Sunset Ghost

Cross the Darkness

サンセットゴースト

Sunset Ghost

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第22章

暗闇を渡る

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Kageyama felt his hope draining with every second as the world slowed to a painful crawl around him. All he could see were the tears falling down Hinata's cheeks and Hyde's empty eyes staring at him. The rain beat a soundless rhythm against his skin as his body went numb and the sky grew darker with the approaching night.

"Please..." Kageyama rasped weakly, going limp as the fight finally rushed out of him. "Please stop this..."

A bright voice echoed through the darkness in his mind like a sudden spark of sunlight through the clouds. I'm Hinata Shōyō!

"Stop..." Kageyama's head lowered as an odd mix of emotions ran through him and his body started to tremble.

Kageyaaammmaaaa, stop calling me dumbass!

"Wait..."

Either not hearing his pleading or not caring, Hyde shot a triumphant look Kageyama's way, but his vision was utterly encompassed by a swirling black void of sharp memories. They pricked at him like shards of broken glass. Everything was swirling around too fast, words and images blurring together in a confusing tapestry of pain and anger.

You know... I was really glad you could see me when we met.

"Please, please don't hurt him..."

You're a pretty good friend, Kageyama!

"I'm begging you."

I trust you.

"He didn't do anything."

It hurt, it hurt so much, like a knife stabbing him in the heart over and over again. Kageyama, guess what?!

"P-please..."

His vision cleared for a split second to allow Hinata's tear-stained face, still turned towards him, cement itself in Kageyama's mind. His lips, which were usually twisted into a cheerful smile, where trembling and broken. Every look and every touch they'd ever shared tore through Kageyama's senses like a bolt of lightning, setting his nerve-endings on fire.

You really do love sleeping in, don't you, Kageyama?

"Just please..."

Hyde demolished the distance between them and the lips of the two spirits finally brushed. A blue trail floated between them, like a line of Will o' the Wisps, leading a lost traveler to their doom. It was horrifying, yet beautiful at the same time. Or, at least, it was until Hinata's hoarse screams bit through the air and struck Kageyama's chest like arrows of anguish.

His body burned brighter than the sun as one last sentence ghosted through his head. Maybe I'll tell you my story someday.

"STOP!" The harsh scream tore through the air like a blast of electricity, knocking the Ikiryō straight off of Hinata's chest and sending the trees at the faraway edges of the cemetery blowing back, branches nearly scraping the ground. Kageyama's heart felt like it would beat right out of his chest as his skin cracked and fizzled with intense energy, feeding the unnatural gust. He felt like a fork that had been jammed into a toaster; his whole body a conductor for the electricity to run through.