SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 85 out, this is Chapter 86 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?
Pairings: Albedo/Sucrose, Zhongli/Mitsuko/Kazuha, One-sided Diluc/Mitsuko, One-sided Diluc/Jean
Disclaimers: Genshin Impact and Sailor Moon belong to miHoYo and Takeuchi Naoko-sensei respectively. Me, on the other hand, own absolutely nothing, except the plot, I hope.
Chapter 86: Teyvat Arc: Acer Palmatum, Part Two
At the Bantan Sango Detective Agency...
"Do you know if anyone around here has been looking for him?" Paimon asked Ryuuji. "For Kaedehara Kazuha, we mean!"
"So, is the renowned Mr. Kaedehara!" Ryuuji remarked. "I've heard a lot about you. It is an honor to finally meet you today."
"You are too kind." Kazuha responded. "We are currently investigating an assault, and would appreciate any help you can offer."
"You were targeted in an assault?" Ryuuji echoed. "Let me think: I can't seem to recall anything of immediate interest. Mr. Kaedehara is currently the talk of the town, so there are always a lot of people looking for him. To be honest with you, our Detective Agency has recently been receiving many inquiries from people wishing to obtain Mr. Kaedehara's personal information. Some of them were offering us millions of Mora just to gather the information they want. If these were more legitimate commissions, Sango would have snapped them up in an instant."
"Millions of Mora!?" Paimon stammered. "Wait, even at that price, you probably still shouldn't..."
"Please accept my thanks for looking out for my privacy." Kazuha remarked.
"Of course." Ryuuji nodded. "No matter what, we only take on legitimate cases. We don't make our money by revealing details of other people's day-to-day life just for the sake of it."
"At times like this, I'm so glad the Agate Hills is warded with 'Notice-Me-Not' wards." Mitsuko muttered.
"Excuse me." Ryuuji coughed. "I got a little off topic. What I'm really trying to say is, it doesn't surprise me that a complete stranger is looking for Mr. Kaedehara.: But I wouldn't know where to begin if we want to connect this with an assault."
"Then let's put that connection aside for now." Kazuha reasoned. "Have there been any other attacks or similar incidents recently that stand out as particularly unusual? The Tenryou Commission had very few leads. I thought you might have some information from different sources."
"It's true that the Commissioners aren't clued up about every little thing that goes on out in the streets." Ryuuji agreed. "But typically, it's only the most trivial events that manage to escape their attention. If anyone had been out there attacking people, that would be assault, in which case the Tenryou Commission would absolutely get involved."
"That does make sense." Paimon nodded. "Looks like the trail's already run cold."
"I still find it difficult to believe that whoever attacked you hasn't been causing any trouble elsewhere." Kazuha pondered. "Few people possess your prowess in battle. So, unless you were the first person he targeted, someone is certain to have been hurt by now."
"Is this your way of giving praise?" the Traveler joked.
"Busted." Mitsuko grinned.
"I am well aware of your talents, there is no need to be humble around me." Kazuha straight out ignored his partner's teasing grin, "In fact, I'm quite relieved that you were the one he targeted. It would cause me great grief to see someone become critically injured or lose their life because of me. For the poor victim, this would be a completely senseless crime."
"Actually, there was one strange incident over the last few days." Ryuuji piped in. "It doesn't involve an attack, though. Let me tell you about it just in case. Recently, two people went missing from the city at around the same time. One of them is a pretty well-known collector, surname Nagato. The other, Amenoma Yuuya, is a samurai from the Amenoma Clan."
"Wait..." Mitsuko frowned. "Isn't that Tougo-jii-san's nephew?"
"He is, indeed." Ryuuji confirmed, "Two grown men going missing at the same time: their cases are likely connected, but I don't know much in the way of details. I recalled this because Amenoma Yuuya is also an accomplished martial artist who is skilled with the blade. Perhaps he is the one you are looking for."
"Understood, though it seems highly unlikely to me." Kazuha mused. "I neither know this man, nor do I have any idea why he may wish to attack me."
"Let's consider this a favor for Ryuuji." the Traveler suggested.
"Thank you, Ryuuji." Kazuha nodded. "We'll start by making some inquiries at the Amenoma Smithy."
At the Amenoma Smithy...
"If it isn't Kaedehara Kazuha!" Tougo greeted his visitors. "What brings you here today?"
"You two know each other?" Paimon blinked.
"The Kaedehara and Amenoma Clans were both members of the Raiden Gokaden." Kazuha reminded. "You may recall the story of the Raiden Gokaden from the Irodori Festival."
"There is nothing mystical to our work." Tougo related. "There is only practice, day in and day out, until both body and mind have memorized the craft, turning each motion of every technique into an intrinsic part of the bladesmith's life. As for the art of the Kaedehara Clan, I believe it's called the 'Isshin Art'."
"Isshin Art strives for complete harmony between blade and mind from the moment that forging begins." Kazuha explained.
"You are, without a doubt, the most worthy wielder of an Isshin blade." Tougo praised. "It gladdens my heart to see that although the Kaedehara Clan has fallen on hard times, its ideals and virtues are alive and well."
"You overestimate me." Kazuha related. "My actions are guided by my own personal sentiments, not by any noble aspirations on behalf of my clan. But let's get back on topic. The purpose of our visit today is to gather some information on your missing nephew."
"He didn't say a word before he left, which is very unlike him." Tougo recalled. "I'm still completely at a loss on what to make of it."
"We heard that there was a collector involved in the disappearance too." Paimon informed. "Know anything about that?"
"On the morning that Yuuya went missing, he gave me a very cryptic look and said that he was going to give me a great gift." Tougo remembered. ": I believe he went to collect the item from Mr. Nagato after that. The next thing I heard was that a fire had broken out at the warehouse, and neither of them came back."
"A fire!?" the Traveler echoed.
"Do you have any thoughts on what Yuuya may have wanted to give you?" Kazuha inquired.
"If I had to guess, it must have been some kind of rare weapon." Tougo reasoned. "Otherwise, there would have been no reason for him to get my hopes up. He's never been particularly interested in blade-forging, but has always had a fondness for blade-testing, and can sense even the most minute differences in blade quality."
"The person we are looking for: he attacked this friend of mine." Kazuha informed. "Based on the evidence we have gathered so far, only Yuuya seems to match the suspect's profile."
"What?" Tougo gasped. "No, absolutely impossible. Yuuya is not that kind of person. He is humble and kind. Even his training is done with the goal of calming his mind. He has never gotten into a fight before. But with that said, it's equally out of character for him to just disappear with neither farewell nor fair warning. I also cannot know what course of action he might be capable of if coerced, or otherwise compelled by circumstances unbeknownst to me."
"From the sound of that, Paimon doesn't think Yuuya was the one who attacked us as well." Paimon noted.
"We still need to get the info from the Nagato family." the Traveler reminded.
At the Nagato house...
"I'm very sorry, but we cannot afford to pay what we owe right now." Sachiko spoke to her visitors.
"You misunderstand us." Kazuha assured. "We are here to help with the investigation. We'd like to ask you some questions about Mr. Nagato's disappearance, if we may."
"I thought the debt collectors had come to visit again." Sachiko sighed. "Ever since I've known him, he's been an avid collector of all sorts of things. He'd always get so animated when he was showing them to me. I knew nothing about the items myself, but seeing how enthusiastic and excited they made him, I was happy to believe that they were just extremely important to him. Everything was fine when we first got married. But as time went by, things changed for the worse. He started buying more and more things, and even resorted to borrowing money just so he could pay for them. Our expenses really spiraled out of control when he started getting interested in weapons. It was awful. There were days when he'd spend hours down at the warehouse admiring his weapons even as debt collectors were descending upon our house. He wouldn't sell them, wouldn't even touch them. Just sat there staring at them, like he was in a trance. I'm happy he has a hobby and I'm willing to support him, but making ends meet has to come first. I've tried talking to him about it so many times, but he never listens. On the last day that I saw him, I gave him an ultimatum; I said, if he refused to sell his collectibles and pay off his debts, I would divorce him and take the children with me. After I said those words, he froze, and was silent for a long time. When he finally spoke, he awkwardly mumbled that he would pick out a few items to sell. His voice was so meek and pitiful that I felt an urge to take everything back. But then what? If I didn't draw the line, what would happen to our family?"
"It's important to set boundaries." the Traveler agreed with Sachiko's decision.
"The next thing I heard was that our warehouse had caught fire, and both he and the buyer had gone missing." Sachiko sighed. "At first, I assumed they must have gotten into an argument over the price. But my husband has never been one to negotiate. He never even haggles when he's out buying groceries, so it's hard to imagine him getting into a fierce argument. Perhaps he's too afraid to come home now that all his collectibles have been lost in the fire, and he's got no way to pay off our debts. Even though I'm still a little mad at him, we're a family, and I want us to face our family's crisis together."
"If collecting things is a habit that Mr. Nagato has had his whole life, it is quite unusual for this habit to change so drastically over a short period." Kazuha reasoned. "But the information we gathered from the other side suggests Amenoma Yuuya is also a mild-mannered man who would not be likely to start an argument. Let's try a change of scenery, and see if we can piece together what we've learned. Rest assured, we'll notify you if we find anything."
On the streets...
"The fire at the warehouse likely played a part in how the situation unfolded, though its exact role is a mystery." Kazuha stated. "Do you have any thoughts?"
"Paimon was thinking that maybe someone accidentally knocked over an oil lamp, and um..." Paimon started. "Nope, never mind, Paimon's brain needs to rest for a while. Over to you!"
"One fact that I keep coming back to is that Amenoma Yuuya is polite and well-mannered, while Mr. Nagato is introverted and passive." Kazuha pondered. "Neither seems like the type of person who is inclined towards initiating conflict. Mr. Nagato, being heavily in debt, is also the only one of them with a potential motive to disappear after the fire. Although the time frame seems to broadly match, no other details that we've learned seem to link the two events together. Amenoma Yuuya lacks a key distinguishing feature of the attacker — namely, that he is principally a practitioner of the blade-testing techniques of Amenoma Art, not those of the combat-oriented Isshin Art."
"We thought we could get two birds with one stone here, but at this rate it's starting to look like a wild goose chase." Paimon whined.
"Perhaps..." Mitsuko voiced. "There is a third party involved in all of this."
"Let's head out of the city and check out the warehouse." Kazuha suggested. "There's still a chance we may be able to find some shreds of evidence."
Near the underground warehouse...
"Wait." Kazuha stopped the group. I "hear something ominous in the wind."
"This must be another one of those sounds that only you can hear." Paimon remarked.
"Now I'm picking up a strong scent in addition to the sound." Kazuha added. "It's right around here somewhere."
"But there's nothing here." Paimon exclaimed.
"Kazuha's right." Mitsuko agreed. "I picked up the unmistakable stench of the Tatarigami."
"Tatarigami..." the Traveler frowned.
"We should remain vigilant, and approach slowly." Kazuha cautioned.
"So, it's an underground warehouse." Paimon remarked, the group approached the covered hole.
"And judging from the concentration, I can safely say the Tatarigami source resided here for a very long time." Mitsuko concluded, reinforcing her physic shields to prevent the Tatarigami from overwhelming her.
"It could well be that Mr. Nagato was already under the influence of Tatarigami energy at that time." Kazuha reasoned.
"Surely someone would have noticed?" the Traveler was worried.
"Tatarigami does not turn all upon whom it preys into violent monsters." Mitsuko explained. "Most, however, develop a stubborn streak upon being exposed to the Tatarigami's unfulfilled will. Their interests end up becoming fanatical obsessions. Well, that certainly explains a lot of things."
"Mr. Nagato had an interest in collecting to begin with." Kazuha continued. "The influence of Tatarigami could explain why he became an obsessive hoarder, amassing more and more possessions even as he put himself in grave debt. Step back. I'll open the door and take a look inside."
"Be careful." Mitsuko warned.
"Relatively speaking, the risk here is trivial." Kazuha gave his lover a calm smile.
"What's down there?" Paimon asked after Kazuha pried the door open.
"Everything's buried in debris." Kazuha shook his head, "I can't see anything. It looks like the fire caused a cave-in, reducing the entire warehouse to rubble.
"So, in the end, it was just a scare." the Traveler noted.
"That... isn't necessarily a good thing." Mitsuko pointed out.
"That was too scary!" Paimon shivered. "Paimon was so sure that the warehouse bogeyman was about to jump out at us."
"Two ordinary humans, entangled with the Tatarigami." Kazuha sighed. "I fear much misfortune has already befallen them."
Using Mitsuko's conjured tracking compass, the group followed the Tatarigami trail onwards.
"Look at this red stuff." Paimon winced, the group spotting a torn off piece of cloth. "What is it?"
"By the looks of it, a letter, written on a piece of torn clothing." Kazuha noted. "The ink is bone-dry; it must have been written quite some time ago. Let's take a look. Yuuya started the fire that destroyed the warehouse, and wounded Mr. Nagato in the fight. Mr. Nagato kept chase as long as he could, eventually stopping here to write this letter when his strength gave out. He was not only mortally wounded, but also under the heavy influence of Tatarigami. Add to that the fact that its aura seems to have attracted a horde of monsters, and, I'm afraid he may no longer be with us. I have a hypothesis that, if it's correct, not only explains the series of events leading to the two men's disappearance, but also zeroes in on the attacker's identity."
On a lone island...
"He seems to have stayed here for a long time." Kazuha noted.
"Why here?" Paimon was confused. "Is there anything special about this place?"
"I'm not sure." Kazuha admitted. "But on closer examination, I sense that the aura may have lingered here at several different points in time. Show yourself!" he barked. "It's no use hiding anymore!"
"Kaedehara Kazuha." the possessed Yuuya stepped out. "it's you, at last."
"What's your problem, huh?" Paimon demanded. "What could you possibly have against Kazuha!?"
"That weapon..." Mitsuko instantly recognized the sword in Yuuya's hand. "Kazuha, that katana... it's of the Isshin style."
"Indeed." Kazuha concurred. "Looks like my hypothesis is correct: instead of facing Amenoma Yuuya, we are in fact facing the blade in his hand. Tatarigami energy often lodges itself within physical objects, then works to subtly affect any living organisms in its vicinity. The blade has resided in Mr. Nagato's warehouse for many years, affecting his state of mind, and more recently using the sale as a means to affect, or rather, as a means to occupy Amenoma Yuuya's body."
"Many, many years ago, I was forged by a famed bladesmith of the Isshin tradition." the Isshin blade related. "I was his pride and joy, in me, he placed all his hopes and dreams. As a descendant of the Kaedehara Clan, you should be able to guess our greatest regret."
"I presume it has something to do with the Raiden Gokaden." Kazuha replied.
"Indeed." the katana concurred. "At that point in time, he failed to live up to the Raiden Shogun's expectations. In the end, all he could do was to flee the nation by sea, on a ship bound for Snezhnaya. He was a bladesmith of great renown, a master of his craft! There was nothing that he could not accomplish! All he needed was more time, and a little faith. And sure enough, in the end, he achieved what he had set out to do. All of his life's work — his wisdom, his skill — it culminated in his creation of me. He not only bestowed upon me the greatest of strength, but also endowed me with a consciousness of my own."
"So, swords can become conscious?" Paimon gaped. "And control people!?"
"After the death of my creator, I decided to leave Snezhnaya, and began my long quest to return to the distant land of Inazuma." the Isshin sword continued. "Moving from one person to the next, I controlled the minds of countless hosts along the way, each bringing me one step closer to my ancestral home. I seek but one thing: to face the full force of the Raiden Shogun's blade, and prove my power, the might of Isshin Art!"
"Tell me, what happens to those you've possessed when you've finished using them?" Kazuha demanded.
"My hosts?" the tainted blade scoffed. "Who cares what happens to them. They are but tools that serve my mission. When they got tired, or injured, or unusable, I hopped to the next one in line. All I needed them for was to take me back to Inazuma. After I returned to Inazuma, I decided to bide my time in Nagato's warehouse, until Amenoma Yuuya handed himself over to me on a silver platter. At long last, I am approaching my journey's destination. By Amenoma Yuuya's body, I have found you, and by your hand, I shall defeat the Raiden Shogun! Kaedehara Kazuha, you stood against the Raiden Shogun's Musou no Hitotachi. There can be no other to serve as my host for what is to come. Do not stand in my way, or I will strike you down too!" the sword warned, after the group defeated him.
"Your bluff's fooling no one." Paimon huffed. "You've lost!"
"Lost?" the tainted sword snarled. "I can never lose. It is this body that has reached its limit, nothing more.: The end result is the same! I will end this wretch's life before you can lift a finger. And even if I were to lose my physical form, it is but a small setback. My consciousness shall endure. By any means necessary and any medium available, I shall return and fulfill my destiny!"
"Your fighting style; it is indeed the forms of Isshin Art." Kazuha admitted. "But from your movements, I sense only hatred and arrogance, as well as a thinly veiled mania and despair. Since the blade is currently possessing Amenoma Yuuya's body, its movements express the innermost thoughts of the blade. If you ask me, the mania is probably due to your desperate, single-minded ambition. You believe I am your only hope."
"Are you trying to claim that I am helpless without you?" the Isshin sword growled. "On his deathbed, he passed to me all of Isshin Art's secrets. The little that you know barely scratches the surface. In that regard, why would I ever need your help?"
"Because all of that is in the past." Kazuha related. "I've been wondering why you've not caused more trouble in all the years that you've been in Inazuma, if you are indeed a cursed blade that can possess its owner. Now that I've seen inside your mind, everything finally makes sense. You weren't biding your time; you were trapped. After all the time that's passed, you have grown weak, to the point that you are now unable to acquire a new host without making physical contact. Only when Mr. Nagato witnessed his wife's distress and decided to sell his collectibles did you finally have an opportunity to reach out to Amenoma Yuuya and make your escape."
"What of it!" the possessed blade snorted.
"That brings me to my second point." Kazuha added. "There's a despair in you that is so strong, it threatens to overwhelm you. You were determined to fulfill your maker's ambition, whatever the cost. But this ambition is too grand, and too heavy for you to bear. Each step you have taken has come at a great cost. I think you realized your limitations long ago. The more you clenched your teeth and pressed forward, the greater your fear of losing everything you had achieved grew, and the more you wished to run from the truth. But the way I see it, what began as an ambition has long since become a delusional fantasy."
"What would you know about any of this?" the tainted blade demanded. "I'm just one step away from achieving my goal!"
"You returned to Inazuma to prove the unparalleled brilliance of Isshin Art." Kazuha retaliated. "But to make this arduous journey, you committed countless atrocities, and showed a blatant disregard for human life. Even if you were to sever that divine light, is this truly the outcome that your maker would have desired? Sure, you inherited the secrets of Isshin Art, but even as you made your journey to honor this legacy, you treated the ones who wielded you as mere tools to do your bidding. How could you possibly unleash the full potential of Isshin Art, when you act in perfect discordance with the principle of harmony between a blade and its bearer?"
"By sweet Archons, Kazuha's in full rant mode." Mitsuko muttered.
"Silence, you blabbering fool." the tainted katana snarled. "I must achieve my goal. This was his life's dream, and the very purpose for which I was brought into being. I will concede that you are most perceptive. You see my predicament clearly but you also underestimate my resolve."
"And you should face reality." Kazuha retorted.
"I have no need of anything that would stand in my way." the Isshin blade fired back. "Not hesitation, not self-reflection, and certainly not your so-called reality! It is pointless to argue further, descendant of the Kaedehara Clan. If you wish to save this man, then offer me your body in exchange."
"I do not believe for a second that you can challenge the Almighty Shogun in your current state." Kazuha stated. "So let us make a bet, and I will put your strength to the test."
"Surely you're not planning to agree to his demands." Paimon gaped.
"Very well, then find yourself some enemies with whom you wish to cross blades." the sword relented. "A taste of my power will more than convince you. Once we have dealt with them, we shall proceed to Tenshukaku."
"And as for your end of the bargain, if you lose, you must release Amenoma Yuuya from your control." Kazuha bantered.
"I accept." the blade agreed.
"Don't do this, Kazuha!" Paimon argued.
"This is the only way to save Amenoma Yuuya." Kazuha explained. "If we don't do this, he'll forever be the blade's puppet. The cursed blade's strength is currently very weak, and I sense he's hesitating. This suggests his heart is still not completely devoid of honor."
"Mitsuko, talk him out of this!" Paimon whined.
"Sorry, Paimon." Mitsuko shrugged. "I've known him well enough to know that there are just some things his honor won't compromise on; this matter is one of those things. The power of the Tatarigami lies in intensifying existing obsessions. This is the main reason why Mr. Nagato and Amenoma Yuuya fell prey to it. Kazuha doesn't have any similar kinds of obsessions, I trust he should be able to put up some resistance for a while."
"Even if things take a turn for the worse, I still have you three here with me." Kazuha added. "We have a chance here to save an innocent victim. I am willing to accept the risks entailed."
"I'll have my purification talismans on standby." Mitsuko nodded.
"Your disdain for me betrays your woeful ignorance." the tainted sword scoffed. "I agreed to this bet because there are things I wish to learn, too. Now, take me in your hand."
Kazuha reached out and grabbed the blade.
"Kazuha!" Paimon gasped, the Traveler ran up to the kneeling samurai.
"I'm okay." Kazuha assured. "I felt a little dizzy at first, but only for a moment."
"Hold on." Mitsuko produced a vial of pink liquid and handed it to the Anemo user. "Anti-Nausea Potion."
"Another one of your inventions, no doubt." Kazuha chuckled and downed the bottle. "So far, this was as I expected." he got back to his feet.
"What should we do next?" Paimon wondered. "Have you got a plan, Kazuha?"
"We find some enemies." Kazuha replied. "Although this blade has endured much turmoil, it probably hasn't experienced many real fights. If a blade built for Isshin Art cannot enter a state of harmony between blade and bearer, it cannot unleash its true power. If he wants to avoid reality, then we need to fight until he has no choice but to face it. He shouldn't last long in an intense combat situation."
"Wait a minute, Paimon remembers hearing about something from the Adventurers' Guild." Paimon recalled. "Since the Takatsukasa Clan abandoned that secret base, it's been held by ronin ever since."
"That place!?" Mitsuko exclaimed. "Then, what about Amenoma Yuuya?"
"The blade says he'll let Amenoma Yuuya trail us silently." Kazuha answered. "Although he hasn't regained his own consciousness yet, he is not in any immediate danger."
SailorStar9: Any OOC-ness is regretted. *Grins* Don't you just love plot bunnies sometimes? Reviews are much appreciated.
