3rd pov:

A long time passed since Y/n and Kunikuzushi had opened up with each other.
Weeks? No.
Months? No.
A year? No.
It had been three years.

-

Y/n pov:

I walked with the basket I had in hand, finding good fruit from a stall and putting it in the basket.
After paying for it, I turned and walked to the next stall.

It was a cute little marked place in the city that was recently built.

After the time that had passed since I entered this world, I realized that I hadn't aged at all.
Maybe I was immortal as well. I don't know how, but maybe. I think the world was helping me some how. Now, I would never leave anyones side at all.

I could smell the pastry's in the streets.
Inazuma, especially Narukami had grown a lot. There were a lot more buildings now.

However one thing concerned me. I still didn't know if Aether or Lumine had entered this world yet, if their journey started.
By the looks of it, it seems it will be a while until it happens.
I think I would feel a lot more comfortable if I was able to properly tell exactly where in the story I was.

Saving lives...
My eyes widened and I stopped walking.
Maybe... I'll be able to save someone other than Kunikuzushi as well.

I started walking again.
If I'm in Inazuma now, maybe I can help more people. Especially another certain Inazuma character who had to see their friend die.

Kazuha's friend died due to challenging The Shogun. I could maybe save him too.

Now that I think about it, the vision hunt decree hasn't started. I haven't seen anyone recognizeable from the game.

It was relieving to know.

As I walked, I bumped into someone. My basket fell out of my arms as I didn't hold it properly, and the fruit fell on the ground.

Damn it.
My cheeks slightly turned red from embarrassment. A couple of people looked my direction before turning away again.

I looked up to whoever I bumped into.
It was a man. But by the looks of it, he was a soldier.

"Look where you are going." He said, in an annoyed tone.
He annoyed me. Yes, I wasn't looking clearly ahead.
But it seems he wasn't either, if he also walked into me.
He shouldn't be angry.

"Yes, you too." I answered him, slightly defending myself too.

It seems it annoyed him more. "If a soldier is walking, you are to make way." His eyebrows furrowed. He spoke a little aggressively.

I don't want to make a scene.
Some people were already looking.

"Let us just agree that we both should have walked properly." I said.
It wasn't a rule or anything that I absolutely had to make way for him.
And we were in the middle of a crowded street.
No one else made way for him either.
He wasn't anyone special.

"Do not speak back to me. You owe me compensation for my loss of time!" He started shouting.

I sweat dropped as more people turned to look.

"Listen sir... no one was injured, so let us just both go each our way. There is no need to make a scene..." I said in a low tone.
I dislike a large group of people looking at me, which was happening right now.

"You are just trying to get out of trouble! You bumped into me on purpose!" He shouted again, this time he also took out a dagger.

A few gasps spread around the crowd as they probably feared he was going to hurt me.
Well I was a little scared too.

"Alright, I apologize. Just calm down." I tried reasoning. "Listen, I spent all I had on this fruit, I cannot compensate you." I said calmly.

A few people in the crowd looked worried.

What I had noticed these past years... is the authority guards have if they feel unsafe, attacked or disrespected. Clearly such behavior will be mostly gone in the future, but now... it wasn't unusual.

He grabbed my wrist. "Maybe cutting your hand off will teach you a lesson." He said aggressively.
I gasped slightly, started to get more scared.

Many people in the crowd also gasped and some shriked.

He raised his dagger higher.
I looked away as I tried to get out of his grip.
A few people in the crowd tried screaming at him to stop.

I closed my eyes shut as he was about to cut my hand clean off.

But instead, a sound of another dagger, parrying his, was largely spreading around.
I felt an arm around me from behind, tugging my wrist out of the man's grip.

"Calm down mister 'soldier', you seriously need therapy... if you find joy in going around cutting of peoples hands, I do not think you should be allowed to carry weapons... jeez." A very familiar voice sounded from behind me, tickling my ear.

I immediately felt relieved.
Thank god.

I opened my eyes comfortably and looked over my shoulder to see Kunikuzushi standing there.

Relieved sighs were heard in the crowd and a few people left as it seemed the danger was over.

Kuni held his arms around my waist and pulled me behind him.

"My friend here was a little in her own world. I think you are to blame for this to happen. I am sure soldiers like yourself should not be wandering streets like this when you have your own area to walk in." Kuni defended me.

The man was annoyed.
He could tell he lost this situation.

I didn't say a word as it seemed Kuni had this under controlled.

"You brat. How dare you interfere!" The soldier yelled.
The soldier instead drew his sword and walked towards us.
However... he halted for some reason.

He looked a little terrified. And then he put his sword back and slowly backed away.

I tried to look at Kuni's face, but I didn't see it properly as I was behind him.

The man left without another word.

I quickly grabbed the things I had dropped in the ground and then I grabbed Kuni's arm and dragged him away.

"You always have to say some shit to annoy someone, do you not?" He said teasingly as we walked out of the city.

I rolled my eyes.
Kuni had actually changed a lot in three years.
He used to be kind, a little shy and very gentle.
He still was, but he had developed a few other traits... he was brave, sometimes I like to call it being stupid.

He was a lot more chill, he wasn't scared to say what he meant. That wasn't a bad thing, unless when it came to insults...

And then... he had also developed a special desire to tease me whenever he could.

In conclusion... he was a lot more recognizable as The Balladeer, Scaramouche.
However he was still my Kuni in my eyes.

I don't think I failed at my mission, not at all. It was more like... his personality was more showing and developing. I didn't want to stop him from being who he wants to be. Unless that is becoming a murderer or a Fatui Harbinger of course.

When we were outside the city, I turned to him. "You did that thing again, did you not? That thing with your eyes." I said with a small scolding glare.

He chuckled. "Oh whatever do you mean..." He said ironically.

He also had this special thing with his eyes. The way he glared at people are almost threatening and it makes you shiver. It seems it was show he got the soldier to fuck off.

"I appreciate your help, but you can not go glare like that at everyone." I said as I took his kasa and put it on his head.

Kuni rolled his eyes at my words. "Whatever..."

I felt a vein pop in my head at the way he ignored my warning. I clenched my jaw a little with a fake annoyed smile.
When I met his eyes I only saw him looking at me with a smug smirk looking down on me.
He knew he managed to annoy me, which only made him more pleased.

I rolled my eyes again and dragged him with me.