Chapter 16. Promise of Past and Future
Ren
Ren grabbed the last unconscious Treasure Hoarder by the ropes and hauled him toward the rowboat with a grunt of effort.
The guy wasn't that heavy, but after the fifth trip back and forth between the shore and the Alcor, Ren's arms were starting to feel it.
He had to desummon Orochi because it couldn't swim and to prevent the hoarders from drowning. He also decided against using Nue because it would just be unnecessary CE drain at this point. There was always the possibility of something else going wrong, so he didn't want to be unprepared.
Kazuha worked beside him with considerably more grace, lifting another bound criminal and settling him into the boat.
'He is suspiciously good at moving bound people…'
"That's the last of them," Ren said, straightening up and stretching his back. "Finally."
Kazuha pushed the rowboat away from shore with one foot, then hopped in smoothly as it drifted into deeper water. Ren followed, nearly losing his balance as the boat rocked under his weight.
"Careful," Kazuha said, steadying the boat with a subtle shift of his weight.
"I'm fine," Ren muttered, grabbing the oars and starting to row. "Just not a boat person."
"I've noticed."
"Do you have to comment on everything I do?" He grumbled.
The trip back to the Alcor was quiet except for the rhythmic splash of oars cutting through water and the occasional groan from one of the unconscious prisoners.
The sun was starting to set now, painting everything in shades of orange and gold, but Ren had still made his deadline with time to spare (even if the delivery was fake).
When they reached the ship, several crew members were already waiting at the railing, ready to help haul the prisoners aboard.
Ren tied off the rowboat and started passing up the bound Treasure Hoarders one by one, the crew grabbing them and dragging them onto the deck with practiced efficiency.
Huang was last. Still completely unconscious from having his face driven into solid rock, the man was dead weight as Ren and Kazuha maneuvered him up to the waiting crew members.
"Damn, this guy's heavy," one of the sailors grunted as he pulled Huang over the railing. "What'd you do to him?"
"Hit him really hard," Ren said simply, climbing up the rope ladder after the last prisoner was secured.
When he pulled himself over the railing and onto the deck, he found Captain Beidou standing there with her arms crossed, surveying the nineteen bound criminals scattered across her ship like she was trying to decide if she was impressed or just amused.
Her single visible eye flicked from the prisoners to Ren, and a grin slowly spread across her face.
"When you said you could handle yourself, I didn't expect you to bring a wanted criminal!" Beidou said, voice carrying that rough edge of laughter.
She gestured broadly at the unconscious Treasure Hoarders, then at Huang specifically. "That's Huang 'The Ghostly Flame,' isn't it? The guy the Millelith have been chasing for months?"
Ren shrugged, trying to look casual despite being slightly out of breath from all the rowing. "Yeah. That's him."
"And you were able to catch him." Beidou's grin widened. "Along with nineteen of his people."
"It wasn't exactly planned," Ren said. "They ambushed me. Used a fake delivery contract to lure me out to Guyun for... I don't know, actually. Robbery? Murder? Didn't really ask."
Kazuha climbed over the railing behind Ren, landing on the deck without making a sound. "The courier is being modest, Captain," he said. "The criminals didn't stand a chance."
Beidou's eye shifted to Kazuha, and her expression softened slightly—the look of someone who'd worked with a person long enough to read between the lines. "I figured something was off about that contract," she said, looking back at Ren. "One hundred and fifty thousand Mora upfront? For a simple delivery to Guyun Stone Forest?" She shook her head. "Too good to be true."
Ren blinked. "Wait… how did you know about my contract details? I don't think I ever told you?"
"I have my ways," Beidou said calmly—or tried to, at least. She seems to have accidentally let that slip. Kazuha had to turn his head and cover his mouth to hide a chuckle.
'So even legendary pirates can still slip up sometimes.'
"T-That's why I let Kazuha follow you. He's got good instincts about these things."
Kazuha inclined his head slightly. "The wind suggested caution."
"The wind is rarely wrong," Beidou agreed, then looked back at Ren with something that might have been approval in her expression. "But you handled it. Took down a wanted criminal and his entire crew without backup—well, mostly without backup." She nodded toward Kazuha. "That's impressive, kid."
Ren shifted his weight awkwardly, not sure how to respond to the compliment. "I mean... Kazuha helped. He cut Huang's spear in half when the guy tried to sneak attack me."
"Still counts as your win," Beidou said dismissively. "You did do 90% of the work, Kazuha just helped with the cleanup." She paused, studying Ren with that single sharp eye like she was measuring his worth.
Then she reached into her coat and pulled out a small wooden token, roughly the size of a coin, carved with the symbol of the Alcor, a ship's wheel wreathed in lightning.
She held it out to Ren.
"You ever need transport again," Beidou said, "you've got a standing discount on my ship. And if you show this to any of my crew in any port across Teyvat, they'll help you out. Consider it a courtesy between professionals."
Ren stared at the token, genuinely surprised. He'd expected maybe a "good job" or a handshake, not... whatever this was. Some kind of official crew token? A mark of respect?
"Uh," he said eloquently, taking the token and turning it over in his fingers. The wood was smooth and worn, clearly something that had been carried for a long time. "Thank you? I promise as the Shadow Courier that this collaboration will be mutually fruitful."
"..."
"..."
"Did you rehearse that line?" Kazuha asked.
"Maybe…"
Beidou let out a full-body laugh that seemed to come from somewhere deep in her chest. "You must still be new to all this business stuff, aren't you?"
"I get that a lot…" Ren muttered, tucking the token into his pockets and secretly putting it into his shadow storage.
Beidou's expression shifted to something more serious, though the amusement never quite left her eye. "Anyone who can take down Huang is someone I want on good terms with," she said. "The Crux Fleet doesn't forget its friends. Remember that."
Ren nodded, not trusting himself to say anything that wouldn't sound awkward.
Beidou clapped him on the shoulder hard enough that he almost stumbled, then turned her attention to Kazuha. "Keep an eye on him while I get us back to harbor," she said, and there was something pointed in the way she said it. A meaningful look passed between her and Kazuha.
"I think you two have things to discuss," Beidou added.
Kazuha nodded. "Indeed we do."
"Good." Beidou turned on her heel and strode toward the helm, already shouting orders at her crew. "Huixing! Get these criminals secured below deck! I don't want them rolling around if we hit rough water! Juza, check the rigging! We're heading back to Liyue Harbor, and I want to make good time!"
The crew sprang into action immediately, and within minutes, the prisoners were being hauled below deck, the anchor was being raised, and the sails were unfurling to catch the wind.
The Alcor began to move, pulling away from Guyun Stone Forest with smooth, practiced ease.
Ren watched the ruins recede behind them, the massive stone pillars growing smaller as the ship picked up speed. Somewhere back there, he'd been ambushed, fought off twenty criminals, and earned himself a shit ton of Mora in around an hour.
It had been a weird day.
"Come," Kazuha said quietly, gesturing toward the ship's railing. "Let's find somewhere less crowded."
Ren followed him to the port side of the ship, away from the crew's activity. They stood at the railing as the ocean stretched out before them, the water reflecting the golden light of the setting sun in rippling patterns that hurt to look at directly.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The only sounds were the creak of the ship's timbers, the snap of sails catching wind, and the constant rush of water against the hull.
Then Kazuha broke the silence.
"You asked earlier about the Vision Hunt Decree," he said, his voice quiet enough that it wouldn't carry to the crew working nearby. "I promised to explain."
Ren glanced at him, then nodded. "Yeah. What's going on in Inazuma?"
Kazuha's expression grew distant, his gaze fixed on the horizon as if he were looking at something far beyond the ocean.
"Approximately at the start of this year," Kazuha began, "the Raiden Shogun—Inazuma's Archon—issued a decree. All Visions within Inazuma's borders were to be confiscated and embedded into a monument called the Statue of the Omnipresent God."
"I can't believe that an ARCHON would make a law against visions."
"Yes, it's quite hard to believe."
The wind picked up slightly, tugging at Kazuha's clothes and hair. He didn't seem to notice.
"The Shogun's answer was simple," he continued. "Visions represent ambition. Ambition leads to change. Change threatens eternity." He paused, and there was something bitter in his tone now.
"She seeks an unchanging Inazuma. A nation frozen in perfection, never moving forward, never evolving. Eternal and still."
Ren frowned. "But that still doesn't make sense. Visions are bestowed BY Archons, So she's... confiscating gifts that she gave herself?"
"Yes."
"That's insane."
"Perhaps," Kazuha agreed. "But it's the law in Inazuma now. And those who resist..." He trailed off, jaw tightening. "Those who resist have their Visions taken by force."
The way he said it made Ren's stomach feel uneasy.
"What happens when a Vision is taken?" Ren asked, though part of him wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.
Kazuha's expression darkened. "The bearer doesn't die, thankfully," he said quietly. "But something inside them... breaks."
His hand tightened on his Vision. "Their ambition, their drive, their sense of self—stolen. They become hollow. Shells of who they once were."
"That's..." Ren struggled for words. "That's horrifying."
"Yes."
A long silence stretched between them. Ren looked out at the ocean, trying to imagine what it would be like to have something so fundamental to your identity ripped away.
To lose not just a source of power, but the very thing that made you... you.
That hit especially hard for him as a sorcerer. His father said that to become strong as one, he needed to have a strong sense of self. Pride. Ego. Ambition.
What would he be if not for those traits? He might not have started his journey as a sorcerer in the first place… To forget the entire reason he decided to actually train and get stronger…
'I'm suddenly not so jealous of Vision Wielders…' To have your sense of self dangling like a decoration, able to be stripped away, would feed into his paranoia way too much.
"Many fled rather than submit," Kazuha continued, his voice barely above a whisper now. "But the Shogun closed Inazuma's borders. Locked the nation down completely." He paused. "Anyone caught trying to leave is executed."
Ren's head snapped back toward him. "Executed?"
"Yes."
Ren processed that, his mind reeling. An entire nation locked down. Vision bearers hunted. People were executed for trying to escape.
He had to force himself to calm down, or else he would let too much Cursed Energy flow out. Inazuma's entire situation seemed far too familiar to him.
'The reason I started my journey…'
"How did you get out?" Ren asked.
Kazuha hesitated, and for the first time since the conversation started, his composure cracked slightly as pain flickered across his face.
"I had... help," he said slowly. "And luck." His voice dropped even further. "And I lost someone very dear to me in the process."
He didn't elaborate. Didn't explain who, or how, or what happened.
"I'm sorry," Ren said quietly.
Kazuha nodded, not looking at him. "It's in the past… I carry his memory. That's enough."
The ship creaked beneath them as it cut through a larger wave. Somewhere above, a crew member shouted something about adjusting the mainsail.
Ren turned back to the ocean, giving Kazuha space to compose himself.
After a moment, he asked another question. "Why hasn't anyone intervened? The other nations, the other Archons—someone must have noticed what's happening."
"Inazuma is isolated," Kazuha said, and his voice was steadier now, the professional mask sliding back into place. "By design. The Shogun's pursuit of Eternity means severing all ties to the outside world. Minimal trade, diplomacy, and contact with foreign nations."
He gestured vaguely eastward, toward where Inazuma presumably lay beyond the horizon. "The other nations cannot reach Inazuma even if they wanted to help. The borders are sealed by powerful thunderclouds created by the Shogun's power itself."
Ren frowned. "And the people who didn't escape? The ones still there?"
Kazuha's expression grew grim. "They endure." A pause. "Or they lose everything."
"That's why I hoped you were from Inazuma," Kazuha said, his tone softer now. "When I heard you use the word 'shikigami', I thought perhaps..." He trailed off, then offered a sad smile. "I thought perhaps I'd found someone who made it out, and was able to live a… deserving life."
Ren looked at him, seeing the loneliness in that admission. The isolation of being one of the few who'd made it out, carrying memories no one else could share.
"I'm sorry I'm not that person."
Kazuha's smile became slightly less sad. "Don't be." He turned to face Ren fully, leaning against the railing with his back to the ocean. "I didn't find someone who understood my past. But I found something else instead."
He paused.
"What is it you called me? A new Best Friend?"
Ren blinked, surprised that he actually said that. He thought Kazuha disliked him calling him that.
He gave the white-haired man a soft grin. "Yeah, we are Best Friends."
A pause.
"Even if we've only known each other for like an hour," he added.
"You didn't need to say that part."
Kazuha laughed, a soft sound like the breezing wind. "The wind works quickly. It brings people together when they're meant to meet."
Ren didn't like to put his faith in fate or destiny or whatever poetic metaphor Kazuha was using, but he appreciated the sentiment.
Time passed by as the two spent hours talking and enjoying the view of the sea in Liyue's dazzling night.
Finally, in the distance, the lights of Liyue Harbor were visible as the city's nightlife was in full swing.
"Do you think it'll ever change?" Ren asked. "The Vision Hunt Decree, I mean. Inazuma's situation."
Kazuha was quiet for a long moment.
"I don't know," he admitted finally. "The Shogun is an Archon. Her power is absolute within Inazuma's borders. Challenging her would be..." He trailed off, searching for words. "Difficult. Perhaps impossible."
But then his face showed a small, bitter smile, "But… There will always be those who dare brave the lightning's glow."
"I see. That's reassuring to hear."
"Yes." Kazuha's hand drifted back to his Vision. "There are still people fighting, even now. In the shadows, away from the Shogun's sight." His expression hardened slightly. "Perhaps one day, things will be different."
"And if they do change?" Ren asked. "Would you go back?"
Kazuha's answer came without hesitation. "If I ever return to Inazuma," he said, voice firm, "it will be to help free my homeland. To end the Vision Hunt Decree and restore what was taken." His eyes met Ren's. "Not after everything has calmed down."
Ren nodded slowly, his respect for the swordsman only growing the longer they spoke.
They stood in silence as the Alcor sailed toward Liyue Harbor. After a while, Kazuha pushed off from the railing. "I should check on the Captain," he said. "See if she needs assistance with navigation."
Ren nodded. "Yeah. Go ahead."
Kazuha started to walk away, then paused and looked back. "Thank you," he said. "For listening. It was a… calming experience."
"No problem," Ren said. "Everyone's got shit they don't want to talk about."
Kazuha smiled and nodded, then headed toward the helm where Beidou was steering the ship.
/ — /
The Alcor's hull groaned softly as it settled against the harbor dock. Crew members secured mooring lines and lowered the gangplank while Beidou shouted final orders from the helm.
Ren stood near the railing, watching the bustle of Liyue Harbor's nightlife spread out before him. Despite the late hour, the harbor district was alive with activity—merchants closing up their stalls, sailors stumbling between taverns, dock workers unloading cargo by lantern light.
"Liyue Harbor never truly sleeps," he muttered with a smile.
He already spotted the approach of several Millelith guards making their way down the dock toward the Alcor.
'That was fast,' Ren thought. 'Did Beidou send word ahead? Or do they just check every ship that docks this late?'
"Looks like our welcome committee is here," Kazuha observed.
Below deck, Ren could hear the sounds of the crew moving the prisoners—the scrape of boots on wood, muffled groans from those who'd regained consciousness, and the occasional curse when someone proved difficult to move.
A few moments later, several sailors emerged from the cargo hold, hauling the first batch of bound Treasure Hoarders up to the deck.
The criminals were in rough shape—bruised, disheveled, and looking deeply unhappy about their situation. Some were still unconscious and had to be dragged. Others stumbled along with vacant, defeated expressions.
Huang came last, carried between two of the burlier crew members. The man was awake now, though barely—his eyes were half-lidded and unfocused, and there was a nasty purple bruise spreading across half his face from where Ren had introduced it to solid rock.
"Careful with that one," Beidou called from the helm. "He's slippery when conscious."
The crew member on Huang's left snorted. "He doesn't look very slippery right now, Captain."
"Just don't let your guard down," Beidou warned.
Ren and Kazuha descended the gangplank ahead of the prisoners, stepping onto the solid wood of the dock.
The Millelith guards were already waiting at the bottom, led by a senior officer whose armor was slightly more ornate than the others—more decorative etchings and a red sash across his chest.
The officer's eyes swept over Ren and Kazuha, lingering on Ren for a moment longer with an expression that might have been skepticism.
Ren was used to that look by now. With all the attention Vader and Yoda brought to his daily life, attention was only a matter of time.
Though he was slightly surprised that he had never seen these Millelith officers before. And he's seen and formed cordial relationships with plenty in the Harbour.
"You're the one who captured Huang?" the officer asked, his tone neutral but carrying an undercurrent of doubt.
Ren resisted the urge to sigh. "Yeah. That's me."
The officer's eyebrow raised slightly. "Huang 'The Ghostly Flame.'" It wasn't quite a question, more like he was testing whether Ren actually knew who he'd captured.
"That's what I've been told," Ren said. "Wanted criminal. Uses his Pyro Vision to disappear after attacks. Evaded the Millelith for months." He gestured back toward the ship where the crew was starting to bring the prisoners down. "He's the one with the nasty bruise on his face."
The officer followed Ren's gesture, watching as Huang was half-carried, half-dragged down the gangplank by Beidou's crew.
When the criminal came into view under the lantern light, surprise flickered across his features before being replaced by something more calculating.
"That really is him," the officer muttered, almost to himself. Then louder, to his subordinates: "Secure the prisoner!"
Four Millelith guards moved forward immediately, taking custody of Huang from the Alcor's crew. They handled him with professional caution, keeping their weapons ready even though the man could barely stand on his own.
"We've been hunting this bastard for months," the officer said. "He's responsible for at least a dozen robberies and countless other crimes across Liyue. Our best squads couldn't pin him down." He paused. "How did you manage it?"
Ren shrugged, trying to downplay it. "He ambushed me. I fought back. It wasn't that complicated."
From beside him, Kazuha spoke up. "The courier is being modest, officer. Your criminal was outmatched from the start."
Ren turned his eyes towards Kazuha with a 'subtle' glare that the swordsman missed.
The officer looked between them, clearly trying to piece together what had actually happened. His eyes lingered on Kazuha's Anemo Vision, then shifted back to Ren, taking in the lack of any visible Vision on his person.
"Right," the officer said slowly. "And the others?" He gestured at the growing line of bound Treasure Hoarders being escorted down from the Alcor.
"Nineteen more," Ren said. "Part of Huang's crew. They were all in on the ambush."
The officer's eyebrows climbed higher. "You captured twenty criminals. Including Huang."
"Technically yes."
"By yourself."
"Kazuha helped with the cleanup," Ren said, nodding toward the white-haired swordsman. "But yeah, mostly by myself."
The officer stared at him for a long moment, then turned to one of his subordinates. "Get statements from both of them. And verify the count—I want confirmation on all twenty prisoners before we process this."
"Yes, sir," the subordinate said, pulling out a small notebook and moving toward the line of Treasure Hoarders.
The officer turned back to Ren. "We'll need formal statements from both of you. Details about the ambush, the fight, anything relevant to the case." He paused. "And we'll need to verify the bounty claim."
Ren nodded. That made sense. "How long will that take?"
"Verification usually takes a day or two," the officer said. "We need to confirm identities, cross-reference with our wanted lists, and process the paperwork." He pulled out a small ledger from his belt pouch and flipped it open. "The bounty for Huang 'The Ghostly Flame' is listed at two hundred thousand Mora."
"That's what I was told," Ren confirmed eagerly.
"You'll need to come to Millelith headquarters tomorrow morning to collect it. Bring identification—your courier license should suffice." The officer made a note in his ledger. "We'll have the Mora ready by noon."
'Aww man.' Ren tried not to let his disappointment show. He'd been hoping to collect the bounty tonight, but of course, there would be bureaucracy involved. Nothing was ever simple.
The officer made another note, then looked up. "What about the contract money? The advance payment you received?"
Ren tensed slightly. This was the question he'd been worried about. "The one hundred and fifty thousand Mora I was paid upfront for the delivery contract," he said carefully. "Do I have to return it?"
The officer's expression didn't change. "The contract was fraudulent, correct? You were hired under false pretenses by a known criminal."
"Yes."
"Then you were the victim of a criminal setup," the officer said matter-of-factly. "The Mora was paid to you as part of the fraud. Since you're the victim and not an accomplice, the funds are yours to keep." He made a note in the ledger. "We'll include that in the official report."
"So... I can keep it?"
"Yes." The officer glanced up from his ledger with something that might have been amusement in his eyes. "That's typically how it works when you're defrauded. The criminal loses the money, not the victim."
'THANK YOU REX LAPIS.' Ren shouted in his mind. If he were alone, he might have burst into tears right then and there.
"Right," he said, trying to sound like he'd known that all along. "Of course. Just wanted to confirm."
Kazuha made a quiet sound beside him that might have been a suppressed laugh.
The officer closed his ledger and tucked it back into his pouch. "We'll take custody of the prisoners from here. You're free to go, but make sure you come by headquarters tomorrow before noon to provide your statement and collect the bounty."
"Will do," Ren said.
The officer nodded, then turned to supervise his subordinates as they finished securing the prisoners. The line of Treasure Hoarders was being organized into a rough formation, with Millelith guards positioned at regular intervals to prevent any escape attempts.
Ren watched the process for a moment, then something caught his attention.
Huang was being loaded into a reinforced transport cart, still groggy and disoriented. But as the guards maneuvered him into position, the man's eyes suddenly focused, and he started struggling against his bonds.
"No!" Huang shouted, his voice hoarse and desperate. "You don't understand! I was HIRED to—"
One of the guards clamped a hand over Huang's mouth, cutting off the rest of the sentence. The officer who'd been talking to Ren turned around with a scowl.
"Gag him," the officer ordered. "I don't want to hear excuses until we're in an interrogation room."
"Yes, sir."
Ren frowned, replaying Huang's words in his head. 'Hired to...' Hired to what? Ambush him specifically? By who?
The mystery dagger wielder from the fight flashed through his mind—the one who'd gotten away, the one who'd left that strange needle-prick wound on his shoulder. That fighter had been different from the others..
'Were they working with Huang? Or working with whoever hired Huang?'
He didn't have enough information to figure it out, and honestly, it probably wasn't his problem anymore.
The Millelith could handle the interrogation. They'd figure out who was behind the ambush and why. Then Ren just had to ask them.
Ren had more important things to worry about—like collecting all of his precious, delicious, and scrumptious Mora.
'I can stop worrying about funds and keep training.' He thought with joy.
"Something on your mind?" Kazuha asked quietly.
Ren realized he'd been staring at the transport cart. He shook his head. "Just... wondering who would hire Huang to ambush me."
"A question for the Millelith to answer," Kazuha said. "Unless you plan to investigate yourself?"
Ren snorted. "Hell no. I'm a courier, not a detective. Let them figure it out."
Kazuha smiled. "A wise decision. Sometimes it's better not to dig too deep."
The transport cart began moving, escorted by a full squad of Millelith guards. The rest of the prisoners followed in a second cart, all bound and under heavy guard. Within a few minutes, the entire group had disappeared into the warren of streets leading deeper into the harbor district.
The officer who'd taken their information gave Ren and Kazuha a final nod, then followed his subordinates, leaving the dock considerably quieter than it had been a few minutes ago.
Ren let out a long breath, feeling some of the tension leave his shoulders. "Well. That's done."
"Indeed," Kazuha agreed. "The criminals are in custody, the bounty is secured, and you're three hundred and fifty thousand Mora richer."
"Not until tomorrow," Ren corrected. "Still have to collect the bounty."
"A minor delay."
"Yeah, but an annoying one." Ren stretched, feeling the exhaustion from the day finally starting to catch up with him. Fighting twenty criminals, rowing a boat multiple times, and having a heavy conversation about Vision Hunt Decrees had apparently taken more out of him than he'd realized.
"You should rest," Kazuha observed, reading his state easily. "It's been a long day."
"That's an understatement," Ren muttered. "I woke up this morning thinking I'd do a simple delivery and make some easy money." He gestured vaguely at the now-empty dock. "Somehow it turned into a fight, a wanted criminal, and an international political crisis."
"The wind has a way of leading us to unexpected places," Kazuha said with that slight smile of his.
"Your wind needs better GPS."
"What is a… GPS?" Kazuha asked.
Ren flinched, "I-It's something people back home used to navigate."
"I see… Perhaps you are right. But would you change how today went, if you could?"
Ren thought about it for a moment. The ambush, the fight, the conversation with Kazuha about Inazuma...
"No," he admitted. "I guess not. Made a friend. Learned some things. Got paid a ridiculous amount of Mora." He paused. "Even if part of that Mora came from being defrauded by a criminal."
"A silver lining to every cloud," Kazuha agreed.
They stood there for a moment longer, the sounds of the harbor washing over them—distant laughter from a tavern, the creak of ships at anchor, the slap of water against wooden posts.
Then Kazuha straightened, adjusting the sword at his side. "I should return to the Alcor. Beidou will want to depart soon, and I need to help the crew prepare."
Ren nodded. "Right. Yeah."
An awkward pause settled between them—the kind that came when two people knew they were about to part ways but weren't quite sure how to say goodbye.
"I still need to report to Katheryne at the Adventurers' Guild," Ren said, filling the silence. "Wrap up the contract situation on her end."
"Of course." Kazuha hesitated, then seemed to come to a decision about something. "Before we part ways... may I ask you something?"
"Sure."
Kazuha's expression grew more curious, his head tilting slightly as he studied Ren. "Your homeland. Tokyo." He paused. "You said it's a secluded island far to the north. Isolated, rarely visited."
Ren felt himself tense slightly, already sensing where this was going. "Yeah. That's right."
"Then how," Kazuha asked carefully, "does your homeland share terminology with Inazuma? The word 'shikigami' is distinctly Inazuman. It describes spirits or guardians—a concept unique to Inazuman mysticism and culture." He paused. "Was there historical contact between your island and Inazuma? Trade routes, perhaps? Cultural exchange?"
Ren's mind raced. This was exactly the kind of question he'd been hoping to avoid.
"I don't actually know…" Ren said slowly, buying time to think of a better answer. "The island has really old traditions. I don't know all the history behind them—my family didn't talk about it much."
He paused a little before continuing, "Could be there was contact way back. Or maybe it's just... coincidence? Similar concepts developing independently?"
Even as he said it, Ren knew it sounded weak. Kazuha was too smart to buy that explanation.
Sure enough, the white-haired swordsman's expression showed polite skepticism. "Similar concepts developing independently," Kazuha repeated. "Down to the exact same terminology."
"Look, I don't have a good answer for you. Maybe our nations did have contact with each other but I don't know, I'm just a courier."
Kazuha watched him for a moment, and Ren could practically see the calculations happening behind those calm red eyes.
"Forgive me," Kazuha said, and there was genuine apology in his voice. "I've overstepped. Your past is your own business, and I had no right to pry into it like that."
Ren relaxed slightly. "It's fine. I get why you'd be curious. It's just..." He trailed off, not sure how to finish that sentence.
"Personal," Kazuha supplied.
"Yeah. Personal."
Kazuha nodded, accepting the boundary without argument. "Then I won't press further."
They stood in awkward silence for another moment, and Ren felt like he should say something to end the conversation.
But then Kazuha's expression changed again, becoming more serious. More purposeful.
"There is something else I'd like to ask…" he said. "Something very… demanding."
Ren looked at him warily. "Okay...?"
Kazuha took a breath, choosing his words carefully. "One day," he began, "I may return to Inazuma. Not as a refugee fleeing persecution, but as someone trying to help free my homeland from the Vision Hunt Decree." His hand drifted unconsciously to his Vision. "When that day comes... would you be willing to assist me in achieving that goal?"
Ren stared at him, caught completely off guard by the directness of the question.
Help free Inazuma. Fight against an Archon's will, defying a deity. Getting involved in a nation's internal conflict.
Why would he even think of asking him, of all people, to help? Sure, he had his shikigami, but Ren was certain that there were far stronger people who could help him.
Beidou was leagues above him, and Kazuha was also stronger and more skilled than him.
Everything about that idea screamed danger. Getting dragged into politics, into wars between Vision bearers and an Archon's authority, into battles on a scale he had never experienced.
"..."
"..."
Ren sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Being dragged into a nation's conflict really isn't my thing," he said finally. "There's a reason I'm called the Shadow Courier. I prefer to stay out of politics and big, dangerous situations."
Kazuha's expression fell slightly, but he nodded. "I understand—"
"But," Ren continued, cutting him off. "I'm probably going to have to explore beyond Liyue at some point anyway… There are questions I have that I think that place can answer." He met Kazuha's eyes. "So if you ask for my help when the time comes... yeah. I'll give you my assistance."
Kazuha's face lit up with something that looked like hope.
"Though I don't know what you'd even want from someone as weak as me," Ren added with a self-deprecating shrug. "I'm just a courier who barely handled some Treasure Hoarders. Going up against an Archon's forces seems... way out of my league."
Kazuha stared at him.
Then kept staring.
Ren shifted uncomfortably. "What?"
"Weak," Kazuha said flatly, and there was disbelief in his voice.
"Yeah?"
"You just called yourself weak."
"I mean, compared to—"
"You single-handedly defeated twenty armed criminals," Kazuha interrupted, his tone taking on that same quality it had earlier when he'd complimented Ren's fighting.
"Including a wanted Vision-wielder who has evaded the Millelith's best squads for months. You summoned elemental constructs without a Vision. You manipulated Geo with precision that would make most Vision bearers jealous." He paused. "And you held back significantly during the entire fight."
"N-Now hold on—!" Ren opened his mouth to argue, but Kazuha wasn't finished.
"'Weak' is the last word anyone would use to describe you," Kazuha said firmly. "The only person who seems to think you're weak… is you."
Ren looked away, uncomfortable with the assessment. "I just meant—"
"I know what you meant," Kazuha said, and his tone softened slightly. "You compare yourself to those stronger than you and find yourself wanting. But strength is not just raw power, Ren. It's adaptability. Creativity. The wisdom to know when to fight and when to flee." He smiled slightly.
"You possess all of those qualities. When the time comes to return to Inazuma, your help will be invaluable."
Ren didn't know what to say to that. Everything Kazuha said was… very familiar to his father's words.
'Dad… Did you somehow possess Kazuha just to scold me one more time?'
"Fine," Ren said finally. "I'm not weak. Just... cautious."
Kazuha smiled, satisfied at the result.
"When the time comes. I'll find you. The wind has a way of guiding me to where I need to be."
"That's still cryptic as hell," Ren pointed out.
"I know." Kazuha smiled. "But it's true nonetheless."
Ren shook his head, but he was smiling too. "Alright. When the time comes, you'll find me. And I'll help however I can."
Kazuha inclined his head in a small bow. "Thank you. Truly."
"Don't thank me yet," Ren said. "We might both die horribly trying to fight an Archon."
"Perhaps," Kazuha agreed. "But we'll die with purpose."
"You're way too comfortable with the idea of dying."
"I've made my peace with it," Kazuha said simply. Then his expression lightened. "But I have no intention of dying before my homeland is free. So we'll simply have to succeed."
"That's the spirit," Ren said dryly. "Optimism in the face of impossible odds."
Kazuha laughed again, and the sound carried warmth despite the cool night air.
"I suppose I should go now. Beidou must be wondering what I'm up to. Kazuha said, glancing back toward the Alcor.
"It was good to meet you, Ren. I'm glad the wind brought us together."
"Same," Ren said, and meant it. "Take care of yourself, Kazuha."
"And you."
Kazuha walked back toward the Alcor, his footsteps quiet on the wooden dock as Ren watched him leave.
He stood there for a moment longer, listening to the sounds of the harbor, feeling the weight of the conversation settling over him.
He'd just promised to help fight against an Archon's decree. To get involved in Inazuma's internal conflict. To put himself in danger for a cause that wasn't even his.
'What the hell am I doing?'
But even as he thought it, Ren knew he'd made the right choice. He needed to go to Inazuma eventually anyway. It was the only nation that shared sorcery terminology with Japan, cultural concepts that shouldn't exist in Teyvat but did.
If he wanted to find even a trace of Jujutsu, Inazuma would be the best place to look.
Though the true reason was that he couldn't find it in himself to say no to Kazuha's request. No matter how afraid he was of the stronger beings of Teyvat.
He knew when it was necessary to switch between "Ren" and "Sorcerer." When the time comes for him to face a god, he will do so as a sorcerer.
'I hope I'm not getting in over my head…'