Tokyo Revengers:When Fists Fly

Chapter 45

As Mikey said this, he looked at his brother. Izayoi didn't have a look of anger, he didn't even looked scared. All Mikey saw on his face was a sad smile as Izayoi looked at him.

"It's weird. It's almost like i'm experiencing some déjà vu. Here you are, holding me at gunpoint, yet I don't feel scared. Weirdly enough, I feel happy."

"What are you talking about, Izayoi?! If you don't kill me, you'll die!"

"...i'd rather die than kill my own family."

Mikey's eyes widen in shock when he heard Izayoi said this. Did he really mean it? Would he really choose death over killing him? As Izayoi looked at Mikey, he smiled.

"Even as my body is being pinned by the barrel of your gun, i'm not scared. If i'm gonna die, i'm glad it's by someone who knows everything about me. Does a person die when they're shot? When they're stabbed? When they're poisoned? When a bat strikes their head? No....it's when they're forgotten. Even if my body ceases to function, i'll live on in your memories. I'll watch over you even in the afterlife. Know this...no matter what happens, no matter how evil you become, no matter how much other people hate you....I will always love you, Manjiro. No matter what happens, we'll always be brothers."

"I see....then...goodbye, Heiwajima Izayoi. You were the best brother, that I could ever ask for."

"Mikey, don't do it!!!!!!"

The moment Takemichi screamed out, a gun shot was heard. Blood was staining the ground as a single dead body was lying upon it. With eyes widen in horror, the tears couldn't stop flowing from his eyes as one man screamed out his brother's name.

"MIKEY!!!!!!!!"

Izayoi screamed out as he saw Mikey's lifeless body on top of him. When he put a hand on his body, he felt his hand being stained with his brother's blood. Izayoi couldn't say any words, his mind was completely blank as tears kept escaping from his eyes and he kept calling out to his brother. Meanwhile, Takemichi looked in the direction from where the bullet came from.

"Are you okay, Takemichi? Heiwajima?!"

"Naoto...wait a minute....MIKEY!"

"Don't go near him, Takemi-"

When Naoto looked at Mikey's gun, his eyes wide in shock with what he saw. The gun's safety lock was still active. Mikey had zero intention on killing either Izayoi or Takemichi. As Izayoi held his brother's body, he heard Mikey speak.

"Tachibana Naoto, thank you. Takemitchy and Izayoi wouldn't be able to kill me. Finally.....it's over. All my life....I have been suffering."

"Don't you dare say that!!!!"

"Daiji-kun......."

"The times you and I fought in the dojo. The times where Emma, you, and myself all laughed together. The time we found out we were family. Were you suffering then too?! Because in my eyes..THOSE WERE THE HAPPIEST TIMES OF OUR LIVES DAMMIT! PLEASE SEE THAT FOR YOURSELF, MIKEY!"

As Mikey felt Izayoi's tears hitting his face, he too felt tears escaping from his own eyes. Of course he was happy then. It's precisely why he's suffering now, because those happy times will never happen again. Yet Izayoi still had faith in him...that he could change and they could be together once more as a family.

"Over the years, I kept falling prey to my own Dark Impulses. Izayoi, you never once experienced them. Everytime your back was against the wall, you still triumphed while keeping your morals. You're more like Shinichiro than I ever could be. You're so bright.....that I couldn't bare to look at you. So much so that at a certain point.....I didn't feel like I had the right to see you."

"I'm sorry, Mikey. I'm sorry you suffered alone. I'm sorry I failed you as a brother."

"Izayoi, you truly are a real delinquent. You were a bright light in my life. Don't blame yourself for my mistake."

"Mikey.......was I a good brother?"

"No. You aren't a good brother. You're the best brother I could ever ask for. A kind brother who used his strength to protect. I really admired you, Izayoi. So long...."

"Mikey...no. Please......DON'T DIE, MIKEY!!!!!"

".........my hero."

"I couldn't see anything beyond my tears. I couldn't hear anything as I cried out my brother's name. I couldn't feel anything as the little hope of changing Mikey vanished before my eyes. I have no wife...I lost my only brother....most of my friends are dead....i'm all alone. I wonder...is this the pain you endured all this time, Mikey?"

As Izayoi hugged his brother's body, Takemichi walked up to him with tears in his eyes as well. They both had the same desire, that desire was to save Mikey. The moment Izayoi looked at Takemichi, he saw the man looking at him in the eye.

"Mikey and Toman are in our hands. Let's protect them with all we got, partner. Those were the words you said to me that gave me courage. That's why...let me say this. Let's take responsibility and make things right, Heiwajima Izayoi!!!!"

As Takemichi said this, he saw Izayoi place Mikey's body down as he stood up. The moment he turned around and looked at Takemichi, he had only one thing to say as he wiped away his tears.

"Takemichi, Naoto told me about something while I was on my way here. That you travelled to the past and tried to save everyone. I wanted to believe it was nonsense at first...however, a small part of me wants to believe in him....to believe in you. That's why, i'm asking something only you can do. CHANGE OUR FUTURE FOR THE BETTER, HANAGAKI TAKEMICHI!!!!"