The salt carried by the sea breeze got stuck on the Wanderer's face. That uneasy feeling of the salt crystals burrowing on his skin was what awoke him from slumber. He was sitting near a beach, leaning against something. The last thing he remembered was that awful pain in his shoulder.

He sat up straight and wiped off the dribble escaping his lips.

The beach had to be somewhere on Watatsumi Island. The first clue was right in front of him. The shoddy docks he could see a few dozen of metres away were a dead giveaway. The saturated air was the second one. The third one, the overwhelming feeling of doom gripping the whole island.

If it wasn't for the impressive-looking ship moored far in the distance, he'd guess the Shogun was massacring the whole of the Sangonomiya Priesthood.

"Are you awake?"

Expecting Barbatos' form greeting him, there was a brief disappointment in seeing the half-dead samurai he encountered in Ritou. Barring the missing right forearm, there weren't any marks of the burns and frozen wounds from before.

"It's Kazuha." He answered, noticing the confusion. "Your guardian told me to watch over you."

The Wanderer noticed how Kazuha wiped off his shoulder with his missing hand. He must have been leaning his head against Kazuha's shoulder if that drool mark was anything to go by.

"Guardian?"

"The spirit. Sorry, I'm still… taking in the last few hours. I didn't catch their name."

Barbatos, he guessed. On cue, he touched his chest and realised the lack of pain. Then, he checked the vision beside it and sighed. Somehow, Barbatos healed him. If that was the case, however, why was this samurai armless? Actually, he had more questions than that.

"Where's that fool? I need to…"

His words trailed off as he noticed what was in the distance. A thunderstorm like none other completely engulfed Yashiori island. The crackle of thunder was barely audible, but the intensity of the lightning was another story. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel them. Considering the relative calmness of Watatsumi, he could guess it was Barbatos' doing.

"I've been looking at the storm for half an hour." Kazuha continued. "I could still see Yashiori when I started. Now it's like that."

"Controlling the weather isn't that impressive." The Wanderer added while standing up. "Not like it matters. We are dead men walking."

Kazuha stood up as well, rubbing the stump on his elbow. "Do you know if Tomo and Thoma are alright, Kazemaru?"

That wretched name again.

"I'm merely a nameless wanderer. That's not my name. I don't know who those are either way. You and that guy were the only ones around. Nobody else was alive in that hellfire." He looked at the storm one last time before continuing. "If those people are dead, it's because of Barbatos and Baal. The Gods don't care about us, you should have thought about that before taking his gnosis."

Kazuha wasn't fazed at his answer. "Aren't you a God as well?"

"No. Only a fool would want to be a God. We're all doomed because of them. So why should we bear their responsibility?" The Wanderer looked at the samurai. "You even lost half an arm alongside your friends. Why are you just standing here, playing scout for them? You should be taking up a sword and aiming it at them."

"What good would that do?" Kazuha turned towards him, eyes locked on his expression. "Even if I somehow did that, I wouldn't feel any better. I can blame them, but even in that scenario, what would I get out of it? Bile and resentment? If someone gives their life for you, the only way to properly repay them is to live life to the fullest."

"Tsk, why should I care anyways." Looking back at the hat in the sand, the Wanderer took it and fixed it to his head. "You've been betrayed like this, and you're just setting yourself up to be betrayed again. A naïve fool, it's what you are."

"Why did you save me back there, then?" Kazuha asked, forcing him to stop. "When the Shogun used Musou no Hitotachi, you could have dodged it. She was aiming at me. And you still blocked it."

"I didn't save you. You were just indirectly saved. Besides, she's still coming. I just delayed her."

There was something about the Samurai's mellow eyes that he deeply disliked. A surging emotion deep inside his heart that he had forgotten to time. He tried ignoring it, but the memories escaped through the seams of his mind.

"Well then. You could have betrayed me, and you didn't. You could have died only to save me, a guy who was already with one foot on the grave. I'm not sure why you're so abrasive, but I'm sure your heart is—"

"Will you shut up?"

Kazuha sulked slightly, trying to rub a hand that wasn't there anymore. Watching that, the Wanderer snarled an insult and kicked the sand below.

"Fine, fine! You lost the arm because of me and you want me to take responsibility, is that what you want?" He stomped back towards Kazuha and seized him by the collar. "Then stop looking at me like a lost puppy. We're going to meet Barbatos, and I'll force him to make you a new one. Are we clear?"

Kazuha slowly nodded. He was thrown back before the Wanderer strode away. "I never said I wanted…"

"Are you coming or not, one-arm?"

With no hesitance, Kazuha simply shortened the gap between the two of them and followed Kazemaru out of the coast. The soldiers of Watatsumi bowed out of respect as he walked by, which only angered him further. The Mercenary the Divine Priestess had recruited turned out to be a mythical figure, or so they believed. For the Wanderer, however, their misjudged respect was only a reminder of his failure.

"If you're not Kazemaru, you should probably tell them," Kazuha said walking up to his side.

"Fuck'em. They shouldn't believe rumours. Besides, Kazemaru means Son of the Wind. I don't want to be related to him. That imp will roar with laughter, no thanks ." He bitterly answered back. "Who wants to be venerated anyways? Power-hungry fools and bickering buffoons. If we somehow make it out of this, I'm not returning to these lands ever again."

"A name carries great weight, that's true. That is why I gave up my family's legacy and became a wandering samurai."

"That makes two of us, I suppose."

They walked for a few more minutes, being somewhat guided by the concentration of soldiers around the docks. In what looked like the main storage facility of the wharves, a bunch of tough-looking veterans were guarding something. It didn't take much to put two and two together.

Inside the mostly empty warehouse, they once again walked towards two burly looking soldiers. They were guarding some sort of administrative office. And inside it laid their objective.

The inside was cramped. A wide and long table took up most of the room, letting little space to move around. That's why the people around the table seemed to be almost leaning against the walls to fit properly. He recognised all but one of the figures present.

Immediately to his right was that annoying witch, Mona Megistus. She didn't seem too surprised at his sudden appearance. Following counterclockwise, was the objective he had been fetched to get. The Master of Knights of Mondstadt, Jean Gunnhildr. Surprisingly, next to her laid an ethereal yet humanoid figure. Though he could see what looked like eyes and facial structures, Barbatos was very much a transparent spirit feigning humanity. The issue was the sword he carried alongside him, Musou Isshin.

To the other side of the table was the Divine Priestess, who seemed completely stressed out over the situation. Next to her, was the mysterious figure who could only be Kujou Sara. She looked to be in the room only physically and didn't even acknowledge his or Kazuha's presence.

The Wanderer pushed Kazuha into the room and made him stand beside Sara. The Samurai didn't seem to like that dynamic, but he allowed it nonetheless.

Mondstadt on the right and Inazuma on the left, was it? And there in the middle, a wanderer without a home.

"Why hello there, champ!" Even in that ethereal form, he could sense Venti's awful grin.

Cringing for an instant, the Wanderer wondered if he should just throw himself into Enkanomiya and end it all. Luckily, he pushed through.

"So, I'm sure you have questions to ask. But you can ask me after we finish. After all, we're kind of in the middle of a 'Let's take down the Shogun' meeting. Which is going fantastically, right peeps?"

The makeshift war room was silent, apart from Venti's ramblings.

"The best of the best is here. You've got General Kujou, who's half-dead after bearing Musou Isshin and fighting two days without sleeping." Venti pointed at Kujou before jumping to the next person in line. "There's the Master of Knights, who is suffering from anaemia after facing a Harbinger. Then we've got Mona, who... And here's the Divine Priestess herself! A great strategist who has put the Shogunate in check!"

The Astrologer immediately took offence to that. "Hey, what the hell! I can foretell the future!"

"Sure." Finally, he pointed at Kazuha. "And you've brought Kazuha, who has faced the Shogun and came out alive."

"So have I," Mona muttered.

"Don't be a glory hoarder." The Wanderer said, not hiding his discontent. "At most, witch, you… what? You saw her on a smoke break? The Samurai has fought her head-on, as well as fighting the Fatui's Eighth. So shut your mouth."

"The moment we're out of this, I'm beating you up." Mona crossed her arms in an attempt to hold back.

"The Masked Woman was a Fatui?" Kazuha thought out loud.

Venti clapped two times, taking the attention of the room.

"Well, let's recap what I told the rest of the people." He raised Musou Isshin, making it hover at the centre of the table. "My dear friend Baal has asked me for help after she has been taken hostage by an unknown assailant. Miss Kujou was telling me that there has been abyss influence all around, so it must have been a prepared assault."

"Liar." He whispered to no one in particular.

"As of now, the Shogun is not the one we have all come to fear and love. She's being controlled. I came a bit too late, but soon enough for Baal to tell me the way out. Stabbing her with Musou Isshin and only Musou Isshin. This way, she can snap out of this abyssal control and end this war once and for all."

"So, in short," Kokomi said out loud, speaking for the first time. "We need to come up with a strategy to stab the Narukami Ogosho, who is aiming to exterminate us all."

"That would be the gist of it."

"So far, all Resistance Vision holders are in Yashiori Island. We are the only ones available for this mission." Kokomi continued. "And we are not in the best of shapes, as Barbatos has told us. So that leaves me, Barbatos, the Dandelion Knight and you, Kazemaru."

The Wanderer did little besides scoff at that name.

"Actually…" Jean lowered her head in shame. "When I spent that night negotiating with her, I could tell… I could tell how little my life was worth. She didn't even show her strength. Even when I fought that Harbinger… I could feel it. Fear over something that wasn't there. A sense of foreboding that I cannot shake off. If I face her, I will only be a liability. I cannot face the Shogun."

Venti glanced at the legendary sword and then at Jean. "I see. You spent six hours with her while she was trying to break you. That is quite more than any other enemy of the Shogun can say. It is your choice; you can sit this one out without any shame."

"We don't need everyone to face her head-on. There are other tasks you all can do." Kokomi added as Musou Isshin returned to Barbatos.

"Miss Kujou already knows, but anyone who wields Musou Isshin will be granted unparallel strength. The issue here is that Musou Isshin… Well, I cannot use it proficiently. Only one person here can do that. Kazemaru."

The Wanderer immediately answered. "No."

That answer was received poorly by the rest of the room. Kokomi was the first to chime in. "Is there a reason you won't wield it?"

Mona quickly followed up. "She's going to kill us if you don't do it. Just take the stupid sword, what's the issue?"

"I wielded the sword for a few minutes," Sara muttered, visibly tired from even speaking. "I felt that the Shogun herself was giving me unsurmountable strength, with experience I had never even dreamt about. My body gave up, but if you can properly use that strength…"

"If the price is high," Jean added, "We can all share the burden. But if you don't tell us…"

He slammed his hand against the table, snapping it in half. "So when a failure like her wants to flee, it's her choice. But when I want to stay out of your fight, it's suddenly my responsibility. Fuck off. I'm not letting her use me. Sit down, shut up, and start thinking of a way out that doesn't involve me."

The bout of strength did little to deter the cold reception. It was all too clear that everyone, one way or the other knew of the Shogun's strength. Sara had seen her effortlessly beat down all the best soldiers of Inazuma. Kokomi lived each day praying to a God killed by the Shogun. Jean had teetered on the brink of a heart attack after negotiating with her for a whole night. Mona had only been saved because of dumb luck.

Everyone knew that there was no way to face her head-on. And the only one able to ease their fears was currently denying his involvement.

"Let's calm down," Venti said, fixing the table with his own power. "If Kazemaru does not want to help us, then I will have to wield Musou Isshin. However, due to my less than… corporeal form, I cannot wield her properly. I won't become a master of combat as he would. But I don't need that to stab the Shogun. I just need a chance. Indeed, I cannot overwhelm her defences if she sees me coming and I am no fighter. So someone has to distract her for long enough for me to have any chance at all. That chance will only appear when she unleashes Musou no Hitotachi upon her enemy."

Silence fell to the room again. Jean avoided looking at anyone in the room. Mona just caressed her forearm, muttering something. Kokomi clasped her hands, deep in thought. Sara didn't seem to even register his words. Only one person stared at Venti.

"I'll do it," Kazuha said, forcing his voice to be louder than usual.

"I appreciate the willingness but you cannot fight in that state," Kokomi answered.

"I don't need two hands to wield a sword. This… This is what Tomo would have done as well." Kazuha drummed the table with his remaining hand. He stopped abruptly. "When the Shogun interrogated me, I did not see the feared ruler of a nation. It's true that at first, I felt apprehension… but no. The Shogun only asked me questions about Teyvat. In a hushed tone and almost child-like curiosity, she berated me with questions about the weather. The sun and moons. Mountains and seas. As if she had been sheltered for years, and didn't know the outside world. I was suffering from a deep wound, so I believed it to be a hallucination. But now…"

Venti seemed to be thinking the same thing as the Wanderer. That must have been the Puppet speaking. But if that was the case, she had been compromised long beforehand.

"He can do it, you heard him," Venti interjected, drawing all eyes to him. "I can boost him, give him a temporary arm and guide him if needed. He has the guts to face death."

"Venti! That's callous!" Mona quickly complained. "You're sending him to an early grave!"

"I have to agree with the witch." The Wanderer lazily pointed at her. "What good is sending a lone mortal man against her?"

"We could base a strategy around the Samurai," Kokomi added, ignoring their comments. "If the Master of Knights is unfit for combat, then she can lead that ship… The Freiheit, and use her cannons as artillery. I would support him to the best of my abilities, and if General Gorou and our troops are still fighting, so will they."

Venti nodded, his expression tense. "Kazuha needs to, even if momentarily, show the Shogun that he won't go down quickly. And that he's a menace. Otherwise, he will be ignored. I can make a cheap copy of Musou Isshin, which will guarantee that the Shogun will face you. Staying alive for long enough is the issue."

"The Freiheit has few cannons, but it may annoy her for long enough. Perhaps she'll even try to destroy the vessel with that infamous skill." Jean also gave her thoughts, clearly trying to elevate Kaedahara's chances. "We'll need a spotter or some way to localise the Shogun. Perhaps General Kujou could…"

"Are you all insane? He's going to die for no reason other than your fear." The Wanderer looked everyone in the eye. "You understand that, right? Witch?"

"Sending a young warrior to die against the Shogun is something I can't allow," Mona said in a forced tone. "But if it's someone's fear that is sending him to die, it's only yours."

"Listen up, you deaf ingrates. I only said I wasn't using the damn sword. I'm joining the suicidal kid in delaying the Shogun. We're all dead anyways, might as well go out fighting." His words did little to alleviate the tension in the room. "I already managed to force her to use Musou no Hitotachi beforehand. I can do it again."

"It won't be the same," Venti remarked. "She knows what we want to do, all mistakes she will commit have to be forced. This is why I need Miss Kujou and Sangonomiya to figure up a strategy in less than… I think two hours. Maybe more, but let's not assume we have more time."

Miss Kujou? Why did he treat her any differently? Was it Ei's influence? Now he understood. Belzeebul was using Venti to transmit her ideas. This is why he made up that silly tale beforehand.

"If I could get a glance into the future, I could narrow down possibilities. But ever since the riots in Ritou, I cannot catch even a glimpse of the starry sky." Mona took a step back as Venti floated beside her.

"I think I may be able to help with that. If it's alright with the rest, we can come up with a plan now."

That was the signal for the Wanderer to leave without any words. He turned around and left the building before anyone could stop him. All this talking left him in a sour mood. And why was that? Because everyone treated him like he was the bad guy. None of them understood. And Barbatos… Barbatos was helping his mother. That God could do whatever he wanted, but for him to stoop so low to help her out of all people… He didn't like that. Why didn't Barbatos out of all people understand?

With that in mind, he returned to the same spot he had woken in. The storm had swelled in size. The sun was almost completely hidden behind the dark clouds in the sky above. The day had turned into a sombre night, only exacerbating the anxiety and stress of anyone around.

Perhaps that was why he felt so gripped in anger.

"I know you're there." The Wanderer looked back, seeing the humanoid form of Venti and Musou Isshin. "Are you here to kowtow? Spare me the trouble and go away. I don't want to hear any of you."

"You wanted to tell me something, right? What is it?"

He mulled over the answer. "Why didn't you give that guy another arm?"

"If I could I would have. But he declined any more healing." Venti answered while hovering next to him. "It's good to see you caring for someone else."

"Let's not make a mountain out of a molehill." He adjusted the lapels of his shirt, trying to think how to proceed. "Now, why are you here? Did she tell you to convince me?"

"No, not really. But she does want to talk with you." Venti looked at the sword and made it levitate. "She's now deaf and blind. So let's speak just between the two of us. Remember what I told you in Liyue? We were going to ask why Ei did what she did. So we are here, the two of us and the one of her. It might be the last chance you'll ever have… I'll go if you want some privacy."

"You should know by now that I will not forgive my mother." He spat out like it was poison. "Just because she has forgiven you…"

"Whatever gave you that idea? She's as stubborn as you, and I'm not sure if she'll really ever truly forgive me. As of now, we're just on a truce…" Venti then looked at the sword. "I was hoping that Puppet… well… that she might try and turn a new leaf. She hasn't. And I cannot allow her to be a slave anymore. Moreover, I don't want Ei to fix her. She deserves to be free as much as you do. If there was a way to make them two separate entities, I would take it. But sometimes, we don't have any other way but to inflict pain whether consciously or unconsciously."

Venti took the blade again, prompting the Wanderer to tense up in place.

"You don't need to apologise. Or even say anything. She just wants to tell you something, that's all." Barbatos offered him the sword. "Don't do it for her, okay? Do it for yourself. And hey, after that, I'll invite you to your first drink. Cause I'm a cool uncle."

"A cool uncle wouldn't force me to drink."

Again, the Wanderer looked at the sword. He did say that Ei was a shackle. His first shackle. Just hearing her wouldn't do. He had to say something. He had to tell her all he had suffered because of her.

He looked at Venti. "Don't go." And then took the sword.

Surprisingly, it was calm. He was expecting a buzz, perhaps even a dull background noise. But nothing. He was certain that she should be hearing him by now. After all, his mind was going into overdrive. But perhaps it wasn't like that. His thoughts had to be willingly transmitted. And Ei wouldn't know there was a switch until he did that.

"You can start by saying hello," Venti whispered as if she would hear them.

"I'm not telling her hello."

He didn't know what to say. Where to start? The first hundred years? Tatarasuna? Her denial to grant him audience? Or maybe the fall of the Raiden Gokaden? Or perhaps… none of those things. Talking about those things wouldn't help at all. She had to understand all that he had suffered was because of that first betrayal. If she had been a mother… if it hadn't been her at all… Everything would have gone well.

That hallucination where Makoto was his mother was a past that would have been acceptable. It had to be obvious to Ei that she had been an awful creator. But if it wasn't, that's what he would say.

"I have heard you do not have a name." The voice of Ei froze him solid. "You can use my family name."

A burst of emotions swelled from places he believed to be dead, immobilising any answer he might say. She didn't even believe him to be family. Why did that feel… Why did that feel so awful?

"I can tell by those eyes that she already screwed up, didn't she?" Venti cocked his head, sitting closer to him. "Look, she's… she's not good with words. I told her to not do this, but you know…"

He wanted to answer Barbatos, but no words came. If he moved any muscle in his throat, he feared that he would crack and fall. Suddenly all the scenarios he had come up with seemed fantasy, a dream that not even the deepest of sleepers could think about. He couldn't do it. He couldn't talk to her.

"I'm… sorry."

Upon hearing those words, the Wanderer stood up and threw the sword to the ground.

"Sorry for what? For what?! You don't even know, you don't know anything!" He kicked the sword away. "I don't want a name, I don't need a name, much less your own!"

"She can't hear you." Venti tried to calm him down but he swatted away his form.

"Just… go away." He plummeted to the sand, sitting down and hiding below his hat.

Venti anxiously rubbed his hands, looking at Musou Isshin and then at the Wanderer. "I'll be around, okay? I'll try giving Kazuha a new hand and…"

Venti waited for a few moments and took the legendary sword in hand. Then he looked back at the Wanderer. And sat next to him.

Yashiori Island itself seemed to shake with each of the Shogun attacks. Anyone in her way never stood a chance. Not even ashes remained. Still, she pushed on, wondering why only a trickle of soldiers came her way. She couldn't let her guard down. Not again.

The Puppet stopped by another puddle next to the dirt path she was walking. The rain was so loud that a normal human would hear nothing but noise.

"You'll disappear when the rain stops." She broke the surface of the water alongside all the raindrops. "Though the ripples are temporal, it is alright. I will remember this beauty."

Swiping her hair away, she turned to face the flurry of arrows that an ambush had adeptly shot. She wondered the best way to approach the issue, and decided to simply walk through them.

Most arrows missed. Those that didn't, bounced away when they touched her skin. The lucky ones that landed on her eyes turned into ashes with a mere look.

"Thunder." A lightning strike gave away the positions of the ambush party. She saw that their lives continued, and caught a glimpse of the vision responsible. "Geo. More force, then."

She quickly switched targets when the sound of a sword slicing air alerted her of an enemy. She blocked the strike and counterattacked immediately. Her electro-sword cut through nothing. Again, the whirring of air warned her of another attack. And again, her counterattack hit nothing.

The Puppet tried moving away, yet her feet became stuck on the puddle she was standing on. The water had jellified and solidified, as bubbles started to surround her. She looked to her right, where the sea would be. Something heavy was cutting through the storm.

She flicked her hand to destroy the flurry of cannonballs aimed at her. Smoke and dust exploded around her as the projectiles missed, another invisible strike forcing her to react with her own aura. Hidden by the storm, she knew there was a ship aiming at her.

"Lightning does not bend at the will of mortals."

Her form disappeared, teleporting high in the skies before summoning thunder around her.

"But it becomes attracted to metals, sis."

An anemo plenum forced her to the ground, making the puppet turn her attention towards the new opponent. That brief moment almost allowed her to be defeated. Again, she blocked a strike headed for her chest, this time missing by a hair's length.

"Eight hundred metres from the hydro user. Six thousand from the enemy ship. Two hundred from the Prototype. And the invisible opponent…"

She glanced up, noticing another artillery barrage from the ship. This time, she correctly predicted the invisible opponent's attack. The Puppet grabbed the opponent's arm, only for her hand to go through it.

"Barbatos…!"

Kazuha smiled as he jumped back, the artillery barely missing him as it exploded around the Puppet. He felt Barbatos' power surge through his body, warning him of the immediate retaliation of the Puppet. He raised his sword to block her own, kicking her away before slashing up and away.

The Puppet split into several forms, surrounding him.

Anemo blades hit all around the immobile Kazuha, who jumped up to dodge the real Puppet. A hand grabbed him and pulled him up.

"Let's get some more strength into those hits!" The Wanderer said, spinning Kazuha around and throwing him directly at the Puppet.

She could only block the enhanced strike, which sent her against the muddied ground. Immediately she tried to move away, but the jellified water had sunk deep into the ground. The dirt was preventing her from teleporting away.

The Puppet watched how Kazuha ran up to her, wielding what looked like the legendary sword. She heard the whirring of air, another artillery barrage. Above, that traitor she called Prototype was staring mockingly at her.

"This body is eternal!"

Lightning exploded out of her vessel, her form immediately growing in size and changing. Kazuha was pushed back as whatever limitations the Shogun's mortal body had were suddenly broken.

"If that Astrologer was right and we make it out of this," The Wanderer said as he landed next to him. "I'm giving her a proper apology."

"I haven't talked to her but I will do that too," Kazuha answered.

Their brief exchange was cut short as the Puppet's form reappeared, surrounded by artificial arms and weapons.

The Puppet was covered by her palms and disappeared. Reality was shattered as the enormous robotic arm reappeared from the broken dimension,

Both Kazuha and the Wanderer shielded their eyes, before looking at each other.

And then the arm was shattered. The fabric of reality was fixed as the Puppet's form reappeared from the now disintegrating arms. In her chest, Musou Isshin was completely going through her chest and back. Venti pushed it deeper while muttering a song.

"And the winds are singing freedom, they sing it everywhere. They sing it on the mountainside and in the city square. They sing of a new day dawning when all people will be free. Come and join their song of freedom, let it ring from sea to sea."

The Puppet staggered as her form returned to normal. "The iron hand crushed the Tyrant's head, and became Tyrant in her stead…?"

Both the sword and Barbatos disappeared. The Puppet collapsed to the ground, unmoving.