Nobody moved, just watched. Waiting. There was a silence that one could hear a pin drop if it did, a silence that bore no patience towards clichés. But still the tension was there, you could cut it with a knife. Still playing with clichés, there was nothing else to describe the situation.
It was Fuuma that moved first but it was such a slow careless movement that no one expected it. It was calculated. His arms slipped around Subaru's waist, forced Subaru's head towards the nape of his neck. A simple gesture but extremely possessive.
"Get your hands off him" Seishirou's eyes flashed with the intensity of a jealous cat.
"Now, why would I want to do that?" Fuuma's fingers ran up and down Subaru's arm and Seishirou could see goosebumps appearing on Subaru's skin. Suddenly, he registered how thin Subaru had become again, all since this whole episode had began. Something clicked in him, he cared. Hadn't he always cared about Subaru? He tried to squash back the feeling of helplessness he felt within; the strength from Fuuma magnifying the contrast between his form and the lithe form of Subaru.
"Because this isn't you. Because you love Kamui." The simplicity didn't bother him. The Sakurazukamouri had always used simplicity.
"What makes you so sure this isn't me? And trust you to use the word 'love'. You disappoint me, old friend."
"We love. We feel. We have emotions. Power doesn't define you, love does. You told me it made you feel real, a man."
"I must have been insane when I said that. Just imagine, the world at your feet, their lives in your hands, knowing that you control who lives and who dies, isn't that the most exhilarating feeling ever?" Fuuma's hands raised slightly, almost in triumph as he closed his eyes to soak in the implications of his words. He shivered and power cackled around him.
"No. It isn't. I've felt what you have, longer than you have. But I was never complete. If I was, you think I'd have bothered playing with Subaru?"
Kamui watched, scared. Fuuma had untapped power, so had he. Choosing to give up their roles in deciding the fate of the earth had never removed the fact that they were powerful and after being together for real, Kamui had stopped trying to harness his power, it wasn't needed. He knew that if Fuuma chose to use his power, no one would be able to stop him. While Seishirou and Fuuma had been talking, no one had noticed until it was too late that Fuuma had every intention to kill.
The blasts threw them off their feet.
And then the battle raged.
A losing one on Kamui's side because neither he nor Seishirou wanted to hurt Subaru who was still in the vice grip of Fuuma.
A losing one on Kamui's side because neither he nor Seishirou wanted to hurt Fuuma, their friend.
Fuuma had no remorse.
Didn't care who got hurt and slashed to ribbons in the medley.
He couldn't feel pain, and even if he did, relished in knowing he caused it.
If the pain was his own, it only made him stronger.
But he felt tears.
Subaru was crying.
"Pathetic!" He screamed, at Seishirou and Kamui because they barely attacked, at Subaru for crying.
And this was getting nowhere.
There was madness in his eyes.
The chaos was building up, slowly, stirring itself into a life of its own.
A clapping sound resounded. Fuuma whipped his head around, Kanoe was clapping, that bitch was clapping. It infuriated him, that sound, almost mocking, a contemptuous tone. He flung out his hand, twisted in his mind and it sent her slamming into the wall. But that didn't stop her from clapping, laughing even as she shook the debris from her hair and wiped the blood from her lips.
Fuuma raised his hands, intent to kill her written on his face.
"You can't!" Arashi screamed at him.
"That's exactly what she wants"
Fuuma was confused, something he didn't like feeling.
"So I'm supposed to kill you instead?" He tried to mask it.
"It's a little late for this but I think your little power struggle created something." Sorata pointed to the gathering debris. Seishirou couldn't see anything and thought that Sorata was creating a diversion. He lunged, grabbed for Subaru. He reached thin air, Fuuma was too quick. The game of cat and mouse continued and Subaru all but gave up his struggle because the grip was too strong.
No one paid any attention to Sorata or Arashi.
Or Kamui, who lay perfectly still on the floor.
When they finally looked at Kamui, he wasn't breathing as far as anyone could see.
There would have been silence at that moment, except for the sound of Kanoe's laughter, an eerie sound in the empty space.
A/N: It's been 2 years since I wrote the last chapter. I'm not sure it's as good as it started out but I do promise it'll be a happy ending. Review because I'm not sure if those who have been following are still here or even if I should continue. Like Subaru, I'm tired. Haha.