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Someone is shaking him awake.
Teru wishes they would stop. His head hurts and his body hurts and everything is wet and cold and something is telling him there's a reason he really doesn't want to be awake right now. But the person doesn't stop, and her voice comes into focus as Teru floats back into consciousness, sharp and scared and familiar: "Teru-kun, please wake up! We need you!"
Teru forces his eyes open with a groan and bats Aoi's persistent hands away from him. "What are you…?" And then he becomes quickly aware that there is another sound, equally familiar—the sound of his spirit blade in combat.
Oh. Now he remembers why he didn't want to be awake.
Teru grits his teeth and heaves himself to his feet, smearing blood out of his eyes. It doesn't help much with the concussion. Teru focuses on that and nothing else. Aoi rushes to steady him but he waves her off. "Stay back," he murmurs. "I'm trying to…"
It takes him a second to make sense of the mess of combat that Akane is strewn in, but as soon as he sees his opening, Teru dives in. He yanks Akane out of the way of an incoming tendril and catches him as they both fall backwards. Teru's head spins from the movement and he staggers. Aoi does catch him this time, and she shoves them both against the wall of the stairwell. Teru is too breathless to thank her.
"President!" Akane gasps, "Are you—"
"Don't ask stupid questions," Teru snaps. He focuses on the tentacles, on the rough stone of the stairwell, on the pain. "Sword."
Akane hands it over. Teru feels a miniscule amount better with it in his hands. Lightning runs down the length of his blade and he obliterates a swath of approaching tentacles before wheeling around to block an attack at Aoi. He focuses on Amane, on correcting his movement for injury, on the furious need to kill something. Teru is going to burn this damned house down a second time. He's going to raze these walls to the ground and set that monster alight with its charcoal, all those haunted halls and sick illusions and that cursed well of bodies—
His next surge of lightning makes even Akane flinch. He was so fucking close to not thinking about it.
He slices away another incoming tentacle and swallows harshly through the lump in his throat. If he falls apart, they all die. "Talk," he orders Akane.
Akane opens his mouth but its Aoi that answers. "Nene-chan is escaping," she says.
"I—" Akane tries.
Aoi says it again, in that tone of voice that ends all discussions. "Nene-chan is escaping. That's all you need to know."
Teru nods. He ducks, his knee buckles, he turns the momentum into a roll. Another tentacle sinks into the water. He might be too dizzy to stand. Akane yanks him up and out of the way of the next attack and says something useless and worried. Teru takes the shoulder he's offered and staggers to his feet. They're going to die here.
"Do you trust Yashiro-san?" He says breathlessly. His head hurts so fucking much.
"Yes," Aoi says immediately.
Teru blocks another attack. His arms tremble from the effort. "Do you trust me?"
"…Yes." Akane follows.
Teru can't help but crack a wry smile. "Then this is your last chance to start running." Sparks gather at his fingertips.
He isn't sure if its stupid or heartwarming that neither of them even bother to look conflicted. Lightning dances in violent pattern across his blade, then across the room, skipping across the shallow water with ease, bright enough to make Amane's attacks slow. If they didn't already understand his intentions, then they would know without a doubt now, this lightning does not mean to discriminate.
Teru breathes deep and slow, steadies his sword. Aoi pulls Akane close, in the space before the impact. "I love you, I'll see you soon," she whispers. Akane holds her tight. "I love you," he murmurs. "I'll see you soon."
Teru squeezes his eyes shut so he cannot look at the well. He focuses on the heat, the light. He does not cry.
I love you. I'll see you soon.
Then he swings, and everything goes white.