His brother was weak and pathetic. Not worthy of the life given to him.

Jin ducked and weaved around blades, dipping into the sea battle with Akai cradled in his arms. Those stupid enough to give chase were skewered and left to join the growing stack of bodies that ruled over the vast plain. Ally, enemy. Vision blurred by blood, it was impossible to tell one from the other. That didn't matter.

All that mattered was getting Akai out of here.

"Leave me." A whisper, nearly swallowed up by ferocious war cries and countless slashes, came from Akai.

"Quiet." Jin growled, twisting on his heel to avoid a stray twirling axe. The weak didn't get to make choices.

He ran, dodged, shoved, and trampled over any who got in his way, breaking free of the chaotic battlefield and out onto the watery sands of the beach that straddled it.

There were others. The injured and dismembered crawling across the sands in search of some refuge. Deserters with their weapons aimed at one another but too frightened to attack. No immediate threats.

Jin slowed to stop, lowering to his knees and resting Akai onto the sand.

A spear straight through the stomach. Jagged slashes to the arms and face. A lot of blood had already been lost but the wounds were nothing that couldn't be treated, or at least staved off. Jin raised his hand and crimson flames poured out, coating his pointed fingers.

Akai's hand shot up, wrapping around Jin's wrist. "Stop. That won't help." Akai muttered between raspy coughs laden with blood. "I'm not like you, Jin. I've had enough of this endless march." Jin lowered his hand, the shaky grip unable to put any real resistance. "Don't make me suffer."

Akai's silver eyes stared into his. What remained of the spark they once held was completely extinguished. Replaced by a coldness he'd only seen once before.

Jin's hand froze, the flames flickering forward but stopping just shy of reaching the wound.

"Thank you." Akai whispered. His gaze shifted towards the dark clouds above. The sand beneath him began to turn a dark red. "Can you promise me something?"

Jin kept quiet.

"Never change. No matter what happens or where you end up-" Volent coughs took hold of Akai, blood splattering across the side of Jin's face. It faded, wheezing breaths left in its place. "I'm…I'm not telling you to spend the rest of your life fighting. No matter how strong you are there will come a day when it's time for you to lay down your sword or pass it on to another."

Akai held up his other hand. Despite his wounds and blood loss, the grip he had around his shattered katana never waned. His eyes shifted back to Jin as he forced the handle against Jin's chest armor. "Never let anyone make that choice for you. Promise me, brother."

"I…" Jin's words died in his throat, his voice alluding him. All his strength, those countless days spent training, and he could do nothing but watch the last of his family succumb to a slow death.

Pathetic.

Akai bloodied lips curved upward, a haggard cough escaping him. "Ha. I didn't think you knew how to cry." He laughed. "I had hoped to meet my end beneath a sky full of stars but…but I suppose this isn't so bad."

Akai's struggled laughs tapered off and the hand around Jin's wrist went limp.

Jin gritted his teeth, heartbeat drumming in his ears as his vision blurred. He accepted the shattered katana and rose to stand.

Akai was weak and the weak were doomed to same end.

He would never allow the same to happen to him.