Genshin Impact, I, a mere mortal, cannot accompany you to the very end.

Although the sword's light had dimmed and it could fall at any moment, for the people of Winterfell, this sword of endlight from Kyria had helped them through their most difficult time.

Many years later, when Piero, the former court sorcerer, became the first seat of the Fools (the clown), he would remember the words his friend Dainesreb said when he placed that sword against his shoulder:

"I'm going to turn it off..."

"From now on, you will be the [First Seat]. You will be responsible for guarding her side."

"I'm going home."

His voice was low and deep, as if it might dissipate at any moment. The vast and boundless snow covered the plain behind him. He was dressed in a white mink coat, but even the thickest clothes could not block out the deep-seated gloom and coldness.

“Kanria...will not die…” He lowered his head. “I will definitely…find a way…after I’m gone…I’ll leave it to you.”

This was also his last conversation with his friend. To this day, the sword that Din gave him is still preserved, and at this moment, it is held in the hand of the codename "The Clown".

The clown gently wiped the sword's blade, and after a while, placed the Sword of Endless Light next to the chessboard.

What he didn't have the courage to tell the sword was that he had failed, and Kanria had perished.

He calmed himself down and stared at the chessboard. The white jade pieces surrounded him, and on his opponent's side, the queen piece, named 'Queen,' was elegant and dignified. Just standing there, it exuded a cold and majestic aura, like ice and snow.

However, the Queen's chess piece is without a rook guarding it, a position that has remained vacant for five hundred years. The faint light of the knight who drives the rook has been extinguished, and the old world is the coffin of the rook.

The clown knew that it was the first fool.

Before the chessboard of God, a piece fell—or rather, was moved.

That represents the heart of God, which is the rock.

They left Liyue City.

He lowered his eyes slightly, revealing a slightly surprised expression, as if he was thinking about something.

Just now, the Empress issued a new decree.

Morax, the god of Liyue... relinquished ownership of the Heart of God, gifting it to someone, a mortal—this was the information the Ice Queen had told him, and this information was enough to astonish him.

They had no way of knowing what had happened in Liyue, but there was no doubt that it had been a cataclysmic event.

Whoever that mortal is, kill him, and then take his heart.

—This is the new decree issued by the Ice Queen.

In order to raise the banner of rebellion against the beings on Sky Isle, the Fools must offer the Queen all the hearts of the gods, by any means necessary, at any cost... all for that noble ideal.

They need the heart of God.

Where is that heart now?

He stared at the positions on the chessboard, his eyes slightly closed, a thoughtful expression on his face.

On the chessboard, that heart... the Rock God's [Heart of God], is in Inazuma.

"Send a message to..."

The clown paused, then instructed his subordinates, "[Lady] and [Kingdom Collapse], keep an eye on a mortal traveling from Liyue to Inazuma. He carries the heart of the Geo Archon."

"Tell them to bring it back," the clown said softly. "Whether it's the heart of Narukami or the heart of Iwakami, bring them back and present them to Her Majesty the Empress."

"This is the Empress's wish."

After giving his instructions, he looked away from the chessboard.

The clown stared at the sword of the End of Light again. The faint, cold light of the night gently caressed the scabbard, and each time he touched the sword, the cold, sharp light would sting him slightly.

If his friends saw him like this, they would probably be very disappointed and sad.

Daines Reeb is a very upright knight.

The clown leads the Fools in a direction that Dain did not expect... a wrong direction.

Maybe I'm wrong.

But the clown never regretted it.

This world needs clowns to be mocked and insulted, and it also needs fools to do wrong and evil things... If everything were perfectly orderly, upright, and flawless, who in this world would still dare to rebel?

He has decided to take responsibility for these sins.

play hard.

He has come to his senses.

After a while, as if sensing something, he raised his eyes and looked at the throne of the supreme being.

The rustling cold wind and frost blurred that solitary figure. The empress stood at the highest point of the Winter Kingdom, and no one could see where her gaze was directed. Her figure was beautiful and lonely, standing above the white snow and the high sky, with no one else standing beside her.

"The light of the old world has been extinguished. I will light the embers of the old world and ignite a new sun. The corona of the new world will be the eternal candle beside your coffin."

For some reason, Piero suddenly remembered the eulogy at his friend's funeral.

...

"So..."

Miss Fox paused, tilted her beautiful fox head, and her fluffy fox ears twitched. "The little one needs the Divine Cherry Tree to cleanse the impurities on his body, is that right?"

"That's how it is." Qing Nuoyan nodded. "Also, why do you call me 'little guy'?"

Qingnuoyan disliked the nickname "little guy".

He had always been quite dissatisfied with the inexplicable nickname "Old Zongzi," but he never expected that after Inazuma came, the nickname would be completely reversed, and this newly acquainted Miss Fox would call him "Little Guy, Little Guy" all the time.

Come to think of it, he really has a lot of nicknames.

"How about the nickname 'Old Immortal'?" Yae no Miko asked with a smile.

That old codger... isn't he still just an old zombie?

Why did it come back?

The boy sighed helplessly, revealing a 'give up' expression, propped his chin on his hand, and looked out the window.

The rain has stopped in Konta Village.

However, the sky had completely darkened. After the heavy rain, the puddles reflected the clear night sky. Fallen cherry blossoms floated in the puddles, as if floating in the bright starry sky. The bright starlight shone through the window of the tofu shop and gently fell on the boy.

At the far end of the horizon, at the very top of Kamisakura Island, the branches of the Kamisakura tree are woven with stars, and the magnificent cherry blossoms fall like stars across the sky.

"I've heard that the sacred cherry tree in Inazuma can ward off evil spirits."

As Qing Nuoyan spoke, he lifted his sleeve, revealing his almost translucent white skin... with deep red lines running up his wrist and into his chest.

Those twisted lines carried a blasphemous quality.

"That's why I came to Inatsuma."

Although the fox in front of him seemed unreliable, she might be able to help him... After all, her shrine maiden outfit couldn't be faked, and Qing Nuoyan wasn't some clueless fool; the red and white clothing clearly came from Narukami Shrine.

The sacred cherry tree is managed by Narukami Taisha.

Yae no Miko stared blankly at the deep red patterns, touched them with her slender index finger, and then withdrew her finger immediately. She whispered, "...How did you do that?"

“That’s another story,” Qing Nuoyan said casually. “It’s nothing serious.”

"It's nothing serious?"

For some reason, Miss Fox's calm tone seemed to carry a hint of impatience.

"yes..."

"It's nothing serious?" Yae no Miko repeated in the same tone.

Qing Nuoyan fell silent.

The Eighth Divine Child raised her eyes, staring directly at Qing Nuoyan's face. The cool starlight fell upon her deep purple eyes. Qing Nuoyan noticed her slowly exhale.

"Your body...was once thoroughly contaminated?"

She was the priestess of Narukami Shrine and was quite familiar with matters of defilement. She thought that seeing Kiyono Iwa's nonchalant attitude, he had only been tainted by some misfortune.

But it was only after seeing those blasphemous patterns that Yae no Miko understood that Qingnuo Rock was once an ominous entity.

An ominous and blasphemous consciousness once thoroughly altered and possessed this body... Although that consciousness is dead, it has transformed this body into a 'non-human being'. Indeed, as Qing Nuoyan said, the remaining 'contamination' on the body now is nothing serious.

But Yae no Miko could imagine... the immense suffering that Kiyono Iwa had endured.

That old guy's annoyingly stubborn temper hasn't changed at all.

Forget it, if he could change, he wouldn't be him.

Miss Fox sighed helplessly.

"As expected of a professional priestess." Qing Nuoyan chuckled and gave a thumbs up, praising, "Your professional skills are really strong. You saw right through me."

"So," he said, "could you introduce me to someone?"

Honestly... the divine child staring at the boy in front of the desk... he and the old man were cut from the same mold when they were young, they've never changed.

Kiyono Raimei was like this when he was still a boy, before he grew old.

She still remembers those days, when the fox was not yet the Palace Master, and the boy was not yet the Pillar of the State General. There weren't many things to do—the daily routine consisted of chasing and playing, catching fish by the river, and removing tiles from the roof. The summer days were long and the trees were shady, and the sun dyed the cherry blossoms and memories crimson.

However, he was older than the god at that time, so he always put his 'elder brother' first in everything he did.

For some reason, seeing the old man looking so youthful again gave Miss Fox a mischievous urge.

She gently curved her long, narrow fox eyes and said lazily, "Call me Sister Fox and I'll help you, little one~"

...That Hanako from Inazuma is quite the trickster.

He shook his head firmly.

"Oh, so someone's an unregistered resident." The priestess repeated her previous tactic. "Ah, so you're an unregistered resident. The little guy probably doesn't want to be discovered by the magistrate, does he?"

“...Sister Fox,” he said in a low voice.

"Oh dear, I didn't hear you."

“Sister Fox…!” Qing Nuoyan shouted, revealing a “what’s the use” attitude.

"Can you help me now?" He stared at the goddess and said earnestly, "Sister Fox."

"Pfft."

Seeing Qing Nuoyan's serious expression, Yae no Miko suddenly chuckled.

Miss Fox had a smile playing on her lips the whole time. Starlight cast the shadows of the swaying cherry blossoms outside the window onto her pure white shrine maiden dress. Amidst the swaying starlight and flower shadows, her smile was as beautiful as a flower.