riptide | kyojuro rengoku

XLI | sacrifice

YOU RAN, nearly tripping over your own feet as you did so. Some of the pirates had managed to make it back to shore but with one movement of your arms, they were dragged underwater again and left to be fed off of. There was another sound in the air but this time you knew it wasn't the Ikuchi.

Lightning sparked in the sky before it struck down onto the sand, ringing out a loud boom as it echoed across the island. You weren't sure how long Kyojuro could hold Akaza off and clearly, the man could hold his own against the Flame Pillar. You hadn't figured out his abilities yet, but it was clear that he was the one dispelling those shockwaves.

Kyojuro had never told you anything about the Twelve Moons, maybe because they were never attacked by one themselves. From the way he had mentioned them earlier though, you knew that they were fairly deadly pirates. And Akaza was just one of many. That wasn't the only thought that haunted you.

When you touched Kyojuro's chest, his entire body was hot. It was as if he was a living torch, his ribs were made of charcoal and his lungs were filled with gasoline-fueled fire. You knew soon enough he'd be coughing and on his knees, unable to keep up with his need for oxygen as the smoke in his chest became overwhelming.

However, neither of them were going to stop until they won. You swallowed hard at the thought, turning your attention to the Ikuchi who looked at you knowingly from the depths of the sea. "At a moment of desperation," You reminded yourself, taking in a breath. Were you really this desperate? To be putting the entire island in danger by summoning it?

You swallowed hard. You never even wanted to come to a decision like this but you knew better than to drag yourself into the fight more than you already had. Your wounds had healed and so had his, but you two were still susceptible to getting hurt there again. One wrong twist of your left leg and the scar on your ankle would reopen.

It was the same with the scrapes and cuts along his arms. Hell, you were sure there were a few bruises splotched along his face that he hadn't told you about earlier. More lightning struck down and you panted, feeling the frigid cold of the rain start to contrast with the heat of the sand underneath your feet.

The difference in temperature reminded you of so many things; the tale of the Fire God and Ocean God, the resistance between you and Kyojuro, the night you had gotten stranded. Maybe somewhere in all of this, Kaguya had spoken some truth. Either one of you could die, but he never guessed you'd be willing to die in steed for the other.

So, maybe in that way, he was wrong.

At this point, it didn't matter who was right or wrong in this situation. What mattered was your choices: the one thing you had been deprived of for so long. You had been sheltered, manipulated, and abused all your life by the numerous characters within your life, but now you had the freedom to choose on your own.

And maybe that choice was to risk your own.

It was the one thing you could decide on with dignity and unprecedented confidence; you would die for Kyojuro without a shadow of a doubt. You reached out to the Ikuchi, your steps ever so slightly shaky. You could feel warmth on your face but you couldn't tell if it was the creature's breath or your tears, smiling weakly at the sea serpent.

It raised its head from the water, but you knew it was there, its muzzle bumping against the palm of your already cut hand. "Draw more blood," You requested. You weren't even sure if your plan would work but as of the moment, you only felt dedication. The urge to protect Kyojuro with your life, but that wasn't enough.

You had to be desperate enough, on the brink of death to get that sense that summoning it would be the single salvation for your life. You felt the Ikuchi dig its teeth into your palm, nearly piercing your hand had it not been for it being clever enough to unlatch after a few seconds. You cried out in pain, slamming a not-so-bloody hand over your mouth afterward.

If you even made one anguished sound, you knew Kyojuro would be at your side in an instant. You couldn't risk that. The next step in all of this: calming the sea. You had no idea how you'd manage that in a storm and nonetheless with the sense of your own emotions. Calm, calm, calm. Keep yourself calm. 

You kept your knees buried in the sand, hoping that the grounded feeling would help. The Ikuchi rumbled beside you and you looked into the sea, seeing the floating bodies and splotches of red along the tides. You tried not to gag, reaching out for its muzzle to pet it in thanks. "Go and protect the villagers, save them from the tides," The Ikuchi growled before disappearing.

You knew it would listen to what you had to say. You knew this would only get worse if you managed to summon the Umibōzu, the waves would change too much for the other side of the island to be safe for the villagers. You couldn't risk guiding them to the cliff either considering they could fall off from the Umibōzu's intense attacks.

You heard a grunt all of a sudden, your head whipping behind you to where Kyojuro and Akaza were fighting. Your heart dropped in your chest, the waves tinting redder and redder. Akaza laughed, his feet digging into the tides as you realized that the wound wasn't his. It was Kyojuro's and based on the blood, it was more than just a scratch.

It was more than a reopened scar.

It wasn't some slice along his arm.

It was a whole stab wound, something meant to nearly tear him in two.

The warmth on your face became more prominent as you fell to your knees, dropping your hand into the ocean as if to grab a handful of the water. Your own blood mixed in with the salt water, but you ignored the sting, tears of desperation shining true along your face as you tilted your head up to the sky.

"PLEASE, HELP US!"