I really don't know what to say here except thanks for reading and brace yourself...

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Akito gulped, "Asher, why would you-"

"Join them?" Asher finished. "I had to. Michael was right when he told me there was nothing left for people like us. All we had left was to live on in our despair, growing to just turn out to be nothing."

I reached my hand out, "Asher, no. You're better than this, you can still-"

Asher shook his head, "No. You're not gonna heal us anyways. You had the chance to multiple times." I argued, "No, it doesn't work like that!!"

"You did have a chance to heal us!" He snapped, pressing the muzzle of the gun to Rin's head. She helplessly tensed up, gasping under the cloth.

Akito and I both met eyes for a second and looked back to Rin and Asher. "How were you involved? You're d-disabled aren't you?" I asked to keep him talking for a moment.

Rosalina snickered quietly. This made all of us look to her. Rosalina chuckled, placing a hand over her mouth. "He's disabled?!" She laughed. I narrowed my eyes at her

She went into a fit of laughter, holding her stomach, "You think because he's disabled he can't do anything?!" She giggled, wiping her eyes from the tears that built up there. "You idiot, Ritsuko! That's so frickin stupid!!"

I looked to Asher, almost begging him to explain. He muttered, "I can still drive a car, can't I?"

I paled, feeling my knees go weak. No way. Asher couldn't have hit Mr. Hagiwara...

"You killed Mr. Hagiwara?!!" I gasped, "How could you?!"

Asher shrugged, "The same way I'm going to kill this girl." He smirked a little. Rosalina chuckled, "Exactly like her mother." she pointed back and tilted her head to the side.

Akito and I looked back at the same time to see Ms. Sakura on the floor with dark red pooling around her corpse. Her skin was already pale, proving she had been killed earlier.

Rin whimpered again, sobbing through the cloth.

Rosalina held a communicator in her hand, waving it at us. "And little Hiroshi won't last much longer at this rate."

Rin jumped at Rosalina, screaming. Asher put his gun to her head and held her against him. "You had better stop there."

Akito and I walked toward him. Rosalina took out a knife and pointed it to my neck. I had to freeze there. "Step away from her."

I was forced to get back while Akito held onto the axe. Rosalina threatened, "Any other movements and we'll kill both of them." She held up the communicator.

Rin yelled Hiroshi's name although her voice was muffled. Asher nodded, "Drop the weapon, Akito."

Akito gulped. "Drop it." Rosalina commanded, shoving the blade up to my skin. Rin nodded, whimpering and crying. There was no other choice...

I looked to Akito and nodded. "You should drop it." He looked at me with a confused and alarmed look. I sighed and gave him a reassuring look.

Rosalina smirked, nodding her head to the side. Akito took a deep breath and tossed the axe aside. Rosalina walked over to it and kicked it away even farther. "Good boy." She teased.

Asher took the gun off of Rin, letting her sigh in relief. Akito and I rushed to her and started untying the ropes on her wrists and taking the cloth off of her mouth. "Rin, are you okay?"

She nodded at us. Rosalina took the communicator and pressed a button. "Kill him, guys." she ordered into it. "Alright then." Alexandra talked back through the communicator.

"Wait, no!!" I shouted. Rin gasped, "Hiroshi!!!"

Asher turned his head to Rosalina, "Rosalina, you weren't supposed to do that!"

A gunshot echoed through the communicator, making Rosalina smile diabolically.

Rin screamed, "No!!!!"

I lost my temper and glared at Rosalina. "You evil witch!!" I fumed.

Without another word, the axe levitated and slashed Rosalina from behind. She fell to the ground, bleeding from her new cut which was across her leg to her hip.

Asher gasped, backing up. The axe went to Akito and he grabbed it. He glanced at me, "I almost forgot you could do that." I looked at him, "Let's get him."

"Which one is it again?" Akito asked quickly, raising the axe. "His right." I answered.

Asher lifted his gun to us but didn't have a chance to pull the trigger before Akito hit his prosthetic leg with the axe's side. Asher fell on the ground hard.

Rin gasped in response, getting away.

Next, Rosalina lunged at me. I crashed into the wall, trying to keep her off of me. "I'll kill you!" She roared, pulling her hand back with a sharp steak knife.

I swallowed hard, taking her hand and guiding her force into the wall. A big whole was what was left. I barked, "I hate you!!"

My foot met her knee. She yelped, falling back. I grabbed the knife from the wall and jerked it out, raising it.

I suddenly heard a grunt from my side and felt a bullet go into my shoulder. "Ah!!!" I shrieked, falling to the ground.

Akito had held Asher against the wall. They wrestled each other when I saw the gun in Asher's hand. He shot me.

Rosalina looked up at me through her black bangs with a furious look on her face. I gave her a glare that gave her the exact same message.

Rin helped me up. "Ritsuko, are you okay?" I nodded, breathing heavily. I had to ignore the sharp jolts of pain in my shoulder. Rosalina got up and ran at me. She tackled me, stabbing me in the leg.

At the same time, I stabbed the kitchen knife into her back.

We both fell on the floor. Rin grabbed Rosalina's arm and held it before she could injure me anymore. "Let me go!" Rosalina jerked her hand away.

"You got Hiroshi killed!!!" Rin cried, pinning her down. I coughed, groaning in pain, sitting up. I grabbed the knife again and plunged it into Rosalina's side.

Rin bit her lip, sitting back and throwing the knife out of reach. Rosalina screamed, writhing in pain.

I grabbed Rin's hand and pulled her aside, holding the bloodied knife. "Rin, stay back." She nodded with tears still coming to her green eyes.

I looked back and saw Rosalina getting up. She wiped the scarlet red liquid from her side and leaned against the wall. The red on the wall blended in with her dyed highlights. Blood was leaking from her mouth gritting her teeth.

"I'll be back and I'll finish you off." she swore, coughing. I leaped at her, but she opened the door and slipped away.

Rin inhaled, "She's getting away!"

Asher hit the wall, sliding down. He appeared to be unconscious.This startled both me and Rin. Akito breathed heavily, holding the axe in his hands.

Akito swallowed and continued panting, "I got him." He marched up to Asher and held back the axe.

"Akito, wait!" I put my arm out to him. Rin looked to him, eyebrows knit together.

Akito stopped and lowered the axe. I panted, "Spare him, please. We'll get him when he wakes up." He nodded, coughing. "Are you okay? Did he shoot you anywhere?"

I looked at my shoulder. "A little bit." I limped over to him and checked him. "Did he hurt you?" Akito shook his head, "Not really."

Rin looked at us, wiping her eyes. "What happened to you guys?" I looked down. "They killed everyone. They're responsible for everything that's happened."

"Where's Maiko?"

My eyes went down, "We need to get her." Akito nodded, "What about your injuries??"

I looked at my shoulder then to my thigh. "I'll live. Rin," I turned to her, "Come with us to the apartments, you'll be safer there in hiding."

"But they're gonna kill me!" She wailed. I shook my head, "No, Rin, they won't kill you. You're going to be fine as long as you hide in the apartments. They're after us, so they won't come after you if they have us, okay?"

"What are you gonna do?" Rin asked. I shrugged, "Whatever I can do."

Akito was getting stressed. I could tell by the way he was looking around. "Ritsuko..." he warned.

I took Rin's hand and assured her we would be okay. After that, we took off back to the apartments. I was limping because of my leg but kept up as best as I could.

When we made it to the apartments, we all became nervous. It was dead silent from outside. Akito reached for the door handle slowly. The glass from the door was cracked, making him even more cautious.

Rin stayed behind me, looking around nervously. Akito pushed the door open suddenly. He looked to his sides, checking. I saw little spots of blood on the floor. He opened the door wider to let some more light in.

I peered over his shoulder and gasped.

"Maiko!!" I shrieked. Akito went in completely and looked down at the stains of blood all over. I ran up next to him and stared at the floor.

It was smeared on the floor and on the wall near her. I saw a severed arm laying on the far side of the room. I couldn't bring myself to see the tear stained eyes that were wide open. The sparkle in her eyes was gone.

Blood was dripping from her lips while her lifeless body was impaled with a knife through her chest and an open wound in her stomach and side. There was so much red already leaking out from her corpse that it was obvious what her state was.

Rin gasped loudly, covering her mouth. "Maiko!" Akito flinched at her name. I stepped closer to Maiko's body and kneeled down in front of her. She's really dead. I told myself.

"Maiko....." I reached to her body and shook her, although it was in vain. Akito placed his hand on one of my shoulders. "Ritsuko..."

I shook my head in denial, tears blurring my vision. "No. Maiko, please!" No response.

"Ritsuko..."

I resisted, "No, she can't!" I glanced to him and saw Rin crying in the back. I shook her body again, "Maiko, wake up!"

"Ritsuko!!" He snapped. "What?!"

"It's over. She's..." it took him a few seconds to even speak the words as he got down beside me. "She's gone..." he breathed, staring at Maiko's lifeless shell.

Tears were even forming in his eyes. In front of him was the body of his little sister. I remember how he told me he promised his mother that he would take care of her. He said he would always protect her.I felt my heart sink as I watched him put his hands on her eyes, closing them.

Next, came out the tears from my eyes, flooding over and spilling out as I began sobbing hysterically. I didn't hold back this time, I couldn't fight it. My friend was gone and it was because of me.

I hugged her corpse, weeping and telling her I was sorry. "I'm sorry I wasn't here in time! I'm sorry I made you feel unimportant! Maiko, I'm sorry for being a bad friend!!"

What caused me to cry even harder was hearing Akito sniffle and fight the tears coming down. I turned to him and saw him with his head in his hands. I inhaled sharply and threw my arms around him, burying my face into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Akito." I managed to say before I went into another fit of wailing and crying.

There was nothing we could do. It all felt so helpless and I almost felt as if everything crumbled right in front of me.

Suddenly a thought came to mind. Yes...there is something I can do.

Almost unconsciously, I stood up.

"Ritsuko?" Rin looked at me curiously with tears still coming down her face. I shook my head and ran up the stairs.

"Wait, Ritsuko!!" Rin called. I ignored any other calls and unlocked my apartment door. I swung it open and made it as fast as I could to the basket. I pulled out what I needed and hid behind the door.

Quick footsteps made their way toward my apartment, I knew Rin and Akito were coming after me. They ran in, not noticing my presence yet.

"Ritsuko!" Rin hissed. Akito wiped his face and went around, looking for me. The two went into my bedroom to check and I made my run for it.

I knew what I had to do. The cursed ones wanted me. I just couldn't get anyone else involved now. I had to do this alone.

I had to end this madness.

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My poor readers, I'm so sorry for betraying your feelings. When I wrote this chapter, I almost cried too.
Thank you for reading though and I hope you're ready for the next chapter because I'm on summer break!! That means more content, yay!