Chasing Dreams (Dropped)

Chapter 69: A Mother's Words

A tense look formed on Sayuri's face when she looked into Ryota's eyes, quickly realizing that they were no longer his own. The warm smile Sayuri was used to seeing was also gone, now replaced with a deep scowl. 

Sayuri watched Ryota with a weakened stare, before finally lowering her head and letting out a heavy sigh. After sometime Sayuri raised her head once more, revealing an expression that wasn't previously present. The longing look in her eyes had now faded leaving nothing but her usual cold stare. Sayuri's hand tightened around Shigure's hilt slowly drawing it from its sheath.

The color in Suzume's face waned when she noticed the sudden change in Sayuri's expression. The troubled look she dawned before had completely faded, only to be left with a concentrated stare. Suzume watched her Mother raise Shigure, holding it forward readying herself for a potential attack.

Suzume let out an odd sound, one still stricken in disbelief. Suzume's attention peered elsewhere eyeing her brother intently hoping to see some hint that all of this was just an act.

"This wasn't supposed to happen..." Suzume muttered no longer caring if her thoughts were heard "All of this was supposed to end once Ryota got that sword..." Suzume continued to speak, still not fully accepting the perplexity of the situation.

Suzume's jaw tightened once she rest her eyes upon Ryota's face. Similar to Sayuri it didn't take much to see that the Ryota she once knew was no longer there. What was standing before them was simply a monster with a familiar face. 

However despite this Suzume found herself stepping forward "Ryota..." She called hoping to draw out something that would alert her that he was still in there. 

Immediately Ryota's eyes darted at her, shaking with an intensity that Suzume had never seen. Suzume's face grew increasingly more pale as her eyes widened making her look similar to a deer frozen in the headlights.

Before Suzume could even react to what was going on she felt a sharp smack against her chest. "MOVE!" It was the first time in Suzume's life she ever heard her Mother shout in such a way, but immediately she was able to see why.

Within a split second Ryota had sliced open the heads of several of the people in robes, and had already made his way towards them. But with a powerful swing of Sayuri's own blade she managed to intercept him.

The friction of the blades sent a wave of sparks into the air lighting up the dark room. Without wasting a single moment Sayuri pushed Ryota back, swinging her sword in a motion Suzume had never seen.

Sayuri's body moved gracefully like a river, but struck at him with the strength of a rapid current. With a few swings Ryota was forced back sliding towards the edge of the room. Despite this Sayuri still didn't let up, she followed after Ryota striking at him delivering an assault that shattered his diamond blades with each strike.

In response to this Ryota continuously forged swords, trying his hardest to create them nearly as fast as they were being destroyed.

But eventually his body simply was unable to keep up with the sheer speed of Sayuri's strikes causing him to take his first blow into his shoulder.

Suzume's mouth fell open as she watched Sayuri's sword viciously tear Ryota apart. 

"Stop..."  Suzume's mouth quivered but no words came. 

For Suzume everything in that moment slowed "No stop..." Suzume saw flashes of her kind hearted brother smiling at her, only to watch that smile fade in misery.

All the promises Ryota made slipped further away with each swing.

I'll protect you

Suzume's eyes dulled when she thought about Ryota's words "Protect me...?" Suzume stared at Sayuri in absolute horror, as the scene played before her. "Protect me..." Suzume's ears curled when she heard Ryota's blood splash against the ground, and still watched Sayuri hack at him repeatedly painting her own skin red.