Chapter-13 Change

'Liza..."

I muttered as I saw the horrific sight in front of me, blood was spread across the ground, so thick not even the heavy rain could wash it away.

" c-cash." She responded. She was still clinging to life...Though no matter how hard I wanted to believe there was a chance...I knew...I knew it was over.

I was able to make it to one knee as I was now hovering over Liza. My singular knee was soaked in her blood. I ran my hand through her wet red hair to the back of her head...I felt a liquid that was not rain stick to the palm of my hand.

After removing my hand and holding it out in front of me...I sighed in defeat and sadness. Then Liza whose hands were soaking in her own blood across the floor. Raised one and touched my cheek.

I felt the blood on her palm stick to my face, but still, I could feel the gentleness, the softness of her hand. I looked into her red eyes as they began slowly losing color. A rush of emotions filled my head as I looked down at her.

I knew the Tolu was likely right behind me but I couldn't care less...I would rather die currently than watch this. I heard the heavy footsteps behind me as it approached preparing to end my life...In a way, I was happy.

I felt its presence as It reached my back...I could hear its muscles strain as it lifted its fist to kill me. Then I saw tears in Lizas' eyes...Suddenly, I felt like a piece of shit.

" THWIP!"

I heard something light land behind me. " THRASH" A massive gust of wind at my back...Only one person could do that, but how the hell is she even still alive?

" Liza! What the hell happ-"

" CRACK!!"

Before she could finish the Tolu had already returned from whatever attack she had landed, throwing a punch that landed directly on her nearly broken sword. I saw the tip of said sword go flying into the sky sticking straight up in the ground.

The Tolu quickly pursued her as she was now the only threat to it. I returned my attention to Liza where tears disguised as raindrops ran down her face.

" You were going to die, like that. After I sacrificed myself for you." Her voice was nearly audible. Blood ran from her mouth as she spoke,

" I'm sorry." I had a bundle of emotions running through my head at the moment...The first one to emerge was...Confusion. " Why?" Her light breathing was my only reply.

" Why did you do that...Why did you throw away your weapon...For Me!" The second emotion was anger. " I can't fight...Why do you care so much about one arm...I would happily be turned into a legless, armless creature than see you die like this!"

She parted her lips to respond, but I already knew what she was going to say, and I didn't want to hear it.

" You can help people. I can't, no matter how hard I try I always end up on the sidelines!" I thought back to before all this...Baseball. " That was the only place I could fight along with everyone, but I only did that so I could feel better about being so pathetic at anything else."

" Cash." I felt her hand squeeze my cheek slightly harder, her voice was slightly louder too, but I ignored it as I was too caught up in my own feelings to agnolige her.

" I've always been this way. People always cared for me more than I ever deserved to be...My grandma, your parents, you. I've...Never been able to repay that."

" Cash!" Her second hand came up with a sudden strength, grabbing the other side of my face. Pulling my eyes down to meet hers. The color was still fading, but a new emotion was within them.

" Liza...I-I'm sorry. You always gave me so much that I've never been able to repay-"

" Stop..."

"It's true-"

" Stop...That's all you need to do to repay me." I recognized the look in her eyes now...It was anger.

"..."

" I don't have much time left cash." Her voice shook as she said this and it began to sound harder for her to talk every time she spoke. " I don't care about what you think about yourself, how pathetic you say you are. Hell, it wouldn't matter if you were."

"...What?"

" I did this because I want you to live and be happy. because I care so much about you."

" ....W-Why. I'm nothing worth saving."

" This is purely selfish...To me. You are worth that much."

I felt the tears fill the bottoms of my eyes. The rain couldn't hide these...This was the last mission...We would have been done after this...

" GOD DAMMIT!!" I let out a scream that cut threw the rain, echoing off the destroyed buildings. I looked up to the rain as the tears ran down my face. Liza again pulled my face down, this time closer to her face.

" This can't happen, not now...So close to one half of my dream." I muttered as Liza's grip grew tighter...If I were like her, I could have helped instead of just sitting here. Despite what she says, compared to her and the rest...I am pathetic.

" So close to our dream." 

My eyes widened as Lizas' voice came threw clearer than all the time before, the rain, though I could see it still falling, seemed to go silent. I saw tears in Lizas' eyes now as well. What she had said was much more than a simple confession of love. But an acceptance of failing a dream.

" You hate being powerless...Now that you're a part of the Tolu hunters...I'll give you the power to fight."

My eyes narrowed as her eyes closed. I could hear crashing behind me from Mina and the S.S. rank Tolu. I was ready to accept that Liza was gone, I went to back away but her grip stayed strong....If she's still alive...I can't hold back what I need to say.

" I-I love you-"

Before I could finish my sentence. Liza pulled me in closer than ever before. Her eyes remained closed while mine stayed open out of pure shock. I felt a sweet softness, a heat. Our lips were connected. The tears started again as I closed my eyes.

We sat there for only a moment, but felt like hours, time was slowed, I could see every raindrop drop to the ground, or I was only hallucinating...My eyes are closed...I image, of Liza entered my head...The dream we had secretly shared.

The dream was suddenly splashed in red like paint had been thrown over it...This moment was only being ruined by one thing. The taste of iron. 

A new sensation entered my body, a burst of energy ran threw my body as I felt the tiredness and pain of my wounds ease...Then, the grip Liza had on me looseness. Two streaks of blood on either side ran down my face as Lizas' hand fell elegantly to the ground.