Chapter 19: Falling Back

** Defending his own pride. **


She's wandering off in a dark space. A space that light cannot be seen. Floating in the air, without any consciousness about why she is here.

''Where am I?'' Says Ruri to herself, with her eyes gazing off into this unknown place, and she keeps on repeating the same word,

''Where am I?''

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the real world, she is lying on the ground with her eyes wide open. But her eyes are different, its like staring into the sky, without any senses. She can't move at all, she just lie there like a dead body. Covered by Cain's regenerating kidou shield, she is safe inside, for now.

A huge explosion occured just now when Cain and Strouff rushed into each other. As the smokes slowly to vanish away, both of them stand still, but with wounds all over their body, and ripped clothings.

''You're tough, I'm kinda surprised,'' Says Strouff, facing his back to Cain.

''Don't talk crap to me!'' Yells Cain as he turn around trying to dash towards Strouff but suddenly, his back breaks.

''What?!'' Says Cain to himself as he falls to the ground all of a sudden.

''Tch, nothing but an imbecile trying to overtake me,'' Says Strouff sarcastically while staring at the suffering Cain.

''What've you did to me?'' Cain says in agony.

''Nothing, just broke your back when you dash into me, didn't you felt it? You, failed, as a former Shinigami Chieftain,'' Says Strouff while walks away from Cain.

Cain suddenly recalls about the battle just now. When both of them dashed into each other, he remembered hitting Strouff first but instead, Strouff blocks it with a very special kidou, but he can't remember what was it. Then his back was break by Strouff with his palm.

''Aren't you going to kill me?'' Says Cain.

''I'm, but first...''

''Nooo!'' Yells Cain when he sees Strouff walking towards Ruri.

Strouff grins. He now stands beside the regenerating shield, where Ruri lies in it unconsciously. Strouff immediately lifts his hand up, ready to crush a fatal blow down the shield. But then, he stops. His face shows a  mix of strangeness and shockness.

He then walks away from Ruri, and he says,

''Well, sorry pal, gotta get going, idiotic headquarter summons us to go back now,'' Says Strouff with a relaxed face.

''What?'' Says Cain in disbelief.

"You guys are really lucky today, I was just going to kill the both of you, but...'' Strouff then djinns away without completing his sentence.

Cain then turn his sight on Ruri, whom is still lying safely inside the shield. He suddenly felt dizziness weaving around in his head, and slowly he closes up his eyes.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

''Where are you going?!'' Yells Darucard, his body is wounded badly.

''Our master summons us to go back now, looks like we can't finish this fight, let's go, Beruda,'' Says Jyuro as he djinns away, follow by Beruda, who didn't say anything at all.

Darucard then stares at his own reiattou, thinking a disaster had just happened. His mind is polluted now, by all the messes that had just happened around him. He didn't think that all of this would turned out like this, it all happened too fast.

He then walks back to where Cain and Ruri collapses.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's back at the farm house, approximately two days after the battle of the farm house. Few of them from allies can be seen sitting outside the door, breathing for fresh air and recovering from their wounds.

''What will happen to her?'' Asks Tetsuo with a calm voice.

''I don't know,'' Answers Colt.

Cain sits on a wooden chair with his back wrapped up in bandage, his injury still needs more time to be fully recover. He stays silent all the while.

''Well, finally we had a chance to sit down and have a nice and warm talk,'' Says Lylford with a smiling face.

"I don't think its nice and warm,'' Answers Colt with a very sarcastic tone.

"Whaddaya mean?!'' Says Lylford showing a 'feeling bad' face.

''What I mean is, the battle is not over yet, and you still have the mood to talk about happy things now?'' Answers Colt, and then Lylford charges towards Colt and the both of them are rolling and hugging together in a catfight.

''Stop it will ya?'' Says Darucard. He had been lying on the grass for all these times. Then Lylford and Colt stops, but the two of them are hugging together, and then Lylford releases her hand and jumps away from Colt.

''You're disgusting, shorty!'' Yells Lylford.

''You too, dumbass'' Yells Colt as he walks away from Lylford and sits down beside Cain.

Tetsuo then walks to where Darucard lies.

''I wonder when she will wake up,'' Whispers Tetsuo to Darucard.

''Soon, she just need to be strong,'' Says Darucard while staring at the blue sky.



Cain is too sitting on his chair thinking about the other stuffs although Colt and Lylford are still fighting and sturggling beside him because of the arguement just now.

His minds are fill with the battle scenes from two days ago. He suddenly thinks of Strouff, Strouff Gengall. He then closes up his eyes.

Back in the bedroom, Ruri is still lying unconsciously. Her eyes shut tight, but sweats are all over her foreheads. She is having a nightmare, inside herself.


''Where am I?'' Says Ruri to herself, she's still wandering inside the black space.

Then, she sees a source of light not far away from her, she starts to walk towards the light. As she walks nearer and nearer to the light, she feel something very familiar. It's a reiatsu, and it's a familiar one. She quickens her pace and closes in to the source of light.

When she approaches the light, the light suddenly fades away. She blocks her eyes with her hand as the ray of light is too strong, and then, a woman stands in front of her. The same yellow colour as her hair, long and wavy. Big blue eyes, a very beautiful woman.

She then speaks, a very familiar voice.

''Ruri Michalka,''



** Stay tuned for next chapter. **