Soldiers don't hesitate to come at him, landing countless attacks on him. Hinata avoids using his sword as much as he can, using his blade only to cut through the metal of the spears and prevent a blow too bad on him. There's something mesmerising about the way he fights - the elegance, the lack of recklessness, almost like he's a dancer. Mizuki's heart drums rhythmically to his footsteps.
Hinata snaps his fingers and Mizuki gets the signal. She's supposed to make a run for it. She emerges from the bushes, running at lightning speed towards the city.
A couple of soldiers, caught off guard, divert their attention away from Hinata and onto Mizuki, having a split moment of deliberation before jogging after her. She keeps them hot on her heel for a couple of seconds before sliding to a dark corner. She takes a few seconds to mentally prepare herself, only re-appearing behind them once they've lost sight of her. She grabs a soldier by this neck, pulling him backwards before kneeing him in the back with all her strength.
Hinata doesn't expect this reaction from her but he matches her flow regardless, raining blows and punches on the remaining soldiers. It's an impossible task, one that both of them must've been out of their minds to get involved in - two individuals against a troop of soldiers. Somehow it works, because they're so in-sync with each other, perfectly overlapping each other's attacks to throw off the guards, anyone would guess they've been training together for years.
It's difficult to pinpoint how complete strangers manage to match each other so perfectly without practice. Many would suggest it's what happens when two people are fated to be.
Soon they come to the realisation that time is running thin before they're outnumbered by more soldiers. Hinata and Mizuki glance at each other once, as Mizuki drop-kicks a soldier and Hinata deadlocks another. They nod and then they run, dashing amongst the bushery, hoping they'll be covered enough.
The duo leap over the back fences of houses, avoid streetlights and flickering lanterns till finally, they're home.
Hinata slams the door shut, locks it and turns off all the lights. All is silent except for their unsteady heavy breathing in unison.
Mizuki gives in to her jelly knees. "Ha…" she sighs, wide-eyed and crazed. Her hoodie falls to her back, exposing her messy hair. She clutches onto her chest, the stinging feeling that now tortures her from the exercise she hadn't physically prepared herself for.
"We're leaving Ocantis tomorrow," Hinata totters forward, removing his mask. He sets it against the table, combing his fringe back. Mizuki's hands fall on her thighs.
"Leaving?!" she repeats. "What do you mean 'leave'? Where are we going? Why? The guards didn't see us—"
"If the first Piece was stolen, it means the rest of them are going to get stolen too. Besides, there's no guaranteeing what extent the military will go to," Hinata hisses. "It's not safe here. We need to go as soon as it's day break."
"What the hell?! That's in a few hours!" Mizuki yells and by this point, she has clambered onto her feet so she can stand level with Hinata. "How can you expect me to follow you after you kept so much information from me all this time? You should be grateful that I didn't stop you to ask what the fuck we're doing in the middle of the night."
Mizuki presses the skin over her heart, summoning the Quest panel. She clicks on the Main Quest, leaving it open for Hinata to see. Her blood boiling with fury, she demands, "What the hell is this, huh?! The only reason I know about the Befallen Piece is because I read your books!"
"I did this for your own good, okay?!" Hinata retaliates.
"Oh, really?" Mizuki laughs cynically. "By literally not telling me the main objective of this game and the absolute basic knowledge I'm supposed to know to get out of here, you did this for my own good. I was going to spend months after months levelling up and getting to the highest class, thinking that's my ticket out. Yeah, no, I don't buy your bullshit excuse."
"I didn't want you being so caught up with goals you can't achieve, Hirashi!" Hinata's voice is hoarse by this point and he's struggling to keep raising his voice. "I didn't even know that you could hold those Pieces, and all I've been doing these weeks is to scout the castle to find an opening for US so YOU can get back home."
Mizuki pauses. She opens her mouth, but she finds that she's at a loss for words. Clenching her fist, she bellows, "I've not been lazing around or anything either, Yasui! I put my life in danger so many times because YOU never give me the time to teach me. And because YOU don't tell me anything, I have to dig out information myself. Who knows what else you're hiding from me?! Are you even yourself?!"
"WHY CAN'T YOU TRUST THAT SOME THINGS I DO ARE FOR YOU?!" Hinata slams his fist against the table, trembling with rage.
"BECAUSE IF YOU CARED, YOU WOULDN'T FUCKING LIE TO ME ALL THE TIME, YASUI," Mizuki leans up to his face, glaring into his eyes with a look so venomous, it could kill him. Hinata clenches his jaw so hard in an attempt to hold back, his teeth could shatter under the pressure.
It's impossible to go far in a house so small so the most either of them can do is to storm off in different directions. Hinata doesn't have the liberty to leave the house as he would in any other argument, especially while he's in black clothes. Hinata flounces upstairs. Mizuki turns away, lowering her gaze to her arms. "Haa…" she lets out a breath. "Hahaha," she laughs, but it sounds more like a statement than a laugh.
Mizuki only just realises the new burns she has earned from the earlier fight. When she touches them, they glow and a stinging feeling surges through her arm. She writhes, shifting her fingertips away once again. She lies against the couch, not letting her eyes linger once in Hinata's direction.
Mizuki shuts her eyes.
[Hirashi Mizuki has hit the sack]