Legacy, friends, and aspirations—these rest on Kazuha's shoulders, yet he never considers them a burden.
In fact, they are the "driving force" that keeps him moving forward, the warmth he can still feel in the cold midnight breeze.
Some childhoods need healing, while others are the "mainspring" of a person's life.
Though the Kaedehara and Kamisato families share similarities—both lost their mothers young and saw their clans decline—their similar experiences led to starkly different lives, shaped by their choices.
Kamisato Ayato was not alone, so he chose to restore the Kamisato family.
Later, gazing at the full moon from the Kamisato estate, Ayato would feel grateful for his choice, as it gave him the ability to protect his sister.
The night's cold breeze could not touch his sister.
Kaedehara Kazuha was entirely alone, so he sold the family assets, dismissed the household staff, and took up his traveler's pack.
When he stepped out of the Kaedehara estate alone and began his journey, looking at the full moon in the night sky, he too felt grateful for his choice, as he had truly begun to experience the world.
The night's cold breeze blew against him, but it also carried away the burdens on his shoulders.
There is no right or wrong in their choices—both carved out their own paths in life.
These are paths they can take pride in, lives where they've tasted the sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy moments of existence.
Neither would have regrets—except for the few in the story.
The group ran back and forth through the labyrinth of the Kaedehara estate, taking who-knows-how-long to finally find Kazuha.
After exchanging information, they discovered a problem: this secret realm was born from Kazuha's memories, but it wasn't entirely as he remembered it.
Moreover, the island outside would change according to the bonsai's appearance.
Manipulating the bonsai would alter the island—whatever form the bonsai took, the island would follow suit.
After several adjustments, the group returned to the "Kaedehara estate."
This time, Kazuha seemed older, and there were many more interactions with his father.
The Kaedehara estate had become somewhat dilapidated, with some areas missing walls and roofs, far from its former "grandeur."
During this journey, the group learned that the dissolution of the Kaedehara family was actually Kazuha's father's idea.
But Kazuha didn't want the stigma of "failing the family" to fall on his father, so he only sold the assets after his father's passing.
Readers understood: the two visits to the "Kaedehara estate" were subtly different, primarily in their "level of opulence."
The first time, the Kaedehara estate was still a grand, prosperous household; the second time, it felt more like a modest home. What about the third time?
Readers soon found out. The third visit to the Kaedehara estate revealed a place in utter ruin.
The illustrations depicted this decay with a "sense of fragmentation"—complete rooms shattered into pieces, floating around.
[Kaedehara Kazuha (Memory): "The Kaedehara family has finally dissolved under my hands."]
He was actually relieved, as the stigma of "failing the family" would not fall on his father.
He cast aside everything, no longer bound by life or family. He wandered freely, becoming the freest wind in the world.
He climbed mountains, crossed seas, and gazed at forests, writing down everything he saw and heard for his father.
He was growing up properly, earnestly experiencing the world. He was happy—no lies.
At this point, he was sixteen years old.
In ten years, he had experienced the highs and lows of life.
Then the Vision Hunt Decree was enacted, and Kazuha became a wanted fugitive, fleeing through Inazuma's mountains and forests, evading capture.
But he was not alone. In the story, another person's words appeared, and in the illustrations, a glowing orb guided the group forward at every step.
[Kaedehara Kazuha (Memory): "They say a Vision signifies the gaze of the gods."]
[Friend: "Hmm, I have one too, but is being watched by the gods necessarily a good thing?"]
In reality, Kazuha took a deep breath, never expecting to "reunite" with his friend under these circumstances.
The illustrations didn't show the friend's figure—only a "Thunder Spirit." But Kazuha knew it was his friend.
That "Thunder Spirit" guided the group in the story, moving forward with deliberate pauses.
Later, a scene appeared with a cyan orb and the purple Thunder Spirit traveling side by side. Though they were just two orbs, it felt as if two companions were walking together.
[Kaedehara Kazuha (Memory): "I once asked myself, this journey is fraught with hardship and displacement. Should I go? Where to? And how?"]
Everyone experiences confusion, but fortunately, in his moments of doubt and struggle, Kazuha met his friend. They relied on each other, walking together on this rugged path.
Sadly, the duel before the throne occurred, and the Thunder Spirit remained there forever. The rest of the road, Kazuha had to walk alone.
"I only know that I cannot let his burning wish be sealed within a cold statue."
Makoto was slightly annoyed, her lips pursed downward, brows furrowed as she looked at Ei.
Ei's face was expressionless, though inwardly she was a bit flustered. She glanced left and right before pulling Lucian over.
Makoto wouldn't scold Ei here—she just gave her a look before continuing to read the story.
Kazuha kept evading. At the seaside, a boatman waved to him, waiting specifically for Kazuha.
Kazuha found it strange—why would someone wait to take him out of the country?
It turned out the boatman was arranged by the Yashiro Commission, waiting here to escort Kazuha out of Inazuma.
Two people with similar experiences had their life paths intersect at last.
[Kaedehara Kazuha (Memory): "The sky's turning dark—is it going to rain? This rain… will it ever stop?"]
On this long road, with only his sword as a companion, though he wandered the world, he never lost his true heart.
As for this "rain," it was actually Kazuha's state of mind. Like the Hydro Dragon, when there's "rain" in one's heart, the world appears drenched.
But when the heart is bright, the world seems clear and radiant.
In plain terms: when you're in a bad mood, everything looks awful; when you're in a good mood, everything feels right.
In the end, the illustration lingered on the Death Omen Star before Kazuha's eyes—this was Kaedehara Kazuha's life so far.
In later stories, readers were somewhat familiar with Kazuha's return to Inazuma, as Lucian had written about it.
No wonder every time the group entered the Kaedehara estate, Kazuha was left alone at the endpoint, unable to leave—it was because he had already walked this path.
He had walked it, and he had let go. The rain had stopped.
Kazuha would embark on his journey again, rediscovering the world.
But for the current Kazuha, the recipient of his letters would now include one more person.
As for the rest—leave it to the wind. The wind travels to every corner of the world, carrying stories to the heavens above.
The wind will stop the rain and blow away the gloom in the heart.
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Character Voice · Venti: About Kaedehara Kazuha
"Hmm, what a remarkable kid. With his musical talent, he could perform as a bard like me. Hmm… he might even be a strong rival, ehe!"