Bound By Heart

Itsuki braced himself as a gale whipped past them, tightening his grasp over his chest. His mind raced to find a way—any way—out from this predicament.

He noticed Sayaka was eyeing a side road past the figure. However, before they could act, they spoke once again, casually commanding a cyclone to surround the three of them.

In an instant, they were caught in the middle of a storm.

"Fufufu, so tense~ Well, I suppose it's for a good reason, but at least let me posture myself properly before you cower."

Itsuki's heart just about stopped as the figure tossed their hood back in a flourish. Unlike their first encounter, they were up close now, and he could feel the danger seeping in from everywhere.

Velena had elaborated about this one more in their lessons—one they should never approach—and he was really beginning to understand why.

To possess such magic, such power, such presence. What kind of being could possibly wield it with such casual ease—

White twintails fluttered free into the air, terminating the thought.

He blinked.

"You're Reathe…?"

The androgynous figure giggled at his hesitation, vorpal wind twisting around their fingers. They had silver eyes that looked as sharp as daggers, and a smile that could cut through glass. Black robes with gold embellish flowed around them like they were alive as a void emanated from their chest.

"Indeed I am, sneaky twink. Ah, it's so good to finally see you and her up close~"

Their smile widened as they looked the two of them over, silver eyes glowing briefly.

"However, while you and your lovebird have quite interesting bodies, I'm much more interested in something else you possess. Something a lot more substantial… and internal~"

A shudder ran down both their spines.

"…this cannot be happening…" Sayaka muttered.

"Hm? What was that?" Reathe's brow lifted upward as they both stepped back. "I'm afraid I didn't quite catch what you said. Could you repeat that please?"

Wind carved a perfect gash behind the two of them in a flick, sundering through the ground as if it weren't there.

"Because I certainly hope it wasn't resistance~"

Without warning, they suddenly burst forth, vanishing from sight with their speed. Then, in between blinks, wispy stakes launched to pierce them.

*BA-DUMP*

Itsuki's heart pounded, smashing his mace into the ground. The shock deflected the chainstakes upward, barely escaping them from the weapon's grasp.

A few hairs were trimmed at the brush.

"All it takes is one hit from these," Reathe mocked as they redirected the chain's momentum. "One good attack, and you're as good as mine."

"Run!" he shouted at Sayaka, ducking under another attack and deflecting another with the mace's hilt. The glowing chains struck past him into the ground, an unsettling essence trailing upward from it.

He'd rather not get hit by that.

She wasted no time and nodded in return, gesturing toward an opening up ahead.

"Already ahead of you!"

Walls of ether tried forming around them as they began their sprint, but they managed to slip through each attempt. Staked chains, phantom blasts, even the air itself worked against them. Yet, despite their intensity, they kept evading, barely escaping their fates from being sealed shut.

Reathe's laughter echoed from everywhere as they noticed their destination, launching attack after attack.

"You're trying to break free? Silly worldwalkers~ You cannot outrun the wind! Unlike my other techniques, I doubt she can dispel that much."

Itsuki grit his teeth at the taunt, seeing the outline of an alleyway growing closer. The only problem was the cyclone trapping them in, bladed air swirling like a blender.

He shared a look with Sayaka, pulses hammering. It was clear what both were feeling as resolution settled behind those grey eyes.

"Just how much can your power heal us?"

He grit his teeth.

"Enough. I hope."

Reathe giggled to themselves as Sayaka outstretched her hand.

"I already told you; whatever you're planning won't work. But if you want to do my work for me, then I'll just collect your broken forms afterward. I only need one of you to survive after all."

The two of them ignored the cultist as they braced themselves.

When they hit the wind, they went into action. Itsuki conjured earthen walls to dampen the current, and Sayaka pushed back against it with all her power.

Then, the pain came.

Despite their efforts in mitigating things, it felt like they were being torn asunder as they forced themselves toward the threshold of the technique. Blades of wind cut them and shredded fabric, and it took everything they had to keep going.

But it wasn't enough.

Little by little, their efforts were whittled away, magic bleeding them faster than their wounds could heal. Strength began to fade as they were slowly forced back. Right into the waiting arms of the grinning Diluvian.

Damn it.

Itsuki's grasp tightened as the tempest overwhelmed them, screaming in defiance. He couldn't give up—No, they couldn't give up! Not after what they'd just endured.

If he could just get Sayaka to safety.

*FLASH*

For a brief moment, golden light engulfed them, powers merging between them to break the duo free. It pushed back against the cyclone, dispelling its force, narrowly enough to make it past.

Then it faded.

They nearly collapsed as the power withdrew, wounds regenerating while they stumbled. However, just as quickly as it faded, they bolted into the alley, not wasting any time to recover.

"Well that's new…" Reathe said, their annoyed voice coming from everywhere at once. "You're really going to make this difficult. Aren't you~?"

Itsuki's pulse raced as they left the cultist behind them, looking at Sayaka in disbelief.

"What happened there?" he asked, still trying to process that moment of power. "Did you feel that too? That—"

"Connection?" she finished for him. "Y-yes I did, though I have no idea what that was about. A-anyway, let's focus. We're not safe yet."

Brick blurred around them as they darted around corners and over stone, trying to make as much progress as possible. Twilight was dimming to dusk now, and it was getting harder for them to see.

Itsuki grimaced as they rounded an edge too sharply, positioning himself to absorb Sayaka's blow into a wall.

He cursed as they regained momentum.

"How close is the shelter from here?" A wince as bones realigned. "A-and where is it at, exactly?"

Sayaka swallowed hard as looked up at the sky, chest heaving up and down.

"Not too much farther from here. And it's at the cathedral… I'm a little surprised you didn't know."

He coughed. "Yeah, well, I'm just thankful you do. What would I do without you?"

He noticed her blush slightly as he chanced a glance backward, though he tried not to get distracted. Right now, he was sweating nervously on something else.

Were they being followed?

He wasn't sure if they'd lost Reathe back there, even if he sorely hoped they had. However, whatever the case, they still needed to be cautious for danger around them, lest something—

Three cultists rushed in from a side street.

—catch them off guard.

They seemed nearly as surprised as the two of them were, scrambling into positions. They weren't notable outside of the magic they began to weave and the way they all seemed to be different races, but he still tensed in preparedness. They couldn't afford to underestimate anyone.

The two of them shared a glance, then nodded.

He swung his mace as one of them launched a slab of earth at him, deflecting the attack into another wielding ice. The second cultist stumbled at the impact, only to get slammed into the ground by a punch of wind.

Itsuki winced. He knew they were cultists, but it still hurt to see people getting bodied that hard.

The third cultist backed up panicked and raised a wall of fire, shouting out as loud as they could.

"H-High Leader Reathe! We've found—"

Sayaka blasted him with a bolt of fire, launching him into a wall. His flames faded to smoke as he slid down it, allowing them to resume their sprint past them.

"I really hope they didn't hear that," she muttered.

He spared one last glimpse back at poor guy, clearly out of the fight, then responded. "Hopefully not, but good reaction time there."

"T-thanks," she muttered, looking down at her arms as they ran. "I'm a bit surprised myself. Guess all that training paid off a little."

"Yeah, not bad for two office workers." Itsuki allowed himself a light smile before refocusing ahead… on a dead end?

"Uh, Usami." He gestured in front of them frantically. "Is that supposed to be there?"

She nervously laughed as she saw it.

"Yeah… remember when I said unorthodox? We're almost there; we just have to, uh, make an entrance. You can do that, right?"

Itsuki deadpanned, eyes alternating between her and the approaching wall of property damage.

"…This is so not my style."

He didn't know if it would work, but things were in motion anyway.

Itsuki accepted his fate.

His body hummed as he layered bolstering techniques over his power, channeling everything he had: Fortify. Strengthen. Reinforce.

He offered a quick apology to the owners of this home as his weapon made contact with the brick.

Impact.

To his surprise and absolute horror, half the building disintegrated beneath the attack. Rubble flew everywhere, and he closed his eyes in shame as they barreled through and out the collapsing remnants.

When the hell did his attacks get that strong?

Before he could feel guilt at the crash behind him though, their breaths hitched, taking in their new surroundings.

They were in the middle of a large avenue now, downed bodies lining the streets toward their destination. Itsuki had only passed by this place a few times on his walks with Sayaka, but it was unmistakable.

The cathedral was up ahead now.

It was a grand building, easily one of the biggest in the entire town, and perhaps the most stunning. Solid stone and arches towered above them, and stained glass centered above its lacquered doors.

But there was something different about the sight this time. A dome of solid light surrounded the structure, stretching high up into the sky. Behind it were a dozen people dressed in priestly raiment, channeling power into it.

One of them toward the front noticed them: a young man with dark-blue hair and round spectacles.

"Quickly, get inside!" He shouted out from behind the barrier. "I'll open a hole for you once you're close!"

The two of them didn't have to be told twice.

They sprinted toward the building with all the strength they could muster, hearts pounding with adrenaline. Just like the young man said, he seemed ready to let them through, talking with the others as they eyed their approach.

However.

Itsuki flinched as a premonition of terror abruptly washed over him. The very air felt charged now, as if a storm was about to strike.

He tossed his head back instinctually to look, nearly blanking at what he saw.

Reathe's smiled from ear to ear above the town, laughing maniacally in sated glee. The chained stake had been hurled toward them, crackling wind and bursting with energy way stronger than before.

Right toward Sayaka.

Her expression dropped as she saw it too, holding up her hand to try and stop it. Fear sparked in her movements, consuming everything as her breath stopped.

"NO!"

Without thinking, he shoved her away, golden light surging forth once again. Just like before, something bridged between them, their powers melding to push back in a nova.

"!" At least until their eyes met.

He saw Kaede in those grey eyes once again beneath the dusk, ever so faint, a phantom that gazed back with a different face.

The light flickered as guilt gripped him.

And the stake drove through his heart.