Chapter 393 - I remember

"I am sorry." He apologies once again,"... It's my fault. I was wrong, and I understand that now. I want the girl I like to be happy, no matter what happens. I tried to lie about my feelings; however, what I thought I was doing out of kindness ended up causing you more pain. I am sorry, what I was doing was wrong. I tried to escape. I didn't consider your feelings at all."

It sounds like he is in so much pain right now. No, it isn't just right now. For a long time, Akito was in pain. The pain from not being able to see her from holding back.

"Akito," Setsura says his name softly. "I'm sorry for getting mad at you."

"No, it was my fault. My actions are what caused you to say this I'm sorry. "

Even with Yang's image in her mind ever since then. Even with the knowledge that he still harbors feelings for her. After all, she thinks the one she likes now is still Akito. To think it took her this long before she finally realized it. Indeed there is something wrong with her. Setsura has always felt that she lacked something.

The pain in her heart vanished, and yet she still wanted to try. 

"Is it okay for me to be happy?"

Setsura didn't have to ask him what he meant. She understood.

"I...want to be with you forever." 

Her eyes widened, and in the next second, Akito kissed her deeply.

A familiar warmth, and yet there is a different sort of warmth than when they first went out. What is this feeling? It felt familiar. Where did she feel this before?

It didn't make sense to her. From the very moment she met Akito, she understood that there was something familiar.

"I like you the way you work hard. I have this thing about hard-working girls. I think they are gorgeous."

Setsura couldn't miss the look in his eyes as he looked at her like some kind of prize.

"If you keep this up, you're going to pass out. So at least relax when I'm beside you, yeah?"

From the very moment, they met Setsura knew this person would be different. She knew from the moment that he took his hand, that he would destroy everything.

When she first arrived in the Meiji Era, while she had vague memories. She didn't have to act docile and quiet. She was still her despite losing everything she knew. 

But the reason she did that was because she wanted to see what he would do. It seems like he took her for quite the ride. 

She wants to tell him that this entire time. Setsura felt a sharp pain across her arm and winced in pain.

'Eventually, you can no longer look away from the truth. You will understand when the moment is right, what the real key is…'

Oslo's words the last time she saw him replayed in her head.

__

She runs fast.

It must be because of her training, Akito spotted Victor and noticed him approach her, and yet she rushed right past him without stopping to look for a single second.

"Setsura," Akito exclaimed. But the brunette wouldn't look back. He would have continued with his chase. But Victor did not intend to let him through.

Victor turned to him, a frown on his face. "Have you done something to her again?"

"Uh, well…"

He can't say that he just kissed her even if he has been lenient with him recently. If he hears about that, he would probably die. Victor's eyes twitch in annoyance, "Have you already forgotten what I said to you? If you ever hurt her I'll....."

"I already know Victor." Akito trailed off and rubbed the back of his neck. "It is difficult for me, though."

He held back for so long regarding Setsura and Yang. Back when she chose to end things, he respected her decision. But now? Now he could no longer do that.

'Screw respect. Now I know her feelings.' That's right; he was waiting for the right time. He thought she liked Yang.

But after watching her behavior, Akito realized he was still there in her heart. He took the chance. Who would have thought that she would end up giving her feelings away?

Victor sighed and shook his head. The anger seemed to be dispelled from his face like he understood something.

"By the way, wasn't there something wrong with her?"

"Something wrong?"

"Was her arm supposed to be glowing?"

Glow? Akito raised his eyebrow. "Victor now isn't the time to be playing jokes. You should help me out here. How do I apologize now?"

He did something wrong there. Things were heading in the right direction until he kissed her. He shouldn't have kissed her; that was his mistake. Or was it?

Akito was about to say something when Natasha rushed into the room. He noticed a man with blonde hair with her and blinked. "Katakura?"

A creepy feeling crept onto him. "What's goi--" Right at that moment, the ground shook, and he felt each tremor. He hears a large thundering sound outside.

"I'm sorry, Akito. You see, from the very start, Oslo intended to use Setsura. The shards are important, yes, but so is the key."

The key?

"We don't know much about the key. But we do know that the person who owns it will be able to control everything. Suppose the shards can grant a wish. The key will hold power to do anything. Oslo isn't hungry for power. But there is something he wants more than anything."

No.

No.

Even if it's for that reason, why would anybody do that? If this guy said something sooner then, Setsura wouldn't have had to suffer.

'I miss her, of course, I want to be with her. But there's a lot of work to do over here, I can't meet with her. Well, it's fine, we've gone through longer partings than this. Besides, if it's her, she's probably recklessly doing her best, so I ought to do the same. Since she's so reckless, though, you should watch over her for me when I can't.'

Akito felt betrayed. 'I knew I shouldn't have trusted the guardians.' Why did he think this was such a good idea?

The cold raindrops that had amassed in the sky at some point in the speech; had increased in loudness, indicating a heavy rainfall, as to match the present moment.

"That will spell her end. Those around her, and likely even herself, won't be able to forgive such a thing."

Akito doesn't unsheathe his blade and raise it. It now inches away from his throat. "You told her that you didn't know anything. "Akito exclaimed.

He was furious.

This entire time the guardians said to Setsura that they didn't have information. They said that she had to find everything out herself. Akito watched her look for clues and investigate those cases. She went through so much, and it turns out they knew?

Maybe they were the ones who took her memories away. It was his mistake, and now he will lose her for good.

"Bring Chauncey and Yang back." Victor turned to Katakura. "I will make sure you do it right now. Return to us what we lost."

That's right. It isn't just his memories. But the rest of them, they all felt Setsura was familiar. Each of them noticed there was something about her. They were fated to meet her again. 

"Akito, there is a horse outside. It's not that fast. But you still know how to--" 

Akito cut Victor off quickly and bolted out of the door. He immediately felt how cold it was. His clothes weren't exactly appropriate, but that didn't matter. Akito looked around and saw a red-colored horse. He blinks, surprised, and sighed.

"That guy is one step ahead." He mumbled and slowly approached the horse.

It was the horse his wife got him. He hasn't ridden or seen it after what happened. 'It seems like this is how fate wants to play.'

Akito slowly climbed on, and surprisingly the horse didn't knock him off. "It seems like you still haven't forgotten me."

Now time to rescue Setsura.

…

Fate loved to play games on him. Even long before he met his former wife before he met Setsura, that word fate frightened him. 'I had every reason to dislike that word.' That concept of fate, something that was decided for him and out of his control.

He could still remember it clearly, her tear-stained face, the blood - so much blood. His childhood friend and that disaster. 

Murderers. Traitors. Betrayers.

Liars.

But those people were fighting for a purpose. They all had a point; he didn't know anything. He was content with the current days fleeting as they were. But that was his mistake.

Akito saw a bright light shot up in the air, and right that moment, he stopped riding his horse. Or rather, he had no choice but to stop. Standing a few feet away from him was a man with long blue hair.

"Oslo." He hissed.

There was a good reason why he didn't like this man. It wasn't because of his former wife, either. It was because he saw him kill somebody in cold blood. Akito saw the brutality possessed by this man who always smiled. 

Oslo raised his hand. "Apologies, but you will not cross this point."

Akito clenched his fist and charged towards him with the horse. But right at that moment, he lost his grip and fell off. He landed on the ground with a thud and felt a sharp pain across the eyepatch. 

Oslo knelt down. "I will keep her safe. So for a while, go rest."

Last time? When was last time? 

He hears a sweet voice in his head. A voice he had not heard in so long. The voice of his wife and then Setsura's image overlapped. 

He remembered the day they took her from him.

He remembered how desperate and frantic he was.

He remembered her tears.

He remembered how messy her hair was.

He remembered her question.

'No matter what happens, will you always be able to find me?'

Akito remembered how he answered yes, yes he would find her no matter what. 

How could he forget that?

'Ah, so it was like that all along. But once again, I will forget.'

Akito felt a bright glow surround him, and weakly looked towards Oslo.

"It isn't time yet; please try to understand."

He will never understand. Why do these people want to get in his way so badly? Why do they tear him away from her?

Why can't they be happy? Akito turned towards the light. He knew she was there, but once again, he could not go.