Here Once Again
Saizo's breathing was heavy as Sakura used her Festal to heal him. "Thank you... Lady Sakura..."
"Don't push yourself so hard, Saizo!" The Hoshidan princess looked down at him, wounds still harsh. She raised her Festal again, a faint glow surrounding the ninja as she applied another healing spell.
"Lady Sakura!" Oboro rushed over, Hinata slung over her shoulder. "Please, heal Hinata! He's hurt after taking on a Berserker, and-"
"Ugh... I'm... fine, Oboro," mumbled Hinata. "Just... I can... fight..."
"Yes, because I want to see you get killed!" snapped his fellow retainer as she set him down.
Kagero knelt next to her fellow retainer as he rose to his feet. "Are you alright, Saizo?" she murmured, her own breathing laboured. She tossed out a swift shuriken towards an oncoming enemy Hero and he fell, the deadly weapon embedded in his throat.
"Yes," he replied, tossing out his own shrunken and causing an enemy ninja to hit the ground with a dull thud. "But more importantly... where is Lord Ryoma? I don't see him, and he was thick in the mist of it, supporting Lord Corrin..."
Kagero scanned the battlefield, yet she too couldn't see their lord. "Hm..." She gasped, evading a thrown Kodachi blade that seemed to come from nowhere. The Swordmaster rushed up to her, drawing his Steel Katana and brandishing it in a powerful strike.
Saizo caught the blow with his shrunken, hissing as he was overwhelmed. "Kagero!" he shouted.
She nodded, and leapt forward for a lethal swipe to the heart. She looked down to the ninja, whose breath was even hoarser now, and saw a sharp cut along one arm. "Ah... here you go," she spoke, placing a Concoction in his hands.
Saizo nodded towards her and ingested the medicine, staggering upright as it took effect. "We must look for our lord," he murmured, wincing as he took off, his usually silent, graceful movement burdened to be rather heavy.
Kagero swallowed as she watched her partner. With a sigh she went after him, keeping pace with ease.
Eventually, throughout the shouts and cries waged within the battle, Kagero saw the familiar lightning blast an enemy soldier down.
Saizo must've seen it too, for he nodded to her before rushing towards that direction.
"YOU DESERVE WORSE!" roared their lord, before he dashed in and felled a Berserker with one slash.
Lord Corrin was beside him, using the Yato to counter a Spear Master's thrust before roaring and using his dragon form to eliminate the attacker.
"Lord Ryoma!" called Saizo. "Are you alright?!"
"Hm...?" Ryoma paused, panting as he looked at them. "Ah, Saizo, Kagero." He nodded. "Will you come with me as we take the rest down?"
"Of course, milord," spoke Kagero, while Saizo offered a nod.
"Alright, then..." Corrin pulled out his Bloom Festal. "Here, Saizo."
"My thanks, Lord Corrin," murmured the ninja, before rushing away.
Kagero followed, swallowing as the familiar, thick scent of blood flooded her nostrils. It had been present within the background, yet now was when it threatened to overwhelm her.
Something's wrong. The thought occurred, causing her to stop and look around.
It was immediate. A single blow to her back, easily ripping her flesh apart. Kagero cried out, falling, rolling, the pain intense as the ground touched that now all too sensitive spot, she was looking up as a shadow cast down upon her, a Silver Axe descending to her face now, and-
A shrunken sped past, knocking the Berserker off balance, staggering.
Saizo was there, using another shrunken, getting up so close that one swift strike was enough to rip apart the enemy's throat.
Kagero stared as the foe fell, her fellow retainer panting as he knelt next to her.
"Kagero," he spoke. "Are you alright?" His words had an odd softness and caring she had not expected. The last time he spoke to her like that was...
"Yes, thank you." She grimaced as she turned over. "Is it bad?" Even as the words emerged, she knew the answer. The pain searing through her back and the warm sticky blood spilling across flesh and fabric alike made it obvious.
He reached out, and a slight wince came from her as his rough fingers brushed against the worst of it, gauging the severity of the injury.
"Nothing Lady Sakura won't be able to heal," spoke Saizo.
There was a yell, a familiar voice reaching outwards.
"Lord Ryoma!" hissed Saizo, leaving Kagero to rush over to the prince.
Kagero stared at her partner, whose injuries were still harsh, rush into the fray, where their lord used Raijinto to counterattack against the enemies surrounding him.
There was something wrong, though. She could feel it, watching Ryoma and Saizo fight together.
Their lord was moving awkwardly.
He hissed, holding a hand to his side. "Tch," he growled. "YOU DESERVE WORSE!" A swift slash and the enemy fell, cut cleanly in two by his divine blade Raijinto, the electricity arcing along the sword seeming to accelerate with its user's aggression.
She could only watch as prince and retainer fought, covering each other's back against an overwhelming number of enemies, almost memorizing.
A Paladin utilizing a Silver Lance broke through Ryoma's defences and pierced his body, the illusion shattering.
"UGH!" gasped the Hoshidan prince, falling, the Raijinto landing beside him.
"NO!" Kagero heard herself scream, which intensified the unadulterated pain flaring through her entire body now. "Ungh...!"
"Kagero?" Saizo turned to her, and she saw motion behind him.
"Behind you, Saizo!" shouted Kagero, attempting a feeble attempt to stand through the agony.
"Gh!" He leapt forward, though the foe still managed to scratch his leg. "Tch..." He breathed out, starting to glow red, hints of flames starting to catch. "Kagero... Lord Ryoma... my apologies."
"Wha..." A split second is enough for her to realize her partner's intentions. "No, Saizo! Don't!"
"Saizo!" grunted Ryoma, shaking as he attempted to rise. "No! I order you to stop!"
"Milord... it was an honour to serve you." The ninja glared forward to the enemies ahead. "Now... you shall all bare witness to my last great explosion of life!" He raced forward, the flames enlarging as he throws himself upon an axe.
The resulting explosion was deafening, a massive blinding glare forcing Kagero to close her eyes. Soon the bright light faded and she opened her eyes to see Lord Ryoma rush over to where the ninja lay.
The raging agony in her back subsided somewhat, and she looked back to see Azama flash a grin at her before moving around to heal other members of the army. With a slight wince Kagero forced her aching body back on its feet, hurrying to where Ryoma now knelt.
"Saizo..." She stared at him. His whole body was intact, though harsh burns and covered the majority of his body, along with a worrying excess of blood.
"Kagero... are you... and... Lord Ryoma... alright...?" His voice stuttered and cracked.
"Yes," spoke Ryoma. "More then, Saizo. However... I must say I am displeased with your suicidal attack." His face hardened.
"My... apologies..." Saizo's eye rolls back into his head.
"SAKURA!" shouted Ryoma, looking around wildly.
"She's busy healing Kaze," spoke Corrin, kneeling beside the ninja and pulling out a rod. "I'm not the best, but until she or Elise come I should be able to..." Lifting the staff, some of the harshest burns begin to fade.
Kagero released a sigh and leaned back. "Saizo..."
Kagero watched over the castle walls, high above in the watchtower. She stopped her breathing at the sound of footsteps behind her, and readied a shuriken with one hand as she prepared to turn.
"Relaqx, Kagero." She breathed out at the gruff voice that carried upwards, before Saizo came up to stand beside her. His mask was gone, exposing the face the rest of the army seldom got to witness.
"You shouldn't be awake," she spoke, turning back to watch over the walls. "Go back to bed."
"Hmph. I could be saying the same to you," he replied, and she sensed his eyes tracing over where the wound from the Berserker had struck. "Besides, this is nothing-"
Kagero whirled on him, voice rising in a shriek. "It is not nothing when our lord gives you an order you disobey!" Her voice cracked, and she felt tears start to fill her eyes. Damnit, no... "When..." She swallowed. "When you scare me like that again."
The ninja sighed. "Well, what else would you rather I do? Allow Lord Ryoma and our companions to fall instead?"
She glared at him. It'd be easier to argue if you weren't so handsome. "I..." Her eyes fell to the floor. "I cannot stand seeing you like that anymore. It's as if you tear me apart with those same explosives you detonate on yourself, and..." Her hand was shaking. "I..."
A hand rose to wipe away her tears. "Don't cry," he breathed. "I... can't stand watching those tears fall."
He was close. Too close. Kagero leaned in, closer. His one eye stared into hers, unblinking.
Don't let him in again. Her best friend's voice flickered through her mind. All it'll do is bring hurt to you again, and then where will you be?
Kagero allowed her eyes to close as she kissed Saizo.
Where would I be then? A slight smile graced her face as he kissed back.
In love.
...This is what happens when you have a piece in progress for over a year and just want to finish it.
Well, thank you for reading, regardless.