Chapter Text
The Alcor is a ship known across all of Teyvat’s ports. Though its exact reputation can vary wildly depending on who it is that is asked. In the eyes of barkeepers it is a ship that brings with it a wealth of business whenever it’s in port. To the local government it is a merchant ship with a long reputation of doing business and helping out their local boaters when trouble arises. In the darker corners the Alcor is a ship that will transport almost anything across the sea and to any desired port for a fair price. However it is only recently that the Alcor has started getting into the business of illegally transporting people.
While it’s no secret that its captain is not against going against the law, she does have a sense of morals that she strictly follows. Beidou will not do business with those she feels mistreats others no matter how good the deal would be for them. She is also fully aware that the main reason her ship is able to do business as openly as they do, despite their not entirely clean record, is that the benefits they bring to the places they do business in outweigh the trouble they tend to cause. There’s a careful balance that the Alcor needs to maintain or else her whole crew could be imprisoned for life should any of the local authorities decide to seriously look into their long list of crimes.
Yet Beidou is not one to turn down a cry for help, especially if it’s a situation where one side is clearly in the wrong. That is why when the Vision Hunt Decree began in Inazuma she could not refuse when people came to her begging to be smuggled out of their homeland. It’s wrong for people to be ruthlessly hunted down, and in the worst cases murdered, all because they just so happened to be chosen as those capable of manipulating the elements. It’s not right, people’s lives are being trampled on over something they have no control over. That is why she began agreeing to help those that have caught the attention of the Vision Hunters flee to another country.
It is that kindness that allowed Kazuha to finally breathe a sigh of relief. For the past two weeks he has been constantly on edge, forced to sleep with one eye open lest the Vision Hunters catch him off guard. He has to admit that their tenacity is impressive. However Kazuha will not kowtow to anyone, least of all them. He would rather die than allow them to take away the Visions in his possession. That’s why the moment the Alcor lifts its anchors he can feel the weight of them lift off his shoulders. No longer does he have to slink through the shadows and worry that any stranger he passes will report him to the Tenryou Commission. He can finally relax and start to work on accomplishing his goal the moment they touch land.
Kazuha chooses to remain below deck as the ship begins drifting away from Ritou. He can clearly hear the footsteps of the crew above him as he lies down in his temporary cot. Under different circumstances he might have gone up there to chat with them and maybe learn a thing or two about sailing in the process. Right now however he’s far too tired. The lack of sleep is finally starting to catch up to him yet he cannot bring himself to close his eyes. There’s a part of him deep down that’s still hyper-aware of everything going on around him. It makes it impossible for him to relax. That anxious ball coiling inside of his chest shouting that this peace is too good to be true.
The samurai rolls off the cot and sits down on the floor instead. He tucks his legs underneath himself and folds his fingers together against his lap. Kazuha closes his eyes and focuses on breathing. Waves gently caress the sides of the ship while the muffled shouts of sailors giving each other orders leak through the cracks between the wood. If he strains his sensitive ears further then he can just barely make out the song of seagulls chatting away as they glide through the air. With no mountains or hills to block it out at sea, the wind dances merrily across the heavens.
Each of these sounds slowly blends together. They form a blur of white noise that gradually fades into a quiet droll. Kazuha’s ears fill up with the drum of his own heartbeat. The slow and steady beat of a drum acts as proof that he is still alive. That he is a person and not the walking corpse he’s felt like for the past few months.
“Hey! Anyone down here?” The call of one of the sailors snaps the samurai out of his trance. “We’re approaching the storm so prepare for a bumpy ride!”
They’re already near it? Kazuha had thought it was farther away from Inazuma, or perhaps he’s been sitting here longer than he thought. It is remarkably easy to lose track of time while meditating. Despite his earlier reservations, Kazuha doesn’t want to be locked indoors when they reach the storm. The samurai reaches into the folds of his haori to run his fingers along the lifeless Vision that’s carefully kept out of sight. He will not turn his back on the lightning that ruthlessly strikes down, not again.
He fetches his katana from where he left it leaning beside the cot. It will take a long time for Kazuha to feel comfortable walking around without it. With its familiar weight against his back he steps outside of the room and makes his way above deck. He’s greeted by strong winds tossing his ponytail around. The sky grows dark with the encroaching clouds while the air becomes charged with the distant rumble of thunder. There’s a light pitter-patter of rain tickling Kazuha’s skin that he knows will get worse the deeper they move into the storm.
None of the sailors pay him any mind as he weaves around them. They’re all too busy preparing for the worsening weather to care about the stranger in their midst. This isn’t Kazuha’s first time on a boat as it’s the most convenient way to travel from island to island. However all of the ones he’s ridden before now were all ants compared to the Alcor. She’s an impressive vessel that even someone that knows nothing of seafaring can appreciate her beauty. Kazuha might have even been inspired to write a haiku about her if his mood was better. As things currently stand his mind is filled with nothing but dark thoughts that he would rather not voice aloud.
“Hey there kid!” The call of her captain rings loud and clear across the deck. Not even the roar of the oncoming storm can overpower Beidou’s dominant yet altruistic presence. She expertly skirts around her crew and stops before him. “Hope you don’t mind getting wet if you plan on staying up here.”
“The rain doesn’t bother me. I’m used to facing whatever nature decides to throw at me.” Before Kazuha would find comfort in the rain, specifically how the world would grow quiet as the clouds started to roll in. Now the dark, gloomy atmosphere they bring matches perfectly with the hollowness inside his chest and he’s not sure how to feel about that.
“That so?” Beidou rests one of her hands against her hip. She peers down at the significantly shorter samurai for a long breath. “Well make sure to watch your footing from here on out. It can be really easy to fall overboard when the waves start to get rough and I can’t promise we’ll be able to fish you out.”
“Thank you for the warning.” Kazuha bends his waist in a bow. A habit that he’s never quite managed to shake off from his upbringing, especially when dealing with people that he’s not close to.
Beidou doesn’t stay with him long and Kazuha didn’t expect her to. No matter how skilled her crew might be, it is the captain’s duty to oversee them. Especially when they’re about to delve into a storm that will mercilessly strike down any careless ships. Kazuha watches her flit between her crew. Helping them check to make sure everything is properly secured and they’re ready for what lies ahead. Though he’s only known them for a short time it’s obvious how casual they all are with each other and how deeply they care for one another. To the point where sometimes Beidou doesn’t feel like the captain of this ship but simply another member of the crew. In a way it reminds him of his time in Watatsumi. How a certain general is beloved by the soldiers there.
The tight feeling in his chest returns tenfold. Like Beidou, that dog-eared general had welcomed home with open arms when he washed up on their shores. Providing Kazuha with a roof over his head and work to distract him from his own grim thoughts. The samurai had repaid that kindness by leaving without so much as a goodbye. He wonders if Gorou had tried looking for him once he noticed the samurai’s absence. Has he been checking the corpses collected from the battlegrounds, praying that Kazuha’s face isn’t among them?
The Alcor rocks to the side suddenly, nearly throwing Kazuha off his feet. The only reason it doesn’t is because he manages to reach out and steady himself against the mast in time. Thunder rumbles overhead with the growl of an agitated beast. This is no time to be getting lost in his thoughts. Beidou wasn’t exaggerating. Even while standing still the way the boat careens makes Kazuha struggle to stay on his feet. He can do nothing but hold onto the mast for support.
The sailors don’t have the same issue. Each of them lives on the sea and is familiar with its turbulent nature. No matter how much the ship rocks or how heavily raindrops beat against their backs, they diligently continue their work with their heads held high. They make it look so easy. Meanwhile Kazuha is akin to a newly born fawn. Legs shake as they struggle to stay upright. Even so he stubbornly refuses to flee to the safety of the lower deck.
A bolt of lightning slams into the water’s surface. It’s close enough to the ship for Kazuha to feel a wave of static wash over him. The threat of being struck by the next one doesn’t deter the sailors at all. In fact he catches Beidou smirking up at the sky. Her Electro Vision is shining, ready to challenge any bolts that dare to aim for the Alcor. Part of Kazuha wants one to just so he can witness her defying the will of the Raiden Shogun. To prove that the gods cannot carelessly trample on the lives of men as if they’re nothing more than ants beneath their boots.
Unfortunately that wish doesn’t come to pass. Several come close but not a single lightning hits the ship itself. The waves toss around the ship and the sailors steer the Alcor by riding whatever path the ocean decides to take them down. For fighting against the currents runs too high a risk of them capsizing the ship. It’s a dizzying process that makes Kazuha feel like he’s a ball in a bottle that’s being violently shaken. In the end the Alcor’s crew proves to be worth their reputation and then some. With calm expertise, they managed to direct the ship to the opposite end of the storm and out of Inazuma’s waters.
The waves smoothen out before they completely breach the clouds while the rain gradually grows weaker the closer they move to its edges. Kazuha runs a hand through his hair which is soaked down to his scalp. His clothes are equally drenched and there’s a string of nausea pent up in the back of his throat. Otherwise he’s perfectly fine. He faced down the Shogun’s storm head on and managed to get through it unscathed. It’s something he should be proud of yet he finds that he doesn’t feel anything at all. Even after practically brushing shoulders with them he can’t understand what’s so special about lightning.
Now that the hardest part of the journey is over, the sailors become noticeably more relaxed. Beidou flits between them to double-check that everyone is still on board and healthy. Seeing that borderline motherly attitude of hers tugs the ghost of a smile against his lips. Once all her sailors are accounted for she doesn’t hesitate to turn her attention to their guest.
“Damn, you look like a drowned rat.” Beidou laughs as she takes in how his windswept hair is laying completely limp atop his head. She’s half tempted to reach out and squeeze it just to see how much water rings out.
“I could say the same about you.” Kazuha crosses his arms over his chest. Inclining his head to her own waterlogged mane draping over her shoulders. “A little water never hurts.”
“Yeah but trust me, you do not want to get sick while out at sea if you can help it.” The captain gathers up her long locks within her hands and squeezes. A miniature waterfall flows for a good few seconds from her hair. It splashes loudly onto the wood until there’s none left. “I’m sure we’ve got some spare clothes lying around that you can borrow until yours dry.”
Kazuha turns to the door leading down. Watching as the sailors take turns doing exactly that. Disappearing into the bowl of the ship only to come back up dressed in a set of clothes that isn’t completely waterlogged. Shortly after one comes back up the next person goes back down to do the same thing.
“I appreciate it.” Now that Kazuha thinks about it, he hadn’t exactly brought any spare clothes with him. The Tenryou Commission didn’t exactly give him time to properly pack anything. It took all his concentration just to avoid their Vision Hunters.
“That aside, this is your first time leaving Inazuma isn’t it?” Beidou shakes out her slightly less damp hair before letting it flop back down. She can clearly remember the first time she stepped onto new lands for the first time and how intimidating it was. That was when she had left Liyue of her own violation. This samurai meanwhile was basically forced out of his homeland. “Nervous?”
Kazuha ponders her question for a moment. That would be the natural response, wouldn’t it? No matter how excited one might be over the prospect of seeing somewhere near it can’t help but be accompanied by rattled nerves. He is neither elated or anxious. There’s only an emptiness resting within his guts.
“I wish I was.” Is what eventually comes out of Kazuha’s mouth. The words had flowed out without him really meaning to. They make Beidou shift to give him that look that always makes him want to crawl away and never be seen again.
“It’s going to take about a week for us to reach Liyue.” Thankfully she quickly moves on without cornering him any further. “When we do, I can give you the grand tour if you want.”
“I wouldn’t wish to impose any more than I already have.” She has already done more for Kazuha than he could’ve hoped. Letting him stay on board instead of kicking him off was a huge risk for her and her crew in itself. He could not possibly ask any more from her.
“Pfft, I wouldn’t have offered if it was imposing.” Beidou ruffles his sodden head. “First couple of days back I always make sure to say hi to all my mates on land. They wouldn’t mind at all if an extra person tagged along with me.” Then she tacks on more quietly. “Going to a new place when you don’t know a single person there is pretty scary.”
Kazuha finds his tongue unable to move. Even if it could he wouldn’t know what to say. He didn’t exactly have a plan when he snuck onboard. Only the intense feeling that he needed to get away. Away from the people after the bounty on his head, away from the Vision Hunt Decree, and away from all the pitiful looks his friends give him when they think he isn’t looking.
All of the strength leaves his legs at once. The full gravity of his situation hits him with the force of a charging boar. He’s out of Inazuma. For the first time in Kazuha’s life he has actually left Inazuma. It’s something he’s wanted to do for a long time. A thought that has been entertained on multiple occasions alongside friends and with a cup in hand. To go out and see the world beyond their eternal nation. He’s finally actually left and now he might never be able to return. Not while the Vision Hunt still hangs over Inazuma and a bounty is painted on his back.
A hand finds purchase against his shoulder, anchoring him in place. Beidou had sat down beside him and is rubbing circles against his back. A few sailors glance over at them curiously but keep a respectable distance. Kazuha bumps the back of his head against the mast. Deep breaths. It will be fine. He’s never been one to plan ahead and always moved around on pure instinct. Being in an entirely different country won’t change that. Kazuha knows how to survive by relying on himself and no one else. Though that doesn’t mean he’s about to turn away a friendly hand when it's offered.
“It would weigh on my heart if I don’t repay you for all that you’ve done for me.” If he weren’t already sitting Kazuha would kneel before her. Truly he has been blessed to meet such wonderful people in his pathetic life.
“You can start by helping with chores before we hit land.” Beidou suggests mostly because she knows full well how boring these roundabout trips can be. Especially for someone that is typically physically active. “Just ask around if anyone needs help with anything when you’re feeling up to it and you’ll be put to work real quick.”
Before she can fully stand the sound of a whistle resounds from above them. Both captain and samurai crane their heads up towards the crow’s nest. The watch stationed up there is peering over the railing of his perch, pointing out into the sea.
“Ship! There’s another ship to the north!” His shout catches the attention of everyone on deck. A wave of confusion washes over all of them. They’re still inside the very edges of the storm, there shouldn’t be any other ships around. Kazuha isn’t even a sailor yet he knows that too.
Those that can afford to drop whatever they’re doing in favor of jogging over to the railing to see it for themselves. Beidou does the same at a calmer pace, her smile thinning into a frown. Kazuha scrambles onto his feet and follows shortly behind her. The sailors move out of the way to give her room to look. The ship is hard to properly make out from this distance. It’s more of a silhouette than anything else. Yet though it is clearly a boat it is shaped unlike any ship Kazuha has ever seen.
“Wait, is that a steamboat?” Beidou pulls out a spyglass from somewhere. Where the samurai chooses not to question.
“Steamboat?” The word is completely alien to Kazuha’s tongue. He is not all that familiar with sailing vernacular so perhaps that is why it feels so foreign to him.
“Not too sure of the details myself but supposedly it’s something they’ve been working on in Snezhnaya. A ship that doesn’t need a mast or rows to sail.” Beidou adjusts her spyglass, leaning forward slightly as if that would help her see better. “This is my first time actually seeing one.”
“If that’s from Snezhnaya then it would’ve had to go around the whole of Teyvat to get here.” The sailor next to Kazuha pipes in. He turns to their captain with a worried crease in his brow. “What should we do?”
“With the way the currents are moving and the strength of the wind… We’ll go right past it if it doesn’t move.” Beidou lowers the spyglass. She glares at the distant ship with her lone eye, teeth catching her bottom lip. Normally she wouldn’t mind tussling with other ships but this specific instance bothers her. By all rights a ship from Snezhnaya should not be this close to Inazuma. Not unless the nation of eternity is their destination. “Raise the white flag! If they don’t do anything then ignore them!”
With her orders given the crew gets back to work. Their movements are noticeably more tense. Beidou herself positions herself beside the helmsman. Kazuha on the other hand doesn’t move away from the railing. He watches the strange ship get closer and closer. Soon he’s able to make out the finer details of it, like how it appears to be made from metal instead of wood. In place of a mast with a sail, there stands what appears to be a large pipe with smoke softly billowing out of it. It doesn’t budge an inch no matter how much the distance closes between them.
As Beidou predicted they start drifting parallel to the steamboat. It’s about the same size as the Alcor and likewise has members of its own crew mulling about on its deck. Masked faces stare back at Kazuha, their postures tall and proud. Yet standing among them is one figure that clearly does not belong among them. For a start, this person is significantly shorter than their comparably giant fellows. If that alone weren’t what drew Kazuha’s eye then the veiled hat adorning their head would have. Those clothes… they’re clearly Inazuman in design.
The odd one out lifts their head and Kazuha finds himself struck by their fierce gaze. The samurai’s grip on the railing tightens to the point of being painful. He quickly loosens his right hand when an intense ache shoots up his arm but keeps his left in place. His skin tingles as static fill the air. That’s not coming from the thinning clouds above. The Inazuman on the steamboat raises an arm above his head and every single one of Kazuha’s instincts scream at him to run. He pushes himself away from the railing, turning to shout a warning to the others. Before the words can leave his lips the world explodes.
A long, high-pitched whine is all Kazuha can make out. His head is spinning and his vision is a blur of motion. He thinks he can vaguely make out shouting but it’s far too muffled for him to make out any words. A few slow blinks help clear out the blurriness in his eyes. Blue, he can see blue. He reaches around with his hands and- oh he’s laying on his back. There are hardly any clouds in the sky which means they’ve completely moved out of the storm. An arm wraps around his shoulders to lift Kazuha into somewhat of a sitting position. With how limp his body is he just ends up leaning heavily against the person holding him.
The shift in position allows him to see a break in the Alcor’s railing. The planks surrounding that break blackened as though charred. Isn’t that where he was standing only moments before? The person holding onto him shakes him a bit. Kazuha does his best to turn towards them. It’s a woman he unfortunately doesn’t know the name of. As she tries to say something the samurai can only bring himself to stare blankly at her. That loud whining has gotten quieter and the shouts more clear. He can also make out hurried, heavy steps mixed into the fold. The woman holding him lifts something up to his nose. Something that smells absolutely foul.
Every single one of Kazuha’s nerves springboards back into focus. He straightens his back as the shouting becomes clearer. Orders being thrown left and right, warnings to duck or move away. One of the ballistae begins charging, gathering Geo energy within itself to form a lethal spear. Only before it can finish a bolt of lightning tears through it as if it were paper. Right, right, the steamboat with the strange masked crew and a lone member wearing Inazuman clothes. Since the ship is Snezhnayan they must be the Fatui.
“You back with us kid?” He turns to the woman that had helped him up. Kazuha peers down at the small bottle with the abhorrent-smelling contents held within her palm. As disgusting as whatever that stuff was it did a pretty good job of snapping his senses back into place.
Kazuha nods before quickly scrambling back onto his feet. He makes a mental note to seek her out and properly thank her once this mess is dealt with. For now he focuses on assessing the situation at hand. Each member of the Alcor’s crew holds a weapon in hand while the opposing ship is gradually shuffling closer. No wait, there are ballistas on the Fatui ship that have chains connecting the two vessels. It’s not the steamboat that is moving closer, the Alcor is being forcefully dragged closer. The Fatui are planning to board them.
Kazuha is filled with a sense of calm the moment his hand rests against the handle of his katana. That sense of comfort is worth enduring the lingering soreness pulsing within his palm. On the opposing deck he sees the one dressed like an Inazuman speaking with one of his allies. The person they’re giving directions to looks like a giant in comparison to them. Even so the taller is deferring to the shorter if their respective body languages are anything to go by. Kazuha wishes he could overhear whatever instructions are being passed on. Their words are too quiet for even his sensitive ears to pick out between the ocean waves and the shouts of sailors. After a time the tall masked one bows before jogging away to do whatever it is the other ordered.
As if sensing his gaze, the Inazuman turns back towards the Alcor and looks straight at Kazuha. The two ships are close enough that he can better make out the details of the other. A slender figure adorned by robes befitting nobility. Sheltered beneath an intricate veiled hat is short, dark hair that barely reaches past their- his ears and eyes a shade of indigo that makes him think of the violent storm they just passed through. Simply put this is someone Kazuha would expect to see passing through the gates of Tenshukaku, not aboard a Snezhnayan vessel. The Inazuman rests his chin against his palm. Kazuha can feel his eyes roving over his form. It seems he is not the only one struck by curiosity.
The two vessels are mere inches apart from each other. On the Alcor the sailors stand at the ready to fight off any would-be boarders. While the steamboat’s crew stands tall and statuesque. Their dark clothes and inhumane masks make them look like demons awaiting a promised sacrifice. Not a single one of them moves an inch. It's the Inazuman who hops across the gap separating the two ships.
He saunters across the Alcor’s deck as if it’s his own, studying each of the crew members pointing their weapons at him. As tempted as Kazuha is to do the same, he cannot sense any hostility coming from him. Rather he is oddly calm despite being completely surrounded. A steady rock amidst a sea of trees being battered by the winds of anxiousness. Focusing on that helps to soothe the tension bubbling over within Kazuha. Their eyes meet once again. The Inazuman’s gaze flickers down to his hand, seeing how he’s keeping his blade pointed down and slack within his grip.
“Now to what do we owe this unexpected visit?” Beidou’s voice booms loud across the deck. Her friendly demeanor is gone, replaced with the visage of the woman that has slain countless leviathans and pirates alike. She effortlessly carries a claymore that’s nearly as tall as she is. Her clearly defined biceps are easily able to support its weight. “I understand the Fatui can be pretty drab but you could’ve at least asked to hitch a ride with us first.”
“Captain Beidou, you should know full well what I’m here for.” The Inazuman’s voice is nowhere near as loud and booming as the captain yet it manages to carry just as much weight within it. “Unless you’ve somehow forgotten about all of our ships that you’ve sunk?”
“Holding onto grudges isn’t good, you know. Besides what’s a lone kid going to do against all of us?” Beidou gestures to all the sailors that have completely surrounded him. “I don’t like bullying people so I’ll let you call your friends over to help.”
“I’m disappointed Captain.” The Inazuman lets out an exaggerated sigh, his shoulders dropping alongside his exhale. “I thought you were supposed to be well connected and have a wealth of information at your fingertips.”
“Sorry that a pompous kid isn’t worth knowing.” Though Beidou says that her brows scrunch as she digs through her memories for any inkling of who this Inazuman Fatui is.
“Then the name Balladeer means nothing to you?” The self-introduction comes with a playful lilt of his head and a mischievous grin.
The change is instant. The borderline arrogant attitude Beidou had been displaying vanishes the moment that name reaches her ears. Her own grin morphs into a neutral press of her lips and Balladeer’s own smirk widens. She is not the only one that reacts to that name either. A couple of the sailors freeze up with terse recognition while those beside them merely glance over at them confused.
“... Didn’t know I was important enough for one of the great Harbingers to personally come after me.” Beidou eventually responds. Her words come out slowly and carefully.
“Personal? Hardly.” Balladeer scoffs, reveling in how easily the captain’s arrogance has left her. “When rats start infesting your hold you find and kill every last one of them to protect your assets. That’s all this is.”
That feeling of static filling the air returns. Only this time it’s far more dense and concentrated. The heaviness of it is familiar in a way that makes Kazuha want to run for the hills. To cower within the cover of bushes and become one with nature. Away from the danger that’s on the brink of bursting.
“Guess that means negotiation is off the table.” Beidou tightens her grip on her claymore. Preparing herself for the inevitable fight that is to come.
“Not entirely. Your life is the only one I care about. As for what will happen to your crew…” Balladeer looks around at them as his words drift off. His gaze lingers on Kazuha far longer than any of the others. “I can be convinced to let them go if you die obediently.”
Kazuha fully expects Beidou to immediately refuse. What she actually does is look over her men as if considering it. Beidou positions her claymore so that it’s standing upright against the wooden floorboards. Using her elbow to keep it from falling over and leaning her weight against it as though it were a cane.
“Alright, I’ll give you one free shot at me.”
It’s then that Kazuha remembers something he had heard about the captain once, which was also how he initially learned of her reputation. Beidou has a technique with which she can perfectly counter any attack directed at her tenfold while sustaining no damage herself. His dear friend that was so interested in learning any fighting art he could have been the one to tell him of this. Supposedly that was the technique that Beidou used to behead the leviathan Haishan with a single strike. Exaggerated or not, such a technique could easily kill a person if aimed correctly.
“Fine with me.” Balladeer accepts the proposition without a second thought. Upon receiving his approval, the captain gestures for everyone else to move back. They comply without protest which further confirms Kazuha’s suspicions.
Beidou stands steady, patiently waiting for the Fatui Harbinger to make his move. There are no obvious weapons on Balladeer’s person. Yet with how energy seems to pulse within his veins Kazuha can take a good guess at what his specialty is. That familiar, oppressive feeling heightens as Balladeer reaches an arm out. A ball of concentrated Electro forms within his palm. It molds into the shape of a sword and Kazuha’s blood runs cold.
Time slows into a crawl as Kazuha’s mind starts working in overdrive. He knows this power. It is the same one he had felt building up while running up the steps to Tenshukaku. That same lethal concentration of raw strength condensed into the form of a blade. And just like back then there is only one way this can end. Kazuha’s legs move before he can think. He will not let another be taken by her power. Not again, never again. If he must sacrifice himself to stop that day from repeating itself then so be it.
Except death does not claim Kazuha. The blade stops a breath away from his neck. So close that he can feel the heat radiating from it singeing his skin as if it were touching him. Stray sparks dance across his throat, stinging the spots that they kiss. The scent of ozone fills his lungs to the point of being suffocating.
Eyes deeper than the ocean churning beneath them stare straight into Kazuha’s vermillion ones. They’re close enough that he can make out a faint ring of violet around the Harbinger’s pupils. He’s shorter than Kazuha by a couple of inches yet his aura is so intense, so loud, that he might as well be the size of a mountain. The long lashes bordering Balladeer’s eyes flutter as he blinks. He cocks his head to the side, the bells hanging from his hat chiming from that simple motion, and his expression carefully blank. After seconds that feel like hours, a smile forms against his pink lips.
Kazuha knows fear well, is more intimate with it than any person should be. It had gripped his soul when he heard whispers of his friend’s challenge. Felt how it ate at the inside of his stomach before spreading out, making his bones feel out of place beneath his skin. It infected each individual pore of his body until he couldn’t feel anything else.
The buzz that tingles within his skin now is anything but that. Rather than making him want to curl up into a ball and never move again this sensation is making him restless. Fingers twitch at his side with the urge- no, the need to reach out and take hold. Kazuha’s heart beats fast and hard against his ribs with an addictive thrill. Was this how Tomo felt when he faced divine punishment?
“Trying to play hero? Or are you just suicidal?” Balladeer’s smooth, mocking tone rips the samurai away from the creeping dark. The edges of that memory fade back into the dredges of his mind, awaiting the next chance to make its escape.
“I would not consider myself suicidal.” Once grounded back into reality Kazuha finds himself oddly calm despite the threat of death literally pressing against his neck. “But I would have been dead had Beidou not taken me in, so this is the least I can do to repay her.”
“An idiot then.” Balladeer relaxes his hold on the sword of pure Electro. However he doesn’t move it away and keeps it close to the samurai’s throat. “What’s to stop me from cutting both you and her down right this instant?”
That question makes Kazuha realize why he isn’t afraid. No matter how well a person is able to control their expressions and body language, they cannot alter the way their aura fluctuates. Right now the only thing he can sense from Balladeer is intrigue. There is not a single drop of hostility or anger flowing through him.
“Nothing at all.” If he wishes to, all it would take is a flick of his wrist to end Kazuha’s life. Yet the fact that he had stopped his blade at all is such a curious thing. “This was a stupid, impulsive act on my part.”
“If you understand that then move aside.” Balladeer presses his sword closer to the samurai’s neck. Though it’s meant to be a threat it only serves to further emphasize the juxtaposition between the Harbinger’s words and actions. It gives Kazuha the courage to take a gamble.
“I refuse.” He stubbornly remains in place, acting as a physical wall between Harbinger and the captain. The only way Kazuha will move is if he is physically forced to. Something that the Harbinger should be fully capable of doing.
Yet Balladeer only stares dumbly at him. His shock over the sheer boldness of the samurai made him freeze. The curiosity he exudes grows stronger as he regains his bearings. Enough to almost completely smoother the annoyance that lingers behind it.
“Instead I want to propose a trade: My life in exchange for Beidou’s.” Kazuha knows full well he has no grounds to stand on. That the Harbinger is in complete control over whatever happens. Even so he does not waver. The fact that he is still alive means he still has a chance to get out of this mess.
“As if your life has any value to me.” For Balladeer’s intrigue is peeked enough that it begins to leak into his eyes. A thinly veiled excitement glimmers within them, confirming the samurai’s suspicions.
“My service or my head, whichever you want is yours to take.” Kazuha gives him one last push. It’s the only card he has to play and they both know it. The promise of complete subservience dangled before the Harbinger.
“What’s your name?” A card that Balladeer takes without hesitation. His sword shatters into nothingness and the heaviness within the air lifts.
“Kaedehara Kazuha.” The moment the words come out of Kazuha’s mouth the Harbinger’s expression flickers. His eyes widen and his lips part ever so slightly. Then it just as quickly smoothens back out as though it had not changed at all.
“Kaedehara…” Balladeer rolls the name off his tongue. Hearing it uttered from his lips sends a tingle down Kazuha’s spine. Without wasting another moment the Harbinger turns back to his ship. “Let’s go.”
Kazuha obediently follows behind his veil. He doesn’t get far before a hand grabs him by the wrist and stops him from moving any farther. Before he has a chance to fully turn his head a loud bang resounds through the air. Beidou cries out when a fiery projectile tears clean through her arm. Both samurai and captain turn to the direction it came from.
One of the masked figures standing atop the steamboat is pointing a gun straight at them. The face of an oni stares back at them. It has no right eye socket and its expression is carved into a permanent sneer. Behind the left socket a basil eye narrows, challenging them to try to make a move. That is until a hand is placed against the barrel of their gun. The oni-mask tilts their head towards Balladeer. A silent conversation passes between them that ends with the oni-mask lowering their gun.
“Take too long and I might change my mind.” Balladeer calls out to the two of them. The samurai supposes that is his way of giving them permission to say goodbye.
Beidou clutches at the hole in her arm. Teeth press into her lower lip as her eye darts between the looming figures of the Fatui and Kazuha. The samurai reaches out to her and pries her fingers away from the wound. It’s a clean injury that isn’t even bleeding thanks to the Pyro bullet cauterising it as it passed through. While inspecting it, the captain places her hand over his. Making Kazuha look up at her.
“Kid trust me, you do not want to go with him.” From that alone, the samurai knows exactly what Beidou is going to say next. He’s flattered that she has become so concerned for him over the short time they’ve known each other, but he’s already made his choice.
“One of the captain’s jobs is to do whatever they can to ensure the safety of their crew, is it not?” Kazuha smiles up at her, and it is a genuine smile. He truly is grateful to her for getting him out of Inazuma despite the dangers that could have brought to herself and her crew. He bends his waist forward as far as he can without losing his balance. “Thank you for everything.”
Beidou looks as though she wants to protest. That she is a moment away from physically tying him down if that is what it will take. The thing that holds her back is the eyes that they can both feel burrowing into them. A nearly mute tapping of impatient fingers awaiting the end of their exchange. Beidou is not stupid. Far from it. She too had to have felt the danger in its purest form oozing from Balladeer’s electric sword. The fact that she is hesitating at all proves that.
Kazuha gathers Anemo around his legs and uses it to launch himself onto the other ship before she can come to a conclusion. Once his feet touch the cold metal of the steamboat his fate is sealed, there is no turning back from this. For the first time in his life, Kazuha is willingly surrendering his freedom to another. That should scare him yet when he looks over at Balladeer and sees the ecstatic grin on his pretty face all he can feel is anticipation for what is to come.