(Izumi)

Love is all that matters
Faithful and forever
keeping us together
love is all we need.
Prisoner of illusion
Sentence is suspended
Loneliness is ended
Love has set me free.

In the Depths of Darkness

Chapter 8: One's happiness is another's

Kousei glanced at his son, seeing his eyes. 'If he goes berserk, he could end up killing the people whom he'll be saving...'

Kouji walked inside the mansion, shooting down every guard that stood in his way.

'If Edo hurts them... he'll die a painful death...'

Izumi struggled to get u but couldn't. 'Come on Izumi! You can do this!' Her head shot up after hearing a gunshot. 'Kouji...'

"Takuya! We have to get out of here!" Tomoki yelled.

"I'm trying to..." Junpei started "...break free..."

Kouichi sighed 'I'm worried about Izumi. What if Edo will do it to her? Kouji'll really go berserk if that happens...'

One of Edo's men went to Izumi's room and grinned evilly at her. "So, you ready?"

Izumi shook her head as he went nearer to her. "Get away!!"

He pinned her on the bed and began unbuttoning her shirt. "Keep still..."

She struggled but his grip on her shoulder was too strong. "No! Get away from me!"

The door was soon kicked down. "Touch her then you die!"

"Kouji!"

He pulled the trigger ending Edo's guard's life and he quickly went to Izumi and untied her.

"Are you okay? Did he-?"

Izumi cried and hugged him. "No... he didn't... Kouji..?"

He hugged her back. "Yeah?"

"Don't leave me... please..."

"I won't."

"I mean, don't really leave me. Don't break up with me..."

Kouji remembered the time she walked home by herself and couldn't forget what almost happened. He broke away and lifted her chin. "I won't. I've made the biggest mistake of leaving you and I won't do it again." He said "I promise..."

"If the two of you are done yet, we have to hurry and save your brother and friends."

He smirked. "Okay dad. We're coming."

The three of them walked to the top part of the mansion and found the control room door.

"They're in here?"

Izumi nodded. "I heard Edo mumble something about them being in the control room."

They entered the room and saw 4 people hanging above them.

"Kouji! Izumi! Boss!!" Takuya yelled.

Kouichi opened his eyes and smiled. "What took you guys so long?"

"Never mind that; we have to get out of here before-"

"Before I arrive?"

Kouji turned around to see Edo smirking at him with 20 more body guards that soon circled them and had their guns aimed at them.

Izumi hugged Kouji's arm. "Kouji... are we going to die?"

"Yes..." He replied "But not today!" He threw a smoke bomb and quickly ducked, pulling Izumi with him so, they and Kousei were on the ground.

"Shoot them!!" Came Edo's voice as gunshots were heard in the room.

Tomoki's eyes widened since they couldn't see what was going on.

"Kouji!!" Kouichi yelled.

When the smoke had cleared, all they could see were dead bodies and Edo was left standing.

"I guess they all died." He laughed but soon stopped when he saw no sign of Kouji or Kousei's or even Izumi's body.

"No..."

"Up here!"

Edo looked up just in time to see Kouji tackle him to the ground and pinned his face on the floor, hard.

"Nice one." Kousei commented as he and Izumi brought the others down.

"I guess that's over." Takuya said holding his right wrist. "Those ropes hurt."

Edo laughed once again. "No. It's not yet over."

"What?"

Edo forced Kouji off of him, making the teen fall on his back as he took out an injection with green liquid. "I want to see those red eyes!"

He charged at Kouji who fought back and managed to duck the sharp pointing needle that was about to make contact with his shoulder.

Kousei and the others quickly reacted and when they were successful in pulling Edo away, that's where he had manage to inject the fluid at Kouji's shoulder.

"Shoot! Kouji!" Takuya yelled and he immediately ran to him as Kousei held Edo.

"I'm fine..." Kouji winced, gripping his right shoulder in pain.

Izumi went to him and examined it. "What's this stuff anyway?"

Edo grinned like a scientist that has gone mad. "A very rare liquid that can turn anyone into a killer!"

Kouichi walked to him. "What does that mean Atsuharu?"

"Kouji will slowly lose control of himself... I want to see the red eyes as he kills each and every one of you!"

"Ugh!"

"Kouji!" Izumi cried as he fell into her arms, sweating.

"S-something's... inside... me..." He said in between breaths.

"Shoot! Atsuharu! Please tell me you have an antidote!"

"Fortunately, for me, I don't."

Izumi's eyes widened as she tried to talk to Kouji.

"Kouji, listen to me. You have got to fight this," she paused for a moment "You can't lose yourself. You promised not to leave me remember?"

"It's no use girl! He's going to be a murderer! Much more unstoppable than the real Kouji Minamoto!"

Kousei got mad at this. "Why are you doing this?"

"I hate your family, in the past, your ancestors killed mine! It has always been like that thanks to the youngest member!" Edo yelled in anger and looked at Izumi "Your boyfriend, his past, they always won against me! But not today! He will lose this time..."

"You do know that you'll die as well..." Junpei added.

Edo stopped laughing at this. "Oh no..." He had forgotten about it.

"I guess not all is lost!" Tomoki said.

"Kouji..?" Izumi watched his eyes turn red from blue. "No..."

"Izumi get away!!" Takuya had managed to push her away before he was able to stab her with his katana.

"Are you alright?"

Izumi nodded but some part of her told her that she wasn't sure.

"Guys watch out!"

Izumi was the one who pushed him away at the same time she evaded Kouji's attack.

Kouichi ran to them and stopped as reality dawned onto him. "We have no choice..."

They all looked at him as he withdrew his katana. "...We have to fight him..."

"No! We can't do that! He's our friend, your brother..." Tomoki cried.

Kouichi shook his head "I can feel my brother, he's telling me to stop him before he kills all of us." He looked down and gritted his teeth. "This is the only thing we can do."

Edo smirked. "But can you really fight, or better yet, kill your own flesh and blood?"

Kouichi stopped at this. He didn't want to but he had to. For his brother's sake, for everybody's sake. He glared at Edo.

"This was your fault from the beginning so shut the hell up!" He punched Edo in the face, hard. "That's for the punch you gave me and my friends." And then he kicked his shin. "And that's for my mom."

He turned to Kouji. "I'll try not to kill him. I want him to kill you Edo."

Their swords clashed, not one gave in to the other, red eyes versus blue ones, and this was a fight between brothers.

Izumi watched in tense. She didn't want Kouichi nor Kouji to die. She wanted to do something.

"I've got to do something!" She ran to the fight as the gang looked at her with shock.

"Izumi! What do you think you're doing?!" Takuya yelled.

"I don't want them to kill each other! I want both of them to live!"

"But that's impossible!" Kousei argued.

"I might as well try!" Izumi ran to Kouji and hugged his waist; his back faced her as he tried to break free.

"Kouji! I know you can hear me! Stop losing control and fight it!"

He stopped for a while and dropped his weapon. He held onto his head as if it were in aching pain.

Kouichi realized this. "He's coming back. Izumi! Keep talking to him!"

She nodded. "Kouji, listen, just keep calm... I'm right here..." she held onto his hand as his red eyes began to soften. "I-Izumi..?"

"Yes Kouji. It's me." She touched his warm cheek as hot tears rolled down her emerald green eyes. "Don't worry, I won't leave you... I promise you that..."

His red eyes were turning into a lighter shade of blue, and then, to the color of the night sky. "...Izu...mi..." He fainted into her arms as she smiled and embraced him.

"Kouji... I'm glad you're alright..."

Kouichi placed his katana back. "I guess love solves everything..."

"Then it's a good thing that Kouji forced me to not kill you." Kousei added, grabbing Edo.

Izumi just nodded and smiled at Kouji while stroking his hair. 'Arigatou... for everything...'

The next day...

"Takuya!! Get back here!!!" Junpei ran after Takuya with a snowball in hand; ready to throw it at him.

"I'm sorry! It was supposed to be for Tomoki!!"

Tomoki laughed at them as Kousei smirked, drinking a cup of coffee.

"Need anything else?"

Kousei looked up at his son, Kouichi. He smiled and shook his head.

"I just realized that," Kouichi looked at him. "Your mother would've been happy if she was still alive..."

His son smiled and turned his head to his friends as the wind blew. "I'm sure she's happy, wherever she is. After all..."

They both looked up at the skies. "One's happiness is another's."

A pair of blue eyes viewed the snowy grounds. It showed happiness and relaxation, no longer a thirst for blood or revenge. He smiled at the scenery.

A pair of hands had suddenly covered his eyes and he held them and took it away.

"Izumi..."

"What're you thinking about?" she asked smiling at him.

He smiled back and sat on the snow. "Nothing... I just thought of my mom."

She knelt down beside him. "And?"

"Maybe the promise I made was meant to be broken... she always wanted us to be happy..."

"And are you?" she asked and got up. He closed his eyes and also got up and dusted snow off of himself.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know... should you be?"

Kouji faced her and lowered his head "Of course I should be."

Izumi held his hand.

"I would be stupid if I wasn't." he added and gave her a kiss.

Yes people... unfortunately... this is the last chapter. The plot was about revenge and they've fulfilled it and how an assassin is still a human being even if he has killed so many. Thanks for all your reviews and patience! Sorry if this is a lame ending...

Arigatou- Thank you