A and K Chapter 77: One Big Fight

Rie and Shigure walk on the road home, as they reach the front of the house, Yui and Alexandria are coming from the other side of the road.
Shigure: Hope you had fun today?
Alexandria: I did! You should’ve seen the amusement park!
Yui and Rie awkwardly stare at each other.
Yui & Rie: (At the same time) I...no, you...I was…
They stop for a second and just hug.
Yui: I’m sorry Rie, I should be more respectful of the pride you have in your fashion.
Rie: I’m sorry too, Yui. I should be so lucky that I can dress in such good outfits without forgetting about how we can always have less. Whether it be food or clothes. I should be more appreciative.
The four of them enter into the house to find Athena waiting for them at the front door.
Shigure: Athena?
Athena's head hung down.
Alexandria: Athena?
Snores could be heard.
All Four: ATHENA!
Athena jolts awake.
Athena: Sorry, must have taken a cat nap…
Alexandria: Why are you sitting at the front door?
Athena: Kei left me with a message.
Yui: A message?
Athena: Your mother is missing.
Yui and Rie become wide-eyed.
Yui: What did you just say?
Rie: Mom is missing?
Athena: Kei is on his way there now.
Yui: Alexandria, stay with Shigure.
Rie: Let’s go Yui.
The two turn around and begin to head out.
Shigure: Where are you two going?
Yui: To find out what’s happening.
With that, Yui and Rie were heading towards the nearest transportation method to travel home.
Shigure: (Thinking) This can’t be good.
Yui and Rie soon reach a nearby rail that would take them near to their home. Shigure and Alexandria jump on board with them.
Yui: I told you to stay with Shigure.
Shigure: We want to help.
Alexandria: Yeah we can’t just stay at home and do nothing
Athena jumps on board as well.
Athena: I’m coming too!
The others all seem stunned when she hops on.
Shigure: Athena, are you sure about this?
Athena: Oh come on, I can be of some use.
Alexandria: Can’t hurt to have an extra set of eyes, can it?
Yui: No I suppose not.
The doors close with the five of them inside and the rail takes off toward Yui and Rie’s home. Meanwhile, in an abandoned building, one man steps forth. The inside of the building was falling apart. You could look up and see through to the top floor. Steel beams had rusted. Wooden desks and chairs were in disrepair.
Kei: Kazuhiro! Show yourself!
With that insistence, he reveals himself. Out of the shadow above the second floor’s gaping hole.
Kazuhiro: Good. You showed.
Kazuhiro notices one other person with him as he reveals himself.
Isao: Don’t mind me.
Kazuhiro: An honorable man like you? You bring back-up? Are you so afraid of facing me.
Isao: I am not here to fight, only to monitor.
Kei: So I don’t do something I’ll regret.
Kazuhiro jumps through the hole and into the first floor.
Kazuhiro: Very well.
Kei: You will tell me where my mother is.
Kazuhiro: I really don’t give a damn about what you want.
Kei: Are you so jealous of me now you would steal all that I have? Has it escalated to that?
Kazuhiro: Like I said before, my target is the girl. If you stand in my way, I will end you.
Kazuhiro unsheathes a lone katana. Kei unsheathes the weapon Rachel and Hitomi had given to him.
Kazuhiro: Shall we begin?
Kei charges in. The swords collide as each attacks and defends. Neither was holding anything back. Kei kicks him in the stomach, forcing Kazuhiro backwards. As he moves backwards, he feels the wooden chair behind him. He turns around, grabs the chair and throws at Kei. Kei promptly ducks. Kei scowls, while Kazuhiro grins. Kazuhiro turns his back to him and runs, Kei follows. As Kazuhiro flees from Kei, one by one, he throws small knives he had tucked away. When Kazuhiro reaches the end of the floor, he turns back around and prepares his weapon. Kei thrusts in, and Kazuhiro sidesteps. Kazuhiro brings down his sword, to which Kei is forced to turn around and defend himself.
Kazuhiro: I don’t recall you being this weak!
Kei: I don’t recall you being this stupid!
Kei throws a knee into Kazuhiro’s stomach, paralyzing him for a brief moment. Capitalizing, Kei moves around to Kazuhiro’s back, grabs him, and throws him across the room. He lands on a desk, breaking it in half. Kazuhiro remains still.
Kei: Get up. We both know that wasn’t enough to put you down.
Kazuhiro quietly does so.
Kazuhiro: Know me all too well.
Kei charges back in. Their swords clash once more. Kei, again, gets the upper hand. Using his other hand, he thrusts at Kazuhiro, causing him to stagger. Kei uses this opportunity, lifting his leg to kick Kazuhiro squarely in the chin. Still stunned, Kei charges into him, thrusting him into a wall. Kei steps backwards while Kazuhiro falls to his knees.
Kei: Get up.
Kazuhiro merely laughs. Kei looks confused. Kazuhiro stands up quietly.
Kazuhiro: Don’t you understand, Kei? I’m the one opponent you could not defeat. Whether it was in combat practice, training sessions, or at just doing our job. I was always better than you.
Kei: Like I give a damn.
Kei charges at him again, Kazuhiro side-steps. Kazuhiro quickly sweeps the legs out from Kei. He then grabs Kei’s leg and uses the momentum to throw him into another desk, braking it on impact. Kei groans, but is given no time to recover. He rolls out of the way as a sword pierces a small fraction of the remaining desk. Kazuhiro flings the piece of wood at Kei as a distraction. Kei avoids, getting back to his feet. He is met with several punches, hitting the stomach, shoulders, and the last one to his head, knocking him against a wooden chair. Kei looks at Kazuhiro and watches as he charges towards him.
Kei: How about you take a seat?
Kei side-steps, and throws the chair into Kazuhiro who stumbles backward from the blow. Kei lifts his leg and kicks him in the head. It sends Kazuhiro into the wall. There is a momentary reprieve as both of them try to recover their strength and air.
Kei: Do you surrender?
Kazuhiro: Like I’d ever surrender to you.
Kei: I offered. I will not hold back against you anymore.
Kazuhiro: I’m offended you even thought you had to hold back against me.
Kei charges in, but Kazuhiro ducks underneath and throws his shoulder up against his chin. Recovering quickly, Kei avoids Kazuhiro’s next couple of punches. Expecting the next one, Kei grabs Kazuhiro’s arm and flings him towards the second floor. Kazuhiro manages to grab on to a loose wood plank and pull himself up to the second floor. Kei travels upwards to the second floor using the stairs. They were certainly not in well shape. With a moan and a groan as Kei travelled upwards, some even fell apart as Kei briefly stepped on them. Kei throws open the door to the second floor, and is met with a sword that comes at his face. Kei leans backwards to avoid the attack and throws his foot into Kazuhiro’s stomach to force him away. Kei capitalizes, grabbing Kazuhiro and throwing him into the door. The glass shatters as Kazuhiro’s head goes through it. As Kazuhiro removes himself, blood can be seen trickling down his face. Kei prepares his weapon once more as Kazuhiro charges in again. Their swords cry out against each as sparks and sounds echo down to the first floor. Isao continues to simply watch from the first floor. Only observing, never moving. Kazuhiro soon gains the advantage and throws Kei towards the middle of the room where the gaping hole is, but Kei manages to roll away as he lands, avoiding the hole entirely. Kazuhiro quickly moves stabbing his sword into the ground while Kei was forced to roll away from the blows. After a couple of strikes, Kei takes advantage of the predictably and throws both of his feet into Kazuhiro’s face. Kazuhiro stumbles backwards giving Kei a chance to recover. He returns to his feet and charges Kazuhiro and as he spears him into the wall, part of the wall falls to the ground on the outside of the building. Kazuhiro quickly retaliates, kicking Kei in the gut. Kazuhiro then charges into him and throws him into the door to the third floor steps. The glass remains intact. Kazuhiro grabs Kei’s head, and before Kazuhiro can throw Kei’s head into the glass, Kei stick his right foot up to the door and places it against it to prevent Kazuhiro from throwing him into it. Kei then throws his elbow, hard, into Kazuhiro’s gut. Kei then charges into him and knocks the door off its hinges and into the metal steps. Kei lets Kazuhiro regains his breath, while he travels up to the third floor. Kei opens the door and closes it behind him. He hides behind the way the door opened, to the left. As Kazuhiro finishes gathering his breath, he climbs to the third floor. Very cautiously, he opens the door and sees no one. As he comes into the entryway, Kei slams the door against him. Kazuhiro falls to the ground. Both of them showed signs of bleeding from the face. Both of them had probably sustained some serious internal injuries. However, it seemed like neither of them refused to give up.
Kei: (Still trying to catch his breath) Give up?
Kazuhiro: Go to hell.
Kei sighs. He leans against a wall, catching his breath.
Kei: Do you remember the good days Kazuhiro?
Kazuhiro doesn’t respond. Kei loses himself in memory. He flashes back to when they were in training.
Kazuhiro: Keep your mind in the game, Kei!
Kei suddenly finds himself thrown on to the ground looking up at the lights.
Kei: Damn Kazuhiro, can’t you go a little easier on me?
Kazuhiro: If I did that, how would you get stronger?
Kazuhiro extends his hand, and Kei extends his hand as Kazuhiro lifts him up.
Kazuhiro: Sure, I can kick your butt anytime I wish, but the point here is to make you stronger, not me.
Kei: Why did you agree to take me on Kazuhiro?
Kazuhiro: Well, I see a lot of me in you. You’re passionate, and you have that youthful gaze in your eyes. You’re ready to fight for what you believe in.
Kei: Isn’t that how I’ve always been?
Kazuhiro: That’s true, but there’s certainly a lot more to you than meets the eye. Now come on, let’s go again.
Kei returns to the present and Kazuhiro is leaning on a table to stand up as the two stare at each other.
Kei: (Thinking) What happened between now and then? What caused you to become like this?
Kazuhiro: Gone soft on me?
Kei: Far from it, I’d say I’m better than you now.
Kazuhiro: Now? You’ve never been better than me.
Kei: Is that all there is to this stupid fight? Pride?
Kazuhiro: Stop trying to see through my intentions. The only thing happening here, is my taking you down to get to the girl.
Kei: I think that the Branch is responsible for who you are now.
Kazuhiro: I joined the Branch of my own free will, and so did Saki.
Kei: I really don’t care. Maybe back then it was necessary, but now its not. Come with me, we can start fresh.
Kazuhiro: I’m not going to go back with you. Not everyone you know has the best of intentions, now raise your sword. Or I’ll run you through.
Kei quietly does so.
Kei: (Thinking) So be it.
Kei strengthens his resolve, as Kazuhiro charges at him. Kei side-steps and throws the hilt of his sword into Kazuhiro’s head.
Kei: If you want this to be over, then let’s end this.
Category:A and K
Category:Novel Chapter