The days flew by, quickly turning into weeks, but the seiges hadn't ended. At times Saruhiko wondered why the foreigners even wanted to conquer Japan, after erradicating its people, its heart, all that remained...no, nothing will remain, nothing of value anyway. He realised that sometime since the first incident, something inside him had remained broken, and that his emotions would spontaneously overflow. Whenever they did, it was a bloodbath. There seemed to be no cure for this psychotic rage, the others could only watch from a distance, even the Kings.

It all started the day after Reisi awoke. Intelligence had given them the location of the headquarters of one of the generals. After a long and heated discussion it was decided that they would send members to annihilate their headquarters. It wouldn't be wise to send everyone they had, so a team was formed. Mikoto was the obvious choice, Izumo and a recuperated Misaki would also be going, however when it came to choosing members from Scepter 4, the choice was much harder. Saruhiko became the first choice, Seri had worn herself out looking after the unconscious Reisi. Before anyone dared to suggest Reisi, Saruhiko threw a look at Akiyama and Fuse, who volunteered themselves with a sigh. The two of them could tell from Saruhiko's look that he wasn't trying to get them killed, it was for the sake of their commander. The travel route was verified and the newly assembled team headed off to their destination.

What they didn't account for was the pride that the Blue King held. The only person that thought about it was Mikoto, who as a fellow king knew the feeling so he couldn't deny the other.

As the combined team arrived at their destination, a complex maze of tents and temporary structures on the outskirts of Shizume City, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Foreign soldiers were scrambling about with their daily jobs, not one seemed to have noticed them. And it would stay that way until the critical moment.

Finally trekking their way to the extravagant central tent, Izumo signalled the beginning of the operation. The scuffle turned into an all-out battle in no time. Enveloping the camp, in brilliant red and electric blue.

Amidst the battle, no-one noticed the tall figure that had slowly but surely made his way to ground zero. Reisi had followed them. Having understood the situation, he was quick to draw his blade and engage in the inevitable battle. However his initial stamina was quickly worn down, Reisi's injuries still hadn't healed, there was still a substantial delay in his reaction, which could only mean bad news for the King. Four foot-soldiers charged at him with blades in hand. He easily fended off the three from the front but one was stealthy enough to slip behind his back.

A blade raised, ready to taste the King's blood.

An unrecognisable shout.

A blade dropped, followed by a dull thump.

The crimson throwing knife was buried deep within the soldier's chest. Reisi let out a sigh of relief before tracing his eyes back towards the owner of the knife. He didn't expect what he saw next, even when he had dealt with the past Saruhiko, never had he seen such an expression on the younger male's face.

Saruhiko hadn't noticed Reisi's arrival, he had been surrounded by enemies, barely managing to fend off every single dimwit. He didn't purposely aim to kill them either, as long as they stopped coming at him it was fine. However that all changed when the familiar navy flooded into his eyesight. Then the blade that pointed itself at that very navy. Rage rushed through his veins. Or was it fear? One moment he was surrounded, the next they all dropped, lifeless, to the ground. The blade had dropped too. Angry crimson hung in the air around him, an image flashed across his vision, a scream pierced the heavy air. Electric blue and fiery crimson erupted from the young male, and horrifying psychotic laughter filled the air. All eyes turned to him. Even those beloved sapphires and the bronze he'd once loved. Saruhiko's expression was unreadable, something had snapped in him, and he'd just let go of his sanity in that moment, hoping his power would be enough to protect the one he held dear. Then everything vanished in a blaze of red and blue.

What greeted the survivors after the ashes finally settled was a scene of pure destruction. Miraculously anyone on the Homura-Scepter 4 alliance had remained untouched, however that could not be said for anyone that'd be identified an enemy by the young bluet. Bodies lay scattered around the area that had previously been the enemy headquarters. Most had been burnt beyond recognition. Not a single sign of life flickered through them.

A single figure stood amongst the destruction, head bowed. Heavy breathes racked the lean body. His weapons were littered around his feet, soaked in blood. No-one had moved.

"Fushimi-kun." The Blue King took the initiative.

There was no response except the signs of the said man's breath returning to normal.

"Fushimi-kun."

Still nothing.

A sigh. "Saruhiko."

The head looked up with a painful slowness. Turned towards the voice of his beloved. And closed his eyes.

Saruhiko's head spun, his body couldn't tolerate the sudden surge of power, but somehow just as the darkness tightened its grasp on him, a voice had snapped him out of their reach. Why was he always the one that always needed saving? Once again the darkness spread across his vision, obscuring his view of Reisi's brilliant sapphires.

As Saruhiko's unconscious body dropped to the ground, Reisi was fast enough to catch him before he hit the puddle of blood that had been at his feet. Reisi grimaced at the additional weight, his own injuries taking their toll.

"Let's go," he stated sternly as he picked up the limp body bridal-style. The younger man's forehead leaned into his chest, if the other was awake he could hear the thumping of Reisi's heart.

No-one objected. Akiyama carefully weaved his way through the bodies with a grimace on his face to pick up Saruhiko's strewn weapons. Fuse offered a helping hand to Reisi but was turned away by a quick shake of the head. Mikoto took several seconds to register the situation, take note of what happened here before picking up an injured Misaki and helping the younger one on his way. Misaki would've protested if it was not Mikoto, but since it was he remained in a happy silence despite everything. Izumo was the last to leave the scene, he could hear distant rumbles of reinforcements. The scene was utter chaos, it would take the foreigners some time to decipher what truly happened here allowing them time to heal. The advantage was theirs. But at the cost of a certain bluet's sanity.

x

Saruhiko made a speedy recovery. Or so it outwardly appeared. Inside he was still a mess. He had awoken the next morning with a
deadly headache and pain in every single muscle. But that changed the instant he spotted the sleeping form of his commander on the sofa across the room.

Stretching the aches out of his muscles, Saruhiko silently slid out of bed, and tiptoed towards the sofa. Carefully, he sat down on the side doing his best not to disturb the other. No movement. Slowly, he raised his hand and reached towards the navy locks. Suddenly, a hand shot out and caught his mid-way.

"Mmm...Saruhiko?" a groggy Reisi asked lightly.

Saruhiko's lips turned up slightly before he answered. It was a rare sight after all. "Just go back to sleep."

However the other man clearly had other ideas. In one swift motion, Reisi hooked his arm under Saruhiko's, slid himself into a sitting position and flipped the unsuspecting youth flat on his back onto space he had just cleared on the sofa. A small "Oomph" resounded in the hollow room. Reisi was a king returned to his original glory, most of his wounds had healed thus his physical strength was far more than Saruhiko had expected. However the youthfulness in him quickly took over and after a scuffle without words was exchanged between the two, somehow the darker haired Saruhiko gained his position on top of Reisi.

"Lively aren't we?" Reisi sighed as he watched the younger male's eyes.

"I-It's just you…"

Knowing the other's denial antics well, the King drew his knight into his arms, before placing a light kiss on the other's forehead.

Saruhiko was slightly out-of-breath from the recent scuffle but that warmth from the other quickly soothed everything in him. Even now he wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to simply remain in this tranquillity, that the Blue King once again offered him.

"Saruhi-"

Even in his uncertainty, Saruhiko knew that one thing he wanted was to fully utilise this moment they had together. So before Reisi could finish, Saruhiko locked his lips with the other. As opposed to conveying their feelings through speech, they would do it in a more intimate manner.

A visiting Akiyama just happened to arrive outside Saruhiko's room at that moment. Not particularly expecting anything other than an unconscious Saruhiko, Akiyama reached towards the doorknob and twisted it open. As soon as the thinnest crack between the door and the doorframe appeared, familiar and not-so-familiar sounds greeted the green-haired male. Somehow it gave him an awkward feeling so he silently closed the door before continuing down the hallway as if nothing happened. What if Saruhiko had awoken in a bad mood? Akiyama didn't want to be on the receiving end of that.

Little could he, nor anyone else, suspect that it was the final opportunity for the King to save his knight.

x

Looking back, Reisi regretted many things about his time as a King. The public viewed him as one of the heroes during Japan's struggles against foreign nations, however those close to him knew of the sacrifices he made. Willingly or unwillingly. In the end he was still powerless when it really counted.

"Yo, Munakata," Mikoto drawled as he slipped into the bar stool next to the other.

Snapping out of his daze, Reisi gave the other a nod of acknowledgement but no words.

Both of them had stepped down from their positions as Kings. Reisi had given up his throne without a second thought while Mikoto was reluctant to burden another with his perilous powers. However in the end both relinquished their kingship to someone they deeply trusted. The departure of the Golden and Silver King saw the departure of the Dresden Plate as well. The Sword of Damocles that once defined a King no longer existed, thus kingship was determined now by choice of the previous king.

Ever since that final battle, whenever Mikoto and Reisi met, their roles were reversed from back before the war broke out. Mikoto initialised the conversation, only when he felt like it, while Reisi would mumble a few words in reply or sometimes only make a noise of agreement or disagreement. However the silence that hung around the two was hardly awkward, they now shared even more things in common.

It was mutual understanding. Both had lost someone who was irreplaceable to them. Someone essential for them to be themselves, without restrictions and without worries.

Much to Reisi's horror, he couldn't stop the bluet he loved so much from stepping beyond that point of no return. Was it because he was too ignorant to realise the determination of Saruhiko's feelings? Or was it because simply his incapability?

x

That final battle had been in their favour, up until those dreadful concluding moments. Saruhiko had thoroughly defended his King's back however in the sudden haze that surrounded them, he lost sight of that sapphire. Desperately he searched for it, he didn't want to be left behind, again. As the fog slowly dissipated, Saruhiko noticed the unconscious figures of several of his own clan as well as from the Red. Before the eerie mist came they had been doing fine. So what was it that defeated them?

As a spray of red littered his vision, Saruhiko looked down to register the long gash that now decorated his torso. The pain took its time, inching through the bluet's entire body. He caught a glimpse of the flash that sped, cutting down any enemy in its wake. Clutching his wound, he realised that it had been not only deep but laced with a foreign white substance. The haze hadn't just been a smoke screen.

Crimson and indigo flames began to seep out of his body. Saruhiko knew he had to put a stop to that thing. Before it reached Reisi. That boundary of sanity faded, the point of no-return disappeared, and he surpassed them. Heightening his mental and physical to a level where the fall will leave him nothing short of death. As the size of his aura doubled, tripled, its fury reached into every nook and cranny of the city. Not a single enemy would escape its grasps. Even if it was the last thing he did.

No-one asked for a hero, even in that dire situation. Everyone probably just wanted to leave with everyone the loved, but for Saruhiko, he simply wanted protect the one that had kept that dark abyss at bay. Unknowingly it had been etched so deeply in his psyche that removing it now was impossible. Outwardly he was still the same person, or so he thought, but really everyone could feel that flicker of warmth developing in him. A knight's responsibility was to protect their king so Saruhiko simply thought it was his to protect Reisi. Little did he know he wasn't the knight…

…he was the king's treasure.

x

Their last memories remained just as vivid even after so many years. Whenever he let his mind wonder even the slightest he would remember those halcyon days, the time he'd spent with the young bluet and that last smile Saruhiko left him as the final sliver of life left him. It was the purest smile Reisi had seen from the younger male, it made his heart flutter only for it to be crushed within an instant. It had been filled with fleeting happiness.

If he could turn back time, he would. Reisi would do anything for Saruhiko to still be at his side, but fate was a trickster.

At that moment the rim of a glass entered his vision. Looking to the side, Reisi found a calm Mikoto. However even he knew that like him, Mikoto had lost that someone important in his life. Reisi smiled when he realised that he was forever fated to remain a step behind Mikoto.

"What will you have sir?" the bartender intruded.

"Turkey," Mikoto stated, before glancing at Reisi.

"I'll have a Bourbon." This earned the raise of an eyebrow from Mikoto.

After the drinks arrived and the bartender retreated, leaving the two old friends alone once again, Mikoto raised his glass and said, "To the kings' treasures."

Reisi smiled before clinking glasses with the red-head.

Some things were just irreplaceable.

A/N: I wrote this in three different sit-downs so I feel the style is actually quite inconsistent. I'm not even sure if I understood what I was doing near the end. I didn't want that linear structure so I attempted at a fragmented one.

I really like the motif of the Kings and their knights but typically the "kings' treasures" refer to Saruhiko and Totsuka. Somehow Mikoto/Totsuka also seemed relevant so it was placed in.

This is my first time writing something related to character death and I was actually quite afraid to touch on the actual dying scene...oh well. In a sense I feel achieved just by writing this ReiSaru fic.

Thank you for reading!