Gunshot by Gunshot was heard and echoed in the big hall. For once the gunshot were replaced with the sound of metal hitting the ground as the signal that both of them exchanged and filled back their ammunition.

BANG

The gun that they held flew away from their hand. Both of them were knowing each other to well until they were able to read each other’s movement. As they didn’t have their gun in their hand, they started to punch and kick, they would do anything as long as one of them declared the words of lost.

They took some distance and get their own gun back in their hand. Both of them managed their breath while their eyes still plastered on the other feature. Their condition were far from okay, the bumps, scars and bloods decorated their body.

“Let’s finish this...I only have one bullet left...”

“Me too...”

Ivan and Athur straightened their body and pointed their gun, their fingers were ready to pulled on the trigger. They know it was all about the timing, as the silent came they didn’t have to shout when it comes to attack, since their eyes already speaked alot.

BANG!!!!

***

The sunlight welcomed Gilbert as he exited the fortress. What a surprise since not only the sunlight that welcomed him, but his brothers already there and stay alive, showed their happy face to him and pulled him in a bear hug and he sensed another thing was happening right before his eyes.

“I’m sorry to bother your happy moment,” One polite voice diverted his attention from his worried brothers.

“Yes, you are...?”

“I’m the Young King from West Country...Roderich Edelstein...”

“Young King?”

“I’m here to help you to protect your country...”

Yes, the thing that happening right before his eyes were something he couldn’t believe until he left speechless. He saw Ivan’s enormous military and guards were defeated by the combined warriors from his own country and West Country.

“I already know everything...Prince Gilbert...”

Gilbert felt the sting inside of his heart. He didn’t want to blame anyone to not telling him but inside he couldn’t help but think, everyone already know who I am, except me...I feel like cheated by them...

“Our country want to gain a good diplomacy with your country...”

“We’ll talk later if Arthur can win in this battle...,” He hid his still not accepting feeling with words.

***

Ivan climbed the stairs that leads him to the golden cage. The battle already finished and he hope that his troops managed to destroy the country where his best friend belongs to. His journey was stopped because there was a guard that left inside the fortress wanted to report him about the battle.

“Ivan-san, we’re doomed, our troops were defeated by the West Country’s army and the Light Country’s warriors!!”

The loud sound of gunshot towards the guard’s head were heard as the guard’s brain scattered on the cold floor of the tower when Ivan shot him. He didn’t allow any hindrance blocked his way back to the golden cage, even if it was his troops glorious winning, he only wanted to go inside his golden cage. As he arrived in front of the cage, Ivan turned the doorknob to open the door and walked straight to his working table. He pulled on the drawer and took something in glass box from inside it.

“Ivan-san?”

“Who do you think am I?”

Yao kept his silent but he still reached his hands to search the other man and caress his face – as if he didn’t believe that the person inside the same room as him was Ivan.

“Are you disappoint? It’s really me...”

“And Arthur?”

Ivan sealed his mouth and only looked at Yao’s face, the face of the person who never loved him.

“I...smell blood...Ivan-san are you hurt?”

“What are you talking about...ukh...,” He put his right hand on the stomach.

“What...what happened?”

“Nothing...,” He pushed Yao slowly and opened his glass box. “...all of this shit...will be over soon ...,” He smashed his knuckle on the red button inside it.

He put the glass box on the table after he finished his business with it. Once again, like being command, the siren started to rang again and again. The next thing to do was freed Yao from the golden cage.

“What are you doing?,” Yao couldn’t help but asking when he felt Ivan dragged him towards the door.

“Go downstairs...you can meet your prince there...”

“Arthur?”

“You can meet him if you go down...or...he will take you from here...”

Yao sensed that something was wrong with the other man, he raised his hands to brushed it against Ivan’s face.

“There’s something wrong, Ivan-san you are sweating uncontrollably...and since a few moments ago I can smell the blood...”

Yao has no opportunity to continued his sentences when he heard Ivan coughed and split some liquid he held for moments ago.

“The...bloods...,” It was clear for him, even though he couldn’t see but Yao could smell and sensed the bloods, quite amount of blood from the man before him.

“Tch...go away!!,” Ivan turned and left Yao in front of the door.

He has to dragged his feet since his body seemed didn’t want to hear what his brain commands, the bloods kept on flowing from his stomach as he moved.

Arthur hit him, straight on the left side of his stomach. The wound that caused by the gunshot was open and flowed unstoppable bloods, made his white shirt stained with the dark red color.

As he dragged his shaky feet to the bed, the ground around him started to shake. Yes, it wasn’t his hallucination. It was caused by the ground or the fortress for more exact, shook to meet its end.

***

“Ivan-san...”

“What are...you waiting...for...your, your prince will...arrive...now go!”

“Does that means I’m free?”

“Like..like you always...wanted...”

He locked his mouth and think about karma for the dying man, but apparently his thought left him this time and he couldn’t find a word to speak.

“IVAN YOU DAMN IT!!”

Ivan chuckled between his cough, “That’s you...prince”

“Arthur?”

“How dare you!! Why didn’t you shot?!!,” Arthur pulled Ivan’s shirt collar that couldn’t absorb anymore blood and keeps on dripping the Braginsky noble’s bloods.

“I...just...want to...end...everythi-ng...”

“LIE!! I know you’re the ‘I don’t want to lose’ type!! Answer me now, why you didn’t shot!!?”

Ivan tried to laugh but only his cough sound that heard and the blood once again spat out from his mouth – the best friend of him was knowing him too well, even in this kind of situation.

“I’ll tell you the truth...I-I can’t shot you...you’re my—my best friend...”

Arthur’s eyes widened, while Yao covered his mouth with his hands as if he couldn’t believe what he heard about the irony. After Ivan said his reason, Arthur felt his brain left his head and reflex he let go of Ivan’s shirt collar, made the almost paralyzed man fell to the bed.

How come he forgot about that? And since when he thought that Ivan was his enemy, how can he forgot that his friendship with Ivan already lasted more than 20 years? What happened to him?! They could sit and talked about it nicely, but how come it turns out like this? How come they attack each other? Is this what they called friendship? Best friend???

“I-I’m glad you’re the one..the one who finished me...but I-have to...tell you, honestly...,” Ivan gave his widest smile while he couldn’t hold his tears any longer, “...it hurts...damn it!!”

“I...I’m sorry Ivan...I’m sorry!!,” The liquid crystal started to block his view when he realized his big mistake.

“Then...help me...bring Yao out from...from here, this fort-ress will collapse soon...,” After Ivan said that, Arthur gained his sense back about the unstable surrounding. The fortress shook harder and the ceiling started to cracked, indicated it might fall soon.

“Ivan-san...”

“I return him...to you...Arthur...Ya-Yao....I’m sorry...I-I’m sorry...,” Ivan felt his lungs constricted him to breath and his vision became blurred, he didn’t know was it because he almost lost his consciousness or was it because the tears that blocked his sight.

“I will take care of him, let’s go out Yao...,” Arthur pulled Yao’s hand.

When Ivan sees them disappeared from his sight, he smiled contently. His task was over, now it was the time or him to take a rest before the God of Death took him to the hell. He never thought that being shot could be this hurt. All this time he kept on massacred people without considering what they might feel.

Actually he wanted to die inside the big hall than to feel the unbearable hurt on his stomach, but his will to see Yao for the last time win over the pain he must take. Now he must took his unrequited love to the depth of hell.

He slowly closed his eyes, he didn’t want to believe it but from far away he could hear Yao called him, ah...this must be the God of Death works, he wants me to die in peace before he throw me to the hell.

“Ivan-san...”

Ah no...why is it sounds so real?

As if Yao called his name right beiside him, plus he felt the familiar touch on his face. He decided to open his eyes and he found the black haired man sat on the bed, still with his calm expression.

“Wh-why’re you...here? A-Arthur??”

Yao climbed to the bed and took Ivan’s head so the other man practically sleeping on his lap. His action made Ivan conused.

“I want to accompany you…”

“Are you crazy…? Go back to him!!”

“I gave him a reason and he understand…”

“L-lie…”

“I know you won’t believe me…,” Yao chuckled and caressed Ivan’s face.

“Bu-but why? You…you’re hating me…don’t you?”

“I only follow my heart, Ivan-san…I want to accompany you…,” The ceiling started to crumble and dropping the various pieces of debris.

“You’ll die…”

“I know…”

“I….don’t understand you…”

“Me too…but I guess the bird in the golden cage only wants to be with his master…,” Yao gave his first smile to Ivan and for Ivan the simple smile was the most beautiful smile he ever see.

Ivan’s eyes widened, he understood the meaning behind Yao’s words but the startled feeling changed into a wide smile and once again he had the tears streaming from his eyes.

“Hey…am…am I already…w-win your…heart?,” Ivan’s voice changed into an almost unheard whisper.

Yao didn’t answer the question, the slender man only kissed Ivan’s lips as answer. Made Ivan’s crying become more uncontrollably. Ivan inhaled deeper, inhaling the scent he love the most from the other man, before the scent disappear forever from his smelling sense that almost lost it’s function.

“Cпасибо... Я очень счастлив лотосом – cан …,” He whispered as their lips parted.

After whispering his thought, he slowly closed his eyes and ends the pain from the bullet that nested inside his stomach.

Yao’s hands caress Ivan’s face, he knew the person he loved the most and becoming his object of concern in the last moment already closed his eyes forever. Yao smiled and dropped his tears when his fingers touch Ivan’s lips and found that he was smiling.

“Have a nice sleep…my master…let me watch over you…this time…,” Yao closed his own eyes to spilled more tears.

The concrete debris and pillars were falling and brought the fortress that becoming the silent witness of the Braginsky’s family cruelty down. The Fortress that witnessed how the generation being taught to be a stoic and not knowing love soon to be gone. And inside the same crumbling fortress, the last heir of the Braginsky family closed his eyes peacefully in the arms of a man he loved and loved him back.

***

Everyone who stood not far from the fortress were surprised when they see the solid fortress went flat with the ground. All they know was the long siren and then the fortress started to collapsed from inside.

“Arthur”

Arthur exited the fortress right before the fortress completely falling down. Everyone cheered his comeback and victory but Arthur himself just passed through those people and ignoring them.

“Arthur…what about…Kiku’s brother?,” Asked Heracles.

Arthur’s footsteps stopped and he bent his head more than its state before. Only a voice close to a whisper escaped his mouth.

“He…already chose…”

Heracles didn’t understand the meaning behind Arthur’s words except the sadness, since he heard the General choked on his breath and silently cried.

***

Cпасибо... Я очень счастлив лотосом – cан … = Thank you...I'm very happy...lotus-san

continue?? or just stop here?
after this chapter...there's one more like epilogue thingie...