As the seas of Inazuma were victim of Barbatos and the Balladeer's clash, their ripples quickly made their way into Tenshukaku. The Raiden Shogun, ever observant and vigilant, immediately knew who was the culprit of such disruption to Inazuma's eternity. Though unaware of the other fighter, she needed no second guess to distinguish Barbatos' power.

The Puppet opened her eyes, finding herself in the throne room. The Shogunate guards didn't feel anything. Even those with a vision would have trouble noticing the air's anemo being pulled away.

The guards immediately tensed as Baal started to walk towards the room's entrance, electro energy building up on her vessel. The soldiers opened the chamber's doors for her, but she disappeared in a silent thunder.

She reappeared in the Tenshukaku front gardens. The cold night air rustled her clothes before she teleported to the keep's main entrance. The guards were caught unaware, but her figure managed to calm them down. She turned to observe the full might of Tenshukaku, the place she had called home for thousands of years. Determined, she prepared to travel directly towards that battle on the high seas.

"Make way!"

The hurried steps of soldiers suddenly approached the palace. The Shogun recognised some of their faces from training sessions with her bodyguard. They all looked solemn as they hurriedly rushed in, only to stop when noticing the Shogun.

"We've repelled an attack in Hanamizaka!" One of them announced, his voice wavering between begging and yelling. "A group under the orders of Mondstadt, Your Excellency!"

The Puppet blinked. "Give me a report."

"Four culprits, all vision holders. General Kujou was able to subdue three of them, but an ice user covered the escape of two." The soldier frantically continued under the torches of the sentries. "General Kujou captured two of their visions and one of the culprits. No civilian casualties, only property damage." He paused. "We lost three soldiers to cryo attacks, with another six wounded. General Kujou is also gravely injured."

"I see. Their service must be honoured." The Puppet pushed past them, before suddenly halting. "What's the extent of the General's injuries?"

Nobody answered. And as the Shogun was about to ask again, one of the soldiers managed to speak up.

"Nothing life-threatening. A broken arm, and a few ribs. As well a stab wound on the shoulder…"

Silence returned once again.

"Withholding information," The Shogun turned to her soldiers. "Is akin to treachery."

"We don't know why, but something is draining her even further. Like a curse. We don't know if she'll recover."

The Puppet's expression didn't change in the slightest. She merely left Tenshukaku and focused on the Inazuma seas once again. She summoned her sword and pointed it exactly towards the location of Barbatos. A precise jump from so far away would be impossible, but precision wasn't needed at this point. As soon as she had her eyes upon him, he wouldn't escape.

"…"

Locked in the combat posture, the Puppet was forced out of control of the body. Ei stumbled, dizzy, the switch of control not being as seamless as usual.

"There's no point in checking the status of the General." The voice of the puppet rang within Ei's head. "The enemy is within our reach."

"Don't question me." Ei spat back, finally moving her body. "That's final."

She glanced at the invisible battle away of Inazuma, before turning and running in the opposite direction.

Kujou Sara hasn't realised she had regained consciousness. Her whole body felt relaxed. A warm flow surged from her feet, towards her legs until it reached her torso. And as the warmth spread over to her arms and head, her mind completely emptied her thoughts. She completely recalled the events of that night and the hard fight. But those thoughts melted in the continuous flow through her body.

She tried to recall the last time her body had felt such relaxation, but those thoughts too were washed away. All her troubles were gone, no need to worry anymore. It felt like she was in a hot spring bath, where even her mind soothed its activity to the very minimum. And then, like a gift from the heavens, a hand softly caressed her cheek. The delicate but rough touch only heightened her state, almost falling asleep on the spot. However, the very thought of losing that sensation prevented her from doing so. But as soon as the hand came, it went.

In an attempt to see where the hand went, Sara opened her eyes. She found herself laying on the Shogun's lap, as Baal tried to wake the General by poking her cheek continuously.

"Ah, finally." Ei pulled away her hand, a flicker of electro flying out of it. "My healing is not as advanced compared to… Other Gods. Nevertheless, I managed to balance the humours. How do you feel?"

Sara didn't answer straight away. She touched her cheek, before noticing her ability to move both her arms. Breathing was easy, her ribs seemed perfectly fine. And the lethargy that had taken hold of her body seemed gone as well.

But that wasn't what had completely overloaded her mind.

She looked at the Shogun's aloof expression one last time before swiftly rolling away from her lap. Her body suddenly splashed against a body of water, causing her to discover her location. The Kujou family's bathhouse, supplied by the waters of Tenshukaku itself. As a child, she had been many times there. It was composed of a big pool of cold water, and a few smaller baths of hot water. It wasn't too big, but it was isolated.

"Please do not leave the pool. Your body is experiencing high doses of electro energy circulating through the water." Ei explained as Sara remerged from the water, gasping for air. "I didn't mean to frighten you, I'm sorry."

"Y-Your Highness!" Sara watched the Shogun's wet clothes and then looked at her own, half-naked body. She hid in the water while trying to cover her dignity.

"Oh, my clothes. Yes, I didn't see any reason to undress." Ei answered, a bit puzzled by Sara's embarrassment. "It's nothing I haven't seen before, you shouldn't be ashamed."

"I'm… I'm not," Sara muttered before realising the absurdity of the situation. "The… The anemo swordsman. I captured him, and… We were attacked…"

"Calm down, you are still severely fatigued. I could only aid your recovery, not heal you completely." Ei got up from the water, unbothered by the wetness. "Do you know why you almost died, Sara?"

The Tengu paused and shook her head.

"When I told you to not isolate yourself, it was to prevent this very same thing from happening. Putting your life in line to fuel a power you do not understand."

The Shogun walked out of the pool, leaving a trail of water behind. In the walls of the room, there was a small bench with clothes on top of it, along with a small object wrapped in leather. She took it by the corner, her eyes not hiding the disgust she felt.

"Why," Ei turned to Sara, who could only hide more as the Shogun's wide eyes showed nothing but disdain. "Do you have this?"

In her hand was the sword hilt weapon Sara had used against the three men in Hanamizaka. Seeing the Shogun's averse reaction, she stood up from the water and swallowed hard. Her mind raced for an answer that seemed obvious to her.

"You… entrusted it to me," Sara answered, unsure of what the Shogun truly wanted to hear.

Ei looked at the item in her hands before looking back at the General. She then glanced to the side, before fully realising what it meant. Ei explored every memory of the past few weeks but saw no recollection of ever giving that order to the Puppet. The only broad order she had given was to 'Aid General Kujou's training', but perhaps her wording may have been too vague. No, that was not possible. For Sara to have that item, it had to come directly from the Shogun.

But the Puppet couldn't act without Ei's consent. A loophole in the programming, perhaps? It could be possible that when she ordered the Puppet to train Sara, she religiously took that order to the most warped conclusions. To make her stronger, the Puppet gave her a most powerful weapon. But did that make sense? Ei would have to ask directly to the Puppet, and now that was not the time.

"I see," After what seemed like an eternity, she blinked again. "Do you know what the use of this weapon entails? The anemo that swells within this hilt allows it to shapeshift into any kind of weapon." A hilt transformed into a sword before it changed into a spear. Electro energy dispelled it. "I can use it without any danger."

But for a mortal to use it, it was irresponsible and hazardous. And she had been the one to give it to her most trusted General. She wanted to say that, but couldn't contradict her actions.

"I understand. It was foolish for me to rely only on my strength. Had I used my men, I would not have been…"

Ei shook her head. She understood that Sara couldn't know why she was so upset. She glanced at the leather-bound sword-hilt. "This hilt represents that which is endangering Inazuma's eternity. I will tell you what this weapon is, but this story cannot leave these four walls."

Natlan's beaches were composed of black rough sand and small green gemstones, caged by tall volcanic cliffs that made it almost impossible for any normal person to climb them down. Even if someone managed, it was uncomfortable to walk through. Though far away from Natlan's volcanoes, a lingering unpleasant smell of sulphur permeated the ambience. And in that difficult terrain, Dvalin landed on its shores.

"We're here!" Venti jumped off his friend only to be pulled towards Ei almost immediately. The contact immediately shocked Venti. "Ow!"

"Stop doing that." Carrying him like a bride, she descended towards the beach and released him to the ground. "Thank you, Dvalin of the Four Winds. You're quite a quite pleasant dragon and an even better conversationalist."

"I should be the one thanking you, Baal. The thunder of your very being reminds me of my inception, a memory forgotten to me." Dvalin bowed his head, and Ei caressed it slightly.

"Ehem! Don't go too far away, just in case. It's one of those scenarios, friend." Venti recapped him while grabbing Ei's shoulder to pull her away.

"Very well. Enjoy your honeymoon." Dvalin quickly took flight, flying near the sea before disappearing in the distance.

"…Honeymoon?" Ei muttered, glancing at Venti.

"Look, he's pretty bad with jokes." He dismissed her question. "Come on, follow me."

"No. Why are we here?" She didn't budge from the spot, making Venti unable to go much further.

"Because you owe me one. If it wasn't for me, we'd be spending five years in a Liyue prison. Seriously, the man was just trying to reward us for helping him."

"I thought he was going to attack us. Feigning weakness is quite the normal tactic before launching an ambush… I didn't know mora was exchanged for services." Ei sheepishly admitted but was quick to remind him. "We shouldn't barge into another Archon's land without asking permission."

"Sure. But it's Murata. And I don't like her which gives me a blank check." Venti approached the black cliffs, feeling the volcanic rock in search of a certain spot. "She treats me like a kid, even though I'm older than her. Know what I mean?"

"No."

Venti turned to Ei, who tilted her head in confusion. "Aren't you… younger than Makoto?"

"Yes."

"Well, but… Okay, fun conversation." He returned to investigate the cliff. "By the way, do you know what conscription is?"

"Of course. I have heard of the Fontainian system to train its citizens. Much more efficient than a simple levy, though my sister has refused to accept it on peacetime…" Ei quickly put two and two together. "Are you using me to force Murata's hand?"

"…Well that didn't last more than two minutes." His hand suddenly pressed against a loose rock, prompting a secret tunnel to open up in front of them. "I've been meaning to make her repeal that crap for over two decades. And we've been together for like two days, and I'm already on edge."

He snapped his fingers, and rushing air started to ventilate the tunnel.

"I don't see how making a citizen apt in warfare is negative."

"Of course you'd say that. It's like, a three-year draft. That's almost half a decade."

"Ah, I see the issue. Two would be more optimal."

"…I'm not going to get into an argument. The issue is that she only did it to mess with me. So now that you're with me, I have the muscle I need to defeat her." With another snap of his fingers, the gale stopped.

"You can't defeat Murata? She's a great fighter, but she's slow on the draw. Even a novice like you should overwhelm her." Ei followed Venti into the dark tunnel.

"No, she… I don't want to fight her." He avoided the topic altogether.

"Don't be a coward."

"It's not that! She just wants me to fight, and I refuse on purely ideological terms that…" Ei's glare made him realise that she wasn't buying the excuse. "We're just complete opposites, okay? And she's way too huggy."

"Is she? I'd say she's rather cold. A pure tactician and strategist, born for battle and war. When she challenged me, she did it purely to test her skills. Her defeat was all but assured."

"You and Morax are the only ones who defeated her, it just means you two are too strong. And old."

"You have roughly the same age. But I suppose it does make sense. Murata is honour-bound, straightforward and dutiful to the end. You, on the other hand, are a deceiving, craven and lazy…" Ei explained before pausing. "We are going to argue if we continue."

"Argh, whatever. Point is, you need to cover me while I talk it out." He sighed. "It's going to take forever if we walk. We'll fly there."

"You're too slow. Give me your hand." Ei took his hand without any permission.

And then, they were suddenly inside the lava chambers of Natlan's tallest volcano. Between pools of lava and broken pillars, somebody was raising columns of lava and cutting them in half. The Pyro Archon, Murata.

An anemo shield quickly wrapped around Ei and Venti to protect them from the unyielding heat.

"Oh?" Even far away, Murata immediately noticed her visitors. "If it isn't little Barbie-boy."

The lava pools suddenly rose and warped, moving between the Archons. It settled, creating a pathway of fire. Ei and Venti barely made a move before Murata used the lava to bridge the gap between them. The Pyro Archon was tall, even more so than Baal, with a muscled and sculpted body. Her long red hair flowed like lava, her hair tips turning into fire.

"I knew you'd appear sooner or later," She smirked with an intensity which decreased as she noticed his companion. "Oh, Baal. I apologise for my lack of formalities." Her snarky tone completely changed into a measured one.

"It is quite alright," Ei answered with her sister's magnanimous voice. "I am simply here to act as a neutral party in your quarrel. Pay me no mind."

"Oi, you traitor…" Venti mumbled. "I mean, yeah! She's here to make sure you don't pull any weird tricks!"

"You're the underhanded midget, not me. Bring your sugar mommy or whoever you want, you still owe me a fight." Murata crossed her muscled arms and glanced at Baal. "Because, er… You have not shown me any will to stand up for the peace of Teyvat. And I won't stop until you do so."

"Eh? Oh, right! And I won't fight you until you stop nagging me like a pest." Venti mimicked her movement, even if she was a head taller than him. "She keeps provoking me, you see?"

"Is that it?" Ei asked, observing their fiery temper. "Barbatos might be an annoying, insolent, childish, little imp, but he's dedicated to the peace and improvement of Teyvat. In his own, warped and incorrect way."

"Gee, don't you have any positive adjectives to define me?" Venti said out loud, sparking a laugh from Murata.

"Isn't it so fun to tease the little wisp? He's always so carefree until you push his little buttons." She roughly patted Venti's head before he stepped away.

"I don't have any buttons to push. I just hate you."

"What's the point of emotions if you don't use them to your advantage? Quite the misplaced emotion, when it can't even aid you." Murata faked a sigh. "As you can see, Baal, he's the one making this difficult for everyone. I simply want to see his dedication to the Seven."

"What about the part you threatened to burn Mondstadt to cinders?" Venti asked with an increasingly annoyed tone.

"Come on, is it really a threat if you don't carry on with it?"

"Yes! Yes, it is! And you didn't do it because I restrained you against Dragonspine." Venti answered while nervously tapping his left foot. "And then you said you'd ready Natlan for an existential fight against the wind."

"Sometimes alcohol makes you say stupid nonsense. It was a tiny joke. Like you! Speaking of which, he's just mad because he lost that drinking contest against me. A little grudge from the midget." Murata crouched to Venti's level and patted his back. "Look how mad he is, isn't he the cutest?"

Ei wiped the sweat from her neck and decided to continue paraphrasing her sister. "Alright, settle down. You two are Archons of Teyvat, being childish is unbecoming of your titles. What do you two want of each other?"

"He just has to admit that he's a lightweight drinker." The Pyro Archon unexpectedly said.

"A-Ah?" Ei let her confusion slip.

"Look, I didn't want to fight, okay? So I said, let's have a drinking duel. And I was already quite drunk, so I overestimated my abilities… I'm not a lightweight!" Venti cleared up, much to Ei's disappointment.

"But… what about the peace and improvement of Teyvat… And conscription…?"

Murata and Venti stared at Ei like she had just uttered complete nonsense.

"I forgot about that detail. So no conscription, was it?" Murata asked Venti nonchalantly. "I don't think I pushed through with it."

"Yeah, well, she wasn't going to come if I told her the truth."

"Whatever rocks your boat, wisp," Murata answered before clearing her throat. "Now, say you are a lightweight!"

"No," Venti replied in a muted tone and cleared his throat. "I mean, no! Give me back the fake vision!"

Murata's hearty laugh resonated through the lava chamber. She rummaged through her belt and pulled out a fake electro vision.

"You see, Baal. This minute twerp lost a pretty nice gift for you. And I'll give it to you when he says the magic words." She dangled the vision in front of him before pulling it away. "Or the little wisp can try and get it after defeating me."

"You know I can just steal it from you, right?" Venti said while unfolding his arms.

"Please, just stop with this nonsense." Ei pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "I can understand Barbatos being an annoying imp. But I don't understand why you're acting like this, Murata. You're usually so proud and well-mannered."

"Job's a job. What's the point of living if you can't enjoy the heat of battle?" Murata threw the vision up in the air before catching it again. "Little Barbie likes to be the underdog, while I enjoy a battle that I can't win through sheer strength. Perfect foils, are we?"

"We're not and don't call me that," Venti answered while pointing aggressively.

"This cycle will end someday." Murata continued, this time more serious. "Us Archons will all die in a magnificent war of annihilation. My predecessor did not understand this and sunk into the deepest abyss of despair. In the face of desperation, I turned it into power and came out on top. So what's the point in holding back and being bound to petty formalities? Just do as much as you can to the best of your abilities." She turned to Venti. "When faced against hopelessness, some slowly wither." Murata pursed her lips before facing Baal. "And others, simply withstand it until they unexpectedly break."

Venti twisted his lips. "We're not here for a heart-to-heart, Murata."

"She makes a good point. I suppose the weight I burden has dulled me. This year might be the only chance I get to unwind by doing what I enjoy." Ei thought out loud. She raised her hand and used her powers to forcibly take the vision out of Murata's grasp. "A pleasure, but I don't want to be here."

"I apologise again. I never thought he'd have the guts to force you here." Murata said, crossing her arms. "And you, little wisp. If you want to see me so badly, you can try the front door next time."

Venti faked a laugh, walking back towards Ei.

"Ah, little puny wisp. Where are you going? If I recall, I said you need to ask nicely if you wanted back the vision?" She approached Venti slowly. "Or maybe you want to finally fight me?"

"Apologise or admit your shortcomings already, Venti. I am sick of this heat." Ei pushed him forward.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, the bard simply did what he knew best. "Fine, whatever. I'll give you your stupid fight. But give me a year until…"

He jerked to the side, as pressurised wind impacted Murata head-on. Although caught unaware, her feet anchored into the bedrock below them and resisted being blown away.

"Let's go, let's go now!" Venti pushed Ei away from the raging gale, only to realise that there wasn't any path behind them. "Where's the exit?!"

"Oh. On the other side of the cave. I wanted her to see us first." Ei said before pointing at Murata. "Aren't you fighting her?"

"It was a lie! How do you want me to fight her while we can't move away from each other?! Get me out of here before she…!"

Waves of lava crashed against the surging winds of Barbatos, who was barely able to react in time. He was about to make contact with Ei when Murata cut through his barrier. He dodged to the best of his ability, his fingers grazing the Pyro Archon's hair before he suddenly found himself on the beach they landed on.

"You are welcome." Ei took a deep breath of air, stopping shortly after smelling the sulphur.

"Yeah, thanks." He looked at his left hand, only to find it on fire. "Uh oh."

"Aren't Murata's flames eternal?" Ei pointed out. "They'll spread until your whole body is but a cinder."

"OKAY, CUT MY HAND RIGHT NOW!" Venti yelled as he raised his left arm away from his body.

Ei shrugged, summoning her Naginata and severing the hand in one swing. Venti just continued yelling.

"BUT GIVE ME A WARNING!" Anemo quickly pressed against the open wound, stopping the bleeding. "I hate that woman, I hate that woman!"

"You two seemed to enjoy the bickering," Ei observed the cut hand burning to the bone.

"Ha-ha!" He faked a laugh. "Take my hand, I'll just use my gnosis and heal this in a moment."

She glanced at Venti before locking hands with him.

"…I mean the severed one." Venti used his powers to create an anemo hand. "Do you want this place to become an eternal hurricane?"

"Oh. Sorry."

She backed away. Ei observed the burning hand, noticing that the temperature was actually rising instead of cooling down. In fact, while the flesh had burned, the bones seemed to be liquefying instead of charring. As if they were metallic instead of organic.

"You two said to do what I like, right?" Ei said, her eyes still analysing the pile of bones. "I want to try something with your bones."

"I, uh… Okay, go ahead. Just try to not release the energy within them." Venti focused on restoring his missing limb, before turning to Ei while barely holding a hand. "Do you need a hand?"

"I don't, thank you."

As Venti tried to explain his joke, spears of electro separated each phalanx from whatever charred remains of flesh remained. Then, the ever-burning and liquefying bones of Barbatos were lifted by Ei's power, taking a formless shape. Immediately, however, the innate anemo properties reacted to her powers.

"Let me," Venti used his remaining hand to lift the bones. "I'll have you know this is really weird. Like, selling my breath kind of weird."

"Not much material to work with... And I doubt you'll lend more bones." Ei quickly analysed the amount of liquid bone. "A dagger would more than likely shatter. A spear point, perhaps? Same issue."

"Aren't bones used for decoration anyways, what are you even trying?"

Venti's question was met by a glare from Ei. He expected an argument, but she nodded along.

"Yes, you're right. I have something in mind, but the issue will be sealing the anemo inside the soon-to-be weapon. The energy they're leaking is not negative like a tatarigami, but it's not wholly positive either. An alloy of some kind might be possible, but it wouldn't fix the issue of leaking energy. I need to test this resulting metal first…"

Ei trailed off as she noticed Venti staring at her with a wry face.

"You know, if I wasn't dying of pain at this very moment, I'd say you're pretty cool. I didn't know you liked anything besides fighting." Venti's left hand was a mess of anemo and actual flesh. "So you know what? I'll lend you a hand." He blinked and leaned lightly against Ei. "Please get it?"

"I got it the first time," Ei admitted with a slight smile. "It just wasn't funny."

"Yeah, it wasn't very humerus."

"Stop it." She turned to the mass of floating liquid. "We need a crucible, let's get going. Natlan is the best place to mould your bones into an actual weapon."

"Oh, one thing first." Venti approached Ei and took the fake electro vision. He looked around her clothing, before pinning it on her obi. "Now you can use your powers without any suspicion."

She knew that this electro vision wasn't meant for her. Barbatos wished to gift it to her sister. But regardless, she couldn't help to feel kind of grateful that, at the very least, he wasn't treating her like an added weight.

"Thank you. Is your hand going to be alright?"

"Well, it won't last if someone hits me hard enough." His left hand started to resemble a healthy limb. "But I can play the lyre, so who cares if it's a replacement."

"A replacement like me," Ei concluded.

"Fingers… of Barbatos?" Sara said in disbelief.

"A most peculiar phenomenon occurs with the remains of Gods. Like the Serpent God's Tatarigami, they curse the land. But with a still living God, one out of two things happen. Either they absorb back their energy, or they make a conscious effort to maintain it. Barbatos and I figured out a way to seal and unseal his bones at will. That is how we created this."

Ei removed the leather wraps of the sword hilt, revealing a marble-like structure decorated with reliefs of feathers and a Mitsudomoe decorating the top and bottom.

"I reckon it will someday run out of energy. There's only one of its kind, and I doubt Barbatos will ever lose a hand again." Ei looked at Sara again. "Your enhanced strength and speed were unexpected. Without my intervention, the single use of this weapon would have drained your life force and killed you."

"Had I used this weapon against the Cryo user, I would have captured all four vision users. But… I merely wished to accomplish your orders." Sara shivered from her wet skin. "You are all I have left."

"Dry yourself and get dressed." The electro in the pool was absorbed by Ei. "Your brother, the next head of the Kujou Clan, called for the best doctors of Narukami island to save you. Even if you forsake them, they haven't abandoned you."

Sara waded through the pool and got out without saying a word. She tried to ignore the Shogun's aloof glare as she dressed up without drying. Then, she decided to ask. "What have I done to deserve your help?"

Ei's eyes softened. "You remind me of myself."

"M-My Shogun!" Sara noticed something on Ei's face and rushed at her with a towel. "Your nose is bleeding!"

Ei touched her nose and felt the warm liquid immediately. She stared at her bloody fingers in disbelief before dismissing any help from Sara. It was all she needed to realise the searing headache that had been afflicting her for a few days.

"Oh, it's fine. Side effects from the healing session." She quickly made up a lie. "There's one more thing I wish to ask. How did you know Anemo Swordsman's location?" The Shogun unexpectedly asked, not looking at Sara.

The Tengu General immediately hardened her expression. "A diplomat from Snezhnaya gave us the tip. We confirmed it before doing anything else."

"And can you tell me why a diplomat from Snezhnaya has better information than we do, General Kujou?" The Shogun's irritation was clear. "I was willing to admit Main Gate's attack as a lapse in our defence, but this I cannot tolerate." The static electricity in the room became quite obvious even for the guards outside it. "To be humiliated like this… It is quite obvious my reforms cannot be restricted to the Tenryou Commission. Once I'm done with the Army, I will need to probe Hiiragi Shinsuke and his diplomatic core. He must once again prove his loyalty."

"My Shogun," Sara tried to get closer again, but Ei took a step back. "You're taking too many responsibilities. The war must be won before you endeavour yourself into such campaigns."

"If she could do it, then I…" Ei wiped her nose. "Let's review the situation of our troops in Kannazuka. That will force you to stay down and rest."

"Very well. I will wait patiently for your next mission." Sara bowed slightly, her wet hair getting in the way. She brushed it aside. "May I visit my… brother before we depart?"

"Go ahead. I will send a messenger to Ritou and fetch the Commissioner. After that, we'll focus on the war. You can stay with me for the night."

"V-Very well, My Shogun." Sara bowed more deeply, trying to hide her embarrassment. And then, she escaped the baths before the Shogun could see her.

However, Ei didn't move, choosing to hide her face behind her two hands as she tried to forget the days of the past.

Nazuchi beach, between Yashiori and Kannazuka, had been a heavily fortified chokepoint in the war between the rebels of Watatsumi and the Shogun's army. Controlled by Shogunate forces, it was a glorified customs check, with two watchtowers and wooden walls reaching the sea. Even then, the Shogunate had sent its best troops to defend the strategic point as it built up an army. The rebels were highly motivated, and armed with weaponry from Fort Fujitou, but lacked any heavy equipment to deal with the defences of the chokepoint.

"And that's why those traitors aren't gonna get through." A veteran soldier explained to his buddy. "The navy's got them tied down as well, and they're not pulling another surprise attack."

"Eh, fair enough. Think the Shogun will take charge? I heard the Captain talk about her sounding pretty pissed off at the execution. She could just split Yashiori island again and save us the trouble." His younger friend answered while fixing his helmet. "Man, I want to take this shit off already. It's too damn hot here."

"The Almighty Shogun doesn't need to stain her hands with their blood. And for the last time, the Captain's going to cut your head off if he sees you without the armour. Protocols exist for a reason. The guy's rough, but he's defended the pass pretty well. Hell, I haven't seen the rebels even coming close with him in charge."

"Yeah, which is why I should be able to take it off without any issue. Who's going to hit me anyway? An anemo slime?"

They started moving off the fortified checkpoint towards Kannazuka. It was a technically secure path, but nobody knew if there were infiltrators behind the lines. Patrolling it, even lightly, was enough to deter most troublemakers.

As the sand gave way to solid ground, however, they spotted a lone vagrant. The wanderer seemed wounded, clutching at his chest and limping his way into the beach. His clothes were ragged, and he seemed to be dragging a sword.

"You think he's one of ours?" The younger soldier asked, still far away from the odd figure.

"…No."

The Wanderer's eyes shot up, immediately spotting the two soldiers. He gritted his teeth, raising the sword before anemo energy surged around his body. The dash placed him immediately in front of the two soldiers. The Wanderer raised his sword but decided to knock out the older soldier. The inexperienced soldier was next, striking him in the head with the sword. The hit was lessened by the helmet and the Vagrant's own weakness, but it was enough to keep him down.

"An old man and a young kid… can't stop a God like me…" The Wanderer babbled, his breathing quick and shallow. "Damn you, Barbatos."

Black sludge and liquefied electro oozed from his chest injury, smelling of rot and disease. Scaramouche knew that he was very clear on the path of dying. The wound delivered by Barbatos was completely different from any other. His body… just wasn't healing.

He knew exactly why that was. Barbatos wanted him to ask for help. To lower himself to a mere fawn surrounded by hunters, and guess who had the most compassion. Barbatos was a fool if he believed Scaramouche would do that. The Vagrant himself believed it too, until the third day when the wound became increasingly deep and began affecting his innate electro power.

The sound of metal moving made him turn back. It seemed the young soldier was still completely conscious, even if rattled.

"You got lucky with that helmet," Scaramouche muttered, his sword arm lowering to the ground from lack of strength. "Being wary of rules… is natural. But being free doesn't mean being boundless."

The Wanderer hobbled his way away from the soldiers and towards the checkpoint. Beyond it was Resistance territory… If the Sangonomiya Shrine didn't have anyone capable of healing him, he was done for. But it was his only bet. And he was aware of one quick and easy way of gaining the confidence of the rebels.

Air swirled around him as he had already decided what to do with the Shogunate's subordinates and their great chokepoint.