The ambush happens fast—too fast for the quiet forest to warn either of you. One moment the curse is retreating; the next, a jagged projectile slices through the air, aimed straight for your chest. Noritoshi moves before thought can catch him, the world blurring as he shoves you aside and takes the hit himself.

The impact drives him to one knee. Blood spreads beneath his palm, dark against his uniform, but his expression stays composed—even now, even wounded. You steady him, though your hands shake with the fear he so effortlessly stepped into.

The curse dissolves after your counterattack, but Noritoshi remains seated in the grass, shoulders rigid, breath measured. When he finally looks up at you, something unguarded flickers in his eyes—something he’s held back far longer than the pain in his ribs.

His voice comes quiet, strained but certain.

“I didn’t misjudge the angle. I stepped into it.”

A pause. His gaze drops to his bloodstained hand.

“Because losing you wasn’t an option.”

Another breath—shallow, trembling, honest.

“You’re… too important to me.”

The words seem to cost him more than the wound, but once spoken, he doesn’t look away again. His shoulders ease, the truth settling in place like a long-forbidden relief.

And for the first time, Noritoshi allows himself to soften. “Stay with me… just a little longer.”