She's That Knight Known as Zero 217 Bitter Towards Her

On that same day, after the meeting, Kaoru had been walking around without any direction, with his mind blank.

Akihiro and Haruka were her parents but Kaoru was still the one who raised her when she returned here. If they were devastated then Kaoru was even more. Other than her friends he was also one of those who watched her grow and mature.

He only returned to reality when she heard a voice from behind him. Looking around he was actually in the middle of the forest, the same forest where he first met Eureka.

And as if breaking him even more, it was actually raining. The others was inside the houses and so they weren't affected by this. But Kaoru was outside and so seeing how it was actually raining, as hard as that day.

"What are you doing here?" he then asked the one who brought back his mind.

"We looked all over for you, Akito and I. After the meeting no one had seen you."

Akira replied looking worriedly at him and not so far from them Akito was standing leaning by a tree. All three of them didn't care about the rain that had drenched them.

Looking back he saw Akito.

"I thought about it and remembered that the first time you met her was in the forest close to the academy. We gambled and yet here you are."

Kaoru smiled bitterly before bowing down his head. His hands were clenched into a tight fist. His knuckles started turning white from how tight he had clenched them. His nails are almost piercing through his palm.

He didn't know but he felt angry, angry towards himself. And a bitter feeling towards her. He couldn't cry, he truly couldn't cry. He had been standing here for a long while now but tears just won't come out.

Another cold hand held his fists, as if trying to ease them.

"Why are you mad?" her voice was neither sad nor happy.

It was so calm that his hands have eased a little without him truly noticing it.

"Why are you mad, Kaoru?" she asked once again when he didn't answer.

Yet he still stood there not replying, his eyes were blank. He didn't even know why he was angry, how is he supposed to answer her question then? He had been asking that question to himself all this time.

Why am I angry?

Why do I feel bitter towards her?

Why can't I cry?

She was so important to me and yet I don't even know what to feel now that she was gone.

He then heard a sigh before he was suddenly punched straight in the face.

"Akira!!"

It was Akito's shocked voice that he heard before he was slumped on the floor. He looked up completely shocked. He didn't expect Akira to be the one to punch him. The one he had expected would have been Akito.

"My brother is too kind to even try and punch you right now. But I am not, you weren't like this. You were always in control of everything so why do you look so lost right now?"

She stood tall in front of him, her drenched look and angry face actually made her look even more beautiful.

"Back when we were kids, when you couldn't save me, when I was badly hurt. Weren't you so sure of leaving me behind from then on? You resolutely left me. But before that when you saw me being bullied, weren't you so sure of saving me? Weren't you so sure of making me your friend?"

"So what the hell is wrong with your dead eyes right now? Where is that sureness of yours? Why do you look like she had died? She was still alive, she just disappeared."

He suddenly laughed after listening to Akira's words, he suddenly stood up and held her shoulders so tight that she had flinched, Akito was about to get close when Akira looked at him and signed him not to.

"HOW AM I SUPPOSE TO FEEL THEN?!? I CAN'T EVEN CRY!! DO YOU KNOW WHAT I JUST FEEL? I feel so bitter towards her. And yet I don't even know why."

Akira harshly removed his hands on her shoulder and pushed him through his chest.

"That's right you are bitter, are you bitter because you trained but everything was for nothing? You trained so hard because she told you to, that you'll have to unseal that baby once everything was over and yet here you are, all your training were for nothing."

Kaoru's rage instantly depleted, when he was slapped straight of the truth. Why he really felt bitter towards her.

Of course Akira and Akito already knew about the baby, Eureka left them the task of taking care of Haruka during her pregnancy after all. But they still acted that they didn't know as per her instruction.

Hearing him say he was bitter towards Eureka, her mind instantly understood.

She had been watching him since they were young, so she knew, she knew the truth about  his insecurity.

He was always the one being compared from his brother, whenever he trained so hard it was still not enough and their father never missed to point that out.

He trained but in the end it was of no use, he did his best to become stronger but in the end his brother still was a few steps ahead.

He loved Haruka first but in the end it was his brother whom she had loved. No matter what he do, it felt like it was of no use.

And now, after gaining more confidence, he trained hard and did his best to master the unsealing method but towards the end, where is he supposed to use it? In the end didn't he do anything?

In this war, he didn't even do anything. Why was he so useless?

That is why he was also angry at himself, because he didn't do a single damn thing!!

"Do you think she's that kind of person? Someone who'd laugh at you after she had joked around with you and in the end didn't allow you to show your hard work? Is she that type of person to you?"

Akira continued berating him, Akito just stood by the side. He let his sister do all the talking and berating. He too knew of course what Kaoru is going through right now. But he and Akira needs a connection between them for, after all, they were a married couple.

That is why it is important for Kaoru to become more aware of Akira.

"In the end, that was what she meant, when she said that I just need to follow everything and that no matter what the seal would surely disappear. She already knew that complete nullification would include everything. Even the casted abilities."

Kaoru bitterly laughed after saying this, its not that she had full confidence towards him but instead she knew the outcome of what she was going to do.

"Do you think she's the type of person to trample on you just like that? That she'd make you train and train and train everyday but towards the end, she actually had another plan?"

Akira slapped his face with both her hands, it was strong enough to make him wince, but at the same time she had made him look straight in her eyes.

"She trusted you Kaoru. She had the resolve and everything on what she was about to do. But she wasn't one hundred percent sure if she would actually succeed. That is why she made you train so hard."

"She trusted that no matter what happens, there would be a you who can unseal the child, that even if she fails you would be there as her back up. She trusted you with that role."

She let his face go and held both his hands on his side instead.

"Stop belittling yourself about the achievements of other people. For you have your own achievements as well. Do you think we would have those months of preparation  if you weren't there? If your barrier weren't there? Even the king couldn't give us that time."

"Do you think queen Haruka would still be here with us if you didn't save her? If you didn't seal her memories? You've done so much more Kaoru so acknowledge yourself even more."

She had once indeed said those words to him, way back before the final wave. Back when she had to leave for two years, she had entrusted everyone to him.

Kaoru fell in his knees after remembering all of this. He started crying as the rain became stronger. Akira let his hand go and kneel down in front of him. She then wrapped her arms around his shoulder and hugged him.

Akito walked closer and placed his hand on top of Kaoru's head, consoling him as well.

The siblings could only stay there and comfort him as he cry himself out.

During this time everyone needs to bring it all out, for all of them need to face tomorrow as well. A new beginning for everyone.

Chapter end