Chapter 290 The Way Home Part 20 (Finale Chapter)

When the afternoon sun began to set, Hajime held Meiji's hand, and the two of them walked to the military gate together, with Kaizen.

Meiji asked, "Brother Hinode, I thought we were going to ride your friend all the way to the door."

Hajime said, "Meiji, promise me that you will never tell anyone about meeting my friend, especially your father."

Meiji asked, "Why not?"

Hajime said with a smile, "It's simple. People won't believe you, and besides, this is a secret between you and me."

As soon as Hajime and Meiji arrived at the gate, the soldiers guarding the door surrounded Hajime, Meiji and Kaizen.

"How dare you show up after making such a threat?" A soldier pointed his sword at Hajime.

Hajime said, "Why would I do that? Are you sure have the right person?"

"Release my son and I promise you, I will keep your body intact." Yu voiced sounded from behind the soldiers.

Hajime turned around and saw Yul walking towards him with Bong, and U-ri.

"Father!" Meiji said happily and ran to Yul.

Hearing an arrow whizzing past him, Hajime rushed forward, holding Meiji in his arms, while Yul thrust his sword directly into Hajime's left shoulder.​

Hajime quickly checked on Meiji, with Yul's sword still deep in his front left shoulder. "Meiji," Hajime asked. "You're not hurt, are you?"

Meiji shook his head.

Yul stared at the young man kneeling on the ground, checking Meiji's safety, ignoring the pain he had caused the young man, and ignoring the arrow that pierced the young man's back.

Hajime smiled and said, "That's good... that's good."

Hajime watched Meiji walks to U-ri's side. He slowly stood up and looked at Yul. "When do you plan to draw your sword?" Hajime asked.

"Yul!" Kazan's voice sounded from behind Yul. Kazan looked at Hajime, grabbed Yul's hand, and pulled the sword out of Hajime's left shoulder. "Sir U-ri, please check his wound as soon as possible." He looked at Yul. "He is the young man I told you about." He turned to look at his soldiers. "Be careful, these arrows are just to lure us out."

U-ri stepped forward and said, "We deeply apologize. We thought you were the one who kidnaped the young lord." He walked to Hajime. "Let me check the wound for you."

Hajime sighed and said, "No need, it will heal on its own." He looked at Kazan. "General, if you don't mind, I would like to stay in your camp for one night and set off again tomorrow morning."

Kazan looked at Hajime and said, "It's my pleasure. Are you sure you don't need Sir U-ri to check your wound?"

Hajime shook his head.

Later that night, Hajime decided to wait until he was sure everyone was asleep, and he would sneak into Yul's tent to say goodbye to them before taking off in the morning, but before he could leave and go out, Meiji walked into his own tent.

Hajime smiled and said, "Meiji, what are you doing so late?"

Meiji said, "Brother Hinode, you promised me that you would tell me everything you know about my mother. I know you are leaving tomorrow, so..."

Hajime smiled and said, "Come here. I will tell you everything I know."

Hajime carried Meiji to the bed and lay down next to Meiji.

Meiji asked, "So, Brother Hinode, when did my mother and father meet?"

Hajime said, "Well, ah... let me think about it... your parents met in the palace. Your mother is a very powerful mage with powerful magic power and entered the palace to help your father and godfather to retreat the white dragon tail to cleanse the land."

Meiji asked, "Does my mother really have white hair and eyebrows?"

Hajime said, "No, he didn't, but in order to prevent others from knowing his true identity, he disguised himself as having white hair and white eyebrows. His true identity is a person who looks...well...just like you." He smiled.

After telling the children version of their journey to Meiji. Hajime found that Meiji was already very tired.

Meiji yawned and turned to sleep on his side. "Brother Hinode, since you and my mother are good friends, what do you think my mother's last thoughts were? Did he think about my father?"

Hajime asked, "Why do you ask this?"

Meiji said, "I don't quite understand, but sometimes my father talks in his sleep when he is drunk."

Hajime pulled Meiji into his arms and kissed Meiji's forehead. "Of course, in his last moments, he thought of you, your father, everyone he knew," he said through tears. "He would have given up everything just for the chance to sit at the dinner table with you, your father, and his friends."

Meiji asked, "Then why doesn't he want that and would rather die and leave us behind?"

Hajime said sadly, "Because his last wish is that you, your father, and his friends can safely cross the River of Sorrow."

"Brother Hinode, do you have to go tomorrow morning?" Meiji closed his eyes, asked the last question, and then fell asleep.

"Because I'm afraid that the shadow of the blood oath your father made back then will follow him," Hajime said with a smile. He pulled his arm out from under Meiji's head. He took off the protection bracelet on his right hand and put it on Meiji's right hand and took off the red brass bracelet from Meiji's right hand. He whispered. "This is the only gift your father gave to your mother, so... mother wants to take it back." He pulled the blanket up and covered Meiji. He kissed Meiji's forehead. "Sweet dream, my sweet little Meiji. Mother will always love you and you will always be in my heart."

Hajime walked to the door and looked back at Meiji who was sleeping soundly on the bed. He wiped away his tears and walked out of the tent.

"Hajime..."

Hajime stopped when Yul's voice sounded behind him. He slowly turned around and stared at Yul. 

Yul stared at Hajime and said, "So, is this the real you?"

Hajime nodded.

Yul asked, "Aren't you going to deny it?"

Hajime shook his head and said, "I promised you that I wouldn't lie to you. How did you know it was me?"

"Only two people in the world know the blood oath that Librarian Ru and I signed. One is Librarian Ru and the other is Hajime." Yul scoffed. "Three years. Didn't you think you would come back and tell me you were still alive?" Yul asked with hurtful tears.

Hajime said in tears, "It's not that I don't want to come back, but it took Kaizen three years to bring me back to life. The first thing I want to do is to see you and Meiji before I..."

Yul walked towards Hajime. He stared into Hajime's eyes and asked, "Before you what? Decide to die again?"

Hajime shook his head, tears streaming down his face, "Before I have to go get a stupid virgin tree that has not been touched by humans or animals and build a new trap pavilion for Liberian Ru, otherwise he will not cancel the blood oath we promised him. The worst part is that this tree only appears every three years and I have no idea where it is located other than relying on Kaizen's nose."

Yul pulled Hajime into his arms and hugged Hajime. He kissed Hajime's forehead and said, "Then let's set out together tomorrow morning."

Early in the next morning, Hajime and Kaizen were walking along the small dirt road further north to the Hellfire Apex. Kaizen sighed.

"What's wrong?" Hajime asked.

Kaizen said, "I told you not to come here. Now your secret is out."

Hajime said, "I didn't say anything. As soon as we met, Yul knew it was me."

Kaizen asked, "He told you?"

Hajime said, "I have a feeling that he already knows." Hajime stopped when he saw Yul and the others standing waiting for him.

"He knew you would leave without telling him," Abrafo said with a smirk on his face.

Bong smiled and said, "As your only true friend, I am a little sad that you decided to say goodbye only to your lover and your son, and not to me."

U-ri smiled and said, "Tsk... tsk... You know, I will be sad if you leave me to go on another adventure."

Michio wiped his tears and ran forward to hug Hajime. "Hajime!" He burst into tears. "I thought we would never see you again."

"Michio...that's enough..." Hajime broke away from Michio. "It's not that I don't want to tell you, but because this is something I have to do. Besides, you still have to guard the Golden Gate."

Abrafo said, ""You don't need two captains to guard the Golden Gate." Abrafo lowered his head at Kaizen and chuckled. "I never imagined that one day the mighty Kaizen would walk on four legs."

Kaizen growled at Abrafo and said, "Just wait until I can transform into a human again."

Abrafo chuckled and said, "I'll be waiting."

Yul looked at Abrafo and said, "Before Hajime and I come back, I will leave Meiji in you and Bong's care."

Abrafo said, "Don't worry about him."

Hajime hugged Abrafo, Bong, and then Michio. "See you guy soon," Hajime said.

Hajime summoned two wolves, and Kaizen quickly climbed onto one of them. U-ri climbed onto the same wolf as Kaizen's. Yul and Hajime jumped on the back of the other wolf. They turned and waved to Abrafo, Bong, and Michio, and then the wolves began to walk away.

Hajime wrapped his arms tightly around Yul's waist and rested his head on Yul's back. Indeed, heaven had been kind to him from the beginning. If he has not experienced pain, how would he know to cherish the love given to him.

"Yul?" Hajime asked. "I've always wanted to know what your name means?"

"Beyond the horizon," Yul said, and he chuckled. "And yours?"

Hajime smiled and said, "Beginning."

Yul stared at the red morning horizon and chuckled. 

Hearing Yul's chuckle, Hajime started to smile, because he knew that what Master Budi taught him was true; he must walk through the storm before he could experience the sunshine. He knew that from this moment on, he no longer needed to think about where his home was, because with Yul, he finally found his home.