Keep Fighting

𓊈卍 𝟖𝟓 卍𓊉

Standing between Nakano and Izana is Toman's leader. No one was expecting him to be here. Not after what happened to his sister.

Nakano wasn't expecting to see him either. Especially not coming to defend her. When he turns around to look at her, she lowers her head out of shame to avoid his gaze. She knows what she did to him just to carry out this plan was cruel. The plan didn't even work out, so it was all for nothing.

That guilt melts away in an instant when she feels a warm hand being placed under her chin, and her head is gently lifted to meet a pair of night-coloured eyes. "Kano-chin." Mikey still calls her by the nickname he gave her, making her heart leap. "Just rest now. You've done enough"

Her voice is stuck in her throat. She still can't bring herself to speak to him. The adrenaline is starting to come to its final drops, causing her to lose her balance.

Mikey doesn't hesitate to bring her into his arms and sets her down gently on her knees. She's taken too many hits. But despite his worry, there's something that puzzles him. Why would she be taking hits from Izana? She's on his side, isn't she? Did she turn against him?

He looks into her eyes, to see that there is a flicker of the warmth he's used to receiving from her. It's the same look in her eyes that he saw in all those special moments they spent together. His heart does a hopeful skip.

"Kano-chin..?"

"Manjiro..." She finally finds the courage to say his name again.

Upon hearing his real name being said by her, all of the anxiety he felt dissipates in an instant. He smiles at her, unable to contain his joy. But as much as he wants to hug her, he knows there's no time for it right now. "Stay here. I'll finish the rest. Thank you, Kano-chin."

Takemichi appears at Nakano's side and carefully takes her from Mikey. He lets Nakano lean against him, and he can feel her shaky breaths. 'Just how hard were the hits she took?'

Hina comes to their side and drops to her knees, fear and worry flurrying inside of her. Draken joins them as well to guard the vulnerable trio.

"Nakano-chan..." Hina whispers as tears brim in her eyes as she sees her friend in such a bad state.

"I'm sorry, Takemichi..." Nakano tries to speak, but it feels like her chest is collapsing on her. She's pretty sure a few of her ribs are broken. "I couldn't stop him..."

"Don't apologize, Nakano. It's not your fault. You did what you could, but he just wouldn't listen to you." He tries to fight back his tears for Nakano's sake. "Izana is your older brother, huh? I see that natural strength runs in your family."

Nakano looks at his eyes from afar, still cloaked in a shadow of hatred. 'So does this darkness...'

Mikey glances back at them in confusion. Draken and Hina look just as clueless since the three had only just arrived.

"So this is what you really are, huh, Nakano." Izana glares at her. "You're weak. No one so pathetic could ever be my sibling."

The dejection hits Nakano harder than any of Izana's physical attacks did. "For years, I wanted, needed to be saved by someone. I had to helplessly walk through a hell that I couldn't escape on my own. I'm here because I want to save you from feeling that hopelessness and loneliness, brother. Why will you not come with me?" Still, she clashes against his hostile gaze, giving him a full view of the love and pain she holds in her heart for him. "Do you not want to be saved?"

That question sends Izana through a storm of emotions, only worsening the darkness' hold on him. "You're wasting your time and mine. Give it up, Nakano. It's too late."