Dear Breeze

Teri held Yayoi’s face. His hands trembled. He swallowed, his throat catching his words. He wasn’t even sure what he looked like right now. Was he looking smug? Did it look like he was pitying her? Was he worried? Afraid?

Yayoi’s tears stained his hands with red.

He wasn’t like Taku.

Looking at her reminded Teri what he used to be. He would’ve left her alone. Teri knew that much. Yayoi was putting them at risk. Teri didn’t even get the chance to see whatever shit was in that room. It might be another trap. Maybe she was being lured. But she activated her zone, and that should’ve forced the charm out.

That was why it made sense for Teri, after slapping her cheek, to let her go and to tell her to get her shit together.

But he couldn’t.

Yayoi grabbed Teri’s wrist. She looked straight into his eyes, finding a bit of peace as she forced out her confident smile. It cracked immediately. Her grip tightened.

Teri’s voice failed him yet again. He gritted his teeth.

Right.

Teri once held Taro’s head the same way. His friend—the very one that gutted him—wore the same face. It happened on the day Taro took his men to a nearby beerhouse; they got attacked there, and he was the only one who survived, particularly because of his friends’ sacrifice. He approached him, crying. He begged for help. He wanted to go back there and kill everyone. He meant it literally. He wasn’t thinking straight. And of course, he wouldn’t let his friend do that.

So, he grabbed Taro’s head and glared straight into his eyes.

Tell me what you really want.

Teri said the very same words. It took five seconds of silence. Taro looked away and gazed back at him, his eyes dead but devoid of hatred. He breathed, slowly. He looked afraid as if he was going to die himself. Then, he said never mind. He begged Teri to let him go, saying that he didn’t want anything else.

Teri grimaced. All he could do was stare at Yayoi. What did he look like? Was he afraid? Was he able to show enough that he was worried? Did he have enough emotion in his eyes? What about his smile? What about his tone? Everything else?

Was she afraid of him?

Was she going to follow his back too?

“My sister…” Yayoi breathed. “She’s there… Sachi. They’re taking her… I have to save her—”

“I’ll go with you,” Teri blurted, giving her possibly the cringiest and brightest smile he could manage in his best attempt to stifle a cry. “I… I’ll help and…”

“You mean WE… We’re gonna help her, Teri. Having a cute girl pass out in my arms doesn’t mean I’m abandoning you guys and hiding away, Teri!” Taku clicked his tongue. He was crouching by the door, hiding in the shadows cast by its ornate frame. In his hand was Teri’s bar mace. He peeled his eyes from what was happening inside the room and looked at them.

This was also the cue for Teri to let Yayoi go.

“There’s two parties in the sub-boss room,” Taku continued. “The first one is a party of three; all are wounded, unarmed, and are struggling against a gray knight. The second is a party of five; they’re armed and are against two knights—they’re retreating and dragging a girl toward the northwestern side of the room.”

“That’s Sachi.” Yayoi wiped the blood from her face, taking a single step away from Teri as she regained the fierceness in her eyes. “I’m sure of it.”

“What about the girl?” Teri asked, not knowing where to place herself around Yayoi.

“Yep. I couldn’t bring her all the way over to the shrine room, so I put her in the corner in the pink room. That should work for now.”

Teri nodded and wiped the blood from his hands. He picked up his shield and moved toward the door. “Anything else I should be worried about?”

“The sub-boss—the Witch—is on standby with two gray knights as guards.”

“Not a problem.” Yayoi adjusted her gloves, her aura now feeling a bit more stable. “I’m here.”

“So…” Taku approached Teri and handed him the bar mace. “What’s the plan?”

“I’ll leave the single Gray Knight to you. Get the other party back on their feet; we might need them.” Teri then turned to Yayoi as he put away his weapon. “For you… We’ll get Sachi. Keep running. Don’t stop. Trust me. I will get you to her.”

“Fine.” Yayoi offered them a fist bump and they took it without much thought. “I’ll trust you, Teri… and Taku too.”

“Alright…” Teri faced the sub-boss room with his friends at his side. “Let’s do our best to make this work… Team… Friendship?”

“Of course.” Yayoi cracked her knuckles, lowering her posture and about to break into a run. “Who the hell do you think we are—”

“HOOOLLLYYYY—” Taku beamed at Yayoi’s words. “We’re so gonna win this. Row. Row. Fight the power. Let’s fucking go!”

The three of them activated their zones and entered the room at the same time.

Taku was the first to break from their formation, dashing toward the other party with his staff and a spool of rope in hand. Yayoi was the second, kicking the ground and sending herself forward and almost flying with the wing at her back. Cheater. Teri sighed and followed her immediately, sticking close to her shadow with his shield raised and his other hand free.

Teri smiled as he ran.

The air in the room was different. For a giant bedroom with pink glittery walls and a carpet of the same color, it seemed rather too welcoming. It was as if it only made sense for them to be here. It welcomed them, laughing, begging them to move toward the pink bed and face their certain doom.

There was room for doubt. There was also a bit of room for fear. But it was okay. Teri could keep running. He could keep fighting. Because it was different this time. It was interesting. Teri was fighting for something else, and yet it felt like he was actually moving toward his dream. It became even more apparent when he found his eyes fixed on Yayoi’s back.

Finally, they caught the attention of the remaining two Gray Knights and the Witch—a crowned faceless doll wearing a translucent blood-red nightgown. Her long brown hair flowed outward, suspended in the air as though she was underwater. She was armed with a thick, metallic staff; its pointing end featured a bell of the same color surrounded and strangled by thorns. She raised her hand as though to command the two knights to intercept them.

The second party was slowly and steadily making its way toward the exit with Sachi. Braided twintails. Glasses. Blue Hoodie. It was really her. Teri glanced at Yayoi’s back and then at Sachi. The two Gray Knights were coming. They didn’t have much time.

Teri raised his right arm.

“Switch.”

Teri swapped places with Yayoi. He shifted his zone. Within the same breath, he pushed forward and rammed one of the approaching Gray Knights with his shield. He wasn’t strong enough to push the knight back, but he bought enough time for Yayoi to keep going and further increase her speed.

The second knight turned and bolted toward Yayoi.

But of course, Teri was counting on that too.

“Switch.”

Teri swapped places with the second Gray Knight and joined Yayoi as she stepped into the middle of the room—well within the Witch’s range. He wiped the blood dripping from his nose and widened his smile. He could keep going. He could feel his lungs burning out, but he could keep going. If they could keep their lead here, getting to Sachi would only be a matter of seconds.

But it wasn’t going to be that easy.

The air boiled. A glowing ball of light emerged from their side. Then it snapped. The wind crackled. The light erupted into streaks of fire, coiling around the room before converging in a single direction and raining over them.

Teri shifted his zone. A bit of blood escaped through his lips. He focused on strengthening his body and his eyes. Left with no other choice, he gave his brain a simple command: dodge. Screaming, he increased his speed and weaved through the rain of flames meant to tear and burn them down.

They were close.

So close.

They got the attention of the two other Gray Knights that kept the other party busy. It became easier for them to drag Sachi toward the door. There came the light again—the Witch had another spell ready.

Two Gray Knights at their back.

Two at the front.

Then a big spell that could obliterate them from the side.

Why was he here again?

Why was he doing it?

Why did he think this would be easy?

Then, he remembered Taku.

Right. They were friends. And friends help each other out.

Zone.

Teri twisted his smile even more.

If he could still think, then he could still sacrifice more to get Yayoi where she needed to go. They could only move forward.

No room for thought. For pain. For terror.

Nothing else.

But more. He needed to do more.

Teri screamed even louder, unfazed by the crack of his bones as he broke through the Gray Knights in front of him. At the same time, Yayoi flew toward the side and blocked the ball of fire meant to destroy them both—shouldering the intense heat and impact that shook the room itself. The sound tore through his ears.

Teri lost the feeling in his legs and he fell, rolling over the pink carpeted floor. He could hear the Gray Knights rushing to him. His vision blurred. He choked at the rose-tinged air that filled his lungs. He raised his head. Braided twintails. Glasses. Blue Hoodie. Sachi was not too far from him. He flashed her a bloody smile.

Too bad he couldn’t see her face very well.

Still.

Mission complete.

“Switch.”

Teri was on the floor, surrounded by a cloud of dust, glitter, and smoke. He no longer had his zone active, and he became more aware of the feeling he ignored—his vision was red, darkening. His ears were ringing… barely working. His legs. Pain chewed through his legs, making him think twice if they were still there in the first place. By this time… Yayoi would have been…

“Yo… Sachi…” Yayoi’s weak words resounded, drowned by the sound of Gray Knights moving toward her. She sounded worried, desperate. She let out a laugh in disbelief, almost a cry. “You’re safe now. Let’s go… Wait. What are you doing? Sachi? Let’s go… Let’s get out of here—”

Her pained voice was cut off by the sound of a door closing.