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How dearly he wanted to lose himself to dreams. But the cold wind whistled past his face, and the sound of an otherworldly engine rattled his eardrums, and the warm body in front of him pulsed, its heart beating. And then there were the supplies, stuffed inside a backpack on his back, every tug from behind a constant reminder that losing them would mean losing their lifeline. Under the weight of all of that, Takumi couldn't bring himself to fall asleep.
The stars, if Takumi could bring himself to look up at them, were probably beautiful, so far away from the lights of home.
He grew colder with every second, as the academy grew further and further away. There, he could count on a soft bed, warm food, and the welcoming laughter of friends.
But fate had other plans for him. The only warmth he had was the person in front of him.
Takumi's eyes caught the color of the sky. It was changing, from darkest blue to the color of the coming dawn. The blips of the horizon that he could see between the ruined buildings were turning red and orange.
This was… Oh, right. This was a sunrise. The kind of thing he could never see in the Artificial Satellite.
"Takemaru?"
No response.
"Takemaru?" Takumi squeezed his driver a little tighter. It was the only other thing he could do to get his attention.
"Huh?" The gruff voice of the boy in front of him erupted. "S-Sorry, didn't hear ya the first time. Eyes on the road 'n' all."
"The sun is rising."
"It is, yeah."
"Could we watch?"
"Hmm?"
"Watch the sun rise." He paused. "Together. Because I don't know if we'll have the chance again."
He felt Takemaru's chest rumble as he hummed to himself. Until finally, he spoke again.
"We're far enough from the school. Let's find higher ground."
Takemaru scanned the roads, and picked a direction. Their path took them up a few ruined hills, their pavement cracked and ruined from age. Until finally, they were at a summit, some distance away from civilization, by which they could look out over the world below. Takemaru dispelled his motorcycle as he and Takumi approached the cliffside.
Takumi huddled close to Takemaru, who wrapped one of his own arms over Takumi's shoulder, as they watched a golden sun, crowned by red, rise up over the horizon.
"It's pretty," Takemaru muttered. He was a man who spoke few needless words, and they were hardly descriptive, either. Still, Takumi felt the same. It was pretty.
In this quiet moment, Takumi pressed himself even closer to Takemaru, sharing in his warmth. The only comfort he had left, mimicking the warmth of the sun before him. It was so cold otherwise, that the dew hadn't yet evaporated off the grass.
"Something wrong?" Takemaru asked.
"Just wondering if we'll be okay," Takumi whispered. "I-I know we did what we had to, but even so… "
"We'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course." Takemaru nodded. "I believe in you. I believe in your resolve. And… I wouldn't be fine if we stayed back at the academy. It's gonna be rough, but we're gonna make it, Takumi." He smiled. "Don't worry. We'll have each others' back no matter what."
"Hmm… " Takumi sighed. "But… I'm worried about the others, too… " He bit his own lip. "Everyone we left at the school… Without us, what if they…?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. It won't be goodbye forever." He placed his large hand on Takumi's head, a comforting gesture. "We'll see 'em again."
"I hope so." Takumi smiled at him. "Thanks."
"Anytime, man. Don't worry about it." Takemaru smiled back. "C'mon. Let's keep going."
The sound of rumbling preceded them. Takumi and Takemaru, the intrepid couple atop their trusty hemoanima motorcycle, continued their travels. In an area largely untouched by recent destruction, filled with foliage and vegetation, they finally came to a stop.
"It should be around here." Takumi showed Takemaru a hand-drawn map. "Do you see any signs of life?"
"There." Takemaru pointed to a knotted rope tied around a tree branch. "That's a trail sign. There's probably a settlement up ahead."
"Let's start looking, then."
Takemaru dispelled his motorcycle. The two walked through the grass, following a trodden path, until they ended up deep in the forest. What they found was indeed a village — a series of humble buildings, constructed out of ruins and scrap.
Takemaru's eyes scanned the area. "It's clean out here. I see fresh footsteps, too. There's people living here."
"They might've left when they saw us coming." Takumi bit his lip. "What do we do? Should we just drop the food off and leave?"
"No, we're bein' watched." Takemaru's eyes scanned the trees. "I feel eyes on us. At least a few pairs."
"So, what do we do?" Takumi asked.
Takemaru's eyes scanned the horizon before he spotted something — a large iron cooking pot near the center of the village. "It's okay. I got this. Go gather some firewood and fresh water."
Takumi retrieved firewood from a nearby stack and arranged it under the pot before lighting a small fire. He watched as Takemaru prepared — pouring oil and spices into the pot, followed by rice and the water Takumi quickly retrieved from a nearby spring. Soon, the scent of a delicious rice dish began to waft through the air. Takemaru and Takumi each took a bite of their unfinished meal to taste-test it.
It worked, as it always did. Just two villagers came out at first, a pair of guards pointing guns at them. Takemaru and Takumi backed away from the pot, inviting them to eat. Gingerly, they both took bites. Their eyes glowed at the taste. Then, they gave a signal back towards the trees.
Before they knew it, a whole host of Futurans had arrived. Drawn by the smell of food, they converged around the pot, their eyes sparkling with joy and hunger. Some retreated back into their empty homes and came out with vegetables and legumes, which Takumi chopped and washed. Takemaru skillfully added them to the pot, soon forming a delicious dish for the whole village to enjoy.
But others were yet suspicious of Takumi and Takemaru's clothing. They looked exactly like the black-suited invaders that had fallen from the sky, they said. Takumi explained to the guards — yes, they were indeed invaders. But Takumi and Takemaru themselves had permanently defected, after learning what the Earthlings had done to the Futurans over the course of their journey. They decided to dedicate their lives to aiding the Futurans instead.
"That's why we brought food, seeds, and medicine," Takemaru said. "It's from the last town we went to. We're hoping to help y'all re-establish trade, too."
"We're kind of like vagrants," Takumi explained to the group. "We just go around helping as many people as we can. I'm mostly good for grunt work, and because of my crypto— er, stolen divine blood, I can defeat those weird monst— I mean, combat organisms. So if your land's being threatened by combat organisms, I can help you out."
"Really?!" A young farmer's eyes glittered at Takumi's words. "It's a big help! But surely you'd want something in return… "
"We'll figure that out," Takumi said. "But I promise it won't be anything more than you can afford to give us. But if you know of any other towns that need help building homes or fields, fighting combat organisms, or re-establishing trade, let us know."
"A fine use for stolen power," mused an older man. "Very well. Let us discuss, and we'll return with a set of terms."
They had arrived in the early morning. As the sun reached its highest point, Takumi had finished clearing out the combat organisms that infested the village's former fields and surrounding forests. As the sun lowered in the sky, they worked with the other villagers to till the earth and repair their old irrigation channels, before planting seeds in the seedbeds they'd prepared. And as night fell, the villagers happily treated Takumi and Takemaru to their harvest once more, with the whole village enjoying a delicious meal of vegetarian curry.
In over 60 days, Takumi hadn't slept in a soft bed, or eaten any food prepared by the Ration-O-Matic. Any friends he'd made, he knew he might never see again. The only friend who had stayed with him was Takemaru. Although, at this point, the word 'friend' felt inadequate.
Every day, they'd been through something together. Today, it was a day of fighting and strenuous work. There were many days like that. But several times, they'd repelled targeted invasions from combat organisms. They'd also consorted with delegates from the Futuran Rebellion, and teamed up with them to defeat Commanders.
However, even their partnerships with the Resistance weren't permanent. Some of its delegates wanted to enter into a formal partnership with Takumi and Takemaru, under the condition that they put their efforts towards infiltrating Last Defense Academy and destroying the weapon of despair housed within.
Takemaru said he couldn't. Not yet. Not until he knew it would be a lost cause to reason with the SDU. Not until he had complete confidence that they could successfully stop the final attack. Because if they failed, the Futurans would have no one left to save them. And V'ehxness, the woman calling herself a god, wouldn't suffer them to live either.
It was on that occasion, in which their arguments nearly came to blows, that Takumi understood where the true difficulty of their quest lay. It wasn't in fighting monsters or working hard under remorseless conditions. It was in the politicking involved in rekindling a struggling society.
Neither Takemaru nor Takumi were built for politics. And so, they parted ways with the Resistance, remaining committed to their original mission of helping as many people as they could. Lonely though it was.
In their moments of peace, they bandaged each others' wounds, told each other stories, laughed together, and slept under the same roof.
Through every trial big and small, they always had each other.
Near a campfire, under the light of the stars, Takumi finished applying medicine to his palms. Their work today required them to till fields and dig holes, which naturally meant hours of hand-bruising labor. Takumi's hands had, unsurprisingly, grown calloused from all of the manual labor he'd done over the past many days. But sometimes, handling shovels and hoes still caused his skin to chafe and bleed.
They'd asked for lodgings in return. They received a small shed at the edge of the village, comfortable enough to sleep in.
He heard footsteps and glanced up. Takemaru had just walked into view, his face illuminated by the fire's light. He was half-clothed, running his fingers through his wet hair. They'd both changed out of Class Armor to rest. However, Takumi could see that Takemaru's Infuser was still in his belt, just in case.
"Wasn't it nice?" Takumi asked. "I can't believe they let us use the river to bathe. It was pretty scenic out there too."
"Nothing beats the hot spring that one time, though."
"Oh, yeah, nothing beat that." Takumi smiled, reminiscing about a time they'd delivered food to a village taking shelter underground. "Need another towel?"
"I think I'll just dry off by the fire." Takemaru sat down next to Takumi as the latter finished wrapping bandages around his palms.
"Another day done," Takumi muttered. "This would be the night of Day…?"
"Day 79," Takemaru said.
"21 days left." Takumi closed his eyes.
"So… three weeks."
The two stared off into nothing, as the flames of the campfire licked at the sky. The unspoken threat looming over them was a mere three weeks away from annihilating everything. Everyone they'd worked for, and everything they'd done. But the fear of annihilation had been buried beneath the smiles on hundreds of faces, and the delicious food he'd eaten, and the days spent capturing beautiful landscapes in his memory, and the days spent in private with Takemaru.
As if on its own, his mind wended away from such things.
"Takemaru?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you ever think we ask for too much?"
"Where's this coming from?"
Takumi held up the tub of medicinal ointment he had been using. "This is from our own supply. I, um, didn't feel good about using stuff from the village."
"Hmm?"
"We already took a lot from them." Takumi shrugged. "They didn't have that many seeds left, but they still insisted we take some of them… and then we used up so many of their vegetables during lunch and dinner, when they could have been saving it for more meals… "
"Mmm, yeah."
"And that's not all!" Takumi turned to face Takemaru. "The other villages we've been to… what if one of the houses we helped build collapses? Or the fields we built fail, or the food we made gets poisoned, or us just being there gets the village targeted?" Takumi shrugged. "Because that happened once… When a Commander attacked that one village… "
"You're saying you're worried we're leaving the places worse off than we when found 'em?"
"Something like that, yeah." Takumi sighed. "It's weird, but thanks to you, I've realized how big the world is. Before I came down, my world didn't need to be that big. Just me, and my mom and dad, and Karua. That was all I needed to worry about. And then I met everyone in the academy, and my world got a little bigger. And then there was the whole war thing. And now, a whole planet's at stake." Takumi stared up at the stars — at the Artificial Satellite hanging in the sky above. "Think about how many people have suffered and died for centuries because of the Artificial Satellite. Because of us. Because of humanity." He sighed. "When I think about that… about combat organisms, and what they're made of, too… "
"Takumi, you can't save everyone."
"I know, but…!" Takumi's face wrinkled with the rush of emotion. "And with the final attack coming…! We could stop it, couldn't we? But how could we face our friends on our own? Or team up with V'ehxness to defeat them, when we swore we wouldn't do that? We're just sitting here, hoping the Commanders take them out first… " He sighed. "It feels like nothing we do is going to be worth it unless we stop the final attack. But no matter what, someone I care about is going to die. Maybe even you." He sighed. "There are so many people we've failed to save. And there are so many we can't save. And I don't like having to choose who to save. Why do we have to make those choices?"
"You can't save everyone. And this one's gonna hurt more," Takemaru said, shifting closer to Takumi, "but no one you save's gonna be that way forever."
"Huh?" Takumi's eyes widened in confusion at his words.
"Those fields we tilled today? Tomorrow a flash flood could wash 'em all out. Doesn't mean we did anything wrong." Takemaru sighed, his eyes reflecting the light from the fire. "People die of disease and old age no matter what. Some of 'em want a cure. And some of 'em just wanna pass on. And what if the people we feed turn out to be killers? Doesn't mean you do anything wrong by trying to make their lives a little easier for even one day." He smiled. "Think of all of the smiles on those kids' faces when you play with 'em. And think of all of the people who have hope now that we've helped them get their land back from combat organisms. You did what you could to help them. And they were happier, for even a little bit, because you stepped up to the plate."
He reached his hand behind Takumi's back. What would have been a strong pat of brotherhood, in a timeline before this, became a warm one-armed hug and a kiss on the forehead.
"Thank you for being there for them. And for me, too."
Takumi chuckled. "C'mon. You're the one I should be thanking. After all, if it wasn't for you, I'd never have started down this path in the first place."
The two of them sat together in appreciative silence before they finally retreated to their lodgings.
Takumi continued to snore quietly as Takemaru pulled himself out of bed. Moving as quietly as he could, he ushered himself to the village's outskirts, overlooking the path they'd used to get here.
Every new place had its charm. This hidden village among the trees was a wonderful place to cool off. To meditate amidst beautiful nature after a hectic day.
It was best to enjoy it. Especially now, when he couldn't sleep.
Takemaru took a deep breath of the fresh, clean air as he looked out over the buildings and forest both.
Takumi had grown. He used to be singleminded, and to an extent he still was. But like Takemaru had done for the old folks back home, he'd learned to look after them. He'd fallen well into his duty as a man, and as a human being, to care for the people around him. Sure, he stretched himself too thin sometimes, but he'd figure it out. It took Takemaru himself years to regulate himself, after all.
Time. Did they even have time?
…
crunch crunch
Takemaru's eyes shot open at the sound of leaves being crushed underfoot. He whipped his head towards the sound, nearly pulling out his Infuser, when he saw the shadow of the intruder.
They weren't an intruder at all. Takemaru's gaze melted at the sight of one of the gun-toting guards he'd met earlier — a boy about his age. Despite his serious mien when he'd greeted Takemaru at gunpoint, he was the first one to try Takemaru's food. Later, Takemaru had seen him playing with the village's kids.
"H-Hey. Takemaru, right?" The guard smiled, raising a hand in a greeting. "I saw you out here and wondered if you were doing okay."
"I'm fine," Takemaru chuckled. "Don't scare me like that, dude. I thought you were an intruder."
"S-Sorry. I guess this would be the second time." He rocked his head to the side. "Mind if I sit with you?"
"Go ahead."
The guard sat down next to Takemaru. Though he'd borne a serious expression when they'd first seen each other, now he looked downright casual. Nervous, even.
"I wanted to talk to you about something." The guard finally broke the silence. His gaze, as Takemaru saw, drew itself up to the bright light in the sky. "It's… going to launch soon, right? The weapon of despair. And it'll take this whole world out with it."
"Mmm." Takemaru's legs shifted. He'd been questioned about it before.
"I'm not gonna tell you what to do," the guard said. "But… time's ticking down. We all know about it. The day when everything ends." He covered his face. "But what if someone stops it? What if it doesn't happen? What then?" He sighed. "Would Commander V'ehxness subjugate us anyway? Would we be forced to fight in a war without end just to please her? What does the future look like, with someone like her in power?"
Takemaru's nose wrinkled. "That's rough, man. I don't have an answer."
"Yeah, I don't either." The guard gave a sad smile. "You know, I had no hope for the future. That was, until you and Takumi came along."
"Hmm?"
The guard shrugged. "Well… I've only been eating plain rice for days. Giving my food to the kids, so they can get the nutrients they need. Crushing rocks for salt, so the kids can have the clean stuff. And just sitting in the forest, thinking about how we're all going to be destroyed soon. So, life's been pretty terrible up until now."
"I can imagine… "
"But then you showed up, and made us food and helped us reclaim our fields… The adults were happy to work on something, and the kids were begging me for ways to help. The whole village was filled with despair, but then you showed up and got us to dream of a future." The guard smiled. "And now we've got plans for migrating back to our old homes, and defending ourselves against the Sovereign Army if it attacks us. We're even considering building a radio system."
"Really?"
"So… even if you don't stop the attack… even if it's not in your plans… I wanted to thank you." The guard gave a wide smile to Takemaru. "Thank you, Takemaru. And Takumi, too. Thanks to you, we're excited to greet the future."
Takemaru stared at the guard's earnest smile in surprise before tears began to pour out of his eyes. The guard's expression shifted as Takemaru buried his eyes into his sleeve, stifling his own little sobs.
"It's fine, man," Takemaru said, as the guard reached forward in concern. "I ain't cryin'. Just… a bit of pollen in my eye, 's all."
"Oh, okay." The guard moved back. "If you say so… "
Takemaru finally wiped the tears out before he shifted back up. "You don't gotta credit me, dude. None of it would have been possible if you hadn't—"
crunch crunch crunch
Both Takemaru and the guard kicked into gear at the sound of yet another person walking in the underbrush, kneeling down to hide their own presences from the coming threat. They soon caught sight of it — the silhouette of a human amidst the trees, clearly attempting to sneak past them. To Takemaru's eyes, and to the guard's, their clothes were unmistakable.
The two boys remained silent as the figure crept past them, before they disappeared out of view.
"That's an invader from the sky," the guard whispered. "Did you—"
"Shit…!" Takemaru clapped the guard on the shoulder. "I'd know that bastard anywhere! Kid, get back to the village and evacuate everyone as quietly as you can!"
"Are you sure?!"
"I know that guy, and he's bad news. I'll deal with him on my own. Get back to the village, and get everyone out."
"Got it!" The guard scurried through the woods, heading for the nearest house. Takemaru, in turn, beelined straight for the black-suited invader.
He quickly caught sight of the target. As he'd expected, they'd aimed straight for his and Takumi's lodgings. They had only barely passed through the door, a mere few feet away from the sleeping beauty inside, when Takemaru, now clad in Class Armor, stopped them with his nail bat held over his neck.
He hadn't seen those white locks and thin-rimmed glasses in days. But he knew the name of he who bore them.
"Eito," he growled, "don't you fuckin' dare hurt these people. They've done nothing wrong."
It was a few seconds before Eito finally responded. "For your information," Eito said, "it's you I'm here for. Not them."
"Doesn't mean you wouldn't take hostages."
"Maybe so."
Even from behind, Takemaru could tell Eito had a smug smile on his face. He never did seem too disappointed about being exposed as a traitor.
In front of them, Takumi's eyes finally opened. He took a few moments to register the situation — Eito in front of him, held at weapons' point by Takemaru. His body seized up in shock, eliciting a chuckle from Eito.
"Help me get this asshole out of the village before he hurts someone," Takemaru growled.
Takumi gave a nod. One transformation later, he'd forced Eito out of the building at the tip of his katana, backing him away from the village. Cornered, Eito followed their motions.
Behind him, Takemaru could hear the sound of people running away in silence. The guard was making good on his side of the task.
Finally, they'd worked their way over to a clearing. Takemaru lowered his bat, which was Takumi's own signal to lower his katana. Eito's shoulders slumped down as he gave a sigh of relief.
"What do you want?" Takemaru demanded, storming up to him. "You're after us, ain't ya?"
"Keep your distance." Eito held his palm out with a grimace. "And to my credit, I wasn't planning to kill you right away." He sighed and rocked his head to the side as his eyes traveled back and forth between his two captors. "Why don't we start with a little exchange of information?"
"What could you possibly have to give us?"
"Well, to start with, I'm sure you learned the truth about Last Defense Academy long ago. As did I, while I was tracking you. The others don't, though. They still believe SIREI's lies that we're fighting to reclaim Earth from World Death. That's useful, isn't it?"
"And you didn't go back to tell them the truth?" Takemaru asked.
"I'm in a position where I can't return empty-handed."
"What do you mean by 'empty-handed'?" Takumi asked.
"SIREI couldn't risk having traitors like you feeding information to the Sovereign Army. He needed you located and dealt with, but the team wasn't willing to send one of their own out. So I volunteered myself. It's not like I was helping them in battle anyway." Eito shrugged. "They'd let me back in if and only if I brought proof of your deaths. Though, just between you and me," he said, with a smirk, "I'm not so sure SIREI planned to let me live in the first place."
"Then why listen to him?" Takumi asked. "Why not join up with V'ehxness?"
"Why indeed?" Eito smiled. "Call it curiosity. Why would the one who so valiantly stopped me in the Gym on Day 2 suddenly abandon his friends? And what was it about his companion that led him to do so?" He threw a snide glare back at Takemaru. "What is it about you?"
"For your information," Takemaru said, "we've been helping out the Futurans where we can. Food, water, shelter, fighting off the comba- er, the School Invaders. We don't want anythin' in return. We just want the Futurans to have a future."
"When the biggest thing keeping them from having a future is the final attack launched from the Defense Room?" Eito raised his eyebrows. "Surely you couldn't have forgotten that. Although I suppose it's just like a vapid human like you to concern yourself with useless little things like farming over anything that would actually make a difference." Eito sighed. "In fact, that's my other reason for coming here. The way I see it, all three of us share a goal."
"What goal?" Takumi asked.
"To return to Last Defense Academy and defeat the soldiers stationed there. Plus, you want V'ehxness gone. If V'ehxness were defeated, that's one less problem for me too." He smiled, holding a hand out to the pair. "So, why don't the three of us join forces?"
Takumi and Takemaru glanced at each other before turning back to Eito.
Eito continued. "V'ehxness will attack Last Defense Academy herself eventually. Based on my calculations, the three of us will be strong enough if we work together. We'll let both sides wear each other down until one is defeated, and then swoop in to finish the job. From there… " Eito hummed to himself. "Well, your goal is the baby in the Defense Room, isn't it? Once he's dead, all of your problems will be solved. You can stay here on Futurum for as long as you like."
"And you?" Takemaru asked.
"Me?"
"What's your goal?"
"The Escape Pod. It's the only way back up to the Artificial Satellite." Eito smiled. "The fact that they can't be suffered to live aside, do you really think humanity will stop at one failed attack? No, they'll try again and again. Cutting off their existence at the root is the only way the Futurans will have the long-lasting peace you so crave. So in a way, I'll be helping you out long after our partnership is over." Eito winked at Takumi. "A perfect win-win, wouldn't you say?"
A perfect win-win…
Eito was nothing if not good at plotting. Takumi knew it well. He just never expected that his plot would involve a partnership with someone he hated.
He ran through Eito's plan again, trying to find holes. Eito was strong in his own right, and combined with Takemaru and Takumi's might, the three of them could probably take down V'ehxness in a weakened state. The rest of the SDU might be harder, but if they too were weakened, it would be more of a cleanup job than a real battle. And Takemaru and Takumi planned to stay on Futurum anyway, so they'd part ways with Eito upon the Escape Pod's launch. He wouldn't be around any longer.
And, loath as he was to admit it, Eito did have a point about humanity.
Of course, there was the "before" period to think about. Eito would need to travel with them for the next 20-odd days. It would be a bizarre prospect, having three people sitting on one motorcycle, especially when one was averse to human contact. Did Eito even like farming or building houses? They would also have to request the Resistance's aid — a Resistance surgeon had removed the bombs in their bodies, and Eito would need the same operation if he wanted to return to the academy safely. And even then, once the Undying Flame Boy was dead, would Eito really let them live?
"You can trust me."
Eito's voice snapped Takumi out of his stupor. He glanced back at Eito, who now bore a serious expression.
"As disgusting as you are, it's no matter to me if you're the only two humans left in this universe. You have my word that I won't kill you before I leave this planet. Besides, what's the point if I don't get to see you again once it's all over?"
"To rub it in my face?"
"You know me so well, Takumi." He gave a playful smile.
Takumi's choices were to accept Eito's proposition, which would undoubtedly give them what they wanted, or deny it, which would have unpredictable consequences. The choice seemed obvious.
But before Takumi could speak up, Takemaru held his arm out over Takumi's body and spoke.
"No."
"Hmm?" Eito gave an irritated glare at Takemaru. "Aren't you going to discuss it first?"
"No," Takemaru repeated. "That's our final answer."
"Takumi?" Eito cut through the wall, his eyes making contact with Takumi's. "What's your final answer?"
Takumi glanced at Eito, then at Takemaru. Takemaru's eyes were laser-focused on Eito's face. However, for the briefest of moments, he glanced back down at Takumi, reading his expression before he turned back.
A show of trust.
In response to Eito's question, Takumi shook his head.
Eito scoffed. "Don't listen to him. Do the math. Don't you want to save the Futurans? I'm handing you a path to victory on a silver platter."
"But that's it." Takemaru crossed his arms. "You're just looking for a way to destroy humanity. You don't give a shit about the Futurans. And if that's the case," Takemaru said, "we ain't helpin' you."
"The enemy of your enemy is your friend." Eito's words were measured, yet Takumi could hear him speaking through his teeth all the same. "Don't you get that?"
"We're here to help people because we care about them." Takemaru narrowed his eyes. "Takumi told me everything I need to know about you. About how you murdered your own parents. About how you murdered Hiruko in her sleep and set that Commander free only to kill her later. You don't give a shit about anyone besides yourself."
Eito narrowed his eyes. "You're talking about a version of me that never—"
"You told us yourself ten weeks ago! You're all hate, Aotsuki. Where's the love?!" He stepped forward, forcing Eito back. "Where's your love for the people you're fighting for? Where's your compassion? What have you actually done to make the world a better place?!"
"It's you who doesn't see!" Eito spoke. "My righteous eyes showed me the truth of humanity, but even you can see that they're greedy ogres who want a whole planet for themselves! Why is it wrong of me to want them gone?!"
"We're not fighting to eradicate humanity!" Takemaru growled. They were now face to face. staring each other down. "We're fighting for a better world! If humanity has to die for it, sure! But we're on the side of the Futurans. And we're not rubbin' elbows with anyone who doesn't understand that."
"Takumi, this senseless brute won't listen to reason," Eito growled. "I know you're smarter than this. I want to hear your answer."
My… answer?
Did Takumi even have an answer?
He'd spared Eito that day because the Eito standing before him wasn't the same as the Eito of his first timeline. And at this point, he couldn't deny that humanity was in the wrong.
Neither could Takemaru.
Takemaru and Eito. Both of them fought for what they believed in. Idealism and realism both. They didn't rely on other people and trusted their own judgment. Though their paths and upbringing led them to different conclusions, they held their convictions close to their chests. Closer than Takumi could ever hold his own convictions.
But even so…
Takumi took a deep breath in and out before he spoke. "Those vile humans you hate… Takemaru never ran from them like you did." He faced Eito with a stern expression. "He's told me stories of all of the people he's talked to. All those old folks he was friends with, who didn't even have families to take care of them. He's worked harder for the people around him than anyone I know, even before he landed on Futurum. Things other people wouldn't tolerate, he accepted. You couldn't do the same. And even if you were given the chance, you'd never do the same."
"Do you think any of that matters?!"
"Takemaru's right. We have different goals. Unlike you, we're not fighting to eradicate humanity. You might not know what it means to love someone, because you've only ever talked about hate. But we're not fighting out of hate. Any hate we have for humanity is rooted in our love for the Futurans."
"So you're just going to let the final attack destroy everything you've worked for?!" Eito asked.
"We'll figure it out!" Takumi shouted back. "But whatever we do, it won't be with your help. We refuse to work with someone who only fights because he hates his enemies."
"We're fighting for Futurum — for the people we love," Takemaru finished. "If you can't accept that, then fuck off and don't come back."
Eito's eyes traveled between Takemaru's and Takumi's. Their expressions, so far as he could tell, were resolute.
"Idiots, the lot of you… " Eito sighed.
The two watched, readying their own weapons as Eito backed away from them. His expression was shifting, his eyes growing more sharp as he summoned his scythe.
"I'll admit, a partnership would have been the best way forward." His smile grew more severe as he looked up at them, digging his fingers through the spikes of his weapon. "But so long as you're here, I suppose I'll just have to make do with your hemoanima."
Takumi and Takemaru readied their own stances.
They'd been prepared for a battle since the moment they saw him.
Hopefully, the villagers had been evacuated in time. Takemaru held onto those hopes as he gripped his bat, feeling the spikes pierce his skin, before the enemy charged towards him.