The room was completely quiet. No one was making a single sound of their own will. Our breaths and the beating of our hearts were the only things that we could hear and being quiet in the room felt as if we were the only ones that had stopped while we could hear the sounds of fighting in the distance which was a good sign. If anything were to go wrong, we know where to group up at the end.
Our eyes never left the door which was right before us as we patiently waited for the nobles to make their way in and for me to recover from all that blood being taken out of me. Not to mention that I am still having some effects of that shock. My fingers were still trembling but not out of fear.
"It’s fine Kazu-kun," Ai said as she held my hand and intertwined our fingers. "You don’t need to push yourself too hard you know. You can still just sit back and let us fight."
I let out a sigh and held her hand firmly. I looked right in her eyes and said, "I did not come all the way here just to sit back Ai. How many times should I tell you that?"
I felt Ai’s hands tremble for some reason and she rested her head on my shoulder. I finally took my eyes off the door and looked beside me and saw a grim expression making its way on her face. Her lips trembled to say something but it felt like she was holding it in. She started rubbing her head against my arm and nuzzled her face further in.
"But I am scared," she muttered lightly but enough for me to hear her clearly. "I am scared of losing the only person who I care for. I don’t want that. I don’t want to be left all alone again."
For that one moment, I saw Ai turn back to her vulnerable state. I knew that I knew how much I meant to Ai and that is not me ego boasting but…
Ai needs me to survive.
That is how bad her case is. This is how dependent she is on me and I know that all too well. But she fails to see the other side of the spectrum. She fails to see things from my perspective since I have now found myself in a similar position. We both have our similarities and differences but the similarities are something I am not happy about.
"They’re here," Akira said and I let go of Ai’s hand and stood up. Even if I was keeping up a strong front, I knew I had not fully recovered yet.
"Listen Ai and listen to me closely," I said without looking at her already knowing what look she had on her face. "I am not going to die so easily. There are still so many places I have not been with you. I heard we were going to Kyoto on this year’s field trip. I won’t want to lose that opportunity, now will I?"
BAM
The door got burst open and it fly a good distance landing right in the middle of the room. The three nobles entered the room, all looking extremely pissed off. Veins were popping from their heads and their eyes were almost burning in the color red.
I held my katana with both my hands now that I had given the scabbard to Ai. I really hope that my idea works because if it doesn’t then I am just good as dead and I have no idea if it would work. I try to put up a smart and brave front but deep inside, I know that it may all just spiral down without me realizing it. I am not the smartest nor the strongest, the only things I am good at are cheeky little tactics, some strategizing, and acting.
And that is also my biggest trump card.
"Now this is getting really annoying," Jack said. "You just keep running away like a coward that it just becomes more and more irritating."
"Who said we were running away?" I said in a loud and clear voice. "Ever heard of a strategic retreat? Oh, how can you? You are the oh-so-mighty four-hundred-year-old nobles. Sorry for my rudeness."
I could see that I was slowly getting on their nerves. Honestly speaking, we ending up here was purely luck and it was good that it was. For once, lady luck decides to side with me.
"But like it or not, we got you right where we wanted you to," I said and slid my leg back.
It sounds so cringe to say out loud.
We charged at them and scattered away from each other and the other three did the same. Now it was me against the red-haired noble, Ai was against the lightning girl and Akira was against Jack. Now that I think about it.
"Hey fiery head, what’s your name?" I said and met blows with him. We started applying strength pushing each other back. "Might as well know the name of my prey."
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"It’s Adam and I think you are misinterpreting something faker," he said and pushed me away. "The roles are switched."
Adam launched his entire body at me turning into a bullet or metal. I jumped up and pushed his back helping me gain some more height as he went under me. He crashed into the wall and I looked at the dust flowing up. Without even a warning, he launched the debris at me and I started dodging them.
It got me occupied for some reason but I was able to react fast enough as he appeared before me punching me which I stopped with my katana. The force was enough to push me back a good distance.
"Huh, looks like you really pack some punching power," I said and placed the katana’s blade on my shoulder. "Guess we both should stop messing around already."
I could feel it, all this time, the noble was holding back and as so was I. He was ordered to capture me and not kill me meaning that this Father had other uses for me. Or at least that he showed it to be. Even the nobles we killed before making sure that they don’t accidentally kill us which showed how much they feared that vampire.
"What do you mean?" he said feigning ignorance.
"Adam, my man," I called him out in a casual way. "We both know you are here not to kill me. You cannot kill me even if you wanted to. Father won’t allow it."
At the mention of that name, I could feel the entire surrounding being heavier. Adam looked down and clenched his fist. He was grinding his teeth hard and I could see some actual killing intent in his eyes.
"Don’t you go calling his name so casually human!" he said appearing right before me punching me across my face. I fell down on the ground five meters away and rolled aside dodging a knee to the face.
I looked aside as he pulled his knee out of the ground. I thought it was just a feeling but now I am correct.
I quickly got up and jumped up avoiding a sweep kick from him and received another kick right in the chest which I blocked with my katana. I crashed into the wall. I got out of it and felt a bit dizzy. Had it been at my normal state, I would have come out without any problem but my vision was getting a bit blurry.
I shook my head again only to see Adam standing right before me and this time, I punched him in the stomach but he just stood there without a hint of pain on his face. Rather, I jumped away from him and started shaking my hand.
"You really didn’t just solidify that part," I said out of annoyance.
Ai appeared right behind me and we stood back to back against each other. She held the scabbard as I did in her right hand but I think it was out of habit since she held the stakes like that.
"Kazu-kun, are you okay?" she asked out of worry. "Want to swap with me?"
"No, I don’t want to use a silver weapon against the lightning girl," I said. "I am going to signal in a few seconds, look out for it."
"What is the signal?"
"You’ll know," I said. "Right Akira?"
"I’ll…uh…try my back," she said while being in a fight against Jack. The wind and the temperature on their side felt so dense and cold.
I ducked down dodging a kick in the face and sweep his leg making him fall down on his back. I raised my blade with one hand and looked at Akira and my eyes met with her for a moment but I knew it was enough.
She jumped back and started pulling all the air in the room at where she was which was enough to tell Ai what was about to happen. She swapped places with Ai and I jumped aside giving her room and blocked the attack from the lightning noble with the hilt of the sword.
"Sorry but nothing conductible here," I said pushing her away and rushing at her slashing horizontally cutting in two pieces as she fell on the ground.
Boom
"Akira."
The loud sound of the spear being hit echoed in the room and I rushed right at Adam as Akira swapped places with me. The spear made a lot of fuss and I couldn’t see everything properly but the silhouette of Adam could be seen. He was slowly standing up and I readied my blade and as I got nearer, I gripped my blade harder.
Please let it work.
I stopped in my tracks as I felt immense pressure in my neck and my feet got off the ground. It was getting harder to breathe as each millisecond passed. I let go of my katana and started struggling.
"Got you," Adam said as he had solidified his fists and was now choking me to death. "As I said before, the roles are switched. You seriously thought that attack would be enough to make me immobile?"
"C….c….." I tried saying something but I couldn’t.
"Huh? What is it?" He said and brought me closer to his ear. "Say it clearly. Your last words."
"C….Ch…." I struggled to word it out but with everything I had, I finally voiced it. "Check…mate."
Schunk
The grip around my neck started loosening and I fell on the ground coughing. I looked up as Ai stood behind Adam with the scabbard going right through his chest. He realized Ai appeared behind him but was too slow to harden his back.
"This is what you get for hurting my Kazu-kun," she said in an angry and cold voice pushing the scabbard further in his back piercing his heart.
"ARGH!!!" he yelled in agony.
"Adam!" Jack shouted appearing behind Ai but I quickly got up and cut away all the ice shards he fired at Ai.
"Sorry buddy, but looks like you have to deal with me first before getting to Ai," I said and roundhouse kicked him in the face.
I heard Ai pulling the scabbard out of Adam’s back and she jerked it splattering his blood on the floor. It was enough for me to know what was going to happen of the noble.
"I’m…sorry….father…I…failed."
With those last words, the last of him disintegrated into dust and I looked at Jack staring at where Adam died with horrified eyes. His eyes soon turned from horrified to furious as he appeared right before me.
"You bastards!!"
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Hey guys, me here. Yes, the author, and Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you all. Today, I am not alone actually in my room. By breaking the fourth wall, I have two people here.
"Tsubaki Ai here!"
’Shiba Kazuki here.’
"Wait, why are me and Kazu-kun’s dialogues not written the same way?"
That is because I have put us three in levels of liking. Ai is the one who is most liked by the readers amongst us three, then Kazuki, and everyone hates me so I put it this way.
’Hey, they don’t hate you, man. They just detest you.’
Wow, as if I didn’t know that. Anyways, you guys had something to say, right?
"Oh right, Merry Christmas to all of you and thank you for reading our life story and giving us so much love it means so much to me. This is the best birthday gift I could have gotten."
Ai, the last part was not supposed to be known by them now.
"Oh, sorry."
’She always does that but anyway guys. Merry Christmas and we also wish you a happy and prosperous next year. This year was just amazing for us three and it was thanks to all of you. We love you all.’
He actually means it and yeah, I guess that was it. For a little message from us three. Hope you guys keep on supporting us next year. I never expected the book to do so well so I really mean it when I say this.
Thank you all.
Now, as promised, I had gotten a room ready for Kazuki and Ai. So guys go and do whatever you want but just try keeping it down. I have to study too.
"Sure."
’Can’t promise but sure.’
See you in the next chapter.
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