farewell my dear knight

Everything seemed a blur to Takemichi. His mind was spinning with the onslaught of unexpected yet tragic revelation of Draken's death from the medics and the sudden appearance of South and the rest of the gang members of Rokuhara in their current location.

A thousand-yard stare was marring his features.

The bile rose from his throat and he resisted the urge to throw up. He could only stand there, completely frozen and mind blanked out.

He could hear the distant yelling and arguments between Senju and Takeomi about engaging in a sudden fight with Rokuhara. Takeomi wasn't called the 'God of War' for nothing. Draken's demise made the fury slithered out of him. Although he understood Senju's claims of not engaging in an unexpected fight and was trying to be levelheaded and reasonable, he surmised that she couldn't really stop Takeomi nor any of the Brahman members who were fueled with hatred and a thirst to avenge for their fallen and important member.

And then there's Mikey in front of him. He's a few meters apart but he could tell he's a million miles away from him as he just stared right through him with the bland expression on his face.

Takemichi's hands shook, his entire body slightly trembling from the waves of misery and wretchedness that hit right through him.

"Mikey-kun..." His voice dying on his lips as he couldn't stop the numbness gripping his heart and the tremors of dread and terror shook through his body.

The torment, tragedy and failure seemed suffocating to him. He promised that he'll save Mikey from his own terrible ending in the future but why can't he even protect those people that's closest to his heart? Draken's death loomed over them as if a thousand walls were now separating them from this tragedy alone.

Takemichi can't even cry at this point. The void in his heart was festering inside of him like a virus that the pain seemed nothing to him anymore.

Then that brief yet painful moment was gone when Mikey turned his back away from him and focus on the fight that was beginning to happen.

"You don't care about it?" He could hear the familiar voice of Koko asking from the distance.

"...About what?" Mikey's dispassionate and listless voice was like a slap to Takemichi's numb heart and shattered spirit.

Amid Takemichi's soliloquy, Senju's frantic voice and the name that slipped past her lips finally caught his attention and broke him free from his clouded mind and dejected spirit.

"Waka...!"

"Don't get involved, Senju. This fight isn't like any other. Someone's life just got taken. And that person was Draken." Wakasa's familiar disinterested yet deep voice seemed to enliven Takemichi's dulled senses and made Takemichi bit his lip harshly, staying rooted on his spot even if he all wanted to do was to rush towards his direction and engulfed him in a soul crushing hug that would made him feel human again. Because right now all he could feel was that his feet getting six feet under the grave and he was dangerously close in falling into a mind-numbing despair.

Those piercing amethyst eyes of his caught over his blue ones, trapping him in a brief gaze that could bore right into his soul.

Takemichi held his breath, swallowing thickly as he stared right back at him.

It felt like an eternity.

The noises around him dwindled into a mere static sound, unable to understand and hear what was Wakasa and Senju were talking about until Wakasa had addressed him directly.

"Hanagaki. Take care of Brahman's princess."

Wakasa shot him that smile that seemed to always captivate him but right now it only filled Takemichi with dread and anxiety.