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

"Ha. We are very happy."

Mikoto Chiyo tilted her head, smiled as she looked at Kiyono Raimei, and declared domineeringly, "We have won... Even a moment's hesitation is still a hesitation, and in a samurai duel, a moment's hesitation can be fatal."

She was as happy as a child, and whispered in Kiyono Raimei's ear in a voice so soft no one could hear her:

"Then we will keep winning."

“I won’t lose next time,” Kiyono Raimei said calmly. “I will always be the Shadow’s bodyguard.”

"Then let's look forward to the next competition."

Amidst the vibrant colors of the maple leaves, the demon girl smiled and spoke.

This is the tenth agreement.

-

"Ugh... Lily of the Dough? That Great Tengu..."

Miss Fox twitched her fox ears, a thoughtful expression on her face. She blinked her beautiful eyes. "He...I don't know where he is?"

You don't know either?

Qing Nuoyan was somewhat surprised, "How useless."

"Call me Sister Fox, and show me, Lord Miyako, respect!"

Yae no Miko veiled her anger as she corrected Qing Nuoyan's presumptuous remarks. She tilted her head, her fair hands held loosely in front of her chest, her pinkish-white nails gleaming with a faint firelight. She parted her thin lips, revealing two white canine teeth, like a ferocious beast ready to devour its prey.

"That useless fox sister, where did the Great Tengu go?" Qing Nuoyan asked.

"Mountains and forests".

Yae no Miko propped her cheek on her hand. "Ever since that incident... he hasn't come back. Nobody knows where he is—it's been a long time since we've heard any news about him."

"What's the matter?"

"...He lost both legs."

As Yae no Miko answered, she discreetly observed Kiyono Iwao's expression.

“He can no longer run. His pride won’t allow him to stay in Inazuma. We tried to look for him, but he deliberately hid from us, and nobody knows where he is.”

There was one more thing she didn't say: perhaps Kiyono Raimei knew where he was.

The tengu, who was good at running, lost his legs.

"Then...do you know Mikoto Chiyo?" Qing Nuoyan asked, opening his mouth, "You know her..."

“Dead.” Miss Fox shook her head calmly. “Perhaps so.”

"Perhaps?" Qing Nuoyan asked doubtfully.

"She went mad, corrupted by filth... betrayed us, was mortally wounded, and fled into the wilderness. Perhaps she died in a frenzy in the end."

"I have never heard of such a thing."

Qingnuoyan looked skeptical. "I've done my homework on modern history of Inazuma, and I've never heard of Mikoto Chiyo betraying us. History books say that she lived up to the glory of the Oni clan... and made immortal contributions."

“Because,” Yae no Miko paused, then said softly, “only two people know about this, and the other person forbids me from telling anyone.”

When the name Torachiyo was mentioned, she subconsciously clutched her clothes, and a complex emotion was hidden deep in her calm eyes.

The pale purple eyes of the Eightfold Goddess reflected Qing Nuoyan's figure. There was one sentence she didn't say: "You grow old because of her."

That serious injury, a serious injury that damaged the very source of life.

Past events slowly surfaced in her mind. She shook her head slightly, trying to stop thinking about those messy things.

But the past can never be forgotten.

Kiyono Raimei didn't grow old gradually; his aging began on that day.

Even hundreds of years later, Yae no Miko still remembers that rainy night.

She pushed open the door and found Kiyono Raimei lying on the long steps of the shrine. His body was covered with deep wounds that exposed the bone, and there was a huge gash in his abdomen that even revealed his internal organs... The flesh around the wound was rotten and decaying, as if it had been torn off by some wild beast.

The wound was stained with... a heavy, foul stench.

He was barely breathing, and his face was deathly pale.

But who could possibly hurt him?

The old man is already a great pillar of the state; he even defeated the god of Haiqi Island... In Inazuma, besides the ruler, who can harm him?

There is only one possibility.

Yae no Miko lowered her eyes, staring at the 'Snake Cutter' held in Kiyono Raimei's hand. Not a drop of blood stained the intricate scabbard—this sword had never been drawn during the battle just now.

"I'm fine..." Yae no Miko hugged Kiyono Raimei and found that the latter's body temperature was frighteningly low, but the old geezer was still stubbornly saying, "I'm fine."

The divine child quickly guessed who the culprit was. The aura emanating from the wound, thick and sinister, almost demonic and rampant, came from the demon race.

"Is it her?" Yae no Miko whispered.

She remained calm at that moment, "...Where is she?"

"...I won't tell you." But that damned old man could never break the goddess's composure. Despite being seriously injured, he laughed without a care in the world. "Let her leave in peace...she won't hurt anyone anymore."

"Don't let anyone disturb her anymore. She chose to leave... probably because she didn't want to die being watched by her friends."

“But she wants to kill you.” Yae no Miko’s tone was devoid of any extra emotion. “She wants to kill you, her friend.”

“It’s not her fault,” Kiyono Raimei said softly. “She was corrupted by filth.”

"Was that your fault?" Yae no Miko asked.

"It's not mine either." Qingye Leiming paused, then cursed, "It's all God's fault."

Yae no Miko remained silent. With her eyes lowered, she tended to Kiyono Raimei's horrific injuries. Her pale fingertips trembled slightly as they gently touched the raw wounds... Kiyono Raimei leaned against her, coughing up blood.

The drizzling autumn rain poured down on the maple leaves of Shin'o Shrine. The fine raindrops and falling leaves created a flurry of sound. After a while, Yae no Miko heard Kiyono Raimei whisper:

"Promise me you won't mention what happened today to anyone else... not even Shadow."

"...What?"

“I’m a samurai. I’m very concerned about my image.” Kiyono Raimei raised his eyes, looking at the desolate sky outside the courtyard. “That girl is also a samurai, and she’s also very concerned about her image… She’s just like me.”

“This girl… her most cherished thing in this life is the honor of a samurai, and her lifelong wish is to revitalize the Oni clan. I don’t want to taint her dream… If what happened today gets out, the Mikoto family may forever bear the name of filth… that would be too cruel.”

Kiyono Raimei trembled slightly as he took out a roll of cigarettes from his pocket, wrapped the tobacco carefully, and slowly lit it. This old smoker was still smoking even though he was seriously injured.

"Miyukichiyo did not die in a defiled state. She departed with the pride of a samurai, worthy of the glory of the Oni clan. I hope that in the future it will be recorded that she died gloriously on the battlefield to save Inazuma."

"She killed you," Yae no Miko said softly, "yet you choose to protect her."

"Because she was a samurai, and also my friend."

Kiyono Raimei twirled the tobacco in his hand and said earnestly and solemnly, "A samurai's death should be grand and serene; only in this way can her life be worthy of it."

"She died on the battlefield."

"I want to choose this kind of death in the future. I don't want to die of old age."

He stared blankly at the leaden sky. People don't grow old gradually; they grow old in an instant, like the setting sun sinking into the shore, or the drizzle pattering down the red maple leaves. In just a moment, the red sun sinks into the sea, darkening the plains, and the white rain falls as evening descends, rotting the maple leaves. When his friend, who had once brought clear skies and thunder, first left, he began to grow old.

—Not just because of the injuries that damaged the very core of his body.

"Idiot," Yae no Miko muttered softly.

Kiyono Raimei discovered that his cigarette had been taken from his hand, and Miss Fox had just extinguished the embers.

As the sun set and maple leaves fluttered in the twilight, Qingye Leiming was embraced from behind. They were very close, and the fox lady's soft, fragrant breath tickled the back of his neck.

"If you don't want to die of old age," Yae no Miko quietly embraced him and whispered in his ear, "then live a long life with me, Lord Miyako."

She took off her coat and draped it over Kiyono Raimei's shoulders, saying, "The first step to longevity is to dress well in winter."

"The second secret to longevity is to quit smoking."

Her slender, delicate hand wrapped around Kiyono Raimei's shoulder and took out several rolls of tobacco from the lining of his tattered kimono.

"The third secret to longevity is to eat well."

"You must be very tired."

Miss Fox pressed her cheek against Qingye Leiming's back, gripped his collar, and whispered, "Have a warm, satisfying meal, don't smoke, get dressed, and then go home and get a good night's sleep. Forget about this."

This is when Miss Fox first revealed her 'secret to longevity,' when Kiyono Raimei was at his lowest point, and she told the pillar of the state to eat well.

—This was also the first time she called Kiyono Raimei an "old geezer".

In the cool night breeze, Yae no Miko spoke softly.

"You're an old geezer, how can an old geezer die of old age?"

Kiyono Raimei turned around, staring at her intently, and paused for a moment before saying, "Thank you, Shinji."

half an hour.

He suddenly said, "I want to sleep quietly by myself. Could you help me to my room? I'm so sleepy..."

Kiyono Raimei's injuries gradually subsided. Yae no Miko had done everything she could, and now he could only rely on himself.

When Kiyono Raimei leaned against the bed, the rain had stopped.

The cool moonlight after the rain covered him, enveloping his body; the night was as clean as crystal.

Before the window, the evening maple leaves swayed gently, as if they were on fire.

Kiyono Raimei leaned against the bed, coughing up blood. He gazed at the maple leaves and said with a bitter smile:

"You're right. You win."

Feeling the pain in his body, he said to himself with a self-deprecating smile.

"A moment's hesitation can indeed be fatal."

P.S.: Whew, the living world! It's the living world's Si Gu! It's the living world's update! I'm so awesome! Yay! Yay...

This is the first time in three months.

And it's 2.5 chapters!