At the end of the road, there was nowhere else to run, and it was there that I met her. As gorgeous as the first time I had seen her, we were fighting on a different side before, but now that everything is done, is it okay if we enjoy our time like this?

Under the cloudy evening sky, we sat together at the Kujou Encampment in Kannazuka, now abandoned, and yet, she calmly accepted all that happened.

After the events, the Kujou clan was no longer the leader of Tenryou Commision, instead they were thrown away and lost all their ranks. I envied the Shogun, Sara, if only you give half your commitment to me. I patted her head, complimenting how strong she is.

With a cold face she asked me, "What are you doing?" She slapped my hand away. Ouch, that hurts, in more ways than one. I never saw her smile honestly even once. Her smile is either smirking or fake.

"I never imagined that I would end up alongside you like this. Can you tell me? The reason you still stick to me up until now?"

Reason huh? Do I even need to tell her? I love her. Exactly one week from now, I am going to leave Inazuma. I asked her to come with me. Even if I already knew the answer.

"Love huh? I don't really understand the reason you would love someone like me. You are a good person, and as much as I appreciate your offer, I have sworn with my soul to live by the will of the Shogun alone. Please forgive me." She does not put too much thought into her sentence.

I sighed, it was not like I expected anything else. That determination is what made me fall in love with her in the first place.

That night I accompanied her to the new Kujou household, a little further from the city as they are no longer the leader of Tenryou Commision. The glare of the people, and the smirk of some others. I look at the gate as it was painted in tomato splatters and garbage. The words 'Traitors' written all over its wall.

Sara stood firm among everything. I helped her clean them and fix the gate. The aura was gloomy the entire time. After we fixed all of them, it was almost midnight. The household leader, Kamaji Kujou, called me over for some tea.

"Sara, I am going to speak with the traveller. Alone. Could you give us a moment?" Kamaji smiled.

I wonder what it is that he wished to speak with me. He immediately went straight to the point.

"Aether, Sara told me not to tell this to you but..." But what?

"Tomorrow early in the morning, come here and tail her. You will see for yourself." I am curious, but why can he not tell me himself?

"To be honest, I really don't want to tell this to you. But she is my sister, even if we are not related by blood, I care about her. And over time, this city is pushing us to hell. I just don't know what to do." The desperation in Kamado's face is real.

I nodded, deciding to believe in him.

"What did he talk to you about?" Sara was waiting for me at the gate. I know she would respect the leader and would not listen to our conversation, so I am forced to lie my way out.

She sighed, "Fine, let's meet again here tomorrow afternoon. There is something that I need to talk about with you."

Is there any particular reason she never wants to meet me in the morning? My mouth slipped.

She answered with no weight in her words. "No particular reason. Goodnight." She pulled me in and kissed me on the cheek.

After rejecting me right in front of my eyes, just when I wanted to give up, my whole face felt hot and I ran away. That night, I forced myself to sleep, knowing that I needed to tail her early in the morning.

The next morning, as I was tailing her from behind, I felt like a creep, I am sorry, Sara. I followed her until she stopped at Domon's Dojo.

"Scram, there is nothing my master wants to speak with you about." Junya and Nanako chase her off. "You think all of this can be done with an apology?" Sara kneeled in front of the Dojo.

I-is this what she was doing? For a girl, high and prideful, and yet she, I still cannot believe what I was seeing.

Domon exited the dojo, yawning as he asked, "What are you guys shouting so early in the morning?"

"Look at this mighty princess over here! She dared to put her head here, after everything she did to you and our dojo!"

Domon look at her and sighed,

"Stand up." Domon ordered her with no hatred behind his words and with no intention to force her. He sighed when she made no move, "Hah, listen, young girl, what is done is done, and beside, my vision has been returned to me. You may go home."

And with that simple order that was given to her, Sara stood up, "walked away as if it was nothing. Surprised to see their master answer, his students were questioning his decision.

Behind the trees where no one can see her, she cried her heart out, but held her voice inside so nobody would hear her. She is always like that, pretending to be strong, but inside she is as fragile as a pigeon.

"Aether? Oh, it is only the foxes" She almost saw me, but a fox came out of the bush next to me.

While I followed her, Yoimiya saw me. "Oy, Long time no see! Why are you sneaking around?" I shush her.

I asked Yoimiya if she knew anything about Sara. Yoimiya told me that for the last for the last few days she was asking for forgiveness and taking money from her own pocket for the orphans and widows she was responsible with.

"Whether their family members died in her command or died by her hand. There are few people who forgive her, but of course, people are going to get mad, she was beaten up and shouted at. But if I may say, she deserved it. Hey! Wait! Where are you going?"

I came running as soon as I heard someone shouting in the distance. On the outskirts of the city, she was surrounded by the people from Inazuma. "Get out of here Kujou! You don't belong here!" She was splashed with water from the gutter.

Someone from the crowd threw rocks at her, her head started to bleed but she did not flinch, instead, she kept bowing to them. I ran as fast as I can to cover her

"My husband died in vain and his blood is on your hands!"

"Get out of here! You don't belong here!"

"Now people know you Kujous are scum! Where is your pride now?"

They kept cursing at her and one of them almost landed a clean hit on Sara. She had not tried to block it but I came out of my hiding, just in time. I shouted at them, commanding them to stop right now.

I looked at Sara, she did not cry, but her eyes were blank, her tears were dried out already.

"Hey knight in shining armor, who might you be?" One of them with a body much bigger than mine stepped up, trying to intimidate me. However, he did not know that I have fought enemies much bigger than him.

"You don't seem to be afraid. Do you know who she is? This girl right here was murdering the people in Inazuma. But now? She's got nothing left to her name. Pfft, and all she can say is sorry."

I could not hold back anymore, I raised my fist and infused it with geo but Sara pulled my hand. Shaking her head, telling me to not hurt this guy.

"Hah? Are you afraid to hit me?" This guy is really getting on my nerves.

"Oy," someone from the back whispered to him.

"Y-you are the Traveler? The-the one who fought the Raiden Shogun herself?" His face was pale, that was the eyes that feared death.

"T-then, why are you protecting her? She is the one who took all the visions and brought chaos to this land! The Kujou clan who were supposed to protect the people, instead, they brought a civil war in this land. M-my cousin died by her orders. The Kujou clan are the traitors that corrupt this land!" The man stuttered, a prey forced to growl to avoid a merciless death. The crowd behind him clamored in agreement.

I sighed.

There were around twenty people in the crowd and I looked at them one by one.

I asked them, who amongst them fights the shogunate army like the resistance does? Who amongst them cared or protected the vision holder who was about to be ta0ken by her? Whom among them ever said before, that they do not like how things goes and decided to take action?

They all take a step back

"Then answer me, is she truly dirtier than you guys?"

"Never lay your hands on her again!" I shouted.

They ran away, scattering when I released some of my anemo power, but the man in front of me was shocked and unable to move. I really want to beat him into pulp but Sara once again protected the man, bowing to him, saying that she was sorry for his cousin. The man then ran away.

"Ahh, this is surely my punishment," Kujou Sara said, with her head bleeding, her clothes rugged. I start to bandage her wounds and tears start to come from her eyes. Her body was full of bruises. She walked away from the city.

I tried to give her my clothes but she pushed me back. "Don't touch me!" She started to walk away, her eyes were still blank.

I held her hands and how could I not notice? She hid it well from me but her feet and hands were full of bruises.

"Why don't you tell me?" I asked, strongly gripping her hands.

"Please, I beg you, leave me alone." She did not want to see my face, her hands stopped struggling as she sobbed.

I, I am sorry Sara, this is not what I wanted.

"I know," and with a tiny struggle I released my hold. She ran away into the distance. Before I leave Inazuma, there is something I need to do. That night, I secretly met with Kamajo once again. This time, not at the household, but at the Komore Teahouse. He was not the only one as I called Ayaka, Thoma, and Yoimiya to help me out.

That night, I told them my plan. At first, they were hesitant to lend a hand, but I begged them until they finally agreed.

The next day, they called people from all over Inazuma. I asked Kamaji to call people from the Tenryou Commision, including Sara. Yoimiya prepared fireworks to draw in more people. And Thoma tricked the guards to think that this was the Shogun's orders.

In front of so many people and with Sara in the crowd, I stand on the stage.

This speech that I wrote myself suddenly feels wrong. I shredded the speech paper and from behind the stage, Thoma and the others looked at me in confusion.

"From now onwards, that girl is my wife!" I shouted and pointed at Sara.

The four of them at the back gape at me.

"From now on, I am part of the Kujou family! Anyone who dares to bring harm to them means they are ready to fight me. And I hope that you are prepared to get something worse than death."

The crowds were shocked. Sara walked up onto the stage.

Kamaji tries to reason with her. "Move."

I whispered to her, I am sorry to make this outrageous claim, but now they will not hurt her anymore. She walked past me. I thought she was going to get angry. She stood at the other side of the stage.

"This man right here, he is not my husband." She said as she pointed her finger at me. The crowd were whispering to each other and confused. After all I did? I did not expect her to have this much of a pride.

But then she bowed in front of everyone.

"But, with all of my heart. I love him very, very much."

Hah?

"My heart feels like it is about to burst every time I am with him. He was kind enough to let me sleep on his shoulder. He told me that I am cute. My head went through the roof when he held my hand." Her face was red, and she closed her eyes. I was about to pass out from her adorable confession.

"The time he spent with me gives me the strength to say this to all of you. But as much as I love him, I have sworn an oath to live by the will of the Shogun and to Inazuma alone. So please, I do not wish to be forgiven. Just give us the chance to say that we are sorry. We have seen the wrong of our way, and we will continue to serve Inazuma." The Kujou clan people in the crowd also lowered their heads and finally the crowd gave in. The one who still could not accept their apology decided to leave and that was as expected.

Just when I thought everything was going to end, the sky went dark, "Who dares to disturb the peace of Inazuma?" The thunder clapped and the Raiden Shogun stood in front of us.

Everyone and I mean everyone, lowered their heads to the ground in front of the Shogun. "It seems you Kujou have not learned your lesson." Sara's face turns pale. "Oh you again." The Shogun looked at me.

"How many times will you try taking my eternity away from me?" I raise my sword but these overwhelming feelings make my hands tremble.

"Kujou Sara?"

"Yes, Almighty Shogun?"

"Do you mean it, when you said you will live all your life by my command?"

"I do my lord."

"If so, then I order you to kill that man. If you do, I will forgive all mistakes the Kujou clan made in the past, even this one."

Kujou hesitantly aims her bow at me, and I...I don't want to fight her, but I cannot die now, my sister still needs me. But Sara lowered her shot.

"Please Shogun! This man will not threaten your eternity, I have seen it myself!"

"Hoh? Do you now dare to raise your head to me?"

"I dare not my lord. But..." Sara pointed the head of the arrow to her own throat and closed her eyes as tears started to flow down her cheeks.

"If I may trade my life for his." Sara swung the arrow to her neck and even though I boosted myself with the power of anemo, I would not be fast enough to stop her.

Instead, the Shogun shouted, "Stop!" The Shogun closed her eyes. And when she opened her eyes again, she smiled. "Raise your head everyone."

The crowd were whispering once again, the Shogun just smiled. I was thinking to myself, Ei, is that you?

"Kujou Sara! You have proven your loyalty to me was real, and so is your love for this man. But punishment is still needed for all of your mistakes."

"For disturbing my peace, for disturbing my eternity, for everything you and all of the Kujou clan did in the past." Ei pulled the Musou no Hitotachi from her body and aimed it towards the sky.

Sara closed her eyes, prepared to be killed. "From now onwards..." The dark cloudy sky starts to densed and become even darker. Raiden eyes glowed, and I ran toward Sara and hugged her, protecting her from direct hit.

Raiden Shogun then released a beam of lighting into the sky, turning it as it was before.

"Kujou Sara will be banished from Inazuma. She is never to set foot on this land again!"

"B-but?"

"There is no but, my order is absolute. And to all people of Inazuma, I have decided that this punishment is enough for their betrayal already. If anyone making any problem with them means they are questioning my authorities."

Everyone was shocked. Another thunder clapped and the Raiden Shogun was gone.

Sara looks at me in disbelief. I released my hug from her. And I hold her hands.

"I love you Kujou Sara. Will you marry me after I have found my sister?" I asked.

"It is not like I have any choice doesn't it?" and with no expression on her face, she left the stage.

The next day, we left the port. A lot of people who have forgiven her, came to give their farewells. The big guy who previously wanted to hit her says he was sorry personally.

"My cousin always told me in his letter that you are a great general, I am sure he is also happy with how you have become." She hid behind that emotionless face of hers. But she held my hands trembling. "Aether?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you, for never giving up on me." She finally smiled earnestly.

**Author's note**
HAI HAI, nice to finally done another chapter, and damn, I really love this chapter. I notice that my stories are getting longer and longer, I don't know whether that is a bad news or a good news.

For Voisenyer Frosty. I am sorry but that is kind of intentional hehe. For Harith Iskandar, aw man, thanks. For bracer, yo bro, I still thinking about this. The problem falls that I never played horizon zero dawn at all. I was thinking not to make one for Aloy, but if I do make one for Aloy, I will only take the source from Genshin Webtoon event (ye, there is one right now) and her storyline. For Idk, sorry that this chapter cames out a bit late.

Once again, thanks for my friend zaphy for checking my story. I don't know if its legal to say this but, she goes by the name wolfhunter777, you should check her out too, she is a way more amazing writer than me.

If you guys like my story, Follow and favourite it so you don't miss out. See you in the Kokomi chapter.