Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Pain. White-hot agony the likes of which she hadn’t experienced before wracked her body as she lay prone, prostrate on the floor of Tenshukaku. ‘Undefeated’ was not an appellation that applied to General Kujou Sara even before this battle, but defeat remained rare, and never before had she lost a fight in view of her Shogun.

Sara could barely move. Parts of her body felt frozen, whilst others felt impossibly hot. None of that compared to the burning shame she felt in her heart. She lost. She’d lost, right in front of her Shogun. I failed.  

It took far more effort than it should have to crack open one eye. Blinking through the pained tears, she made out the blurry form of the Traveller, her back to her, walking out of Tenshukaku. She grunted, pain flaring as she moved her head, face dragging against the floor until her Shogun was in view.

Electro energy crackled around her, staring at the departing Traveller’s back. The Musou Isshin was clenched in her left hand, the blade glowing with barely-contained energy. A few paces behind her, the floor of the throne room was scorched black, a black mask resting atop a pile of ashes.

“My…” Sara croaked out. She lifted her arm, reaching weakly towards her. The Shogun slowly turned her head to look at her. “My Shogun…” The Shogun said nothing. Neither her eyes, nor her expression showed the slightest hint of concern or sympathy for her injured general. She barely spared her more than a glance.

Then, the moment was gone. The Shogun turned her head back to the door, and wordlessly walked towards it, leaving Sara behind. Fresh tears, ones that had nothing to do with the damage to her body, began to flow as something in her chest collapsed. My Shogun…

The last fragment of strength fled Sara, and everything went dark.

She’s in here!

The Kujou General! Oh… Find a doctor, hurry!

That’s a lot of blood. Someone find something we can use for bandages, quickly!

Stay with us, General, just hang on!

Sara woke with a start, then hissed as pain throbbed across her body. Worst in her right arm and shoulder, it flared in several other places as well, causing her eyelids to screw shut. When the pain subsided enough for her to open them again, she realised several things at once.

She wasn’t in Tenshukaku, or the Kujou Estate. The wood was dark, much of the panelling white or purple, and decorations of golden flowers and flowing lines that suggested rivers featured on the screens and furnishings. She was lying in a bed of some description, the sheets soft. The scent of sakura blooms mingled with the harsh smell of antiseptics and medicinal salves.

The Kamisato estate? Between the surroundings and the soft sound of waves lapping against the shore, it could hardly be anywhere else. But… Why am I here? Another flash of pain caused her to look down. Her right arm was splinted and covered in bandages, as was much of the rest of her, at least as far as she could see. 

Her clothes had been replaced with a soft white gown at some point whilst she was unconscious. That fact made her feel uncomfortably vulnerable for a moment, before forcing the feeling from her mind. Glancing to one side, she saw her mask resting on the table beside her bed, along with her Vision and some medical supplies.

The sound of a door carefully sliding open caused her head to snap in that direction, wincing as the movement caused her more pain. “Oh, you’re awake!” The delighted-sounding voice came from none other than Kamisato Ayaka, looking at Sara with wide eyes. “How are you feeling, General Kujou?” she asked, stepping fully into the room and closing the door behind her. In her hands was a jug of water, and Sara was suddenly aware of how dry her throat felt.

“What…” she croaked out, coughing and trying to stand. She hissed, collapsing back against her pillows.

“Please, try not to move too much,” Ayaka urged her, quickly crossing the space to her bedside, placing the jug down on the table. “You’re still recovering from your injuries. Do you need some water?” she asked.

“... Please,” Sara said after a moment. Ayaka nodded, pouring some water into a cup and lifting it to Sara’s mouth. Sara glowered at her, pursing her lips and, with a tinge of pain, lifting her left arm to take the cup. She tried to make her first sip politely restrained, but as soon as the water hit her parched tongue, she couldn’t stop herself from greedily swallowing the entire cup.

“Would you like another?” Ayaka offered, smiling encouragingly. Sara held her gaze, and then nodded. This time she succeeded in not gulping all of it in one go, restraining herself to more modest sips.

“Why—” She closed her eyes, taking a breath. Remember your etiquette. “I thank you for your hospitality, Kamisato Ayaka,” she began politely. “But… Why am I here?”

“After everything that happened, and the on-going uncertainty, we thought it would be best for you to be away from Tenshukaku and the Kujou Estate whilst you recuperate from your injuries,” Ayaka explained, taking a seat beside the bed.

My injuries… Sara looked back down at her bandaged arm. Suddenly, everything came flooding back. Her clan’s betrayal of Inazuma, the defeat she suffered against the Harbinger. The cold, uncaring look in her Shogun’s eyes…

Ayaka frowned slightly as Sara’s expression went blank, her eyes staring off into the middle distance. “Are you… Ahem. How are your injuries? Are you experiencing any pain?”

“I…” Her right arm throbbed, causing her to grit her teeth briefly. “It's fine. What… What is the situation in Inazuma at present? How long have I been unconscious?” she asked, eyes fixed on the far wall. The Tenryou Commission… Takayuki…

Ayaka studied her expression for a few moments before she answered. “Roughly two weeks. After the Tenryou Commission’s crimes were exposed, some dramatic changes have occurred. Kujou Takayuki has been removed as head of your clan, a cease fire has been declared with Watatsumi Island, and… The Vision Hunt decree has been rescinded.”

The cup in Sara’s hand cracked, and then shattered under the force of her grip. Ayaka jumped in her chair slightly, eyes flicking to Sara’s hand as it began to bleed. “Ah, your hand—!” Quickly, she picked up some of the bandages and took Sara’s hand. Sara didn’t try to stop her, eyes boring a hole into the wall, her body starting to shake.

The Vision Hunt Decree… Rescinded? All of those deaths, the suffering… “How…” She swallowed again. “How is the Almighty Shogun?” she asked, trying to keep her voice from wavering. Thanks to Sara’s intense focus on the far wall, she didn’t notice the troubled look that passed across Ayaka’s eyes.

“The Shogun is… Considering a change in course,” she answered carefully. “That’s the extent of what I know, beyond the fact that travel restrictions have been eased for outlanders. The Sakoku Degree is still largely in effect, however.”

Changing course? But, her eternity..? Everything I dedicated myself to… Sara swallowed stiffly, trying to fight the despair growing in her chest. She was aware, in a vague sense, that she should inquire about her injuries; how bad, how extensive they were. The larger part of her, however, couldn’t bring herself to care enough to ask.

Her eyes flicked to Ayaka as she dabbed disinfectant on the new cuts on her hand and began bandaging them. Why do you care? You were opposed to the Vision Hunt. I’d have come for yours eventually, the moment the Shogun ordered it. You have to know that, so why..? She swallowed again. Why are you here?

Just as the thought to ask Ayaka to leave occurred to Sara, there was a gentle knock at the door. “Ayaka?” a voice called through, a voice Sara recognised immediately.

Not her as well, she begged. Anyone but her… Her breath caught in her throat.

“Oh, Yoimiya! Come in!” Ayaka said, ignorant to Sara’s mounting terror. The door slid open once again, Yoimiya backing into the room carrying a box. The only mercy offered to Sara was the fact she couldn’t see her face yet, giving her a few extra seconds to try to compose herself.

“I’ve got the medicine you wanted— Sara! You’re awake!” she exclaimed as she turned around. Quickly, she put the box down before rushing over, Sara’s field of view almost completely filled by messy blonde hair, golden eyes, and Yoimiya’s bright smile. “Ohh we were so worried when you didn’t wake up after a few days, and your injuries! I’m so glad you’re awake!”

“I…” It wasn’t that Sara lacked the words, it was that there were too many she wanted to say. ‘Why do you care?’ was amongst them, certainly, but there were so many others. You actively resisted the decree! My men tortured your friend, almost killed him! I commanded the civil war that almost ripped this country in half! Why do you care about me?!

“Yoimiya, she needs space,” Ayaka gently chided her, one hand on her shoulder pulling her back.

“Oh, sorry!” Yoimiya apologised, retreating to a respectful distance. Even that, though, was far too close for Sara’s fragile state to cope with. Cruelly, her mind conjured an image of a Yoimiya who’d had her Vision taken from her. The ‘Queen of the Summer Festival’ reduced to a hollow shell of herself, bereft of so many of her memories, or driven to madness instead. It was a tortuous idea, one that Sara couldn’t force out of her head.

And it didn’t stop there. Unlike Ayaka, Yoimiya was more than just a reminder of the harm that she’d done and the damage she would have continued to do in the Shogun’s name. Yoimiya was a potent reminder of the times Sara doubted the Shogun’s dictates. Every time she had questioned the decree, but had soldiered on regardless. The only mercy she’d ever shown was letting Yoimiya and the Traveller leave with the counterfeit Vision crafter, and even that was only thanks to the consequences of her own soldiers’ cruelty.

For the first time since waking, Sara wished she’d died on the floor of Tenshukaku. It would have been kinder than this.

“Sara?” Yoimiya asked, head tilting and brow creasing in concern. “Are you okay?” she asked, worried by Sara’s prolonged silence.

“I’m fine,” Sara said, a little too quickly. “I’m just… Tired.” Ayaka and Yoimiya shared a look at that.

“That… Makes sense, you are still recovering. Speaking of which,” Ayaka said, rising from her seat and going to the box Yoimiya carried in. “We should discuss the extent of your injuries.”

Yes, tell me exactly how badly I failed Inazuma, Sara thought darkly. Regardless, she nodded; it would be exceptionally strange for a warrior of her status to be unconcerned with her injuries, and the last thing she wanted was them worrying over her even more.

“Your right arm was broken in a few places. Namely, your wrist and upper arm. There were a number of cuts and burns of varying severity; the most concerning injuries were a stab wound to your torso, along with a larger burn there,” Ayaka explained, bringing a small bottle over to Sara.

“You mentioned medicine?” Sara asked, trying to mentally tally up an expected recovery time in her head. Two weeks already bedridden. Depending on the severity of the breaks… It was something she’d figured out many times before. Injury was something she was intimately familiar with; whether figuring out how long her own would take to heal, or how long to keep a wounded soldier off duty. Today, though, her mind felt too sluggish to provide an answer. What’s the point?

“Your injuries were contaminated by cryo and pyro energy, and a lot of it is still in your body,” Ayaka said. “This medicine will help disperse it faster. Until then, the doctor said that you shouldn’t use your Vision, or any other elemental energy. You may also experience fevers whilst the contamination remains.”

She offered the small bottle to Sara, who took it carefully. Lifting the bottle to her mouth, she eyed it suspiciously for a moment. Then, she drank it. The bitter taste briefly made her consider spitting it out, but two decades or so of discipline under Takayuki forced her to swallow. Ayaka took the empty bottle from her, before offering her another cup of water, which Sara immediately drank.

Ayaka’s concerned frown then returned. “I… May I ask what happened?” she asked. “I’ve been told that I’m the strongest wielder of cryo in Inazuma, but even if I caused it deliberately, I doubt any cryo contamination I could inflict would last more than a day or so. For it to remain for two weeks and longer…”

Sara grit her teeth behind pursed lips. Shame burnt in her heart, strong enough that she could practically taste it at the back of her throat. With a trembling hand she set her cup of water down, not trusting herself to not break a second one.

“... I heard that a woman by the name of ‘La Signora’—” Sara couldn’t help but flinch at the name “—was behind a conspiracy involving the Vision Hunt Decree. Did you fight her?” Ayaka continued asking.

“‘La Signora’?” Yoimiya asked, tilting her head. “Who’s that?”

“A Fatui Harbinger,” Sara found herself answering. “And… Yes, we fought. She proved the victor in our bout.”

“Wait, she beat you?!” Yoimiya blurted out in disbelief. “I-I mean, I knew you got injured obviously, but… You’re Kujou Sara!” Sara grit her teeth again, a wave of anger and humiliation washing over her. She hissed in a breath, screwing her eyes shut.

“I would like to be alone to rest,” she said, barely restraining it from being a growl. Her skin crawled, and she could feel the two of them looking at her. With pity.

“Of course,” Ayaka said graciously, quickly retreating from Sara’s bedside and ushering Yoimiya out. “We’ll leave you to rest. There’s a bell by your bed; ring it if you need anything at all.” With that, the pair of them left Sara to her solitude.

Everything I’ve done… Takayuki, the man who raised me, betrayed the Shogunate. The Vision Hunt Decree, repealed. A ceasefire with the resistance. Even the Sakoku Decree has been eased… Was all of it a mistake? She shook her head. No. No, the Almighty Shogun does not make mistakes.

But… The Tenryou Commission deceived the Shogun. They collaborated with the Fatui, and gave her false information. The Shogun can’t be blamed for that, right? No leader can make perfect decisions based on incorrect information. She looked down at her bedsheets, furrowing her brow. 

No mortal leader, maybe. But, a god? Shouldn’t the Almighty Shogun be above such mortal deception..? All the Visions we confiscated, all of my soldiers that died, all of the ones I killed… Was it all for a lie?

For the first time in her life, Sara had no idea what she was meant to do.

Chapter Text

Saying the first day passed quickly would have been a lie. True to her wishes, Sara had been left alone by her hosts, only disturbing her solitude twice; once to deliver more water, and once to deliver dinner. Both occasions were handled by servants of the Kamisatos other than Thoma, something Sara was thankful for. She wasn’t sure she could bear being around any more Vision wielders.

Her isolation, however, only allowed the maelstrom roiling in her mind to torment her further. Sometimes, it conjured the faces of those she’d confiscated —stolen— Visions from, and the ruin the loss of such a precious item had inflicted on some of them later. Other times, it was the letters she’d send to the families of soldiers who had died under her comment. 

‘Know that they died in honourable service of the Almighty Shogun, to bring the Eternity she promised Inazuma.’ That was what she’d written, so many times it almost became automatic. The promise she’d made to grieving family after grieving family, that their loved ones hadn’t died in vain. That they’d died helping achieve something greater than any of them.

All turned to ash, now. All for a god’s mistake. All for the petty schemes of jealous mortals. I went along with all of it in blind faith, and they made me an oathbreaker. That night, a few tears wet her cheeks without her noticing.

The next day offered her no reprieve. Instead of one of the servants, Ayaka took it upon herself to deliver Sara’s breakfast. “Good morning, Kujou Sara,” she greeted her formally, offering a small smile. “Are you feeling any better?” she asked, approaching with a tray of food.

No. “Good morning, Kamisato Ayaka,” Sara returned the greeting. “My injuries appear to be healing,” Sara replied neutrally.

“That’s good,” Ayaka said, with genuine honesty that left Sara’s stomach to twist into guilty knots. “The doctor will be visiting today, since you regained consciousness, to check on the progress of your recovery.” Ayaka gently set the tray across Sara’s lap, it having legs so it rested evenly on the bed.

“There’s also a letter that arrived this morning for you,” Ayaka continued, placing a sealed envelope on the table by Sara’s bed. Slowly, Sara turned her head to look at it. The seal on it bore the unmistakable emblem of the Sangonomiya Clan.

Watatsumi… Sara swallowed stiffly, nodding once. “I see,” she said, reaching out with her left hand to take it. The limb ached less this morning. With some difficulty, she managed to open it, prising the letter out despite her dread. Unwilling, or perhaps unable to show weakness, she unfolded it without a moment’s hesitation.

From Her Excellency Sangonomiya Kokomi, Divine Priestess of Watatsumi,

Addressing; Madam Kujou Sara, General of the Tenryou Commission.

Greetings, General Kujou,

I had hoped to deliver a message to you sooner after the cessation of hostilities between Watatsumi Island and Narukami Island. Unfortunately, official business required me to return home shortly after, before you regained consciousness. The Shirasagi Himegimi Kamisato Ayaka has informed me that you are awake; as such, I sent this letter with all haste.

I would first like to extend an olive branch, one of a more personal nature than the diplomatic truce. Know that I do not and have never held any animosity directed towards your character, despite our opposing positions during the conflict. I do not regret standing defiant against the Vision Hunt Decree. However, I would like to offer what apology I can for any personal strife I caused.

Know also that I do not blame you for your part in this conflict. Your devotion to Her Excellency the Almighty Narukami Ogosho is legendary, your loyalty unquestioned. It was inevitable that you would follow the Shogun’s command; you believe she is infallible. Further, it would be unreasonable to castigate you when even an Archon was deceived.

I would like to take the opportunity to offer my own respects to you. We are both commanders, well aware of the realities of war. Honour and integrity often surrender the leading role to military necessity, the means sacrificed in pursuit of the ends. However, your personal integrity ensured that such realities never progressed to ugliness. 

Ambush, false retreat, and other ‘dishonourable’ tactics are acceptable weapons in any general’s arsenal, we both know that. The honourable treatment of prisoners, however, is something that many fail to observe. Despite that, you made pains to ensure our captured soldiers were treated fairly. I have heard report after report of humane conditions in your prison camps, and appropriately severe punishments levied against those under your command who abused prisoners. And I have not heard a single report that contradicts the above.

I understand that official peace negotiations will resume shortly. Time and injuries permitting, I hope that we will be able to meet personally to discuss the matter. In the meantime, I am wishing you a swift and complete recovery. If my own talents as a healer may be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sangonomiya Kokomi.

Sara tasted bile. Shame burnt in her chest, threatening to eat its way out through her throat. People who stood opposed to her blind devotion, people she would have stripped of their Visions and ambitions, left broken and hollow, were offering her kindness. Ayaka and Yoimiya were tending to her injuries and seeing to her comfort. Kokomi, the leader of the armed resistance, was offering apologies, praise, and her personal abilities as a healer.

They should hate me. They should be wishing that I’d bled to death in Tenshukaku, or that the Fatui woman killed me. I arrested their friends, would have confiscated their Visions. I killed Watatsumi’s soldiers, and ordered mine to do the same. If the Vision Hunt was a mistake, was wrong, then I’m every bit as guilty for carrying it out. They should condemn me.

“... Madam Kujou? Are you alright?” Ayaka’s voice, soft and tinged with concern, pulled Sara from her thoughts.

“I am,” Sara lied, locking her spiralling emotions in iron. “I just wasn’t expecting the Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island to contact me personally to offer her well-wishes.” That part, at least, was true. It salved the guilt of lying to her host, if only a little.

“She’s been making regular inquiries as to your condition,” Ayaka informed her, her eyes glancing meaningfully at the food on the tray. Despite her lack of appetite, Sara began to eat. The food, despite its excellence, tasted ashen in her mouth. “She was the one who first noticed the elemental contamination. However, given the strained political situation and your respective positions, she refrained from using her powers on you until you’d regained consciousness.”

“Probably for the best.” I deserve my wounds. “Some of my soldiers might have reacted rashly at the sight of her wielding elemental powers whilst I remained unconscious. That, and many of Watatsumi’s soldiers would not look kindly upon their leader offering kindness to the general responsible for the deaths of their fellows,” she observed.

Ayaka opened her mouth to contradict her, before closing it with a small grimace. Sara felt a flash of satisfaction at seeing her silent acknowledgement that yes, there are people who hate me and maybe they’re right to do so. It was a vindictive, flagellating sort of satisfaction though, one that left her feeling more hollow once it had passed.

“Your brother Kujou Kamaji has visited several times,” Ayaka said, evidently choosing to change the subject. “His duties as provisional head of your clan keep him busy, but he’s been making time when he can. General Masahito has also asked after you; unfortunately, there’s some situation on Yashiori Island keeping him there, though I’m not privy to the details. I’ve sent word to them both that you’ve regained consciousness, of course. Several of your officers have sent their wishes as well, as has Guuji Yae.”

“... Thank you,” Sara said. “Who else knows?”

“Judging by how happy Yoimiya was when she left yesterday? I’d be surprised if the whole of Inazuma city didn’t know,” Ayaka said, a bit of levity entering her tone. Sara tried not to linger on the idea of Yoimiya being overjoyed about her waking up. “We’ve sent word to the various official bodies, of course, though that’s more of a courtesy as you are on medical leave until the doctor is satisfied you’ve recovered.”

Both turned to look at the door to the room as a servant knocked gently on the door frame, peeking in with a worried expression. “Lady Kamisato?” he asked. “There’s a… Commotion at the gate that may require your attention.” Ayaka blinked, before nodding slowly.

“I’ll return shortly,” she assured Sara. “Please try and finish your breakfast.” With that, she rose and followed the servant out of the room, leaving Sara alone with her thoughts again. Sara made a half-hearted effort, doing her best to eat whilst avoiding the sweeter foods on the tray. 

She wasn’t given long to stew, several voices approaching the doorway again a few minutes later. Ayaka’s was easy to pick out from amongst them. “—and if you agitate or provoke her, I will not hesitate to remove you,” she warned whoever else was present.

“I’ll keep him in line, don’t worry,” came the assured reply, the voice slightly rough and familiar to Sara. 

Oh no. With mounting dread, she turned to look at the doorway as Ayaka reappeared, a strained smile on her face.

“Madam Kujou, you have some visitors if you would like to—” 

“Hey, Kujou Tengu!” Whatever she was going to say was lost as said visitors barged into the room. Or, more accurately, the first barged in, the second following irritatedly behind. None other than Arataki Itto, the oni who’s Vision Sara had taken by force. “Heard you’d woken back up, and— Oh man, you got fucked up huh?” Itto asked, wincing as he looked at her various bandages. Belatedly it occurred to Sara that she hadn’t seen a mirror since regaining consciousness, and thus had no idea how she currently looked.

“Boss, you don’t just barge in like that!” Shinobu scolded him as she followed him in, elbowing him sharply in the side. Her customary mask was in place, but she couldn’t disguise the flash of concern in her eyes as she looked at Sara. “Hey Sara,” she greeted with a small wave. Behind the pair, a stressed-looking Ayaka hovered, glowering quietly at Itto’s back.

“Shinobu,” Sara returned the greeting awkwardly. If she hadn’t been ready to face Yoimiya and Ayaka, she certainly wasn’t prepared for perhaps the only person in Inazuma she could have unreservedly called a friend. At least, before the Vision Hunt. As it often did, irritation became a convenient shield. “And Arataki Itto,” she added, eyes flicking to the oni as she frowned.

Then, she noticed the glowing gems affixed to each of them. Their Visions, clearly returned to them. I should have done that, she thought. It would have ameliorated at least some of her guilt, returning confiscated Visions with a personal apology, and weathering the storm of anger and invective directed at her by those harmed by the decree.

Instead, the process seemed well underway. Will there be any amends left for me to make?

“Yeah, Arataki Itto,” Itto replied. “We heard that you got hurt during some big mess that ended the war, and as soon as Yoimiya said you were awake… Well, I was gonna challenge you to a rematch, but that can wait until you’re healed up. Wouldn’t be a fair fight otherwise.”

“... A rematch?” Sara asked slowly.

“Yeah, a rematch,” Itto confirmed. “I mean, okay— No hard feelings about our last fight. Your boss told you to do something, you did it. Can’t get too mad about it. And I’m oni enough to admit you beat me fair and square. But, I still want a rematch. Street sumo, no weapons, no Visions,” he challenged her.

Sara blinked. I feel like I’m going insane. I fought him for his Vision! There were weapons! Doesn’t he realise he could have been seriously injured?! Why does no one hate me for what I did?

“Generals of the Tenryou Commission do not brawl in the streets of Inazuma,” Sara replied, a focus on duty and decorum the only safe avenue for her to explore. “Furthermore, I think such activity would be best described as ‘disturbing the peace’.”

“What?! Aw come on!” Itto protested, throwing his arms up. “What, are you chicken?!” Sara bristled, scowling at the comment, before Ayaka interposed herself between the pair.

“Please do not antagonise Kujou Sara,” she said, narrowing her eyes at the taller man.

“Boss,” Shinobu hissed, standing beside Ayaka and glaring at him. “If you’re not gonna behave, I’ll drag you out myself.”

“Okay, okay! Sheesh,” Itto relented, holding both hands up briefly. “Fine, we’ll talk about the rematch later. Oh, right!” He started rummaging through his pockets before pulling out a slightly crumpled envelope. “Here! The gang and I got this for you,” he said, presenting it to her.

Sara eyed the envelope much like one would eye a primed mousetrap, before carefully taking it with her left hand. It was unsealed, allowing her to fish the letter inside out without much issue. She opened it, and froze. Scrawled inside were the well-wishes and ‘get well soons’ of the Arataki gang, all of it in variously sloppy or messy handwriting, save for Shinobu’s of course. There was even a small doodle of, she assumed, herself in one corner.

“Well? What do you think?” Itto asked, grinning. “Pretty thoughtful, huh? I know, I know, no need to thank me,” he said, puffing his chest up proudly. Sara’s hand trembled slightly as she grit her teeth.

“It’s a nice card,” she managed to say, keeping her voice from wavering through sheer will alone. “Thank you for your consideration, Arataki Itto, Kuki Shinobu,” she said, eyes still locked on the card. “I would like to be alone to rest.”

“Of course, we’ll get out of your hair,” Shinobu said before Itton could speak, already beginning to shepherd Itto out of the room. “Get well soon, Sara,” she said before the pair, along with Ayaka, left, sliding the door closed behind them. Sara closed her eyes, head ducking as she breathed heavily through her nose. Her hand starting to shake, she put the card on the table beside her bed, crumpling the envelope in her fist instead.

I don’t deserve your good wishes, she thought bitterly.

True to Ayaka’s word, the doctor who’d been tending to Sara’s injuries visited later, and she finally received a full list of her injuries. Along with the breaks in her right arm and wrist, she’d broken a few ribs, suffered severe contusions across her legs and torso, and received a number of lacerations and puncture wounds, along with burns and frostbite.

Thankfully, she hadn’t lost any body parts, and the doctor was confident she’d make a full recovery provided she rested. Some of her injuries would scar, he said, but not badly enough to interfere with movement. She’d already recovered from the blood loss, and her breaks were recovering well, according to him. The biggest point of concern for the doctor was the elemental contamination.

“It is lessening,” she’d said. “Which is good. When we realised how long it was lingering, we were worried there may have been something like a curse at work. I’m still astonished that the contamination has remained at dangerous levels for this long, but I suppose that’s a Harbinger’s power for you…”

With another dose of medicine and a final reminder to rest, the doctor had then left. The act of pretending to care for so long left her drained, and without anything to keep her occupied, she’d drifted off into sleep. 

As she slept, her fever hit. She woke to an unbearable heat, like she was trapped in a furnace. Sweat shone across her brow, her bandages damp as she took ragged breaths. Grunting wordlessly, she did her best to throw her blanket off herself, desperately trying to get cooler. As soon as she managed it, a wave of arctic cold hit her, chilling her to the bone. With a hiss, she clawed at the blankets, pulling them back up again. Soon enough, she was too hot again.

“So, this is the state I find my general in.” The voice caused Sara’s eyes to snap open. There, standing at the foot of her bed with a flat expression, was—

“A-Almighty Shogun!” Sara tried to rise, fighting through the pain that flared across her body. Her attempt to get out of bed turned into a tumble, and she gasped in pain as she hit the floor. Biting her tongue to avoid crying out, she moved into a kneeling position, prostrating herself before her shogun.

“Kujou Sara. How is it that my most loyal servant is also my most disappointing?” Sara felt her heart rip in half, lifting her head and looking up at the Raiden Shogun with wide, disbelieving eyes.

“D-disappointing..?” she asked, fear gripping her throat.

“Indeed. You treated my every word as if it were law. And yet, despite your devotion, you have failed me on a consistent basis. You failed to defeat Watatsumi’s resistance despite holding the materiel and numerical advantage. You failed to identify the treasonous plot against me occurring in your own clan. When carrying out the Vision Hunt you failed to confiscate a number of Visions, and even let individuals involved in resisting my decree go free.”

The Shogun’s expression didn’t change as she condemned Sara, nor did her tone of voice. Both, however, were etched with deep disapproval. “You embarrassed the Shogunate by bursting into a meeting with a foreign diplomat, and when battle began between the pair of you, you failed to defeat her. A tengu warrior, losing to a mortal woman, in full view of the throne and the Almighty Shogun.”

“I-I…” It was nothing she hadn’t said to herself, in her mind and heart. But hearing the words from her Shogun… “A-Almighty Shogun…” Tears began to sting at Sara’s eyes.

“I left you in Tenshukaku because I believed your wounds would ultimately be fatal. I see now I should have carried out the deed myself. After all, that is the consequence for losing a duel before the throne.” The Shogun’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Perhaps disgrace is a more fitting punishment.” With that, she turned on her heel, walking for the door.

“My Shogun…” Sara croaked out, tears starting to flow from her eyes. She reached out towards her retreating back, the outside edges of her vision starting to blur and dim.

“—ra! Sara!” Something shook her shoulder. She blinked, her vision clearing once again. The Shogun was gone, and in her place was the worried face of Yoimiya, kneeling in front of her. “Sara, it’s me, you’re safe!”

“Yoi… Yoimiya..?” Sara asked, her voice wavering. “I… What—”

“I came in to bring you dinner but you were on the floor crying, and there was something about the Shogun?” Yoimiya explained, frowning as she looked Sara over. She put a hand on Sara’s forehead. “You’re burning up. Let’s get you back in bed, I’ll help.” Yoimiya helped her stand, putting Sara’s left arm across her shoulders. Sara’s legs screamed in pain, but she managed, with Yoimiya’s aid, to get back into bed.

“You must have been having a fever dream or something,” Yoimiya said, fussing over Sara’s bandages and dressings to make sure none of them had been displaced. “It looked pretty bad,” she added sympathetically.

“A fever dream…” Did I imagine the Shogun? A hallucination? She swallowed, rubbing at her eyes.

“Yeah, I’ve had a couple. I got really sick a few years ago, and had a really scary one where something went wrong during one of my fireworks shows. A lot of people got hurt and I was so sad and scared and then you came to arrest me and took me to Tenshukaku, but I woke up before it ended,” Yoimiya rambled. Sara did her best to pay attention as she did so, finding Yoimiya’s voice oddly soothing after the nightmare she’d just endured.

“I… I see,” Sara said lamely, her emotions too frayed to add anything else. 

“Here, drink this,” Yoimiya urged her, holding a cup of water in front of her. Sara took it, drinking it quickly, and Yoimiya filled it again. “I know you probably don’t feel like eating if you have a fever, but you should try, even if it’s just the rice.” Yoimiya picked up the tray from the floor, hefting it for emphasis. A pair of letters were placed on it as well, both bearing the seal of the Kujou Clan.

“The letters are from your brothers,” Yoimiya explained. “They’re both super busy still, but they send their best! At least, the messengers said they did, heh.”

“Right. I’ll read them after I’ve eaten,” Sara decided. Yoimiya nodded, placing the tray across Sara’s lap. “... Has anything from the Almighty Shogun arrived?” she asked after a moment’s hesitation. Yoimiya didn’t reply immediately, hesitation clear on her face.

“No, not yet,” Yoimiya eventually answered. “I’m sure she’s just busy!” she hastened to add as Sara’s shoulders sagged and her expression fell.

“Naturally,” Sara agreed without believing it. That night, Sara wept before falling asleep.

Chapter Text

The next few days fell into a pattern. Sara would wake, either burning hot or freezing cold depending on her fever, before being coaxed into eating breakfast by either Ayaka or Yoimiya. Then, the doctor would arrive to check on her condition. Mercifully, by day three she was no longer confined to her bed, and was cleared to resume light exercise. ‘Light exercise’ meaning simple stretches and walks around the estate. Nothing involving weapons, due to her healing arm. 

Normally, two weeks and change of bedrest would have left her restless, eager to get back to training. Instead, however, she was left with a sense of listlessness. Every time she thought about the timeline of her recovery, a voice in the back of her head asked ‘what does it matter?’. Mustering the motivation to even take one of the walks she was now healthy enough to take felt as strenuous a task as even the most brutal training she’d had to endure under Takayuki.

Her malaise hadn’t gone unnoticed by her hosts. “I’m really worried about her,” Yoimiya said to Ayaka, after Sara left to take a solitary walk around the estate. “I know she’s not really the most chatty person, but she’s never been this quiet before.”

“She’s still recovering…” Ayaka said quietly, sounding unconvinced by her own words even as she said them.

“Recovering Sara is grouchy Sara,” Yoimiya countered. “One time I had to do a whole bunch of paperwork with her after she’d injured herself in training, and she was just… Grumpy, and a bit snappy. Not… This,” she said, gesturing vaguely in the direction Sara had gone. “She had some sorta fever nightmare about the Shogun as well.”

“She did?” Ayaka asked, frowning with worry. “When was this?”

“The night after Itto visited,” Yoimiya answered, fiddling with one of the trinkets attached to her clothes. “She was on the floor, really upset, and then asked me if the Shogun had sent anything after I helped her back into bed.”

“Hmm…” Ayaka looked down into her tea cup thoughtfully. “Well, her brother Kujou Kamaji has said he will visit sometime in the coming days. Hopefully, that will help improve Sara’s mood.” I sorely hope so.

“Well, seeing my family always cheers me up!” Yoimiya said, trying to lift Ayaka’s spirits. She didn’t like it when her friends looked down, especially not Ayaka. Or Sara. “Sara’s strong.” She decided, nodding firmly. “It’s bad right now, but she’ll bounce back. In the meantime, maybe we can do something to keep her occupied?”

“What did you have in mind?” Ayaka asked, tilting her head.

“Go!” Yoimiya said, grinning. “It’s the only game Sara actually plays, and I know you’re pretty good at it.”

“Oh, that could work,” Ayaka said, a small smile gracing her face. “We’ll have to move the board to her room and find a tray large enough for it.”

“I’m sure there’s something we’ll be able to use, I’ll ask Thoma,” Yoimiya said, her grin growing. “Plus I think Sara’s getting pretty bored without anything to do all day.”

“I agree.” Ayaka sighed. “I feel like I’ve been negligent as a host, but… I confess I’m not familiar with her interests, and she usually just requests to be left alone…”

“Well, Go’s a good place to start,” Yoimiya said, giving Ayaka an encouraging smile. Ayaka returned it, cheeks colouring slightly. “And we can always ask her about hobbies over the game.”

“True…” A short while later, Sara returned. Though she tried to hide it, it was clear the walk she’d taken had taxed her physically, her legs shaking a little. Still, she remained quite the imposing figure, standing head and shoulders over both Ayaka and Yoimiya even without her typical geta. “Was your walk enjoyable?” Ayaka asked, giving her a smile.

“It was relaxing,” Sara answered, her tone neutral.

“Feel like a game of Go?” Yoimiya then asked with a grin. “I figure a board game won’t interfere with your recovery, right?” Sara blinked at the offer, glancing between the two of them. Seeing only earnest smiles, she gave a small sigh. Truthfully, she wanted to crawl back to bed and stew in solitude. However, the thought of refusing her host, and the fact that refusing would make Yoimiya sad…

“Alright, let’s play for a round or two.” It was the closest thing to an enthusiastic response either had heard in a while. The three returned to what had become Sara’s room for the duration of her recovery, Ayaka briefly departing to retrieve the game and a tray, setting everything up on Sara’s bed.

“I hear you’re an avid player, Miss Ayaka,” Sara said. Ayaka nodded, blushing faintly at the compliment.

“It’s a game I quite enjoy. I’m curious to see how your strategies measure up, Kujou Sara,” she replied, happy to see a hint of competitiveness in Sara’s eyes. Ayaka picked up a pair of stones, one white and one black, hiding both between her hands before separating them, holding two fists out towards Sara. Sara glanced at them both before tapping Ayaka’s left, which she uncurled to reveal a white stone.

“Your move then,” Sara said, moving the box of white stones closer to herself. Ayaka nodded, placing her first stone. Sara placed hers around the opposite corner, not quite mirroring Ayaka’s move. Ayaka played her next one in the adjacent corner, again slightly askew from either stone, Sara finishing the pattern in the last corner.

From there, the game began in earnest. Sara quickly took an aggressive stance, playing close to Ayaka’s stones to disrupt her strategy. Ayaka responded evasively; whenever Sara began to threaten her, she moved to a different part of the board, forcing Sara to react. She would linger on one area for a few moves, then shift her focus elsewhere, dragging Sara along with her.

After a few passes of this, Sara paused, then smirked. It was the first smile either of them had seen since she’d first woken at the estate, and it made both Ayaka and Yoimiya’s hearts swell. It disappeared quickly, though. “I see what you’re doing,” was all she said, abandoning the chase.

“What was she doing?” Yoimiya asked, not too proud to admit that the finer points of the game went over her head.

“Luring me into a trap. If I’d kept it up, she’d have been able to surround my pieces here and here,” Sara explained, pointing to parts of the board. “But, if instead I go here.” Ayaka looked at the board, frowning as Sara exposed a weakness in her play. After a moment’s consideration, she continued consolidating her territory.

“Well, I can see how you earnt your position as general, Madam Kujou,” Ayaka mused as the game continued. “It has been quite some time since I’ve been pressed this hard.”

“And I’m glad to see your skill wasn’t exaggerated,” Sara replied, furrowing her brow briefly. “If I had more generals with your ability to strategize…” She tailed off, blinking before looking down as she recalled exactly why Ayaka might not have worked with her. Sharing a slightly alarmed look with Ayaka, Yoimiya quickly cleared her throat.

“So, what other hobbies do you have, Sara?” she asked. It was a blatant attempt to change the topic, she knew, but what else could she do?

“Outside of training? Not many. I was encouraged to pursue activities suitable for my future station. The Kujou estate does not contain accomplished artists or musicians, limiting our options for diversions ‘appropriate to our social status’,” Sara said, a touch bitterly. She cleared her throat, taking her next move. “My apologies, I shouldn’t sound ungrateful to the clan that adopted me.”

“It’s okay,” Yoimiya assured her, her smile slightly brittle around the edges. “So, no real hobbies then?”

“None that I would describe as such, no. At home, I keep myself occupied with training and exercise, as well as cleaning my quarters.”

“You don’t have your staff clean them?” Ayaka asked curiously, tilting her head.

“No. Takayuki, and the servants themselves, tried insisting otherwise several times. I just started closing my door and leaving a sign outside that said ‘training in progress; do not disturb’.” After a moment’s silence, Sara continued. “They’re very good at their jobs, but… They kept leaving things in the wrong place.”

“What do you mean?” Ayaka asked.

“Miscellaneous objects are to be sorted by category, and furnishings are to be arrayed in straight lines,” Sara quoted. “I’d return to my quarters after they’d been cleaned to find things arranged differently, and I wouldn’t be able to settle until I’d fixed it. So I decided I’d just start cleaning them myself.”

Ayaka and Yoimiya shared another glance at that as Sara studied the board, both filing that revelation away for later. “Well, maybe this can be an opportunity to try a few things?” Yoimiya suggested. “Might as well do something to fill the time, right?”

“Indeed,” Ayaka agreed, nodding. “We could try painting, or some instruments perhaps?” Sara looked up at them both as she placed her stone, blinking.

“Umm.” The utterance came unbidden, Sara caught off-guard by the earnest offer. Her cheeks flushed a little as she realised what she’d just done. “Maybe,” she then said, glancing away from them both. “My wrist is still sore, so…”

“We can wait for you to recover a little more, then,” Ayaka said, relenting only slightly. Sara just nodded, conceding the point for now. The game continued, the trio engaging in more small talk, Ayaka and Yoimiya providing the majority of it. At length, Sara gave Ayaka another rare smile, handing her a white stone.

“I believe that’s game,” she said. Ayaka frowned, lips pursed as she looked at the state of the board.

“I believe you are correct,” Ayaka relented. Sara controlled more territory, and Ayaka could see no way to contest her lead. Narrow it, perhaps, but certainly not turn it around. “Another round?”

“... One more.”

“So. How… How are you feeling, Sara?” Sara met her brother’s eyes, filled with concern. He’d arrived late into the morning the following day, and the siblings had been given their privacy after Ayaka had delivered Kamaji to Sara’s bedside. He wrung his hands anxiously. There were bags under his eyes, betraying a lack of a good night’s sleep. Still, Sara was sure he looked better than her. She’d suffered another feverish nightmare, which had spoiled whatever lingering good mood she’d had from the day before.

“I’m managing,” she answered. “How’s the clan? And the Tenryou Commission?” Sara asked in return, trying to hide the anxiety she felt. Kamaji didn’t immediately answer, glancing down and to the side, worrying at his lip for a moment.

“It’s been chaotic since our father’s arrest.” Sara couldn’t quite avoid wincing at his description of Takayuki as their ‘father’. “The ceasefire has made things easier, but there’s still a lot of fires to be put out. A lot of people in the Tenryou Commission are questioning the Kujou Clan’s ability to lead the commission after all that’s happened, or if we deserve to regardless. I knew father intended for me to take over the clan one day, but…”

“Not like this,” Sara finished for him, and he nodded. There was more he wasn’t saying, Sara was sure. “Has there been any word from the Almighty Shogun? About Takayuki’s sentence, or the fate of the Tenryou Commission?”

“The Almighty Shogun has… Sequestered herself in Tenshukaku. She has taken no visitors, nor has she issued any instructions or verdicts. It’s making things difficult within the commission,” Kamaji said with a sigh. “The storm around Inazuma is getting more erratic as well. Between that and the Shogun refusing to see anyone… There are rumours that the Shogun’s health is failing.”

“Impossible.” The word left Sara’s lips before she was even aware she’d spoken. “She is the Almighty Narukami Ogosho, God of Thunder, and the Eternal Narukami. Her health doesn’t fail.” Failing health was for imperfect beings, mortals and youkai, not her infallible Archon. Is she infallible, though? a doubtful, heretical part of her dared to ask. She quashed that thought quickly, shamefully.

For Kamaji’s part, he weathered her zealous devotion as he’d always done; remaining silent until he was sure she was done. “Regardless, people talk, and people worry. Which makes our work more difficult.”

“... Perhaps I could request an audience?” It was an almost desperate request. She needed to hear from her Shogun. Anything. “I’m her most loyal general. If she’ll see anyone…”

“No!” Kamaji’s eyes widened, and he looked briefly terrified at the idea before he regained his composure. “You’re still recovering. I know your legs got injured, and you broke some ribs. There are a lot of stairs in Tenshukaku, not to mention the journey to the city.” All valid points, but there was something almost evasive about the way he brought them up.

Still, she couldn’t exactly contradict the fact of her injuries. Equally, the reminder of her physical condition, and by extension why she was in this state, stung her pride. Masahito was still in the field dealing with whatever crisis had emerged on Yashiori. And Kamaji was overseeing the clan through the chaos. And I’m just… Lying here. Being useless.

“... Very well,” Sara relented. Kamaji frowned as Sara’s expression dropped. He hadn’t seen her look this miserable in… Longer than he could accurately remember. Perhaps when they were both very young…

“Have the Kamisato Clan been taking good care of you?” he asked, trying to change the topic to something, hopefully, more positive. “The Shirasagi Himegimi has always been a very kind woman, and your friend Naganohara Yoimiya seems friendly. Very much so, in fact,” he added with a small chuckle.

“I have no complaints about their hospitality,” Sara answered, trying not to wince as Kamaji described Yoimiya as her friend. I don’t deserve her friendship . “... Some of the food is a little sweet for my usual preferences,” she then said, injecting levity into her tone to try and mask her sour mood.

“I doubt Miss Ayaka would be comfortable serving you naught but seasoned onigiri,” Kamaji pointed out with a small smile. Sara huffed.

“Perhaps not.” Then, when the conversation threatened to lapse into silence, “how is Hiiragi Chisato?” Kamaji’s expression brightened at the mention of his beloved.

“She’s doing well! She’s… Very busy as well. It turns out we have treasonous fathers in common as well,” he commented dryly.

“Hiiragi Shinsuke was involved in the conspiracy as well?” Sara asked. “Were we the only members of the Tri-Commission outside the Yashiro Commission not in the loop?” she continued in disbelief.

“A lot of the clan heads are in confinement. It’s not chaos, but…” Kamaji tailed off with a grimace. Sara just nodded, unsure how to help him. The rest of her brother’s visit consisted of various bits of small talk, some unimportant news and gossip from the capital. “I need to get back. Get well soon, Sara,” he said as he left, giving her an encouraging smile.

She couldn’t quite bring herself to return it before she was left to her solitude again.

A day later, Sara was eating dinner. Her condition had improved enough that Ayaka had invited her to eat with her and Yoimiya in the dining hall, rather than remaining bed bound with a tray. Sara had accepted, the demands of proprietary and the unwillingness to upset them both forcing her to accept her host’s invitation, rather than give in to her desire for continued seclusion.

Yoimiya had come to collect her, smiling bright as ever as she led Sara through the estate. Sara took the time to memorise the layout of the parts of the estate that were new to her; her previous walks having been limited to the gardens, one of the training rooms, and the hallways connecting both to the room she’d been given.

There were few others at the table. In fact, the only other guest was Thoma. Ayato, apparently, was occupied with business in the city, and wouldn’t be returning for the night. Sara wondered briefly about his absence. She hadn’t seen the head of the Kamisato clan at all during her stay, nor heard word from him at all.

I doubt he wants to see me, she thought. Not that I blame him. Thoma was somewhat uncomfortable as well. Though he remained as polite and friendly as usual, Sara caught his occasional wary glances in her direction, and the way his fingers kept finding their way back to his Vision. As if he were reassuring himself it was still there.

Sara did her best to focus on the small talk as she ate, taking small mouthfuls and offering little chatter of her own. It was hard, though. Her legs weren’t fully healed, and sitting seiza was causing them to ache. She could, perhaps, have sat cross-legged instead. Thoma was, and Yoimiya was sitting with one knee in the air, her arm draped across it. Ayaka, however, was mirroring Sara’s position. As such, etiquette demanded Sara remain in the painful position.

“Oh!” Yoimiya suddenly exclaimed, sitting up a little straighter. “The weirdest thing happened yesterday.” All eyes were on her, Thoma and Sara with quiet curiosity, Ayaka with a small measure of alarm. “So, I was out getting lunch, and you know that guy with the dango stall, Tomoki? Well, you’ll never guess who was there buying dango milk!”

“Hmmm, Guuji Yae?” Thoma asked. “I’ve seen her buying sweets around the city before.”

“Nope! The Traveller, and the Shogun!” Sara’s thoughts came to a shrieking halt, and she almost dropped her chopsticks. “I asked around a bit afterwards. Apparently they were also checking out some light novels at the Yae Publishing House, and then the Traveller was showing her how a Kamera works?”

It was patently ludicrous. The Shogun was a god. She was Eternity. The idea that the Almighty Shogun was strolling the streets of Inazuma casually, eating sweets, reading the kind of stories told in light novels, and taking pictures was absurd. And with the Traveller of all people. The person who had defied and battled the Shogun twice…

And yet, Yoimiya seemed completely sincere. She can fake it, Sara thought briefly, her heart twisting as she remembered Yoimiya’s part in resisting the Vision Hunt Decree. But she wouldn’t lie about something like that.

“Then apparently something happened, ‘cause they both ran off after someone, a servant from the Tenryou Commission?” Sara frowned, looking from Yoimiya to Ayaka inquisitively. A quiet look of discomfort and hesitation was on her face.

“I was hoping to collect a little more information before having this conversation,” Ayaka said regretfully, before clearing her throat. “There was a situation yesterday that demanded the Shogun’s attention. Takatsukasa Susumu and his followers held your brother Kamisato Kamaji under duress, and attempted to compel him to sign a confession.”

For the first time since her injury, Sara felt her anger flare. Outrage rushed through her at the thought of it, the insult to her clan and the threat to her own brother. Only through great discipline was she able to avoid letting her wings appear. “What happened?” Sara asked, her eyes fixed intently on Ayaka.

To her credit, Ayaka didn’t quail under her golden stare. “The Shogun intervened. The confession would have lied about the Takatsukasa Clan’s involvement in the unrest, painting them as steadfastly standing against the crisis. The plan was to use this narrative to install Takatsukasa Susumu as the new Tenryou Commissioner.” Sara grit her teeth furiously. 

“Following this revelation,” Ayaka continued, “the Shogun announced that anyone who wished to replace Kamisato Takayuki was welcome to; they only needed to best her in a duel. Takatsukasa Susumu declined to accept.”

“I’m not surprised to hear that,” Sara ground out, her anger at the man overcoming decorum. “Susumu is a man who talks a big game, but always manages to avoid finding himself at the point of a sword.”

“Kamisato Kamaji then accepted the Shogun’s duel.” Wrath turned to fear. A feeling like ice, a cold deeper than even the Harbinger’s attacks, clutched Sara’s heart. 

Not Kamaji. Not my brother. Her chopsticks slipped from her fingers as her face went pale. I carried out the decree, I commanded the war. Why didn’t you take me instead? Why couldn’t I defend him?

“He survived!” Ayaka quickly added, her own eyes widening at Sara’s reaction. “He was injured in the duel, but will make a full recovery.” It was too much for Sara’s composure. She collapsed onto her elbows, ignoring the flare of pain up her arms as she did so. She took a ragged breath as she held her head in her hands.

“What…” she began, barely seeing the table in front of her eyes. “What possessed him to challenge the Shogun in a duel?” she asked.

“Guilt over his inaction during the crisis, from what I have heard,” Ayaka answered softly. “An attempt to restore some honour to himself and to the clan.” She was silent for a moment, letting Sara digest that. 

“Following the duel, the Shogun announced that Kamisato Kamaji will remain Tenryou Commissioner for the time being, and that the families of the commission are to follow his instructions. The decision has removed the deadlock in Inazuma’s administration, hence the reason for my brother’s absence.”

“I see…” Sara felt… Nothing. Terror over Kamaji had thoroughly flushed her earlier anger from her body, and with that fear now gone… There was no emotion left to fill the void. All there was was a deep pit in her stomach, and a leaden heart.

Abruptly, she stood. “I apologise, but I need to excuse myself,” she said, not daring to meet anyone’s eyes. “Thank you for dinner, Kamisato Ayaka,” she continued, before turning and marching for the door, legs and hands shaking as she did so. She didn’t stop walking until she was once again in her room, closing the door firmly behind her.

For a while, she simply stood, shaking with… Something she didn’t care to identify. Her legs burned. She wanted to scream, to cry, to howl. She wanted to run, flee to the forests and mountains of her wild infancy. She wanted to tear at her dressings, to rip her stitches out and open her wounds again.

She didn’t let herself do any of that, though. Instead, she forced herself to stand, her breaths shaking. Why am I here? she wondered. I failed the Shogun. I failed to carry out her orders, and even when I doubted if they were right, I didn’t do anything to stop the crisis. I couldn’t win the war, and I couldn’t protect Inazuma. I wasn’t even there to protect my own brother.

Why… She blinked, hot tears leaking from her eyes. Why am I still here?

Chapter Text

“... and that’s the last of the reports from Yashiori, Almighty Shogun,” the functionary said, bowing his head nervously as he finished. The Shogun, or rather, Ei nodded.

“Thank you,” she said, giving the anxious man a small, encouraging smile. That only seemed to make him more unsettled, and he quickly bowed again before retreating. It’s been too long since I involved myself at all in governance, she thought. 

Following her little misadventure with the Traveller, Ei had been interacting with the levers of power that were the Inazuman government directly. The threat of further plots to mislead her through false reports and deliberately-faulty reviews had been clearly highlighted by Takatsukasa Susumu’s attempt to seize control of the Tenryou Commission. This was part of her efforts to counteract such schemes.

“There was one final matter for your consideration, Almighty Shogun,” another aide said, stepping forwards and bowing low. “The next round of peace negotiations with Watatsumi Island will begin shortly. Divine Priestess Sangonomiya Kokomi has specifically requested General Kujou Sara as our negotiator.”

“General Kujou?” Ei asked, a little surprised at the request. Then, belatedly, she realised neither she nor the puppet had seen Kujou Sara in several weeks. Even detached as she had been from the day-to-day of Inazuma, she was still aware of the commander of her armed forces, and knew enough to know that her prolonged absence was unusual.

“Where is General Kujou? I have not seen her in Tenshukaku in some time,” she asked, looking around. There was silence in response to her question. The civilian aides clearly had no answers for her, and the soldiers in the room suddenly found various places on the floor, walls, and ceiling deeply fascinating.

“Y-Your Excellency…” one finally found the courage to begin. “Madam Kujou is on medical leave. On account of her injuries, Almighty Shogun,” he said, ducking his head as he finished.

Oh. Ah, the Harbinger… She could hardly admit her ignorance of the fact her best general had been, apparently, severely injured. “I see. How long until she returns to her duties?”

“... Her leave is indefinite, your Excellency,” the same soldier answered without lifting his head. Ei blinked.

“Then the answer to Watatsumi Island seems obvious; if General Kujou is indisposed, she cannot serve as our representative in this matter,” Ei said. The attendant who’d brought up the peace talks worried at her lip for a moment, before clearing her throat quietly.

“If I may, Almighty Shogun..?” She waited until Ei gave her a nod before continuing. “The Divine Priestess has been in correspondence with Kamisato Ayaka regarding Kujou Sara’s condition and recovery. I will, of course, confer with the Shirasagi Himegimi if you wish it so, but I do not believe Watatsumi Island would make the request if they thought General Kujou would be in too poor health to attend the talks.”

“Hmm…” The Kamisato Clan is attending to my general’s recovery? Just how much of this government’s business passes without my or the puppet’s knowledge?! “Do you believe Kujou Sara to be an appropriate negotiator?” Ei asked.

“I believe so, your Excellency,” the aide answered. “The Divine Priestess’ inquiries after General Kujou’s health indicate some level of care. To my knowledge, she has not made any such correspondence over the condition of any of our other generals.” 

“That could imply Madam Kujou would be more sympathetic to Sangonomiya Kokomi than would be appropriate for a negotiator,” a dissenting voice added, an official from the Kanjou Commission

“General Kujou’s devotion to the Almighty Narukami Ogosho is legendary,” the aide countered. “Her loyalty would not be undermined by something as simple as well-wishes and a ‘get well soon’ card. I am confident she would not offer Watatsumi Island any unacceptable or unwarranted concessions.

“Negotiations of this nature require that both sides believe the other is acting in good faith,” the aide continued, directly addressing Ei once again. “The crisis has given Watatsumi Island plenty of reason to doubt our sincerity. If the Divine Priestess has specifically requested General Kujou, then it is safe to assume she believes General Kujou will be a good-faith negotiator. Further, rejecting her request could sour this round of talks before they even begin. I would encourage the Almighty Shogun to accept,” the aide finished, bowing low once again.

“Your logic is sound,” Ei said, nodding. “Very well. If Kujou Sara is well enough to attend the talks, then she shall serve as our negotiator.”

“By your will, your Excellency.”

When the letter from Tenshukaku arrived, Sara had almost leapt out of bed to obey. It had taken significant coaxing from both Ayaka and Yoimiya to stop her from leaving for Inazuma City immediately. They’d highlighted her still-healing wounds; even though the last of her visible dressings had been removed, she was still yet to fully recover. They also pointed out that even if she was already in the city there’d be plenty of waiting around as the delegation assembled and prepared for the trip.

In the end, they’d convinced her to wait for Thoma to arrange for a carriage to take Sara to the city when the time came. And when it did, Yoimiya went with her. She remained by her side the whole time, her presence absent only when Sara went to Tenshukaku to receive her briefing.

A briefing that the Shogun, maddeningly, wasn’t present for. Still, the letter and her orders were proof that the Shogun still needed her. There was still a place for Sara in the Shogun’s service. And that fact was a lifeline for her, a proverbial life raft after a shipwreck.

As she left Tenshukaku, and the carriage carried her to Ritou, Yoimiya was once again seemingly glued to her side. She’d been unusually pensive the entire time, her habitual cheer absent.

“This isn’t fair,” Yoimiya finally said as the pair waited on the docks, watching the boat make ready to leave. Sara could have used a waypoint to teleport to the encampment at Kannazuka, but doing so could have aggravated the remaining contaminating energy in her body. So, to placate Ayaka and Yoimiya, she’d agreed to ‘take it easy’ and travel with the rest of the delegation by sea.

“They shouldn’t be asking you to do this,” Yoimiya continued, looking up at Sara with a worried expression. She looked a lot better, at least, back in her uniform, the striking mask on her head, and without many of the more visible dressings. Her wrist was still in a cast, but that was the worst of what Yoimiya could see.

The cut on her face had scarred slightly, a vertical cut from below her cheekbone to her jaw. Yoimiya was glad for Sara that it wasn’t a bad scar. In fact, it lent a slightly roguish air to the stern tengu. She tried not to let it distract her. “It’s not fair,” she emphasised. “You almost died and no one in Tenshukaku even sent a letter. But now they suddenly need you again, and they just order you to do this? It’s not right.”

“My loyalty is to Inazuma and the Almighty Shogun,” Sara replied, trying not to let Yoimiya’s words sink in. “She calls, and I answer.”

“But why? Why does it have to be you?” Yoimiya challenged. “They shouldn’t be treating you like this. The Shogun shouldn’t be treating you like this,” she huffed. Sara was silent for a moment.

“... I never told you how I received my Vision, did I?” she eventually asked. Yoimiya blinked and tilted her head. “A tengu warrior is born to defend Inazuma’s mountains and forests,” she recited. “When I was young, before being adopted by the Kujou Clan, that’s what I did. I fought monsters there.

“Once, I was fighting atop a cliff,” she continued, looking up at the sky. “My wings were injured, and even with the strength of a tengu, there were too many for a child to fight alone. I was thrown from the cliff and, unable to fly, began to fall.

“The next day I was found at the base of the cliff, with no injuries from the fall, and my Vision in my hand.” She looked back down to meet Yoimiya’s eyes. “The Shogun chose me,” she said. “I would have died that night, but the Shogun saw me as worthy of her blessing. Without it, I wouldn’t be here today. That’s why it has to be me. That’s why I will always answer her call,” she finished, glancing at Tenshukaku, barely visible in the distance.

“... It’s still not fair for her to treat you like this,” Yoimiya said, sighing unhappily. “Still… I guess with you at the negotiations, they’ll go well,” she relented. “Kokomi likes you enough to send ‘get well soon’ cards, and unlike some in the Tri-Commission you’ll negotiate fairly.”

“Thank you for the vote of confidence,” Sara snarked, causing Yoimiya to snort. She certainly felt better than she had in weeks, at least. Being given a task, a goal, a direction by the Shogun gave her purpose. And if it goes well, she’ll surely see me for the debriefing.

It hadn’t gone well.

The only way the peace talks could have been any more disastrous was if blood had actually been shed, instead of ‘only’ nearly shed. It was a miracle it hadn’t been, halted only by each side’s reluctance to actually enter within spear range of one another.

Things had started so positively, so hopefully. Agreements were made, concessions given by both sides. Fishing would be able to proceed unmolested, proper taxes would be paid. The proposal to establish a business council to oversee trade had been firmly tabled, but that wasn’t the most pressing detail of the peace talks. And then it had all fallen apart as soon as Sara raised the issue of command of Watatsumi’s soldiers. 

The revelation that her soldiers had been colluding with the Fatui without her knowledge during the peace negotiations right in front of Kokomi had been beyond a humiliation. Not only had it effectively conceded the point of military command to Kokomi, it had left Sara on the back foot for the rest of the talks. 

Kokomi was a canny diplomat, and whatever scant fondness she had for Sara was massively outweighed by her loyalty to her island. The leverage the near-clash had given her had been put to good use, prising concession after concession from Sara. Doubtless, Kokimi would use that proverbial pry bar in future rounds of talks as well.

Barely-contained fury burnt in Sara’s heart as her delegation returned to the Kujou encampment. Motosuke and Sue Yoshitaka, the soldiers who had confessed to the collusion, followed her fearfully, stripped of their weapons. Without a word, she led them into the command office in the encampment, dismissing everyone else present with a glare.

“What were you thinking?!” she demanded, rounding on them once they were alone. Both flinched back. “Colluding with the Fatui? After everything they did, after all the chaos and war? How could you be so stupid?!” she asked, advancing on them. 

“Both of you were in my personal company for the duration of this entire crisis. Haven’t you seen enough of this?! Haven’t we buried enough of our fellow soldiers?!” She’d lost her composure, she was aware. Even on her worst days, she’d never laid into her soldiers like this. But she couldn’t stop now; the wrath and shame and frustration were free of their leashes.

“‘There’d be nothing to lose’,” she quoted incredulously. “Nothing to lose except the peace that you would shatter by reigniting the civil war!” she roared, the two soldiers quailing in the face of her rage. 

“G-General Kujou—”

“Did you think I would somehow be grateful? That Inazuma would be grateful for the fighting to start again?!Did you think at all?!” she asked, incredulity entering her tone. “How did two soldiers as thoughtless, as negligent, senseless, inane, stupid as you pass selection to end up in my company?” She turned away from them with a snarl, pacing back and forth across the office, the pair cowering in the corner she’d backed them into. Her wings had emerged at some point during her ranting, flicking in agitation.

“Going behind the back of the Shogun… Going behind the backs of your officers and your fellow soldiers, working with the enemy, trying to drag us back into bloodshed…” She stopped, her entire body trembling with barely-restrained violence. “Treason. Betrayal of the Almighty Shogun. Practically mutiny,” she hissed out. Her arm moved, hand groping for something at her side—

She froze, realising what she was doing. Her right arm was now at her left hip, reaching for a sword that wasn’t there. She’d moved it to the opposite hip, on account of her injured arm. If she hadn’t done that… I’d have killed them where they stood. 

She felt cold. Two soldiers of her own, personal company. Two stupid, disloyal soldiers, soldiers who had betrayed Inazuma. But still her soldiers. And in that moment, she’d been prepared to kill them both. From the look of near-panic on their faces, both of them had realised what she’d almost done. That fact hollowed her out, taking the wrath and leaving nothing behind.

“... You will be confined to your quarters,” she said flatly, her own voice sounding distant. “You will tell me every single detail of this plot. The Fatui agents you spoke with, the soldiers you conspired with. Everything. You will then return to Narukami with me, and will turn yourselves in to the Tenryou Commission once we arrive, and I will decide your fate from there. 

“Fail to comply with any of these orders to the fullest extent of your ability, and I will leave your fate in the Shogun’s hands. Do I make myself clear?”

“Y-yes, General Kujou!” they chorused fearfully.

“Get out of my sight.” Both scrambled to comply, almost climbing over each other in their haste to reach the door, closing it behind them. She sagged, then collapsed into a chair, putting her head in her hands. She felt sick.

Yoimiya was right. I shouldn’t be here. I failed…

After returning to Narukami Island and delivering her written report to Tenshukaku, she didn’t return to the Kamisato estate.

Instead, she’d been hurriedly pulled into a briefing on what she’d missed. Yet another disaster had occurred, one that had required the Shogun’s personal intervention. Monsters had emerged around Mount Yougou, overwhelming the Yashiro Commission’s available soldiers. The mess had been contained by the Shogun and, once again rearing her head, the Traveller.

Then something had transpired under the Grand Narukami Shrine. No one was quite sure of the full details, but upon returning, the Shogun had declared that the Sakoku Decree would be repealed. The storm that had surrounded Inazuma for years, cutting it almost wholly from the outside world, simply… Ended.

Just like that, the final edict Sara had helped enforce was gone. It wasn’t an edict she’d enjoyed carrying out, much like the Vision Hunt. But even still, it was like the last nail in a coffin. What was left of Sara’s service to the Shogun? Beyond the most basic duties, it was all ash now. There was nothing left that the Shogun hadn’t overturned, save for the signing of permits and ordinary policing work.

Her mind was stewing with too many thoughts, and she couldn’t trust her composure to remain intact around her hosts at the Kamisato estate. She had a different destination in mind, a popular haunt for when she needed to get her mind in order. And she was due a visit anyway, the peace talks and travel keeping her from her usual monthly visit.

The climb to the top of Mount Yougou and the Grand Narukami Shrine felt longer than usual. Part of that, doubtless, was due to Sara’s physical condition. Mostly recovered, the lingering effects of the elemental contamination hadn’t completely faded. Even accounting for that, though, her pace was slow. There was a slackness to her movements, a distinct lack of urgency.

She’d been questioned before why she chose to walk to the shrine when she went to pray. As a Vision bearer, the waypoint at the mountain top was available for her use. And even if she weren’t blessed by the gods, as a tengu she could fly. Either would be more convenient than simply walking. Her response had always been the same. ‘Devotion offered only when convenient is not true devotion’. 

There was meaning to walking the path, following the same road that all other worshippers followed. As General of the Tenryou Commission, she served at the side of the Shogun, but she still chose to worship in the way of any other faithful Inazuman. It wasn’t quite a pilgrimage, but the journey was still important. Today was the first time she could remember the trip feeling like a chore.

There were mercifully few people on the path today. Though few had made an effort to engage her in conversation even before the Vision Hunt, she wasn’t in the mood to deal with strangers noticing her at all. Her legs hurt. Her mind felt hazy, occupied with little beyond the sound of her geta against the road.

Eventually, she reached the top, the dirt path transitioning to cobbles. The scent of sakura blossoms filled her nose as she passed through the torii lining the stairs to the very peak. Finally, she stopped outside the shrine itself, staring at the building and the Grand Sakura itself behind.

As always, there was a shrine maiden standing outside to welcome visitors. Sara didn’t pay her any mind, even as she looked at her with growing worry. Sara just stood silently for a time. Her gaze eventually strayed from the shrine to the grey skies above, and the threatening storm.

Almost without thought, she stepped off the path, walking towards the edge of the cliff. She stopped at the edge, looking out towards Inazuma City, and Tenshukaku looming over the urban sprawl. The Shogun was there, no doubt reading the report of Sara’s miserable failure at handling the peace talks. Would that be enough for the Shogun to finally speak to her directly? Or would she continue to offer her silence? The thought almost made Sara choke.

“Why…” The word slipped past Sara’s lips as she turned her gaze to the clouds again. “My Shogun, why… Why was I chosen?” she asked the sky. “Why did you choose me? Why did I receive the favour of the gods?” She touched the Vision at her side, her fingers shaking. “Why was I chosen all those years ago, why was I saved by your gift?

“Was…” She swallowed around the lump in her throat. “Was it just a lie? Did you ever care? If I was worthy of your divine gaze, then… Please, my Shogun, say something. If I am still welcome in your sight, then summon me to your side. If I am unworthy, then dismiss me. But please, don’t—” She choked back a sob. “Don’t neglect me, please…”

She sniffed, her eyes stinging. “Don’t leave me in silence. Tell me something. Anything. I beg of you my Shogun, please. Just a sign, anything…” she begged, tears streaking down her cheeks. There was nothing. No summons, no dismissal. No words of comfort, or acknowledgement of her plea. Not even a single, solitary rumble of thunder from the clouds primed for a storm.

Sara’s shoulders shook with a helpless sob. Her god, her Shogun, had abandoned her. She’d failed. She’d failed to bring the peace talks to a conclusion. She’d failed to defend her brother. She’d failed to bring glory to her clan. She’d failed to defend Inazuma. She’d failed to defeat the Harbinger who masterminded the crisis. She’d even failed to uphold her own ideals, her own sense of right and wrong. Even her position as her Shogun’s most trusted weapon during crises had, apparently, been taken by the Traveller. Failure upon failure upon failure…

Her head dropped, and through tear-blurred eyes, she caught sight of a falling sakura blossom. It fluttered through the air, carried by the breeze over the edge and down the side of the mountain, falling towards the base far, far below. Something about the distance, and the drop, called to her. It wasn’t the summons she wanted. It wasn’t from her god. It wasn’t a call to duty. But it was a call, one that promised a simple end to it all. No more pain, it whispered. No more humiliation. No more burdening others.

The idea should have been repellant. Sacreligious, even. Her life was the Shogun’s, dedicated in its entirety to the Almighty Narukami Ogosho. But… Hadn’t the God of Thunder abandoned her? She’d left her bleeding in Tenshukaku. Surely she wouldn’t care…

An almost impossible lightness swelled in Sara’s chest as she started leaning forwards, the wind rising over the edge of the cliff blowing through her hair. She was teetering on the edge now, like a perfectly balanced scale. If her Shogun wouldn’t end her torment, then she could do it herself…

Sara closed her eyes, and let herself fall.

Chapter Text

Within the Grand Sakura Shrine, Yae Miko mused. Sara had missed her usual visit. Of course, Miko was aware of why. She knew she’d been away at the peace talks with the Sangonomiya woman. She also knew Sara had returned to Narukami Island, and was anticipating her arrival.

“Hmm…” How do I help that girl… she thought. The ever-courteous Kamisato princess had kept her updated on Sara’s condition, and it wasn’t an encouraging picture. Something had to give, one way or another. I just need to make sure it’s Sara’s temper that snaps, and not Sara herself…

“G-Guuji Yae!” The almost panicked call of one of her shrine maidens pulled her from her thoughts. She turned, raising an inquisitive eyebrow as the shrine maiden dashed over to her.

“Has something happened?” Miko asked, looking over the frantic woman.

“K-Kujou Sara is here, outside the shrine,” she said, giving a quick bow, belatedly remembering her etiquette. “She’s standing at the edge and talking to herself. I… I really think you should go out and see her,” she finished, almost panicking.

Oh dear. “Thank you for letting me know,” Miko said, walking past her and frowning pensively as she made her way outside, the shrine maiden following behind. Quite unlike Sara… I really should talk to Ei about this. Sara’s her servant, after all, she should clean up her own mess for a change. Swiftly making her way to the shrine’s entrance, she looked around and quickly caught sight of Sara.

As the shrine maiden said, Sara was standing at the edge of the mountaintop, looking down over the edge. Quietly, Miko started to approach, thinking of the best things to say to provoke an unbottling of her emotions.

Then Sara pitched over the edge.

Everything stopped. Miko froze mid-step, staring in disbelief at the space Sara had just occupied. Her eyes widened, jaw dropping soundlessly. Then, the shrine maiden behind her screamed, and the world started moving again. All pretence of the dignity expected of the head shrine maiden was abandoned as she ran to the lip, peering over the edge Sara had thrown herself from.

“Find a doctor and send them to the Kamisato estate, now!” she barked back at the shrine maiden, before she disappeared with a flash. She reappeared on a ledge partway down the mountain, and then further down. A series of hops punctuated with purple lightning carried her safely down the mountainside, and to where Sara had ended her fall. Miko quickly found her, lying in a crumpled, unmoving heap at the foot of a tree.

Miraculously, the woman was alive, but unconscious. The twigs and leaves caught in her hair and clothes and the thin scratches all across her exposed skin indicated she’d hit at least one branch on her way down, which had likely saved her life. Still, she was far from safe. One leg was twisted at an unnatural angle, some wounds had reopened, and she was bleeding heavily. Worse, her breathing was shallow, wet-sounding and unsteady.

Panic like Miko hadn’t felt in centuries gripped at her. Think, think! First, to somewhere safe and clean. Carefully, she lifted Sara. It wasn’t easy; the woman was heavy, and taller than her. Still, Miko was a youkai, someone with abilities beyond mortals. With a grunt and a heave, Sara was in her arms, limp and oozing blood onto her robes.

As quick as she dared with her delicate cargo, Miko raced through the forest at the base of the mountain, heading for the Kamisato estate. Don’t you dare die, she thought. I will never forgive you if you die in my arms. I will not live out that trope in real life.

After far, far too long she broke from the treeline, almost tumbling as she hit the road outside the Kamisato estate. The two guards at the door jumped in surprise, and then alarm at the unexpected visitor. “Out of my way!” Miko shouted as she ran for the gate. “Find a doctor, now!” she ordered as she entered the compound.

“Guuji Yae?” came the startled question. Ayaka, who had been walking in the garden, rushed over to see what the commotion was about. Then she saw who Miko was carrying, and her face went sheet white. “Sara?! What happened?” she asked, running ahead of Miko to clear a space on the table on the covered patio.

“Later. She needs help now!” Miko replied. Ayaka nodded, eyes wide and afraid.

“Fetch the medical supplies!” she told one of the guards, who nodded and rushed off, returning quickly. The three of them then worked frantically to bind Sara’s injuries. Alarmingly, they found a thin piece of branch stuck in her.

“Leave it,” the guard said as soon as he’d spotted it. “It’s like an arrow; taking it out will make her bleed faster, and could do more damage on the way out.”

“I’m aware of that,” Miko snapped, her ears twitching back and forth, breathing heavily. She was unsettled, badly. As they continued to work, the doctor finally arrived. Two doctors, in fact; one led by a frazzled, out of breath shrine maiden, the other by one of the guards from the gate. The latter, fortunately, was the doctor who’d been seeing to Sara’s treatment already.

Seeing the unconscious Sara on the table, and both Miko and Ayaka looking at them, they immediately got to work. The shrine maiden was allowed to collapse onto a cushion somewhere, whilst both guards and two of the servants who had gathered in the audience were volunteered to act as nurses and orderlies. Once no longer losing blood, Sara was moved inside.

“We need a healer with a Vision,” Sara’s original doctor said. “The elemental contamination’s barely present anymore so we can risk it, and we might lose her without a proper healer.”

“I’ll get Shinobu,” Ayaka said, rushing for the waypoint just outside the estate. The doctor watched her go, and then looked at Miko hopefully. Miko shook her head regretfully, and the doctor hurried back inside. Minutes later, Ayaka returned with Shinobu in tow, both rushing inside. Then, finally, Ayaka reemerged, collapsing onto the decking beside Miko. There was some blood on her hands and up her sleeves that she hadn’t washed off, and a haunted look in her eyes.

“What…” she began, swallowing. “What happened?” she asked, looking at Miko.

“...” Miko didn’t immediately answer, staring into the middle distance for a moment. “She threw herself off the mountain.” Miko couldn’t bring herself to say anything else. There were no quips or jabs, nothing that would soften the blow or lighten the mood. Nothing to defuse the situation, or provoke action over inaction. Just the quiet statement of fact, and the hurt that followed.

“... Oh. Oh, Archons…” Ayaka’s breath hitched. “W-why would…” Words failed her, and she put her face in her hands as she quietly began to weep. Miko, for once, had nothing to say. Not to Ayaka, at any rate. There were a great many things she wanted to say to select audiences, restless energy roiling inside her. But she couldn’t, not yet. She wouldn’t leave until the doctors emerged, until Sara was safe, or…

As it transpired, they were waiting for quite some time. Ayaka had eventually fallen silent again, almost catatonic as the two of them simply sat and waited. Finally, one of the doctors emerged. It was the one Ayaka had first sought out for Sara’s ongoing treatment. She looked drained as she approached the pair, both standing.

“She’s stable.” Ayaka almost collapsed to the floor again at the news, staggering with relief. “She’ll be unconscious for a while, and she’s seriously injured, again. She’ll need to be kept under observation; at this point, my biggest worry is infection. I hope it’s not a problem, but the healer you brought is sleeping in one of your guest rooms, Madam Kamisato. She exhausted herself, and could barely stay awake at the end.”

“That’s alright, a bed is the least we owe her for helping save Sara,” Ayaka said.

“So she’s out of danger?” Miko confirmed.

“Out of immediate danger, Guuji Yae,” the doctor answered. “She’s not about to bleed to death, but there are other complications that could emerge. My colleague, the doctor your shrine maiden brought, said Sara threw herself from the mountain..?” she asked carefully. Miko just nodded. 

“I’m astonished she survived, even considering her tengu heritage…” The doctor grimaced to herself. “Unfortunately… At this point I think it’s clear that the greatest on-going risk to Madam Kujou is herself. I recommend keeping a close eye on her, and… Keeping her away from anything she can use to injure herself.”

“I understand,” Ayaka said quietly, nodding. “Thank you, doctor.”

“Not at all, Madam Kamisato,” she said with a small bow. “If I might make a request, my lady?” Ayaka motioned for her to continue. “It is quite late, and I’m not sure I could return home before dark. I also feel it would be best if I remained at the estate for Sara’s observation.”

“Of course, I’ll have someone make a room ready for you. And please tell your colleague the same.”

“Thank you, my lady.”

“I’ll take my leave, then,” Miko said. “I have an extremely important visit to make.” Without waiting for a response, Miko blinked over to the waypoint outside the estate. Charging it with elemental power, she then teleported to its sibling outside Tenshuka.

The guards outside stood to attention at her sudden arrival, alert at the appearance of a Vision bearer. ‘Alert’ became ‘alarmed’ as she marched towards the gate, the soldiers taking in her dark expression and the blood splattered on her robes.

“G-Guuji Yae, are you—” one began.

“Stand aside,” Miko said curtly. Choosing discretion over valour, the soldiers stood aside. The various guards and functionaries strewn throughout Tenshukaku stopped and stared at the sight of her. The barely-contained electro sparking off her and her bloody clothes would doubtless be the talk of the town come tomorrow morning, but Miko couldn’t care less about that in that moment.

Reaching the door to the throne room, she bypassed the guards and threw the doors open with force. Inside was Ei, sitting with a collection of officials and functionaries of the Tri-Commission. Most notable were Ayato, Chisato, and Kamaji. The sight of Sara’s brother did nothing to quell Miko’s kindled emotions.

The discussion had halted abruptly at her dramatic entry. All eyes were on her, wide and anxious at the sight of a furious, blood-splattered grand shrine maiden.

“Miko!” Ei was the first to break the silence, eyes flicking between Miko’s face and her stained robes. “What happened? Are you alright?”

“Everyone who is not the Shogun, leave,” Miko ordered curtly. There was a beat as the other people in the room looked from her, then to Ei. Then, almost as one, they rose, hastily making their way to the door. “Kujou Kamaji, Kamisato Ayato. You are needed at the Kamisato Estate.” Ayato and Kamaji paused briefly, sharing a worried look, before hurrying out a little faster, Chisato joining them.

Quickly, Miko was alone with Ei, the guards pulling the doors shut and leaving the two in isolation. Miko stared at her for a long moment, breathing heavily, her ears twitching. “Do you know what the people of Inazuma call you, when not using your full title?” Miko asked, her voice unusually cutting. Ei blinked at Miko, unanswering, still off-balance from the way she’d stormed in and her current state. “‘The Shogun’. Do you know what Kujou Sara calls you?” Another blink.

“Miko, what—”

“‘My Shogun’, when she thinks no one else can hear her,” Miko cut her off. “Though whether she will continue to do so remains to be seen. Do you have the slightest idea just how devoted that woman is to you, Ei? Of all your subjects, she is one of extremely few that has driven me to frustration through the fervour of her adoration— No, obsession over you. 

“She would have done anything you or the puppet asked of her. She’d have handed over her own Vision without question. She’d have come for mine if the order had been given. If you’d asked for her head on a stake, her only regret would have been being unable to deliver it personally after having cut it off herself.”

“... Has something happened?” Ei asked, frowning slightly. It was rare to see Miko so clearly unsettled. Miko laughed humorlessly.

“A great many things have happened that the puppet thought below your notice.” Miko closed her eyes, ears twitching in agitation as she took calming breaths. “Sara threw herself from the top of Mount Yougou.” Ei’s eyes widened in shock, and she was half way to rising when Miko continued. “She survived, miraculously, but was badly injured. Again. Maybe there is a god out there who cares about her wellbeing after all.”

Ei winced at the scathing sarcasm in Miko’s words and the glower she shot her way, sitting back down again. “Why… What compelled her to do something like that?” Ei asked.

“Tools break when they are used by careless masters. That’s the only existence she has ever known since she was taken from the mountains and forests by the Kujou Clan; that of a tool, used by the clumsy and uncaring. Kujou Takayuki, the puppet… You.” Miko stared at Ei for a long moment, before folding her arms. “Did you even send so much as a ‘Get Well Soon’ card?”

“... I’m not confident I know what one of those is,” Ei answered lamely. Miko briefly had a look in her eye like she wanted to slap Ei, before she restrained herself.

“All manner of people, from the princess of the Kamisato Clan to street-roaming delinquents like Arataki Itto, have sent their well-wishes,” Miko said, her voice low. “Even Sangonomiya Kokomi, Sara’s enemy during the civil war, sent several letters and promised to visit when her duties permit. Everyone, except the god she’d moulded her entire identity around serving.

“She dedicated everything to her Shogun. Even when her heart told her what she was doing was wrong, she obeyed your commands. When her own father, as much as that man can be called such, was revealed to have betrayed your trust, her immediate reaction was to turn on him, because you are more important to her than her own clan.

“She is your most loyal, most dedicated servant. Likely ever; I certainly can’t think of anyone else who has devoted themselves so unquestioningly to you over the centuries. And what has her loyalty rewarded her with?” Miko asked, not giving Ei a moment to rally. “Silence and apathy from a god she adores more than life itself. The puppet left her to bleed to death on the floor of Tenshukaku, right after Sara fought a Harbinger for the crime of deceiving you.

“For weeks, nothing but silence from her god. This is what I was talking about, Ei,” Miko said, her tone softening slightly. “The things you are losing, and what the people need from you. The crisis may have passed, but Inazuma is still healing from the wounds it caused. And Sara is carrying that burden more than most.”

Ei closed her eyes, leaning forwards and covering her face with one hand, letting out a heavy breath. “I confess, I am not sure how to help her. Makoto was always more skilled with dealing with people…” She looked up to meet Miko’s eyes again. “I will make the effort, however. Though… You seem unusually unsettled by this, Miko,” she observed. Miko held her gaze for a moment, eyes defiant despite her obvious upset.

Then, she turned to the side with a huff, folding her arms stiffly. “... There are so few of us left, Ei. The youkai. I remember the last Hyakkiyakou; the feasting, the drinking, and the flight afterwards… The centuries have almost bled us dry. Don’t you think it strange that no tengu from the clan of her birth ever came looking for Sara?” She paused to let the implication of that sink in. “Another youkai bloodline could have ended today.”

Ei looked at Miko for a long moment. There was more that Miko wasn’t saying, she was sure. But now wasn’t the time to press her on it. “Very well. So, what can we do to help her?”

Chapter Text

After their abrupt dismissal from the Shogun’s throne room, Ayato, Kamaji, and Chisato hurriedly made their way down through Tenshukaku. As they forced their way to the front of the crowd of officials heading the same direction, Ayato glanced at Kamaji. Worry was writ large across his face, mirroring Ayato’s own fears.

“What could have happened at your estate to leave Guuji Yae covered in blood?” Kamaji asked him.

“I do not know. But, if your presence was demanded…” The grim look that overtook Kamaji’s face told Ayato he’d reached the same conclusion; Kujou Sara was involved, somehow.

“The waypoint outside Tenshukaku…” Kamaji began. “I confess; lacking a Vision of my own, I am unsure how these function. Do Vision bearers have to travel alone, or can they bring others?” he asked.

“It takes more elemental energy, and leaves the Vision bearer quite winded, but it is possible,” Ayato answered. “Fortunately, security shouldn’t be a concern, given we are travelling to my estate. Unfortunately, however, I can only bring one other person.” His eyes flicked to Chisato, giving her an apologetic look.

“I’ll find my own way there,” Chisato said, pausing only briefly to lay a comforting hand on Kamaji’s shoulder, before peeling off. Kamaji’s eyes followed her as she left, lingering for a moment before looking at Ayato.

“Let’s hurry.” Leaving Tenshukaku’s gates, Kamaji halted only long enough to tell the Tenryou Commission guard outside the Kujou Estate where he was going and to send a guarded carriage. Then, he rejoined Ayato at the waypoint close to the statue that, until very recently, had been the resting point for the hundreds of Visions confiscated during the decree. 

Absent those stolen jewels, the statue was significantly pock-marked, even damaged, the removal of some Visions performed with carelessness or active malice towards the edifice. Briefly, Ayato wondered what would become of the statue. A concern for another time, he decided, looking at Kamaji. “Are you ready? This can be disorienting.”

“I’m ready,” he said resolutely. Worry and uncertainty danced in his eyes, but there was steel there as well. Ayato nodded, before holding an arm out.

“Hold on.” Kamaji grasped his forearm, and Ayato placed his other hand on the glowing waypoint before pouring elemental energy into it. There was a lurching sensation, the feeling of being wrenched in a direction alien to the usual three dimensions, before just as suddenly, the pair were standing outside the Kamisato estate. Ayato wavered a little, whilst Kamaji staggered off to the side, blinking rapidly.

“Sir Kamisato! Sir Kujou!” A guard greeted them both. “This way, quickly!” Kamaji and Ayato hurried to follow once they’d recovered their wits, making their way inside. Immediately, Ayato spotted Ayaka sitting on the patio, head bowed. The moment after, he made out the blood splattering her clothing, and he broke into a sprint to rush to her.

“Ayaka!” he said, alarmed. Hastily, but gently, he took hold of her wrists, looking first at her red-stained hands for any injuries, before checking for signs of any others. The contact got Ayaka to stir, her head slowly lifting, letting him see her red, puffy eyes and the streaks of tears down her cheeks. “Ayaka, what happened? Are you hurt?”

“N-no,” she replied, her voice hoarse. “Sara…” She looked up at Kamaji as he arrived by Ayato’s side.

“Where is my sister?” Kamaji asked, worry starting to bubble over, leaving him near-frantic.

“She— She’s inside,” Ayaka answered, swallowing and trying to collect herself. “Alive, but… I’m sorry…”

“Alive?” Kamaji echoed, eyes wide with alarm. “What happened? Did someone attack?” The questions came quickly, his hands starting to tremble at his side.

“N-no, she…” Ayaka sniffed. “She tried to kill herself.” Kamaji’s jaw went slack, and Ayato could barely restrain his own reaction to that news as he glanced back at Kamaji. “S-she threw herself from the shrine, a-and Guuji Yae brought her here…”

“... Where is she?” Kamaji asked again once he found the words, hands starting to shake more intensely. “Where is my sister? Let me see her!” he demanded, starting towards the entrance to the building, stumbling a little as he went. At a hurried nod from Ayato, one of the guards led Kamaji to Sara’s room, Ayato following close behind after quickly hugging Ayaka.

The smell of antiseptics was heavy in the air, lingering evidence of the frantic work to save Sara’s life. Sara herself was laid out on the bed, once again wrapped in bandages and splints, almost deathly pale from blood loss. A choked sound escaped Kamaji’s throat as he saw her, collapsing to his knees by the side of her bed.

“Sara…” The name came out mournfully, his voice thick with emotion. “No… Why..?” Words failed him, and he put his hands on the frame of the bed, ducking his head as he began to quietly weep.

Ayato, for his part, stared in silence. Whilst he and Sara had differed on many matters in the past, especially during the days of the Vision Hunt, he still respected her competence and dedication. Seeing her like this left him unsettled. The Kujou Sara he was used to was a strong, fearless woman. The Shogun’s right hand; iron-willed and nigh-unstoppable. The idea that Sara would try to take her own life, even in the aftermath of the civil war, was almost unthinkable.

And yet, there she laid, unconscious and grievously injured once more, this time by her own hand. Through the shock of the moment, Ayato’s analytical mind began to work. Kujou Sara is methodical and precise. If this was premeditated, surely she’d have chosen a more sure method… Ayato grimaced to himself as he recalled the ways disgraced samurai in Inazuma’s past had taken their own lives, grateful Sara hadn’t thought to use her blade.

All that indicates it was a spur of the moment decision. Which begs the question; what happened at the shrine? he wondered. He resolved to see Yae Miko as soon as possible. For now… Silently, he stepped forward, and placed a hand on Kamaji’s shoulder. The politics of their respective positions in the Tri-Commission restricted what comfort he could offer publicly. But in the privacy of his own home, Ayato could offer a little more.

Ayato left the room after what felt like an appropriate length of time, quietly closing the door behind him. He then made his way back outside, finding Ayaka still sitting in the courtyard. He sighed, before finding a bucket and a cloth, filling the former with water before walking over to her, kneeling in front of her.

Without a word, he took one of her hands gently, soaking the cloth in water before starting to wipe the dried blood off of them. Ayaka stirred slightly at the contact, lifting her head. “I need to tell Yoimiya,” she said, her voice wavering only slightly.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Ayato asked calmly, continuing his self-appointed task. “I agree she should be told, but should you be the one to tell her?”

“It should be me. Yoimiya cares about Sara, it should be one of her friends that tells her.” Ayato hummed quietly, privately noting the lack of honorific or clan name when Ayaka mentioned Sara.

“Take Thoma with you, at least. You were practically catatonic when I arrived, you should have someone else with you. I’ll stay here and keep an eye on things.” Ayaka nodded, sniffing quietly, as Ayato continued cleaning Sara’s blood.

The next morning found Yoimiya at the fireworks shop, idly drumming her fingers on the countertop. It was a bright morning, yesterday’s storm having blown over during the night. Despite the brightness of the day, however, Yoimiya was feeling less cheerful than usual. She still hadn’t heard anything about Sara since she left for the peace talks, even though she’d returned yesterday.

I hope she’s okay… With a sigh, Yoimiya sprawled out across the counter, propping her head up with one hand. She’d been looking forward to seeing Sara again, especially in the wake of the Sakoku Decree being repealed. The idea of taking Sara away from Inazuma for a while floated into her thoughts, idly considered as the day trickled on. As time passed, she caught snippets of conversation and gossip from passersby.

‘Did you hear about Guuji Yae?’

‘She showed up at Tenshukaku covered in blood and furious about something.’

‘Maybe it’s something to do with Watatsumi? Apparently the peace talks didn’t go so well.’

‘I heard she kicked the Tri-Commission out to start yelling at the Shogun.’

‘My brother’s a guard up there. He told me that Kamisato Ayato and Kujou Kamaji were told to go to the Kamisato Estate.’

‘Why there? And speaking of Kujous, where’s Kujou Sara disappeared to? I haven’t seen her around the city in months, it feels like.’

The last few snatches of conversation caused Yoimiya’s brow to furrow in concern. Peace talks, the Guuji Yae upset, and Kujou Kamaji going to Ayaka’s estate? Did something happen to Sara? The worry immediately began gnawing at her stomach, and she began anxiously shifting in place.

She scanned the crowd, looking for anyone she knew and might be able to shed more light on the situation. She gasped quietly as she spotted the familiar figures of Ayaka and Thoma approaching the fireworks shop, and she ran out from behind the counter to meet them.

“Ayaka, Thoma!” she greeted them excitedly, before noticing their expressions. Thoma bore a thin smile, one that didn’t reach his eyes. Ayaka was worse, an almost mournful sadness visible on her face despite her carefully schooled expression. “What’s wrong?”

“It might be best if we talked somewhere private?” Thoma suggested, glancing around at the eyes on the trio. Ayaka tended to draw attention whenever she was in the city, and there was plenty more interest in her today, no doubt thanks to the rumours circulating. Ayaka simply nodded in agreement, swallowing quietly.

“Alright, I’ll get pops to watch the shop,” Yoimiya said, her alarm growing. She ushered the pair of them around the side of the fireworks shop, leading them into the building before asking her father to take over the counter for now. That done, she offered Thoma and Ayaka each a seat, kneeling beside a table.

“What happened?” Yoimiya asked, almost bouncing in place with how anxious she felt. Ayaka swallowed again, looking down at her hands clasped in her lap, gathering the courage to speak.

“Sara…” She paused, her voice thick. “S-Sara tried—” Her voice hitched, and she took a shaking breath. “S-she tried to kill herself.”

The words slammed into Yoimiya like a hammer. “No.” The word came unbidden, her mind refusing to believe it. “No, that’s— Sara would never—” She shook her head firmly.

“She jumped off Mount Yougou,” Thoma said, his tone sympathetic even as he tried to get Yoimiya to accept what had happened. “Guuji Yae saw her, and managed to get her to the estate in time for the doctors to save her.”

“I don’t— She wouldn’t,” Yoimiya insisted. “I mean, what would make her—” Her eyes stung, and she blinked away the tears that had started gathering. Across the table from her, Ayaka let out a wet sniffle, rubbing at her own face.

“I don’t know,” Ayaka said miserably. “But she did. This… This isn’t a cruel joke, Yoimiya. Sara—” This time, Ayaka was interrupted by a choked sob, her shoulders shaking. The sight of Ayaka starting to cry broke Yoimiya’s resolve, her vision blurring.

“But… But why…” Yoimiya sniffed, rubbing her eyes. The tears wouldn’t stop coming, and Yoimiya quickly moved around the table to embrace Ayaka. The hug was returned, the two women doing their best to hold and support each other as they began to weep.

“Feeling any better?” Some time later, the three of them were still in that room, the tears having run dry. Thoma had taken it upon himself to make some tea, a pot and three cups now sitting on the table.

“I wouldn’t say ‘better’, but… Thank you, Thoma,” Ayaka said, delicately sipping her tea. Yoimiya simply nodded, tapping a finger against her cup.

“Any time, my lady,” Thoma said, giving her a reassuring smile.

“So… What can we do for Sara?” Yoimiya asked, swallowing.

“I don’t know,” Ayaka admitted with a small grimace. “But, we can do our best to be there for her, at least. We still don’t know why she… Did that, but it’s clear she’ll need help when she wakes up. I just hope she isn’t too badly hurt again…”

“Do you have any way to speak to Guuji Yae?” Yoimiya asked. “She might know something about what happened.”

“Maybe, I’ll see what I can do.” Ayaka sighed heavily. “I feel awful for Kujou Kamaji as well, seeing his sister like that…”

“I just don’t know what to do,” Yoimiya said, rubbing at her face again. “I can cheer kids up, and I can make people happy with my fireworks, but… None of that’s going to help here.”

“We’ll just… Have to do our best,” Ayaka said, trying not to sound too defeated by that idea.

“Right,” Yoimiya agreed, nodding firmly. “No matter what happens, we’ll be there for her.”

Chapter Text

Sara woke to the feeling of pain. Above her was the now-familiar ceiling of her room at the Kamisato estate. Out of the corners of her eyes she could make out the details of the room and its contents. Conspicuous by their absence were her weapons, removed at some point before she awoke.

The reason why they might have been removed slammed into her as the memory of what she’d attempted to do surfaced. Her ribs burned as a sob shook her body, tears starting to flow down her cheeks. She lifted her arms, ignoring the way they ached, and rubbed the heels of her palms against her eyes. 

Failure! You can’t even kill yourself successfully! Her fingers curled, tightening around her own hair until it hurt. Can’t do anything right! Another sob, and then a wail left her lips. There was nothing she could do to stop herself from weeping, the pain and anguish of the past month finally venting itself miserably.

Dimly, she was aware of raised voices around her. Someone touched her shoulder, before arms wrapped around her, pulling her into an embrace. She didn’t care, couldn’t bring herself to care. All that she could do was sob and howl, even as fingers teased her hair from out of her clenched fists. Those same fingers then gently began stroking her hair, offering what little comfort they could.

At length, Sara’s tears ran dry. Her sobs faded, replaced by the occasional, miserable hiccough. “It’s okay, I’ve got you…” The softly-spoken words finally filtered through, and Sara lowered her hands.

“Y-Yoimiya?” Sara asked, hating the way her voice hitched as she finally realised who was embracing her.

“Hey,” Yoimiya said, trying her best to smile, her own cheeks streaked with tears.

“W-why… W-why are you…” Why are you crying? Why do you care? Sara’s body shook with another, renewed sob. Movement caught her eye as Ayaka stepped into view, her own eyes slightly red, tears brimming in them. Her hands were clasped together at her waist, knuckles white.

“I’m sorry, Sara,” Ayaka said. “I’m so sorry for not…” She paused to swallow, trembling a little. “For not realising how much you were hurting, for not being there enough…”

“W-why do you care?” Sara demanded, taking a ragged breath. 

“What— What do you mean?” Ayaka asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Why do you care? I’m a failure.” She screwed her eyes shut, breathing heavily as Yoimiya continued holding her. “I can’t— I did everything wrong. I can’t protect Inazuma, I can’t enact the Shogun’s wishes. Don’t— Don’t you realise what I did?!” She squirmed again, before pushing Yoimiya away. “What I would have done?!” She stared in disbelief at them both, her vision slightly blurred with tears.

“Your Visions, I’d have— I fought Arataki for his. I took Shinobu’s. Do you think… Do you think I wouldn’t have taken yours?!” She thumped a fist into the bed. It hurt to breathe, but she didn’t care. “A-all my life, I have done nothing but serve the Shogun. E-even when I knew what I was doing was wrong, I still served, because I thought she had a plan.

“A-and then…” She sniffed, gritting her teeth and punching the bed again. “And then I discovered the conspiracy, and fought the Harbinger… A-and she didn’t even care as I bled on the floor…” Another strangled sob left her. “I killed for her. To enforce the Vision Hunt, to bring Watatsumi back into line…

“They should have let me die in Tenshukaku. I can’t… Why did you save me? You should all hate me.” Her head dropped, glaring at the sheets covering her legs. There were a few moments of silence, before arms gently wrapped around her again.

“We don’t hate you, Sara,” Yoimiya said gently, trembling as she held Sara. “We still care about you.”

“The soldiers under your command…” Ayaka began, stepping closer to the bed. “Not the conspirators, just the ordinary soldiers. They’re also responsible for enforcing the Shogun’s decrees. Do you think they should be hated as well?” Sara hesitated, shaking her head.

“That’s different, they weren’t…” She grimaced as she realised she didn’t have a justification to offer. After hesitating for another moment, Ayaka gently joined the hug.

“We want to help in whatever way we can. You’re a victim in this as well; they used you and your devotion to the Shogun. You were manipulated,” Ayaka quietly insisted. “You’ve always tried to do what you think is best for Inazuma. You don’t… You don’t deserve to die, Sara.”

Sara didn’t say anything, clenching her jaw in silence.

Elsewhere in the estate, Kamaji was sitting with Ayato, Thoma, and Chisato, the latter having arrived late into the night. Kamaji stared into his faintly-steaming tea, motionless even as Chisato leant gently against him. “How did it get to this point?” he finally asked mournfully, ducking his head.

“That question could be asked of a great many things that occurred over the last couple of years,” Ayato said sadly. “In regards to your sister, I regret that I believed her to be an enthusiastic agent in all of this. She is extremely proficient at hiding her true feelings, the current situation notwithstanding.”

“She wasn’t always like that. She was more open when we were children,” Kamaji said, sipping his tea before setting the cup down with a snarl. Ayato shared a glance with Thoma, the latter standing to retrieve a bottle and some cups from another cabinet. “Our father made sure to change that, of course. He always valued stoicism over freely expressing our feelings, especially in Sara’s case.”

“I imagine her being an adopted child of the Kujou clan influenced his actions in that regard?” Ayato asked, gently probing as Thoma poured cups of sake for them all.

“And the fact that she’s a tengu,” Kamaji confirmed, taking the cup gratefully and sipping from it. “Takayuki made a big deal about the fact he’d adopted a tengu into the clan at first. He called her a ‘gift from the heavens’. I think the reality of then having to raise Sara wasn’t something he was really prepared for, leading him to be much harsher with her. And… Well, we’ve seen the results of that.”

“Did he treat her poorly for being a tengu?” Thoma asked, frowning.

“Looking back? I believe so,” Kamaji said, taking a deeper sip of his sake. “At a certain point in her childhood, she stopped showing her wings as often, and there was a time when she didn’t wear her mask.”

“I was under the impression that tengu consider their masks extremely important,” Ayato observed, keeping his voice neutral.

“They do, but… I don’t know everything that happened between the two of them. And Sara, thanks to how she was raised, doesn’t know as much about the tengu as she should, I think,” Kamai said with a grimace.

“So, Kujou Takayuki raised your sister to be devoted to the Shogun?” Thoma asked.

“She was already devoted when she was adopted,” Kamaji corrected. “She was adamant that the reason she survived her fall—” He paused, his voice briefly choking. “That the reason she was unharmed after falling from the mountain as a child was the Shogun’s direct intervention. Everything she had from that moment onwards, in her mind, she owed to the Shogun. Takayuki just… Encouraged that line of thinking.”

“That poor girl…” Chisato said sadly.

“Kujou Takayuki will have much to answer for,” Ayato said, his tone somewhat ominous. “As for your sister… I just hope Ayaka and Miss Naganohara can provide the help she needs.

For hours, Sara’s emotional state swung wildly. She wept, and she raged. She slipped into inconsolable silence and, rarely, laughed uncontrollably. Ayaka and Yoimiya stayed with her through it all, through her barely-intelligible rants and self-recriminations, offering what comfort and kindness they could. Sara was resistant to it all, mired in her self-loathing, but still they tried.

It was this scene that Miko arrived at, returning to the estate in a fresh set of robes. Her usual coy look was back on her face, her lingering frustration carefully hidden away. She paused only to get the attention of a servant, who led her to where Ayato and Kamaji were. The pair were the sole occupants of one of the estate’s tearooms, Chisato sleeping in one of the guest rooms and Thoma occupied by his duties.

“Guuji Yae,” Ayato greeted her. Both rose as she entered, Kamaji notably much laxer in his movements than usual, and there was a redness to his cheeks that wasn’t solely down to his emotional state, if Miko’s guess about the extra cups on the table and the scent of sake was correct.

“Please, no need to stand on ceremony,” Miko said. “How is she?” she asked, looking between the two.

“She’s awake,” Kamaji said, relief evident in his tone. “Both Miss Kamisato and Miss Naganohara are with her currently. She’s…” Kamaji sighed. “She’s upset, naturally.”

“Naturally,” Yae agreed, humming. “I’d like to speak with her, if she’s willing.”

“I can ask,” Ayato said. “She might refuse to see you, however; so far she hasn’t seen anyone but Miss Naganohara and my sister.”

“Well, we can but ask.” Ayato nodded, giving Kamaji a reassuring look before leading Miko to Sara’s room. He rapped his knuckles gently on the doorframe. “Madam Kujou? Guuji Yae is here to see you, if you wish.” There was the sound of something moving in the room and a muttered conversation.

“Please send her in!” Ayaka’s voice replied. Ayato looked at Miko before standing aside, gesturing to the door. Miko nodded, smoothly stepping forwards, opening the door and then closing it behind her. She turned to face the bed, hiding a grimace at Sara’s condition. She was disheveled, her hair messy, eyes red and puffy from crying. Ayaka and Yoimiya looked in similar, though less dire states, both sitting by the bed.

“G-Guuji Yae,” Sara said, her voice dry and raspy. She tried to rise, only for Miko to stall her with a raised hand.

“Please, don’t. You need to rest,” she said firmly. Sara swallowed and nodded, not quite relaxing. “I’m just here to deliver a message.” Yoimiya and Ayaka shared a glance at that.

“A message? Very well,” Sara said, sniffing and rubbing at her face, listening attentively.

“Given your… Current condition, it need not be immediate, but…” Miko closed her eyes, taking a breath through her nose. “Her Excellency wishes to speak with you.” The air felt like it had been sucked out of the room, tension replacing it eagerly. Ayaka and Yoimiya’s alarmed looks mirrored each other, and Sara looked like she’d been slapped. “This is not a summons, nor is it an order,” Miko clarified. “The Shogun was quite clear in that regard, it is merely an offer of invitation.”

Sara looked down at her hands, gripping the sheets on the bed. “If I may ask, why did her Excellency not deliver this message herself?” Ayaka asked carefully.

“We both felt that the Shogun arriving in person would put undue pressure on you, Sara. We don’t want you to feel compelled to accept,” Miko explained.

“Is…” Yoimiya began, grimacing slightly. “Is that a good idea?” she wondered aloud, looking at Sara with concern in her eyes. “After what’s happened..?” She looked back to Miko, whose smile had turned brittle around the edges.

“I…” Sara paused, clearing her throat and sniffing. “P-please tell the Shogun that…” Another pause, another nervous swallow. “Please tell her t-that I must—” The words seemed to catch in her throat, something seeming to physically resist them being uttered. “That I must decline her invitation.”

Shock settled on the faces of everyone else in the room. Yoimiya’s was the least restrained, gawping in surprise at Sara’s refusal of the Shogun’s request. Ayaka was more subdued, though the way her eyes went as wide as saucers was impossible to miss. Even Miko couldn’t hide her reaction, ears flicking as she blinked rapidly.

“I can’t—” Sara paused to sniff again, rubbing firmly at her face. “I can’t see her now. I don’t… I think Yoimiya’s right. I can’t see her yet.” Her voice got a little firmer towards the end, lifting her head to look at Miko. Her eyes remained sorrowful, haunted even, but there was a glimmer of something else there. Miko nodded in return, a strangely satisfied look on her face.

My, Sara actually putting her own needs first for once? That’s a nice change. “Very well, I’ll deliver your reply. Take care, Sara.” She paused for a moment, before sighing softly. “Recovery will be hard, but you have people who want to help you. Let them help.” Sara swallowed, lowering her eyes and nodding. “If you want to chat, just send a message to the shrine. Miss Kamisato, Miss Naganohara,” she nodded to them each in turn, before leaving the room.

Waiting outside was Ayato and, having decided to join him, Kamaji, the latter’s expression unreadable. Easily reading their intentions, Miko spoke. “The Shogun extended an invitation—an invitation, not an order—to talk to Sara. Sara refused.”

“She… Refused the Shogun?”asked Kamaji, looking at the door to Sara’s room. His expression was an odd mixture of surprise, relief, and worry. “I would have expected her to drag herself to Tenshukaku if she had to…”

“Well, it’s good that she’s prioritising her rest. That’s, hopefully, an encouraging sign,” Ayato observed. “What’s your opinion, if I may be so bold, Guuji Yae?” he asked, giving Miko an appraising look.

“Personally, I think it’s about time Sara thought about her own needs for a change,” Miko said, “rather than hanging off the Shogun’s every word. I’d have been far happier if this change was brought about under less dramatic circumstances, but it’s too late for that now,” she said, a tinge of bitterness entering her tone.

“Agreed,” Ayato said, sighing, Kamaji nodding as well. “Would you like to stay for some tea? Or some sake, if that would be more appropriate.”

“Hmm. It has been a trying couple of days… Very well, some sake would not go unappreciated,” Miko said gratefully.

Chapter Text

In the wake of Sara’s startling refusal of the Shogun’s invitation, a heavy silence filled the room. For her part, Sara simply stared at her sheets, whilst Ayaka and Yoimiya exchanged quiet glances. Eventually, Ayaka could take the oppressive stillness no further, and gently cleared her throat.

“How are you feeling, Kuj—” She cut herself off, forcing herself to swallow the ‘proper’ form of address in favour of something more personal. “How are you feeling, Sara?” A quiet huff left Sara’s lips, fingers gripping the sheets tighter.

“I don’t know,” she eventually said. “I… The entire time I’ve been here, I’ve been desperate for her attention, her approval.” She shook her head. “No, longer than that. Ever since I received my Vision my life has belonged to the Shogun. Everything I did was to fulfil her wishes and continue to receive her acknowledgement.

“The silence after the Harbinger…” She hesitated. Giving voice to her thoughts and feelings was something alien to her. Stern, unflinching, nigh-monolithic. That was the Sara that Takayuki had created, less raised and more sculpted. She was meant to command and obey, not to wallow in her emotions.

And yet, that facade had been thoroughly crushed, dashed against the foot of Mount Yougou much like her own mortal form. Trying to pretend she wasn’t deeply affected was futile, and wasted effort was something Sara had come to hate sorely. Slowly, she lifted her head, meeting the sympathetic, open, hurting faces of Ayaka and Yoimiya.

“The silence from Tenshukaku after my fight with the Harbinger hurt more than anything I have ever experienced.” Her eyes dropped again. “I… I was desperate to hear any acknowledgement from the Shogun. Something to tell me that she even knew I existed, that I was more than a faceless tool…

“That’s why I went to the peace talks,” she said, looking at Yoimiya again. “The Shogun called, and I answered. I thought… I thought it meant that I mattered to her, that I was important enough to her to give them cause to summon me specifically for them. But then, afterwards…”

“Sara… What happened at those talks?” asked Yoimiya, frowning in concern. “You seemed… You seemed better. You seemed more confident, you were even being snarky with me. But then when you came back, you…” She tailed off and swallowed thickly. Sara shivered, glancing between the pair of them.

“Miss Ayaka… Can you ensure we are not being eavesdropped on? I’m not sure how far the truth has spread, so I need to make sure this doesn’t leave this room.” Ayaka blinked in surprise, but nodded, standing smoothly. She first poked her head out the window to look around, before stepping out into the hallway briefly.

“There’s no one else around,” she confirmed. Sara nodded, taking a deep, steadying breath. Then, she told them. Everything from receiving the summons, to the briefing, to the disastrous events of the talks themselves. As they listened, both Yoimiya’s and Ayaka’s faces darkened, even Ayaka adopting an uncharacteristically-stormy expression.

“How could anyone be so foolish?” she asked rhetorically. “To try and drag us back into war, and so recently after the fighting has stopped…” She shook her head. “What became of the conspirators?” Sara took her time in answering again, fingers flexing anxiously against the sheets.

“Once the talks adjourned, I escorted them back to the encampment. I… Lost my temper. In my office, I lost control of my anger and frustration. I’ve never berated any of my soldiers as harshly as that, not even deserters. But they… They betrayed all of us, all of Inazuma, and I would have… I almost…

“I almost executed them,” she finally managed to say. “Two of my own soldiers, my own company. If my wrist hadn’t been injured, if my sword had been in its usual place, then…” There was a dreadful sense of horror in her words, like she was still struggling to believe that she’d been willing to cross that line.

Abruptly, she felt arms around her. She blinked as she realised that Yoimiya was hugging her again. “We don’t think any less of you,” Yoimiya assured her. Glancing at Ayaka, Sara saw her nod in agreement. “Is that… Is that what made you…” She tailed off awkwardly.

“It… Was a contributing factor,” Sara said stiffly. “Everything just kept… Piling up on itself and I just couldn’t—” She stopped, taking a shuddering breath. “I feel broken…” Yoimiya gently squeezed her, careful not to put pressure on her injuries.

“When was the last time you did something just for yourself?” she asked. “Not your duties, not to worship the Shogun, just for you?”

“I… Cannot recall,” said Sara. She was stopped from saying any more by a gentle knock on the door.

“Who is it?” asked Ayaka.

“It’s Kamaji. May I come in?” Ayaka glanced at Sara, waiting for her nod before answering.

“Come in.” The door gingerly slid open, Kamaji peeking in before entering fully, sliding the door shut behind him.

“Sara,” he said, his voice full of relief. Yoimiya disentangled herself from the hug as he approached and knelt by Sara’s bed.

“Kamaji, I’m sor—”

“No,” he said firmly, cutting Sara off. “No, I’m sorry. I have been a terrible brother to you, Sara. I should… I should have realised what father was doing to you sooner, should have seen what you were going through. For too long I have stood by and done nothing when other people, including those closest to me, have suffered, but no more.

“You are my sister, Sara,” he insisted, gently putting a hand on her shoulder. “And I promise I will do everything I can to help you.” Golden eyes stared into Kamaji’s own, before Sara took a shaky breath.

“It’s not your fault, Kamaji,” Sara said softly. “Takayuki… Encouraged a certain distance between us, and we can’t disobey the clan head’s wishes…”

“Even if that were true, he’s no longer the clan head, so what he wishes no longer matters,” Kamaji retorted, a little more forcefully than he’d intended. He closed his eyes, reining in his temper. “Our father is no longer in a position to dictate to us. And…” He lowered his voice a little. “I think you know that trying to blame a higher authority doesn’t do much to alleviate the guilt,” he said sympathetically. Sara closed her eyes, nodding. Kamaji didn’t say anything for a short while, taking a quiet moment with his sister.

“I need to return to the city,” he eventually said, regretfully. “But I will return when I can. If there is anything you need from me, or want from the estate, please, just ask, okay?” He waited until Sara nodded again, opening her eyes. He gave her a smile, squeezing her shoulder gently before standing up. “Masahito will be visiting soon as well.”

“Masahito?” Sara asked, blinking in surprise. “I thought he was busy at the encampment?”

“The Shogun summoned him to Tenshukaku,” Kamaji explained. “But I think he told the messenger that ‘if you want to stop me seeing my sister first, you can give it a try’.” Both siblings gave quiet, amused huffs. “Please take care of yourself, Sara. And thank you, Kamisato Ayaka and Naganohara Yoimiya.” He bowed deeply to them both. “Thank you for looking after my sister.”

“You are welcome, Kujou Kamaji,” said Ayaka, nodding in response.

“No need to thank us!” said Yoimiya, looking a little embarrassed by the formal display of gratitude. “And please, just call me Yoimiya? Naganohara’s my dad.”

“Very well… Yoimiya,” said Kamaji, clearly unused to the lack of formality. With another nod to the room’s occupants, he left. Silence returned to the room, Sara mulling over Kamaji’s words whilst Yoimiya knelt beside her bed again. Ayaka fidgeted, unable to move past something Kamaji had said.

“Sara?” she asked hesitantly. When Sara looked at her, she swallowed, then continued. “What did Sir Kamaji mean when he mentioned what Kujou Takayuki did to you?” There was a sharp intake of breath from Sara, who dropped her eyes to the bed again.

“Nothing,” she said quickly. Then, perhaps realising they wouldn’t believe her, “I was an unruly, wilful child. It was necessary for him to instil a sense of discipline in me.” Why does that feel like a lie?

“I see…” Ayaka said slowly. Looking at the bed as she was, Sara missed the flash of anger on Yoimiya’s face, and how Ayaka met Yoimiya’s eyes and shook her head slightly. ‘Not now’, she mouthed to her. Yoimiya grumbled, but nodded before sighing. Then, she perked up.

“I don’t think I’ve ever met your brother before. Not Kamaji, the other one,” she added quickly.

“Masahito? I think you’ll like him. Kamaji’s better at politics than either of us, but Masahito’s the most outgoing of us.”

“I’ll make sure he gets a warm reception, then,” Ayaka promised.

“Tell me about your sister.” Kamaji coughed, almost inhaling his drink in surprise at the question. Following his return to Inazuma City, he’d made his way to Tenshukaku to attend the Shogun’s summons. What followed should have been a fairly standard meeting; reporting on the Tri-Commission’s activities, updating the Shogun on recent events, and asking her approval on various proposals.

There were a few factors that made it different, however. The first was that he was meeting the Shogun alone. No guards, no attendants, no other members of the Tri-Commission. That alone set him slightly on edge. Was the Shogun about to deliver her verdict on the Kujou Clan? Or on his father? And yet, despite Kamaji’s anxiety, the meeting continued as normal, minus the obvious absentees.

Then there was his own emotional state. He was frazzled, the last couple of days putting him through the emotional wringer. He felt spent, wrung out and exhausted. The lingering hangover of Kamisato Ayato’s hospitality certainly wasn’t helping matters. And finally, there was the Shogun herself. 

He hadn’t noticed at first, but the Shogun seemed… Different somehow. More animated, a different cadence to her voice. The types of questions she was asking—how he was feeling, how Sara was—were unusual as well. It felt almost, but not quite, like he was talking to a different person.

After making sure he was neither about to drown on his tea or spill it, he cleared his throat to speak. “Of course, Almighty Shogun. Though, I’m not sure what there is to tell that you don’t already know. Sara has served as your general—” He cut himself off as Ei raised a hand to silence him.

“I am not asking about Madam Kujou, General of the Tenryou Commission,” Ei stated. “I am asking about Kujou Sara, your sister.”

“What… Would you like to know, Almighty Shogun?” Kamaji asked carefully. There was a brief look of almost hopeless despair on his face before he rallied. “She’s been my sister for more than two decades, there’s a lot of time to cover.”

“Anything you think is important, from the beginning,” Ei answered, sipping her tea. “It has… Occurred to me that I am less well-acquainted with my closest subjects than I perhaps should be, and I would like to rectify that.”

“I see. Well, naturally we first met a little over twenty years ago when our father adopted her into the clan. It was a grand affair, our father announcing the adoption and giving Sara her name in a big ceremony. At the time I thought he was doing it for her benefit; making a spectacle of the adoption so no one could question if she really belonged. Looking back, I think it was more a celebration for himself. He looked so pleased with himself, doubtlessly for the feat of adopting a tengu into the clan,” he said disdainfully.

“And how did Takayuki’s children feel about it?” Ei probed.

“We were both quite excited to have a new sister. Back then she kept her wings out all the time, so we were a little cautious at the same time. We’d heard stories about the warrior tengu, but we’d also been told to be wary of youkai. In the end, seeing the way she ravenously attacked the feast father held won us over,” Kamaji reminisced, a small, fond smile on his face.

The smile then turned to a twist of guilt. “I am ashamed to admit I did not always treat her as one should their sister, however.” At Ei’s expectant expression, he continued. “The first time was during her first year with the clan. We were playing a game of hide-and-seek in the gardens of the clan estate. She was seeking, and I’d broken the rules we’d come up with. Even back then she was adamant about rules, and we started arguing. 

“Words failed, as they often do between siblings of that age, and I gave her a small shove. She pushed me in return, and suddenly I was on my back, winded and several feet away from where I was previously standing. Tengu are far stronger than ordinary humans, and I think she’d forgotten it at that moment. It was one of the only times I ever saw her look afraid. 

“And then she ran from me.” He paused to take another sip of his tea, eyes downcast. “I didn’t approach her for more than a week after that. By the time I’d gathered my nerves to go mend the rift, she’d begun her training with the Tenryou soldiers. I wasn’t sure what had happened at the time, but she told me she didn’t have time now for games.”

He fell silent for a while, staring into his cup for long enough that Ei almost prompted him to continue. “The second time was many years later. Our brother Masahito had finished his training and was now an officer in your army, Almighty Shogun, whilst myself and Sara weren’t yet adults. Even so, we were still old enough to take on certain duties, with higher expectations placed on us.

“As you experienced firsthand, I’m no great swordsman. I’m not a masterful tactician. I may be a competent administrator, but that’s hardly worthy of grand recognition. Sara, however… She was like the rising star of the clan and the commission. ‘The pride of the Kujou Clan, an example to the rest of the Tenryou Commission’,” he quoted, sighing.

“You felt envious of her?” Ei asked, arching an eyebrow.

“I did,” he admitted. “Even though he showed me the same kind of affection one would expect of a father, Takayuki spent much more of his time with Sara, and I was jealous of the time and praise she was receiving. I only found out later that she was being treated far more harshly than myself or even Masahito.”

“Kujou Takayuki was overly strict with her?”

“I…” Kamaji paused, tapping a finger against his cup as he considered his next words. “In light of recent revelations, I think the correct term would be ‘abusive’. He isolated her from other children, encouraged an almost slavish devotion to you, Your Excellency, and tried to suppress her tengu heritage.

“I do not know the full details of what occurred during her training and discipline, but I know she was often more withdrawn afterwards. And in circumstances when she was part of a group that had done something to displease him, he would make a point of only lightly punishing her whilst punishing the others far more severely. A deliberate effort to isolate her from her peers through fear of harsh reprisal.”

“I see.” There was a definite scowl on Ei’s face now, but Kamaji could tell it wasn’t directed at him. She then closed her eyes, sighing. “A great many injustices went unnoticed, it would seem. You have my apologies, Kujou Kamaji, for my part in your sister’s suffering.” Kamaji bit his tongue, meeting Ei’s gaze as he carefully considered his next words.

The sort of propriety normally exercised by the Tri-Commission would have had him insist the Almighty Shogun was faultless, insisting there was no need for her to apologise. However, in the wake of his duel against her, that sort of sycophantism seemed abhorrent. More importantly, as Sara’s brother, the idea of dismissing the Shogun’s role in her current state felt like a betrayal.

“With respect, Almighty Shogun… I’m not the one you should be apologising to.” Kamaji looked into his cup, before sighing heavily. “Not that I think you should go to her yet. I’m still astonished that she did not accept your invitation. Given everything, I think it would be best for her to come to you when she’s ready.”

“Miko said the same thing,” said Ei. “And whilst you are correct that I should apologise to Sara, the fact my actions—or inaction, as the case may be—hurt her has also hurt you. Therefore, I apologise to you as well.”

“I will accept your apology then, Almighty Shogun.” Ei nodded.

Ironic. I was content to meditate in seclusion for five hundred years, and yet now I find myself impatient to make amends with a woman I barely knew existed. Makoto… What would you do, if you were here? What would you think?

Chapter Text

The arrival of Kujou Masahito hit the Kamisato Estate like a typhoon. “Where is my sister?!” he boomed loudly, storming past the estate’s guards forcefully. “Where is Sara?!” A flustered servant quickly escorted him to the room, his arrival preceded by the sounds of his footsteps. Kujou Masahito was not a small man by any measure, and the fact he was still clad in armour only added to the racket of his passage.

He was brought quickly to what had become Sara’s room at the estate, ducking through the doorway. “Sara!” he exclaimed with evident relief, spotting Sara sitting up in her bed. All but throwing his helmet aside, he crossed to the bed and stooped down, embracing her with a gentleness that belied his large stature. In the process, he completely bypassed both Yoimiya and Ayaka, who watched the scene in quiet bemusement.

“Masahito…” Sara half-whispered, returning his hug awkwardly. “How… How are you?” she asked, clearing her throat. Masahito didn’t release her immediately, continuing to hold her.

“I’m well, save for the fact it’s taken me this long to come see you,” he replied with a frustrated snarl aimed at himself. “I won’t make excuses, for there are none. I allowed myself to become too absorbed with my work; I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologise, I know you have a demanding workload, especially with me not taking on my usual duties,” Sara said, trying to assuage his guilt. To that, he shook his head firmly.

“None of that, I won’t have you trying to take any of the blame for this. You fought a Harbinger and survived, Sara. There are vanishingly few who can claim to have done that, I’m lucky I still have a sister.” He paused, realising what he’d just said. “Please never try something like this again,” he whispered, his tone suddenly desperate. Sara swallowed, her throat closing up, stopping her from speaking. Instead, she just gave him a squeeze, firm enough for him to feel it through his armour.

After embracing for a few more moments, he gently, reluctantly released her. Standing upright again, he sniffed before turning to face Ayaka and Yoimiya. “My apologies for not observing the usual etiquette,” he said, bowing deeply to them both. “I hope you can forgive my lapse in decorum.”

“More than forgivable, Kujou Masahito,” Ayaka assured him. “This is Naganohara Yoimiya,” she said, gesturing politely to Yoimiya, who gave a small wave. “I don’t believe you are acquainted?”

“Not formally, though we may have spoken once or twice in passing,” Masahito confirmed, standing upright again. “You both have my most sincere thanks for taking care of Sara. I owe you a debt of gratitude.” Ayaka nodded, smiling faintly.

“Thank you, Kujou Masahito, though I do not intend to hold any such debt over you. We didn’t decide to help Sara for personal or political gain. We helped because we wanted to help her.” The last sentence, though directed at Masahito, was said whilst Ayaka looked directly into Sara’s eyes. Sara swallowed again, looking away.

“I’m glad Sara has friends who were able to help where her own family failed,” Masahito said. He then sighed heavily, appearing to shrink. Taller than most men and powerfully muscled, he nonetheless managed in that moment to look small. “How… How are you feeling, Sara?” he asked, sinking to his knees beside her bed.

“I…” The usual platitudes and deflections wouldn’t work. She was well past that point with anyone present. Worse, trying to pretend would just hurt them. Still, though, her eyes lingered on Yoimiya and Ayaka as she tried to find her words.

“Do you want us to leave?” Yomiya asked quietly. Sara considered the offer for a moment before shaking her head.

“No, you… All of you deserve to hear this as well, after all I’ve put you through.” There was clear discomfort on their faces by Sara’s characterisation of her own actions, but none of them interrupted her. “How do you do it, Masahito?” she asked quietly. At his confused, worried frown, she continued. “Everything we’ve done was for a lie. Takayuki used us, lied to us both and used us to further his lies to the Shogun. So how… How do you keep going?”

“My answer might not help you much, but…” He glanced at Ayaka and Yoimiya, humming softly. “Father’s lies and schemes are far from the sum total of what we do and have done for Inazuma. The Vision hunt and the civil war… They’ll remain regrets for a long time, but it’s not like we’ve never done any good. We’ve stopped bandits, pirates, murderers…”

“You were always the nicest official whenever I had to get paperwork done,” Yoimiya helpfully supplied, smiling at Sara. Sara lowered her eyes, not meeting Yoimiya’s.

“Is that enough? I…” Sara swallowed again, unable to find the words. Gently, Masahito reached out and took one of her hands.

“I hate to ask, but… Is that why..?” The rest of his question was obvious.

“Not…” Sara began, grimacing. “… Do you remember Motosuke and Sue Yoshitaka?” she asked. Masahito frowned, searching through his memory.

“Members of your personal detail in the army, correct?” he asked.

“Yes. I don’t know if you’ve seen the reports from the peace talks, but… During the last round of negotiations with Watatsumi, it… They betrayed Inazuma. They conspired with the Fatui in an attempt to keep the war going.” Fury ignited in Masahito’s eyes, white-hot as he clenched his jaw. He kept his peace, however, letting Sara continue despite the absolute outrage he felt.

“They confessed to it right in front of Sangonomia. And when we got back to camp, I… I almost killed them both. Two of my own men, and I nearly cut them down in the middle of my office…” Sara swallowed thickly, shivering.

“And that’s what..?” Sara nodded once. Masahito sighed, stifling his anger at the two soldiers in favour of focusing on Sara. “I always knew you were the merciful one between us. The two of them are lucky it was you and not me there,” he said firmly. “Imagine how many people they'd have gotten killed if their plan had worked. I wouldn’t have spared them. Does that make me a bad person?”

“N-no, of course not,” Sara answered, looking at him again.

“Okay. So, whatever awful things you're thinking about yourself because of what almost happened, none of it is true. Hell, you're the reason there aren't more executions in the Shogun's army.” Yoimiya blinked, tilting her head quizzically at that.

“What do you mean?” she asked. Ayaka, meanwhile, had a thoughtful expression on her face.

“I’m aware that Sara’s been responsible for a number of reforms in the armed forces, but I confess I’m not familiar with them,” Ayaka added, her own curiosity now apparent.

“What, you don’t know?” Masahito asked, looking between the three women. “Archons, where do I even start with that?”

“Masahito, you don’t have to…” Sara said weakly, only for Masahito to shake his head, waving a finger at her.

“Someone has to do it; when was the last time you said anything good about yourself?” he asked. “It’s an older brother’s duty to brag about his sister’s accomplishments anyway,” he added, some cheer returning to him. “Well, for starters Sara ended the policy of executing deserters. Now any soldier found guilty of desertion is either demoted and put on rear-echelon duties like logistics, or stripped of rank and imprisoned in severe cases. Sure, they’re still getting punished but it’s a damn sight better than dying.”

Yoimiya and Ayaka both looked at Sara, a small smile on the latter’s face whilst the former looked almost in wonder. Their attention made Sara’s cheeks burn, and she averted her eyes again. “Executing them is a waste of people. If they won’t fight on the frontline, there’s always work to be done to support the army,” she deflected, embarrassed.

“She ended corporal punishments like flogging as well!” Masahito continued, unrelenting. “Some disciplinary officers are far too keen to beat their troops, and Sara put a stop to that.” 

“Physical punishment makes soldiers resent their officers, and the injuries from them often keep them from their duties until they heal. Punishment work details are effective enough deterrents, and those jobs need doing anyway,” Sara countered. A wholly imagined, or perhaps remembered, twinge across Sara’s back reminded Sara the real reason she felt so motivated to end that practice.

“How about the compensation and benefits for soldiers?” Masahito challenged. “I remember you fighting for that one despite father’s opposition. How many soldiers injured during the war still have a roof over their heads because of the measures you pushed through?” Sara didn’t have a deflection for that. She couldn’t pretend that one was ‘practical’ or ‘pragmatic’. 

“I could keep going, talk about your logistics reforms helping the medical corps save more lives or your disaster planning.” Masahito took her hand again, squeezing it. “You got used and betrayed, but that doesn’t mean you haven’t done a lot of good, and it doesn’t negate it either. You should be more proud of the changes for the better you’ve caused.”

Sara’s cheeks remained dusted with pink, still somewhat embarrassed by the way Masahito was heaping praise on her. However, with it came the fluttering hints of rekindled pride, ever so slightly beating back the shame and self-hatred that had consumed her. “I… Will not deny I had to fight for some of those reforms…” she said hesitantly.

“I knew there was a reason your soldiers liked you so much!” Yoimiya cheered. “Sara I had no idea you did all that!” she added, joining Masahito by Sara’s bed, her eyes bright. “That’s amazing!”

“You’ve touched people’s lives in many good ways,” Ayaka added, softly. “So many of them would be affected by your death. Hundreds, thousands of people. I know you’ve been hurt, and no one can undo what happened. But… People care, Sara. Even if the Shogun is distant, and leaders in the Tri-Commission used you, people care about you.”

“I…” According to Takayuki’s plans, people weren’t meant to care for her. His treason had made that quite clear. She was meant to be his tool, his weapon, something used to advance his agenda. None of her reforms were about making her more popular. In fact, many of them had made her quite a few enemies within the Tri-Commission.

But then, if you changed things for the better and didn’t do them for personal gain… It turned out, Sara still had some tears left. For once, though, they weren’t tears of sorrow or self-hatred. There, with her brother and two women she finally believed cared about her, Sara quietly cried.

Eventually, Masahito had to take his leave, followed by Yoimiya, and then finally Ayaka. However, Sara was not left to her own devices for long, as a few hours later there was another knock at her door. “Enter,” Sara called out, looking up from the book Ayaka had left for her. The door slid open, revealing the haggard-looking form of Kuki Shinobu, leaning against the frame. Dark circles were under her eyes, her hair a bit of a mess.

“Sara…” she said with relief, staggering into the room.

“Shinobu!” Sara exclaimed, alarmed at the state she was in. She made to rise, a spike of pain from her leg reminding her why she couldn’t do that. “Are you alright?” Shinobu made her way to the chair by Sara’s bed, more-or-less collapsing into it.

“Tired, is all,” she muttered, rubbing her eyes. Sara grimaced apologetically.

“Miss Ayaka told me you exhausted yourself healing me… I’m sor—”

“Shut up.” Sara’s jaw snapped shut, stunned at being interrupted by Shinobu. She turned to look at Sara again, relief mingling with anger in her eyes. “I’m so mad at you right now,” she said plainly, clenching her fists and breathing heavily. Sara didn’t say anything, watching Shinobu carefully.

“Is there something wrong with me?” Shinobu demanded, blinking rapidly. “We’ve been friends for how many years now? And…” She took a shuddering breath, hunching over slightly. “A-and you decide that this is what… What you need to do.” She blinked again, tears starting to pool in her eyes. “You don’t tell anyone. You don’t reach out, you don’t tell me. You just…” She screwed her eyes shut, taking another breath, unable to say the words. The tears began flowing down her cheeks.

“... Shinobu, I’m so sor—”

“Shut up! Don’t you dare apologise to me!” Fumbling for a moment, she ripped her mask off before turning to Sara again. Her eyes were now open, desperate and misty. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I’m the one who’s sorry for not having been there for you, but…” Her voice was increasing in volume, laced with pain and grief. “But I don’t even know what I did wrong!”

“What… What did I do to make you think I wouldn’t care?” She dropped to a whisper. “Th-that I could just look at your body and move on like it was nothing?” Finally, Shinobu broke. The tears that had been trickling forth now came in a torrent, and she buried her face in her hands. Sara, meanwhile, was stunned into silence.

How Shinobu would react had never entered into her consideration. Nor how others would react. All that she had thought about was her service to the Shogun, and how much it had hurt to have that devotion twisted and betrayed by others, and then neglected by the Shogun. Seeing Shinobu so stricken with grief… It was painful for Sara, but it also put a new perspective on things.

“... I can’t—” Sara said quietly. Shinobu’s sobbing faltered as she caught Sara’s voice, raising her head to listen. “When I did what I did… I wasn’t thinking about anyone else. I… I’ve never imagined a life outside my service to the Almighty Shogun.

“It’s why… It’s why I went along with the Vision hunt, and the war… I believed the Shogun knew what was best for Inazuma, and that my purpose was to help her achieve that goal. So, when everything was revealed to be a lie…” Sara closed her eyes, ducking her head. “I felt like a failure, like my entire purpose for living had been torn away. I never meant to hurt any of you, I just…”

“Why…” Shinobu sniffed miserably. Her eyes were red, only adding to her worn-down appearance. “Please, Sara. If there’s something I did to make you think I wouldn’t care…”

“That’s not it,” Sara said, shaking her head firmly. “I don’t… I don’t think I thought I was worth caring about. I… All I was was my purpose, and without that…”

“Without that you thought you didn’t have any value?” Shinobu probed. Sara nodded. Shinobu closed her eyes, taking a deep, angry breath. “If Takayuki wasn’t already in prison…” she growled out, clenching her fists. Then, she forced herself to relax again, forcing air out through her nose. Then, she took Sara’s hand. Dimly, Sara realised she’d had more physical contact with people in the past few days than she’d had in entire months, maybe even years, before this whole mess.

“We care, Sara. You’re a person. You’re my friend. You matter beyond whatever fucking ‘purpose’ some bitter, cruel old man decided you should fulfil. And if the Shogun’s been ignoring you, well… That’s her loss.” Sara elected not to respond to the barbs against both Takayuki and the Shogun. Biting her tongue was made easier by the fact she could not wholly disagree.

“I’m… I’m trying to teach myself that,” Sara replied. Then a thought occurred, prompted by Shinobu’s earlier words. “How… How many others know?” she asked.

“I don’t know, I’ve been pretty much out of commission the last couple days,” Shinobu admitted. “The gang’s been unsupervised for that long as well…” She sighed. “If you want me to, I can tell Itto. But, I think you should be the one to tell him. I won’t make you, but…”

“I will. I…” She grimaced. “I think there’s something broken in me. I’m not fine, and I don’t know how to fix it, but… I’m not going anywhere,” she promised.

“You’d better fucking not,” Shinobu agreed vehemently.

Chapter Text

Sara had noticed an emerging trend during her time at the Kamisato Estate, that being that she spent fewer and fewer of her meals alone. Today seemed the apex of that, as no fewer than three people were in her room, eating lunch alongside her. The room I am staying in, not ‘my’ room , Sara reminded herself. Yoimiya, Ayaka, and Shinobi had apparently unanimously decided to keep her company, filling the air with conversation.

“—and I was so nervous when the officers dragged me up to see a Tenryou Commission official about my fireworks,” Yoimiya said, recounting her and Sara’s first meeting. “But fortunately it was Sara in charge that day! I was scared it would be one of those mean old men, but instead I got someone who actually listened to what I had to say,” she continued, giving a bright, beaming smile to Sara. She’d elected to sit on the edge of Sara’s bed as she ate, crowding it a little, but Sara found she didn’t mind too much.

Sara found herself blushing faintly under the praise. “The fact that it was me should not have made a difference,” she said, deflecting as ever. “Any other official should have come to the same conclusion I did that your activities on that day were well within regulations.”

“Yeah but, c’mon,” Shinobu said, giving Sara a flat look. “You know that’s not the case. Most of your colleagues used their positions to bully people.”

“You were always the easiest to work with regarding permits and organisation for festivals,” Ayaka added with a small smile of her own. Sara mumbled something under her breath about ‘just doing her job’, looking into her onigiri instead of meeting anyone’s eyes.

“So, how long until you’re allowed to get back to training?” Shinobu asked, giving Sara a reprieve from the praise.

“A few more days,” Sara answered. “Without the elemental contamination in my body, potions and other forms of magical healing are helping me recover much faster. I’m… Eager to resume my usual training routines,” she confessed. The company, along with the odd crutch-aided walk around the estate, helped stave it off, but she could feel the cabin fever starting to develop.

“We should do archery training together!” Yoimiya suggested, grinning broadly. “I probably can’t help with the sword stuff, though. Ayaka, Shinobu?” she asked, looking between the pair.

“I would be happy to spar with you, Sara,” Ayaka confirmed, as Shinobu nodded. “My expertise does not extend beyond swordsmanship, however.”

“The bow and the sword are my preferred weapons anyway. Your offers are very kind,” Sara said, ducking her head gratefully.

“Wait, how many weapons can you use, Sara?” Yoimiya asked, tilting her head.

“I have trained to proficiency with most weapons on Teyvat. Catalysts are my least preferred, and I haven’t had the opportunity to train with Fontainian firearms,” said Sara.

“Woah… How long did that take?” she queried, leaning towards Sara, her eyes full of wonder. A brief flicker of hesitation flared, before Sara quelled it.

They know you’re a tengu, and they don’t treat you any differently for it. They’re your friends, she reminded herself. “Tengu have a natural gift for weaponry. I can’t explain it beyond the fact that I pick up a weapon and immediately know how to use it effectively.” She paused. “It’s not a substitute for practice, however, but it is a significant advantage.”

“Oh yeah, can’t tengu do a whole bunch of other stuff?” Yoimiya asked, her curiosity thoroughly stoked now. “I think I heard about ‘tengu transcension’?”

“I…” Sara grimaced, and looked down once again. “I wasn’t raised among tengu, so I’m not familiar with the tengu arts. I can perform some of them with my fan after some trial and error, and some pointers from Guuji Yae…” She started, almost losing an onigiri ball as Yoimiya suddenly clambered up the bed and hugged her. Sara swallowed, returning the hug after a moment.

“Sorry, I should have thought,” Yoimiya said quietly, squeezing her before releasing her.

“It’s alright,” Sara assured her. Yoimiya released her after a few seconds, sitting back down with her bowl. Sara thought for a moment, before mustering a bit of courage. “I’ve been thinking about picking up some hobbies as well.” The statement got the reaction she’d predicted; a wave of excitement, and a flurry of questions. What did she want to try first, was there anything they could do to help, and so on and so forth.

Despite her lingering discomfort with being the focus of this sort of attention, Sara found herself unable to stop smiling.

As Sara drew closer and closer to the end of her physical recovery, she carved out a more and more active routine for herself. In the morning, she trained (with a weapon borrowed from the Kamisatos) or exercised before doing some paperwork for the Tenryou Commission; though she was still officially on leave, she insisted on taking on some of the administrative tasks she excelled at. Then, after lunch, she’d engage in hobbies, either something she was sticking with or trying out something new.

She’d found a bit of a talent for calligraphy one day with Ayaka. Something about the precise, controlled movements spoke to her, and increasingly it encouraged her to try her hand at art. Artistic pursuits were something new to her, and she couldn’t help but wonder what Takayuki would make of seeing her engage in ‘worthless diversions’.

She even began taking trips into Inazuma City again, though always in the company of at least one of her friends. Today, it was with Yoimiya who had offered to show Sara how she made some of her fireworks. With little else to do, and motivated by a steadily growing desire to spend more time around Yoimiya, Sara had agreed. 

As such, the pair were walking through Hanamizaka, Yoimiya excitedly chattering about some new ideas for fireworks. As they walked, Sara spotted a familiar, and dreaded, shock of white hair. Itto was hunched over a table in the middle of a card game, one he was losing judging by the frustrated look on his face. As Sara watched, he threw his hands up, shouting whilst his opponent laughed. 

“Sara?” Sara turned to look down at Yoimiya, realising she’d come to a stop. Yoimiya looked between her and Itto, understanding blooming in her eyes. “Do you want to talk to him?”

“I should,” Sara said, unable to truthfully say she wanted to do it.

“Do you want me to wait?” Yoimiya asked gently. Sara considered the offer for a moment, before shaking her head.

“I’ll come to the shop afterwards,” she promised. Yoimiya nodded, giving Sara a hug before walking away. Immediately, Sara missed the contact. People keep hugging me… She shook her head, putting aside the matter of how touch-starved she apparently was before making her way towards Itto.

As Itto packed his cards away, he happened to look her way. He blinked, and it took a moment to register what he was seeing, before he broke out into a grin. “Well well, if it isn’t Kujou Tengu,” he said. His gang finally took notice of her, all of them standing a little straighter. “Been a while. Your hair’s longer.”

“Arataki Itto,” Sara replied politely. “How have you been?”

“Pretty good! The Tenryou Commission hasn’t been on our case as much lately, and we got Shinobu back from you a bit ago, so it’s going pretty well!” he said with a grin. Then, he frowned again. “Heard you got pretty badly hurt again, though. Shinobu was really upset about it.”

“I did,” Sara confirmed, swallowing guiltily. Part of her wanted to run away. She could excuse herself easily, say she had plans with Yoimiya. It wouldn’t even be a lie. Don’t be such a coward, she chastised herself. “We should talk.” She glanced past him at the Arataki Gang. “In private.”

“I’m not in trouble, am I?” Itto asked warily, looking around as if expecting police officers to appear.

“You’re not, but… There’s something you need to know about my recent injuries.” Itto frowned in confusion, but nodded. After some words with his gang, he followed Sara over to the massive sakura tree that loomed over Hanamizaka, its petals filling the air with fragrance.

“So, what’s up?” Itto asked once Sara failed to speak immediately. “Someone going after youkai, is that why people have been pretty hush about it? I heard Guuji Yae was covered in blood on the night you got hurt,” Itto theorised.

“No, nothing like that,” Sara said, shaking her head. She took a deep breath, and then swallowed as she tried to steel herself. “I’m sorry, this is… Difficult to talk about.”

“What is?” Itto asked, tilting his head. His naive confusion only made getting the words out harder for Sara.

“The night I got injured… How much do you know about what happened?”

“Uhhh, lemme see…” Itto put a hand to his chin as he consulted his memory. “I heard something made you fall from Mount Yougou, and the Guuji carried you to the Kamisatos’ place? And Shinobu got called in to help heal you. She didn’t give me a lot of details, though.” Itto then frowned in concern. “She was gone for a few days, you must have been really badly hurt again.”

Sara swallowed again. “I didn’t fall. I jumped.” The words didn’t have an immediate impact on Itto as he stared back at her, blinking once. Then, his eyes widened, his face going pale.

“What? No, that’s not—” The denial was immediate, Itto shaking his head in disbelief. “That’s—You’re Kujou Sara!” he exclaimed, gesturing at her with both hands. “Why would you…” He tailed off, his arms falling slack at his sides again. Sadness was not something Sara was familiar with on Itto’s face. He wore his emotions openly, but she’d only ever seen him happy, or angry, frustrated, cocky… Never sad, even when she confiscated his Vision. Not until now, anyway.

“I… Hurt a lot of people, Itto,” Sara began, softly. “I hurt so many people, trying to bring about the Shogun’s promised Eternity. The Vision Hunt, the civil war… All of it for nothing.” Itto stared at her, silently letting her continue. “I believed my whole service to her was pointless, that my whole life had been for nothing. All of it piled up until…” She sighed, looking away. “Until I couldn’t take it any more, and then…” She grimaced.

“That doesn’t mean you deserve to die.” Sara blinked, looking back at Itto. “It’s not like your stuff, but I know I’ve hurt people as well. I ain't proud of it, but I do stuff without thinking and sometimes that gets people hurt or upset or angry. And then Shinobu has to drag me by the ear to apologise… I don’t really know where I’m going with this, but… I’m glad you’re still here, we’d miss you.”

Itto’s naked honesty almost made Sara choke up. As it was, she felt tears well up in her eyes, and she quickly brought up a hand to rub at them. “Oh, shit, did I make you cry?” Itto asked, alarmed and worried. “Shit, um. Sorry, I said the wrong thing! You can hit me if you want? Wait, no, you said you didn’t want to hurt people…”

“It’s okay,” Sara assured him. “I’m not upset. Your words were just… Kinder than I think I deserve. I did confiscate your Vision, after all…”

“Ah, water under the bridge,” Itto said, waving a hand as if to dismiss the incident. “You owe me a rematch, though,” he quickly added. Sara snorted softly.

“Maybe,” she replied noncommittally. “Thank you, Itto. I should… Yoimiya’s probably waiting for me,” she said lamely.

“Yeah, I should get back to my game as well,” Itto said. Either he’d spotted her attempt to disengage from the emotionally vulnerable moment and was graciously allowing it, or he was completely clueless. Knowing Itto, it was likely the latter.

“Of course. Don’t give Shinobu too much trouble.” With that, Sara left, resuming her course towards the fireworks shop. As she went, she gave a small nod to the members of the Arataki Gang still clustered around. That seemed to surprise them, and after a moment it surprised Sara too.

Since when did I casually acknowledge people like that..?

At long last, after weeks of recovery, the last of her dressings and splints had finally been removed. She flinched, reflecting on the actions that had delayed her recovery. Quietly, she thanked the doctor as they left, leaving her alone in her room in the estate. Clad only in a pair of shorts and some chest wrappings, she turned to the mirror.

Vanity had never been one of Sara’s failings, though she’d always kept herself to a certain level of personal grooming. She was, however, compelled to assess the ‘damage’, take a tally of the new scars she’d certainly acquired in both her close brushes with death. Taking five breaths to steady herself, she opened her eyes.

First, she met her own gaze in the mirror. She had to stoop down a little to do so, the mirror a little too small for her towering stature. Her eyes still had dark rings under them and looked a little dull, but less empty than she’d expected. Her hair was longer than she was used to, now falling past her shoulders. Normally, she’d have cut it herself by now, but she didn’t quite feel like asking her hosts for a blade, nor did she want anyone else to do it for her.

The scar on her cheek was next. Slowly, she turned her head back and forth, lifting her chin to look at it from a few different angles. It could have been much worse, she supposed. Shallow, narrow, and avoiding any important muscles or tendons. It irked her that she’d been left with a scar she was unable to cover, especially after so many foes had tried to leave such a mark on her without success.

More scars greeted her as her gaze travelled further down. There were a few old ones; a handful of cuts and slashes across her forearms from enemy blades, a cut by her shoulder where an arrow had narrowly avoided sticking. Incredible skill and the physical prowess afforded her by her youkai heritage had not rendered her totally proof to incoming harm, and a few lucky strikes had gotten through over the years.

Until the Harbinger, of course, who had left her with more than mere chance hits. The largest was a wide burn scar, starting just off the centre of her midriff and curling up to the left side of her ribs. Turning around, there was a similar scar across her right shoulder blade. Whilst the healers had done an admirable job with her injuries, they couldn’t do anything about the patches of rough, mottled scar tissue.

Evidence of the Harbinger’s cryo attacks was present as well. A long slash started at her collarbone and disappeared under her chest wraps to end at the bottom of her sternum, where she’d tried and failed to impale her. A similar scar marked her right thigh, along with one diagonally across the small of her back.

A number of smaller scars marked her body, but there was one that she lingered on, lifting the bottom of her chest wraps to see it. At a glance, it didn’t look like much, a small lump of scar tissue little wider than the shaft of one of her arrows, located under her right breast. Not an injury left by a foe, this one was a result of her actions, born from desperation, at the top of Mount Yougou.

With her back still to the mirror, Sara summoned her wings, the limbs appearing in a small flurry of black feathers. She let out a small, annoyed hiss as she watched the loose feathers scatter. Between the injuries and the deep depression she’d sunk into, she’d been neglecting their care. Later, she decided. Right now was about assessing any lasting damage they might have suffered. Aided by the mirror, she cast a scrutinising eye over each wing before turning to face the mirror again and repeating the process on their undersides. 

Other than a lack of preening, there didn’t appear to be any lasting injuries. She let out a soft snort. In a morbid twist of fate, neither her fight with the Harbinger nor her fall from Mount Yougou had really threatened her wings. Between fighting indoors and the chaotic winds created by the mix of pyro and cryo, flight hadn’t been a good option against the Harbinger, and she certainly hadn’t intended to fly from the top of the mountain…

As she reflected on that, there was a knock at the door. “Enter,” Sara said automatically, her wings disappearing again. She heard the door slide open behind her. Judging by the sound of jingling ornaments it was Yoimiya at the door, a suspicion confirmed a moment later.

“Hey Sara, Ayaka—Uhhh…” Sara blinked, turning to look at Yoimiya. She’d come to a dead stop halfway into the room, staring at Sara’s back with wide eyes, her mouth slightly agape. Sara looked down, remembering her state of relative undress.

“Ah, my apologies, I was not properly dressed,” Sara said hurriedly, grabbing a robe and throwing it around herself. “I’ve spent too much time around soldiers…” The motion seemed to break the spell Yoimiya was under, and she shook her head, heat rising to her cheeks as she met Sara’s eyes properly.

“I-it’s fine!” Yoimiya said, a little too quickly and a little too high-pitched. “Um, Ayaka’s about to do some painting if you wanted to join her?” Sara considered the offer for a moment before nodding.

“Very well. Will you be joining us as well?” Sara asked.

“Ah—” Yoimiya’s eyes flicked down briefly and then back up again. “N-no, I need to… Thoma, I need to talk to Thoma about something. I’ll let Ayaka know you’re coming!” Without giving her a chance to respond she dashed out of the room, leaving a somewhat confused Sara behind.

… I hope she wasn’t upset by my scars. Sara hesitated for a moment before shaking her head, dispelling the creeping insecurity. I shouldn’t keep Ayaka waiting. Closing the door, she shed the robe again before dressing more properly, putting a loose shirt and skirt on before heading to Ayaka’s art studio.

“ThomaThomaThomaThoma—” Thoma looked up from the table he was dusting with a frown as he heard someone saying his name. The voice was a few corridors away, accompanied by the rapid padding of sock-clad feet against wooden floors. The sound quickly rounded the corner, revealing a frazzled-looking Yoimiya approaching at speed. “ThomaIneedhelp!” It took Thoma a moment to realise that Yoimiya had actually said several words instead of a single garbled one.

“What’s wrong?” he asked upon deciphering what she’d actually said. “Is it serious?” Instead of answering, Yoimiya grabbed him by the forearm and half-led half-dragged him into a side room. “Yoimiya, what’s going on?”

“I—S-Sara—Her back—” Yoimiya stammered out. Thoma tensed up, anxious that something had happened to Sara again. “Muscles—” That threw Thoma off again, leaving him deeply confused instead of alert.

“Yoimiya, slow down, I don’t understand what you’re trying to say,” he said, gently putting his hands on her shoulders. She nodded and swallowed, trying to calm herself down. As she did, Thoma noticed her flushed cheeks. Did she get into the sake? Yoimiya took a breath, before the words started tumbling out of her mouth.

“Okay so Ayaka’s doing some painting and she asked if I’d go see if Sara wanted to join so I did and I knocked on her door and she said to come in and I did and she was naked—okay not naked but not wearing much—and I saw all the muscles in her back and shoulders and my mind stopped working for a bit and then I got really flustered and I can’t stop thinking about it and I don’t know what it means?!” Yoimiya gave Thoma a pleading look as the torrent of words ended.

Thoma was silent for a moment, parsing what Yoimiya said. “Okay… Has anything like this happened to you before?” He was confident he knew what was going on already, but it never hurt to get more context.

“A couple of times at the bathhouse?” Yoimiya offered. “And one time at archery practice, there was a super pretty girl in a tank top? One time with Ayaka…”

“Alright. And has this ever happened with any men?” he probed, stifling a small laugh as he did.

“No. Wait—” Yoimiya’s eyes flew wide. Her hands went to her mouth, before moving to the sides of her head. “Ahh!” She let out a startled cry at the realisation. “I—Girls?!”

“You didn’t realise at all before now?” Thoma asked. Despite Yoimiya only seeming to recall one or two instances of getting flustered, Thoma could bring to mind several more occasions where she seemed quite taken with other women. Did she really not have a clue?

“No! I mean, I never really got guys, but I just figured one day I’d see one I liked and go ‘that one’!” Yoimiya said—shouted, really.

“Well, I’m sure Sara would be quite flattered to know she was your awakening,” Thoma joked, laughing slightly. Yoimiya’s reaction to that was to grab a cushion and scream into it.

“Thoma what do I do?!” she asked desperately.

“I mean, that’s up to you,” Thoma pointed out. “Okay, look, calm down and tell me why you’re panicking so much,” he then said gently, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“Okay, okay,” Yoimiya said, nodding firmly and closing her eyes. Thoma could feel her practically vibrating in place as she tried to calm down.

“Okay so I think I might be freaking out because I just realised I like girls but also because it’s Sara who made me realise?” Yoimiya said as she opened her eyes again, uncertainty laced in her words. “And I’m not sure what that means?”

“Alright, well, what do you think it means?” he asked, once again feeling like he already knew.

“Umm…” Yoimiya looked down, thinking, casting her mind to Sara. Immediately, the image of Sara’s exposed back came to the fore, as if seared into her brain. Shaking her head, she moved past that, feeling out what she thought about Sara as a whole. There was her incredible height, of course; Yoimiya was used to people being taller than her, but Sara was in another league entirely, but she never used that height to intimidate her.

There were her occasional snarky flashes of humour, the way she’d so earnestly explain some curious behaviour of hers, or insist on some particular manner of doing things. Her bouts of broodiness, which only made Yoimiya want to reach out across the gap. Her beautiful golden eyes set in that handsome face. Strong arms that could sweep her off her feet, bringing her up to kiss—

Yoimiya screamed into the cushion again.

Chapter Text

Whilst Yoimiya was busy reexamining every time she’d ever been interested in another woman in her entire life, Ayaka was at the Grand Narukami Shrine, drinking tea with Yae Miko. Another festival was in the midst of being planned, one that required the involvement of both the shrine and the Yashiro Commission. It was hardly an uncommon arrangement, these meetings happening frequently enough that they’d turned into an opportunity for tea and catching up. A mutual respect and admiration certainly helped in that regard.

Not that said respect spared Ayaka from Miko’s habitual grilling. “Well, now that the ‘work’ part of the visit is over… I think I need to get a few answers from you,” Miko said, popping a  dango into her mouth.

“Oh.” Ayaka blinked. “Answers about what, Guuji Yae?”

“Why, Kujou Sara of course,” Miko answered, leaning her chin casually on the knuckles of one hand. “I can see why the Naganohara girl is so invested in Sara's recovery. I don't think she's capable of not caring. You, though, I remain puzzled by. You have a reputation for kindness, to be sure, but… Why do you care so much? If it was that brother of yours taking point on this, I’d suspect some ulterior, political motive, but you don’t seem the type.”

“That’s a very good question,” Ayaka said, frowning in thought, lowering her eyes to her cup of tea. “We brought her to the estate initially on Kujou Kamaji’s request. Given that it was Sara who exposed the corruption within the Kujou Clan, and more broadly the Tri-Commission, I believe he was worried someone might attempt to harm her.”

“And the Kamisato Clan were the most logical option,” Miko finished. “You had the resources necessary to guard against attempts on Sara’s well-being, and weren’t implicated in the conspiracy.”

“That is correct. Under the circumstances… It would have felt wrong to refuse. Though she had a major role in enforcing the policies the conspirators designed, she was also ultimately the one who revealed the conspiracy to the Shogun. She helped bring about an end to those harmful policies, at the cost of considerable injury and… Mental distress.” Ayaka’s frown turned briefly forlorn.

“Well, that certainly explains seeing to her security and medical care,” Miko granted, though her expression conveyed she was not satisfied with Ayaka’s answer. “Though, that doesn’t paint the full picture, does it? Sharing meals and conversation are certainly parts of being a good host, but helping her find new hobbies? Not to mention the amount of mealtimes shared with her,” Miko said, her tone taking on a teasing edge.

“... I feel I should ask how you know about all that, Guuji Yae,” Ayaka replied, schooling her expression.

“I ran into the Naganohara girl the other day in the city. She told me all about the time she’s been spending with Sara,” Miko said, smirking slyly.

“I see.” Ayaka couldn’t be upset with Yoimiya over that—not that she could quite identify why she felt she should be. It was Yoimiya’s nature to be effusive about her friends, after all. “You are correct that I haven’t been simply going through the motions of being a good host, as you put it. I suppose…” Ayaka paused, sipping her tea as she mused, trying to put to words her thoughts about Sara for the first time.

“I suppose I feel a sort of kinship with her situation?” Ayaka began, causing Miko to raise an eyebrow, her ears flicking. “We had very different upbringings, of course,” Ayaka hastened to add. “But there are a startling number of similarities when one looks past the differences. We’re both orphans—or at least I assume Sara is, given her adoption by the Kujou Clan—and we have both been isolated from the people of Inazuma by our positions.”

“I can confirm that she is an orphan,” Miko said, nodding. “And please, do continue,” she urged Ayaka, continuing to snack on dango.

“Very well. I am the Shirasagi Himegimi of the Yashiro Commission, and she is Madam Kujou, General of the Tenryou Commission. Most Inazumans see us for our titles and positions first, and for us as people second, if ever. I… Cannot claim to understand a tengu’s perspective on that, but it can be quite a lonely life,” Ayaka admitted.

“My, actually pausing to consider that a youkai might have a different perspective to a human? You are uncommonly open-minded, Miss Ayaka, though I suppose that is one of the reasons I like working with you.” Miko grinned at her. “Though I’m obviously not a tengu myself, I’ve known enough of them over the years to say that whilst they tend to be more solitary than humans, they certainly still have the same desire for companionship.”

“Thank you, Guuji Yae,” Ayaka said, nodding her head at the compliment. “So, yes, I suppose I felt a degree of empathy with her. That and…” Ayaka grimaced. “From the moment she woke in our care it was clear she was hurting, and I couldn’t bear to simply ignore it. I just wish we knew how deep that hurt was at the time…”

“And doubtless Miss Yoimiya’s own interest in Sara’s well-being played a part?” Miko guessed. Ayaka met Miko’s gaze levelly.

“I suppose you are correct. It is no great secret that I have few close friends. I can’t deny that seeing how distraught Yoimiya was over Sara’s condition was a motivator,” she granted.

“And you hope that Sara will become a new friend? If she hasn’t already, that is.” That finally got the sort of reaction Miko was looking for out of Ayaka as her cheeks flushed slightly.

“Forming closer, more amicable ties between the clans of the Tri-Commission would go a ways towards repairing the cracks in the nation’s government in the wake of the unrest,” Ayaka began to say, before her shoulders sagged slightly, “is what my brother would probably say. I doubt you’d believe it if I said that, however.” Miko chuckled at that.

“It would be a bit transparent coming from you,” she confirmed, smirking again. “It is okay to want things just because you want them, you know,” she pointed out. “Not everything you do has to be for the good of the whole of Inazuma. Not to put too fine a point on it, but, well, look at what that sort of thinking has done to Sara.” Ayaka nodded solemnly at the reminder. She then peered at Miko curiously.

“If I may, Guuji Yae… You said you could confirm that Sara is an orphan. How long have you known her?” she asked.

“Hmm… I first met Sara when she was a child, a street urchin in Inazuma City. She was quite obstinate even back then, with the goal of becoming a great tengu warrior. I suggested that, in the manner of the tengu clans, she should train in the forests and mountains.” Miko didn’t continue past that, her eyes turning slightly wistful.

“I see.” Ayaka’s desire to ask more about Sara’s youth was tempered by the odd look on Miko’s face. “If I may, Guuji Yae… The invitation you delivered to Sara on the Shogun’s behalf…” Miko’s full attention returned to Ayaka, one ear twitching. “May I ask what the meeting would entail? I only ask because… Well, after the last time she was summoned to Tenshukaku…”

“All I will say is that there are some matters that are important to Sara that the Shogun needs to discuss with her,” Miko answered, putting on a casual air. “Rest assured that no orders or requests will be made of her there; I was quite clear with regards to my displeasure after the fiasco with the peace talks.”

“I understand, I won’t pry further,” Ayaka said, resolving to have plenty of comforts and diversions ready for the aftermath of that meeting, whenever Sara was ready to accept the invitation.

Shinobu quite liked the Kamisato estate, she decided. It was peaceful, the gang were unlikely to bother her here, and the gardens were always gorgeous to look at. Plus she had some good friends here when she was in a social mood. And when she wasn’t, or was trying to avoid some visiting official who might recognise her from her shrine maiden days, there was always a tree or a roof she could climb to avoid being seen. 

The crows made for good company, at least. There were a lot more hanging around the Kamisato Estate since Sara’s arrival, it seemed. Come to think of it, there were usually crows wherever Sara spent a lot of time. Whether that was just down to Narukami Island having a lot of crows or something to do with Sara being a tengu, Shinobu couldn’t say. But these crows seemed a lot less timid around people, at least.

“Hey, Shinobu?” 

Of course, being on a roof didn’t mean it was impossible to find her. “Hey Yoimiya,” Shinobu greeted her, turning to see her standing a short distance away on the same roof. “How’s it going?”

“Pretty good! Um, can we talk?” Yoimiya asked, fidgeting with one of the ornaments hanging off her outfit.

Oh that’s never good. “Sure, what’s up?” Shinobu asked, turning more properly to face her. Yoimiya hesitated for a moment longer before sitting beside her, a couple of the nearby crows shuffling around in reaction to the new arrival.

“So, umm…” Yoimiya said haltingly. “I like girls.”

“... Okay.” Please Archons do not confess to me, Shinobu silently begged. Yoimiya was a good friend, and Shinobu really didn’t want to have to reject her. Not that she wasn’t into women, she just wasn’t into Yoimiya.

“And, well… You’ve known Sara for a long time, right?” Shinobu blinked.

Ah fuck. “Okay, I think I can see where this is going,” Shinobu commented dryly, causing Yoimiya to blush.

“Y-yeah, I think I like Sara,” Yoimiya admitted. She couldn’t quite sit still, shifting around and fiddling with various parts of her clothes. “And I was wondering… Do you know if Sara likes girls as well?” There was a nervous sort of hope writ large on Yoimiya’s face, looking eagerly back at Shinobu.

Okay how the fuck do I answer that? “Okay, you have to promise you won’t tell anyone this,” Shinobu said sternly. Yoimiya nodded vigorously.

“I promise!”

“Alright. Yes, Sara’s gay, but! Before you get too excited,” Shinobu said as Yoimiya started practically vibrating in place. “Sara’s got a… Complicated relationship with her sexuality.” Yoimiya stopped and tilted her head.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I mean…” Shinobu groaned, rubbing her face. “Okay, you know her dad’s a piece of shit, right?”

“I’d… Gotten a few hints,” Yoimiya confirmed, nodding sadly.

“Yeah. He’s forced her to bury a lot about herself, that included. Anything else, you’ll need to talk to her about it. But, well, I don’t need to tell you that she’s in a delicate place right now. It’s up to her if she wants to open back up, and we’ll need to be careful and supportive. That’s the only reason I’m even telling you this, so please don’t tell her I told you or that you know?” Shinobu asked.

“Of course.” Yoimiya paused, looking at Shinobu thoughtfully. “How do you know?”

“Not important,” Shinobu answered quickly. Yoimiya didn’t need to know about that night, back before the country turned itself inside out. Neither her nor Sara had considered it a mistake, but… It was clear after the fact Sara was not ready for anything like that. Shinobu was just happy it hadn’t wrecked their friendship.

Yoimiya squinted at her suspiciously, before shrugging. “If you say so. So… What do I do now?”

“For now… How sure are you that you like Sara like that?” Shinobu asked.

“Pretty sure? I mean… She’s the one who made me realise I like girls, right? And I already liked her as a friend, but now I can’t stop thinking about how hot she is…”

“Okay, but there’s a gap between liking someone and thinking they’re hot, and wanting to be with that person in a relationship,” Shinobu pointed out. “Plus, again, she’s not exactly in a great place to be starting one right now, even if she returns the feeling. So… I guess just keep doing what you’ve been doing? Sara needs to heal more before even thinking about that sort of stuff.”

“That makes sense.” Yoimiya nodded to herself. “Helping Sara takes priority.” She fell into silence for a moment, before peering at Shinobu again. “Hey, Shinobu..?”

“Yes, Yoimiya?”

“Do you like girls?”

“... Yes, Yoimiya, I like girls,” Shinobu answered, flatly.

“The housekeepers have been keeping your room dusted,” Kamaji said, passing Sara a cup of tea. He was visiting the estate, checking in on Sara once again between engagements at the capital. “I told them not to move any of your things around.”

“They always do,” Sara huffed, taking the cup with a muttered ‘thank you’ before sipping it. “I’m sure I’ll have to rearrange when I get back.”

“Speaking of which, have you thought about returning to the estate at all?” Kamaji asked. “Please, don’t feel pressured to do so. If staying with the Kamisatos is what you feel is best for you, then do that. I’m just… Wondering what you’re thinking.”

“I… Haven’t really thought about it that much.” Sara wasn’t being entirely honest. Whilst no serious consideration had been given to moving back to the Kujou estate, she had been thinking about her room quite a bit. Most often during training when she had to borrow a weapon from Ayaka. Her weapons were waiting for her back in her room at the estate. However, so was her collection of statues of the Shogun.

Everything kept coming back to the Shogun. It wasn’t a realisation; she was intimately aware that the Shogun was at the heart of just about everything in her life. Takayuki had forced her into the mould best suited for the Shogun’s service, it was the Shogun she’d dedicated her life to. The Shogun she’d killed for, ignored her conscience for, almost died for…

“Sara?” Sara blinked, her focus returning. Kamaji was looking at her across the table with evident concern.

“Ah, my apologies, I was… Lost in thought,” Sara apologised.

“It’s alright,” Kamaji was quick to assure her. “We’ve both had plenty to think about recently. May I ask what it was?”

“... I think I’m going to accept the Shogun’s invitation,” Sara answered after a moment’s thought. Kamaji blinked, leaning back slightly, his cup of tea halting halfway to his mouth. “I think it’s time.”

“Are you sure?” he asked gently. “I know it’s been some time since she extended the offer, but…”

“I know, however… Everything seems to keep coming back to her. Every time I hesitate to take the next step, it’s my thoughts and feelings about the Shogun that stop me.”

“That’s understandable, but she is the one who gave the orders. Even if she’d been manipulated, she still gave the orders to confiscate Visions, and to put down the Watatsumi resistance,” Kamaji pointed out. “Are you sure you’re ready to see her?”

“I don’t know,” Sara admitted. “But I think I have to. I don’t… I don’t want her to be an obstacle for me.” She sighed, before meeting his eyes. “I want to get better. I want to heal, and I don’t think I can do that until I confront her.” Kamaji was slow in responding to that, taking the time to process Sara’s words.

“So you’re framing it as a confrontation?” he asked. Then, he nodded in satisfaction. “That’s encouraging. I was worried you were still seeing it as a duty,” he said, relief plain in his voice. “In that case, what do you intend to confront her about?”

“I want to know why she was so blind to Inazuma’s suffering. If it was solely down to the conspirators controlling the flow of information, then as her general I need to ensure that such a flagrant risk to security never happens again,” Sara said, setting her cup down firmly to emphasise her point.

“But you suspect there may be more to it than that?” Kamaji guessed.

“Maybe,” Sara said, sounding rather less certain. “The Shogun is a god, one of the Seven Archons of Teyvat. Even with a conspiracy controlling what information reaches her, shouldn’t she have known something? There was no way for her to know I needed her aid the night I received my Vision, but she saved me nonetheless. I’m not vain enough to think that my voice is somehow special enough to have reached her, whilst no one in the Resistance was heard.”

“And… If the Shogun was just apathetic to their cries?” Kamaji asked carefully. The question was uncomfortably close to blasphemy; though Kamaji had never been as zealous as Sara, Takayuki had encouraged devotion in all his children.

“Then…” Sara closed her eyes, sighing before meeting Kamaji’s eyes again. “There are a lot of lessons that I learnt from people other than Takayuki. One of them was that it is sometimes a subordinate’s duty to tell their superior when they are wrong.” Kamaji stared at her like she’d just grown a second head, his lips parting in astonishment.

“... I never thought I would see the day that you even considered that the Shogun might be wrong about something,” Kamaji uttered softly.

“Well, I’ve had to reassess a few things recently,” Sara replied. “In either case, I need to speak with her.”

“If that’s what you think you need to do, then I won’t stop you. I just don’t want to see you hurt again,” Kamaji said, sighing and draining his cup.

“I know,” Sara assured him. “I know… Takayuki raised us in very different ways, but you’ve always been my brother. I know you care.”

“And you will always be my sister.”

Chapter Text

‘Correcting a superior’ was far from the only lesson Sara had learnt outside of Takayuki’s curriculum. One such lesson that she’d picked up from observing other officers was that sometimes it was best to turn a blind eye to the antics of the rank-and-file. Certainly, serious breaches of protocol warranted attention and punishment, but disciplining soldiers for every single minor infraction was counterproductive.

She’d learnt there was a substantial difference between ‘tough-but-fair’, and ‘petty tyrant’. The latter were hated by their troops. Desertion rates were higher, morale was in tatters, and because the soldiers were afraid of speaking up, genuine issues were left to fester. Sara had even seen such officers left to die in the field, or in one extreme case, murdered by their troops.

The former, meanwhile, were better trusted by their soldiers. Knowing when to pretend to be unaware of inconsequential infractions earnt loyalty and goodwill. Of course, one had to be careful not to let it turn into serious breaches and actual insubordination, and the troops had to know they were being allowed to ‘get away with it’.

It was almost like acting, Sara thought. The officer knew that the soldiers were operating a still, and the soldiers knew that their officer knew, but everyone pretended that some grand deception had occurred. And the act would go on, provided that nothing caught fire or exploded, and no soldiers were drunk whilst on duty. A little leniency led overall to happier troops. Better morale, better performance in the field. It’s just pragmatic, Sara had convinced herself. Certainly not her offering the sort of mercy she’d never been shown in her own life…

It was this lesson that Sara found herself recalling as she walked up the steps to Tenshukaku. She hadn’t announced her arrival, but she was arriving in the appropriate attire,  that being her full general’s panoply. The soldiers on duty had shown a remarkable amount of initiative; upon seeing her, they’d snapped smartly to attention, and greeted ‘General Kujou Sara’ as loudly as they could without causing too much of a scene.

As Sara returned the greeting and stepped into the palace grounds, she was able to observe the effects of this impromptu warning to the other soldiers. Runners sprinted the length of walkways, hurriedly passing word along. Those with the cleanest uniforms and equipment were quickly shuffled to the most prominent positions, whilst those out of regulations were moved out of sight. Off-duty soldiers were cajoled into lightning-fast sweeps for any out-of-place objects and debris. All the while, those in Sara’s path bought their fellows time by welcoming her back, wishing her well, or otherwise engaging her in brief conversation.

To their credit, if Sara had been a human their efforts would probably have gone unnoticed. As it was, with her heightened perception she couldn’t help but be aware. But she opted to ignore it, as she’d spent much of her career doing when her soldiers got up to trivial mischief. The only hint she gave that she’d noticed was when she paused by a guard station, glanced at the nearby broom closet she knew someone was hiding in and gave the on-station soldier a pointed look, before continuing on. Even the crows that roosted around Tenshukaku seemed to be arraying themselves in neater lines.

Finally, she reached the Shogun’s throne room. As she came to a halt outside the two massive doors she felt a chill that had nothing to do with the altitude. She closed her eyes and took five slow breaths, steadying her accelerating heart rate. Once she felt calm enough, she opened them again before looking at the guards.

“General Kujou Sara, here to see the Almighty Shogun,” she declared. Both guards saluted before turning and opening the doors for her, revealing the throne room interior. Inside was the unmistakable form of the Shogun, waiting for her at a prepared tea table along with Miko. Squaring her shoulders and swallowing for a final time, Sara marched into the throne room.

She approached the table and halted, before bowing deeply. “Almighty Shogun. Guuji Yae,” she greeted them both.

“Rise, Madam Kujou,” the Shogun replied. “And please, be seated.” Sara did as bid, sitting seiza across the table from them both.

“How are you doing, Sara?” Miko asked. In contrast to Sara and the Shogun’s very formal sitting positions, Miko was leaning an elbow on the table, propping her head up with that hand.

“Better than at our last meeting, Guuji Yae,” Sara answered honestly.

“That’s good to hear. And please, call me Miko,” Miko replied, offering Sara a cup of tea, which was accepted.

“Very well… Miko,” Sara said, testing out the name. Then, steeling herself, “I think we have a lot to talk about. Based on your invitation, you have some things to say to me, and I have my own questions about the recent unrest.” Sara turned to look at the Shogun as she spoke, and was disappointed to see a total lack of expression on her face, just the same apathetic stare she’d become used to.

Miko followed Sara’s gaze, before sighing. “Ei, I think it’s time to come out,” she said, with a hint of irritation.

“Very well.” The Shogun’s reply was flat. She then closed her eyes, and Sara felt something change. Though she’d had little opportunity to refine the supernatural senses her heritage had gifted her, she’d always been able to detect certain sources of power. The Shogun was one of those; there was an undeniable weight to her presence. But, as the Shogun opened her eyes again, it felt different in a way Sara couldn’t quantify.

More unnerving, the Shogun smiled at her, an unfamiliar warmth in her eyes. “Greetings, Kujou Sara.”

“You’re not the Shogun.” Sara bristled, looking between Miko and the stranger. “Who are you?” It came out just short of a demand, Sara unable to be quite that impertinent within the Shogun’s throne room.

“This is going to take some explaining,” Miko said, her tone of voice implying she was not looking forward to it. “But it’s an explanation you deserve, Sara, even if it might be… Upsetting for you.” That failed to fill Sara with any sort of confidence, and she looked back at the maybe-imposter.

“And, for reasons of national security, I am going to ask that what we discuss does not leave this room,” the woman that might be the Shogun said. Sara, once again, looked at Miko.

“Whilst I’m sure you’re sick and tired of hearing ‘it’s in Inazuma’s best interest’ as an excuse… I have to agree with her in this instance,” Miko said, sighing dramatically.

“To first clear up any confusion; I am the Almighty Shogun, known otherwise as Beelzebul, the God of Eternity, and the Almighty Narukami Ogosho, God of Thunder. You, however, may call me Ei.” The weight of her existence certainly supported the notion that she was a god, at least. “That said, I am not the Shogun that you would recognise.”

“What do you mean?” Sara asked, suppressing a shiver. 

“... An infinite life is its own burden,” the Shogun, ‘Ei’, began to explain. “One affliction all immortal beings struggle with is ‘erosion’. Loss of memories, loss of those close to you, the weight of uncountable years. All of these mount up over a long enough life. Unchecked, it will cause a being to lose their sense of self. For a god, to succumb to erosion is to become a catastrophic threat to everything around them.

“Erosion is also anathema to eternity,” she continued, as Sara digested her words. “I had to find a way to overcome it. So, I created the body you see now, ‘the Shogun’ as Teyvat understands it.” Sara frowned deeply, a worrying sensation starting to creep up her spine whilst her stomach turned over.

“Created..?” Sara asked, increasingly confused and anxious.

“Correct, somewhat like you might create a doll, though somewhat more significant than that. I devised a method for creating an artificial construct with my own consciousness, a puppet I intended to be an extension of my own will.” Ei then turned to Miko, whilst Sara sat and listened, increasingly unsettled.

“I then taught Ei how to transfer her consciousness into an object. Her plan”—Miko shot Ei an accusatory look—“was to stave off erosion through eternal meditation whilst the puppet exercised her will in the mortal world.”

“So,” Sara began, trying to wrap her head around everything she’d been told. “This… ‘Puppet’ is a vessel you exercise power through, and that somehow helps stave off ‘corrosion’?” she asked. “That does not explain how…” Sara swallowed, before forcing the words out. “How you were unaware of Inazuma’s suffering.” It was the closest to criticising the Shogun she’d ever gotten in the Shogun’s presence.

“Your explanation is not quite correct, although it is how I, mistakenly, believed it to be for a long time,” Ei said, regretfully. “Recent events have made it quite apparent to me that the Shogun is substantially more than a mere extension of myself. In truth, it would be more appropriate to call her my kagemusha. She is a distinct person, and likely has been for quite some time.”

She continued to explain more of the details regarding the puppet. At a point, however, Sara stopped hearing the Shogun’s— Ei’s words. They were replaced by a building, high-pitched ringing noise in her ears, growing in strength until it blocked out all other sound, save for the pounding of her own heart. She could hardly breathe, feeling like something had grabbed her lungs and squeezed. Only her vision remained clear, and dimly she noticed the way Miko was looking between her and Ei with rising alarm, one of her long ears flicking.

Another lie. Even my god lied to me. Sara’s heart beat faster, painfully so in her chest. Fury and indignation flared, climbing alongside the feeling of betrayal. It was too much. Abruptly she stood, jostling the table as she did so. Ei fell silent immediately, looking up at her in surprise, whilst Miko looked worried, perhaps even nervous. Sara was too hurt to feel anything over finally throwing Miko off her game.

Trembling hands lifted to her chest, grasping the black and gold disc there, the badge of her office. She fumbled with it as she tried to unclasp it, before with a hiss of frustration she simply ripped it free, leaving tears in the fabric underneath. It was then tossed onto the table, knocking over Sara’s cup, the rattle and clatter breaking the suffocating silence in Tenshukaku.

Sara worked her jaw for a moment, forcing it to unclench enough to speak two words. “I resign.” Leaving that statement hanging in the air, she turned her back on both Guuji and Archon before marching out of the throne room. The soldiers standing guard by the doors stiffened as she exited. She ignored them, swiftly descending through the palace and storming out the gates.

Reaching the top of the stairs that led down into Inazuma City, she came to a halt, staring at the winged, pockmarked statue. The soldiers posted nearby were staring at her, she knew, but she didn’t care, willing her hands to stop shaking as she clenched them into fists. Behind her she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. “Sara.” It was Miko’s voice, gentler and more apprehensive than Sara had ever heard before.

Sara closed her eyes and counted to five before turning to face her. Miko’s posture matched her voice. As much as she tried to maintain her usual aloofness, her ears were flat against her head, fingers wrung together at her waist. “Guuji Yae,” Sara said coldly. Sara’s eyes flicked past Miko, to the top of Tenshukaku. She imagined she saw a glimpse of purple on the balcony there.

“You knew,” Sara said, meeting Miko’s eyes again. It wasn’t a question. Miko grimaced, before nodding.

“It wasn’t an idea I agreed with, but Ei can be so stubborn.” Sara’s vision blurred, abruptly becoming aware of hot, hurt, angry tears gathering in her eyes. Miko seemed to notice them too. “Sara—” Sara didn’t wait to hear what Miko had to say. Her wings erupted from her back, scattering black feathers around her before she took to the air, powerful wingbeats carrying her away from Tenshukaku.

She didn’t know where she was flying to, save for away. Certainly not to Mount Yougou, and not to the Kamisato Estate. She had no intention of praying, and she didn’t want to inflict her foul mood on Ayaka and Yoimiya. Staying in the city was out of the question as well; the only place Miko wouldn’t follow her would be her bedroom, a room filled with statues of the Shogun.

Instead, Sara headed towards the wilds, startling more than a few civilians as she flew overhead. Dark clouds began to gather above her, the distant rumble of thunder giving some hint as to the Archon’s mood. Sara increased her speed, her wings protesting against harsh use after a lengthy idle period. Sara cared not, listening to the howl of wind in her ears. That is, until another sound reached her, a terrified scream.

Looking down sharply, she spotted the source of the scream. There, between the trees, was a young woman surrounded by bandits, who were brandishing all manner of weapon. Anger, white-hot and unrelated to the revelation of another betrayal, ignited in Sara’s chest. Even after all that had happened, all that Inazuma had suffered, these rogues still preyed on Inazuma’s people. It would not stand.

Tucking her wings, Sara pitched into a dive, accelerating towards the largest of the bandits, this one wielding a large katana. Mere yards above him she flipped over, feet first as she hit him like a ballista bolt. Her target folded under the impact with a sickening crunch, the ambushed woman letting out another startled scream. The bandits, meanwhile, recoiled back, surprised by the sudden attack.

Sara had yet to bond back to her weapons, meaning she was unable to summon any to her side. Instead, she grabbed the fallen bandit’s sword, hefting it experimentally. It was well-worn, with a simple cloth handle and several chips in the blade. Still, it remained wickedly sharp, good enough for Sara’s purposes.

“W-who are you..?” the woman she’d saved asked, struggling to believe what she was seeing. Electro sparked across Sara’s arms, and she grit her teeth.

“Run, now,” she instructed the woman, who wasted no time in complying, turning and fleeing towards the nearest settlement. With the civilian out of harm’s way, Sara turned back to the bandits. They shared nervous glances with one another, clearly trying to figure out what to do next. Sara didn’t give them a chance to do so.

Despite her reputation for moodiness, Sara did not let her anger control her in a fight. As a general, she remained clear-headed, firm and decisive, not given to wrathful impulse or rash haste. But now, she was no longer a general. For the first time, she let her control slip. She let the rage, the betrayal, the indignity course through her body.

Thunder crashed overhead. The haze descended, and Sara saw red.

In the forest outside Inazuma City, Shikanoin Heizou was having a bad evening. Out investigating a potential crime scene in the middle of a storm was hardly his idea of a good time. The matter actually warranted his attention, at least. That did help, despite the grizzly nature of what he was looking at.

Sighing and adjusting his heavy oilcloth raincoat, he crouched down, shining a storm lantern on the corpse. Judging by the injuries, and the small crater he occupied, the man had been hit from above with incredible force, sufficient to shatter bones. He was dressed in the typical style of bandits in the area, complete with cobbled-together armour. An empty scabbard was at his side, snapped by the impact, but the sword was nowhere to be seen.

There were five other bodies littering the scene. Three had been hacked to pieces in a series of slashes with an edged weapon, the most severe of them simply bisecting its victim. One was covered in electro burns, his clothing singed and blackened, and the last one had been thrown against a tree, cracking the trunk and snapping his neck.

“What do you think, detective?” one of the police officers with him asked, looking at the scene with a pale face.

“Hmmm…” Heizou hummed, standing back up and rubbing his chin. “I think this one died first,” he said, gesturing at the crushed body. “Killed by a powerful blow from above. Look at how the others are arranged, they were all in an arc around whatever killed this one. The one with the crossbow by the tree either didn’t have time to fire before they were killed, or had enough time to reload but not for a second shot. I’m inclined to conclude the first, however.

“This one tried to run,” he continued, carefully stepping over to another body. “And got cut in half for his efforts. The others died where they stood.”

“So what are we dealing with?” another officer asked, pacing around the outer edge of the scene looking for other clues.

“Hard to say. One died from a crushing overhead blow, one died on impact with a tree, and one got electrocuted. Those would normally indicate a lawachurl. A lawachurl wouldn’t take a group of bandits by surprise, however, and wouldn’t be capable of causing these other injuries.” Heizou looked at the muddy ground. “The rain’s made a mess of any footprints, but I don’t see anything that large even taking that into account…”

“Maybe a kairagi?” the first officer suggested. “Some of them would be strong enough to hit like that. Unless we’re dealing with some sort of youkai.”

“A kairagi could explain the missing sword if they broke or misplaced their last one,” Heizou agreed. “Well, we won’t know unless we get more information. There are tracks heading that direction,” he said, pointing at a series of oddly rectangular tracks leading deeper into the forest. He squinted, trying to judge the length of stride of whatever they were following. “It’s either something very tall or very fast. You two, stay here to secure the scene, backup will be here soon,” he said, gesturing to another couple of officers before leading the rest of them onwards.

Following the trail led them through a destroyed hilichurl camp, littered masks and crude weapons the only remains left behind. There were a few more places where fights had obviously occurred, though no evidence other than the torn up ground and damage to surrounding trees could be found there. No more human victims so far, at least…

“Detective!” one of the officers called, gesturing him over with a lantern. Heizou darted over, hopping over patches of mud to arrive at the officer’s side. “Here, and here,” he said, pointing at what he’d found. The first was a sodden piece of white fabric, stained with blood and dirt, caught on a broken branch. The second was a length of broken blade, about a foot in length, lying in a patch of grass.

“Good work,” Heizou said, clapping the officer on the shoulder before taking out a glass vial and a pair of tweezers, carefully retrieving the scrap and putting it in the vial. Another officer took out an oilcloth, wrapping the bit of broken sword in it. “Let’s keep going, I have a feeling we’re getting close.” Emboldened by finding a physical clue, they pressed on through the storm, the trail leading them closer to the coast.

Just as they were about to clear the treeline, Heizou suddenly stopped, holding out an arm to stop the officer just beside him. Before the officer could ask what was happening, a massive shape hurtled past them, all black and purple. It was followed by a blur, white and black and sparking with electro energy. The second shape caught up with the first, and both went tumbling into darkness with an almighty crashing of trees.

“... Detective?” a police officer asked, suddenly sounding much more nervous.

“Go get backup,” Heizou instructed, grimacing as he realised he’d probably have to fight something. “I’ll be alright with my Vision.” The officers nodded and fell back, leaving Heizou to follow the sounds of violence, dousing his lantern as he did so. The crash of thunder overhead did nothing to make the scene feel any less ominous.

He soon caught up to… Whatever it was he was chasing. There, in a small clearing, was a massive rifthound, snarling and howling at something out of Heizou’s line of sight. As it lashed out into the trees with electro attacks, the second blur reemerged, slamming into the rifthound’s chest. The rifthound roared, even as it was pitched onto its back, and tried swiping at its assailant. It was to no avail, as the figure drove a blade into its chest, discharging a phenomenal amount of electro energy into the strike.

The creature less dissipated and more detonated, sending shreds of rapidly-evaporating rifthound across the whole area. The figure landed on their feet, shoulders heaving with what Heizou assumed to be deep breaths. Humanoid, wielding elemental powers. Could be a kairagi, can’t get a good look… Wait— It was too dark for him to see any features clearly, but he could make out the shape of wings emerging from the figure’s back. Youkai definitely, tengu maybe. This could be bad. Then, a stroke of lightning lit up the sky, throwing the scene under a sudden, harsh light. 

The figure was a woman, tall and muscular, wearing a torn white top and skirt over a black underlayer. A broken sword, snapped halfway along the blade, was held in one hand, and a purple Vision shone at her hip. What shocked Heizou, though, was the startlingly-familiar red mask. Madam Kujou?! he thought in disbelief. The mask obscured her features, actually worn over her face rather than on the side of her head as was her usual custom. Heizou didn’t know if that was significant, but it certainly made him more wary.

Distracted by running into Sara of all people, he didn’t notice his foot coming down on a dead branch. The sound of it snapping cut across the sound of rain, and the masked face turned sharply in his direction, Sara’s whole body tensing up. Instinct drove Heizou to action, doing the first thing he could think of to avoid a fight. “It’s me, it’s Heizou!” he called out, stepping out into the open and holding his hands up.

Over the years working under Sara, Heizou had occasionally been reminded of her status as a tengu. Most often it happened when she arrived at a crime scene by flying there, or when she became confused by some distinctly human behaviour she struggled to understand. The inverse happened sometimes as well, her human subordinates left baffled by some of her actions or the odd feat of incredible strength or agility. That said, it was easy to forget that she was a youkai most of the time.

This was certainly not one of those times, Heizou reflected. He felt pinned to the spot by that mask, the red lacquered surface staring straight through him. Sara was framed by her black wings, the broken sword glinting in the faint light. Heizou swallowed. He’d managed to catch her arrow that one time in a sparring ring, sure, but he’d never faced her whilst she wielded a blade.

Then Sara’s posture relaxed, and the spell was broken. “Detective Shikanoin?” she asked, sounding a little confused.

“The one and only,” Heizou confirmed, feeling brave enough to take a step closer. When Sara didn’t react to that, he took a few more. “Mind telling me what you’re doing out here, Madam Kujou?” he asked, putting on a casual tone to cover his brief mortal terror. Sara looked around briefly, before dropping the sword, moving her mask back to the side of her head.

“Dealing with threats to the populace,” she said flatly. Heizou eyed her critically, looking up and down her mud-and-blood splattered clothes.

“By yourself in the middle of a storm and without your usual weapons?” he asked. “And aren’t you still officially on leave?” Sara winced at that, breaking eye contact. The clouds rumbled once again overhead. “Actually, let’s put a hold on this, at least until we find some shelter? I don’t know about you, but I’m getting quite tired of this rain. There might be a cave on the shore?”

“Very well.” With that, the pair quickly made their way to the shore, finding a small alcove to shelter under. Heizou got a fire started after struggling with damp wood for a bit, and finally shed the heavy raincoat. Illuminated by the fire, Heizou could see Sara was in a rougher state than she’d initially let on. A number of cuts and scrapes littered her arms, some still slowly oozing blood. What worried him the most, however, was the empty look in her eyes.

“So… ‘Dealing with threats to the populace’?” Heizou repeated, peering across the fire at her. Sara remained stubbornly silent, staring out into the storm instead of looking at him. “Unarmed since you had to take that sword off a bandit, without any support or backup, without officially returning to your duties. Did the Shogun put you up to this?”

At the mention of the Shogun, Sara grit her teeth, sucking in air sharply. Heizou’s focus caught on that instantly. He studied her expression carefully, surprised to see anger on her face. “Not here on the Shogun’s orders, then…”

“Don’t try your luck, Shikanoin,” Sara warned him, fixing him with a glare. On anyone else in the Tenryou Commission, it would have worked to silence them. Heizou, though, had never taken his job or the chain of command that seriously.

“You looked pretty angry when I brought up the Shogun,” he continued, blithely ignoring the warning. “Angry at the Shogun, perhaps?” he guessed. Sara sealed her lips, staring intently into the darkness once again. “Okay, maybe I’m on the right track here. Now, what could the Shogun have done to make you angry…”

“Careful…” Sara growled, clenching her fists. Ordinarily, that might have given Heizou pause, but he was in the zone now. A puzzle demanded solving.

“Hang on, I’m getting somewhere here,” he said, waving a hand. “Let’s see… There’s everything with the Vision hunt, though a bit late to blow up about it now… The Sakoku Decree got repealed, and the peace talks with Watatsumi… Although, that…” He tailed off realising that those events probably led to her suicide attempt, and he wasn’t about to push those buttons with Sara.

Then, he finally noticed something out of sorts with her clothes, other than their damage and disarray. “Your badge of office is missing,” he blurted out. Sara closed her eyes and sighed heavily.

“I resigned my position as General of the Tenryou Commission,” she said bluntly. The satisfaction at seeing Heizou’s stunned, slack-jawed expression was muted by the day’s earlier events.

“... Oh,” he said lamely, blinking twice. “... Why?” His question was met with another, more fierce glare. Erring on the side of caution, for once, he decided not to press the matter. He had most of the picture, at least; something the Shogun had done had pissed Sara off badly enough for her to resign on the spot. A few months ago that would have been unthinkable. Now, though, after everything that had happened… He supposed it wasn’t out of the question that her faith had been shaken.

After several seconds of distinctly uncomfortable silence, Sara finally spoke. “May I ask you a question?”

“Sure,” Heizou answered, clueless as to where Sara was going.

“If, one day, you discovered that your entire life was in service of a fiction… That everything you’d been taught, everything you’d worked towards and done, all of it was built on the back of a terrible lie… What would you do?” Heizou frowned, contemplating the question. As he did so, a rather more insistent query barreled its way to the front of his mind.

Just what the fuck happened between her and the Shogun for Sara to be asking that? Deciding that getting in between Sara and the Shogun would be bad for his health, he shoved that thought aside. “Well, as a detective my job is to sift through lies in search of the truth. So, I’d probably go looking for whatever the truth is.”

“I see…” Sara looked down, a sad and thoughtful look on her face. Heizou stared at her for a moment, before clearing his throat.

“What are you going to do now? In general, I mean,” he specified, gesturing vaguely. “Because if it’s more rampages like the one you went on tonight… Well, no one’s going to miss the monsters, but those bandits got some… Rough treatment, to say the least.”

“They were menacing a young woman,” Sara replied flatly. “Six heavily armed bandits cornering a single woman bearing no valuables with night fast approaching? They did not have pure intentions. She fled in the direction of a nearby village; if you ask around, I’m sure you can get her side of the story.”

“Right… You said you’d resigned, have you actually done the paperwork yet?” Sara shook her head. “That makes things easier, at least…” The sound of voices calling out through the storm interrupted him, both of them turning to look at the approaching light of lanterns. “Ah, that’ll be the backup. We should go with them, I’m sure your hosts must be worried sick.” Sara grimaced guiltily, nodding.

“Very well, let’s go.”