He was a little out of breath, and the injury on his shoulder twinged and hurt. Breathing in sharply through his teeth, he gave himself a brief moment to recover.
Akira lowered the bokken and stepped back, holding his hand out to Eliot in return for earlier. While the compliment was appreciated, he knew he had far too many weaknesses to take it to heart. He bowed his head slightly in thanks, but looked away quickly.
"Have you ever had to fight a friend?" he asked Eliot. He had to know for certain just how similar they really were. Just how far he could go. Akira knew he was a coward when it came to his friends, but he didn't understand how someone could strike down a loved one.