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The spray of water hitting him right in the face felt like needles piercing his skin. Helplessly, Kaito stumbled towards the prow, still desperately trying to reach out to the other boy, even though he already knew, he would be too slow to stop the inevitable.
„Dennis! Don’t!“
His voice quivered, wind and water sucking at the force, he had meant to put into his words. A flash of light erupted before him, bright violet and awfully familiar by now, drowning his field of vision and the scream that echoed in his head. Kaito jerked his arm up, trying to shield his eyes from the harsh brightness, but it had already burned itself into his mind, a gruesome headache exploding behind his eyelids. The sound of waves hitting the ship, seagulls crying over the ocean, it all mingled together in a confusing noise, he couldn’t quite pin down. For a moment, Kaito swayed on his feet, blind and dazed, until he finally managed to shake off the dizziness and blink.
Dennis was gone. Where he’d just been standing mere seconds ago, a single card floated over the deck, and the sight alone was enough for Kaito to feel sick all over again.
Another fate he couldn’t change. Another life he couldn’t save.
Just like Ruri. Just like Haruto.
Another experience to add to his collection of loss and disaster, that already lasted more than a lifetime.
Somewhere in the distance, the audience was still cheering over their duel, a full on display of excitement for a show, that hadn’t been meant to be entertaining at all.
„Kaito.“
A hand landed on his shoulder, heavy and strangely big against his arm. Kaito blinked again, forcing his eyes away from the card, but the light of the disk had already imprinted itself into his retina, flickering before him like a memory, solely designed to mock him for his uselessness.
He should have reacted faster. He should have been prepared for this to happen.
But he hadn’t been.
Yusho didn’t comment on the shock, that was probably written all over his face, the grip on his arm, however, tightened. A few steps ahead, Asuka crouched down to pick up the card, that still drifted in the wind.
„Come on. Let’s look for a quiet place to sit down and gather our thoughts, before we reach Academia. There’s a lot to discuss, I assume.“
Kaito didn’t answer to that. He simply allowed his mentor to drag him down the aisle on the side of the ship, Asuka hot on their heels. The salt of the ocean still prickled on his cheeks.
The towers, Dennis had mentioned, were as distinctive as he had promised, even from the ship’s point of view. They reached high into the sky on opposite sides of the island, tall and lean, clearly towering over the other buildings that assembled the academy. Kaito fixed his gaze on the one in the west, clenching his hands into fists. Asuka and Yusho were still talking at his side, but he barely paid any attention to what they were saying. Ruri was somewhere up there, imprisoned in this cruel parody of Heartland tower, and he would crush whatever Academia decided to throw at him in order to set her free again!
As they finally set foot on the pier, Kaito warily followed his companions around, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings. The docks were empty safe for a bunch of shipping containers that probably provided Academia with food and other resources, necessary to fuel a war, and for a split second Kaito entertained the idea of dumping all of their shit straight into the ocean. Watch them rummaging through dust and debris to try and find some leftovers for a meal or clothes to wear, that weren’t tattered and bloody. But he had more urgent things to focus on right now. Academia must have known they were coming by now, so where was the ambush he had expected, soldiers ready to attack at mere sight like they used to do back in Heartland city? This was way too easy. Something wasn’t right.
„Anyone else thinking it’s awfully quiet?,“ Asuka stated uneasily. „The docks are usually teeming with security guards.“
„Well, I guess Leo might be expecting us.“
Leo Akaba. Anger surged through Kaito’s veins, hot and sinister. That was the name of the man responsible for everything Academia had put them through. The destruction, the suffering. The losses.
Bitterness crept onto his tongue, forcing him to squeeze his eyes shut and breath hard through his nose. He could still feel Shun’s hands on his collar, tugging at the fabric, his fingers shaking, as he demanded, pleaded with him to tell him that Ruri was alright, the look of rage and panic on his face all too familiar for Kaito’s liking. Yeah, he knew what it felt like to lose a sibling.
His gaze focused on the tower again.
„Even if it’s a trap… if Ruri is in there, we have to save her!“
He didn’t wait for Yusho or Asuka to comment on his decision, didn’t wait for their warnings or concern, he didn’t need anyways, because he definitely wasn’t going to lose one of his friends for a second time.
There was a tunnel up ahead, leading straight towards the academy. Potential trap be damned! Kaito rushed in this direction, feet pounding loudly on the metal plates, that made up his path, eyes never leaving the tower in the distance.
He would not make the same mistake again. No way was he gonna let Ruri down twice!
I will save your sister, Shun, I swear!
„Ruri!“
The door, he encountered on top of the tower, was locked. Of course it was. Kaito slammed his shoulder against it, hard. The metal groaned at the impact, but didn’t budge. He tried again, stubbornly ignoring the sharp sting of pain that flared up in his muscles, and finally the lock broke.
He stumbled into the room, breathless from the last duel, he had fought, and the endless set of stairs, that had led him there, but the exhaustion was nothing compared to the relief, that washed over him, as his eyes fixed on Ruri, standing there in utter confusion, but alive and well.
„Kaito?“ She blinked, taking a careful step towards him.
Next thing he knew, she had knocked her chair over, practically flying towards him, and then her arms were around his neck, her light weight almost pushing him backwards, as she hugged him with a force, he hadn’t expected.
„O gosh, please tell me you’re real,“ she mumbled, head buried into his coat. „I kept waiting, hoping for this door to open, for Shun to come looking for me and- -“
„It’s real,“ he whispered, awkwardly adjusting to the soft sound of his own voice. It felt like years since he had last used this tone on anyone, and he wasn’t used to the taste it left in his mouth anymore, or the way his heartbeat quickened with something else than panic for once.
Ruri was shaking now, probably crying. Kaito wasn’t sure how to handle the situation. It felt strange being this close to someone else again, but years of consoling Haruto, when he had been sad or hurt or scared, had trained him well, and suddenly instincts were kicking in again. He wrapped his arms around her, gently pulling her closer.
„Shun’s already waiting for you. He moved heaven and earth, and quite literally some dimensions as well, in order to get to you. He’ll be so happy to see you again.“
Tears shimmered in Ruri’s eyes, as she lifted her head to stare at him. „Is he alright? And what about Sayaka and the others?“
„They’re fine. But you’re not save yet.“ Carefully, Kaito broke the embrace, pushing Ruri an arm‘s length away from him. „I need to get you off this island first. Or better yet, off this cursed dimension altogether.“
„What’s even going on?“
„I’ll explain the details on the way. We gotta go.“ He grabbed her hand firmly, pulling her along back through the door, he came through. „Come on.“
The door leading out onto the platform, he had just dueled on, was still open, when they got there, and a familiar feeling of dread made Kaito’s hair stand on end. He had expected a squad of soldiers by now, surely Leo Akaba was keeping a close eye on the girl, he had put so much effort into capturing, but the place, opening up before them, was completely void. Even the guard he did have to fight to get up to Ruri’s cell was gone. This wasn’t right. Someone must have set off an alarm by now.
His grip on Ruri’s hand tightened. In his mind, he reprimanded himself not to run any faster, so she could still keep up with his pace.
„What exactly did you mean, there are other girls like me?,“ she asked, unnerved.
Kaito bit his lip, wishing he had time to slow down and give her some comfort right now, but they had to hurry. „Apparently there are three other girls, who look an awful lot like you,“ he uttered shortly, while they kept heading towards the next set of stairs on the outer wall of the tower. „I don’t know for sure, but you seem to be important for the professor’s plan. That might explain why he ordered to kidnap you instead of carding you like he did with all the other- -“
With a jolt Ruri’s body went rigid and Kaito almost tripped, as she suddenly stopped mid step, successfully knocking him off balance. Her hand had slipped from between his fingers, and he wheeled around, ready to catch her if she fell, but she hadn’t tripped. She simply stood there, frozen on the spot, staring into space as if looking right through him.
„Ruri?“ Kaito frowned, looking around for whatever may have caused her to stop, mentally cursing himself for missing a potential danger, but the tower was still empty. His frown deepened. Cautiously he approached her again. „Are you okay?“
The tension seeping through his concern for her should have warned him that something was off, but he didn’t nearly act fast enough to prevent it from happening. Again. Something in Ruri’s demeanour shifted. Her gaze turned hard and distant, boring right into his eyes with an expression cold enough, to send shivers down his spine.
Before he could even form another sentence, she thrusted her arms out, pushing him off the edge.
That movement was not her own!
Horrified, Ruri watched her arms shoot out. She could feel the force of the impact, as her palms connected with Kaito’s chest, could see the look of terror on his face, as he stumbled backwards, too shocked to react. She wanted to shout at him, a warning, an apology, anything, but her throat had gone dry and she couldn’t even utter a single word.
Then his foot slipped.
He would fall to his death.
Because she had pushed him!
For a split second Ruri didn’t know how to breathe. Panic surged through her head, drowning her desperate attempts to get her body to obey her again, to move- -
and then…
and then there was the cold surface of the platform against her body and the frantic beating of Kaito’s pulse against her fingertips.