Author's Note:
Hi everyone! Merry Christmas to you all and may God Bless you and your families on this wonderful day! 'Tis the season of giving so here is my gift for you! Enjoy the read and I will see you all next year in the next chapter!
Shoutout to:
Thank you for the Follow "Thedragonsoul96"
Thank you for the Favorite "javowars1171" "Zigga" "Bukoli"
Thank you for the Follow and Favorite "Crozz88"
Chapter 89 - Decision
"Eiji-kun? You finally remembered?" Erika asked
"Yes..right Eiji-kun?"
(Gero didn't answer and was just standing there in front of them)
"Gero?"
"Eiji-kun?"
(All of a sudden Gero started to tilt backwards, falling. Both Erika and Kaede quickly rushed to his aid catching him right before he hit the ground)
"Gero! Gero?!" Erika shouted
"Eiji-kun! What's wrong?!" Kaede shouted as well
(Gero was unconscious but was breathing heavily. Erika placed her hand on his forehead and felt that he was burning hot. The reason for this was because of Gero using Sacred Possession even for just one second after using resonance was too much of a toll to his body)
"He's heating up!"
"Fever? What's going on?!" Kaede reacted
"It's the backlash from using Sacred Possession..come on help me! We need to get him to the hospital immediately!"
"Of course!"
(Kaede and Erika carried him to the car and they drove off quickly towards the nearest hospital. At the same time Gero's crew also collapsed from fatigue and were brought to the hospital as well)
[Hospital Recovery Room - 2 Hours Later]
(After arriving at the hospital and receiving treatment for his wounds, Gero was now sleeping at one of the beds and his crew were also with him in the same room. Their friends were there with them waiting for them to wake up. All of them worried for Gero and his crew and all they could do was wait)
"Darling.." Kay softly called out to Gero
"Any word from the doctors?" Darjeeling asked
"Nothing yet.." Erika answered
"Don't worry..they're just dead tired after the match..Gero-kun and Ono-kun just got back with us from a twelve hour flight.." Ray said
"While Ken-senpai and Ono-senpai just got out of the hospital yesterday..I'm sure they were still not a hundred percent when they fought.." Sheska said
"Wait..did you just say twelve hour flight and were just from the hospital?!" Shiori reacted
"Yeah..why?"
(Shiori was just too shocked that Gero and his crew was able to move and perform as they did during the tournament after travelling for 12 hours and where not at the best. It made her feel worse about losing to a crew that wasn't even at their best condition)
"N-Nothing.."
"I'm sure all they need is rest..then soon we'll see him in his usual happy go lucky mood!" Katyusha said
"You're right about that.." Nonna agreed
"Why do you guys have to be so noisy.."
(Everyone was surprised when they heard Gero's voice from across the room. They looked and he just woke up and his crew as well was just waking up)
"Yo everyone.."
"Ono-senpai! Thank goodness you're awake.." Sheska said
"Hey Sheska.." Ono smiled
"How are you feeling?" Leila asked
"Just peachy.." Hajime chuckled
"Ken-chan..scoot over I want to sleep too.." Mako said
"I don't think we'd fit Mako-chan.." Ken said
"I hate you so much for making me worry all the time Bakatora!" Erika shouted
"I'm sorry..but I'm alright now.."
(Miho and Maho suddenly jumped on Gero giving their brother a warm hug. They cried softly as they were so worried for their brother who was giving them gentle headpats)
"Onii-chan! You idiot!" Miho shouted
"Onii-sama! Onii-sama!" Maho cried
"Forgive me..Miho..Maho.."
"You know whitey..you really have to stop this habit of going straight to the hospital after every Senshado match.." Anchovy joked
"Hahaha..noted Duce.."
(Gero then felt something was grabbing his torso from under the blanket so he took a look and he was startled when he saw both Mika and Alice hugging him and were fast asleep)
"Mi-chan?! Alice-chan?!"
"Nii-chan..you're awake! I'm so glad!" Alice hugged him tighter
"Let's sleep a bit more Ro-chan.." Mika teased
"Hey! Get off him already!" Erika shouted
"Since when were they there?" Kay asked
"We were here before everyone else..so nee-chan and I decided to sleep with nii-chan until he woke up.." Alice said
"As expected of the Shimada Style..being able to conceal your presence.." Asparagus reacted
"If Gero-kun didn't look under his blanket nobody would've known you were there at all.." Assam said
"I wouldn't say that..somebody in this room knew we were here..but for some reason she just ignored us.." Mika said
"Who?" Alisa asked
"Secret.."
(A knock on the door was suddenly heard and entered was Gero's doctor along with Shiho, Chiyo, and Mai)
"Well well the tiger is awake.." the doctor said
"How are you feeling Gero-chan?" Chiyo asked
"A little headache but overall good.."
"Looks like everyone is here, I have an important announcement to make..and I need all of your help.."
"What is it doctor?" Erika asked
"First things first, your crew are out of harm's way. They just need to spend a couple of days more here at the hospital and they'll make a full recovery."
"That's good to hear.."
"What about onii-chan?" Miho asked
(Everyone got nervous as the doctor's expression change and the mood of the conversation became serious)
"There's no better way of saying this so I'll just go ahead and say it..during the semi-finals when your brother was hospitalized..he suffered minimal brain damage.."
"Eh..? B-Brain damage?" Maho was shocked
"Is it true Eiji-kun?!" Kaede asked
"Yes..but I'm all better now!"
"You are nowhere near better!" the doctor said
"What do you mean by that doc?" Kay asked
"The headache you're feeling is a symptom of brain swelling...the damage is not that grave but it is still there.."
"But why?! How did it end up like that?!" Miho reacted
"Your mother informed me about it..Sacred Possession was it called?"
(Everyone in the room knew what Sacred Possession was and they were all surprised that it was the main cause of Gero's injury)
"As you all know by now the blood in your veins is different from ours. It's like nothing I've seen before. Every time you activate that skill your brain is able to process information in ways a normal human wouldn't be able to. All that puts a huge amount of pressure in your brain causing it to swell."
"Wait..what are you trying to tell me?"
"Your own blood is killing you.." the doctor said
(The room went silent as they heard the doctor's words. They don't know how to react or they don't want to accept it)
"How is that even possible?" Kal asked
"I'm afraid my profession as a doctor doesn't involve knowledge on that..maybe Shiho-sama can give a better explanation?"
"If I were to explain it to have a better understanding..then imagine my son as a pristine and priceless vase..brand new and all..and whatever power he has is inside this vase keeping it sealed away.."
"Then if he wanted to use that power he had to use Sacred Possession?" Mai asked
"Correct..Sacred Possession bridges his brain to the power inside that vase..normally there wouldn't be a problem but Gero got injured and attained brain damage giving the vase cracks..now what will happen if you use that skill while having cracks all over?" Shiho asked
(Everyone had the same image in their minds that the vase continued to have cracks until it completely broke. This scared them more than ever knowing what may happen to Gero)
"That's right..his brain won't last if he continues using it in this condition..the strength he has in him is too much for the broken vase to handle on it's own.." the doctor said
"How many times have you used it?" Asparagus asked
"Three times.."
"So he had to use it when he was out of the country.." Chiyo said in her thoughts
"But you also used another skill this tournament..right?" the doctor asked
"Resonance.." Hajime said
"What's that?" Assam asked
"In the last minute of Sacred Possession, Gero was able to share his strength with the three of us.." Ono said
"That means you have used a lot more strength from the broken vase..I don't need to say it since you already know the outcome if you use it again.."
"I'm going to die.."
(Those words just struck fear into everyone but the person that felt the most guilt was Shiori because she was the reason why Gero had to use that skill in order to win)
"Did you know that it was dangerous to use?" Shiori asked
"Yes I did.."
"THEN WHY?! WHY DID YOU USE IT?! JUST FOR A SINGLE MATCH?!" Shiori shouted
"Shiori.." Kaede felt the guilt her sister was experiencing
"WAS WINNING THE FINALS WORTH RISKING YOUR LIFE?!" Shiori shouted again
"No matter who my opponent is, no matter how dire the situation may be, I will always fight with everything I have, that is who I am. Fighting you half assed is a lot worse than defeat."
"IS VICTORY ANY BETTER IF YOU'RE DEAD?!"
(Gero wasn't able to answer Shiori's last question because it was true and he had nothing to say about it. Everyone saw how emotional Shiori was as she was on the verge of crying but held it in. They all understood what she meant and why she had to say those words. Shiori just slowly walked out of the room without saying another word)
"Please forgive my daughter's choice of words Gero-kun." Mai said
"Nothing to forgive..what she said was true.."
"I believe that was her way of saying that you are an idiot for doing that so get treated as quickly as you can so you can fight her again someday.." Ono said
"That's one way of saying it haha!" Hajime chuckled
"Couldn't have said it better myself!" Ken smiled
"Shut up you guys.."
"If she didn't say it I was going to anyway.." Erika teased
"Yes yes I'm a bakatora.."
"Well with all of that said..is it treatable?" Nonna asked
"Yes..but it will take time for a full recovery and a lot of tests and treatment have to be made immediately.."
"Then let's start the treatment now!" Darjeeling said
"We can't do the treatment here in Japan..our facilities here can't give Gero-kun the best treatment.." the doctor said
"Then where can darling get the best treatment?" Kay asked
"In Germany..I know people there that are experts in these treatments..they'll get the job done without fail!"
"Germany again?" Kal whispered
"Again?" Katyusha asked
"Nothing..never mind.."
"Can we trust them?" Darjeeling asked
"Definitely..I can vouch for them.."
"Better than nothing I guess..so Whitey what do you say?" Anchovy asked
"Can you guys give me some time? I want to think about this carefully."
"Of course..take all the time you need Gero.." Erika smiled and held his hand
"Also doctor..I need to know if Miho and Maho also have the same blood as mine?"
"Oh there's no need to worry about that..we have already tested both of their blood and are not the same as yours so they'll be fine!"
"What do you mean by not the same?" Maho asked
"The both of you still have the same Nishizumi blood as your brother but for some reason only the eldest male of the family will get the blood that's inside Gero's veins.."
"Thank you..that's a relief..I don't want them to experience the same problem I'm having right now.."
"Geez..you just worry about yourself for now onii-chan!" Miho pouted
"Miho is right..we'll get through this like always!" Maho smiled
"It's amazing how you can still worry about both of them after hearing all of that bad news from the doctor.." Darjeeling smiled
"Well..they are my precious little sisters after all.."
"For now get your strength back and heal. After you have fully recovered we'll have a talk about your trip.." Shiho said
"Sure okaa-chan!"
"Alright let's give them some space to rest! You can all pay a visit again tomorrow!" the doctor ordered
(Everyone said their goodbyes and left Gero with his crew. It was silent when it was only the four of them in the room but Gero decided to break the silence)
"How come you guys didn't look as surprised as I thought you'd be when the doctor told us about my condition?"
"During the match when we resonated with each other..we felt the pain you were feeling.." Ono said
"Not to mention we could read your thoughts as well as Byakko's.." Hajime said
"We could hear him getting all worked up on preventing your brain from exploding.." Ken chuckled
"I see..well that's that..a tough decision made..another tough one to make now.."
"I think you've already made the decision based on the look on your face.." Ono said
"Yeah..I'm sorry but I think I have to leave you guys here again.."
"Wouldn't be the first time..besides you'll come back right?" Ken asked
"Definitely! But I don't know how long though.."
"What about Erika-san? What are you going to tell her?" Hajime asked
"I don't know..I'm scared of leaving her here but I'm also scared of taking her with me.."
"Do you realize that what you're saying is very stupid?" Ono insulted him without remorse
"It's not your choice to make whether she goes or not..it's hers and hers only!" Ken said
"It still scares me of what her choice will be.."
"No point in getting scared of what may or may not happen..whatever both of your choices are, we'll be here for you.." Hajime said
"Thanks guys..I'll talk to her as soon as we get out of here.."
[A Week Later - Nishizumi Household]
(A week went by quickly and Gero was already healthy enough to be discharged from the hospital together with his crew. As said by his mother they will now have an important meeting regarding what happened in Germany)
"Thank you for coming here. As you all know we have a lot of important matters to discuss." Shiho said
(The members present in the room were the Seven Seats of Senshado along with Nonna since she can't be separated from Katyusha. Chouno and Kikuyo are attending as well. The Heads of the Three Great Senshado Families are here along with their daughters. Gero's crew and his team as well as ANBU are here. RYOBU wasn't present since they had to return to Germany. Then finally Erika is sitting beside Gero holding his hand)
"Is everyone that we trust here? I would really appreciate it if we only had to do this meeting once.." Tsuneo asked
"Why is that Tsuneo-san?" Chouno asked
"Because having to remember and relive the events of that night is too much for the kids.."
"It's fine major..don't worry about us!" Naomi said
"Alright then...now hold on to your seats and brace yourselves.."
(Tsuneo then proceeded to report the events that happened in Germany. As everyone listened, their expressions worsened as they learned about the truth little by little. He said every detail starting from the moment they landed in the airport up to the sanctuary. All of the information they gathered from that mountain was disclosed to them without censorship. Some of the info made others sick to their stomach while others were enraged after knowing about the horrific acts performed by Pandora. They all thought about how someone could do something so morbid to children and not be affected by it. They saw the photos of the laboratory and the children that were tortured and starved. The girls couldn't help but shed tears for them and felt horrible seeing their conditions. Tsuneo then finished reporting all of the events but nobody could speak after all of that. The room fell silent for at least twenty minutes before Yamato Mai spoke)
"H-How many of these facilities have you discovered?"
"According to our overseas friends we have liberated over a hundred facilities already..there could be a thousand of these all over the globe.." Tsuneo answered
"And all of them conduct these experiments on children?" Chiyo asked
"That's right..after we leaked information about Pandora to our allies we have saved about 50,000 kids and took at least 100,000 Pandora prisoners."
"How many kids would you say have already perished from this brutality?" Kikuyo asked
"About 80,000 already..everyone is doing their best and are prioritizing saving the kids rather than getting into fights. But there are still cases where we just couldn't make it in time.."
"Just like we did.." Ono said
"If only we had tracked down their location sooner..maybe we could've saved all of the kids in that lab in Germany.." Alisa said
"Don't say that..you all did great especially with the time constraint? Even experienced operatives would've taken a lot longer.." Chouno said
"Thanks..but they still died.." Ray said
"That's enough Takashi.." Naomi shouted
"S-Sorry.."
"These people are the ones that killed our aunt and her son all those years ago and made it look like an accident.." Kaede said
"Curse them! We'll definitely make them pay for this!" Shiori angrily stated
(Erika then felt Gero's hand tighten when she was holding it. She could see the look on his face of pain and regret as he remembered that his blood killed those children)
"Don't you dare get the idea that you are responsible for the deaths of those children.." Shiho suddenly said
"Okaa-chan..but my blood.."
"The ones that killed those children was pandora..they're responsible..not you!" Darjeeling said
"She's right..they did this and not you darling.." Kay said
"Kay-san..Darjeeling-san.."
"Looks like my son is loved by amazing girls.." Tsuneo teased
"Shut up.."
"I have a question that needs to be answered.." Mika suddenly said
"What is it?"
"How did they know about us? From where did they learn about Gero's blood and about the family heirs?" Mika asked
"According to the data we gathered Pandora has been observing us since the last male heir of the Nishizumi Family.."
"During the time of my Uncle?!" Shiho asked
"Yes..they have learned about his skills and capabilities in his prime..Pandora was both amazed and frightened at the same time.."
"So they decided to eliminate him?" Alice asked
"That's right..not just my son but also the other possible next heirs of the Senshado Families.."
"So why the hell are they using onii-sama's blood and conducting experiments on kids?!" Maho shouted
"They labeled Gero as the PROBLEM and Pandora as the ANSWER..by using his own blood they are trying to create the perfect soldier that they can control so that if ever the same problem were to happen again in the future they can deal with it accordingly.."
"Of course that's just an excuse to cover their desires.." Kal said
"Excuse or not, that's one messed up way of handling things.." Katyusha commented
"But something doesn't add up.." Kay said
"I agree..based on the memories of Gero-kun that we watched, his identity of being the next heir of the Nishizumi Family was kept hidden.." Nonna said
"Kaede-san over there didn't even know that her precious classmate was the heir of the Nishizumi Family.." Alisa teased
"Yes yes I had no idea.." Kaede blushed a little
"So how did they know that Whitey was the next heir?" Anchovy pondered
"Maybe Pandora is that good? I mean they have the resources to do it right?" Maho said
"Think about it for a second..if Pandora was that good then how was Ro-chan able to hide for twelve years after his failed assassination? I spent all those years trying to find him but still ended up with nothing." Mika said
"A spy.." Assam said
"That's impossible! How can a Pandora operative go undetected inside our families?!" Kikuyo reacted
"I agree with Assam-kun.." Shiho said
"Okaa-san? Do you have an idea?" Miho asked
"When we were tipped off by an anonymous source of where to find the hitmen that tried to kill my son, Lt. Sanada said that there was a mole that leaked info about him but we were unable to pick up the trail afterwards.."
"Don't tell me the spy is still in our families somewhere?!" Alice reacted
(While everyone was worried sick and thinking hard who could possibly be the spy Gero suddenly spoke)
"Yeah about that..we actually caught the spy already.."
"EEEEHHHH?!" everyone reacted
"Well that was fast! That's my darling!" Kay cheered
"Wow son..you really are something else!" Tsuneo said
"Well?! Who is it then?!" Shiho shouted
"Bring him in!"
(When Gero gave the order the door behind them opened and two ANBU operatives walked in. It was the captain and the medic of ANBU dragging someone with a bag covering his head and his hands tied around his back. They then sat the guy in the middle of the room for everyone to see)
"ANBU?!" Chiyo reacted
"Good morning Chiyo-sama!" the ANBU captain and medic bowed their heads
"How come I wasn't informed of this?"
"Gero-sama requested that this would only be between ANBU and him.."
"Please don't reprimand them Chiyo-sama..it was my selfish request to seek their help without informing anyone else. The lesser people involved the higher the chances of us nabbing him.."
"Reprimand them? Nothing of that sort! I'd praise them and give them a reward for this outstanding work they've done!" Chiyo smiled
"Thank you very much Chiyo-sama!" the ANBU captain and medic bowed again
"So with that being said, care to do the honors of revealing his identity? Dad?"
"With pleasure son.."
(Tsuneo then walked towards the captured spy and placed his hand on the bag. Without second thought he pulled it upwards revealing the identity of the spy. Everyone except for Gero was taken aback as they discovered who the spy was)
"No way.." Miho said
"Y-You are.." Maho said
"But WHY?!" Shiori shouted
"U-Uncle?!" Kaede reacted
(All of them were now staring at a captured and humiliated Yamato Himura. While some were still shocked by the truth, Shiho and Mika suddenly dashed in immense speed towards Himura with a ton of killing intent spreading all over the place. The others were surprised and wondered what they were going to do but Gero and Tsuneo already knew what they wanted to do. They wanted to kill him right there and now but before they could get there hands on him Gero and Tsuneo had blocked Mika and Shiho by grabbing their hands just inches away from touching Himura by the neck)
"Hey hey don't get so fired up sweety.." Tsuneo said
"HOW DARE YOU?! HOW DARE YOU BETRAY US?!" Shiho shouted
"Mi-chan..please calm down.."
"YOU! YOU ARE THE REASON WHY RO-CHAN HAD TO SUFFER SO MUCH! BECAUSE OF YOU! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Mika shouted
(Yamato Himura got so scared of Shiho and Mika that he tried to run but was immediately stopped by the ANBU. Both Gero and Tsuneo were trying to calm down Mika and Shiho as the others watched from the side. They were very shocked at the usually quiet Mika was emitting so much killing intent that it was making it hard for them to breathe. It took them a couple of minutes before their boiling blood simmered down.)
"Why did you stop me, Ro-chan? He's the one responsible for everything that has happened!" Mika said
"I know but there is still some stuff that we have to know. The only way is by asking this sack of shit behind me. No offence Mai-sama for insulting one of your family members.."
"None taken, as of this very moment he is no longer part of the Yamato Family!" Mai angrily announced
"Uncle? Why did you do this?" Kaede asked
"This must be some kind of joke right?" Shiori asked also
(Yamato Himura was too embarrassed to explain himself. From the looks of it he had already lost the will to live and was just waiting for his end to come)
"How could you work with the people that killed your wife and four year old son?!" Chiyo asked
"If you're not going to tell them then I will. Are you alright with that?"
"..."
"Okay then..now all of you must want to know if it's true that he betrayed us. The answer to that is yes he did. Twelve years ago he was the one that had leaked information to Pandora regarding my whereabouts. But that doesn't necessarily mean he was working for or with Pandora. Isn't that right Himura-san?"
"What do you mean by that Gero-chan?" Chiyo asked
"You were threatened by Pandora, weren't you Himura-san? Blackmailed to be exact."
"..."
"Threatened how? Did you have some kind of dirt on you that Pandora knew about?" Mai asked
"It's much simpler than that, Mai-sama. Himura-san had his family taken away from him by Pandora. So who was the next family member that they would target?"
(Everyone then started to look towards Kaede and Shiori. They all knew that both of them would be the next one to get killed by Pandora if Himura had not did what they want him to do)
"You were told to choose to either let the heir of the Nishizumi Family get killed or see your two precious nieces get killed..right Himura-san?"
"..."
"It was either me or them..and of course you couldn't see another person you love get taken away from you so the answer was a lot clearer than before.."
"How could you?! How could you do that?!" Kaede shouted
"Did you think that we would've wanted to live if we found out that somebody was killed for us?!" Shiori shouted
"I hope you don't see this as me defending him. But I think he had no choice during that time. Pandora couldn't afford to waste anymore time and resources and had to speed up the results." Assam said
"Assam is right about that, if he had made a decision any later then both of you might've been killed and we wouldn't be having this conversation right now."
"But still..this is just too much.." Shiori said
"So after leaking information about me to Pandora they knew where to look for me and when to strike. They just needed to hire guns to do the job for them."
"Wait Gero-kun, your father told me that somebody had implanted fake memories into Kaede's mind. Do you have any idea who might've done that?"
"Oh that would be Himura-san as well. He is an expert in Hypnotherapy and during the time when I was on good terms with Kaede-chan he hypnotized her into hating me and to push me away from her so that she would not be involved with me anymore."
"What about me not being able to remember you?" Kaede asked
"After my failed assassination Himura-san implanted a memory blocker into your head so that you'd completely forget about me and if ever you remembered something you'd be prevented from remembering it all completely."
"So that memory blocker is the one that was blocking your face in my memories?"
"Yes Kaede-chan.."
"I see.."
"Hang on a second! During the semi-finals you said that the commander of Crow's Nest was brainwashed into trying to kill you..was it him also?" Erika asked
"Unfortunately, it was Himura-san also that was behind the semi-finals disaster. He used his hypnosis on Ishikawa Kenji and implanted fake memories in his brain about me killing those Pravda students during the National Joint Tournament."
"Which led to almost killing you and your crew.." Klara said
"He was probably blackmailed once again by Pandora into doing it.." Nonna said
"Then we all know what were the next tragic events that unfolded during that day.."
(Everyone knew that Gero was talking about the death of Matsumoto Shin. They saw the troubled expression on Gero's face as they remembered it all but he took a deep breath and tried his best to move forward)
"Alright, onto the next part.."
"There's still more?!" Alisa reacted
"This is the last bit of detail to close this case of betrayal. Who was it that blackmailed Himura-san into doing those things."
(Gero then showed an image of a man on the screen for all of them to see. Except for Tsuneo, the others didn't know who was in the photo. Himura looked at the man and his eyes widened and Gero could see anger fill them meaning that Himura knew who that person was)
"He was the one that blackmailed you into doing those things right?"
"..."
"Come on now after all of the talking we did, you still refuse to speak for yourself?! How much of a weakling are you?!" Katyusha shouted:
"Who is this man Gero-kun?" Darjeeling asked
"His name is Bryan Williams, an ex-navy seal operative codenamed "Phantom" that was dishonorably discharged for accidentally killing his own team then became a mercenary under Pandora's payroll."
"So he's the one blackmailing this guy huh?" Kay reacted
"Now it makes sense why this dog Himura wagged his tail to a new owner.." Kal said
"He was completely outclassed in every aspect. No chance he could've fought back." Ray said
"Hey isn't calling him a dog a bit too much Kal-kun?" Miho reacted
"S-Sorry.."
"Currently we don't know where he is. Our allies overseas also do not have a fix on his location. He's called a phantom in their world for being able to go undetected all the time." Tsuneo said
"He's also the one that killed Matsumoto Shin.."
(After saying that line a sudden burst of anger, malice and killing intent started to leak out of Gero's aura and not just him but also his crew and Shiho)
"I see..so this is the asshole that took Matsumoto-san's life.." Ono said
"I'll have him hanged for what he did!" Ken reacted
"So Taichou? What are your orders regarding this particular target?" Hajime asked
"We track him, we find him, and we kill him.." Shiho said
"Okaa-chan's right..we'll find him..and we'll deal with him appropriately when the time comes.."
(Gero's ominous aura started to grow heavier inside the room and it was making everyone else uncomfortable and unable to move. But once again there was one person immune to this kind of feeling and it was Erika. She stood up slowly and walked towards where Gero was standing. She looked at Gero's eyes and raised her hand then a loud sound echoed in the room after she gave Gero one big slap to the cheek. Everyone was so surprised at what Erika did and they didn't know how to react. Even Gero was just able to stare at Erika while holding his cheek)
"I won't stop you from seeking vengeance. Hell, I'll even help you get it. But don't ever let yourself get consumed by hatred. Don't ever let it take over you or you'll cease being who you are."
"Erika.."
"Do I make myself clear?"
(All of a sudden all the malice inside the room started to lessen until it was completely gone. They were all amazed at how Erika was able to do that while nobody else could. They were somehow relieved that somebody in this world can slap Gero and get away with it)
"Yes my Kommandant..thank you.."
"Then all is good. You're very welcome my Bakatora.."
"Since we've all calmed down for the nth time..what do you plan on doing to Himura now Gero-chan?" Chiyo asked
"Are you going to kill him?" Mai asked
"No. He'll go to prison for his crimes and I'll have him live the rest of his life in this state. Besides, sooner or later he will have something else that he could live for instead of his pitiful life. Ami-nee san can you help me regarding that?"
"Anything for my cute disciple! I'll make the arrangements immediately!" Chouno smiled
"Thank you.."
"Alright that's it for this briefing! Dismissed!" Tsuneo ordered
(Yamato Himura was now being escorted again by ANBU along with Ami Chouno to have him detained as planned. Shiho then walked up towards to Gero's team and decided to give her thanks to them)
"Thank you very much to all of you for supporting and helping my son!" Shiho bowed her head
"Please Nishizumi-sama lift up your head! It was our pleasure being able to help out in any way!" Ray said
"Also I'm very sorry.." Shiho added
"E-Eh? Why are you apologizing to us Nishizumi-sama?" Alisa asked
"You have done nothing wrong ma'am! It was our decision!" Naomi said
"Children of your age shouldn't have seen or done things like that. You should only be enjoying your youth away from danger and yet we dragged you all into this mess.."
"Will all due respect Nishizumi-sama, we probably would've been dragged into all of this one way or another." Assam said
"Assam-kun.."
"I think so too..it would've been just a matter of time before Pandora aimed at the other possible heirs of the Senshado Families. If you were to ask me I'm happy that we were able to strike first and dealt a large amount of damage to them this early.." Klara explained
"Going to Germany was quite the experience, we attacked a fully armed organization and won, saved a lot of children from hell and gave them a new life, not to mention we got to kick Pandora's ass so much that it scared them shitless.." Kal proudly said
"Hmph, you certainly have a way of words I'll give you that.." Shiho smiled
"Uhm was that a complement?"
"Yes it was, my son has an amazing team! I couldn't be prouder." Shiho smiled once more
"I don't know if I should be asking this but did you guys..kill anyone?" Kay asked
"Funny you should ask that..something happened regarding that topic and it was funny.." Naomi chuckled
"Just before we went on the mission I requested to have a real gun so that I could kill our enemy.." Kal said
"Do you want to know what Gero-kun did?" Alisa asked
"What?" Katyusha was curious
"He gave your little brother here a real gun, then Gero walked towards the firing range and told him to shoot at the target near his head..how crazy was that?!" Ray explained
"Eeeh?! That is crazy!" Kay reacted
"Not to mention dangerous!" Asparagus reacted
"He told us that he wasn't a heartless person to order us to kill someone.." Klara said
"That sounds pretty much like Whitey alright.." Anchovy smiled
"Well? Did you shoot?" Darjeeling asked
"I didn't! No..I couldn't.." Kal answered
"Did you know why you couldn't shoot and why my son asked you to do that?" Shiho asked
"I couldn't shoot because I was afraid of hitting your son, I wasn't confident of my skills.." Kal said
"What else?"
"I learned that killing isn't the only option in order to save someone.." Kal proudly answered
"Look at you all grown up. I didn't expect you'd be this mature after what you did to my daughter in the last tournament.." Shiho teased
(Shiho was talking about the events in the Joint Tournament where Kal rammed Miho's tank off a hill and it caused them to get hospitalized)
"Ah! Uhm! About that..PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR MY UNACCEPTABLE ACTIONS!" Kal apologized while doing seiza
"Hahaha! I'm just kidding! I heard from Miho that you apologized to her already so it's alright now.."
"T-Thank you for your mercy.."
"But..If you do that again..or make Miho cry..I'll kill you.."
(All of a sudden Shiho got very scary and serious and made everyone sweat buckets)
"Y-Yes ma'am.." Kal shakingly answered
(Shiho then walked off with a smile on her face leaving Gero's team and the others still scared)
"You think she was joking?" Asparagus asked
"Probably not.." Naomi said
"Good luck Kal.." Ray teased
(On the other room Gero was speaking the Yamato Family about what he said regarding the memory blocker that was placed in Kaede's memories)
"So is Kaede still under hypnosis?" Mai worryingly asked
"Not any longer, the effects have gone.."
"Are you sure?" Shiori asked
"Don't worry I forcefully removed that memory blocker a week ago that's why you were now able to remember everything.."
"You were able to do that?! But how?!" Mai asked
"Please don't tell me you used resonance.." Tsuneo reacted
"I only did it for a second so no big deal and it worked.."
"Yeah luckily it did or else your brain would've cracked like a melon!"
"Chill out already..I won't be using it anymore until I get better.."
"How did using resonance do the job?" Chiyo asked
"The memory that was being blocked was my face and not my existence..so I just had to place my face inside her mind then poof goes the blocker.."
"I see..thank you Gero-kun.." Mai said
"It was nothing.."
"It wasn't nothing! You risked your life again! This time for me just so that I could remember you! Just for that reason.." Kaede said
"Are you really that stupid?" Erika suddenly said
"Erika..you didn't have to say it like that.."
"Shut up bakatora! Can't you see that it is for that reason that he did that?! He knew that what you had been experiencing was painful all this time..not being able to remember a very important person to you..I wouldn't want that taken away from me as well..if I were to forget Gero's face..I don't know what I'll do.."
"Itsumi-san.."
"You see Kaede-chan..when they've taken everything from you, all that's left would be the memories that you have of those..and maybe some part of me didn't want you to forget what we had in the past.."
"That's why I praise you, Yamato Kaede..for being able to hold it in and keep on fighting.." Erika said
"I understand..Tsukasa Eiji..no, Nishizumi Gero, forgive me for my rudeness and thank you very much for risking your life for the sake of my memories..I will be forever in your debt for this.." Kaede said
"You're very welcome Kaede-chan..looking forward to working with you from now on!"
(Gero and Kaede now shook hands and felt like a very big torn has been removed from both their hearts after a very long time of hardships)
"That reminds me..if Gero-san had continued to study at Red Wings..would that mean that he and onee-sama would've been together instead of you and Itsumi-san?" Shiori suddenly said
"Well isn't that a pretty picture!" Mai smiled
"You just had to make it awkward huh?"
(Kaede blushed very hard showing them that she really likes Gero since the very start. Erika then suddenly grabbed Gero's arm and hugged it like she was defending what was hers)
"No! Gero's mine and only mine!" Erika shouted
"Y-You never know what might happen! I still have a chance to make a comeback!" Kaede declared war
"Ohh! Go get him onee-sama!" Shiori cheered
"You're not helping one bit!"
(As they were fooling around Miho and Maho then joined in on the fun)
"As usual on ii is getting fawned over by girls.." Miho teased
"Onii-sama.." Maho was a little envious
"Miho..Maho..don't just stand there and help me!"
"I don't want to! Hmph! That's what you get for not getting me a gift!" Miho pouted
"Ehh?!"
"You gave onee-chan, okaa-chan, and Eririn a gift from your trip! I was the only one that didn't get any!"
"Ahh! Sorry I forgot to tell you about that! I didn't get you a gift because somebody has already gotten one for you!"
"Somebody? Who?"
(Gero then pointed at their backyard lawn where Kal was standing and waving at her. He was fidgeting about and a little nervous. Miho then walked towards him all nervous as well since she wasn't expecting this)
"H-Hisashiburi Miho-san.." Kal greeted
"Un..hisashiburi Kal-kun.."
"Have you been well?"
"Y-Yes, what about you?"
"That's good to hear..I've been good also!"
"I see..onii-chan said you wanted to give me something?"
"Oh yes here..I bought a gift for you from our trip.."
(Kal then gave the present to Miho. It was wrapped upped neatly and cutely for her so she opened it quickly as she was also excited)
"This is..a Panzer II Ausf.F!" Miho said
"Yup..your brother told me it was your favorite.." Kal smiled
"Yes it is! Thank you Kal-kun! I'll cherish it!" Miho blushed with a smile
"Then I'm glad.." Kal smiled as well
"I heard that you went with onii-chan and the others to Germany?"
"T-That's right..we helped him out.."
"Thank you very much for that! I was very sad that I wasn't of any help to onii-chan. I felt so hopeless, that's why knowing you were there for him makes me very happy!"
"That's not true Miho-san! Just you being there for him, caring for him, worrying about him and loving him is enough! Him knowing that you are safe gives him strength to push true!"
"Is it really enough?" Miho asked
"Yes it is! He also doesn't want you to do anything reckless and involve yourself in some kind of danger."
"I see..hearing that takes a load off my chest..thank you Kal-kun.." Miho blushed
"A-Also..I too feel relieved that you're safe and away from danger. Just by knowing that gives me joy.."
"Kal-kun?"
"Miho-san..I..I want to protect you!"
"Eeehhh?"
"Will you allow me to do that? Forever?"
"Uhm..uhh..sorry that's just the first time a boy has said that to me..so I don't know how to react..but all I know is that I'm very happy right now.."
(Both Kal and Miho were blushing so hard at each other and were very shy after what they said to each other. The others were just by the side and spectating the diabetic scene in front of them. They were all grinning with excitement for their friends and were happy also. Meanwhile Gero and Erika were taking a walk at the front of the house enjoying the afternoon breeze)
"I guess I'll ask you anyways but what do you plan on doing now?" Erika asked
"I'm going to Germany to receive treatment."
"What about college?"
"I'll try for a university there preferably with a very open schedule.."
"And Pandora?"
"I'm going to fight against Pandora and I won't stop fighting until I destroy every last bit of it.."
"I see..okay then.."
"That's it? That's all you're going to say?"
"What? Did you expect me to stop you?"
"I don't know, maybe?"
"No I won't don't worry.."
"Alright then now I'll be the one asking you something.."
"Ask away.."
"Will you come with me? To Germany, to fight with me, to study with me, and to go on a journey with me?"
(Erika then stopped walking and looked straight into his eyes. Gero was once again mesmerized by her blue eyes that reminded him of how beautiful Erika was and how lucky he is. Erika just gave a sweet smile and answered his question truthfully and confidently)
"I thought you'd never ask. Yes Gero I would love to go with you. I'll go with you anywhere, even to the ends of the earth.."
"Thank you Erika..I love you so much.."
"I love you too, my cute Bakatora.."
(Erika leaned in for a kiss and Gero didn't hesitate to give her a passionate and warm kiss on the lips. One journey has ended with their high school life and another will begin starting with the two of them)
Coming Up Next : Chapter 90 - Journey