It took Mamoru a moment to process what she just said, and when he finally did. He is the first one to scold her.
"Are you some idiot?"
Sumire pouted. "Why are you calling me an idiot? I am serious here."
There was something cute about the way the girl puffed her cheeks and folded her arms across her chest, but he shook his head. There is something more important to deal with right now.
"You do know what world domination means, right?"
"Of course I know!" Sumire exclaimed.
"Then why did you suggest that?"
"I mean, think about it. Why else would you create an abandoned zone, use all sorts of means for protective measures so people from the outside can't enter - divide the place into territories to collect the gifted. If they just wanted to educate us and help us control our abilities, they wouldn't have to split their resources."
Mamoru paused when he heard her explanation. He hates to admit it, but she makes a good point there. When he first came to the institute, he believed it was like paradise. At least in comparison to the life he lived before, it was paradise.
For the first time in his life, people acknowledge his existence and treated him with kindness. They would praise him and give him rewards for doing well. They gave him all sorts of things he had only dreamed of owning in the past. Stuff he would only see in magazines.
It was the first time for him to own such things.
But after he learned the truth, he did whatever he could to push away the rewards and cut off their kind words. He does not want to hear such empty things.
"Ibuki Sumire." Kein suddenly said in a serious tone. "You are not like the others who have entered the forbidden ground, the forbidden amusement park. That is why you should hurry up and finish your deal with them and go home."
Mamoru froze when he saw the serious look in Keins eyes. Is she different? Just because her powers are strong?
Sumire slowly nodded her head and laughed lightly. "Truthfully, I am delaying leaving a bit. I don't know what it is. But I feel like I shouldn't leave until that person picks me up."
"That person-- your family?" Mamoru asked even though he knew it was a stupid question.
"No, somebody who is more important."
Before Mamoru could question her further, the girl suddenly started coughing. A violent cough, and in the next second, he rushed over only to confirm his suspicions. There was a large trail of blood on the ground and her hands.
The girl was coughing out blood.
The way she reacted to the snake poison too- and how she couldn't digest her food despite eating. All of the pieces were slowly coming to him, and he didn't like it one bit.
Mamoru's gaze darkened as he turned to Kein.
"You know, don't you? Tell me exactly why they brought her here."
It was the first time in so long that he has experienced such anger. The next words that left Keins lips didn't surprise him, but he still wished he was wrong.
"It's okay-" Sumire weakly spoke up. "I am-"
Mamoru pulled the girl into his arms. "I will be the person who protects you."
Sumire struggled to break free from his arms, so she hit him lightly. "Stupid, you're not allowed to say things like that."
Mamoru glanced down and got a better look at her face. She was struggling not to cry, and he found it very cute.
"You're not allowed to protect me; what if you get hurt? I finally made a friend. I don't want anything to happen to you."
Geez, she is so helpless. Mamoru leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Friends don't lie to each other, but you did from the first day we met."
"I couldn't let you know."
"I understand, but from now on, I don't want you to lie to me anymore. No matter how painful it is, share it with me. I will share the pain with you."
At those words, the girl laughed softly. The tears still lingered in her eyes, but there was a beaming smile on her face. "Then I guess I can count on you to protect me."
…..
Back to the present
Mamoru was still spacing out as he clung to the words he said to her that remain so clearly in his head.
He will be the person to protect her; he would do anything to make sure she escapes that hell and live a peaceful life. He would do anything, even if it meant taking her place. Mamoru remembered how he confronted those people about it shortly after that time. They told him that he wasn't suitable, but he insisted, so they conducted all types of tests.
Even after he left the institute, he still remembers the many nights he spent in pain and agony. But he deserved the pain for hurting so many innocent people. The test they gave him was simple, to use his powers to kill the weak power users or those who do not manifest powers—the betrayal of those who trusted him.
The sensation of the blade piercing his chest repeatedly, his arms and legs cut off. It occurred so many times, yet the more damage he received, the faster he would heal.
It is better for him to experience this pain than her. Mamoru lost count of how many times he tried the same thing on himself. How many times did he injure himself only for his organs to regenerate faster than sound?
What did those people do to him? Mamoru never truly found out. But he knew if he did not make that proposal that day, eventually, they would have done it to Sumire. They were already starting the experiment on her, and that is why she coughed out blood that day. But he put a stop to it.
Use me, do not harm her.
It was simple enough. The adults seemed surprised with the development. It seemed nobody knew that he was secretly meeting with her. Or maybe they did know? It is hard to tell what those people were thinking.
The pain and agony never went away. It was worse whenever he had a long memory of the past. Whenever the memory would end, he would feel the same sensation of the blade piercing his chest, tearing away the vital organ needed for him to live. It would shred away until it came in contact with that thing they put inside him, triggering something out of this world, causing him to revive.
How many people would torture him and experiment how many times he could get killed before he came back? They would take out their frustration on him, especially the adults who didn't have any abilities. These people were especially brutal against power users let alone him who was number one in the institute.
It was still a sick game though, why did these people take pleasure in watching him die every single night? The answer to that question was something Sumire told him.
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