Acceptance
Sugo felt the sword from his back pierce him in his left shoulder paralyzing his left side of the body and causing him to drop on the floor
He almost dropped the sword from both his hands but managed to grab it by his right hand and shove it straight towards the old man's stomach failing to aim towards his heart
"If I am going to die over here Iam not gonna die for nothing" he told himself as the sword went through the flesh of the oldman
Behind the oldman, he could see the fear in his brother's eyes as he knew he was about to be pierced by Akiba behind him
"GETSUGO!!!"
He shouted but it was going to do them no good;the sword had already went through him and there was blood all over the floor
Or so he thought
He could not comprehend what had happened....
The blade had went indeed through the body but not Getsugo's
Instead,the old man's body was infront of him with three swords inside inside him
One in his stomach and two in his chest
One belonging to Sugo,the other one belonging to Getsugo and the third one belonging to Akiba
Sugo looked over to Getsugo to understand what was happening who himself was confused over the whole scenario
To be this close to death and than for this all to happen; it was too much for both of them to contemplate at that moment
The attention turned towards oldman who fell on his knees and looked towards Akiba who was standing by his side looking at him not in disbelief but with what Sugo thought was sadness and disappointment
"Akiba...?"
He lifted his right hand up towards Akiba to touch him but instead coughed blood and than fell on the floor still coughing
"Let me finish him"
Getsugo took out a knife to finish but Akiba stood in front of him without saying anything
"What is it?"
Akiba looked at the oldman
"Let him suffer"
Suddenly,the whole hallway shook and the roof started coming down upon them as quickly as it could
Akiba looked back at the oldman and than looked at the hall observing what was happening
"You weren't lying when you said the spirit of this place is you and you alone weren't you?"
Getsugo looked for an explanation
"The place will come down completely once he is dead and needless to say we won't be able to get out of here"
Getsugo and Sugo pulled their swords out of the oldman and began to move out of the place
Sugo looked back at the oldman again
"What is it?" Akiba asked him noticing something was irritating him
"I was thinking about giving him a clean death you know ending it once and for all"
Akiba looked at him in shock and disbelief and walked towards him
"And he will be dead;that sword in its heart it's no ordinary sword he won't be able to ever recover from this now move!"
Sugo was about to walk out of the hallway when he saw someone dragging himself towards the oldman among all the stones and rubble falling upon and around him
It was Akimitsu;he was dragging himself towards the oldman shouting his name and tears flowing through his eyes
"Come! We will look for him amongst the rubble once this all ends now come with us or stay over here and be doomed!"
Meanwhile,Akimitsu finally reached the oldman who was lying infront of him on the floor
He wasn't making any movements nor any voice;he was completely lifeless
Akimitsu lifted him up gently and placed his head on his lap with tears streaming down his face down onto the oldman's face
"You cry for me more than my grandson,you fool"
The oldman spoke with a frail voice which Akimitsu could barely hear
"OLDMAN I'LL SAVE YOU I'LL DO SOMETHING ABOUT ALL OF THIS DONT WORRY I GOT IT-"
"And you'll save me by crying over here?"
Akimitsu did not understand
He opened his eyes to look at Akimitsu and stared deep into his
" I need no saving Akimitsu,I've already won this battle in my mind "
Akimitsu did not know what to say and the oldman did not let him;he didn't understand what was he saying at his last moments
"Akimitsu I'll teach you one last lesson which will help you in your journey so listen to me and remember this carefully and never forget it"
He brought Akimitsu's head closer to his touching his nose with his and took his hand in his hands
"Real battles are not fought on the battlefield;they are fought over here"
He pointed towards his brain with his finger
"Once you understand this you will never fail"
He than let him go but than brought him closer by grabbing him by his chest
"And don't trust anyone I repeat no one do make acquaintances but not friends get it?"
Akimitsu nodded
"This might hurt but this is the inevitable truth and you'll realize this even more with time"
He let go of Akimitsu's head and went quiet.
After a while he spoke
"You know since your mother's death I've always loved you like a son right?"
"Yeah...." Akimitsu finally gathered the strength to say something
He felt the oldman's grip on his hand loosen and so he held that hand of his tightly with both his hands
"I swear on my soul,I shall kill each and every one of them with all is in my power and throw them into despair at whatever the cost,none of them shall survive and succeed no matter who they are no matter how innocent or evil they are I swear I shall slaughter each and every one of them"
"You swear on your soul?"
The cold voice rang in his ear again
"Yes,I swear on my soul"
"Will you kill everyone of them?"
"Everyone?"
"Even the women and children?"
"Even the women and children"
"Even the innocent?"
"Even the innocent"
"Even your friends?"
"Even my friends"
"If they dare cross you?"
"They shall regret"
"You know you can't trust anyone right?"
"No one"
"Not even me?"
"Not even you"
"And what drives you?"
"Hatred"
"Finally you've come to terms with what you want Akimitsu and what drives you"
He said this as if he had been finally satisfied
"So than my soul is yours and yours is mine and together we shall do what others have failed to do"
"That we shall"