War does not choose who wields the flag of the fighting sides. War does not choose who to condemn and who to serve under coloured banners. War does not decide who lives and dies by the end of a blade. War does not stop when bonds are broken in the eyes of many who stand on opposite sides of the battlefield. War does not care about aspirations and wishes.
If there was no war, Kokomi would have continued her life as the Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island, living her life to fulfil her duties to the Sangonomiya Shrine. But war did not care if she had duties to fulfil before protecting her people. War did not care about her dreams and ideals. War did not care if she did not want to see her people die to the orders of a god who had lost her reasoning. War did not care if she never wanted to raise a blade against the people of Inazuma. War did not care but Sangonomiya Kokomi cared.
"What would you have done if I hadn't forced you to join the resistance?" Kokomi asked as she and Aether walked down the dirt path at Bourou Village.
"I wonder…maybe I would have continued trying to stay out of the civil war or maybe I would have joined the resistance anyway. The future's not set in stone after all," Aether answered as he continued to walk beside her.
It was war that created the resistance army, it was war that turned Kokomi into the leader of the resistance. And it would be war that would destroy any semblance of respect Watatsumi had for the Inazuma Archon.
What had the Archon been thinking? Why had she turned against the people she had sworn to protect? And why did her people let her? A reverence for a god should never allow the god to walk over their worshippers.
(But sometimes, when one cares too much, it could bring forth their end. After all, their god, Orobashi, once cared too.)
"Do you think Orobashi regretted doing what he did?"
"No, I don't think he regretted it."
"He sacrificed himself for his people. Was it really worth it?"
"From what you told me about Orobashi, he sounded like a very kind and caring god. If given the choice to choose again, I think he would have taken the same choice."
The resistance had been born out of a necessity. Once, before the war with the mainland, it was known as the Watatsumi Army. It was an army that was made up of only the people of Watatsumi and it was created to only protect their island. They could not rely on the mainland to protect them, not when their god had slain theirs. The memories of the people may not last but the grudges they hold run deep into the land. And yet, it was not for that reason that the resistance was created.
When the Vision Hunt Decree was declared, there had been an uproar. Visions were quickly confiscated on the day of the decree enactment and many protested against the decree. The protesters were swiftly silenced, whether by verbal threat or physical force. Some tried to escape, only to be met by a storm barrier. The lucky ones managed to get through the storm barrier, the rest perished beneath the stormy waves. The cornered ones stood up and fought back, only to be crushed by the Raiden Shogun.
Upon hearing what was happening at the mainland, Kokomi opened the borders of Watatsumi to those fleeing the decree, to those who sought protection. The Watatsumi Army clashed against the Tenryou Commission and succeeded in chasing them away. It was then that the resistance was born.
(Born out of a necessity or because Kokomi cared too much?)
"Did you regret it? Creating the resistance army?"
Kokomi closed her eyes as she pondered the question, opening them once she had come up with an answer. "No, I don't regret creating it and I don't regret leading them."
However, though the army was bolstered with new forces from those fleeing the decree, they were still greatly outnumbered against the Tenryou Commission. It was at this point that Kokomi found her talent in strategy. She had read countless books on the art of war, something that had merely been an indulgence, a simple pastime. And as her soldiers celebrated, having managed to win a battle against overwhelming odds, Kokomi wondered if she could ever look at her books the same way she had before.
But as months passed, the resistance could not overcome the sheer might of the Tenryou Commission alone. Even with underhanded tricks and superior knowledge of the terrain, how was one to compete when the other side had a genius commanding them as well?
"I respect Kujou Sara as my equal in terms of strategy and commanding, but where we differ is in the treatment of our troops. She commands an intimidating presence where I care for mine as I would for my family. And that is something I dislike about her."
It ended up with a stalemate for weeks as neither side could push forward. The resistance continued to remain in the defensive as the Tenryou Commission continued in their offensive. Unfortunately, the resistance could not sustain a prolonged battle. Their supply lines remained cut off and their current supplies could only last so long. They needed a way out of this stalemate but there was not a path that Kokomi could see.
At least that was until an urgent letter came to her.
To Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island, Sangonomiya Kokomi
I am writing to you to ask for your assistance. In exchange, I will offer you the full backing of the Kamisato Clan.
All I ask is for you to heal a dear friend of mine who risked his life to protect someone dear to me. The injuries he sustained are something that can only be healed by a Vision holder. We are unable to move him, so for this reason, I seek your presence at the Komore Teahouse.
I am aware that what I offer you is not enough and that I might never be able to repay this debt, but I implore you to please consider this request.
Sincerely, Daughter of the Yashiro Commission's Kamisato Clan, Kamisato Ayaka
Who was this friend of Kamisato Ayaka to make her beg for Kokomi to heal them? Kokomi tried to recall what she knew about the eldest daughter of the Kamisato Can and the people close to her. Only one person came to mind, had Thoma been badly wounded to the point that the healers allied with the Kamisato Clan could not do anything? What had happened at the mainland? Was it related to the Vision Hunt Ceremony that had been interrupted? Why was there no news of his well-being from her informants? Between Thoma and Kamisato Ayaka, Thoma had a closer connection to the resistance. She had to find out what happened and to do that, she must set foot into the heart of the enemy's territory.
"It could be a trap," Gorou warned after reading the letter Kokomi had shown to him.
"No, the Kamisato Clan is not so dishonourable to lay out a trap like this. Also, they have been protesting against the Vision Hunt Decree. And I know that Ayaka is not someone who would write a letter, especially one so urgent, unless the contents are true."
"Then at least let me accompany you! You shouldn't go alone!"
"And if you are right and this is a trap, then the resistance would have no head. No, you will stay here. Still, I agree that going alone would be too risky. Rest assured, I will bring two soldiers with me."
"By your will, your excellency!"
Kokomi left Watatsumi Island on a boat with two of her chosen soldiers under the cover of night. As the tiny boat continued to make its way silently to the mainland, Kokomi was left to silently organise her thoughts and formulate strategies for every scenario that might play out. Sleep could come later once they were far away from enemy lines.
(It was always the worst case scenario that she hated to be prepared for.)
Once her strategies were planned out and her thoughts were no longer in disarray and filled with what-ifs, she closed her eyes to rest, letting the soothing waves empty her mind. Sleep would come later but rest was something they needed now.
(For when her plans are put into action, neither sleep nor rest would come.)
"You must rest whenever there is a lull on the battlefield. For when fighting begins, there would be no moment of rest," Kokomi read out from the book in her hand.
"But what do you do if there's no moment of rest to be found?" Aether asked.
"Then you simply have to create the opportunity," she explained with a smirk. "Shall I give you a few examples?"
But rest does not come easy. Her eyes are closed and she tried to will her mind to drift away but she could not stop thinking of what-ifs. What if Gorou was right and this was a trap? What if her plans to escape the trap failed? What if she was too late to save Ayaka's friend?
"Even if I make plans and contingency plans, there's always this voice that tells me that it wouldn't work, that I would fail. I've always ignored that voice but sometimes, when hope is bleak, it's hard to ignore it."
Kokomi did eventually rest, the constant lazy repetition of the bobbing waves that rocked the boat had been enough to calm her mind. The two soldiers chatted in whispers the entire journey as they took turns slowly rowing the boat, adding to that sense of safety Kokomi needed to force her body to relax. By the time they finally reached the mainland, the sky was starting to brighten as the first light of dawn graced the horizon. The boat touched ground on a secluded beach below Inazuma City, located behind the Komore Teahouse. The beach was to serve as their meeting point with the eldest daughter of the Kamisato Clan and yet, there was not a single soul (apart from them) to be found on the beach.
Had Gorou been right? As she was about to tell her men to depart quickly, one of them informed her of a figure running towards them. As the figure neared them, Kokomi could make out the light blue hair and the emblem of the Kamisato Clan on her breastplate. Could she be Kamisato Ayaka?
"Are you Sanganomiya Kokomi?" the girl asked once she had caught her breath.
"That I am. And you are Kamisato Ayaka?" Kokomi asked as she disembarked and planted her feet down on the wet sand.
"Yes, I am Kamisato Ayaka, eldest daughter of the Kamisato Clan. Thank you for coming all this way," Ayaka greeted with a bow, her head lower than what her status would ask for, a sign of her asking for a large favour from Kokomi. "I am aware of the risks I have put you through by making you come here. I presume that you've read my letter?"
"Yes, is Thoma the one needing my aid?"
"No," Ayaka answered as she straightened up. "The one who needs your help is a mutual friend of ours. Come, I will explain along the way. We mustn't dally here any longer."
The tale Ayaka told was almost unbelievable, an impossibility had it been anyone else telling the tale. And if it were not for the expression on her face, Kokomi would have brushed it off as an exaggeration of what had happened. After all, how can anyone survive a one-on-one duel against the almighty Raiden Shogun?
(But the person was not just anyone, was he? The tales of 'the Traveller' had already spread far and wide.)
The other proof however, that made the tale seem more true than fiction, was the undeniable evidence of the man who survived the duel to the death. In future tales, when history passes down the story of the first meeting between the hero and the leader of the resistance, they will speak of their meeting in a teahouse within the enemy's stronghold. One looking down at the other but the other held at a higher power than the one looking down. However, the stories told do not convey their thoughts and first impressions, only facts of the war and the hero who saved a country from itself.
As first impressions go, in a word, Kokomi could summarise the man as 'young'. The word, also applicable to herself, makes her wonder how much more innocent blood can be spilled before someone says enough is enough.
(But age did not matter in innocence, did it? War did not care about something as trivial as age and innocence.)
"Are you the Traveller?" Kokomi asked as she knelt down by the young man's side.
"Some call me that," the Traveller answered, his voice laced in pain. "Who are you?"
It was at this point, Ayaka left with the other occupants, leaving only the Traveller and Kokomi alone in the room. Kokomi silently appreciated her actions, there was no need to mentally scar the Traveller's friends further. "I am Sangonomiya Kokomi, and I was asked by Kamisato Ayaka to heal you."
There were many things that a healer can do with a Vision. Wounds healed by a Vision were instantaneous, almost miraculous. They leave behind no scars and no lingering pain. There were even stories of Vision healers regenerating lost limbs and tales of them bringing people back from the dead.
(But stories are just stories, even miracles have a limit.)
The wound that the Traveller sustained from his battle with the Raiden Shogun would have killed him. Rather, it should have if the attack had hit any of his internal organs. Even the electrical discharge from the attack had only moved to paralyse the muscles in his limbs, completely avoiding the rest of his body. The attack had deliberately missed everything vital that would have killed the Traveller. The only conclusion that Kokomi could come to was that the Raiden Shogun had held back. The Raiden Shogun had spared the Traveller's life on purpose.
A question came to mind: Why? Why did the Raiden Shogun spare the Traveller's life?
"I do not know the reason why, only that I felt compelled to hold back," Ei explained.
Kokomi frowned as she thought over what the Raiden Shogun had said. "Then perhaps, it was not you who held back but someone else?"
Even if the Raiden Shogun had deliberately spared the Traveller's life, the damage inflicted had caused immense physical pain to him. His muscles would seize, making his limb painfully cramp up at times. The site of the burn was still fresh, even if the flesh no longer bleeds. With each painful breath, the Traveller struggled to take in fresh air with his shallow breathing. Kokomi channelled her Hydro Vision to heal the large wound on the Traveller, watching as the wound slowly faded away and the burned flesh returned back to pristine skin. The Traveller's breathing eased up, no longer quick and shallow from the pain.
(The physical scar may be gone but the mental scars are something a Vision could never heal.)
"How…?" the Traveller asked, his voice slurring and his eyelids dipping close as the healing sapped his energy as an aftereffect.
"I'm a Vision healer. We can talk more later once you've rested enough."
"No…can't…Thoma and Paimon…where…? Are they…safe..?" the Traveller asked. However, his eyes closed before he could get the answers to his question.
(War did not care but Kokomi cared and it seems, so does the Traveller.)
Kokomi left the room where the Traveller slept, her side of the deal accomplished. Outside of the room, her two soldiers stood guard at the door while the previous occupants (including Kamisato Ayaka), sat in the room opposite, their door wide open to give them a full view of the Traveller's room.
"Is Aether going to be okay?" a small floating person asked as she fidgeted with her hands in worry.
"The Traveller will make a full recovery," Kokomi answered with a smile.
"Thank you for healing him! Can Paimon go see him now?"
"He's currently asleep now. It would be best to let him rest a while longer."
"It's okay! Paimon will be really quiet!" Paimon said as she lowered her volume for emphasis. "Please? It's just…Paimon's been worried since Thoma brought him back…"
"You are a good friend, Paimon," Kokomi said with a smile. "You can stay by his side, just don't wake him up, okay?"
Kokomi allowed Paimon to enter the Traveller's room behind her, even helping Paimon to open and shut the door. Kokomi moved into the room where Ayaka sat beside her aide. A tea was formally offered to Kokomi as she sat across from Kamisato Ayaka. Her guards moved to stand behind her, both as a way to guard her and a show of power to everyone else. Ayaka's aide stood behind his master, hands crossed, seemingly disinterested. However, Kokomi noticed the way he shifted to show off the Pyro Vision hanging off his hip, a subtle gesture to show that he had the means to defend his master.
"Now then," Kokomi said as she returned the tea to its place after taking a sip. "Shall we discuss our agreement?"
Obtaining the Kamisato Clan's backing was a huge boost to the might of the resistance army. Though the clan could not openly support the resistance, there were other means of supporting an army from the shadows. However, it was not the support that Kokomi sought to gain at the very least from this discussion but the means to end the war.
"To conquer a fortress, it is easier to strike from within than from the front gates."
What Kokomi sought to gain today was the usage of the Komore Teahouse and its underground tunnels to stage an invasion. At the very least, she must walk out of here with that agreement secured and nothing less. The problem lay with the fact that though Kamisato Ayaka is the eldest daughter of the Kamisato Clan, she was not the heir to the clan. Therefore, she may not have the power to give the resistance the right to use the Komore Teahouse. What Ayaka can do however, should her power alone be not enough, is open a discussion with the leader of the Kamisato Clan, her brother, Kamisato Ayato. Either way, Kokomi will obtain what she wants and with that, the war will end in her victory.
Politics after all, is simply another form of war.
"Kamisato Ayaka, I want to use the Komore Teahouse as a base for the resistance."
Ayaka opened her fan to cover her face, to mask her expression to not give away her thoughts. "You seek to invade the castle using this place."
There was no need to deny her intentions, rather, it would be more worthwhile to expose the truth now than to do it later with a higher risk of being backstabbed. Also, lies and sharp tongues should be reserved for taking down stubborn politicians, not allies.
"I must confer with my brother first before this decision can be made. I ask that you please await our answer before you come to a decision."
Waiting was the ultimate test of patience. Waiting right in the middle of enemy territory on the other hand, was an exercise in vigilance. There was not a second they could let their guard down. They had to be prepared to move at a moment's notice, whether to flee from being discovered or to raise their blades to fight for survival. However, waiting did not mean to idle around and do nothing. Waiting allowed time for some rest (even if they must keep watch during rest) and more importantly, a time to collect information.
The next thing Kokomi wanted, if all possible, was to recruit the Traveller to her cause. With the Traveller's help, the resistance could deal a decisive blow against the Tenryou Commission, enough that even with the Raiden Shogun's power, they would never be able to recover and it would force them to bow to the resistance.
(Even if they force the head to obey their whims, the resistance was not meant to take over the government. Kokomi was not meant to rule over Inazuma. The people only wish for the Vision Hunt Decree to be abolished. Once that was gone, the resistance would be no more.)
The first step in succeeding in the endeavour, which was to obtain some form of leverage, was already done. The second step that she had to do was to obtain information about the Traveller, anything that she could use to convince the Traveller to help before she used her leverage against him.
"Isn't that just blackmail!?" Paimon exclaimed loudly.
"Schematics," Kokomi said in lieu of an answer.
But to do that, the Traveller needed to be awake. Kokomi took another sip of lukewarm tea from her cup as Ayaka left the Komore Teahouse. In the meantime, perhaps she should start drafting the early stages of her invasion plan.
The Traveller woke up hours later, before Kamisato Ayaka returned to the teahouse. In that time from healing the Traveller until he woke up, Kokomi had finished drafting up her invasion plans as well as the contingency plans, played and won several board games with her guards, and was now currently re-reading her favourite book.
"Paimon…water…" the Traveller groaned as he removed himself from his cosy blanket encasement.
"Paimon will get some! Stay here and don't move, Aether!" Paimon said as she shoved the door open, drawing the attention of everyone in the teahouse.
Kokomi moved to sit beside the Traveller while her guards moved to stand outside the room. She examined her work, noting down the pristine and smooth pale skin where an ugly electrical burn scar had once been. The miracles of a Vision, a tool gifted to the people by the gods.
(So why then, did the god of this country order her gifts to be returned?)
The Traveller was still tired from his recovery, evident from the way he was leaning heavily against the pillows that propped him up. Kokomi waited for his companion to return with a cup of water, watching as Paimon helped the Traveller drink his fill. However, once the cup was emptied of its liquid, the room remained silent with no one making the first move. Kokomi caved in first, if only to fulfil her role as the Traveller's healer before her role as the leader of the resistance.
"How are you feeling?" Kokomi asked, never once keeping her eyes off the Traveller.
"Who's there?" the Traveller said, immediately sitting up straight.
"Wait Aether! It's just Ayaka's friend! She healed you!" Paimon said as she quickly flew in between Kokomi and the Traveller.
Kokomi allowed Paimon to explain to the Traveller, only speaking to clarify or add on to the explanation. She patiently waited for the explanation to finish, noting how the Traveller's expression shifted slowly to one that was deep in thought.
"Sanganomiya Kokomi, was it? Thank you for healing me."
"You should thank Kamisato Ayaka, she asked me to heal you. However, the price of healing is far greater than what she can afford to pay. You owe a great debt, Traveller."
"Wha-! But!" Paimon tried to argue, only to be stopped when the Traveller gently patted her on the head.
"...What do you want?" the Traveller asked, his unhappy face telling of his inner thoughts.
"Join the resistance, we need your power to turn the tide of war."
"I'm just an ordinary traveller," the Traveller tried to argue, but Kokomi knew that he was already aware he had lost the argument.
"Are you? Would an ordinary traveller fight a god's equal to save a city? Twice at that? Would an ordinary traveller survive an attack that would kill everyone but a god?"
The Traveller did not answer but the scowl on his face was a victory in Kokomi's eyes.
AN:
I would like to inform you, my readers, that I am now part of the Genshin Impact Content Creator program. This means that I would be posting more Genshin Impact works unrelated to the Blind Traveller series. This also means that new chapters would take slightly longer to be posted. I hope that you'll take a look at my other Genshin Impact fics and I hope that you'll look forward to the future chapters for Your World In Our Eyes.