"What do you want from me?!" Akari snapped, her voice echoing in the cold hallway of their underground hideout.
"May I ask you a question, Akari?" Ichika replied calmly, crossing her arms. "Let's have a sincere conversation, please. I'm not liking this attitude of yours."
Akari glared, her eyes sharp with hurt. "Not at all! It doesn't matter if you're my best buddy or not—I'm just being honest about myself!"
Ichika sighed. "Alright, how about a duel? If I win, we talk. If I lose, I won't bother you again."
Takeshi, standing nearby, raised his hand. "But isn't this going too far? You might hurt each other."
"Stop talking, I don't need your opinion," Akari shot back, her glare shifting from Ichika to Takeshi.
Ichika met Akari's glare with her own, her usual calm replaced by a rare seriousness. "I'll go easy on you, Akari. But we need to talk."
"Don't underestimate me! I'll beat you so bad," Akari hissed.
Takeshi sighed, looking over at Rikuu, who was silently watching. Ichika and Akari took their positions, Takeshi handing each a wooden sword.
"They're really going through with this..." Takeshi muttered.
Rikuu folded his arms. "You know, Takeshi, sometimes people need to fight to understand each other."
"But they might hurt each other..." Takeshi said, unease in his eyes.
Rikuu glanced at him. "You say that, but you're the one who's killed twenty-seven people, right? Don't pretend you're softer than you are."
Takeshi flinched, looking down. "Yeah... I fight, but I don't like fighting friends. I worry about them. Is that wrong?"
"No," Rikuu replied. "I guess we're alike in that."
The clash of wood against wood snapped their attention back to the duel. Ichika and Akari moved with surprising precision, each parrying and striking with determination.
Akari gritted her teeth, sweat beading at her temple. "What... are you?! How are you this fast?!"
Ichika's eyes softened even as she blocked Akari's strike. "Akari, stop. I don't want to hurt you. Just give up already."
"Liar!" Akari screamed, pushing back fiercely.
Akari lunged, but Ichika sidestepped, tapping Akari's forehead with the wooden sword, causing her to stumble backward.
Ichika lowered her weapon. "I won. Now, will you please talk to me? I promise I won't get angry again."
Rikuu stepped forward, his arms crossed. "Akari, admit your defeat and listen. Remember what Mom said about stubbornness."
Akari's face contorted, her eyes glossy. "No! You don't understand my suffering! You don't know how much that incident scarred me! I just... can't!"
She turned and bolted from the room, running down the dark hallway to her small room, slamming the door shut.
Alone, Akari stared at the cracked photo of her family on her desk. Her voice was barely a whisper, "Akane, Dad, Mom... Please, either take me or come back. I don't have anyone left anymore..."
Takeshi stood outside her door, hearing her muffled sobs. His hand hovered near the door, but he did not knock. He knew she needed this moment alone.
Meanwhile, Ichika collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily, a wave of fatigue washing over her. Rikuu rushed to her side, helping her sit up.
"What was that? You've never moved like that before," Rikuu said, concern in his eyes.
Ichika shook her head, wiping sweat from her brow. "It's the alchemy... the one Akari accidentally spilled on me years ago. It's still inside me. It doesn't hurt, but... it makes me stronger in a strange way."
Rikuu blinked. "Alchemy? You mean the one that burns anyone who touches it?"
Ichika nodded. "My body's abnormalities make me immune. It boosts me instead."
Rikuu frowned. "Don't push yourself, Ichika. Go rest. You'll need your strength to face Akari again tomorrow."
Ichika sighed. "I know she's angry, but she's not a bad person. I just... want to help her."
"She wasn't always like this," Rikuu said quietly. "Remember when her dog went missing? She cried for days, but she never snapped at us."
Ichika smiled faintly. "Yeah... she's carrying too much pain."
Later, Takeshi entered, finding Ichika sitting weakly on a bench near the window, the moonlight bathing her tired face.
"Ichika, you okay?" Takeshi asked.
She tried to stand but wobbled, forcing Takeshi to catch her arm and guide her back down.
"Thanks..." Ichika whispered.
Takeshi sat beside her, looking out at the darkened city. "Akari's not mad at you, you know. She's mad at herself. She thinks she's alone."
Ichika's eyes glistened. "Maybe I pushed her too hard. I didn't want to interrupt her grief, but I thought... maybe if I fought her, she'd listen."
"She will," Takeshi said softly. "Tomorrow, Rikuu and I will give you space. You two should talk it out properly. But first... that alchemy inside you... if the higher-ups find out, it could become another mission, another target on your back."
Ichika took a deep breath, gripping the edge of the bench. "Then let's keep it a secret, for now."
Takeshi nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We're with you, Ichika. You're not alone in this."
Ichika looked up, a tired but genuine smile forming. "Thank you... Takeshi."
As Takeshi left the room, Ichika turned her gaze back to the window, the lights of the city blinking like distant stars. Her body ached, but her resolve did not waver.
"Tomorrow... I'll try again, Akari. I promise I won't give up on you."