HAKUOUKI: Back in Time

Chapter 76

~Why not listen to music while you read?~

I couldn't speak. If they were here, then  Nagakura, Harada, and Heisuke were... I saw Saito's eyes widen as well, and his shoulders began to shake.

"Is something wrong? Have you lost your will to live now that your fellow insects are dead?" Kazama sneered at Saito with a malicious grin spread across his face. "Very well then. I suppose I can send you to join them, you worthless scum."

"Gaah?!" Then suddenly, Kazama was thrown from where he was standing. I hadn't even notice Amagiri move.

"Wh-Why?!" I was so confused.

"To pursue a vendetta is one thing, but to dishonor a worthy opponent, a warrior, is another entirely. It is not merely skill and strength which makes demons superior than mortal men. You disappoint me." He turned and then shouted at Saito. "Stand Saito! Take your sword! Your wounds must have healed by now!"

Kodou and Shiranui stood there, clueless of the situation, much like me. But slowly, Saito staggered to his feet.

"Damn you, Amagiri! I won't...forgive you for this! You will die with is human scum! ...Bastard...!" 

Amagiri crumpled to the floor and didn't speak again. 

Kazama's cruel golden eyes slowly fixed on Saito.

"Saito!"

"...Stand back, Haruna." His voice was strained. I wanted to help but I knew that there was nothing I could do. 

They glared at on another, hands already set on their swords. Saito's strongest attack was to hit with an iai strike as he drew from the scabbard, but his timing had to be perfect."Hnn!" He slipped to the side, dodging a strike from Kazama that moved so fast, I only saw a flicker of silver. Apparently, Kazama had expected his blow to be evaded as he immediately countered with a second swing that threw Saito back.

My palms grew sweaty while they held onto each other for dear life. 

"Gah!" The force of the attack threw him against the wall of the room and I saw him gasp to catch his breath. But Kazama wasn't about to let him get back on his feet. "Agh!"

"He he...ahahahahahahahahahahaha!"

"Dammit! There aren't any openings!" Whenver Saito tried to attack, kazama anticipated his intent and struck first. Saito's style revolved around a single decisive blow, not lengthy fencing matches. It was well suited to assassination, but a drawn out battles was less than ideal. I laid my hand on my own sword. Even a fraction of a second would be enough. I didn't even have to hurt him, just give Saito the opening he needed. My body tensed, ready to leap forward.

"What the hell is this?"

"We don't go out on patrol for a couple of months and you already forget how we do things Saito?"

"I seem to recall we had a rule about watching other's asses in a fight. Something like..."

"Never go up against somebody one-on-one."

"You're alive!" I thought they had died! 

Kodou and Shiranui were shocked. "Impossible! H-How can they?!" "I could have sworn I saw them die!" I couldn't blame them. They were covered in so much blood it must have been easy to mistake them for dead.

Kazama looked at them with disgust. "...Failures." And with two swipes of his sword, both Kodou and Shiranui fell to the floor, ceasing to move.

How can he kill someone like that? I was pretty sure that's what everyone was thinking. But then.