~ Your POV ~
I guide Koujaku through the hallways and tell him Ryuuhou might be in Toue's office. "How do you know the way in here? Didn't they tie you up or something?" Koujaku asks as we run. "Not in the beginning. I could walk around freely. I couldn't leave, though. Eventually someone took me outside for a bit with a tracker in my arm." I explain. "Right. Clear told me about that." He says as we turn a corner. I see a couple of guards walking around. "We need to get past them to get to the elevator." I say quietly.
Koujaku nods. "We can run past them just fine, I think." I peek at them a little and nod. Almost simultaniously Koujaku and I run towards the doors of the elevator. The guards call out to us but we've already entered the elevator. I press the button that goes to the top floor and the doors close. I look outside through the glass windows again. "Say, Koujaku." I say. "Hm?" I sigh a bit. "Ryuuhou. He mentioned you a couple of times. And that worries me. What did he do to you?" I ask and I hear Koujaku sigh.
"Well... It's a long story. No doubt the bastard'll tell you some of it himself. But I promise I'll tell you everything once we get out of here." He explains and I turn around. "But..." I say, as the elevator comes to a stop. The doors slide open. "...Nevermind, let's go." I say as I step into another white familiar hallway. "It's at the end of this hallway." I point at the big doors. Koujaku nods and starts running. I soon follow.
"Hey (Y/N). Wait a second." Koujaku says before we reach the doors. I turn around to face him. "What is it?" I ask. "Well, not to worry you, but you look like you've been stung by a needle or something." Koujaku says, pointing at my neck. I feel on the spot and indeed feel a sting. "I might've gotten stung by a bee or something. We can worry about it later. Let's go." I say as Koujaku nods. We push open the doors and see the familiar blue kimono in front of us. He looks like he's been waiting for us all this time.
"I knew you would come, Koujaku. But (Y/N)-chan too. How nice." Ryuuhou says. "You bastard! I won't let you lay a finger on her!" Koujaku immeadiately reaches for his sword again. He's becoming hostile already. "You know (Y/N)-chan, once I get you, you'll be another one of my masterpieces." Ryuuhou says. "She sure as hell won't!" Koujaku says angrily as he takes a couple of steps closer. "Koujaku, you really shouldn't get too mad now. You know what happens, right?" Ryuuhou says as he hears Koujaku's tone. "Shut up, you fucker!" Koujaku yells at him.
Something's going on with Koujaku. This tone and his facial expressions have something about them that's just unnatural. What will happen if this goes on? "Koujaku-!" As I call out to him, I feel a pair of arms grab me. I look over my shoulder and see Virus and Trip are holding me in place. "Virus, Trip! What are you doing?" I ask. "Hello (Y/N)-san." Virus says casually. "We're here to let you enjoy the show, (Y/N)." Trip says with a smile as he points at Koujaku.
"You know Koujaku, I've always been closer than you think. Just look at (Y/N)'s neck." Ryuuhou points at the place where I had the stings on my neck. "So that was you!" Koujaku says as Ryuuhou chuckles. "Ah yes, when I first saw (Y/N) it was like love at first sight. So I pricked her with my needle, applying the paralyzing drug. But then you had to interfere." Ryuuhou tells Koujaku, his way of talking making me cringe.
"So that's why I took this with two objectives." He holds up my bag with a smile. "Getting (Y/N) here and to see my creation in full bloom." He explains. "Besides, those two will do everything I say for the moment. So you have nowhere to go, (Y/N)." Ryuuhou points at Virus and Trip and makes a gesture with his hand. I feel them holding me even tighter. "G-gah.." I call out involuntarily. "So, wether she lives or dies has never been in our hands more." Ryuuhou says.
"You fucker! I'll kill you right here and now!" Koujaku yells. Ryuuhou chuckles. "You already forgot what I told you. The tattoo was okay when you weren't grown up yet but now that you're an adult, you should really be more careful." He says. "Right? Koujaku, you mother killer." Koujaku grips his blade tighter. "DON'T SAY IIIIIIIIT!!" He says in his loudest tone and what I see next frightens me. The top half of his clothes rip apart and the tattoos on his body are clearly visible. His hair becomes ragged and slightly red at the bottom. His eyes lose all sense of colour.
Koujaku roars a mighty roar. I glance at his tattoos and they look as if they're moving. And every design seemed to turn a crimson red. Like the tattoos were alive. "Koujaku!" I yell out, but no response comes from him. He can't hear me. "Hoh, this is quite the sight. You know (Y/N), these tattoos were an experiment, a request from Toue. Your father." Ryuuhou explains. "I don't consider that man as my father if he does these things to innocent people!" I yell as Ryuuhou continues talking.
"Tattoos are a part of people, like a seal of some sort. You're stuck with them until the end. It's important to be prepared for that. Toue needed something to control people's minds with, so he asked me to do it." Ryuuhou explains. 'Damn it! What the hell was that old man thinking?' I think as Ryuuhou continues his story. "It piqued my interest so I chose Koujaku as a subject. Ah, I can almost see the tattoo taking over." He looks at Koujaku's tattoos in awe. "Yet... I gave you warnings to control yourself, you fool. The tattoo didn't mature before, but now you're grown up..." Ryuuhou takes a pause and makes an evil grin.
"Now it absorbs your anger until there's nothing left. That's when my flower finally blooms! It feeds on you until it burns all off! What a wonderful flower!" Ryuuhou says, that grin stuck on his face. Koujaku breathes heavily as Ryuuhou chuckles. "I'll have no regrets after this. I'M the winner of this game! So.. as an exchange.. Take away my spirit, Koujaku." He taunts. "R-RYUUUUHOUUUU!!" Koujaku yells as he points his blade at Ryuuhou. "Koujaku! Don't!" When I see my voice didn't reach him this time either, I turn my head away. I don't want to see this.
I feel Virus grabbing my jaw and turning my head back. "Why are you looking away now, (Y/N)-san? You'll miss the best part." He says softly as Koujaku's blade pierces through Ryuuhou. So deep, in fact, that the tip of the blade is coming out of Ryuuhou's back, dripping blood on the floor. Blood trickles from Ryuuhou's mouth as he smiles. "Killed by my best creation! I've used up- my luck as a- tattoo artist! Haha!" He laughs joyfully before Koujaku pulls his blade out mercilessly. Ryuuhou's limp body falls to the ground as I struggle not to puke. This scene, it's too much...!
Why couldn't I stop him? Why couldn't I do anything? "W-Why... Koujaku!" I call out as Virus and Trip let me go. "Well, I'd say it's about time for us to go." Virus says and Trip agrees with him. They walk towards the door. "I hope you survive this, (Y/N), I'd like to play with you too sometime." Trip says as the two of them leave the room before I get a chance to stop them. I suddenly feel drowsy. 'Is this because of Ryuuhou's needle? But.. I can't fall asleep now! I need to get to Koujaku!' I think as I shake off the drowsy feeling.
I look up at Koujaku and hold back a gasp. He's still holding his blade, dripping with blood. "Koujaku!" I try again. Still no response. Koujaku roars again and swings his blade a single time as he starts running towards me. My reaction's a little late but I manage to duck just in time. "Koujaku! Stop!" I try again. 'All I can do is try at this point.' I think, as I avoid his blade again my throwing my body onto the floor. "Get a grip on yourself Koujaku!" I yell.
'This isn't going to work anytime soon. I need to think of something else.' As I'm thinking of a solution, Koujaku stands in front of me and points his blade at my chest. 'Shit, I need to think up something quick! Wait... Aoba! What did Aoba say again that night?!'
~
"You know (Y/N), Koujaku isn't a bad guy, really. We've been friends ever since we were both little." Aoba said with a smile. "Mizuki told me. But Koujaku seems closer to you, so do you mind telling me what he did as your friend?" I asked and Aoba thought for a bit. "It embarrasses me to say it now, but we used to have a secret handshake when we were younger." Aoba said with a nervous smile. "And every time we did the handshake he'd always tell me the same thing: Don't give in. Now, as a 6-year old you can guess that it made me feel a lot stronger. Like I had all the strength in the world." Aoba explained and I chuckled. "Don't give in, huh? How cute!" Then we'd both laugh.
~
'That's it! Don't give in! It may be crazy but it's the only thing I can try right now! I just need to remember him!' I think as Koujaku's blood drenched blade inches closer to me. "Koujaku! This isn't like you! You're not the sort of person that would do this! You're always so sweet and kind to everyone! That's why I fell in love with you in the first place...!" As I think back to what happened before I got here I feel myself tearing up. "S-so.... So..." I calm down and take a deep breath before I continue.
"So... IDIOT, GET A DAMN GRIP ON YOURSELF! DON'T GIVE IIIIIIIIIINNN!!!" I yell at him with all my might, like something took over me. I feel like my voice changed in that moment. Tears spill out of my eyes. "Don't give in, Koujaku... Don't....." I curl up into a ball, not realising it wouldn't even make a difference. I keep repeating it as my hot tears spill out of my eyes. I hear a loud sound, like something heavy just fell to the ground and soon feel a pair of strong arms around me.
I look up slightly, my vision blurred from my tears. "K-Koujaku...?" I ask. "Mhm. It's me. I'm so sorry, (Y/N)." He says softly, his voice is back to normal too which relieves me a lot. I wrap my arms around him and cry a little more. Koujaku pulls back a little and holds up my bag. "Here. I got it back for you." He puts it on my lap. I look into his crimson eyes with my teary (E/C) ones. "Y-you... Bastard, I hate you! I hate you..." I say, but don't mean it as I cry a little louder. I hear him chuckle a bit as he pecks my lips every time I say it and I gradually calm down.
We sit there in the middle of the room for a while until I've completely stopped crying and wiped away my tears. "(Y/N)?" Koujaku asks. I look up at him. "Yes Koujaku?" I answer. "You'll still go to the festival with me, right?" He asks and I shove his chest with a chuckle. "Alright alright.. How about we just get out of here for now?" Koujaku asks and I nod in response. Without even asking my approval, he takes me and my bag into his arms and starts walking towards the door of the office.
...