…

  …

  [Eu Lawrence POV]

  “... Is this because of my demand for vengeance earlier, Estel?” Eu asked while hiding her inner worry as she squared against her fellow swordsman.

  She wasn’t expecting him to request a duel after her demand for vengeance. She only intended to ward him off in their interactions… even if that was not the desired result.

  “Huh?” She noticed the aloof swordsman bnkly blink at her question before immediately discarding his bde to raise his hands in surrender. “I give!”

  “Stop surrendering!” Eu reflexively compined before huffing and rolling her eyes.

  She promptly realized that, no, he was not challenging her because of her desire for vengeance.

  “I said it already, didn’t I?” He asked confusedly, effortlessly levitating his bde back into his hands. “Your swordsmanship is beautiful. I wish to fight you.”

  Eu tried not to preen at the praise towards her bdework but couldn’t suppress the slight curl her lips gained. She took a deep breath and raised her bde at Estel, inwardly deciding to take it easy on him as a mercy from her vengeance.

  Not that she’d have any leeway to be too negligent. While he couldn’t defeat the Primo Anemovishap singlehandedly, he effortlessly crippled it at the start of the fight while the beast had its guard down.

  His skills may not be at her level, but she couldn’t cim to know anyone with his level in Elemental Mastery to allow him such quick and rapid teleportation.

  “... Are we going to stare at each other any longer? I’m starting to think you’re thinking of the wrong type of duel…” Estel quietly commented as Eu snapped out of her thoughts from embarrassment, staring at him incredulously as he tilted his head. “Come.”

  Come!?

  He wanted her to go on the offensive??

  “... Arrogant.” Eu admonished coldly.

  Eu dashed at Estel with a steady gait in the blink of an eye. Her sectoral eyes glowed with an intense light blue glimmer matching that of her Cryo Vision as her bde sshed at her adversary.

  Estel calmly parried her first ssh, her bde sliding against his with audible sharpness. Echoes of intense ringing from cshing bdes resounded around the two.

  “You’re green,” Eu stated sharply while twirling swiftly to swing at Estel’s chest, knocking him back several feet once he blocked with his bde. “You’re not very well trained, are you?”

  Eu didn’t feel any guilt pointing that out so bluntly, watching Estel’s bnk face remain clear despite the provocation.

  “Yes.” He answered without any fluctuation in his voice. “That’s why we fight.”

  “... Come,” Eu answered after a moment, returning his earlier words as he blinked and steadied his bde.

  The two cshed once again as Estel took the initiative, cshing again and again with the Knight Captain. She easily repelled him every time, facing no difficulty thanks to her superior technique and greater experience against the seemingly inexperienced swordsman.

  Eu furrowed her brows the longer she fought against Estel, her instincts warning her of something unnatural the more they cshed. As soon as she thought she had successfully grasped his combat style, she found herself defending against what felt like another person.

  It was unnatural yet wholly fluid in an unexpinable way. Only noticeable to someone skilled enough to take some time to analyze such an opponent.

  As Eu prepared for Estel to attack her again, she blinked in surprise as he disengaged and stepped back. Before she could ask him if he was done, her eyes widened as Estel breathed deeply and entered a very familiar stance.

  “Arrogant,” He remarked coldly as Eu’s eyes widened, recognizing her earlier words.

  Estel dashed at Eu with a steady gait in the blink of an eye, his abyssal eyes glowing with a navy blue glimmer simir to his glowing Hydro Vision. Eu recognized his movements as the same as the ones she used when they first cshed.

  He didn’t think that her movements would be effective against her, did he?

  Eu inwardly mused as she raised her bde to parry his swing, growing surprised as Estel’s attack knocked her back slightly after she underestimated the force behind his bde.

  Did his strength increase to match hers after he copied her style?

  Eu didn’t have much time to contempte the absurdity of such a thing as she defended against her own techniques, recognizing every swing and ssh from Estel as ones she used while they cshed earlier. Every new technique she used to attack or defend against his onsught soon found itself in Estel’s grasp as the two continued cshing.

  She eventually understood what actually happened.

  “You picked apart my swordsmanship earlier.” Eu accused as they cshed bdes, a temporary stalemate forcing the two to face each other in a brief respite momentarily.

  “Your swordsmanship was beautiful.” Estel answered bnkly as Eu raised an eyebrow at his use of ‘was.’

  “Was?” She voiced her inner query while disengaging from the csh. She tried kicking Estel back, but the tter barely dodged by jumping back.

  “... Admiration is the emotion furthest from understanding,” Estel quietly stated while readjusting his stance as Eu found her bdework soon blending in with Estel’s earlier techniques.

  “... Your theft will not be forgotten, Estel,” Eu grumbled with an almost inaudible sigh as she readied her bde once more, her eyes sharpening. “I will have vengeance!”

  His words held a secret meaning that Eu understood. He couldn’t cim to admire Eu’s swordsmanship after he understood it. It… really ticked her off.

  *WOOOOOOOSH*

  Powerful gusts of cold energy gathered around Eu as she adjusted her stance to bear the Cryo energy now emitting from her bde. The glow previously glimmering in her eyes increased significantly as the energy around her swirled violently.

  “Copy this.” Eu challenged as she raised her bde to release her attack, only to pause with widened eyes as Estel changed his stance again… to match hers.

  “Copy this,” Estel repeated with the same tone, albeit more monotonously. The Cryo Vision on his waist lit up with an intensity that wasn’t any less than Eu’s as violent Cryo energy began swirling around him and his bde.

  Eu’s eyes lit up with indignant fury as she stepped forward, finding her movements mirrored by Estel. She growled and sshed forward, her Cryo-infused bde cshing with Estel’s as the powerful energy collided.

  “Vengeance WILL be mine!”

  *BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

  …

  [Once the dust settled…]

  “... I can’t believe I got this carried away.” Eu mented as she inspected the damage she had done to the training grounds near Favonius HQ. “For making me go this far, Estel, Vengeance will be mine!”

  “I surrender.” Estel bnkly raised his hands in surrender again as Eu groaned in frustration.

  “You are insufferable,” Eu spoke with gritted teeth, taking her eyes away from the damage she caused to inspect her weapon for any damage after the csh.

  Naturally, there was none. Eu’s weapon did not survive through the ages just to get scratched by an inferior bde of simir origin.

  Speaking of which…

  “... Are you aware of your bde’s origin?” Eu asked while inspecting the Royal Greatsword on Estel’s p.

  Estel only blinked at the question, pausing momentarily before nodding slowly.

  “It’s a… ceremonial sword used by old Mondstadtian Nobles?” He answered unsurely before shaking his head. “... I’m not very sure. It was a gift from… someone.”

  A gift? Who could afford to buy such an ancient treasure just to hand it to be used by a random adventurer?

  No… Eu ‘accidentally’ overheard Estel and Lumine’s earlier talk. Estel had some backstory that he couldn’t easily divulge to even his friends.

  “... Do you wish to know the bde’s history as its new owner?” Eu hesitantly offered after a tense silence as Estel tilted his head slightly before quietly nodding.

  “Mm.” He answered curtly.

  “... The Royal Greatsword and the rest of the Royal weapons all belonged to the old nobles of Mondstadt’s dark history.” Eu didn’t mind Estel’s short response, expining the bde's history instead with a brittle smile. “They were once used to protect the people of Mondstadt as that was the noble duty of Mondstadt’s Nobility.”

  Estel remained quiet as Eu spoke, waiting as she took a deep breath before continuing.

  “However, those very same nobles soon abandoned and tarnished that noble duty.” Eu gritted her teeth as she spoke, narrowing her eyes at the ground as her grip around her weapon’s hilt tightened. “These royal weapons that were once used in ceremonial prayers to beseech the blessings of the gods became sources of entertainment for the old nobles…”

  “... What did they do?” Estel asked curiously, but Eu sensed a hint of confusion in his tone.

  "O guardian winds of Mondstadt. Look after me, my friends, my countrymen, and my opponent. May the sound of cshing bdes delight you, and may the offering of sweat and blood please you." Eu recited religiously as Estel blinked in confusion at the sudden prayer. “That was the prayer recited in the Ceremonial Colosseum of old… before the twisted nobles began forcing ‘peasants’ to fight inside them for their sick amusement…”

  “Oh,” Estel answered simply, but Eu could see the small frown on his lips as he listened to her. “... And this bde?”

  “Instead of upholding its duty to protect the people of Mondstadt as its creators intended…” Eu paused to choose her words wisely before continuing. “... It was used against the very same people it was forged to defend.”

  “...” Estel didn’t respond this time, gazing bnkly at the bde on his p as he ran his hand against its ft edge.

  Eu bitterly smiled as she saw his speechless reaction, having anticipated such a reaction after she revealed the dark history of Mondstadt to him—the dark history of Mondstadt’s nobles.

  “... So, are you still willing to use such a bde even after learning of its history?” Eu eventually asked after several minutes of tense silence.

  “Huh?” Instead of the reaction she expected, Estel turned to her with a confused blink as he nodded easily. “Yes. Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Huh?” It was Eu’s turn to be confused, finding Estel’s reaction quite weird as he seemed puzzled on why he wouldn’t see using the bde distasteful despite the negative history tarnishing the bde. “Why would you continue using the bde after learning what it’s done? That very bde has likely killed dozens of innocent folk in the past!”

  “That’s true.” Estel nodded, casually agreeing instead of expining why he was so fine with using the bde.

  “... And that’s fine with you?” Eu questioned speechlessly, unable to comprehend Estel’s logic as she began contempting if he may have been sociopathic.

  “... Yes? No?” He furrowed his brows as he tried to voice his thoughts. “... This bde killed many innocent people in the past, right?”

  “Undoubtedly,” Eu firmly answered as Estel nodded.

  “But it also protected many more before doing so, right?” He asked again, taking Eu by surprise as she paused momentarily before hesitantly nodding.

  “... Before the ancient nobles began their age of tyranny, this weapon was used for the protection of the people, yes,” Eu confirmed, raising an eyebrow as she tried to discern Estel’s thoughts. “However, that does not excuse the sins it carries.”

  “Yes.” Estel unexpectedly agreed with Eu as she felt herself stumble again, now finding herself completely lost on where he was going with this.

  “... So, you agree that it’s wrong for you to use such a bde?” Eu hesitantly asked as Estel tilted his head at her.

  “No.” He shook his head, making Eu sigh exasperatedly.

  “But you acknowledged that that bde is stained with the blood of innocents, did you not?” Eu wearily asked as Estel nodded quietly. “So why are you still fine with using it?”

  “Redemption,” Estel answered simply, knocking the wind out of Eu’s sails as she recoiled in shock. “The bde’s purpose was corrupted over many years, I think. And… it’s been a long time since it committed those terrible acts.”

  Eu listened intently without interrupting as Estel stabbed the greatsword into the ground, the blue sheen of the bde catching Eu’s attention as she furrowed her brows in confusion.

  She only realized now, but she hadn’t seen this palette for the weapon before in any of the Royal Weapons she had seen.

  “... It’s time for this weapon to get its redemption.” Estel decided thoughtfully, his face remaining distant as the bde slowly disappeared from his hands and back into his vision. “It’s been too long. It deserves atonement.”

  … Atonement?

  “... Is that what you think?” Eu’s weary face twisted in exhaustion and mencholy as Estel turned to her with a blink.

  “You too.” He suddenly suggested as Eu’s eyes widened at what he proposed. “You’re… really obvious. Even to me.”

  Eu turned away with a hint of a blush on her face as she realized how obvious she made her noble status, having thought that the aloof Estel wouldn’t notice. She may have underestimated how detached he was…

  “... Redemption is never easy,” Eu muttered quietly as she noticed Estel nodding bnkly in the corner of her vision.

  “Nothing ever worth doing is.” He agreed, missing the negativity in her words as Eu found herself suppressing a small smirk. “My Greatsword… it has killed hundreds of monsters in Mondstadt in the st few weeks. I don’t think it achieved atonement yet, though.”

  “... When do you think it will?” Eu quietly questioned as Estel tilted his head thoughtfully.

  “As long as I keep fighting monsters to defend people for a few more years.” He stated firmly after a minute of thinking as the corner of Eu’s lips twitched upwards at the methodical answer. “Like you’ve been doing.”

  “Huh?” Eu flinched at his sudden mention of her. “Me?”

  “Mm. You’ve been fighting monsters to defend Mondstadt, right?” Estel asked rhetorically while standing up, not waiting for Eu’s answer to continue. “You’re closer to redemption than my sword, then.”

  “... You believe that?” Eu asked in bewilderment as Estel half-shrugged.

  “I don’t know.” He replied promptly as Eu barely held back a chuckle. “Could we duel again sometime, Miss Eu?”

  “Huh?” Eu blinked at the sudden request for another duel, furrowing her brows in confusion as she deadpanned at Estel. “Why? Haven’t you already copied my swordsmanship?”

  She couldn’t hold back the slight venom in her tone, upset at having her moves copied so easily without her permission.

  “Ah? Oh, no.” Estel tilted his head with a blink before shaking his head.

  “Your swordsmanship is beautiful, Miss Eu.”

  Eu’s eyes widened.

  “Ah… I lost track of time.” Estel suddenly noted after staring at the sky, slowly looking down sadly. “... Master is gonna beat me again.”

  Huh?

  “... I hope to see you around again, Miss Eu. Be safe out there.” Estel inclined his head respectfully to Eu before turning around as a Hydro Circle surrounded him, likely preparing to take him away before Eu could respond.

  “Wait-” Eu tried to protest to get more context on what he said a moment ago, both things, but Estel disappeared before she could stop him. “Estel…”

  She gritted her teeth as she stared at the space where Estel was standing, her face flushed with righteous fury as she angrily stabbed her Song of Broken Pines into the ground.

  First, he steals her sword techniques, copies her Cryo Application to cause a huge mess in the field, and then escapes with his absurdly quick Hydro-

  Eu froze.

  Hydro Vision.

  Cryo Vision.

  Estel has a… Hydro Vision?

  Eu has a… Cryo Vision?

  Estel copied Eu.

  ???

  Eu stomped on the ground, forming a rge crater around her foot. Her anger climbed to its highest as her flushed face grew in intensity.

  “Estel!” She roared angrily, unsure of why she was angry anymore—more than one reason, yet simultaneously for no reason.

  She was going to get to the bottom of this. It was her duty as the Knight Captain of the Reconnaissance Division to figure out what happened in their duel…

  … and to apprehend the criminal masquerading as Estel’s master!

  …

  …

  [Aster POV – Sumeru]

  Aster hummed as he walked through the bustling crowds of Sumeru City, searching for the items Keqing instructed him to get once he appeared in her office at the designated time.

  Watching her jump as he appeared in front of her like he had done with her to Jean was amusing. Being smacked in the face with ten papers filled with different items she wanted from across Teyvat was not so amusing.

  She didn’t even wait for him to tell her what the total would be before throwing several heavy bags of Mora at his face (completely intentional, he must add). He quickly left after ensuring that she wrote everything she wanted, promising to deliver everything within 24 hours after she paid for Same-Day shipping.

  He quickly got everything he needed from Liyue (yes, not even Liyue was spared from her list), Mondstadt, and Fontaine, and was now getting the st few items from Sumeru before he finally embarked…

  To Inazuma!

  “Hey, Khalid.~ I have another client who wishes to buy some of your stuff!” Aster fluidly slipped through the door of the Jeweller as ‘Khalid’ dropped an expensive vase in surprise at Aster’s sudden appearance.

  “Damn it, Aster!-” He was about to scold Aster but paused as the vase appeared in his hands, completely unscathed. “... Never mind. I do not sell to those who cannot afford my wares, and you should know that!”

  “Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing!” Aster cheerfully stated.

  “Welcome back, Aster!” He quickly spoke, changing his tune as soon as he heard who his customer was.

  Khalid cleared his throat and immediately led Aster inside, pointing to the many dispyed pieces hung all around his shop as he showed them off.

  Khalid is the owner of the Souvenir Shop in the game, and the owner of the most prestigious and known antique shop in Sumeru here. Aster introduced himself to many of the known figures in all the cities once he arrived, taking them for a quick trip across Teyvat to prove his capabilities while also showing the signature of approval Jean had signed for him to prove his legitimacy. They didn’t hesitate to accept the connection afterward and soon found that it was definitely not a bad decision.

  Let’s just say that business has been booming for them since Aster came around.

  “She gave me a list. Think you can get me this?” Aster ignored Khalid’s earlier words in favor of handing him the list and smiling as Khalid calmly inspected what Keqing requested in the list before nodding.

  “Sure. Payment?” Khalid smirked and signed for the money with his hand before blinking as Aster pointed behind him at a rge pouch of Mora. “Pleasure doing business with you.”

  “Bye, Khalid! See you soon!” After Khalid gathered everything and handed it to Aster, Aster bid the man farewell, waving back at the disgruntled yet satisfied merchant as he walked away from his storefront.

  “For Rukkhadevata’s sake, knock next time!” Khalid hollered back, groaning as Aster only ughed in response.

  *POP*

  Aster appeared at one of the beaches bordering Inazuma’s sea.

  He ran a hand through his hair as his previously unactivated purple eyes shined with a purple glow. Aster's bck hair then morphed into a mismatched mix of bck and white as he inspected a map in his hands.

  Using his previous attempt at entering Inazuma as a reference, Astel used a map to cross-reference two directions as one would with two Eyes of Ender in Minecraft to find a Stronghold.

  Who said gaming wasn’t helpful in real life!? He’s about to enter Inazuma on his first try!

  Astel shamelessly preened as he prepared to enter Inazuma on his ‘first’ try, doing some mindless calcutions in his mind that may or may not have been meaningless to anyone but him before taking a deep breath.

  “Japan-chan, here I come!” Astel confidently decred as he closed his eyes and extended a hand forward.

  *POP*

  *Rustle. Rustle. Rustle.*

  He was not in water!

  First try, baby!

  Astel slowly opened his eyes to inspect his surroundings. His vision was filled with a strangely familiar sakura tree as a stray sakura leaf fell atop the back of his hand.

  The smile on his face lessened a little as he gazed at the tree intently.

  … His gamble paid off.

  “... What are you?” Astel mused thoughtfully as his hand caressed the rge Sakura tree’s surface, his mind drawing a bnk as he tried to recall what the Sacred Sakura tree atop the Grand Narukami Shrine was.

  … He doesn’t know?

  *BZzzZZZZzzZZZZZzZZZZzZzZZZZZ!*

  Hmm. Or maybe he’s purposefully forgetting since it was more fun this way? The buzzing in his head certainly suggested so. Astel doesn’t mind knowing what this was or what it did if that's the case.~ It only meant more fun, after all…

  Astel’s eyes refocused on the Sacred Sakura as he felt the intense fluctuations of Time & Space inside the tree, the same ones he used to appear here. It was practically a beacon of intense lights in his Spatial Senses.

  Had he been any less epic, he may have found it difficult to teleport anywhere except here in most of Inazuma. But he doesn’t have such troubles thanks to his epicness.~

  This tree had something going on with it, and Astel was going to get to the bottom of it!

  If it was fun, that is.~

  “Let’s hope that you’re amusing, friend,” Astel spoke amusedly as his hand caressed the bark of the Sacred Sakura tree for a few more moments before finally letting go.

  “You truly stole the words right out of my mouth.~” An unfamiliar yet pyful voice spoke from behind Astel as he chuckled and turned around.

  In front of him was a beautiful woman beyond anything he had ever seen before (debatably). She had thigh-length pink hair tied at the bottom and decorated with beautiful golden accessories atop her head. Her purple eyes held a mischievous glint accompanied by a menacing glow that undoubtedly struck fear into the hearts of many. The most eye-catching feature was her fluffy fox ears blending in with her hair with an Inazuman Vision on her right ear. Her unique shrine priestess clothes were a close second, though.

  “And you are?” Astel asked amusedly despite already knowing who she was, humming as he recognized Yae Miko beyond simply knowing her from hearsay he heard after coming to Teyvat.

  Interesting. So, the tree could be an exception? Or maybe there’s more? He’ll have to see…

  “Oh dear… Shouldn’t you introduce yourself before asking a poor shrine maiden like myself for her identity? I am not the one intruding here, after all…” Yae raised a hand to her face to hide her smirk as she deflected the question, acting pitiful despite being anything but that.

  “I did not intend to intrude. Had I chosen to, I would’ve appeared in Ritou or Inazuma City.” Astel didn’t introduce himself as Yae suggested, excusing his actions instead. “This tree changed my trajectory involuntarily thanks to its nature.”

  “Oh?~ And what do you know of this tree’s nature?” Yae asked curiously while fluttering her eyeshes with visible interest.

  “More than you do, but less than you do.” Astel cryptically answered while smiling in amusement as he looked back to the tree, his vision filled with violent space-time fluctuations surrounding it.

  He wasn’t wrong. He knew nothing about the tree’s history, but he undoubtedly knew more about the tree’s odd nature than anyone else, probably.

  Not everyone had his Wackiness, after all.

  “Hmph… That tells me nothing, you know?~” Yae compined, her voice much closer than it was a moment ago. Astel turned back to find Yae’s face barely inches away, eyes narrowed with a dangerous glint as lightning sparked around her purple eyes. “Surely you can spare more than just that… It’s not every day that I find someone who knows ‘more than I do’ about the Sacred Sakura tree.~”

  “It wouldn’t be very fun giving you all the answers, would it? Why the hurry, Lady Yae?~” Astel smirked amusedly at Yae’s threat as his simirly purple eyes lost their powerful glow in favor of Electro sparks akin to the ones in Yae’s eyes.

  Her eyes widened slightly before narrowing mirthfully as the electricity cshed between their eyes, brushing at the other’s face occasionally. Astel could feel Yae’s warm breath against his face as he gazed into her eyes with matching amusement, even as he felt her superior Electro energy brushing against his face and threatening to burn him.

  “Mhhh… You do make quite the argument, but I’ve never been one to resist my curiosity easily.~” Yae murmured with the slightest pout on her face as her eyes never left Astel’s, as if losing focus for even a moment could cause her to blink. “I’m not sure if pying a game will be as rewarding as the main prize, after all…”

  “Wanna bet?” Astel smirked as Yae’s mirthful eyes grew in intensity at the offer, clearly interested in the chance to gamble. “It’s as they say; The journey is often more important than the destination, no?”

  “That doesn’t sound too bad, I’ll admit…” Yae Miko trailed off pyfully while slowly trailing a hand up Astel’s chest until it rested atop his chest, just above his heart. “But one couldn’t py such a game without knowing their competitor’s name, no?~”

  “I’ll tell you, but my name will mean nothing to you.” Astel shook his head amusedly as Yae giggled and nodded for him to continue. “Very well. I am Astel, a curious wanderer. It’s a pleasure, Lady Yae.”

  “How polite!~ Astel, huh? Have I heard that name somewhere before…” Yae trailed off thoughtfully as Astel rolled his eyes in amusement at her attempt at gathering more information.

  “Inazuma has been on lockdown for months; I can assure you that you haven’t,” He pyfully accused, and Yae’s eyes lit up mirthfully, with her lips twitching upwards.

  “That suggests that I’d know of you if I were outside Inazuma, no?~” She teased while rubbing a circle on Astel’s chest as he slowly blinked.

  “Oh, you’re fun!~” Astel grinned as he saw how Yae tricked him and gleamed something from his words that he didn’t intend her to know. “I won’t deny your words, but it wouldn’t be easy. I can say that much, at least…”

  “Ominous… Interesting.~” Yae raised an eyebrow as her eyes gleamed with curiosity again before suddenly narrowing as Astel noticed her fox ears twitching and a small smile entering her lips.

  *Shatter!*

  “L-Lady Guuji!?” The shocked voice of a girl spoke from behind Yae as the Youkai calmly turned around with a small smile, still keeping her hand on Astel’s chest as she changed her grip to something more intimate rather than the one she was preparing to shock his chest with.

  Astel chuckled as he stared at the horrified girl and the shattered urn at her feet that she dropped after seeing Yae and him in this position.

  “Oh? Is something wrong, Miyuki? You seem to have dropped something quite precious there.~” Yae pointed out with a smirk as the shrine priestess gasped in horror and quickly bent down to try and do something to the shattered urn, but it was hopeless.

  “Allow me.” Astel waved a hand as the urn disappeared from between the girl’s hands before reappearing in his hands completely unscathed. The urn floated back into Miyuki’s hands under her astonished gaze and Yae’s interest. “I recommend repcing it within a month. That was temporary.”

  “A-Ah, understood! Thank you very much, err…” Miyuki quickly bowed in thanks before pausing and staring up at Yae and Astel with shocked eyes, clearly not over their intimate position yet, even after her mistake.

  “No need to be so shy around our guest, Miyuki.~ This is Astel, a very special friend of mine…” Yae introduced Astel with a mischievous smile. Miyuki’s eyes widened further at Yae’s tone when saying ‘special,’ easily falling to Yae Miko’s trickery. “So special that I’ll need to ensure you don’t say anything…”

  *CLANK!*

  Miyuki raised her hands to her face to cover her mouth in horror, accidentally dropping the urn to the ground once again. She panicked and bent down pointlessly after realizing what she had done, but she froze as the urn remained pristine and unscratched even after being dropped again.

  “Oh?” Yae turned to Astel with a curiously raised eyebrow as Astel blinked.

  “It’s indestructible for a month.” He casually expined with a shrug as Yae’s eyes gleamed with interest while Miyuki gaped.

  “Never mind that for now… Miyuki-” Yae clearly felt curious but was more interested in teasing her priestess. However, Miyuki quickly interrupted her before she could tease her further.

  “I-I promise not to reveal anything I saw today to anyone, Lady Guuji! P-Please excuse me and continue what you were d-doing!” Miyuki excimed loudly in panic before turning around with the urn and running off as quickly as she could, leaving Yae stunned at her reaction.

  “... First time?” Astel questioned amusedly as Yae turned to him with a pyful pout and rolled her eyes.

  “I never thought I’d see the day my cute Miyuki would run away without being dismissed while on duty…” Yae compined with a huff while finally letting go of Astel’s chest, not without giving his left pec one st squeeze as Astel stared at her bnkly. She cutely stuck her tongue out at him. “I suppose that it’s not every day that I bring such a handsome man to the shrine to gaze deeply into his eyes like that.~”

  “Fttery will get you nowhere in figuring out what I’m here for.” Astel rolled his eyes and gently swatted away Yae’s hands after she tried raising it back to his chest, ignoring her pout and huffing at his rejection. “That’s gonna bite you in the ass, by the way.”

  “How crude!~ And I’m sure Miyuki won’t reveal anything she saw just as she promised… She’s very obedient.~” Yae commented in amusement as Astel ughed dryly. “And won’t you at least give me a hint on why you’re here, Astel, dear?~”

  “I told you, didn’t I? This tree’s special nature changed my trajectory when traveling here.” Astel raised an eyebrow and gave an ambiguous answer as Yae pouted again and pinched his waist.

  “I don’t mean that… I’m asking why you’re in Inazuma.” Yae expined with a light tone, but her eyes sparked with electricity again as Astel sighed tiredly and returned her electrifying gaze with his own as his eyes fred with intense Electro.

  “You’re awfully inhospitable for the Head Shrine Maiden of the Grand Narukami Shrine, Lady Guuji. Is this pce not open for all to come to seek blessings and repentance?” Astel compined exasperatedly as Yae Miko giggled and shook her head.

  “Of course, but only to those from Inazuma. Who knows what unscrupulous individuals could sneak in here if we allowed anyone to enter?~” Yae Miko pointed out innocently while poking Astel’s chest as if accusing him of being the aforementioned unscrupulous individual.

  True!

  “Yeah, I have no defense against that.” Astel casually admitted while shrugging, finding no defense considering his constant image as an unscrupulous person no matter where he goes, thanks to his Outnder nature. “I’m here to conquer Inazuma and take the Raiden Shogun as my wife.”

  Yae froze at Astel’s casual confession as she looked genuinely stunned for the first time since Astel arrived here. She eventually burst out ughing, stepping back from Astel’s personal space as she turned away and covered her mouth.

  “T-The Raiden Shogun as your wife!? P-Pffft!” That was what she focused on? Not the conquering Inazuma part? Jeez. “... That would make for an interesting Light Novel, actually.”

  “Oh.” Astel blinked as Yae suddenly noted thoughtfully, humming alongside her while crossing his arms professionally. “Perhaps. But I doubt anyone would manage to write it well enough, as it’d be quite difficult to maintain any hint of realism without sufficient knowledge of Inazuman history. Not to mention the difficulty of seducing Eternity’s Guardian in the first pce.”

  “Oh? You speak as if you’re familiar with the Raiden Shogun.” Yae Miko commented with a curious smirk as Astel smirked back.

  “Not quite. Ei know a thing or two.” Astel rubbed the back of his neck and looked away as Yae Miko pouted and rolled her eyes before freezing as she registered the hidden meaning in his words.

  “... So it seems.” Yae’s lighthearted behavior lessened a little as she narrowed her eyes warily at Astel. “... Huh. You were right. The game is infinitely more fun than the prize.” Yae suddenly remarked with widened eyes as she remembered Astel’s earlier bet with her.

  “What can I say? I’m a gambling man.” Astel grinned victoriously as Yae Miko matched his grin, her expression much more guarded this time despite the light atmosphere. “Anyway, I believe it’s about time for me to go on with my original purpose for coming here. I’ve wasted enough time.”

  “Oh? And what makes you think I’ll let you go without making you spill your true purpose first?~” Yae raised a curious eyebrow as she tried to pce her hand back on Astel’s chest, only to be stopped by his hand as he gently held her wrist.

  “I’ll be honest with you, Guuji…” Astel raised her hand and pointed behind her while simultaneously keeping a firm hold on her wrist. “There hasn’t been anything keeping me here except your delightful presence and personality…”

  Yae slowly turned her head to look at where Astel was, her eyes widening as she spotted the man himself standing at the base of the staircase leading up to the Sacred Sakura tree. She quickly noticed the ck of Astel’s grip on her wrist and smirked.

  “Haah…” Astel sighed as he casually deflected a projectile fox made of Electro aimed at his eyes, turning around with a small smile. “If I had a Mora every time a girl teleported behind me after I teleported behind her, I’d have two Mora. Which isn’t much, but it's weird that it happened twice.”

  “Indeed. I’m quite curious about who it was that did this to you before I did.~” Yae Miko commented with a pout as her finger poked Astel’s cheek once he turned around. “I’m quite a jealous girl, you know?~”

  “A very special friend of mine.” Astel returned Yae’s earlier words as she gasped scandalously and fluttered her eyes at him with hurt.

  “You’re pying our games with someone else?~ Not fair…” Yae Miko’s pout increased as she began incessantly poking Astel’s cheek until he gently grabbed her hand again.

  “No. It’s more like you and that girl from earlier, actually.” Astel commented amusedly as Yae Miko’s eyes shined at finding a kindred soul. “Rest assured, you’re my only pymate, Lady Yae.”

  “What a relief.~ I’ll be very upset if I find out you’ve been two-timing me by pying with someone else, alright?~” Yae Miko commented with the same jealous act as Astel rolled his eyes and nodded.

  “Sure. As you say, Lady Guuji.~” Astel helplessly intoned, lowering her hand from his cheek and smirking. “Having said that… I believe I’ll be returning to my duties now.”

  “So soon?~” Yae’s hand in Astel’s fred with elemental energy as Astel’s body was shocked by her power.

  “Haha… It’s been a pleasure, Lady Yae.” Despite the powerful Electro energy running through him, Astel’s smile didn’t lessen whatsoever as he raised the hand Yae was using to shock him and pced a kiss on her knuckles. “Farewell.”

  *POP*

  “... Hm. That was quite reckless, you know?” Yae Miko muttered under her breath while staring at her hand before a smirk adorned her lips. “How fun!~ I like it.”

  Yae prepared to leave, only to pause as she noticed a few gazes on her back.

  “Hm?” She turned to look at the building behind her and found several girls, including Miyuki, peeking at her from behind the cover.

  “A-Are you both done, Lady Yae?” Miyuki questioned once she saw Yae Miko turn to look at them.

  “... It seems Astel was right. This is definitely going to bite me in the ass.” Yae muttered under her breath as she giggled and approached the nervous shrine maidens, her Electro vision glowing as her eyes fred with power. “Oh well… I have my own ways of handling this.”

  “SCATTER!” One of the girls excimed in fear as she saw the Head Shrine Maiden approaching them, making them quickly scurry in different directions while Yae giggled.

  “Try to make this fun for me, won’t you?~”

  …

  …

  I am returned! And on my birthday too...

  University truly is a lot harder than one would think, huh? I'm not even done with my finals for this term yet, only the hard stuff like Calculus and Physics. I got Computing and another subject still to go.

  Anywho, I'm gonna be trying my best to post again at least once or twice before February. Any encouragement would be much appreciated! < 3

  Extra comment for Scribblehub: Was just about to post a new chapter for my other fic before I realized that I couldn't post this one for yall st week since the site was down. So now this is a week after my birthday, unfortunately. Still say happy birthday or I beat you up!

  …

  I have a Patreon now, by the way! If you want to see the next chapter early or want to support me, check it out!

  Be sure to check my discord out while you're at it. We fuck around sometimes in there.

  See you all ter!

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