59 Goodbye, for now

"We do" said Kokomi, and I felt her embarrassment all of a sudden. I know what she did, but I don't want to believe it.

"Please" I say tiredly. "Please tell me you didn't extend your hand for a handshake to a blind guy".

"I-I didn't" I don't even need my ability to detect her lie.

"Okay, I will just leave. Kuki will bring my parents in an hour, maybe. She will stay here until tonight, she also wants to leave. Is that okay?".

"Yes. Gorou, please send them off, and inform the patrols" she said before turning to leave.

"Do I need to be blindfolded again?" I cheekely asked, but she ignored me. I know she is still embarrassed.

And we went back, another hour of walking. My legs are not answering me anymore, and I still need to go back there. Dammit.

"Mom, I'm back" I said while sitting in a chair, panting and sweating.

"Where did you go? You didn't sweat that much even after eating a bowl of Jueyun Chili when you were a baby" my mother amusedly asked.

"To make a deal with the Resistance" I said, knowing what will come.

"What!? Aren't they criminals?" she asked with an angry voice. I said it, my parents are simple people, whatever the Shogunate say, they believe.

"Mom, you should already know that things aren't simple. But yes, they are" I nodded sagely. "But they are the ones that will let everyone escape Inazuma. I have no time, get your things and call for dad, I can't move now" I said while putting my head on the cold table. What a relief.

"How will you reach the Shrine? Want me to call someone?" Kuki asked me, and I could feel that she was also tired.

"Yes, I will go to the Shrine and go to the city with the excuse of collecting more Visions" I sighed and stood up to leave.

Another member of the Shuumatsuban appeared, Sayu.

After a quick explanation, she transformed into a copy of me. Yes, ninja arts she called it.

Anyway, she went undetected to the shrine while I went to the town, by the time I arrived she would have come down from the Shrine and gone to the city, now I had an alibi, it just wasn't possible for me to have negotiated with the Resistance.

I arrived to the town, and using my hunt for Visions as an excuse, I started coordinating everyone. We would depart at night when the army left the city.

Yoimiya and his father will stay in Inazuma. I tried to dissuade them, but they didn't budge. At least with Yoimiya around we won't lack happiness, I guess.

"Kenshin" the person who had been looking for me while I wandered around finally appeared.

"Yo!" I saluted Sara, who was feeling conflicted. At this point is obvious why.

"....." she just grabbed her arm awkwardly.

"Birdie, if you aren't going to talk, don't distract me" I used the same joke I had been using for years with her.

"I'm not a birdie!" And her reaction was the same.

"I can flip you one"

"Kenshin, do that and I will imprison you! I can do it now!" she said with an embarrassed expression.

"Probably" I nodded. I was just a civilian now, but I guess my position in the Shrine will help me if the push comes to shove.

She fell silent, not knowing what to say.

"Just say it simple. Remember my motto"

"Be direct, say what you want to say and get the fuck out" she repeated with a smile.

"Not exactly, but the message is that" I nodded in approval. It's been a long time since I said it.

"What are you going to do?" she softly asked.

"I already know what I'm going to do, you should ask yourself what are you going to do" I replied. I don't know if she is searching for a way to get out of this, or she is just curious, but she needs to act according to her beliefs. "Just say it, Sara".

"I think you are making a mistake" said Sara, and I could feel her honesty, but also her doubts. "I don't think the situation will be as bad as you said. And the Shogun has ruled for over 2000 years, I think she knows better than you what to do".

"If only" I bitterly said. I could tell her how confused the Shogun was about the situation, and how sad she was about this, but I don't want Sara to be plagued with doubts.

"And I don't think my fath-"

"Your father is a corrupt asshole" I stopped her right there. "And you will learn it with time. The fact that he is stealing Visions left and right proves how unscrupulous his methods are. I know you love him and whatever you feel, but I will not budge on this. But I know that you won't believe me, so I will wait for the time you realize it".

Sara was angry but also knew how cruel this Vision Hunt Decree was.

"What will you do?" she said, more secure now.

"I will do what I always did, help people while annoying others" I said with a fond smile. "What will you do?".

"I will do what I always wanted to do. Serve the country under the Shogun" she said with a smile mirroring mine.

"Then I won't need to beat you, if the Shogun is going to help the people, she shouldn't have any problem with me doing my thing" I teased her.

"Hah! Since when are you able to beat me?" she scoffed. No one doubts me.

I approach my mouth to her ear and whisper while touching her other cheek with my hand.

"Since the moment I lost my sight".

And like I did with that guard, I make her soul 'drowsy'.

She fell to her knees, stunned. After a few moments, she stood up again with an alarmed expression, but I already left, waving.

"Good luck!" I shouted at her.

"Good luck!" she replied in kind, and I could feel how embarrassed she was. Hmmm, and also a little horny.

I'm going to have so much fun these next years.

Ouch.

Damn tree.

A few hours pass by while I look around, probably seeing for the last time an active Inazuma. This place is going to look like a ghost town from this night onwards.

And that is incredibly sad.

But I believe the day when everybody is back will come.

--------------

When night comes, curious and nervous eyes peek from every door and every window.

Little by little people start leaving the city.

The guards left a long time ago after seeing that no riots were happening, so no one impeded the worried citizens.

Under the cover of the night, more than a thousand people left Narukami Island and arrived in the desert Kannazuka. There were some scouts from the army, but a coordinated attack from the Resistance left them tied and unconscious on the floor.

I know that in a war death will happen, but nobody will die because of my plans.

After being guided to Watatsumi by the Canine General itself, who I later learned had dog ears and a tail, we arrived at Watatsumi.

I heard shouts of amazement, and how beautiful people described the island to be.

It was at these moments that I regretted being so curious, so much that I lost my sight for it.

"We are ready" informed Gorou.

"Then we will start moving. Guys!. Follow the Resistance instructions in order please!" I shouted, and people started moving, boarding the ships that would take them to a better land.

"Kenshin, I want to thank you" Chiori approached with a grateful smile.

"Hmm, just make me some cool clothes when you are famous" I smiled and nodded.

"They will be the best ones you can find" she smiled as well.

"Perfect! Then I will be able to sell them for a lot" I said while rubbing my hands together.

"You are impossible. Ple-"

"Yes, yes, I will take care of your friend, now go" I shooed her with my hands, and she left. I could feel her worry about the future, but also her determination. She is a woman who always charges forward after all.

"And what do you want?" I asked the 'concealed' Kuki. "You already know you can't hide from me. I can see your soul in the ground, did you dig a hole or something?".

"Tsk" she said in vexation while jumping from whatever hole she was in. "Just came to say goodbye".

"Then stay still" and I lunged at her and gave her a tight hug. She only reached my chest, so it was a bit awkward.

"Are you satisfied now? I didn't know you craved for female touch that much" she tiredly said.

"Why would I hug you then? You are not a woman, only a child, and even then Itto has probably a bigger chest than you. The guy is ripped"

"You-!" she shouted before leaving.

"Kuki, wait. Take these letters" I handed them a few letters.

"What the hell Kenshin, there must be 30 letters here" she said while grabbing the 'few' letters I handed her.

"Well, they may be my last letters. I don't think the Fatuis will deliver them, and sending them through Watatsumi seems suicidal, so I have to say my goodbyes. Maybe I will be able to send more through my company when they bring food, but I'm not sure. Also, there are orders for the next years". I had to write a LOT.

"Who should I give them to?" she asked while stowing them in her Vision. I still don't know how it works, maybe there is some free space in the vessel.

"To a woman named Guizhong. When you arrive at Liyue, shout for Xiao, no matter where he is, he will hear you. Explain to him the situation and he will guide you". I can always count on Spear Boy, how nostalgic.

"I will do so. Good luck, and pl-"

"Yes, yes, I will take care of your sister" I shooed her with my hands.

"Kenshin". Not again, please.

"Hey mom. Will you wait for the next round?" I asked my mother who was approaching, my father closely behind.

"Yes, the Priestess told us that we should wait". My parents didn't even understand that they were hostages.

"How will you fare here?" asked my father with worry in his soul.

"I don't know, but I will do my best, that's what you 2 taught me" I must have a radiant smile now, remembering all the moments I lived with my parents.

"I know we are not the smartest people" said my mother with some tears dripping from her eyes. "But we know how amazing you are. You were able to rise from our humble home to be able to work for the God of Eternity herself. I want you to know how proud we are of you Kenshin".

Dammit, I fear my eyes hot from tears now.

"Despite knowing how dangerous it is, you are staying back to do what you think is correct" said my father, also crying silently. "We are proud to be your parents Kenshin, we wouldn't change you for anything in the world".

"Well, thanks. I wouldn't change you two either". I truly think they are the best parents.

They are not as intelligent as others, resourceful, or powerful.

But they gave me a loving home and an education I think is the best I could have had.

Be honest, try to help, and work hard.

Those were the 3 things my parents taught me, and thanks to that I can say proudly that I'm happy with the person I am today.

We spent the next hours talking about my childhood, funny moments, sad moments, everything.

Until the ships came back and they boarded them.

I waved at them, even when I knew they couldn't see me anymore.

I still could, so I would wave until they disappeared from my non-sight.

And finally, the small dot in the distance representing their souls disappeared from my vision.

"*Sigh*, come out, I can feel you". Hearing me, a soul a few meters near me approached.

"I still don't know how your sight works" Kokomi said in a calm voice, but I could feel her exhaustion again.

"You should be happy I'm not in the army. I could see all your ambushes in 500 meters" I revealed to her, I felt her soul trembling in fear. "Now please don't kill me, you won't get food that way. Can some of your goons take me to Kannazuka? I need to be back by morning". And I will sleep for a week straight.

"They are not goons! They are my precious comrades" she complained.

"Whatever you call your subordinates. Now please send me back".

I think I should be proud because the Canine General himself escorted me to Kannazuka.

After a brief farewell, we said our goodbyes and another guide came to my location, this time from the Shuumatsuban.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Upon arriving at the Shrine, there was yet another obstacle between me and the sweet bed that would me so much pleasure.

"Kenshin" Yae spoke with an uncertain voice, something I had never seen her use.

"Haahh" I sighed, knowing that if Yae was this insecure, it only meant that she was extremely conflicted. "I'll follow".

Yae's soul started moving and I followed her until we were sitting behind the Sakura Tree.

"...."

"Yae, I'm tired. Just lay it out" I sighed, absent-mindedly looking at the little spots I could see, far less than yesterday.

"I...." the fact that the usually secure Yae was still hesitating told me how hard it was for her to say this.

"Is it about your friend?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"...."

"Things are going too far" I am merely stating a fact. "Sooner or later we are going to starve, and I dread the new rules those bastards are going to implement."

Yae only listened to me silently, and I have no doubt she knows even more than I do about what is to come.

She had always been way smarter than me, of that I have no doubt.

"No money, no food, and people will start causing trouble in one way or another. Your dear friend won't just slaughter people who protest, she was too saddened by people leaving to do that, but the Tenryou Commission won't hesitate in apprehending people, at the very least" I wouldn't trust the leader of the Kujou Clan with a single matchstick and hope he would burn his own house.

"....."

".....Yae, just say it" I sighed shaking my head.

"I know everything will be resolved, one way or another" Yae whispered, making me approach her to hear better. "But I'm afraid by that time Ei will have already done something irreparable, something that will make her lose her place in Inazuma."

"Well...." I honestly think taking Visions is already a bit much, but until now no one lost something important like a fragment of their soul, I made sure of that. "Who is going to tell her she needs to leave? Even I wouldn't be such a bastard, Inazuma is all she has".

"Ei is too extremist, but above all, she is living in the past" explained Yae. "For her, everything will be resolved if you show that you are determined enough. Of course, you would need to have a 'bigger' determination than her, which often translates in a battle. That's how she grew up, and that's the world she is living in".

"So to convince her, we need to beat her" I sarcastically said. "Talk about easy".

"Kenshin" Yae was now talking to me directly, not vaguely explaining some things to those who heard her. "Can you help me keep Ei's place in Inazuma?"

"Hahh, what do you want to do?" I tiredly asked. It wasn't a surprise, I already knew her petition would come sooner or later. "If I'm understanding this correctly, you want me too keep Ei from messing up."

"As humiliating it is to admit it, you are in a better position than me" Yae said with a quite voice. "Even when I should have had the ability to do so, now I realize how much time I lost. I could have started a business like you did, and over a hundred years I would have enough money to solve this problem....."

"Well, as I told you years ago, you wasted your time. But yes, I have more power than you now, at least in this area" I shrugged. "So you want me to keep Ei's hands 'clean' in a way, so when all this mess ends, no one would have suffered more than necessary".

"....yes" the sadness and self-hate in her soul are quite telling.

"Of course, no problem!"

"Are you sure?" Yae was still whispering. "This is quit-"

"Quite a big thing, I know" there is no way I don't know how much of a tall order this is. "But this is the least I can do for you after all these years. And I don't think your friend is bad, only stupid".

"..." of course, Yae had to stay silent.

"So we will work to stop your friend to lose her place here. I will make sure that no one loses a fragment of her soul or stays hungry, while you work to stop the ones using her power to mess things up. All so when this ends, her punishment will be light" I like that plan.

I still don't know how Ei thinks, so I will keep my right to judge until I learn everything.

"But you know, she isn't going to escape unpunished" I warned Yae. "She sitll messed up big time, whatever happens, she is not fit to rule. If we get to convince her one way or another that this is lunacy she will still need to step down, or at the very least change how this country is governed".

"I know" Yae was still sad, probably because she felt guilty for saddling me with a problem she should be taking care of.

But again, her friendship with Yae is 500 years old at the very least, I can't even begin to imagine how close they are.

"But you know, I think my personal punishment for your dear friend is decided" I said touching my chin. "I haven't seen her since I lost my sight, obviously, but I am going to spank her."