One More Time: Rebirth

Chapter 89: Save him

After greeting each other Edge noticed the haggard look on Setsuna's face. He smiled for a bit and then his face turned deadly serious. The atmosphere tensed up, Leto went a bit near to Hayato getting ready to pick him up just in case. The three twelve years olds also had there bodies tense up a bit. Eva and Clarise were already holding their sword hilts getting ready for a possible attack.

Edge, Tsukiyomi, Serillia, and Tanith on the other hand, weren't as bothered by the tense atmosphere. Tanith wasn't even listening to the conversation as she looked around the area. 

"I'm really glad to see you guys, but there's no time right now. So I'll get right to the point I have a favor to ask of you Edge." Setsuna spoke while giving out a secret signal to his men. Of course, Edge and his group were able to spot the secret signal, they just didn't know what it meant. 

"Didn't I come here to ask the favor?" 

"My favor coincides with your favor. I want you to take my brother with you." The moment those words came out of Setsuna's mouth Hayato suddenly shouted. 

"Why Onii-sama?! Why do you want to get rid of me that badly?! Is it because I'm only your half-brother?! Am I such a pathetic brother that you want me gone, or is it because I'm a threat to you?! Is being the clan leader of such a pathetic clan really what you want?! Then you can take it all for all I care! If you really want to get rid of me don't be a coward and just finish me off!" 

Hayato's outburst made everyone quiet down a bit. The resentment, the fear Hayato was feeling was laid bare in front of everyone. The young boy looked to be trembling in rage. He was looking at his onii-sama waiting for his answer, and everyone else was also waiting to see what Setsuna will do. 

Instead of answering Setsuna slowly walked towards his younger brother. Each step his older brother made echoed in the ears of Hayato. Hayato felt his heartbeat beating louder and louder as each step was made. The serious expression on his older brother's face scared him a bit and he couldn't move. Hayato's hand started sweating he couldn't breathe and he couldn't think straight as he waited for his older brother to approach him. 

The world seems to slow down in front of Hayato as he felt like it was taking forever for his older brother to finish his walk towards him. He was starting to get restless as each step was taking too much time. At that very moment, Hayato was afraid that his older brother would acknowledge what he said and deny his very existence. Hayato felt his bravado slowly disappearing as his older brother neared him. 

It was then Hayato remembered what happened in the past, the person walking slowly towards him was the older brother who was able to run away because he was the legitimate child, the firstborn. While he the illegitimate child was forced to stay when the clan was about to collapse when the enemies had won. 

He who had stayed behind suffered greatly in the hands of their enemies, while his older brother got to go to school and have friends. He had been the one to suffer, the one to feel despair. But when the clan got back on top his older brother returned without suffering, without feeling hopelessness and yet gaining everything he wanted all because he was the firstborn. 

When Setsuna got close enough and was about to speak, Hayato with all his anger and resentment punched his older brother. Setsuna received the punch to the face without dodging or backing away. 

"Setsuna-sama!" Setsuna's surrounding subordinates had their hand on the hilt of their swords, but Setsuna signaled them to stop. Hayato looked at Setsuna in surprise, not only because he signaled his men to stop, but also because he was able to receive his full-powered punch without flinching. 

"Do you still continue to look down on me! You think I'm not even worth-" Hayato stopped talking as Setsuna once again did something unexpected, he hugged Hayato. Everyone looked at the two brothers in surprise. 

"I'm not sending you away because I resent you. I'm sending you away because I love you." 

"How can that be?! You're sending me away because of love? Who are you trying to fool?!" Hayato was holding in his tears as he couldn't believe his ears. 

"It's for your own good. I don't want you to be here for what's to come..." 

"What do you mean?" Hayato asked getting even more confused. Setsuna was about to answer was interrupted by a voice that echoed throughout the residence of the Lener Clan. 

"Setsuna Lener! We know that you're sheltering the group of evil criminals that kidnapped the beloved princess of our allies the Northern Kingdom. Hand them over to us and we shall go away peacefully, but if you do not comply then it will be the death of your whole clan." 

"Activate the barrier!" Setsuna did not hesitate and gave out commands to the people beside him. "You three bring all the women and children of the clan to the secret tunnel. You, call all the men to battle, we fight to the death today. As for you, you shall guide my friends to the forest the one to the southeast." Setsuna's subordinates gave their salute and did as they were told. 

"Do you expect me to leave you behind and flee?" Edge spoke to Setsuna while frowning. He felt a bit irritated for suspecting Setsuna for even a second that he would betray him. Instead, here he was sacrificing everything just to help them out. 

"Kukuku, Edge is right we can't leave you behind here." Tsukiyomi's fighting spirit was raised as he looked at the numerous enemies flying on their swords. The others with them also weren't going to back down and leave Setsuna. Seeing them all like this Setsuna smiled at them while shaking his head. 

"The moment I sent those men to pick you up, I already knew this would happen. But it was a gamble I had to take. If the true humanity continues on their path many will die. You guys are pretty much our best chance to turn things around. As long as you survive, as long as the princess survives there will be a chance for a comeback. For that to happen you need to leave now." 

Hayato who was frozen in place finally moved and clung to his brother. "Onii-sama! Come with us! You need to flee as well!" Setsuna looked at his panic-stricken brother and shook his head. 

"I need to stay to give you more time to escape. If they don't see me in battle they would quickly assume that I fled with you guys. If I stay and acted like we have other ways out, it would take them longer to see through our ruse. Also, I need to stay and command the troops, morale will fall if I the clan leader flees."

"Then I'll stay here with-" Hayato then felt a heavy impact struck the back of his head. He saw his older brother's lips moving. "You must live." Those were the last words he heard his older brother say before he lost consciousness. Setsuna caught the falling body of Hayato and handed him to Edge. 

"Please save him."