After some time passed, the time came.

Arasuke had been in this world for more than three months, and had to leave as the maximum time limit had been reached. To be honest, he liked this world very much, and it would be great if he could come back again.

Araki sighed.

Let’s give it a good ending this time and say goodbye with a smile, Arasuke.

Sakata Gintoki recently noticed that the gods who always slacked off started to do something behind their backs, and they hid it very well. When asked, they said that they would know later, but they just didn't want to tell. In response to this, Sakata Gintoki complained to Granny Tose while drinking, saying that it was difficult to manage children when they grew up, and that they were hiding their little thoughts from their parents. Granny Tose just smiled, then pressed Sakata Gintoki's head into the table with one hand and asked him: "Although, when will you pay back the money you owe?"

…

Sakata Gintoki chose to shut down.

///

Color photos already existed at this time, and one day during lunch, Arasuke suddenly suggested: "Let's take a photo!"

With a mouthful of rice in her mouth, Kagura asked vaguely, "Photos?"

"Yes!" Arashi seemed to have suddenly remembered this. "I've seen that kind of color photo before. Let's take one together!"

Sakata Gintoki asked casually, "Why did you suddenly think of this?"

Araki bit his chopsticks and thought for a while, then laughed: "Nothing, I just suddenly thought of this, go ahead! This is the mission that the gods have given to believers!"

After Shimura Shinpachi packed up his bowl, he thought for a moment, and as Kagura was clamoring to have a photo of him turned into a gangster boss, he said, "Let me see, I think there's a photo studio like this near my home. When can I go there? Speaking of which, I'm also looking forward to it."

Araki put down his bowl and chopsticks, and said excitedly, "It's better to do it today than to wait for another day. Let's go after Kagura finishes eating!"

"Wait, where's Gin?! As the head of the family, don't you need to ask me for my opinion?!" Sakata Gintoki said in disbelief, and then under the gazes of Arasuke, Kagura, and Shimura Shinpachi, he compromised, "Really, really, Gin won't object!"

They acted really quickly, and Araki was still a little slow to react when they left the photo studio.

"What are we going to do next?" Kagura asked Sakata Gintoki while holding an umbrella.

Sakata Gintoki shrugged, pointed at Arasuke and said, "Ask Yato, it looks like he has already planned it."

Araki chuckled and waved his hand: "Come on! I'll take you to a fun place!"

Araki led the way, moving nimbly through the streets and alleys, as if he was a local who was born and raised here.

They walked for a while, and Araki led them through a forest and arrived at their destination, which was a small hill. They stood on the top of the hill, with a breeze blowing and the scenery was pretty good.

"That's it!"

Araki stopped, turned around, opened his arms and spoke to them.

Shimura Shinpachi panted and pulled open the last of the grass and walked out, "What are you doing here... What is this!"

Araki clapped his hands lightly.

The sun in the sky suddenly disappeared, the surroundings changed from day to darkness, and the moon and countless stars appeared in the sky.

Araki turned his back to the sky and faced them, with a cheerful smile on his face and his right hand waved gently.

At that moment, at that moment——

The sky full of stars suddenly flew towards them, and small dots of light surrounded them as if they were dancing an unknown dance, and the sound of a siren's song rang in their ears. Kagura curiously touched those small dots of light, and they seemed a little shy, rubbing against Kagura's fingertips and then blending into her hands and disappearing. Kagura looked at Arasuke in surprise, and at the same time felt warm and refreshed.

Sakata Gintoki could feel that after these spots of light penetrated into his body, the hidden injuries he had suffered in the battle gradually healed, and his body felt much more relaxed than before.

Araki snapped his fingers: "A farewell gift."

He smiled, and his body gradually became transparent.

"Thank you very much for your care during this time! I am so lucky to have the company of believers during this final time!"

Araki opened his arms to them, "Want a hug?"

Sakata Gintoki's expressionless face under the starlight finally showed some expression: "Ah, I noticed it a long time ago, but I didn't expect it to happen so soon."

Sakata Gintoki ruffled his messy curly hair and sighed.

"What?! Gin, you knew Yato was leaving?!" Shimura Shinpachi asked in surprise. He pointed at Arasuke in disbelief. "Even if he was leaving, he would come back, right?! If he wanted to leave, he should have said goodbye to us and left on his own two feet! How did he become transparent?! How can this be considered a farewell gift? This should be a gift before death!!!"

Kagura dropped her umbrella on the ground. Fortunately, it was night time now and the sun was blocked by Araki, so it was not a big deal. "I don't want to leave at night! Didn't we agree to go to the summer festival together next year?! We just took a photo together, why are you leaving now?"

Arashi smiled helplessly: "Kagura, there is nothing we can do about this. There is no time, Gintoki, you know that, right?"

Sakata Gintoki nodded silently.

Araki's silhouette became increasingly transparent, and the starlight behind him became increasingly brighter.

Of course, these things are not what Arasuke can do in his current body. He borrowed some things from the technical department before so that he could prepare this farewell gift. As a result of temporary expenditure, it will have some bad effects on the body in the next world. But it is not a big problem, at most it will just make his body a little bit worse.

Araki thought nonchalantly, the smile on his face growing wider.

"Goodbye!"

Never see you again.

"You will definitely remember me, right? As long as you remember me, maybe I will appear by your side again! After all, gods live on faith!"

No.

"Finally, won't you give me a smile?"

Smile, it's a good ending.

"Say goodbye with a smile, my believers."

A god who has lost everything is supposed to leave. There is nothing surprising about this. It is better to say that the experiences of the past few months are all gifts from the goddess of fate.

"May we meet again."

They embraced each other under the starlight.

///

The three goldfish that they got at the festival were swimming in a glass tank on the corner of the table, blowing bubbles carefreely. A photo of the four of them was in a frame, with Sakata Gintoki and Shimura Shinpachi standing on the left and right, and Kagura and Arasuke standing between them.

In the photo, Sakata Gintoki was smiling with one hand in his pocket and the other hand stretched out on the shoulders of Kagura and Arasuke. Kagura was holding Arasuke's arm, with one leg slightly raised backwards and smiling brightly. Shimura Shinpachi had one hand on Arasuke's shoulder and pushed his glasses with the other hand, looking at the camera in front of him with an embarrassed look.

And between them, where Kiyomi Arasuke should have been standing, there was a blank space, like...

He was like a ghost that did not exist in this world and no one could see him.

His figure is not seen, his appearance is not remembered, and his words are not heard.

Everything he had experienced, all traces of his life, were being erased bit by bit.

Only this photo and the handmade shrine can prove that a god named "Yato" appeared in their lives.

There were traces of paintbrushes on the frame, as if someone had drawn a little man on it to fill in the blank space, but finally gave up.

Under the photo frame was a small piece of paper, the one that was placed together with Yusuke at the festival. On it was written by Shimura Shinpachi:

"Remember to wear the amulet. My sister and I went there to pray for it. I heard it's very effective! Let's go together at this time next year!"

Autumn has arrived. The wind brings the scent of flowers, and petals fall on the table.

The mouse-gray striped linen kimono in the closet and the handmade shrine next to it are no longer waiting for their owner.

=====

The author has something to say:

=====

Until a long time later, Sakata Gintoki had the habit of carrying a five-yuan coin with him.

There is a special episode

Comments section for the previous chapter...

Wait, wait, I really want to write a warm and heartwarming [Pupil earthquake]

I swear to my friends in the group that if I can't do it, I'm a puppy.

Okay, I am

Woof woof woof woof woof!

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