Shinjou's Commitment

Murushima Island was one of the separate islands located on the Rising Sun's south side that was also near the borderline between other countries. The country that became the borderline was none other than the Blooming Blossom.

The island itself was shaped like a wide plate with a village of curly-hair trees dominating the entire back spot of the beach sides on the frontline. Ocean waves swiftly splashed the beach as a chilling wind flew past the curly hair trees.

A coal-grey statue took the shape of a muscular hairy man with elongated-bushy hair, standing bravely on the island's middle point. Even though both of it's wrists were strangled by a long chair on left and right sides, the statue still projected a careless-stoic gaze on the sky above.

Furthermore, the muscular man statue massively towered every tall tree on the island especially with the bulky base lifted beneath its feet. The shining spotlight of dense forest inside Murushima due to its colossal size and the statue's flashy surface.

The below view of the muscular statue only contained six rigid, grey boxes that circled the statue's base. Each of the boxes filled every spot of the maps similar to a compass role for the directions.

Shimmering blue energy barely shone on the gaping lines on every box that gave a little bit of light in this forest. Although there were no signs of humans detected on this spot, the cavernous-like underground sites contained a wide room especially below the statue's base.

A wide, white dominant room was enlightened by the sea-blue lamps that were placed in the sky above and shaped like a star in the sky. Prison cells with grass-green rectangular doors that had rounded angle parts occurred from up to down the hall of the prison and reflecting-transparent like a glass building as the activity of the inmates could be seen inside by a naked eye.

All of the inmates inside the safe-containment cell wore a blue t-shirt, long pants, and neon red digit code transpired on their right side pocket on the t-shirt. More specifically, different numbers on each inmate that stayed in Murushima to pay for their crime.

Neon-gray collars with the intangible surface strapped around on all the inmate necks like a pet. Irritation and discomforts burned through some of the inmates' heads as some of them tried to peel off the collars with their grip, but in unfortunate times it still stayed as no motion or sign of removing the collars occurred.

As some of the inmates were still trapped in unending frustration of removing the collars on their neck, there was one prisoner who sat on the cold-blue metal floor in the prison cell's room. The prison cell that was located on the left side of the lower floor, beside an inmate that had long black hair, kneeled and bumped his head onto the wall in desperation.

The man closed the relaxing eyes and crossed both of his sitting legs in a meditating position, also clenching the punching fists. The man had a short-half blond hair with a back-pony style and ink-black lines below his sockets.

Tranquil, restful, and alleviating atmosphere were swiftly grasped by the man as he sighed in repossess. A soothing humming voice was declared due to the man receiving more relaxation with him prolonging the meditation activity inside the gloomy cells.

However, the solace meditation met its end when a high pitch vibrating alarm rang through the man's ears, forcing him to open his eyes widely. He exhaled the burdening air as the clenching fist was opened before the sharp-sight gazed on the vacant blue wall across him.

"Prisoner 251, Shinjou Hibiki Aka ThunderFang. A call from the relative will be transferred here." A gentle-robotic female voice replaced the vibrating arm and happily announced, "Will you proceed to accept the call from the number +8107655166?"

Shinjou quickly gave a half-discomfort grunt and both of his hands shivered in shame. His mind began to venture deeper into the moment a few days ago when he still kept his alter ego as ThunderFang.

A few moments after the unexpected defeat due to Zero's swift interference, he was placed inside the square containment part of the N.T.P.D truck. Both of his fists were sealed by a shimmering, neon-blue handcuff.

A half-naked form of himself began to enter its debut as the neon collar placed wrapped around his neck. Shinjou just stood on top of the gray-metal floor with a despairful winch, biting his lips till it bled out a single blood drop.

"Sayato, sorry I failed you this time." Shinjou murmured, "But, next time...I am going to make sure I completed the mission"

The past memory was soon shattered into million sparkles of yellow light that flew freely across the sky. It brought Shinjou back into the present time where his ear continued to hear the repeating notification.

A notification of a female robotic voice that repetitively spoke "Will you proceed to accept the call from the number +8107655166?". With the six times of repetition, Shinjou finally let out a cheerful giggle that washed away the gloomy furrow.

Gladful expression smoothly replaced Shinjou's face as he expanded his cheering grin. Unyielding clenched fist was initiated by The Inmate for preparing himself on answering the robotic voice offer.

"Yes, I will accept it." Shinjou firmly answered.

"Thank you for the response to prisoner number 251." The gentle-feminine voice replied, "The calling process will proceed now."

A ringing telephone noise calmly vibrated throughout Shinjou's ear as he raised his legs and rested his arm on his knees to get some relaxation. Relaxation for the upcoming call that would soon happen with the sharp sight locked onto the clean empty wall on the frontline.

A translucent blue rectangular screen began to pop out and widely resized into a massive size similar to the theater screen when the movie started. The Inmate glared towards the screen that presented a cotton-white telephone logo on the middle parts.

Afterward, the all-blue background-rectangular skin flickered to change into a new screen, revealing a video call of a familiar person within Shinjou. A half-body woman with a long-fine layered hairstyle and wearing a rose-red haori, opening a reluctant smirk for the greetings inside the video call and sat on a silky, wooden chair.

The woman's face was pale in sickness, especially her eyes were similar to a person who hadn't gotten good sleep in the long run. Constant hefty breathing could also be grasped by the woman too.

"Good Morning, Sayato." Shinjou politely greeted.

Sayato grunted in an irritating demeanor towards Shinjou who was now stuck inside the prison cell. The forceful smile of the inmates only grew a fiery annoyance within the layered-hair woman, especially the more time she watched it.

"Morning too, Shinjou." Sayato greeted back before she presumed the conversation in a worried tone, "So, how are you right now? Are you okay there? Akari is quite…worried about you.

Shinjou gleefully giggled, "I am fine especially when I see you on the screen, Sayato."

Sayato sheepishly chortled as she pinched her chin a little bit of embarrassment. The layered hair woman's face began to boil in steaming red that forced her to steer away from his attention from Shinjou at a moment.

While Shinjou extended the cheery smirk on seeing the beautiful face of Sayato, embarking on the comfort feeling inside. The Inmate swiftly cleared his throat and shook his head as he witnessed Sayato slowly form a gladful smile.

"Sayato, you're not going to rant about my imprisonment right?" Shinjou assumed in delightful demeanor, "I am actually tired of hearing that."

A high pitch burst of laughter was spread out loudly throughout the video call from Sayato's side. Furthermore, the layered hair woman felt her throat become ticklish as the laughter presumed, made her hold the shaking stomach.

The burst of laughter from Sayato successfully convinced Shinjou to freely spread sparking happy giggling to his prison cell. Cheerful laughing from both sides kept continuing till the layered hair woman coughed.

A cough that quickly stopped the joyful laughter of the long-distance couple and grew a worriedness within Shinjou's expression. The coughing was getting louder with each second passed, forcing Sayato's close her mouth with her hand and take a long breath of air, smoothly blowing it away.

Bitter relief was grasped by Shinjou as he sighed and sharply darted his eyes onto Sayato who slowly regained her smile after having rough coughing. Even though the layered hair woman gazed at her palm that was being splashed by small pool of blood, she consistently secured a gladful smile on her face.

"Hey, Sayato, you should be careful when laughing." Shinjou insisted with a blissful tone. "Remember you still have your weird illness."

"Yeah, yeah, sorry about that." Sayato fluttered, "I am just getting over-excited to see you again."

"Me too."

Eventually, they both shared laughter of joy and yearningness with each other throughout the ongoing video call. Sayato began to open up a wide smile of gladness seeing her life partner remain to keep a reliving smile.

However, Sayato was soon drowned in sorrowfulness and gazed down her eyes on the bleeding hand. It erased all the joyful expression and demeanor in an instance. Concerning feeling outshone through Shinjou's mind especially with his sight still locking at her.

Sayato took a brief sigh that slowly boiled out the burdening thoughts as the sweat of unnerving dampened on her forehead. The layered hair woman hid away the bleeding before she gave a rigid stare to the worried Shinjou.

"Shinjou, please listen to me." Sayato insisted with a despondent tone, "Let it…go your thought of saving me from this illness."

"Come on....Sayato." Shinjou countered, "I tried to pay your debt of helping me move away from my old violent life. Therefore, I will find the cure for your sickness….even though I must work with...Kazuto."

"I appreciate your commitment and passion in saving me from this illness I suddenly received and I know paying for the hospital was very expensive. However, I won't let you lose your power just for the sake of saving my life."

"Besides, there is still Akari. So it's okay to lose…me." Sayato added. "Maybe this is my fate."

A brief pause of the heated conversation entered the scene due to Sayato heavily coughing and she quickly raised the open palm to close her mouth. Shinjou glared a mournful look onto the floor after hearing the confession of his lover.

Both of the fists were tightly clenched by Shinjou and bit his lips in harsh demeanor till single blood dropped to the floor. The Inmate cleared his throat to prepare a swift counter towards Sayato who still disagreed with his path on saving her life.

Shinjou heedfully witnessed his lover retrieve back her palm and caught a glimpse of splashing blood covering her open palm. Moreover, Sayato put down her bleeding palm on her back once again before her other hand securely held her chest below part.

"Firstly, Akari still needs her mother to live." Shinjou firmly proclaimed, "Second. I will deny that fate if there is a chance of getting a cure for that sickness."

"Lastly….I-I-I-I." Shinjou muttered in a struggling tone, "I already changed man because…of-f-f your guidance."

The inmates took a long sigh, "Ever since you convinced me to get out from the criminal world or beat the shit of people, I realized that spending time with the person you love was more enjoyable than both of those activities."

"The peacefulness, joyfulness, and happiness living as a normal married couple that I will never grasp if I never quitted the superhuman world. A world where we just only headbutted and clashed over something so important that I slowly despised it. Especially the time when I was forced to kill a person.

"Hence…I am probably ready to take the risk of losing my power for you." Shinjou added with a blunt tone, "Let me repeat it again, you were the person who guided me to the better path and I needed to pay that debt which is saving you. Even though I must go back to that sickening superhuman world once again.

"By becoming a criminal and working with your criminal friend again?" Sayato argued in a worried voice.

"Yes, because he is the only person who has the cure for your sickness," Shinjou exclaimed as he slowly regained a relaxation on continuing his statement. "Besides, Akari also wanted to see her mother get healthy too, right?

"Remember, she is only six years old, Sayato." Shinjou added in a convincing tone, "An age where she was totally not ready yet to lose her mother from her life. I know working like this was quite irritating, but if it's for you and Akari I will do it no matter what the cost."

Sayato frowned in disbelief towards Shinjou's strong-commitment gaze after releasing the previous, convincing statement into her hearing. A line of tears rapidly dropped like rain on The Inmate eye's socket, but it didn't erase his firm expression to give a believable conviction.

A promising conviction of obtaining the cure to completely heal Sayato's sickness could bring an ever-lasting serene in their family life. Shinjou still gave the blunt glare as he readied for having a risk of losing his precious power for his dear wife sake

…

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