Yurugen's expression shifted, ever so slightly.
Seeing that, Shiita turned to him with a question.
"...I wonder? Where does your heart tend right now — toward destroying the past, or toward protecting the future?"
"......"
Perhaps it was fair to say things had gone exactly as Shiita had hoped.
Yurugen answered, his face twisted with anguish.
"...I suppose you could say I'm wavering."
And then, he continued.
"Moreover — the self-loathing I feel for wavering, at this point, is absolutely tremendous. Because I had already decided. I would betray them, and whether I was killed or cursed for it in the end, I would accept it all without a word of complaint."
And yet here he was.
"My feelings — my desire for revenge. Were they truly so easily changed...?"
"That's the opposite."
But Shiita denied his words.
As though she were restoring the heart of Yurugen — the one that had changed after losing her — back to what it once was.
"I'll say it as many times as it takes. You were, at your core, an incredibly gentle person. It was this country's darkness — the nobility — that pushed even someone like you down the path of revenge. That is the root of everything."
"In blunt terms... it's not you who's at fault. It's this country."
"...Are you really allowed to say something like that?"
"I am. If I don't say at least this much, it won't get through to someone foolish enough to try shouldering all that darkness alone."
Quite the harsh way to put it. Her manner was gentle enough, but she clearly hadn't forgotten what she had said earlier about having a proper "talk" with him.
......And before he knew it.
Nothing dramatic had happened. No grand persuasion had been delivered.
And yet—the black thing that had been nesting inside him for so long had faded considerably.
The confusion that came with that realization washed over him again.
But as if she had seen through it all, Theta spoke.
"Let me ask you once more. Let us try to untangle your heart, your feelings.
You, who were truly gentle at your core and possessed such a strong protective instinct... how did you end up like this? No matter what lies ahead, what matters now is remembering that once again."
Led by those words.
Yurugen recalled it. The origin of his current feelings... the reason he had set foot on the path of revenge.
Something he had stopped thinking about at some point. He revisited it—ah, so that's what it was—and felt a quiet understanding settle in.
Then, in a soft voice, he spoke of what he had remembered.
"...I couldn't bear it."
Like a confession, like a penance.
"It wasn't that my ideals weren't being fulfilled. In truth, I don't have any grand ideals of my own. That's why... I admired all of you, who carried such clear convictions. Whether it was a fundamental transformation like Rose's, or the kind of steady, ground-up improvement like yours, Theta—I didn't care. I was simply... envious of people who had something worth staking their lives on, an ideal, a purpose. I wanted to help. I felt that so strongly."
"...Yes. That is what happened."
"And yet—all of you were taken away. Rose was ensnared by the single greatest enemy one could name, the Archbishop, and above all... you, who weren't even an enemy to anyone, were simply left to die by the hands of nothing more than foolish nobles. People who had no ideals, nothing at all—they simply devoured the legacy of the past as though it were their birthright, and not a single one of them saw anything wrong with it."
"......"
"So then, wasn't I the only one left to carry it on? The fact that your ideals were cut short in such a half-hearted way—I couldn't forgive that... no, wait, that's not it either. That's just another convenient excuse, isn't it?"
And with that, Yurugen understood.
The truth about himself. The feeling that had been buried at the very bottom of his heart.
Yes, that's right. The truth was—just, simply.
"I couldn't take it anymore."
Yurugen spoke those words aloud once more.
"──
That I could never
,
see you again
.
That I'd lost you forever in such a way. That I'd lost even the chance to speak with you, forever."
That was why he'd decided to carry on her ideals.
Because without that, he couldn't have endured it. By seeing through what she'd wished for, he'd wanted to leave at least some proof that she had existed in this world.
Above all... he'd wanted to remain connected to her, even if only through her ideals.
So when he realized that was no longer possible—
When he understood that no matter how hard he tried, he could never fulfill her ideals... that was when he'd broken down like that.
(...I see.)
If that was the case, then explaining his current state of mind was simple enough.
[He'd met Sheeta]. The desperate longing that had consumed the deepest recesses of his heart had been resolved in an unexpected way. The thirst for revenge tied to it had faded as well.
"............"
Acceptance, understanding, self-pity, and a whole host of other emotions.
With all of those emotions tangled across his face, Yurugen raised his head once more.
Then his eyes met Sheeta's — she was still wearing that same gentle smile.
Without a word between them, he understood what she was communicating: "Now that you know my feelings, you understand what needs to be done, don't you?"
"...You're right."
With a nod, he took a step toward Sheeta—
—when, in that very instant.
The Netherworld of Salvation trembled.
I'm sorry, but Yurugen's, Sheeta's, and Katia's story will continue for one more chapter...! Please do read the next installment!