Kozuna
I'd lost count of time, floating in a test tube and being fed scraps to survive on. My head spun motionlessly in that glue-like fluid. Starvation was barely staved off, yet those fiends drained blood daily. Anything for their experiments. I kept wondering how long it would go on, dipping in and out of consciousness. And I couldn't tell if Nikai was doing any better on the other side of the room.
Over a dozen men had stood watch over us around the clock. There was never a second that Nikai and I were out of sight. However, ever since the alarms began blaring, everyone was on even higher alert. The guards couldn't pull their eyes away- and at some point, our tubes rumbled uncontrollably.
It was out of nowhere. I felt senten surging through my bloodstream. I could barely twist my head, but I still saw my curse seal glowing in the sticky fluid. Weren't there anti-curse fields active in the council headquarters? What was happening?
Guess it doesn't matter. This is our chance!
Shadows squeezed Nikai's skin, and electricity arced from my seal, permeating throughout the fluid. The senten became too much to control in such a short time- our containment tubes burst open into shattering glass, forcing the guards to protect themselves.
We'd broken free without trying, and Nikai hadn't wasted a moment. He blitzed across the room, slashing throats and chests wide open. Screams of terror filled the lab, born of their choices. Voices were cut short extremely fast as bodies dropped and blood pooled. All the while, I fell to one knee, squeezing my wrist.
My curse seal glowed brightly and expanded. Singular, thin, black rings circled each of my fingers, and a sizable circle manifested above the crescent. The level of electricity shooting out of my seal had increased dramatically as well, but it wasn't out of my control. I might've felt the shocking sensations burning my tendons, but I also felt invigorated.
I can handle it…
By the time I curled my fingers and concentrated the lightning down to one spot, Nikai had finished off the crowd. He didn't pounce on me, though. I'd expected him to target everyone- including me.
But, thankfully, I was wrong.
"Hey… Kozuna." Nikai stared at his shadowy claws, his voice deep and unsettling beneath the darkness. "I dunno what's going on, but I feel in control right now. Usually, this shit'd be driving me insane." Nikai began shaking his shadowy head. "Not this time, though. Whaddya say we rescue Ty and Anari, and take this place down while we're at it?"
"I'm with you."
"Good." Nikai pulled his claws forward and crimped his fingers. A floating, volatile orb of wild senten and black flames manifested between his palms. "Steer clear, Koz."
Vicious winds whipped and whirled instantly, and my eyes lit up. The moment Nikai let loose, the blast rocketed across the room, blowing the wall wide open. Nothing but a searing, smoking hole remained. And Nikai marched onward. He was never the type to look back. Not for a second.
"Time to tear this fuckin' place apart."
Time to rescue the others and escape this hellhole.
***
Much as we'd seen before, the council's headquarters was a fucking labyrinth. Nikai and I darted through the seemingly endless, shiny silver hallways, each populated with more guards than the last. Some tried to fight, others ran like hell. And I couldn't blame the latter. Witnessing their comrades being vaporized in the blink of an eye? That would be enough to convince anyone to flee.
Nikai roared like a beast as we came across another group of council soldiers.
"Smart to run, but you motherfuckers would be a WHOLE lot smarter to tell me where my brother is!"
None of the guards wanted to entertain the idea of speaking with Nikai. But they had no choice- he shadow-stepped in front of the group. One unfortunate soul couldn't take another frantic step before bumping into a shadow-covered Nikai. He stumbled back and fell on his ass, trying to shoot, but to no avail. His bullet bounced right off the thickened, armor-like spikes curving over Nikai's shoulders, and hit one of his comrades.
That other guard fell into the wall, gripping his thigh as he bled. He was in the worst condition to flee of them all.
"You conniving fucks don't get the luxury of running!" Nikai snatched the guard off the floor with one hand, digging his claw deep through the throat and drawing red-hot blood. "Answer me when I'm speaking to you! Where's Tyuyo!?"
Nikai's level of intimidation had skyrocketed in a heartbeat, and I was beginning to entertain the idea of turning a struggling, yet blind eye to the torture. He left that man choking, stuttering, and fumbling around to formulate a single word. He shook and shuddered in abject terror, an example for all the soldiers behind him who couldn't bring themselves to try and dart past Nikai.
"Oh, so you're frightened? Fearing for your life? But kidnapping my brother was alright? A CHILD!?" Nikai's other claw widened and sharpened. "Well, if you can't be of use, then what good is your life!?"
That man barely managed a single word. Nikai ripped his throat open and tore deeply down to his gut, before tossing the soon-to-be corpse at other soldiers. Organ and entrails found their way out, squelching as they hit the floor. I winced and struggled to keep my eyes fully open.
I know that we were locked up. I know those vile councilors kidnapped Tyuyo, experimented on us, and Nikai wants to save him. But that doesn't mean this isn't a difficult watch.
Blood stained the once-clean walls of the council's headquarters. Nikai flipped his attention to the other soldiers, glaring paralysis directly into their souls, alongside dominant, undying terror. As if his merciless killing wasn't enough to make grown men freeze in horror.
Limp and unable to move a muscle, bodies dropped. Each and every one of them was held at Nikai's ever-waning mercy, and he knew as much. Nikai stomped across the steel, leaving indents as he approached the squad of immobilized soldiers.
"Who wants to be useful and tell me where my brother is? The one who does gets to live another day!" Nikai crushed another skull to dust beneath his foot and left nothing behind of that shrieking man. "Well!?"
I turned away. My eyelids nearly shut completely, and my lips flattened inward. It went against everything in me to stand by and allow people to just be butchered. Justified or not, it wasn't the right way to handle things. Not to me.
He should be going after the councilors. They're the ones calling the shots. Besides, we're not getting information this way.
My teeth clenched. I flashed between Nikai and the remaining downed soldiers, throwing my arms up. "Nikai! Stop killing everyone! Can't you see? They're too fucking petrified to speak!"
"So what!? They should be! How do you think Ty's probably felt this entire time!?"
A vein in my forehead bulged in agitation. "The priority is rescuing Tyuyo, right? HOW are we supposed to find out where his is if you kill anyone that might know!? Saving him should come first!"
Seething, Nikai growled and violently twisted away, clearly struggling to contain himself. Senten was seeping from his shadows. I couldn't blame him, of course, but he couldn't just keep brutalizing everyone we encountered either.
"Listen, let me handle finding Tyuyo and Anari. You just focus on finding a way outta this hellhole! We'll cover more ground if we split up."
"The hell're you talkin' about? He's MY brother! I ain't leavin' without him!"
"You're not! Just locate the exit and clear a path! I'll find them and catch up! Trust me!"
"Kozuna!" Nikai groaned in a rage. He slammed his trembling fist through a wall and lit the damn thing on fire before retracting his arm. He slowly took a few steps away from the paralyzed soldiers, then glanced back at me in particular. "I'm only listenin' 'cause you're one of the few people in this accursed, fuckin' upside-down world I trust."
"I know, I know. Get moving, Nikai."
I'll put my life on the line to save them. Make no mistake. But turn your wrath onto the councilors. If anyone truly deserves a horrifying death, it's them.
I breathed deeply, unsure if I was feeling relief or something else entirely. Nikai raced down the bloodstained hall, sure to leave more corpses in his wake. But it wasn't necessarily my intention to stop him completely. Conflict welled up inside of me as the days had dragged on.
This damn clan.
"Where's Nikai's brother? Where are the recently kidnapped? This is your only chance if any of you still wanna walk outta here alive!"
Most of everyone remained frozen in a fearful bind. Despite the fact that he'd moved on, Nikai's display remained tattooed to their mindscapes. I looked around and exchanged glances with many of the council's soldiers. A few moments passed before someone could cobble together a cohesive sentence.
"T-the central command center!" shouted one of the squeaky, younger guards. "There was word of intruders there! A girl, a child, and a turncoat!"
Turncoat?
My brow tucked. I took a knee beside the one guard who managed to speak. He looked to be around my age, and definitely on the wrong side of things.
Knowing where they are helps as much as not knowing if I don't have a damn clue where the hell I am.
"Where are we right now? How do I reach the central command center?"
"I-it's not far! If you keep going down this hall and make the next right, all you n-need to do is make an immediate left and go straight! When you see the big black doors, you've reached the central command center! You can't miss 'em!"
I smirked just a little. "'Kay. Annnd, the directions from there to the exit?"
"Th-there should be a map of the facility just outside the door! You could probably print a copy inside!"
Really spilling the beans. How convenient.
"Much appreciated." I patted the guy's head, turned, and crouched into a running stance right beside his skull. "Don't do anything stupid. I'm saying that for all of your sakes! Leave and renounce your loyalty to the council while you've got the chance!"
"Wait, I still can't move!"
"Me neither-"
"It'll wear off!" I shouted, lifting my foot explosively and taking off.
The force of my unreleased senten launched me down the hall, flipping the soldiers on their heads. I had no patience for their questions. They were lucky to be left alive at all, paralyzed or not. I could only hope Anari and Tyuyo were faring better. However, between whimpering guards, Nikai's brutality, the inhumane experiments, and my own morality, I couldn't help but wonder-
Is it truly okay to spare any of these people? After the shit they've done?
***
This must be the place.
With my speed, arrival only took a few minutes. I found myself staring up at the set of oversized, blue-glowing double doors. Rampant gunfire bellowed out on the other side. I wasn't about to hesitate for a moment. Anari and Tyuyo were undoubtedly somewhere on the other side.
Along with the traitor. Wonder who that might be.
I took a few steps back, going low and charging senten into my soles. I waited until the ground began to tremble beneath me to leap forward and ram a speed-boosted kick into those damn doors.
They blew off the fucking hinges and crushed a few unlucky souls before hitting the floor and breaking apart. My gaze swiveled and I took a quick headcount. The surviving soldiers were stuck staring at me in dread, and for a moment, I chose to kinda be like Nikai. I took advantage of the fear.
A little over a dozen left? I ain't dialin' shit back!
Electricity arced out from my entire arm. I whipped around, firing full-power thunderbolts at every enemy I could find until the command center was filled with unconscious, smoke-shrouded bodies. And if any were left, they would've been wise to stay hidden. Anari, Tyuyo, and Shin only peeked out from behind the consoles once my destructive spell concluded.
I knew it'd be him. But why?
I took my sweet time approaching the platform. I wanted to smile when I saw Anari and Tyuyo alive, but I couldn't. Not when my glare instinctively trained itself on Shin. My lightning was at the ready to fry him, as well.
"Anari…"
Anari smirked and hopped down the steps. "Heh, hey Kozuna. Nice of you to show up-"
Electricity continued crackling down my hand and up my arm. I felt my fingers beginning to tighten, just itching to let loose. I gazed right past Anari, barely paying her any mind.
"What's the kidnapperdoing here?"
Shin opened his mouth, but Anari hushed him immediately.
"You'll say something dumb," she muttered, clearing her throat. "He's on our side. For real this time. We can explain once we're safe."
Of all the people…
I struggled to contain myself. "Anari? Really? YOU? You're okay with this? Miss doing-everything-by-the-book, military-extraordinaire? YOU're not pissed at him? HOW have YOU not flown off the damn handle yet!?"
"You think I didn't!?" Anari's grin dropped instantly. "Kidnapping a child is unforgivable. I'm not excusing that for a moment. But there was no way in hell we'd be here arguing without him. I promise you, we wouldn't have been able to manipulate the curse fields without his help."
"We wouldn't be IN this MESS without him and his 'help!'"
Anari sighed and shook her head. She turned away, semi-irate and red in the face. "If it wasn't Shin, the council would've just selected someone else to do their dirty work."
All of their work is dirty-
That was the moment. That was the fucking moment when I finally caught the FUCK on. I shot a few twitchy glances between Anari and Shin, neither of whom could meet the other's gaze. Or mine, for that matter. I placed my hand at my chin and scratched a little. It was actually kinda funny, barring the whole kidnapping thing.
She's crushing. Hard. Didn't know tall and treasonous was her type. Didn't know Anari was even CAPABLE of crushing, for that matter. How the hell did the taboo turncoat turn the tiny tomboy on?
Despite the situation, a single corner of my mouth raised slightly. "You've got a soft spot for him, don't you-"
Anari growled and slapped me hard as shit. That slap could've probably been heard across the whole fucking facility.
"It's not like that, dammit!"
I rubbed my burning face and noticed a slight burning imprint. "Yeah. Sure."
My lips pursed in delight. And THEN I noticed Anari failing to hide her rosy cheeks. I gazed away and groaned to the ceiling. Her stubborn ass was gonna fight me to the ends of the earth to get her fucking way, I already knew it.
For fuck's sake…
"You do realize Nikai won't be nearly as calm about this as I've been. Right?"
"I'm sorry," Shin suddenly blurted out. He joined Anari at the bottom of the steps. "I'm sorry for what I've done, Kozuna. I know I can't make up for it, but I will make sure you all escape this place. Alive."
I folded my arms. "And how exactly are you gonna do that?"
"Someone's gotta make sure the anti-curse fields aren't reactivated. You guys gotta get outta here."
Anari swiftly swiveled around, activating mother mode. "Shin, I can't let you do that."
Most feminine I think I've ever seen her act. The fuck is going on today?
"You've seen my curse, Anari. I can handle it. Besides, if the fields are reactivated before you all escape, no one makes it out alive."
His curse, huh?
My eyes traced down to Shin's left hand, where I noticed the black diamond pattern. I stepped between Anari and Shin before the former could start arguing to keep her lover close.
"I'll stay back. Shin, you take Anari and Tyuyo to the exit. I can handle whatever these fuckass guards throw at me."
Shin pushed me back, surprisingly standing his ground. "No. You guys are innocent. ButI need to face my uncle once and for all. No more running."
Fuckin' what? Who's his uncle!?
"Plus, there's no world where Nikai wouldn't kill me immediately. At least, if his brother shows up first, he might have time to calm down."
Anari pushed past me. Everyone apparently felt the need to push fucking me. My face fell plain and stale as I pondered just taking Tyuyo and leaving those two nincompoops behind.
Here it comes…
"I'll-"
Shin covered Anari's mouth with a single finger, leaving her eyes sparkling and vast. Somehow, he effectively shut her up instantly. Actually impressive.
"I've already made up my mind, Anari. This is my responsibility. It was my cowardice that got you all into this mess. My cowardice that led me so far as to kidnap a child. So, I'll make sure you guys get outta this mess. Don't worry, though. It's not like I plan on dying."
"Liar." Anari's lips trembled, but she stilled them and nodded. She reached in and hugged Shin. WILLINGLY. "If things get hairy, you make a break for the exit and don't stop for anything. Okay? Th-that's an order."
No fuckin' way I'm witnessing this shit in real time. I should yell for her to just hurry up and kiss him already. Payback WOULD be sweet.
Shin returned the hug, his eyes clearly weary. "Un-understood."
Must be the fourth time Anari's ever willingly hugged someone? Hoo-llyy shiiit.
A single tear dripped from Shin's eye. I turned away, pretending not to see it. The only reason I'd kept myself from saying my thoughts out loud was that I'd read the situation.
Dunno what the hell could've happened between them, but Shin seems different. They both do. Maybe they're good for each other? Somehow?
"Get going!" Shin fiiinally fucking pushed Anari away, pooling small spheres of senten around his wrists. "And give Lady Zara my best!"
Anari nodded. She gripped Tyuyo's hand and headed for the doorway, just ahead of me. I hesitated, glancing back at Shin and choosing to give him half a wave with a couple fingers. He flashed me half a smile in return.
Personally, I don't much care for you right now. But for Anari's sake, you'd better survive, Shin.