[That's what he thought, at first. That maybe, maybe, it wouldn't be too bad to stay near Mandricardo. Because if they both knew the fuel of vengeance, then surely they both understood what came with it. The blood. The brutality. Dirtying your hands over and over, all for the sake of that single goal which you would reach for whatever the cost. He thought it might be alright, that he wouldn't have to worry about the way his presence brings ruin to the lives of others if they weren't perfectly clean. A horrid way of thinking.
And yet, when Mandricardo steps forward, all Sakyou can see is the look on his face in those final moments.
Failure. Collapse. We have people we want to save too. H̸̛̝̹̤͚̜͙̻͂̋̔̂̑̎͊̄͌̈̚͝͝o̶̲̲̳͈̰̺̐́w̴̢̧̛̗̞̳̣̘̗̲̼̦̽̋̂͗͝ͅ ̶̡̛̖̬̣̩̏͜f̷̢̳̘̩̟͛̑͗̚o̴̫͙̣̠̕ǫ̸̬͔̤̟͈͖̩̐͛͗̆́̈́ͅl̵̡̞͓͍̇͒̚͜͠ĭ̴̥̣̖̹̰̆̇̌̈̿s̴̡̫̬̯͍̗͓̞̭͍̟͉͝h̶̢̠̱̑̆̔̍̏̀͂͘.̷̡͔͓͍͋
Sakyou is like an ink, who spreads and stains what surrounds it. Through the misery wrought upon those stuck with him, through the suffering he'd brought on with his own two hands, he's just reaffirmed the truth of it today.
The lacquer of the sheathed blade in his hand catches the light of the moon. I̵̢̙͎͎͍̓͐̀̄̏̄͒̕s̸̞̘̣͉̖͚̹̆͗͌̋̄͋̔̀̅̌͂́́̋ņ̸̳͚̼͎̥͔̯͖̟͎͓͒̌̎̒̎͂̈́̄̂̂̓̚͘'̴̛̣͖̝̘̪̄̅̾̑́̌̚͠t̷̝͙̪͍͎̮̮̬̞̘̔́͗͑́ͅ ̵̪̺̤̂̉̔̈́̇̊̌͝î̸̺͔̖̌̈́͋́̓̃̏́̈́̿̚̕t̶̨̙̙̘̤̠̻̝̐̇͜ ̵̥͔͙͔̤͎͉̜̘̌̅͗́ͅà̴̢̰̞̖̗̜͙͉̠̭̹͈͓͊̅̆̽͌̀̀̚l̸̙̳͓̘̠̋w̷̛̻̄̒̈́̃̍̿̉͆̆̀͝͝͠ä̵̟̼́̋̔̓͋͠y̷̢̡̢̨̬̱̘̼̪̙̪̻̺̍̅͗̆̕s̸̡̨̗͍̳̟̬͉̑͑̇̓͒̿͛̑̇͗̂̋͜͝͝͝ ̴̪͐̎̀̈́̅̍͂͝ͅl̸̗̏̀̓͗̋̕͝͠î̸͇͙̌̐͌̈́̍k̷̰̃̑̇̌̆̔̔̐͂̀̓̚͝e̴͚͓͙̠͖̝͍̭̙̱̲̙̾̌̂͛̃͆̐̕͜͜ ̸̧̘͈̣̖͇̱̟̪̟̯͓̫̹̯͆͋̑͊̍́̈́̆͂̔͊͘͝t̵̪͖͈̼̺̠̻̥͛̃̈́̃̓͋̄̈̚h̴̡͙̘̱̀̄̏̒̚ȋ̷̬s̸̨͖̗͈̞̣͔̮̮̟̞̯̾̓̌̂̈́̎̎͐͜?̶̨̢̹̜̯͙̹̯̱̎̈́̏͌̔͘͜͝ ]
It-- no. No. It isn't the same. Nothing about it is the same. Villains or killers, adventurers who would mow down armies, all of the things you leave behind in your past - it's not that. You don't understand, you don't—
[He cuts off, glancing down, taking another two steps back. Quiet, first: then a soft that's not... that trails off. He shakes his head, and then shakes it again. He doesn't cry. No tears well up. But again, he looks pained, truly and deeply.
And we shall not have superficial dreams nor be deluded...]
...This isn't for me. None of this is mine to have, and I won't take it. I will not be so cruel to you, who deserves anything but cruelty. This time, you will be safe from me.
[It's time again, to wake up from the dream, isn't it?]
no subject
And yet, when Mandricardo steps forward, all Sakyou can see is the look on his face in those final moments.
Failure. Collapse. We have people we want to save too. H̸̛̝̹̤͚̜͙̻͂̋̔̂̑̎͊̄͌̈̚͝͝o̶̲̲̳͈̰̺̐́w̴̢̧̛̗̞̳̣̘̗̲̼̦̽̋̂͗͝ͅ ̶̡̛̖̬̣̩̏͜f̷̢̳̘̩̟͛̑͗̚o̴̫͙̣̠̕ǫ̸̬͔̤̟͈͖̩̐͛͗̆́̈́ͅl̵̡̞͓͍̇͒̚͜͠ĭ̴̥̣̖̹̰̆̇̌̈̿s̴̡̫̬̯͍̗͓̞̭͍̟͉͝h̶̢̠̱̑̆̔̍̏̀͂͘.̷̡͔͓͍͋
Sakyou is like an ink, who spreads and stains what surrounds it. Through the misery wrought upon those stuck with him, through the suffering he'd brought on with his own two hands, he's just reaffirmed the truth of it today.
The lacquer of the sheathed blade in his hand catches the light of the moon. I̵̢̙͎͎͍̓͐̀̄̏̄͒̕s̸̞̘̣͉̖͚̹̆͗͌̋̄͋̔̀̅̌͂́́̋ņ̸̳͚̼͎̥͔̯͖̟͎͓͒̌̎̒̎͂̈́̄̂̂̓̚͘'̴̛̣͖̝̘̪̄̅̾̑́̌̚͠t̷̝͙̪͍͎̮̮̬̞̘̔́͗͑́ͅ ̵̪̺̤̂̉̔̈́̇̊̌͝î̸̺͔̖̌̈́͋́̓̃̏́̈́̿̚̕t̶̨̙̙̘̤̠̻̝̐̇͜ ̵̥͔͙͔̤͎͉̜̘̌̅͗́ͅà̴̢̰̞̖̗̜͙͉̠̭̹͈͓͊̅̆̽͌̀̀̚l̸̙̳͓̘̠̋w̷̛̻̄̒̈́̃̍̿̉͆̆̀͝͝͠ä̵̟̼́̋̔̓͋͠y̷̢̡̢̨̬̱̘̼̪̙̪̻̺̍̅͗̆̕s̸̡̨̗͍̳̟̬͉̑͑̇̓͒̿͛̑̇͗̂̋͜͝͝͝ ̴̪͐̎̀̈́̅̍͂͝ͅl̸̗̏̀̓͗̋̕͝͠î̸͇͙̌̐͌̈́̍k̷̰̃̑̇̌̆̔̔̐͂̀̓̚͝e̴͚͓͙̠͖̝͍̭̙̱̲̙̾̌̂͛̃͆̐̕͜͜ ̸̧̘͈̣̖͇̱̟̪̟̯͓̫̹̯͆͋̑͊̍́̈́̆͂̔͊͘͝t̵̪͖͈̼̺̠̻̥͛̃̈́̃̓͋̄̈̚h̴̡͙̘̱̀̄̏̒̚ȋ̷̬s̸̨͖̗͈̞̣͔̮̮̟̞̯̾̓̌̂̈́̎̎͐͜?̶̨̢̹̜̯͙̹̯̱̎̈́̏͌̔͘͜͝ ]
It-- no. No. It isn't the same. Nothing about it is the same. Villains or killers, adventurers who would mow down armies, all of the things you leave behind in your past - it's not that. You don't understand, you don't—
[He cuts off, glancing down, taking another two steps back. Quiet, first: then a soft that's not... that trails off. He shakes his head, and then shakes it again. He doesn't cry. No tears well up. But again, he looks pained, truly and deeply.
And we shall not have superficial dreams nor be deluded...]
...This isn't for me. None of this is mine to have, and I won't take it. I will not be so cruel to you, who deserves anything but cruelty. This time, you will be safe from me.
[It's time again, to wake up from the dream, isn't it?]