"Eruption! I repeat, an eruption has occurred!" Higuchi recited over into his mouthpiece cited with alarm. The earth beneath the tires shook from the blow, radiating all the was down the hill. "More backup is required. Inform the medics immediately!"
Neuro reacted swiftly himself, hurtling from the van, dashing out of sight and he headed straight into the core of the disaster. Higuchi revolved his stool around, feeling that sly inhuman gust of speed tickle his neck from behind. "What the hell? Ne, Neuro! Where did you go?!"
A surge of hot wind rushed into her lungs once Yako registered what was happening. Her throat burned. Her head throbbed. Shoving what had to be have been a large free slate of copper off of her (it was remarkably the one thing that might have just saved her from ultimate death). She quickly rolled over on her hands and knees to ease that coughing fit that soon followed.
Her surroundings started to blend into one gigantic color. With all the cinders and the black smoke and ash drifting everywhere, it was tricky for her watering eyes to distinguish what was the left of the building, and what was still standing.
Get up! she managed to tell herself in the back of her mind, You survived the main blow and so you can move! Don't stop now!
Astonished, Yako did regain her balance after her third try, and her shaking hands wiped at the patches of soot and sweat clinging to her. She rotated herself around slowly, over and over again, searching for a person. Any living person.
And when she spotted some movement not that far ahead...she squinted, peering at them hard, witnessing a bleeding Sakamoto raise his arm, aiming his handgun directly at Christian.
Yako cried out. Raised her voice, called for him, demanding him to run et down and dodge the shot, to do something other than just stand there frozen in place. But since her rapid heartbeat blocked out her own hearing, she wasn't sure if either he was even listening or if her croaking-and-coughing-infested-words could even reach him.
Christian's lips moved. His empty hands were held up in a calm, composed surrender. He was most likely persuading Sakamoto to rethink his options.
Although, the weapon was not yet lowered.
And then—
The next minute seemed to play out in slow motion.
She started sprinting towards the two of them on sheer impulse...what she was going to do when she got there...well, she didn't really have any idea on how to cease a fired bullet...and at that point, Christian's head turned to her momentarily, and his bright blue eyes were practically telling her farewell already. He was already injured. He was bleeding like the rest of them. He was dying anyhow. But Yako didn't swerve. It couldn't happen...it couldn't happen...she couldn't lose him like this, not here. They could still win this fight...she would save him. She needed to protect his honor, because she knew if their roles were reversed, he'd be doing the exact same thing for her right now.
Preparing herself for the downfall in such little time was indeed a weird and wild sensation...emotions erupted from within. Images of Sai and Sasazuka were resurfacing. Her own life flashed in front her mind...like a film an hours-long replayed in milliseconds, and she was pushing forward...forcing herself straight into the crossfire, heading for the midpoint between Sakamoto and Christian.
Christian noticed this, and instead, he leaped towards her, trying to block her path from Sakamoto as well. And sometime during all this turmoil, his strong hands soon gripped her forearms tightly when the soul-piercing boom of the gun echoed.
...And Yako released a low, shuddering breath as her jaw dropped in dread. Christian's corpse sunk against her before she collapsed to the ground again with him.
Yako felt the front of her blouse grow wet and warm and a familiar red substance gradually pooled into her. In the aftermath, she was stoking Christian's dirty hair, dismayed, thankful. Hopeful.
A scratchy scream flowed out somewhere behind her just then—it was Sakamoto screaming—and there was a notable crack!—like a major bone in his body was sapping in half, and his body was also tossed aside.
Sleep was coming now, and it claiming her fast. Her pale eyelids were shutting against her will. She was titling sideways...tilting...tilting...
Then a blue apparition encircled her at the very moment she went unconscious.
Alright, so, a few readers have wondered if these events follow the Anime or manga—and my plot is Post-manga. It states this in the story summery—although from time to time, I may allow some Anime elements to overlap, but it won't be much.
And a few other supporters have asked me why each chapter is so short? Well—firstly, the first chapter used to be a drabble standing by itself...and then later, I decided to add on to it. Therefore, it made more sense personally to me, to write the chapters all in drabble-ish form, just to keep the entire structure of the storyline consistent. Plus, I will not lie and confess that I dislike writing really long chapters for my fics, even when I still love to read others. Usually one-shots and drabbles just take a lot of the pressure off when I simply do not have the time to lengthen it.
I hope this response clarifies things for you curious readers :) Thanks.