love conquers all | kirisuna

Chapter XIII - Six Days Asleep

In the dark night with only a single lamp serving as a light, Eugeo and Alice saw two figures walking towards them.

As the figures got closer, the light slowly revealed them; it was Kazuto and Asuna.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Kazuto apologized, avoiding everyone's eyes.

"It's fine. You don't have to apologize." Eugeo stood up and walked closer to the pair with a serious yet worried look on his face. "Kazuto, we don't have much time. Dawn is approaching."

Without hesitation, Kazuto nodded, "Ah, right. Eugeo, I want you to help Raios' men to fight off the sentinels. His men may be strong, but there are armies of kobolds."

Just then, the village chief arrived. "I've secured everyone. They are now evacuating to the underground refuge," he announced.

"Thanks, Diavel." A small smile appeared on Kazuto's lips as he looked at Diavel. "Thank you for trusting me."

Diavel immediately lowered his head. "No, my prince, I haven't done anything. It was my job to secure their safety." With a fist tightly placed on his chest, Diavel continued. "But we must hurry before the underground doors are closed."

The young prince turned to the ladies. "Asuna, Alice, you two stay with the rest of the villagers. Keep them safe."

"And what will you do?" asked Asuna.

Kazuto didn't want to answer. Instead, he turned around and firmly gripped the handle of his sword. "I shall do what I must."

However, there was a sudden pain in his leg that caused him to fall on the ground and cry out in anguish.

"Kirito!"

"Kazuto!"

"Your highness!"

Eugeo immediately aided Kazuto's side. The herbs that temporarily eased the pain had worn off, and the wound was still fresh.

"You can't fight like this!" Eugeo exclaimed.

Sweat started falling from Kazuto's face as he held his leg and grunted in pain.

"No! I have to fight...even just for a little longer. Eugeo! Get that herb again!" Kazuto insisted.

"It's no use, Kazuto! It won't work this time."

"B-but..." Despite being said to stay still, the injured Kazuto continued to attempt standing up.

Asuna immediately noticed that a dark red spot was starting to grow on the cloth wrapped on his leg. "You have to stop moving!" she yelled while gently putting pressure on the wound. Kazuto cried at the pressure. It sure did hurt, but Asuna had to control the bleeding, and u

Diavel, who was there, panicked for a moment before running off and returning with a new set of gauze.

"You should go and secure everyone. I'm fine—"

"Alice, Asuna," Eugeo interrupted. "...take him with you—"

"No! I have...I have to fight. I can't just sit here and do nothing!" A mixture of anger and desperation battled over Kazuto. Deceiving himself about the pain in his leg, he recklessly attempted to move, but before he could stand, the injury caused him to fall. "I can't...I can't let it happen again...b-because of me..."

Warm tears were on the verge of falling, and the voice escaping his throat was hoarse and fragile. Kazuto cried out in pain as Alice and Eugeo held him on both sides. There is no way he could stand up, and there is no way that he could fight in that condition, but he looked at Asuna, dead serious in the eyes, and with his trembling, ashened lips, he uttered. "I promised you...I'm going...to fight again...I have to prove myself, and you promised to help me...so don't betray me like this, Asuna!"