Chapter 33 – The Lantern Festival

Inside Aseina Castle—now serving as the resistance’s base—Yura sat with Ren, Lilith, Luisina, and the young Latina, who clung tightly to Ren’s arm as if he were a stuffed doll she couldn’t bear to let go of.

“Little one, don’t you think you’re holding on to Ren a bit too much?” Yura asked coolly.

“He’s my brother. Bleh!” Latina shot back, sticking out her tongue with cheeky defiance.

“Come on, don’t fight…” Ren intervened, gently ruffling the girl’s hair.

For a moment, his gaze drifted into the past.

“How strange… she reminds me of Rin. But with that hair… she looks like Ada too. Yeah, she’s definitely like a little Ada.”

Yura’s usually stern expression softened for just an instant.

“I don’t understand how you can still be thinking about that woman… even now.”

“You’re boring me already!” Lilith huffed, folding her arms. “Let’s just go to the festival. I bet there’s tons of good food waiting.”

“She’s right…” Yura replied, regaining her composure as she spread a map across the table.

“We must appear at the Lantern Festival with our people. But first, let’s discuss the situation.”

Several prefectures were marked with snow symbols.

“So far this year, we’ve reclaimed Kosetsu, Shizuku, and Sekka,” Yura explained.

“That secures the entire south,” Ren said calmly.

“Exactly,” Yura continued. “Thanks to Lilith and Luisina, we’ve had complete control over information and troop movements… but that won’t last. We can’t keep hiding behind illusions forever.”

Luisina leaned over the map, pointing north.

“Our next targets are the prefectures of Sirahane, Hyorin, and Gekkō.”

“And after that… the central territories, along with the capital: Kurogami, Aokami… and finally, Kita-no—the heart of Yukihana.”

“The north will be the hardest,” Luisina added gravely. “The Shogun’s entire military core is concentrated in Kurogane.”

“Once we strike there, it’ll only be a matter of days before Tsukihara realizes the truth.”

“Well said.” Ren closed the meeting with a firm clap of his hands.

“It’s time to honor our traditions and present the princess before her people. That’s all for today.”

Everyone nodded and dispersed, preparing for sunset and the arrival of the new year.

Ren glanced down at his hand.

“We never know when our flame might go out…” he murmured, a tinge of melancholy in his voice. “All the more reason to savor every moment.”

Slowly, he rose to his feet.

“Well then… time to put on the ceremonial attire.”

As night fell, Sekka’s streets came alive. Food stalls filled the air with warm aromas, children ran laughing among glowing ice lanterns, and the people prepared to welcome the new year with hope.

Even Latina played freely with the Yuki children, as though the war were nothing but a fading memory.

From the castle emerged Yura, dressed in a ceremonial kimono white as snow, adorned with delicate sky-blue floral patterns. It wasn’t extravagant—but its simplicity made her feel closer to her people.

At her side walked Ren, clad in a plain black kimono, always one step behind so as not to overshadow her on her day.

When Yura stepped into the central plaza, the citizens fell silent and turned their eyes toward her. Her voice, calm and resolute, carried across the hushed crowd.

“People of Sekka… I know these years have been harsh, and this last one gave us only the briefest taste of peace.”

“But our path is clear: Yukihana must be free.”

“That is what the Aseina wished. That is what all of you wish.”

A murmur spread through the plaza, filled with both emotion and anticipation.

“I know words can sound hollow,” she continued. “That’s why I won’t offer you promises. What matters… are our actions.”

With both hands, Yura slowly drew the Katana Yukihana and held it high for the people to see. A wave of frigid air swept through the plaza, frosting the ground beneath her feet.

“This blade is the symbol of our freedom. Yukihana is the strength of its people.”

A roar of joy erupted from the crowd at the sight of the long-lost treasure returned.

Yura raised the gleaming blade toward the winter night sky.

“Yukihana will be free!” she declared firmly. “This isn’t a promise… it’s a certainty.”

The crowd burst into cheers as the bells tolled midnight.

“Raise your lanterns!” Yura proclaimed. “Pray to the god of ice, that he may hear our wishes!”

The people murmured with anticipation, but none lit their lanterns yet. All waited for their princess to make the first move.

Ren stepped forward, taking one lantern in hand. Leaning toward Yura with a faint smile, he held it between them.

“Come on. Let’s send our prayers together.”

A soft blue flame flickered to life, casting its glow across their faces. Together, they released the lantern, letting it drift upward into the wintry sky.

The first light rose alone, carving a path into the darkness. It shone like a newborn star, reflected in the tear-bright eyes of the people.

Then, slowly, dozens more followed. One after another, lanterns soared in unison, filling the heavens with shimmering constellations of living light.

Closing her eyes, Yura prayed in silence, wishing that Yuri—the god who had created the Yuki—would hear the cries of a people finally beginning to awaken.

After the ceremony, the two of them walked through the bustling festival streets. For the first time in years, Yura seemed truly happy—sampling local foods, pausing at games, smiling at children who darted between the glowing ice lanterns. What had been denied to her for more than a decade was finally hers again, if only for this night.

Later, they climbed a hill together. The echo of their wooden geta clattered softly against the stone steps until they reached a bench overlooking the lantern-lit city below.

“I can’t believe everything I’ve missed all these years…” Yura said, sitting down with a newfound calm. “At last, I’m home. I’m no longer a castaway.”

Ren eased down beside her, letting a quiet smile slip across his face.

“It might sound ironic, coming from a land buried in snow… but Yukihana is warmer than any nation in this world.”

Yura let out a small laugh.

“What a line…”

“Look at that—the princess can laugh,” he teased.

“Don’t be silly. I may be serious, but I’m not a block of ice.”

Ren glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

“Your mother used to say the same thing. She had a smile just as beautiful as the one you have now.”

“Yes…” Yura lowered her gaze tenderly. “I remember. I was only a child, but her smile was always warm.”

Wordlessly, she leaned into Ren’s chest, letting herself be wrapped in his embrace.

“This peace…” she whispered. “I wish this moment could last forever.”

He held her firmly, his eyes fixed on the starlit sky.

“It will. The world we dream of will come. That much, I promise you.”

She looked up at him, her eyes shining with intensity.

“Promise me, Ren. Promise me we’ll see that dawn of peace together.”

He lifted her face gently, brushing her cheek with his hand.

“I promise… even if it’s the last thing I do.”

And beneath the burst of fireworks that lit up the night sky over Sekka, the two sealed that promise in the warmth of their love.