The quiet of Whispering Forest had been shattered by the preview in the skies, only to gradually return as the light curtain faded.
But Orien's heartbeat had yet to calm. Watching his Breakdown Value surge toward ten thousand, he felt like a nouveau riche overnight, itching to blow it all on a ten-pull spree.
He forced the impulse down.
"Calm down… lotteries are a trap. Better save points for key skills." He took a deep breath, thinking it over. "I've got [Shadowstep (Electro)] to survive, [Mirror Flower, Water Moon] to scheme, but my only attack weapon is that embarrassing iron club, 'Persuasion by Reason.'"
Opening the system shop again, he scrolled through attack skills.
[Elemental Skill: Scorching Flames (Pyro) (Beginner) – 1800 Breakdown Value]
[Elemental Skill: Surging Tide (Hydro) (Beginner) – 1700 Breakdown Value]
[Sword Arts: Basic Favonius Swordsmanship – 1000 Breakdown Value]
[Archery: Arrow That Pierces the World (Basic) – 1200 Breakdown Value]
(Note: Name is flashy, it's just better accuracy.)
…
The elemental skills had punch, but drained energy fast. Physical skills were sustainable, but weak.
"I need something ranged… to kite with Shadowstep." His eyes landed on one option.
[Elemental Skill: Verdant Feather (Dendro) (Beginner) – 1600 Breakdown Value]
(Note: Fires a sharp feather of Dendro energy with minor penetration. Can faintly stir nearby plants. Low cost, decent range.)
"Perfect."
[1600 Breakdown Value consumed. Acquired "Verdant Feather (Beginner)."]
Green light gathered at his fingertip. A slender, luminous feather shot forth, embedding into a tree trunk with a thud before vanishing.
"Not powerful, but efficient. Like a crossbow bolt. Good enough." He nodded, satisfied.
He studied his map, planning the next move. Staying here wasn't safe; too close to Mondstadt.
"Springvale? Or maybe Dawn Winery… quieter, fewer monsters…"
That's when he heard it.
A faint chime—soft, delicate, almost blending into the breeze.
Jingle…
His body froze, hair on end. A bell? Here? The sound carried an eerie weight.
He snapped upright, one hand ready to Shadowstep away, the other already shaping a Verdant Feather.
"Who's there?!" His voice was low, sharp.
Silence. Only the forest's sighs.
Was it an animal? His nerves?
Jingle…
Clearer this time, right behind him.
Orien spun, activating [Mirror Flower, Water Moon]! An illusion double appeared in his place, while his real body flickered back with Shadowstep, launching a feather bolt toward the sound.
Thunk!
It vanished into shrubs—no target hit.
"My my… such a sharp reaction. As expected of the little mischief-maker who's turned all of Teyvat upside down."
A sultry, amused female voice drifted down.
Orien's eyes darted upward.
There, perched casually on the oak branch he had leaned on moments ago, sat a woman.
Gorgeous, dressed in crimson and white shrine maiden robes with ornate bows and shimenawa cords. Long pink hair cascaded down in twin braids, violet fox-eyes glimmered with sly amusement, a beauty mark accenting her smile. She exhaled smoke from a long pipe, her pale legs dangling, golden anklets chiming as she swung them.
Jingle…
Orien's heart nearly leapt from his chest.
Yae Miko.
High priestess of Narukami Shrine. Five-hundred-year-old kitsune. Confidante of the Raiden Shogun. Here. Now.
The weight of her presence dwarfed even Eula's. Tricks, disguises, acting—it would all be nothing before her.
"Surprised I found you?" she asked lightly, eyes flicking between him and the illusion. "Cute trick. But useless against me."
She snapped her fingers. A flicker of pink lightning.
Pop!
The clone burst like a bubble, gone.
Orien: "…"
I'm screwed.
Run? Shadowstep was lightning—trying to outrun a kitsune with lightning was suicide. Fight? His feather wouldn't scratch her.
Hopeless.
Sweat chilled his back. Yet he forced himself calm. If she'd wanted him dead, he'd already be ashes. She wanted to talk. That meant a chance.
He exhaled, dispelled the feather, and bowed slightly. "So it's the Guuji of Narukami Shrine herself. Forgive me for not welcoming you properly."
"Oh? You know me?" Her smile deepened. "Then you must know more than most. No point in circling around."
She drifted down, landing with elegance, heels barely bending the grass. Shorter than him, yet her aura blanketed him completely.
"That great sky-show earlier… it was you, wasn't it?" she asked, pipe tilting upward. It wasn't a question. It was truth.
Orien's mind whirled. Denial was pointless. Admission dangerous. He gambled instead—on her distaste for "eternity," on her hunger for amusement.
"Guuji-sama is perceptive," he said at last, neither admitting nor denying, but enough. He lifted his gaze to meet her fox-eyes. "You wouldn't be here to erase me for the sake of 'eternity,' would you?"
He stressed the word.
Yae Miko chuckled, voice like silver bells. "Erase you? Hardly." She leaned closer, her scent faintly floral, eyes glinting with mischief. "You've given me—and Ei—more entertainment than we've had in centuries. I should thank you."
Her smile sharpened. "Especially that preview… the Delusions. You tossed quite the bomb. Sangonomiya's little mermaid must be frantic right now."
Orien's gut tightened. He was right. She wasn't here to defend eternity—she wanted to use him.
"What do you want from me, then?" he asked carefully.
"A deal." She tapped his shoulder with her pipe. "Keep stirring the storm. Make it fun. Shake eternity to its roots. And I'll keep you… hidden. For now. From the Knights' little Lawrence, still sniffing after you… and from the Fatui, who've already caught your scent."
Orien's breath hitched. Eula was still on him? The Fatui too?!
"Of course…" Her tone cooled, eyes narrowing dangerously. "If your little play turns boring—or worse, if you drag trouble to my shrine—I'll change my mind."
The threat was velvet over steel.
Orien understood instantly. He was a tool. A spark to light her fire. She offered a fox's shelter—but her claws were inches away.
Still, better a shield than none.
"What sort of show do you expect?" he asked.
"Whatever you like." She grinned slyly. "The more it rattles eternity, the better. I want to see Ei's face change. That will be worth it."
She turned to leave, but glanced back with a fox's smirk. "Oh, one more thing. Next broadcast, give Ayaka more screen time. Her flustered face is adorable. Think of it as advance payment."
With a flick, she tossed him a charm glowing faintly with Electro.
[Narukami Shrine Charm (One-Use): Shatters into a powerful Electro shield and teleports user a great distance randomly. (Yae Miko's custom craft.)]
A lifesaver.
Orien's eyes widened. Generous—yet dangerous.
"Farewell, amusing little one." She waved, body fading like mist. Only the faint scent of sakura lingered, and her voice whispered on the wind:
"Don't forget… show me more fun~"
When her presence vanished, Orien finally exhaled, his palms slick with sweat.
He stared at the charm, emotions mixed. A reprieve. A trump card. An ally—or a fox waiting to strike.
"At least… for now, our goals align." He tucked it carefully away.
His eyes rose to the countdown on his system screen: 23 hours.
"Entertainment, huh? Don't worry, Guuji-sama. Tomorrow's broadcast will be so 'entertaining' even you won't forget it."
"Inazuma's tragedy—I'll make sure it sings its loudest."
He stepped deeper into the forest, seeking a hidden place to prepare.
The storm's eye shifted eastward. And with Inazuma's shadow looming, Mondstadt's pressure around Whispering Forest quietly eased.
(End of Chapter)
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