Chapter 22: Don't You Die on Me
Yusuke couldn't breathe.
His arms locked around Keiko's broken body, and for the first time since this nightmare started—
He felt fear.
Not the kind from facing monsters. Not the kind from fighting for his life.
This was worse.
This was the fear of losing her.
Keiko's breath was shallow.
Too shallow.
Her face pressed against his chest, and she was barely there.
"Keiko…?" His voice was hoarse.
No response.
His grip tightened. "KEIKO?!"
Nothing.
No. No, no, no.
His fingers shook.
She was too still.
Yusuke's eyes darted to Mikuri.
That bastard was still twitching, barely conscious.
Yusuke's rage burned.
His fist clenched, trembling.
He should kill him.
Right now.
End it.
But then—
A weak breath.
Yusuke's eyes snapped down.
Keiko's lips moved.
"…Yusuke…"
His heart slammed against his ribs.
She was still alive.
But for how long?
Yusuke gritted his teeth.
He had to move.
Had to get her out of here.
His hand cupped Keiko's face, brushing blood-matted hair from her forehead.
"You hang on," he whispered, voice raw.
"You hear me, Keiko?"
Her eyelids fluttered.
A faint nod.
That was enough.
Yusuke stood, cradling her close.
And Mikuri?
Mikuri groaned.
Tried to lift his head.
Yusuke turned.
His teeth bared. His spirit energy burned white-hot.
This bastard—
He had the nerve to still be breathing?
Yusuke's vision blurred in red. He could still hear Keiko's shallow, rattling breath. See her body limp in his arms, covered in bruises and cuts. Blood caked to her skin.
Mikuri's voice was just a pained chuckle. "Hah… you look scared, Urameshi."
Yusuke's chest heaved.
Scared?
Oh, he was past scared.
Past furious.
He was goddamn nuclear.
His energy flared, blowing the debris around them apart. The very ground beneath them cracked under his sheer rage.
"I should blow your goddamn head off," Yusuke hissed, voice shaking with barely-contained fury.
Mikuri coughed up blood, but that damn smirk stayed.
"Tch… Go ahead then…" His voice was weak, barely holding on. "But you can't… can you?"
Yusuke's jaw locked.
He wanted to.
God, he wanted to.
But Keiko's heartbeat was slowing.
And that mattered more.
Without another word, Yusuke turned away, his grip tightening around Keiko's fading warmth.
"You're not worth it."
And then—
BOOM.
A final Spirit Gun slammed into Mikuri's gut, sending him crashing into the stone ruins, half-buried in rubble.
Yusuke didn't stay to watch.
Didn't even check if Mikuri was still alive.
Because right now?
Right now, Keiko was all that mattered.
He clutched her tighter—
And ran.
Every step pounded into the ground, his chest tight with panic.
Keiko wasn't responding.
Her weight was too light in his arms, like she was already starting to slip away.
No.
No, no, no, NO!
Not after all of this.
Not after everything they'd been through.
His legs burned as he pushed himself faster, tearing through the ruined battlefield, past the broken remains of Mikuri's twisted domain.
He had to get back to Raizen's territory.
He had to get her help.
He had to—
"Yusuke…"
A whisper.
So faint he almost didn't hear it.
But it was her.
His heart nearly stopped.
"Keiko?"
Her head moved just barely.
She wasn't gone yet.
Yusuke grit his teeth, eyes burning, his grip on her tightening.
"You just hang on," he muttered, voice raw. "You don't get to die on me, you got that?"
She made a small, broken noise.
Something between a breath and a sob.
And Yusuke kept running.
Because if he stopped—
If he slowed down for even a second—
She might not make it.
And that was something he would never let happen.