BORN TO DIE
Summary: Mikey finally realized that she never his to begin with.
Pairing: Sano 'Mikey' Manjiro x f.reader x Hanemiya Kazutora
Genre: Angst
Word count: 1k+
Warning: Curse words, minor fighting, gun, blood, self-harm, unrequited love
Music rec: 🎶Born To Die - Lana Del Rey 🎶
A/n: it's kinda a sneak peek for my new fanfic. The timeline I used was after Takemichi prevented Draken from being killed and Bloody Halloween happened in the first place.
A/n: No proofread, came straight from the draft.
A/n: Edited (May 25, 2025)
Reader
His name was engraved permanently on the dark, cold stone. My fingertips brushed over it as I knelt, not caring about the mud touching the expensive white dress I wore at the moment.
"I miss you..."
A soft smile curved my lips as I recalled the smug expressions he would give me if he were still here. His dull golden eyes would spark briefly whenever our eyes met or he saw me.
I noticed how the bell of his earring rang softly whenever he tilted his head to ask me questions. Unconsciously, I found myself doing the same thing, and the bell in my right ear would ring in response. Hearing it chime now and then brought me a sense of comfort.
My hand moved to my neck, gently rubbing the tattoo on my skin. I remember how proud he was when he got his tattoo done, he showed it to me as if it were a treasure. It was a tiger, just like his name, tattooed in black.
"Tora..."
My smile faltered as I called out to him, but he didn't respond, he couldn't respond. The bouquet in my hand felt heavier with each passing second as the cold air surrounded me. A chill ran down my bare shoulder as the breeze brushed against me.
"I messed up. I fucking messed up… He just only got worse and Toman… Toman is not the same anymore"
As Toman expanded, everything became more complicated. Manjiro went insane, dragging us down into darkness alongside him, and subsequently eliminated us, the founders, one by one.
"You and Keisuke died. Pah is now dead too. Draken is in a death sentence and Takashi is missing"
What about me? I'm alive but trapped. I have no one to ask for help and no hope. Manjiro won't kill me, but won't let me go either. My last chance to escape from him has just vanished, Draken and Takashi, my final two saviors, are now gone.
I'm not sure what exactly happened to Takashi, but considering everything that has been going on, the only possibilities I can think of are that he's either dead or in a life-threatening situation. I know Takashi wouldn't abandon me.
I can't stop thinking whether he's alive or dead. I've been making plans, but searching for him is impossible. Manjiro has been watching my every move, and I can't go anywhere without him or one of his men around.
"I can't do it anymore... I can't live like this..."
Is there any way to go back to those simpler times? Go back to the time when we all still smiling and having fun, before the darkness consume and took us down slowly one by one.
"I know that I would find you here" A cold voice flowing to me along with the cold breeze.
"Go to hell, Manjiro" My eyes never falter from the engravement on the stone.
"Is that how you talk to your soon-to-be husband, (y/n)?"
He chuckled darkly afterward. I didn't answer him, just kept silent. Slowly, his footsteps carried him closer and closer until he stood over me, still kneeling in front of the grave. He clicked his tongue after seeing the ruined dress.
"Get up, you're ruining your dress. We have to go and get a new one"
"I'm not going anywhere with you"
He gripped my arm tightly and forced me to stand up. When he was about to drag me with him, I stood my ground, ripping my arm away as I threw the flower bouquet to his face.
"Don't touch me!"
At that moment I felt pain in my left cheek, and my head snapped to the right. My ears ringing but I can hear the bell ringing as my head moves, grounding me back down to earth.
He gripped my chin between his thumb and index finger tightly as he snapped my head back to face him. Forcing me to look at his eyes that glared at me coldly.
"I asked you once again. Is that how you talk to me?!!"
"And I tell you once again. Go to hell!!"
I knocked my head against his jaw, he stood still but his grip loosened from my jaw. Stepping away from him my feet touched the edge of the gravestone, making me stopped my feet because I couldn't get further.
Manjiro let out a deep breath as he brought down his head, he looked at me with annoyance in his eyes. When he was about to step closer, he faltered when I pulled a gun from the slit on my dress.
"Don't come any closer"
"We both know that you won't kill me. You can't"
He's right, I can't. No matter how much I resent him. My vision started getting blurry, tears pouring out reflecting the frustration that I felt in my chest.
Why can't I kill him? He killed them all.
Pah.
Takashi.
Draken.
Kazutora.
They are all gone. I had no one left.
"Come on, (y/n). Stop joking around, we're going to be late for our wedding"
I pulled the safety off, showing him that I was not joking around. The response that I got from him was an ignorant scoff that came out from the back of his throat. He definitely saw the hesitation that was painted on my face.
Why can't I do it? Why can't I pull the trigger? The old Mikey is gone, he's nowhere to be found. The person that stood in front of me is Manjiro, the cold blooded leader of the new Toman.
Is it because I promised them that I would take care of him and Toman?
Keisuke.
Emma.
Draken.
I'm sorry to break my promise, but I can't do it anymore. I can't stand seeing him keep falling into the endless darkness. Plus the fact that I couldn't do anything to help him makes me frustrated.
"You're right, I can't do it. I can't kill you"
"See? Now give me the gun and let's go"
Maybe I can't kill him.
Maybe I can't stop him.
But one thing I know for sure.
I can't keep going, there's no reason for me to stay anymore.
"I'll see you soon, Tora." As I whispered, the chime from the bell answered me back.
"Huh?"
With my shaking hand, I brought the gun towards my temple.
If he won't set me free.
If I can't kill him.
Then I will do it in my own way.
To set myself free.
To meet them again.
To be in his arm again.
My hand stopped trembling.
I didn't feel afraid anymore.
We were born to die anyway.
"(y/n)!"
"Goodbye, Mikey"
He launched himself forward to grab the gun, preventing me from taking my life away. My finger moved and pulled the trigger before he could reach me.
Manjiro Sano
I caught her body in my arms before she hit the ground. Cradling her limp body in my embrace. The crimson liquid dripped down onto my suit from the open wound on her temple.
"(y/n)! Oi!! (n/n)!!"
Somehow I'm hoping me screaming her name over and over again can make her open her eyes. I want to see those ocean in her eyes again, even if it's storming with hate or rage towards me.
She was my last treasure. The last person who keeps the little bit of sanity that I have left from going down the drain. I do anything just to keep her by my side, including getting rid of them.
Why isn't she happy? I gave her everything that every human would kill for. Safety, luxuries, power. I'll give her the world if it means that I can have her by my side. But why? Why did she do this?
Those questions kept running through my mind until I looked up from her face. That's when it hits me as I read the name on the stone, I never had her in the first place. She wasn't my treasure to begin with.
I should've known, that her heart only beating for him and only him. He might be gone from this world, but never in her heart. He still lived there until the last breath she took.
She was his, always and forever she was Hanemiya Kazutora's treasure.
???
"Took you long enough, (n/n)" A soft smirk appeared on my lips as I approached her.
She stood there in the middle of the field, the white fabric that she was wearing moving along as she turned to face me. I never admit this to anyone, but the way her eyes light up and her lips curl into a soft smile always brings peace to me.
"I've waited long enough, you know?" The smirk was long gone as I softly smiled back at her.
"You did wait for me, huh?" She tilted her head as a teasing smile took over her lips.
"Don't get too cocky" I huffed out a laugh at her expression.
She slowly approached me, her bare feet moving across the green grass. The soft smiles came back as her eyes only focused on mine. If I didn't know better, I would've thought that she was an angel.
Her feet stopped moving when she was only a few centimeters away from me.
"I'm home, Tora..."
"Welcome home, (n/n)"
