The Price For Immortality

Success or Failure?

Everyone that's hiding gasps.

"Hoji, what are you doing?!" Daigo whisper-yells.

Everyone starts whispering until they're shushed. They all look around, wondering who shushed them.

It was Valt.

Hoji stands outside the door and waits. Eventually, to his complete and utter shock, it opens. Lui is standing on the other side.

"How the hell did you find this place, and what the hell are you doing here?!" Lui demands.

Hoji's eyes widen. His hands fly up, as if to protect himself from Lui's wrath. "Woah! Calm down! I... I didn't think I'd run into you! Someone told me that Wakiya was hiding out here!"

Lui stares, and smirks. "Oh... you're looking for your little friend, huh?"

Hoji nods. "Yes. Someone said he was in this house in the woods. I saw the door and figured that-"

"That's enough. I know where Wakiya is." Lui's smile disappears. "Wait... how much do you know?"

"Know about what?"

"The Supreme Four."

Hoji stares. "I know that they're the best Bladers in the country... what else am I supposed to know?"

Lui smiles again. "Absolutely nothing. Listen, you can't tell anyone about this place. I get you were just snooping around in the woods, looking for your little friend, but you really shouldn't have come here." Lui's smile goes away again. "In fact, I'm wondering why I'm still talking to you. You should really just get out of here."

"But... but Wakiya..."

Lui grins. "Oh, right... him. You want your little friend back?"

"Yes, more than anything."

Lui tilts his head left, then right. "Well, I guess you can have him. I don't really need him right now, anyway." Lui leans into the door again. "Xander! Bring Wakiya out here, would you?!"

"Yes, Lui!" They hear Xander's voice from inside.

The door opens all the way. Hoji gasps. Xander is carrying Wakiya, but Wakiya is dangling limply from his arms. Xander walks out the door, and drops the body onto the ground. It lands with a thud. Hoji gasps again.

"Wakiya!" He shouts. He drops to his knees and grabs his friend's hand. "Wakiya!" He looks up at Lui. "You... you killed him! You monster!"

Lui leans against the wall. "You said you wanted him back. You didn't say you wanted him back alive."

"You should've known I meant alive, you sick, twisted monster!"

Lui scoffs. "Nothing I haven't heard before."

Hoji stares down at Wakiya. He moves a strand of Wakiya's golden blond hair out of his face. "Wakiya..."

"Oh you poor thing. Need a tissue?" Lui laughs and turns around. "Have fun with your 'friend'."

Hoji feels anger. He looks over in the general direction that everyone's in. "GET HIM!" he shouts.

Everyone bursts out of their hiding places. Lui's eyes widen. For once, he was caught off guard. He almost shut the door, but Hoji stuck out his arm and held it open. The door was heavy, and it hurt, but Hoji didn't care.

Anything for Wakiya.

Besides, he wasn't the one doing the actual killing.

Everyone rushes inside. Lui is standing next to Xander. "Wow, you guys actually kinda scared me there," Lui says. "Impressive."