Chapter 16

Reds, purples, and oranges swirled together in the evening sky. Lisanna watched a family of rabbits dart across the road ahead of her, and dive into their burrow in a nearby bush.

 

She looked at the fading sun. “I guess it is getting near that time. I’ve got to find a place to camp.”

 

Lisanna moved off the road and walked through some trees until she reached a nearby clearing. A few deer were grazing in the field. Then a voice came from behind her.

 

“You know, this isn’t far from where I killed them.”

 

She turned to see a white haired boy. His red eyes matched the sky above him. She let lose a chain of questions in her surprise. “Kazuto? What do you mean? Killed who?”

 

Hiro sat up in his bed. The hair on his neck stuck straight out. What’s this feeling?

 

Kazuto walked closer to her. “Who? Todo and his teammates of course!”

 

She slowly reached for the wakazashi on her sides. “W-why?!”

 

His laugh shocked the deer, and they froze and stared at him. “Shouldn’t that be obvious? We made a bet, and I made sure I won!”

 

Lisanna pulled her blades. “You would kill people for something as low as that?!”

 

He continued towards her. “Does a person even need a reason to kill someone? The very fact that I was able to kill them proves they were unfit to live!”

 

Kazuto closed the remaining distance between them. She put the tip of one of her blades to his chest. Her voice was fierce, but her eyes were filled with fear. “Why are you here?”

 

“I’m just following orders.” He smiled wickedly and looked her body over. “Plus a little extra.”

 

The nurses tried to stop Hiro as he rushed down the hospital halls. He plowed over an orderly who tried to block the path.

 

His main nurse called from behind him. “What are you doing?! You’re putting yourself in danger!”

 

He disregarded the warning, and knocked aside a stretcher in the middle of the hall. A group of orderlies approached from further down, and Hiro ran out of open hall. He looked to his right, and darted through the open door of the room beside him.

 

The men crowded the doorway, and a large black man stepped forward. “You need to stop. We are taking you back to your room now. We will use force if you insist on causing more trouble for the hospital.”

 

Hiro looked at the window. Just like the one in my room. The windows on this floor don’t open. That must be why they picked it for me… He glanced back and forth between the window and the orderlies. “Sorry.” He jumped through the glass panel.

 

It was a fifty-foot drop to the ground. Shards of glass stuck out of his body as he fell. His legs were bleeding before he hit the ground; too much blood to be from his new cuts. The earth broke beneath him as he hit the ground.

 

The black orderly was in the window above and shouted to the men behind him. “Get the ground floor team outside now!”

 

Hiro straightened out and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and focused his senses. His mind was wrapped in the sounds around him. Nothing. He strained his ears harder. Blood started to pour from them. Then he heard a voice.

 

“Let go of me!”

 

His eyes flew open, and his heart began to race. Panic settled deep in his gut. Lisanna! Hiro steeled himself for the pain. His muscles began to bulge, and the bandages were stretched slightly. The wrappings grew dark as they drank his blood and became drenched in it. The fluid streamed down his body. In a flash, he pushed off the ground in the direction of the voice.

 

When the orderlies got outside an instant later, Hiro was already gone. They were baffled by a trail of destruction leading to the end of the school grounds.

 

Kazuto pressed Lisanna’s wrists to the ground on either side of her. When he released them, they were glowing his aura.

 

She struggled against the invisible weight keeping her arms pinned. “What is this?!”

 

Kazuto stood and admired her. “Do you like it? I worked really hard to master applying my gravity to things other than my own body… This is only the second time I’ve used it outside of training.” He held a glowing palm towards her. “And watch how much this kicks a*s.” Golden light shot out and covered the top of her battle dress. His hand grew brighter, and suddenly the clothing was ripped away, exposing her bra beneath. The tattered garment stuck to Kazuto’s hand like a magnet.  “It’s wonderful!”

 

She tried to cover her chest, but her arms were firmly locked down. “You’re sick Kazuto! Freak!”

 

Kazuto kneeled beside her. “Don’t blame this on me. I’m just following orders. It’s a given that I should get something out of this. Besides, isn’t it only natural that the strong take what they want from those weaker than them.” He leaned down to her face. “And you, my weak angel, have exactly what I want.”

 

Lisanna tucked her legs, and put as much momentum as she could into a double knee. Her flexibility allowed her to drive the strike well past her own head, and hard into Kazuto’s. The silver haired boy fell back a few feet and rolled. The gold around her wrists began to fad, and some of the weight was lifted. With great effort, Lisanna managed her way to her feet. Her arms felt like lead weights and hung worthlessly, tugging her body downward. She wasted no time, with all the speed she could put into each crushing step, she ran at Kazuto. He was just beginning to push himself up when she kicked him in the face. He flipped onto his back in a daze. Lisanna would have continued to strike him, but the kick had taken one of her legs off the ground. With her support gone, the immense weight on her arms tugged her to the ground. When she tried to get up again a second time, the weight was even lighter. She worked her way to her feet again and turned to face Kazuto.

 

He was already standing in front of her. “You b***h!” He smashed his fist into her gut.

 

Lisanna collapsed to the ground as she struggled to breath again. Her breath didn’t come back fast enough. Kazuto kicked her onto her back. His hands glowed brighter than before, and the weight holding her down increased dramatically. She felt like it would break her wrists.

 

Hiro focused on what was ahead of him to keep his mind off the pain. What’s going on?! If something happens to her, I’ll never be able to forgive myself! I need to go faster!!! He grit his teeth in agony as he pushed even harder. His body bled rewarded his efforts with his blood. 

 

Each step he took pummeled the ground. The earth cried out with quakes as craters opened up beneath each impact. Thick trunks of trees snapped like twigs in the concussive wake of his sprint. The ones in front of him were reduced to splinters as he ran straight through them.

 

            Kazuto tried to get between Lisanna’s legs.

 

            “Get away from me!” She kept her legs together as she tried to kick him.

            He grabbed her her kick this time, and he put his glowing aura on her feet. They were instantly bolted to the ground.

 

            Lisanna did all she could and spat at him. “You’re a freak!”

 

            Kazuto’s smile made him seem like a demon. “I’m your worst nightmare.” He reached for her skirt.

 

She couldn’t move. She couldn’t fight. He was going to rape her. Lisanna was no longer able to maintain her brave front. Her voice was weak. “K-Kazuto. Please s-stop.” His hand grabbed the fabric. Tears began to stream down her face and her voice got louder. “L-let me go.” He started to pull. She screamed her plea. “Don’t do this!!! Please let me go!!!”

 

He let go, and he made a fist. “Shut up b***h!!! I’m trying to enjoy this!!!” He went to punch her, but he froze just shy of her face. She was sobbing uncontrollably as Kazuto rose to his feet.

 

He walked a few feet away from her. The leaves on the trees around the clearing were shaking. The ground beneath them was vibrating. Kazuto found it slightly hard to breath. What’s this pressure? Then he heard a blood-curdling scream.

 

The trees in front of him burst into shrapnel in a blink of an eye. Rocks and earth disappeared into a storm of debris. A single figure headed the destruction.

 

Kazuto barely had enough time to raise a glowing hand to absorb the impact of a punch aimed for his face. The immeasurable force still struck Kazuto’s face through his own hand. It shattered his cheekbone, and sent him flying over a hundred yards away.

 

Hiro rushed to Lisanna’s side. The girl’s eyes were too filled with tears to see him standing above her. He looked over his body, and then to the golden restraints on her wrists. His blood boiled, and his eyes widened in rage.

 

Kazuto got back to his feet and spat blood from his mouth. He found it harder to speak as he yelled in pain. “What the f**k! That could have killed me if I didn’t get my hand up in time!!!” He looked at Hiro, just as Hiro turned his attention back to him. His body was covered in tattered bandages. Blood poured from his limbs and orifices. The boy’s eyes were burning with fury. They were merciless; like a demon. Kazuto felt a feeling that only Kamishi had ever instilled in him. Fear. What the hell are you?!

 

            Hiro took one more quick glance at the half naked girl beside him and then ripped a hole in Kazuto’s soul with his stare. “I’m going to kill you Kazuto!!!”

 

A crater opened were Hiro’s body had been a moment before. The boy was rocketing towards Kazuto. The grass was ripped up in the vortex behind him, and swirled in the air.

 

S**t!!! Kazuto’s body exploded into yellow and he charged right back at Hiro.

 

Their elbows collided with each other in mid air. The environment was punished under the force. The ground exploded around them. They were both flung back and fell a few feet down into miniature canyon they just created.

 

Their faces were both contorted in pain from the violent crash. Kazuto didn’t wait for either of them to recover, and he shifted his gravity. His body launched at Hiro even faster than Hiro’s last charge. Kazuto punched him in the face with earth shattering power, but the boy didn’t give. The rock floor under his feet shattered, but he remained standing and threw a left hook into Kazuto’s kidney.

 

Kazuto coughed blood, but went right into another stike aimed for Hiro’s chest. Hiro had his arms out, and used his left one to redirect the strike and drove in an elbow towards Kazuto’s face.

 

Suddenly, Hiro was yanked back into the edge of the crater. His body fractured the rocks he smashed into. Kazuto remained where he was, his outstretched hand glowed more brightly than the rest of his body.

 

“I never thought I would need to use this against you!”

 

His hand became blindingly bright, and Hiro was pressed even harder into the rocks. The earth around him started to split. However, the rocks were the only things that broke under the force.

 

“What are you? Don’t you feel pain? Scream damn you!” He pushed Hiro into the rocks with more strength. However, not even the rocks were crushed anymore. Kazuto’s eyes widened in horror.

 

Hiro was no longer pressed against the rocks. He was standing. His whole body was shaking, but he was standing. His eyes had started to bleed.

 

Kazuto screamed. “How can you move?! I’ve got more than one hundred times gravity crushing you! You should be imploding right now!! What kind of demon are you?!?!”

 

Gold shot from Kazuto’s entire body, and hundreds of rocks from all around him began to glow and floated into the air. He pushed his hand forward, and the rocks flew at Hiro faster than the eye could see. Small sonic cracks echoed with each projectile. However, there were no screams, no breaking bones, and no extra blood, only the sound of the rocks being pulverized.

 

All Kazuto could see was a blur of Hiro’s hands as they tuned the stones to dust. “How the hell can you do that? No one has the speed or reflexes to move like that!”

 

The blood pouring from Hiro’s eyes was joined with heavier bleeding from his shoulders and arms. He raised a palm towards Kazuto. “My body can do the things no one else can even dream of!” He shoved the palm forward. An invisible wave of force hammered into the red-eyed boy, and he was sent flying from the crater. Hiro jumped out after him.

 

When Hiro reestablished a line of sight, Kazuto was floating in the air. His shirt had been ripped from his body from the blow. A circular indention of torn flesh on his chest bled heavily.

 

Kazuto had his teeth grit together in pain. After taking a breath, he yelled at Hiro. “I’ve mastered gravity itself Hiro! I won’t let you beat me!!!”

 

He flew at Hiro, and they both unleashed a barrage of blows. Each strike would have killed a normal person ten times over. Kazuto’s fists were bathed in the blood flowing from Hiro’s body. With every strike, his blood was flung across the battlefield, and a lot of it spattered on Kazuto. Hiro’s own hits only aided in painting him in the gruesome liquid.

 

Each time Kazuto deflected one of Hiro’s attacks, the ground in front of it would be blown away. Trees unfortunate enough to be in the strikes path were obliterated. Even things that where hundreds of yards out were not safe from the destructive waves his fists produced. That same force would have crushed into Kazuto if not for his gravity absorbing most of the impact. However, even with the field, each hit felt like it would crush his bones.

 

The onslaught continued until Hiro landed a crushing side kick into Kazuto’s waist. The sound of cracking ribs could not be heard over the concussive wave of the inhumanly fast kick. He was sent flying.

 

            Kazuto recovered as quick as he could. He shifted his shattered ribs back together as best he could with his gravity. He couldn’t even feel the pain anymore. His body was going into shock.

 

            Hiro’s own body looked like it had already died. His flesh was ripped apart, and there was no portion of him that was not drenched in his own blood.

 

            Kazuto steeled himself against the horrific sight. “This ends here you demon!” His yellow glow intensified to the point it became near white. His body started to convulse, but he quickly got it under control.

 

            It was impossible to see. As if he had teleported, Kazuto was right in front of Hiro, his fist smashed into the boy’s stomach. A sonic crack split the air around them. The ground from where he had been was ripped open with a large gash leading to where he was now standing.

 

            Kazuto pulled his fist back. His face was white, and he felt a strange sickness. He looked down. His hand was broken almost completely off. Blood squirted from the wound. “W-what?”

 

            Hiro straightened after having absorbed the blow. He then sent his own punch into Kazuto’s stomach. The punch defied all human limitations. There was no indication that Hiro had even moved his arm, other than that it was already fully extended into Kazuto’s mid section. He pulled his hand back.

 

            The destruction behind Kazuto was replaced by a massive canal.  The wave of force had easily cut clean through earth, rock, tree, and anything else that had been in its path. The destruction carried on deep into the forest, and beyond what the eye could see. A sonic crack far louder than Kazuto’s split the atmosphere. The air around them was completely blown away. The vacuum created by the strike pulled all manor of debris into the empty space. As the air returned, the debris swirled violently around the two at the center of the void.

 

            Kazuto put his hand to his stomach. He was able to put the whole thing inside. His blood drenched it. The earth drank the fluid that cascaded down upon it. He looked down at the hole that was blown clear through his body. His eyes widened in a kind of fear he had never experienced before. His eyes lost their sharp look, and their bright red color seemed to dull. Blood started to pour from his mouth.

 

            His face was pale as he raised his red eyes to look at Hiro’s brown ones. “So this is what death feels like…”

 

            The golden restraints that had kept Lisanna pinned disappeared, and she got up as fast as she could. Her mind could hardly process the apocalyptic destruction around her. She ran towards the two boys as quickly as she could. When she neared them, she nearly vomited at the inexplicable horror of their conditions.

 

            Hiro’s voice burned with rage. “You’re death is the only forgiveness I will ever grant you!”

 

            Kazuto’s eyes no longer showed fear. He had accepted his fate. His body gave out, and he fell into Hiro. His lungs were filled with blood, and they convulsed, forcing the liquid out, and onto Hiro’s already soaked body. His voice was weak. “Y-you’re… a…” More blood spilled from his mouth as he coughed, but then his last words came out smooth. “You’re a monster.” He went limp.

 

            Hiro pushed the body to the ground. “I know.”

 

            He climbed out of the massive crater and walked over to where Lisanna was standing in a state of shock. “Are you okay?”

 

            She held her hand over her mouth, and held back her tears. “Am I okay?! Hiro you need help right now!”

 

            He asked again. “Are you okay?”

 

            Lisanna looked back to where she had been pinned until moments ago. The spot was the only place in the clearing left untouched. Even in the middle of their fighting, he must have been protecting that place to ensure nothing happened to me. Even when his very life was on the line! How hard did it make things on him to protect me the whole time? She couldn’t hold back her tears. She chocked her words out between sobs. “Y-you don’t h-have to be concerned o-over me… I-I’m okay Hiro. I’m o-okay.”

 

            It was as if a burden had been lifted of his shoulders. A weak smile spread across his face. “I’m so glad.” His eyes closed, and he fell face forward into the ground. His blood spread across the light brown earth beneath him.