[ winning evidence can't triumph over someone's withering heart. when your life has nothing been one misfortune after another, sometimes you just get tired of being told to hope for the best. while there is conviction in ryunosuke's eyes, the emotion that flickers in kaeya's is one of resignation.

maybe if he were a better person, this would have been enough to move him, but all it does is convince him that the pleroma has no idea what they're doing. ]

So many words, and yet not a single one holds any kind of weight. Your lofty ideals mean nothing in the face of this reality. [ a sigh. ] Reality is harsh, Ryunosuke. There is no fairytale ending, no perfect solution waiting for you out there just because you're so desperate to find it.

[ quietly, he bridges the distance between the two of them and grabs ryunosuke by the collar, dragging him close. ]

So wake up. They're all gone, and they aren't coming back.

[ kaeya lets him go, and then turns to walk away. ]