"Where you do see yourself in the coming future, Hadeki?"

The game stopped when grandfather stopped throwing the ball back. His question was kind of hard but...

"Oh! I want to be a painter, just like mother!"

"A....painter?"

He looked at me for a long while, I started to get worried that I might have upset him but then he smiled.

"Heh, you're a first. I told your father that you had different spirit."

I didn't know what he meant but...I was happy. Whenever I showed father my drawings he'd always ignore me or take them away...then we'd go back to training.

I always thought I did a bad job because he'd always be in a bad mood after I'd show him...

"Did you ever tell your mother about this dream of yours?" Grandmother asked from her seat at the veranda.

"Oh! Not yet! I wanted to practice enough myself so I could show it to her and make her proud!"

"Ha! Good play, you'll need to show proof of your skills of you're going to start learning from a master." Grandfather laughed.

.

That was likely the last ounce of happiness I ever felt within that house.

.

The rifthounds.

Creatures form beyond realms. Who would have even thought? You'd never believe the existence of such loathsome creatures until you sat in a pool of your own family's blood. An aftermath of being unfortunate enough to cross path with the beasts.

I had to endure the same fortune.

Not even my father, the renowned hero and greatest warrior of our clan, could last more than a few slashes. The more he pressed on the more his life would drain infront of me...all I could do was sit and hold the corpse of my disembowled mother...

And to think we were traveling to receive an audience with famous artist whom had seen my work at some point. Now where did my dreams go from there?

It was up to my last sense of survival and desperation. I was forced to cling onto the reason why I was the only one left alive.

A warrior tattered and bathed in the blood of both my unfortunate father than the hounds that took him from me. I did nothing but watch the man as he slipped his hands over father's face to shut his eyes, unable to make any success in keeping him alive.

Once he paid his respects and rose to his feet, all I could see was his saddened eyes with his stained polearm dangling by his side, firmly gripped in his hand.

All he did was kneel to me and ask the basic questions he was trained to state. The code and authority of a Shogunate Soldier...

It was then that I learned that the life my father wanted for me was inevitably handed down to me. I became single minded, my goals lost and only aimed to becoming a fitted warrior.

I felt no happiness in learning that I was equally talented with the blade as I were with a fine brush. Nothing could bring a smile to my face...and it stayed as such as the years went on. I burned through the ranks of the Shogunate and ascending with bloodlust unmatched.

It was all the same, they cheered for me, they feared me, called me a monster or a Titan, embodiment of a monster that could even threaten the Gods....but in the end-

It was a God who cooled my burning heart.

Her soft spoken voice, her understanding patience and sense of tranquility that she oh so tried to attain from her sister's behavior.

When I first met her, her casual demeanor was so likeable that you would definitely never think she was a God if you hadn't known who she was or what she looked like...but this woman, she sought me out personally. She'd speak to me more often than to her own subordinates and close friends...she even went as far as to lend her hand in my training, strained my skills and beyond.

I asked myself, why?

I was too selfless to realize that the way I acted around her was proper indication of a feeling I never knew I needed.

My past regrets still burned through me but when the days came where I stood beside her almost every day...the pain didn't feel all that bad anymore.

But can I regain that feeling again...?

°

"....I need to stop waking up like this..." Hadeki said, annoyed.

He was in a bed, staring up at a white ceiling of a slightly unfamiliar room, one hand gently placed on his face to partially shut out the rays of the sun trespassing through the curtains.

As he rose from his position, he winced in seething pain and flopped back down. He could still lift his head and examine his condition, discovering that besides his prosthetic, his entire upper body has been near mummified with bandages.

He would have thought this much patching was absurd if not for the burning pain he just felt. He doesn't remember sustaining any actual fatal injury with his fight with Ei...then was this the cause of him over exerting his powers...?

....

"Ei!!"  He yelled again as he made a second attempt to get out of bed and managed to get on his feet.

The more he strained the pain the less violent it became overtime. He was just thankful he's still wearing pants. He took a few breaths before making an attempt to leave the room.

He examined his arm and his hair to find his vision still on him which was very uncomfortable to think about having it on while sleeping.

'I need to find her, what's been going on...? I have to get out of here and find out- where even is here?'

As he pondered this he began looking around himself and soon began to notice and recognize his environment. The pictures, the elegant furnishings and aroma of incense.

He slowed his pacing and took a moment to collect his senses. This is the Kamisato Estate. Him being here does not really give him answers of what's happened but the sight of a single soul appearing into his vision was his first lead.

He saw a made standing at the end of the hall with a basket in hand which immediately dropped at the sight of him.

"Heh...good day Chisato." Hadeki smirked.

"M-Master!!" She rushed over and provided her support as he was obviously trying his best to even stand straight. "What are you-..!! Please go back to your room! I'll inform Lady Ayaka!"

She panicked loudly as she tried escorting the man back from where he came but Hadeki insisted that he meet any of the family members in a more suitable room.

And in the guest room he did find his request granted and a worried Ayaka rushing inside.

"Master! You're awake!" She once again came to embrace the man without a care in the world, though of course being careful not to hurt him.

"So it would seem...I truly have no idea what's happening in current time but I'm glad to see you're well little Ayaka."

"How many more years must I wait for you to stop calling me that?" Ayaka pouted as she pressed her chin against his chest.

"Outgrow me and then we shall see. But now about the situation at hand..."

Both let each other go and take their seats infront of each other.

"Well, for starters, all I had gathered at first was that you lead an attack on Narukami Island and saved Thoma...but then disappeared for many hours when facing the Shogun. The war outside was brutal but came to an immediate halt when.... Kujou Sara announced her and the Shogunate 'defeated' by her own imprisonment. An entire day passed where the island in itself was now under the control of the Resistance until you suddenly reappeared at the great omnipresent statute, unconscious and wounded."

"Sara...turned herself in?"

"That is what I was told. I was not allowed to leave the estate the entire time this ordeal took place...but I did witness a few matters after."

Hadeki waited for her to continue, seeing the slight of confusion in her eyes as she stared down at her knees.

"When you were discovered at the statue, so did the Shogun reappear a while after. The resistance's control didn't last long after that but...they weren't harmed in anyway. She didn't announce anything, nor did she declare charge against the resistance army. She only inquired your condition and see to it that you are taken care of. Big Brother took this opportunity in a panic and offered to take charge in that matter, bringing you here... Lady Yae was the one to take some charge in authority and announced the people to simply remember the days events and reflect, news for what is to come of the nation will be brought forth soon. Things have been eerily...silent since then."

"And how long have I been..."

"Approximately 2 days. Our medical team found no visible injuries on you but every muscle in your being was so fragile and sensitive, they feared that you'd rip yourself apart if you awake in haste. So, to ensure you've healed to some extent before regaining consciousness, you were given extra anesthetics..." She scanned his body from shoulder to stomach. "But to think you'd be moving on your own this quickly...when it was predicted it would take a week."

"It isn't the first time..." He glided his hand over his chest. "It's another concern that's built up. I'm beginning to think that my Vision is more powerful than anyone could have imagined, and it is a new factor. I heal quickly, I can withstand harm that would otherwise kill a man in a single go...my physical strength on it's own is abnormal."

"Do you know what could be the cause of this?" Ayaka asked, although she was trying to think hard on her own.

Hadeki's mind went only to one thing. The surge of power he experienced when fighting Ei, the sword that aided him in disarming and defeating her...could it be that in that moment, something had changed?

"I'll need some time to figure it out myself...the only question is, what must I do now?" He held his chin in thought.

"I cannot say really, I'd advise that you stay here and recover some more but I know you are not the type to let injuries stop you." Ayaka smiled.

"Still, I'll need to assess my options before I make a move. The war may have passed but that only leaves alot more for me to do...but where would I begin? Raiden? The Resistance? Sara? I could try all three and..."

"My Goodness~ You saved an entire nation and fought a battle that's never been heard off in eons and yet you still press on about work~?"

That soft yet devilishly sly voice was all too recognizable to both individuals in the room as they turn to the door.

"My dear Hadeki, can you truly be so cruel to your own self to not allow a change of relaxation and celebrate your achievements~?" Miko shrugged as she entered the room, accompanied by Ayato.

"She is right, Master. You need much needed rest...the things you've done and the violence you endured would have killed you countless times before had it not been for your own capabilities..." Ayato smiled reflecting a sense of assurance that the world out there is in stability. Although Hadeki questioned the thought with the documents in his hand.

"It's hard to sit around when there's unfinished business about." Hadeki crossed his arms as the two tall individuals sat around the table, now all four sides occupied. "I am not one to leave loose ends."

"Oh please~ With all that you have done for this nation you still try to keep yourself occupied. For once, instead of going out there looking for trouble, let it come to you. Running around the nation, fighting wars and then defeating a God is not in a daily schedule for anyone, not even a General." Miko hummed, placing her crossed arms -- and for some reason her chest -- onto the table.

"I'll take the consideration when I feel it appropriate. But I don't think neither of you simply came here to encourage to take a vacation." Hadeki brought his attention to the pages Ayato placed down.

"But of course. As much as you need to sit back, you are right to be concerned of what's going on out there. We are simply here to answer your questions, bring you up to speed on society and have legal documents to show for it." Ayato explained. Hadeki found his reasons valid but the same thought made him turn to Yae Miko.

"And you? Though I'd like to appreciate your act of coming to visit me, such actions don't fit you Lady Yae."

"Oh how you wound me to no end~" She faked a tear wipe. "I had simply predicted of your awakening and had accompanied Young Ayato to see how you're fairing. Medical treatment can do so much to help you but any permanent mental or physical damage can only be assessed by me~ And I was so curious to see what became of you after your strike of divinity against an Archon."

"I still find it baffling to think...but at the same time, looking at you it makes it the slightest more believable." Ayaka stared at Hadeki with her smile hidden behind her fan.

"I can only fear the things that have been rumored about in the nation regarding me -- But I believe you can enlighten me." Hadeki addressed the two again.

"As you wish~ Firstly, you can rest easy knowing that your efforts have paid off, the Vision Hunt Decree has been 'postponed' as of now but it is entirely inevitable that it be abolished. The resistance army has been labeled the victor of the civil war because of it and have returned to Watatsumi Island, awaiting a proper declaration of peace. They put their faith in you and hoped a good result. The nation is still on lock down, however~ Things may have changed for the better but not that quickly." Miko began explaining.

"And the people of Narukami?"

"Though their hearts dim at the lack of information or any word from their God, they're returning to their usual lives with none hoping to cause a revolt in the absence of the higher authority. They believe that with time, things with will look up now that the Hunt has ceased. The Visions that were stolen are being returned to their respective owners, all besides those at Watatsumi for now. They'll be used as a bargaining chip when the two generals of both sides share a meeting...and I believe your schedule is wide open till then~"

What Miko said shook Hadeki to the core. His eyes nearly pop out at the mention.

"What are you saying...?"

"When the Shogunate General, Kujou Sara, turned herself in to the resistance, she used the evidence of the Tenryou Commission's betrayal -- The Kujou Clan's cluding with the Fatui -- as her unworthiness of her position. She swore an oath and gave the title of General back to you, once your name had been cleared and held high." Ayato further explained.

"Cleared my name?"

"Yes. The people of Inazuma may be awaiting news on the future but the Shogunate, the military closest to the government in itself, demanded answers and so, Lady Yae relayed many details of the events that transpired that day,...extreme details...and lifted your treason from the records."

"It was rather unexpected to see the Tri Commissions and the Shogunate army to cheer and praise the news of you returning...but a welcome one~ I, on one hand, was exceedingly entertained by the reaction." Miko hummed with a bright smile as she rested her chin on her intertwined fingers.

"But....me? A General..? It's-" Hadeki was at a loss. Any normal man would frolic at the thought of such a position but no one in the room was a fool to think of his situation the same.

Many conflicting feelings have caused him to outright fear the title of General.

"I understand the weight of this decision, Master...but know that it was more so a ceremonial choice so we could put the men at easing by making them think that there's still a leader for them to follow. If this is not something you want, it won't be yours to keep." Ayato placed a hand on the panicking man's shoulder.

Hadeki collected his unstable mind and looked down at the table. The scattered pages of reports, IDs and economical statistics...but one stood out from the pile. A criminal record of the Kujou Clan's actions, arrest warrants and many confiscations...but among them was the sight of Sara's picture. That alone cleared his mind, an old flame in his heart was unleashed, the will of a general was resurfacing but not for the reasons one might think.

"No, I understand. I will take the position."

"A-are you sure? There's no need for you to-" Ayato was cut off.

"It is fine. I will still think this over but for now...I'd like to this as an opportunity to see things through and work with more ease now that I'm not hiding from my own people anymore."

"Using the title of General to slip past legal boundaries and authority to conduct personal investigations~ How clever but vile of you dear friend~" Miko giggled. "But before you go out doing Archon's know what I would like you to take a stroll with me~ Mainly to let me examine your condition and have a few taps in fixing you up~"

This wouldn't really be necessary for them to take a walk for, it sounds highly suspicious on it's own with the way Miko put it but the message Hadeki got was a different language that Ayato and Ayaka did not pick up. Yae Miko was simply using a Leeway to talk to Hadeki alone because there were still a few unanswered questions that required privacy to be answered.

The man smiled to himself, the sly fox is truly one of a kind in her own race.

"I see no issue with it, so as long as the Kamisatos are unoffended by our sudden request to depart?" Hadeki shrugged towards the two.

"No no! Please, master." Ayaka waved her hand. "This is your home as much as it is ours, you can come and leave as you like. You'd only need to prepare for the constant surprise of the servants who'd see you here."

"Haha~ Your hospitality is truly a blessing young one." Hadeki bowed and stood up, the three soon followed and got to their feet.

Hadeki and Miko announce their leave and depart from the Mansion itself but not leave the estate. Hadeki was given a proper shirt and since Miko was with him there was no need to be worried of his health.

The two step outside into the estate in the morning sunlight. They don't make any haste but don't stick around to roam as they walk to the back of the property in a quick stroll.

As they walk past the workers and commission staff into a more secluded spot, they simply gaze upon the view of the City as much as they could.

"I still find it amusing that you always wondered why I never intervened on everything Ei did in the past." Miko started.

"Well, as her loyal Kitsune, personal advisor and close friend of a thousand years, I had simply thought you'd be more considerate of the things she does and give her some leads to ponder." Hadeki shrugged.

"And you must know by now how none of that could have ever worked." She smiled at him as they came a stop at a shade under a tree. "I can only advise Ei when she's ready to listen on her own. As bizarre as it may sound, she truly isn't a born leader nor did she even want this, the position was forced onto her after her sister was lost. She may have looked up to Raiden Makoto but she could never really see her vision of rule and life for the people...so instead, she used her warrior spirit as an alternative method of ruling the nation. In my case, I'm merely not powerful enough to challenge her ideals nor would I ever do that anyway. I am loyal to her to the end as not only her friend. If it is her wish to burn down the nation, I will follow her word till the end."

"And yet you secretly kept communications with the resistance and provided