[Kaoru operates by a very bizarre but stringent code. He hates Chizuru as much as he loves her, he'd take her life without blinking if he felt it was necessary, he would make her wish that he would kill her if he wanted to. This, however, falls outside of his twisted range of desire. Shock is written on his face when he feels Daitsuren's blade sink in, because he can tell right away just who he's hit. She says his name and it's enough to briefly snap him out of it, but before he can pull his sword back, another pierces through and the noise Kaoru makes is one of strangled distress.
He tells himself that Chizuru is not the exception to his rigid beliefs, and in most situations she isn't - but here, she is. She is, and he's failed to do the one thing he wants most.
Luckily, his reaction times are still keen and somewhat automatic. He's had to power through traumatic situations before, after all. The tip of Soujirou's sword carves a path through his chest, but he's fortunate enough to pull back in time to avoid a truly lethal shot. If it were anyone else, he'd have continued his own onslaught through their body regardless, but it's Chizuru— He grabs her by the wrist and pulls her away, taking a stumbling leap backward. It's a messy process, but the best he can manage, even if part of him is already well aware of how futile the move is.]
no subject
He tells himself that Chizuru is not the exception to his rigid beliefs, and in most situations she isn't - but here, she is. She is, and he's failed to do the one thing he wants most.
Luckily, his reaction times are still keen and somewhat automatic. He's had to power through traumatic situations before, after all. The tip of Soujirou's sword carves a path through his chest, but he's fortunate enough to pull back in time to avoid a truly lethal shot. If it were anyone else, he'd have continued his own onslaught through their body regardless, but it's Chizuru— He grabs her by the wrist and pulls her away, taking a stumbling leap backward. It's a messy process, but the best he can manage, even if part of him is already well aware of how futile the move is.]
Chizuru—? Chizuru?!