A/N: Okay, brief apology here. My internet has been screwing me over, mocking me. Its down and I couldn't do anything so for those asking what's taking so damn long, blame my WiFi.
Ice Chronicles
Chapter 67: The Assault Finale
Things were getting worse by the second. I still couldn't move any of my limbs, see a damn thing, or even hear a thing. I could still feel the cold hard ground and most likely debris from the frequent explosions that constantly shook the building. Higa still had me under his thumb, but I desperately tried to hold any breath I had left. The place felt empty, like the empty void of space. I could feel my lungs breaking from lack of proper air. My breathing was getting worse, forcing me to take even shorter breathes.
I was losing it. There was no way of knowing how my team is doing, I was basically a vegetable, and my life is getting much, much shorter. I couldn't do anything except lay here, hoping a miracle would happen and save me, but with the way things are now, it was highly unlikely. I don't believe even Kai is fast and agile enough to save me.
My sighs had to be done mentally or I would just screw myself over completely. All I could do is pray something good happens, but again, it was highly unlikely with the way I had everyone spaced apart. Damn my planning; I didn't expect it backfire on me like this. It hurts even more that Higa managed to use my plan against me and bring me to this state.
It was getting even harder and I started choking. I couldn't breathe any more nor keep any reserves stored up. It was over; I was about to die. I just gritted my teeth, waiting for my death to come; it was no surprise to me that it was coming. I knew from the very beginning, ever since Akitsu became my first sekirei, there would be something that killed me. I just didn't expect it to end like this, flat on my stomach with no air left and turned into a vegetable. There was no use resisting, but I do regret not having a blood child of my own; Chiho is a good daughter, but I would've liked to have a blood child as well.
I waited, but death sure took its sweet ass time to come. I know I was still kicking, because I could feel the ground underneath me. What the hell is going on here?
If I could move my limbs I would jump in surprise, because I felt something shake me back and forth. It was completely unexpected, but it could be a trap as well. I could feel someone's hand shake me again, but that's what confused me; who was it, why they were there, and what happened just a few minutes ago. None of it made sense to me; and what's even more confusing is that I can breathe properly again.
"What the hell is going on?" I questioned aloud, but couldn't even hear my own self talk. "I know someone is there, but I can't see, hear, or even move for that point; I'm basically a vegetable."
I didn't even know if I was yelling or not.
P.O.V Change Kai
I couldn't believe it; we actually succeeded. Just when I thought we weren't going to make it, the lights and power suddenly turned off; at that moment, Yahan and I traveled through the "Shadow Zone" as she calls it. We had to hurry though, as time laughed at us. When we got to the right floor, it was up to me again. Yahan and I made faster progress jumping into the shadows rather than sink down; we dove down right beside our target, who was shaking and choking hard, taking him down below with us. As soon as we emerged from the other side, the lights came back on.
I let out a sigh as we set Ren on the floor and waited for him to respond. However, he remained quiet. I called out to him, but he didn't say anything. I even shook him a little but he still didn't respond.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" Ren suddenly screamed. Yahan and I clamped our ears shut, wincing from the loud scream. "I KNOW SOMEONE IS THERE, BUT I CAN'T SEE, HEAR, OR EVEN MOVE FOR THAT POINT; I'M BASICALLY A VEGETABLE!"
I covered his mouth and breathed in relief at the peace and quiet. Yahan had the same idea, but neither of us could figure out how to heal our leader. I had to contact Ren's strategist instead.
"Matsu, we managed to rescue Ren, somehow; but he can't see, hear, or move. Apparently, he can speak, quite loudly I might add, but he's pretty much a vegetable as he shouted."
"Is he all right though?" Matsu questioned.
"Oh yeah, he's safe and partially sound," I told her.
"I see. Well, the reason why he's like that is because he knocked away by an explosion and slammed into a wall. The blast must've knocked his senses out of whack. I'm not sure when he'll be able to see or hear, but once he does, oh boy is he going to be in pain," she explained. "Hmm, I don't think anyone else is close enough to assist you. Maybe if Musubi and Tsukiumi were there, but I don't think they're around you."
"We'll think of something," I responded. "Can you give me an update on how Akira and the rest are doing?"
"Can do," the brain-type stated. "Let's see; I have them on sight. Whoa, they have to get through that?"
"Matsu? What's happening?" I questioned.
"Akira and his squad are okay; however, Higa put them at a dead end. He blocked off the rest of the tower so they can't enter his vicinity. Also, all of them are exhausted, and Akira broke his arm. Your sekirei are okay though, except for a few scrapes and bruises."
"You said they were at a dead end. How so?" I questioned.
"Uhh, Higa set off another explosion. Basically, a huge wall of debris is blocking them, along with most of the corridors and rooms blown apart. So even if they find a way across, they'll need a way to blow away the walls."
I sighed once more, trying to think of a way to help, but the main brain of the operation is incapacitated.
"I'm sure someone can hear me, but I would like to know who. So, if you're my ally, write your name on my back and I should be able to translate it," Ren spoke up; he talked softer, much to Yahan and my pleasure. I acted on his command and spelled my name out for him. Hopefully, he could tell it was me.
"Kai? Kai is that really you?" Ren questioned. "Tap my shoulder twice for yes."
I did as so, causing him to take a big breath of air and exhaled enthusiastically. I had to chuckle; the corridor he was trapped in was void of any air. Yahan and I had to hold in ours while retrieving our leader.
"Oh man, that feels so good; I can breathe again. Okay, Matsu probably already relayed you everyone's situation. Now, I need you to find a way to…"
I wrote on his back again before he could finish.
"What the? Musubi?" he said confusedly. I backed away, as did Yahan, and watched as two large dust clouds raced towards us.
"Ren!" I heard two voices shout. Next thing Yahan and I know, Ren was smothered in a massive hug by Musubi and Tsukiumi. "Ren, we finally found you!"
P.O.V Change Ren
I found myself buried in soft flesh, but, as perverted it may be, I could easily tell who the huggers were. Thing is, their massive chests prevented me from speaking so I could only enjoy the warm, tender, and compassionate embrace.
Pretty soon, Tsukiumi and Musubi released me from their hold, much to my relief seeing as I won't suffocate again after surviving my previous situation.
"Tsukiumi, Musubi; I'm very happy to see you two as well, but please don't suffocate me. I just got out of a situation like that and I would like to keep my oxygen fresh. Now, it's a great thing you're here; I need Musubi to carry me, because I am a vegetable. I'm unable to see, hear, or move anything. I can only feel the hard ground, and your nice hugs. Moreover, I need to find a suitable place to recuperate. I don't know how long I'll be left in this state, but hopefully it won't be much longer."
I soon found myself being lifted and my arms draping over someone's shoulder. The person's hands held my legs in place and waited a few moments. My only assumption is that Musubi is carrying me while Tsukiumi, Yahan, and Kai keep her, and by that extension me, safe. I could feel Musubi running now, but to where I do not know.
P.O.V Change Akira
I've heard people complain about breaking a limb and I was always careful not to do anything that could lead to such pain. I am now living that very moment, as my right arm throbbed with agony. The last explosion that caught me and my group blew us away and slammed some of us into a wall, me being one of them. At that moment, pain fires through my arm like a cannon. A stomach-turning snap rang in my ear as a rush of fear slammed into me like a truck followed by a tormenting pain. I squirmed violently on the floor, cursing like a sailor, as I gripped my broken arm as tight as I could without hurting it and me.
Thanks to Kuruse, she used her tridents as a split by breaking one in half and tying it around my arm with parts from her tattered clothing. I thanked her for the assistance and followed her, meeting up with Kazehana and the rest of my group. The explosion that blew us away caused the building to split, cutting us off from the rest of floors above. If that wasn't all, debris and other parts of the building blocked our path. We couldn't make such a large gap, even if Kazehana could use her powers. We were at a dead end with no way of getting through; and without Ren to give ideas, it's only a matter of time before something else happens to us.
"So, does anyone have an idea?" Natsu asked. We all looked at one another but had no suggestions on the matter. I saw Kazehana by herself, a look of worriment on her face. I could tell she was thinking about Ren and if he's okay or not; he hasn't been in contact for a long while, but neither have we since our piece was destroyed. It was just one problem after another. First, we lost our leader. Secondly, we had to traverse majority of the building without said leader and help from our allies. And finally, all of us are completely exhausted and can't think of a way to progress forward; we were at a lost.
"So no one has an idea on moving onward?" Kuruse spoke up. I looked around the corridors, hoping to spot something that could be of use. I've always been told that I have a knack for finding the right stuff, which is most likely why I've wanted to be a detective in the first place.
"Let's see, maybe, just maybe I can find something. But with the way things are set up, it's highly unlikely," I mentioned. I stared up at the ceiling, seeing as it's not that blocked with debris. However, I still had no idea on how to use it.
"Ugh, if only we had an elevator to use," Saki complained and sat on the floor to catch her breath. We all followed her motive and recuperated for the moment. There have been no attackers yet, so we used the peace and quiet to regain our strength. However, a thought kept occurring to me; it was what Saki complained about, using an elevator. I stared up at the ceiling again and then the elevator thing.
"I think this platform may cave in soon," Kuruse pointed out, lightly tapping the floor. That's when it finally clicked.
"Wait! That's it!" I exclaimed. The girls stared at me in surprise.
"Akira, what's wrong?" Saki questioned.
"What you and Kuruse said," I pointed out. "Saki, you said we should use an elevator, and Kuruse said that the platform might cave in. If we can make something sturdy enough to carry us, we can use Kazehana's wind to lift us up through the floors."
"Uhh, quick question," Natsu raised her hand. "How do you suppose we make a platform and break through the ceiling? For all we know, a chunk of debris is waiting to crush us. And if we get caught in its path, do you know how fast we would have to move so we won't get crushed?"
"Oh yeah," I replied dejectedly.
"Sorry Akira; it did sound like a sound plan, but we're missing major components," Kuruse said. I let out a sigh and rethought the situation.
"Hey! Guys!" someone shouted. We all snapped towards the source of the calling and saw what seemed to be Akitsu and Homura running our way. They met up and panted hard. I could see that they've been through a lot too, their clothes in the same tattered and torn state as ours.
"We didn't expect to meet up with you," Homura spoke up. It's amazing I could still remember everyone's names. There's like what; over thirty sekirei joining us. "So many explosions and guards are still high; we got separated from our group during."
"We were separated from Ren more than halfway up here," I filled the two newcomers in. Akitsu was already worried about the news. "He told us to keep going and that he would meet us at some point. We haven't been in contact with anyone since then."
"I see. So how much do we have to travel?" Homura asked back.
"From what I remember, we have about another sixty floors to go," I answered. The girls' mouths dropped.
"Ninety?" they repeated.
"Yeah, the floor has about three hundred floors. We're like on floor a hundred and twenty-nine. I don't even know where we are anymore," I replied.
"Well, I see we're blocked off here; does anyone have a suggestion?" Homura inquired.
"Akira came up with a plan to use a platform as an elevator to go up through the floors, but we don't have anything that can hold us," Kuruse responded.
"But we do now," I stated. The girls stared at me again, as I smiled at Akitsu. "Akitsu, you command ice. If that's so, you can make a platform for us to use. Then, you can help us out."
"Hey yeah, that's right; Akitsu, can you do it?" Saki asked. The ice sekirei simply nodded, but I paused her before she acted.
"Hold on, we have to do this smartly. Natsu pointed out that the top could be filled with debris waiting for us. So, we need to remove the waste before proceeding."
"How do you suppose we do that?" Homura questioned. I rubbed my chin, brainstorming on the idea. I stared at the ceiling, but the only thing I could think of might crush us all.
"Okay, if we want to do this, we need to send the obstacles down first. So everyone needs to step back while someone blasts the ceiling."
"Blast the ceiling?" Kruse repeated. I nodded back and started backing away.
"We won't have to dodge anything if the debris comes first before we ascend; and by already standing several feet away, we probably won't get caught in the avalanche."
"Maybe?" Kazehana quoted. They followed my lead.
"I can't guarantee we'll get through this without consequences. So yeah, maybe," I replied with a sheepish chuckle. After we all backed away per my instructions, Homura fired a ball of fire about ten feet away from us. It crashed into the ceiling, a decent explosion erupting followed by loud thunderous crashes erupting. The place started to shake, in which the seven of us quickly ran away from the explosion. I turned my head to look, seeing the ceiling splitting apart and send debris crashing down. However, the wave of contents followed us, encouraging us to run even faster. It chased us down, getting closer and preparing to devour us. Akitsu quickly formed an ice platform underneath us and lifted us into the air, just barely escaping the jaws of debris. She raised us to the nest floor; however,
"MOVE!" Natsu screamed. Without a single warning, I was grabbed my collar and forcibly pulled off the ice platform. I let out a surprised scream and landed on my butt. We stood on another ice platform, as the previous suffered a collision with a chunk of other debris. It shattered easily, but that wasn't all.
"Akitsu, keep up the platforms!" Kuruse stated. We all moved again, as another chunk of debris smashed into the ice. We had to perform some serious platforming in order to dodge the falling debris; however, we had to be quick and precise. One false move, and that's all she wrote. Akitsu stayed ahead of us, providing the platforms for us, while we stayed as close to her as possible. We also had to stay grouped together so her platforms could catch us all, but I had the most trouble keeping up. The others moved with such grace and precision that I had to use everything and more just to keep up. I almost slipped several times when landing but the others managed to catch me each time. The falling debris randomly, making it extremely difficult to know when and when not to jump. It also proved to be a challenge when jumping, because most of the time we have to jump again immediately after landing to avoid another falling obstacle.
The others were still ahead of me, but Akitsu left enough of the platform to catch back up. I had to move quicker, but keeping up with the team is just impossible at this point. There was no room for error, or it will be my downfall, both figuratively and literally. I saw the others stopping at a ledge and wait for me. I picked up the pace before the debris could catch me.
There was one more platform and I was home free; however, before I could even land on it, parts of the ceiling smashed in to it. A loud gasp escaped my lips, as I touched nothing but air. I could feel my skin pale and see things coming at a much faster rate. Before I descended too far, I landed on another ice platform and saw the floor rising again. Problem though is that a cornucopia of death is coming to ensure my demise. I braced for impact, waiting for death to come, but after a while, it never did. I opened my eyes and saw the debris and such being knocked away by various elements. Wind blew the debris away with concentrated blasts and fire forced me to shield my eyes as it destroyed the obstacles. I barely made it up and met with the others. I panted robustly and dropped to my knees.
"Are you all right Akira?" Kuruse asked me. I used my good arm to signify I need time to respond.
"If I die before this over, there's something I want to tell you guys," I began.
P.O.V Change Jason
I lead my team through more of the corridors per Matsu's instructions and found the halls where the captives were residing. Thing is, waiting for us were Ryan and his group, along with Yomi and Toyotama. They were sprawled over the floor, except Kaie and Narashino, whom were standing above Ryan as he rocked back and forth on the floor. We rushed to them and grab their attention.
"Are you guys okay? What happened?" I asked.
"Nice to see you too Jason," Yomi spoke up. Ikki helped her stand and dusted her off. "Well, Toyo and I got separated from our group and met up with Ryan them instead. However, they were beat up much like all of us and were fighting what's his face, Higa's secretary. Toyo and I followed Ryan, but the secretary intercepted us; he detonated some TNT and sent us crashing down here. The rest of us made it through okay, but Ryan on the other hand."
"I broke my leg!" Ryan screamed. He held the broken leg possessively and continued to rock.
"Are you going to be okay?" Kaie questioned. Her ashikabi hissed in pain.
"I'll let you know after my leg stops hurting."
"Well, on the bright side, you landed where the prisoners are," I pointed out. As the girls got to work on setting everyone free, I let Ryan use me as a crutch to stand. Also, I had to tell him about Mei-Mei. He looked down at the floor in disgust and gritted his teeth.
"Damn it," he cursed. "I never knew Higa would be this strong. I have to give the man props; he's really giving us a run for our money. He and Kakizaki are unexpectedly powerful in terms of strength, especially Kakizaki. I didn't think the secretary of all people would be so strong, but I can see why he's Higa's right hand man."
"Well, we did what you wanted us to do, free all the captives," I responded.
"Yes, and I thank you for that; but there's one more target we haven't gotten too yet. If only Kakizaki hadn't knocked us down, we could still save her, but my best leg is broken and all of us are exhausted," he said. "So, we might have to rely on Ren and his squad, or those other two guys you brought."
"You mean Seo and Sanada? Well, their sekirei are strong, but those two are most likely hiding like scared chickens while their girls do the work. And now that Ren gave the word, Sanada's other three are free to do as they please. So, I think we're good," I laughed sheepishly.
"Hopefully, because you do know Higa hasn't played his best cards yet though right?" Ryan mentioned.
"Neither have we," I stated. I smirked at Ryan's confused face. "Hey Shiina, how long are you going to hide?"
I turned us around and saw the sekirei in question trying to push through the crowd. When he got through, he gasped for air.
"That was a big crowd," he pointed out. "I had to push my way through everyone."
"Well you made it out now at least; and we could really use your help. How ready are you?" I asked the Grim Reaper. He responded to my question by forming an orb of energy in his hand.
"Just lead the way; I know exactly where Yukari is. However, she's very, very, VERY high up the building."
"Then Akira's group will reach her way before we even get halfway," I responded.
"Then can you help us rescue another prisoner?" Ryan requested. "She's not too far from here, but her room is heavily guarded."
"Sure, it will be my pleasure," Shiina accepted. We all had to move at a steady pace, as Ryan had to be the one to guide us. Along the way, we were assaulted by more guards, but thanks to Shiina and the girls, they made short work of them. The captives we saved assisted in the fight as well, using the weapons from the guards as their tools. Now our numbers have increased and the fight can resume, but I just hoped we all make it out of this.
P.O.V Change Kai
With Ren retrieved and riding on Musubi's back, we traversed further into the building. Yahan, Tsukiumi, and I had to fight while protecting Ren and Musubi. We couldn't let them capture the king so the queen, Tsukiumi, bishop, Yahan, and knight, me, had to fight instead. However, I wasn't the least bit amused. Every guard and soldier we faced were small fries, not even enough to make me try hard. I was seriously getting bored and wanted something fast to entertain me.
It was when we rounded yet another corner that we came across a pair of soldiers. They were dressed differently from the other guards we've tackled, a little more commanding-like I guess. Maybe these two could be the elites I've been wanting to fight. If so, then this should be fun; at least it better be for their sake. I stopped a few feet away from them, ushering the girls behind to stop as well.
The two standing before us smirked with a high sense of confidence of emanating from their faces.
"This is as far as you go," one of them stated. "If you want to go further, you'll need to get through us; as if that will ever happen though."
"Hmph, we have no time for thou ridiculous squabble," Tsukiumi stated. "Stand aside at once!"
"You really think we'll do that?" The second guard questioned. "Unlike all those weaklings you've faced, we're on a much higher level. We're two of Higa's elite soldiers; you stand no chance of victory, especially with your leader incapacitated and you running out of steam."
"We'll see about that," Tsukiumi declared; however, I made the first step forward.
"Kai?" Yahan called out.
"You three go ahead; I'll take these guys on myself," I told her.
"What? You sure?" my sekirei asked back.
"One hundred percent," I stated confidently. "Leave these two to me and you all continue with the plan. I'll meet you in a few minutes; this won't take long."
"Well, if you're sure, but how do we get past them to continue?" Yahan questioned.
"Use my shadow," I pointed out. "There's enough light in here for you three to use as a portal; however, finding another exit is entirely up to you."
"Nay, I refuse to run away from battle. 'Tis would be a cowardice act to commit," Tsukiumi stated.
"No Tsukiumi; you're ashikabi comes first. Think of what he would say," I responded. "Follow his plan."
"He's right Tsukiumi; Ren would want us to carry on instead of lingering behind. Let's go," Yahan said. My sekirei planted a quick kiss on my cheek and vanished along with the other three, leaving me alone to face the elite soldiers, whom waited very patiently. It was surprising really; I expected them to rush me at any moment, but they're actually analyzing me.
"So Kai Sasaki; you really want to challenge us. Even after running through all those floors and fighting, you really want to challenge two elite members. I think the stress of battle has gotten to you," the first guard stated with the second nodding in agreement.
"Those guys were just fodder. They didn't barely even put up a challenge; however, I'm hoping you two can satisfy that for me," I responded. I cracked my knuckles and warmed up a little.
"Ha! We'll show you a lot more. You see, we've been studying you Kai," the second guard mentioned. This instantly grabbed my attention. "We know a lot about you Kai; your strengths, weakness, styles of fighting, and your abilities. We know it all like the back of our heads."
"Oh really? That's very intriguing," I responded. "So then you know I specialize in speed, which is in the running against the Black Sekirei and No. 1 herself right?"
"The whole nine yards," the first guard spoke up. "So do you still want to challenge us, or will you surrender?"
I waited to respond, trying to process things in my head. When I finished, I bust out laughing. I laughed so hard that I had to hold my gut and stop myself from dropping to my knees.
"And just what is so funny?" The other elite member questioned. I eased down and turned my guffawing into snickers.
"You two are what's funny," I stated.
"What?" they responded at the exact same time.
"I commend you for studying your opponent; however, that's only half the battle. Just because you know my skills doesn't mean you can outmatch me. I've tackled opponents far superior to you fools. Yes, my specialty is speed," I said. I set my sights on the second elite and with a slight turn of my right foot, lashed out at him. I was already dead in his face before he could even register what I did. While he was still processing, I grabbed him by the face and chucked him towards the wall behind him. He crashed back first into the barrier and slid to the floor. I didn't stop there though. I dashed at him again and leaped into the air, performing a double front flip, and then delivering a beautiful kick to the guys face. The force of my kick -broke off more of the wall and sent the so-called elite member sliding through. A big hole stood in front of me as parts of said wall crumbled over the elite and buried him. All I could see is his hand resting lazily on top of the debris.
I let out a disappointed sigh and faced the other member. He stared at me with his teeth gritting and breaths hissing through his teeth. Seeing it made me smirk, even though I was still greatly disappointed.
"What's the matter? Can't believe what just happened to your friend? Yeah, I was disappointed in his skills as well; and you said you studied my statistics."
"Why you; don't get so cocky. That was just a lucky strike," the remaining elite passed off as such. I sighed once more and lost the smile. I crossed my arms and turned to the side.
"Let me tell you something you obviously missed. I don't like fighting weaklings," I stated. "I want to be challenged, pushed to my limits, and even beyond. I don't waste time fighting runts; your friend is a result of that. So if you don't want this be over quickly, I suggest you get your ass in gear. Come at me with anything less than your absolute best, and I will kill you."
The guard pulled out a receiver and spoke into it.
"Elite forces, we have an opponent here who thinks he can mock the elite name. Meet me at my position and lets show this amateur who reigns supreme."
He put the transceiver away and smirked at me.
"You think calling your fan club will do anything?" I questioned. I just shook my head and closed my eyes. "And here I thought you'd actually provide me with some entertainment."
I felt the force of wind slam into my face and raised my hand in its line of fire, catching something in my palm. I opened my eyes and saw a fist racing towards me, but I ducked under the attack and launched an uppercut towards the enemy's chin.
The guard dodged my attack and lashed out with his leg dashing for me. I raised my arm to block the kick and retaliated with a leg sweep. My opponent leaped over me and performed a roundhouse kick, in which I grabbed his leg and spun us around. I released him and threw him towards a wall, but he fixed himself and regained his footing. He raised his head and glared daggers at me, gritting his teeth even more.
He lunged at me again and released a furious combo of punches and kicks. However, he couldn't even touch me. I basically danced around him while subtly striking his openings every chance I got. I could tell he was getting angrier by the second, as I mocked and toyed with him.
He slipped up, giving the perfect opportunity to deliver a strong punch to his face. He spun around, and I followed the punch with a couple more to the chest and stomach, spinning around and delivering a beautiful kick to his face, and ending with a nicely executed leg sweep. However, I decided to keep going and grabbed his legs again, resuming the spinning and throwing. This time, he couldn't balance himself and crashed back first into the wall. Finally, I charged forward and pushed the back of his head into the wall, sending him right through.
That took care of the two elites, but I was still disappointed in their skills. I just wasted my time with these fools and didn't even have any fun doing so. I just sucked it up and sighed.
"Studied me my ass," I cursed. I looked at both debris crashes, but saw one shaking. I blinked a couple of times and waited. The hand sticking out disappeared and pushed the debris off, where it revealed the first guy I tackled. He was broken basically, especially his face, but he still decided to fight. I could hear his grunts of pain from where I stood and shook my head again.
"You should've just stayed down; that is your smartest decision. Yet you continue to face me."
He pushed himself up and audibly yelled in pain. I could blatantly tell he was hurting all over, not just by his screams. He tried to endure it though, another foolish decision.
"That…was just…a lucky shot," he responded. "I'll get you…this…time."
As he stood up, I could hear what sound to be marching emanating behind me. I turned slightly and saw a huge number of soldiers making their way towards me. It was the fan club the other elite called up; they arrived much faster than I thought, but hey, more fun for me I guess. Question is will they provide me with enough satisfaction.
"It's about time you all showed up," the first guy declared. The crowd rushed around and surrounded me, giving me no way of escape. I was completely surrounded; however, I liked those odds. A big smile tugged at my lips as I started snickering.
"Now this is more like it. With such a big group here, surely one of you can provide me with entertainment. However, as I told the other two, if you come at me with anything less than your absolute best, you're as good as dead."
A loud roar erupted and the march began; the circled closed in on me and started attacking. I proved why speed is my greatest strength. I used the little space I had and dashed around the center, delivering heavy blows and attacks to the enemies. They couldn't touch me, they couldn't see me, they couldn't even stop me; I was too fast for them. In the matter of seconds, I already took out a good dozen, but the group continued to stay large, much to my happiness. I didn't let up and kept attacking. The one thing I refused to do is waste movements so all my actions were precise and deadly. I danced around the circle, which seemed to grow larger by the second.
Sad thing is I never even drew my sword yet. I stopped moving to see my progress, viewing the plethora of unconscious bodies scattered around. Some were thrown against the wall while others remained buried in debris. Still, over half the soldiers remained standing and ready to fight. I had no objections. However, before any of us could act again, the ground shook violently and knocked most of us off our feet, me included. I quickly got back up and gasped at the speeding bullet of massive debris jetting my way. I jumped through one of the holes in the wall and watched the bullet demolished everything in the previous room. All I heard was massive screaming, things colliding into one another, and multiple crashes.
I tried to process what just happened, but I could only think of one conclusion. I was confused, curious, yet not surprised by the event. I walked through the hole again and dusted myself off.
"You know I was kind of having fun there; I had them all on the ropes and then you finish them off like that."
"You were taking too long so I had to shorten the fight," my secret ally stated.
"Well excuse me for trying to have fun; do you know how many small fries I had to fight in this place? I needed a better challenge, but here you come," I stated.
"Oh stop being such a baby; you should at least be glad to see us," they responded. I sighed and shook my head.
"Just when I finally started to have a little fun. So if you're here, where are the other two?"
"Oh, your little anime buddy went after what's his face, the North's best friend. And our leader went after the North. I had an idea of where you were so I came after you," they answered.
"Yeah you came and took all the fun away Beni," I stated. Benitsubasa hopped over the scattered debris and stood beside me.
"Are you really making a big deal of this?" She questioned with her hands on her hips.
"So if I just came out of nowhere and hogged your spotlight, you wouldn't be having a fit?" I asked back. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't think of a retort, signaling my victory.
"Sh-Shut up!" she yelled.
"Just saying," I responded. "Well, let's get moving then."
Beni followed me through the corridors, but something bugged me.
"Beni, why are you all here?"
"We were bored, saw how much fun your mission looked, and decided to join the party," she summed up. That definitely explains a lot.
P.O.V Change Ryan
After I figured out the plan of attack, I lead the group to the exact location of our assault. Now, all we had to do is initiate the first part, which is where Shiina comes in.
"Shiina; I want you to aim an attack right above and a couple of inches away from me. It as to be exactly right, or this could backfire on us," I told him.
"Is that it? Just hit the right spot?" He clarified. I nodded back in response.
"Oh, and Jason; I suggest you move away as well. Let me go."
"Huh? But you can't stand with your leg broken," he reminded me.
"Just hold on for about a good three minutes; that's if this works. Oh, and Ikki, do you mind lending me one of your kodachis?" I responded. I pushed Jason away from me and hopped on my good leg, waiting patiently for Shiina to act. Ikki handed me one of her swords and I thanked her in response. "One more thing, no one interrupt me; this is all me. Now Shiina!"
The Grim Reaper, as I hear Jason call him, launched one of his orbs at the ceiling and hit it exactly where I instructed. The attack blew a hole in the ceiling, causing its parts to rain down and hit the ground. However, I focused primarily on my target. As soon as I saw those legs come down, I waited for the right moment to strike. I wanted him to see my face before doing this. I couldn't kill him, or all that work would've just been for naught. No, I couldn't do that; however, I could wound him long enough to complete my task. I heard him scream in surprise and held the sword with both hands. I had to make sure to hit him where he wouldn't die immediately, but it was very tempting to kill him here and now.
I did a strong diagonal slash and cut Kakizaki across his from the bottom of his left shoulder to his right side. I ripped through his suit and made his blood splatter. If that's not at all, I grabbed his face and slammed him into the ground.
"Now let's move! We don't have much time!" I commanded. Jason let me use him as a crutch again and we had to hurry to the next floor. With the strike dealt to Kakizaki, a huge time limit was activated. If we don't get to Kochou in time, she will perish along with Kakizaki. We stormed through the corridors onto the next floor; however, we were met with a gruesome sight.
A noxious odor filled our nostrils as we all saw the corridor colored with crimson. Along with that, the hall was lined with dead bodies, each spewing the crimson liquid. The floor was covered, even going down the hole leading to the precious floor.
"Whoa, what happened here?" I asked aloud.
"Someone came here and wrecked the competition," Jason stated.
"I'll say," Ikki agreed. "But who though?"
"Ah, there you are; I've been waiting for minutes now," someone announced. We heard footsteps stepping in the crimson puddles, but the voice that spoke did't sounded very familiar to me.
"Wait, I know that voice. What is she doing here? What are they doing here?" Jason questioned.
"We decided to come and join the fun; you're just lucky we're allies, or you would've ended up just like these guys here," she stated. A woman walked closer and revealed her presence. Upon closer inspection, I saw her claws stained with blood, which repeatedly dripped to the ground.
"Well that explains the dead bodies," Jason pointed out.
"Never mind that, did you by any chance break into any room in this corridor?" I panicked. The woman shook her head no.
"I just stuck with the ones in the open. Why?"
"No time, mission now!" I urged Jason along. He didn't dawdle and hurried to the room I wanted, where I instructed Ikki to cut the door down, which she did with much grace. However, as soon as the door broke down, a flying object came out of nowhere. In retaliation, I spun Jason and I around and delivered a powerful kick to the chair, breaking it into splinters.
"Stay back!" Someone screamed. Suddenly, someone rushed out with another chair in hand, but I grabbed the chair and held the person in place, letting out a sigh.
"Kochou, it's me."
The brain-type opened her eyes and stared at me.
"Ryan? Ugh, what took you so long?" she questioned with her hands landing on her hips.
"Sorry but there's no time; I have to transfer you," I stated, causing her to stare at me befuddled. I let out a sigh. "Kakizaki is almost dead and he wanted me to make sure you wouldn't go with him."
A loud gasp escaped her lips as she covered her mouth.
"Really? No, that can't be true!"
"I'm sorry Kochou; I was too late and he took a lot of damage. I was about to help, but he demanded that I get to you instead. I had to hurry because he wasn't going to last long," I explained. It pained me to lie to Kochou, but it was the only to convince her willingly. "If I was faster, I could've saved him… but I'm sorry."
Jason was about to speak, but I stomped his foot to shut him. Thankfully, Kochou didn't see Jason trembling. She looked devastated, though I can't necessarily blame her. I had to move fast and hopped around her. I placed a hand on her shoulder for comfort and pulled out my Jinki.
"Don't worry Kochou; I gotcha," I reassured her. It still pained me to lie to her like this, but hopefully she'll forgive me. I touched her crest with the Jinki and activated it prowess. Things went very smoothly, and I know I had a few moments left to spare. Her crest vanished, which I found very odd to be honest. After the task, Kochou let me use her as a crutch as Jason, his girls, and the prisoners, whom I'm glad didn't tip Kochou off about anything, went off to continue the mission. My girls, Kochou, and I had to sit in the brain-type's room to recuperate from the battle. I could still see the distraught look on Kochou's face, but something tightened around my broken leg. I let out a painful scream, causing a few people to jump in surprise.
"Ryan, what's the matter?" Narashino questioned. I looked down and saw the angry stare from Kaie's eyes.
"Kaie what the hell? That hurts!" I told her.
"It'll teach you to stop being such an idiot," she stated. She tightened the bandage again and made me grunt in pain. Sad thing is no one bothered to help.
P.O.V Change Ren
I was getting really irritated by my condition. I don't even know how long it's been since I entered this comatose like state, but it was really getting on my last nerves. All I could do is feel, no seeing, hearing, or moving, but feel; and I couldn't even move my limbs to do the feeling. I was a ragdoll, completely useless. I couldn't make any sense of what's happing now, except by the sharp movements Musubi executed, which only meant she was dodging enemies. It made me completely mad though, I couldn't even move to provide assistance and all I could actually do is see the ground zooming by as Musubi raced through the corridors.
Wait. What did I just say? I saw floor tiles and cracks in the floor; but how? I was blind a few minutes ago. Could my senses be returning? Next, I could feel the strain of something moving on my body. I couldn't look but I could definitely feel my fingers twitching. I was right, my senses were coming back. I could mob my entire hand now, which was great. I first tried to move my head and saw ahead, seeing a large group of soldiers standing in Yahan and Tsukiumi's way. Kai wasn't present though, but I trust he was all right. Finally, something quiet entered my ears and got louder with each second. My hearing started returning now; things are starting to look up now. Musubi held back, to keep me safe is my assumption.
Once all my disrupted senses came back, I hopped off Musubi's back, causing her to turn towards me. I enveloped her in a tight embrace and planted a passionate kiss on her lips. After that I pointed two fingers at the guards.
"Musubi, set," I stated. She smiled wide and faced where I was pointing. "Aim a bear palm in that direction and fire on my signal."
"Yes!" she cheered and formed a pink ball of light. "Ren, it's so good to have you back; I was so worried about you."
"I know, but worry about me later; we have a mission to complete," I stated. "Tsukiumi! Yahan! Get out of the way, NOW! Musubi, fire!"
"Bear! Palm!" Musubi thrust her arm out and fired the orb of light. Yahan and Tsukiumi separated as I commanded and let the orb smash into the group of soldiers, where it exploded upon impact and left a big hole in the floor and walls. The guards most likely fell through the holes, but they weren't here at the moment. Oh man! It felt great to be back on my feet; however, I suddenly screamed in pain as I hit the floor, squirming in agony. I heard Musubi and Tsukiumi yell out my name and gather over me.
"It's okay, it's okay, just the pain from the explosion caught up to me; I'm okay now," I reassured. The pain was sudden and quite unbearable, but I managed to tough it out. I cautiously rose to my feet, but my sekirei tackled me in a tight embrace. I hugged them back, but probably used too much strength as they begged me to let them go, even Musubi was begging. I released them and chuckled sheepishly.
"Sorry you two, but it's just so joyous to have my senses back."
I rubbed my chin and analyzed the situation.
"Hmm, if I'm correct about this, Akira and his team should be close to the top, Jason and his team should've freed the prisoners and whoever Ryan was after; and Kai isn't here but he most likely stayed back to deal with some interference. Seo and Sanada are probably having a fit while their sekirei deal with the enemy and we should be about halfway below where Akira's team is."
I looked around and spotted an elevator in the distance; however, it was obviously a trap, as it wasn't guarded or anything. I could tell it was operational, but that's exactly what they wanted us to think. I had to look around more.
"Let's see; with the lights on and stuff, Yahan can't use her abilities and few shadows limit her range of travel. Sooo, take out the lights girls."
"Huh?" The questioned.
"Take out the lights above us; we can create our own doorway for Yahan to use and close a good distance between Akira and us; that's where we have to go, the top. By this time, Akira and his team are completely worn out and Higa has about six sekirei ready and waiting for action. We have to get up there and catch up so we can lend a helping hand. And we're the closest out of everyone else, if they stuck with the plan. So, take out the lights and I'll handle the floor transportation," I elaborated. They still gave me a confused look but complied anyway. Once the lights were out, Yahan activated her skills and took us through her realm; however, she couldn't go far and popped out at I believe two floors ahead from where we originally were.
"Okay, this should be good. If only I knew what was coming. I can get us up the building faster without having to worry about interference; but I doubt things will run that smoothly."
I scratched my head a couple of times.
"Guess we'll just have to go with that then."
With the quickness of my feet, which brought me much joy to move around, I made two clones to help transport the girls. The clones and I high fived each other out of joy and carried the girls bridal style. I carried Tsukiumi while the clones carried Musubi and Yahan. We dashed through the corridor at a fast pace and made our way up; I was still filled with joy. I appreciated all my body parts very much, but now I'm even more glad to have all my limbs intact. Anyway, the clones and I rushed through corridor after corridor, but a plethora of guards stood in our paths. We couldn't rush past them, but that didn't stop the girls from fighting.
After the guards were taken care of, we resumed our rapid dash to the top of the building. Thankfully, the floors were already cleared out so the run was quite smooth as is, but that worried me. Why was the area so clear, even though I'm sure many of our allies passed through here, there should still be plenty of Calvary waiting to intercept us; but there was nothing or no one here.
I got a very bad feeling about this.
We had to stop for me to catch my breath… and squirm painfully on the ground again. There was no telling how many floors we traversed, but I felt like we were getting close. After my tantrum was over, I got back on my feet. Tsukiumi and Musubi were staring at me intently.
"What?" I blinked a couple of times.
"Are thou okay? Tis the second time we had the displeasure of watching thee squirm," Tsukiumi stated. I scratched my head.
"Oh, well yeah, I'm fine, just the injuries from the explosion I was in catching up to me. Really, I'm all right," I reassured them. They didn't buy it though.
"Thee will stay behind us and regain thou strength while thy wife takes care of things," Tsukiumi declared. Musubi nodded in agreement.
"Don't worry Ren; we'll protect you," she promised.
"Uhh, that won't be necessary," I told them.
"Hush my husband," my water sekirei demanded. "Thee shall not worry, as they real wife will not fail THEE!"
Tsukiumi took one step too many and walked off the edge of a hall and started falling, but I caught her just in time, letting out a little sigh as well I might add. She dangled in midair and begged me to pull her up. The moment she touched ground, she ran into me.
"And that's why I said it wasn't necessary," I hugged her back. We arrived at some very decimated area; it was practically separated from the entire building. There was debris falling everywhere and even blocked the entrance to the other side. How long was I a vegetable? "You okay Tsukiumi?"
"Please don't remind me of that," she requested.
"As you wish," I patted her head. "Now then, we need to figure out a way to progress. Yahan, think you can use your abilities here?"
"I can't; there's no portal for me to use," she stated. I groaned irritable at the response, but then it hit me.
"Wait, you can."
"Your shadow won't provide me much area to move around in so it's useless. Only reason why it works with Kai is because I just need to travel short enough to get away from something. With this, I cannot go to any higher places," Yahan interrupted me and crushed a little of my image. I hung my head down and signed.
"Great, now what?" I asked aloud. "Hmm, Tsukiumi can't use her water to lift us, Yahan can't travel far with my shadow, and Musubi doesn't have any abilities to carry us. Hmm, quite the predicament I must say."
"What are we going to do then?" Musubi asked. I looked up at the ceiling, however, it was completely ripped apart, as if someone cut right through it. I could also see the next few floors up ahead too.
"That could work, but how do we get up there?" I questioned. "You all can't jump that high to get up there."
It clicked again. "Without a boost to help you. I got it!"
The three sekirei jumped in surprise, as I created four more clones.
"Okay, my clones are going to give us a jumping boost. Hopefully, it will be just enough to get us to the next floor. Tsukiumi, you take Yahan, and Musubi, you're with me."
"Huh?" Yahan said.
"As one who travels through shadows, you're not that strong a jumper are you?" I asked her. Yahan opened her mouth, but closed it and turned her head to hide her flushed face.
First, Tsukiumi and Yahan got into position.
"When you two get up there, be extremely careful about how you move. Watch out for falling debris and don't stop moving; it's very likely we have to move immediately so keep moving to avoid being crushed," I warned them. My clones launched them in the air and Tsukiumi jumped as high as she could. Musubi and I watched them ascend until they were out of sight. Then, we took our position and did the same thing.
We landed safely on the next floor; however, we had to dive out of the way of a falling piece of metal. It slammed into the floor, which started to crumble from the impact. The four of us took off, leading to me making more me's and carrying the girls. I had to brainstorm quickly and figure out ways to keep us going. From dodging explosions and debris, I got us through most of the big stuff, but there was still much ground to travel. However, as we got higher and higher, the scenery took a huge dark turn. The current corridor we stopped at was completely painted in blood, the nauseating smell filling our nostrils.
We treaded lightly, spotting all sorts of items scattered around the hall. It reeked of blood.
"What's going on here? I knew something was off, but I didn't expect it to turn out like this," I spoke up.
"Someone was really murderous here; I doubt anyone is alive," Yahan stated.
"This couldn't have been done by our allies; tis too gruesome," Tsukiumi pointed out.
"Ren, what do you think happened?" Musubi questioned.
"Oh I'll tell you what happened," I stated. I didn't think they would show up, but there's only person I know who would create 'art' like this. That just scared me even more however; we had to pick up the pace immediately. There's no telling how far she is now. "We have some special guests."
"Special guests?" Yahan repeated. "What do you mean by 'special guests'? Please tell me that's good news at least."
"Well, they cleared the paths for us so I guess their presence could be considered good," I explained. "But we better step it up a notch. I fear that we keep them waiting too long."
Without hearing the girls' response, the clones and I continued to carry them through the corridors. We saw more of the floors painted in blood, which left a churning feeling in my stomach. Soon, we had to stop once more to let me endure the pain from the explosions.
I was positive we were getting closer to the top, even though we had to make repetitive stops along the way. Still, we all saw more of the corridors stained with blood; how far did that woman travel in such a short time.
"Okay, we should be very close to our target," I stated. "Hopefully, we'll find Akira and the others soon. I hope they're okay."
"Don't worry Ren; I'm sure they doing just fine," Musubi cheered.
"Well with the way things have been progressing, I have to worry," I responded. "There's no telling what kind of situaTION!"
I was silenced by a huge tackle to the ground and the sound of worriment filling my ears. I felt two heads nuzzling my chest and me being crushed by the huge embrace. Luckily, I knew exactly who it was.
"I just survived a head on explosion, but that doesn't mean you two should crush me."
They raised their heads to show me the worried expression on their faces. I couldn't help but bring them into a tight hug and kiss their cheeks.
"Are you two okay? You're not hurt are you?"
"We're fine, but we should be asking you that," Kazehana responded.
"Are you okay master?" Aki inquired.
"I'm fine, still standing; there's no way I'd go down so easily," I reassured them. After the heartwarming reunion, Akira and the rest of his team met up with us. We saw Homura as well and greeted her as well.
"Ren, are you okay man? That was some fall you had," Akira stated. "I'm surprised you survived honestly."
"I was just a vegetable for the time being, but I have to thank Kai for getting me to safety in time. If he and Yahan didn't arrive in time, I would've suffocated to death," I spoke up.
"Matsu was the one who told us the situation and we had to rush towards your position," Yahan explained. Once the situation was explained, and I received more hugs from my sekirei, we all rushed onward.
"By any chance, did you see."
"Yes," Saki interrupted me. "She's here and walked way ahead of us; we don't even know where she is, but she told us to wait for you."
"O-kay then," I said.
"Wait, who's the special guest you keep referring to?" Musubi questioned.
"It's Karasuba Musubi," I told her.
"Really? Why would Karasuba be here?" my fist-type asked back. I shrugged my shoulders, wondering the same thing. Minaka said he wasn't going to intervene, but for Karasuba and the rest of the squad to be here, they must've come of their own free will.
"Your guess is as good as mine," I spoke up. "The only thing I can say for sure is that they came willingly. But that's beside the point; we need to keep moving. We're on the final floors so that means Higa will be going all out here."
As if right on cue, a large amount of electrical projectiles raced towards us, forcing us to move. I pushed Akira out of the way and dodged the projectiles to the best of my abilities. Kazehana's wind pulled me to her and into a big hug by her.
"You really need to stop getting into trouble; I don't think I can handle much more of this," she told me. I caressed the back of her head and placed it on my chest.
"Sorry, but you know we can't waste much time here. We need to pick up the pace."
"I know but still," she said. "I was always thinking about you when we got separated; I'm just worried."
"I know and it'll be okay, I promise."
We had to move quickly and dodged the projectiles at the same time. The traps became more convoluted and deadly, the explosions occurred even more frequently, and the chances of plummeting to our deaths increased even more. Some of the movement called for some platform dodging, in which Aki used her ice as a way to provide platforms and we had to dodge the falling debris. Akira made note that they already did the platform dodging earlier before.
Another questioned that plagued my mind is Karasuba's location. Where the hell is she? Now I might not know her like Musubi does, but I know for a fact she would've intercepted us by now. Either she's watching us, waiting at Higa's exact location, or is having the time of her life. My guess was on the third choice.
Dodging everything Higa threw at us proved to be a very difficult task; and no doubt that bastard is watching all this with a smug smile on that condescending face of his. Speaking of his face, I remember when I decked him so hard at the ashikabi fight of ours. Man did that feel good; I should've done more now that I think about it.
"I see that you're still kicking North," the intercom with Higa's voice came on. We didn't stop in our tracks and kept running. "I'm actually really amazed you survived; I guess I underestimated Kai's speed and your brain-type's thinking. No matter, I can still finish you and your little legion off here."
"We'll see about that," we all rounded a corner and into a straight corridor. "You may think you're safe in the confinement of your office, but that just means you can't escape."
He started chuckling, as if he was amused by something.
"I thought you were smarter than that North. You should know that I'm prepared for everything you throw at me; there's nothing you can do that can stop me."
I smirked at his statement.
"I never said I would be the one to stop you," I stated back. "I don't give any damns about you; I'm just here to rescue some people. Kicking your ass is just a plus; and believe me, I will reap the rewards when this is over."
"HA! That's if you can survive long enough to…what. What are you doing here? Wait! No! AAAAHHH!"
"And that's where Karasuba is Musubi," I responded.
We didn't have much longer to traverse. Along the way, we saw about six dead bodies lying dead on the ground, their bodies covered in gashes and blood. There was no doubt that it was Karasuba's handiwork. If she did this to the sekirei, I don't want to know what she did to Higa. The moment he screamed, the intercom turned to static.
I could see it, his door, which I so happily decided to kick down. We all prepared to attack, but all we saw was a literal bloody mess. It was splattered everywhere, on the walls, the floors, furniture, everywhere; and sitting happily on the desk was Karasuba, who busied herself with cleaning her sword, which was drenched in the crimson substance. She hummed a little tune and smiled wickedly as she wiped her sword clean.
"You know that was very rude Ren, kicking in the door. Didn't you think to knock or just open the door with the knob? Well, it wouldn't really matter; the deed has been done," she said.
"Nice to see you too Karasuba," I greeted. She smiled wider and tried to stifle a giggle.
"I know you wanted to deal with him, but I just got so impatient and was sick of hearing him talk so I used the mute button. As for his little posse, they were no fun; however, now I've gained quite the insurance."
"Insurance?" I questioned. Karasuba looked up from her sword and locked eyes with me.
"That's right. Now that I've disposed of this little mongrel nuisance, you can now focus on the big task at hand. I expect bigger things from you Ren; I'm a bit disappointed in your attempts here really. How could you let someone like Higa beat you like this? Even if he had you outnumbered and had better equipment, you should've took those into consideration. If Kai wasn't here, you would be dead, your entire sekirei team would be dead, and I would be beyond exasperated with you. So, in return for helping you with this mess, I require some stronger resistance from you; and by that, I mean I want you and your entire stronger."
"I see," was all I could say. She glared at me, knowing she wasn't making things up.
P.O.V Change Akira
As Ren spoke to the woman on the desk, who I will admit looks incredibly scary yet very sexy at the same time, I searched the room for the one we were looking for. There were multiple doors in the office so we took the time to check each one.
"Hey! I think I found her!" Saki cried. A few of us rushed to her position and found a girl resting on a bed. No doubt she was the one we're looking for.
"Her name is Yukari correct?" I asked.
"Yep, that's her all right," Homura clarified. I stared at the unconscious girl and then gently slung her over my shoulder.
"Akira? What are you doing?" Kuruse questioned. I just stared at them in confusion.
"We're not rescuing her? I thought she was the one we're after."
"She is but that's not what I'm talking about," Kuruse replied. "I mean what are you doing transporting someone with just one arm? You know you can't do that."
"Oh, well don't worry about it; I'll be fine. She's not heavy so it won't strenuous for me," I reassured her.
"Still, maybe you should let one of us carry her," the trident user suggested.
"Trust me, I got this; plus we still need to get out of here and there could still be guards and stuff to deal with. It's better if she's with me," I explained. I didn't give her room to argue and informed Ren of the retrieval; however, I could see the look on his face, the look of anger and disappointment. Was it because of what that woman said, or something more?
"Ren!" I shouted. He jumped a little and turned to face me. "We got the girl; let's get out of here."
"Yeah…okay then…let's go," he responded. There was definitely something wrong with him. He had that look on his face and it was getting worse. No one else seemed to notice, but it was as plain as day to me.
Before we left, Ren tried to use the intercom to alert our allies of our success. He gave them the command to leave the building. However, that's when things… took a wrong turn. As soon as Ren finished giving the command, another bomb went off and blew him, the girl over my shoulders, and me away and out of the windows. All I heard was the terrified shriek of the sekirei and the loud sound of glass shattering. Even I let out a loud scream as we fell to our demise. I also noticed that Yukari slid off my shoulders during the explosion. I reached for her hand and yanked her closer to me, holding her tight.
It was the end for us; there was absolutely no way we were surviving this. I felt my eyes tearing up; I was about to die. My end was coming at an alarming rate, and there was nothing that could be done. I haven't even told them how much I missed them. I never once said hello or any form of greeting, but it didn't matter now. I was about to die anyway. I looked over at Ren, but the blast knocked him unconscious so he could only fall without any fear. I on the other hand, was wide awake. Waiting was the only thing I could do.
I looked down at Yukari and rubbed the back of her head; it pained me most to know I couldn't save her. Just when we finally saved her, this had to happen; at least it was going to be a long fall.
"Yukari; I'm sorry we couldn't get you free. Please, forgive your big brother; I didn't expect things to turn out this way," I told her. "My poor little sister; I'm so, so sorry."
I closed my eyes and just waited for me to hit the ground.
I opened my eyes and felt the hard ground underneath me. Things were blurry but I could see someone hovering above me and feel someone on top of me.
"You okay pal?" The one hovering above shook me. When things started to clear, I got glimpse of his chestnut colored hair and serious face peering down on me. But, it was strange; what happened.
"Kai? Is that you?" I questioned. He nodded his head.
"The one and only; you okay Akira?"
"I…I don't know. What happened? Where's Yukari?"
"She still unconscious on your chest. As for what happened, you can thank this lady here," Kai pointed to a woman dressed in white veil like materials. She smiled at me.
"Glad to see you okay. Boy, do you know how terrified I was when I got out here and saw you and Ren falling. You're just lucky I got out here in the nick of time. I used my veils to catch you and laid you on the ground; you've been unconscious for about thirty minutes minutes," she explained.
"Oh, thank you very much; I'm in your debt," I expressed my gratitude. She nodded and went back to Ren while Kai place Yukari beside me; she was still unconscious, but I was just glad she was okay. She was safe and sound.
"You're also lucky I'm a speed demon," Kai told me. I chuckled but it hurt so much to laugh. For a while, I rested on the ground as Kai informed me of other things that happened. When I could stand and move, I didn't want to stick around for Yukari to wake up. Kai was the only one who saw me leave, but the rest were unaware. I did what I came to do and I know the others are doing all right. There was no reason for me to stay behind so I just left the scene.
"And just where do you think you're going?" someone questioned. I froze in place as a familiar voice entered my ears. I looked down at the ground, my hair falling over my vision.
"I'm sorry, but have we met before?" I questioned.
"Are you really going to play dumb with me?" the person asked back. I didn't look at them but I knew it was she. No one has a voice quite like hers.
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. If you will excuse, I have somewhere else to be," I said and tried to leave.
"Wait!" Another voice shouted and stopped me. I cursed under my breath and gritted my teeth. "Please wait; don't leave. I need to know. Is it really you?"
I didn't respond. Why was she up already? I swear she's always the worst timing.
"Please, answer me; is that really you?" She asked again.
"You know there's no point in hiding it," the other woman pointed out. I still didn't respond. I just took one step and already she ran into me, wrapping her arms around my waist for a tight embrace.
"Minato, please let me see you again," Yukari stated. "Please."
Without me even answering, Yukari rushed in front of me and gave me a good look at her face. She's grown a lot since the last time I saw her, personality wise I hope too. I raised my head, returning the look, and she threw her arms around me again for another embrace. I felt a hand press on my shoulder and turned to see her as well.
"So, Akira huh? That's such a cliché alias you know," she said. I let out a sigh.
"It worked though."
"It did, but not against me. The moment I saw you I knew it was you," my mother replied. "So now my own son is so rude as to not give his own mother a hug."
Even after all these years, I still couldn't beat her, but at least things turned out better since then. Defeated, I hugged my mother as she wanted and ruffled Yukari's head.
"It's been a while since I've personally saw you two. I would ask if you've been well, but I know the past few days must've been excruciating," I said.
"Ugh, like you would not believe," Yukari stated. "That son of a bitch kidnapped me and tried to get me to marry him; why he's lucky I didn't kick him."
Mom and Yukari filled me in on some of their stories, and it was nice to hear from them once again. I'm just glad they're doing all right, especially mom; she can be a handful as is.
"Remind me to take another vacation, because I really need one after this event," I stated. We all shared a quick laughter before enjoying our family reunion.
A/N: Ugh! FINALLY! I finished the arc; man did this one take forever. I'm really sorry it wasn't up sooner, but now I got it done. I hope you like how things turned out; did it keep you on the edge of your seats. I hope it did and hopefully no one is confused about some of the things, but just in case you are, Higa is dead, Kakizaki is dead, but Ryan managed to save Kochou before Kakizaki died; she's with Ryan now. The Ashikabi of the East is no more; he's dead. Well, let me know what you all think in a pm or review please. Next update will take a bit, but I'm sure you'll like it. This has been MalevolentDarkness16 and I will see you all in the next chapter; thanks for reading, and take care.