Only with Your Heart

Encounter - 1

Chizuru felt the cold drops of water hit against her cheek. She scowled without thinking and shivered.

When she inhaled, it was cold air that poured into her lungs as if to cleanse her. Her eyes remained tightly shut as her hand stretched out, searching for the blanket that should be warming her body. But the only things that her fingertips felt was the texture of her own damp clothing.

...Damp clothing?

Cold air?

Chizurus consciousness slowly drifted back to reality.

That was right. She had been eating with Karasawa, and then returned alone to her station when the voice' had rung in her ears. That was the dream. And

And?

(Dream?)

Her heart began to beat loudly. Chizuru frantically opened her eyes.

The sight that sprung into her vision was a forest-like place with trees that may have been cedar. The ground was covered in fallen, wet leaves of amber. Everything that was beyond a dozen meters ahead was shrouded in a thin, white mist. If this was not reality, it was the most beautiful and mystical scene.

The sunlight that leaked from the forest roof swayed in the mist and shined like an aurora.

Chizuru picked herself out of the bed of leaves and gulped. She stayed still for quite some time. The lively cries of wild birds were echoing like some far away siren.

No matter how you saw it, this was not a common sight for modern Japan.

This tranquility was not normal. Sometimes, she could hear the twittering of birds, but there was no man-made noise from cars and trains in this world.

Coul it, could it, could it be

Chizuru looked at her surroundings and tried to confirm the situation she was in.

Her clothes...were the same as when she was in Japan. Though, they were quite damp after having soaked the dew from the leaves. Her bag and umbrella were now gone, and she had nothing on her but her clothes.

Yes, it was just like how it was the last time in Lukrovs world

She had not met anyone yet and seen no real evidence of it, but Chizuru was sure of it. The chilly air that entered her lungs somehow felt nostalgic, and her heart began to race. Such delicious air could not be tasted in her old world. Chizuru remained sitting on the forest floor as she filled her chest with all the fresh air that she could.

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Ive come back.

She did not know where she currently was, or where Lukrov was living, but she was in the same world, breathing the same air. Just thinking about it made her heart fill with emotion.

However, she was not able to bask in that sensation for long.

She was alone in a thick forest. Nothing would begin if she just sat there and thought. While the sun was still high, she did not know if it was morning or the afternoon. But she knew from experience that she would be surrounded by complete darkness when day turned into night, and so Chizuru decided that she must walk and try to find something.

At least, it was clearly not winter.

She did feel cold under her damp clothes, but not enough to freeze. Considering that the ground was covered in leaves, it would probably be autumn here. It had been October in Japan, and maybe it was the same season here as well.

Chizuru felt a little calmer when she thought about this.

What if only a year and several months had passed here as well?

For now, Chizurus main goal was to look for someone that she could talk to. She wanted to confirm the exact date and also find an inn that she could spend the night at. The books that Mai had lent her often depicted inns and guest houses, but such useful establishments were hard to find in this world. It was likely that those books had envisioned a more advanced age. Here, spending the night outside of your home would often mean sleeping outside or sleeping in someone elses house.

After walking for some time, she became anxious at the fact that her surroundings seemed to go on unchanged. She was thirsty, but there was no water to drink. And no food to ease her hunger. Along with being reminded of the conveniences of modern Japan, she was also thankful to Karasawa, for taking her to the restaurant to eat.

Lukrov had taught her how to find edible nuts and mushrooms in the forest once. And so Chizuru tried to recall that knowledge as she pushed away the dead leaves and looked through the soil for food.

Her memory was not the best, but she did manage to find some nuts that resembled walnuts. And she opened them with a rock and ate them gratefully.

She was able to act like this so naturally because this was her second time here.

Her throat was still dry, but she decided to keep walking once her stomach was satisfied. The ground was mostly flat but slanted a little downward, and Chizuru followed that direction. She felt that she was more likely to come upon a house that way That too was something that Lukrov had once told her.

She walked, walked and walked.

Then she walked even more until she finally heard something like the rushing of water from far away. Without thinking, Chizuru's feet immediately started to move towards the sounds.

It was faint, but she was sure that it was the sound of water.

She entered an area where there was not only leaves, but grass that went up to her knees, and after a little more walking, discovered a brook. It was not even thirty centimeters deep and only about fifty centimeters wide, but it was beautifully clear and even smelled pleasant.

Chizuru knelt down by the side of the river and checked that the water was not too cold before she scooped it up and drank it.

It was cool, fragrant and gentle.

The sensation of it moistening her parched throat was to die for, and Chizuru lost herself in the act of bringing the water to her lips. Her face and neck became wet as she did this, but it felt almost reviving after such a long walk and having her skin covered in sweat.

Water.

Oh, water!

There was nothing else that supported and empowered life like this. Chizuru now felt this deeply. Her tired mind and every fiber of her being seemed to relax, and the tension and unease faded away. The worries and doubts that had filled her mind as she walked now left her, and she felt hopeful again.

Everything would turn out alright.

Chizuru sat down by the river for a while and rested.

The rush of the clean water and the chirping of the birds who came to drink played softly in her ears. Before she knew it, she had closed her eyes again.

And she allowed herself to fall asleep, meaning for it to be for only a short while.

Chizuru felt her body swaying unnaturally, and she awoke.

The swaying continued even after she was awake, and sometimes she would feel the impact of something shaking her entire body. Her hip and back hurt, and she felt a little sick.

(My hip hurts...what is?)

Feeling that something was wrong, she opened her eyes and saw the night sky.

Chizuru realized then that she had slept until the sun went down. She cursed herself, but it was too late. The stars danced and filled the sky.

And

Ahh, young lady. You have awakened just in time. We are almost at my castle.

Chizuru let out a short scream.

A large, bear-like man was grinning at her from under the light of the moon. His expression seemed amused. His bushy hair was thick and grew down to his beard, and it smelled thickly of sweat. She did not know how old he was, but her overall impression was that he looked like Santa Clause had not taken a bath in over a year.

Ah, I wouldnt do that if I were you, beautiful. I am not known for being patient. You dont want me to hurt you, do you?

Wha

Chizuru was breathing heavily now. She quickly scanned her surroundings and saw that she was on a horse with this bear of a man. Her body was wrapped in a filthy blanket, and she was gripped tightly so that she would not fall off, but the man's appearance and manner were far from a gentleman or knight.

It was dark aside from the light of the moon, and she could not see clearly. But she thought that she heard the sounds of several other horses running close by. Was he leading a group of men?

Wh-what are you...going to do with me?

While she felt pathetic, she could not help but feel fear, and her voice trembled. The man seemed to be enjoying her reaction.

It was no surprise to her. He seemed like the kind of man who would find pleasure in tormenting women.

He showed his yellowed teeth and roared with laughter.

Youre a pretty one, and we have only men here. As starved as we are, what else would we do!

Enraged, Chizuru immediately tried to escape from his grip, but his thick arms were sturdy, and would not let go. A guttural laugh came from his hairy mouth, and Chizuru felt extreme hatred for him.

Le-let me go!

That is what I would wish

The bear of a man continued cheerfully. "...But you have dark hair and eyes, and a face that is not common around here. And your build is just right. Though, perhaps you are a little too young."

"F-face?"

"If that bastard scum is in a good mood, we may be able to make a little money off of you. And so there it is. You are our prisoner for now. We won't touch you. But don't expect to be treated like a princess either."

Just then, the hoot of an owl came from somewhere. It was strangely loud.

Chizuru pursed her lips as she shook with rage. She had never expected that she would fall straight back into Lukrovs arms, but she had not expected this either. That she would be captured by some unknown men and be handled like property.

She tried to hold them back, but tears began to fill her eyes.

"Bah, there is no reason to cry. That cold duke was once praised as a hero who saved the country. But now, he is only a shut-in who rules this countryside."

What.

Chizuru stopped breathing at those words.

A hero...who saved the country?

Who, who...is he? When...did this happen?

The man raised his eyebrows in surprise at her string of questions. He had not expected her to be so interested.

He scratched his rough beard and seemed to be thinking.

It must be fourteen years ago now The people could not shut up about him then, but now he is practically disgraced. They call him the Black Assassin.

Chizuru was lost for words.

Fourteen years. So her calculations had been correct. And, the hero of the country.

But why an Assassin?

Turns out the hero who saved the kingdom was nothing more than a murderer and a monster, who was blinded by gold and women. They say that he killed hundreds as the kings hand. But he lives quietly in his mansion now

The bear man said and roared with laughter. Chizuru could not understand what was so amusing to him.

The hoot of an owl echoed once again, and Chizuru felt even more uneasy.