“Oh? Why is the window open…?”
Asked Phi as he entered the room after Egos and Zenon left.
He was puzzled as he closed the wide open window, and whispered with a lonely tone as he looked at his sleeping older brother.
“Big brother… You go too far. If you collapse to protect us, what’s the point…”
“…I’m sorry Phi, it’s our fault that this happened to Yuugo.”
“T-that’s not what I meant! Hum, sorry…”
Yui felt responsible for what happened to Yuugo, and apologized with a depressed expression.
Phi was flustered, feeling he hurt her even more after she was hurt by her brother’s cold treatment, and then whispered while clenching his fists.
“…It’s frustrating. I can’t do anything at a time like this. I hate how weak I am.”
“Don’t say that, Phi. You’ve saved me more than once, so you’re definitely not weak.”
“…Everyone says I’m strong, even my brother, but I’m not. I can’t fight to protect someone. I’ve never regretted that more than now.”
“Phi…”
Yui knew Phi was not a weak person. And even he knew his older brother’s compliments were not a lie or flattery.
Still, as he looked at his fallen brother who got hurt protecting them, he was reminded all too well of his weakness.
He felt frustrated over his lack of fighting power, but Yui, who could see people’s hearts, exhaled quietly and turned to him.
“Don’t beat yourself up like that, Phi. There’s someone on the other side of that door that has power, but is weaker than you.”
“Eh…?”
“…You’re there, right? Don’t stand there, how about you come in?”
A few seconds after Yui spoke as if she saw through it, the door slowly opened.
Phi saw Ryuuga, and gulped with surprise.
“Ryuuga…!? Why…?”
“…I let my emotions control me before and said some terrible things. I’m sorry, Phi.”
Ryuuga apologized quietly and entered the room.
He walked towards his sister, but she spoke before he could.
“…I’m sorry for calling you the worst.”
“No… You were right, I was being the worst. Sorry for lashing out.”
Both felt guilty about how they clashed before, and apologized.
Then Ryuuga approached Yuugo, and Phi turned to him with a question.
“…Should I leave?”
“No, you can listen.”
Ryuuga responded with a faint smile, feeling Phi was being considerate.
He sat on a chair near the bed and looked at his still sleeping partner.
“…Sorry Yuugo. I really was thinking about abandoning Raiha for revenge. After you entrusted everything to me.”
He did not lie when he argued with his sister and the others. He wanted to abandon his father’s killer and go after Koumaru to have his revenge. And he continued after this confession.
“But as I was leaving the city to go after Koumaru… I heard your voice saying you were leaving the rest to me. I stopped. I stopped myself from becoming a vengeful demon, like I promised.”
He honored the promise he made to his partner late at night, and thanked him.
Now that he was back, he faced down, his voice shook, and he expressed how he felt.
“I understand. I know what I should do, what’s right…! I know everything, that she’s been feeling crushed by regret and guilt, that she couldn’t just confess…! But still!!”
Just before she was sealed, Raiha said it was fine.
That meant she thought it was a fitting end for someone who committed crimes as the mad loong.
Ryuuga knew how she felt. And he was thankful because she saved his sister.
But… He still burned with a desire for vengeance.
“…I still dream about our father’s death. The image of him being pierced by lightning fired by the mad loong and instantly turned into ash never left my mind. I had to see my mother, who lost the person she loved the most, and my sister, who lost her eyesight, suffer. Even if it wasn’t intentional… I couldn’t forgive Raiha. I couldn’t let the real culprit, Koumaru, get away either!”
“Big brother…”
The desire to save Raiha did exist within Ryuuga. But at the same time, his chest burned with anger towards her, and throbbed hard with hatred towards Koumaru.
To save Raiha, he had to hold back this hatred and forgive her.
Ryuuga saw his family suffer for five years, so this was not easy to do.
“Yuugo… the days I spent with you were very fun. I even thought I might forget about revenge. But… the past caught up with me. I can’t run away. It always… binds my heart. I can’t forget it. I can’t, Yuugo…!!”
Ryuuga groaned with pain as his clenched fists trembled… and he confessed to his sleeping friend how he felt.
Yui stayed silent, as she felt the weak aura around her brother, and Phi spoke quietly.
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