The serpentine form of Rex Lapis descended from the skies. Its form weaved around the clouds before diving into the Liyue Harbour streets, avoiding all obstacles and buildings. Then, as it once again shot up to the skies, it slowly descended towards Yujing Terrace.

Away, at the second level of Heyu Tea House, Venti and Zhongli observed the ritual unable to hear Rex Lapis' divine guidance. The open terrace was fairly empty, though a few clients were observing the ritual along with them.

"I thought you were longer," Venti mentioned. "And, you know, I also thought that you did it yourself."

"You're right," Zhongli answered, leaning into the balcony railing. "I suppose I got tired of it."

"You? Tired?" Venti's half-smile trembled slightly. "What's that thing then, a puppet?"

"A suit I merely move around. The Tianquan knows what to ask to prompt a reaction from the Exuvia. It's not alive or has any consciousness."

The bard moved away from the balcony. "You're serious about retiring, aren't you?"

"Have I ever joked about that?" Zhongli took a step back, focusing on Venti's reluctant expression. "I believe you were right. The people of Liyue do not need divine guidance."

"Oh. Right."

"What's with the muted response? You've finally achieved a victory over me, yet you're not as elated as I always believed you'd be."

Morax walked away from the deck, motioning Venti to follow him.

"Well, but… I don't know what prompted this. Besides, you'll still be around." Though Venti mentioned it casually, it was a question.

"For a time, of course. Everything has an ending after all," Zhongli pushed past several tables, taking a staircase leading to the higher levels. "I've come clean with you. I believe it's your turn now."

"I thought you wanted to talk while having tea." Venti followed him, keeping his distance. "You know, catch up for a while?"

"Unlike you, I don't sport your cavalier attitude. I rather not talk of sensitive matters with people around."

The top plant of the Tea House was used as a storeroom for tables, chairs and other bulky equipment. Though there was a roof, there were no walls around it. The exception was a locked maintenance room, which Venti could only guess was for more sensitive materials.

Zhongli rummaged through his jacket and pulled out a warded key. The key's bit had no pattern, and it was a simple square. The bow, however, had the distinct amber symbol of the Geo element. Even the most amateur vision user would be able to see the elemental energy emanating from it.

Without any effort, Zhongli inserted the key into the door's lock. It didn't fit until a soft yellow glow emanated from it. Then, the door opened to an empty space, far bigger than the room's true size.

"Oh, your subspace?" Venti mentioned as soon as he saw the particular event. "Why did you move it to a teahouse?"

"My subspace creation is different to the one used by other Adepti. I simply need this key and a closed door." He entered the dimension, holding the door open for Venti. "You may step in, it's not your first time."

Leaving behind his doubts, the bard entered the pocket dimension. The empty space was soon replaced in front of him, mimicking the tall mountains of the Liyue landscape. In the middle of the large summit they were standing in, there was a lonely stone table. Two cups of steaming tea rested on it.

"Always ascetic," Venti muttered, heading towards the table. "What are we discussing that you don't want the self-righteous brown-nosers of Celestia to hear? I thought you just wanted to talk about what I was going to do in Inazuma."

"Mind your language, please. Some topics need closure before we speak of your journey. However, I'm not exactly the best type of… listener. For a friend, I will do my best. And this place is as private as it gets."

The air of the mountain dimension suddenly felt heavy for the God of Freedom. The black tea's scent felt sticky in his nose and throat, only furthering his discomfort.

"Well, uh… Can you make a seat for me?"

As soon as Venti asked, two small round pillars arose from the ground. The conversation with Baal's spawn appeared on his mind all of a sudden. Though this time, he felt a sense of apprehension taking hold of himself. He knew Morax wouldn't do anything violent, but that's not what he feared the most.

Venti took pride in his silver tongue. He used to enjoy messing around with Morax when they first met up. The Geo Archon doubled Barbatos' age, yes. He used to be obnoxious and aggressive. Easy to tease and easy to run away from. But that Morax was long gone. His violence was replaced by wisdom, his anger with patience. All his years of experience far outpaced Barbatos'. Even if Morax believed himself smarter than he really was, that didn't matter in a head-to-head encounter.

And in that, Venti knew he had been surpassed. Which meant that if Zhongli wanted to, he'd be able to get any and all answers he wanted. Even those Venti didn't want to remember.

"You're pretty intimidating if you just stare at me." Venti started, maintaining his eyes locked with his.

"I was hoping you'd start by telling me what's on your mind. I'll give you a prompt then." Zhongli took a hold of his teacup, smelling it briefly before sipping it. He placed it down before saying a single word. "Khaenri'ah."

Barbatos plummeted to his seat, his eyes sharp.

"I didn't have to do anything with that, you know it." Venti tapped his index finger on the table. "Their invasion was spontaneous. Just because you guys give me a silly nickname of God of Revolution, it doesn't mean I was involved."

"You know I'm not talking about that." Zhongli pressed on, his gaze hardening. "When their troops invaded from underground, you were the one to immediately accept Celestia's call to arms. Were you really afraid that they would punish you? The Barbatos I know is many things, but he's not a coward."

"If I didn't do that, I wouldn't be surprised if Murata or Beelzebul would have tried to blame and kill me when they got the chance. Maybe some of your dear Adepti would have seized the chance as well." Venti rebuked, his brow slightly furrowing. "I might act somewhat nutty sometimes, but I am not suicidal."

"Is that why your breeze headed immediately to Inazuma?" Zhongli once again took a sip of his tea. "While the Four Winds fought desperately against the tides, while Dvalin fought to the death against the shadows, you let your personal feelings get in the way and left them behind."

"I blessed them with my very being, I did not leave them alone. Yeah, maybe I should have stayed for a while longer, but Dvalin is fine and resting. You're one to talk anyways. What were you doing when the Millelith and your Adepti fought in the Chasm?"

The fake sun hid behind the clouds as Venti bit the inside of his cheek.

"Sorry," The bard immediately apologised, regretting even mentioning it. "I suppose I was there too."

At the beginning of the invasion, every Archon had been caught off-guard. Even Celestia itself had not reacted until after the decisive first few weeks. When Khaenri'ah unleashed their hidden weapons, mainly created by the Art of Khemia, Celestia inadvertently saw in it a threat to Teyvat.

And then, what happened?

"I made a promise to Makoto… Well, to Ei as well. To come to their aid if they ever needed help. I'm unsure of what really happened there. Though by the blood in Ei's hands, I suppose it wasn't pretty." Venti spoke without thinking. "I think it had to do with one of their friends. I never really interacted with any of them, so, again, I don't know. Time was of the essence at the time."

"I see." Zhongli clasped his hands again. "You could have explained that to me back in the day. I tried to get in touch with you the moment those orders came. I had to bear the full assault on their defences on my own."

His particular wording immediately tipped Venti off. "You made a contract to be silent or what? I always hate it when you do that. Yes, the order to destroy Khaenri'ah."

"I'm sorry for not being specific, but I will explain in due time," Zhongli admitted. "The fact they asked for me and you in particular… We do not mix in battle."

"Geo is particularly adept at destroying infrastructures, even more so in an underground kingdom. And Anemo… Well, I suppose blackdamp kills faster than an arrow." Venti's hands squeezed into fists. "Maybe that would have been a sound plan if we weren't fighting against machines. We just killed people who were in the way. And then we almost got sentenced to death for holding back."

"…"

Zhongli closed his eyes at the mention of death. Then, with a few seconds of delay, Venti choked on his words. He looked at his clenched hands, barely holding back the nervous tick that had manifested ever since he woke up.

"… We don't need to talk about that." Barbatos' half-hearted attempt at resistance was followed up by deflection. "Before all that happened, you know what happened in Inazuma? The literal unravelling of our dimension. Those Rifthounds were a pain to fight, and their little machine pals were even worse. Their big boss reappeared even if I threw it over the ocean. If it wasn't for that kitsune girl..."

"Venti…" Zhongli opened his eyes, crossing his arms with a wry face.

"I mean, she was like, a shrine maiden. She didn't look very well afterwards, but nobody really did."

"Barbatos," The utterance of his name brought Venti in line. "I know I'm not the best person to say this. But the longer you avoid this, the more it will hurt. Without facing that moment, how will you act in Inazuma?"

The steaming surface of Venti's black tea wavered for a moment. He observed his reflection for a moment, taking a deep breath. He clasped his hands in an attempt to stop the tremors, though that only made the anxiety worse.

Morax, the very same awkward and antisocial Morax, was trying his best to help him. Even his dear friend was pushing himself to help Venti. So the bard had to answer in kind, and push himself as well.

His mouth was dry, unable to say the words he had been avoiding for so long. "Makoto… Baal is…? Is she… Dead?"

"I'm afraid so," Morax searched for the right words, but unable to find them, he continued. "The moment I heard the news about the Vision Hunt Decree, I knew that would be enough to awake you. But ever since that revelation, I foresaw two possibilities. Either you were doing it for the sake of Inazuma's citizens… Or for the sake of the Baal twins."

His words didn't reach Venti. White noise and a crippling sorrow had taken a hold of his being. Perhaps he already knew that Makoto had passed away and he was simply avoiding the truth. In reality, that didn't matter anymore. He now understood the significance of all those silly memories being triggered by the most menial stuff. A way for his mind to ready itself for the truth.

But it still felt unreal. There were still so many things that he wanted to do with her. She still had to teach him so many Inazuman customs. There were so many Mondstadt spots he wanted to show her. So now, what? What was he supposed to do with those feelings?

"Barbatos," Morax had moved beside Venti, kneeling beside him. "Should we take a break?"

"I'm fine." He lied, getting up from his seat. "I always knew. I had a slight hope that she… it doesn't matter anymore."

He walked away, wandering through the mountain top. He caressed the grass blades and enjoyed the fake sunlight for what seemed like an eternity. Then, he sat down on the edge of the peak and stared into the distance. His friend joined him shortly after.

"I was in love once as well," Zhongli started, drawing a sharp breath. "The day I lost her was one of the worst moments of my life. I thought that without her, I'd never amount to anything and would be swallowed by the world at any moment. Still, I told myself to continue pushing through, to not let all our hard work go to waste. And after many years, there I was at the top alongside people such as you."

"I can't say that my own experiences mean that I have any sense of what you're going through. I don't have… the best social skills, as you're aware. And all tragedies wound us differently, scarring us at different speeds. But that lingering pain will remind you of the obligations you have to the people who have been lost, and those who remain with us."

The solemn silence was short.

"You've rehearsed that for a while, haven't you?" Venti didn't mind it, despite his tone. "I suppose you're right, there are things I must still do. For Makoto and for myself. And… I can't begin to comprehend what Ei went through. Hopefully, her friends treated her well."

If there were any left, he thought.

"There was little I could do. But if I may…" Zhongli turned to his friend, his eyes narrowing. "Something happened in Khaenri'ah that you're not telling me, right? Between the two of you. After what happened with the Tsaritsa, I doubt you treated Beelzebul much better."

"That's… a personal matter." Venti refused to answer. "I'll tell Ei that I didn't mean what I said. It was anger and regret that took over my body at that time."

"How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it."

"Yeah, yeah. Classic Morax line." He stretched his arms and laid down on the grass.

Although words were encouraging, they didn't fill the void that had taken a hold of his body. Even in the orange-tinted sky above, he knew the only way to fix it was to take action. And go to Inazuma.

"This reminds me of that day." Morax mentioned. "I believe it was shortly after you blamed me for that whole Lawrence clan fiasco."

Venti rubbed his eyes, hiding his face from Zhongli. "Ah, yeah. I brought you some wine to make up for it… And you invited the Baal twins, that was fun."

"Indeed. We had some good times, didn't we? Just enjoying the night and the Liyue sky. Simple times away from responsibility. Even you know how that felt like."

At the highest point of Liyue harbour, Morax and Barbatos enjoyed a calm evening after quite the turmoil. The Pyro Archon had passed away recently, leaving the new Archon, Murata, as the youngest of the Seven. Some days after the ceremony, Morax, Baal and Barbatos decided to meet up once again in Liyue.

When the time came, Morax and Barbatos waited for the Baal twins to appear. Though this was the place where the Gathering of the Gods normally took place, today's meeting was much more casual in that regard.

"I honestly can't deal with that woman," Barbatos complained, pounding his fist on the table. "Yeah, sure, I respect her. But Murata treats me like a child. I am twice her age! I swear if she calls me a sweetheart, handsome, sugar or love-bug again, I'm blowing Natlan's volcano away."

"You shouldn't have objected to her duel then. I accepted and won, which earned her respect. You, on the other hand, declined. Then made fun of her hair, threatened to incite a revolt in her territory. Twice. And then challenged her to a drinking duel."

"Look, I was drunk. I was joking for 80% of that whole conversation."

"And you lost that challenge." Morax reminded him.

"I didn't lose! I was already hammered. I'd demolish her otherwise!"

"Of course, of course. Am I allowed to call you such names as well? I believe buzzing runt or alcoholic wisp are fine names for you."

"I prefer nicknames that I like as well… Calling me a wisp or spirit is like calling someone a human. Super weird. I don't call you, uh, geo-dragon or some crap like that."

The one-sided rant went off for a while until Morax noticed more guests showing up. Barbatos didn't move from his place, only moving to stretch his legs.

Both Ei and Makoto entered the wide lounge, escorted by Morax. Somehow, their appearance caught Venti off-guard. Makoto's tight and formal white kimono seemed looser than usual, while Ei's dark short yukata seemed tighter and more casual. He wasn't very into fashion, so he hadn't the slightest clue of what it meant. It was different enough for him to notice, so it couldn't have been random.

"It's been so long since we've had a chance to talk, Morax." Makoto walked close to the Geo Archon with a wide smile. "I see your elegance has improved ever since?"

That comment made the bard observe Morax's attire more closely. He was wearing his Geo Archon attire like always, with the flawless execution to boot. But besides that, was there really a difference?

"I'm glad you noticed." He answered back with a slight smile.

Self-conscious, Venti looked at his casual bard clothes. It had wrinkles, with a few stains on his collar. He quickly used a few of his powers to hide those imperfections. As soon as he was done fixing everything, he noticed Ei's piercing stare standing right beside him. She had just caught him in the act.

He placed a finger to his lips, which prompted a sigh from the Kagemusha.

"Oho, do you two have secrets?" Makoto glanced back at Ei, before resting her eyes on Barbatos. "I see you're not in a bad mood yourself, little wisp."

"Yep, that's me! The greatest of mood lies within me. After all, we're having a party!" He raised his arm in triumph. "And since good old Morax is here," Barbatos patted his friend's back. "That means Makoto can drink with me!"

Venti had not forgotten the conversation he had with Ei the first time they met. If Makoto had a contract to not drink without Morax around, then the only solution was to have him here too.

"With us, you mean." Ei pointed out, getting closer to her sister.

"Rather, you'll drink way more than any of us combined," Morax added.

"Well, as long as we only drink a bit." Makoto too chimed in.

"Why does everyone gang up on me?" Barbatos faked a bawl, prompting a laugh from Baal.

"Oh! That reminds me, Morax. If you please have a moment." Makoto held up a finger. "About the glassware and paper imports…"

The bard subconsciously stepped out of the way. They were, after all, still rulers of their nations. It was quite the change of pace to see Makoto so serious, so Barbatos gave them the distance they needed.

"Why are you looking at my sister like that?"

Ei's voice startled him out of his stupor.

"Woah! Don't scare me!" He managed to hold back a yelp. "Why, are you jealous? I can look at you all day if you want. Nothing weird in asking, right?"

"You're the weird thing here." She retorted. "Don't trouble my sister with your silly crush."

"What? Crush? Me? No, never. I only crush my enemies." He hastily made up a joke, holding his hands up like they'd defend them from the Kagemusha.

The two of them observed the two Archons speak about trade and profitability with a tinge of boredom. Venti sat down on one of the low couches, shortly followed by Beelzebul.

"If you were more like the Geo Archon, perhaps she'd reciprocate your feelings." Ei stared at Morax's form before looking at Venti. "Or you can pretend she doesn't know."

"What feelings? The only feeling I have is terror from sitting so close to you." Anyone would have noticed that Barbatos always used the same few tactics to change topics. Ei was still learning, so for her, it was a genuine reaction.

"Terror? Well, good. Better that way. Now you'll know what will happen if you step out of your boundaries." Ei nodded to herself, somewhat unsure of what to truly feel. "You mean terror as in imposing, right? I don't look horrifying or anything like that?"

"Well, not really." Venti looked at Ei from head to toe. Maybe having a revealing outfit had some sort of strategy in mind, but he just couldn't see it. "With that attire, I'd say you look pretty scarousing."

She raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

"Well, scary and arousing. Not for me, of course, I'm like, wind incarnate, I don't have those weird feelings."

"It arouses fear? I suppose not wearing armour to a fight is a sign of unsurmountable confidence. I too would be scaroused." She answered with such confidence that Venti could only stifle his laugh.

"Oh please don't say it with that face." He barely restrained himself from laughing, covering his mouth with his hand. "It means like, uh, pleasing to the eye? But scary at the same time… Please don't kill me."

Ei's right eye twitched for a moment. "Nothing is stopping me from cutting your head off. But I suppose I appreciate your honesty. As awful as it is."

"Thank you, thank you. You're very kind. You remind me a bit of Morax. But unlike him, it looks like you can actually hold a conversation." Venti scratched the back of his head, trying to arrange his thoughts. "Your sister told me you only train and train. Do you not talk much?"

"I do talk. But… only with people that know me, which aren't many." There was a hint of sadness in her words. "And I'm sure you're aware, we don't have much free time. So talking is something I do seldomly."

"Hmm, I see. When you imitate your sister too, you talk more. But that must be pretty stressing, I can barely imitate others."

"It's true. I always wonder if people notice it but keep quiet. Perhaps they simply assume that this war-like Baal is simply hidden beneath her gentle exterior." Ei admitted, looking up at the sky. "I do not want to lose that."

"Her innocence?" Venti asked, his voice a pitch higher.

"No, her. I feel like at any moment, I will fail. And the mere thought immobilises me, leaving unable to relax."

"That's enough, you silly goose." Venti scurried closer to her. "I don't know how you do it, but you always manage to think about sad stuff. How about you stop thinking about the future and the past, and focus on the now? Stop mourning over a thing that has not happened yet, and enjoy today to the fullest so you can live with no regrets." He pointed at Makoto. "Look at her, she's being a massive weirdo chatting about stupid paper with that other stone head nerd. And she's still having the time of her life. I don't know how in the world she does it, but she makes it look so easy that it's admirable! And you should do that too! Hell, I should do it too. Let go of our logic and just... enjoy the moment."

For Venti, it was obvious he was a massive hypocrite. He, who constantly dwelled in the past, should not be the one to say those words. But because he lived in regret, he didn't want anybody else to suffer the same as he was.

And Ei, for the first time since he met the God of Freedom, realised that those words might have been the only ones that truly resonated with her. The wind imp had somehow clicked in her mind.

"I… You are right." Maybe she was letting her guard down. Yet, she didn't feel any more threatened. "Yes, I should be more considerate to myself. And others too."

Venti moved away from her, unsure of what he was feeling at the moment. But when Ei patted his head, he knew that whatever it was, it was a good emotion.

"Thank you, Ba-… Venti. You are not so bad after all." They shared a quick smile. "I understand why you like my sister so much now. Her ability to enjoy every moment is quite commendable."

He nodded, tugging his clothes.

"But, do you not do that too?" She asked, fueled by genuine curiosity. "You always seem happy. Annoyingly so."

"That's only true if I hold a glass in my hand," Venti answered honestly. "I am as shackled by the past as you are. You don't hide it, but I do. If it wasn't for Makoto, I would have gone back to stasis to treat myself."

"Stasis, huh…?"

Makoto and Morax returned from their state talks, quite satisfied with themselves.

"Sorry for the wait! What are you two discussing that it requires such stern expressions?" Makoto asked, sitting on an armchair directly beside Venti.

"I was explaining to Venti in how many ways he could be skewered for asking stupid questions," Ei answered, covering for Barbatos. She understood the flimsiness of her lie, even more so that her sister probably heard the heavy topic. "So we were talking about the… the philosophy of passing away? I told him I prefer it to be in the field of battle, and he was telling me of his preference."

"You could have chosen a lighter topic," Venti said under his breath. "Uh, yeah! I was telling her about dying for… for a cause worth fighting for!"

Morax seemed oddly interested in the topic. "The best way to die, then? I suppose it would be peacefully and controlled. With my full trust placed on those who would take over my duties."

"Classic Morax line," Venti muttered.

Ei's ears perked up, leaning towards Venti and whispering: "Does he really say those things a lot?"

"Yeah, and always super serious."

Makoto, however, was awfully quiet. Deep in thought, as if the oddly-macabre question was worthy of pondering.

"I'd say," Makoto started. "The best way to die is suddenly and unexpectedly."

With the sunset and those memories behind them, Zhongli and Venti returned to the stone table placed in the middle of the summit. There, Barbatos drew the shape of Narukami island with his cold tea.

"If you need a ship, I know some sea-worthy vessels that might be able to cross the eternal storm around Inazuma. But for captains, that will take some convincing." Morax offered, caressing his ching.

"I'll deal with that part on my own. But, do you think Ei will note my presence when I cross that barrier?"

"Perhaps when you set a foot in Inazuma…No, you're weakened, which might help avoid her gaze. I couldn't tell you were in Liyue until you used your powers against that Harbinger. And afterwards as well."

"Oh, so you didn't notice me beforehand? I fought against a few Fatui before I met Ei's loutish child." Venti rubbed his nape. "So that means I can only fight at an even lower level. And I will probably be unable to heal anyone."

"In any case, why do you plan to hide? I believe it would be counter-productive. If there's anyone left who can reach her, that's you."

"Look, I got it all figured out." Venti dipped his finger in the tea again. "First, I scout a bit the situation, then go to Narukami Shrine and speak with that Kitsune friend of hers… Saiguu, I think? Finally, we go to Tenshukaku. And, uh… profit! The decree is gone." Venti then cleaned the table before drawing a hasty sketch again. "And since I know you like a plan B, here it is. Instead of going to Tenshukaku, we stir up trouble, gather whatever resistance there's under the banner of, I don't know, an eagle? And force Ei to come out. Genius plan, right?"

"You made that up in this instance, didn't you?"

"Ehe..."

"First point, if you cannot fight properly, you should bring people who can do that for you. The second point, this kitsune friend you talk about is on the Shogun's turf, exposing you to danger. That's assuming that friend is still alive or even wants to help you. The third point, siding with a resistance whose objectives you do not know is highly problematic. The fourth point, you…"

Venti stopped Zhongli's quite justified rambling.

"That's all fixed with the scouting part of the plan. I'm an expert on these things, trust me. You know that song they made about me, right?" He cleared his throat. "When the river of rebellion overflows, I'll be there. When the seed of discontent plants and grows, I'll be there. Winds of freedom blowing out of every distant shore." Venti cooed as Zhongli facepalmed.

"You do realise 'your' church has adapted those lyrics as an actual prayer, right?"

"Haha! Good one, I see your humour has greatly improved! "Venti's laugh stopped as Morax didn't budge. "No way. You're joking. They're not that…"

"My friend, you fomented this situation by only appearing rarely when Mondstadt or any other nation needs you." Zhongli smiled, enjoying his friend's dumbfounded face. "We still have a lot to catch up on. Let's have something stronger."

He got up from his seat before Venti's voice stopped him.

"Hey, block-head. Thank you. For everything."

Liyue's docks were bustling with activity even in the late hours of the day. Lighter barges went from ship to ship, unloading and loading their cargo expertly. The cranes of the Harbour also worked to their maximum capacity to unload precious bulk cargo, before being carried by transporters to their designed warehouses.

But that was not what the average person focused on. The vessels, from big to small, were far more eye-catching. Especially those that were part of The Crux, Liyue's most famous fleet. As long as that fleet sailed, Liyue maintained dominance over the Teyvat seas.

As mercenaries, they did whatever their leader, Beidou, wanted. For that reason, rumours said that they would be leaving for Natlan tomorrow, to search for fresh opportunities.

For Scaramouche, however, that meant trouble. Their flagship, the Alcor, was probably the only vessel that would be able to navigate Baal's storms. At the very least, until the storms could be properly measured. And there couldn't be any doubts about it.

Wandering through the docks, the Harbinger avoided the rushing sailors and stevedores. Nobody seemed to mind him, too busy focused on their tasks. He passed by a few more workers before noticing a dirty sailor's hat on a nearby crate. Having traded away his trusty Inazuman hat, there was little he could do to hide his identity.

He gathered his short hair before placing the hat tightly on his head. Then, cracking his knuckles, he walked towards the biggest ship he could find.

It was an easy task. Though it wasn't the Alcor, it seemed he had hit jackpot. With 44 metres of length, the Mizar was the second biggest ship of the fleet, barely fitting on Liyue's docks. However, it also meant that it was an irreplaceable vessel. With half as many cannons, its hold and ship stores were much more spacious than the Alcor. Without it, travelling to Natlan would be a net loss.

"Sorry, fine lady. You were built with a purpose that you've perfectly executed for decades. You were made for cargo, and cargo is what you hold." He reached to the bow, but it was too far away. "But this is your true purpose, I need the flagship to stay for a short while. Since I have a VIP guest that needs an express ride to Inazuma."

The sudden build-up of electro energy was released into the starboard of the ship, blowing it off alongside its main mast and deck. It rocked from side to side, crashing into the nearby dock and slowly listing 45 degrees.

When dockworkers and nearby sailors arrived at the scene, nobody was there, except the slowly sinking ship. The cargo ship of The Crux was gone in the blink of an eye.