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

She continued walking forward, but she had lost her sense of direction and was wandering aimlessly. Her face was slowly changing, with twisted and ghostly black lines covering her cheeks, and the horns of the demon race began to grow and lengthen, turning from pale red to crimson.

She is no longer the dignified and beautiful demon girl... she is more like a wild ghost.

I don't know how long it took.

She finally stopped, raised her eyes, paused, stared at the figure that had appeared before her, and said softly, "Kill me."

That person was Kiyono Raimei.

He was dressed in a plain white samurai outfit, with a katana called "Hebi-giri" (Snake Cutter) with snake and flower patterns at his waist. His temples were already slightly gray, and his purple eyes reflected the distorted face of Mikoto Chiyo.

Looking at him, Mikoto Chiyo smiled with a hint of relief.

A hundred years later, the young attendant who once served Narukami has now become an outstanding general who has conquered Orobas. To the people of Inazuma, Kiyono Raimei is a true pillar of the nation.

"...How did you do that?"

Kiyono Raimei said softly, as filthy blood dripped from the blade of the snake-cutting sword. The old bloodstains had not yet been wiped away, and even the edges of the plain white robes showed turbid bloodstains—a look of someone who had traveled a long way.

They just came down from the battlefield.

When the abyss began to corrupt Inazuma, all the generals were transferred to various parts of Inazuma to cleanse the filth. This was the case for Mikoto Chiyo, and Kiyono Raimei was no exception.

Do you still remember the promise we made?

"Let's have a proper competition."

Mikoto Chiyo slowly straightened her back, and only then did Kiyono Raimei get a clear look at Chiyo's face.

Twisted lines were etched on his profile, dark blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, and only madness remained in his bright golden eyes.

Her last shred of clarity vanished, and she completely lost her mind.

She is no longer Mikoto Chiyo; what remains in this world now is merely a corrupted shell.

The demon's fangs bit into the scabbard of the snake-cutting sword. The sharp teeth clashed with the metal, tearing out a flash of light that instantly ignited the dark, rainy night. Kiyono Raimei took a few steps back, and the demon took a few steps forward, pressing herself against Kiyono Raimei, their cheeks so close together.

Kiyono Raimei could hear a low growl, like that of a wild beast.

He didn't draw his sword, but simply turned his sword, his body passing the demon, and the hilt of his sword struck the back of the demon's head.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Kiyono Raimei lowered his head.

But the ghost did not faint.

The filth had corrupted her vision; all she could think about was killing. Tearing everything in front of her to shreds was her only thought. Kiyono Raimei did not draw her Kamikiri, but the demon drew her blade.

The twelve blood-stained kimonos scattered in the air, and the cold glint of the blade crushed everything in front of them.

...

Kiyono Raimei must kill Mikoto Chiyo.

This is his responsibility.

He couldn't wait any longer.

Inazuma reveres the culture of mono no aware (the pathos of things) and accepting death, hence there is a traditional profession called kaishakunin (second), which is usually performed by the person closest to the deceased.

For the deceased, being a kaishakunin is a release, a redemption of sins. But for the kaishakunin who remains in the world, he will forever bear the pain of killing his friend. This is the kaishakunin's resolve.

As the pillar of Inazuma, he must have this awareness.

Mikoto Chiyo was certainly not wrong, but for her, death was still a kind of relief.

Mikoto Chiyo had been completely corrupted by filth, and Inatsume had no way to deal with the corruption—at that time, Inatsume had not even planted the seeds of the Divine Cherry Tree.

But even if the Divine Cherry Tree exists, it cannot save Mikoto Chiyo from her current state.

Kiyono Raimei severed Mikoto Chiyo's blade, and fragments of the katana scattered in the air like a shower of white cherry blossoms, with lightning flashing among them.

Then, Kiyono Raimei pierced Mikoto Chiyo's chest; his attack was swift and decisive.

Mikoto Chiyo's body trembled slightly at first, then she subconsciously lowered her eyes and slowly calmed down.

Fresh blood dripped down his chest cavity.

It's as red as a maple leaf.

Kiyono Raimei suddenly had a strange feeling.

It seems that Chiyo has become that Chiyo again, that dignified and beautiful girl, the one who always calls herself "bo-zai" and constantly challenges her to a duel, the oni girl dressed in gorgeous twelfth generation, standing on the high platform where red maple leaves flutter, saying that she will always win.

In those days, Inazuma had not yet been corrupted by the abyss, and in those days, one could still see pure white cherry blossoms falling in the courtyard.

It was this moment of confusion—

Mikoto Chiyo grasped the blade of Kamikiri, blood flowing down her pale hand. She swayed and fell onto Kiyono Raimei's shoulder, her face pressed against his chest, finally embracing him.

A final hug.

Kiyono Raimei's eyes trembled.

Mikoto Chiyo no longer had her sword, but she still had her teeth, the fangs of 'Oni Gnatsu', teeth that could bite through even Narukami's naginata.

Kiyono Raimei could feel his chest being torn open, his flesh being devoured and swallowed. The intense pain penetrated his soul, and the filthy blood seeped into Kiyono Raimei's flesh and bone marrow along the fangs. He felt dizzy, and he seemed to hear the low murmurs of ghosts and gods in his ears.

Is this... the suffering she endured?

Mikoto Chiyo released her arms from Kiyono Raimei's embrace. Her eyes reflected Kiyono Raimei's current appearance, and her shoulders trembled slightly.

What did I do?

不 ...

She opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word.

She stared at Kiyono Raimei, at the huge, bloody hole that had been gnawed out of him.

Kiyono Raimei was badly injured; broken bones and mangled flesh were intertwined, and even a faintly beating heart could be seen.

She could feel the filthy blood slowly seeping into Kiyono Raimei's heart.

Chiyo wanted to say something last, but she couldn't. She wanted to do something last, but her weak body couldn't.

"I'm fine." Kiyono Raimei forced himself to stand up and comforted her, smiling. "Don't worry about it—I'm perfectly healthy."

"You won again."

His gaze was somewhat unfocused, but a smile played on his lips. "Friend, you won this match, you won again, you really keep winning. You will always be my most respected opponent."

“So, Chiyo,” Kiyono Raimei said earnestly, “you don’t need to worry.”

"Rest well—get a good night's sleep, and no one will be able to bother you anymore. You have done your duty. I will take care of Inazuma."

"You are the glory of the innocent demon clan." He gazed into Mikoto Chiyo's eyes. "I swear in the name of the Pillar of the Nation: your beauty, bravery, and demeanor will be praised for a thousand years to come—this is my promise."

Mikoto Chiyo's shoulders trembled, her head was lowered, and she bit her thin lips so hard that blood seeped down.

Goodbye, my friend.

"Kiyono Raimei said softly, gripping the Serpent Cutter tightly in his hand. A thunderous roar suddenly came from his shattered chest. Lightning snakes slithered on the Serpent Cutter, unleashing a torrent of lightning. He drew the sword and plunged it straight into the ground. The lightning also fell down, the earth trembled, and the sky turned white."

"The Changdao is magnificent!"

"Roar..." She let out a low growl like an injured animal, lowered her head, turned around, and walked step by step into the depths of the forest, the silvery moonlight covering her back.

She is about to die.

He was on his deathbed.

The Oni race is a very proud race, just like cats. When an old cat dies, it cannot be seen by anyone. It must leave quietly and go to a place where no one will notice... to die peacefully, without letting its friends see it.

Even though she had fallen into depravity, she still remembered this pride.

The arrogance of the demons, the arrogance of the samurai, the arrogance of Mikoto Chiyo.

Kiyono Raimei slowly exhaled. He stared at the demon figure that was disappearing into the night for a long time. After an unknown amount of time, he turned his head and walked away in another direction.

The Way of Heaven is vast and boundless, and the Spirit of Heaven resounds eternally.

On the pristine white earth, only fallen cherry blossoms remain, carpeting the ground.

The ghost finally collapsed in the pure white moonlight. She slightly opened her eyes, and in her hazy consciousness, she seemed to see the figure of a young man.

-

There have been rumors lately that a monster has appeared in the Forest of Guardians.

Villagers often reported to the shogunate that things were going missing from their yards. Sometimes a chicken would be missing, and sometimes a duck would be missing. The government sent people to check on them regularly. It didn't seem like the work of a monster, but rather like the work of a weasel or similar animal.

So the matter was left unresolved.

The Forest of Guardians is desolate and sparsely populated.

When Ying and Qingnuoyan arrived, it was already getting dark. They climbed up the steps, where various weeds, moss, mushrooms, and pine needles cast swaying shadows in the gaps between the stone steps.

Ying walked briskly ahead, skipping along as she took out the "Teyvat Travel Guide" to write in her diary. The guide had been read so many times that it was yellowed and filled with neat handwriting—for Ying, writing in her diary was a very important thing.

Crossing out the words "Guardian Forest" in the travel guide meant that she and Qingnuoyan had already passed through it.

From the Windrise of Mondstadt to Liyue, and then to the Forest of Inazuma, she and Qingnuoyan had unknowingly traversed nearly half of Teyvat.

The outline of the setting sun was broken by the treetops of the forest, and slivers of sunlight peeked through the gaps in the forest canopy. The orange hues of dusk covered the forest, and night was approaching.

It's time for dinner now.

This is where the importance of carrying emergency food and condiments becomes apparent.

“Great Saint Lia. Your humble believer begs for your blessing.”

Qingnuoyan solemnly began to pray, “Omit the beginning, omit the middle, omit the end—bring out some salt.”

"You're going too far!" Lia, who had just woken up, was about to explode. It was one thing to add a little salt to her prayers before, but now this stinky sardine couldn't even be bothered to think of a prayer, and just used 'omitted the beginning, omitted the middle, omitted the end' instead!

This time, no matter what, Lia will not give in to this guy again.

I absolutely will not give it to you.

Qingnuoyan waited for a long time, but seeing that Yanchi hadn't made a move, he blinked and felt very embarrassed.

Miss Liya watched Qingnuoyan's troubled expression with a smile.

"Hmph." Ying chuckled calmly from behind, "As expected of a useless god."

What..?

Lia was stunned.