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Lumine narrows her eyes while Paimon gawks at the Watatsumi soldier. “This could send you right back into war with the Tenryou Commission!” the fairy squeaks, panic clear in her voice.
The soldier, Kouzen, smirks. Lumine’s muscles tense. “Yes,” he says. “That's exactly what we’re hoping to achieve.
“Peace talks? Pfft… Everyone’s been drawn in by the idea. That’s why the future of Watatsumi Island is at stake. What’s to stop the Tenryou Commission from stabbing us in the back? And what’s to stop the Raiden Shogun from issuing another Vision Hunt Decree?
“We are the resistance! Everything hinges on our warrior’s will!” Kouzen hisses, fists clenching at his sides. Lumine grabs Paimon’s wrist and tugs her back as Kouzen makes an impassioned lunge with his spear, but he’s only striking the air. He practices the movement four more times, eyeing Lumine coldly.
“We can’t trust the Tenryou Commission or the Raiden Shogun. But we can put faith in ourselves! Surely you agree with that, Captain?”
Lumine exchanges a glance with Paimon. “It kinda makes sense,” Paimon ventures to say, and Kouzen nods, satisfied. “But…” Paimon trails off.
“You just want to fight,” Lumine says flatly.
Kouzen bristles indignantly. “Don’t take that tone with me, acting like you’re above all this! What would you understand…”
Lumine is silent. What would she understand indeed. She knows a lot about fighting; she knows that she’s done it so much that she’s sick of it. But it’s a privilege not to fight; it’s a privilege to be able to live in peace. Lumine won’t let Kokomi’s hard work, her dream of giving peace to her people, go to waste.
“For the sake of victory we embodied the warrior’s will to the fullest. You understand?” Kouzen sneers. “We were all in. Now they’re suddenly trying to tell us that none of it matters anymore…
“You’d have me just put down my weapon and start living like an ordinary person, but how can I?” he asks, and his brows knit together in frustration. “How can I, when… when every time I close my eyes, I see the faces of the friends we lost in battle…”
The traveler’s stomach lurches as she registers sadness not only for Kouzen’s losses, but for her own as well. She can understand him- of course she can.
“Every time I see them there, in my mind’s eye, it reminds me that I can never forgive the Tenryou Commission, and never forgive the Vision Hunt Decree.” He gives a heavy sigh, glaring at Lumine and Paimon with irate eyes. “I guess you’re not one of us… well, whatever.”
Lumine snaps. “How dare you.” She doesn’t like how curt her voice is but there’s nothing to be done. “How dare you. I-” She bites down hard on the inside of her cheek and tastes the tang of blood.
“I’ve lost people,” says Lumine quietly, willing her hands to stop shaking. “I’ve lived… longer than you’d think.”
“Even so,” says Kouzen, though he seems more uncertain now, “you’re no Watatsumi soldier, you were barely part of the resistance-” he stops. “No. That’s wrong of me.” He swallows. “We wouldn’t have won without you. But you know what I mean. You didn’t lose any friends on this battlefield the way we did.”
“I lost Teppei.” It’s the first time Lumine’s said his name since the Delusion factory incident. Her voice catches in her throat but she forces herself to speak. Kouzen closes his mouth. “He was important to me. He-” Paimon pats her head gently, sniffing quietly. Lumine inhales.
Then exhales.
“I know what it’s like, to want to keep fighting,” she says slowly. “I… I’ve been consumed with anger, and I’ve wanted revenge, and it- it doesn’t go anywhere. It doesn’t- doesn’t bring them back.”
Behind them, the festivities of the Victory Feast continue. She can hear people singing, can smell the smoky scent of cooked fish. She meets Kouzen’s eyes. “You don’t have to forgive. But remember why you were fighting this war. Who you were fighting for. Battle is a means to an end, it’s a last resort. It shouldn’t be the goal.”
Kouzen looks away. “It’s too late,” he murmurs, eyes closing. He sets aside his spear. “I…” he turns to leave, and Lumine catches his arm.
He stiffens. Lumine knows the feeling; it’s battle reflexes. She has them, too; they’re much better than his, and she’s had them for longer. She quickly lets go.
“For what it’s worth,” she says, “I won’t let another Vision Hunt Decree happen. And you don’t have to worry about the Raiden Shogun. She’s… different, these days.”
“Different?” Kouzen repeats. Lumine runs a hand through her hair.
“Yes… I bought her dango milk the other day.”
“Dango… milk?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Well… I’ll take your word for it.”
Kouzen leaves footprints upon the golden sand. Lumine watches him go. Paimon taps her shoulder. “We should tell Kokomi everything. Even if we got through to that guy, he said it’s too late! That must mean they already messed with the peace talks plans, right?”
“I’m here, Lumine, Paimon.” Kokomi’s high pitched voice greets the pair. Lumine turns to face the girl. The priestess wears a thoughtful expression.
“Hello, Kokomi,” Lumine says. “So you heard everything?”
“Yes, I did. Thank you for collecting such good intelligence,” Kokomi says with a smile. “And… thank you. For, well, everything. You truly reached that soldier’s core. I… even I couldn’t do that.”
“Hm?”
“You empathized with him. You are really a natural leader. And you understand… a lot of things. War and battles, but also people.” Kokomi looks down. “I understand the former, but people can be difficult. Yet you communicate so effortlessly.”
“It’s nothing,” says Lumine, surprised at the priestess’ effusive praise. “It’s just… I understand what he’s feeling. I don’t agree with him, but I see where he’s coming from.”
“That's an admirable skill on its own,” Kokomi insists. “One that many do not have. But there is one pressing question I have…
“Dango milk?”
Lumine blinks. “It’s dango in milk,” she explains with her usual remarkable eloquence. Kokomi’s pearly laughter matches her smile.
“I gathered as much. The Raiden Shogun is a lucky lady indeed, for the famous traveler to buy that for her.” Kokomi watches Lumine’s expression carefully; the traveler wonders what she’s searching for.
“Ei hadn’t been out and about for years,” explains Lumine. “We thought we should show her around Inazuma City, get her caught up to today.”
“Yeah! We walked through town, had some snacks, and picked out some books at the Yae Publishing House!” Paimon adds.
Kokomi’s lips turn downwards in a little pout. “That sounds like a… date.”
Lumine just knows she’s flushing. “It wasn’t!” she says quickly.
Paimon tilts her head. “You know… we spent time with Ayaka doing similar stuff!”
“Kamisato Ayaka…” mused Kokomi. “She’s more agreeable than the Raiden Shogun, but still…”
Lumine presses a hand to her face. “Kokomi, let’s not talk about Ei or Ayaka-”
“You call them so comfortably by their given names,” observes Kokomi, iridescent eyes glinting with mischief.
“Kokomi,” the golden haired traveler whines, and the priestess finally relents.
“Yes, yes, you’re right. I will draft some possible courses of action tonight, and we will meet here tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, ma’am,” says Lumine, swatting at Paimon while the fairy giggles. “Paimon, don’t you ever put me in a situation like that again!”
“You put yourself there,” says Kokomi, her laughter ringing out like bells, “by going on dates with so many girls.”
“Oh, and Paimon also remembers Barbara and Lisa in Mondstat!” Paimon beams innocently, playing with the traveler's golden locks. Lumine reddens even more and snatches her companion from the air, clamping a hand over her mouth. Not to be deterred, Paimon licks her. “And Yun Jin? And Shenhe! And-”
Lumine releases Paimon, wrinkling her nose as she wipes her hand on the skirt of her dress. “Okay, ew. And Paimon, those were not dates.”
“Then what would be a date, if not a walk through town, a meal, and some light shopping?” Kokomi questions, her large eyes sparkling mischievously.
Lumine shifts her weight, thinking. “Uh… probably staying in and relaxing with someone, keeping them company, taking care of them…”
“Hey…” Paimon says in a long, drawn out way. “That’s what you did with Kokomi!”
Realizing her mistake, Lumine sighs and nobly ignores her two friends’ laughter, especially Kokomi's. “Alright, alright,” she says, ears bright red. “I’ve got something better. It’s a date if Paimon’s not there!”