Hiru looked around at the empty expanse and sighed. "So this is the world after death... It really is incredible."
"I've always heard Hiru say souls exist, but this is the first time I've truly felt it for myself..." Yoriichi said, his hand clasped around Hiru's, looking just as curious. "Still, a world of nothing but pure white feels a little too hollow."
Hiru paused, his gaze shifting toward the darkness spreading in from his left. After a brief silence, he walked toward the white expanse before him. "Yeah, you're right. A pure white world does feel a little lonely... Our affairs are settled, and there's nothing left to cling to. Let's go where we're meant to go."
Yoriichi nodded faintly and followed. The two of them began making all kinds of guesses about the afterlife, but halfway along, Hiru stopped.
Yoriichi turned back in confusion. "What's wrong? Why did you stop?"
"I'll see you off this far, Aniue," Hiru said with a smile. "The world I see has plenty of white in it too, but it isn't pure white like yours. Going to heaven sounds nice, but I think it's better if I atone for my sins myself. Otherwise, when I'm reincarnated, I'll probably complain, 'What kind of sins did I commit in my past life?'
"Besides, I never got the chance to say goodbye to Tamayo-san. I wasn't exactly clear-headed back then, so I couldn't say it properly. No matter what, I should go see her. And our eldest brother too...
"Even if I might not have any time to talk to him after going to Hell, I still want to see him at least once."
"I see... So that's what you've decided, Hiru?"
Hiru nodded slightly, his expression relaxed. "Anyway, this is as far as I'll take you, Aniue. I'm afraid that if I keep walking, I won't be able to see the place I'm supposed to go anymore."
Yoriichi sighed and lowered his head, but in the end, he still smiled. "I understand. If this is Hiru's choice..."
"Ah, now that I think about it, since Aniue sees a pure white world, maybe you really are the reincarnation of some god. In that case, maybe you'll get reinstated and come visit us. Then you might even be able to pull a few strings, and we can be real brothers next time!"
"You're teasing me again..." Yoriichi shook his head with a smile. "But I'll try."
This time, Hiru was the one who did not know what to say. "...Aniue, you do know I was joking, right?"
Yoriichi laughed softly. "I won't know unless I try... But if I had known this was the choice Hiru would make, I should have been the one to see you off back then..."
"No, that's all right," Hiru said, looking back at the darkness that had already shrunk to a tiny point. "I want to leave myself a little time to calm down too... After all, choosing this when I have another option still takes some courage."
Yoriichi sighed softly and reached out to ruffle Hiru's hair. "Then I'll stand here and watch you go... Remember, no matter when it is, we are your brothers. You became our true little brother long ago."
Hiru lowered his head, the corners of his mouth lifting before he realized it. "...Yeah, I know."
After one final embrace with Yoriichi in farewell, Hiru lingered no longer. He turned and walked toward the blackness that had shrunk to a speck in his sight.
Only when Hiru's figure had disappeared completely did the smile on Yoriichi's face fade away. "In the end, we still can't be reunited... I hope Aniue and Hiru are able to meet safely."
...
Hiru did not look back. He simply walked toward the darkness at an even pace.
As the distance between him and the darkness closed, he saw flames rising endlessly. Yet when he braced himself and stepped into them, he realized they did not burn.
Hiru reached out, pinched a flame between his fingers, and held it in his palm. He could not help laughing. "...Pretty good at scaring people."
Just then, a delighted voice came from behind him. "Akiwa~ You really came~ It's a little late, but I'm so happy you're here~"
Hiru turned around, only to freeze the moment he saw who it was. The man's limbs had been burned by the fierce flames until they were broken and incomplete. If those rainbow-colored eyes had not still been shining brightly, Hiru never would have believed the person before him was Doma.
"...You didn't look this awful when you died, did you?"
"Oh, actually, after I came here, I couldn't help wanting to wander around a bit. Then when I came back to my senses, there was fire all around me~ It hurts a lot to be burned, and on top of that, I couldn't find the way back~"
Doma stopped beside Hiru, smiling. "I was planning to go straight to Hell, but since I thought I still had to wait for you, Akiwa, I stayed here a little longer. If you hadn't come soon, I might have been burned until my soul scattered completely~"
Hiru: ...No, I didn't need you to wait.
"But you really did come looking for me, Akiwa~ I'm so happy~"
Hiru looked at Doma's nearly charred arm, then raised the flame in his hand. "This burned you?"
"Eh, Akiwa doesn't get burned? As expected, Akiwa really is different~ I'm liking you more and more~"
"...Have I ever told you that you're disgusting?"
"That's mean, Akiwa. You'll make me sad~"
Hiru: ...I'm already starting to feel the horror of Hell.
For the rest of the journey, even though Hiru did not say a word, Doma kept finding things to talk about. Several times, Hiru wanted to strike him, only to discover in grief and rage that his strength was stuck at the level it had been just before death. He could not do a thing to Doma.
Doma soon noticed this as well and became even more shameless as he chattered on without end.
When Doma eventually suggested that Hiru should be reborn as a girl so he could arrange a childhood betrothal with him, Hiru finally snapped.
But Doma only laughed after being cursed at. "If Akiwa doesn't want to, then I can be the girl instead~ Don't humans say marriage is the best way to build a family? We like each other so much, so of course we should get married~ Or did I misunderstand?"
Hiru: ...Damn it. I miscalculated. I should have gone with Aniue.