Chapter Text
There was a piercing sound that made a shiver climb up his spine.
They're getting close.
He looked over to his taller friend who noticed it out of the corner of his eye and returned an alarmed glance. So he could hear them now too.
The air was thick that day and it only kept getting thicker which was so going to give him a headache if he wasn't careful. An ominous thunder rang somewhere in the distance, almost like a warning, only adding to the overwhelming sensations and he had to shut his eyes closed and tighten the grip on his sword in an attempt to regain composure which he knew was critical right now. He felt a familiar weight land on his shoulder, grounding him and this time was met with a soft reassuring smile under those twizzling violet eyes. "Piece of cake" the smile whispered and turned back in the direction of the thundering footsteps. The shorter boy took a breath in, trying to surrender to the request of the hand on his shoulder and the smile. "All but his eyes" Kazuha thought. The eyes, currently set on an invisible target, were betraying his fake calm. They were flickering with feverish excitement.
A horde of nobushi shot out of the thick forest and threw themselves at the clearing. Kazuha's body, as if on command, took a battle position and his focus sharpened, matching the sharpness of his blade. With how many battles he's fought, this was already an automatic reaction and there was no thought behind it, only an oversaturated awareness of every subtle move that rearranged the air around him. In these moments it was only his blade, the wind, the target. And Tomo.
Tomo already swooped himself at the samurais, blades colliding and chaos ensuing. The Kaedehara heir wasted no time in throwing his own sword in as well. Graceful feet glaced the battlefield, barely touching the ground, yet the force of his skilled hands was all the same. It felt so easy, doing this with Tomo, as if there was never a time before the two of them. They would move as one gust of wind, Kazuha's practiced strikes a contrast to his friend's, who depended more on his rough strength than any specific trained arts.
As expected he landed the first few hits flawlessly, although the size of the enemies' group was indeed rather concerning. His brows furrowed as the unsettling feeling in his spine returned.
Something wasn't right. Carefully, making sure to not lose control in the battle, he did his best to check around the clearing and that’s when his pupils widened.
"Tomo look out!" he shouted and the taller boy only managed to turn around halfway, a panicked question painted on his face, when a larger samurai dealt a blow to his back, collapsing him to the ground. Kazuha gritted his teeth at the force with which his friend’s body hit the earth and without thinking directed a fierce blow of anemo at the samurai, an intense glow emerging from under the layers of his clothes. How did he even miss such heavy footsteps approaching them?
When he realised what he's done it was already too late. The nobushi stopped in their barbarious rage and exchanged knowing looks. The Kaedehara swordsman's expression became serious, reaction immediate. He looked over at his companion who was lifting himself up with an expression equally sober. They locked eyes, then Tomo gave him a barely noticable nod.
So they didn't hold back anymore.
His sword pierced through the air, commanding it like a director's baton and it listened. At the same time he caught a glimpse of his partner's blade, entwined in hissing vains of electro. They danced the same dance, both deadly focused, and the elements swirled around them creating something beautiful and lethal, trapping the horiffied ronin and defeating them with ease. Kazuha, in a burst of anemo energy, dealt a final electrical blow to the enemies and the force of it lifted him off the ground, the loyal air carrying him high up, finally allowing him to let his guard down. And that’s when the "loyal" air escaped his own lungs.
It was ethereal. Their energies still dancing together around them, indigo hued maple leaves spiraling, carried by streaks of purple energy. Yet that was not what took his breath away. It was the lilac eyes fizzling with electricity, seemingly almost magnetic, and the endearing messy ash blonde hair tossed by the purple air currents, framing the face so dear to him. All so breathtaking that Kazuha wanted to hold onto this moment for just a bit longer, enough to find the right words that’d do justice to the sight bestowed to him. And when the lilac eyes found his and smiled at him, he wasn’t sure anymore if his struggle to breathe was still figurative, as it truly felt like his chest has tightened. And it ached.
He collided with the ground a bit more harshly than he usually would but luckily Tomo was already there, offering his sturdy figure as support. The shorter boy clutched his hand in the fabric of his friend's haori and inhaled a thorough breath, finally untensing his body. He looked up and offered the blonde a soft smile, his cheeks a slight pink from embarrassment at his own clumsiness. Kazuha straightened himself up and began to take care of his bloodied sword while Tomo took up the task of examining the battlefield.
"They shouldn't be causing us any more trouble now" the taller boy concluded after a short silence, flicking through the remnants of the battle in search for useful loot. He reached for an armour strap and fiddled with it, running his thumb under the ledge where a black soot-like substance has accumulated. "They were clearly affected by tatarigami energy which is where their blind rage came from but they weren't too far gone to not tell on us"
Kazuha put away his now clean sword, a solemn expression on his face. He shifted uncomfortably but spoke without missing a beat. "I apologise for putting us at risk, this will not happen again. We have to be more careful now."
"Hey, it's alright, don't beat yourself up over it." There was the familiar weight again, enveloping his wrist this time and giving him a reassuring squeeze, somehow conveying all the heavy worries which they both carried in their chests these days, too scary to put into words. "This weather has been giving you a headache hasn't it" he spoke sofly.
The white haired boy smiled wistfully. Of course Tomo would know exactly what was bothering him and worry about that instead.
"I would be lying had I said it hasn't negatively affected my form. Nevertheless, we used our abilities out in the open and someone might have noticed. It'd be best if we left Yashiori and headed for Narukami again"
A loud thunder could be heard, this time not far from where they were stood in the forest. Kazuha felt uneasy, the expected migraine already settling between his temples.
"We should get going" he prompted, nervously looking away, in the rough direction of their temporary camp, a weariness settling over his whole body. He would not rest well today.
"Right." Tomo's fingers uncurled from his wrist, an unpleasant cold wind enwrapping it instead. Kazuha's own hand almost chased after the warmth before he remembered himself, his palm resting against the hilt of his sword instead. His mouth formed a thin line and he began walking, his friend following shortly behind him.