Inazuma.
Kunikuzushi hadn't returned for hundreds of years.
The New Year was approaching, and spring was just around the corner.
Crimson early cherry blossoms clustered together, one bunch after another, forming a sea of red clouds like a sunset. Amidst the floral clouds, the branches of the cherry trees and traditional Japanese houses were faintly visible. The sky had not yet brightened, but the evening glow had already appeared in advance.
Dragonfish flags fluttered in the wind, and the air was filled with the scent of plum wine mixed with the aroma of rice fields.
Konda Village.
This small fishing village was called Konda Village.
Hundreds of years had passed, yet these cherry blossoms had never changed.
It was annoying.
Kunikuzushi frowned slightly.
He no longer wished to set foot on this land.
But the dramatic changes in Inazuma's policies had already attracted the intense interest of the Fatui, or rather, Tsaritsa.
Narukami had secluded herself, the Sakoku Decree was fully implemented, the Great Pillar General had passed away, Inazuma's situation was shifting, and the various commissions were growing restless—all of which had given the Harbingers of Snezhnaya new designs upon this land.
Delusion.
A twisted creation, obtaining immense power at the cost of sacrificing lives. Delusions were unstable, fraught with imperfections, necessitating experiments and more data support.
Delusion Factory—or rather, a laboratory for Delusions.
The Fatui aimed to incite internal conflicts within Inazuma—to spark a war and build Delusion Factories in Inazuma, distributing Delusions as weapons to both sides of the conflict. They intended to turn this enclosed land into a breeding ground.
They even sought to seize Narukami's Gnosis.
Kunikuzushi had no fondness for Inazuma, nor any particular feelings toward Narukami. If they wanted to seize the Gnosis, so be it.
Perfect timing.
The boy was in dire need of a Gnosis.
He lowered the brim of his traveling kasa, hiding the puppet's delicate face and those dark, cold eyes.
To seize Narukami's heart, Kunikuzushi took on this mission willingly, becoming the diplomat sent to Inazuma City.
At the same time, he had other motives for accepting this task.
Delusion Factory.
He had no intention of building one.
He didn't plan to follow the Tsaritsa's orders.
Kunikuzushi, well-versed in the nature and cold will of the Fatui Harbingers, knew that if other Harbingers came, human experiments would be inevitable, plunging Inazuma into even greater chaos.
Kunikuzushi acted not out of any love for Inazuma, love for humanity, kindness, or justice—but rather, he deeply understood his own nature. He possessed "evil," and from the moment of his creation, he had been a disaster.
How could an unfeeling puppet possibly love humanity?
He simply didn't want to disappoint that old man.
That was all.
The gentle breeze of the town and Inazuma lightly brushed the maid's kasa. Kunikuzushi reached out, the yellowish and translucent sunlight warmly spread across the back of his hand.
The town was lively, decorated with lanterns and banners. Large lanterns hung throughout the alley, young men carrying heavy New Year goods walked along the streets, laughter and joy echoed everywhere, with elders and children playing loudly—it was preparation for the New Year.
In past winters, it was rare to see so many young faces because of wars and the need to purge new impurities. Men were conscripted, leaving only women, children, and elders to spend the New Year in the village.
But this year was different. The impurities had been cleared, and men no longer had to leave home or die. They could stay in the village, celebrating a reunion-filled New Year with their wives, children, and parents.
For ordinary people, this was their happiness.
So they laughed loudly.
Peace and tranquility enveloped this small village.
Kunikuzushi calmly observed all this, walking alone through the bustling streets like an outsider.
He had no intention of disrupting this peace because it was something "he" had exchanged his remaining life for. Kunikuzushi didn't want to taint "his" remaining life.
Following his memory, he leisurely walked along the alley, paused, looked up, and slightly squinted his eyes.
Kiyono Tofu
This was a small shop, only about five tatami mats in size, with an old wooden signboard. Two red lanterns hung in front of the door, and dim lights illuminated the slightly worn characters on the sign: Kiyono Tofu.
In fact, before Kunikuzushi was born, this shop had already closed.
He had tasted tofu made by Kiyono Raimei, but unfortunately, puppets couldn't discern flavors—or rather, puppets didn't know what flavors were.
What surprised Kunikuzushi was that the shop seemed to be open.
Because the lanterns were newly lit, and the signboard was polished.
"It's not open yet."
"This Guuji is exhausted."
A gentle female voice came from beside him.
Miss Fox shook her ears, her beautiful and slender eyes reflecting the puppet's shadow.
Her profile was stunning and charming but subtly gave an illusion of coolness—a radiant sorrow. She was dressed in a white miko outfit, as pure as a white plum, with a plain white long-sleeved kimono falling to the ground, legs bare, wearing a pair of wooden clogs.
Yae Miko.
The Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine.
Kunikuzushi thought to himself, frowning slightly.
"Mr. Kunikuzushi," the shrine maiden said. "I know you. You're a Fatui Harbinger."
She knew his own real name… very few people knew his real name.
"Did you open this shop?" Kunikuzushi asked.
"Yes. It's been open for a long time." At that, Miss Fox smiled with obvious pride. "The great Guuji's skills are excellent!"
"I've always been here." She whispered. "This shop will always be open."
What did the Guuji intend to do?
"I want to inquire about someone."
As Miko spoke, she pushed open the tofu shop's wooden door. She bent slightly, slipped off her clogs, and stepped barefoot onto the tatami. "About Kiyono Fugin."
Miss Fox stared into Kunikuzushi's eyes seriously.
"I want to know about Kiyono Fugin."
These days, Miko often dreamed of past events, dreaming of that snowy night.
The vast and endless snow covered the world, nothing remained beneath the pure white sky, only heavy clouds rolling in the sky. She walked alone in the desolate plains, desperately searching, blood staining the snowy fields, monster corpses lying on the road one after another…
She often woke up startled from her dreams.
Her heart trembled gently. Miss Fox curled up into a ball, hugging her fluffy tail, burying her head in it, trying hard to forget that night.
But the more she tried to forget, the easier it was to remember, remembering the vast snow, the heavy clouds, those sliced monster corpses…
Monster corpses.
Monster corpses cut by Anemo.
Yae Miko suddenly realized she had missed something, overlooked something, almost a moment of brilliance.
She still remembered the appearance of the corpses she saw that day—clearly cut by Anemo.
But Kiyono Raimei couldn't control Anemo.
Did he have attendants with him?
Miss Fox quickly dismissed this speculation.
Because when she found Kiyono, he was lying alone in the icy snow. If Miko had arrived fifteen minutes later, Kiyono would have been frozen to death.
If he truly had attendants, they wouldn't have left him alone in the snow.
Moreover, knowing Kiyono Raimei's temperament as she did, Yae Miko knew the old man was stubborn, proud, and cursed with a terrible temper. He would never drag anyone else with him when he went to his death.
He went alone, but the Anemo wounds on the monsters were inexplicable. This was the first point of doubt.
Next, the adopted son named Kiyono Fugin appeared.
Yae Miko had lived with Kiyono Raimei for five hundred years and had never heard of him having an adopted son.
He seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
Even the Yashiro Commission couldn't trace his origins.
Then, Kiyono Raimei quietly departed.
How could an elderly, dying man slip away from such tight surveillance without a sound?
Thousands of guards were stationed around the Pillar General's Mansion; this was an impossible feat.
At the same time, the boy named Kiyono Fugin requisitioned a fast boat with the Pillar General's Order and left Inazuma City that very night.
Kiyono Sara inquired all the soldiers on duty that night. One soldier said he saw Kiyono Fugin come out of the Pillar General's room.
This was the second point of doubt.
Ei had sealed off all of Inazuma. Following Kiyono Raimei's aura, they found a boat—but Kiyono Raimei was not aboard.
Instead, there was the boy named Kiyono Fugin.
This was the third point of doubt.
Miss Fox recalled the words Kiyono Raimei had said to her that day:
——
"On this day next year, I will still meet you again. This is my vow."
Kiyono Raimei kept his promises throughout his life.
When he spoke, he gazed earnestly into his own eyes.
Very earnest.
Perhaps there was hope.
That infuriating old man had always loved his pranks, especially around the New Year. He would pretend he was about to die, wait until everyone was frantic with worry, then pull a face and laugh that he had fooled them…
Now, the New Year was almost here. He must be playing that boring joke again. He would definitely appear before her with a smiling silly face.
Kiyono Raimei might be hiding some secret, a secret that absolutely couldn't be discovered.
The more she investigated, the more Yae Miko realized this.
——Perhaps Kiyono Raimei and Kiyono Fugin had some kind of connection, a deep connection that surpassed that of an adopted son and the head of the family.
This thought might have been only an illusion, only wishful thinking, so she told no one—not even Ei.
When Ei was cleaning Kiyono Fugin's room, she found a letter to a stranger, signed by Kunikuzushi.
Ei didn't know who he was, but Yae Miko did.
She had seen this puppet in the Pillar General's Mansion before, and she remembered his appearance.
Before his death, Kiyono Raimei had written a letter to Kunikuzushi… perhaps Kunikuzushi knew something.
Perhaps Kunikuzushi knew the truth.
This was the only clue left.
——
"Too bad."
Kunikuzushi leaned back on the wooden chair, crossing his arms. He said coldly, "I know nothing. I'm not interested in Inazuma's affairs."
Almost mocking.
Kunikuzushi despised all the people of Inazuma. They were hypocritical and righteous, wasting time recklessly, regretting deeply when they lost things. He hated such people.
"I see."
Miko whispered softly.
She didn't show any sign of disappointment, just gently nodded, seemingly accustomed to disappointment. She paused, "Are you hungry? This meal is on the house."
"What?"
"Are you hungry?" Yae Miko took out a piece of snowy white tofu, lowering her fox ears, saying, "You came to Kiyono Tofu, you should have a meal before you leave."
Kitsune Udon was simply udon served with tofu.
Kunikuzushi had eaten the Kitsune Udon made by Kiyono Raimei.
He hadn't left any special impression.
Back then, he didn't find anything special, nor did he like it. To him, it was merely a way to replenish nutrients. Taste was irrelevant to a puppet.
"Not needed." Kunikuzushi said.
"I said it's free. Don't want even free?" Miss Fox was greatly surprised. "And you should want to try it."
"Why?"
Kunikuzushi asked.
"Because you've come here."
Yae Miko pressed her slender index finger on the tofu ball, seriously saying:
"Taste is a peculiar thing. Many things seem ordinary and commonplace when we taste them, but after losing them, we begin to miss them."
"You subconsciously returned here just because deep down, you miss them."
She paused, her voice very low, almost mumbling, "This is a lesson I only recently understood."
Kunikuzushi frowned.
The Kitsune Udon was ready in no time.
Clear broth absorbed the smoothness of the tofu, the fine noodles soaked into the soup, warm steam rising in the slightly cold night air, emitting a faint aroma.
Kunikuzushi remembered the first time he had eaten it.
Kiyono Raimei brought steaming hot noodles to his front, Kunikuzushi didn't want to eat, but the former slapped his head hard, "Little brat, you won't grow tall without eating! Look how short you are!"
The way he spoke, laughing heartily—it had been over three hundred years ago.
His large, rough hands had been very warm.
Kunikuzushi watched the noodles in silence. Then he lifted a piece of tofu with his chopsticks and placed it in his mouth. It dissolved on his tongue, leaving a faint fragrance as it slid down his throat and warmed him from within.
Taste.
He still could not truly taste it. He only felt an unexpected pang of nostalgia.
After a long silence, Kunikuzushi finally said, "I've only met Kiyono Fugin once…"
He didn't know why he had to say it.
Yae Miko perked up her fox ears, listening hopefully.
The sun rose higher.
At this moment, sudden, slightly hurried footsteps came from outside the door.
"Come in." Kunikuzushi said.
A masked Fatui follower pushed open the door, crouched down, and whispered a few words into Kunikuzushi's ear.
It seemed to be urgent news.
Kunikuzushi paused slightly.
"What's wrong?" Yae Miko asked.
——"La Signora's mission is complete. A knight has been killed."
Kunikuzushi said blankly.
"Kiyono Fugin is dead."
For some reason, upon hearing this news, a strange chill ran through his heart.