A long, long time ago...
Isn't this how many stories begin?
"Lady Saiguu, when will you return?"
"Sigh, I really don't want to deal with the troubles of the Grand Narukami Shrine..."
Yae Miko sat alone in her room, enjoying her favorite food.
"You were the one who said that if I became the shrine's Guuji, I could eat fried tofu to my heart's content."
"Hmph, to think of such a terrible excuse..."
Though Miko complained inwardly,
her hands never stopped picking up pieces of fried tofu.
It had been a long time since Lady Saiguu left the shrine and Yae Miko succeeded her as Guuji.
On normal days, she wouldn't bother complaining about it.
But today was different—today was the shrine festival.
The greatest inconvenience of being the Guuji was that
she had to dress formally and sit solemnly in the shrine hall during every festival.
For someone like Miko, who loved to seek amusement, this was pure torture.
Just imagine:
Fireworks blooming brilliantly in the night sky, the shrine bustling with activity inside and out.
Yet, throughout such a grand event, she could only sit with a dignified smile in the shrine...
As Miko herself put it:
"This kind of disaster is even more terrifying than fried tofu disappearing from the world."
So, during every festival, Miko would always grumble a little.
However, this year, she had a new idea.
The lifespan of the Electro Archon's familiar was quite long.
A century was but a fleeting moment in her eyes.
In such endless years, boredom was the hardest enemy to resist.
Her god had already shut herself away.
If even she grew accustomed to sitting rigidly all day, as stubborn as deadwood,
wouldn't the world lose one of its cleverest souls, ever ready to find joy and opportunity?
"Therefore, finding some amusement for myself every now and then is absolutely reasonable and necessary."
"Even if it means making slight use of the Guuji's authority, it's hardly worth criticizing."
Miko tidied up her tableware,
then changed into her formal festival attire.
That night, gazing at the specially prepared fireworks before her,
Yae Miko nodded in satisfaction.
The festival ceremony proceeded as usual, flawlessly executed.
Everything was perfect.
Especially the sight of the "Guuji-sama" sitting upright throughout the night,
which filled countless shrine maidens of Inazuma with reverence.
However, what they would never know was
that it was merely a small substitute of Yae Miko's making.
At that moment, the real Yae Miko had taken the form of an ordinary woman.
Dressed in a yukata, she sat quietly on a bridge, observing the festival-goers passing by.
Drowned out by the sound of fireworks,
a low murmur slipped through teeth chewing on an apple candy:
"Honestly, when you asked me to be Guuji, you never said I'd have to sneak out just to watch the festival."
And so, Yae Miko watched the ebb and flow of the crowd
until the festival ended and the people dispersed.
Seeking amusement and chasing joy were her daily principles.
Observing humans was one of her favorite pastimes.
She found humans fascinating.
Though their lives were so fleeting, they could radiate dazzling brilliance.
Some people's light never dimmed, even across the vast river of time.
Reading such lives was a great pleasure.
"Seems like I didn't spot anyone particularly interesting today. Maybe I'll take a walk down the mountain."
Miko descended along the mountain path,
strolling through Chinju Forest under the cover of night.
Not wanting her youkai companions to recognize her, she concealed her aura.
Combined with her transformed appearance, she was now indistinguishable from an ordinary person.
The quiet of Chinju Forest was suddenly broken by the clashing of blades.
"Oh? Seems like coming out for a walk was the right decision."
Guided by her love of spectacle,
Miko hurried toward the source of the noise.
When she arrived, she saw
two bandits brandishing swords, facing off against a young man dressed in Liyue attire.
The young man held no weapon.
Judging purely by equipment and numbers,
one might assume he was at a disadvantage.
But the panicked expressions and trembling legs of the two bandits
suggested the situation wasn't so simple.
However, Yae Miko's attention wasn't on the bandits at all.
Her gaze was fixed on the handsome, white-haired young man.
"My, isn't he from Liyue? How can someone be this good-looking?"
After observing humans for so many years,
this was the first time she'd seen someone so strikingly beautiful.
And why did she feel the urge to revert to her fox form and rub against him?
Unable to make sense of it, Miko suppressed the strange impulse using her powers as a great youkai.
The two bandits' sword hands trembled slightly.
Clearly, they were terrified.
One of them stammered:
"I-I'll hold him off... you run..."
"No, I should be the one..."
"Just go!"
The first bandit, Bandit A, suddenly erupted with resolve,
as if prepared to die.
At that moment, the young man made his move.
With a flick of his right hand, in the next instant,
a flying blade embedded itself in Bandit A's throat!
"..." Bandit A collapsed without a sound.
"Seems he dislikes heroic stands even more."
Bandit B sneered, spat on Bandit A's corpse,
then retrieved the flying blade and pocketed it.
Raising his own sword, he prepared to fight.
"That was your last one, wasn't it? I'll chop you into pieces!"
Convinced his opponent had no more weapons,
Bandit B grew bolder.
His legs stopped shaking.
From behind the tree, Miko muttered:
"My, my, so it wasn't a touching 'brotherly bond' after all."
"Give me back my moved feelings~"
Though his words were fierce, Bandit B didn't recklessly charge forward.
Because this kid from Liyue was too strong.
Some idiot must have provoked him,
and he'd single-handedly wiped out their entire camp.
Their leader didn't even get to finish his tough talk
before dying to that flying blade technique.
No one could see how he'd attacked.
Bandit B was certain—that had been the last blade.
He and Bandit A weren't some heroic brothers.
They'd both known it was the final knife.
They were gambling—
on whether the young man despised bravery or cowardice more.
The young man showed no reaction to Bandit B's words.
Instead, he slowly advanced toward him.
His calm composure made Bandit B hesitate to attack,
instead forcing him to retreat.
Crack—
Miko "accidentally" stepped on a twig.
Startled, she quickly hid behind the tree, covering her mouth with both hands.
But her clothes still gave away her position.
Bandit B's eyes darted, and he swiftly adjusted his plan.
Dodging, he rushed toward Miko's direction and effortlessly grabbed her—
as she was too frightened to do anything but cower in place.
Bandit B ordered her to stand, using her as a human shield while he hid behind her, waiting for an opening.
This way, it was foolproof.
Even if the kid had other hidden weapons, this woman could block them.
Under the moonlight, the young man struck again.
He truly had no more specialized flying blades left.
But there were plenty of things that could kill, like the leaves drifting through the air...
With a flick of his sleeve, he sent two leaves flying.
One knocked the sword from Bandit B's hand.
The other pierced his throat...