Bara no Scarlet
Chapter 56
Closure
Rika sat in the assembly hall, watching Dios. To her right, Izumi was speaking quietly to Keuseke. She looked down, checking her watch, and then she rose to her feet. "It will be lunch shortly... they'll keep asking him things all day if he lets them."
Izumi and Keuseke looked over to see Dios animatedly describing something to a student, hands busy illustrating in the air whatever it was they were discussing. Shaking his head, Izumi stood to join Rika. "We should we go remind him of his luncheon. It looks like he'll entertain them all day if we don't."
As the trio moved towards Dios, however, he looked over and smiled to them. "Ah, just in time. It wouldn't do to miss the luncheon, would it? Anshii would never forgive me." He looked across the room, nodding to Juri, and then turned away as the Fencing Instructor's voice rang out clearly across the room.
"Thank you, everyone. The lunch hall will be open shortly. If you did not have a chance to speak with Chairman Himemiya, his office will be open after lunch.
Lunch was a quietly subdued affair, just as dinner had the night before. Eventually, Juri sighed and took it upon herself to break the silence. "Dios... what really happened to Akio?"
Dios set his fork down on his plate and looked across the table to the golden-haired woman. "There are places still in this world where what is known as magic still exists. Ohtori is one of those few places; all of you have seen it. Magic exists where there is childlike innocence and love. As we grow, we move past that, growing into adulthood and leaving the magic of our youth behind for the next generation. Sometimes, people try to take that magic by force and make it grow with them. The force twists, turning into something other than what it was intended to be."
Several people weren't certain where Dios was headed with this, but they continued to eat, listening to his words.
"Akio tried to take the magic of youth and turn it into power. He tried to corrupt the innocence and use it to his own gain. When I defeated him in the Duel, I showed him that. He had no choice but to move on. And when he did, I took his place back in this world. Eventually, we will all move on into the adult world and leave the magic of Ohtori for the next generation."
"So... is Akio...?" Miki started, but couldn't bring himself to finish the question.
Anshii's green eyes cast across to him and she smiled faintly. "Akio will never hurt anyone again. The Law of the Roses has seen to that."
Dios nodded and returned to his dessert.
Saionji looked skeptical, frowning as he looked at Dios. "But you... you're as old as Akio, if you are his twin. Why haven't you left this world?"
Akio's smile was an echo of Anshii's. "Because I haven't grown up. I'm still a little boy at heart."
The luncheon was officially over, but Juri, Miki, and Touga had hung back to remain for a little while after the others had departed. Utena and Anshii saw those who were leaving to the elevator, and then met back up with the others in the old projector room at the top of the tower.
Dios leaned against the window and sighed. "Akio is gone, yes. I couldn't tell the others the precise reasoning behind how I know. But all of you know better than to think that I am his twin. Simply put, I replaced him. When I defeated him in the Final Duel, his psyche shattered. What you knew as Akio is no longer. At Anshii and Utena's insistence, I... returned to the world that I was sent away from all those years ago."
Juri nodded thoughtfully, looking at Utena. "And what of Ayomi?"
Utena's cheeks flushed pink and she looked back at Juri. But before she could answer, Dios smiled thoughtfully. "Ayomi is Utena, Juri. When Utena took Anshii's place, she did what she had to do in order to protect both herself and Anshii. She drew on my powers, and became Ayomi. Now, like me, she is free to be herself again."
A querulous look crossed Utena's blue eyes, but she smiled at Juri and Dios, the curve of her lips reminiscent of Ayomi's smiles.
Anshii turned away, looking out of the windows. She wasn't entirely certain that was what had happened, but it was the most straightforward explanation she had heard of herself.
Rika sat in the assembly hall, watching Dios. To her right, Izumi was speaking quietly to Keuseke. She looked down, checking her watch, and then she rose to her feet. "It will be lunch shortly... they'll keep asking him things all day if he lets them."
Izumi and Keuseke looked over to see Dios animatedly describing something to a student, hands busy illustrating in the air whatever it was they were discussing. Shaking his head, Izumi stood to join Rika. "We should we go remind him of his luncheon. It looks like he'll entertain them all day if we don't."
As the trio moved towards Dios, however, he looked over and smiled to them. "Ah, just in time. It wouldn't do to miss the luncheon, would it? Anshii would never forgive me." He looked across the room, nodding to Juri, and then turned away as the Fencing Instructor's voice rang out clearly across the room.
"Thank you, everyone. The lunch hall will be open shortly. If you did not have a chance to speak with Chairman Himemiya, his office will be open after lunch.
Lunch was a quietly subdued affair, just as dinner had the night before. Eventually, Juri sighed and took it upon herself to break the silence. "Dios... what really happened to Akio?"
Dios set his fork down on his plate and looked across the table to the golden-haired woman. "There are places still in this world where what is known as magic still exists. Ohtori is one of those few places; all of you have seen it. Magic exists where there is childlike innocence and love. As we grow, we move past that, growing into adulthood and leaving the magic of our youth behind for the next generation. Sometimes, people try to take that magic by force and make it grow with them. The force twists, turning into something other than what it was intended to be."
Several people weren't certain where Dios was headed with this, but they continued to eat, listening to his words.
"Akio tried to take the magic of youth and turn it into power. He tried to corrupt the innocence and use it to his own gain. When I defeated him in the Duel, I showed him that. He had no choice but to move on. And when he did, I took his place back in this world. Eventually, we will all move on into the adult world and leave the magic of Ohtori for the next generation."
"So... is Akio...?" Miki started, but couldn't bring himself to finish the question.
Anshii's green eyes cast across to him and she smiled faintly. "Akio will never hurt anyone again. The Law of the Roses has seen to that."
Dios nodded and returned to his dessert.
Saionji looked skeptical, frowning as he looked at Dios. "But you... you're as old as Akio, if you are his twin. Why haven't you left this world?"
Akio's smile was an echo of Anshii's. "Because I haven't grown up. I'm still a little boy at heart."
The luncheon was officially over, but Juri, Miki, and Touga had hung back to remain for a little while after the others had departed. Utena and Anshii saw those who were leaving to the elevator, and then met back up with the others in the old projector room at the top of the tower.
Dios leaned against the window and sighed. "Akio is gone, yes. I couldn't tell the others the precise reasoning behind how I know. But all of you know better than to think that I am his twin. Simply put, I replaced him. When I defeated him in the Final Duel, his psyche shattered. What you knew as Akio is no longer. At Anshii and Utena's insistence, I... returned to the world that I was sent away from all those years ago."
Juri nodded thoughtfully, looking at Utena. "And what of Ayomi?"
Utena's cheeks flushed pink and she looked back at Juri. But before she could answer, Dios smiled thoughtfully. "Ayomi is Utena, Juri. When Utena took Anshii's place, she did what she had to do in order to protect both herself and Anshii. She drew on my powers, and became Ayomi. Now, like me, she is free to be herself again."
A querulous look crossed Utena's blue eyes, but she smiled at Juri and Dios, the curve of her lips reminiscent of Ayomi's smiles.
Anshii turned away, looking out of the windows. She wasn't entirely certain that was what had happened, but it was the most straightforward explanation she had heard of herself.