CHAPTER 6
Seiyo watched in horror as the fireball flung Tooya backwards. He collided forcefully with the wall and was rendered unconscious by the impact.
"No!" she shouted. "You're a monster!"
Kamino moved towards her and stroked her cheek. "Did I give little Seiyo a scare?" she mocked, resting her hand on Seiyo's neck. She raised her until they were eye-to-eye and pinned her against the wall. "You gave me quite a chase. Now it's time to collect my reward."
"Why are you bothering with me if you're already strong?" Seiyo challenged.
"I don't think you understand. With your gift, I will become invincible," she answered, tightening her hold on Seiyo.
"You're very much mistaken," Seiyo said with great effort. She felt the energy draining out of her. "I can't use my ability to heal myself so it will be worthless to you as well."
"You're lying!" Kamino cried out. "I've come so far to settle for second best. I'll wipe out anyone who interferes with my goal."
"And what is that? To be the most powerful?"
"What else?"
"You're crazy!"
Kamino laughed, "You'll regret you ever made light of my ambition. You'll pay for it with your life."
"I don't think so," came Yuuhi's voice.
~o~
A bolt of lightning lit the sky, enabling Seiyo to distinguish Yuuhi's features in the dim hall. He was standing by the window with a dangerous glint in his eyes. Another flash of light illuminated the atmosphere, outlining his rigid posture.
'Just like in movies,' Seiyo thought, stifling a laugh. She was surprised that she could still find humor in her present situation. 'He never fails to make me smile,' she continued affectionately.
"Let her go," Yuuhi demanded in a frighteningly calm tone.
"And who are you supposed to be? A dashing knight?" Kamino mocked. "This is turning out to be more interesting." She threw Seiyo in Yuuhi's direction. "Fine. I'll give you a chance to protect her."
"You okay?" Yuuhi asked gently as he cradled Seiyo in his arms. She nodded in response. He wrapped his jacket around her and set her aside in one corner. "Stay put."
"No!" Seiyo protested, clutching his shirt. "You'll."
Yuuhi smiled, touched by her concern. "Don't worry. I'll come back for you, I promise."
~o~
Yuuhi jumped in the air as Kamino aimed an arrow of fire at him. It whizzed past his ear, missing his shoulder by an inch. He landed on both feet and started dodging the succeeding attacks.
They were at the rooftop now. 'Good,' Yuuhi thought, glad that his strategy to lure Kamino away from Seiyo had worked. 'Now all I have to do is to get rid of her,' he concluded, wondering how he'll manage the feat.
"Impressive," Kamino said. "But you can't evade my strikes forever."
"Damn it," Yuuhi swore. He wiped the blood off his face where one of the fire arrows had grazed him. 'She's right. I can't just keep running. What am I going to do?'
"I'm getting tired of this," Kamino stated. She lifted her hands and conjured a massive ball of fire. "Sayonara," she said as she released it.
Yuuhi leaped again but he hadn't moved fast enough. The fireball hit him directly and it sent him skidding across the floor. He felt searing pain as the flames licked at his skin. He tried to get up but he couldn't do so.
Kamino walked towards him. "I'm amazed you're still alive. Nobody could've survived that," she said, looking him over. "I see. This is protecting you." She removed the strip of cloth wrapped around his head. She laughed in triumph, "You know, you shouldn't have promised her anything because you won't be seeing each other again." She held out a hand in front of him and summoned another fireball.
Yuuhi shut his eyes and awaited the blow. 'Any second now,' he thought. But several moments have passed and nothing happened. He slowly opened his eyes and found a stream of white light surrounding him. Kamino was nowhere in sight. Instead, he saw a girl with blond hair and blue eyes standing not far from him. She looked at him and called out his name.
He recognized her. "Seiyo." he whispered before passing out.
Seiyo watched in horror as the fireball flung Tooya backwards. He collided forcefully with the wall and was rendered unconscious by the impact.
"No!" she shouted. "You're a monster!"
Kamino moved towards her and stroked her cheek. "Did I give little Seiyo a scare?" she mocked, resting her hand on Seiyo's neck. She raised her until they were eye-to-eye and pinned her against the wall. "You gave me quite a chase. Now it's time to collect my reward."
"Why are you bothering with me if you're already strong?" Seiyo challenged.
"I don't think you understand. With your gift, I will become invincible," she answered, tightening her hold on Seiyo.
"You're very much mistaken," Seiyo said with great effort. She felt the energy draining out of her. "I can't use my ability to heal myself so it will be worthless to you as well."
"You're lying!" Kamino cried out. "I've come so far to settle for second best. I'll wipe out anyone who interferes with my goal."
"And what is that? To be the most powerful?"
"What else?"
"You're crazy!"
Kamino laughed, "You'll regret you ever made light of my ambition. You'll pay for it with your life."
"I don't think so," came Yuuhi's voice.
~o~
A bolt of lightning lit the sky, enabling Seiyo to distinguish Yuuhi's features in the dim hall. He was standing by the window with a dangerous glint in his eyes. Another flash of light illuminated the atmosphere, outlining his rigid posture.
'Just like in movies,' Seiyo thought, stifling a laugh. She was surprised that she could still find humor in her present situation. 'He never fails to make me smile,' she continued affectionately.
"Let her go," Yuuhi demanded in a frighteningly calm tone.
"And who are you supposed to be? A dashing knight?" Kamino mocked. "This is turning out to be more interesting." She threw Seiyo in Yuuhi's direction. "Fine. I'll give you a chance to protect her."
"You okay?" Yuuhi asked gently as he cradled Seiyo in his arms. She nodded in response. He wrapped his jacket around her and set her aside in one corner. "Stay put."
"No!" Seiyo protested, clutching his shirt. "You'll."
Yuuhi smiled, touched by her concern. "Don't worry. I'll come back for you, I promise."
~o~
Yuuhi jumped in the air as Kamino aimed an arrow of fire at him. It whizzed past his ear, missing his shoulder by an inch. He landed on both feet and started dodging the succeeding attacks.
They were at the rooftop now. 'Good,' Yuuhi thought, glad that his strategy to lure Kamino away from Seiyo had worked. 'Now all I have to do is to get rid of her,' he concluded, wondering how he'll manage the feat.
"Impressive," Kamino said. "But you can't evade my strikes forever."
"Damn it," Yuuhi swore. He wiped the blood off his face where one of the fire arrows had grazed him. 'She's right. I can't just keep running. What am I going to do?'
"I'm getting tired of this," Kamino stated. She lifted her hands and conjured a massive ball of fire. "Sayonara," she said as she released it.
Yuuhi leaped again but he hadn't moved fast enough. The fireball hit him directly and it sent him skidding across the floor. He felt searing pain as the flames licked at his skin. He tried to get up but he couldn't do so.
Kamino walked towards him. "I'm amazed you're still alive. Nobody could've survived that," she said, looking him over. "I see. This is protecting you." She removed the strip of cloth wrapped around his head. She laughed in triumph, "You know, you shouldn't have promised her anything because you won't be seeing each other again." She held out a hand in front of him and summoned another fireball.
Yuuhi shut his eyes and awaited the blow. 'Any second now,' he thought. But several moments have passed and nothing happened. He slowly opened his eyes and found a stream of white light surrounding him. Kamino was nowhere in sight. Instead, he saw a girl with blond hair and blue eyes standing not far from him. She looked at him and called out his name.
He recognized her. "Seiyo." he whispered before passing out.
