No one was in the room when she awoke, but just as she did, a screech belched out of her being, calling in a worried nurse. Sakura, sitting up in the hospital bed, stared out in front of her blankly. The nurse sprang to her side and appeared to say or ask something, but Sakura couldn’t hear what she was saying. All she could hear were the words her brother spoke to Hisoka earlier. She couldn’t remember where or when she heard them, it was almost like a dream. For all she knew—and feared—what she heard had already taken place, but how long ago or if it had yet to happen, she didn’t know.
Her eyes then darted from side to side and stopped upon the nurse standing beside her. She was a young girl, maybe just a year or two older than she. She wore a plain white nurses’ garb with a wholly unattractive white cap. The only thing that came to her mind when she saw the cap was how much she hated them.
“Are you all right? Sakura?” she asked, the worlds finally reaching Sakura’s ears.
Looking down, Sakura swallowed once hard and looked back up to the nurse. “I know this will be hard to understand, but I’m find now. Really. But I have someplace I have to be…” She kicked the blankets off and hopped up and out of bed. She scanned the room again. “Where are my clothes?”
“It’s hospital policy. We keep the garments of all patients out of their respective rooms to deter any runaways.”
“I’m sure you can see from my chart,” she picked up the chart at the foot of her bed and threw it into the nurse’s hands, “that I am perfectly fine. For all you doctors knew, I was just sleeping, so now that I’m awake, you can go retrieve my clothes and I will be out of your hair.”
With hands shaking, the nurse took the chart and stepped out of the room, saying as she left, “Yes, I’m sorry. I will get your things.”
“You do that,” she said to herself.
She had to get out of here and find Kataki, before he did anything he would regret, and she wouldn’t have some idiot doctors hold her back. Kataki could be so rash, and the way he had been acting, she didn’t know what he would do.
Before the nurse returned with her belongings, Sakura paced back and forth in her hospital room, her legs and arms starting to feel the cold of the room. Why hospitals were kept at such a low temperature was beyond her. You’d think that they’d want to keep it at a normal temperature so that their patients wouldn’t catch a cold or something lame like that.
Finally the nurse returned with another clipboard full of papers for her to sign. “The doctors okayed you to leave, if you would just sign these papers.” The nurse held the clipboard in one hand and Sakura’s clothes in the other, but as she spoke, Sakura only responded with a dumbfounded look. “Here,” she said, handing the clipboard to Sakura.
“You’re kidding right? You won’t give me my clothes until I sign these papers?”
“I’m sorry, it’s hospital policy.”
How absolutely ridiculous. There was no way she could get out of the hospital in the next couple minutes if she had to sign a book full of papers like an author signing his name on hundreds upon hundreds of his own novels for customers. “You have got to be kidding me! I have to leave now. I don’t have time to sign all of these papers.”
“But… it’s the policy…”
“I don’t care if the policy says you can’t have your paycheck until you dye your hair purple! I’m leaving now. Gimme those!” she said, forcefully grabbing her clothes away from the woman and began putting on her jeans.
“But what about—”
“—sign them yourself.”
How stupid, how really, really stupid this hospital was, Sakura thought. If she had to run away from these stupid people in order to get out of the hospital as soon as possible, then she’d do it. She’d run down the white, silent halls, past room after room of unconscious patients, dash past the lobby and out the front doors for a clean getaway. Her house wasn’t too far away, maybe only 15 minutes away. Fully clothed again, she quickly ran to the door, threw her hospital garb at the nurse, and ran out and down the hall.
There was hardly anyone in the hallways, no other nurses, doctors, patients, visitors. If she was the only patient in the entire hospital, she’d believe it. But since there wasn’t anyone around, she could get out of the hospital without and problems, and she could get out fast. That was what she had to be sure she was, fast. She had to get home before Kataki did anything…
**********
“What do you mean, you know who I am?” Kaori said, setting a dirty cup of hot water down next to the small tray of bread she was nibbling at. “Wait a minute… You—you didn’t say anything… Huh? I don’t understand…”
I know you’re a psychic. Xien’s voice came through the chatter in her head. But what I don’t know is why a psychic would be thrown into prison and locked away. Who are you exactly?
Kaori was surprised. Fumbling with a piece of bread, she tried to think of what to say and yet be careful of what she did reveal to this man. She still didn’t quite know who to trust.
If you’re going to trust anyone in here, it’s going to be me. Now, if you tell me who you are and what you’re doing here, then maybe I can help you.
“Why are you talking into my head?”
Everyone has their secrets, and I’d like to keep mine as such. He glanced down the corridor toward where the other guards were still bickering. Who are you? What are you doing here?
“I don’t really—”
Shh, don’t speak aloud. Talk like me.
It had been a long time since she tapped into her psychic abilities. She almost wondered if she could still use them correctly. Once you learn how to ride a bike, you can’t forget. She hoped this was the same.
I… I don’t know why I’m here. Her voice was quite, slow, hesitant. But I think it might have something to do with a patient that I’ve been trying to help—he’s just a young kid, but he’s had some really strange things happen to him, from nightmares that he can’t wake up from to the appearance of a strange power—
Who is this kid? Xien leaned forward with his forearms bent, leaning on the bars of Kaori’s cell.
His name’s Hisoka, Kenage Hisoka. He was just an ordinary high school student… or at least that’s what his mother wanted us to believe. See, when he was just a little boy, around 3 or 4, something happened—even I don’t know what it was—he fell into a strange coma-like state, his father disappeared, then shortly after, he came to and was fine. People who knew about the incident kinda thought that he had something to do with his father’s disappearance, like maybe he caused his death or something and his mother covered it up so that Hisoka wouldn’t have to bear that kind of guilt. I think—
How are you tied into all of this? There’s something you’re not telling me, something I think you’ve even lost track of… What are you hiding?
Well, you’re obviously a psychic, too, why do you ask so many questions. Can’t you just read my mind?
With a frown, Xien turned his back to Kaori and resumed his previous stature from before, his back leaning against the bars of the cell. “You really talk too much, you know that?”
Or maybe you can’t read my mind. Maybe I’m the one that should be asking the questions. Who are you? Why are you here? Why do you seem so interested in finding out who I am?
Xien swung around and cast his purple eyes bearing down upon Kaori. “Because, I—”
Heh heeh. Now who’s losing control? Kaori said grinning as she took a bit of bread. Now, why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself. I won’t go out with any guy before knowing something about him first.
Wha—? Xien shook his head and skipped Kaori’s last comment. I’m not a soldier in this army. I’m infiltrating this place to find someone. Is that good enough for you?
Kaori simply shook her head “no.”
Listen, I can’t let you in on any more than this. If I do, it could jeopardize the whole plan, and I can’t risk that.
Oooh, a guy with secrets. I like that. Standing, Kaori stepped nearer to the bars. But I’ll respect your wishes and not pry any further. If this turns out to be a long relationship, maybe you’ll be able to trust me with your worries later. Now, what are you up to with me, huh? I’m just some lonely, unattractive prisoner. What possibly could you gain from talking with me, like this?
Xien glanced back down the corridor, tapping his foot impatiently or anxiously. He had something he wanted to talk about, to get out in the open, but he didn’t know how that would change things or possibly effect the outcome of his plans. With a hand, he pushed back a strand of hair out of his face coolly. Fine. I’m here to find my little sister. She was kidnapped two years ago and I’ve been trying to find her ever since.
Why are you looking for her here? What does she have anything to do with this place?
I don’t know, but I know she’s here somewhere… I just—
You’re not strong enough to find her.
Xien shifted his weight, his frown still plastered on his smooth face. What do you mean by that?
It’s alright. Everybody has to start somewhere. You’re an inexperienced psychic, that’s why you can’t read my mind and it’s also why you can’t find your sister. But you’re strong enough to know that she’s around here somewhere. You just can’t pinpoint where. And that’s where I come in, isn’t it? Have you been nice to me just because you knew I was a psychic?
“That’s not important,” Xien said aloud, again turning his back to her. He looked away and down the corridor and wanted to walk away, to ignore everything Kaori was saying. Weak. Him? No, he was far more powerful than either of them knew. Though, she was right about one thing: he did need her. Despite all of his strengths, he could not find his sister on his own. If this other psychic could help him in doing that, then he would stay with her, help her escape, and use her all the way. The voices from down the corridor began to shout and grow louder and louder, their speech beyond any sort of understanding. The voices grew so loud, Xien took a few steps toward the noise, unsure if someone would come down and retrieve him from his current post.
“What’s going on?” Kaori said.
Xien only shook his head and continued to stare down the corridor. He remained standing there unmoving for several seconds, then he suddenly began doing something Kaori thought was very strange, something she had never seen before and yet seemed very familiar. Raising a hand to the level of his closed eyes, Xien began to draw imaginary words in thin air, from which bright fire sprang forth as if ink from his pointed forefinger.
“What are you doing?” Kaori said, her eyes wide. Amazing, she thought. Was this some kind of magic? She couldn’t place her hand on what it was, but it seemed like she should know exactly what he was doing, like she herself once knew how to do the same sort of incantation. Xien didn’t answer her question at all. He neither shook his head in answer nor spoke anything aloud or psychically. He simply continued to draw words of fire in the shape of a circle in the center of the corridor, facing where the loud soldiers were yelling. Once he completed the circle, the words began to pulsate in intensity and began to slowly rotate as though it was a steering wheel and someone was constantly turning it to the right.
Xien then turned back to Kaori and grinned. “Pretty neat fireworks, huh?”
Kaori returned his smile. “What is that?”
He turned to look back at his handiwork, pleased. “It’s only a low level barrier, so we don’t have to worry about making any noise— no one will hear anything beyond this.”
It was amazing. Kaori’s eyes shone almost as brightly as the barrier itself, so impressed with Xien’s sudden use of magic. She felt something travel from the very bottom of her feet up to the tip of her head and she screamed with excitement.
Xien jumped. “What the hell’d you do that for?”
“What? No one can hear me anyway.”
“But you can see I’m still here,” Xien said.
“You’re a boring one. I guess you don’t get excited at all over anything.”
Xien was beginning to wonder if he was making a big mistake, by helping a prisoner escape. If the others found out that both of them are missing, they would have no other choice but to assume that he helped her escape—his cover blown. But on the other hand, if he had her on his side, he wouldn’t need to sneak around with the guards, having to do their mindless work day in and day out. She might just be the thing he needed to find his sister.
“So anyway, how are you going to get me out of here?”
“Simple,” Xien said. He turned back to the barrier and began to add some extra words to it. The orange color of the words suddenly burned red and began to rotate the opposite direction, pulsating much faster and intensely. Then he turned to the solid brick wall opposite to Kaori’s cell, writing the same strange language on the wall, only he drew the words in the form of a star rather than a circle. Once the figure was formed, he turned back to Kaori and grinned again, his amethyst eyes glowing in time with the pulsating circle barrier. He placed his hands on two bars of the cell. “Now, be sure to watch this. This is my favorite trick.” Kaori nodded, took a step back and continued to watch on attentively. Xien closed his eyes again and let out a deep breath. Kaori’s gaze moved up from his hands upon the cold, steel bars of the cell to his shaggy white hair and golden tanned skin of his face. If she had never come across a cute guy before, then this was a first for her. Before she could think too much on that, her attention again was drawn to his hands. Glowing a bright purple color on the black steel bars of the cell, Xien’s hands gradually burnt completely through the bars, the steel melting under his touch. As soon as he broke through one set of bars, he opened his eyes again, his eyes melting with eerie light. “You might want to stand back.”
Listening to him, Kaori stepped as far away from the bars as she could until her legs hit the small cot and completely lost her balance, toppling backwards on top of it.
“Heh,” Xien laughed at the sight. “You’re not only a psychic, but a klutzy one at that.”
“Shut up, you—”
Before Kaori could say anything more, the purple light that melted through the cell bars began to melt Xien’s own hands. They distorted and grew long and slender, sharp silver claws about an inch long shot out of the tips of his fingers. It was a frightening and yet astonishing thing to see. With the light still as bright as his eyes, Xien slashed once with his left hand and then his right to leave a purple X linger in the air as the bars melted under his touch and broke away.
“This is kinda gross,” he said, spitting twice into each purple palm. As his saliva touched his skin, it cooled his wolf-like palms and turned a cool gray color, the back sides of his hands still very hot. He then grabbed pieces of the bars that he cut and tossed them down the corridor, away from the fiery barrier.
“Yes, that was very disgusting,” she said as she jumped to her feet and joined him at his side. “Now what?”
Without saying a word, Xien faced the star he drew on the wall. He cracked the knuckles in his right hand in the palm of his left. Then, drawing some more strange words on the back of his right hand, he wound up for a punch and sent his fist through the center of the star on the wall. All around the area enchanted with his magic crumbled and fell to his feet, revealing a hidden passage way beyond.
Kaori jumped up and down like a little kid. “Ha! Cool!”
“Well, may I suggest we get out of here?” he said, holding out a clawed hand to her.
“You’ve got to be kidding…”
“Oh, sorry,” he tried to laugh, hide his embarrassment. He held his hands up to his face and blew a cool breeze on them, dousing the light and returning his hands to normal, human-like form. Again, he held out a hand. “Here. We have to hurry. These barriers won’t last for long.”
Kaori took his hand without thinking too much of it, stepped over a few blocks from the wall as he pulled her down through the newly found escape route. Nearing a sharp curve to the right, she glanced back behind her and saw the wall slowly reforming itself, sealing up the hole in which they walked through. Amazing!
**********
It wasn’t a very long walk from the hospital back to her house, but she just had a feeling deep inside that told her, made her hurry. She couldn’t explain why she felt this apprehensive, this desperate to stop whatever it was she was feeling from happening. It was almost like a psychic prediction or something. She felt as though the world around her was about to change, for the better or the worse, yet change drastically. She had a clear image appear in and out of her mind of a kind of medieval type of world, most of the modern technology gone, people relearning how to survive without the convenience of abundant technology— or at least the easy access to such technology. In terms of the physical land, she felt as though a huge chasm split the world in two, causing earthquakes in places that never had them before; destroying houses, skyscrapers, most of all modern civilization, when it was all over, the world was a place she could no longer recognize.
**********
Something was different with Kataki, he seemed like a different person from the one Hisoka knew. The Kataki that he knew didn’t even have the physical strength to kill somebody, and he certainly didn’t have the strength to toss somebody through a window. Something was very different and very wrong.
“You’re still sitting there?” Kataki said as he walked through the front door. He looked up into the snowy sky and took a deep breath, then he looked back down at Hisoka, lying there in the snow, his blood coloring it red. “Snow is meant to be white. Look what you’re doing to perfectly good snow,” he shook his head in disgust.
“Gee, Kataki. I don’t mean to rain on your sunny day,” Hisoka said, still slouching on the ground.
Kataki shook his head. “It’s no problem. Three plusses outweigh one negative, after all.”
Three? What did Kataki mean by three? Hisoka could only imagine. Kataki killed his mother. That was one. Who could the other two be? A second after he asked himself the question, Hisoka knew the answer. Kataki hated his parents almost as much as he hated Hisoka. He must have killed them, too.
The gash in his side was still bleeding heavily, but Hisoka ignored it as he got to his feet. “You finally did it, didn’t you?” he asked, turning toward Kataki. He held his left hand over the cut.
“Even you knew it was inevitable. I give you credit for figuring that out,” Kataki said as he began to slowly walk toward Hisoka and then around him in a rather authoritarian motion. “But you weren’t smart enough to know that I’d come for you, huh?”
Hisoka lowered and shook his head ever so slightly. The sad thing was he did know Kataki had a breaking point, he just didn’t know what it was or when it would happen. Still, he never imagined that Kataki would have such power, such inhumanly power. His glance went to Kataki’s left arm.
Kataki saw his gaze fall to his left arm and he grinned. “What are you thinking?” He knew what he was thinking, but he wanted to hear the words himself.
“I think...” Hisoka stopped abruptly, gasped for a breath as blood spat out of his mouth and down his chin. He ignored the pain in his side and continued on as though nothing happened. “I think you made a deal with the devil,” he said at last.
Kataki shook his head in disproval. “No, not with the devil; my savior!” The grin on his face was so huge, it frightened Hisoka. “This,” Kataki flexed his metallic left arm again, “was a gift from god!”
“Tsh, you’re still as insane as you always have been,” Hisoka said. He let his left arm drop from the wound on his side and he stood up straight, his face blank from any and all emotion. He was reading himself for the fight of his life, for his life.
“Insane with delight, perhaps!” Kataki said. He lifted his hand, palm open wide toward Hisoka, and a blast of freezing-cold air burst from it. Hisoka raised his hands to shield his face from the wind, but the blast was so powerful, he could feel his feet slipping underneath him in the snow. A moment later, he felt himself flying backward, blind to what lay behind him. Then he stopped a second later, his back crashing hard into the big tree in his front yard. The air kept flowing from Kataki’s outstretched hand as he took step after step toward Hisoka and the tree. There was nothing Hisoka could do. He was glued to the tree like a fly to sticky paper.
“Death upon a tree,” Kataki said, more to himself than to Hisoka, a murderous trance. Then he clenched his hand closed. Kataki’s metallic hand shone a dark blueish-purple color as he commanded the air around Hisoka to grip him as though it were Kataki’s own hand. The air that was in Hisoka’s lungs was squeezed out, and like squeezing a saturated sponge, the air wrung Hisoka’s body so tightly that blood from his side began to pour out in a thick, steady stream to the snowy ground. “I’ll wring the life from you!” Kataki said. His face contorted with a devilish snicker.
“Kataki, no!” came a voice from the street.
It was Sakura. She stood at the edge of the street, panting. Kataki turned to look at her with shocked surprise flooding his eyes. His magical grip on Hisoka was severed without realizing it as he took a single step toward his sister. Hisoka fell to his knees, then toppled over, head first, into the snow, gasping for air.
“Sakura! What are you doing here?” His eyes were huge. He couldn’t understand why she was standing there in front of him. He honestly believed that she may never awaken from whatever coma-thing she was in. “You’re all right!” he added with a smile, this time it was a smile of pure joy.
Sakura shook her head as she tried to get her breath. Her glance fell upon Hisoka who was beginning to catch his own breath, his back against the tree. He was all bloody and she knew how it happened. Finally, she looked back at her brother and then to his arm. Kataki followed her gaze and smiled again.
“Isn’t it beautiful, Sakura? I have such unbelievable power now!”
“Did you…do that to mom and dad?” she said, tears welling up in her eyes.
Kataki was stunned. “Who else do you think could have done that? They were asking for it all these years.”
She never heard him say anything as coolly as he just had. She shook her head again in disbelief. “Something is wrong,” she said. “Kataki, I’m worried, for you and for Hisoka! What’s happened to you?”
He didn’t like the tone of her voice. “You make it seem like I’ve done something wrong. Well, I haven’t, okay? I’m just doing what anyone else would in my position.”
“Kataki, listen to me,” Sakura said, taking a few steps toward Kataki. “You have to stop… Before anyone else gets hurt.”
Kataki snorted, not amused. “Did you come out of that coma just to tell me that? Not to hurt anyone?” He began to laugh, and laugh, and laugh… His laughter rang over and over again in Hisoka’s ears, the image of the demon from his nightmare still hanging in the background. Sakura simply stared at the man with her brother’s face in front of her. “Of all the things in the world you could ask me to do for you, of all the things…you ask me not to hurt him?” he gestured toward Hisoka with his still human right hand. Then the smile melted from his face. “I’d do almost anything for you, Sakura… and I think you know that. But why… Why would you ever ask me to sacrifice that opportunity?”
“You call murdering someone an opportunity?” She couldn’t believe it. “Who are you?” she yelled, running at her brother until she was close enough to smack him across the face. “Tell me! Who the hell are you?” She raised her hand to strike his face again, but Kataki caught it with his left before she could. Whatever light appeared in his eyes at the sight of his sister standing perfectly well again in front of him was gone. He was mortified and at last he knew whom she chose.
“My name is Kataki,” he said, still holding tightly onto her hand. “Do you know what that means? Revenge. Pure and simple. Who am I to fight against a fate that was given to me before the dawn of time? No one can fight it, not even you. So, why don’t you just let things be. There is nothing you can do now.” Kataki threw her hand away, turned his back to her. He looked back to Hisoka, who was still unable to stand. It would be so easy, Kataki thought. So simple to slice his head off just the way he had done with his mother. He could almost see it happening before him like a movie. He saw the gusts of air dashing straight for Hisoka’s neck, then biting down, saw into and through soft tissue until…
He blinked again and his vision vanished. Hisoka hadn’t moved but Sakura had. She stood between the two of them, blocking his way.
“Move,” Kataki said.
Sakura shook her head.
“Move!” Kataki repeated.
She was adamant and would not be moved. “No! I won’t let you keep doing this! You need help!”
“I need help?” he couldn’t believe what she was throwing at him. “Why are you doing this? Why are you protecting him?”
The tears that welled up in her eyes finally broke free and trickled down her face. “Because…” She felt strange, and hot. The weirdest feelings and images swept over her. She didn’t know what she was saying. “Because I loved him…” The anger in Kataki’s eyes turned to sheer pain, true anguish. Hisoka, who had been resting his head against the tree behind him, looked up at Sakura. What did she mean?
“I… I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t do anything to help him. That’s why… That’s why was given this chance, to do it right!”
Kataki just shook his head, unable to understand.
“Kataki,” she continued, “you have to stop! Please!”
“No…” he said, still shaking his head. “No… You— Why? I—” He couldn’t speak, he couldn’t grasp what he wanted to say, to express what he was feeling. And then he felt his hand drift down to his other metallic hand and he knew. He had no sister. He found calmness again, his eyes ran blank, he felt nothing, only knew what he had to do. “You stand in my way, child. If you wish to share in his demise, then so be it.” He took another step toward Sakura and Hisoka and the tree. He almost couldn’t see the tears running down her face.
Hisoka, confused and hurt, also felt something strange churning inside himself. It felt hot, bubbled up from his heart and he thought he was going to pass out. Instead, he felt himself stand as though commanded to do so by an unknown force or desire. Hisoka didn’t understand what Sakura had said moments before, but he understood one thing: Kataki threatened her life, and whether or not he had the strength to challenge him, he would not let Sakura die.
He felt his right hand burst into flame as he put his other hand on Sakura’s shoulder, gently yet firmly pushed her aside. She looked at him with teary eyes, and she knew what was going to happen.
“You think you can fight me?” Kataki said without noticing the flame that just ignited in Hisoka’s hand.
The light of the fire danced in Hisoka’s eyes and almost looked as though they were alight with flame from the inside. His whole body felt hot and he liked it. It was a sensation that he had never felt before, never this intensely. He grinned, all memory and feeling of his injuries, gone. “Yeah, I think I can,” he said.
Just as Hisoka and Kataki began running at each other, one with a hand of fire and the other with a hand of air, another figure appeared on the edge of the road.
“What the hell!?” Frenier said and dropped a can of coffee.
Sakura turned around and saw her friend, ran to him ask the others fought behind. “We have to stop them!” she said. “Before they kill each other!”
“What the hell is going on? Isn’t that your brother?”
Sakura nodded and swallowed hard.
He looked back at the two and saw it. “What the— What the shit’s in his hand? Both of them!”
She shook her head. “I don’t know… My parents are dead! And so is Hisoka’s mother! I just know it! If we don’t do something, Hisoka’s going to be next!”
Frenier, his green hair blowing in the snowy air, looked back at the fight as though he were watching a sumo tournament on TV and saw Hisoka’s fist explode into Kataki’s chest, sending him crashing through the front door of the house. “Damn, where’d he get that power?”
The battle stopped for a moment. Kataki was nowhere in sight. Hisoka, his eyes still burning brightly, sauntered toward the house and walked in through the hole in the door.
With nothing more to watch, Frenier turned back toward Sakura. She was not amused. “This is not some sort of baseball game, Frenier!” she yelled at him.
“No— I— didn’t mean—” He sighed and looked back at the house. “I guess… I can just go up to them and ask nicely for them to stop.” He was joking, but he did exactly as he said before Sakura could say anything or stop him. Stepping into the house the same way Hisoka had done, he disappeared. All was silent.
And then it exploded. The house exploded with such fury, every single wooden board and brick was thrown outward separately, in every direction. Sakura fell to the ground at the edge of the street and looked on in disbelief as she saw from the rubble of the house two figures standing, one glowing red and the other purple. There was no sign of Frenier.
And then she saw it, the figure of a dragon and serpent dancing high above in the sky, fighting. She knew it was just a vision, like her dream before, but still she looked above at the black sky, wondering if she would see them still fighting up there. When she didn’t see anything, she looked back toward the house. Another wave of heat passed over her, and she felt as though she knew exactly what she had meant before, when she tried to get Kataki to stop fighting. She understood so clearly that she couldn’t even feel herself stepping closer to the battlefront, she couldn’t feel the pieces of glass piercing through her little shoes, she couldn’t hear the crackling of the burning wood around her. The two rivals were so engrossed into their battle that neither of them noticed her standing beside them until she grabbed hold of Kataki’s metallic arm. She looked at him, tears still in her eyes though they had stopped falling, and she smiled. On contact, Kataki’s arm reacted violently, on its own, and sent shock after shock of electrified bolts through her body. But she never let go of his hand.
“Please… Kataki.” The smile never left her face. “Let this… be the end…”
Both Kataki and Hisoka awoke from their berserker rage and watched as Sakura slumped to the ground.
“Sakura!” Kataki screamed. He bent down to her, shook her lifeless body in his hands. “Wake up! I— I didn’t mean— I didn’t do it! It wasn’t me! Please, wake up!!”
Hisoka found himself standing in front of Kataki and the body of Sakura. He couldn’t remember what just happened but he knew the result. Sakura was dead. The only person he wanted to protect, and she was dead before he knew what was happening. The flame in his hand died. He only slightly felt the ground begin to quake under his feet.
Kataki’s face was pressed against Sakura’s chest as he sobbed into her clothing. He was prepared to kill her along with Hisoka if he had to, but… Now that she was dead, he felt horrible. He wanted to kill himself for losing control, for losing sight of what needed to be done, exactly how it needed to be done. But there was still one thing that could take all of his pain away. He raised his head and saw Hisoka standing there, his guard down. He heard Sakura’s last words again in his mind. “Let this be the end,” she had said… and he saw exactly what she meant.
“This will be the end,” he said. Springing to his feet, he sunk metal fingers into Hisoka’s arm and with one great tug, he ripped it open, the entire length from just below the shoulder to just above the wrist. Hisoka screamed in agony but did not fall. He remained standing as Kataki side-stepped behind him and sunk his whole hand through the center of Hisoka’s back and through to the other side. Hisoka didn’t move, but he looked down, saw the tips of Kataki’s fingers sticking out of his chest, and he coughed. Blood poured from his mouth and splattered on Kataki’s already blood-soaked hand. Hisoka felt no pain; he was too far from that point. But when Kataki ripped his hand free from Hisoka’s body, he slumped to his knees beside Sakura. He knew he was dying.
Listen, I want you to run away. It’s the only way to keep you safe.
You know I can’t do that. It’s too late for me, but at least we can stay together for a little longer, at least until tomorrow.
Why won’t you let me help you?
Because it’s not up to you to help me. You’ve already saved my life once. Let me return the favor for once.
But you already have.
He didn’t know when he had said these words to Sakura, but he knew she was the reason he was still alive, until the end. Her words gave him the final strength he needed to stand again despite the gaping hole in his chest. He was living off of one breath, one final breath, to put all of this to an end.
As he stood beside Sakura’s body, his eyes flared with red fire again, his red hair standing straight up as his entire body was engulfed in flame. Two wings of fire sprouted on his back, one on either side of the gigantic wound. And just like in the dream, he took to the air—not too high—and looked down at Kataki. He had his own share of battle-wounds from before but it was going to take a hell of a blast to destroy Kataki in one blow. Hisoka held out his shredded right hand, and from within his palm came a long silver dagger made of flaming steel. A second later, Hisoka gripped the golden dragon-shaped hilt with both hands and extended the length of the blade by three and a half feet, turning it into a massive broad sword. He raised the sword above his head, then let it fall from his hands as he brought it swinging down toward Kataki. The blade struck through his chest, not far from where Hisoka’s own wound was, but it was not a killing blow.
Kataki fell to the ground and fumbled at the sword’s hilt, trying to grab a hold of it to pull free, but his blood spilled over the end of the hilt. Every time he tried to pull it out, his hands slipped, and the two dragon eyes on the hilt seemed to glow with laughter.
Hisoka’s time was done. He had spent his final breath and crashed to the ground like a bird shot from the sky, his fiery wings nothing more than a puff of smoke. He felt nothing but the soft darkness wrapping around him. And a voice far off in the distance that called after him, “This is not the end.”