Chapter 26
Show your face after so long

Kazuha and Ayaka were silent as they walked out and away from the dojo. However, this did not last long because when they were already a safe distance, Kazuha asked the obligatory question, although its answer was obvious.

"That man lost his vision too, didn't him?" he murmured low as if it was a little secret just between the two of them. Ayaka responded by slightly nodding her head.

"It was recently. Before that time, Domon-sensei was one of the best swordsmen in all of Inazuma. But now, his mind has been wandering like that, still showing no signs of improvement. He mistakes people for individuals from his past and has become paranoid, declaring that they are coming for revenge. His students are so concerned about his behavior that they refuse to accept that it's just because of his vision and believe that he might be possessed by some demon."

"Is that why they seek the help of the Grand Narukami Shrine?"

"Yes," Ayaka muttered with regret in her voice. "But I'm afraid there's nothing the High Priestess or anyone else can do for him or any of the others suffering from the same situation. I've seen some get over it over time, but others..."

But others don't recover at all, Kazuha completed in his head, without Ayaka needing to say much more. He himself had also seen it on several of his trips, how the loss of their visions affected people in this way. It inevitably caused him a certain fear to imagine what kind of effect it could have on him.

Ayaka suddenly stopped without warning. Kazuha was a bit distracted at that last thought, so he took a couple of steps forward before realizing it and stopping as well. Turning towards his companion, she looked down at the ground.

"Kazuha," she murmured slowly without looking up. "You were there last night when Mr. Ouji lost control," he said suddenly, not making it clear whether it was a question or a statement. "What he said about the other members of the Three Commissions and me being immune to the Vision Hunt Decree..."

"You don't have to give me an explanation," Kazuha was quick to point out firmly.

"I know, but I want to. I don't want there to be any kind of resentment in your heart towards me."

That surprised him a bit. Was she worried that he might hold resentment against her for the fact that she could keep her vision while others like Tomo or him had to run away? Although he had to admit that he had come to think that the situation seemed unfair and contradictory to the discourse that the Raiden Shogun's government preached so much.

Ayaka heaved a deep sigh, then steeled herself to look up again and meet her friend's face.

"The truth is that we have been forgiven of having our visions taken away for the moment. To me, my brother, General Kujou, and many other members of the Tri-Commission. Even Thoma. All in order to have greater power to enforce the will of the Almighty Shogun. But this is a temporary thing. It has never been officially decreed, but we all know that sooner or later, the Shogun will ask all of us to surrender our visions as well; voluntarily or by force, as the case may be. It has already happened to some people, even within the Tenryou Commission itself. So as hard as it is to see right now, we're all in the same position on this."

That was the thing, then. The Shogun allowed her most loyal servants to hold their visions only as long as necessary. It sounded logical. After all, it would be tough for an army without any vision to enforce the decrees. But knowing that the future situation is as Ayaka commented, there was an obvious question to ask. A question that had already crossed his mind earlier that day, but only until now did he dare to utter it directly.

"And how do you feel about it?" he blurted out, making Ayaka jump, slightly surprised by the question. "Are you truly willing to willingly surrender your vision when that time comes?"

Ayaka hesitated a bit and turned her gaze away without replying. Kazuha feared again that he was in a dangerous field. Still, he wanted to hear her answer one way or another; he wished to know what kind of person the Kamisato Ayaka who was in front of him at that time was.

"I know I only saw you again less than a day ago," Kazuha added, "and perhaps it's very bold of me to say so. But I don't think you're really at all sure that the Vision Hunt Decree is what's best for Inazuma, are you?"

"Can I tell you something, and you promise it will stay between us?" Ayaka murmured suddenly, looking at him again. Kazuha nodded slowly in response. "Actually, I think there are many more people within the Tri-Commission who are not sure of the benefit of that decree, or the closing of the borders, than it might seem at first glance. Of course, none openly declare it for fear of reprisals. But it is an open secret that many actually have their serious doubts. And how not to have them when you see how our actions create so much pain in people? Like Mr. Ouji or Domon-sensei. We were supposed to be here just to help and protect people. I personally have already tried several times to request an audience with Her Excellency to be able to discuss this matter with her directly and express my concerns about it. However, so far, every one of my requests has been denied."

"Why?" Kazuha asked, clearly confused.

"I would also like to know it for sure," Ayaka answered with some bitterness but also a bit of irony. "They have given me many excuses. But in the end, what makes me think is that, just as there are people who have doubts about the application of these decrees, there are also others who are very interested in their remaining in force no matter what. And they will do anything so that nothing, and no one, opposes it."

The young Kamisato stepped forward at that moment, standing right in front of the young swordsman, staring into his eyes with deep seriousness. Kazuha managed to hold his gaze and hold his ground.

"Kazuha," Ayaka murmured slowly, "I think it's unnecessary to tell you that what I'm telling you is extremely delicate. If I told this to the wrong person..."

"I know, don't worry," Kazuha replied immediately without the slightest hesitation. "Just as I blindly trust you to keep my secrets, you can trust me to keep yours." As he said those words, he raised his right hand, placing it against his heart in an oath. "And I really appreciate you sharing these concerns with me."

Ayaka's face, which had become severe and even somewhat hard, hearing him say that softened it again, and a small smile graced her thin lips.

"If I'm honest, I'm not sure why I did it," the blue-haired woman whispered slowly while discreetly adjusting a lock of hair that had come out of its place due to the wind. "With you, it has always felt right to be able to talk about anything... Do you feel the same?"

"Yes," Kazuha agreed. "And I really wish I could tell you everything... but there are things that don't depend only on me."

"I know, and I respect it. Don't worry about it."

After all, she had her secrets too, and it wasn't up to her alone to tell them, either.

Ayaka glanced further down the road, noticing that they were, in fact, closer to the tea house than it seemed. As usual, she could even see Kozue standing in front of the door. She was looking in their direction, so she had possibly already noticed their presence in the distance.

"Let's go inside so we can check your wound," said the young Kamisato and began to walk back towards the tea house. Kazuha followed closely behind her.

The wandering swordsman became more and more fascinated and impressed with Ayaka. He knew that someone as noble as her would see the wrong in that despicable decree and its harm to people. He knew very well that her loyalty to the Shogun could not be stronger than the kindness of her heart.

She had indeed become an extraordinary person, even more so than she already was as a child. And for perhaps the first time in eight years, Kazuha regretted even a little about his decision not to fight to restore his clan. Possibly, if he had, he might have achieved something. He could have recovered and been in a position closer to Ayaka's. More deserving of being by her side...

"Ayaka," they heard as a voice exclaimed harshly behind them, just when they were already in front of the teahouse.

They both turned simultaneously and immediately caught a glimpse of the person who had spoken to them, standing a few meters away from them, with two guards in purple armor behind him. Ayaka was startled and felt the breath completely leave her body.

"Brother!" she exclaimed with astonishment and a clear atavism of fright.

Kamisato Ayato's face was not affable and smiling as usual. In fact, while his deep eyes carefully observed both of them, his face remained cold and hard as stone, without leaving a trace of what he was thinking or feeling at that moment, just as Ayaka had described it not long ago. Perhaps the most significant change in his countenance came when his attention was fixed on Kazuha. However, what was reflected in his eyes did not seem like a positive thing at all, and Kazuha soon realized this.

"Lord Kamisato…" muttered the young Kaedehara slowly, a little hesitant between whether he should offer him a bow and a few words, just like the ones he had pronounced that first day they met. But it did not matter in the end because he was not given enough opportunity to do it even if he had decided.

"Kaedehara Kazuha," Ayato pronounced dryly, starting to advance towards him; the two guards stayed close. "You have a lot of courage to show your face here after so long..."

Ayaka wasn't sure with what intentions he was approaching. Still, her body reacted anyway, positioning itself almost entirely in front of Kazuha in a protective manner.

"Brother, wait...!" she uttered forcefully, looking at him with an almost aggressive firmness in her eyes.

Ayato stopped, silently watching his young sister and her doing the same.

The situation had become so volatile that even Kozue reached out. Although, between the two Kamisato brothers, she had no idea on whose behalf she had to intervene if it escalated to another level.

Suddenly, behind them, the tea house door opened, slightly drawing everyone's attention.

"Hey, are you back yet?" came the melodic voice of Tomo, who was leaving the establishment with a relaxed step and approaching the commotion. "Did you have fun?"

His presence was not the least bit reassuring to Ayaka, Kazuha, and Kozue. Nor for Thoma, who had come out behind him but was also frozen in shock at seeing Commissioner Kamisato.

"Tomo, go back..." Kazuha tried to tell him when his friend walked past him. However, he passed him by and kept going.

"Excuse me," he said in a sonorous cheerful tone, almost jumping to stand directly in front between the newcomer and the two young. And from that position, he stood firmly, staring at the blue-haired man without hesitation. "You must be Ms. Kamisato's older brother, Commissioner Kamisato Ayato, isn't that right?" He said in an almost playful tone. Ayato, however, just looked back at him without replying. "It's nice to meet you," Tomo added right after, extending his hand to him. "My friends call me Tomo."

Ayato slightly lowered his gaze from the samurai's face towards the hand extended to him. Then he raised it again, but this time a carefree-looking smile crossed his lips. Although, despite its appearance, it didn't seem exactly friendly.

"And those of us who are not your friends, by what name should we call you, good man?" asked the oldest of the Kamisato suddenly, with cold courtesy.

"My, my," exclaimed Tomo, chuckling a bit and lowering his hand at being clearly rebuffed. "I can see at first glance that you are not just a simple bureaucrat, right?"

"I'll take it as a compliment," Ayato replied in the same way as before. "Now, I don't know what your business is on this site, but I must ask you to step aside, please."

At that moment, the commissioner raised his left hand and placed it comfortably on the hilt of the sword that he carried visibly fastened at his side. That could be something harmless on its own. But, accompanied by those words, it could easily be perceived as something else.

Tomo, however, did not seem particularly threatened by it. Even his confident and carefree smile widened even more.

"Do you know? I don't usually put much trust in a person who makes a polite request sound like the most dangerous of threats," he replied smilingly, though clearly scathingly, as he similarly placed his hand on his sword, being even more audacious to close his fingers around the hilt, ready to draw out. "You may prefer to rephrase it another way."

That subtly hostile action did not go unnoticed. Immediately the two guards escorting Ayato, as well as Kozue, got into position, ready to pounce if that individual dared to expose even a bit of the edge of his weapon. But Tomo didn't seem worried about this either, or maybe he didn't notice it because his eyes were only fixed on Kamisato Ayato.

"I think I made my meaning quite clear, Mr. Tomo," replied Ayato, in a manner quite similar to that of his listener. "So I suggest you remove that hand from your sword now."

"You first," Tomo replied challengingly.

The tension became so thick that possibly one of those swords that threatened to come out could cut it. Kazuha and Ayaka weren't sure if the situation would escalate to that point. Still, neither was willing to sit back and wait to find out.

"Tomo, enough," Kazuha exclaimed recriminating, standing next to his friend and taking him firmly by the wrist. Don't make things worse, please."

"Brother, this is totally unnecessary," Ayaka also chimed in, advancing to stand in front of Ayato firmly. "Stop this spectacle so unlike you."

Somehow, it seemed that the two adults had had to be scolded by the two youngsters to control their outbursts. Still, for the next few seconds, neither Ayato nor Tomo gave any sign of giving their arm a twist. In the end, the wandering samurai ended up dropping his weapon and lowering his hand, the same one Kazuha was holding. Seeing this, Ayato followed suit almost immediately.

"Lower your weapons," Commissioner Yashiro ordered the two guards behind him. "You too, Kozue. Please."

The two armored guards and the teahouse attendant hesitated but finally complied and dropped their hostile stance. Only then did Kazuha, Ayaka, and Thoma, too, allow themselves to breathe normally again.

Ayato took one last look at Kazuha and his friend and then advanced on Komore.

"Ayaka, Thoma," he snapped as he approached the front door. "I need to talk to both in private."

"Then let's go to my room," Ayaka replied seriously. And with a solemn step, she followed her older brother into the establishment.

"Ayaka…" Kazuha muttered when the blue-haired girl walked past him. He wasn't sure what he wanted to say to her, perhaps apologizing for the obviously added trouble he was causing her. However, the Heron Princess walked on without looking at him.

A few seconds later, Ayaka, Ayato, and Thoma disappeared from sight on the other side of the door, which was closed by the latter.

Kazuha felt the worry gnawing at her chest. What was Kamisato Ayato doing there? Had he been told that he was there with Ayaka and immediately gone to see what was going on? Had he known about his vision? From the incident with Katsumoto? Perhaps… from the kiss? Or kisses, rather.

He wanted to go in and explain to the commissioner, face to face, that Ayaka was not guilty of anything. If he had to reprimand anyone, it was him. But he barely made the small gesture of wanting to approach the door, and Kozue abruptly moved to stand in front of him and block his path. And in her eyes, and in her firm posture with her arms crossed, she made it quite clear that she would not let it pass.

And she wasn't the only one with that same attitude. Looking at the two guards who had arrived with Ayato, they were also blocking the path to go out to the street that passed by the side of the tea house, and they were staring at them with apprehension. None were from the Tenryou Commission but lairs from the Yashiro Commission. Still, given the circumstances, he didn't know if it made any difference.

"I guess that means we can't leave," Tomo muttered slowly in a nonchalant voice, apparently sensing the same thing as Kazuha. "What do you say, friend? Should we try an elegant escape?"

"If you want to do it, I won't stop you," Kazuha replied seriously. "But I don't want to give Ayaka any more trouble than I already gave her. I will wait here until I know what Kamisato Ayato actually wishes."

"And if he orders your vision taken away?"

"If that happens, I'll do what Ayaka tells me. Either run away or hand it over for good. Whatever it is, I know it will be what she thinks is best."

Tomo let out a loud, sarcastic laugh, which was heard by Kozue and the guards alike.

"Seriously, the crazy lovers are a problem," he blurted out as a comment to the air, to which Kazuha didn't reply. "You have it a bit complicated, by the way. It's evident that the brother doesn't like you very much."

"Well, after this, neither do you."

"I know. But the difference is that I don't mind being at odds with a few nobles here and there. And you?"

Kazuha again didn't reply. He usually wouldn't mind either. However, that was a very special case.

For their part, already inside the tea house, Ayaka, Ayato, and Thoma went straight to the upper floor, to the private room of the youngest of the Kamisato. Passing down the aisle, one of the waitresses bowed respectfully to the commissioner, asking if he needed anything brought. Ayato declined the offer with as much kindness as he could convey at the time. Instead, he asked to be left alone, and the waitress left immediately, without looking up.

Entering the room, Ayato subtly swept his gaze over it. The table in the center had already been cleared by the employees. Still, to a more observant eye like his, it was apparent that someone had been drinking tea and eating there not long ago. And it hadn't been just one person, implying that Ayaka had recently had guests, or just a guest, surely.

Thoma closed the door of the room behind them, and as was his custom, he sat on the floor right in front of it to make sure there were no prying eyes or ears and equally that no unwanted people tried to enter. By her side, and without having to receive the indication, Ayaka took a seat on one side of the table, and Ayato sat on the other. That position made it clear that the conversation would not be entirely friendly if perhaps the commissioner's assertive posture had not made it clear.

"I guess I owe you an explanation, brother," Ayaka muttered firmly, her hands clasped on her knees and her back straight. "I lied to you yesterday, and I apologize for doing so. I didn't come here to review festival themes. The truth is that I received a clue that could lead me to Kazuha's whereabouts, so I decided to follow it to see where it led me."

"You were so interested in finding that boy that you did all this to achieve it?" Ayato muttered, actually showing a certain indifference on the subject.

"I had my reasons, all purely personal. For the same reason, I prefer not to talk about them at the moment."

"That seems fine to me," Ayato replied dryly. "That you had other intentions to come to Inazuma was quite clear to me when you asked for my permission."

Ayaka lowered her eyes a little, embarrassed to remember the previous morning and how she had been unable to express herself adequately without enough preparation. She was not surprised to hear that her brother had been suspicious of her intentions ever since.

"And right now, that matter, and Kaedehara Kazuha, are the least of my worries," Ayato pointed out right after. "That's not why I'm here, nor is it what I wanted to talk to you about."

"What do you need to talk about, then?" Ayaka questioned, a little intrigued. "Something happened?"

Ayato's gaze hardened even more, and his entire countenance became more severe and stiff. And although he might initially seem annoyed, in reality, it appeared to Ayaka that he was somewhat worried. And that was actually quite unusual for him.

"We need to talk directly about that community service you've been performing outside the Yashiro Commission," Ayato stated gruffly. "I refer to the matter of false visions."

A slight but noticeable atavism of astonishment appeared in Ayaka's eyes upon hearing this, and it was even more palpable in Thoma's face.

Author's Notes:

Things get tense, huh? I know that the general idea of many fans is that Ayato does not have a negative opinion of Kazuha, and in the Irodori Festival, the game also made it clear. However, if you have read up to this point, you will have seen that the situation raised in this story about their past together is somewhat different, and therefore Ayato's initial position is a little different too. But that may change soon.

On the other hand, for personal taste, I quite liked writing that little friction between Ayato and Tomo. I hadn't initially intended for it to take that tone, but it came pretty naturally as I was writing it. Let's see if we can see these two interact a little more in the future.

And well, in the next chapter, we will see precisely what Ayato came to talk to Ayaka and Thoma about. So we'll see you soon.