(Kazuha x Tomo) Ephemeral Autumn Leaves

7. Farewell, Archaic Lord

Kazuha grew close to the rest of the Alcor's crew over the course of their journey, to the point where they no longer considered him a strange foreigner, but another member of their crew. His ability to predict oncoming storms was particularly appreciated by them.

They had sailed for weeks since leaving Ritou, and Kazuha was worried that he wouldn't make it in time for the Rite of Descension, until one day he awoke to the sight of towering mountains coming into view over the horizon. He and Tama stared out in awe as the sight of Liyue Harbour came into view—it was far more beautiful and spectacular than he could've ever imagined.

I wish you could see this, Tomo.

They arrived a few days before the Rite of Descension, and so Kazuha spent the days assisting the Alcor in cleaning up the deck and unboarding goods they'd brought in from Inazuma. On the day that the ceremony was to take place, he headed off for Yujing Terrace.

"Can we expect to see you back here?" Beidou wondered. "The Alcor will be docked here a few weeks before setting sail again. You're always welcome on board."

Kazuha smiled appreciatively. "Yes. I'll be back."

Yujing Terrace was bustling with onlookers as preparations for the Rite of Descension were taking place. Kazuha stood off to the side, away from most of the crowd, as that's where he felt most comfortable. His eyes scanned the area, on the lookout for the man clothed in white which Yae Miko had spoken of, but he spotted no such person.

Two individuals, however, did catch his eye—a blonde-haired youth dressed in attire foreign to Liyue, accompanied by a small girl floating in the air. Beidou's crew had told him stories of a mysterious Outlander who arrived in Mondstadt recently, defeating the menacing dragon Stormterror and saving the city. Kazuha's intuition told him that he was looking at that very person.

The appearance of a beautiful, white-haired woman dressed in gold signaled the commencement of the Rite of Descension. The crowd hushed their voices as she stepped foot towards the altar.

"The hour is upon us," she announced, unleashing a ring of gemstones that spun around her.

"That is Tianquan Ningguang of the Liyue Qixing," whispered a voice in Kazuha's ear. He turned his head slightly to see a young man dressed in a long black robe, his face obscured by a hood that was pulled over it. On top of his head sat what looked like two ears of some sort of animal. For a reason unbeknownst to Kazuha, this young man seemed to be speaking solely for him to hear, and no one else. "During the Rite of Descension, all attention falls upon Tianquan Ningguang. However, there is another player who is at work here."

Kazuha's attention was drawn off to the side, behind the crowds of onlookers, where up on a nearby balcony sat a man with long, dark hair, dressed in a flowing white outfit, his face equally as pale as his attire. He seemed to be playing a stringed instrument, though no sound of music could be heard coming from that direction. Actually, that wasn't the case. As Kazuha focused his hearing, he indeed could detect a high-pitch melody emanating out from that balcony. The tune seemed to resonate with Tianquan Ningguang's gemstones as they swirled around the altar. Was this some sort of elemental resonance? Kazuha tried to make out exactly which element that man on the balcony may have been utilizing, but spotted no Vision on his person. Was he an Anemo wielder perhaps? Electro? He couldn't detect any signs of elemental energy coming from that man, but this undoubtedly seemed to be some sort of elemental reaction.

And this man was undoubtedly the one which Yae Miko had spoken of.

As the ceremony continued, Ningguang directed a beam of golden light upwards from the altar and into the heavens, drawing everyone's attention to the sky as they anticipated the descent of Rex Lapis. However, the atmosphere suddenly shifted as the clouds fell black and the wind increased pace. A dark shadow appeared in the skies above the altar and suddenly came crashing down onto it, drawing shrieks of shock and confusion from the crowd. As the dust settled, Kazuha could see that the massive body of what seemed to be the cross between a dragon and a qilin had fallen from the heavens. Tianquan Ningguang leaned in to examine the situation as whispers and murmurs of concern arose from the crowd.