Chapter 31
"Grrgh..." Water flooded into Kasumi's mouth as he struggled, his limbs thrashing beneath the surface. The assassin's grip on his leg remained ironclad, dragging him deeper into the murky depths.
Should I cut my leg…? The thought flashed through his mind, but even that felt desperate. His vision blurred, lungs burning as the last traces of air started slipped away.
'I have no other choice…' he thought, quickly unzipping his jeans to loosen her grip.
It worked — her hold weakened, fingers slipping. Kasumi didn't hesitate. He drove one final kick into her and surged toward the surface.
"Haaah… haaah…" he gasped as he surfaced, water streaming from his face. His eyes scanned the endless stretch of ocean — no boats, no signs of life. Just the distant, barely visible shore far off near the horizon.
"Perfect," he muttered to himself. 'Stranded, naked, and probably ...fucked.'
_________
Kasumi panted, chest rising and falling as he dragged himself from the water. He'd been swimming for almost two hours, his body aching.
"Stop right there!" a sharp voice called out from the side.
Kasumi turned to see a beach security guard approaching, one hand behind his back, the other pointing his way. The man's expression was stiff, his steps cautious.
"I said stop! It's illegal to swim in this area… and more importantly—you can't be walking around like that. I'll call for backup to bring you some clothes."
Kasumi blinked, confused. "Huh? Why though?" he asked, scratching his head.
"Sir… you're not wearing anything."
Kasumi glared at him for a moment, then snapped, "I don't know what you're talking about! Get lost!"
"C-Calm down, sir—"
"I said leave me alone dammit !" Kasumi barked, breaking into a sprint.
"Wait!" the guard called out, chasing after him.
____
Kasumi stepped into a clothing store, grabbing the first outfit in sight — a flamboyant purple suit paired with matching jeans. He looked like a washed-up pimp without the cane.
Putting them on he Headed straight for the exit, his hand was already on the door when a voice called out behind him.
"Hey! You have to pay for that!"
Kasumi ignored him. His eyes stayed fixed ahead, his mind elsewhere. Why is this guard still following me ?does he get payed enough for him to do all this ? '
He pushed the door open — and froze.
It wasn't the guard that was chasing him earlier
It was The assassin from before. The one he was sure he'd left for dead, standing there with wet clothes, eyes locked onto his.
You've gotta be kidding me…
' How? Im not stupid enough to mistake unconsciousness for death. Did she stop her own heartbeat?! '
Kasumi took a step back, a weary grin tugging at his face. "Hey, girl… can you please stop?"
Stopping your heart's a fifty-fifty shot at not coming back. That means she gambled her life just to take me down… but why? I'm not even her target. So why the hell won't she give up?
"Why are you doing all this… you cant even use you right hand do you think you still have a chance ?" he muttered, his voice low and tired. "Don't you have someone waiting for you back home? If you're that desperate to see me dead, you don't have to bother now. Just wait till I finish this mission… I'll end it myself. Hell, you can even come watch if that's what you want ..." he then pulled his hair back " but If you refuse ...I'll have to go all out on you ...and trust me you wouldn't like that "
The assassin didn't respond she just raised her left arm infront of her in a kung-fu style
"I see " Kasumi muttered — and in an instant, his hand blurred toward her.
The assassin deflected the strike without effort.
He didn't stop. Blow after blow came, each one sharp and fast, but she turned them aside with practiced ease.
She suddenly stomped toward his foot. Kasumi stepped back, avoiding it — but she was already moving, reading him. Her palm struck his chest with brutal force, sending a shockwave out his back.
Kasumi crashed through the store wall, debris scattering as a crater formed behind him.
Before the dust settled, she was there — her hand jabbing toward his chest, aiming to impale him.
Kasumi caught her wrist mid-thrust, his grip ironclad. "What's your name?" he asked his voice low
She blinked, confused by the question.
Kasumi's smirk was faint, almost bitter. "Because remembering the names of the people I kill makes the weight of guilt a little lighter to carry."
The assassin bit her lip at Kasumi's words. ' Maybe it's not so bad to die by this man's hand… if I return without completing this mission I'll be killed anyway '
After all, she was targeting the family of a man who controlled half of Japan.
A faint, resigned smile tugged at her lips. 'As long as my brother life is on the line i will endure anything '
"…Yor… Yor Briar" she said quietly.
" I will remember you " kasumi said ripping himself out of the wall
His hand shot forward aiming to grab her face
She ducked down and soccer kicked him in the face
As Kasumi stumbled back, she leapt onto his head, aiming to stomp him down.
BOOM!
In a blur, Kasumi vanished, the force of his sudden movement sending a shockwave through the air.
A split second later, his fist connected with Yor.
The punch was so fast, so brutal, it tore through the right side of her torso — flesh, bone, everything in its path vaporized on impact. Her mangled right arm hit the ground followed by the wet thuds of her intestines falling , she then collapsed on the ground lifeless with her blood misting the air
'Ahhh… so this is it, huh? It's so… peaceful. I wonder what Yuri's doing in that place… he's probably waiting for me to rescue him. Im sorry yuri please forgive me… NO! I can still fight.'
Planting her feet firmly into the ground, she forced herself upright, bloodied and swaying but unbroken.
Kasumi, who had started to turn away, glanced back at her with tired sharp eyes.
"Just how badly do you wanna end up in a closed casket?" he muttered
She didn't answer. Their gazes locked — silent, bitter, and defiant...this was her final duel
Then they both moved.
Kasumi unleashed a barrage of punches, fast and relentless, but she weaved and slipped through them. In one swift motion, she jumped on top him.
He swung up at her again — but a sudden sharp pain shot through his foot. He staggered, glancing down to see a skewer lodged in his right big toe.
The moment of imbalance was all she needed.
A flash of silver ,she pulled a dagger from her back and slashed, carving a long, stinging line across Kasumi's back.
She landed in front of him, twisting her grip on the blade, and drove it straight toward his chest.
Kasumi reacted fast, he grabbed a cloth stand then used it like a makeshift staff to hoist himself up.
Landing behind her, he didn't hesitate — with one brutal, precise kick, he struck the fresh hole he'd made in her side earlier .
"Gaaaaaah!" she screamed, tears spilling from her eyes as she collapsed to her knees. Trembling, she tried to push herself up, but her legs gave out again.
"Don't cry," Kasumi said, casually digging a pinky in his ear. "That'd just make me feel worse."
At his words, she bit her lower lip, fury burning through the pain as she forced herself upright, ready to charge him one more time.
But before she could even take a step — Kasumi vanished.
Then apperd behind her a split second later
Yor's eyes widened. A sharp pain bloomed at her waist. She looked down to see blood pouring from the clean, horizontal line splitting her torso.
Her strength gave out, and as darkness closed in, she collapsed, lifeless.
Kasumi had cut her in half.
"I'm sorry for causing you so much unnecessary pain," he muttered, bowing deeply, his forehead touching the ground. ' Her heartbeat stopped… it's over. 'He got up and turned to leave
' I never thought I could win against you… I came here to throw my life away for my brother sake '. She bit down on the skewer still in the ground, blood dribbling from her lips as she forced her sliced upper body forward, crawling toward Kasumi.
He didn't notice her. His steps carried him away, lost in his own thoughts
Summoning the last strength in her left arm, she jumped at him the skewer aimed straight for his carotid artery.
Kasumi's instincts screamed, but when he turned, it was too late ' She did it again!!!!? '. The skewer grazed his neck.
And then Yor fell on the ground— lifeless.
She's… dead?
Kasumi stood frozen, trembling as he stared at the half-ruined corpse that had nearly killed him. When she was inches from my artery… her jaws gave out.
I could've died…
His legs shook violently. He grabbed the bloodied skewer from the ground then drove it down to at her chest but he hesitated — the tip hovering inches above her chest.
' She's dead, right?'he asked himself again
A storm of fear and anger raged inside him. Fear, because he'd been a breath away from death. Anger, because she'd failed to end him — The moment that blade scraped his artery, a thought slipped in: what if this was it… what if everything ended here, and I was finally free of all my burdens?
He bit his lip, trying to hold back the tears, but it was useless. They streamed down his face as he knelt beside her.
"You idiot... you damn idiot. Why'd you make me do this? Look at you now — is this what you wanted?"
He stared into her empty, lifeless eyes, waiting for a response he knew would never come.
"Say something… I know you're still in there!" he snapped, his voice cracking. But there was nothing
Wiping his tears roughly with the back of his hand, he took a shaky breath.
'What the hell am I doing…? I've got a mission to finish '
He turned to leave — but not before glancing back one last time just to be sure that she was dead