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“Why must you exist to torment me?”
“What?”
“I said, why must you haunt me to my death and back?”
“I don’t understand, I’m here to help!”
“Your face appears in my very nightmares.”
“No, you don’t-”
“Leave.”
<>
“Kaedehara Kazuha. I do wonder why you are here.” The smooth voice of the shogun came from inside of the dojo. A clean sound of electro signaled a sheathing of a blade.
“I am here to meet Gujii Yae. I have been told that she arrived a few moments ago,” he answered, “will you be so kind as to tell me her location?”
“What can Miko do that I cannot?” He tensed at those words. “Is it perhaps something to do with the dreamscape?”
Kazuha took a sharp breath. “How do you know?”
Suddenly, the shogun was behind him.
“Yae Miko….she has taught me a plentiful amount of dream manipulation.”
“What does that have to do with you knowing of my current situation?”
The shogun sighed. “Have you heard of Yumemizuki Mizuki? She is a Yume-baku, capable of eating the dreams of the troubled. A few days ago, she revealed that she was unable to clear the mind of a young man, as he was too deeply entwined with grief. Naturally, I assumed that the person was you as soon as Mizuki told me about the white hair and red streak.”
Kazuha’s grip tightened, his nails digging into skin.
“And why would you care, being the person who…” The shogun stared in silence as he struggled to maintain his calm composure.
“You are a child of Inazuma. I am your archon. Why wouldn’t I?”
Kazuha went silent.
“Then, the events led to something less pleasant. I was out at night by that time, when I heard a pain filled cry.” The shogun glanced knowingly at Kazuha, who was shaking, one hand on his vision.
“So I looked.”
“T-that was you.”
“Correct. I wanted to offer a few words of comfort, but you ran towards the docks before I could proceed.”
Kazuha was trembling full on by now, his grip around the anemo vision gaining pressure. “You-”
“I know what you are going to say. I am not going to stop you. But before you make any more assumptions, I would like to invite you to meet someone.”
Before the samurai could reply, the shogun closed her eyes and spread her consciousness.
<>
“Where are we?” Kazuha asked quietly. “Shogun?”
There was no sign of the shogun.
“Ah. I see that the shogun has finally softened for once.”
Kazuha whipped around, catching a look of a woman with a single purple braid. She was sitting on air, seemingly meditating.
“Come. I believe that the shogun has promised you a meeting?”
“Who are you?”
“Hm. Well, there are not many complications, so I might as well just introduce myself. Hello, Kaedehara Kazuha. I am Raiden Ei.”
Kazuha cocked his head in slight confusion. “Ei as in the shogun?”
“No,” Ei replied, “the shogun you fear, you resent, is but a puppet, but still, I love her dearly.”
“You are the true archon of electro?”
“Yes, indeed.”
Ei stood, her geta touching the ground. “This is the Plane of Euthymia. I do not usually invite other individuals into my consciousness, but I presume that you are an exception.” Ei raised her hand and a red gate rose, opening its doors. “Come now. I shall show you.”
“Show me what, I ask?”
Kazuha stood, his face twisting with rage. Ei walked towards him. “May I ask why you are angered?”
“You blame the death of Tomo on a puppet? Do you not carry your own actions?”
“I do not mean that. Stating a fact isn’t me blaming anything on anyone. Her actions are mirrored by me, therefore I carry her actions.”
Kazuha gritted his teeth, his hand dangerously close to his blade. Ei noticed and strode over, clasping his hand.
“Follow me.”
This time, Ei dragged Kazuha over to the red gate.
<>
“What is this?”
“Just watch.”
“Kazu!”
“Wha-”
“Hey, get off that tree! You’ve been sitting there for over an hour!”
“It’s called my calming method. You should give it a try.”
“Oh? Then why are you tapping your foot on the branches so forcefully? I’m not blind, ‘kay?”
“...ah. That is because I am nervous about the meeting tomorrow.”
“Oh, that? Don’t worry! Ayato’s a great host, you just relax and let him cast the magic!”
“What happened to his face?”
“I do not know.”
“Hey, hey hey! Who’s ready to go to the festival?”
“Tama, will you be willing to disguise as me to accompany my noisy friend Tomo to a festival? Or else he is going to force me to eat that giant stick of dango that caused me indigestion last year.”
“It was an accident, Kazu! I thought it looked tasty!”
“It was not an accident.”
“Says who?”
“Says me.”
“What happened to his name? Why-”
“Later.”
“There must be those who dare brave the lightning’s glow.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Because there is always an exception.”
“No…”
“Kazuha.”
The samurai gasped as he was broken from the trance. “Are you alright? Oh..”
Ei looked quite helplessly at the crying samurai. “You do not seem alright.”
I’ll teach you something. This is called a hug!
“...what?” Ei tapped her chin, confused. Paimon’s words resounded in her mind, further reminding her of the fragile souls of humans.
So then she wrapped her arms around Kazuha.
The samurai froze, tensing.
“The traveler taught me this action. I believe it symbolizes comfort and affection? Although I am simply focusing on the comfort part.” It wasn’t technically reciting, but it had to be done for now.
“I am truly sorry for your loss. It was my fault for committing to the Sakoku Decree.”
She hesitated.
“Is…Tama doing alright?”
Kazuha blinked at the sudden question.
“How do you know about Tama?”
“She…appeared in Tenshukaku a few days after…you know what.”
Kazuha blinked again.
Then, he burst out in watery laughter.
“I didn’t realize that you had this side of you, Shogun.”
Ei put up her hand. “Just call me Ei.”
“Of course. I..I never let go of Tomo. He was very dear to me, and I spiraled deeply when I learnt of his demise. He wanted to see the Musou no Hitotachi with his own eyes. I had thought the shogun was a heartless archon gaining no care for her own people, but now…”
He smiled.
“I understand.”