Before Hajime can even finish, Byakuya braces himself against the sides of the pod and pushes himself upright. His breathing becomes ragged immediately with the effort; his body slumps forward and he grits his teeth. But after only a few seconds of rest, he swings his legs over the side of the pod and steps down onto the floor, then stumbles and almost falls to his knees. He has to put one arm against the pod to steady himself. His whole body trembles with the exertion of standing, fighting against his own atrophied muscles and somehow winning. Hajime would be impressed, if he wasn’t so worried.
“Okay, never mind. Umm…do you maybe need a hand, or…?”
“There’s no need,” Byakuya declares suddenly, voice hoarse and breathy but undeniably commanding. He takes his hand off the pod, then rises to his full height. His face betrays no fatigue or discomfort, even though his legs are shaking beneath him, and he addresses the small group before him with the dignity of a king addressing his people. “I don’t need assistance from commoners. I…am Byakuya Togami, after all.”
Byakuya’s prideful declaration settles on the room. An uncomfortable silence follows it.
“Yeah, we kinda already met the real Byakuya,” Fuyuhiko says, scratching the back of his head.
Byakuya Togami is the first to awaken from the simulation. He’s a little different than Hajime remembers him.
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