Chapter 97: Enraged
Taka's small form struggled against the overwhelming heat and smoke in the heart of the raging fire.
"...No... I-I... h-have to get out..."
His voice, barely a whisper amidst the crackling flames, trembled with fear and desperation.
"...Urghh..."
With every labored breath, Taka fought to push himself forward, but his strength was waning, drained by the relentless onslaught of fire and smoke.
Blood seeped from his wounds, staining the floor beneath him as his body faltered, unable to withstand the intense heat.
With a final burst of effort, Taka managed to crawl to the center of the restaurant...
"...Just a bit more...I can do it..." He muttered desperately as he looked at the entrance door.
However...
Above him, the ceiling groaned and creaked under the weight of the burning roof, threatening to collapse at any moment.
"...!"
Then, with a deafening crash, a pillar of fire crashed down upon his legs, engulfing him in searing agony.
"AARGHHHHHH!!!!"
Taka's scream echoed through the flames, a haunting cry of pain and despair as he succumbed to the merciless fury of the fire.
Tears streamed down his face, mingling with sweat and soot as fear tightened its grip on his heart.
In the midst of the inferno, he felt utterly alone, his small frame trembling with terror.
"I don't want to die... I can't..."
The thought of leaving his Sin behind filled him with unbearable sorrow.
He couldn't bear the idea of never seeing him again, of leaving him to face the world alone.
As the flames closed in around him, consuming everything in their path, Taka's mind raced with memories, each one flashing before his eyes like fragments of a shattered dream.
"Please... anyone... help..."
His voice was hoarse, barely a whisper amidst the roar of the fire. He pleaded for salvation, for someone, anyone, to come to his rescue.
But as the flames licked closer, swallowing the building whole, Taka's cries for help grew weaker, choked off by the smoke and ash filling his lungs.
With his vision blurred and his strength fading, Taka's voice was barely more than a whisper as he uttered one last plea for mercy.
"Please... help..."
Taka couldn't move...
...he felt helpless, his limbs heavy and his lungs burning with each labored breath.
His small frame struggled to free himself from the wreckage.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break free.
The fire raged on, relentless and unforgiving, its fierce embrace tightening around him with each passing moment.
"...A-aniki... hel..p..."
As the flames licked closer, Taka's world began to blur, his vision fading as darkness closed around him.
...
...
Raymond's expression remained stoic as he approached the burning restaurant, unsurprised by the sight before him.
"They truly burned it down, huh?" he remarked with a detached tone, his gaze fixed on the raging flames.
But amidst the chaos, a sudden shift in his perception caught his attention, prompting a sharp change in his demeanor.
"Hmm!?"
Raymond's eyes widened in astonishment as his senses honed in on a faint presence within the inferno.
His figure instantly blurred out as he navigated through the wreckage, driven by a sense of urgency as he searched for the source of the lingering life force.
And there, amidst the devastation, he found Taka, a small figure barely clinging to consciousness amidst the relentless onslaught of fire.
"..."
Raymond's expression hardened, his emotions concealed by his emotionless expression he swiftly scooped Taka into his arms.
With a single-minded focus, Raymond raced out of the burning building.
"...A-Aniki..."
His heart sank as he heard Taka's faint voice amidst the crackling of flames.
Placing the boy carefully on the ground a short distance from the burning restaurant, Raymond's eyes grew cold at the sight before him.
"..."
Taka's legs were charred black, rendered useless by the fire's merciless onslaught.
One of his hands was also badly burned, the skin blistered and raw.
Despite his injuries, Taka clung to consciousness by a thread, his breathing shallow and weak.
Though Raymond wished he could offer Taka a future free from suffering...
...his hopes were dashed by a cruel twist of fate...
A flint knife protruded from Taka's chest, a grim reminder of the danger lurking within the flames.
"..."
At that moment, Raymond could only look at Taka in silence.
"What happened?"
Sakujiro's voice echoed through the chaos as he arrived, his eyes wide with in shock as he saw Taka's figure.
"Where's Machi?"
"..."
Silence lingered in the air, heavy with unspoken dread.
"...She already left," Sakujiro finally responded.
"...I see."
Raymond's heart sank at the news, a chill settling over him. As the flames raged around them, Taka's weak voice broke through the turmoil.
"...A-aniki... Am I... going to die?"
Taka's words were labored, his eyes pleading for reassurance as he gazed up at Raymond, his vision blurred with pain and fear.
"...My brother... Sin... please..."
Raymond gazed at Taka, whose life hung by a thread, yet his thoughts were with another.
He softly whispered, "Listen well, Taka. Close your eyes."
Taka obeyed, a faint smile touching his lips.
"...Ah, I see... a green field... and blue sky..."
"That's right. It's a beautiful place."
"...Yes... It's beautiful..."
"..."
Sakujiro stood nearby, his heart heavy with helpless frustration.
With his last strength, Taka lifted his hand, the only one left, and murmured, "...Aniki, I see... a butterfly..."
"Good. Listen, Taka. Run after that butterfly... Go... Have fun..."
"...Ah..."
Taka's voice faded, his hand gently falling as he slipped away...
"..."
Raymond silently cradled Taka's lifeless body in his arms.
"...Taka! Taka! Where are you?"
A child's voice pierced the air, and Sakujiro turned to see Sin, his young face contorted with pain, stumbling toward them.
Tears streamed down his cheeks.
Sin had somehow sensed something was wrong and ventured out after Taka, despite his own injuries.
But unbeknownst to him, it was too late...
"Sakujiro, get that kid out of here..."
"Hmm? Wh---!?"
As he was about to ask why, his words caught in his throat as he beheld Raymond's crimson eyes, devoid of any emotion.
In a blur of movement, Sakujiro scooped up Sin and disappeared.
And as he vanished...
...a massive wave of Nen surged out, enveloping the entire city.
Those who were not strong enough succumbed to unconsciousness, while the strong struggled to remain upright, all gazing in shock in a certain direction.
"...!"
Sakujiro could only watch in astonishment as he witnessed a tremendous surge of Nen emanating from the young man. He held Sin tightly in his arms, shielding him from the pressure, yet Sin still struggled to break free.
Sakujiro felt his entire being tremble with fear as he muttered, "...No wonder his Nen was chaotic... This young man... no, this monster..."
Such monstrosity was simply inhuman!
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