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Kujou Sara has always been quick on her feet and sharp with her senses. They were characteristics that Takayuki never really needed to train her on in becoming a general. It was the nature of being a Tengu, braided and woven into her flesh and spirit. Neither of these characteristics were enough to stop the resistance soldiers.
Guerrilla warfare, ambushes. Sangonomiya’s favorite tactics. She knew she ‘adored’ seeing her struggle. For the Almighty Shogun! She kept it in the back of her brain. But where was she when her soldiers were poisoned, injured, or killed? Sara tried reassuring herself, but there would be doubt. Where was her unbeatable resolve, especially now?
Kujou Sara launched into the sky, pulling back her arrow and sending dozens of arrows down. She tried her hardest to stay on the ground, fight alongside her soldiers like a true general, yet she knew that most of her training wasn’t to be a general, but to be a weapon of war. “This is for the Almighty Shogun! You wouldn’t want to disrespect the one who has given you all these blessings!” Curse you, Takayuki.
Her soldiers were dwindling. More of Sangonomiya’s tricks, her raising the sea level. Just enough to slip them, to slide them onto the water’s tongue, and have the ocean swallow them whole. The water was rising even more now. Shit.
Sara flew down, more desperate this time. Her wings were still not as good as they could’ve been if she hadn’t had them injured as a child, before falling down the cliff. In these times of war, sometimes she wished she didn’t get her vision so that she would’ve met her demise then and not had to go through training. Then again, it was for the Shogun, so it was beneficial, because she’d saved her life and was truly amazing and powerful. It is an honor working under her, Sara had concluded on her first day with her.
She issued the retreat signal, yet the waves crashed and few could even make it to the rocks and off the beach. The few resistance soldiers were shooting from a distance, and Archons above, so many of her soldiers were sinking. “RETREAT!” She hollered, she nearly screamed. There was Arata, and there was Fuji, trying to swim to him. They thrashed in the waves helplessly, trying to get to each other in their last moments. Sara was invited to their wedding. No festivities would be taken after this.
Little Haru, short yet mighty, threw off the heavier parts of his armor and began to sprint, abandoning the honor of serving the Shogun in favor of his life. For once, Sara would forgive it.
She screamed and cried out retreat, and she knew it was pathetic , especially for someone of the Kujou name. Takayuki would punish her like a little girl once more if she returned home.
Sara swept down, trying to pull who she could vaguely recognize as Kaito, as the wind, dust, and water droplets began obscuring her vision. She felt Kaito’s arm get pulled into the water, as thin sheets of salt water began to weigh her down. She shot upwards, and suddenly the sea wasn’t the only salty thing, as hot tears spilled down her cold, wet cheeks.
She fired more and more arrows, dodging the resistance off of instinct, decreasing their numbers, when she saw a head of pink and blue. This time, instead of the blue of the sea, or the blue of Sangonomiya’s long hair, she saw red. And it was the color that seeped into the sea. It was the color that escaped her soldiers before they were ripped from her into the water, the color that dripped from the resistance soldiers when she shot them too.
She dove in a flash of lightning toward Sangonomiya. She could see a small smile. That disgrace. Sangonomiya stood by the sea, and opened her arms as Sara lunged. Kokomi raised the water around them, and suddenly clarity reached her. Dear lord, she’s going to get me too. She’s going to drown me too. I need to get out. I need to get out, I need-
Her wings were soaked, and Sangonomiya pulled her by her leg downwards. Sara couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t breathe, and oh the pain as water began to break in. What did Miss Aoi say about drowning all those years ago? Yes, float on your back.
Sara couldn’t float on her back. Not with Sangonomiya pulling her down. She didn’t appear to be drowning. A creature of some kind, that’s what she was. But that was hypocritical, and the Shogun doesn’t like hypocrites. Aoi also said to kick your legs. She tried and it didn’t work. Sara could feel water seeping into her lungs. This was it. I’m sorry, Almighty Shogun.
As she began choking, she could faintly see Kokomi in front of her, and a hand on her cheek. She heard an apology and saw matching eyes to hers, eyes that had seen things that she’d seen too. If you have seen what I have too, then why do you kill me in such a way? You could have just killed me, not my soldiers, Kokomi.
Sara knew the answer, that it would be appropriate death by her hands. Kujou had the resistance’s blood on her hands, and so Sangonomiya painted her hands with the Tenryou Commission and Shogun’s soldiers’ blood in return. Kujou Sara has taken something great from Sangonomiya Kokomi, and so Kokomi returned it the same way, before pressing the advantage like any good strategist would, and pressed her hands to her throat.
Something akin to understanding, undeserved rage, and something else festered beneath her skin in her last moments, and she activated her vision.
If I am to drown beneath these waves, you are to die with me, Sangonomiya Kokomi.
She watched as Kokomi’s face morphed into one of shock and pain in the split second before they both were electrocuted.