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It was supposed to be an enjoyable evening. The Alcor was neatly docked just outside of Guyun Stone Forest, Beidou was going to return with food from Wanmin Restaurant, and the crew were as rowdy as ever. The samurai known as Kaedahara Kazuha stood on the crow’s nest of the Crux, watching all of this unfold.
Kazuha was never one to party and drink through the night, even less so after he witnessed that duel in Tenshukaku, but he did enjoy seeing the people who took him in being so happy. Right now, most of the crew were looking to set up a spot on one of the beaches to party at. He let out a few smiles seeing the crew crack jokes with each other.
He felt the wind pick up in speed, and reached a hand out to feel the breeze. It was something he’d done many times in Inazuma to tell the weather, and it had foretold plenty of storms during their journeys out at sea. Kazuha froze. The wind felt heavier than it should’ve been. It felt wrong. He took a deep breath, maybe he wasn’t used to the air of Liyue. And then he felt it, a strange ominous breeze. His eyes shot open as he jumped down from the crow’s nest and onto the beach, using his Vision’s ability of Anemo to cushion his fall. He knew what this air meant.
A crew member, Kazuha believed his name was Sea Drake, gave him a strange look “Hey Kaedahara kid, is something-”
“Get down!” Kazuha shouted, as he unsheathed his blade and struck just above Drake’s head. The crew member quickly ducked and turned around to see Kazuha’s blade holding back a Mitachurl’s axe. The Mitachurl roared at the two humans, attempting to knock them down, but Kazuha would not budge.
The ground started to tremble as strange purple particles rose out from under it. Said particles started accumulating and formed into more abyssal creatures. In no time, the entire crew on the beach was being swarmed by Hilichurls, Mitachurls and the like. They had docked right beside a ley line.
Kazuha held the Mitachurl’s axe in place. With a shout, he pushed the Mitachurl back and delivered a sword blow directly through its chest. The monster stumbled back and let out a roar as it charged again. Fortunately, Sea Drake quickly took advantage of the opportunity and drew his own sword to stab it through its back. The Mitachurl let out a groan as it, and the axe it carried, dissolved back into the ground.
“Stow the gangway! And get the Captain here; launch the flare!” called out Chief Mate Juza, presumably towards the crew who were still on the ship. Seconds later, the flare soared through the night sky. The sound of it flying through the air echoed through the night sky, before suddenly bursting into a ball of red and purple light.
As beautiful as it might have been, Kazuha paid no attention to the flare, as he cut through a Hilichurl and its wooden shield. He looked ahead, and carefully eyed a group of Hilichurl archers standing on the shore. Fortunately they didn’t seem to notice him yet, as they had their eyes set on the ship. He tapped into the power of his Vision, slightly increasing his speed as he approached them.
“The wind knows me”
Kazuha activated his Vision and jumped. The powers of Anemo lifted him into the air as the Elemental Energy flowed through him, pulling the nearby Hilichurls into a small vortex of wind beneath him. Afterwards, he swiftly dived down and slashed through them, leaving nothing but their masks and arrowheads. He looked up to see most of the crew on the beach handling themselves just fine and sighed in relief. Unfortunately, he noticed more particles still coming out of the ground. This would be a long night.
Suddenly, Kazuha heard the wind shift to his side as an arrow flew to him. He attempted to use his Vision to sidestep it, but the arrow grazed his right shoulder before he got the chance. He tried to find the archer that fired the shot, only for said archer to go flying into the water, dissolving.
He turned to see someone, Kazuha believed her name was Furong, in the distance holding a claymore in one hand, waving at him, “You okay there Kazuha?”
Without checking his wound, Kazuha gave a nod, not wanting to distract her from the battle ahead. Furong returned his nod, and went back into the fight. Kazuha gave his wound a quick glance. The arrow tore through a part of his clothes and cut through a fair amount of skin. He wasn’t surprised to see the wound bleeding slightly. Not feeling the pain yet, he made his way back into the fight.
-
In the terraces of Yuehai Pavilion, two people stood near the edge watching the people of Liyue Harbor below as they discussed important matters with each other. It would have gone for a lot longer if not for the sound of a stray firework in the sky. What seemed to be an accidental firework launch to some, was known as a distress call to those two people.
“I suppose that’s your cue,” Ningguang remarked to the Captain of the Alcor, watching the firework slowly fade from view.
Beidou gave the Tianquan of Liyue a smirk, “Sorry to cut this meeting short, but it looks like the crew needs me. See you tomorrow!”
Ningguang sighed as Beidou quickly jumped down the nearby railing and landed on the ground below. If there was an emergency, she’d need to make time that she’d lose from the boat ride. Truthfully, the reason Beidou returned to the harbor wasn’t just to order some of Xiangling’s food, though the crew craving it may have been a large reason. Beidou and Ningguang had been discussing matters about Inazuma’s Vision Hunt Decree and how Liyue would treat escaped refugees. The subject was very important to Beidou at the moment given the Alcor's newest member.
Personally, Beidou believed that they should be given full refugee status. But as Ningguang said, all Eight Trades of the Qixing would have to sign off on it. She hoped they could at least help out in an unofficial matter. Monetarily, Liyue was much better off than Inazuma. And while Beidou wasn’t entirely sure on how Inazuma’s Tri-Commission System worked, she knew for certain that the Qixing were much more organized than them.
Frankly, she wasn’t too worried about the crew. Beidou knew that if there was actual trouble, they’d handle themselves just fine. She shook her thoughts out of her head and started making her way through the crowded streets. It was so bright compared to the quiet waters of the sea. She missed the noisy voices of the harbor. Her fleet was loud, but it was nothing compared to the volume, and size of Liyue Harbor.
Beidou was just about to reach the dock before a Milileth Guard approached her, “Excuse me, but I’m gonna have to see some identification before you leave.”
Oh boy, here we go. She tried not to be too threatening, and looked at the Guard who seemed to be on the newer side of Milileth, “Look kid, I just got out of a very important meeting with one of your bosses to help my friends. So let me go now, and I’ll come back in an hour or two to answer your questions.”
“I’m sorry. But I can’t, in good will, allow a pirate to leave the harbor without doing anything. Answer a few of my questions, and I’ll allow you to leave,” said the guard.
Beidou pinched the bridge of her nose, ignoring the fact he just assumed she was a pirate, she needed to get to her crew, “How about I just pay off any fine you expect me to get? Let’s just get this over with.”
“Are you implying that you’d bribe me?!”
“Why you-”
“Is there a problem soldier?” asked a new voice approaching the two of them.
Beidou looked at the person and, for once, was happy to see the Yuheng of the Qixing approach them. She didn’t know her personally, but they’d seen each other in passing a few times. “Lady Keqing,” the guard quickly acknowledged her with a bow. “This pirate was attempting to-”
“This pirate is the revered Captain Beidou, the Tianquan’s special informant and guest,” Beidou was surprised to hear the Yuheng of all people defend her but she didn’t have time for gawking.
The guard’s eyes widened and gave a frantic bow, “Oh! My apologies Captain-”
As he looked back up, the person in question was already leaving, waving at the two. “Thanks Miss Yuheng! I’ll pay you back in the future!” And with that, Beidou sprinted towards the docks, leaving behind an embarrassed guard and a confused Keqing.
-
This one was different.
After Kazuha and the crew of the Alcor defeated around a dozen of Hilichurls and Samachurls, his eyes settled on a strange opponent. At this point, he believed that he’d seen every type of Hilichurl. From the large stone armored Lawachurls, to the small elemental Samachurls. And he knew the basics of how to deal with them. But this was something else. It appeared taller and lankier, and seemed to wield Hydro with a scythe. It even seemed more intelligent than the rest. He gripped his sword carefully and slowly approached it. He could sense his own Elemental Energy start to diminish; he’d have to think this fight through carefully.
Before he could even get near it, the Hilichurl was already on the attack. It used its Hydro-imbed scythe, and slashed the air twice, leaving Kazuha to stay away for the meantime. If he wanted to defeat it, he’d have to get in close which was easier said than done. His opponent seemed to have noticed him keeping his distance; and threw several Hydro Slimes at him, catching him off guard. The Hilichurl took advantage of this, and rapidly struck towards him. Kazuha barely had enough time to deflect the scythe.
The two stood a few paces apart from each other. Before it could summon more Hydro Slimes, Kazuha used his Vision to enhance his speed. What followed was a quick exchange of sword and scythe. Kazuha fought like a sparrow in the wind, swiftly dodging every attack that was aimed at him while landing a few hits of his own. One second, he’d be on the Hilichurl’s right then the next, he’d be behind him. He knew that staying up close would put him at the advantage; unfortunately his opponent also seemed to know that.
The Hilichurl jumped back and summoned a large Hydro Slime between itself and Kazuha. The Slime started to launch its attack, making the ronin jump back, blocking the Slime’s bubbles with his blade. When it ended, Kazuha saw his chance and got up close. He cut through the Slime, landing a hit on the Hilichurl’s chest. Surprisingly, the Hilichurl didn’t step back or even flinch like Kazuha expected. Instead it used his scythe to cut across, leaving a large gash on the ronin’s abdomen and knocking him back a few feet away.
With a grunt, Kazuha landed on his back, his sword still gripped tightly in his hand. He examined the wound and saw a fair amount of blood starting to come out. Feeling the wind change slightly, he quickly brought his sword up just in time to block the point of a scythe right in between his eyes. He felt his arm ache in protest to holding back the entire weight of his sword and his opponent.
Kazuha let out a shout. It wasn’t one of pain or frustration, it was one of perseverance. Giving it his all, he pushed his opponent back and briefly stunned it in place. Seeing an opportunity, Kazuha got back on his feet.
“Wind strider!”
The sand around him launched up as he felt his body fly into the air, the feeling of weightlessness surrounding him. The winds of Anemo surrounded him as he fell back down, causing further damage to the Hilichurl. It growled back in anger, not realizing its current predicament. Empowered with the Vision, Kazuha decisively knocked the Hilichurl’s scythe out of its hand. Followed by plunging his sword straight through the chest. Kazuha sighed in relief as he watched the monster dissolve into nothingness. He stood still for a moment, clenching his torso whilst taking in deep breaths. It was over...
A loud roar shook the ground causing Kazuha to jump slightly. When he saw it, his eyes widened. The crew still standing were barely doing so and hiding behind rocks. Their adversary wandered around, looking for its enemies. How couldn’t he have noticed it earlier? He should’ve realized that something was wrong when he stopped hearing the crew. Kazuha pushed through the pain and quickly approached the new opponent: a giant Stone Lawachurl, bigger than any he’d seen before.
He recognized the Lawachurl was getting close to Chief Mate Juza, who was hiding behind a medium-sized boulder. Kazuha knew in his mind that rushing in wouldn’t help, and in fact, might just make things worse. Along with strength, he also needed his mind to come up with the best way to win.
His Chihayaburu skill would be able to severely damage the opponent, but Kazuha knew his stamina and Elemental Energy wouldn’t be able to continue a battle for long, let alone win one. He could swiftly run to Juza and the rest of the crew to get them on the ship, but there were too many of them, and there was a large possibility that the Lawachurl would go after the ship before they boarded. The ship, he thought to himself. The Crux had several ballistae but hadn’t fired yet, likely due to fear of harming the crew on the beach. If he could stun the Lawachurl and keep it still, and Juza could get the rest of the crew off the beach...
Kazuha had a plan. When the Lawachurl had its back turned, he started making his way to the Chief Mate. His steps were quiet enough in the sand, but he used his Vision, ignoring the strain on his body, to ensure his steps were silent. When he reached Juza, the latter almost attacked out of instinct before realizing it was Kazuha.
“Kazuha,” Juza eyed Kazuha and noticed his numerous injuries, “You’re bl-”
“Juza, I have a plan,” Kazuha said, his tone resolute as he laid out his ideas.
-
It took ten minutes to get the boat from Liyue Harbor to Guyun Stone Forest. It probably could’ve been faster if she’d had a Hydro Vision instead, but Beidou would take what she had. She sighed as she rowed the sailboat at top speed. She knew that the crew would probably be fine, but that didn’t stop the small voice of doubt in her mind. The fact that she could do nothing but think made her feel even more worried.
She arrived on the nearest shore, and started running. The Alcor was on the other side of Guyun, which was around three minutes away while sprinting. The crew would be fine. It was probably just another attempt by some Treasure Hoarders to raid their ship. But no matter what she thought, the anxious feeling wouldn’t go away.
THWP
The violet light of her Electro Vision began to glow as Beidou started bolting to the Alcor. She felt nothing but the ground and the lightning around her. Every step made her go faster and faster as the Vision glowed brighter. That was the sound of the Alcor’s ballista. Either the crew decided to play a dumb prank, or they were fighting a threat big enough to warrant its use.
When Beidou saw the scene, she knew her anxiety was warranted. The bloody and beaten up figure of Kaedahara Kazuha stood against a giant Stone Lawachurl; it was definitely bigger than any she’d seen before. Several of the ship’s arrows were scattered around the ground, if she didn’t know any better she’d think the crew were intentionally missing their shots. She felt her Vision grow warmer as she sped up trying to reach them in time.
Suddenly, the Lawachurl charged at Kazuha, roaring as it got ready to slam into him. Meanwhile, Kazuha stood in place and seemed to brace for impact. What was he doing? Kazuha wasn’t that dumb. Beidou caught Kazuha’s eye just before he was thrown into the air by the slamming Lawachurl. The Vision on her side started growing even warmer as she felt the Electro start to shock herself. Kazuha flew through the air before rolling on the ground to soften the impact.
THWP
The next shot of the ballista landed directly on the giant Lawachurl’s back as it roared in defiance. It turned its attention to the ship, digging its arms into the ground and grabbing a large Geo Slime. Beidou wouldn’t make it in time. She was so close, but there wouldn’t be time for the Crux to reload another arrow nor time for her to defeat the Lawachurl herself.
“Fallen leaves-”
Kazuha had steadily approached the Lawachurl from behind, leaving a trail of blood behind him. As he drew his sword, Beidou swore the air got a lot colder and windier.
“-ADORN MY NIGHT”
At the exact moment she arrived at the scene, a dome of autumn winds formed around Kazuha and the Lawachurl, keeping her outside. For a brief period of time, the winds were a light green before they shifted into a deep blue tint. The Anemo winds were infused with Hydro.
Beidou heard clashes of sword against stone before they abruptly stopped. She felt her heart start to beat faster. She would not lose another crew member to an untimely death. Not again. The winds died down, and she instantly ran towards him. “Get Yinxing here!” she shouted as loud as she could, calling for the ship’s resident doctor.
Beidou approached the Inazuman samurai, who was standing eerily still in the center of the former dome. She steadied him, making sure he didn’t fall. Now that she was closer, she got a better look at him. His ponytail had gotten undone and his hair was more unkempt than she had ever seen before. His haori and hakama were left badly slashed. Not to mention the blood that was stained all throughout his clothes.
“Oh, hello Captain Beidou,” Kazuha said, briefly shocking Beidou. “Since when did you get a twin sister?”
Beidou forced her laugh back down her throat. It would be funny if not for what it meant of his current well-being being less than alright. “You’re fine Kazuha, Yinxing will check up on you soon,” she didn’t know if she was saying that for Kazuha’s sake or hers.
“That’s.... that’s good, I think... I’m gonna lie down... for a bit...” Kazuha’s knees weakened as he fell forward leaving Beidou to catch him, and slowly lower him to the sandy ground.
“Kazuha, no. Stay awake. Don’t you dare close your eyes. Kazuha, come on! Stay awake until Yinxing gets here,” Beidou felt herself grow more worried as Kazuha’s eyesight was slowly enveloped by darkness.
-
Kazuha’s entire body ached. Every slight movement of his body hurt. His eyes were shut close, as if they were telling him to rest for just a little while longer. What had happened? Why did everything hurt so much? He was... fighting a Lawachurl. No, he was stalling it. He waited until the entire crew was safe on the ship. Then he was beating it. No. He was losing. The arrows weren’t landing, and he got badly hit. He saw Captain Beidou. She looked worried.
Wait, where was he now? The wind here wasn’t that of the beach, nor the infirmary of the ship. Kazuha felt an unfamiliar presence approach him, and his eyes shot up open. The figure in question was a small girl, with a large hat and lilac hair, placing a small cup on a table to the right of where he was lying on. When she realized that he was awake, she quickly left his view and seemed to call someone.
He turned, wincing at the pain of the sudden movement, to see where the girl had gone. He saw a man with long green hair and glasses, and what appeared to be a white necklace, talking to Beidou. Kazuha was about to get up, but noticed his whole body was covered in bandages.
“Now, now,” said the man with green hair. “You shouldn’t try moving so suddenly too soon, your entire body needs to be healed. One wrong move and you’ll undo all your progress.” He picked up the glass on his bedside and handed it to Kazuha. After feeling a pain shoot out of his right arm, Kazuha decided to reach for the glass with his left. He let out a hoarse “thank you” before taking a sip of the water.
“You should probably introduce yourself Doc,” said Beidou, entering the room with a smile, which was quickly followed by a frown seeing Kazuha’s condition.
“Ah, my apologies. I’m Baizhu, doctor of Buhu Pharmacy,” the man said. Now that he was closer, Kazuha could make out the glasses on his face, and the “white necklace” around his neck was in fact a white snake.
Kazuha set the glass of water down and cleared his throat, “Dr. Baizhu, I am truly thankful for you to go out of your way to treat me. I am Kaedahara Kazuha, a wanderer who roams the lands-” he was interrupted by Beidou giving a short cough, “-and current member of the Alcor. I won’t forget the kindness you’ve shown me.”
Baizhu seemed slightly surprised by Kazuha’s words, but before he could say anything a separate, higher pitched, voice spoke up, “Ah, a patient with manners. Are all Inazumans this kind?”
Kazuha seemed mildly surprised while Beidou’s laugh echoed through the room before Baizhu finally spoke, “Changsheng! I’m sorry for her attitude Mr. Kaedahara. This is Changsheng.”
Kazuha couldn’t help but give a brief smile, “It’s alright Dr. Baizhu, and please call me ‘Kazuha.’ Greetings to you as well, Changsheng.”
Before Changsheng could interrupt him, the doctor started talking about Kazuha’s numerous injuries. Kazuha listened intently as Baizhu went over each injury. Ignoring the minor ones, he had depleted almost all of his elemental energy, two broken ribs, a concussion, a puncture wound on his shoulder, and a deep cut across his chest. Kazuha winced as each injury was listed, feeling the pain in each area as it was brought up.
“So for treatment, don’t make any sudden movements. Actually, don’t move around in general. If your chest hurts, feel free to cool it with some ice. I can have Qiqi visit and deliver you some.” Kazuha nodded, noting that the little girl seemed to be the doctor’s helper.
“Hey Baizhu,” Beidou suddenly called out. “Do you mind if I talk with Kazuha for a moment?”
Baizhu turned to Beidou before realizing what she was asking, “Ah, of course. Kazuha, if you ever need anything for the pain then feel free to take a pill from the medicine on the table. Come along, Qiqi. We’ll visit Mr. Kazuha again tomorrow.”
“Bye Mr. Kazuha,” said the young girl, waving to him.
And with that, Baizhu, Changsheng, and Qiqi left, leaving Kazuha alone to prepare for whatever Beidou would say. She was standing beside the door frame, leaning subtly. He didn’t know what she’d say, which made the whole situation feel even more uncomfortable.
“That was definitely a risky play,” Beidou said with a short laugh.
Kazuha was stunned, definitely not expecting those words. Beidou took the silence as a chance to continue, “From what the crew saw, you defeated more than a dozen Hilichurls, four Samachurls, one Hydro Hilichurl Rogue, and a larger than usual Stonehide Lawachurl. Suffice it to say, that was very risky.”
He took a moment to digest her words. She wasn’t praising him, or scolding him. Beidou was just saying things how they were; and he’d admit that in hindsight, it was riskier than it should have been. “You’re saying that there were better ways that I could’ve dealt with the situation?”
Beidou gave a shrug, “There’s no ‘right way’ for these kinds of situations, but there were alternatives. For starters, you could’ve called the crew to the ship. From what Huixing and Yinxing said, you jumped down from the crow’s nest before everything started.” Ah, I could’ve done that. Kazuha’s face must’ve shown his realization since Beidou started laughing, “I don’t blame you, I probably would’ve done the same in your shoes.”
“Then there’s how you treated the actual fight itself,” Beidou continued. “You took on a large majority of them yourself. Didn’t you think that the crew could handle themselves? Did you think that the crew would just lose that badly?”
Kazuha looked confused, “Captain Beidou, I know that the crew of the Alcor is extremely capable. When it comes to matters such as large scale battles, you clearly have more experience.”
“If that’s the case then why didn’t you let them help more?” Beidou said mostly to herself. Her uncovered eye locked on to Kazuha, as if she was trying to solve a complicated puzzle. Beidou’s face lit up in realization, “Do you feel like you owe it to us?”
“I-” Kazuha started. He never thought of it that way exactly, but now that she had said it so plainly, he realized that was exactly how he felt. “Captain Beidou, your crew took me in at my lowest point. When my country turned its sword against Vision wielders, you were there for me. When the rain seemed like it would never end, you and your crew offered me shelter. So, is it not fair that I get to shoulder some of the burden of battles?”
“Are you joking?” Beidou seemed to actually think Kazuha was making a joke. When it was clear that wasn’t the case, she let out a short laugh, “Kazuha, I’m honored that you see the Alcor that way, but you have to remember that you’re part of that crew now. You’re not a lone ronin anymore. Every time you make a choice in battle, you have to consider the wellbeing of the rest of the crew, and that includes yourself.”
Beidou went over to Kazuha’s bedside, and gently patted him on the shoulder, making sure not to hit his injury, “You’re a wise person, Kazuha. You may be coming into the crew with a different mindset, but you’ll adapt in no time.
Kazuha was silent, making Beidou wonder if she hit his shoulder too hard. The former lone samurai eventually looked up at the Captain, giving her a small smile, “Thank you, Captain Beidou.”
Beidou returned his smile, and went to pull up a chair, “You know, I rented this house out for a few days. I know you like wandering, especially after being out at sea for so long, but you’ll have to deal with staying here for a while-”
A sudden knock from the door interrupted them. Kazuha looked at Beidou curiously, “Are you expecting someone?”
Beidou smirked as she got up, “I was expecting them a lot sooner, to be honest.” She opened the door and they were greeted by a particular Liyuean Chef, holding what appeared to be a food basket. The familiar face of Xiangling greeted them looking as joyful as ever, though a tad bit embarrassed.
“I’m so sorry Beidou. I actually tried to deliver this order early, but I was stopped by some strangers- Oh hi Kazuha! Long time no see!”
Said samurai was giving Xiangling a small wave. The last time they’d met was his first visit to Liyue with the Alcor. He was a bit anxious to try Liyuean cuisine, but Xiangling quickly put those worries aside. There was something unique about Xiangling’s cooking that made it so every restaurant in Inazuma couldn’t compete.
Beidou helped Xiangling set up the food, but she was a bit worried about Xiangling’s safety, “Wait- strangers?”
Xiangling didn’t seem bothered by it as she brought out the fish, “They seemed to be foreigners who wanted to eat in Wanmin. They came up to me and asked when the restaurant would re-open. Then they asked where I was heading and offered to carry my things for me, they seemed nice.”
The Queen of the Alcor didn’t seem like she wanted to change the topic. She couldn’t help but feel like there was something wrong. Like a bad feeling before a storm. Pushing down her anxiety for the meantime, she turned to Kazuha with a wide smile on her face, “Anyways, surprise!”
While Beidou was holding a small table that seemed to go just above his bed, Xiangling was holding a bowl of what appeared to be a poached fish filet covered in several herbs and spices. As soon as Kazuha caught a whiff of it, he could feel his stomach aching to try it again. This was the dish Xiangling had made for them on his first visit to Liyue .
“Captain Beidou, you really shouldn’t have-”
“No, no, this is my treat,” Beidou said. “Xiangling brought a couple extra servings, so we’ll all have enough to share. Actually, you should thank her for whipping this up with such short notice.”
Xiangling quickly replied back, “Oh, it was nothing Beidou! I was getting bored doing nothing, Guoba is off doing a couple of errands for dad, and you left a huge tip last time; this was the least I could do. Now let’s eat!”
-
The samurai known as Kaedahara Kazuha was worth twenty-five million mora. The news had reached them via a few Inazuman members of the Treasure Hoarders who had fled the country and just arrived in Liyue. In exchange for taking them in, they had given the Treasure Hoarders of Liyue information on a particular samurai.
They were meeting in a cave a few kilometers west of Liyue Harbor. The cave itself was cold and damp, as the rain outside wouldn’t let up. It was large however, so the large number of people could fit rather comfortably. In addition to the new foreign members, there were a dozen Treasure Hoarders along with their respective leaders.
“So you’re saying that this ‘Kazuha’ is wanted alive in Inazuma?” the leader, Freckle Huang, asked the two foreign members.
“Y-y-yes,” one nervously replied. “In addition to defying the Vision Hunt Decree and being wanted by the Tenryou Commission, many Treasure Hoarders know him as the last living descendant of the Kaedehara Clan, so he has an unofficial bounty as well.”
“Well Big Sis, you seem to like Inazuma; that Fatui camp nearby mentioned ‘Kazuha’ as well. What do you think?” Huang asked, looking at his co-leader.
The one known as “Big Sis Yan’er” seemed to have a fond look before taking a serious one, “I’m not familiar with the name, but ignoring the fact that he’s a Vision bearer, and dealing with them is always trouble. These two have elected not to mention the fact that he seems to be under the protection of Captain Beidou of the Alcor.”
The cave went silent, the only noises being heard were the drops of rain outside, as all eyes turned to the two Inazumans. They all knew who Captain Beidou was. Lord of the Sea, Slayer of Haishan, Queen of the Crux, her name was practically legendary in the underworld of Liyue. They all knew what going through her protection would imply.
“Hah hah hah!” The silence was broken by laughter from Freckle Huang. “Big sis, these two gentlemen said that Beidou was guarding him alone. Even if she watched him twenty-four/seven, she can’t possibly stop twenty of us from taking her out and bringing him in. Do you actually think one person can beat all of us?”
Huang’s jovial mood seemed to rub on most of the treasure hoarders. While the people under “Big Sis” remained quiet, Huang’s men were laughing and joking around with each other. Saying things like, “How could one person stop all of us from taking one injured guy.” Even the two new members were joining in. Meanwhile, one of their leaders was acting like a worrywart.
The “Big Sis” sighed, “Fine. Go through with this plan of yours, I’ll even lend you a few volunteers from my men to help. Just, don’t involve me with this.”
Huang laughed, “Ah, I know what’s going on here. You’re scared of Beidou aren’t you? Well don’t worry, I assure you nothing will go wrong.
-
In total, they had twelve ready and prepared Treasure Hoarders, including Freckle Huang himself, on the mission. A few scouts watched Kazuha’s house for a few hours. The scouts had confirmed that Beidou was personally guarding the house alone. They were just about to start their operation, when they noticed something. A boy, matching the description of Kaedahara Kazuha, left the house alone.
Huang was shocked, and silently signaled for the Treasure Hoarders to split up. Two groups of twelve went in opposite directions as they watched the lone boy walk along the empty street towards a small valley. He was armed with a sword sheathed across his side, but he didn’t seem to be in any condition to use it. Every step made him flinch as he weakly limped along the street. This was gonna be too easy.
They continued following him for a few feet, careful not to make a sudden sound. Huang decided he’d be patient this time, and wait for the boy to head into a more remote area on his own. Occasionally, the boy would stop to look at a flower or a stray bird flying through the wind. Huang could barely hold his laughter in, he wouldn’t even see them coming. All of his men were overkill, he could do this on his own.
The boss signaled for his men to wait, as he quietly approached their bounty from behind. He was maybe five feet away from their target when he stopped. “Can I help you?” he asked, not bothering to turn around.
“You must be Kaedahara Kazuha, correct?” The boss couldn’t help but smirk as he approached the lone boy. He was barely standing on his own. This would be too easy, Yan’er was worried about nothing.
“Who’s asking?” the boy replied.
Huang quietly drew his claymore, getting ready to strike, “I’m just a simple man doing business.”
As quick as he could, Huang swung the flat of his blade directly towards Kaedahara Kazuha. The boy’s back still turned back to him as it connected, knocking him to the floor. At least, that’s what Huang expected would happen. In actuality, his claymore connected with another; the sound of steel clashing against steel rang throughout the valley as Huang saw the face of Captain Beidou.
“Well this is a surprise!” said Beidou, grinning as she held her blade against Huang’s. “I didn’t know you’d be stupid enough to attempt that, Huang.”
Huang bit back his frustration as he attempted to push Beidou back, only to be met with him being pushed back and landing on the ground. He looked to see if the boy was behind her, and was surprised to learn that he had gotten away. Beidou seemed to notice his expression as she laughed, “Oh what’s wrong, did you lose something?”
Huang groaned as he got back up, signaling for his crew to search for their bounty. It would only be a matter of time before they found him. “You’re awfully confident today, Beidou. Trying to hide your worries for the kid?” Huang said, subtly readjusting his grip on his claymore.
The Captain of the Alcor didn’t seem fazed as she rushed towards the “leader” of the Treasure Hoarders, almost catching him off guard. He brought up his claymore just in time to block Beidou’s strike. From there the two would have a swift but heavy back and forth between each of their weapons. Each attack went faster and faster as they seemed to be evenly matched, eventually reaching a stalemate as both claymores locked against each other again.
“Your skills feel a bit rusty, Freckle. Everything okay?” Beidou said, not at all trying to hide her laugh.
“What about you,” he asked back, feeling the struggle of holding his own against Beidou’s strength. “You’re wasting a lot of time for someone whose crewmate is on their way back to Inazuma. What happened to you being a loyal leader, Captain of the Alcor?”
That seemed to go under her skin as Huang was able to break off the stalemate to step back. He had to beat her quickly, she was strong but definitely had a few weak spots, but his current strength wasn’t close enough to exploit those. Unless... He thought about a small spherical item he had in his pocket. The man that gave it said it was called a “Delusion.” He knew stories of its risks, and even for him it sounded risky. Nevertheless, twenty-five million Mora was worth it.
“I’ll admit it Beidou, I underestimated you,” he said. “But I don’t plan on losing that bounty.” He activated the Delusion, and was immediately met with a pain shooting out of his body. But that pain was quickly followed by a sense of relief, as he felt a strength surge inside him. His mind felt cleaner; as his fatigue went away, it was replaced by an energy he’d never experienced before. This felt amazing.
He charged at Beidou, actually catching her off guard this time as she brought her claymore up to tank the heavier blow. The two claymores went back and forth again, this time Huang’s had the obvious advantage. He was easily besting the exchange as Beidou adjusted to her opponent's new strength.
As Beidou fought back the inhuman attack, she carefully watched his fighting style. It was raw, an endless barrage of strike after strike. Beidou timed her blade to direct Huang’s just slightly off, so she could jump back to think.
Huang laughed, a strange red aura glowed around him, “What’s wrong Beidou? What happened to all your bravado? You were so confident just a minute ago.”
For the first time during the battle, Beidou stayed silent... before she let out a smirk, “Just thinking on what would make you accept a Fatui’s gift.” She thought of a plan, now she was just waiting for him to take the bait. His fighting style was definitely stronger, and if she didn’t adapt, she’d lose. “Oh I know,” she said, continuing her earlier train of thought, “The Treasure Hoarders are getting desperate.”
Her opponent once again charged to her as they fought their final exchange. She let him hit his heavier attacks. She let him push her back. Each strike to her claymore gave Huang more and more confidence, as he used all his strength on one final strike to disarm the Captain of the Alcor. Unfortunately for him, she planned that. As the claymore left her hands, she quickly grabbed his right leg as she brought it towards her. Before he could realize what was happening, he fell to the ground, as Beidou twisted his leg into hers and shifted it into a very unnatural position.
What followed was a very unsightly few seconds of Huang screaming in pain as she held him in place, simply sighing. “It’s a shame. I was expecting more from this fight, Huang.”
Beidou gave him a few more minutes before he passed out. As she let go of the hold, she noticed a small object roll out of his pocket. She assumed this was the “Delusion” he was talking about. Beidou got a small coin pouch out of her pocket, and carefully placed the Delusion inside. Maybe Ningguang or Keqing would find it interesting, but the idea of Fatui handing those out to anyone sent a shiver down her spine.
As she pocketed it, she wondered how her crew was doing.
-
Kazuha watched in awe and fascination as the Alcor did their work. Beidou had assigned three members of the Alcor on the impromptu mission: Chief Mate Juza, Furong, and Sea Drake. She had told, correction: ordered, him to stay put on a nearby cliff to “watch how they work as a crew, and see if you can notice ‘it.’” At the time, he hadn’t known what “it” was. He guessed that it was something to do with how the crew fought together, and he was almost right with that. But there was so much more to it.
While the Treasure Hoarders were unorganized, the crew of the Alcor moved fluidly across the field. Each move one person did was carefully thought out on how it would affect the other two. Sea Drake would swing his sword at one, causing the other Treasure Hoarders to back off only for Furong to catch them off guard with the flat of her claymore. While they were doing that, Juza would cover for them, dealing with the remaining Treasure Hoarders who they couldn’t reach. In theory, the Treasure Hoarders should have had an advantage with numbers. But the absolute faith and trust each member of the Alcor had in each other seemed almost fictional.
Maybe that was “it.” The trust each member had in each other, that everyone would make the best possible move for each other. If one would happen to mess up, another would help them. That was “it.”
As his thought process came to an end, the final Treasure Hoarder fell unconscious. They had won a three to twelve fight, without so much as a scratch on them. He was about to go down to congratulate them before a voice called out to him, “Kazuha! I swear to Archons if you move another muscle-”
He looked down to see the crew looking like they were actually concerned about him. After taking a closer look at their expression, they were worried about him. That made him feel something he hadn’t felt in a while.
Kazuha laughed, replying to the crew’s concern’s, “Okay. I’ll wait here.”
“Good! Cause if you so much as stand up too quickly, I'll drag you to your bed myself.”
“Yeah! I will personally-”
A nearby voice called out from behind, “Okay Sea Drake, Furong! No need to make it sound so threatening.”
Kazuha had no reason to look back, as the figure of Beidou sat beside him. “That was certainly an idea, Captain Beidou,” he said.
“Hey, I wanted to deal with them myself ever since Xiangling mentioned them, but since you insisted on helping out, I decided to give you a lesson instead,” said Beidou.
Kazuha laughed as Beidou took a note of his expression, “So, what did you think of ‘it?’”
The once lone samurai closed his eyes in thought, after seconds of silence he gave a simple reply, “‘It’ was good.”