Escape
"Uhh!" Uriko cried out in surprise as the assassin's elbow struck her in the chest, and she was roughly shoved down, wincing when her back hit the ground. The flat side of a hand pressed against her neck, cutting off her gasp, making her eyes bulge slightly when she struggled to breathe. Her arms immediately flew up to push aside the obstruction that prevented the oxygen flow into her body, but then she suddenly found a lean figure moving to cover her body. That made it harder for her to draw breath into her straining lungs, and the feline zoanthrope grimaced in discomfort while she tried to wriggle out from under the imprisonment.
The pressure at her vulnerable throat increased, and a dark head bent down to her level while his low voice hissed a warning into her ear, "Stop resisting. Or else I'll make your death very slow… and excruciating…"
Stubbornly shaking her head, Uriko forced away the warmth that traveled throughout her form, but she could not fight back the tingles trickling down her spine from the feeling of the ninja lying on top of her. Her lean, but softer muscles were molded against his hard body, and she could feel her heart pounding faster when his hot breath tickled her earlobe. Even though he was not himself at that moment, he still invoked strong sensations in her, and it made the Kenpo student squirm more persistently. She would not let him put her under his spell; she had to maintain headstrong and fight for all she was worth if he truly meant it when he claimed that he was going to kill her.
What a beautiful creature. Bakuryu whispered the surprising comment inside the male teenager's head, complimenting the vision of loveliness snuggled underneath his body. The girl had gone through quite a bit of hell in the short time she spent in India, with all that the prince forced her to endure, and then afterwards with her own best friend threatening her very life. And yet now, with the upper portion of her white attire torn in several places, her hair matted and loose, bangs dangling all over her face, she still managed to provoke and entice his desires with her attractiveness. Beautiful, but a dangerous threat to your cause. She might force you to stop. Still, it is a pity that she must be disposed of.
Uriko raised partially closed eyes up to glance at her friend, who had just lifted his head from her ear level, and was now looking down at her with curiosity lurking in his still-red irises. A strange sense of regret drilled into his consciousness when her lips parted to exhale a pained gasp, and her face grew a bit pale as she began to feel lightheaded. She bent her knee and nudged at him in the abdomen, but it was not forceful enough to push him away, and a garbled noise rumbled low in her throat from frustration. Blinking dazedly, she felt her eyelids drifting down to grant her peaceful sleep, and whispered his name while a throbbing darkness ached to claim her.
Kill her. The malicious voice commanded harshly into his mind, expressing no remorse over her weakened state, and in fact was laughing deliciously at the thought of snatching away the girl's life. His eyes burned with a consuming fire that flared higher as his fingers trembled against her smooth, soft skin, pressing on vulnerable points that would fulfill his accomplishment. Heavy breaths quaked his chest as he exhaled shakily, and ordered his hands to apply the necessary pressure to end her existence, but found that they would not obey. A look of confusion marred his brows at the resistance, and the reprimand in his head increased, persistent in trying to make him follow through with the kill.
…I can't do this. The ninja realized with a jolt of surprise, and removed his arm from her throat, then stared down at his hands in amazement, wondering why he refused to end her life. He had decimated the past victims with no hesitation, and he even enjoyed hearing their last protests and pleading, the final scream as death clouded their consciousness. Nothing exhilarated him more than stealthily stalking his prey with night cloaking his identity, the scent of fear teasing and provoking him to pursue the hunt. The only times he felt unclean was when blood did not stain his fingers, when the coppery smell was not entangled in his senses, but now, the mere concept of this young female's deceased essence lingering on his body sickened his stomach.
Don't go weak now. He shook his head slightly in denial, and hurriedly moved off of her slender, still form, scooting backwards on his bottom until he felt the wall behind him. Kill her. Kill her now! The dark-haired teenager gripped his temples with his hands, and squeezed his eyes shut tightly, not wanting to give into the persuasive voice's demands. His teeth clenched together in effort, and he continued his inner conflict, unnoticing of the feline zoanthrope stirring weakly; her arms shifted in an instinctive effort to raise her body up into a sitting position. She swayed a little, dizzy from the lack of oxygen minutes prior, and then spied her friend just a couple feet away, shrunken into a tense pose.
Kenji… The girl propped herself on her knees, and slowly crawled over to his location, paying no attention to how disheveled or exposed she appeared at that moment, with torn strips of her outfit dangling down freely. Her long brown braid slid off her back and bounced against her side, loosely curling around her arm as she reached her destination, and adjusted her position into a seated one. Beside her, the distraught form of her comrade shuddered and she heard him mutter curses under his breath, almost as if he were arguing with another. She laid a tentative hand on his shoulder, and he immediately recoiled from her touch, making her feel like she was poison and presented danger to him.
"Kenji," she whispered, reaching out to barely graze his elbow with her fingertips when he shimmied away from her once again; she bit her lip in disappointment as tears of concern pricked at her eyes. "Kenji, what's wrong…? Let me help you…"
"Help? Hah! This is your fault." A deep voice that seemed to come from her friend rasped, but it certainly did not sound like him. "His jealousy and anger erupted, and these are the results. But those emotions, they were invoked because of you, little amateur girl. Foolish boy, he cares about you more than he will ever admit. Of course, he is wasting his energy, as you obviously would never return the affection that he wishes to express. Friendship, the only disguise he can wear to hide his feelings. You forced him to hold back."
"I… What…?" Uriko questioned, confusion shimmering in her eyes while her heart skipped a beat at his cruelly spoken words, and a part of her wondered if he was telling the truth.
"The stupid boy is bewildered by his emotions. What a pathetic weakling, unable to even identify his very own feelings. He refuses to admit the painfully obvious, shied by his insecurities, afraid that you will reject him if he tried to let you know, as you did once before with the conniving, cock-eyed prince. You caused his misery, his worries, and began this battle that he must now wage inside himself, all for your sake. You make him question his actions, such as now, and if it weren't for your influence, he would have killed both you and that other puny penguin, but he stopped because he doesn't want to hurt you!"
The Kenpo student wondered where this mysterious side of her companion was coming from, and assumed it was the assassin that had been hiding within him all along. This was the ruthless part that had commanded him to execute each of his past kills, and persuaded him to fight with the only intention of achieving his opponent's death. He would have destroyed her too, if it had not been for his strong emotions that resisted the temptation, and struggled to distance himself from her so that she would not be harmed by his hand. The acknowledgement touched her deeply, and she felt her lips tremble as her vision blurred with the forming of tears, and her body shivered in fear for him.
"L-Leave Kenji alone…" she ground out forcefully, a hard edge in her tone. "You've done your damage, now go… I want my best friend back in control of his own body, not… not a merciless killer like you…"
"You were always the biggest threat," the assassin continued, still in his crouched pose, ignoring her demand. "You should have been eliminated in the beginning; he got too close to you, and now you are the only one standing in the way of his destructive cause, the only obstacle preventing him from going back to his true self, a killer. Not even his brother could invoke such a strong reaction as what he would do to anyone that ever hurt you, or even laid a single finger to bruise your tender skin. Stupid little girl, you stagger his potential."
"Sh-shut up, Bakuryu." Uriko growled, and her hands balled into fists as anger taunted her emotions, threatening her own rage that fought to take control of her. "You are the one that should be eliminated! Get out of Kenji, now! He shouldn't have to go through this torture and other crap from you; he deserves a lot better!!" She was screaming, her body quivering in ire while blood pounded in her head from the blinding frustration of trying to convince the possessed being in her friend to leave him. The thought of Kenji being torn apart inside his own mind scared the girl, especially if it was occurring because of her, and she felt responsible for whatever he suffered.
The person that held the form of her friend lifted his head up, and gazed in her direction, crimson eyes flashing darkly as a cold smile tugged at his lips. "You can have the boy, all to yourself. He certainly wouldn't complain, hah. But are you sure you can handle knowing that he has… this side of him?" A cruel sneer replaced his previous expression. "Knowing, that someone inside of him, I, am lurking? If it were up to me, you would be dead. Right now. But lucky for you, his pathetic, clingy feelings have prevented me from doing away with your life. What will you do, now that you know his true emotions toward you?"
"I-I don't know," she answered truthfully, glancing down at her hands, then peered back up with a determined look in her facial features. "But what I do know for sure, is that I want Kenji back. I want you to go away, and I want Kenji to come back. You don't belong here."
"Oh, all right then, time for the boy to come back and have his emotions be toyed and manipulated again. Will the torture never stop, tsk, tsk." Bakuryu smirked when the feline winced at his harsh accusations. "Take good care of him, kitty. Because when he's done with you, I'll be there to help him reclaim his true self - he can become the assassin that he was trained for and meant to be.
"Hrmp, the night you two were in the hotel room? I helped him seduce you. Without me, he would never have had the courage to even make a move, even such as a simple thing like kiss you. He is a coward around you, uncertain and afraid of his actions, completely dissolved to a core of nothing because of his bloody infatuation with you. So be grateful that I granted you that one night with him, girl. It will be the only experience that you two share. But, I must admit one thing," he chucked and told her blatantly, "you do taste as sweet as he thinks your person is… Even I enjoyed doing that as much as I'm sure he did, haha…"
"I'll never let you take him!" Uriko declared defiantly, raising a fist at him in an uncontrollable action of anger, but then her voice softened when she thought of her beloved friend. "Kenji… Kenji will be safe with me. I'll watch over him, and I'll protect him… especially from you."
"Think what you will." The ninja snarled, and threw her a confident sneer. "You had better hope he has enough control to keep me in check, because next time, I will kill you. I promise that. You are his number one priority, the person who influences and persuades his decisions the most, and that is why you must be eliminated first." He grinned wryly, and lowered his head, hiding his eyes. "Well then, until next time we meet, little cat."
And all of a sudden, his body went limp; the Kenpo student immediately rushed over to his side, and caught his head in her arms, cradling him carefully. She brushed away a few strands of dark blue bangs near his eyes, and gently cupped his cheek with her palm, as a tear slowly slid down her chin. The malicious assassin Bakuryu was gone for now, but how long would it be before he broke through her friend's restraint, and made true to his threatening promise of disposing her life? A realization hit her at that moment: anytime she was in his presence, she would be endangering herself, playing a deadly game with Fate.
Shivering at the thought, Uriko continued holding her zoanthrope compatriot, and ignored the screaming dark possibilities trying to force their way into her mind. She shut her eyes and released a shuddering sigh, overcome with pressure and emotion with the ever-dramatic turn of events that had just been revealed to her. Without a doubt, she would give her life for Kenji, but if what his evil counterpart said was true, that she was the only barrier separating him from going back to his assassin self, she had to stay alive. Even though the girl knew there was a chance that she would die by his hand, she had to make sure she remained closely by his side, so that she could indeed watch over him.
His feelings for her… that was what confused her the most - just exactly what was his viewpoint and interpretation of where they both stood in their supposedly platonic relationship? Kenji had always denied love, he claimed that he truly did not know or understand the meaning of that word, and could never express such an emotion. And yet, they shared a night together, where all reasons were tossed aside, feelings were stripped bare, and the two gave themselves to each other. As much as she hated to admit it, if Bakuryu did give him the courage to display any signs of affection toward her, then the assassin helped make him who he was as a whole.
"That arrogant bastard…" she swore quietly, sighing in frustration when she knew that the conniving killer had her in his trap. Either way, the female zoanthrope would lose - if she left her friend, then his anger and grief might overtake him, but if she stayed around him, she was risking her life. Still, the latter choice was the more desirable of the two, and she made her decision, promised silently that she would never abandon him, and always keep a watchful eye just in case Bakuryu broke free again. That meant he had to participate in fewer battles, for fury always ignited the urge to kill by threatening to shatter his control, and allow the assassin to take over his consciousness.
"Auugh…" A low groan caught her ears' attention, and Uriko whipped her head toward the direction of the noise, her eyes springing open to glance upon the face of her male companion. He shifted slightly in her arms, lips pressed together tightly in a sign of discomfort, and she exclaimed happily at his movement, "Kenji!"
The cobalt-haired teenager blinked slowly, and looked up at her, concern lingering in his pupils. "Uriko… you're all right. Wh-what happened…?" His face twisted in confusion, then flickered with anger. "Where's that little creep Dakinasha?!"
"Oh! Cronos!" She had just now remembered the fight that gone on between her friend and the prince, and turned her head to glance in the direction of where he was lying on the ground. "He… he's over there…"
"Mmm…" Kenji grimaced as he propped himself on his elbows, and leisurely lifted away from the girl's hold and his upper body ascended into a sitting position. He pivoted to follow suit and see where she was glancing; "…He's unconscious. Good… now we don't have to hear his snide comments." He sighed in relief, and pressed his palm against his forehead.
She bit her lip gingerly, and dared to ask, "You… you don't remember…?"
"No," the ninja replied, and quirked up a corner of his mouth to express his bewilderment. "I only remember fighting him, then he… knocked me out. Huh, you must have taken care of him while I was down." He grinned slightly at Uriko. "You did a great job."
"I…I didn't do anything…" the feline whispered, her voice barely audible, and she looked away, feeling ashamed. "…Listen, Kenji, we should get out of here now, don't you think so?"
A frown marred his eyebrows in suspicion. "You're hiding something. What is it?" She kept silent, and he growled quietly. "Come on, Uriko. Don't keep secrets from me if I'm involved in them, like that Saturday… Well, you know." He trailed off guiltily.
She shook her head stubbornly. "I'll tell you later. Let's just go now, okay? I don't want to be in this place any longer…" she sniffled a little when small teardrops began sliding down and scouring around her cheeks.
He gazed at her for a long moment, then finally nodded stiffly, visibly displeased with her furtive behavior. "All right. But you're not off the hook yet, Uriko; I will ask you again later." Kenji watched the girl every second while she was helping him stand up, trying to interpret what the expressions that would briefly flicker over her face meant. But she did not say a single word to help clue him in, and just slung her arm through her friend's, as he waved off her offer to assist him in his walking. Then, he noticed her torn outfit, and became more perplexed, but said nothing as he stopped her for a moment, and unbuttoned his navy blue shirt, stripping it from his upper body to give to the Kenpo student.
"Thanks…" she blushed and covered herself, flashing him a grateful smile, and he returned the gesture; for that instant, they were back to their old selves, happy with each other. But the short period passed, and somber expressions formed over their faces again as they headed toward the double doors together, strolling across the room slowly, inwardly hoping that someone was on the other side to unlock them so they could leave. Uriko went for the direct approach; she stepped up to one of the doors, and pounded on it with her fist, while her male companion yelled loudly, "Hey! Whoever is out there, open this door right this instant!!"
"Prince Cronos!" A voice from the other side exclaimed, and immediately, a click noised, and the tall golden frames were pulled open, then two guards and another man ran inside. "You have disposed of the cur, my prince…?!" All three realized that they were speaking with the adversaries, and averted their attentions to the still figure sprawled on the floor across the room. "Prince Cronos!!"
The guards dashed hurriedly to where their ruler laid, while a large, hefty man baring hard silver armor turned to the teenager pair and glared at them ruefully. "You! Which one of your harmed my prince?! You should be executed for your crime!!"
Kenji sneered and straightened his posture, ignoring the ache pounding in his head as his hand went to grip the girl's tightly, and he spoke quietly, "He's in hell, where he belongs. We should be rewarded, instead of punished, for doing away with scum like him."
The stout bystander growled maliciously, "You dare insult our great ruler?! I shall dispose of you both myself, in the honor of my dear Prince Cronos!! Prepare yourselves for battle, fiends!" He clapped his hands together in a deafening sound, but the ninja moved back, jerking his friend along with him, and threw down an object that fizzled a cloud of smoke around the two. The man coughed and closed his eyes as his arms swayed around, pushing away the cloak that prevented him from seeing his opponents. When the smoggy fumes cleared, he blinked and glanced about the place, but his lips curled in confusion as he noticed the teenagers had disappeared.
"They are gone… Hruhmp…" he snarled and gritted his teeth angrily, clenching a fist. But a call over his shoulder broke through his thoughts, "Lord Ganesha!! Come hither, quickly! Prince Cronos is-" The one referred to as Ganesha jerked to attention and cut the voice off with a wave of his hand, and immediately rushed over to attend to the royal member.