Chapter Text
Your body stiffened when you heard the creaking sound of the door opening. Your hands flew to you eyes, wiping away the tears. You heard the footsteps approaching and the mattress beside you sinking with a new weight. A hand moved the blanket away from your head.
“What’s wrong, ma puce? Had a bad dream?”
Baptiste was smiling at you. That was supposed to feel comforting. You wanted to feel comforted. But all you could do was shiver.
“I want to go home,” you choked, embarrassed at how quickly your eyes were swelling up again with tears.
Baptiste frowned, looking confused. “But we are home now.”
You had arrived in the Court of Fontaine a couple of days before, after a two-week long boat trip from Inazuma and a week and a half following a caravan from Liyue. But now that you were there, it was not as you had expected.
“I want to go to Petrichor.”
Baptiste hummed thoughtfully. “That was where you lived with your dads, right?” You nodded. “And do you still have family there?”
He knew you did not. He knew youe entire story and was well aware that your only living relative remained in Inazuma.
You shook your head.
“Then what would you do in Petrichor?”
“My… my house is there.”
Your dads had sold the house before you moved to Inazuma. You remembered a young couple coming to visit and closing the deal with Papa. Still, it was your house. If they knew what had happened, surely they would understand.
“And who would take care of you if you went back? Neighbors? Chérie, you can’t really expect that. Not after your own aunt cast you away.”
You shrunk at the memory.
“I can take care of myself.”
Baptiste guffawed. “Really? Like you did in Ritou? No, pupuce, I didn’t mean to make you cry…”
Your jaw tensed as the man reached out his hand and wiped some of the tears that had begun to run down your cheek. Baptiste sighed.
“I’m just worried about you. You’re too young. You can’t cook by yourself, hunt, take care of yourself if you get sick… But I’m here for you. I can help you with all that. And help you develop your skills even more. You are so talented. It would be a shame if it all went to waste, right?”
You nodded slowly, the smallest hint of pride burning in your chest. From the first time you had met, Baptiste had complimented the way you managed to listen in on conversations without being seen and remember everything you had heard. These were exceptionally useful skills to have, he had said. You did not remember Papa and Oton ever praising you for that. It felt good.
“I know you miss your dads and, frankly, I don’t blame you. But we all gotta move on eventually, okay? Little by little.”
He was right, you knew. He had to be right. Otherwise, you might as well have stayed in Inazuma.
“Okay.”
“Good girl.” He ruffled your hair and, though you disliked the mess he made, you craved the touch. “You’ll be calling this place home in no time. You’ll see.”
Despite your initial burst of euphoria at being allowed free transit around Narukami Island without Thoma’s presence, you knew better than to abandon caution, especially now that you had confirmed there were ninjas serving under the Kamisatos. In fact, this new development could very well be a trap to get you to lower your guard. It is what you would do in Thoma’s position.
So you took things slow.
That first day, you went straight to Ogura Mio and back, not even stopping by the shrine to see if there were any sachets for you. The next few times you were sent to the city, you ensured your behavior was perfectly innocent. You would stop at Naganohara Fireworks for quick chats with Yoimiya, sometimes taking a batch of Dancing Delights to the shop owner. You would leave offerings at the shrine once in a while – all meaningless sachets with ribbons of a different color each time. Sometimes Thoma would tag along and, though his demeanor around you had relaxed, you could confirm that he remained as attentive as ever.
It took nearly another month before you deemed it safe to leave a message to Sylvian. His reply was almost immediate.
And so it was that you found yourself at Uyuu Restaurant at noon on a Thursday. That was the busiest day for the restaurant, when Tenryou officials had the habit of extending their lunch hours as much as possible. It was not surprising that Sylvain had managed to get wind of that practice as well, but you still scowled at the thought.
Your expression morphed as soon as you walked through the door, an unassuming smile of calculated politeness taking over. Some officials had already arrived, sitting by the counter and talking loudly while Okazaki Erika ran around the kitchen preparing their orders. You found an empty seat and ordered a Tri-Flavored Skewer.
As soon as the order arrived, you inquired casually, “Are there any rooms available upstairs? There are more people coming in and I would prefer eating at a quieter place.”
“Yes, there should be one,” Erika replied after thinking for a moment. “From what I remember, two rooms are taken, but you can have the last one if it’s unoccupied. I can take your order there-”
“Please, don’t bother. You have your hands full already, this is nothing,” you assured her, earning a thankful smile from the cook.
You picked up your plate and climbed up the stairs, making a beeline for the room where Sylvain had already said he would be waiting for you. You found him sitting at the table with a cup of sake in one hand and the other supporting his chin. His entire posture denoted boredom, but his golden eyes flashed when you entered.
“You sure took your time, [Y/N],” he greeted in Fontainian.
“Weren’t you the one always saying that meticulous work can’t be rushed?” you retorted, taking a seat across the table from him.
“Oh, so you’ve got something to show for yourself?”
“The fact that the Tenryou Commission hasn’t executed me for treason yet is one.” You took an aggressive bite out of the skewer. “We have to be more careful than ever. The Kamisatos have a group of ninjas at their beck and call. One of them has an Anemo Vision with healing capabilities, but I have not met the others yet. I do not know how many there are.”
Sylvain nodded, attention fully focused on your words. “I don’t suppose any of them might have followed you to our rendezvous?”
“No, because I’m not stupid,” you spat, seething when Sylvain shrugged with the air of someone who might disagree. “I noticed some of them were keeping tabs on me before I moved to the Kamisato Estate, but not since then. I’m successfully building up trust with them.”
“Yeah, I can see your blond puppy isn’t following you anymore. Thought he might have drowned or something.”
You ignored that remark. “Despite the initial setbacks, I have been getting more freedom to move around the Kamisato Estate. I expect that an opportunity to search for documents tying them to Watatsumi will arise soon enough. I need you to bring me a kamera in case I am not able to extract the original documents. Also, I need you to get information on one merchant in Liyue by the name of Maki.”
“Oh? Are they involved in whatever business the Kamisatos have in Watatsumi?”
“I’m not sure yet,” you admitted. “It is one of the few transactions from them that I’ve been able to witness, and it called my attention.”
Sylvain clicked his tongue. “Fine, I’ll get Bo working on this. He’s in the Harbor right now.”
You frowned. Something in the way he had phrased it made you uneasy.
“Why are the twins in Liyue Harbor?”
“Not the twins, just Bo.” Sylvain stretched his arms back, lips spreading into a smirk as he watched your expression darken. “Come on now, [Y/N]. They needed to cut the cord eventually.”
“They’re too young and inexperienced for that.”
“We were younger than them when we started.”
“We were different.” We had nothing to lose, was what you left unsaid. Whether Sylvain understood what you meant, he paid it no mind.
“I really think you’re underestimating them. Besides, Bo is not entirely alone. Karina is there with him.”
“You know that does not make it less concerning.”
“Afraid that she is going to pull a Snezhnaya there?”
At the mention of that job, you clenched your fists under the table. The stiffening of your posture elicited a chuckle from the man.
“Don’t worry, they are there for some easy reconnaissance. It was my idea, you know? About time we expanded our presence to Liyue Harbor.”
“The Croque-Mitaine always said there were good reasons why we didn’t act there.”
The Liyue Qixing had the most efficient and well-funded information network in all of Teyvat. Sometimes Baptiste and Elke would orchestrate jobs close to the borders with Fontaine and Sumeru, where the Qixing’s presence was weaker. But pulling a job in the capital had too low a chance of success and too high a risk.
“And I convinced him we have enough resources to handle it.” Sylvain shrugged nonchalantly.
You sighed. You could not fathom what Sylvain could have said to convince Baptiste but you were in no position to revert that at that moment. As satisfying as it was to see Sylvian set himself up for failure, you just hoped it would not come at the expense of Boniface’s safety.
“By the way,” the man fiddled with the chain of the pocket watch where his Vision was engraved, “next time you go to Ritou, do send me a heads up. I would hate to miss another confrontation between you and a puppy.”
Of course he had heard about that.
“Go drown in a river.” Sylvain threw his head back and laughed.
“Oh, [Y/N], you’re hysterical. Thank you for making this job less dull than I thought it would be. Still, I need to take my leave. I will get back to you with news on this ‘Maki’.”
You did not bother to acknowledge his exit, focusing instead on your skewer and all the ways you could have used the stick to perforate Sylvain’s neck. You truly had been passing on a number of excellent murder opportunities as of late.
You finished your food quickly. You still had to buy camellia seeds before returning to the estate. Furuta had been excited about the growth of the flowers and wanted your help in preparing a new bed for more of them. You did not intend to delay your stay in the city but, just as you passed by one of the other rooms before climbing down the stairs, you heard a familiar voice from behind the screen.
“Hehehe, this is brilliant, Ushi. He won’t know what hit him, we’ll finally have our reven- what? No, don’t give me that look! Of course it’s going to work!”
You quirked an eyebrow, wondering what in the world Itto was doing at a place like Uyuu Restaurant. You doubted he had the mora to afford their services. Perhaps he was meeting with Ayato? You still hadn’t worked out the details of the strange friendship between the oni and the Yashiro Commissioner.
After the exchange with Sylvain, you had little patience left to deal with someone like Itto. Nevertheless, your first encounters had been surprisingly productive. Maybe you could extract something useful from him with a quick chat. It had been almost a month since you had last seen Ayato in person and Itto could have some news on that.
You knocked on the wood next to the door. Itto immediately halted his chuckles.
“Oh shit, it’s him! Look calm, Ushi.” Then, in a louder voice, he called, “Erm, come in!”
You slid the door open and stepped into the room.
“Hi, Itto, it’s me-”
The first thing that caught your attention was the piece of rope that slid upwards from Itto’s hand as soon as the door opened. Then a soft sliding noise coming from above. Even in your dexterity, the only thing you managed was to avoid being hit head on. You could not escape the splash of water the flew up when the bucket hit the floor.
“ITTO, WHAT THE FU-”
“Angry Cucumber? What are you doing here? This was- GAH, you’ve just ruined my prank!”
“I’m going to ruin so much more than that,” you growled, dashing across the room towards Itto and gripping him by the collar of his coat, a feat only made possible due to the fact that the oni remained seated. Squishing sounds from your soaked shoes accompanied you as you moved, making your murderous walk less intimidating than intended.
“Wait, no! You gotta help me out here! We have to get more water and get the bucket back in place, he could arrive any minute!”
His words were followed by a series of frantic moos. Your eyes trailed down to a small creature resembling a bull with brown fur, golden horns and a blue and red roof tied to his back. Whatever that being was, his sounds seemed to upset Itto.
“What? Shouldn’t she be the one apologizing to me? We worked hard to come up with this idea, Ushi! Besides, don’t think I forgot how she missed Shinobu’s graduation par-”
A soft knock on wood echoed around the room.
“Hello, partner! I hope I’m not interrupting?”
Turning to the door, you saw a short man with dark wine-red hair standing there. He wore bracers that extended from his forearms to the back of his hands and a jitte hung from his waist. In his lips played a smile that was a tad bit too stretched to be genuine.
“Heizou! My bro!” Itto exclaimed, nervously waving to the man as though you were not ready to strangle him. “Of course not! We were just waiting for you!”
The man’s eyes scanned the soaked floor and the bucket. An amused glint flashed in them as he put a hand on his hip.
“Am I correct to assume that this was supposed to fall on me as I entered?”
“What? Pfff, where did you get that idea from? No, what happened was… My homie Hitomi here was bringing Ushi some water and- and she tripped! Yes, that’s it!”
You shot the oni a warning glare.
“I see…” the man, Heizou, mused scratching his chin. If the smirk hiding in the corner of his lips was anything to go by, he had not believed a single word from Itto. His stare then turned to you. “I’m sorry that we had to meet under such troublesome circumstances, Hitomi. I am Detective Shikanoin Heizou, pleased to make your acquaintance.”
“Likewise, Detective,” you said, finally releasing Itto’s collar and bowing your head in what you hoped would be understood as a sign of respect. In fact, you just wished to hide your surprise. You had come across the name Shikanoin a few times, though most of your sources back in Fontaine had referred to him as the “Cyclone”. Top detective of the Tenryou Commission, holder of an Anemo Vision. A character you had hoped not to cross during your stay in Inazuma.
“Well, bro, since you’ve arrived, I guess it’s time we ordered something, right?” Itto suggested, regaining his composure.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to take a raincheck this time, bro.” You did not miss the teasing lilt Heizou put on the last word. “Some new leads have just appeared in a case I have been investigating and I need to go deal with that.”
Itto’s face was a battlefield between disappointment and relief. While he decided which one would win, you asked as nonchalantly as possible, “Anything we should worry about, Detective?”
Heizou lifted a finger to his chin, pondering the question. “I don’t suppose so… Unless you would happen to know a man by the name of Yanami Daisuke?”
The name was entirely unfamiliar. You shook your head.
“Who’s this guy?” Itto inquired, crossing his arms and tilting his head.
Heizou let out a sigh that conveyed exaggerated levels of disappointment. “I didn’t think so… He used to be a miner in Tatarasuna. About a year ago, he moved to Narukami and became a nobushi.”
“Ooooh I see! He’s been causing trouble then? Worry not, my little friend, and leave it to this oni. I am well used to dealing with wayward youngsters and channeling their energy towards greater pursuits. All the members of the Arataki Gang have turned into perfectly rad and upstanding citizens under this guy’s leadership.”
“That… won’t be necessary. I am investigating his murder.”
Itto deflated like a popped balloon.
“Wait, what?”
“I imagine these kinds of things happen relatively often, no? With all the fighting between nobushi,” you suggested.
“You are not wrong, but there is something different about this one.” Heizou spoke slowly and you could practically see gears turning in his brain. “His body was not found in any of the places where nobushi usually dispose of their victims. Actually, it was half buried under some rocks at the beach near Chinju Forest.”
You blinked. That description sounded slightly familiar.
“Wow, that’s weird,” Itto exclaimed, crossing his arms. “Maybe there was a rockslide or something?”
“No, it was clear that the rocks had been put there. From the state of the body, he had been there for a few months already.”
So around the time when you had arrived in Inazuma. Still, it could not be.
“Moreover, the cause of death was a slash to his neck. And it was not made by a sword.”
You fought to keep your expression one of casual curiosity and ignore the weight of the daggers in your pockets.
You had been in such a bad mood that day. And now this. An investigation into the murder you had committed in the spur of the moment and all because a certain housekeeper had decided to be a thorn on your side. If anything, Thoma should be the one to blame for the nobushi’s fate.
“Can you really tell all of that? That’s amazing,” you whispered innocently. Heizou chuckled.
“Some things become easier to spot when you’ve worked on this field for so long. Others… let’s just say my intuition has been a great partner.”
You nodded, thinking of an excuse to slip out of the room when you noticed Heizou’s stare upon you had acquired a new intensity. Before you had a chance to rationalize what it could be, he spoke, “I must ask, are you a new member of the Arataki Gang, Hitomi?”
Beside you, Itto choked.
“What? Come on, bro, you know we’re an exclusive club! No offense, Angry Cucumber, but you really gotta prove yourself before receiving a formal invitation to join us. Not anyone can shoulder a responsibility like that!”
“I am a housekeeper for the Kamisato Clan,” you answered flatly, ignoring Itto’s remarks.
“Oh? Is this a recent development? I didn’t think they would ever have anyone in that position besides Thoma.”
“There is a lot of work to be done, the estate needs a larger staff.”
Heizou’s eyes sparkled and, for a moment, you were certain he would comment on how you had dodged his question. Nevertheless, the detective merely nodded and turned to Itto.
“Sadly, I must take my leave now if I want to make it to Chinju Forest and back before nightfall. Let’s reschedule our lunch for some other day, Itto. Hitomi, it was a pleasure meeting you.”
With a casual wave, Heizou turned to the door and left. You paid close attention to the sound of his heels getting farther and farther away, knowing you would only be able to breathe properly again once he was out of the building.
No, not really. You would never be able to breathe properly again unless you fixed that mess. Because Baptiste would kill you. And this time he might just be angry enough not to do it in the figurative sense.
How were you supposed to know that nobushi had specific patterns for getting rid of dead bodies? That hadn’t come up in the months of research preceding your trip. You should have considered that before killing one of them. Then again, you had not been thinking very rationally that day.
You stiffened. What else had you miscalculated about that encounter? Had you left any traces of your presence at Chinju Forest? You were sure you had packed up everything and no one had seen you. But if Heizou said he had found a new lead and was headed to the forest…
You could not risk it. You had to get there before him.
“… without a word! You could have at least sent a gift by mail! And then the next time I see you, you ruin my precious chance at getting back at Heizou? Seriously, it’s like we’re not even friends anymore!”
You blinked, whisked back to reality in the middle of what seemed to be a quite emotional lecture from Itto. You eyes narrowed as you caught the last few words.
“Since when are we friends?”
“Since we fought and bled together on the battlefield, dummy.” He crossed his arms impatiently. “And friends help each other. So now that you’ve ruined my prank, you have to help me think of another one!”
“As much as I would love to see you getting arrested, I am afraid I am too busy with my actual job to do that.”
“Huh? Why would I get arrested? Has that crooked tengu outlawed harmless fun now? That sounds just like her!”
You let out an exasperated sigh. “Do you seriously think that you can prank a Tenryou Commission officer and come out unharmed?”
“Oooh, I see what you mean. Worry not, my homie. Heizou would not get mad over something like that. Besides, he owes me big time.” At the sight of your eyebrow quirked in disbelief, he continued. “You see, I helped him with this play a while back. I don’t mean to brag, but I have quite the talent for acting. I have what they call a strong stage presence, you know? Anyway, Heizou was supposed to get me this super amazing onikabuto in exchange, but the little devil only got me a figurine of a super amazing onikabuto! Ever since that day, I’ve been plotting to get back at him. But he always finds out and tricks me back!”
“Uh-huh.”
“First, I tried putting extra strong Juyeun Chilis in his ramen when he wasn’t looking. But then he started complaining that he was allergic to the shrimp they had put in his dish. I got so worried that he might have a reaction that I said that we should switch our orders. Only then did I realize that I was the one eating the extra spicy ramen!”
You opened your mouth, but Itto carried on.
“Then I put some glue on the door to his office one day. But he came back from lunch with a lot of paperwork and couldn’t open the door by himself. I thought I would be a nice guy and get the door for him but I completely forgot about the glue! It took Shinobu three hours to get me out of there and I had to pay a new door to the Tenryou Commission!”
You grimaced, imagining the fury in Shinobu’s eyes. At the same time, you half wished you had been there to see the scene.
“And today, just when I had the perfect plan, you walked into my prank instead of him! So you now you gotta help me!”
You sighed again, more impatient. You had to follow Heizou quickly. “Itto, we’ll have to do this some other time. I’m really, really busy right now and I can’t have my employers mad at me.”
“Blergh. You’re lame. Skipping an opportunity of an onimaginably amazing prank.” Itto huffed, picking up Ushi under his arm. “Guess it’s just you and me, buddy. Off to Chinju Forest we go.”
“Wait, what?” you stammered, eyes widening. “You’re going to Chinju Forest right now?”
Itto rolled his eyes. “Didn’t you hear Heizou? That’s where he’s going. And if there is one thing I know about Chinju Forest is this: it is the perfect place for scary pranks. We can’t miss this opportunity!”
And then you realized you might have once again underestimated Itto’s usefulness to your plans.
You left Uyuu Restaurant through the second-floor window because Itto did not want to risk having to explain to Erika about the wet floor. Even if he still blamed you, he knew Erika – and, by extension, Shinobu – would find a way to blame him and make him pay. That was the first speck of rationality you had ever seen in him.
Itto did not question your sudden change of mind about accompanying him, instead only nodding and remarking that he knew you were cooler than you looked. That had earned him an elbow to his ribs. You were sure the little bull he carried – “My best pal and a mighty exorcist!”, as the oni had introduced – had snickered at that.
The way the situation was developing was concerning, but not entirely negative. You knew better than to try to convince Itto not to dart off to Chinju Forest right then, as that would have either made him suspicious or wasted too much of your time. So you decided that whatever little prank he was planning could be a good distraction while you scouted around and made sure there would be no clues of your transgressions for Heizou to find. If Heizou saw you and asked what you were doing there, you could just say you had been roped into Itto’s shenanigans.
And if Heizou did decide to arrest you both for disturbing a public officer… that would be bad, but less so than facing trial for murder.
“So this is what we are going to do.” Itto bounced as he spoke, unable to contain his excitement. “Ushi and I are going to hide behind the old tanuki statue. You go to Heizou screaming that you saw some bandit around there. And when he gets close… I chuck Ushi at his face and scream!”
“You… will throw Ushi?” you repeated slowly, sending a concerned glance over to the bull. He let out a quiet moo, seemingly unfazed by the proposal. “Don’t you think Heizou is going to wonder what I am doing there in the first place? And that he will be on high alert if I try to lure him by saying there is a criminal nearby?”
Itto hummed, considering your points. “You are not wrong. Alright, new plan. What if Ushi goes running to attract Heizou’s attention, and you are waiting underwater in that little lake-”
“I will not get even more soaked than I already have today.”
“Come on, Hitomi, you gotta commit to our goal! But yeah, maybe you wouldn’t be able to hold your breath for long enough anyway. Oh! How about this. We will sprinkle some Juyeun Chili sauce around – I grabbed a few sachets from the restaurant just in case. It’s going to look like blood. Ushi goes to Heizou pretending to be in panic and guides him to where I will be. I will put some sauce on my clothes too, so he will think I have been attacked. And when he’s there going ‘Oh no! Who could have done this to the mighty Arataki Itto? Are you alright, my friend?’, you jump from the bushes as if you were the attacker and scare him! How does that sound?”
It was perfect. Heizou would never fall for something as silly as that, but it would give you time away from Itto to walk around the forest on your own. If you weren’t there for the grand finale, you could just say you had missed your cue.
“Alright, let’s do that.”
“Heck yeah! Ushi, you gotta ace that performance. Let me see your scared face.”
The bull stared a Itto for a moment, then let out a rather emotionless moo. Itto grinned.
“Superb, my friend. You truly are a star.”
You passed by the first trees into Chinju Forest. Immediately, the sky turned dark, even though it was the middle of the afternoon. You did not go too far beyond the torii gate before Itto started sprinkling the Juyeun Chili sauce around.
“This is it. The perfect place. See that bush? I’ll be lying just behind it. And that big tree? Hitomi, you jump from there, got it? It’s got enough leaves to keep you hidden until he arrives.”
So no one would see if you weren’t there either. Excellent.
“Ushi, go find Heizou. Give us a minute or two to ready ourselves and bring him here. Got it?”
Ushi let out what seemed to be an affirmative moo. You nodded.
“Alright, we got this! Team Prankitto… Go!”
You and Ushi exchanged a glance, still in place.
“Prankitto, really?”
Itto crossed his arms over his chest, suddenly bashful. “Well, yeah! It’s got ‘prank’, it’s got my name…”
“This is really not your strongest pun.”
“Okay, okay, we can workshop the name later. But now, go!”
This time, you went to your positions. Ushi trailed down the main path of the forest looking for the detective. You went around behind the tree… and silently started following Ushi from a distance, using as much cover from other trees and bushes as you could.
You had to see where Heizou was and if he had found anything already. Then, you had to remember the exact place where you had camped that first night in Narukami and make sure that nothing had been left behind.
A couple of minutes went by until you spotted the detective’s characteristic wine-red hair. Heizou was kneeling down, checking a spot on the grass that seemed to be disturbed. You frowned. That could not have been you; it had been months, such faint traces like that would have already disappeared.
You observed quietly from behind a large rock, smirking when you saw Ushi had also seen Heizou and was rushing towards him. The man frowned and rose to his feet. Ushi started fidgeting on his little paws, letting out loud, pained moos. If anything, it sounded like he was the one who was dying.
“What is wrong, Ushi? Did something happen to Itto?” you heard Heizou ask, though there was no urgency in his tone.
Ushi continued his overly dramatic moos, at one point tumbling to the side and unable to get up due to the weight of the roof tied to his back. Heizou helped the bull back to his paws and Ushi started to run back the way he had come, looking back and mooing to ensure Heizou followed. The man quirked an eyebrow but did go after Ushi in a light jog.
As soon as they were sufficiently far away, you hopped out of your hiding spot and checked what Heizou had been investigating. Indeed, there were some fresh tracks – stomped grass, quite a bit of mud. It looked like some large animal had passed by, much larger than a boar. You could not tell what it was, but it was enough to know it had not been you. You repressed a sigh of relief. You were not out of trouble just yet.
You scanned around, trying to remember exactly what you had done that day. You had hidden your belongings inside a tree trunk. If you could find one with a hole large enough, that should be it.
It did not take you long; Heizou had been frighteningly close to the spot. You did not recognize the hole perfectly, but there was something else that made you sure that was the place. A series of angry slash marks against that tree and a few others nearby. You gritted your teeth when you remembered the tantrum you had thrown after getting back from the Kamisato Estate. The way Thoma had smiled so innocently and apologized for the inconvenience almost made you want to throw another one.
Looking more closely around, you saw a series of snapped branches on the ground, mostly covered by fallen leaves. Right. You had done that too.
The mess was too contained to have been from a fight. Still, Heizou could try to find a way to connect the slashes on the tree trunks to the one that had killed the nobushi. You could not risk it. The problem then was how you were going to mask that without making it too obvious that someone had tampered with the trees recently.
You paced around, considering your options. You did not have any bigger weapons that could be used at that moment. You considered starting a fire around the tree, but that could spread to the entire forest and adding environmental crimes to your list of misdeeds did not seem wise. You could just make newer slashes, but how would that even help?
With a frustrated groan, you picked up a pebble on the ground and threw it away as far as you could. New slashings seemed to be the only reasonable option. Maybe you could carve a few drawings, make it seem like it had been kids playing.
You took out one of your daggers and positioned yourself in front of the tree trunk. You started the first cut when the rustling of leaves and the sound of heavy footsteps reached your ears. It was coming from the direction where you had thrown the pebble. You had probably disturbed an animal.
As you craned your neck to get a better look down the slope, your heart came to a halt in your ribcage. Of all the unexpected things that had happened to you that day, meeting the eyes of a Thunderhelm Lawachurl had certainly been the worst. Now you knew what had left those tracks.
As soon as it spotted you, the creature let out a guttural growl and threw its fists up, a layer of Electro energy suddenly surging around its body. You barely had time to start moving when the Lawachurl charged.
Thankfully, despite their speed, Lawachurls were known for not being able to change direction easily once they started dashing. That was the only reason why you was able to jump out of the way and avoid a collision. Seeing that its prey had dodged, the Lawachurl raised its fists and slammed them onto the ground, causing a shower of Electro sparks to burst forth. You rolled out of the way, bumping against a tree, but still felt some of those sparks prickling against your skin. You were sure to feel those burns later, after the adrenaline had died down.
The Lawachurl stared down at you and made its way over more slowly. You jumped to your feet and took out your other dagger, raising them in a defensive stance. The Lawachurl swung a punch towards you, which you ducked without much difficulty. You heard the tree cracking and falling sideways from the blow.
Well. At least that might deter Heizou’s investigation against you. Or your untimely death at the hands of the Lawachurl would. You hoped for the former.
You rushed forward and slashed at the Lawachurl’s knees, hissing when you saw no damage being done due to its coat of Electro. The monster tried to grab you, but you jumped back in time once again. Seeing that the path at your back was the same Ushi and Heizou had taken, you turned around and sprinted down. If you were able to find Itto, he should be able to create a shield and allow all of you to escape. If not, your chances of survival should at least be higher around two Vision-holders.
Seeing you run, the Lawachurl growled and darted towards you again. This time, you did not have enough room to dodge, taking the hit on your left side. You were knocked back against a bush, struggling to breathe as the elemental energy shocked your abdomen. The Lawachurl was already walking up to you. You forced yourself up, dropping one of the daggers in the process.
“HELP!” you yelled, more in frustration than panic.
Taking that as a challenge, the Lawachurl aimed another punch at you, which you were only able to avoid by jumping to the side and falling on your stomach. You had not made it far enough, though, and there was not enough time to get up. You gritted your teeth and raised your arms in front of you, preparing for the impact of the creature’s next blow.
Instead, what you felt was a gust of wind.
“Cyclone!”
A swirl of Anemo hit the Lawachurl’s side, sending it stumbling backwards. A more familiar and obnoxious voice then came through.
“Haha! BAM!”
Itto jumped and hit the Lawachurl straight on its mask with his claymore. A shower of purple crystals erupted from the attack and, without thinking twice, you grabbed one of them, your heart racing as you saw the purple shield forming around you.
“Hitomi, are you okay?” Heizou asked, positioning himself beside you but not taking his eyes from the opponent.
“I’ll live,” you groaned, getting to your feet. Ushi then arrived at the scene, stopping in front of you and glaring at the Lawachurl as if he could do anything against the monster five times his size.
“Heh, don’t you worry, bro! Your man Itto here can deal with these little buggers in his sleep!” the oni declared with another swing to the Lawachurl. The impact was enough to disperse the coat of Electro around it, rendering it more vulnerable to attacks.
Heizou rushed forward and started applying a series of kicks and punches against the creature. Looking more closely, you saw that all of his blows were coated with Anemo, mixing physical with elemental damage. You had never seen anyone fight like that.
“Hey, bro! Don’t you steal all the fun!” Itto complained, making sure to get another hit in before Heizou finished the Lawachurl.
It did not take long until the Lawachurl fell to its knees, letting out one last grumble as its consciousness faded. You breathed heavily, skin prickling more intensely by the second. It had been so easy for them. So easy for those chosen by Celestia.
“Hey, Hitomi, what happened? I was starting to get worried when you didn’t show up! Lucky you that Ushi caught your scent. Ain’t that right, compadre?”
Ushi let out an affirmative moo.
“Sorry, Itto,” you managed to say, steadying your tone. “I went to make sure that Ushi had gotten to Heizou alright and ended up running into that Lawachurl. Thanks for the help. Both of you.”
“Hehe, no need for all that formality!” Itto waived a hand dismissively. “It all worked out in the end. You know, Heizou here actually got scared when he saw the fake blood! And the way you screamed only added to the atmosphere! So guess what? Mission accomplished!”
“Yes, I was quite distraught,” the detective agreed, though the mockery was evident in his tone and smirk. Perhaps he had finally gotten tired of watching Itto embarrass himself while trying to prank him. You silently thanked Heizou for that. You did not think you could handle being roped into another misadventure with the oni.
“Well, that’s great, I guess,” you said slowly. “No hard feelings, detective?”
“Not at all. I admire Itto’s free spirit and determination. I must say, though, I did not expect you to get involved with this.”
“You must know that Itto can be very persistent to get his way.”
Heizou chuckled, his smirk turning into a small smile. “You are correct.”
“Hehe, what’s up with all the flattery? I mean, not that I am not used to this, but, come on, a leader has to have some humility, right? So yeah. Let’s get back so I can tell the gang about this oniquely productive day. What did you think of my moves, Ushi?”
You were barely suppressing a smile yourself as you watched Itto pick Ushi up, blabbering about how he had taken down the Thunderhelm Lawachurl practically single-handedly. Your day had been productive as well. Though nothing had gone quite as planned, the fight with the Lawachurl should be enough to prevent Heizou from finding any evidence against you in Chinju Forest.
You turned around to bid farewell to the detective, deciding to go straight to the Kamisato Estate from there. You then saw Heizou was bent down, picking something up from the ground. You stomach lurched when the metal of your dagger glistened at you.
“This is an interesting design,” he mused, twirling the knife around his fingers. “Unlike any other I’ve seen in Inazuma.”
You merely stared at him, refusing to acknowledge the remark.
“Oh, you didn’t know? Hitomi-homie moved here from Fontaine! I bet you got it from there!”
Any feeling of gratefulness you had ever felt towards Itto vanished in an instant. You swallowed, mouth dry.
“Yep. It’s from Fontaine.”
“Man alive, that is quite a trip. Has it been long since you arrived?”
“A month or so, I think. I haven’t really counted.” Despite how easily you uttered the lie, you could swear Heizou’s eyes narrowed at you. But then, as quickly as it had come, it was gone. His overly broad friendly smile returned to place and he offered the dagger back to you.
“It is beautiful. Careful not to misplace it, okay?”
You nodded with a semblance of calmness that contrasted with how fast your heart was beating.
Finally, the effects of the encounter with the Lawachurl started taking its toll on you. Your arms and face were red as if exposed to the sun for too long, itching madly. But the worst feeling was the pit in your stomach from your conversation with Heizou. While you knew he had no material evidence on you, something in the detective’s manner left you with a sense of foreboding. The way he spoke was far too cheery, it did not match the sharpness of his gaze. That was a man used to solving riddles with little beyond his wit, and there was nothing more dangerous than that for someone in your position.
Your thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps entering the kitchen.
“Hi, Hitomi! Good to see you’re ba- wait, what happened?”
You supposed you were quite a sight to Thoma. Slumped over the kitchen table with a weary expression, fighting not to scratch the angry red marks across your body.
“Itto roped me into doing something stupid. Ran into a Thunderhelm Lawachurl. Survived. Hooray.”
“A Thunder- wait- wait here.”
You groaned as Thoma’s rushed out of the room. The last thing you needed that day was getting in trouble with the chief retainer. He would surely want to know why you had been involved with the likes of Itto and you really did not feel like explaining yourself. Yet, it was better to tell him than to have him hearing it from rumors – or worse, from the oni himself – in the city.
You had more or less worked out what you were going to say when Thoma came back with a small pot and a roll of bandages. He sat beside you, removing the pot’s lid.
“This ointment is great for Electro burns. I would know, got quite a few of them myself.”
You mouthed a ‘thank you’, dipped your fingers into the ointment, and started to spread it on your arms. The relief was immediate, the coolness of the balm taking away the itch. You applied it to your face as well, feeling your heart rate finally begin to drop ever since you had left Chinju Forest.
“Were you hurt anywhere else? Are you alright?” Thoma inquired, preparing to roll out the bandages. You shook your head.
“Just a bit sore. Itto dealt with the Lawachurl before it could do more damage.”
The housekeeper breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at you. “Be careful, though. These monsters can be very troublesome.”
“No need to tell me twice.”
The two of you chuckled. Him, probably imagining the scene of you desperately fleeing the Lawachurl; you, almost giddy with the relief that ointment had granted you.
“Oh, you missed a spot.”
Thoma put some ointment on his finger and tapped your cheek just below your right eye. His touch was light and gentle, like he was used to taking care of others when they were injured. Despite that, you froze. Thoma did not seem to notice.
“There, all ready. Why don’t you go lie down for a bit? I’ll get dinner started.”
You nodded, wordlessly getting up and exiting the kitchen. For some reason, you could feel your heart rate picking up again.
He did not ask further questions about what had transpired that day.