Chasing Dreams (Dropped)

Chapter 160: A Vermillion Bloodbath (2)

Ryota approached Suzume with open arms. "What's wrong Suzume aren't you going to give your brother a hug?"

It took Suzume a moment to process everything. Ryota had changed so much since they last saw each other. His hair was now full white, he had several piercings, and his eyes possessed a coolness to them like their mother.

Dustin laid there, dumbfounded. He was there when Arthur revealed that Ryota was alive. But like Suzume, Dustin assumed Arthur was mistaken. Ryota Fumiko had died three years ago. Everyone had believed he had been pushed to suicide due to how harsh Sayuri was.

But like a ghost, Ryota stood before them. He wore a sleeveless outfit garmented with combat boots and four swords he had tied to his back. Everything about him bred bad news in Dustin's head. From his sinister smile to his chilling glare, this wasn't the Ryota Suzume had once known.

"Suzume..." Dustin clenched her wrist tighter. "Stay away from him, that man isn't your brother."

Ryota's smile faded in an instant as his attention focused on Dustin. "Amazing, I didn't realize dead men could speak." Ryota stomped his foot down as a pillar of rough diamonds came Dustin's way, but before they could strike, a black shadow tackled both Dustin and Suzume out of the way.

Ryota's eyes twitched and rotated almost like a chameleon as he followed the figure. But once his eyes rest upon them, his satisfied smile once again returned. "God it must be my lucky day." he said, full of excitement. "So many treasures in just one place."

Suzume had forgotten to breathe for a brief moment, but that instinct magically rekindled when she saw Natsumi holding both her and Dustin over her shoulders. Natsumi was bleeding from her right eye and had shards of glass sticking from her arms.

"Natsumi your eye-!"

Natsumi let go of Suzume and Dustin and stepped in front of them. "Get the sword." she ordered.

"Huh...?" Suzume's mind spiraled in a constant whirlwind. Memories of her shared past with Ryota resurfaced. She remembered the brother who taught her how to swing a sword and would soothe her cries with gifts of daisies.

"Get the fucking sword Suzume!" Natsumi shouted, her voice came out like a hot burn causing Suzume to step back. "You're going to need Feather to protect yourself, because there is no guarantee I'll be able to stop him." Natsumi said truthfully.

Natsumi glanced at Sarah. She was laying in a puddle of her liquid-self, occasionally puking up her blood. "Plus I am going to need Excalibur if you want Sarah to live."

Suzume remembered that Excalibur had therapeutic properties. When Feather burned Natsumi, Arthur was able to use it to tend to her wounds. "Okay..." Suzume had about a million questions she wanted to ask, figured it is best to save them for now. They were short on time, and Sarah's life was on the line.

"What are you doing standing there take your ass and move!" Natsumi's loud voice triggered something in Suzume's brain, causing her to grab Dustin by the hand and run, vanishing beneath a cloud of black smoke.

"Suzume where do you think you're going?" Ryota rushed after her but was blocked by a kick from Natsumi. Ryota quickly flung himself back, dodging the kick by a hair and countered with a kick of his own, knocking Natsumi off her feet.

Natsumi was quick to react though focusing all her energy on developing her Kuso within her single eye. "So this is how Erica must've felt..." Natsumi thought, gathering her strings. With a flick of her wrist, sharp threads came at Ryota. With a flick of his wrist, those threads broke with a wall of diamonds.

Natsumi saw Ryota come at her like a white blur. She could hardly make out his body even while using Kuso to boost her reactionary speed. Like a white whirlwind, Ryota drew his swords and plunged one threw her thigh and kicked her hard in the stomach, sending Natsumi across the room.