Chapter Text
Blossom upon Maple leaf,
An unforeseen pair,
Brought by fate.
--
The wind softly rustled the maple leaves that were barely hanging onto their leafstalk. The Sun had started to set, painting the sky with multiple layers; a vivid red as the base, an ordinary yellow-orange as the middle, and a pleasant baby blue as the top. The dark grey clouds were the final touch of this masterpiece; slowly moving past the colored sky, appearing as fluffy as they can be. Some forming into one shape together, and some parting away. The Vision Hunt Decree was finally put to a stop, and Kazuha had fulfilled his goal in making his good friend Tomo's vision come back to life. Although it was for a short moment, he was satisfied that he finally had an answer to his ponderings, and was content that he was the one who dared to fight against the Raiden Shogun and had his friend be by his side.
Despite his actions being reckless, the traveler had constantly thanked him for what he did. For putting his life on the line against one of the strongest Archons, and for always being by their side since the day they had met. And if it weren’t for him, for sure things wouldn’t be the way they are as of now. With all these “thank you’s” being shared to Kazuha, the humble ronin noticed that he hadn’t been told these types of thankful words in a long time. He would always tell the traveler that it was nothing, and tried to do what a friend would, he shouldn’t be credited this much when the traveler has done way more.
“But.. It’s all over now, huh?” Kazuha thought.
The young platinum haired man crossed his arms and placed them on a box that surprisingly reached up to his chest, and then slowly rested his chin on his forearm. Now having a moment to look back at everything that had happened, he let out a sigh of relief. He was thankful everything turned out to be okay, despite losing a few men in the Sangonomiya Resistance. Kazuha himself knew that they didn’t die in vain, and would always keep everyone in his thoughts, the same had always been with Tomo.
Coming in rather unexpectedly, Kazuha sensed an appearance making their way to where he was at. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as he kept his position the same as before, he tried to comprehend as to why someone as special as this person is walking toward his direction.
“This can’t be.. The Shirasagi Himegimi can it..?” he wondered to himself.
He knew his senses were never wrong, but he wanted to doubt them, for some strange reason he really wanted to deny the fact that Kamisato Ayaka was here in Ritou walking her way to where he was at; the dock. Kazuha decided to keep his composure calm, and continued to lean on the box that was almost the size of him. He sensed that no one was with her, which seemed to be strange since she either had Thoma by her side or a guard whenever she had traveled from afar. But this time, she was alone, and it seemed that she chose the right time for this walk too, since it was starting to be nighttime, and everything was starting to get quiet.
--
Ayaka’s curiosity got the best of her, she felt like a little teenager sneaking out from her home and it made her heart race in nervousness. Ever since the traveler had told her the story of battling against the Raiden Shogun, she wanted to personally see who their savior was and become their friend, since the traveler had told her that the two shared quite the same interests.
“Oh! But be careful! If you ever walk up to him from behind, I betcha he’ll definitely know it! Kazuha has some weird smelling and hearing ability…” Paimon whispered the last part as she animatedly nodded her head to her own words, as if she was agreeing with herself. She then started to munch on some Tricolor Dango. “He somehow knew that traveler could cast elemental skills without having a vision!! Oh and what did he say about you traveler.. He said something about them having a complex scent! I wonder what the heck he means by that.. Either way it’s weird!!” Paimon continued to babble on, still munching on the Tricolor Dango.
“Paimon don’t talk while you’re eating, you’ll end up choking on your own food.” the traveler replied, shaking their head at Paimon’s remark towards the wandering ronin. “He played a big part in ending the Vision Hunt Decree, he jumped towards the Raiden Shogun just as I was about to be slain by her. I wouldn’t be alive right now if it weren’t for him.” they replied, having a solemn look on their face. The last sentence brought chills to Ayaka, of course because she couldn’t imagine not having the traveler be in front of her alive, but also from the way that the traveler said those words. It was the most serious side she’s ever seen of them, so whoever saved her new friend, really must have done it. And this person must’ve been so courageous to even stand against the Almighty Shogun.
“Sorry!! Sorry.. Paimon agrees! He definitely played a big biiiig part! You should meet him one day Ayaka! His name is Kaedehara Kazuha!! He’s a wanderer just like us and has so many cool stories to tell!” Paimon finished eating her meal and hummed, giving an excited grin to Ayaka. “Now that you mention it.. I think you two would be good friends. Thinking about it now, I can see the similarities the two of you have.” the traveler added on, smiling warmly at Ayaka’s now flustered face.
“Huh? …..Friends..?! W-Wait.. You think he and I are similar? In what way?!” Ayaka blurted out, now seeming out of character. “Ah.. Pardon my.. Um.. Outburst. I don’t mean to be impolite but.. In what way do you see us as similar?” she questioned, giving herself a mental note to later on swing her blade 50 more times just because she acted improperly.
The traveler and Paimon both looked at eachother, sharing the same knowing look on their face. “The two of you have the same interests!! Poems, music, adventuring, and literature.. Ah!! You guys also have the same obsession with bladework! Definitely can’t forget about that..” Paimon raised her little hands up to her mouth and giggled, kicking her feet excitedly in the air. “You two should definitely meet!”
“Yeah. If you ever meet him, tell him I once again thank him.”
And there Ayaka was, heading her way to the dock located in Ritou.
Almost meeting the traveler’s savior.
The princess had to come up with an excuse to leave Inazuma, and thankfully she had Thoma help her carry out the situation with Ayato. She knew the two had a close relationship, and with the way Thoma used his words passionately, her brother left her off the hook and was fine with her finishing work early. Though to be frank, the fact that he was okay with it still shocked Ayaka herself. She never had asked him to leave work in a short while, and that was because she refused to let all the work fall into her brother's hands. It may seem like she did exactly that right at this moment, but she promised him she will work extra hard tomorrow just for this meeting. Ayato must’ve noticed how significant this was, given the fact that his sister for once took her time out of work just to meet a certain individual in person.
“I trust you will also be going with my sister?” Ayato asked, raising his eyebrow to the Kamisato Clan’s housekeeper. Thoma laughed naturally and shook his head, flashing his dear friend a genuine smile. “Ah, you do know I also have work to do around the house right? Have a little faith in your sister for once! She does have a vision, you know, and can use the blade better than anyone in Inazuma!” he exclaimed, pointing to Ayaka in the last sentence. Ayato stood still, processing his words and kept quiet for a moment. The housekeeper knew that whenever this occurred, you had the bigger hand in this situation. It’s a miracle that he’s good friends with the two since that gave him the advantage to easily read them.
Ayaka smiled warmly at Thoma’s truthful words, knowing that she had brought the right person to be by her side for this situation. Ayato looked at Thoma’s bright face then shifted his eyes towards the right, avoiding his gaze and trying to keep his composure.
Seems like the Kamisato siblings have trouble doing that.
“It’s not that I do not have faith in her.. To be frank, I simply do not like the sound of her going out alone when it’s starting to get dark. You know it is not safe for individuals to travel out alone during this time, Thoma. Whether you have a vision or not.” Ayato looked back at his friend, a solid icy expression written all over the head of the Kamisato Clan’s young defined face.
“Ahhhhh… You Kamisato siblings sure know how to give someone a serious stare! Fine, if it makes you feel any better, I’ll travel with Milady all the way to Ritou. Once we make it there, I’ll leave her be. Since as previously mentioned, I do have work around the house that needs to be attended to. I’m sure the person Ayaka will be meeting is fine with taking her all the way back here, especially if requested. And to also mention, this individual has the traveler’s trust and saved their life, that should be enough to conclude that he is someone dependable.”
Thoma already knew who Kazuha was, they both had the same friend and the two became connected because of him. They shared drinks, stories, laughs, and always had a great time together back in the day. It’s a shame that Tomo had left this world at such a young age. With the Vision Hunt Decree being put to an end, he wished his dear friend was alive to witness the state of Inazuma today.
““If requested?” You sound like you know this person, do you?” Ayato crossed his arms, and attempted to study Thoma’s face. Ayaka’s round eyes seem to grow bigger, this is definitely news to her if it’s true. She never would’ve thought another good friend of hers is also friends with the person who saved the traveler. It seemed that he’s quite favored, and she now had more reason to meet with him.
“I can’t lie to you, but he is a dear friend of mine. I haven’t spoken with him since the start of the Vision Hunt, but I know he is someone trustworthy, especially with the things I’ve said before about him.”
Ayaka’s mouth formed into a small ‘o’ shape as she watched the two with sudden growing interest, now being more curious than ever. Kazuha seemed to be someone really important, she had absolutely no idea how he was personality wise, but with the things she’s heard about him, it seemed like he’s a dutiful and loyal person.
“Alright. I trust you. You two may leave now.”
--
Thoma wasn’t able to confidently tell Ayaka how Kazuha was personality-wise, since they hadn’t spoken in a year. He knew this Vision Hunt affected him to change, especially since he was a wanted man in Inazuma. And to be frank, Ayaka didn’t ask any questions about how he acted personally to the traveler or Paimon due to embarrassment.
“What if I seemed way too interested in him? Would they think that?” she wondered to herself, once again feeling like a teenager girl with relatable worries.
The princess walked her own way until she reached the dock, and spotted a young man dressed in clothing that had a lot of the color red. He seemed to be leaning against a wooden box that was almost the size of him, though it had the perfect measurement for him to rest his chin on.
“Ah.. He probably knows about my presence being here already..” Ayaka whispered to herself, she recalled Paimon’s words about his supposed “weird” talent.
“You are right about that,” Kazuha said nonchalantly, his voice at a high volume that was only enough for her to hear. “Though I must wonder, who knew the Shirasagi Himegimi herself would come all the way from Inazuma to Ritou, just to personally see me? Certainly not I.” the wandering ronin smiled to himself, he never once moved from his position, and still kept his eyes on the dawned sky.
Ayaka’s heart stopped beating for a moment, her eyes grew big once again in curiosity. “You are.. Kaedehara Kazuha, correct?” Although she knew the answer already, a hint of curiosity was in this question. Paimon’s brief explanation of his clothing had helped her indicate his identity, she still just wanted a clear confirmation.
“I must confirm that yes, it’s me. What a pleasure to meet with you in person.” Kazuha finally turned around, showcasing the front side of his figure to her. He then knelt on one knee and kept his gaze on her, just to show respect and maturity. Ayaka felt her heart flutter just a little bit, not only does he look charming, his personality seems to be the same. As the princess finally walked up to the wandering ronin, she kept a safe distance from him, and took out her fan. She waved it towards her face at a moderately slow pace, as if her cheeks were hot and she needed some wind to cool them down.
“A pleasure to meet with you as well.” she hid a gentle smile behind her fan, Kazuha noticed this then shifted his gaze to the floor, making sure he didn't stare too much on their first proper greeting. He always noticed Ayaka from afar when he was in the city, and had walked past her before as well. Though whenever they crossed paths, Ayaka was always busy with her work. And so the ronin would notice the princess, but the princess would not notice the ronin.
But this time, the princess finally noticed the ronin.
And so their paths had crossed once again.