Kujou Sara limped through the storm that engulfed Tenshukaku. What had been so filled with activity was now dead quiet. She had tried to follow the escapees and was stopped by that electro barrier. And now after hours without sleep while constantly fighting and exerting herself was getting to her.
She made her way towards the main keep, hoping that the clashes she had heard hadn't hurt the Shogun in any way. The main keep itself had a few wide holes, and all roof tiles had been displaced by the wind. The damage was minimal, however.
"My… My Shogun!"
Standing in the middle of the court, the Shogun seemed mostly unharmed as she observed the puddles being formed on the ground.
The Shogun looked at the ground for a few more moments, before realising that no order would come. She looked at the General and forced herself to answer. "Bring me Kaedahara."
"Kaedahara… He escaped." Sara admitted, observing the Shogun's vacant expression. "He was broken out by—"
"You failed again. Is that what you are telling me, General?"
"It was a planned assault. I was focused on th—" The Shogun, again, cut her off.
"So you did fail. I am surrounded by incompetence everywhere. And did you capture the Masked Woman?"
"…No."
The Shogun clicked her tongue, pushing past the General. "To think that I once respected you. What a foolish mistake that was. I will comb through the City. Reorganise Tenshukaku's defences and travel to Kannazuka. You're not coming back to Narukami until you defeat the Watatsumi rebels."
"…Yes, my Shogun."
Sara didn't even get to say anything as the Shogun calmly walked through the yard, observing the whole palace as if she had never seen it before. Her odd curiosity heavily contrasted with the downtrodden General, who merely walked towards the main keep and sat down on its steps. The thoughts of failure festered on her mind, leaving her unable to rest her body.
Perhaps, she thought, she should have gone to Ritou. If the Fatui had come to Tenshukaku instead of her, then the Shogun wouldn't have forgiven him. Then, she wouldn't have lost the hard-gained trust of the Shogun.
She had also forsaken one other possibility.
With a heavy heart, she unwrapped the anemo weapon in her belt. If only she had used the bladeless hilt, maybe she could have withstood the decay it inflicted upon her body for long enough. And then the Shogun… No, she might not have cared either way. Thinking the Shogun liked her in some way had been wishful thinking.
A breeze of air carrying a dead leaf struck her face. She wiped it off and looked at it as water cusped on her hands. It was full of mud and the leaf continuously spun on the water. Lightning reflected on the water, hiding how the mud instantly dissolved on it. Then, the thunderclap arrived and forced the General to her feet.
Sara looked around, a sharp pain making her drop the anemo hilt to the ground. It bounced once before it started floating, electro energy surrounding momentarily before it changed shapes.
There was nobody around but herself and the storm above.
This had to be a message from the Almighty Shogun.
Shining brightly, the weapon adopted a familiar form.
"Musou Isshin…?" The General observed the mimicked sword before her eyes drifted to the skies as lightning jumped from cloud to cloud. "Is something wrong, My Shogun…? What do you need from me?"
The replica of the Musou Isshin danced in the air. Then, it flew towards her hands, forcing her to grab it. She dropped it to the ground in fright, not wanting to hold it for long. But the message was clear.
"…I understand."
The Shogun, for some unknown reason, wanted her to retrieve Musou Isshin. Was the Almighty unable to use it? Did it break in her fight? Why didn't she give it to her before?
Those were the questions a normal person would ask. But Sara was the most devoted believer of the Shogun. This Divine Message had been delivered to her secretly for a reason. If that was the case, it was a most important mission from Her Highness. One she had to obey above all other orders.
The only question she had was one. How? This was a test to gain her trust back, right? Then she had to try her best.
However… If this was a test, why didn't she just tell her before? Why did it have to be a secret? There had to be a reason she didn't understand.
Whatever the case, she wouldn't follow her previous orders. She wouldn't go to Kannazuka or reorganise Tenshukaku. This new missing had priority, above any other.
Wrapping the shapeshifting weapon into the leather, she fixed her belt. Her joints ached, her muscled were on the brink of collapsing and even her wings were exhausted. Despite everything, she had to push through. The Shogun was frighteningly fast, and even a few minutes of a headstart would cripple any chance of finding her.
She strode across Tenshukaku, hobbling every few steps. The rain was cold, and it sapped whatever energy Sara had left. It only reminded her of the day she gained her vision, when she was falling through the skies only to be saved by the Almighty Shogun. Just like then, she had to find the will to continue.
Crossing the gates, she observed the lightning jumping across the rainclouds above the City. Was any of those the Shogun? She looked around, trying to find where her Archon could have gone now.
An idea crossed her mind. She took the anemo weapon again.
"My Shogun, where have you gone?" Even in its wraps, the anemo hilt floated and spun around. Then, it pointed northwest. "Are you… alright?"
It didn't move. Sara guessed that a simple stick wouldn't be able to convey an answer. Regardless, she holstered the hilt again and started moving.
Leaving Tenshukaku behind, she stopped right beside Kujou Estate. There was activity in the mansion, but she couldn't help at the moment. She limped towards the bridge connecting Tenshukaku with Tenryou, where soldiers were blocking the path.
"General Kujou, what's the situation? Is the enemy subdued?"
She didn't know at all. "Everything's under control. I must rendezvous with the Shogun. Where is she?"
"I saw Her Excellency observing Tenryou district just now." The soldier looked back, though there was no Shogun in the skies. "Two enemies fled into the city, or they've perhaps already left it. But one of them was seen in Kujou Estate."
That would do.
The General turned, but the soldier had something more to say. "The Yashiro Commissioner arrived a few minutes ago. He also wanted to speak with the Shogun."
"Very well. Maintain your positions."
What did the Kamisato kid want now? For him to be here, he had to have arrived before the attack even happened. Did he have an audience scheduled? Or… did he perhaps know that an attack would happen today?
Again, Sara tried her best to run towards Kujou Estate. Yet, even in her utmost haste, her body couldn't keep up. She was wasting precious time. At this rate, she would collapse before she could accomplish anything.
A group of soldiers left Kujou Estate, passing by the General with weary expressions. They rushed back to Tenshukaku, weapons ready. Below the gate of the Estate, a dignified figure under an umbrella waved at her.
"Good morning, General. If this can be called a 'good' morning." Ayato greeted Sara, his umbrella remaining still in his hand. "Are you injured?"
"Why are you here?" She asked without thinking.
"Always straight to the point. I spent the night in the City, of course. This is a troubling time, I cannot stay so far away from the centre of power. Besides, I heard the commotion and rushed over. Sadly, some sort of barrier stopped me." Ayato turned towards the city. "I heard the battle. The Shogun is quite… bellicose. I had to tell her the whereabouts of certain rebels, or she was about to execute me on the spot."
"How do you know that?"
"I don't. I lied." He bluntly admitted. "She wouldn't take no for an answer. And I needed her out of Tenshukaku because..."
A burly figure quickly ran out of Kujou Estate. "Cause my Bro Ayato knows what would happen to the Raiden Shogun if she messed with the GREAT Arataki Itto!"
"Quite," Ayato muttered, observing Sara's baffled expression.
"Do you always help delinquents carrying unconscious children on their shoulders?" Sara asked, pointing at the girl on Itto's shoulder.
"Hey! This is…" Itto looked at Sayu, who peacefully slept on his shoulder. "Uh… Well, I dunno who she is. But she's a friend of a friend! She didn't try to kill me either. And you, chicken! Your pal almost cut my head off! I was being attacked tele…telekinetic? Uh, sure, telekinetically attacked! And I almost died if it wasn't for the owl creep."
"He means telepathically. And it's mind control." Ayato turned to the passive General. "Are you not… going to brand us as traitors?"
"I have a more important mission at the moment." She answered the truth, though it only troubled the Commissioner even more.
He handed her a piece of broken paper emanating ominous magic. "Do you know what this is, General?"
The compliance shown by the Tengu General was something Ayato wasn't expecting. But as she eyed the seal, he knew this was his only chance.
"I'm not one for petty questions, Commissioner. Tell me what it is."
"I know!" Itto interjected. "It controls minds, that much I know. Cause I had one in my throat, much like the squirrel. Luckily, Onis don't have a gag reflex so I could get it out in no time!"
Ayato hid a giggle behind his hand. "Regardless of… Youkai Biology, this seal controls people's wills. And the attack of today, like those of days prior, was probably related to this. This is only a trigger, however. Someone has to be behind, pulling the strings."
Sara ran her hand through her hair, a dull pain appearing throughout her whole body. "You say Kazemaru saved you?" She turned to Itto.
"Well, saved is relative! I could have done it on my own, but the guy helped. Very creepy little guy. Funny, though."
"Kazemaru is Barbatos." Sara confessed, thinking out loud.
"Barbie-who?"
"The Anemo Archon." Ayato cleared up, not hiding the fact that he knew as well. "General, you travel to Grand Narukami Shrine every week. Did Lady Guuji say anything? Whatever it is, it might help."
"No…"
Averting her eyes, Sara looked northwest. The orders to retrieve Musou Isshin, the Shogun's actions and these underhanded events… Could it be related? The doubt haunting her mind grew more and more.
"Yashiro Commissioner… Do you believe the Almighty Shogun could be controlled? No petty seal or magic could do that. Nobody has approached the Shogun besides you Tri-Commissioners in centuries."
Ayato seemed surprised at the suggestion. "I am… not implying the Shogun is being controlled with these seals. But I do believe they are being used to influence Inazuman politics." He paused for a moment and analysed her solemn expression. "But your idea raises an uneasy situation. You are closest to the Shogun. If there's even the slightest hint of doubt in your mind, please tell us."
The General looked at Ayato and then at Itto. She thought of all the conversations she once had with the Shogun. All the times she acted kind to her. All the moments where she felt cold and distant. And those times when she was strict and respectful.
"I don't know. Everyone acts differently in private and in public. That's no reason to believe she's being controlled based on that fact. Yet…"
"So you are saying the Shogun is still a normal person?" Ayato pressed.
"No, I… She's only nice to me." She blurted out without thinking. "The Shogun told me that I reminded her of herself. So I thought she opened up to me. I was just mistaken."
"So the Raiden Shogun is a stubborn woman? We're four different flavours of screwed then." Itto's comment only ticked off Sara even more. "If she decides to off us, we're dead before we know it."
Another lightning tore through Inazuma City, captivating the attention of everyone.
"If there's anyone who can make the Shogun see reason, it's you. You're the only one she has been close to in centuries." Ayato didn't avert his eyes from the city. "I've already sent messengers to Lady Guuji as well. From our last meeting, I gathered she knew more than she let on."
"I have my reasons to meet the Shogun again," Sara said, considering but deciding against telling them of her secret mission. "She was going to tell me what my late father confessed after I captured Kaedahara. But I was injured, and I never got the chance again." Then, she suddenly realised something. "Why is this idiot here?"
"Hey!" Itto pointed at her. "You already know that I was helping my bros! Besides, Shinobu was fuming when I ran away with the gang so I rather not return now."
"All visions have been returned thanks to that troublesome God's meddling. That woman, Shinobu, can heal, can't she? I need her right now." Sara took Itto's accusing finger and twisted it. "Bring me to her."
"Okay, okay! Why do I feel like I'm being used like a mule?!"
"I will follow the Shogun," Ayato said, patting Itto's shoulder. "I trust Shinobu can heal her as well?"
"Probably, yeah." Itto pulled back his hand, glancing at Sayu. "But, you, Kujou. Kazuha deserves an apology! You stabbed him didn't you?"
"I won't apologise until the Shogun clears his record."
"Okay, well, then I deserve an apology! At least for not believing me in our last meeting. And also, uh, sorry for probably breaking your ribs."
"As if that kick did anything to me." She answered. "You were not conspiring with that Woman, then?"
"' Course not! That wraith is on my shitlist. Well, and on Tomo's and Kazubro's. They have been after her since she appeared." Itto rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
Sara ignored the comment and looked at the smiling Commissioner. The Vision Hunt Decree didn't matter anymore. The Shogun had sent her a mission for a reason, and that meant it had to be the top priority. If it meant that her saviour was in trouble, then…
"I will save the Shogun. You two better back me up."
Confusion, panic, fear.
Ritou had suffered a lot in but a week. Yet, the riots couldn't compare to the sudden madness that had taken hold of its inhabitants.
Jean and her entourage were caught in the main plaza of Ritou when it all happened. A rainstorm had suddenly appeared above the island, with thunder and lightning becoming the only source of light besides a tenuous sun behind the clouds. And then a boomy, resonant sound of a drum awoke the whole town. And though it was not immediate, everyone noticed something was inherently wrong. It was then that the madness took hold.
"Protect the Shogun against the invader!"
One or two people suddenly attacked the Knights of Favonius before the assailants were subdued. A few seconds later, someone else did the same. And then, a mob suddenly formed.
Those citizens that were caught in the middle chose to wisely flee, though where they didn't know. These sudden rioters attacked anyone in sight.
And seeing the sudden chaos, Jean realised that the barebones garrison of Ritou wouldn't be able to do anything against it.
"Lead those unaffected to the harbour!"
In the middle of the hand-to-hand combat, Shogunate soldiers approached the Master of Knights. She prepared herself for a fight that never came.
"Let us help!"
"Secure the plaza and this main street. Don't let people leave their homes and direct those to the safe haven of the harbour."
Counting the garrison, Jean had control of around thirty soldiers to secure a town with fifteen times that population.
It was enough to push any rioter out of the square. Hopefully, those who were sane would return to their homes or flee to the harbour. Those who weren't, as long as they weren't armed, could be restrained out of the main street of the city for backup to arrive.
She jumped up on an empty bench and tried to assess the situation. There were alleys leading to the square, currently blocked by a few soldiers containing a similar amount of rioters each. The issue at the moment was the main street. Soldiers had thrown together a quick barricade from the debris of the first riot. If the mob kept growing, however, it wouldn't keep up.
"Master of Knights, what's going on?" Jean jumped down the bench as a familiar figure approached her.
"Ah, Thoma, right? You should evacuate to the harbour as well."
Thoma ruffled his hair, pushing his headband back into place. "The Captain of the Alcor has got that place locked down. Have you seen Mona around? People have gone crazy and she suddenly disappeared."
Jean shook her head. "I have not."
"Something happened to her, I can't find her in this chaos." He presented the astrologer's witch hat. "Can you give her this if you find her?"
"I'll try to." Even in foreign lands, she couldn't escape these tasks. "You should know the Shogun will no longer try to hunt you down. We reached a deal regarding Mondstadt." Jean shifted uneasily at her own mention of the Shogun. "If the Kamisato Clan still have the honour to retain their visions, you should be free to walk around."
"Oh, that's… good. It doesn't help much in this situation but good!" Thoma looked around the plaza, spotting a spear. "Mind if I take that? I might be able to send a message to Inazuma City for help. And I rather not get jumped."
Jean didn't think about it. "Please do."
Another drumbeat resonated through the town as Thoma left the square through the back alleys, leaving Jean to focus on her evacuation efforts.
She directed a few other soldiers when another voice called her out.
"Master Jean!" Mona limped towards the Knight, shielding her eyes from the rain.
"Megistus, you're injured." Jean quickly approached her, taking her towards an empty bench. "Were you attacked as well?"
"A couple of people did, but… I broke my ankle in an unrelated incident. What's going on?"
Jean didn't answer straight away. Instead, she used her Dandelion breeze to, at the very least, stop her pain. "The broken bones won't be completely healed. You should be able to walk, but don't force it. Go to the docks." Jean turned around observing the mostly pacified square. "We don't know what happened. Half the town seems to have lost their minds. I've reluctantly taken charge until a proper force arrives."
"And… And do you know where Thoma is? Is he alright?" Mona asked, watching how the inflammation in her ankle slowly subsided.
"You just missed him. He volunteered himself to request backup just a few minutes ago. Oh, that reminds me." Jean turned to the tree in the middle of the plaza where a certain witch hat laid. "You must have missed this."
"Oh…! Thank you!" Mona immediately seized it and put it on her hat. "I can assist if…"
Mona stood up, glancing around the square. Besides the combination of Knights and Shogunate soldiers containing the streets, the square was relatively empty. She summoned her scryglass. Jean's senses sparked up as well, as she unsheathed her sword and joined her efforts.
"Well, the surprise's spoiled." Jumping off a roof, a Fatui Harbinger landed a few metres away from the two women.
Even under the downpour, Mona saw his intentions clearly. "Fatui…! We have to go!"
Jean, however, didn't follow through. "Are you behind this?"
"I take offence to that. Just because I'm part of the Fatui means I'm doing this? I would rather not endanger the common folk unless I'm given no choice. And I still have plenty. So no, I don't have anything to do with this." The Fatui man bowed slightly. "Since I know you, Master of Knights Jean, then it's only fair I give you a name as well. I'm the Eleventh of the Fatui Harbingers, Childe. Currently employed by the Almighty Shogun." He tensed his posture as he turned his head towards Mona. "You're that mage who ruined everything, aren't you? Pleased to meet you too, big fan."
"…Why do you know me?" Mona reluctantly asked. "And what do you mean by that?"
"I'm just following the cliché of the femme fatale. You faced the Balladeer, didn't you? And because of that, he did something stupid in that boat and ended up dead." Childe laughed momentarily before frowning. "Sorry, sorry. Not your fault. That midget was always the type to choke when faced with someone bigger than him." He stretched his arms. "Mind if I help with the evacuation? I wouldn't want the Shogun to get uppity with me… Though it would be quite amusing to face her."
Summoning her catalyst, Mona shook her head. "I don't trust any Harbingers. Much less those who plan to stab us in the back."
"Oh, don't boast so much. Because of you and the Anemo Archon, the Balladeer completely busted our plans. He only had to make sure no ships arrived in Inazuma. And not only those privateers have arrived, but the Master of Knights arrived too. Our carefully planned scenario for Baal and Barbatos has been ruined." Childe fixed his posture, swatting away his wet bangs.
"It was a horrible plan if it was derailed with one move." Mona said, paraphrasing Venti.
"Oh, it wasn't derailed. Merely… modified. Think about it. The Great Barbatos and the Second in Command of Mondstadt arrive at Inazuma to extend an olive branch. And then, they are tragically killed in a treacherous incident with Baal. Mondstadt would have to answer or they'd be seen as weaklings who can be pushed around. If they don't, Fontaine would certainly love to get some attention off their great trial and repression. Seeing that, Natlan would throw their army at anything that creaks. With Sumeru and Liyue at each other's throats, Mondstadt and Inazuma were the only ones in relative peace. And with this, the Status Quo would be utterly destroyed. Snezhnaya would be a shining beacon of stability and give a helping hand to those who need it."
Jean steadied her resolve as he said that. "Do you believe Mondstadt would allow the protection of the Tsaritsa? We do not need a Deity. Even if I die, Mondstadt will not rush wildly into chaos and war. And your Archon knows very well we can punch above our weight."
"Out of all Gods you could choose to martyrize, you had to use the most annoying one." Mona added. "That guy is a bad weed that keeps reappearing even if you burn it down."
"I'll keep that in mind. After all, I can't be held responsible for what I don't decide. So let's take a few steps back." Childe summoned his bow. "As I said, I am currently employed by the Shogun. That means that Barbatos' friends are Inazuma's enemies. That means the Mage needs to go."
"You blurted out your whole plan to kill me and you expect me to sit back?" Jean walked forward, getting in front of Mona. "You want this fight, not me."
"Oh? Is Master Jean protecting the traitor? What a shame, I suppose I'll have to fight her too."
A hydro arrow cut through the air and Jean swatted it away with her sword. Mona quickly turned into water to gain some distance as the Master of Knights showed her prowess. Childe could do nothing but block Jean's sudden strike. Blood squirted out of his arm, forcing him to commit to a melee battle.
"As expected from the Grandmaster's greatest student, you went for the kill!"
Childe summoned his water lances and lunged at his enemy. Jean jumped back, forcing him to follow her close by. The moment she parried one of his blades, anemo bursted out from the tip of her sword and pushed him away.
The Master of Knights was good. Varka was considered one of the strongest humans of Teyvat, and her student was no pushover. She had the Harbinger beat on speed and strength, as well as technique. But he had more guts than her. He could taste her uncertainty. It wasn't that she didn't believe in her victory, but she was scared of something else. The Shogun. That uncertainty would be her end, or so he believed.
And besides, he had more than one ace up his sleeve.
Jean's body reacted before her mind did. Electro suddenly bursted out of the Fatui, forcing her to block a thrust headed against her heart. She turned around to find him attacking him once again. This time, she used her dandelion breeze to keep him at bay and gain some breathing room.
Anemo surrounded her sword and it quickly reacted to the rain. Childe didn't let that intimidate him, surging forward once again. The moment he was about to strike again, he felt a spell binding him. He had barely acknowledged Mona when Jean's blade cut through his shoulder and launched him away.
"Was that it?" Mona approached Jean, who stopped her by raising her hand.
"Now that you've shown your hand, he'll target you. He's still holding back."
"But so are you, right?" Mona swallowed hard when Jean didn't answer back. "I… I can take care of myself. Don't let me distract you."
Mona disappeared as Childe got up from the ground, punching his bleeding shoulder back into place.
"Definitely felt that one. I like to take my time fighting one opponent; enjoy it like a fine wine. But if you two ladies want to take me on together, I suppose I'll have to take this seriously. This time, mage, there's no Barbatos to save you."
Inazuma's paths had turned to mud and sticky sand under the intense rainstorm. Anyone who could, sheltered in their homes or nearby buildings while only those desperate to move subjected themselves to the downpour.
Somewhere around Konda Village, a pair of these desperate people ran through the sticky sludge that used to be paths.
"Was that Konda?" Tomo thought out loud, still running as fast as he could. "We haven't run that much!"
"Ritou should be an hour away, but…" Kazuha answered, clutching his stomach. "We'll get there in minutes at this rate."
"Ah, I know why." Tomo pulled out the spherical device from Fontaine. "This object absorbs elemental energy and releases it. It must have absorved Kazemaru's anemo element. Maybe you can charge it up… Heads up!"
Still running, Tomo threw the device towards Kazuha. Though the latter managed to grab it, it bounced on his hand before he could properly secure it. And in an attempt to not let it fall, he tripped.
Tomo stopped running, mud flinging up in the air as he turned towards Kazuha.
"Sorry! Are you fine?" Kazuha stood up, half filled with mud and with the Fontanian device pristine in his hands. "Okay, you didn't need to go overboard, my man. You're still injured."
Tomo took the device, which had now a wide gash through the middle. Perhaps it had broken when Kazemaru threw it to the ground. Energy spilt out of it, turning into particles almost immediately. "I think the casket's loose."
As his friend tried to fix the odd device, Kazuha removed the soot and mud from his clothing. Then, he noticed something was different. The stomach wound didn't hurt anymore. He opened up his coat and pulled aside his kimono. Then, the moment he removed the bandages, there was no wound to be found.
"You had to do that under the rain?" Tomo muttered. "Perhaps… it healed in jail. And you didn't notice."
"No, it was hurting until now." Kazuha pulled the bandages completely, and instead of throwing them away, wrapped them around the broken artefact. It still leaked, yet at a slower rate. "Is this why we're going to Ritou?" Kazuha asked, looking at the endless storm above. "It looks like we don't have much time left. The wind no longer keeps the storm at bay."
"Kazemaru just told me to reach Ritou, whatever happened." He gave the device to Kazuha. "So let's pray that Kazemaru had a plan, and we're not dead men walking. Let's go!"
Tomo started running again, leaving Kazuha with the broken device. He put it in a pocket of his coat and held it tight so it wouldn't move too much as they ran.
Ten minutes later, they were running through the low-tide beach that separated Ritou from Narukami proper. The seas, though low, raged as well as lightning and thunder shook it to its core.
"Listen, Kazuha," Tomo shouted, shielding his eyes from the rain. "If the Shogun's gone manhunter on us for letting you escape, somebody oughta stop her. I remember Kazemaru talking about some Witch that came from the sea. My plan right now is for you to get into whatever boat she came from, and sail to Watatsumi. I'll go back to Inazuma City and try to find the Boss, and if it comes to it…"
"The Shogun will kill you." Kazuha somberly answered. "You know that."
"Always so positive. Listen, someone told me that it's better to live beautifully rather than die beautifully. I thought about it for a while." The beach quickly gave way to a paved path, right outside Ritou. "But if one death can mean that more than one person lives for a better cause, then the sacrifice is worth it."
"What are you talking about?"
Tomo answered, but Kazuha couldn't hear his voice. Every step, the rain and the raging sea. He couldn't hear anything anymore as a raging wind forced him to stop. Even the overwhelming smell of foam and brine also disappeared. He couldn't feel it, but he could hear the dance of the wind once again. Bowed strings, woodwind and percussion. Again, like every time something awful happened.
"It happened again. I heard the music again." Kazuha said, not stopping his sprint.
"What are you… Hey!" Tomo suddenly found himself on the backpedal, as Kazuha's speed suddenly bypassed his own.
The first few buildings of Ritou forced them to stop to a halt. Six residents ambled aimlessly until they saw the two Ronin. And then, the mob suddenly rushed against them.
Keeping his hand on the hilt of his sword, Kazuha jumped on top of one of the assailants and used their shoulders as a platform. He jumped up to an overhang and used his vision to reach the roof. He immediately scouted the city. There were a few clouds of smoke here and there. The dock was five minutes away if he ran. Hiiragi Estate was two minutes away. And Ritou's main plaza was four minutes away. But he wasn't looking for any of them.
The source of the music had to be here. Where did it come from? It had been haunting him for weeks, so how? What was it?
A snowflake landed on his eyebrow. He jumped off the roof as a sudden icicle cut through the rooftops and into the sky. Kazuha landed back on the street, the object on his coat flying away and crashing into the ground.
Kazuha quickly rolled away as the maddened townies leap on him, bumping into Tomo. He kicked away one of the villagers and punched another one before he helped Kazuha up. The four remaining men stopped moving on cue.
As the rain turned to snow, they both looked up at the destroyed roof.
"You!" Tomo switched his stance.
"My, if it isn't the two tools who have outrun their usefulness."
Calmly descending as the rain turned into ice, the Masked Woman laughed in a tempered manner. Her dress was different from the shrouded cloak of their first meeting, longer and white. Her mask seemed half-broken in the snow, her light grey eyes now fully visible.
"I never expected you would leave that putrid jail, but it doesn't matter anymore. You've completed your role perfectly." She mentioned, gesturing to Kazuha, before turning to Tomo. "And you, Ronin? A pleasant surprise, it's good to see you help wounded rats whenever they appear."
"Stop with the magnanimous talk, witch." Tomo seized the initiative from Kazuha. "We know your deal! You're controlling these people and killing dozens with your attacks. And for what? To hold Mondstadt responsible?"
"You understand nothing." She answered while summoning her catalyst. "Rotten vagabonds such as yourselves won't understand what is at stake."
"I know much more than you think." Tomo retorted, prompting a frown from her. "Kazemaru—"
"Oh? Does my dear Barbatos even know who I am? What he ran away from?" The Masked Woman smiled at Tomo's surprise. "He didn't even tell you who he really was, did he? Don't you know who you've been aiding? Adorable. Like always, that mockery of a God does nothing but follow its desires, leaving all to die from his selfishness."
"Don't switch topics." Kazuha moved in front of the fallen artefact. "You're the one controlling and killing people, not him. You are using malevolent powers to enslave people to your will, forcing them to your bidding. Is Barbatos your enemy? Then face him. If vengeance is poisoning your soul, do not let it out against the common folk who have nothing to do with your grudge."
Her expression didn't budge in the slightest. "How was your talk with the Shogun?"
"… What? You did something to me, is that it?" Kazuha asked, remembering Sayu's eternal questions. "What purpose does being interrogated by the Shogun serve?"
"I'm getting tired of your questions. I am not here to explain anything, what buffoon would do that?" She looked at the four men in front of her. "Come on, get them. Defend your Shogun."
Kazuha stepped back, his foot slipping on the broken Fontanian device. A wave of anemo quickly surged, timidly pushing against the falling snow for a second.
"What… what's wrong?" One of the villagers suddenly said.
The four men dizzily looked at each other, before they tried to run away from the snowy scenario.
The Masked Woman blinked, unsure of what happened. She raised her hand, enveloping it in a dark aura and aiming at the group of villagers. Tomo heard a faint drumbeat, while Kazuha covered his ears. Yet, nothing happened.
"What the…?"
Tomo was about to help his friend when they both caught a glimpse of something in the muddy path below. It was shining faintly even through the opaque mud. He crouched down and dug through the mud. The moment his hand touched the object, he pulled back in pain.
"Why do you have that?" Kazuha and Tomo looked back at the Masked Woman, whose eyes went wide. "He shouldn't… He couldn't…!" The snow turned to hail as the temperature dropped, the water in the two Ronin turning to ice.
A flurry of icicles enveloped the skies before they lurched at the Ronin pair. Kazuha quickly grabbed the artefact with its core and jumped away as Tomo destroyed the ice with his electro.
"That complete clown, to give that away!" The ground turned to ice as the Woman jumped down. "Either you give me that artefact, or this whole town will rise in revolt. Do you want your precious Shogun to purge this innocent city?"
Tomo was caught on the ice, but Kazuha used his vision to remain in the air for a few seconds. In that brief period, he noticed something odd in the device. It was actually hollow. The nucleus inside the device was not attached and jumped around with every move. As if someone had cleaned its insides and placed something else inside. It gleamed like a vision too, which added more mystery.
"Looks to me like you've already done that, you psycho witch. You want our device? Come and get it." Electro rushed through Tomo's body, managing to break him off the ice binding him. "I was told that cryo is not your element. If we destroy that pretty catalyst, what will happen, I wonder?"
"Again, talking of what you do not understand. If Barbatos trusted you two so much to give you his gnosis…" The woman said, her smile completely disappearing. "Then I will pry it out of your frozen fingers."
She disappeared on a tower of ice and suddenly appeared in front of the floating Kazuha. Anemo managed to push him away as an ice explosion enveloped her, destroying a nearby house. Tomo jumped in the air, slashing at the sudden ice shield that enveloped her. His blade became infused with electro, making it suddenly loop around the shield and strike the cryo catalyst behind her. The blade, even enhanced, bounced off.
"Shit."
An icicle impacted Tomo's waist, throwing him to the icy ground where he slid until a wall stopped him. Kazuha landed next to him and protected him from the incoming salvo.
"That thing isn't metal, it's even harder." Tomo clutched his stomach, where a red stain began to form and became frozen. "This cold is unbearable."
"Is this all?" The Woman said, landing on the ground. "A sorry excuse of warriors."
Another group of icicles was summoned above their enemy. Kazuha readied himself to use an anemo slash to cut through all attacks, but he knew hitting all of them would be wishful thinking. He managed to cut through the first barrage, unaware that he had only destroyed half of the icicles. When the second barrage was instances away from hitting him, he only felt a light tap on his body. And then, warmth.
A pyro shield surrounded both the downed Tomo and the fighting Kazuha.
"Here's backup!" Somehow managing to smile, Thoma slid through the ground and stopped to help prop up Tomo. "Something very bad is going on in… Oh, Kazuha! Weren't you in jail?"
"I was. I decided I liked it better outside." He answered.
"Cool!"
"No cool." Tomo retorted, walking beside Kazuha. "Listen, that Kazemaru gave us this Device for a reason." He pointed at Kazuha's coat pocket. "We gotta keep it safe. Are you in, Thoma?"
"Well, I certainly can't leave you two on your own." He said, looking at the enemy woman.
Tomo raised his sword. "And that means taking that woman down. She's the one behind everything."
"You give me too much credit." The woman said, crossing her arms. "It was your rotten country which allowed me to act in the first place. I pushed, saw nothing stopping me and pushed until you all fell down the cliff. You two, an exiled noble and a sword-for-hire, are the only ones who have managed to meet me more than twice. And… who is this pyro pest? Not even important enough to remember. Since you've managed to rile me up, perhaps I'll give whoever is alive in the next two minutes an answer."
The trio readied their weapons. It seemed that Barbatos' fight was now their own.
