Times had changed, the figurative sky had turned for the political scene of Inazuma's Tri-Commission.
It all started when a generation of Kamisato members committed a grave error that brought great shame to the Kamisato name. The former clan head and Yashiro Commissioner worked hard to undo the damage at the expense of his health which subsequently contributed to his early demise. His wife, wrought with great sorrow at the sudden passing of her beloved, died shortly after, leaving the responsibility of holding the esteemed Kamisato clan together to her eldest, Kamisato Ayato, who was forced to take on this responsibility and burden as the newly elected Yashiro Commissioner, Kamisato Clan Head, and also the older brother to his younger sister.
All might look peaceful from the outside, but only those in the Kamisato clan would know how merciless the underlying currents were beneath the deceptively tranquil surface. The boy who's not even yet a man had to suddenly shoulder the heavy weight placed upon his shoulders. There were many who believed that this would be the end of the Kamisato clan, including both outsiders and also those who worked for them. Many had tendered their resignations and the few who stayed behind were those who truly were loyal to the clan or simply had nowhere else to go.
These were the dark days that both Kamisato siblings could remember till today.
"You didn't leave," Kamisato Ayato remembered being mildly surprised when that man remained within the clan when there was a mass exodus of servants who left the Kamisato clan just the day before.
"Your father saved me and it felt wrong to leave when the clan is now in a period of crisis. It's no longer possible for me to repay this favour to him but I guess paying it back through you would be the same thing," the foreign man replied with a carefree smile on his face. "Besides, I don't cost much in terms of upkeep. As long as the clan can give me three meals a day and a roof over my head, I'm staying."
"Thank you," Ayato replied before heading into the study to start going through the huge pile of official documents that required his perusal. "I remembered father saying that you know your way around different types of weaponry, would you mind being a bodyguard?"
"For the young lady?"
"She's my greatest worry and to some, my greatest weakness," Ayato admitted.
"I shall see to it that she will not be harmed," the man promised before taking his leave. Ayato released an inaudible sigh once he's alone in the room, mentally going through what he knew about the man which his father once picked up from the beach surrounding Narukami Island.
Man of unknown origin, goes by the name of Adham, claimed to be from Sumeru, knew his way around various weaponry and the way in which he used them had traces from all around the world. Favonius bladework, Fontaine bladework, Liyue swordsmanship and polearmship, Mondstadt and Liyue archery, Snezhnaya combat training, Sumeru Eremite combat arts, just to name a few that he could identify. There were more that even Ayato could not recognise. Adham was the very epitome of what would classify as a suspicious man just for the very virtue of his unknown origin but this is a period of crisis for the Kamisato clan. So many people had left the clan, believing that there is no longer any future after the series of events that had struck them, there is no longer anybody else that Ayato could use.
He could only trust that the man could protect his little sister and trust that father had saved a man who's fully intending to repay the life debt with gratitude.
"Morning milady, my name is Adham, and I will be serving you starting today."
The young little girl was clearly not good at social interactions. She's withdrawn, lacking confidence, and still wallowing in the grief for losing both her parents so suddenly and feeling very insecure at the sudden crisis that her family was suddenly thrusted into. This was also the first time the Descender had the chance to properly interact with Kamisato Ayaka and it was also the first time he interacted with chibi Ayaka.
There were many things that Adham was not privy to due to his identity as an outlander with questionable origins. Even within the clan itself, many were silently doubting if Ayato's decision to make Adham Ayaka's attendant and bodyguard was the wise choice to make. Why did the Kamisato clan take in a lowly commoner and entrust him with such an important duty? What if he was a spy from an enemy faction? What if he desired the secrets that the noble and esteemed Kamisato clan had held for generations? Those were their worries that nobody dared to air out loud, but yet they had to accept the decisions made by their newly appointed clan head because it's also true that Adham was currently the most suitable candidate to protect the vulnerable young lady within the clan.
It's well known that in Inazuma, all affairs of the state that do not go up to the Almighty Shogun will be passed to the Tri-Commission to handle. The executive power of this council is then divided into three parts: the Tenryou Commission, the Kanjou Commission, and lastly the Yashiro Commission which the Kamisato clan currently leads. With the passing of the late Kamisato clan head this delicate balance of power had finally been broken. The surface of the tranquil water is no longer peaceful as it seems from the surface. The underlying currents that were borne by the presence of the Tenryou and Kanjou Commission would and could threaten to swallow the Kamisato clan whole the moment the right opportunity presented itself.
Then there were also the smaller clans to consider. The Yashiro Commission was not made up solely of the Kamisato clan but rather, a conglomeration of clans who fell within this particular branch of the Tri-Commission which the Kamisato clan currently leads. They had been patiently waiting to usurp this seat of power at any given time. There will be some that will do what they can to finally pull down the Kamisato clan from their seat of power for their own gains.
By any means necessary.
"Lord Kamisato, this is the fourth attempt this month."
Ayato remembered that he really felt like his sanity was barely hanging on by a single thread that day. Those were truly dark days which he had experienced. It was stressful and one wrong move would lead to the demise of everyone in the clan, and the last thing he wished was to disappoint everyone who had placed their trust in him and stayed behind, and of his beloved little sister.
Four attempts. Four assassination attempts in the past month on his younger sister, conducted by unknown parties and professional assassins and they might really have succeeded if it wasn't for Adham's presence.
They knew where these assassins came from because not many factions and families had the power and resources to raise and use professional assassins. Frustratingly, they do not have any evidence to bite back at the true masterminds. So many people were eagerly awaiting the Kamisato clan's downfall and Ayato really wanted to give them a taste of their own medicine, but he doesn't yet have the power or the ability to execute all the elaborate plans that his cunning mind could weave.
Without power, even the wittiest minds would be rendered at a loss.
"Does she know?"
"Not yet, I did what I could to hide the truth from her, but the young lady is much more perceptive than we give her credit for. She would find out about the truth sooner or later, it's a matter of time."
"I see…" Ayato trailed off. He's trying his best to give his sister the happy childhood that she deserves because she's only just a child, but it seemed that this facade of peace would soon be torn down. As the young lady of the Kamisato clan, she could no longer afford to remain ignorant.
"Lord Kamisato," Ayato's attention was brought back to the enigmatic chief retainer of the clan once more and he lifted his head to hear what Adham had to say.
"Do you trust me?"
Do you trust me, these four simple words felt like it contained the weight of the world. Trust is a luxury that would only become more and more sought after the higher one climbs up the societal ladder. It is not something that anyone in a position of great power could readily give because just one mistake could spell demise for everything and everyone.
It was a question that Ayato found himself unable to give an answer to. Does he trust his chief retainer? He had thwarted and protected his little sister from four assassination attempts, done so much and asked for so little, yet his origins were a total mystery and nobody could ever ascertain what his motives or goals were. He also never gave an answer when asked.
Could anybody trust such a person? The logical answer should be no, but Ayato had nobody left. The people who he could trust within the clan were far too few ever since his parents' passing and Adham's power is too useful to wholly ignore.
"Yes."
"Give me three days, and then we could all finally catch a breather," Adham promised before leaving the estate. Ayato never knew what Adham planned on doing until rumours started reaching his ears exactly three days later.
Multiple assassinations had taken place within the important clans and families of the Tri-Commission. The leading families of the Tenryou Commission and Kanjou Commission, the families within the Yashiro Commission who were secretly plotting the demise of the Kamisato clan; none were spared. This series of unnatural deaths caught even the attention of the Shogun herself but she did not intervene once she understood the origin and cause. Furthermore, all clues that were gathered at the crime scenes of these assassinations were all suggesting that there was a great internal strife within the Tri-Commission.
If one were to look at the clues uncovered, the only truth that could be deduced was that the Tenryou Commission plotted the assassination of key figures within the Kanjou Commission, who were coincidentally responsible for the assassinations of the ambitious families working against the Kamisato clan, who were in turn trying to assassinate important members of the Tenryou Commission. To an objective third party, it's like everyone had their own assassination schemes and they so happened to put them in motion within that short period of time, resulting in a coincidental deadlock.
The incredibly messy yet elaborate mass assassinations that took place within the short span of three days created a rift between these major players of Inazuma's political scene. The wiser ones understood that this had to be the work of the Kamisato clan, the only party that were left untouched from this madness, who argued that they were in fact, not left untouched as their young lady had already experienced four assassination attempts conducted by unknown factions in the past month and they were simply lucky that it was thwarted every single time.
The beauty of this scheme was that even for those who knew and understood that this was a scheme by the Kamisato clan, they also could not discount the possibility that these assassinations might really have been conducted by other factions as in the first place, their little alliance was not one built on trust but rather, shared interests, each of them individually trying to tear off a piece of the weakened Kamisato clan for their own gains.
What if these assassinations really were not the work of the Kamisato clan? That doubt was successfully sown in their minds and had taken root. The rift between these anti-Kamisato clan parties had been successfully created and it is a discord that could no longer be bridged. It doesn't matter if they knew that the Kamisato clan were behind this, it doesn't matter even if they knew that they had all fallen prey to Kamisato Ayato's scheme.
Nobody had any evidence. Furthermore, once doubt has taken root, it's impossible to get rid of them again. This was how balance was restored within the Tri-Commission and how Ayato managed to eventually wrestle power back into the hands of the Yashiro Commission and protect the Kamisato clan's continued existence.
Many retainers of the Kamisato clan praised Ayato's foresight and cunning mind, believing him to be the one responsible for dealing a lethal blow on their political rivals. Only Ayato knew that he wasn't the one who came up with this scheme. He might have the brain to weave such a plan, but he did not yet have the power to execute it. It was the outsider that nobody trusted who quietly protected the Kamisato clan for them while asking for nothing in return.
Do you trust me, he had no idea how to answer the four-word question that held the weight of the world previously, but he does now. Adham had proved repeatedly that his loyalty is to the Kamisato clan and had fought unseen battles for them behind the scenes.
Loyalty deserves recognition and respect. The nature of the mass assassinations meant that this was an act that cannot be officially recognised, but that didn't stop Ayato from showing his display of trust to his chief retainer behind closed doors in private, an unsaid answer to Adham's question from back then.
"The Kamisato clan had been here for hundreds of years. In the present day, our main duties is to lead the families and clans that made up the Yashiro Commission which in turn, are in charge of managing the shrines, festivals and cultural events. However, it wasn't like this when our family first started out. The Kamisato clan was originally a family of skilled and brave warriors that fought alongside the Raiden Shogun. Our contributions were eventually recognised by the Shogun and we were bestowed the sword that would eventually be our family heirloom and which I now inherited, Haran Geppaku Futsu, and also bestowed with the name "Kamisato". "Kami" in Inazuma's culture meant "gods", referring to the contributions of our ancestors who had fought alongside our god against hostile deities that threatened Inazuma's eternity, and "Sato", meaning "within", refers to our loyalty to our Shogun that we had always held within our hearts. "The God Within" is the true meaning of the Kamisato name and of course, our god will forever and always be the almighty Raiden Shogun."
Ayato's explanation of the Kamisato clan's origins and history were something that Adham had never once previously thought to figure out or had found out until then, but it was an enriching lesson that gave him a greater insight to not just the Kamisato clan, but also the history of Inazuma.
"The Kamisato clan is no longer required to fight battles on the battlefield but that does not mean we had forgotten our roots. Everything that I had learnt and which Ayaka is learning, they are our clan techniques passed down to us by our ancestors who had created and mastered them. Our family had also produced several skilled users of elemental magic in our long history, some of which were high ranking shrine maidens who helped the esteemed Guuji Yae with the purification rituals or to cleanse the filth polluting Inazuma. All of these techniques in this library here, feel free to peruse them."
To open the doors of the Kamisato clan library to Adham, the man who fought unseen battles for the clan, was his way of expressing his gratitude to his chief retainer and also to answer Adham's question.
Do you trust me, his chief retainer had asked, and this is how Ayato will answer him as his lord. The Kamisato clan secret techniques that only a Kamisato could learn, they are now his to learn as well. Adham may not be a Kamisato by blood, but he is a Kamisato in every sense of the word.
The peace that Adham had brought for the Kamisato clan through bloodshed and violence was the precious time that the clan needed to catch a breather and recuperate. Nobody dared to touch the clan again for a long while after the mass assassinations and by the time that these clans had also recuperated from their losses, the Kamisato clan had already recovered from their losses under Ayato's leadership. The rebellious factions within the Yashiro Commission had been subdued, the public image of the clan was now in their favour and the dishonour committed by members of the Kamisato clan from the previous generations restored. The Yashiro Commission now had enough to stand on equal footing with the other two commissions once again and balance was restored within the Tri-Commission.
And if anybody tried to plot the Kamisato clan's downfall again, they would now have to think twice because the reminder of the number of lives lost in that assassination scheme was something that still gave many members of the Tri-Commission nightmares.
Things were finally on track and Ayato could finally take a breather as well. He had lived up to everyone's expectations: of his deceased parents, of those within the clan who placed their hopes in him and had stayed behind in their greatest period of crisis, and also his sister. He had not let anyone down.
"You need to be faster, milady. Again."
Ayato hid himself behind a pillar and silently watched with a faint smile on his face as his chief retainer trained his little sister in the family's techniques in the courtyard. He wished for nothing but to protect his little sister from the evils of the world forever, but he knew that doing so was not realistically possible and treating her like a caged bird is not something that he should do as her older brother if he truly had her best interests at heart. She will have to learn how to spread her wings and fly under her own power one day and if so, the only thing he could do is to arm her with the necessary knowledge and skills, to prepare her as much as he could help her with as long as it is within his means.
His sister is also a Kamisato. She's not a weak flower that could only bloom under the protection of a greenhouse. Like the camellia flower that their clan's crest was derived from, her sister possessed inner strength that is in no way inferior to his. To live a life with love, loyalty and humility is the belief that all Kamisato members would abide by and he will not disrespect his sister by becoming an overprotective older brother. He trusts that she could one day be able to shoulder the duties as a member of the Kamisato clan like he's doing now.
So until the day comes where she could lead the clan alongside him as an equal, he will do his best to protect her and arm her with the skills she needs.
Adham had soon learnt every and all documented techniques of the Kamisato clan. Ayato was surprised that he could learn even the different elemental techniques as well, especially when he displayed the ability to wield and manipulate all seven elements. There were certain elements that he clearly wields with a higher proficiency than the others, or some that he preferred using over the others, but it was the fact that he could wield the elements without a vision that truly astounded him.
Yet, Ayato never once asked the reason why that was so, because he trusts his chief retainer. Adham had never said why he could achieve the impossible and Ayato never pried.
The Kamisato art: Kabuki is a swordplay technique that requires its user to possess both finesse and speed to wield it to its full potential. Both Ayato and Adham agreed that this is the most suitable clan technique for Ayaka and the young lady diligently practised her strikes rain or shine. Many in the clan were moved by Ayaka's determination, persuading her to take a short break and not push herself so hard. "None may deflect a swing that has been practised a thousand times– that was what mother told me before she passed," Ayaka would politely reply with a faint smile on her face when the servants working for the Kamisato clan expressed their well-intentioned worries for her.
For those who had served the Kamisato clan for a long time, it's no secret that Ayaka had always wished to be able to grow strong enough to alleviate her brother's burden. It was also no secret that Ayaka was not preternaturally gifted and would spend much time being troubled by her inability to memorise poetry, write elegantly, or brandish her sword. She could not complete anything that was to be expected from a lady of noble birth but what she lacked in talent, she made up for it with grit and hardwork. A poem she failed to memorise once would be memorised fifty times, a poorly-written word would be written fifty times over, and a sword technique that failed would be swung fifty times more.
Seeing as how their beloved young lady stubbornly refused to rest and with nowhere else to vent their worries and frustrations, these loyal servants then turned to Adham, blaming him as the reason and questioning why he worked Ayaka so hard during her lessons. Adham never once rebutted those accusations nor did he explain himself and over time, people just grew to believe that the young lady worked so hard because the chief retainer forced her to, which was inhumane.
"I'm sorry, I must have given you a lot of trouble."
"Trouble? What trouble?" Adham would say when Ayaka felt guilty for being the reason why Adham was disliked by almost everyone who adored their young lady. No matter how she tried to explain that the fault lies with her and not Adham, nobody seemed to believe it.
"Be confident, milady. Hold your head high, you are the lady of the Kamisato clan," he would encourage her whenever she was feeling down. "People's opinions of you, the road ahead of you; these are not the things that you should be afraid of. What you should be afraid of is if you one day find yourself without the will to keep going on."
She felt that there's a story behind what Adham told her that day but ultimately did not muster the courage to ask. She's no longer the naive little girl that knew nothing about the world. Her brother and attendant had not told her anything but they also did not purposely conceal their actions entirely in her presence. She knew that they had to do many things that they were not proud of behind her back for the sake of the clan and also for the sake of Inazuma.
Still, she asked one question.
"To have no will to keep going on… is it very… scary?"
The silence that followed was the answer she received and she understood his wordless answer.
"My apologies, I shouldn't have asked–"
"It's fine. I just pray that you will forever be unable to comprehend that state of mind but if you do, or know of people who no longer have the will to live… just go to Naganohara Fireworks."
"Huh?"
"Their fireworks are very lovely, don't you think?"
The little girl slowly grew up. She grew from the young girl who knew nothing to the Shirasagi Himegimi that all of Narukami love, the perfect noble lady of the Kamisato clan with a heart as pure as crystallised ice. She's often seen accompanied by her attendant and chief retainer of the Kamisato clan, the enigma that tends to slip from minds of the common folk but held in great fear by those of the Tri-Commission. No secrets can be kept forever. It took a while, but they soon learnt who was the true executioner who was behind the slaughter of one-third of the Tri-Commission which ultimately saved the Kamisato clan from being torn to shreds by their political rivals.
The Kamisato Executioner, The Yashiro Commissioner's Right Hand; that was what these people call him behind closed doors. There were attempts to remove him from the picture altogether but it had failed each and every time. Retribution was also swift, usually by Adham's own hands who had the support of Ayato himself. They soon learnt another lesson and also a reminder to not lay a hand on the Kamisato clan.
"Thank you for assisting with the relief efforts."
"Milady, it's my duty to assist you," was the reply Ayaka received from the person whom she had viewed as family a long time ago, the person who played a vital role in allowing her to grow up safely and happily from a defenceless young little girl into the person she is today. To her, Adham is one of her most precious people in the world, just like her older brother.
Villagers from Konda Village were being displaced from their homes by invading hilichurl tribes. The Kamisato clan, being the closest to assist, had immediately headed over to provide their aid to save as many lives as they could. Adham had served her for many years but it was only then that she finally had the chance to witness him draw his blade for combat.
The techniques he displayed were the clan techniques that her brother gave him permission to learn. His sword was elegant, swift, precise yet also deadly, and it was a level of skill that she wished to emulate and attain with all her heart. The monsters were driven off and relief supplies could finally be sent in. The relief efforts were fully supervised and managed by Ayaka from start to end and this event was the very first time she was given full responsibility to manage an important affair as a member of the Kamisato clan.
"You did very well," she would forever remember her brother's praise when she finally returned home to report on the progress and conclusion of the relief efforts, who fondly patted her head with a doting smile on his face. She remembered smiling so widely. Her brother's recognition and support was all she needed to know that everything she had endured and learnt had not been in vain.
Everything was worth it.
"How old are you this year?" Ayaka remembered asking Adham that question one peaceful afternoon. They were seated at a nicely decorated pavilion within the estate, she was preparing tea, there were snacks, and her brother promised to join soon after he was done reviewing some documents in his study. Adham sat very casually on the wooden ledge of the pavilion, his gaze staring at the vast sea that their estate overlooked.
Adham had served the clan for over a decade but he didn't really look like he aged much from her memories. He had dedicated more than a decade of his life to serving the clan. Both she and her brother viewed him as a part of their family and they also couldn't help but worry about his future and happiness.
Even Ayaka herself had turned into an adult. That's how much time had passed.
"I don't know," was his honest reply. "I lost track of time a very long time ago. To me, time is a meaningless concept, one that I have no need nor reason to dwell upon."
"Do you… have anyone you fancy?" She got a little bolder and also urged by her innate desire to learn more about her enigmatic chief retainer. She observed that Adham had a soft spot for Yoimiya, maybe… that's his type?
"I used to. A long time ago, a very long time ago," he replied after a brief period of silence.
"Oh? Do I know her? I could help you–"
"Milady, she's no longer in this world."
She remembered feeling at a loss, not knowing what to do or say. Even all the lessons that she had learnt as a noble lady did not prepare her for how to react in such a situation.
"It's fine, I had learnt to accept this outcome a long time ago, please do not feel bad for me," he reassured her with a smile. "I could understand the reasoning why milady suddenly asked me such a question and trust me when I say that I know that milady and Lord Kamisato had my best interests in mind, but…"
"I'm… I'm sorry."
"Please don't be. It's nobody's fault. I think she would like to meet you as well, if given the chance."
"... How was she like?"
"An unredeemable workaholic. If you think Lord Kamisato was bad, she was worse, like ten times worse," there was a fond scoff she heard from him and she couldn't help but giggle at the description he gave of his lover. "She's a little like you now that I think about it: never truthful with herself, always like to shoulder everything on her own… but also very determined. She's one of the most determined people I have ever met. I think… I think both of you would have a lot of common topics to talk about."
"I think I heard my name being mentioned," Ayato entered the pavilion at that moment with the newest attendant of the Kamisato clan who just joined. "What did I miss? Hmm, Thoma, would you look at that, my little sister and chief retainer are keeping secrets from me now."
It was a very pleasant afternoon tea that they shared that day.
"Hah… Hah… You really are… skilled," Thoma acknowledged while breathing heavily. Both Lord Kamisato and the chief retainer had every intention to groom him as an important figure within the clan and Thoma wished to prove to them that their trust will not be misplaced. He gave his all during the training sessions with the chief retainer and found himself awed by the wide variety of combat arts that the chief retainer had mastered.
"You will do fine," Adham encouraged with a pat on his back. "I'll be counting on you when there comes a day where I could no longer serve as the chief retainer."
"That will never happen," Thoma immediately declared to the person who he viewed as his teacher and also an older brother figure. "You are a very important person here, Adham. I cannot imagine a day where the clan had to function without you."
"A friend of mine used to say: every journey has its final day, don't rush. I'm not rushing and I enjoyed my journey thus far, but… we always have to be prepared for the unexpected, don't we?"
If his guess was right, that final day should happen soon. The turning point for modern Inazuma had always been the Vision Hunt Decree and the Sakoku Decree and judging from Ayaka's current age, it's about time that turning point made its mark on history.
"I tried repealing the decrees but they were always vetoed against by the Tenryou and Kanjou Commissions," Ayato stated with a tired sigh. The decrees were implemented in almost the same manner Adham remembered them in his previous cycles. Ayato could already foresee how this would divide the nation and tried to push against its implementation to no avail.
Already, word had started to reach Ayato's ears that rebel factions had started to pop up all over Inazuma, most notably the faction based in Watatsumi.
"The Shogun may be stubborn, but if we could provide proof that the decrees were detrimental to her pursuit of eternity, I believe she will be willing to listen," Adham voiced his opinion and ignored how both Ayato and Ayaka looked at him in shock for so openly "defaming" the Shogun and describing her as a stubborn person. "Seeing at how things were really executed on the ground, I believe that the Tenryou and Kanjou Commission were hiding certain things from the Shogun so if we could bring that up to the Shogun's attention, things might change."
"But how would we do that? The Shogun rarely leaves the Tenshukaku and we wouldn't be allowed to enter under ordinary circumstances," Ayaka said worriedly.
"I could always request for a duel before the throne to be granted an audience…"
"Denied," the Kamisato siblings immediately denied that option in a truly astounding display of sibling teamwork.
"Okay, jokes aside, I believe that there's a very high possibility that the Tenryou Commission is colluding with the Fatui in regards to the Vision Hunt Decree. All we need now is concrete proof. With your permission, Lord Kamisato, please allow me to investigate and obtain the needed evidence. We can think about how we should provide the evidence to the Shogun after we have the evidence in our hands."
"That probably is the only thing we can do now," Ayato agreed with a heavy heart. "Please be safe, Adham."
"Understood, milord," Adham acknowledged before reaching out for a nearby bush to haul a certain ninja who had been hiding there. "Alright, little Sayu, time to get to work. Your expertise is needed."
"Uweh… Caught again…" the petite shinobi mumbled sleepily but obediently followed after the chief retainer.
"When you return it will be just in time for the Summer Festival. Yoimiya told me that she had several new creations to show us, let's go together then!" Ayaka told Adham before he took his leave and the chief retainer acknowledged her request with a fond smile and a nod before stepping out of the gates of the Kamisato Estate.
None of them would know that it was the last time any of them saw Adham.
That fateful day came when one of the Kamisato's samurais patrolling the estate came across Sayu. She was bloodied, injured, fatigued, and had very obviously fought tooth and nail to be able to return to the Kamisato Estate alive to bring back information to Lord Kamisato Ayato.
"M-Miss Sayu?!"
"L-Lord K-Kami… sato… L-Lord… Kami…" Sayu would repeatedly mention their lord's name in spite of her condition. The samurai who found her gently held the petite woman in his arms and quickly brought her to their lord as per her request, taking great care to not aggravate the shinobi's injuries any further as much as he could.
The pair departed from Narukami and their investigations eventually led them to Yashiori Island where they found a Fatui operated delusion factory. The factory was deserted when they entered but Sayu could feel it in her bones the moment she stepped foot into the facility, that feeling of ill omen.
"Feels… foreboding," Sayu whispered to the chief retainer with a shudder.
"I think it's the effects of Tatarigami. I can feel traces of it at the entrance and I believe that it's going to be even worse as we proceed. Are you feeling alright? If it's too much for you–"
"I will be fine. Please don't worry about me."
"Milord! Milord!" The samurai broke all rules and decorum as he hastily ran into the estate with Sayu in his arms and yelled for his lord, knowing that a second wasted might be a second more dangerous for Miss Sayu. The commotion quickly attracted Thoma's attention and he too, was alarmed at what he saw.
Sayu had embarked on a secret investigation with the chief retainer. If Sayu had returned in this condition and Adham was nowhere to be seen, then…
Thoma's heart dropped at the mere thought of it. He did not even dare to linger on that stray whisper of thought at the back of his mind.
"Quick! Someone call a healer! Koharu, Lord Kamisato is in the study, please go get him–"
"These are… crystal marrows?"
Sayu was bewildered at the unimaginable amount of crystal marrows that filled this unknown factory. Crystal marrows are a unique resource that came into existence after the Serpent God Orobashi was slain. These crystals contain a silver of Tatarigami power and thus, could prove to be hazardous when handled wrongly or used for the wrong cause. However, when used well, adding this material during smelting will greatly increase the strength and toughness of metals. Many of Inazuma legendary weapons that were forged after Orobashi was slain had used crystal marrows in their production.
"Even if this is an illegal smithing facility the amount of crystal marrows are still too many for it to be normal. I don't think these crystals were used for smithing."
"But if not smithing, then what could they be used for?"
"If I have to guess, it's to distillate the Tatarigami from these crystal marrows and use them for something else."
"I'm already here," Ayato walked onto the scene with brisk steps before Koharu could go and get him. A serious and stern look could be seen on his face. He knew things had to be grave when he spotted Sayu covered with grievous wounds but he forced himself to remain strong.
"Sayu, it's me," Ayato gently lowered himself to face Sayu and the samurai holding onto the wounded ninja tried his best to carry Sayu closer to their lord so that she could whisper important information into his ear. Ayato's eyes briefly went wide after he heard what she brought back and he also received the small bamboo container which contained the slips of evidence that Sayu had rolled into it which contained the intelligence that she risked her life to bring back.
"You have done well, Sayu. Leave everything else to me," Ayato assured Sayu with a smile and the shinobi finally allowed sleep to take her, going limp in the samurai's arms. Ayato quietly instructed the samurai to ensure that Sayu received immediate medical treatment and Thoma saw how his lord had clenched his fists so tightly to the point that the veins beneath his skin visibly bulged.
"Thoma."
"Yes, milord," Thoma immediately answered with his head bowed, ready to execute his lord's orders at a moment's notice.
"I have to head for the Tenshukaku and request an audience with the Shogun. Meanwhile, I need you to take our forces, whoever's available right now, and head for Yashiori Island. Your job is to search and rescue Adham. Hopefully… Hopefully, there is still enough time."
"Understood," Ayato could sense the shock and also fear from Thoma, but the man of Mondstadt origin had professionally squashed it back down in order to do what was expected of him.
They came across a desk of documents and through it, they soon managed to figure out who owned this facility.
"It really is the Fatui?"
They had their suspicions even before they stepped foot inside here, but to confirm these suspicions for themselves was another matter entirely.
"These documents are evidence. Let's bring it back for Lord Kamisato. There's no way that the Fatui could have hidden such an important and huge facility without anyone the wiser. They had to have insider help."
"I think I found it. The insider," Sayu lifted up a particular document and pointed to a particular line written on it.
"Kujou Takayuki. Why am I not surprised?"
"If it isn't Lord Kamisato. Which wind brought you here today?"
"Move aside, Lord Kujou," Ayato was not in a conversational mood. To say his mood was thunderous was an understatement and it was taking all of his self-restraint to not cut Kujou Takayuki down on sight. That man had the gall to stop him at the gates of the Tenshukaku and it was obvious both parties knew why the other was here. However, Ayato knew that giving in to his impulse will not solve anything.
Being impulsive will not save his chief retainer.
"Pack up, Sayu. We have company."
Sayu had barely snagged the needed documents and stored them in her bamboo container when Adham gave his warning. Numerous Fatui agents had appeared and surrounded them and Sayu was immediately on alert. Both Kamisato warriors stood back to back, ready to launch themselves into battle at a moment's notice.
From the looks of it it was apparent that the Fatui had been waiting for them all along. It's a trap that they know that the Kamisato clan have no choice but to spring. Whether this plan was Kujou Takayuki or the Fatui's idea remains to be seen, but Sayu will not deny that it was effective.
"Chief Retainer Adham, it was really difficult to get to meet you," a particularly sassy Fatui agent struck up a conversation. By now it was obvious that the Fatui's objective was Adham and him alone. Sayu was aware that Adham had stepped on the toes of many influential figures of Inazuma due to the information that she could access as a member of the Shuumatsuban. It was not hard to figure out that someone had either commissioned the Fatui to get rid of Adham on their behalf, or had struck an agreement with the Fatui to remove him from the picture in exchange for some other intangible benefits.
Kujou Takayuki– Sayu committed this name to memory with gritted teeth. So many nameless warriors are risking their lives day in and out so that their nation can be at peace, yet the Tenryou Commissioner, one of the three most important people in Inazuma whose authority lies just below the Shogun, was colluding with people looking to harm Inazuma behind everyone's back!
This is an unforgivable offence. Absolutely unforgivable!
"So this is how the Fatui shows their hospitality to their guests? I must say, it's not a warm welcome in the slightest," Adham indulged the Fatui agent's conversation but as he and Sayu were back to back with each other, she could feel that the chief retainer was using this opportunity to quickly write something into the palm of her hand with his finger.
'Signal. Run.'
There was little he could convey in this situation but Sayu already understood what the chief retainer wanted her to do. Lord Kamisato needs to learn of this collusion as soon as possible– that is their utmost priority as warriors of the Yashiro Commission. Someone needs to bring this information back to Lord Kamisato and they both know that she's the best person for the job. Her specialty lies in running. Very few could catch her once she started running.
"If a warm welcome is what you want, we can create a "warm" welcome for you," the Fatui agent brandished his knives and as if an unspoken command was given, the Fatui agents surrounding them started to slowly box them in.
Adham immediately drew his sword and the very act of doing that immediately threw the entire situation into chaos. Sayu barely felt herself being picked up by the chief retainer before she suddenly found themselves being teleported across the room with crackling electro. She felt herself being flung towards the direction of where they remembered the exit to be.
"Don't get caught!"
Sayu heard the last words the chief retainer spoke to her and as much as she wanted to stay and help out, she's very well aware that she's not that good in a fight and might even be a burden if she stayed behind. The best form of assistance that she could offer him was to complete what he asked her to complete in his stead.
Deliver the information and evidence they gathered to Lord Kamisato.
And so, she ran. More Fatui members emerged to stop her and the chief retainer wasn't able to block every single pursuer from going after her, but she's determined to complete her mission.
She will not get caught.
"I'm afraid that Her Excellency may not want to be disturbed today," Kujou Takayuki spoke when Kamisato Ayato walked forward and both commissioners brushed past each other. Ayato only paused for a split second before resuming his steps, not intending to listen to Takayuki's words.
"You are still deciding to press on despite my well-intentioned advice? You had always been an obstinate man, Lord Kamisato, maybe this would change your mind?" Takayuki brought out a small box from his baggy sleeves, just big enough to perhaps fit in a shoe, and tossed it at Ayato.
Ayato caught the box with a single hand. He had no idea what games Takayuki was trying to play but he decided that it wouldn't hurt to spare a second to see what's inside of it. He opened up the box and his eyes widened in shock, disbelief, rage, and a plethora of other negative emotions that even he himself couldn't identify at that moment.
He had faced all sorts of situations ever since he took over the Yashiro Commission but never had he lost his cool. That moment was the one moment that he nearly lost himself in his rage.
"You–!"
Ayato had moved to unsheathe his sword even before he realised he was doing so. At the same time Takayuki's guards moved and stepped in front of their lord with their own weapons drawn. The sight of that returned some clarity to Ayato's rage-fuelled mind and he forced himself to stop before he did something that would have spiralled this situation to the point of no return.
"You like my gift, don't you? People always say that your chief retainer is The Yashiro Commissioner's Right Hand. I felt that it was only right that I should return what is yours."
Ayato slowly sheathed his half-drawn sword back into its sheath. His face looked calm, but if anyone were to take a closer look they would be able to spot the rage burning in his eyes, how his hands were trembling in rage, and how hard the Yashiro Commissioner was trying to control his breathing to forcibly calm himself down.
In that box in his hand lies another hand, freshly cut and the blood that leaked from the severed end still had not completely coagulated. The small little scar near the knuckle where the pinky finger was was all the verification that Ayato needed to know whose right hand the one in the box belonged to. The unassuming obsidian ring worn around the index finger told him of a message that only three people in this world would understand.
"Her Excellency does not want to be disturbed today," Takayuki reiterated his words that spoke of his unspoken threat, knowing that he's now the one calling the shots since he's the one with all the chips in the palm of his hand. "I'm sure you know what I meant by that, don't you, Lord Kamisato?"
"Left, down, right swipe, lunge. Hey, even I'm more familiar with your moves than you are," Adham cannot help but mock as he easily predicted and avoided each and every attack made by the Fatui agent before he cut him down with a single slash. An anemo boxer tried to pummel him only to be flung away and he crashed through three different walls before coming to a stop.
The ordinary rank and file grunts of the Fatui were of no threat to him. They could never be, not when he was once trained in their combat arts as a Fatui agent in his twelfth cycle. He knew all their tricks and all the ins and outs of their moves.
The only reason why he decided to stay behind to buy time for Sayu to escape was because he knew someone else had to be here. There's no way he would never be able to not identify his presence and only he could possibly have the chance to stop him. Sayu is not his match.
"Come out, Scaramouche. I know you have to be here."
A slow clap could be heard and the Sixth of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers made his dramatic entrance.
"Well well, you are more troublesome than I thought you would be, insect."
The silence in the great meeting hall of the Tenshukaku was deafening. The Raiden Shogun who was listening to every single word that the Yashiro Commissioner had spoken with her eyes closed finally opened her eyes after he was done. The Yashiro Commissioner handed over the evidence to Kujou Sara, who then presented it to the archon ruling over Inazuma.
The Almighty Narukami Ogosho finally opened her violet eyes. She perused through each and every document carefully and did not speak a word. Everyone in the room held their breaths and the breathing of several others hitched when small sparks of electro suddenly flickered around her fingers.
"Commissioner Kujou, is there anything that you would like to say for yourself?"
"I-It's all untrue! Your Excellency, I'm being framed! Please do not listen to Commissioner Kamisato, these documents had to be fabricated–"
"Silence," a single word from the Narukami Ogosho instantly quelled all needless noise within the meeting hall. The Raiden Shogun's eyes closed again and nobody dared breathe a single word more.
"Commissioner Kujou, you will be temporarily stripped of your authority as Tenryou Commissioner as of this moment. This arrangement will last until I decide if you are guilty as accused, or if you are proven otherwise."
Kujou Takayuki could not understand. Why had Ayato proceed despite his blatant threat? The Kamisato siblings treated their chief retainer as if he was one of their own despite not sharing the same blood running through their veins– that was a fact that almost the whole of Inazuma knew. According to his plan the Kamisato upstart would have no choice but to comply with his demand the moment he showed conclusive proof that his chief retainer is in his hands and mercy.
Yet, Kamisato Ayato had ignored his threat and proceeded to request an audience with the Raiden Shogun nevertheless, as if he did not care even if his chief retainer's life was in his hands. Does he not care about his chief retainer?
"Your Excellency–!"
"Commissioner Kamisato."
"At your command, Your Excellency."
"You have my permission to use all you have in your power to investigate this situation. Sara."
"Yes."
"I expect you to fully cooperate and assist Commissioner Kamisato in the investigation. I do not want any of your personal bias to get in the way. Do not give me any more reason to be disappointed in the Kujou clan any further."
"I understand."
"If that is all, both of you may leave. Kujou Takayuki."
The God of Eternity opened her eyes.
"You have a lot of explaining to do."
He may have learnt and mastered techniques capable of injuring even gods when used right, imparted with knowledge that only the long living or the divine could learn or access, but at the end of the day he was only mortal. His opponent was a mechanical puppet created to possess and even rival the body of a divine.
And that was the singular only difference needed to decide the victor between the two.
"Hahaha, is this all the chief retainer of Kamisato is capable of?" The Balladeer mocked the pitiful existence who was forced onto a single knee in front of him. The chief retainer did not rise to his taunt and instead, discreetly removed the obsidian ring from the middle finger of his right hand and wore it on his index finger instead.
"Is that all the famed Kamisato Arts are capable of? I guess the Kamisato clan is just all talk if this is all that you are capable of. Once I get rid of you I will then find the runaway raccoon, getting rid of her should be easy too," the Balladeer continued his demeaning act as Adham slowly rose to his feet once more.
"I won't allow you to harm Sayu," the chief retainer made his decision and knew that he would have to do all he could to stall his former friend here for as long as he can, whatever it takes, for a fate worse than death would await Sayu if Scaramouche were to get his hands on her.
While it pains him to accept it, he understands better than anyone else that the person standing in front of him is not the Junjou he knew but instead, Scaramouche, and how cruel he can be at this stage of his life. Nobody but him in this world has a greater understanding of how terrifying his friend's true power can be once it is fully unleashed.
There's no room for mistakes and regrettably no room for mercy. His friend was created by the Raiden Shogun with the intention to be able to rival even gods. One wrong step on his part and others would pay for his mistake with their lives, starting from Sayu.
"It's true that I am still unable to master and fully display the true might of the Kamisato Arts," the chief retainer admitted, "but never once did I say that the Kamisato Arts was an indication of my true power, or that the Kamisato Arts were the only combat arts I learnt, did I?"
Wind began to swirl around the chief retainer in a deceptively soft breeze, water and frost began to coalesce in his hands.
"Scaramouche– no, Kunikuzushi– it's been a while."
"Who are you?" The puppet narrowed his eyes and subtly took on a defensive stance. Very few in this world are aware of his true name and he certainly had not met this puny insect until today.
So how and why does he know his true name?
"I certainly wasn't expecting this would be how our first reunion would go. You wish to see my true power? I can grant you that wish. After all, you were the one who taught it to me, my true power," a sword of flowing water and a lance of merciless ice bloomed in his hands.
The Kamisato Chief Retainer looked up and stared into the puppet's eyes, his emotions peaceful with a smile yet determined in his goal.
"Come, Kunikuzushi, allow me to return the favour in a language that the present you can understand."
"You–" The Balladeer took a step back and was surprised when he realised that he took a step back. Why? How? Why was he suddenly afraid of this man? He's just a puny mortal.
"You–" The puppet seethed with gritted teeth and hatred oozed out of his mechanical body. Something about the man rubbed him the wrong way, the kind that made the Balladeer want to erase him off the face of the world. That… That…
That darn wretched kindness…! It's the same… It's the same… It's the same! He remembered that look! That same wretched look that Niwa and that child of Tatarasuna always gave him before they stabbed him with betrayal!
The Balladeer lunged.
"You– DISAPPEAR!"
"Hanega: Song of the Wind"
The room of the factory that they were in was forcibly torn apart in a thunderous explosion. Electro and anemo raged against each other, each unyielding to the other.
"That's–" The Balladeer's eyes widened in shock. While the means of its usage had differed, that was undoubtedly–
"Kyougen: Five Ceremonial Plays"
The singular vacuum of air hit and grinded the Fatui Harbinger into the ground. The chief retainer did not relent and pressed on with his assault.
"You darn insect, know your place!"
"Guhua Art: Raincutter"
The sword wielded by the mortal man fluctuated with the power of hydro and fell smoothly like the passing of falling rain. The Fatui Harbinger responded in kind with an enormous blast of electro and the resulting collision of power started to cause the factory to crumble.
"Are you afraid, Kunikuzushi? Do you–"
The chief retainer raised his hand that was still holding onto his sword and pointed a single finger at where his own heart was.
" – finally feel anything here?"
The puppet's eyes widened.
"The unacceptance of the unknown, the inability to comprehend what you cannot understand. It causes fear. That feeling of despair, that emotion of gripping uncertainty that holds you until you are unable to breathe; I'm very familiar with that and so are you. Right, Kunikuzushi?"
"Shut up. SHUT UP!"
Another blast of electro tore through the area as the factory finally collapsed in a deafening blast.
"Guhua Art: Light Piercer"
A brief flash of ice was the only warning the Balladeer received before a lance of ice nearly tore through his body. It would have if he hadn't avoided the strike in time.
"I don't remember you being this slow, Kunikuzushi. Did fear finally cripple you?"
"Begone, vermin!"
"Thoma?"
Thoma's entire body jolted when he heard the voice of the young lady from behind him but nevertheless forced himself to put a flawless smile on his face.
"Good afternoon, milady. You are back early today."
"Good afternoon to you too, Thoma," Ayaka returned the greeting and finally noticed the unusual number of samurais that Thoma was about to lead out of the estate. She would have missed them if she returned any later.
"Did something happen?" Ayaka asked, understanding that it's not usual for Thoma to be leading their clan's personal military force out in this manner.
"There's nothing for you to be worried about, milady–"
"Thoma," Ayaka stated with a slight frown. She didn't know how to explain it, but she could just instinctively sense that something was wrong.
The souvenirs that she had just bought from Inazuma City for their chief retainer were still held in her hand. She just had a feeling that Adham would love the little sparklers that Yoimiya just invented not too long ago and so she secretly went to obtain them from the Naganohara Fireworks. She knew he always had a soft spot for the bright and cheerful Yoimiya.
"What happened?"
An unimaginably powerful blow struck the Balladeer and he found himself landing in a crumpled heap along the beach of Yashiori Island. He had never witnessed or heard of a combat art that could so seamlessly weave both swordsmanship and polearm techniques together in the manner the vermin just displayed.
A crooked grin spread across the Balladeer's face, placing his hands on his shaky knees and he slowly stood up.
"How laughable. All that effort, and yet you failed to leave a scratch on the body of a god." The power of electro was concentrated in the puppet's hands and he fired it at the mortal who was shackled down by the limitations of flesh and blood.
"Fear? Me, fear? How utterly laughable!" Scaramouche spat as he watched the conceited vermin blocked his attack with a shield of jade. "The gap between us could never be bridged, understand that, because I am a God!"
"A god?"
The blast of electro was forcefully dispersed with the protection of anemo. The look in Adham's eyes mellowed a little. He knew he should use it, he thought he was mentally prepared and ready to use it– the third version and epitome of the Guhua Arts, Life Ender. If he used Life Ender and combined it with the flames of the Balemoon Bloodfire, he might really have a chance to defeat Scaramouche.
Yet, even now when he's already on his last legs, he still couldn't bring himself to use his killing techniques against his friend. His friend only has one life while he, the Forgotten Wanderer, has too many samsaric roads that he will be forced to walk on.
At the end of the day, he couldn't bring himself to kill his friend, even when he's "Scaramouche" and not "Junjou."
"All I see is a friend yearning for a heart crying for my help, Kunikuzushi."
"You… Do not presume to understand me!" Blows were exchanged once more. "How dare you gaze upon me! HOW DARE YOU! I will have you beg for mercy before long, you are dead."
"If you can feel fear, then your heart… is still there," the Balladeer couldn't even stand the mere sound of the mortal's voice as they pushed against each other, anemo against electro, neither willing to yield to the other. "Can't you feel its beat, Kunikuzushi?"
"How amusing. Why did I not know that my "mother" had built a heart for me? I did not see it when the doctor took me apart for his research," Scaramouche mocked as he overpowered the chief retainer and blasted him into a nearby cliff. He would admit that the vermin had him beat in the skill department but at the end of the day, no matter how he tried, he could not outlast a god. He could not surpass the limitations of his vessel to become something greater, unlike him.
A mortal could never be compared to the likes of god. It was foolish to try and defy fate when everyone's destiny had already been written into the stars.
"I changed my mind," the twisted grin on Scaramouche's face grew as his steps brought him closer and closer to the insect that dared to presume to understand him. It was getting increasingly obvious that the arrogant mutt was on his last legs and running on fumes. He will enjoy this, enjoy tearing this arrogant and insignificant insect limb from limb, tendon from tendon.
"That foolish commissioner wanted proof of your death and I was wondering what to send him. I'd thought that getting a grunt to send him your personal weapon or the likes would be enough. Now…"
The puppet's gaze landed on the chief retainer's right hand that had nearly taken his life countless times in this battle.
"I think I like that hand very much."
A small platoon of samurais were making their way towards Yashiori Island as fast as they could. Leading at the forefront was the Shirasagi Himegimi. Worry was clear on her face, fear was displayed in her eyes.
Never had she felt that the distance between Narukami Island and Yashiori Island could be so wide.
"You yapped on and on about a heart. Hmph," the Balladeer scoffed as he held the limp body of the chief retainer up with a single hand by his throat. "Heart? What is a heart? That beating lump of flesh that I see if I tear open that chest of yours? I don't need a heart."
Despite having his right hand torn from his wrist and having grievous wounds scarring his entire body, the smile on the chief retainer's face only grew wider.
"You can… fool everyone else… in this world… but not me. You… yearn for a heart… more than… anyone else."
"Presumptuous."
"Do you… want it? A heart? Would mine suffice?" The chief retainer's next words shocked even the Balladeer himself. The puppet stood mutely in disbelief as the chief retainer used his only remaining hand to weakly hold onto the puppet's free hand and slowly placed it over where his chest was.
"If you want it… if this can give you the peace you wish for… take it."
"Haha… hahaha… AHAHAHA!"
The mad laughter of the puppet eventually ceased.
"As you wish."
The wrecked and ruined factory that they discovered told of a story they wished was untrue.
"Adham. Adham!" Ayaka cried for his name as she searched among the debris for the person who had protected and doted on her ever since she was a young girl. They followed the marks left behind that told of a battle fiercer and bitter than their worst imaginations which eventually led them to the beach.
A lone figure covered in blood could be seen sitting on the top of a boulder overlooking the sea. The amount of blood that painted the boulder that he sat on left no other doubts in their minds that he had to be the enemy that their chief retainer had fought.
"Hmph, more insects?"
Thoma had immediately put himself in front of Ayaka with his spear already brandished. The warriors of the Kamisato clan likewise drew their weapons and took their stance.
"How very touching. Oh I'm so moved to the point of tears," the figure wearing a large hat slowly stood up and it was then that they noticed that the enemy's right hand was holding onto a bloodied object the size of the palm of a hand.
"T-That's…"
"What's this? Do humans not recognise their own anatomy?" The Fatui Harbinger mocked with a deranged grin and Ayaka's eyes went wide in shock when she recognised that he held a heart in his hand.
"You… You… You…!"
"He kept yapping on and on about a heart and even generously offered it to me. I find myself not having the heart to refuse his offer. Oh wait, I have no heart to begin with," the Balladeer burst into crazed laughter and relished the furious look on the face of the daughter of the Kamisato clan.
"Are you looking for him? I'm in a good mood today and so I shall be generous, allow me to send you down to meet him."
Merciless frost bloomed beneath the feet of the Shirasagi Himegimi as she dashed in a swirl of ice to meet the Fatui Harbinger in battle in her rage before Thoma could stop her. The Balladeer's cruel laughter haunted her mind while he too, lunged forward with every intention to take her life.
A flash of bright lightning unexpectedly fell from the heavens, forcing the two to abort their actions. A fox totem buzzing with sparks of electro stood where the lightning landed.
"That's quite enough from you, Kunikuzushi."
"Tch, way to ruin the mood," the puppet's mood was ruined when Yae Miko stood in his way. He knew that things would never reach a conclusion the moment he recognised the youkai that looked over the Grand Narukami Shrine. There's no longer a purpose in staying here.
He recognised when it was time to take his leave, but that didn't prevent him from going through with one last act of pure unadulterated spite.
He could feel the artificial muscles on his face straining with how wide his grin was as he held out the hand which was holding onto the heart, the heart which he had gouged out from the man who presumed to understand him. The heart that was still beating when he tore his chest open and ripped it out of his body before he could breathe his last.
He held it up, high enough for the Shirasagi Himegimi to clearly see. He thoroughly committed her expression of horror to his memory as he slowly squeezed tighter onto the dead lump of flesh before her very eyes–
– and burst it.
– Tales of a Hundred Cycles, Vol XIX
.
.
.
"Can you… help me with one last favour?"
Never before would he imagine himself to bow his own head to another for a favour. Yet, after everything he had gone through, he felt that he needed answers.
He needed closure.
"Can you… search for Irminsul's memories of a man named Adham? He was Inazuma Kamisato Clan's chief retainer a few years ago."
He did a lot of soul searching after he altered the history with Irminsul's influence and subsequently regained his memories as "Scaramouche" after he became the "Wanderer". Many questions had been answered but there was one last mystery that he could never get to the bottom of.
Who is that man that he had killed with his own two hands?
It was odd that the chief retainer seemed to know him very well when the Wanderer was certain that their battle at Yashiori Island was the first time that they had met. He formulated his own theory after his own experiences, one that would explain all inconsistencies observed, that Adham had to be like him too: someone who had once altered the history of Teyvat through the Irminsul.
The Kamisato Chief Retainer and him must have once met and they had to be friends. However, for reasons yet unknown, the chief retainer then proceeded to alter the memories of the world through Irminsul and he, his friend, forgot his existence.
"There was… no such person," Nahida's conclusion was all the confirmation he needed. The Wanderer closed his eyes and for the first time in his new lease of life he hated having a heart.
This gripping sorrow, that regret… he disliked it.
"I understand," the Wanderer turned on his heels and left without another word. He will pay for the price of his sins one day, he accepted that after he decided to make peace with himself and the heavens answered him with the blessings of wind and freedom.
He found himself making a trip back to where everything started. It was a trip that he believed was necessary. He retraced his steps back to Yashiori Island, back to that stretch of beach, back to where that delusion factory once was, reliving those memories of a friend that he had but could never remember.
A memory once altered in Irminsul, could never be recovered. His situation was an exceptional case due to the Dendro Archon's foresight in preserving a copy of the world's history before everything was erased and altered.
His steps then brought him to Narukami Island and he watched the Kamisato Estate from afar for a very long while in silence as he remained out of everyone's detection. He closed his eyes and drowned in his memories, recalling the expression of horror on the face of that girl, a memory that he once relished in and drank in her terror.
Now, that memory became nothing but a haunting curse that whispers to him the weight of his sins. The world might no longer remember, but he will until the end of his days.
He opened his eyes. He was about to leave when he spotted the Shirasagi Himegimi leaving through the main gates of the estate with an attendant. The Wanderer vaguely remembered the attendant was also present at Yashiori Island that day. His curiosity got the better of him and he ended up tailing her in secret. From the looks of it, the pair was intending to head for the Grand Narukami Shrine by cutting through the Chinju Forest. It was a route that most would not dare to take, but that logic couldn't be applied to the pair that he was tailing since they were both vision holders.
They were deep into the woods of the Chinju Forest when Ayaka suddenly spoke.
"Thoma, I think I left my purse back in my room. Would you help me retrieve it?"
"Huh? Now? It's fine, milady, if there's anything you wish to purchase I can first foot the bill for you–"
"Thoma."
In the end, Thoma was unable to deny his lady's wish.
"Okay, I won't take long. Don't move from here, milady! I will be back soon!" Thoma relented and reminded her not to stray too far away before running back. The Wanderer remained hidden, intending on watching over the Shirasagi Himegimi on Thoma's behalf until he returned.
It's the least he could do to repay his sins, however insignificant it is.
"You can come out now. I know you have been tailing us ever since we left the estate."
The Wanderer believed that the Kamisato princess had to be bluffing but when she repeated herself a second time while facing in the direction where he hid himself, he knew that the Shirasagi Himegimi was sharper than he presumed. He eventually decided to show himself. She would no longer remember him anyway due to Irminsul's influence.
"I mean no harm," he declared, uncaring if she believed him or not. She shook her head with a faint smile on her face.
"I know. I sensed no ill will from you but I was curious as to why you had been following us for so long. Is there anything that I can help you with?"
Ultimately, he could not suppress his curiosity.
"... Was there a man named Adham in the Kamisato Estate?"
"Yes, there was," Ayaka was visibly surprised but quickly composed herself. "He… passed away several years ago. I wasn't aware that he knew anyone like you. He never mentioned it."
"I see…" The Wanderer lowered his head and hid his sigh and slight disappointment. He raised his head again when he heard the Shirasagi Himegimi's footsteps approaching him.
The Shirasagi Himegimi still had the disarming smile on her face, which distracted him just long enough. It was just sufficient for him to be rudely brought back to reality when a sword was thrusted into his chest by her hands.
"Urk–!"
The Wanderer instantly leapt back to free himself from that stab. A wound of that level would not kill him, but it would severely damage him until he repaired himself. More importantly, why would she suddenly–
"Does it hurt? Balladeer?" The soft words that flowed out of Ayaka's mouth shocked him like the thunder that roared across the clear skies free of stormy clouds. The smile of the Shirasagi Himegimi was as pleasant as ever, yet the intense hatred that was starting to ooze out of her was proof of the Wanderer's suspicion.
She remembered.
"W-Why…"
"I don't know what sorcery you did to have the whole world forget about you," Ayaka's voice was as cold and unforgiving as the frost she commands. "My brother, Thoma, Sayu, the guards, servants, even the Shogunate and the Fatui… nobody. Nobody remembered. I woke up one day only to find that nobody remembered the truth of his death. Truthfully, I didn't remember everything when it first started, I was only aware that there was a lot more to what I remembered about Adham's death. I only remembered the complete truth after I found one of my diaries that I did not remember possessing, but was undoubtedly mine. It was after reading through it that I started to remember everything. People thought I had gone insane with grief when I first learnt the truth."
"You kept… a copy…" The Wanderer was starting to understand how Kamisato Ayaka was able to avoid Irminsul's influence. Something unintended and coincidental, he would bet, but it had been done and Irminsul's interference had been circumvented, much like how the Dendro Archon had restored his memories for him.
"Adham, my brother and I… we had a little secret code that we shared between us. Do you remember the obsidian ring he wore on his right hand? You would, won't you? I believed you should have been the one to cut his hand off and send it to Kujou Takayuki. That ring was a gift from us and he originally wore it on his middle finger. Adham, he had to help my brother with many difficult and secret work as his chief retainer. He found it necessary to have a way of conveying his last words to us in the event he was compromised. Maybe he was held hostage, or left dead as a corpse until we found him– but the point was that the ring serves as a medium to send his message across to my brother and I in the unfortunate event he had been killed and we managed to find his body."
"So that's why…" The Wanderer finally recalled that faint memory of that act he found insignificant back then.
"If and when we found his body and the ring was worn on his thumb, it would mean that he's still alive. It would serve to remind us to be alert and not be fooled, that maybe the corpse we believed to be him was fake and that he would try to contact us again. If it was found on his index finger like how you had delivered it to Kujou Takayuki…"
The Shirasagi Himegimi took in a deep breath, visibly trying and failing to hold in her simmering rage.
"It would mean that he had already died, and that we are to deal with the situation at hand accordingly with that knowledge. It was why brother, despite being threatened by Kujou Takayuki who insisted that he was holding Adham hostage, instantly knew that it was a lie and went through with his original plan to request an audience with the Shogun. Adham was looking out for us, even in death."
The Wanderer closed his eyes. Each word that Ayaka spoke felt like each and every stab he made to Adham's body that day when he gouged out his heart.
"But while Adham was always strict with me in our lessons, outside of it, he was always inclined to spoil me. We had our own secret code, just between the two of us. He invented it for me when I was a little girl at my own insistence for having something "amazingly secret". I really was a spoiled child then," Ayaka briefly reminisced about those memories forgotten by the world. "I was mentally traumatised after Adham's death– especially after seeing how you destroyed his heart in that manner before my very eyes– and needed a coping mechanism. I tried visiting the Naganohara Fireworks that he said I should visit if I found myself losing the will to live, it didn't work. I tried to forget about him, it didn't work. Nothing worked; so I forced myself to do the very opposite. I forced myself to constantly remember everything and finally… Finally, I was able to get some sleep at night. Once I could force myself to get some sleep I… I started to note down in detail, from start to end, everything I remembered about him in a diary in our secret code, the code that only we know how to interpret. That diary was what restored the truth of his death in my memories. It took a long while, but that coping method worked and I eventually recovered from that trauma… or so I believed, until I met you again."
"I…" The Wanderer found himself at a loss of words for the first time in his life. He wanted to say that he's sorry, that he truly regretted his actions, that he's willing to pay for his sins, but when those words were on the tip of his tongue he couldn't find the courage to voice it.
Words just… felt so cheap in the face of her hatred.
"What do you want to say? That you are sorry? You look like a very different man now, Balladeer, so different that I almost couldn't recognise you, almost as if you found a heart. Why? Was taking Adham's heart not enough? Do you wish for mine too?"
"No! I–!"
"How amusing, that the puppet without a heart actually was capable of feeling remorse," Ayaka mocked and slowly walked towards the Wanderer with unhurried steps. "I learnt a little about you from Guuji Yae after she brought me back from Yashiori Island. Are you so naive to believe that your sins could be erased simply because you had the ability to alter history? I'm so thankful, so thankful that my hatred allowed me to remember you even when the whole world had forgotten about your sins. I had been waiting, Kunikuzushi. I had been waiting. Adham once told me that not being able to find the will to live is very scary and… it's true. I needed a goal to keep myself together. I made you my goal. I don't know how you did what you did but I knew that if you are still alive, you will one day return to Inazuma. I held a belief– a belief that even I don't know what made me so certain that it would happen– that you would return to visit the Kamisato Estate. I knew that you were originally created with the intention of being a god so I had been diligently practising and honing my skills to the point of obsession. I had been waiting, for the day where I would finally meet you again."
The Shirasagi Himegimi raised her sword and the tip of her blade pressed against where the Wanderer's heart would be at if he was human. Just one step– She just had to take one single step forward and that sword would run through the core of his mechanical body that he relied on to be alive.
"... Take it," the Wanderer found himself repeating Adham's last words and closed his eyes in peaceful acceptance. He couldn't understand why Adham would do such a foolish thing back then, but he's starting to understand now. If his life was what Kamisato Ayaka needed to attain peace for the sins and pain he wrongfully wrought upon her, he would give it up.
A long period of tense silence followed but the sword never ran through his body. Instead, the Wanderer felt the Shirasagi Himegimi removing her blade and he opened his eyes in confusion.
"No, I won't take your filthy life. It has no use for me," Ayaka gracefully sheathed her blade. "That look of regret on your face, I found myself liking it. It would seem that you gained a heart, and through a heart you learnt the meaning of remorse. You wish to die and atone for your sins by my hands, don't you? I won't grant you your wish. I will never grant you what you desire. Ever since I was a young girl Adham has wished nothing more for me than to be able to grow up without worry and be happy, but I cannot be what Adham wishes I could be after his death, I am not that forgiving. I am not him."
That cold look in her eyes made him, a puppet, feel a shred of fear.
"Death is temporary, it's too cheap a price for you to pay. To grant you death would be too merciful. No, I want you to suffer for however long your mechanical body can allow you to walk upon the earth. I want you to live, to live and wallow in regret for all eternity and forever remember this day. Only then would the hatred and anger in my heart be appeased."
A smile returned to the face of the lady of the Kamisato clan, one that the whole of Inazuma knew her for as the Shirasagi Himegimi. She held her head high with confidence as he once taught her:
Hold your head high, you are the lady of the Kamisato clan
"The heart that you took such great pains to seek and finally gain, I want it to die like how you made him suffer. Little by little, little by little, I want to see it wilt from the weight of your sins. That would be my punishment to you, Kunikuzushi. The heart that you yearned for shall be the very thing that seals your downfall and when you finally lose your heart and have nothing left to lose, only then will I appear to end your pitiful existence."
"I… understand," the Wanderer accepted Ayaka's hatred for him and knew that the curse that she laid on him with nothing but mere words would constantly eat at him and eventually consume him whole in a self-fulfilling prophecy.
He accepted it. Her curse, her anger, her hatred.
For such is the weight one would have to carry for having a heart.