<span style="font-style: italic">"To think I have been so blind." He said, a soft pink rising forth on his face. "Though love is never truly of fame or renown... I've often that love was like power... It had to be earned, never given. There was a time when I had such power, and yet in my mind... I did not deserve it. And like with that, I thought I didn't deserve to love you. That I had no chance... But now, you've taken the doubt, letting the winds of hope blow it away. The power I have once had. And more importantly, my love for you... I wish to know them for myself." He gave a guilty smile, his pale eyes turning a verdant green eyes. "Thank you, Nyoko."</span><br/><br/>Lips opening to a narrow gap, Nyoko slowly raised a finger, and placed it upon them. "Shhh. Don't speak. Let's be quiet for now... It  doesn't matter at all what we thought before. No power. No deserving, no renown and no fame." Her hands climbed up his body, delving into his hair and twisting around his neck gently. "And if you can't... I promise you I won't cry... Just for one day, I want to have you for myself." She pressed her lips onto his.<br/>His heartbeat was so close, oh so close to hers.<br/><br/>Drawing a shaking breath in, she pulled herself away once more, letting her hands rest on his shoulders. "Even if it was just a day. Or an hour. A minute... A moment..."<br/><br/>As the white blade unveiled its full beauty, Kurohana in Haruki's hands was almost pulsing with power, with the desire to break free. The blade begun dripping with a thick black liquid, which coated the katana in its entirety, climbing up Haruki's arms just as well. He cocked his head to the side with curiosity, black hair sliding into his face. The crimson orbs that replaced his deep grey eyes were glowing with a fire yet unseen in them. "Come for you?" he laughed at her.<br/><br/>And the sword bloomed. The black liquid gave way to growing wines of strange, eerily black flowers, astonishing in their beauty, but cold and oozing with an air of danger. Kurohana was awake under Haruki's lead, consuming the air around and filling it with its presence.<br/><span style="font-style: italic">You really are that old bastard's boy, Ruki, ain't ya?</span>The mocking voice spoke to him.<span style="font-style: italic">You finally set me free.</span><br/><span style="font-style: italic">I set you free, but don't even think about turning on me.</span>Haruki responded, fully decided not to let Kurohana slip from his control even once more.<br/><span style="font-style: italic">You think that... But you're already mine, are you not? Why else would you be fighting her? I told you... Between us, only one can be king, and the other one becomes the horse that bears the king! And I'm the king!</span>An uproarious, maddened laughter was Kurohana's reply. Haruki was under its control all along without even knowing it...<br/><br/>He stabbed the blade into the floor, against the will of the black flower. It refused to listen to him, but this time, it had the shorter end of the rope. He wouldn't let foolish rage take over him and get the better off him. Not again. That was what was his true enemy.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">No way you're gonna do that. You're too much of a coward...</span>Kurohana mocked him.<br/><span style="font-style: italic">Talk about yourself if cowardice is the subject, you idiotic sword.</span>Haruki chuckled.<br/><span style="font-style: italic">I don't believe you! You aren't... No way that's happening!</span>The voice was turning into a panicking cry from the laughter, biting, sarcastic attitude it seemed to portray before.<br/><span style="font-style: italic">It is.</span>There was no anger in Haruki when he picked the blade, entwined with black vines and flowers, blooming from them, and stabbed it into his chest. The vines stretched, climbing across him as he slowly sank onto his knees.<span style="font-style: italic">Did you not yourself claim to never respect a man that fears death more than he wishes to be the victor?</span><br/><span style="font-style: italic">You... F**k you, you brat!</span>Kurohana screamed, howling inside his mind.<br/><br/>This could be his death, if he did not manage to win over the Black Flower and hold on for long enough. And it could be his rebirth if he would.<br/><br/>He found himself in the middle of a scorched battlefield, standing against a beautiful woman, garbed in black. Her hair was like black fire, blown into all directions by the strong winds that ran across the devastated plain.<br/>"You are a boy, Ruki. Just a boy. A boy that will never be as good as his master." she pointed her finger on him. "Stop hoping and just give up already."<br/>"Give up." he gave her a wide smile, eyes narrowing. "Stop pretending you don't know me."<br/>"You're pathetic!" she howled, lunging after him, her tattered kimono billowing like a flag behind the hand that outstretched before her, grabbing after his neck. He caught the hand, and pulled her behind himself, quickly shifting to the side. The woman crashed into the ground, but quickly climbed back to her feet. "You bastard..." Like a cat, she launched herself up.<br/><br/>In the meantime, Haruki's real body, still on his knees before Rosalia, with the tsuba and hilt of Kurohana sticking out of his body, was already overgrown with the black flowers almost fully.<br/><br/>Kurohana wouldn't, even after hours of fighting, though nothing more than a few minutes passed in the reality during that time, find herself able to defeat Haruki, but neither could she be defeated by him. They fought for a long, long time inside that barren wasteland...<br/><br/>She barred her teeth at him. "Just give up already, you useless idiot. You can't win this. Do you think that if you, who couldn't even fight something with a mortal body like the Black Samurai, can defeat me? I'm the Black Blossom. You thought that if you embraced me, you could defeat me? You... You piss me off so bad, you arrogant little prick!" she growled, clenching her fists.<br/>Embrace her...<br/>He closed his eyes, and his lips slowly formed a smile. This was something he's never been able to do before... Give in. He was too proud. But that was just what he was missing. They were on par in strength, on par with pride, on par with dedication. He couldn't break through her defenses.<br/><br/>As he spread her arms and welcomed her, she dashed forth, with her hand striking at his chest. He didn't flinch even as she brought him down onto the ground, jabbing her fingers into his skin, and bringing her hands to his neck. That was when he gripped her, hands clenching around her neck, and slowly stood up, holding her down to avoid any further attacks.<br/>She was defenseless.<br/><br/>His face was blank, completely devoid of any emotions when he then, right when he was the victor of this battle, let go off her, softly setting her onto the ground. "Now, talk to me about kings and horses, Kurohana." he spoke coldly to her.<br/>She bowed her head to him. "You're just like that old ass." she hissed through her clenched teeth. "But damn, you're stronger than I suspected. For today... I bow myself before you, Ruki."<br/><br/>He opened his eyes. The black flowers suddenly all closed as he drew the blade from his body, dripping with a thick black liquid, but leaving no wound in his flesh. The irises were back to their original grey hue, but as he walked towards Rosalia, ripping away from the vines and black blossoms, a different sort of presence breathed from him. "I'm sorry for attacking you. That was this asshole acting on my behalf and talking bullshit about horses and kings until I beat her ass up and she gave in." he proclaimed, almost casually.<br/>"I don't have many reasons to fight you. Put the sword down." Raising Kurohana in his right arm and pointing at Shiroihana, Haruki encouraged Rosalia to stop this aimless banter. "But:" The sword's blade sprang back up, and the fingers of his left hand gently traced up it, towards the pointed tip. "I will not give Kurohana up. This blade now belongs to me."