Chapter 53: You Want Dominion? Follow Your Own Path
The bandit immediately fell to the ground, shaking and shivering, as Haruka toppled over him. Her eyes deciphicating a wave of anger and worry, which faded in an instant, as she swiped her claws at the bandit’s and falling him into unconsciousness.
In that fleeting moment where worry was evident in her eyes, Kenji saw. His heart began to beat rapidly, as he came to the realization that, yes, she still cared, even if she acted like she didn’t, she, still cared. And that alone could bring a man any joy.
" Yo- you fought for me, you still care," Kenji said, joy evident in his voice, as a slight smile crept up his face, the feeling that someone still cared, the feeling that he wasn’t just thrown away Immediately washed over him.
" Are you an idiot?!" Haruka exclaimed, her soft voice gone, now replaced by one with utter rage.
" You think i saved you because I cared?" Her words sending his soul into a whirl of heart pain.
" Remember, the life of a tamer and his tamed beast is unfairly interwoven. If you die, I die, but if I die, you just feel a little pain. So unless I want to die and completely end the bloodline of my tribe, then I still have to make sure you’re alive. I didn’t fight for you, I fought for myself," her words pieeceed the deepest region of his heart like a dagger drilled into the skull of a beast.
It hurt.
But she was right. He had sent her away when she wanted to help. And now that he wanted her help, he thought he could easily get her back?
* What a fool I’ve been* he thought, a tear streaming down his eyes.
Even after seeing the drop of tear, Haruka’s heart didn’t soften, instead, it hardened," you care too much about the approval of others. You care too much about proving yourself to everyone. You can never be my master anymore, until you learn to only care about those you love and not some public recognition," her words digging deeper and deeper into his soul.
She was right. And he had tried not to care. But it was easier said than done, as not caring about what others think of him, was something new to him, and he couldn’t just jump into it.