Because of me

Chapter 11 - Traitor

"Wait, so you're telling me that you've been here for around a month now teaching Shirayuki swordsmanship and she chose not to come back!" Yuki nodded her head slowly, Zen stood up, "That's absurd! Why wouldn't she want to come back home?"

"Because she thinks that she's weak and too much of a burden to carry on. She blames herself for what happened to you." Yuki replied, sadness in her tone.

"What happened to me? But I'm perfectly fine."

"That's not the point, she thought you were dead, Zen. A while ago, a few fisherman found the body of a dead boy, around our age. We never found out about the details but Shirayuki thought that it was you. Because of that, she began to blame herself for your death. She said things like 'If I weren't so weak, Zen would still be alive."

"Shirayuki... Said things like that? That idiot!"

"Yes, she did. I tried to convince her otherwise but she'd either try to change the topic or go away."

"Shirayuki... I have to find where she went. I have to go now." Zen began to walk towards the door to leave.

"I'm coming with you, I think I might be able to help you find her." Yuki stood up and followed after Zen.

"Very well then, we leave at once."

'Shirayuki, so you were alive all along. I will find you! No matter what the cost.' Zen clutched the antique stopwatch tightly in his hand.

***
"Obi... Why are you with them? Shouldn't you be in Clarinece?"

"Mistress Shirayuki! What are you-"

"Oh, so you two know each other?" Umihebi interrupted, "How saddening, that you two are on opposite sides now. Obi, strike her down."

"But Umi-" Obi was cut off.

"Don't you dare, you know what happens when you disobey my orders. After all, you were there when Shin met the rope's end for getting us arrested."

'That boy that was found at sea, in Alousia, it was Shin?' Shirayuki eyes widened in shock.

"Now Obi, GO!"

"I'm sorry, mistress." Obi began to approach Shirayuki slowly.

"Obi, get ahold of yourself, STRIKE HER DOWN!"

'What do I do? I can't just defeat him. I only know the basics, I'm not advanced enough to defeat Obi, think Shirayuki think.'

Obi pulled out a dagger, turned around and struck Umihebi, "You TRAITOR! How could you? You will pay with your LIFE!" Umihebi threw a knife at Obi, he ducked and avoided it, it brushed past Shirayuki, barely leaving her unscathed.

"RUN MISTRESS!" Obi yelled for Shirayuki to leave, recruits of The Claw began to charge towards them.

"No! I won't just leave you. I'm stronger than I was before. I'm not just gonna leave you, I'm done with abandoning people that I care for." Shirayuki struck down two enemies in one slash.

"Mistress... You truly have developed, haven't you."

"HALT ALL LIONS!" Shirayuki turned her head around to see another group of enemies on a nearby cliff, "Claw of the Sea, we've found you."

"Mistress Shirayuki, aren't those the people who kidnapped you before you were taken by The Claw." Shirayuki looked up and recognized the man who had defeated Obi during the time of Shirayuki's kidnapping.

"We are not your enemies, we only seek The Claw of the Sea." The man said to Shirayuki and Obi.

"Lions of the Mountains, I see you're here to avenge your precious Kazuki." Umihebi laughed at them.

"We know you have him, where is he!"

"He got lost somewhere, haven't seen him since." Umihebi shrugged.

"LIES!" He jumped off the cliff and charged towards Umihebi.

"Mistress, we should go." Obi instructed.

"No, but we can't just-"

Obi interrupted her, "Trust me mistress." He grabbed her hand and led her away.

'Kazuki's... Missing?'

***
Author's note:
GUESS WHO'S BACK~
BACK AGAIN~
mystic_cat1639's BACK~

I'm so sorry for updating late, I broke my iPad and I use it for my writing so I had to use my brother's. Next chapter also might be a little late, if it is I'm SO SORRY😭😭😭

Goodbye until then.