Choice Made

“Aimi please!” Tenki grabs Aimi as she enters her home.

Aimi pulls him inside, shutting the door behind them and slamming him against the wall. She presses her body against him, one hand on his chest, the other directing his hand to her body.

“Tenki, whatever it takes to keep you here, I’ll do it. Anything. But I need you to accept that what you wish for is impossible. A piece of Japan no longer exists, we’re still counting the missing, this world and the one you care for so much cannot coexist. No matter how much you wish for it to happen.”

“That creature is rare, and there are better ways to kill it without having it destroy an area. You didn’t know, but we can teach you. I can teach you all that you need. Look.” Tenki grabs Aimi’s hands, “Your body won’t stop shaking after using too much magic. You still have it on. Turn it off and get some rest. Cato and I will continue to search for any stragglers and close the bridge between the worlds.”

“I wish I could do what you ask of me, but it’s impossible. My people will want to know that we are working on it, the people of Japan, of the planet want answers. While our spokesperson does what they can to calm their hearts, I will go ahead an eliminate any reason for them to fear.”

“What? What have you discovered?”

Aimi steps away from Tenki, heading for the kitchen where she keeps pain killers. Her body suit is still on, draining little magic to keep her steady but the minuscule amount of magic used still leaves her with body pain after the fight.

“What we need to end this. Stay here, I will return as soon as I can. If you can’t choose then I will for you.”

Aimi takes two pills, the third stopped by Tenki who pulls the bottle away from her.

“How long have you been taking these?”

Tenki steps back. The eyes that look his way have no warmth within them, no care or love. They pierce their target, across from him are the eyes of a killer ready to strike. He’s seen them many times before, but few can elicit such a reaction from him.

“Are you going to get in my way?”

“Is there really no other way?”

“I’m sorry. There isn’t as far as I believe. When I return, we can continue our lives how they should have been. AMDO will be disbanded, you and I can live the life we always wished for.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t think I can let you do this.”

“That’s fine. But I hope you know that I will do all that I can to protect this world.” Aimi pulls Tenki close, clawing her nails into his back. Her lack of bloodlust keeps Tenki calm as she kisses him, the first they’ve shared in over six years.

Tenki is elated, perhaps there is a chance to stop her. But all hope is lost as he stumbles back and holds himself by the kitchen counter. His body weakness and his eyesight blurs, he only has moments before fading away.

“Poison?”

“A sleeping agent. The bottle you hold is full of them, but they stopped working on me years ago.” Aimi catches Tenki in her arms, squeezing him as hard as she can, “Don’t follow me.”

Aimi arrives at the portal an hour after dealing with Tenki. Together, she would never be able to fend off Cato and Tenki, but she believes it is possible to fend them off alone. Even one as powerful as Cato has weaknesses.

“Commander!” A soldier approaches Aimi, “It is as you said, we have used magic we have and the portal has enlarged.”

“Excellent. Is Ichigo here?”

“Yes ma’am, he is by the portal.”

Aimi finds Ichigo by the portal, wearing the newest version of the AMDO suits. Experimental, the suits will leave them with permanent issues for life. The scientists believe the extreme doping of magic will leave them weakened, their mind and body will experience delayed responses to each other. But with the suits on they will be superhumans, powerful enough to take a blow from Cato, though they hope it will be enough to stop him as well.

“I see you put yours on already. But are you sure you should be moving?” Ichigo said.

“I will be fine. Is Ino?”

Ichigo shakes his head. The loss of a captain at such a crucial moment is devastating, it will fall to them to continue what she fought for.

“Intruder!”

Aimi sighs as gunshots are silenced only moments after they are fired. The new guards she ordered to join remain vigilant and standing, but they do not attack Cato at her command.

“So, there is a portal here. I wondered why I felt our worlds magic.” Cato said as he entered the enclosed area, “Did Tenki not warn you about something like that? I’d step away from it if I were you.”

“Tenki won’t be joining us.” Aimi said.

“Has he made his decision?”

“I didn’t give him a chance, I hope he will forgive me one day.”

“I can say the same. Step away from the portal.”

Aimi grabs her pistol. Ichigo does the same, but he also wields a short blade in his left hand.

“Turn yourself in, I don’t want to kill you.”

“You’re overconfident. Sorry, Tenki.”

Cato rushes Ichigo and Aimi, aiming to grab and toss them as far as he can. With any luck, the suits will give them the strength to survive the toss, but securing the portal takes priority.

“Hm?”

As Cato reaches his opponents, their eyes follow him. He’s not using all of his power, but he should still be faster than they can keep up with.

Ichigo swings his blade at Cato, forcing him to dodge away from him and into Aimi’s line of sight.

Aimi points her gun at Cato, blood dripping from her nose the moment she activated the experimental suit. The effects are immediate, the surge of strength, and the pain from it. Her veins ache, their very blood burning as they move past the limits of humans.

Cato dodges the gunshot, kicking Ichigo away and attempting to push Aimi who dodges. She swings, hitting Cato’s arms before blocking a kick that sends her out of the tent.

Aimi rolls onto her feet, coughing as she recovers from the heavy kick while the clash inside the tent continues. The surge of strength makes her head throb, should she stay with the activated suit for much longer she fears collapsing.

“What?”

The fight stops, Aimi rushing inside to see the result but finds them both alive.

“Gahhhh!” Ichigo thrashes around as he holds his head, screeching in pain and hitting his head against the barriers around the portal.

“Ichigo!”

“Stay away!” Cato said, “He’s lost it, the influx of magic was too much.”

“What is happening to him?”

“Magic psychosis. It is something that can happen in our world as well by those who try to infuse themselves with magic to become stronger. He’s gone far past his limit.”

“We have to stop him.”

“Aimi, there is no cure for this. But you should be no different.” Cato looks at Aimi, “Why?”

“What?”

“Why haven’t you lost it? Your body was already weakened, you’re fatigued, and you’re using more magic than even he is. So why? How are you sane?”

“Gaaaah!” Ichigo grabs his blade and rushes for Cato.

“Ichigo!”

Cato’s next movement is swift, a swing with his claws extended that strike Ichigo’s neck with extreme precision. The end is instant, even the empowered Ichigo feels no pain as his body falls to the ground.

“Ichigo… You bastard!”

Cato turns, raising his arms to block Aimi’s strike. He has blocked once before and is aware of the level she is at, blocking will be simple. Yet, even as he raises his guard, her next punch sends him flying and shatters his left arm.

“What the? No. It has to be. I have to end this.”

Cato recovers, finding his opponent and marking where he will strike. It will be quick, another merciful death to the one he wishes to not harm the most.

Aimi continues her rush forward as Cato approaches. It will be their last exchange, the fate of the world decided by their next action.

Cato jumps, his claws ready to strike. Aimi runs under him, pointing her gun to his heart to finish the fight.

The sudden influx of speed surprises Cato, he was careless as she continues to become stronger. At best, he can take her down with him. He must, his world depends on it.

But, as both of their chances to strike come, neither can act on the finishing blow.

“I can’t.” Cato said as he landed in front of Aimi.

Aimi points her gun at him once more, but her finger refuses to pull the trigger.

“Why?” Aimi said.

“Aimi! Cato!”

Tenki arrives, the portal pulsing as he does.

“No.” Cato grabs Aimi and tosses her to Tenki, “Cover her!”

Tenki does as commanded, using his body to protect Aimi as another pulse of magic escapes from the portal.

Cato rushes into action, destroying the barrier and using his magic in attempt to calm and close the portal. He is too late however; another earthquake engulfs the planet despite his actions.

“No. No!”

Tenki tightens his embrace on Aimi. Even he is not fast enough to escape what will happen next. Cato braces, in a millisecond, the portal covers everything around the tent.