Chapter Seven: Matsuo:

    I held my trembling Sayuri-chan. Night had returned to terrorize her again. I refused to let that happen. I heard sobbing. I looked down and saw my love crying on my chest. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes.

    "He won't leave me alone!" she whimpered. I lightly shushed her.

    "I know," I whispered. "I know." My angel cried again. I sighed. I could only imagine what Night has put her through. I held her tighter to me. Poor girl! I will protect her now. Night better not come near her. I'll kill him! I'll take my life, but anything for Sayuri-chan.

    I sound like a dreamer, don't I? There is a reason for that! My wife, Akane, is in a coma. She has stage for stomach cancer. There is nothing to be done. The doctors gave it there all. My wife is going to die. I felt so powerless. All I could do was watched my Akane-chan slip away. My days looked so bleak.

    Then, Sayuri-chan came along and changed everything. She brought joy to my life. I had almost forgotten how to smile. This angel showed me how again. Sayuri-chan has brought back light in my life. I love her and Akane-chan just the same. Losing either one or both would destroy me. I already heave two worst case scenarios for them both. Akane-chan could die at any moment at hospital. Night could come and kidnap my Sayuri-chan and hold her hostage. No! I can't let that happen. I will fight to protect my loves to the end, no matter what! I may not be able to save my beloved Akane-chan of fourteen years from death, but I can at least save Sayuri-chan from that evil bastard. I don't know how, but I will give it my all. All for Sayuri-chan and love!

    Chapter Eight: The Duel:

    I walked Sayuri-chan into our apartment once in got her to calm down. I made her some fresh green tea in the kitchen. She drank up trembling. I smiled kindly as I sat down next to her.

    "There, there," I whispered as I gently massaged her on the neck. Sayuri-chan wouldn't answer. She wouldn't even look up at me. My heart ached for her. That bastard scared her to death. I wished there could be a way to fix all of this. I got my wish sooner than expected. I rose up to my feet.

    "Hey, I know!" I said. "I'll run you a bath, how does that sound?" Sayuri-chan didn't answer. She didn't even look up at me. I tried to make the most of everything.

    "Right!" I said. Then, I headed into our bathroom. I ran my angel her bath and she took it. I stood outside the bathroom door just in case. After her bath, I took Sayuri-chan to bed with me. Problem solved, right? Not hardly!

    I was about to join my love in bed when a crow came to my window. Curious, I walked over and opened it wide. The crow flew in and landed on my hand. I noticed the bird had a white piece of paper in its mouth. I took it and read it. My eyes widened at the contents. "Night's challenging me to a duel over Sayuri-chan!" I thought. I stared on at each icy word. Should I accept?

    "Matsuo-kun," I heard behind me. I looked up right away. Sayuri-chan lied in the dark looking at me. I turned around to her.

    "What's the matter?" I asked. My love sat up a bit.

    "He asked you to duel, didn't he?" she murmured. I didn't answer. I just held up the invitation in my hand. Sayuri-chan's face flushed with panic. She rushed out of bed and embraced me from behind tightly. I heard her softly sobbing.

    "Don't go!" she pleaded. "It's all a trap to kill you!" My Sayuri-chan wept harder against my back. I sighed to myself. My love didn't want me to fight. But yet, if I got Night out of our lives for good, we could be happy at last. I lowered my head. I didn't know what to do. Finally, I crushed the note in my hand.

    "I'll do it!" I declared. I really worried my angel there.

    "No!" she cried, holding me tighter to her warm, soft, bare body.

    "What choice do we have?" I questioned. "He'll keep coming at us until he has you. If I fight him and win, we can be happy!"

    "Don't!" Sayuri-chan begged.

    "I must," I insisted. My angel sighed in misery.

    "If you must," she told me in defeat. "I will make you a sword strongest enough to slay him!" I shut my eyes on her offer.

    "Very well," I said. The next morning, we headed out to battle.

    Chapter Nine: In the End...

    Sayuri-chan and I made it out to Tokyo Park. The sun hadn't even come up yet. We looked around. Night was no where in sight. I held Sayuri-chan's sword tight in my hand. My angel held onto me.

    "You don't have to do this!" she begged. "Run away now!!! Let's go somewhere far, far away! Night will never find us there." I looked down at my beloved. She clung onto my arm like a needy little child. I could see her trembling all over. Sayuri-chan didn't want me to go through with this fight. But, I had no choice. This was to get Night out of our lives for good. I smiled and lightly patted Sayuri-chan on the head.

    "And go where?" I pointed out. She looked up at me silently. I gently pushed aside her bangs.

    "He's going to keep chasing us until he gets his way," I went on. "This is the only way we can be together. Do you understand?" My angel didn't speak. She only nodded at me. I gave her a soft kiss on the forehead.

    "Good," I whispered. "Wish me luck on this." Sayuri-chan nodded at me sadly. Then, she froze up in fear.

    "Matsuo!" she cried. "Look out above you!"

    "Huh?" I asked as I looked up. Night sailed down to us like a rabid bat. He had his sword out, ready to attack. I pushed Sayuri-chan away and drew out my sword. The heavy steel clashed against each other with a loud clang. The demon looked at me in anger.

    "No fair!" he hissed. "You have Sayuri-chan's sword!" I didn't say a word. The demon jumped away with his sword. I stood up boldly.

    "I accept your duel!" I announced boldly. Night drew his sword back up again.

    "Fine," he said. We drew up our swords and began to fight. Sayuri-chan watched on in terror. I may not have had the years experience of fighting like Night did, but I had a few years in kendo class during my youth and early years of work. I wasn't worried about losing at all. I was fighting for Sayuri-chan's love and honor.

    "Tell me something human," Night addressed me in the middle of the fight. "Why do you care so much about my girlfriend?" I drew back and attacked again.

    "I've hear about how you treat Sayuri-chan!!!" I cried like a madman. "She's scared to death of you!!! She deserves better!" Night sneered at me coldly.

    "And you think you are better?" he asked.

    "Yes!" I yelled without a second thought. Night laughed out loud. I glared at him in new hatred and anger.

    "What the hell is so damn funny?!?" I snapped at him. The demon bastard took up his sword again.

    "Just for that, I'll kill you both with suffering agony!!!" he yelled as he ran forward with his weapon. I braced myself to attack once more. I was prepared to die for my beloved angel. Somehow, I wasn't the only one willing to die for love. Apparently, my words really hit Sayuri-chan really hard. Because, she raced forward in front of me and stood at the wrong end of Night's blade. I didn't realize it until too late.

    "NO!!!!!" I yelled. But, my cries fell on deaf ears. For Night ran forward with the sword and... STAB!!! He got Sayuri-chan in the chest. She gasped out in pain as she collapsed to the cold spring grass at our feet. Night drew back his sword and stepped back in horror.

    "Sayuri-chan, no!" he gasped out. Her blood dripped from his sword. I took my beloved into my arms and held her crying.

    "You killed her, you monster!!!" I shouted. Night stood there trembling all over in fear and sorrow. I swear to you, this was the first time I had ever seen a demon in fear in my life. I would have gloated at Night's guilt and terror. But right now, I didn't care. I had just lost one of the women that I had come to love dearly. She was now deaf to my cries of sorrow now.

    In a few weeks after the duel, everything went still again. Sayuri-chan's body got taken back up to Heaven. Night has been arrested for her murder in Hell and executed. I am happy they will give my angel a proper burial and Night had been punished. But what of me? I have nothing now. My beloved Sayuri-chan is dead and my Akane-chan will follow her soon. I will be left with nothing. Or so I believed at first.

    A few days into my sorrow, I went to the hospital to visit my dying comatose wife probably for the last time. I walked into the front lobby to sign in. Suddenly, a doctor rushed over to me breathless. I looked at him in my hazed over sorrow.

    "Yes doctor?" I asked. The man kept on panting before he could answer me. He stood up straight once he got his breath back.

    "Sakumoto-san!" he yelped. "It's about your wife!" I prepared myself for the worst.

    "What happened to her?" I asked. "Is she dead?"

    "On the contrary!" the doctor announced. I looked at him puzzled.

    "What do you mean?" I asked. I saw the surprise in his eyes.

    "Sakumoto Akane has come out of the coma and seems to be cured of her cancer!" he announced. I stared on him in alarm. I pushed past him and raced all the way to my wife's room. I made it inside and looked. My wife sat up in bed looking at me.

    "Akane-chan!" I gasped.  But then, I noticed something off about my wife. Her body was awake and sitting up before me, but something in her eyes was different. Her eyes were not of her. They were of... Sayuri-chan's! I stared on stunned.

    "Sayuri-chan!" I breathed out.

    "Yes darling," she said. I stood there silent for a moment. It took me a moment to piece it all together in my head. What was going on here? The answer hit me like a shockwave. Heaven must have taken Akane-chan's body and put Sayuri's soul inside of it. At first, I didn't know what to think. Akane-chan/Sayuri-chan looked at me confused.

    "What's the matter sweetheart?" she asked. I quickly shook my head.

    "N-Nothing," I said in the same manner. Right then, joy and ideas about the future rushed into my head.

    "Akane-chan," I said. "Let's start a family." My wife's eyes looked up happily.

    "Really? You mean it?" she asked excited. I nodded at my beloved angel.

    "Yes," I answered. "We can move out of our apartment and into a big house that you wanted." Akane-chan/Sayuri-chan loved that plan very much.

    "Oh Matsuo, that would be great!" she said breathlessly.

    "Yeah..." I said in a dream-like state. "That would be great..."

The End