Chapter 8 "True Face of the Angel"

Chapter 8
True Face of the Angel

Two Days Later

“Check out this article! We made the news!” Will exclaims, as he hands his tablet with an article on the screen to Logan.

Logan begins reading the article headline, “Explosion at Gas Station Killed Three People and Injured Five People, Including Siko Mitsukai.”

“Alright! I bet that stupid General Mitsukai guy learned his lesson for going to war like that!” Jason laughs.

“But… isn’t it wrong? There are people who died because of us,” Tokuto says worriedly.

“Sacrifices are necessary. It’s all President Kejinto and General Mitsukai’s fault for sending the soldiers to the war at Planet Fantasy… and it’s not even our war!” Logan tosses the tablet back at Will and turns to his friends. Who he sees behind his friends almost makes him tease up, but he realizes that it is someone he knows.

“Oh? Ketsu, don’t scare me like that again!” Logan laughs heartily. He makes a few steps toward Ketsu, but he realizes that his roommate is not quite happy.

In fact, Ketsu seems to be a completely different person now. He is giving him a cold glare full of hatred. When Logan makes each step, Ketsu’s frown becomes more and more serious.

“Who is he?” Tokuto asks him.

“He is just my roommate.” Logan frowns. “But I think we should leave him alone.”

“No way! I think he is up to something!” Jason chuckles, as he glances at Ketsu. “After all, he seems to dislike us.”

“That’s correct,” Ketsu says. His frown turns into a deep scowl. “You dared to harm Siko.”

“You know who he is?” Logan blinks in surprise.

“Yes, he is my cousin. Didn’t you realize that our last names are the same?”

“Wait, you are both related? And… how do you know if we hurt him?” Logan gives a soft chuckle.

“I overheard your conversation. Plus, I was wondering why you are here in Washington D.C. instead of the college campus.” Ketsu makes a few steps toward Logan and his friends.

“Oh shit!” Will cries, quickly pulling out his pistol. Without any second thought, he starts firing at the sole Mitsukai.

“Will!” Logan shouts. “Stop shooting! We will be found out!”

“Well, he is the witness! We will go to jail for sure if we let him go alive!” Will just keeps firing at his new enemy. As soon as he runs out of ammos, Ketsu is already down on the floor with a large amount of blood. There’s no way that Ketsu can survive after getting shot multiple times like that.

“We have to go,” Jason says shakily. “Wash that weapon and throw it away.”

Tokuto’s soft sob escapes from his lips. “I-I… That was horrible…”

All of the sudden, Ketsu sits up from the bloody ground easily and quickly. The pure anger is already showing on his face. “That hurtsss,” a painful hiss after saying that.

The college and high school students freeze at Ketsu’s sudden recovery. How is it possible –

Beautiful dark blue wings appear on Ketsu’s back. The wristbands lay in the pond of his blood.

The young adults stare at Ketsu’s new form, completely stunned. Is this what an angel looks like? It’s like they are dreaming and cannot wake up anytime soon.

“If you don’t want to get hurt, I suggest you get out of here… I don’t want to see your faces ever again,” Ketsu warns darkly.

Indeed, the people he deeply hates so much decide to leave the country along with their families… or rather, alone. Only God knows.

<3<3<3

“Siko! I came back as soon as I heard about the incident!” Ryu barges into the hospital room.

Katuo and Ketsu are sitting at Siko’s hospital bed. Siko’s forehead and left arm are all bandaged up.

“He is not awake,” Katuo says quietly. “Not yet.”

“Oh?” Ryu sighs. “Ketsu…?”

“A lot of things happened.” Ketsu gives Ryu a hard stare. “He needs to talk to you.”

“He?” Katuo asks. All of sudden, he feels as if he is about to black out. What is going on?! Why am I passing out at a time like this?

Ryu and Ketsu wait patiently until Katuo’s body is completely taken over by a certain person they respect so much.

“Well, well." Katuo smirks, his voice being different once again. He crosses his legs. “Ryu, why did you come back?”

“But, what about Siko…” Ryu is interrupted.

“You dare to question me? You can’t leave Japan until I say so,” Katuo says darkly. “Please don’t forget about our contract. I’m to keep Siko alive and you are to keep quiet about it. And you, Ketsu.”

Ketsu freezes at Katuo’s disappointed voice.

“You revealed your true identity to strangers. What did I tell you?”

“I know… I am not supposed to scare people…” Ketsu closes his eyes. “Please forgive me, but when it comes to my friend…”

“Please don’t think about him as a friend anymore. Think about him as your leader. Or your superior. You were supposed to protect him, yet you let him get hurt by such a small explosion.”

“Hikyou-sama!!”

Ketsu is startled by the certain name Ryu yells. “Uncle R-Ryu!”

Katuo gives him a big grin. “You dare to call my real name in public? Don’t you know what happens if you break one of my rules?”

“I don’t give a fuck!” Ryu shouts. “Siko is my son! I refuse to be controlled by the likes of you! You were not supposed to come out until my son becomes 18, yet here you are! When Katuo was in the hospital, you took over Ketsu’s body and approached Tezuka and me… that’s when… the whole thing got in a mess. It’s all because of you!”

Katuo laughs out loud. “Oh, please! This is the famous General I’ve always heard about?”

“Please calm down.” Tezuka enters the room just in time he hears Ryu yelling. “We owe him our lives and our sons’ lives. Our sons could have died when they were born.”

Ryu clenches his fists and closes his eyes in frustration. “Yet… he controls us! Who gives him the right?!”

Tezuka places his hand on Ryu’s shoulder. With a sad face, he shakes his head. “Owing him our lives gives him the right.”

“No…” Ryu almost whispers.

“Evorlian City of Planet Evorlian was destroyed five years ago,” Katuo says. “It was the monster who did it. Her name is Kira.”

“W-what?” Ryu and Tezuka speak at the same time.

“At that time, I was seriously considering whether I could awaken the powers of your sons or not,” Katuo says. “But after that incident, she did not kill anybody again… but I’m not sure if she will start anytime soon. That’s why I’m here.”

Tezuka sighs softly. “If… if… you are not responsible for Siko, then what would happen to him if he got caught up in the gas explosion?”

“He would be dead,” Katuo says. “You should thank me for keeping him alive.”

“I am…” Tears begin filling up Ryu’s eyes. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to attack you like that! I am… I am just…”

Tezuka gives him a hug. “We know. We went through so much. If it wasn’t for Hikyou-sama, then what would happen to us?”

“Ugghhh, what happened?” Katuo grabs his throbbing head, with his voice back to normal. “Did I pass out again?”

“Yes, you did. Katuo, we need to leave. You’re not looking good.” Tezuka lets go of Ryu. “Ketsu will look over him.”

“No,” Katuo says. “I’m staying here until Siko wakes up. I know he hates me now, but at least he will know that I am not abandoning him.”

Ketsu smiles at Katuo. “Is that so? Well, I hope you don’t mind me staying here as well.”

“I still don’t know what you did to Siko, but since you are his cousin, then it’s fine with me,” Katuo crosses his arms and stares at Ketsu suspiciously. “…I can see that you still haven’t learned the lesson from the punch yet.”

“You punched him?!” Ryu yells. “What would Knapp do if he finds out?!”

“Oh please. He is not on Earth anymore.” Katuo scoffs. “Besides, he’s almost never here anyway.”

“Well, then. I better get back to duty,” Tezuka says cheerfully. “Have fun, you guys!”

Ryu takes a seat on the third chair he finds in the room. “So, care to tell me what happened?”

“Why did you go to the war?” Katuo snaps at him. “He was so sad that he went to Ketsu instead of me.”

“It was his decision!” Ketsu defends himself.

“Really? Who was he that morning when you both kissed?” Katuo almost growls at him.

“Whoa! Hold on!” Ryu interrupts their angry conversation. “Ketsu and Siko kissed?”

“It was…” Ketsu shakes his head, as he is trying to find different words to use. “Like Katuo said, Siko wasn’t acting like himself.”

“So, you got mad at him… for kissing? Katuo?” Ryu raises an eyebrow.

“I like him, ok?! I like him so much that I want to hold his hand and kiss him!” Katuo shouts and then becomes a little quieter, “I got jealous and… that’s why Siko is mad at me… for acting like this. And then… he ran off… and it happened to him…”

“It isn’t your fault, Katuo. I was supposed to protect him,” Ketsu smiles sadly at him. “The way you’re feeling… you’re human. You can’t help it.”

“Suspicious…!” Katuo glares at Ketsu.

“Wahhh~ What did I do this time?!” Ketsu almost whines.

“Very well." Ryu sighs and gets up from the chair. “I’m going back to Japan. I’ll let you both look over Siko. But, if one of you ever hurt him like that again, I’ll be back!”

“Yes, sir!” Ketsu and Katuo say.

After Ryu leaves the hospital room, Gus’s head pops out of Ketsu’s shirt and chirps happily.

“Oh, you’re taking care of Gus?” Katuo narrows his eyes. “Whatever. I’m leaving. Siko and you seem to be in love anyway.”

“How can you leave at a time like this?” Ketsu says angrily. “Siko needs both of us. We are his friends, and… we are supposed to be there for each other.”

Siko begins to stir a little and whines quietly, “Owwww.”

“Siko!” Ketsu exclaims. “You’re awake!”

Katuo decides to leave at this right moment. If Siko and Ketsu like each other so much, then he should leave them alone anyway.

“K…Katuo?” Siko calls, but he does not open his eyes yet. “Katuo, are you there?”

“Katuo, just answer –“ Ketsu stops when he realizes that Katuo is not here anymore. That bastard!

“Ketsu? Is that you?” Siko recognizes Ketsu’s voice right away, as he is struggling to open his light green eyes. “Where is Katuo?”

“He… He was here,” Ketsu says sadly. “He recently left. I didn’t notice him.”

Siko slowly opens his eyes to see Ketsu’s face… and an unfamiliar white ceiling. “Wh…where am I?”

“You’re in the hospital. You almost got killed by the explosion at the gas station. We are so happy that you are still alive,” Ketsu smiles.

“Ketsu…” Siko groans in pain, as he is trying to sit up.

“D-don’t sit up yet! You’re burned from the explosion,” Ketsu says in concern. “You need to rest.”

“I… I am not dead?” Siko blinks in surprise. “I was this close… How am I still alive?”

“You got lucky,” Ketsu smiles at him brightly. “But then, you’ve always been so lucky.”

“Ketsu…” Siko sighs in relief when he fully sits up. “…So, Katuo is not here? He left?”

“…Yes,” Ketsu says sadly. “He… he was worried about you. He did not mean to hurt your feelings… but that bastard… he is too afraid to face you after saying such things to you.”

Siko stares at his cousin in disbelief. “He… Katuo was worried? Even after I said I hated him?”

Ketsu nods his head yes. “Yeah. After all, we are friends, right?”

“Ketsu…” Siko suddenly becomes serious. “Kiss me. I want to know how I exactly feel about you…”

“B-but--” Ketsu is interrupted by Siko’s kiss. It is… so sweet and so different. The previous kisses from Siko were so spicy, but then Siko was possessed by Hikyou-sama though. But this kiss… Ketsu is not really feeling anything, and he is not the only one.

Siko sighs as he breaks the kiss. “Well, it’s kind of disappointing. I don’t feel any spark from the kiss.”

Ketsu drops his jaw to the floor. “S-Siko! A-are you crazy?! Wait… you are not Siko anymore, right?”

Siko shakes his head. “I am not sleepwalking. I just wanted to know if I like you more than just a friend.”

“What about Katuo?”

“What about him?”

“I think… he is in love with you,” Ketsu chuckles softly. “He doesn’t realize it just yet. But, I can see it in his eyes. I’m sorry, but I didn’t feel anything from the kiss either. Katuo and you are bound to be together anyway.”

Siko looks down at his hands. “Then, that explains the reason why he hated your guts after we kissed… although I don’t remember the kiss, heheheh!”

“Yeah.” Ketsu laughs. “That’s why I don’t have any chance with you. You’re like light, and Katuo is like darkness. The light and darkness can’t survive without each other. Just like this universe, which is also made of both light and darkness.”

Siko giggles at him. “I didn’t know you were so poetic! …But, I don’t know whether I like Katuo or not. I need to talk to him and… we will see what happens then.”