"The reason a Sanzo priest wears their sutra on their shoulders," Koumyou tells him gently, "is it's a sign of our will to carry the weight of all our karma."

He gives Devero's face one last pass with fresh pool-water, soothing any lingering tears away before skin can start to feel raw and puffy from them.

"In the end, I'm just a Sanzo. Anything else is... new, and fragile."