Re:War (Discontinued)

Chapter 10: Essentials

"Amayasha-sama. Hasn't it been long enough? It's been over 5 years now. I have been talking to the emperor himself for a while and he already knows that I am leaving, just as you told me to."

"Now now. Senya-ou knows it, which was the plan. However, you still have to wait a while more. Your training is essentially complete, and you've learned the routes for Tendo."

"What else do I need...?"

"Well, your friend has just come back from her travels in Reverie. I suppose it's better if you spend time with her before you leave. Besides, you're going to leave your family on what is basically a suicide mission. Don't you suppose saying some goodbyes would be advisable? Hina will miss you dearly, make sure you say goodbye to her especially."

"Family... huh?"

"Remember this, child. Even though you're going to die and reset over and over again, never neglect the bonds you have with others. Keep them strong. If you let your deaths dull what you feel towards others, or it will come back to haunt you."

"I understand. Should I go see them now?"

"If you wish. And... make sure you come back once in a while."

"I will keep that in mind, Amayasha-sama."

Leaving the room brought me back in to my own. As much as I was going to work on saving the world and all that... hard to say I'm ready to leave. This place was home, never easy to leave. Especially after I managed to save it for a little longer.

The peace talks between Tendo and Sylphia hasn't been progressing too well, but it has at least been preventing the two countries from fighting. While I didn't understand why they had to spend 5 years discussing, but hey, if it gave me enough time to settle things with Reverie, let it be.

While I read a few notes I made, Alice came over towards me, holding a backpack. Finished with packing it seemed.

"Master, when are we leaving?"

"A day or two. We need to get to Reverie and start making progress there."

"And... what are we doing?"

"Simply put, we're gonna be helping out with the revolution. Ravenhelm is the first stop, then we'll have to make out way around to get to Machina. Main capital and all that bull."

"Master seems.... tired?"

"One way to say it yeah. I'm about to go on a journey to end a war, that has been going on for god knows how long. A wise man would know better than to attempt this."

"Master isn't stupid!"

"It's a figure of speech, Alice. I mean, who wants to live in a world like this? People die every day here. Besides, if you can name someone who would willingly step into the Red Zone, I'd treat you like a god."

"There's Master."

"Except me."

"There's Alice."

"You get the point. Come on, let's go visit the shrine."

"Going to see Hina?"

"Mm-hm," I nodded, stowing the notes away. Alice got changed, tying her ribbon. For something I bought 5 years ago, it sure stayed in one piece pretty well.

Before she left the room, I saw her quickly stash her doll into her bag. Good to see some things never change.
---
The shrine was in all ways, huge. Put there to revere the sun goddess, the highest in the Tendoen pantheon:
Youka-no-amagami (陽火之天神). Hina was there as part of the shrine maidens, but she somehow becoming seen as a descendant of the goddess herself.