"..."
"..."
Their eyes met at the center of the universe. Both were wordless after the boy's question.
One pertained to the heavens while the other was sheltered by the cosmic order. Two divine auras flooded the chambers and clashed against one another. The boy was perplexed at his current state of affairs, whereas Baal became increasingly fascinated by the outlander's presence.
Now that the boy was awake, Baal was certain he did not belong to Teyvat. The faint glow of the stellar formations were now clearly depicting the constellations and celestial beings from before. Although she was amongst the younger of the Seven, her ascension took place countless centuries before her eventual claim to the position of Archon. And during that time, her ambitions led her to the four corners of Teyvat and the depths of the Spiral Abyss, slaughtering the lands until silence. The pictures failed to invoke any of those memories.
While to the person in question, he was only interested in how he wound up in a woman's chambers. He asked the only other person in the room for an answer, but she was unnaturally quiet. The woman appeared to have been attempting something when he was asleep, seeing the weapon on the edges of his vision. Her drawn sword was encapsulated in electro resonance and divine potential. It radiates the pure glow of the elements, being able to suppress the firmaments through a single slash.
Though, he assumed it was not aimed towards him as he appeared to have been taken care of by the woman in his slumber. Her body did not exhibit any attempts to attack him. So, he found himself patiently waiting for a reply, believing that the woman had no ill intentions.
They continued to stare at one another for a prolonged period of time. The period continued to stretch longer and longer, where the shogun had forgotten that divine punishment was still needed to be administered. She was lost in studying all the unusual phenomenons emitted from the golden boy. It was unthinkable to her that there were still things that could elude her eyes. Luckily for her, Tengoku would dare not to rush his Archon. His armies were only preparing to strike when their shogun had turned the tides of war.
The boy, as well, was lost in the moment, appearing to have gotten quite competitive in wanting to win their little staring contest. It felt rather euphoric and nostalgic after everything he had gone through.
Perhaps to them, time itself was no longer a concern. It could stop or pass them.
It was all the same.
They were in their own little bubble world where the happenings of Teyvat were no longer their concerns. Their divine auras eventually harmonized after the initial hostility was gone.
Baal's own electro resonance started to damper in luminosity. Her divine strength loosened its hold on the universe as the circular eternity behind her back accepted the outlander's elements.
One, two, three...six.
Baal was pleasantly surprised after her sudden discovery. It was not apparent before, due to the boy's unconscious state, but he was capable of housing multiple elements within himself. Since the outlander lacked both a vision and origin, she was not aware of his talents. Let alone his origins, she was amazed that someone had the abilities to hold more than one element. Except for Electro, she could feel the blessings of the other six Archons within the golden boy. She grasped why the fairies were willing to leave the elemental planes and beseech her on the boy's behalf.
The shogun was already interested before. The boy now completely caught her attention. The Archon could do this all day, but the boy was different.
"Forget it, you don't have to answer my question anymore," the boy sighed in resignation. He lost their staring contest. His eyes blinked multiples afterwards, erasing his aura in defeat. Even if she did not answer, he already came to his own conclusion through their eternal exchange. He would have been completely drowned in perpetuity if he continues to be ignorant of the situation. The boy was smart enough to realize who the woman before him was. The designs of her clothing and the room were similar to those in books, and the Inazumans he had met before.
The god from the distant sea - the invincible Electro Archon. Her single-minded pursuit towards eternity was said to be the greatest ambition amongst all of the current and former Archons. The shogun's untainted divine aura shows the depths of her willingness to sever herself from the mundane world.
The outlander slowly got up from the bed, albeit with a bit of difficulty. From the looks of it, the boy could feel that his elemental powers have also been depleted. He imagined that he must have slept for quite a long time if moving his arms and legs became a pain. Nevertheless, he thought it rude if he continued to rest in another's place without showing even a bit of sincerity.
When the boy started to move, Baal merely stared at him without a hint of action. Her sword remained dormant by her side. The Archon was confident that she could suppress the six directions even if the boy did act. This was Inazuma - her seat of power. Only an amalgamation of the other Archons and Celestia could make her dread.
"My name is Aether," the golden boy reveals as he lowers his head in courtesy before adding, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, land of eternity's Almighty Shogun."
He knew of her status as one of the Seven.
"Who are you?" Baal immediately asked. She attempted to derive his origins once more when the boy was initially awakened. His every movement was burned into her memory from past to present. Still, his existence continued to elude her divine eyes.
"If I had to borrow a word from another...then it would be an outlander," the boy explained the situation and added, "...a traveler from the stars if you may."
"Where?"
"Hmmm...I guess desperate people searching for a home."
A nomad.
This was the answer she expected. The longer she tried to pinpoint the stellar formations' origins, the more they divide and separate into numerous directions. The myriad of stars and picturesque landscapes were just dust trails that the outlander accumulated through the cosmos.
"I have no home."
"You fell from the skies."
"I guess that explains the hole," the outlander replies, noticing the apparent destruction of the room.
"How?" Her questions were blunt, attempting to find clarity through her search. But tries as she might, she was only able to scratch the surface. Her eyes only saw the boy's relaxed expression. She couldn't penetrate that thick coat of celestial armor surrounding the boy.
It was as if something attached to the outlander was greater than even her divine perception.
"Hmmm, let me think," Aether made a pondering gesture as he tried to remember the ensuing events.
Baal, on the other hand, stood in silence. Every fiber of her being was devoted to understanding the outlander. Her determination even led her to consider an attempt to peer into the Heaven's Will for an answer. Though she eventually changed her mind due to the unpredictable backlash that comes with such an option. There were simply too many unknown variables in the equation. If she compared her pursuit to growing a tree, then a single misstep in an attempt would lead to her entire tree being cut down.
However, she was not given the chance to further their conversation.
"GRRRRHHHHH!"
A great and mighty roar caused the two's attentions to shift. The sound wave echoed across Narukami Island with the accompanying blistering winds.
Baal knew the voice's origins even without her all-seeing eye. How could she forget? She was one of the few that had front row seats to its crawl from the underground nation. The creature bursted onto the scene nearly three hundred years ago from the ashes of creation.
Just outside the imperial palace, Tengoku felt his skin quiver at the roar. His eyes, along with many across the island, looked towards the defensive lines drawn in Ritou. Perhaps the one despairing the most was the Kanjou Commissioner. The dragon may not have reached the shorelines yet, but the Inazumans could clearly see the outlines of the tyrant over the horizon.
A dragon that drank the oceans, and a tyrant that erodes the living.
The Tyrant Dragon.
Ashen wings capable of eclipsing them all under the dragon's shadow. A molten body as long as a mountain range. The tyrant's every breath lingers with filth and corruption. His very presence causes irreparable damage to the landscape, corroding away habitable land with a single touch.
Tengoku and the rest of Inazuma could only hope that their god would act before the creature makes landfall. The fallout from the dragon's descent would become a burden for the future generations to bear.
"Tsk," Baal made an audible voice of contempt. For the citizens of Inazuma, the dragon was a calamity. To the Electro Archon, it should not have intruded upon her time.
Turning her head towards the dragon's general direction, her divine strength erupts once more. Baal thought it should be time to answer the calls of her nation. The circular eternity radiates once more, hammering electro resonance across the universe.
The shogun, with clarity, saw her enemies through the all-seeing eye. She could see the enormous frame of the dragon from atop the heavens. From the depths of the Spiral Abyss, heralds and lectors rushed onto her islands without resistance. Their void-torn portals penetrated deep into the heart of the nation.
"This show ends now," Baal concluded. Her words traveled along the winds, echoing into the ears of all who were willing to listen.
And yet, like many times before, the whims of the world stopped her tracks.
A hand fell on her shoulder, urging her to halt divine judgement.
"I agree, but allow me," the boy asked with a gentle grip on the Archon's shoulder, and answered, "They should not die here."
Baal watched as the boy harnessed the power of the elements with his free hand. His clothes ignited in the color of Anemo and the scent of its Archon.
"Leave."
The moment the word left him, the outlander's hand made a forward movement and shunned the world away.
A violent storm of anemo resonance gathered and pushed out from Baal's chambers.
Baal herself remained unaffected by the sudden burst of wind, but she could clearly see the effects of the hand gesture. Across Inazuma, the citizens felt their backs being pushed as many nearly lost their footing by the wind.
To the invading Abyss Order, the results were more damning. With no time to act, the heralds and lectors, racing to Inazuma City, were suddenly flung backwards by the torrent of anemo resonance. The armies of Hilichurls and Abyss Mages were equally blown away.
No matter where they were, the ensuing storm pushed the intruders towards the four corners of the world.
"GRHHhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Baal saw the tyrant's helpless state against the currents. His body attempted to resist the storm, but the dragon was repelled into the distance like the rest. Resistance was futile. Its cries become fainter with each passing second until peace returns to Inazuma.
A few stragglers were miraculously able to cling on for dear life, but the crisis for the nation was over. She no longer had a reason to strike. Her eyes fell on Tengoku and decided to leave the cleanup to him.
The outlander lifted his hand from her, walking a bit forward before saying, "Since I owe you a favor for your hospitality, let's continue our conversation."
"I will answer your questions to the best of my abilities."
By the time Baal lowered her sword, the traveler made a large grin. She thought it ridiculous. It was already unthinkable that she allowed someone close to her presence. And yet, she was not repulsed by the traveler's actions at all.
Was it his ability to harmonize with the elements that urged her on? Or was it because she allowed her curiosity to overtake her?
Baal could not come to a conclusion. A sense of confusion washed over her. She did not know why, but she wanted the boy's hand to remain.
Stillness returned to her realm, but it was immediately shattered again when she tried to look straight at the boy. His jovial expression made it hard for her to remain calm.
Impossible!
The god reined in her thoughts, turning them into dust. Her eyes twitched ever so slightly in frustration before her mind became empty.
The fairies guaranteed his life so she would not slay him.
Her divine pursuit was the greatest in all worlds. Be it Archons or Celestia, her ambition was the closest to heaven.
A single boy cannot stop her march.
"An unknown god? Celestia?"
"Probably, but I can't be certain. She was different compared to any I have ever seen before."
As they continued their interrupted conversation in her chambers, Baal and the boy sat in front of each other at the center of Inazuma. Laden in the shamble ruins of her seat of power, she learned of the traveler's origin, and the god in his story.
Going off from his description, Baal could not find a clear image of such a god in Celestia's pantheon. Each was vastly different in tone and design, but none of them dare to call themselves the "Sustainer of Heavenly Principles".
It was a ridiculous notion. The heavens formed during a primordial age - the universe's infancy. There was nothing at the beginning for the heavens to induce principles.
Principles and laws were only born from the common masses. They represented the will of individuals coming together in communion. The heavens have no principles. Its random and uncaring nature was all too familiar to her.
She refused to believe that such a being existed in Teyvat or even the universe. They are only capable of judging the world based on their own selfish desires. They represent themselves similar to her and not higher.
Baal begrudgingly agreed that the unknown god was real due to the boy. The scent of the celestial armor on his body was proof of the god's existence. The old geezers in Celestia could not do it. And yet, she was now aware of a god in Teyvat with the ability to stop her divine eyes.
It only begs the question on whether she had truly seen the depths of Celestia during her stay. The only one that came to mind was her oldest teacher. Though, even he could not escape the glare of the Heaven's Will.
"Then how did you escape?" If the unknown god was such a powerful existence, then Baal wondered how the boy could even begin to struggle for freedom.
"With her mercy, I guess. When I woke up from our fight, she was already gone. My punishment was probably to walk Teyvat for the rest of my natural life."
Even if it was just for a second, she saw the light inside the boy dimmed. His eyes narrows as if he was regretting something.
Hints of yearning spreaded out from the stellar formations swirling around him. His eyes were filled with grief - maybe for the little sister mentioned. They wished to leave Teyvat together but failed. From his story, it appears the boy never gave up hope that they will find each other and take back what they have lost. His fearless smile never faltered even as he found himself in an unknown world without his only kin.
"...I will have Tengoku arrange for your stay," Baal stood up, ending their conversation.
"Hmm? Did you not want to know how I fell from the sky?"
Of course she wanted to. Yet, the only thing that came to her mind when she looked at the boy was something more damming to her.
She wanted to praise his willpower, facing the world against all odds. She could not do it, and neither could those that were once beside her.
One by one...they were swallowed by the sands of time, and the weight of their positions.
Stop.
For one reason or another, she wanted to avoid such eyes from the boy. Her body was intentionally telling her to stop before it was too late.
Leakage would be inevitable if she continues.
"So, what do you think? I always wanted to wear a kimono at least once."
She was infuriated. Her focus was interrupted - delayed by such trivial matters.
Why should she care?
Baal struggled to hold in the urge to completely eviscerate his clothing.
"Passable."
Yet, she still replied.
She was well acquainted with the antics of the boy at this point.
Not answering would only incite more annoyance than she has the capacity to care for. Her invincible monument towards the divine pursuit was almost complete so she was not at the tipping point just yet.
Maybe in a few days? Months? Years?
Baal didn't know the answer to that.
"Alright, let's go then."
"?"
What?
The god made a stunned face in response. It was a reflex that she still hasn't gotten rid off. And it appears, the boy was also making a weird expression - seemingly believing that she would actually go with him.
Absurd. Absolutely absurd.
"Don't give me that. I told you about the festival, right? Apparently the Naganoharas are taking out fireworks made especially for this occasion. Shouldn't we start off the new year by going to see it?"
"?"
"Oh come on, don't tell me what I told you really went in one ear and out the other? I am asking you to go see the fireworks with me. "
Again, she was shocked.
He barged into her chambers for such childish reasons?
He stood directly before her for such a request?
Her eyes narrowed in disgust.
He insists on the impossible. She does not have time for fun and games. The mundane affairs of Inazuma have kept her on the edge of a cliff for nearly as long as she can remember now. She cannot afford to deepen the effects of this karma by interacting with the common masses if it is to be resolved.
Tengoku was one thing, but the entire city of Inazuma would certainly be enough to push her over the edge.
Her path towards her greatest of desires depends on her divination of all things. Once she can decipher the fabrics of reality, her eternity will finally come to fruition. The moment she reaches grand completion, even Celestia will have to lower its weapons.
This was the only reason she has not made another attempt at the boy's life after their first encounter. She needed him so she could understand the worlds beyond Teyvat. The endless possibilities and eternal rhythm of the cosmic beat was something she must be able to suppress through her divine pursuit.
"No," Baal flatly answered towards his face. She cannot take the risk.
Besides, she had already seen the fireworks more than dozens of human lifetimes. They have lost all of their wonder to her centuries ago.
As the Archon was about to turn and head towards her mat, the boy grabbed onto one of her wrist.
Bold.
If Tengoku saw this scene, he would have started pleading for the life of Inazuma and the entire eastern coast of Teyvat.
"Haha, not a chance," the brave and stupid boy said through his determination. "It's not like you can make any progress with your current condition anyways."
"You-"
"Let's go!"
Her legs started to move along with the outlander.
"Let go," the eternal god stated. In all of Inazuma, there was not another person that dared to touch her. She was being dragged outside her chambers for a silly firework show.
"If it's any better, we can just watch it from the roof, " the outlander said as they continued to make their way outside. "You might not see any worth in such events, but to your people, it represents more than just fleeing moments. So many emotions and desires are embedded into those burning embers that they can last more than a lifetime."
"Karma is not easy to resolve by just sitting around."
"...How?"
"It's not my first time. Besides, you think I wouldn't see the karma that is about to burst its lid after talking with you for nearly three months?" The boy laughs at his conjecture.
Baal was once again reaffirmed of the outlander's capabilities. Even if he made it sound easy, karma was not something just anyone can gauge. An Archon might be able to if they tried hard enough, but the common people are in the dark for the most of it.
"How can you untie the knot if you don't understand how it was made?"
The boy continued to hold onto her wrist as they walked. It seems he was very adamant about making her go.
At the beginning, Baal thought of just slicing off his hand. Like with anything she does, a single swing or two was usually enough to swiftly end her problems. This would not be any different even if the outlander did attempt to resist. She would not renege on her promise with just chopping off his insolent hands.
However, when she looked at the boy's elated expression, she was unwilling to make the move, and the boy knew that. They were both aware of the other's limits.
Why? She did not know.
Perhaps it was when they first harmonized their divine auras? Or was it during their constant conversations over the course of the outlander's stay in Inazuma?
She did not know. She could not even begin to fathom the changes that were starting to occur within her.
Stop.
Heaven and earth. The myriad of islands in Inazuma, and the falling of the millions of sakura blooms over the countless centuries led her to nothing. She was unable to find anything wrong with her.
Stop.
BOOM!
The burst of light penetrated the paper thin windows, shining brightly within her chambers on the peak of Tenshukaku. Shadows and lights covered her landscape in erratic shapes. She had forgotten that they can reach such a height.
"Shoot, it's starting. We should hurry."
Her hair flowed like the wind as she started to match his pace.
Stop!
Her dead heart started to make a very small beat after the long years.
"Lord Aether, thank you as always for tutoring my son," Tengoku cupped his hands towards the enigmatic traveler from afar and repeated, "I apologize if he did anything to offend you."
Tengoku found him by accident when he was looking over the garden on the Kujou Estate.
"Not at all, Tengoku."
"Hoshi is a very gifted kid. He has a very bright future ahead of him," the traveler adds with great anticipation of the future after having finished their session.
"If you say so, Lord Aether."
"Hmmm, I think you should really just call me Aether by now. I'm just your shogun's guest. There's really not much to it."
"That would be improper, Lord Aether. You are Her Excellency's honored guest. By that virtue alone, you are the closest to the heavens. I dare not to address you as an equal," the Tenryou Commissioner explains like he did before to a bothered traveler.
"Hah. If that's what you think," the traveler sighed as he was not inclined to another debate on formalities.
"Shall we get going?"
"Of course," Tengoku said with a composed manner since he was also in need of the traveler's help.
It has been nearly a year since the war with the Abyss Order, and a year since Tengoku received the shogun's honored guest into his household.
At first, the Commissioner was surprised at the traveler's presence when he was summoned into their god's chambers. He was shocked that the boy turned out to be the star that fell onto the peak of Tenshukaku.
However, the thing that sent Tengoku nearly into a coma was the shogun's own stance on the matter. Although people call him the person closest to the shogun, he knew it was the furthest thing from the truth. Their shogun was an unforgiving and unfeeling deity that reigned over Inazuma with an iron fist.
He was aware that the shogun merely saw him as the most useful tool out of the box for handling mundane affairs. There was not a time where he didn't feel dread when he was before their Archon.
The only reason Watatsumi Island still stands today with their rebellious nature was because the shogun couldn't be bothered by such trivial matters. If she wanted to, the Sangonomiyas would have long been exterminated - regardless of how heaven defying their Divine Priestess was rumored to be.
So, he was left speechless when he realized that the traveler had caught their shogun's interest. Tengoku felt both admiration and fear for his guest every time the traveler talked to the shogun as equals. No one in Inazuma has the skin to speak to the Electro Archon in such a nonchalant manner. In Teyvat, there were possibly only six others (now seven) that could fit such a criteria.
When the whirlwind swept away the Abyss Order, he could not believe that their shogun was behind the attack. It certainly did come from the shogun's chambers, but the strike was different. Before the throne of Inazuma, he could feel the residue of the anemo resonance on the traveler. It was then he realized that it was the traveler that saved Inazuma from ruins. He was astounded that such a being, given his mastery over the element, was not a god from Celestia or the Anemo Archon.
"If you want to stop the Dark Sea's movements, then this place will be your best chance. Strike it with everything you got, and they should be unable to rise again for at least a few more centuries."
Tengoku recorded the location while the traveler reiterates a few more points. He wrote down everything about the Dark Sea's stronghold with careful attention.
"Are you sure about this, Tengoku? Since the past till now, only a few were able to find a way to completely raze that place to the ground." Tengoku could tell his guest's intentions - the few have all been Archons.
The Commissioner was grateful for his concerns, but failure was not an option.
As the nation that borders the land of the fallen gods, they would be their first target. This was why he needed experience on the matter. Over the course of a year, Tengoku was acquainted with the traveler's incredible tales, especially his journey to the other side of Teyvat.
"It's out of my hands. The Dark Sea's irregular movements could mean another invasion of Inazuma if we do not strike first." Tengoku diligently stated the facts as he rolled up the map that they had been using to plan the attack. "I cannot fail my Archon again."
If there is to be peace for Inazuma, then the aggression with the Dark Sea must end.
"Then, are you aware of your Archon's pursuit?"
"Eternity," Tengoku said without hesitation. The entire world was well aware of this fact.
"Yes, but the eternity she sees is completely different from the masses' perspective. Your shogun is quite stubborn in her approach."
Tengoku stopped his actions at the traveler's words, looking up to catch the saddened expression of his guest. The Kujou head could only stare at him with his inquiry as he dared not to question the validity of his Archon.
"The road towards eternity is a long and arduous task. When her ambition reaches grand completion, I'm afraid Inazuma will no longer have peace."
Peace.
Tengoku wanted to remark, but chose not to. He has seen the terrors of the Dark Sea and the continental-spanning wars of the past and current centuries.
When did Inazuma ever know peace before the Archon Wars?
"Even so, peace was the one thing granted to us by Her Excellency. I cannot say for certain of the future, and it may turn out as you say...however, I am a man that can only delve in the present, " Tengoku expressed his faith. He wanted to believe in what he saw in the shogun's sword work - the eternity he witnessed being pursued that day.
Before the original Electro Archon decided to make Inazuma the seat of the Archon's power, the land was a den riddled with evil. Due to its distance from the mainland, Inazuma was a place ripe for pirates and robbers to pillage. The people lived as if everyday was their last.
They had no future.
The first shogun brought them salvation. The people were able to rise from the pits of despair, and they established a unified nation because of their Almighty Shogun.
Her Excellency, the second shogun, ensured Inazuma and its people a future. That was enough in his eyes.
"It has always been our own responsibility to hold the nation together so that Her Excellency can freely pursue her ambitions without restraint."
"If I can bring even a single day of peace for Inazuma, then it is enough," Tengoku said with firm conviction. He wanted to secure peace for Inazuma for the next century.
He did not fail his Archon a second time.
"What. Are. You. Doing?"
She looked towards the boy with murderous eyes. His hand was suddenly rubbing the back of her head while they were watching Inazuma City being painted in white.
"Oh, my bad," the boy retracted his hand and apologized. "You look like my little sister when she feels down. It was a matter of reflexes."
"Foolishness," she responded with slight annoyance.
The shogun continued to watch along with the outlander. The city was packed with an assortment of people from all over the nation - Sangonomiyas and all the rest of the minor clans. Even foreigners from the other nations were arriving on Ritou just for this occasion. They gathered towards the side of Tenshukaku for mourning.
After a century of war, she could feel the relief of her citizens permeate throughout Inazuma.
"So...you're not going to the funeral?" The boy asked another worthless question. He has been with her nation for nearly two years, and she still cannot fathom the amount of trivial questions he asks.
She knows Tengoku and his clan.
The Kujous.
They were her most loyal retainers over the span of her rule. Their sons and daughters followed her into the pits of hell during their countless wars and conquests. Inazuma was built on their graves. It was the reason for their current downward trend for decades. When Tengoku came to power, he and his son were the last of the Kujou bloodline.
"He does not need my pity," Baal stated in monotone, making a small sigh in her head.
It was already a miracle that Tengoku was able to maintain and further develop the Tenryou Commission.
And yet, his final action ensured the peace of Inazuma for the next century.
"I'm sure it's not the pity he wants from you."
"His loyalty was with the nation. He lived and died for that ambition."
He did not fail her nor the vision that she gave. He was a brave fool. So brilliant that he was unable to stop or slow down his march into the unknown.
Under her divine watch, she saw the little boy of yesteryear. Dressed in all white, he resembled Tengoku when he sent off his father.
"How is he?"
The dawn or death of the Kujou Clan was now imminent. The winged tengu that fought alongside her during those desperate days for dominance over the entire world was finally at their crossroad.
"Who? Hoshi?" The boy inquired as he glanced over the side of the imperial palace, realizing just how many people have been influenced by Tengoku.
"He's fine, holding it better than I would expect. Though, we did just place a very heavy burden on his young shoulders," the boy stared at her with a smirk. He had told her countless times of Hoshi's incredible talents. "The future of the Kujou Clan lies with him now."
"Then aid him...please," she asked of the boy. Her plea was a whisper, but the boy heard it as plain as day.
If the tengu leaves now, then the fox and the oni would start vanishing as well. She cannot allow this to happen. Their pact was built on iron and blood. Morax was their witness, and she was the one that forged the contract.
"That's what I have been doing," the outlander chuckles at her stubbornness.
Baal turned her head from the funeral rites, looking towards the sword that etched itself onto the top of her throne once more. Vortex of mist and lightning confuses the enemy whenever it is drawn.
Instead of the swordsman, it was the sword that returned to her this time.
Over the course of a century, Baal has been staring at Grand Narukami Shrine with conflicted opinions. The bitter taste of failure stopped her from ever taking another step into the shrine even after they had already resolved what they sowed.
Your path is flawed.
That person dared to lecture her on right and wrong after everything was already over. At the time, her seven emotions and six desires were still intact. She felt intense emotions of rage and betrayal towards her once-upon-a-time friend. The woman denied her entire existence with a single sentence.
If she did not leave when she heard enough of the nonsense, the shrine would have become ground zero.
And after all of this time, the emotions were gone. She was already an empty husk when her eyes were capable of looking at the shrine again.
There were times where she wanted to take that step but could not bring herself to do it. She was aware of her inability to face that person again - not until she reached grand completion. It would only be then would she have the right to face her old companion.
Before then, her yearning would only remain a possibility.
Creak!
Again, even without turning her head towards the door, she was aware of who it was that entered her chambers. There was only one person that had enough guts to continue to come talk to her. She was familiar with his movement and heartbeat by the third year. By the fourth year, she could recognize the vocals inside his voice.
"Staring at the shrine again?" The boy questions as he stands besides her. "You should just go."
"..."
She remained quiet and only shook her head with a small smile. He knows her inner thoughts, and he still asks such foolish questions.
Nearly five years have passed since he first fell from the stars. His stories of the vast expanse made her dream of approaching the divine pursuit a reality. By now, he was essential in achieving her dreams. Her tree was slowly readied to fortify its foundation for the coming tribulations.
"Did you meet that little priestess?" Baal inquired after seeing how fast he returned from Watatsumi Island.
"No, she still wouldn't see me," Aether dejectedly shook his head. "If this keeps up, I'm afraid I will never have the chance."
"Hmph, at least she is aware of the karma she had sow," Baal stated with a slight of contempt. "Meeting you would only bring about the end to her little island."
Watatsumi Island, five years ago, was the only part of Inazuma that received the least amount of damage from the Abyss Order's attack.
Seven days and seven nights.
Although Baal was not too interested in the affairs of Watatsumi Island, she would commend their little priestess. The woman was bold enough to peek into Heaven's Will. The karma she created must have been truly heavens-defying if she still denies the outlander an audience.
She made a mental chuckle at wanting to see a discussion between her and the person on Narukami Island. Both were equally daring in their attempt to defy against the divine. If only Baal could see such incredible debates again.
After their little exchange, they merely kept to themselves and stared off into the distance from atop the balcony of Tenshukaku.
Baal wanted to continue their conversation about his home world, but she could not find a way to bring it up. It was a first for her that he would remain so quiet in her presence.
The shogun didn't know the proper course of action.
Before the times of the outlander, she has always been immersed in her pursuit of eternity. She was fully committed to her ambitions, but the stage was different now. She finally found another way towards eternity, and the boy was the key.
So, the god was frustrated at her inept ability to start a conversation.
And perhaps the boy could see her fuming out from her head as his next action took her by surprise.
"If I may."
Like a bird in the sky, the boy sprouted a golden pair of wings from his back. Wings similar to a fairy's took flight as he grabbed her by the hand and jumped off Tenshukaku.
"You...you were successful?" Her eyes were in disbelief at the sight.
She had heard before that the outlander was able to fly prior to his imprisonment on Teyvat by the unknown god.
The reason he fell from the skies was due to a failed attempt at breaking through the thick celestial armor that binds him to the earth. The fusion of the six elements was supposed to break the armor, but it merely backfired into his face. The collision caused a cataclysmic explosion that shone as brightly as any star in the night sky. His platform broke, and the outlander was sent flying in burning-hellfire for all to see.
"It took quite a while, but I eventually figured it out," the boy smiled as his body moved with the wind. He was certainly elated at the prospect of gaining back what belonged to him.
"Why?" Although Baal wanted to congratulate him, she was confused by his sudden actions.
"If I don't do it, then the hermit definitely wouldn't say anything," the boy laughs whole-heartedly at those words.
"Who are you calling a hermit?" She realized the meaning behind his insolent words. Baal glared at him with defiant eyes, and he laughed it off.
"Let go."
With her divine strength, walking on air was simple.
"Not a chance," the boy said with a goofy smile. His grip tightened on her hand, and she did not have a way to break free. The disgust from back then have started to turn cold.
Hearing his expected reply, her lips curved up a bit.
Electro resonance attempted to jump-start her dead heart once again.
"Out of my way!"
Crackle!
With a swing of his electro-infused sword, Hoshi brought an end to his enemy. A slash cleaved apart the body of the enormous boar-like creature in front of him. The creature's blood spilled upon him like the rest of them. They were swarming in places like this.
"Lord Kujou, they are starting to move again!"
"We will halt their advances right here!" Hoshi stated their current plan of attack. "So, hurry and tell them to blow that place to ashes! Don't let my father's - Tengoku's sacrifice be in vain! "
Hoshi was frustrated by the current events.
It should not have been like this.
His father gave up his life to bring that stronghold down for Inazuma's peace. The creatures of the Dark Sea should have fled into their steel kingdoms and bide their time for the next few centuries. That was supposed to be the end of the Dark Sea's plans.
However, they were starting to reconstruct their stronghold only after five years since it was destroyed. It was too quick. They were more equipped for this incursion to the continent than his father originally expected.
In light of the situation, Hoshi gathered his most elite guards and made another assault on the Dark Sea. This time he intends on blowing up the entire structure to the ground.
"Lord Kujou, our scouts indicate that their armies are all enroute to this location," one is most trusted aides updated him on the situation.
"We must hold here at all cost," Hoshi merely scowled at their predicament. Those creatures appeared to have caught on to their plans. The shogun's army was already handling the majority of the enemies for them to reach so far into the heart of their land. Hoshi and his guards just need to hold on long enough for all the bombs to be detonated.
But it was easier said than done. All of his guards were either heavily injured or barely alive at this point. Bodies upon bodies of his allies and foes laid dead on the island front. The rain has been a constant pain as it has impeded a majority of his sight for a good while now. His entire body was heavy as fatigue was starting to settle in on him.
Still, he steeled himself for battle. He was the tip of the spear for this war. He is Kujou Hoshi, the man closest to the stars. On one hand, he wields the sword bestowed upon him by the Almighty Shogun. On his other side, he gripped onto his vision like his life depended on it. He did not know when his vision fell from his clothing, but he had held it for the past hour.
Like his father before him, it appears the Electro Archon favors their clan a great deal. He can only hope it continues into the future.
They cannot fail here!
"Kazuki, Uncle Aether...I'm sorry," Hoshi laments as his head looks upwards. The water droplets cleaned his face of the blood stains, but it could never wash away his yearning to return to his daughter. It was his only regret.
A year has passed since she was borne. Though her mother was unable to make it, her birth secured a lifeline for their clan. In place of his wife, he wanted to take her daughter on a journey across Teyvat when she came of age.
He was never a military man. His father was the one that taught him the skills required to lead while his uncle taught him about the other nations and their trades. Although Hoshi called him his uncle, they were not related through blood or marriage.
The man suddenly came into his clan nearly seven years ago. His father invited him into their household as a guest of the Raiden Shogun - the greatest honor that any Inazuman can obtain. Hoshi could tell at a glance that he was a foreign. His strange clothing and poor knowledge of Inazuman culture made it very apparent when he first entered his home. He didn't know at the time, but his soon-to-be uncle shaped him as much as his father.
As his uncle started to tutor him, Hoshi started to warm up to the strange man. His interest in the nations beyond Inazuma began with his uncle's experiences. He would never forget the tales of the soaring dragon in Mondstadt or the frozen giants in Snezhnaya. He wished to visit those places for himself one day.
It appears he would be unable to fulfill that wish.
Without his father's guidance, his uncle led the way for him. His advice was vital when he first assumed the position as the Tenryou Commissioner when he had just come of age. The amount of experience his uncle had on all manners of issues were unrealed. No matter what Hoshi said or did, his uncle would always have a very caring smile on his face.
It was when he was about to become a father that he realized the never changing state of his uncle - the same as their eternal Archon. He was finally able to connect the dots.
Originally, he thought that his uncle was settling into Inazuma after his journey across Teyvat had ended. It was actually quite the opposite. His long life allowed him the ability to live and watch the people of each nation in minute detail. He was experiencing life in Inazuma over a very long period of time. This was a part of that long journey of his.
Why? Hoshi did not know. He was going to ask when the right time comes, but it appears that the window has truly closed now.
"Lord Kujou! They are approaching!"
Hoshi could hear the frantic shout of the scouts coming from all sides of the island. This meant that the Dark Sea' armies were starting to arrive on the shores of the island.
"Men, ready for battle!" The Kujou Head raised his sword to rally his guards. They really have come a long way from home.
"Uncle Aether, please take care of Kazuki for me," Hoshi asked, hoping the wind can carry his message to Narukami Island. Kazuki was supposed to be born in an era of peace. His one year old daughter should not have to be burdened by the responsibilities caused by her elders.
His father fought to bring peace for the next century. Now, he will do the same and open a path for the next age of Inazuma to begin.
Hearing the sounds of the approaching enemies, he prayed to their Archon.
"Yuki..father, please wait for me. I'm coming to meet both of you very soon."
On the other side of the world, there were two that heard Hoshi's message.
After nearly three hundred and fifty years, the continental wars ended with both the Abyss Order and the Dark Sea receding into the horizon.
"Let go."
"Mom," a tiny head shook her head and buried her face into her clothes.
Thirteen years have passed since the boy, Aether, arrived on Inazuma. And a new anomaly has shown itself before her - a child.
Petite in figure, the little girl barely comes up to her hips. Her little hands grabbed onto her legs for dear life, appearing to be afraid of letting go.
What truly caught her by surprise was the girl's daring words.
The moment the little girl made it into her chambers, she could recognize the origins of her bloodline in an instant. Teardrops were about to fall from the child when their eyes first met.
Kujou Kazuki.
With Hoshi's death, she was the last descendant of the Kujou Clan while the other two branches of the Tri-Commissions continue to flourish.
"Kazuki, are you in h-"
A familiar voice echoed inside her chambers, but it stopped when he arrived before her. By the time Aether arrived, her eyes were staring at him.
Explain yourself.
She could see the guilty look on his face - an expression she has been too closed with lately. His were slowly lifted up in a yielding gesture.
"I-I might have fibbed a bit to her."
"So I've heard."
"She always brought it up and started to cry whenever the servants tried to explain the situation. It was the only way to get her to stop crying."
"So, are you the father in that story?" Baal could see the growing terror in his eyes when she brought up the question. It took him quite a bit to find the courage to answer, meaning he was already guilty.
"Ye-"
"I'll murder you."
"I would appreciate it if you do the opposite."
Tug!
As they were in a quarrel, she felt her clothes being pulled on. She looked down to see the eyes of the little girl trying to get her attention. Her eyes were filled with both worry and hope as she tried to ask them to stop their argument.
Examining the little girl's scared and lonely figure, she mentally sighs and decides to allow the little girl to persist. She will deal with the rest later.
Baal gently caressed the little girl's hair to ease her sorrows.
Truly, too many of your descendants have given their lives for me.
"Tell her properly when she can understand."
"Will do," Aether saluted to the order.
And just like that, Baal indulged in a little girl's fantasy.
From time to time, the little girl would come with many different requests.
The most childish request was allowing her to sleep besides Baal during mediation. The next few years came and went as Kazuki started to intermingle with her just as Aether had once done.
…
…
…
In one year, Kazuki would come to ask her about braiding her hair, but the child eventually decided to go for a ponytail like many of her ancestors before.
…
…
…
During the winter, the little girl started to practice sword work from her. Under the cold nights, her little arms worked to maintain her stance to show persistence to her "mother". She started to show off every season to demonstrate her mastery of the sword arts.
…
…
…
After a year or two, her requests started to get bolder and precise. The requests started to focus more on the mundane matters. It was more involved as Kazuki found new games that she wanted to play from Aether.
…
…
…
In another few years, after countless times of persuading from both Aether and Kazuki, she eventually relented to going to watch the fireworks with them. Of course they went to a place that was devoid of people. The little girl was clever in her trick...she was starting to grow up.
…
…
…
After her sixteenth birthday, the little girl became a woman. She learned of her true heritage and redefined the people in her life. Though, there were always the occasional slip ups when she attempted to address Baal with correct titles.
…
…
…
She visited Tenshukaku less with each passing season. Baal could always see her figure at the entrance, yet she dares not to take another step inside.
…
…
…
Soon enough, Kazuki became a master. Eighteen years have passed since she was born, and it has been almost twenty-three years since the stars fell.
Now, the woman bowed before the stairs to Tenshukaku. She watched the presiding ceremony from within her chambers. They were aware that she could see it from there as Kazuki did not take a single step into the imperial palace. Her dark ponytail tail was certainly longer than before. Those hands were now rugged as her sword work reached heights beyond any normal standard. In just a blink, Baal experienced a quarter of Kazuki's life.
With Aether beside her, Kazuki kotowed once before Tenshukaku and once towards Aether.
When she got up, Aether presented the sword of lightning and mist to Kazuki. It was her departing gift. As Kazuki looked towards the imperial palace once more, Baal could feel the yearning of her heart. Those yellow eyes of Kazuki's were filled with determination for the next century as well.
"Dad, please take care of mo- Her Excellency while I'm gone," the head of the Kujou Clan stated, reaching out to receive what she believed was the greatest gift from her Archon (mom).
"Haha, shouldn't it be the other way around?" The two laughed.
She could hear their words being transmitted by the winds - the Anemo Archon was as bothersome as always.
"Listen, Kazuki. You are going to experience what your parents could only dream of back then. They ensured our peace for you to be borne," Aether spoke and grabbed onto the shoulders of Kazuki. "So, take your time and experience Teyvat with an open heart and mind."
"You are about to witness the place where freedom roams, the land where the first contracts were written, the accumulated wisdom of generations, the justice that lies within law, the wars unfamiliar to the current Inazuma, and the frozen heart of a loving country." The once outlander took the place of Kazuki's parents in advising the fledgling adventurer. It was something Baal could not put into words even if she was there.
"Experience them and come back with a clear stance of where you wish to take Inazuma towards. Will it be the same as the Electro Archon or will it be different? That is what you will find out."
"Have you seen it all, dad?" The ever-curious eyes of Kazuki landed on Aether.
"No...I was in a hurry back then," Aether gently pats Kazuki's head. They were now near the same height. The woman before them was certainly not the same little girl that was prone to crying.
"How about now?"
"Hehe, it's complicated. But I did learn a thing or two about taking my time. There are things in this world that you just can't rush through."
With two years before Kazuki ascended to the position of Tenryou Commissioner, she left the land of eternity on a journey. Leaving with only what she can carry, the woman took one final look at Inazuma and departed into the unknown.
Baal retracted her divine eyes, sighing at every tengus' eagerness to brave new frontiers for her.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Absurd.
Absolutely absurd.
She could not begin to comprehend what she had just heard. She wondered how the conversation shifted from Kazuki's homecoming to such a foolish direction.
"Are you implying that I want to have your offspring?"
"Haha, of course not. It was just an example. An. Example."
Aether waved his hands in denial as she began to have an urge to pull out her sword. She was insulted that he would even come up with such an example.
"You are just in a very similar predicament like the monk. I swear to all the Archons in Teyvat for my innocent."
On the outside, she remained unperturbed by Aether 's half-hearted pledge while he was still in tears. Her thoughts, however, turned murderous at the comparison.
"Hear me out," the boy tries to elaborate through his laughter and her rage. "In that world, where Buddhism reigns supreme, the monk was said to be the closest to Buddhahood - Teyvat's equivalent to the Archons. From meeting him once, I could also tell he was a very incredible being. "
"By the time we left their world, the monk was already undergoing the progress of attaining Nirvana."
"But, when we visited their world again, we learned that the monk failed and was consumed by Samsara. It was later that we found out that the monk had fathered children with countless women throughout his lifetime."
"The monk may have been a kind and caring figure, but he was unable to sever himself completely from the mundane world. He lost his pursuit towards enlightenment at the very beginning."
"Why are you telling me this?"
Stop.
There was a part of her that did not want to know the answer. She already knew what Aether would say. She felt like she had heard those words before. The scene of a pink-haired woman flashed into her memory for a single moment.
"Is that not you?"
"..."
She wanted to deny his truth. Aether probably would have stopped if she told him to.
Yet, she did not utter a single word to him.
With a single swing, she could end this conversation right now. Just a single swing could bring about an end to all of this pretense.
However, her sword remains sheathed.
"Although you believe that you have severed your seven emotions and six desires, you actually failed...didn't you?"
Stop.
"In a haste to resist Celestia's scheme, you attempted to slash away the karma. Your sword work is definitely unparalleled in this world, but you certainly didn't reach that altitude when you made your attempt."
Her vision was blurring.
Stop!
"Your emotions and desires...you are desperately trying to prevent them from leaking, aren't you?"
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
"Are you not tired, Baal?"
Tired?
Her enemies were encroaching upon her domain, and she realized it too late. Her eyes illuminated the world with brilliance in an attempt to reign in her mind.
Her heart started to beat at the mere glance of his lighthearted expression.
"You knew, didn't you?"
Those were the last words she uttered before everything went black.
The all-seeing eye emerged with the circular eternity. Electro resonance caused bale thunder to burn the surrounding landscape. Thunderous clouds and storms covered the land of eternity. The oceans violently smashed against the myriad of islands, causing the nation to shake to its foundation.
The three Commissions felt the surge of electro energy pushing out from Inazuma City. Electro dragons coiled around Narukami Island with ferocity. Everything was being washed away in the flood of divine intent.
Inazuma City, itself, suffered a heavenly suppression. The will of a god was being enforced.
There was no ambition in Teyvat greater than hers.
In the dark recesses of a nightmare, her eyes opened with luminosity - galactic systems swirled about.
The Electro Archon awakens.
An oni, a tengu, and a fox walked into a bar. Each had a different purpose for coming, but they still had drinks together.
The oni wanted to forget about the pains of living under the gods' curse.
The tengu wanted to drink for every soldier that had fallen on the battlefield.
And the fox wanted to accompany the two so that they wouldn't do anything stupid in public.
They were friendly to the bartender and the customers. Even if they wanted to become drunk, the three helped each other to drink in moderation.
They couldn't become drunk or sleep the day away...because they were here to kill a god - her.
She was well aware of their intentions. Under the darkness of an eclipse, Baal was confronted with past figures. They were real and fiction at the same time. Figures of her imagination that gained sentience because she had become careless. Before her, they raised their weapons and attacked her with their strongest attack.
However, they were too late to be able to offer any resistance against her.
"Out of my way." Baal once again drew her sword after years of dormant action. Whether it was in a dream or reality, there was no stopping her divine judgement.
Her sword revels in delight and anticipation. It had been drawn a total of three times throughout the course of a century, and it was all in the span of a single week. Each time, Baal has been denied the chance to deliver her strike.
Now, it was different.
Ting!
With a single swing of her sword, the dream was rendered into utter disarray. Her slash cleaved apart everything with ease, bringing the deities and godfiends to their knees. In an instant, her enemies laid dead before her - their emotionless eyes watched her every movement...but it was useless now.
Baal accepted their glances. Before her current self, they have no power to shake her foundation. Her mind remained serene and unperturbed by the actions she had just committed. She had long made peace with their departures. These fakes were no longer enough to shake her divine pursuit.
Perhaps if they came earlier, they might had a chance to slew her.
"Isn't that right, teacher?" She turned her head back to the figure she had been expecting ever since she entered this realm. Even if he wanted to hide, this was her mind - her domain. This was not Celestia.
An old man with white hair stood where she looked. His back was slouched as both of his hands held onto a cane for support. He wore a robe decorated in gold as dragons were etched upon the clothing. The most outstanding aspect was still the perfect control of his divine aura that Baal had been accustomed to. He appeared humble, but she knew it was just a facade.
"This was not how the divine scene was supposed to play out." His voice echoed the sentiments of countless familiar auras to Baal.
"Still, this is the end result, teacher," she sneered and put an end to all the pretense, "You failed."
The moment her words left her, the old teacher's divine potential erupted. The colors of the heavenly gods and unparalleled fairy kings painted her domain in gold. The torrent of divine intents was immense. She admitted that it was certainly greater than hers. Even so, it did not matter. It could not push her away. Not here.
What truly made her eyes narrow in contempt was the image of the star plastered on her older teacher's right eye. The same starry eyes that she had heard before from the outlander - Aether.
Seeing her old teacher in that state reminded her of why she called them old geezers in the first place.
Once she saw that star, Aether's story finally clicked.
"Hmph. I knew you were all despicable, but I couldn't believe that you would betray Teyvat by colluding with outsiders, teacher," she mocked him without missing a beat. At this point, calling him teacher was only a formality. So desperate to hold onto their vaunted power, they would even dare to conspire with outsiders to achieve that end.
"We do not need others to understand our grand designs for Teyvat."
"Designs? In order to ascend to a greater world, you would sacrifice all of the mortals in Teyvat for such a goal," Baal ridiculed their self-importance. "None of this was for Teyvat. You are trying to abandon this world for greener pastures."
Afraid of their own mortality being bound to Teyvat, they dared to invite an unknown entity for aid. Their ambitions have grown weak, maybe it was already gone by the time she ascended to Celestia. None of them were willing to take the next step.
"If that is how you see it, so be it," the old god said in a monotone voice. There was no trace of any emotions being displayed. Hints of anger and frustration were long gone from the old man's face.
"The boy must die," Baal's former teacher stared at the scene beyond the dream's veil.
She was as well aware of the battle that was taking place in Inazuma while she slept. The scene was playing before her as she stared into the distance. Although she was currently unconscious, her eyes picked up the scene of Aether crossing blades with her divine avatar. The manifestation of her pursuit - the eternity she once sought before Celestia's schemes.
"Teacher, you underestimate him too much. Do you really believe a hollow shell of an Archon could stop him?" She confidently denied any chance of Aether dying to her unconscious self. "Even I wasn't able to."
There was pride in knowing Aether better than any of those old geezers sitting on their thrones in heaven. No matter how ironic it was, those old geezers became ignorant of human affairs.
"We did not expect you to spare the boy's life. "
"Neither did I, but it seems it was your own undoing," she remarks. Their goal was never to just halt her ambitions. They wanted her to sever her karma, knowing that it would be incomplete at that stage. Once her emotions eventually flared, she would have been consumed by her inner demons. Then, they would have an emotionless weapon capable of completely exercising their will on Teyvat without incurring their own karma.
That was Celestia's greatest scheme against her. Had it not been for her remaining bits of humanity and the fairies' pleads, she would have been consumed by the sentiments of the past.
"You are different...yet the same," the divine man concentrated his eyes on her ambitions, attempting as she had done before to Aether. "Your pursuit...you changed your path towards it."
"My pursuit will forever remain unchanged, teacher."
She was still the God of Eternity - the absolute authority in the unchanging state of all things.
"Whichever path I chose does not matter. In the end, they will eventually all converge and mix," she indulged her old teacher one last time before they turn into irreversible enemies. "And as long as I can decipher and trace all of their origins, they are a part of my eternity. Change that remains constant and stable within my eyes."
This is why she wanted to understand the boy, Aether, at all cost. If she could understand the worlds that Aether had brought with him, then she would understand his wants and desires. And perhaps this was all an excuse to just get closer to him. She did not know. Centuries of emotions and desires were coming back in a fury. It appears she was hopelessly intrigued by the boy's existence.
Just as she was attempting to rein in her thoughts the same way she had done countless times, she heard the faint sound of a divine mantra. It was the exact winds that flew nearly twenty-five years ago.
First Solution - Winds Erode the Celestial Sky
crack! Crack! CRack! CRAck!
CRACk! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
The dream fell.
Her hair waved helpless in the wind as her domain shattered all around. Everything was so familiar, yet different.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
A golden boy extended his hand out towards her. It was an invitation to leave, and she accepted with gentle smile.
"Teacher, the next time we meet - I will cut you down," Baal said with a serene expression as she took Aether's hand. The dread she felt from her old teacher was no longer present. She was coming into her own divine realm.
The dream crumbled like glass, falling and falling until nothing is left...only the divine throne of Celestia persisted through the destruction.
The old man watched the events of the world unfold one at a time through this space. His thoughts were no longer sane enough to keep in touch with Teyvat.
When Baal opened her eyes again, she saw the world in a different perspective.
The first thing she saw was the face of Aether looking down at her as her head was currently resting on his lap. His golden eyes showed relieve for her return.
"You're awake," Aether said with a cheeky smile. She was happy to see it again.
Her hand reached out to touch his face. He was certainly shocked by her action, but she did not have the ability to care.
"You could have told me sooner."
"Sorry, I was afraid of them catching on."
She wanted to lose herself in this moment for a little longer.
Schemes and ploys, she was too tired to care about any of those things.
After a few minutes of rest, both of them eventually stood up together. Baal's eyes wandered around her chambers with absolute clarity of the damages done while she was unconscious. Her expression turned nostalgic at the decimation before she faced Aether.
"Congratulations," she sincrerely voiced when her violet eyes could clearly see him without restraints. Baal was elated that Aether finally broke through the final chains on the celestial armor and unleashed his untethered potential for all the worlds to feel.
"It was all thanks to your help," Aether thanked, releasing the divine sword that had aided him in battling her divine avatar. "I merely borrowed your sword arts to break the seal on this old friend of mine."
She merely smiled at his conjecture, understanding the relief in Aether's eyes from the momentarily stares he gave the weapon. Baal could feel the sentiments and eternal memories that the divine sword was emitting with its aura.
The Musou no Hitotachi.
She was surprised her divine avatar was capable of pulling it off since there were few in this world that had the honor to see this sword art. She failed to remember the last time she needed to rely on its heaven-slaying and god-conquering powers. Her sword work, it appears, have grown dull without her knowledge. This fact alone made her feel quite baffled and disappointed in herself - a feeling she had not experienced for a great many moons now.
It was somewhat...refreshing.
While her emotions were rushing back after centuries of chains, Aether began to gaze over the horizons. Now, with his unchained freedom, she knew where he was looking towards. And her thoughts did not take too kindly to the conclusions she arrived at.
"Are you finally ready to go?"
Aether shook his head in acknowledgement before answering, "It's time for me to subjugate the eight kingdoms."
Aether had once mentioned to her about his journey's end; he wished to rein in the Eight Kingdoms of the Spiral Abyss.
To the ordinary people, the Abyss Order was a singularity, but that was far from the truth.
When one descends deep enough into the depths of the Spiral Abyss, they would realize the factions that made up the Abyss Order. While they were united under a single hatred towards humanity, they were divided in their operations to achieve that goal.
Baal had once slaughtered her way into the depths of the Spiral Abyss and laid witness to the eight kingdoms. However, she was unable to proceed any further due to the thick walls of karma that lingers in every kingdom. A single kingdom contained enough to cause her to undergo karmic destruction if she threw caution to the wind.
"I began my journey nearly one hundreds ago. At first, I was in a rush to find my little sister. It was merely a few years in each nation before I started to realize the extent of my long journey. Now look at me, after twenty-five years in Inazuma, I reached my answer. I have walked with your nation and its people for a quarter of a century. I witnessed Inazuman culture and their way of life." Aether glanced at her with a tranquil expression.
"I have reached my seventh solution," he said with absolute certainty.
For Teyvat, Aether has given nine solutions.
One solution for each nation, and two for himself and his little sister.
So, he started his journey to experience life in every nation and come to a conclusion on the current order. He offers a solution against those given by Celestia, and the cycle repeats until he has seen every nook and cranny of Teyvat.
And now, his journey finally reached its end. It was time for him to leave.
"Will I be able to see you again?" Baal inquired, knowing full well she could not stop him even with force. At this point, no one in Teyvat was capable of such a feat.
"Well, it should be very simple for you to come and go from the Abyss from what I have heard," Aether plainly stated what she could and would do. She made a small chuckle at his remark.
As Aether begins to unfurl his angelic wings for flight, Baal wants every moment to stretch into perpetuity. She wanted to reach out with her hands and tell him to stay. When he leaves, it would be hard for her to ever deviate from her pursuit again. Their paths were ultimately different. He sought to end the order of Celestia while she wishes to maintain the constants in the world. It would be hard for her to stand by his side again.
Her divine pursuit can no longer be stopped.
With one last farewell, his figure raced into the heavens, showing defiance with every step he took. Her eyes watched him disappear from Inazuma's borders. Her smile remained even as he faded into the horizon.
Just as he was about to disappear into the abyss, he echoed these final words, "My little sister will be coming soon. I don't know when, but she will come. I hope you can take care of her for me."
She quietly acknowledged the fact. His little sister. Baal wondered if she would offer any surprises to her like his brother.
Nevertheless, it was time to end this show.
Kazuki was coming home.
As Kazuki hurriedly entered the peak of the imperial palace, none of the guards dared to stand against her. In the present age, perhaps only she was capable of freely entering and leaving the Almighty Shogun's chambers.
By the time Kazuki opened the doors, she immediately rushed to Baal's side.
She sighed in relief when she saw Baal, but frantically looked around for another. And in her haste, she voiced, "Mom, where's dad?!"
"!"
In matters of seconds, Kazuki realized what she had just said. Her eyes widened in shock and knelt before the shogun.
"Forgive me, mo-Your Excellency," Kazuki tried to apologize, but it only led her to mess up even quicker.
Baal, on the other hand, had a small smile on her face. The shogun looked at the future Tenryou Commissioner with amusement.
"Kazuki, come here."
"Wha-what?" Kazuki was momentarily stunned by the shogun's gesture for her. She was confused by the current atmosphere. She slowly looked up to only see the Raiden Shogun gesturing for her to come closer.
"Th-then! Forgive my brashness." Kazuki was not prepared for this when she arrived. She edged steadily towards the shogun with small paces. Even with all her experience from her dad and journeying across Teyvat, she was not at all prepared for this encounter.
When Kazuki reached the shogun's side, the Archon grabbed both of her hands, much to her shock. The shogun was examining her hands with careful detail while Kazuki was looking left and right for an answer.
"How was your journey?"
"I-wha-It was pleasant, M-Your Ex-excellency," the next Kujou Head fumbled through her thoughts. She was not acquainted with the sincere glances from the shogun at all. This was too baffling for her to take in.
"It's fine, Kazuki. Call me whatever you like."
"..."
Who are you and what happened to my mom?!
Dad! Mom is acting strange!
"If I may, Your-ahh Mom, where's dad?"
"Hmm, he's on a long trip right now," Baal continued to rub Kazuki's hand, musing over the improvement to Kazuki's sword work over the last two years. A sense of pride started to pile inside the shogun.
"Th-then, do you know when he will be back, Mo-Your Ex- I mean mom," Kazuki's brain stopped working. This will take time for her to digest.
"Soon, I hope," Baal replied with optimism. "Kazuki, tell me about your journey later, alright?"
The little girl from before has reached her height.
"O-okay, mom."
Karma is not an easy thing to get rid of. Every single affair in this world adds one more layer to the accumulated amount. She had tried to ignore it by severing her emotions and desires, but it ended up backfiring. She was too stubborn to find an alternative, believing that her path was absolute. Like Aether, she was in a rush to reach grand completion.
Before she can continue her divine pursuit, all karma with her nation must be resolved first.
Haha. At the end of days, we getting Baal!
Soooo like I'm dead. Originally, I wrote this because I couldn't find any Baal fics at all on here so I just thought to make one.
Had I just waited like a day, I might not have ever published this since "For Eternity" by BANIX was pretty much what I wanted from the community.
So yeah, I bit myself on the arm on that one.
Anyways, this concludes the two shot.
I was thinking of adding a very short epilogue to finish off Kazuki's perspective and Lumine's arrival. Stuff like that. I don't know, it will depend on if I win my 50/50 or not.