Dares?!

Ryu held the sobbing Elena, his gaze dimming somewhat. This was his fault, he knew it was his fault. 

Even if he had spent 999 years stuck in a cycle of Rebirth, a Rebirth that was likely responsible for the reason he had been able to relay his foundation so quickly to begin with, what about the almost decade afterward? 

It was an irrational feeling, he knew that. 

Until quite recently, just setting foot on the Ninth Heaven would have killed him. This wasn't a matter of the Martial Gods hunting him down, but rather the environment itself was something his body simply couldn't withstand. That was a huge issue to contend with even before he got to the many people and things that would want him dead. 

But even with all of this being the case, he felt that it was his responsibility to not be weak, his responsibility to be here, his responsibility to climb through hell or high water to be by her side.