CHAPTER 5 – WEAK POINT
The eyes that stared at me were a rare and vibrant gold, flaming like molten gold.
I did not get a chance to enjoy them as I would, however.
Really, what other reaction did I expect from her? A smile? A sigh of relief? Gratitude?
By my accounts, she has already conquered death twice. How many more times, in the six years she has lived in precarious conditions and in one of the most dangerous and unhealthy occupations ever, has she been on the brink of death and I have no idea?
Such a person, man or woman, would never show tranquility in regaining consciousness and meeting two men, especially with the fame Yashiro and I have, watching her closely.
So why am I so disappointed, sprawled out on the floor trying to physically restrain her while she rages furiously?
###
I'm weak and my whole body hurts. I open my eyes and find Yashiro and Ren leaning over me. The sense of vulnerability is instantaneous and my first reflex is to get away.
Nevertheless, I'm weak. My creatures overthrow Yashiro, who mutters something like "again?", however they barely destabilize Ren. It was a desperate and careless move, the force of my unthinking attack serving more to knock me off the cot than anything else.
I moan when my already aching body collides with the ground and I try to run as far as possible from the two, but I barely crawl when a hand closes around my ankle and pulls me back.
I kick blindly. I tell myself not to scream, because screams will not save me, but I can not help but smile when I hear a moan coming from my captor.
I hit him, great, some damage I need to do. I do not mind dying, or being hurt, as long as I take them as many pieces as they get from me.
I'm tired of living at a disadvantage. I'm tired of being the only one to suffer losses.
Well, at least now I have the advantage of having nothing to lose...
My captor drags me to him and tries to immobilize me. All I can do is shake and scratch, I have no more energy to attack him with my projections. Yashiro grunts something like "leave marks" and I smile again. Yes, I hope he has scars. I hope they infect, that the scratches burn like hell when they are cleaned.
A spurious and empty victory is still a victory, right?
###
Yashiro took the worst in whatever she did. I have not yet figured out how her mysterious ability works, but it seems to have something to do with a strong shift of air, almost like an explosion.
Unlike yesterday, however, it was an unthinking attack that turned against her as well, hurling her out of the cot and into the ground. I know she's going to try to run away, and I'm worried about the amount of effort she's making and the bruises she's accumulating so I do not waste time chasing her and immobilizing her.
It would be easier if she were not so fragile and if I did not have to control my own strength as well. Yashiro is pissed, I can tell by the tone of his curses, since we were both careless in not anticipating the reaction of Kyoko when waking up.
An amateur error. And we are not in a position to make amateur mistakes. Not when the whole world is waiting for a tiny opportunity to end us.
She hits a kick dangerously close to my crotch. I need to do something to pull her legs away from me, so I bring her back against my chest, trapping her legs and arms with mine. Before, of course, I get some ugly scratches.
"Ren, beware of the force, you will leave marks!"
Oh yeah. As if it were easy to use the strength to contain her without hurting her.
Even with the limbs immobilized, she tries to hit me with her head. It would be a more efficient maneuver if it were not for our height difference and she could really hit my nose or chin, but all she gets is my chest.
I smile. As much as it is frustrating that she does not give in even when defeat is obvious, her persistence is lovely and makes me proud.
###
Hell, I'm stuck. Damn exceptional force!
The air does not seem to reach my lungs and my heart is about to explode. I have no more energy and the effort made me dizzy and breathless.
I feel a reverberation behind me. The fucker is laughing!
The irritation recharges some of my energy and I struggle a little more, even though I know I cannot let go. Hell, my efforts may be futile, but I will not give up fighting!
"Shhhhh, calm down"
"You bastard, son of a-"
"Kyoko, stop"
His calm only increases the anger and humiliation I'm feeling.
"Do not tell me what to do, you murderous bastard!"
He has the nerve to laugh again, which pisses me off.
"I see you've heard of me!"
"There is no one who does not know the Tsuruga Monster!"
I practically spit out the words with all the contempt I feel for him. I will never forgive my father's murderer.
"Great. So you know that if I wanted to, you'd already be dead "
I laugh sarcastically.
"Yes, of course I do. As I also know that if I am alive, it is because you want something from me "
"...Stop shaking, you're just wasting energy. I can stay 72 hours without eating or sleeping, how much longer do you think you can stand struggling like this?"
I do not answer. Worst of all is that I know he's right, but if I stop fighting, what will remain for me?
It did not go unnoticed that he changed the subject. Over the years, I have discovered that people reveal more in what they hide than in what they demonstrate. The bastards want to use me for something and this makes my bowels spin.
I'm weak and Kyoko is very close to emerging. She always appears in moments of vulnerability, silly and crybaby as always. There are unwanted tears sprouting in my eyes, the result of the humiliation I'm feeling. Kyoko, please do not show up now. Not when we are all so weakened and unable to protect you!
###
Yashiro calls my name with a tone of concern in his voice. I do not see what he is seeing, since I do not have access to Kyoko's face, but I perceive in her a clear change of posture and a different corporal stiffness, no more aimed at attack, but at strict self-protection.
Kyoko still shakes sporadically, but she is no longer struggling: she is suffering.
I nod to Yashiro to leave us alone, which he obeys immediately. Kyoko does not pose a threat and we both know that.
Damn, the three of us know, and maybe that's why she got so down.
I loosen the restraint and, as I foresaw, she stands still, as if all forces had left her.
"You almost died last night"
Silence.
"Ruto did not intend to use such a high dosage of tranquillizer. He thought you were a man"
Silence.
"You vomited a lot, had a fever and raved. You've been unconscious for more than twelve hours "
Silence.
"We thought you would not survive. We called... I called Maria to talk to you, maybe you reacted by listening to her voice "
Finally, a reaction in the form of muscle tension, but she soon relaxes again. It is evident that Maria affects her like nothing else.
Kyoko is practically a dead weight now, so I'm simply backing her up against me. For a second I think we're holding each other.
Is it wrong for me to feel so comfortable? My thigh hurts where she kicked me, and as adrenaline recedes, the scratches on my arms begin to burn, but she is still in my arms, sitting between my legs and propped against my chest, and as much as I know her relaxation is only due to exhaustion and that if she had even a drop of energy she would try to kill me, I allow myself to pretend she does not hate me and that the intimate position we are in is not uncomfortable for her.
Am I that much better than Sho? After all, I'm taking advantage of a physical contact that she is not allowing of her own free will.
"You survived, but you're weak. And tired"
For some reason I have the need to console her, to soften the feeling of defeat that seems to haunt her at the moment.
"I do not need your help. I do not want your help. I prefer that you kill me at once to receive your false piety"
Her words are dry and cold, so I'm surprised when I feel a tear fall on my arm. Apparently, my attempt to offer comfort was fruitless. I resolve, then, to change strategy: if at this moment she needs to hate someone to get up, then I'll give her somebody to hate.
I stop resisting the temptation to brush my face into her hair and inhale deeply. How she can smell so good despite everything is a complete mystery. As I foresaw, she contracts and holds her breath, frightened by my unusual gesture.
"It is not false piety. Not even true piety. Of all the feelings you conjure up in me, you have chosen just one that I am unable to have. For anyone, not just for you"
I hold her more firmly against me. I can not help it, not when I finally realized how she seems to have been shaped for me.
"You do not know many things: about me, about this place, about your situation. You do not know, for example, that Ruto is at the door, so even on the remote possibility that you have managed to bring down both me and Yashiro, you could not escape this room. Hell, you could not escape Lory's palace, half-naked as you are!"
I do not tell her, nor could I say until I know exactly under what conditions Lory negotiated with the Council, but the fact is that there is a buzz about last night's invasion and all the nobles are restless. How much longer can we keep Kyoko hidden?
She contracted even more, probably because she had finally realized the absence of overalls covering her body.
"Do not worry, your digger suit will be returned to you. Eventually"
"Now! You're going to give it back now! My father died to give me those clothes! You know better than anyone else does, since you killed him!"
"Shhhh, do not shake again. You need to regain your energies, and not waste the little you have in a futile effort! First, you'll recover, then we'll need to talk. Lory wants to talk to you, too"
"I don't have shit to talk to you both!"
"Yes you have. For starters, you invaded Lory's residence, so at the very least you owe him an apology! "
She gasps indignantly and I smile. "Outraged Kyoko" is easier to deal with than "sad Kyoko".
"You spoiled my party too, so I expect to receive an apology as well!"
"Why, you-"
I never thought provoking someone could be so much fun.
"And for having spent the last twelve hours ensuring that you do not die, I also want to hear your sincere thanks"
"Thanks? Thanks? Fuck you, you bastard!"
"Well, if you do not want to thank me with words, since your mouth only utters offenses against me, you can thank me with actions. For example, if you keep shaking and poking your delicious ass at me, I'll consider you grateful enough"
As I wanted, she immediately stopped.
"Let me go"
It does not take a genius to realize that her thoughts have turned to six years ago and she is afraid of being a victim again.
"Kyoko, if anyone in this palace wanted to do you any harm, it would have done it already. You've been out for hours, remember. For you to die, it would be enough if you were left to fend for yourself"
"There are worse things than death"
It's an argument I can not rebut.
"Listen to me, I will release you and let you rest. Ten or Lina will be around. Obviously Ruto will remain at the door, so try not to kill yourself by doing something stupid like trying to escape in your condition"
She remains silent and still, so I let her go and get up. I want to lift her and put her back on the cot, but I think it will only make her feel worse, judging by the speed with which she crawled away from me as soon as she had the opportunity.
I leave the room, but before closing the door, I see her trying to get up, leaning against the far wall and looking at me with a mixture of pain, fear and fury.
Ruto just looks at me, probably waiting for instructions. I urge him to remain vigilant and go in search of Ten. Kyoko needs to eat to regain her strength, and no matter how risky she may be to escape, I cannot help but think she will be more comfortable when she is properly dressed.
Therefore, clothes and food is what I ask of Lory's consort, who looks at me as if I've lost my mind. Yes, I know I'm being complacent with the prisoner, which is far from my normal.
If Maria is Kyoko's weak point, I have just discovered my weak point in Kyoko.
N / A - Back from the trip and here's another chapter for you! I hope you are enjoying it!
Many thanks to those who read, follow, favor and especially those who assign a little bit of the day to comment on this story. Kisses!
