Chapter 25: She Can't Die Here
Time stretched.
Each second felt like an eternity.
Yusuke paced.
Back and forth.
His boots slammed against the stone floor, his energy crackling around him like a live wire.
It had been too long.
Shigure had taken Keiko into the chamber over an hour ago.
And Yusuke?
He was losing it.
His fingers twitched at his sides. His chest ached.
Every second that passed felt like it was stealing her away from him.
A rough exhale.
His hands shook.
He turned sharply, slamming his fist into the stone wall. The impact left cracks, dust raining from the surface.
"Damn it…"
Kurama watched from a distance, his usual calm edged with something close to concern.
"She's in the best hands possible," he said carefully.
Yusuke scoffed, his breathing ragged. "The 'best hands possible' better not screw this up."
Kurama didn't argue.
Because he knew.
Yusuke had faced death. Had walked through hell. Had fought monsters, demons, and gods.
But this?
This was different.
This was Keiko.
And she wasn't some warrior, some trained fighter ready for war.
She was Keiko.
The girl who smiled at him when he was a punk. The girl who never gave up on him. The girl who trusted him, even when he didn't trust himself.
And now?
Now she was behind that goddamn door, fighting to stay alive.
Yusuke dragged a hand down his face, his throat tight.
He wasn't used to this feeling.
This helpless, sickening dread that coiled around his chest, making it hard to breathe.
He could feel her slipping.
Could feel her life hanging by a thread.
He clenched his fists so hard his nails bit into his skin.
No.
She wasn't gonna die.
Not here. Not now.
And definitely not after everything they'd been through.
He wasn't gonna let that happen.
Even if he had to tear open the gates of hell to bring her back.
Then—
The door creaked.
Yusuke's head snapped up.
Shigure stepped out.
And his face?
Completely unreadable.
For a moment, Yusuke couldn't breathe.
Then—
"She's alive."
Yusuke's legs nearly gave out.
But then Shigure kept talking.
"But barely."
The air froze.
Yusuke's jaw clenched. His heart slammed against his ribs.
Shigure's gaze was level. Cold.
"She lost too much blood. And her body… it's weak. If she wakes up, she'll be in excruciating pain." He crossed his arms. "And there's a chance… she won't wake up at all."
Yusuke's breath hitched.
That wasn't good enough.
He took a sharp step forward, his eyes burning.
"Then you're gonna make sure she wakes up."
Shigure met his glare without flinching.
"I've done everything I can."
"Then do more!" Yusuke's voice cracked. His entire body shook.
Shigure tilted his head, studying him.
"You're acting like a desperate man."
"Because I am."
The words fell from Yusuke's lips, raw and unfiltered.
And he didn't care.
He didn't care how pathetic he looked. Didn't care how weak he sounded.
Because this was Keiko.
And he couldn't lose her.
Not now. Not ever.
Shigure exhaled.
Then—
"…There may be a way."
Yusuke froze.
Shigure's gaze sharpened, like a blade pressing against skin.
"But if we do this, there's a price."
Yusuke's chest tightened.
A price?
What kind of price?
He didn't know.
But did it matter?
His hands curled into fists. His eyes burned with something close to madness.
He already knew his answer.
"…I don't care what it costs."
"I'll pay it."