Burning Bright | Keigo Takami x Male Reader

Chapter 24

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(M/N) was beyond happy when Keigo showed up. All the struggles he went through weren't in vain. Keigo looked at Denki and Kyoka in confusion, then sadness. He could tell they weren't themselves anymore. Toga had corrupted them.

But he could still save (M/N).

"I'm not going to let you torment my friends anymore," Keigo said to Toga.

Toga seemed annoyed that he interrupted her when she had (M/N) within her grasp. But then she gave him that eerie smile. "Well, I've been inside (M/N)'s head now, so I know where your other little friends are hiding. Whether or not I kill you now, you'll have to go help them."

She laughed and hopped through a portal with Denki and Kyoka, just as they gave Keigo a disgusted look.

"Are they...?"

"Dead? Under Toga's control? Yes," (M/N) said, slowly getting up and moving towards Keigo. Keigo knew that was probably the case, but hearing it made him feel even more guilty.

"This is all my fault, I should have listened to you back then, left when you wanted to, but because I didn't-"

He was silenced when (M/N) hugged him as tight as possible. "I never thought I'd see you again."

Keigo hovered his hands for a moment, before returning the hug. "I didn't either. I'm so glad you're still alive."

(M/N) pulled back and smiled. "I forgive you, for everything that happened. This wasn't your fault."

Tears welled up in Keigo's eyes as he smiled back at (M/N). Those words were more than he could have hoped for. "I still can't forgive myself for leaving you, but never again. I'll never leave you for the rest of my life."

(M/N)'s heart seemed to beat out of his chest with such intensity. It had been so long and now his long lost feelings came rushing back, he forgot just how much he cared about Keigo, to the point where it hurt. But they couldn't rest. "Is Nemuri still okay?"

Keigo nodded. "And the others."

"Others?" (M/N) questioned, though he quickly moved on. Now wasn't the time. "Well, let's go help them."

"Yeah." Keigo grabbed (M/N)'s hand. "Are you sure you want to keep fighting though?"

"I can't stop until our group is safe," (M/N) said. "I'm not too badly injured, but..."

"But what?"

"Toga's corruption..."

(M/N) didn't need to say anything else. "We'll work everything out. Together."

"I don't know if it's possible, but if there's even the slightest chance we can save Denki and Kyoka..." (M/N) said. "I want to save them. I'm so tired of running."

Keigo looked out into the starry universe outside. "Of course we will. If only I had been faster that day, maybe I could have saved them, and you."

"We can only move forward from here," (M/N) said. "I refuse to let things get any worse. We can fix this."

Keigo nodded. "We can fix this."

~

Toga was screaming, but it was all wrong. The stars above were vibrating, attuned to her fury. The pools of liquid at her feet began to boil and overflow, setting the ground aflame with multicoloured fires. None of that scared Nemuri, not until the screaming stopped. And Toga began to laugh.