Regret

Regret.

That could be seen on Lana's face as she told him of the incoming invasion.

Her connection to the plants in the vicinity of the invading force informed her of the threat coming.

At first it was just minor disturbances like birds flying the other way of the or increase of monster activity in the seaside territories, the area where she sensed some unrest.

But, these anomalies kept increasing and kept spreading nearer and nearer to the capital kingdom of the humans, Palami.

After she told Kenshin, she regretted not withholding the information and just hoping that it would pass like it was not his business.

That was because Kenshin who was in front of her, Kenshin who had a friendly atmosphere once you get used to him (probably applies only to those who was close with him like Lana), Kenshin who made her redo her cleaning not twice but three times, Kenshin who defended her when her fear of humans surfaced again when Graham harassed her.

The Kenshin who was in front of her felt as if he was someone or something else.

No trace of emotion, soul or personality.

It felt as if he was just background noise.

No movement, no sound, no anything.

From an outsiders perspective, one wouldn't think much of it.

They might think he just lost his mind.

Lana who wasn't a outsider knows what this state of Kenshin is.

It happened when the two fought each other without holding back with the intent to kill.

It was something that Lana suggested when she was at the height of her confidence.

She wanted to gauge herself, wanting to know how she would cope when the enemy was a person, someone who didn't act purely due to instincts but in accordance to reason, unlike a monster.

When Lana saw this Kenshin again, she forced herself to stay still trying not to curl up into a fetal position like she did when her fight with Kenshin ended.

The scene where she was pushed to a corner and was so desperate that she momentarily had let her powers rampage, different to what Kenshin had taught her to do.

A rampaging elder treant, something different from the one that was weakened during Lana's metamorphosis, attacked Kenshin.

The result was that it was uprooted beside Lana who was lying on a pool of blood.

The treant was trying with its remaining strength to reach out to Lana as it's body creaked and groaned.

The barks on its massive body were peeled, gouged and sometimes weekly convulsed as if gasping for air.

Every time it convulsed, sand like elements kept falling off it as if drooling or bleeding.

Its only aim was to protect 'her', not paying any heed to the one that stood before the two, the one that caused these injuries.

Eventually, the branches that kept reaching out even with its continuous creaking was able to reach her.

Lana, who was on the floor, had bone's protruding from her four appendages.

Not only that, her ribs were sticking out, exposed in the air and her face had the skin from the cheeks to lips were ripped, exposing her teeth and gums making her appear like a zombie.

The treants branches that reached her began to wrap around her as if to cradle her, feet first slowly progressing to her head.

Lana, who could miraculously still see from her right eye saw Kenshin.

He was untouched, no cuts nor bruises, some blood splattered across his right fingers and on his blades but it was not his blood.

It was Lana's blood.

Though she became afraid of him after the battle ended, it later became regret for her suggesting to fight with the intent to kill as if their lives were on the line because when the branches that were wrapping around her began to cover her vision, she saw Kenshin's expression, a blank.

Devoid of any emotion, it was if his face was just a type of mannequin with extremely realistic human face.

Like an android mimicking humans.

As the treant finally wrapped it's vines on Lana, she thought,

'I don't want you.... to make that expression .... ever again...Its scary......Its not the Kenshin I know....I'm sorry....I'm sorry....I'm sorry....I'm sorry....I'm sorry....I'm sorry....I'm sorry....I'm sorry....I'm sorry....I'm sorry....I'm sorry....I'm sorry....I'm sorry....I'm sorry....I'm sorry....I'm sorry....I'm sorry............ So please....come back....to the Kenshin....I know....and....'

Before she was able to finish her thought, she passed out.

Now it was happening again, regretting telling him about the invasion that made him become like this again.