-Chapter 173: It's Not Fine
I swallow a bit as I slide my finger on my phone and hold it up to my ear.
"Mari, Horobi has made an army and is fighting right now. Where are you at? Do you think you can lend a hand to make sure his forces to make it towards the city?" Yua asks me, informing me of what is going on right now.
Horobi really is intent on doing what he can to make sure that Jin is safe and that the Ark doesn't rise up again. I don't believe that he truly wants to hurt humanity. What he wants to do is prevent the Ark because he fears what it can do to his people. He doesn't want them to be destroyed.
"Yeah, I think I can show up soon. Uh...I'll stop by our place and change into something that doesn't involve heels." I actually am not going to do that. I need to just decide what form I'm going use. "I'll be there soon. Keep them busy, alright?"
"Take your time, Mari."
"I will." I pull the phone down and hang up.
There is no way I can get Kairi to join this in time. I'm going to have to go in alone and deal with this myself. I can get Abyss to join, but I rather not. She doesn't need to fight Horobi right now. That isn't what she's supposed to be doing at this time anyway. She's there for when the Ark shows back up and that is that.
I think I know which key that I need to use right now. Honestly, it isn't something I should even use against someone as strong as Horobi. I don't have a choice though. It is the only key that will get my message across to him. Horobi will understand it once he sees it.
Horobi is only fighting because he believes all humans are pretty much dangerous right now. He knows I'm not dangerous, but I don't think he should count me out of that club just yet. What happens if I am secretly dangerous? What happens if there is a piece of the Ark inside me and I don't now it yet?
Beep!
I look down at my phone and stare at the screen.
Gai: If you're going to be backup today, make sure to do your best. Don't get hurt.
Gai is messaging me right now? I don't need him to be my personal cheerleader right now. What I need is someone or something to knock some sense into Horobi's head. Honestly, what's it made of? It literally keeps common sense out of it.
I slide my finger on the screen and press on the keyboard.
Me: I will do my best. Thank you for believing in me. See you soon, Gai.
I think that is an appropriate message for my ex-husband, right? That should do it. He doesn't need to know what I intend to do today fully. It isn't like my business is his business. He is an ex for a reason.
Now, it is time to head out and stop some Humagear named Horobi from causing issues. Of course, he's not just some Humagear. He's important to me.
~.~
I stare at Horobi as he knocks Yua away from him, doing so with ease. He's so strong, but he's not strong mentally. He's starting to shatter completely from his own feelings that he is afraid of. How do I get him to accept that he has feelings? I am not enough on my own am I?
Yua falls to the ground and Horobi holds up his attache arrow. I turn my head, staring at Isamu, as he deals with some Magia. He's not paying attention right now. He's not going to be able to stop this from happening. He's too far away to even notice she's in trouble. I'm going to have to go in and stop this mess.
I pull out my driver and attach it to my waist, my eyes returning to Yua as she moves out of the way of one arrow. I pull out my key I picked for this, which is my base key, and press the side of it. This is the time to do this.
I place it into my belt and transform as he pulls back his hand again.
I move forward as Horobi lets the arrow leave his weapon. I step in front of Yua and close my eyes. This is it. It won't kill me, but it'll feel like it will. I can handle this hit and not fall to the ground.
Pain shoots through my body and I open my eyes, turning my head a bit. Yua is fine. She's not injured or anything right now, which means I have done my job today. I have successfully saved a life from ending.
My transformation ends and I cough, my mouth tasting like metal.
Isamu is lucky that I came here. Kairi is handling other issues, so someone had to do something. I won't let Horobi kill an innocent person. Yua needed someone to back her up and he couldn't do it. She's lucky she called me earlier or else this wouldn't have happened the way it did.
"Mari, why did you do that?" Horobi asks me, his transformation down. He probably ended it the moment he got done hitting me with his finisher. "Look at what you're doing. You're coughing up blood again."
"Again?" Yua questions, sounding confused. "She's coughed up blood before?"
"I..." My eyes go to Horobi as I hold back a cough.
Horobi steps towards me and puts his hands on my face, touching me gently. "Mari, are you alright?"
"I'm fine." I don't want to say this to him, but I have to. "We're over, Horobi. I can't be with you when you're doing this. It is too much for me." Even if Aruto did this, I couldn't be with him.
"You don't mean that. You're going to come back to me you know." He removes his hands from my face. "Someone get her to the hospital immediately. If she's coughing up blood, its going to be serious. Her Abyss key did this to her before."
"To the hospital? Right now?" Isamu asks. "Why would we take her there when we have to fight each other?"
"Mari has done this before. It could be deadly this time. It is because her body can't handle the key unless she's enraged or feeling a certain emotion." He's figured that out? Did I tell him that? "I have seen it firsthand. I saw it when I went and gave Jin a forceriser at the audition those Humagears had for a voice acting gig."
Does he have to be so specific about when it happened? Honestly, it isn't their business. This only has to do with me and him. It doesn't involve anyone but us!
"We should listen to him. He was living with her before and would know about what was going on with her health at that time," Yua states and I look over at her as I cough again. Ow...
"Mari, you'll be fine once they get you to the hospital," Horobi tells me, looking around. "The battle is off for today. We're done." He's calling off the battle because of me needing help?
"He did live with her, but can we trust him?" Isamu turns to Yua, wondering about the facts. "He could be doing this to throw us off."
"You can trust me on this." Horobi really wants them to help me doesn't he? "I wouldn't lie when it comes to Mari's health. I take anything involving her seriously."
That he does doesn't he? Even when controlled by the Ark, he was serious about protecting me and keeping me safe. This time he's doing it freely and it is kind of sweet. I don't really know how to feel about how he's being right now. It is so complicated between us. Actually, it has always been that way for us.
I look away from him. "Horobi isn't lying about it..." He's completely being honest with them and they all have to accept that.
"You're calling off the battle over a woman?" Isamu asks. "Mari's human and you refuse to let her die? Why are you refusing to let her get into a serious health crisis right now? I thought you wanted to get rid of all the humans."
"Yeah, I'm calling it off over a woman. Mari is important to me and I see her as one of my top priorities. I did not expect her to throw herself between me and my target," Horobi states, answering the question. "Mari, look over at me."
I turn to him fully as he stares at me, pointing something at me.
Is that some sort of gun? Why does he have that in his hands? He wants to protect me, right? So, is this for the better then? Is that how he's going to protect me?
"I'm sorry, but this is for your own good," Horobi tells me, firing the weapon in his hands.
I close my eyes as a joint of energy hits me, making my body feel warm.
A/n: Mari is fine everyone. Horobi wouldn't dare to kill her. This will play a part in the story later in the epilogue chapters. You will see how it does in the epilogue. Thanks.