Chapter Text
So… this is how it’s all going to end… Niwa’s eyes felt heavy as he glanced up at the man standing over his body. Escher. A partner to the Akame Clan, the revolutionist to the Tatarasuna, the person they had foolishly put their lives in the hands of. He felt like an idiot, he should have known something was wrong from the very beginning.
Now, though, it all felt pointless. It was too late to change the fates of those who have been affected by that man’s horrid scheming. All he could hope for was that the Kabukimono is safe… that the boy would be spared of that man’s atrocities. His head began to wane as his vision began to blur. Even so, he could hear the sound of the door creaking open and the sound of light footsteps approaching his limp body on the floor.
“Niwa…?” He heard the familiar voice speak.
The boy… what is he doing here? Wasn’t he sent to Narukami Island to seek audience with the Shogun? He could hear his breathing grow heavy while Escher turned to face the pure and innocent child that had stepped into the bloodstained room. His body was frozen in place, he couldn’t comprehend what was happening in front of him but he could see the manic look in Escher’s eyes and how weak Niwa was getting by the second.
“You shouldn’t be here, little one.” Escher began to move closer towards him.
“W-What did you do to Niwa? Why is he lying on the floor?” Was the first thing the puppet could utter out.
“What a silly question. I’m trying to save Tatarasuna from its imminent demise.”
“What did you do to Niwa? Why did you hurt him?”
“You should stop asking questions you don’t want the answers to.”
Escher was still holding the knife he had before, holding it in front of him this time, clear for anyone to see. He seemed to be trying to use it to scare the puppet away but it only seemed to make him more determined. The man that called himself Escher didn’t even get a chance to react when the puppet rushed towards him, trying to wrestle the knife out of his hands. He slashed at the boy’s hands and heard him let out a loud yelp before he felt a kick to his stomach, causing him to double over at that moment.
The knife fell to the ground but the puppet did not seem pleased with the situation just yet. He grabbed the knife and rushed to the window, screaming for help at the top of his lungs and waking up almost all the people who stayed close to Niwa’s study. Most of them looked out their window and some ran their way towards the house. The moment Escher realised this, he tried to make his escape plan.
It didn’t go the way that he had hoped it would. His plans seemed to have evaporated the moment Katsuragi kicked the door down and ran inside. He saw the tears in the puppet’s eyes as he held the knife in his hand, looking down at the wound on his hand where Escher had slashed him and then towards Niwa who seemed to have gone still after the injury he had sustained.
“You little brat…” Katsuragi heard Escher mutter out.
“How could you do this to us? How could you do this to Niwa?” The yoriki glared at the supposed machinist.
“Do not act like this is the end. Oh, for this is only the beginning of this game.”
“You will pay for your transgressions!”
The puppet watched as his friend rushed towards Escher, blade drawn to slice the man in half. As the blade’s tip closely met towards Escher’s throat, though, smoke began to bellow through the study and blind Katsuragi enough for the man to escape. When the smoke finally dissipated, only Katsuragi, the puppet, and some other swordsmiths remained in the house.
The little puppet made his way towards Niwa, gently touching his shoulder and shaking him, lightly. He was not moving. He was completely still and his body was beginning to feel colder than before. He didn’t know what was going on and looked around at the others whose eyes looked around the study as though they couldn’t bring themselves to look at what was happening in front of him.
“Niwa is cold. Should we… should we get some blankets for him?” He asked them, his eyes locking onto Katsuragi nearby.
“It’s okay… it’s okay…” The man began to say, pulling the boy back onto his feet.
“But Niwa might need them! He’s going to get sick if we d-don’t find any blankets for him!”
“It’s okay… come on… let’s go outside for a bit.”
“B-But he’s… he’s going to be alright, right? He’ll be alright… this… this isn’t going to be…”
“Kabukimono… it’s okay… things will be alright, I’ll… I’ll explain everything once we are outside…”
Instead of handing Niwa a blanket, one of the soldiers threw a blanket over him instead and a bladesmith came to bandage his injured hand for him. It wasn’t even a deep wound, only a slice across the palm of his hand. Still, they treated it as though it was something massive, it didn’t make much sense to him. He heard Nagamasa’s strained voice as Katsuragi and him discussed everything that had transpired outside. He heard Katsuragi offer himself up to track down Escher to bring him to justice but Nagamasa did not agree to this arrangement.
How could a human do such a thing to their own kind? How could someone be that cruel to take the life of another? The puppet furrowed his brow as he thought over what he had seen when he opened the door. He felt the sadness disappear and be replaced by another emotion, one that was even more potent than the feelings he usually had. The rage seemed to blind him to reasoning and he sprung up from where he was sitting and marched his way to Nagamasa and the others.
“Then I’ll go to track him down!” He practically yelled to them.
“B-Boy, that’s- “ Nagamasa seemed to try and argue with him but he was so taken aback by the boy’s outburst that he was at a loss for words.
“I cannot just sit around and let that man run free! I know my way around a blade, I want to take him down!”
“This is not your fight to take up- “
“But I must! I don’t want him to hurt anyone else! I have to- “
“That is enough, boy!” Katsuragi’s voice cut him off.
He had never heard Katsuragi so angry before. He had never heard such anger in his voice before and no one seemed to have by how they reacted. If his outburst didn’t silence everyone around him, Katsuragi’s sharp voice was enough to pierce through any intent to argue with him completely.
He didn’t need to say much else, he grabbed the boy by the arm and pulled him away to the side to speak to him. Nagamasa watched the two leave and almost seemed to pity the puppet as he turned around to look at the inspector for a moment. The whole world seemed grim, the light around them seemed too dreary even when the moon was hanging high above them in the sky. All the puppet could feel was a confusing mix of bitterness and sadness in his chest.
“What do you think you’re doing asking for such a task?” Katsuragi folded his arms.
“You asked for the same thing!” The boy argued back.
“That’s because I’m a trained soldier! It’s my duty to take up arms against threats to the people I have sworn to protect!”
“Well, I want to do the same thing! I don’t want Escher to run amuck around Inazuma!”
“You’re a child, Kabukimono! You’re not old enough to do such a thing!”
“I don’t age! I won’t be allowed to do any of those things if that’s your prerogative!”
“Maybe that’s a good thing! Maybe you should stay put and not jump in to do such things!”
“No! I want to help! I want to fight!”
“Well, you can’t!”
He grabbed his shoulders pulled him closer towards him as if to get those words into his head. He felt fear rush through his body before Katsuragi let go of him, instantly, and looked at his own hands. This was the first time Katsuragi had ever yelled at him… and the first time he had laid his hands on him… the tears came in without warning and the boy began to back away from the man he had always gone to seek comfort from.
“K-Kabuki-I-I am so sorry- “ Katsuragi tried to explain but the boy had ran off before he even had a chance to get his words completely out.
He knew that Katsuragi would come to find him so the puppet ran as fast as he could to get as far away from Tatarasuna as possible. He raced all the way down to Nazuchi Beach where he hid within the pirate ship that was wrecked there for as long as he could. He didn’t want to go back to Tatarasuna then even though it felt so cold out. He couldn’t help but feel the anger and pain rushing through his mind build and build overtime. Why did it hurt so much when Katsuragi yelled at him? Why did he hurt Katsuragi like that? He didn’t mean to be a bad person… he just wanted… he just wanted…
“What are you doing hiding there all by yourself?” A voice nearby caught his attention.
“Shrine maiden?” Was the first words that left his lips.
It wasn’t the fox lady that he had expected, this maiden was dressed in blue and with light pink and blue hair. She looked mature and graceful, bending over to get a closer look at the little boy who was crying to himself. She giggled a bit when the puppet felt his cheeks redden from embarrassment before she held out her hand for the boy to take.
“My name is Maho. I came here to visit the land of lightning for a while.” She explained to the boy.
“You’re from Watatsumi Island, right?” The boy asked.
“What gave you that impression, little one?”
“The pendant on your uniform. It’s of the Sangonomiya family. Your people are not on well terms with the Shogunate.”
Her hold on the boy’s hands loosened for a moment but they readjusted again as the lady laughed a bit at how perceptive the boy seemed. He spoke a little robotically when he explained what he saw but he seemed well read when it came to the political landscape of their two lands. She faked a cough to hide her laughter a bit better and turned to look at the boy again.
“Are you going to rat me out to the Shogunate then?” She asked him.
“Why would I do that? You’re nice to me.” He shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, you are right. I am the second daughter of the Sangonomiya Clan. Meaning that I am free to do whatever I want as long as Mimi doesn’t end up causing trouble for herself.”
“Mimi?”
“My older sister. She is destined to be the next divine priestess after our mother.”
“That sounds complicated…”
“It really isn’t, though. We all have our parts to play in this. I’m just lucky enough to not be burdened with as much work as her.”
He was a little suspicious about her words. Who in their right minds rather do nothing when you could do something great? He didn’t know what it meant to be a divine priestess but it sounded like a role that held a lot of responsibility behind it. A role that meant a lot to the Sangonomiya family, something he thought Maho should strive towards as well, right?
“So then, little thing, what brought you out here in the first place?” She began to walk with him down the beach.
“I had a fight with someone…” He let out a quiet huff.
“I see… what kind of fight was it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I’ve fought with the old lady many times before so I know the differences!”
“There are differences in fights…?”
“Yes! Is it the kind where they are expecting you to come back and apologise or the kind where you’re expected to stay in your room but you snuck out until further notice?”
“I think… former…?”
He didn’t think he was following her logic that well but she nodded her head and seemed to understand where he was coming from. The two stopped at the edge and the boy looked out at the silhouette of Narukami Island in the distance again. It’s as beautiful as it had always been. He wondered if she was asleep in her bed that night or if she’s meditating in her room. Thinking about it, had he ever seen her actually sleep before? Do gods not sleep?
“It’s quite late during the night, isn’t it? Do you want to go back home now?” She began to speak again.
“Not yet…” He murmured back.
“Mmhm… do you want me to stay with you a little longer then, little thing?”
“Do you mind?”
“Of course not! I have nowhere else I want to be at the moment. I’d be happy to stay with you as long as you need me… uh… what’s your name, may I ask?”
He thought about it for a second, Kabukimono wasn’t really an actual name but a title everyone decided to call him. They thought of him as being eccentric but they all accepted him no matter what. Niwa told him that he was just like everyone else even when he didn’t have a heart… he told him that he was a sweet boy and Katsuragi always comforted him whenever he felt hurt because of something.
But he had yet to fully understand what it meant to be human. He still couldn’t understand what it was like to be like everyone else. He wanted to, so desperately, he wished he could understand them better and be more human. Yet, when he looked back down at his hands, he couldn’t help but notice the gap between the being that he is and the humans that surrounded him and told him how alike they were to each other.
“So, tell me a bit about that ‘someone’ you were talking about.” Maho asked, nudging the boy on the arm.
“He thinks I’m weak… he doesn’t trust me…” The boy began to pout.
“Well, you are a little thing, noodle armed and easy to pick up and throw.”
“Th-That’s not nice!”
“I’m not expected to be nice. I prefer being honest about these things.”
“So you agree with him then… you don’t think I’m strong enough to fight…”
“Hm… maybe… what are you planning to do anyway?”
If he told her about wanting revenge on the person who killed Niwa, he felt as though she’d look at him funny for it. He still felt angry for what that man did to them, what he did to his dearest friends, his family. He didn’t feel like he could bring himself to forgive someone who could play with lives so easily as though they were nothing. How could he? How could he do such things to another person?
“I want to be stronger… I want to learn how to protect the people I care about the most.” Was the only answer he could come up with that seemed reasonable.
“I see… you know, the Sangonomiya Clan are known for training warriors too.” The lady shrugged.
“Are you trying to win me over?”
“Honestly, I came here to look for recruits that were supposed to be stationed on this beach but it seems all I’ve found is you, little thing.”
“Recruits? What do you think happened to them?”
“To be honest, I don’t want to think about it. The Tataragami has been causing a lot of trouble for Narukami and for Watatsumi…”
Tataragami… he remembered Niwa mentioning it to him before. A disease that killed many people and spread across Tatarasuna and beyond. He wasn’t sure what exactly caused the disease itself but, after what happened with the Mikage Furnace, the puppet had his speculations about it.
The two of them were able to chat a little longer with each other. Maho told him about Watatsumi Island and their resistance against the Shogun. She told him about the history of the island and the people who lived upon it. Their hopes, their dreams, their despise for the Lightning Empress that struck down their protector deity. Hearing all of this, the boy chose to remain quiet for the most part, not feeling comfortable saying something that may incriminate him as something to despise as well.
He didn’t think that she could do something like that, to hurt people like the people of Watatsumi Island... he wanted to believe that she had her reasons to do what she did. Maybe the deity was endangering the people of her land and that’s why she had to strike him down. Maybe it was all a complete misunderstanding and it became something bigger than either of the gods had expected. He wanted to believe that she was good… he wanted to believe that she had her reasons… was that… ignorant of him to think? And did she knew the truth about the Tataragami itself?
At some point, the boy thanked Maho for her company and chose to head back to Tatarasuna by himself. When he got there, he was greeted by a mess of people running back and forth from parts of their base and Nagamasa doing his best to keep people in order. There were men shouting that they wanted retribution against Escher for killing their armoury officer and there were others who simply wanted to solve the issue with the Mikage Furnace.
One of the men even ran towards the puppet himself, grabbing him by the arm and yanking him forward towards Nagamasa. He was shaking when he straightened his back and looked towards the towering man in front of him. Nagamasa had a blank look to his eyes as he glanced at the boy and then at the man who brought him forward.
“He was supposed to go to Narukami to ask for help! What is he doing here?” The man shouted.
“We have sent out another party to Narukami Island, they will find help eventually.” Nagamasa explained but was interrupted by the man.
“That is not good enough! We are running out of time! If this continues, we’re all dead!”
“There is not much else we can do. Someone needs to go into the furnace to save us.” Someone in the crowd spoke up.
“But… isn’t that dangerous…?” The boy finally spoke again, looking at everyone.
“Maybe for us but you…” The man seemed to glare at the boy as he finally let go of his arm.
Nagamasa’s eyes finally became expressive again, widening as he grabbed the boy by the shoulder, shaking his head. He didn’t like what was being proposed but the rest of the workers seemed to have gotten on board with the idea. That was until Katsuragi showed up on the scene as well, rushing forward to try and get to the front of the crowd, to try and get to the boy standing at the centre of it.
The boy thought Katsuragi would still be furious at him and yet he was doing everything he could to stop the crowd from continuing down the path they had set themselves on. The boy seemed shaken as he watched the rest of Tatarasuna seemingly agree to sacrificing him to the fire. Those people who he thought were his friends… why would they want to do that to him?
“You all cannot be serious!” Katsuragi shouted as he finally got to the front and stepped in front of the puppet.
“Calm down, Katsuragi! Why are you protecting him anyway? He’s not even a real human!” The man from before shouted at him.
“He’s one of our men! How could you do such a thing to him?”
“Katsuragi is right! We shouldn’t do that to him, he’s just a little boy!” Nozomu exclaimed from the crowd as well.
“You’re all insane! We don’t even have time to be arguing about this!” Someone else nearby argued back.
The chaos erupted bigger and wilder than before. No one seemed to be able to come to agreement about this whole thing. He felt Nagamasa squeeze his shoulder, his hands shaking as he did so. It seemed as though the man behind him had come to a conclusion as well, one that he felt like he needed to say out loud himself to stop the fighting.
“Stop fighting… please, stop fighting!” The boy shouted, moving past Katsuragi as he did so.
Everyone around him fell quiet in an instant as the Kabukimono stood in front of them all. He looked at the crowd, it seemed smaller than before. He knew that a party had been sent out to Narukami Island to help them but there must have been more people who simply left the Tatarasuna to save themselves from the agony that it had brought. Human lives were in danger, people who he truly cared for.
He felt as though his eyes were finally opened to what he was meant to do there. If fate so had it, he wished to complete his mission for the sake of the gods. Niwa would have wanted him to save the people that worked under him, Niwa would have wanted him to do his best for the humans that lived in the Tatarasuna. For that reason only, the puppet lowered his head and offered himself as the sacrifice for them.
“Boy… boy, wait- “ Katsuragi tried to stop him but Nagamasa grabbed him by the arm to stop his rash actions.
“You’re right. I’m just a puppet. That’s why I should be of use to you.” He turned to look at Nagamasa with a smile.
“You don’t have to do this…” He heard the inspector say as they made their way to the Furnace.
“I don’t think you understand. This is what I’m meant to do.”
Nagamasa didn’t seem to want to acknowledge his words and hesitated the closer they drew to the Furnace. Even as the workers behind him anticipated them moment the door was opened for the puppet to step inside, he waited there, not wanting to move an inch as he looked at the boy next to him.
He was so small, so fragile, how could he have come to that decision on his own? It felt wrong for him to throw him into the fire like that and he took a moment to look at Katsuragi who had begun to keep his distance from the rest of them. He reached his hand towards the door of the Furnace and finally opened it up. The presence within the machine seemed to flood outwards towards the people of Tatarasuna.
Even though the others didn’t know what it was, the boy knew the tale of the serpent. His mind went to Maho again. The serpent deity that her people worshipped, the pain that he must have gone through as he was slain on foreign soils. He wondered if that was the agony that was flooding through the Mikage Furnace then, if all this anguish that they were going through was because of her doing… he loved her… but she couldn’t love him back…
Stepping into the Furnace, he expected the door behind him to be shut instantly but there was a moment of pause as he heard footsteps run towards the Furnace before it was shut behind him. He didn’t know who it was but he heard Nagamasa call for the person to stop and then a hand reach out to him.
“Boy… I’m sorry for yelling at you before…” The voice called to him.
“Katsuragi, what are you- “ He tried to ask him but the Furnace felt too hot and he was struggling against the menacing presence that began to engulf both of them.
“Let me protect you. That is all I wish to do, dear boy.”
Outside, Nagamasa stood in horror in what that yoriki decided to do. He didn’t have a chance to stop him and he stood there, mouth slightly agape as he heard Nozomu behind him shout at the others for not stopping Katsuragi in time. That idiot of a man. Why did he think that was a good idea to begin with?
It felt like time had stopped for all of them as they waited for the boy and the yoriki to re-emerge from the ashes. As time ticked on, though, the less hopeful the workers became. The Mikage Furnace, the creation of Escher himself, was it built to only bring them pain? Nagamasa began to believe it the longer it was taking for the two of them to come back out. He couldn’t believe it… he didn’t want to believe that he had sent both of them to their deaths…
When the darkness finally dissipated around the Furnace, Kinjirou and Nozomu were the first to rush forward to unseal the door again. The latter shouted out Katsutagi’s name as he watched a single figure emerge from the bellowing black smoke. He saw the figure slump to the ground, placing someone down and checking up on him.
Nagamasa didn’t see anything at first but he heard the weeping of the puppet as he desperately shook the yoriki’s shoulders to try and wake him up again. He recognised the cries well, they were the same ones you’d here of a child who had lost their parent. Nozomu backed away from them while Kinjirou was still holding the handle to the door of the Mikage Furnace. He let go as he watched the puppet break down more and more the longer it was taking for Katsuragi to reawaken again.
As time both halted and left him behind, the puppet rose his head and looked to Nagamasa who had moved over to stand over the two of them. He knew that comfort was what the boy was looking for but he didn’t want it from them, the people who had hurt him. He still didn’t know why Katsuragi chose to come in with him… why did he do that? Why would he think it was a good idea?
“He wanted to protect you…” Nagamasa tried to reason it in his own mind as well.
“He was an idiot!” The boy yelled out.
“I know that he didn’t want you to carry the burden on your own.”
“I chose to! I didn’t want him to… to get hurt… I didn’t want him to…”
“I know… but he also did not want to lose you either… you’re his family… you’re our family…”
Those words stung more than he ever thought they would. Nagamasa reached his hand out, trying to help the boy up or check on Katsuragi himself, he wasn’t sure. All he remembered, though, was that he held his hand out and slapped Nagamasa’s away. The action shocked both of them as the boy looked down at his hand and felt more tears well up in his eyes.
Why? Why was he doing this? Why did he hurt them so badly? He didn’t know what to do when Katsuragi ran into the Furnace with him, he didn’t know what to do when he watched the man collapse beside him, he didn’t know what to do when he spoke those words to him in the depths of that wretched place…
“I don’t know what to do…” He whispered out, feeling Nagamasa kneel down to get closer to him.
“What do you want to do, boy?” He asked him, gently holding his hand out to him again.
“Niwa is gone… Katsuragi is sick because of me…”
“Katsuragi can get better overtime…”
“He… he…”
“Kabukimono…”
“Why…? Why did he give himself up to the flames for me?”
“You already know the answers, don’t you? He went in to protect you for a reason…”
“I don’t agree with the reason. I’m… nothing...”
Getting up, the boy made his way through the crowd and away from the Tatarasuna. What a pathetic expression he had on his face. He didn’t know why Katsuragi would do such a thing when he knew that he was putting his life in danger. How could he tell him not to fight when he was willing to throw his life away for something like him? How could he say such things when he knew that his life was slowly draining away in that Furnace next to the puppet?
He could still feel his hands wrapping around him, trying to shield him from the majority of the creature. He remembered hearing Katsuragi desperately gasping for air as his lungs began to fill with the fumes. Yet, he didn’t turn back as they moved deeper into the dark. He told him that he wanted to be there for him, no matter what the cost was. That he’d stay by his side, that they’d save their friends together.
“No matter what, dear boy… you need to live for both of us…” He said to him.
That was what he told him. He didn’t even get a chance to say anything else as his consciousness faded. But Katsuragi was not dead yet, he still had a chance to recover! That’s all he could hold onto but, even then, he didn’t know how well he was going to heal… it wasn’t like some illness which good medicine could fix, it was the fill brunt of the Tataragami’s source wrapping itself around him, strangling him from the inside.
He didn’t think that he could forgive himself for letting Katsuragi fall prey to that Furnace. What kind of friend was he to let that happen to him? For all he knew, Katsuragi was long gone as he reached Nazuchi Beach again. Looking around, he wasn’t even sure who he was looking for anymore. She might have already left to head back to that island on the other side of the sea. If that were the case, it felt futile for him to try and look for her again.
He didn’t know what he wanted to do… he was scared, he was angry… he didn’t know how he was supposed to feel about the entire thing. All he knew was that he had failed… he had failed to do the most basic thing he was supposed to do and everything he had known in the past was… pointless… they were all pointless now…
If one goes back in time in the history of Tatarasuna, one would discover the tales of the Kabukimono who lived among its residence. About fifty years later since the incident, the old inspector, Mikoshi Nagamasa found himself visiting the house of the Kaedehara Clan, he ran into the young head of the house, a man by the name of Kaedehara Yoshinori. A young bladesmith who he knew had a good head on his shoulders.
He seemed perplexed by some incidents that had been happening among the Raiden Gokaden and had discovered that someone had been colluding with enemies of their land. Though, they had not been able to cause harm to their status in the eyes of the Almighty Shogun, all of the different schools had become suspicious of all of the problems they had been causing to them.
“Though, we have also been offered service from a ronin who wished to help us with the incident.” The young bladesmith explained.
“A young ronin? Are you sure this is a good idea to trust someone of that nature?” Nagamasa seemed worried for him.
“He claimed that he knew who those people were, the ones trying to sabotage the Raiden Gokaden.”
“I see…”
“And he claimed that he wanted to ‘right the wrongs of the past’, whatever that means.”
“Hm… what an eccentric fellow…”
Yoshinori noticed the look in Nagamasa’s eyes but chose not to say anything for the meantime. There was no question about it, the moment he stepped away from the house, his eyes looked up towards the trees above his head and listened to the sound of a stream nearby. He could sense the forest around him and understood the meaning that they gave to him.
Walking down the path, he paused from time to time. Age had not been kind to him, he was not as spry as he used to be in his youth. He could feel the creaking of his worn out bones and the white hair upon his head was wiry and had lost most of its colour over the years. He could tell that his time was ticking away, slowly, and that the Mikoshi’s honour would die with him when the time came.
Yet he still paused and looked around himself once more at the forest’s greenery. A smile began to appear on his lips as the old man decided to sit himself down on the ground and placed himself in a meditating position. He waited a little longer, his ears scanning for sounds that seemed out of place.
“You should have simply come out to greet me from the very beginning.” He called out to the wanderer that was following him.
“How did you know that I was following you?” He asked, peering out from behind a tree.
“I’m old, Kabukimono, not naïve. You look well.”
“You don’t seem mad…”
“I’m not mad, I was only disappointed that you left without saying goodbye…”
“Do you hate me for that?”
“No… no, I sort of knew that you weren’t going to come back after that day…”
Nagamasa clasped his hands together in front of him and stared down at them as though he was reading the words he wanted to say on the edges of his thumbs. He didn’t think that he’d see him ever again, he thought that the puppet would never wish to show himself to him but, there he was. At the edge of twilight, he decided to show up again to speak to him like he was back at the Tatarasuna once more with those people that had long since left him behind.
“You came to save the Raiden Gokaden, haven’t you?” Nagamasa decided to ask him.
The puppet did not speak but nodded his head. The old man could not hold back from laughing as he shook his head. Of course, he would. He wondered if it’s because he had learnt the identity of the young Kaedehara who had taken up the reigns of the Isshin Art. Even if he didn’t, he always knew that the boy had a soft spot for bladesmiths, especially because of the people who had taken up the task of teaching and caring for him all those years ago.
“You’re a strange one, little Kabukimono.” Nagamasa got up off the ground, his body aching as he did so.
“You always say that about me… I never knew how to respond to it.” The boy shrugged.
“Take it as a compliment. It means you will always be remembered in my mind.”
“Is that really a good thing?”
“I think so… those who you come across will always remember you fondly.”
Placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder, he could see the mild hesitation in his reaction. The boy still moved in closer to pull Nagamasa into a hug, looking up at the man with sadness in his eyes. Where had he been all this time? He didn’t think that the boy would ever tell him on his own but he guessed that he’d allow him to keep his secrets.
“You can be so silly sometimes, boy…” He told him.
“Is Katsuragi…” The boy began to ask but he couldn’t bring himself to continue.
Nagamasa looked away from him and that was all the boy needed to confirm the matters in his head. Some things are hard for him to say out loud to the boy, especially when he knew how sensitive he could become. But the boy seemed to not react as much as he used to, keeping his head lowered and a meek expression appeared on his face.
“I… I see… I’m sorry…” He mumbled some of his words.
“He went, peacefully, if it means anything. He was not aware of his pain when he left.” Nagamasa tried to assure him.
“That’s good. I’m… I’m glad…”
“Kabukimono.”
“It’s alright. It doesn’t matter.”
“You say that but I know that is not the truth.”
“I’m fine. Everything is going to be fine.”
“Do you wish to talk about it?”
“No… no, it’s… it’s nothing…”
Though, he looked the same, he seemed a lot calmer and less abrupt with his emotions. He was pleased to see that, that the boy had grown a bit over the course of the years that he had been missing but, even so, he still could not help but want to pet his head and pour him some tea like they used to when Katsuragi found him wandering on the beach by himself.
“Are you willing to walk with me for a bit, little one?” He asked.
“Um… I do need to get going now, though.” He lowered his head a bit.
“Oh… well… I guess I should let you go then…”
“But can we meet up sometime? Maybe for dinner, I mean. Is that alright with you, Mr Mikoshi?”
“Mr Mikoshi…”
He smiled a bit when he heard that. He hadn’t heard someone call him that in such a long time. At least not in the way that the boy did. It was just so similar to how Katsuragi used to say his name, the brief pause and the light hesitation as though he wasn’t sure if he was saying the name right or not. The boy folded his hands behind his back and swayed a little from side to side. Still the sweet boy he had known from the past… still a soft child, just during a different place in time, it seemed…
“Alright, shall we meet in Inazuma City then? Away from the Kamisato Estate and the Kaedehara Clan.” He asked.
He nodded his head in agreement to meet with the old man and that was all that needed to be said before Mikoshi Nagamasa walked away from, further down the path in the forest and away from where they stood before. He was alone again but he didn’t feel the need to ponder too long on it. After all, he had a duty to attend to, there was no time for him to dilly dally on these personal feelings when there was a threat to stop.
After so long away from the mainland of Inazuma, he didn’t really know what he was going to find. He had a job to do, a purpose that he had promised to fulfil since the day he left the Tatarasuna to whatever fate awaited it. The people there saw him as nothing but a puppet… no, that’s not true… Nagamasa still seemed to care for him and Katsuragi… but everyone else didn’t seem to want him around… right…?
He pushed those thoughts out of his head as he met up with Kaedehara Yoshinori. He recognised those signature features from the man who had long since been left to the past. The same smile, the same look in his eyes, the same determination and stillness that followed his demeanour. He was not the perfect copy but it was enough to remind him of the man.
“I swear by the sword that we shall bring them to justice.” He thought of his words, carefully.
“I trust you, ronin, that you will serve our family well.” Yoshinori said, his voice calm like a still pond.
But water is easily disturbed. Like a perfect bubble floating in an endless sea. Beautiful for a moment before complete destruction. The head of the Kamisato Clan, the family that oversaw most of the production of the Kaedehara Clan, chose to follow them onto the shoreline where Akame Kanenaga had fled with the rest of those traitors among the Isshin Art.
A fight broke out there with Kaedehara Yoshinori prioritising the capture of those criminals among their midst. They were responsible for the hinderance of the Raiden Gokaden and he wanted answers for their crimes. As the battle seemed to be slowly in the favour of the traitors, a whirl of attacks flew up from above their heads, striking down Akame Kanenaga onto the ground while the rest of his allies backed away to escape from the blows themselves. As the man writhed on the ground in pain, he saw the blade strike through the sand beside him, causing him to flinch away, immediately.
“How… how could you do such a thing? To us? To the Isshin Art?” Yoshinori demanded answers from his old friend.
“You… could… never… never understand!” The man tried to get up but a foot on his back pushed him back onto the ground.
“Stay down. You will have to answer to the Tenryou Commission for your crimes.” The person on top of him stated.
“I don’t understand… you’re from Watatsumi, are you not? Why are you helping your enemies?”
“That is not what matters to me. I want justice for the crimes your people have committed.”
“M-My people?”
“Where is he? Where is Escher?”
Yoshinori could not even get a word in as the ronin glared down at the man. He seemed to know more than he had let on. Was this the true reason why he decided to help them? He wasn’t sure but he could see that his composure that he had been putting on for the longest time began to waver as pure hatred began to spill out of every word he said.
“Where is he? I know he works for them! Where is he now?” His anger seemed to build overtime.
“I-I don’t know who this Escher person you’re talking about is! Please! Leave me alone!” He felt the weight on his back grow heavier as the puppet began to push him further into the sand.
“Then where is the Doctor? Who is he? What has he have to do with all of this?”
“Th-The Doctor? H-How do you know about him?”
He felt a temptation he had never thought he’d feel before. The thought terrified him as it lingered in his mind longer than he wanted to admit. Oh, how he wished to trample the human beneath him, teach him a lesson for colluding with the enemies and hurting people for his own benefit. People like that, it disgusted him. How could humans do such things to each other? Why would they do this for themselves and let others suffer in their wake?
He pushed those thoughts out of his head. He’s better than that, he didn’t need to hurt people to prove himself. He felt Yoshinori’s hand on his shoulder, pulling him away from the Akame Clan member. Very quickly, the Kamisato soldiers arrested the traitors and were quickly whisked away to who knows where in Inazuma City. Probably to whatever punishment the Tenryou Commission deemed worthy for their crimes. They were never going to see the light of day again for all he knew.
Even though everyone else left the shore, the puppet found that Kaedehara Yoshinori still lingered there, watching the young looking ronin stare at the sea with a pale expression. He could see that his hands were shaking, he didn’t expect himself to lose his temper the way he did. In fact, he was surprised that Akame Kanenaga get away unharmed after hearing how dark the ronin’s voice got.
He allowed the young man a little while to collect his thoughts before Yoshinori moved in closer to his side and stared at the cool waters of Inazuma together. On the other side of the ocean was the rest of Teyvat. A place of adventure and secrets, a place Yoshinori felt was so far away from him and the rest of the people on their islands.
“Who is he? Escher, I mean…” The young Kaedehara asked, earning a grumble from the ronin next to him.
“He’s an enemy to Inazuma. A traitor who should face the consequences for his transgressions.” Was all he could tell him.
“I see… are you here to track him down?”
“Why wouldn’t I? I trained all these years to find him again. I won’t rest until he’s brought to justice.”
“You seem determined…”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“But… is this what you wish to dedicate your life to?”
Of course! That’s what he wanted to answer but he could hear the sadness in Yoshinori’s voice. To dedicate one’s life to vengeance was something he was told would not bring him happiness. He was told stories from a land far from his reach that vengeance had only brought pain to people who tried to seek it out.
Yet how dare Yoshinori of all people tell him such a thing? If he knew the truth, he knew that he’d seek the same thing out too! If he knew what Escher had done, that it was him who caused so much anguish to his heart and pain to his life, he’d wish the same thing on him. But he figured that Nagamasa would not want him to know the truth, that he’d want him to stay blinded to the truth of that night to save him from the same path he had gone down.
“Do you know the name Niwa, Mr Kaedehara?” He asked him.
“N… Niwa? Yes… that was my father’s name before he died and I was taken in by the Kaedehara Clan… why do you ask that?” The man answered.
“No reason… but I wish for you to send a message to her. Tell her farewell for now.”
With that, the lonely eccentric left without another word. Later on, Yoshinori found that all of the boats that were left on the shore had large sword slashes at the base of them, leaving them all worthless and abandoned on the shores for many years. Like a reminder of the night the Kaedehara Clan was spared from complete destruction with the help of a wanderer from afar.
Meanwhile, the night toiled on longer than Nagamasa had anticipated. He had expected the boy to appear the time they had scheduled but, after half an hour, he began to believe that the boy would never arrive. That was until he felt a light tug on his sleeve. Turning, he felt the boy pull him into a long hug, not letting go of him even when Nagamasa began to poke his cheek to annoy him a little bit as revenge for keeping him waiting for so long.
“Where were you this whole time? I was beginning to suspect that you weren’t coming.” Nagamasa let out a laugh, coughing afterwards.
“I needed to take care of some business. I know where Escher is now.” He informed his old friend.
“Oh… so, you are still tracking him.”
“That is what I am struggling with right now… I… is it right for me to continue on with this?”
“What?”
“Do you… think I should carry on this path… to avenge Niwa… to avenge the people of the Tatarasuna…?”
Nagamasa didn’t know how to respond to him, he had expected that much from him, though, especially considering how he had reacted when they were in the Tatarasuna. The anger he felt, he had hoped he would have let it wash past him and focused on other matters. At the same time, he understood the way he felt.
If it were him, if he were the puppet with infinite time on his hands, he would do everything in his power to track down those criminals and bring them to face the same agony that Niwa had felt on that night all those years back. He’d hunt them down to the ends of the earth and make sure they will never have a moment of rest or reprieve. He’d do anything to see those people feel the wrath of the gods in the form of a divine being created by them. But… as he gazed upon the boy standing before him…
“I do not wish for you to live your life in hopes of seeking vengeance, my boy.” He gently petted his head with one hand.
“I thought your answer would be different…” The puppet admitted.
“Did you hope that I’d encourage you?”
“I had hoped your answer would be different. That you’d tell me that I should continue. That you’d give me a different answer- “
“This is not your burden to carry.”
“Then what is? What am I useful for? What am I supposed to do?”
He felt his desperation grow along with his anger as he stormed past Nagamasa down the street. The people around them turned to face the two people who were seemingly arguing with each other. When the puppet noticed this, he lowered his head in hopes to not draw more attention to themselves. He was in her city and he didn’t want to cause her people to come looking for them.
“What is it that you want to hear then? Go after Escher? Bring him back to Inazuma so he can be executed by the hands of a god?” Nagamasa kept his voice low as he turned his head.
“I… I don’t know… I just… Niwa was killed by him. Katsuragi died because of him.” He wanted to do his best to kept his composure.
“I understand but that is not the life either of them wanted for you.”
“Then what then? What should I do then?”
“Live leisurely from this day onward…”
“No…”
How instantaneous his answer made it clear that he didn’t want that sort of answer from him. But Nagamasa didn’t know what the boy wanted to hear that would change his mind. It was hard for him to understand him, still young and spry for all eternity. He couldn’t understand how a child like him felt, he didn’t know what it would take to change his mind.
Still, he could see that the boy was taking a moment to let his words flutter through his thoughts. As much as he didn’t agree with him, he could take solace that he still saw Nagamasa as someone he trusted enough to listen to. He could hear a weak sigh come from the boy as he turned his head to look over at him again.
“He’s in Snezhnaya. Take this information as you will, I won’t pursue it if you don’t want me to.” He told Nagamasa.
“I’m glad to hear that, dear boy.” Nagamasa felt relief wash over him.
“I still see no point in living life leisurely. I don’t think I can.”
“Then take some time to yourself. I think it would be good for you.”
He moved closer to the boy again and gently poked him on the nose. The puppet didn’t understand this action but he remembered Katsuragi doing it a lot to him in the past. The gesture made him feel comforted in a strange way and he couldn’t hide the shy smile that appeared on his face. Even when he had tried to bury that part of him ever since he left for Watatsumi, he felt all those emotions rise up again as he found someone from Tatarasuna once more.
The night went on without any more outbursts or events. It was a lovely dinner with an old friend and he realised that Nagamasa had become a big fan of sake. He said that he began practicing his drinking so he could keep up with the Kaedehara family but he still felt as though he was lacking in that department. He didn’t know what he meant by ‘keeping up’ when it came to drinking but he still laughed alongside him because he seemed quite happy about it.
He helped Nagamasa back home and they both must have realised that this may be the last time they were ever going to talk to one another. The old man held onto him for the longest of time at his doorstep, not wanting to let go a piece of his past that had come back to find him. A happier time where the people of Tatarasuna had a little friend to always keep their morale up when things felt so overwhelming and lonely for them.
“I’m sorry… for everything, Kabukimono… I’m sorry…” He told him.
“There is nothing for you to apologise for…” The boy tried to tell him.
“No… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry that I…”
Nagamasa nearly collapsed to the floor. At first, the boy felt a wave of panic come over him but then he heard the heavy snoring coming from the drunken man. Alright. He’s just asleep. Knocking on the door to the house, a lady and what seemed to be her son opened the door to find their husband and father lying on the ground. The lady shook her head, pieces of grey and black hair stinking out from her bun, while her son helped the man inside.
They thanked the young boy who had escorted the head of their clan back home and the boy began to depart for whatever lied ahead for him. He didn’t want to leave Nagamasa like that, though. While he was drunk and probably unaware of what he was even saying to him. But it didn’t feel right for him to intrude on the life he had built for himself.
The next morning, the Mikoshi family found a picnic basket outside their door packed to the brim with fresh dishes that must have taken forever to cook and perfect. When Nagamasa wandered his way down the hall towards the sound of his wife and son talking to one another, he was surprised to see them both looking at each other, both confused but smiling when they looked towards him.
A thank you note was attached to the handle of the picnic basket along with a paper feather tied alongside it, carefully cut in a way that it was instantly recognisable to whoever knew the puppet the longest. Both of them were shocked when they saw Nagamasa collapse to the floor with tears in his eyes. His wife ran to him first, wrapping her arms around him while his son came up afterwards, holding him from the other side as the three of them stayed close to one another.
Memories. Fate. The world seemed to always be ran on those two things. The puppet sat beneath a fiery maple tree and remembered his time in the Shakkei Pavilion. When he believed that he had no purpose to his life. Then Katsuragi found him and gave him a place and a role to play among the people of Tatarasuna. Niwa taught him how to be human and how to interact with others. Then Escher gave him a new purpose, one that everyone told him was wrong of him to pursue. Yet Maho still took the time to help hone his skills in hopes that it may lead him down a better path…
What was he supposed to do now? If not become a bladesmith, if not track down Escher, what was he supposed to do? He didn’t like it, feeling useless and feeling discarded. They told him that he could always return back to Watatsumi whenever he felt like it but he felt as though he’d just become idle again with nothing else he could do.
“Watatsumi doesn’t need me… Inazuma doesn’t want me… what am I then?” He looked up at the sky as it began to turn grey from heavy rain clouds.
They all had their reasons. Even Akame Kanenaga had his reasons. He hated to admit it but he found it fascinating how quickly the man cowered towards the corner of his cell that night when he saw the puppet staring him down from the other side of his bars. The man easily told him everything he needed to know about where Escher was… where the Doctor was when he felt as though his life was in danger.
He wasn’t ever going to hurt the man but the moment he thought his life was in danger, he instantly betrayed the person who had hired him to save his own skin. Humans are… fascinating… they’re so complicated and confusing and it made it all the harder for him to read them correctly.
The world seemed big. Always winding and changing in ways that a puppet like him could never hope to comprehend. At least, not to the fullest that it is. To him, he was static in a world that keeps moving on without him. He must have realised that a long time ago but he didn’t think he could ever accept that. Why? Why did things have to change? Why did things have to be so complicated?
“Oi! Boy! Are you coming with us or not!” The captain called out to him.
“Y-Yes! Sorry, I got distracted!” He quickly boarded onto the ship, hesitating for only a second with his choice.
In a tranquil world, he’s one of the few things that could last eternally. Even then, he realised that even he changes along with the passage of time. There is no such thing as eternity, as much as that woman hoped to bring forth to her land. Everything changes, everything shifts. If he ever hopes to understand humans, he needed to accept that truth and move forward with it with his head held high.
His heart still felt heavy in his chest but he shook it off as he watched the brilliant light of the water glistening against the ship. Inazuma was not a kind place, the plant life always seemed to dreary. Even Watatsumi Island lacked the life that he had hoped to see, the pastel pink and turquoise coming from coral and rocks than blooming flowers or brilliant treelines.
“I hope to see something more comforting across the ocean.” He told one of the crew members.
“Is that so, boy? Well, I hope you find what you are looking for then.” The young lady responded, patting him on the shoulder.
Something comforting… that would be nice, wouldn’t it? Something comforting to someone like him. Warm and lively, like a sword dance among friends. A night underneath a million stars, talking about one’s dreams and hopes for the future. A fledgling barely out of the nest flying across the open seas to find his own path. Nagamasa wanted him to find his own path.
He will keep his promise… he will always honour them… turning towards the stern of the ship, he watched Inazuma draw further and further away. His chest felt heavy, he didn’t know why. As though a part of him was begging him to simply turn back and go back to them again. At the very end of the dock, he imagined seeing four five figures standing on the ends of it, watching him leave. He waved his hand towards him as though they were actually there and wondered if they would wave back as well. He’d like to think that they would.
Smiling a little to himself, he leaned himself over the side of the boat and closed his eyes for a little while, listening to the waves blur his senses into an ocean daze. For now, he shall be calm. For now, he shall let his worries disappear. Heading towards the future, he’d like to think that things will be alright. They just have to be alright...