Yuna shut down her power. The pain in her heart grew in intensity. She began to tremble and sob harder. More tears pushed from her eye and mingled with the blood on her face.
Comforting, Shinji put his hand on hers. Then he entered into her thoughts and looked for the memories of last night.
He saw how she had given everything to protect her friends from Tirr. How she'd talked to the monster as if it was the most normal thing in the world. How they'd shared the sunset together.
Then everything became hectic as Yoshiro appeared. Within seconds, the situation changed for the worse and then they plunged into the depths.
***
Yuna stretched her hand out with all her might. There were only two or three centimeters between them, but to her it seemed like an endless, insurmountable distance. She reached again for him, but it was not enough.
"Forgive me, uncle."
They hit with a thud on the roof of the adjoining building. The girl heard the breaking and splintering of bones. She was pitched sideways, staring directly into Yoshiro's face, which was facing hers. A pool of blood began to spread beneath him. Tears gathered in her eye and her breathing sped up.
"Yoshiro..."
She pushed herself up. Tirr's screams could still be heard from the roof, but then he suddenly stopped. She looked up. Had he fled? They had only fallen like six stories. Fortunately, Tirr had thrown her over one of the buildings close to the Takagi-Tower. Her left arm, which had taken up most of the impact, was throbbing.
A groan came from the mouth of the Oni beside her.
"Uncle!" The girl forgot her pain and squirmed on her knees over to him. "Yoshiro!" She didn't dare to touch him. She didn't want to cause him even more pain.
"Yu... Yuna..." The glow of his eyes appeared when he opened them.
"Uncle!" The tears ran down her cheek. He lived! Thank God.
He took a shallow breath. "Are you all right?"
"Yes. What should I do?"
He squinted. "Tirr?"
"Vanished. He's gone."
"Good..." He exhaled, grimacing. A coughing shook him and blood splattered on Yuna's knee.
Intimidated she recoiled and looked at the stain, which ran from his mouth to her kneecap. "You need help. I'll get Kitsune."
"No..."
"But he can help you. You will be healthy again."
He gasped for breath, while more blood dripped from his mouth. "I'm dying..."
Despair took possession of the huntress's heart. "No! You can make it!"
Tormented, Yoshiro opened his eyes. "I'm dying..."
"You can't die!" The flow of her tears became more intense. "You can't!"
"I'm... glad... you're... all right..."
"Don't leave me!"
Trembling, she stared at the Oni. Uneasy she shifted her weight back and forth, while she searched for a solution for this scenario. Yoshiro seemed to gather himself. He took a few flat breaths, then he stared directly into Yuna's eye.
"Kill me!"
The girl flinched shocked. "What?!"
"Kill me."
"No!" She shook her head.
"You need to!"
"No!" Yuna shook uncontrollably. Her breathing was irregular and she felt at the same time hot and cold. The fine hairs on her bare forearms stood up alarmed.
He closed his eyes and gasped for breath. "You need... my power..."
"I'll get help!"
"Too... late..."
"No! No! You're lying!" She slammed her fist on the concrete beneath them. "YOU'RE LYING!" More tears slid down her cheek.
"I beg you..."
"No," she breathed with a tearful voice.
His voice was only the shadow of a whisper. "Kill me... take my... power."
"I can't." Yuna started crying bitterly. "Don't do that to me."
"I beg you..." The blue-haired looked at him, while the tears rolled down her cheek. Incredulous she shook her head. "Please... let me... continue... to help..."
She hit her left hand over her mouth to stop her sobs. She shook her head. "No..."
"Please..." He opened his eyes again. Despite the pain he had to bear, and the knowledge that he would die, the look in his eyes was clear. "Please..."
"I can't do this. I need you. I need you alive." With a trembling hand she stroked his head. "Please... tell me how I can save you. Please..."
"There's no time..."
Yuna grabbed her braids and yanked on them. Desperate, she gritted her teeth and cried out in pain. Completely overwhelmed, she stared at the dying man who meant so much to her. Sobbing and crying, she stroked him again.
"He's right."
"No!"
"Take his power. It will make us stronger. Then we will kill Tirr."
"I can't do this!"
"That's okay."
A jolt went through the girl. Yuna turned her head and looked for the knife on the roof. She had it in her hand, during the fall. She discovered it about a meter beside herself. She crawled over and picked the knife up.
"No! No! No!"
"You can't stop me. You're weak."
With the knife in her hand, she crawled back to Yoshiro. "Yes... do it..." More blood flowed from his mouth.
The girl nodded. She turned her mentor on the back. Tormented, the Oni moaned loudly and opened his eyes wide, while bloody foam gathered in front of his mouth. The huntress placed the knife over Yoshiro's heart. She raised the blade above her head and then stabbed him.
"NO!!!" The blue haired screamed in her mind, in her head, but no sound came from her lips.
The knife struck on his chest and buried itself deep inside. Yoshiro groaned tortured. Hot, red blood gushed from the wound.
"NO! NO!" cried Yuna and ripped the knife out. "NO!"
"Thank you..." breathed Yoshiro.
"Yoshiro! I love you!" Chattering landed the knife on the roof. She reached for his face and stroked it impetuously. "I love you! I'm sorry!" Her mentor had a relaxed smile on his bloody mouth. The red glow of his eyes extinguished. "I love you!" The girl rubbed her bloody hands over his face. An unstoppable flow of hot tears pushed from her eye. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
The Oni wasn't breathing anymore. Shocked and upset the girl stared at her mentor. What had she done? She had killed him. She had murdered her mentor, her own 'uncle', her only ally.
She waited for him to dissolve, but nothing happened. Was he possibly still alive? A glimmer of hope stirred in her.
"Uncle?" sobbed the blue-haired. Out of sheer confusion she even stopped crying. Carefully, she reached out with her right hand and touched him on the shoulder.
"Uncle?" She shook him a little and sniffled.
"Yoshiro?" The glimmer of hope faded and finally vanished. The tears flowed on again. She shook him more. "Yoshiro..."
She stared on at him. Slowly his appearance altered. The horns dissolved. His yellow skin became normal. The pointed teeth disappeared from his mouth. What stayed was his human body. What happened to him?
The girl leaned over him. She broke down and cried, destroyed by despair and grief.
***
"Are you all right, Shi-chan?" Worried looked Kenji at his friend. Yuna stared at the floor.
The telepath blinked a few times and gasped for air. He had been completely passed out, as the memories of the girl had swallowed him. The undertaker touched his face and noticed that he had started to cry. The violent emotions of the girl had deeply shocked him. "Yes..."
"So?"
Shinji looked over to the huntress. "I'm very sorry for what you had to go through." The girl nodded absently.
"Did she kill him?"
Slowly nodded the undertaker. "Yes."
"FUCK!" The pyromancer touched his head and walked upset in a circle. Sparks rose up from the fur of his unclothed forearms.
"Calm down, Kenji-kun."
"I should calm down?! She killed Yoshiro!" Flames glowed from his eyes.
"It was not her fault."
The fire-starter grunted dismissively. "Great. Then he was killed by a stupid accident. That doesn't make it better!"
Shinji gave him an angry look. "Shut your mouth! You have no idea what she had to go through!"
"I'm sorry that I can't read minds!"
The red-scaled waved. "We must report to Haruka."
"She will kill her."
"I don't think so." The undertaker rose from the sofa and buttoned his jacket. He wiped the tear residues away with his hands, then turned back to the blue-haired. "It was correct to take his power. It would have been a waste if he had simply died like that."
"No. It was wrong. I killed my best friend. My only friend in this world," stammered Yuna.
"We are also your friends, Masuda-san. We are on your side," assured the telepath.
"No. I have no friends. Everyone who comes near me dies."
The red-scaled Oni showed a reassuring smile. "I know. Right now you are not receptive for advice. Mourn for now. Can we do anything for you?"
The girl shook her head in disgust. "No. Just leave me alone."
"Should we contact someone for you? Your roommates, perhaps? They are very worried about you."
The huntress shook her head again. "No. They're better off without me. Everyone is better off without me."
"Yuna-chan..." Kenji wanted to tell her something encouraging, but he lacked the words.
"It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself for what has happened." Shinji's voice rang with conviction.
She looked at the undertaker. "How could it not be my fault? I rammed the knife into his chest."
"He would have died anyway. If anyone is to blame, then Tirr. Only he is to blame."
"Just go already. I want to be alone."
The two Oni exchanged a gaze. "We will keep you up to date, Masuda-san. Please be good to yourself. You have suffered so many terrible losses in the past month."
"Shut up!" Yuna stared at him. "Stop listening to my thoughts and leave me alone!"
Kenji intervened. "Yuna-chan... we only want to help you."
She began to cry again. "Just leave me alone."
"Okay. Get well soon, Yuna-chan. My condolences."
"I agree with him. We will inform Haruka and then we'll see. Don't hesitate to call us if you should need anything. We want to help you, Masuda-san."
"JUST GO ALREADY!" cried the girl.
"Don't do anything rash, okay?"
The two Oni left the blue-haired behind and exited the warehouse. Silently, they walked across the square to Shinji's car.
"Do you think it is wise to leave her alone?" Kenji asked uncertainly, when they reached the vehicle.
"She must be able to mourn. We can't do anything at the moment for her. You drive. I'll call Haruka and inform her."
They got into the car and the pyromant started the engine. He looked up into the sky. "Looks like rain."
---
So, the final ten chapters are coming, then 'Onihunter Yuna' is finished. Fortunately 'Onihunter Yuna 2' is right around the corner and I'm planning on continue to publish right away. ^^