After the climactic battle, there was still a lot left to be done. First of all, all the dragons that got corrupted needed to be eliminated. Removing the source did not immediately cure the rest of the corruption. The main way to accomplish this was completely eradicating both the body and soul in one go, though this meant it was nigh impossible for the corrupted dragon to survive. Fortunately, there was another method. Before his passing, Hien had created a sort of purification device. However, he created it purely for exceptional cases and didn’t anticipate a calamity as large in scale as this. Therefore, the purification device could only be used sparingly. There was a lot of panic and uproar about this fact, but alas, the Ryuo had no choice but to go through with knowing that not everyone could be saved. Most dragons were evacuated to the middle level. The damage only took place in the lower level under careful supervision so that no corrupted dragons slipped through to the rest of the Heavenly Realm.
It took many days before the situation was finally under control. Many dragons perished to the corruption and many more suffered injuries. The structural integrity of the lower level was utterly in shambles, but it was lucky they managed to contain it just here. The survivors were still trying to comprehend the events that took place. No one was prepared for how quickly the calamity erupted. The entire Heavenly Realm dawned on the realization that their safe haven had been penetrated by their greatest fear. And all it took was the mistake of a single god.
There was another problem: the seat for the Ryuo of Light was once again empty. The disciples of the light domain had to enact the Ryuo selection process as quickly as possible. A brave Fabled dragon stepped up to the mantle and began the ascension process. There was a long period of mourning after the calamity ended. The fires had burnt away everything. Buildings, islands, and loved ones. Rebuilding only began after the shock factor had diminished somewhat. But everyone knew that nothing would be the same after this.
This event would go down in history as the Disaster of the Shattered Crown.
During this time, Tsukuyomi grew quiet. He didn’t make any big speech or announcement to the people. He just continued to fulfill his duties diligently. He watched over the moon and silently tended to his dimension. When other dragons saw him, they noticed there was always a strange look in his eyes. Those who knew him assumed that he was just grieving and coming to terms with everything. However, one dragon in particular guessed that there was something more to it.
Tsukuyomi spent more time staring at the stars than usual. The water was still. The moon did not bloom as often. Tsukuyomi closed his eyes and slowly breathed out. And then, on one fateful day, the moon bloomed more beautifully than it ever had.
Rinze was busy cataloging the lotus records in her garden when she suddenly heard a knock. “Hm? Who could that be?” She looked at the dragon at her front door. Rinze’s eyes widened. She hesitated for a moment. Then, she let them in. The visitor teleported next to Rinze and the two dragons stared at each other silently. Rinze let out a small smile. “It seems you’re finally joining me for tea.”
“Master.” Tsukuyomi’s hair blew in the gentle breeze. “I have something I need to tell you.”
The master and student sat under the same pagoda where they drank tea together many times. The sun was bright today and leaked in through the open sides of the pagoda. The lotuses drifted by peacefully. Tsukuyomi and Rinze sat across from each other. Rinze poured the hot tea and pushed the cup towards her pupil. She studied his face. “You’ve made your decision.” Tsukuyomi blinked. “You knew.” Rinze chuckled softly. “You’ve had the same look in your eyes ever since Kagutsuchi was banished.”
Tsukuyomi looked down at his tea. The warm steam wafted up to his face. He saw his reflection in the liquid. Certainly, Tsukuyomi had a lot on his mind recently and it might have shown in his expression. And after thinking and thinking, he decided. Tsukuyomi took a deep breath and looked up at Rinze.
“I want to erase myself from everyone’s memory.” Rinze was taken aback when she saw the resolve in his eyes. “I want to investigate everything that happened. My brother, the disappearances.” Tsukuyomi hesitated. “…And I can’t do that with my current position. So this was the answer I came up with.” Rinze was quiet. She took a sip of her tea. Tsukuyomi waited for her reaction with bated breath. She seemed lost in thought. Then she finally spoke. “I see. That’s so very like you.” Rinze put down her cup. “But I can’t let you do that.” Tsukuyomi’s heart sank. He expected this kind of reply. It was reckless and consequential. He knew there were huge risks, yet he still came to this decision. He promised to find the truth of everything.
Rinze smiled. “…Is that what you thought I was going to say?” Huh? Tsukuyomi’s ear wings perked up. Rinze had a mischievous look on her face. “You think I don’t know how your mind works? We’ve known each other for years now. Don’t make me laugh.” She said such playful things, but her eyes told a different story. Rinze sighed. “I know I can’t change your mind anyways…” Her voice trailed off. “You always want to carry everything alone.” Tsukuyomi looked down.
“You think that because you can endure something, you must endure it alone. That’s not strength, Tsukuyomi.” She smiled sadly. “If you find the truth, don’t let it consume you.”
”…I won’t.”
”And if you discover something you cannot bear…” Rinze’s voice faltered. “…remember that you were never meant to carry the whole world by yourself.” Tsukuyomi quietly stared at his master’s face. One half of it was brightened by the sunlight while the other half was in shadow. Rinze looked down at her tea with lidded eyes. “Hien once told me that a god shouldn’t succumb to petty emotions.” Tsukuyomi remained silent. “I used to believe him.” Rinze shifted her gaze outside to the lotuses floating by on the water. “But I’m beginning to think that was wrong.” She flicked her tail. “If being a god means I have to pretend I don’t care about losing my student… then perhaps I was never very good at being one.” Rinze looked down at her cup.
Tsukuyomi drank his tea slowly. He thought about what his master said. These were her final words of wisdom before she would completely forget him. She knew that nothing she could say would sway Tsukuyomi. Maybe this was her way of accepting his decision. Rinze had always been there for Tsukuyomi through every trial and tribulation. Perhaps it was his turn to give her something.
“You taught me how to control memories. You taught me how to see the truth within them. You taught me how to control my visions. You taught me how to become a Ryuo.” Tsukuyomi’s voice grew quieter. Rinze stared at him. “But more than anything… you gave me somewhere I could belong.” Tsukuyomi looked up at her. “And for that, I thank you. Thank you, Master, for everything.” Rinze’s smile disappeared. She replied with a soft voice, “I told you. You don’t need to call me that anymore.” Tsukuyomi smiled. “I know. I still want to.” Rinze’s eyes shook.