Something To Protect (A Hakuouki Story)

A Fire In His Eyes

"I'm heading out, you remember what I told you?"

Kazuto and Yukina nodded as the male twin repeated my instructions. "Do not leave this room. If anyone attacks the town, lock ourselves in the room and wait for you to come get us. Don't open the door under any circumstances."

I smiled at them. The three of us have been together for so many years now. Ever since our village was destroyed years ago, leaving us as the only survivors, I've looked after these young children. Their older brother had been a very dear friend of mine, so I'd felt like it was my duty to care for them. I even went so far as to teach myself to wield a sword, practicing until I was as powerful as a samurai, just so that I could protect them.

I heard the fighting before I'd even arrived at my destination. Only halfway across the town and there was already trouble. Though the town had been quite restless lately, so I'd been expecting it to be attacked. I didn't expect that it would happen so quickly though...

Without any hesitation, I took off. The safety of the twins came before anything, even my own life.

"Mitsuru!" I heard someone calling after me as I ran. I recognized him as one of the shopkeepers in town, but his name escaped me. I never cared to remember anyone but the faces of the men who had destroyed my home. "I need your help now!"

"I have to get to the twins!" I shouted back at the man as I ran off towards the place they were supposed to stay.

"We'll go that direction, just don't let these guys get me!"

"My sword only belongs to those two children! Find someone else!" I growled back at him while he trailed after me. But despite my rejection, he followed right behind me. Soon enough, I was being chased by a small group of samurai. Or I at least assumed they were.

Luckily I was at least able to keep a distance between us until I reached the door to the twins' room. Spinning around quickly and drawing my katana, I prepared myself for what was to happen. The shopkeeper had disappeared just before my pursuers entered the room where I stood, ready for battle.

The one I figured was the leader of the small pack glanced around before his eyes settled on the door to the twins' hiding place. Without taking my eyes off them for a second, I stepped between them and the door. They could not be allowed to get to Kazuto and Yukina.

"Move aside boy and we will let you leave," one of the men shouted at me.

As if I'd actually listen to them. These were the guys attacking the place. "Never!" I hissed back at them. I raised my katana, but I didn't make any moves to attack. No, I did not intend to attack them; I merely wanted to defend the children.

"We will be getting through there." It was the leader that spoke this time, pointing a spear at me. Neither side made any moves to strike.

"Over my dead body!"

Seeing that words would never get through to me, the group attacked all at once. Even if there were only three of them, that still left me outnumbered. Every bit of training I'd put myself through was now being put to the test.

But even as good as I was, I didn't stand much of a chance. Not when I had to be on the defensive. If I didn't have to protect the twins... if I didn't have to stay between them and this door... maybe then I would have had a chance.

Every strike they made, I blocked and returned only to have them block it. After a while, several of their attacks slipped through, leaving me with many minor scratches. But even then, I couldn't get past the three of them. Soon, the wounds became much deeper. My body was threatening to collapse on me at any second, but I kept fighting. Better to die protecting something you love rather than live the rest of your life as a coward.

Until the end, I would fight my hardest. I will protect the twins or die trying.

(???'s POV)

As we'd fought with the boy, I felt something from him. He was fighting with all of his heart. To him, this was something worth protecting. I could see it in his eyes.

That look... such a fire in his eyes... This boy would never have just given up. He would die protecting this door if he had to. Why did such a strong-willed youth have to be our enemy? Why couldn't he have been on our side? We were the ones with the noble cause, yet his fiery determination had rivaled our own.

"Don't... you... hurt... the..." Before he could even finish speaking, the boy collapsed on the floor. The moment his body hit the ground, the door he'd been guarding burst open. But what we saw wasn't what we expected. Two young kids came running out of the room to the fallen boy's side. "Big Sis!" the little girl cried out, shaking the older boy's arm. The man we'd chased here was nowhere to be found and that room had no other exits.

The younger boy looked back at us. The look on his face was one of pure hatred. "What have you done to our sister?" The little one knelt down and grabbed the older boy's shorter sword and pointed it straight at me. "You jerks!"

I wasn't about to fight with a child. What honor is there in defeating a helpless child in battle? But I couldn't just stand here and let him attack me. Every strike he made, I blocked or dodged as he cursed at me. All the while, my companions watched silently while the child cursed at me and swore that I would die for the young man's death.

Since when does a child know such foul words?