At the highest point of Tenshukaku, on a balcony of her bedchamber, Ei found herself observing the Musou Isshin. The katana created out of her sister's pure divinity had acquired a gloomy aura ever since a few hours ago. Due to its origin, perhaps it retained her sister's sense of justice and disapproved of her role in Takayuki's execution.
The former Kagemusha, however, knew better. Nothing of her sister remained in the sword, she was sure of it. She had religiously inspected the blade for any presence of Makoto ever since her death. Whatever was happening, it was because of the execution. Because of that, Ei found herself at odds with the current predicament. Should she reconsider her actions?
She dispelled the sword, trying to bury those thoughts deep inside the Puppet's body. With no sword to observe, her eyes lingered on Inazuma City. Darkness was slowly swallowing its streets as the sun hid behind the sea. Paper, wooden and stone lanterns were slowly being lit up, giving the city a warm glow. But the lights weren't lit up in the orderly and constant manner that she had imagined. 500 years ago, lamplighters followed a steady rhythm. Each lamp, no matter how far apart they were, lit up at the same time.
It was quite the sight to behold. A sight that nobody now could ever experience. All those lamps were being lit up in an irregular pattern. A depressing reminder. Irregularities seemed to spring up wherever she looked at. There used to be a small watch tower near the main street, now replaced by a normal shop. Warehouses had sprung out inside the city walls, pushing out dojos, blacksmiths, weavers and tailors out of the city.
The city was so similar yet so foreign at the same time.
"Why am I doubting myself?" Ei asked the city. "Has my conviction… Have I not grown at all?"
As a kagemusha, Ei followed Makoto's directions. Because of that, she had learnt quite a few things from her sister, but not to the point of reaching her level of competence. She wasn't supposed to. And because of that, she made a few mistakes here and there. Makoto would clear up any misunderstanding. But now, she wasn't here to do that. And those little mistakes were adding up.
"This is irrelevant," The puppet spoke up in Ei's mind. "You are not to focus on this issue. Your only focus is Eternity."
The slight breeze above the keep made Ei realise that she had been in control of her body for a long time. Hours, perhaps? After almost 500 years of meditation, in just five days all had gone to waste. And all because of him and his grudge.
So Ei agreed. She had to return to her duties and relinquish control of the body. However, Kujou Sara unexpectedly opened the screen door of her bedroom. The General seemed to be holding her breath until she saw Ei on the balcony.
"Her Excellency," Sara's relief was apparent. "I'm most sorry for my intrusion. You were not answering, so I believed something might have happened to you."
"I was wallowing in thoughts." Ei turned, placing a hand on the balcony railing. She caressed it, enjoying the wooden texture. "After today's events, I expected you to take the day off as I suggested."
"I could never, not in this state of war." Sara puffed out her chest with resolve. "I have decided to serve you dutifully throughout the rest of my life, unbound by any family ties. I cannot let your hands be sullied again with the blood of traitors because of my incompetence."
"Do you understand what your words mean?" Ei's question didn't waver the Tengu in the slightest. "To become my shadow… it is a lonely life."
Speaking from experience, Ei had few friends as the Kagemusha. Only a few good friends she seldomly met with her sister. Makoto was more than well-acquainted with Morax and Barbatos. But despite sharing the title of Baal, Ei knew those two never liked the reserved Kagemusha that hovered around Makoto. She was just… there.
"I cannot be lonely with you around, my Shogun." Sara quickly placed her right hand on her chest and bowed. "You are the light that shines in the hateful storms, a beacon of eternal hope. For that reason, I do not care for rumours or relationships."
In a sudden bout of self-awareness, Ei wondered if Makoto ever felt the same type of awkwardness she was experiencing at this moment. Did she not say similar words at the beginning of their co-rule? The words were heartfelt, just like Sara's, but she couldn't shrug off their destructive nature.
"I appreciate your valour and loyalty. But you must not isolate yourself from others." The Shogun's meek words had the opposite effect on her bodyguard.
"Am I not worthy of being your sword yet?"
"You are here with me, you're already worthy. Even so, it may seem fine now but isolation will only hurt in the long run. Do you really not have any ties with the Kujou family? Or any friends to speak of?"
Sara paused, her eyes lingering on the balcony floor. "No, I do not think I do."
"You don't think you do? Surely you've had a pleasant conversation with someone." Ei asked again, moving away from the balcony and inside her bedroom.
"…I liked talking with Miss Ayaka. Of the Kamisato clan." Sara confessed with a light blush.
"Kamisato? Yes, I do believe I've seen her before. An elegant and honest sword technique." She bit the inside of her cheek. "Do not tell her that, however. I don't care who, but you must relax and enjoy your free time with someone. Two hours a week should suffice."
The small allocated time was on purpose. It should leave her wanting, or so Ei thought.
"I'm… not sure how to do that." Sara shamefully admitted. "I'm not very talkative."
The Shogun was many things, but an avid social butterfly was not one of them. She had been lucky, that was all. For example, as much as an annoyance Barbatos was, he always talked even with those that despised him. Even in their first meeting, as up-front as Ei had been, he just rolled with everything and always seemed to put a positive spin on most topics.
Of course, she knew what that entailed now.
"Perhaps you should try meeting somebody who will do most of the talking." The Shogun sat down on the small table in the middle of the room, this time decorated with a teapot set. A tea to offer her loyal bodyguard was the least she could do. "Do you know anybody like that?"
Sara's brief grimace was unnoticed by the Shogun. "I rather do not talk with people like him."
"I see."
Ei stared mystified at the teapot, unsure of how it actually operated. Sure, she had watched Furuyama, a tea master, do it plenty of times. But she had actually never done it herself. And the Tengu's observant eyeing of the Shogun's movements only made Ei's nervousness worse. It was just putting hot water inside the pot, it couldn't be that hard. But Furuyama followed more steps that she couldn't recall in the heat of the moment.
Maybe Ei could just ask her but… She had to be indirect about it.
"S-So you know somebody extroverted." She guided Sara to the ground pillow next to her. "But, you see, making friends with them is like making tea. Do you understand?"
Pondering over the odd analogy as she sat down, the General understood that the Shogun was testing her abilities.
"I understand…" Sara didn't understand. "Water is tasteless, and tea leaves are too bitter on their own. But when steeped, they mix into a proper brew."
The Shogun tapped the lid of the teapot. "Exactly t-that! But if you were to divide that analogy step by step, how would that be?"
"I see! Since I'm the water, I should ready myself by letting out steam before mixing in the tea leaves. And the latter should be strained afterwards to cherry-pick its flavour." Sara's eyes were brimming with exaltation at the Shogun's wise words. "You mean I should go ahead with a clear mind and control the amount I interact with him?"
"That's it!" Ei's jubilation was unexpected from her usual composed nature, but it was short-lived. However, Sara found it charming and cute, a sign that the Shogun didn't see her as a mere servant. "Ehem, I mean, very good job. As expected of my trusted bodyguard. Now I can reward you with tea."
Ei hummed in happiness, now confident in her tea-making abilities Her hand hovered above the teapot. And then, a sharp pain jolted through her head momentarily. Ei pulled back, her hand unconsciously rubbing her head.
Ever since Barbatos and Makoto reappeared on her mind, she had trouble meditating. All those years keeping those memories locked had been a waste. And now, that mistake was slowly manifesting into something worse.
She had to return to her duties.
"Are you feeling unwell? I have not seen you rest in three days." Sara scurried next to the Shogun.
"Why did you come here?" The Shogun's eyes were suddenly cold.
The sudden switch caught the Tengu on the backfoot. Because of that, her choice of words was confrontational. "I wished to know what my father told you."
"He told me what you already know. I cannot tell you the finer details until you capture Main Gate's attacker." The Shogun stood up and made her way towards the balcony again. "We are still on recalibration, building up and training our forces. You've been held up at Tenshukaku for long enough, a mistake on my part. But that failure is still your own."
Sara kneeled once again, her eyes glued to the floor. "I understand. I will not fail again. We already have weeded out several suspects."
"Is he suspect?"
"He?" It took the General a moment to realise who she meant. "I will focus on hunting any anemo vision as you told me to. In fact, there has been a suspect that has eluded our forces so far. An anemo swordsman… but witnesses claim he tried to control the flames of the explosion."
"That fool couldn't use a sword even if his life was on the line. Any other suspects?"
"Anybody else has already been cleared of any suspicion. People claimed music played before the attack, however. Some sort of… lyre. No witnesses have seen that person."
The Shogun cocked her head slightly as if listening to something. "Bring me that anemo swordsman and keep your eyes wide open for any dirty tricks. This whole situation reeks of deception."
"I will, Her Excellency."
Hours after dusk, the Inazuma City streets were quiet. Even more so in the warehouses in the east of the city. Hidden inside a forsaken warehouse, both Kazuha and Tomo waited for the eerie presence of that woman to disappear. There was no way to know for sure if she knew where they were.
With the sun completely away, the structure had begun to cool down prompting creaks and odd noises throughout their stay. Though they kept Kazuha completely on guard, after a few hours he had grown accustomed to them. All those noises were the same, completely different from a step. That allowed him some respite.
There were a few other sounds that interrupted his relaxation, however. Whistling deep inside the room, the air was being sucked through a tiny hole somewhere in the back of the room.
Kazuha looked at Tomo, who eyed him curiously.
"Need to use the bathroom?" Tomo jokingly asked.
"Follow me."
The room they were staying inside was cramped with random furniture. Burned, broken or somehow intact. The wall was around ten metres away from them, but the junk made it almost impossible to see. To clear that distance was a feat of agility.
Checking his footing, Kazuha climbed over the chairs and tables. He then used a turnover shelf to jump over the pile of junk, his head barely missing the ceiling, before landing right on top of a broken cupboard. The ronin pulled out his sword, inserting it between the boards of the wall. He apologised to the blade before prying the board away. Damp air rushed into the room as a pitch-black tunnel emerged from behind the wall. It was around a metre and a half tall, with a width slightly bigger than that of a person.
"Well, what are the odds?" Tomo muttered, trying to follow Kazuha's steps.
Managing to climb over the junk with less finesse than his friend, Tomo reached Kazuha in time to kick open the few remaining boards. The sound it made was horrendous, prompting a glare from his friend.
"Treat your sword with a bit more respect." He patted Kazuha's back before entering the dark tunnel. In turn, Tomo unsheathed his blade and infused electro energy through it. Though dim, it managed to light the ground below them. "Place a hand behind my back, just in case."
Kazuha obliged and stepped into the tunnel as well. Before continuing, he pulled the cupboard in front of the broken wall boards and hid their entrance.
"If this doesn't have an exit, you know I'm eating you first, right?"
"Air is coming through. There has to be an exit, perhaps it can get us out of Tenryou and into Hanamizaka." Kazuha assured his friend.
Tomo held back a laugh. "Or into the Shogun's chambers, we're both allowed to dream."
The tunnel was part of the warehouse, still maintaining the wooden structure of the building. After one turn to the right, it gained a downward slope. Then, after thirty metres or so, another turn to the right. The slope became more pronounced, with the wooden flooring replaced by intermittent planks every few steps.
The slope continued for another fifty metres before it became levelled again. In front of them, there was a dirt wall, the end of the tunnel.
Kazuha backtracked a few paces, feeling the wall until reaching a wooden plank. He pulled it out, revealing yet another tunnel behind it. His friend inspected the new hole and jumped inside, the floor being a metre lower than the previous burrow. Kazuha mimicked him afterwards. They were in the middle of an underground path, so they could either go left or right.
"Where to, bloodhound?" Tomo inspected both paths with his sword, but there were no obvious similarities. One went to the left and the other one to the right. Nothing else.
"I hear air from both sides…" Kazuha focused on his hearing, holding his breath as well. He couldn't hear anything distinguishable coming from the two paths. "Let's go to the left. If I didn't get disoriented, it should lead us northwest away from the city."
Continuing to the left, the path was carved into stone. There was little to no dirt, but it was still filled with sporadic wooden boards stuck to the floor and walls. The path became somewhat wider and taller but not enough for two people to stand side by side. It did, however, allow Tomo to walk upright and without back pain. As he stretched his back, he noticed something in the ceiling.
"Wood blocks?" He placed his shining sword on the odd block in the ceiling. "It looks dilapidated but… there are paintings."
Kazuha looked up to see matching wooden boards, just like the ones on the ground. The paint was faded, but the outline of people and words was prominent enough.
"Odd place for artwork. These tunnels must be a few hundred years old but there hasn't been any sign of spiders or any insects… Is somebody maintaining them?"
"Beats me," Tomo walked a few paces forward to the next wooden block. "Looks like the Shogun, it's too faded to tell."
As he lifted the electro sword towards the wooden art of the Shogun, her figure suddenly absorbed the electro energy. It rushed through her outline before expanding outwards through the wooden block. The block's sudden gleam was absorbed by the nearby wooden boards, and so on until the whole tunnel was lit up with electro's purple shine.
"Colour me surprised and purple," Tomo sheathed his sword, checking the now revitalised and shining undergrounds. "At least we can see now."
"Look," Kazuha touched the walls, where tendrils of electro energy became lines and then drawings. "This whole tunnel… It's a whole canvas."
The lines beside them turned out the be a drawing of the Shogun, in the typical Ukiyo-e art style. Besides the purple glow, there was no paint on the murals. She was wearing a long kimono, with her hair dancing in the wind. And beside her, there was a smaller figure flying. Sporting foreign clothes and an odd mask. His disguise had fangs and feathers, with owl eyes filling most of the mask.
"Who's that?" Tomo pointed to the flying figure.
"I'm not sure."
They continued walking along, finding another depiction of the Shogun. This time, she had the Musou Isshin in hand above her head, as if performing her famed Musou no Hitotachi. Below her, the same flying figure from before grovelled before the Almighty Shogun. Her hair was tied up on a braid, this time unaffected by the wind, but her kimono was ragged and bloody, much like the mysterious figure's.
"So the Shogun defeated this flying goblin." Tomo assessed, his fingers touching the legendary depiction of her sword. "Looks like he's still happy even after losing. Good sport."
"Wind…" Kazuha thought, observing the odd mask of the figure. "I don't know many myths that fit the bill. The Kazemaru, perhaps? A being created by the Shogun's wistful sigh. But the artwork from before shows it coming from abroad, so perhaps it's someone else."
"Who knows, myths are deliberately vague. This is just an interpretation, I assume." His friend moved on. "Besides, the Kazemaru… I've never heard of a myth involving him fighting the Shogun. It's always shown as a kind spirit that brings rain. Not whatever this masked figure is."
A few paces later, separated by the wooden boards, another artwork popped up. It showed the Kazemaru sporting a short kimono, fighting alongside the Almighty Shogun. Their enemy was a woman with flowing hair and a long broadsword, clashing with the Musou Isshin. Fire, wind and lightning enveloped their fight.
"That's the God of War, Murata. I've never heard of the Shogun fighting her, much less with the Kazemaru." Tomo tapped his foot anxiously.
"Look below." Kazuha crouched removing a bit of dirt, showing a hidden part of the mural. "People are running away from Murata towards the Shogun and the Kazemaru. The Shogun is saving them… from what? The Pyro Archon?"
"The more I see, the more annoyed I get. I don't understand any of this. Why make these depictions in a random tunnel?" Tomo pointed to the next mural. "Look, that one looks the same. But instead of Murata, it shows the Tsaritsa." He walked further away. "And this one? Same but in Fontaine."
"The Shogun and the Kazemaru fighting other Archons to save people." Kazuha walked towards Tomo, inspecting the similar murals. "I very much doubt these depictions show real events. Perhaps it's just a tale from a very odd storyteller."
"An odd storyteller who decided to infuse electro energy on a random tunnel nobody has ever seen. This wasn't done on a whim." Tomo suddenly stopped on another mural.
Two Shogun were depicted. Their hairstyles were the only thing differentiating them. The one with loose hair was stretching her arm forward, holding some type of seed with the Mitsudomoe inside it. The Kamikaze seemed to have a similar but different seed on his hand, but he was clutching it and keeping it away. The Shogun with a braid was further away from them, seemingly oblivious, training with a wooden sword.
"You know, I think you're right. These drawings make no sense. Some artist must have been trying a new drawing method and tested it on this tunnel." Tomo hastily explained, rubbing his eyes. "Come on, we gotta go."
Kazuha nodded but inspected the mural further. The supposed seed the Shogun was holding wasn't a seed at all, but some sort of oval filled with electro energy. Symbolism that Kazuha couldn't fully understand. Her expression was dark as if she knew something the other figure didn't. The Kazemaru, if it was really him, didn't seem to understand the situation. Whatever he was holding away, he seemed almost embarrassed of showing it.
"Hey, Kazuha, look!" As soon as Tomo called him, the electro energy faded from the tunnel. He was quick to pull his sword and use again his electro powers. "You still there?"
"Yes." He walked towards Tomo, who sighed in relief as light washed him over. "What is it?"
"Oh, nothing, it's gone now." Tomo continued walking through the tunnel.
"Wait, there are murals I haven't checked. Can't you lit up the tunnel again?" Kazuha stopped his friend.
"We need to leave this place. This place reeks of either rue or hypocrisy." Tomo resumed his pace. "Those murals made me realise something about what's happening now."
"The Vision Hunt?"
"Partly, but no. It's about this whole Mondstadt conspiracy. If it's really true, well, the Shogun will have to come out of Tenshukaku." Backlit by his sword, Tomo's expression was hidden from Kazuha. "You saw the depictions of those little people running. That will be us if they ever clash."
"Those fights have never happened. The Shogun has never fought the other Archons."
"But Barbatos has, hasn't he? If he really wants to abolish the Vision Hunt Decree, why shouldn't we let him? Thoma knows a few of his appearances outside Mondstadt, and everything always works out in his favour."
"How many myths and legends have you heard of the Shogun failing? Nobody in Inazuma will tell you any, because she's our Archon. The same must be the case in Mondstadt. We don't need to force a divine clash, or attack civilians, to regain our freedom." Kazuha did not hold back his thoughts. "Besides, even if she's wrong in this case, the Shogun means well. We just need to show her that restriction will only embolden the brave."
Tomo stopped on top of a wooden board, observing the path ahead before looking back at Kazuha.
"Hell is paved with good intentions." He shook his head. "Look, my friend. If you're opposed to Barbatos, then the Resistance in Watatsumi is our only chance. They might want many different things, but I believe they're the only ones capable to show the truth to the Shogun. There's only one way to convince her, you saw it in those murals."
"To make her fight?"
"No, that's not it. Those little figures representing people, that's us. She was a giant in comparison. But if we get together, then we can make the Shogun see us eye to eye."
Kazuha wasn't too convinced. "And make her kill us all with the Musou no Hitotachi? The Resistance simply has to put the Shogun in a check position. A checkmate like Barbatos would do is impossible."
"Is it so shameful to die for a worthy cause?" Tomo giggled at his own words. "If even one of us stopped that blade, who knows?" He continued walking. "I wanted to be in Takayuki's execution for that very reason. To see the epitome of sword skill in action… Instead, we got dragged into the plot of that crazed Mondstadt woman." He looked back at Kazuha with a melancholic smile. "You know when this whole thing started? I prayed to Barbatos to come and help us. Looks like my prayers worked a bit too well!"
And in a sick twist of faith, Kazuha swirled on the spot, a loud sound alerting even his friend. Tomo instantly sheathed his sword, leaving them in the dark.
"…Somebody has entered the tunnel," Kazuha muttered as Tomo placed a hand on his back.
"Kazuha, the exit. Find it. I'll be right behind you."
Tomo pulled Kazuha to the front before the two of them started running in a mad dash. Whoever was following them was quick as well, silent as the shadows. Had it not been for the air moving, Kazuha wouldn't be able to even tell they existed.
The tunnel slowly turned much tighter and small, the two ronin running almost completely crouched. Then, Kazuha stopped and pulled yet another wooden board. Unlike the others, this e was smaller but also completely stuck in place.
"Damn it all, let me help," Tomo also stuck his fingers on the rocky surface and pulled on the plank. "We're not fitting in this one!"
The plank snapped under the sheer force of the two warriors, leaving a hole the size of a small dog as an escape route.
Seeing the futility of their escape, Tomo once again unsheathed his sword and faced the incoming pursuer. He didn't use his vision until they got close to him. And as soon as they did, Tomo lunged with his sword and then…
And then he hit nothing.
Kazuha got ready to attack as well until he saw who their new opponent was.
"A ninja?"
The small girl with a Mujima attire lit up a small lantern on her belt, holding back a yawn. "I am covering your tracks. Go on. Escape…"
Tomo turned around, wondering how he had missed his attack. Perhaps he should have aimed lower.
"The Shuumatsuban? Guess we got a benefactor behind our backs." Tomo tried petting the girl, who quickly dodged him. "A rowdy one at that."
"No touching… Just continue escaping, okay? It's very late in the night, I need to sleep…"
Kazuha was simply thankful for the fact that they now had a source of light that wasn't purple.
"How did you find us?"
"I cannot say, Kaedahara Kazuha." The girl seemed completely tired, but she evidently knew much more than she let on.
"Huh, Kaedahara? I should have figured." Tomo seemed impressed, but it didn't seem like he cared besides simple curiosity. "Can you fit through this hole? Tell us what's on the other side."
The small ninja sighed, leaving the lantern on the ground. She stuck her head through the hole first and then her whole body. Not even Kazuha was able to tell what she was doing. No breathing, no noise, no smell. It was like she had simply vanished.
After a few seconds, she popped her head through the hole.
"Inside Tenryou Wall."
"The border with Hanamizaka. Should we continue down the tunnel? We don't have to worry with our squirrel girl."
"We should be able to escape through there. We might be able to leave Inazuma City tonight." Kazuha said.
"Right."
Tomo's muted answer should have sparked worry in Kazuha. But he ignored it. It had been a rough day, and perhaps he was just tired. Had Kazuha taken a more proactive stance, then perhaps he would have been able to prevent what would happen in the next few days.
As the morning sun rose over Liyue, a northern wind had started to take over its calm weather. With it, an entourage of horse-riders trotted into Liyue Harbour's bridge. At its lead, the Dandelion Knight rode a pure white horse, reminiscent of the mythical steeds of Mondstadt's old eras.
The baffled citizens and merchants of Liyue quickly stepped aside of their way, as a welcome party of Liyue bureaucrats and Millelith soldiers awaited at the end of the bridge.
Whether Jean would speak with a random Adepti, Qixing or Rex Lapis himself, she was ready for anything. That didn't soothe her nerves, but it maintained them in check. She only needed Liyue's participation in their diplomatic mission to Inazuma. A united front was the only thing that would be able to clear the shameless libel of that letter and its hostile consequences.
They just needed to clear Mondtadt's honour.
And then she heard the lyre. There, sat down on the parapet of the bridge, a young bard played that instrument with incredible finesse. That song being played was quick, giving it a sense of urgency but mixed in with low tunes. It seemed familiar, almost too upbeat to forget. But there was more to that song. Liyue's typical riff and Inazuma's long pauses mixed in.
She must have stared too intently at the bard because their eyes suddenly met. His smile was brief but concise, saying a few words that she was too far away to hear. But she needed not to hear them.
"Reap the Whirlwind, that's the song's title," Jean whispered to the breeze.
It was a song deeply intertwined with the Gunnhildr clan. To always take up arms against tyranny and injustice, for Mondstadt. But the other regional tunes mixed in clearly meant something else. Whether on Inazuma or Liyue, she… no, they should do the same. Injustice outside Mondstadt could easily gangrene and spread to their beloved city.
Once again, Jean glanced at the bard. He had stopped playing and was simply happily waving at her. She modestly waved back before focusing once again on her objective.
A united front to clear Mondstadt's name…? No. That letter was no longer important.
Inazuma was obviously being deceived. This was a call from help. Varka, the Grandmaster, had told her so. Mondstadt does not need Barbatos to survive. His escapades showed the City of Freedom that borders didn't matter to justice. The people now needed to show their absent God that they too sided with freedom.
And Mondstadt would answer Inazuma and whoever was deceiving them. Whether or not Liyue joined in.
Barbatos watched the retinue of the Acting Grandmaster being received by a legion of Liyue's bureaucrats and knew when his job was done.
He climbed down from the bridge and stretched his back.
"Venti, you crazy bard!"
The somewhat familiar voice of a man stopped him from moving. Venti turned around to see a small carriage being pulled by horses, with a fellow Mondstadt merchant riding it.
"Ignatz!" The bard couldn't help but smile and run towards the lonesome merchant who took him into Liyue. "It's been days but it feels like months!"
"I keep my promises! I told you I'd get you into Inazuma and I will!" Ignatz climbed down from the carriage. "So, how well do you barter? Because from now on you're a certified Merchant of Liyue."
A/N: No chapter next week! I've caught up on most of my buffer, and my hand is still acting up. But no worries, I'll make it up somehow!