CHAPTER IV: HAUNTED PAST

"Genji Mizuki… My elder sister."

Hearing Mikhail's words caused the two students to widen their eyes and look at Mizuki and then, Mikhail. That woman was indeed his sister due to their striking resemblance even though Mizuki is older than him by a few years.

"Brother-"

"If I am not mistaken, I once told you that the next time I see your face, I will kill you even if that woman has to watch her only child getting murdered in cold blood. Also, stop calling me brother, as far as I remember, I don't have a sister." 

Mizuki released a heavy sigh and then said, "Brother, that woman that you called is the same woman who carried us nine months and fought Death to give birth to us. The same woman who showers us with nothing but love-"

"Yeah, fuck that. I don't have a mother," Mikhail angrily yelled at Mizuki, surprising Ammar and Camellia who never once heard him raise his voice. "Step aside."

"Brother please…"

"I SAID STEP ASIDE!" Mikhail yelled in anger as he suddenly stood in front of Mizuki and punched her straight in the face, causing her to crash into several buildings.

His actions prompted the swordsmen and swordswomen to draw out their swords and rush at Mikhail only for him to knock them away with a powerful burst of shockwaves Those who were able to withstand the shockwave engaged Mikhail who avoided all their weapons and struck them away as he walked towards Mizuki who stood up.

"Brother, wait-!!"

Before Mizuki could complete her sentence, Mikhail grabbed her by the neck and flew into the sky. He then hurled her away at an incomplete building and flew after the current head clan of the Genji Clan. Without giving her a chance to recover from the impact of crashing into multiple pillars, Mikhail landed a devastating punch on her face and proceeded to brutally attack her.

"FIGHT BACK! DON'T MAKE ME RIP YOUR FUCKING HEAD OFF!" Mikhail screamed as he repeatedly punched Mizuki's face. "I SAID FIGHT BACK!"

Mikhail kicked Mizuki in the face and then choked her, lifting the bleeding profusely Japanese woman into thin air with one arm. The more she squirmed, the tighter his grip around her neck became. 

"How dare you show me your face. How dare you bring me back to this hell. And worst of all… HOW DARE YOU CALL THAT WOMAN MY MOTHER?!" Mikhail let go of Mizuki and punched her in the gut so hard that she cried in pain and clutched her abdomen while her forehead touched the ground. "Tell me, while you two are living in that house and enjoying fancy food, spending time together… Have any of you thought about me? Do you have any idea how many times I have to scavenge trash cans just to find food so that I can survive for another day?"

Mizuki looked at Mikhail and tried to say something only for her to receive a punch that knocked her to the ground. Tears streamed down her badly beaten and bruised face as Mikhail said, "While you two were sleeping peacefully on the soft bed, I had to sleep on the ground with a small piece of cardboard. I WAS FUCKING SEVEN YEARS OLD AT THAT TIME, MIZUKI!"

"I… I… I don't know… I swear that I don't know…"

He kicked her in the face and stomped on her chest. With a sneer, Mikhail spoke, "EXCUSES! NONE OF YOU CARE ABOUT ME! NONE OF YOU GIVE A DAMN SHIT ABOUT ME WHEN I WAS A CHILD, ESPECIALLY WHEN DAYANA KIDNAPPED AND TORTURED ME FOR HER SICK AMUSEMENT AND PLEASURE!!"

Mizuki widened her eyes in disbelief and looked at Mikhail, "T-Torture? Wh-What do you mean?"

Ripping off his top clothes, Mikhail let Mizuki stare at his heavily scarred body from the neck to the waist area before placing an illusion to cover all of them. He then yelled that he had to place an illusion eight years ago to hide his ugly body. Hearing her brother's words, Mizuki was unable to contain her sadness any longer and cried. 

"OH, SO NOW YOU ARE CRYING TO EARN MY SYMPATHY? NO, NO MORE! TONIGHT YOU WILL DIE AT MY HANDS!" 

Constructing a demonic energy sword from his forearm, Mikhail gritted his teeth and looked at the crying Mizuki. She gave one last glance and whispered, "If my death is able to calm you down, then, please take my life. But please listen to me…"

"Regardless of what our mother did to you or how broken you are… No matter what's going to happen to you after you spill my blood… You are still my brother and I still love you… If I have to die to earn your forgiveness then I am glad to do so."

Mikhail clenched his left fist tightly and tried to drive the sword into Mizuki's heart, but he couldn't. It wasn't because he had no strength to do so. It just… he couldn't do it. He couldn't bring himself to kill her for unknown reasons.

Letting out a scream of frustration as the sword vanished, Mikhail began to brutally pummel Mizuki until someone stopped him. He lifted his head and saw Shizuka who gave him a sad expression.

"Mika…"

"Shi-Shizuka…"

He looked at the badly injured Mizuki and then stared at his bloodied hands with horror, prompting Shizuka to hug him tightly. Comforting him, Shizuka pleaded with Mikhail to stay at her home and let his two friends stay at his sister's house, which he reluctantly agreed to. Katagiri then glanced at Mizuki who's being tended by a group of medical squad that proceeded to teleport her away.

***

"Are you sure you don't want to stay inside? It's cold outside, you know?"

Shizuka stood right next to Mikhail and offered him a cup of hot chocolate, earning a thank you from him. The young woman in the tank top and baggy pants smiled and then covered Mikhail's bare body with her favorite denim jacket. Resting her face on her palm, she smiled as she stared at her rival, catching his attention.

"What?"

"No, it's nothing. It's just… It's been a very long time since we last met. I knew that you didn't die because you refused to do so."

Mikhail chuckled and then glanced at Shizuka. He then spoke up, "I didn't know you were capable of changing, Shizuka."

Shizuka snickered and gently punched his elbow. She then told him that everyone can change and the reason she changed was because of him, surprising the young man. Shizuka then asked, 

"So, tell me. Tell me everything from the beginning. What happened to you?"

The young man looked at Shizuka and then recalled the aftermath of the battle, "Before the explosion, I managed to cast a barrier that covered my entire body except for my left arm that I used to punch through Daihachi's chest."

"When the explosion knocked me away… So far away from the school, I knew that I was going to die due to the injuries that I received from Daihachi's chest as well as Dayana's sick experimentation and torture. So, I did what I had to do… I sacrificed my left Kamigan to cheat death."

Mikhail recalled the memory of him lying on the ground with a broken, bleeding, and bruised body while staring at the sky. He then performed a hand sign and the next thing that happened was his entire body emitted a dim light with his left blue eye slowly disappearing and replaced by a normal human eye.

He then continued, "From that moment, I kept living at different places under a new identity. I worked at an underground club as a cage fighter to earn money so that I could pay rent and buy meals. I made some good friends that provided a new identity for me so that I can complete my education."

"It wasn't that much but with that money, I managed to complete my high-school and diploma. I stopped using my Mystic Energy, keeping it to the level of a civilian, and even hid my remaining Kamigan," Mikhail pointed to the right eye that was covered by bandages. He then continued his tale, "I made some good friends, made a lot of decisions where most of them I regret so badly. Life was pretty good until one night, there was a mass hysteria case. A very terrible one because some students almost commit suicide."

"What happened?"

Looking at Shizuka, Mikhail explained, "It started with one female student from the Language Studies Faculty who found a glowing blue stone. When she touched it, she was possessed by a malevolent spirit."

"Hard to believe it since I'm not a very religious person, but our ancestors fought against these kinds of spirits centuries ago," Shizuka said to Mikhail who nodded his head. "Continue."

"That poor girl then caused dozens of students to be possessed by the same spirit. It was a very terrible night because many possessed students began to attack one another, and some innocents were injured. Others almost lost their lives."

"One of the students, for unknown reason, began to attack me. It wasn't until I freed her using my Kamigan that everything calmed down. That's probably the reason why Damia found me," Mikhail paused and then looked at her. "That's what happened. No matter how hard I try to live a quiet and peaceful life, it seems that God doesn't want me to do so. All I ever want is just to live an ordinary life."

"Genji, don't say that. Even though I'm not that religious or believe in any divine stuff, I believe that the struggles that you're facing right now will be worth it in the future," Shizuka said as she held his hand gently but firmly. "Do you want to know something?"

"After your disappearance, presumably death by everyone, I visit their grave twice a month and apologize to them for not bringing you to pay a visit to them. The grave of your two best friends, Amaris and Zuan."

Shizuka then continued, "Sometimes I meet their families and spend time talking to them about their deceased children who sacrificed their lives for you. And never ever once did I hear them blaming you for their death. They always blamed themselves for making you think that it's your fault for their death."

"And I know you never visit their graves because the guilt that haunts you is too much for you. But I want you to remember this," Shizuka looked at Mikhail and said, "It wasn't your fault. It wasn't your fault, Mika."

For the first time after the death of Amaris and Zuan, Mikhail burst into tears. He let out all of his emotions that he had surpassed and cried uncontrollably in Shizuka's arms, making the head clan of the Katagiri Clan to hug her rival tightly. 

The next morning

Opening his eyes, Mikhail looked around him and noticed he was in a bedroom. He got up and cracked his stiff body then realized that he didn't put any illusion on his body, deducing that last night he probably dispelled it before falling asleep.

Smelling the delicious aroma of breakfast, the skinny young man with a heavily scarred body went to the kitchen and saw Shizuka serving breakfast on the table. Approaching her with a smile, he sat down and realized that Shizuka made Nasi Lemak. She placed a plate of Nasi Lemak in front of him and smiled.

"If my memories are right, you don't know how to cook," Shizuka giggled and explained that she had learned a lot since eight years ago. "It smells good."

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go on." 

Smiling at Shizuka, Mikhail was about to take a bite when a knock interrupted him. Shizuka and Mikhail simultaneously looked at the door. Wondering who it was, Shizuka went to the living room and opened the door, seeing Mizuki.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt you," Mizuki politely said to Shizuka who brushed it off and let her enter her house. "Is Mikazuki with you?"

Shizuka pointed at Mikhail who was eating the breakfast that she made. Seeing her younger brother enjoying the meal caused a smile to plaster across her bruised face. She then saw Mikazuki only wearing short pants then glanced at Shizuka who wore the same thing and tank top. Her cheeks reddened at the thought of something which Shizuka noticed.

"We didn't do anything, don't worry. Anyways, what's wrong?"

"I just want to talk to my brother."

"Well, yeah, now might not be a good time. Give him some time, Mizuki. Let him calm down first then you can have a talk with him, okay?"

Mizuki nodded her head and excused herself, leaving Shizuka to stare at Mikhail who's enjoying the breakfast. She chuckled and then joined him eating breakfast.