Yet rather than attack, he had patiently explained himself, his gaze open and honest, with no sign of deception.
But the Otsutsuki and their people were sworn enemies, as incompatible as fire and water. Cooperation across that divide defied everything he knew, and he could not bring himself to believe it so readily.
Doubt, wariness, wavering resolve, and confusion tangled in Kafei's heart, leaving him unable to decide. Silence settled over the Dense Forest, broken only by the rustle of leaves in the breeze.
Kafei remained silent for a long time, his back still pressed tightly against the rough tree trunk. His wounds continued to ache, and scenes of the encirclement, of watching his comrades die before his eyes, surged through his mind.
He slowly turned his head and stared coldly at Hagoromo and Hamura before him. Long-suppressed anger, hurt, and utter distrust filled his voice, every word barbed.
"Cooperate? You actually have the nerve to talk to me about cooperation?"
"You have no idea what we've been through!"
Kafei's voice grew lower, steeped in sorrow and outrage.
"Over the years, how many of our brothers and sisters in the Knights fought oppression with their lives, only to be captured as sacrifices and fed alive to the God Tree?"
"And countless innocent civilians, people who simply lived honest lives, were still seized on a whim and sacrificed on a whim, dying for nothing!"
"Kaguya is the source of all of this! You Otsutsuki brought every bit of it upon us!"
He fixed his eyes on Hagoromo, his gaze full of scorn and rejection.
"You sat above us all. As Otsutsuki princes, you enjoyed everything while countless people at the bottom were killed or wounded, their families torn apart. You watched coldly for all these years."
"And now you expect me