ETERNITY // genimp x owari no seraph crossover

NINE

ON THE PILE OF DEAD BODIES, THERE SHE LAYS

tw: extreme mentions of death, minor mentions of suicide

"Khan was a man of his word. He led us to the right path rather than astray, he gave us understanding instead of shunning us out. He was a great leader, and I am forever indebted to him, nor can I ever repay him now that he is no longer with us."

The memorial stood silent as all and sundry kept their heads down in respect for their late clan leader and his sister who is expected to take his place. The said sibling, Y/N slowly walked up to the podium where one of the ministers from the Yashiro Commission stepped down after politely asking her to say a few words. The Kamisato siblings watched their friend in sorrow, their blue eyes catching sight of her downhearted stare which remained fixed on the ground.

There was no rain; it made the funeral all the more uncomfortable to be in, having been able to hear the sobs of those close to Khan or those who admired him, oftentimes hearing the shuffle and murmurs of people praying or whispering to one another about their pity for the soon-to-be clan head.

Stupid decree, Y/N thought to herself. She cursed at everything: the world, her damned archon who was so obsessed with eternity, the adopted daughter of the Kujou Clan who felt no pity for the life she took, and most importantly, herself for being unable to save her brother from erosion. The L/N breathes in to say something, but nothing comes out. Her words bubbled up in her throat in a silent choke, and so she stands in front of her brother's portrait while gripping both sides of the podium for dear life.

"I. . ." it came out as a whisper rather than a proper exclaim, which confused the crowd, asking each other if the woman had said something. Ayato frowned and fought the urge to scowl at those disrespectful. Honestly, can't a woman mourn for her brother without having to say something in front of a crowd two days after his death? Gods, he swore. "My brother was a good man," she starts, causing all the bowed heads in the room to finally perk up after five minutes of silence. "There is no other soul like him. . . I can't imagine another person having such a similarity to my brother," a small smile makes its way on Y/N's face, but she immediately wipes it off. "Although Khan was never related to me by blood, he carried the same last name as I, and that was enough for me to welcome him as a brother.

"He proved to so many people that he'd be a good leader, even to those who tried to wrong him in the Tenshukaku during the final ruling of who'd be clan head." A small pause filled the air as Y/N tried to find more words and unconsciously laid her eyes on a pair of two blue heads, who nod in affirmation and reassurance. "There. . . there were people who believed in him," an awkward clearing of a throat from the back slightly interrupted and irritated Y/N, but she moved on, "And I can tell they still do. My b-- Khan was an admirable man, and he gave himself and his vision to the Shogunate to save lives. That is what a leader does. He does not hide in the comfort of his home waiting for other people to solve the problem." All the older clan heads awkwardly looked away which made Ayaka roll her eyes. Oldies.

"Khan was never one for delivering long speeches. I bet you he's definitely mocking me wherever he is right now," Y/N jokes, trying to lighten the atmosphere, "But he was always willing to listen. Whenever he did speak, he only spoke the cold hard truth, like the day at the final ruling. Khan made people realize, he made them know, and I. . ." words stopped at her throat as she paused, looking for words and over the crowd of people dressed in black. Y/N's closer friends leaned forward and furrowed their eyebrows at the sudden pause, encouraging her to go on.

Tears pricked at her eyes. Just as Y/N thought she'd cried all the tears she had already. "I am more than proud to call a man like Khan my brother." The moment she'd finished, she ran down the steps and out of the venue. People looked left and right at each other, wondering what had just happened. Why did the noblewoman suddenly leave? Why did she suddenly stop?