Chapter 5 – Yuki

Ayaka's heart was pounding inside her chest.

Holding her shoes in one hand, she quietly padded through the estate's ample halls. Today was probably the only day in her life when she would complain about the number of servants that took care of her quarters everyday. Each and everyone of them put in enormous amounts of work, making themselves available to her whenever she needed something.

But their constant presence made sneaking out incredibly difficult. A shortcoming she'd never thought would one day trouble her until now.

The eldest daughter of a noble family sneaking out to meet her commoner lover under the moonlight. That was a romance trope she hadn't read about in a while. Save for the whole having a lover part. And the fact that the sun was currently at its zenith.

Sucking in a deep breath, she peeked around the corner. Two figures approached her current location at a moderate pace.

"Right this way, please. We can discuss this matter in the courtyard."

Mr. Hyakubei led the way for a guest while sharing a few pleasantries. The woman, whom Ayaka recognized as an employee of the Yae Publishing House, followed along while carrying a file for the representative. The man slid a wooden panel and made way for his guest, before closing behind them. Fortunately, neither of them seemed to notice that the opposing wall was covered in a thin layer of frost. Ayaka uncloaked herself from within the wall, her heart still pounding.

Kamisato Art, Senho.

Hereby vowing to not let herself come this close to being discovered again, she straddled her small bag, puffed up her chest, and took resolute yet silent steps forward. She passed by the empty rooms and narrow halls with ease, but she knew company would show itself closest to the exit. Naturally, she needn't answer to the guards about her plans outside of House Kamisato, but having them dispatch an escort for her would be the worst possible outcome.

She needed to be alone. Completely alone.

By the main entrance, she could see the two guards in question having a laid-back conversation with Koharu. If she were to get spotted now... no, she couldn't afford to. She needed something to distract them. The thought that she was behaving like a thief trying to flee from the scene unnoticed crept up in her mind, but she dismissed it almost immediately. She was not a thief. She was just a bit- very selfish.

Ayaka was going to get a maturity spurt very soon, but she had one last request to make before entering her brother's world for good. She only wished that once, just once, she would get to see a festival for herself. Not partake in it, of course, but just take a quick look from a distance. A scenic cliff above the city's higher districts would be perfect for that. Once she'd made it there, she could-

"Oh? And what could my lady be doing here?"

The surprise nearly drove her soul out of her body. It took everything she had not to scream and alert the entire island of her presence.

She instinctively covered her own mouth, her hushed voice barely slipping through. "Miss Furuta! W-What are you doing here?"

Having arrived with the silence and gusto expected of a Shuumatsuban member, the old servant quietly laughed. ''Well, these old bones were on their way to the courtyard to tend to your favorite flowers, my lady. Don't you know? The camellias are splendid this season."

"The camellia... right.'' she replied as lowly as possible, her fingers tightening on her purse.

"Shall I set some aside for your next ikebana session?"

Though the situation was absolutely not appropriate for flower talk, she gave a truthful answer. "Oh, please do. I still haven't quite worked out the placement for the next one."

"I will be looking forward to your next arrangement then. Although..." Though she offered a warm smile, Furuta's pruny eyes glimmered with a hint of mischief. "Do be careful, my lady. It seems there is a suspicious individual lurking around the estate, and they're not doing a very good job of not being noticed. However, their intentions remain a mystery."

''…''

"Or so I've heard."

Ayaka looked away. "I... wanted to go check out the preparations for the festival by myself, that's all. If I have caused you to worry, I apologize."

It was technically not a lie. Since she would arrive long before the festivities could kick off, most of the vendors would be busy setting up their stalls around the districts. The bustling atmosphere right before sunset was also something she was looking forward to experiencing.

She prayed to the Narukami that everything went smoothly.

The old servant's head tilted, before she let out a sigh. "Heh. My lady, your demeanor reminds more and more of your mother's by the day. Seeing you grow so much after watching our lord rise to power does not help me forget the weight of the years."

She slowly brushed past her lady before the latter could utter another word. Her back slightly hunched, Furuta strode her way to the guards like it was any other day. Ayaka looked on with a mix of awe and confusion as the servant shared a few words with the men before gesturing something at Koharu. Seemingly taken in by whatever she said, the three soon followed her without question.

For the briefest of moments, the old servant turned around to give a surreptitious wink.

Archons above bless this gentle soul.

Still keenly aware of her surroundings, she stepped outside, the gravel crunching under her light footsteps. Furuta's distraction had worked: no guards were in sight, within the main courtyard or by the estate's outer walls. The azure sky alone looked down gently upon her, as a soft breeze played with her hair.

The small beaten path that led her through Chinju Forest was dotted with spots of light filtering from the branches. Tiny needles of guilt pricked her chest, as if she was doing something that was inherently wrong. Yet not once did her footsteps slow down or even waver.

The normal girl known as Ayaka had one last selfish wish to fulfill.

An event of this scale and uproar did not occur often in Konda Village. In fact, it had probably never happened before.

An entire mob of ronin, swept up and defeated by a party consisting of a housekeeper, a firework-maker, and some outlander. Tejima hadn't heard a more preposterous story since he'd asked Saimon Katsumi about his son's adventures in the military. A boatload of nonsense.

Yet maybe he was the one going senile, because the party in question was right in front of him, under his very roof. And sure enough, an injured bandit who claimed to be the ronin's leader was with them.

Densuke, the village chief, coughed into his fist, prompting the retired samurai to say something. He frictioned his neck before letting out a groan. "Look, I don't even know you people. Keeping an eye on your bandits until the next Tenryou patrol coms around, that I can do. Anything else is either impossible for me or just none of your business."

The one with outlandish clothing threw a sideways glance at the taller blond, but ultimately refrained from commenting. The housekeeper flashed an apologetic smile before turning back to their host. "Of course, I am terribly sorry if our approach seemed rude. I'm sure handling Chimon and his men will be no trouble for you, but this is not the sole purpose of our visit. Hence the village chief's presence here."

Konda Densuke slowly nodded to himself, and Tejima got the inkling that the subject of their conversation was not going to be anything pleasant. He didn't know these outsiders, but the fiery passion in one's eyes, as well as the infinite expanse in the other's made him increasingly uncomfortable. It brought to mind things he couldn't quite remember, but knew he didn't want to face.

There was also a girl playing with a firecracker by the door.

"Mister Tejima," Thoma began. "You may not know me, but I have heard a great many things about you – mostly high praise revolving around your martial prowess. In recent years, you've just been living here in Konda, defending its inhabitants from monster attacks. And now, you're trying to leave for your own reasons, correct?"

The man's eyes widened, but the chief cut in before another word could be uttered. "I sent Master Thoma a letter regarding your condition several weeks ago, Tejima. No need to get agitated, these people are only here to help you."

"I don't remember asking for help... no wonder I'm trying so hard to get out of this village. Everyone is treating me like I'm some sort of ill child, or worse. How would that make you feel?"

"Tejima." Konda Densuke's tone hardened. "Why did you decide to come live here?"

"…"

Aether looked alternately at the two elderly men, and a moment of silence had never felt louder. A simple, unassuming question had seemingly broken the retired samurai, his eyes gazing into emptiness. Suddenly, his orbits fell back to the chief, filled with a mix of helplessness and regret. And above all, desperation.

"I don't know. I should know. But I don't."

Though he lacked context, there was never a grief more apparent than his. An entire chunk of his memory had been seized from him, and now it felt as if his presence had no meaning. He couldn't get attached to anything, sympathize with anyone, because he'd forgotten why he should care. Every human action is driven by a concrete reason. To not be allowed to recall that reason invalidates the whole notion of taking action.

"Thoma." the Traveler lowly asked. "What happened here?"

The retainer appeared to have been expecting the question. "This, is a case of ambition loss. It's a regrettable phenomenon we've seen sprout around Inazuma since the enactment of the Vision Hunt Decree. The Yashiro Commission has been observing it for some time, and it seems to manifest when one loses their Vision. They may forget critical memories, become emotionally unstable, or even hallucinate." He crossed his arms. "Of course I'm no doctor, but Vision loss seems to have very strong effects on the mind. These people have been granted an external focus of their ambition by the gods, and when they must relinquish it, they lose a part of themselves in the process."

Something seemed to finally break within Tejima as he buried his head in his hands. "Listen, it's not... there's nothing I can do, nothing you people can do to help. I have lost my purpose. Just... just let me go." He clutched his head in frustration, because it was all he could do. "They're not coming back." he repeated like a broken record. "My precious memories... I can't even say they're mine anymore. An Archon has decided to seize my ambition, so be it. We can't change a thing about that."

Konda Densuke pursed his lips as he beheld the pitiful wreck of a man. "He becomes like this everytime we bring up the topic of ambition loss. I doubt he can even make sense of what I'm saying right now – it's far worse than a traumatic experience. Perhaps the Almighty Shogun has decided to punish us for our arrogance, and smites those wielding elemental power to quell their hubris. But Tejima never considered himself to be more important than others. He always used his strength wisely for our community, without ever thinking of himself nor asking for anything in return... He simply does not deserve this pain."

Memory loss... maybe it had something to do with the name of that woman he kept chasing after, but he couldn't be sure. If branding him was the Electro Archon's attempt at dampening his ambition, it could make sense.

But the Vision Hunt Decree cared little for the allogenes it crushed by gathering their ambitions. How many soldiers actually knew of the mental torture these ex-bearers were put through for the sake of a god's inscrutable design? Ridiculous. They were her followers by choice, these people never took an oath of offering their sanity to her as far as he was aware. This massive travesty of godhood made his blood boil.

Aether needed some fresh air. He got up without a word and exited the traditional home. Konda was a peaceful village, where the elderly could lead their slow-paced lives away from the constant hustle and bustle of the city. He watched them come and go for a while, still trying to fathom why the man who'd protected this peaceful livelihood would be considered a traitor to the Shogunate. Did no one in the Tenryou Commission have a heart?

Was this what she expected him to change? Because it sure felt like Inazuma had been waiting for someone to come and turn things around.

He heard footsteps behind him, but did not budge. Thoma strode up to his level, his gaze also sweeping across the quiet village.

"I'm going to assume this isn't quite what you expected." the retainer sighed. "This is the bleak reality of the Vision Hunt Decree: Bearers who lose their ambitions, soldiers who must obey inhuman orders – Heck, Chimon deserted the military. Thousands of men and women, just like Tejima or even worse, who have lost themselves for... eternity. Way to be cryptic, Almighty Shogun."

"Do you hate your Archon?"

A few seconds passed as he mulled over his answer. "No, I don't think so. A god is too distant and unattainable for me to hate anyway. But I can never condone what she's doing to her own people. The rest of the Yashiro Commission feels the same, and that's precisely why I was sent to meet you in Ritou. There's a limit to what we can do, but with the Traveler's help-"

"Thoma."

Thoma went silent and looked down at the outlander, who was still staring ahead.

"Exposing your entire plan right now isn't the smartest move, don't you think? There's nothing wrong with needing someone's help, but you should be more subtle about it. I honestly doubt the Yashiro Commissioner would task his housekeeper with recruiting the centerpiece to his plan rather than speaking to him in person. Were you supposed to be telling me all that?"

"Touché." he winced. "I got a bit ahead of myself there, Lord Ayato wouldn't want me to sound so desperate in front of a guest. If anything, he shall explain everything in more detail when the time is right, and speak of things that even I may not know about."

"Good. The sooner we can get the Raiden Shogun to abolish the Vision Hunt Decree, the better."

Thoma's eyes widened in shock, then excitement. "Wait, you're willing to make her abolish the decree? Does this mean that you wish to cooperate with the Yashiro Commission and help with my lord's plan?"

"Again, hold your horses." Aether tempered before the retainer could quite bow in front of him. "I have already decided to step in for my own reasons. Whether or not I do it the Yashiro Commission's way is up to me. So before I blindly pick a side, I want to meet your master and see what he's about for myself."

Thoma scratched the back of his head apologetically. "Ah, so it's not an outright yes. My bad."

"Don't beat yourself up over it. If your cause is genuine, there will be no reason for me not to go along with the Commissioner's plan. If we are to fight a war of ambitions, I'd rather make sure that those of my allies are directed towards a noble goal."

Konda Densuke joined them outside, soon followed by Yoimiya. The village chief bowed before the housekeeper and outlander respectively, before his tired face made way to a strained yet grateful smile. "Tejima has calmed down for now, he should not be doubting everything for at least a few days." he sighed. "Such a pity, that old friend... I shall keep praying to the Narukami for his betterment, and for your journey to go smoothly as well."

"Thank you, chief." Aether placed a hand on the elder's shoulder. "We're going to help him, you have my word. Until then, please keep on supporting Tejima and quelling his mental episodes. Things will get better."

Though he wished to do more than part with a few words of comfort, Yoimiya was already gesturing at him to join them in the carriage. He looked back at a broken man, who knew not if he had any hopes and dreams, and the exhausted friend who put his own sanity on the line to support him to the best of his abilities. These people didn't deserve to be betrayed.

The carriage rocked away from Konda Village, and with each bump, the Traveler felt something stir up within him. She was right. Not anyone from this world could cross the Raiden Shogun, even less her own people. But their ambitions... no, it was too early to establish anything final about this matter. He couldn't get tunnel-visioned on the Electro Archon.

The blond let his back slide against the leather seat, and drew a sigh. Next to him, the firework-maker's head tilted.

"What's wrong, feeling tired?"

"Not yet." His eyes remained shut. "But I get a feeling I might be very soon."

Inazuma City was brimming with light and splendor, akin to a jewel on the Narukami's crown. The capital was built in a stair shape, sporting four districts that gradually led up to the imperial palace. According to Thoma, the districts were initially meant as ways to separate the social classes of old. Hanamizaka, with its numerous clusters of many houses, was home to the low and middle-class. Tenryou – where the Commission took its name, was the second most populated district and housed the merchants and the noble samurai families. Finally, the city was overlooked by Tenshukaku, the imperial district were walked officials and yoriki, built around the Raiden Shogun's towering abode.

The palace truly looked like an architectural marvel out of this world, and by its size and grandeur alone one knew its owner could only be an immortal. Even in the absence of thunder streaking across the sky, all humans felt the urge to bow before the immense power that emanated from its sacred gates. Thankfully for the Traveler's nerves, no Inazuman currently had the thought of falling into prostration. Right now was more of a time for celebration. As the evening quietly took over the sun's shift, lanterns were lit in the streets and countless stalls popped up along the main road. The jitter in the air was only cut up by the sound of festive drums and bells ringing in the distance.

The coach conductor notified the party that they would not be going any further with the horses, and so Aether took his first steps into Hanamizaka by himself. Thoma and Yoimiya followed right after him, the latter quite positively bubbling with excitement.

"Well, it's finally the Naganoharas' time to shine! Literally, I mean." She eagerly stretched her arms in front of her. "I'm gonna have to meet up with my pops so we can begin planning for the show at the end of the festival. That's pretty much what we needed all this gunpowder for anyway. So I'm gonna have to bounce now, guys. Buh-bye!"

She hauled a crate that was way too big for her and began to plod away. As she neared the edge of the district, a few children who were running around began to flock near her. Yoimiya disappeared into the crowd along with her small retinue, after one last wave at the two.

The streets glittered with a merry atmosphere that was reminiscent of Liyue Harbor's Lantern Rite. When looking at it now, it was impossible to tell that this nation was embroiled in a major political and military conflict. Street food vendors served their clients with genuine smiles, couples strolled around while leaning on their partner's shoulder, and even the doushin on patrol duty seemed relaxed and took part in the general cheer.

"Seems like everyone is having a good time, in spite of the current situation." Aether idly hummed. "What exactly is the occasion?"

Thoma grinned knowingly. "The city is in the middle of celebrating one of its national holidays, the Narukami no Musuko. In other words, it's a festival meant to honor the brave sons of our nation who fought and died protecting Inazuma from the Abyss 500 years ago. It used to be a much more somber event, but joy always takes over grief, and it has eventually devolved into the holiday we know today." He let out a long sigh as they began to walk in the busy streets. "At the end of the festival, the Grand Narukami Shrine patrons a fireworks display from the Naganoharas to guide the souls of the fallen home. Legend has it that the souls of the war dead from Inazuma are too proud to be claimed by their Archon – unlike those of Mondstaders, and they must return to their homeland on their own. These lights are meant to lead them to their final resting place."

"Even warriors need a home to return to... that's a touching story." He had barely finished his sentence when he noticed that a man behind a souvenir stall was gesturing at the housekeeper to come.

The retainer walked up to the stall, and briefly conversed with the vendor. Aether found no interest in eavesdropping, but he could tell that the subject of their conversation was not lighthearted. A word pattern similar to "You can't be serious..." reached his ears right before Thoma came back with an item in hand. A finely-crafted kitsune mask meant to cover the whole face, adorned with exquisite red painting and a cryptic smile.

"Back then, people used to wear masks like these." he explained in a slight hurry. "It's fallen a bit out of fashion, but you can have it as a gift."

The blond couldn't help but notice his strained smile. "You look like you received some bad news." he nodded in the vendor's general direction. ''That man. He works for the Yashiro Commission, right?"

"You could say that, yeah..." the retainer's shoulders dropped with another sigh. "It's nothing truly alarming, but there's an issue pertaining to my lady's safety that needs checking out. And since my lord is currently unavailable, I have to head back to House Kamisato as soon as possible. Pity, I was hoping I could show you around the festival, but my duty comes first."

"If the clan has as many enemies as you said, you'd best keep an eye out. I'll see you around, you can count on it."

The two men exchanged a firm handshake, as Thoma seemed to suddenly remember something. "Oh, if you need somewhere to spend the night, try over there." His finger pointed at a small establishment tucked away in the upper district. "Komore Teahouse. Tell the owner you were sent by Thoma, and he'll let you stay the night free of charge. Hopefully I'll see you soon, Traveler."

The retainer walked away with a drive in his step, and was soon swallowed up by the crowd as well. The Traveler glanced to his left, only to see that the mask vendor had vanished. The Yashiro Commission certainly had some interesting employees.

He knew who would probably appear in a mere second, and so he took the initiative. "Would you like to check out this festival, Paimon?"

His fairy companion appeared in a starry splash and immediately nodded with vigor. "A thousand times yes! Paimon hasn't had the chance to try out any Inazuman delicacies since we arrived, and it's seriously threatening Paimon's Seven-Nations Gourmet Agenda! Besides, festivals have some of the tastiest snacks around. Let's go!"

His travel companion began to trail around the stalls, and he saw no harm in humoring her for a while. Besides, a festival was a good way to unwind after these stressful past few days. As he began to count the Mora in his pouch to figure out how much he could allow Paimon to spend tonight, a loud and cheery voice rang over the sounds of the streets. A tall man with white spiked hair and two red horns on his forehead was walking paces on a large wooden stage. Three men with matching hats were handing out flyers to the crowd gathered around the event. A bystander was helped off the stage, his face twisted in pain as he clutched his stomach.

The large sign above the venue read in very crude letters: "Arataki Gang's Mochi-Devouring Contest" A red doodle in the bottom-left corner, that he first assumed to be a disabled demon, was probably meant to resemble the man onstage.

The oni spread his arms wide at the crowd before letting out a boisterous laugh. "C'mon, Hanamizaka! What was that, merely a lil' appetizer for ya boy! Is there anyone here who can rival the stomach of Arataki 'The Marvelous Mochi Master' Itto?"

Paimon heard the word 'mochi', and stopped in her flight tracks as if she'd hit an invisible wall. Her head gradually spun ninety degrees before locking onto her target: a pile of mochi used by the event organizers as a display.

Surely she wouldn't-

"Paimon challenges you for your title, Mochi Master! Bring the plates!" she squeaked.

Though most people wouldn't accept a challenge to a battle of gluttony from a being quite literally built like a toddler, Arataki Itto wasn't one to back down from a fight. "Hoho, you dare approach the One and Oni? I'm pretty much undefeated, kid – ain't no way you'll last longer than these big guys down there!"

Oblivious to the fact that the oni was about six Paimons tall, the pixie flew into his face all the same. "Oh, yeah? You said it yourself, appetizers, all of 'em." She drummed on her own tummy with a gusto he did not expect. "Looks like Paimon's gonna have to bring the main course, buddy! Sign me up so we can get to the devouring!"

How did they stumble upon the only person in Teyvat who had the same single brain cell as Paimon? Aether silently paid the entry fee for her, trying his best not to stand out. The contestants were already ravaging plate after plate of mochi, and Paimon could finally let all of her bad manners loose. He pitied Arataki Itto. Though it was not obvious at the moment, the oni didn't stand a chance. As for the Traveler, he refused to witness what his friend and retired Geo Archon would consider a disgrace to the arts. Knowing his black hole of a companion, the duel would last until the other surrendered – which could take hours, depending on how stubborn he was.

So he walked a bit into the festival by himself, feeling the rare freedom of only worrying about his own person. The breeze was cool, and the atmosphere was warm. No one had to worry about the war or the Vision Hunt Decree, and so he decided to void these troubles out of his mind for tonight as well.

Until he was surprised by a doushin's rigorous voice.

"Ma'am, you have been sculking around for far too long, and refused to show your face or give your name several times now. If you keep resisting, I will have no other choice but to take you to the police station."

"I fail to understand how me standing here can be deemed suspicious, and I already explained why I can't show my face..."

An armored man was speaking with irritation to a young woman who was concealing her face behind a large fan. Letting out an annoyed groan, the doushin stepped forward to try and seize the fan from her hands, but she expertly hopped out of the way, causing him to slip. Visibly uncomfortable, she began to quickly back away.

"Doushin are meant to ensure our safety. You could be going on patrol around the festival rather than harassing innocent bystanders."

"I decide who is safe and who is not, miss. And if I deem you to be suspicious, then you're coming with me without resisting."

She turned around as she took quick steps away from him, but failed to notice the blond standing right in her tracks. She bumped into his chest as the soldier began to recover. He immediately pointed at Aether.

"You there! Don't let that woman escape!"

"…"

Dragged into a stranger's business, such was his fate. And this time he had less than a second to make his decision, seeing as the woman was gauging his size and her escape routes, preparing to run past him if necessary. He really didn't have enough time for this, and it was none of his business anyway. He'd just pretend not to hear the soldier.

But for a brief moment, he saw a blue-gray orbit peek from behind the fan and dive straight into his eyes. An eye filled with determination, fully aware that what they were doing could be considered wrong from a bystander's perspective. She quickly trailed off, but the sight stuck with him for a moment. For a brief moment, he had caught a glimpse of raw, unabated ambition. He did not know this woman, but the glint in her eyes was only reminiscent of his own.

He was grateful for the random occurrence of crossing paths with her. They both had their own reasons for pursuing their own goals, and they wouldn't allow anyone to stand in their way. Uncertainty surrounded them, of course, but their minds were already too deep in to listen to their own worries. It was a decided matter. Actions of vastly different scales they took, for themselves or for the world, and who cares if they burned their own wings in the process?

And truth be told, he was getting a bit bored.

''…''

On the other side, Ayaka's heart sank in her chest. It was over. Part of her knew right from the get-go that she was making a massive mistake, but she chose to ignore it. All for her selfishness and obsession with seeing a festival, and where did that get her? Looking from a distance was not enough to satiate her desire, and so she got greedy. But of course someone would find her behavior suspicious, abusive soldier or not – especially during these troubled times.

She wanted to laugh at herself. How pitiful. Ayaka was a disgrace to her clan, plain and simple. There was no point in hiding behind her mother's wishes when faced with the consequences for her own actions. She had betrayed her brother's trust, trampled on her title as Shirasagi Himegimi, and even proved to be utterly incapable of evading a single doushin and a stranger.

She'd had her fair share of humiliations for tonight.

"Ah, there you are. Everyone was worried sick about you."

Huh?

Her eyes slowly opened, and immediately lay on a hand blocking the doushin's wrist, mere inches away from her shoulder. The man whom she'd bumped into suddenly looked different – his whole expression had changed from indifference to worry in less than a second.

"I'm really sorry sir. She's part of my group of friends, and we got separated for quite some time in the crowd." He faked a familiar smile like it was natural. "You're still that shy about showing your face? Sorry about that, she grew up a pretty sheltered kid."

Before she could utter a word, he slipped the mask he carried betwixt her two fingers and stepped forward. The blond now stood between her and the soldier, his tone calm yet imperative.

"So if you could please let go of her, we'll both be on our way now."

The doushin's face displayed surprise, which quickly shifted to annoyance. "Hah? Yeah, wouldn't that be convenient for you? No way, if you're truly with that suspicious woman, I'm gonna have to ask you to come with me as well. And seeing as you're an outlander, I'd advise you not to make a scene."

A wave of guilt washed over her when she realized her actions were putting a complete stranger in a tight spot too. Before she could denounce herself, however, he glanced at her with a reassuring smile and asked the most unexpected question.

"How well can you run?"

"Wha-"

Ayaka blinked, and felt the fresh wind on her face through the mask, trailing on her features and untying the upstanding girl's ponytail. She was running, while this man she did not know but felt compelled to trust led her through the crowd by the wrist. The soldier shouted something in the far distance, but the two were long gone.

She admired the billowing braid in front of her as they swiftly made their way past countless people. She had never run like this before. It was not a physical exercise, nor a use of the Senho art to move around in combat. The feeling it brought forth was a memory of her as a child, playing around the estate's courtyard under the servants' watchful gaze. It was just a pure run for it blessed by the winds of Freedom.

To be free, completely free. The idea itself seemed like a fantasy, so out of reach it was almost comical.

And so, her first words to her newly-found accomplice were punctuated with laughter. "Where are we going?"

To which the blond looked back hesitantly. "I have no idea. This is my first time here."

He tried to keep a straight face, but she could swear she heard a light snicker come from him. Trusting this stranger was utter foolishness. But then again, did it really matter when it was her first and last festival? Her first and last night as a normal girl?

Probably not.

"I know these streets. Take a sharp right next."

...

She adjusted the mask on her face, and it fit perfectly. She then glanced at the man who was leaning against the wall next to her, finally able to take in the sight as the dancing lanterns illuminated his face. He didn't look much older than her at a glance, but his fiery golden eyes shone with a valor she did not see in most people her age. His well-shaped build, unusual attire and long braid definitely made a few heads turn too. All in all, not unpleasant to look at.

"Are you certain you're not going to want this mask back? It's useful, but I can always pay the difference if you want, mister..."

She fumbled towards the end of her sentence, but he caught on. "Aether. And I insist that you keep it, you seem to need a mask more than I do anyway." He watched a few people go by, and spoke up again. "If you don't mind me asking, what's your name?"

"Ah..."

Kamisato Ayaka was obviously out of the equation, seeing as she was supposed to be here incognito. Even though he was obviously not from Inazuma, giving her true identity here was still unsafe. She wanted to don a normal girl's name – just for tonight. A simple idea passing through her mind, an appellation as ephemeral as the first hint of snow upon a bed of camellia flowers.

It was decided. She set a stray bang behind her ear as they locked eyes for the second time.

"Yuki. My name is Yuki."

They both went silent for a brief moment, only listening to the sounds of cheer down the street. The world came to a full stop, but he snapped out of their shared daze first.

"That's... a very nice name." He seemed to shake himself out of a certain mental drowsiness. "Well, be sure to steer clear of the doushin in the near future, Yuki. A happy festival to you."

The outlander put his hands in his pockets as he began walking away.

Yuki's lips pursed as she gripped a fold of her dress, frozen in place as the distance between her savior and herself slowly grew larger. This mysterious and selfless stranger was jus going to defend her dream and leave, no questions asked? Of course, it would be better for the both of them not to interact further, but she had done enough for herself at this point. She'd made it to a festival, and he'd given her the opportunity to enjoy it on her own when all hope seemed lost. Ayaka was selfish, but Yuki... couldn't bear to just see him walk away.

"Excuse me!"

He stopped and swivelled around when she called out to him, thankfully. A few seconds hung in the air as he silently waited for her to elaborate.

"If you..." she fumbled, unsure of how she even got this far. "You mentioned that it was your first time in Narukami Island. Well... this is my first festival too."

His composure was broken when he raised an estranged brow, wondering what exactly she was getting at. Socializing beyond the polite surface commonly agreed upon in politics truly was a hurdle for her. Just as she was about to go back on everything she'd just said and spurt out a string of apologies, she heard a stifled chuckle.

The blond's head tilted with a modest smile. "You're an amusing one, Yuki. What exactly do you mean to say by that?"

Amusing, rather than distant. She could live with that.

"Sorry... To be honest, I actually know a lot about Inazuma's festive customs and the like. I just never had the chance to experience them myself. The story behind the Narukami no Musuko, which stalls are the most popular and why, I'm pretty well-versed in all these things thanks to my upbringing." She suddenly cut herself off, thankful for the mask as it hid her growing embarrassment. "And also, I'm rambling... sorry."

She needed to interact with the common folk more. For some reason, messing up in front of him in particular made her feel even more awkward-

"Yuki."

She almost forgot that he was addressing her with that name.

The Traveler's hands spread in a welcoming gesture. "I have two ears and a lot of free time on my hands. So by all means, feel free to ramble as much as you want. I already got involved, so I might as well see this festival through with you."

Before she could answer, he turned around and resumed his stroll. She perceived his movements as if her universe had slowed down, his braid and twin-tailed cape winding like a path towards an unforeseeable journey.

"Just who is this man?"

Ayaka took a deep breath and went after him.

Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, and welcome sweet character development!

With the next chapter, we will finally reach the conclusion to the Tsubaki's Trail subplot. Every scene involving Ayaka has been leading up to this moment, and her ambition portrayal is almost complete for the sake of the main plot. There will be other steps of development with other characters in the future, maybe a bit more nuanced but leading up to the same result. Characterization, people. It's the entire premise of Inazuma's quests.

I've been very happy with this chapter, hopefully it makes for a nice gift to you all (I had to orphan the Letter to the Knights project for overwork purposes). As for myself, I already have the greatest present I could ever ask for in you all. Last year, at the same time, I never thought I would be doing this. But I evolved, I kept writing, and everyone kept on supporting me. Thank you all so, so much.

I will see you all next year when I shall reveal my biggest undertaking yet. Once again, I am so lucky and grateful for this community. Let's keep on writing our life stories together, and I'll make sure y'all eat well in 2023. See you soon.

-Huntaah