No, I'm not ready to go back to Inazuma.
When I woke up this morning that was the first thing I thought.
'Don't be a coward, yesterday you said that you were ready!' Guizhong scolded me.
'I was, but when the moment to face death arrives, I get cold feet. I think anyone does. I remember you did it too, you were screaming in your last moments'.
'You!. How dare you remember that! I told you to forget it, how dare you mock my death!'
'I didn't mock you, just saying that death is scary. You should know first-hand. After all, I got you from a wriggling mass of black sludge that came from your corpse'.
She was too angry to speak for a while.
'I will enjoy whatever suffering that 'pink woman' brings you' she muttered darkly.
'I don't, and that's why I'm running to Mondstad!'
'You are WHAT?'
'Is it that surprising? I ran from Inazuma to Liyue because I made her angry. Now she she is murderous, why wouldn't I escape even further? Dumb fossil, think for a bit'.
'I hope you fall along the way in some manure' she muttered darkly.
'I will seal that shit in a moment, and I will make sure it falls on top of your head. Good luck having a shower without water'.
'. . . . . .'
She fell silent, but I had no time for her. Knowing the pink woman as well as I do, she already knows where I am, so I need to leave now. It's still early, but it can't hurt to be cautious.
"Kenshin, are you leaving now?" the Boss and Spear Boy were waiting for me downstairs. Spear boy looked refreshed, and even had a small smile, something I honestly did not expect to see on his face.
"Yes, I am. I wi- what's that?" there was a green thing floating around. It was something I was sure I could see because of my ability, but it was unlike anything I had seen before.
"I told you he would notice" the Boss said in a calm voice.
"Tehe, looks like it" it was the green guy who materialized near us.
"What are you doing here?" I asked surprised. Has this guy lost something here?
"I knew you would leave today, and come to have fun" he is at least honest.
"Well, sorry but I have no time to play. If I don't leave now that pink woman will skin me alive twice. So goodbye" and I departed.
". . . . . ."
"Kenshin, Liyue is to the other direction" the Boss informed me.
"I know. But I'm not going to Liyue, I'm heading to Mondstad" I graciously informed them.
"....Why..." the Boss had a straight face, but I could feel waves of confusion emanating from him.
"Because I don't want to face just retribution" I deigned myself to explain my motives.
"I thought you were ready for that" it was Spear Boy who commented.
"I was until I got scared this morning".
"You are going to Mondstadt!? Yes, we will have a lot of fun. The wine there is the best" the green guy jumped in excitement. Heh, even the gods are excited about inviting me into their countries.
"I'm a child, I don't drink" I deadpanned at this alcoholic.
"Did you know? Mondstad is the city of Freedom" he said with a wink.
"...." That....opens a lot of routes. I don't want to drink, but maybe I could do some other fun things. "It certainly sounds more interesting than Liyue".
"Right? Let's go!" the green guy said.
"I fear what you will become after visiting that anarchic place" the Boss said with a wry smile.
"Come on Morax, don't be like that. My city is the best there is" the green guy complained.
"It certainly sounds like it. Maybe I can start my own kingdom there" Oh, the ideas are flowing like water.
"..." the green guy wasn't so keen on inviting me any more.
"You will not do such a thing" an icy voice came from the path in front of us.
It was the pink woman.
"W-why are you here so early?" this woman predicted that I would run. I forgot how fearsome she is.
"I left Inazuma at 3:00 AM only so I could catch you, little rat" she started approaching me with a cold face.
I looked around in panic until I saw the dependable figure of the Boss. Hehe, pink woman, you are doomed.
"Haha, pink woman, I recognize your slyness, but I have an ace you can't beat. Rex Lapis, I choose you, show this foolish woman what it means to face the mighty Kenshin!".
I won.
The Boss looked wryly at me, but looked towards the pink woman, making her do a grimace. She needs to bypass a wall. A very big and sturdy wall.
"It's an honour to meet the God of Geo himself. I know Kenshin has a Contract with you, one that makes him safe in Liyue. May I know the contents of said Contract?" even the angry and devious pink woman has to be polite towards the Boss.
"Hmm". No, wait. Why are you nodding Boss, just put her in her place. "I will protect him from any undeserved punishment".
Oh no, I forgot to add a clause where the content of the Contract would be kept a secret.
"Then may I ask if the Lord of Geo judges this as a reasonable cause for me to punish him?" she smirked at me and took out a stack of letters.
MY letters.
'Haha, you are f*cked' Guizhong was laughing so much she even forgot her polite language. But indeed, I was.
The Boss took the letters and started reading them one by one until he read everything. His face didn't change, but everyone noticed the obvious awkwardness he felt.
"Sorry friend, but I can't say your punishment is undeserved". He abandoned me.
"Thank you" the pink woman said with a smile, but started walking towards me with her icy expression.
"No!, I will not go with you spear boy, help me!". Spear boy looked to the side, also abandoning me.
"Yae! Here you are! Why did you run like that?" the grass-eater appeared, panting. Then he saw the rest of us and was surprised to see the scene.
The imposing tall man she knew was an Adeptus was looking at the sky, wondering something. A small guy with green clothes was laughing while reading some letters and the Conqueror of Demons was looking to one side with a red face. I was screaming in panic and Yae had an icy expression.
"What happened?" was all she could ask.
"Our little devil had the idea to run to Mondstadt" the pink woman explained to her.
The grass-eater looked at me and smiled sweetly.
"Yae, can you wait for a bit, there are a lot of people that want to say goodbye to Kenshin". When did this naive woman learn from the devious pink one?
"Of course, they can meet us on the way" the pink woman nodded with a smile.
"No other choice. Barbatos, save me!" the moment I had to plead to the alcoholic green guy was the moment I lost my dignity, but my life was more important.
"Hah, no other choice" the green guy said. Looks like he liked my letters. But why does the pink woman not look scared?
"Barbatos, if you get involved in this I will send Beelzebub to visit your city" she said with a frown.
"Sorry Kenshin, and good luck" he smiled at me.
"You are so shameless!". And I was the one saying it.
"Sorry, I can't beat her. I can't beat anyone in fact". Why is he saying it with a smile?
"Don't lie, you are way stronger than the pink woman. Just beat her and I will take care of the rest" I pleaded. It was my last opportunity to leave this place. "At least let me escape. You can fly right?. Help me get away".
"Sorry, I don't want Beelzebub in my city. My city is great, and I want it to keep it that way" he refused my begging.
"Yae, we are here!" the grass-eater appeared with a lot of people. A LOT of people. I forgot they are Adeptus and most of them can fly.
This is not going well. They will gang up on me.
"Pink woman, I challenge you!" my last choice, a 1-on-1.
"You really don't change, do you? Very well" she got her magic stick up.
"Wait wait, what about the wager?" I asked nervously. Maybe I should have shut up, she is going to make it hurt.
"No bets. I tie you and take you back to Inazuma" she said, and a bolt of lightning rushed to me.
I tried to seal it, but it wasn't a soul or a curse I could seal, it was just pure energy.
So I lay on the ground, defeated and tied, seeing all the people looking down on my humiliated form.
"I will not forget this" I muttered with a grim face.
"This one also doesn't forget the recipes you sent this one over the month" the bird said to me.
"I won't forget the mockery you made of Liyue's law. It had been working and unchanging for nearly a millennia until you had to open your mouth" the antler girl said.
"Do you know the trouble I was in?" asked an incensed white-haired woman. "I had been in my position for less than a month and this huge problem happened. I'm lucky to be still here, and I lost a lot of power and money".
"And I will forever remember the time I met you as the turning moment in my life. My goodwill and naivety have gone forever" the grass-eater said darkly.
I looked towards the still silent people.
"And you 3?" I asked, engraving this moment in my mind.
"I will not forget that you lifted my curse" Spear Boy said while averting his eyes.
"Hmm, I will not forget how much you have done for Liyue and for me" the Boss said with a sage nod. You traitor, I trusted you and your meteor.
"And I....uhh..... I will not forget how funny your letters were!" the green guy said amusedly.
"What a nice goodbye. I can almost see the summary of your stance in Liyue right here" the pink woman mocked me. Now that I can't escape she was feeling at ease, I'm sure.
"....You all think this is my end?" I asked trembling in anger. They thought these things for at least 2 weeks, and it's only now they are saying it. Cowards, they are hitting an already beaten person.
"I will be back. I don't know how or when, or even if my whole body will be able to come back, but I will return. And I will make you all pay" I promised.
"And what will you do?" mocked the antler girl. She is feeling secure now that I'm caught right?
"I will turn Liyue into Mondstadt version 2".
"No!" she exclaimed. Honestly, everyone here looked scared except for the pink woman and the green guy.
"Nice idea! I will help" he even promised to help me. But I also have a grudge against you.
"I will turn Mondstadt into a place like Liyue, where rules are everywhere". You will die of boredom.
"And how are you going to do that?" he is even mocking me. You still don't know the great Kenshin.
"I will tell every single merchant that Mondstadt has no rules, which means that they don't have to pay even half of the taxes they pay here. Your 'free' city will be swarmed by the ravenous horde that are Liyue's merchants, which will make you need to establish rules". Easy, I was revered as the 'Slapping Young Master', they would listen to my words.
"....." he fell silent, looking scared. He disappeared after muttering a single sorry.
"And the rest, I have not forgotten about you. To the big bird, I will go to your house and rub a chicken dish all over your place so even if you clean your house it will still smell like a BBQ. To the white-haired woman, I will turn Liyue into a communist state. I only need to tell the people how equality is justice, and they will bring the Qixing down in a day" I said with a bloodthirsty smile. The white woman looked scared of that, knowing she would lose almost all of her money, and would not be able to win more without incurring a crime.
"For you, vegetable consumer, I will buy every single business that sells anything plant related, and will sneakily add some triturated meat to every single vegan dish". She will not be able to eat calmly again.
"B-but, the sanitary tests will reveal your actions" she tried to argue back, but she was stuttering.
"I will have a guy from Mondstadt appear as the owner. They seem to be stupid anyway".
With this everyone is scared into submission. The Boss and Spear Boy disappeared mid-way, so I can't punish their transgressions against me.
"Everyone, please think a bit. That can only happen if he can return, think I will not allow him to do" the pink woman had to interrupt my plan.
Heh, even if the others look calm, they are still scared. Good, now they fear Kenshin's might. They quickly left, not wanting to hear more things that would give them nightmares.
"Look, pink woman, that's what I can do. Do you think you are any different? I will grasp your weakness sooner or later. And then I will make you fear me too" I laughed.
"It would be more convincing if you weren't tied and in the ground" she dismissed me and picked me up like a sack of potatoes.
Hehe, you fool. The moment we arrive at Liyue I will scream for help, saying that they are trying to silence me and the people will help me. Foolish woman.
'At this point, I think it's better for you to give up' Guizhonh said wryly.
'Never'.
We approached the Harbor, and I was prepared to execute my strategy, but suddenly all went black.
---------------------
This kid really thinks I am not aware of what he's thinking.
I have to admit that he gave me trouble till the end. Had I not been able to convince Rex Lapis, things would not have been that easy. Speaking of which.
"Does the Lord of Geo need something from me?" why is this guy still here? I just want to leave for my dear shrine with this trouble-maker in peace.
"I came to say goodbye and prevent Kenshin from causing a scene, but I see you got it controlled" he said. Looks like even he is aware of Kenshin's plan. "And to warn you".
That was ominous.
"As I'm sure you can see, Kenshin's ability is powerful. I thought so when I met him, but I was still surprised when he started sealing the Remnants of gods" he explained. "But after yesterday, I have to once again reconsider how powerful he is".
I didn't receive a letter yesterday, so I don't know anything.
"What happened?. Is there something harder than sealing gods?". If that's the case then I should know about it.
"He cleansed the curse of the last Yaksha. He was cursed by karma itself, due to countless years of slaughter" he clarified.
"That's absurd" I couldn't say another thing. Cleansing karma? That's something I'm not sure even a god can do.
"It is. I was ready to intervene, but things were too quickly for me to react. While he didn't destroy the curse, the ease he manipulated the curse was surprising. And his ability is only going to grow stronger. I know Beelzebub's attitude with the 'irregularities', but I still want to warn you" His eyes turned into slits for a brief moment. "No matter how Beelzebub thinks or acts, Liyue owes Kenshin a huge debt, one that will not be able to be repaid during his short life. Should anything happen to him, I will act myself. If he is not wanted in Inazuma, he will always be welcome in Liyue".
After saying that, he calmly walked away.
What a mess. Now I have some leverage against any radical choice the Shogun will make, but if I can't convince her, we will have to fight an angry dragon.
Hahh, Kenshin, why must you make everything so complicated?
----------------------------
I woke up and saw that I was on a ship.
"Good morning, probably the last one" the pink woman looked at me and said with a light smile.
"Good morning" I answered calmly.
"What a surprise, I didn't expect you to be this calm. I thought you would try to jump and swim to Liyue" she said while looking at me.
"I don't know how to swim. And even then, I recognize that it is time for me to go back" I replied calmly.
"I see" she nodded to herself. A comfortable silence fell between us while we looked at the slowly receding Liyue.
"How was it?" she asked me in an interested tone.
"Wonderful. I saw a lot of things, tried even more things and learned even more" I answered honestly.
"Did you like Liyue?" she asked while looking at me.
"Yes. Sealing the Remnants I travelled a lot and saw a lot of things. Every god had their story, just as any human does. Every person has their own dreams and aspirations, and even the mighty Adeptus are vulnerable to solitude and loss. And I don't think youkai are any different" I said while looking directly at Yae.
I never thought of this before coming to Liyue, but what is she hiding behind that teasing attitude?
Even Morax is like a lonely old man, how is this devious and mischievous woman inside?
"Who knows?" she said in a light tone with a teasing smirk. "Do you like travelling then?. Maybe you will want to leave Inazuma in the future".
"I love travelling, but I know that Inazuma will always be my home. I really love Inazuma". I truly do.
After seeing the whole Liyue, I realized that I know so little about my own homeland that is not even funny.
"I'm glad you do" she nodded. "Do you think this trip was worth it?".
I know she is not asking about the punishment I will face. She is asking me if I'm glad I came here. I saw good things and bad things, but the answer was obvious.
"Absolutely. I will return to Inazuma with a lot of things I didn't have before this trip".
"Like what?. Knowledge?. Friends?. Money?".
"Of course, but I felt fulfilled. When I saw Morax's grateful face after sealing the last god, when I saw Xiao's expression after lifting his curse when I wrote the last testimony that the gods existed and their plight. I felt that those were things I would feel proud of all my life. When I'm on my deathbed, hopefully with my family, I will be able to look back and think, 'My life had meaning'".
Yae fell silent for a while but then talked again.
"That's not something I expected from a 5-year-old kid. Isn't it too soon to talk about your death?".
"Maybe, but not going away. Everyone dies, I got that clear when I had to bury those gods. Even you will do and even the Shogun will. The thing I was in contact with the most in this month was death, one way or another. I learned that death is not something you fear, it's only a result of being alive, so will try to have as much fun as I can while I'm still alive" I said while closing my eyes.
"Oh, what is that thing you have in your neck? I was curious about it" I heard Yae say, so I tried to answer before I fell asleep.
"The sealed soul of Morax's dead lover".
And I fell asleep.
------------------------------
This kid just fell asleep just after dropping that bomb.
I picked the jade and heard a voice coming from it. I can't see souls like Kenshin can, but I can hear them just fine.
'H-hello, I'm Guizhong' I heard a nervous voice.
'Are you here unwillingly? I don't think Kenshin wants to harm you, but he is still a kid'. If this Guizhong is trapped here I will set her free. If she doesn't I will let her stay. This is not my business, it's hers and Kenshin's.
'No. I was unwilling at first, but now I want to keep experiencing this world'. Nice, a clear and honest answer.
'What do hope to get? I guess Kenshin promised you some unrealistic things'.
'He promised me a body, but I don't really care about that. I am satisfied seeing how my friends fare and how Liyue is a happy place'.
I probably have a way to make her a body. Ei can build 'puppets' you can introduce your soul in, but I won't mention it. As I said, this is their adventure, and looking for a way to restore her body is a part of it.
'Is there something I should know about Kenshin's trip? You have been with him, is there something I should know?'. I know Kenshin has done a lot of things he shouldn't have done.
Experiencing thousands of gods' memories can affect him a lot, either for good or for bad.
'Not really, he is really a special kid. In my opinion, he grew a lot from our memories, I can assure you that he will not be a common person in the future. I'm not talking about his ability, but after experiencing all that at his tender age will make sure that he will be a very special person'.
I already know that. I felt like crying when he asked me about how I was. It was the first time someone asked me that in more than 500 years.
It's not easy to live for so long, it makes you unable to connect with anybody as you will have to bury them. And the only person I could on was sulking inside a puppet.
It is hard.
Listening to Kenshin's views on death moved me, maybe I should stop lamenting the passing of my acquaintances at start celebrating that I was able to meet them. I will have to think about this.
'Still, you have to be careful' I heard the voice speak to me again. 'He almost started a rebellion at age 5, I don't know what his teenage years will be like'.
We will need Celestia's help to deal with a hormonal Kenshin.
'Yes, I'm already dreading it' was all I could say. I also need to teach him more politics, or we will face an angry dragon hurling meteors at us.
But in the end, I'm happy Kenshin is growing to be a genuinely good person.
"He finally fell asleep I see" I heard the voice of an old woman as soon as I lowered the barrier I erected to give us privacy.
"Indeed, no matter how much trouble he causes, he is still a kid" I answered while looking at the old-looking woman beside me.
When I was going to board the ship, she approached and introduced herself as an Adeptus. She told me how Kenshin had convinced her to come to Inazuma to help with the lady of the Kamisato Clan.
"Will you be able to heal that woman? Her family has had this illness for generations" I asked her.
Of course, it's better if she can heal, but I wouldn't even know where to start.
"I won't know until I try. But things are not day or night. Even in the case I can heal her, she will still suffer some symptoms that will leave her weak, but she will be able to keep her life" she gently explained.
"I hope so".
I really do.