Ritsuka choked as he began to feel dizzy. No matter how much he tried to breathe, it didn't work. Because of that, his mind wasn't getting enough air. No proper thoughts or explanations could form. All he could do was stand there, in this damning silence as those who demanded and deserved answers waited. The parts of his brain that were still working noticed how Mash was similarly affected, seemingly at the verge of tears. Kagetora on the other hand was utterly calm, almost serene as she smiled. And Nobu... She glanced at him for a moment, unreadable expression on her face before she laughed lightly, stepping forward.
"Y'know. Just getting a head start on that tree. No need for yo-"
"Cut the bullshit, we know."
Nobu dropped her smile immediately, dropping her hand in mid twirl. The Tiger of Kai glared at them, his arms crossed. Taking a deep breath, he turned to Ritsuka, causing him to flinch.
"Panhuman. Lostbelt. Interesting terms, don't you think?" He asked in a sarcastic tone. "It's like there's only meant to be one timeline. A timeline that has been... lost, if your past tense is anything to go by. Something you want to bring back. And if that smell of guilt is anything to go by, it won't be bloodless."
"God, that's why I hate you, Tiger," Nobu muttered as the master of Chaldea was almost drawing blood from his clenched fists, filled with shame. A part of him cursed the fact that he wasn't better at hiding secrets. If he were, they wouldn't have this confrontation.
Amako wouldn't have to look like her entire world view was destroyed.
"I take that as a compliment." Harunobu turned to Amako, his features softening up when he patted her on the shoulder. "Not to mention... the people in this timeline aren't stupid."
The girl's eyes were utterly blank. Not even the warmth of her lord lit a light in her. Slowly, she stepped forward. Raising her hand, she revealed a crumbled up pile of notes in them.
"Last page. Hidden," she muttered in a dead voice, something Ritsuka never wanted to hear. "Sis saw everything. Through Yomi, somehow. The other trees. The white lands. How…some trees disappeared, with those lands. How those trees are vital in... " She choked up, not noticing how each word was more and more damning. "You..." Her eyes came back to life for a moment, as she struggled with the words. But then, they returned to their blank state.
"You're going to kill us all, aren't you? Destroy this entire timeline by taking down that tree?"
The silence that followed as an answer on its own and just as damning. Harunobu sighed in resignation. Mash began to tear up, covering her mouth as she lowered her head. Kagetora and Nobunaga remained neutral, having taken a step back. And Amako?
Her dead expression gained some life back. It gained an accusing edge when she looked Ritsuka in the eyes. He wanted to look away. But he knew that he mustn't. This was the path he had chosen, in the end. However, it did not make the pain hurt any less.
"When were you going to tell me?"
"I-"
"You weren't," she cut him off. She slowly shook her head. "You just... wanted me to die in my sleep, I guess? Just letting me die, thinking I'd wake up the next day, ready for the future that wasn't going to come?"
Ritsuka couldn't say anything in his defense, as he bit his lip. There wasn't anything to defend after all. That was exactly what he wanted. But the way Amako described it... Yet again, he felt like the bad guy in all of this.
Suddenly, she started to giggle as her head was lowered.
"It...It's fine. I forgive you."
Ritsuka and Mash felt relief. Their faces lit up. But the moment Amako raised her head, that relief vanished. She was smiling. But her eyes were off. They were too desperate.
Too much in denial.
"M-must be hard... B-but you don't have to do this anymore, right?" Her voice grew in volume, as she faked her cheer as much as she could, becoming borderline hysterical. "W-we can evolve! Become just like you! It-It'd be the same, right?! Mimic what your history did! Nobody has to die anymore! Together, we can live in harmony and overcome anything!" Heavy breathing, exhausted from the effort. Then, her shoulders sagged and she began to plead as she bowed at them. "Just... just stay. Okay?"
He wanted to accept. He wanted to believe there was a way he could accept this kind of outcome. Recreating Panhuman History in this Lostbelt. No more unnecessary bloodshed. But then he remembered the Crypters. The Alien God. The actual Panhuman History, the history he was born in. To accept it to be gone forever... to play into the Alien God's hands... It hurt. It hurt so much. But in the end, he gathered all of his courage... and shook his head.
"I can't. The Alien God has to be stopped. I... I have to do this."
Amako's eyes were wide as she stepped back, as if his words were a punch to the gut. Mash looked at the girl with sorrow. But then she wiped her eyes, taking a deep breath to calm herself down.
"We... we can't allow the Fantasy Trees to remain... "
Her hurt expression was devastating. But he tried to maintain his composure himself. Then, a scoff escaped her, even with tears dropping down from her eyes as she looked down.
"Guess it was just me then... " She laughed weakly, shaking her head with closed eyes. "It was all fake in the end, hm?"
"No! It wasn't!"
She didn't hear his shout. Instead, she looked up. her eyes looking like they were staring at garbage.
"Did you have fun... ? Lying to me? Giving me false hope?" An ugly grin appeared on her face as she shook her head in disbelief. "You 'have' to do this... "
"Amako, ple-"
"I'm going to kill you."
It was said so sudden, Ritsuka couldn't process it. Amako said those words as if they were a fact. Her eyes were a fire of hate and anger, directed at him. He took a step back as she jabbed her thumb at herself with a snarl.
"I'm not going to die for your Panhuman History!" She slammed her foot down and raised her arms, spear hand aimed at Ritsuka, exhaling literal steam as her body heated up. "You want to destroy that tree?! Then kill us yourselves, you cowards!"
Before she could move however, Harunobu raised his arm. She shot him a look of utter betrayal, but he shook his head with a stern look.
"Tomorrow. I want to prepare."
"For what?" Nobu asked, having stepped in front of Mash and Ritsuka with Kagetora. He in return gave them a pointed look.
"This concerns everyone. I want to tell my people." He crossed his arms. "I want to see who is willing to fight you."
Ritsuka felt anger rise up in his heart. He was planning to drag in even more people into this?! It was bad enough that Amako wanted to kill him, but that... that was just cruel!
"You can't just-"
"We are free at last." Harunobu's soft voice interrupted him, shocking him with the sincerity his words held. "Their choice has been taken away for so long." He glanced back with a fond smile. "The least I can do, for fighting alongside me for so long, is offer them the truth and perhaps one last choice."
"If you plan to kill us all, at least grant us this much. We're giving you the same courtesy." He raised his finger. "One night. Then we will finish this on the field."
Ritsuka wanted to object. Wanted to deny him. But he couldn't. After all... if he were in their shoes... wouldn't he also want to choose? To fight, to struggle for their survival? Because of that, he remained silent. Nobu nodded slowly, patting Mash on the back.
"We'll take it." "C'mon, master."
They turned around. Ritsuka wouldn't be able to get rid of the look Amako gave him from his mind. That betrayed, hurt and hateful look. He didn't know how long they walked. Time lost its meaning as he repeatedly thought about what happened. Soon enough however, they have set up camp on a hill, overlooking a wide open field, with the tree not too far away, relatively speaking.
Seated outside under the night sky, Ritsuka couldn't really appreciate the silence around the campfire. Again and again, Amako's words repeated in his head. Looking around, Mash wasn't doing any better, her eyes red as she stared down at her shield. Kagetora on the other hand was completely relaxed, legs crossed as her eyes were closed. Last but not least...
"Guess now's my turn to say 'I told you so', hm?"
Nobu had her arms crossed behind her back, her eyebrow raised at him. Immediately, he shot up, gritting his teeth in frustration.
"We might have to massacre thousands of innocent people! Are you not bothered by it at all?!"
"Of course I'm not." At his shocked expression, she sighed. Leaning forward, she pointed at herself. "Master, don't forget who I am. I'm not called Demon King of the Sixth Heaven because I'm a particular nice person."
"But this is... !"
"How many lives do you think I've taken for my ambitions?" She asked in a cold tone before pointing at Kagetora, lost in her own world. "How many did she take? It might seem monstrous to you... but to us? Just a regular day in the Sengoku period."
"Besides... killing them now. Killing them by destroying the tree. They both don't make a difference to us. Dead is dead." She shrugged before pointing at him. "So what will you do? Our task is destroying that Tree and this Lostbelt. A task we both are willing to see through."
He couldn't understand it. Well, he could. Warriors like Kagetora and Nobunaga... they were looking forward to this. Content with a good fight, against worthy opponents. But him? He was just a normal person. He didn't want to kill people if he could avoid it. Asking him what he will do however... the answer was simple. Hasn't changed, as much as it hurt.
He would see this through. He wanted to live. He had to focus on that. Focus that he had to be doing the right thing. Preventing the plans of the Alien God coming to fruition. Anything else... had to be discarded. Ignored. For the sake of his own sanity.
"...I'm going to fight."
"We're going to fight," Mash whispered, a ghost of a smile on her face. Nobu hummed in thought, staring at the two. After a moment of judgement, she shrugged before leaning back against a rock.
"Not perfect, but I take what I can get." A small smile appeared on her face. "Try to get some sleep, master. It'll be a long day."
Ritsuka couldn't help but scoff. That was putting it lightly...
As they drifted off to sleep, with varying dreams or nightmares accompanying them, the cloaked figure ran his hand through his green hair, eyes narrowed as he hid himself.