บท 258: A Burden Carried Forth

The elf simply stood there, witnessing something he felt was necessary for him to watch--and only watch. 

If I dared do something now...I'd win, but I'd lose something much more important, Strife thought. 

"...Leon…"

"Yeah?...Manfred?!"

Weakly, with a hand that held nothing, Manfred reached out to those sulking clouds as if seeing the glistening stars that sat above them in the faraway celestial plane. 

"Were our dreams...too big for us?"

As his hand swayed in the air without anything to hold onto, his fingers subtly moving as if trying to touch anything, even the falling raindrops, his hand was grabbed tightly with Leon's own, who squeezed it fervently. 

"Hell no! Don't you dare say that--if those were your last words, I'd punch you, dammit!"

Those passionate words from Leon earned a chuckle from his compromised friend, who gasped sharply as even that small expression of reprieve brought on further pain.