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「RISE」(1×1 with Jikkah)

"Hey," Akihime whispered gently and moved closer to Megohime, "I told you they would come..." She smiled weakly, whispering to her new friend.
Masamune made a noise as he looked around with his one good eye. Everyone looked disgusted or hateful. Why? Sure, he was mean to Megohime but that was only because he was an idiot. He knew better now.
 
Megohime turned her tired gaze to look at Akihime, not having slept at all the entire trip back. She couldn’t find anything to say, couldn’t find the strength to speak, only giving a small nod.

When they reached the castle, all Heroes went before the king, Matsunaga being escorted by Jin, the slaves remaining outside the thrones room in the hallway.
“Heroes, I was sent word that one of your companions has committed crimes, yes?” As always, he seemed rather bored.
 
"Yeah," Masamune stepped forward and pointed at Matsunaga, "He kidnapped Megohime and Akihime and tried breeding them out." He sounded pissed as well as disgusted. Akihime moved close to Yukimura again, not really wanting to have to hear all this.
 
Megohime stood silently behind Masamune and Kojurou, keeping her eyes down as she simply listened.
“And shall we hear of your side?” Nobunaga turned his gaze on Matsunaga, and for a moment, it almost looked like there was a twinkle in his eyes.
 
"Perhaps I became a little...greedy," Matsunaga admitted, "Clearly, a Hakuko has not been seen in some time. Their people are rather secluded. And the slave, well..." He gave an offhanded shrug, "I did not anticipate Ken no Yuusha-sama to actually care enough."
"You son of a bitch." Masamune was ready to throw down but the guards kept him at bay.
"I merely desired to continue two races that are rather rare, so to speak." Matsunaga added simply.
 
Nobunaga seemed to mull over a few things in his head. “I will take both sides stories into consideration, and will adjourn with my court.”
Everyone would wait in the throne room silently as the King and his court spoke in privacy, and when they returned, the tension in the room was heavy enough to cut with a knife.
“After deep deliberation, the court will find that Matsunaga Hisehide is guilty on one count of kidnapping, one count of theft of slave property, and one count of intent to cause damage to slave property. His punishment shall be house arrest. But, regarding the slaves in his possession, they shall be returned to him after an inspection takes place to insure their proper care.” He waved his hand.
The entire group looked shocked, but Megohime slowly sunk to her knees, feeling like she had just taken a punch to the gut. In an instant she was back on her feet and running for the door, bursting through them and heading to the courtyard, feeling like she’d be sick to her stomach.
 
Akihime inhaled sharply before she suddenly began to wail, keening loudly into Yukimura's cloak as her heart was rent in two. How was this justice? She and Megohime had nearly lost their virtue to demihumans they didn't know, who belonged to a man who saw them as nothing more than property, and he was just going to be sent home to continue his awful deeds?
Masamune clenched his jaw so tight he thought his teeth would crack. He stormed out of the room and went to check on Megohime.
"Honestly, both of you are vile human beings." Motochika stated angrily, "Sending him home to do God knows to these innocents? Is that fair at all? Oh, what am I saying, the corrupt no not what justice is!"
 
Megohime was just outside, vomiting onto the ground as she clutched the wall for dear life. Her knees trembled and she could hardly see through her tears, but she was silent as death.

Yukimura gripped his spear so tightly, he felt as though he’d break his hand. “King, how at all is this fai-!”
“I have given my verdict, so has my council, the law has been upheld, despite how the other party feels of it.” Nobunaga growled out, eyes dangerous.
 
Motochika spat on the floor before turning to leave, "Let's go, Nana. Before I break someone's jaw." He growled. Matsunaga turned his gaze to Akihime, who hid as best as she could away from him.
"It is unfortunate we will no longer see more of each other. But it was wonderful having you as a guest." He said. Akihime covered her mouth and shut her eyes tight, body quaking in grief and fear.

"Hey..." Masamune moved over slowly, "It'll be ok, Mego...we won't see that guy ever again and I won't let anything like that happen to you..."
 
Yukimura moved further in front of Akihime, pointing his spear at Matsunaga with a heavy scowl on his face. “You should leave.” He said firmly, brows furrowed.

Megohime heaved once more before she slowly sank down to her knees again, her breathing shaky. “It is my fate, as it always has been, as it always will be- so is as the life of a slave.” She muttered numbly, staring at the wall in front of her. Her shoulders were sagged, and she looked even smaller in that moment, like she had been utterly and completely broken. “I... I wish to be alone..”
 
Matsunaga was hauled off and Akihime grabbed Yukimura's arm gently, "C-Can we go...?" She asked weakly, "I feel faint..."

Masamune frowned softly, "Are you sure...? Do you wanna go hide in the inn...?"
 
Yukimura looked down at Akihime with a soft frown, that slowly softened into a smile. “Would you like to return to the inn and rest?” He asked, and even though there was less than a week left until the next wave, he needed to put his team mates priorities first.

“I just... want to be alone..” She said softly, sounding so defeated as she staggered to her feet and trudged away.
 
She nodded, "I just want to lie down..." She said, "When I have the energy, we can prepare for the Wave.."

Masamune frowned and decided to follow, though he kept far back so she wouldn't notice or be upset.
 
“I’ll have food made and brought up to you.” He said with a nod.

Megohime indeed go to the inn, perhaps to change or rest? She still only had Kojurou’s coat on, and she hadn’t slept at all on the way back.
 
He would hear the soft rustling of fabric, probably Megohime changing, then silence for a few moments. He was almost sure she had simply changed and lay down to rest like he originally had thought, but then he heard the soft scrape of the chair against the floor.
 
Megohime turned to look at him, her expression blank and eyes dull, saying nothing. She was standing on the chair in the room, holding a rope noose in her hands that was tied to the support beams above.
It was his senior year of high school, and Masamune was sitting in class as everyone talked around him, the level of chatter at an all time high.
“Did you hear what Satoshi and his friends did?”
“Yeah, they’re awful.”
“Too bad too, his dad is so rich, nothing will probably be done about it.”
Apparently, one of of his classmates had gone out with some buddies, picked up one of the freshmen girls, and had assaulted her.
All of the rumors were true, the police never took anyone in for questioning, the girls parents dropped the charges, and a week later, she had hung herself. Masamune didn’t know her personally, and of course they didn’t share any classes, so all of it was really just passed along by word of mouth.
So why was that the first thing that popped into his head?
 
"Don't." He said quickly, "Please...please don't." Sure, he didn't know the girl at all but it was still a tragic thing that dragged everyone down.
"This isn't the answer..."
 
Megohime turned her head away, looking down at the rope in her hands. “What would you know of answers?” She said softly. “It’s the only other option I have.”
 
"The hell it is!" He said, trying not to panic, "If you do this, he's still won! You've told him that you've accepted what he thinks of you, and that's less than nothing. And that's far from the truth.."
 
She clenched her fists around the rope, face twisting into a look of anguish as tears stung at her eyes. “What future have I, except for that as a slave? Butchered in a fight, or sold off to a breeder? I can’t do it anymore..! I can’t..!”
 
“And when you go back to your world? When I’m left here all alone again?” She pressed the rope in her hands to her forehead. “What do I do then..?”
 
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