Catch me?

Chapter 5

"So, in the end, he gave it everything he had to change the fate of the dead and yet they didn't get a second chance. The end result still remained the same, the only thing that changed was that he had never existed in this world now. Just as he said, he erased the names 'Kabukimono' and 'the Balladeer'. That is all, really."

After running around all over Inazuma, Lumine and Paimon finally returned to Sumeru, and after telling Paimon and Nahida about the truth of Scaramouche's existence, the duo decided to get some food in their system at the Grand Bazaar. All this history changing business had really started to get their spirits down. Yet, Lumine couldn't stop thinking about what had happened even while taking a break.

She wondered what must have been going on in his mind when he came to the decision of erasing himself and his actions. His first reaction to being confronted by the truth was to run away from it. But did he really think deleting himself would undo the past and change things in a way that didn't hurt anyone? He said that everything can be set right. Did he think his entire existence was...wrong? But then again, the only thing that changed now was his absence, his nonexistence, and some important detail seemed amiss here, only that she couldn't put a finger on it.

"Hey, we're here to take a break from thinking about all that, right? So put your brain at pause for a minute and tell Paimon what you wanna eat first!"

Her flying friend seemed to want to distract her mind with food but the Traveler couldn't afford to stop thinking at that moment. She felt like she was forgetting some really crucial detail about erasing one's existence that she learned from the whole Greater Lord Rukkhadevata incident.

"Are you gonna answer me or what? What are you thinking so hard about this time?"

"Wait a second, I think I'm remembering something really important, Paimon."

Since Greater Lord Rukkhadevata said that no one could erase themselves from existence- not even herself, there must be a substitute for Scaramouche as well, who deleted himself in his place. So that'd mean he has had a reincarnation of sorts, just like Nahida is for the Greater Lord? But if that was the case, then where was he now? Where could she find someone who looked like the Balladeer when he had most likely forgotten all about his past self, much like the current Nahida?

"Excuse me, Boss," the moment she heard the familiar voice she turned in its direction so fast she almost got whiplash from it, "there seems to be a small problem with the last bill. Look, here..."

It was him. She was sure it was him. Although with different clothing and a distinctly different air around himself, it was certainly him. What were the chances of her running into the reincarnation of Scaramouche in the middle of the Grand Bazaar just when she was wondering where to look for him? She focused hard to understand the exchange between the Balladeer who didn't exist anywhere anymore and the person he called "Boss".

"Who's that guy? You know him or something? You almost look like you saw a ghost." Her companion seemed to be puzzled about why she was staring so hard at someone who was having such an ordinary conversation.

"The guy with the big hat...he's the Balladeer I mentioned earlier."