A night of fierce wind and rain blew down endless crimson blossoms.
In the morning, though the rain was fine as silk, it still couldn't stop the people from climbing the mountain to offer worship.
The quiet Grand Narukami Shrine was broken by the noise of visitors.
But the divine chamber deep within the shrine was able to keep a portion of peace.
The alluring great shrine maiden lay languidly on a soft couch by the window. Her pale shoulders and long legs were faintly visible beneath her miko robes. Outside, slanting wind and drizzle scattered falling petals—yet she had no mood to admire the rainy scenery.
"I didn't expect things to be this complicated…"
Looking at the detailed plot on the phone, Yae Miko yawned lazily.
Just as she expected:
That Traveler did not disappoint her—indeed, they brought her shut-in friend back from the space of consciousness.
But the process was truly complex, and even put the Traveler in grave danger.
"Lady Guuji…"
A timid young shrine maiden's voice came from outside.
Yae Miko lifted her eyes lazily, her face returning to stern indifference.
"Let the Kamisato girl come in."
Given the great prophet's reputation, Yae Miko neither disbelieved this prophecy nor fully trusted it.
She felt she must go to Blue Planet first before deciding.
If there was a suitable better method… perhaps that would be good too.
…
Before long.
The delicate sound of high heels stepping on petals came. The elegant White Heron Princess arrived under an umbrella, wearing a kasa hat.
There were too many worshipers today; Ayaka didn't want to cause a commotion, so she veiled her face.
"So many Inazumans want to admire the White Heron Princess's visage. Isn't it a pity to hide it like that?"
Yae Miko sat lazily at the window, her face enough to topple nations as she looked out.
Outside, crimson sakura fell in showers; fine rain drifted down. It was already a beautiful, tranquil painting—yet when the shrine maiden's face appeared, Ayaka couldn't tell which was more beautiful: the face, or the falling blossoms.
"Lady Guuji, what decision have you made?"
Ayaka set aside her oiled-paper umbrella and stepped into the chamber.
It was her first time here. The furnishings were elegant and refined. Wallpaper murals depicted the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons. On a table sat fresh glazed lilies and qingxin. Fragrance filled the room, soothing and clean.
"I've finished watching the recording. It does speak of many things about Inazuma. But as for what we decide… we'll talk after I first go to Blue Planet and see it myself."
Yae Miko yawned, eyes shimmering.
Ayaka nodded slightly, using the method Ken had taught her. She silently summoned the vortex gate in her mind.
Then, in the air above the chamber, a silently appearing, shimmering whirlpool-door opened.
"Just like the rumors."
Yae Miko was mildly surprised—and then an even greater mischief rose in her heart.
If her shut-in god were meditating in the Plane of Euthymia and a door like this suddenly appeared, dragging Ei away without explanation… what a ridiculous scene that would be.
...…
Rumble…
As a faint roar sounded in his mind, Ken slowly opened his eyes. He glanced at the wall clock, dressed, and walked into the living room.
Last night Klee had come to play, and he hadn't slept until deep into the night.
He hadn't expected someone to arrive on Blue Planet at seven in the morning.
"As expected—it's you."
Seeing the silhouettes in the living room, Ken wasn't surprised.
Standing there were none other than Ayaka, pure and elegant as a lotus rising from clear water, and the fox spirit Yae Miko, voluptuous and uniquely enchanting.
At that moment—
Yae Miko was observing everything in the villa. Though she had heard rumors, actually arriving on Blue Planet still left her astonished.
It was completely different from what she imagined.
Though the air and elemental power were not as rich as Teyvat's, the sky was bright and the trees lush.
A different style from Teyvat, with its own flavor.
More importantly, after coming here, the centuries-old fox shrine maiden could clearly feel that erosion was drastically reduced. Compared to Teyvat's erosion, it was so weak as to be nearly negligible.
This shocked Yae Miko. Back then, Ei created the Raiden Shogun and placed her consciousness in the Plane of Euthymia specifically to avoid erosion.
If Blue Planet could avoid erosion… then compared to the Plane of Euthymia, wouldn't this be an even better place?
"How interesting…"
The fox lady, deep and unfathomable, suddenly had a strange idea.
If she could freely enter and exit Blue Planet, wouldn't that mean she could slack off here whenever she pleased?
Most importantly, it could avoid erosion—what could be better?
But just as she was plotting her slacking plan, the voice behind her made the battle-seasoned shrine maiden turn gracefully.
That fox-charming face showed surprise.
Yae Miko looked at the man before her. Not only was he handsome and tall, his strength was also concealed and unfathomable.
She didn't know his exact power, but the fact that she hadn't sensed him when he appeared was enough to show he was stronger than she was.
"So the little girl wasn't lying."
Yae Miko gave Ayaka an ambiguous look. Then her violet eyes, watery and teasing, fixed on Ken.
A face and aura like this—something she'd only ever seen on the male leads of Yae Publishing House novels. Truly peerlessly handsome, like a jade tree in the wind.
Indeed, just as Ayaka said.
"Lady Guuji…" Ayaka's face reddened; awkwardly she began, "Mr. Ken, this is—"
Ken lifted a hand to stop her.
"The great shrine maiden of the Grand Narukami Shrine, inheritor of fox blood, familiar and close friend of the Raiden Shogun, and… the somewhat troublesome terrifying chief editor of Yae Publishing House—Miss Miko. I'm Ken."
Hearing her many titles spoken so plainly—even knowing he used prophecy—Yae Miko still felt oddly unsettled.
She raised her brows and teased, "My, my… I didn't expect my secrets to be laid bare before Mr. Ken, as if I'd been stripped naked. But that's fine—no need for pointless introductions."
She said such bold words with a perfectly calm face.
Ayaka's cheeks reddened even more.
No wonder rumors said Lady Guuji had a thousand fox faces—her words, deeds, personality, hobbies, all rose from interest, never bound to one mask or tradition.
Now Ayaka had accidentally witnessed yet another side of her.
"Since you've come so far, sit first and we'll talk."
Ken wasn't surprised. That was just how this fox was.
But if you treated her words as flirting, you'd fall right into her trap.
As the great shrine maiden, Lady Guuji might be a troublemaker—but often no one could see through her true intentions.
"I've heard you have a better way to resolve Inazuma's predicament. Is that true?"
The seductive teasing in Yae Miko's voice vanished. Her fox eyes locked onto Ken, as if trying to pry out the answer with her gaze alone.
"Yes."
There truly was a better way; Ken couldn't be bothered with theatrics.
He only needed to invite Raiden Ei to Blue Planet and let her calmly watch the prophecy about Inazuma. Ei would surely understand.
She simply wasn't good at governing—not a tyrant who loved oppression.
It was just that her true self was in the Plane of Euthymia, and everything outside was handled by the puppet Raiden Shogun. Ei herself didn't know how disastrous Inazuma had become.
However, to avoid Ei suddenly appearing in a strange place and treating him as an enemy, it was best to have someone she trusted present.
Otherwise a fight might break out.
"Then… what's the price?"
As a fox who had lived for centuries, Yae Miko didn't see things as naively as Ayaka.
Even if Ken's method seemed feasible—
What about the cost?
To Ken, she, Ayaka, and the shut-in Ei were strangers.
To ask him to help with something so big, without paying a price—how could that be reasonable?
Since ancient times—whether cultivation or anything else—Yae Miko knew all things were equal exchange.
If you gain something, you will inevitably lose something.
That was an unchanging law.
"I want you to owe me this favor. One day, if I need help, you must not refuse."
Though Ken's real motive for inviting Ei was to freeload her abilities—
He couldn't say that to their faces.
And if he claimed he wanted nothing, someone as sharp as Yae Miko would suspect ulterior motives. Better to set a condition; perhaps Inazuma would be useful someday.
He'd already prepared this line yesterday.
"Hehehe…"
Yae Miko covered her lips and laughed, her smooth shoulder pale as jade.
"Mr. Ken truly is clever. You should know—gold is easy to obtain, but favors are hard to repay. Still, though I am Inazuma's Guuji, I am not Ei. I have no authority to sign such a contract on behalf of Inazuma."
A seemingly light remark, yet she knew how heavy it was.
This concerned Inazuma's future—she had no right to represent it.
What if Ken's demand later was unreasonable?
Would Inazuma help—or not?
"Rest assured. If I ever make a request, it will be legitimate and won't put Inazuma in danger. And this agreement needn't represent the whole nation. You only need to sign as Yae Miko—enough."
Ken felt a bit helpless.
Lying was the most troublesome thing in the world: one lie required many more to patch it.
"If it's only in my personal name, that's fine."
Yae Miko smiled again, returning to her usual mature, alluring Guuji persona. She leaned forward slightly and said:
"Then has the contract been drafted?"
Ken smiled and took out the contract he'd prepared long ago, placing it before her.
Reading it, Yae Miko clicked her tongue.
"So you'd already eaten me alive, hadn't you? You even prepared the contract in advance… I suppose I can only obediently let you do as you please."
As she spoke, she lightly touched her lips with a delicate finger, then pressed it to the white paper. A handprint was stamped; her lip color made for a vivid ink.
"The contract is formed. Those who break it shall suffer the Wrath of the Geo."
Ken shamelessly borrowed Zhongli's line. A sigil of Geo formed in his hand and sank into the contract; in an instant, the ordinary paper flared with golden light like a divine decree and shot into Yae Miko's forehead.
Feeling that power, Yae Miko froze slightly.
This Geo power… she felt she'd sensed something like it in childhood.
But many early memories had scattered with the wind.
She couldn't recall clearly.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Mr. Ken."
Yae Miko didn't feel much burden about the contract. To save her shut-in friend, a small sacrifice seemed acceptable.
She just didn't know what the great prophet would ask of her later.
It wouldn't be… that, would it?
Tap tap tap…
While Yae Miko's thoughts ran wild, quick footsteps interrupted her.
Then—
A little red-clad loli darted out of the bedroom and looked curiously at everyone.
"Daddy, who are these two big sisters?"
Klee had come to play last night and hadn't returned to Mondstadt.
Hearing movement, she climbed out of bed and saw two new big sisters.
"This is Kamisato Ayaka. This is Yae Miko."
Ken didn't elaborate. Even if he did, his daughter might not remember.
"Is… is this Mr. Ken's daughter?"
Seeing the adorable Klee, Ayaka's eyes flashed with a hint of regret—though she didn't know exactly why.
She hadn't heard Ken already had a daughter.
And with such a cute, pretty daughter, the mother must be very beautiful too.
While Ayaka's mind wandered, Yae Miko's eyes narrowed with scrutiny and caution.
No—
Why did this child look so much like someone she once knew?
Someone from her childhood… a certain demon-witch-like old acquaintance who used to tease her constantly.
"Little one, who's your mother?"
Yae Miko leaned in slightly, speaking in a soft, alluring voice as she patted Klee's head.
…