Kuro-A Mystic Messenger Adventure

Chapter 17: Kuro Attacks

The air was frozen. You took a breath, cracking the silence a little. Seven shifted his feet a little, lifting his chin away from the knife that Rika held to his throat. Rika smile with a look of victory on her face. Honey and Buddha were curled up next to a tree. Buddha stood protectively over Honey who was watching. Both were scratched up and afraid of moving or joining the fight in case Rika decided to take their movement as a reason to kill Seven. Searan lay underneath a pile of branches, pinned at the waist by a large log. A cut above his eyebrow steadily dropped into his eye as he watched the scene through the gaps in the branches.

You stood, gun in hand, unsure of what to do next. You glanced around, once again, for Kuro who had disappeared when the fight broke out. You felt very exposed without the cat in sight.

"What's the next move?" Rika mocked. You could see Seven shiver as the woman spoke next to his ear.

You tightened your grip on the gun, still pointing it toward the pair, careful not to shoot so as not to hit Seven.

"I guess I'm just confused," you stammered, stalling for time. "Why do you want us so much? I thought it was because you wanted to mess with V but he's dead now." You almost wished you had not mentioned the blue haired photographer. You could almost feel his rolling in his grave, wanting to stay out of the mess he had just left behind.

Rika gave you a slow, demeaning smile. "I wish to bring you to paradise," Rika simpered. Her eyes flashed as she continued, "I want Searan to come back to the fold. He is like my son, after all."

"I think you mean, Not to mention he's the best hacker you've got and can erase you from the system again," Seven spat. He closed his eyes tight as Rika pressed the blade closer to his throat.

"I wish to protect him," Rika spat, bringing the knife down. She slashed his collarbone in her anger before returning the blade to his quivering adam's apple. "As for you, I want to put you in your place. You caused me so much grief, destroying my home and my setup and hacking into everything. I wanted you to mess with V but, now that you've destroyed Minteye, I want to destroy you slowly."

Rika's angry, fevered eyes turned on you next. "And you. You tried to take my place. You tried so hard and failed and you will never, ever measure up to me. You are worthless and Searan sees that. I now how you look at him and he will never love you. You know, he looks at me like that. How could you compare to me?" Rika smiled. Some of those things were obviously not true. You knew Searan loved you but Rika was preying on your weakness. You had a hard time standing up to her telling you that you were worthless because you had that thought every day.

"Don't listen to her, Y/N!" Searan shouted, wincing as he tried to shift the log on top of him. "It's not true! You are beautiful and amazing and gifted. More than that snake could ever be. Most importantly, I love you." His wide mint eyes pierced your soul.

Rika looked very displeased. She shoved Seven to the tree next to her and twisted the man's hand harder as she touched the blade to his shoulder and sharted pushing, slowly sinking the blade into the hacker's flesh. Seven yelled in pain and tried to twist away but Rika just pushed her knife in deeper.

"Leave him alone!" you yelle, pointing your gun at Rika. You didn't shoot for fear that you would miss and hit Seven.

Rika laughed as she pulled the blood out, examining the blade. That laugh should not belong in her mouth. It sounded too pure, too innocent. Seven tensed as Rika twisted his hand a little farther behind his back. She looked you dead in the eyes as she slowly licked the blade, a streak of red escaping her mouth and finding its way down her chin.

That was when you heard the growl.

You turned around quickly and saw glowing blue eyes shining out through the darkness behind the trees. The creature was growling in a way that raised all the hairs on your body. You backed up as the eyes came closer and closer until you realized that the eyes weren't staring at you. You stepped to the side so the eyes had an unimpeded view of Seven and Rika. The eyes narrowed as the being stepped into the light.