt heavier by the second. He felt empty, hollow, like a walking corpse. All the warmth gone from his body, as if she took it with her. In the darkness of the forest, in the drizzling rain. . . the place where they met seemed different now.

It was dead and cold. Like him. Like her.

He moved his heavy feet closer to the water, drop to his knees and once again stared at his reflection. He knew that reflection. Dark skinned, fierce and murderous eyes, hatred. . . anger . .

I hate her!

His nails dug through the soil.

Nothing good ever happens when it comes to humans! They destroy everything! Even themselves! I hate her for making me feel this way again! Humans are the disease of this world. They must all be destroyed, each and every one of them!

A different kind of ripple shook the water. His eyes widen at the sight before him . . .

He was crying.

Why? She was only a human. She didn't change my mind about destroying the human race. She didn't know the other half of my life! The powerful being that i am. Before, she only thought of me as another pesky human because she didn't know. it's pathetic! She's pathetic! A one track minded girl couldn't possibly affect me so much!

A long moment of silenced passed.

Then why are you crying? He mentally asked himself.

Because she's gone.

Because she's not here anymore. Because he won't be able to see her smile or hear her laughter again. Because even though she's only a human girl and they only shared a short amount of time together, her cheerful personality grew on him. Because there was a time when he wanted to keep her and take her with him when he becomes the Shaman King. To create a vast land filled with trees for her. To make her Happy, to stare into her cobalt blue eyes and feel complete again.

Because Nagi, my one hit wonder, is Dead.

He continued to sit on the ground, placing his forehead on his knee, he made no sound. Only the movement of his shoulders as his breathing hitched while the tears continuously flow. The rain kept on pouring, the spirits mourning his loss. Beyond the steady sound of the rain and the darkness of the forest, it felt like he could hear her voice from a distance.

Boy, why are you crying?

The phrase suddenly entered his mind as a gut wrenching pain jolted through his heart. The rain kept pouring, the thunder rolled as the dark clouds covered the land. The night passed, with it a new ache was formed in Hao Asakura's heart.

I decided to use Nagi's first words in the story as the last part of this chapter. We will miss her.

Until then,

Kate =]

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