After Aether had disembarked from the ship and left with Thoma, Kazuha watched as the land he once called home shrunk as the ship sailed away from Inazuma. Part of him wanted to jump overboard and swim back, another part wanted to turn away, to turn his back on the country that took away the people he cherished. However, there was a small part of him, a very tiny part, that told him that he should have stayed by Aether's side. It was a small part with an equally small voice but it was so familiar to the one that spoke just before he watched his best friend get killed. It was easy enough to ignore it though, and allow the logical side of him tell him it was for the better good, it was for his survival.
(Kazuha wished he had listened to the voice before the Raiden Shogun struck his friend down.)
"I should have been there for you," Kazuha said, looking down at Aether's chest where he could imagine the Electro-infused attack had struck.
"It was good that you weren't," Aether said, not noticing what Kazuha was looking at. "If you were there, you would have been struck down as well. And unlike me, you would have died."
Kazuha was mostly left to his thoughts when the ship was anchored at the deeper waters near Ritou. Captain Beidou was coming up with a plan to get past the storm barrier again to return to Liyue. He wanted to get on the deck to cast away the thoughts that occupied his head, but the captain had taken one look at him and told him to stay below deck until he cleared his thoughts. He sat on his cot, listening to the waves lapping against the hull of the ship. It was peaceful, a contrast to what was happening within Inazuma. It was also obvious that the peace in Inazuma would not last soon. Either the war would consume the country or it would consume Aether who would, no doubt, be forced to step in to help.
He remembered the time they spent on the ship, chatting over random things and there was one time, Aether had brought up that when he saved Mondstadt and Liyue, it was not because he was forced to but because he was unable to stand by and let it happen.
"If the people made use of your kind heart to do what they want, then in a way, aren't you being forced to do so?"
Kazuha stood up and went to his desk to pull out a letter kit from one of its drawers. He sat down, with the letter kit, and began to write. The country he once called home had fed upon the blood of his best friend and Kazuha would not allow it to feast on another.
To Gorou
I am writing to you to tell you that I will be returning to Inazuma to join the resistance.
As a wanderer, I am one who walks the land with no destination in mind, but I believe that I cannot continue my wanderings so long as the turmoil of this land remains.
I came to my decision after a chance meeting with someone. He gave me much to think about, for the country where the wind once carried the dreams of the people, where the pristine clear water once carried their hopes, where my beloved memories stayed. I asked myself, do I want to walk away from that? I decided that I could not.
I look forward to seeing you again, my friend.
Kaedehara Kazuha
News was hard to come by especially on the sea and news from Inazuma was much harder even when the land was but a stone's throw away. The Crux could only obtain news when they entered the port of Ritou and usually, the news would be days or even months out of date, and sometimes the information would have been twisted as it was passed on from one person to another. So when news arrived that an unknown foreigner attacked the Raiden Shogun at the Vision Hunt Ceremony, Kazuha almost panicked and leapt overboard to swim to land. Captain Beidou had to physically haul him into the captain's quarters to stop him from doing anything reckless.
"I know you want to run out there and go after the kid, but you need to understand that by doing so, you're not only going to get yourself killed, you're going to get the kid and his partner killed!"
"Then what will you have me do? Stand aside like I did before?"
"Think, Kazuha! Diving straight into the folly of things isn't the answer!"
"I have to know, I need to know what happened."
"Then we'll go find out, we'll set a course for Ritou and find out what happened."
Captain Beidou had plans to pick up supplies in Ritou and drop them off near the shores of Inazuma City before dropping Kazuha at Watatsumi. The plans, simply put, had gone up in smoke at the new rumours trickling in from the main city. The new plans the captain made required more information of what happened during the Vision Hunt Ceremony.
However, even after eavesdropping on the people coming in from the city, it was still not clear what happened in the aftermath of the Vision Hunt Ceremony. The merchants travelling to and fro from the city knew nothing, the soldiers who were there were tight-lipped on what had happened, and the locals were quick to hide and look away from any foreigner approaching them. Unfortunately for Kazuha, the Crux fleet had to leave as the officials in Ritou were getting suspicious of their lingering presence in the water.
"Kazuha, we should head over to Watatsumi. If we linger any longer, the general would wonder where the heck you've been."
"But I…" Kazuha sighed when he realised that Captain Beidou was right. "No, you're right. Let us depart for Watatsumi. If the rumours are true, then Aether would be heading there as well."
The fleet made their way towards Watatsumi, sailing southeast to the beach near Inazuma City to drop off supplies for one of Captain Beidou's contacts. The crew had expected a quick drop off before heading directly to Watatsumi but the last thing they had expected to find was Kamisato Ayaka and Sangonomiya Kokomi with Aether and Paimon.
"You arrived earlier than I expected. I am Kamisato Ayaka and I am here to retrieve the supplies on Thoma's behalf," Ayaka said, bowing her head slightly to Captain Beidou. Her servants were already picking up the supplies handed to them by the ship's crew.
"Yeah, that's on us, we're in a hurry to get somewhere so we've got to drop these off before then. Is Thoma alright? Ain't like him to ditch you and make you handle this," Beidou commented, looking around for the Kamisato Clan's housekeeper.
"He is…indisposed at the moment," Ayaka explained slowly, as if deliberately choosing her words.
"Excuse me," Kokomi interrupted, stepping forward. "I apologise for interrupting, but we must make haste and return to Watatsumi. I have just received word that the Tenryou Commission have begun their attack."
Kazuha remained in the ship throughout the entire exchange, but he was able to watch the whole thing through the porthole. He noticed that Aether looked tired, more tired than usual. It was not the kind of tiredness one would have after a long journey or the kind caused from physical and mental exhaustion, it was the kind when one had experienced far too many failings; where the weight of responsibilities of the whole world rested on their back, the one where rest was needed and desired but unachievable so long as they were required. What was the burden that was placed upon Aether's shoulders? Kazuha had an inkling that it might have a lot to do with Sangonomiya Kokomi and her band of resistance fighters.
And if it was, then Kazuha made the right decision to join the resistance. At least that way, he could keep an eye on his friend.
(If only he could foresee the future, then he would not have thought it was the right decision.)
In the end, Captain Beidou agreed to allow Kokomi and her escorts to hitch a ride on her ship to get to Watatsumi. One of Kokomi's soldier remained behind to bring the boat they had used to get to Inazuma City back to their island. The ship set sail soon after and Kokomi was brought below deck where she met Kazuha.
"Ah, Kaedehara, it has been a while since our last meeting," Kokomi said, bowing slightly to greet Kazuha. "How have you been?"
"Divine Priestess," Kazuha greeted back with a nod. "The wind has been favourable to me since I last departed from your camp, but I've heard that the tidings of war have shifted away from the resistance."
Kokomi smiled at that comment, as if she had been expecting Kazuha to point out her current unfavourable position in the war. "For now, that is why I must return."
"And where does the Traveller stand in your war?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Because I care enough. You see him as a tool, a powerful tool, but you forget that he is as mortal as all of us. I chose to aid you in this war of my own choice, but from the look I saw on his face, you did not give him a choice, did you? Go ahead, Sangonomiya, use him in your war, but don't be surprised when I come at you with my sword when he breaks."
Kazuha went above deck and found Aether leaning against the railing while Paimon was describing the view of Inazuma City from the ship.
"Aether," Kazuha greeted, bowing respectfully to him despite knowing he would not be able to see it.
"Kazuha?" Aether asked, tilting his head slightly towards Kazuha. "I thought you didn't want to come back to Inazuma for a while. Has it already been so long since we last met?"
"Ah, I've decided to return to aid in ending the Vision Hunt Decree."
That declaration drew Aether's complete attention, even Paimon was surprised.
"Was it because of me?" Aether asked, his voice barely a whisper but Kazuha heard it.
"I will not lie to you but yes, some part of my decision was due to our meeting. But it's because I do not wish to see what happened to my best friend happen again."
They continued chatting until Paimon nagged at Aether, after realising how late it was, to head to his room and sleep. Kazuha bid the two a good night and watched as they walked away, with Paimon leading Aether slowly down below deck. He continued to stay above, gazing up at the starlit sky and wishing he held a drink in his hand.
"You should sleep, Kazuha. Once we hit land, you ain't sleeping for a long time."
"Captain Beidou, with all due respect, you are a hypocrite."
"And I'm your captain, kid. Go to sleep, let the adults handle this for a while."
Kazuha sighed but pushed himself away from the railing and made his way towards the stairs leading below the deck. He turned his head around, smiling as he threw in his last words for the night at his captain, "If I'm old enough to drink, then I'm not a kid. Go to sleep too, captain. You can't steer a ship if you don't sleep."
He left to sleep, his captain's boisterous laughter following him below deck.
As the ship approached Watatsumi's waters, the sound of combat could be heard over the crashing waves and it got louder the closer the ship sailed to the battleground. Everyone on the ship had been occupied in their task so no one noticed when Aether climbed up the crow's nest and used Anemo to glide swiftly towards the battlefield. It was only when Paimon screamed his name that everyone noticed Aether landing on the beach before running towards the cries of battle.
(Kazuha wondered if he should get used to the heart attacks that Aether will cause him in the future.)
The ship veered to the side and Captain Beidou dropped down to the shallow shores with a few crewmen. They made their way towards Aether to assist him while Kokomi and her men took a boat to where General Gorou was holding the line. Kazuha went with her, in hopes that he would not be too late to save an old friend.
Aether let loose on the battlefield, unleashing tornados after tornados, carving a path of carnage with overwhelming power. The enemy's morale plummeted at the sight of a lone man destroying their army with ease and many had already fled. Kazuha could not keep his sights on Aether but from the way the wind moved unnaturally to answer Aether's call, Kazuha knew that if he could see him, he would have stopped and watched in awe at the destruction.
(And in the midst of it all, it was so easy to forget that Aether was still as mortal as everyone else.)
Captain Beidou decided to regroup with Kazuha instead, seeing as Aether was bringing forth a one-sided massacre by himself and not wanting to risk getting in the middle of that with her crew. They fought their way towards Gorou who had regrouped with Kokomi and Gorou finally spotted Kazuha, calling his name out in relief. Kazuha was distracted, seeing his friend safe had made him let down his guard. Thankfully, he saw the shine of metal, just in time to draw his sword to parry an attack. The two swords creaked as neither side gave ground to each other until a wide upper swing caught the samurai and he was flung away from Kazuha.
"Eyes on the battlefield Kazuha!" Captain Beidou called out with a smirk before swinging her claymore again and shattering the sword of an enemy who tried to attack her from behind.
Kazuha nodded to Beidou in thanks and moved towards Gorou to support him. Aether would be fine on his own and Paimon would not leave his side.
(And yet, there was a small part of him that wanted to go to Aether's side.)
The battle ended with the resistance's victory and the rest of the Tenryou Commission soldiers fled to the direction of the Kujou Encampment. Kazuha returned to Aether's side, only to find Gorou introducing himself to Aether. Aether had not seen the extended hand, instead nodding to acknowledge the greeting. In the end, it was Paimon who reached out for the handshake. They decided to return to the resistance camp with Gorou leading the way. Kazuha hung back, keeping an eye on Aether and taking up the rear defence of the party. He knew he should head back to his captain to discuss their future plans but Kazuha was wary, not of Gorou but of any potential ambushes from either side.
(The resistance may not be an enemy, but it was not an ally either.)
As soon as the gates to the resistance camp came into view, Kazuha knew he had to return. He would return to the resistance camp soon but that time is not now, Captain Beidou was waiting for him and…he had yet to say farewell to the crew of the Crux fleet.
(Kazuha went from having no one in his life, to having too many people he cherished. And he regretted none of it.)
But first, he needed to warn Gorou. Even if the resistance was neither his enemy nor his ally, Gorou was still one of the few friends he had left in Inazuma. He was still one of the few people he had ties with his land of birth.
"Gorou," Kazuha called out and Gorou jumped in surprise, as if he had just noticed Kazuha's presence. He pulled Gorou aside, his face serious as he whispered into his ears, "Listen to what Aether has to say first before you meet up with Her Excellency. There are more things than what meets the eye and though I am well aware that we are in the midst of a war, there are some actions I do not condone. Her Excellency means well but socialising is not one of her strong suits."
Kazuha left after bowing slightly to Gorou and Aether. There was no need for farewells for now, not when he would return later after he finished settling his dues with the Crux fleet.
"Thank you for all you've done for me, I will see you again soon," Kazuha said, bowing low to Captain Beidou.
"I'm going to miss you, kid," the captain said, her single eye shining with unshed tears.
When he returned to the resistance camp, he walked down the dirt path with stares thrown his way. Some of the soldiers knew who he was but it did not stop them from staring accusingly at him, as if he was the one who brought the Shogunate army closer to their doorstep. The people of Watatsumi had always been closed-off, unwilling to interact with those on the main island, and the war had not helped in changing their views of the rest of Inazuma.
Kazuha entered the command post, having been directed to by a soldier, and inside, he found Gorou arguing with Kokomi. The argument was not loud enough to be heard outside, but it was heated enough that Kazuha could see Gorou angrily swishing his tail.
"Your Excellency, with all due respect, I do not think that you should put the Traveller on the front lines alone without any backup!"
"He is strong enough to fight off armies alone. Sending him with men would not only waste our limited manpower resources but also limit him from going all out when he has to hold back to avoid friendly fire."
Kazuha may not know how the argument started but he did not like the way Aether was being discussed as if he was nothing more than fodder for the resistance to use as a stepping stone to defeat the Raiden Shogun. And if they would not allow the man in question to speak for himself, then he would have to step up and speak for him instead.
"Pardon the intrusion, but I have a request to make," Kazuha said, drawing the attention of the other occupants in the room.
In the end, after many heated words were exchanged between one another, Kokomi relented to Gorou and Kazuha. At least for the most part. She had allowed Gorou to give Aether his own platoon but she refused to allow Kazuha to join the same platoon, explaining that where Aether specialised in frontal combat, Kazuha was better in espionage. Neither Gorou and Kazuha were able to come up with a counter-argument and so, reluctantly agreed to Kokomi's reasoning.
The subsequent time that Kazuha spent in the resistance blended together. His meetings with Aether were few and far between, with most of his time spent far from the resistance camp scoping out the enemy's supply routes. Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, when Kazuha returned to the resistance camp one day after his month-long scouting mission, Aether sprinted past him with Paimon chasing after him. Kazuha called out to Aether but the latter ignored him, leaving him to worry about the uncharacteristic fury that had been on Aether's face.
Kazuha was tempted to chase after Aether but he needed to know why, he needed information.
"Why didn't you talk to me?" Kazuha asked, his eyes looking down at Aether sitting up on the bed.
"It was my fault Teppei died. I had to fix it somehow," Aether said as he clenched his hands on the blanket covering his legs.
"It wasn't your fault," Kazuha said as he sat down on the chair beside the bed. "It was never your fault."
"Don't lie to me!"
"Then what would it take for you to believe me?"
"I…I don't know…I don't think I can."
Kazuha scoured the camp for clues, asking soldiers what had happened and interrogating those who refused to open their lips. He learned that Aether had found Teppei dead and went around asking people to explain how it happened. Everyone kept quiet about it until Aether physically threatened a soldier that they confessed about the Delusions. They told him where someone could go about obtaining one and Aether ran off once he obtained the location.
He ran off to the Fatui camp, using his Anemo Vision to bolster his speed, but when he arrived at the location, the entire camp was in ruins and the Fatui were long gone. Fortunately, the scent of stars still lingered in the camp and the trail was still fresh that Kazuha could still follow. However, he was without any backup and would the search party, that Gorou would no doubt send, be able to track him and Aether down? Logically, he should wait. Logically, he needed backup. Logically, Aether still had Paimon by his side so it was not as if he was by himself.
(Logic once told him his friend would not be foolish enough to challenge the Raiden Shogun.)
Against his own logic, Kazuha chased down the scent until it mysteriously vanished into the entrance of a domain. He felt a sense of primal fear from the domain, as if something was compelling him to stay far away from it. The strange eerie mist that was drifting out the domain entrance and dissipating into the air carried a sense of foreboding, acting as a deterrent to anyone deciding to venture inside.
He tried to force himself to step forward but his body would not move. Kazuha stood in front of the entrance, frozen and locked in his body. It was only when a hand touched his shoulder and he jumped in fright that Kazuha could finally move his body. He turned around, only to find Guuji Yae standing in front of him.
"Ho…So that's where the Traveller went. My my, he's so excitable."
"Guuji Yae? What are you doing here?"
"Run along now, I will handle this."
Where Kazuha was unable to take even one step into the domain, Guuji Yae calmly strolled into the domain, as if she was merely on a midday walk. Kazuha fell to his knees once his legs finally gave in to the taste of fear that still lingered in his mind, and it was in this position that Gorou found him hours later.
"I couldn't do anything! Nothing at all!" Kazuha said as he angrily punched the sand beneath him.
Gorou brought Kazuha back to the resistance camp, and to his tent where he let Kazuha sleep. As he slept, Kazuha dreamt of nightmares, of being helpless, of being unable to do anything but watch his friend die over and over. He woke up several times, screaming at some, only to go back to the same nightmares again. When Kazuha finally woke up, exhausted but lucid, he wanted to head out immediately to the Grand Narukami Shrine. He was only stopped by Gorou who physically restrained him and shouted at him to think before he acted.
(Oh how their roles had changed, where Gorou would have been the rash one compared to him. If only he could laugh hysterically at this irony.)
As Kazuha forced himself to sit on the bed, Gorou sat down on a chair to tell him what had happened since he found him kneeling by the domain. Gorou had ordered the search party to secure the entrance and to report to him immediately if anyone set foot out of the domain. After heading back to the resistance camp with Kazuha, a soldier had come to him a few hours later reporting that a Fatui harbinger had stepped out of the domain. Gorou wanted to set out to check on the status of the party sent to guard the entrance of the domain but he could not leave Kazuha alone just yet, and so he told the soldier to report to Kokomi and to request for another team to assist the first team. After that, everything had been quiet, nightmares notwithstanding, until Kazuha finally woke up the next morning.
However, before the two could decide what to do next, an urgent summon came for Gorou.
"Why now?" Gorou growled, his tail swishing angrily back and forth.
"I do not believe that it is an ill-timed coincidence," Kazuha said, his hand on his chin as thought of the reason why Kokomi would summon the general now. "The winds must have shifted and most likely, she desires to strike now before the storm returns."
"Kazuha," Gorou sighed in exasperation. "You know I don't understand that, right?"
The two entered the command post and found Kokomi standing in front of a table where the map of Narukami Island lay on top. The floor was littered with crumbled papers and discarded food. Kokomi remained ignorant of the state of the command post as she mumbled to herself. It was only when Gorou called out to her that she snapped out of her thinking state.
"I have a plan for the invasion and we will be executing it tonight," Kokomi said once Gorou and Kazuha moved to stand in front of the map.
"So soon!? Your Excellency, are you sure about this?" Gorou asked, his ears straightened in surprise.
Kokomi nodded her head in affirmation. "The Traveller will be attacking the Raiden Shogun's castle at that time so we must move to take the offensive with him."
Kazuha's mind stalled. What did she mean when she said that Aether would be attacking the Raiden Shogun's castle? When did she hear it?
"-but to just storm through the front gates?"
"The Kamisato Clan will assist in our entry into the city. All we need to do is to reach the castle," Kokomi said as she traced the route on the map with her finger.
"Then allow me to lead," Kazuha spoke up as he looked down at the map in front of him. "I remember the route to the castle, let me be your guide."
"Very well," Kokomi said after a pause before turning to look at Gorou. "General, take your men down to the docks tonight. You will need two days of travel even by the fastest boat so prepare accordingly. May Orobashi watch us all."
When Kazuha stepped out of the Komore Teahouse and onto the streets of Inazuma City, it was as if he was brought back in time. He remembered walking down the streets before the Vision Hunt Decree. He remembered running down the same streets, praying that he would make it in time to save his friend. He remembered running away from the soldiers chasing him, making his way down the same stone path as he tried to escape the Shogun's wrath. And now he was running down the same streets once more, the resistance army following closely behind him, his friend, Gorou, by his side, with the mission to attack the Raiden Shogun's castle and control it.
Kazuha prayed, not to the god who slew his best friend, not to the higher powers who ignored his first cry for their help, not to Celestia who watched on as Inazuma destroyed itself from within. Instead, he prayed to the devil to grant him luck, luck that he would need to save his friend and end the Vision Hunt Decree once and for all.
(The gods may have granted him his Vision, but they were never on his side.)
They reached the gates of the Raiden Shogun's castle, only to see Aether stumbling through the gates and Paimon fluttering panically around him. At the first sight of his friend, Kazuha felt relief but that soon changed when a dimensional rift appeared behind with the Raiden Shogun about to unleash her ultimate attack on an unguarded Aether.
It was in that instant, when everyone else was stunned at the Raiden Shogun's appearance, that Kazuha moved. He did not think about whether he could fight the Raiden Shogun, he did not think if he would succeed in blocking the Musou no Hitotachi, he did not think of the consequences of his actions, only that he needed to do it. Kazuha drew his sword, stepping between Aether and the lightning infused sword, and took the attack head on. Immediately, he could feel the overwhelming power of the attack that threatened to destroy him.
(His friend had told him once that there would always be those who dare to brave the lightning's glow, and Kazuha finally understood.)
The dead Vision of his friend sparked to life and Kazuha felt a surge of power, mixing with the Anemo he summoned with his Vision. He deflected the Musou no Hitotachi aside, watching as the confident look on the Raiden Shogun's face shifted to one of surprise, and Aether used the opportunity to leap into the dimensional rift before it closed.
Kazuha fell to the ground and it was only by Gorou's fast reflexes that he did not smack his face into the floor. His body and mind were laden with a fog of exhaustion and he could barely make out the orders that Gorou shouted at his men. His sword clattered to the ground, cracked and unusable, but it had served its final purpose. Black spots dotted his vision and sleep luring him under like a siren's call. But before he finally gave in, there was one thing Kazuha needed to know.
"Did we win?" Kazuha mumbled out.
Gorou barked a hysterical laugh, one that was unusual for someone like him. "We will, we definitely will. Go rest Kazuha, we've got the rest."
"Aether…take care of him…don't let him die."
"I promise, don't worry."
With that promise made, Kazuha finally gave in to the encroaching darkness and fell unconscious.
A/N:
With this chapter, this fic has over 100k words now! Thank you so much for supporting me and this series! Really, thank you so much!