They played in the water like this a little bit longer. But not too long because after that they take the travel again looking for a hiding place to take a break and change their bandage and equipment.
That is the place he leaves the girl for just an hour alone to look for a boat to leave Xuanwu. That is the moment that Blue Phoenix probably takes to talk to the girl behind his back and tells his words of the devil that create fear in the girl's heart.
He probably tells her that in truth he was a demon and that he will always need to kill. That going on the beach and being nice will not last long, that playing the normal human and doing a normal job like a barber was impossible for him forever and that the fact that Seven will kill her was ineluctable.
Yes, he remembers the looks of the girl when he came back to her with localization for the boat. She was...scared. At this time he was thinking she was scared of the danger, but no, actually she was scared of him.
He now understands why she asked him strange questions that he answered back then really badly. He just didn't take into account that actually the girl could be scared of him.
7 "they didn't lose time. They put a bounty on my head we should go before the entire killer league gather to try to stop me. I find a boat that will lead us far from Xuanwu in the next village, but it will arrive only in the evening. You can take a nape we have a bit of time."
Bai "S..seven... I...."
7 "what?"
Bai "no... it's stupid..."
7 "Well tell anyway."
Bai "Well a shadow killer... that what you are, right? You even are the... best... killer ... right?... t...that what the dudes of the forest... you ...killed... told me..."
7 really wasn't expecting the girl to talk about this, he looks aside "...yes, I was. The chief puts a high bounty on my head, he wants me dead now. My life as a killer is over."
Bai "But so you didn't want to go back to this life... right?"
7 "...I didn't think of it... it's not like I can anyway..."
Bai "... But then what will you do if you're not a killer?"
7 "...I don't know... we will see... There is a lot of other stuff I could do I guess... But until then I should not stop fighting... if someone or something gets in my way then... I will kill them. There is no other killer that can stop me. Until I keep an eye on you, you will be safe."
Bai "k...kill... are you sure that's what you want?"
7 *She looks worried...* "Is not about what I want, I must do it, so we can survive. This is okay Bai, you didn't have to worry about me, I can do it. I did that all my life... that even the only stuff I was good for before we meet... if I have to kill them all then I will... none of them will stop us, you can sleep well, you are not in danger with me."
Bai "..."
7 *She does still look worried, maybe even more, what's going on?*
Bai "Seven... Orochi... Why did he call you... a demon?"
7 makes a surprised angry and annoyed face. He really wasn't expecting the girl to talk about this. He doesn't want to talk about it, he hates that. That is the sensitive point he hates about himself the most. He turns to not look at the girl, he really wasn't ready to talk about it.
7 "That's not important..." *it's because I am a demon...*
Bai "I want to understand..."
7 "... I don't want to talk about it." *It's because I'm a demon and whatever, I'm with you or not that will never change my true nature...*
Bai "But please Seven..."
7 turns to look at the girl with anger he can't refrain, so much this actives his red eyes against his will. "I SAID I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!" Saying this he hits the wall close to him by anger. So strongly, that it cracks and breaks the window glass on the side of this wall.
The sound of the broken glass surprised 7 and made him release he lost his calm against his will. Shit! He didn't want that, he should not let pass his emotions, never! He learns to control them so this will never happen. He needs to have perfect control of his emotions, of his instinct, or between him and all this monster he hates, it will have no difference.
The broken glasses hit the girl and she falls. She wasn't really injured but still, it hurts.
7 "Ahh...I'm...I'm sorry! Wait! Let me help you..."
The boy comes to the girl to help her but out of fear she steps back and pushes his extended hand.
Bai during one second of fear "NO!" She couldn't help but looks at the boy with fear.
The boy sees it. He hates that. He hates him. He hates his true nature and he fears that he can do nothing against it. He takes back his extended hand and has a sad face.
7 "okay..."
Bai "wait... it isn't what I..."
7 "that's okay. I'm going to seek fresh air... I...I'm... ahhh... I will be back." He puts his hood on and flees this uncomfortable situation by the window.
He stays outside on roofs until the sunset come so it was time to go. But coming back to the hiding place the girl was gone. She leaves a letter on the table but the boy in his panic didn't see it. He was persuaded to have made a mistake, that the girl was kidnapped. He follows her trace as he did for all his mission, but this time panicked he did it completely reckless. Showing himself to all the villages around and the gathering. He followed the step of the escaping girl and soon all the killers that were looking for him followed his step too.
He finally found the girl. She was fighting killers on the stone bridge. He didn't let them the time to explain themself he comes between them and slashed them. with a deadly wound, they fall into the water under the bridge.
Bai "S...see...seven...." * WHY?! WHY HE IS HERE?! Didn't he read the letter that tell him to not come after me or worse... did he read it and come after me anyway?! AHHHH! Please someone help me... it has to stop! Please! I don't want him to kill for me! Please!*
7 with a bit of blood on his face *I don't get it, I just saved her, and still, she looks terrified*
7 tries to smile to reassure her "they're dead! It's going to be okay! You're safe now!"
Bai didn't know what she was scared of the most right now: the boy who try to reassure her with blood on his face or the horde of killers behind him clearly here for killing him.
7 turns to them then to her "It's okay! I'm here now. I will not let you again as I promise."
Bai *Ahhh... he is going to kill them all... how many people will die because of me?! I want it to stop! Ahhhh it needs to stop! That wasn't what I wanted! I need to stop that...*
Bai "Seven please stop!"
7 "I will stop them."
He takes the girl close to him and faces the killers.
7 "I have to take her away today. I dare one of you to stop me."
Killers looks at themselves unsure but didn't flee.
Bai *the white-haired man was right... they can't stop him... he can't stop to kill... one day it will be my turn too!? I know you have good in you but it has to stop... I have to stop you... because I'm your friend... the man was right, I'm the only one who can put an end to this...*
7 puts the girl behind his back to protect her. The killers start to go to the bridge.
Bai *I'm sorry Seven... I wish we could go to the beach together... but you and me having a normal life that was just a dream... Even if you can be a good person in the end you can't change your demon nature, isn't it?... please forgive me... .... please, if you have another life I wish we could meet again and go on the beach together as we promise...*
A tear drops from bai's eyes. She takes her sword in her two hands. Take a big breath and pierce Seven body with all her strength.
The boy cans feel the sword of the girl in his flesh. It took him by surprise...
7 *Why? I just wanted to protect you...* he looks at the girl with confusion.
Her face was full of tears she didn't say anything *I'm sorry Seven... I'm sorry... it's not what I wanted! I'm sorry ahhh...*
7 falls his knee on the floor and his sword sticks into the stone bridge to carry his weight *Why did you do this? Why are you sad? Why are you scared? Why are you crying?*
So many questions but the killers didn't lose time to go to 7 and his heart was bleeding out to death.
7 *I'm sorry Bai, you probably hate me for what I did, right? I lied to you, I played with your dream, your feelings and I barely let you die, changing my mind at the last minute. I betrayed you... you're right... I'm sorry Bai, can you forgive me for what I am?*
The killers come closer and closer.
7, his hand on his wound and the other one on his sword, *I need to stop them. Let's me protect you one last time even if that means I will die.*
7 puts his demonic Qi into the sword. It was so strong it broke the bridge. And everyone falls into the water. The girl will probably reach the shore and flee and he will drown and die, but he was okay with this. Protecting the girl, standing for what he wants, that the last thing that matter to him.
Seven drowned in the water on this night. This day he died, he can remember it. He can remember he feels life going out of him and seeing a bright light. He wasn't angry with Bai or scare to die this night. He was only sad it has to end like this. Sad that the last look of the girl was fear. Sad that Bai couldn't trust him and he knows it was all his fault. He took a lot of wrong decisions, he knows that, and now he has to pay for it. He wished that the girl can still realize her dream even if he can't fulfill his promise to go with her.
Seven of the present remember perfectly what was his last thoughts when he die a small on his face.
7 *...That really the end... If someone... something can hear my thoughts. I know I wasn't a good person nor a good demon but If you really exist please I have one last selfish request... Can I be in my next life someone a bit like her? Someone who can smile like her, and be sincere like her? I just wish to be someone she can trust this time so I can fulfill my promise and go to the beach with her. Yes. Even if this takes years I really want to go to the beach again...I probably don't deserve it but still... can I have another chance?"
Back to the present:
Seven still at the window remembers now all these memories as "Seven". Even with all his effort, because of Blue Pheonix, after this, the girl died. He was sad.... after all he did, she still died and she never accomplished her dream to see the beach again. She died and days after he was reborn again... Liuqi was born... he looks at Liuqi's scissors.
7 *Liuqi... are you my wish? Are you me if I would have trusted others and let my feelings exist? You so much like her... your smile, your happiness, your childish manner... you care about everyone, and everyone cares for you, isn't it? You are so sincere... you would have never betrayed anyone... you really are the trusty person I wish she could meet. Yeah, you're my last selfish request to this world... that's why I care so much about you... if only she wasn't killed, you are someone she would have trusted, you could have met her and fulfilled my promise... I'm probably jealous... I wish I would have been more like you... more like her... You really are important to me after all...*
*...*
*...*
*thank you...*
7 *Why am I thinking thank you? Wait I'm not! It's you, Liuqi? Ahhh fuck.. you heard all of this?!* seven turns red from embarrassment *Gosh I have totally forgotten you can hear me... that's annoying... ah forget that...*
*...*
*...*
*talk...come...*
7 *Ahhhh the way you have to invade my thoughts is fucking annoying...*
He looks at 13 she was still asleep.
7 *Fine...*
7 crosses his arms and calms himself, he tries to feel secure to let his spirit sleep. Soon he falls asleep and wakes up in his mental space where he finds Liuqi fighting the beast.
7 *Well at least my spirit can use my Qi here, so let's get the most of free time to talk I can give!*
Seven makes circles with his hands gathering all his Qi demonic energy and putting them together forming a yin and yang symbol this way. with all his Qi accumulated in his hands, he pushes violently the beast in a Kamehameha move. The force of the punch is so violent that the beast flies away in a so long distance that they couldn't see it anymore.
Liuqi "How much time for it to come back?"
7 "10 minutes ...15 if we are lucky"
Liuqi "Why have we never used this attack before?"
7 "Using all your Qi at once exposes you too much to attack if it fails"
Liuqi "You mean like this one?" He slaps Seven's face again.
7 annoyed "Is it your way of greetings me?!"
Liuqi angry "You know what is it for! How could you?!"
7 his hand stretched above "Wait! I know what you will say so let me talk first."
7 with a sad face "You were right... I shouldn't have hurt the girl... Thirteen... I should have trusted you... I was wrong... I was angry...I was...sad.... against me not her. I shouldn't make her pay for my past mistakes and I shouldn't let my hate out on her... after all, it's all my fault if I betrayed and lied to Bai... whatever I feel about how it ended I shouldn't make paid other for this. Now I don't want to do this mistake again. I don't want to have regret anymore and I think I wish to protect her too... okay?"
Liuqi looks at him a little less angry.
7 "okay... I get it you are still angry... I guess it's deserved...well then let it out! hit me once and for all so we can move on!"
Seven opens his arms and prepares mentally to take the punch. Liuqi put his hands on 7 shoulders and looks at him in the eyes. 7, seeing Liuqi position, starts to regret a bit his proposition...
7 *You can't just give me a punch?! You really want to kick me in the balls?!*
For the big surprise of 7, Liuqi just takes him in his arms and hugs him firmly.
7 *what?!*
7 "...why?"
Liuqi "I'm just really happy."
7 "...happy?"
Liuqi "yeah I'm happy that you finally found who you really wish to be..."
[ Thank Andy for this beautiful art, drawing by @MasterofDoodlez on Twitter ]
Liuqi gets off him and looks at 7 with a big smile. "I'm happy because now we can be friends."
Seeing Liuqi smile like that he can see the shape of Bai on his side. Liuqi and Bai, they really are the same. Maybe Liuqi was to the picture of Bai... maybe she was dead but her power make her reincarnated somehow in Liuqi...
7 started to cry... he can't refrain tears of joy to the idea that somehow Bai was still here and a part of her exists in Liuqi. This time it's him who hugs Liuqi really hard and it's Liuqi who is very surprised.
Liuqi "...are you okay? ...Why are you crying?"
7 "...I'm just really happy we can be friends again... I'm just happy that you exist"
Liuqi didn't really understand this sentence but for him who was so scared to exist against the will of Seven, to be a giant mistake, hearing him validated his existence like, that relieves him of a weight he had on his heart for so long. He feels so light from it, so happy to hear this that he starts to cry too and he hugs him back firmly too. It feels so peaceful to love yourself.
[DRAWING NOT BY ME, if you find the artist link please tell me in comment so I can proprely credit them]
But the beast already comes back and forces the boys to end this lovely peaceful moment. They separate, grab the beast and both did a synchronized punch infused with Qi. The beast flies away again. The Qi of Seven was purple-black while the one of Liuqi was white-cyan. The color Liuqi's Qi surprised Seven a lot. He was sure that his demonic purple Qi was the proof of if demonic nature, its true essence that he can't change this no matter what.
7 « Your Qi... my Qi... it's...it's white and cyan?! How did you ... I ... you ... how that possible?! This is not even the color of human Qi.. this the color of... »
Liuqi « good spirits? When we think about it maybe a good spirit and an evil one are not that different, no? We just call evil what we are scared of. »
7 « but still Qi is our true nature given by birth... we are not supposed to be able to change it... »
Liuqi « I don't remember exactly because it's not my memories but they told you to not use your emotion if you don't want to be controlled by the power of your Qi, right? But I think they were wrong. If the Qi is related to your nature and emotion, well the only difference you and I have is all the emotions we put in it. »
7 « What do you mean? »
Liuqi « I mean that when I use it I never think of what I want to destroy but to everything I want to protect... they say there are evil and good and you can never change who you are... but I think they wrong... it never was about being already good or evil it always was about what you want to be. »
7 « ... what I want to be... »
Liuqi with a smile « Yeah! I'm sure we share the same Qi and if you wish to change it, if you wish to change, if you fight for the same reason as me well, I'm sure your Qi will also change his demonic dark-purple color! I'm sure being a demon or good spirit it's up to you! It never was your nature but it is your choice! »
7 looking at his hands « ... my choice... »
He closes it with a smile. 7 « maybe even as idiot you are you can be right! »
Liuqi « Hey! That hurts! »
7 « That doesn't look painful to you when 13 says it. »
The beast comes back but they did two synchronized kicks to push it back far away.
Liuqi, angry, « that's different... and also I didn't forget you kissed her under my back and usuperted my name! »
7 a bit annoyed « Ahhhh yes I was starting to forget this little... incident... thank... it wasn't personal really. »
Liuqi angry « It looked personal... »
7 « Speaking about her she should not take too much time from now to wake up. »
Liuqi « Yes. I should bring you back to reality so. »
7 « you can do that? »
Liuqi « ahhhh...let's just say I can only know if I try... »
Liuqi infuses his hand with Qi.
Liuqi « Oh and you should think to apologize to 13 too... that would be great if you could be friends too again. If you really care about her too then you should really apologize. »
7 « ...tss...fine... I will try. »
Liuqi pushes his hand infused with Qi on Seven and it pushes away his spirit into the conscious world again. He is awaken again, sit at the windows and the rain starts to end.