A faint beam of sunlight slipped through the grey clouds overhead and fell across Hayato's tired face.
The mountain village was plunged into an unnatural silence. Even from this altitude, the silence seemed to press down on them.
Renji closed his eyes and rubbed his throbbing temples.
"Little wild girl... Could you leave us alone for a moment?"
Yumiko instantly straightened up.
"Who are you calling wild?! Who do you think you are—"
"My head feels like it's going to explode," Renji interrupted, making no effort to hide the exhaustion in his voice. "If you leave, maybe the pain will lessen a bit."
He opened his blue eyes and looked at her.
"Please."
Yumiko froze. Just as she was about to retort, Hayato stepped in.
"Don't push her, Renji. Yumiko is stubborn. There's no harm in her staying."
Yumiko turned toward him slowly, her brows knit tight.
"Don't speak for me! Nobody asked you!"
She spun around and stormed off, plowing through the snowdrifts. Just before she faded from sight, her steps faltered for a single second; she cast one quick glance over her shoulder, then disappeared.
Renji watched her go.
A faint smirk touched the corner of his lips.
"It seems you really know her well. By telling her to stay, you made her leave."
For a fleeting second, an expression resembling a smile appeared on Hayato's lips, but vanished just as quickly.
He said nothing.
His gaze drifted to the bloody dagger buried in the earth between them.
"There is a bloody dagger here. And another one over there," he said quietly. "Renji... how many daggers do you carry?"
"Six."
Hayato raised his head and looked at him.
"Two katanas and six daggers. How does carrying all that not slow you down?" he asked.
Renji looked straight into his eyes. "They never could slow me down." He let out a quick breath. "But you did."
Hayato's gaze dropped to the ground. The silence returned; heavier this time, more suffocating. For a few seconds, only the howling of the wind could be heard.
"Then you should have finished me off in that duel," Hayato said at last, his voice barely above a whisper. "I barely remember what happened toward the end. Shouts, the clashing of steel..." His fingers dug fiercely into the fabric of his clothes.
"Your voice."
"Then... nothing."
He bowed his head.
"Leaving me alive is dangerous, Renji. You know that."
"I won the duel, Hayato." Renji's voice was sharp and uncompromising. "It's that simple. You accepted the terms from the very beginning; now you must abide by the Judgment of the Gods."
Renji let out a deep sigh and shook his head.
"Besides, you're being stubborn, as always."
A faint smile touched his face.
"I have no idea who you got that trait from."
"This isn't stubbornness." Hayato's expression darkened. "In this state, I'm useless to the rebellion. They'll be afraid of me." He looked toward the village. "And we won't get any support from the nobles in the New Empire, either."
"You're assuming all the support we have is confined to a single island," Renji said.
Hayato's voice grew even lower.
"Takumi had Loyal Blood in his veins. You said he was closely related to the Masataki family. If I stay by your side, we won't draw allies from the Empire—only enemies."
Renji glanced at him.
"I don't care. You're coming back to camp with me."
Hayato shook his head. "The camp..." He swallowed hard. "That place hurts, Renji." His fingers tightened on the fabric even further.
"Not just because of the glaring eyes or the hushed whispers behind my back." His gaze drifted to the ground. "Watari's grave is there."
He paused for a moment.
"Kana still hasn't woken up. Yui doesn't smile anymore."
His voice cracked slightly. "And no one is going to want someone like me around."
Renji looked at him for a quiet second.
"Then don't stand beside them."
Hayato raised his head.
"Stand beside me."
Hayato's eyes widened slightly.
Renji locked eyes with him.
Then Hayato turned his gaze away.
For a moment, Renji watched him in silence.
"Hayato."
His voice softened.
"Forget what I said before."
"I won't force you." Renji scanned the village below. "If these mountains have finally given you the peace you were looking for, I won't take it away from you. I'll come visit every now and then. But the others need me, too. I've left them alone for long enough. I need to check on Kana. And then figure out what we're going to do when spring arrives."
Hayato stared at him.
"Why? Why didn't you just walk away without looking back? Why did you always come back for me?"
Renji looked directly into Hayato's eyes.
"I don't know. I really don't."
Hayato turned his head away. "Renji..."
Renji tried to straighten up, but his body refused to obey. Hayato caught him before he could fall, pulling him against his chest.
Renji blinked a few times. A small smile tugged at his lips. "Maybe that's why."
Hayato looked at him.
"I'm tired, Hayato." Renji's voice was barely audible now. "Yes... even I get tired." He turned his head for a brief moment. "But I can't give up."
Hayato's grip tightened.
"Why are you telling me this now? Why didn't you say it before?"
"Because there was no need to say it before."
Hayato's brows furrowed.
Renji met his gaze.
"I wanted to remind you of something."
"Of what?" Hayato asked.
"That despite everything, it's possible to keep going..."
Renji's voice was calm, almost gentle.
"And that even after everything, you're not alone."
Hayato said nothing.
Then his grip tightened around Renji's upper arm.
"You're not alone either."
Renji shifted his gaze to him in surprise.
"Am I not?"
Hayato answered without hesitation.
"You're not."
Renji held his gaze for a moment. Then, finally, he let his head fall back.
Then Hayato's eyes drifted toward the slope ahead. Renji followed his gaze.
Right at the edge of the slope, gathered behind the bushes, stood the villagers. They kept their distance; some shielded their mouths with their hands as they whispered, while others stared without blinking.
Renji let out a calm breath.
"I suppose we've put on quite an unforgettable sight for the villagers."
A faint smile crossed his face.
Hayato, however, did not smile. Whatever warmth had been there a moment ago was gone. His expression hardened as he looked toward the villagers. His tired voice was calm now.
"...They are afraid of me."