Kuki Shinobu took in everything that had just happened and couldn't help but inwardly sigh in distress, fearing that Shao Yun might take offense.
She hurriedly spoke up, "I sincerely apologize, Mister Shao Yun. Our boss... sometimes his views on things really are childishly naïve and ridiculous. Please don't take it to heart."
Shao Yun gave a faint smile, his demeanor relaxed and gracious. He waved a hand lightly, indicating he wasn't bothered in the least.
"It's nothing. Such a small matter doesn't mean anything to me."
Clearly, he had no intention of stooping to Arataki Itto's level.
Seeing Shao Yun was not angry, the weight on Kuki Shinobu's heart finally lifted. She allowed herself a small breath of relief, then returned to the question Shao Yun had previously asked.
"I didn't speak up earlier since the boss was here. But now, I'll answer your question. I feel deep regret over Lady Kujou's death. But as you said yourself—how can there be war without death? And birth, aging, sickness, and death... those are all part of life."
She shifted her gaze to the coffin and sighed gently.
"If blame must be assigned, perhaps we can only lament that fate showed Lady Kujou no mercy."
Shao Yun also looked toward the coffin, pressing his lips together before speaking slowly.
"I don't regret killing Kujou Sara. But... in that moment, even if I hadn't killed her, I think she would have taken her own life."
Kuki Shinobu instantly sensed something deeper behind his words and asked quickly, "What do you mean by that?"
Shao Yun recounted what had happened.
He had shattered Kujou Sara's knees, robbing her of her ability to fight. He had considered sparing her life. But she clung tightly to his trouser leg.
She was absolutely determined to stop him. He gave her an out, but she refused to take it.
In the end, Shao Yun had granted Kujou Sara her wish—to become a martyr.
After hearing the full account, Kuki Shinobu let out a long sigh. Her face was filled with helplessness as she murmured, "So that's how it was, Sara..."
Shao Yun's gaze remained fixed on the cold, silent coffin, and he slowly relived the scene aloud.
"I broke both her legs. I thought she would collapse and wait in silence for everything to be explained."
"But what I didn't expect was that she'd be so resolute—she would rather die than live on in humiliation."
"Faced with such a steadfast will, I had no other choice. I hardened my heart and sent her off."
He fell silent after speaking.
Kuki Shinobu gently shook her head, sorrow and remorse written all over her face.
"That truly does fit Lady Kujou's character to a fault."
"But... sigh... I don't even know what words to use to describe how I'm feeling right now."
The two of them stood quietly, gazing at Kujou Sara's coffin.
After a while, Shao Yun seemed to suddenly recall something and turned to ask Kuki Shinobu, "Oh, right. You guys have been working on Ritou Island lately—how has that been going?"
Kuki Shinobu was slightly caught off guard by the change in topic, but answered truthfully.
"We did earn quite a bit of Mora, actually. But..."
She paused.
Then, she gestured toward the offerings and the many ornate funeral items around the room.
"But... most of that Mora was spent on these. The offerings, the decorations—and of course, the cost of hiring shrine maidens from the Grand Narukami Shrine to perform the funeral rites."
Shao Yun blinked, his body twitching slightly from surprise, and almost blurted out reflexively—
"What?"
Kuki Shinobu saw the confusion in his eyes and patiently explained further.
"It was our boss's idea. He asked me to coordinate with the Grand Narukami Shrine, the Tenryou Commission, and the Shogunate to plan a grand funeral for Lady Kujou."
"He insisted on covering all the expenses himself. Of course, we couldn't just let him shoulder the burden alone."
"So, all the wages we earned from working on Ritou went toward Lady Kujou Sara's funeral."
"It's only right. Without her help, we wouldn't have made that money in the first place. Spending it on her funeral feels like the most natural thing."
Shao Yun listened, nodding slowly, his heart full of emotion.
"I see..."
Then he reached into his Legend of the East satchel.
A moment later, he pulled out a heavy pouch—bulging with coins, full of Mora.
He handed it to Kuki Shinobu, his eyes sincere and full of respect.
"Take this. A small token of mine. Think of it as my offering to Kujou Sara. To be honest, I don't even know how much is in there."
Kuki Shinobu's eyes widened as she looked at the money pouch in his hand.
Based on her experience and sharp instincts, she estimated the amount—
At least 800,000 Mora! That was no small sum.
Astonished, she quickly waved her hands in refusal.
"Mister Shao Yun, really, there's no need for this…"
But Shao Yun didn't flinch.
He gently placed the pouch at her feet and pointed toward Kujou Sara's coffin.
"Mora means nothing to me. But if this can serve as a symbol of the respect I feel for a former rival—then that's enough."
His words were clear and firm, leaving Kuki Shinobu with no room to decline.
She looked down at the pouch, then up at the coffin, and finally at Shao Yun.
Her expression grew increasingly complex—touched, uncertain, and something else she couldn't quite name.
After a moment of silence, she took a deep breath and spoke.
"To be honest, we haven't known each other for long. But I'll tell you what I feel."
"I don't think you're as terrible as the rumors say. At least, when it comes to taking lives... I can sense a lot of restraint in you."
Shao Yun was clearly surprised by her unexpected evaluation.
He tilted his head and asked curiously, "Oh? Why do you say that?"
Clearly, her opinion caught him off guard—and piqued his curiosity.
Kuki Shinobu took a deep breath, her thoughts returning to that chilling moment just a week earlier.
She began recounting what she had witnessed on Ritou.
"Not long ago, some folks from Inazuma City fled to Ritou in a panic. They were spreading terrifying rumors—that the city would be engulfed in flames, that no one left behind would survive. But now that we look back... things weren't nearly that bad."
She rubbed her chin, thinking for a moment. Then she found the word she was looking for.
"Hmm. I'd say it's... peaceful." she murmured, as if the word pleased her.
Indeed, apart from some degenerates who had turned to theft and banditry, most of Inazuma's citizens continued living their lives in calm and quiet.
Shao Yun listened in silence, thinking to himself,
You should thank Lumine. If not for her, I would've razed Inazuma to the ground, hunted every last survivor, and perished alongside the Archon in an eternity of death.
In the end, he hadn't committed mass slaughter or burned down the city.
And to Kuki Shinobu, that proved he wasn't beyond saving.
A faint smile played on Shao Yun's lips as he explained,
"There's a girl who once told me: 'Don't let Inazuma become a sea of fire.' If she hadn't talked me down... Inazuma would be ashes by now."
Kuki Shinobu nodded gently and spoke softly.
"And that's exactly what proves you haven't fallen beyond redemption."
"Somewhere, deep in your heart, there's still a longing to be a good person. That's why you're still willing to listen to others."
"If you truly had no conscience left, no amount of pleading would reach you."
Shao Yun looked puzzled.
"So, you think... I'm actually a good person?"
Kuki Shinobu scratched her head awkwardly, looking a little embarrassed.
"Not quite. You're not what most people would call a good person."
"But in my view, you haven't lost your sense of right and wrong. At the very least... you can still show compassion at times."
She then drew from her experience as a former shrine maiden of the Grand Narukami Shrine and added:
"My instincts tell me, maybe at some critical moment, you made a wrong choice."
"Or maybe, in handling some problem... you simply chose the wrong solution."
Shao Yun said nothing. He gave a quiet nod and thought to himself, If only that were true...
Kuki Shinobu cast a quick glance toward the door, then turned back to Shao Yun and said,
"Sorry, I'd better go check on the boss. Please excuse me."
With that, she walked off to calm the emotionally frazzled Arataki Itto.
Once Kuki Shinobu was gone, Shao Yun's gaze slowly turned toward Kujou Sara's coffin.
His expression grew darker, deeper.
He stared in silence, unmoving.
Minute by minute passed, and finally, Shao Yun made up his mind. He took a step forward and approached the coffin.
Once there, he reached out with his right hand and rested it gently atop the lid.
In his mind, the image of Reverend Swanson emerged.
He silently wondered how he himself might offer words of respect and sorrow to the dead.
After a long moment of contemplation, Shao Yun took a deep breath and tried to steady his voice—making it calm and solemn, like a priest delivering a eulogy.
"You lived a short life, filled with both kindness and cruelty; you once gave freely, and you once took what was not yours."
"But who among us walks without sin? No one lives a life without blemish."
"Even so, your faults cannot erase your courage as a martyr for your faith. The strength you showed in the face of despair was worthy of praise."
"Now, for you, the clamor of this world has faded. The battles are over."
"May the grace of the Savior be with you always. May He forgive your soul and grant you eternal rest and peace."
As he finished, Shao Yun slowly withdrew his hand from the coffin.
And just then, the system—long silent—unexpectedly displayed two messages.
[You have received one Red Rose.]
[This rose may serve as a symbol of your deep respect and heartfelt remembrance for the great martyr—Kujou Sara—who gave her life for her faith in the Archon.]
Then, the system fell silent once more.
Shao Yun reached into his satchel and pulled out the red rose, blazing like fire.
It was vibrant, radiant as a sun.
Its petals curled tightly together in layered bloom, each one saturated in a breathtaking crimson hue.
Shao Yun wordlessly placed the rose atop Kujou Sara's coffin and whispered,
"For the martyr, a red rose. May this rose—symbol of one who died for faith—bring you blessings in the land of eternal rest."