Sorry, made a mistake on the last chapter and worded it as if Esamu needed to pay the debt, but I actually meant to write that Esamu wanted Velt to pay the debt. Thanks for reading~

He said pay the debt, but what am I going to be made to do?
My arm probably won"t get cut off again or anything, but since I don"t know this guy"s standards, I"m worried about the decision.

"You d.a.m.n old geezer." (Farga)
"Don"t approach Velt!" (Ura)
"Chief, wha, what exactly do you mean by paying the debt!" (Musashi)

Farga, Ura and Musashi stood in front of me right away.
However, Esamu looked at us and happily laughed.

"Gaaahahhahhahha, how nice~, being so close like that. However, don"t jump to a conclusion like that. I won"t endanger him." (Esamu)

Then, what are you going to do? It"s really scary.
Then, from his happy smile, Esamu suddenly showed a strict face.

"Musaaashi!" (Esamu)
"Ye, yes!" (Musashi)
"First, is your payment." (Esamu)

Strict words towards Musashi.
Musashi"s probably resolving herself, because she lowered her head while grasping her fist strongly.

"Musashi, you were always serious and straightforward, but you did something quite bold." (Esamu)
"Yes." (Musashi)
"All you do is respect your pride, and even though you have the resolve to be injured or dye your hands in blood, you didn"t have the resolve to disgrace your pride. In the end, this world is about how many battles you win. Being too much of a slave to your pride and losing important things, is foolish." (Esamu)

Esamu thoroughly talked to her, showing the way, like a parent to his child, or a mentor to his pupil.
Musashi just nodded while listening word by word with her head down.

"As the chief of an army and an organization, as expected, I cannot leave an individual like that alone." (Esamu)
"Yes." (Musashi)
"However, Musashi. As an old man that has been watching over you since you were young, rather than the Shinsengumi, you are my pride." (Esamu)
"Ye……… yes……… your words are wasted on me." (Musashi)

I can"t see Musashi"s trembling expression. However, I can tell without even looking at her face.
Is she crying? That"s probably because she understood the words that are going to come out of Esamu"s mouth next.

"Musashi. From today, I banish you from the Shinsengumi for eternity. From now on, you are by no means allowed to name yourself as one of the Shinsengumi!" (Esamu)

She knew what would happen. Even so, she did it. She probably doesn"t have any regrets.
However, as expected, when reality is thrusted before her, something probably fills her heart, because without letting out a voice, Musashi just cried.

"Musashi. Normally, you would deserve sepuuuku for a.s.saulting a superior officer. Think of this as the most I can compromise. However, I will not allow you to take your own life because of that." (Esamu)

While just prostrating on the ground, Musashi didn"t raise her face.
The Shinsengumi was something her grandfather made, her parents loved, and was Musashi"s everything.
To protect the pride of it, she has to be banished from the Shinsengumi.
Although I dragged her in, it still does slightly pain my heart.

"Well then, you said your name was Velt, right?" (Esamu)
"Eh?" (Velt)
"It"s your turn next." (Esamu)

Ah, of course he remembers that, huh.
But what is he planning to do to me?

"Velt. You have almost no understanding of war. I presume that while having the power and courage to fight, you will watch over the flow of this world without partic.i.p.ating in wars or advancing down the path of a champion, correct?" (Esamu)

It started again. What has this old geezer been trying to tell me since before.

"War? Of course there"s no way I would partic.i.p.ate in that, it"s dangerous after all. Rather, every single one of you can sanctify war all you want, but don"t look down on people that don"t partic.i.p.ate, it"s irritating." (Velt)

I said my honest thoughts. Come on, I said what I really think, you have a problem with that?
Then, Esamu once again,

"Gaaahahhahhahhahha, did you hear that Var! This guy, even though he has such a stupid face, he readily put the tradition of warring states that unfolds for eternity, beneath his contempt! Gaaahahhahhah!" (Esamu)

Heartily laughed in a good mood.
What"s up with this. What point does he get angry about, and what points does he roar in laughter about.

"No, that"s not bad, youngster. After all, you have the qualifications to make fun of war." (Esamu)
"Haa? I don"t have qualifications or anything. I just don"t want to partic.i.p.ate in war." (Velt)
"No, by the point where you think it"s foolish to die in war, you are making fun of it. And you certainly do have the qualifications." (Esamu)

Qualifications? Why? Why do I, who has never partic.i.p.ated in war, have those qualifications?

"Velt. Why do you think war continues in this world?" (Esamu)
"Is it a history lesson this time!? I don"t know, isn"t it because of the turf war in the Divine Being Continent and also because they"re on bad terms?" (Velt)
"Gaaahahhahhah! Spot on!" (Esamu)

I got it. Rather, let alone Farga and Ura, even Musashi is befuddled, looking like she doesn"t understand what"s happening anymore.

"Of course, they have reasons other than just liking battle, such as the fetters of the past, politics, problems within races, concession, fear, justice, righteousness, belief and aspiration, but at the very core, it"s because the species are on bad terms with each other. In the end, without sweeping the past under the carpet, they aren"t able to peacefully discuss nor find a way out of the problem, and all they have is just the option to shed blood. That is why conflict still continues." (Esamu)

Yeah, that"s exactly right. In the end, they"re all people that can"t understand each other, so the war doesn"t end.
To end it, there"s probably no choice but for two of the three races to perish.

"They are on bad terms. The people that continue war without ending it because of that, are foolish, right Velt?" (Esamu)
"Haa? Why! I haven"t said a single word about that!" (Velt)
"No, you do think that. From your perspective, you, who can clasp hands with the differing races, humans, demons, and demi-humans, without any problem, can only see this current world as foolish!" (Esamu)

"Ah………!" (Velt)

That reminds me, I"ve never really been conscious about it.

"Oh yeah, ah~, come to think of it, Musashi! You"re a demi-human, aren"t you! On the way, my mind just thought of you as Miyamoto"s grandchild!" (Velt)
"Wha, what are you saying now at this point in time, Velt-dono!" (Musashi)

That"s right. Now that he mentions it, I realized that the three races in this world are all gathered in this moment.
We exchange glances with each other, and make faces that say "I just realized".

"Musashi. Even you, who thought of humans as filthy, had forgotten that view towards Velt, right?" (Esamu)
"That is, uh, cer, certainly." (Musashi)
"Demon girl. Even though Velt is a human, you are madly in love with him, right?" (Esamu)
"Mu-, wha, what are you saying at this point in time. Velt and I were lo, lovey dovey with each other since five years ago." (Ura)
"Spear user. While having such a scary face, you treat Velt as important as family." (Esamu)
"He"s my stupid younger brother." (Farga)

As if checking each person, Esamu esquires each of them. It was kinda embarra.s.sing.
I think it was just a coincidence that I met these guys though.

"Velt. You probably aren"t self conscious of it, but these three did not gather around you by chance, but it was because you were there. And by the time they realized, they had already forgotten the walls of races. Do you know why?" (Esamu)
"I don"t know, don"t they just call it natural virtue or charisma or something? That"s kinda lame, you know?" (Velt)
"They gather around you, because you have no fixation to different races." (Esamu)

No, it"s not because I have no fixation, but it"s because I just don"t really understand it.

"It"s like a farce. It feels like you are making a farce out of tradition. This youngster that doesn"t seem like he can do anything, crossed over the walls of different races that no one could ever do before." (Esamu)
"Oi, decide whether you"re going to mock me or give me corny praise! Like, what have you been wanting to say since before anyways." (Velt)

He"s going off in too much of a tangent. After telling me I have to pay the debt, in the end, what"s he going to make me do?

"Stay that way without changing! From now on, no matter what happens from now on, cross over the world as you are now!" (Esamu)
"……… Hah?" (Velt)
"b.a.s.t.a.r.d, from now on, no matter what you see or feel, stay as you are now and don"t change. If you cross over the world and become a mundane human, you will atone for it by death at that time!" (Esamu)

The……… there………

"There, there"s a limit to being unreasonable! Telling me to not change, like, why should you decide how I end up!" (Velt)
"Silence! Be grateful that I have not already killed you!" (Esamu)
"You, you, a.s.shole………" (Velt)
"Musashi! You will have the role of observing him! As an observer, you will move together with Velt and the others from now on!" (Esamu)
"Eh, ehhh! Wait a minute you old geezer, why her too!" (Velt)
"If you feel that Velt has changed, cut him down! I will not allow refusal!" (Esamu)

Oi oi oi oi, even Musashi is dumbfounded.
Farga"s holding his head in his arms, and Ura"s become speechless.

Oi oi, Miyamoto! Why are you chuckling as if you"re the only one who understands the situation or something!
Like, isn"t Musashi your granddaughter!

"Understood? I wish you the fortunes of war. If you haven"t changed the next time I see you, I"ll let my daughter marry you as a reward." (Esamu)

After saying everything he wanted to say, Esamu turned his back to us.
Like, there"s no way I could consent to that.

"You"re f.u.c.king joking! In the first place, you tell me to change or not to change or whatever, but what do you even know about me!" (Velt)
"Oi, take this d.a.m.n demi-human back home." (Farga)
"Rather, why led to such course of events! State your reason! And, what do you mean wife!? How can you so unhesitatingly say that in front of me!" (Ura)
"Chief! Why exactly did it turn out like this? Even grandfather is laughing about something!" (Musashi)

We poured Esamu with jeers, but he"s showing no concern at all.
He didn"t even budge.
Let alone that,

"Ah, Velt. While I’m at it, I have something to tell you." (Esamu)
"What is it this time!" (Velt)
"After this, I will take the Shinsengumi with me and『retreat』. You should try to fully understand the meaning of that." (Esamu)

The meaning of retreating? I thought it was just your whim.

"I will obviously have to report when I return to my country. With the complete destruction of Shiromu before our eyes, I had to retreat. This information will spread throughout the world in a flash, regardless of races. Even more so, as I am a very famous person in war." (Esamu)
"S, so, what about it." (Velt)
"In other words, you made Esamu, one of the Four Heavenly Beast Demi-humans, retreat. The existence of your four man group that accomplished this exploit, will most likely spread throughout the world by tomorrow." (Esamu)

""""Haaaaaaaaaaaa?"""" (Velt, Ura, Farga, and Musashi)

Eh……… hah? You"re, you"re joking, right?

"While gathering the attention of the whole words, stay the way you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds are! Well then, I will be taking my leave!" (Esamu)

After throwing a great bomb at the very end, Esamu of the Four Heavenly Beast Demi-humans disappeared along with the Shinsengumi.
At the end, Miyamoto left behind the words, "take care of my granddaughter," and disappeared.

In the end, the castle town of Shiromu basically collapsed, and the slaves are almost all gone, but it didn"t go as far as the destruction of the country.

I don"t know what happened to the auction organization afterwards.
We didn"t meet Jiel and the others, because we immediately left Shiromu as if escaping from it.
The thing about Kagami is still a mystery, but I decided to forget about that already.

Anyways, a whole lot of things happened, yeah……… I"m a bit tired today………

TL Note: So, after reading all the comments on last chapter, I was thinking, but isn"t Kamino going to turn out to be Forna? Because like, the t.i.tle is about reuniting with Kamino, but he"s currently going on a long journey where he will of course eventually reunite with Forna… Well, it would completely break Forna"s character if that happens but I think it makes sense at least~