8. Waking Up From the Nightmare


The next morning, Sakura was sitting on a clinic bed, looking out the window. Her side was bandaged, and though nothing was broken, it was going to leave a nasty bruise.

Her hand was absent-mindedly stroking Iris' silky golden hair. She was tired and was sleeping. She kept a watch on Sakura, which lasted all night long until she fell asleep, her head resting on her arms as she laid them on Sakura's bed.

She winced a little. The pain from her side, where Ohgami had hit her, was still there.

Though despite the pain, she was far more worried about something else. Earlier, when she had just awakened, Maria told her that Ohgami's room was burned, and that he was missing. There was no trace of his disappearance, and his room was nothing more than a hole in the wall now.

She knew that Iris was right, that there was indeed something wrong about Ohgami, that the harsh person who pushed them into extensive training wasn't Ohgami. Also, Ohgami would never attack someone from behind. He fought with all his might, but with fairness. He was an honorable warrior. So, he was out there somewhere. Wherever he was, she'd still try to discover what happened.

A few minutes later, the other Hanagumi came by to visit, and Maria had brought with her a small TV and Kohran an Interceptor, a small orb-shaped robot with pincers and a big eye in the middle.

"What's this?" Sakura asked.

"I dunno," Kanna answered, "but Maria said that she wanted us all to see what she has to show."

"Honestly, I don't even know what we have to show. You see, I was concerned about Taichou's behavior, so I asked Kohran to plant an Interceptor in his room to observe his behavior…and fortunately, this was the only one that survived when his room was burned."

"So…is this recent data?" Sumire asked.

"Ya! I only put it when Sakura-han challenged Ohgami-han," Kohran replied, "Chotto matte kudasai, while I adjust the proper channels and chroma and luma settings…" and she murmured off while she attached the Interceptor into the TV.

"Whaddaya think is Taichou like when alone, eh?" Kanna said.

"Well, for one thing, I've never been to his room before," Sumire replied.

"We can only guess…this irrational behavior of his is becoming out of hand. I think everyone agrees with me when I say that there is indeed something wrong with the Taichou," Maria said, and everyone agreed.

"I just hope that he's okay," Sakura muttered.

"If there is something wrong with him, Sakura-san, I think we'll just have to straighten up this issue, won't we? Though I won't be reliant on your help…you'll probably just mess things up, as usual," Sumire replied.

"H-hai…" Sakura timidly replied, falling victim again to Sumire's poisonous tongue.

"Oy, oy, Sumire, that's enough," Kanna requested, but she still went on.

"I think it's all your fault, Sakura," she said, to the shock of everyone in the room, "It all started on that date, didn't it? The day he got hurt…well, I think I can see who started this all."

"H-hai."

"Sumire, that's enough," Kanna muttered warningly.

"I heard you say that you asked him to go with you to Ueno Park, didn't you? That was where he was attacked, didn't he? If only you didn't become all bold to ask him, maybe this wouldn't have happened, wouldn't it, Sakura-san?"

"H-hai…" Her throat was beginning to hurt.

"Sumire. One more word out of you and there won't be anything left of you to sweep the floor with," Kanna threatened, and Sumire shut up. Though she had always fought and talked back to Kanna, her tone was indeed intimidating.

Then, Kanna whispered to Sakura's ear, "Oy, oy, don't feel bad. Sumire's just as worried as you are. She's just picking on you to let off some steam."

"Hai."

"Lighten up, ok? The Taichou's gonna be okay, you'll see," Kanna said cheerfully, then winked at her. Sakura couldn't help but smile too. A weak smile, but a smile nonetheless.

"Hai," She replied.

"Okay, it's set. Does anyone want to wake up Iris? She might want to see this thing. Sorry, but the audio's broken," Kohran replied, and Sakura gently shook Iris to wake up. She awoke with heavy eyes.

"Sakura?" She murmured, "Daijobu?"

"Of course I am! You were with me," She replied, and Iris blushed a bit, "But open up your eyes. Kohran has something to show us."

Rubbing her eyes with balled fists, she tried to focus her vision as Kohran turned on the TV.

3.

2.

1.

All of them gasped.

On the screen was Ohgami's room before its ruin. When they saw it in full detail, they suddenly realized that they actually preferred looking at its destroyed version.

"Ma…Masaka…" Maria muttered.

"Onii-chan…" Iris mumbled, her voice weak.

Tables were upturned, chairs were broken, bed sheets were ripped, and the mattress was ridden with holes. The glass of the windows was shattered, and the curtains were shredded. But what shocked them the most was the blood on the walls and on the floor. It seemed like the blood was still wet, for some of it was still dripping.

Then Ohgami burst in, shutting the door immediately behind him. He was sweating hard, and his hand was on his face. It looked like he was screaming something.

"Kohran, couldn't you fix the sound?" Sumire demanded, straining her ears to hear something.

"Gomen, but I can't!" Kohran muttered exasperatedly.

Then, he seemed to have calmed down, as he slid down the floor. His eyes wept and his hands kept punching his own forehead. His mouth kept moving, as if he was talking to somebody.

"No…no, I can't watch this…" Sakura said, wanting to shut her eyes. But some force inside her wanted her to keep watching.

What was odd was how his mouth movements changed. At first it seemed like he was whimpering, then it shifted into a loud, commanding expression, then back, then back and forth.

"Is he talking to himself?" Kanna wondered.

"There's no one else in the room! What else can it be!?" Sumire replied angrily.

Then Ohgami struggled to stand up, using the wall as a support. Then, he clutched his own body, struggling with it, as if trying to keep something inside. He was screaming now.

"O-Ohgami-san…what's wrong…."

Then, the violet flash occurred, swallowing everything in purple energy. Everything that it touched instantly burst into flames, and the room was soon engulfed in powerful flames.

They couldn't see where Ohgami was in the screen, because all they could see was a powerful violet light. But as the light weakened, gradually disappearing, the room was charred black, and small wisps of flames, burnt wood, and charcoal were the only remnants of the room.

But they weren't looking at that. Rather, they were staring at Ohgami.

"What…what happened!?" Maria demanded.

His hair had grown longer and his skin had gone deathly pale. His nails were long, sharp and crimson. His old clothes are gone, replaced by a black cloak and a leather suit.

But what scared them the most were his eyes. They weren't the usual black anymore, but bloody red.

He talked to himself more, and then as moonlight passed him, he gradually vanished.

Then the footage ended.

The Hanagumi were in stunned silence. Nothing could have prepared them for what they just saw. It was beyond comprehension at the time, and neither one of them wanted to understand it further.

"O-oh…" Sakura began to speak, but it was swallowed by the deafening alarms of an oncoming battle.


"NANI?!"

Yoneda cleared his throat before replying, "It's true. Your next enemy is Ichiro Ohgami-kun."

Sumire laughed in her high-pitched tone, saying, "Now, now, Shihainin, this is not the time for jokes!"

Seeing that these girls weren't going to believe a word he was going to say, Yoneda went to the control panel and flipped a switch, turning on the monitor.

The reception was blurry, but it was adequate enough to shock the Hanagumi.

Black demons, larger than Wakiji, now roamed the capital, destroying everything in their path. They had no eyes. Their fangs glistened with blood and saliva. Their claws smashed everything they touched. Huge black wings lifted them up in the sky, circling the sky like vultures, feeding on the dying Imperial Capital.

And in the middle of it all, was Ohgami, commanding the demons to slaughter every person they come across, and to smash every building that came their way.

"Sou na…" Sakura muttered, seeing Ohgami relish in the destruction of the Imperial Capital.

Waiting for the information to sink in, Yoneda then explained, "The monsters are the Wakiji of the Teikoku Rikogun Taikouma Butai, my unit years ago. In my opinion, they are fiercer than the Wakiji. They are the Kouma."

Then he added, "Also, Ohgami-kun doesn't call himself Ohgami-kun anymore. A while ago, he proclaimed that he was Tenkai."

"T-Tenkai!? The Reverend in Black!?" Kanna exclaimed in disbelief.

"No, this can't be! Chuui would never be someone like Tenkai!" Sumire said, still staring at his deathly white face, and his wide smile.

"And Satan Aoi wasn't unable to release Tenkai from the fifth sealing rock. How could this have happened?" Sakura added.

Kohran then replied, "Minna…maybe I can clear things up…"

All looked at Kohran, who had a grave expression on her face. She seemed to have come to a bad realization.

"What is it, Kohran?" Yoneda urged.

"Well…I think Ohgami-han was possessed by Tenkai."

"What makes you say that?" Sakura asked.

"Well…I think most of you know now that Satan Aoi used Wakiji blood as a sort of weakening agent for the sealing rocks. Wakiji blood contained all the grudges and anger of mankind, and it weakened sealing rocks. All that was needed next was a well-placed strike in order to destroy the rock completely.

"Do you remember the time when I told you that there was a lone Wakiji barring the path of the delivery route? I think it was on its way to the fifth rock, probably delayed by something. Well, I was sent to take care of it, and we did, but it exploded, and Wakiji parts was sent everywhere," Kohran explained.

"So you're saying that some of the Wakiji guts landed on the rock?" Kanna asked, and to her dismay, Kohran nodded.

"Ya…and everyone knows that Satan Aoi may have already done damage to it, but it wasn't enough to break it. We may have added to the damage by fighting Satan Aoi right in front of the rock. All it needed then was just some Wakiji blood to complete the last ritual of releasing Tenkai."

"Then why go through all the trouble of possessing the Taichou? I thought he was much stronger than Satan Aoi, that he was capable of destroying the Imperial Capital," Maria inquired.

"The ritual was probably incomplete," Yoneda answered, "Without Satan Aoi to destroy the stone completely, and without the proper incantations…Tenkai was prematurely released from the seal, probably resulting in his weakened state."

"So he needed a strong body with enough power," Sumire concluded, but then added.

Then Maria asked the inevitable question. "Then…is the Taichou dead?"

Everyone was shocked by Maria's question, but Kohran steeled herself and said, "I'm not sure…but maybe if we had more time, maybe we could find a way to get Tenkai out of his body, then Ohgami-han would be returned to normal."

"So there is hope!" Sakura gladly exclaimed, but Kohran's expression was still grim.

"Sakura-han, I'm not sure. This is only my speculation, but if Ohgami's soul was already obliterated when Tenkai took over, then exorcising Tenkai will only produce a soulless body."

All of them fell back into silence, considering the gravity of their situation. They were confused, and didn't know what to do.

"We can't answer this yet, but one thing's clear," Yoneda's voice was strained, but still strict, "The primary objective is to eliminate Ohgami-kun."

Sakura immediately protested, "What?! We can't do that!"

Yoneda was obstinate. His face was severe, and he uttered, "The safety of the Imperial Capital is our top priority. We must eliminate Ohgami… no, Tenkai at all costs."

"But if Kohran is right, that Ohgami is indeed possessed by Tenkai, shouldn't we try and save him?" Sakura retorted, her voice growing more furious.

"Do you think Tenkai will stop and allow you to defeat him? NO!" Yoneda screamed, "We don't have that precious opportunity! Tenkai will be relentless and should be stopped immediately!"

"Demo, Shihainin!" Sakura pleaded, but it reached deaf ears.

"Teikoku Kagekidan, Hanagumi, your order is to eliminate Tenkai. Go to your Kobus and move out! NOW!""

Everyone hesitantly saluted, save Sakura, who said, "There has to be some other way! There has to be! I'll never harm Ohgami-san…Never!"

Then, Sumire, her face twisting into an angry frown, approached Sakura, and slapped her. The sound was deafening, as it echoed in the command room. Every person was shut up by Sumire's act.

Her cheek red, Sakura looked at Sumire, who was fuming. "S-sumire-san…you too?"

"Sakura-san," she began, in an extremely irritated voice, "Our orders are already given! The safety of the Imperial capital is our primary priority! If we fail, all that we have worked for will be for nothing!

"This is not the time to be weak, Sakura-san! Even as we speak, the Imperial Capital is being destroyed and we must try and save it, even if it means killing Chuui!"

That hit a chord in Sakura. Her teeth grit and her fists clenched as Sumire continued.

"I really can't believe that you ever reached our ranks. You are so impudent! You are so weak! Why won't you act? You are only a damn hindrance to us! Honestly, I can't believe that Chuui would go for a spineless, weak girl like you!"

Sumire began to turn away when Sakura suddenly lunged at her, roughly grabbed her shoulder, turned her around, and slapped her. She was more surprised than in pain, as she stared at Sakura in disbelief.

Sakura, however, was furious. "I have had it up to here with you! I have been constantly under your heel for the past year, and I think I can sincerely say that I have had enough of your venomous tongue!

"You may be richer than me, you may be more popular than me, you may be more beautiful than me, but I'm glad that I'd don't have your damned pride! You always look down on others, failing to see who YOU are! Why don't you take a look at the mirror, and see how a snake really resembles you?!"

Kanna was about to laugh when she stopped herself. This was not the time to laugh, and there was no telling how and when these two are going to stop.

"I don't know about you, Sumire-san, but I CARE about Ohgami-san! I'm not as battle-hungry as you are, always willing to show off in battle, even to the point of getting yourself killed! I'll never hurt Ohgami-san! NEVER! Don't you even care about him!? Are you really that quick to forget!?"

"IDIOT!" Sumire shouted, shocking the whole group and immediately silencing Sakura. "If you care so much about Chuui, then you'd see that he'd rather die than see the Imperial Capital in ruin!"

Sakura really shut up after that. Sumire was right, she realized, but she wasn't going to admit that so easily. She had her own pride.

"Maybe you don't see it, but I know that Chuui would hate it if he was going down without a fight, and being possessed like this is not a good idea for him!

"I'll hurt him if I have to, defeat him if I have to, if it means that I can save him from falling into that fate! Don't you think that Chuui would like it if Tenkai were defeated? I know that he'd like it if fighting him means saving the Imperial capital and ourselves."

Sakura was quick to retaliate. "So, are you really going out there to fight with him? Even if there was a slight chance of saving him, would you still go?"

"I certainly wouldn't, but Sakura-san, do you think we have that chance now? Do you? If we had, I wouldn't, but now, we don't! We have to do what's best now, and that is to defeat Tenkai!"

Sumire was becoming pale, and her fists clenched and unclenched. She found it hard to speak, but continued.

"I'm sure…that Chuui would want us to do this. He's a brave, caring man, I know. I know that he'd rather die before he will hurt us…"

Sakura was shocked when she heard that, but Sumire, seeing her reaction, said, "I know it sounds selfish, but do you remember the time at Kanzaki Heavy Industry? When he wanted to be left behind so that he could defeat Setsuna and Rasetsu, so that the Shogei-maru could fly?"

"Yes," Sakura replied, not seeing where this was going.

"He was going to fight two of Satan Aoi's most powerful allies by himself. It was lucky that Yuichi Kayama was with him, but still, if it became necessary, do you think Chuui would sacrifice himself, so that we could go to the last sealing rock?"

Sakura didn't know what to say. Sumire kept on, straining her voice.

"Yes, I believe he will, because…because he wanted us to win. Because he knew that the fate of the Imperial Capital rested on our hands. Because he'd rather die than see us fail to protect the Capital. He wanted us to be safe, or…or die protecting us."

A chorus of gasps that faded into silence. Sumire, however, continued.

"And now, he's doing what he LEAST wants to do, and that's destroying what we strived to protect. Do you think that he wouldn't regret what he was doing? NO! He'd die rather than destroy the Capital…he'd rather die than hurt us…"

Her voice was weak, barely audible, but she managed to scream out, "He'd die rather than hurt YOU, Sakura-san!"

And for the first time, Sumire, in front of the Hanagumi, broke down and cried.

No one, not even Maria, who was the first of the Hanagumi, had seen Sumire cry. Sumire Kanzaki was a proud person who was careful not to show her feelings. But this was very contradictory.

Sakura was at a loss of words. All she could manage was, "Sumire-san…"

Sumire, in between sobs, continued, "It's true…I really like Chuui. Ever since he tried to help me regain my self-confidence, ever since he helped me whenever I felt so down… I felt…I felt that I found someone I could really love…but, Chuui only has eyes for you, Sakura-san!

"You said I may be richer than you, more popular than you, more beautiful than you, but you have something I will never, ever have. I lost him to you…because you were more open to him, expressive of your feelings. You genuinely cared for him…whereas I kept my feelings to myself, but see where it led me…"

Sakura felt tears rise up to her eyes, but before they could even fall, Sumire said, "Why are you weeping? We've always been rivals, Sakura-san, but you've won this round."

She briskly stood up, wiped away her tears with a brush of her hand, and headed for the Kobu Hangar. She said as she went, "If I can't have Chuui, then at least, I'd want him to be happy, in whatever way possible. And being possessed by some demon is not a happy thing!"

She opened the door and slammed it behind her. Her footsteps slowly faded away.

Everybody was shocked by Sumire's sudden declaration, especially Sakura. She had never dreamed that Sumire would explode like this, but nevertheless, she taught her a valuable lesson.

"Sumire-san…you're right… Ohgami-san wouldn't like it if he was bound like this…so…"

She chased after Sumire, followed by the others, all prepared to take on the battle. Sakura was smiling, despite their grave situation.

"I will save Ohgami-san, no matter what it takes! If I have to battle, so be it, and by my sword, Arataka, I will do it!"