"Thank you for coming here with me, son." Doryoko says, looking towards the sky.

After leaving Mydrea-sama and the others at the end of lunch, I follow Doryoko back to the creek. The sound of birds chirping, the flowing water, the warmth of the sunny sky, the setting overall seem to perfectly match my father's pensive tone. As Doryoko stops before me, a small reflection of light from his great axe causes me to squint and avert my gaze.

"Three short years," he says, looking down into the flowing water.

"To think...it's been three short years."

"Yes," I utter, with a note of concern in my voice. Doryoko has never been much of a pensive type. I wonder...what's on his mind?

Continuing to look down at the water for a little while longer, Doryoko suddenly grabs for his axe. The weapon is firmly grasped between his mighty hands,... he... he's rushing towards me!? As soon as he jumps in the air and performs a downward slash, I unsheathe my sword and roll to the right. He misses me, and his axe crashes into the river bed, causing stones and small quantities of water to disperse.

But that doesn't stop Doryoko.

He rushes at me again, preparing a horizontal slash.

I knock the attack away with a vertical slash of my own.

He spins around to gain momentum and prepares another horizontal slash, this time with more force in his swing. Such an attack isn't possible to block with my old sword.

So I jump up above the slash and land on the head of his axe. In response, Doryoko summons some of his animal rhime.

And blocks my attack with his newly retracted bull horns.

The collision between my blade and his horn creates a weak shockwave that disperses throughout the area, causing much of the river bed substrate and fallen leaves surrounding us to scatter. All the while, the two of us remain locked in this position, struggling for supremacy. However, after a few seconds, we choose to put less and less strength into our efforts. And then...

"Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!" Doryoko heartily laughs.

A few heartbeats after that, I follow suit.

After a short while, the two of us choose to lie down under the wishing tree and watch the clouds.

"I'm glad to see how strong you've become, my son."

"Hehe. Honestly, I have you and Sueka to thank for that. I cannot speak for everyone else in Terraz, but working alongside you two all these years has been nothing short of a dream come true. Not only did you two save me from what would have been certain death, you took me in without a second thought. ...You know, I never told either of you this directly, but I feel indebted to you, and I want to do something for the two of you someday that will..."

"You don't have to worry about debts. We're family. It's what we do."

At this, I smile. I wonder what Doryoko sees in me?

"Actually, it's family that made me ask you out here," he adds.

Confused, I slowly get up.

"Is something wrong, father?"

"You can debate the 'wrong' part after hearing me out."

Saying this, he too gets up. He stretches a bit, then looks back to me.

"You know by now that Sueka is sixteen, right?"

"Indeed, I do."

"Then... you should know where this conversation is going."

"I'm...afraid I don't kn..."

(Oh... I guess... this was bound to happen eventually!) I think to myself as my heart begins to sink.

"Just to remind you," Doryoko says, "it's an animal tone custom to start arranging marriages before reaching the age of 18 between animal tone children and potential candidates who seem 'most fit' to continue a bloodline's legacy. As you should also know, that means that, following this tradition, an individual of either sex can have multiple spouses."

"Yes, I know that," I reply. Most likely, I sound defensive. "But even so, you've seen how aggressive she gets around other men! Is that the kind of life you want her spouse, or spouses, to have?"

"Calm down, Oren."

"This is my sister's happiness we are talking about here! It's an old tradition, not even practiced much anymore! Why follow it?"

"Oren..."

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Doryoko walks over to me and puts his hands on my shoulders.

"I've been giving things a lot of thought. Contrary to my usual disposition, I worry about you and my daughter a lot. Not because I fear for you two. I just...want the two of you to be happy."

I understand his intentions, but the pain in my heart at the thought of losing Sueka makes it difficult for me to look him in the eye.

"That's why...I have a selfish request."

I look back up to him and say, "And that is?"

He steps back and bows.

"Oren. Will you do me the honor...of marrying my daughter?"

....

"WWHHHHHHHHHAAAAATTTTTTTT!?!?!?!?"

"A-are you sure, father!? I mean, Doryoko!? I mean!?"

No doubt my flustered reaction is amusing to Doryoko. However, rather than bursting out laughing, he simply smiles and walks over to me again.

"I know. I know how much you care for my daughter."

I try to look him in the eye, but I'm too embarrassed to do so.

"You've been like family to me ever since you came to Terraz. Now, this is a chance to make it official. What's more, you're right. That tradition of marriage for animal tones is rather outdated. I care not about strong grandchildren. I care about the happiness of my son and daughter. That's why I would like you to officially become my son-in-law."

"You know that I am not as strong as others. I might not be able to be there for her as much as you imagine."

He chuckles. "Stop trying to be so modest. As an adopted member of an animal tone family, you could legally have multiple spouses as well. But, if I know you, you're more of the 'loyal to one' type of man. A devoted love, a love for one alone, is what I want for my daughter."

(I wonder how much I'm blushing right now.)

"Your answer, Oren?"

(You know that's a lot to spring on a teenager, right?)

In spite of this thought, I speak my mind without hesitation.

"I, Oren, will do everything in my power to provide Sueka Tsurai with the happiness she deserves. I will care for her, protect her, and love only her, and I hope she will feel the same towards me."

Doryoko wraps me in a bear hug with his strong arms.

"Oren. Thank you."

I hug him back, trying to hold back tears of joy.

"And...yet..." Doryoko begins to say...

...in...a rather disorienting tone.

"Why?"

He grips me tighter. So much so, it's starting to hurt.

"If you really are strong enough to protect her..."

For some reason, his body becomes uncomfortably warm.

"Why?"

I look at his arms. To my disgust... the muscles... the strong muscles of his mighty arms, begin to decay. I hear his breathing grow labored. With a sickening worry in my heart, I slowly look up to his face.

To see the face of a corpse.

"Why didn't you save me!?" it hisses.

Terrified, I free myself from Doryoko's embrace, and watch as the body crashes down to the ground, turning to dust. Behind me, the temperature of the area continues to rise.

"Why did you do it?" says a voice behind me.

I turn around and see the standing corpses of Tony and Sakura.

"Why did you let us die?" Sakura's hollow voice says in cold and bitter mockery.

"We'd still be alive...if not for you," Tony states in an equally haunting tone.

I reach out towards them and suddenly get blocked by a wall of flames. On the other side of it, the corpses of Tony and Sakura turn to ash. The wall begins to encircle me, continuing to rise in a pillar of flame. I look around for a means of escape. But, with each turn of my head, the flames continue to rise, and the silhouettes of the corpses of the Terraz locals, my friends, my neighbors, are staring back at me. Mocking me. Reaching out to me.

"You're not Selot, right?"

"Don't tell me you've lied to us all these years."

"Why should we pay for your crimes?"

"What crimes did he commit?"

"Save us!"

"Don't lie to us!"

"Protect us!"

"Listen to our pleas!"

"You should have been there for me!"

"And me!"

"And me!"

Overwelmed, I close my eyes and press my hands over my ears.

"It wasn't my fault! It wasn't my intention! I'm sorry! Forgive me!"

I yell out my apologizes and excuses, pressing my hands to my ears harder and harder. And yet...their voices...I can still hear them. I can hear them...getting louder!

"Listen to us!"

"Save us!"

"We trusted you!"

"Why did you betray us!?"

(Stop.)

"Don't leave us to die!"

(Please...stop!)

"Listen!"

"Don't leave us!"

"Murderer!'

"TRAITOR!"

"STOP IT!" I cry out.

The voices cease. All I can hear is the crackling of flames...

And the hissing of a snake.

I turn around and, on the other side of the flames, I see a giant silhouette of Mydrea-sama. In her hand, a magma orb. Her eyes the yellow tint of Hunter's snake eyes. Her mouth, the movement of a forked tongue. With a voice sounding like the combination of Mydrea-sama's and Hunter's, she proclaims...

"The traitor! The murderer! Selot of the Tainted Blade, HAS BEEN DEFEATED!!!"

The silhouette throws the magma orb at me. A direct hit. Searing agony! I cannot breathe! My screams are drowned out by maniacal laughter! Burning in these never-ending flames, I look towards this silhouette to see it change its form into the titanic hydra from before. Hissing in unison, all the heads rush towards me...

...and crash down onto me. Forcing me to...

Fall through the...ground?

The world around me shatters to pieces like shards of glass. With no world to support me, I continue to fall! I look around at the world's pieces, seeing events that occured during the festival. The fight between Tony and me. The lunch with Mydrea-sama. The Rebirth Ceremony. And...the death of Doryoko. The...

"OISHO!!!" I say as I smash into an unseeable ground.

I quickly get up and look around. Nothing. Nothing but a black void.

(Why?)

"Hm?"

(Why do something so foolish?)

"That voice! Who's there!?"

(Why risk your life when you know you cannot save them?)

"Why shouldn't I!?"

(Your life is more important than theirs.)

"You're wrong!"

(You should change your own fate. Why risk everything for others? In the grand scheme of things, they are irrelevant.)

"What do you know!?"

(You have the power to change the world. Why waste it on such insignificant changes?)

"Shut up!"

(You've failed. You have the power. Why use it on inferior others?)

"Why would anyone abandon their friends!?"

(Friends. Something like you...having friends?)

The voice lets out a feminine laugh.

(To fail so many times...for friends you'll betray!?)

(Betrayal again!)

"What do you mean!?"

(The will to desire a change in fate. The Successor's will! To think someone so weak possessed it! And yet nothing can be accomplished!)

"Why you...!!!!"

I continue to search around and run through the darkness. But run to where in this empty void? Looking for whom? I know I am acting on impulse, but still!

(And yet... you show compassion.)

I stop and try to calm down.

(Compassion for others. Compassion for those different from yourself. From us.)

(Us?)

(To desire something is one thing. But to achieve it is another.)

The world around me begins to change. It's as if...I'm witnessing different events going on simultaneously. Like a First Age store with different movies playing on separate TV screens.

Oren!

Me fighting a cloaked figure, with their First Age Japanese gunbai, a majestic sword in my hands.

Please, come back!

Sueka crying and holding me. Then her lying, deathly pale, in a bed.

Brother!

People, poor in appearance, marching with determination in their eyes.

Don't leave me, too!

The backs of a boy and a frail girl.

Please!

And a monster. A monster made of rhime. A monster with an appearance of what many in my age would call a "succubus."

Wake up!

(Here is where my ability to grant you visions ends.)

What? This voice...this voice is what gave me visions!?

"What, or who, are you!?"

(Let us see how one with the Successor's will handles himself.)

The world around me begins to glow with a radiant light.

"WAIT!!" I yell as I reach out in the direction where the light is brightest.

GOCHIN!!!

"AA!" I hear a girl yell as our heads collide. In order to compose myself, I put my right hand and my...UUUU!!!! my left arm! I look at it and see it in a sling. From the shoulder joint downwards, I see it tightly wrapped in bandages. The part of my arm where I was hit with Hunter's fang. A testament...to me being unable to sa...

"BROTHER!!"

"WHOA!!"

Sueka hugs me tightly. Aaaa! A bit too tightly!

"Um, sis. That's a little t...!"

As I look at her face, I begin to calm myself. And...hate myself too. Her eyes are bloodshot. Her face showing signs of tears.

"Thank the Rhoken," she whispers quietly to herself. "You're okay. You're okay. You're okay."

She continues to repeat herself, and all I can do is put my one good hand on her head.

"It's okay, Sueka. I'm back."

She hugs me even tighter. Still, this time, I think I will try to tough it out.

I look around the room and see technology I haven't seen before. If I were to guess, I see x-ray images, a computer, many things arguably more advanced than Terraz's lineup of technology. The room itself is practically all white, with the exception of the colors on the outside of the window adjacent to my bed.

"Where...are we?"

Trying to recollect myself, I take a deep breath. But...this air. It's heavier. Not as "clean."

"New Vegas." Sueka says. "We're in New Vegas."