39. Faint

All my senses were fully focused on controlling my flames. They were so concentrated, my whole body's functions were limited to making my organs work and my blood pump.

I managed to gather my senses, but I had no idea how long had already passed since Mukuro left the room. I found myself leaned against the back of the couch on the stage. I was slumped against it heavily, my limbs lay limp beside me, and no longer obeyed orders.

Breathing was all I could do.

My eyes drifted to the black wristband on my wrist, and sighed. The Void Ring was still lit, the black flames blazing strongly-- but now I was worried for a different matter altogether.

The Dying Will Flame is a  high-density form of energy refined from one's own life force, Drew's knowledge helpfully supplied. It runs on your life.

As this goes, on, Rei grimly realized, I might experience overusage.

What happens when you use up your life force? Do people die? Can people stay alive even after they've used up their life force? Can I?

Seeing as how my breathing was steadily getting difficult, my stamina was running dry. I'm not even sure how I had stamina to keep them up for this long. I'm literally a dead body now--

"Hm, You're awake?" Mukuro's voice startled me as he suddenly made himself known behind me. He was sitting down casually on the couch, looking at me over his shoulder.

Mukuro sits on the couch, a smug smile on his face--

"Well, I thought I'd let you in on the climax, too." Mukuro said in a half-joking tone. He eyed me with eyes that looked down on the weak-- and I had no energy to muster up a glare in return.

This scene is...

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted as felt something rise up my throat--and suddenly, I retched, feeling a warm, thick liquid burst out from within. My hand shot up on instinct, but the bitter taste of bile instantly filled my mouth--

And I was vomiting.

Blood, bile-- what else, stomach Acid? Well, that was disgusting.

Seeing that, Mukuro frowned in distaste. He materialized his trident, speaking to me casually. "It'd honestly be easier on you if you just die now," he suggested, nudging his trident at me. "Do I receive the honour?"

And he didn't seem like he was joking. He had on an irritated scowl.

(Well, what a gentleman you are, Drew joked. He's right, though.)

Hiding myself behind the couch, I wiped my mouth clean with my sleeve-- ew-- and closed my eyes. I focused my flames into my bodily functions again. My eyes clenched shut and my throat ached--

I didn't even register Mukuro's question. My breath was shaking now as I forcefully took slow breaths to try and calm my heartbeat again. Different thoughts shot through my mind.

What's wrong this time? Which organ? I definitely lost too much blood. All this blood is critical. I'm dying. I'm dying, I'm dying, I'm not gonna last any longer. I'm gonna die before the medics get here and-- I'm not gonna survive. I'm dying- dying- dyingdyingdying--

I felt a hand on my head.

I was abruptly dragged out from the hyperventilating depths of my sanity-- and I lifted my head, turning towards the owner of the hand.

Huh?

Rokudo Mukuro patted my head comfortingly-- what?-- and he eyed me, pity marring his gaze. The surprise his touch gave me calmed me down from those thoughts. He registered that I had stopped panicking, and sighed in... relief? Satisfied, he turned away and back towards the entrance of the hall.

And I was stuck in thought.

Why?

Do you know why, Drew?

Rokudo Mukuro's past was full of torture and pain. He didn't express disgust when I heaved up all that body acid-- in fact, he almost seemed a little angered as he gave me those sad eyes-- why? He's supposed to be a villain now, no? He's supposed to be my enemy now, no?

Why is he sparing me? Why is he being--

Why are you holding me here? Is it to use me as a hostage?

Hostage? He literally just offered to kill me! I'd have been dead long ago without these Night Flames. He didn't bring me here with me being a hostage as his goal.

Something else. Am I forgetting something?

Something- Something-

I knew from the start that you were like me.

I froze.

You were like me; I am like him.

How exactly am I similar to Mukuro? Which similarity was he referring to?

Was I similar to him, not in the fact that we've both crossed into the afterlife-- but in the pain we've gone through and are going through?

Is he... relating my current situation to his painful, painful past?

Is that why?

But that's--

My mind drifted back to what Drew said: "I've gotten a greater view of who exactly you are, and let's just say I've probably grown to like you."

Drew... Drew, she-- she was a much better observer than I was. Drew understood who Mukuro really was under the thick, thick mask of Mist Flames he hides his true self under.

And Rei-- could Rei someday see through it?

My thoughts were interrupted by the light creaking of a door. The door to this hall was opening-- and before Ninomiya Rei knew it...

"I'm glad we meet again," Mukuro spoke up, and I could somehow feel the fake, jester smile the blue-haired man wore.

...the final battle began.

-------

Fuuta de la Stella

Fuuta wasn't always alone. In fact, Information Dealer Fuuta has had a senior. The adult information dealer who Fuuta only referred to as 'Yuu-san' had to part ways with him years ago, and Yuu-san has been trying since then to cut ties with the Mafia completely.

Of course, it's not working out at all. People don't simply 'cut ties with the Mafia', after all.

In fact, Fuuta ranked Yuu-san just a month ago, and his ranking on 'Most Wanted Information Dealers' was still #4 in the whole world.

(Of course, regretfully, Fuuta de la Stella was still #1.)

But just briefly, Yuu-san's oldest son had caught the child's interest. And when Fuuta decided to rank him, he was, frankly speaking, dumbfounded.

"Ninomiya Rei is ranked #43 in Mafia Potential. He is also ranked #31 in being a skilled Magician; and #152 in adaptability to spatial changes." he mumbled as he jotted them down,

"But Ninomiya Rei is ranked #66 in having one-of-a-kind, incurable diseases. Aside from that, he is also ranked third from last in physical power; and his overall stamina is fifth from the back in the whole of his school."

Ninomiya Rei was weird. His rankings were terribly contradictory, so contradictory Fuuta almost thought his rankings were failing.

But as he thought of it, a bunch of men in black suits called out upon spotting him, and hollered for their other men in the distance. Fuuta quickly scurried away, tucking his huge book into his shirt pocket and escaping.

-

-

-

"Tsuna--" Fuuta choked out, tears gathering in his eyes as his mind overflowed with emotions, "Tsuna-nii..." he cried out, feeling the mind control slipping out of him--

But Fuuta de la Stella could only crumple to the ground. Pain. His head ached-- throbbed-- pounded. His ears rang--

and he blacked out.

-------

Ninomiya Rei

The world was a blur.

My consciousness wasn't lasting much longer. My body was growing cold, and my eyes could no longer open. I could hear the dialogue going on, but it was all veiled by the irritating hum of my brain's alarms--

Good god, was this siren blaring getting just freaking annoying--

I conserved my energy.

There's no point in listening in and trying to get the situation. I felt the flames in my body flow-- it was like blood, going into every corner and doing what it did-- But I wasn't the one controlling these flames.

I dismissed the thoughts from my mind, and breathed. I breathed. Respiration. Gaseous Exchange. Oxygenating blood. Breathing.

In, out. Slowly-- slowly--

I was doing the best I could to stay alive.

My ears were ringing now, like the wailing of a heart machine as it flatlines-- no, that's a Death Flag, Rei. I ignored the ringing, and felt my breath hitch as a sharp pain shot through my chest--

Clenching at my chest, I took slower breaths, praying the pain would eventually ease a little.

Breathe, I reminded myself, Whatever it is, no matter how painful it is--

I felt myself drift off for a second, but I forcefully dragged my mind back in.

--Breathe, Rei.

No matter what, don't stop breathing.

Just a little longer... I reprimanded myself, telling myself reminding myself that I cannot fall asleep here. I cannot, I cannot, I cannot.

Just a li--

--ttle...

...lon--