*RUMBLE* As I looked around me, I was in a hole and before me was a path, I could faintly here Hanabi’s voice echoing around me. As I walked through the path, I seemed to be approaching the source of the voice soon enough I reached a door. Gently, I pushed the door open only to see Hanabi tied up against the wall with bruises and slash marks on her body. Her eye seemed soulless as she tilted her head upwards, “Don’t walk down this path, everyone around you will die Souta… Turn back now while you have a chance…”
I ran up towards Hanabi and quickly attempted to untie her from the wall, “Are you nuts? I’m going to save you Hanabi!” I could feel an intense heat from above as I lifted my head up, I could see a burnt-up body. “Hanabi... No… I just wanted to save… AH! Help me! Someone!”
“Souta!’ I sprang up from my nightmare only to collide head to head with Hanabi. “Ouch…” Hanabi feel backwards with her hand over her forehead. “Sorry Hanabi, I didn’t mean to…”
“It’s fine, you were having a nightmare, I could feel it. Was it the same one? For some reason whenever you are afraid, scared and need help. I can always sense it, so I’ll always be here for you Souta.” Hanabi smiles as she places her hands over mine and holds onto me firmly. A sigh of relieve left my body as I smiled back at her, but the image of her burnt-up body flashed across my mind. “No…” I shook my head and made my way to the washroom, I have to clear my head, I can’t get Hanabi involved in my problems… If she knew I’m having dreams like this over the stress of protecting her, being the kind and considerate person, she is, she might just surrender to the Red Crimson… I can’t let that happen!
“Souta… Please tell me if you need anything… Don’t hide your pain from me…” Hanabi leans against my restroom door as I washed my face at the sink. “Souta, if you aren’t ready to tell me yet, it is fine… But just know that if there’s anyone in this world that I truly care for and would die for… It’s you… I won’t disturb you now, go back to sleep soon alright?” Hanabi’s footsteps soon faded…
“Onii-chan! Wake up already, do you want to be late for school?” After getting up it was the usual morning routine, soon after both Hanabi and I reached school. Suddenly, Hanabi inches towards me wrapping her arms around my left arm. “Feeling better?” Nodding my head I replied, “Well it’s all thanks to you.” Hanabi blushed and puffed up her cheeks, “Its…nothing…”
“Remember class, tomorrow is the deadline for our annual Halloween event! Make sure you sign up so you won’t miss out on any fun!” Soon later the class was dismissed, I grabbed onto my bag and was just about to leave my seat when Hanabi swiftly approached me. “Souta, are you going with anyone for the event?” I shook my head thinking, why would anyone go with me, I barely have any friends in this school… Hanabi looks down circling her index fingers around each other, “So…are you willing to go with me? I can’t seem to find a suitable partner…” I stared at Hanabi mesmerized by her cute and innocent look, but behind her was a pack of hungry, virgin males staring at Hanabi and as I crossed paths with their eyes, I could see anger and jealousy written all over their faces. Souta, you cannot forget the enemies in this school, you have to protect Hanabi from these hungry horny perverts, it is your duty as her protector! “All right, let’s go sign up before someone else asks you to partner up!”
Upon reaching home, Misashi walked up towards me and handed a bamboo sword over to me, “Let’s go practice more Souta.” Kyo walked up to me from behind and tugs my shirt, “Master, can you play with me…” Excalibur materializes in between Misashi and I wrapping her right leg around me, “I’ll teach you real swordplay, Master.” Soon I realized I was in a dilemma, Misashi pushed Excalibur aside and crosses her arms while Kyo tugged on my shirt harder and harder. Souta, don’t make the same mistake again… I turned around to Hanabi and looked at her in the eyes, “Hanabi let’s go shopping, it’s been a long time since we last shopped, besides I need some new outdoor clothes.” I reached my arm and held onto Hanabi, she nodded and smiled wrapping her arm around mine. Yukina starts laughing uncontrollably from the side, “My brother… I honestly didn’t see this coming at all…”
“Souta, what kind of clothing style do you want though?” Hanabi questions. “Maybe something more casual?” Before she could hear me, Hanabi was already inside a store looking at two shirts, one for men and one for women. On the front of the shirt were similar heart shaped designs seemingly to make the wearers look like a couple. Hanabi tugs against the side of my shirt and points at the clothes, “Souta…” Without hesitating, I nodded my head and smiled, at this point I don’t even know why I am doing this but it felt right. After taking the right sizes for us, the staff member ushered us into the changing room, “Sorry but right now we only have one room available, do you two mind sharing a room?” Hanabi looked at me with uncertainty and shook her head, “We don’t mind, right Souta?”
Inside the room, we both looked at each other and once our eyes made contact, we both darted our eyes sideways in a flurry. “Hanabi, do you want our backs to face each other, since you are a girl and might be shy about…” Hanabi suddenly takes off her top right in front of me with her eyes closed, “Shy…who…says…I…I am shy…” Her breasts were held back tightly by her pink bra and I could smell her feminine scent attracting me towards her. My mind went blank as I inched forwards against her, pinning her onto the wall. *stab* Suddenly a sword pierced through the wall narrowly missing Hanabi, I instinctively pulled Hanabi towards me and held onto her tightly. “Souta, my boobs… You’re hurting me…” Immediately I release her and at that moment, the door was kicked down, a man wearing a red mask appeared in front of us with two swords in his hands.
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“Red Crimson again?” Hanabi nodded as her hands started to glow red, “I’m ready to fight!” I nodded my head back at her and focused my attention onto the enemy at hand. “Blade of Light Excalibur!” I raised my right hand into the air and Excalibur materializes in it. The enemy leapt towards me as if he wanted to end this quickly, “Crimson Blast!” A red blast projected out of Hanabi’s palm landing right onto the enemy sending him flying backwards.
With Excalibur in my hands, I hurled myself forward landing right in front of the fallen enemy placing one foot against his chest. “How did you find us?” The enemy laughed mockingly as pointed at the store, bodies were lying everywhere with blood all over the floor and walls. People with decapitated heads and limps lay motionlessly… “What the fuck did you do?” I aimed Excalibur at his throat ready to strike at any given moment. “Oh…it’s just a little death, that’s all really. This is what happens when you go against the Red Crimson…those around you will die…who knows who’s next…didn’t you have a sister? What was her name? Yukina?” The enemy laughed hysterically and places his hand on my shoulder placing his neck right at the tip of my blade. “Kill me now, more will follow…either way…we win…Yukina…” Before he could finish his sentence, I sent Excalibur driving through his throat causing the end of the blade to penetrate through the back of his skull.
“No one…touches my sister…” Suddenly Hanabi places her left hand over my shoulder and holds on tightly onto me. “Souta…your sister…her life energy…I…I can feel it disappearing… We must return now!” I immediately get back up and turn towards Hanabi grabbing onto the sides of her arms tightly. “WHAT? WE DON’T HAVE TIME TO SPARE! LET’S GO!” As I looked into her eyes, Hanabi seemed to be afraid of me… I don’t really know why but I could tell she knows something bad has happened…
As we turned a corner around the alley, I could see the main entrance of my house knocked down however everything was quiet, almost too quiet. “Souta…I can’t feel her presence anymore…don’t tell me…” Hanabi ran into the house immediately with me following suite, the scene before my eyes was one I could never forget…
There she lay…
Almost too still…
Hey…move…just move, will you?
Why…
I fell onto my knees and the world around me seemed to come to a stop, I could hear the faint crying of Hanabi as she held Yukina in her arms tightly, or whatever that was left of her… I looked to the left and saw Misashi lying motionless on the balcony as well with a huge dent on the floor beneath her. Tsukuyomi was nowhere to be seen…
“Yukina… Why… Of all people… WHY!!!!?????!!!!???” I stood up and slammed my fist against the wall managing to break a hole right through it. The pain on my fist was nothing compared to the one I felt in my heart, if mum was here right now, I could never face her…
“Souta… This is all my fault…” Hanabi hugs onto Yukina tightly, her tears flowed down fast and free, she started screaming out in pain and agony… Suddenly I heard a faint voice coming from Misashi and walked towards her slowly, dragging my tired legs.
“Sou…ta… Sorry… Tetsu… He was too strong… I was supposed to protect you two but look at me… Useless…” I embraced Misashi into my arms and shook my head, “Don’t say that… Tetsu… Tetsu…” I helped Misashi up and brought her onto the half-torn couch. “Hanabi heal Misashi…” However, Hanabi ignored me as I could see her desperately using her magic to heal Yukina back in an attempt to resurrect her.
“Stop it and help Misashi…” Hanabi ignores me again and continues. “Hanabi I said stop it!” I grabbed onto her arm and pulled her away from Yukina. Hanabi instantly turns around and pushes me onto the ground, “STOP? SHE’S YOUR FUCKING SISTER! YOU WANT ME TO STOP TRYING TO SAVE HER FIRST?” I suddenly snapped and grabbed onto the straps of her bra, “OF COURSE I KNOW THAT! BUT LOOK AT HER! SHE LOST HER RIGHT ARM AND LEGS ALREADY! SHE’S GONE! She… My sister… Yuki…” I pressed my head against Hanabi’s chest attempting to hide the tears coming out from my eyes and the uncontrollable mucus flowing out of my nose.
Hanabi embraces me and holds me tighter against her chest, “Sorry… I didn’t mean to shout at you… Of all the people here, you must be hurt the most… I’m an outsider… What would I know…” Hanabi then grabs onto my shoulders and straightened my back before standing up to attend to Misashi’s wounds. The tears in my eyes blurred up my visions temporarily as I crawled towards Yukina’s body. Suddenly a ray of light appeared before me and the room around me disappeared, as I looked back up I saw Yukina standing in front of me smiling.
“Onii-chan, sorry for worrying you… I mean… I’m dead.” I sprung up and embraced Yukina into my arms. “Yukina… Sorry I should never have left home… I’m sorry…” Yukina held onto me tightly and I could feel her tears falling onto my chest, “Onii-chan… Remember to wake up on time in the mornings for school, always brush your teeth and wash your face don’t be lazy! And…and make friends…be more sociable Onii-chan. It’s so obvious that you don’t have any friends, you are a great man Onii-chan if not the greatest, which is why Hanabi-chan took interest in you. About her, remember, she is a girl, you must care for her and respect her. Don’t go taking advantage of her just because she is fine with showing her body off to you. She is a lovely person and she really loves you a lot! Remember to eat healthy don’t forget to have lunch and dinner everyday! Don’t study too hard, it isn’t good for your body to pull all nighters… Lastly, don’t worry about me… I will be moving on to a better place with mum… So… Don’t come joining me too quickly! Live on, for yourself and for me Onii-chan! I will always love you…” Her body starts to dematerialize as my grip on her loosened, before I knew it she has vanished and I was back in the room with her body in my arms…