Chapter 68 - Emotions
[Nishizumi Household]
"This is not the first time Gero's eyes glowed golden yellow..this is the second time.." Ono spoke
(A loud noise came from Shiho's direction because she accidentally dropped her teacup after hearing what Ono said)
"I-Impossible.." Shiho said
(Everyone then saw a very disturbing expression on SHiho's face field with fear and worry for her son. All of their plans to help Gero was already shot down by this sudden news from Ono)
"Then..Gero-kun is already at the second stage of possession?!" Darjeeling asked
"Based on what Nishizumi-sama has explained..then yes he is.." Ono answered
"When was the first time then!?" Katyusha asked
"The match we led Pravda up that snowy mountain during the 1st National Joint High School Senshado Tournament..that was the first time I saw Gero's eyes glow.."
"What!? Already from that time?!" Takashi reacted
"But how?! What triggered his Awakening?!" Shiho asked
"Try to remember..what happened before we went up that mountain.." Ono said
(When all of them started to remember the events of that match one thing came into their minds. As they remembered what happened they all looked towards Miho and Kal)
"That's right..when Kallan-kun pushed Miho-san's tank off a hill triggered the emotional shock..seeing his little sister attacked like that activated the sacred Possession.." Ono said
"So it's my fault.." Kal said
"Uhmm..please don't blame Kal-kun..he didn't mean to do that to me..and he already apologized to me properly..onii-chan also forgave him.. Miho said
"It's okay Miho-san..this is the consequences of my sins..I won't run away from them..but please tell me how we can fix this..for Gero-kun's sake and for my conscience as well.." Kal said
"Don't worry..nobody is blaming you..Gero-chan's awakening would've happened in another way if you didn't trigger it..the important part now is how to deal with him in the second stage.." Darjeeling said
(Everyone then looked upon Shiho for her orders but all they saw was a hopeless expression on her face)
"Shiporin?" Chiyo asked
"Now that my son has entered the second stage of Sacred Possession..there's nothing more we could do..all we can do is hope that he can overcome this stage and make it to the third and final stage.." Shiho said
"Why?! Why can't we help onii-sama?!" Maho reacted
"I told you that in the second stage the user enters a contract with the voice of possession..once the contract is made it can never be broken or undone..entering this contract has both benefits and consequences.." Shiho said
"Benefits and consequences? Please explain to us.." Kikuyo said
"The Benefit is the ability to activate Sacred Possession once a day..but once you activate it you can't turn it off and you have to wait for the seven minute time limit.."
"You mean his heart could stop again?! He'll die if that happens again!" Kay reacted
"Don't worry..in the second stage "Activation" the toll on the body is now lifted and he will no longer have any side effects when using Sacred Possession.."
"I see..that's a relief.." Anchovy said
"But..something a lot worse will now happen to him.." Shiho said
"What could be worse than dying?!" Darjeeling reacted
"I told you that there are Seven Dimensions of Wellness that Sacred Possession revolves around right?"
"What about them?" Katyusha asked
"In the second stage of Sacred Possession if he isn't able to proceed to the third stage..then he'll no longer be human.."
"What do you mean he'll no longer be human?! I don't understand!" Ono reacted
"Sacred Possession as Katyusha-san said turns you into something comparable into a monster..the consequences of entering the contract is the one of the seven dimensions of wellness..among those dimensions what makes us human the most?"
(Everyone was in deep thought once again and nobody was answering. Suddenly one person gave the right answer and it was Sheska)
"Our emotions.." Sheska said
"That's right..well said Sheska-kun..our emotions make us human..how we feel about others and how we feel about everything..being able to express these emotions makes us who we are..happiness, excitement, admiration, amusement, confusion, sadness, disgust, rage and fear are what being human is about.." Shiho said
"Then..onii-chan will lose his capability to feel any kind of emotion?!" Miho asked
"Yes..both the positive and the negative emotions will slowly disappear..and when he loses all of them..he'll be nothing more than a heartless killing machine..and that's what scares me the most..I don't want my son to turn into something horrible.." Shiho started to tear up
"So that's the reason why Gero-san hasn't cried not even once after Chief Matsumoto's death.." Sheska said
"Right now..Gero can't even mourn for the death of his foster father..because he can't feel it..he won't be able to cry or express his pain..he knows he should be crying but he can't.." Shiho said
"This is so horrible..can't we really do anything about it?!" Asparagus asked
"There's nothing we can do..if there was a way I would've done it myself already.."
"Unable to cry when you really want to..that is so wrong.." Katyusha said
"How much more does Gero-kun have to suffer?!" Darjeeling reacted
"First he loses his foster father then he loses his emotions..what's next?!" Anchovy said
"Nakamura-kun..I know this will be a very difficult part of your lives..but please support my son..you being his best friend staying by his side would really help him.." Chiyo said
"That's what I plan to do from the very start ma'am.." Ono said
"As for everyone else please keep whatever you learned today a secret.." Shiho said
"Yes..you have our word.." Darjeeling said
"May I tell Ken and Hajime about this? They also saw Gero's eyes during the match..they would want a proper explanation regarding it.." Ono requested
"Of course.." Shiho agreed
"Okaa-sama..I have one question.." Maho said
"What is it?"
"Why didn't you include Erika in this meeting? Don't you think she's the one that needs to know this the most?" Maho asked
"That's exactly the reason why I didn't have her join us..Itsumi-kun is the most important person to Gero..and if she has to hear this then it's better if my son is the one to tell her about it than to hear it from somebody else.." Shiho said
"Okaa-san is right onee-chan..let's leave it to onii-chan to tell Eririn..ok?" Miho said
"Alright.." Maho agreed
"Well that's about everything that I want to tell you all..I know it will be hard but please act normally as you always do when you interact with my son..that would be the best that we could do.." Shiho said
(The meeting ended and everyone now left the Nishizumi household. All that was left in the room was Shiho and Chiyo)
"How about you finally show yourself?" Shiho suddenly said
(From the shadows of the room emerged Mika. She was there the whole time in the room listening to the meeting but nobody else knew because she erased her presence. The only ones that notice was Shiho and Chiyo)
"Forgive me for eavesdropping like that..I can't just easily barge in the room and reveal I'm the Shimada Heir all of a sudden now can I?" Mika said
"Cheeky brat.."
"Hey Mika! Show some respect!" Chiyo shouted
"How can I remain calm after what I heard?!" Mika shouted
"Getting mad right now isn't going to do anybody any good..especially Gero-chan.." Chiyo said
"Tell me..what happens if Ro-chan doesn't get past the second stage?"
(It took some time before Shiho spoke but she thought it was better for someone to know what will happen than nobody)
"When my uncle reached the second stage of possession..he had lost all his emotions..he stopped being human..then one day his power went out of control and accidentally killed his fiancee.."
(A grave chill went to Chiyo and Mika's spines as they heard the story)
"He couldn't accept what he had done to his beloved..then in the end he took his own life.." Shiho said
(Both Chiyo and Mika just sat there speechless and was in fear of the possibilities that could happen to Gero but they both knew they won't be able to do anything)
[Two Days Later - Shin Matsumoto's Funeral]
(It was now the day of Chief Matsumoto's funeral and the first one to arrive was the Shimada Family. It was the only time Mika would be able to come with her family without being seen by anyone else)
"Nii-chan.."
"Hello Alice-chan..I'm sorry for having you experience something so painful.."
"As long as you're ok Nii-chan I'll also be okay.."
"I'll do my best..I'm glad to see you're alright as well Mi-chan.."
(Mika couldn't answer because of what she found out from Shiho regarding what could happen to Gero. She just silently hugged him tight not saying a word)
"I'm so sorry Ro-chan..no matter what happens we're here for you.." Mika said
"I know..thank you Mi-chan.."
(After the Shimada Family left everyone that knew Chief Matsumoto went there to pay their respects and everyone was wearing black formal clothes. Inside the room was his coffin and a big picture of him was on top surrounded by flowers. Gero, Ono and Shiho were the ones that greeted the guests and thanked them and the first to arrive was Erika and her family)
"Please accept our sincere condolences Nishizumi-san and Gero-kun.." Erika's mother said
"Thank you for coming..Mr. and Mrs. Itsumi.." Shiho smiled
"Erika..thank you for coming Alexa-san.."
"How have you been?" Alexa asked
"Geez..baka-aneki..why do you have to ask something like that!" Erika reacted
"S-Sorry..of course you're not doing ok..after what happened.." Alexa said
"It's alright Erika..I'm doing better now at least..sorry to make you worry Alexa-san.."
"Erika was way more worried than I was..we're a family now so let us know if there's anything we can do to help.."
"I'll keep that in mind..thank you.."
(Alexa then joined their parents to greet Shiho. The moment she left Erika and Gero hugged each other)
"Are you really ok?" Erika whispered
"Yes..thank you for coming..seeing you here really calmed me down.."
"The same for me..let me know if you need anything alright? I'll place these flowers beside Chief Matsumoto so I'll be right back.."
"Sure.."
(When Erika left another guest arrived and it was Jajka and Uszka from Bonple High School)
"Jajka-san and Uszka-san.."
"My sincere condolences to you..Gero-kun.." Jajka said
"Jajka-san..thank you for coming to see him..even though you never really met him in person.."
"I didn't have to meet him in person to know that he was an amazing father since he raised you well.."
"Thank you..it means a lot to me.."
(On the other side of the room Ono was greeting their kouhais Kengo and Sayoko from Shirokumo)
"How are you all doing senpai?" Kengo asked
"We're doing alright..Ken and Hajime are still in the hospital recovering..both of them were injured more than me.." Ono said
"What about Gero-senpai?"
"He's..trying his best..he's the one who's hurting the most right now..be sure to cheer him up alright?" Ono smiled
"Yes senpai!" Kengo and Sayoko smiled back
(After a couple of minutes the next to arrive was Miho and Maho together with their Ooarai and Kuromorimine teams)
"Miho-chan..Maho-chan.."
"Onii-chan..everyone came.."
"I see..thank you everyone.."
(After giving his sisters a hug he gave a bow to everyone from Ooarai and Kuromorimine that came to visit Chief Matsumoto's funeral. All Ooarai teams were there and even the old Turtle Team was there)
"I'm very sorry for your loss..Gero-kun.." Anzu said
"Thank you for coming all the way here..Anzu-san, Kawashima-san, and Koyama-san.."
"Chief Matsumoto was an amazing person..he did maintenance for our tanks even though we never really got close to him.." Koyama said
"How's college Kawashima-san? Still getting tutored by Anzu-san and Koyama-san?"
"Oh shut it aloof commander..I know it's hard for you right now..but hang on alright?" Kawashima said
"I will..thank you.."
(Gero then noticed the Leopon Team in front of Chief Matsumoto's picture. They were crying the most out of everyone for Chief Matsumoto was also their mentor)
"Nakajima-san.." Gero called out to them
"Gero-san..I'm so sorry for your loss.." Nakajima answered
"Me too..thank you Leopon Team for being here..jiji spoke very highly of you guys.."
"We're nothing compared to Matsumoto-san.." Hoshino said
"I really mean it..he was so happy to have made you guys his students.."
"He taught us so much about being a mechanic..and we learned so many new things..and he even gave us a job..we are very thankful to have met you guys.." Suzuki said
"I should be the one thanking you Leopon Team for being with him and making sure he wasn't alone.."
"Tell me Gero-san..if we hadn't gone to a different school to do maintenance..could we have prevented this?" Nakajima asked
"It was an accident..nobody could have known what would happen..it's nobody's fault so don't blame yourselves.."
(Chief Matsumoto's death was announced publicly as an accident to avoid a panic and so that the 64th National Senshado Tournament would not be cancelled. Only those that are close to Gero and his family know what really happened)
"Ono please give the thing to Nakajima-san.."
"Give what?" Nakajima asked
(Ono then brought out from his bag the wrench that Gero gave to Chief Matsumoto)
"That's Chief Matsumoto's wrench!" Suzuki said
"Yes..this is the wrench I gave him as a present when he started working again as Kuromorimine's maintenance chief..I'd like you to have it Nakajima-san.."
"Ehh?! I can't accept something so precious to you!" Nakajima declined
"Please accept it..jiji would've wanted you to have it..he said to me that he was able to pass unto you guys the torch of mechanical maintenance..this wrench is that torch..so please Nakajima-san.."
(Nakajima then reached out for the wrench and held it firmly. She rubbed the tears off her eyes and look at Gero with determination to keep that torch burning brightly)
"I accept Gero-san.." Nakajima smiled
"Thank you..now it's time for the Leopon Team to surpass their mentor..make all of us proud.."
"Yes!" Leopon Team saluted
(The next to arrive was the Seven Seats of Senshado along with a few of their members. They noticed that after greeting Gero he no longer had light within his eyes and not once did he give a real smile to the guests. His fake and forced smiles were easily noticeable by everyone)
"He looks so dead.." Asparagus said
"That's not the Gero-kun we know..his positive emotions must've been taken already.." Darjeeling said
"I never knew not seeing someone smile has this much of an impact on others.." Katyusha said
"I would feel the same way if you stopped smiling as well Katyusha-sama.." Nonna said
"Just remember..we'll be acting the same as always towards darling..if he can't smile then we'll just have to smile for him.." Kay said
(The next to arrive was Akane and Shinji from Shogun to pay their respects. They also brought along Kenji and Sudou from Crows Nest. When kenji walked up to Gero he could no longer hold his tears and just apologized)
"Gero-senpai..I'm so sorry.." Kenji cried
"Why are you apologizing?"
"If I wasn't so weak..then maybe this wouldn't have happened.."
"Shh..it's not your fault..you have to be stronger now for your little brother..so that it would never happen again"
(Gero then grabbed Kenji's hand and shook it. It must've been hard to see Kenji cry because he himself couldn't cry)
"From now on lend me your strength..we'll fight together to make things right.."
"Yes senpai..I swear our loyalty to you.."
(After things have calmed down between Kenji and Gero the next to arrive was the Yamato Family and the Senshado Federation)
"Thank you for coming, Yamato-sama, Shiori-san and Kaede-san.."
"Please accept our condolences.." Kaede said
"Where can we place these flowers?" Shiori asked
"Ono will guide you.."
"Please follow me.." Ono smiled
(Yamato Mai was just staring at Gero because she was now looking at the same kid that disappeared from her school twelve years ago)
"Is there something wrong Yamato-sama?"
"Oh..uhm..nothing..I'm just glad that you're doing better.." Mai said
"Sorry to make you worry..I'm alright..please do make yourselves comfortable.."
(Gero then walked towards Kodama and Tsuji)
"Thank you for coming, Kodama-san..I really appreciate it even though you are very busy.."
"It's nothing Gero-kun..the Federation is always here to assist if you need anything.." Kodama said
"That's very reassuring..thank you again.."
(Kodama then went to Chief Matsumoto's picture to offer his prayer. Gero then walked towards Renta Tsuji and everyone in the room was just so nervous of what would happen. Renta Tsuji was responsible for trying to close down Miho's school twice so they thought for sure Gero had a grudge. The first to bow was Renta Tsuji then Gero bowed next with his head close to Renta's ear and everyone saw he whispered something to Renta Tsuji)
"Gero..?" Erika was worried
(After Gero's bow he walked away to greet the other guests. But for some reason Renta Tsuji was still standing still bowing with his eyes wide open and had a shocked expression on his face)
"Tsuji-san is everything alright?" Kodama called out to him
"Y-Yes.." Renta Tsuji responded
(Everyone saw what kind of face Renta Tsuji and they all wondered what just did Gero say to him that rattled him that much but nobody dared to ask)
[Hospital Recovery Room]
(Ken and Hajime were still at the hospital recovering from their wounds. They felt miserable because they won't be able to attend both the funeral and burial of Chief Matsumoto. Mako was with Ken the whole time and never left his side)
"Do you need anything Ken-chan?" Mako asked
"All good Mako-chan..thank you for staying here with me.."
"I have to make sure you recover quickly.." Mako smiled
"I will..uhm do you mind if I share something with you?"
"What is it?"
"Right now..Matsu-kun is in pain..he's the one that's suffering the most..but I don't know how or what I can do to help him.." Ken started to clench his fists
"You don't have to think about it that much Ken-chan..feeling pain and suffering is all part of losing someone important to you..that's how I felt when I lost both my parents.." Mako smiled
"S-Sorry Mako-chan.."
"It's alright..you loved Chief Matsumoto that's why you feel this way..all four of you loved him that's why it's so painful.." Mako explained
"Matsumoto-san was a great person..my parents were always busy at home so I don't really have much bonding with them..but every time I went to Matsu-kun's place he'd always talk to me and help me with our tank..he was like a grandpa that I never had.."
"I also have my grandma that took care of me when I was all alone..she always scolds me and she doesn't listen to what I say but being with her makes me happy.."
"Tell me Mako-chan..what should I do?"
What you can do now for Gero-kun is to feel pain and suffer with him..and after enduring all those feelings you'll become stronger and I'll be with you every step of the way..for now what you have to do is recover.."
"Alright.." Ken smiled
*KNOCK *KNOCK
"Excuse me.." Leila went in the room
"Leila-san.." Mako greeted
"Hello Mako-san..I brought some food and refreshments.." Leila smiled
(After placing the food and drinks in the fridge she noticed the Hajime was not in the room, Leila has also been taking care of Hajime ever since he got hospitalized)
"Where's Hajime-kun?" Leila asked
"He said he wanted to go and get some fresh air.." Mako said
"Try the rooftop Leila-san..my bet he's there..please look after him.." Ken smiled
"Yes.."
(Leila then went up to the rooftop and saw Hajime standing alone at the side just watching the scenery)
"Hey..what are you doing?" Leila approached
"I thought that I might be able to see where Chief Matsumoto's funeral is being held from here..but I guess that's impossible.."
"I understand you want to be there but the doctor said-"
"I know..I know..sorry I just..wanted to clear my mind.." Hajime said
(Hajime then sat on a bench and Leila did the same sitting beside him)
"I'm not going to say that I understand what you're going through..because I haven't lost someone that close to me yet..but I do know the feeling of being alone..being afraid..and not knowing what to do.." Leila said
"What happened?" Hajime asked
"The first time I went to Kuromorimine was with Erika-chan..we always were together..we joined the Senshado team and we even fought together with Miho-san when she was still here.."
"That's right..Miho-san's school wasn't Ooarai at first..Taichou told us before.."
"During that time Kuromorimine was aiming to continue their 9 consecutive winning streak at the Senshado Tournament so they were very strict..both in training and choosing their best members..unfortunately I was one of the ones that didn't make the cut.." Leila chuckled
"So you were removed from the team?!" Hajime reacted
"Yup..of course Erika-chan stayed because of her skills as a commander..that's when we got separated..for two years we hardly spoke to or see each other..it was like I was just completely cut off from my best friend.."
"Did you hate her because of that?" Hajime asked
"Of course not! Erika is doing her best on what she wants to do and I was happy for her! But I was sad also since I couldn't be with her..that's why when both her and Gero-san came looking for me to ask me to join them once again in Senshado I was overjoyed.." Leila smiled
"And now you're part of our team.."
"That's right..sorry about my sudden storytelling.." Leila blushed
"It's alright..listening to it made me relax even for just a bit.." Hajime smiled
"I see..then that's good.."
(After a couple of minutes just staring at the sky Hajime decided to open up to Leila)
"My family has been strict to me as well..my parents always told me this and that..even though they never show up at home..they're always in some other country doing their own work not even bothering to care about their only son.." Hajime said
"I hated them for it..that's why I became the student council president in Shirokumo so that I'd be busy also and forget about them..that's when I met Taichou..he kept on getting number one in exams and always beating me..I wanted to beat him and we got close because of it..eventually I was invited by Ono-kun to be a part of their crew and our journey through Senshado began.."
"So that's how the four of you got together huh.." Leila smiled
"Yeah..then soon I met Chief Matsumoto..an old guy always messing with Taichou..being with my crew and Chief made me feel more at home than my family..not only did Chief treat me well but he also took care of me and the guys like I was his son also..for the first time in my life I had a real family I can go home to..but now that he's gone..I don't know what to do now.."
(Hajime then clenched his hands over his chest as he felt pain from losing one of his family. He felt a warm feeling over his hands and he noticed that Leila was holding his hand)
"You can do what i did before..let's wait together..just like how I waited for Erika-chan to call me back..right now Gero-san might need some time so let's trust in him and wait..no matter how long it takes I'll be with you.." Leila smiled
"Thank you Leila-san..then that's what I'll do.."
"Good..oh and Hajime-kun..can I ask you something?" Leila said
"Sure go ahead.."
"Have you cried enough?"
"Honestly no.."
"It's not good to keep it inside you know..it's better to let it all out while you still can.."
"I know..but right now Taichou can't..even though he's the one that wants to cry the most.." Hajime said
"What do you mean?"
(Hajime was talking about the consequences of Sacred Possession where Gero can't mourn or cry for the death of Chief Matsumoto but Leila didn't know about it and he for now decided not to tell her for her own good)
"Don't worry..when we've done all our waiting..I promise to cry until I run dry.." Hajime said
"Ok then." Leila smiled
[Nishizumi Household - A Couple of Hours Later]
(Back at their home Gero was having a meeting with Shiho, Kikuyo and Chouno. But during their meeting a sudden phone call arrives)
"Hello?"
"Gero-san..this is Assam..I'm calling you from a secure line.."
"Assam-san? What's up?"
"That tattoo you showed us? The one with a skull? I got a hit.."
"Really?! Is this info reliable?!"
"Try C.I.A.." Assam chuckled
"You hacked into the C.I.A?! I don't care how you did that but that's impressive.."
"Thank you very much.."
"And? Where can we find this tattoo?"
(As Assam gave the answer Gero then turned off the call and let out a sigh of relief that finally they have a solid lead)
"Who was that?" Shiho asked
"A friend..I need a ride.."
"Where are you going?"
"A business trip.."
"What kind of business trip?" Chouno asked
"Black.."
(In military terms a Black Business Trip means a top secret mission similar to Black Ops)
"Forgive me Gero-sama but are you insane?! After what just happened?!" Kikuyo reacted
"I'm way past insanity Kikuyo nee-chan..all the more reason why I have to do this because of what happened.."
"I don't have to remind you that you have brain damage and is currently doing therapy to heal!" Chouno said
"My therapy is over..I remembered all the basic things I need thanks to Erika.."
"It's not that simple! You are in no condition to be looking for a fight right now!"
"Even if you go who will be your team?!" Chouno asked
"Me, myself, and I.."
"Nishizumi-san please talk some sense to your son!" Chouno said
"Very well..when do you need the ride?" Shiho suddenly said
"How quickly can you arrange the transport?"
"On short notice at least five days.." Shiho said
"Good enough for me..thank you okaa-chan.."
"Ha?! Did you just hear what he said?! He's about to go on a suicide mission!" Chouno reacted
"Who said anything about this being a suicide mission..I have no intention of dying..I'm just going to look for answers.."
"Yes go look for answers that could lead to you getting killed! Please Gero-sama think this over!" Kikuyo pleaded
"I'm done thinking! If I spent all the time I had doing things instead of thinking then maybe jiji wouldn't be dead now!"
(Both Kikuyo and Chouno have nothing to say about what Gero said)
"Blood has been spilt on our soil..MY FAMILY'S BLOOD! AND YOU EXPECT ME TO JUST SIT HERE?! THINK?! DO NOTHING?!" Gero shouted
"Calm down Gero..both of them are just worried about you..please understand them.." Shiho said
(After taking a deep breath Gero tried his best to calm down)
"Whatever you say to me won't stop me from doing this..I'm running out of time..it's now or never.."
[Somewhere onboard the Kuromorimine School Carrier - Before Midnight]
(Five days went by fast and Gero was with Erika walking hand in hand. They were headed somewhere but Erika didn't know and Gero never told her)
"Hey Erika.."
"Hmm?"
"I'm going to tell you something and it might scare you..no it would definitely scare you..but I have to tell you.."
"What is it?"
"Do you remember what happened at the hospital? After the doctor informed us about jiji.."
"Yes..your eyes were glowing and blinking..is it about that?"
(Gero nodded in response and started to tell Erika about the secrets of Scared Possession. As they walked through the streets Erika listened carefully and never spoke while Gero was talking. He even told her about what happened to Shiho's uncle which gave Erika fear and worry about Gero's emotions)
"I'm sure you've noticed that my smiles have been fake.."
"I knew you were forcing yourself to smile but I didn't expect it to be like this..how much have you lost already?"
"The only emotion I have left now is hate and rage..I can't feel anything anymore except for two things.."
"Two things?"
"Pain and.."
(Gero then placed his forehead on Erika's forehead before saying the second thing he can feel)
"My love for you Erika..it's the last thing that keeps me going..and if the time comes..I will take my own life before my love for you disappears.."
"There you go again..saying you'll kill yourself after I saved you so many times.." Erika pouted
"Sorry..that's right you keep on saving me..even right now you are saving me just by being with me.."
"And I'll never leave your side.."
"I know you won't..but this time I have to leave yours..just for a couple of weeks.."
"To reach the third stage of Sacred Possession?"
"Yes..I won't be able to reach it here.."
"Where will you go?"
"I'm sorry I can't tell you that..I won't be bringing my phone also so I won't be able to contact you.."
"Then bring this with you at least.."
(Erika then grabbed something from her pocket and when Gero saw he realized it was the good luck charm that he gave Erika way back during the Joint Senshado Tournament)
"You kept it all this time?"
"Of course I would! This is the first gift you ever gave me!"
"Thank you..for treasuring it.."
"Take this with you..it will protect you always..but I'm only letting you borrow it ok?! You have to give it back to me when you come back!"
"Yes my kommandant.."
"You will come back to me..right?"
"I will..I promise..so wait for me.."
(Erika then placed her hand on Gero's face and looked at his eyes)
"Can I see those eyes you told me about?" Erika asked
(Gero then closed his eyes and when he gently opened them his eyes were glowing golden yellow again meaning Sacred Possession activated. Erika just stared down into Gero's eyes not saying a word)
"It's scary right?"
"No..it's the most beautiful eyes I've seen in all my life.." Erika smiled and blushed
"Really?"
"Yes..you know the saying that the eyes are the window to the soul?"
"And is it true? Can you see my soul?"
"I can..and it's strong and alive..so keep it that way..that's an order!"
"Jawohl my Kommandant.."
"Will you be going alone?" Erika asked
"Yeah..I can't risk dragging anyone else..which is why you have to go back Ono.."
(Erika wondered what Gero meant by that when Ono suddenly appeared behind them)
"Nakamura-kun!" Erika reacted
"I knew you'd find out I was following you.."
"What are you doing here?"
"I thought you might be doing something crazy again so I want in.."
"No! You can't! Just stay here-"
"Oh shut up will you..this is non-negotiable..I'm your best friend..you're the gunner..and I'm your loader..if I'm not with you then your shit out of luck.." Ono smiled
"Tsk..fine..just don't regret it.."
"What makes you say I will?" Ono asked
"Does Ken and Hajime know?"
"Yeah..the three of us talked about it before I left.." Ono replied
"What about Sheska-san? How are you gonna explain this to her?"
"She'll understand.." Ono said
"I'll understand what?" again a voice said behind them
(The three of them looked to see Sheska was there standing in front of them with an angry expression)
"S-Sheska-san?! How did you-" Ono reacted
"Senpai was taking a long time returning to the dorms so I decided to look for her..then I saw you leaving the dorms as well and followed you here.." Sheska said
"How did you not know you were being followed?"
"I'm not as good as you ok?!" Ono reacted
(Sheska then approached Ono with a very scary look on her face)
"And? You said I'd understand? What exactly will I understand? That you just went and disappeared without saying a word!? That you decided to go on a very dangerous mission and you might not come back?!" Sheska shouted
"S-Sorry.." Ono apologized
"You idiot.."
(Suddenly Sheska grabbed Ono by his collar and pulled him in for a kiss. This really surprised Ono and both their faces were bright red)
"Wow.." Erika reacted
"Finally.."
"W-W-W-What..S-Sheska-san?!" Ono was blushing so hard
"I didn't come here to stop you..I have no right to stop you..I wanted to let you know how I feel about you and why you have to come back..alright?" Sheska blushed
"Now both of us have a reason to come back.."
(Ono then manned up and hugged Sheska tight which she returned without hesitation)
"I know that was an unfair thing to do suddenly..so you don't have to give me an answer right away..you can give me a response when you come back.." Sheska said
"Ok Sheska..I'll definitely come back.."
(They then heard the sounds of rotors of a helicopter approaching and they saw a black V-22 Osprey slowly landing in front of them. It had no flags on it or any markings just a plain black Osprey)
"Is that your ride?" Erika asked
"Yeah..it's time to go.."
"Wait!"
(Erika then hugged Gero once more but this time placed her ear on Gero's chest to hear his heartbeat)
*THU-THUMP *THU-THUMP *THU-THUMP *THU-THUMP *THU-THUMP *THU-THUMP
"Erika?"
"The sound of your heartbeat is the greatest sound I have heard..please don't let it stop.."
"I promise..my heart will keep on beating for you Erika.."
"Take care of each other ok?"
"We will.."
"Gero-san! Both of you better come back here in one piece or else we'll beat the crap out of you!" Sheska said
"Scary..your girlfriend is scary Ono.."
"Come on let's go.." Ono blushed
(Ono and Gero then walked towards the Osprey and was about to leave when suddenly Maho came running from behind Erika and Sheska and grabbed Gero's arm)
"Maho-chan..let go.."
"No I won't..if I let go you might not come back!" Maho said
"What are you saying..I'll come back Maho-chan..so be a good girl and stay here.."
(Gero was about to give Maho his usual love pat on the head but she refused. Maho suddenly slapped away her brothers hand)
"STOP TREATING ME LIKE A CHILD! I'M NO LONGER THE LITTLE SISTER YOU HAVE TO KEEP ON PROTECTING!" Maho shouted
"Maho-san..calm down.." Erika said
"YOU JUST DIED A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO! IT WAS ALREADY A MIRACLE ERIKA BROUGHT YOU BACK! WHY ARE YOU GOING TOWARDS YOUR DEATH NOW!? ANSWER ME ONII-SAMA!" Maho shouted
(Gero wasn't answering his little sisters questions and was just looking at his hand that Maho slapped away)
"I see..you're right..you're now old and strong..so I won't treat you like a child anymore..sorry about that..starting now I'll be treating you the way you want me to.."
"Onii-sama?" Maho got scared
"Don't ever get in my way..ever again..let go of me.."
(Gero gave a scary look at his sister with his eyes still glowing from the Sacred Possession and it scared her so much to the point that she let go of his arm. It was the very first time that Gero was angry at Maho and she felt it. Gero then walked away towards the Osprey and Ono followed)
"Onii-sama! Onii-sama! Don't go!" Maho shouted
"Maho-san! Let them go!" Erika stopped her
"How can you let him go like this?! He could get killed!" Maho shouted
"They'll come back Maho-senpai! Trust them!" Sheska was also preventing Maho from running to them
(Gero just continued to walk ignoring Maho's cries)
"Is that alright Gero?" Ono asked
"Yeah..let's go.."
(Maho just continued to watch his brothers back as he walked further away from her and tears started to fall on her cheeks)
"ONII-SAMA GA DAIKIRAI!" Maho shouted
[I HATE YOU SO MUCH ONII-SAMA!]
"Maho-san.." Erika said
(Maho just fell to her knees after she blurted out those words towards Gero as she cried. After rubbing her eyes she took one last look at Gero and saw that he was looking at her and he said)
"Me too..I hate myself so much as well.."
(Gero and Ono then boarded the black Osprey and it slowly ascended into the sky then went away quickly. Leaving behind Erika, Sheska, and Maho back at the school carrier. All three of them had tears in their eyes as they watched them leave)
[Aboard the Black V-22 Osprey]
(Gero and Ono were now on their way to a private airfield where they will ride a plane to their location. But as they boarded the osprey something gave Gero a headache and that was the unexpected guests with them)
"And? What the hell are you all doing here?!"
"Oh come on..don't be so cold Tiger-kun!" Takashi said
"That's right! We came along to assist you!" Naomi said
"Just ignore him..he's a bit cranky leaving behind his girlfriend I'm sure.." Kal said
"Dobryy vecher Gero-kun.." Klara smiled
[Good evening Gero-kun..]
(On board the osprey was Takashi, Naomi, Alisa, Kal, Klara, and Assam)
"This is our team.." Ono said
"No no no what about YOUR Senshado teams?! Who's going to lead them?!"
"Kay will handle it while I'm gone!" Alisa smiled
"For Pravda it will be Katyusha-sama and Nonna-sama that will be with them!" Klara smiled
"I understand Kal, Takashi, Klara-san, and Naomi-san..but why is Alisa-san and Assam-san here also?!"
"After what happened to Ray I decided to stick to him and make sure that he never gets hurt again.." Alisa smiled
"You won't find the location of the tattoo without me so it's natural for me to tag along!" Assam smiled
"You do know that this is a dangerous mission..you shouldn't be doing this you know..all of you are still young!"
"Oh don't give us that bullshit about our age..you're not that much older than us!" Takashi said
"Our ex-commanders also gave us an order which is why we are here to fulfill that order.." Alisa said
"Orders?" Ono asked
"Don't let Gero-kun go alone..is what Darjeeling-sama said"
"Protect and support Darling at all times is what Kay ordered.." Naomi said
"Make sure that all of you come back alive no matter what! Is what Katyusha-sama said.." Klara smiled
(After rubbing his head from the headache Gero just let out a big sigh)
"Alright..I don't have much of a choice now do I?"
"Then it's settled..you'll be our Commanding Officer for this mission right?" Kal asked
"Right..so do exactly what I say, when I say, and how I say..is that clear?"
"Roger!" everyone saluted
"Good.."
"So Taichou..where are we headed?" Naomi asked
(Gero then looked outside the window before he answered and he was recalling Erika's smile to give hims strength once more)
"Germany.."
Coming Up Next : Chapter 69 - Business Trip
Author's Note:
A great day to everyone! How was this chapter? Things are really getting serious now for Gero. Do you agree that emotions make us human?
Will he return from this business trip? Or will he not? What will they find in Germany? Stay tuned! Let me know your reactions this chapter in the reviews section!
By the way, Ono & Sheska ship for the win!
Shout out to : "AngelBlue1852" and "yohanesdharmesa1" thank you for the follow and favorite! Welcome!
Thank you for the wonderful support you all are amazing! As for the replies to your comments check the reviews section as always!
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