Chapter 93 - Two Become One
[Ganghwa Island - Near the North Korean Border]
(Gero extended his hand to grab a hold of Erika's then as they held each other's hand Erika suddenly tugged Gero and pulled him away from the radius of the explosion. She then grabbed the grenades and threw them on the ground. She then used Faceless' dead body and placed it on top of the grenades to shield the explosion while Erika herself was on top. She closed her eyes then after a second the grenades exploded under both their bodies, mitigating the explosion as much as possible. Gero couldn't believe what just happened and couldn't make sense of it. He walked slowly towards Erika's body and saw a big pool of blood. His body shook in fear seeing the one she loved the most and wanted to protect the most in that state)
"NO..NO...NO...ERIKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
(Gero's scream could be heard all over the place and everyone rushed towards them only to be speechless of the situation. They saw Gero placing his hands on Erika's stomach that was severely wounded due to the blast of the grenade. The man that they saw as fearsome and unkillable was now panicking and trying his best to save the woman he loves)
"SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP! PLEASE! NANA! WHERE ARE YOU!?"
"I'm here young master! Let me take over!" Nana shouted
"She..she just threw herself under the grenades..she protected me..please Nana save her.."
"I understand young master so please calm down, I will do everything in my power to save Erika-sama so please back away.."
"Erika..come on don't do this to me baby.."
"The majority of the blood is not hers, the wounds on her abdomen are not major but she might still have internal bleeding. We have to get her to the nearest hospital right now!" Nana shouted
(A helicopter was quickly dispatched to their location, they boarded Erika on it together with Nana and Gero. The medic was also treating Gero's wounds on the flight but he never let go of Erika's hand)
"Sir Gero! Sir Gero!" Alonso radioed
"Colonel.."
"Are you alright?!"
"Erika has been seriously injured..I need you to do me a favor..and contact this person..meet me at the hospital.."
"Jawohl! Hang on both of you! Don't you dare die on us!" Alonso shouted
[Hanshin Medical Center - Incheon, Korea]
(As soon as they landed on the helipad, Erika was transferred to the emergency room. Gero waited patiently in the other room while he was also being treated. All he could think of was Erika and nothing else. After a while the doctor entered the room to notify Gero)
"Doctor! How's Erika?!"
"It's a miracle she's still breathing after what happened. She has fractured ribs and her left eardrum is ruptured. The worst is she suffered from severe blood loss from internal bleeding due to a blunt liver injury. This is caused by a direct impact with a certain velocity and energy on the abdomen which in this case was the blast from two grenades. This resulted in a lacerated liver by penetration of her fractured ribs that led to internal bleeding. Her liver is no longer functioning properly and the damage is beyond repair." the doctor said
"What are our options?"
"Liver transplant is the only treatment option for her.."
"H-How long before we can find a matching donor?"
"There is a transplant waiting list sir, and that list can take up to 30 months of waiting from a deceased donor here in South Korea."
"Can she survive that long?!"
"With the amount of damage she sustained right now, if she doesn't get a new liver right away then she won't even last till morning..I'm very sorry.." the doctor said
"No..no..there's got to be a way! She can't die!"
(After thinking for a bit Gero's eyes widened as if he already found the solution to the problem)
"What if she had a live donor?"
"Then she wouldn't need to be placed on the national waiting list.."
"Give her mine.."
"W-What do you mean-"
"Give Erika my organs! I'll donate my liver, kidneys, my blood or whatever the hell she needs to live! Please!"
"What?! It's too risky! We still don't know if your liver and blood is compatible with hers!"
"Her blood type is AB and mine is B so it's very compatible!"
"We don't even know if your bodies are strong and healthy enough for the operation! I will not risk both your lives!" the doctor shouted
"Risk my life? I already did before we got here. Both me and Erika are as healthy and fit as we can be! We ate healthy and trained everyday! We never drank alcohol or smoked! We don't have any kind of organ disease or anything like that, we are clean!"
"That doesn't mean we can just-"
"I'm already dying, doctor, so the last thing I want to do before I die is save Erika!"
"Listen to the doctor, young master! I too want to help Erika as much as you do but we have to find another way! Also if you give her your blood then she might-" Nana said
"Die. I know. But if we do nothing she will really die! She has a chance to live while I'm already a walking dead man! I don't have enough time so we have to do this now!"
"I'm sorry sir. But I will not do surgery on this." the doctor said
"Then I will do the surgery!" a voice said behind them
(Everyone looked at the door and saw a male korean doctor together with Colonel Alonso)
"Colonel..glad you could come.."
"I brought the man you asked for, sir Gero.." Alonso said
"Thank you very much..also inform the Meisters and my father of our achievements..but do not tell them about our condition..I don't want any of them to worry.."
"As you wish sir.." Alonso saluted
(Gero walked towards the man wearing the white coat and wanted to shook his hand)
"Nice to finally meet you, Yong Pal.."
"You too Baekho-shi.."
"How do you know the chairwoman's husband?" the doctor asked
"This White Tiger saved a very important person to me and my wife..now the time has come for me to return the favor.."
"I need your help my friend.."
"I know..leave it to me.." Yong Pal smiled
[Surgery Room]
(Yong Pal then prepared Gero and Erika for surgery as fast as possible. They were laying next to each other and Gero was looking at Erika's face. He reached out and placed his hand on her face one last time before the surgery started)
"You have saved me countless times..now it's my turn to save you..if we don't wake up after this..then I'll find you in the next life, my love.."
"Stop talking like that..you're both going to be fine my friend.." Yong Pal said
"No matter what happens to me, prioritize her, you hear me?"
"You underestimate me too much..I'll save you both.."
"P..lease..p..ple..ase..s..sav..e...he..r.."
(Gero's consciousness then slowly fades away as the anesthetic starts to work. Yong Pal now stood beside his friend and Nana was there also to assist him)
"Alright, we are now going to do a transplant surgery in order to save this woman. We will transplant 70% of this man's liver to this patient. We will also transfuse his blood into her to recover the blood she lost." Yong Pal explained
"This will be a long and delicate surgery! So please give it all your best! Please help us save them both!" Nana pleaded
"Understood!" all the nurses responded
"Let us start. Scalpel."
(Yong Pal then swiftly started the surgery with confidence and the goal of saving them both. As the surgery starts, Alonso was on the roof of the hospital and call the other Tank Meisters as ordered by Gero)
"Can you all hear me?" Alonso asked
"Loud and clear!" Bryson answered
"Status report?" Barrett said
"An hour ago we conducted the kill or capture operation on Pandora's High Table Members, Phantom and Faceless. We ambushed them at a pre planned location at Ganghwa Island. They were being escorted with at least one hundred Augs led by Phantom and Faceless."
"A hundred?!" Dmitri reated
"Those two members must've been really important to them!" Leo said
"As the fight broke out we dealt a lot of damage to their army and confirmed a hundred dead Augs after the firefight. Miss Erika successfully killed Faceless while sir Gero eliminated Phantom. I'll be sending you the pictures of their dead bodies as proof." Alonso said
"Lady Erika did this?! Wow she's a lot more amazing than I thought!" Lin Yu Jie reacted
"Yes she was. Erika-shi took down at least 30 Augs on her own. We also have the two Pandora High Table members in our custody." Bong-Cha said
"Sir Gero ordered us to spread the pictures of Phantom's and Faceless' dead bodies to Pandora's network. He said to crush their spirit and morale by telling them that their commander and vice commander are dead." Alonso said
"This will also boost all of our men's morale!" Bryson said
"What about our casualties?" Chouno asked
"KSK has five wounded while ROK has six. There were no deaths on our side."
"Job well done Colonel. I guess I owe my son an apology huh?" Tsuneo said
(All of them noticed the grim look on Alonso's face after Tsuneo mentions his son)
"What's wrong?" Dmitri asked
"There is one more thing I have to inform you all. This mission's success came at a high price." Alonso said
"Eleven wounded? I hardly see that as a high price." Leo said
(Chouno then felt a grave chill down her spine as she thought of the worst possible scenario that may have happened)
"Hey Alonso, why are you the one reporting this? It should be Gero-kun!" Chouno said
"Where is my son?" Tsuneo asked
"Please calm down first, miss Chouno. Listen carefully Major Tsuneo, Sir Gero and Miss Erika have been seriously wounded. They are both undergoing surgery at this moment."
"What?!" everyone reacted
"They're going to be fine right?!" Barrett asked
"Sir Gero was about to be killed by Faceless with suicide grenades. Miss Erika acted swiftly and got sir Gero out of harm's way and used her own body to shield the grenades' explosions. She lost a lot of blood and her liver was ruptured beyond repair. Sir Gero has volunteered to transplant a part of his own liver in an attempt to save her. There is a chance that only one of them will survive, or both will die." Alonso said
(After explaining the current situation to everyone there was nothing but silence in the call. They don't know how to react or know what was the perfect thing to say.)
"Sir Gero ordered me not to tell you this so that you wouldn't worry but I disobeyed his order. Not to make you guys worry but to inform you of our leader's admirable resolve and dedication to save the one he loves. Because of Miss Erika's actions she saved the life of the person that will save our world from Pandora. I ask you all right here to offer your prayers to the Almighty to save them." Alonso begged
"Of course we will. Not just me but my family will also pray for them." Bryson said
"We will too." Barrett said
"I will inform the men under my command to offer their prayers.." Dmitri said
"We are all in this together!" Leo smiled
"The people of China are with them!" Lin Yu Jie said
"We will let the world know of their story.." Bong-Cha said
"I 'll let his team know.." Chouno said
"Danke..vielen dank.." Alonso bowed
[Thank you..thank you so much..]
"Stand fast Alonso, my son will not die that easily, and Erika is a tough girl! I'll be heading there now." Tsuneo said
"Understood sir!"
[Japan National Senshado Team Dormitory - Tokyo, Japan]
(The members of the J.N.S.T or Japan National Senshado Team have been staying at a dorm in Tokyo because that's where their training facilities are located. At this time it's about 2AM in the morning and everyone was sound asleep until they were all woken up from a call from Chouno)
"Attention all team members gather at the lounge now for an emergency meeting! HURRY UP!"
"Geez..another drill? Please let us sleep.." Ono complained
"THIS IS NOT A FUCKING DRILL! NOW MOVE YOUR ASSES RIGHT NOW!" Chouno shouted
(Chouno shouted so loud that even the sleepiest one, Mako, got wide awake. They all hurried as ordered to the lounge so all two hundred members were still in their pajamas. The big screen on the lounge then turned on and Chouno was on the screen)
"Chouno-san! What's with the sudden call?" Kaede asked
"Everyone, I am very sorry to have woken you in your sleep. But there is something I have to inform you all." Chouno said
"Are you alright, Instructor Chouno? You look kinda pale!" Kay said
"I'm fine..for now I want you all to listen carefully. It's about Gero-kun and Erika-chan."
"Onii-chan and Eririn? Why? What happened?" Miho asked
"They were in an accident."
"Eh?"
(At first everyone went all silent and couldn't react right away. After a few seconds they all bombarded Chouno with questions)
"What?! What happened?!" Ono asked
"Are they alright?!" Rosehip asked
"They are now currently in surgery. There's a chance that they won't make it." Chouno said
(The ones closest to Gero either started to cry or were just in a state of shock. They all thought that once again someone they cherished was about to die)
"O-Onii-chan and Eririn w-will die?" Miho cried
"D-Darling.." Kay said
"Onii-sama..Erika.." Maho said
"It's only a chance..a very skilled surgeon is the one taking the lead on their surgery so I just know it will be alright!" Chouno said
(Everyone was wondering what kind of accident happened but those that knew about Pandora knows that it wasn't an accident. Gero's team knew that something had happened and were dying to find out what the situation was)
"Nii-chan! Nii-chan!" Alice cried
"Yosh yosh Alice-sama, it's going to be ok!" Pekoe said
"What can we do Chouno-sama?" Darjeeling asked
"Right now, please pray for them, let them know that they are not alone and that we are here for both Gero-kun and Erika-chan." Chouno said
"We will! Come on everybody, let's pray for them!" Saori said
(All of them then joined hands and prayed together in the lounge thinking only about Gero and Erika. Meanwhile Gero's team and his crew moved to the other room to ask Chouno what really happened. After explaining the situation to them they felt helpless and wanted to act right away)
"What the hell are we doing here?! Let's go there now!" Kal shouted
"Go there and what? There's nothing else we could do! They are already in surgery!" Chouno said
"I know! But still..how can I just sit here and do nothing when they're dying.."
"They're not dying! I'm sure they'll make it!" Klara said
"She's right! Ro-chan is too stubborn to die.." Mika said
"Shiho-sama, Chiyo-sama, and Mai-sama have already been informed earlier and are now on their way to Korea. RYOBU are on their way as well together with them so it's not like we aren't doing anything." Chouno said
"DAMN IT! You are such an idiot Gero! Did you really want to get your revenge that much?!" Ono shouted
"If you were in his shoes, wouldn't you also?" Hajime said
"No use in being angry at him. It's better to feel proud of what both Gero and Erika-san has done." Assam said
"Yeah..they took out Pandora's commander and vice-commander.." Naomi smiled
"I expected much from Gero but I didn't expect Erika-san would get this strong.." Alisa said
"Hey if we got trained by Tiger-kun I bet we would be just as good right?" Takashi said
"That's true!" Ken smiled
"I'm not angry at him..I'm angry at myself for not being there to help him.." Ono said
"We all feel the same..but now it's time for us to pray for them. Let the Gods know what kind of people Gero-kun and Erika-chan are." Chouno said
(Just like the rest, they all prayed together for Gero and Erika. Not just them but other people from all over the world started to pray for them. With Bong-Cha's connections to the media the news team of Korea spread the news of a woman saving his lover's life from death and that said lover is now donating his organs to save the woman that just sacrificed her life for his. This spread all over every news outlet all over the world and within minutes the whole world started to pray for Erika and Gero. People they don't even know and people that are of different races prayed for them. As the whole world prayed, Erika was laying on the surgery table while Gero's blood was being transfused into her veins. She was still unconscious but for some reason she could hear the prayers of everybody)
"They don't deserve this Kami-sama! Please save my friend and my onii-sama!"
"Lord, please save them. They are the most precious people I know."
"Please Kami-sama! Don't take away my onii-chan and Eririn!"
"Dear Lord, give them the strength to pull through this situation."
"I love him so much! Don't take him away from me! Not again!"
"Don't you dare take away my son! You can't have him!"
"I still want to play Senshado with Aniki and Erika-neechan!"
"The both of them have to live!"
"She's my treasured senpai!"
"I want to grow old with him!"
"I can't live without him!"
"Protect them!"
"Help them!"
"Save them!"
"ERIKA!"
[Unknown Realm - Inside Erika's Thoughts]
(The last voice that she heard was Gero's and she woke up inside some kind of dream. She stood up and started to walk around, wondering what this place was)
"I guess I died.." Erika said
"No you didn't.." a mysterious voice was heard
"Who's there?!"
"I'm nothing, and yet I'm also everything.."
"Stop with the wordplay and show yourself!"
"Over here..over there..over here.."
(Erika then slowly turned around and saw a dark figure standing just a couple of meters from her)
"W-Who are you?!" Erika shouted
"I am you, to be more specific I'm the one inside of your consciousness.."
"This place..what is this place? Where am I?"
"This place is called the Sacred Realm..sounds familiar?" the dark figure asked
(Erika remembers what the place is called since Gero told her about this before)
[Sacred Realm - Inside Erika's Thoughts]
"S-Sacred Realm..? Impossible..why am I here?"
"You tell me. This place is only for those that have the Sacred Blood running through their veins so why is someone like you here?" the dark figure asked
"I don't know! Why the hell do you think I'm as confused as you are?! There must be a mistake." Erika said
"Unfortunately for you there is no mistake. Right now you are trespassing in the realm of the chosen ones. Punishment is death."
(The dark figure then suddenly got angry and it released a very ominous aura around it. Started to walk towards Erika and she could feel the killing intent directed towards her. But as usual she wasn't afraid and was again immune to it. The dark figure then noticed that Erika looked like she discovered something)
"Why are you not trembling in fear?" the dark figure asked
"You, are you perhaps the one that gave Gero that cursed power?" Erika asked
"ANSWER ME!" the dark figure shouted
(The dark figure then lifted it's evil arm and swung towards Erika's head aiming to kill her. The next thing that happened shocked the dark figure because Erika did not dodge the attack but instead caught it with her left arm by blocking)
"Impossible! This woman just blocked my attack with only her sheer will!" the dark figure thought to himself
"Don't get cocky..I'll kill you!"
(The dark figure then felt Erika's suffocating pressure and for the first time it felt that he was going to be killed. Erika then grabbed the dark figure by the neck, lifted it up and started to strangle it. The dark figure tried to break free but it couldn't and started to choke)
"You asked me why I'm not afraid of you. The answer is simple. The only thing that fears me the most is not being able to see Gero again." Erika said with a very dark tone
"Why have you come here?!" the dark figure shouted
"You're too noisy.."
(Erika then let go of the dark figure's neck and kicked him as hard as she could. The dark figure was sent flying across the realm in pain. Erika slowly walked towards it and stared at it with her killer blue eyes)
"Whatever the hell you are, I don't think you understand the situation you're in. I'm the one asking the questions. So I'm gonna ask again and you better listen, are you the one that gave my Bakatora the so-called Sacred Possession?"
"So what if I did? What are you going to do about it?"
"Hmm..I see..I'm going to destroy you!"
(The dark figure was surprised after hearing Erika's answer. Soon after it started laughing hysterically as if it heard a tier one joke from a comedian. Erika was so confused while watching the figure laugh very hard.)
"Sorry about that..I just didn't expect your answer..wow it has been a long long time since I laughed that hard..thank you for that.." the figure said
"What's so funny?" Erika asked
"You see, all these years a lot of people come in here and think they own the place. Do you want to know how many have been here before you?"
"..." Erika just stayed quiet
"Thousands..hundreds of thousands..men..women..and children.."
(Erika immediately knew what the dark figure was talking about. The thousands of people that came here were the experiments made by Pandora by giving them Gero's blood)
"The adults that came here wanted power, so I gave them strength and speed in exchange for their intelligence.."
"What about the children?" Erika asked
"Unfortunately the children died the moment they entered this realm. Children are pure but the Sacred Blood in their bodies was already contaminated by other substances.."
"The blood made by Pandora..huh.."
"Every single one died except for one special kid.."
"I've heard enough.."
"Out of all the people that came here, you are the very first one wanting to destroy me. You didn't desire fame, fortune, or power. You wanted to destroy the main reason why my master is now suffering."
"Master? Just what are you?" Erika asked
(The dark figure then slowly changed its appearance. From a dark and ominous aura to a white and furry creature. Erika saw before her Gero's partner whom he named Byakko a white tiger with golden eyes)
"It's nice finally meeting you, Erika-sama. My name is Byakko and I'm Gero-sama's servant and guardian." the tiger bowed
"Then that means..this realm is Gero's?" Erika said
"You are correct. The reason why you are able to enter is because right now Gero-sama has transfused his blood into you.." Byakko said
"Transfused?! Why would he-"
(Erika then remembered what had happened to her. The mission and the grenades, everything came back)
"I thought I died already.."
"Fortunately not yet."
"What happens now?" Erika asked
"You only have one option. Accept the Sacred Blood in you and live another day to be with Gero-sama again. If you don't then all my master's efforts to save you will be in vain and both of you will die." Byakko said
"What?! Why would he die?!"
"There is no time, Erika-sama. Please make a decision now."
(Just before Erika made her decision she reviewed the events of what happened. She started to get angry at herself for not being able to do better.)
"I thought I was strong after being trained by him for a year. Ended up underestimating my enemy, I hesitated and doubted myself when I should've trusted. Tell me Byakko, if I had Sacred Possession would things have turned out differently?" Erika asked
"You can no longer change what happened Erika-sama.." Byakko said
"Just answer the damn question!"
"Yes. I believe that if you had Sacred Possession a lot more options would've been available to you. You could've thrown your sword towards Faceless' head without having to worry about hitting my master. You could've thrown your sword at Faceless' legs to force him to fall down and drop the grenades. You could've done a lot more things if you had the sacred blood but you still managed to save my master without it. For that you have the utmost respect from me and the other guardians before me."
"I see..thank you for answering honestly..with that I just came to a conclusion.."
"What?"
"I am so weak.." Erika smiled
(Erika then took a deep breath and found her resolve. She wanted to be stronger so that she could stand side by side with Gero. She wanted to get stronger so that she could protect the one she loves even more. She looked at Byakko and gave him a nod)
"Very well. Itsumi Erika! I have deemed you worthy of the Sacred Blood! Do you accept it?" Byakko asked
"This cursed power. I humbly accept!" Erika said
(All of a sudden Erika felt her body get hotter as if the blood inside her veins started to boil. Her heart started to beat faster and the memories of the past owners of the Sacred Blood flowed into her mind)
"A quick warning Erika-sama. Now that you have become one of the chosen ones you will no longer live like the normal person you once were. Just like you said, this is a cursed power and the hardships are just about to begin once you wake up." Byakko said
"Bring it on. Whatever the hell comes our way. Be it an army, an organization, a country, the whole world, even the Gods. As long as I'm by Gero's side, WE WILL NOT LOSE! WE WILL NOT FALTER! WE WILL NOT FAIL! WE'LL KEEP ON FIGHTING! AND WE'LL WIN!" Erika smiled
(Chills were sent down Byakko's spine and white fur after hearing Erika's declaration. He couldn't help but smile and feel relieved that the person that will be Gero's wife is such a badass)
"AMAZING! SIMPLY AMAZING! THE GREAT WHITE WOLF THAT WILL STAND TOGETHER WITH THE GREAT WHITE TIGER! NOW AWAKEN, NISHIZUMI ERIKA!" Byakko shouted
[Recovery Room - 19 Hours Later]
(Erika's conscience then exited the Sacred Realm and she slowly woke up from her sleep. As she opened her eyes everything was still blurry and the anesthetic had still not worn off completely. She tried to look around her and she saw a figure of a person sitting beside her.)
"G-Gero..?" she whispered
"Erika-sama?! You're awake! Doctor! Doctor, come here quick!" Nana shouted
(It was Nana and she was guarding Erika and waited for her to wake up. Yong Pal then quickly went over to Erika's side to check up on her)
"Ms. Erika..can you hear me?" Yong Pal asked
"Y-yes.."
"You just woke up from an 18 hour surgery and the anesthesia is still in effect. Are you feeling any discomfort?"
"No..I..I..can't..hear from…my left ear..where's Gero?" she asked
(Yong Pal then moved the hospital bed curtain to Erika's left. As the doctor walked to the side, Erika saw Gero laying on a similar hospital bed. She started to slowly cry seeing him in that state.)
"Your left eardrum was ruptured from the explosion but it will heal in a few weeks. As for Baekho-shi, he hasn't woken up yet but he's going to be fine..rest assured.." Yong Pal smiled
"Gero.." she called out
(Team RYOBU then entered the room together with Shiho, Chiyo and Mai. All of them were very relieved that Erika and Gero were going to be fine)
"Erika-kun!" Shiho called out
"I'm so glad..I'm really really glad both of you are going to be alright.." Chiyo cried
(Erika didn't care about anyone else at the moment and just stared at Gero as he slept. She extended her arm and wanted to reach out to Gero with the little strength she has but their beds were far from each other. Yong Pal then slowly pushed Erika's bed closer to Gero's bed until she was able to place her hand on his face. She gently placed her right ear on his chest and listened in to his strong heartbeat and this made Erika cry out of relief that he was alive)
"Doctor..thank…you..for giving me..the chance to..hear his heartbeat..again.." Erika said softly
"You're welcome..thank you for not giving up on us.."
"B..Bakatora..stop sleeping..and..wake up already..so I can slap you.." Erika jokes
"Erika-san..you're not supposed to hit hospital patients you know?" Mai chuckled
(Nana and Sakurai started to cry seeing both Erika and Gero like that. It was both touching and inspiring how far they'd go for each other)
"I was..prepared to die..for you..and yet..you still managed..to save me..you are such a Bakatora.."
"He too was prepared to die if it meant letting you live.." Yong Pal said
"I..Itsumi Erika..hereby declare..that everything..including my life..is yours..Nishizumi Gero..I'm never letting you go anymore..so prepare yourself..my one and only white tiger.."
(Everyone smiled upon hearing Erika's words. Shiho walked closer to her and bowed to her. Erika was shocked and was confused by this)
"Erika-kun! Thank you! Thank you so much for saving my son! I will spend the rest of my life repaying this debt!" Shiho said
"O-Okaa-sama..please raise your head..it was my weakness..that led to this..situation..and Gero..is the one..that saved..my life.." Erika said slowly
"If there's anything that I want to say to you Erika-chan is that you are not weak..you are by far one of the strongest girls I have met in my life..so hold your head up high!" Chiyo said
"I don't..deserve..such high praise..Chiyo-sama.."
"Yes you do..don't be stubborn and accept all the praise you're going to get from now on!" Mai said
"Erika-sama!" Lt. Sanada called out
"Yes Lt. Sanada?"
"Ready..and bow!"
(All of a sudden team RYOBU was now bowing in respect to Erika and again she was confused)
"W-Why..? Everyone..?" Erika asked
"Thank you for saving the young master!" Cpl. Kaito said
"If it weren't for you Erika-sama, our young master wouldn't be here right now! So thank you so much!" PFC Shun said
"I saw everything through my sniper scope when you jumped in to save Gero-sama from the blast! I was deeply moved and I admire you now even more Erika-sama! Please allow me to serve you from now on!" Sakurai said
"Please Sakurai-san, you're exaggerating! Serve me? I don't have the right.." Erika said
"You do have the right Erika-sama and I too want to serve under you from now on! When you and the young master get married you will inherit the name, Nishizumi. This is not a matter of having the right to, for it is because we want to! Not to mention the blood running through your veins is Gero-sama's meaning you are now a Nishizumi by blood." Nana said
(Everyone was shocked to hear what Nana said about Erika having the blood of a Nishizumi. They were all confused because this is the first time they've heard about it since Nana is the only one that was together with Yong Pal during the surgery)
"B-Blood of a Nishizumi?!" Lt. Sanada reacted
"What do you mean by that?!" Chiyo asked
"Nana-kun, explain.." Shiho ordered
"Please allow me to explain for her.." Yong Pal interrupted
"And you are?" Mai asked
"My name is Dr. Kim Tae Hyun and I performed the surgery on both of them. Let's talk privately over here please so that Erika-san can rest."
(They entered a different room as asked by Yong Pal and he started to explain to them what happened)
"Just as Nana-san said, Baekho's blood was transfused into Erika-san in order to save her. Not just that but also 70% of his liver." Yong Pal said
"I didn't know she was that badly injured.." Mai said
"Wait, this doesn't make any sense! If you transfused the young master's blood to Erika-sama then why.." Lt. Sanada asked
"Why hasn't the blood killed her yet?" Yong Pal said
"How do you know about that?!" PFC Shun reacted
"What's your relationship with my son anyways? Normally a doctor wouldn't do this risky surgery. You've got guts I'll give you that." Shiho said
"Five months ago, Baekho saved my daughter from being taken by Pandora. I decided that day to repay him in any way I can no matter what it was. I also know about his injury and him being treated in Germany."
"Thank you doctor, for saving them!" Shiho bowed
"So why Erika-san hasn't been killed by Gero-chan's blood?" Chiyo asked
"To put it in simple terms, Erika-san was accepted by the blood as a worthy host.." Yong Pal said
"But how? All other people that were given the young master's blood either ended up being mindless bots or dead!" Cpl. Kaito said
"Look, I also don't understand it completely. There could be certain conditions or requirements you need in order to be accepted by the blood."
"So you're saying Erika-sama has met those said requirements?" Sgt. Sakura asked
"I assume so. There's just not enough information to come up with a better explanation regarding why she's alive and the ones before her were not. The important part is that she didn't die so let's focus on that."
"I agree. Let's not dwell on things that we can't make sense of now." PFC Nana said
"I have one more thing I have to show you all. It's about Baekho's injury." Yong Pal said
"Why?! Did it get worse?!" Shiho asked
"Take a look at these images."
(Yong Pal then turned on a monitor that showed different photos of Gero's brain showing signs of swelling due to his injury)
"These were taken from his tests 48 hours ago." Yong Pal said
"It looks better compared to a year ago, meaning his treatments are working!" Nana smiled
"Yes. But now look at these."
(Yong Pal then showed another set of pictures showing Gero's brain which had worse swelling than the previous set of pictures)
"These were taken before his surgery. It looks like his brain is about to burst."
"He used Sacred Possession, again." a voice came from the doorway
(They all were surprised to see that Tsuneo had arrived and entered the room. RYOBU saluted immediately while Shiho was both shocked and happy to see her husband)
"Tsuneo-san!" Shiho said
"Hi sweetie, sorry to interrupt. My son definitely used Sacred Possession even though he knew he was going to get worse. He must've needed to use it last night. Please continue doctor." Tsuneo said
"Of course. Normally with this kind of severe swelling there's no more chance that the patient will survive. But take a look at this now."
(Yong Pal displayed a final set of pictures of Gero's brain again but they all noticed that something had changed)
"This was taken after his surgery. The swelling is completely gone. There are no signs of other complications except for the injury he got last year." Yong Pal said
"But how? How could this happen?!" Shiho asked
"This is the first time I've ever experienced seeing something like this.."
"What is it, doctor?!" Tsuneo asked
"A miracle.."
"Ha?" everyone reacted
"I know it sounds weird coming from a doctor such as myself..but there is no medical explanation for what happened.." Yong Pal said
"What about a non-medical explanation?" Chiyo asked
"The blood inside Baekho has found a new vessel.."
"Vessel?" Mai was confused
"Shiho-san, you once explained it as your son being a pristine vase, but due to Baekho's brain injury the vase now has cracks, correct?"
"That's right doctor.."
"Baekho's blood that was filling up the vase started to leak and now couldn't keep the strength in check resulting in his brain swelling when he uses his power. We only thought of one solution which was to fix the cracks and that was the most medical approach."
"Except for the fact that the young master's condition is out of the realm of being normal.." Nana said
"Exactly! So my non-medical explanation is that when we transfused his blood to Erika-san which was a brand new vase without cracks it released the current pressure building up inside Baekho's brain and naturally healing it." Yong Pal explained
"If you explained this to other people aside from us you'd be called insane and your license would've been taken away without a doubt.. " Mai said
"Luckily our recent circumstances haven't been normal and your explanation makes sense.." Chiyo said
"Sweetie, can you confirm if Erika-chan's aura is the same as our son's now?" Tsuneo asked
"I'll try..and don't call me sweetie!" Shiho blushed
(Shiho then activated her Sacred Possession and took a long look at both Erika and Gero who were resting in the other room. She saw that Erika was emitting an aura the same as Gero confirming Yong Pal's theory. She then deactivated her Sacred Possession and returned to the other room)
"The doctor is correct. From now on, the two of them, Erika-kun and my son have become one, both physically and spiritually. ." Shiho said
"This is a great thing right? Right?" Sakurai asked
"Yes it is. This means your young master is now clear from any life threatening possibilities." Yong Pal smiled
"This is awesome! I was so worried!" PFC Shun cheered
"But he still has to continue his treatments as usual. After that it's smooth sailing!" Yong Pal said
"Of course doctor! Again, thank you very much!" Shiho said
(Meanwhile everyone was rejoicing about all of the good news they are hearing, Gero entered the Sacred Realm inside his subconscious)
[Sacred Realm - Inside Gero's Mind]
"Master.." Byakko called out
"Byakko? What's happening? What am I doing here?"
"I want to say that I'm happy that you were able to avenge your foster father."
"Avenge..? T-That's right..I remember now..on the bridge..I killed Phantom..then..Erika was..where's Erika?! How is she?!"
"Erika-sama will be fine. You will be able to see her as soon as you wake up."
"See her? You mean I'm not dead?"
"No master, both you and Erika-sama survived."
"I..I see..so the surgery was a success..I knew Yong Pal would be able to do it. How am I alive though? Wasn't my brain about to pop? Why didn't my blood kill Erika?"
"The shortest answer would be, the blood pressure on your brain disappeared when you transfused your blood into Erika-sama and the reason why Erika-sama didn't die from your blood was because she was accepted as a worthy host of the blood."
"W-What? What do you mean by all of that?"
"The rest you may ask the doctor that operated on you and Erika-sama herself. For now we have more important things to discuss."
"Okay? What do we need to talk about?"
"Now that Erika-sama has Sacred Nishizumi Blood in her veins, she will eventually experience all that you experienced when it comes to Sacred Possession. You need to look out for her and make sure she knows how to control the blood in her veins."
"I know I know, don't worry I'll make sure that she will master it before you know it!"
"Master, this is important, I know very well that she can master it all on her own, that's the scary part. But if the blood in her veins controls her instead of her controlling it? The day might come that you'll regret saving her today."
"I will never regret saving her. Never. I know she'll be able to control it. This is Erika we're talking about here, what's the worst thing that can happen?"
"The worst? She'll turn into the strongest female Nishizumi in your family's history that's capable of killing anyone or anything she wants. Even you, master."
"You mean, she'll be stronger than okaa-chan?"
"That's right, so I beg of you my master, look out for each other and guide one another. I don't want the day to come that you and Erika-sama have to fight each other until one or both of you dies." Byakko said as he bowed
"You can trust in me Byakko. I swear on this life that I will make sure Erika will not end up like that and that she'll spend the rest of her life happy."
"Thank you very much, my master. Looking forward to more years with you!"
"Me as well, my fluffy partner, yoroshiku!"
(After the conversation with Byakko, Gero drifted away from his subconscious and left the Sacred Realm. Back in room where Erika and Gero was, Erika was just laying back and staring at the ceiling thinking about her current situation as she remembered Nana's words)
"Nishizumi..by blood..huh..?" she thought to herself
"E-Erika.."
(She heard Gero call out to her softly and it made her look at him. She felt Gero grip her hand slowly and his eyes slowly opened.)
"Gero..?" she whispered
"..."
"Gero! Can you hear me?!" Erika spoke louder
(Everyone then heard Erika's voice and they ran quickly to them. Yong Pal immediately tried to see his condition and examined him)
"Baekho? Can you hear me?" he asked
"..."
"Young master!"
"Gero-sama!"
"Gero!" Shiho said
(Gero then was finally able to open his eyes fully and see everyone's worried face)
"How are you feeling Baekho?" Yong Pal asked
"Hungry.."
(They were surprised at his answer and they all started to laugh and their worries disappeared with one word from Gero)
"Geez! The timing you choose to make us laugh!" Chiyo chuckled
"Hehe..sorry..didn't..mean..too.."
"Welcome back..you did one hell of a job.." Tsuneo said
"Told you..we'd be..fine.."
"I'm so proud of you my son! I knew that if anyone would be able to do it, it would be you!" Shiho smiled
"I wasn't..alone..that's why..we won..right..? Erika..?"
"Gero.."
(Gero then slowly looked to his right and stared at Erika's face. She was so happy that Gero woke up and was going to be fine. Tears started to run down her face again as she smiled for joy. Gero slowly reached out to her and gently held her face with his right hand to wipe off the tears. Gero too was smiling with joy that he was able to save the one he loves)
"If..this is heaven..then..it's..not so..bad..after all..if I'm..with you.."
(Gero slowly moves his head closer to Erika's and places his forehead on her own. Both of them closed their eyes and smiled at each other. After surviving this near death experience nothing now can ever stop them. From now on nothing will ever pull them apart.)
"My..Kommandant.."
(Seeing this lovely and warm moment between the two of them, everyone couldn't help but smile and be happy. Yamato Mai brought out her phone and took a picture of Erika and Gero. She quickly sent it to her daughters in Japan and when they saw the picture they all rejoiced. The photo spread to everyone they knew and reached the Tank Meisters via Chouno, Then it reached the people of Korea and finally to the rest of the world. As the people saw that the two survived they rejoiced and celebrated together. That night, it wasn't just their friends and family that wanted them to survive, a lot of people all over the world wanted them to live. For the very first time, Gero's blood did not kill and saved a life and the most important part was that the life that was saved was the woman he loves)
[Six Months Later - Berlin, Germany]
(It's been six months since their mission in Korea and they returned to Germany to resume their university studies. After their life and death surgery it was decided that both Erika and Gero were to take a break from missions until they graduate from their studies. They said they don't want to take any more chances of losing them again. It was a weekend so Gero was having a very nice sleep. When he rolled over to try and hug Erika he was surprised to find out that she wasn't there. He slowly sat up on their bed, made a big yawn, did a bit of stretching and wiped his eyes with his hand.)
"Erika? Weiss?"
"Nyaa~!" Weiss answered
"Good morning Weiss..where's the Kommandant of the house?"
"Nyaa~?"
(Weiss then gave a look at Gero like she was trying to tell him something. Gero felt something off and quickly ran out their room)
"ERIKA?!"
(He searched every room and she wasn't found. He started to panic and run faster all over the house. He decided to go out of the house and when he was about to grab the doorknob it turned and the door opened. Entering their home was Erika with a smiling face and a towel on her shoulder. Gero quickly hugged her and she was surprised)
"G-Gero?! What's wrong?" Erika reacted
"I thought you disappeared! Where were you?!"
"I told you last night that I'd be taking a jog with Sakurai and Nana! Don't you remember?"
(Gero then looked behind Erika and he saw Nana and Sakurai waving at him. He then thought of last night and remembered that Erika did tell him that. His face went all red as his embarrassment set in. The three ladies then started to laugh since it was a very rare moment to see him all embarrassed like that)
"Sorry..I guess I forgot.."
"It's ok, since we get to see a very cute and flustered side of you for a change.." Erika teased
"To make it up to you I'll make you some breakfast.."
"Sounds great, me and the ladies will take a bath first then..better be delicious!" Erika smiled
"You know it will!"
"Sakurai! Nana! Come on in! Let's take a bath together while Bakatora makes us food!"
"Eh?! Can we really?!" Sakurai's eyes shined in excitement
"Hurry up! Don't make me order you!"
"Yes ma'am!" Nana cheered
(Erika gave Gero a smooch on the cheeks then headed up with the girls. Gero then went to the kitchen and started to prepare breakfast. Nana and Sakurai entered the bath first while Erika was looking at the bathroom mirror)
"Foo this is the greatest! It was the perfect weather for a jog!" Sakurai said
"An amazing bath with Erika-sama and we'll be having Gero-sama's delicious cooking again!" Nana said
"What more could we ask for right? Isn't it just a wonderful day Erika-sama?"
"I agree.."
(Erika then smiled at herself in the mirror)
"Right Fenrir?" she said in her thoughts
(At first she looked like she was talking to herself in the mirror but then a big White Wolf suddenly appeared in her mind. It was just like Gero's servant Byakko and was emitting the same aura. It seems Erika has named this servant Fenrir which is the name of the King of Wolves or in this case Queen)
"Yes Erika-sama, it is a very wonderful morning.." Fenrir answered
(Erika looked at herself in the mirror again and this time her right eye glowed golden yellow meaning Sacred Possession was activated in only one of her eyes. Her aura increased and she could feel the blood in her veins boil as it gets stronger)
"A wonderful day indeed.." She smiled
========================================TO BE CONTINUED========================================
Author's Note:
Hi all! This is the last chapter of the special OVAs! How did you like it? Looks like Erika has now a servant and partner named Fenrir, the Queen of Wolves! Also if you watch any K-dramas this chapter has the cameo appearance of Yong Pal from the K-drama series Yong Pal. The story is about a doctor that saves lives of gangsters and other patients. Yong Pal means "Quack Doctor"
I will be posting a picture of Erika activating her Sacred Possession with Fenrir on the Facebook page so go check it out! The link to the Facebook page can be found in my profile account! The next arc will be the International Tournament Arc or the World Tournament Arc! I'll see you all in the next chapters! Peace Out!
Let me know your reactions about this chapter as always in the reviews!
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