(Kamisato Ayaka)
Nothing could shake the feeling of dread Kamisato Ayaka felt as soon as she woke up. Even as she went about her morning routine, something felt off. At first she thought it had something to do with her older brother Ayato, but she walked by his office, and he seemed to be doing just fine.
Was it her friend Thoma? Ayaka then noticed that her friend Thoma wasn't there. Was he off buying food? Or did he have other errands to run? But as her mind went through the possible outcomes, her heart started to sink. There was no way that Thoma was taken. It was impossible, right?
Ayaka walked outside, where she was met by a shrine maiden named Kano Nana. She seemed to be looking for someone, likely Sayu.
"Greetings Miss Ayaka," She said. "What a lovely surprise to see you here at this time."
"Excuse me, but have you seen Thoma anywhere?" Ayaka asked
"Not since yesterday, when he visited the shrine."
Ayaka started to feel panic set in. But she couldn't let it show. Not where others could see her.
"Have you heard anything about his whereabouts?" she asked.
The shrine maiden looked at the ground for a moment, as if she was trying to retrace her steps.
"From the entrance I heard Ayato discussing things with one of the guards there," Nana recounted. "Hirano mentioned something about the Tenryou commission."
"Thank you for your help Miss Kano," Ayaka told her.
Ayaka walked towards the front gate to talk to Hirano. There she could see Ayato. He turned to face her, and he had a troubled expression. Not many could pick it up from just a glance, but Ayaka knew him well. The only time he looked more anxious was the night their mother had just died.
This almost certainly confirmed Ayaka's suspicions. Thoma was sure to be the latest victim of the vision hunt decree if she didn't do anything about it.
"There you are Ayaka." Ayato's voice was controlled, with a hint of agitation. "You haven't seen Thoma anywhere have you?"
"No, I haven't seen him." Ayaka replied. "Thoma wasn't taken by the Tenryou commission, was he?"
He probably didn't expect that question. Ayato's gaze drifted away from hers . "That may very well be the truth." His eyes met hers once again. "Please Ayaka, whatever you plan to do, you must not allow your vision to fall into someone else's hands. There may be nothing that can change your mind, but please do not ever let your guard down from this moment on."
Nothing that existed in Teyvat would have prepared Miss Kamisato for what she was about to do. But there was no way she could abandon her friend Thoma like this. Not when he needed her most. Ayato offered his help, but Ayaka had a feeling that having the two of them there would hinder the effort. But she wouldn't be surprised if he dispatched Shuumatsuban without her knowledge.
From the information she gathered, Ayaka found out that he was likely going to the Statue of the Omnipresent God. Apparently the Raiden Shogun herself was planning to make an appearance this time. With Thoma's vision being the 100th that was taken by the Tenryou commission, it was unsurprising that there was going to be such a ceremony. It was hard to think about his possible fate when just the previous day she was at the tea house with him.
She sneaked into the city. Doushin were on guard everywhere, more so than usual. Using her vision, she stayed out of sight. Eventually she made it to the Statue. She did not anticipate making it there before the Raiden Shogun did, but the Archon was nowhere to be seen.
Before a bolt of lightning would have the chance to strike, Ayaka jumped in and disarmed the Doushin who held Thoma in front of the statue. Next to the crowd, she found the detective Shikanoin Heizou of all people being held in case things did not go as planned with the ceremony.
'I shouldn't leave him behind either,' Ayaka thought. 'Even if I barely knew him before today.'
Luckily the clever detective freed himself at the first sign that his captors had their guard down. He was quite fast, but Ayaka caught a glimpse of him fleeing as she and Thoma were running away themselves. Before she knew it, they were both out of the city. The chaos was finally over. They hid behind a small warehouse as a couple of Doushin walked by. Neither of them made any indication of spotting them.
"Are you alright Thoma?" Ayaka asked.
"I am, thanks to you stepping in back there," he told her. "But that was still quite a risky move as a member of the Kamisato clan, especially jumping in right before the Shogun arrived."
"I could not leave you behind. Not since I never properly thanked you for helping me find my sword recently."
"Unfortunately this time you will have to leave me behind. You now have a higher bounty reward than me"
"You're right, I must leave as soon as possible. Please stay safe until all is right Thoma."
He nodded then ran off. Not too far away was Shikanoin Heizou, former detective of the Tenyou commission. Ayaka made eye contact with him and quickly understood what he was signaling her to do. Faster than what would've been possible for a human without a vision, Ayaka ran after him.
They eventually met on a shore facing Kannazuka. Heizou sat down on a rock nearby. As soon as they were sure no one would spot them, they rested.