Ere the End, a Glance Back

Ere the End, a Glance Back is the third and final part of .
==Steps==
# Go to the blade-testing venue
#* Enter the Quest Domain: Occupied Hold
# Enter the occupied hold and defeat the opponents
#* Wave 1: 
#* Wave 2: 
# Talk to Kazuha
# Keep going and defeat the opponents
#* Wave 1: 
#* Wave 2: 
# Talk to Kazuha
# Keep going and defeat the opponents 
# Talk to Kazuha
# Keep going and defeat the opponents 
# Talk to Kazuha
# Listen to what the cursed blade has to say
# Fulfill the cursed blade's wish
# Have a duel with Amenoma Yuuya
#* 
# Return to Amenoma Smithy
# Accompany Kazuha while he gives Kujou Kamaji his response
==Trial Character==
* The weapon attributes change upon completing different rooms in the Occupied Hold Quest Domain. Kazuha will switch his weapon to Fillet Blade for the final fight in the domain.
* The weapon shown here is during the duel with Amenoma Yuuya.
==Gameplay Notes==
* Inside the domain, Kazuha will recover to full HP after completing each room.
* Kazuha will be the only character in the party for all the fights.
==Dialogue==
;(Approach the first room in the Domain)
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Leave everything on this journey to me.
;(After defeating the opponents in the first room)
: Paimon: How are you feeling? You okay?
: Kaedehara Kazuha: I am alright. The blade is performing largely as I expected. Having gone so long without proper use and maintenance, it's become very difficult to use.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Though he's making every effort to persevere, I do not think he can last much longer.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Hmm...
: Paimon: Something else on your mind?
: Kaedehara Kazuha: How strange. Rather than trying to control me, he is instead trying to match my fighting rhythm.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Let's keep going.
;(After defeating the opponents in the second room)
: Paimon: Whoa, something's up with the blade!
: What's going on?
: It's grown... dimmer?
: Kaedehara Kazuha: I can sense that his strength is slowly fading away. The blade is becoming more and more difficult for me to wield.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: He cannot hold out much longer. If he keeps persisting, he will likely break apart at any moment.
: Paimon: But... what would that do to Amenoma Yuuya...
: Kaedehara Kazuha: I will be careful with it. He also says he does not have any plans to give up easily.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: He's still trying to achieve his goal...
;(Enter the third room)
: Paimon: Look out, ambush!
;(If Kazuha has lost significant health)
:;(The opponent is defeated instantly)
:: Paimon: That was such a close call...
:: Kaedehara Kazuha: My apologies... in the end, I still needed your help.
;(After defeating the opponent in the third room)
: Paimon: Are you okay? It looked like you were really struggling the entire fight.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Yes. And it looks like he's reached his limit.
: Paimon: The sheen's grown a bit dimmer again. It doesn't look anywhere near as impressive as it did at the start.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Perhaps this time, we'll finally have a chance to see his true form.
: Paimon: True form? What are you talking about... Huh? What the...!?
:
: Paimon: Is this the same blade as before!? It looks like a piece of junk!
: The wear and tear is severe.
: It really looks like it's about to break.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: If you choose to continue in the state you're in, you wouldn't even be able to beat samurai and kairagi, much less the Almighty Shogun.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Maybe you truly did wield the power to rival the Shogun's light when first forged. But the long journey from Snezhnaya back to Inazuma has left you battered and broken.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: It barely needs stating anymore. Your ambition is a flight of fancy.
: Will he listen to you?
: Though the truth is right there in front of him.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: I've finally figured out why it was that you agreed to my bet.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: You wanted to reach a state of harmony with me. For perhaps then, you would still be able to wield commendable power.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: But regrettably, we are nothing alike. I will never understand your obstinacy and cruelty, nor can I empathize with the one who made you.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: The only one who truly understood you had already passed away by the time you were born.
: Paimon: Huh? What's that supposed to mean?
: Murayama: There they are. Take them down!
: Paimon: Ah! Where do they keep coming from!
: You shouldn't fight with this blade anymore.
: Paimon: Yup yup, we can help this time!
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Don't worry, I'll use my own blade.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: It's just more of the same.
;(After defeating the second set of opponents in the third room)
: Paimon: You fought way better with your own sword.
: Prized Isshin Blade: ...You are a true Kaedehara, in flesh and in spirit. Though we fought briefly together, you have seen me for who I really am.
: Prized Isshin Blade: No one knew anything of my story throughout my travels, nor did I tell it to anyone. You are the first person to know the truth.
: Prized Isshin Blade: I thought that if I could achieve Isshin harmony with you, perhaps there would still be a ray of hope for me.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: But in this, too, you have failed.
: Prized Isshin Blade: Indeed. No matter how hard I tried, I could not attain that perfect harmony that your personal blade does with you.
: Prized Isshin Blade: Too much time has passed... My physical state is poor, and without proper maintenance, I can only disguise my true appearance behind an outer sheen.
: Prized Isshin Blade: Yours is the blade that took on the Musou no Hitotachi... And what a magnificent blade it is. Perhaps I shall never reach that level of glory...
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Actually... this is just a generic blade that I picked up during my travels in Liyue.
: Prized Isshin Blade: Wh—What?
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Forging and maintenance are both important for a blade, but they are not everything.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: This blade has traveled the land with me for many years, and we have formed a close bond during that time. Plus, in the moment that I most needed it, I received aid from another power...
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Skill, blade, determination, and desire — all these must be aligned in the practice of Isshin Art.
: Prized Isshin Blade: ...
: Kaedehara Kazuha: There is something else I must tell you. Though your maker may not have been aware, your ability to possess your own consciousness derived from the power of the Tatarigami.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Tatarigami is a malevolence from the ancient past. It is the source of your mania and savagery.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Though you tried to cooperate with me while I was wielding you, the part of you driven by Tatarigami was constantly trying to seize control of my body.
: Prized Isshin Blade: I sensed it, but I couldn't change it. It is an integral part of my consciousness.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: I resisted its temptations because I wanted to save Amenoma Yuuya. But I do not know whether you yourself have any intention of trying to fight it.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: I feel a great sense of regret for you, since you embarked on a journey bound for a destination you were destined never to reach.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: The moment you embarked on this journey, you lost the only person who could have ever unleashed your true potential. And yet there was no way for you to turn your back on his ambition.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: You have known this for a long time. It is the true source of your despair.
: Prized Isshin Blade: He gave me everything... my life, my form, my consciousness and purpose...
: Prized Isshin Blade: How could I possibly deny him his wish...
: Prized Isshin Blade: I said to him, "Do not worry. From here on, I shall forge your legacy."
: Prized Isshin Blade: How could I go back on my word...
: Paimon: Aw...
: Kaedehara Kazuha: I believe our bet is now settled. I have nothing further to say.
: Paimon: Where are you going, Kazuha?
: Kaedehara Kazuha: He now has neither the ability, nor the motivation to cause further harm. Let's give him some time to reflect on things.
;(Talk to the Prized Isshin Blade, optional)
: Prized Isshin Blade: ...
;(Talk to Kazuha)
: Kaedehara Kazuha: When I touched the hilt for the first time, it's as if I was transported to a strange dimension. It was somewhere I've never been.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: A bladesmith lay quietly on the bed, his frail face barely visible under the moonlight. His breaths were weak, and his life near its end.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: A newly forged blade lay by his side, listening attentively to his final words.
: Paimon: Wow... that was the blade's memory, wasn't it?
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Indeed. While in exile in Snezhnaya, the bladesmith eventually learned the truth behind everything that had happened. The Isshin Art had been dealt a devastating blow by the desertion of its best smiths.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: He spent the rest of his life in the forge, not to vent his frustration and hatred, but to atone for his actions.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: He felt intense regret at being tricked by the Fatui, but he could never again return to his homeland. His sole wish was to one day return his single proudest creation back to the land of his birth.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: So he instructed this sentient blade to find a way back to Inazuma, no matter how long or how hard the journey. But he never wished to rival the gods...
: Kaedehara Kazuha: All he wanted to show was that they once shone brilliantly as blade and smith, that they were still worthy of being trusted.
: Paimon: So that's the true story...
: Paimon: But after that, the blacksmith's intentions were warped by the Tatarigami, slowly turning his proud creation into the cursed blade of today.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Right. I believe the bladesmith might never have known that the power he worked with was that of the Tatarigami. The hatred within that power is what sent the blade down its ill-fated path.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: This blade has committed unforgivable atrocities, but only because it lost its original master. No one was there to correct its errors when it was losing its way.
: Paimon: *sigh* Shame it's too late now.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Yes, it is too late.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Time would not wait or stop because of his determination. While the world moved on, his ambition remained stubbornly stuck at that fleeting moment at the dawn of his journey.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: He seems to have calmed down though. Let's go and check in.
;(Talk to the Prized Isshin Blade)
: Prized Isshin Blade: When I look back at the past, I can remember the day of my forging like it was just yesterday.
: Prized Isshin Blade: I once told him that I would pay any price to fulfill his wishes, such was the debt I owed to him for giving me the gift of consciousness.
: Prized Isshin Blade: But darkness and slaughter numb the mind. Over time, I lost sight of the difference between gratitude and grudge.
: Prized Isshin Blade: Not only did I fail to fulfill his ambition... I also defiled it...
: Kaedehara Kazuha: You are finally seeing reality clearly.
: Prized Isshin Blade: Since we agreed to the terms of the bet, I will honor the agreement, and release Amenoma Yuuya.
: Prized Isshin Blade: But I still cannot bring myself to forsake his ambition. It is the entire purpose for my existence.
: Prized Isshin Blade: So, may I ask you to help me fulfill the ambitions of myself and my creator?
: Paimon: Hey, now you're adding yours into the mix, too? Geez, don't push your luck mister!
: Prized Isshin Blade: It has to be done in this order. At least hear what I have to say... and if you don't agree, I will still release Amenoma Yuuya as promised.
: Prized Isshin Blade: My physical form, as well as the knowledge I possess, should still be of some value to you.
: Paimon: His attitude has grown a lot milder...
: Paimon: What do you think, Kazuha? Should we give him a chance?
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Let's hear it.
: Prized Isshin Blade: Thank you all. When I was first forged, my maker was already terminally ill. He told me that he had wanted me to have the grandest opening battle.
: Prized Isshin Blade: Alas, after that, he never rose from his sickbed again...
: Prized Isshin Blade: Nor have I ever had the chance to prove myself in battle since.
: Prized Isshin Blade: My fights were devoid of any noble meaning. They were merely the next step in my never-ending journey... the next in a long line of transgressions.
: Prized Isshin Blade: You are a fine warrior. I would like to request your hand in battle, and experience a true duel between samurai.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Oh, and who would be the opponent?
: Prized Isshin Blade: I will release Amenoma Yuuya, and restore his consciousness. Perhaps after that, you can convince him to commit to a fight with you.
: Prized Isshin Blade: He must have plenty of reasons to both hate me and desire a good fight.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Understood. Then let's start by waking him up and seeing if he has the stamina and will to fight.
:
: Amenoma Yuuya: I see. He used my body... to inflict harm on others.
: Amenoma Yuuya: I utterly despise him and his actions, but since he stayed true to your agreement by releasing me, he must still have some remaining semblance of honor.
: Amenoma Yuuya: If a duel can help to set this state of affairs in order, I am willing to put myself forward.
: Amenoma Yuuya: I do not wish to be a mere victim in this story.
: Paimon: There's no need to worry, we'll vouch for your innocence to the Tenryou Commission!
: Amenoma Yuuya: Thanks for your help. Who knows how this would have ended without your intervention.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Alright, then let's move on.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: More ronin could appear at any moment. We can't stay here.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: In any case, for a final duel, I think we should aim for a greater sense of ceremony.
;(Approach the marked location)
: Paimon: This reminds Paimon a bit of The Crux Clash.
: That was a much more relaxed occasion.
: Paimon: Yup, we still can't let our guard down, even now. Paimon has a sneaking suspicion that blade hasn't told us everything...
: Paimon: Still... even if he's way past the point of redemption, it's hard not to feel a teensy bit sorry for him.
: Paimon: Are you ready?
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Ready?
: Kaedehara Kazuha: ...Okay. Alright then.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Successor of Isshin Art, Kaedehara Kazuha.
: Amenoma Yuuya: Successor of Amenoma Art, Amenoma Yuuya.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Honored to cross blades with you.
: Amenoma Yuuya: It is my honor also.
----
;(After defeating Amenoma Yuuya)
: Amenoma Yuuya: ...Thank you for the experience.
: Amenoma Yuuya: Although he appears battered and broken, in your hands, it seems he's regained a glimmer of brilliance.
: Amenoma Yuuya: His sense of savage cruelty has completely faded away, but that same sense of determination remains strong.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: You also fought well. I'm sure he relished the experience.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: There are a few things that I shall leave him to tell you himself.
: Prized Isshin Blade: I must apologize to you for all that has transpired.
: Amenoma Yuuya: You need not seek my forgiveness, nor do I have the right to forgive you on your victims' behalf.
: Amenoma Yuuya: It is too late for all of that.
: Prized Isshin Blade: I do not wish for forgiveness. I only hope that you will see my transgressions as mine alone, and not let them stain the legacy of Isshin Art.
: Prized Isshin Blade: I strayed far from the straight and narrow path, but the Isshin Art still has a worthy successor in Kaedehara Kazuha.
: Prized Isshin Blade: I beseech you... please understand this.
: Amenoma Yuuya: Yes. I, too, trust Mr. Kaedehara to do the right thing.
: Prized Isshin Blade: Thank you, successor of Amenoma Art.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: This blade has also told me that he has another wish: He would like to visit the Amenoma Smithy.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Maybe we can go back there together.
: Paimon: What does he want to go there for?
: Kaedehara Kazuha: I'm not sure. But I think that all this is about to come to an end.
----
;(Approach Amenoma Smithy)
: Amenoma Tougo: Ah, it's Yuuya! You have returned!
: Amenoma Yuuya: I am sorry to have troubled you. It's all thanks to them that I was able to return safely.
:
: Amenoma Tougo: A prized Isshin blade, turned weapon that controls the human mind...
: Amenoma Tougo: *sigh* Considering their forging philosophy, this was indeed within the realm of possibility. This is a great pity.
: Amenoma Tougo: But I have some good news as well. Ryuuji from the Bantan Sango Detective Agency tells me that they've found the missing Mr. Nagato.
: Paimon: Really? Is he okay?
: Amenoma Tougo: Yes. Badly wounded, but he will live.
: Amenoma Tougo: And now that Yuuya is back... it seems like the final ending to this story is a happy one after all.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: ...I think I know what you want to do.
: Paimon: What's wrong, Kazuha? Is the blade whispering in your ear again?
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Yes... he said, he wants to take control of me for a brief moment.
: Paimon: What? No way! Hasn't it learned its lesson?
: Kaedehara Kazuha: He tells me that he's thought of another way to fulfill his maker's wish. And he assures me that he won't use my body for anything nefarious.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: I've decided... to let him do it.
: Paimon: You...! But...! He...! Ugh, guess there's nothing we can say to change your mind, huh?
: The decision is yours.
: I trust your judgment.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Thank you. I will explain my reasons later.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Okay, I am ready. Let us begin, please stay true to your promise.
:;(A cinematic begins)
:;(Kazuha picks up the Prized Isshin Blade and a purple glow takes over Kazuha's eyes)
:;(He awakes in a realm of consciousness)
:: Prized Isshin Blade: My power is almost spent. Without him, my eventual demise is inevitable
:: Prized Isshin Blade: But if I abandon the future to give everything I have in this moment, my physical form can be forged anew
:: Kaedehara Kazuha: "Everything"... you mean...?
:: Prized Isshin Blade: Yes, the cost is my entire consciousness
:;(The Prized Isshin Blade, as Kazuha, awakes in the real world and begins to reforge the sword)
:: Prized Isshin Blade: You were right, there's nothing that I can accomplish now
:: Prized Isshin Blade: But there's still a chance for Isshin Art
:: Prized Isshin Blade: Once remade, I will be a valuable resource for your studies
:: Prized Isshin Blade: Isshin lives on, and its finest hour is yet to come
:: Prized Isshin Blade: Even if I am not the one to prove its might to the Shogun...
:: Prized Isshin Blade: As long as it is an Isshin blade, crafted by Kaedehara hands...
:: Prized Isshin Blade: It will still fulfill his final wish
:;(In the realm of consciousness)
:: Prized Isshin Blade: Thank you, son of the Kaedehara Clan
:: Prized Isshin Blade: Over the years, my real name has been forgotten by all. I'm ashamed to utter it, yet it remains strong in my mind:
:: Prized Isshin Blade: "Kagotsurube Isshin"
:: Prized Isshin Blade: This name is now yours to keep...
:;(The purple glow in Kazuha's eyes fades away)
:: Kaedehara Kazuha: Hm
:: Kaedehara Kazuha: Rest in peace
:;(Cinematic ends)
:
: Paimon: So that's why he said it had to be done in that order...
: Paimon: His consciousness will disappear forever after fulfilling the bladesmith's wish.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: "Kagotsurube Isshin"... It was the first time I ever heard his name.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: It seems like deep down, he disapproved of his own actions, and thus chose to bury this name deep within his heart.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Only in the final moments before his consciousness faded was he willing to entrust it to another.
: Paimon: Seems like he really, really wanted to fulfill his maker's wish...
: Kaedehara Kazuha: The same fervent ambition that gave him the motivation to keep going forward also fueled the stubborn determination that blinded him to the path ahead.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Speaking for myself, I'd rather see him recognize and atone for his mistakes than see him punished for them.
: Too dangerous, if you ask me.
: The remnants of defeated gods are nothing to scoff at.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: I understand. Perhaps this is a flaw in my personality... I've always been captivated by grand aspirations.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Hearing his wish to rival the divine light touched something inside of me, just as the sight of those who fought to repeal the Vision Hunt Decree did...
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Your quest to face the gods and trace your sibling inspires me in the same way.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: After everything I've seen, perhaps these pursuits fascinate me a little more than they should.
: Paimon: Oh, Kazuha...
: Kaedehara Kazuha: I will continue to support you from this point on. Know that you will have my assistance whenever you need it.
: Thank you.
: I'll hold you to your word!
: Paimon: Wait, shouldn't we also go update Kujou Kamaji?
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Oh, you're right. We need to tell him about the findings of our investigation.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: And it's also time to give him a response to the offer he made me.
----
;(Talk to Kujou Kamaji)
: Kujou Kamaji: You have returned! I hear that the issue has been resolved. Though this was a treacherous investigation indeed, we are most fortunate that no lives were lost.
: Kujou Kamaji: The Tenryou Commission has already attended to the danger at the warehouse. The investigation into Amenoma Yuuya should conclude soon, I do not believe he will be charged with any crime.
: Paimon: Wow, you sure kept your ear to the ground.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Then we needn't recount all the details again. Now, as to your earlier offer, I wish to give you my answer... please take a look at this blade.
: Kujou Kamaji: What's this?
: Kaedehara Kazuha: "Kagotsurube Isshin," a weapon crafted using a long-lost blade forging art of the Kaedehara Clan.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: By means of a series of fortuitous events, I was able to recover and restore him. I also promised him that I will continue to study and pass on the secrets of Isshin Art.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: And so, it looks like I will likely continue with my journey across the nations, learning more about this blade as I go.
: Kujou Kamaji: I see... I understand.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: The Kaedehara Clan has always been a family of bladesmiths, so it is only proper for me to continue on this path.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Were I to accept your goodwill, I may find myself embroiled in conflicts between the Shogunate and Sangonomiya. That would not suit me.
: Kujou Kamaji: Ah, you misunderstand, that was most certainly not our intent...
: Kaedehara Kazuha: I am aware, but I still desire to continue walking my own path.
: Kujou Kamaji: Very well. I can understand. Then let's pretend this offer was never raised.
: Kujou Kamaji: However, if you should ever change your mind, or find yourself in need of the Shogunate's assistance, please do not hesitate to inform me.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Great, thank you for your generosity.
: Paimon: Where will you travel to next, Kazuha?
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Hmm... I'll probably take to the seas with Captain Beidou again for now.
: Kaedehara Kazuha: As for my next destination...
: Kaedehara Kazuha: Let's see where the wind takes me.
:;(Quest ends)
;(Talk to Kujou Kamaji again)
: Kujou Kamaji: Mr. Nagato's survival is the one silver lining in this whole catastrophe.
: Kujou Kamaji: We will continue to monitor his condition, and hope he recovers soon.
==Soundtracks==
==Video Guides==
==Other Languages==
==Change History==
es:Una mirada atrás al final del camino
pt-br:Um Olhar para Trás Antes do Fim