The Final Battle
Darkness. She could remember nothing. Everything was covered in darkness. Why can't she open her eyes? Who is she? She cannot remember anything. Somebody was calling to her. Who was it? Somebody she knows? The voice sounded very familiar but it was too clouded to make out the words. It called again. What is it trying to tell her? She has to focus. Listen. Listen to the voice. Listen to it.
"Rena…"
A name. Whose name? Then she remembered. Her own name. She is Rena. It seems strange that she was unable to remember her own name until the unknown voice called her. But there was more. The voice said something else. Listen to it. Focus. Listen.
"Rena… wake up!"
Rena slowly opened her eyes. Shion was kneeling beside her and repeatedly called her.
"Rena! Wake up! Are you alright? Rena!"
"Shion… Where am I?"
"Oh, thank god. I thought the may have done something to you. Thank god you're alright. We were really worried when you didn't wake up. We thought you may be in comatose or something."
"What happened? Where are we?" Rena looked around the room. It was completely empty. There were no windows, only one lamp hanging from the ceiling. Right across the wall she has been leaning to, Rena could see big steel door. The looked very resistant. Satoko has been curled up in corner, silently weeping. Mion was strolling around the room, apparently thinking about something.
"You don't remember anything?" Shion's voice brought Rena back to reality. "We were worried about Rika and Hanyuu so we went to check the Furude Shrine. However, when we got there we found the shrine completely devastated and some people searching the ruins. It turned out that they were led by Takano and she has been saying something about a plan and helping Rika escape. Keiichi tried to resist but she—"
"Shut up!" Mion suddenly shouted. "Don't say any single word about him. Don't say anything! I'll make her pay! I'll kill that bitch. I'll kill her! My Keiichi, how could she... I… I…"¨
Mion fell to the floor and started crying in anguish. Rena looked in amazement when she suddenly remembered. She remembered it all so vividly like it all happened a few seconds ago. She turned back to Shion.
"How long was I unconscious?"
"I'm not sure, maybe couple of hours. It's hard to measure the time in here."
"Will Satoko and Mii-chan be okay?"
"I think so. It was a big shock for both of them but they are strong girls. I just hope that Rika and Hanyuu are OK. Satoko is really worried about them. Also, try not to talk about Keiichi in front of Nee-chan. As you can see, she still hasn't fully recovered from the shock."
Rena opened her mouth to ask more questions but the door suddenly burst open. A big man with a shotgun walked into the room.
"All of you! Go to that wall or I'll shoot you!" The man pointed the shotgun at Mion, who was the closest to him and urged her to move. Reluctantly, she went to where Shion and Rena stood.
"That one in the corner too!"
"Wait! She's just a child. She's in a state of shock. You cannot aim that thing at her!" Shion raised her voice of protest.
"Shut up! You will not tell me what I can or cannot do! Now move!"
Seeing the serious expression of the man, Shion hurried for Satoko, picked her up and carried her back to Rena and Mion. Satoko clung to her protectively.
"Don't worry. It will be alright. I'm sure Rika is okay. We'll find her, OK?"
Satoko nodded her head but kept on holding Shion.
"Okay, that's all of you." The man looked back. "It's clear. You can enter."
Rena soon found out who has he called. It was Takano. Upon seeing her, Mion almost ran to her in an outburst of anger but Rena managed to get hold of her in time.
"Let me go, Rena!"
"No, do you want to die? Don't do anything stupid Mii-chan. Please?"
Mion didn't answer but stopped struggling. Even so, Rena didn't let go of Mion's hand.
"Now, now, it seems like you all woke up. So, would you care to tell me where is Rika hiding? Or should I take you to that awesome torture shed next to the shrine. Trust me; I can be very… creative. Now, where did you hide her?" Takano smiled slyly.
"What are you talking about? We don't know anything about hiding Rika. We went to the shrine to check up on her because she seemed to be in some kind of trouble. And there we found you, bitch!" Mion fiercely objected.
"Watch your mouth brat and don't lie to me! I know you helped her somehow. How else would she find out my plan? I'll ask you one more time. Where. Is. Rika. Answer me or you'll end up like that idiot I shot."
"Don't call Kei-chan an idiot! Don't ever talk about him! You killed him! You ugly bitch! You don't deserve to live! I'll kill you for what you have done!"
Rena had to use all of her strength to hold Mion in place. The bodyguard raised the shotgun and readied to shoot but was stopped by Takano.
"Wait. This will be interesting. So you think you will kill me, huh? You think I don't deserve to live? You think that you have right to kill me just because I killed some friend of yours? You don't have any idea what I had to go through! You don't know anything. So I killed some loud-mouthed brat, so what? I'd do it again and again if I had the chance. He was so annoying. Even before that, when I met him on a road, I just couldn't stand listening to him. And you, you're no better than him! You're just a stupid brat that doesn't know what a true pain is! You will tell me where Rika is or I'll show you a real pain and you will beg me to kill you, so you can join that asshole in death!"
"I told you… to stop talking about him!" Mion shouted and with incredible force threw Rena off herself into a wall. Before the bodyguard could move, Mion ran to him and elbowed him in the face. She heard a bone crack but didn't think about it. She grabbed the shotgun and spun around, aiming at Takano. She saw her running to the door.
"Die! Die, you stupid bitch! This is for Kei-chan!" Mion started shooting from the shotgun but it was too big for her to handle it properly. The shells were flying everywhere but Mion didn't stop shooting. She saw with satisfaction that she managed to hit Takano in her right shoulder. But before she could chase for her, a voice stopped her.
"Nee-chan! Watch out!"
Mion turned around just in time to see the bodyguard lunging at her. She quickly aimed the shotgun and pulled the trigger.
"Don't look, Satoko." Shion cover Satoko's eyes as the bodyguard's head exploded in a fountain of blood that covered Mion from head to heels.
"Mii-chan! Are you OK?" Rena quickly rushed to check her friend.
"I'm alright but we don't have time! We have to get her and kill her! Let's go!"
"Nee-chan, she is already long gone. You won't find her. We need to get to the police; they will find her and punish her."
"No! I have to kill her! I have to avenge Keiichi! The police would just arrest her and do nothing."
"But still, look at yourself. You're a mess. Calm down. Give me the shotgun."
Shion placed Satoko on the floor and carefully made her way to Mion.
"Come on, Nee-chan. Don't worry. It will be alright."
"Sh-Shion…" Mion couldn't hold it any longer. She dropped the shotgun and collapsed in tears on her sister's shoulder.
"I just want to take revenge for Keiichi. I don't care if I die… I just… I…" More tears flooded from Mion's eyes.
"That's right Nee-chan. Just cry it all out." Shion patiently waited until Mion calmed down a bit.
"Thank you, Shion. I feel better now." Mion tried to smile and bent down to pick up the shotgun.
"I'm sorry Nee-chan but I think I will hold on to this. Kasai taught me how to operate it in case I was ever kidnapped and got my hands on a firearm."
"O-Okay." Mion didn't have any strength left to argue with her sister.
"Rena, take care of Satoko for now, please?"
"Don't worry Shion. I'll protect her."
"Good. Now, let's go!"
They ran through the unknown corridors, completely devoid of life.
Rena wondered: "That's strange. How comes there are no guards?"
"Maybe they are still searching for Rika." Satoko replied weakly, while clinging to Rena's hand.
"Don't worry Satoko. I'm sure we'll find Rika before them. We'll help her."
"Stop talking and go! " Mion shouted angrily, her desire to take revenge rekindled. "Shion! What are you waiting for! Hey, Shion!"
Rena looked back and saw Shion looking through a window into one of the rooms they ran past.
"What are you—" Before Rena could finish the sentence, Shion opened the door and ran inside.
Rena, Mion and Satoko ran after her.
When they got in, Rena gasped in shock. On a bed, there was Satoshi! He was strapped to the bed with some apparently medical devices that monitored his status and maybe even kept him alive.
Shion laid her head on his stomach, crying tears of joy.
"Satoshi, Satoshi! You are alive! You live my love! Oh, Satoshi. I can hear you heart beating."
Rena smiled in relief when Shion suddenly screamed.
"Satoshi! What's wrong! His heart is not beating anymore. How? I listened to his heart a few seconds ago! What is happening?"
She looked up and saw Mion standing next to the life support devices. She has been holding the power cable.
"Nee-chan? What are you doing? Satoshi will die without those devices!"
"Exactly."
"What?"
"If I'm denied being with the one I love, then you will be neither."
"You're crazy! Do you know what you are saying? Quickly! Plug it back in."
"No. It's too late anyway. He's dead."
"Nooo! What have you done? Nee-chan…" Shion cried on Satoshi's cold chest. "If you miss Keiichi so much… you can go to him!"
Shion picked the shotgun and aimed it at Mion.
"Wait! What are you—" Rena tried to shout but she was too late. A shot has echoed through the room.
For Shion, it all seemed like in slow motion. She saw the shells emerge from the shotgun and travel through the air to surprised Mion. Shion thought: "This is for Satoshi." But something didn't seem right. Her eye caught a glimpse of movement. Small, blonde-haired girl was jumping in front of Mion. She was shouting.
"Stop this!"
Shion could hear it clearly. She desperately tried to reverse her action. To somehow prevent herself from shooting. But she couldn't think of anything and the time seemed to melt back to its normal speed.
"No!" That was the last thing Satoko heard from Shion.
Rena saw how Shion aimed the shotgun at Mion and at the same time, Satoko bolted forward. Rena stretched her hand but it was too late. Rena watched in horror how the shells hit the little girl. The impact was violent. Her body was flung to the other end of the room where it smashed into the wall. Rena saw that upper half of Satoko's body is missing. There was blood and guts everywhere. Mion and Shion both stood in shock. Shion came to her senses first. She looked at Satoko's remains with empty look in her eyes.
"No… What have I done? Satoko… I… I'm sorry. Satoshi trusted me to take care of you and now, both you and Satoshi are… I can't live anymore."
Shion turned the shotgun to herself and before Mion or Rena could react, she blew her head off.
"Satoko-chan, Shion, everyone…" Rena was near collapsing from the shock. She turned to Mion in selfish hope of consolidation but all she saw in her eyes was madness.
"Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Mion laughed maniacally. "I see. I finally see it. It's Rika's fault that Keiichi's dead. If Rika died before, Keiichi would be still alive. Shion and Satoko wanted to save Rika. They are my enemies. Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Mion laughed and ran out of the room.
Rena tried to say something but she couldn't resist vomiting. She felt dizzy and weak. What is happening? How did all this happen? Rena didn't know but she knew what she had to do. She saw Mion's eyes. There was no way back for her. She has to stop Mion before she kills Rika. Rena grunted as she slowly rose to her feet and started slowly going to the exit.
"Where? Where? Where?" Mion frantically searched through the ruins of the Furude Shrine while holding a katana that she took from her home. "She has to be somewhere around here. It's her fault that Keiichi is dead. I have to kill Rika. It's her fault."
"Oh, what do we have here."
Mion quickly raised her head and saw Takano holding a gun in her left hand, her right shoulder bleeding badly.
"I'm quite lucky to find you here, brat. I don't know how you managed that little stunt of yours but it won't happen twice. You are going to die here."
Mion started running to Takano but she knew she will be too late. Takano will fire before Mion gets to her. She was too close for Takano to miss.
Mion realized she is going to die. "I'm sorry Kei-chan. Looks like I was unable to avenge you in the end. I'm sorry."
"Don't kill Mii-chan!"
Takano turned around and saw Rena with a cleaver in her hand jumping at her. She raised the gun but Rena was faster. Takano's head rolled down the hill to Mion's feet.
"Mii-chan! Are you alright?"
"Rena! You saved me! You are my only ally. You are the only one I can trust who will help me kill Rika."
"Mii-chan, listen to me. Rika is innocent. She's not responsible for anything. We must find her and save her from those who want to kill her."
"What are you saying? You don't make any sense. I thought you were my friend! But now I see it. You are my enemy. Just like Shion. Just like Satoko. Just like Takano. Just like everybody else!" Mion screamed and slashed at Rena with her katana but Rena blocked the blow with her cleaver.
"Stop it! This is not you, Mii-chan. What are you doing? Rika is your friend just like me, Satoko, Shion and the others. We are not your enemies. Stop this madness." Mion slashed furiously at Rena.
"Why? Why do you want to help Rika? It's her fault that Keiichi is dead! She is at the root of this! Killing her will fix everything!" Mion launched a series of attack at Rena who blocked them and then jumped back a bit to have some room.
"Killing Rika will solve nothing! You are talking nonsense. Stop before it's too late!"
Another set of blows.
"Shut up! I know that if I kill Rika, Kei-chan will surely come back to me! I know it!" Their weapons clashed and they jumped back with the force of the impact.
Rena sighed deeply. "I didn't want to do this but looks like I have no other choice now. You are crazy Mii-chan. I will stop you, even if I have to kill you. I'm sorry Mii-chan."
"Die Rena!" Mion shouted and they both ran to each other. Their weapons met again and again. They run across the place slashing at each other wildly but neither was able to gain the upper hand.
Mion stood on the other side of the ruins than Rena, breathing heavily from exhaustion. She saw that Rena is also fatigued. She has to end it in one blow.
"This is for Keiichi!"
"I won't let you kill Rika!"
They ran to each other, putting all their killing intent in the one fatal blow. They clashed. Mion fell on her back and saw Rena with katana sticking from her heart. Mion looked in amazement as Rena slowly fell to her knees and a thin stream of blood flowed from her mouth.
"I'm sorry Mii-chan" Rena said weakly before collapsing to the ground.
"I did it! I did it Kei-chan! I defeated her! Now there is nobody who will stop me from avenging you."
Mion tried to get up but there was something wrong. She couldn't. She couldn't get up. But why? She looked at her legs. They were not there. She saw only her upper torso. Where are her legs? She will need them to kill Rika. Ah, here they are, next to Rena. But why cannot she move to them? She tried to lift her hand but nothing happened. "I see. So I'm dying. I didn't make it. I'm sorry I was unable to kill Rika. Keiichi, I'm coming to you. Wait for me. I'll be with you soon. But now, I'm little sleepy. I think I'll close my eyes for a while, OK Kei-chan? Good night."
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