Chapter 12: Self Sacrifice
Ranumi's POV
We all made it to the school and decided to hide for now in the bushes, seeing that there were a lot of the infected people just walking around the area looking for Keiko.
"She could be anywhere." Botan whispered as we all looked for Keiko.
"Not necessarily." Father said as he spotted the brunette-haired girl as he quickly and quietly pulled her towards us, covering her mouth. "Don't scream, we're not here to hurt you. I promise." He said to her as he slowly uncovers her mouth as faced us. More specifically at Botan.
"Wait, you're that girl." Keiko said to Botan,
"Keiko, have they hurt you in any way?" Botan asked her.
"I think I'm fine." She said, "Can you tell me what's going on?" Keiko asked,
"All answers will come to you in due time, but right now, these people's target is you." I said to her as I made my water mirror appear.
"Hey, you're that girl I met in the movies, am I right?" She asked and I nodded in response.
Hayami's POV
"Hurry it up!" Yusuke yelled,
"Shut up!" Kuwabara said.
We stopped in mid-run to only see a big watchtower in front of us as a big thunder was made.
"What the hell is that?" Yusuke asked,
"It's the watchtower. I'm sure that's where he is hiding." Hiei said,
"Fine! Then let's drag him out." Yusuke as we continued to keep running.
We all kept running towards the large watch tower in front of us. Suddenly my water mirror appeared.
"Ranumi, this is not a good time to talk." I answered, not looking at the mirror.
"Actually, it's the perfect time to talk." Ranumi said making me look at the water mirror to see the three of them with Keiko. Yep, definitely the perfect time to talk.
"Uh-oh." I said out loud,
"What now?" Yusuke asked me as I showed him the water mirror.
"Small problem." Botan said as they showed Keiko with them.
"Ahh! Keiko?!" Yusuke yelled in surprise to see her with them.
"We're sorry Yusuke, but we had to pick her up from school today and this time, it's not a good sign." Father said as we all stopped running for a second.
"What?" Yusuke asked,
"The beast have most likely used the Makai in order to make them go after Keiko and I don't mean nicely." Ranumi said, "I'm saying that they're trying to kill her."
"Did you say kill?" Yusuke asked,
"So that's what my premonition was." Kuwabara said,
"Yes, and you must get that whistle before-" Botan tried to explain further but was cut off by father,
"Girls watch out!" Father yelled to them, causing us to lose the connection.
"Ranumi! Father! Can you hear me?!" I said in worriedly as I tried to call them but nothing.
"I don't have a good feeling about this." Kuwabara said,
"We have to smash that whistle as fast as we can." Yusuke said as we all ran faster towards the watchtower quickly.
My mind wondered of to how Ranumi and father are doing, and I couldn't help but feel terrified for their safety as of now.
'I already lost my mother, and I am not going to lose my sister or my father in this.' I thought as we all pick up the pace in running.
We all are now close to the watchtower as we came to a stop.
"Okay guys, that is a spooky watchtower." Kuwabara said,
"The last beast is certainly on the top floor." Kurama said,
"Then let's climb some stairs." Yusuke said as he was about to walk forward until something came out of the two paths in between the tower.
Green vegetation bodies that look like humans but walks like a zombie is what is coming out of both passageways. Cultivated Humans.
"What are they?" Kuwabara asked,
"They're cultivated humans." I said, "Demons grow these bodies until they become brainless slaves."
"Well, whatever these guys are, there's sure are a lot of them." Kuwabara said, "It might take us about a year to kill them all."
"Yes, considering our time restraint, this is going to be a problem." Kurama said,
"I and Hayami had our dealings with cultivated humans before." Hiei said, "They do not feel pain or fear."
"How twisted do you have to be to turn humans into monsters like that?" Kuwabara asked particularly no one. "I think Keiko is in some serious trouble."
"Like hell she is!" Yusuke yelled, "Stupid monster humans trying to slow us down, I'm blowing them away with my shotgun." He said as he was about to shoot them until Kurama stopped him,
"Let's use our heads." Kurama said to him,
"What? You want me to head-butt them?" Yusuke said out of frustration,
"It's not wise to waste your spirit power." Kurama said, "The more impatient we are, the more mistakes we make."
"Well, how is head butting gonna help?! My shotgun is the only way we are gonna get passed them." Yusuke said as I smacked him on the head, "Hey, what was that for?!"
"USE YOUR BRAIN IDIOT!" I said, "You need to be in peak condition to face the last saint beast. Wasting your spirit energy right now will give you a disadvantage."
"There's another way for him to get to the tower." Hiei said as we all looked at him.
"So, you got an idea?" Kuwabara asked as Hiei nodded before pointing at the first tower window.
"Set your eyes on the first tower window. That is your door." Hiei said,
"Well, I'm sorry Mr. mysterious, but as it turns out, I forgot to bring my pogo stick." Yusuke said sarcastically angry.
"Yeah, how do you expect to jump that high?" Kuwabara asked,
"I need you to listen closely." Hiei said as we listened to his plan.
We all lined up from tallest to shortest: Kuwabara, then Kurama, then Hiei, then me, and with Yusuke behind me in order to make the jump. And we only have one shot at this and Kuwabara is the first to run.
"You best not blow this Kuwabara." Yusuke warned him,
"Don't worry I'm like an Ox!" Kuwabara said as he began to run, followed by Kurama, then Hiei, me, and lastly Yusuke. "Just give me one favor you guys. Try not to dig in with your shoes okay."
'I might have to break that, but no promises.' I thought as Kuwabara punched some of the green humans and grounded himself still.
"All right! Let a rip!" Kuwabara yelled as Kurama jumped on his shoulders.
Hiei stepped on his back and jumped onto Kurama's shoulders. I took a big jump and stepped on his and Kurama's back and jumped onto Hiei's shoulders as he held both my feet for support. Yusuke then jumped onto all four of us as he made a big leap towards the window. Hiei carried me bridal style as he and Kurama landed on the ground.
'Hiei there is no need for that!'
He smirked at me and ignored me as he puts me down and we all looked up to see Yusuke made it into the window, just barely missing.
"Hah. Remind me to try out for the cheerleading squad! Have fun with the veggie heads!" Yusuke said,
"Just don't die on me, alright!" Kuwabara said as Yusuke gave a thumbs up and continued up the tower.
We were then left to be surrounded by the cultivated humans.
"Well, this should be fun." I said smirking as I brought out my sword and created my water ring and started slicing them down.
Everyone also brought out their weapons and begin killing every green human at sight. This might take a while.
Ranumi's POV
Father managed to distract every infected humans away from us as me, Keiko, and Botan were inside the school, gasping for breath.
"Thanks for helping me out there you two." Keiko said as we told her that it was no problem. She then turned to Botan. "You're that girl with Yusuke on the roof, right?" She asked,
"Yes well..." Botan said,
"Look, if there is something going on between you two, I'm okay with it. Just tell me where he is." Keiko said desperately.
'Aww, she really cares for him.' I thought as I admired her worry for the boy she likes.
"I can reassure you Keiko that Yusuke is all yours, right Ranumi?" Botan said as she asked me.
"Right and don't worry, wherever Yusuke is, I'm sure he's just fine." I said to her reassuringly. "But we should probably call someone for help. My father won't be with us for a while until he was able to escape the hundreds of humans who want to kill you."
"I'm sure your father will be alright, Ranumi." Botan said as we headed inside the school and try calling anyone through the phone but no answer.
"The power must've been cut in this section of the phone line." I said,
"There's a phone booth in the teacher's lounge." Keiko suggested,
"I just love the way you think." Botan said as we followed her towards the teacher's lounge, only to see a teacher there, seating on a chair.
Keiko tried calling him, but once we got closer, we found him knocked out cold.
"This is bad." I said looking at the teacher worriedly,
Suddenly someone busted through the door. I was about to create a water wave until I realized that it was just my father panting at the door. I immediately rushed over to him and gave him a big hug.
"Are you girls alright?" He asked, returning the hug.
"We're fine Mr. Ezume." Botan said,
"Well, things are not looking good outside. I managed to escape them..." Father grunted showing some cuts on his arms, making me gasp. "...just barely. There's no doubt that they want to kill you, Keiko, but we must keep moving before they come back here." He said as we were about to leave until one of the teachers who were infected punched father in the face.
I yelled in fear as my father punched him back in the face and on the stomach hard, enough for him to be knocked out as he gripped onto his injured arms. I rushed over in worry as he gave a smile saying that he was all right.
Of course, we all continued running through the halls of the school, trying to avoid the army of infected humans that are now holding sharp scissors, knives, and metal pipes.
Hayami's POV
I'm not sure how long have we been trying to get rid of these stupid veggie brains, but they just kept coming nonstop. I threw my water ring towards three, slicing them in half as they were now dead.
I saw the others keep fighting them but at this rate will never get to Yusuke in time to help him. I guess there's just one thing I gotta do in order to get into that stupid watchtower.
We all regrouped at the center, slightly panting as the cultivated humans kept walking toward us.
"Guys, I may have something that could get them off our path, but whatever happens, do not come for me." I said putting my sword away.
"What are you saying?" Hiei asked. Of course, he was the first to ask.
I started creating a large energy of water in my hands. "When I say go, just go, and don't worry about me." I said as my large attack was ready.
'Hayami, I'm not leaving you here alone!'
'Just forget about me and just go when I say so, Hiei!'
"HYDRO VORTEX!" I yelled, firing a hot beam of water towards the cultivated humans as they all got boiled from my attack, their bodies all smoking and steaming from the hot water.
"Go, NOW!" I said, falling onto my knees right after my attack.
I didn't even realize how much of my energy I put into that attack as I watched them run towards the entrance panting from the big energy drain.
I was suddenly carried in someone's arms as he started running towards the entrance of the tower. I looked up to see that it was the one Hiei carrying me. My face immediately heats up at this.
"Hiei! I told you to forget about me and go!" I yelled at him, only to him tighten his hold on me.
"As I said: I'm not leaving you, Onna." Hiei said seriously as he looked at me, "And I am definitely not losing you in this mission. If you do, I'll bring you back and kill you myself."
I could only admire him when he said that. He only shows this side of him to me whenever we're alone, yet he remains with his threats. One way to see that he really cared. I couldn't say anything as I stared at him, searching in his eyes that he really doesn't want me to die. And I feel the same about him. I was still in Hiei's arms as we came to a stop at the entrance, only to see Kuwabara hanging on the walls of the tower.
"Kuwabara!" I shouted at him,
'Is he crazy or something?' I asked myself as we stared at him in confusion.
"What are you doing?" Kurama asked,
"Hayami already cleared a path to the entrance. Quit fooling around." Hiei said as we continued running up, after helping Kuwabara, despite that I'm still in the three-eyed warrior's arms.
'You not letting me go, aren't you?'
'If necessary. You're not leaving my side until this is over.'
'Right. You fight with me in your arms is gonna be so easy for you.'
'I said 'if necessary', Hayami. You're staying with me.'
I sighed as we noticed that the cultivated humans are coming down from the stairs, causing us to stop as Hiei gently puts me down.
"They never end." Kuwabara complained,
"Let's...not waste more time." Hiei said as we attacked more of them again.
We kept fighting our way into the tower as took out most of them and just stop to give our hands a short break.
"At this rate, will be too tired to help Urameshi." Kuwabara said,
"Tired hands are better than none." Kurama said,
"Do what you'd like. I'm not stopping." Hiei said as we all nodded and kept fighting our way through.
We managed to finally get through with the cultivated humans as we all run up the stairs of the huge watchtower until a big thunder stopped us.
"Whoa, that's the biggest thunder yet." Kuwabara said,
"Suzaku must be getting desperate." Kurama said,
"The attack will most likely kill one of them." Hiei said,
"Don't say that!" Kuwabara said,
"Let's just keep moving." I said until everything started to shake.
The stairs around us started to crumble. Hiei pulled me closer to him to prevent me from falling. We are now just on one small platform and the stairs are completely gone.
"What now? Will never get up there." Kuwabara said as we all looked up at the platform towards where Yusuke and Suzaku are.
I brought out my sword, making Kuwabara look at me in fright.
"You're not gonna summon your dragon, are you?" Kuwabara asked,
"I'm not dumb, idiot." I said to him as I created a bow using my water powers and pointed it up towards the platform. "Kurama, bring out your rose whip. After I shoot my sword to that platform, I'll go and swing myself up to support the weight on it."
"Are you sure you can handle this, Hayami?" Kurama asked as he readied his rose whip,
"Hopefully as long as I focus on it like last time." I said as shoot my sword towards the ledge of the platform and grabbed the trail of water, making them into a rope.
I took a deep as I jumped forward enough to me swing myself up to the platform as I barely made it on it with my hand. I got up and gave Kurama the signal as he used his whip to tangle it around my sword and kneeled as I held it for support. I nodded at them as they held on tight onto Kurama and swung themselves towards me. They all made it safely as I grabbed my sword back and continued to run towards where Yusuke was.
When we got there, Yusuke was using his life energy in defeating Suzaku as a bright light from him caused a big explosion in front of us. When it ended, we saw Yusuke lying on the ground motionless. Kurama quickly checked him.
"He used his life energy in order to defeat Suzaku." Kurama said, "His heart is beginning to stop."
"Then I'll give him some of mine." Kuwabara said as he was about to place his hands on Yusuke's chest,
"Kuwabara that could kill you, besides you have a little bit of energy as well." I said, but he just continued,
"Well, me and Urameshi jumped into this deal together, and we're both coming back alive or we're not coming back at all. Okay." He said as I sighed and backed away as we watched him give up some of his life energy to the detective. "Here goes, Urameshi."
"Well, I suppose now we'll return to living world carrying both of them on our backs." Kurama said,
"Like I said: Babysitting." Hiei said in annoyance, "Here's what I don't understand. Why would he bother saving her if he died in the process?" He asked, facing me and Kurama,
"Trust me, Hiei. There are reasons." The fox said,
Hiei scoffed. "Maybe for a person who has lived there, but I'd never do it." He said looking that the two teenage boys. "The challenge is enough without taking someone else's slack."
"I guess that's what they call self-sacrifice, Hiei." I said, "Yusuke would do anything to save Keiko as long as she's alive, even if he died trying. He's willing to give it everything he's got in order to protect her."
"Quite admirable, don't you think." Kurama said as I nodded, watching Kuwabara's body collapse on top of the detective's body.
A portal opened up as we carried the two humans back to the living world. We arrived in front their high school, only to see that there were a lot of people who were once infected lying on the ground. I saw my father carrying Botan in his arms with Keiko and Ranumi behind him. They rushed towards us and Ranumi didn't think twice as she tackled Kurama onto the ground after I stepped out of the way.
Ranumi blushed furiously and immediately apologized as she helped him up before she started yelling at me. I could only smile at this as everyone smiled or laughed at this.
Three Days Later
Me, Kuwabara, and Kurama were waiting for Yusuke to wake up on Kuwabara's bed. It's been three days since the mission in maze castle and he still hasn't woken up. I was sitting on the windowsill, only to notice that Hiei was standing next to me on the roof of the house and leaning his back against the wall. The girls and my father were downstairs in Kuwabara's home.
We then heard a light moan from Yusuke as he started to wake up.
"About time you wake up." Kuwabara said,
"Where am I?" Yusuke asked rubbing his head.
"You're in my room, which is by the way, back on earth." He said,
"You've been sleeping for three days now." Kurama said,
"Your school was a wreck and I heard that your classes will be suspended for a week. The same goes for the other schools." I said looking at the detective.
"I talked to your mom that you'll be staying with me for a while, and she said it was okay." Kuwabara said, "So everything's all good."
"Okay, what about Keiko?" Yusuke asked, but none of us said anything and 'frowned' or looked 'sad' about it. "What about the girls and Hayami's dad?!" He asked sternly this time, yet we didn't give him an answer. We all looked away not telling him. "What? What?!" Yusuke demands, "Hey!" He got up from the bed and clenched onto Kuwabara's shirt. "You better start saying something other than clenching your teeth! Tell me what happened to her?!"
"I recognize that yell anywhere, what's up Yusuke." Botan said as she, Keiko, Ranumi and father came in the room.
"Nice to see you up and well, Yusuke." Father greeted as Ranumi giggled at his reaction, popping out from behind him.
"Keiko...Botan...Ranumi...and your dad..." Yusuke said until Kuwabara started laughing as Yusuke had an annoyed look on his face.
"Oh my gosh...that was great." Kuwabara said preventing himself from laughing hard.
I and Kurama covered our mouths and began chuckling,
"Sorry, Yusuke. He insisted." Kurama chuckled,
"Either way, I think it was worth it." I chuckled to see the look on Yusuke's face.
Yusuke then started beating Kuwabara up, much to my amusement.
"Anyways, the reason why we've come up here is to just invite all of you for dinner at our place. Just for tonight." Ranumi said as Yusuke stopped punching Kuwabara and dropped him on the bed.
"Yes. I'd like to get to know the new friends my daughters have made." Father said, "Well for some of you anyway." He added,
"It's very generous of you Mr. Ezume." Kurama said looking at my father.
"Yes, we'll definitely come visit your place by tonight." Botan said,
"Thank you for the offer, Mr. Ezume." Keiko said,
Father nodded and told us that he'll be expecting us by tonight as he left shortly. Kurama offered Ranumi for a walk to park. Botan flew off to spirit. Yusuke and Keiko went for a walk as well. Kuwabara of course stayed in his home.
Hiei told me to come with him and said he wanted to show me something, to which I agreed and followed him.
"So, what is it you wanted to show me?" I can't help but ask,
He stopped as I also stopped and look at him confusedly.
"Hiei..."
"Did you mean what you said back in maze castle?" He asked, "About sacrificing yourself for the ones you care about?"
I stared at him as he looked back at me.
"Yes." I said truthfully. "If it's about protecting the ones I care about, I would rather save them rather than save myself."
I looked at the sun that was about to set and state at the scenery in front of me.
"I was hopeless when I saw mother getting killed. Couldn't move, run away, or anything else. I was just blocked with fear that my body froze as I stood there and watch her die." I said sadly, remembering that I was utterly helpless to defend her when she gave me her powers. "I couldn't afford to lose any more lives important and close to my heart, so protecting them even if it causes my life, I will gladly take it. Just as long as Ranumi and father are alright, I can still stand up and fight in order to protect them."
I felt arms wrapping around my waist and pulling me onto its chest. I looked to whom it was and saw Hiei looking at me with pleading eyes as he rests his chin on my right shoulder.
"Hayami, you've sacrificed yourself enough. When are you gonna stop putting yourself into danger, Onna?" He asked, tightening his hold on me. "Have you ever thought of what your family would feel if they lost you? You've suffered enough from losing your mother. Don't go off killing yourself, Onna. I don't want to lose you."
"Hiei..." I said staring at him in awe of what he said. "I won't go off killing myself if that makes you feel better. Besides, you wouldn't let me out of your sight for the past three days." I teased making his eyes widen a little and look away.
"You're a pain at times, Hayami." He said,
I chuckled lightly as I hold onto his hands that were wrapped around my waist. "At least I know to show that you cared. I appreciate that. Thanks, Hiei." I said looking back at the scenery.
"If you dare try to get into trouble again, I swear one day I might kill you." Hiei said in a sign of his 'you're welcome' as we stayed like this for a while before heading towards the house for dinner with everyone else.