WARNING! This story contains SPOILERS and YAOI! Also a few minor OCs, so don't kill me.
So, this chapter took quite a long time to post, and I must apologize about that. College is proving to be a lot of work and I can't promise updates quicker than once a month! I'm sorry guys! But rest assured, I will not abandon this story!
To all my readers, you guys are AWESOME!! With a capital AWE! Thank you so much for the reviews, it really makes me smile and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!
Rated: T [for violence and language] Bold: Used only in dreams or flashbacks to indicate the main character's lines. Italics: Used to indicate dreams, flashbacks, and thoughts.
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Chapter Fourteen: Berserk
...NOW!
Both exorcists moved as one. Kanda's crossed blades sprouted electric wings as the result of fully invoked innocence, and his body became enveloped in the harsh sparks as he jerked the swords apart violently, releasing a huge blue-purple glow that expanded rapidly and buzzed with electricity. Allen leapt forward at the same moment and thrust his broadsword straight upwards into the air, crying out as Noah power clashed with innocence and a dark purple orb formed on the tip of the blade.
"Death Ball!!"
The orb also expanded rapidly and coupled with Kanda's release of electric force, causing a brilliant purple and blue light to instantly blind all present. A fraction of a second later, there was a ground-shaking explosion that knocked the samurai and the cursed boy right off their feet, sending them sprawling. Kanda found himself drawing in haggard breaths as his eyesight slowly returned.
That...should...do it...
A sharp twist wrenched his stomach and he dropped one sword to clutch at it before heaving forward and releasing a cough that shook his whole frame. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth and he drew his lips together to spit out the stinging taste in his mouth. A small spot of red appeared on the ground to serve as an indicator. He was bleeding internally.
As he tried to stand, the Japanese felt a searing pain flash up his right leg and he growled in pain, glaring at the cause of it. A large metal support lay on top of his ankle, effectively pinning it to the ground. Only then did he look up and realize there were stars twinkling overhead.
F*ck...we leveled the building.
With a hissing snap, Kanda's innocence fizzled and the electricity snarled its last protest before deactivating, the katana he let go of returning to its sheath form. Faintly, he could hear Allen's cries as he examined a zigzagging crack along the edge of Mugen's blade.
"Kanda! Are you alright? Kanda, answer me!"
The raven-haired exorcist's gaze left the sword edge to try to locate the boy calling him but there was too much dust and twisted metal in the way of his hazy vision. Navy blue eyebrows furrowed angrily.
Shit! I refuse to pass out now!
A ragged cough erupted again from his throat and he managed to call weakly back to the other.
"Course I'm alright, you...idiot. Where's Tyki?"
An answering yell.
"I don't know. He disappeared. Where are you? Are you sure you're okay?"
"How am I supposed to know where I am? Everything's a twisted pile of metal!"
He didn't bother to answer the last question. He was fine. Perfectly fine. That's all Allen needed to know.
"Well I don't...oh wait I think I see you. Hang on, Kanda."
There was a scraping noise and the samurai glanced up as a ruined piece of wall was thrown off the top of the pile before him. A bent pole followed it and over the crest poked a white head, golden eyes shining and the seven cross marks still evident across the forehead.
"Kanda! You baka! You're not alright at all, just look at you! Hold on, I'll be right down."
Kanda narrowed his eyes and glared harshly up at the face.
Is he still using the Fourteenth's power? What kind of idiot is he?!
Allen dropped down over the pile of metal and landed none-too-gracefully on his feet in front of Kanda, white cape billowing out behind him and making a soft thump as he landed. The cursed exorcist's uniform was torn all over with jagged burnt scars criss-crossing up his arms and chest, the majority around his left arm where the innocence and Noah power were still clashing. White locks were matted with sweat, dirt, and blood. His eyes were filled with pain and he hissed as his feet touched the ground, lowering himself to his knees, eye-level with Kanda. Allen looked worriedly into the older boy's eyes before he gave Kanda a once over.
"Oh Kanda..."
His voice came out in a startled whisper as he reached forward and gently touched the torn and bloody skin on Kanda's shoulder with his right hand. Even though it was more than halfway healed, thanks to the tattoo, the samurai still grit his teeth and jerked away.
"Sss...don't touch it."
"Let me at least get your foot free."
Allen stretched forward over his body and leaned over to reach the metal support trapping Kanda right ankle and lifted it in his left claw quite easily. Kanda slid his leg out from under it with a wince and Allen dropped the beam again back where it was before, then leaned back and threw Kanda a weak smile, making the exorcist's glare deepen.
"There...I don't see any sign of Tyki, so let's get out of-"
"Idiot."
The smile faltered and Allen's golden eyes blinked in confusion. Kanda hissed and his arm shot out to catch the boy's left arm in a vice grip, ignoring the sudden shock that went through him at the contact with Noah energy.
"Kanda...wh-?"
The grip tightened as Kanda shot a look of disgust at the other.
How dare you show me that smile again...
He said nothing to ease Allen's confusion, merely glaring until he finally released the boy's arm and shifted the glare down at the ground between his hands.
I don't care. Smile all the plastic smiles you want.
"Kanda?"
"....let's just go."
"O-Ok..."
Allen took hold of Kanda's arm and carefully hauled him to his feet.
A screech of metal.
"Keke...ekeke..."
Both exorcists looked up at the exact same moment as a flash of dark green shot towards them. Kanda's eyes flew wide in shock as everything instantly froze. Lines were suddenly sharper. Colors brighter. He could no longer breath. Somewhere next to him, Allen gasped in horror.
"K-K...Kanda?!"
::
Allen's attention was torn from Kanda as another cackling laugh sounded and a few vines came snaking over the top of the pile of metal, floating and twisting in the air. A mask joined it as the head came into view, parts of metal armor and plant appendages forming the body, only a cruel grin showing as a sign of semi-human life.
T-Tyki!!
There was a noise of a tearing gasp as the exorcist beside him tried to breath and failed. Allen instantly turned back to Kanda and stared, stunned to silence, as blood gurgled out over the side of his mouth and his sharp blue eyes began to dim.
NO!! KANDA!!
"Kekeke...goodbye...exorcist..."
Kanda was frozen to the spot with one of Tyki's vines embedded in his chest cavity, blood dripping off the tip out on the other side.
::
Oh my god...
Purple eyes widened in shock as the entire apartment building collapsed into a pile of twisted metal before her feet. Lenalee clutched tighter to Howard Link's arm to support herself, tears forming in her eyes. A gasp found its way past her lips and earned her a curious glance from Mono Fei for a fraction of an instant.
"Allen-kun! Kanda-kun! Kyo-chan!"
Lenalee found herself calling out, forgetting her injured leg and tugging free of Link, staggering forward. Fei made no move to halt her, but Link's eyes widened and he reached out to grasp her arm.
"Lee-san, please don't! You're injured."
"But they might be more injured!"
The protest left her mouth and Lenalee jerked her arm out of Link's hold, and limp-running as fast as she could towards the scene of destruction, leaving both inspectors to follow behind, Fei at an unconcerned walking pace and Link at a slightly distressed jog.
::
A white gleaming strip of cloth fluttered in front of Kanda's vision as the Clown Belt wrapped around the vine that held his life captive. With a sharp jerk, a dull feeling of his chest being ripped open registered in the samurai's already numb body. A delayed wave of agonizing pain seared like wildfire and he remotely heard a ragged cry.
Wait...that was my own voice, wasn't it?
The exorcist was so detached from his own body that he felt as if he was witnessing someone else as the cry of agony tore his throat open. He could see himself as he stared at the vine of the Noah-gone-crazy hovering in front of his face, coated in his own blood and dripping with its own as it hung in a separated section in the grasp of the Clown Belt, having been sliced in half by the knife-like innocence.
Something was calling his name. Kanda tried to respond but found that impossible, drawing in a choking amount of warm liquid instead of air. Blood. His own.
Who's there?
Darkness began clouding his vision as he felt himself tilting forward. Again, the voice called, using words the samurai couldn't make out.
That voice...it's so familiar...
As something strong halted his fall, he narrowed his eyes and slowly turned his head in the direction of the voice, answering soundlessly through his mind.
Who's there? Who are you? Hello?
The familiar face of a white-haired boy with a red mark across his left eye and a line of cross marks embedded into his forehead came into view.
...Who the hell are you? Why do you look so upset? Did I make you sad somehow...?
The boy had glistening drops of moisture in his perfect golden eyes and touched his face gently with a shaking hand, mouth moving, though Kanda could no longer hear sound come from it. His eyes began to close despite themselves as he summoned the strength to lift a weak hand up and cup the side of the boy's quickly fading face.
I'm sorry that I made you cry and I wish I knew what you were saying. I know you from somewhere, I swear...
Kanda closed his eyes fully, darkness overwhelming him.
I'm sorry...I...can't stay awake...
His body began to grow cold and he saw a vision of a flower float in front of his eyes, watching as a petal freed itself from the others, drifting slowly down to join a pile of ones like it below. The boy's crying face flickered behind it and instantly Kanda realized who it was.
Moyashi!
He tried to draw in a gasp, but his lungs denied him, contorting painfully and collapsing in on themselves with a crushing force, throwing his mind over the edge into the dimension of the unconscious.
I'm...sorry...
The last thing his rational mind registered was a tear drop falling onto a second wilted petal, loosening it from the rest of the lotus and sending it spiraling gently down.
Al...len...
Then there was nothing.
::
"KANDA!! Kanda, come on! Open your eyes! PLEASE!!"
Tears streamed down Allen's face as the strong raven-haired exorcist's hand fell from his face, his body going limp in his arms. The fingers of his right hand desperately clutched at the skin of Kanda's shoulder, his left claw supporting Kanda's dead weight...
Wait.
No.
Bad choice of words.
"Kanda!! Wake up! Answer me!"
Allen pleaded, his voice breaking as he hugged Kanda's body to his chest, eyes squeezing shut as more tears escaped. This couldn't happen! Kanda had a tattoo and a lotus and...he just couldn't die! It wasn't what he did. He was supposed to always get back up and surprise everyone with his recovery time.
You can't die! Please, Kanda! What about our promise to each other?! I NEED you!! Don't...don't leave me...
He lowered his head to rest on top of the older boy's head, face burying into midnight blue locks. The white cape of his innocence stretched out and around the two of them to shield them from view of the monster that was Tyki, who was watching the boys with a sinister grin, clearly enjoying this. Allen felt his throat catch as he clung to Kanda's bloody body.
"Don't...go...Yuu..."
"Such a pity."
Golden eyes opened with a snap.
"For a strong young boy like him to die so early...it really is a shame."
The same eyes narrowed, tears still shining in them.
Shut up! H-He's not dead! He can't be dead!
"You know, it's too bad you didn't give me full control. You could have gotten to him a lot sooner and your little friend might still be alive."
N-No! He still IS alive, just you wait! Watch, in a minute or two he'll open his eyes and glare like he always does and call me "Moyashi" and scold me for being an idiot...like he always does. And he'll give me a smirk and stand up and win the fight...l-like he...always...does...
There was silence as the Fourteenth seemed to process this information. Allen closed his eyes again and spoke aloud, unable to halt the flow of tears.
"He...always gets up again...because he's Kanda..."
A sudden searing pain wracked Allen's slender frame as he felt his body convulse, innocence deactivating on its own as a strangled cry left his mouth.
What?!
The voice of the Fourteenth echoed in his head with a snicker as he was forced to release his hold on Kanda's shoulder to grip his forehead.
"Well, well, well. It seems your body reached its limit for withstanding my power and your own. How interesting."
Allen clenched his teeth, breath coming in short gasps as he dropped his hand from his forehead, the marks disappearing. He wrapped his arm around Kanda's body as he tried to ignore the intense pain in his head as well as the burning sensation in his left arm.
"I must say, you lasted much longer than I had expected."
Just...sh-shut up...
"As you wish. Oh, by the way, I believe a certain Noah has gotten annoyed that you're ignoring him."
The white-haired exorcist choked in a gasp and his eyes darted towards Tyki, seeing a dozen vines shoot out straight for them. Tyki had obviously seized the opportunity to attack while Allen was distracted, cackling happily at his plan.
"Kekekeke!! Goooodbye, other exorcist~!"
Allen instantly attempted to invoke Crown Clown's cape, but he found himself writhing violently in agony as his body protested, sparks flying everywhere.
Shit!
Knowing there was no way to block the vines, Allen hugged Kanda's limp form tightly on instinct, shifting his body so his back was facing Tyki, preparing to take on the full attack, eyes shut as he braced himself for the shock of pain.
But it never came.
A breeze blew his hair and there was a sound of something hitting a hard surface with a dull thud, then a beastly cry.
Allen held onto Kanda tightly for another minute, then opened his eyes in surprise upon feeling nothing, lifting his head towards Tyki. The monster was splayed out on a broken piece of metal wall, as if time had stopped, and then fell to the ground with another cry of pain, vines flailing.
What...the...
A small huff came from the opposite direction and alerting Allen to swivel his head quickly towards the source of the sound, golden eyes widening in shock as they met the form of a girl hovering mid-air, innocence glowing around her ankles and purple eyes sparking in anger directed towards the berserk Tyki as he stood again. She crossed her arms and spoke in a firm tone.
"Leave them alone. Your opponent is me now, Tyki Mikk."
Allen drew in a breath as the girl smiled sadly down at him before whirling in a circle, kicking up a gust of wind and with a sharp thrust of one leg, sending the whirlwind at Tyki full force.
"Enbu: Kirikaze!"
L-Lenalee!!
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Ah ha...and for all of you sitting there staring at me with a "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO KANDA?!?!" face...um... *runs off to hide from the assault of tomatoes, bricks, pumpkins, candles, and other assorted objects*
Next chapter...The Power of Crystal.