Smile Again, Please : A Yang Xiao Long Story!

Chapter 8 : Nothing Hurts More

Raiden slammed his serrated sword into Yang's gauntlet before retracting his arms and narrowly dodging a punch from her left fist. He then was forced to back via Yang's fist slamming into chest.

"What's the matter, Rai?" Cynthia said, mocking Yang's nickname for him. The wicked smile was still on her face and yet all Raiden could do was notice how beautiful Yang was despite having a demon possess her. Raiden stood back to his feet, blood dripping from several cuts on his chest. In the moment Cynthia made Yang's fist crash into Raiden's chest, she had also covered the punch in a torrent of her energy which then created cuts in a near-circular fashion around the point of contact.

"Back in Vacuo, you were strong enough to kill three Beringels in one night and yet here you are, struggling against one human!" Cynthia taunted. Raiden suddenly heard a light whisper in his ear, as if someone were trying to speak to him. And yet he knew that no one was in the immediate vicinity This only happened when one very specific event was about to happen : A wandering spirit was trying to get him to help them. He was about to shrug the spirit off for the time being, however when he actually listen to the whispers, he froze.

"Why? Why are you doing this?" Raiden said as the grip on his sword tightened. "What has Yang ever done to you?" At this, Cynthia made Yang smile.

"It's not about what she's done. It's about what you've done. I told you earlier. You left when I needed someone to help the most. This is your punishment." Cynthia replied before charging yet again. However, the next few words that Raiden spoke suddenly made Cynthia freeze where she was.

"Will wouldn't like that." Raiden replied. Cynthia took two steps back, fear in her eyes. The fear was replaced by anger shortly after.

"Never mention his name again! Ever!" Cynthia shouted, red energy concentrating around Yang's left arm.

"Will Lawrence, born in the year of XXXX on December 21st to a poor family. When he turned, twenty-two, he married you." Raiden continued on his tantrum of information.

"How do you.... know.... all of that?" Cynthia said as Yang's eyes suddenly became glossy, a clear sign of tears welling up.

"Will is here, right now. Watching you try to kill both Yang and myself." Raiden's eyes suddenly shined brightly, a blue light gently glowing from them.

"He says that you can stop now, that he misses you. That he wants to talk with you again. That he needs you."

"Shut up!!!" Cynthia shouted, launching herself at Raiden.

"He says that he misses the way you curl up into a ball at night, the way you steal all of the blanket to cover your eyes whenever you watched a horror film." Raiden continued.

"He says he misses you, Cynthia Orshana Clorens." Yang's fist suddenly stopped just centimeters from making contact with Raiden's unprotected fist. The wind created by her punch blow back the trees behind Raiden, but he himself refused to move.

"Leave her be, Cynthia. You have your wish. I've found Will and lead you to him, now please, leave Yang out of this." Raiden said, attempting to persuade her. Normally, when facing a demon, Raiden would merely attempt to kill the target. However, demons possessing someone were a different matter. The demon would need to be coaxed out of the host before Raiden could send them to the next world. Also, this had never happened before where the demon's  deceased loved one finds them and Raiden. Perhaps, just perhaps, Cynthia would leave Yang alone and pass on to the next world as a normal spirit.

"Is he.... really here?" Cynthia said, Yang's fist wavering in front of Raiden. He nodded his head in reply. Raiden then lifted his hand and gently pushed Yang's fist downward. Her voice was much quieter than before and she seemed calmer.

"He is." Raiden replied. Cynthia suddenly smiled wickedly again.

"I don't care." She replied, landing a devastating punch to Raiden's unprepared stomach.

---

Tai paced back and forth, impatiently. He glanced towards the area Raiden had pointed out every second, a worried expression across his face.

"He will fail." Raven said as she looked at her shining blade. Tai turned to her, a furious look in his eyes.

"He won't." Tai said, almost stubbornly. Raven rolled her eyes.

"Please, Tai. We both know he won't be able to expunge the demon from within Yang alone." Raven replied.

"I know he'll  do it, Raven. Because he's always been there for her." Tai said before quitting his pacing and turning back towards the battle. He hadn't done this to end their conversation on a dramatic note, but because he noticed something.

The loud clashes had stopped.

---

Cynthia held Raiden up against a rock, her robotic right arm holding him by the neck. She wasn't strangling him, no. That would be too easy. Her left fist was in the air above her head, readying another punch.

"I told you to stop. You should have listened." Cynthia said, pausing. Raiden was, however, listening to the quiet voice in his ear.

"You should have listened when Will told you to charge your phone. Maybe then you two wouldn't have walked through the rain." He said in a weak voice. Yang's eyes widened, a sign of Cynthia's anger rising.

"Shut up already!" Cynthia shouted, launching her left fist at Raiden's face. Raiden took the heavy blow, almost losing consciousness. His right eye almost immediately swelled and turned purple.

"I don't understand you. I'm beating you to an inch of your life and yet you're still going on reminding me of my past! Hit me! Throw a punch, swing your sword! Hell, throw dirt at me! Get angry and strike me!" Cynthia angrily shouted. Raiden chuckled at this.

"You find this funny!?" Cynthia growled.

"What I find funny..." Raiden breathed. He was beginning to lose consciousness, his vision becoming blurred.

"Is that he's on his knees, begging me not to hurt you and yet you want me to..... hit you." Raiden said before Cynthia forced Yang to raise her left arm again.

"Nothing hurts him more....." Raiden began as Yang's fist descended towards him.

"Than seeing you like this." Raiden said as he lost consciousness, the world fading to black around him.