How long had it been since Jean started to "negotiate" with the Shogun? No matter what she tried, the Shogun just kept talking and talking like a broken record. She always managed to somehow belittle Mondstadt or Barbatos even if she was talking of the types of wood needed in construction.
It was clear that Baal was stalling for time. And Jean grew uneasy at that thought. She had been approached by those two friends of Barbatos to do the same. If Barbatos was scheming, the Shogun was following his footsteps too. And in her doubt, fear started to develop.
Would this hour be enough for Barbatos, or was she inadvertently aiding Baal by staying idle?
Still, stalling wasn't why Jean came to Inazuma. She had managed to hold off the Shogun from retaliating against Mondstadt, and that was the bare minimum she could do. Yet, couldn't she do more?
Jean shifted on the tatami, her legs unaccustomed to sitting on her knees. The Shogun, in comparison, had barely even blinked or budged in the whole exchange. There was something behind that neutral façade that was starting to unnerve Jean. Looking at her eyes felt like staring at the eyes of a hungry wolf… one that was staring at a small mouse trapped in its claws.
The bad posture, the horrible negotiator and the exhaustion of the night were starting to weigh heavy on the Master of Knights. And somehow, that wasn't the worst thing she was experiencing.
"You are restless, Gunnhildr." The Shogun's voice, like her body, was rigid. "You are waiting for something, are you not?"
The questions of the Shogun were completely horrible. More than the bad posture or the intimidation, it was those inquiries which were whittling her down little by little.
Jean had learnt as much. They weren't questions at all. Instead, it was a display of the Shogun's complete mastery of strategy. A mind game that showed who was in control of the exchange. They were always yes or no questions, and regardless of Jean's answer, the Shogun continued the exchange unabated. Dodging the question didn't work, since Baal would take the opportunity to question your indecisiveness. The Shogun knew she didn't need to be defensive at all.
That was why, erroneously, Jean thought that the only option was to attack as well.
"You have a plan of your own," Jean answered, hoping to push back the Shogun's relentless assault. "I have heard that some divine being has supposedly repelled all treaties proposed by the Kanjou Commission in your name. The border pass is still unmanned. Yet you have made clear that the Sakoku decree is still enforced. So why haven't you moved against it?"
Her courage spiked for an instant before it disappeared into the bleakest voids. The Shogun's expression changed ever so slightly, a face that didn't seem exactly sure of what emotion to portray.
"For the same reason I haven't stopped you from talking with Barbatos' friends, Gunnhildr. Did you seriously think that you could hide things under my very nose?"
Those mere words made a crack of dread appear in Jean's expression. Stalling the Shogun was a plan that wasn't even her own; one she had barely participated in. Like she had been caught red-handed, a horrifying emotion swelled in her mind
The agitated respect she had been feeling towards the Shogun suddenly became the very embodiment of fear. The very fright that appeared when thunder suddenly broke through the sky on a rainy night. That fear given form was right in front of her, unnatural and above any, she had ever felt before.
The thought of Baal's strength, her unparallel ability to very much kill Jean without any chance of defending herself appeared in her mind. Jean didn't have to consciously think about it either for the desperation to settle in… Like Baal herself was thinking about it beneath that loathsome, neutral expression.
"I've had my people act the moment I saw that vessel of yours. Those privateers of the Alcor loosened their tongue after some persuasion. And a very loyal citizen already told me how those friends ran away the moment they realised my presence. Mona and Thoma, I believe? Am I right, Gunnhildr?"
Jean sucked in a sharp breath and tried to fight the fear and uncertainty, barely holding it together. Her resolve and her very guts were strung together out of thread and spit. This wasn't a mere interrogation anymore. This was survival.
"What is it with that derelict expression of yours, Gunnhildr? Are you afraid? Perhaps tired?" The Shogun stood up from the tatami, making Jean freeze in place. "Take a five-minute break. I am in no rush."
Baal walked over to the screen walls that led to a small courtyard. She looked up at the disappearing night above, her posture completely calm.
Jean took another breath after what seemed like an eternity. Whatever fear was holding her in place wasn't natural. Had she ever even felt such type of dread before? That unnatural amalgamation of negativity felt fabricated by the Shogun herself. But she was well aware that this had been her own mistake.
"Come here."
Whatever semblance of composure that Jean had regained evaporated away when Baal spoke up again. With a quick breath, Jean stood up as well and walked over to the elevated path attached to the room. She was a few paces away from the Shogun, but even then she could feel the raw energy emanating from her.
"Do you believe I will react harshly to your meddling, Gunnhildr? I'm sorry for scaring you, but I won't." Baal turned towards her. "Being an accomplice of Barbatos is certainly something I cannot forgive. But I wish not to offend Mondstadt by punishing a diplomat. You have proven your nation's innocence, and I will not inflict unjust pain on them."
"I… appreciate that," Jean answered out of reflex.
Baal turned her head away, rubbing her eyes uncomfortably. She looked in pain for a brief moment.
"Should I ask for assistance or…?"
"Where did it all go wrong?" Baal suddenly said, her hand now rubbing her temple. Jean wasn't sure if she was talking to her, but she turned slightly towards the Shogun anyways. "Could I be the victim and the perpetrator too?"
"Everyone is capable of doing atrocities, no matter their history," Jean answered.
"Then, perhaps you should know. I don't wish to kill your God. I never wished to provoke a war against Watatsumi either. But if it comes to it, it won't be the first time my hand's been forced." Baal's words were oddly wistful. "If Sangonomiya must be culled, so be it. If Barbatos must be destroyed, then it will have to be."
Jean observed the Shogun one last time. She didn't feel foreboding anymore. Almost like she was a completely different person. "If you don't want to do it… then don't."
"If it were that easy, I would have done it already." Baal stopped talking, shaking her head. "You should go before I change my mind. My body is very fickle, you see. Go to your ship and don't return until the war is over."
Though the tension in her body didn't dissipate, Jean felt a wave of relief washing over her.
"Ah, I must say one thing. Don't take those two friends of Barbatos. Unlike you, there won't be any negative repercussions if I deal with them."
And as soon as it came, her relief disappeared. "But they—"
"They are aiding a foreign god to undermine Inazuma. I cannot let them go… And I won't be able to hold back much more if you interfere in their favour, Master of Knights."
Jean held back from retorting. She only hoped those two were keeping low as she told them.
Birds dealt with ice reasonably well. Their feet were very isolated from the rest of the body, and they barely felt anything there. In the odd event of them feeling cold, they could flee to higher ground and nuzzle their legs against their feathered bodies.
Something that Kujou Sara couldn't exactly do.
As she battled the Masked Woman, the ground of the gallery had completely frozen over. This had made her resort to her wings, which weren't accustomed to long flights. And in the air, the Masked Woman could simply throw projectile after projectile. If Sara couldn't land a hit with her arrows, it was only a matter of time before she grew tired and was defeated or worse.
"You are much weaker than the night you faced those three. Where's that Anemo power you wielded, General? Was the price too much for a fowl like you?" The Woman continued her attacks without even moving from the spot. "I suppose your commitment to the Shogun is not so steadfast as I believed."
Sara flew back around the gallery, going through the hole in the ceiling she had made when entering. She landed on the tunnels above, breathing heavily. Ice hadn't reached so high up, so she had a small moment of respite.
She reached for her belt and tentatively looked at the scabbard that held Barbatos' Bones. Using that, just like she defeated those three dissenters, she would be able to defeat that woman. Or at the very least, level the field in her favour.
Using it would also mean that the price would be her life.
She didn't mind dying for the Shogun. That wasn't the issue. When she used that weapon for the first time, it was the Shogun who saved her from certain death. Just like when she received her own vision. But this last time, it was not pure devotion that saved her. The Shogun saved her for a purely personal reason, and what should have been a boost to her confidence became a hefty weight.
How come that now, after reaching the lifelong recognition she desired from the Shogun, she feared losing it all? The most precious thing she had achieved in these dark times was talking with Baal. She had yearned to be bound to her, so why did she feel so restricted now?
Again, the General looked at the hole in the ground she had flown from. And realised that the Masked Woman wasn't following. In a dash, Sara jumped back into the wide gallery to see it completely frozen but empty.
"Damn it! How could she run away? Stupid indecision!"
Flying through all possible frozen entries, Sara deduced the Woman must have escaped and then froze her exit.
Returning to the mineshaft above, Sara ran through it until she could find a path to the gallery below. It was dark, so she was using her vision to create a faint glow in the obscure mine. Then, she found someone walking around with a flame.
"You, Fatui." Sara stomped off towards Childe. "Where's she?"
"That witch? I don't know, I was too busy chasing the bulky bull. I got lost chasing him if you're wondering."
"You lost him as well?" She clenched her jaw. "You're really a disappointment. Is this the best Sznezhnaya has to offer?"
"I'm just following your orders. If I fail is because of your shoddy leadership." He shrugged off her glare. "She can't have gone too far, let's spread out."
"You're not getting out of my sight again." She pushed Childe forward and continued through the path.
"Just like you didn't let that witch out of your sight?" He answered, not spurring a reaction from the Tengu. "Maybe you should have accepted that offer. Now we're both without that witch and Barbatos."
Sara narrowed her eyes. "That is not what the Shogun asked us to do."
"I was around when your da got his head severed, you know? She certainly had it out for the Anemo Archon… So think about it. Screw that witch and her underhanded ways, we do this our way. You're the great General, a warrior who defeated three vision bearers with no issue… You and me, defeating that God in a battle for the Shogun's sake."
"Just whose side are you on, Fatui? The Shogun has told us to capture that woman. Barbatos is her responsibility and I won't steal that from her."
Childe just sighed glancing back at Sara. "So little flexibility. I love the Tsaritsa as well, but if there was a way to lessen the burden on her shoulders, I'd do it. That's why I'm here after all."
"This isn't about burdens. It's something personal between my Shogun and Barbatos. I promised to keep her as safe as possible while she prepared to face him."
"Fair enough, birdie."
They continued in silence, with only the crackling of the fire torch accompanying their journey. The mines gave way to smuggler paths, common below Byakko Plains. Sara only hastened her pace in response. Once light emerged through the end of the tunnel.
They emerged into a grassy beach right as the sun started to crack over the horizon. The General stopped and breathed the chilly morning air, calming her nerves. After a whole night of searching, this breather was quite needed.
"Giving up already?" Childe asked, holding back a yawn.
Her mood ruined, Sara clicked her tongue. "If that woman has escaped, then perhaps she has another target in mind. More terror, surely…"
"Maybe she's after the Shogun now that you've let her alone. That witch seems too crafty after all, I'm sure she's been playing us the whole time."
Sara paled at the thought. "Then she must have been waiting for me to part ways with the Shogun…?"
"If that's the case, you should go to Ritou. That's where Barbatos… I mean, Kazemaru was spotted. I'll go to Inazuma City, just in case the witch tries something there."
The General almost agreed, her mind quickly realising something. "Kazemaru is not Barbatos. Hold back your theories, Fatui… I know your intent is not altruistic. I will go to Inazuma City, the Shogun must have returned already."
With an odd smile, Childe just nodded. "Whatever you say, General. I didn't even get to test your prowess… A pity, really."
"Keep up with that attitude and you'll meet my blade. Go to Ritou and confirm that the Masked Woman is not there. Don't interact with anyone."
"Quite optimistic if you believe we'll make it through today," Childe answered with apprehension. "When Gods clash, what will happen to little followers such as us?"
"Scram already." Sara spat back, summoning her tengu wings.
Electro surged through her body as the energy lifted her up and away from Byakko plains. What should have been a half a day journey quickly turned into a trip of a few minutes. She pushed through the limits of her power and body in order to make the journey as fast as possible. That Masked Woman couldn't get the drop on her again. The Shogun would never allow that.
With her wings flying at her utmost limit, the sun started to rise as she approached the outskirts of Hanamizaka district. Even before she had reached it, Inazuma City's sky was unnaturally covered in white and grey clouds, as if they had been pushed over the city.
This wasn't an act of the Masked Woman. Was it Kazemaru? Barbatos? Both? The Shogun should have been able to control the weather as well, but the lack of thunder or lightning worried her. Was she in trouble, and thus unable to act?
The thought festered in Sara's mind. But ultimately, she pushed it aside. The Shogun, perhaps, had been held up by bureaucratic entanglements in Ritou. She had to believe in her.
Her wings screaming in pain, she pushed through the clouds over the city. In the haze of the cloud, her sense of direction was somewhat compromised, but that didn't matter. She had to just go straight. Or so she thought until a shadow loomed in the distance.
Sara immediately used her bow and aimed, only to realise that it wasn't a human shape. Getting closer to it, the shape took the form of a barrel. It was floating with some type of anemo energy around it. The black dust covering the head and hoops lead her to believe that it was a gunpowder barrel. Where the bung hole was supposed to be, there was an iron rod protruding outwards. A blacksmith hand mandrel of some sort.
And then, realisation managed to stir her into action. A makeshift bomb triggered by lightning.
The moment that thought was completed, a lightning bolt suddenly appeared from below the clouds. Sara was barely able to fly away as the lightning was attracted to the barrel and exploded into bits.
"What is the point of such an attack? It would barely work as a trap and…"
Sara immediately dived into the city, leaving the clouds only to see more ground-to-cloud lightning strikes appear. A small yellow glow was all that could be seen before a blue hue overtook the clouds. And then the sound of an explosion… that from a distance, sounded like thunder.
If she recalled, something similar had occurred in Ritou when Kazemaru appeared.
A third lightning strike took over the city. This time, Sara had seen the source. Someone flying through the streets of Tenryou district. Headed straight towards Tenshukaku.
She dashed through the air, her almost exhausted wings slowly giving up and descending her towards the ground. She made her landing on the rooftops of Tenryou district and immediately gave chase.
The reaction on the ground seemed mixed. People had heard of the fabled appearance of Kazemaru in Ritou town. Knowing this, some people chased behind the flying figure. Others seemed more sceptical. Perhaps those that had attended the execution of Takayuki and had seen the Shogun first-hand.
Regardless, people were following him which made Sara's job harder. She hoped that the police headquarters on the way to Tenshukaku would prove to be enough of a speedbump for her to catch up. Kazemaru, no matter the cost, had to be stopped until the Shogun was able to arrive.
The rooftops quickly gave way to a wide opening, the separation between Tenryou district and Tenshukaku. The cliff separating the districts was wide. Any normal invader would have to face a several-metre gap to even attempt to siege Tenshukaku. Sadly, this was no normal foe. Much to her disappointment, Kazemaru completely avoided going into the sights of the police station and flew over the gap with little trouble. The ever-growing crowd of people following him, however, were stopped by Shogunate soldiers on the bridge connecting the districts.
Kazemaru stopped on the outer platform near the Goddess Statue's construction site. He hovered over it, waiting for something. She was too far away to even shoot her bow accurately. Just as she was about to jump down the rooftop and glide over the gap, Kazemaru turned his head towards her. His left arm rose and he pointed to the back with his thumb.
That was the only warning she got as a sword cut through the air, grazing her wings before she could properly react. She staggered forward, her wings disappearing into her body.
"Let's start the payback, shall we?"
Sara immediately jumped away and turned around to face her opponent.
"Ronin…!
Standing on the ridge of the tiled rooftop, Tomo sheathed his sword and assumed a fighting stance. His eyes didn't move from Sara, who was on the very edge of the roof.
"You stabbed Kazuha. And Itto told me to hit you once for not believing him. He doesn't even care about losing his vision. Still, that's two hits I need you need to pay back."
"I don't have time for you!"
Sara summoned a lightning bolt from the heavens and immediately jumped off the roof. Tomo deftly blocked the strike, his vision reacting to the sudden electro move in his stead. He jumped behind her as she ran towards the pedestrian bridge.
"I NEED NO INTRODUCTION. I HAVE SIDED WITH THE RAIDEN SHOGUN IN ALL OF INAZUMA'S RECENT PERILS."
Tomo hastily caught up with Sara, who blocked his strike while Kazemaru's voice boomed through the city.
"RAIDEN SHOGUN ONCE TOLD ME, THAT WIND WAS ETERNAL. I DIGRESSED, ANSWERING THAT TRUE ETERNITY LAYS IN THUNDER AND LIGHTNING. ITS EPHEMERAL BEAUTY ONLY SECOND TO HER."
The crowd near the bridge panicked as General Kujou jumped on top of the railing and ran across it while being chased by Tomo.
"KNOWING THIS, WHAT IS THE POINT OF THE VISION HUNT DECREE? CAN ONE TRAP LIGHTNING IN A CAGE TO ENJOY ITS BEAUTY? CAN ONE STOP WIND FROM MOVING THROUGH THE FIELDS? CAN ONE STEAL AMBITION BY SIMPLY STEALING A REPRESENTATION?"
People started to run away as Sara kicked Tomo off the bridge, only for him to suddenly step into a solid yet invisible block of air and crash against her into the bridge. Her bow took the brunt of Tomo's thrust, almost snapping in two.
"WHAT HAS THIS DECREE ACCOMPLISHED, BUT TARNISH THE SHOGUN'S LEGACY? A STEP BACKWARDS THAT HAS REOPENED OLD WOUNDS, INJURIES THAT NEVER TRULY HEALED. THEY HAD TO BE REOPENED SO THEY COULD BE TREATED PROPERLY. IN THAT, IT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL."
The bow shattered, making Sara deflect the blade with her forearm. Tomo tried to follow up, only for Shogunate soldiers from Tenshukaku to suddenly flood the bridge. A barrier of wind, however, stopped them from coming any closer. The Tengu used this opportunity to jump away from Tomo and summon her wings again.
"THAT IS WHY, IN THE NAME OF THE RAIDEN SHOGUN, I WILL GIVE BACK TO INAZUMA WHAT WAS STOLEN FROM THEM… FROM YOU. ONCE YOU EXPERIENCE THIS, IT WILL BE YOUR TASK TO MAINTAIN IT."
Sara jumped off the bridge, avoiding Tomo's strike as she summoned lightning from her hands. She aimed her fingers at Kazemaru, only for Tomo to tackle her against the edge of the cliff. Still, she readjusted her hands to make way for the shot. Again, however, Tomo restrained her arm and like so, the two fell from the cliff.
Or at least, that's what it seemed like. Tomo was standing in the air aided by some unknown anemo power while he held onto Sara's arm. Then, he threw her back into Tenryou district as he ran back towards Kazemaru.
"PEACE, JUSTICE AND FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT. THAT IS MY GIFT TO YOU. TO SHOW YOU MY COMMITMENT, I SHALL GIVE YOU PEACE BY DECLARING THE VISION HUNT DECREE, NULL AND VOID."
Without any delay, anyone in Inazuma City could see lights suddenly flying from Tenshukaku. Even those who weren't in the city knew something had transpired.
Wind congregated around Inazuma City before rushing around Kazemaru. And then, the stream of air stole that which had been stored away for those willing, and those who weren't. Visions soared out of their encasement in stone and flew in different directions towards their respective owners.
And then, the enigmatic Kazemaru readied himself for the inevitable reaction.