(Kazuha x Tomo) Ephemeral Autumn Leaves

6. Dawn of a New World

The shrine maiden simply stared at the Vision clasped in Kazuha's hand, her face unreadable. Among the other maidens, nervous murmurs and whispers could be heard as they wondered what this strange young man could possibly want by coming here. Kazuha remained unfazed.

"I've heard of you," Yae Miko finally spoke. "That Vision must belong to your friend who challenged the Raiden Shogun to a duel."

"Do you know of a way, or not?"

The shrine maidens all eyed the chief priestess expectantly, wondering how she would respond.

"Come," she said. "Let us speak by the Sacred Sakura."

Kazuha obliged, and the shrine maidens quickly dispersed, understanding that they were not to disturb Yae Miko at a time like this. As Kazuha approached the sacred tree, its trunk shaped like a kitsune, Yae Miko began to speak. "A Vision which has lost the one who wields it shall lose its glow. As Visions are granted to humans by the divine, they are gifts bestowed onto mortals to further their ambition. Therefore, a wielder typically would espouse similar ideals to that of the Archon which chose them, however those ambitions still vary from person to person. If you wish to rekindle your friend's Vision, you must search for one who espouses the same ambitions as he did."

Someone who espouses the same ambition as Tomo? Kazuha thought. What exactly was Tomo's ambition? Kazuha knew that his friend had wanted to witness the power of the Musou no Hitotachi, but that couldn't have been the reason the Raiden Shogun bestowed his Vision upon him. What sense did that make?

One day when we're older we will travel Inazuma...no, all of Teyvat together!

I remembered that promise I made with you, how we would one day travel Inazuma together and all of Teyvat, and I thought I should hold myself true to that promise. So I came looking for you!

Maybe one day when this is all over we can use that boat to explore the rest of Teyvat. How does that sound?

For some reason, these were the words spoken by his friend which came back to him at this moment.

Kazuha detected the faint glow of a purple light emanating from behind him, but when he turned to see what it was, it had already disappeared. Yae Miko seemed to have noticed this light as well, and a glimmer of surprise flashed through her eyes, though only for a brief moment. "Rekindling your friend's Vision, is this the only thing your heart desires?"

"Short of giving him a proper burial and burning incense at his grave, I'm afraid this is the most I can do for him," he whispered sadly.

"Hm, I see," Yae Miko nodded. She paused for a moment before continuing. "There is someone perhaps you should meet. He's an old friend of mine, and may have more to offer you than I. However, he resides in Liyue and his whereabouts are seldom known. The only time he is ever seen is during the Rite of Descension held for Rex Lapis in Liyue Harbour annually. If you wish to meet with him, you will have to depart for Liyue soon—the Rite of Descension takes place in a few weeks, and I'm afraid that after this year you won't have another chance..."

At the mention of Liyue, Kazuha was reminded of the Crux Fleet which Gorou had brought up. If that ship was from Liyue, there was the chance it could take him there in time for the ceremony.

"The man you are searching for will be in attendance at the Rite of Descension," Yae Miko continued. "He will be standing away from the crowds, and you will recognize him by his snowy-white robes and the instrument at his fingers. Once you spot him, he will be impossible to miss."

Kazuha nodded, clenching the Electro Vision tighter in his hand. He decided he would head to Liyue. He had always wanted to go there after all, right? Of course, whenever he imagined leaving Inazuma, he always imagined that he would be with Tomo.