So far, I was holding out well.
I dodged the rocks flying towards me as I sent balls of flames towards Ivan.
However, rocks always burst from the ground, taking the hit.
I spun mid air, dodging a large rock and sent a flame towards Ivan.
I concentrated on the flames as they slammed into the ground, burning dark as it spread around Ivan.
However, rocks fell from the roof as they smashed on the flames, dousing them.
This wasn't good, I didn't have much strength to hold out any longer. I thought to myself just as I dodged a large rock, to see another rock heading my way.
Momentum was already carrying me as I desperately tried to dodge the rock.
It smashed into me, my arm coming up to take the impact as I slammed into the ceiling of the cavern.
Instantly, hands reached out to me as it grabbed onto me, holding me in place.
Flames erupted from my body, but soon died out.
Stone hands roughly grabbed my wings but I let them disappear.
I was done. My flames were out. I thought as a flash of light appeared over my arm, where there was a large cut from the sharp rock.
My eyes widened in shock as I saw a blue mark hover over.
The virus...
"I've infected you with the virus through your wound." Ivan said, smiling as he rose up on mountains of stone.
I struggled against the hands, tugging.
"I have hours to play with you." Ivan said as he walked over to me.
"So who will it be?" He asked as he placed a hand on my cheek.
"You or the black-caped beast?" He asked as my eyes widened in shock.
Suddenly, I started to feel nauseous as my head swarmed, the world tilting.
"Kill me now." I said as I saw Ivan's brows shoot up.
"What was that?" Ivan asked as I felt very hot.
Dammit, a fever and nausea. I thought to myself as I forced myself to look at Ivan.
"Kill me now, so Akutagawa can live." I grit out as Ivan's eyes widened with delight.
"You would sacrifice yourself without a thought to save such a ruthless killer?" Ivan asked, humour dancing in his silver eyes.
"I'll let you kill me." I said. "That's what Fyodor wants, doesn't he?" I asked as I saw Ivan's eyes widen slightly in shock.
I carried on, "If you kill me right now, the extra 24 hours that I had granted the President and Mori-sensei will disappear." I said as Ivan stared at me.
I watched as a smile formed on his lips as he leaned.
"You would sacrifice yourself, including the your Boss and the Port Mafia Boss for that boy to live?" Ivan asked as I didn't meet his gaze.
I would. I thought to myself. I would do it without a single thought.
"I'm sure killing me now will definitely satisfy Fyodor." I stated.
"We have more soldiers outside, right now, hunting down Pushkin. What if they disable his ability in time? Fyodor will sure be disappointed." I said as I struck a cord.
I knew I had won as Ivan smiled at me.
"Well you only have mere hours to live so consider it done." He said as I saw him grab my dagger in my hand, which was restrained.
"A few hours?" I asked confused. Usually the effect last 2 days.
Ivan smirked, not answering as he twirled the blade around his fingers.
"Well, sleep well." Ivan said as he thrust the blade towards my chest.
However, something dark and black hit Ivan from behind as I felt the hands holding me up disappeared.
I was falling towards the ground but something caught me before I could hit the ground.
"Y/n!" Akutagawa's voice said as I snapped my arms open.
Akutagawa was staring at me with worried eyes, holding me as anger and hurt flashed through me.
"Let me go." I muttered out weakly as I tried to push myself out of his arms.
"You idiot." Akutagawa muttered as I scoffed.
"Let me go." I said again, refusing to look at Akutagawa.
"Stop it." Akutagawa said as I squirmed in his grip.
"Stop struggling." He said again as I stopped and stared at him.
Tears were streaming out of my eyes again as Akutagawa's eyes flashed with guilt.
I was finally able to get myself free from Akutagawa's grip as I stumbled upright, but fell back to my knees.
"Don't." I said as I saw Akutagawa take a step forward to help me.
"I don't need your help." I said as I stumbled upright, legs trembling.
Atsushi-kun was in beast form as he leapt at Ivan.
"My, my." Ivan said as he smashed Atsushi-kun out of the way.
"If it isn't the boy whom the girl was ready to sacrifice everything for." Ivan said as Akutagawa tensed.
"What?" He asked as I glared at Ivan.
Ivan smiled, turning to me.
"She convinced me that killing her would be much better than playing with her, before the virus took over." Ivan said as Akutagawa's eyes widened in horror.
"You're infected?" Akutagawa asked as I didn't meet his gaze, only staring at Ivan.
From my peripheral vision, I saw Akutagawa's eyes fall onto the bloody cut on my arm as he inhaled sharply.
"Y/n..." Akutagawa started but I didn't look at him.
"Fyodor would be glad if I died right now." I said as Akutagawa's eyes widened at my words.
Ivan smiled. "He sure would." He said as he saw the white flame on Akutagawa's shoulder.
"I'm guessing that is what connects you to the victims to grant them an extra 24 hours." Ivan said as I nodded.
"It is." I said as Akutagawa glanced at me.
"What are you doing, y/n?" Akutagawa asked as I looked back at him.
"Don't try to protect me either, Akutagawa." I said as Akutagawa had a look of hurt and guilt.
I didn't even try to dodge as a rock hand grabbed me from under as I felt faint and dizzy as it dragged me to Ivan.
I saw Akutagawa whip forward but Ivan clicked his tongue.
"I wouldn't try that." He said, the stone fist gripped onto me tighter making me cry out in pain as I felt my ribs bend.
I saw Akutagawa pause as I didn't have the strength to struggle against Ivan.
Something was definitely wrong, I felt too weak.
The stone fist dropped me next to Ivan as Ivan placed a knife against my throat.
Akutagawa's eyes widened in shock, probably remembering what I had done when Shibusawa held a knife over my heart.
"Stop!" Akutagawa said as he let Rashoumon disappear.
"Take me instead." He said as Ivan smiled.
I already knew the answer as Ivan opened his mouth.
"No." He said making Atsushi-kun and Akutagawa freeze.
"Why not?" Akutagawa asked as Ivan smiled.
"It's just like y/n said." Ivan said, placing a hand on the back of my neck, making me shiver.
"She's far more important when she holds the power to tip the balance." Ivan said as Akutagawa tensed.
Suddenly, I felt something grab my ankle as I was pulled away from Ivan.
Akutagawa caught me again when Rashoumon pulled me away.
I felt like throwing up as the cavern spun around, I could barely think straight.
"Weretiger." Akutagawa said as I saw Atsushi-kun nod through the haze.
"Stop dragging me around like a doll." I muttered out as Akutagawa stared at me with worried eyes, looking at my trembling and pale state.
"What's wrong with her?" Akutagawa asked as Ivan grinned.
"Well, her power may help others to survive longer against the virus but the time she is lending others, is shortening hers." Ivan explained, grinning like a goddamn fool.
I cursed in my head. No wonder I feel so weak.
Akutagawa's eyes widened in shock as the world finally stopped spinning.
"The effects on her are worse too, she has a few hours until she dies." Ivan added as Akutagawa looked down at me in shock.
I saw Atsushi-kun run towards Ivan as I stood back up, but Akutagawa didn't let me go, hand wrapped around my shoulder.
"Hold still and don't do anything reckless." Akutagawa said as I was too tired to argue, leaning on Akutagawa for support.
Rashoumon whipped around Ivan, fast and swift.
"This is..." Ivan said as Atsushi-kun leapt around, bouncing off Rashoumon.
I realised that Atsushi-kun was jumping on the black cloth to avoid touching the earth so Ivan couldn't reach him.
"I can't tell where he is." Ivan exclaimed in shock.
Atsushi-kun took that chance to jump towards Ivan, but rocks rose up and swirled around Ivan, knocking Atsushi-kun out of the way,
Ivan laughed but Rashoumon leapt up from beneath Ivan.
Ivan's eyes widened in shock as he jumped out of the way, barely missing getting hit.
Akutagawa grit his teeth as his grip on me tightened.
"You are all strong." Ivan said, smiling.
"There's no end to this." Ivan said as Atsushi-kun landed next to us.
Suddenly, the ground beneath us turned into quick sand as we all blinked in shock.
"I'll have you drown." Ivan said as Atsushi-kun and Akutagawa both tried to escape.
My mind started going dizzy again as I felt extremely tired.
"Hey, y/n." I heard Akutagawa say as my eyes started to flutter close.
"Stay awake." Akutagawa said as I blinked slowly.
But I feel so tired. I wanted to say.
"Don't go to sleep." Akutagawa ordered again as I sighed and kept my heavy eyes open.
"Farewell." Ivan called out cheerfully as he turned around and walked off.
Atsushi-kun cursed as I struggled to not let tiredness take over and drag me under.
"Weretiger." Akutagawa said as he stared at Ivan who was walking away.
"Answer my question from earlier. Why do you fight?" Akutagawa asked.
Atsushi-kun frowned, "This isn't the time for that." Atsushi-kun complained.
"There's a way to escape. A last resort." Akutagawa said, looking at Atsushi-kun, who's eyes widened in shock.
"But answer me first. Why do you fight?" Akutagawa asked as Atsushi-kun paused.
"You know the answer." Atsushi-kun replied.
Akutagawa scoffed. "You fight to escape your childhood memories and earn the right to live."
"But I heard that your childhood master died." Akutagawa said as his arm around me tightened.
"He's not dead." Atsushi-kun said. "He's standing behind you right now."
Akutagawa gasped in surprise as he turned around.
I looked to the side too, seeing the ripple in the sinking sand.
"He lives in my head now." Atsushi-kun explained.
"He keeps repeating the cursed words, 'Do what is right'. I can't get revenge against someone who's dead." Atsushi-kun muttered.
The sand had reached over my waist now.
"That's far more brutal than my trivial death." Akutagawa said as Rashoumon wrapped around Atsushi-kun.
Atsushi-kun exclaimed in shock, "Hey!"
Akutagawa ignored him. "If I'm a wretched dog, you're a wandering dog. This is the solution." Akutagawa said as Rashoumon wrapped itself further around Atsushi-kun.
"Fight, and give me an answer." Akutagawa said as Atsushi-kun's eyes widened in shock.
Akutagawa glared at him. "If you still lose like this... I'll never forgive you." Akutagawa said as I saw Rashoumon carve deep into the ground.
The coat in which Akutagawa was wearing suddenly disappeared as the ground collapsed.
"Watch." Akutagawa said to me as he placed my head on his shoulder.
I breathed heavily, feeling unbearably hot.
I opened my eyes again as I saw Atsushi-kun appear behind Ivan.
Ivan's eyes widened in shock as he turned to Atsushi-kun, who blinked out of sight.
I laughed. Teleportation. With Akutagawa's ability, he can carve out space.
"... and moved!" Ivan shouted as he turned to where Atsushi-kun had appeared.
I watched as two fists slammed into Atsushi-kun as worry filled me.
"Don't bother." Akutagawa said as Ivan smirked triumphantly.
I watched as the fists were cut up into small bits as it dispersed.
"The stone he carved isn't recovering." Ivan stammered, eyes now wide with shock
Atsushi-kun had Akutagawa's coat draped over him as he stared at Ivan.
"Only those who've tried to kill him know that the tiger's claws can cut through the very fabric of an ability." Akutagawa explained.
"Thus, by expanding and contracting the space he detached the same way he cut through my Rashoumon..." Akutagawa said, smirking.
Ivan screamed in rage as the stone giant rebuild itself, towering high.
"...our abilities become a peerless sword against which there can be no defence for physical armour our abilities!" Akutagawa shouted, voice triumphant.
I knew Akutagawa was talking just to keep me awake, and I was grateful.
Atsushi-kun's Rashoumon claws grew longer as he crouched down, ready to leap at Ivan.
"Let's go, Akutagawa!" Atsushi-kun yelled.
"Obliterate him, weretiger!" Akutagawa replied.
"Beast Beneath the Moonlight, Rashoumon! Kokuto Zessou!" They yelled together as Atsushi-kun leapt forward, screaming in rage.
Atsushi-kun spun around like a tornado, cutting through the stone giant as if it was paper.
There was a flash of light as Atsushi-kun hit Ivan in the face, sending him flying at the wall.
Ivan smashed into the wall and dropped to the ground, coughing.
The quick sand around us disappeared as it turned to normal ground.
Akutagawa pulled me out as he held onto me.
"Hold on, we'll find Pushkin." Akutagawa said as I coughed.
"Tracker." I muttered as Akutagawa frowned in confusion.
I reached for the tracking device in my pocket.
"I placed a tracker on Pushkin." I muttered as Akutagawa's eyes widened in shock.
"Weretiger!" Akutagawa called out as Atsushi-kun came running over.
"Call Dazai-san." Akutagawa said as he passed Atsushi-kun the tracking device.
"Tell him we know where Pushkin is." Akutagawa said as Atsushi-kun nodded and ran off to find some place where his phone could find service.
Akutagawa propped me against the wall as he shrugged his coat back on.
I chuckled. "See it wasn't that hard to work together." I said as Akutagawa didn't reply.
It was silent as I closed my eyes.
I heard Akutagawa walk away, so I reopened my eyes and saw Rashoumon surge forward and grab Ivan.
Ivan was knocked out cold as Rashoumon held Ivan limply, dragging him.
Atsushi-kun came running back.
"I've told Kunikida-san. They'll be catching Pushkin soon." Atsushi-kun explained as I sighed in relief.
"Good, cause this sucks." I muttered, closing my eyes.
Atsushi-kun and Akutagawa didn't move as I could feel them watch me.
I sighed.
"Fine. Let's go find Fyodor now." I said as I tried to push myself up but fell back down.
I saw Akutagawa take a step forward but stopped.
Instead, Atsushi-kun came running over.
"Let me help you." He said as I nodded as he slung my arm over his shoulder.
We all walked in silence, nobody talking.
The tensity between Akutagawa and I was still there.
I was grateful as I saw the container, which Fyodor was most likely in.
Atsushi-kun slowly dropped me on the ground.
"You can stay here while we go and find Fyodor." Atsushi-kun said as I nodded in agreement.
I watched as Atsushi-kun and Akutagawa open the door of the container.
Inside was a decorated interior with a few paintings, desk, sofa and a tea table in the middle of the room.
I frowned.
"Fyodor's not here." Atsushi-kun said, hopping inside to inspect.
Quietly, I gasped as relief flooded through me as I saw the rune mark appear over my cut.
"The virus is gone." I muttered as I felt better.
My head was no longer pounding and it didn't feel so unbearably hot anymore.
I pushed myself upright and walked over.
"The virus is gone." I said as Atsushi-kun and Akutagawa looked at me.
Atsushi-kun sighed as he dropped down and hugged me.
"Thank goodness." He said as I returned the hug.
As we pulled back, my eyes flicked to Akutagawa, but I looked away as I saw him staring at me.
Atsushi-kun coughed slightly before pulling out the radio transmitter.
"The mission was a success, but... Fyodor's missing. He's nowhere to be found." Atsushi-kun said into the transmitter.
There was crackle of static before Kunikida-san's voice came in.
"But he wasn't in the helicopter or the escape vehicles. He must still be in his hideout." Kunikida-san said as I groaned.
"Unless he was never here in the first place." I muttered just a laughter echoed in the tunnel.
I whipped around as I stared at Ivan who was conscious, and was laughing.
"What's so funny?" Akutagawa asked slamming Ivan to the ground, Rashoumon holding him still.
"I'm just so happy." He said as I frowned.
"My master removed the part of me that feels grief." Ivan said, smiling.
"Did anyone ever once guarantee that capturing this base would lead you to my master?" Ivan asked, giggling like a little girl.
"What?" Akutagawa asked, as I sighed, confirming my suspicions.
"No..." Atsushi-kun muttered.
"So y/n-chan was right. He was never even here to begin with?" Atsushi-kun said as Ivan laughed.
"She's a smart girl." He said as Akutagawa grit his teeth.
"Impossible." He said.
"There are no connections to the outside world here. We're monitoring cell phone communications with our hacking ability." Akutagawa stated.
"This place can't be operated from outside." Akutagawa said.
Ivan fell silent, closing his eyes.
He reopened them and smiled widely.
"It's this music." Ivan said we all frowned in confusion.
"What?" Akutagawa asked.
"The requests being made on all the music programs are serving as a secret language to relay his orders." Ivan explained as I turned to the radio on the desk.
"Our communications make use of all the radio waves in the air. No amount of hacking can stop us. You'd lost from the beginning." Ivan cried out, laughing.
"Atsushi, what's going on?" Kunikida-san's voice crackled on the radio transmitter.
"No we haven't." I said as Atsushi-kun and Akutagawa turned to me.
"What are you talking about?" Atsushi-kun asked as I dropped from the hideout and walked over to Ivan, still laughing.
"We haven't lost." I said as Ivan stopped laughing.
"Yes you have." Ivan said as I shook my head.
"That's where you're wrong." I said as Ivan frowned.
"You're telling me that the rat is already outside the hole?" I asked as Ivan didn't reply.
"Kunikida-san." I said as the radio crackled.
"What is it, y/n-chan?" Kunikida-san asked as I thought carefully.
"Is Dazai-san with you?" I asked as I could almost hear Kunikida-san frown.
"No, Dazai left saying his stomach was sore..." Kunikida-san replied as I smirked.
"Dazai-san has left to go catch Fyodor." I said as everyone turned to me in shock.
"What?" Ivan said, this time his turn to ask.
I scoffed.
"It makes sense, Dazai-san already knew about this, or he figured it out and left to actually catch Fyodor." I said.
I leaned down in front of Ivan and smiled.
"So I'm sorry to say, that it is you who has lost, Ivan." I said as Ivan's eyes widened in shock.
"No." Ivan said just as Akutagawa knocked Ivan out again.
I sighed. "Okay, I've had enough of staying underground." I said as I stretched.
"Let's go." I said as Atsushi-kun dropped from the container.
"You would make a great detective like Ranpo-san." Atsushi-kun said as I shrugged.
"It was pretty simple to figure out." I said as Akutagawa followed behind us.
Atsushi-kun frowned. "How was that?" He asked as I laughed.
"You can figure it out for yourself." I said as Atsushi-kun pouted.
"Weretiger." Akutagawa said making both of us pause.
"Take him." Akutagawa said as he shoved Ivan into Atsushi-kun.
"I have to speak with y/n." Akutagawa said as I stared into his steel grey eyes.
"Fine, go ahead Atsushi-kun." I said as Atsushi-kun nodded and headed off first.
I sighed as Atsushi-kun was out of earshot.
"What do you want Akutagawa?" I asked as I looked up and froze.
Tears glistened in Akutagawa's eyes as he fell to his knees.
"I'm sorry." Akutagawa muttered.