And so, an hour went by. Tanimoto was sleeping on the ground of a cold, dark, cell, groaning as consciousness finally returned as he felt his head throb painfully. Blinking several times, trying to adjust to the dim light of the cell, he tried looking around him, but everything was hazy and disoriented. "Ugh… what the hell?" The last thing he remembered was fighting Ophelia and trying persuade to Jin that he was innocent, but now he found himself lying on a cold, hard floor in what appeared to be a prison cell.
Slowly sitting up, he winced at the soreness in his body. Tanimoto's memories were fragmented and confusing. Everything seemed so blurry. "Where the hell am I…?" The confusion on his face deepened as he looked around the cell with his hands unconsciously checking for his sword that was nowhere to be found. "Jin… that son of a bitch!" Tanimoto's confusion boiled over into rage as his memories became clear. "Raaaaghh!!" Cocking back his hand, the hero slammed his fist against the cell wall, nearly smashing through the layers of brick.
"Damn it! This is bullshit! Jin, you naive mother fucker!!" His voice echoed off the walls as he filled with raw, primal anger. Tanimoto turned around, pacing back and forth in the small cell while his mind raced with thoughts of injustice. How could Jin have accused him of all those murders? The memory of Ophelia's manipulation made his blood boil even hotter. She'd played them all, turning everyone against him when she was clearly the real threat.
"Shit, shit, shit!!" Tanimoto stopped in place, slamming his palms on the wall as the reality of his situation sank in. "At this rate, I'm gonna be executed! How did it end up like this? Who was she? What did she want?!?" He clenched his fists, turning his knuckles white. The thought of being executed for crimes he didn't commit filled him with dread. "They'll never believe me... not after what they saw." His became low, drowned in fear. "Even if I manage to prove that that bitch was behind this, they won't believe me! My reputation is down the shit hole in this world!"
Tanimoto sighed as he slumped against the cold cell wall, gripping his hair with both of his hands in frustration. Everything came crashing down on him like a physical force, he could no longer stand.
"I can't believe this shit… I need a way out…"
Amidst his dread, a door was heard opening in the dungeon cellar and footsteps soon echoed, growing closer to his cell. Tanimoto slightly lifted his head, narrowing his eyes with suspicion. The sound of jingling keys reached his ears as the person stopped outside his cell, hidden in the dark corridor. "Who the hell are you?" Tanimoto braced himself and prepared for combat if need be, but to his surprise, he could see a familiar face once they stepped forward in the dim light of the torch. "!!!" Widening his eyes in shock, he immediately recognized Queen Sophie standing in front of his cell. With red bags around her eyes, and the expression of hatred plastered on her face, it made his blood run cold.
Tanimoto quickly scrambled to his feet, trying to maintain some semblance of composure despite his situation. The queen's presence demanded respect, even in prison. "Your Majesty... I didn't expect to see you here." Tanimoto bowed his head, though his frustration remained evident.
"It was you who killed my daughter… Ophelia. She was slain by the hands of a hero… the ones who are destined to protect Algunita…"
"Wha-!?" Tanimoto's face turned white as chalk, feeling Sophie's words hit him like a physical blow. His mouth opened and closed several times, struggling to form words, until he mustered up even more confusion. "S-She was… your daughter? I…I…" His speech came out barely above a whisper. His bewilderment was visible in every syllable, trying to think of a way to prove his innocence, but nothing came to mind.
"Shit…" The realization that he had killed the queen's child made his knees feel weak. He wanted to give up and shout in frustration, but it'd do him no good.
"You took it all away… my daughter, my kingdom's peace... and now you'll pay for it." Sophie's voice became cold as she stared at him with raging, fiery eyes.
Stepping closer to the cell bars, her expression appeared more vexing. "Your execution is scheduled for tomorrow morning. A fitting end for a false hero who betrayed his own people, and killed my daughter."
Tanimoto's face paled further at Sophie's declaration. His mind raced desperately as he tried to think of a way to convince her of his innocence, but he spoke out of desperation.
"Your Majesty, please... you have to listen to me! Your daughter, Ophelia, was manipulating everyone! She's the one who caused all the chaos, not me!" Sophie could hear his voice tremble with urgency, but his claims only made matters worse. Tanimoto gripped the bars of his cell, leaning forward with desperate eyes. "I know it's hard to believe, but I was trying to protect everyone! I was trying to stop her, and defend my… girl!"
Sophie's expression twisted with anger at Tanimoto's words. Clenching her hands into fists, her nails dug into her palms. "How dare you speak ill of my daughter! She was kind and gentle, she would never harm anyone! She was only born yesterday!" Her voice rose to a near-shout, echoing through the dungeon that shook even Tanimoto to his core.
"Rrrrgghh…" Taking a step forward, the queen slammed her hand against the cell bars, causing them to rattle. "You're nothing but a murderer who doesn't deserve the title of hero! I'll make sure tomorrow you'll face justice for what you've done! Your death will be painful, and full of screams!"
Tanimoto clenched his jaw, tasting blood where he'd bitten his tongue. The queen's fury was palpable, and he knew there was no reasoning with her in this state. Lowering his head in defeat, his shoulders slumped downward. "Your Majesty... I understand your grief. But please, I'm innocent… it wasn't me… I can promise you that." His voice was quieter now as he resigned to his fate.
"Liar! I want to see you perish… I want you to feel the flames consume you! Burn, just like you burned my kingdom's peace!" She gripped his cell, scowling at the frightened hero. "I want to hear your screams echo in the fire! I want to watch as your body writhes in agony!" Sophie's face twisted into a mask of pure rage as her eyes blazed with hatred. "You will pay for what you've done to Ophelia, and to my people! I'll make sure you suffer as they suffered!" Her voice cracked with emotion, indicating the deep sorrow buried within her heart.
Queen Sophie slammed her fist against the cell bars one last time, causing the metal to ring with a deafening sound.
"I'll make sure that the flames will cleanse this kingdom of your evil presence…" Sophie's chest heaved with deep breaths as she finished her tirade.
Tanimoto could see her eyes wild with emotion and tears threatening to spill forth.
"Tomorrow you'll face justice, Tanimoto. And I hope it brings me some semblance of peace." With those final words, she turned on her heel and stormed away down the dungeon corridor. The sound of her footsteps echoed in the silence, leaving Tanimoto alone with his impending doom and the weight of the queen's wrath.
"Shit…" He sank to the floor of his cell, putting his back against the cold stone wall.
Staring up at the ceiling, his eyes appeared unfocused, and distant, feeling the realization that there was no escape, and no way to prove his innocence. "So I'm really gonna die… huh?" He could feel his hands slightly tremble as thoughts about the flames and the queen's twisted desire for revenge fried his mind. "What was the point in all of this? What was the point in my life? If this is how I die… then my life must've been some cruel joke!" He closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing. Tomorrow would come all too soon, and with it, his execution.
The door in the dungeon cellar opened up again as the heavy footsteps of guards approached his cell. "So, this is the infamous hero that everyone's been talking about, huh?" One of the guards roughly threw a small loaf of bread and a chunk of cheese through the bars on the ground, chuckling. "Eat up, prisoner. This is your last meal before tomorrow." The guard sneered as his tone was audibly mocking.
The other guard chimed in with a cruel laugh. "Can't have you dying of starvation before the queen gets her justice. Though maybe we should just let you rot here instead."
"Hmph…" Without a word, Tanimoto picked up the bread and cheese, hurling it back at the guards. "Keep your fucking food. I'd rather starve than accept anything from you assholes."
The guards exchanged amused looks, clearly enjoying his defiance.
"Suit yourself, hero, not like it matters! You're a dead man walking! Pwa ha ha!" The two guards turned away and headed down the corridor, their laughter fading as they left.