Night settled over Teyvat.
Since Su Xuan had taken Raiden Ei and disappeared,
the diary had stopped updating.
Not until dawn broke the next morning—
Grand Narukami Shrine — Mt. Yougou
Yae Miko stepped out of her rooms, stretching with a lazy yawn.
A shrine maiden in red and white approached and bowed.
"Guuji-sama, Kujou Sara and Kamisato Ayaka request to see you."
She hesitated, then added softly:
"They arrived last night.
They've been waiting here until now."
Miko replied with a sleepy, nonchalant, "Oh?"
A pulse of thought, and the glowing diary appeared in her hand.
She glanced at the shrine maiden.
No reaction.
"As expected—not everyone receives a diary copy."
A faint smile curved her lips.
"And if those two have been waiting here since last night…
they must be diary-holders as well."
She instantly understood why they came.
"Go ask if they've eaten breakfast," Miko said, waving her hand lazily.
"If not, tell them to come eat with me."
The shrine maiden bowed and departed.
Soon, Kujou Sara and Kamisato Ayaka hurried into the room.
"Guuji-sama, with everything that has happened, how can you be calmly eating breakfast?"
Ayaka's voice was strained and anxious.
Sara, meanwhile, was outright furious.
"Your composure is unacceptable. The Shogun—!"
"Ahem, Sara," Ayaka tugged her sleeve, softly stopping her.
After arriving last night, the two had discovered each other were diary-holders.
And if they both were—
Then Yae Miko most certainly was as well.
But barging in and demanding answers from the Guuji was… tactless.
"What great disaster are you referring to?"
Miko asked, calmly sipping tea.
Sara froze.
"You… don't know?"
"What should I know?"
Miko took another unhurried bite of breakfast.
"…The Shogun was taken by that traveler from beyond the world," Ayaka whispered.
"Guuji-sama, surely you knew this? Surely you've seen the diary?"
Sara shook her own diary copy for emphasis.
Miko gave it the briefest glance—
And instead of answering, simply shot Sara a sideways look.
Ayaka hurried to smooth the air:
"Since Sara can speak of the diary in your presence, Guuji-sama must also have one."
Sara straightened urgently.
"Then why—why are you just sitting here!?"
Miko set her teacup down and finally smiled.
"And what would you have me do?"
"Track this traveler down for you?
Rally the Shogun's forces?
March an army to 'rescue' Ei?"
"And what then?"
"Provoke Su Xuan into casually dropping a mountain on the entire army?"
"Or twisting the Shogun into a corkscrew?"
Sara's voice died instantly.
She sank back down, speechless.
Ayaka sighed quietly.
Miko continued, voice light:
"Consider the situation clearly.
Even Ei could not defeat him."
"What are we negotiating?
What could we possibly offer him?"
"If he wants something—
he will simply take it."
Sara and Ayaka stared at each other.
There was no good rebuttal.
Yesterday's battle had proven:
If Su Xuan wished harm—
there was simply no preventing it.
"But we cannot simply do nothing," Sara insisted, distressed.
Miko flicked her hand casually at her.
"What you should do is inform the citizens who saw Ei leave."
"Tell them the Shogun is visiting an old friend.
Reassure the people.
Keep the city calm."
"And since the diary showed Su Xuan has no intention to harm Ei—
he'll return her when he's finished with… whatever he intends."
With Sara temporarily pacified, Miko relaxed again and resumed eating.
Then, almost offhandedly, she murmured:
"A traveler from beyond the world…
with power that defies reason."
"And our Ei—
graceful, beautiful, dignified, and a thunder-wielding Archon besides."
"One hopes she comes back with a little general in tow."
Ayaka blinked.
"…A… what?"
Miko continued matter-of-factly:
"Imagine~ A child who inherits both psychokinesis and the power of thunder."
"That's a being the world would never dare challenge."
"So if Ei doesn't bring him back, we'll have wasted a perfect chance to be kidnapped."
Ayaka: "???"
Sara: "???????"
The room fell into a stunned silence so sharp it nearly rang.
Just then—
Sara's diary burst into light.
"It's updated!" she gasped, flipping it open.
[Last night, I returned to Inazuma territory with the unconscious Raiden Ei.]
[Turns out I ended up on Yashiori Island—of all miserable places.]
[Thunderstorms outside, rain pouring nonstop.]
[Ei was still passed out like a dead boar.]
[I suspected she was faking it, so I slapped her a few times. Nope—still out.]
[So I used her as a pillow for the night.]
[But come morning—she finally woke up.]
Sara: "!?!?!?"
Yae Miko, mid-sip of tea, choked—hard.
Then sighed with deep, heartfelt regret.
"…Such a perfect opportunity," she lamented.
"And he only used her… as a pillow?"
Ayaka: "???????"