"Stop!" Hitori shouted and jerked his hands out of Akira's grip, he pulled Akira on the way and almost made Akira lie over him.
"I-I am sorry," he apologized and stepped back. He saw Hitori rubbing his hands, the grip was tight, and he felt guilty. "I saw it," he said. "Tonight, right?"
Hitori's eyes widened as he heard Akira say that. He gave him a look full of disbelief.
Akira chuckled. "Yes, I do know telepathy. That is my strength, a psychic, you may call me."
"Did you…" Hitori stuttered, "heard what he said about them?"
Akira nodded and dropped his head. "Akemi-san and Reon. He called them that, did not he?"
"But they are not what he makes them look like! Believe me!" Hitori pushed his chair and jumped to his feet. "They are good girls! Heck, I believe Reon is still a virgin. She is a nerd, I know she has not even made out with someone yet.
"And Akemi-san… she… she was dating Onogi before he did that to her. I… she is nice… they do not seem like girls who would… I mean, they are all nerds!"
"Take a look at yourself, Hitori. Nerds do not date, if they do, they only date nerds. And that relationship does not last."
Hitori glared at him, not because he was called a nerd or a virgin in an indirect way, no. "You talk like you have a hell of a lot of experience, despite the fact that you look like a nerd.."
"I am a nerd. And nerds read books, binge series, and animes. I have earned experience from those mediums. And now I ask, why did you do nothing when he was calling them all that?"
Hitori lowered his head. "So you are a virgin too…" he muttered, somewhat relieved.
"From all the animes I have watched, the hero takes action. And in this story, you are that hero. So tell me…" he took a step and closed in the distance between him and Hitori, "why did you not do something? Like, punch him for saying that, warn him, or just threaten him. Why not? Were you scared?"
Hitori looked at Akira, the fact that they were at a kissing distance did not bother him. "I… I was…"
Akira interrupted him. "Tell me you were scared and I will lose respect for you, aniki."
Did he say it just like that? Oh, his heart was beating… you get the point.
Hitori looked into his eyes, they were in a staring competition, and said, "I pissed him, for sure."
Akira did not flinch till Hitori repeated himself.
"I killed him. A hole in the middle of his face."
"Are you serious?" Akira felt satisfied to know that.
Hitori raised his hands and offered them to Akira. "Do you want to find out?"
Akira stared at Hitori with no intention of giving in. "Are you serious?"
Hitori lowered his hands and looked down. "I let them take her."
"No. Do not start your monologue now." Akira took a step and placed his hand over Hitori's shoulder. "You need to keep yourself together."
"I feel guilty. I promised to protect her… how can be so careless?"
"It is not your freaking fault. See, we want you. But not weak, angry, or guilty. We want you but not the version of you that is taken over by his emotions."
"I am not…" Hitori threw a glance at the side. He could not believe he was letting a fifteen-year-old (he is fourteen) console him. He could not believe how can a tenth-grader have so much maturity. Understanding and so much patience?
Akira reminded him of himself. He used to be the same way when he was a teenager. He stayed away from drugs, cigarettes, girls, parties, and alcohol. He knew his condition, his parents, and his goal to become a pro gamer.
More than that, he was bullied in the past. If it was not for her, he would have suffered from it forever. So he preferred to stay away from people anyway.
"Look at me," Akira continued. Hitori had to lower his eyes to adjust Akira's level. They were almost the same height. "We need you as the strong character you are. So keep your emotions aside and tell me if you are ready to ace this night."
"Ace? What-what are you saying?" Hitori frowned.
"What? Are you saying that we are sitting here and waiting to hear from Onogi how it felt?"
Hitori was surprised, now that he understood what he meant. "H-How? I mean, can we? Think about it. He invited me! He is waiting for me. It is an open trap."
"And we are going to face the trap, crush it, and crush its planter."
Hitori considered it, but then refrained from speaking. He nodded and walked towards the door. Akira was about to follow Hitori when he gestured for him to stay there. "Wait right there," he said and walked out.
He went upstairs. The room at the end, his parents' room was his chosen for hiding the Legendary Wand. He opened the closet and went through the drawer on the left side. It was lying inside, among his father's socks and mother's gloves.
He picked the wand and raised it above him, admiring the design and structure of the wand. "Let us see you in action."
Then he went downstairs. Akira was waiting for him in the room, leaning against the console table. He leaned off the table when Hitori came down.
"Where were you?" he asked as if Hitori was gone for hours.
Hitori had tugged the wand on his side, so he moved the flap of his blue shirt and revealed the wand's thick end to Akira.
Akira moved his eyes down at his waist and found the wand, he recognized the wand immediately. And for some reason, tears formed in his eyes.
Hitori's smile faded. "H-Hey, are you… okay?" He felt asking that was unnecessary.
Akira rubbed his eyes and nodded. Then he drew his wand and brought it close to his mouth, but before speaking to Eya on the wand, he said to Hitori, "Are we going to do this till the end? And I mean, THE END."
No hesitation accompanied Hitori this time. He pulled his lips in and nodded. "It is going to be a Long Haul."
Akira turned from Hitori and walked out of the room, he spoke on the wand as he did. And Hitori heard him say in a strict and serious tone, "Yes, I found him. Leave that aside, we have a mission tonight. I will explain later, just listen to me now."
Hitori turned and stood in the doorway. He saw Akira, facing the door, say in a strong voice, "We are going. Tonight." Then he paused, perhaps Eya was asking where, to which he replied, "To storm Onogi's fort. Meet us there around nine-thirty."
Then he hung up and turned around, expecting Hitori to stand in the doorway with a wide mouth, but Hitori was not. He was rather surprised to hear him say it with that boldness.
"Just who are you?"
Akira shrugged. "Say, your fan? I have heard a lot about you, and your activity in the recent events always inspires me to do something big like you."
"Big? Like me? Like what?"
"Like, create the top second biggest empire in the game in the least time possible. Or trending on the number one spot for a few weeks. Or be a man ready to give his life for the lives of his loved ones despite being seventeen. What other things can I state?"
Hitori was left speechless. Akira knew more than he had expected him to know. From his passion to his compassion. He knew everything. He wondered if he knew about her too.
"Do you think we can win against him?" Hitori asked out of curiosity. Akira knew everything, after all.
"I asked you whether you are ready for 'The End,' did not I?"
"The probability of 'The End,' is seventy percent? Somewhere around there, but below seventy-five."
"A little above seventy-three. Point five or six, I guess."
Hitori did not want that detail. "Then why? Why are you risking your life? Not because you are my 'fan,' definitely not because of that."
Akira smiled. He waited for a moment, then said, "Get your weapons. Catch a blade and an extra wand. Grab some potions, if you have them, or I have enough to survive."
'Survive,' was not actually the word Hitori was looking for. He hated that word. All he had been doing in the world of gaming was surviving. Run from the monsters, run from other players, and try to be the best. But…
"No… Akira… no… we will not survive this…" Hitori said, maintaining eye contact. He saw the confusion on Akira's face.
…how can one be the best if he is surviving?
"If we are going to do this," Hitori said, "we will do this till The End. HIS end."
For one to be the best, he must hunt.
"It is time we get our revenge."
Hitori grabbed the knife Eya had given him, and the extra potions he had bought. He was ready to hunt.
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