Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Island of Hanabi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA6T3eT6NB8

A small boy with short black hair and yellow eyes sits cross legged on a pillow as a woman with semi long black hair, tied loosely into a ponytail and resting over her right shoulder, cuts and styles his hair. Her eyes are of a dark red color with circular white pupils. The boy is sitting quietly on the pillow without a sound. It was a process that happened every once in a while, where his hair got too long and scraggly and he needed a trim, like everyone else. The young woman would often do it for him at this age

“Okaasan, I am perfectly capable of being adequate enough to trim my own hair. I don’t require your assistance” 

The young woman chuckles. Despite her son’s age of only 9 years, his speech patterns and vocabulary surpassed that of everyone his age by miles

“Oh but Rakurai, you’re already such a capable and strong young boy. If I were to leave you be, I would hardly get a chance to do anything to show how much I love you because you’d just do everything yourself. Just let your mother take care of you for once”

The young boy, whose name is Rakurai, glances up in the direction of his mother, named Ruka

Rakurai: Am I not to be self sufficient?

Ruka: Of course, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn't show affection to my son, adopted or not. Small things like this… mean more to me than you realize. It’s my job to care for you

…

The boy is silent. No, it wasn’t anything wrong for a mother to want that. Rakurai is a logical person, and thus would almost never leave something for someone else that he couldn’t do by himself at the same or better efficiency. But… for the sake of Ruka, he would acquiesce. If it made her happy… then Rakurai deemed it logical

Silence goes by for some time before Ruka asks her son a question

Ruka: Rakurai, how was school today?

Rakurai takes a pause for a moment to think

Rakurai: It was fine. Someone tried to tell a joke to me, but I wasn’t amused and informed him that it was a poor joke… I don’t know why, but he got mad at me and didn’t talk to me all day

Rakurai just stares blank eyed at Ruka, genuinely unable to comprehend what the problem was. The black haired female sighs as she answers

Ruka: Well why did he tell you a joke?

Rakurai: Because he said he had been working on it all day and wanted to tell me

Ruka: Did you get it?

Rakurai: Yes, but it was still bad. I didn’t tell him though

Once again, she sighs

Ruka: Dear me watashi no musuko. You should have told him you understood the joke. That would have made him feel better

Rakurai: Hmm? But that is not the point of a joke. It is to make people laugh no? A thing that someone says to cause amusement or laughter, especially a story with a funny punchline. This is irrelevant

All while Rakurai talks, the yellow eyed boy has a completely impassive and neutral expression on his face

Ruka: In a way yes… But I think he more wanted you to appreciate the cleverness of his joke. 

Rakurai: But that is not in the dictionary purpose?

Ruka: You offended and made him upset because you insulted his effort. I bet he was so excited to tell you the joke but you let him down Raku

Rakurai: I see…

Ruka: Why don’t you tell me the joke? *Smiles* 

Rakurai: Okay *Clears throat* Knock knock

Ruka: Oh, a knock knock joke. I love these. Who’s there?

Rakurai: To

Ruka: To who?

Rakurai: No, to whom

…

Remaining Tenderness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0RLyPGDsl4

She bursts out laughing

Ruka: Hahahaha! Okay, okay… That is actually quite splendid for a 4th grader. I’m impressed. That was good

However, Rakurai just stares at his adoptive mother with a blank expression, obviously still not finding it amusing even though he himself told it. After she finishes, Ruka smiles again at her son

Ruka: Well, to each their own. But my point still stands, you didn’t have the right reaction Rakurai. You should still appreciate the efforts of others… Even if it doesn’t amount to very much. Shouldn’t it mean something that they tried their best? 

Rakurai: …I suppose so. He did seem like he put much effort into it

Silence rules the room once again as Ruka does the finishing touches on the trim. Rakurai is a boy of consistency so she knows that he’d prefer it if his hair is cut the same every time, even if she thinks it’s rather boring

Rakurai: Okaasan, gomen'nasai. I appear to have not accounted for a person’s emotions again. I do not get why he decided to tell me his joke. We are not even friends

Ruka: Well I’m sure almost everyone in that school knows how smart you are. I’d wager that boy thought you’d get his clever joke becaus you’re smart

Rakurai: Hm, I see. That is a logical assumption. Watashi wa kare no kitai to wa chigatta yōdesu. Much to his disappointment. I am sorry Okaasan

Ruka: It is alright. I more than anyone know just how much you struggle connecting with others

The boy sighs to himself. He still has the same expression of impassivity as before, except there is an element of ponderance to it, evidently thinking about his choices

Ruka: How about you tell me something good you did today Rakurai?

Rakurai: Very well. I met a girl from 3rd grade, a year younger than me. She’s strange. Her hair is pink with neon green at the edges. She looked lonely so I went to go converse with her. I inquired of what she was distressed about. She’s quite strong, more than the average person. But according to her she feels like an anomaly, that she wasn’t normal. She asked me if it was okay for females to be strong. It sounded like she was worried about gender stereotypes

Ruka: What did you say?

Rakurai: She is obviously not normal, but I don’t see anything wrong with that. I told her that she should be proud of her gift and that she should cherish her talent. There was more, but that was the gist of my response. I think she still has doubts, but… I think she felt better. Did she, Okaasan?

Ruka: Was she smiling? Did she thank you?

Rakurai: Yes, and she hugged me

Ruka smiles warmly at Rakurai

Ruka: I’d say that meet sthe criteria, don’t you think?

Rakurai: I see… So I… made her happy then?

Ruka nods. Rakurai thinks about this, and then smiles to himself, albeit a very small one. It is nonetheless a deviation from his usual stoicism

Ruka: What is this girl’s name by the way?

Rakurai: Mitsuri Kanroji

Ruka: Well Rakurai, I think you’ve made Mitsuri very happy

Rakurai: That is… good

Ruka finishes her trimming, and then pulls Rakurai into a hug. He initially makes no response

Ruka: I’m proud of you Rakurai. You make mistakes too, just like everyone else, even though you have such a hard time truly bonding with people. But this is proof that you’re an incredible boy

Rakurai: Arigato… Okaasan…

They hug for several seconds and Rakurai asks a question

Rakurai: Okaasan… Do you… Do you think I can be happy one day? To experience joy? Like other humans? Like other people? Can I… feel? 

Ruka: *Smiles* Of course musuko. I know that one day you will find what you desire. You’ll feel happiness someday, true happiness, I promise you this. God… Heavenly Father will not abandon you, he’ll bring happiness to you someday. Never lose hope in that Rakurai. Never waver in the path of virtue and you’ll attain it, that is my promise to you

Ruka strokes Rakurai’s hair as he finally hugs back

Rakurai: Wakatta… I believe you Okaasan… I will feel… happy some day

Ruka: I’ll never stop having faith in you Rakurai

After they separate, the yellow eyed boy looks at the night sky outside the window. He stare for a bit until he looks back to his mother

Rakurai: Okaasan… there something else I learned at school. At least I think I have

The black haired woman raises an eyebrow in confusion at the unusual answer

Ruka: And what would that be Musuko?

Rakurai: Well… It sounds like it is a concept too good to be true. Something out of fantasy. But… There didn’t seem to be any indications that they were telling a falsehood

Ruka nods slowly. She knows Rakurai has a gift for being able to tell lies, and that even extended to things people believed to be true but weren’t actually, going a step further. Although it is generally more difficult to determine a lie that someone genuinely believes is true. Rakurai is young and so makes mistakes and miscalculations. Nonetheless, Ruka has learned to trust her young 9 year old’s intuition

Streets of Elegance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FuAzfo-xHg

Ruka: Why don’t you tell me about it then?

Rakurai: I heard someone talking about a thing called… soulmate marks

This surprised his mother for a few seconds before she giggled and smiled. It’s unusual for people Rakurai’s age to be talking about something so… significant. Nonetheless, the chance they overheard it from someone else’s or their own parents is there, especially if a pair has the tattoo’s themselves

Ruka: Ah… What a joy that was…

Rakurai: What was?

Ruka: Rakurai, what did they say?

Rakurai: Not much. I was told a small mention of it, but no definitive information was provided, so I am confused. Yet this topic seems important to me somehow, so… What’s a Soulmate Mark?

Ruka: Hmm… It’s quite a special thing really, these marks. A Soulmate Mark is a tattoo-like mark on-

Rakurai: Tattoos are against Church principles

Ruka: Ahahaha! True true, but these tattoos are not manmade Rakurai, they are mystical in nature

Rakura’s head perks up as he hears this, clearly intrigued

Ruka: *Clears throat* Soulmate Marks identify your soulmate. They show up on a part of your body in a kind of magical handwriting

Her son is taken aback by this statement, though not in a bad way. There is small surprise on his expression, a tiny deviation from the boy’s normally indifferent and phlegmatic visage

Rakurai: How does that happen?

Ruka: I don’t know. No one knows really. A mystery from God. Some say it’s a spiritual message from the other person’s soul

Rakurai: Does everyone have one?

Ruka: …Well, no, not really. I believe has a soulmate of course, but not everyone has these identifying marks. They are very rare

Rakurai: Hmm… So the marks tell one their soulmate? Who they are fated to be with?

Ruka: Well… It’s complicated. Soulmates don’t always end up together. People still have agency you know, and nothing, not even fate can change that

The young boy contemplates this for a while

Ruka: I have one though for Shinjuro. Do you want to see?

Rakurai: You do? Yes, I would like to view it

She nods and adjust her positioning so that her right leg was extended out, she pulls back her loose fitting leggings till her leg is completely bare. Rakurai’s eyes trace up her leg as she does this till they land with interest on a green mark engraved on her thigh. Rakurai gets closer to examine it. To his mild surprise, a name wasn’t engraved on Ruka’s thigh, but a message instead, and it looked a lot like Shinjuro, his adoptive father’s handwriting

Rakurai: It’s not a name

Ruka: No, it is not. They come in the form of messages. If it was a name, that would be making it too easy don’t you think?

Ruka’s green Soulmate Mark had a certain magical glow to it, not very intense or bright, but the mystical aura Rakurai got from the tattoo is undeniable. It read “I find your quiet fire inspiring”

Rakurai: Hmm… This sounds like something Dad would say

Ruka: Ehehehe, yes it is. The messages of Soulmate Marks are the first words said to you by a person

Rakurai: He said that to you on first meeting?

Ruka: No no. It’s not like that. They are the first words said to you by a person that truly speak to you, directly. Not a common phrase like… “how are you doing”, or “hello”. They are words meant for you specifically, sometimes you even feel the words. They are not necessarily the exact first words of someone else spoken to you

Rakurai: Feel them?

Ruka: I am not certain how to properly describe it. It’s like a precise tingling sensation, almost like a big needle, but it’s not unpleasant, it’s… warm and comforting

Rakurai: That’s quite odd

Ruka: Perhaps it is, that’s my interpretation anyways

Rakurai: Hmm, this message makes more sense then. These do feel like inspiring words, words that would touch someone

Ruka: Well yes, that’s more or less how I felt at the time. So sweet…

Rakurai: Does Father have one?

Ruka: Yes, he does. It’s on his back, orange in color. The marks on a person are of the host’s favorite color. It says “Your enthusiasm is contagious”

Rakurai: *Snorts* Amusing…

He thinks of another question for his mom before asking

Rakurai: When do they appear?

Ruka: It varies from person to person, by a lot. Typically they appear when you’re 12, but cases of being younger or older have happened. Sometimes the marks can appear before you even meet your soulmate, or long after, and the time they appear doesn’t happen the same for 2 soulmates

Rakurai: Strange… I wonder why that is…

Ruka: Like I said, it is a mystery of God

Rakurai nods in understanding. He goes silent for a time, but Ruka doesn’t find it awkward, it’s a common habit of his when he’s deep thinking. Rakurai looks to the window again and the night sky. He stands up and walks to the door in his mother’s room that leads outside. Ruka pulls back down her clothes over her leg and gets up, following him. Rakurai opens the doors and then walks across the patio to the edge, staring at the stars and sitting down again. Ruka positions herself next to Rakurai and sits down with her son. Continued silence follows after and Rakurai eyes one star in particular, though whether it was significant or not, she couldn’t tell

Rakurai: …Okaasan… The first person who can make me happy… I’m going to marry her. That will be my soulmate, and I will have a mark

Ruka laughs at this. She is amused at a 9 year old saying he was going to marry someone. But Rakurai is of course, a brilliant child. He knew the responsibilities and significance of a marriage. His statement is not one of an ignorant child who finds the idea amusing

Ruka: They aren’t genetic you know

Rakurai: Yes, but… I’m confident I will have one. And I’ll find her, no matter how long it takes… 

He focuses his view on the same star as his luminescent yellow eyes give off a certain gleam, and the boy allows himself to smile very slightly

Rakurai: …I’ll find her among the cosmos…

***

“RANG! RANG! RANG!”

Risking My Pride: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE-4opLiLC8&list=PLn6N3gkrI2TUWdT-X1aqe3ePVxhagVbLA&index=31 

The alarms blare out at a deafening volume throughout the space station. An aged up Rakurai sprints through the hallways, greatsword in one hand. The station was breached an hour ago by a large army of assailants, which had spent a prior 3 hours getting through the defenses of the station and fighting the robotic drones which patrolled the space outside and the troops which guarded all other pathways to the structure. Outside, as seen through the windows, explosions and blasts are happening all over from the 2 armies

Rakurai doesn’t stop moving even when 3 monstrous figures show up in front of him. They were human in appearance, but their skin were of unnatural colors and some of them had horns. One of them had elbow spikes, while the 3rd had 2 tendrils jutting out from his back. Instead of halting, Rakurai readies his blade to face the demons

Demon 1: Hahahaha! A fresh kill all alone!

Demon 3: Get him guys!

The 3rd demon shoots out his tendrils while the other 2 unsheathe their claws and leap at Rakurai. The yellow eyed man’s face does not show the slightest bit of concern or fear as he jumps onto the wall, then bounds off it, passing over the 1st demon and effortlessly decapitating him with his greatsword, accompanied by a burst of pale yellow energy which sends his body flying. He lans in front of the 2nd demon, a female, and quickly decapitates her as well after he dodges her claw swipe, using another blast of pale yellow energy. All of this happens in a mere 2 seconds, and he has just enough time to deflect the tendrils sent out from the 3rd demon, angering him

Demon 3: Arrrrgh! You’re tougher than I thought

The tendril demon unveils swords behind him and uses his tendrils to fling them at Rakurai, but without breaking eye contact, he twists to the side and the swords sail past his body. The demon sends an energy claw slash toward Rakurai, but he doesn’t move at all and just stands there

The sound of rapid footsteps is heard behind him

“Flame Breathing- 1st Form: Unknowing Fire!”

A man with long bright yellow hair and red streaks races past Rakurai from behind, his blade enveloped in blazing fire. By the time the demon realizes there’s another enemy, his energy claw is destroyed by the flames and the man is already behind him, having decapitated him by a surprise fire slash. Rakurai didn’t flinch at all during this occurence and simply let it play out, as if expecting his ally to show up suddenly

The demon’s head and body disintegrate into ash and the man flicks his katana to his side

Rakurai: Reliable as usual Kyojuro

Kyojuro: Do you always have to do things like that?

Rakurai: It wouldn’t be fair if you didn’t get the spotlight every once in a while. I could have easily killed him but I let you have it

Kyojuro: Hah! As the Flame Hashira, I must always watch over my comrades! You’re confusing Rakurai

Rakurai: Besides, you always have my back. Sen’yu tachi

Kyojuro turns to look at Rakurai with a grin

Kyojuro: Of course!

The 2 men start to sprint down the hallways once again, their enemies cleared

Rakurai: Have you seen Shinobu?

Kyojuro: Last I saw 30 minutes ago, she was evacuating lab personnel 

Rakurai: Good. I recall hearing that Sanemi was dealing with a very deadly and large contingent of demons. We should find him

Kyojuro: Agreed my friend. Let’s go find our Wind Hashira

The space station is massive so the 2 slayers had to navigate the winding maze of halls and rooms all while fighting and killing demons who stood in their way, of which there were dozens. However, Rakurai and Kyojuro were some of the best of the best of the Demon Slayer Corp, and they still managed to steamroll through the adversaries who stood against them

However, when they come to a certain section of the hallway, the path in front of them was suddenly blocked by a web of magenta and orange obi sashes that crash through the walls, increasing in number as they form a thick wall

Kyojuro: Crap! Daki’s blocked off the passageway!

Rakurai: No doubt she’s doing the same to other sections to restrict movement, prevent reinforcements, and split people up

Kyojuro: We’d waste more time than we need to trying to get through this wall of obi. We’d best find another way

Rakurai: Agreed. Perhaps Sanemi will end up in pieces after all

The Flame Hashira snorts as they make a 180 and go back the way they came to search for a more viable route

***

Fortunately, the 2 friends find another passageway through their backtracking, turning left and slicing through a few more demons that show up, who are no match for their combined skill. They successfully find an unblockaded route, eventually passing through an observatory deck. The room has a large glass curved panel with a few support beams, showing the massive battle in the space outside, with explosions and blasts firing off everywhere, of which can be faintly heard inside the station

Rakurai’s head suddenly perks up

Rakurai: To your right Kyojuro!

Without a second thought, the flame haired male combat rolls to the right and avoids a powerful lightning attack that bursts on the spot where he just was. An elemental air wave sails over Rakurai’s had as he ducks beneath it, and it takes out some equipment, either crushing it with sheer pressure or flinging the remainder in random directions. Both warriors stand up and take up combat stances

“Karaku you idiot! You missed him!”

“Oh pish posh Sekido, you screwed up your shot too! Haha!”

“He was somehow able to alert the hashira to my attack before I even fired it! I’m getting angry just thinking about it!”

Karaku and Sekido’s Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRQ-oMw5eS0

2 demons with curved stony looking horns step into frame. They both have similar base appearances, with similar medium length wavy hair and body types. One of them had red eyes while the other had red. The red eyed demon has a red kimono with tan color accents and has a metal staff with a ring for a head, of which several smaller rings are looped around it and clinking together. The other demon is shirtless and has strips of cloth covering his torso vertically and bells attached to them. He wears katamara pants and wields a feather fan for a weapon. The red yed demon has an irritated scowl on his face and the other an impudent grin. Both demons however have japanese kanji symbols engraved in their eyes

Upper 4

Kyojuro: Karaku and Sekido, the Wind and Lightning demons

Rakurai: Looks like fair fight it is

Karaku: A fair fight? Hahahaha! How amusing to think that. This’ll be fun! The Flame Hashira is here!

Sekido: And him…!

Sekido snarls at Rakurai and points his staff at him

Sekido: Your death will please Lord Muzan. I’m going to fry you to a crisp

He slams the butt of his staff on the ground

Rakurai: Go ahead and take your shot. You going to fight or just rage all day Sekido?

This angers the demon and he fires a bolt at Rakurai, who uses his free hand, infuses it with pale yellow energy and deflects the electricity with his bare hands. Karaku boosts himself in the air backwards with a wind pulse from his feet to dodge Kyojuro’s flaming slash, then sends a few airborne air strikes with his fan while laughing

Kyojuro: 4th Form: Blooming Flame Undulation!

Kyojuro twists his katana in a spiral motion whilst enveloped in flames, creating a quick blazing wall that repels the air slashes. Kyojuro stamps his sword on the ground and the flames he created burst outward explosively, burning Karaku when he tries to avoid it. Sekido stamps his staff and sends a wave of static electricity to Rakurai. He jumps over the wave and temporarily dissipates his sword, punching the air with his fists while surging pale yellow energy in his fists. Like a machine he fires off a rapid stream of ranged projectiles

Rakurai: Destructive Death: Air Type

Sekido: Blood Demon Art: Thunder Semi-Dome!

The horned demon creates a curved barrier of electricity in front of him which shields him from all the punches. Kyojuro clashes with Karaku who uses his fan as a means to block the Flame Hashira’s katana attacks

Karaku: Blood Demon Art: Feather Jet Missiles!

An array of sharp pressurized air projectiles shaped like the leaf segments of Karaku’s fan shoots from his weapon and to Kyojuro on all sides of his front

Kyojuro: Flame Breathing- 3rd Form: Blazing Universe!

Charging forward, Kyojuro uses a strong downward slash to create a forward blast of fire while he moves, dispersing the air projectiles and avoiding the remaining ones

Karaku: This is fun! I was right, hahaha! You got any more than that? Show me what you got Hashira!

Kyojuro: Gladly!

The flame haired male charges up a pulse of fire in his palm and thrusts it to Karaku as he dashes at incredible speeds to the demon. Karaku holds up his fan enveloped in a coating of air to block, but is sent flying by an explosive fire blast from Kyojuro’s palm once he makes contact

Karaku: Ahh! That burns! Your flames are hot! That only makes this all the more interesting! Nice move!

Sekido shoots orbs of lightning at Rakurai. He uses his fists to punch them to pieces, accompanied by pale yellow energy. The red eyed demon thrusts his staff head first at Rakurai, utilizing a long ranged melee attack of piercing lightning. Rakurai materializes his sword and blocks the attack but is knocked back by the force, slightly burned by the lightning. Sekido moves swiftly and swipes his staff up, using a rising wave of lightning that cuts into Rakurai with a burning sensation. Despite the pain, he makes no gesture or sound to indicate such a wound, and endures the pain. The Upper Rank then slams his staff on Rakurai’s back and knocks him to the ground to hold him there with his weapon

Sekido: FRY!

The electric demon pulses a storm of electricity through Rakurai’s body, shocking him viciously. Rakurai still does not utter a sound of pain and instead, with amazing flexibility, kicks his legs behind and knocks the staff loose. The directional force makes Rakurai fly off the ground backward while the foot slams into Sekido’s chest and knocks the demon back. Once the yellow eyed male is fully upright, he punches Sekido’s face, sharply staggering the upper rank

Rakurai: Destructive Death: Crown Splitter

Rakurai gets back on the ground and delivers a reverse rising axe kick with a pale yellow shockwave. Sekido uses his staff to block and a shockwave of the 2 energies surges across the room. Both combatants clash repeatedly as Rakurai materializes his sword to continue fighting

Karaku manifests a yari made from air and throws it at Kyojuro. He uses a double sword slash combo to destroy the projectiles, placing himself on the defensive as Karaku throws more air constructed projectiles. The resulting clash of energies destroys the room around them, including any objects laying around, which are either disintegrated, crushed, or thrown around. Sekido slams his staff down and from his staff’s hanging rings shoot out homing streams of lightning from many angles

Rakurai: Destructive Death: Disorder!

Temporarily discarding his sword, Rakurai unleashes a barrage of quick pale yellow shockwave punches and disperses the lightning. Karaku manages to get one on Kyojuro in the form of a downward air wave which crushes the Hashira into the ground. Karaku laughs with glee before proceeding to kick his opponent’s gut with a wind burst that sends him flying

Rakurai: Kyojuro! Crap!

Karaku: You’re next big guy!

Sekido sends a blast of lightning while Karaku an air projectile in the shape of his own fan. Rakurai gets into a stance

Rakurai: Destructive Death- Sword Style: Rupture Pulses

The swordsman swings his sword three ways in a wide circular motion creating tall shockwaves that blasts apart the combined force of the demons, causing smoke and rubble to cover the area and blind people. Rakurai’s eyes glow in the dust and he charges through it in Sekido and Karaku’s confusion and cuts off the the red demon’s arm with the staff. Rakurai then proceeds to punch Karaku’s face and blow half his face off, causing blood to splatter everywhere and the wind demon to get sent skidding across the ground. Sekido catches Rakurai’s next punch with the hand he still has attached to his body and overpowers him enough to get close and lightning headbutt Rakurai in the face. This forces the black haired man to his knees. Sekido scowls at him

Sekido: As much as I’d like to satisfy my rage by killing you, you’re more useful alive than dead. Tell me… where is it? Where is the ___!? I demand an answer!

Rakurai glares at Upper 4 defiantly as he regenerates his arm and picks his up khakkhara off of the ground

Rakurai: I’m not going to tell you Sekido. So go on and try and kill me. That core… is humanity’s future. It will chart a path to the future. I’m not letting that bastard Muzan get to it. The Demon Slayers will defend this place to our last

The lightning demon growls in irritation

Sekido: How stupid of you. You should have made this easier for yourself

Sekido fires a stream of lightning at Rakurai

Whoosh!

“Shivers of First Love!”

Shivers of First Love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hH4onJKQ8w

Sekido’s lightning stream is suddenly cut through by pink and green sparks of energy that protect Rakurai. Sekido gasps in shock as he jumps back to avoid collateral damage. He blasts a bolt at Rakurai, but to his surprise, it’s significantly dampened by whatever attack interrupted him, and Sekido notices that he has a green cut on his forearm. The demon’s face contorts into rage as he recognizes the perpetrator

A woman with pink hair and lime green tips with big and round pale green eyes drops down in front of Rakurai. Her hair is tied in 3 thick braids and she wears a pink kimono with blue and magenta secondary colors and a green obi sash. The female wears pink and silver armor on her shoulders, shins, and torso, though it’s noticeably less thick and heavy than Kyojuro’s

Rakurai: Mitsuri!

Mitsuri: Oh my gosh! Are you guys alright!? You don’t look so great!

Kyojuro hobbles a bit out of the debris pile he was blasted into from Karaku, grinning

Kyojuro: It’s fine! This is standard Upper Rank fighting condition! But we’re glad you’re here Mitsuri!

A contingent of 5 other warriors appears behind Mitsuri, ready to fight Sekido and Karaku, the latter of which is fully healed and standing behind Sekido with a gleeful smile

Karaku: Wow! So many new toys to fight! This is getting even more fun! And it’s Mitsuri again! Been a long time!

Sekido: Love Hashira…

Mitsuri is holding a thing yet sharp whip sword, placing herself in a stance

Mitsuri: I’m glad you 2 are okay. We’ll handle things from here

Sekido: Karaku!

Karaku responds by throwing a wind gust at Mitsuri. The pink haired female dashes forward at full speed and cuts through the attack while the other slayers fan out in all directions with the intent of surrounding and pinning down Sekido and Karaku. Sekido repeatedly shoots lightning bolts at the Love Hashira but her skillful use of her whip destroys them all

Sekido: Damn you woman!

Mitsuri: Rakurai! Kyojuro! Go to the core now! It’s in serious trouble! You have to protect it! The Kizuki are making a beeline for it!

Mitsuri grabs Karaku with her whip after maneuvering it so it wraps around the air demon, and then swings him around, slamming him into Sekido and the 2 of them get crushed into a wall by Mitsuri

Rakurai: Understood

Kyojuro: We’d better get going then. Good luck Mitsuri! Stay safe! May Heavenly Father protect you!

Mitsuri: You too!

The pink-haired female nods confidently to Kyojuro and keeps fighting while the 2 of them exit the room to get to the “core”, behind them they could hear and see flashes of lightning, wind, shouts, and Mitsuri’s Love Breathing

Kyojuro: And here those folks at school always thought she was an aberration

Rakurai: Of course she is, but she should be proud of it

Kyojuro: Hah! I like the way you think Rakurai. Then again, it was you who reached out to her

More demons appear along the way. As usual, Rakurai and Kyojuro are able to cleanly handle them, and some of their encounters, they get help from the Slayer warriors which allow them to maintain a good pace as they rush to their destination to stop the demons

Close to where the “core” resides, they finally find Sanemi, who is busy fighting against a large number of demons with only him and another demon slayer. One of the demons is giving Sanemi a hard time, blocking his attacks with thick white threads that act as a barrier. The Wind Hashira utters a curse and jumps back from the attacks of a few demons while protecting the slayer next to him

Crossing Swords: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eU9N59CkkA

Kyojuro: Flame Breathing- 1st Form: Unknowing Fire!

Rakurai: Destructive Death- Sword Style: Disintegration Barrage

Kyojuro speeds toward the group and cuts off the heads of a few demons with his surprise attack while Rakurai uses his sword and unleashes a multitude of thrusts and stabs that take the shape of pale yellow arrow shockwaves that blow through the ranks. The thread demon gasps at this and is forced to retreat back several long strides

“Another Hashira!?!”

“Crap that’s not good!”

“We need to get out of here!”
Thread Demon: No. You will stand your ground

Sanemi looks to Kyojuro and Rakurai and scoffs. The other slayer, with brown hair tied in a ponytail is relieved

Ethan: Thank goodness you guys are here. Talk about some much needed breathing room!

Sanemi: I didn’t need your guys’ help

Rakurai: Shut up moron, you are being swarmed. Or would you prefer to end up like cheese cubes?

Sanemi: Shut up! Whatever… Let’s kill these damn demons

Rakurai and Kyojuro join Sanemi in fending off demons, providing rear guards for him while Sanemi uses his aerokinesis to scatter and cut the demons around him. Rakurai ducks as Sanemi unleashes an attack above him

Sanemi: 5th Form: Cold Mountain Wind!

Using his polearm lance, Sanemi sends several arched circular slashes of air that sail over Rakurai and blow away the demons and decapitate one of them while leaving a few more bloodied and sliced. Rakurai deflects a thread away from his body and looks to his attacker. The attacker looked to be a young boy barely past the start of adolescence, with light pink hair resembling that of spider legs and red dots on his face. He wore a spider web themed kimono that looked way too big for his body and a blood red obi sash on his waist. Rakurai can see a kanji symbol etched on one of his glassy blue eyes

Lower 5

Rakurai: *Rui, a lower rank Kizuki. He’s child’s play compared to Sekido and Karaku but the sheer number of demons with him makes this difficult and annoying*

Rui eyes Rakurai with an expression of scrutiny and then throws an array of threads at him. Rakurai uses his sword and does a quick spin around with his energy, cutting through the threads

Rui: Blood Demon Art: Murderous Eye Basket

A dome of string surrounds Rakurai and whips around rapidly, then collapses on him

Rakurai: Sword Style: Ferocious Combustion

Rakurai swings his blade with such tremendous speed that it heats up and blasts apart the threads, burning them to ash as well as throwing some shockwave blasts that tear other demons to pieces. Some of them remain alive but are undergoing a very painful regeneration. This ends up shocking Rui

Rui: Such speed… You burned my threads…

Rakurai: Surprised? You could get the heck out of here and avoid getting your aft beat

Rui: I’ll decline. This place will be seized by demonkind at the behest of Lord Muzan. I enact his will and will follow his orders

Rakurai: Your funeral

The spider demon ejects threads from his fingers and swings them in a cross manuever at him. Rakurai sprints toward Rui and then performs a ground slide, sailing beneath the threads as they pass over him. Rakurai does a combat roll to dodge another swing from the lower rank and quickly straightens up, swinging his greatsword while he’s on one knee at Rui’s neck. It strikes his neck and in a single second, it’s already half-way through. A small expression of panic is on the demon’s face and he’s quickly forced to retreat, using his left hand and spewing threads so that they connect to a nearby pillar. Rui is pulled away from Rakurai and sword, albeit with some pain as blood spills out from his wound. The demon manages to regenerate the gap and attacks the yellow eyed male once again with a barrage of threads

Sanemi sends razor wind after razor wind to decimate the demon ranks, making them writhe on the ground in pain as they attempt to heal their injuries, but the white haired man doesn’t give them much of a chance to and ends their lives while they’re on the ground, a ferocious expression on his face. Kyojuro dases around the demons, skillfully avoiding their attacks while cloaked in fire. He leaps into the air, spins, and slams his blade on the ground, sending an incinerating blast of fire in all directions that severely burns the enemies around the Flame Hashira. He senses a demon behind him and whips around, thrusting his blade at his adversary’s body. The sword becomes surrounded by a mass of flames that forms into a tiger’s maw and snaps down on the demon, turning most of it to ash and killing it

Kyojuro: Flame Breathing- 5th Form: Flame Tiger- Thrust Style!

Sanemi starts to get annoyed by all the demons around him and decides to even the odds. He swirls air in his palm and creates a pack of 3 wolves made from wind

Sanemi: Razor Gale Pack!

The wolves bark and lay into the demons, tearing them apart and causing some of them to retreat back. Sanemi thrusts his spear at a demon’s neck while it’s cloaked in pressurized air. It bursts and completely tears through the neck, creating a gap between the head and body. The demon utters a sound of severe pain as it disintegrates and dies. Kyojuro manages to create enough breathing room to fire blitz himself across the room and to Rakurai to aid his adoptive brother. Rui shoots threat webs at Rakurai, getting his limbs tangled in threats and then moves in for the kill. The yellow eyed male is unfazed and remains completely calm, he purposely makes himself fall back and then backflips off of Rui using his still functioning legs. Lower 5 is sent flying from the shockwave into a pile of crates and Rakurai lands on his feet. Kyojuro uses his katana and cuts through the threads using fire to free his friend

Rakurai: Arigato

He nods to the black haired male. As Rui recovers and stands up from the blow, Rakurai does a frontal charge towards him. The spider demon has multiple lines of his razor threads slide toward Rakurai from various angles. Rakurai uses a random assortment of slashes with his greatsword in an arc around to destroy the threads. Kyojuro comes up behind him and side flips over him as the duo get close to Rui, shouting a battle cry as his sword is engulfed in flames and he slices through the Kizuki’s left arm, severing it and burning his injuries. The demon has a visible visage of pain and he quickly tries retreating from the onslaught

Rui: *If I continue like this, I’ll be beheaded for certain… The others will only work so well as a distraction*

Expecting a continuation to the fight, both men are surprised to see Rui retreat back further, using his threads to hook onto a higher level of the room and reel himself in

Kyojuro: Hey! Return here at once Rui!

The spider demon makes no change in what he’s doing or a response and once he gets to the top, quicly flees, along with taking several lesser demons with him. Kyojuro clenches his fist

Rakurai: Calm yourself Kyojuro. He’s some of the least of our worries right now

Kyojuro: *Sighs* You’re right

The duo turn around and head back over to Sanemi, helping him to finish off the last demons. By the end, the Wind Hashira is panting and taking deep breaths, evidently tired from fighting so many enemies

Ethan: Thanks guys, appreciate the help

Rakurai nods to Ethan. Sanemi’s exhaustion is not lost on Kyojuro, who smiles

Kyojuro: Tired are we Shinazugawa?

Sanemi: What? *Scowls* Shut the heck up! I’m not tired! I’m just… readjusting and correcting my breathing techniques you dumbass

Kyojuro: *Smirks* Hah! Sure you are… 

Ethan: Rengoku, Shinazugawa, let’s not get in a verbal argument right now

Sanemi: Shut it, I didn’t ask

The white haired male looks around the room

Sanemi: Hey, where’s spiderman?

Rakurai: Rui fled elsewhere with some of his subordinates

Sanemi: Huh!? Dammit! That coward!

Rakurai: Relax. I do not fault him. Rui simply analyzed the odds and decided it wasn’t worth it

Sanemi huffs angrily

Ethan: Was that guy Lower 5?

Rakurai: It was Rui. Yes

Ethan: Dang… were you close to killing him?

Rakurai: Yes

Ethan has an awed expression on his face

Ethan: You really are incredible Shogekiha. I don’t understand why you’re not a Hashira. You’re as strong as Rengoku probably!

Kyojuro: If not better

Rakurai: Rakurai… Just Rakurai…

Ethan: Ah, sorry… 

Rakurai looks out of the window as he ponders for a moment

Rakurai: I have my own pursuits in life. Being a Hashira would take up too much of my time that I could spend doing what I do best

Ethan: *Tilts head* What would that be?

Rakurai: I won’t tell

This just makes the brown haired male sighs in slight annoyance and disappointment. Sanemi looks to where Rui escaped and scowls

Sanemi: I’ll kill him later. He won’t escape permanently 

Kyojuro: We have bigger flames to snuff

Rakurai: Correct. Rui’s forces are most definitely a distraction force meant to slow us down. The big folks are heading to the core

Sanemi: Crap! We gotta get there before these bastards screw everything up!

Kyojuro: Mitsuri’s holding off Upper 4 with some of the Hinoto corp members

“There you guys are! I’ve been following trails everywhere to find you!”

The the quad turn to find a woman with very long blonde hair with bangs that curved upward at the sides on both ends and jasmine-yellow eyes. The woman had some eyeliner on and a bit of makeup, but it’s moderate and not particularly pronounced. She was wearing the standard science crew uniform of the station, which is a dark grey full bodysuit with a light blue overcoat and red cargo pants, sometimes stockings with the women. Except this particular one wore an an elegant and stylized white and black dress with gold and purple accents and a long skirt with thigh slits instead of the usual overcoat and pants

Rakurai: Aletheia?

Kyojuro: You haven’t fled the station already Aletheia?

Sanemi: You science folk shouldn’t be out an about with murderous demons. You’d get slaughtered

Sanemi is punched in the jaw by the woman

Sanemi: Son of bi-

“Thwack!”

Rakurai: Language

Aletheia: May I remind you that I have several top class ranks in a variety of martial arts, went to school on the side for sword combat and have been personally acknowledged by Kaguya. So don’t give me that bullcrap

Sanemi rubs his face. Aletheia stood close to his height at 5 feet and 9 inches, being a very tall woman. Rakurai eyes Aletheia closely and deeply. He is uncertain why, but he always got a strange feeling around her… no… feeling wouldn’t be right. Aura or vibe is a more apt description. Rakurai can’t seem to discern what exactly about Aletheia gives him such a perception, it wasn’t bad per se but it’s certainly odd. It’s like a near constant sense of good apprehension, as if something interesting were to come after… whatever. That would be the best way for him to describe it anyway

Kyojuro: Well, that makes sense. You aren’t in any particular danger

Aletheia: You folks heading to the core?

Rakurai: Affirmative

Aletheia: I’m coming with you

Kyojuro: Are you certain? The Kizuki are sure to be converging there, you’ll be caught in a messy crossfire

Aletheia: I’m well aware of the risks Kyojuro. But it is my duty to see to the objects and documents of great value there. Besides, I have a certain task I must take care of… a certain priceless object there I need to secure for the future… I shall not be persuaded on this matter

The 4 men look amongst themselves, silently debating the topic. However, they all nod in agreement in the end

Ethan: I see nothing wrong with including miss Aletheia. After all, she knows that area better than almost anyone

Rakurai: Indeed… It may behoove us to retreat with the contents inside of that region to keep them out of the hands of the demons

Kyojuro: I agree, whatever the cost we cannot allow them to exploit it

Sanemi: What are we waiting for then! Let’s hurry up and go!

The group make a beeline for the core room as fast as possible. Sanemi gives everyone an air boost on their bodies so they run faster. As they near their destination, the group hears sounds of combat up ahead

Aletheia: The demons have already gotten to the core! Or at least extremely close to it

Rakurai’s highly tuned senses pick up on particular sounds, like blooming chimes and rustles, and sonic boom explosions

Rakurai: It sounds like Flower and Sound Breathing, Kanae and Tengen respectively

Sanemi: Shoot! Kanae’s in trouble! And uh, Tengen too I guess

Both Rakurai and Kyojuro send the Wind Hashira a deadpan expression, the former rolling his eyes. The group enters a large room with no windows and surrounded by heavily reinforced metals and materials, along with many wires strewn around the area, connected to monitors and other strange devices. The wires all converge on a huge fortified chamber in the center, the rest of the cords disappearing inside the room, which is heavily sealed

Overlord of the Thunderstorm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edorx9j4gR8

Fighting at the entrance is an above average height woman with long and straight hair colored back that reaches just below her waist, worn down with two shorter clumps over her shoulders, and arched, ear-length bangs on either side of her face. Her eyes are a pale violet with a soft shape and she has 2 butterfly pins on the sides of her head while wearing a butterfly wing patterned haori with an outfit underneath sporting motifs of nature, particularly plants. The black haired woman wears smooth plant themed gauntlets, shin coverings, and a breastplate, all colored various shades of purple. The other person is a broad shouldered and white haired man with thin maroon eyes and a red eye marking of large and small dots around his left eye. He wears gold rings around his upper arms and a head wrapping that restrains his hair and a band on his forehead with several gems embedded in it. His outfit consists of a sleak athlete’s sleeveless shirt with futuristic elements and what appears to be various stereo motifs of a teal blue color on it and burgundy pants. Both of his arms have teal and white armor covering his entire arms and he dons boots of a similar color scheme. The man has a grin on his face as he dashes around with dual cleavers connected by a chain

The 2 warriors battle a group of demons trying to defend the entrance to the chamber whilst being aided by a squad of lower ranked demon slayers. The demons were accompanied by large and hostile 4 legged robots, shooting missiles, lasers, and trying to flatten the 2 slayers. Several corpses of their allies laid across the room, having fallen to the demons

Ethan: Great, now it’s robots we have to put up with too

Kyojuro: Sanemi!

Sanemi: Right behind you!

The 2 Hashiras take charge, blasting forward toward the demons. They unleash coordinates slashes that unleash a torrent of wind and fire. The demons do not expect to suddenly be blasted across the room in all directions by a sudden wave of elements. Some of the robots lose balance and fall over from the attack or stumble. Sanemi’s wind wolves rush in, barking at the demons and savagely attacking them which catches them off guard

Tengen: Eh? Hahahaha! Look who decided to join the party! Flashy entrance guys!

Kyojuro: Good to see you alive and well Tengen!

Kanae: Thank goodness. Your arrival brings us much-needed reprieve. The demons have been relentless in trying to get through

The other lower-ranked corp members cheer at the arrival of the Hashira, Rakurai, Aletheia, and Ethan, their morale renewed

Kanae: Flower Breathing- 2nd Form: Honorable Shadow Plum!

Using a series of rotating slashes, Kanae unleashes a burst of flowery energy with each slash, cutting through 3 demons with razor petals while also deflecting some blaster shots from a few demons who wield them. Aletheia sidesteps an attacking demon and then delivers a high axe kick to the chin that snaps his neck up. The blonde haired female proceeds to unsheath an advanced greatsword, and slices through his neck while he’s still stunned. Ethan uses a swift iaido slash using his tachi on another demon as a counterattack

One robot with a cannon on top blasts Rakurai with a powerful purple energy ball equivalent to a physical cannonball. Rakurai cuts through it with his blade whilst accompanied by a shockwave of pale yellow energy

Rakurai: Hajime Fuku-shiru

2 glowing yellow bands appear just above Rakurai’s wrists. He leaps over the next shot and soars through the air toward his mechanical adversary, slamming a foot into the chassis with such tremendous force from the resulting energy shockwave that the mecha topples over violently onto the ground. As soon as he lands, Rakurai gets to work and decapitates several demons in an instant with his sword, and then backhands the head off one of the demons, killing it as the head goes flying back too far for the demon to retrieve it and put it back on before kicking the bucket. 

Tengen: Flashy takedown Rakurai!

Tengen throws a bunch of explosive beads everywhere and blows the demons to bits, Sanemi yelps as he jumps back from an explosion and Kyojuro’s eyes widen and deflects another bead with his katana away from himself

Sanemi: What the hell moron! You’re going to kill us if you don’t stop throwing those pint sized grenades haphazardly!

Tengen: Whoops! My bad!

Aletheia flashes a female demon with white light which extended to a few nearby demons, blinding her before proceeding to cut her head off to take advantage. The other demons shout due to the pain their vision took. The blonde has a grinning smirk on her face

Aletheia: What’s wrong? Don’t like a little camera flash?

Kyojuro and Ethan jump from robot to robot, scoring critical hits on them with their combined attacks. Although Ethan did not have powers like the others, he nonetheless used his iaido style of fighting to move at quick speeds, enough to dodge attacks and land quick strikes in return. Sanemi blows some of the mechanical entities down with his winds while they were distracted or thrown off balance. Their adversaries are then crushed by Rakurai as he obliterated their bodies with his pale yellow shockwaves, the bands that had appeared above his wrists continuing to glow. Some of the demons are unfortunate enough to be crushed by the falling mechas

Kyojuro: Rising Scorching Sun!

Kyojuro cuts through a robot with an upward fire slash, bisecting it and landing on the ground with a blazing shockwave and burning more demons. The demons become increasingly unsettled as they realize their forces are being outgunned by the humans, particulary from the Hashira and Rakurai as they prove to be unstoppable

Tengen: We’ll finally be able to get some breathing room once all these demons are dealt with!

Aletheia: Don’t let them inside!

Rakurai: Destructive Death: Disorder

Rakurai uses a barrage of pale yellow energy punches that blow back the demons in front of him, dealing heavy damage and scattering their ranks, then sending ranged energy punches with his fists to critically injure several of them. While the demons writhe and yell in pain, Rakurai takes the opportunity to slice off their heads and end their lives with his greatsword

Aletheia: The way you can just switch from a sword style to bare handed martial arts is positively ridiculous

Rakurai simply acknowledges the woman with a small hum. Aletheia rolls her eyes

Aletheia: Don’t you ever want to socialize with anyone? Why do you always gotta be a gloomy loner?

Rakurai: What do you want me do? Kill you with endless boasts about myself in response to your praise?

Aletheia punches a demon in the face and sends a few more yelping and scattering with white glitter bursts 

Aletheia: A thank you would’ve been nice!

Rakurai: So you want acknowledgment? I gave you one

Aletheia: Humming is not how you talk to people dumbass!

Rakurai: Not my fault I am trying to focus on saving your precious research stored within this station. I thought you valued that data

Aletheia: UGH! You’re impossible!

The scientist finds herself annoyed immensely with Rakurai’s aloof and phlegmatic expressions and mannerisms. He never seemed to deviate from his “stare of neutrality” as she would call it. If he did, it would be a simple narrowing of the eyes, an arch of the eyebrow, a deadpan stare, a “you’re an idiot” look, and other simple facial expressions that do little to communicate what’s inside of the yellow eyed male

She looks at Kyojuro incinerating the limbs of demons and being a general firestorm and sighs

Aletheia: *How are those 2 best friends exactly?*

“Struuum!”

Everyone freezes when the sudden sound of a string instrument plays out and echoes in the room, but no source can be identified

*Kanae: That’s… a biwa stringing!*

“Tap, Tap, Tap, Whoosh!”

Almost in an instant, many of the regular slayers are wounded with severe gashes and bloody slash marks. Kyojuro is on his knees panting and has a but on his abdomen, but not as severe, and he’s somehow been blown back many meters by an attack. Tengen has a leg wound, and Kanae, while she’s not bleeding, has bruises on her body as she ended up being smashed into a compute desk, having been broken through it. The only uninjured people are Rakurai and Aletheia, with the latter having teleported with a flash out of the way and Rakurai actually managed to block the attacks that came from him. Nonetheless, the normally stoical man has a wide eyed face as he senses the presence of another demon, one he knows all too well

???: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvw1Fy7X998

“ Akaza… ”

A menacing, cold, and authoritative voice speaks to Rakurai and his body involuntarily shivers. A man with spiky black hair and red frost tips is suddenly walking next to and past him, wearing a purple and black checkered kimono with plated armor of red and purple color and black silver accents on his shoulders, torso, and upper legs. A katana scabbard rests at his side

The pressure in the room skyrockets to tremendous levels. An image flashes in Rakurai’s mind of a pale skinned man with 6 ominous yellow eyes of slightly different shade than his own, with fleshy red sclera and dark red flame markings on his face. 2 of his eyes have kanji engraved in them

Upper 1

Rakurai slowly turns his head behind him while standing in place to stare at the man, his expression having returned to normal

“Thought you’d show your face toward the end Kokushibo”

The others are completely struck dumb with fear and apprehension, especially the lower level slayers, who are just frozen in place with white eyes

Ethan: *When did he get here!? Did that biwa sound have anything to do with it?*

Kyojuro *Dammit! I can’t move very much… and even then I can’t lift my sword! Get up Kyojuro!*

Sanemi: *Upper Rank 1!? Sh**! Muzan’s sent in his biggest shots!*

The demons cheer at the arrival of Kokushibo, their spirits lifted as they grin and smile deviously, brandishing their claws and weapons

“Lord Kokushibo is here!”

“These slayers will feel the wrath of the demon race now!”

“They won’t stand a chance!”

The Upper Rank doesn’t appear to acknowledge the cheering and keeps his attention on Rakurai 

Kokushibo: How much are you willing to guard this facility’s contents?

Rakurai: With my life if I have to. To keep fiends like you from abusing it. Because I know you will

Kokushibo: You will not prevail

Rakurai: Dead wrong. We’ll win. So long as we trust in God and keep our faith in his power. He’ll get us out of this mess

Kokushibo: Holding on to such a foolish notion of a God who does not truly care is pathetic Akaza

Rakurai scowls at Upper 1. Kokushibo whips around at frightening speeds, swinging his sword at him. However, he’s forced to change his trajectory when Aletheia suddenly comes out of nowhere and swings her sword down on the demon, accompanied by yellow lightning. Kokushibo easily stops the attack but is slightly staggered when she backflips off of his chest into the air and landing on the ground. The spiky haired male eyes the blonde, who grits her teeth in frustration

Kokushibo: Interesting…

Aletheia: *Damn I missed!*

Tengen: *This aura… is insane! It’s so thick and heavy that I’m actually struggling to breathe properly! This guy’s no joke!*

*Kanae: I could barely block the attack. It was so strong that I was just smashed into this monitor due to the sheer force behind it*

Kyojuro: *Under his Breath* Jesus take the wheel...

Sanemi stands up and holds his polearm firmly

Sanemi: Come on! Let’s take this bastard down! Coordinate as a unit!

Kanae sits up from her position and readjusts her stance

Kanae: Yes! We have to work together to beat him!

“Ah ah ah~... It won’t be that easy for you”

Another player enters the field as the air temperature drops dramatically, the walls catch frost and another demon with long and spiky platinum blonde hair walks toward the group with a care free smile and rainbow eyes with another set of kanji, slightly different

Upper 2

Doma’s Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7uiuDPSBFs

Kyojuro: Crap… Doma…

Doma: Hey there! Mind if I join the party? Looks fun!

Rakurai: *Nakime must have teleported them here*

Kanae: This just became a lot harder

Ethan: Another upper kizuki!?

Doma turns his attention to Kanae and Aletheia and his eyes light up

Doma: Ohhh! I didn’t know there’d be pretty ladies here! And is that Kanae!? Hello! Nice to see you again! 

Aletheia frowns at the comment. Kanae doesn’t seem as bothered much though seems more disgruntled by the demon’s presence itself

Doma: I’ll devour you for sure this time! I’ve been savoring on the waiting time. Hahaha!

Aletheia: That’s disgusting

Kanae: Unlikely. I’ve never made it easy for you, and I certainty won’t change that here

The Flower Hashira holds a firm and stern gaze toward the demon in contrast to her previous smiling expression. Kokushibo’s voice cuts through the atmosphere, making it even more tense

Kokushibo: Doma, we have no time for tomfoolery. You can place your antics elsewhere. We have a job to do

Doma: Of course Lord Kokushibo! I’d never shirk off my duty as a Kizuki

Kokushibo makes no further comment though a slight gesture of his face says that he doesn’t quite believe his comrade

Rakurai shouts to Aletheia

Rakurai: It’s too dangerous Aletheia! Get to the control room now!

She didn’t even argue. Aletheia evidently understood the position they were all in and nods to Rakurai. She turns toward an exit and makes a beeline for it

Doma: Oh? We can’t have you escaping now can we? That would be a shame. I haven’t gotten to taste you yet!

Doma whips out 2 metal fans and rushes to Alethia. Kokushibo makes a subtle gesture only Rakurai notices which tells him that he was going to make a move on the blonde scientist

Tengen: Stop that guy!

Sanemi manages to get there in time with a wind sprint and tackles Doma aggressively to the ground. Kokushibo moves at terrifying speed toward Aletheia, moving like a blur which to some of the lesser slayers seemed like he teleported. Rakurai and Kyojuro sprint to intercept the kizuki, catching up to him as his sword comes within half a foot of Aletheia and block his attack together with their swords. Aletheia briefly turns back and acknowledges them with a nod of gratitude and disappears through the exit and down the hallway 

Kokushibo: That will only buy you a small moment. It will barely amount to anything

Rakurai/Kyojuro: We’ll see about that!

Human Resolution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5Q_4D6yY_E

They push Upper 1 back with a burst of Rakurai’s pale yellow energy and Kyojuro’s fire. Doma blasts Sanemi off of him and into the air with a gust of icy energy

Doma: Nice tackle

Sanemi: Screw you! Take this! Wind Breathing- 2nd Form: Claws-Purifying Wind!

The white haired spearman sends several air slashes down at Doma from above resembling claws. Doma swipes his fans while he stands up, freezing the air as a burst of icy power and dust explodes in the middle of the air. Sanemi roars and slams his polearm on the ground as Doma dodges away, blowing wind in all directions

The battle resumes as the demons and humans clash against each other. The demons have an initial advantage as their wounds have regenerated in the brief lull and the slayers have injuries from Kokushibo’s opening attack. Still, they fight valiantly against their foes

Kanae joins Sanemi against Doma. Tengen joins against Kokushibo as the swordsman fights against Rakurai and Kyojuro and Ethan follows behind Kanae 

Tengen: Sound Breathing- 1st Form: Roar!

Kokushibo sees Tengen’s attack and blocks the attack with his sword, but doesn’t expect the attack to explode with sound waves and stagger the demon as he was unprepared

Tengen: I’m going to chop off your head in the flashiest death! No less for Upper 1!

Kokushibo: You are welcome to try

Kyojuro gets a cut on the back of his lower leg. The 4 men dash around the room at near imperceptible speeds. One of the lower ranked slayers takes a moment to gaze in awe at the battle

Corp Member 1: *What speed! I can only see sound waves, fire, pale yellow energy, and crescent blades! The actual people themselves are moving so fast that the only traces of them at the moment are their attack flashes. If us regular folks were to try and get involved, we’d be so tremendously out of our league that we’d be dead before we’d process even a moment of it!*

Kokushibo dodges several of Kyojuro’s attacks, parries Tengen’s parries and destroys some of his bombs with crescent blades, and counter attacks with a wave of whitish blue energy at his adversaries. Rakurai speeds past it and moves in a semi circle to the demon’s rear. He moves to punch Kokushibo but the 6 eyed man turns around and kicks Rakurai in the side with such force that he is sent catapulting at dangerous speeds into the wall

Kokushibo defends against Tengen’s rapid slashes with his cleavers, and then unleashes a technique to give him breathing room against Rakurai and Kyojuro

Kokushibo: Moon Breathing- 1st Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace

The powerful demon draws his katana and performs a singular horizontal slash following a crescent shape, creating numerous chaotic crescent blades along its path which force everyone to duck and roll away. After the attack, he quickly sheathes his sword back in his scabbard just as quickly as he had drawn it. Rakurai charges in with his fists at such a speed that takes advantage of the brief lull of Kokushibo’s attacks and pelts him with a barrage of martial arts attacks. Kokushibo is punched in the face twice, brought his one knee by a side kick and several hooks, and then smashed into the ground by a downward fist all accompanied by pale yellow shockwaves. Kokushibo growls in annoyance and thrusts his sword at Rakurai’s chest at such speeds that the resulting lunar energy blasts Rakurai into the wall at bullet-like speeds. Kyojuro expresses concern for his friend as he falls to the groound

Kyojuro: Rakurai! Damn you Kokushibo!

He uses Unknowing Fire to try to one up the kizuki but Kokushibo relatively easily dodges the strike and gets a slash on Kyojuro’s back, spilling blood

Kyojuro: Gft! 

Tengen: Eat flashy soundwaves!

The Sound Hashira pulls out a firearm from his back in the form of what appears to be a musket with a wide barrel with a speaker at the end. Tengen lets loose a powerful and focused sound wave toward Kokushibo using his gun. He blocks it using a blast of lunar energy with a small explosion. Kyojuro bursts through the smoke in from the side using Blazing Universe, unleashing a powerful flying wave of flames, but the demon is ready

Kokushibo: 3rd Form: Loathsome Moon, Chains

Kyojuro is suddenly faced with 2 extremely thick and long slashes of lunar energy along with a spray of smaller blades which destroys his attack and his eyes go wide with slight panic. He dematerializes his katana very briefly and smashes his fists together to create a combustion burst of fire that, while flinging him back dozens of meters back from the force, saves him from being razored to pieces by Kokushibo’s attack

Rakurai sits up from the mighty blow he’d taken from Kokushibo, grunting a bit as his body feels rattled as he gets on his knees

Rakurai: Hijō ni yoku

The black haired male gets into a crouched running stance 

Rakurai: Daini Fuku-shiru

A 2nd set of glowing yellow bands appears above the 1st. With a burst of speed, Rakurai launches off toward his adversary with a flash of pale yellow. The Upper Rank senses Rakurai coming and unleashes a storm of crescent blades to stop him. This only partially succeeds as while it does slow down Rakurai, he nonetheless blasts through the moon blades with shockwave punches before getting to the man himself. Kokushibo blocks a fierce left uppercut from Rakurai which creates a shockwave of pale yellow and purplish-blue 

Doma holds off both Kanae and Sanemi simultaneously with his metal fans all with a smile on his face. Kanae creates a spread of flowers around Doma and has them burst with purple mist, to which Sanemi whirls his spear around to create a gust that thickens and spreads the mist around Doma. He and Ethan then charge through the mist while the demon is blinded for a potential effective surprise attack

Doma: Ooo~ hide and seek? How fun!

The rainbow eyed man clacks his fans together and a gust of powder snow suddenly freezes the mist. Sanemi and Ethan see this frozen assault and the former uses a burst of wind from his feet to immediately go in the opposite direction while taking Ethan with him so as to avoid severe frostbite. Even so, both men have very small patches of icy frost on their clothes

Ethan: *That was way too close! It’s a good thing Sanemi is quick enough to take advantage of his aerokinesis. Didn’t get entirely untouched though

Kanae covers his eyes as the frozen mist bursts with cold energy and forces everyone back

Doma: Nice try, but that won’t cut it

Upper 2 creates and then sends an array of icicles at the trio. Sanemi advances and cuts them up with razor wind and then scatters the smaller bits so they don’t turn into deadly shrapnel. Ethan and Kanae move with Sanemi’s advance and attack the demon form the sides

Kanae: Flower Breathing- Fourth Form: Crimson Hanagoromo

The pink eyed female uses a weaving and curving sword slash that repeatedly strikes Doma, who counters with his fans as icy blue and purplish-pink energy gets scattered around

Ethan: Thunder Breathing- 1st Form: Thunderclap and Flash!

The brown haired man bursts forth with a powerful burst of his legs and unsheaths his blade, aiming for the rainbow eyed demon’s neck. Doma blocks the attack however and kicks his gut, making Ethan spit up a bit of blood as his body jerked upward

Doma: Thunder Breathing always was a bit of a nasty style for me

He moves to slash Ethan to pieces when Sanemi came in with a whirlwind that knocks the demon off balance while pushing him away. Kanae blitzes him with her sword and creates a few flower buds that shoot explosively fast seeds, bursting on Doma with purple energy and staggering him further. Doma parries Sanemi’s thrust, and then his side slashes from both directions, and then places his fans in front to block a high kick from the Wind Hashira while he crouched from the ground

Doma: This is so much fun! I’m enjoying this quite immensely

Meanwhile, with Kokushibo, Rakurai had increased his power and speed and was speeding across the room with the demon repeatedly delivering blows with his fists and sword

Kyojuro: Flame Breathing- 5th Form: Flame Tiger!

Kyojuro slashes Kokushibo with a series of powerful fiery slashes, which he manages to block, but is pushed away by the force. A tiger made of flames manifests from Kyojuro’s sword and roars, charging Kokushibo while swiping it’s claws. Tengen comes in from behind, holding his cleavers wide apart

Tengen: Sound Breathing-2nd Form: Eruptive Gashes!

The white haired man crosses his blades in front for a horizontal slash from both sides. Kokushibo twists around instantly and sends a menageries of crescent blades to defend, and then stabs his sword into the ground to create a giant crescent blade which defends against Tengen using a 2nd horizontal slash in the reverse direction near instantly. Rakurai places his greatsword as far behind him as possible and then unleashes a powerful angled downward slam on the Kizuki, accompanied by pale yellow energy. Kokushibo lifts his foot and blocks it whilst it’s cloaked in lunar energy which prevents it from cutting. Kyojuro dashes in from the middle, forcing Kokushibo to pick up his sword, slam his foot into Rakurai’s cheek while twisting, and dodging Kyojuro’s slash

It touched only a minute portion, severing a tiny lock of the demon’s hair. He counterattacks with a slash of lunar energy but Kyojuro combat rolls under it

Kyojuro: *Damn! So close but so far!*

As the battle wears on, Kokushibo starts to think to himself

Kokushibo: *They have incredibly diverse styles of combat. Fighting these 3 at once means I have to adapt to all 3 and find weaknesses in their coordination that counters a wide variety of attacks. No matter, they are but humans, and I am an immortal demon. These humans will not surpass me. I am Upper Rank 1 for a reason*

Rakurai: *Even with the 3 of us, Kokushibo is holding his own almost perfectly. We need a new approach, he’s got too much fire power with his crescent blades and breathing techniques*

By now the room is a total mess from the fighting. Kokushibo keeps unleashing lunar energy strikes, most of which are in the from of crescent blades that get chaotically flung around from some of his attacks and make it difficult to dodge, as shown by the fact all of them already have scrapes from said blades as the Slayers leak blood. Kokushibo finds Kyojuro’s fire tiger to be a nuisance, scoffing at it and throwing the elemental beast aside with a single hand using immense strength. Tengen unleashes more sound waves from his cleavers, ripping up the ground and trying to pulverize the Upper Rank, but they have little effect, even as he tries using his sonic blaster to blow Kokushibo apart

Rakurai: Explosive Flurry!

Rakurai pulses pale yellow energy in his legs and blasts Kokushibo with volatile kicks of pale yellow shockwaves to try and overwhelm him. However, supplemented with his crescent blades and moon breathing techniques, he is able to guard himself from almost all the damage, retaliating with a quick counter strike which slices across the yellow eyed male’s chest while flash stepping behind him, causing searing pain, but he still pushes past it

Kokushibo: Not enough to even cause a rip in my kimono. You can do better than that Akaza

Kyojuro uses a wild combo of slashes, throwing flames everywhere. Kokushibo dodges Kyojuro’s initial attacks, and then blasts away the others, but is suddenly bitten on the sword arm by the flame tiger, drawing the demon’s blood as the tiger tries to pull him to the ground

Kyojuro: Let’s go Rakurai!

Rakurai: *Nods* While he’s distracted

Kyojuro and Rakurai charge from the front, with Rakurai in the lead. Kokushibo blows apart the tiger with crescent blades and then prepares an attack. Kokushibo dashes forward and meets Rakurai blade to blade in a rapid succession of slashes and swings, sparks flying from their weapons. Rakurai ducks and Kyojuro sails over him, delivering a fire slash that while it doesn’t damage Kokushibo very much, the angle and force causes the demon to stagger back. The Flame Hashira lands on the ground and Rakurai twists around him and punches Kokushibo’s sword. Rakurai and Kyojuro swap coordinated but varied attacks back and forth to keep the Kizuki guessing. Kokushibo parries and blocks blow after blow, but Kokushibo misjudges the angle and firepower of some of the attacks and very small wounds are left on him, but hardly enough to slow him down or cause a notable injury. Kokushibo uses the 1st Moon Breathing form, but Kyojuro jumps over it and the demon himself into the air. Rakurai fires an air type punch from the side but Kokushibo falsely believes it to be for him and misses his slash. He utters a tiny gasp of surprise and confusion

Rakurai: Kyojuro to you!

Kyojuro uses the flat side of his katana to deflect the energy shot at Kokushibo, striking his body at just the right angle so as to rebound toward Rakurai, who punches it back and it yet again slams into the demon’s body before he can react

Kyojuro: Ichi!

Rakurai: Ni!

Rakurai adjusts his position every time Kyojuro rebounds the air type punch so he can hit it correctly. The strikes keep on coming as the air type punch repeatedly strikes Kokushibo at increasing speed, pelting the demon and making him flinch and stagger repeatedly

“San!” “Shi!” “Go!” “Rok!” “Nana!” “Achi!” “Kyuu!” “Juu!”

Rakurai and Kyojuro count down their strikes even it gets faster and harder to follow and the one air type punch becomes like a seamless barrage by itself

Kokushibo: *Too fast! This immense speed… I don’t have any time to block it!*

Rakurai adjusts the angle of his punch so it bursts on Kokushibo this time. Tengen then suddenly comes grinning from behind, having been waiting for his chance

Tengen: Perish with style! 

He blasts Kokushibo with an explosive sonic blast from one cleaver

Tengen: Kyuu juu kyuu!

Then follows up with both cleavers, using an upward angled side slash that launches Kokushibo into the air and crashing into the ceiling with explosives and sound waves and then falling to the ground

Tengen: And hyaku! There’s 100 consecutive strikes!

The Sound Hashira whirls his cleavers around as Rakurai and Kyojuro come to stand next to him

Tengen: Flamboyant combo you 2! Hell yeah!

Kyojuro: Nice work Uzui!

Tengen fist bumps both Rakurai and Kyojuro with his blades still in hand. Kokushibo growls with irritation as he stands up slowly, glowering at the 3 warriors

Kokushibo: A skilled combo attack, well done. But you still have much further to go

Tengen: Then bring it! We’ll show you how flashy we can be! For I am the god of festivals and flamboyance!

Beware the Frozen Heart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PhEs9827Ic

Kanae, Ethan, and Sanemi watch in amazement when they see Kokushibo go flying across the ceiling from the combo Kyojuro, Tengen, and Rakurai performed. The other demon slayers and demons are in equal astonishment, the former being cheered on by this act and push harder against their demonic adversaries, battle raging all around

Sanemi: Nice you 3!

Doma takes a brief look at the other battle but refocuses his attention on his current opponents

Doma: Blood Demon Art: Frozen Lotus

Ethan and Sanemi are forced to retreat from Doma to avoid the forward slash that sends ice shards and spreads lotuses around him in an arc. Sanemi and Ethan spit up a tiny amount of blood

Ethan: So cold… My lungs felt like keeling over from that!

Sanemi: Yeah, we can’t inhale that stuff or we’ll die for sure

Doma: Ah yes~ It will be interesting to see which of you can survive the longest against my cryo air. Your lungs will burst into icy pieces as your cells slowly die painfully. What a delight!

Sanemi: Psycho…

Doma turns to his left and defends against Kanae’s frontal slash. She flips in the air over him and cuts his cheek slightly with her sword

Doma: Oh! Nice one!

Kanae: Thank you

As soon as she lands on the ground, Doma presses forward with his fans to repeatedly attack the Flower Hashira. Kanae creates vines with her abilities and whips Doma with them, staggering him slightly and then thrusting her katana forward, blasting him back with flowery pink and purple energy

Sanemi: Go Kanae!

Ethan: Thunder Breathing- 3rd Form: Thunder Swarm!

In an attempt to overwhelm Doma, Ethan uses a wave of slashes from nearly all directions at rapid speed. Doma is able to counter all but the last 2, which cause several gashes on his chest. Upper 2 chuckles and gets an icy cut on Ethan’s thigh. He shouts in pain but delivers a counterattack successfully on Doma’s right hand, severing it from his arm along with the fan in that hand, surprising Doma

Doma: What a clean strike! Wonderful! My turn!

He almost immediately regenerates his hand and only a microsecond later, a fan fashioned from his flesh. Ethan barely has any time to react to the ice demon’s next move but Kanae is there to block his attack by barging in, grabbing Doma’s arm and throwing him a few feet across the room. Doma lands on his feet, laughing and sending a wave of icicles to Kanae, who counteracts with a storm of razor petals to slice them to dust. Doma swipes his fans to create a gust, blowing said gust at Kanae, but Sanemi blows the powder right back at the demon by spinning his spear in front, blinding the Kizuki temporarily

Sanemi: Wind Breathing- 1st Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter!

Sanemi bursts forth at incredibly fast speeds and slashes continuously in a horizontal cyclone pattern accompanied by air. Doma is almost cut in major places by Sanemi but successfully dodges or parries, kicking the white haired male’s side with is leg and cracking his ribs

Sanemi: Gft! Ah!

The Wind Hashira lands in a bumpy manner on the ground

Kanae/Ethan: Sanemi!

The rainbow-eyed demon holds off Kanae and Sanemi with his fans, and creates some more lotuses when he has an opening

Doma: Blood Demon Art: Lotus Vines

These lotuses have razor-sharp vines that lash out at Kanae and Ethan, forcing them to be on the defensive. Ethan uses his iaijutsu techniques to rapidly guard against the attacks, allowing for Kanae to have an opening to dash in and use a technique

Kanae: Flower Breathing- 1st Form: Serene Wisteria, Dual Petal Flash!

While still sprinting at high speeds, Kanae uses her sword to deliver 2 arcing horizontal slashes against Doma. The 1st is parried while the 2nd nicks his knee, making the demon crouch slightly in an involuntary motion. Such a movement allows Kanae to utilize the lull and kick Doma’s face, sending him skidding across the floor. Sanemi moves in and uses pressurized wind to blow apart the vine lotuses and give Ethan some breathing room

Ethan: Whew! Thanks Sanemi!

Sanemi: Keep fighting dumbass! Thank me later!

Ethan: Heh heh. Right, got it!

Doma stands up with a grin

Doma: That was a nice kick Kanae! You have any more?

Kanae: Only to smash in your creepy face Doma

While Kanae and Doma duke it out, Sanemi throws his spear at Upper 2 with as much force as he can; a small whirlwind accompanying the throw. Doma sees it and deflects the spear into the air. Sanemi is already sprinting forward however to his adversary. Doma attempts to slice Sanemi’s head off with a forward ice slash but he combat rolls under it

Sanemi: Eat knuckle sandwich b**ch!

The Hashira delivers an air-infused uppercut upon exiting his roll to the demon’s chin and knocking him off balance. The pale purple-eyed man leaps up, propelled by wind and grabs his spear, thrusting the tip at Doma’s face. He blocks it by creating an ice wall in its way and the spear clangs off the ice

Doma: Now now, mind your language, please. That’s not very nice. I’m not even a canine

Kanae believes Doma to be distracted by Sanemi, but this is proven to be false, as the demon’s rainbow eyes glint maliciously, turning around and blocking Kanae’s sword

Doma: Barren Hanging Garden!

At nigh imperceptible speeds, Doma uses his fans for 8 consecutive slashes from multiple directions. Kanae struggles to keep up and falls to the last 2 attacks as her stamina runs thin and an almost x-shaped gash is created on her chest. Kanae staggers back, sharply inhaling with pain as she coughs up blood, collapsing to her knees

Sanemi: KANAE!

Several people gasp in dismay at the heavily injured Flower Hashira. Rakurai sees this and his eyes widen with horror. He rockets off Kokushibo with his legs toward Doma, sprinting to him at maximum speed

Rakurai: Sanbanme Fuku-shiru!

As Rakurai swings his fist, 2 glowing yellow lines, one on each arm that branches down to the upper band on his forearm, appear on his body as he speaks. Doma realizes all too late that the martial artist is coming for him and gets punched in the face with such strength that a shockwave of air is unleashed resulting in Doma being sent catapulting across the room and a large chunk of blood spills from the impact on Rakurai’s fist and the ground

Ethan: Holy crap!

The surrounding demons shriek and shout in fear by the 3rd strongest demon being punched with such force. Rakurai moves over to Kanae and holds her in his arms

Rakurai: Kanae Are you alright?

Kanae: *Coughs* Ack! I… I need to keep fighting. I’ll be fine

Rakurai: You don’t sound very fine

As if to prove his point, Kanae sputters up some blood from her mouth, trying to stand up. Doma straightens himself and reveals that Rakurai had punched most of his face off completely save for his mouth, jaw, and chin. Instead of anger or pain, Doma merely grins at the yellow-eyed male

Doma: What a punch Akaza! You still hit hard! Show it to me again! I want to see how strong you are!

Rakurai glowers at Doma in fury and disgust

Sanemi: Hold on! We’ll get you some medical attention!

Rakurai sets Kanae in Sanemi’s arms and looks to be making a move when…

White Inheritance Face: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFdcGnhb_S8

Rakurai suddenly freezes when he feels a tremendous presence. This one is on an entirely different scale from the 2 Upper Ranks. His luminous yellow eyes widen in shock as a dark humanoid shadow with menacing ominously glowing purple eyes suddenly appears behind him, arms outstretched. An immense aura radiates out

Sanemi: Huh? Rakurai?

A voice reverberates to him in his mind in a unified echo, one dripping with power and sin

“Rakurai Shogekiha… You still persist. It’s honestly amusing watching you trying to overcome the darkness”

Rakurai: *That voice…*

Rakurai: Lucifer… We all have darkness in us… What matters is how we act on it

Lucifer laughs with mirth

Lucifer: Try as you might, you will not achieve victory. The contents of this station… And the ___ will be mine. The efforts of you, the Demon Slayer Corp, and your allies will be fruitless. It’s only a matter of time before the demons overwhelm you all

Rakurai: You’re incorrect. Your arrogance prevents you from seeing the big picture. This affliction will be but a small moment

The devil only laughs again, grinning

Lucifer: Quoting Elohim? How amusing to use one of my old man’s lines. Cute

Rakurai: We are God’s warriors in Zion. We have the power of Christ with us. What chance do you have?

Lucifer: All the chance in the world. I’m stronger than you all believe Rakurai. I know your minds, your secrets… It’s kind of funny how the Big G tries to instill hope in you all by reducing the threat I actually am… Perhaps he’s right to some degree, but it’s still laughable. Can’t say I blame him though. You folks are sometimes so~ easy to beguile

Rakurai: You have no real power Satan 

Lucifer: Ah there’s that insulting moniker again! Wrong. I have a lot of power. You and your band will see why there’s reason to bow to a devil. My champion arrives…

The fallen angel’s presence fades, but is quickly replaced by something else, quite similar to his own though notably lesser. It is nonetheless fearsome

Sanemi: Hey Rakurai! Why’d you space out! This is no time to-

All of a sudden, a group of large bony tendrils burst from the floor below, swarming the room

Sanemi: What the hell!?

Tengen: Something’s entering through the floor! Watch it!

Kyojuro: Ready yourselves!

Rakurai knows who is arriving, and readies himself accordingly. The demons stand to attention, even the Kizuki. A figure with long and wavy deathly white hair emerges from the hole, covered in numerous fleshy growths and mouths, along with a number of smaller tendrils sprouting from his back. His deep red eyes and black slitted pupils strike everyone to their core

Demon Slayers: Muzan Kibutsuji!

Demons: Master!

Doma: Welcome back Master! Come to join the party? It’s fun!

Kokushibo: Greetings Lord Muzan…

Muzan: Today is the day the Demon Slayer Corp is eradicated. I will claim the prize that is mine on this station

Kyojuro: Not a chance Kibutsuji! Now while we Hashira still stand!

Tengen: Damn right!

Muzan stretches his arms outward

Muzan: It is only a matter of time before the mortal stamina of you humans will be expended. I will offer you all mercy, but you will become demons and swear fealty to me

Kyojuro grits his teeth and glares at Muzan

Kyojuro: Not a chance in hell! We will never become demons!

Despite her weakness and injuries, Kanae sends Muzan a steely gaze and manages to speak

Kanae: …Do you… honestly think we’d stoop to your level…? Get real… We stand, fight, and gladly die as humans! *Coughs*

Everyone else roars in approval, getting into battle positions. Muzan has a scowl of slight disappointment

Muzan: Insolence coming from a walking corpse Kanae. You imbeciles do not comprehend the power you face. Your persistence to fight us is disgusting to me. We’ll kill you all here and now and end the aberration that is the Demon Slayer Corp. A shame Kaguya isn’t here, otherwise I’d personally enjoy disembowling him… *Malicious smile*

Sanemi: Fat chance you bastard! We won’t yet you anywhere near Oyakata-sama!

Muzan is about to rebuke Sanemi when he notices Rakurai. His eyes focus on the black haired martial artist and turn pulsating with fury

Muzan: Akaza…!

He speaks to Rakurai with an undeniable aspect of hatred and venom. Rakurai continues to glare firmly at the Demon King, holding his greatsword

Rakurai: Muzan

In an instant, Muzan raises his tendrils and sends them toward Rakurai. He readies his blade and raises it to meet his foe

***

Chapter Text

Where it All Began: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jef2HIvheyA

In an exotic forest, filled with trees with purple, pink, and other strange shades of leaves, nature goes on. The ground is tinted blue as strange birds fly around, picking up bugs that looked like caterpillars, but had sticky like legs instead of stubs

A group of beasts wander the forest, a small family. They were quadraped lizards, with long purple and blue bodies and lightning-like streaks across their sides. They had spines on their backs, with a dull blue glow and twitching a bit. The lizards, 4 in total with 2 being children, had 2 sets of eyes making for 4 eyes in total. The lizards had a set of horns on their cheeks that curve slightly and are positioned along their jaws but never directly touching. The lizards’ tails had a forked end

The family were looking for something to eat in the cool colored forest. The little ones check underneath rocks and in crevices, eager for a meal. One the little ones, a girl, looks to find an interestiny berry having fallen into a crevice, but it turns out to be a crustacean and it tries to pinch the little one before the daughter lizard is snatched by the tail from the father and pulled away

They keep wandering the earth, glancing at a few small creatures running around here and there, but decided such a small meal wasn’t worth the energy. The 3 creatures briefly stop to glance at a looming shadow in the distance, a tall structure that appears to overlook everything. A massive tree-like structure extends far into the sky, with some glowing blue lights circling around it. A mass of leaves and branches is toward the top, almost disappearing into the atmosphere at the tip. The family of lizards stands there looking at it with an almost respectful glance for several plus seconds, and then moves on. Their search for food continues until the father spots something in the distance. Curious, he directs the group toward it and it quickly becomes apparent that the something is a someone. Finally, the 4 lizards come within several feet of the person. The mother and father eye him with suspicion, yet also curiosity, the 2 children poke their heads in swiftly from the side to get a look too

He appears to be unconscious. The man has black fluffed out hair slightly swept from the side and light tanned olive skin. A hair ornament in the shape of a cool colored serpent eating it’s tail with spines on it’s back, curled like a circle, is present on the right side of his head. From where the lizards could see at their angle, he is a very tall person. He wears wears a yellow shirt with red draconic embroidery and a lightning mark on his left pec. Over his shirt is an orange and red geometrically patterned baggy haori with long sleeves and red lightning motifs streaked across it. He wears dark orange hakama style lounge pants tucked into steel boots. The lizards notice a large sword laying not far from where the man rested, resting on a bush with it’s blade partially inside the leaves. The family look amongst each other, debating on what to do with this mysterious figure as they utter some sounds. As they do so, the male youngster decides to take action and walk up to the man, climbing on his body until he gets close to his face. After a brief lull, the lizard extends his tongue and starts to lick his face. The other lizards notice this and stop “talking”. They approach their family member and circle around the man

After about a dozen licks, the man’s limbs start to twitch and his eyes open, revealing irises of a luminescent and shimmering yellow shade, and red pupils. His pupils dilate several times before his awareness comes to

***

Perplexing is what this was. I think it was like being birthed, just suddenly coming into the world, slowly, but very suddenly. This was somehow worse, you’re an adult and suddenly you find yourself just randomly showing up. You have an innate knowledge of things as any adult does, like math or science, except you don’t have any memory of your life at all. Almost as if you were just spat out with pre existing traits and knowledge, created

My name… What is my name? After some brief combing I recall it quickly, that is good. My name is Rakurai Shogekiha

The first thing I felt is the warm yet moist sensation of some kind of bendy object. I quickly realize it’s a tongue as I open my eyes and see a strange creature hovering above me that’s the source of the moistness. Once I do, I grumble in slight annoyance and narrow my eyes, reaching my hand forward and grabbing the reptile’s snout

Rakurai: Stop licking me

I shove the lizard off of me and it whimpers in surprise for a bit and rolls back over. I notice 3 more lizards that had surrounded me, though they took several paces back at my sudden, quick, and abrupt movements. My eyes rapidly glance from each one in examination

Rakurai: You going to attempt to devour me?

The family makes no move to do so. Instead they seem more fascinated than hungered by me

Rakurai: You seem like a friendly lot… 

What confuses me however is their appearance. I have quite the biological database in my head but I don’t recall such creatures existing. This specific species anyways. What even are those spines?

I then eye something glinting close by and see a metal object stuck in a bush. I quickly recognize it as a sword and walk over to the weapon, grabbing a hold of it’s hilt. I wonder how this got here? Who does it belong to?

A memory comes to me, and my eyes have a slight flash of recollection. This is my sword. Knowing this, I firmly pluck it from the bush, examining the blade, hilt, and crossguard for any signs of damage. It appears perfectly fine which eases me. I notice an odd critter that looks like a weird cat with spines and fangs that remind me of a sabertooth. It’s tail is quite bushy and has prongs at the end vaguely reminiscent of a sea anemone

The heck even is that thing? I don’t recognize it either

The creature starts to burrow and noticing the lizard family, I flick my sword at the creature in an instant, impaling it before it could so much as blink with a minor burst of debris that come from the impact. The lizards are startled by the impact and back away a little. Walking over to the dead animal, I remove my sword from it’s corpse, pick it up, and then walk to the family and set it on the ground in front of them

Rakurai: You desired food? On the house

Rightfully so, the lizards hesitate and eye me with some suspicion. However, after standing there for a while doing nothing to earn their ire, they are confident enough that I won’t harm them to start gorging themselves. I sheath my sword in my scabbard and it disappears with a flash of energy and light

Samurai’s Sorrow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uyy6kdAoBE0

I proceed to plop down on the ground, crossing my legs. With some time to think, I begin to ponder my current circumstances

My memory… that is the first thing brought to my attention. The recollection side of my brain seems nigh empty, nothing shows up. I can’t recall how I came here or where I came from for that matter. The only things I seem to have kept are some basic information about myself and obvious knowledge people my age should have, plus a lot of extras. I know that I had family and friends… I knew the concept, but… I don’t remember WHO my family and friends, at least from my memory. My nationality… I can remember that I’m a citizen of a nation called Japan, but beyond that, I can’t recall much besides a few tidbits about their culture. In any case, I’m not sure about myself

Rakurai: Hmm… where am I?

The idea that I have no idea where I am, even remotely, crosses my head. The land to me is foreign to a heavy degree. I have no memory of who I was, or at least, any aspect of my life history, nothing to write a sufficient biography on. I could be what many would consider, a nobody

Rakurai: Life certainly is strange isn’t it, full of mysteries

I examine my physical features. That’s right… I do have something of a fit and muscular body I’d say. Very healthy. I recal my physical age, I’m 18 years of age, a young adult still emerging from adolescence. What am I to do? I’m not certain how to proceed

The lizard family finishes their meal after my long process of thinking. They seem to be confused on why I’m still around, but appear grateful for the service I provided them. I utter a soft sigh and stand up

Rakurai: Standing around is not going to get me anywhere. I hope you folks enjoy your family life

I give a small wave to the family of lizards as I walk away. They give… something of an equivalent to a return wave, in the form wagging their tails at me

I start wandering the forest while pondering some more

I have no idea how I got here. Or what I was doing last. Nonetheless, the ideal choice of action would be to find help. As much as I generally dislike being among people, being a loner in this kind of environment is not a good idea. Thus the logical choice would be to seek out civilization

Rakurai: Well… the first thing I should worry about is people, I should find the nearest town. That would give me some kind of a reference point and orientation, a place to gain my bearings

If I knew where in the heck I was in the first place, where exactly was the nearest town or village?

Rakurai: Wait… what’s…

Suddenly, an intuitive thought intrudes into my mind, some kind of map in my head, or at least a path of direction, I peer northeast and instinct tells me a settlement is in this direction

Rakurai: It’s my best option given I don’t know anything that is happening, to me or what this place is

I remember something about myself, I’m an inquisitive individual, and unlike most people, not afraid of the unknown. In fact, as a knowledge hunter I would often seek it much to the dismay of others. So while my mind is most definitely in a state of confusion and constant assessment, and mildly cautious in this new strange land, I am largely curious about this place and what it was, as well as the natural phenomena I can find

The only way I can tell all of this is new to me, despite my lack of memory, is the distinct sense that I have an original home, a place where I belonged. Intuition tells me this is not where I lived, and I am inclined to trust it. I travel to the settlement that my intuition says is in this general direction, curiously looking around and exploring everything in wonder. The geography reminded me of the country I got my haori from, maybe I was here again? There were maple trees around that resembled the ones in that particular country. As I walk further, I saw matsu trees and others, I believe the matsu tree represented longevity, endurance, and courage. I smil to myself

Rakurai: Well, if I’m going to thrown into a world where I have no idea who I am or what this place is, I’m thankful I’m at least educated

I continued strolling down the bountiful fields and through some woods, thanks to my physical training, I didn’t get tired in the least, like taking a leisurely walk down streets almost, even though I had gone miles already. While things in this environment do strike a bell, it’s still very unfamiliar and exotic. The very soil I started to realize is tinted blue, not maroon or some shade of brown. The grass took on various shades of blue or even purple. The wilderness seemes alien to me even with several notable features and plants being recognizable to me. Instead of what would usually be shades of green with some other colors of the rainbow, the color scheme of the natural elements is predominantly shades of blue and purple. I can’t quite explain it. I can see mountains in the distance which fascinate me from the fact that they emanate a luminous blue glow from the tips, like some exotic version of alpenglow

The sky is by far the most captivating and strange aspect. Throughout my travels, I see that the sky and clouds constantly have sprites of lightning in the sky, flashing across the clouds and producing many colors, ranging mostly from red, blue, and purple, but I even sight an orange lightning strike. Certain orb-like clusters of lightning dot and are held suspended in the sky, illuminating the landscape in addition to the presence of the sun and the sky and clouds itself are tinted a faint purple in certain areas. Branches, loops, and chains of lightning flash across the sky. It is truly unusual, the storm of lightning hasn’t stopped at all since I awoke, but yet none of these bolts seem to actually make contact with the earth

I observe other natural phenomena. A purple barrier of electricity surrounds one plant, with its various branches and leaves having the appearance of growing along the barrier. I hear small and distant distant sounds of thunder constantly, ranging from simple rumbles that are typical of lightning storms, to even unnatural, almost digital electric sounds that make me cautious for a while

A faint but mighty roar can be heard in the distance, with no apparent source. I peer around the landscape but cannot find where the roar came from. It may belong to a very large predator, I should be cautious not to draw it’s attention

One thing I notice is a tall building in the distance. It’s very faint and far away, most likely hundreds of miles, but I could tell it is indeed a building. It’s elevation on a plateau makes it so that it’s quite visible. But another structure I see easily puts this to shame. I become aware of a massive tree far off on the horizon that easily dwarfs the height of everything else I’ve seen, tall trees and mountains included. The tree doesn’t have many branches, as most of it’s trunk is bare save for what I think are a few giant vines wrapped around it. The branches appear to be present near the top, the tree’s canopy. Images and rings of teal light circle the tree, illuminating it and giving a mystical element

At some point my wandering takes me to a path cutting through a sandy beach which thankfully had regularly colored sand. But the normality ended there as something I see makes me pause

Rakurai: Are those… clouds?

In place of what should be an ocean of bluish water, I find clouds in it’s place instead. Perplexed, I move off course to investigate this, getting up to the clouds and kneeling down beside it. All along the beachline are these clouds, and furthermore, the sand disappears toward the edge, giving way to… a strange kind of earth, almost looking like leather. I place a hand on the ground to feel it and I’m slightly startled by the strangely… warm feeling, not room temperature, but it’s certainly warmer than what would would expect of land close to water. It definitely has a leathery texture to it and a dull line of glowing purple runs in a curved wavy direction across the shore. The earth felt… alive 

Rakurai: What is going on here?

Sea of Clouds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApcbKY2JrMs&list=PLIpqsKgkQEvMUFbngp-GbW1JwDGXnxcm9&index=19

I look at the clouds next. This “sea” extends as far as the eye can see, an infinite expanse of white or grey with no sign of land so far. Were we in the sky? How is that even possible… such a massive structure. Could I be stranded on some kind of artificial floating ecosystem?

I decide to find out. I head back to the forest and try to find something suitable, luckily finding a rather thick teal vine attached to a tree and easily peeling it off, which would also help the tree since it’s no doubt being leeched off of. I stretch and tug at the plant and it seems sturdy enough, so I tie it around my waist, walk back to the beach, and anchor it to a large appropriately shaped boulder. I stride up to the cloudy sea again, staring at it for several seconds

Is this a good idea? No, it’s fine, I have security. I won’t fall from the sky if I’m anchored, this should be fine. Besides, I need to figure out what’s going on and where I am

After some more assessment I decide to go for it and then make a running jump down into the sky

But what I find is hardly a sky. After a brief lull, I feel myself slowing down and not falling as fast as I expected. My brain catches up and I realize how relatively dark it is and the fact that I’m in… water? No wait, this feels slightly different from water, some kind of strange liquid substance. The heck? I just jumped into a cloud didn’t I? So why am I suddenly in an ocean? I know clouds contain water that builds until it rains but this is definitely not what the inside of a cloud looks like, there’s not an entirely expanse of water or whatever liquid this is, since it feels a little different from water

I sink further down, further than I would think. No sign of me dropping out suddenly and falling through the sky. Even with my incredibly sharp vision, the bottom is… very very faint. I realize that the bottom is incredibly far down and I’m not even sure if it’s the end of the cloud I’m in. It’s thousands of meters down

Okay, I need to remove myself. I realized I’ve been inhaling some of this strange liquid anyways and I could be poisoned. I turn around and swim through the “water”, which works as well as normal water so at least I can move. When I near the surface I use a powerful kick of my legs and I jet myself out of the clouds, into the air a dozen feet and then land with a sandy burst a little ways onto the beach. I turn back to look at the sea, yep, I definitely jumped into clouds and ended up in an ocean. I am completely puzzled by this discovery

Where… AM I..,? 

Rakurai: I need answers. Finding a settlement is of increasing importance

I leave behind the beach and return to the path I was originally on, intending on traveling further until I reach whatever my intuitionis guiding me to

***

At a certain point, something gradually comes into focus and eventually I decide to focus my eyes and look closely, narrowing my vision

Rakurai: *Squinting* I think I see something in the distance. Looks like what I am searching for

It is the settlement that my instincts had whispered to me about. I pick up my pace to get there faster until I reach the entrance of the place, passing under a an arch, I note how my long walk has not tired out my muscles in the slightest

That’s right. I don’t get tired, I was extremely physically fit. I looked around, the architecture… it looks like architecture of Japan if memory serves me correctly. Perhaps I am in that place? Yet how do I explain the unfamiliar sights of floating lightning orbs, a constant storm of colored lightning, and the cool colored alien foliage and soil? I wave aside the thought for now, I shall discover what is happening at a later date, but now I something more pressing to do

I see vendors of all kinds, the size of this place indicates it is a large village, probably close to being categorized as a town. I receive strange looks from the people, who appear very confused

It is the kind of look a foreigner would get…

I know that foreigners in certain countries aren’t treated as well as in others, but these people are especially wary and hesitant, did they think me a criminal or something? I stride around the streets taking close looks at everything, the buildings don’t interest me, nature marveled me more than man made things did, while I do not care about appearances, nature almost always has my attention

I should try and acquire information about where I am, but first, what village is this? I looked around and spot a wealthy vendor. By the size of his establishment and the number of employees and variety of wares, this seems like the most successful small business in the area. People like them know the area well, so he should be an ideal choice as an informant. I approach the vendor so I can ask him some questions. He notices me pretty quickly and upon doing so, I can see the suspicion and caution on his face, not dissimilar to earlier looks

Is it the eyes?

Wealthy Vendor: Hello there sir. I don’t recognize you here… you’re an outlander aren’t you? Need something?

Rakurai: I believe I am

The vendor is confused at my response, clearly expecting something more resolute

Wealthy Vendor: *He’s well built, he looks tame, but he’s extremely fit, who is this guy?*

Wealthy Vendor: You shouldn’t be here, foreigners are closed off from here. Inazuma is not an ideal place for outlanders

Inazuma? Is that the name of the country I am in? I do not recognize the name. And what does he mean “closed off”? If that’s the case then how did I get here? Even if I somehow was kidnapped and smuggled here, what’s the reason and wouldn’t I have ended up in civilization instead of a forest? A prison maybe or a black market. Things are not adding up, especially because of my amnesia

Rakurai: Ina… zuma, is that the name of this country? 

The vendor is astonished. He has dark brown hair unruly hair with a small tuft resting close to his right eye and over that portion of his face. The man has a small beard on his chin and wears a straw kasa hat, his clothing is a brown and dark red gown-like outfit, called a yukata

Wealthy Vendor: Umm… yes?! What are you playing at, did you hit your head?

Rakurai: Truth be told I haven’t got a clue on my present circumstances. I am uncertain of how to properly convey it. What’s the name of this town?

Wealthy Vendor: *Confused expression* You’re in Murasaki Village, a large fishing and market village in the Kannazuka region

Rakurai: I see… tell me, what is your name?

Wealthy Vendor: It’s… Hanei Shonin

Rakurai: *Nods* Salutations to you Hanei. How is your day?

I wasn’t a big fan of being very friendly with people, but I believe someone, I think… my mother, has told me to maintain some degree of politeness with others, whoever she is... Hanei looks confused again but his expressions communicate that he’s softening up

Han: Business is good. Not a super fantastic day, but I’d say it’s running smoothly enough that it’s getting good. You?

Rakurai: No idea. I just woke up

Han: Woke up? What does that even… *Shakes his head* Never mind, can you tell me your name?

Rakurai: Rakurai, Rakurai Shogekiha

Han: Rakurai? Doesn’t sound like any name I’ve heard. But it sounds like a fine and noble name. Your parents had good taste

Rakurai: Erm… thank you?

Han: Alright… in that case foreigner, you can call me Han

Rakurai: Sounds fine to me

I look around Han’s stall, there is an assortment of things in his shop, carpets, chairs, some decor, a bit of jewelry, and some other random products, he seemed like a misc vendor, pitching random goods, things he found or… Perhaps he crafted some of these items himself

Rakurai: So… you run some sort of Miscellaneous business?

Han: Uhh yeah, I figured it was the best way to compete. Too many specialists

Rakurai: Understandable. You seem pretty successful, judging by your size and the number of people who seem to be here to purchase

Han has many employees running other areas of his shop, he gives a thin smile. Good, he’s lowering his guard and evidently sees me as harmless. We’re getting somewhere

Han: I am, I would be rich if I didn’t spend so much money on giving to charity for the poor and education funding, my family and I live a pretty decent lifestyle

Rakurai: You give charity?

Han: In a way. It’s not really money. More like a free… yard sale If you catch my meaning. I give a lot of my products to those in the poverty zone. The variety of stuff I sell means I can cover all sorts of needs so it actually works in the favor of a lot of those people

This gets me thinking. Han seems like a very good person to me so far. Anyone who doesn’t particularly care about holding a lot of monetary property and does something with it when it’s standing around like charity gets a favorable view in my narrative

Han: Hehe, I’d be a lot better off if I didn’t give so much away

Rakurai: *Shakes head* No, that’s good actually. Very kind of you Han, I have little fondness for wealthy individuals, I think they keep too much wealth on their hands, not enough usage on the common folk to help out. But you appear to be a rare case, which I am glad for

That’s right… I don’t like rich people too much, I think they’re greedy, or at least most of them, the others don’t have the guts to do anything even though they could is what I think

Han: You and I think along similar lines. I figured that too, I want to make sure everyone in Inazuma, or at least on this island can have a good livelihood and don’t need to risk their lives just to feed themselves. Education helps too so they can also get a job or start their own businesses and… you know, not have their lack of knowledge taken advantage of

Rakurai: I understand completely, you’re a good man Han

Han: Oh-ho! W-Why thank you, but I’m just doing my part as a good citizen, w-why are you complimenting me though? We just met and I’m a total stranger considering your a foreigner

Rakurai: That doesn’t really matter to me, if I see a good act, I compliment it, no matter who that person is. I need not be fond of someone or maintain a close bond to see a good act

He scratches his head in uncertainty, but eventually seems to roll with it and smiles at me

Ones Who Strive to Live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4HZxWk5Q5k

Han: So… Rakurai, what brings you to Inazuma?

Rakurai: Honestly… I have no idea

Han: Then… why did you come?

Rakurai: I don’t know, it’s strange, it’s almost as if I was just suddenly… created, and next thing I knew I was lying in a field. From my point of view I’ve only been alive for mere hours

Han: Hours? I don’t understand

Rakurai: I have no recollection of any previous life I had, just a blank slate, however I was left with an innate knowledge of many things including cultures, I know who I am, my name, personality, and other important things, but I don’t have any idea who exactly I am, my family or otherwise

The vendor just gives me a deadpan face that said “you’re crazy”. Not that I blame him, that kind of reaction is entirely merited and my own sanity may be put into question as well

Han: That’s… interesting, so you just ended up here? Just like *poof gesture* “poof”?

Rakurai: That about sums it up. Minus the part where I was surrounded by lizards

Han: Come again?

Rakurai: Don’t worry about it

Han: *Shrugs* Well that explains how you had no idea what Inazuma was. Your memory is fried or… something?

Rakurai: Perhaps. How that came to be is beyond my understanding at the present moment. I know not what continent I’m on either

Han: How did you even get here? Maybe you were smuggled or kidnapped and you fell out of a carriage?

Rakurai: I came to similar conclusions, but that doesn’t account for my severe amnesia which is to such a degree I have no basis for prior experiences. I was contemplating what had happened to me when I got the instinct of a town in the northeast, and well… here I am. I just wandered

Han: *Nods* Mmm-hmm, well I’m still confused, but I think I get the gist of it

Rakurai: Yes, I’m technically a homeless person, with nowhere to go, I could stay outside of town though, I know how to camp, one of the pieces of knowledge I started with

However, Hanei held out his hand and shook his head, not agreeing with this course of action

Han: No no no, that won’t be necessary, I’ll help you out, we have a fairly nice lifestyle, we can provide for you in our home plenty. I’d be happy to help

Rakurai: You would? That would be awfully kind of you, considering I’m a complete stranger, I’m a complete nobody from my perspective

Han: It wouldn’t be that big of deal, truly

Rakurai: I see… well that would be much appreciated. I shall take up residence with you for the time being

Han: You should wait until the selling period is over though, some of my folks are sick and I’m a bit understaffed, I need to man the shop as much as possible

Rakurai: Very well, in that case, allow me to aid you in your economic situation, I have some… business experience you could say

Han: *Nervous* I wouldn’t want to trouble you with my issues. There’s no need for you to offer your time

Rakurai: I do not mind. After all, consider it a rental payment for me staying at your house. Besides, if you’re short on workers it stands to reson you need help anyways. The logical course of action would be to have my help, no?

Han: …Alright, I guess that would be of great help, I’ll be sure to pay you mora for your hard work

Rakurai: Mora? Is that the currency here?

Han: Of course it’s the *pauses* Ah right you don’t.. Yes, yes it is. It’s a gold looking coin

Rakurai: Noted. Time will tell how long I’m going to be stuck here, or if there’s any way to get out, so I might as well make a small living to sustain myself

Han: We have a deal then

Rakurai: Indeed we do, let’s get to work then

I remember working as an assistant for… my father. In earlier days we would sometimes travel to other places and sell products made by the company founded by him and my mother. We went to conventions, some kind of large social gathering and market, among other things. This shouldn’t be too difficult

For the next couple of hours, I assist Han around the shop, saying hello to people and manning stations, I quickly learned the prices from Han and memorize them nigh instantly. I swiftly discover my talent of an excellent memory and it came in handy. Han is confused by my behavior and eventually questions me on it

Han: Not that I mind it, but why are you saying hello to people passing by? Some of them may not even want to purchase anything

Rakurai: When I worked at a vendor shop similar in concept to this, I picked some tools of the trade.  It makes you seem friendly and literally creates an inviting atmosphere of the store for people, it’s more likely to draw them in, people are attracted to positivity most of the time. Sometimes, just a simple friendly hello can make their day a little better depending on how their mental state is at the time

Han: Wow… I see, that’s… actually really great advice. Where’d you learn that?

Rakurai: My father

Han: I thought you said you had amnesia?

Rakurai: I do, but I believe either my memories are gradually coming back to me or I possess some knowledge of my family to begin with. Either way, it helps. I didn’t mean that tidbit to be taken as advice, but by all means *shrugs* if you want to use it, go right ahead, but if you do, try to note the changes you see in your sales so you can see my point

Han: Alright, I’ll be certain to do that. A little business experiment can’t hurt with something like this

Before I started, Han notified his employees of my presence so they wouldn’t get alarmed, many of them gave me suspicious looks but said nothing and didn’t seem to treat me badly. Though it could just be because of orders from their boss. I worked at the shop for many hours, I had guessed it was around early morning when I woke up on Kannazuka island, I guessed it to be 5:00 pm before Han said goodbye to the shop, and new people came to man it

Han: The night shift workers, I work the daytime shift running and managing the shop

Rakurai: I see, I’ll note that

Han: Before we go, let me review my sales for the day. I took close records like you said and used previous data from last week

The vendor looked at his paperwork for sales and his eyes widened in surprise

Han: Hey, what do you know…

I smiled, knowing what it was about

Han: There was an 8% average increase in sales today… Of course, this is compared to last week so it could be a coincidence between no and then but still. I think I’m willing to give you benefit of the doubt Rakurai *Grins*

Rakurai: How nice

Han shows me a gesture of respect, briefly bowing his head and nodding firmly

Han: All from just smiling and saying hello, huh? Your dad’s a pretty wise guy

Rakurai: It’s often the small things you change that can make a difference. And yes, he has his moments

Han: Thanks a bunch Rakurai, I’ll be sure to implement such a thing next time. I can see your point about it making people feel better. *Smiles* I believe you’ve more than earned your stay at my house, you just improved my business

Rakurai: Don’t mention it, happy to help

Han and I shook hands, and I smiled mentally, I had made my first friend, even if he was a bit cold at first. He isn’t a bad person. It may just be the culture here to be wary toward outlanders, and it may affect the mentality of even charitable people like Han. But I won’t bring up this observation with him. Han leads me to his house at the east end of Murasaki and shows me some features of the village, including some notable establishments and landmarks which I mentally mark down in case I use them later

Arriving at the door of a modestly sized house, probably just short of being a mcmansion, Han adjusts his composure, probably nervous about showing up with a completely random individual such as myself

Han: *Breathes deeply* Okay, I suggest you let me do the talking. This will raise a lot of questions better left to me

Rakurai: I figured that would be the case

Han: Follow me

I stand behind Han and follow him inside as he opens the door, then shuts it. Almost immediately, likely due to the sound, 2 children come up to him and hug their father, a boy and a girl

Mavis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6JkROzkGKk&list=PLhp92fEiN5z9GYyg8QMQiXBvZUmkP2qpZ&index=45

Male Child #1: Father!

Female Child: Papa!

I guess the male child to be around 9 years of age, and the girl to be 7 based on their looks, the boy has ruffled hair of a dark red color and a fairly nice face for his age, and the girl has loose and straight long hair, dark brown in color. The boy has green eyes while the girl’s eyes are brown, The female’s hair reminds me of chocolate due to it’s shade

Han: Chokoreto, Akaishi, hello there

Akaishi: How was business today father?

Han: It was wonderful, I’ll tell you about it later. I’ve got some good news

Chokoreto: Who’s this man dad?

I stare blankly at the chocolate haired girl, Akaishi also gives me a curious but slightly suspicious look. That’s not unusual for kids his age. A woman with maroon colored hair leans in from the left side of what I guess to be a kitchen, wearing a Japanese apron. Or… Inazuman I suppose would be the proper term. Why do the clothing and architecture look so similar?

Wife: Han? Who’s this stranger?

Han: Keizai, hi there. I’ll tell you about it in a moment. I take it that dinner’s prepared?

Keizai: Just so. It’s all still cooling off, and the green tea is still boiling

Han: Great, let’s all sit on the couch and I’ll introduce all of you to- Wait we’re missing someone, where is-

Male Child 2: Dad!

Han: Oh! Serusu!

A young man descends from the stairs in the northeast corner of the room. His appearance consists of maroon colored hair in an unruly spiked style, a strand of said hair leaning over the left side of his face, but not covering his eye. Serusu wears an earthen colored samue outfit, with some dark green accents. His hanten jacket has much the same color scheme, in addition to some small ropes hanging from various points on the jacket. On his hair is a lotus hairpin, just above the right side of his face, probably holding back his hair so it doesn’t obscure his vision. His eyes are teal blue in color. By his appearance, I judge him to be about 12 years of age

Serusu: Who’s this Dad?

Han: *Sits down* I was wondering where you were so I could introduce him, come, everyone sit down please

We do as Han asked and take our seats. Keizai has a brief moment of suspicion before she sits down a few feet away from her husband in a rocking chair. I sit in between the children while. Han sets his kasa hat aside then clears his throat to speak

Han: Everyone, this is Rakurai… wait, what’s your last name?

Rakurai: Shogekiha

Han: Shogekiha, right, got it. Anyways, he’s new in town. Rakurai helped me out in the store today

This earned ooos from the younger children

Akaishi: Did you really help father in the store?

Rakurai: I did

Han: Matter of fact *Proud smile* You’ll be happy to know that my sales increased because of him

This earns some impressed “wows” everyone in the room, especially Keizai

Keizai: By how much I might ask?

Serusu: Yeah, it’s nothing to be proud of if it’s a measly percent, you always act like 0.1% is super awesome

Han deadpans his son, a little disappointed with his attitude. Serusu smirks a bit and the 2 exchange mutual light hearted scoffs at one another. Han smirks himself proudly

Han: I’ll have you know Serusu that today’s increase is nothing to scoff at. I’m proud to say it’s 8%

Keizai: What!? W-What exactly did he do?

Serusu: What!? Huh!?

Rakurai: All I did was say hello to people passing by. That got a fairly ideal response though

Serusu: That’s all you did!? There’s no way that contributed!

Han: Apparently it did. I reviewed the numbers from last week and everything!

Serusu: That was last week Dad *folds arms* could have been a fluke

Han: It was not I assure you! And even if it was, I prefer to give Rakurai the benefit of the doubt. Have some faith

Serusu: Pft!

Rakurai: Small changes like that can really impact how you appear to people, gives off a more approachable and friendly vibe. It does wonders

Keizai: I don’t know what to say really. Thank you, we’re very grateful. I get worried sometimes with Han’s charitable giving that we might not be able to keep everyone in the family provided and happy. *Waves hands* Not that I’m opposed to it. I’ve always loved Han for that aspect but… I can’t help but keep a watch on the family budget. Thank you, this gets rid of some of my stress

Rakurai: Simply did what I felt like I had to, considering I’ll be staying at your place

Everyone pauses when I mentioned I would be staying with them

Keizai: What?

Akaishi: Stay here?

Serusu: Why?

Han: Right… I should explain that part

Han relays his perspective of meeting me to his family and where I came from, although there isn’t much to tell, as I know so little myself. The family listens intently, watching me with curiosity while I sit in silence. When it comes to me, I tell most of my side of the story to fill in the gaps and some of what I know

Stranded Wish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJqMYTOK6fA

Keizai: That explains why you weren’t stopped by the Shogun’s Army at the borders if you happened to have entered conventionally

I decided to not ask about an explanation of the Shogun’s Army at the current point, the name clearly indicates it’s the military of this place

Han: If only we know how exactly you got here and bypassed the army

Rakurai: I was left with an innate knowledge of many things, including my full name, personality, and well anything else a normal person would, just not memories for some reason. I wouldn’t be surprised if I fell out of the sky at some point

Keizai: Well… we have no idea who you are at least. You’re memory hasn’t entirely been wiped clean, you’ve kept yor name, probably your personality, and some background information, better than nothing I’d say

Rakurai: I don’t either, and I have nowhere else to go. You are correct however, in saying that I am fortunate in that regard

Han: I’m wondering if it would be alright with you all if Rakurai stayed here with us for a while. 

Serusu: For how long though?

Han: Serusu… 

Rakurai: It’s fine, I understand that keeping me here would be a nuisance… *Looks to Serusu* To answer your question Serusu, I don’t know yet, maybe until I figure out my next course of action. Maybe build a boat to find my homeland, wherever it is

Han: I don’t know, your haori suggests an Inazuman origin, but some aspects of your clothes are… I can’t say. I don’t know where they come from. And your overall appearance suggests a different ethnic background

That’s probably why I got strange looks from people, I wear similar clothes to these people but my base physical traits like my skin and especially my eyes would warrant some caution

Rakurai: The haori is from my native country, my name originates from it’s language, it’s called Japan

Keizai: Japan? I’ve never heard of that nation

Han: I mean to be fair Inazuma isn’t the most well informed in terms of world affairs but still, I’ve been alive long enough to experience the era when it was more open and I can’t say I’ve heard that name anywhere

Serusu: What about the Dark Sea Dad? They say there’s strange lands way beyond the center of Alrest. He could be from there

Han: Why does he have our style of attire then?

Keizai: They’re not Mond, so not from Mondstadt. Liyunese isn’t right either, definitely not Snezhnayan, and it’s too urban to be Natlandish and Sumerian

Han: Urayans have long ears, dark skin, and rocky growths on their face. Rakurai has some fairly dark skin, but not enough to constitute him being a resident of Uraya. He’s missing the ears too. He’s too dark to be Ardainian and he’s most definitely not Indoline or Gormotti

Keizai: How about Tantalese or a Leftherian? 

Han: He doesn’t show the typical traits of a Tantalese. Leftherian on the other hand I could see, since they pick up people from all over

Serusu: It’s his eyes, I’ve never seen eyes like his… They’re so exotic. I’ve seen amber eyes but not straight up yellow eyes, and you don’t see red pupils

Han: Yes, I believe that’s why we can’t pin him down. His eyes don’t match anywhere *Sighs* If only I’d learned more about the other nations, then I could narrow it down, but my lack of knowledge prevents me from having a firm grip on your ethnicity and nationality Rakurai

Okay, now there’s a slew of words being used I’m not recognizing. The Dark Sea? Mondstadt? Liyuese? Snezhnayan? Uraya? All these names… They talk about them like they are countries, but I have no knowledge of them. A gap in my memory and knowledge perhaps? I have avoided asking questions but I need answers on some of these questions

Rakurai: What’s Mondstadt? And all these other nationalities you’re talking about?

The family all send me expressions of surprise, like someone who’s never heard of “insert famous person” or “seen insert movie”

Han: M-Monstadt, the Anemo nation? Domain of Barbatos?

Rakurai: I don’t know what you’re talking about, these names, are they countries too? I’ve never heard of them. What is this Barbatos character? Is he the president?

Keizai: W-What are you talking about? What’s a president?

Han: Do you not know the geography of Alrest?

Rakurai: Alrest? What’s that? Is that the continent I’m on?

Keizai: It’s the world. Alrest is the name of our world. A vast region flooded by the Cloud Sea

Rakurai: I’m… lost…

Forgotten Epic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnr3-xWcyWc

Han and everyone else go silent in astonishment, unsure of how else to gain my understanding. This isn’t adding up, why do I not know any of this? My memory is damaged worse than I thought. Have I forgotten entire chunks of the world’s geography?

Han: Y-You really don’t know?

Rakurai: I really don’t know much of anything Hanei, I don’t any of what you’re talking about. Except… maybe the Cloud Sea

A bit of hope crosses Han’s face

Rakurai: Keep in mind, that this is only a deduction, I didn’t know what it was when I first saw it. I encountered a sea of clouds while traveling here, it’s endless as far as my vision can tell. I thought that perhaps I was on a skybound platform, an artificial environment but to my confusion, I only found an ocean of liquid. Looks like water but the feel and weight of it is noticeably different from water, even if it was only a minute difference. You mentioned Cloud Sea, is that what you call that place?

Keizai: *Nods* Yes, we call that ocean the Cloud Sea. You’re right that it’s not made of water, though no one really knows what exactly the Sea is composed of. I assure you it’s not toxic. People even take dives and swims in it, perfectly safe

Rakurai: Oh, that’s good to know that I won’t have to worry about being poisoned 

Han: There surely isn’t anyway that you haven’t heard of at least one of Alrest’s nations, right?

I continue to stare blankly at Han. He sighs

Han: I… we’ll talk about this another time. Why don’t we focus on a good meal? Let’s have dinner. Come on everyone

Chokoreto: Okay! *Smiles*

Serusu: Good idea, all this… stuff is making my head hurt. I need some grub

Keizai: Wonderful! Rakurai, come join us for dinner

Rakurai: Very well

While I have dinner with Han and his family, he tells me their last names were Shonin, which I figured to be merchant in Japanese, which was also their business, being a big merchant name in their village and the whole island. Keizai served a delicious variety of food, sushi, green tea, and oden. We avoid talking about my past for the whole meal, and focus on some leisurely discussion. When exactly would we discuss this topic though? I would very much like to know where in the heck I was in the world. In the end, nothing was said about it even after dinner, the kids all go to bed and Han escorts me to a spare bedroom for me to occupy. After preparing myself for bed, I set down a pack beside my bed. Besides my sword, this carrier is the only belonging I had with me, and probably contains a lot of things, but in favor of sleeping and recuperating, I decide to wait until peeking into it’s contents. I lay under the covers and went to sleep. My last thoughts before slumber are of the vast and exotic Inazuman landscape

Chapter Text

The next day

Elysium, in The Blue Sky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pSxFohBmis&list=PLIpqsKgkQEvMUFbngp-GbW1JwDGXnxcm9&index=3

I hear the birds chirping and the leaves rustling as I wake up from my sleep. It was very good, no problems at all. After the confusing events of yesterday that could make almost anyone’s hit twist and rend itself, I feel refreshed after yesterday

The first thing I do is remember my backpack and the fact I don’t actually have any recollection of what’s inside of it. I look out the window, eyeing the birds in particular and the sun’s positioning, then the trees

Rakurai: Hmm… It appears that it’s the month of July, summertime. Although because of the strange climate I can’t say for certain. Looks like early morning so I still have some time

One thing that strikes me is the fact that it’s still “storming”. Lightning continues to strike across the sky but again, seldom touching the ground. How long is such a storm going to last?

Rakurai: I’ll figure that out later

I crouch down next to my backpack and unzip it. It’s made of special fibers, sturdy and expandable, in addition to having the capacity to shrink objects to a denser but more compact form for more efficient storage. I can probably store many kilograms worth of objects inside. Special technology ensures that I am not overburdened by all the weight. I place a hand inside the pack and sift through the contents, selecting a random object and taking it out

The 1st is a flashlight, fairly useful. I click it on and off to check functionality and am satisfied when it appears to work. The 2nd object is a large first aid kit, also very useful. I inspect the supplies within and nod in satisfaction as I see it’s full of dressings, bandages, disinfectant and restoration chemicals, a few small containers of different blood types for transfusion, syringes, and other medical supplies. Many of these are also affected by the medkit itself have compression tech. The 3rd item is an elongated rod that I can’t figure out what it does. It’s fairly small as well, probably less than half a foot in length. After fidgeting around, it clicks and detaches, and to my mild surprise, the 2 halves flip open dagger blades from inside

Rakurai: I already have a greatsword but… these would be good for a more agile combat style or stealth

I flip down the daggers and combine the components again into the singular rod and place it back inside my pack. The 4th item is a grappling hook, useless now but if I happened to be among mountainous terrain, a good safety item or perhaps for more… unconventional uses

I find many other items in my backpack, including a flare gun, a unique lighter which creates a much larger flame that is manifested, lockpicks, a box of protein bars, a utility watch, an axe, and many more. One particular object is a small rectangular item, long but relatively thin. It has a black screen and an outline, along with a covering around it. I rotate it around several times, feel around and tap it, and figure out what it does. My eyes look toward the buttons on it and in particular a circular one. Tapping it, the device lights up to a screen and shows the time and several other rectangular boxes below it with various information, notifications if I’m correct

Rakurai: Ah, that’s right. The smartphone, one of humanity’s greatest technological inventions. Knowledge in a rectangle

Thankfully I remember my password and get into the phone, I check various systems and functions and to my relief, my phone appears to function perfect at the moment, no damage. I turn off the device and place it back in the backpack, zipping it up now that I’ve looked through everything

Rakurai: I definitely want to keep this around

Having spent a decent portion of time investigating my supplies, I exit my room and head downstairs to the kitchen, finding Han, Serusu, and Keizai awake. Akaishi and Chokoreto must still be asleep since they are not present

Han: Rakurai! Good morning!

Rakurai: Hello Han, good morning to you

Serusu: Yo, how’d you sleep? 

Rakurai: Fine enough, no issues

The teenager nods in response and sips some liquid. Serusu sticks out his tongue in disgust and looks down, frowning

Serusu: Agh, Titan’s foot. Mom, you accidentally swapped my juice with your tea!

Keizai: Huh? *Looks over* Oh! I’m sorry. Hahaha, looks like I’ve done it again. My apologies Serusu

The maroon haired woman takes the tea and gives Serusu a cup of his “juice” instead, which appears to be a creamy light green liquid. Serusu takes a sip

Serusu: Ah~, much better. Thanks

Rakurai: What’s for breakfast, my body requires sustenance at this hour?

Keizai: Omelets. Does that suit your tastes?

Rakurai: Sounds fine to me. I don’t mind omelets

Keizai: Wonderful! I hope mine in specific can satisfy you. I’m waiting till Akaishi and Chokoreto wake up though so we can eat as a family

Rakurai: Fair enough

Han: I’ll get them if they don’t wake up at an acceptable hour

I sit down at the table and read a book while I wait. One of many items I found in my backpack and one of a dozen books in particular stored away. Thankfully, Akaishi and Chokoreto do indeed wake up by themselves eventually, and join everyone else for breakfast. I largely remain as a listener to the others’ conversaions, observing and mentally taking notes for later use. The children do chores in the morning before getting to play and check out the chore board that was set up to see what they have to do, a method I approve of. If it’s summer as I predicted, then it makes sense why they aren’t at school yet since it’s summer vacation. Han and Keizai ask to speak to me alone, so I follow them outside to their patio as directed

Rakurai: What is it you wanted me for? I presume you’re about to inform me?

Keizai: You’re a perceptive one. You should know about Alrest. Perhaps we can successfully jog your memory by sharing

Han: Apologies if we go into a long winded explanation

Rakurai: No need, I quite literally have nothing else to do, no family to return to as far as I’m concerned, I don’t have a job, or really anything, so please, take as long as you’d like, I’m content to sit here all day. My top priority is regaining my memory and finding out where I am to take myself from here

Han: Very well then *Clears throat* To start, you already know by now that the world we live in is named Alrest. Ring a bell at all?

Rakurai: Correct. Unfortunately, I don’t have any memory of this… “Alrest” which is confusing considering it’s an entire dang continent for crying out loud. I should know that

Han sighs but continues 

Inazuma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLI3T5pOW18

Han: Alrest is a world surrounded and flooded by a sea of… as far as anyone can tell, endless clouds. Or what looks to be clouds. No one is quite sure why an ocean of strange liquid is present beneath the surface of the clouds or what exactly said liquid is, but no adverse effects have ever been proven from submersion. At the center is the World Tree, Yaegdrausile

Yaegdrausile… why does that sound familiar? Is it the name or the concept of a World Tree itself?

Rakurai: Is it that gigantic tree with teal blue lights hovering around it? It’s quite a tall structure

Keizai: That is an understatement. The tree reaches for the heavens itself. The Architect lives at the top, watching over all of us with the Council of Celestia to serve as his advisors

Rakurai: Architect? Celestia? Doesn’t ring a bell

Han: The Architect is our creator and God, big G. Celestia could be considered lesser Gs. They follow his lead but also offer him advice with their diverse cast. They all live at the top of Yaegdrausile

Rakurai: Hmm, I see

Keizai: Alrest is saturated in the 9 elements, intimately connected with them

Rakurai: Elements, a common world building device in fiction

Han: It’s no mere fiction, they are energies that exist all around us, there are 9 elements. All of Alrest’s nations utilize or are tied to them in some way. Uraya, Mor Ardain, Mondstadt, Leftheria, Tantal, Liyue, Inazuma, Indol, Argentum, Inazuma, Gormott, Sumeru, Fontaine, Technomalia, Natlan, and Snezhnaya. 

Rakurai: Sounds like a diverse array of cultures

Han: Very much so. Although I have not explored all to the extent that I wish I did when I was younger, I can confirm such a statement

Keizai: 7 of Alrest’s nations are very closely connected to the elements, thanks to certain individuals at their core. Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, Natlan, Sumeru, Fountaine, and Snezhnaya are these 7. Many of the 7 are world leaders and high profile countries

Rakurai: I recall you mentioning them in some form yesterday

Keizai: That is correct, the one you are in right now is Inazuma, the Electro nation. These nations embody or are linked closely with one of the 9 elements

Rakurai: Lightning right?

Han: Yes. That is correct. The Alrestian people of course cannot survive in nothing but clouds. So we live on the bodies of these massive moving landmasses, the Titans, who swim and walk through the Cloud Sea

This is news to me. I’m currently standing on a massive creature?!

I think back to what I felt on the beach, that strange “earth” that felt like leather or something similar. I knew something was off… so my hunch was true… What I touched is the skin of a living creature

Rakurai: Titans… The continents are… Titans?

Han: *Nods* Yes. Our Titan, Inazuma no Mikoto is a gigantic dragon that hosts our country. Every nation has their own Titan as well, taking various forms. Whatever they are, we owe them for allowing life on Alrest to thrive by giving an environment for which we can live on

Incredible… creatures so gigantic that they can host entire civilizations and ecosystems… I wonder… How did such organisms come to exist? What did evolution have to guide them to in order to take on such a life sustaining and tremendous size?

Rakurai: Is there something else I should know? If you feel like there is anything else about Alrest I should know, do share

Han: Yes. While the deities of Alrest largely inhabit the canopy of Yaegdrausile, a handful inhabit the Titans of Alrest. They are powerful figureheads, the Archons

Archon, another term I am unfamiliar with

Rakurai: Archon? What’s that?

By now, the Shonins are used to my ignorance and simply say nothing in response, opting to answer my question

Han: They are our deities, the most powerful beings in Alrest aside from the Architect and the Council. The 7 nations we mentioned are governed by a single archon that represents its element. The Archons are a major reason why these 7 countries in particular are renowned

Something strikes me as peculiar… Why these ones in particular? Out of all of Alrest’s nations why do these nations have Archons ruling over them? Why do Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, Sumeru, Fontaine, Natlan, and Snezhnaya have divine entities to act as figures of leadership when the rest do not?

Rakurai: Who is Inazuma’s Archon?

Keizai: The Almighty Raiden Shogun, the Electro Archon

Han: She is the ruler of Inazuma, in about as direct as you can get. All other authorities ultimately answer to her own

Both Han and Keizai have a notably reverent tone of voice when speaking about the goddess

Rakurai: The Raiden Shogun…

Just saying the name evokes a sense of authority. The Raiden Shogun should surely be a force to be reckoned with, and the fact that she is considered one of the 7 Archons, which are considered deities means she must be extremely powerful. Raiden I know is a word for thunder so she no doubt is a potent goddess of storms

But at the moment I desired to know the other deities of Alrest

Rakurai: Do you know who some of the other Archons are?

Keizai: While Inazuma is isolated to a degree, the Archons are famous and renowned enough that even we Inazumans have some basic knowledge on them

Rakurai: Why is Inazuma isolated?

Han: Ever since the Sakoku Decree, Inazuma has closed off it’s borders to almost everyone

Rakurai: Wouldn’t that negatively affect trade?

Keizai: It has, but the Raiden Shogun isn’t concerned about being friendly with other nations

Han: Her only concern is Inazumas safety, and we are prosperous enough that we don’t need to entirely rely on trade with other nations. For now…

Keizai: Still… *sigs* prices of things have been affected, as well as overall business, it’s harder to make a living but we get by good enough

Rakurai: But why? Shouldn’t the Shogun attempt to keep her people prosperous and happy? This does not seem like a logical course of action

Han: We get that you’re a newcomer and have forgotten about much of the world, but the Shogun is only doing what’s best for the safety of her nation. As her people, we should trust in her. Try to show her some respect Rakurai

Han doesn’t come off as irritated or condescending, merely politely correcting me in some manner. It nonetheless is something that does not sit well with me. I have a hunch that the Shogun didn’t even consult the population before enacting this decree. If wanting to safeguard her nation is her agenda as they say, that is understandable. But such a policy does not seem like the ideal solution

Another question comes to mind though

Rakurai: You said there are 9 elements, but only mentioned 7 Archons that are their representatives. Do 2 elements not have Archons?

Han: That is correct. The elements are Geo, Dendro, Cryo, Pyro, Anemo, Hydro, Electro, Lumino, and Erebro. Lumino and Erebro, the elements of Light and Darkness, do not have Archons presiding over them

Rakurai: Why is that?

Han: We don’t know. It’s quite a mystery. Many scholars have put in effort into researching the subject but as of yet, no definitive or sure answer can be offered

I nod in acknowledgment. Hmm… a mystery of missing Archons… I’ll keep that in mind for the future

Keizai: Since you are in Inazuma and not any of the other nations, we’ll inform you more about it. Inazuma is classified into 5 main regions. The one you are on is Kannazuka, many towns and villages are on this island, it’s populated quite a bit, but there’s really only one settlement on the level of a city, Tokei Shogun, or Shogun’s Watch. Kannazuka has steep and rocky terrain. The region next to us, to the west, is Yashirori, it’s only got a few villages, mostly home to wilderness and mines, half of which are abandoned or derelict

Han: The Watatsumi region is next after Yashiori, further west

I notice how Han and Keizai’s expressions are a little nervous when mentioning Watatsumi

Rakurai: What’s wrong with Watatsumi?

Keizai: The current relationship between us and Watatsumi is ripe with tension. Watatsumi is a part of Inazuma, but for millennia it’s been an autonomous region with its own government. Their traditions and culture are different from the rest of Inazuma and this sometimes means a conflict in ideology. It’s not very dangerous, they aren’t viscious. Most of their animosity is directed toward the Shogunate itself. However, just to be safe, while traveling Inazuma, you should avoid that region if you can to save yourself potential trouble

Han: Same thing with Seirai Island, travelers and adventurers there have reported the island being engulfed by a continuous viscous storm, not for faint of heart. You shouldn’t go to a place like that

Rakurai: I’ll make a note of that

I won’t go to these places just for the sake of finding trouble, but I am more than capable of handling myself in dangerous environments. I should be fine

Keizai: The last and most important part of Inazuma is Narukami, the most populous of Inazuma’s regions. It’s where the Raiden Shogun lives, and in addition to the population, it’s also the most economically active area. Most of the major festivals in Inazuma are held in that region so many people from other regions come to visit to experience the festivities

Han: It’s also where the great city Taifunome is located, split into 3 parts, but the most important one you need to know is Tenshukaku. It’s the capital city of Inazuma, hovering over Taifunome. It contains the palace of the Shogun where the Inazuma Shogunate rules over and enforces the law

Rakurai: Could you explain the Shogunate to me?

Keizai: It’s the central governing body of Inazuma, of course the Shogun is at the head, and the Tri Commission is also part of it. Think of it like 3 different governing bodies, each responsible for a seperate part of governing Inazuma in different ways who all answer to the Raiden Shogun

Rakurai: Makes sense, you seem to know a fair bit, I’d imagine you’d have to, being the successful merchants your family is

Han: Correct, we kind of have to know a bit how the system works because it affects our income. But we’re really honestly pedestrian in comparison to others. If you really want to know in depth you’d have to ask a Tri Commission official, or someone who knows it better than we do and has better ties to the government. The Raiden Shogun obviously would know everything but of course asking her *chuckles* would be out of the question. After all, she’s much too busy and important to answer trivial questions

Rakurai: Got it

But, as the ruler of her nation, shouldn’t she make time for her own people? What kind of ruler is Raiden anyway?

Keizai: So Rakurai… Is this… ringing a bell for you? Any of it?

I take several long moments to ponder what I learned

Rakurai: *Shakes head* I’m afraid not. This is still very unfamiliar to me

The couple utter a sad sigh, disappointed that I’m still not remembering anything

Rakurai: It is alright. Thank you, Han, Keizai, this information is very helpful in giving me a sense of way, you have my gratitude for what you’ve currently bestowed to me. I’ll study more in my free time

Han: Of course, we’re happy to help someone in need

Keizai: If you don’t mind us… me asking, what will you do now?

Rakurai: I… haven’t thought about that. I’m using the information I’ve been learning to plan out where I go from here

So I do. What am I exactly to do? It isn’t like there is a path laid ahead of me, no particular destiny or way forward, just me stranded on a gigantic life giving creature which hosts an entire culture on it’s body. There are 14 other nations to see and explore, and my inquisitive mind is eager to see what they have to offer in terms of culture and ecology. Except… Inazuma is closed off to outsiders… Logically speaking, this Sakoku Decree could mean no one’s really allowed to exit either so… I’m practically stuck here. If I were to leave, chances are I would not be able to come back. I don’t even know how I ended up here on Inazuma no Mikoto anyways, especially with the knowledge that Inazuma doesn’t allow people in

Rakurai: Does this Sakoku decree prevent exit as well?

Han: Yes though not entirely, you have to pass some sort of test, inspection, or whatever it is. I hear the fees for doing so are astronomical. You’d have to rich in order to pay it effectively. I probably coud afford it, but it’d take so much of my budget that… It’d be far too risky to the wellbeing of my family to do so

As I thought, I can’t leave Inazuma either… I have no idea what this assessment required of me, by all technicality, I was stranded here on Inazuma. And I know for certain I have hardly any mora to my name. All I seem to have are a handful of these paper rectangles which equate to “500 yen”. Is that some kind of currency? Sounds like it. However… I have already made friends with Han’s family, it doesn’t sound like it’s a bad idea to stay here in Inazuma for a time, at least until I can figure out a course of action forward and find where I came from. Plus, my situation isn’t so terrible when you really look at it. After all, with no destiny and way forward, I have a virtually clean slate, I can choose my own path. Han and Keizai clearly are willing to host me in their home so why not take advantage of their generosity and use my new position and friends to get somewhere in life?

Rakurai: Alright… I think, I’ll stay with you all, and in Inazuma, as the first friends I’ve made, it would be nice to have some support and people to return to. At least until I figure out a way off this archipelago, and a course of action

Han: I see… well we’d be happy to have you live with us until then

Rakurai: Thank you Han, your hospitality is appreciated, again, to pay for it, I shall take up a job within your family shop, is that okay with you?

Keizai: I don’t see why not, after all, if what Han says is true about your tactic increasing sales, you might actually be able to help our business prosper

Han: I know this is selfish, but, could you perhap use your knowledge to help us? Seriously, I am truly impressed with your one contribution

Rakurai: *Smiles* Of course, I wouldn’t mind, besides, knowledge and talents are a gift that should be shared with others, I’d be happy to help you. Again, consider it payment for allowing me to live with you. I should be a productive member of society, so I need a job anyways

Han: *Grins* Consider yourself hired Rakurai!

Rakurai: *Nods* When does work start? What time is it?

Han: It’s almost 8:30 right now and we open at 9:00

Rakurai: Let’s go then, we have a shop to run

Han nods and we say goodbye to Keizai and the children. They give us a goodbye at Han’s front door, wishing us prosperity

Serusu: Come back safe father

Chokoreto: Make a lot of money daddy!

Akaishi: Good luck!

Han: Hahaha, I’ll be sure to do a good job for you all!

Chokoreto: Bye mister Rakurai!

Rakurai: Farewell Chokoreto, you’ll see me later today

Chokoreto: Do you think you can play with us later?

Rakurai: *Thinks briefly* Perhaps, I wouldn’t mind, but we have to go now, bye!

Children: Bye!

Keizai: See you tonight Han!

Han: Same to you honey!

***

Small Hard Worker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZUfomaq2Gk

Off we go to Hanei’s shop in the market area of Murasaki, and while there, I quickly learned the routine and products from watching Han’s other established workers so as to be a more efficient employee myself, I remember a phrase my father taught me

“First observe, then serve, all in silence. Do that and few will question your ability. Let your actions speak for you”

I recall that it meant that I was to observe others doing something first, and then help them out by copying what you just saw, sight memory. A couple hours after I apply this principle, Han stars to take notice and approaches me

Han: You learn quickly

Rakurai: I remember someone… my father… saying I was a quick learner, I have an excellent memory, and I believe my father gave me a phrase that I live by “First observe, then serve”. I observe what others are doing and use sight memory to copy that

Han: Your father must be a very wise man

Rakurai: Possibly, it’s… frustrating and disappointing that I cannot remember too much about him, but I suppose his influence continues even now so I value that

Han: Well, do you happen to have any other business advice to share?

Rakurai: Your items, you increase the price for buying bundles right?

Han: Using math yeah

Rakurai: For example, your carpets, let’s say, your flower style ones being 12 mora, it’s 36 to buy 2 right? And so on and so forth?

Han: Yeah, what are you getting at?

Rakurai: Adjust the price, make it slightly lower than what a combined value would be

Han: Wouldn’t that get us less money?

Rakurai: At face value yes, but what you must understand is supply and demand, you have to balance the price, and people’s desire for a product. People may want a product, but the price may not be entirely desirable to them. For example, for the carpet deal, for the 24 mora 2 carpet, that’s not a deal, it’s just a combined value. Decrease the price to 22 dollars, do this for every one of your stacked product deals, decrease it by 1/6th. And for the max deal, put it at 6 items before the deal resets, and for example, if it’s 36 dollars for 3 carpets, 1/6th, it’s 30 dollars, do this with everything else. Then tell your customers that if they don’t complete the 6 item deal, they are free to complete it at another time, and use math to go from there

Han looked at me with a look of disbelief

Han: You certain this will work? I don’t think it’s a good idea

Rakurai: I wouldn’t suggest anything to you that I think would hamper your business Han, if you don’t want to do it, that’s fine, I’m not forcing anything on you. I may be 18, but I have a fairly large amount of salesman experience, as much as it does not match my description of a dream job. I speak from experience

Han: Alright, I’ll try it out

Rakurai: Sounds good

Han moves to do what I suggested, but then pauses, looking at me in surprise

Han: Wait a second, you’re 18?

Rakurai: Yes, I should have mentioned that

Han: You look much older than that

Rakurai: Why is that?

Han: It’s… the height. How tall are you?

Rakurai: 6 foot 7 inches

Han: Oh my Architect you’re tall! How’d you get so much height?

Rakurai: *Shrugs* Genetics? I suppose my height doesn’t help in tesifying of my youth

Han: Whoever gave you your genetics must be… 

Han trails off, not sure how to word it

Han: That’s besides the point. Anywho, I’ll go tell all my employees about your “experimental prices”

Rakurai: They won’t be experimental eventually, trust me. But consider this a trial run

By sometime into the afternoon, everyone was informed of the new prices after some “mathing” that Han had done with the initial ones. I expected the following skepticism, but they all followed through on Han’s orders. Throughout the course of the day I also take notice that many of the customers were also confused at the prices. They didn’t explicitly say it, but their facial features gave it away, and some of them did slightly hint at their confusion with their words. I conclude that they must be regular, or at least fairly frequent customers based on the reactions, since a newcomer wouldn’t know things had changed. As the day wore on further, I could see the intrigue on some of the people’s faces at the new prices, and after a hard day’s work, Han reviews the sales, and as I anticipated, is awed by them

Han: My goodness! 15% average increase from last week, it did work!

A small smile of pride crosses my face

Rakurai: Not to be boastful… but I told you so

Han: I must say Rakurai, you know your stuff, we even smiled and greeted people as they passed by, it’s only a 6% increase from last time though

Rakurai: The new deals will be more effective as time wears on and people visit your vendor’s booth, it’s more effective long term

Han: Well… let’s go home Rakurai, I’m sure the children will be eager to play with you. You promised them right?

Rakurai: Home…

I say the word in a very soft voice, so much so that Han could not hear, it’s nice to have a “home” in this strange land, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it

Han: Hah! Wait till Serusu sees this! I’ll rub my success all over his dumb doubting face!

***

If Friends Gather: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T99-0kSEMN0&list=PLO_6KdzGnpVmSJFTazOtPdJtsj0IfYKnt&index=17

Han and I head home together from work and were excitedly greeted by Keizai and the children. 

Han: Hey Serusu! Guess what! Your pops had a 15% increase from sales last week thanks to yet another piece of advice from Rakurai! Heh!

Serusu: What!? No way!? I call bullcrap!

Han: It’s right here on the sheet son! How can you explain Rakurai’s advice getting me better sales twice now, huh? *Hands sheet to Serusu*

Serusu: *Snatches it* Huh!? Shogun’s spear! Crap!

Han: HAH! Suck it!

Serusu relents to his father begrudgingly. It seems like there’s a lighthearted competition between the 2 to prove each other wrong and one up the other in their daily lives. One may see Serusu’s behavior as disrespectful but to me, the nuances become clear to me and the conclusion I make is that they simply engage in a kind of life banter, a friendly competition, rather than Serusu just being your typical teenager and rebelling. Dinner ended up being later than last night so I played games with the children the whole time. My physical strength made it extremely easy to toss around and move the children, we did tag, hide and seek, and lots of other things, come dinner time and we all sat around the dining table. The children are discussing playing with me and I sit on Han’s right while Keizai is at his left

Han: Wow, you’re already a hit with the children

Rakurai: Well, Serusu still seems wary of me

Han: He’s 12, at his age he’s got more freedom and is less inclined to trust others right off the bat, still, he seems at least mildly comfortable with you

Keizai: The others love you though *smiles* you’re good with children

Rakurai: Perhaps it’s one of my talents

Han: Which is quite interesting, you seem so quiet, blunt, and straightforward, a bit of a cold feel to you, you wouldn’t expect someone like that to be good with children

Rakurai: Makes sense

Han: Speaking of… Rakurai, your expressions…

He pauses for a few seconds, trying to phrase it well enough. I arch an eyebrow

Rakurai: What about them?

Han: You’ve been remarkably calm despite your situation. I mean… With amnesia, such a massive loss of identity and your background… I wouldn’t blame anyone for losing it. Actually you’ve seldom changed your look at all. A few very small smiles here and there among other stuff. You must be a pretty reserved guy huh?

Rakurai: …Social settings are not my ideal environment. You are correct in making that deduction. As for my emotional expression… This is… simply how I am. I’m not known for expressing very significant emotions, whether negative or positive

Keizai: *Nods* Understood. That’s fine *Giggles* Emotionally expressive or not, thank you for entertaining the children, they can be a bit of a hassle, especially the younger 2, there’s been many times when they bother me when I’m trying to do something and they’re bored

Rakurai: You’re welcome *Swallows food* hmm… not as good as my mother’s, but this is indeed high quality

Han: What-!? Rakurai! What’s with critiquing my wife’s food!

Keizai: Hahaha! You’re a blunt one aren’t you. He’s just being honest Han! Personally I’d prefer ways I can improve rather than blind compliments

Rakurai: I do not mean to cause offense. It is simply not in my nature to spare feelings

Han: Yeah but… Come on, a guy’s obviously not going to be happy if you criticize his- ow!

Keizai elbows her husband in the side, shaking her head while chuckling

Keizai: He’s just making a comparison Han *Turns to Rakurai* Well? Maybe you can offer some way I can improve my cooking Rakurai? Better cooking means a heartier family

Rakurai: Try using a combination of soy sauce, sake, ginger, and mirin on the fried rhogul next

Keizai: Oh? That’s an… interesting combination. I’ll write that down

The maroon haired female uses a small notepad and writes down the list I gave

Keizai: Thank you Rakurai. I’ll test this out for the next time I cook rhogul

Rakuai: Welcome

Nostalgia of the Landscape: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCTtcaXr9HA

Dinner continues for a little longer. After the meal, we all help in cleaning up the dishes and ingredients. After the clean up, I retreat to my room to engage in some brain enrichment in the form of reading. I sit down on my bed and select something from my backpack among the stash of literature I have inside. I place a large thick book with black covering and my name written in gold at the bottom left corner. It’s my scriptures, another thing I remembered about myself was that I’m a person of religion and faith. When Han and Keizai told me about the deities in Alrest, the Archons, Council of Celestia, and the Architect, I decided not to display my immense confusion and bewilderment. As far as I know, there is only one god, and these scriptures are both doctrine and stories of his prophets preaching the gospel. So it came as an immense surprise to me that there were more divine beings, and many of them at that, including 7 who seem to inhabit the mortal realm. Furthermore, I now live mere kilometers from one of them, the Raiden Shogun. I try to avoid scrambling my brain too badly from the confusion and surprise. In any case, these scriptures are one of the few things I have with me, clues to my past and where I came from in my backpack. I find another book inside, different from my religious scripture

Soryu Style: The Flowing Martial Arts Style of Japan

Japan, that once again activates my memory. Everything in Inazuma so far is reminiscent of what I can remember about my homeland. The clothing style, food (minus the strange names of the animals used to make them), architecture, etc. I wonder if I’m just in Japan but have forgotten. That wouldn’t make sense though, I doubt Inazuma is a local name for Japan. I remember it looks like a dragon on the map and Inazuma is literally a giant dragon Titan but things still aren’t adding up. I can’t be in Japan. But where then if not Japan? None of these names that Han and Keizai mentioned make sense. Alrest is a region that doesn’t seem familiar to me. I can’t figure out where I am exactly, everything’s blank and shrouded in mist…

I find lots of other books and random things in my large backpack, and organize them into my room. The room fortunately has an empty bookshelf so I use that to store my small collection of books. I find the shelf still having plenty of space but I’d fill it eventually with books I get from other places. Once I’m satisfied with housekeeping, I start reading my scriptures. I have already read every section of it… but I also remember that my parents used to tell me that reading the scriptures again would often provide new insight. I’m not the type of person to read something again but I make exceptions for religious doctrine and principles. Keeping your mind fresh with virtue and spirituality is important. I do not recall where I last read, so I shrug and start with the “Old Testament”, for about 30 minutes and 5 chapters, with the book of Genesis, telling of the creation of the world by God and Jesus, and the first humans, Adam and Eve, who are also the first marriage partners. 

Adam is created first in the Garden of Eden, a utopian celestial paradise on Earth. Eve is created from Adam, the first woman, so Adam isn’t alone in his sentience. After all, animals cannot truly replace all facets of human companionship. They live in the GOE, but it doesn’t specify how long exactly they inhabit this place. Given how they were made in God’s image and immortal, it could have been many years, or even millennia, no one knows. However, it all came to an end when Eve ate of the Tree of Good and Evil, therefore gaining knowledge of such concepts, as tempted and urged on by Lucifer, the Devil, who stands in opposition to God. Apparently, Lucifer either takes the form of a serpent or used one as his pawn, but whichever is the exact truth, the serpent ends up becoming the well known modern version, simply having a long body with no legs

Adam and Eve probably gain a few other things from the fruit. God casts them out of the Garden and they become mortal in addition to several plagues and nuisances becoming created to make their lives harder, one most prevalent thing being the pain of childbirth. They become farmers and have children with 2 notable ones being Cain and Abel. Abel could be considered the “star” of the family while Cain is the troublemaker. He falls under the sway of Lucifer who plays on his jealousy and Cain makes an offering that does not satisfy God, further increasing his jealousy and rage. Eventually, Cain slays his brother Abel following a deception and while he initially tries to avoid responsibility, he is seen through by God and is cursed, including his progeny. Cain becomes undying like his parents previously, but not immortal, far from the glory his parents had, his agelessness being a curse rather than a blessing

One notable offspring of Cain is Lamech who follows in his footsteps and makes the same oath with Lucifer. What follows is the wicked eventually outnumbering the righteous and a genealogy of Adam and Eve, and Cain’s descendants. Thus ends the first 5 chapters of Genesis

Rakurai: Yet nowhere does it seem to answer the questions I have…

Genesis makes no mention of Yaegdrausile, the World Tree, the Archons, the Architect, or Celestia. The Architect might be the name of God in this region of the world possibly. But the Archons… no other deities are mentioned that Han and Keizai talked about, and certainly no mention of this “Raiden Shogun”. The world has multiple religions, they don’t all believe in the same Gods or the same interpretation of a God. Therefore this part of Alrest could be one such example. Yet… Han and Keizai talk about the archons as if they were HERE, present on this Earth, in the mortal plane instead of… heaven I suppose. This is all confusing and not doing much to clarify the conflict of information going on inside of my head. I decide to read some of my fiction books I have in my backpack instead to clear my head and engage in something simpler. I do this until 9:00 pm, at which I close my book, place it back on the bookshelf, and go to bed

Chapter Text

5 days later

Where the Shirasagi Dances: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1topzeQYSOg

It’s been 5 days since my unlikely awakening in Alrest and on the Inazuman Titan. As I promised, I act as Han’s employee in his shop. Further memories of my business experience came to me infrequently and I offered my advice when I remembered it. Han slowly sees an increase in sales, though only by single percentages but he figures it’s good enough. I figure it will be a while before my advice truly starts to show tremendous results but I’m content to waiting. As expected, Serusu and Han try to prove each other wrong, not just in sales, but about things they do in life. Serusu claims to have made a great tasting onigiri and Han doubts him, but is proven wrong by his son when he doesn’t hesitate to cook up a sample. This is just one example of the constant father and son competition that happens in the household. I just sit back and eat metaphorical popcorn while I watch the duel. In addition to being an employee, I aid the Shonins in other ways, which of course involves the act of entertaining his children. I read up on Inazuma’s ecology and government by finding a library and checking out books so as to further educate myself on my surroundings. I’m once again perplexed by the odd similarities between Inazuma and Japan, but there of course were differences. Aside from the fact Inazuma is on the body of a literal giant animal and it has lightning storms everywhere. The Sakoku decree closed Inazuma off to outsiders and didn’t allow anyone to leave the country without being subject to some tests and inspections. Japan I knew from my memory didn’t have this kind of policy. According to textbooks, the Sakoku decree has been in force for 2 years so far

Books on Inazuma’s ecology meanwhile, offer insight to the strange phenomena I keep seeing. Inazuma’s soil appears to be the result of a special substance called Voltagium and some copper content, which tints the soil blue. It’s also highly conductive and attractive to lightning so electricity that strikes the ground just soaks into the earth and gets stored or dispersed. Thus, it seems that lightning actually has little effect on the environment and doesn’t explode very much. Plants and wildlife have evolved to the fact that Inazuma no Mikoto has very potent bioelectricity, which sometimes discharges into the surrounding atmosphere, where it occasionally forms long lasting Arashihoshi, those orb clusters of electricity I keep seeing in the sky. Many plants use a particular pigment instead of chlorophyll like most other flora. Inazuma’s storms are long lasting but because of the oppositely charged particles in the sky, the percentage of lightning that actually hits the ground is minor, as many lightning strikes simply stick close to the sky or arc back into the clouds

How utterly fascinating. Inazuma is such a unique nation with peculiar ecosystems… 

***

It’s a certain Sunday morning in the house of the Shonins. While I would normally be preparing for work, I am reminded of a religious statute

Rakurai: That's right… I don’t work on Sundays

It’s called the day of rest for Christians so I do not engage in economic activities on Sundays. I shall have to explain this to Han and the others, they should understand. This no work on Sunday rule is one of the 10 Commandments, which detail other rules on what to avoid. One of these is keeping the sabbath day holy, which is sunday, and it involves not engaging in activities that are meant to earn profit. I am to rest on Sunday from most labor. I am someone who likes to respect religious law and regulations, and decide honesty is the best policy

Rakurai: I’ll just tell him I can’t work on sunday and explain, he’s an understanding man

I go downstairs, to find breakfast being prepared and mostly finished. It’s around 30 minutes before Han leaves for work. I sit down at the table to see Serusu greeting me and taking a seat next to my own

Serusu: Hello Sir Rakurai *smiles*

Rakurai: No need to call me any honorifics Serusu, I’m still 18, I don’t consider myself a full adult

Serusu: Oh! Right, I forgot. You look a lot like an adult though

Rakurai: It seems that way

Akaishi: Yeah! You got some crazy muscles! I’m like a paperweight to you!

Rakurai: *Snorts* That’s what happens when you take the time to improve your physical condition

Han: That's true

Han takes a bite of his food. I’ll inform him now

Embrace of the Sea Waves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzKS04LZ7VQ

Rakurai: Han, I have a favor to ask of you

Han: What is it?

Rakurai: I won’t be working today

The parents looked at me confused. Serusu raises an eyebrow

Keizai: Why not? Have you considered your… “debt” paid off now?

Rakurai: No, it's not that. It is more of a personal reason

Han: Explain

Rakurai: I’m Christian, so I don’t work on Sundays

Keizai: A… what?

Han and Keizai gaze at me with completely puzzled expressions, have they not heard of christianity? How isolated is Inazuma?

Rakurai: Erm… the gospel, one of the major religions of the world? Jesus and the cross? Heaven and Hell? The 10 commandments?

Still nothing

Keizai: I don’t understand… I’ve heard of a Heaven

Han: And Hell. Those concepts we know but these other ones are unfamiliar to us

I look at the 2 of them like aliens. Some of these things are understandable but come on, they don’t know Jesus Christ of all people?

Rakurai: Jesus Christ? Savior of the world?

Han/Keizai: Doesn’t ring a bell

…

Serusu: Who the heck’s Jesus?

I frown slightly, facepalming

Rakurai: This is… Alright, you know what? I’ll just explain the 10 Commandments

Han: Which are…

Rakurai: The one that I will be following today, number 4, is keep the sabbath day holy and remember it, sabbath is sunday, it means I can’t work, it’s called the day of rest

Keizai: You don’t work on sundays?

Rakurai: I don’t, among a bunch of other things. In specific I don’t engage in activities that earn a profit. This may come off as selfish but I intend to practice my religious beliefs

Keizai and Han look at each other briefly, thinking for a moment while I sit in silence waiting for an answer

Han: Well Rakurai, if that’s what you believe, we have no right to disrespect you or your beliefs, if you can’t work on Sunday according to these… commandments, then go for it

Keizai: After all, we wouldn’t be very courteous if we forced you to break your own personal rules

Rakurai: *Bows* Thank you both, I appreciate this greatly, but… don’t hesitate to ask me for advice Han, I may be free of work but my advice is on market *smiles*

Han: Hahaha! I’ll be sure to remember that, anyways, have a good rest. You’ve earned it anyways

Rakurai: Have a good day of work, rest assured I will return to my duty on monday tomorrow

Han: Sounds good

After breakfast, Han bids us goodbye and leaves me, his wife, and his children at home. Chokoreto approachs me with a hopeful smile on her face

Chokoreto: Is it true you won’t work today Rakurai?

Rakurai: I’m no working today Chokoreto, I’m taking a day off to rest from work

Chokoreto: Okay! *Smiles* Well I’m glad you’re here! 

Rakurai: I’m happy you think that young one

Chokoreto giggles and runs off to play, Keizai takes a seat in the rocking chair next to the couch

Keizai: Since you won’t work today, what do you plan to do?

Rakurai: That’s a good question, hmm… I don’t know, maybe play with the children if they ask me to, read a book, workout, any number of things. Probably research. There is much I do not know or remember. Many questions I have that are not yet answered

Keizai: *Nods* I hope you find the answers you need. Tell me, these 10 commandments, what are they?

Rakurai: You want to know more?

Keizai: Just in case if there’s… any more rules you follow. We should be aware of your character

Rakurai: Alright then, allow me to explain, the first commandment is thou shall not have any other gods before me

Keizai: Which means…

Rakurai: I’m not to worship any other gods but THE God

Keizai: I see… so you worship the Architect?

…

I still haven’t figured out over whether to consider the Architect another name for God, or someone else entirely

Rakurai: Um… More or less his equivalent in my own religion, yes

That should be good enough

Keizai: Understood

Rakurai: The 2nd is thou shall not make idols, essentially this means no worshiping statues or physical objects

Keizai: That sounds reasonable enough. Go on

Rakurai: 3rd is thou shalt not say the lord's name in vain, basically no swearing God’s name, like saying “Oh my God” and stuff like that

Keizai: Essentially no swearing?

Rakurai: Basically, yes, the 4th is like I mentioned, keeping the sabbath day holy, besides not working, I’m not allowed to spend money, basically we don’t engage in business activities on Sunday

Keizai: That’s interesting, it must be a relief to get a day off every week

Rakurai: Indeed it is. It’s a day of rest, to refresh your brain and cool off before you go back to work on the other 6 days. Sometimes I catch up on sleep. The 5th is honor your mother and father, it means you respect them, don’t rebel or disobey their rules of the house intentionally. Respect their authority and wisdom

Keizai: That’s what everyone expects from children. Well… ideally

Rakurai: It is, so this one is to be expected. The 6th is thou shalt not kill, it’s the simplest one in my opinion, you shall not kill anyone

Keizai: Hmm… that’s easy to follow, pretty much every country has a law on that. Don’t need a religion to know you shouldn’t kill someone generally speaking

Rakurai: The 7th is thou shalt not commit adultery, no cheating on your husband or wife

Keizai: Makes sense. Again, that’s a social taboo

Rakurai: 8th is no stealing, also very basic and no doubt a law of all countries. 9th is you shall not bear false witness, in simple terms you’re not allowed to lie

Keizai: At all? Are there exceptions?

Rakurai: Yes. It’s more complicated than black and white, there are exceptions and other things here in there, but in general you shouldn’t lie. I believe you shouldn’t lie if your intent is to maliciously deceive or something similar. The 10th and final one is no coveting, it means you shouldn’t desire other things that don’t belong to you, it’s less of a commandment to me and more along the lines of reinforcement for some of the other commandments. Like stealing, committing adultery, those are acts of coveting, understand?

Keizai: I got it, so that’s it?

Rakurai: *Nods* Having a good moral compass basically is the most surefire way to obey all of the commandments. Only a few of these would require some more… discipline from regular people to follow

Keizai: I understand, thank you for telling me Rakurai. This was very helpful

Rakurai: No problem

Chokoreto: Rakurai~! Come play Shogi with us!

I hear Chokoreto calling me from another room. Keizai smiles and clasps her hands together

Keizai: You should go and play with her. The children are eager to spend so much time with you

Rakurai: *Sighs* Very well

I stand up from the chair to go satisfy Chokoreto

I spend Sunday playing with the children, helping to cook meals for them with Keizai on my own volition, reading my scriptures and books I have, and other activities. According to Keizai and the kids, my cooking is quite satisfactory and delicious

Serusu: Hey Rakurai. Can I ask you a question?

I turn to face Serusu and utter a hum of acknowledgment, which is a typical sound I make to let others know they have my attention. The 2 of us are currenly inside the house’s sunroom. I’m reading some more chapters of the Bible as of now

Serusu: Uh, Rakurai?

Rakurai: That hum means you have my attention

Serusu: O-Oh… Anyways… What made you become a… What was it again?

Rakurai: Christian?

Serusu: Yeah. What’s so great about it?

I take some time to think about my answer before presenting it

Rakurai: In general, having a religion is better than being an atheist

Serusu: A what?

Rakurai: Atheist, someone who doesn’t subscribe to any religion

He nods in understanding

Serusu: What makes you say that?

Rakurai: People often wonder and seek the meaning of life, and ask questions when certain things happen. My religion offers answers to many of these issues. Going through life… just existing. In such a state, there is little true motivation for living at it’s core. Religion teaches you how to be a good person from my perspective. It teaches discipline and virtue, to better the mind by being more in tuned with your spirit. When you have a firm foundation of discipline, clear rules for yourself and your motivations, it makes you a stronger and more resolute person. You can walk through life with confidence. This can apply to really anything, theism or otherwise. That’s only some of my answer but some of the important reasons in a basic summary. Does that answer your question?

Serusu is silent for a while, clearly contemplating my response. I do not interrupt and allow him to ponder. Eventually, he nods firmly to me

Serusu: Yeah, I think I get it. Thanks for telling me

It’s a simple response to me, but I get the feeling that there is far more under the surface that the maroon haired boy wants to say or ask me but doesn’t bring up. I allow him to keep this for now. He may believe he needs time to ruminate. I nod to Serusu and make a hum of acknowledgment before returning to my Bible study

Towards sunset, I decide to visit the shop. Not to buy anything of course, but there’s nothing against me simply checking in on my friend to see how business is going. I stride down the streets of Murasaki in the direction of the market area, occasionally looking at interesting occurrences and checking out the architecture and people, making note of anything I see as relevant or useful. It doesn’t take long for me to get to market region, but something I see causes me to take pause

Premonition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4odpnmi6e0E

I see a person that is clearly Han, a few feet off to the side from his store. However he is discussing something with a rather shady looking group people according to my intuition, about 7 of them, and this worries me. One of the men that appears to be their leader, wears an angry scowl on his face

Bandit Leader: You better give us our share Hanei, you’re lucky I’m a merciful guy, otherwise I would have beaten the living daylights out of your family by now for giving us the slip. We might have to though if you don’t pay up

Han: Gentlemen, gentlemen, please. I don’t owe you anything, the mora I earn from business is mine to use, not yours. Be reasonable here

Bandit 1#: But shouldn’t you rich folks be helping out the poor? It’s only right

Han: You brought this on yourselves for turning a blind eye to the law. I do help the poor, I give to humanitarian charities, sometimes handing it out personally to those who need help, I'm a reasonable man. But that doesn’t mean I’ll ever sponsor crime and delinquency. Why not just work for mora if you need it? Or is being productive so foreign a concept to you fine gentlemen?

Han speaks with a subtly patronizing tone to the man, which irritates him as this only furthers his irritation

Bandit Leader: You cheated us Hanei! You said you would give us 2,000 mora but instead you handed us a bag of leftover scraps!

Han: What? I had some leftover food that would have gone bad. You guys need food to live right? Seems fair to me

The bandit leader is obviously not pleased and grabs Han by his clothing, lifting him up, Han is startled and tries to escape. At this point I’d seen enough. I thin out my eyes and approach the group of thugs. Han’s employees show concern for their boss, but are wary of getting in the way of the bandits

Employee: S-Sir!

Bandit 2#: Stay out of this! Unless you want to get hurt!

Han: There’s no need for violence Dorobo, just walk away

Dorobo: Not until you give us what we need!

Dorobo brandishes a katana from his sheath, ready to attack Han. The business man slightly shows himself to be afraid of the blade, but does his best to have a cool headed visage. This sin’t good

Employee: Han! N-No! Don’t hurt him! Please! You can talk this out!

Bandit 3#: We said, stay out of this!

Rakurai: Using violence in this kind of situation is completely unwarranted. Put him down

Everyone hears my voice and direct their stares to me standing a dozen feet away from Dorobo. The bandit leader cocked an eye

Han: R-Rakurai! What are you doing here!?

Dorobo: Who the hell are you? You know this guy?

Dorobo points to Han with his sword

Rakurai: Just a man strolling through the market, going to check up on his friend when I see him being threatened by a bunch of hooligans

Bandit 4#: Hooligans!? You punk!

Dorobo: We’re just collecting from Mister Shonin here for his wrongdoings, he cheated us. We have every right to enact justice

Rakurai: You tried to steal money from him, he has the right to do so and defend his property. You have no right to justice

Han: Rakurai! Please, d-don’t involve yourself! I don’t want you to get hurt! Leave this to me!

Dorobo: He’s right tomodachi, you should walk away and let us handle our business

Rakurai: Declined. I shall not leave a friend to be harassed and threatened

Dorobo: Last chance *Angry*

Rakurai: Last chance for you to step away, and no one has to get hurt. I’ll even be generous and let you go without getting the authorities

Bandit 3#: Eh? Generous!? Don’t you act all condescending!

Dorobo: You think you scare us!?

Despite the situation, my expression is entirely cool, calm, and phlegmatic. I have hardly any concern for this situation. I’d prefer to use words and talk them out of this but if they won’t adhere to reason…

Rakurai: That is irrelevant. You should know better than to threaten the innocent

Dorobo: That’s it. Boys, get him

The bandits reveal various weapons, making threatening gestures with them. I spot some knives, a set of bars on a chain known as nunchucks, a kama sickle, twin sai weapons, and Dorobo himself with a katana. Deciding to deal with me at the moment, he switches his attention and lets go of Han to let his subordinates approach me, standing back

Duel in the Mist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PUr3uSYzME

Rakurai: So be it…

If he thinks a gang of thugs will stop me, he is sorely mistaken

Bandit 1#: Yaaaah!

The first bandit, charges me with his knife

Han: No!

He swipes his knife at me, like an instinct, I sidestep to the left by swiveling my leg. I can tell his fighting skills are street tempered at best, not much skill to them. I counterattack, pulsing pale yellow energy in my fist and sending the bandit flying with an underhanded punch. Although at mild force, the bandit is sent flying and crashes against the wall and falls to the ground, groaning in pain while he tries to stand up. Hanei is amazed and the other bandits are surprised at my attack, halting for a few seconds as they hesitate. They didn’t expect me to fight back. One of the bandits tries to rally his comrades

Bandit 5#: Get him! We outnumber him 7 to 1!

This emboldes the group and several bandits charge at me with their weapons. Numbers will not matter in this situation

I dodge their attacks easily enough, swinging my arm to the side and striking one of them with my upper bicep, flinging him to the side with another shockwave. I duck beneath a strike from the twin sai and uppercut the man wielding them with a yellow shockwave in the chin which launches his body into the air. I swing around with my leg, emitting yet another shockwave of energy, and nail the guy in the abdomen, knocking the bandit back as he goes rolling. The first bandit who was foolish enough to attack me has regained his senses and rushes me again. I dodge his knife thrusts and stabs, and parry the last one with my bare fist that emits an energy shockwave. The surprise he has from this maneuver is enough to pause his thought and take advantage by delivering a shockwave side punch to his shoulder, knocking him out against the wall. Dorobo and his last associate stride towards me, sufficiently angered. The bandit swings his nunchucks rapidly and then uses the momentum to fling one of the bars at my side for a potentially powerful strike. In response I leap away a dozen feet in the air, landing soundlessly on the ground. I charge at super speed to the bandit and thrust my fist forward for another punch, and the bandit just barely managed to dodge the attack by tripping on a rock behind him as he steps back, panicking

Dorobo: *He’s fast. That speed is unnatural! And that face… it’s stone cold! It’s unreadable!*

The bandit leader moves after his follower and swipes his katana to the side and I crouch to the ground and the blade sails over me. From my crouched position, I crack a rising punch to his rib cage, and Dorobo cries out in pain, sharply staggering

Dorobo: *His attacks are producing these… shockwaves! What is this!? Is he a…?*

I cartwheel in the air, dodging an overhand swipe down with the katana. Dorobo’s subordinate wildly swings his weapon at me to get some kind of hit off but he is unsuccessful. I use a counter side swing with my fist that clangs against the nunchucks and my superior strength combined with the shockwave produced knocks the weapon out of the bandit’s hands in addition to staggering him

Bandit #6: *He knocked it away!?*

Dorobo thrusts the tip of his katana forward and I tilt to the left, dodging the attack just narrowly. Frustrated, Dorobo gets wild and follows up with a flurry of wild strikes. This untactical maneuver, being easy to counteract, is quickly stopped when I parry each of the blows using my bare fists, which from everyone else’s perspective, should be impossible. The shockwaves push back the sword each time before they could hit my hands and Dorobo finds himself panicking while also being astonished by what he’s seeing

Han: *Is the katana actually striking his hands and it doesn’t do anything? Or is the katana somehow… bouncing off of his hands, it’s too fast to tell! This shouldn’t be possible! Why are his hands not being cleaved in half!?*

Dorobo: *I… I can’t hit him! Why can’t I hit him!?*

Dorobo: Gah! Just die! Why won’t you die! It must be a fluke!

I merely scoff dismissively toward Dorobo. The nunchuck bandit foolishly attempts to attack me without a weapon by using a punch. I kick Dorobo away with my foot and retaliate against the bandit with a swift punch to his neck. He gargles as he loses his breath and air before falling unconscious on the ground. Dorobo is horrified at the attack but tried to attack me anyway with his katana, I sent a shockwave out with my punch, as he slashes it down on me, deflecting the attack

Rakurai: Destructive Death…

Dorobo: What the-?

I place my left hand on the ground and then my left foot on the ground. I did a rising reverse axe kick from below, accompanied by a pale yellow shockwave. Dorobo gets his chin smashed in by my attack and flies high into the air

Rakurai: Crown Splitter!

Dorobo falls on the ground and his katana bounces on the pavement before laying still. I stand over the bandit in silence with an impassive expression. The thug is out for the count, his eyes white. Satisfied, I turn back to Han who can only be described as flabbergasted, looking like his jaw came loose from his mouth as he sits there on the street. Han’s workers are equally slackjawed

Rakurai: Are you in good condition Han?

I offer my friend a hand. He gets over his surprise enough to take it and as help him stand up. The business man peers at the bodies of the bandits unconscious, littering the street, especially Dorobo. He does not look like he will cause trouble anytime soon

Han: Is he…?

Rakurai: He’s not dead. But his most certainly has his fair share of broken bones

Han: H-How did you do that? T-The energy thingies and the shockwaves!

Rakurai: I studied martial arts in Japan. I practice the Soryu style. As for the shockwaves… They are a… supernatural power of mine. A gift

Han: A what? Gift? 

Rakurai: It is complicated to explain. But the gist is that I’m far from the average human

Han: I’ll say. That was amazing… d-do you have any cuts? Are you hurt?

Rakurai: You should be more concerned with the thugs who so recklessly tried to attack me. Small bruises, but they are insignificant. You know that dealing with thugs is a terrible idea Hanei

Han: Heh! You’re right. It’s not like I want to. But Dorobo and his men came out of nowhere, must have heard of my success and wanted money some weeks back. I’m assuming you heard everything that was said?

Rakurai: Affirmative

Han: Great, saves me from explaining. Well… thanks, I owe you man

Rakurai: I’m just glad you’re alright and that I decided to check up on you when I did

Han: You’re certainly full of surprises, aren’t you? An 18-year-old schooling a bunch of menacing street bandits… Never thought I’d see that

Rakurai: There are mysteries about my past and my own life I have not come to recollect yet, so that first statement is accurate

Han: You looked completely nonchalant about the whole thing do. It's like this was an average day for you. Did you even break a sweat?

Rakurai: These morons aren't worth the working moisture. How paltry

Han just stares at me in slight amazement. I look at the bandits again and shrug my shoulders as if saying "Whatever, don't care". I gaze to my right and see the facial features of he employees who witnessed the whole event, being very dismayed. I do not blame their small fear

Employee: A-Are you alright boss?

Han: Yes, I’m alright Abe, g-go get the authorities to get these punks cleaned up so they don’t cause further trouble

Abe: *Nods* Right away!

Abe dashes away from the scene to go get the police. Han breaths a heavy sigh to release the stress of what happened

Rakurai: What’s your call now? It’s almost the end of your work day

Han: Clean up these guys and line them up on the wall. We’ll figure it out from there I guess?

Agreeing with his assessment. Han and I set all of the bandits up against the wall, all lined up. Everyone does their best to get back on track and run the shop for the remaining hours of the work day. When the authorities came by an hour later, Han and I answered questions, though I intentionally left out the part of my supernatural shockwave ability which Han seemed to notice, but said nothing about. Afterwards, the bandits are taken into custody and we dismiss Han’s workers back to their houses and then go home ourselves

Han: Will you tell everyone about your abilities?

Rakurai: I don’t think it’s necessary, you can tell them it you’d like but I won’t speak of it. You should however tell everyone about the incident

Han: I think so too

As we walk home, a questions comes into my head and it had to do with one of the officers. A certain individual stuck close to his side and was different from everyone else. He looked like a mechanical and robotic humanoid. I’d never seen such a person before and it made me curious

Separated Dream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgBH1fbYj9U

Rakurai: Han did you happen to notice that robotic humanoid entity next to doushin Eiichi?

Han: Huh? Robo- OH! You mean Blade? His name is Akito, he’s Eiichi’s partner

Rakurai: Partner? 

Han stares for several seconds before frowning slightly

Han: You don’t remember Blades either?

Rakurai: Can’t say I do

Han: *Sighs* Okay… how to explain this… I’m not a Driver myself so I’m not sure if I can properly explain this. Blades are… perhaps one Alrest’s most mysterious races despite how prevalent and well known they are in life. They aren’t like the rest of us. Blades are a people innately connected to the elements, naturally able to manipulate them. They hold great power but are reliant on others in a very literal way

Rakurai: How so?

Han: From what I know, Blades don’t actually have a physical form unless they are linked to a Driver, a specific person who forms a bond with a Blade. They live in a largely inert crystal state, called a Core Crystal. They are awakened by someone who becomes their Driver and gain a physical form, though not all of them look like Akito. They actually take a variety of forms. Blades can bestow their power upon their Drivers and give them use of their weapons, so they can use the elements themselves. Blades are one of several ways for people to use the power of Alrest’s elements. That’s about all I know. Like I said, I’m not a Driver myself so the in depth stuff would be better asked to someone who actually has a Blade companion

Rakurai: Intriguing

Entities that rely on others to even exist…? I have a mixed opinion on this idea. Still, with what Han described, they sound like very useful beings that can greatly benefit Humanity. However, the term Blade as the name of their race irks me even though I barely know anything about them. Why are they called that?

Rakurai: So doushin Eiichi is a Driver then?

Han: Yes. Because of that, he’s very good at his job with the added powers that come with having a Blade and basically a personal assistant

Rakurai: That checks out

I wonder… where did such organisms come from? Born from initially inanimate crystals? How do such beings come to exist?

Han stays silent the rest of the way until we arrive back at his house. Akaishi, Serusu, and Chokoreto listen with awed amazement and great attention as Han describes the encounter with the bandits and how I “owned them”

Serusu: Wow! That’s freaking cool! Are you a martial artist?

Rakurai: I am

Keizai: Thank you for saving my husband Rakurai, we are in your debt

Akaishi: Awesoooome! You’re cool Rakurai! You must be really strong!

Chokoreto: Yeah! I bet those bad guys didn’t know what hit em!

Serusu: He took out 7 adult guys with sharp weapons… with his bare fists, he’s definitely powerful

Serusu gazes at me with great respect and awe in his eyes. I can sense his views shifting toward me

Rakurai: Thank you for the compliment Serusu. *Looks down* My stomach is grumbling, can we have dinner?

Keizai: Of course, I’ll get right on it

Keizai makes for the kitchen to prep dinner and as usual, there was discussion to be had about Han’s sales (And Serusu being a Doubtful Thomas as usual). When I obtain a private moment with the couple, I explain to Keizai my supernatural abilities as I believed she at least deserved to know. As expected, she is greatly astounded and almost in disbelief but Han confirms such a thing to his wife. Keizai was satisfied with the answer and thanked me again for saving Han, and we part to go to our rooms to slumber

Fleeting Prayer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPVlFfOpT4M

Yet despite what recent days have yielded, I am hardly closer to discovering my exact identity or important parts of my past. It’s… frustrating to me why I can’t recall anything. Just what happened to damage my mental capacity so badly? I am at least grateful however… that I have the information that I do and know my own name. I have read books where the protagonists does not even know that much

Rakurai: *Sighs* How long will it be before I regain the full extent of my being…?

As I sit there cross legged on my bed in contemplation, I look to a certain red set of wrappings on my forearm. I’ve known it was present since I awoke, but yet… somehow I’ve never bothered to remove them. At first I thought it to be a wound, but the lack of pain or any kind of negative or unpleasant sensation on the area doesn’t strike me as being an injury. Yet for some reason there’s this deep instinct inside of me that wants to keep it concealed and safety covered so I’ve left it as is

I feel little of that same sensation now so… Perhaps it’s safe to take a look at what my own body hides? I reach down and grab the wrappings, slowly unwinding them until they fall off, revealing my arm. What I find is… perplexing to me, I don’t know what to make of it. It’s yellow writing with a faint glow to it, it appears like it’s handwriting though, and quite elegant and refined as well

Rakurai: What is this?

I don’t recognize the writing, or why such a thing is on my forearm. Furthermore, why was it covered in red bandages? This is obviously not a scar or wound, so… why? One would think I can remember such a strange and personal thing engraved on my arm, but that is not the case. Yet despite my lack of memory toward what the writing is, I feel… an odd yet deep connection and attachment to it, like I know for certain it’s of utmost importance. My brain starts to have a menagerie of different signals that confuse me and I try to wave them away

Looking closer I actually see it’s a sentence, a set of words, 6 word in total

“$$( !^@! !# @#!!!%  !%@%@! *@%@#/"

I tilt my head to the side. It’s an odd message… why would it say something like this? Perhaps I am missing something. I run my fingers across the writing, noting the dull warmth emanating from the words. It seems so unnatural and mysterious yet it does not appear harmful or painful. Regardless, I decide to take the red wrappings and cover up my forearm once more, blotting out the words. When I finish, I play myself under the covers to sleep

Reminiscence- Sad Soul: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oen-9Fovks

That night I dream of what my life could be, what my exact identity could be in a menagerie of options. But something starts to intrude in my dreamscape, a strange and chaotic set of visions that I can’t make out in full. At first it appears to be many scenes of domestic life, and I recognize my own self at various ages in these moving images. A woman with red eyes and black hair… somehow I pin her as my mother. She smiles warmly at me, giving my younger self a hug and saying something to me with a teary smile, but I can’t hear what she says, nor can I recall her name…

A man with yellow hair colored red at the ends and crimson eyes laughs heartily. We seem to be camping, along with what I can only guess is a mini version of the man, with the same color of hair and similar eyes, but the boy’s eyes have gold around the red. He turns to my younger self

“Rakurai, just know that you’ll always be my brother, and best friend. Through thick and thin!”

This boy… is he my brother? Or best friend? Perhaps both… Then perhaps that means this man is my father judging by his appearance. But I cannot recollect either of their names… Why…? It frustrates me

More moving images are shown of what looks to be my own life, the ups, the downs… But I see so many people around me, and I can innately feel they are all special to me

One image shows me engaging in socialization with a group of 10 others around me, highly diverse in the way they look

One of them is a very tall blind man who reminds me of a monk. Another has white hair and many scars, and another too has white hair, but a much more strange and… I can only describe him as “flashy”. Other people I see are a heterochromatic black-haired male with a white snake and bandages around his mouth, sitting next to a girl with pink hair with lime green ends. I see what looks to be 2 sisters with the same pupilless-like insect eyes and similar appearances, one with short hair while the other has long locks of it, and both are wearing butterfly hairpins. A young boy around Serusu’s age with very long hair fading to mint green and baggy clothes stares off into space with cloudy teal eyes. Sitting opposite to me on both ends is a messy-haired male with his hair tied in a small low-hanging ponytail and blue eyes, and wearing a haori with red on one side and geometrically green, orange, and yellow on the other. He has a small smile on his face while talking to the previously flame-haired man, aged up like myself as I sit in between, silently taking in the conversation. These people… could they be my friends?

At some point, through the midst of the flashes of what could be memories, the landscape turns completely black for a while, until a green glow starts to shine, specifically emerald. A strange crystal or gem of some kind appears, with a shape familiar to me… Why does it look so similar to the crucifix? The faint outline and silhouettes of 2 women appear with their hands around the gem as if to cup it, one with long hair and the other short. It’s too dark to make out exactly what they look like. This is a scene that is entirely unfamiliar to me, unrecognizable at all, yet a certain odd sensation fills me as I see this

Another flash of images appears, but these ones are too quick for me to analyze and see what is going on. This is all so confusing… I next see the distinct scene of a vast field, peppered with daffodils, strange white flowers I don’t recognize, some yarrows, aconites, and orange lilies. The most predominant ones are the orange lilies, white flowers, and daffodils. Off in the distance, I see a large cat with a mane, standing on a hill and looking down

I notice how I myself am standing on one end of the vast and seemingly endless sea of flowers. On the other side in the distance is a girl, with long voluminous blonde hair standing with her back turned to me. Somehow, I feel a call to go to her and start to slowly walk to her, reaching out my hand as I get closer. She turns her head and while I cannot see her face clearly, I can distinctly see a warm smile on her face directed at me. As I get closer, flashes appear in my vision that briefly replace the landscape repeatedly, increasing the more I get closer to the girl

Until I’m startled when the landscape is replaced permanently and fully by a blackened ominous sky, and most of the flowers have withered except the orange lilies, aconites, and yarrows. The lion’s eyes glow intensely with an ominous shade of crimson. But what horrifies me is not the lion, but the same blonde girl held by the throat by a tall silhouette of a man, with burning purple eyes that scream evil. I can hear her agonized screams as he uses one hand to drain some kind of energy from her chest, cackling with glee as his purple eyes glow brighter and more ominously, striking deep into my being. I yell in protest and rush toward the 2 with my hand reaching out for the blonde, instinctively trying to save and protect her 

But everything turns black again, cutting me off. Instead of pleasant memories, I am greeted with sounds of fighting, war, and dark images of blood, death, and violence, people clashing with weapons, including the flame-haired man and myself against some silhouettes I don’t recognize. I see a monstrous man with glowing blue tentacles, a man with jagged black hair and grey eyes, a blonde-haired man with star-like pupils and a mask covering his face, a teal-haired male with a mask covering his upper face reminiscent of a plague doctor, holding a test tube and uttering a low laugh. A man with indigo hair and eyes and a kasa hat, grinning maliciously as his eyes spark with energy. I see many other figures I don't recognize, some of which I see in images of fighting and battle

I see a young boy clutching his mother, crying out loudly in grief with tear after tear, and then the same boy, aged up, roaring in fury and rage as a dark yellow energy explosion bursts from him, destroying the entire landscape

In a dark landscape, I see 13 silhouettes, all bearing symbols I recognize as Japanese in their eyes. 6 of them have only 1 symbol, but by far the most intimidating with eyes burrowing deep in my heart are the 7 figures with symbols on both of their eyes, which glow menacingly. I can make out what they say…

Upper 1, Upper 2, Upper 3, Upper 4, Upper 5, Upper 6, Upper 6

Another person shows up, a male, with deep red eyes that burn with hatred and disdain, glowering down at me, and the purple eyes from earlier show up behind him, peering down 

All goes black and dark again, and then I hear an unfamiliar slightly echoing female voice speak…

“Promise me… that you'll stay by my side… forever”

Solar Reminiscence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ny65KiWEqAQ

The scene shifts again as golden flames and light envelop the area, and a man stands in the center of it all. He is a tall man with a lean muscular build, fair skin, maroon eyes, and long spiky hair with red tips that are kept in a ponytail. He wears a red haori over a very pale orange-colored nagagi kimono with a black umanori-styled hakama. The man's overall clothing depicts many sun and golden flame motifs, with bright crimson red and orange plate armor on his lower arms, his shins and feet, shoulders, and torso. Even his face seems to have a similar marking on the left side of his forehead. He bears a long katana sword carried at the left side of his waist, and a naginata strapped to his back. I also see hanafuda earrings hanging from his ears

The man places a hand on my forehead as I'm sitting, his expressionless visage smiling slightly

Mysterious Swordsman: Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, Rakurai. Lean to him for strength, you have much ahead of you

Rakurai: What? What is ahead? I do not understand, who are you?

Mysterious Swordsman: That does not matter. You have been severely weakened from your journey Rakurai, your strength is lost. Find the strength buried in the memories you have lost, regain your former glory Rakurai and conquer the old secrets holding you back

Rakurai: My strength? I am... weak? How did this happen? Why and how am I on Alrest?

Mysterious Swordsman: That is not for me to tell you. Alrest is in grave danger. There is something evil stirring in the depths, in the hearts of men. This world will need a savior of it's own, to save them from their plight and unite them in the face of a brighter future

I don't get it, who is this man? He's being very cryptic and it is frustrating to me. How am I supposed to do anything if I have no clue what it is?

Mysterious Swordsman: You must find her Rakurai. Her choices will determine this world's future and she will need someone to help carry her burdens of power. It is vital that you find her

Rakurai: Who's... her?

But the swordsman offers no good explanation, he takes his hand off my forehead and walks away toward the golden flames

Mysterious Swordsman: You have much to discover and learn Rakurai. It is in your hands. I believe in you. Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother bless your efforts. I will watch over you

Rakurai: Wait! I need answers! Tell me! 

Too late, he disappears amongst the golden flames, turning to golden sparks

***

I jerk awake suddenly, blinking in confusion. I look around rapidly… Nothing… I’m in my room, it of course was a nightmare, dream, or… something else. Yet everything that I saw strikes deep into my core. What was that? Who were all those people and what could it all mean? Mother… I remember how she said that dreams can sometimes be messages from heaven, from God, trying to tell me something… Who was that man with the hanafuda earrings and that flame mark on his forehead? I feel like he's extremely important...

Could that be true? And If so… What did I witness?

Chapter Text

Ardavember 11th, 3252 PAW

Genshin Impact Medley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVhLm0noGw4

Rakurai: Why exactly do you desire me to be inconspicuous?

Han: That power of yours would attract unwanted attention. I don’t know where it comes from but it may be seen as a Vision in the eyes of the Tri Commission and the Vision Hunt Decree makes it clear that all new visions are to be confiscated. Besides, they don’t take kindly to vigilantes and that only gives them an excuse to arrest you

I sigh in slight annoyance, folding my arms as I sit back on the bench of the carriage. Han raises a good point but I do not have to like it. The Vision Hunt Decree is a decree that’s been in force for several months now, the Raiden Shogun’s latest action in “preserving her country”, except this one seems worst than the Sakoku Decree. Now in addition to a lockdown, all new Visions that have appeared during and after the enactment of the decree are to be confiscated, and the Core Crystals on Inazuma no Mikoto, discovered or not, now have new regulations and control laws on them to limit who gets them. It’s asinine. Confiscating an item with such a personal link to an individual is ridiculous, and what makes me even more dismayed is the Core Crystal regulation. Crystal form or not, they are still living beings… So why the heck are they being treated like a controlled substance? From the looks of things, Han even said that this is actually rather lenient on the Shogun’s part, and things are subject to change if she feels Visions pose a further threat to her ideals given enough reason and cause

Alright, now isn’t the time to complain about a goddess’s questionable policies. Han and I are on a carriage to the Narukami region of Inazuma, the main economic and governance area of the nation. Why? Although Han sticks to Kannazuka for commerce as a general rule since he just doesn’t have the bandwidth to expand to that point yet, one of his good friends ordered something very valuable from the business man. He’s probably one of only several customers in the Narukami region so Han doesn’t consider it too much of a hassle to make a delivery. As his good friend I am of course accompanying him so I can help with anything he needs. However, at the same time, Han thinks it’s a good idea if I get to see more of Inazuma beyond just one region and I agreed with him, thus this is the main reason why I’m coming along. Seeing more of Inazuma will benefit me and possibly restore some memories, if not, at least I will gain more of an understanding of the world around me 

I peer from the inside of the carriage to the creature pulling the carriage, a large lizard. The animal, called a Thundercharge Skink, These particular lizards have adapted to Inazuma’s electric-charged environment and can supercharge their muscles and increase the speed and efficiency of their already strong physical abilities in comparison to regular reptiles. At full speed, they can probably speeds of 45 miles per hour. Their current speed is a modest 30 mph, enough to be quite fast, but slow enough so the lizard can continue to travel at this speed consistently without being tired for a while. They couldn’t do this in high population urban environments as it would be too much of a traffic hazard with other carriages and travel vehicles. Out here in the open Inazuman wilderness, they do not have to regulate themselves to these safety protocols

At some point during the journey, the carriage driver stops, seeing how his steed is running out of fuel. He unhooks the skink

Carriage Driver: Go ahead Denshi, fill yourself up for a bit. *Raises voice* Food break everyone!

Han: Guess we’ll have to wait till Denshi fills himself with enough electricity to make good and efficient time. Let’s stretch our legs shall we?

I nod in agreement to my friend and the 2 of us, along with several of the straw hat man’s employees, step out of the carriage and onto the ground. I rotate my torso to stretch it out and shake my legs. Feeling better, I take in the Inazuman wilderness. I see a medium-sized plant with thickened reniform-shaped charged leaves that Denshi has singled out. The stem is a darkened blue color while the leaves are currently glowing, a sign of high bioelectric content. The lizard munches on the leaves and its electricity begins to refill. The plants over time have evolved to live in the unique environment of Inazuma no Mikoto and possess unique qualities, such as the presence of galanophyll, a pigment I looked into and discovered it producing the blue color. It varies on the shade, and on rare occasions even purple can be present

I observe other natural phenomena. A purple barrier of electricity surrounds one plant, with its various branches and leaves having the appearance of growing along the barrier. The barrier is supercharged to an extent that most creatures cannot hope to penetrate it without being harmed

A distant roar is heard in the vast landscape, similar to what I heard on my first day. I’ve learned from Han that it belonged to Stormreign Wyverns, one of Inazuma’s top predators and gargantuan beasts. Although they are dangerous, these beasts are thankfully content with avoiding urban areas. I take out a book from my backpack and a special kind of permanent writing implement. This book is a catalog of all my discoveries in Inazuma, including the culture, ecology, etc. I have another separate book on Alrest in general. I flip the pages till I settle on my entry pertaining to Stormreign Wyverns

“Stormreign Wyverns: An apex predator of Inazuma that prowl anywhere except for urban areas. These beasts are theorized to be descended from the well known vishaps of Alrest, perhaps branching off in evolution. In contrast to Dragons, Wyverns are more akin to bats or birds, with only 2 legs while their arm appendages are their wings. They also possess avian traits in comparison and are more streamlined, with a generally faster speed than Dragons while possessing a small frame. Stormreign Wyverns purposely ascend inside the electro-atmosphere and consume the electricity springing around in there for power. SR Wyverns can literally shoot lightning out of their mouths using this electricity they consume, and as such, are not to be trifled with. It’s only fortunate they prefer to electrocute fish and mountain-dwelling animals instead of preying on people, which they would rather leave alone to live their lives”

I write down some more information on several pages, close the book, and then returns it to the backpack. I see a lightning bolt hit the ground several dozen meters away without exploding, but no one pays it much attention, as the electricity quickly disperses through the ground and energizes it harmlessly as the brief flash of blue fades away. Occasional static jumpers across the ground, but would barely do anything beyond the sensation of a mild poke with a needle to anyone who feels it. From what I’ve studied, the Voltagium in the ground absorbs the electricity and heat and disperses it across the ground fairly quickly, so ironically, while Inazuma is always storming with lightning, it’s actually a far less dangerous place than anywhere else on Alrest in terms of danger from electricity, as the Voltagium and the plants typically absorb/eat it up

On our carriage is a lightning rod for the purpose of absorbing lightning if the rare instance of lightning ever striking the vehicle were to happen

Jump Toward the Morning Sun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pgYPHegYJ0&list=PLIpqsKgkQEvMUFbngp-GbW1JwDGXnxcm9&index=35

Han, myself, and several of his other employees, Abe, Itsumi and Seung, all gather for a picnic on the ground. Itsumi gets the food while Seung sets up the cloth and everything else. The meal being served is a variation of miso soup, some omurice, shogayaki, and karaage, with some side dishes and snacks. Once the meal is set up, everyone starts eating. Following a few minutes of relative silence, our group starts discussing the business activity we are going to conduct 

Han: We have a well known client in Supakufuro who wants to browse our highest quality selection of products and promises a guaranteed purchase to help support us even if he finds nothing of interest

Abe: Why would he buy something he’s not interested in?

Han: He said he’ll give it to an associate or friend who is

Abe: Ah, makes sense

Itsumi: Who’s the client?

Han: Dosei Noriko

Seung: Wait wait wait! Noriko? You mean the Noriko clan?

Han: *Nods* The very same. We get in contact quite frequently

Itsumi: Incredible Mr. Shonin! But uh… If you really do engage in business with him then why haven’t you don’t it more frequently?

Rakurai: A fair question

I’d think Han would capitalize on the fact he’s acquaintances with a prestigious clan to make a profit. During my time on Inazuma, I’ve been learning more about the social and political atmosphere. Noriko is one of Inazuma’s high status clans, comparable to Kamisato, Kujou, and Hiiragi

Han: You’re right. Here’s the thing though. Dosei is very busy and involves himself with a lot of the Narukami’s business affairs, and Supakufuro in particular. Dosei practically owns most of that town’s economic property or holds some sway. He’s managed to set aside time to buy some products, but it’s a very narrow window. Being on time is very important, otherwise if we are late then he’ll have no choice but to call it off so it doesn’t cut into his valuable time managing other business affairs. That and as the head of the Noriko clan, it would be disrespectful to keep him waiting

Seung: Ah, I see. Time is of the essence then?

Rakurai: What’s the window?

Han: It’s 12:49 right now. If we make good time, we’ll be in Supakufuro in a few hours. His window is 3:30-4:15

Abe: *Winces* Yikes, that’s a small window. This guy’s really busy isn’t he?

Han: *Nods* That he is

Rakurai: Point taken

I wonder what kind of things Dosei gets up to to have such a full schedule on a daily basis. Though I suppose managing most of an entire town’s economy since he owns most of it is undoubtedly tough

We discuss the kinds of products Hanei plans on offering as well as some more information about Dosei himself. Close to us finishing our lunch Denshi is close to being full himself. He has such an appetite that he quickly ate the entire plant, moves on to devour a dozen more, and then goes back to the carriage and his owner hooks him up. Creatures like the Thundercharge Skink eat these types of plants to recharge themselves during a trip when they use up all of their “thundercharge” as Inazumans call it, a kind of bioelectricity. It isn’t long before we’re on our way again, the lizard supercharging his muscles and moving at 35 mph. In Inazuma, reptiles have a kind of respect from the natives that the other groups of animals don’t quite get, probably because they are prevalent in daily far more often and many of these reptiles serve roles. Steeds, beats of burden, and war mounts. Thus, some of Inazuman culture revolves around coexistence with reptiles and respect, sometimes even to the point of reverence

As we near Supakufuro town, I see the sky suddenly start to get obscured as a semi transparent and glowing barrier appears around the entirety of Inazuma no Mikoto. Everyone looks to the sky and is awed by the Titan appearing to slowly submerge itself beneath the Cloud Sea, with this purple tinted clear barrier keeping the liquid of the sea out. The area suddenly becomes enveloped in cavern-like state, with the only things illuminating the landscape being the bioelectricity of flora and fauna, lightning, and the Arashihoshi in the sky. This barrier actually is always present, being invisible and only showing itself when this happened

At first I thought it to be some strange natural disaster, but Han informed me that it was a usual protocol of the Shogun. Every so often, in no order and often at random and indiscernable times, Inazuma no Mikoto would submerge itself beneath the Cloud Sea like a submarine and swim through the “clouds” undetected by anything. Apparently this practice is a protocol done by Raiden to further keep Inazuma safe by making it unpredictable to locate and enter. From a strategic standpoint, this is actually quite smart. Combined with the Electro barrier, any enemy force attempting to invade Inazuma have to not only actually locate the Titan invisible under the Cloud Sea, but also get through the Electro barrier. The times for how long Inazuma no Mikoto is submerged also vary as well, anywhere from half an hour to the quarter of a day

Han: I never really get tired of seeing the spectacle. Inazuma’s beauty really comes to light in these moments. In my opinion of course

I stare at the landscape around me. Truly Inazuma is an exotic environment…

A Night Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCurGaMTKNM

As predicted, we arrive in Supakufuro in a few hours. The “Cavern Submersion” as the people call it, ends shortly after we arrive, with Inazuma no Mikoto emerging back above the Cloud Sea slowly and the electro barrier becoming invisible once again

Abe: Ever been to Supakufuro Rakurai?

Rakurai: *Shakes head* No

Abe: Well if you ever get the chance, you should try out the hot springs. They’ve made the town famous. Rich mineral water that soothes the body and is even used to forge weapons for an extra “edge” if you get what I’m saying

Rakurai: Hot Springs?

Abe: Yeah, something about a geothermal aquifer deep inside this part of Inazuma no Mikoto. Some people even say that it gets close to being Natlanic quality

Rakurai: Does Natlan have good springs as well?

Abe: Oh~ yeah, the best. I wish I could try them myself…

I nod in understanding. Perhaps I will try out the hot springs at some point. The carriage driver drops us off at a taxi point and bids us goodbye before heading off to take his next job after Han pays him mora. Using a portable cart and setup, we walk through Supakufuro town to go the Noriko residence to meet with Dosei. I notice how he architecture here is different from Murasaki and other places. There’s a lot of warm colors present, an overall brighter palette. Red, tan, and orange seem to be the dominant colors around here

Rakurai: What’s with the abundance of warm colors?

Han: The Noriko Family colors. Dosei has red hair while his wife Chieko has dirty blonde hair. The town’s pretty much painted after their hair colors

What in the…? Seriously? Why would an entire settlement model their architecture after people’s… hair color? That just seems… weird. I am uncertain how to think about this

Rakurai: Okay then… Noted

Han: Yeah, it’s an eccentric move for sure

Some curious stares come our way as expected, but the residents move on pretty quickly. According to Han, the Noriko Clanhouse is located in the southwest region of the town. It’s currently 3:25 so we had to hussle if we wanted to make it

Shirasagi’s Demeanor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhLBfN2DvQ4

As we near the region of setup, something catches my attention so I pause my movement. I spot 2 figures, male and female. The girl catches my attention first as her appearance is very striking. She has long bright red-orange hair styled into small curls near the fringes with one lock of it tied in a small ponytail at the back while still maintaining the free flowing aspect, with a length extending to her tailbone. 2 locks of her hair pass over her shoulders and a small tuft curls inward towards her right eye face like a hook. Several strands of her hair are dyed with a peach color, with one in particular going diagonally across her forehead bangs and a hanafuda hairpin is attached to the left side of her hair. Her eyes are a dusty orange color with uneven triangular maroon pupils. The woman wears a white bodysuit over her figure and a crimson and dark magenta sleeveless top that hangs lower than it should on her chest from my perspective. A wavy short white skirt with golden edges hugs her waist, and she had black legging. She had arrow shaped golden clasps on both of her shins and white sandals for footwear. On top of all this, she wore a loose fitting white and magenta kimono top with flame markings on the sides of her chest. I gauge her age to be around 16, though this is a difficult estimate as her figure is quite mature for someone of that age group

The other person is a man with probably a few more years of age on the girl. He has brown hair tied in a small low hanging rattail and red eyes, wearing a spotted red hanten jacket, a brown and grey top and green pants. Looking closer, I can see what appears to be the older man attempting fliration with the younger lady

Flame Orange Girl: I have an appointment I must travel to of high significance. Stop pestering me

Brown Haired Man: Don’t be like that Miss. I’m certain it can wait until later. A nice date would get both our spirits up!

Flame Orange Girl: Are you deaf or merely just that mornically stubborn? I Informed you no

Brown Haired Man: I’ll pay for it and everything! Trust me, you’ll have a great time

Ugh… I heavily dislike these types of situations

Han: Rakurai? Why did you stop?

Hanei and his workers notice how I’d started to fall behind and approach me

Itsumi: Come on man! We’ve gotta go! Whatever has your attention isn’t important enough right now!

I don’t move, my head facing Han

Rakurai: *Nudges* That woman is in some troublesome straits. I believe she’s trying to be polite… *Pauses* Relatively speaking

Han and everyone else turn to the same scene unfolding before me

Something else is brought to my attention. The girl has an outwardly calm and level headed visage but closer inspection reveals that she has some slight sweat on her brow and forehead, and her skin looks to be unhealthy to a degree. The muscles on her torso and arms seem to be overworking themselves. Besides these 2, I see other subtle body language clearly being hidden, but indicating that this woman is ill. I conclude the appointment she is talking about is to a doctor and this man is holding her up

Abe: Itsumi’s right, that sucks, but we don’t have time to stop

Han: Rakurai, let’s go. We can’t do anything with our time ta- Hey wait!

Without a second thought I speed walk over to the duo, much to the consternation of our group

Flame Orange Girl: Please depart immediately. I again state that I have no desire for a date and am in a hurry

Brown Haired Man: Hey, come on! I’ll just show you and then you’ll change your mind!

Wanted Nia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYmTwh4x-Sk&list=PLIpqsKgkQEvMUFbngp-GbW1JwDGXnxcm9&index=42

He starts getting pushy and grabs the girl’s arm. Before she can react, a split second after this happens I place my hand on his shoulder, quickly spinning him around to face me with a flick of my hand

Brown Haired Man: Bagh! What the heck!? Who are you? What was that for?!

The flame orange haired girl is a bit startled by my sudden entrance. I just glare impassively at the man

Rakurai: She has told you repeatedly that she doesn’t want a date. Therefore, get out of her presence. Why are you still here?

Brown Haired Man: None of your business commoner. She doesn’t know what she wants

Oh Architect here we go…

Rakurai: Oh really? And what basis is there for that?

Yukio: Maybe you don’t know who I am. I’m Yukio Kimura, show some respect to someone with some more prestige. I’m trying to go on a date with my fiancee

…

I look at the flame orange haired girl who just looks flat out done with this whole scenario. Oh… I see what’s happening here

Rakurai: *Blank Stare* Is that supposed to mean something?

Both of them are surprised, but Yukio is especially flabergasted

Yukio: *Is this guy for real!? Seriously!?*

Flame Orange Girl: *Impressive…*

Han and his employees had come after me but have now frozen in place from shock, a bit slack jawed

Yukio: What the hell do you mean “Is this supposed to mean something”!? Are you deaf?

Rakurai: Oh I heard you, I’m just attempting to locate the part where I actually am supposed to care

*Glass Break sounds*

Yukio: *Auuuuugh…*

Employees/Han: *You’ve gotta be kidding me!*

Yukio: Now listen here you little-!

In one swift move Yukio is cut off when I blitz him

Rakurai: Respect a woman’s time

A quick karate chop to his neck sends Yukio into an unconscious state. Han and his gang are officially white with astonishment and the flame orange haired girl, although being surprised as well, seems more impressed than anything

Rakurai: *Sighs* Oh my Archons… I hate entitled people…

Han: Rakurai! What the hell did you do!?

Rakurai: Gave him a lesson

Abe: How was THAT a lesson!?

The girl smiles at me

Flame Orange Girl: Thank you sir for the assistance. I didn’t quite have the audacity to do what you just did

Rakurai: Your “fiance” was getting out of control. Although that was a bold faced lie wasn’t it?

Flame Orange Girl: To be fair, that’s not entirely true, but that statement could function. He’s a matchmaking candidate really. Fiance is a stretch to say the least amount

Rakurai: I thought so

She smiles wider and gives a brief bow to me. However, I can see her skin getting paler and her forehead getting red while her hands are shaking

Flame Orange Girl: Thank you again. You have my gratitude. I must be off now to my appoint… Appointment…

She trails off and then suddenly keels over to the side while losing consciousness. In a flash I catch her body and prevent her from falling and aggravating her already ill body

Han: Oh crap! What happened!?

Seung: Why’d she pass out?!

Rakurai: She’s sick. What with, I don’t have any ideas. We need to get her to the hospital

Itsumi: Wait! What about the meeting?! We are most definitely going to miss the window if we-

I shoot a glare at Itsumi which frightens him. Han places a hand on my shoulder

Han: Relax Rakurai. Itsumi, that’s alright. This girl is badly sick and right now I don’t think there’s any other ideal person to help her. We’ll just have to figure it out together

Itsumi: Okay sir. I’ll trust you

Han: Let’s go!

I nod in agreement and our group rushes to the nearest hospital at Han’s direction since he knows the town

***

For a Moment of Peace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Beat6BnpK_Q&list=PLO_6KdzGnpVmSJFTazOtPdJtsj0IfYKnt&index=48

Eris: I sincerely apologize for the trouble I’ve caused you all. Nonetheless, you have my gratitude for rushing me to receive medical aid

Rakurai: It’s fine Eris. Not a problem. You needed help, so I gave it

It’s been an hour and 45 minutes since we found upon the Flame Orange Girl. Thankfully the hospital was very close to where we were and within 10 minutes, we had gotten her admitted into medical care. The girl told us her name was Eris not long after she woke up, which didn’t take as long as we originally thought, she recovered quickly

Abe: What happened? Why did you faint?

Eris: I appear to have unintentionally overdosed on my prescription medication and it led to adverse side effects. If I had known that, I wouldn’t have gone out today

Han: You mentioned a matchmaking?

Eris: Ah, yes. *Sighs* It’s honestly a nuisance…

Rakurai: How old are you?

Eris: 16

As I thought… and that guy must have been 19 or 20 years of age

Han: Why in the world are you being matched at 16?

Eris: *Side eye* Family issues… But I’m glad Rakurai stepped in. I didn’t know how else to handle the situation and I was at my wits end as I realized I had a fever nd may have overdosed so I needed to get here as soon as possible. Did not occur as I intended but I am nonetheless fine, so thank you all

Seung: Well we’ve been sitting here for almost 2 hours… *Sighs* We’ve definitely botched our potential business deal

Eris: As I’ve said, I apologize for such an inconvenience. I assume your client is on a tight schedule?

Han: *Nods* Absolutely. But… maybe we can try again later. Glad you’re alright Eris

Han turns to all of us and stands up from his seat

Han: Alright, back to Murasaki it is for us then. I’ll write a letter and tell our client that we were held up

With most everyone’s heads downcast (except for mine), we say goodbye to Eris and leave the hospital, but not before using it’s Glider Lizard courier system to send a message by writing a letter and having the animal deliver it to Dosei. We’ve lost the deal for now, but I feel no shame or guilt in potentially saving someone’s life as a payoff

Eris sits in her futon thinking about something. The way they described their client seemed familiar to her. It doesn’t take long for her to figure it out, as her eyes go wide in surprise

Eris: Oh dear! Could their client be…?

The red-orange-haired girl quickly gets out of her bed and swiftly leaves her room, passing by the medical staff and after insisting she was okay to be discharged, heads off to go find Rakurai, Han, Abe, Itsumi, and Seung

Seung and Itsumi start complaining to me while we stride at a modest speed down the streets of Supakufuro

Seung: We could have made it in time if you hadn’t stopped to satisfy your curiosity Rakurai

Rakurai: So you would have preferred I leave Eris to her fate to be talked to death by Yukio? Or having collapsed without any potential assistance?

Itsumi: No! We’re not saying that, it’s just…

Rakurai: You are willing to place a business deal over the safety of a life?

My statement makes Seung and Itsumi uncomfortable and anxious due to the sheer bluntness of it. Han steps between us as we walk

Han: That’s enough guys. Seung, Itsumi, I’m also disappointed in the outcome. Things didn’t go to plan. However, I rest easy knowing that we happened to be there at the right time to help Eris, otherwise it’s likely she would have suffered more from her accidental overdose. It’s true we’ve potentially lost half a million mora to be made…

Itsumi: Yeah Han! What if this ends up screwing us over and we don’t have the mora we could have made from this when things get tough and we’re low on sales and in a tight spot?

Han: *Gesture of agreement* This is true. Such a scenario could exist. But we’re in the present and we worry about the now. Regardless, a business’s ethics are far more important than making a profit. The ethics and reputation of a business sets the example for good or bad for future companies to come, and that of the ordinary folk. I don’t want the other outcome of that situation weighing on us. Rakurai did the right thing. Do you 2 understand?

Han speaks calmly but firmly to his employees, looking between each of them. They bow their heads

Itsumi/Seung: Yes sir!

Seung: You’re right, we’re sorry Han. Just… got a little out of shape there

Itsumi: Yeah, we probably sounded like jerks. Apologies, won’t happen again

Han: Good. Abe?

Han looks to his senior manager and Abe nods

Abe: You have my word Hanei

The dark brown haired man nods in satisfaction and we speed up now that we finished settling that matter. Han gets close to me and puts a hand on my shoulder, smiling with approval

Han: You did the right Rakurai. You have my respect. You’re a good man and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise

Rakurai: *Nods* The life of a person is worth more than any shiny object or wealth the world can have to offer

Han: Well said my friend

I think about what occurred and remember a certain concept in the scriptures I read about. The Holy Ghost, the 3rd member of the God head that doesn’t have a body, but is just a spirit. However, he is God’s messenger and often guides people to make right choices by a still small voice, giving them prompts such as how to help people in your capacity. Perhaps what happened with Eris was one such prompting from the Holy Spirit

Rakurai: *To himself* Thank you for the heads up

***

Friends: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia5LeNZ3beA&list=PLn6N3gkrI2TXxC2SZZf_zQyJIr9SSux_e&index=18

Our group has exited Supakufuro and was entering the roads and wilderness outside the town. Just as we’re about to fully set off however, a familiar voice calls out to us running from town to catch up

Eris: Hey~! Wait up guys! Don’t go yet!

Abe: Huh? Eris?

Han: What are you doing here?

We all turn around to face the 16 year old girl, who skids to a stop in front of us, smiling. 2 men catch up to her and stand at her side, huffing and puffing from exhaustion whereas Eris looks like she losed zilch amount of oxygen

Eris: Sorry, I had to get to you. I just remembered something. Your client, who are they?

Rakurai: Dosei Noriko. The head of the Noriko clan

Suddenly it dawns on me why Eris approached us when I say this outloud. Eris grins

Eris: I knew it! You’re in luck! My father’s now too busy to help you. But I’m happy to do business with you all right here!

Everyone gasps except me, as I retain my usual stone faced composure

Abe: Hold on, are you suggesting you are…?

One of the 2 men clears his throat and speaks

Daiki: Allow me to introduce our esteemed lady, Miss Erisunato Noriko of the Noriko Clan. Eldest daughter and child of the Clan. My name is Daiki and this is Ren. We are retainers of the Noriko household

Everyone’s jaws drop except myself, as I instead observe Eris with fascination. She places a hand on her temple

Eris: Sorry about that. I should elaborate. My full name is Erisunato. How can I do business with you? Hehehe!

Myself and Han are the only people who don’t respond with a brief bow. Even so I do catch Han doing an instinctive bow for a microsecond before he corrects himself. Itsumi and Seung seem to bow their heads especially low which I sum up to be the fact that they had complained about her in a way not long ago and probably feel a bit shameful

Eris: A-Ah! There’s no need to bow, sit up straight guys, that just makes me uncomfortable. You’re older than me anyways

They do as Eris wants and sit up. Eris seems off to me for some reason that I can’t pinpoint yet, plus she has an aura of energy I noticed previously as well

Itsumi: Are you really the eldest of the Noriko clan?

Eris: Yep! That’s right

Han: Why didn’t you mention this before?

Eris: *Sighs* It’s just a habit I do. My status doesn’t matter very much to me. I’m Eris the person first and a Noriko second… Okay maybe 3rd

Daiki: *Narrows eyes* Milady~...

Eris: *Deadpan* Shove it Daiki, I mean what I said. I don’t need to be treated like some infallible princess

Daiki does as asked and quiets himself and Eris nods in saisfaction

Rakurai: You said you can help us?

Eris: Uh huh. I’ve got boatloads of mora myself. I’ll stand in my father’s place

This situation is quite good fortune. It seems Jesus is smiling down on us

Eris: So what kinds of products do you offer? I’d love to take a look and see all the thingamajigs

Han: We’ll gladly do so! Just let us put out our quick set up

Eris: That’s fine. I can wait

As if to further emphasize her point, Eris plops herself crosslegged on the ground

Abe: You heard Lady Noriko! Let’s show her our stuff!

Han and the group take everything out of the wagon to set up their mini booth and display items for Eris to potentially buy. Daiki and Ren help out with the setup as well. She breaths a small huff of air in a small show of annoyance. While they do so, I notice an item glinting purple from the folds of Eris’s clothes. An image appears in my head based off a book I read some time ago on visions

Rakurai: That thing you’re hiding. That’s a vision no?

The flame orange haired girl is startled from my sudden question, glancing to said object

Eris: That’s not a vision! It’s an interesting stone I found on the shores of Inazuma no Mikoto and I thought I’d keep it

The aura of energy is coming from the object so this only reinforces my belief. Eris responded well. If it were anyone else they’d easily believe her well told lie. I however, have a penchant for discerning the truth. However, I am not annoyed, as I understand why she told a falsehood

Rakurai: It is alright. I won’t tell anyone if it is. I’m not that kind of person

Eris: …Y-Yes, it’s a vision. How could you tell?

Rakurai: I sensed it

This piece of info catches the noblewoman off guard

Eris: Sensed it? But you can’t normally sense visions

Rakurai: Oh? You can’t?

Eris: Yeah, they’re just like a regular ornament. At least from my perspective. I didn’t even know they give off an aura

Interesting… So it seems that this sense of mine if limited only to myself for the time being. Eris grabs her vision from her secret spot and shows it to me. I recognize the symbol as electro, the element of lightning

Rakurai: An electro vision… I’m surprised you have a vision at such a relatively young age

Eris: Actually the age varies quite a bit or so I’ve heard. Even a 10 year old can get a vision if they qualify, and someone as old as 30 can too

Rakurai: So age is not a determining factor in earning a vision? I’ll keep that in mind. I suppose it is understandable why you conceal your vision when taking the Vision Hunt Decree into consideration

Eris: I’ve had mine for 5 years actually. It’s thankfully not new. Even so, I prefer to keep my powers inconspicuous

5 years. She’s 16 now so do a little math and she earned her Vision at 11 years of age. Eris slips her vision away back in her clothing, and this time she puts more effort into concealing it since I managed to spot it easily enough

Eris: You seem like a guy I can trust with that little secret

Rakurai: Hm, thanks

***

Eris: Ooo! All these wares are so fascinating! What a diverse selection! You’ll have to give me a moment, I need some time to browse and decide

Seung: No problem Lady Noriko

Eris: You don’t have to call me that. Just Eris or Erisunato is fine. No titles needed

Han: Are you certain? We want to be sure we aren’t disrespecting you

Eris: *Shakes head* Like I said earlier. I’m Eris first and foremost. I actually find it more personably disrespectful to be considered an idol rather than a person with feelings and ambitions. I prefer to be thought of as a person

Han: *Smiles* That’s quite understandable. Very well then, Eris it is

Eris giggles and continues moving through the selection with giddy fascination. Eris somehow gave off a different… vibe back there in Supakufuro. A calmer and more “regal” disposition so to speak whereas here I can sense an innate pep in her voice and movements. Looking at her eyes, my theory seems to be supported. I explicitly remember her having triangular shaped pupils whereas now Eris’s pupils are slits

Strange… I wonder what the reason could be?

Han brought some of his top tier wares including some rugs and cloth made with materials imported from Fontaine (When he still had trade access), a variety of stylized hats with an Inazuman touch, some fine porcelain plates and bowls, and even some weapons. I actually recognize some of the weapons as those from the bandits I defeated, making me snort in mild amusement at how Han just basically looted them. Although I would imagine they were confiscated and Han simply either negotiated to get them from the police or bought them, either way, that was kind of funny

Eventually, after a rather “apprehensive” 30 minutes of browning and Eris being indecisive, she finally decides on a heap of stuff to buy. This includes an old tea set some tablecloths, a bandit’s knife, several different sets of hair accessories, some shampoo and conditioner, an Ardainian steam pistol, a set of obi sashes, a citrus squeezer, etc.

Wait where the heck did he get a steam pistol?!

A Nopon’s Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xVUX7Q9mvI

Han: Are you certain you’ll be able to carry all that Eris?

Eris: Well…

Eris’s body is littered with items attached to her clothes, an overstuffed backpack, some items tucked in her clothes, and I even snort at a new fancy set of handcrafted chopsticks wedged between Eris’s breasts since she must have ran out of room elsewhere. In addition, there were a handful of items sitting on the ground around her, including a new wardrobe cabinet

Eris: I may~ have some trouble with all this

Ren: That’s an understatement milady

Rakurai: Hm. I think I have a solution

Everyone looks to me for said solution. I walk over to the 2 carts I’d been eyeing for. I start placing the contents of one cart that had more space than the other into said second cart. Han and his employees start to catch on and help me until everything is moved. The 1st cart is a bit overflowed but it should be fine. The 2nd cart is now completely empty and I roll it over to Eris

Rakurai: Here. You can use this leftover cart to transport your items

Eris: Sweet! This is awesome! Thanks guys

She grabs the handles of the cart to start moving when Daiki points out something with a small blush on his face

Daiki: Erm, Lady Erisunato… You forgot something

Eris looks to where Daiki is pointing and sees the chopsticks still inside her chest crevice

Eris: Oh right! I forgot about these. Whoops! Plop!

Eris makes a verbal plop sound as she removes the wooden utensils out of her chest and tosses them in the cart, without any sign of embarrassment on her part and instead just smiling cheerfully with a toothy grin

Eris: Alright! Off we go! Thanks again everyone! I’ll return the cart when I’m done with it, okay?

Han: Sounds good. I’d love to have that back thank you very much

Eris: Buh-bye!

Eris waves to us as she and her retainers start pushing the cart back towards Supakufuro town. I don’t see her bringing the retainers for no reason and I would imagine she just needed them as extra muscle to push all the potential items she would buy

Han: Hahaha… What a fascinating young lady wouldn’t you say? I guess the Architect smiled on us after all!

Abe: Yeah that actually worked out pretty solid. We made about 400,000 mora in sales

Han: Not as much as we would have made if Dosei himself purchased but still, it’s close

What an interesting person indeed. Eris seems to have a few things besides her vision that she’s hiding or at least keeping on the downlow but she appears to be a good person. So far from reading between the lines I’ve come to respect her for her dedication to herself first and her status later. The added context of her being the eldest daughter of the Noriko Clan makes the situation with her and Yukio make more sense, even if it sours me a bit that she’s already being married off at 16 (or at least attempts have been made). I should probably make myself scarce before Dosei gets word of what I did to Yukio, save myself the trouble

Han: Let’s head home everyone, good show!

Everyone cheers in agreement and we start our way to Sokpo, which had the closest available transportation service as Supakufuro’s is currently very occupied

If the opportunity presents itself, I’d like to meet Eris again and get to know her more

Chapter Text

5 months later

It’s been 5 months since I’ve come to take up residence with the Shonin family. Not many memories came back to me during this time, but I was okay with that for the time being. If I had to suffer through regaining my full self piece by piece than so be it. The Shonins continue offering their hospitality to me and giving me everything I need, which is not much as I am quite capable of managing myself. I am still grateful to them for providing a welcome household, free meals, a job, and more. I dedicate some of my time to practicing my Soryu Style so it’s up to date and sharp, as well as improve my combat capacity. I continue my employment at Han’s store, though outside of and even during work, I find myself using my abilities to round up criminals and other law breakers that stir up trouble in the areas I happen to be around. Rumors have even begun to spread around about me, a mysterious bare handed martial artist who laid down the law on criminals and helped those in need. While this is good and all, I eventually discover the existence of another one of the Raiden Shogun’s decrees, this time called the Vision Hunt Decree. According to various sources I asked to gather information, the decree had been in effect for several months already, and said decree bans the use of Visions, as well as control on the supply of Core Crystals in Inazuma. I can see how my powers may be mistaken for a Vision despite not possessing one so I opted to remain hidden and operate in secret. To prevent discovery, I decided to don concealing clothing to hide my identity. Han and I have even discussed my activities on several occasions and he thanked me for keeping the streets safe. I became casual friends with some of Han’s employees and even received a promotion from Han himself which by now is seen as well earned by my fellow employees who have come to respect my work ethic. I’d seen some of the military come by asking citizens for my location or whereabouts but due to my nature, they could never give a reliable answer. I wasn’t sure why the military was looking for me, was it wrong for me to help people in need? 

However… my days of peace came to an end, towards late January. It was during Serusu’s birthday that everything went to hell in a handbasket, on Barbatuary 23rd, we had just celebrated his birthday and it’s the afternoon post party. Serusu and I are relaxing on the balcony together when he suddenly expresses gratitude

A Place in the Sun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEp52HEO-aA

Serusu: Thank you for staying with us Rakurai

Rakurai:I have nowhere else to go do I not? I have no choice but to stay here

Serusu: Well, technically you do you could leave us and go somewhere else. Dad’s probably paid you enough to the point where you can buy a small house

Rakurai: I don’t know about that much. I suppose you are right on some level. But I’m comfortable here, I’m grateful you have let me into your family

Serusu: W-Well… I… I’m e-embarrased to admit it but… I look up to you, l-like an older sibling, you inspire me

Serusu had gradually warmed up to me in these months, which probably started as Serusu continued to hear stories about me from his father, which included the story of how I saved Eris from an untimely overdosage and a bad date. After hearing repeated tales of my tendency to always offer help to anyone in need regardless of convenience, Serusu saw me less as an uncomfortable housemate and more of mentor of sorts

At an increasing frequency he would come to me with questions about myself and my ideals, and at some point even started desiring my help with his schoolwork, evidently viewing me as a knowledgeable and capable person. I did not mind this change as it satisfied me to see that Serusu was getting more vulnerable and showing more trust. Though I find it amusing how Serusu seemed like a student to me in many a way. He asked for tutoring on basic self defense a few months ago. On many occasions I’d eavesdrop on the maroon haired teen praising me and stating how much he admired my character and prowess

I snort with light amusement, pretending I didn’t know

Rakurai: Look up to me? Is that so? 

Serusu: I mean it… I’m really glad for you keeping our family safe! I… I’ve seen you on the streets, that's how you defeated the bandits that attacked dad back then wasn’t it? Your… shockwaves

Rakurai: Ahhh… so you’ve seen that, it’s true, I do hold supernatural powers

Serusu: I… promise I haven’t told anyone. I’m sure you had your reasons for keeping it a secret

Rakurai: I know that, if you did, I’d probably have received… “visitors” by now, so thank you I guess

Serusu: You do know the military is hunting you right?

Rakurai: Yes, I don’t know why, there’s nothing wrong with defending the innocent from danger

Serusu: That’s not it, it’s because of your powers… Hey, can I see it up close? Your uh… yellow energy?

Rakurai: *Raises eyebrow* An odd request, but very well

I stand up and crack my fingers, I take a stance. Serusu retrieves something from his room which is revealed to be a wooden target. He places it on a stand in front of me and gestures to it

Serusu: Have at it

I nod and swirl pale yellow energy in my left fist, then use a left hook on the target, blowing it to tiny wood pieces. Serusu winces and covers his face from potential splinters to his eyes. When he’s certain the risk is clear, his mouth opens wide and utters a sound of awe

Serusu: Wow… So cool! That was awesome! But… I’m confused though, it doesn’t look like any of the 9 elements

Rakurai: It doesn’t?

Serusu: *Shakes head* No. I thought it would be lumino for a brief sec there but I then thought better of it. For one, no person’s ever harnessed the element of light, and even blades who wield it are few and far between. Plus, it’s not… flashy enough I guess? Sorry, that’s the best I’ve got

When Serusu says the word “flashy”, a brief image of a white haired man with a flamboyant appearance and 2 large cleaver blades shows up

“I’m the God of festivals and flashiness!”

I recall him from my dream and other mental images and have surmised him to be a close friend of mine. Unfortunately, I cannot remember his name. However, what I do remember is his overfixation on all things flamboyant

Serusu: Uh, Rakurai? You spaced out there

Rakurai: Ah, apologies. You said someting that reminded me of someone

Serusu: Who’s that?

Rakurai: A friend. I cannot remember his name though. My memory is still… incomplete and with a great many gaps

Serusu: Oh, okay

Rakurai: So… my powers not any of the elements?

Serusu: Well… I mean it’s obviously… some kind of energy, but not any of the ones I studied, there’s only 9. I don’t get it

Rakurai: This does seem like quite the unusual mystery

Serusu contemplates something before continuing, diverging from our current topic

Serusu: Have you heard the rumors lately?

Rakurai: That’s a general statement. I hear many rumors

Serusu: Okay, fair point. Specifically have you heard about the recent news with the VSD?

Rakurai: Mm… The Vision Hunt Decree… Yes, I hear it’s reach has been “extended”

Serusu: *Nods* My Dad says when he visited another town a week back people were on edge because Shogunate soldiers were rounding up a few vision bearers who lived there

Rakurai: So the rumors are true then… 

Serusu: Yep, now it’s not just new visions, but almost anyone who holds one. Only a select few still have visions and I hear they even had to go through an approval process. Even Commissioner Kamisato had to do it and he’s one of the big 3

No doubt the Shogun did that so as to assess loyalty and any potential danger to her ideal of Eternity. This is getting worse and worse. What is she thinking up there in Tenshukaku? Why are visions being outlawed?

Rakurai: This is not making sense, why are visions outlawed? What danger could they pose to the Raiden Shogun? Criminals and terrorists are understandable… but so many of these people use their visions in their daily lives. For some they are essential to their livelihood and yet she just strips them of such an important tool in life?

Serusu: Only 10-20% of people who have visions so it doesn’t affect the majority of the population. I don’t know the exact number, and maybe it’s closer to the lower percent, but they aren’t exactly that scarce. On the other hand it would be a lie to say they are common

Rakurai: That’s… horrible, what right do they have to take away something that clearly belongs to that person? This is a crime in and of itself

Serusu: I know, I totally agree with you, you get visions when you’re recognized by the gods, like your own personal achievement of perseverance in life and how well you’ve lived it. I say that’s a deeply personal achievement and no one has any right to try and strip it

Rakurai: What about Blades? Have they been further limited?

Serusu: Not from what I hear. I don’t think you can do much more than what the decree already has in place. I mean, it’s kind of silly to try confiscating Blades when they’re already awakened and full fledged people. That’s like arresting someone with no good reason. The Tri Commission would have to wait until a Blade’s Driver dies before taking the Core Crystal and storing it

Rakurai: Huh? I don’t follow. Once a Blade’s awakened it stays like that no?

Serusu shakes his head

Dirge of the Soundless: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZxg1Fl-z6s

Serusu: No, Blades return to their Core Crystals when their Driver dies, they can’t sustain themselves otherwise. Even when they’re first awakened, they still repeatedly need a Driver

Rakurai: Ah, that makes more sense. It reminds me of a symbiotic relationship. Still, this does nothing to ease my concerns

Serusu: It irritates me too Rakurai, but no one can oppose the Shogun. She’s the Goddess of Eternity after all. Going against a deity is suicide

Rakurai: The fact she is a goddess is irrelevant. In fact, as the ruler of her country it’s her increased responsibility to ensure the prosperity and well being of her people. Regardless of supposed divinity, things must be done if a god/goddess is proving to be incompetent or tyrannical

Serusu can sense the low warning tone in my voice partway through what I said and expresses worry

Serusu: P-Please, Rakurai, I don’t want you to get arrested, the lawful thing would be to turn you in obviously, but… you’ve been helping people and I like that. I don’t want you getting in trouble, especially not with the Raiden Shogun . Your memories suck right now but let me tell you that Archons are nothing to screw with, they’re envoys of Celestia and the Architect for a reason

I sigh in small defeat. Serusu presents a point and I will do nothing overly foolish. I must play my cards right but regardless… 

Rakurai: Understood… But do not worry Serusu, I have not been planning on doing something stupid or illogical. I understand the risks. Understand however that I am a staunch advocate for the freedom of individuals, for them to utilize the god-given agency granted to them. Such an act, to take away visions, and even limit Blades which are people themselves… it is an affront to the religion I stand for

Serusu smiles at me, in awe of my resolution

Serusu: *Smiles* I know… You’re a great man Rakurai. I’m glad I met you. I promise to make you proud someday

Rakurai: Hmph. I’ll look forward to such an occurence

Serusu: Anyways, some people are already doing something about the Vision Hunt Decree anyways. News has spread that Watatsumi’s fed up with the crap and declared war on the Shogunate

This catches me slightly off guard. Watatsumi’s at war with the Shogunate? I had heard from Han and Keizai how it was an autonomous region of Inazuma, essentially a protectorate; geographically part of Inazuma, but politically separate. They had told me that Watatsumi frequently butted ideological and cultural heads with the rest of Inazuma and that led to disagreements and heightened tensions. Now if what Serusu has said is true, these tensions have boiled over

Rakurai: *Raises eyes* At war? This is news… They actually have the audacity to make war against the rest of Inazuma?

Serusu: Yeah. It’s pretty admirable and gutsy. It’s not a full scale war though, mostly small skirmishes and surgical attacks

Rakurai: That is logical. With their numbers being inferior to the Shogunates not to mention lacking a goddess on their side, they have to play it smart in order to not be crushed

Serusu: Yeah, plus they’re Inazumans too so they want to avoid inflicting collateral against the people, so the fighting’s happened away from towns and cities where it’s just the armies and regular people can avoid being caught in the fighting. That’s why you haven’t seen anything around despite it having been 2 months since the war’s started

Yes, it does appear this isn’t an ordinary war. The Watatsumi people aren’t conquerers, but people of the same nationality as those they are fighting, and are rightfully upset over the current state of affairs and the decisions of the Shogun and the Tri-Commission

Nothing is said for a while due to the tense silence over what was just discussed. I make the decision to be the icebreaker

Blue Dream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk3IhMZ3pNg

Rakurai: I never thought to ask this until now, but what do you plan on doing when you grow up? Profession? Dream job?

Serusu: What do I want to do when I’m an adult? Hmm… well, I’m torn, I want to be an adventurer, seeking danger and challenges, I like a challenge. I think being a merchant is challenging and I wouldn’t mind doing it, afterall, I also want to help my father with his business. But I also want to go out and explore too most of all

Rakurai: I see… you’re torn between wanting to explore your own path and helping your father?

Serusu: Yeah, he says I can do whatever makes me happy, I don’t have to succeed him, but I still want to help. Besides, Dad’s seen plenty of nations but he never got the chance to really immerse himself in the culture and uniqueness of the other countries. And ever since he had a family and the Sakoku Decree happened… he hasn’t gotten a chance to do that again since his early 20s. He’s 38 now. I want carry his dream forward and experience it for him, and who knows, maybe find my true calling in life

Serusu’s goals are… unorthodox to a degree, but I approve of them. I can see a fine person in the eldest Shonin. I nod in affirmation to him

Rakurai: I’m sure you’ll find a path, maybe even a way to do both. Your resolve is admirable

Serusu: You think so?

Rakurai: Just a hunch

Serusu: Haha! That doesn’t help much, but I guess it’s fine

Rakurai: Thank you for informing me, I think I’ll go play with your siblings, Unless you’d like to join?

Serusu: *Shakes head* I don’t think so, not this time

Rakurai: Alright. Happy birthday Serusu

Serusu: Thank you *smiles* will do

I thought about visions… The Shogun was an archon, a goddess, and visions are given to people recognized by the gods. If that was the case, why was she taking away visions? Being a goddess herself, it didn’t make sense. There is something I’m missing here. Like a piece of the puzzle that’s withheld or at least not present at the moment…

Rakurai: I might not find it for a while. I’d have to ask the Shogun herself at some point and that would require some time and a plan

***

2 hours later

Alleyways of Murasaki

Serusu is traveling through the alleys of the village to get to his destination more quickly than normal. He considers them a shortcut, as they wind through buildings normally walked around on main streets. The maroon haired boy is on his way to a particular market stall for hair styling products, as Keizai needs a new hairbrush since her current brush broke after having been worn down for a while now. Being the oldest child, Serusu decided to take responsibility and volunteered himself to get a new hairbrush

Serusu: Pretty sure it’s this way!

The merchant son turns slightly left and moves through another alleyway toward the market square of Murasaki

Serusu: *Maybe on my way… I’ll say hi to Dad! I’m sure since Rakurai’s business advice, he makes a lot more Mora!*

Serusu knew this fact well, but of course, by now, he and his father banter about it frequently acting as if neither believe the other. It’s an amusing little act they know is technically false, but they do it anyways. Besides, Serusu knew that Han did~ actually have a habit of exagerrating his success, but only moderately. He’s obviously never exagerrated his profits illegally or blown them way out of proportion, Serusu just knows that on occasion his father suddenly has a couple thousand more mora he “convienently” made. It’s all fun and games though

Serusu stops running, taking a break and catching his breath after a through 7 minutes of jogging, sitting down against a wall

Serusu: *I should exercise more, I can’t run for as long as I want to be able to, maybe Rakurai can help me? He’s totally muscular and I’m sure he can run for miles without taking a break! Definitely doesn’t skip leg day*

The maroon haired boy spends a couple of minutes to catch his breath and relax. He isn’t in a hurry to get his mother’s hairbrush, but Serusu knows it’s no excuse to laze around. If he did, then it might become a habit and carry over when he was older according to Rakurai. So he should season his behavior with small productive habits here and there that will benefit him

Serusu: *Definitely not the trait of an adventurer, or a merchant for that matter, alright Serusu, get up!*

He stands up and is about to be on his way again, before hearing a group of footsteps causing him to pause. His instincts activate and he gets some goosepumps which tell him what’s about to happen won’t be pleasant

Bandit #1: Hey kid! Stop right there!

Serusu: Eh! W-Who?

Serusu looks around to see who spoke to him and sure enough, his preemptive intuition is proven correct as bandits emerge from the shadows of the alleyways. His anxiety and nervousness only go up when he sees them holding weapons in their hands

Serusu: *Nope, definitely not friendly. This is going to get rough isn’t it? Maybe I shouldn’t have taken the alleys?*

Fortification of Resistance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofXaJ38x1ok

Bandit #3: That’s right, stay where you are…

Serusu: W-What do you want? I’m busy

Bandit #2: Don’t you dismiss us! You’re the oldest son of that cheat Hanei!

Serusu: W-What!? Wait, are you that group who tried to hurt my father!?

Bandit #4: That’s right, we couldn’t succeed because of that crazy foreigner with his powers! But he doesn’t appear to be around, which means you’re at our mercy!

Serusu maintains a brave visage and cautiously takes steps back, keeping his back against the wall so he’s surrounded from all sides. “Make a run for it if you can and get a better defensive position as ideally you wouldn’t want to corner yourself. However in certain settings and in the absence of more than 2 directions, it’s better to have a solid wall than a potential threat from all angles”. Serusu remembers Rakurai saying

Serusu: *Crap! This isn’t good! These guys have weapons! I don’t have anything to defend myself with! Rakurai… I really hope you stop by, I’m in some hot water right now! These guys look familiar though… Where have I seen them?*

Bandit #1: Here’s the deal kid, you have money?

Serusu: W-Why would I tell you?

Bandit #4: Of course he has money, he was heading to the market section, he must have some cash on him

Bandit #5: In that case, here is the deal, hand us however much Mora you have on you, after that, whatever is left of that fool Hanei’s debt, you will lead us to your dad and get him to give us the rest. Sound like a plan?

Serusu: What!? You are out of your mind! I would never betray my father! Over my dead body!

Serusu: *Now I get it! These are the same guys who tried to rob my father 5 months ago! If I had to guess, they’re here for revenge and are using me to get it. Well… they’re in for a tougher steal than they thought. I won’t go down easily*

Bandit #2: Don’t make us have to do something… violent to you boy, no one has to get hurt, everyone pays their debt, and we all walk away

Serusu: Father doesn’t owe you jerks anything! You tried to steal from him first! Debt my ass!

Bandit #5: He’s rich, people like him should help us poor right?

Serusu: That’s just an excuse for your laziness. Maybe if you followed the rules and got jobs, then you wouldn’t be poor! I’m not doing anything!

Bandit #5: *Sighs* Didn’t want to have to do this. Boys, get him, but don’t kill him. Restrain him afterward and we’ll interrogate him on Hanei

Bandit #2: *Lightbulb* Ah! I got it! Hey Taku, Han seems to really care about his family right? Why don’t we just hold the brat for ransom. Then he’ll have no choice but to either pay or have his son in pieces. He can’t resist such a deal!

Taku thinks it over and very quickly agrees, grinning deviously

Taku: I like your thinking Katshi. You know what? Yeah, we’ll hold him for ransom and we’ll have a much higher chance of getting what we want

Bandit #1: Sounds like a plan to me

The bandits advance on Serusu slowly. The teen is afraid out of his mind, but is determined to save face in front of these dire circumstances

Serusu: *There has to be something I can do! An adventurer is resourceful! Think! Where can I… Wait. There! What is that?*

The young man spots something sticking out from under a trash can to his left, it had a slightly curved u-shaped double fork at the end, with a long wooden pole that went under the trashcan and concealing it

Serusu: *A sasumata! That has to be a weapon! Don’t know how it got here, but it’s mine now!*

Fiery Pursuit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE717pFmUjk

Acting quickly, Serusu lunges for and snatches the staff. The bandits rush at him in response, but quickly realize their mistake when Serusu whips the pole around with both of his hands and whacks one of the bandits with the head, making him yelp in pain and jump back. Serusu quickly shoots up to his full height and holds his new weapon defensively, shifting his gaze from bandit to bandit to keep an eye on their movements

Serusu: Get back! 

Bandit #1: Woah! Put that down!

Serusu: Yeah right!

Serusu yells out and swings the staff at one of the bandits, nailing him in the abdomen with the head and knocking him back. He trips on a wooden box and falls on his rear

Katshi: You punk! Get him!

Serusu: *Uh oh!*

One of the bandits charges at the maroon haired boy with his knife, Serusu uses the long pole of his weapon and blocks the knife blade, being stuck and embedding itself in the wood. The bandit struggles to get it out of the pole and Serusu takes advantage by flicking the weapon up, knocking the bandit on the chin with one of the fork ends. When another thug rushes to him using a horizontal slash, Serusu ducks and low sweeps him from under his feet unexpectedly. Serusu continues to swing around the staff to defend himself, forcing the bandits to keep their distance

Taku: *Dammit! Lucky brat, with that sasumata, he can keep us at a distance for the time being, but not for long, he’s just a kid and he can’t fight all of us!*

Another bandit moves in with his club and Serusu yelps and dodges to the left, charging with the polearm and catching the bandit’s waist with the u shaped fork, then pressing him against the wall, hitting the guy’s head. Serusu jumps away with his weapon as another bandit tries to cut him with his sword. He whips the staff to his left and knocks a couple bandits into each other, staggering them. However, Serusu is not quick enough to dodge the tip of one of the bandits knives from the shadows, which cuts him on his arm and this elicits a cry of pain from the 13 year old

Bandit #4: How do you like that? Give up boy, you can’t fight us all!

Serusu: *Dang it, I’m bleeding on the arm, they’re right, I don’t think I can win here, but I’d rather fight as hard as I can for as long as I can to protect my father! And Rakurai… I’d dishonor him as a fighter if I gave up now!*

Serusu shouts at the top of his lungs in the hopes that someone would find him

Serusu: Help! I’m being attacked by bandits! I need help!

***

“Help!”

Rakurai: Mm?

I hear a voice somewhere in the distance as I walk the streets of Murasaki. It instantly sounds familiar to my ears

“Please! I’m being attacked!

A small gasp escapes my mouth when I realize who’s crying out for aid

Rakurai: Serusu!

He’s in trouble! I change my pace in an instant, changing directions and charging down the alleyways, hoping to find Han’s son before any irreversible damage is done

***

Serusu continues to hold the bandits at bay with his best efforts. Rakurai’s self defensive training is helping a lot, but due to his limited combat experience, he can’t fight too well, and has suffered multiple small cuts and bruises on him, including one on his cheek. Some of these cuts are bad enough that they’re bleeding, but he refuses to give up. Serusu cracks another bandit on the shoulder hard with the wooden pole of his weapon

Katshi: Just give us the money and stay down kid!

Bandit #1: You’re bleeding too much. You’ll tire yourself out eventually

Serusu: I told you *pants* I won’t betray my father! 

Taku: You know what? If you won’t comply, we may have to get more… violent. We’ve been going easy on you. You’re a tough little guy but we’re about to get serious now

Serusu: F-Fine! Go ahead! I don’t plan on dying though. I still have a dream to fulfill. I haven’t seen enough yet

Serusu’s injuries are mounting and he’s even more terrified, enough to probably paralyze him as there’s a very real chance of dying, even if the bandits aren’t planning on killing him. Or perhaps, most of his fear comes from his father being potentially robbed and it’d be his fault because he’s too weak to defend himself and he knows his dad loves him enough to pay the ransom with little hesitation. Depending on how much these bandits say he “owes”, their family could be left in a tight spot

Serusu didn’t want to die. There was still so much of Alrest he hasn’t seen, adventures to undertake, people to meet. He wanted to carry on his father’s passion for experiencing other cultures and meeting new people. But also, Serusu most of all wanted to find what his purpose in life is and where he fits into everything. What better way to do that than see all that Alrest has to offer? That won’t happen if he’s dead or kidnapped for who knows how long. But Serusu is determined to live long enough to fulfill his dream and make his family… and Rakurai, proud

Taku: Alright! Group attack. You 3, get him all at once! He can’t defend against all that!

The bandits nod to Taku and obey his command, positioning themselves to gang up on Serusu

Serusu: *Ah crud… This is going to suck*

Taku: Ready~ Go!

The 3 bandits all yell in unison, charging at Serusu from multiple directions, the teenager gasps but stands firm with his polearm, ready to continue fighting even should he suffer more pain

A strange noise is heard, like a sparkling powering sound, confusing everyone in the alley. Serusu hears it too and sees a vibrant green glow coming from his pocket which nearly blinds him and everyone in the alley from intensity. Reaching down blind, he pulls out a glinting green enamel ornament with a vine and plant heart symbol on it inthe design style of Inazuma. It slowly stops glowing and allows Serusu to see it in detail, stunning the maroon haired boy

Serusu: A-A vision! How did this get here!?

Serusu’s declaration makes the bandits freeze, and they quickly make shocked gasps when they look closer and see the ornament in his hand and confirm it to indeed be a vision

Katshi: N-No way! 

Taku: This kid got a vision!?

***

I try to find Serusu using his cries. Despite my distance, my sharp hearing enables me to hear from a very far distance, and the sounds are getting closer, at some point I also start hearing sounds of fighting which only concerns me further. My concerns are put on pause when I immediately catch onto a bright green glow coming from a certain section of the alley. I draw myself to it and using my superhuman speed, I hop on the roofs to investigate the phenomenon. When I reach my destination, I find a group of bandits wearing familiar clothing in an alleyway. Serusu is holding a wooden staff with a metal head which I surmise to be a sasumata with a u shaped double fork. But little else held my attention than the vibrant green ornament in Serusu’s hand. I zoom in on the object and recognize it from pictures in books as well as a recollection of when I met Eris

A dendro vision

I crack a subtle and tiny smile

Serusu: *Awesome!*

I watch the boy pin his new vision to the clothing onh is torso for the time being. He swirls dendro energy in the fork of his sasumata and the bandits step back, cautious of what’s about to happen. Serusu blasts a shot of light green energy at the ground from within the center of the u fork of his polearm. It doesn’t take long for dendro roots to emerge from the ground and quickly wrap around one of the bandits, trapping him as he struggles

Bandit #2: Acck! I’m stuck!

Bandit #1: We still outnumber him! He can’t get us all! Attack!

Emboldened by his new power, Serusu preps his weapon again, his facial features looking much more assured. As curious as I am to see how Serusu will do in battle with a vision, I do not want him to get a possible fatal injury, he already had numerous small cuts on him. Plus, Han and/or Keizai will probably rip into me for not sparing him from further injury. As the bandits charge at Serusu, I leap high in the air and land with a small crater impact on the ground in between the 2 sides, and a small pale yellow shockwave radiates out and knocks the bandits down while kicking up dust and debris

Rakurai’s Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxGKechrYXY

Bandit #4: What in the heck!?

Katshi: Oh crap! It’s him!

Serusu: Rakurai!? Y-you came!

Serusu’s voice is practically giddy with relief

Rakurai: *Straightens up* We shall talk later, for now, leave this to me

Taku: Kill him! It’s just one guy you whimps!

Taku’s attitude immedietly changes when I direct my luminescent yellow eyed gaze at the group, boring into them with a blank but intense stare. All the bandits freeze solid as the air pressure ascends

Taku: *What the heck? The pressure just went up… I’m having trouble breathing and all my hairs are standing up! This guy…*

Whether out of fear or uncertainty, the bandits dared not to make a move. I address them in a calm but icy cold voice

Rakurai: You made an error to dare attack someone I value

The bandits shakenly took up stances. Taku, probably being the strongest of them, manages to snap out of his frozen state enough to yell in anger at me and charge. Pulsing pale yellow energy in my fists, I dodge the bandits' attacks and deliver a roundhouse kick to his side. Then rapidly use 4 energy punches to another’s body, knocking him out against the wall and making a crater on it. I see a club bandit attempting to one up me and I respond by summoning my greatsword and easily knocking the club out of his hands with a simple flick of my wrist using my sword. I duck a swipe from the blunt sword of another bandit and rapidly parry the attacks from a group using my sword without so much as batting an eye. Dissipating my sword for the moment, I charge up energy in my fists, and throw them forward, causing pale yellow shockwaves on the bodies of 2 bandits which are Taku and Katshi. They go spinning in the air into the wall and lose all air before collapsing on the ground unconscious. The one bandit currently bound by Serusu’s wood roots looks at me in terror from how easily I dealt with his comrades. I stare him down for a few seconds, and then stride towards him, punching him in the face and knocking him out. After that, I destroy the roots made by Serusu with a powerful energy blast

Rakurai: Can’t have any evidence of vision powers

Serusu: That was… amazing! I saw that up close demonstration but seeing you fight is totally different!

Rakurai: Thank you for the compliment. We should go now and get that hairbrush Keizai wanted. We’ll leave these ruffians for the authorities to find

Serusu: Yeah… 

Serusu breathes a sigh of relief, which proves to be all too soon as a firm shout reaches our ears

“There! Hold it!”

Serusu’s eyes shoot back wide open as he and I turn toward the entrance to the alley. I’m disgruntled to find half a dozen military soldiers looking at us with katanas and yaris, with a mix of facial expressions

Soldier #2: L-Look! That kid has a vision!

He points to the vision on Serusu’s chest and I mentally curse

Serusu: *Oh sh**! Why didn’t I put it in a more inconspicuous place?! I was in a tight situation though!

Soldier #3: And that must be the vision bearer operating around Murasaki!

The soldier appears to recognize me as well. Just our luck…

Rakurai: Pretend like you didn’t see anything here soldiers

Soldier #1: We appreciate the thrashing of the bandits sir, but I’m afraid you’ll have to give us your visions. The Vision Hunt Decree clearly states that unauthorized visions are forbidden!

Rakurai: Apologies, but that’s not going to happen

Soldier #2: Do it! Or we’ll have to take it by force! Don’t do this the hard way!

I have no other choice. Time to make a break for it

Rakurai: In that case…

I snatch up Serusu with my right arm, taking him off guard as he’s still holding the sasumata. I crouch to the ground as the soldiers start to advance in response

Rakurai: Hup!

Soldier #4: Hey! Stop! Get back here!

Rakurai: Sayonara

I jump high into the air, and away into the next alleyway. I waste no time and jump again, landing onto another roof, and holding Serusu under my arm while sprinting across rooftops, bouncing repeatedly from place to place on my way back to Han’s house at full speed

Serusu: Well… crap…

Rakurai: Indeed

Serusu: *Sighs* I… Did I do good Rakurai? I tried my best and didn’t give up!

I look at Serusu, sending a thin bt noticeable smile to the youngster

Rakurai: You fought well Serusu, I saw you use your power for a brief moment, and I’m sure you held them at bay for a while as well, I may not have seen it, but I can tell. As a martial artist, I commend you Serusu

Serusu: *Gasp* R-Really? Thank you Rakurai! That makes me happy!

Serusu has an expression full of awe, grateful for my compliment

Serusu: *I made Rakurai proud! I didn’t dishonor him! I can be happy with that at least*

Rakurai: But… I’m afraid things are going to get rough from here, I suspect that with the military knowing that you and I have visions, they will attempt to hunt us. You’ll have to lie low, as will I for a while

Serusu: I know… *Lights up* But a vision! I never imagined that I would get one! I-I was recognized by the gods!

Rakurai: No doubt in due to your bravery, I have a suspicion that the bandits sought to use to your get your father’s money

Serusu: Yeah! They wanted to use me to get father’s money, but I would rather die than betray Dad! I fought as hard as I could, I didn’t think I could win, but if I gave up, I thought it would dishonor you as a fighter!

Rakurai: Well you certainly didn’t disappoint, Perhaps the Architect liked your spirit and loyalty and rewarded you for it

Though I sense that besides loyalty and spirit, there is something else in Serusu that may have triggered the appearance of a vision

Serusu: Yeah… you’re probably right. Hey uh, w-what do I do with this?

Serusu holds up the sasumata

Rakurai: Hmm… perhaps you should keep it, most vision bearers have a weapon if I recall. You should use that

Serusu: Really? A-Alright then! I’ll keep it! I like it anyways to be honest

***

Misgivings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1kYlCV_sXI

I succeed in making it to Han’s house without further trouble. I scale the balcony and set Serusu down on the floor of it. He stands up and reorients himself with solid ground, then takes a moment to admire his vision

Rakurai: Hide your vision and sasumata somewhere in case the authorities come by

Serusu: Got it

Rakurai: I’ll go talk to your parents, they shall obviously be greatly concerned

Serusu does as I instruct and goes to his room to hide his objects. I make my way through several rooms and down the stairs and meet Han and Keizai, who as expected, have their visages ripe with anxiety

Han: R-Rakurai, there you are! I’m glad you’re here. We need you to do something

Keizai: Serusu went out to get me a new hairbrush and I think he’s been out a little too long, I want to make sure he’s okay, could you go find him please? I just have this feeling something terrible has happened

Rakurai: How to explain this… You are not incorrect Keizai. But it’s complicated, yes and no. Something indeed occurred but Serusu is relatively safe

Han: He is? Thank goodness

The merchant breaths a very heavy sign of relief, decompressing. It is unfortunate though, as I’m about to make his blood pressure skyrocket again

Keizai: Thank you. I must ask though, what do you mean by what you say?

Rakurai: Due to the events that just happened, Serusu has to stay in the house for the foreseeable future

Han and Keizai snap to attention when I say this

Han: Why~…? What happened?

Keizai: Was there an incident?

Rakurai: Yes, he was attacked by bandits

Han/Keizai: What!?

Han: He was!? So you saved him!?

Rakurai: More complicated than that, but they were part of the same group of the ones who attacked you 5 months ago Han, they tried to use him to get you to pay your “debt”

Han: Agh! Bastards! I should have seen this coming!

Han looks ready to toss a chair out of the house. Keizai is heavily dismayed

Keizai: Oh my goodness! I’m so stupid! I shouldn’t have sent him out alone! Is he hurt!?

To be fair, he did use the alleyways which are inherently used by criminals, but I’m not about to blame Serusu

Rakurai: Numerous cuts and bruises on his body, but they will all heal, he’s fine and hardly at risk. But listen, while he was fending them off… Serusu was recognized by the deities and earned a vision during the fight

As if both adults weren’t already worried and surprised enough, their eyes go wide enough that one could say they were at risk of popping clean out of their sockets

Keizai: A vision!?

Han: Titan’s horns!

Keizai: But… visions are outlawed!

Han: Don’t worry dear. As long as he keeps it secret, nothing should happen to be concerned about

Rakurai: The military saw his vision

Han: Ah~ sh**!

Keizai: *Frowns* Language Han~

Han: Sorry!

Rakurai: I managed to get both of us out of the situation without a hassle, but they may come looking for us

Han: Oh no… This is bad… really bad

Keizai: Serusu, you poor boy…

Han: If this had been several months ago, it wouldn’t be much of a problem, but of course things turn out this way! I knew it was too good to be true!

The 3 of us have a tense silence between us before Han addresses me again

Han: Rakurai… tell me the truth, do you have a vision?

Rakurai: *Pauses* No, I do not

Han: I don’t get it. How do you do all those crazy martial arts moves with this weird pale yellow energy without a Blade or a vision?... You aren’t a secret Driver are you?

Han asks that last question half heartedly, likely not meaning it

Rakurai: Uh, no. I’m pretty certain you would have noticed by now if that is the case

Han: Okay, okay. Fair point. It still makes no sense

I knew what it was. My abilities are the result of a Spiritual Gift. But something is preventing me from outright saying it to Han, as if it’s something I shouldn’t share, perhaps another subdued part of my past? 

Rakurai: We need to lay low, otherwise the Shogunate will find us

Keizai: I agree

Han: I see… understood. I’ll inform my employees about this. By the way, Rakurai, thank you for saving my son, I’m truly in your debt

Rakurai: *Shakes head* You have no need to repay me. It is my duty to help and defend the people who have shown me so much kindness and hospitality

Han nods in response. Keizai is saddened as she paces around

Keizai: On his birthday… Serusu doesn’t deserve something like this to happen to him

Rakurai: I know Keizai, but all we can do is try to push forward, hopefully things will blow over sooner or later

***

After our discussion and a period of respite, Han and Keizai check up on Serusu, and he confirms my statement and everything I said more or less, then shows his parents his vision

Han: *Places hands on shoulders* Son, you must protect that with your life. Always use it for a just cause, don’t give the Shogun any more reason to take it away by using it selfishly, okay? Do you promise me?

Serusu: I swear it dad! I’ll use this vision to help people! Just like Rakurai! 

Han: *Smiles* That’s my boy, now take a rest, you need it to nurse your wounds. Keizai, go get a wet cloth please

Keizai: Certainly

Han: On that note, Serusu, until further notice, you are not to leave the house under any circumstances, do you understand?

Serusu: Got it! I’ll stay safe

Han: *Pats Serusu’s back* Good man

So for the rest of the day, both of us stayed indoors while Han went out to continue manning his shop. Serusu stays in his room most of the time reading up on visions to gain any necessary and relevant information to him

Despite my assurances to the family that all would be well, I slowly get the increasing feeling throughout the day that I unintentionally lied. A storm is coming, and my luxury and current state of affairs will not proceed the way they are now… I just hope I can brave it

Chapter Text

For the rest of the day, both of us stay indoors while Han returns to his work, figuring that acting normal would discourage suspicion mong people and especially law enforcement. Serusu relegates himself to his room for the majority of the time, and I can hear him trying out his new vision powers (safety of course) and practicing the martial arts techniques I taught him

I thought we would be safe, I was wrong, the world shone down misfortune on us

***

Han: Serusu’s been up there for a while… You think he’s okay?

Keizai: I hear strange sounds up there

Rakurai: He’s fine. He’s just practicing using his vision

This causes some small concern from the 2 of them

Han: I hope he doesn’t break anything

Keizai: It’s a good thing his room included a small sports court in it’s design. That should be enough to ensure there’s no collateral plant damage, ehehe!

Han: If you say so…

It’s currently 6:54, as evidenced by the sun having almost fully descended below the horizon outside the window, which it does around this time of year. I’m about to turn the page of my book when the door to the house is knocked on roughly in a 4-2 knock pattern. Everyone freezes in place and I can see the anxiety on Han and Keizai’s face

Rakurai: *Softly* What’s with the faces?

Keizai: O-Only the Shogun’s army knocks that way

My guard immedietly is up from this statement. I quickly shut and set aside my book as I stand up

Han: Rakurai. Get upstairs

Busy Silouettes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ydPr1kBt_4

I nod to Han, knowing that I would possibly be recognized. I immedietly walk over to and stride up the stairs to Serusu’s room while the door is knocked on again at the same intensity and pattern. Serusu must have heard it because he’s exited his room to investigate

Serusu: Rakurai? What’s happening, who’s there? That doesn’t sound very good

Rakurai: We think it’s the Shogun’s army based on the pattern, stay low and quiet

Serusu: *Anxious* Okay, you got it

Rakurai: Get your vision and weapon just in case and hold onto it tightly. Always be prepared for a fight in these situations

Serusu nods and does as I instruct him

Shonin Household, Downstaris

Han: I’ll get it

Han stands up and walks to the door of the house, making sure he remains calm and casual to not draw suspicion. Sure enough, members of the Shogunate military are present at the doorstep

Han: H-Hello senshi… what can I do for you?

Soldier #1: Good evening Hanei. We have some reports from local security forces that your son…  has obtained a vision, and fled with another vision bearer. You are aware that this is against the Vision Hunt Decree right?

Han: Really? Is that true!? I was wondering where he’s been

Soldier #1: It is decree by the Shogun that your son should relinquish his vision, him and that other vision user, is he hiding here?

Han: My son and whoever he you say he’s with, are not here. In fact, I have not seen him for many hours now

Han tries to make a convincing lie, avoiding stuttering and quelling his nervousness so as to appear confident. However, the soldier maintains his suspicion

Soldier #2: Is that so? My men report seing both of them heading in the direction of your house, or was that just a coincidence?

Han: *Shoot, it’s not good enough! Stay calm Hanei, stay focused*

Han: I-It probably is, my son isn’t here and I have no idea who this other vision user is

Soldier #1: Surely you’ve heard reports of a vision bearer vigilante, operating among the streets? It’s quite well known

Han: P-Possibly yes. I do recall hearing something like that. I stand by what I say though, I assure you officer that neither of the 2 are here. i-if they come back, I will be sure to report it and give their visions to you

The soldiers seem uncertain for a while, as if considering whether to accept Han’s statement or continue pressing. Their uncertainty is dispelled however when a firm and resolute voice cuts through the silence

“Thank you for your statement Hanei Shonin. If you don’t mind then, perhaps I could perform a sweep to confirm the truth of your words”

Han’s eyes go wide with shock

Han: *Oh crud… we’re screwed!*

The merchant is astonished to see a tall woman with indigo hair cut into an uneven bob, and golden eyes step into view in front of the soldier. Her attire is primarily black and white, with hints of mauve, red and gold. A clan crest adorns various parts of her outfit. Her Electro Vision can be seen on a yellow bow attached to her belt, from which hangs a decorative black and white yuigesa (pom pom sash). On the side of her head lies a red tengu mask that resembles a crow's face, having white accents, a black crest, and a hexagonal piece resembling a tokin. Being a tengu, she has two pairs of black raven-like wings that can unfurl from her back, and wields a black feather fan. She also wears red and gold tengu-geta sandals

Han: *S-Sara Kujou!? Here!? She’s a general of the Tenryou Commission! And probably the most renowned too. She might as well be the Shogun’s right hand!*

Sara moves past the soldiers and inside the house as Han quickly side steps out of the way. Upon Keizai getting a full view of the woman, she tenses up in surprise

Han: Madam Kujou! I did not expect you to come here personally to investigate. This won’t be necessary

Sara: I’m just making certain. You should have nothing to worry about if they are indeed not in your residence

Sara’s electro vision starts to glow as she activats one of her powers. Meanwhile, Rakurai and Serusu are just barely upstairs, having been spying on the conversation covertly and seeing Sara enter the house

Serusu: *Low voice* No no no! That’s Sara Kujou! She’s the most renowned general in Inazuma!

Serusu’s panic and his brief description is enough of a catalyst for me to make decisive action. I grab Serusu’s arm and we quickly return to his room

Rakurai: In that case, we have to leave now

Serusu makes no gesture or protest of disagreement as Rakurai grabs his body. Serusu sees his Sasumata next to them and grabs a hold of it’s pole. His dendro vision is concealed inside his clothes. Serusu can’t run nearly as fast as me, even if I have added weight so I might as well carry him so we can get ahead

Serusu: *Low Voice* Move move move!

Just as Rakurai leaps out of the window at extreme speeds, Sara sends out an electric pulse not dissimilar to echolocation, revealing the locations of everyone for hundreds of meters, her eyes shot open when Rakurai and Serusu appear very briefly on her electro radar, showing them moving at very fast speeds

Sara: Outside, they just left the house. After them!

Soldiers: Yes General!

Sara shoots Han a firm glare

Sara: I’ll deal with you later Hanei

With that, the soldiers leave the house and chase after Rakurai and Serusu. 2 pairs of black wings suddenly sprout from Sara and she flies back from the doorstep before disappearing with a flash of purple electro. Han quickly shuts the door in a panic

Keizai: Oh no… this isn’t good!

Han: No, it’s not, Sara is very powerful, they don’t stand a chance! We need to find Rakurai and Serusu!

Keizai: Are you sure?

Han: Yes. I know we can’t do much. Neither of us have elemental powers. But I won’t stand around while one of my closest friends and my own son are in danger!

Keizai nods firmly

Keizai: Okay. It’s a good thing Chokoreto and Akaishi are asleep. They’ll be safe. I’m coming with you

Han: Let’s make it snappy

Han and Keizai go out the backdoor of the house. Han locks it with his keys and both parents start sprinting to get to the particular entrance of Murasaki in this direction

Han: *Please be alright you 2! Don’t get caught!*

***

I leap across the rooftops, carrying Serusu in my hand like last time but with more of a sense of urgency. Serusu clutches and holds his weapon tightly, in case he needed to fight, but also so it doesn’t slip from his grasp. I reach the end of the set of rooftops and onto the ground, sprinting across the streets. I have to get out of the village, it was the best option. I approach the archway denoting an exit that leads to the forest not far from Murasaki

Serusu: Are we leaving Murasaki?

Rakurai: Yes, and if this Sara Kujou is as powerful as you say, then it’s best we hide out in the wilderness of the island until we find another course of action

Serusu: *Sighs* So much for my birthday, do you think we’ll be alright?

Rakurai: I don’t know Serusu. I wish I could say for certain

I leave the entrance of the village and keep running until we enter through the forest edge. My superhuman stamina and speed ensuring we go far without me tiring, at least not for a while. I press on for several hundred more meters before I suddenly have to stop and jump back as I detect an attack half a second before a fissure of purple electricity scrapes across our path

Thunderous Devotion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkMHn1V04ps

It speeds past me and explodes, taking out a nearby cluster of bushes and turning them into smoking tiny bush stumps. I spot a tall dark indigo haired woman emerge from behind a tree, wielding a bow and having already notched another arrow

Serusu: That’s her! That’s Sara Kujou!

Sara: That’s far enough Vision Bearer

I set down Serusu on the ground and turn my gaze to Sara

More of the soldiers of the Shogun’s Army emerged from hiding among the trees, dang it, I should have taken a less obvious route instead of going straight. But Sara… how did she catch up to us? These soldiers were mostly likely posted here for an ambush, a clever move, but Sara for certain was just at Han’s house. Sara must possess immense speed like I do. I direct Serusu to get behind me with a gesture and he does so while keeping his sasumata staff close to him. Sara’s voice cuts through the woods

Sara: I don’t recognize your appearance, are you a foreigner?

Rakurai: I am

Sara: In that case, perhaps you are ignorant of your situation, so I will inform you. You have a vision, an object outlawed by the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma, as decreed by the Vision Hunt. It obstructs the Shogun’s path to our nation’s Eternity

Rakurai: Look who’s talking, you wielding a vision yourself right there on your hip

Sara: *He’s a snarky one*

The electro bearer isn’t fazed by my quick verbal jab

Sara: The Shogun’s Army and those of the Tenryou Commission are under the direct authority and control of the Shogun, any vision not under the divine authority and control of the shogun or unauthorized by the Tri-Commission is to be confiscated. As for us, we serve the Shogun and only use our visions under her command. Anything else and we too would be visionless

Rakurai: Doesn’t seem very just, Serusu just got his vision and I have used mine to help out those on the streets

Sara: I am well aware of the going ons of Murasaki and your efforts. But the Shogun takes little risks, and as her army we do the same. Hand them over and you can escape punishment. I’ll be gracious

Rakurai: Declined, leave us be

Sara is slightly taken aback by my sudden and resolute answer. Her soldiers hold heir weapons at the ready and in battle positions, ready to spring forward at any command given

Sara: If you won’t comply, then we will have to get you to do so by force. Seize their visions!

Soldiers: Yes General!

There are dozens of soldiers, they either had Inazuman pikes, or katanas, the rest, about a dozen of them, had yumi bows. Several of them make the first move and rush me with their weapons. I grab Serusu and toss him away a couple dozen feet to give me some room to fight. Serusu bounces on the ground briefly with a pained grunt, but is far more concerned about my safety once he regains his orientation

Serusu: No! Rakurai! Don’t die!

Rakurai: I don’t plan on it

I duck under the swing one of the pikeman, and sidestep the slash of a katana. I dodge various strikes and thrusts from the soldiers weapons. I avoid making moves for now as these soldiers are just following orders and doing their job, I cannot truly blame them

Rakurai: I will not harm any of you if I don’t have to. Leave us alone, we have done nothing wrong

Sara: Except disobey the decree

Rakurai: Which in of itself is an unfair one. Therefore I place it as null and void

Sara: It is not your place to decide the laws of the land to be invalid

One of the pike’s prongs scraped my bicep, making it bleed slightly. Despite this, I make no sound of pain and instead sigh regretfully

Overlord of The Thunderstorm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE717pFmUjk

Rakurai: You leave me no choice then

I grip my left fist with pale yellow energy, then go with a strong unhanded punch to the gut of one soldier, sending him flying into a tree, making a small crater in the trunk and knocking him out

Serusu: *Geez! One hit KO already?*

Rakurai: Anyone else? Or are we done already?

I dodge several arrow shots shot from the bows, sensing their approach

Sara: *His reflexes are sharp*

I deflect a swing of a soldier’s katana with a shockwave and then spin kicked several soldiers away with my foot, knocking them to the ground. Afterwards I evade another pike thrust, leaping to the side and then making rapid short ranged jabs on the woman wielding it, and she sais through the air

Sara: *What vision is he using? Anemo? Or some strange variation of Hydro? I don’t recognize this power*

Soldier #7: Get him! Get to positions and fire in unison! 3, 2…!

I swing my arm to the side and knocked down another soldier, then uppercut a pike out of someone’s hand

Soldier #7: …1! Fire!

The line of archers let their arrows fly in a coordinated release. I face the projectiles and punch the arrows out of the air as they speed towards me, breaking them with my energy. Sara and the soldiers are initially caught off guard by this. Serusu is stunned

Serusu: *He punched arrows out of the air!?*

A contingent of samurai charges at me with their weapons, and I jump into the air as they close in on me, filling my hand with pale yellow energy

Rakurai: Destructive Death: Crushing Type: Collapse!

I slam and crack the ground with downward punch, creating a large pale yellow shockwave and knocking back the soldiers who had attempted to close the gap. The result is a small crater where my fist impacted

Sara: *That strength…*

Serusu: *Whoa! He broke the freaking ground with just a punch!*

Soldier #2: This guy’s absurd! He broke the ground!?

Soldier #4: Who are we fighting!?

Soldier #8: Stand firm! Keep fighting!

I take up a martial stance, and the army persists. I summon my greatsword and deflect a lance strike, staggering it’s wielder off balance. Swordsmen advance on me all at once but I parry and block their attacks skillfully and without much issue, with the only difficulty being the sheer numbers I have to defend against. This does not deter me as I eventually find openings to counterattack, unleashing energy slashes that scatter my opponents. In conjunction with my sword, I use a variety of punches and kicks to supplement my attacks and keep the army away while Serusu and Sara watch me fight. I notice how Sara’s hand is getting trigger finger as it gets increasingly close to her bow and fiddling with the arrow, sensing that she may have jump in. Some of the soldiers make the foolish error to approach Serusu in secret, surprisingly the young boy when he spots them

I’m about to help Serusu when he uses his sasumata to create large green seeds of dendro energy, which explode in bursts of elemental power, knocking the soldiers on their back. However at his age and skill, the attack doesn’t do much in terms of raw power against trained military fighters and the soldiers quickly regain their footing. I jump away from an oncoming arrow and switch my attention to Serusu’s adversaries, thrusting my greatsword forward and sending projectiles of the same thrust shape at them, knocking them flat on their backs after rocketing through the air. Serusu is relived

Serusu: Thanks Rakurai!

Another samurai sings his pike downward at me to crack it over my body. I swipe my arm and made a horizontal shockwave of pale yellow energy, deflecting the attack and staggering the samurai for barely a second. But enough for me to rush forward and deliver a side punch to his cheek, blasting him into the air and dozens of feet away. I spin around on one foot and stomp the ground with my foot hard. The result is a rising diagonal shockwave emerged from the ground as well as uprooting the earth where I stomped, blasting away several soldiers who had tried to approach me and scattering the blueish soil. 

Sara: *Could it be lumino? But that shouldn’t be possible. Humans can’t use lumino and Blades that utilize it are incredibly rare, even mythical. He can’t be a Blade either, I don’t see a Core Crystal on him. Even if it’s hidden by his clothing, I don’t believe he has a Driver either*

I stamp the ground and make a small crack where I press and launch forward toward another group of soldiers, pulling back my fist

Rakurai: Destructive Death: Disorder!

I throw my fist forward and start rapidly punching the air in front of me, creating shockwaves in front that decimate the ranks of soldiers. I pause for less than a second with my punches then deliver a more powerful shockwave punch that sends the last of the group of soldiers away and against a tree. He isn’t knocked out but finds himself unable to stand, likely due to broken bones or severe injury as indicated by his pained grunts. The samurai stand back and all hesitate for a minute, realizing that trying to overwhelm me is nowhere close to working

Rakurai: Getting cold feet? 

Sara: You’re quite skilled being able to fend off an entire squad of shogunate soldiers

I face Sara Kujou standing 2 dozen feet away from me with her arms folded. Although she is obviously not happy, I can see that Sara is not exactly disdainful either and instead even shows an element of respect to me for my strength

Sara: Clearly hurtling groups of soldiers at you won’t work, I’ll have to deal with you myself

Rakurai: Go ahead, I don’t intend on abandoning Serusu

Sara aims her bow at me and everyone stands back, I narrow my eyes

Overlord of The Thunderstorm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_2-kfL6Y_Q

Rakurai: Very well…

…

I stomp the ground with my left foot and charge at Sara, her eyes widen in surprise as I quickly close the distance on her. She fires an arrow but I dodge it with a sidestep. However, this doesn’t slow me down at all and I still am able to close the gap very quickly between Sara and I

Sara: *He’s quick! Going to need to dodge!*

She jumps away just as I deliver a punch at her, hitting empty air. In the blink of an eye, a lightning arrow is shot from her bow, and narrowly hits me as I dodge the attack. It scorches and makes a mark on my shoulder though and my left eyebrow twitches in response. Sara swiftly fires more lightning arrows and I sprint in circles around her after summoning my greatsword again. My speed is enough to evade the arrows and the few that get close are deflected by my sword. I jump off the ground and onto the side of a tree, causing another arrow to miss. I bound off the tree as propulsion. Sara jump dodges just in time to see me punch the ground she was just on with an energy shockwave

Sara: Ricochet Thunder!

The archer draws her bow for a second before shooting an arrow, I move to the side to avoid it only to find that it bounces off the ground and back in my direction. It narrowly touches my chest when I try to again dodge and I land on the ground. I make a concerted effort to evade the arrow as it bounces across the area. What I notice is that it is getting progressively faster with each bounce, making it harder to safety avoid. The projectile scrapes my knee and makes an electrified cut tat sends a shot of pain through my leg, which I ignore. The next time it comes back around I grumble with irritation, locking onto it’s trajectory and punching it with a large shockwave, knocking it out of the air and embedding into the ground behind me. Sara prepares herself when I come sprinting back over to her. The archer suddenly retreats much to my confusion, having somehow blinked away with a burst of electro and feathers, appearing a short distance away with her bow charged

Sara: Tengu Stormcall!

She shoots the arrow, and a triskelion symbol appears on it, I jump over the strengthened arrow and attempt to chase her down again while summoning my sword. She narrowly dodges each of my sword slashes. I throw up my hand to block Sara as she throws her fist, the strength though throws me back a foot. She’s way stronger than she looks, I’m beginning to think she’s not human… While she seems competent at hand to hand combat, Sara’s being smart by keeping her distance from me as if I got too close, her bow woud be rendered ineffective

Sara: Toripuru Bolt Shot

Sara shoots out 3 lightning arrows at once with her bow, 2 of them separate from the center arrow and flank me. I go upside down and stand on a single palm, then spin both my legs in a semi circle, creating a shockwave that destroys the 3 arrows. I stand back on my 2 feet, and jump over another arrow shot by Sara, I shoot forward after pressing against the ground and side punch to Sara’s abdomen. Air and a small trinkle of blood sputter out of her mouth as she rolls on the ground for a couple of seconds. Sara quickly adjusts her position and pushes against the earth, performing a backflip. She lands on the ground

Serusu: Awesome! He got a hit in!

I’ll need to get more in if I want to win

Soldier #2: Madam Kujou! Are you okay?

Sara: Aggh… that smarts… *wipes face* I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. I won’t be that easy to defeat

The general jumps into the air and aims her bow, charging up a shot, within moments a shower of electro arrows bears down on me. In response I use an array of pale yellow energy punches to destroy the shower. Sara lands on the ground once more and at the archer once again, she dodges my series of punches by using Tengu Stormcall, blinking across the field. That’s a very handy skill for an archer to have

Sara: *He’s so fast he can keep up with me even when I repeatedly use my Stormcall to blink away*

Serusu: *Rakurai’s stupid fast! He’s so much stronger than I thought! No wonder those bandits got their asses handed to them!*

Sara uses the side of her bow to block my roundhouse kick. The shockwave pushes her to the side a couple of feet, she aims her bow and shoots the arrow. I’m too late to avoid it as the arrow hits my left ab and bursts with electricity, staggering me, Sara pulls out an electric rod and flings it at me. It spins in a circle and strikes me in the side, staggering me again. She draws her bow and fires a continuous stream of arrows. I recover from my shock and dodge the arrows. I strike one of the arrows and deflect it, catching Sara off guard and hitting in the head, staggering her for a bit, giving me my opportunity to attack. I jump off of the side of a large rock kick in a flurry of my legs

Rakurai: Destructive Death: Leg Type: Explosive Flurry!

Sara isn’t prepared for the multitude of powerful energy kicks I assault her with. I pause for a second after my barrage and then swing my leg to the side, flinging Sara into the side of a tree with the attack. She falls to the ground, shocking the soldiers who watch the battle. The general moves just in time to evade my punch as I embed my fist into the tree she was against, making a crater in its trunk. I look around and see that Sara is nowhere to be found, I find out her spot too late as she shoots an arrow at me and knocks me flat against a rock with the impact. I dodge another arrow and it embeds itself into the rock under my armpit, I chase after Sara as she blinks yet again, and then when I step down on a certain spot, it lights up with electricity. I notice all too late the rune that had been placed there by one of Sara’s arrows attached with a triskelion and explode with lightning, flinging me back, I managed to avoid some of the attack though and get off with less injury. That trap must have been laid the first time she used Tengu Stormcall, I saw her charge up an arrow with the same symbol. Clever woman… I punch arrows out of the air as Sara shoots them towards me, strafing my position

Sara: Ricochet Thunder

Another bouncing arrow is shot, but I’ve learned from the last one, and I punch the ground with my fist, making an expanding pale yellow shockwave that forces back the ricochet arrow, disabling it, this caught Sara off guard

Sara: *Incredible, he’s already adapted to match my ricochet thunder*

I push off against the ground and rush the bowman again, Sara crackles with purple electricity, and she pulls out some black feather fan, waving it. At the same time, Sara extends 2 pairs of black wings from her back. I manage to jump back just in time as the ground explodes with electro energy. I knew it, she’s not human, she’s some kind of supernatural creature, how fascinating

Sara: Subjugation: Koukou Sendou! Titanbreaker!

I barely managed to dodge a potent thunderbolt from the sky, but was flung back by another striking thunder bolt

Sara: Tengu Juurai: Stormcluster!

I proceed to dodge 2 more thunderbolts before Sara’s wings recede and she returns to normal

Rakurai: Interesting… you’re not human, what are you exactly? I find your nature to be fascinating, some supernatural being?

Sara: If you must know, I am a tengu who has pledged themselves to the Kujou Clan

Rakurai: Tengu… fascinating, you intrigue me

Sara: Your skill in bare handed martial arts is noted, but how long can you stand against so many arrows?

Rakurai: You underestimate me Sara Kujou

Pressing into the ground I move at fast speeds, surprising Sara. I flank her side and she shoots an arrow at me in response, but I punch it out of the air with a shockwave at such close range that the force staggers her. I jump back and then pull my arms back, palms surging with my energy

Rakurai: Destructive Death!

I charge forward on Sara once again and thrust my hands forward, emitting a massive shockwave against her body that crushes the air several dozen feet around us, pulverizing small rocks and cracking boulders

Rakurai: Annihilation Type!

Sara’s eyes widen as the shockwave burts with crushing pressure and force with pale yellow color and sends her flying at quick speeds, smashing through a small 10 foot tree and breaking it. The tree then falls on Sara, trapping her under the large trunk, she tries lifting it off of her and I can see it given her strength as a Tengu, she may get off of her. But with the tree’s weight I don’t think so

Infantryman: No way… he… he beat General Kujou! 

Samurai: Who is this guy!? He’s insane!

I glare at the other soldiers who flinch in fear

Rakurai: I suggest all of you move out of my way and not bother us anymore

Serusu: *That… was awesome! He actually trounced Sara Kujou!*

“Rakurai! Serusu!”

“You 2 are alright!”

I raise an eyebrow to the voices, only to be pleasantly surprised with the appearance of Han and Keizai approaching us from a couple dozen feet away

Rakurai: You followed us?

Han: Sorry, we couldn’t leave things as they were

Serusu: Father! You’re here! I’m so glad to see you!

Keizai: The soldiers! And… Sara Kujou is… beaten!?

Han: Wait huh!?

The 2 of them are stunned to see Sara held down by a tree trunk and looking worse for wear too

Han: No way!

Keizai: Are you alright Rakurai?

Rakurai: Fine. A few minor scrapes

In my case anyways. I wipe off a bit of blood. Keizai moves next to her son and is satisfied when upon a quick look over, Serusu appears relatively untouched

It’s a good thing I trapped Sara, given her strength she may have exhausted too much energy from me, which I need to. The soldiers make no move to stop me as I stride toward Serusu. Sara grunts and strains against the tree trapping her

Sara: D-Don’t you dare just walk away!

Rakurai: I have no quarrel with you

I immediately dismiss Sara. However, I notice an odd sensation in the air, and look skyward, noticing the abundance of lightning. In addition, all of it seemed to be purple, and potently vibrant as well

Rakurai: Come on Serusu… we have to-

Irritation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP6D8eKKL1o

A loud rumble of an electric roar is heard and a sudden surge of purple lightning slams into the ground from the sky clouds. The sudden impact catches me off guard and despit being forewarned a split second and starting to jump, the force still launches me across the field. Everyone covers their eyes to avoid being blinded by the sudden blast. I adjust my position midair, touching solid ground afterward and skidding back a few meters before stopping

Serusu/Han/Keizai: What was that!?

I see a figure amongst the swarm of electro that slowly fades. An adult woman, with long braided violet hair behind her back, and on the right side of her head is attached a hairpin with pale violet flowers resembling morning glories and a fan-shaped piece. Her eyes are purple and she has a beauty mark below her right eye. She wears a small crimson ribbon on her neck as a choker and a dark-colored bodysuit underneath her kimono. The sleeves of her bodysuit completely cover her arms and are looped over her middle fingers with golden rings to partly cover her palms and the top of her hands, and her nails are painted purple. Her kimono has an assortment of patterns in different shades of purple and crimson, along with a badge bearing an emblem of some kind tied to the front of her clothing below her right breast and a more elaborate emblem on a pauldron on her left shoulder. On the back of her outfit, she wears a crimson bow with tassels. She wears dark purple thigh-high stockings with small diamond openings at the top and high-heeled sandals; the one on the right is adorned with two of the same violet flowers on her hairpin. Her weapon is a long poled naginata with a shorter than usual blade

“You must be the vision bearer who’s been stirring trouble in this region and defying the Vision Hunt Decree that I have so placed over this land. That, is a direct disobedience to my rule”

I narrowed my eyes in hostility, this aura… this power, its immense coming from her… its covering the whole area. The aura alone clues me in enough to tell who she was. I’ve never seen her and I’ve only heard her mentioned and spoken about every once in a while. But I knew instinctively who she was just by looking at her

Rakurai: I am… and you must be the infamous Raiden Shogun of Inazuma

The Shogun’s expression hardly shifts, expressing only what appears to be mild displeasure. Another loud sound is heard, an animalistic roar. Yet another figure descends from the sky and lands on the ground with a violent shake. A large and muscular reptilian beast with electro spines on its back makes itself known with a roaring screech.

Han: What is that!?

Keizai: The rumors are true then…

The reptile snarls at me and then looks to the Shogun, who gives it a brief pet on the muzzle

Raiden: At ease Ikazuchi

Ikazuchi rumbles and does as instructed, but remains at her side. She has a pet giant reptile? The soldiers bow respectively toward the beast. Ikazuchi’s pines run down all the way to its tail, with most of the spines on the lower end of the body curving backwards, while those at the front end curve sideways on both ends. The beast is colored mainly a deep black and blue color, with lighter blue and purple secondary and tertiary colors and accents. The lizard’s face is lean, narrow and streamlined, and its tail was thin with large black spearlike barbed spikes adorning the sides of the tail, cracking with blue electricity. The lizard has a puffed spined throat, kind of like an animalistic beard. Attached to the sides of its head are some kind of bony black appendages that curved upward sharply, with tips crackling with blue electro. The top of its snout sports 2 curved horns, again charged with electro. Its eyes are an electric light blue with a fierce disposition coming from them. Finally, the creature has 2 sized black and dark blue swallow wings, with striped patterns of storm clouds and light blue spots adorning the skin

Raiden faces and addresses me

Raiden: Your choice of words is erroneous and improperly represents my role and station on this titan. I am Inazuma’s guardian and sovereign

Rakurai: A guardian? Or just a tyrant who callously disregards the people’s ambitions?

She points her blade at me

Raiden: Do not dare to label me a tyrant. I do what is necessary for this land’s safety. You, a foreigner, would not understand

Rakurai: I understand well enough

Serusu had a look of terror on his face, even Sara, who so far hasn’t broken composure, shows an expression of great respect to Inazuma’s ruler. Han and Keizai are currently kneeling toward the Shogun, perhaps out of habit

Han: *So this is the Raiden Shogun… To see her in person is surreal. She definitely has an aura of authority and power as I imagined it would be. But I can only feel fearful respect… I know my family is at risk*

Sara: A-Almighty Shogun! W-Why are you here?

Raiden: To deal with Inazuma’s issues of course, why else

Sara: There’s no need for someone like you to come here and deal with this lot! Let the soldiers and myself take care of it!

Raiden: Unfortunately, I cannot. It has been proven that not even you can handle this opponent Sara. Thus, I take matters into my own hands

Raiden swipes her spear horizontally and a swift bolt of lightning struck the tree trunk Sara was trapped under, instantly breaking it and allowing Sara to lift the rest off of her as she stood up

Sara: *Bows* Thank you Shogun

Serusu: *Oh no… oh dear archons! This is not good at all! THE Raiden Shogun came here to deal with the problem herself!? We’re so screwed! I thought for a moment we could actually…*

Han: Please! Almighty Shogun! My son has done nothing wrong. He just earned his Vision! I assure you he’s an honest and good man. He poses no threat to the Shogunate!

Keizai: We beg of you, spare out son’s vision

The Shogun directs her steely electric gaze to the Shonins

Raiden: Are you this boy’s parents?

They nod in response. She continues to have a nigh expressionless stare

Raiden: My law is absolute. There shall be no expectations save it be those approved by myself and the Tri-Commission. I take no risk. An appropriate punishment shall be dealt to you later

Han and Keizai’s faces fall with hopelessness. Ikazuchi watches the conversation silently, but has a stance clearly indicative that the wyvern would be ready to strike at the Shogun’s command in a second. The goddess glares at me

Raiden: You are capable of using elemental power without a vision or a Blade… You are an exception it appears. Exceptions, the enemy of Eternity. And I must eliminate all enemies of Eternity

Rakurai: Try it. I assure you I won’t make it the slightest bit easy for you to eliminate me

Serusu shouts with worry to me

Serusu: R-Rakurai! Please! No more! This isn’t worth it! She’ll kill you!

Rakurai: I do not intend to give up something that clearly belongs to both of us, I believe in the agency of the people. And right now, the person that stands in front of me threatens my friend, I don’t care if she’s a supposed goddess.

Sara: How dare you! Whether you are a native Inazuma or not, an Archon is deserving of respect!

Raiden: *This one… has complete disregard for me… how rare…*

Raiden: You should know who you're speaking to. You are aware that you oppose a goddess of lightning, no?

Rakurai: I am well aware of who stands before me. But your supposed divinity is irrelevant to me. There is only one God I abide by, and you’re not him

Raiden: The Architect then?

Rakurai: No. Not even him. A higher power

Truth be told, I realized it now, seeing the Raiden Shogun in front of me…

I wasn’t even in my own reality, my own universe… was I? I had a deep hidden suspicion of this fact, but her appearing before me definitely confirmed it. These visions, elemental powers, the world I came from was not like this. There was no Teyvat, no Inazuma, or other nations, no visions and especially no multiple gods like the Archons. I was in a completely different universe where God couldn’t reach me, because he only operated on the laws of mine/his universe. It made sense why I had never heard of so many things like these people, and why everything seemed new to me. Why I couldn’t remember things. Perhaps I do indeed have a damaged memory, but even so, none of this I have ever known. I somehow have been thrusted into a different world. How this came to be is not important as of now. Still… I will not submit this this deity, even if mine could possibly no longer affect or reach me. I stand by my morals and principles in this, or in any other universe

The Electro Archon utters a light scoff

Raiden: There is no higher power than the Architect. He is the creator of and presides over Alrest. It is because of him that we exist as we do. What you speak is folly and a blasphemy

Rakurai: You wouldn’t understand even if I repeatedly shoved it inside that brain of yours

Raiden: Your amount of disrespect is unwise in your situation. You need to be put in your place. Last chance, hand over you and that boy’s visions and I will allow you to walk away, his parents included. Refuse and I will enact appropriate punishment on all of you, including here and now

Rakurai: Walk away? You have no idea what stripping someone of their dreams does to them. We’ve done nothing wrong, we’ve only used our visions to help people thus far. If you clearly can’t see the distinction between those who use their visions for good and those for bad, then you have no qualifications to be an Archon

Everyone in the area is slackjawed by my upfront and bold declaration to the Shogun, essentially insulting her capacity as a goddess to her face

Sara: *The nerve of this man!*

Raiden: Then I will have no choice but to take it by my hand… I cannot take the chance. Here in Inazuma, my rule is absolute

I stand silent for a moment, my clothes swaying in the wind. I narrow my eyes and discarded my haori on a rock beside me, sighing

Rakurai: I see… 

The speed of Raiden was unlike anything I’d seen before, I would need to keep up with her, especially being partially injured as I am. Nonetheless, I will do my best. I crack my neck and knuckles

Rakurai's Battle Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGc1jZDS6wU

My fingers twitch and I stomp the ground with my left foot, breaking it. There’s no pulling punches on this fight

Serusu/ Sara: *He's actually going to fight her!?*

The ground glows with pale yellow energy. A large pale yellow snowflake shaped compass formed beneath me and symbols appeared on certain points of it. The Shogun is caught off guard by this and observes it with interest

Rakurai: Technique Development…!

I take up a certain stance, bending my knees in a half crouched position, extending my right hand fully straight, opening my palm on my right arm while fully clenching my fist in a downwards bend on the left arm. This stance causes the compass to emit a faint glow, with an energy humming activation sound accompanying it

Rakurai: Destructive Death: Compass Needle!

The mystical compass stuns everyone, even Sara. The Shonins and the soldiers are speechless

Han: *I’ve never seen this before… Could it be some special technique?*

Kujou: *What is that power?*

Serusu: *This is new… he suddenly feels brimming with energy. Just when I think I knew enough about Rakurai…*

Rakurai: If you won’t let me and Serusu live in peace, then I will defend our ambitions with the utmost resistance

Ikazuchi appears to be about to make a move but Raiden quickly eases him and halts his advance

Raiden: Remain put Ikazuchi, I shall see to this fight personally. There is not need for you to get involved

Next, the Shogun turns to face me

Raiden: Prove it then. Show me you have the strength to back up those words

Immedietly after she finishes speaking, I dash at full sprint to the Archon, flash stepping in front of her

I waste no time in using my fists to attack the Archon at incredible speeds. The Shogun’s face expresses the briefest form of surprise but only for a microsecond, as she swiftly counteracts and matches my fists blow for blow. I perform 6 rapid jabs before left hooking right after. The violet haired goddess leaps backward before scraping her spear on the ground in an upward arc, unleashing a wave of electricity that rips the ground

Raiden: Electro Surge!

The electro archon swiped sharply behind her with a powerful electro swipe, uprooting and cracking the ground with searing electricity, slicing my abdomen and creating a wound that shot pain through my nerves

Raiden: Ruin follows my blade!

I jump back from the upcoming attack and the Shogun sends crackling electro disks, then unleashing a flying slash of lightning, I coordinate my movements carefully and evaded the attacks sent my way, but destroyed the electro slash with a downward shockwave punch. I jump backward in the air and reel back my fist, time to unleash my specialized techniques. I jump off to the side and suspended in the air, I pulled back my fist, preparing to unleash another technique

Rakurai: Destructive Death: Air Type

I punch the air in front of me with a burst of pale yellow energy, this confuses Raiden for a moment before her face contorts slightly as an involuntary, a small shockwave punch nailing her hip, and staggering her

Sara: *An airborne ranged shockwave?!*

Raiden: *I see. In that case…*

I land on the ground and throw my fists at Raiden once again, sending air shockwaves at her. Not caught off guard this time and knowing what they do, she quickly adjusts to the projectiles, twisting and spinning her naginata to block the attacks. I engage at close range once again with my fists and she blocks every strike. The Shogun flicks her spear for an angled arc slash upward, then swiping right in an arc to the side, I dodge both attacks. She follows up by twisting to the side and swinging her spear downwards, it forces me to crouch a little bit to block the strike with a shockwave. Raiden continues by slashing to the side again, then she uses a burst of speed, moving in a blur and delivering 2 slashes in the shape of an x, it manages to cut me across my bicep, spilling some blood. Raiden finishes her combo by twisting around and attacking with a 360 degree low slash with her spear. I bring up my leg to defend, and it clangs against the pole of the spear with an energy shockwave, preventing the attack from succeeding in causing further damage. Raiden is forced back from the impact of the shockwave, but recovers pretty quickly and continues her assault. Following a burst of electricity that empowers her next strike, I’m not able to muster a good enough defense to prevent me from sharply staggering backward. Twirling her weapon in a rapid cricle,  it surges with electro energy. Sensing a partciulary powerful attack, I reactively jump back as she swings it downward, unleashing a flying slash of electricity at me. I create a frontal barrier to block the attack but the amount of energy overwhelms the shield and I’m knocked out of the air. I adjust my position to land on my feet, but once again like Sara previously, my opponent is nowhere to be seen so I assume she’s attempting an ambush. I look around with my eyes to spot Raiden wherever she’s lurking

What she doesn’t know is that my compass needle technique… is able to sense her fighting spirit… her breathing, her muscles contracting, her very energy itself. Her Ki in essence… I can sense it, and like a compass needle I can always find it in my proximity. I sense Raiden preparing to surprise me on a tree from above. I move at super speed to the tree and in barely 2 seconds, I’m approaching the Archon’s rear with my greatsword summoned and poised to strike

Raiden: *How did he…?*

Rakurai: There you are

I slam the blunt end of the sword into her abdominal region with a great amount of force, knocking her out of the tree and blasting her through another smaller tree similar to the one I sent Sara crashing through. I jump out of the tree and summon forth more power to my palms and temporarily dissipating my sword. Ikazuchi growls in concern for it’s owner, looking as if it’s actively restraining itself to jump in and attack me

Sara: He actually just did that…!

Soldier #12: He got a hit on the Shogun!

The dust clears and the violet haired female is back up and standing to full height. She peers upward to see my next attack

Rakurai: Destructive Death: Crushing Type: Ten Thousand Leaves Flashing Willow!

The Shogun jumps back in time to evade my downward smash of my fists, making a large double shockwave in the earth and ripping apart several bushes in the area from the force

Raiden: Violetspark Origin

The Shogun makes a counterattack at such tremendous speeds that I have no time to react to it and suffer a nasty electrified gash on my chest, followed up by a burst of electricity. The next thing I know she’s behind me and poised to strike again

Han: Rakurai!

Soldier #4: Hahaha! She got him!

Soldier #5: The Almighty Shogun is unstoppable!

Rakurai: I’m not out yet. That won’t keep me down

Despite the pain of the attack, I tolerate the injury and keep fighting, summoning my greatsword and making a long horizontal pale yellow energy slash. The Shogun ducks under it, parries the strike I perform at an angle from the opposite direction, and then catches my thrust with her palm, using a surge of electro in that palm to freeze my sword and send me staggering with a flick of her hand. She tilts her side to avoid one of my punches and struck me in the side with the butt of her spear. This knocks me off balance and my body involuntarily flinches. Again discarding my sword, I throw ranged punches her way. She blocks the attacks and I dash to her side to which she jumps a short distance away as I punch the air where she was. I use my greatsword to destroy a bolt of purple electricity with an energy infused cut

Rakurai: Your reactions are impressive, I’d expect no less from a deity of this country

Raiden: Your martial techniques are likewise… but that won’t stop me from enforcing my rule

Rakurai: Then it seems neither of us are backing down

Raiden: *What is this power? I’ve never seen any vision energy like this before*

The Raiden Shogun and I charge at each other and continue to exchange blows, all of which are either blocked or evaded. As I’ve predicted, she’s an extremely powerful opponent. I’m struggling to make every effort to keep up

Meanwhile, to everyone else, the figures seem like blurs, hardly discernible as they move across the field, the only signs of their clash being lit up slashes clashing against each other, and paths of destruction being carved as well as dust kicking up. Ikazuchi watches with silence as his draconic eyes trace the battle. Han, Serusu, Keizai shake their heads as they quickly become confused and disoriented by the pace of the battle that their brains couldn’t process

Sara: *This is ridiculous, this ruffian can actually keep up with the Almighty Shogun?! Who is he!?*

Serusu: *Rakurai’s incredible! Going toe to toe with the Shogun!*

Han: *I can’t follow what’s going on. This battle is at an entirely different plane. Rakurai… I didn’t know you were so strong! Could it be that… you didn’t show us everything? That you were holding back? Is this is what you can do… you granted a mercy to those bandits*

I change techniques and go for a surprise leg swing which catches the Shogun off guard and just barely brings up her spear to block the attack, but sends her skidding across the ground dozens of feet away. But in an instant I’m on her again and we exchange blows. I notice Sara starting to walk towards us, most likely with the intent of assisting her Archon, but Raiden knocks me back with an electric thrust, then glares at her subordinate

Raiden: Do not engage with him. You would only get in the way General, or get yourself unnecessarily injured further, stay out of this fight

Sara: I…

Sara is forced to stay put and watch by Ikazuchi who places a claw in front of the tengu. I switch to my legs as my form of combat while dissipating my sword and deliver swift various kick attacks to Raiden, she dodges by backflipping and then swings her blade down on me upon landing. Again, it’s so quick I barely have tim to react so I do the only valid option. She doesn’t expect me to just use my own arm to block the spear. I block it with my own wrist from under and it cuts into my arm, albeit only half an inch, getting stuck in it. I wince from the pain but keep a straight face. Even the goddess’s normally stoic expression drops briefly at the sheer audacity and risk of this move

Raiden: What?

Sara: *He blocked it with his own wrist!?*

Serusu/Han/Keizai: *He let it cut him!?*

I swing my fist upwards and uppercut Raiden in the throat with a shockwave, the goddess lets out a sputter of blood as she’s unable to block it with her weapon jammed in my arm. She lets go of the spear and I extricate it from my flesh, swinging the weapon myself and cutting her arm, making it bleed, then slamming the side of the spear into her chest

Sara: *You’ve got to be kidding me! He’s actually been matching almost every one of the Almighty Shogun’s attacks blow for blow!*

Rakurai: I may be a martial artist, but I’m not opposed to using any and all weapons available to me

I punch the Shogun in the waist and she goes flying against a large rock, I then throw the spear with all my might towards Raiden with a pale yellow shockwave accompanying it. Her eyes widen in surprise as she tilts her head, just narrowly avoiding being sliced by her own weapon. I charge at her with another punch and she jumps over me as I break through the rock. She flicks her hand and bolts of lightning strike the ground, repelling me

Thunderings of The Merciless: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuXg9EuhwS8

Raiden: It is clear to me to I have underestimated your power. Well done. However, prepare yourself, for I shall show you the true strength of lightning and thunder

Preparing to receive another attack, I’m instead met with surprise to see Raiden reach above her breasts and a sword hilt materialize seemingly from her chest cleavage, which causes me to cock an eyebrow in response. She grabs the hilt and pulls a purple electric tachi sword out of her chest and swings it as she does, unleashing an electric slash at me which I sidestep, it annihilates a nearby cluster of trees with a bolt of lightning

Rakurai: Did you just pull that out of your chest? That's a bit dramatic...

That should not be scientifically possible

Han: That’s the…!

“She's drawn it! The sword!”

“Hahaha! He's done now! No one has survived it!”

Raiden: The Musou Isshin, a sword made from the strongest of storms. Consider this but a brief honor for few get to experience it’s might

Sara: *The Musou Isshin... a weapon that represents the Raiden Shogun's will over Inazuma... I've only ever seen it used in executions! I never imagined she'd be pushed to actually use it in battle!*

Rakurai: Oh joy, I can’t wait to be fried to ash~

Well it seems I’m not done yet, I prepare to face Raiden again, but I am unprepared for the sudden burst and increase in speed and power as she dashes around me. What results is a series of 7 consecutive slashes across my body each infused with electro

Raiden: Stormblight Flash: Sevenfold

Her speed is ridiculous! That tachi just gave her a serious boost! That and she’s stopped screwing around most likely. I jump back from another sword slash, surging with elemental energy. I spread my arms as the air pressure increases and my eyes glow bright yellow

Rakurai: Destructive Death: Eight Layered Demon Core!

I punch Raiden rapidly with 8 powerful pale yellow shockwave punches with an extra potency to them, which she uses her sword to block, albeit with some notable strain and effort. I pause on the 7th punch and deliver the 8 punch with such immense force it launches her back, still holding onto her sword. 

Sara: *He hasn’t even used some of these techniques on me! Was he really not fighting me at full power? Was I really just that much weaker to him? Still… the wounds I inflicted on him, will take their toll*

The injuries from the soldiers and Sara, as well as the stamina I expended on fighting them is going to come back to bite me in the butt very soon. I’m resilient, but I have my limits, I’ll tire out before she does according to what I’ve seen

Rakurai: Disorder- Sword Style!

Summoning my greatsword once more, I again a barrage of strikes, albeit with my greatsword this time. The Electro Archon parries the attacks with ease. Just when I’m about to land a kick on her, she teleports with a flash of electro and I only strike the empty space where she was prior. Appearing a few meters from me, the Shogun unleashes flying slash of electricity and I use a shockwave punch to disperse it

Raiden: Ampere Swarm!

The Electro Archon sends numerous arched slashes of lightning against me from varying directions. I drop on my hands and spin my legs around in a full 360 degree circle, dispersing them. I charge at her flank and deliver a crown splitter. She flicks her hand and creates a barrier that stops the axe kick, then slams me into the ground with a smack of the butt of her tachi sword. I roll to the side and avoid her sword stab which embeds into the ground only briefly before she removes it and refocuses her attention on me. Another electric teleport and Raiden waves her sword in a semi circle. Orbs of lightning 6 in total appear behind her and form a circular chain of electricity, which shoots an arc of electro energy at me. I use disorder again and punch all of them to pieces to counter, she teleports to my rear and is surprised to see me turn around and send a kick at her. The Shogun teleports around me at various locations and tries to hit me but my pre established compass needle has me glued to her like a hawk, countering each of her “surprise” attacks

Raiden: *How is he keeping track of my location? He somehow manages to find me at every opportunity. No matter, I can tell he’s having trouble matching my speed and raw power*

Raiden unleashes a massive strike of lightning seconds after I dodge it when she raises her sword. The impact decimates several trees in the area, even large ones, and makes a steaming crater, everyone begins to run away from us to keep their distance from our fight and avoid incineration. I block her attacks using my fist as she swings her sword in various directions, dashes around me at quick speeds and delivers more attacks, before sweeping my legs with her sword and blasting me away with lightning which launches my back skidding across the blue earth, stopping at several dozen feet away from the archon, the both of us stare each other down

Raiden: I'm impressed by your durability, you've somehow managed to both keep up and gain an advantage over me several times. This body is robust however, and how long can yours keep up at this pace?

Rakurai: This isn't over yet Archon

I initiate the fight again, speeding towards the Shogun, she tilts her head to avoid a punch to the face, she returns the favor with several blows with the Musou sword, which I counter using shockwaves from my fists accordingly. I do a side flip behind the Electro Archon and bring my fist down on her back, the woman jumps back, but upon turning around, I meet her with one a sharp energy axe kick that launches her in the air unexpectedly

Rakurai: Destructive Death: Air Type!

I punch the air rapidly and nail Raiden on her body dozens of times with ranged shockwave punches, I jump into the air while she’s still suspended to punch her. She blocks with the sword again and she goes flying back to the ground, skidding backwards through the trees and leaving a path of destruction as she does so. She recovers from my attack and dashes to me, we exchange a series of blows, her with the sword and me with my fists and legs. We go at it and trade blows, dashing across the field, neither of our attacks getting through the other for many seconds

Raiden: Eternal Voltage! 

The archon changes tactics and uses another skill. Waves of lightning barrage me from all directions and it’s too much for me to handle at the moment and I’m scorched in multiple directions across my body. I cough as purple static jumps across my body, and I fall to my knees, trying to control my breathing. Raiden has a lull in her attacks and stares at me on the ground. Ikazuchi nods in approval towards his master. Serusu, Han, and Keizai get increasingly anxious and worried for my safety

Serusu: R-Rakurai… Get up! Come on! Please!

Han: Rakurai! Don’t give up! We believe in you!

“Finish him Almighty Shogun!”

“Long live the Shogun!”

Ikazuchi briefly glares at the soldiers and their cheering, but says nothing

Raiden: You were saying about how this wasn’t over? It is as I thought, a mortal body cannot keep up with a goddess for very long, even the best

I try standing up, but my weakened state prevents me and I fall to my knees again, coughing up blood. Serusu shouts with worry for me. The archon’s powerful attacks are making my prior injuries worse. The electro is attacking my cells and stamina and I have to actively fight against my body shutting down from paralysis. I wouldn’t be able to continue fighting at this rate. But… I refuse to give up!

Serusu: *This is bad, the Shogun is getting a lot of attacks in on Rakurai! Please don’t die!*

My vision starts getting hazy as I continue glaring at the Shogun in defiance, but unable to get to a fighting state

Raiden: Hmph, time to end this

The Electro Archon slowly strides toward me, intent on finishing me off as everyone watches. I can’t lose… Not like this…

My vision goes black

…

“Listen to me Rakurai”

I open my eyes to see a scene unfolding before me. A smaller version of myself is sitting in the lap of a women with long dark magenta hair that turns wavy at the end, with a small lock of her hair braided across her head. This seems… familiar… Could it be a memory? The woman has a loving and warm smile on her face, but what caught my attention most of all were her eyes. They seem so familiar… exactly like my own, vibrantly yellow with red pupils

“You have strength beyond words Rakurai. More than you may ever realize. Do not doubt yourself. Your Heavenly Father gifted you with so much potential. In time, you will find yourself in situations where you must use your gifts and talents to help others. Use your gifts for the greater good Rakurai, to stand for what is right and just, to uphold virtue. You will be blessed beyond belief if you do this. I believe in you with all my heart. You are so very special. People may not see it now, they may scorn you, mock you, hurt you… But they will see…”

The woman’s smile grows brighter as she strokes my younger self’s hair, then cups my cheek firmly and strokes my cheeks, placing her forehead to mine

“I love you unconditionally my son”

Young Rakurai: I… love you too… Mother 

Mother… She is… My mother

***

Rakurai’s Theme V2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q5wnUh0D5o&t=5s

“Crack!”

The Shogun pauses when I suddenly slam my fist into the ground and break it. 2 sets of glowing yellow armbands appear on my forearms, along with slanted lines streaking from my shoulders to said bands, and 2 horizontal streaks on my chest. I slowly raise to my feet and to full height

Rakurai: I’ve got a duty to fulfill. No matter what, I will always defend what is virtuous and true

Raiden: *Where did he suddenly get the strength to stand?*

Han: *Those yellow marks on his arms… Where did they come from? I know for certain they weren’t there before*

I push past my immense pain as I feel revitalized by the memory of my mother and the marks appearing on my body

Rakurai: Gobanme Fukushiru

My aura explodes when I say those words, everyone takes a step back except Ikazuchi and the Shogun. Ikazuchi once again becomes wary of me and bars his teeth. However, the reptile continues to keep still, his tail swaying from side to side

Sara: He’s standing up! And his power just suddenly jumped to such a level…

Raiden: Impressive. So you can still stand. Can you fight? That is the question

Rakurai: Enough to kick your ass

Raiden is caught off guard by the sudden increase in my speed, and although she is able to prevent my punch from reaching her body, the increased force sends her flying against a tree. Shocked, but not to the point of freezing up, the Electron Archon recovers her poise and blinks next to me, using slash after slash. This time however, despite the speed, I’m able to keep with each attack, and even retaliating with a few of my own slashes from my greatsword

Keizai: What’s happening?!

Han: I don’t know, but something’s happened to Rakurai! Maybe it has to do with those markings

Raiden: *His speed and strength have suddenly jumped to much higher levels. Where is this coing from? He should not be capable of moving like this after the damage I’ve dealt to his body. And what are those yellow markings on his arms? Could they connected?*

Raiden slashes forward and I parry from the side. She slashes down and I use my knee accompanied by a burst of pale yellow energy to deflect the attack, then twist my body and position my sword so it blocks her rising slash. The Shogun next uses a series of side-to-side attacks with the Musou Isshin and follows up with a leaping spin slash charged with powerful electro. The attacks clash and throw out a shockwave of both our energies which cancel each other out and throw us back. Raiden attempts to capitalize on this by blinking behind, but I’m right there to meet her with one of my techniques

Rakurai: Destructive Death- Leg Type: Flying Planet Thousand Wheels!

I use a series of flowing kicks which increase each time in upward force. She’s unprepared for the attack and is thrown around by my continuous assault as the last kick launches her high into the air

Rakurai: Annihilation Type!

I jump into the air while surging a large amount of pale yellow energy in my palms, thend descending on the goddess. Attempting to use the Musou Isshin to block it, she is met by my annihilation type crushing the air, catapulting her to the ground like a meteor and ripping through the ground

“No way!”

“Can he actually fight like that?”

“Even the Raiden Shogun is having a hard time dealing with this guy!”

Serusu: Rakurai! You can’t lose! Please! Don’t die!

Rakurai: Don’t worry Serusu! I won’t leave you! I’ll stay right here!

Raiden appears in front of me with a burst of lightning, having already recovered and unleashes an orb of electricity, blasting me with immense force of electro power and sending me flying into a tree. The Shogun begins to use elemental attacks instead of her sword and I struggle to dodge the bolts flying everywhere

Raiden: Transcendence: Baleful Omen

Raiden uses her Musou sword and slashes it sideways, sending a large horizontal electric slash that rips through the ground and leaves a path of destruction. Afterwards, some kind of eye with the electro symbol floats above the Shogun. I jump backward then bounce off of a tree, jumping over the slash as it decimates the rock I just bounded off. I smash the ground in front of Raiden and sent a large shockwave towards her, she uses a torrent of lightning to clash with and overwhelm the attack and dashes across me, using her sword to slash me. I manage to counter her strikes, turning every which way and blocking her strikes with my fist, but she gets a hit across my side under my armpit. As she attacks, I notice that the “stormy eye” above her shoots electro sparks at the same time to supplement her attacks, some of these get through my defenses and cause damage to my body. There’s no doubt… she lives up to her reputation as the deity of Inazuma, however, that won’t stop me from defending the Shonins!

Rakurai: Explosive Flurry!

I switch to my legs and start to kick her in the chest numerous times, taking advantage of her opening, then punching her shoulder and sending the archon flying. She teleports midair and slices across my abdomen with a lightning-infused strike, I stagger and temporarily crouch to the ground on impulse, clutching my wound. Raiden jumps over me and kicks my back and my face slams into a tree. I move quickly to recover myself and turn to face her, again utilizing the Annihilation Type

Rakurai: Annihilation Type!

Raiden: Electro Thunder Wave!

Raiden uses her sword and unleashes a swirling torrent of lightning that collides with my annihilation type and explodes in a powerful blast of energy and debris, everyone covers their eyes to avoid being blinded by shrapnel. Raiden’s guard breaks from the immense force for just enough that I can take advantage on her opening, her stormy eye above her has dissipated, weakening her further. Now is my chance!

Rakurai: Destructive Death: Ultimate Art!

My elemental power bursts and flares and I charge toward Raiden at immense speeds, her eyes widening in astonishment as she can sense she’s in trouble

Rakurai: Yellow Silver Chaotic Afterglow!

I start to move around wildly and randomly, unleashing an omnidirectional overwhelming barrage of shockwave punches and kicks, striking from out of nowhere and hammering Raiden’s body while decimating the surroundings. By now, even her stern demeanor had cracked her face contorted in pain and confusion. Everyone scatters from the destruction that ensues

Raiden: *These attacks, there’s… s-so many of them! And each one has the same strength as that annihilation type! It’s too much!*

I prepare to use my final set of attacks, which will probably win me the battle, as the Raiden Shogun is immensely battered and injured, severely weakened. Sara shouts with worry to her Archon while the Shonins have hopeful expressions

Sara: Almighty Shogun!

Ikazuchi suddenly shows a small toothy smile

Just before I can follow through on my attack, a loud crackling boom sounds throughout the sky, and a massive lightning bolt not dissimilar to the one that caused the Shogun to initially appear, shows up from the sky, striking Raiden and me with so much force I was blown back, interrupting my attack

I had pretty much bet everything on my ultimate art, but now that it’s somehow failed… I’m left exhausted of the vitality I had gained though. I crouch slowly to the ground and clutch my wounds, steadying my breathing. The dust cleared to reveal the Raiden Shogun, but to my astonishment, it seemed as if her wounds had almost fully healed completely! Unlike previously where the Shogun had maintained a serious and largely expressionless face, now she’s… smiling, showing the first decently strong emotion since she appeared. As a matter of fact, I’d say she’s quite impressed even

Raiden: I commend you, Rakurai… your martial arts power is truly spectacular… highly advanced, and clearly tempered well. I haven’t had a fight like that in ages, well done

Something was different about her… she didn’t feel the same, her aura was different, and her facial expression too… there’s… emotion to it

Raiden: But… unfortunately, I cannot allow anyone to obstruct my path to eternity. I shall end it here and spare you further injury

Serusu: Rakurai! Noooo!

Serusu screams out to me. I muster what strength I have left and stand up, clutching my fists again and pulsing my energy through them. The Shogun smiles wider, further impressed by my will to keep fighting, hen sprint as fast as I can at the moment and move in for a slash using my greatsword. But she made a slight dodge to the side as I miss, then raises her sword as my eyes widened

Raiden: Premonition Spark

Raiden flicks her sword to the side as I pass her and a massive cut of lightning slashed across my body a second later, sending an immense shocking feeling through it, my vision began to fade as I wobble and stagger. Her speed… I couldn’t even see it, didn’t even know it was there…

Serusu’s face turned to immense horror as Rakurai fell to the ground on his side unconscious, heavily injured and bleeding, the large gash on his body from Raiden still present 

Serusu: No no no! Nooo!

Han/Keizai: RAKURAI!

The Dendro user sprints over to his friend and tries to shake him in a futile effort to awaken him, tears on his face

Serusu: Rakurai! Wake up! Please! You can’t die! NO!

Rakurai doesn’t move

Serusu: *He lost… he actually lost, he was so strong…*

The Raiden Shogun stares silently at the Shonin family and Rakurai, the same with the remaining conscious soldiers and Sara

Sara: I… A-Almighty Shogun! Are you alright?

Raiden: *Friendly* I will be fine Sara

Sara is slightly caught off guard by the Archon’s expression and tone, not expecting the shift. Serusu looks on at Raiden in fear, but also anger

Serusu: Y-You… YOU-!

Raiden: Do not be concerned young one, he will live, he’s merely out of it. However, I believe you have something that I require

Serusu: P-Please! No! Don’t hurt him! You can’t have my vision!

Raiden: You are far too young… to understand a concept such as Eternity

Han/Keizai: SERUSU!

The Shogun strode towards the 2 men, preparing to grab Serusu as he trembled in fear, however he refused to abandon his friend, staying by his side

Serusu: *If I’m to have my vision taken away, then I’m going to stay by Rakurai’s side! I won’t abandon him! I’ll fight to my last breath too if I have to!*

Serusu trembled again but gripped his Sasumata, swirling energy at its center, ready to fight, even if it meant losing. He blasts a few dendro bolts at the Shogun

Han: Son!

As expected, Raiden just parries aside the attacks while not breaking her pace in the slightest. Serusu summons a few dendro vines from the ground. They rise up and rear themselves to slam on the Archon but she just easily slices through them with a multitude of electro blasts, disintegrating them and again continuing her pace

Serusu huffs and puffs and stands up, raising his staff but finds himself kicked in the stomach by the goddess, her enhanced strength making him go skidding across the ground. The 13 year old coughs as he gasps for air

Keizai: No stop! Please don’t hurt him!

Sara: *The Almighty Shogun is… different somehow… something about her eyes*

The Shogun ignores Keizai and again walks toward Serusu. She is about to snatch him with a chain of lightning when suddenly a surge of water appeared around the young boy, surprising her

Raiden: *What is this?*

Serusu: H-Huh?! W-What’s happen-

Oceanic blue eyes glowed through the lighter blue water… belonging to a person, the water wraps around Serusu. The Shogun speeds toward the newcomer with electro, but takes a pause to block a powerful hydro shot from the vortex that appears out of nowhere, which buys enough time for the mysterious vision bearer. The water dissolves quickly and both the mysterious individual along with Serusu are whisked away, no trace of him anywhere. Raiden narrows her eyes in mild annoyance. The soldiers looked amongst themselves in confusion

Han: Serusu!

Keizai: Where did he go! What have you done with him!

Raiden: I have done nothing. Otherwise I wouldn’t have attacked. I am just as perplexed as you are

Han: *If not the Shogun then… Who? Where is my son? At least he is safe though… whoever you are… If you have good intentions… Thank you*

Soldier #3: S-Shogun, what was that?

Raiden: Hmm… interesting

The Electro Archon then lays her eyes upon Rakurai’s unconscious figure, a look of intrigue and deep respect on her face

Raiden: *I never would have thought myself to have to intervene, but… if I hadn’t, the Shogun for sure would have been rendered… heavily injured if not unfunctionable. This man… was willing to fight to the last to protect this boy and his vision, his ideals. His heart is strong… and so is his conviction, and his skill is incredible for his age. Hmm… *

The Shogun orders her soldiers and Sara

Raiden: Sara, get everyone back to their posts and await my command at Taifunome in the Palace of Eternity. And escort the boy’s parents to their home

Sara: Home? But Shogun they-

Raiden: I am aware of their transgression. But you will do as I say nonetheless

Han and Keizai are unsure of what to make of this. Were they being let off the hook? Sara corrects herself

Sara: Yes Shogun. At once. You heard her! Get moving everyone!

The soldiers start organizing themselves and getting their unconscious fellow soldiers to a safe place. Raiden though… has a lightbulb and smiles ever so slightly to herself. As Sara and the soldiers escort a stunned Hanei and Keizai back to Murasaki, Raiden walks towards the place where her spear is embedded and forces it out. She grasps her weapon firm, a small chuckle escaping her lips. Flicking her hand, the spear dematerializes. The Shogun strides over to Rakurai’s body while storing the Musou Isshin back inside her chest

She pauses however, when she senses something. She looks around, feeling as if she was being watched. Raiden is a bit confused to see no one there, having been confident someone was there. But as she turns back around to Rakurai, she swears she could have seen a flash of burgundy color

The sound of lightning and thunder echoed in the forest for a single second, then… within moments, the forest is dead silent, with nothing but the electronic rumbles of thunder and flashes of lighning in the sky of Inazuma no Mikoto to fill the void

Chapter Text

Elysium in The Dream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV0uYFPEkks&list=PLIpqsKgkQEvMUFbngp-GbW1JwDGXnxcm9&index=7

I’m not certain how I arrived here, but I become aware of myself wandering through a familiar field with daffodils, orange lilies, aconites, and mysterious white flowers, among a couple few other types of flowers. A forest lays in the far distance on a lower level. Initially, I am not certain where I’m going or why I’m heading in that direction. This question is answered as I realize I hear something that’s getting more prevalent the more I walk

It sounds like crying…

Rakurai: Is someone here? Hello?

No response, but the sobbing and crying does continue, so I keep on following the sounds to the source. I don’t know how long it took, but I do eventually come to what I believe is the source. I peer around to area to find an exact perpetrator, and locate something odd. A field of opium poppies surrounding a relatively small pool of blackish water. In the center is… a woman with long voluminous blonde hair with 2 particular strands curling upward at the sides and 2 braids intersecting behind her head to form a single large braid that flows in the center of her long free flowing locks of hair. For some reason however, she looks familiar to me I can't place as of now. I hear cries coming from her spot so I decide she is definitely the source of the crying. She’s hunched over in a balled-up position sitting in the center of the pool of blackened water, crying softly. The only sounds to be heard for likely miles are the drops of her tears in the pool

Rakurai: Hello? Are you… Okay?

Despite my calling out to her, there is no response given. I raise my voice

Rakurai: Hey. Why are you crying? What happened?

Again, no response. Thats strange, I’m certain she can hear me. Her crying isn’t that loud… I decide to move closer to her. I pass through the opium poppies as they brush against me and sounds of watery footsteps are heard as I step onto the pool of water then stopping a few feet from the mysterious woman. Again I try speaking but even at a close distance, it doesn’t work. What is going on here? I walk around her so I can see her front and get a closer look, crouching down. The girl has a very fair an unblemished face, with bangs that curve upward over her forehead and pretty eyelashes. On her ears is a set of 4 pointed emerald green earrings hanging from very thin lines and smaller ornaments along the lines. She also wears a golden tiara with an emerald green gem at the center and 3 white feathers on each side of the tiara tipped with black. As her knees are held tight against her, I can’t get a good view of what she’s wearing, only that she’s wearing some kind of white dress

However, for some odd reason, I find my heart feeling like it was… gripped or being… squeezed? I wasn’t sure how to describe it well enough, but it’s an unpleasant sensation for certain. This is what I feel as I see her rather pretty face streaked with tears of sadness. I am uncertain of what to do, as I can’t get her attention, but the mysterious and unfamiliar sensation only increases as I watch her sob and her tears add to the black pool

Finally, being done with watching, I take a risk and reach out to her with my hand. I touch her head

The girl gasps and shirks back abruptly from my touch, looking afraid. She starts to say something, but I notice 3 things. The first is that I can’t actually hear what she’s saying. Her lips are moving but no words can be heard. 2nd, she looks around rapidly for whoever touched her but doesn’t seem to see me despite me being right in front of her. Strange… Why can she not see me and I cannot hear her? Yet it does seem that she can feel and sense my touch so perhaps… The 3rd is her eyes… They are a brilliant shade of shimmering gold, truly beautiful eyes. Combined with the rest of her facial features, the mysterious girl is quite objectively beautiful. However such beauty is a bit damaged by her panicked and sad state as she looks around rapidly and further scoots back in fear. I approach her again, that mysterious heart squeezing sensation increasing as I see her fear and tears. So this time I quickly move over to her and take her in my arms, hugging her silently. I feel her about to make a move in retreat as she’s caught off guard, but just as quickly realizes that whatever is touching her is not hostile, and calms down. If anything, she seems more stunned than anything by my hug. She says something again that I cannot hear. I maintain the hug and I eventually feel her arms slowly wrap around me as she’s recovered from the shock. Her arms snake around my back and pull me a bit tight, part of her sadness turns to relief and comfort

I don’t know why this blonde girl is crying but… She clearly needs a good hug for comfort and… That’s all that matters right now. Her being a complete stranger does not deter me

The hug lasts for a good long while, until I finally deem it enough and pull back. I’m pleasantly surprised to see a smile on her face, brightening her face even though she still has a few tears. My heart experiences yet another sensation I’m unfamiliar with, but this time it’s… beneficial? I can’t explain it

“Thank you… Whoever you are”

Once again I cannot hear what comes from her lips. Why could I not hear her words yet her crying was as clear as day to me? It makes no sense. Suddenly I remember where I recognized this girl… She was in my dream! Previously I was only able to see her hair and a bit of her face. My vision fades to white as the last thing I see is the girl sitting on the pool of blackened water with a small smile on her face, staring at me. As this happens, I swear I see the smallest bit of the black pool clear up ever so slightly

***

2 Days later…

A Tranquil Town: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM3gEC_VnvE&list=OLAK5uy_mf8R0L8phKCeJ7Bl7XsXcMTOfKaceJ3mc&index=4

I gasp loudly, sitting up and panting. I’m immediately catapulted from the field with the blonde girl into an unfamiliar place with my senses on the fritz as I try to adjust and reorient myself

What the heck!? What happened? I immediately realize I’m in a luxurious and fancy room, akin to one someone of royalty would reside in. I gaze down below me and survey the bed I had awoken in. The style and layout immediately have me pin it as not my room. I’m not in the Shonin household anymore. It has a purple and white theme to it, with some other accenting colors. The blankets are quite comfortable, the pillows are soft, and the temperature is mild and controlled. Where am I? I look down beside my bed and find my backpack next to it, looking through it, everything that came with it was there. Odd. I’m very confused, what happened? I take a moment to collect myself, focus, and reorganize my mental landscape

The last thing I remember is collapsing from the Raiden Shogun’s attack, she had been struck by a lightning bolt and somehow healed most of her injuries after I unleashed my most powerful technique, Yellow Silver Chaotic Afterglow. And Serusu… I assumed I had lost the battle, which would match up with why I find myself in an unfamiliar place. Yet this is a suite fit for royalty, not a prison cell like I expected. I am far more concerned with Serusu, Han, and Keizai though. What happened to them? Did Serusu get his vision taken? Had he fled and managed to escape? Are the other Shonin’s safe? There were soldiers everywhere not to mention Sara so… The odds of that are…

My train of thought moves to another place. Am I at someone else’s house? Had I been rescued? I’m not sure, but sitting here in bed will do nothing so I slip out of my bed. Looking at my body, there are bandages everywhere, on all of my wounds, and I feel the unfavorable sensation of weakness and slight fatigue, but kind of refreshed. I tear off one of my arm bandages, to find that my wrist wound I had received from blocking Raiden’s spear… had completely healed, as if it had not existed. Due to enhanced genetics and superior physique, I have better healing capacity than most people, and what would end as scars to many is just another minor scratch to me

I tear off my other bandages and it seems that it applied to all my other wounds, I had emerged unscathed. Though I imagine I’ve been unconscious for such a time as to allow a good recovery by my body

Rakurai: My regenerative factor is better than I thought

Yet I notice how the bandages are all stained with a tint of blue… Odd… Perhaps they were just colored that way. One bandage is over my red wrappings I use to cover the yellow writing on my forearm which is thankfully still concealed

How long have I slept? More importantly, I need to know where I’ve ended up. I see a window in the room and immediately walk towards it. Hoping to get an idea of where I am, I shove aside the blinds and gaze outside. My immediate first impression is I’m definitely not in Murasaki village or anywhere close to it. I’m taken aback to discover far below me, a vast city teeming with people and bustling with activity. I recall what Hanei said to me when he did an infor drop to me when I first arrived in Alrest

“Taifunome, the capital city of Inazuma. This is where the Raiden Shogun resides and rules over Inazuma from her tall palace on the plateau”

Was I in Taifunome? The description seems accurate based on what I was seeing, plus there’s the fact that from my perspective, I am on quite the elevated position. I return to the bed to sit on it and decompress. 

That girl in my dream… who is she? Why was she crying? I saw her as well in my 1st dream… In the same field of flowers, though not among opium poppies and a black pool. I also remember the ominously purple eyed figure… steeped in a malefic aura. If I recall correctly, I saw him draining the girl. Though what exactly that means, I can’t say

What’s most unusual is the dreams themselves. I’m what’s called an Omnifictor, which essentially means I have near total control of my dreams. Their contents, laws, people, etc. This also means Omnifictor, unless they are severely unhealthy or crippled, cannot have nighmares, they’d have to basically will a nightmare to pass. These dreams are unfamiliar to me, not of my own creation, so how are they entering my dreamscape? It has to be of some significance… 

I sigh and look around some more, noticing my haori on a clothing hanger. I walk over to it and remove it from it’s post, then slip it on my body. As I think about what to do next, the door to the room opens. My face snaps over to the intruder and I find an infantryman of the Shogun’s army

Another Conflict Incoming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtqCkBa1rKA

Soldier: H-Hello sir Rakurai

In a flash I’m in front of the soldier, holding his arm tightly, he winces in pain as I glare at him

Rakurai: Where am I? Who are you? What is this? Answer my questions, where is Serusu?

Soldier: Ack! A-Argh! S-Sir, please calm down and take your hand off of me, I-I’m Fujita Sanshirou, y-you are at Taifunome, in the Palace of Eternity, where the almighty Raiden Shogun lives

I show a small indication of surprise, I was in the Shogun’s palace? This confirms my suspicions, and it’s not a good thing. For now, satisfied that Fujita isn’t a threat, I take my arm off of him and he rubs it in comfort

Rakurai: What am I doing here? And Serusu, the young boy I was with, where is he? Where are his parents Hanei and Keizai?

Fujita: J-Just relax, now that you are awake. It’s been planned for you to be presented before the Almighty Shogun

Rakurai: The Shogun? I don’t think so

Fujita: Please sir, don’t make this so hard on yourself, the Shogun will answer your questions, don't cause any trouble. I don’t think she means you any harm

Rakurai: You think? 

Fujita: I-I don’t know. We’re not sure what she wants. She just told us to patch you up, ship you here to the Palace, and keep an eye on you until you awake so she can see you. I assure you, we haven’t stolen anything, done any damage, or anything unfavorable

That’s all she did? What’s Raiden’s goal here? She’s treating me almost like a guest. I suppose it cannot hurt to hear her out then. At least then I can get some information out of her and try and learn her perspective on why she’s doing what she’s doing

Rakurai: Tch, fine. When am I to be presented?

Fujita: A-About now actually, come on, we must go to the throne room

What does Raiden want with me? What has happened to Serusu? I follow Fujita through the hallways of the palace, noting down each of the rooms and pathways. When we arrive at the courtroom, I narrowed my eyes and place my guard up upon seeing the Raiden Shogun on her throne. Sara Kujou, and many other officials, one of them with ice blue hair, and wearing an intricate noblewoman’s garb and dress with a chestplate, and another, also ice blue hair of a bluer shade, stands next to her, wearing attire reminiscent of the Meiji era. Another individual has dusty blonde ruffled hair worn in a spiky style with 2 locks of it flowing down his shoulders and golden brown sharp eyes.  I step down from the stairs and stride towards the Shogun throne, stopping a fair distance away from the Archon

Nothing But The Shadow of War and Ivy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctpjdJyUT78

Raiden: You do seem well rested after 2 days. How are you feeling?

Rakurai: Is that how long I slept? Felt like hours. Where is Serusu?

Sara: Watch your manners around the Shogun

Rakurai: I couldn’t care less Sara… I want my questions answered. I never care for formalities anyway

The dusty blonde chuckles

Dusty Blonde Male: Such disregard for obvious authority and law. You’re a nuisance already I can tell

Rakurai: That authority is not earned

He just shrugs at me

Dusty Blonde Male: If that were the case, then she wouldn’t be the Shogun

Ice Blue Male: That is enough Noritaka. We are not here to start arguments. He is a guest here

Noritaka: I’m simply attempting to explain to this cur how to properly follow rules, Commissioner Kamisato

Commissioner? Kamisato? I gaze briefly at the light blue haired man. I have read a bit into Inazuma politics. He must be Ayato Kamisato, the Yashiro Commissioner. I scowl a bit at Noritaka. His mocking disdain for me is obvious. But it’s different from Sara’s reverence for the Shogun. I detect an aura from everyone here who doesn’t appear to be a regular soldier. Ayato has a distinct hydro sigature which is confirmed by the vision on his right hip. The girl next to him and Kenijunshu have geo and cryo visions respectively I can’t see at the moment. Raiden addresses me

Raiden: Straight to the point I see. I like that. If you’re asking if I have your friends, I do not, someone absconded with Serusu before I could reach the boy, someone not under my jurisdiction. So I have no idea on where Serusu is

That’s good… So the Shogun doesn’t have him. However a side of me does have some concern for whoever does have Serusu. I hope they have good intentions

Rakurai: What about Hanei, Keizai, and the other children? You better not have harmed them

Raiden: They are fine, I reprimanded them of their actions, but they are unharmed

I raise an eyebrow at the Archon

Raiden: I would not want to do anything to potentially harm the relationship I am hoping we can build together, Rakurai

Rakurai: Relationship? What you talking about? And for that matter, would you care to explain what I’m doing here?

The shogun smiles thinly, again, like last time, her aura was off, not the same as when she first appeared to me

Raiden: In due time. Answer my questions first

Rakurai: Fair enough. what would you like to know?

Raiden: Who are you? Where do you come from?

Of all the questions… That was the one she asked? Then again, that’s probably the most likely one too

Rakurai: I am Rakurai Shogekiha

Raiden: Strange. I am not familiar with such a surname

Ayato: Nor am I

Ice Blue Girl: Certainly not a noble house

Noritaka: A lowly commoner then. He must be one of those in poverty. They often lash out at authority

I ignore Noritaka’s comment while Ayato shoots the geo bearer a sharp glare to be quiet

Rakurai: That’s because I am not from Inazuma

This raises everyone’s eyebrows in confusion. Sara asks me a question

Sara: If that’s the case, then how did you get here? Officials should have stopped you from entering the country because of the Sakoku decree

Rakurai: I merely woke up here, I don’t know how I came to Inazuma, but I awoke to find myself in this country, and made my way to Murasaki Village. I know for certain that I am not a native of this country

Raiden: Do you not know how you came here?

Rakurai: Nope, no clue. Most of what I have seen is quite new

The Shogun gazes at me silently, not knowing what to do with me for a few seconds, she straightens up and directs everyone in the room

Raiden: Leave the room everyone, I wish to speak to Rakurai. Alone

Sara: A-Are you sure Almighty Shogun? He is powerful you know

Noritaka: I do agree with General Kujou. Are you certain you do not need assistance reigning in this delinquent?

Raiden: Do not be concerned about me, just remove yourselves immediately

Sara and everyone else nods and within a minute they all leave the room, the ice haired girl gazes at me with a curious expression before turning her head back and leaving with everyone else. I hear Ayato giving a stern lecture to Noritaka, but he brushes it off. When it’s just me and the Shogun, I direct my attention back to her

Rakurai: So… what am I doing here? Shouldn’t you have imprisoned me by order of this decree of yours? Instead I find myself in a fairly comfortable room with all of my stuff present wit me and bandaged as well. It’s almost like I’m some kind of honored guest

Raiden: Huhuhu… well… That is because you are

Genshin Main Theme- Inazuma Style: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYgYvFsgtzA

All of a sudden, the landscape around me seems to crack with purple glass. My guard is up as I am uncertain of what’s happening. Everything fades like cracked glass to black. When it does, I am only alone in the dark for a brief second before a landscape appears around me, a large open field with a symbol closely resembling the electro one engraved on the ground expands from beneath me. Torii gates and several other ancient Japanese structures, or I should say Inazuman, rise from the ground and the sky turns to a solemn red and purple, with a largely still atmosphere except for a small breeze. A dark red planetary object with a light red swishing corona appears in the distance. In front of it is the Shogun a half a dozen feet away from me, floating in midair in a prayer position, or more like a meditative one. She smiles at me

Raiden: I have changed my mind, I was impressed with your martial skill. No one has given me a fight quite like that in ages

Rakurai: What is this place?

Raiden: The Plane of Euthymia, where I meditate and dwell on Eternity, strengthening my mental prowess. This is a rare opportunity for you. Seldom do I bring or allow others here. Here, time does not affect us. Time flows nonetheless in the outside world, but the natural processes that occur within it are rendered still here

Euthymia… I observe my surroundings. It is indeed quite tranquil, and a comforting atmosphere of serene calm. Raiden asks me a question

Raiden: Those marks… They are not present anymore… What are they? I reason they are responsible for that boost in power you received

She is right. As I look on my body, I can see how my skin is bare again, without the prior glowing yellow markings. However, I myself am not certain what they were. It seems like they were connected to that flashback I had… 

Rakurai: I am not sure. Your guess is as good as mine

Raiden: Oh? How do you not know the source of your own power?

Rakurai: My memory has been damaged since I awoke around 5 months ago, on Focalune. There are things about myself and my past that I cannot recall as they are either lost or buried

Raiden: Fascinating. This is quite curious. So you have a damaged memory fragmented into pieces inside your mind? It makes sense then why you do not remember how you got to Inazuma

The Archon nods to herself and then redirects her gaze to me after thinking for 5 seconds

Raiden: I am satisfied. Now it’s your turn. What questions do you have for myself?

I’ll start with my small little conjecture I just came up with. This difference in aura between Raiden now and when she first appeared is too much for me to ignore

Rakurai: Hmm, there’s something about you that’s off, and it changed when that lightning struck. I’m going on a leg here, but that wasn’t you was it? The first time you showed up, that was something else. Some kind of body double? I sensed an increase in power and energy when that bolt hit, or was I wrong? 

The questions I have posed to the goddess surprise her initially, but is replaced afterward with one of being impressed

Raiden: *Surprised expression* Sharp senses. You are a perceptive one indeed. I shall not lie to you. You are correct, that was not truly me, as who you saw then was my puppet, or body double I suppose in your words. The Shogun does the job of ruling Inazuma

Rakurai: I thought it was something like that, you must have a real name then?

Ei: *Nods* What you see now is my true self, or at least me controlling the Shogun’s body for the time being. My real name is Ei Raiden, the true Electro Archon, pleased to make your acquaintance. 

Rakurai: Likewise Ei

Ei has a more pleasant vibe than the Shogun, which makes sense. The Shogun felt almost mechanical to me whereas Ei is more of an actual person

Ei: That night during our battle, I had taken interest in the fight. I assumed the fight was over as the Shogun had you on your knees. However, to say I was caught off guard by your sudden increase in strength is an understatement. That technique you used, would have surely rendered the Shogun’s body incapacitated, if not extensively injured. I had to intervene

Rakurai: The lightning bolt…

Ei: Yes. I quickly transferred my consciousness and energy to the body before you could finish her off. You would have won had I not intervened, but while the Shogun is powerful in its own right, it does not have full access to the power my true self has – regrettably. But it is enough that she can be considered a proxy goddess. Thus, that was how I was able to prevent your attack, whereas the Shogun wouldn’t be able to. Simply put, Ei is stronger the Shogun

I digest the information given to me by Ei. Afterward, I have more questions that need answering. Things still aren’t quite lining up and I need more information

Rakurai: I see… So, Ei… why a puppet? Why not just rule Inazuma yourself instead of getting a puppet to do it?

Ei: My spiritual being lies here in the Plane of Euthymia, outside the mortal world. So I require a body there to run Inazuma as a physical presence

Rakurai: You were not originally like that were you?

Ei: You assume correctly, I indeed had a regular physical form. But I forsook it and entered Euthymia with my consciousness, and from then on, the Shogun has handled most affairs of my nation

I wonder why she deemed that the best solution? What are her exact motivations for taking such action?

The Lost Mound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx4vcvc-y0Q

Rakurai: Noted. You still haven’t answered my first question though, what am I doing with freedom?

Ei: Because I’m giving you a special opportunity, Rakurai. I believe your skill and power can serve the advancement of Eternity within Inazuma. Surely, as you can see, some of my associates and delegates like Sara have their visions

Rakurai: Seems hypocritical of them to have one when everyone else’s is confiscated

Ei: They have served me well and are loyal to my pursuit of Eternity, as a reward, they shall keep their visions if only to use it under my jurisdiction

Rakurai: What about the others? How can you be sure that they will use their visions to go against you?

Ei: I can’t take chances, visions are unpredictable elements that could go against Eternity, unless those using them are under my full control and jurisdiction, I cannot afford it. However, I can sense your being is just, and you displayed that during our duel, and I am offering you a chance, serve under my cause of Eternity to help keep Inazuma safe. Your spirit and will are very strong, and perhaps that is the reason for those marks you displayed. I am going to make you to be my direct subordinate Rakurai, my personal General

Rakurai: Serve you? Enforcing an unjust law? I'll pass

Ei is not offput by my immediate decination and instead seems almost amused

Ei: Rakurai, you are a very unique individual. An exception. You do not possess a vision yet can utilize this… strange power of yours without any aid from an outside source, be it a Blade or vision. And evidence points to you also not being the former as well. I’m not cruel. I do not place people in prison for having visions. So long as they give them up to the Shogunate, they can go back to their lives as before. However, you have no vision so the only way I can guarantee you not posing a risk to my power and ideals is by simply imprisoning you for however long. I don’t want to have to do that to you, to me this is too valuable a chance to pass up. I think you can be useful to Inazuma, to me. I’m offering you a chance at freedom. In addition, if you are cooperative, I will absolve the Shonin family of all crimes, and they can go back to the way things were, allowed to go undisturbed like before our physical altercation. However, I cannot grant the same to their son, he is a fugitive now with his disappearance and whoever he is associated with upon rescue. Although I have my theories

Ei stops floating and then approaches me, her electric purple eyes glowing

Ei: So… What will your choice be?

I stand silent, contemplating Ei’s proposal. The fact that the Electro Archon is essentially offering me unrivaled legal and political power bar herself is… interesting to say the least, maybe even ridiculous. Did I really make such a first impression that a goddess is straight up going to just give a foreigner a position like that?

You Shall Not Tempt It: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr-eTdfCum8

This idea however, will ensure that Han, Keizai, Akaishi, and Chokoreto will be safe. Serusu though… I am worried about him. Who could have taken him? Was he being harmed? Under threat or imprisoned? I don’t know. If the other party is not a threat, then what are they doing with him now? On the other hand, to enforce an unjust law that limits and takes away the freedom of the people? It goes against my Christian values. I don’t want to be a part of that. My principles will cry out in revilement against such a thing. But… if I refuse, I would be locked up for probably a long time. After all, I’ve technically committed the crime of aiding a fugitive, assaulting a General and the soldiers, going against the Raiden Shogun herself… and probably a few others because of my vigilante work these past 5 months. I can handle that without issue, I’m very resilient, and I will most likely find a way to escape. But what akes me hesitate is the idea that Han and his family will come under threat because of my decision. I don’t want to betray them by having them get imprisoned or in trouble because of my refusal, because of my selfish behavior to keep my principles. My father once said to never put rules before people… But am I doing that either way?

I’m conflicted, both have some moral issues, but… I couldn’t ask God for help, I’m in my universe anymore, I am no longer his jurisdiction, and I couldn't receive answers for prayer from him, or at least the connection is much slower. Perhaps I have a fragment of he Holy Ghost’s influence and power with me, but the situation is not in my favor. What do I do? 

Although… if I were to accept Ei’s proposal, I will gain inside influence and admission, perhaps… I could change her mind eventually from the inside if I joined her? That would work… I wasn't sure how I would do it but it might be possible. I remember the scriptures telling of how service can change people. In actuality, if I were to become Ei’s direct subordinate, I can help much more people this way using my power and influence. Much more than me just sitting in prison or becoming a fugitive even if I do escape. I can change the law from the inside, and persuade Ei to see things differently

Jesus would do that, that’s what the savior would do. The answer, although still rather weighty and making me doubtful, is clear enough to me. I look up and face Ei, sighing

Rakurai: Alright, you have yourself a deal

Ei: *Smiles* I was hoping you would, excellent. I assure you that the Shonin family shall not be harmed, unless of course they break the law again

Rakurai: I'll be holding you to that

Ei: I wouldn’t be surprised if you did, I’m glad you are a reasonable person Rakurai

Ei draws the Musou Isshin from her chest again and points it at my head, lightly tapping it. I feel a slight electric sensation

Ei: Rakurai Shogekiha, from here on out, I instate you as Shadow General of Inazuma, my 2nd in command, and representative of my authority. I grant you full use of your powers within reason, access to all parts of Inazuma that lay under my jurisdiction, to roam and conduct your duties and affairs wherever and however you please, and to uphold Eternity

She lowers her blade and then places it on my right pec. I feel a stronger electrical sensation on said region and look down to see the kanji of “shadow” being etched into my chest from under my shirt, glowing bright purple. When Ei finishes, the purple dims down till the symbol is no longer visible through my clothing. Ei then steps back

Ei: It is done. The room you emerged from slumber is yours now. Do what you see fit with it, within reason of course. About your conduct however… I expect you to treat those within the Shogunate with respect as best as you can even if you are now their superior. Many perform diligently and with valor. It was very interesting and pleasant to meet you Rakurai, and I’m glad we could come to an agreement. I look forward to how you will benefit Inazuma. I will relinquish control to The Shogun soon and remain here in the Plane of Euthymia. You need not worry about her, she will abide by our agreement. As my creation, she follows my orders

Rakurai: So be it, but I have another term

Ei: What might that be?

Rakurai: I have the day off on Sundays

Ei just gives me a blank stare, not understanding

Ei: Eh? And why is that?

Rakurai: Religious reasons, it’s part of my beliefs. Sunday is the day of rest. If we are to cooperate I want to ensure that you will not ask anything of me involving work and spending money on Sundays, no business affairs

Whether she is curious on knowing more about my beliefs and practices I don’t know, as she simply shrugs and nods

Ei: I see… very well, consider those your days off then, I will conform to your… religious beliefs as part of our contract. *Under her breath* Now I sound like Morax…

Rakurai: We have a deal then

God… I know that perhaps you cannot hear me now, but I hope I made the right decision, Serusu, please be alright, but perhaps… I’ll find him myself. Raiden may have made a deal with me but I wasn’t so sure she wouldn’t take Serusu’s if she ever found him

My… how my life has taken an interesting turn

***

Where the Heart Settles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v5DRihKUFU

I keep my agreement with Ei. The Shogun did the same once Ei gave it free reign back. It didn’t take long before news of my abrupt and sudden promotion spread. The idea of someone so immediately ascending to become the 2nd in command of the Raiden Shogun was unprecedented. Eventually, as I fulfill my duties within Inazuma through the years, rumors spreading about a “demon” having matched blows with the mighty Raiden Shogun, and tales of my strength were already being told within the first few months. Part of my duties included enforcing the Vision Hunt Decree, much to my dismay. However, I do my utmost to follow through on her orders while also keeping leniency so as to not betray my own morals, any reasonable excuse or line I could cross, I did so. I help keep the security among Inazuma and rooted out criminals and lawless people, like last time, except I wasn’t a vigilante like before. This part I was fully in agreement with. I had no issue with now having unrestricted power to lay down the law on people like them. However, even so, I often hunt down criminals and lawbreakers without jurisdiction from anyone, acting in secret and often unofficially so as to speed things up. The criminal underworld on Inazuma no Mikoto came to fear me for good reason, as un undefeated enforcer of the Electro Archon’s will. Although being 2nd in command, I do not let such power go to my head, and gradually earn the trust and respect of most people in the Shogunate through my efforts, letting my actions speak for me. At some point I’m granted my own contingent of soldiers, an entire battalion to answer to me, as a reward for being so effective and reliable

I admit, the power and authority felt nice, but I always keep in mind that such a thing is mostly superficial. What mattered to me is my spirituality and morality, and keeping a good reputation. I was sure to indoctrinate those under my command with good morals, and was always fair to them. People like Sara largely accepted the Shogun’s decision, but she understandably was wary and a bit nervous around me, probably due to the sheer power I displayed and thinking I may hold a grudge against her. Though I honestly care not for grudges. To be more effective in my duties and power. I take the time to study more of Inazuma’s government, traditions, culture, and many other things about my new home from various people I meet and books I obtain. There are 3 great clans that each govern part of the Tri-Commission, the governmental body that I learned was essentially the arms of the Shogun, enforcing her rule throughout Inazuma. While there are other clans, none have reached the prestige and power that these 3 have obtained. The Tenryou Commission, led by the Kujou Clan, the house Sara belonged to and was adopted by is the 1st. Then there was the Kanjou Commission, led by the Hiiragi Clan. The last one was the Yashiro Commission, which was led by the Kamisato Clan

The Tenryou Commission was the main executive branch of the Tri Commission, enforcing the laws, essentially being in charge of managing the military, and were the ones who enforced the Vision Hunt and Sakoku decrees, under the Raiden Shogun’s command. Their head and commissioner is the head of the Kujou Clan Takayuki Kujou, whom I’ve met on many occasions now but found somewhat distasteful. However, even Takayuki finds it wise to as I’ve noticed, to avoid irritating me. There was a certain element to the man that made it seem as if he somewhat held a bit of resentment toward me for suddenly having more power than he did. The Kanjou Commission is in charge of managing Inazuma’s finances and geographical aspects, including the borders as well. To me it seems like it managed the outside economic affairs of Inazuma as well as the inside. Their leader is Shinsuke Hiiragi, head of the Hiiragi clan. The final Commission is Yashiro. They are in charge of the cultural affairs and traditions of Inazuma, managing shrines, holding cultural events, and festivals. This commission appeared to be the most favored, as they worked close with the people to plan, manage, and hold said festivals and events. From my perspective, they are probably the least concerned with how much influence and power they have and more so just focused on making sure the people lead good lives

The commission is led by Ayato Kamisato, whom I met earlier in the throne room. The fact that he’s the head of clan Kamisato Clan surprised me once I learned his age. But through further study, I learn of the death of his father and mother, so naturally by order of succession, he takes the spot. His sister, Ayaka Kamisato, was the one next to him in the throne room. She is who I find to be quite fascinating. Ayaka has intended to study and master master of Tachijutsu. Ayaka’s taken the burden of being responsible for managing the Kamisato clan’s image, which judging from what people have to say about her, she has done a stellar job, often interacting with the public. Relatively early in my years as the Shadow General, a couple of months after my deal with Ei, I pay a visit to the Kamisato estate to meet some of the Yashiro people out of curiosity. I meet with several clan members, including Ayato, managing to have a more personal introduction to him and getting to know him a bit. But he quickly left after a very brief conversation to see to some bureaucratic work. With Ayato busy, I made the choice to find Ayaka and more personally meet her, as she hardly spoke back then and was more of an observer. I find the young girl in the courtyard under a pavilion, practicing her sword technique

Camellia in Snow Winter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4Y5d4ryIvM

Ayaka: Huut! 

Ayaka’s blade moves swiftly and decisively, her arms would have been nearly a blur to most people untrained in martial arts but I can see them well. This does not change my impression as I can clearly see the effort she’s put into mastering the blade. I am content to watch her in secretive silence for a time until I finally decide to approach her

Rakurai: Nice bladework

Ayaka jumps and gasps from my voice and sudden appearance, turning to see me standing on the porch of the gazebo structue

Ayaka: Oh! H-Hello there! Wait, you are that man from the court! The one that met with the Almighty Shogun and became her 2nd in Command

Ayaka’s age is about 13 from what I can guess. Such fine bladework for someone who’s just reached adolescence

Rakurai: I am

Ayaka: What are you doing here at the Kamisato Residence?

Rakurai: Surely you’ve heard about my arrangement with Raiden?

Ayaka: I have. I couldn’t believe it at first. No one like you bargains with the Raiden Shogun, and yet it did happen. I-I mean no offense though, it just boggles the mind

Rakurai: None taken. I have come to the Kamisato Residence out of curiosity to meet the clan and some of the commission officials from Yashiro. Since I am to now be working alongside the Tri-Commission, it would be useful to get to know my own colleagues

Ayaka: I see… That is a wise choice

Rakurai: Anyways. We met briefly in the throne room, but you hardly spoke. Allow me to more personally introduce myself. Salutations, nice to meet you. I am Rakurai Shogekiha

Ayaka: *Bows* Practitioner of Kamisato Art Tachi Jutsu, Ayaka Kamisato, present. Delighted to make your acquaintance Rakurai

The swordswoman’s fancy introduction and graceful tone make me chuckle, which only serve to puzzle her

Ayaka: What? What’s so funny? Did I say something wrong?

Rakurai: For a 13 year old girl, you are well spoken and reverent. That’s all

Ayaka: A noblewoman of the Kamisato clan is to conduct herself with elegance and grace

Rakurai: Perhaps. Nice swordswomanship. For your age your blade is fast and effective

Ayaka: Oh! W-Why thank you. I appreciate the praise. I’ve been diligent

Rakurai: Keep practicing, and you will eventually be quite the fighter. I can perceive it

Ayaka: Your support is noted and appreciated

Rakurai: *Smiles*I think I’d like to see some of your sword skills, would you mind demonstrating Ayaka?

Ayaka: I… Very well. As you wish

The young Kamisato swings her sword in a diagonal direction light and right at swift speeds, though compared to Ei, the speed was nothing. Of course, that’s an unfair comparison, Ei’s a goddess of lightning while Ayaka’s just a regular human. She thrusts forward with the sword, and then continues performing more combinations of sword slashes and maneuvers. I continue to watch for bladework for several minutes. By the time she finishes, I organize the data in my head and identity everything I need to

Rakurai: Very nice. While your strikes are swift and honed, compared to the Raiden Shogun, you are slow

Ayaka: Ahh… I imagine they are. I am just a young girl after all. The Almighty Shogun is a goddess of electro. She’s had thousands of years to hone her skills. I could never have such time

Rakurai: Indeed. Such a comparison is perhaps unfair. But I still believe your technique is done very well

Ayaka: I heard rumors about it, that you dueled the Shogun herself. Is this true?

Rakurai: I did

Ayaka: Wow… incredible…

Ayaka stares at me in wonder and amazement

Rakurai: Still, if you continue practicing. I’m sure you will be an excellent Onnamusha

Ayaka: *Bows* Thank you Rakurai!

I turn around and start to walk the other way.

Rakurai: I’ll be seeing you around Ayaka, keep working at it. I look forward to meeting you again

Ayaka: *Bows* Farewell Rakurai

Ayaka’s skill interested me, and my curiosity drives me to visit her again multiple times. I eventually notice how I often critiqued Ayaka’s sword skill, as my incredibly acute and analytical brain catched on to even small mistakes or inefficiencies. It’s uncertain between us when it happened, but before I knew it, I ended up becoming Ayaka’s mentor in tachijutsu, and officially dedicate myself to teaching her as her tutor. While I of course practice the Soryu style, I was knowledgeable in many combat arts of Japan, and by extension Inazuma as they still remain quite similar. Over the course of the year, her tachi skills improve to a point where she earns the right from Ayato to test her skills against a fiercely skilled Tenryou samurai. I attend the duel as a show of support. It only lasts for a minute, as Ayaka defeats her sparring opponent in a duel with only a few masterful strikes. It was then that in the dojo, icy cold power burst around her, and ice flowers had surrounded the girl. To everyone’s surprise, including my own, a Cryo vision hung on Ayaka’s sword, a reward from Yaegdrausile

Ayaka: I-I… a vision… I never would have expected…

Rakurai: Well done, spectacular *Nods in approval*

Ayaka: This means I’m recognized by the gods!

Everyone in the room claps and cheers for Ayaka and her victory. The Tenryou samurai she sparred against is also quite pleased with the results

Rakurai: It’s all because of your hard work Ayaka

Ayaka: Thank you!

Ayaka quickly huggs, me much to my surprise and slight discomfort. I’m not a touchy person…

Ayaka: You shouldn’t discount yourself sensi, it’s because you were such a good teacher as well! I couldn’t have done it without you!

Rakurai: I’m honored by the compliments Ayaka. You’ve earned it

After that, it wasn’t long before we had a meeting with the Shogun, despite only knowing Ayaka for a relatively short period, as a prized student, I of course couldn’t allow the fruits of her labor to be stripped away on because of the Vision Hunt. I appeal on Ayaka’s behalf to the Shogun, and by extension Ei of Ayaka’s loyalty and skill. Asserting that she could be useful to her goals, the Archon allowed Ayaka to keep her vision, like her brother Ayato to both our reliefs

Ayaka: Thank you for convincing the Almighty Shogun Rakurai to have me keep my vision

Rakurai: Of course, as my student… And valued friend. I would gladly vouch for you

Ayaka: R-Really? You… consider me a friend?

Rakurai: I don’t see why I wouldn’t

Ayaka smiles brightly at me, full of happiness

Inazuma Main Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTCu-0my_58

I also met another person of Kamisato household, although not a Kamisato himself. His name was Thoma, someone from the Anemo country of Mondstadt, a foreigner. He was a household keeper for the clan, and an attendant. He performed the role of attendant quite well, and his penchant for cleanliness reminding me of my own adoptive mother. I later learned that Thoma also dealt with anyone who disrespected or cheated the Yashiro Commission as a sort of secret agent, quickly learning it was best to stay on his good side by not screwing over Yashiro

As for Sara Kujou, while I was hard pressed to call her a friend, she and I both came to respect each other as fellow warriors and associates, even if we disagreed – My informality with the Shogun and other nobles like Ayaka and Ayato was the subject of most of our arguments. Still, I had to admit I could see why she was the Shogun’s right hand and the general of the military. Being a Tengu, it explained her strength and physical abilities. It was strange though… she was adopted into the Kujou clan, a tengu, I wondered about the motivation behind that, one of these days, I would ask Sara myself 

After becoming part of the Shogunate, I decided to use my nickname, Akaza, on the field. I am uncertain of the exact origin of the name, but I knew I possessed a connection with it. This name was what most people knew me by, especially the common public. The soldiers under my command also referred to me as such. Only people like Ayaka would use my true name. Ayato and Sara knew it, but have referred to me as Akaza since I adopted it following my promotion. Ei’s pet Ikazuchi, who I learned was an electrovishap, interacted with me on many occasions. Ikazuchi treated me cordially and respectfully once his master did the same, and to my surprise, I learned he was sapient and capable of intelligent thought and speech. Ikazuchi served as a method of transportation, a guard dog for the Palace of Eternity, and sometimes even did a little helping around the city or rounding up criminals. Ikazuchi mostly served as an envoy and emissary of Ei’s will, not quite like myself, but close enough. Ikazuchi was one of the few people as I learned, that Ei let into the Plane of Euthymia. At times when I visited the Electro Archon (As I was given free access to the Plane through The Shogun), Ikazuchi would be there to just silently keep his master company, but mostly stayed out of the realm

It was conversations with the Shogun, more specifically Ei that I found most intriguing. As I had promised myself, I had attempted to convince her on numerous occasions to repeal the vision hunt decree but none were successful as of yet. It was also during these attempts that I learned more about Ei, such as what this “Eternity” concept of hers meant

Rakurai: Ei, you say that visions and Blades are unpredictable, and a potential threat to your pursuit of “Eternity”, what even is that?

Ei: It is my principle, the closest unto the heavenly principles

Closest unto heaven… that’s some high class arrogance right there

I was in Ei’s realm, the Plane of Euthymia, it was the place she spoke of, and I understood what she meant when she said her full “self” was in another realm. She made most of her time meditating in Euthymia, her consciousness and pure energy residing in the plane as she says. Ei would almost never come out of the plane, her taking over the wheel during our duel, and when she spoke to in the palace were what she claimed to be the only times she had emerged from the realm in many centuries. She would sometimes drag me into it to speak with me

Ei: It is a never changing state, one without erosion or death, an eternal nation, one that will be safe forever, Inazuma will remain Inazuma

Rakurai: Nothing lasts forever Raiden

Ei: On the contrary. Eternity shall make it so, I will not stop until I accomplish this state, so I meditate here in Euthymia to gain a better understanding, and to improve my mental prowess

Rakurai: Don’t you get lonely in here? All by yourself?

Ei: I have you talking to me don’t I?

Rakurai: Don’t dodge the question

Ei: Loneliness is irrelevant, it does not affect my pursuit of eternity

I give a frown, she was being difficult and dodging questions… Plus… I get the feeling she’s lying

I no longer really disliked the woman. I found her company enjoyable and interesting, if not annoying, frustrating, and confusing because of her isolated nature and beliefs. I could understand somewhat given my own personality, but I don’t cut myself off from human interaction entirely. Ei did truly care for Inazuma, but I knew she was going about it the wrong way trying to keep her nation safe. But while I was doing these things, my name became known throughout Inazuma, sometimes I was the Shogun’s mysterious top gun with important connections to all 3 great clans. Other times, in the criminal underworld, I was known as the Shogun’s most feared enforcer and fighter, Akaza. Rumors would spread among people of my skill with bare handed martial arts, of how I could stop numerous weapons with my bare limbs. To my soldiers, the Samurai, under my command, I was a respected leader, and a powerful warrior, I treated my soldiers well and kindly. The same went to other members of the Shogunate if they proved themselves

In all this rise to supposed fame however, despite the years, I never forgot the Shonin family, my first friends, a year after I initiated my deal with Ei, I went to Kannazuka myself, the island where Murasaki village was. I did not know what had happened since then, if Han and his family were still in the village, or maybe had moved. I had used my personal boat I built from a shipbuilder in Inazuma city, knowing I would need it. Luckily, Murasaki was not far from the small port I stopped in, and I was relieved to find Han and his family still living their house

As usual, the Shonin family left their door open and I was able to sneak in silently

Rakurai: Han, I’m home

Han: *Gasp* Who’s there!? Who came into to-

When everyone spots me, they freeze in their tracks, Keizai drops the book she was reading and the children, Akaishi and Chokoreto have tears welling up in their eyes, then quickly sprint to me, hugging my body

Akaishi/Chokoreto: Rakurai!

Rakurai: Akaishi, Chokoreto, it’s good to see you

Someone unfamiliar is in the house though. I notice a small baby in Han’s arms, both parents walk to me. Han sest the baby down in the rocking chair as it coos comfortably. Han gets teary eyed

Han: Rakurai… you’re… here! Y-You actually alive! 

Rakurai: Nice to see you again Han, I’ve come for a visit, I was hoping you still lived here

Han: Of course I still live here! I… don’t believe this, welcome back old friend

The children step back as Han and I embrace each other, I smile fondly. After the hug I walk to the baby in the rocking chair, observing it

Rakurai: My… who’s this little bundle?

Keizai: O-Oh! That’s little Riku, she’s 7 months old

Rakurai: I see… Keizai, it’s good to see you well. Nice baby by the way

Keizai: Ehe! Thanks! Blunt as always. I’m so happy you’re here!

Han: We heard everything, rumors spread, is it true? Has the Shogun herself really made you her Shadow General?

Rakurai: I did, and nearly won, but she too powerful

Han: And… now you are part of the Shogunate. And these days you seem to go by the name Akaza

Rakurai: Han, listen, I made a deal with Raiden about it, she promised to let you guys go on if I joined her. Plus, from where I’m standing, maybe I could change her mind. Sorry if you feel like I did something wrong

Han: No no, it’s fine. I can see why you did it. I don’t blame you for the choice you made. You did your best with the situation you were in

Keizai: You actually think you can convince the Shogun to repeal the Vision Hunt Decree?

Rakurai: It’s possible, and while I don’t exactly like my circumstances 100%, I see it as the best course of action, changing the system from the inside. I’ve met a lot of people

Han: You’re… what, 19 now?

Rakurai: That is correct

Han: Still as muscular as ever, hahahaha!

Rakurai: No doubt about that

I converse with and played catch up with the Shonins, telling them of my adventures so far and what was happening. I leave some parts out, seeing them as unnecessary. Chokoreto and Akaishi are more than disappointed in me for not being there for their birthdays, which apologized for, if I had the time, I definitely would have celebrated. But one thing pricked my mind… I frowned, staring in silence at the stairway from the couch, the room gains an element of grimness

Han: Rakurai?

Rakurai: Han… I need to know… Have you seen Serusu? Has he come?

At this, the children started to slowly descend into crying, Keizai sheds tears and Han tries to hold his own watery drops back

Han: We don’t know. I’m sorry to say that… Serusu hasn’t returned home. Nobody has seen him since that day, just… gone. Not a word

Keizai: We’ve tried looking everywhere for him, in town, across Kannazuka and Narukami, but… no luck

Han: We stopped looking for him several months ago, we’ve just… tried everything, and now we hope he comes home soon. There’s nothing else we can do

Rakurai: I see… Thank you for trying

Akaishi: Waaaah! Big brother! I miss you…! R-Rakurai, do you know where he is? Please?

Rakurai: Sadly I don’t… according to Raiden, Serusu was taken by an unknown figure not long after she took me down, before she could get his vision. It wasn’t someone on her side, but someone else. I’ve been searching for Serusu myself but have suffered equally no luck

Han: Yes, we saw it too. A hydro vision bearer from my perspective. There was too much water in the way so if I knew or recognized her, I wouldn’t have been able to since she was shrouded in water

Rakurai: Seems that way, and the Shogun doesn’t seem like the type to lie so I believe her, but still I can’t find Serusu

Han: Thank you for trying my friend

Rakurai: I don’t intend to give up

Han: That’s good. Thank you. Well… let’s have dinner together Rakurai, like old times. You probably need and deserve a good break after all you’ve done

Rakurai: Sounds good, I’m pretty hungry anyways

I was glad to see that the Shonins were doing alright, bar Serusu’s disappearance, we ate dinner together just like a year ago. And I left not long after that to return to the Palace of Eternity. I never forgot Serusu, I searched for him everywhere, every island I could access, as Inazuma proved to many hundreds of smaller islands from the main ones, some were linked together. I would visit Han and his family from that day forward on various occasions, to spend time with them, or give any information as to Serusu’s whereabouts. I did find clues I think, I’d see bandits being knocked out and restrained by wood along the streets of settlements. Maybe Serusu had been there, playing vigilante like I did, but it wasn’t a definitive answer, as he might not be the only Dendro vision user. As I had learned from Sara, among others of the military, that some hid their visions and went into hiding to prevent them from being taken. The Watatsumese people continue waging their rebellion against the Shogunate, it had not died down since I last heard of it. Now being the Shadow General, one of my other roles was to lead the war effort against them, so I found myself engaging in battle after battle against the resistance, and they too came to fear me. Still, I continued to search for Serusu, over the course of 4 years, sometimes seeing hints of his whereabouts, but never laying eyes on him for years. Han had even said Serusu had never come by just to reassure his family, which would have seemed sensible. Watatsumi was the only place I hadn’t searched for Serusu due to it being a hostile region. Perhaps that was where he was hiding… it’s a smart idea to be frank. Serusu, I will find you, and I hope you are okay, I’m doing everything I can to change things…

In the following years, my dreams continue to appear in my mind as I slumber, and at seemingly irregular intervals. I couldn’t exactly make sense of them. Not all of them were the blonde woman, who only appeared several more times. I still am unable to hear her or have her see me for reasons I don’t get. I interacted with her minimally, and when I did see her, it was when she was in sad solemn thought or crying, the latter of which was the only thing I was able to hear from her. Why was her sadness able to be heard but not anything else? When she was sad, I did as acted previously and would hug her to soothe her pain, as I currently saw little else I could do. Other things I dreamt about included those shadowy ominous figures with the kanji symbols in their eyes, glowering down at me along with the wavy haired man with deep red eyes and sharp black slit pupils. I could tell they meant something very significant, but I could never pin it down. I’d also see people who looked like my friends, moments with my family, and others. These dreams were clearly links to my past and other important things, but as of yet, my damaged memory prevented me from fully making sense of and interpreting them, especially the mysterious blonde girl who didn’t seem familiar to me at all

Amidst it all, I wonder why I’m here… Why have I found myself in a different world? Why am I alone with no sign of former friend and a broken memory that can only remember fragments of the true person it once belonged to? However… I am thankful my personality has remained intact and… even if it is frustrating… I can sense progress amounting. Perhaps someday I’ll figure out what the purpose of all this is. After all, that’s what life’s all about

Chapter Text

Hephestember, 3257 PAW

Fall of Maples: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcLtPP0L_1s

It’s early morning in the Palace of Eternity as I prepare for the new day, a kind of day I have since come to settle with after 4 years

I do up my appearance just enough to not be sloppy and be a tad bit presentable, eat breakfast, take a shower (today was one of my shower days), tidy up some objects, and check the bounty board

The bounty board is simply a list of jobs and missions for me to pick and choose at my discretion, giving me a sizeable amount of freedom in terms of what I wanted to do with my day. Inazuma has plenty of problems to take care of. An attendant of the palace would usually quietly enter my room, pin papers detailing a job and reward, and then leave just as quickly, updating it randomly, but also with enough regularity so that I don’t end up having large swaths of time such a days in a row where there’s nothing to be done

Although if that does happen, I didn’t entirely mind. I easily found ways to occupy myself, do some service for the people, perform experiments and research in the secret laboratory that lays underneath my room. I’ve grown interested in discovering the various unique aspects of Inazuma no Mikoto’s ecology and the various creatures, or just the unique aspects of Alrest’s nature in general, the ley lines, the 9 elements, etc.

But while the board does have some things on it, I only checked it so as to have reference for later. Right now, I have a more important task to perform. Quickly leaving my room once everything’s taken care of and in order, I stride quickly down the halls of the Palace of Eternity. I check the Shogun’s room on the more upper levels of the building and when I see she is not there, I head to one of the only other places she would be, the court section containing the throne room and connecting rooms which generally serves as the Electro Archon’s “Living Room” as a whole. I am greeted by some of the early guards of the palace with a stamp of their weapons. Though a few go a degree further and offer verbal good mornings. Although Raiden is also not in the Throne Room, it’s very likely she is in one of the surrounding spaces. A training room/meditative court north, a formal dining room to the west, and 2 separate rooms for palace retainers to the east. I move around the throne at the end and behind it, entering the meditative section and as expected, finding the Shogun sitting quietly on the ground, drinking some tea and a simple meal of onigiri. Laying on the ground not far from her is Ikazuchi the Electrovishap, serenely chilling close to the Goddess

Now as a puppet not entirely organic, the Shogun doesn’t have a strict need per se for sustenance. But I’ve come to the conclusion that she either does this to fit in with the rest of society or simply uses this as a way to organize her thoughts and decompress, by having a simple meal in silence. That or a combination of the 2 in varying degrees

Ikazuchi bows his head to me

Where the Shirasagi Dances: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1topzeQYSOg

Ikazuchi: Greetings Lord Rakurai

Rakurai: Konichiwha Ikazuchi

Ikazuchi: What brings you here friend? Would you like a cup of chargewater?

Ikazuchi raises a clawed hand holding a teacup delicately, which has chargewater in it. Chargewater was a special kind of water in Inazuma, produced by natural phenomena in the nation or by Inazuma no Mikoto himself. Chargewater is known for carrying electrolytes, minerals and fluids that carry an electrical charge and are essential for a well-maintained and functioning body, particularly when it comes to the muscles. The electrolytes found in Chargewater however, are particularly potent and “sparkling” if you get what I’m conveying, and typically only Inazumans can handle it due to adaptations, one of many the people on the Titan have made; which include some glowing energy lines and nodes on their upper arms and thighs, and hair that can absorb a certain amount of electricity and glow

Ikazuchi is surprised with himself

Ikazuchi: Oh wait, forgive me, I forget you are not a native

Rakurai: It’s fine, I’ll take it

Ikazuchi: Are you certain?

I nod to the reptile and take the cup from his hands, quickly sipping and downing it while experiencing the familiar spark tingle of electricity inside of my throat and surrounding areas, and then setting down the cup

Ikazuchi: *Impressed* That was fast

Rakurai: Living in a nation so attuned to electricity and it’s element for 4 years does fushigi for the body. I’ve adapted overtime to the climate and customs

Ikazuchi: I see, very impressive, it typically would take longer for a foreigner

My body itself is quite adaptable, as evidenced by my abnormal healing and bodily regeneration rate, among others. Consuming Chargewater and being influenced by the Electro element have meant that at some point, my adaptive body has also created similar streaks and nodes of glowing energy on my thighs and upper arms, and my hair can also absorb a limited amount of energy and exude a blue glow. Besides, electrolytes are good for you. Of course, such adaptation for normal people would take quite a while because of evolution, the people of Inazuma have spent countless years slowly acclimating to Inazuma's eccentric environment

Ikazuchi: How does it taste then? If you can handle Chargewater now, how do you find its taste?

Rakurai: It’s good enough, I don’t mind. I’ve gotten quite acclimated to it. I wouldn’t turn it down in most instances if someone were to offer it to me

Ikazuchi: I see

Ikazuchi takes a sip of his own large vishap-sized teacup filled with Chargewater. For a lizard capable of a lot of damage, he’s very sophisticated. Up till now, the Shogun has only observed me in silence, so I direct my attention to her

Rakurai: Raiden, Ei to ohanashi shitaidesu

The Shogun stares up at me with her usual expression, largely devoid of passion and significant emotion. While I often carry the same at almost all times, the difference between the 2 of us is that the Shogun’s expression often seems mechanical, almost with the intent to communicate that she is detached from worldly concepts. I on the other hand have this visage as it’s just in my nature. My impassivity is more so cool, composed, and constantly in control, neutral but not entirely disinterested, and phlegmatic. The Shogun’s expression is just plain lacking in even a little bit of vitality

Raiden: So early in the morn? What could be your reason for disturbing my creator’s important progress to Eternity?

Rakurai: Progress my aft. There’s an important topic of discussion I desire to bring up with her

She just narrows her eyes at me

Raiden: It almost seems as if your position as Shadow General has given you the impression that you can just waltz into Euthymia to converse with Ei at your leisure without any care. You’re getting careless. Lacking in courtesy and respect

Rakurai: I’ve never needed much of courtesy in my life, can’t see that changing much now at 22. Besides, Ei never objects much to me keeping her company

Ikazuchi snorts with amusement at this line and looks to Raiden with an expression that says “he’s got a point”

Raiden: She has no need of company

Rakurai: That’s a load of crap. Now get me inside

Ikazuchi: It should be fine Shogun. I’m sure Ei will not mind, she shows him quite the amount of favor after all

Either to get me to leave her to her simple meal or just because I’m that annoying, the puppet nonetheless complies and the familiar sight of purple glass shattering back and engulfing the landscape can be seen. It isn’t long before Euthymia takes shape and as usual, I find the true Electro Archon floating in the air on the other side of the field, deep into it yet again

It’s rather easy for me to spook Ei, partly due to my skills in stealth, but also because she tends to not notice people around her and her attention and awareness are focused almost entirely inward on a mental level. I amble on over to the hovering purple form and sit down next to her, tapping her cheek with a single finger while having a fist rest on my right cheek

Rakurai: Oi. Okite kudasai Ei, raikyaku ga arimasu

It doesn’t take long for Ei to open her purple eyes and stare back at me with surprise

Genshin Main Theme- Inazuma Style: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYgYvFsgtzA

Ei: Rakurai, what a surprise to see you here. Did the Shogun let you in?

Rakurai: Who else? You’re rarely fully conscious to do so yourself so I have to annoy the Shogun most of the time to allow me access

Ei: I see… 

The Electro Archon smiles at me. Ei is rarely in a mood where she won’t willingly talk to me, we get along quite well in the realm, save it be for our different views on “Eternity”

Ei: You never waste my time. So tell me, what brings you to Euthymia?

It’s something I’ve been wanting to ask Ei for a while, but needed the right set up for

What I mean by that is in regards to Ei’s motivations. Ideals do not exist in an empty vacuum of spontaneity, they are formed through experience, beliefs, research, personalities, etc. Ei’s ideal of Eternity, as initially appealing and idyllic as that is, is ultimately flawed all things considered. To understand and perhaps persuade Ei into respecting and considering human ambition more, I must understand why she thinks the way she does. What led her to see Eternity as the way forward for her nation? Why does she view Visions and Blades as potential threats to said Eternity? What precisely compelled her to create a puppet ruler to manage things in her stead?

Despite the importance of such a question though, I did not think it to be wise to ask such a personal question without first establishing a connection between Ei and I as good friends, which I have done for 4 years, getting to know her and earning more of her trust. Now, I’m confident that she can at least give something of an answer this question comfortably on a relative level

Rakurai: Why do you pursue Eternity? What made you come to such a conclusion about the world?

This surprises Ei, as perhaps she expected something more trivial and “getting to know you”. Which is what I had been doing. She might have even wondered if I were going to tell her about how my job is going or questions about Inazuma’s culture (Not that I think she’d be particularly good at the last bit. She’s not doubt missed some things)

Ei: *Clears throat* Hm, I did not expect a question like that, sufficeth it to say

Rakurai: Did you think I was here for another sweets sharing session?

Ei: Well… You do usually bring a snack. This is quite the leap

Rakurai: Are you going to answer my inquiry or not?

The violet haired female sighs 

Ei: A mortal such as yourself would not be able to grasp the full width and scope of Eternity, as their own lives are finite. But I suppose I can provide some explanation with a history lesson

Kingdom of Torna: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpJDcXCSlHI

Ei stops floating and stands on both feet. She slowly waves her around across her mental realm and it does a shift that reminds me of old Star Wars scene transitions, switching horizontally from one scene to another. The Plane of Euthymia is replaced by a vast metropolis, bustling with activity, shining architecture, and a vibrant and diverse landscape outside the city gates. A tall and ornate palace stands at the far end of the city. The entire place had some similarities to Inazuman architecture, but also fundamentally different

Rakurai: You mind explaining what this place is?

Ei: This is a mental image of my own memory. This is Torna, once a shining paragon of culture and progress in Alrest, an ancient nation, yet far ahead of it’s time

Rakurai: Torna… I haven’t heard of it

Ei: Hmm, I suppose that makes some sense. A foreigner from a distant land such as yourself wouldn’t be privy to our history. Tha and it’s largely faded into the timestream. Even the people of modern-day Alrest do not know all the details and some are ignorant of Torna’s existence at all. The same goes for it’s opposite yet equally prestigious and advanced counterpart, Khaenriah. They both led the advancement of society and innovation

The term “distant land” almost makes me snort in amusement. I haven’t told Ei the full truth of my origins. Distant land is a gross understatement in comparison to me being from an entirely different world. I leave it as it is for now. The idea of other universes is a tremendous amount of information to digest in the brain

Despite being only an image. I could believe a large part of Ei’s words by looking closely at this scene of Torna. I see a large number of devices that are unfamiliar to me, architecture with fine artistic detail, a busy and progressive economy, and most of the people hardly looked close to poor. The diverse appearances and figures of many of the people denote them as Blades, equally participating in society. Ei shows me several other perspectives of the city, the landscape outside, and other places

Ei: The royal capital you witnessed, Auresco, was by far the most impressive, and stood as a grand representation of what Torna stood for

Rakurai: Your words indicate past tense. Does that mean Torna…?

The goddess understands my trail off

Ei: It no longer exists. Khaenriah as well

Rakurai: What happened to befall such great nations?

The scene swaps to various mental imagery projected into Euthymia, depicting war, violence, soldiers clashing, and even robotic goliaths engaging in battle and firing off missiles while sweeping squads of soldiers with their bodies

With People and Darkness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcZIuUcW8Gk

Ei: 718 years ago, a great calamity began and swept Alrest. Entire Titans sunk to the Cloud Sea’s bed. A calamity known as the Aegis War. So named because of it’s central pillar, the Aegis

Rakurai: The Aegis?

Ei: A legendary figure of the war. The most powerful Blade in all of Alrest, unsurpassed by any other at the time. A war began in order to combat Khaenriah’s increasingly hostile and assertive goals and nature. Torna, seeking to uphold it’s values, went to war with the nation, but while Torna was a beacon of prosperity, it lacked the strength to compete with Khaenriah’s powerful military. Thus, a solution was sought out by the prince of Torna. That solution, was the woman known as the Aegis

Ei manifests a glowing vibrant emerald green Core Crystal in her hand, a mental representation. But the shape of the crystal is what intrigues me the most. Why is it… familiar to me? The shape of the crystal makes me certain that I’ve seen the shape before, but as ever, my memory fails me – undoubtedly a missing piece

Rakurai: Why was Khaenriah so warlike?

Ei: That is something I cannot answer myself. But regardless, in the interest of quelling the potential threat to Alrest, a powerful weapon was needed. She was awakened by the Prince of Torna as his Blade, and with his allies, a war was waged for 5 years against Khaenriah. At some point, the Archons came to be involved in the conflict and began to intervene in the strife caused by Torna and Khaenriah’s hostility. Regardless, I was a witness of the horrors of that war and the destructive capacity of the Aegis

Rakurai: You knew her personally?

Ei: I did. The Archons summoned their strength and joined the war. But the toll was catastrophic. In the end, the power of the Aegis proved too overwheming for a singular entity, and while Khaenriah was destroyed, Torna fell with it. Then the Cataclysm happened. It was far from the end

As Ei speaks, she shows me the ruined landscapes of Torna and Khaenriah in smoke and fire. Then scenes of ominous darkness and red skies appear, with grotesque, horrific, and monstrous entities swarming the land

Ei: Monsters suddenly appeared from the depths of the Abyss, invading and decimating every possible corner of Alrest. No nation was safe from the calamity. Every nation fought for their lives against these monsters. And while the disaster was eventually quelled, the wounds on everyone ran deep. The aftermath of the Aegis War and the Cataclysm are perhaps the most terrible events to have befallen Alrest and it’s inhabitants

I see some more scenes of the Cataclysm. Ei closes her hand and the emerald core crystal bursts into tiny particles

Ei: And by the end of it all, the Aegis had disappeared off the face of Alrest, never to be seen again

The Electro Archon ends the realistic mental imagery and Euthymia returns to it’s normal landscape

Rakurai: So… why Eternity?

Awake from a Nightmare: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2wrGtIDWLg

Ei: Progress inevitably invites ruin. In both nations, the desire and ambition to progress eventually led to decay as they could not handle it. And in the end, the symbols of progress and innovation burnt to ash in the fires of war, strife, and that… dark disaster. The ambition of humanity will destroy them. Thus, I came to the conclusion that only by Eternity, can we come closest to the Heavenly Principles. Inazuma was nearly swallowed up by the destruction that befell all the world. I will not allow this to happen again

Ei looks at me with an element of conviction in her eyes. And as if to symbolize this, they glow a brighter purple

Ei: As the Goddess of Eternity, I will eliminate all obstacles to the path that will best protect my people. Visions, unleashed Blades, and anything else. Does this paint enough of a picture for you Rakurai?

Rakurai: *Nods* Thank you for the explanation Ei. I can tell this… brought up painful memories for you

She nods in agreement, and speaking of, I can again see that flash of horror and grief on her face, before she once again assumes a resolute expression

Ei: I do not expect you to fully understand my reasons. But a deity simply has a farther scope than mortals. An entire generation can expire before the fruits of this scope show themselves. Though, out of anyone, perhaps you can grasp somewhat of what I am trying to achieve. That’s part of the reason I chose you to be my Shadow General

Rakurai: Ei… that is… not how life is supposed to be. You can’t just freeze life like that in a neverending state

Ei: But I can preserve it in an abstract manner. I will keep the people from endangering themselves. Power that poses a threat to this nation’s prosperity shall be shackled. Inazuma will endure with my guidance. I can take no risk

I adopt a sterner face wit the Archon

Rakurai: You’re just hiding yourself in your own personal reality marble Ei. The Vision Hunt Decree should be abolished. It’s not right

Ei: You don’t know that. As long as anything threatens my pursuit of eternity, I shall remove those obstacles, these unpredictable obstacles that contradict Eternity… you cannot convince me 

I can see that despite Ei attempting to maintain a level head, she’s getting upset. A subtle, but noticeable raise in her voice is evident to me

Ei: You yourself are a contradiction Rakurai. But I chose to grant you mercy by allowing you to stand with me in my pursuits. Have these 4 years taught you nothing?

Rakurai: I’ve only seen evidence of the contrary. You’re hurting more than helping. The war with Watat-

Ei: They fight against me because their vision is limited. They’ll learn in time, after the Shogunate crushes them. An outside variable I cannot control. So they must be put down

I sigh deeply. Ei’s clearly too stubborn to see reason right now. I turn around so she faces my back and look at her from behind

Rakurai: I say this on your behalf Ei, as your friend. Hiding yourself from reality is holding you back

Ei: I am not hiding from reality. I am controlling it

Rakurai: Go ahead, see it that way. But I’m smarter than you think. This path you’re taking… will only turn Inazuma to a fragile and hollow piece of porcelain. Your Eternity will forever lay outside of your grasp, but you will find the eternal truth someday

What I said confuses Ei, who looks plain baffled

Ei: What? What did you…? Those statements completely contrast each other. How do you declare I will never grasp Eternity yet say I’ll find it’s truth at the same time? That is not possible 

Rakurai: Think on it Ei. Now could you please escort me out of your head?

Although still obviously confused, Ei still complies, and it’s only seconds before the Plane of Euthymia dissolves away and I’m back in the physical world, in front of the Shogun puppet. I send her a brief look, and a nod of acknowledgment, before walking away to attend to my duties

***

In the Plane of Euthymia, Ei contemplates Rakurai’s statement. Even the goddess finds herself unable to figure out and comprehend the meaning of what he said, as things aren’t lining up for her

Ei: I do not understand. His statement cannot be logical. He declares I won’t ever achieve Eternity, yet says I will? That… does not make any sense. Tch! This is a contradiction, and contradictions are adversaries of Eternity

Ei crosses her legs and floats into her meditative state again, closing her eyes. She seemingly banishes the thought while returning to her contemplative meditation and mental fortification, yet the mind of Inazuma’s Goddess still faintly lingers on this contradictory idea

***

While returning to my room, my brain attempts to further process the information I’ve learned

The Aegis War was mentioned before by others in the past. But I never got any definitive answer on it until now. Yet many questions remain unanswered. Every nation has a reason for war, it doesn’t just happen on a whim. Even Nazi Germany, as egotistical and arrogant as it was, had a definitive goal for the warmongering it engaged in before and during World War 2. So then… What was Khaenriah’s motivation? Why did it seem so concerned with having a strong military and conquering other Titans? 

Then there’s the ambiguity and vagueness that came with Ei’s explanation. It’s like she either avoided giving me too much information, or limited what she spoke about because it would have been too painful for her. She never explained the exact reason why the Archons got involved in the Aegis War. What exactly caused Torna and Khaenriah to be destroyed? What was the Aegis’s role in everything. Why did she disappear? Where did the Cataclysm’s monsters come from? Were they some kind of beyond-the-grave retaliation against Alrest for Khaenriah’s destruction? 

Ei’s exact reasons for chasing Eternity is still unclear to me. I feel like she left a lot out. Perhaps not directly lying, but I think she may have not disclosed the full truth. Something tells me she wouldn’t be keen on doing so anyways

Rakurai: …Which leaves me to uncover things for myself

I enter my room and shut the door, then peering at the bounty board. I will have to ponder this later. I don’t think standing around and thinking will get me many answers, if any, without some more information. I’ll have to comb mine and other libraries. For now, I have work to do

I stand up and walk to the board. I quickly select a job to do and remove the associated paper, taking it with me and departing

***

Shakozaki, Central District

Island for Outsiders: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPQtxZUg1Is

I’ve spent a couple of hours gathering information about my task so I can determine the correct course of action by asking around the residents of Shakozaki. The information I get is limited, as people were hesitant to answer my questions. Yes, I can be intimidating, especially when acting my official capacity as Shadow General, but I don’t think that’s the main reason I can’t scrape anything up

Rakurai: Hmm… I should change things up a bit. Perhaps getting a-

“Rakurai! Is that you!?”

Hm?

I turn to the right to see who spoke to me, and am pleasantly surprised by a familiar red-orange and tan streaked haired lady approaching me with a smile on her face

“Silly me. Of course it’s you! No one else around her has your kind of vibrant yellow eyes”

Rakurai: Eris, salutations. What brings you here?

It’s the eldest daughter of the Noriko Clan, Erisunato

I’ve maintained a close contact with her ever since our first meeting. She did indeed return the cart lent to her back then, and has since visited Murasaki on her own accord to visit Han and I, and me in particular. Perhaps because she still is grateful to me for getting rid of a troublesome marriage candidate. Which unfortunately hasn’t waned. Eris even covered for me and said it was her fault, ensuring that I avoided any fallout, and by extension Han if by chance he got some of the blame. Eris was already the stunning lady at 16, and this has only increased in truth as she grew older, until she reached age 20. Which also meant that the number of fawning eyes only increased, women included as they got jealous of her. Eris enjoys a bit more freedom as an official adult, but to our disappointment, her parents seem to still be unwilling to let her go entirely and secure her a “husband that ensures her well being and prosperity” in their words

Eris: *Shrugs* Eh, just boring stuff. I’m far more interested in the things on your agenda Rakurai. Being Shadow General is probably full of adventures

Rakurai: To a degree this is true. On the other hand, seiji wa hotondo boken-tekide wanai

Eris: That’s true. *Sighs* You still make me envious though. I wish I could do half the things you have for a job. You get to trash bad guys while I’m stuck learning how to be a “proper lady” even at 20 years old

Eris threw a bit of a celebration for me when I became the Shadow General. Though I sometimes question whether such a celebration was worth it. I still wonder if I’ve compromised some of my morals by taking the position

Rakurai: We can’t all get what we want

Eris: Ain’t that the truth… So! Whatcha got?

I consider whether to share with Eris what my current job was. She typically asks me what I’m doing and I usually am happy to share, but this one…

These are my least favorite jobs… Enforcing the Vision Hunt Decree, severing people from their dreams and ambitions. It reminds me too well of Serusu, whom I still have not seen. Yet I can’t leave many others to do this job. They are less merciful than I, and some of them are all too eager to carry out the job, being comfortable in taking away the livelihood of people. Thus, I usually undertake missions like this quickly and effectively, so that I could perhaps mitigate the damage that could be done to these people. Perhaps compensating them or even helping them skirt the decree altogether

Dream of Homeland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQv-VR3JDmY

Rakurai: It’s another fukai task of confiscating a Vision

Eris’s eyes go slightly wide. I show her the paper and she leans in closely to read it

Eris: Oh… I’m so sorry Rakurai. You hate having to do that don’t you?

I just nod in response

Eris: I’d think you’d want to procrascinate a gig like that right? Why do it relatively early in the morning?

Rakurai: There’s a whole host of Raiden’s “hounds” who’d be all too eager to take it into their own hands and do the job themselves. They are less merciful than I and many of them do not share my morals

Eris: Oh~! I get it. You’re doing it now so that you can help people… avoid consequences, am I right?

Rakurai: Sore wa tadashidesu

Eris: That’s actually a good idea. Always proactive. I like that about you Rakurai *smiles*

Rakurai: Arigato

Eris briefly considers something as indicative by her thoughtful expression, then she has a lightbulb

Eris: Want some help?

Rakurai: *Raises eyebrow* Help? Why would you want to help me take someone’s vision?

Eris: Hehehe. Not exactly that. You know, the part you actually want to do

Rakurai: So avoid too much punishment then?

Eris: Yeah, exactly

Rakurai: I do not require assistance on this end

Eris: Most likely not

The Electro bearer places her hands on her hips and grins

Eris: But I think it’d be nice to have a companion don’t you think? In case things go wrong. I’d like to experience some bit of a day in the life of Shadow General Akaza. Even if… this isn’t really your favorite thing to do out of everything. Besides, doesn’t it get lonely having to do all this by yourself so often?

Rakurai: I don’t get lonely

Eris: Oh come on! Don’t be like that Rakurai. All people get lonely eventually without someone to talk do or do activities with

Rakurai: …You incur risk of your parents’ wrath

Eris: *Frowns* Like I care. They can shove it. Supposed to deliver a message to a noble family here in Shakozaki but they can wait. Not like I’m in a rush. This is far more important in my opinion

Rakurai: Very well then, you can accompany me. Just let me do most of the talking

Eris: Sure thing, Lord Akaza 

Rakurai: Don’t call me that

Eris: Whoops! Sorry… Guess I’m pushing my luck

I’d prefer to be called by my first name when it comes to close friends like Eris. I’d only accept such a title when I’m trying to uphold my position or when around Tri-Commission officials like Sara, the Commissioners, and my soldiers

With Eris now in tow, I once again turn to asking questions. My target is a particularly elusive Vision Bearer who has evaded capture by the Tenryou Commission thus far. His most recent sighting has been right here in the town of Shakozaki, and I’m trying to flush him out. As of now, I don’t have a concrete plan yet as to what exactly his background is. He could be an actual criminal (morally not legally) which would I suppose wouldn’t be as terrible, or just someone seeking asylum from sympathizers with no true wrongdoings

Even if this person is a criminal, I am still reluctant to be forced to take their Vision. Originally, while I largely was against this due to it being a symbol of aspirations (and taking it away would thus be a symbolic desecration of their ideals), further knowledge has made me even further against it. I learned some years ago that taking a Vision is far more damaging than I thought. When trying to check up on those who lost their Visions to see how well they adjusted to life without the aid of the elements, they didn’t just go back to being regular people. These people experienced full on mental health ailments, like an automatic depression. Some of them hallucinate, go mad, are plagued by feelings of grief and inadequacy, and even lose almost all but the basic will to live, reducing them to a shell. This horrified me, and put into perspective just what Serusu would have lost had Ei taken his Vision, making me even more thankful that he escaped with the help of that mysterious Hydro Bearer

I would not wish this even on a legitimate criminal, it’s far too much of a sentence. Only absolute evil people and scum would probably deserve this kind of punishment and even then I’m a tad bit conflicted. My resolve to see this decree abolished has only increased

I look at Eris, seeing her Electro Vision’s energy in my mind. This cheerful and helpful girl could be reduced to Archon knows what if she had that taken. It’s fortunate she’s smart enough to take care enough to conceal it and restrict it’s usage in public

Rakurai: This isn’t working… A good portion of this town are sympathizers against the decree even if they don’t directly fight against it. They won’t say anything to someone like me

Eris: Yeah… I wonder what we ought to do about this. Any ideas?

I start racking my brain for inspiration when we hear sounds of distress from a distance. This worries Eris and I so we rush to the scene. What I find does not ease my worries and a frown is drawn from my face at the sight of an unpleasant figure

“It’s obvious to me you’re being untruthful. As an agent of the Shogun’s will, I represent the law, and therefore by lying to me, you’re being unfaithful to the law. That cannot stand. I detest lawbreakers”

Eris: Now that just makes my eyes sore

Orobashi’s Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZrGAaPlIik

I nod in agreement. It’s Noritaka Ishioka, Tenryou’s Chief of Police. He doesn’t act in quite the capacity Sara does, but he still has large amounts of authority and power. Noritaka was confronting a spiky black haired man, who is clearly afraid of Noritaka’s fury

Sakito: Chief Ishioka, I…

Noritaka: *Raises eyebrow* Shall I arrange for a house arrest?

Sakito: What? A-A house arrest?! That’s too much! My business would suffer!

Noritaka: Your sentence will be as long as you persist in telling a falsehood. Do we have a deal?

There’s a few seconds of tense silence before the man relents

Sakito: …A friend of mine… He lives on the outskirts, on some farmland. He and his wife have been… h-hosting asylym to a Vision Bearer

Noritaka: Excellent. Your cooperation is appreciated sir. I shall be on my way now

Noritaka shows a smile all too false for me and tips his hat to the man, then walks away

Eris: Damn that guy… Blackmailing him like that is cruel!

I nod in agreement. Eris and I walk up to Sakito. I know the man personally to some degree. He and his wife own a modestly sized printing company and I utilize their services from time to time. Sakito has a shameful visage on his features. He sees me coming and tenses up

Sakito: L-Lord Akaza! H-Hello there…! And good morning to you Lady Eris!

Rakurai: Where exactly is this friend of yours Sakito?

Sakito drops the cheerful facade he whipped up last second and looks down

Sakito: You… saw that, huh?

I nod to confirm. Sakito sighs and looks away from me

Sakito: Forgive me milord… I’ve sold out a friend. I’m truly sorry

Sakito knows somewhat of my distaste for the Vision Hunt Decree. He no doubt feels guilty that he aided the decree

Rakurai: *Shakes head* You did what you could under pressure Sakito. I do not blame you for your response. The fault does not lie with you. Can you answer my question though?

Sakito: *Nods* Y-Yes, I can. Naruhito and his wife Fumie live with their children on some farmland close to Reirain Woods

Rakurai: That is southeast of the town

Sakito nods to me. His face is still wracked with worry

Rakurai: You are aware of Noritaka’s reputation?

Sakito: Yes I certainly do. If he gets to them, he’ll…

The business man trails off, but no further words are needed. It’s enough that we both know the consequences. I reach in my person and place a box of mora in his hand, then place said hand against his chest

Rakurai: Take this small sum for your adversity. You should have not have had to make such a choice

The printer is caught off guard and is unsure of what to say. I take the opportunity and start walking away, following the path where I last saw Noritaka. Eris follows my lead

Sakito: T-Thank you Akaza sir!

I hear Sakito shout out his gratitude from behind. Eris smiles at me

Eris: You’re a truly kind guy Rakurai, even under all that stoicism

I make no response to Eris. I’m just doing my duty to humankind. Eris speaks again, this time with some seriousness

Eris: You and I both know Noritaka will take a mile given the foot that is that couple giving asylum to the Vision Bearer. Just a tiny of association would be enough of an excuse for him to throw them in jail

Rakurai: It’s not so much that he’s looking for excuses. Noritaka just takes no risk where rebellion is concerned, even minor signs. An overachiever

Eris: But when it comes to the Vision Hunt Decree…

Rakurai: …Such overachievement is a detriment

Due to the fast pace I was walking, it doesn’t take long even with his headstart to find Noritaka on his way to outside of Shakozaki

Rakurai: Noritaka

I raise my voice only slightly, but place emphasis on it to catch his attention. The Geo Bearer turns around and shows a patronizing smile

Noritaka’s Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiMCrjFz0Hc

Noritaka: Lord Akaza! Hello there! What brings you here to stroll these streets? *Looks to Eris* And I see you have the immaculate Miss Noriko with you. You look stunning as ever Erisunato

Eris: Cut the flattery Noritaka. Don’t act like we’re friends

Noritaka just chuckles and shrugs this off

Noritaka: I’m just paying proper respects to your prestige

Eris still finds herself annoyed by the dirty blonde man

Noritaka: Whatcha up to milord?

Rakurai: Doing my job

Noritaka: Oh! So are you hunting the rumored elusive Vision Bearer as well?

Rakurai: Do not take me for a fool Noritaka. Blackmail is hardly an ethical tactic to utilize

The Geo Bearer laughs, not even bothering to hide what he did even if he didn’t expect us to have spied on him

Noritaka: I am doing my job. In the interest of the limits and laws outlined by the Vision Hunt Decree, should I not use any means necessary to carry it out?

Rakurai: That is not the point. This question is null and void. The Vision Hunt Decree is an unjust law

Noritaka: It is not my place to question the justness of a law. The rules are the rules, and they must be carried out. Society collapses without order, order that is structured upon adherence to the codes and rules that govern things. But I wouldn’t expect a delinquent such as yourself to understand how all that works Akaza. You should just trust my judgment as a police officer

I just glare silently at Noritaka

Noritaka is someone I’ve disliked ever since first meeting. They say not to judge a book by its cover, but my judge of character essentially gives me x-ray vision through said covers. While Ei is well meaning and pleasant character if not misunderstood and lost individual, Noritaka has not given me any evidence for my initial thoughts to be disproven and changed. His strict adherence to the rules and the authorities who uphold them regardless of who they are, as well as his nasty demeanor make him unlikable. His capabilities are sound, but his ethical orientation makes him questionable

Rakurai: Your judgment is questionable. You are a capable individual though. If you want results, we should pincer them. People trust me more than they do you. I’ll lure them in, and you’ll swoop in for the kill. Understood?

Noritaka: Hahaha! That’s quite offensive Akaza. But I see the logic in that. Very well, let’s split up, you take one way, I’ll go the other

Tipping his hat to me, the chief walks off down the street. Eris looks confused and raises an eyebrow at me

Eris: What was that about? You aren’t actually going to do something that devious right?

Rakurai: Of course not. I just needed him off my back. We need to get to Naruhito and Fumie before he does. We could do something to lessen the consequences, or better

Eris: How do you plan on doing that, Noritaka’s already on his way

Rakurai: Easy, I know a shortcut

Eris: Guess I’ll follow your lead then

***

The “shortcut” was acually just me grabbing Eris by the waist and leaping from rooftop to rooftop while also using alley pathways, and then just jumping straight over the walls of the town boundaries

“Thump!”

I land on the blue soil and drop Eris to her feet, who takes a brief second to regain her bearings

Eris: That… was not what I had in mind. How is that a shortcut!?

Rakurai: It works doesn’t it? You do the same thing no?

Eris: Uh, yeah! But I don’t call stuff like that a shortcut. More like parkor. You’ve got such a strong body, geez. Normal people can’t just jump roofs like that

Rakurai: *Shrugs* Let us not delay. Let’s pay Naruhito and Fumie a visit

It’s a short walk to their house so Eris and I waste no time and move at a quick walking pace to get there. We move through a portion of the woods that overlaps with the straight path to the farm, and while navigating through the trees, we come upon a large lake

Eris: Reirain Lake, the namesake. They say strange things happen around here. Well, the woods in general are just weird, but the lake especially seems to be host to… super strange and creepy stuff

Rakurai: I see… 

We continue past the lake, but just before we enter back into the thick of the woods, I spot the faintest sparkle of emerald green coming from the depths

***

Busy Silouettes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ydPr1kBt_4

“Knock knock knock!”

Eris raps the door mildly with her fist. A few seconds later, who we presume to be Naruhito answers the door and turns pale upon seeing me

Naruhito: H-Hello there! *Bows* Lady Eris, Lord Akaza. What can I do for y- woaaah!

Naruhito is cut off as I move shove past him through the door, almost knocking him down. Eris’s eyes go wide slightly from my sudden movements but follows me in

Eris: My apologies sir Naruhito. No offense is meant… I believe

“Dad, who’s at the door- AH!”

The children immediately notice me with wide eyes. Fumie comes into the living room and is equally appalled. Naruhito is stumbling over his words

Naruhito: Ah-I, Lord Akaza! W-What’s with the sudden… the sudden e-entrance into my house!?

I have no time for chatter. Noritaka will arrive soon enough and I needed to locate this Vision Bearer before then as quickly as possible. Luckily, my sense already pick up an elemental signature. Though something was weird about this signature, and I can’t place it. I can’t seem to identify a specific element

Eris: Do you detect a signature Akaza?

I nod in response to Eris and follow it. She and I move quickly through the living room and to the backdoor that leads out into the farmland behind the house

Naruhito: Wait wait! You can’t just…!

Still ignoraing Naruhito, I start walking across the farmland and scan for the elemental signature. 10 seconds after I had stepped outside and with Naruhito still trying to get my attention, the signature moves

Unwavering March: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQr_Z4QpGkQ

“Whish…”

A very faint sound is made present to my ears while Eris is none the wiser. I turn left…

“Bla-Chang! Whoosh!”

…I snap and flick my left arm out and casually parry a lightning quick sword strike with a straight face accompanied by mint green Anemo. The assailant sails over me and I turn to face them, easily parrying their wind boosted attacks with my bracers without breaking so much as a sweat and then delivering a counter attack with an underhanded punch to their abdomen before they could blink, blasting them a couple dozen feet across the field. Everyone happened so fast that Eris, Naruhito, Fumie, and their children only process what occured a few seconds after everything briefly settles

Naruhito: *What just happened!?*

Eris: *What tremendous speed… As usual, Rakurai displays precisely why he holds the title of Shadow General in power alone!*

I turn to face my attacker, an ash blonde male with a streak of red on the right side of his hair and crimson red eyes. The man wears a bowl shaped kasa hat that’s now slung over his shoulders and resting on his back, presumably flung off his head from the wind burst. Eris recognizes him

Eris: Kazuha!?

Kazuha looks at Eris with surprise, evidently realizing that she’s present only just now

Kazuha: E-Erisunato? What are you…?

The ash blonde trails off but doesn’t speak further as another figure charges at me with a cry. I easily dodge another katana with a simple rotation of my body to the side and the man whizes past me, skidding across the ground, and whipping back around to face me. A man with a hair color similar to Kazuha’s, except slightly darker, bordering on platinum blonde. His hair is more unruly and longer, tied in a short messy ponytail and his eyes are of a slate blue color. He wears much more casual and baggier attire, particularly his red hanten jacket that seems more like a coat, reaching down to below the hind of his knees and a single spot of patchwork on his left arm. Underneath this he wears a coal-colored shirt with dark grey markings, a dark grey obi sash and lighter grey hakama pants with black and blood red accents tucked into boots. He dons dark grey half-fingerless gloves that have various ornamentation attached but perhaps his most outstanding article is his blue and white scarf

Eris: Katsu? You as well!?

Katsu: Eris why are you here? Are you working for… him!?

Premonition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4odpnmi6e0E&list=PL8jc5LijMxaa6B4xCXcj-NtGsUbUOQRj-&index=51

Katsu points an accusatory finger. Eris struggles to find words to explain, probably because what Katsu is insinuating is somewhat true. It makes sense now. As I gaze upon the people who just attacked me, I realize the strange elemental signature is the fact that in reality it was 2 different signatures on top of each other– Anemo and Electro, hence why I couldn’t determine a specific element

I don’t know Katsu, but Kazuha rings a bell. Isn’t he a son of the late Kaedehara clan? And how does Eris know these 2?

Rakurai: You know these 2 Eris?

Eris: I do indeed. They are friends of mine

I’ll have to ask about that later

Katsu has a cocky smile on his face as he nudges his head to Kazuha

Katsu: Kazu! Let’s fight him together. It’s 2 vs 1! We can take him!

Kazuha looks at the Electro Bearer like he just suggested walking into a completely open field on a stormy day

Eris: Hell no, you absolutely cannot “take him”

Rakurai: You would do well to heed her advice

Katsu: Eris I asked you a question. Why are you with Akaza? The Shadow General of Inazuma?

Eris: I… am not certain how to answer…

Fumie: Everyone! Please stop this! 

Everyone turns to Fumie shouting at us, a petrified look on her face. Despite this, the brown haired woman does her best to remain as composed as possible in these tense circumstances. She looks to me specifically

Fumie: Lord Akaza! I promise you I can explain this! 

Rakurai: I believe I know enough about the situation. Withal proceed 

Fumie gulps and prepares to speak. Naruhito and the children are dead silent, unsure of what to say, though most likely think it best to leave things to their wife/mother

Fumie: We’ve been providing asylum to these 2. There’s nowhere else for them to go, and everyone’s refused them for fear of the consequences. Kazuha and Katsu are good men who’ve helped us and many other people in the past, so please spare their Visions! Let us take the fall instead!

Rakurai: Ochitsuke. I never intended to apprehend them or take their Visions

Kazuha/Katsu: Wait what?

Naruhito: Come again?

This confuses everyone

Eris: He speaks the truth. That was not his intention. I can explain as well. I offered Akaza my assistance with this endeavor. I have had my suspicions taken into consideration the information presented, but I didn’t actually think it would be you. Certainly not both of you. So I am not here either to take your Visions

Katsu: Are you sure?

Eris: We’re friends are we not? *Smiles* I could never perform such an act

There’s a brief moment of no one saying anything due to the confusion of the situation as Kazuha and Katsu lower their blades. Naruhito then breaks the ice

Naruhito: So… if you 2 aren’t here to apprehend Kazuha and Katsu… Why are you here?

Rakurai: To lessen the consequences. Because if I don’t address the situation, someone else far less merciful will 

Almost on cue, the backdoor to Fumie and Naruhito’s house is blasted off it’s hinges from a burst of Geo, flying forward and upright at the speed of an arrow. Katsu yelps and rolls out of the way of the door that almost flattens him

Confrontation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgvatHz3qD0&list=PL8jc5LijMxaa6B4xCXcj-NtGsUbUOQRj-&index=8

Naruhito: My door! I… I just had that repainted too!

Out from the inside of the house and stepping down the stairs is Noritaka with a satisfied smirk on his face. Fumie and Naruhito’s faces indicate that they now understand what I was referring to upon gazing at the Chief of Police. Their children are quite terrified. Katsu and Kazuha raise their blades once more, now on guard

Naruhito: Chief Ishioka! 

Noritaka: Well done Akaza! Your idea worked. You seem to have flushed them out quite well. Makes my job easier

Kazuha: Noritaka Ishioka… Why are you here?

Noritaka chuckles at Kazuha

Noritaka: Isn’t it obvious Kaedehara? Upholding the rules. By my authority as the Chief of Police, I place you both, Kazuha Kaedehara, and Katsu Yuki, under arrest. On the grounds of violating the Vision Hunt Decree

Katsu: Try it! We’ll knock you flat jackass!

Kazuha: No Katsu! Don’t be foolish!

Noritaka starts to make a move on the duo, when Kazuha suddenly leaps forward in front of Katsu, using his katana to create a powerful gust of Anemo. Eris is forced back slightly from the AOE, while I just stand there with squinted eyes. Such a gust is normally useless, but Kazuha proves to be sart enough to use his surroundings

The massive amount of leaves on the ground that coat the ground are blown into the air by Kazuha’s gust, flinging and blowing them everywhere. Noritaka shields his eyes as the stor of fall leaves blinds him. While everyone else struggles to see what’s happening, my sharp eyes catch Kazuha taking Katsu by the arm and fleeing on a whirlwind of Anemo through the air. Clever, he’s using the leaves as a distraction

By the time everything clears, Noritaka is growling with frustration due to the escape of his quarries

Noritaka: Tch, how annoying. They won’t escape me though

Noritaka starts leaving in the general direction that the duo escaped. He looks to the family that’s watched the events with bated breath

Noritaka: The Vision Hunt deems all who hold Visions as fugitives. Therefore, by sheltering those 2, you have violated the law. As punishment, you both will be subject to imprisonment for 2 months and half of your crop yields of the season will become Tenryou property – Naruhito and Fumie Handa

This horrifies both adults

Fumie: Chief! You can’t! That time… We barely get by as is! If we’re in prison for 4 months, we can’t provide for the children!

The Geo Bearer is unconcerned with the argument and shrugs with his arms

Noritaka: You should have considered that when you decided to break the law. 

Naruhito: Chief! Please reconsider!

Noritaka: My decision is final

This angers Eris and I. No words have to be exchanged for us to know that the either clearly will not stand for such a punishment

Rakurai: Noritaka! That’s an unreasonable consequence. Kazuha and Katsu have done nothing wrong. They’ve only helped people, including this family

Noritaka: Irrelevant. The law makes them criminals

Eris: Those children are very likely to starve without their parents’ support! This punishment is far too severe and cruel for both Fumie, Naruhito, and their children!

Noritaka: The Tenryou Commission will take custody of them 

Rakurai: Even so… Half of their crops? They won’t be able to live with what’s left when they get released even if you take care of the children

Noritaka: Like I said, they should have thought of that before committing the crime. Surely you know I’m being generous Lord Akaza. After all, the standard time in prison is double what I’ve issued

I walk up to Noritaka with a scowl and stare at him

Rakurai: I cannot allow you to do this to a family who doesn’t deserve it. I’m calling off their sentence. I’m your superior in rank 

The policeman is undeterred and seems to have little fear. He just sighs

Noritaka: Abuse of authority… Going that route are we? I can report this to the Raiden Shogun, she will not be pleased

Eris seems worried about this, as is everyone else, but I do not relent. If the Shogun is to punish me then so be it. I cannot allow this

Rakurai: Go ahead. Tell Raiden. It matters very little to me

Noritaka: Not convincing enough…?

The dirty blonde walks around in a bit of a circle, shuffling his feet as he supposedly thinks, then snaps his fingers

Noritaka: You know… I could always issue a 2,000,000 mora fine to the Shonins’ business

Eris utters a horrified gasp. Even my eyes widen slightly

Rakurai: You wouldn’t dare…!

Noritaka: Besides, they haven’t been punished proper for the incident 4 years ago involving their son Serusu, right? Technically they would warrant such a punishment, or Hanei and Keizai’s arrest. After all, you yourself were also a criminal

Rakurai: The Shogun absolved them and myself, wasureta ndesu ka?

Noritaka: That is true. But there’s more. I have reasonable evidence to suspect that they harbored a Vision Bearer temporarily some time ago, someone who’s already in jail

This makes me pause. He knows about that? Noritaka is more clever than I thought. Eris is dead silent, unsure of what to say

Noritaka: But I’ve chosen to let it go out of my own generosity, and due to their “special case” with you and the Shogun. It’s true their crimes have been absolved, but that doesn’t protect them from succeeding crimes. I have quite the evidence to prove my accusation as well. I can simply present it and they would be arrested and fined. But I’m willing to continue being generous if you allow me to do my job as Chief of Police and deal out punishment to the Handas proper. Your choice

Noritaka presents his ultimatum with a level of smug confidence that is infuriating…

Rakurai: *Glares* You bastard… 

Noritaka: Do we have a deal?

I sigh. Noritaka is right. I can’t save the Shonins if they’re exposed. I’m not sure how Noritaka got the information, but… I promised to not let harm come to the Shonins, they’ve suffered enough. As much as it pains me… my obligation to them…

Rakurai: Deal

Noritaka: *Smiles* Excellent! I knew we could come to a consensus Lord Akaza

The Handa family is horrified over their impending doom. Noritaka does his signature hat tip and walks away

Noritaka: Your punishment will be given in due time. For now, I’ve wasted precious minutes that I could have spent searching for the fugitives. Good day to you all

The Geo Bearer walks away, leaving us in grim silence. Eris walks up to me finally and places a hand on my shoulder

Eris: Rakurai… I am deeply sorry. You have my sincerest condolences. I know how close you and the Shonins are

I just stare at Eris and sigh, then look to the Handas

Rakurai: Gomen'nasai everyone… I did what I could

Naruhito: *Shakes head* Don’t be sorry. We brought this on ourselves… And besides, you were clearly trying to help. You had no choice. I don’t know this family you speak of, but if can understand enough if you want to protect them as your friends

Rakurai: No… This should never be what happens… Not here in Inazuma… or anywhere else in the world

I hear an electric crackling sound and turn to see Eris fisting a tree with her bare hands

Eris: That vile son of a b**ch! If I get the opportunity to show him… He will meet my blade!

I raise an eyebrow. It’s highly uncharacteristic for Eris to swear, especially so vehemently. She realizes this and straightens up, clearing her throat and calming herself. The Handas just stare and gawk at Eris

Eris: My apologies. That was uncouth and unbecoming of myself. I should never call anyone’s mother a female rot. For all we know, she could have actually been a decent person and… something just… went wrong down the bloodline

The noblewoman give a curt bow to everyone. The Handas just look awkwardly at each other. Eris sighs

Eris: What action do you intend to put forth now Rakurai?

Rakurai: I’m not certain… We can only hope that Kazuha and Katsu get away without much issue…

Chapter Text

Rakurai: So let me get this straight, you had Kazuha over at your house when he randomly showed up one evening… and you became friends?

Eris: That is correct. I got to make the acquaintances of Katsu not too long after. The 2 or 3 or us have been on some adventures so you could say I’ve dabbled in the art of the ronin

Rakurai: So you started suspecting Kazuha to be the Vision Bearer…?

Eris: *Nods* …Due to the information presented, yes. Jumping from house to house for temporary residency, taking jobs for mora, and that hat as well. I had my suspicions but I wasn’t absolutely sold on the idea

I did what I could in such a situation and gave the Handas a cache of mora to potentially help them out. It’s not as much as I would have liked as I unfortunately happen to be low on mora at this point in time

Rakurai: Thank you for your assistance Eris. You still have that errand to run for your father though

Eris: *Sighs* This is true. I should be on my way then. I bid you luck on your endeavors Rakurai. Perhaps this situation will sorted out eventually. Katsu and Kazuha can take care of themselves quite well, else they would not be ronin

I nod in agreement. Eris waves me goodbye as she turns in the direction of her destination and walks off, leaving me by myself. Sighing, I turn back toward the Palace of Eternity and head back home

***

The Next Day

Lingering Blossom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bAqVfoEWsY

Rakurai: Stitch it up with the best quality you have. If you can, thread some elementally reflective materials into it so it can last

Nara: Okay… *Writes down* Got it! I’ll take that off your hands milord

I hand Nara my yellow coat. She bows to me and walks off to make repairs

My yellow coat is something that I found in my backpack. Some memories associated with it have returned in the years that I have spent in Inazuma. For one, it’s my favorite coat most likely due to its color and other uses. It’s not exactly Japanese, it’s more American than anything, but it’s handy for braving the weather. Ever since discover the coat inside my backpack, I’ve worn it at almost all times, usually unzipped and my arms free of sleeves, just hanging from my shoulders. It’s very durable considering it’s made of modern materials, but the years have taken their toll. Unfortunately, given that Alrest is a different world, I’m not certain it can be replaced with the same materials. Thankfully, some equivalents exist in Alrest, particularly materials that are resistant to the elements that can be infused and woven into the fabrics. I haven’t had them integrated into my coat until now, when I actually need it, as I suspect much further damage to my coat would destroy it entirely

The usual chatter is heard as I walk through the streets of Taifunome, yet it seems more… active and louder than normal. I pick up on a handful of conversations, but the majority of them all discuss one topic, a topic that immediately makes me freeze

“Did you hear? A Vision Bearer actually challenged the Raiden Shogun herself to a Duel Before the Throne!”

“That’s crazy! Who do you think it could be!?”

“I don’t know! But I whoever they are must have a serious issue in order to challenge the Shogun. I mean a Duel is already serious, but against the Shogun…?! That’s suicide!”

I’ve heard enough

I turn towards Tenshukaku and charge down the streets to get to the Palace of Eternity. Who the heck is so stupid as to challenge Raiden to a Duel Before the Throne!?

The sheer number of people get in my way, so I take to the rooftops and speed across them. I emit a pulse of Katastro from my feet and sail over the walls separating Tenshukaku from the rest of Taifunome, onto the ground, and then immediately continue my sprint. When I approach the Palace, I can see a sizeable group of people gathering around a certain area. I use an alternative route instead of the large number of main stairs and arrive at a courtyard that sits just outside the Palace, overlooked by the tall structure. Raiden is there, along with Sara Kujou, the Tenryou Commission’s top general, and to my distaste, Noritaka

Another Conflict Incoming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtqCkBa1rKA

Shogun: … And what is it young Yuki, that you have cause to place your grievances with me?

“The unfair treatment of the Handa family by Chief Noritaka Ishioka!”

Noritaka: Hmph. I was doing my job and issuing punishment as was appropriate. You have no case

“A Duel has no consideration of laws! It IS the law. It is tradition!”

As I get closer, I’m surprised to see that the person who is challenging the Shogun is none other than…

Rakurai: Katsu…? Jodan janai yo

Katsu stands half a dozen meters from Raiden, a resolute expression on his face and katana in hand. The crowd of people murmur and talk amongst themselves, most of them being shocked that the Electro Bearer had the audacity to challenge an Archon

Shogun: What are your conditions then to remedy this situation and put your grievances to rest?

As usual, the puppet speaks with an indifferent and impartial tone of voice, devoid of any major or notable emotion

Katsu: If I lose… Then you will have my Vision, and my life. I will accept divine judgment in that case. But if I am victorious, you will absolve the Handa’s of all their crimes! Their family doesn’t deserve such cruel treatment!

So that’s what this is about… Katsu must have found out about Noritaka’s punishment and most likely felt it was his fault and therefore felt an obligation to stick up for them because of their kindness. I nod in approval to Katsu. However stupid and moronic his choice is, his cause is ultimately just and admirable

Yet still…

The Shogun considers Katsu’s words for a brief time, before nodding firmly

Shogun: Very well. This occasion is quite unusual. To challenge my authority directly on the matter of the Vision Hunt Decree is quite bold, if not irreverent. Yet tradition is tradition even so and your courage is commendable. I accept your terms Katsu Yuki

Katsu smiles to himself at this. Noritaka is confused

Noritaka: Almighty Shogun, surely you aren’t going to accept this ruffian’s terms? As a Vision Bearer, he is a lawbreaker

Shogun: It is as Katsu said Noritaka, status and power are irrelevant in a Duel Before the Throne. Here, the only thing that matters is one’s skill and resolve. In any case, it is tradition, and as Inazuma’s Archon, I am to respect said tradition. For traditions are what the laws are founded upon

Noritaka nods and bows respectfully, taking a few steps backward

Noritaka: As you command Shogun, I have no objections

Sara raises her hand as she steps forward. I know Sara enough at this point to predict what she’s going to do so I start striding over to the group

Sara: Almighty Shogun! If you allow me, I shall-

Rakurai: I’ll engage in the duel on your behalf Raiden

Ancient Ruler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn55h0qwyCQ&list=PLn6N3gkrI2TUnbXNIfa7PKR6AWYA9J9fw&index=11

Everyone who hears my voice turn to see me stepping in front of Sara and the Shogun. Katsu is taken aback and even more whispers and chatter occur among the crowd

Noritaka: *Frowns* Oh great…

Sara: L-Lord Akaza? I didn’t know you would be here!

Rakurai: Word travels a significant distance. I can not be absent for such an event

The Shogun shows slight interest in my actions and addresses me

Shogun: You wish to participate in the Duel requested by Katsu on my behalf?

Rakurai: *Nods* That is correct. After all, as the Shadow General, I am a “representative of your authority” in your exact words, correct?

Truth be told, those were Ei’s words in reality, but the Shogun is more or less an unfeeling copy of Ei anyway. I can tell the Shogun picked up on this discrepancy, but she does not object regardless and plays along

Shogun: This is true. Very well then. I see no issue with this. You shall represent myself in this Duel against Katsu as my proxy. All terms and conditions apply to you as a result

I nod to the Electro Archon and turn to face Katsu. Noritaka appears displeased but makes no comment and Sara isn’t sure what to think based on her facial expression

As admirable as Katsu’s intentions are, selflessly risking his life for the welfare of this family, he stands no chance. Perhaps I don’t know the extent of his sword skills, as after all, he only attacked me once. I highly doubt though, that he will triumph, it’s nigh impossible. As for the other people present, if Sara were present, he’d have a better chance, but I know Sara is indeed quite competent in the blade, but that may be an understatement regarding this word choice. Sara is the top general for a reason. Besides, her loyalty and devotion to the Shogun means regardless of how just this cause is, she’d fight her hardest against him and give her all. Noritaka, if he were to theoretically be the proxy, is the most uncertain. While I have not seen his combat skill as much as Sara’s or been on the receiving end of his attacks like the Shogun, his title as Chief of Police is enough to give me a vague idea of his power. As nasty as I think he is, his proficiency in his Geo Vision is outstanding

The Shogun would crush Katsu

Sara would eventually overpower him as a yokai

Noritaka will do nigh anything to uphold the law, even use tricks and unfair tactics

And all 3 support the Vision Hunt Decree, even if they have different stances on it. As for myself, I do what I can to adhere to my “contract” with Ei while upholding my morals. Perhaps there’s a way for Katsu to earn what he wants to happen, which I want to occur as well

Yet nothing should happen without free choice

Rakurai: One last matter to attend to. Katsu, do you accept me taking the Shogun’s place?

Katsu smirks and looks fired up, holding his blade and taking up a stance

Katsu: Actually, if anything else, you’re the 2nd person I’d want to fight Lord Akaza. This is fine by me. You’re a symbol of Inazuma and the Vision Hunt Decree as much as the Raiden Shogun. A man with the power to rival gods

I frown slightly, finding myself displeasured with Katsu’s assessment

Rakurai: Say what you want. I just do what has to be done, to uphold my obligations and my principles

Katsu: Makes no difference to me. Let’s do this!

Rakurai: Before we begin however, I have an additional condition

Katsu: Oh?

Rakurai: As you are symbolic of resistance against the Vision Hunt Decree, and I’m a symbol of said decree as you say, it’s only fair and symbolic then that I fight without use of my powers while you fight with yours. As proof that your ambitions can overcome this decree in a symbolic way

What I say is partially true, though it’s really just me trying to give Katsu an opportunity to win. My condition surprises Katsu but he eventually chuckles in response. The Shogun seems more intrigued by this if anything and Noritaka just appears to be downright annoyed, folding his arms and leaning slightly to the left on his legs

Sara: Akaza! What are you doing!?

Rakurai: Relax, I’ll be fine. I’m giving him an opportunity to prove his point

Katsu: I like the way you think. You really want me at full strength fighting you intentionally downplaying yourself?

Rakurai: Kotei

Katsu: I accept. Enough chatter, let’s start

Rakurai: You make the first move

Against the Invisible Net: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKQfYtjpUYU

The Electro Bearer doesn’t waste anytime. He dashes forward at impressive speeds and goes in for a horizontal slash on my chest. This fails however and I block his sword with my left bracer. Katsu steps back slightly, and then moves again, going to the side and thrusting his sword at my hip. Again, this does not succeed and his blade meets my armed forearm. The swordsman avoids a frontal punch from my other arm and goes on the offensive again, utilizing a flurry of slashes from multiple angles and directions which I each block successfully. Katsu has a brief lull in his attack and I take advantage by summoning my greatsword and swinging down on him with it. The light brunette’s eyes widen and he cringes back from the blow as my sword strikes the ground, creating a small point of impact that breaks the ground. I lunge forward and unleash a side strike that Katsu parries with his katana

Sara, Noritaka, and the Shogun watch the duel between Rakurai and Katsu in silence. The Shogun’s eyes are consistently able to keep up with the swift movements of the 2, not drawing away as she observes intently. Noritaka holds the tip of his hat while he watches and Sara is fascinated yet again by Rakurai’s strength. Thus far, Rakurai has managed to parry, block, or dodge all of Katsu’s strikes and narrowly land serious blows in return to the armorless samurai

Katsu: Sparkpoint!

Katsu thrusts his blade forward with a surge of Electro at my chest. I sidestep it, twist around, and counteract with a kick to his side, slamming my shin into Katsu’s hip. The Electro Bearer skids off to the side accompanied by a trail of dust, stopping half a dozen meters from me and breathing a single huff

Katsu: *Damn, he hits that hard even without his elemental power?*

My gaze remains neutral and impassive as I dash forward and I’m the one on the offensive this time, swiping my greatsword at Katsu for a seamless combo. Katsu is able to block the first few strikes well enough, but recognizes the increasing power behind him and uses his Vision to aid him by shifting back and increasing his movement speed to dodge or absorb my powerful physical blows

Katsu: *Okay, it’s obvious he’s way stronger than me physically. I can’t beat him head on. I’ll have to play it smart and surgical*

Katsu teleports with Electro and disappears, reappearing above me. I turn around and unleash a high kick that stops his blade from swinging down on me. Katsu reflects off of my foot and flips over my head, unleashing a slash of electro with his katana midair. Though I mostly dodge the attack, a small part of the slash razors my chest and creates a small cut that spills some blood, although I make zero acknowledgment of it

Katsu: *Yes! I got a hit in!*

If I were using my powers, I could have easily blasted the slash to pieces with Katastro, but I had to dodge it instead, a riskier move considering the attack’s speed

Just before Katsu lands, he unleashes yet another slash of Electro at me. I summon my greatsword and swing it with enough force in front of me to disperse the attack, suffering acceptable damage in the form of tiny sparks of pain on my body from the elemental residue. Like a bull, Katsu charges me while infused with electro and goes in for an underhanded rising sword slash. I counter by backflipping and slamming my feet into his chest, knocking the samurai into the air. I compress my joints and spring into the air. Katsu only has enough time to move his sword into position to block my punch, but this is not enough as the force is strong enough to blast him back into the ground skidding on his back. Katsu coughs up dust and some blood and yelps, rolling to the side as I descend back to the earth with a downward punch, shattering the ground with my fist and blasting debris in multiple locations

Katsu: *He broke the damn ground with just his fist!? Holy hell!*

Sara: *So that strength he displayed back then… It wasn’t enhanced by his power, Akaza quite literally has that much raw strength!*

Katsu leaps to his feet and dashes forward with Electro toward me, performing a series of purple lightning slashes with increased speed. I materialize my greatsword once more and block the strikes. Katsu and I get into a blade lock with my blade being used in an underhanded grip. The duration of the lock is brief, as it isn’t long before I overpower him, jerking my blade upward and knocking the Electro Bearer off balance then kicking his stomach

Katsu: *Huffs* Just… Just as expected of the Shadow General… The rumors of your skills in hand to hand combat are spectacular

The light brunette grins at me and stands up, ready to continue combat, I stare solemnly and impassively at Katsu, boring into his own eyes

Rakurai: Idle flattery will not achieve anything. Thus far, you’ve done very little to prove your chances

Katsu: Guess I’ll have to turn up the heat then!

***

The Sealed Harbor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1J-egGB9CY

In the lower sections of Taifunome, far outside Tenshukaku, a lone man with platinum blonde hair strides down the streets with a large bowl shaped kasa hat to conceal a good portion of his face to appear inconspicuous, and his head slightly angled down. He also wears a dark brown cloak covering most of his body

It’s typically risky and unwise for a technical criminal to wander a city like this when he could potentially be recognized, but as a wandering samurai warrior, Kazuha wasn’t often seen by the public, and the chances of him being recognized are incredibly slim. Thus, he could walk through a place like Inazuma’s capital city and be relatively fine as long as he kept a low profile and didn’t cause a fuss

Kazuha sits down on a stool underneath a canopy that shadows an outdoor eating area just outside a diner. The Anemo Bearer doesn’t mind going out to eat every once in a while, he’s content to live off the wilderness and the kindness of people he meets, but every now and then, a good quality cooked meal does some good for his heart. He looks to the seat perpendicular to him on the circular table and it’s occupant who has a foldable menu in front of him that covers most of his figure

Kazuha: *Smiles* Glad you could make it

The man perpendicular to Kazuha, with neatly combed maroon spiky hair and dark green eyes, smiles back, lowering his menu slightly to gaze at Kazuha

“Being punctual and on time is important you know”

Kazuha: I can agree with that. How’s your day gone Midorisen?

Midorisen wears a practical kimono of various brown colors, and green steel armored pads on his shoulders in addition to a modified version of the Watatsumi military uniform. This included maroon bracers that also covered the back of his palms, a tied light blue obi sash, a whitish green baggy sleeved shirt with plant vines motifs, brown sandal boots, a lime green braid rope across his chest that held in place an armored overcoat, and Inazuman dark khaki pants. Only the bisected armor skirt is missing. Midorisen wears a dark green coat over all of it to not draw too much attention

Midorisen: Eh. Fine enough I guess. We’ve got a major boost in supplies since I successfully stole that entire Tenryou shipment. Win for us, loss for the Shogunate

“Hey! Don’t discount my assistance!”

Midorisen: Yeah okay, you get credit too Maneki. Now shut it, you’re supposed to be acting like an overgrown tamed feris

Maneki rumbles with annoyance under the table, resting beneath Midorisen’s feat. An obi sash is wrapped around her neck, covering a slit shaped green Core Crystal with the Dendro symbol on it

Kazuha: *Chuckles* You and Maneki have a very unusual relationship for a Driver and a Blade

Midorisen: She gets on my nerves too much. Sometimes I wonder if she has some tactical common sense. I’m too chill for a Blade like her but… Hey, she’s a big help when it comes down to it *Sighs* First a Vision and now a Blade… At this point, if this doesn’t give the Shogun reason enough for wanting to strike me down, then I don’t know what will

Kazuha just shrugs and looks around for someone, scratching his head

Kazuha: Where’s all the staff?

Midorisen: Don’t know, the place emptied out a while ago for some reason, a lot of people heading north of the city. Least we have the place to ourselves

Misgivings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1kYlCV_sXI

Midorisen does look around in confusion though, frowning a bit

Midorisen: You know speaking of being punctual… The hell’s Katsu? You said he’d be here

Kazuha: I don’t know. I was hoping to surprise him by bringing you when he invited me all the way here for a meal

Midorisen: Don’t tell me he picked another fight again and it’s making him late

Kazuha starts to overhear one of the few remaining groups in the outdoor eating area talking

“Hey where’s all the staff and the owner? They’re normally around at this hour”

“Apparently something big’s going down in Tenshukaku, a lot of people have left to watch it. Crap like this doesn’t happen often”

“What’s it ?”

“Duel Before the Throne. Not just any Duel, but someone seriously challenged the Raiden Shogun herself to a duel!”

“Wait huh!? No way! Who the hell’s got the thunder to that!?”

“A fairly well known ronin, Katsu Yuki”

Midorisen and Kazuha go pale when Katsu’s name is mentioned

Midorisen: Oh Architect-dammit… f**k! I just had~ to open my mouth

Maneki: We must leave quickly! Katsu is in danger!

Midorisen: Save this for later then

The green eyed male tosses aside the menu and stands up with Kazuha. Maneki straightens up to full height after crawling out from the table

Kazuha: Quickly Midorisen!

The 3 of them bolt out of the patio and down the streets of lower Taifunome, they had to get through the upper district and then through Tenshukaku’s section

Midorisen: Stupid son of a- what was he thinking!?

Kazuha is worried out of his mind for Katsu, running at full speed to save his friend. Midorisen hops on Maneki and hoists Kazuha up along with him so the 2 of them are on the feline Blade as she runs through the streets, almost knocking over a host of people. A brief glimmer of green can be seen from the concealed folds of Midorisen’s clothing, a Dendro Vision

Kazuha: *Katsu… Why!? I told you it would take responsibility didn’t I!? Please be alright my friend…*

***

Fierce Battle Full of Wounds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTOLSILjxwM

Katsu: Aruegh!

Katsu dodges the an uppercut and several hook punches from my fists and then limbos beneath a high kick, slashing my upper right calf with his sword infused with thundering Electro. In response, I immediately slam down my foot down on Katsu to crush him. The Electro Bearer lightning shifts out of the way and is on my left almost in an instant, thrusting his katana at my chest. I react frighteningly fast for the swordsman, catching his blade in between my palms

Katsu: Oh crap! 

The light brunette side kicks my side while leaning and yanking back himself and his sword from my grip. The impact itself does pathetic damage, but enough for my hold to loosen and allow him to slide his sword out from my hands. Throughout the course of the battle, Katsu’s power and speed have increased to a point where he’s scored nasty slashes on my body, tearing my clothing and causing my body to drip blood, and spill profusely in one particular wound below my shoulder on my arm

Katsu: *No matter how many hits I get on this guy, he’s not budging an inch! It’s like the pain’s completely null and void to him! I’m not even sure if it’s slowing him down at all!*

Katsu parries more of my punches but I can see that he’s steadily struggling to keep up. Katsu sideflips in the air and scrapes his blade on the ground upward, sending a wave of sparkling Electro at me. I jump to the side and avoid the attack, then speed to Katsu. I materialize my greatsword and slam it down on Katsu. He gets low to the ground and performs a horizontal spinning maneuver while infusing his weapon with lightning and scraping through my abdomen which staggers me to a small degree. He then forms an orb of Electro in his palm and throws it at me, bursting and causing a tiny flinching reaction from my body

Sara shows a bit of concern, but the Shogun maintains her solemn expression as she silently watches, and Noritaka equally so. The crowd watches with bated and tense breath and expressions, maintaining a fair distance in order avoid potential injury from throwaway energy

The blue eyed man launches himself at me with a flurry of attacks, getting continuously frustrated at his inability to do something that can gain him an edge. Perhaps it’s also due to my consistently indifferent and nigh emotionless expression of coldness that frustrates. He can’t read my face or discern anything, and might even take it to mean I’m not taking this seriously

A particularly powerful backhand from my fist sharply makes Katsu recoil backward, huffing and puffing but still standing tall. I stand still and stare at him for a long while, and a tense bout of silence reigns in the area

One of Katsu’s eyes is bruised and the skin above it has bursted blood, and as a result, he’s closed it. Katsu also has numerous wounds all across different points on his body, and I can tell that some of his limb and rib bones are cracked from my attacks. I too have my fair share of injuries, but I shrug them off as if they are simply paper cuts, undaunted by any of them

Rakurai: 16 hard bruise points, 5 arm slashes and gashes, 6 abominable and chest injuries, 4 cuts on the legs, a gash on the back and above your left brow, and bone fractures that can easly turn to splinters. Are you certain you desire to keep going? 

Katsu takes a long and deep breath

“Crackle!”

Katsu: Absolutely

A burst of Electro surrounds Katsu and he takes up a stance, scraping the end of his sheath with his sword and flinging sparks to the side, and holding his blade to the side and pointed to the ground

Katsu: Aggregate Storm: Ionized Air!

Katsu unleashes his Burst Art and his sword is coated with electricity. At superhuman speeds, he then proceeds to make repeated slashes in the air while moving forward, creating static bolts of electricity around me that quickly go wild and burst with powerful Electro Energy, surrounding me

“Boom boom, crackle! Bwish! Shooom!”

A storm of violent purple Electro threatens to overtake me

Rakurai: Total Concentration Breathing

Intaking a tremendous amount of oxygen, I blast forward almost explosively, breathing through and outspeeding Katsu’s storm of bursting lightning bolts in the air and eventually making it to Katsu himself, shocking him

Katsu: *He… outsped the bursting bolts? What technique was that he just used?*

The Shogun makes an immediate notice of Rakurai’s breathing technique, recognizing it to have been used in their battle, though he never called it out verbally as he did there. The Shogun could vaguely sense a change in the flow of air in his body which seemed to do something to his physical capabilities

Shogun: *Intriguing… So that’s what it’s called, Total Concentration Breathing. Why have I never heard of this technique before?*

Katsu swings his blade in a desperate attempt to defend himself against me but I’m fully prepared

Rakurai: Bell Splitter

Using a particular angle, speed, and power, along with explosive muscle spring, I smack the blade from the side as it descends, breaking the blade into pieces and flooring Katsu as his eyes go wide and his mouth hanging open. A small shockwave occurs in which Katsu staggers back. His blade and it’s pieces go flying behind him. Katsu’s broken sword and hilt embed into the ground with a sharp metallic sound and the pieces of the sword sprawled around it

The duel is over, and the Shogun’s expression makes a small noticeable change

Katsu can do nothing as I summon my greatsword and hold it up to his throat with my usual impartial countenance

Sara: He won, and with nothing but his own skill

Noritaka: *Chuckles* Well that was entertaining. Justice shall be dealt to he who dared to challenge the laws of the land

…

Katsu: Well? I’ve lost haven’t I?

I sigh and lower my blade

Rakurai: You fought well, I could tell you put your all and the passion of your ambitions into the duel

Katsu: You really are something else… You actually beat a fully elementalized swordsman with no power boost of your own. Guess you’re the Shadow General for good reason

Rakurai: I believe you’ve proven your point. I shall exonerate you and the Handa’s to honor the effort and passion you placed into this duel

This shocks Katsu, not expecting my response

Katsu: I lost the duel. Surely I don’t get that right

Rakurai: As the representative of Raiden’s authority, I can make such a choice

Noritaka scowls at me, predictably not pleased with my decision. Sara doesn’t know what to think

Noritaka: Akaza you fool. Katsu has violated the Vision Hunt yet you are freeing him of his crimes?

Rakurai: It’s the honorable thing to do Noritaka

Shogun: Your decision is overruled, Akaza

I freeze in place at the Shogun’s sudden declaration, and then face her

Rakurai: What?

Shogun: I overrule your decision, shall I repeat myself again?

Rakurai: Overruled? Raiden you cannot be serious. Katsu has done nothing wrong. He fought with honor and integrity

Shogun: Yet judgment shall be exercised nonetheless. Eternity shall be upheld. If he is so willing to challenge my authority directly, who is to say he will not continue to do so in other ways? I can take no chances

The Shogun slowly starts to step forward, reaching above her chest to summon the Musou Isshin

No! This is not how this is supposed to go!

A bolt of Anemo suddenly rises from the staircase leading to the Palace of Eternity,revealing Kazuha, who reaches the very top of the stairs, only be horrified at the sight of a defeated Katsu and the Shogun summoning the Musou Isshin by grabbing the hilt that pops from a portal opening on her chest

Kazuha: Katsu!

Kazuha: Kazuha…? *Coughs* Idiot…

Noritaka: The Kaedehara boy!

Sara: Halt!

Sara draws her bow at Kazuha

Suddenly, a flying projectile comes speeding toward me. I twist to the left and avoid the green flash of a weapon. However, my acute sense of sight is able to catch what exactly the object is, a sasumata staff with a u-shaped head. Wait. That sasumata looks…

The staff bounces off the wall and returns back to the way it came as a result. A figure leaps up on a large cat-like Blade, grabbing the staff in his hand and shoots a green orb at me with a swipe of it. I disperse the orb with a Katastro backhand and turn to face the newcomers. However, when I see the face of the man who’s cloak hood is now flipped won I go rigid for half a second out of surprise

Maroon hair… dark green eyes

Rakurai: …Serusu?

Serusu gasps when seeing me, his countenance full of shock

Serusu: *Under his breath* R-Rakurai!?

Serusu: *I don’t believe it… It’s actually Rakurai! He’s here!*

Apparently he didn’t recognize me at first hence why he leaped right into the fray and used 2 Dendro attacks on me. The creature next to Serusu emanates a similar energy, Dendro, so I surmise it to be a Blade. Serusu’s apparently become a Driver in the time he’s been gone

But everyone’s attention is focused on the Shogun who is now glaring coldly at Serusu with the Musou Isshin in hand

Solitary Pursuit of Lightning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aeit9Hos0Q

Shogun: It is you… boy 

Serusu: Shogun!

Noritaka: Who the hell dares to interfere now of all times?

Serusu charges toward Katsu with his sasumata, intent on saving him, yet Sara steps in his way with a charged and fully notched arrow

Sara: Stop right there interloper!

Serusu: Not this time Kujou!

Serusu combat rolls beneath an Electro arrow that sails over him. When he straightens up, Sara swaps her bow for the katana she had on her hip, having intended on using it for the duel I took part in. The weapons clash with a spark of steel and they exchange a few blows with one another before Serusu, to Sara’s surprise, one ups Sara and slams the butt of his sasuata into her abdomen with a burst of Dendro, staggering the tengu and skidding her back on the floor. Sara reveals her wings and uses them to catch air resistance and stop herself from going much further. This impresses me, as before, Serusu couldn’t have hoped to land such a hit on the Tenryou general, certainly not this quick

The Shogun strides toward Katsu with the Musou Isshin humming with Electro energy and her eyes glowing. Katsu notices this and slowly stands up to face the Archon head on

Kazuha: Katsu no!

Kazuha rushes to Katsu at full speed with an outstretched hand, Serusu is equally horrified and shouts to him

Katsu smiles in the face of this awesome power of lightning and thunder, apparently not being very afraid

Katsu: There will always be those who dare to brave the lightning’s glow…

These are Katsu’s last words as the Shogun dashes forward, blitzing Katsu and slashing him 

Rakurai: Shogun!

Kazuha and Serusu cover their eyes and stagger back from the blast of numerous Electro strikes that occur at once, and Katsu disappears in the bright flash of purple, his body disintegrating

The dust and particles settle, and nothing is left except for a glinting purple object flying through the air. Katsu’s Electro Vision

Kazuha sees this and leaps into the air, catching the object in his hand. Serusu has tears in his eyes having just witnessed Katsu’s death. He meets the eyes of the Shogun who stares at him coldly, with not an ounce of remorse for having just taken a life, as if it’s just yet another duty to her. The maroon haired male’s countenance is a fusion of grief and rage

Serusu: No… No no no! Damn you Shogun! You heartless witch!

Kazuha: Midorisen! We have to leave!

Kazuha, while he doesn’t appear to be crying, is obviously holding back tears of grief as he grabs Serusu’s arm to stop him, the cat Blade is confused on what to do. Serus yanks a few times on Kazuha

Serusu: B-But- We can’t just…!

Kazuha: He’s gone Midorisen… There is nothing we can do for him

Gritting his teeth, the Dendro bearer hops on his Blade’s back

Serusu: Maneki, let’s ride…

The trio speed down the stairs to escape the scene. Sara aims 3 arrows on her bow and tilts it till the weapon is horizontal, intent on shooting down the 3 of them

Rakurai: No Sara!

I charge at the tengu and knock her down as she releases, eschewing her aim and causing her arrows to fly past the group, missing them

Sara: A-Akaza!? You screwed up my aim!

Rakurai: You’ll hurt them!

I fail to notice a flying kick at my chest, smashing me with Geo and knocking me off Sara and across the floor. My body slams into a short stone wall and cracks it

Noritaka: Idiot. Look what you’ve done

Shogun: Noritaka. The authority to exercise reproach on Akaza lies with myself alone. Strike him again, and I shall reprimand you, understood?

Noritaka: Yes, understood Shogun

The Geo bearer takes a few steps back. I grunt afew times as I stand up, glaring at Noritaka. I then turn to the charred spot where Katsu was and then whirl around to face Raiden

Rakurai: Damn it Shogun! I said he was free to go!

Shogun: And I overruled it. Do not forget that it is I who holds ultimate power in Inazuma. The rules of a Duel Before the Throne are clear

Rakurai: You killed a man who did not deserve such a death!

Shogun: The Musou no Hitotachi is the pinnacle of Arts. I gave him a merciful, instant, and painless death

Rakurai: Katsu still didn’t deserve death

Noritaka: He brought it upon himself by challenging the Almighty Shogun herself. Had he simply obeyed the rules, he could have kept his life, no big deal and only lost his fancy trinket

Rakurai: And the Handa family? Are you just going to let them suffer?

Shogun: I will not interfere with the punishment Chief Noritaka has placed on them. It is according to the laws of the land. And besides, Katsu lost the Duel, so his victory conditions are null and void

I just stand there gawking at the Shogun. I’m quickly getting the sense that debating with them is useless. Shouldn’t Katsu’s effort and honor be rewarded even if he ultimately lost? Does it mean nothing?

The Shogun addresses me, gesturing for me to follow her with her hand as she walks back to the Palace of Eternity

Shogun: Akaza, come with me to the Throne Room. The rest of you, continue your duties. This does not change anything

Noritaka and Sara bow to the puppet and promptly leave, but I can see Sara give me a glance of uncertainty, or perhaps concern/worry for a small moment before leaving with Noritaka

***

Dirge of the Soundless: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZxg1Fl-z6s

Shogun: You interfered with Sara’s shot. I cannot condone that

Rakurai: She was going to potentially fatally wound them

Shogun: They interfered in the moment of divine judgment. Such blatant disrespect cannot be tolerated. I am not someone to be casually defied. My will and power is iron and I will show it as such. If I had simply let those 3 go, it would not do well for divine image I am to maintain in order to keep a firm grip on order

Rakurai: They don’t deserve death

The Shogun sends me a stern glare

Shogun: That Dendro bearer… he was the Shonin boy you tried to protect 4 years ago correct? You are being sentimental Akaza. I shall not tolerate it. I will forgive this one transgression, as judgment was ultimately dealt. But do so again and there will be repercussions. Am I understood? You would not want to disappoint my creator. She placed her trust in your capabilities after all

Rakurai: By taking their Visions, you would steal so much from them. Do you have any idea as to what that does to people Raiden?

Shogun: I am not oblivious as to what occurs. But they get to continue living. It is merciful that they are not executed for violating the decree, or a nonlethal yet gruesome punishment. Some may serve time in prison, but they ultimately keep their lives. I repeat myself. Am I understood, Akaza?

To illustatre her seriousness, the puppet’s eyes glow an Electro purple

Rakurai: …Understood Shogun

Shogun: Good. You are dismissed

With a sigh I turn around and stride away from the Shogun and out of the throne room. It doesn’t matter what the Shogun said… She doesn’t truly know

Rakurai: There are some things worse than death…

***

Later that Night

It’s a cool and crisp evening in Taifunome, with relatively little to no presence of other people, leaving me free to ponder with my thoughts as I take a walk with no particular destination

Katsu’s death is weighing heavily on me. Not because of the loss of life specifically, but because of how unfair and unjust it was. Katsu fought his best and with honor and courage. He had the guts to challenge the Raiden Shogun to save the Kanda family from starving to death because he felt responsibility for it. Such effort and intentions should be rewarded and praised, not coldly cut down by unfeeling tradition

Noritaka’s clear zealousness for upholding a broken system, and whether or not he even realizes it himself. These people, so many of the Shogunate soldiers, Sara included, blindly follow their Goddess and uphold her laws even if it’s morally questionable. It’s like they cannot really think for themselves. Perhaps it is because they consider a deity’s judgment far above their own and much wiser, so they resign themselves to being just followers

Yet it’s clear to me that the Shogun, and Ei included, are not perfect rulers. They are not absolute deities, they are flawed just like their subjects. Call me a hypocrite if you want, but I follow my God with such faith because he’s always proven to have made the right choice. He’s never given me reason to doubt him in the end, it may be there initially, but by the end, Heavenly Father’s wisdom and foresight shows…

What am I to do? This broken system, this blind zealousness… is grating on me slowly, making me question my correct choices further. Did I really make the right choice by accepting to be the Shadow General? Even when events like this take place? People losing their friends so cruelly? Ambitions stripped away?

Prophetia Fatui: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YktztnABX-Q

My thoughts are suddenly interrupted by a chilly aura I feel nearby. As I travel the streets, I pick up on a very prominent presence, not overly familiar, but I know who it is all too well. My eyes narrow as I turn the corner, and low and behold, standing in front of me a few meters away…

…Was the “Fair Lady”

Signora: Ho~? What’s this? Out for a late night stroll Akaza?

Rakurai: La Signora… I hope you’re behaving yourselves in these streets

La Signora, the 8th of the Fatui Harbingers

The Fatui were people I’d come to be somewhat acquainted with during my time in Inazuma. What annoys me at first impression is the fact that despite Inazuma’s borders being closed, these “diplomats” from Snezhnaya have relatively unfettered access to this land. It’s completely hypocritical. The Fatui have done little to curb good favor with me either, whispers of their morally questionable deeds, and their arrogance in their status gets around. While I can’t know the full extent of their nature as I’m confined to this Titan, I’ve seen enough to be certain I can’t trust them

Signora in particular I have met on several occasions for diplomatic reasons, and I like her even less than Noritaka, which is saying something

Signora is accompanied by a male cryo cicin mage and a female fatui pyro agent

Signora: Why so suspicious of me? We’ve only ever been diplomats in Inazuma to foster relations between it and Snezhnaya

Rakurai: Quite condescending ones I might add

Signora: You have no respect for the authority the Fatui carry

Rakurai: You’re right, I don’t. To be frank, I don’t trust the Fatui one bit. Your authority is meaningless to me

Signora: We’ve never done anything to warrant your mistrust

Rakurai: I don’t necessarily have to. Just one look on your sneering face is enough to convince me

The harbinger laughs derisively at me

Signora: Didn’t your mother teach you not to judge a book by its cover? And basic manners for guests?

Rakurai: My mother’s more of a woman than you are. You’re just a sneaky crone poking around where she doesn’t belong

Signora: You have quite the tongue, you should watch it before it gets cut off you insolent fool

Rakurai: And you should watch your ego before your head gets too infladed. Can’t imagine how difficult it would be to walk around like that

Signora sneers at me

Signora: My original point still stands. Just because we look bad to you doesn’t mean we are. We of Snezhnaya desire to connect with all nations of Alrest

Rakurai: I’m willing to go with my gut impression

Signora: Don’t test me Akaza. You serve under the Shogun, why disobey her? She’s allowed us Diplomatic immunity

Rakurai: I follow me own agenda first and foremost, perhaps you know something about that

Signora: You give me cause to dislike you more vehemently every time we meet

Rakurai: That’s comforting. Feeling’s mutual

The pyro agent to her left lashes out angrily at me

Pyro Agent: Watch your tongue. A Harbinger of Lady Signora’s status is to be shown respect and deference!

Rakurai: I’m afraid not

Signora: You don’t seem to have the proper attitude about us. If I was more willing, and if we weren’t in a city, I’d give you a lesson on Harbinger power, to show just why we command authority throughout Alrest

Rakurai: *Folds arms* I don’t fear you one damn bit Signora. You’re an eyesore to me

Signora is the one who is underestimating. She has no idea just what I can do, but I’m not the kind of person to start fights because I’m irritated or offended, but I’m willing to verbal backlash her all day long. Perhaps it’s unwise for me to start a fight I can’t potentially win. I’ve heard how powerful the Harbingers are, but I have no intention of bending over backwards to these weasels

Signora: You paltry worm… you’ll learn soon enough. You haven’t spent enough time around the true masters of this world

Rakurai: This Tsaritsa of yours… the Cryo Archon correct?

Signora: Indeed

Rakurai: What is her objective; spreading the Fatui so thin across Alrest like this and curbing favor with everyone, not to mention engaging in scrupulous activity? 

Signora scowls

Signora: Do not make it seem like the Tsaritsa is insignificant, should you meet her, you will experience true coldness. Nonetheless, she desires to peel away at this world, manifest it anew. Her dream is the purest of ambitions

Rakurai: Watashi ga sore o dō miru kade wanaku

Signora: Don’t you start speaking a foreign tongue! That’s rude and discourteous

Rakurai: Oh I’m sorry~, did I offend you with my advanced language speaking capacities miss grumpy ice lady?

Pyro Agent: Just how much of an ignoramus can you be?!

Rakurai: Shut it small fry

The agent growls in anger at my dismissal

Signora: You find it easy right now to dismiss me and the other harbingers, but she is not so easily pushed aside. When all is said and done, you will move aside

Rakurai: You have no idea just who you’re facing, Signora. I warn you, do anything to cause chaos in Inazuma, and you have my word… I will halt. you. in. your. Tracks, got it? If you aren’t already really trying to foster friendly relationships, then I suggest you switch your policy as soon as possible

Cicin Mage: So obstinate…

Signora: My, you’re a tough customer, I’ve yet to meet anyone as uncivil as you

Rakurai: I’m plenty civilized, I have standards unlike you. It’s late at night and I like to get sleep. Perhaps you and I can appreciate that

Signora walks in my direction and then past me with her attendees, all the while my yellow eyes stay on her and she shoots me a cold disdainful gaze from her grey eyes

Signora: For once we agree. I need my beauty sleep. I have other matters to conduct anyways before I retire for the evening. Good night Akaza, don’t get frostbite. I look forward to the day when you realize how powerless you truly are

I say nothing in response as Signora walks away down the street and disappears in the moonlit shadows

Rakurai: Lord have mercy, that lady is too arrogant for my taste

I have more edifying things to do than bicker with a Fatui Harbinger

As I walk back to the Palace of Eternity, my mind again comes to everything that’s been boiling over in Inazuma

…Perhaps I was wrong. The time may come… for me to do something drastic and decisive. I do not believe I can stop the problems of this country myself, or in this time frame…

So I make a choice in my head and commit to it. The Shogunate has forced my hand

***

Midnight, Inazuma Shores

Sea of Clouds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApcbKY2JrMs&list=PLIpqsKgkQEvMUFbngp-GbW1JwDGXnxcm9&index=19

Fumie: Lord Akaza, are you absolutely certain this is the best way?

Rakurai: Without a doubt. It’s either this or your family is jailed and starved Fumie. I would not suggest this if there was a better way

Naruhito: B-But leaving Inazuma!? We’ve grown up here our whole lives! To just up and abandon our homeland is…

Rakurai: I understand your sentiments. But such things must be cast aside for the greater good. Such as the welfare and prosperity of your family

I finish tying down the crates I had stacked and stored on my personal cloud boat. I double check the knots to ensure they hold firm and am satisfied with the results

I had traveled to Shakozaki and told the Handa family to come with me, and declared that we were leaving Inazuma, myself included

If I cannot truly make any ground on negotiations with Ei, and fix the corrupt government, then I’ll remove a vital piece to their power and control, myself

To be truthful, the idea of leaving has always been something I’ve reserved as a Plan C or D if things ever came to it. It’s something no one would expect me to do, and I myself am not entirely comfortable with it, yet the situation in Inazuma is only getting worse despite my 4 years of hard effort to change things. So I am left with no better alternative than to leave, and take the Handas with me before Noritaka comes for them. At some point the Chief of Police would get fed up going on a wild goose chase to look for Kazuha and enact his punishment on the Handas like he promised. Speaking of Kazuha, I wanted to take him and Serusu with me, along with Serusu’s Blade, Maneki. But I have no idea where they would have gone at this point and I’d waste precious time trying to search for them. So as much as it pains me, I have to leave them to fend for themselves. I believe in Serusu’s capabilities, I’ve since come to quickly learn that he’s taken shelter with the Watatsumi Army ever since he was kidnapped, by none other than Kokomi Sanganomiya, the Divine Priestess and leader of the resistance there, which explains the Hydro

Kazuha himself is a skilled warrior and good at making himself scarce, he should be fine as well. In fact, if he’s smart, he’ll have my same idea to flee Inazuma now that he made himself public before all those people at the duel between Katsu and myself

Rakurai: Your goods and belongings have all been loaded up, everyone hop on

Naruhito hesitates predictably, but Fumie clasps her hands around his own and gives a reassuring and hopeful smile to her husband. This comforts him enough that he follows his wife and children onto the boat. I’m about to load myself on the boat before a voice stops me and catches my attention

“Stop! Delay your departure but a moment longer!”

I look up on a small hill to see none other than the Lady of Voltage, Erisunato herself sprinting down to meet me, skidding to a stop in front of my body

Rakurai: Eris? Koko de nani o shite iru no?

Naruhito: Lady Noriko!? What the…

I gesture to the Handa family

Rakurai: Leave me and Eris be, in private. I’ll be there in a moment Naruhito

He nods and the family gos to the back of the boat, leaving me and Eris alone, we walk a little further up the shoreline to have further privacy. When at a sufficient distance, Eris clears her throat and speaks up with a solemn countenance 

Eris: I… I witnessed the duel. Between you and Katsu. I was watching secretly

Friendship: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO_wBSxStl8&list=PLIpqsKgkQEvMUFbngp-GbW1JwDGXnxcm9&index=29

I sigh in response. So Eris knows about all of it…

Rakurai: I see. Have you come here to shout at me for getting a close friend of yours killed?

The redhead shakes her head

Eris: Hardly. I… I am shaken by dear Katsu’s departure from this world… But I do not and cannot blame you. I can tell that you were trying to give him the best chance to win. You did the best you could with the terrible circumstances placed upon your shoulders

Rakurai: Mm… Arigato. I am glad that you support my efforts. But none of that changes the fact that you have lost a friend… 

Eris: *Nods slowly* …I grieve greatly for my friend, and further still for Kazuha. He surely must be weeping deeply, and to have him disintegrated to ash before his eyes at such close distance. Truly awful

Eris looks back up at me

Eris: That boy, with the maroon hair and the sasumata staff… You 2 seemed to recognize each other

Rakurai: Yes. He was Serusu, an old friend of mine when I first arrived in Inazuma, before I became the Shadow General

Eris: Oh? He was Serusu? So it seems you have met again after so long

Rakurai: I would not call that a meeting. It was very brief. We only had the scarcest of eye contact, everything happened far too quickly for us to talk and he initially didn’t even look at me properly as he attacked me twice before realizing who he threw his staff at

Seeing Serusu after all these years… it is indeed… What is that word? Yes, “surreal” in such circumstances. I can already tell his skills improved tremendously just based off the brief physical bout he and Sara had

Eris: That makes sense. It’s a shame you couldn’t have a proper conversation. By the way, are you alright?

Rakurai: What do you mean?

Eris: Noritaka, that bastard kicked you quite hard, I saw that too

Rakurai: Oh that? It’s nothing. I’ll be fine, truly. I have suffered haruka ni warui treatment. I’ll get the punk back for it eventually. But do not be concerned

Eris: Hmph, if you say so. I have half a mind to march over there and deliver a walloping myself for his attitude. But alas, that would be unwise. So… what do you intend to do about Serusu? And Kazuha

Rakurai: I will have to leave him, Maneki, Kazuha, and the rest of the Shonins to fend for themselves… But I am confident in his abilities

Eris: Ah, I knew it, so you are leaving Inazuma…

Rakurai: *Nods* I see no other choice. I must remove myself so as to take away a good portion of the power the Shogunate has. After all, I have won many battles against the resistance and taken a fair portion of people’s Visions. If I am not around, they will not have my abilities to help them. I have given up on fixing Inazuma. At least… in the timeframe I originally wanted. Something else must be done. Something will have to change in order for me to be successful. Nothing I have done has worked very well

The Electro Bearer nods in understanding

Eris: This is quite the choice. But so be it. I’m coming with you

My head perks up at this suggestion from Eris

Rakurai: Come with me? Are you serious? What gave you that idea

Eris: I deplore the state of my nation as well, it is painful to see. I want to support you. Alrest is full of many things, and even if I have not been outside of Inazua very much, I still know more than you do. I can aid you

Rakurai: But your family…

Eris: That is part of the reason. Perhaps I can finally get my parents to wise up and get their heads out of their asses with my departure. Do not worry. I have informed my siblings to cover for me in secret. I’ve left everything to Kofun. My brother does not mind taking up my role. He wants me to see the world

Rakurai: You are fortunate to have such supportive siblings

Eris: *Smiles fondly* Yes, indeed I am…

Rakurai: It is nice to see you have planned for this. But are you certain about the course of action you are about to make?

Eris: *Nods* Absolutely. I will stick by you as a traveling companion. You have my blade Rakurai

I crack a tiny smile at Eris
Rakurai: Thank you Eris. Very well… it is within your rights to choose for yourself. I can but only warn and caution you. But I suppose I should not worry. You are a strong woman after all

Eris: Damn right. Now then, shall we set off?

I nod to Eris, and the 2 of us return to my boat where the Handa family is waiting. I briefly explain Eris’s decision to them and they didn’t mind it (though only after they got over their initial surprise at the eldest Noriko making such a drastic decision). I unwrap and untie the rope from the post it’s anchored to, and Eris uses her Electro powers to give the boat a boost in power, and before long, we’re off, sailing away from the shores of Inazuma no Mikoto

As we sail away, I cast my gaze to the Kannazuka region, and then to the Palace of Eternity, saying a silent prayer for everyone

Rakurai: Forgive me everyone… Forgive me Ei. This is for your own good. In time you’ll realize… For now though, you shall have to carry on without me

I turn around and look forward to the Cloud Sea’s near endless horizon, a horizon of many possibilities for adventure. From here on out, the world of Alrest is at my fingertips

***

??? Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93kHBDm7GlM

A lone figure from atop a high cliff watches Rakurai’s boat sail off carrying him, Eris, and the Handa family. His kimono sways with the wind as well as his black red tipped hair. The man’s maroon eyes solemnly watch as the boat gets further and further from Inazuma

It is the mysterious swordsman from Rakurai’s dreams, wearing much the same attire as he did in said dreamscape. He had been watching Rakurai for a long time

He first witnessed him awake on foreign Inazuma soil, his encounters in Murasaki, and his duel with the Raiden Shogun, just to name a few. The swordsman has kept a close eye on Rakurai, watching over him as he said he would in his dreams. The swordsman allows himself a small smile

Mysterious Swordsman: A bold choice Rakurai, but is it the correct choice? I wonder what will come it. What is certain is that you have unlocked a multitude of paths, a long adventure full of trials awaits you. But I believe in you and your capacity

The mysterious swordsman watches the last faint sign of Rakurai disappear amongst the Cloud Sea and nods to himself, turning around and heading into the forest

Mysterious Swordsman: I can only hope the people of Alrest are prepared for everything they know to be uprooted… The crux of destiny draws every near

The Mysterious Swordsman disappears into the shadows of the forest, and only the faint glimmer of golden solar flames is seen as he vanishes completely to unknown regions

Chapter Text

Amalthatober 20th- 3260

Where it All Began: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jef2HIvheyA

A vast sea of clouds made from an unknown substance stretches for miles and miles with seemingly no end. A large gigantic beast stands in this sea, most of its body submerged under the clouds, with a large portion sticking out, looking like an island floating on the water. A long crane with a cable dips into the sea, attached to something

Deep down inside the sea, it looks like an ocean, yet there is nothing holding people afloat if not attached to something, hence the cable. A man in something akin to a heavy diving suit slowly lowers himself to the skeletal remains of a massive creature with wings and a beak. His golden eyes can be seen from inside the helmet. Ambient ocean sounds can be heard despite the environment. The boy activates something on his arm and shoots a wrist harpoon, anchoring to the rocky surface of the dead creature, not far from a box of some kind resting on the creature. He presses the button again and the harpoon starts to wrap back around his wrist, pulling him toward the surface of the fossil. Once close enough, his boots jut out spikes, allowing him to gain traction and stand on the surface of the fossil. He walks towards the crate-like black box and places a device on it that is attached to his left thigh. He turns the knob in a sort of combination action and it blows up into an airbag. The airbag is strong enough to flip the box on its side, and then slowly float up through the sea. The boy leaps and grabs onto the ledge of the crate, being taken up by it

They both eventually reach the large crane, and the male attaches the crate to the hook. Afterward, he gets on top of the crate and next to the crane cables. He takes one last look around both sides and turns off his helmet lights. He presses the button the cable and the crane begins to lift him and the cargo up out of the cloudy sea

Back on the “mainland” the crate and the male are eventually lifted out of the sea by the crane. With better light, his outfit is revealed, it’s a mix of blue and gold, with some brown accents. He has a snorkel attached to his helmet and 2 anchor firing gauntlets on his arms. The crate is moved in a circular motion till it hovers over the ground in a safe area, it lowers and sets the crate down. On the back of the large creature, or titans as they are called, is a small round-roofed shack. There’s a metal barrel next to it, a small handcrafted wind turbine, growing plots with green plants to the left and a small training area on the right. Inside the house are shelves with various supplies and items and a simple bed, pillow, and blanket. There are barrels and nets with materials and items inside scattered around the back of the titan

The man jumps down from the crate and detaches his breathing apparatus and then takes off his helmet by flipping it off of him backwards, where it rests on his back. The man is actually a teenager, 16 years old with short brown hair. He sighs and looks around, using his right hand to shade himself from the sun, then speaks to someone

Salvager: *Sigh* We really do need to buy ourselves a new depth probe

His voice has a northern english accent. He kneels down, unzips his suit and reveals his blue sleeveless shirt. He approaches the crate and releases the hook attached to it

Salvager: The ping was off by 150 peds to the east. That’s not gonna fly

The hook makes a metal cranking sound as it’s released and goes back into the air

The boy is a salvager, a profession that involves diving beneath the Cloud Sea for lost treasures and materials. You can find looks of things lost there or just having existed like treasure, practical materials, collectibles, gold, etc. 

The entity the boy is speaking to speaks itself in a deep and old voice

“And what about the treasure Rex? Was it in line with your expectations?”

The boy, whose name is Rex, walks over close to his house and picks up a tool. It’s a large oversized crowbar. He smiles contently at his choice and walks back over to the crate, responding

Rex: It seemed pretty solid. Didn’t even have to reinforce it too much. Even with the labor costs, we should be able to turn a decent profit

The brown hair looks around for a point to attach his big crowbar to. The voice speaks again in response, slightly annoyed and disbelieving

“Honestly…”

A big gray neck begins to move behind the house, with teal green fur on the front

“It takes you 2 days to run the structural analysis… Yet somehow you can gauge the profits in an instant?”

The voice is revealed to be the large titan itself on which Rex is standing on, his neck craned with an eye facing the boy. He has an old stony complexion literally. He has a set of horns that curve towards the top, and ornamental spikes on the side of his head tinted purple. A large stone spike horn just out at an angle from his head. His eyes are a dull yellow

Rex just groans slightly, not happy with the titan trying to dull his excitement

Rex: Don’t go rainin' on my parade Gramps. You know I’m in the salvaging trade for-the-cash!

He then proceeds to hack at the crate, locking into its plates and pulling on them, straining his muscles

Rex: A little business sense goes a long way, all… right?

He lets out a loud woah as he staggers back, the crowbar successfully pries free the crate. A loud chittering sound is heard and Rex recovers his balance to look up and see a creature heading towards him, looking none too happy. The boy gasps briefly with wide eyes

Rex: I didn’t expect that! You been living in this thing big guy?

It’s a large blue crustacean with 2 sets of eyes and legs, it’s reminiscent of a lobster. It leaps at Rex and swipes at him with its claw, which he dodges by flipping backward in the air. The titan named Gramps expresses his worry by calling out Rex’s name

Gramps: Rex!

Rex: No worries, Gramps!

The boy heads inside his house quickly and smiles as he grabs the hilt of something. He runs back outside and faces the lobster, a creature known as a Crustip

Rex: I think we know what’s for lunch!

XC2 Battle Theme 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMOcg5pzbhE

He smiles confidently as he holds a big curved makeshift greatsword with both hands. The Titan huffs but is content to watch for now. Not that he can do much in his state anyway, he can’t fight a crustip on his back and his head can’t reach far enough back. Rex charges and shouts a brief and simple battle cry. He swings his blade left and knocks the crustip back a bit. He steps back a bit and swings his blade down on the arthropod, knocking it into a crate. Rex finishes his combo by thrusting his blade at the lobster and flipping the beast on its side. It chitters angrily and swipes a claw at Rex, forcing him to move back. The enemy gets back up and thrusts another claw forward, looking to pinch Rex in half. He ducks beneath the attack and whacks the beast’s leg, spilling some of its blood. The beast chitters in anger and pain and slams a pincer down, making Rex almost lose his balance and fall but he holds

Gramps: Careful…

Rex: I got it! Let’s do this!

Stretching out his arm, he activates his anchor shot and it pierces the exoskeleton of the lobster. The creature struggles against the line and howls in pain stepping back to yank out the anchor. Rex holds on tight and pulls on the anchor, pulling the crustip towards him as it shrieks. He uses his greatsword one-handed and whacks the body of his opponent, staggering it. He then yanks the anchor out of the chitin, spilling more hemolymph from the crustacean. It shrieks once again and swipes its claws aggressively to get back at its attacker. Rex rolls to the side and swings upward with both hands on his sword, unleashing a powerful upward slash that slams into the underside of the lobster, knocking it down and causing it to bounce on its side violently. The crustip is even angrier now, it slams down on Rex with an open claw and misses when he backsteps

Rex: Let’s finish it!

He grabs a medium-sized barrel and throws it at the crustip. The arthropod is stunned by the blow and confused when Rex suddenly slices sideways against it. He whacks its head and then proceeds to shout a cry, stabbing his greatsword into the crustip’s head. The crustacean squeals loudly and in pain, writhing around before eventually sinking to the ground and dying

Rex: Nngh…! That should do it. Gone now

Gramps: *Sighs* Good grief boy…

Before Rex can remove his sword though, another chittering sound can be heard. Inside the crate from the cloudy sea is another crustip, smaller, but still dangerous. It quickly rushes to Rex with a pincer outstretched

Rex: Uh oh! Come on sword! Hrrrgh!

He tries to free his blade from his previous enemy but it is proving to be difficult to remove

Gramps: Rex~!

Rex: I know I know! I’m…! Going~ to get it!

The arthropod screeches again at Rex and leaps at him, mere inches from his body. His face turns to surprise as he braces himself

Rex: Ahhh! 

“Frr-krang!”

The boy yelps in surprise when a large greatsword blade appears from the sky and instantly impales the crustip with a loud slamming sound, pinning it to Gramps' back and sharply staggering the boy due to the sheer proximity of the impact. Pieces of debris, dust, and chitin go flying from the impact. Rex coughs a good 5 times and waves away the dust. He’s surprised to see a very dead crustacean laying on the ground with a big sword lodged inside it

Rex: What the-

Gramps: Ah yes… I was going to tell you before that crustip showed up. We have a guest

Shadow of War: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctpjdJyUT78

The great titan nudges his head to the small shack Rex lives in. He looks up and sees someone sitting on top of the roof to his surprise, his hand resting on his right knee, with the other leg dangling down. His other hand holds a drink colored clear bronze, he lifts it up and sips from the drink silently. The man is wearing a thick and long dark red cloak with a hood over his head. An ornamental clasp with the Electro symbol holds the folds of the cloth together. The ridges of the cloak have black fur, and the lower sections are decorated with sharp scale designs. The man’s eyes are yellow in color, so luminous, that they almost appear to be glowing, including his sclera which are almost the same color as his irises. The rest of his face is obscured and shaded from amongst the shadows of his hood. His pupils are red and his eyes are sharp and narrow, displaying an intimidating yet impartial gaze. The man sets his drink down after sipping it on the roof. He stands up and pounces, jumping into the air and landing on the ground several meters from Rex and the crustips, his cloak flowing with the wind. He walks towards Rex, who smiles after recognizing him

POV Change

Rex: Oh! Akaza! How nice to see you here! Did you invite yourself here I’m guessin’? 

I don’t respond to Rex and just keep walking until I come upon the dead crustip and my impaled sword. Grabbing my greatsword, I easily oust it from its place and briefly inspect it. The sword is slightly longer than Rex’s own sword, so it would qualify as a greatsword, and it's straight instead of curved. It’s lightweight compared to many swords it's size. It has a smooth and grooved gray hilt with a red diamond-shaped cap on the end. The blade has a glowing yellow line down the center of it. The crossguard has 2 yellow metal feathers that go down horizontally towards the hilt, and a white circle with a 3 curved blade symbol carved in the center in the middle of the crossguard. The bottom section of the blade touching the crossguard is covered in an ornamental design of lightning and is slightly thinner than the upper section. I swing the weapon around in a small maneuver before disarming it in a sheathe hidden in my cloak. A curved tri-blade symbol appears made from light as I slide the sword in. After a clicking sound, a brief burst of energy shows up and the sword is gone, as if it never existed

Gramps: He’s been here for around a quarter of an hour, just sitting around. You know, you could have helped Rex against the Crustips

Rakurai: One shouldn’t do something he can’t handle himself. I simply had faith in him

Gramps: And that smaller one?

Rakurai: Merely an unwelcome obstruction

Gramps: You are honestly baffling Akaza

Rex goes up to me. Rex is already short for his age, having not had a growth spurt in a while, but next to me he’s a dwarf from my perspective. At only 5 feet with no extra inches, Rex only goes up to my pectoral region, not even reaching his neck. I’m a towering 6 feet and 10 inches. 

Rex: *It’s impossible to top that height, even if I finally manage to have a growth spurt*

Rex: W-Well t-thanks for believin' in me, I guess I needed that assistance didn’t I? How’s your trip across Alrest been Akaza? Been well?

Rakurai: Fine, same as it usually is with a few deviations occasionally

Rex: Right right, straight to the point I see

Gramps: Rex my boy, don’t bother Akaza too much. He’s not much of a small talker you know

Rex: Yeah yeah, I know

Rex “salvages” the meat from the corpse of the larger crustip, then begins to prepare a stovetop to grill the meat

Rex: *Smiles* Hehe, this is good. 2 crustips mean more food, so plenty for the 2 of us right?

I nod in response as I stand here with arms folded. Satisfied with Rex’s safety, Azurda turns his head back to the horizon of the cloudy sea. Rex hovers the claw of the crustip over the stove grill, rotating it to get each side cooked to perfection

Well, there’s actually a caveat 

Shirasagi’s Demeanor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhLBfN2DvQ4

“What’s with all the noise? Everyone alright over here?”

Rex, Azurda, and I direct our attention to the right to see a long-haired redhead with peach-colored streaks walk over to us with a smile

Azurda: I knew of Akaza’s arrival. Yet I did not know you were present as well Eris

Eris: I was catching some z’s on the boat Akaza anchored. Oh hey there Rex! You’re finally back from salvaging. What’s up?

Azurda: Rex almost got crushed to death by an extra crustip after salvaging

Eris: Eh!?

Rex: I did not!

Rakurai: Shinpai muyo, it’s dinner now

Eris raises an eyebrow at Rex and sighs, folding her arms under her chest while walking up to Rex and myself

Eris: Almost got in trouble again did ya you dummy?

Rex: Hey! It’s not my fault! I didn’t think there were 2 crustips waitin’ for me!

Eris: That’s why you don’t go charging into situations like that

Rakurai: Relax Eris. I handled the issue

Rex: Only after you sat there and watched me

Rakurai: I was giving your combat ability the benefit of the doubt. I was always going to intervene in the outcome that you were going to take a lethal attack

Rex: You could have impaled me too! That was inches from my face!

Rakurai: You’re alive are you not? Anata wa mattaku daijobudesu

Rex: Nobody gets what you say!

Eris: He said “you are perfectly fine”

Rex: Oh, okay. But still! I only know what you say some of the time because you speak Inazuman plenty of the time. I guess I’m lucky I have Eris as a translator

Eris: *Nods* By the way Akaza, sweet throw. You nailed it, literally

I merely hum in acknowledgement which causes Eris to chuckle. Eris has grown quite a bit and is much larger than most females her age, both in height and in overall body weight distribution. She’s by no means overweight, but she does have some heft to her, being finely filled out in many parts of her body, which belies her speedy and precise sword techniques. Her hair’s a bit longer and Eris has dyed more parts of it tan as a result, including a certain peach-colored thunderbolt streak behind her head that bolts over to her bangs and her flame orange/orangish-red hair fades to maroon at the ends. As usual, though her hair is largely free-flowing, and semi-wavy, she keeps some of it tied in a ponytail in the back

Eris: Alright-o, enough talk about Rex almost being crustacean food. Let’s eat!

Genshin Main theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mcz3yZSUVI8

The white skyscape stretches for miles, with Azurda being the only identifiable being for many distances. It’s an entire horizon white cloud-like substance. A sea of clouds. Called the Cloud Sea by the inhabitants of this world. Hidden behind the actual clouds, obscured from view is a massive tree that reaches high into the atmosphere, with an otherworldly yet oddly natural look to it. Its roots stretch deep below into the Cloud Sea. At the center of all this white, at its heart, is this tree, the World Tree piercing the heavens, or Yaegdrausile as it’s also called. This is the world Rex, and so many others call home, Alrest. Humanity and many other creatures and similar beings live on the bodies of large beings called Titans, which are almost the only things even remotely land-like among the Cloud Sea

There’s a bit of a tale I came across one day that delved into some of Alrestian mythology. Legends and stories go that when the world was young… Everyone in Alrest lived on the World Tree, together with the Divine Father, the Architect, known as the creator of the world. According to the tales, it was a bountiful land and the people there were said to have the capacity to command the heavens themselves. They walked with deities. A council and order of Gods and Goddesses, known as the Council of Celestia, were the Architect’s assistants and confidants, helping to manage the world. They called this paradise

“Elysium''. One day however, they were all cast out. Nobody knows why for sure. Perhaps the deities and the creator had been angered in some way? That’s what many people think. But why would the Architect cast them all out, if we don’t know why? Even the religions of Alrest I’ve studied can offer no concrete answer. Why would enact such an action if it was never told what earned his ire? 

Earth, my own world perhaps has something similar. We came to Earth to be tested, to see if we could inherit God’s divine power and authority through our choices and ways of living life. We lived in Heaven originally, and can only return if we prove worthy. That is something I believe for certain, even if science or other schools of thought had not yet proved such a thing

Yet here in Alrest things seem so confusing and uncertain…

No… perhaps it was something else entirely. There had to be a good answer. Regardless, the only thing that the Alrestians know for certain is that they were forced to leave Elysium to live here in Alrest, supposedly anyway. Life is pretty hard here as it turns out, big surprise. Obviously, making a living in this sea of an unknown substance without almost any resting landmass is tremendously arduous. When it seemed like we would surely die out, he took pity on them and gave his servants the Titans to Alrest to save everyone. With their huge bodies and shapes, everyone migrated to the Titans and life goes on in Alrest, still difficult– because that’s the point of life, but now chances are supposedly favorable. They have lived in harmony ever since

Okay that last one is a heavy understatement

An uneasy peace has been forged between the nations. Life is far from peaceful or idyllic. Tensions run high between multiple nations, complex webs of histories, grudges, and brewing conspiracies that seek to subvert the others

I’ve long since studied Alrest and its history as much as I could since I arrived in this mysterious world, trying to figure out the current state of affairs. Though what I can find is limited considering that most of that time was spent in a single nation. For one, a slow yet horrifying conclusion to Alrest is coming. The Titans are beginning to die out, and once again, no one has any answers. A storm is approaching, one I do not yet comprehend quite yet

Rex waters his plants while the crustip meat cooks, I glance at the food from time to time, making sure it’s not going to be unattended and burn as a result. The boy salvages through the rest of the crate, taking anything of use back to his house in a special storage container and putting the rest of the mildly useful things in barrels scattered around Gramp’s back. He lowers the crate he found the salvage in back into the Cloud Sea, as it’s useless now. He goes inside of his house and flips open a metal panel on his red house, letting sunlight into his room. He does some work on something in a small workshop and then goes back outside, smiling and smelling the air. The crustip meat is ready, and there are 2 claws on the brazier being cooked, with the 2nd claw being attended to by Eris as she hums to herself. He sits down on a small bench he made on the ground and looks at Gramps when he sighs in contentment. Rex and I gather and sit around the brazier

Sea of Clouds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApcbKY2JrMs

Azurda: A-Ah… the brazier does my weary old bones much good 

Rakurai: Feeling old again Azurda?

The titan makes a small rumbling sound of presumptuousness. Gramps is a nickname given to the titan by Rex seeing as he’s a sort of godfather to him, at least in my view. Azurda is his true name as a Titan

Azurda: Pah… I’m over a millennium old, that kind of age gets to you

Rakurai: I’m certain you’ll be fine, you’ve done well holding out long enough

Eris: Yeah definitely! You have to carry Rex’s house everywhere and his stuff so props to you

Azurda: Thank you for the compliment Lady Eris

Rex: Want me to move it, Gramps?

Azurda: No, that’s quite alright. Leave it right there. Ahhh…

Rex: Righto!

After some more cooking time, Eris takes a stick and shoves it through the claw of the crustip, impaling it and then lifting the meat up. He stares at it for a couple of seconds. Rex smiles eagerly and begins chowing down on his piece without any utensils to speak of. I pick up half of a cooked claw, with the other half belonging to Eris, and start eating it

Rex: You guys okay with splitting?

Rakurai: We’re fine. You’re 16, a growing person, so you need more food than we do at this point

Rex: You sure?

Rakurai: I retain my statement

Eris: I agree with Akaza

Rex nods and goes back to chowing down

After some time of silent eating in company, our group suddenly hears a large bubbly yet animalistic sound coming to the far west in the Cloud Sea, echoing out into the sky

Rakurai: Mm…?

Azurda turns his head towards the sound and Rex, curious by it as well, sets his meat down and heads to the titan’s flank, Rakurai does the same. Rex watches in amazement as a feathery cetacean titan emerges from beneath the clouds, a titan much bigger than Azurda. It makes a sound of slow death as a gem on its chest glows brightly one last time and then goes blank. The titan then dies and sinks beneath the cloud sea. Unleashing a tidal wave of clouds and air towards the trio. Azurda braces himself and squints his eyes while Rex’s body shakes and temporarily loses some of his balance. I stand perfectly still and face the tidal wave, not even blinking. My cloak flows backward erratically for a few moments before it rests again but everyone is busy covering their eyes so they don’t see. Eventually, the cloud tidal wave ends. Rex’s face turns to sadness as he contemplates the situation and Eris has a similar outlook

Rex: Not another one… Been happenin’ a lot lately

Azurda: Mm… more so than before

Rex: I wonder… if anyone was living there

Azurda: It seems not

Rakurai: The logical thing to be done is to evacuate, it would have shown signs of deterioration for some time, warning the people

Eris: That’s comforting at least

He turns back to the Cloud Sea worriedly

Rex: Makes sense, you’re right… I hope they all found new homes quickly

Eris: Places like the Praetorium, Epymelei, and Mondstadt will surely accept a large portion of them

Rex: *Perhaps… one day Fonsett Village… if Titans die eventually, then will Fonsett Village die too? Sink beneath the Clouds just like this?*

Rex: Hey, Gramps, d’you think… Fonsett Village will be gone too one day?

Azurda: It would not be today or tomorrow, but one day yes, it will fall

The salvager pauses a bit before speaking his next line

Rex: And you too?

Azurda moves his neck closer to Rex and casts a small smile

Azurda: That’s how it is with us Titans. There’s no way around it

Rakurai: All things are finite… they all have their end eventually on an individual basis, that’s the nature of the mortal world

Transcience… That is something that Ei ought to learn… But not now I believe. There will come a time when she will be forced to confront reality

I take a brief glance at Rex, and then back to the Cloud Sea

Rex: Eventually… there will be nowhere left to live

Azurda: Sadly…

Eris: What do we do then? It’ll be just like the olden times, where survival was near impossible without the Titans

I narrow my eyes, peering at the ground as I ponder this outcome. Rex meanwhile casts his gaze at the World Tree, Yaegdrausile

Rex: So… you Titans were born up there, is that right?

Azurda: So they say, for what it’s worth…

Gramps turns his neck around and looks at the World Tree himself

Azurda: Mind you, I was born here, on Alrest. As for my ancestors, who can they where they were born

Rex: Can it really exist? This Elysium? And the Celestia who’s said to live there… 

Azurda: A land of plenty, atop Yaegdrausile… If such a place did exist, perhaps we could all live in peace

He turns to me, Eris, and Rex with a smile

Azurda: With no need for fighting

Eris: That’ll be the day. Though where will I exercise my sword?

Rakurai: Nothing wrong with a friendly match Eris. It’s the war and senseless violence that people should worry about

Rex: *Nods* Sure would be great. For everyone, even folks in Fonsett

Rex turns to me with a bit of a smile

Rex: What about you Akaza? Do you believe Elysium exists?

He smiles expectantly. I gaze at him in silence, but after a while, turn back toward the clouds

Rex: Um… hello?

Rakurai: I have my own speculation about matters such as these. I do agree with you… a world without strife nor war would be ideal, one of the things that, if no longer present, would dramatically improve things for everyone. Unfortunately, it is the nature of humanity to crave more and seek it out, with particular individuals wanting to do so violently

Rex: What’s… that supposed to mean?

…

This boy… So knowledgeable, yet naive at the same time

Rakurai: The Natural Human

Rex: Natur- I don’t get it

Rakurai: *Light sigh* You will someday. Perhaps I shall tell you about it at a future date

Rex sighs but nods in agreement, he next turns to Eris

Rex: And you Eris? You have any views on Yaegdrausile?

Eris: To be honest, a place like Elysium is a dream come true. Too good really… If nothing else, I want to find out for myself

I nod in approval of Eris’s statement. Rex takes one last look at the World Tree

Rex: If the divine Architect can see us now, I wonder what he thinks…?

Rakurai: An interesting inquiry to be certain

I can only imagine it’s a very complex and nuanced opinion

***

Jump Towards the Morning Sun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pgYPHegYJ0

Rex stretches his limbs while I’m sitting down sipping the apple juice I retrieved from the roof earlier. The crustips have been disposed of as of now. After loosening his joints, Rex declares it’s back to work for him

Rex: *Claps head* All right! Back to making money!

At this statement, I stand up from where I’m sitting and walk over to Rex, still sipping my juice

Rakurai: Rex

Rex: Huh? Yea?

I extend my hand and in it is a large sack filled with a large amount of a certain item

Rex: H-Huh?

I drop it in Rex’s arms and he almost falls over in surprise, He opens the sack quickly thereafter, and inside are small ridged and round coins. He gasps

Rex: Mora! Again? A-Akaza, you really don’t need to do this… 

I just shrug lightly in response while again sipping from my juice

Rakurai: I never “need” to do a lot of things. Tonikaku yarimasu. Besides, Fonsett Village will always need cash like this, at least for a long time

Eris: He’s got a point

Rex: Oh dear…

Azurda: My… you give Rex mora every time you visit Sir Akaza. Just how loaded are you?

I give the Titan a subtle look of “I’m not going to answer that”. Eris chortles quietly to herself, knowing all too well where I get my Mora

Rex: Well, I’ll just have to give you something in return! I’ll get it to you sometime as a thanks!

Rakurai: That is something you definitely don’t have to do

Rex: Huh? Why not! Salvager’s Code- Seventh Rule: Never leave a debt unpaid!

I give the boy a deadpan expression. Not this dang Salvager Code again

Rakurai: What is it with you people and debts? You don’t owe me anything. Besides, how do you plan to repay a “debt” of 2,000 mora? It’s charity, ever heard of it?

Rex pauses for a moment and grins cheekily

Rex: Yeee-esss~?

I lightly sigh in response as Eris laughs. I know that Rex is joking about that but sometimes this boy gets too caught up in paying others back

Rex: Hey, Akaza, do you think you could ever show me what you look like underneath that fancy cloak of yours sometime? I’ve only ever seen your face, and it’s mostly covered in shadow!

Rakurai: No

Rex: And why not?

Rakurai: No

Rex: That does not answer the question. Eris gets to see you!

Rakurai: She’s a special case

Rex: Aw come on! Why?

Eris is snickering in the corner at Rex’s small indignation

Rakurai: …I keep myself a secret, that’s why, I’m not going to show you what I look like

The salvager looks a bit hurt and spreads his arms out in a defensive manner

Rex: Don’t ye trust me?

Rakurai: …

Rex: Don’t give me the silent treatment! I’ve never offended or done anything bad to you have I? I don’t think I have anyway *scratches head*

Rakurai: You haven’t done anything wrong, this is just how it is with me. As for the timetable… you’ll know when I fully trust you. It’s enough of a treatment that I even indulge in these kinds of conversations with you

Rex: Well that’s… rude

I say nothing in response. Rex sighs and grabs the sack of cash

Azurda: You can trust Rex, Sir Akaza, I vouch for him, he’s a good kid

Rakurai: I know he is. Even an ancient Titan can’t persuade me though, this is my decision

Azurda: *Sighs* So be it. He may say some nonsense sometimes, but I do wish you could warm up to him some more

Rex places the sack of gold inside a bin that looks like a trash box and stands confidently with his arms folded

Rex: I think this haul should be enough for today. Oi! Gramps, care for a little swim to the Argentum Trade Guild? 

The stoney dragon turns his head to meet Rex

Azurda: You’re planning on selling it now? Oh, It’s getting toward my bedtime…

Rex takes a stand-offish stance with furrowed eyebrows

Rex: Don’t play the lazy old man with me. There’s plenty of sunshine left! 

Azurda turns his head back around

Azurda: Kids these days, no respect… I swear…

I don’t say anything to this exchange and shrug to myself lightly while Eris finds it mildly amusing. Rex turns to him

Rex: Guessing you 2 are sticking around? You look to be getting comfortable

Eris: Yep! Guess we’re coming with you Rex. Someone’s gotta keep you out of trouble

Rex: Hey~! Bout you Akaza?

I utter a tiny sound of acknowledgement

Rex: Guessing that’s a yes, alright then

Azurda starts moving in the direction of said trade guild

Chapter Text

As Azurda makes his way to Goldmouth through the Cloud Sea, Eris and I are sitting on my sailboat that’s anchored to Azurda, so it too is brought along for the ride. Eris looks at me and giggles upon seeing me finishing off my bottle of apple juice

Eris: Ever since we first visited Sumeru, the sight of you sipping apple juice has been fairly common

Rakurai: There wasn’t any in Inazuma. Finding it in Sumeru was quite pleasant

Eris: Oh? So apple juice is present in your homeland?

Rakurai: …Something of the sort

The redhead is a bit puzzled by my response but leaves it be

Apples are some of my favorite foods, right behind the burgers my father Shinjuro makes. Apple juice by extension is my preferred drink. I consumed it often back on Earth, but being in Inazuma for over 4 years meant that I couldn’t get some. To find such a thing in Sumeru was a refreshing sight. Not the juice itself. As soon as I saw apples I thought of apple juice and juiced a batch to make some, tasting apple juice for the first time in years

Now I usually carry around a few bottles at all times

Eris sighs and looks back to Rex’s hut on Azurda

Eris: You think you’ll tell him one day Rakurai? About your real name?

Rakurai: Mm… perhaps. He’s a good person but lacks experience in most things outside of salvaging

Eris: Well, your call I guess. It’s a good thing that your reputation as Akaza, as demigod-ish as it is, doesn’t extend much beyond Inazuma

Rakurai: Mm, for once the Sakoku Decree serves a useful purpose

Eris: Ahahaha! You’re hilarious

I shrug at Eris. I never understand why people think I’m funny… Maybe I’m just one of those people who’s just an accidental comedian at times

Rakurai: So how’s freedom for you?

Eris: It is awesome. All of Alrest at my fingertips, to explore, discover… meet new people and cultures. It’s really broadened my horizons even if we’ve done it for only 2 years. Yeah, I… miss home but… it’s for my folks’ own good. With any luck, I’ll have forced their hand by the time we return, whenever that is…

I nod in agreement. Ironically, despite Eris and I having visited all the nations of Alrest at least once at this point, Inazuma was the one place we hadn’t visited, not since we left

The Sakoku Decree means that we have essentially locked ourselves out. Going back would result in 1 of 2 things. If we did so in disguise, we’d have to pay that absurd entry fee and go through bureaucracy worse than the United States adoption system. I could pay the fee technically but Eris and I need all that money. And Eris has spent a large portion of the fortune she “borrowed” from her parents when she left in the night with me

If we went back undisguised, things would be messy. I’ve essentially committed the crime of dissertation and I don’t have much of an idea of how much Ei/The Shogun will forgive me. Eris would likely receive a heavy punishment, and while I don’t know her parents all too well, I know it won’t be a merciful punishment

In essence, it’s too risky to return to Inazuma at this time. The Shogunate may send people after us, but it’s unlikely. The Shogun will most likely keep people from leaving to preserve “Eternity”. However, I wouldn’t put it past Eris’s parents to hire someone outside of Inazuma to bring her back. But that’s kind of difficult when we’re on the move a lot. So we’ve experienced little problems in regard to our life of “freedom”

Eris: Kazuha’s lucky. This is a pretty neat life. Of course, I can’t compete with his experience as a wanderer, hehehe

Eris then trails off and her face shifts to one of some sadness, sighing

Eris: Do you… think he’s okay?

I consider Eris’s question. Neither of us had seen a lick of Kazuha since Katsu’s Duel Before the Throne. That expression of anguish was the last thing I saw from him. The Anemo Bearer may hold a grudge against me most likely due to my role in Katsu’s defeat. I doubt he would have understood my intentions for Katsu and may just see me as another enforcer of the Vision Hunt Decree, albeit a very legendary one

I never worry about people’s grudges. My actions are my choices, I lead life according to my values and morals, and anyone offended is just collateral damage. Yet as Eris’s friend, some degree of concern is there for Kazuha over whether or not he holds a grudge against me, this would make her life more difficult

Rakurai: Perhaps. He appears more cautious than Katsu was, perhaps that will keep him out of trouble. If he’s smart, he’ll have fled Inazuma as well to seek refuge elsewhere

Eris: I hope so

Rex: Hey guys!

Eris is a bit spooked by Rex’s sudden appearance whereas I am hardly bothered, having detected his presence beforehand

Eris: Hi there Rex. What’s up?

Rex: What are you guys doing?

Eris: Just chilling on the boat on the way to Argentum

Rex: That’s cool

It’s easy enough to tell that there is something on Rex’s mind. He’s looking around repeatedly and occasionally glances at Eris, appearing as if he’s thinking about saying something

Rakurai: Nani ka iitai koto wa arimasu ka Rex?

Rex: Uhhh…

Eris: “You have something to say”?

Rex: Oh! I uhh…

The teenage salvager sits between the 2 of us and looks at Eris
Rex: Yeah I uhh… I don’t know if it’s just me but why do you seem to be calm one moment and like… upbeat and peppy the next?

The Electro Bearer giggles in response

Eris: It’s not just you

Rex: Really?

Eris: Let’s see… how to explain this…

All of a sudden though, Eris’s slit pupils widen into sideways isosceles triangles. Rex doesn’t notice but several of her muscles loosen and straighten out on her body and her posture is adjusted

Eris: Just in time for an apt demonstration then

Rex: *Flinches* Woah! Your voice just got cooled, like all the other times

Eris: My apologies, these kinds of happenstances occur at random intervals

Rex: Hey wait, your eyes just changed too! Weren’t they a bit like a cat’s?

Eris: A signal to indicate the change. Allow me to explain. I have Dissociative Identity Disorder

Rex: Dissect Identity what?

Eris: You can dub it DID for short. In short, I have 2 minds in 1 body

Rex: Eh!? How’s that possible?

Eris: It’s quite strange really. The reason you see such drastic changes in my disposition is that you are essentially witnessing either 1 of my 2 personalities

The redhead indicates her pupils

Eris: You can typically tell which one I am under by looking at my pupils. As of now, they are sideways isosceles, this indicates I am in what I like to call, my “regal” personality. I’m generally much calmer, more sophisticated, and more graceful in this personality

Rex: Yeah, that fits

Eris: The other, which was present a moment ago, is my “peppy” personality. Cheerful, upbeat, and energetic. She has slit pupils similar to a feline organism’s

Rex is awed by what he’s learning about Eris, looking her up and down in curiosity

Eris: However, for people who know me well enough, such as Akaza, my choice of words can also clue one in as to what personality is dominating the body

Rex: Let me guess, fancy words equals regal?

Eris: Ehehehe, cliche I know, but yes

I sit in silence and allow Erisunato to explain her DID

Even at first meeting, I recognized something odd about Eris. It only took the next 2 encounters for me to discern Eris to have something of a split personality, much to her surprise

In Inazuma, and Alrest in general, her condition is referred to as Split Soul, which is understandable. However, coming from a much more advanced world, such a term is inaccurate and I made this clear to Eris. Obviously, I haven’t told her or anyone about my extra universal origins, and continue to use the “from a distant land” card when explaining my origins to anyone who figures out I’m not a native Inazuman

Rex: …So it’s like, you have 2 different people in one body?

Eris: I would not refer to it like that. But I am certainly much more complicated than the average person. Both selves are still “Erisunato Noriko” in their essence. We share commonalities. Both of us enjoy exercising our swords in battle, have the same goals in life, and the same views concerning marriage and romance

Rex: Woah… that’s weird, but kind of cool actually

Eris: Thank you. It does occasionally have its downsides, as it is classified as a mental illness. What’s your favorite part about salvaging?

Rex: Uh, that’s off-topic

Eris pauses for a microsecond as she realizes this

Eris: Ah yes, speaking of, one downside is I have disorganized thought patterns. On occasion, I can blurt out completely unrelated comments or questions due to my erratic internal state. I do my best to curb it and improvise

Rex: Oh, that makes sense

Eris: Another thing is that I sometimes have bouts of depression or mood swings. Thankfully, they are quite minor in that they only last for minutes or a single hour at a time. Most of the time, when switching between personalities, I have a tiny instance of localized amnesia. This means that I can forget what I was just doing, anywhere from a few seconds, to half an hour

Rex: Wow, that must suck

Eris: It’s quite alright. It is actually quite simple and easy to jumpstart my memory, just a bit of a reminder. My self-switch just now is a bit of an exception; on occasion, no memory loss occurs

Rex: That doesn’t sound too bad

Eris: Correct. In truth, DID is generally worse for others. Mine is very mild in comparison, even if it’s a very rare mental health condition

Rex: *Nods* Thanks for explaining. Why did you never tell me?

Eris: I prefer to not draw attention to myself. I never tell anyone at first, but if they have their suspicions and press the question to myself directly then I shall not lie about it. I sincerely mean no offense to you Rex

Rex: Nah, that’s fine, I get it. That just makes you cooler Eris *smiles*

The Electro Bearer smiles in return to Rex

Eris: Thank you Rex

Rex looks to me next

Rex: You knew about this Akaza?

Rakurai: *Nods* Tadashi. I quickly discovered her condition. I do not mind Eris’s unique self. She is a person regardless and I treat her as a regular individual, with some adjustments that are necessary

Rex: That’s really nice

Eris adjusts her sitting position and crosses her legs, lowering her head to rest on her palm

Eris: Any other questions?

Rex: So you can’t control which erm… personality comes out?

Eris: No, it’s random. There is no set pattern between when they appear. The only kind of consistency is that I spend an equal time being “regal” and “peppy” in a day, regardless of how long each interval lasts or how many switches there are. At the end of the day, the amount of time my personalities get is the same

Rex: Okay, so… if you switch personalities… You want me to remind you?

Eris: If no one else qualified is around, yes. A simple summation will do

Rex: Got it. You can count on me Eris!

She chuckles in response to Rex

Eris: Your dedication is noted

Rex peers at the Cloud Sea for several seconds and looks to Azurda’s head a fair distance away

Rex: *Raises voice* Say, are we there yet Gramps?

Azurda: Almost there, just several miles to go

Rex: Oh come on, speed up! I need to get this mora to Corinne

Azurda: Don’t rush an old man Rex!

***

Argentum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLR9BJit7pE

The streets of a town market are bustling, people are going around looking for wares and food, and vendors are calling customers and discussing their products. Lights are all around to illuminate the area and banners decorate the market, hanging from the ceiling. The Argentum Trade Guild is a mercantile organization run by high-profile merchants. Goldmouth, the Titan carrying the settlement, is a massive balloon and puffy-looking fish, with hooks and wires attached to it which suspend a large red ship with ski tracks on the bottom. Smaller versions of the Argentum titans like Goldmouth hover around the ship. The guild has a dock for other ships and titans to park and enter the settlement, called the Goldmouth Return Port

As me, Eris, and Rex disembark from Azurda and our ship, a man approaches the 3 of us

A man approaches Rex and Akaza, the former talking to Azurda about something when he interrupts. His name is Hirkham and he operates the dock’s entrance

Hirkham: Why, if it isn’t Rex! How’s business? 

Rex: Goin all right, else I wouldn’t be here

Hirkham: Fair Point. So, which one am I unloading? 

Rex: We can leave that until I’m finished negotiating. Shouldn't be too long

Hirkham: Well mooring is 30 mora per half day. Oh! 

Hirkham’s surprised when he notices me and Eris standing not far from Rex

Hirkham: Akaza! Eris! Good afternoon, I didn’t notice you there. I’ve never seen you with Rex at Argentum, h-how are you?

I just stare down the man in silence. He raises his hands in defense and backs off nervously

Eris: Don’t worry, he is well. Akaza is not a very sociable soul

Rex: I’ll have your mora after I sell the stuff, alright? Later!

Rex takes advantage of Hirkham’s attention being elsewhere and just runs past the dock worker. Having been distracted by me, the man turns around quickly in surprise

Hirkham: Hey, hold on! You know I can’t do credit! *Sighs* He does it every time too…

Eris: Ehehehe! What a spritely young boy

He turns to find Rakurai gone, much to his surprise. Hirkham looks around, puzzled, but only Eris and Azurda remain

Hirkham: W-What the heck…? He was just-

He then sees Rakurai several dozen meters ahead, going after Rex

Hirkham: A-Aww… 

The dock worker looks at Eris

Hirkham: You uhh… have some mora to pay the fee?

Eris: Apologies, Akaza has all of my mora

Eris chortles to herself and sprints off after Rakurai and Rex, shifting into an Electro sprite (shaped like an or with wings) to increase speed. Hirkham then peers at Azurda hopefully

Azurda: No wallet, I’m afraid

He rubs his head, giving up at this point

Hirkham: Archons darn it… Figures

***

Back with Rex, me and Eris, the former stops when he spots something that catches his attention, allowing me to fully catch up when he views a large vessel on the dock. It has a black outer layer, with golden accents and a command deck at the top. It appears well-built and sophisticated. Rex marvels at the fine exterior

Rex: Awesome… This thing’s huge, and it’s not even a titan ship

Whoever owns that much either be extremely skilled with construction or is rich enough to afford someone who is 

Rakurai: Let’s go Rex

Rex: Wah! Akaza? When did you get here?

Rakurai: Been here, it’s not that hard to catch up to you

Eris switches back to her original body with a small burst of Electro. No longer being in Inazuma, Eris didn’t have to worry about keeping her Vision on the down-low

Eris: And I can just sprite on over here

Rex: You really need to stop sneaking up on people. R-Right’o, let’s head off…  

We go to the entrance of the guild’s ship and meet a man wearing something similar to Rex’s own salvager diving outfit, except with brown and copper colors

Rex: Hey there Sachair

Sachair: Rex, m’boy! Hello there too stranger… friends of Rex’s I’m assuming?

Rex: Yes

Sachair points to a fluffy and short-looking creature behind him with tan fur

Sachair: This Nopon here’s just arrived to do a bit of sightseeing around Argentum. I keep saying the Central Exchange is inside Goldmouth, just after you enter the ship, but he just doesn’t get it. And now he wants me to take him to Lemour Inn on the third floor! I’m A salvager, not a tour guide

Rakurai: Mm

Rex: Oh dear

The Nopon addresses Sachair again, who groans and tries explaining again

Rex: Well, hope you sort that out Sachair

Sachair: Thanks, I’ll need that

The 3 of us head to their destination inside the marketplace, the Argentum Bazaar. Central Exchange, the place Sachair mentioned, is actually their destination. Nopons like the one talking to Sachair can be seen going about, some are vendors as well. One of them preaches about his product on top of a stack of crates to some armored soldiers. I raise an eyebrow at the Nopon and Eris shows some bit of concern, but we keep going

Upon arriving at the desk of the Central Exchange, manned by a female Nopon named Melolo, Rex gets right to work. He brings a sheet of paper detailing all of his salvageable items and negotiates for a price. Melolo brings up an offer and Rex is surprised

Rex: What? That’s it!? 

Melolo: It’s life meh! This still more than I give to non-friend!

I roll my eyes at the ridiculous grammar

Eris: *Ah, of course, Rakurai is a semantics fellow, bad grammar just ticks him off a tad. Hehe, amusing*

Melolo: If you bring military supplies, then you get good price!

Eris immedietly frowns at this and I can’t say it’s unwarranted

We look to the earlier Nopon on crates, where soldiers clad in dark armor, helmets, and protective masks gather around to take a look at the weapons and supplies

Melolo: Ceasefire between Mor Ardain and Uraya not keep for too much longer, methinks. So weaponry is hot item! Natlan getting antsy too! Conflict over unclaimed land close to Ardainian territory that Natlanics want

Eris and I exchange displeased glances at the sight. I mentally note it down

Melolo: Well? What friend think? I make it worth your while! 

Rex: I told you before, I stay away from that sort of thing

Rex says so with an element of resolve to his voice. I nod in approval and Eris smiles

Melolo: Oh is shame! Rex good salvager, could be good way to earn pretty penny. Waste of talent if you ask me

Rakurai: *Not all of us are trying to perpetuate conflict and sell items of killing and destruction, the less these kinds of things are sold, the better* 

Eris: *I’m a martial artist, not a killer*

Melolo: Anyhoo! Where were we?

Rex casts a face of slight disappointment but relents 

Rex: *I’ll just have to make do with what I got

Rex: I’ll take your offer. 400 now, and you know what to do with the rest

Melolo: Okee doodles! Sending monies to Corinne of Fonsett Village. Is right? 

Rex: Yeah

Melolo: Is beautiful thing! Sending money home at such young age. I touched! Wish my own dum dum littlepon did same

Rex: It’s cos Gramps doesn’t charge rent, hehe. All right, I’m countin on ya Melolo! 

Melolo: Roger! Pleasure doing business!

Having finished business, we depart from CE and move elsewhere

Small Hard Worker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZUfomaq2Gk

Rex: Suppose it’s not her fault that I only got 400 mora. Seriously though, you gave me a little more than 5 times that much money! I guess you were right

Rakurai: Mm-hm

Rex: Hey wait! Did you know this was going to happen?

He glances suspiciously at me, but I give no indication of an answer

Eris: *Smiles* Akaza works in mysterious~ ways

Rex: Pft

Eris: I should get back to the ship

Rex: Eh?

Eris: I am afraid I will have to leave. I came all the way here with Akaza to visit you Rex. But I took a job in Mondstadt quite a while ago. The Knights of Favonius are short on manpower

Rex has an expression of sadness at this news

Rex: R-Really? Oh… Are you sure you can’t stay?

Eris: Do not worry Rex. It shouldn’t take long, with any luck, I’ll have this solved quickly

Rex: I guess so… Hey wait Akaza, what about your ship? What are you going to do since Eris has it?

Rakurai: *Shrugs* It’s fine, I’ll just encroach on Azurda

Eris: Ahahaha! You’re hilarious Akaza

Rex: Uhh…

Rakurai: It’s a joke

Rex: Oh!

I roll my eyes at Rex

Eris: Enough dillydallying, I should be making haste. But before that…

I’m slightly caught off guard when Eris turns around and hugs me tightly. This makes me frown a bit as a result

Eris: Oh don’t be a grouch Rakurai

Rakurai: You know very well I don’t enjoy physical contact

Eris: But we are adventuring companions! Do we not have such a bond worthy of an expression of physical affection?

Rakurai: *Sighs* Fine… you present a valid point. Just for you, I suppose

Eris: Excellent

The Electro Bearer hugs me for a while longer and then separates, grinning at me

Eris: Now I can depart. Farewell Akaza and Rex

Rex: Bye~ Eris!

The brown-haired salvager waves his arm at Eris and she goes Electro sprite mode again and speeds off back to the ship. Rex then lowers his arm again and sighs

Rex: Man, really wish she coulda stayed. Duty calls I guess

Rakurai: *Nods* Let us proceed

Rex: Yeah, maybe Argentum’s got some nifty stuff this time around to spend a bit of money on

…

As Eris’s elemental signature leaves the area, something starts to stir in me, an unpleasant sensation of foreboding…

***

We didn’t really get to shop for anything. It didn’t take long as we walked around to see if anything caught Rex’s fancy before another Nopon approaches us, flanked by 2 bald men in suits, which is just ironic considering his size

“Hello Rex!”

Rex: Pupupin! Been a while!

Pupunin: Rex looking high spirits!

Pupunin wears a bronze helmet with a canister and a brown suit with a belt tailored for Nopon

Pupunin: Ah, no, how say… yes, peppy!

Rex: It’s pretty alright. So, you got something for me? New job maybe?

Pupunin: Something like that… who this fella here? He tall

Pupunin looks all the way up to my 7-feet-plus high figure with a small gulp, clearly intimidated by me

Rex: Oh him? This is just Akaza, a friend of mine

Pupunin: Akaza… He look very mysterious. He not dangerous is he?

Rex: Ah~ he’s harmless! …I think anyways

I raise an eyebrow at Rex’s comment but am content to let things play out. The guards look nervously amongst themselves, having the same level of being intimidated as Pupunin

Pupunin: Hmm… ah! By the way… Rex come from Fonsett Village in Leftherian Archipelago, yes? 

Rex: Yeah, that’s right, why do you ask? 

Pupunin: You should go straight to boardroom of Chairman

The salvager boy is surprised

Rex: Wait, what’s going on? 

Pupunin: Chairman Bana ask for Rex by name

Rex: The Chairman? For me? 

Rakurai: Mm

This has me raise an eyebrow yet again. What does that greedy green fat Nopon want with Rex?

Rex: Alright then, let’s get going then

Rakurai: Shinken ni?

Pupunin: Good luck!

Rex: Thanks Pupunin!

Rex waves bye to the Nopon

Rakurai: You just went along with it?

Rex: Yeah, why not? Sounds pretty interesting

I sigh. Bana is a shady character, if he wants someone like Rex, then he must have some rather strange reasons

But of course, here comes Rex, just happily going along with it

Rakurai: Might as well see what he wants with you

The 2 of us have a change of plans and turn to take the path to the Chairman of Argentum’s office

Rex: I wonder what Chairman Bana wants with me? Must be important, maybe I could get a lot of money for this

Rakurai: We’ll see

Crimson Witch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLk3O-3fwFQ

We head up the stairs to a wooden platform. Before we ascend to another level of stairs though, Rex accidentally bumps into a tall woman on his way up, he staggers back slightly, catches himself, and looks at the woman

Rex: Ah! Sorry miss, terribly sorry

“Watch where you’re walking child, I have a heavy dislike for clumsy children”

The woman glowers down at Rex. 2 furry cloaked and masked soldiers stand at her side, as well as a purple-looking female mage with bat ears and a purple lantern. They all have a distinct insignia on their clothing, the purple looking mage is female while the 2 soldiers are male

She has pale skin, platinum-blonde hair, and light grey eyes. Some of her hair is tied into two rose-shaped buns at the back of her head. She wears a black earring on her left ear and a strange black mask that covers her right eye. The woman wears an elaborate and expensive-looking white and black dress and a red and brown fur robe. Some ornamental rose designs can be seen on her outfit, which exposes a large portion of her skin. She has a strange white object with a spiraling center floating behind her right shoulder

Rex: It won’t happen again, sorry for bumping into you

Tall Woman: Tsk… 

The blonde rosebud woman looks up at me and chuckles to herself with that all-too-familiar snide countenance

Tall Woman: Ah… if it isn’t Akaza… what are you with this small child for?

Rakurai: I don’t see why I should have to explain myself to you Signora

She scoffs at me in response

La Signora

The Fair Lady

8th of the 13 Fatui Harbingers

Signora: Is that so?

Rakurai: Merely business with Chairman Bana if you must know. Now bug off

Signora: You should watch your tone Akaza. You know who you are speaking to, correct?

Rakurai: A Harbinger’s rank is irrelevant to me

Signora: *Glares at Akaza* It will be when I ice you solid for your audacity

Signora leans a bit closer to me, although it was a bit awkward considering I’m taller than her. Despite her snideness, I can detect a tiny bit of frustration on Signora’s part due to the height difference, likely because she’s lost a bit of her own intimidation factor

Not like I’d ever be scared of the 8th Harbinger

Rakurai: Try not to make a fuss about being bumped into, it happens, you have plenty of time to iron out any microscopic wrinkles on your clothing that mean absolutely nothing and would most definitely be a waste of your “valuable time”

Despite clearly being snide, I have no smile or anything indicating as such on my face. Signora shoots a scornful look my way

Signora: Watch your spunk, Akaza, it could get you in trouble one day… as for you…

She looks at Rex again next, who gulps and smiles nervously. Signora’s smile itself has a condescendingly smug element

Signora: Let’s be sure not to have any more “accidents” again shall we? Now if you’ll excuse me, I have important affairs to attend to. I’ve wasted enough time

Rakurai: You and me both

Signora shoots an icicle at me as she passes by, but I just tilt my head slightly to the side and casually avoid it as it thuds into the side of the wooden wall, frosting a small area around it. The blonde-haired and grey-eyed lady flicks her coat and walks off with her Fatui attendants

Rex shivers, whether from Signora’s attitude or ice

Rex: Yikes… I’m not goin' to lie Akaza, she’s hella scary

“Bonk!”

Rex: Ow!

Rakurai: Language

Rex: S-Sorry… W-Who was that anyways?

Rakurai: Pah. First off, you don’t need to say sorry so much to a person like her, she’s arrogant, and makes far too much of a big deal out of things like this. One sorry is enough, after that, for people like her, it’s best to remain silent

Rex: You just basically picked at her didn’t you though?

Rakurai: I’m experienced in dealing with individuals like her, you’re too nice, I can handle her insufferable attitude fine enough. Now… to answer your question, she is La Signora, a high-ranking officer of great power in the Fatui

Rex: The Fatui? What’s that?

Rakurai: A… “diplomatic” group from the nation of Snezhnaya. They’ve spread all over Alrest. Signora’s one of their elites

Rex: Oh… that… kinda makes sense. What’s with the quotations?

Rakurai: Complicated, I wouldn’t say they’re 100% diplomats as they claim, you’d know if you’ve dealt with them

Rex: Sounds fair. Hope I don’t run into her again

Rakurai: Thankfully you won’t have to. Do me a favor and don’t get involved with them, they’re not scrupulous individuals and can’t be trusted

Rex: What do you mean?

Rakurai: Perhaps another time, that’s the main point you need to know. Let’s go see Chairman Bana

Rex: Okay, have it your way

The young man is still shaken up by Signora, something about her just seemed… off, disturbing even, he’d be lying if he didn’t say she scared the crap out of him. It was fortunate he had Rakurai with him, who knows how that would have gone for him

Chapter Text

After climbing some stairs and navigating the platforms, the 2 of us ascend to and enter Chairman Bana’s board room

The chairman is an abnormally large Nopon (obese might I add) with purple body hair and sea-green skin. His hair is tied up with a black and gold clasp, wears a poncho-like outfit and has a monocle on his right eye. Lots of books are stacked on his desks, and there’s a paper, pen, and ink on it as well. Behind him are groups of chests tied up with rope

Bana: Thank you for accepting summons! I Bana, Chairman of Argentum Trade Guild!

Bana’s Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8mtdP2bn1c

Scattered around the room are some scantily clad women in various places, female attendants of the chairmen
Such a sight is so cringeworthy I do an eye roll almost out of habit. It’s just enough to give someone a glimpse of what kind of character Bana is. As for myself, I have prior experience with Bana so…
Suffice it to say I don’t need half-naked women lolling around to know that Bana is… unpleasant to my standards. I glance at each of them very briefly to note their presence but quickly focus my attention back on the large Nopon
Someone mind putting some modest clothing on them? Ugh. Poor Rex. Those cannot be warm, comfortable, or practical
Bana looks at me in confusion, as he’s no doubt used to seeing me without an obscuring cloak, and he most likely doesn’t even recognize me at all. Rex catches onto this right away and introduces me

Rex: P-Pleased to make your acquaintance… don’t mind him Chairman, he’s just a friend of mine to help, Akaza
Again, the big green Nopon looks at me with curiosity

Bana: Bana did not know this. Bana have never seen him before

As I thought, he does indeed not recognize me, no matter, this is an opportunity perhaps

Bana: However, this useful. Me suppose he can accept this. *Clears throat* Anyway! Me hear from Pupunin that friend is salvager of some re~nown. That being case, I have teensy weensy thing to ask of Rex, and since your friend here present, may as well include him, friend Akaza
The chairman speaks in a distinct dialect, rolling his tongue with a couple of his words

Rex: *Wide eyes* A request straight from the Chairman?!
Rakurai: Seems about right

Bana: Reward is… 200,00 mora

Rex gasps, but I just make a brief hum of acknowledgment of this sum

I’ve seen larger paychecks… Nonetheless, this is very interesting

Rex: T-Two hundred thousand!?

Rex: *Titan’s foot that’s gargantuan! And here I was thinking the among Akaza gave me was big, this is so~ much bigger than that!*

Bana: Friend hear right! Actually, that just advance. Another 200,00 provided upon completing the job
I raise an eyebrow as Rex appears to almost mentally fall over. Now this is something that caused some surprise from me. The previous sum, for someone like Rex, is already quite large, and much could be done with it, however, to have that just be half of the total reward is…
I believe the point is self-explanatory

Rex: *Y-You’ve got to be k-kidding me…*

Rex: 400,000 thousand mora in total…? I-I must be dreaming…

Bana: Hm? Friend does not look surprised?

Bana must have noticed my lack of a very expressive reaction because now both him and Rex are gazing at me. The boy salvager looking almost as surprised at my nonchalance

Rex: W-Who? Eh?! Akaza! It’s 400,00 thousand mora! You look like you haven’t batted an eye! That’s huge!

Rakurai: Mm, it’s nothing to particularly respect

Rex: Wha- seriously!? Just what kind of money is a big deal to you?

Rakurai: Kuwashiku wa setsumei shimasen. But… for you, this kind of job could be a good opportunity, I can sympathize with that

Rex: *Frowns* Can you speak Common Alrestian please?

Rakurai: I’m not going to elaborate

Rex: You’re just… something else

Bana is… interesting for his archetype, that of the greedy businessman, or business “nopon” if you want to word it that way. While prior experience and observation states that he is doubtless mora obsessed, for as greedy and financially obsessed as he is, Bana actually has little problem from what it appears, spending large sums of money on other people. This stands as a dichotomy when you consider that people like Bana would want to have as much money at any given time as possible and hold onto their finances
Perhaps it is because Bana is rather forward-looking, and doesn’t take issue with spending large amounts if he knows or predicts it is likely to make a good return investment. In such a case, I would agree with him on such a matter: “why worry if I’m just going to make it back”? Annoying and questionable as he is, Bana is rather smart

Rex turns back to Chairman Bana and confidently speaks to the Nopon, clasping his hands

Rex: I’ll do it! I hereby swear to use every skill I possess to ensure this job is successful. I promise I won’t let you down! Hahaha!

Rakurai: But Rex, you are forgetting something… though
*Rex laughs a bit hysterically, wondering if he heard the pay or something else wrong and Bana stands puzzled. I sigh as evidently Rex doesn’t get it*

Rakurai: *Narrows eyes* Rex…

Rex: What?

Bana: You agree without even hearing details of job?

Rex: *Ah shoot! That’s what he meant!*

The boy looks up at me with an awkward smile. In response, I deadpan the salvager, my expression clearly saying “What did I tell you?”

Rex: O-Oh, right… Um… what kind of job is it?

As good as an opportunity like this could be with such a reward… No matter how much money it is, no job is always worth the amount offered. Before Rex throws himself into profit, I would like to know what kind of important job this is as to merit 400,000 total mora
Rex can be a bit mora focused, but at least he does it for a wholesome cause, supporting his foster family and friends in Fonsett Village as much as possible. Rex only clamors for mora because he wants them to be well-off
Yet one should still watch themselves

Bana: …You really have skills for this?

The chairman’s tone indicates he shows some doubt toward Rex’s skill, probably not helped much by Rex’s earlier blunder of jumping right in

Rex: Of course, I’ll be fine

Bana: Meh, if you say. Here, crew will explain task
He looks to the left and calls to one of his female attendants

Bana: Bring them in!

Attendant: *Nods* Sir

She then walks through the double doors and it’s a fair waiting period before she returns, presumably with the “crew” in question

Misgivings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1kYlCV_sXI&list=PLIpqsKgkQEvMUFbngp-GbW1JwDGXnxcm9&index=98

Upon doing so, Rex and I are greeted by the arrival of 4 very interesting-looking characters. 2 of them are regular human people, while the other 2 are non-human entities, Blades

Rakurai: Mm…

The female though, as is made apparent by the ears on the top of her head, is a member of a sub-race of humans called the Gormotti, people from the country of the Gormott Province with feline features, though no tail
A 5th individual comes in after them, wearing a mask obscuring his face, his mouth and eyes still show however. I silently note down each arrival, take the details of their appearance into account, and any kind of presence and aura they give off. Rex is awed by the group, and judging by his overall expression, I’d say this is his first time witnessing such a thing

Rex: Drivers…? And… Blades? Whoa, they look so cool…!

Rakurai: Have you never seen a Driver and their companion before?

Rex: W-Well… no, but I’ve heard lots of neat tales and stories!

Rakurai: Mm…

The 1st driver is a well-built man with fair skin, short jagged black hair, and grey eyes. He wears black plate armor with staggered plate pauldrons. His blade is a humanoid with four limbs, a tail, and an elongated head with tiny eyes and a fish-like mouth full of teeth. He is blackish-blue with gold-edged armor, large black claws, and a pentagonal teal-green Core Crystal in the center of his chest with the Anemo symbol
The 2nd doesn’t appear to have any blade with him at the moment, or perhaps somewhere else. He is a tall, well-built man with shoulder-length white hair, fair skin, and blue eyes seen from under his horn-faced mask. He wears white and silver armor
The 3rd and final person is female, she’s a young Gormotti girl with neck-length silver hair styled into a bob cut with matching feline ears on top of her head. She has amber eyes, three white stripe tattoos on her face, and elongated canine teeth. She is quite short and has a petite frame. She wears a feline-hooded yellow one-piece jumpsuit with gold-trimmed white armor plates around her chest and upper arms and a brown utility belt around her hips with three daggers. She wears red and white heeled boots which come up at the top into large decorated white and black cones, which extend past her knees around the front and around her calves from the back. She has 2 glowing ornamental rings at her left hip, which Rakurai notes appear to be weapons by their design
The white tiger Blade at her side is a large, thick-furred white tiger with blue eyes. He wears various pieces of metal armor on his legs and chest. He carries his twin rings on his shoulders, presumably the weapons used by his Driver and his core crystal is shaped like a claw
Again, I take note of their individual auras. There’s something… off about them. Not the Blades, those entities have very varied appearances so I'm not surprised by the contrast but the 3 human-like people all have a particular aura that I don’t get from regular people, or even Drivers for that matter.
There’s a strange aura coming from the white armored male and the gormotti, one that makes me wary of them. There’s a kind of energy flow within them similar to what I sense in Blades, that of ether, but for some reason, the “flows”, if that’s even what they are, are uneven, and possess a…
How to describe it… the auras have something I can only best describe within my capacity as “stained”, like there’s some kind of unusual blot or corruption. Again, I am uncertain of how exactly to explain to myself what it is
As for the black-armored and tall male, I also can’t quite pin down what his deal is, but I detect a certain aura radiating from him I can only describe as ominous, possibly even malevolent. He carries a distinct energy signature that also makes me wary. I decide keeping an eye on Rex in case anything happens with this group is the best course of action
The tall black haired man speaks first with a mischievous smile on his face

“Who are you supposed to be? I didn’t know there was a shady guy here too”

Rex though appears to be unaffected by the tall man’s presence and smiles enthusiastically

Rex: Not to worry! Just a friend, he’s helpin’ me

The tiger-like companion next to the gormotti has his curiosity piqued by Rex and me

“Helping? Mm, I see, I suppose it would be good company to have another person to assist us”

The Gormotti girl adds her bit

“I don’t particularly mind. Looks shady though, I agree with Malos”

I glance at the black-haired man. Malos… So that’s his name? I switch my gaze to the Gormotti female for but a moment when she makes her comment, but says nothing in response to her

The white-haired man talks next, notably with a dignified element to his voice

Masked Man: There’s something we want to haul up in the Cloud Sea’s depths. There were some current shifts in the clouds that revealed something peculiar in an uncharted area. But it’s a long way down. However, we have an interest in what lies at the bottom and we’re seeking specific talent

Rakurai: A mass has surfaced in the Cloud Sea then? Do you have an interest in exploring whatever it is or… a specific thing located there

Masked Man: You’ll see when we get there

Rakurai: *Raises eyebrow* Any reason why you can’t just tell us now? Surely the company you hire should know enough about the situation to operate effectively, sō omoimasen ka?

He says nothing in response to answer my question and just stares at me.
Hmph, usually that is my job

I notice Rex looking between me and the masked man

Rex: *I mean, yeah, that masked guy is scary and intimidating for me but… Somehow Rakurai always makes even guys like him look small with that massive stature of his!*

Masked Man: Patience, this is a very secretive mission. I would be best if too much isn’t revealed

I close my eyes and breathe a small and unhearable sigh, then allow my eyes access to visual stimuli once again
Rakurai: Ileum wa arimasu ka? Sukunakutomo anata no namae o shitte itadakereba doum-i doeneun

Jin: My name is Jin

Got him… He fell for it
Mixed in with my Japanese/Inazuman, was Ileum, the Korean word for “name”, and doum-i doeneun, the lengthy Korean word for “helpful” or as I’ve learned, an Alrestian language of Old Torna, one of several they used. I know Korean due to Korea’s proximity to Japan, my homeland. I also know many other languages and can speak them fluently. No doubt Jin hasn’t even realized what exactly I was trying to do. The mind can often miss bits of information mixed in with something more abundant or prevalent. In addition, to ensure that the first word wasn’t a fluke (as someone could easily enough infer what the word meant based on context), I added a 2nd Korean word. It would already be interesting if Jin did know Inazuman (which he does), but the fact that he also knows Tornan only serves to further raise my suspicions. Perhaps it was a coincidence on both, but I’m going to swing the opposite regardless
If he knows Tornan, then something is definitely up with him…

Rex: *I mean I recognized a few of those words, but I have no idea what Akaza said. I guess he must have asked his name. Does that mean Jin knows Inazuman too?*

Rakurai: Jin it is. So be it then… I have no choice but to wait if you intend to be cryptic, annoying as that is

Rex: Well, regardless, I like a good challenge!

Malos: *The boy seems innocent and willing enough. But the guy next to him… There’s something off about him. He’s going to be someone to watch for, I think. He might be trouble if something happens*

I notice Malos giving me a look over in my peripheral, and I turn my head to gaze at him back, narrowing my eyes at him to send a nonverbal signal before moving my head away. I have no intention of Malos getting the idea that I’m going along with whatever he and his friends want. Bana addresses Rex

Bana: Bana offered to assemble team of veterans for this job. But this crew very picky. They want small elite team, and only from Leftheria. That when Bana had stroke of genius! Should hire Rex!

Rex: *Oh wow, wonder why they wanted someone from Leftheria? This is cool though! A great opportunity!*
Why do these people want someone from Leftheria specifically? It would make sense if the mission was at Leftheria, and they needed someone who knew the archipelago, that makes sense. However, Jin explicitly states that it’s in a supposedly uncharted region, so as of yet, the reasons for wanting a Leftherian are not known to me

Rex laughs confidently in response to Bana’s comment, obviously feeling good about the slight stroke of his ego.

Rex: Hah-ha! You made the right choice!
The Gormotti Driver starts laughing, bending over a bit before catching her breath as she seems to have found this quite amusing

Rakurai: What’s so amusing?

Gormotti Girl: A child salvager?

Rakurai: And?

She scoffs at me, and then makes a mocking expression toward Rex, akin to what one might give a child
As I’ve learned through encounters with the Gormotti or visits to their country, they speak a distinct accent that I recognize as Welsh, the accent/language of Wales, one of the provinces in the United Kingdom. In fact, a good chunk of Alrest speak in English dialects, Rex included. Most of these dialects I recognize from the UK region
A strange thing about this world indeed… why does it have accents so similar to those on Earth?

Gormotti Girl: Jin, don’t tell me we’re going to have to hire some babysitters for this outing too

Rex is not pleased with this jab and confronts the girl, pointing at her

Rex: What the hell? You look as much like a kid as I do, lady!

Very much true, I was about to say as much myself. But…

Rakurai: Watch your language Rex…

He turns to me in surprise and rubs his head. As mocking as this girl seems to be, I do not permit profanity

Rex: S-Sorry Akaza sir…

Despite what Rex said to her and my reprimanding of his language, the Gormotti makes no effort to stop

Gormotti Girl: Wow, that was quick, he must have disciplined you like a dog

Rex: Oi! That’s not how it is. I told you, Akaza is my friend. Plus, I respect him a lot. He’s not big on foul language

Nia: At least I wouldn’t wet myself at the promise of a measly two hundred grand!

Rakurai: Mm, she does look rather short eh?
A tick mark shows up on her head

Gormotti Girl: Watch it buster! You’re wishing for a brusin'!

Rakurai: Hmm, cat with a nasty temperament? Usually they declaw those ones

*Lightning bolt through head*

The female Gormotti is stunned into silence for a brief few comments before getting even angrier

Gormotti Girl: *Tick mark* Shut your snuffing mouth!
As yes, fun. Another thing I’ve learned about Alrest during my travels? They have their own profanity. With “snuffing” usually equating to the f-word

Charming…

Rex was still on the comment about him wetting himself though as indicated by his not so pleased countenance

Rex: Wet myself?! What’re you tryin' to say?

He walks to the feline girl, presumably to do something about her mockery, but her Blade intervenes by placing himself in front of Rex, walking towards him. Surprised, Rex walks back, a bit nervous. He speaks in a polite voice to the salvager

Tiger Blade: *Ahem* Rex, wasn’t it? I implore you to excuse my lady’s discourtesy

Rakurai: Hmph, omoshiroi. That’s a rare sight. The pet is better behaved than his own master

Not that I’ve ever truly considered Blades as pets in the slightest, but I believe the joke makes its point
The cat girl shoots me a glare at my straight faced and monotone leveled joke, but says nothing to me. She does however does not like her Blade’s remark to Rex

Gormotti Girl: Dromarch! What have I told you about speaking for me? Shut your-

Malos: Drop it Nia

The Gormotti, whose name is apparently Nia, turns to her interrupter, annoyed. The driver with the black plate armor has a confident smirk on his face. Despite my guard already being raised around him, he at least did something smart by silencing Nia

Malos: Though I do see your point… in any case… It should be easy enough to make sure…

!

Before Rex can blink, the man rushes forward with luminous blue tonfa sword that looks like a sprawling tree branch

Rex: *Wide eyes* What-!?

Such an action did not go unnoticed by me though, as I caught onto the subtle movement Malos telegraphed and intercept him, using a single hand to block his tonfa sword with my own greatsword I summon in an instant
Despite the force behind the swing that I could tell Malos obviously put behind it, the blades don’t move an inch. I flick out my sword and knock Malos off of me. The armored man immediately swings again, a dozen times in rapid succession. I dodge half of the swings and the grey-eyed male charges forward at me with a sharp swing of his tonfa, which I deflect using my greatsword. He doesn’t waste time though and immediately goes on the attack again for another 5 moves. An angled downward swipe, then back in the same direction, a spin slash, a forward side slash, and then an uppercut. All of which I parry or deflect successfully

In the next instant, Malos finds one of my legs slamming down on the back of his neck and crushing him into the ground with raw physical impact, unaided by my powers, with the Driver making a loud grunt in response to the blow. By the time everything relatively settles down, it’s only been 3 seconds. Everyone in the room has some varying degrees of surprise. Rex has a lulled reaction due to the speed of the events that occurred but he and Nia have the same countenance of shock. Bana is very startled by the sudden quick physical exchange. Even Jin, who I could tell is the type of person who remains cool faced in most scenarios, has facial features that indicate he’s taken a back a bit. Rex had brandished his large sword when he sensed danger, but he evidently wasn’t expecting someone to take the hit for him, and the action was no longer necessary

Rakurai’s Ambient Theme- Void of the Shattered: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Km0jEEUttTw

Nia: W-What the-

Bana: Ah!

I scowl down at the male in black armor

Rakurai: What’s the idea with attempted assault of a child

Nia: W-What are you up to Malos!?

I release my foot from Malos’s backside and take 2 long steps backward as Malos growls in irritation. I catch Rex giving me an awed look out of the corner of my eye

Rex: *Holy crap… Malos looked like a super strong Driver… and yet Akaza had him on the floor in only 3 seconds!*
Malos stands up and shoots me an angry look. As I look down at him, I slowly realize what Malos’s objective was, eliciting a small frown from me as a result

Rakurai: Ā... sorededesu ka, you wanted to test him? Well, I can assure you, Rex has enough battle experience, and he’s resourceful, don’t doubt him

Malos: Tch… well, well, well…

Nia: Malos! What good is it! Beating up a kid?

Malos: You said it yourself, didn’t you? What if the kid’s not up to it?

Nia: I said nothing of the sort!

Malos: You did think it though right?

That’s probably accurate

He looks to Jin, but he doesn’t answer. However, whatever facial expression he sees on his face seems to tell Malos enough. Malos then turns to me, his features showing that he’s impressed with my brief performance

Malos: As for him, hehe, he’s good, I’ll give him that. Shouldn’t have to worry about him staying alive. If his word is anything to live by, they’ll both do right enough. Though neither of you look like Drivers…

Rakurai: I do not possess a companion, so no. But I do not need one

Having regained his confidence, Rex addresses Malos

Rex: I can do some Arts too you know. Gramps taught me a thing or two, even when I was little, that was his idea of playtime

Malos allows a small smile to cross his lips in response to Rex’s bold statement

Malos: Well, you’ve got some guts, and you look like maybe you have some skill. I did notice how fast you pulled out your sword when I moved. Probably would have blocked my strike had the big guy not taken it. Kid, you better work hard

Malos puts away his weapon behind his back and walks out of the room, along with his Blade and Jin. I sheathe my sword and it disappears with a flash of light particles as I do so. Nia slumps and utters a small sigh. She looks at Rex briefly and puts on a look of disgruntlement and walks off with her partners. Dromarch extends a courteous bow toward mine and Rex’s direction and they walk off

Rakurai: You can put your sword away now

Rex: Eh? Y-Yeah, right!

The salvager puts his blade behind his back and sheathes the blade while he does it. Bana finally speaks, probably staying silent out of interest for seeing how we’d all interact

Bana: Meh-meh-meh! Friends are such rowdy bunch!
He grabs something behind him and sets a sack on the table with his large ear appendage, accompanied by a small metal “chink” sound. Said sound is enough to tell me it’s Rex’s advance payment

Bana: Here is advance. Use to buy what gear you need, then go to dock on starboard. Bana has arranged excellent vessel for you there

Rex: You got it. Thanks Chairman!

Bana nods to Rex as he takes his advance gold and we proceed to exit the Chairman’s office, back out to the Argentum Bazaar

Rex: Right then… there are plenty of preparations to make, but first off, I should probably check in with Gramps. If I just took off on some random ship without tellin him, I’m sure he’d give me heck when I came back

Rakurai: A good idea

Rex: Pft! “Measly two hundred mora”? That was just advance! It was actually double that! Maybe she’s some kind of rich snot

Rakurai: Perhaps, that or it is in her nature to be snarky
As we head down the stairs, we meet Pupunin once again

Rex: Ah, Pupunin!

Pupunin: Chairman Bana explain everything?

Rex: Yep!

Pupunin: Then will get to work straight away. Can buy good equipment with money from Chairman Bana
Rex: Sounds good, a bit of a shame I can’t keep all of it though

Pupunin: When friend ready, head to Goldmouth Exit Dock. We have outstanding ship ready for commandeering

Rakurai: Pretty certain that’s the wrong word, that’s taking a vessel from someone else Pupunin, I think you mean piloting?

Pupunin: Yes! That’s it! Piloting. And you join job too, Akaza?

Rakurai: Hai

Pupunin looks confused. Rex chuckles in response

Rex: He said yes

Pupunin: Ah! Pupunin understand now. Pupunin wish you both good luck!

Rex: *Nods* Welp, see you Pupunin, have a lovely day

Pupunin: So long friend!

We leave Pupunin and head to the dock to tell Azurda about Rex’s new job

Rex: Hey Akaza, that was some pretty cool stuff you did back there, thanks for saving my skin

Rakurai: Mochirondesu

Rex: In any case, thanks, I appreciate it. Man… seeing those Drivers back there… you’re pretty strong Akaza, do you have a Blade? Are you a Driver? You seem pretty strong. Have I just not met them yet?

Rakurai: No, I don’t have a companion. I said as much back there

Rex: Oh right, I forgot about that… You really don’t have a Blade?

I shake my head

Rex: Why not though? I’d think someone as awesome and strong as you would have a Blade to fight by your side, right?

Rakurai: …This is true. Yet I have my personal reasons for not being a Driver

Rex: Like what?

Rakurai: That’s up to you to find out

Rex: Huh? Oh come on! Don’t go that route!

Part of the reason I gave is true. Yet the other aspect is that I simply don’t know how my relationship as an outworlder to this universe would affect how I would theoretically link up with a Blade. Or could such a thing even happen? I am uncertain of how compatible I am with Alrest’s physical laws
That and I am unsure if I want to burden my partner with my… unique perspective and behavior. I do not care how others perceive me, but there is some natural responsibility involved with how I conduct myself if I were to be a Driver
To be honest, all in all, I am actually not really certain of my reasons for not being a Driver. After all, by now I have seen many Core Crystals and definitely had many opportunities to link with a Blade

Rex: Well… whatever the case, you’re still so strong even without a Blade to help you!

Rakurai: Rigorous training

Rex: Do you wish you could be a Driver? I mean, you could get a lot of power, I’m sure you’d be a great one!

Rakurai: Mm, perhaps… Do I wish I could? I am undecided

Rex: What kind do you think you’d get? A girl? A boy? Or… uh… something else? Maybe someone with some cool elemental abilities or weapons!

Rakurai: All Blades have elemental abilities Rex

Rex: Yeah but I think some are cooler than others, like Pyro! Personally, I think I’d like fire for a weapon
…Somehow that doesn’t surprise me

Rex: Some of them have the wackiest appearances, or so I've heard. What about you? You like any of the elements better than others?

I have a bout of silence, not saying anything for several seconds before I answer

Rakurai: …Itsuka oshiete ageru yo

Rex: Wha~!? Ah come on, why do ya have to be so vague! You do it like, almost all the time!

Rakurai: In my nature

Rex: What’s that supposed to mean!?

Rakurai: Why are we talking about those who are Driver’s companions as if we’re trying to win the lottery anyways?

Rex: I’m not! I’m just curious. There’s a lot of possibilities if you think about it. I just get curious and start imagining those kinds of things. If I had a Blade, imagine how much better I could salvage right? Or maybe I could get a new job! They’d be a huge help to me, whoever they are
Rakurai: You’re not very useful for many things outside delving into the Cloud Sea

Rex: Hey! That’s not true! I can cook!

Rakurai: That’s a basic skill, everyone should know that. I’m talking about hard skills, the kinds you need to have for specific jobs

Rex: Ah whatever!

We exit out onto the dock and find Azurda still waiting, along with Hirkham, who spots them as he waits at the bridge leading to the Titan

Hirkham: Ah, Rex, you’re back!

Rex: Hey there, sorry about that, just had stuff to do. What’s the fee goin to be?

Hirkham: Between the fee for mooring Gramps here and unloading your goods, that’ll be 30mo in total

Hirkham: Ready to pay up now?

Rex: Of course!

He hands Hirkham the 30 mora and the man sighs
Hirkham: Thanks a bunch. I dunno what I’d’ve done if you tried to shirk your bill…

Rex: Ah come on, in the end, you’d know I’d never do that

Rakurai: Shinjitsu

Hirkham: Enjoy your stay on Goldmouth yeah?

Rex: I actually won’t be here for much longer, I recently got some business I now have to take care of

Hirkham: I see, good luck then Rex!

Rex waves to Hirkham and then walks to Gramps. His salvage supplies had all been unloaded by now and transported elsewhere

Azurda: Rex, how was the exchange?

Rex: Somewhat good, only 400 mora

Azurda: See? I told you

Rex: Yeah yeah, whatever Gramps. That’s not the best part though *excited grin*

Azurda: Oh?

Rakurai: Rex has a new job offer, you’ll want to here this one

Azurda: Tell me then, I’m interested to hear

Rex: I’ll have to go soon too. I’ll make it brief

***
The boy explains the events to Gramps, meeting with Chairman Bana, the Drivers and Blades, and the job he was offered at 400,000 total mora
Frosch and Lector: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZDESA2pGuA

Rex: …And that about covers it. All right, I’ll see ya later. Should be back in a day or 2, take it easy Gramps
The Titan is not happy about it though and raises his voice

Azurda: That does not “about cover it” in the slightest!
He staggers in surprise from Gramps’ sudden voice of irritation. I’m hardly surprised by Azurda’s response and just stand there

Azurda: Why would you take a job you know nothing about? You don’t even know who your employer is!

Rex: This came straight from the Chairman remember? What more do you need? Anyway, I’m off, you can take a nap while you wait. Doesn’t that sound nice?

Rex turns around and runs the other direction as Azurda just about processes what he’s doing

Azurda: H-Hey! Come back here, will you!? Rex~!
I watch the boy take off in a fashion I’m not surprised with at all. The Titan gives a long and exasperated sigh

Azurda: Dear me and my old bones… Sir Akaza… I suppose if you’re going with Rex, I do feel a bit more comfortable, I know I can trust you. Keep that boy safe will you? He’ll most likely get into trouble

Rakurai: I’ll accomplish that Azurda, taisho dekimasu. I’ll do my best to ensure his best health possible for his return

Azurda: Thank you. I feel at ease with someone like you friends with Rex

Rakurai: Mm

Azurda: Also, I should tell you that Lady Erisunato left a fair while ago. She told me to give you her regards and she wishes you great luck in your endeavors while she’s off working hard in Mondstadt

Rakurai: I see, very well. Arigato Azurda. I shall be going now

Azurda: Farewell

After turning around and walking away, I send a brief wave of my hand at Azurda and then follow Rex, picking up my speed to a run to easily catch up to him

***
Rex: Now that I’ve got Gramps’ permission, just about… I’d better start making preparations for this mission. A hundred grand to spend… that sure is an exciting prospect! I could buy a whole new cutting-edge salvaging suit

Rakurai: What’s wrong with your current one?

Rex: BAH! Akaza!?

He merely gives a nod as Rex sharply turns around to face him in abrupt surprise

Rex: Stop scaring me! One of these days, you’re going to give me a heart attack!

Rakurai: *Raises eyebrow* Sure, and I’m Emperor of Mor Ardain. You’re being kagekina. We do not have time for this, let’s get a move on

Rex: Yeah, let’s do that. Hey wait a minute, what were you saying about my salvager suit?

Rakurai: Nothing negative, I don’t see a problem with it. I’m positive there are higher quality ones out there, but I don’t see the need to buy a new one when this one works just fine for now, maybe when a problem arises you can’t solve with the current suit… perhaps it would be a good idea

Rex: *Nods* I see. Well, I was just about to say too, I shouldn’t splurge all this at once. The folks back home need this money more than I do

Rakurai: A wise and compassionate choice

Rex: I’ll hold off on making any big purchases, and just head to Shynini’s Accessories. Always best to be prepared for anything! I might end up fighting a crustip like my last salvage

Rakurai: Mm

Again, the 2 of us set off back into the bazaar again to buy everything we need for this mission

***
Argentum Night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JETzyfR_jM0
Rex and I go shopping for any recommended items, equipment, food, etc. We first visit Shynini and her store to pick up something Rex had saved from several visits ago and buy a special protective vest called an Abyssal Vest. Some other products purchased by us include several other items from various stores such as food supplies, some new wire for Rex’s harpoon, and a new harpoon itself, among many other items. When we’re finished, Rex suggests we return to Central Exchange yet again

Rex: Right, now that’s sorted… and I’ve still got lots of cash left to send. I’ll send it back to the folks at Fonsett

Rakurai: You’re a good man Rex

He turns to the taller male in surprise, who’s expression didn’t change a bit

Rex: Eh? A compliment from Akaza? T-Thanks sir! I appreciate it. I’m really nothing special though

Rakurai: I think you’ll find that you are more so than you think, you’ll come to truly appreciate yourself

He nods, but in his mind, Rex is rather curious

Rex: *He says things like this… yet his expression never changes, he made a scowl at the Malos guy sure, but it didn’t really deviate from his standard expression. I don’t think I’ve ever seen ‘em really smile before, or look happy, I wonder why he looks like that all the time… or maybe it’s not that much of a concern and he’s just a stone-faced guy*

Rex: By the way, did you get anything?

Rakurai: Yes

Rex: What did you buy?

Rakurai: Research supplies

Rex: For what exactly?

…Silence

Rex: *Frowns* There you go giving the silent treatment, you’re not a warm guy you know?

Rakurai: Fine by me, I don’t care very much.

Rex just shakes his head and refrains from speaking to me further until we make our way back to Melolo, who is a bit confused by Rex’s return

Melolo: Rex back again? Did friend forget something?

Rakurai: No, I didn’t exactly forget anything. I just decided to make a cash transfer

She seems suspicious of this. Which would make sense as I don’t think Rex is the type to make more than one cash transfer each visit to Argentum

Melolo: Rex find money on the floor? Nopon round here very particular about mora, so should turn in even small change!

Rex rubs his head, a bit embarrassed about this

Rex: No, I didn’t pick up any small change… actually, I got my hands on a big sum

Melolo: Big sum? Like 4,000 Mo?

Rex: I’d rather not bandy the number about too much, but…

The young salvager for whatever reason thinks that he should be allowed this much money, a strange experience to be sure, considering he only ever earns around 2,000 Mo max, and that’s on very good days. 200,000 knocks it out of the park

Rakurai: It’s 10 times that, around 200,000 mo. As an additional note, some amount was spent in the process of equipment shopping

Melolo processes this for a moment before she lets out an almighty surprised yelp

Melolo: 2 HUNDRED THOUSAND!?!!?!?

As if his ears were sensitive, Rex winces and looks around. I’m barely affected by it and just narrow my eyes as a response

Melolo: Oh, yes. Sorry much! But where Rex get all that mora!?

Rakurai: It’s an advance payment from a job Rex received. It is from a high-ranking individual

Melolo: Oh~! That interesting. Rex must be very happy then, good luck!

Rex: Thanks Melolo

Melolo: Anyhoodles, thing is though, Melolo not able to accept such large sum here anyway. Should take directly to courier.

Rakurai: Who is…?

Melolo: All mora Melolo accept here always delivered to courier called Max

Rex’s face lights up in recognition

Rex: Oh, ok! Max, I know him. I didn’t know he was also delivering the money for me this whole time… huh
Melolo: Well, this make things quicker! Friend know where to find Max?

Rex: Yeah, he’ll be just through the Argentum Bazaar, right? Thanks Melolo!

He runs off while waving to the Nopon. I take another look at Melolo and nods. Once again, I turn around to playing catch up

Melolo: *Thinking* Hmm… wonder who high ranking person is…? *Gasp* Wait! Could be? Chairman Bana!?

Chapter Text

Another Day in Mondstadt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpxBvbKzavI

Rakurai: You certainly seem to have quite a bit of energy, running everywhere as you wave goodbye

Rex: What’s wrong *smirks* can’t keep up?

Rakurai: That’s not it in the slightest, I can easily catch up to you, with so little you know about me, it’s best not to assume things. I never said it was a bad thing either

Rex: Oh? Why don’t you tell me more about you then?

Rakurai: Don’t want to

Rex: Agh! You’re ridiculous!

Max is straight through the bazaar and to the right, proportionately speaking of Chairman Bana’s office. It’s under the deck and close to an exit point of the bazaar. Large amounts of boxes with supplies to be shipped are near him

Rex: Hey Max! I’d like to transfer some money!

Max: Why if it isn’t Rex. Pretty rare for a client to drop cash off in person

Rex: It’s a big sum this time, so Melolo said I should bring it straight to you

Max: You’re quite the guy, you know. Not many people send all this money back to their folks every month

Rex: Haha… it’s not that big a deal

Max: So, how much are we talking? 

Rex: *Well… I don’t want to completely empty my pockets, I may or may not need some for myself depending on how things go… got to be prepared. Let’s say… ah! Let’s do 90,000 G

Rex: Can you deliver 90,000G to Corinne of Fonsett Village, please? 

Max: Whew, that’s quite the healthy sum. Did you haul up some huge treasure? 

Rex: Something like that. I took on a big job from the Chairman

He gathers the gold and hands the bag to Max, who places it along with his other deliveries. He looks at me beside Rex nervously, noting how minuscule Rex’s frame is next to me

Max: Now that sure sounds like a pie I’d like a piece of. Oh yeah, I got a delivery for you too. Good thing you dropped by, else I’d have had to track you down! It’s actually from the same Auntie Corinne of yours, actually

The courier gives Rex a semi-transparent container, vapor droplets can be seen on the roof of the lid. He lifts the lid and inside he sees a large dead fish cooked and steamed

Rex: Ohhh, it’s Braised Cloud Sea Shark! 

He smells the scent of the food and sighs

Rex: Mmmm, it looks delicious… I’ll have to dig into that later

He puts away the container elsewhere

Rex: Thanks Max. Take care of that transfer for me ok? 

Max: You can count on me

With our task taken care of, I turn around and head to the next destination, 

Rex goes to follow Rakurai when Max calls out subtly to him

Rex: Eh? What’s up Max?

Max: Nothing much I guess, but… who’s that guy you’re with? The cloak and everything. He looks rather… dubious

The brown haired salvager laughs

Rex: Sorry, it's just that I’ve had something along those lines asked about him like 4 times already. Not to worry Max, it’s just Akaza. He’s a friend of mine, he’s pretty good actually, he’s helping me on the job

Max: Ah, I see… my bad, sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you if that happened

Rex: It’s fine. I don’t really know why he wears a cloak. Truth be told, I’ve actually never seen his face very well, nor his body underneath all that. He’s just a secretive guy I suppose, I promise he’s harmless. He’s helped me out a bunch

Max: How’d you get roped in with someone like him?

Rex: It’s a bit of a long story to be honest, not sure if I could spare time to tell it here

Max: Ah, I understand. Well, you’re a good guy, so if you have decided to hang around this Akaza fellow, than he’s probably okay in my book

Rex: Thanks Max

Max: You’d better get going then, the clock is ticking. Have a good job

Rex: See ya Max!

Rex runs to catch up with me, and suddenly notices that I’m waiting for him behind a store, having watched the conversation not far off secretly

Rex: Oh, Akaza, were you watching?

Rakurai: I already heard

Rex: I see, sorry if you got offended

Rakurai: I wouldn’t get offended by something as paltry as a mere unfounded assumption. Let them believe what they think, it is of little consequence to me

Rex: Hahaha… classic Akaza I see. Oh, alright, sounds good

“Hello there, friend Rex! Rurui, proprietor of Whiteside Salvaging, at your service!”

Rakurai: Mm?

They turn to see a short Nopon in a special salvager diving suit built specifically for the furry long-eared race

Rex: Ah, hello there. Rurui was it? No need for introductions with me. I was thinking of going to check out some cylinders in a bit

Rurui: Well that perfect timing! Rurui just get in brand new cylinder type. If having time, friend want to test out?

Rex: Really? You’d let me? 

Rurui: Rex is up-and-coming star of salvager world. If Rex approve of quality, easier for Rurui to sell! 

Rex: It’s not every day you get the chance to test out a brand-new product and be one of the first in line. I’d be glad to help

Rurui: Then it settled! Come see Rurui on rear deck shortly. Rurui will make preparation

Rex: Gotcha

Rurui waves and heads off to the rear deck to ready the new product

Rakurai: We shall go see Rurui’s new cylinder after I purchase something I require

Rex: What is it?

Rakurai: You shall see

Rex: Augh! Just tell me stuff darn it!

Rex follows my lead as I walk down several streets of the market, eventually coming to an Aux Core Shop. The lady manning the shop, with wavy pink hair and teal eyes waves to us

Rakurai: Konichiwha Micaela, have you finished the refinement of the Aux Cores?

Micaela: I have. Thank you for your patience Akaza

Rakurai: Then I shall take those off your hands

The Aux Specialist sets 3 gems of varying colors in metallic casings and shaped similarly to elongated hexagons on the counter. I take 2 of them and stash them inside my yellow coat that usually hangs off my body. The 3rd Aux Core, an orange one, is set off to the side for now. Rex watches curiously as I summon my greatsword and set it on the table. Opening a small chamber in the center of the sword’s crossguard, I take out an empty Aux Core and replace it with the new one, clicking it in and closing the chamber. I hold up my greatsword, inspect it briefly, and then dematerialize it

Rakurai: Arigato

Micaela: Of course, come again! I’ll be happy to refine some more for you!

Rex and I leave the shop as Micaela gets back to business

Rex: What was that?

Rakurai: An Auxillary Core, or just simply Aux Core for short. A bit of an enhancement for my blade

Rex: Wow~ cool! That might come in handy!

Rakurai: Mottomo kanōsei ga takai. Let us go find Rurui and inspect the prospects of his new cylinder

The 2 of us head to the rear deck where Rurui said he’d be. We find the Nopon at the deck and he waves to us once he spots us, quickly getting to the point as we approach him

Rurui: This brand new cylinder. Please test out at nearby salvage point and tell Rurui impressions from using

Rex: All right then, leave it to me!

Rex is handed a silvery cylinder for his salvaging equipment, nods and equipping it onto himself. He puts his diving helmet on as he walks to the edge of the dock bridge, and I follow him. He grabs a wire and hands it to me

Rex: Wish me good luck alright? Tie this up for me

After a simple nod, I tie up the wire around the railing of the dock without a word. Rex steps back several long paces and bolts off running towards the clouds, performing a dive as he descends into the Cloud Sea. I stay near the wire rope to ensure it doesn’t slip off as I await my companion

***

A short while later, Rex shows back up, reeling himself onto the port, grabbing onto the wood and front flipping onto the plank. I’m sitting down in a criss-cross position and look up at the salvager

Rakurai: Hm?

Rex: Went great, thanks for coverin’ me

I nod and stand up, quickly untying the wire and handing it back to its owner. Rex shows me his haul with a satisfied expression

Rex: Quality is pretty good actually, I’d certainly recommend it, let’s go tell Rurui

We approach Rurui again, who waits by a steel pillar closer to the bazaar. The nopon’s face says he eagerly waits for Rex’s appraisal

Rurui: Look like friend all finished. How was new cylinder?

Rex: It was pretty great, not fantastic, but I’d say it’s of good, solid quality

Rurui: Really? Woowee! Wonderful. Rurui so happy to hear that. Would like to be fantastic, but having Rex say product is of good quality is well enough for Rurui! At any rate, thanks much for help. Also, here, give friend present of 3 regular cylinder. Can use in same place as before meh! Happy salvaging! If friend ever run out of cylinders, please drop by shop anytime. We make deal!

Rex: I’ll keep that in mind, let’s go Akaza

Setting off again into the bazaar, Rex wonders what else we need for his job, likely combing his mind to make sure he hasn’t forgotten anything. After a period of ponderance, Rex nods with satisfaction

Rex: Actually, I think we have everything, we still have some time left before we leave so we should get some sleep

Rakurai: Doi shita

Rex: Good then. Now… we could head back to Gramps to rest, but he might try to give me another lecture, so… yeah, an inn would seem best

Rakurai: Pft

Rex looks at me funny before turning to an inn in the distance. To think he’d use that as a reasoning for staying at an inn

Rex: I have plenty of cash left, and it can’t hurt to rest in a nice comfy bed once in a while. The inn should be just past Rumbletum Canteen

The 2 of us travel to the other side of the bazaar and climb some stairs before moving past Rumbletum and finding Lemour Inn, the local one at the Argentum Trade Guild

Utoto: Welcome to Lemour Inn! Rest place of all traders!

Rex: I’d like to rest for a bit thank you

Utoto: Okay then! That be 400mo

Rex: You got it

We each pay half of the price to Utoto and head to a room. We get comfortable and prepare to sleep under the blankets

Rex: Have a good nap Akaza, see you in around an hour

Rakurai: Mm

***

After an hour of napping and recharging our energy, thanks to my phone’s alarm, we wake up properly and at the right time, quickly getting ready and heading out of our room. We thank Utoto and travel outside the entrance. Rex stretches his body, still a small amount stiff

Rex: This really is so different from sleeping in that little hut on Gramps’ back. For some reason, I feel like I’ve gotten a bit stronger!

Rakurai: I think you are simply referring to the energy recharge you just got from all that running around to buy things, it’s nice

Rex: I guess so. Say, that small rectangle device you have, it seems pretty handy, being able to wake people up at the right time

Rakurai: That is not all it can do

Rex: Oh really? Like what?

Rakurai: Keep a schedule, set timers, take pictures, and message people from a faraway distance. Though, these are basic features, more can be added on

Rex: Wow! That’s so cool! I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it. Is it some new tech from Epymelei? I hear those guys usually get up to all sorts of stuff there, making neat new tools and technology

Rakurai: Not particularly, it’s… one of my personal belongings

Rex: So you made it?

Rakurai: Not exactly. It’s complicated to explain

Rex: If you say so

Of all the belongings in my backpack that came with me to Alrest, my phone was the most complicated. Stuck in a world where the internet does not exist, and with no official charging ports around, it eventually died despite my efforts to conserve its long battery life. Fortunately, I was dropped off at the Nation of Electro of all places in Alrest and was able to utilize its natural electricity to create a battery pack for me to charge my phone with. Though it’s overall performance remains inferior as I’m forced to use its personal cellular data since Alrest does not have the internet

Rex: Hey Akaza, you happen to have a nice bed to sleep on while traveling around? You know, on that small little ship you have tied to Gramps? Or… was anyway, Eris has it now

Rakurai: Decently enough, but I can sleep perfectly fine wherever it’s required. Like I said, I do not believe Azurda will mind me staying with you 2 for a while until Eris finishes up with her tasks

Rex: Don’t you have places to be?

Rakurai: *Shrugs* Nowhere in particular, I travel around to wherever I want to go. Do not be concerned Rex, it is nothing of consequence

Rex: Just making sure you’ll be alright pal. Welp, with everything tied up, we better head to the meeting point

Rakurai: It’s at Goldmouth Exit Dock, on the ground floor

Rex: Let’s go then

Knighthood Excellence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZBc_OTK16k

Traveling to Goldmouth’s Exit Dock, we find a gigantic flagship awaiting its boarding party. The vessel boasts red-tinted metal, sails, a durable frame, and a large deck for passengers. Rex is surprised by it’s appearance, recognizing the vehicle

Rakurai: Bana’s Maelstrom ship?

Rex: You know it?

Rakurai: I know a lot of things

Rex: Wheeling out the Maelstrom for this? Bana sure has deep pockets…

Rakurai: Mm

We hear footsteps behind us, turning around to see the snarky Gormotti Nia and her infinitely more cordial tiger, Dromarch approaching us. She has a mocking face like last time, clearly having found something about us to jab at

Nia: Gawking at a boat? What are you, 12? Wait… maybe you are 12…

Rex: What’s my age got to do with anythin? 

Rakurai: Konichiwa Nia… ready for another round of pointless bickering I guess? Does that mean you’re 12 too? That’s what children do all the time, oh… and they love cats too, you’re one so how does that work? Watashi ni iwa sereba kanari konran shimasu

The gormotti girl gets several tick marks on her face, again not amused in the slightest by my fireback

Nia: Oi you’re real close to a proper beating! And why’re you speaking in foreign tongue when no one can understand you!?

Rakurai: Oh I’m so scared, what are you going to do? Lug Dromarch on me? Not my fault Common Alrestian can be stupid sometimes, or that I’m Inazuman. I’m just cultured

Nia: You talk real big for someone who doesn’t have a Blade with them to help em out!

Rakurai: Don’t need one, I can kick your butt any day of the week, you and Dromarch at once. *Turns to Dromarch* No offense by the way, you actually seem tolerable

Dromarch: Ah, thank you

And I sincerely am not overly boastful or anything, I was seconds away from beating a goddess, some snarky cat girl is hardly going to get the best of me

Rakurai: And if you recall… I seemed to dispatch your comrade fairly easily enough. I don’t think it would be wise for you to try and fight me, Blade or otherwise

Nia: Grrr… you sparking… I’m gonna rip you a new one sometime

Rakurai: I’ll hand you your ticket to beatdown town when that happens, okay? 

The casual manner in which I say my last sentence causes Nia to be more irritated. Rex scoffs at her

Rex: I can tell an awesome feat of engineering when I see one you know! My age has nothin’ to do with it

Nia: You don’t close your mouth soon, you’re gonna swallow a fly *smirks*

I roll my eyes. Clearly she doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon

Rakurai: Wakatta, mō damatte mo ī yo.

As I say this, Dromarch and Rex are alarmed when I pick Nia up by the top of her head and have her up to eye level with me, squeezing her head just enough so that she feels a bit of pain

Nia: Ah-owwww! My head! W-WH-WHAT THE-

Rex: AH! What’re you doin Akaza?

Dromarch: Oh my- goodness!

Rakurai: Snotty gormotti girl… I ought to teach you a lesson, but this should be good enough for now

Nia: Put me down you oaf! OW!

Rex: W-What’s her problem? We’re nearly the same age

Nia utters another yelp of pain when I squeeze her head yet again, to which I then promptly drop her unceremoniously on her feet. She attempts to regain balance from the sudden drop. Rex looks at her feet and sees the mooring ropes on the ground behind her. Upon seeing the expression on his face, I can tell where he’s going with this

Rex: *Ohh… this’ll be fun. Some nice payback*

Rex: Also, you might wanna watch where you stand, otherwise when we cast off… that rope’ll take your legs off *smug*

Nia: Eh!?

She sees the rope and goes backward when I flick my foot out and trips her, she yelps again and falls flat on her back with a thud. Dromarch winces and shoots a concerned look at his Driver

Rex: Ahahahaha! Gotcha. Nice one Akaza!

Rakurai: Mm, brats like her make for good headaches in my brain

Nia: Why you little-

Rex: Now look who’s mouth’s hanging open

She scowls in anger at Rex and I

Rex: *Despite what’s happening, Akaza doesn’t seem the least bit amused at all, just that same stoic face. What exactly goes on in his head?*

Someone catches my eye and I shift my vision to the left, seeing Malos, his Blade, and Jin standing not too far off behind us. I note their presence silently. A bald dock worker walks up to Rex 

Dock Worker: Rex, we’re heading out. There’s no one seeing you off right? 

He shakes his head to the dock worker in confirmation

Dock Worker: You got night watch, till then, rest up inside

Rex: Aye aye! Later!

He turns to Nia as he says it and runs off, as by now, she’s stood up from her fall. I follow behind him

Nia: Hmph! 

The 2 head to the entrance of the Maelstrom, with a worker named Spraine guarding it

Spraine: Never thought I’d see the day you’d be riding the Maelstrom, Rex. Suppose it just goes to show how far you’ve come as a salvager, eh? 

Rex: I suppose that would be how it goes

Spraine: Well, I’m proud of you lad. Now, are you all set? We’re setting sail as soon as you’re ready to board

Rex: Yes, let’s get this show on the road!

Spraine: That’s what I like to hear! Come on then, hop on! We’re heading into uncharted territory for this job, you know. I’m getting goose pimples just thinking about it

Rex: It does sound a little scary, but we got this!

Spraine: *Nods* Right on Rex

Rex: Right Akaza?

Rakurai: Affirmative

Spraine steps aside and lets us pass

Spraine: I assume you’re a friend of Rex right? Could always use more folks on this job, welcome aboard

I nod to Spraine and follow my friend into the vessel. Not long after they get settled, Malos, Nia, and Jin, along with their Blades board the vessel. Along with them are some new people I don’t recognize, and my attention is immediately caught by their strange appearance

Midday Prospects: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxf9M7KTMzY

Rex: Eh? What the… Who are those guys?

Malos: Just some associates, don’t worry about them too much. Unless you can’t handle spooky stuff kid. Hahaha…

Rex: I can handle that kind of stuff just fine!

A group of 5 mage-looking figures float by into the Maelstrom, sporting staffs and clothing of various colors and designs, decorated with fur and intricate robes, they also all wear masks that remind me of plague doctors. Additionally, the mages are small and look rather plump, similar to a Nopon, though they do not have their large ear appendages characteristic of the race. One of the mages wasn't plump in shape but rather retained a regular humanoid appearance, a woman. She has long voluminous free flowing silver hair, and deep purple eyes that give off an ominous feeling. Her skin was somewhat darker colored and she had… a headband, headdress, whatever it was on her head with elegant ornamentation decorating it. She also wore quite fancy garments. She has a purple and black starry cape split into segments, a gray and purple robe with small bronze accents with a very long loincloth extending to her shins. Her arms wear silver gauntlets that have a line of peculiar gems adorning the center. A strange black metal piece with a glowing purple and starry blue orb on her chest is what particularly catches my eye. Underneath that, she seemed to wear a light gray bodysuit with blue and purple leg armor. Even stranger was the large bronze ring-like piece floating behind the woman, unattached to anything and with sharp points jutting out from it and a smaller ring inside of it with a purple gem floating in the center of it

The mysterious woman eyes Rex and Rakurai with cold eyes, examining them closely and then speaking in a soft tone, but it had an aspect of icy firmness to it

Silver-Haired Female: Greetings fellow companions 

Rex: H-Hello there miss

Silver-Haired Female: You must be the hired help Malos mentioned, no?

Rex: Yep, that's right. You with Malos and the gang then?

Silver-Haired Female: *Nods* Affirmative. I shall see you around

She turns around and continues on her way, Rex shudders a bit

One of the group didn’t float, but was slightly taller than Malos. His face couldn’t be seen and his armor sported sharp edges and dark accents and colors, blue and black being particularly prominent, and he wore a split cape. There is a strange orb on his chest armor, the same as the sorceress, and his face is obscured by a helmet so neither of us can really tell what he looked like

Rex: …Those guys… look freaky don't they? Do you think they're Blades?

Rakurai: No, they aren’t companions of a Driver

Rex: How can you tell?

Rakurai: Well, sort of, it's complicated …I just have that ability. There’s something about them however, different from a normal human being though, so I do not believe that would classify as that. I can’t say, but keep your wits about you around them

Rex: Right, got ya

The tall warrior peers at Rakurai and Rex silently, making a small scowling sound before walking off with the rest of his companions

He does possess an interesting aura, I wonder who all these people all. These all seem like dubious individuals, we’ll have to watch our step around them. I’ll look out for Rex secretly for the most part, but if things go south, then something will have to be done

A while later, the Maelstrom starts moving, the large mini Titan fish acting as a balloon as it sails across the Cloud Sea

***

Rex wanders the ship himself, alone and away from Rakurai, who resides somewhere else on the vessel

Rex: We should be reaching the uncharted zone tomorrow, but there’s plenty of time left until then. Maybe I should go talk to the clients for a bit. I still don’t know as much about them as I’d like to and besides, It’s not every day you get to talk to real Drivers!

The young boy always thought it would be cool if he were a Driver, bit with salvaging and his simple lifestyle, he never actively pursued such a thing, still though, he’s had his dreams of what it would be like

At the same time, he mentally reminds himself that Monell said he was on night watch, so he’d better spend a bit of time to get to know his partners and then do his job right after

Although he is already off to a rough start with Nia, he decides to talk to her anyways, if only to get to know a bit more about her so he can understand what her deal is

Strategy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiw-gBIoMnM&list=PLDPZ87_y_1I6ckPT1F44EuZ0Tg2gK5PLD&index=14

Rex: You seem awfully quiet, did you get seasick or something

Nia: Course I’m not seasick! I’m just… not used to ships with this many salvagers on, that’s all! 

He decides to poke fun at her a bit, seeing her ever so slightly sick face. It’s also a practical concern, if she’s already like this not far into the trip, then… by the time they get to their point of interest…

Rex: Well, if it’s wearing you out now, you’ll be a wreck by the time we reach our destination

Nia: I can handle myself alright!

The gormotti practically shouts out her words, Rex tries not to chuckle when Dromarch, Nia’s tiger blade companion speaks

Dromarch: Master Rex… Are you prepared to begin salvaging?

Rex: Sure am

Dromarch: Let us all work well together to make this mission a success 

Rex: Wouldn’t have it any other way! 

He waves to Dromarch who bows his head again, sighing

Rex: *Low voice* Why does Dromarch have to be so much nicer than his Driver? She’s something eh? 

He heads up deck and explores around as he does, taking note of the people. He notes the various people and finds Malos and his  next to him and decides to talk to him a bit

Rex: Hey there

Malos’s Blade: Eh? Ah… it’s you, Leftherian Boy

Malos turns his head to see Rex

Malos’s Blade: Heheheh… You certainly have yourself an impressive friend. He’s impressive. He says you're very adept at what you do as well… I look forward to seeing how you handle the work ahead

Rex: *Is that a compliment…?* 

Rex: Th-Thanks, I think… w-what’s your name?

Sever: It’s Sever, remember that

Rex: R-Right, gotcha

Malos: What do you want kid? 

Perhaps still a bit offended by Malos’s attempted attack earlier, Rex decides to correct him a bit

Rex: I’m called Rex actually. Pleasure to be workin with you

He raises an eyebrow

Rex: So… I’m guessin you’re not goin to fill me in on what exactly it is we’re lookin for out here? 

Malos: That’s the idea. Need-to-know basis. Why? Are you curious? 

Rex: I’m a salvager, no duh. Sure I am. But anyways, I’ll do the work I’m paid for whether you tell me to or not

Malos: Ha! That’s what I like to hear kid. I just hope your skills are more advanced than your age

He mentally sighs

Rex: *My name’s still Rex, not kid… seriously? He’s an interesting fella isn’t he?*

He shakes his head and departs from their company, exploring some more of the ship. He waves to Pupunin who also happens to be on the vessel and finds Jin on the middle section of the ship, overlooking from a balcony at the Cloud Sea

Out of all of them, he’s the most mysterious one, having said the least amount of lines to Rex or Rakurai when they met. He remained rather quiet when he and Nia were bickering and when Malos tried to attack him. He did notice however the slight surprise on his face when Rakurai beat Malos head into the ground, perhaps he didn’t expect something like that and it caught him off guard. Unsure of what exactly his demeanor is, Rex decides to start friendly

Rex: Hi there! 

A moment of silence from Jin before he speaks

Jin: You’re from Leftheria, are you? 

Rex: Sure am. I was raised in Fonsett Village. The village is right by the Cloud Sea, so I grew up swimmin in the clouds. That’s why salvaging work comes naturally to me. I’m pretty confident in my skills, despite how I may look

Jin: Very good…

Rex sends a smile and waves to Jin as he leaves

Rex: *He’s a stoic guy if I’ve ever seen one. He doesn’t seem bad though, I don’t mind it all that much*

Rex: Well, I think that’s just about everyone, I should go see Monell, I have a job to do

As he again heads up to the outside deck and onto the tower where Monell is waiting, he spots the strange tall and armored warrior on the wooden platform with stairs leading up to Monell’s post, his arms folded. Next to him is the woman with silver hair and dark skin, with a book floating open in front of her telekinetically, flipping its pages with gestures of her hands 

Creeping Shadow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJS_c-7_gE4

Rex: Hey there, how are you doing?

Tall Warrior: Hm?

Rex: That’s some cool armor there, where do you get it?

Tall Warrior: It’s none of your concern child

The warrior speaks in a deep slightly gravelly voice, at least in Rex’s opinion

Rex: It’s Rex you know?

Valdemar: …Rex, very well… fine. My name is Valdemar

Rex: Valdemar? That’s an interesting name

Valdemar: It is a warrior’s name. Remember and respect it

Rex: Sure thing, you respected mine, so naturally I should do the same. T-This might sound like a dumb question but are you a Blade? You have what looks to be some kind of round orb on your chest, looks like a… Core Crystal?

Valdemar: A Blade!? Why you-!?

Silver-Haired Woman: Calm yourself Valdemar, he means nothing by it. He is just ignorant

Valdemar pauses in thought once the lady speaks, having been drawn from her book to the conversation before speaking more calmly than her companion 

Valdemar: Mmm… actually, I suppose it does. No, I am not a Blade, this is merely ornamental *under his breath* for the most part…

Rex: Got it, just wanted to clarify. I look forward to working with you on this mission!

Valdemar: Do not mistake me for a Blade again… Rex 

Rex: *Defensive hand gesture* Yep! Yep! Got it! Won’t happen again

Valdemar growls slightly as Rex turns to his companion

Rex: What's your name lady?

Iselin: I am Iselin, connoisseur of esoteric knowledge and arts, and patron of literature

Rex stares blankly at her for a bit, not understanding quite what she said

Rex: Um, come again? I don't think I quite understood that

Iselin: Just think of me as a bookworm child

Rex: Oh, okay, whatever you say Iselin. Also, the name's Rex, I'm not a child

Iselin: From this angle you seem like it, especially with height taken into consideration. But very well Rex. If you have been hired, then I trust your skills are more reputed than your height?

Rex: That's right! *Proud look* They sure are! I'm a pretty darn good salva- hey wait a minute! *Scowl* What's that supposed to mean!?

There was a tiny faint of a smile on her face, one that Rex couldn't notice. She chuckles lightly

Iselin: Fufu, just a joke. Don't mind me

Rex: *Sighs* Have it your way. See you around, I'm out

Rex moves past her and Valdemar, hearing them exchange some words he couldn’t quite make out, and stepping onto the metal stairs to get to Monell and relieve him of his duty

Rex: What a colorful cast of characters

Rex: *She seems nice enough, but her voice just gives me the chills for some reason. I'm not sure if I want to run into her again*

Monell: So you’ve finally arrived, have you? Well? Are you here to keep watch or aren’t you? 

Rex: You’re good Monell

Monell: Ahhh, at last, I can get a breather. Think I’ve earned myself a drink or 2. It’s not looking too good out there. I’d steel yourself for the worst

Rex: I see, understood

Monell: If something’s up, give me a shout. Don’t worry, I won’t be drinking myself into a stupor or anything

Rex nods and Monell hands his post to him

Rex: *Sure hope he’s right about that* 

Rex gets straight to work and uses the binoculars handed to him to look around the Cloud Sea for any issues and sees Yaegdrausile on the edge of his vision. He notes something peculiar though and zooms in on it. The black ornamental titanless ship from Goldmouth Harbor. It’s following them

Rex: That’s the black ship from the harbor. Is it… following us…?

He lowers his binoculars, and is about to question the matter when he hears a feminine-accented voice he’s already gotten a little too familiar with at this point 

Nia: Ugh, it’s way too cold up here

He’s only mildly surprised, partly because he doesn’t expect her up here, but mildly so as he knows the voice. It’s Nia, but she’s not accompanied by Dromarch this time

Rex: You

Nia: I’ll have you know I’ve got a name. It’s Nia. They’ve started boozin’ below decks. You should join em

Rex: Why aren’t you there? 

She turns away from him

Nia: It’s not that I hate it, I just really don’t need a headache right now

Rex: *Amused* Huh, good thing you’re not a salvager then

Nia’s head turns to face him, a bit curious by his statement

Nia: Why’s that?

Rex: Swim like a fish, and drink like one too. That’s the Salvager’s Code

Nia: Ugh, sounds terrible. I don’t think I’ll be changin’ careers

Elysium in The Dream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV0uYFPEkks

Rex: Mm, probably for the best. Hey, have you seen Akaza anywhere?

Nia: Who? Oh wait… you mean that cloaked shady tall man? 

Rex: His name is Akaza… Nia~ And he is not shady

Nia: Alright, alright. Coulda fooled me though. I don’t know where in Alrest, Akaza~ is… I haven’ seen him anywhere since we got on board

Rex: Eh? That’s strange, how does that happen?

Nia: I dunno. Why are you askin me? He’s not my friend, shouldn you know where he is?

Rex: He is, but… it’s hard to keep track of him honestly, I’ve known him long enough and I still can’t figure out how he works. He’s… what’s the word, enigmatic. Yeah, that sounds about right

Nia: Hmph, well good. I don’t really feel like I like him

Rex: What? Because he talks back to you? He’s not the kind of guy to take nonsense, that’s what I’ve learned. At some point I figured not to say dumb stuff around him. Respect your elders I suppose. You don’t wanna mess with Akaza. I saw him toss a full grown Geovishap like it was some kind of dodgeball, one handed

Nia: *Shocked* Ehahaha… That sounds kind of funny actually

Rex: *Smiles* Yeah, it was. Turned into bowling real quick, I kind of felt bad for those hilichurls that got knocked into Elysium

Nia starts cackling as she imagines the scene

Rex: Anyways, on the topic of jobs, I bet you Drivers earn a hell of a lot more than salvagers do

Rex’s eyes expand slightly and he looks around nervously

Nia: *Raises eyebrow* What’s got you in such a fritter?

Rex: Akaza’ll have my head for swearing, guess he’s not around

Nia: Bahaha! What is he? You dad?

Rex: Already got one of those. He’s just not the type for foul language, always in control too, never once seen him get angry or lose his composure. Then again, his smile is once in a blue moon too

Nia: In any case, to answer your question, it varies. Being a Driver isn’t exactly a job, more like a title, our pay varies from job to job. But yeah, we generally get more mora than most salvagers ever will

Rex: *Frowns* Hmph, figures

Rex: *If I was a Driver… imagine the profits I could make with a Blade by my side. I could be makin’ regular mora like this, and then everyone in Fonsett could have everything they need without worry*

Nia: So kid…

Rex: My name’s Rex, remember? We’re the same age 

Nia: Hmph. Ok, Rex. Why did you start salvagin' in the first place? 

As if it was a simple answer, Rex directs his attention to Yaegdrasile

Rex: That there

Nia looks up to it, confused, and unsure of what Rex is trying to say

Nia: The… World Tree? I don’t get it

Rex: You know, you find all sorts of things diggin through salvage… some of it trash, some of it treasure… but all of it from people long ago. Have you noticed that there’s fewer Titans each day? I saw one go under just the other day. It was a pretty big one. There must have been loads of animals still livin’ on it. Livin space is runnin’ out, day by day. Sooner or later, we’ll be the ones sinkin’ down into the Cloud Sea

Rex looks higher up on Yaegdrasile

Rex: But up there… Elysium is waiting for us

To his surprise, Nia starts laughing, a bit hysterically too

Nia: Pff… bwahahaha! Seriously kid? Elysium? Don’t tell me you believe that guff? So… that’s uh, why you’re a salvager? 

Rex: Huh?

Nia: It’s just a lie for children, and that there is an overgrown shrub! 

Regardless of Nia’s mocking, Rex reaffirms his belief

Rex: If there is a way to get up there, maybe it’s hidden below the clouds. Is it really that crazy? 

Nia: Seriously though… 

Rex: There’d be no need to fight over dwindling land and resources. No need to worry about our homes sinkin’ away. Everyone could have peace and security. I mean, a dream like that? Isn it worth believin’ in?

Nia: Tell that to Natlan. They certainly seem to be in a haste to gobble up resources. Any Titan not already under the control of other nations is snatched up and taken over in the name of the Pyro Archon

Rex: Yeah, heard some things about that

Nia: Nobody can tell you what to believe, but… Hmm… everyone, huh?

For once, Nia allows a smile to cross her face

Rex: What? 

Nia: I always thought people were pretty selfish by nature. But you… 

Rex: Huh? 

Nia: D’you have parents? 

Rex: Nope. When I asked Gramps, he told me they died when I was just a kid

Nia: Gramps? Oh, the same one who taught you to use Arts? Is that who you were referring to? Supposedly anyways

Rex: Yeah, he basically raised me himself. He’s not like us though

Nia: Not like…?

Rex doesn’t say anything, unsure of how to word it besides saying he's a Titan

Nia: I’m not sure I catch your drift, but this Gramps of yours sounds all right

Rex: Huh…

Nia: And you’re alright too kid, I mean… Rex…

The 2 stare at the sky together

Nia: Not that different from me

***

Unbeknownst to any of the crewmates and people on board, I had been silently standing on a circular metal platform just below where Rex and Nia were. It’s normally out of reach by regular methods, but poses little problems for me. My luminous yellow eyes emit a glow in the slowly darkening cloudscape

I had silently followed Rex as he talked to the Drivers and their Blades, as well as Valdemar and Iselin, with the idea being that the affable and friendly Rex would be more inclined to garner trust from the others, at least, trust enough from a group like this. The information wasn’t inherently super helpful by itself, but it does confirm several things as well as give a bit of insight for me, even for things that went unsaid. Nia in particular has proven to be a bit more than meets the eye

I’m still rather wary of her, as like Jin, she possesses the same ominous aura as he does. I can tell though based off her attitude that she has quite a streak of cynicism 

I nod to myself in affirmation and then look out into the Cloud Sea. I walk to the edge of the platform and leap far off, over the clouds. I fall to the sea until I abruptly grab hold of a ledge on the side of the Maelstrom, right below a window, and then face out to the Cloud Sea again. Something Rex said caught my attention, as he mentioned the black ship from the harbor

Sure enough, the black ship is indeed trailing behind the Maelstrom in the distance. Despite not having any binoculars, my enhanced vision allows me to identify it as such anyways

Rakurai: That’s the black ship… I’m starting to get the idea that this is a trap of some kind. Either that or whoever these people are, they likely have nefarious intentions

After making a quick assessment of the situation and deciding on a course of action, I haul myself up and unlock the window, opening it and slipping inside. Once that is done, I close and relock the window door just as the first signs of rain show

Rakurai: Arashi ga furu… Hitotsu ijō no hōhō de

Chapter Text

I’m here… again…? And the same crying too

Slumber: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un7uLgAQgRE

It takes me little time and analysis to realize I’m back in the same dream realm I’ve visited a fair number of times. This time seems to be one of those days where the blonde girl’s crying echoes out faintly in the dreamscape for miles

As usual fields of daffodils, orange lilies, aconites, and those mysterious white flowers dot the green plains and hills, and distant mountains and forests can be seen all around

I have still not found the source of these dreams, or why they appear. Being an Omnifictor means that no nightmare or dream that manifests within my full consciousness can intrude, and I alone create them. So the fact that this landscape consistently appears within my subconscious without me influencing said appearance at all draws my curiosity, whilst also being slightly concerning to me

Rakurai: *Sighs* Just another one of life’s mysteries

Thankfully, I have all the time in the world when it comes to my dreams, whatever happens in them, even if I’m technically “up all night” in them, does not exhaust my real-world energy levels. I could dream every hour of the night (Though the passage of time within the real world and the dreamscape are not always consistent with each other) and still be fully recharged when I awake. Though, through various sources, I have discovered this unfortunately doesn’t apply to everyone, a shame

Having pondered enough, I do what I’ve done several times before and follow the source of the crying, eventually finding the bright blonde female curled into her ball of depression directly underneath a tall birch tree, leaning on the trunk, with a large circle of darkened orange sand. The sight of her crying and shedding tears yet again causes an odd tightening sensation within my being that I still haven’t been able to identify, nor do I know why this happens

Having given her some semblance of comfort each time I’ve seen her, I don’t hesitate to reach down and give her a hug as she lays there

Predictably, she freaks out for the first several seconds, struggling to free herself, only to eventually settle down once she realizes it’s “me”, or at least recognizes the now consistent feeling of comfort she’s been receiving. Her arms wrap around me like the times before, pulling me in tight like she’s afraid of me leaving. It is almost certainly strange to be hugging a large “air mass” or whatever you call me, since I am apparently invisible to her. Evidently, she seems to not care very much about this fact

After about 15 seconds, we separate and she shows a faint smile at the seemingly empty air in front of her

I frown at this, here is yet another sensation I am unfamiliar with, like my internal state’s temperature is rising a bit, this has never happened before– save it for the extremely rare cases I have had fevers in my life, I can count them on 1 hand

“It m-must be you again, t-thank you…”

As usual, I cannot hear what she says for reasons I have not figured out. However, while I cannot seem to discover the reason her words remain mute to me, I have been combing my brain for ideas on how to communicate with her

I ponder some ideas for some time, kicking up some sand as I walk around to stir up my brain

I then notice that the blonde flinches in surprise, I wonder why for only a second before I realize that she must have seen me stirring up dust. Strange… my footsteps don’t seem to leave behind any kind of marking, yet me kicking the ground does?

This dreamscape is just odd

But that isn’t important, because a “lightbulb” flashes in my head as I think of an idea on how to communicate with the blonde

Genshin Impact: Main Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mcz3yZSUVI8

Rakurai: Don’t be afraid, it’s just me kicking up dust as I think

I use my finger to draw out words in the sand as it serves as a convenient writing medium. To my satisfaction, the blonde seems to notice my writing and looks at it curiously. She tries speaking to me with her voice and I sigh. I can’t hear her, so I again draw in the sand, but also talk out loud as I write each word

Rakurai: I cannot hear you speak for whatever reason. Can you hear me speak as I write this?

The blonde is surprised by my answer as she looks at me writing, and then proceeds to write in the sand herself when I’m finished

“No”

There’s my answer then, she definitely can’t hear me speak. My head perks up as she writes something else in the sand

“Are you a person or just some kind of weird entity?”

Figured she’d ask that

Rakurai: I am a person and not a ghost, though why you can’t see or hear me is something unknown to me. We can draw in the sand to communicate with each other then. Are you absolutely sure you can’t see me?

She pauses for a moment in thought, and then straightens herself out while she sits, raising a finger in the air. I’m a bit surprised when I see a whitish-yellow light appear from the tip of her finger, creating words of light as she draws in the air

“ Can you see this? ”

I respond with more sand script

Rakurai: I can. I didn’t know you could do that

She dissipates away the previous sentence with a flick of her hand and creates another light-made sentence

Pure Sky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIS-srtakdM

“ How are you able to be here? In my head”

Her head? Does that mean I’m… in her dreamscape? Inside of my own head? How is that possible and frankly, how does that even work?

I write in the sand once more

Rakurai: Your head? I thought this was my dreamscape

The golden-eyed woman is confused by my reply and doesn’t say anything for a while. Finally, she writes another sentence

“ Every once in a while I get this warm feeling around me, like a hug, are you responsible for all of those? The same person?”

Rakurai: I am, as far as I know anyways

The blonde sends me another tiny smile. Besides the unknown sensation, it gives my innards, there is something… strange, if not off about her smile

It’s almost as if it were damaged

She writes again

“ You don’t have to waste your energy trying to comfort me, I’m fine” 

Rakurai: Doesn’t seem like it. Any reason why you seem to be so depressed

“ I’m not depressed okay! Just having a bit of a hard time is all, no big deal ”

Rakurai: Are you certain?

“ Yes I’m certain! Now leave it at that, I’m fine”

The blonde faces away from me with her arms folded and a slight scoff written on her countenance. Even in her writing, I can tell this woman isn’t being truthful, yet there’s little I can do about it in my current predicament, my words and appearance are invisible to her

“ It’s kinda weird I can’t see or hear you at all. I wonder why that is ”

Rakurai: Beats me. I am just as perplexed about it as you as you

“ I can’t see you, but can you see me?”

Rakurai: If I couldn’t, would I have hugged you?

“*Sighs* Tch, fair point, guess that would make sense. Like I said though, I don’t need your hugs

At this point, I’ve had to erase my previous writings and reset the sand to roughly how it was before in order to have proper space. Lucky for her, all the woman has to do is wave or flick her hand to disperse her light writing and she can conjure up another sentence without issue

I take a closer look at her appearance

Legend of the Wind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTyC0Qop14w

I was just now noticing what she wears, which is… interesting to say the least. The blonde woman does indeed don a white dress with slight ruffling as I’ve observed the last time, albeit not a super practical one I might add. Her dress has some black and green accents and ornamentation, such as green crosses and other accents. Her armor consists of black and white coloration with glowing green accents, covering the front of her chest (which turns white in color around said area), and diagonally around her back and waist. Though it also leaves a notable cleavage window open much to my confusion. Odd design choice, but whatever. There’s also some gold and emerald green ornamentation attached to her hip, most notable being the two 4-point diamond-shaped ornaments on her hips and 2, streamers, tailcoats, whatever you want to call them, draping from her behind her hip. There is a similar color scheme to her metal gauntlets, mainly white and black with some gold and green ornamentation, such as her emerald green bracers with golden edges and outlines. There is also golden pauldron-like armor with green gems at the center which leave her shoulders and underarms exposed. Finally, she wears white and golden greaves and boots with more of the same green gem-like ornamentation, and a white band around her right thigh with another green 4-point diamond as an ornament for said band, though her other thigh does not have this feature

There are 3 aspects of her appearance that intrigue me. The first is that her outfit has several of these repeating symbols, that of a circle inside a tilted square (or diamond if you want to call it that), with a jagged point on each side. I notice this symbol on both of her forearms, one on each side of her chest, and a 5th and 6th one on each of her drapes respectively. Somehow I could tell this symbol is important. The 2nd are these faint green lines on places where her bare skin shows, except for the head. They look like the lines you might see on the electronics back on Earth. They have varying widths and branch off in many directions

The 3rd interesting thing about her is this heavily blurred-out/misted area at a certain point on her chest, right between the bottom of her neck and where her breasts begin. For whatever reason, that region is covered

I see the girl write again in the air

“ Why do I feel like you’re staring at me? You haven’t said anything ”

Rakurai: You’re not incorrect. I am inspecting your full appearance

“ Quit staring! It’s kinda creepy especially because I can’t see you!”

Rakurai: Relax, I’m just assessing aesthetic value and satisfying my curiosity, quite the design choice

“ You got a problem with it? ”

Seriously? Why would she assume I have a problem with her outfit choice? Well, I suppose there aren’t many modesty points to be had, but I don’t particularly care very much

Rakurai: Did I say I had a problem with it? No, I just think it’s very unique and intriguing in terms of appearance and theme

“ Uh, thanks I guess?”

The woman starts to shudder a bit, blinking in surprise as she feels around her body, as if cold or having felt some odd sensation

Rakurai: Did you feel something?

“ I’m not sure. But just now… I felt my body heat up all over and my hairs standing up. Somehow I get the feeling that something big is going to happen”

I get the inclination to ask what when my vision becomes abruptly outlined with sparkling white, a familiar sign that this dream, vision, whatever you call it is about to end. With this in mind, I do my best to write one last sentence in the sand

Rakurai: It seems I’m about to leave. I can’t really control how long I stay, nor do I know when we will meet again, farewell for now. I wish you well

I barely manage to finish “well” before I’m transported out of the dream realm, unable to see what the blonde’s reaction is

***

The blonde woman is met with surprise when she reads her mysterious, invisible visitor’s last message. Although she can’t see them at all, she gets a sensation telling her that they're no longer around and that they're gone from her presence. She utters a slow and light sigh

“Why do I feel like… I wanted them to stay longer?”

The blonde paces around the orange sand field, huffing in annoyance and kicking the sand

“Tch, it’s probably just the isolation getting to me, been cooped up here for Archons knows how long”

She lowers and sits herself down on the ground, curling herself tighter into a ball. As she lies there in silence, a weak smile spreads across her face as she thinks about the invisible warmth she’s been feeling

“Why did that feel… so nice…?”

***

I slowly awake and regain consciousness from my bed, reflecting on my experience in the dreamscape. There are several unanswered questions of mine, though one of them I probably could have accomplished sooner

Rakurai: I should have gotten her name. I will fix that next time I see her, the only issue is when exactly that will occur

I take a look outside in the window. The storm has gotten much fiercer since Rex and I went to sleep. It’s also still notably dark out, so it must be extremely early in the morning. Rex is sleeping on a bed with his hands behind his head

Rex: E-Eh?

Rakurai: Wake up. It commences. Junbi wa shite oita hō ga ī yo

Rex: A-Akaza…?

My luminous yellow eyes stare down at Rex while I hover above him. He nods and stands up from his bed slowly, stretching himself as the speaker comes on

“We are in position. All personnel report to stations. Salvage team, suit up, and proceed to hatch”

Rex: Right, let’s move then!

A Ship in a Stormy Sea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxgq_GkckkA

Rex and I gather the supplies they need and bolt out of the door. I shut the door behind them as they exit and Rex zips up his suit together

They make their way to the base level where everyone else is gathered in salvager outfits. There are 6 humans on the team – including Rex and myself – and A trio of Nopon in salvager suits is also on the team. The Salvager Team Captain speaks to everyone and they listen to his orders

Team Captain: Your target is located inside a shipwreck 450 peds straight down. Searching the wreck while submerged is too high risk for our tastes, so… we’ll be using flotation devices and cranes to lift the hull first. Next, you’ll split into teams and explore the interior. Once the target is found, retrieval can commence. If that’s clear, let’s begin attaching the floats. Get into position! 

The salvager nods and immediately gets to work thereafter. Nia can be heard shouting from the balcony above the Team Leader

Nia: We’re payin' you lowlifes a lot, so don’t screw this up! 

Rakurai: Oh hush Nia, don’t yell at us if things don’t go the way you planned, if you’re not helping with the salvage though, then shut up

Nia: Well don’t you have an attitude…!

Rex: *Under his breath* You smug so-and-so… 

Rex avoids using a bit of dirty language for fear of retribution from me

Outside, large mechanical detachment sounds can be heard as 2 parts of the Maelstrom come off, revealing themselves to be armored biological mini-titans acting as vessels, flying to their intended points. Rex, me, and everyone else on the team go outside and towards the metal platform crane that lowers into the Cloud Sea. Rex slips his helmet on to get ready, but I remain as he is, with nothing but a cloak on him

Team Leader: And submerge!

Rex prepares to jump off when he notices my utter lack of gear

Rex: A-Akaza!? W-Where’s your diving suit? What are you doin?

Salvager 1: Yeah, where’s your gear?

Rakurai: Oh hush. Relax, I don’t need one

Salvager 2: Excuse me?

Rex: Say what now? You’re wearing just a clo-

Rakurai: Meet me down

Rex shouts in surprise as I leap off of the platform and into the Cloud Sea, feet first, disappearing

The young salvager stands there with his mouth agape for a few seconds to process his surprise

Salvager 1: Is he crazy!?

Rex: A-Akaza! What the heck was that!?

Rex jumps in after him, worried for his safety, the team stays firm on their cranes as they begin to submerge at an accelerating pace, as they too worried about my apparent lack of preparation 

Down in the sea, Rex looks for any signs of a drowned Rakurai. He flinches and shouts in surprise when Rakurai taps him on the back with a finger, thinking he’s hallucinating for half a second. What he sees is the yellow-eyed male swimming through the sea without any sort of gear, his cloak billowing through the liquid but still covering him. Rex almost forgets about the mission and sees the cranes submerge into the sea, each occupied by a salvager member. He can see them visibly recoil in surprise at Rakurai being perfectly and casually safe in the water in the water. Rex attempts to catch up to him and speaks, his voice muffled a bit by the water

Rex: A-Akaza! W-What in the, h-h-how are you even… doing that!?

Rakurai: Focus, you can worry about it later

Rex: How are you breathing!?

Rakurai: Rex…

Rex: Agh! Fine! Geez. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised at this point

***

The 2 of us continue to swim deeper and deeper, almost straight down toward the bed of this section of the sea destination. Upon spotting what appears to be the objective, I point it out to Rex, calling out lightly to him

Rakurai: There it is

Rex: What is?

Rakurai: The wreckage, it’s a large ship

Rex: Huh?

Several seconds later, Rex begins to see himself what I'm talking about, a massive metallic vessel submerged in the Cloud Sea

Rex: I-Is that it? 

Rakurai: Indeed

Rex: H-How did you know? I just now saw it

Rakurai: I have better vision than you do

Rex: Oh you’re just loaded with surprises aren’t you? Titan’s Foot…

Rex surveys the vessel, amazed by its form and mechanisms

Rex: It looks pretty ancient… 

Rakurai: I’d estimate its age to be at least 760 years old generally speaking. First impression anyways

Rex: Seriously? How could you tell just by looking at it?

Rakurai: Better vision remember? Works even undercloud, I can see finer details. Besides, don’t you claim you can appraise salvage material just by looking at it too?

Rex: H-Hey! T-That’s…

Rakurai: As I thought

Rex just growls in annoyance and looks further at the wreckage, noticing something

Rex: Is that the… propulsion mechanism? I’ve never seen one that shape before… Which country made this…? 

Rakurai: You want to know?

Rex: You do?

He nods

Rex: Who then?

Rakurai: An old country, a powerful civilization that ended about years ago

Rex: Is that how you can tell?

Rakurai: Yes, but even then, I’m able to tell it’s close exact age

Rex: What do you mean by ended? What happened?

Rakurai: This isn’t exactly the time for a history lesson. For now, let’s focus on the mission. I can tell you about it later

Rex: Well alright, that’s fair

The cranes lower further onto the mysterious ship until they eventually hook up and grab it. I ponder while he and Rex swim to the side of the ship to proceed with attaching flotation devices

Rakurai: *A ship made by Torna… more than 7 centuries old. Malos, Nia, and Jin want us to explore it. Things keep getting more suspicious the more we get into this job. Anything to do with Torna or Khaenriah is important, especially considering what Ei told me about the Aegis War and the Cataclysm that followed. I think “explore” is a misleading term, they already know what’s here don’t they? They just want us to confirm and find it. It could be a specific artifact they’re looking for. This ship isn’t a wreckage, it has almost full structural integrity, no, it was sunken here… for a reason… what could that be? Nia seems interesting though… I have a theory that she’s the one kept out of the full loop, Jin and Malos are the minds behind this. Regardless, I have a prompting… that I shouldn’t hand over whatever it is to them. I’ll worry about it more when the time comes, however. The only very unsure question is… why would they need a Rex, or more specifically a Leftherian on this job? Something’s not adding up yet*

The salvagers swim to the side of the Ancient Ship’s hull and attach blow-up flotation devices to add to the crane’s pulling strength and haul it out of the water. Rex and I attach the devices we have on our persons. Rex gives a waving signal to the others and it’s quickly carried around. Once that is done, they quickly exit the danger zone as these flotation devices are much larger and more powerful than the one Rex used on his earlier salvage on Gramps’s back. The flotation devices activate and blow up to large sizes

Rex: We better get ready to head inside

Rakurai: Mm

***

After some time, the ancient ship is eventually brought to the surface, after being fully lifted out, the floats deactivate a bit to allow the ship to float just enough on the surface and not sink. Nia is in awe at the size of the ship from Torna, Malos, and Jin are with her

Nia: Whoa… that’s massive

Malos: The appearance matches our reports… but it’s what’s inside that matters

Iselin smiles to herself, almost in glee, and rambles to herself

Iselin: It’s been quite a long time coming. Now you’ll be at my mercy

Jin: Save your vengeance for another time Iselin. When all is said and done, you can do as you please

Iselin: I understand that perfectly well, I’m not unreasonable. Let us disembark Valdemar

Valdemar: Of course Iselin

Valdemar follows close to Iselin, and then is soon followed by Nia, Sever, Dromarch, Malos, and Jin

Team Leader: Object is secure! Proceed to 2nd Phase! 

Nia and her comrades follow the team leader to the ship, which has set bridges to dock with the vessel

***

Rex: Look who’s come to join the party, was wondering if you were going to show up

Their team meets us on top of the ancient vessel, which Rex and I had climbed on top of as the ship rose to the surface of the sea. Surprisingly, Nia is impressed with what she sees

The Ancient Vessel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWmm4VkFo6Q

Nia: Excellent work! You’re not half bad, you know what? 

Rex: *Smiles* I do this for a livin' remember? Akaza’s impressive too. He freakin’ went straight in without a diving suit

This has Nia suspicious

Nia: Uh huh… that’s not a thing

Rex: It is! Neither did I think so till I saw it! He was divin' down without a suit. I’m serious!

The Gormotti looks at me in surprise and he nods

Nia: W-What…? H-How is that possible? With the time you were down there, you would drown from a lack of oxygen!

Rakurai: You’ll have to find out

Nia: Excuse me!?

Rex: I can’t explain it either, all I know is that he did it… in only a cloak. Seriously, you’re nuts!

Rakurai: Mm

Team Leader: All teams, proceed inside when ready! 

Nia puts aside her shock and focuses on the mission. Malos eyes me with intrigue but continues ahead

Malos: Right then, let’s get moving

Malos, Jin, and Sever walk off. Jin stops though, and turns to Rex and myself

Jin: …You, with us

Rex: *Surprise* Me? 

Nia: You’re gonna drag the kid along? Seriously? 

Malos: Guess he thinks you need all the help you can get

Nia is not pleased

Nia: Oi!

Malos sends a wry smile at her as he walks away

Malos: Gahahahaha!

Nia: Ugh!

She turns to Rex and me and shouts at us

Nia: Well? Don’t just stand there! You’ve got your orders, haven’t you? 

Rakurai: I follow no one’s orders, we’ll go when it suits us. There’s no need to shout, come along Rex

Rex: Got it

They head along the ship’s exterior to a large metal door entrance. Jin, Malos, and Sever are already ahead. There's a combination of nervousness, intrigue, and excitement from the other salvagers

“You first. That’s the salvager way. Charging headlong into the unknown!”

“Ooh, must be some really top-notch goodies in there! Salvager sense tingling like mad!” 

“Who’d have thought such a massive ship would sink? I wonder when it was built…”

Rex: Do people not know who built it?

I respond in a low voice

Rakurai: If one is willing to do the research, and put in time and effort in the search, they could… but few know about this ship’s origins

Rex: How do you know?

Rakurai: …I have a penchant for discovering secrets. Now Rex, do not tell anyone what I said about this ship, wakatta?

Rex: Why is that?

Rakurai: Just intuition, I do not have the best sense of this situation, something is off

Rex: What’s that supposed to mean?

Rakurai: Let’s just proceed with the mission

Rex: Right, got it

He makes a lip-zipping maneuver. I raise an eyebrow but shrug, supposing that it’s good enough. They eventually catch up to the others. The Salvager Team Leader accompanies Malos and his companions. Rex looks curiously at the door

Rex: How’d you suppose we get past that?

Rakurai: Mmm…

My ears wriggle before I can think, hearing something on the other side of the door

Rakurai: *It sounds like arthropod footsteps, and large ones… and it’s from behind the door*

Rex: Akaza? What’s up?

Rex notices my face shifting to process the information

Rakurai: Something’s behind the door

As if on cue, a loud metallic crash sound is heard and the doors begin to open outward

Rex: Ah! What the- how did you-?

Rakurai: Don’t ask

Another crash

Nia: Eh? What’s that?

Malos: Mmm… Well well

After another set of loud bangings, the doors burst open and fall down to reveal a massive isopod-like creature scuttling toward them

Rakurai: A lysaat

Rex: He’s huge!

Nia: Let me show you what a Driver can do!

Rakurai: Mm

Everyone takes out their weapons. Rex gets his greatsword and I summon my sword from inside a sheath hidden in my cloak, sliding it out and holding it in a stance. Valdemar stands in front of Iselin protectively, who doesn't seem fazed and allows things to play out

His Resolution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV1w9RUGgOA

Nia: Haaaa!

They charge at the lysaat. Nia slides under it and slices its underside, making it screech in rage. It tries slicing her with one of its claws, but I’m quickly there to intercept the blow, using my sword with a single hand and blocking the attack

Nia: Hey! I don’t need your help, I can handle this quite fine

Rakurai: Shush it, I just saved you a potential injury

I easily force the lysaat off of me with a flick of my sword. Malos attacks its legs with an Anemo-empowered slice from Sever. Both he and Dromarch stand by, giving power to their drivers to fight. Dromarch circles around the lysaat as he does so. Rex gives a battle cry and whacks the bug’s face. The lysaat goes into a frenzy and advances on Jin and Rex, swiping its appendages rapidly. Jin uses his nodachi sword and parries the attacks. I use one hand and punch the lysaat, a shockwave rings out from the punch, and the lysaat is forced back, surprising Rex. It kicks Malos away with one of its legs, but he stays upright by taking the hit with his tonfa sword. Valdemar rushes in with hydro wrist blades and cuts through the armor of the lysaat on its side, enraging the isopod as it screeches and hisses. Valdemar is too fast for the creature to strike as he runs circles around it

Getting fed up and wanting an easier target to hit, the lysaat turns to Nia and tries swiping at her, but she slashes one of its eyes out with her ring blade, and the beast hisses in fury. Dromarch growls and leaps onto the arthropod, getting on its back and clawing its body. The isopod attempts to shake the blade off, but the distraction allows Jin, Rex, and I to get slashes on its body. It rears back and spits out some of its acidic insides at its enemies. Malos uses anemo power to blow it away from him, but Nia and Rex get a bit on them

Rex: Ow! Ow! Ow! It burns a bit!

Nia: AGH!

I easily dodge another acid stream. The lysaat exchanges attacks with Jin, but the white-haired man easily holds his own and cuts off one of its side legs. Malos uses an anemo burst and knocks back the arthropod again. Sever uses his claws and scratches the body of their adversary, and Valdemar knocks the isopod on its side with 2 flying hydro slashes. The lysaat gets up and tries to attack Sever but he jumps away with an Anemo gust. Dromarch leaps off of the lysaat’s back before he can be rammed into a railing by the angry isopod. The crustacean screeches again and leaps into the air, curling itself up and attempting to smash me with an impact from above

Rex: Akaza! It’s comin' for you!

The tall man doesn’t give any hint of concern. He looks up at the descending isopod and dodges to the side easily when it impacts with a loud banging sound. Iselin finally makes a move and swipes her hand up, causing a blue and purple pillar of energy to rise and burst from the ground, staggering the lysaat. I grab the bug with my free hand and easily throw it onto its side, with the legs facing towards him, frantically moving to stand up again

Rex: Holy crap

Malos rushes to the lysaat and quickly stabs his sword into its head. The lysaat gives a howling screech of agony and then dies soon after, Rex takes a moment to catch his breath and Malos slowly retrieves his sword from the body. The surrounding onlookers are in awe of the drivers’ performances

Salvager 2: Amazin, so that’s how drivers and blades fight… 

Salvager 1: So ruthless, it’s like their monsters themselves

Nia looks at the salvagers for a moment after hearing them and they proceed to head inside the ship with the door having now been broken down

Rakurai: *I wouldn’t say that’s an accurate description, skilled combatants are more like it*

Rex: Nice! I’m sure glad these drivers are on our side. You too Dromarch

The tiger nods to Rex. Nia folds her arms presumptuously

Nia: No need to get hysterical, it was a walk in the park… 

Rex: Yeah but still

Rakurai: Do you mind taking a compliment? He’s saying you did a good job Nia, what’s the point in being uptight about it

Malos: That’s enough yapping you pair of brats. Let’s move!

Rakurai: Pipe down over there Malos! We’ll get there when we need to!

Malos scoffs and follows his blade Sever and Jin into the ship. Valdemar and Iselin walk/float after them

Nia: Tch… talk about self-important

Rex: Gramps always told me to respect my elders

A brief pause and Rex begins to start chuckling. Surprisingly, so does Nia. Dromarch paws his face

Nia: Bwahaha!

Rex: Tahahaha!

Rakurai: Mmmm… what’s with you 2?

Rex: N-Nothin, j-just makin’ a joke about pushy Malos. Not funny?

Rakurai: Mm, I suppose I can see your point

Rex: Just how old are you anyway?

Rakurai: I’ll tell you sometime

Rex: Not again!

The group head inside the ship, leaving the deck empty except for one observer: Pupunin, and his 2 guards behind him, he’s carrying a kind of monitoring device and watching Nia, Rex, Dromarch, and Rakurai. From the other side, Chairman Bana watches them go inside the ancient ship

Bana: They make short work of monster… these no ordinary fighters

The Nopon businessman smiles with greed

Bana: Big job in Mor Ardain going well too… there much money to be made from these people! Ohohohohoho!

Unaware to anyone, even Bana and Pupunin, I am not unaware of their spying, my eyes veering off to the side in Pupunin’s direction while he faces forward

I wonder why Bana’s watching us… perhaps he’s just making sure the job is going well. I don’t trust him though, could be some other reason. There usually is

My eyes turn back to the interior of the ship. I hear one salvager suggest something to the others

“Better to let the Drivers and Blades go in first… I bet it’s chock full of dangerous monsters”

Rakurai: …Most likely…

Rex: What?

Rakurai: Keep your weapon out Rex. Knowing something like this, many creatures inhabit the inside, keep your guard up and watch everywhere

Rex: Got it!

Nia: Not a bad plan 

Upon going further inside, we encounter several floating jellyfish-like flesh creatures, medooz

Rex: Oh, that’s a bit weird…

The medooz spot us and attack with pressurized bubbles. I slice one of them to pieces with my sword and Jin nicks it with his nodachi when it tries to avoid him. Nia tosses her left ring and slices the medooz as it passes. It falls to the ground and dies. The ring bounces off a pillar and returns to Nia’s hand

Nia: Got it!

Valdemar moves to attack the other 2 jellyfish when Iselin snaps her fingers and impales the 2 creatures with chains made of the same purple/blue energy as earlier. The warrior stares at the mage

Valdemar: I would have gotten those creatures easily

Iselin: I saved you the effort. I do not require your bodyguard services all the time

Valdemar has no comment and just proceeds forward at Iselin's side

Malos: Let’s move on 

There are 2 sets of stairs on the opposite sides of the room, leading to the mid-deck of the ship. They depart through the left stairs, going further down the ship’s mid-deck. A quintuplet of hermit crab-looking enemies stalks a section of the ship, with 2 doors leading to other areas. Rankor Krabbles

Rex: Hah!

Rex uses his broadsword and swings it into one of the krabbles, smashing the crab into the ground. I dash around the other 2 rapidly, slashing them at various points. Their shells get damaged from the attacks and allow Malos and Jin to wound them. The krabbles try swiping at their new enemies with their enlarged claws, but it’s easily dodged. Nia uses a hydro slash with one of her rings to wash away one of the krabbles, frantically flinging its limbs while it’s on its back. Rex flips over one of the krabbles and stabs its underside, ending its life. Valdemar spins rapidly around the area with his wrist blades, cutting up the krabbles and knocking them around, blasting them back with flying Hydro slashes. One of them jumps on him but he thrusts his blade straight through the underside and then tosses the creature aside with disdain

Valdemar: Annoying and disgusting critters

Malos uses Sever’s Anemo powers and lifts one of the krabbles into the air, where Jin uses his nodachi to kill it. I use a sword thrust and break through the already damaged shell of the last krabble that was washed away by Nia, piercing its body and soon killing it. Afterwards, I swiftly extricate my blade from the corpse

Rex makes a curious sound and bends down to pick up something near a dead krabble. It’s a surprisingly well-kept medallion made of gold, it has a few rust spots on it, but it still looks in very good condition

Rex: Hey! Nia! I just found the shiniest trinket! You wanna see?

He holds it up in the air as he faces Nia. My face deadpans, not amused by the display. The gormotti appears to ignore him

Rex: Hey! Nia?

Nia: Yeah yeah, I’ll check it out later. You’re such a child sometimes

Rakurai: Focus on the mission Rex, we can inspect gold and artifacts later

Rex: Alright, fine

Jin: Let’s proceed

Sever: Hehehe, lots of ugly bugs to kill and fight in this ship! Must’ve all gotten trapped or found their way in and made it a home

We press on then, who knows what else may lay inside this ship. But as we proceed deeper, there’s this unmistakable sense of foreboding and anticipation that I can’t ignore, which only heightens my suspicions about this whole situation Rex and I are in. But with so little information to go off of and uncertainly, we have little choice but to keep moving and hope everything works out

Chapter Text

Against All Odds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgEIVSL8xVY

Our team encounters a host of challenges including more monsters and creatures in the depths of the ship, creaky and rusted stairways and platforms, pitfalls, semi-functioning tech, etc. We smash through any of the aforementioned monsters in our way easily enough. The floating mages accompanying Malos and his crew separate from us and spread out through the interior to clear it out while searching for anything useful while Valdemar and Iselin remain with our main frontline group. Malos and Jin direct us to our destination the whole way through. The salvagers outside of the ship eventually move inside to follow behind us as we clear out monsters, making the area safer for them to explore and plunder. I wasn’t nearly as concerned about the salvagers' “maybe” thievery of the place as I was about the true objective of this escapade. As such, I keep a close eye on our mission partners, still 100% certain I can’t fully trust them

What are they looking for in here? Some kind of powerful artifact? A weapon? Maybe a collection or group of something… it could possibly even be directions to their objective like a map. Regardless, I stand by my commitment, I don’t think I’ll let them have it regardless of what it is. The Holy Spirit is making that much clear to me that 

We reach a control room after bashing through waves of monsters without too much difficulty. A console facing a large sliding hatch door in the front, with a deactivated power system

Rakurai: I presume what you’re after is through those doors?

Malos: Just about, looks to be closed however…

Rakurai: Mm, this console should open it

I wipe off the moss and dirt from it. I quickly analyze the mechanism and figure out how it works after some brief kinesthetic action. I activate a button and see a glowing set of information presented before me

Console Status: Deactivated

Error- Cannot activate Ether Fuel Tank: Empty

Particularly catching my eye is the mention of “Ether”, as I recognize what it’s talking about. Ether is the substance that Blades use to power their weapons and aid their Drivers, not to mention it’s present in the air, though my experiments and studies with it are unsure of whether it could be identified as an Element– exclusive to Alrest, a kind of chemical compound, or… something else entirely, an esoteric force perhaps

Malos: Well? What’s the issue? You gonna open it?

Rakurai: Chinmoku, don’t rush things like this Malos. The console is inoperable, the mechanism has no fuel to operate so the door won’t open in its current state

Rex: Eh? What do we do though? Do you know what it runs on?

Nia: Electricity?

I look to the large tubes behind everyone and notice a slot opened out from the chamber in the corner. I walk over to it and observe the slots which are shaped to fit capsules. Quickly understanding what’s going on and how this system works, I relay it to everyone else

Rakurai: This, it’s Ether. The mechanism requires Ether to be powered and operate in this chamber, which connects the rest of the system

Nia: How’d you figure that out?

Rakurai: Simple deduction

Nia: This ship is incredibly old and worn and you’re tellin’ me you figured out how to work this system… by simple deduction?

Rex: That’s impressive

Iselin: I agree

Rakurai: A single capsule of Ether should do. Perhaps there’s one out here

Malos: And where would that be?

Rakurai: Kantan, a fuel storage room, with a dedicated compartment. It’s for backup fuel so that way the crew wouldn’t have to stop and refuel at a point and waste time, they can just take some from storage easily enough. If this ship follows a similar layout as other vessels then…

I look to a railed stairway leading to a section on the side and point to it

Rakurai: Soko no. The fuel storage compartment should be up there, close to here for efficient transport

Valdemar: Are you certain? 

Rakurai: *Narrows eyes* Positive, now follow me

Iselin: Let us proceed then and acquire the fuel we need. I do hope you are correct

I walk over to the stairway and everyone eventually follows after a chorus of shrugs, Rex runs up to me

Rex: That’s amazin' Akaza, you seem to know so much about this place!

Rakurai: Not this ship specifically, but I’m experienced in mechanics and engineering, so I can predict the layouts of vessels and other things

Rex: Really?

Rakurai: Surely even an ancient ship like this must not deviate much from the standard layout of its class

Rex: Oh… hey Akaza, that substance you mentioned, what’s Ether?

Rakurai: It’s a life-giving substance and biological necessity that’s present in the air, don’t worry about that part too much. What’s notable is that it’s the source of energy those linked with Drivers use to empower weapons and the ones they are linked to. They draw it in from their surroundings

Rex: Got it! That’s cool. You’re really smart you know

Rakurai: I study science: how the world operates for a living

Rex: Wow

After progressing far enough down a corridor, We come to a relatively small room, where I spot an Ether fuel compartment on the far side, seeing a glowing yellow and orange Ether canister

Rakurai: There, a canister

Rex: Awesome! So we need that?

Rakurai: *Nods* We’ll just have to deal with the crustip to earn it

Rex: Eh? What crus- Oh

A large crustip emerges from behind a shelf and spots our group, chittering angry noises due to having it’s territory invaded

Rex: One of these again?

Rakurai: Hmph

Nia: Let’s kick it’s arse!

I rush to the crustip with my blade, rolling to the side in time to dodge one of its claw swipes. Nia sends a burst of water using one of her rings but the crustip blocks it by using one of his claws as a shield, hard enough to largely avoid damage. It swipes at Nia and she blocks it with the other ring. Malos shouts and kicks the creature in the face, knocking it back and then unleashing a wind slash, cutting the exoskeleton and causing the creature to bleed

Malos: See how much you like that you bug

The crustip smashes the ground in front and knocks Nia back. Valdemar blocks and parries the crustacean's pincers, and then jumps to the side to allow Iselin to use a concentrated laser beam of energy to knock the creature across the room. Rex attacks its legs and cuts one of them off as the crustip stands back up. I punch its face and the lobster staggers back in pain, emitting a chittering screech of fury. It tries to go for Rex but he lifts his blade in time to block the attack, though the resulting impact does move him back a bit as recoil. Nia throws her rings, infusing them with Hydro, they veer off slightly and then converge on the crustip’s side, slicing it and emitting a Hydro blast that causes the arthropod to sharply recoil, disorienting it. The rings return to Nia’s side as she smirks and continues fighting. Rex returns to the fight and cuts off one of the legs of the crustip, knocking it off balance. Taking the opportunity, Jin and I use our respective swords and cut deep into the carapace of the crustip at the same time. The creature wails in pain and then slumps to the ground. Jin and I remove our swords after the creature’s death

Jin: I can tell you possess excellent swordsmanship. Well done

I respond to Jin with a simple nod of the head

Rex: Alright! We got it!

Malos: The canister then

I step past the crustip and to the storage container with the Ether canister sticking out. I extract it with a twist

Jin: Now to reactivate the system

I nod in agreement and so we backtrack to the room with the Ether chambers and the console. I travel over to the slot and insert the Ether canister with another twist. It’s lowered into the cabinet with a mechanical whirl sound and it retracts back into place. A second later, a golden beam shoots out from the bottom of the chamber and expands, glowing brightly. A powering-up sound can be heard throughout the room. A blue light goes across the ground and to the console, activating it as it glows

Nia: Wow… you were… spot on

I walk over to the console, raising an eyebrow at Nia as I do

Rakurai: Are you implying that you doubted my observative findings?

Nia: I…

She goes silent which is enough of a hint for me

Rakurai: I’ll take that as an “affirmative”

I touch the console control device and maneuver a holo switch on it to see if a certain gesture can activate the door. After a brief moment of experimenting with the console, I am eventually able to open it from what it seems, as some of its lines glow blue. Nia appears to be waiting for something to happen, but ends up confused

Nia: Is it going to open?

Rakurai: Of course, it’s activated so we need to go close to it to cause it to open, it’s motion-sensing

My tone implies a rather “obvious” attitude and Nia flushes red a bit from making herself look stupid, earning a smirk from Rex. Our team moves on to the door, which opens as needed. As we travel inside, however, we're faced with a shark-tailed amphibian-looking beast with 2 legs and lots of teeth blocking our entry, it turns around and notices us, roaring menacingly and not at all happy we encroached on its lair. Ahead is another door behind it

Rakurai: An aligo? Interesting… 

Malos: *Folds arms* Not planning on letting us pass huh? Sounds like a challenge

Iselin: The aligo appears to have an unnaturally large stature

Rex: That is one gigantic beast, geez! Do Aligos normally grow this large?

Rakurai: No, perhaps there is an abundance of Ether in the air and so it caused it to grow abnormally large. Either that or a mutation

Valdemar: Hehehe, this will be interesting. How repulsive of a creature. I’ll be glad to kill it

Valdemar activates his Hydro wrist blades

Exploration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Xaw95i8F6k

The aligo beats charges at them, sliding on its belly in a ramming motion. Rex shouts in surprise and is knocked aside due to being unprepared while everyone else is able to effectively evade the attack, though Nia is knocked off balance

Nia: Ack!

Rex: Ouch! My butt!

The aligo quickly turns around and starts slashing with its claws, advancing on Malos and Jin, who use their weapons to block the massive beast’s strikes. Malos sends an Anemo slash, but the creature uses its thick arm to block the attack, albeit receiving a small cut on the arm in return, making it angry. I jump toward it and backflip off its side, causing a powerful force to stagger the beast. I toss my blade hard and it embeds itself into the body of the aligo. It roars in agony and rage and tries slapping me as I land, but as soon as I do, I limbos back, the tail passing over him. Jin attacks the aligo’s side and I rush after it, jumping onto the shark and extricating my sword from the body quickly, then slashing its side. The aligo snaps at me but I jump back, it then snaps at Jin and he rolls to the side. The aligo then backflips and lands on its back, unleashing an area of impact that knocks everyone backward, then quickly flipping its body back over. Valdemar slowly advances while he swipes his blades and sends Hydro slashes. the aligo snarls repeatedly and sees Iselin nearby, attempting to attack her

Valdemar: Iselin!

Iselin: Hmph

The sorceress teleports repeatedly as the aligo tries to attack her but to no avail, only getting increasingly frustrated and confused, unable to catch her. Iselin then suddenly appears at the creature’s side and creates an orb of condensed blue-purple energy near it, expanding it briefly and then causing it to implode, unleashing a blast of energy that sharply staggers it

Malos uses an Anemo wave using his blade and knocks the aligo into a pillar while it's distracted, bruising it. Iselin teleports next to the beast, creates a dagger out of energy, and then jabs it into the creature's eye, enraging it. The shark snaps at her but she teleports once again. Jin thrusts upwards and gets its underside, resulting in him being swept back by the aligo’s fin in retaliation. The aligo tries biting Rex but he dodges. Rex repeatedly bounds back as the Aligo unleashes a wild frenzy of slashes and while Rex does a good job of evading and blocking, one of the Aligo's claws cuts his arm, which spills blood from the wound on the floor. Rex flinches and shouts with pain, bashing the beast in his face in retaliation. Rex goes for the 2 legged shark's leg, he misses, however, and runs around the aligo to stay away from its mouth once it snaps back

Rex: Uh oh!

He jumps over a fin swipe and ganks its fin with his sword. The aligo snarls again and attempts another attack on Rex by turning around, but is suddenly stopped. The creature realizes I had grabbed its fin and was now holding onto it tightly. I proceed to yank the creature back with a strong pull and then slice the aligo’s back. The beast swipes to get back at me, but its attempts are futile as I easily dodge. Valdemar crosses his hands and flicks outward, unleashing a cross-water slash that cuts into the aligo. The warrior cackles with glee as he and Malos perform a team attack, forcing the aligo backward as it tries to look for a way out. The beast gets onto its belly again and slides forward, snapping at anyone in its way and forcing Malos, Sever, and Valdemar to duck out of the way. Nia swipes her right ring up and sends a small Hydro fissure towards her opponent, blowing up in the aligo’s face whilst stunning and knocking it off balance

Iselin opens up several portals behind her, each of them unleashing a small group of purple/blue bolts of energy that barrage the aligo and knock it off course from a charge

Nia: Rex! Make sure you’ve got my tail! 

Rex: W-What? Is that a fancy way of saying to “have your back?” Alright then, got you covered!

Rex runs forward and extends his hand

Rex: Let’s go! Anchor Shot!

He activates a bottom on his wrist and shoots out his salvager anchor, embedding right into the aligo’s throat as Iselin barrages it, eliciting a roar of pain from the beast as blood spills. Iselin halts her attack, curious to see how this will play out. The aligo locks on the boy and expresses its fury toward the teenage salvager, not at all liking the anchor hook stuck in his throat. The beast charges at Rex with its maw open and the salvager gasps

Rex: Aw crud…

Nia: Rex! Get out of the way!

Rex: My anchor! It’s stuck!

Rex: *Not to mention it’s getting closer so there’s less tension with the cord!*

Malos: Hah! Looks like the kid’s about to get eaten

Nia: Malos!

Rakurai: Hmph, I’m tired of this

As the aligo gets closer to Rex, I sprint toward them. He looks behind him and is astonished to see me leap over him and into the air

I fly over the aligo from upside down. As I sail over his head, I toss my sword downwards and…

With pinpoint accuracy, the sword strikes right into the head and brain of the aligo. The beast doesn’t even get a chance to express pain and anger, and within 2 seconds, it dies, crashing on the ground. It slides towards Rex a little more before stopping a foot from Rex, dead from the sword on its head. Nia is stunned and even Jin appears impressed. I land on the opposite end of the aligo, turning my head back to face them. Rex is stunned

Rex: Titan’s foot, Akaza! That was amazin'! You hit it dead on! 

Valdemar: That is a warrior’s aim… It strikes true, heh

Iselin nods in agreement with Valdemar’s assessment

Malos: Gotta admit, that was impressive Akaza

Jin: That was a good throw, I commend you

Nia: My goodness!

I stride over to the aligo’s head and leap onto its head, proceeding to yank my sword out with little effort and jumping back down to ground level

Nia: You’re… certainly strong, aren’t you? 

Rakurai: Now then…

We turn to the door that the Megalo Aligo had been guarding and approach it. Malos grins, evidently satisfied with what he sees as he nudges his head to his friend

Malos: Jin, check this out. There it is. Addam’s crest

Valdemar: It seems we have finally reached the location of our target

Malos: And about time too

Rakurai: …Addam?

A symbol on a circular device rests on the door. I recognized the name, he was the Prince of Torna that Ei mentioned, the one who awakened the Aegis as his Blade. Though she never have me his name, I later found it out through various sources. It must be a seal of some kind. Is Addam this vessel’s architect?

Curious as usual, Rex turns to Malos with a question

Rex: “Addam’s… Crest”? What does that mean? 

Jin: You

Rex turns to Jin who calls to him

Jin: Open this door

Rex: Me?

Jin: This door, will only open to one of you people

Valdemar: Do as he says

Rex is confused. I have the slightest hint of realization on my face

One of you people…? Does that mean… only Rex can open it? But he said people… could that mean someone from Leftheria? Could they be connected with this “Addam”? Rex is the only salvager in Leftheria, and a good one too… so they hired him for this purpose, to open this door! Yet the question remains… What’s the connection here? I’m becoming further convinced that something crucial is behind this doorway

Rex doesn’t get it though, not sharing the same thinking mind as myself, and remains oblivious

Rex: One of me? What’re you talkin' about? 

Malos: Hurry up and do it! We’re not paying you to ask dumb questions

That tone of Malos’s voice… he clearly knows we’re extremely close and he’s getting giddy about it, no delays or setbacks for him

Rex is offended by Malos’s rude gesture

Rex: What the hell…? You can’t treat hired hands like that

Rakurai: Language Rex…

Rex: Ah! Sorry Akaza!

Nevertheless, he goes to the door as instructed and to the seal

A Portent Crawling Over: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_r0DdTFdaU

Rakurai: How is that a dumb question Malos? The boy is confused

Malos: It’s a need-to-know basis

Rakurai: Mm, I don’t think it is…

I go over to Rex as he inspects the surrounding area

Rakurai: I’m going to ask you a question Malos… what is behind this door? 

Malos: That’s none of your business tall dark and shady, you’re not the contractor, so you don’t get to ask questions

Regardless of Malos’s statement, I’m not having it

Rakurai: I’ll ask again… what… is behind the door?

Nia: What are you trying to accomplish here Akaza?

Rakurai: Answers, Malos?

I catch the subtle gesture Malos is making of swirling the Anemo element around his blade, perhaps ready to strike

Malos: You’re getting real cheeky you know? I’m not going to say anything. It’s so simple, why can’t you just do the job and keep your mouth shut! We allowed you to come you know, could have kicked you out

Despite Malos’s fierce expression, my own face doesn’t change a bit. Like that would have stopped me

Rex: Now, how do we open this thing

Rakurai: What do you think? Press the seal

Rex: Oh hey

Rex taps the seal and it glows, the door panels slide up and open, into another room

Rex: So that was a release toggle! 

Rex heads further inside. We all see yet another door with “Addam’s Crest” on it, presumably for Rex to open. As he walks across the floor, green static energy crackles in his wake, but Rex neither notices nor seems to be affected by it

I see… it seems only a Leftherian can get past that field and unlock the doors, no wonder they needed Rex. Though why is it Leftherians of all people who can get past that?

Rakurai: I’m waiting for an answer Malos

Malos: You~…

Nia moves to follow Rex but is stopped by Jin, as he notices the energy field

Jin: Wait

Nia: Hm?

Jin: There, open that door too

Jin directs his command to Rex, who’s confused yet again but nods

Rakurai: Malos!

Malos: Last warning… if you don’t quit asking that, then I’ll have to do something about it

Rakurai: I see… there’s something in there that you intend to claim for yourself and keep from everyone else… Is that right?

Iselin narrows her eyes at me while Valdemar growls, who himself is getting irritated by my pestering like Malos is

Iselin: You intend to stop us?

…

If I have to

Malos: *Charges* That’s it! I’m going to-

Having anticipated this however, I perform a back jump, summoning my greatsword almost at an instant and using it to slash a control panel from the other side of the door as I land, damaging the mechanism. The door glitches and forcefully closes in Malos’s face, the last thing Rex and I see is his shocked expression as they’re cut off and stuck in the narrow corridor. The energy field activates and shocks my body, though I hold fast, clenching my muscles as I sweat in silent agony

Rex: W-What the-!? Akaza what did you-

Rakurai: Open the door Rex! Now! 

Rex: O-Okay!

He runs over to the door and presses it with his hand, opening it as it splits to the side. A pulsing sound can be heard and the electric field turns off. I release and untighten myself, falling to one knee and taking a long breath

***

Malos: Damn it!

Nia: Did they just lock us out!? How!?

Valdemar: Curse him! Now how are we supposed to enter!? Raaaagh!

Jin: There must have been a kind of panel for closing the door from the inside. He damaged it now so it’s useless

Nia: Why did he do that!?

Malos pounds on the door in anger

Malos: Raaaah! F***!

Iselin: Mind the language Malos

The black-haired male shoots Iselin a glaring look, not in the mood for her corrections. The sorceress, for her part, remains stoically calm despite the current situation screwing them over in a lot of different ways

Malos: *We came all this way! So close… and that dumbass sets us back!*

Malos: What an idiot, the static energy floor there will fry him to death

Jin: I don’t believe so. Once that other door is opened, the field is disabled. He seems smart enough to figure that out so I would imagine he’s still alive

Malos: Agh! Our objective is in there!

Nia: I don’t get it!

Dromarch: Perhaps he… knew about what we’re after?

Malos: That’s impossible. How would he know?

Iselin: There is a certain intellect in those yellow eyes of him… I honestly wouldn't put it past him to have discerned some aspects of our motives. And with such mystery behind him, it’s hard to guess just what exactly and how much he knows

Jin: It doesn’t matter, either way, he’s sensed our goal and did something about it swiftly. Impressive

Malos: Grrr! We need to find a way to open this blasted door! With or without the kid! Break it down if we have to!

Jin: This ship is resistant to elemental power, it’s durable and has survived so well for centuries for a reason Malos

Iselin starts to ponder on what to do to fix the problem, and an idea slowly forms in her mind as she recalls the battle against the Aligo. Her head turns to the splatter of Rex’s blood on the ground and hums to herself curiously in ponderance. After a brief moment of thought, she raises her hand and a purple magic circle appears in front of it, facing the blood splatter

***

Rex: A-Are you okay? What happened? W-Why did you lock them out?

Rakurai: Tch… first off, there was a green energy field beneath us on this floor that shocks anyone who can’t open the shield. But… besides that, I do not favor this situation Rex…

Rex: Eh? Don’t like it? Well… I-I mean I guess so, this ship is pretty creepy and all, not to mention full of dust and mysteries, and Malos is a jerk but-

Rakurai: That’s not what I meant. It’s not exactly his personality

He stands up and turns to my friend

Rakurai: I don’t trust them. Not just Malos. Jin, Valdemar, and Iselin.

Rex: Eh? W-What about Nia!? She seems alright, even if she’s a bit of a brat

Rakurai: …She’s the one I don’t particularly mind so much, but for our sake, I’m not going to lend her my full trust. It’s Malos, Valdemar, Iselin, and Jin I’m concerned about. They’re not telling us what this mission is for an adverse reason. Not to mention those mages, I feel like they’re familiar to me

Rex: Familiar? Familiar how?

Rakurai: Not directly, but I recall descriptions of similar folk some time ago… Folk belonging to the organization known as the Abyss Order

Rex: Abyss Order? What’s that?