Chương 101: Power and Strength

"Haahhhh.....haaaa....." Kenshin was panting in the Plane of Euthymia, lying on the ground after a particularly intense spar.

Even if he didn't use his body, that was just a burden when fighting an Archon, his mind was screaming for some rest. Reacting to Ei's lightning-fast attacks was not that easy, and only his special ability helped him.

"It was a good fight" said Ei calmly.

"You are pissing me off" muttered Kenshin from the floor. "Why are you acting nonchalantly? You are as tired as me, you are only better at acting".

"...." Ei, knowing that fighting against Kenshin in a word fight was not a good idea, just fell silent.

"Come, sit" Kenshin sat on the ground, making a seat of 'soul energy' so Ei could sit without getting sand in her clothes.

And Ei, already expecting it, complied.

It was the usual. Ei liked fighting as she could relax, ironically.

Almost like how a child sleeps better after exercising, Ei felt her mind rest peacefully after having an intense exercise only Kenshin could give her, the other candidates being Morax or some similarly powerful entity.

During these talks where Kenshin usually took the initiative, she felt her ideas and confused thoughts fall into place.

Battle after battle, day after day, week after week, she felt her mind slowly forming the completed puzzle it had once been.

"So, did you like those dangos we bought from Mondstadt?" asked Kenshin, making all sweat instantly disappear from his and Ei's body, earning him a grateful nod.

"Yes, they were tasty" Ei admitted, remembering the strong sweet flavour and smooth texture.

"Lean back, it's better than to be sitting" Kenshin made the back of the seat move back, and now they could lie down in the air, almost as if it was a bed. "Did you like them as much as the ones from Liyue?"

"No, the ones from Liyue were better" Ei unhesitantly said. "The ones from Mondstadt didn't have that characteristic sweetness all dangos should have. It must be a light sweetness, not the cloying sweetness that doesn't allow you to eat more."

"But you liked them" pointed out Kenshin, looking at the dark red sky, that showed a few blue spots, meaning that gradually Ei's soul was being healed, even if the pace was abysmally slow.

"I did" Ei also laid down, but her focus was on the conversation. She didn't want to see the 'ugly' state her soul was in. It didn't matter before as she was the only one here, but now Kenshin usually came.

After their....accidental encounter, she knew the nature of her relationship had changed, but she didn't know how to move in this situation. She didn't mind the 'accidental sex' with Kenshin that much, which meant that she felt something quite strong for Kenshin but she still didn't know how to manage it.

"I swear, the only things you are vocal about are dangos and your sister" Kenshin sighed tiredly. "But that's not bad, I guess."

A few purple birds made out of Kenshin's energy slowly appeared in the sky and started drawing mesmerizing pictures in the sky.

"They are beautiful" Ei couldn't help but appreciate the beautiful purple and golden particles dancing in the sky above them.

"They are birds" commented Kenshin absent-mindedly. "Be careful you don't receive a shit to the face. But anyway, is there something you want to talk about?

"..." Ei thought for a while, wanting to put some effort into his part as Kenshin was always the one talking and asking, but nothing came to mind.

Her only interests were her sister, Miko and now Kenshin, but all she could say was something Kenshin knew.

"Don't worry" Kenshin said, taking Ei's hand into his as they were lying side by side. "What do you think of Inazuma now?"

Ei grimaced, remembering how much of a mess she caused. Only after her sister explained to her step by step she understood how much she fucked up.

"Come on, don't be like that, I am not talking to you to make you feel bad" Kenshin sensed Ei's emotions and instantly said. "Just focus on what you see or feel. How does the Inazuma now compare to the Inazuma from your age?"

"It's worse" Ei said, but Kenshin opted to hear her out.

Nobody's opinion can be wrong, as they are only opinions, nothing more and nothing less.

"Why?" asked curiously Kenshin, using his finger to direct the bird's movements.

"It's not the same" Ei succinctly replied.

"Imitate me" Kenshin instructed, and receiving Ei's questioning look, he explained. "Do you see my finger? I will graciously give one bird to you".

A doubtful Ei slowly raised her finger, and suddenly one of the 2 birds stood still in the sky. When she moved her finger a little, the bird moved following her instructions.

Kenshin could already sense Ei's movements before she did them, so he could make the bird follow her movements with pint-point accuracy.

He preferred this way of using his ability compared to fighting, but if he said that Ei would feel like she was forcing him to fight.

"So you don't like Inazuma now because it's not the same..." mused a thoughtful Kenshin.

"I like Inazuma" Ei's firm voice left no room for doubts. "But...."

"It's not the same" Kenshin ended her phrase, and Ei nodded. "Is it because of your friends?"

"Yes" Ei admitted with a grimace. "Seeing that Inazuma moved forward without them even after all the tears and blood they shed for it..."

"I can understand that" Kenshin's words made Ei relieved that he didn't misunderstand her. "But I think it's something you need to get used to. Morax is in the same situation, and even Barbatos is. He acts like is always happy, but I can sense that he is sometimes melancholic and sad."

"I know" Ei said, her finger moving slightly faster, almost as if reflecting her internal turmoil.

"Just like Inazuma will continue after I die" Kenshin's words made Ei's bird stop in the sky. "And Inazuma will continue after you die, after Miko dies, after Makoto dies and after I die."

Ei's finger trembled a bit, and the other hand holding Kenshin's tightened.

"But that's a good thing" Kenshin continued as if nothing happened. "It means that the fruit of our effort is still living. As long as the world remembers us or our work stays in the world, it means that our life had meaning."

"....." under Kenshin's tightening hold, Ei's finger started making the bird move again.

"So don't feel that sad" Kenshin continued. "Inazuma is not moving forward leaving your friends behind. They are a part of Inazuma, as much as Inazuma changes, as much as the people forget about the sacrifices made in the past, it's a fact that Inazuma will always have a fragment of them."

"....." Ei didn't answer, but she realized what Kenshin meant.

Her friends died, and they were certainly not going to hug her.

But it didn't mean they weren't by her side, as Inazuma was proof of their existence and sacrifice.

"But that's enough" Kenshin abruptly said. "you always have the habit of turning every conversation into a gloomy one."

"....." Ei's frowned, but didn't speak.

"Now, let me ask you, did you read the 'Radiant Knight' new volume?" asked Kenshin, making his bird collide with Ei's.

"Leave my bird alone" Ei grumbled, but made her bird move away from Kenshin's. "But yes, I read it. It was good, but there were not enough fights".

"Well, there wasn't a single fight" admitted Kenshin, making his bird slowly chase Ei's, their fingers making the birds leave behind them a beautiful purple and golden trail. "But that's what the book is about. "What do you like about fights in your books?"

"I try to put myself in the place of the fighters and try to know how will they move" confessed Ei.

"You are going to be forever disappointed then" pointed out Kenshin, earning himself a displeased frown from Ei when he made her bird disobey her commands temporarily. "You are probably a fighter no one can write in a fight, if you were in the position of a fighter you would just eviscerate the opponent".

"You know that's not what I enjoy" scolded Ei, making her bird slowly chase after Kenshin's. "A fight is not only a physical fight, it is a clash between ideologies and opinions".

"Well, nowadays people make their characters fight only to show off their power and get the bitches" noted Kenshin, making Ei sigh. (Again, this is not my personal opinion, is what I think Kenshin would have thought)

"I won't comment on that" Ei said absent-mindedly. "I miss the times when you could determine a person's determination by duels. They were so direct, so honest, so beautiful."

"Like the ancestors of the former-ruling clans?" asked Kenshin making his bird escape narrowly from Ei's.

"Yes" admitted Ei. "They were human so they stood no chance in front of me. But the more I pushed them, the more fierce the shine in their eyes grew. Even when they had no chance and everyone knew it, they still gave more than what they had to show me their dedication. The more bravely they fought against me the more determined they were to fight for Inazuma, and the more wounds they sustained in our duel meant that they were ready to suffer a hundred times more for the future of Inazuma".

"Nowadays people value other things" explained Kenshin, making another 2 birds appear. Now Ei and Kenshin were using their 2 hands to guide the birds.

Had someone else seen this ridiculous scene they would have laughed at the absurdity of 2 adults moving their hands in the air, but as they were alone, it was their moment.

"Humanity has advanced, we have learned, we have invented, we have grown. But most of all, we are in a relatively peaceful period" Kenshin said, seeing the now 4 birds describe trajectories in the sky. "There are no hostile gods, at least for now. Despite this stupid civil war everyone knows is a joke, we are safe, mainly thanks to you and the other Archons who are trying to keep things controlled, just leave aside that frigid woman to the side."

Ei didn't reply, opting to listen first, sensing that Kenshin was trying to explain to her the reason for her inability to correctly understand the people's thoughts.

"What people value now is not survival, but happiness" sensing Ei's silence, Kenshin continued. "In your time, the stronger had the responsibility of keeping the others safe so they were valued highly. But now a strong person is useless, as there are no enemies".

"...." Ei sighed, realizing how much things changed. "People, humans and youkai alike, trained all their lives in hopes of keeping their friends and family safe, but I see that it's unneeded now".

"Because people don't need to survive, that is already covered. So now instead of looking for strong people, they look for powerful people" Kenshin spoke calmly. "No, they are not the same. Ayato is stronger than those guys from the other 2 Commissions, and yet they are more powerful than him. Of course, you are powerful because you are stronger but there are a lot of factors".

"Like what?" asked Ei, completing the flower Kenshin was drawing with birds, the purple and golden trails forming a picture in the sky.

"I think power is the ability to make changes in the world and its inhabitants" confessed Kenshin. "If you are beautiful, you are making people around admire you, so you are effectively making changes in the world. For example, you could manipulate them, ask them to do something for you, or even have an advantage to choose your lover."

"...." Ei kept thinking about this, but waited for Kenshin to continue.

"Another example will be money. You have something people want, and one way or another you are making changes in them. That is also power"

"So combat strength is power for the same reason" mused Ei. "I'm powerful because my strength intimidates other people and because if I decided to use it, I would be able to make changes in the world".

"Yes" Kenshin nodded. "For example, who is stronger and more powerful, Sara or me? Of course, if I am not here to fight".

"Sara would be stronger" Ei unhesitantly answered. "But you should be more powerful according to your thoughts".

"Of course, there is no doubt" Kenshin said in a confident voice. "My books let me make changes in a lot of people, so my overall ability to 'make changes' in the world is far larger than her. But strength is also important, as you are still more powerful than me".

"Because even despite how many people you can reach, my strength makes even more people fear my actions" Ei concluded, looking at Kenshin's smiling face.

"Yes, that's it. So no need to think you are not needed anymore, even when strength is not the most important anymore it's making you powerful" Kenshin said, looking at Ei's beautiful purple eyes.

"Why do people look for powerful people?" Ei also forgot about the birds, and looked at Kenshin's deep purple eyes with golden particles floating in them, akin to stars in a starry night.

"They look for powerful people to make them happy" explained Kenshin, making 2 birds disappear, and making the 2 left to move alone. "Making them happy means giving them more food, money, entertainment, land... People now know they will survive, so they are looking for the next thing".

"Live their lives more comfortably" Ei nodded in understanding. Thinking that she preferred to look at Kenshin's eyes than the birds, she turned sideways, looking directly at Kenshin.

"Yes, that's why the power to make changes favourable to them is more important than strength" Kenshin mimicked Ei, and now they were looking at each other face to face. "Why would they prefer a strong warrior when there are no battlefields over a merchant that can give them money, food or clothes?"

"...." Ei sighed, understanding now why everything changed without her noticing.

"You were still living in the war" said Kenshin, seeing Ei's sadness. "But people had long since forgotten it. When you were looking for strength, people were looking for comfort. People nowadays don't put their effort into growing stronger, but powerful."

"There is only one way of getting stronger" said an emotional Ei. "Making an effort to improve yourself, there is no shortcut to that so powerful people arrived there sacrificing sweat and effort."

"That's why your duels were a good way of understanding if someone was hard-working and determined, if they were powerful they were strong, there was no other way" continued Kenshin. "But there are a lot of methods to grow powerful, and more than half are not something you approve of. Stealing, blackmailing, bribes.... now people can be powerful without working hard. Powerful people are not honest anymore, even if some people in your time abused their power, meaning their strength, you could see them easily, but now that has changed".

"That's why the leaders of the other 2 Commissions were powerful" said Ei with a pained gaze and closed her eyes. "I was giving them power by supporting them without realizing what that power was doing to Inazuma".

"Yes" admitted Kenshin. "Without the power your backing gave them, they wouldn't have gotten away with so many things. They were not that smart, not that strong, and not that cunning. They had a power that they shouldn't have had based on their ability. But again, it's all solv-"

"Is that why you interrupted my duel?" asked Ei suddenly, opening her eyes to look at Kenshin. "Are duels really useless now?"

"They are not the way to make your opinions clash with each other to show your determination" Kenshin nodded, feeling the uncertainty Ei now had.

Because his words meant that Ei would need to leave all she had grown learning behind.

No longer were duels sacred, as no one was looking for strength like before.

So now Ei found herself in a world where she had no way of understanding people like she liked to do, a direct clash to know their determination and ideals they were ready to bet their lives on.

She was not stupid, but her way of communicating, extremely direct and honest, had been rendered obsolete.

"I don't know what to do" Ei showed her vulnerable side, looking at Kenshin's eyes.

"You don't need to do anything" Kenshin scoffed. "Is there a need for you to go ahead and start ruling again? You don't need to keep making hard decisions in what Inazuma is concerned with. Of course, you shouldn't isolate yourself, you need how to navigate in this new world but you can do that with time".

Ei nodded, but Kenshin sensed her insecurity.

"you are not alone in the world Ei" Kenshin held her hand, making Ei grab into it. "You have your sister who you can't separate even if you want. You have Miko, Sara and.... well, me I guess. You can take your time, and slowly but surely advance, as you can't afford to stay still without advancing. Advancing is what life is about after all".

Ei nodded, and closed her eyes, knowing that even if the world changed without her, she could still catch up.

"Ahh!" she opened her eyes in surprise when she felt something pulling her abruptly, but she found herself in Kenshin's arms.

"I wanted to have sex" Kenshin's words made Ei open her eyes in surprise. "But after this talk, I'm not in the mood. So the least you can do is let me sleep with you in my arms. I'm tired".

Ei wryly smiled but hugged Kenshin back with a satisfied expression, her lithe arms going around his back, and leaning into his embrace.

And they both fell asleep, under the always flying purple birds and the red sky, that now showed some blue areas of the now slightly uncovered sky.

They were quite tired, so sleeping was the best way to solve it.