Chapter 22: Reunited
HOW many lives do I have to lose before this war ends?
"Hey pal! Do you eat shit?" Haji remembered the little creature growled at him.
"Come on! Let me ride on you just once!" Lurkia naturally ignores him.
"Hey pal! I think Jhay will like you, you know why? Because you both are totally the same" Haji remembered Lurkia rolled his eyes on him.
"You're both rude but deep inside you're soft" Haji once said. Then that settled everything. Haji's little friend made his way above his shoulder and wrapped its body around his neck like a scarf.
Haji remembered that one christmas where the three of them wore the same scarf for the night. The warm feeling was the same with Lurkia around his neck.
.
.
.
Reality slapped Haji after he heard Lurkia's cry inside his head.
"I'm going to kill you!!" Haji clenched his teeth, his hands trembled the moment his sword hit Kradus' arm. The king's arms were not wounded by Haji's sword. Kradus removed his cape and threw it on the ground. His long slender hands turned into sharps blades and he attacked Haji at a sudden speed. Haji ducked and swung his sword behind Kradus but the king's back accepted the sharp edge of his sword barely. His skin was like that of a metal and Haji's sword didn't affect him at all. Kradus used his head to hit Haji's. Haji took a step backward and withdrawed his sword. Haji's heart was burning with rage. He couldn't even cry. Everytime Haji tried to attack Kradus, the king would counterattack him with a total beating using his bare hands. No wonder why the aeonis feared him. If Zakir happened to be there? Haji thought, "Will he win against Kradus?"
They had a long fight and Haji thought of a sudden idea.
"If my sword can't hurt him, what if I use his own hands against him. They were sharper than my blades and there's a slight chance that it could hurt him." Haji began to think.
Haji let go of his swords. The janix finally realized why Zakir trained him about close combats all the time. Zakir never wanted him to depend only on his weapons. He wanted Haji to depend on himself. Haji removed his cape and threw it on the ground. Ever since the fight began, Haji never saw Kradus ran out of air. He never seemed to be tired at all. As for Haji, he had been fighting all this time. But he won't give up. As long as he Haji knew he had a reason to win, he would strive and survive.
Haji shouted in his mind, "I won't let someone as cold hearted and cruel as Kradus win against me!!"
Kradus looked shocked even his face was hidden behind his mask. Haji decided to fight with his bare hands. Haji never realized how muscular he had become until he felt his own body reacted with him. He felt his veins popping out from his neck and from his biceps. He had grown manlier and bigger. He no longer looked like a wimpy sixteen year old boy.
"Enough playing, Janix" Kradus said and he started stretching his arms towards Haji. Haji watched as the king's long hand darted towards him and studied it at a split second. Haji immediately grabbed it with his two hands and forcefully twisted it towards Kradus' direction. A painful scream echoed in the whole place as Kradus shouted in pain. Haji quickly stabbed Kradus' stomach using his own sharp arm against him. Just as Haji thought, the king's own arm digged right into his stomach. The moment Kradus used his other arm to support his broken and twisted one, Haji used all his force to break Kradus' other arm with his elbow. Another ear piercing scream escaped from Kradus' mouth and his broken arm dropped on the ground. Haji immediately grabbed the sharp arm and never wasted the chance to pierce the king's heart. Crimson blood came out from his mouth as Haji looked up at him with wonder.
"Red blood?" Haji said unconsciously.
There was a moment of silence before a loud thud echoed the whole place as Kradus fell on the ground. He was barely breathing and Haji stretched out his hand to remove the king's mask.
Haji thought, "I MADE THE GREATEST MISTAKE IN MY LIFE."
The moment Haji saw the face behind the mask, the mask rolled down on the ground just as how Haji's tears rolled down his face. Haji's heart broke into pieces as he stared at the dying figure on the ground. He couldn't speak, his throat was choking. He didn't dare to speak.
"Why?"
"How?"
"It can't be."
"Father." Haji said the word he had never said for a very long time. The face behind the mask was his father. Haji breathed heavily as he tried to swallow whatever was choking inside his throat. The struggling face of the dying man didn't seem to recognize Haji. Haji kneeled on the ground as he stared at those sorrowful and longing eyes. Haji bit his lower lip so hard that it bled already. His whole body was shaking and his hands were trembling.
"Hey it's me, Eos" Haji said to him as the man made a clueless face.
"Did you forget about me?"
"Dad, it's me" Haji said with his trembling mouth.
"Remember this?" Haji said while crying as he held his necklace and let Kradus see it. The necklace Rob gave to Eos when he was a kid.
"Dad please just... Remember me please dad...it's...it's me." Haji pleaded, Haji begged and prayed.
"This isn't just happening."
"Eos? The one that I left behind?" Kradus asked as he stared at Haji carefully. He studied every part of Haji's face. Kradus held Haji's blood drenched face. Haji nodded every now and then as his long lost father caressed his face.
"Dad It's me...I...I...I'm sorry" Haji begged as he saw Kradus caughed blood even more. Kradus finally smiled at Haji.
"It's the real thing. You really are my child" Kradus said and gave Haji a sorrowful smile. He missed his father so much he could die. Haji cried so hard that he began shouting. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't even panic. Haji's tears burst and his whole body felt weak.
"Dad, please stay with me." I
Haji begged as Kradus started closing his eyes. Haji never wasted time to think how it happened, how his father's body turned out like that. He just want to hold him in his arms so bad.
"You're staying with me okay?" Haji said while shaking, his mouth was trembling nonstop. Haji sobbed every now and then.
"Look I can fix you, okay. I...I can save you. Just...just please dad...please" Haji couldn't hold it any longer as he covered his face with his bloody hands. Haji sobbed loudly as his chest felt tighter. He cried so bad that he could hardly breath.
"Dad please...don't leave me again..." Haji begged as Kradus smiled at him happily.
"You've grown up so fast, boy" he said and caughed another mouthful of blood.
"No! no! no! Stop talking. We can talk later okay. Just stay with me. Stay with me okay? Huh? You're not leaving me behind again, right?" Haji said as he tried to convince himself that everything is going to be fine. Haji tried to get rid of the negative thoughts coming inside his head as he looked at his father's suffering face.
"We can do this together, we'll go home together, okay?" Haji said and smiled at Kradus. Kradus smiled back and looked at Haji.
"I'm sorry son. I'm sorry that I left you there" Haji shook his head and acted that he didn't want to listen to him.
"I wanted to say that I am so proud of you." Kradus said. His face was now covered with blood and tears as he let out a heavy sighed.
"And I'm sorry for leaving you again." Haji burried his face on his father's bleeding stomach as he listened to him.
"I've always wanted to go home. I thought about teaching you ride a bike. Take you to many beautiful places." Haji nodded.
"Play the piano with you again" Haji nodded.
"Meet your girlfriends" Haji sobbed and bit his lips so hard. Haji let out a childish cry. A cry you make when you were a child.
"See you smiling on the altar as you waited for your bride" Haji couldn't take it anymore but he must listen.
"I never happened to drink with you all night, I'm sorry. I missed every family activities you do at school, I'm sorry. I never said out loud that I love you, I'm sorry." Haji wanted to tell him to stop. He wanted to listen to those words when he's already fine and healthy but Haji just remained sobbing.
"I was never been a good father to you, I'm very sorry." Haji thought Rob was wrong, maybe he was right but it didn't matter anymore. He just wanted to hold on right now.
"It's okay It's okay. I forgive you. I no longer hate you. I'm not mad at you. I love you. I..." Haji said in between his sobs "...I miss you so much, dad" Haji finally said it. He finally said that he missed him.
Haji prayed, "Can I have him back now, God?"
"Dad can you please stay with me? I'm not ready to let you go? I promise I will be a good son to you. I promise I will do everything, anything to make you happy. I'll make you proud of me. But please promise me you'll stay with me a little longer? Yeah?" Haji pleaded. Kradus laughed at Haji and said, "Yes sure, sing a song for me then"
Haji looked at him and forced a smile.
"Can I request a song though?" Kradus asked smiling. Haji nodded.
"The one I usually sing whenever I miss your mother, and please sing the chorus directly" He demanded. Haji haven't started to sing yet but he already cried.
There it goes
Up in the sky
There it goes
Beyond the clouds
Haji couldn't stop crying as he sang the song his father always played when he was a kid.
For no reason why
I can't cry hard enough
No, I can't cry hard enough
For you to hear me now
"Woah~~ who thought you to sing nicely? Was it me?" Kradus joked and motioned his head for Haji to continue singing.
Can I look back in vain
And see you standing there
With all that remains
It's just an empty chair
And now that you're gone
I can't cry hard enough
No, I can't cry hard enough
For you to hear me now
Haji's mouth trembled as he saw his father's eyes stopped blinking. His stomach stopped moving up and down. Haji tried to hold back his voice and cried in silence. But crying silently would never be enough for his heart to explode.
"Father!!!" Haji cried, he screamed. It was as if the whole planet could hear his voice.
Haji shouted madly, "Let all hunters come here and hunt me! Let all aeonis come find and save me. Let this undying war finish me. I want to go along with father. I want to put an end to this!"
"Take me with you this time, dad" Haji cried so hard that his eyes started swelling. He picked up Kradus' broken arm and positioned it across his heart.
"AHHHHHHH!!!!!" Haji shouted and held the flesh made blade hardly and decided to pierce his heart. It was as if everything went in a slow motion. Haji heard some of the aeonis shouting his name. Hahi heard the loud screams of the egoris coming towards his direction. He could hear the hunters rushing towards the king's direction lying next to him. He could hear the victorious screams of the people in the city. Haji heard Jhay's chuckles and laughters. Haji saw Damian's grinning face. And I
Haji saw the smiling face of his father. The blade flew away from Haji's hands as he stared at it landing on the ground. Haji looked at the one who hit it and he saw a very fragile and wounded egori with a black and white wings.
"Agya" Haji called his name and the retired egori licked the janix's face. Haji closed his eyes and felt Agya's warm wings covered his body. It felt like his mother's embrace. Haji's tears rolled down as he used both his hands to cover his face.
"He's gone. My father left me for the second time. But this time, he won't be coming back to me" Haji said and cried. Agya hugged Haji tighter and let out a colorful flame. He created a beautiful flame like the beauty of the universe. All the aeonis hailed victoriously as they saw the flame. It was the flame of victory. All other egoris followed what Agya did. Nobody seemed to notice except Agya. Everyone celebrated the victory.
Except Haji.
Then he realized.
"I don't really belong here. I don't belong to this finally free city."
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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