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Eito swung his scythe in a loop around him, mowing down anything that dared to cross his path. The Futuran children had to be protected at all costs. They were innocent, scared children too young to fight. War was brutal to everyone involved. It was the least he could do to make a difference.
He couldn't ask for forgiveness; that was the decision of others and far beyond his control. But he could make the most of the time he had left. And if holding back the monsters gave the Futuran children even a few extra seconds to escape, it would all be worth it.
It didn't bother him that no one would know. There was no performance, no pity to acquire. Not that it would have mattered, not even gouging out his eyes had evoked any sympathy within the others. He did it to help rationalize his hatred, at least he told himself that, but he would be lying if he didn't acknowledge that he'd have appreciated the group accepting him with open arms.
He aspired to make it to day 100, to see everyone else reach their goal. Eito had grown attached to them far more than he'd like to admit. Which left a strange feeling in his chest.
He began to be comforted by memories as he swung his scythe left, and right, spinning to attack aimlessly from any direction. Memories of the other people at last defense academy, sharing breakfast, training sessions, the pool party…
All of it was fake; implanted into his mind directly by Sirei at his own pathetic request. The real last defense members hated him. These false memories were all he had left.
But everyone else was made up of false memories from the start, and shaped into the people they were now- why couldn't Eito? He cherished the memories as if they were real, because to him, it's all he wanted.
And then his scythe was ripped from his grasp, clinking away from him against the ground. It was far, a few paces away, and Eito could hear the sound of the blade being dragged. He winced. Everything around him smelled of foul blood from the monsters and his own wounds. His arms were sore, chest was sore, but he kept fighting, throwing each one off his body when he felt their attacks.
The children must have gotten away by now. However there was no way of telling. Eito's heart was beating in his ears; it screamed at him to press the button, detonate the bomb. It was the only way to make sure that they would be safe. At such a close impact, it would wipe out the rest of the invaders, providing them the greatest chance of survival.
He could give up now, let the invaders take him and destroy his corpse. He wondered what the others would do if they discovered his body- would they rejoice that he was gone? Would they feel some remorse that he was dead and dealt with? Or worse: the thought of no one ever finding him, forgotten and rejected by the others.
That was the most likely outcome.
Eito brought his fingers to the detonator. With his active hemoanima, one press and he could blow himself and the invaders up. A way out that Sirei had designed for him.
Why wasn't he pressing it? Eito felt a sickness in his chest. He just needed to press the button. To end his life here, to give himself some sort of purpose.
He was afraid.
He was so scared, almost trembling as the invaders piled on and on.
And yet suddenly they were yanked off, Eito feeling a weight lifted off his chest. His head ached with a dizziness, a certain scent accosting his nose.
He could hardly believe it- he wasn't alone anymore. It seemed impossible, but someone had come to the rescue.
"Takumi?!" exclaimed Eito, too shocked to hold onto his scythe properly. He readjusted his grip, and stood with his back pressing up against Takumi's.
"Try not to hit me with it; I know you can't see, so just attack in front of yourself," ordered Takumi. Eito nodded to himself, preparing to attack in front.
It was probably just another memory of his bleeding into his mind from the alterations Sirei made to his mind. The Eito who Takumi knew from the past had been rescued by him, so it was entirely plausible his mind was providing some sort of release of endorphins to ease his passing.
It was almost embarrassing how much his heart filled with hope. A strong sense of belonging for getting rescued by Takumi, his teammate, who coincidentally happened to know where he was during this attack. They would stand together one last time, barely speaking a word as they fought as hard as they could.
"What are you doing here?"
Eito had been afraid to ask it, afraid it would ruin the illusion and draw him back to reality. Yet it slipped out anyway.
"I wasn't just going to let you die," said Takumi. Eito smiled sadly.
That was the Takumi he knew, the Takumi who wanted to take care of everyone as best he could. The Takumi who focused on holding the group together.
But Eito was no longer part of the group. Takumi had said so himself. He wasn't worthy of whatever heroic rescue this was. He felt his legs begin to shake in exhaustion. Takumi's arrival had shot his endorphins up, but he was already tired, and injured, and felt like he was going to collapse.
And without the revive o matic, his death would be terminal.
He heard the sound of Takumi stabbing one of the invaders, and then letting out a large breath, panting from exhaustion almost. And then it was quiet.
Eito didn't dare turn around. Because the second he did, Takumi would disappear, and he'd face the reality of getting blown up by the bomb.
"Thank you, Takumi. This is all I ever really wanted. Thank you for letting me experience this. I'm really glad I got to be your friend."
Camaraderie, belonging, and dare he even suggest affection.
Takumi was silent for a moment, and if Eito couldn't still smell him he would have assumed he already disappeared.
"I'm just glad I got here in time."
Was he? Takumi would have done it for anyone. And maybe that wasn't so bad. Being lumped in with the others wasn't such a terrible thing now, was it…
Eito leaned in exhaustion, hand gripping the hilt of his weapon.
"I was certainly almost a goner. If I didn't know any better, I would have said fate brought us together. From start to finish, Takumi, I'm glad this is how it got to end."
Eito could feel his knees giving out, getting dizzy from the blood loss. He felt Takumi's hands on his body once he hit the ground, tearing up fabric to use as a tunicate. Why even bother…
"Hey, don't just give up, we can still get you back to the school-"
"I don't… belong there," said Eito, wincing as Takumi applied pressure to his wounds. He was sure he looked like a mess, and glad he couldn't see the horrors because it sure was painful. More painful than anything he'd endured in his life so far. "I know… I know I should play into it… but I can't help feeling guilt. The comfort… it's a false memory… programmed to release when my death is imminent. But… that doesn't mean I don't appreciate you, Takumi."
Appreciation didn't begin to cover it. Obsession would be a good start, yet one that morphed into an admiration of sorts. There was a reason Takumi was here over anyone else. Because deep down in his heart, Eito had love for him.
"What are you talking about…?! I'm real, this isn't a mental trick- I'm right here with you," said Takumi, voice quivering. His condition must be deteriorating.
The thought of the real Takumi coming to rescue him was something Eito didn't dare consider. After Takumi rejected his proposition to rejoin the team, he knew exactly how little he meant to him. And he couldn't blame Takumi, not after what he'd done. In either timeline. Had Takumi not stopped him, things would have played out exactly the same way.
All the fake memories in his mind, he clung to them. Going on an exploration mission with Takumi, and the two of them finding all sorts of neat debris. Swimming together in the leisure lounge after a long day of protecting the school. A heated confession after a tough battle, followed by a blurry night spent together in his room. A kiss, just once, and only on the cheek; the memory so potent he could feel the tingle even now.
The real Takumi couldn't forgive him. But right now, Eito felt at peace. Because there was still one last person who could forgive him, himself. He was at peace with how things had lined up. The school was better off without him, and with the children far gone, he had traded his wretched life to protect them.
"Can you hear me? Stay with me, please!" Takumi cried out.
Eito felt tears on his cheeks, unsure if they were his own or Takumi's, or perhaps even drips of blood. He couldn't help but smile. If he could pick any way to die, selfishly, in Takumi's arms right now is exactly what he would have chosen.
"Did… they get away?"
"They did- you saved them, Eito. Now let us save you."
"Save your energy, Takumi," said Eito, the dizziness from his loss of blood intruding on their moment. "I don't… have much time left…"
His life had been in Takumi's hands twice before. He could have ended it. And yet Takumi chose not to, to spare him. And the one time he had the chance to save him, he couldn't. Nothing could save him now.
"Thank you… Takumi… for being my dear friend. I love you."
The detonator was in his fingertips, but his hands were too weak to press it. They were shaking in fear as his whole body went cold, every sense beginning to blur together. He could hear Takumi try to say something, feel his body against his, but it was all muted into nothingness.
He wanted to believe this was real.
And in his final moments, he did.