Sasaki slowly opened his eyes.
He was lying in the infirmary.
The first thing he noticed was Shigura.
His brother was asleep in a chair right beside his bed, his arms crossed and his head tilted slightly to the side.
Sasaki stared at him for a moment.
"...Shigura?"
Shigura's eyes slowly opened.
He looked at Sasaki.
Then—
Thwack!
Shigura smacked Sasaki on the back of the head.
"Good job making me worry."
"Ow!"
Sasaki rubbed the back of his head.
"You didn't have to hit me."
"Apparently, I did."
The two laughed.
For a moment, everything felt normal.
But Sasaki couldn't shake the words of the Coalescence.
Everything that stands in your way will perish.
An uneasy feeling crept over him.
Something was wrong.
Sasaki found himself standing in his subconscious again.
He looked around.
Nothing.
The Coalescence wasn't there.
"...Where is he?"
Sasaki tried to wake himself up.
Nothing happened.
He tried again.
This time—
His eyes opened.
He was back in the infirmary.
Sasaki blinked.
His right hand felt...
Warm.
Too warm.
Slowly, he looked down.
Blood.
His eyes widened.
His arm was buried deep inside Shigura's stomach.
"...!?"
The nurses froze.
Shigura frozen.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Then Shigura slowly looked down at his stomach.
Blood poured from the wound.
"The hell was that for... Sasaki?"
His voice was weak.
Shigura stumbled backward and fell to his knees.
"Shigura!"
Sasaki rushed toward him.
"I'm so sorry! I—I don't know what prompted me to do that!"
"It's okay..."
Shigura forced a weak smile.
"Just a small cut."
"No!"
Sasaki's voice cracked.
"It's not okay!"
He fell beside his brother.
"I'm sorry."
His hands trembled.
"I'm so sorry."
Sasaki continued apologizing as tears began forming in his eyes.
Then—
The Coalescence appeared.
"Everything that stands in your way..."
Its voice echoed through Sasaki's mind.
"...will perish."
Sasaki's breathing became frantic.
What's happening to me?
Why am I doing this?
"I don't want to hurt anyone..."
Tears rolled down his cheeks.
Shigura slowly stood.
He reached out his hand toward Sasaki.
"Get up, Sasaki."
Shigura clutched his stomach with his other hand.
"Get up."
Everything around them seemed to stop.
The nurses.
The room.
The sounds.
Everything.
Silence took over.
"I'm sorry for hurting you, brother!"
Sasaki broke down, weeping.
Shigura softly smiled.
"Don't worry, bro."
He extended his hand further.
"I'll protect you."
Sasaki looked up at him.
Then—
A voice echoed through the silence.
"So wake up."
Sasaki froze.
"Huh?"
A soft voice.
One that felt unfamiliar...
Yet strangely soothing.
"Wake up, ————."
Sasaki's eyes widened.
Who is that?
Slowly...
His vision began to fade.
Sasaki opened his eyes.
"W-What... happened?"
He held his left eye as he struggled to sit up.
He looked around.
Everything was wrong.
Shigura was standing several feet away.
He looked terrified.
"Who the hell are you...?"
Sasaki stared at him.
"What are you talking about?"
He forced a smile.
"It's me."
He slowly stood.
"Your brother."
Shigura backed away.
Sasaki's smile disappeared.
"Shigura...?"
He turned around.
And froze.
Behind him was the Kingdom of Volgsina.
Or what remained of it.
Fire consumed the entire kingdom.
Buildings had collapsed.
Trees burned.
Wagons were destroyed.
Shops had been reduced to rubble.
The guild was gone.
The castle...
Gone.
Everywhere, people screamed.
Some ran through the streets.
Others desperately searched through the ruins for anything they could salvage.
The largest Elven kingdom in the realm...
Was burning.
Sasaki stared.
His body trembled.
"...What?"
Shigura slowly turned toward him.
He looked at Sasaki one last time.
His lips moved.
Sasaki couldn't hear what he said.
Then—
Shigura disappeared into the smoke.
"Shigura!"
Sasaki reached toward him.
Nothing.
He was gone.
Sasaki was left standing alone.
Surrounded by the burning remains of Volgsina.
His home.
His people.
Everything was gone.
And Sasaki stood in the middle of it.
Silence.
"...No way..."
His voice trembled.
He looked down at his hands.
"I..."
His eyes widened.
"...Did this?"
The flames continued to burn.
Sasaki's breathing became shaky.
He looked toward the smoke where Shigura had disappeared.
"...Right, Shigura?"