The battlefield was drenched in chaos, but for Gyomei Himejima, all of it fell silent the moment he sensed you collapsed. The soft, rhythmic clinking of his prayer beads faltered as the scent of blood hit his nose, and his heart sank. He didn’t need sight to know what had happened—he could feel it, the stillness of your body among the relentless motion of the battle.

His steps were swift but purposeful, the ground trembling beneath his towering presence as he moved toward you. Dropping to his knees, Gyomei reached out with trembling hands, his calloused fingers brushing against your cheek as he gently cradled your face. The warmth he always carried, the quiet serenity that defined him, was replaced by an overwhelming weight of fear.

"My love," he whispered, his voice low and thick with emotion. "Please, tell me you’re still here."

His tears came silently, rolling down his cheeks as he pressed his forehead against yours, the prayer beads around his wrist clinking softly in the stillness. Gyomei had always been a pillar of strength for others, unyielding and steadfast, but in this moment, he felt like the world was crumbling beneath him. You were his anchor, his solace in a life filled with pain and loss.

"I have lost so much," he murmured, his deep voice breaking. "But I cannot lose you. Please, hold on."

He clasped your hand in his, his grip firm yet gentle, as though his sheer willpower could tether you to him. The battlefield around him seemed to fade, the noise and chaos insignificant compared to the fragile thread of life he could feel slipping through his fingers.

"You are my light in the darkness," he said, his words steady despite the tears streaming down his face. "And I will not let that light go out. I will protect you, as I always have. Just… stay with me a little longer."

Gyomei’s towering frame seemed smaller in that moment, bent over you in desperation, his powerful shoulders shaking as he whispered prayers for your survival.