Record of Ragnarok

Eight: Nagisa's Burden

"This feels extremely familiar" Red Hood said, sounding like he was gritting his teeth, even though no one could see his face thanks to the helmet. "Anyone else getting deja vu, or is it just me?"

Humanity's champions continued to look at the entrance to the forest where they had last seen Nagisa. The boy had run off five minutes ago, but it already felt like it had been hours. They were both worried and annoyed with the bluenette; if he kept running off, they'd be a fighter down when Ragnarok arrived.

Argus looked worried, but his concern was nothing compared to Puss's and Jack's.

"We will go in and search for him" Jack told his fellow fighters plainly. "He is clearly distressed at the moment. Too many people around could upset him more". Puss looked up at the samurai, knowing he was lying. He didn't call him out, however; Nagisa did indeed seem very shaken and disturbed at the site of Tsung's attempted cheating, and Puss wanted to find out why.

"Trust us! We will talk to him, and then bring him back here, once he has recovered!" he announced proudly, earning a look of chagrin from Jack, but the samurai did not argue against Puss tagging along.

"Very well. Please find Shiota and bring him back. It is crucial that he be here for the World Meeting" Argus said. Everyone looked confused by this, so the Protector of Edenia elaborated. "The World Meeting is an event that takes place before the start of every Ragnarok. You will be allowed to talk with friends and family before you fight to save humanity. This will mean more for some rather than others. But I know that Shiota wouldn't want to panic his friends with his disappearance. So, you two, you have my permission to go and find him".

"Thank you, Argus" said Jack in gratitude. "Come on, Boots, let's go".

"We will find our estudiant! Do not panic!" Puss called back as they left.

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"So, what was with the whole 'too many people' thing?" the outlaw asked the samurai, as they made their way through the forest, with them cutting a path through the branches with their swords. "It was clearly a lie, even if the others didn't pick up on it".

"I feel as though Nagisa only trusts you and me in this whole event" Jack answered, constantly looking around, hoping for at least a flash of blue. "If anyone else attempted to talk to him, they may be too aggressive, or over-sympathetic. We understand how he is feeling currently, and we are thus the only ones who can truly help him come back".

"I find it hard to understand YOU, never mind him" Puss grumbled, only to step back as Jack pointed the tip of his sword at him.

"How anyone could consider you a hero, I'll never know as long as I live" the samurai spat in the cat's face. He was going to keep berating Puss, until he heard pounding footsteps, the sound of a stumble in the nearby clearing, and then the snap of a branch. Putting a hand on Puss's shoulder, he indicated the clearing. Puss understood, and nodded. The two warriors moved closer, not loudly so as to scare what was there, and peered through the branches into the area.

Nagisa was lying on his back, looking as though he had just run a marathon. His clothes were ripped, his hair had twigs in it, and his face and arms were so scratched and cut that Puss thought that the boy had  a fight with a cat. He was breathing very fast, and Jack could see that sweat soaked his shirt and waistcoat. 

Clearly, he was currently terrified.

Jack indicated Puss to move closer, but Puss interpreted it as going and talking to Nagisa. Thus, he nodded, and walked out of the trees, calling to the boy.

"Hey, ninito! Why did you run off like tha-" he began, only to immediately stop as Nagisa leapt up, so fast that Jack didn't even see him move, and then snapped his head this way and that, looking for the cause of the talking. "Over here, kid!" Puss called out, and Nagisa's eyes finally came to a rest on the cat.