Reality's Blade

Chapter 25: Runaway

At school Naoki had come back for more tutoring at lunch time, Kazehiro had sat to our table and added more detail to his sketch of The Count and even joined in to help with Naoki's studies when Airi and I struggled to explain things. Somehow he had already become part of the group as if he'd been with us since the start of the year.

Now here in Legerdemain, I was being thoroughly beaten up by Hikage, who had decided to move straight on to fighting practise. The time for working on each individual technique was over, I had the arsenal required to fight Hikage, I just had to string it all together, or so he said.

The fuzz in my brain that had started yesterday seemed to have grown into a constant haze, I felt like I had caught a Legerdemain cold, my head was hurting making it hard to focus and my throat was sore. My body was even sorer, but that was undeniably the fault of Hikage's hits. I'd already been through one healing session after he had cracked a few of my ribs. He hadn't let me rest for long though, we continued our match as soon as I could stand without wanting to pass out.

Hikage threw a punch, I twisted sideways narrowly avoiding a blow to the stomach and caught his passing arm, pulling on it for leverage I thrust my elbow into his ribs. Retreating away from him I kept hold of his arm and twisted it inwards, getting his wrist in a lock.

Ba-dum. Ba-dum.

I froze, as the sweet scent intoxicated my senses I felt drawn to the rush of blood under my fingers again. I saw Hikage's weight shift as he prepared to round house kick me while I was distracted, drawing me out of my fog filled trance. I dodged backwards having no choice but to let go of him, I had left it too late to block and counter the kick. His foot swooshed dangerously close past my face, creating a wind after it. As soon as that foot touched the ground he spun, the next leg shooting directly out. I continued retreating, scarcely making it out of the way in time for my chest not to be kicked in. The retreat had given me a chance to focus, I finally managed to get a grip back on my mind and was ready to advance again.

Hikage's kicks didn't stop there, in a change of pace he went for a straight kick, I blocked down using both arms, my wrists making an X shape which stopped his kick short, I tried not to gasp as the impact wrenched up through my arms to my shoulders. I knew where he would go next, he would punch straight to my face which was left wide open and defenceless. Clenching my teeth and ignoring the burning pain as I raised my arms I caught his punch between my wrists again, this time I was going to do the lock right. I opened my hands and grasped his wrist, twisting until I felt his bones creaking. I ignored the lure of his pulse, my focus absolutely determined on taking down Hikage. I stepped diagonally behind myself, dragging Hikage along the spiral with me I pushed him to the floor, pressing his wrist down hard into the centre of his chest.

By the time I had realised my mistake it was far too late. A quiet whimper escaped from my lips as I fought for control over my body, my arms shaking with the effort. I had placed my hands down on Hikage's chest, his rapid strong heartbeat annihilating the concentration I had achieved.

'The hell was wrong with me?' I wanted to shout to the world.

This fixation was totally different to the one I had felt before during the fan form, my heart wasn't racing from excitement or the thrill of Hikage's burning body. This was a need, I wanted so badly to extinguish that beating yet completely surround myself in it, the conflicting feelings were tearing me apart, I wasn't sure if I wanted to kill him or embrace him.

It's Hikage, what the hell are you doing to him!?

I thought back, it was the Hikage who had saved me in the forest, who had saved me from taranceri and blood-batryx, whose smile I wanted to see forever. I couldn't kill him before I had saved him. What reason could I possibly have for killing him? It would only make me unhappy, I tried to reason with myself. I could feel the strange urges ebbing away, calmness starting to trickle back through my nerves dousing the fire that threatened to consume me.