Kazuhiko dragged his feet across the courtyard of the school, with deceased Hunters lying all around him.
When he reached the school building, bodies of not just Hunters, but students surrounded him.
Some were wounded, some were paralyzed from shock, and others, however, were dead.
Kazuhiko's breaths were heavy, filled with exhaustion and pain. His hair was also a mess.
"So you're Yamikuro Asaki," Kazuhiko said, stepping into a hospital room.
It was dark, as the curtains were pulled over the large windows.
Yamikuro sat on his hospital bed, not responding. His mind seemed to wander to a completely different thing.
Kazuhiko stepped past Yamikuro's bed and opened the curtains, letting the sun shine into the room. The atmosphere changed completely, yet the lingering sense of sadness remained.
A chair was in the corner of the hospital room, and Kazuhiko grabbed it, placing it next to Yamikuro's bed.
"How are you feeling?" He glanced at Yamikuro sitting next to him, still not answering.
"You know, I'll be your homeroom teacher starting from whenever you get released. It was through Isabella's demand, though."
Yamikuro finally moved, looking at Kazuhiko.
"Isabella...?"
Kazuhiko smirked at Yamikuro slowly opening up.
"She's fine, don't you even worry about it."
Tears ran down Yamikuro's face. He held a cup of water in his hands, where the tears dropped into.
Splat!
Kazuhiko stepped into a puddle of blood, snapping him out of his reminiscing. It sounded awfully similar to Yamikuro's tears hitting against the water.
He looked around him, taking in the dismal view of reality. Kazuhiko didn't want to believe it, but it was real.
He should've protected the students without letting any of them get hurt.
That's what Yamikuro would've done in his position. To that boy, saving everyone mattered more than saving himself.
In a way, they were similar, but Kazuhiko felt like he let everyone down.
Meanwhile, Yamikuro stepped out of the cafeteria to check up on Kazuhiko.
"I'll wait here for ya," Kaminari responded, before Yamikuro took off.
Yamikuro didn't run, being cautious of everything around him.
He knew the Hunters were dead after being able to check one of their pulse. Their hearts weren't beating.
That's why Yamikuro wasn't afraid of going all out on them.
However, seeing the dead students hurt him. He was too weak to protect them. If any of his friends were to die, he didn't know what he would do.
Yamikuro couldn't stop himself from crouching down.
He placed his hand on one of the students' necks, hoping for a pulse or any sign of living.
"They're all dead..."
Yamikuro wanted to throw up. If an invasion were ever to occur again, he swore to protect every life.
And so, he kept walking.
The sounds of his footsteps, along with the dripping blood, created an eerie scene.
Yamikuro was too focused on the thought of the dead. Footsteps of another person slipped through his ears.
When he raised his head, he froze. Yamikuro's eyes widened; he hadn't expected her to roam around like this.
"Elara...? What are you doing here?"
Elara's eyes also widened. It was almost like a terrifying thought passed through her mind.
"I looked for you, but to think that you were down here," Elara said with a forced smile.
"You looked for me?" Yamikuro raised his eyebrow.
Elara then walked past Yamikuro, without saying a word, her hand holding something behind her school coat.
Her steps were quiet.
Elara stood with her back against Yamikuro, staring into nothingness. Perhaps it was to hide her facial expressions.
"Yami... It pains me to admit it, but I considered you one of my best friends."
Yamikuro was confused, trying to take a step forward towards Elara.
"Don't move." Elara immediately said.
Her entire body seemed to be trembling.
Yamikuro slightly raised his hands with his eyebrows pulled closer to each other.
"What are you saying right now?"
"Perhaps we'll meet again..."
She turned around, pulling out her hand behind her coat.
A gun.
That's what she was holding the entire time.
"...In the afterlife." She finished her sentence, aiming the gun towards Yamikuro.
Quietness followed that action, with a breeze of wind passing through them.
Yamikuro had no idea what to say or do. This all happened so quickly.
"What are you—"
Elara loaded her gun.
"Don't say another word."
"We have a new girl joining our class today." The teacher said.
Elara stood awkwardly. She was too shy to speak, but eventually mustered the courage.
"I— I'm Elara Da...Wintervale!" She said excitedly, her cheeks red, in front of the class.
A second of silence followed.
"Da Wintervale? What are you, a rapper?" One of the boys mocked with a smirk.
Soon after, the entire class burst into laughter.
Yamikuro Asaki sat in the front, being the only one who didn't find it funny.
Elara looked around, seeing everyone laugh, until her eyes met with Yamikuro's. She quickly looked away.
At lunch time, Elara sat alone, eating her lunch in a hallway.
"Can I sit here?"
Elara raised her head to see Yamikuro before her.
She didn't say anything and nodded slightly.
"Do you want to become friends with me?" Yamikuro smiled warmly, holding his hand out to her.
A tear ran down Elara's cheek.
She didn't want to do it, but those were her orders. She had to put aside her feelings, as the daughter of his father.
Not too far away, Kazuhiko's steps echoed, his breathing getting heavier and his vision blurring.
Kazuhiko tried not to collapse, forcing himself to walk forward. He noticed Yamikuro standing, almost like he was frozen in the spot.
Yamikuro was too stunned; he had to use his powers to stop her, but he couldn't.
He couldn't think of something like that at the moment.
Yamikuro's eyes were glued to the gun and Elara.
"Goodbye..."
Bang!
The gun fired.
Elara pressed down on the trigger without second thought.
"No—!" A yell echoed in the hallway.
In a flash, Kazuhiko appeared next to Yamikuro.
He had to use up his last bit of power within him.
Everything slowed down for Yamikuro, the bullet slowly making its way to him.
However, the bullet that moved faster than Yamikuro could move his body was misdirected by Kazuhiko.
The bullet changed its course, from Yamikuro... to Kazuhiko.
A loud groan came from Kazuhiko as blood spilled.
He should've protected the students without letting any of them get hurt.
That's what Yamikuro would've done in his position. To that boy, saving everyone mattered more than saving himself.
In a way, they were similar, but Kazuhiko felt like he let everyone down.
There was still a chance for him to try and redeem himself; it was the least he could do.
Kazuhiko's body started falling to the ground.
However, Yamikuro, despite not being able to process almost anything, could react just in time to hold Kazuhiko's wounded body.
Kazuhiko was heavy, and Yamikuro fell to his knees, still holding onto Kazuhiko.
"Why...?"
"Why...?!!"
The world shattered for Yamikuro.
Nothing made sense.
Yamikuro looked down to see the warm smile of Kazuhiko. It was the smile of a man who felt like he had accomplished one last thing. One that he was proud of.
Yamikuro's body trembled, just as Elara's did.
He looked up at Elara, seeing her collapse, the gun sliding on the ground.
"I asked you why?!"
The tears of Elara turned into a flowing stream.
"My father..."
"...Lucian Daichi... Forced me to kill you..."
The world slowed for Yamikuro once again.
"Lucian...? Your father...? Kill me...?"
Everything was all over the place.
They were supposed to celebrate the end of the invasion, yet...
"Yamikuro."
The crackling voice of Kazuhiko called out for him.
"I'm sorry... I couldn't protect these people."
Yamikuro stuttered over each word.
"It's fine... I forgive you! Just promise me you'll survive right now!"
Yamikuro didn't want anyone to lose their lives for him. Yamikuro thought of himself to be worthless. He had become a killer, so why? Why would someone lose their life for him?
Kazuhiko closed his eyes over those words.
Images of all of his events flashed before his eyes. He was called a hero, but he saw himself as nothing but an average guy.
He was an average guy full of regrets.
I wish I had told Mai my final goodbye.
I couldn't see our child grow up.
I won't know what my students will turn out to be.
I never got to see the old group together again.
What a failure of an ending...
I hope this sacrifice will give birth to a new legend, to a boy who did what I never could.
He saw Yamikuro cry before him, tears falling on his face.
He gathered the strength to tell Yamikuro his final plea, not as a teacher, but as a friend.
"Tell my wife that I'm sorry... I can't make it... And take care of my chil-"
Kazuhiko lost his strength to talk, and not too long after, his consciousness faded.
On that day, Kazuhiko Ryoti, the teacher of class B201, died.