SQUABBLE - NOBARA K.

Once and for all

The heat was thick and crisp that it nearly sizzled the ground they walked upon. Megumi and Kei walked in the most desolate area  of the arena where collapsed rubble laid on the earth and most of the buildings that once stood were gone. The only thing standing in the amidst of it all was a church. How symbolic. And it was something Kei needed in this moment. A miracle of some sort to get him through this, because the more they killed and moved one place to another, the more it was killing him on the inside. 

A silhouette walks out of the church and Megumi and Kei froze in their spots, readying their attacks while awaiting for the figure to appear closely. But the signature pink hair on the boy's head eased their bodies immediately. Kei's eyes glimmered and he let out a breathy laugh when he sees Yuji. 

Megumi shouts, "Itadori!" before they exchange relieved expressions and ran over to their friend. Yuri looked fatigued, exhausted. His frown left and gave them a smile when he saw the two running over him with open arms. Kei was the first, leaping and holding him tightly and resting his crooked head against his chest. Megumi follows after and Yuji lets out a laugh. 

"Hey, easy there. I'm still sore from the fight." 

"Sorry! Can't stop, won't stop." Kei grinned before looking over his features to see if he has any bruises or marks on his face but Yuji had none. "You doing alright?"

"A little shabby but can't complain. I'm still alive." Yuji smiled back, patting him in the back. "But you and Fushiguro look like you guys just went through hell."

"Yeah, you can say that." Kei shot a look at Fushiguro and the raven-haired boy would rub the back of his head, letting out a hefty sigh. 

"We managed to take down squad of sorcerers on the way. We're raking up some points, a-lot closer now to the one hundred mark." 

"We just need to find higher-skill sorcerers. But now that the three of us are here, we can search for Higurama." Kei noted and after he explained their plan, Yuji's smile faded. He looked as if he had a lump in the throat and  began scratching his hair before turning away, almost ashamed by something. Kei and megumi look at him confused and the blonde takes a step forward, 

"Yuji, are you alright? You looked worried all of a sudden.." 

"Uh, well.." And then he lets out a nervous laugh, resulting in Kei furrowing his eyebrows at him at an offensive manner. Kei begins to grow upset. 

"You see, I, uh..actually met Higurama." 

Dead silence follows and Kei can't muster what he is trying to entail. Did he kill him? Or fail to and he made his escape? 

"And did you get him?" Megumi asked. 

"Yuji.." Kei's soft voice attracts Yuji's eyes away from the floor and into his friend's blue eyes. His heart stopped at how pleading those eyes looked. "Did you kill him? Please tell me you did." 

"I-I'm sorry." Yuji croaked. "I let him go."