It could be. [He nods agreement] Whatever caused this might be impossible to defeat by normal means. It could destroy everything south of Caissa, in such a way that the land will never recover, leaving it a dead zone. Many people might lose their lives trying to find a way to defeat it, for nothing.

[There's a small, sad smile on his face, shrugging helplessly] I'm optimistic, and maybe it's a fault of mine. But...better to hope for something good to happen, then assume it'll be bad. Otherwise a person risks losing hope. If there's no hope, then how can they ever want to try?

['You are the biggest hypocrite, you realise that?'

He just smiles at his other's words and chooses not to respond. Maybe he is. But does that make it any less true? Akito hopes not]