Chapter 16: Enlightenment

-Renji POV-

The bustle of crowds moving through the newly built city accompanied his rooftop vigil, a vigil which would have been silent if not for the presence of Bai. The girl was looking much better in her new clothes, and the rejuvenation she had undergone had done much to erase her sickly looks into something much healthier.

Her eyes were placid, but he could tell a great many questions and worries lay underneath the surface. He could have questioned or comforted her, but he held back for now.

He had only brought her with him because she had been present from the beginnings of their sojourn in China. From the moment two strange figures had burst out of the ground she was there. She understood his Creator’s plan for this city, knew why it had been designed in the first place. She even seemed to grasp some small inkling of his liege’s essence.

Renji knew that was invaluable.

Already the world was misunderstanding and attributing characteristics to his creator that were simply not true, and it would only get worse in the future. They had gotten lucky so far, no hostile force was fully aware of them.

However the moment they were, the world would turn against them. The misdeeds of his progenitor’s siblings would irrevocably colour any action his creator attempted. No hearth or home would be welcome to them.

None except here, this would be their port in the storm.

That was the reason Renji spoke and comforted the arriving downtrodden crowds, why he was acting as a silent guardian in a place he already knew was completely safe.

He was simply putting his best foot forwards, and if he allowed the growing worship to fester and bloom then that was also to their benefit.

Another radiant bloom of light struck the designated landing pad, and yet more bewildered and lost individuals were quickly escorted to the underground shelter to be healed and fed.

“Those would be the prisoners from Hong Kong?” Bai asked.

Renji merely grimaced. It was blatantly obvious they were from the other penal zone of China. The ragged and sickly arrivals were somehow even worse than even the rescued people of Shanghai.

Hong Kong was a city that had been bloody long before the Endbringers had first shown up. As far as Renji was able to understand the city had been a protectorate of another power. However the arrival of parahumans had only accelerated the decline of this ‘Britain’, and ensured they were unable to interfere when China invaded and conquered the city.

To say the people were treated poorly would be an understatement, the few snippets and scraps of information he had heard had threatened to make even his calm demeanour shatter at the depravity.

An insurgency had erupted when the communist state inevitably failed from a combination of parahuman instability and pre-existing issues. However once the C.U.I came to power they were quickly crushed and forced into slavery in all but name. Even the children who had been born after this weren’t freed of the stigma or consequences of this.

The gathered people had returned from the underground shelter by the time Renji was finished thinking. He considered going and talking with them, possibly reassuring them, but their expressions held him back.

Those who weren’t dead to the world seemed to watch the growing towers of metal and glass with a fire and zeal that made all previous gatherings and religious declarations seem positively tame.

Renji considered that, and then filed it away for later.

Potentially useful.

Potentially dangerous.

The tapping of a staff drew his eye, and he turned to see a man approaching them. The rooftop trek had clearly not bothered him, and it quickly became apparent by the scent of magic that this was no ordinary individual. He was like him, a fellow creation.

The man was short, it was the first thing he noticed about the figure, and yet their presence was far from unassuming. He wore a humble monk’s outfit and carried only a large wooden walking stick. Their eyes met and he could only raise his eyebrows at the blank emptiness of the eyes that greeted him.

Yet he could tell this was not like the emptiness that haunted many of the people he had come across, this emptiness let more serene. Purposeful, perhaps.

The man raised his hand and waved at them briefly.

“Hello you two, a fine morning wouldn’t you say?”

Their voice was light and relaxed, completely at odds with the fantastical surroundings and the dour people that lumbered forwards in the streets.

“It is certainly a productive day mister…” Renji lead, not so subtly asking for a name.

“Xuanzang” the man simply replied.

There was a sharp gasp at his side, as Bai looked at the man. Clearly this was a figure she recognized. Just like that barbarian monkey his creator had let loose.

“It is good to meet you Xuanzang” Renji smiled before continuing “I assume you are also a creation of our liege?”

“It would appear so, it’s certainly an odd feeling to be created as an amalgam of a man who died a millennia ago and a mythical figure inspired by the former”

Despite his words the man seemed almost disinterested in the topic that would give almost anyone else an existential crisis. His eyes remained fixed first on Renji and Bai before turning to the crowd.

“It is disappointing that the world remains the same, men reaching beyond their means for things that do not matter and the many trampled along the path to ambition.”

“It is certainly worrisome” Renji agreed “I assume that this related to your purpose?”

The man seemed to contemplate that, taking the question in like a finely brewed tea.

“Purpose? No, but this Yà lì shān dà asked for my aid in regards to the citizens spiritual and mental wellbeing.”

Renji was briefly confused at the correction. If Alexander had told this Xuanzang to do something then that was his purpose. So why was he talking as if the two were completely different.

The confusion must have been plain, as Xuanzang sighed before continuing.

“While I reject the notion of something like ‘purpose’ the closest I would have would be my path to enlightenment. I am choosing to help these people of my own free will, not because our creator ordered me to do so.”

Renji’s mind blanked at the answer for a second. It was an alien thought to him, as if the man had stated the sky was green.

Then there was rage.

“You…How dare-“ Renji began, quickly building in volume before he was stopped by the upturned hand of the monk.

“Please, we do not wish to cause strife and worry for the people below. We should talk calmly”

The unhurried and calm tone was completely at odds with Renji’s grit teeth and black rage. He could feel the arm on his shoulder, Bai trying to calm him down.

“Disloyalty-“ he began with a hiss “-is repaid with death!”

The man looked at him for a moment, pausing to consider his words.

“And what of you?”

Renji looked at the man, the rage masking the confusion he felt at the words. What of him? What was the man talking about?

“What is your purpose?”

The clarifying answer came before he could utter his confusion, and finally the man was making sense.

Renji coughed into his hand, the other patting himself down to remove any wrinkles from the cloth he wore.

“I,” he began imperiously “-am Renji. I was designed to the companion and honour guard of my creator. I am to act as their hand and voice where they are not present. I am to be their most trusted in a world of the cruel and the guilty!”

Xuanzang merely stared impassively at his impromptu speech, irritatingly unfazed.

“That is quite the contradiction.”

The baffling reply made Renji scrunch his eyebrows in confused rage once more, the heavy beat of his heart making blood rush to his ears.

If this man didn’t start making sense he was going to cut his head off!

“In order to be a companion, or anything resembling a friend, the bond between the two individuals must be equal. There can be no true friendship between master and slave.”

The man locked his eyes onto his and Renji found he couldn’t quit pull his gaze away.

“Your purpose as a companion and as a servant are at odds with one another, furthermore your want of a purpose and our creator’s wishes are also at odds.”

His masters wishes?

He didn’t see how his want of purpose got in the way of building cities.

“They desire friends and close connections while you seek a god who they will never be.”

But that’s what they are! Didn’t this man get it! Didn’t this man understand?!

Renji fumed, the expression making Bai glance nervously at him. The girl was clearly not happy being anywhere near the two, who seemed like they might start fighting at any second.

“Your advice,” Renji hissed “-is neither welcome nor needed!”

Xuanzang shrugged.

“I was asked to see to the mental wellbeing of the people of this city. You, as well as our creator, are included in that. As it stands, the two of you are heading towards a very unhappy relationship.”

He then turned towards Bai.

“My apologies for unsettling you young lady, how about we go for a bite to eat? My treat!”

The turn from serious to silly felt like whiplash to Renji as the noise of the two’s conversation seemed to blur into nonexistence as his mind raced.

The man was clearly just delusional, Renji had been getting along well with Alexander. There wasn’t a contradiction.

Yet Renji’s mind kept turning to the first moment of their life.

The very first person he had seen was them. That fragile mix of hope and relief as they looked upon Renji. Surrounding Alexander had been nothing but darkness and empty homes.

If his creator wished for a friend over a guard then what would he do?

The need to serve was etched into his every surface, his very legend was that of a loyal samurai. His loyalty was his most treasured aspect, and now this man was telling him that it was this same trait that would ensure his failure.

Renji shook his head, and began walking away.

It was not true.

It couldn’t be.

AN: Bit of a shorter chapter this time, kinda came down with a cold and have felt pretty bad for the last four days or so. In other news: Character Development! Renji is a lot of things but he’s ultimately made to be a loyal soldier and retainer, which is great but it also means Alexander getting his as a proper friend would be difficult.

Xuanzang is one of the many humanoid creations that will be left to aid the city. Each of them has a reason for being created. Xuanzang was asked to aid in the spiritual and mental health of the cities occupants. Some may be more martially focused, while others might focus on intrigue. Xuanzang can see what’s up with Renji and Alexander and is enough of a nice guy to lend a hand.

And yes People from all around China (mostly the bad parts) are being gathered to become the citizens of this city. Thanks for reading!