What Rules Cannot Hold (A Naekusaba story)

Chapter 9

Hastening memories; tears embroiled in shouts; unsatisfied affection. He saw her collapse, blood trailing down her forehead: beauty ravaged by tragedy. His plan was already playing out in his mind, yet nothing of it materialised. Something struck him and he felt an oppressive force pushing him towards the ground. He was falling down despite his mental resolve to keep his balance. Mukuro's eyes were closing when he faced her, so he extended his hand shaking her shoulder. The beaming fires enlightened her smooth complexion and, at least in his eyes, she appeared divine. 

''Eh, Muk-kuro...c-can...you-'' Makoto stammered and crawled towards her, wiping off all the blood from his face, doing likewise to Mukuro. It looked grotesque, but it made him feel better. He began touching his head, gently pressing upon each place. The area above his ear shook him with a numbing pain when touched. Some debris must've grazed him as the wound wasn't deep. Knowing that, he arose, bobbing from left to right until he was able to stagger forward. 

Individual students were still running out of the school, while a noticeable crowd assembled in front of the building and on the football pitch. The explosive reverberations lessened and the fire intensified, where it now roared out of almost all school windows. Cries of sirens were getting closer with each second. 

Makoto looked away from this horrific scenery and attempted to lift Mukuro who turned out to be very light. Limping forth while carrying her drained him after a couple of steps, though. He called for help, unable to tell if his voice was strong enough to be heard because of the persistent ringing in his ears. Meanwhile Mukuro's face was devoid of fear or worry - a lovely calm contrasting a face besmeared with blood. He had to stop repeatedly, often trying to cover as much of Mukuro's body as he could whenever a loud sound came out of the crumbling school. He called for help one last time, seeing Sakura and Gonta running towards him in an instant. 

''Oh no, Makoto!'' Gonta shouted, his eyes watery and depressed. 

''Makoto, don't.'' Sakura commanded when she saw him stagger forth with Mukuro in his hands. 

''I c-can...walk...sort of.'' He wanted to carry Mukuro to safety himself, regardless of the problems that might arise. What happened to her wasn't her fault. If he never invited her to come to that pointless contest then he'd have likely been the only one injured in any way. Now she was lying unconscious in his hands, perhaps as a result of something severe. He was conscious and could even walk. An unfair turn of events that could've been avoided.

''Gonta can help Makoto!" 

''I'll carry her to the ambulance, Makoto. You have a head injury and you could faint by straining yourself so much,'' Sakura advised him. Makoto gave up and handed Mukuro to her, a dull weakness weighing down on his senses. Gonta assisted him with limping to the school gates, from there he carried him because of the dense multitude of students that was reluctant to make way for them.  

Reporters were also on the scene and dared to accost Sakura and Gonta about the students that they were carrying. Once Gonta became defensive, they walked away. The police also arrived on the scene, supposedly preparing for a preliminary investigation concerning the cause of the fire, an investigation meant to be carried out by Kyoko who asked Gonta if Makoto was alright. 

When he was being examined by the medics, he heard that him and Mukuro would be sent to a hospital; she'd be under intensive care while he was expected to spend a few days to recover, unless a serious injury directed the doctors to extend his stay. 

''Thank you, guys,'' Makoto said to Sakura and Gonta before the ambulance drove off. 

''Gonta hope it no serious injury!" Gonta said with determination. 

''Take care of her, Makoto,'' Sakura added with a smile, looking towards Mukuro. 

''I will,'' Makoto responded, waving, a medic on his side advising him no too move as he was looking over his injury. 

After this pleasant goodbye, the area resounded with sirens again as more firefighters were requested to deal with the increasingly fierce fire. 

*

At the hospital Makoto was rushed upon by his parents and Komaru who were informed about his state before the ambulance even departed. His father and mother promised him that they would find him a better place to continue his education. Makoto insisted that they didn't have to do that, but they weren't listening to him. 

''I was so worried!'' Teary eyed Komaru cried and embraced him.

''Thank you...but I think that it was less sensational than what you see on the TV,'' he said, looking at the TV screen in his ward that was playing a news channel now exclusively devoted to relating everything happening at Hope's Peak. 

''Why do you say such stupid things?! You could have died!'' Komaru ruffled her brother's hair with frustration and kissed him on the cheek. ''You should have used your ultimate talent to stop all this...''

''I wish it worked like that.'' His family remained with him until evening. He hoped that they would leave earlier so that he could see Mukuro. They didn't, but he at least had the time to find out where Mukuro's unit was located from one of the hospital maps displayed in the hallway. She was located on the same floor as he, however, figuring out how to gain a permit to visit her would be more difficult. Family members had priority in this case and concessions were unlikely to be granted to self-proclaimed friends. Makoto thought about this for a while in the darkness of his ward, accepting the fact that until Mukuro woke up, he couldn't gain a chance to see her. It distressed him but he told himself that it was for the better. 

Images of roaring flames and gored faces haunted Makoto's imagination as he was trying to fall asleep.