(Chapter 17: Meet Rukawa Kira)
A bloody, splitting headache might have dominated Rukawa's head, but he wasn't unconscious. Nor was he helpless. Having just as much endurance and stamina as Sakuragi, Rukawa slowly gathered his energy and pondered over a clever strategy.
Takua, a pleased grin on his face, threw Rukawa into the circle of boys, and spitting on the ground, he gave Rukawa a hard kick that caused the basketball player to grit his teeth in pain.
"Rukawa Kaede." Kazu came toward him slowly. "So we meet again. You've against cost me my time and plan. This time, we won't be so lenient." Finishing his sentence, his foot came up under Rukawa's chin, snapping his head up. Beaded sweatdrop of agonizing pain began perspiring on his forehead. But still, Rukawa Kaede did not retaliate.
"No wish to fight back, huh?" Kazu smirked. "Well, all the easier for me." Picking up a long, iron bar, he proceeded toward Rukawa.
"Come on, boys!" He called, giving a maddening low laugh. "We'll all take him on at the same time."
Their target didn't move as they advanced upon him, more than a dozen boys, including Denji and his scorpions. But as the first bar descended upon his head, Rukawa Kaede made his first move, his movements too fast even for Kazu to follow.
After their brain and eyes finally caught up to what had happened, there were pile of bent rods on the ground. The boys gaped, staring at their empty hand, and the now enraged Rukawa.
"Well?" His voice was low, his eyes the color of death as they dared anyone to make a unnecessary move. His fists were clutched tightly beside him, his lean but powerful muscles twitching, as if ready to finish anyone off. Several boys backed up. But Kazu only sneered. Reaching into his pocket, he drew out a blade that Rukawa would have found very familiar.
"Well, I'd say you've just dug yourself in a deeper hole." He flicked the blade out of its hatch. The gleaming blade flashed under the sunlight, looking both beautiful and deadly. Rukawa immediately recognized this as the fight between life and death.
"We've got more friends, Rukawa." One of the guys boasted. "If you've got any sense at all, you'd give up now, before they come down here and kill you."
"Even if you do finish us off, don't expect this to be the end." Takua added, the smirk on his face ugly and taunting. "There will always be some of us waiting to take your life when you're alone."
Rukawa's eyes narrowed until they were only slits, his pupils sliding back and forth, never once leaving his adversaries. He let out a long, slow breath, which sounded calm and steady, instead of nervous and frightened, as he was feeling. If it was him alone, there was a good chance he could take out all the guys, but at the thought of Kira, Rukawa was unwilling to take the chance.
"I guess he is all alone." His friend whispered, snickering.
"Guess again, jackass."
The voice belonged to Sakuragi. Rukawa was so relieved to hear it that a slow smile began to spread on his face. He didn't have to turn around to know that Sakuragi and the whole basketball team were standing behind him. Turning his head just a little, he asked in a dry voice,
"What the hell took you so long to get here, idiot?" Sakuragi threw up a hand, feigning innocence.
"Hey, I had to round up the others before we could leave." Smirking, he ran a hand through his red hair, nodding to Akagi, Miyagi, Mitsui, and a reluctant looking Kogore. "Besides, I was giving you a chance to finish them off before we arrive. Guess you couldn't handle it alone, huh?"
"Shut up." Motioning with his head toward Kira's direction, he added, "Besides, I can't afford to lose."
"Where did these bastards come from?!" Denji demanded, looking around for his boys.
"They are no more!" A voice called from above. Everyone looked up to see Mito and the Sakuragi Brigade, holding some sort of cables in their hands, ready for another one of the dramatic entrances. "We took care of them for you!"
"Charge!!" The bellowed simultaneously, jumping from the second level. As usual, their landing was horrible. Rukawa and the basketball team had to duck to avoid being kicked. Unfortunately, Kazu and his group also ducked.
"Are these your friends, Rukawa?" The dragon tattoo shifted under the collar as a slow, menacing grin slowly took place. "Good. Good. Let's have a real game, shall we? This just makes it more fun." The blade was clutched tightly in his hands as he lunged for Rukawa's very life source. "However, you are my only target!!"
Instantly, the warehouse was in an uproar. Kazu lurched forward and caught hold of Rukawa as Sakuragi and Mitsui, sensing danger to Rukawa, began leaping over various piles of junk to get at his tormentor. But, if the Shohoku basketball team were clannish, so were the Dragons and Scorpions. Denji threw himself in Mitsui's way, and the two went down together, rolling and kicking under the mounts of dangerous objects.
Miyagi, small but quick, stepped in front of Takua as the youth tried to escape the violent scene. A detestable smirk on his dark features.
"Don't run away," his voice was chillingly soft. "If you leave, where shall I go to look for my fun? Come on, show me what you've got."
Meanwhile, Akagi's monstrous figure was the terror to the rest of the boys, while Kogore—who only came along to make sure no one gets "injured"—kept the girls—who had insisted on coming along—back and away from danger.
Sakuragi and the Sakuragi Brigade were already deep in action, going through and tossing guys aside as if they were only made of paper.
"I was hoping for more excitement." Mito complained, flinging a guy several feet by his hair, causing him to land in a pile of iron shavings. Sakuragi grunted, having just landed an uppercuts on another guys' chin, sending foaming spit flying out of his mouth.
Clattering objects and the shrieks of the frightened girl mingled with the shouts and grunts of the boys. Char barked sharply aside, and conveniently helped Kogure keep the beasts away from the girls.
Rukawa, pinned under Kazu's larger body, was fighting for the control of the blade, which threatened to sink into his throat. Kazu's knees were pressed against his chest, causing him to breathe in cut-off, short, laborious breaths as they struggled for the control.
"I don't care, Rukawa," Kazu was hissing, his eyes red. "If I pay for your life with mine. Today is the day you die." The blade of death inched closer and closer. Gritting his teeth, Rukawa painfully gasped out under the pressure,
"No way." Kazu was stunned to see the young man give a ghost of a smile. "I can't die yet, I'm not ready." The thought of Kira. Sweet, wonderful Kira flashed through his mind. She still needs me. She'd cry herself sick if I get myself killed today. Girls are so silly, why do they cry? It doesn't do anything to help the situation. The feeling of the tip of the blade penetrating its way into his skin brought him back to reality. Giving Kazu an irritated glare, Rukawa forced out through clenched teeth,
"I told you already, I'm not ready to die. Somebody still needs me in this world! I can't leave her alone, like she'd been all her life. I'm not ready to give her up, I'm not ready to die!" In the darkness of his mind, he sees only one light. It was small, yet it was burning brightly with life. It demanded its presence to be known in the place of his heart and not ignored.
"But I hope you are!" With a power unknown to him, a force of strength allowed Rukawa to hurl Kazu away with almost no energy at all. Kazu landed with a thud several feet away, and before he knew what was happening, Rukawa was standing above him, his own blade in his hands.
With a maddening look in his eyes, Rukawa raised the blade and lunged for Kazu's throat. Kazu found himself staring into the face of death for the first time in his life. Closing his eyes, he knew nothing could save him from this monster now.
"Rukawa, no!" It took a voice. A sweet, sincere voice to stop Rukawa. He stopped. And shook his head, the insane fire leaving his eyes. He turned, and found himself staring into a pair of eyes so similar to his own, but was more innocent and soft. Only her voice was the antidote to his wild spell.
Kira stood between Mitsui and Sakuragi, surrounded by the whole Shohoku basketball team, with Char standing by her side. They were on either side of her, reminding Rukawa of guard dogs protectively surrounding their young. She left them now, her white face anxious as she reached out for him.
"Rukawa…" Her arms closed around his neck, pulling him gently toward her, offering shelter and comfort, and like a child, Rukawa buried his face into her shoulders, shutting his eyes tightly, focusing only on her steady breathing. "It's alright, Rukawa… It's all over now…"
At times like this, it was the woman who's stronger. And Kira was, as she enveloped Rukawa, shielding him from everything that surrounded them. She stayed, not moving, willing her breath, her strength, to flow into Rukawa. The darkness stretched on, it seemed like forever. She heard the outside world come to life. Still she did not move. Sunshine, honey golden, flooded the room, warming her, and through her, Rukawa.
Everyone watched as the siblings stayed that way. Mito gave a little sigh, wondering if he'd ever find a girl as passionate as Kira. Akagi pulled Haruko closer to him as the other girls grew dreamy. Kogore pushed his glasses up, and remembered the look on Kira's face as he fetched her from the bin after being led by Char. Mitsui's hand inched closer to Yumi's and when they connected, they stayed. Miyagi sneaked a look at Ayako, and found that she had been staring at him. She turned away quickly as his eyes found hers.
Only Sakuragi shook his head, an impatient look on his face, and turned to Kazu, who had gotten up and was walking, slightly dazed, for the exit.
"Hold it." He commanded, catching up in two large strides, his hand reached out and grabbed his shoulder. "And where do you think you're going, dragon freak?"
"Get your hands off me, punk." Kazu shrugged off his hand roughly. Sakuragi couldn't help himself as he drew him arm back and threw a punch in his face.
"Who do you think you are?!" He spat. "If that girl over there hasn't stopped Rukawa, you would be dead." He pointed toward Kira, who looked up, her eyes showing no emotions. No hatred, no compassion, only sadness. "Personally, I thought she should have kept quiet and let him kill you. I don't see one good reason why your presence is needed in this world."
"Besides being entertainment to us." The Sakuragi Brigade chimed. Sakuragi ignored them.
"And since Kogure's here to make sure we don't kill anyone, you're lucky. However, you won't leave without a glorious battle scar for your defeat."
Picking up Kazu's knife that Rukawa had dropped from the ground, Sakuragi marked a large X onto Kazu's face unhesitatingly, causing him to clutch his face and scream in pain. The girls blanched. The guys remained stone-faced.
"Remember," Sakuragi tossed away the blade and stuck his hand in his pocket, straightening his back. "The one that did this to you is me, Sakuragi Hanamichi. If you ever want to pick on Rukawa or Kira again, remember, I'll always be backing them up. Now, scram, all of you!"
The venom in Sakuragi's voice, added on to Kazu's screams, was enough to convince the others to give up the fight. They ran for their very lives.
Lighthearted, and secretly congratulating himself for finally impressing Haruko, Sakuragi turned around, and grinned.
"That wasn't so bad." He remarked casually, turning to Kira. She looked up, and now there was certainly a very striking contrast from the first time Sakuragi's seen her. For it was a blooming, smiling face, full of girlish spirit and health that met his eyes, with no sign of melancholy, though the soft eyes were thoughtful, and the lines about the lips betrayed a sensitive nature.
"If I were only as lucky as Rukawa." He heard several mumbles from the crowd. But one look at Kira's blossoming face, and Sakuragi understood it all.
"Guys and girls," he made a gallant sweeping bow. "Please allow me to present…Rukawa Kira!"