TITLE: bury me with bloodied hands AUTHOR: Phantom_Hearts on AO3
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Every revolutionary knows death is a possibility. Only a foolish man thinks he's invincible.
But what you don't consider is how utterly hopeless death is. How powerless you are to stop it. How you panic as soon as you finally realize that this is the end.
Suguru knew his chances of victory were slim without Rika's power. Knew his chances of obtaining her weren't absolute.
Despite that, he still thought himself a god. Instead, he's naught but a mortal, little more than a tamer to all the filthy monkeys of the world.
He failed himself, his family, and the world. He's dying.
He'd started the fight against Yuta with impenetrable confidence. He'd escaped it by the skin of his teeth, filled with an overflowing lust for vengeance.
But now, the only thing he feels is resignation, the cold slowly creeping across his body, and intense flashes of pain that are slowly numbing. Soon, he won't feel anything anymore.
Suguru can't help his bitterness. Him, bested by a mere kid. It's as pathetic an end as they come. Maybe it's a good thing he won't be around to see Satoru hear the news; he can just imagine the shit-eating grin and side-splitting laughter on his all-too-pretty face. That is until he learns of his death, anyway. Suguru would rather view the former scene a thousand times over than the latter.
There's a lot he won't be around to see.
He's in a gymnasium full of graduating high school students, his two girls included. Suguru shouts their names and gives an exaggerated wave from his seat, ignoring how the monkeys stare at him.
Nanako rolls her eyes while Mimiko gives a much more muted wave back. Their principal steps up to the podium, quieting the audience and gathering everyone's attention. He begins reading off the students' names.
First Mimiko's name is called, then Nanako's. Suguru's never been so proud. He stands up for both, clapping and making a scene.
He withstands a verbal reprimand by a far lesser being and his daughters glare daggers at him, but it's all worth it when they call him dad for the first time on the way home.
He staggers forward. Crimson has always been such a pretty color, but not on him.
It's a fine summer evening surrounded by his family. Nanako, Mimiko, and Larue laugh at something on their phones, while Manami and Toshihisa chat with each other, all smiles. Suguru, content with just watching, swirls the alcohol in his glass and takes a sip.
It burns, just like the flames overtaking the city shown on the news report playing quietly in the background.
