Work Text:
She was wrapped up in bandages and barely conscious when she heard the news of the banishment of vision hunt decree, the only words that were able to spill out from her lips were just simple two words, 'I see'. In her foggy memories, she only remembers Kujou Masahito, her brother's sigh and that unreadable expression on his face. At first, she thought it was her injuries she had got from the Fatui Harbinger making it difficult to process the information, but it’s been many months since the banishment and yet she still doesn’t quite understand.
Her devotion to the Shogun has never shaken once and never will, but she just doesn't quite understand why made the Almighty Shogun change her mind? What was so special about that one battle she had with that traveler, did the numerous battles and sacrifices that her people made for this Decree was just some trifle matter in her eyes, did her people's cries, pleas never existed until that traveler put their foot on this land?
Since there was no more war, many soldiers returned home, it was quite a warming scene to watch as they returned to their parents, lovers, and children. Even with such heart-warming reunions they knew deep down that they will be only welcomed by their beloved ones. She was feared by the people and if they dared they only talked behind her back but now with the Decree banished, they talk in front of her without even a hint of hesitation.
With the abolished decree and the Tenryou Commission currently in disarray after the finding of the collusion with the Fatui, not even an ounce of respect was displayed in front of her presence. But this matter was never something that she worried about all as she never cared for things like respect and position, she only wanted to carry the orders of the Almighty Shogun.
But there’s this hole in her heart as if something was stolen from her. From childhood till now, it was her practicing her bow again and again till she felt her hands bled. Even when she was bedridden, Kujou Takayuki, her adoptive father, would make her practice according to her usual routine, if she delays or stops, her punishment would be to practice till the next day, and he would order the servants to not even serve an ounce of water or grain of rice to her.
War was all she knew, she hated it as a child when she was told to simply sit and do nothing, she would simply get restless and think how much she time could have been invested in polishing her combat skills or learning more war tactics. With such a upbringing, when she was told that she no longer needed to be in the front and fight, she was confused.
What was she to do now? Fighting in the war was her life, and now it was just gone, disappeared in the wind like her devotion and actions never existed. Nowadays in her free time, she would just walk aimlessly in the markets, noticing the way the people glanced at her, and her old comrades, and the way they too were being treated as social outcasts.
She and her comrades were abandoned by society, they were called murderers, and hypocrites and every dirty word to exist in the dictionary. The graves of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives were tarnished, words disrespecting the dead written on their gravestones. A surge of rage and anger flew threw her blood when she received news about it, but what was she to do? She was also a murderer, a cruel being who destroyed many lives, families, relations. In the end, she was too a monster who destroyed everything.
She was a monster who had gotten her punishment but was never told the reason for why she received it. She was just doing the duty of the one who she felt indebted to. She was just taking the orders of the God who ruled her land and gave her a purpose, so how in the heavens did it make her a murderer?
She never once liked taking away visions since she all knew well that these were the essence of someone’s life. But she kept quiet and did her duty as the general of the shogun. Though in her case, she never once had to think twice if the Shogunate ever wanted her vision, she would just give it right away. That was the least devoted act to be done while serving the Raiden Shogunate.
She was thankful the Shogun for at least giving her a duty, she was given the purpose of handling the after-effects of the War, which isn’t exactly the easiest duty to do when the people of an entire nation despise you. But alas, even if she will have to sit on a 1000 prickling needles, she will continue serving her shogun and doing her duties.
As no matter how much suffering she must endure, her devotion to the Almighty Shogun will always prevail.