[Kanashimi no Mukō e plays]
She gasped at the horrendous sight. Takato had shielded her from his attack. He continued to stand there, his fists clenched and his stomach struck through with a hole. Tears slid down Rika's face. "T-Takato...?"
"TAKATO!" Rika shouted out for Takato. She brought herself off the ground and ran over to him. "Takato!"
She hugged him, and gently rubbed his back. She felt the hole. More tears began to slide down her face. "No…Takato…please don't go, I-I can't…I need you…."
Past words from Takato then began to float in Rika's head.
"My time is coming to an end, Rika."
"You and I will soon go different ways."
"I wish I could be with you forever, Rika."
"G-Gogglehead…" Rika spoke, "are you okay? G-Gogglehead?"
"I'm…sorry…Rika…" Takato struggled to put out more words…
I love you.
Rika gasped once more. Her eyes widened, but then she started crying out tears, like a saddened and heartbroken child. "Gogglehead…I love you too…!"
His heart stopped beating.
"...Takato?" Rika blurted out, "Takato…? Takato? Y-you're still there, r-right, gogglehead? Because you made promised me that you'd be my gogglehead forever and ever and ever and…?"
Rika then cried out even more tears, louder than ever. And the expressions on the tamers' around her were just unbearable. But out of all the tamers there, Rika was the saddest. Never had she felt this much pain before in her life.
Takato died a hero's death. He had a true love for Rika.
True love is selfless. It is prepared to sacrifice.