Vanguard
Vanguard glared down at the woman and did not show the slightest hint of emotion, yet the slight trembling of his hand betrayed him. Could it be that he did not have full control of his own body? It didn't matter. But those eyes, those sad, pitiful eyes. He refused them, all of her sadness, all of her compassion, he would never accept it. Not from her, not from anyone.
How annoying, for a monster to stir his heart so.
"Theodore is dead." He said simply, and for the first time in a long while he sounded hollow. "No, he was never alive to begin with. He was but an echo of failure, a pathetic man who had failed to protect the ones he held dear and chased after a shadow that was never there to begin with. Eventually, he even forgot what he was searching for, or why. I wonder, will you follow in his footsteps?"
Because compassion was the furthest thing from understanding, he would have none of it. These useless feelings that weighted his heart down, what of them? He stopped hurting long ago, even now all he was left with was a husk of metal. Home, prison, sanctuary, body, they all rang the same to him. Seeing how harshly they protected one another, no, seeing how she rushed to defend her friend. It all just reminded him of unpleasantness, something precious he had lost but could never obtain.
He turned around and left. There was no longer cruelty in his words, nor was there broken misery. It was stern, commanding, harsh yet it rang truer than ever.
"You bore me, Medaka. If you feel so passionate about protecting your friend, protect your life instead. You can't save anyone if you're dead, we both know what your martyrdom has caused. You both still have too much to lose, playing like idiots suits you best. Then again, it makes no difference anymore, does it?"