Why? Why is this happening to me again? It’s happening all over again!

As soon as Kawa got to the empty field a few miles away from the Martian city still within the large glass dome. He was pounding the poor ground so hard that it was making his knuckles bleed.

“Jaaaames!” Kawa screamed so loud that he did not even care if someone heard him. Tears were streaming down his face. First his family. Then, Dark Fury samurais… and now, James Miles! “James! Why, James?! Why did you take so many drugs?! Why did you risk your own life just to save me?! What is so special about me?! Is it my fucking katana?!”

Out of rage, he quickly withdrew his katana, but as soon as he did, he got blasted away from it. It happened so fast that he got completely stunned. He could feel his sword growling at him somehow. Then, he remembered that it was one of the side effects of the Chaos Pills.

He reached out his hand at the sword but the flames roared at him as if they were telling him to stay away. He quickly pulled away his hand.

“Fucking great,” He mumbled at himself angrily. “Even my own sword wouldn’t let me touch it.”

He shook his head furiously, trying to shake off such horrible memories of the deaths of his family and friends. Even with the wound on James’s chest, he still stood tall as if he was kind of a superhero.

And, Kawa was not a superhero. Not even a simple hero. All because he decided to run away. It was such a stupid decision that he could not take back at all.

He wiped his eyes with the back of his gloved hands. He took a few deep breaths, trying to stop crying. He did not want Akane and Graciela to worry about him at all, but he could not bear telling them the news that the rescue mission failed.

Just like their first mission to bring the evidence about Europans back to Earth failed.

He was very angry at the fact that he allowed James to order him to run. He was even angrier at himself because he listened to him and ran away. He was much, much angrier that he was not able to do anything about James dying. There was nobody who was willing to help a Lunan samurai, who was the enemy of Mars and Europa.

“Shit.” He hissed. He grabbed the katana’s handle one more time, but it did not hurt as it did before. He was just holding in the air, staring at the roaring flames. They were much bigger than usual, but it could be another side effect as well.

Or his own rage.

Sighing sadly, he put it in his holder and got up. He had to go back to Akane’s place at this point. They were probably worried about him. Especially after that explosion James caused back at the palace.

James was found dead as the result of cardiac arrest due to the high amount of Chaos Pills he took, but his rare wind-type katana was never found at all. The Martian and Europan samurais looked for it all over the place. It was as if it disappeared into thin air.

Kawa remembered that James was trying to tell him something. Mars and Europa were not the ones who started the war at all, but Kawa did not understand. Wasn’t it a Martian samurai who assassinated the wife of Lord Terra?

If they did not start the war, then who did?

Kawa frowned at himself. Was it Earth? Moon would never do that to Lord Terra’s wife, but why Earth?

~EARTHxMARS~

“Kawa!” Akane said in concern and worry. She opened the door to find Kawa in absolute mess after she heard loud knocks.

“Hi,” Kawa said softly.

“Oh, Kawa!” Akane gave him a big hug. “I’m so sorry that you had to go through all of this! I didn’t expect that he…”

“No, that’s ok.” Kawa pushed her aside. He did not want to look into her pitiful eyes anymore. “I… I need my space.”

“Kawa.” Akane grabbed his arm. “What James did was truly heroic. He sacrificed himself to save you.”

“Isn’t it opposite?” Kawa snapped at her. “I was supposed to save him! He couldn’t do this to me! Only if I was stronger, we could have escaped together alive!”

Akane smiled sadly at him and rubbed his arm gently. “Is that how you feel? Is that how you repay him for his death?”

Kawa felt a warm hand on his face. He could not help but lean into the warmth. Suddenly, he was feeling safe for some reason. His heart was beating faster than usual, but the effect of Chaos Pills should have worn out by now.

As soon as he realized what it really was, he quickly jerked away from the female Martian who was startled by his reaction. “I… You don’t have any single idea about how I’m feeling. I lost too many people dear to me!”

“You’re right.” She shook her head. “But I know what it's like to feel pain.”

“Just… leave me alone. Please.” Kawa could clearly see the hurt in her dark eyes. So, he turned away from her and made his way to the guest room he planned to sleep in until he got his own place or left the red planet.

As soon as he shut the door, he took another look at his hands. The thought of James came back to him, only stronger this time.

He was clenching his jaw in frustration. He wanted to scream so badly, but the neighbors would probably hear him and call the police on him.

“Why, why, why?” He repeated the question to himself for a few seconds. He wrapped his arms around himself. Suddenly, he was feeling green. His stomach was twisting so badly that he wanted to throw up.

After his stomach eased a little, he got into the bed under the thick blanket. He did not want to hear, see, feel, touch, and so on anymore. He just wanted to close his eyes forever if that was what could take his pain away.

~EARTHxMARS~

“When is he coming out?” Graciela took a sip of tea Akane gave her after she got to the apartment. “It’s been hours since he locked himself in the guest room.”

“I don’t know.” Akane shrugged her shoulders with a sad sigh. “He’s just having a hard time right now. After all, his only friend is dead. So, thank you so much for not handing him over to Lord Ares. I really appreciate your kindness and help.”

“Hmm.” Graciela nodded her head. “Have you heard that the rare wind-type katana is gone? The rumor is that any katana with an element only appears in front of their chosen masters.”

“Ah, is that so?” Akane said softly as she glanced at her sword lying next to her on her couch. “Our katanas are that special?”

“Didn’t you learn about them back in the military academy?” Graciela chuckled softly at her. “There are only five katanas in the solar system that have been granted by the Sun. Only four known swords are fire, wind, lightning, and ice. The fifth katana was never found. They claimed that the owners of such katanas are supposed to be the saviors.”

“But James died, didn’t he?” Akane raised an eyebrow at her before she took a tip of her own tea. “That would contradict such petty rumors.”

“You’re right.” Graciela leaned backward into the soft chair, crossing her legs in the lady way. “Still though, it’s quite strange that the katana disappeared on its own. When he died, it was lying right next to him. But when we took our eyes off it… It was gone.”

“Fine, you have a good point there. But there must be some kind of explanation. Maybe it was stolen?”

“We’ve looked all over this planet, including our own warriors’ spaces and homes. Well, except your apartment, that is.”

“Is that why you are here?” Akane frowned at her friend. “I thought you were supposed to be my friend?”

“I am, but what if Kawa has it?”

Akane scoffed at her. “You must be kidding. You know that I don’t like the games that you always play.”

“At least I don’t go behind your back.” Graciela placed the mug lightly on the coffee table. “It doesn’t have to be today though. I’m not going to search your apartment, but I would truly appreciate your help if you search for it yourself.”

Akane was pouting at her, but she was a little relieved. She was pretty sure that Kawa did not take James’s sword because when he showed up at her door, he only had his own flaming katana.

~EARTHxMARS~

After Graciela left, Akane decided to check on Kawa. He had been in the guest room since this morning, so she figured that she should at least bring food to him.

“Kawa?” Akane knocked the door lightly with a tray of sushi. “I made sushi for you. Are you hungry?”

When she did not get any answer, she sighed in frustration. She knew that he needed to eat something. She did not want him to get sick just because he did not eat anything. “I’m coming in.”

She slowly opened the door using her foot as if she was trying not to frighten him, but he was still in bed not moving at all. “Kawa? Are you awake?”

“Yes.” Kawa mumbled into the thick blanket. Hearing Akane’s footsteps getting closer and closer, he turned over and sat up rubbing his dark eyes.

“Are you ok?” Akane asked. She could easily notice that there were dry tears on Kawa’s face cheeks, but she wondered how long he had been crying until he finally fell asleep.

Kawa carelessly shrugged his shoulders.

“Okay. You need to eat something.” Akane placed the tray on Kawa’s lap. “I hope you like sushi. Don’t you eat them on Earth?”

“Yes.” Kawa smiled, grabbing the chopsticks. “Although they are a little expensive.”

Akane was watching him as he was eating sushi slowly. She was glad that he did not resist eating a little bit. She bent her knees, bringing them up in the air with her feet still on the bed. She then leaned her chin onto her arms which were on her knees.

Kawa was half finished with his meal when he noticed that Akane was staring at him. Blush creeped up onto his face once again. “A-Akane, why are you looking at me like that?”

“What’s wrong with that?” She smirked slyly at him as she licked her lips. “Why are you still so shy? We kissed a few times before! You’re acting as if I had committed a crime!”

“I’ve never been with a woman before!” He exclaimed, waving his hands up in the air as if he was in the anime world. “You kissed me first though!”

Akane giggled at him, earning a small smile from him. “That’s because I like you. You are the first Earthling I’ve ever met and fought.”

“First?” Kawa blinked in surprise. “Even though I am the enemy of Mars and Europa?”

“They never sent me to the war. Instead they sent me to Ceres to keep the citizens under control instead. I’ve been there for almost a year. So, I was bored for the entire time… at least until you came along.”

He smiled awkwardly and took another bite of the sushi. “Thank you for being there for me. I… I don’t know what I would do without you today.”

"You know, maybe you can just live here? Change your name or something like that? I'll quit the military as soon as my contract with them expires."

Kawa blinked in surprise and looked up from his meal to his... girlfriend or something like that. It was true that they kissed a few times but that did not mean that they suddenly became a couple. 

"I..." He said hesitantly. After everything he had done for the past decade, his only one goal was to eliminate Lord Ares who started the war in the first place by sending his samurais to Earth and killing Lord Terra's wife. And then, the war killed everyone he knew and loved.

"You don't have to fight anymore. I... I don't want to lose you too. You and Graciela are the only people I have right now."

“I don’t know.”

She almost sighed in disappointment. “Please think about it, then?”

“Ok,” Kawa said softly as he placed the tray of his half-finished meal which only consisted of four rolls.

Akane shifted a little bit so she could get under her blanket, making Kawa blush.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to sleep, duh. What else?” Akane turned over with her arm wrapping around Kawa’s waist. She laid her head on his shoulder. She hummed lightly as she inhaled his sweet scent. “You smell good.”

“T-thanks?” Kawa said awkwardly. He was getting uncomfortably hotter and hotter every time he felt Akane’s chest moving and brushing lightly across his right arm.

“Why are you so stiff?” She chuckled softly at his shy behavior. She lifted herself above him with her hands at either side of his head. “Worried that I might bite you?”

“N-no.” He looked away from Akane’s intense eyes, his face feeling very warm. His head was turned toward her by her warm hand.

Their lips met. Feeling a little more confident now, he gently placed his hand on the back of Akane’s neck, pulling her into an even deeper kiss.

~EARTHxMARS~

They bolted straight up awake in their messy bed at loud bangs at the front door. “Ugh, get dressed.” Akane rubbed her angry eyes. She was annoyed as she hated being woken up by someone.

“Akane! Open the door!”

“Sounds important.” Kawa was putting his white boxers on and then jeans afterwards. “At least it’s Graciela.”

“Either way, I’m going to kick her butt!” She snapped as she got dressed up into white shorts and top-tank. Just the sight of her in such clothes like that made Kawa’s jeans feel tighter all of sudden.

The loud bangs continued. It was getting on her nerves, getting closer to the point where she would explode into anger. “I”m coming! Jesus!”

As soon as she opened the door, Graciela barged right into her apartment with a clear upset look on her flushing face. It was as if she had been running all the way here.

“Graciela, what’s wrong?” Akane’s angry look was replaced with the concerned look. “What happened?”

“They…” Graciela took a deep breath before shouting, “They put the bounty on Kawa’s head! One hundred million pounds!”