Reality's Blade

Chapter 15: What I Want to Protect

I fled to my room, avoiding my parents as best I could, I didn't want them to see me like this.

I hadn't given up.

My feelings for Kazehiro hadn't changed. If anything it had got worse. I was spending more time with him at work, we'd laugh and talk about random things. I was understanding his true personality through Hikage and the darker side he had that he wouldn't show normally. I was closer to him than ever, but somehow just as far away. It was just too hard to believe that I didn't stand a chance.

How did he see me? I wondered. As a fellow worker? As a friend? How about in Legerdemain? Was I just his apprentice? Did he like me as a person? I didn't know. I thought of his drawings of me as Kaishin, it's not like there were hearts and arrows around them. I felt a penny drop in my brain. He'd drawn me with my shirt open. My character had his shirt done up to the chest when it wasn't damaged.

Did he... fancy Kaishin?

I felt numb. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. If he fancied Kaishin then he technically liked my personality. How would I ever move on? I couldn't live my life dating someone in a game pretending to be a guy, what if one of us found someone in real life that was better? Real life would always top the game. Even if I got Kazehiro I wouldn't be able to keep him. I would have to keep my real identity a secret, surely he'd be angry with me in both worlds if he found out who I was. I couldn't see an outcome where I could win.

It was all so confusing.

Well, I guess there's only one way to find out. I wasn't sure what I'd do if he had feelings for Kaishin, but it would at least answer one question.

There was a burst of light that ignited the pink sky, I could see smoke billowing up in thick plumes and hungry flames licking the forest.

"Aaaaaaarrggghhhhhhhhh!" An anguished cry rocked Legerdemain. Fear shot straight through me, pushing my problems into the back of my mind.

It was coming from behind the cottage. I ran as fast as I could, I didn't know what was happening to Hikage but it sounded desperate. More eruptions chased away the darkness for a couple seconds at a time while screams echoed over the landscape.

I rounded the cottage and had to immediately shield my face as another blast ensued. Squinting past my arm I saw Hikage, he was a glowing, the air around him danced and whirled like a gale, he hacked furiously at a tree, howling tormented cries as he did so. He was going ballistic.

"Hikage!" I screamed, but it was no use, my voice was drowned out. "Hikage!"

His furious assault continued unrelenting.

What was going on?

I edged closer, I didn't want to get caught in the collateral damage. As the next wave passed I ran, knowing it would take him another minute to build up the destructive spell.

"Hikage!" I reached out, grabbing his upper arm as he went for another swing at the tree that was a cut away from toppling.

He turned sharply, the force was enough to break my hold and make me stumble back. His blade whizzed past my nose. It was then I saw his face, twisted into something unrecognisable, his eyes were red and swollen but blazed with fury, tears were streaming down his cheeks.

"Hikage, what's wrong?" I tried to get through to him.

My words seemed to fall on deaf ears, he advanced again chopping wildly. Sparks scattered as I blocked the attacks.

"Stop! It's me! What's wrong? Hikage!"

My attempts to reason with him were failing. If it came to a fight I wasn't sure I'd survive, usually he was always five steps ahead of me. But I was managing to hold my ground. This wasn't the normal Hikage, his attacks were messy and badly aimed, fuelled only by overwhelming emotion. Could I over power him while he was out of control?