What are your thoughts on if Ouki survived his clash with Houken and continued with the story as a figure of shin's guidance. he dies with Duke Hyou though for intense impact, kind of like trauma. After Sai Shin could have a healing arc. Of course somehow the rest of the story would remain its current course somehow... I don't have any finer details planned out.

I've just always thought it's a shame that Shin remained very little but pure martial might for 600 chapters roughly. It would have been nice if he had an earlier entrance with his instinctual awakening, like just imagine how fucking epic it would have been if Shin rode out with Duke Hyou as vanguard to battle against Renpa with Ouki leading the invasion