Chapter 17

Narumi's sight blurred with the tears that cascaded down her face. She heard cried of dismayed shock from the people that she accidentally knocked aside. She didn't dared to turn her back to apologize because she was afraid that if she looked back, she didn't saw Raito chased after her. For now, she's contented herself with imagining her fiancée was chasing after her.

She tripped on a rock and fall to her knees. She didn't even cared when people looked at her weirdly. After some time, her sobs subsided and she searched around blindly for a handkerchief in her back pocket. She winced when her fingers had been prickled by something sharp. She widened her eyes when she saw the strange star. She had already forgotten already about it.

She sat up liked she had been electrocuted. She narrowed her eyes in anger at the item. The sight of it made her blood boiled. She clenched the handle tightly and raised her hand to throw it away before an earthquake suddenly happened.

"Wh-what happen?!" She suddenly exclaimed. A big explosion sounded from behind her and she quickly turned around. Her eyes turned wide as a saucers when he saw an alien stood not too far away from her.

"What is that?" She whispered in the chaos that happened. The alien was shooting randomly around himself. She was transfixed with the sight when a thought suddenly crossed her mind.

"RAITO!" She yelled suddenly. Without hesitation, she sprinted back towards the park. She pushed through the panicking crowds. She prayed in her mind that her fiancée would be fine. She would readily faced his wrath a thousand times than having a dead fiancée all over again.

"No. Don't think like that. He will be fine. He must be fine." She tried to calm her nerves. She squinted and exhaled with relieve when she saw the silhouette of her fiancée stood regally on a cliff some distance away. She sprinted and yelled his name loudly to get his attention.

"RAITO!" He looked startled for a moment and whirled around to face whoever that shouting his supposed name. He frowned when he saw whose the one that running towards him.

"Narumi?" He said puzzled. "What are you doing here?" He said after she got her breathing back.

"I'm coming to get you out of here. Let's go." She grabbed his hand to make him to follow her. She almost stumbled when he tugged his hand back.

"Raito, what are you waiting for? Let's go." She raised her voice in terrified manner. He stared at her intensely and smirked.

"Is this the part where you convince me that I need to hide because I am just a normal human and they can attack me unintentionally?" He raised his eyebrows mockingly. She gasped and took a step back in shock.

"Raito, please…" She pleaded.

"I'm sorry." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He smiled regrettably after he opened it. "Narumi, my place is here. Beside them." He spread his arms to the five fighting ultra warriors. "I might not remember who they are, but it hurts." He gripped his shirt above his heart. "It hurts too much when they asked me to stay here so that I can stay safe. I want to fight alongside them, to protect them just like they protected me. But I am helpless right now." He watched his hands and clenched it tightly before he dropped them to the side. He turned to her and gave a sad smile. She was shaking her head while muttering a soft 'no' in denial.

"I can't fight with them like that. That's why I'm standing here. At the very least, they will know that I will stand by them no matter what." He took a step forward and embraced her. Somehow, she knew deep in her heart that this was goodbye. The realization only made her to cry harder. "Go and live your life, Narumi. I'm sure Raito will want you to do the same, wherever he is. But I'm not him. I can never be him." He loosened his hold on her and pushed her shoulder a bit.

"Go." With that order he turned back to watch the fight in front of him. She stood rooted at the place for a second before she snapped to attention. She grabbed his shoulder and whirled him around to face her. Before any sound of protest could leave his mouth, she planted a firm kiss on his lips. He relaxed but didn't return the kiss. He knew that she needed it and this would be their first and last. Somehow, he also knew that after this, he would never saw her again.

She slowly and reluctantly pulled apart. She opened her mouth to speak before she widened her eyes in shock and pushed him. He gave a short cry of surprised before he tumbled into the cliff. Luckily the cliff was not too deep and he only suffered minor cuts. He raised his head before the ground that he stood just now exploded.

"NARUMI!"

He scrambled upwards and waved his hands to dispel the smoke and dust. He squinted before he gasped when he saw Narumi was lying not too far away from him. He ran towards her and fell down on his knees beside her. He carefully turned her so that she would lied on her back. He looked at her and saw blood trickled slowly from her mouth. His eyes travelled downwards before he widened his eyes in shock.

"Raito." He snapped his eyes and turned to look at her. She chuckled before coughing incessantly. He schooled his feature to appear normal so as not to worry her.

"Don't talk. Save your energy. I'm going to save you." He cradled her tenderly. He started to get up before a hand to his arm stopped him. He watched her in confusion.

"Narumi?"

"Stop it. I know…I'm dying…"

"No, you're not. Stop saying nonsense." He shook his head firmly.

"Raito…"

"Stop talking like that!" He yelled in anger. He shut his eyes tightly to prevent the tears from cascading down his cheek. He opened his eyes in shock when a shaking hand cupped his cheek.

"I'm sorry…I lie to you…about who you are…" She coughed harshly. Blood dribbled slowly from her mouth. He shushed her but she insisted to continue.

"But…I never…lie about…my feeling…" Her hand stroked his cheek lovingly while another one clenched something tightly.

"I love you."

With that declaration, her hand thudded to the ground. He widened his eyes and swiveled to see the hand in numbed shocked. He turned his eyes towards Narumi only to see that her eyes had slid shut. Her mouth still wore that same gentle smile just like always.

"No…no…" He shook his head in denial. He shakily gathered her in his arms and howling sorrowfully to the sky. He heard a clang and looked down to see a weird object shaped like a star beside her.

Instinctively, he grabbed it and cried out in pain when his mind had been assaulted by images and information. It felt like forever to him even though it was just a few seconds. He panted heavily and looked at the strange star (Ultra Badge, his mind supplied) in recognition.

"I remember." He whispered while stroking the Ultra Badge reverently. He grunted and braced his hands on the ground when the ground shook. He whirled around and saw Ultraman on the ground, wheezing in pain.

"Nii-san!" He shouted in alarmed. He bared his teeth in anger while clenching his ultra badge. His eyes narrowed to a slit and he stood up with a grace.

"You hurt my brothers. I won't forgive you."

With memory of the past guiding him, he raised his badge to the sky and shouted, "Taro!"

Quick as a lightning, he protected Ultraman by blocking Miiraz assault. He glared heatedly towards Miiraz.

"I won't let you harm my brothers anymore!"