For the Sake of Humanity

Hey gang!!

@hamaartia cont. from x.

He  inches  closer,  arms  outstretched  towards  Takumi.  He  stumbled  a  bit,  barely  catching  himself  before  loosely  grasping  at  the  other.  In  his  occasional  moments  of  clarity,  Eito  would  find  himself  surprised  that  he  was  even  still  able  to  be  conscious  after  his  death.  He  didn't  have  much  room  to  feel  anger  or  resentment  as  in  a  sense,  he  had  gotten  what  he  wished  for.  The  mission  failed.  Humanity  was  doomed.  It  was  everything  he'd  ever  wanted  and  he  could  barely  recall  any  of  it. 

“Grrraaaghhh….”

He should have done something earlier on when this all started. He could have saved everyone from this tragedy.

That doesn't matter now. He must kill. He must slaughter. Kill, kill, kill, kill!

The deceased leader allowed Aotsuki to use his body as support. It's possible his decomposition process may be affecting the G'ie's control over the host's physical form. Aotsuki had been dead the longest out of the other members here, and prior to the G'ie's unfortunate arrival at the academy. He may not last much longer. That thought briefly passed through Takumi's mind, and somehow his arm reached out to rest on Aotsuki's shoulder too. Was it by his own, dying conscious will or-

-or because Aotsuki wanted to crush him!?

Strong arms tightly wound around the smaller boy making him squirm and writhe in Aotsuki's constricting hold. This had to be his revenge, right? For being killed by Takumi, for letting Takumi turn him into this undead monstrosity. "Groaaaahhhh!! GROOOAAAGHAAGHHH!" He tried shoving the other off him, but to no avail. Aotsuki's natural strength combined with the enhancements through the G'ie's possession made it near impossible to free himself. He kicked at the other several times, hoping to knock him down by the knees. Loud, furious grunts and shouts like that of a cornered animal filled the empty hallway. If he couldn't escape now, Aotsuki would tear his body in half.

Survive! Survive! Survive!

"I  know  it's  difficult  for  me  to  be  here.  So...  Thank  you."  Without  Takumi,  he  means.

While  the  war  continued,  Eito  had  been  injured  protecting  their  stupid  leader.  Which  meant  he  had  to  recover.  As  if  a  few  broken  ribs  should  require  him  to  be  sent  home  for  several  weeks.  Takumi  refused  to  listen  to  reason.  The  stubborn  ogre  couldn't  be  convinced,  naturally.  But  Eito...  Well,  he  needed  to  be  there  to  look  out  for  him.  So...

He  also  didn't  have  a  place  of  his  own.  Usually  he  came  back  with  Takumi  so  him  staying  with  him  and  Nozomi  was  fine.  But...  Takumi  was  still  out  there.  And  it  made  him  nervous.

"I'm  not  supposed  to  do  too  much,  according  to  Yugamu-kun."  He  knew  Yugamu  would  probably  expect  Nozomi  to  watch  him.  Make  sure  his  injuries  were  healing.  It  was  easy  for  Eito  to  push  himself  from  injured  to  seriously  injured  due  to  his  pain  tolerance.

…difficult to endure companionship…difficult to feel at peace inside a safe space…

…difficult to swallow the presence of familiar company…without the other leading the way home…

Their lives were more than just ‘difficult’ when their existence had been called into the fray of a genocidal war. Choices lead them down paths of destruction, questionable actions with fatal consequences, and the lives of many silenced by their own hands. No one was spared in wartime, and considering the longevity of this conflict future generations, that of both Futurans and humans, would face the aftermath of their ancestor’s heinous crimes. One side fought for total annihilation, the other defended what they called their home. Where was home for them? Where was home for her? What did she call home?

She regarded the remaining SDU members as such, considering all the time spent sparring for the sake of growing one’s individual strength and defending what they believed to be the war’s last attempt at bringing peace upon the planet. The truth of the matter, however, far outweighed any budding heroism, or a shining beacon of hope against the bleak anguish awaiting their hundred day deadline. They weren’t like the humans they dedicated themselves to protect. Their fleeting existence was created in the hopes of accomplishing humanity’s one, true goal for prosperity and survival. Their creation served the selfish desires of others willing to slaughter an entire race off the planet. 

At least…everyone except for her. The only human. 

Naturally, it brought up a flurry of inquiries surrounding the choices they made thus far, and if they truly were made of their individual free will or were influenced by the beings they served to protect. Upon learning this information, a collective answer decided their next course of action, leading them to a different fate not just for humanity, not just the Futurans, but for their own lives. No more deaths. No more deceitful commands. No more following orders from unknown higher-ups. They would choose what came next. And as years passed since their departure from Last Defense Academy, difficult barely summarized the culmination of what they deemed as achievements towards a brighter, more peaceful future.

While battles still raged across the desolate wasteland of Futurum, small communities of like-minded people came together to establish a sense of normalcy despite the violence surrounding them. Nozomi led as a figurehead of this organization, admitting her humanity and her betrayal against mankind. Although many remained weary of her status, it outweighed those Futurans who accepted her assistance with open arms. She felt a sense of relief, hope, but a small bud of guilt due to past decisions sparing her own life over another. It made for an equally harsh climb towards building trust between themselves and the denizens of the planet, but the rewards so far exceeded their expectations. 

The school Takumi and Nozomi built together prospered, the small village nestled far away from the frontlines grew more and more with each passing year, and the anticipation of finally calling a place home began feeling…possible. A place to call her own, surrounded by the people who meant everything to her, and who have endured nearly all their hardships together. Yet…it still felt lonely. She understood Takumi’s and Eito’s importance as high-ranking officers, along with the risks and dangers that come with those influential titles. Their letters (more like Takumi’s since he wrote the most) told her plenty of how their presence, diplomatic discussions, and strategic maneuvers have advanced their goal towards creating harmony between the factions. That didn’t mean she never once worried or grew concerned over their general well-being. Every time she greeted them home upon their breaks, their eyes always told her the truth. Sadness, exhaustion, and relief to be somewhere away from reality.

How she longed to keep them here. How she longed to take care of them, to love them and cherish their company. How she longed to feel…at home.

Even though Eito’s arrival brought on a new bout of worry over Takumi’s current status, at least one of her small, rather selfish desires may come true. Broken ribs meant a rather long recovery time, filled with plenty of rest, relaxation, and a substantial amount of supervision. Eito’s own stubbornness versus her own persistence made for a challenging home life, but still entertaining nonetheless. She wouldn’t be lonely anymore…for a while, at least. 

“I trust Omakage-kun gave you a thorough explanation in regards to your recovery period…” She set aside the neatly folded white blouse on the stack of similar outfits in the clean hamper, taking note of how much more laundry needed to be done. It’s mostly Eito’s clothes at this point, which she handled with extra care as per requested. “Since I’m also the nurse at the school, I hope you understand that I’ll not only be following his orders to make sure you do nothing strenuous-” For a brief moment, she lightly flicked him on the forehead, retaining a small yet tired smile.