The Final: Crimson Soul

Richard could feel it too. That nostalgic yet traumatic aura radiated from the blazing car. It was the same aura that reminded him of the day when John had lost complete control of himself.

It wasn’t just Richard and Mr Kawasaki who could feel it. Every single soldier stood frozen to the ground, their legs shivering and every cell in their body screaming. Everyone could feel it.

The monster’s shackles were broken.

They were now in the devil’s lair.

Akihiro slowly made his way out of the armoured vehicle which was still on fire.

Ayane’s nightmare had just come true. Akihiro was burning. His clothes were on fire, but Akihiro didn’t show any sign of pain.

He lifted his head and looked Richard straight in the eye. It sent shivers down Richard’s spine as he saw the face of the devil.

Akihiro’s eyes were bloodshot. Richard knew it was coming. He had planned on ending Akihiro’s misery before it came to this, but he had failed again. The devil had awakened.

-Stage V-

Akihiro let out a high pitched guttural scream. The hands of the soldiers shivered as they struggled to take aim at the monster. In a panic, they began to fire at Akihiro.

But they were no match for the devil. Akihiro charged at them, tearing them all apart, one by one. He was shot multiple times in the gut and chest, but nothing seemed to stop him. Blood sprayed everywhere as he slaughtered each and every one of them.

Richard watched in horror as Akihiro ripped a soldier apart before turning his attention to the next one. Just like John, he had completely lost control of himself.

“Reinforcements have arrived! The choppers will be here in five minutes!” a soldier reported as he got out of the car.

The whole port had become a battleground. As the reinforcements entered the port, they felt the intimidating aura run up their spines. The soldiers knew that they might not make it back home. Fires ravaged the port as the devil stood at the centre.

The whole place had become hell itself.

“W..what the hell is that?” Natsume asked as he pointed at Akihiro battling the enemy soldiers. Pure terror filled his eyes. The whole scene continued to send shivers down Natsume’s spine. That monster was no longer the Akihiro they knew.

“That’s what happens when your body reaches ‘Stage V’. Your adrenaline levels are so high, it pushes your body beyond its limits. In doing so, it consumes your lifeforce. Akihiro cannot control himself anymore. At this rate, everyone here will die.” Mr Kawasaki said, remembering the past.

But Akihiro hadn’t touched them, hadn’t even looked at them. They were the only ones safe, among the increasing mountain of corpses. Unlike John, Akihiro could sustain ‘Stage V’ for a few minutes.

But as the battle raged on, Natsume realised that it wasn’t the devil who killed these soldiers, but just a broken teenager who was trying to defy his unfair destiny.

“MONSTER!!” the soldiers cried as Akihiro killed them, one by one. He grabbed a rifle from the ground and began raining a barrage of bullets at the enemy reinforcements.

It was complete chaos. Enemy soldiers panicked as they were gunned down by Akihiro. Some chose to hide, some ran into the flames while the rest continued to fight.

It had become a massacre.

Blood spilled all over the place as the flames burned the corpses, giving them a respectful burial. Richard couldn’t allow his soldiers to continue to drop dead like flies. He couldn’t allow Akihiro to suffer anymore.

Akihiro was in pure pain. He was consuming his very life force every time he took a breath. His body had already exceeded its limits. Akihiro had been wounded in his stomach and gut but unlike usual, the wounds showed no signs of healing. Blood was gushing out of them much faster now. He screamed in agony as he took the life of another helpless soldier.

The howls that sent chills down everyone’s spines were Akihiro’s cries for help. His body screamed as it began to consume his crimson soul. His body was still blazing, burning his skin and charring it black. The only person in this world who could respond to Akihiro’s cries was Richard.

“I’ll save you from your misery. I PROMISE, I SHALL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND KILL YOU THIS TIME!” Richard shouted as he stood in front of Akihiro. He charged towards Akihiro, whipping

his knife out of his pocket.

Akihiro jumped out of the way and tried to land a punch. Richard blocked the incoming blow but the impact was much harder than he had expected.

Akihiro let out another high pitched guttural scream and charged towards Richard. He swooped in and punched Richard’s chest with all his might.

Richard howled as he felt a few of his ribs shatter into pieces. He had never felt such overwhelming brute strength before. The punch had sent Richard flying as he crashed into a metal shipping container, creating a huge dent in it.

He was struggling to breathe. The blow had rendered him immobile for some time. The brute force of the subject in ‘Stage V’ was much more overpowering than he had expected.

Richard groaned in pain as he watched Akihiro slowly burn himself out. Akihiro’s body wasn’t able to keep up anymore with the tremendous surge in adrenaline levels. His crimson soul was almost burned out, smouldering as it slowly approached its end. The blood from his gut continued to gush out with no signs of stopping.

Blood streamed down from Akihiro’s eyes as his body began to fall apart. Flames had covered the whole port, burning down all the merchant ships docked in the area. Buildings in the surrounding area had been set ablaze too, shining light on the final battle.

Richard could hear the rotors of the helicopters. More reinforcements were on their way.

“Target spotted. Eliminate him.” the soldier sitting in the helicopter ordered. Richard didn’t have the energy to use the radio to stop the sniper.

The sniper took his shot. It zipped past the smoke and the flames, hitting Akihiro in the back.

Akihiro stumbled as he looked back and noticed the helicopter in the air, with the sniper taking his aim.

Akihiro let out a cry of agony as he stumbled to the side. He was being tormented by fate itself, by the gods sitting above. His body was falling apart. The blood vessels in his body began to burst under the intense pressure. The fire was now smouldering on his skin. His body couldn’t last any longer.

His crimson soul had finally burnt out.

The sniper took aim and fired again, hitting Akihiro’s leg.

Akihiro let out the final guttural scream. His body used up all its remaining energy as he screamed in agony, sending chills down everyone’s spines. The reinforcements had finally surrounded Akihiro. They took their aim but none of them could shoot. They could feel the anguish and sorrow in Akihiro’s desperate struggle to stay alive. Akihiro’s final cry resounded in the air as Richard took the final shot.

The bullet pierced his heart. Blood gushed out as he fell to his knees.

Tears now flowed down his eyes as he turned his head and looked at Ayane. Her cheeks were moist with tears. Her eyes had always been a window to her soul, and all he could see right now was hopelessness and despair. The sparkle in her eyes had vanished a long time ago.

He felt it.

The strongest emotion he had felt till now.

A sharp pain pierced his head.

He had felt it the first time he met Ayane too.

And now, it was going to be the last thing he felt.

Love.

It tore through his head.

He used up all his remaining energy, as little as it was, to try and smile gently.

“Ayane...I lov-”

Akihiro fell to the ground, drowning in the pool of blood. Blood continued to pour out of his wounds.

He had taken his last breath.

“AKIIII-KUNNNNN!!!” Ayane screamed as she rushed to his side. She knelt down on the pool of blood, staining her legs red as she held his face. “AKI-KUN!! YOU SAID YOU’D SURVIVE, YOU SAID YOU’D WIN! AKI-KUN! YOU CAN’T LEAVE ME ALONE LIKE THIS!”

The soldiers pointed their guns at her.
“Don’t shoot! This is an order!” Richard screamed at them. He placed his gun to the side and tried to get up.

Tears from her face dropped onto his lifeless corpse. Natsume rushed over and knelt by Akihiro’s side. Watching Akihiro’s motionless corpse lying in her arms, he couldn’t hold back his tears.

Ayane couldn’t bear to see Akihiro like this. Her emotions overwhelmed her body, as tears gushed out from her eyes uncontrollably. She wailed loudly.

The man she loved had breathed his last.

Akihiro wasn’t able to tell her that he loved her, even till the bitter end. But he left the world with a gentle expression on his face. The last sight he saw before he left was that of the only woman he had ever loved.

“Aki-kun…” Natsume’s shoulders shook as he weeped. “Who’s going to be my best friend now? Aki-kun, you can’t go like this! AKI-KUN!”

But Natsume knew, how much ever he called out his name, Akihiro would not respond.

Both of them cried as fate had tragically taken Akihiro away from them. The fire still raged on, burning the whole area. The chopper began to retreat back to the base but the soldiers still stood in their places, paying their respects to the fallen subject.

The victim of the CIA’s human experiments had succumbed to his inevitable, cruel fate. But he had fought, until the very brutal end. By making that choice, he had been able to protect the people most important to him, even if it cost him his life. Even if he couldn’t defy his dreadful fate, he had succeeded in serving justice. The CIA would bear the punishment for its crimes.

His death wouldn’t be in vain.

In the end, he didn’t die as a monster or as the subject of the experiments, but as a human.

Richard took the help of a soldier to stand up. He limped over to Akihiro’s corpse and stood next to Ayane and Natsume, who were still wailing over the loss of the one most precious to them.

“Subje-... Akihiro Kimura, I’m sorry for failing my mission again. I’m sorry for not being able to save you from your misery. I’m sorry for not being able to respond to your cries. I’m sorry.”

Ayane looked at him. Rage filled her eyes but Richard’s expression was filled with sadness. He continued to stare at the person he had just killed.

He hadn’t been able to save John twenty years back.

And he hadn’t been able to save Akihiro either.

Fate was indeed cruel.

His eyes teared up as he pulled out a letter from his pocket.

“This letter is addressed to you. Take it.” he said as he handed the letter over to Ayane.

Her wailing stopped. She looked at him with watery eyes as she took the letter. On the front, it read, ‘To Ayane Kawasaki’.

It was indeed his handwriting. Natsume moved closer, trying to look at the letter. “It’s his handwriting, open it…”

It read

“

To Ayane Kawasaki

I don’t know why I’m writing this letter right now. I just feel like I won’t get another chance to tell you this. Sorry if this seems old fashioned but I’m sure Natsume would deliver it for me.

By the time you read this letter, you probably would have already found out the truth about me. I don’t plan on running away and leaving you alone. I cannot.

Ever since that accident, ever since the moment I met you, I started to change. Because of you, I was able to feel all these different kinds of emotions. I’m glad that I was able to spend time with you. I was happy, Ayane; I was really happy. If only I were a normal person, we could have lived happily for the rest of our lives.

I’m sorry, but this is the only option that I could choose. With this choice, no other person would have to share the same fate as me. With this choice, you will be alive too. I’m sure of it.

But with this choice, I won’t be able to be with you.

I wish that you find happiness. I wish that you live your life to the fullest. I really pray that the sparkle in your eyes never fades away.

Ayane, I love you.

I will always love you, even after I die.

Was I able to live on in your heart?

Akihiro Kimura

”

Ayane’s tears returned as she wailed, louder this time. Her tears drenched the paper. “I love you too, Aki-kun…you will always remain in my heart. Forever.”

Natsume began to cry. He had finally understood what Akihiro had been planning on doing. Everything started making sense to him. He cried with Ayane as the fires continued to rage on around them.

Richard watched the two of them cry over Akihiro’s corpse. A peaceful and gentle expression seemed to take over his face.

‘Ah, so everything went according to your plan, Akihiro. The fires have already spread far and wide. With this, the U.S. Government won't be able to hide your existence anymore. The Japanese Self Defence Force should be here any moment now. The CIA lost this battle, Akihiro. The world will come one step closer to nuclear annihilation. If your existence were to be known to the whole world, there wouldn’t be any reason for me to kill these two. That’s why you burned this whole place to the ground… Everything went according to your plan, Akihiro. I hope you were able to smile, in the short while that you lived in this world.’

The moon was already out and was shining brightly in the gloomy night sky. The fires continued to rage on, engulfing the port in flames.

The Japanese Self Defence Force eventually entered the perimeter and took control of the port. The American troops were all apprehended and were taken away for further interrogation.

The firefighters struggled to fight the fire but were eventually able to stop it from spreading any further and controlled it. Emergency news broadcasts interrupted the regular shows, as they described the raging fires and the odd presence of the American military in the area.

As Natsume and Ayane were taken by the police for further interrogation, Natsume looked up at the moonlit sky.

‘Akihiro, you really were like the fireworks. The fireworks were sparked when you met Ayane that day. All this time when you had fun with us and lived life with us, the fireworks were rising in the air, and finally, with this choice that you made, the fireworks split into a million pieces, lighting up the night sky. And just the way everyone watches the fireworks, everyone will remember you. The world will remember you. You will always have a special place in our hearts, Aki-kun.’

That night was the final memory that Ayane and Akihiro shared, under the moonlit sky.

The End