Sakura's heart stopped. She couldn't look away from the screen, but she didn't want to watch either. Every ounce of her being ached as she saw Aaron's figure slump, his blood staining Gifu's monstrous hand.
She felt like her heart dropped, the scene she watched made her blood run cold, she truly wished that what she was looking at was nothing more than a bad dream.
She wanted what she was witnessing to be a dream, a hallucination.
She clenched her fist so hard that she bled, Her teeth were gritted so hard that she could probably crush a metal ball in her mouth.
There were so many things she wanted to tell him, she also really wanted to apologize for acting rashly and treating him like he was the worst thing to happen to her.
Her fists trembled, her eyes glued to the shattered form of Aaron Marshall, who had fought so ferociously. Her throat tightened.
She had never apologized. She'd never told him... maybe it wouldn't have mattered, but she'd wanted him to know that she saw him as something more than an enemy or a nuisance. That may be, in another world, he could've been—
She was angry, more angry than she had ever been. However, there was one feeling that triumphed over that anger.
It was grief, a lot of grief. She hated herself for that if only she had one more chance.....one more chance.
Ikki shook beside her, his fists clenching and unclenching. His breath came out in ragged bursts, and his eyes never left Aaron's lifeless body.
"Gifu has been weakened by a large margin, his body is unable to control itself, Aaron practically gave you three the perfect assist to finish it off," George said sipping some more boba.
He didnt really look that worried, the sword had basically finished a whole tour of the world and was coming back to Japan.
George had a rough idea of what the anomaly planned, he was not going to spoil it though.
It also might be his bias but Aaron's body was special, he knew that as long as he had calory to burn, his body could heal practically anything.
Sure Gifu had punched a hole in his chest, however, George could tell the monster hadn't hit Aaron's heart, he was close but not close enough.
If his heart could receive any form of boost to bring it back to life in the next 24 hours or so, he would be fine.
Ikki however did not care about George musing, he felt powerless....why couldn't he be trusted?
Why couldn't Aaron trust him with such a plan?
Anger boiled under his skin, simmering and threatening to break free. "This... this was his plan?" he muttered, fury lacing his words. "He didn't tell us because he knew we wouldn't go along with it... He was using himself as bait—he thought he had to die for us to win."
Daiji's jaw tightened as he absorbed George's calm statement. "What the hell, George? Why did he have to go out like this? Why didn't he wait, or give us a chance to help?" Daiji's fists balled, anger blending with the helplessness eating away at him.
He wanted to jump in and rip Gifu apart. Aaron had taken on this suicide mission alone, all for their sake—and now he was gone.
The same man who was clowning him for his blind loyalty to justice was doing this, what kind of sick cruel joke was this?
Even if deep down he knew why he did it, If they were there with him, Gifu would have most likely used them as bait.
He could see the logic behind the plan, however, it didnt mean he wanted to watch someone who had saved his life and saved him from a fate where his soul gets destroyed die like this.
He felt so weak.
George, seeming slightly unfazed, adjusted his glasses and crossed his arms, glancing over the devastated siblings with his usual deadpan expression. "His methods were unconventional but effective. Gifu's strength was unmatched, and he knew that breaking him down—down to the point of complete vulnerability—required sacrifices. His plan wasn't built around his survival; it was built around weakening Gifu enough for you three to finish him off."
"Or anyone with enough firepower to do it"
Sakura bit her lip, eyes stinging. She hated that George was right. But she hated even more that Aaron had chosen to carry this burden alone.
She didnt get to say sorry, so many emotions.
"I don't care about his plan!" Ikki finally exploded, his voice echoing. "He shouldn't have left it like this! I don't care if it was the only way—if there was even a chance to get him back..."
Pov change
Aaron felt as if he were falling endlessly, a heavy weight pulling him deeper into an abyss so dark he could barely remember what light felt like. Cold pressed against him from all sides, so bitter it seeped into his very bones, making it almost impossible to think or feel anything beyond the void swallowing him whole.
He was used to this feeling, the first time he felt it, like every living being he was very scared of it, it was very, he didnt like it.
However as he was the human who had come close to death more than everyone, his body had become resistant to that fear...He didnt fear it.
If death was given a human form he probably could fuck it with no problem without any fear whatsoever.
However, before he could ponder on the thought of fucking death in human form, a golden warmth started blooming in his chest, it was subtle at first, but it kept growing stronger, pulsing in defiance of the darkness. Each pulse of warmth seeped through his veins, pushing back the cold, and reigniting the strength he thought he had left behind. He felt a sudden surge, like a fire breaking through layers of frost.
'Rui...'
He wasn't selfish enough to leave his sister brotherless.
He refuses to let such a future happen.
Such a future is unacceptable...If this was the him from when he was still in Miyuki's world, he might have accepted his death, he might have even begged for death.
However, he didnt want that fate now.
Largely because his self-esteem was higher now....he could feel the chain of death binding him to accept his fate.
However, he refused...he denied his fate. He would not die here.
Mostly due to his desire to not let his sister be without a brother.
Partly because he did not want to leave Miyuki alone, she may have been a very big pain in his ass and had tried to kill him about 700 times over the span of a couple of months...
However, she was practically his fiance now and he refused to give his rights to lap pillow to anyone else. Her lap may be cold but they were comfortable.
He was not allowing anyone else to have that...but if he was being honest it was probably because his lustful ass did not pull out nor wear a rubber.
He refused to become like his parents, even if the chances were slim, he absolutely refused, from the deepest part of him, from the deepest part of his soul, he absolutely refuses to be an absent parent.
Nothing...and he does mean nothing would make it become like the person who had raised them.
He was in some way kind of similar to his parents, he placed his desire above those who were closest to him.
He sought to have a partner so much that he began to slowly not care about his own life, uncaring about how his sister would react, he thought that he was such a waste of space she would be better off without him.
That opinion however had begun to shift a few weeks ago, partly due to pot nut clarity, his view of himself was way too warped.
He refused to be like his parents, he would do better.
Back in the real world,
Gifu cradled Aaron's lifeless body with a twisted sense of satisfaction. This human had proven unexpectedly entertaining, but now, Aaron would serve a new purpose—as Gifu's new vessel. With a sinister grin, Gifu began to detach from Olteca's form, drifting like a dark mist toward Aaron's body. But as he approached, a strange resistance flared.
A presence surged against him, defensive and unyielding, echoing with a venomous command: Back off.
The voice was sharp, and hostile, as if someone were snarling through gritted teeth. A threat? Gifu thought, narrowing his eyes. But before he could make sense of it, Aaron's eyes snapped open, his grip latching firmly onto Gifu's monstrous arm.
Aaron's face twisted into a smirk, his voice laced with a dark amusement. "How good are you at taking backshots?"
Gifu hesitated, his confusion deepening. But before he could respond, Aaron's grin widened. "Guess it's time for your back to get blown out by a bull."
In that instant, a gleaming blade struck Gifu's back with terrifying force, detonating in an eruption of energy. The blast sent a shockwave through the air, engulfing Gifu in a torrent of blazing power. The ground trembled beneath them, and a thick cloud of smoke billowed outward, obscuring everything in its path.