Wind and gusts had stopped blowing above Yougou Peak for an hour or so. Still, not too far away from the entrance to the Grand Shrine, a group of Shrine Maidens idly waited for their Guuji to allow them back into the Shrine. A little more waiting, and they'd go back home for the night. But to do so without notifying Miko would be quite hard.

Tomo couldn't hear much of their conversation, but that was the gist of it for the last fifteen minutes. He was leaning against a Torii gate that decorated the path, waiting for Kazemaru to return from whatever ceremony he was performing.

He considered chatting with the group of priestesses, yet he didn't exactly like the way they looked at him. His sword and his vision aggravated them, plus his nonchalant attitude seemingly upset them. Respecting their wishes, he merely turned towards the view of Narukami island.

Little could be seen beside the light from the City. The sea was almost imperceptible even with the moonlight, the sheer height of the mountain covering it behind imperceptible clouds. Watching this view with the sun rising would be quite the spectacle, though he never liked the Grand Narukami Shrine and the opportunity never arose. A childhood fear that developed into a phobia, he usually said. Though was it the height or the priestess herself, he didn't know.

A tug on his trousers pulled him out of focus. He looked down only to be greeted by a small cat trying to climb up his leg.

"I didn't expect another adventurer here." Tomo crouched and let the feline take a curious smell at his hand. "Let me see if I have anything for you." He sat down against the Torii gate and rummaged through his leather bag. "Berries? No… A knife, string, tinder… A feather? Wanna play with this?"

He tickled the cat's nose with the feather, immediately catching its attention. It spun around, tried to jump and lunge at the feather with all its fury. But for Tomo, it just looked like an adorable little puffball. To have so few troubles and objectives, was a life to be desired.

At some point, the cat grew tired of chasing ghosts. And then, Tomo noticed the Shrine maidens going back to the shrine.

"Look at them, kitty cat." Tomo picked up the kitten, placing it on his lap. "Turns out shrine maidens do move in herds… Or actually, what's the name for a group of foxes? I believe they're called skulks. What do you think?"

"If you're looking for foxes, Ronin, I'm right here."

A chill ran down Tomo's spine as the Guuji of Grand Narukami Shrine stood right beside him. He held the cat close to him as he shot up from the ground, the very presence of Miko placing him in high tension.

"My, my, are you here to steal again? What will it be this time? Blooms, rice and two more bells? You have quite the gall returning." Miko relished Tomo's glare before continuing. "Show me the seal."

Letting the kitten move up his arm, he pulled out the cloth-wrapped seal from an internal pocket of his coat. The kitsune snatched it out of his hands and unwrapped it carefully. She observed the runes, glowing menacingly at the entrance of the shrine.

"How did you come across this, Ronin? You better have a good excuse, or your punishment will be severe." Miko held the seal with disgust, throwing a furtive glance at Tomo.

"I have two or three excuses, pick whichever you want." His hand hovered above the hilt of his sword.

"More illegal activities? Seeing how you still have that pretty vision, you shouldn't have come near the Shrine… But since I've been asked for a favour, I'll let it slide." A burst of lightning destroyed the paper seal, leaving behind floating runes. "I hoped to never see anything like this again. These runes emanate some type of dark energy… but it's dormant. It needs more than that to function."

Tomo slightly relaxed his stance to calm down the kitten on his shoulder. "We found it inside someone's throat. And Kazuha was carrying it while running and hiding… So let me guess, it needs humidity? Sweat and saliva seem to do the trick."

Miko scoffed at his answer, walking towards the shrine. He glanced at her imposing figure before trying to pick up the troublesome cat on his shoulders. Failing to do so, he loosened his coat and opened up a spot for it. The cat was reluctant, but it jumped inside after noticing the warmth surrounding it.

Satisfied, Tomo entered the shrine behind the Guuji. She walked towards the pond surrounding the shrine and submerged the runes. Immediately, they started to emanate a blue hue.

"No pets allowed on the shrine." Miko mutedly said, keenly analysing the runes. "Ah, classic deception. The runes don't mean anything. What lies in the ink is the true culprit of the curse. Some type of…" Immediately, fumes started to emanate from the floating ink. Immediately, Miko created a small electro bubble that contained the gas and the ink. "Peculiar."

"Weird, one might say," Tomo added, gaining another glare from Miko. "Good thing there isn't any more wind, or that might have been dangerous. The man who previously held the seal was… some type of mercenary, I suppose? If you've heard of what happened at Main Gate, he was the culprit. He died with the seal on his throat, there weren't any other signs on his body."

"Prolonged exposure killed him." Miko concluded as if it was a known fact. "The second death we've had from this curse."

"Second?"

"Indeed. A soldier from Fujitou Fort. Why, he was the one who alerted General Kujou of the Watatsumi Island uprising. What a coincidence." With a sigh, she compressed the fumes and their runes. They withstood the strength of the shield for a moment before electricity consumed and destroyed it whole. "You don't need to know anymore."

"Then… is the Resistance really behind this?"

"So smart and so gullible at the same time." She sneered and turned towards him. "You've also been under the influence of this seal, haven't you realised its effects?"

Tomo rubbed his chin, averting his eyes. "When I got separated from Kazuha, I faced that Masked Woman and then… The Boss held me back and told me to run. And I did. But that doesn't make any sense, I wouldn't have left him or Kazuha behind."

Miko exasperatedly sighed, flicking her hair. "Put two and two together, please. This is painful to watch."

"The effort from the fight made me sweat and activated the seal. And then when I was ordered to do something, I followed through." His face lit up on realisation, before sinking further. "But, what about those fumes? I don't remember smelling anything foul. And Kazuha would certainly have noticed."

"This seal is supposed to be used with contact with the skin. And remember, it was used at least two times, wasn't it? First by the culprit of Main Gate. Then by the noble kid. Finally by you. Without any skin to meld itself with, it becomes this dark smoke. And after so many uses, its intensity is much weaker." Miko then crossed her arms. "It may have more effects, but we only know these. Making your mind more willing to follow orders and prolonged exposure means death."

"But… why's the Masked Woman doing this? How many people are carrying this seal? In fact, if anyone affected by the seal can be controlled…"

"You're wadding through dangerous waters, Ronin." Miko looked up at the moon. "That Woman is not someone you can deal with alone. The less you know, the better for everyone involved."

"How benevolent, Lady Guuji. I'm not so sure that I want to forget someone who is trying to mind control my friends." Tomo's sarcasm only spurred a reaction in the kitten hidden in his coat.

It jumped away, landing safely on the ground before wandering away. A breeze reinvigorated the still air around the two of them. Then, someone sneezed.

"Who's been petting cats, hmm?"

Venti, still dressed in his Kazemaru disguise, floated down towards the couple. He adjusted his mask, oblivious to the gaze of a few shrine maidens doing their chores.

"Are you done resting?" Miko didn't seem too amused at the levitation of Venti. "My hospitality isn't infinite."

"But is your patience?" Venti said while hovering closer to her, finally poking her cheek without any retaliation. "Fair enough. Maybe I should make annoying sounds while—"

"Kazemaru, can we focus?" Tomo interjected. "Are you ready to go to Inazuma City?"

"Mm? Sure. Do you have the Fontanian device charged up?"

Tomo rummaged through his coat, pulling out the spherical device. Venti lifted it with his powers and made it orbit around his body.

"This should make me seem like an acolyte of the Shogun for enough time. Now, we're going to Byakko plain first. The big burly Oni is there." Venti leaned against the air. "After that, you'll have to do me a favour."

"Hold on, what about Kazuha?"

"Yeah, about him. Big Oni will have to find him while you distract the Shogun's bodyguard." Venti's casual tone did little to alleviate Tomo's concerns.

"You want me to fight Kujou alone? Even if she wasn't amped by whatever weapon she has, I doubt I could beat her in a fair fight."

Venti smirked as he rested his elbow on Tomo's shoulder. "Who said anything about a fair fight?"

"Are you two seriously conspiring in front of me? Get out. Now." Miko snapped her fingers like they were two feral cats.

"Partypooper." Venti stuck out his tongue, but the insult was hidden behind his mask. "Let's get going, then."

The bard waved goodbye while Tomo strode off without looking back. As Miko turned back towards the shrine, Venti quickly caught up to the Ronin. The worshipper's path, decorated with Torii gates, emphasised even more the lights of the Inazuma city far in the distance. With that view, the duo began their descent.

"Now, we have at worst an hour or so before the Shogun realises something is amiss. If we're lucky, she won't notice until dawn…"

"That's why you sent Thoma to Ritou, right? I suppose this Witch of the Seas can put some fight to the Shogun."

"Well, not fight but yes. I'm sure she can remember how she was able to put a Harbinger into a coma. And if she doesn't, then I'm sure she's not the type to think of some stupid, reckless plan." Venti assured Tomo, stopping in the middle of the path.

"You seem to have a lot of faith in her. Or maybe not enough, seeing how you had to send back-up."

"I have faith in her abilities, which is more faith than she has in me. I doubt she trusts me anymore, not that I blame her for it. Distrusting gods should be a natural answer… You shouldn't trust me much either, Ronin. After all, I'm much older than your entire family tree. That alone should inspire some reluctance into trusting my words."

"No need to tell me that." Tomo adjusted his gloves, glancing at Venti. "You looked much wiser and wistful when you were half-dead if you don't mind me saying. You almost feel like a completely different person… At least you don't smell like death anymore."

"Oh, that reminds me! Look at this!" He showed Tomo his two hands. "I have two hands!"

"You regenerated… Mind teaching me that trick?" Tomo's eyes inadvertently went to the ring on Venti's index finger. "I've been meaning to ask, what's the deal with that amber ring? Seeing someone so humble with an expensive-looking jewel seems somewhat… contradictory."

"Hm? I got married to a handsome Adeptus, clearly." He joked away the question. "Let's get back on track. Because you've always dreamed to fly, right Tomo?"

"Uh, actually, I don't like heights."

"What, really?" Venti almost dropped to the ground before recovering. "Normally people say yes… But we may only have an hour, so don't think too ill of me." In his next step, Tomo's feet suddenly kicked up air. He looked down to see himself floating much like Venti was doing. "Close your eyes and give me your hand."

"H-Hey, no! Can't you teleport or something?!" Tomo looked down, his body moving further away from the mountain path. "Oh please, electro Archon make my fall blissfully painless cause I DON'T LIKE THIS!"

Venti took his hand, wondering whether to laugh or pity him. "It's easier if you don't look down!"

Tomo looked down. Saw the gaping hole that split the mountain open, leading towards a deep abyss that nobody had ever seen. And immediately passed out.


Transparent figures appeared and reappeared in Kazuha's vision. The shadows enveloping the cell he was trapped in only further aggravated the illusions. He was aware enough to realise that something was altering his perception.

The humid and cold stones of the jail did little to alleviate the burning sensation in his body. The wound he had received from Kujou Sara was wrapped tightly in shoddy bandages. But that wasn't the source of his pain. On his chest, the mark of the dead man's seal was engraved on his skin. He wasn't sure if the odd pulsations emanating from it were part of his delirium or real.

His sense of time was completely shattered, but he guessed he hadn't been there more than a week. The Shogun appeared once, but his mind was completely exhausted. Perhaps she had come more than once, but he wasn't sure. He answered all her questions sincerely but… What questions were they?

The wobbling shadows in his cell continued. The cursed mark on his chest had to be creating them. He wondered if Tomo was fairing alright carrying the seal. He also hoped that the Oni dragged him out of the fight because he was the type to never give up against any challenge. Were they trying to rescue him?

Those thoughts served no purpose. Kazuha stood up from the cold floor and walked over to the jail bars. A shadow was towering behind them, but it dissipated the moment he got close. If he still had his vision, perhaps he'd be able to use it to cleanse whatever curse was haunting him.

Leaning against the gate, he glanced back at the empty cell. Shadowy figures started to appear, walking around as if they were looking for an exit.

"I'm losing it."

Kazuha rubbed his eyes and looked outside the jail cell. There was a narrow path connecting two more cells, illuminated by torches. But nobody was occupying the other cells. He was sure there were guards but with his damaged psyche, it was impossible to tell what was real.

And almost on cue, he heard it again. The music. That which had been following all throughout the past few weeks. He peeked out again, hoping to find the source to no avail. His body was practically stuck against the jail gate when it suddenly opened without any issue. Kazuha understandably took a step back, his mind trying to process if he was hallucinating or not.

"Hello?"

A small figure appeared from the corner of the cell. The Shuumatsuban ninja that had helped them beforehand was as slippery as always.

"You're… Are you real?" Kazuha sighed in realisation. "I'm really losing it."

"This was supposed to be my free day… You have to get out of here, Kaedahara. Follow me." She disappeared behind the corner, before peeking out again. She entered the cell, took Kazuha's hand and pulled him out of the cell.

"I feel sick," Kazuha muttered, ignoring the shadows that appeared in the hallway. "Are you okay? Why didn't you appear when Kujou attacked us?"

"The Masked Woman discovered me." She answered, letting go of Kazuha's hand and entering an opened cell. "I tried to warn you all, but I couldn't risk revealing my ties."

"I… see."

Kazuha entered the cell as well. Sayu moved a few loose stones out of the way, revealing a small hole to the outside world.

"You will feel better on the outside." She easily rolled into the hole and waited outside.

Rubbing his cursed tattoo, Kazuha crawled to get out of the cell. Outside, he saw his katana resting against the wall. But what truly cleared his mind was to take a deep breath of fresh air. As the electro-infused air rushed him, his mind cleared up along with his queasiness.

With that, the severity of the situation settled in. As he looked around, he found himself looking at the tall walls of Tenshukaku. He hugged the wall immediately, not realising they were at a blind spot.

"The Shogun has to know I'm escaping." Kazuha barely contained his nervousness.

"She isn't here. But leaving Tenshukaku will be much harder than leaving Tenryou district." Sayu yawned and stretched her arms. "I could do it alone… but you're too tall. We'll need a distraction."

"If I had my vision, I may have been able to jump over the wall… Hold on, I don't feel sick anymore. What is going on?"

"Kaedahara. The Yashiro Commissioner is the only one left. He doesn't want the Shogun's whims to dictate Inazuma's future." Sayu ignored his question. "You need to tell us what the Shogun asked you."

Kazuha stared at the small ninja. A Shuumatsuban ninja revealing her employer? Something seemed off about her.

"…The Masked Woman had something to do with the attack in Main Gate. And seeing that even a mere imprint of the seal is making me feel horrible… What did she do to you?"


Itto wasn't too sure when or how he lost consciousness. One moment he was planting his knee firmly below the ribcage of that Masked Woman. The moment after, he found himself glued against the stone of some prison.

The first breath of fresh air he took was damp, stingy and awful. His throat felt completely dry and clamped.

"Guys…? Are you okay?" His words clogged his already parched throat, forcing him to cough. "Gang?! Are you guys here?! Akira, Mamoru, Genta?! Tomo and Kazuha, you here?!"

Itto struggled to get up, but his body wasn't completely responsive. His whole body felt like trying to move a rusty nail attached to a hinge.

"That damn Tengu stole my vision…! If I hadn't used my one free curse this month, I would have used it already. But Shinobu would… That's right, Shinobu has to be looking for us!"

"So loud even when chained. I should have put a muzzle in that mouth of yours."

Light suddenly enveloped the room he was trapped in. It was some sort of cave system, dripping wet in water and salt. But his eyes immediately were drawn to the masked Woman responsible for it all.

"You! Where's my gang you lousy bi… be… banshee?!"

"Keep quiet. Don't talk unless I say so." The woman motioned him up. "Come."

Itto's first reaction was to spite her. So when no witty line came out of his mouth, he got worried. When his body moved without any command, he got significantly more alarmed. And when his body started to walk behind her, he completely lost it.

He had experienced something similar before, like the dreaded kanashibari spirit of sleep paralysis. But instead of being completely still, his body was moving. He hadn't heard of any spirit or yokai able of doing that. So the obvious answer was that he had to be dreaming. The claustrophobia he was feeling couldn't be experienced by someone awake, he couldn't believe that.

There was no way he could move his eyes, so there was little he could do to observe his surroundings. He could only see the cave system they were walking around, with wooden supporting beams around. A mine of some sort, like the ones he used to play around inside. Creepy sounds to boot!

"Looks like that General found my breadcrumbs." The woman spoke, not looking back at Itto. "All according to plan, then. If only Balladeer hadn't screwed up, we'd be done much sooner. Don't you think, Oni?"

"I dunno," Itto answered against his will.

"Mm. I was lucky, anyhow. This is so much easier with dull fools like you."

The ancient hall gave way to a wide gallery, filled with old mining equipment and piles of slag. Torches and lamps were already lit.

Regardless, Itto had bigger problems to worry about. For example, the fact that he was somehow being puppeteered. And the horrible acidic taste in his mouth, like he had drank a gallon of paint unwittingly. Was there even something he could do in that state?

Part of the ceiling suddenly collapsed on the far end of the room. From there, a winged figure landed with her bow already ready to fire. Shortly after, a man nimbly used the fallen rocks to land. The Fatui planted his hand for a high five which he never got.

"So you have found me, General." The Masked Woman greeted them with a smile.

"You are under arrest in the name of the Almighty Shogun." Kujou Sara glanced at Itto, her expression blank. "You too, Oni."

Itto held his breath after seeing the Tengu. Perhaps she could save him. Though, now that he thought about it… he could control his breathing. But what did it matter? Being able to control his breathing didn't help in any way.

"You know that will not happen, General. But I am willing to negotiate with you and… your partner." The Masked Woman looked at Childe, who simply shrugged.

"The Fatui is under my command. And I do not negotiate with the likes of you." Sara didn't hesitate to walk forward, her bow aimed at the Masked Woman.

"The likes of me? We are not so different, General. I am doing this out of love, just like you are doing this out of love for your Shogun." The Woman didn't budge from her spot, making Sara slow her approach. "I let you capture the swordsman as a token of goodwill. Hopefully, the Shogun enjoyed him. Like him, you could capture me and the sporting young man over here… Or you could do something much greater to earn her love."

Sara shot an arrow, aimed right between the Masked Woman's feet. Electro surged, forcing the Woman to jump back beside Itto.

"You are not going to negotiate with me." Sara reminded her. "Last chance to surrender and come willingly… Fatui, don't stand there and block their exit."

Itto held his breath again. The Tengu was very strong, he had to trust her judgement. And then he'd be able to clear his own name! If only he could talk like when he woke up… Hold on. He knew a way to fall asleep and wake up.

"Aye-aye, mighty General." Childe complied with her order rather sluggishly, slowly walking towards said exit point.

"Are you truly going to give up the chance to capture Barbatos, General?" She offered, crossing her arms. "That's what Baal is truly after, isn't she?"

"You serve Mondstadt, do you expect me to believe that you'd sell out your Archon?" Sara's hold on her bow only grew tighter.

"I'm sure it's hard to comprehend for a loyal subject of the Shogun. But why would Mondstadt care for such a horrible God? Never staying on his land, willingly turning away from his homeland at their lowest point… He was too busy licking the boots of Baal to notice the suffering of his people. Even then, he betrayed the Almighty Shogun too. That wretched rat deserves not his position." The Masked Woman looked at Childe, who stopped in his tracks and observed the situation. "With turmoil in Inazuma, this was the best chance to lure him out. Clearly, he loves this land more than his own. And when I deal with him, a better Archon will rise in Mondstadt."

"You are using Inazuma to lure out Barbatos?" The more words she heard, the more upset Sara grew. "I don't care about your reasons. Inazuma is not your playground."

"You know Baal hates Barbatos. And I have the means to deal with that buffoon. If we work together, you will take credit for his defeat… and for my subsequent arrest. Won't the Shogun have even more pride in her most loyal subject? You will have dealt with a thorn that was stuck in her heart for the last five hundred years. Material rewards are useless to you, but the Shogun's grace is eternal. Isn't it, Kujou Sara?" She placed a hand on Itto's shoulder. "I'll even let you take this man, and win you an excuse if the Shogun questions you."

Silence befell the gallery. Sara's tension in the bow didn't lessen in the slightest. The Masked Woman maintained her cool stance. Childe merely watched the clash from a distance. And Itto hadn't taken a breath in quite a while.

"My orders are to capture you. Barbatos is the Shogun's objective."

"Then I—" The Masked Woman didn't get to finish the sentence as Itto suddenly collapsed with a heavy thud. The issue was pretty evident, he had willingly stopped breathing. "I didn't tell you not to breathe, you simpleton. Good gods…"

She kicked him awake, causing him to suddenly take a heavy gasp of air.

"Holy s- Molly! I can talk again! Arataki Itto, you're a goddamn genius!" Motionless on the ground, he watched the Woman about to order him again. But this time, he knew what to do. "Ushi!"

Chaos suddenly enveloped the tense situation, as Ushi, his bull companion, was summoned beside Itto. The bull immediately lunged at the Masked Woman, crashing into her stomach and throwing her to the ground. Baffled by the sudden development, Sara took a moment to react and throw herself into the fray. A wall of ice stopped her.

"Come on! Move! Move! One, two! One, two!" Itto forced his body to get up, clutching at his throat. "Oi, Tengu girl! She's mind-controlling me or something! Beat her ass!"

Sara cut through the ice. "I'm not so stupid!"

Ushi was thrown towards Itto, who barely maintained his balance. As Sara now attacked the Masked Woman, he wondered whether to get involved or not. Noticing his indecisiveness, Ushi jumped off his arms and started running towards the only opened path.

He clumsily followed the bull until he noticed someone standing in front of the entrance.

"Sorry, big guy." Childe crossed his arms, his eyes stuck on the battle between Sara and the Masked Woman. "No can do. I can't say that I like being ordered around, but I can't exactly lose her trust yet."

"Come on, man! It's just Tengu chicken! Unsalted and honeyed! She's a softie, nothing bad's gonna happen to ya if you ignore her!"

Ushi rammed Childe's leg to little effect. "Hm. You know, this little guy could be a good toy for… How about we trade? I let you pass, you give me the goofy-looking creature."

"Sure, that sounds reasonable." Itto was about to pick up Ushi when he noticed that he had been brainwashed again. "I'm not trading friends, you Fatui snow softener!"

Itto tried to run past him, only to be thrown back. This time, however, the rust in his body was slowly disappearing. He moved his shoulders, stretched his arms and rushed in again. Childe merely sidestepped, but somehow Itto still crashed into someone.

"Is that what you call a ninja? I couldn't sense you at all until your breathing got erratic." Childe turned to see Itto being pushed aside by a woman with yet another mask.

She looked at Itto, who was suddenly gleaming with happiness and readied her sword. Shinobu pulled her boss behind her and slowly walked back.

"You are a Fatui, are you not…? You don't have jurisdiction on these lands." She said, her voice managing to stay neutral.

"Who knows? You're quite good, even without a vision. How about you two start running? If you manage to disappear, I'll let you go. Otherwise, well…"

"Are you challenging the great Arataki Itto?! Well, I'll have you know that I have mastere—" His voice stopped the moment Shinobu pulled him out of the conversation, running towards whatever exit they could find. "Took ya long enough! Where's the rest?"

"Is that all you have got to say for yourself? The Tenryou Commission is looking for you!" She stopped at a crossroads of the tunnels and pulled Itto towards the left. "I was barely able to find you… I don't even know where everyone else is!"

"If it makes you feel any better, they're not looking for my vision anymore?"

"You lost your vision after you made such a big deal about not giving it away?!"

"Lost? Hell no! Kujou stole it from me. Which, to be fair, she was almost dead so I guess I deserve it."

A hydro arrow suddenly cut the air right between their heads. Again, Shinobu pushed Itto into an unlit side tunnel. Itto pushed a crate full of slag and minerals and spilt its contents all over the entrance. Then, seeing it wasn't much, threw two more crates towards the entrance.

"I can barely breath with this itchy throat…" Itto muttered, returning to his wobbly form of running. "Where's the exit?"

"I didn't come from here."

They found themselves in another intersection. Shinobu looked at all three possible paths before a sudden gust of wind settled her doubts. They ran for a few seconds before another gust of wind forced them to change paths.

"Is that Fatui still following?" The earth suddenly shook beneath their feet.

"I am, yes."

Itto could barely react to Childe jumping behind him. Shinobu threw her blade at him, which was deflected without any issue with his bow. Then, as he was about to kick Itto, the latter stopped dead in his tracks and crashed into him. Though overpowered for a moment, Childe's vision shone brightly to turn the tables on the stronger Oni.

Losing the bout of strength, Itto loosened his grip and headbutted the Fatui square on the nose. Shinobu then threw whatever sand and dirt she could gather, hitting both Itto and Childe. The former, though half-blind, returned to his running

"Playing dirty, huh?" Childe didn't even attempt to clear the sand from his eyes, immediately summoning his bow and aiming without looking. But as soon as he was ready to fire, he loosened his grip on the string.

Shinobu and Itto had somehow managed to escape the underground of Byakko Plain, finding themselves on a small beach washed by the moonlight. Childe, as promised, didn't follow.

"That guy… he could have killed us at any moment," Shinobu said, moving Itto away from the entrance.

"Pfft! What a loser, I didn't even die once." Rubbing his eyes in deep discomfort, Itto sat down on the sand. "Ushi, come here!" The bull appeared on Itto's lap, instantly receiving love in the form of belly rubs. "You absolute beast! You totally destroyed that woman!"

"Not that I don't want to give you a moment of peace, but what was all that? You were kidnapped, Kujou was fighting someone, and the Fatui…" Shinobu was about to remove her facemask when she noticed another presence.

"I can answer that!" The shape of some sort of angel quickly gave form to some sort of masked demon with a coat of leaves. "It's me, the great Kazemaru! And I am here to…"

Venti stopped talking as Itto suddenly passed out from the sudden entrance of a ghost-like being.

"This is the second time this has happened today, weird."