Chapter 123 - #122 Tetsu and Kana (2/2)

'Something I want, something important...Agh! Could it be...?!' Tetsu felt a mild pain in the head and he just recalled the death of his father which also caused him to figure out what was inside that bottle.

”You-! Give it to me! P-Please!” Tetsu outstretched his arm towards Akashi and said at first with a strong look in his face but that quickly changed when his eyes teared up when he saw Akashi's stoic expression.

”...*sigh* I guess that's one way to calm down, at least feeling the sorrow is better than anger right now.” Akashi looked at Tetsu's face for a few seconds before he sighed and gave the bottle into his hand.

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”T-Thank you...Aren't you blind? How were you able to dodge all of my attacks?” Tetsu said after a few minutes of complete silence. Just him lying near Akashi while hugging the bottle and hearing the birds sing.

”Who ever said that I am blind? Anyway, you are quite brave to take up such beating and keep getting up despite knowing that it's pointless.” Akashi asked with a small smile while tilting his head to the side before he complimented Tetsu.

”Mm...Tetsu?!! Are you alright?” Kana, Tetsu's sister finally woke up and immediately run up to lying Tetsu, dropping on her knees.

”Kana!” Tetsu's expression brightened when he saw his sister wake up.

Akashi just let them have their sibling moment.

Kana suddenly stood up and approached Akashi

”Um, sir...W-What happened to my brother?” She stopped right in front of him and asked with a determined face but she was constantly fidgeting.

”He is stubborn one, I guess you know that very well.” Akashi replied with a small smile while looking at a little girl in front of him. He already got the description of their hair color from Kiyomi. Both of them were blond and Kana had shoulder-length hair while Tetsu had short spiky hair. He also answered in this way because he saw Tetsu's attacks.

'That kid's form wasn't that bad, he sure is inexperienced and let himself get attacked 20 times in the same way but he has some basics which could be only taught by a real teacher, a real swordsman. Even basics can be separated into good ones, adequate ones, and then bad ones. He has good basics so it couldn't be anyone from such a small city, even if his own father was a guard, they have at most adequate basics and most of them are even using spears or firearms.

”...Yeah, he is...” Kana could feel that Akashi's smile was friendly and she couldn't help but reply with a smile while blushing a bit from being embarrassed by her brother.

Kana soon noticed what Tetsu was hugging and so he explained it to her. She immediately teared up but no longer made any sounds of sobbing, she only let her tears pour down her cheeks.

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After helping Tetsu with recovery from his bruises, both Kana and Tetsu nervously stood in front of Akashi who was also finally standing.

”Do you two have anyone who can take care of you?” Akashi asked with folded arms.

”Um, there might be someone!” Kana was the first one to reply with uncertain face.

”Kana! We can't do that, we are already indebted to her...” Tetsu said with a sad expression.

”Who is 'her' you are speaking about? You don't need to be wary around me, whether you want to go or not is something you have to decide among yourselves.” Akashi reassured them.

”*sigh* Akame-neechan might be able to take care of us but I don't know for sure.” Tetsu replied with a difficult expression.

'Hm? So that's where he has gotten those basics of swordsmanship.' Akashi thought with a slightly surprised expression.

”I wouldn't consider Akame as an option. After all, she is together with those who burned your city and killed your father.” Akashi said while shaking his head.

”What?! Lies! She would never help those who did that!” Tetsu immediately started shouting with an angered expression which meant that he cares for Akame quite a lot despite knowing her for at most one week.

”...You know Akame-neechan, sir?” Kana didn't get angry and instead asked with a composed expression.

”That's right, and kiddo, I said that she is together with your enemy but I never said that she helped them to do it or that she helped them knowingly. These are two completely different things, remember that and try to be a bit calmer like your sister. If you want to swing around with a sword, you mustn't swing it with your emotions, anger will lead you only to mistakes and impatience. I take it that she was the one who taught you how to swing around with a weapon, right?” Akashi replied to Kana before he turned his attention to Tetsu.

”...That's right but what should we do if we can't depend on Akame-neechan?” Tetsu asked with a confused and lost expression but this question wasn't intended for anyone to answer, it was a question out of the desperation.

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