At the shrine's torii gate.
Cherry blossoms fell in a swirling shower; the night was hazy and enchanting.
Inagi Hotomi occasionally chatted with Kamisato Ayaka about amusing stories from inside the Grand Narukami Shrine. Ayaka listened with interest, and the scene wasn't awkward at all.
Time passed. Kamisato Ayaka waited quietly to the side, without the slightest impatience or displeasure.
Aside from good upbringing and temperament, there was another crucial reason:
Yae Miko had once done the Kamisato Clan a great favor.
Back when the Kamisato house was wavering in the storm, it was Yae Miko who spoke for them and saved the precarious clan. Only then did the Kamisato family endure to the present day, and only then could she and her older brother restore the Yashiro Commission's former glory.
Yae Miko was the Kamisato family's benefactor. The Kamisato must be forever loyal to Narukami.
This principle would be etched into the hearts of every descendant. Ayaka, too, held Yae Miko in the highest respect.
Even if she had to wait here all night, she would have no complaints.
After all, that alluring, unreadable head shrine maiden was mysterious by nature—never easy to meet.
What's more, Lady Yae Miko was a familiar who served before the god, the one closest to the exalted Narukami. She deserved the world's respect.
And to stand quietly before the Grand Narukami Shrine, watching petals drift on the wind… was a rare sort of comfort.
"Hehe… It's been a long time since I've seen the little girl of the Yashiro Commission. Just yesterday I was reminiscing about the sweets you made—who knew you'd deliver yourself to my door tonight?"
A lazy, bewitching laugh rode in on the gentle breeze from not far away.
The great shrine maiden, dressed in miko robes, approached with a swaying, captivating grace. Smooth long legs showed beneath the robes; her foxlike beauty was seductive without being vulgar—so stunning it made people afraid to look directly at her.
In the misty night, amid drifting crimson sakura, her figure was exquisite as she came nearer.
Even Kamisato Ayaka couldn't help but look dazzled.
Lady Guuji's unique charm was truly hard to resist.
"So late at night… and the White Heron Princess graces us with her presence. Is there some urgent matter?"
Yae Miko walked up with hips subtly swaying, a polite smile on her lips—yet her eyes brimmed with mischief and teasing.
To the foxfolk, a human century was but a fleeting instant.
In those long years, lifespan and appearance were not things she needed to worry about. The only enemy she needed to fight was boredom.
Yae Miko loved finding hidden amusement in ordinary things and among humans.
That was one reason she so enjoyed teasing people.
"This time, I've come to discuss an important matter with Lady Guuji. Could you allow Ayaka to go inside and speak?"
Ayaka raised her head to look at the great shrine maiden. Though stunned by her beauty and aura, she also felt uncertain.
The great shrine maiden seemed easy to talk to.
But Ayaka knew full well that this woman was not truly easy—or rather, this was only one face among her thousand.
At times, this charming shrine maiden could also reveal indifference, coldness, arrogance… utterly unfathomable.
That was why Ayaka lacked confidence.
"Come in."
Yae Miko crossed her arms. Her beautiful eyes, shimmering with seductive grace, slowly swept over the gentle beauty before her.
It was hard to imagine that the little girl of the Yashiro Commission would come to her with something important.
Hm?
What could it be?
Yae Miko smiled faintly, curiosity piqued.
The two walked in silence toward the deeper parts of the shrine. Ayaka said nothing along the way, her gaze respectful—quiet as a white lotus in a still lake.
Yae Miko's hem fluttered, stirring petals along the path. Like a spirit fox beneath moonlight, her otherworldly beauty was striking.
Only when they reached a teahouse deep within the shrine did Yae Miko turn around, her tone tinged with teasing:
"Go on, then. I'm quite curious—why has the White Heron Princess come so late at night?"
This teahouse deep in the shrine was Yae Miko's territory.
Without her permission, no one came here.
"Does Lady Guuji know of the great prophet whose name has spread through Mondstadt and Liyue?"
Ayaka sat formally on a cushion, choosing to begin with small talk so things wouldn't become awkward too suddenly.
"Oh my… So even under Inazuma's isolation and thunderstorm barrier, you've gathered news of that great prophet so precisely. You've been paying close attention, haven't you? Could it be you're interested in him? Ah—young girls in love truly are poetry."
The shrine maiden stood by the window, a mischievous smile on her lips.
As a fox who had lived for centuries, the storm could hardly prevent her from keeping tabs on the outside world.
That prophet's fame thundered through Mondstadt and Liyue, crossed layers of lightning storms, and reached Inazuma.
Though they hadn't met, it was said many Inazuman girls had already fallen into secret yearning, quietly crushing on the legendary prophet.
"I didn't mean it that way."
Hearing the fox's undisguised teasing, Ayaka's pale cheeks reddened. As expected, she wasn't good at talking with Lady Guuji. Whatever Lady Guuji felt like doing or saying, she did—on a whim.
It was hard to follow.
"The White Heron Princess needn't be shy. Even I want to see that great prophet's elegance… Who knows, perhaps one day we'll be rivals in love."
Seeing the girl's bashful look, Yae Miko's mischief only deepened.
Miss Fox giggled like flowers trembling in the rain.
Ayaka: "…"
Watching the shrine maiden laugh so beautifully, all the opening lines Ayaka had prepared stuck in her throat.
She pressed her lips lightly, and determination flickered in her clear eyes.
She simply took out her phone from her Vision backpack, placed it gently on the table, and said:
"Lady Guuji's plan to train the Traveler to oppose the Shogun… I already know."
Yae Miko: "???"
The great shrine maiden's charming smile froze at once.
The mischief in those amethyst eyes also faded.
Arms crossed, she studied Ayaka for a long moment before her red lips curled slightly.
"So our White Heron Princess has met that great prophet."
Clever as Yae Miko was, she instantly saw through the girl's situation.
Inazuma was in turmoil now—not only the Kamisato clan was watching that prophet and the Traveler.
Yae Miko was observing in secret as well.
Beyond wanting the Traveler to change the situation, she also wanted to save her shut-in god.
Though the Traveler hadn't arrived in Inazuma yet, she had already laid out a series of plans.
Train the Traveler, and have them knock sense into her shut-in divine friend.
But the plan hadn't been carried out—and it was only a backup.
The prophet's legend showed Yae Miko other possible paths. If there was a better way, she naturally preferred it.
But for an unexecuted plan to be known by Ayaka could only mean one thing:
Ayaka had already met the great prophet.
"Yes. Today, Mr. Ken invited me to Blue Planet as a guest."
Ayaka told the truth.
Yae Miko's slender fingers brushed her red lips, her smile deepening.
"Is he handsome?"
Ayaka froze.
Now it was her turn to be stunned.
She hadn't expected that at a time like this, Lady Guuji wouldn't ask about Inazuma's serious matters first—her first question was actually… whether Mr. Ken was handsome?
Ayaka couldn't read this shrine maiden, so she could only answer stiffly:
"Very handsome—more so than the rumors."
"Oh… If Ayaka approves, the rumors must be true." Yae Miko paced with a smile. "Now I'm even more curious. A great prophet from another world—how interesting."
Ayaka: "…"
If Ayaka had known Lady Guuji would be so hard to communicate normally with, she would've had her brother come instead.
Ayaka was perfectly composed before other nobles, but in front of the many-faced Guuji, she was merely a girl easily seen through—unable to control the conversation.
"Alright… I can tell our princess is anxious. Then tell me—what did you gain on Blue Planet?"
Seeing the girl growing more and more uneasy, Yae Miko stopped teasing and guided the topic to the point.
After all, she too was curious what Inazuma's future would look like.
Or rather… she wanted to see whether the plan she—beautiful and brilliant Yae Miko—had devised was perfect.
Had that shut-in god been saved?
"Mm… I saw Inazuma's future on Blue Planet…"
Ayaka recounted the story she had witnessed there. As if afraid Yae Miko wouldn't believe her, she pushed the phone toward her:
"It records the prophecy in detail. Lady Guuji may examine it carefully. If you trust it… perhaps we have a better route to solve this."
Looking at the strange device, Yae Miko parted her red lips slightly and said meaningfully:
"By that account… my special training plan for the Traveler would work pretty well, wouldn't it… As expected of me, Yae Miko—both beautiful and wise."
Most importantly: the shut-in Ei really did come out of the Plane of Euthymia.
Yae Miko understood Ei well. She knew Ei wanted to come out—she was only restraining her worldly attachments.
But if eternity meant staying forever inside the Plane of Euthymia, lonely and desolate through a long life… then Yae Miko would rather walk that road amid the bustling human world, where flowers bloom like brocade.
Ayaka: "…"
Watching Lady Guuji smiling and chatting, Ayaka sighed softly.
The point… didn't seem to be that, did it, Lady Guuji?
Still, Ayaka was gradually learning how to talk with Miko. For now, she stayed silent and didn't take the bait.
After a moment.
Yae Miko, snapping out of her self-admiration, smiled and said:
"I'll watch this recording carefully. Come to the shrine again tomorrow. We'll go to Blue Planet together. I'm quite curious about it too… and it's also an excellent excuse to take a day off."
"Understood, Lady Guuji." Feeling slightly helpless, Ayaka sighed again and took out an exquisite gift box.
"Lady Guuji, this is something Miss Ganyu from Liyue Harbor asked me to deliver to you."
Ayaka had nearly forgotten Ganyu's request; fortunately she remembered before leaving, or she would have failed the trust placed in her.
At those words, Yae Miko's playful eyes showed surprise.
"Ganyu…? Come to think of it, it's been a long time since I last saw Sister Ganyu."
Seeing the glazed lilies and qingxin inside the box, Yae Miko's smile brightened.
Just like before.
Ganyu still liked glazed lilies and qingxin.
As for the taste of qingxin, Miss Fox found it… impossible to appreciate.
But using arts to keep the flowers forever fresh and placing them in her chamber—wasn't bad.
"Lady Guuji, then Ayaka will take her leave."
With the task complete, Ayaka rose and departed.
Watching the girl's slender, pure silhouette, Yae Miko swayed her hips lightly, picked up the recording, and returned deeper into the shrine to her private chamber.
She was very interested in prophecies from Blue Planet.
Tonight, the sly fox lady was destined to be sleepless.
…