Branch association leader, what should we do?" Tanji asked.
Yamamura turned to the public and announced, "This is the work of the player association. After receiving a complaint from a civilian, we immediately dispatched players to show the consequences of corruption.
This place belongs to the people, and no one will take it. You can take back your homes right away. In the future, anytime, anywhere, if you see a corrupted official or player in the player association, you can complain to the Nagoya Player Association branch to bring justice.
We are trying to dispel this disaster, and our priority is protecting people. So don't be afraid to speak up. We promise your name will never be made public, just like the person who complained to us."
"So only our city branch association leader is a corrupted leader. I misjudged the player association. I will ask my son to register there."
"Thank you, player association."
"Thank you, player association."
Everyone praised the player association although there were still some speculations.
"Is it okay to lie, sir?" Tanji asked. "What if the culprit admits it to the public later?"
"They won't. I know who did this. Prepare to head back."
"It seems we escaped the public wrath and even got their support," said Tanji, "but who could have done it, sir."
"You are not in a position to know them," said Yamamura.
"Forgive me, branch association leader."
"It's fine. Clean up the scene and don't let them give out the players involved."
"I will see to it, sir."
'Just what happened here?' Yamamura thought.
An hour ago,
While Akira was complaining to Tanji, one guard saw the bracelet (artifact) Haruka was wearing. "Hey, check it out. She has an artifact."
"Should we get it?"
"What else? How can a country child hold such a precious thing?"
The guard went near Haruka to grab the bracelet.
After Akira cut the call after the complaint, he saw Haruka standing there. Meanwhile, the guard was coming from behind her. With his greedy expression, Akira knew something bad would happen.
While the guard tried to touch Haruka's hand, Akira caught his hand, and he was not in a good mood.
"What are you doing?" Akira asked in a serious tone.
Haruka didn't notice that as she was distracted. She panicked and thought, 'Please don't say anything stupid.'
"Kid, don't worry. I am not after your little girlfriend. Where did you steal that bracelet?"
"We took it from a dungeon."
"Hey, those things belong to the government, give it to me and I will guarantee you won't get arrested."
Haruka got relaxed as that was not something that would trigger Akira.
While he was speaking, the other guard tried to jump on Haruka to steal the bracelet, and at that moment, Haruka knew they were screwed.
Before the guard reached the bracelet, he got kicked in his face by Akira, and his action snapped Akira.
"You stupid brat. You injured a…" The other guard got a punch to his face with blood splashing out.
More guards saw it and came to attack Akira with guns, but the guns' tips got blocked by small blue hexagon plates. When they shot, the backfire rendered the guns unusable.
"Aki, stop," Haruka asked while protecting him from attacks.
But he didn't listen. He was in a rage. He caught a man's arm and smashed it to his knee and then kicked his legs, breaking the bones.
Then he caught another guard's head and smashed it to the ground, then picked up the man while holding his head and threw him at other guards.
Then he jump-kicked the body further injuring him.
At that moment, Shinichi was inspecting the area and saw it all. He became fascinated. 'Wow, this guy is packed. There's no way someone would go against the player association just like that. I have to look into his background.' Shinichi took a picture of Akira with his mobile.
Akira made sure every guard had a few bones broken while fighting to quell his anger.
Haruka tried to stop him but the guards were attacking him with weapons, so she was forced to use only a barrier to protect Akira from their sneak attacks.
A few guards saw Haruka's shield as annoying and tried to attack her, and she blocked it with the barrier but that was the greatest mistake they had made in their life.
The guards got kicked by Akira into the walls, and their bones cracked like biscuits underfoot. He cracked their bones like a child trashing toys in anger.
Haruka couldn't catch up to Akira's speed due to proficiency, so she only focused on protecting him since then.
Akira finished breaking all guards in the area and then he started the second round again. He went to the injured guards and trashed them even further to make a lesson out of them.
Even Shinichi, a famous assassin gulped in fear; he understood the meaning very well. If anyone dared to even have the thought of laying a finger on her, they must be prepared for something worse than death.
Haruka was forced to watch all of it, unable to stop Akira. She felt responsible because she was the cause. She unknowingly treated Akira and herself as one part, which most partners couldn't feel in a relationship. Whatever she had mentioned, she always used we, our words a lot.
Those guards got beaten senseless even after their bones were broken in the second round.
After the 2nd round, Akira caught Haruka's hand and pulled her to her house. She silently followed.
At present,
"Branch association leader, there are no casualties but each and every one of them has at least a few permanent disabilities that won't allow them to use their limbs. It seems someone tried to touch something he shouldn't, and the whole team paid the price."
'It must be that girl registered along with him,' Yamamura thought, 'he is dangerous but that is what this country needs the most now. As long as that girl is protected, this country is protected.'
It became night, in front of Akira's room.
Haruka stood there hesitating to go inside. 'No, I shouldn't hesitate. He suffered so much because of me; I should calm him down.'
Haruka pulled the door handle, but it was locked. "Aki." She called.
"Haruka, I am sorry, please go away."
That call zapped all her energy and will, and her hand let go of the handle. 'Is he talking to Haruka? But I am not her. Aki, please see me as Ruka.'
She went to her room and fell on the bed devastated. The Aki she knew was different, and the Haruka he saw her as was also different. She couldn't accept the kindness he showed to her because he was doing it for the grown-up Haruka.
Tears slowly started to fall from her eyes as she felt unacknowledged by him. She cried that night after a very long time in her life.
The next day morning, both Akira and Haruka came down with a long face.
While eating, Haruno said, "Ruka, Michi called a few days back asking if you were safe. You should visit her. She gave her new house address. Be nice to her; I heard her father died in the office that day."
"I don't have the mood," she replied but quickly got her ear twisted by her mother. *aaa* "Mom."
"Young lady, I didn't raise you like this," said Haruno, "you are meeting her today. I already called her this morning to meet you at. . . Take Aki Chan with you."
"Ok, ok. Release my ear," pleaded Haruka.
Haruno released her ear.
"You ask him if he wants to come," said Haruka, which brought her another twist to the ear.
"Is he my childhood sweetheart or yours?" Haruno inquired.
Haruka looked away apathetically. "Who is my childhood sweetheart?"
The mood became awkward, but Akira covered it quickly with a smile. "Ruka, didn't you say we should meet them a few days back? Let's go."
That surprised Haruka a lot. 'You...' She completely melted away by his call. Her cheeks became red, and she was unable to look at him. 'Why do you have to change so quickly? Just yesterday you said to go away. This is so unfair; you have to know I can't be angry at you if you call me that but you still did.'
Most confused were their parents. The duo appeared to have fought, but now Akira was smiling, and Haruka's face became red.
Later Haruka called Michi and decided to meet with their surviving classmates.
While going, Akira said, "I am sorry for last night."
She lowered her head with embarrassment. "It's fine. You became angry for me."
"But I called you Haruka, you must really hate your name."
'No you idiot,' She wanted to yell that but she didn't. 'When you call me that, I feel like you want to avoid me, and I hate that but that's too embarrassing to admit. It even made me cry yesterday.
Who cares who he thinks I am, that is also me and I am also me. The important thing is to not make you suffer while keeping you happy.
I realized something, if I truly love you, then I have to love the person you are. If I want to change you(she meant in terms of treating her as old Haruka and Ruka), then I missed the entire point of love.
You should be happy, and I also should be happy because only when I am happy, I can love you. When I am angry or sad, I will become selfish and that is not a happy day.'