He had never thought it would come to this point—where he'd be so... emotional. The strongest, filled with such negative emotions? Impossible. It sounded almost ridiculous to him; he'd never imagined something so gut-wrenching could happen so easily. Sure, he was protective of his beloved wife, Nori, but he never doubted her. That was until seconds ago, when an unregistered curse had caught Nori off guard and dealt her a fatal, deadly blow.

No, no, no... This can't be happening... not to the strongest.

He couldn’t think clearly; his mind filled only with memories of his past and moments with Nori. His heart ached, torn between disappointment and sadness. For the first time since his teenage years, he found it unbearable to face the aftermath of what that curse had done—even though he had already exorcised it.

His lips pressed into a tight line, and his nose scrunched in anger. He couldn’t take this anymore. He’d grown numb to feeling emotional over comrades' deaths; it happened too often. But Nori wasn't just another comrade—she was his wife. There was nothing more precious to him than that. He hadn't felt a bond this deep since Geto.

As he repeated and stumbled over his words, he realized he had never been this vulnerable—at least not in public, after a mission gone wrong. Over the years, he had grown comfortable with Nori, able to express emotions he once guarded so carefully.

To express himself, with his mind now so fragile, was the least he could do. If she died right here in his arms, he wanted her to go knowing someone cared deeply enough to show their humanity, even if he'd silently scold himself for it later. But that didn’t matter now. His arrogance had faded, swept away by the gravity of the moment.

...

"I'm sorry I couldn’t keep... our wedding vows. I failed you as a husband. I couldn’t even protect you—not even as the strongest."