What makes a warrior

Earlier.

“Aren’t we supposed to follow him?” Inori said as Seishiro left on his own. He’s meeting a damn mage, she thought, am I the weird one for thinking someone should go with him?

The truth of the matter is that all four thought the same way to some extent, all but Akihiko. “She won’t hurt him.” Was all the latter said in his defence.

Fine, keep your secrets, I’ll go. She limped in silence for a few steps, her face red. Noticing the lack of any reaction from her teacher’s side, Inori stopped for a second and bolted towards him. Then using the same leg that she could barely move a moment ago, she delivered a kick to the shin, making even the phlegmatic Akihiko get on his knee from pain. “Start talking for god’s sake, how long are you willing to drag us into this without saying anything.”

And then there was silence, a very annoying and loud silence that neither drove them to break it nor felt safe to keep. Akihiko stood up and brushed the mud off his clothes, his attitude calm as usual, but strangely intimidating. “I’m sorry,” he said, “You’re right, Inori, we must follow him.”

Where was he earlier? Why hasn’t he said a thing about this before? Are some of the questions that were raised and but never asked when Akihiko guided the group to the hidden village without trouble; he seemed to have known the way all along. He skipped the tour around the village and led them directly to the old shrine.

“Don’t open your eyes inside,” he said standing before the entrance, “It will drive you insane.”

It was not so easy right away to determine how serious he was, but the smile he put on showed the seriousness of the matter, as well as his trust in his disciples. “Hold each other’s hands, I’ll show you the way.”

“You can keep your eyes open, Sensei?” asked Shouta.

A mere nod and they were inside, their eyes closed, unable to perceive the beautiful and quite literally maddening view of the shrine’s inside.

He showed them the way, casually warning them about obstacles lying in their way: a stone next to Shouta’s foot, a sharp end of a wall almost scratching Himawari’s arm, and so on…

“We’re heading downstairs, be slow and careful.”

One step at a time, they reached the underground room with next to no trouble. As soon as their feet found the ground Akihiko commanded them to stop and his hands left Shouta’s.

The room was empty, or at least so it seemed; as if the people inside were swallowed by the walls themselves. Akihiko walked to the third wall and murmured “Noraeth”. The hard rock of the wall reacted in biological violence and spat two bodies out, both of which Akihiko recognised very well, though one more than the other. Next, he said “Kuukon” and… Nothing.

“You may open your eyes now.”

They opened their eyes. Familiarising with the features of the shrine took them a good minute. Himawari jumped the moment her foot found Seishiro’s head. Without a word, she sat near him and caressed his hair. “What were you trying to prove, going alone to meet with this…” She looked at the sleeping witch, especially how much of her body was exposed. “So, this is what it’s all about? Boys are all the same.” She was joking, obviously, in part to dilute the situation—from Inori’s perspective—with her humour.

Well, Himawari tried, that much credit she deserves. Anyway, Inori then proceeded the kick Seishiro in the gut with concerning strength.

“Who is this?” Shouta pointed at the altar.

“That’s the seal, the reason we’re here.” Of course, Shouta knew nothing about it.

“What do you mean by ‘here’? The shrine? The village?” asked Yuusuke.

“The forest.” The teacher corrected. He walked to the seal and extended his hand meaning to break it. This is what I’m here for after all, he thought. The infant glowed stronger the closer Akihiko’s hand got, just as the glow seemed about to reach a blinding climax, the teacher’s hand was removed by that of Seishiro. The boy then let out an inhumane shriek.

Akihiko realised he had no time to be surprised, Seishiro awakening meant he had a far more dangerous person to be wary of. He alerted his students, “Get out of here, all of you!”

Shouta, Himawari and Yuusuke left the room quickly, the latter managed to drag Inori out with great difficulty.

Akihiko eyed his two opponents: they stood, moved, almost looked alive… but their bodies were but empty shells, and their minds were as absent as they Had been while in their sleeping state. “Koharu,” that was the name of the witch, apparently; “I will never be able to meet you after all.” He stepped back keeping a tense look and stance, “It’s time you find some rest like the others.”

Koharu screamed and murmured something incomprehensible—a spell.

In response, the teacher’s lips moved and he just barely escaped the hit by stepping away swiftly. Akihiko clearly struggled to move, hence his greatest weakness facing the guards. No matter how strong his magic, he lacked the sharpness one gets the more they battle.

He hadn’t gotten back on his feet when, from his blind spot, his student jumped at him and pinned him to the ground. In the blink of an eye, a second attack—a boulder from the ceiling—fell on his head sending a shockwave through his body and into the ground.

He pushed the boulder trying to stand up and get some balance to start over, but as soon as his head was uncovered, Seishiro sent a hail of punches at his face. It was ugly, closer to bullying than a battle.

Akihiko moved his elbows to protect his face; all he needed was an instance to breath and another to cast a spell. A pulse repelled the boy away allowing the man to catch a longer breath, this time however, he knew the opponent was not going to be forgiving. He brushed the blood off his forehead to open his eyes and watch out for any attacks. She’s gone; he looked behind to meet Koharu’s eyes. A punch in the stomach sent him on his knees.

The witch burst into laughter, “Hayato?” she said, “Is that really you?”

Pathetic.