Sara gently tugged Aether's arm along to follow after her and surprisingly, there was no complaint from the braided traveler. Neither of them knew what to say to each other when recalling their former conversation and Ogura's comment. It particularly affected Kujou Sara whose mind was in a blur at the moment, unable to process things as thorough as she usually did. If Aether had walked closer to Sara, there was a possibility he could've heard how fast the Tengu's heart was pounding at the moment. Embroiled in her musing, she was once again oblivious to her current actions at the moment, prompting Aether to heave out a sigh.
The people present in the street muttered lowly among themselves, spreading gossip over the puzzling sight of the two. Like wildfire, chatter became rampant about the situation. No one could believe the mystifying sight their eyes were beholding at the moment, seeing the unapproachable general with... a man of all things.
"Hey... isn't that...?"
"Yeah, thats THE General Kujou Sara... but who could possibly be that person next to her?!"
"That's the legendary traveler, how could you not know? I heard he once fought the Raiden Shogun singlehandedly..."
"Our guardian deity? And lived to tell the tale? How exaggerated..."
"Exaggerated or not, here he is... acting all romantic with Kujou Sara of all people. This proves he's at least a man of skill."
"Tsk... next thing you'll tell me is that he's getting chummy with the Shirasagi Himegimi too!"
"Haha, don't worry, I don't think that'll ever happen!"
The stone-brick pathway eventually split off when the two walked over the wooden bridge. The ambience felt even more intimate as the two walked with sakura petals decorating their walk. The giant winged statue of the Raiden Shogun could be seen in complete detail now and before the two advanced any further, Sara's eyes finally zoned onto reality after her thoughts came to a halt. Once faced with the statue of the deity she had sworn loyalty to, she became free from her contemplation. Realizing the positioning between the two and how close they were, Sara could only find it absurd on how vulnerable she was.
"...!" Her hand released Aether's arm in a hushed but quick fashion, splitting off the second she realized. The Tengu gazed away from his face, unable to hide a genuine blush from showing on her formerly known stern face. This was the first time she's ever looked away from an 'enemy', and couldn't bear to eye them any further.
She harshly criticized herself inside for allowing themselves to get too close with a person. It was a practice of self-reproach deeply embedded within Sara due to how she was brought up by Kujou Takayuki.
Taking a deep breath, she directed her focus to the statue of the Narukami Ogosho, the embodiment of Inazuma and Omnipresent God. She strode across the planked stairs, allowing herself to get a closer look at the one thing which could calm her down. The robed Raiden Shogun statue was as awe-inspiring as ever to Kujou Sara, it's presence greatly aided in bringing her tranquility. Aether silently accompanied her.
At the same time, Sara bitterly recalled the events of the Vision Hunt Decree. Mixed emotions amalgamated within her train of thought when faced with the statue which once held stolen visions wrought through stepping over ambitions. Despite already discussing the matter with Aether, no matter what, she couldn't simply erase her past memories.
"A-aether," Her voice slightly trembled which jarred Aether. Sara noticed as well, placing her hand over her chest, wondering why her voice faltered earlier. "Sorry."
"Not at all, go ahead and take your time." The outlander considerately said, patiently awaiting her next words.
"What is your opinion of the present Inazuma as compared to when you first arrived?"
"..." Aether contemplated shortly before unveiling a smile. "It's definitely improved, the people are livelier. Though some already seem to have forgotten the dark events that recently transpired, resulting in our interaction with certain people in the morning."
Sara released a small fit of laughter, warming Aether's heart slightly.
"I suppose it doubles as a sign of peace for Inazuma." Sara made a light-hearted smile, "...Well, though vagrant ronins still wander about in these lands and threaten public safety, as long as I, Kujou Sara watch over this land, none shall escape my bow!" The woman with twilight-like-hair proudly announced with newfound vigor, making Aether clap for her.
"..Oh, ahem. Excuse me." Sara grew self-conscious when Aether showed his support, growing embarrassed.
"But yes... it is as you say, Inazuma seems to have certainly improved after your arrival here. Perhaps, you were a major factor to it's change, to which I thank you whole-heartedly."
"I barely played a hand in it, it was mostly thanks to E- , er, The Raiden Shogun's will to change."
"Is that so? Still your contribution to Inazuma's change is immense, nobody, not even myself can deny that." Sara had shut down Aether's attempt to downplay his actions.
"Her Excellency's pursuit of eternity... if this is the current path that will be carved forth from now on, this grants me even more reason to follow her rule. But... still, I apologize, despite you accompanying me for the day, it seems there is no improvement to my character."
"What do you mean?" Aether genuinely questioned Sara on her words, confusion could be plainly heard from his tone of voice.
"I have yet to identify an ambition that I can call my own, other than the will to serve the Shogun."
"Is that wrong?"
"No, however-"
"Then it's all fine, you can't find an ambition in a single day of wanting to search for it after all. It either comes naturally through dreams or interests, through the continuous life experiences accumulated, or from being inspired from others." Aether gazed at the blue skies with a lonesome expression. He withdrew his glance only to stare deeply into Sara's vibrant yellow eyes.
"You've already grown in character the moment you made the decision to aspire for one. Besides, I can always accompany you again, you know?" Those words uttered naturally seeped into Sara's ears, constantly repeating and echoing inside her very essence. "Today was really...fun!"
Sara's eyes widened from Aether's considerate words, feeling as if an arrow had pierced her heart. She felt that her life was in danger, butterflies fluttered about in her stomach. Her resolution to keep others away earlier shattered.
She was used to keeping her distance from others, never interacting too deeply with people. Likewise, due to Sara's decision to do so, others stirred away from her. This brought a tangible amount of loneliness to her, yet she thought nothing more of it, only deciding to strive further. However, at this moment, she didn't mind showing her weak side to the person in front of her.
Her heart which was once shackled behind duty soared above, breaking free. She tried mustering the courage of a proud general to speak but words failed to escape her mouth, her body had betrayed her for the first time. It brought a scary yet welcoming feeling of unease upon her.
The frosty facade she's maintained all this time melted, crumbling in its entirety. The general's body shouted to reveal how she felt at the moment, however the isolated Sara didn't know how to exactly display such feelings. There was a need for her to be considerate of the traveler's will too, she'd never forgive herself if she allowed him to become uncomfortable because of her.
It was nearing the evening yet it felt oddly humid in the open... Sara was just about to take the initiative, her first advancement within the battle by reaching out her hand...until.
"Woah! Look who it is! Paimon, see what I tell you? Always believe and follow yours truly, and I'd surely lead you to the right path! We only found Aether after like, what-? Two hours?" A loud but familiar booming voice could be heard. A towering horned figure was walking casually with a floating companion hovering around him.
"Like Paimon said, we would have found him earlier if we headed straight to Inazuma City!" A high pitched voice responded in annoyance.
"A-anyways, we finally found him. Hey! Aether!" The oni called out to the traveler excitedly, grasping his attention. "Arataki 'The One and Oni' Itto has arrived at Inazuma City with a stylish entrance, baby!"