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Takumi glared at Corrin with all of the hatred that he could muster. The dark emotion seemed to boil up endlessly from inside him. He could feel it burning in his chest and spreading throughout every fiber of his being. It was practically all that he was aware of, aside from Corrin and the pain in his head. Any inkling of remorse or wishfulness had disappeared long ago.

His expression of hate was twisted even further by his pain though. It pierced through his skull in waves, and he could barely keep his cries back every time the agony came anew. Sweat beaded on his brow, but his fingers gripped the bowstring tight. Corrin would die today. They had to. For his mother. For Hoshido. For all of the pain that they'd caused him. They would pay. He'd relish the sight of their blood soaking into the ground.

Someone put a hand on his shoulder, and he jerked back. He realized that it was only Oboro. She was staring at him, but it was like there was a haze between him and her. He didn't even realize that she was speaking to him at first. Even when she did, he only caught the words that came between the pain in his head.

"... Takumi... Please let me... not in any condition... Fall back."

There was something that he recognized in her eyes, but he couldn't focus on her long enough to place it. He turned away without a word, afraid that his voice would betray him. He could see her shoulders slump from the corner of his eye, but then realized that another figure stood before him. Hinata. The samurai's arms were widespread, and, despite the enemy in front of him, he was looking straight at Takumi.

"Lord... can't let you... thing's not right... different. "

Takumi barely paid attention to the words because of the person he saw coming up behind Hinata. Corrin stopped a few meters away, and his expression, which had softened slightly in the face of his retainers, contorted once more. He could hardly stand the sight of their face. Never mind that they were alone. That was even better.

"Move Hinata."

The samurai stubbornly shook his head. Anger rose from the hatred, and he said,

"Are you protecting them? I won't hesitate if you are."

That had to be it. There was no reason for him to interfere otherwise. No reason. No reason to get between them. No reason unless he'd turned his back on him. Just like Corrin.

The pain of Hinata's betrayal stung more than Takumi would have thought. He made good on his words though. He raised Fujin Yumi, and, before Hinata could say anything, he'd put an arrow between his eyes. He heard a gasp behind him, but he only cared about his real target. Corrin.

Corrin's eyes were wide with horror, and they said,

"Takumi... what are you...?"

"This... this is all because of you!" he yelled. "You turned him didn't you? Talked to him with your sweet words like you do to everyone else!"

They seemed taken aback by this, and he took he opportunity to loose another arrow. Something pulled on his arm at the last moment though, and the shot went wide.

He looked back to see Oboro glaring at him, tears in her eyes.

"Oboro... you too? Their army will be here soon, and you want to take our best chance away from us?!"

She shook her head, and sobbed.

"Lord Takumi... I am so- so sorry... can't let you... Not like this... hate them too... but you're not yourself... Not the kind... I knew."

She turned to look at Corrin and said,

"We surrender... if you won't kill anyone else."

Takumi gritted his teeth at the words and threw her back. He drew the bowstring again and said,

"You don't have that authority Oboro. We will never surrender to them. Never!"

Corrin dodged the arrow, confusion apparent on their face, and raised their sword.

"Takumi, I don't want to fight you!" they yelled.

His only response was to shoot at them again. They were pushed out of the way by a man on a horse though. Takumi recognized him immediately. The Nohrian crown prince. Seemingly in seconds, he was upon him. He didn't have time to shoot before the crown prince slashed down on him.

Takumi found himself moving though. Blue hair crossed in front of him, and the blade seemed to slow as it cut across his remaining retainer. He could see her expression as clear as day. The tears in her eyes. The pained smile on her face. And he could hear her whispered words.

"I'm... so sorry. I never would have betrayed you... because I-'ve... always loved..."

Before she could finish, everything seemed to come together again, and she fell to the floor. A few drops of her blood stained Fujin Yumi's golden surface. He could only look at them for a moment. Those dark red flecks of blood. What had they been for?

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Description
Takumi glared at Corrin with all of the hatred that he could muster. The dark emotion seemed to boil up endlessly from inside him. He could feel it burning in his chest and spreading throughout every fiber of his being. It was practically all that he was aware of, aside from Corrin and the pain in his head. Any inkling of remorse or wishfulness had disappeared long ago.

His expression of hate was twisted even further by his pain though. It pierced through his skull in waves, and he could barely keep his cries back every time the agony came anew. Sweat beaded on his brow, but his fingers gripped the bowstring tight. Corrin would die today. They had to. For his mother. For Hoshido. For all of the pain that they'd caused him. They would pay. He'd relish the sight of their blood soaking into the ground.

Someone put a hand on his shoulder, and he jerked back. He realized that it was only Oboro. She was staring at him, but it was like there was a haze between him and her. He didn't even realize that she was speaking to him at first. Even when she did, he only caught the words that came between the pain in his head.

"... Takumi... Please let me... not in any condition... Fall back."

There was something that he recognized in her eyes, but he couldn't focus on her long enough to place it. He turned away without a word, afraid that his voice would betray him. He could see her shoulders slump from the corner of his eye, but then realized that another figure stood before him. Hinata. The samurai's arms were widespread, and, despite the enemy in front of him, he was looking straight at Takumi.

"Lord... can't let you... thing's not right... different. "

Takumi barely paid attention to the words because of the person he saw coming up behind Hinata. Corrin stopped a few meters away, and his expression, which had softened slightly in the face of his retainers, contorted once more. He could hardly stand the sight of their face. Never mind that they were alone. That was even better.

"Move Hinata."

The samurai stubbornly shook his head. Anger rose from the hatred, and he said,

"Are you protecting them? I won't hesitate if you are."

That had to be it. There was no reason for him to interfere otherwise. No reason. No reason to get between them. No reason unless he'd turned his back on him. Just like Corrin.

The pain of Hinata's betrayal stung more than Takumi would have thought. He made good on his words though. He raised Fujin Yumi, and, before Hinata could say anything, he'd put an arrow between his eyes. He heard a gasp behind him, but he only cared about his real target. Corrin.

Corrin's eyes were wide with horror, and they said,

"Takumi... what are you...?"

"This... this is all because of you!" he yelled. "You turned him didn't you? Talked to him with your sweet words like you do to everyone else!"

They seemed taken aback by this, and he took he opportunity to loose another arrow. Something pulled on his arm at the last moment though, and the shot went wide.

He looked back to see Oboro glaring at him, tears in her eyes.

"Oboro... you too? Their army will be here soon, and you want to take our best chance away from us?!"

She shook her head, and sobbed.

"Lord Takumi... I am so- so sorry... can't let you... Not like this... hate them too... but you're not yourself... Not the kind... I knew."

She turned to look at Corrin and said,

"We surrender... if you won't kill anyone else."

Takumi gritted his teeth at the words and threw her back. He drew the bowstring again and said,

"You don't have that authority Oboro. We will never surrender to them. Never!"

Corrin dodged the arrow, confusion apparent on their face, and raised their sword.

"Takumi, I don't want to fight you!" they yelled.

His only response was to shoot at them again. They were pushed out of the way by a man on a horse though. Takumi recognized him immediately. The Nohrian crown prince. Seemingly in seconds, he was upon him. He didn't have time to shoot before the crown prince slashed down on him.

Takumi found himself moving though. Blue hair crossed in front of him, and the blade seemed to slow as it cut across his remaining retainer. He could see her expression as clear as day. The tears in her eyes. The pained smile on her face. And he could hear her whispered words.

"I'm... so sorry. I never would have betrayed you... because I-'ve... always loved..."

Before she could finish, everything seemed to come together again, and she fell to the floor. A few drops of her blood stained Fujin Yumi's golden surface. He could only look at them for a moment. Those dark red flecks of blood. What had they been for?

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