Chapter 18

Fushimi's desperate warning reached Reisi Munakata about the same time as Nagare Hisui arrived in the Slate Chamber like a green, deadly lightning. It was most unfortunate, because the realization that he has sent one of his best and most faithful men to death hit him hard. He faltered, knees almost giving in under him and, if it wasn't for Anna Kushina's swift reaction, the Green King would have done away with him then and there, in one attack.

The same stab of guilt and pain as when Takeru Kusuhara has taken the bullet for him shot through him. He thought he has forgotten, but the memory of blood on the ground, the slow realization of what Kusuhara has done, was as fresh as though it happened the day before. Only it was not Kusuhara's face anymore. The body on the ground, the shot wound taken for the sake of the captain of Sceptre 4 bleeding profusely, was Saruhiko Fushimi. Hated by the whole Blue clan for the betrayal he has never committed. Paying with his life for following orders.

In a way it was even worse than Kusuhara, who has taken a split of a second decision himself. Because when he suggested to Fushimi that inserting a spy into the Green clan might be the only solution, he has known what the consequences could be. And Fushimi has known as well, yet he has barely hesitated before assuring Munakata that he would do what was necessary. But even though they both knew Fushimi might get exposed as a spy and killed, Munakata hoped it would not come to that. He hoped that, if Fushimi got exposed, it would be in the last moment, when somebody could go and rescue him.

And yet-

A pained scream snapped Munakata out of the choking thoughts. Quickly, he realized that it was the Red King who has screamed, thrown against a wall by the Green King. The Green King who has burned so much energy getting up here, who wasn't saving it at all.

If Munakata hasn't had Fushimi's warning, he would surely grow overconfident in this situation where victory was merely a question of time. But he had the warning, although it came with a great price, and he was determined to not waste it. They needed to quickly devise a new plan for defeating not one but two Kings.

Before that, however- He jumped between the stunned Red King and the attacking Green King, using his sanctum and blade alike to push Nagare Hisui away.

'So you will fight,' the Green King mocked. 'And here I was thinking that seeing me you have realized how powerful I was and how you couldn't do anything to stop me.'

'I'll make you eat those words, Hisui,' Munakata growled. I'll make you pay, he thought and attacked. Like a lightning, the Green King evaded every blow of the katana, but let himself be pushed away from Anna and the Slate. He didn't seem bothered whatever outcome of the fight, glad to prolong it. Munakata, however, needed to make away with him before the Grey King arrived: fighting that lightning in the fog would be impossible.

Thankfully, Nagare was getting tired. Munakata nicked him already twice and- Just as he was about to deliver a blow Nagare surely wouldn't evade, a familiar voice boomed through the speakers: the Black Dog was daring Yukari Mishakuji to come down, in front of the Tower, to fight.

The Green King didn't look happy, but Munakata didn't waste time to wonder whether it was simply because his hostage, or whatever the Black Dog has been all that time, was obviously free, or for another reason. Vaguely registering Awashima reporting that Mishakuji heeded the challenge without the slightest hesitation, Munakata attacked. Angry, Hisui parried and countered, but just as his electricity was about to zap through Munakata, a cage of fire engulfed the Green King.

Nagare Hisui crumbled to the ground, holding a hand over his heart.

In the earpiece, Munakata heard the Colourless King calling for the Blue and Red clansmen to come and deal with the Jungle players. Intrinsically, he completely agreed with her and even applauded her, inexperienced as she was, for getting the idea so quickly. However, when Awashima immediately reported to her, rather than to Munakata, that she was going in, the Blue King decided that he needed to have a chat with Mai Ueno.

Later. Because right then fog forming announced the arrival of the Grey King.

'Captain Munakata, I would like to report that your pitiful spy hasn't achieved anything before dying,' a voice Munakata didn't recognize announced. It was without a doubt the Grey King, for the voice was accompanied by a strong presence alike that of Anna, Hisui or Munakata himself.

'Perhaps,' Munakata allowed, forcing his tone to be calm and collected. 'Perhaps his warning of your presence will turn the tide of this battle. Perhaps arranging for the Black Dog to occupy Yukari Mishakuji will,' he added. If he was destabilized by the fact that Fushimi has been killed, they might just as well be, knowing their plans haven't gone quite as they have wanted. It worked better than he expected.

'The Black D-' the newcomer trailed off and cursed like a sailor.

'There is nothing to worry about. Yukari will take care of him and proceed with the plan,' Nagare Hisui replied, although the irritation in his voice belied the words. And the words betrayed that Mishakuji did, indeed, still have a task to fulfil. The Grey King cursed some more in answer. It seemed that neither of them questioned whether Mishakuji would answer to Kuroh Yatogami's challenge or who would be the winner.

Never before in his life, Munakata wanted somebody to win as badly as now. Mishakuji's death would be no consolation for Fushimi's fate, but the vicious part of him, the one he rarely acknowledged, wanted to see anguish on the faces of the Grey and Green Kings. He wanted them to feel his pain. Pain that, even now, threatened to overwhelm him if he didn't carefully push it away, focusing completely on the enemy in front of him.

A gunshot shattered the silence.

'Watch out,' Yashiro Isana muttered into his ear. Munakata felt himself become weightless and float. 'Let's end this quick,' he added. Funny, Munakata thought, he didn't sound at all happy that his clansman was back. How could he not be was incomprehensible to Munakata, who wished for nothing more than to get out from the Tower and find out his clansmen were all safe and sound.

Even if he knew they wouldn't be.

Yes, Munakata thought, let's. He needed to be elsewhere now.

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Somehow, Saruhiko Fushimi found himself unwillingly filling in Kuroh Yatogami's role as the bodyguard of the Colourless King. He tried to tell himself that it was only because the enemy has surrounded them too fast for him to have joined his fellow clansmen as they filed out of the Mihashira Tower under Awashima's command. Over the sounds of the chaotic battle that ensued, he heard her orders, directing the Sceptre 4's officers to maintain formations, to attack here or there. He heard also the motto of HOMRA, shouted with enthusiasm and determination, as the Red clansmen also spilled out through the devastated entrance hall, joining the medley.

It was complete chaos. Backs against the side of the Jungle's van, Fushimi and Ueno tried to do their best to not be overwhelmed. Needless to say that, between his lack of sword and her lack of, well, any sort of fighting skills, they weren't doing so well. If it wasn't for the Colourless King's frightening ability, they would have probably long since succumbed to the enemy.

'You want to attack the masked men,' Mai Ueno managed to find the time to say. Three of the Jungle players paused in their moves. Fushimi took the chance to grab a baseball bat from one of them. He tried to get a weapon every time Ueno pulled her trick on the enemies, but usually, they were not very efficient weapons.

'We want to attack the masked men,' the Jungle players repeated and turned on their own comrades. It didn't work every time, something about the strength of convictions or similar, from what Ueno has explained in a rush. Not that Fushimi cared, for as long as he could convince himself that he was protecting her not because that was the right thing to do but because he didn't have a choice.

More than anything he didn't want to be influenced by her words again.

'What about the sanctum?' he asked, smashing the baseball bat against a mask.

'I don't know how it will react to you, since you're not-' she paused and Fushimi became aware that two of the Jungle players on his right have just deactivated their masks and started making out. 'Uh oh,' said the Colourless King and pulled at the collar of Fushimi's jacket. 'Let's not get caught in-'

She didn't finish, because she has moved far too close to another enemy, who was already aiming a short knife at her. Unwillingly, but without hesitation, Fushimi moved his back away from the van to strike the man who- Disappeared.

It took a moment for Fushimi to realize that the attacker has been physically lifted up and thrown good five meters away from the van. And that in his place stood a tall, blond man wearing a black waistcoat over a white shirt, both of which were somewhat dishevelled

'Shizuo! Guys!' the Colourless King exclaimed with relief. And suddenly Fushimi found himself surrounded by a group of people, their backs to him and Ueno, fighting in his and Ueno's stead.

'Is this your clan?' he asked, feeling like he was stating the obvious. The newcomers didn't look like HOMRA and were certainly not a part of Sceptre 4. Mai Ueno smiled as she replied that "more or less" the ones now protecting them were the Colourless clan and Fushimi decided that he didn't have the time to dig into the details. Instead, he took a moment to get back his breath and calm his racing heart.

He took a moment to think. The Green and Grey Kings were up there, fighting against the Red, Blue and Silver Kings: he could see the five swords hovering over the Mihashira Tower, sparkling with auras of corresponding colour. Yukari Mishakuji was either still occupied by Kuroh Yatogami, or a threat. However, Fushimi was sure that Mishakuji's win would not go unnoticed by anybody in the vicinity and definitely not by the Colourless King. In fact, he fully expected something along the lines of a severed head falling in front of the woman in the case of Mishakuji's win and sure as hell Fushimi wouldn't have missed that, standing right next to her.

Which left Sukuna Gojo unaccounted for.

The annoying brat hasn't come out of the Tower with the Blues and Reds, so did that mean he was taken care of? Surely Awashima wouldn't have left such a threat behind- Wait, she might have since she has acted under the orders of the Colourless King. Have the Reds also heard them? Fushimi tried to see the HOMRA leaders, who might have had headsets as well, to coordinate with Sceptre 4, but it seemed like Kusanagi and Yata were missing.

Stayed behind to take care of Gojo? Injured? Dea-

Maybe he simply hasn't noticed them, he thought firmly. A cold shiver went down his spine at the aborted thought just before, but he forced himself to ignore it. And a violent heatwave that hit him just then did an excellent job in erasing all his thoughts.

'What the hell are you doing?' he yelled at one of the Colourless clansman, who was carelessly blowing flames at the enemies. 'We're standing next to a van with almost a full tank of petrol!' he pointed out. A young woman, who was standing next to the flame-throwing idiot, turned to look at Fushimi briefly and then glanced at the car.

'Ah, the cute Mr Uptight might be right, Walker,' she said. Fushimi breathed a sigh of relief when the flames disappeared. 'Let's switch to Molotovs,' the woman continued.

'Sure, sure. Anyway, we've cleared the immediate perimeter by now,' the other replied and, seconds later, an extendable, translucent hand delivered three Molotov cocktails in a rapid succession.

'Watch where you're throwing them,' Fushimi shouted, because one blazed very close to where the Blues were fighting.

'Tsk, Walker, keep up,' the woman said, not sounding concerned or upset in the least. 'Mai said the blue ones are with us, the game is to aim at the others.'

'Guys,' said another of the Colourless clan, a taller man wearing a black beanie hat. The one word seemed to contain a whole reproach and the next Molotovs landed far from the Blues and HOMRA.

'Do me a favour, officer,' Ueno grabbed Fushimi's attention. She wasn't looking at him, but rather out beyond the protection her clansmen provided. 'I'll try to clear this side of the field, before people get injured any more. If I faint, catch me.'

She hasn't made it an order, Fushimi thought, surprised. But then the thought that Ueno trusted him so much as to let him decide whether or not he wanted to help crossed his mind. And he decided that this option was just as annoying as if she had forced him to obey. Who the hell did the woman think she was? He wasn't obliged to protect her, especially now that she was surrounded by her people. He had no debt towards her. If anything she had, for his help with the Black Dog.

And yet, not for a split of a second did he consider letting her fall, just to prove a point.

For a moment nothing happened. Mai Ueno pressed the tips of her fingers to her temples and closed her eyes. She even looked like she wasn't breathing for a while, but when she did release her breath, it came with a shockwave. Too weak to make anybody fall, it still made all the masked Jungle players in front of them pause. They stood there, frozen for a moment, but when one more Molotov exploded, they fled.

Amazed at the sudden emptiness around them and momentarily overcome by an inexplicable fear, Fushimi almost forgot to catch the Colourless King when she swayed. As she leaned against him heavily, not quite unconscious but clearly weak, Fushimi looked at the escaping enemies. They seemed to be trampling down those few who didn't want to escape. To the side, where Blues and Reds were fighting, most of the masked enemies were gone, leaving their wounded and, presumably, dead behind.

The flame throwing idiot suggested he was going to support Ueno and Fushimi immediately relinquished his burden, making his way straight to Awashima. With the corner of his eye, he saw Yatogami stab Mishakuji with his katana, but the relief he felt was erased by worry when he realized that Kusanagi and Yata really were missing from among the Reds. He vaguely heard Ueno shout something, his focus shifting to Awashima, who has exclaimed his name.

'Fushimi! You're alive,' she sounded amazed. Have they thought he- Ah, the Grey King has shot him, he remembered suddenly. It felt like an eternity ago, but he has almost died. And surely everybody with a headset has heard the shot that ended his desperate call. Awashima looked like he wanted to hug him, but stopped herself on time.

'More importantly, what about Sukuna Gojo?' he asked, glancing around at all the gathered clansmen. It didn't escape his attention that some of the HOMRA recoiled at the question, but what really worried him was the grimace on Awashima's face. Fushimi frowned and demanded to know what has happened.

'Yatagarasu,' Awashima started with hesitation and paused awkwardly. Fushimi stiffened. He didn't like her tone. 'It seems he got furious when you- I mean, we were all sure you died, shot by the Grey King most likely.'

'He lost it when that bastard laughed,' Kamamoto interrupted Awashima. Fushimi glanced at him, barely seeing the guy, because he could already guess what they were going to say and the sheer knowledge of it was overwhelming. 'That Green brat found it funny and Yata lost it completely, attacking with no regard to anything and-'

Died.

Fushimi knew who was a better fighter, between Sukuna Gojo and Misaki Yata. He didn't hear the rest of what they had to say through the ringing in his ears. He felt his knees give in under him and hands grabbing him. He thought he heard somebody speak, maybe shout, but all that went through his head was that Misaki has thought he had died. Somehow Misaki has also heard that desperate message to the captain and the shot that followed. The shot that should have killed Fushimi but hadn't.

Only nobody up in the Tower knew. And as the Green brat mocked as well he only could, Misaki must have lost his calm. Fushimi could almost see it in front of his eyes. He could see Gojo's scythe cutting through Misaki.

Because of Fushimi's stupid slip, a mistake he could have avoided if only he spoke quieter or waited a moment, Misaki was dead.

Because of him, Misaki was dead. For the first time, Saruhiko Fushimi wished he has died instead.

Yup, that "we want to attack the masked men" was supposed to make you think about Star Wars ;)