"You messed up again." Sylphs comments, fixing an annoyed expression on Double as he stares at him.
As Double remains in quiet contemplation and embarrassment, Sylphs looks down at him with a disappointed expression.
The interior cloudy region within Double's mind starts to shower, causing the orbs next to the Sylphs to become damp and moistened.
"When will enough be enough for you Double...you truly aren't realizing what's happening?" Sylphs inquires, his gaze locked onto Double with wide-eyed amazement.
"What more do you want from me?! I'm trying my best. I'm...not the best with dealing with my own emotions, and i'm scared. I'm scared that I won't be able to do what I said I'd do...that I won't be able to live up to my brother's expectations." Double hesitantly says, his voice trembling with a lack of confidence in his words.
Double reacts to Sylphs with a sorrowful countenance while Sylphs gently rests a hand on Double's head.
"This place...it's gotten like this a couple of times. Double, do you know what depression is?" Sylphs asks, a serious demeanor settling upon him.
Raising his head, Double unveils eyes that had turned completely red due to a combination of sleep deprivation and tears.
"I've...never really looked into the term at all. I don't know a lot, and when I was with Joki he taught me a lot. Before I met him, I was nothing more than a determined brute, but in two months he showed me about the world, and what I should know." Double remarks, thinking about his time spent with Joki.
Sylphs grins, prompting a slight chuckle from him in response to Double's words.
"I see...and even though you act as if you despise him, you can still speak so kindly of him. Double, despite what Joki might be hiding you two are family. I truly don't believe Joki is doing anything to harm you, but to protect you." Sylphs asserts, a confident expression adorning his face.
"Oh cut the shit! Joki wouldn't need to lie to protect us. The truth wouldn't do anything, and if anything, it'll make it easier for us to understand everything. I feel secluded from everything, every time I try to sleep I get the feeling everyone is keeping something from me. I hate this, and it's a feeling I've never felt before!" Double hollers, looking at Sylphs with a frustrated expression.
As Double replies to Sylph's words, the rain within the inner cloudy expanse of Double's mind intensifies, pouring down even more heavily.
"Double...I can't tell you much more, and I truly wish you could come to understand what I mean, but if you truly feel this way...I can't change how you feel. Though your emotions affect us, you were able to finally communicate with me because of your denial of defeat, that denial corresponded with fear, but you are going through harder times than I could imagine. Eventually, the other orbs will awaken due to your uncontrolled emotions, and if that happens...it'll be a blessing." Sylphs says, his voice trembling on his final words.
As Sylphs starts to dissipate into his orb, Double remains seated, observing him with a saddened look on his countenance.
"You always leave so soon...I feel like everyone is just leaving sooner than they should." Double utters under his breath, looking down at the ground with a sad expression etched across his face.
(The Next Day)
"So...you decided to lay your hands on one of the Migaka. The people protecting this kingdom from outsiders. You know how that looks Double." Seikatsu comments, a stoic expression etched on his face.
Double sits in front of Seikatsu alone, his eyes even redder from no sleep.
"I never met to cause any problems...I simply defended one of my friends that had been hurt. You act like I'm in the wrong for that." Double declares, radiating full confidence in his words.
Upon Double's reply, Seikatsu covers his face with his hands, attempting to maintain his composure.
"I can understand your defensiveness, but you also have to understand that we now have a injured Migaka. We can not afford to lack in numbers, and for that reason something has to be done." Seikatsu remarks, continuing to try and maintain his composure in front of Double.
"What do you suggest then? I could clean up a little around the place to make up for it." Double remarks, unfazed by Seikatsu's frustration.
Seikatsu's words prompted Double to place his hands on the desk. The expression on Double's face as he looked at Seikatsu caused an unexpected startle in him.
"Double...my first idea was a obvious one, and I would have you take over for a while as a replacement Migaka, but instead I have a better one. Do you know what it is that Joki is lying to you about?" Seikatsu asks, a smile beginning to form on his face.
Double's eyes expand, and he inclines forward, attentive to Seikatsu's words. Both Double and Seikatsu exchange a grave look, their gazes fixated on each other.
Seikatsu begins to talk to Double for a minute straight, and at the end of the conversation. Double stands up, and heads to the door with his hands trembling.
"You aren't entitled to do this, you know, it's completely up to you." Seikatsu remarks, feeling creeped out by Double's strange gestures.
Double turns around, giving a chilling and unsettling gaze upon Seikatsu, surpassing any he has ever directed towards another individual.
"I completely understand." Double remarks, opening the door to leave
(Three Hours Later)
Kazu, Reima, and Joki begin walking through the Monark Regius, and as they progress forward, the sorrowful look on their faces grows increasingly pronounced.
"Joki, I talked to Double after you left. He should be fine." Kazu says, calming Joki down.
Joki regains his composure and gazes at Kazu, his lips curling into a smile.
"Yeah...you are right. Despite everything...I'm glad you two still have faith in me. I've been around Double awhile, and I can understand why he's angry, but by the time we get out of this place, I can finally put all this behind and truly explain everything." Joki declares, a smile gracing his face as his nerves begin to subside slightly.
Suddenly, Joki, Reima, and Kazu are startled as the sound of laughter reaches their ears. Slowly, they turn around to find Double standing before them, his hair draping over his eyes, yet his broad grin remains unmistakably evident.
Reima's smile brightened as she waved at Double, but he remained motionless. His grin stretched even wider, causing Reima's expression to transform from a smile to one of fear.
"Double...are you okay?" Reima asks, fearful of the way Double is currently acting.
Double's gaze lifted, revealing a horrifying sight. His eyes were bloodshot red, and the dried tears staining his face indicated he had cried recently.
"Yeah Reima! I couldn't be better, but something came up, and I couldn't help myself but to come over here and say hi to my friends." Double bellows, his voice exuding a lunatic vibe.
Kazu and Joki maintain a vigilant stance, their anxiety rises in response to Double's petrifying demeanor.
"Joki...can I ask you something? Can you explain to me what the feeling of fear and depression is? Do you know how bad it feels to constantly be alone, and have a constant anxiety of what could happen? Have you ever felt that grueling pain?!" Double says this, his voice raspy, and his hands shaking.
Joki remains motionless, his gaze fixed on Double. Although he attempts to speak, much like his previous experience, he finds himself unable to form any coherent words.
"I see...once again, you can't even have the balls to respond! You bastard!" Double says this, and bites into his lip hard causing it to bleed.
With lightning speed, Double lunged towards Joki, his movements a blur. Yet, in the nick of time, Kazu's sword intercepted the attack, thwarting Double's advance.
Double pushes Kazu to the side, and goes in for another strike landing on Joki's face. Double smiles, and he continues to relentlessly punch Joki, causing more blood to come out.
"I'm doing everyone a favor! You lied to us all this time, and you set us up! Now everyone can finally see just the person you are. I should have never trusted you!" Double says this, punching Joki repeatedly, each punch becoming more and more intense.
Joki remains eerily passive, his defenses nonexistent as he stoically endures the relentless barrage of blows from Double. Each punch finds its mark on his face.
Meanwhile, on the sidelines, Kazu maintains a vigilant watch. His keen eyes follow every movement. Despite the screams, and the punching and kicking, Kazu watches and prevents Reima from leaping into the fray. Kazu's presence is a testament to his understanding of the gravity of the situation, his cool composure contrasting starkly with the chaos unfolding before him.
"All this time, I've been waging your battles as if I were some kind of slave! Through every challenge, that so-called training was only to prevent me from making mistakes, wasn't it?! Maybe that's why Kashikoi despised you, maybe he was just another one of your victims. I was merely a dog you dispatched on assignments to spare yourself any effort. Now, I'm going to end your life, and intriguingly, you lack the courage to even retaliate against me. I suppose me exposing you has caused some embarrassment and now you're too scared to fight back!" Double yells this as tears fall from his eyes rapidly.
"That would actually be the opposite Double."
Double halts the punches aimed at Joki, swivels around to find Seikatsu. Double's grin widens, and he gazes at Seikatsu while chuckling.
"I was just getting to it, I was about to kill him slowly. You never complained about how I had to do it." Double smiles, and says this to Seikatsu.
Seikatsu begins to smile and laugh, and the Migaka begins to arrive. Double looks confused, he looks around him and sees multiple of the people in the kingdom staring him down.
He quickly stares at Reima, and sees the horror and tears in her face as Kazu holds her back. Double reaches his hand out, and notices the blood on it.
"Reima...Kazu...I did this for you guys! Seikatsu told me the truth about how Joki set all of us up. He was gonna bring us here and have us enslaved! All so that Joki could leave with food and materials!" Double says this forcing a smile, confused, but keeping faith that what he was doing is right.
Joki looks over, his face covered in blood, and a shocked expression on his face.
"You...told him that! Seikatsu, we had a deal, damn it! What the hell did you tell him?" Joki screams at Seikatsu, in complete shock at what he had just heard.
Double's gaze shifted abruptly towards Joki, and his features contorted into an expression of sheer horror and overwhelming fear. His eyes darted around frantically, his mind raced, desperately seeking a course of action, yet finding none that offered solace.
"As you can see! This is the man who proclaims that he wants to change the world into a better place, but look at him beating his comrades, and the psychotic look on his face as well. This is nothing more but a maniac." Seikatsu calmly says, waving his hand around to attract the attention of everyone there.
The realization begins to kick in, and Double drops to the ground in defeat as the people of the Monark Regius look down on him in disgust.
Joki quickly runs over and puts his hand on Double's shoulder. He looks up at Seikatsu with an angry expression.
"You told me...that day...that if I went along with everything, you would enslave me and give them all the equipment. Not the other way around!" Joki angrily says, staring dead into the eyes of Seikatsu.
Double's gaze swiftly shifted towards Joki. He rose from his seat and turned to Seikatsu, his face bearing a look of despair. The expression on Double's face resembled that of an individual unjustly accused of a murder.
"You...you're pure evil...how could you do this to us? What have we done to you?" Double hesitantly says, not even fully believing the words that are coming out his mouth.
"What have you done? Look at yourself, beating on one of your own friends, and saying such psychotic things in front of these people." Seikatsu says, laughing a little at Double who has blood on his hands.
Double attempts to shout, but quickly comprehends that all of Seikatsu's allegations are accurate. Although unintended, Double acknowledges the validity of the actions accused by Seikatsu.
"Seikatsu...I can take this, I've been able to take your shit for a long time, but please, not the people I care about." Joki says, trying to hold back tears.
"You appear fearful, Joki, possessing immense power yet harboring apprehension. What causes this? Your consistent trepidation of causing harm to those you once held dear has led to the loss of Kashikoi and now, the forfeiture of Double." Seikatsu says this, making Joki's eyes widen in horror.
As Seikatsu responds to Joki's plea, Double quickly runs past everyone, and as he begins to run, Reima tries to reach out to him. Reima's attempt fails, and she walks over to Seikatsu, and slaps him in the face.
"No matter what happens to us, you are nothing more than a manipulative bastard! Look what you did to him, you waited...you waited until he was mentally drained." Joki says this, balling his fist preparing to attack Seikatsu.
Suddenly, Ishona begins carrying Reima away, and as he does this. The symbol of a moon gets placed on Kazu's chest, slamming him to the ground, and in front of him is the sixth Migaka Mofina.
Joki tries to pull out his sword, but just as he reaches for it, he notices that he can't use his Reiki.
"What the hell! What did you do?!" Joki yells in confusion.
Seikatsu smiles, and Joki notices Messorem's horrifying stare. Joki tries to reach for his sword again, but as he does, his memories begin rushing in quickly.
"My ability...even at its weakest, it forces any memory I desire to rush back into your mind. You could say that bad memories make your emotions unstable, making you not able to control your Reiki." Messorem says this as he begins walking up to Joki.
Joki begins to subconsciously shed tears, and as he goes to wipe it. Seikatsu appears behind him, and knocks him out cold with a chop to the neck.
"You, along with the woman and those two boys, will come to understand the experience of living without freedom." Seikatsu says, with an angry, and serious expression etched across his face.