Chapter Text
With the flick of his wrist, Aoyagi Toya landed on the ground. Dismounting his companion, a beast which had followed him everywhere for years on end, he approached the still body on the ground, hands clenched into fists while he prayed that it wasn't who he thought it was.
Upon closer inspection, Toya's worst fears came true. When he first heard the news of a knight's fateful death, he had brushed it off as just another casualty of the never-ending war this world had going on. But upon hearing the details, he had grown more concerned, enough so that he was forced to come out of his peculiar 'hiding spot' (better known as his house, far deep in a forest, hidden from the common eye) and come to the war zone to check it out. And indeed, he was right to be concerned - because the body laying on the ground was none other than Shinonome Akito's, the knight he had met not too long ago and the only human he thought actually understood him.
Aoyagi Toya had always been an outcast - a child born into a family of mages known for their usage of dark magic to do more evil than good. The children that lived within the kingdom's walls picked on him and most of the days he was forced to go back home, sobbing into his mother's arms as he told her that he didn't want to go back there again.
On most days, his mother would give him a pat on the back, "Aoyagi," she'd whisper, as her voice was always soft and charming, "That's just how things are. People don't think you fit in, and so they outcast you in hopes that you'll become more like them." And Toya would be lying if he said that he didn't call bullshit on that more than a thousand times, but it's not like he wanted his actual life, anyway. Dark magic was something that was heavily bad-spoken of, and he knew. On some nights, he wished that, upon waking up, he'd find himself surrounded by maids and butlers in a castle on the lands of God-knows-where. Hell be damned, he just wanted the life those rich kids had. One without troubles, without the need to hide and constantly move places in order to not be captured and ultimately killed, a life where he had everything he wanted by just saying the word, a life of peace. And yet that was not something that could be granted to him.
That was, until he met a knight. One of the King's most honorable ones, in fact.
It happened on a winter evening - Toya had been sent to the kingdom in order to stock up on supplies for the upcoming snowstorm, and as good of a child as he was, he obliged. He threw his coat over himself and grabbed his bag, ready for whatever it was that awaited him in that hell hole.
What he saw upon arrival was definitely not what he had expected, whatsoever. He found the place to be quite... beautiful. More than he remembered, that's for sure. Toya saw kids running on the streets and a piece of him wished that that was him years ago, when he was still young and innocent and still had a chance of saving. He saw the bustling streets filled with people who were going into all sorts of shops, buying in all sorts of stalls, and some were even selling things themselves. He thought that this would be a far nicer environment to live in than the one he was currently in. The forest was nice, sure, and it was a great field for practice when he had to try out new spells - but it was cold, lonely, and it showed no signs of life most of the time.
Still, a part of him knew he wasn't welcome in this wonderland. He could tell from the looks he got from some people, or the whispers he could hear coming from behind - so he made his way to a shop as fast as he could, not even bothering to stop and check if it was the one he had to get the requested items from.
And damned he be, because as soon as he opened the door he was met face to face by a cape as white as snow, which he crashed into. Gentle hands caught him mid-fall as he slowly opened his eyes.
The words he heard belonged to someone who's voice was all but gentle. It was rough, yet it showed signs of worry, "Are you alright?" It asked, and once Toya finally opened his eyes, he was met with the sight of a man. Slightly taller than him, with ginger hair and dark green eyes, the man was wearing armor, one that Toya had seen before being worn by the knights of royalty.
And then it hit him.
Oh.
Toya quickly recomposed himself, with a cough into his fist and a wave of his hand. "I'm fine," he replied to the question. "Sorry for bumping into you."
"It's alright," the man replied, eyeing him up and down. "You don't seem to be from these lands, where are you from?" He continued, and Toya could've sworn he saw his soul leave him right then. "Nowhere," he replied, and upon hearing the contrary chuckle, he shook his head and instead went with a plain white lie. "I mean, it's a place very far from here, so..."
"And you've come all the way to this Kingdom because...?" He asked, and Toya looked around. Yeah, this was not the place he was supposed to be in, because as far as he was concerned he didn't need to buy flowers.
"Errands," he opted to reply, "My mother is... sick. And so I came here looking for something that could cure her."
"I see," the taller replied, "This might not be the best place to find a remedy, I'm afraid, but if you wish so, I could lead you to a pharmacy."
"That'd be very much appreciated," Toya replied, and the Knight gave him a slight smile. Going out of the shop, he pointed towards the end of the street. Toya saw a light green sign at the end, and it looked like there were some plants absorbing the sunlight outside.
"That's the local pharmacy," he said, "you should be able to find what you're seeking there."
And with that, Toya thanked him with a nod and left, thankful that the conversation didn't go on for longer. He wondered if the Knight had figured out his lie and was just pretending to catch him later and turn him in, because as far as Toya knew, Dark Mages were not accepted in that place. He'd probably be sacrificed or thrown into the dungeons or whatever punishment they saw fit for him.
Toya rushed to the pharmacy, and opened the door slightly to reveal a blonde-haired guy sitting behind the counter, seemingly speaking with a pink-haired lady, who had a bright smile planted on her face.
"I'm telling you, we should try this new recipe out!" He heard the girl say, "It'll attract so many customers!"
"And I'm telling you that you're delusional, Otori," The man replied, "Not a single soul is going to be interested in buying fire powder, even less so if you advertise it as a cure for common colds."
"But it works! I've tried it out- Okay, convo's over, we have a weird-looking guy over there staring at us."
He saw the man turn around, and his annoyed expression turned into one of curiosity.
"You don't seem to be from around here," He started, and Toya just sighed.
"Not the first time I've heard that today, sir," approaching the counter, he took out a few golden coins and a list and put them down. "I need a few things, they're written in this paper, so if you could fetch them for me it'd be a relief."
The man counted the coins quite carefully, and he was about to speak up when a muffled explosion came from behind. He sighed. "Otori, help the young man over here, I have something to take care of."
With that, he left, and the only things Toya was able to hear were muffled screams along the lines of 'God damn it Kamishiro!' and a soft 'It was really tempting!' coming from another man.
The girl, who's name apparently was 'Otori Emu' as shown by her name tag, took the man's place and gave Toya a bright smile. Not even bothering to count the coins, she eyed the list and went into the back of the shop, coming out minutes later with bottles full of different kinds of things. "For you, mista'!"
"...Thanks?" Toya replied, not really knowing what to say. "Wait, what about the money?"
"Forget 'bout it!" She said in response, and a bright smile flashed across her face, "I want to know something in exchange f'r the goods!"
"Go on?"
"Where do those clothes come from?" Reaching out a hand, she brushed it across the soft fabric of Toya's cape. "It looks 'n feels very soft, and I've neva' seen this pattern before!"
"Ah, that's..." Toya's thought process trailed off. He couldn't tell her that his mother made it for him, since by the look on her eyes, whoever this lady was knew that his cape wasn't created by conventional means. "I found it on the road while coming here."
"That's a lie~!" She chanted, "I don't like lies! Rui!" With that, she turned and shouted a name - probably her peer's name, or something.
A tall, purple-haired man with a few burn scars on his forearms, came out front and stared at Toya for a few seconds, shifting his gaze to the lady a few seconds later. "Yes?"
"This man's lying! He won't tell me where his cape comes from!" She pouted, and the man turned to Toya, resting his arms on the counter and giving him a smile.
"Say, sir," he spoke up, "It looks like you made my coworker here a tad upset."
Toya's blood froze and he had to choke back a cough. "I'm not lying, though."
The man - Rui, as the lady had shouted before, - stared at Toya for a couple seconds, before speaking up.
"Aoyagi Toya," the man said, and Toya felt his face whiten again. "Dark Magician of the forest, you do realize Dark Magic is prohibited in these parts, do you not?"
"Ah!" The lady's eyes brightened and she darted her gaze at Toya, too. "So that's what mista' was!"
Toya backed away, ready to flee the scene and never come back to that place again, but the smiles they both had on their faces and the fact that they weren't directly attacking him or, even worse, calling the knights to come apprehend him made him stop and think.
"Aren't you going to turn me in?" He asked.
"Why would we?" The purple-headed guy started again, "We have nothing against Dark Magic. In fact, we find it quite useful when it comes to botanic studies. My peer here, Tsukasa, actually uses it for a few things."
"Ye!" The woman shouted, "N' I use it, too! I can make things go boom! Wa'nna see, mista'?"
"I'm good," Toya replied. Approaching the counter again, he started grabbing the bottles and stuffing them into his bag. "My mother made the cape," He whispered, "From plant fiber she extracted. I wear it every time I go outside."
"Interesting," the man said, as Toya got his coins back and put them in the bag, too. Just then, the blonde-haired man came out, an anguished look on his face.
"Kamishiro!" He shouted, charging straight for the man. "I swear to the Heavens above, if you play with those flowers one more time I won't be letting you off the hook so easily!"
"Kasa's angry~!" The lady chanted again, before laughing. "Sir Aoyagi, ya' can leave, but before you do so... What do ya need the plants for, anyway?"
"Snowstorm," he replied, "Mother wants me to stock up on plants so we can use spells that can protect our house from it."
"I see... Well!" She made a waving motion with her hands as the other men were shouting in the background. "G'luck outta there!"
"Thanks," And with the door slamming shut behind him, Toya left the shop.
His first instinct was to go back to his house - of course, his business in the Kingdom was done. He had no reason to stay there any further, yet those thoughts were interrupted by the clicking of metal. Before he could react, a finger touched his back and Toya flinched, tripping and almost falling over. Once again, gentle hands caught him.
"Heaven be damned, you do seem to be quite the clumsy type, no?" The same voice from behind told him, and Toya got back to his feet as fast as he could. "Did you get what you needed?"
"Yes," He replied, "Thank you. I forgot to say it before."
"Don't mention it," the Knight continued, and he handed Toya a couple of flowers. A pair of sunflowers. "I got distracted by you bumping into me and accidentally bought a couple extras. You can have them."
Toya wasn't sure how to react. Getting sunflowers from a stranger, and better said, a knight was not a common occurrence for him. So, before he could think his next words through, he was already speaking up. "Thank you," he said, "Want to join me for a walk before I leave?"
He internally face palmed.
"Sure," The knight replied.
Toya died inside.
It was dark outside when the two of them were walking outside the kingdom walls. The knight had offered to lead Toya to 'One of the greatest sights of the Kingdom', and he found himself accepting the offer before thinking.
They eventually came to a stop, and Toya walked in front to see why. There, he found himself staring right into what seemed to be an endless sea of blue lilies. It was something he had only heard of in books, late at night, locked in his room while he read about the wonders of the world.
"Wow," was the only word that left his mouth, and he heard the knight chuckle. They took some steps into the vast sea of flowers before the knight grabbed Toya's hand, causing him to instinctively turn around.
"I forgot to introduce myself," the Knight started. "My name's Akito. Shinonome Akito, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Toya thought for a second. Telling him his name could either result in him getting killed or nothing happening at all.
He prayed for the second option.
"Toya. Aoyagi Toya, the pleasure is mine."
They gave each other a nod and Toya thought that the knight was about to turn around and run, but nothing happened. He sighed in relief and eventually found a nice spot to sit down.
"So," Akito said, once they were officially settled down. He had taken off his armor a while ago, and was now wearing simpler clothing. "Mind telling me the actual reason you came here?"
"What?" Toya's head snapped to the side to look at him. "What do you mean?"
"Tsukasa called me," he replied, "He told me that a 'weird looking guy with split blue hair' came into his shop and that he felt black magic seeping from his soul."
Oh.
Oh.
"Uhm," Toya coughed into his fist again. "That must be a misunderstanding-" Before finishing his sentence, he heard the knight giggle.
"It's okay," Akito told him, "I won't turn you in or anything. You're cool."
Cool? "Really?"
"Yeah," he continued, "It's not every day that I meet someone who doesn't treat me as some sort of, I don't know, superior entity. Being a Knight for the King and Queen is a hard job, dude."
Toya found himself laughing at the sentence without even wanting to. After his laughter died down, he spoke up. "Snowstorm," was the only word he said, and Akito gave him a nod.
"Will you come back?" He asked, and Toya tilted his head. "I think we could be good friends, you get me? Pals, if you prefer."
He wasn't sure about that.
A knight, being friends with a dark mage? Not even in fairy tales. Nope. Couldn't happen.
And for some reason not even Toya himself could understand, he nodded. "I'll come back once the snowstorm's over, to stock up on more supplies, I guess."
"Great," Akito replied, "Hope you bump into me again."
"Perhaps it'd be better for you to manually find me, instead of risking my well being."
Akito laughed and Toya followed shortly after.
He felt that a friendship was possible, after all. He didn't know why or how, but Aoyagi Toya was glad that he found someone he didn't have to be wary of.
The snowstorm left as soon as it came. Lasting only around a month and a half, Toya found himself returning to the Kingdom much sooner than expected. He went into the same shop, was greeted by the same crazy-sounding girl and later by the two men, and then he made his way through the streets until he caught a glimpse of Akito. The contrary seemed to notice him, too, instantly making his way to Toya and grabbing his arm.
They both winded up at the valley, again, in the same spot as a month prior.
"Not even a hello?" Toya started.
"Sorry, I don't think I could talk to you with that many people in front." The knight replied.
"Why?" He asked, and Akito's sorrowful look made him realize that oh, he was still an outcast. And oh, right, knights weren't supposed to talk to outsiders. Toya opted to pat him in the back, and Akito gave him a slight smile.
Hours went by before they even noticed. Talking to Akito was easier than Toya had thought it would be. They understood each other perfectly, like puzzle pieces fitting together. And so they decided to meet up another day.
Toya's visits to the kingdom became more frequent. His family was growing suspicious but they didn't really mind, given how Toya seemed to be happier every time he went back home. His father didn't seem to be a fan of it, though.
He always spent the days of his visits with Akito. In that same valley, surrounded by the blue flowers that in some sort of way reminded Toya of himself. Akito always brought a handful of flowers with him, too, which he always gave to him.
One of those days, however, turned out in a way that Toya was all but expecting.
He arrived to the valley with Akito trailing close behind him, and upon sitting down in their usual spot, Toya noticed that Akito looked quite nervous. Lost in thought, even.
"Akito?" Toya called out, and the taller's eyes snapped in his direction.
"Yes?" He replied, and Toya couldn't help but smile at the sight.
"Are you okay?" He got closer to the ginger, certainly concerned.
"Completely fine," Akito replied, his face reddening slightly at the sight of Toya getting closer. "It's just hot."
"We're in the middle of winter," Toya replied, and Akito face palmed internally. He had always been a bit stupid, anyway.
Akito changed the subject not too long after and Toya couldn't help but follow. Akito's voice made him lose track of time, the way he spoke about his day and how much he hated his position as a Knight made Toya chuckle unconsciously, which always earned him a slight smile from the other. They had grown quite close, with time passing by, and Toya wished that that moment could be frozen in time forever. He cherished Akito, he came to find, and he wondered if Akito cherished him, too.
The answer came to him that day.
They had been talking just as usual, when the topic of couples came up. Akito had told Toya that Rui and Emu had gotten engaged recently, and how he 'found it a waste of time'.
Then he asked Toya if he liked anyone.
"No," Toya replied after thinking for a while. A white lie, because deep down he knew that the way the man sitting in front of him made him feel wasn't normal.
Akito's smile quickly dimmed, "Oh," was the only thing that left his mouth.
Then came silence and Toya knew he fucked up.
"Well," He started again. He wasn't too sure if he should tell him or not, but oh well, worst case scenario he'd get rejected and he could go back to being stuck in his house for years on end. "There might be someone."
"Who is it?" Akito replied almost instantly, and it made Toya giggle slightly. He approached the Dark Mage and Toya felt his face heat up at the sight of him getting closer. "Tell me."
"Why should I?" He teased, smiling upon seeing the other's frustration. After a few "Tell me"s coming from Akito, Toya sighed and brought his hand to the knight's face.
"You're stupid," he said, still smiling. "But you're surprisingly cute."
Akito stared at him with wide eyes for a few seconds before finally reacting. "Wha- Hey! I'm not stupid in the slightest!"
"You are! It's been so long and you still haven't figured out that I like you!"
Both fell into silence and then Toya realized his words.
"I mean-" Before he could continue, Akito's lips were pressed against his.
Toya found them to be quite soft, despite how rough he looked overall. He took notice of the sweet caramel flavor Akito's lips held, and he melted into the kiss. After parting, he stared at the knight.
Akito shivered in response. "Did I mess up?"
"What? No, not in the slightest," Toya chuckled and he heard Akito sigh in relief.
"Thank the Heavens, I thought you might just get up and leave," He chuckled too, and before he could react, Toya embraced Akito in a hug that took the taller one by surprise.
Moonlight fell on both of them as Toya realized that maybe, for once in his life, he could have the peace he had dreamed of for so long.
It didn't last for long, however.
Not too long after, he got a notice - one of a war notice coming from a neighboring Kingdom.
All royal knights were commanded to fight for the kingdom. It meant that Akito was going to be fighting, too.
Toya rushed to the kingdom and went into the pharmacy, where he had told Akito to meet up with him that day. Finding Tsukasa being comforted by both shopkeepers and Akito sitting next to him, he realized that oh, Shinonome Akito might not be the only one he loses.
And not too long after that day, they got dispatched.
Toya didn't hear from Akito again, until the news reached him.
And now, he was standing over a pale corpse, decked in white and stained in red - from his own blood and that of his enemies, Toya had guessed - with a broken sword laying at his side. The knight's eyes were softly closed and if he didn't know better, Aoyagi Toya would've thought that the man was just sleeping.
But he was dead.
Shinonome Akito was dead and Toya wondered. He wondered, if he came as soon as he got the news - caring little if it was Akito or another knight who had fallen - would he been able to save him?
Sure, the news stated that the knight was dead, but if he got here so soon, perhaps he could've done something. Maybe he could've used his magic, perhaps a spell could've brought him back -
But there was nothing to do. Not now that he had bled out.
Aoyagi Toya knelt down and blankly stared at the man in front of him. Not a single tear came out of his eyes.
He gently shook the man.
"Akito," he whispered, "Akito, wake up."
No response.
"Akito," He continued, "Shinonome Akito, please," his voice rising slowly, "wake up."
And yet Akito remained still.
Toya thought that, in some way, he looked beautiful.
Shinonome Akito had always been loud. He was annoying at times and his words were sharp, but to Toya, he was caring and gentle. Thinking back to the words he told him, Toya thought that they fit him better now, because he looked like he was peacefully sleeping, like a prince instead of a knight.
"Akito," Toya repeated, and finally, his voice cracked. It fell apart like a broken record and he had to pause to choke back a sob. "Wake up. This isn't funny."
Toya heard the beast that had been accompanying him for so long growl behind him. Did it feel his pain, too?
Did it feel the grief he was feeling, too?
Did it wish to burn down the world, just as he did?
Aoyagi Toya sat down, scooping the corpse onto his lap and letting its head rest there. He gently patted the matted strands of ginger hair and brushed his hand over the pale face. He thought back to the eyes that once looked at him so gently, like he was fragile and could break at any moment, and maybe Akito was right on that - maybe Toya did end up breaking.
Before he knew it, he saw droplets of water falling on the man's face.
He didn't try to stop them. He just let them drop down like a waterfall and pool on the knight's face until they slipped and fell to the ground.
The sunset shone its light on the two boys. Like a gentle reminder to go back home, because the night was coming. And the night was cold, cold and unforgiving and lonely and all the things that Toya loved about it.
So he just sat there, still, brushing the hair of the man he loved until it was silky once again. Brushing the specs of dirt off the knight's face, making sure he looked as beautiful as possible.
Night finally came, and it was even lonelier than Toya remembered it to be.
The moon shone its light on them. While the sunlight was warm, the moonlight was cold. It made him shiver and he was sure that Akito would have shivered, too, if he could.
"Akito," Toya tried to speak up, his broken voice overtaken by sobs as soon as the name left his mouth. "I'm sorry."
The valley was soon overtaken by moonlight and the sounds of a broken heart. The blue lilies glowed in the night, and Toya felt as if they were crying with him.
I'm sorry, he thought, because the words were too heavy on his soul to say out loud again.
Aoyagi Toya found himself clinging on to the corpse of his lost lover until his own body ached and he was forced to sit straight again. Toya wondered if it was alright, to be there disturbing his peaceful rest. He wondered if he should leave and never come back.
But he stayed.
Not because he wanted to. If it was his choice, he would've left, used a memory spell to forget all about Akito and continue his life as it was before.
But he stayed because his heart told him to. Because the silent chanting of the flowers around him told him that it'd be okay. That even though he was aching, the pain would soon cease. That this was nothing more than a misfortune and that he'd find someone, at some point, who made him feel like Akito had.
Toya knew that was a lie.
Then the flowers changed their chanting.
They told him that it'd be okay. That even though his feelings were overridden with grief and sadness, he'd eventually feel better. That he had friends and he had his parents and-
"No," he whispered, "No."
They tried again.
They told him that even though his mind tried to make him feel guilty, that he had nothing to do with it. That his lover died a honorable death and-
"I said no."
The flowers tried once more.
They told him that it'd be fine. That it was all a dream, and Toya couldn't help but laugh.
"I wish it was," he whispered, "If it was only a dream, then he'd wake up and come back to me."
The flowers fell silent again and Toya felt his tears eventually stop. He stared at the man resting eternally on his lap and couldn't help but bring him closer.
Toya heard the flowers start chanting again, and this time he didn't respond. He closed his eyes and let his mind dive freely into his own memories. Memories that he held close.
Those where Akito was smiling at him, so sweetly, full of love, full of happiness, full of life. Memories where they were exchanging stories, or talking about their day, or those where they were just laying next to one another, hands intertwined and hearts full of love. He knew that Akito held those memories close, too.
But now he was the only one who could hold them at all.
Aoyagi Toya eventually opened his eyes, and he was met with the sight of the dead knight once again. He saw that his companion had also settled down around them, shielding them from the cold air.
Toya was glad to at least have someone in this moment, or, at least, something.
"Tell me," he started, and the beast perked up its ears, lifting up its head slightly to look at him. "Was this supposed to happen?"
He got a huff in response and decided to continue. "Is there any... way?" After getting a tilted head in return, he continued. "To bring him back?"
The beast seemed to wonder, before shifting its gaze from the dead corpse to Toya.
"That doesn't give me any answers," Toya said, softly, "Still, thank you for trying. You can go back if you want to. I know the way back home."
Yet the beast didn't move, and Toya just smiled sadly. "Okay," he said, before falling silent again.
Aoyagi Toya thought back to his years of study. To the thousands of spells he knew, trying to find one that he could use, one that would let him bring Akito back to life - one that let him have the peace he longed for again. Yet he found nothing.
He fell asleep without even realizing not too long after.
The following morning, he woke up in an unknown house.
A lady entered through the door, and Toya immediately recognized her. Though there was something off.
"Mornin'," The girl welcomed, yet the usual smile on her face was nowhere to be seen. She left a cup of tea on the nightstand next to the bed Toya was in, and sat down on it. "Kasa brought ya here."
"Is he okay?" Toya found himself asking, and the lady nodded in response. He let out a sigh of relief. At least he hadn't lost two people, he thought.
"I heard the news," Emu continued, and Toya felt his heartstrings being pulled again. "Kasa fought alongside him."
"Did he see him die?" Toya questioned, and Emu fell silent before speaking up again.
"He just..."
She didn't get too far before she got interrupted. "He was too weak to continue fighting, Aoyagi."
Toya looked up and was met by Tsukasa's eyes, glaring at him. Yet they weren't full of hatred, or anything of the sorts. Tsukasa's eyes were full of sadness and sorrow and grief and all the things he wished he told Akito to prevent him from leaving. After all, they were friends, too.
"What happened to him?"
The pink haired girl stood up and nodded at Tsukasa before eventually leaving, as the man took her place on the bed.
Toya stared at the man before he spoke up. "I... don't know."
"What do you mean?"
"He just fell. It was out of nowhere. His sword was already broken and I could tell he was weak from all the blood loss, but I thought he would at least make it back to safety to recover," Tsukasa sighed and took a deep breath. "He just... Collapsed. It was so sudden and everyone else was taken aback by it. A few knights had died but we didn't expect him to go down too."
"Tsukasa," Toya started, his voice falling short of a whisper.
"Yes?"
"Is there any way to bring him back?"
Tsukasa's eyes widened.
"Yes," he repeated, affirming this time. "Yes, but..."
"How?"
"Aoyagi," Tsukasa spoke firmly, placing a hand on Toya's head. "Don't try. It's useless."
"If I can bring him back then it won't be useless."
"Aoyagi Toya," Tsukasa repeated, "It's dangerous."
"I'd rather risk my life to have him in my life again then live with the regret of never trying."
Tsukasa sighed.
He reached into a nearby drawer and pulled out a book.
"Kamishiro figured you'd want to try, so he just kinda... left this here."
With that, he got up and walked towards the door. Toya spoke up before he left.
"Tsukasa?"
"Yes?"
"...Thank you," Toya admitted. "I'm sorry for the casualties you had to face."
"It's okay," Tsukasa smiled at him and Toya couldn't help but feel regret as the man left the room. He could tell that whatever was written in the book was something difficult to accomplish, and that Tsukasa was genuinely worried for him. Still, Toya couldn't stand by and watch. He knew that if he went on with his life without Akito, he'd regret it every day. If all he had to do was risk his own life, with the chance he could bring him back, then he would.
Aoyagi Toya returned home a couple days after, and left as soon as he got there. His parents knew, somehow, that they wouldn't be seeing him in a long time.
He left his companion with them, and embarked on a journey that would either end with him dead, or his lover back alive.
"You'll be back," he spoke, standing atop a grave in the middle of a valley that he once shared with the one it belonged to. "Even if it kills me, I'll make sure you're back."
Aoyagi Toya decided that he wasn't satisfied with just that.
"Whoever did this to you, Akito," he continued, "I'll hunt them down. I'll make sure they feel the pain you felt."
Placing a sunflower atop the grave, next to the sword, Toya disappeared into the distance.
He had a goal in mind, and he was sure he'd reach it.
Even if it killed him, even if it meant he had to kill others.
He would get Akito back, no matter the cost.
The flowers chanted as the wind blew. The tides of time were about to change and they knew.