Chapter Text
Looking at the writhing figure surrounded by a purplish black fog, Yasusada braces himself and nods to Yagen. He puts on the headgear, connected to multitudes of cables, before lying down next to the figure. “I'll save you.” He murmurs, grasping the other's hand, and closes his eyes.
“Here we go.” Yasusada hears Yagen say. “Dive commence!”
Yasusada opens his eyes in an empty black space. He looks around, trying to discern where he currently is. He then looks down, to see that the darkness dissipates at his feet, and instead turns into a thick red liquid. He grimaces. There's no smell, but he can guess what that liquid is supposed to be.
He moves forward. The darkness disappears wherever he steps on, turning it into the liquid, leaving a trail of it behind him. He walks, even when voices are heard from all around him, screaming, crying, yelling—
Even when the voices mock him, insult him, strike him at his weakness, he pushes onwards. Even when the voices reveals all the ugly, despicable side of the one he's trying to save, he never stops. He'll never stop.
Eventually he reaches an area that's just red, without any hint of darkness, save for a silhouette standing in the middle of the area. He approaches the figure.
“Why have you come here?” The figure speaks, voice distorted and echoes throughout the area. Yasusada closes his eyes, and put a hand on his own chest. “I have come to save Kashuu Kiyomitsu.”
“Save? Kashuu Kiyomitsu? Even after he betrayed you and your friends? Even when he embraced the darkness all of you hate?” The figure cackles, slapping a hand on their knee.
“Why do you think I've come here?” Yasusada purses his lips, taking a step closer. The figure takes a step back.
“It's futile.” The figure cocks their head to the side. “There's no way to save him, Yamatonokami Yasusada.”
“You won't know if you don't try!” Yasusada yells, taking another step closer to the figure, who in turn steps back again.
“Then tell me, how are you going to save him?” The figure points a finger at Yasusada, and He glares at them. “I'll bring Kiyomitsu back to the light, even if it means I'll have to pull him out of the darkness!”
The figure laughs. “What's so funny?” Yasusada grits his teeth. The figure is slowly getting to him.
“So, are you telling me you want Kashuu Kiyomitsu back?” The figure puts their finger on their cheek as Yasusada nods in response. “Then…”
“Which Kashuu Kiyomitsu do you want back?” As the figure says this, they spin around, and two Kashuu Kiyomitsu(s) appear behind him, eyes closed, slightly hovering above the red liquid. Yasusada gasps.
The figure cups the cheek of the Kiyomitsu on the left. “Is it the Kiyomitsu from the past, the one that's happy, living under that person, together with you?” The figure moves to the other Kiyomitsu, resting their chin on his shoulder.
“Or is it this one, the one who was abandoned by that person, who lives while trying to gain approval and love from anyone, anyone at all?” The figure cackles, moving to the middle of the two and then pulling them close together, with them in the middle.
“Tell me, Yasusada. Who do you wish to save?”
Yasusada purses his lips, and then smiles, to the figure’s confusion. “I was often told I'm an idiot, so I can't really choose, but…”
He runs forward and pulls all three into a big hug, albeit with lots of difficulty. “I choose all of you, Kiyomitsu.”
The figure says nothing, speechless. “All of you are Kashuu Kiyomitsu. And I can't choose between any of you. You have your good and your bad sides— but that makes you, you.”
The two Kiyomitsu vanishes, leaving the figure still in Yasusada’s embrace. “Why… even though I betrayed everyone…?” The distorted voice cracks, and the dark figure slowly turns into Kiyomitsu, who grasps at Yasusada’s clothes, tears running down his face.
“I want to save you, Kiyomitsu.” Yasusada murmurs, pulling Kiyomitsu closer as the other cries. The red area vanishes, and the darkness turns into pure white.
“Let's go back, Kiyomitsu.” He puts out his hand, and Kiyomitsu takes his hand, this other hand rubbing the tears away in his eyes.
“Back to our world, together.”