A Ray of Sunlight

Chapter 17.5 - One of Us Falls (Katsunori's POV)

"You can still make this okay." Akuma said. She was sitting beside me, our legs dangling off the side of the building dangerously, watching the town get demolished by the monsters.

"It's too late." Akio was standing behind me, watching the speculator scene.

"Shut up. This is all your fault." Akuma said.

"This is your fault. If you didn't interrupt so many times with your romantic ideas, this would've never happened. We would've been on the way to see the remains of Sora or perhaps even the explosion."

"Can we stop arguing!" Makoto said. "You're making Katsunori so distressed that I can't even read his mind.

"Akio's right. Akuma, you can stop." I said.

"Well, this is all our fault for not keeping Shiro back." Yuto analyzes. His voice seems smaller than usual. He sounded worried.

I stared blankly at the fire arising out from the houses. "It's okay guys, we'll get revenge next time. For now, just enjoy the flames arising. People change...may the sufferings of others continue." I looked at Akuma and reached out my hand.

Akuma looked down at the scene underneath us and handed me a lollipop. "You know eating sugar isn't going to make you feel better right?"

I looked at the fire again and placed the lollipop in my mouth and threw the wrapper down the building, watching the colorful wrapper gently glide down. "I'm going to hell anyways. Might as well enjoy the process."

Akuma continued looking back downwards at the floor. "Do what you want, Katsunori."

"I will."

Just as I was finishing the lollipop, I heard my dear old friend's voice, tired and sad.

"Katsunori."

I stood up, spitted down the stick of the lollipop down the building, the demons popping back into my ring and I turned to face Kaito. His red armor shining in the sun just like those years back.

"Well hello my old friend! How are you today? How's your nephew? That Koichi had such a hot head." I said, chuckling.

"We can still make this-"

"Enough, Kaito. You had said that enough times already." I turned back to face the other side and sighed. "The flames, they're so pretty right."

"Please, Katsunori."

"Oh the sound of their screams. What a beautiful sound. Planet Koji was such a beautiful planet. It's even more beautiful now engulfed in flames. I aspire for a day when Sora will meet its same fate."

"I don't want to fight you."

"But you did those years ago." I turned around again, this time staring right into his eyes. "But you still didn't stop me. I have grown weak in your company but I enjoyed it very much." I leaned back and fell from the building.

I could see Kaito flying down. I blasted a beam of laser but unfortunately, he still flew through the smoke and we fought in the air, the wind blowing on my face and the sun getting covered by clouds.

"It's not too late, it was never too late, why can't you see the bright future you have?!"

"Are you fucking delusional?! You see this fucking planet?! It's in flames, just like those other planets I blew up or completely destroyed. It's too late! You have to move on."

"Either you go back with me or one of us falls."

We were now on opposite sides, a few feet away from each other. I could hear his panting and my panting and see the water hitting on the surface of our armor. My face was wet but when I touched it, I realized it wasn't wet because of the rain but instead, they were coming out of my eyes.

I smirked. The mask I wore had cracked, revealing my pathetic face. "Then one of us will fall today."

"Okay."