Chapter Text
Always seeking to expand his horizons, Kazuha had decided to take some time off the Alcor. The Crux, having had some goods to bring to Port Ormos, had taken Kazuha to Sumeru for the first time in his life.
The Crux’s time here had to be limited. But as soon as Kazuha saw the beauty of the region, he couldn’t help but feel like the forests were calling for him, drawing him in. After speaking with Beidou, he'd stayed behind at the port while the ship left for its next destination.
It had taken him the rest of the day to get to Sumeru City and find a place to sleep. He usually doesn’t mind sleeping outside, but in a region he knows so little about, he'd rather not take that risk for now.
The inn he’d picked was a very cheap one, just within his budget, though he knows he can only afford to stay here a few nights. Perhaps he’ll have to pick up some odd jobs here and there—some of the street vendors do seem like they need a helping hand.
But for now, it’s his first real day in the city, and so he decides to explore it for a bit.
Upon his arrival, he had been given this strange earpiece-like device that he was told to wear at all times while in Sumeru. Named the ‘Akasha Terminal’, it supposedly allows the wearer to access any knowledge they may need, so long as they have the credentials.
Kazuha supposes that travelers from afar must be able to access some amount of information pertaining to Sumeru’s history and customs. However, while it seems to be a very useful item for him, the idea of simply ‘accessing’ this knowledge isn't one he's too fond of. He'd much rather learn by talking to the people here.
“What, you don't know what this is?” The fruit vendor from Treasures Street answers Kazuha's question, cocking an eyebrow at him. “That’s a Harra Fruit. It grows in the rainforests. Have you not activated your Akasha Terminal yet?”
Kazuha feels sheepish, but he smiles nonetheless. “I have,” he answers—after all, it’s not like he had a choice when he was given the device. “I’m just not sure how to use it. I apologize for having bothered you.”
“Eh, it’s no big deal,” the vendor says, waving his hand in dismissal. “You’re a foreigner, most people outside of Sumeru don’t know how to use this thing. You’ll get the hang of it. Try asking it a simple question, go ahead.”
“Ahem…” Kazuha tries to focus, but only ends up staring at the vendor. “Who is the ruling Archon of Sumeru?”
“To the terminal , not me!” The vendor barks out a laugh in response. “Besides, I said a simple question. The Akasha Terminal knows the answer to this, but it's probably too complicated for a tourist to understand…”
How odd. Kazuha was simply trying to test it out—he already knows the ruling Archon of Sumeru goes by ‘Lesser Lord Kusanali’. How could it be more complicated?
Kazuha focuses again, lowering his head and putting his finger to the terminal against his ear. This time, he thinks the question.
As he closes his eyes, he feels as though his mind is wandering through some sort of invisible maze. He follows a dirt path walled in by tall green bushes, and he flies through it so quickly that he finds the answer in mere seconds. The words flash through his mind, making him snap his eyes open in surprise.
Sumeru currently has two ruling Archons.
Lesser Lord Kusanali
The Everlasting Lord of Arcane Wisdom
Kazuha hums after this strange experience. He lifts his gaze back to the vendor. “Could it be that my terminal is faulty? It says that there are two Archons. I thought there was only one…”
“Ooh, so you could hear the whole thing,” the vendor says, seeming impressed. “Most people these days barely even hear that first name. I’m not sure why. But there are two Archons… technically speaking.”
Curious, Kazuha puts his finger to his chin. He could try and get more information from the device, but something is telling him that whatever it’ll say won’t be clear enough for him.
Thankfully, the vendor has a loose tongue, and doesn’t seem to mind explaining further. “Well, for the past hundred years, there have been two. It was just Lesser Lord Kusanali before that.” He sighs. “But we all know she’s not fit to rule a nation by now. I think the second one is progressively going to replace her.”
Kazuha hums in thought. “That second one being ‘The Everlasting Lord of Arcane Wisdom’?”
“Yep.” The vendor nods quickly. “Bit of a mouthful, though. He's more commonly known as ‘Dokugami’.”
That surprises Kazuha even more. A Sumeru Archon with an Inazuman name? How unexpected. Besides, if he remembers what he knows of ancient Inazuman correctly, that name means…
“I’d try not to get too curious if I were you,” the vendor interrupts his thoughts. “Well, you’ll soon understand that this God is very popular among the people of Sumeru. Which… makes sense, after all. He's perfect in every way.”
It's not uncommon for people to idolize their Archon to the point of not finding a single flaw in them. He doubts any being in Teyvat is devoid of flaws, so he's not entirely convinced by that statement.
“Then what would be the problem in me being too curious?” He asks with a shrug. “If what you say is true, I assume many people have tried to learn more about him.”
The vendor looks at him hesitantly, as if analyzing him. As Kazuha tilts his head, the other man once again decides to talk.
“No one here likes to talk about this, but…” he starts, a little quieter than before. “Let’s just say that some people have a certain… reaction to Dokugami’s presence. Lonely people, usually. I don't think you want to get caught up in that. No clue what became of the ones that weren’t careful enough around him.”
“A reaction ?” Kazuha echoes, squinting in confusion. “And what makes you think I would fall victim to this?”
“Come on.” The vendor scoffs at him. “A young guy like you, traveling by himself? I know loneliness when I see it.”
Kazuha isn't sure he enjoys being analyzed by some street vendor, but he cannot deny that this man is right. Loneliness follows him wherever he goes; he embraces it as part of himself, as difficult as it may be at times.
Still, he would like to believe he is in control of his emotions. The simple fact of seeing an Archon should not lead to catastrophic consequences so long as he remains focused.
“I can tell you’re curious already,” the vendor mutters, “should’ve kept my mouth shut. Try to be careful, I guess. He’s coming to Sumeru city today to discuss some things with Lesser Lord Kusanali.”
“Is he?” Kazuha asks, his interest piqued despite the other man’s warnings. “I shall be careful. What does he look like? I want to make sure I don’t miss his arrival…”
Laughing at that, the vendor pats him on the shoulder. “You’ll just know it's him when you see him. If you go towards the entrance of the city, you’ll most likely see a group of people gathered there. They’re all waiting to see him. Go join them if you want—if you blend in with the crowd, you’ll have better chances of him not noticing you.”
“I see, thank you very much,” Kazuha bows politely as he starts walking away. The vendor looks somewhat disappointed that Kazuha ended up not buying anything—but he supposes he’ll come back later. He does need to stock up on food, but he can't pass up an opportunity to see one of the Gods of this region.
Besides, he's quite curious about him. The fact that this God would bear an Inazuman name is intriguing—he doesn’t know if he'll find any information by just looking at him, but he supposes he could ask the people waiting for him to show up.
A crowd is indeed gathered by the city gate, forced to stay on the sides of the stone pathway by some guards from the Corps of Thirty. The crowd seems agitated; people are standing up on the tip of their toes to try and look in the distance, to catch a glimpse of the God’s arrival.
“You there,” one of the guards calls out to Kazuha and gestures for him to move to the side as well. “Don't just stand there. The Archon will pass through here in a few minutes.”
“Of course, my apologies,” Kazuha answers with a nod, letting himself be guided into the crowd of people.
“You're a foreigner, huh?” The guard asks after looking him up and down. “In that case, you most likely don’t know the rules. When the Archon walks through this gate, you stay put. Don’t try to approach him unless he tells you to. You stay quiet and respectful. You bow your head in thanks for his benevolence. Is that clear?”
Kazuha has never been fond of forced worship. The more he shares this space with the people here, the more he finds that something feels off .
He gives a nod. He’ll play along, for now; after all, if he's to stay in Sumeru for the time being, he should try and get to know as much as he can.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t gifted with a more advantageous height. Much taller people stand before him, and he soon finds that his view of the pathway is almost completely obscured. So, discreetly, he makes his way to one of the large roots of the Divine Tree and climbs onto it.
Finding a nice spot to sit on and watch from higher up, he keeps his eyes focused on the gate. Some guards seem to have noticed that he's up here, though they simply keep an eye on him for now.
He sharpens his senses to try and hear the God coming. A breeze sweeps his hair to the side, and Kazuha closes his eyes.
His acute hearing soon picks up the sound of footsteps. Wooden sandals knock against the stone tiles of the pathway, and suddenly, everything goes silent.
As Dokugami appears into view, it feels as though time stops, and the entire world ceases to exist. From where he sits, Kazuha sees a silhouette obscured by a large Sandogasa. This angle doesn’t allow him to see much more, that is, until Dokugami raises his head to look at the sky.
Kazuha’s breath hitches in his throat as he sees him. Dokugami’s facial features are delicate, his eyes deep and shiny like violet pearls, his pinkish lips spread into a satisfied smile. His hime cut frames his face as if it were a painting, his long indigo hair cascading down his back. His Sandogasa is decorated with multiple red strings, tied into intricate knots and dangling off the sides. A golden feather is attached to one of them. The hat itself is balanced by a bell tied to the sides by a thick rope resting in front of his chest.
He wears a purple Kimono with red and golden accents, open at the chest to reveal a black silk undershirt that leaves his shoulders completely bare. Purple markings on his skin glow from underneath the fabric. Kazuha's gaze goes down to find his legs—perhaps the most beautiful legs he's ever seen on someone before. They’re covered by a pair of loose, black silk pants for the most part, but his knees are bare, making Kazuha wish he could see more.
The tall wooden Geta he wears make a very distinct sound against the stone tiles, clearly announcing the arrival of a God. The translucent pieces of fabric attached to his hat and flowing behind him as he advances is only proof of his divinity, following him and making sure that he’s seen for as long as possible.
It’s only after analyzing every single part of him that Kazuha realizes that he had been staring, lips parted in amazement at the sight. He must admit he'd never seen a being so divinely beautiful before. No wonder the people of Sumeru all gather to look at him just walking by.
Suddenly, a voice resonates within his Akasha Terminal.
Your only God, your eternal God, has arrived.
Bow your head before the Everlasting Lord of Arcane Wisdom.
The sentence flows into his ear, and he accepts it without a beat of hesitation, without a moment to breathe. Bowing his head, he realizes his position much above the God must be too inappropriate for him to try and be noticed, even while he keeps his head low. The people of Sumeru, as if having heard the order at the same time as him, all bow to him as he continues to walk through.
Kazuha had somewhat expected that he would be followed by bodyguards, or attendants of some sort—but Dokugami is completely alone. Making his way forward, he nods to the guards here and there… and he gets further. Too far from Kazuha’s eyes for him to simply stay put. With a breath of amazement stuck in his throat, Kazuha tries to move, only to be pinned by Dokugami’s gaze alone.
Indeed, the God is looking at him from afar, from under his long lashes, through his mesmerizing violet eyes. He seems intrigued by Kazuha’s presence, and stares at him for the next few seconds, before turning back to keep walking up the street, in the direction of the Sanctuary of Surasthana.
As soon as he's out of sight, the pressure Kazuha feels with his entire being wanes. His shoulders sink, and he almost leans too far forward before he catches himself, nearly falling off the giant tree root.
He feels embarrassed to have let himself become so distracted by what he just saw. But the people of Sumeru seem just as stunned as he is.
“He really never ceases to amaze,” an old woman speaks up, hands behind her back as she sighs. “We have been seeing him more often lately, haven't we? Could it be because of Lesser Lord Kusanali’s state?”
Her state…?
Now that he thinks about it, the voice inside the Akasha terminal seemed to imply that Dokugami is their only God. But didn’t the vendor say something a little different?
“It’s worsening, I hear,” a younger woman, possibly her daughter, replies. “More importantly, Atiya… what about the bouquet? Did you forget to give it to him?”
Another much younger girl tenses up, and Kazuha tilts his head to see an almost comically enormous bouquet of Sumeru roses and various other flowers, either purple or red in color, in her hands. “I… got nervous…”
Kazuha watches as the woman scolds her young daughter, a conversation he doesn’t wish to hear any more of after a few seconds. He gets down from the tree root, patting the dust off his shorts as the people start to disperse again.
“I do wonder what he and Lesser Lord Kusanali have to talk about,” one of the guards says to his colleague, “The Dendro Archon has been too sick to even leave the sanctuary for decades now. Don’t you think it’s high time she retires? It looks like people are forgetting about her nowadays anyway.”
The more Kazuha hears the passing conversations, the more uneasy he feels. A strange sensation overcomes him—like a shroud of mystery covers the city, concealing the people’s view of what’s further than their personal bubble.
Something is off here. He's not sure what it is, but he can feel it. A certain force is entering the people’s minds, settling in quietly…
Suddenly, he feels hyper-aware of the weight of the Akasha Terminal on his ear. Hopefully he should be able to take it off when the guards aren’t looking.
Kazuha wanders around the city for the next hour, analyzing every detail about the people's behavior. Everyone seems restless, some too eager to see Dokugami again when he leaves the city, some talking about him incessantly and praising him for his benevolence.
But eventually, that sound comes again—Dokugami’s footsteps, wooden Geta against the stone tiles, as he descends. Everyone retreats to the sides of the street, making space for him to come through.
This time, Kazuha finds a better spot to watch him from up close. One of the guards is holding his spear horizontally, preventing him and the few people by his sides from moving any closer.
Dokugami comes into view once more, just as divine looking as before. The shadows cast over him by his hat and the few reflections of warm light on his skin make him look all the more ethereal, and yet, there's a hint of melancholy in his eyes, something that he conceals as quickly as people start to notice.
The light caresses him in a way it doesn't caress ordinary people. In fact, it almost feels like he is light itself, or that he manipulates it as he wishes, making it so he looks perfect in every angle.
Suddenly, a certain vision comes to him. Dokugami isn’t looking at him this time, but Kazuha still feels as if his eyes were boring into him, piercing through his very soul. A taste for something unknown awakens within Kazuha, and sweat starts to bead on his brow. A shadow of lust easily takes hold of his mind and its echo resonates across each muscle and bone.
Kazuha swallows sharply, his mouth feeling dry. Is this the ‘reaction’ that the vendor was talking about?
He's soon snapped back to reality by the sound of the child from earlier walking up to Dokugami despite the guards’ warnings. “Lord Dokugami!” She exclaims, catching his attention. Golden specks of light follow his gaze. “I- I’m sorry for intruding. My family and I would like to thank you for your countless blessings. We’ve managed to get back on our feet thanks to you!”
She gets on her knees, presenting to him the bouquet. Dokugami looks at it, his eyes widening for a moment before a warm smile spreads across his lips.
“These are beautiful. Thank you.”
His voice is just as mesmerizing as his beauty. He extends his hands to carefully take the bouquet into his hands, taking a step back to put some distance between himself and the child.
“But you should give yourself and your family some credit,” he continues, gazing into the hearts of the flowers, “the rewards would not have bloomed without your own efforts. Run along now, before the guards get upset.”
“Y-Yes! Thank you, Lord Dokugami!”
The little girl skips away, walking between the guards’ legs and escaping their sight. A silence passes, during which the people simply stare at him. One of the Sumeru roses' petals falls off, fluttering down to meet the ground as it turns black.
No one dares say a single word for the next few seconds. The God stands there, and while Kazuha can’t see his expression now that he's turned away from him, he can tell there's a certain darkness to it that starts to scare the people. Kazuha places his hands over the guards’ spear, mystified.
The guard snaps at him. “What do you think you’re doing?! You-”
“Alas, people of Sumeru—the flowers will not be enough to appease me today.” Dokugami begins speaking, and as soon as his voice resounds throughout the street, everything else falls silent. “The fate of the Dendro Archon is already written, and it is a grim one. As your second Archon, I shall soon take her place entirely—yet, if you worship me as your God, you should show reverence to her as well. No blessings shall come to you so long as you ignore her existence.”
Kazuha feels his hands twitching as Dokugami turns around. The bouquet of flowers in his arms is slowly disintegrating, falling to dust on the ground.
“I feel the grip of a powerful obsession within the crowd,” the God announces as he caresses the last dying flower before letting it get swept away by the breeze.
“It has been a while.” He smirks, the shadow of his Sandogasa descending down his face. “Show yourself, if you dare.”
The crowd, entirely silent, utters not a single word in response. People are staring at each other, some others taking a few steps back to hide themselves from view. The pace of Kazuha’s heartbeat picks up as he feels the God’s gaze finding its way to him. His hand sits still on the guard’s spear, and the guard looks at him with a frown.
“You,” Dokugami whispers, extending his hand towards Kazuha and tilting his head. “You seem rather eager. Why don’t you come with me?”
Kazuha’s lips fall shut as he looks around. The people that were once standing by his sides are now stepping back, watching the scene with curiosity in their eyes. The guard, seeming relieved, puts his spear behind Kazuha and shoves him forward instead.
“L-Lord Dokugami,” Kazuha says, completely ignoring the way he was just pushed to instead stand before the God and bow to him, a hand on his chest. “It would be my pleasure.”
Dokugami stands taller than him—though he quickly realizes it must be because of the added height of his tall Geta. Kazuha allows himself to take Dokugami’s extended hand into his own, feeling his slender, soft fingers with his calloused thumb.
He places a kiss on his knuckles, which elicits the gasps of a few of the passersby. As he stands upright once more, he finds the astonished eyes of Dokugami pinned right onto him, as his fingers tense up against Kazuha’s own.
Kazuha suddenly feels… dizzy. A deep breath forces itself into his lungs, and his head sways for a moment before he shakes it.
“Have some restraint, mortal,” Dokugami hisses, pulling his hand away. “Follow me and behave, or I shall put you on a leash.”
Forcing himself to regain his senses, Kazuha nods quickly, then follows behind as Dokugami continues walking down the street.
The two continue to move forward, walking back the way Dokugami first came. The crowd seems dumbfounded at the sight of Kazuha following him, but he doesn’t pay attention to their whispers. Focused on Dokugami’s back, he follows him, watching as the violet marking on the back of his neck glows faintly. The fabric of his undershirt is… sheer.
But that symbol—it's the electro symbol, isn’t it?
Just who is Dokugami?
As Kazuha exits the city with him, his subconscious starts to realize that he might be walking into a dangerous trap. There's too much he doesn’t know, too much that’s being kept secret from him. Why are the people mesmerized by him yet afraid of him at the same time? Why could he feel Kazuha’s reaction to his presence? Why did those flowers die in his hands?
They stay utterly silent as they walk down the dirt path just outside of the city gates. By now, the gazes that followed them have lifted, and Kazuha feels like he can breathe again—albeit with some difficulty.
He soon becomes hyper-aware of the weight of the Akasha terminal on his ear, so he fumbles with it and quickly takes it off, sliding it into his sleeve.
At some point, Dokugami strays off the path, and walks towards the grassy cliffs adorned with golden flowers. Kazuha, intrigued, follows him after the God turns around to make sure Kazuha is still right here behind him.
“I certainly did not think I'd meet someone from Inazuma today,” Dokugami finally says, looking at Kazuha with those golden specks of light shining in his eyes. “You’re Kaedehara Kazuha, yes? I have heard of your prowess in Inazuma. Quite impressive, I must admit. What are you doing in Sumeru?”
Kazuha swallows the dryness in his throat.
So even a God from another nation has paid attention to what occurred. Did he pick him out from the crowd because he's heard of him before?
“I’m… a wanderer,” Kazuha answers, stopping in his tracks as Dokugami does so himself, right over the edge of the cliff. “I was born in Inazuma, but I prefer to roam the immensity of Teyvat. It is my first time coming to Sumeru, however.”
“Interesting.” Dokugami faces the cliff once more. “And… are there no words of my existence, over in Inazuma? Do they not know of Sumeru’s new Archon?”
Kazuha is ashamed on behalf of his people to admit this, so he does so with a bow of his head. “No, My Lord,” he utters, “my apologies.”
Humming in a disappointed response, Dokugami rolls his shoulders. Then, suddenly, he vanishes.
Kazuha gasps, looking left and right for his divine presence. It's only when he looks down the cliff that he finds him standing there, looking up at him with a smirk, waiting.
“My temple is in the ravine,” he explains with a vague gesture forward, “come on. I’m sure a seasoned traveler like you must know how to get down here.”
Confused, Kazuha nods strongly nonetheless, deploying his glider to join him. It carries him down slowly to the bottom of the ravine, where giant golden flowers grow. It’s strange; he hadn’t noticed a temple when he first walked across the bridge over this ravine…
As he reaches the bottom and finds himself by Dokugami's side again, he looks around—there is no temple to be found.
“I would’ve expected a strong individual like you to not be swayed by me,” Dokugami teases, “but I suppose you are still a mortal. And a seemingly lonesome one at that.”
Kazuha chews on the inside of his lip. So the God can tell too. “You are the second one here to assume that I am a lonely person,” he utters.
“Well?” Dokugami smirks at him. “Am I wrong?”
Kazuha focuses his eyes on him again, mesmerized by his beauty as the light outlines his face. “I suppose not, Lord Dokugami,” he utters, the words drawn out of him as if it were the God’s will. “Does knowing such a thing please you?”
Seeming slightly impressed by Kazuha’s boldness, Dokugami raises his eyebrows. “Indeed. Lonely hearts are easy to hold.” He ghosts his hand over Kazuha’s chest momentarily, and it’s enough for Kazuha to stop breathing once more. “There is a reason why you’re here. You need me. You will understand if you keep following me.”
There is no need to question what Dokugami says, and Kazuha knows it in his heart. Accepting it as an absolute truth is as natural and as easy as breathing. Easier, perhaps, considering how shallow his breathing has become since he left the city.
He continues to follow Dokugami without a word, until eventually, they reach an opening within the cliff, from which a violet glow emanates.
Kazuha immediately feels drawn to it. “Is your temple underground?” He asks, to which Dokugami turns around to look at him.
He seems rather hesitant now. “You truly know nothing about me, huh,” he utters, adjusting his Sandogasa. “...yes, the temple is underground.”
Dokugami steps past the tree roots on the ground, slowly entering the opening in the cliff. When he realizes that Kazuha is no longer advancing, he turns to him, a frown on his brow. “What are you waiting for? Follow me in.”
“Oh…”
Kazuha wants to say he doesn’t know why he’s been chosen to accompany a God into his abode, but a small part of himself, deep within him, does know. A part of his body that thrums beneath his wrist and under the soft skin of his neck. Something else, a shard of his consciousness knows that this is either some kind of trap, or an illusion—yet, he feels intrigued.
Some lucidity has returned to him. There's no turning back now.
He steps over the tree roots as well and follows Dokugami inside.
There's a long corridor awaiting them after the entrance, which they cross without a word. The violet light of the lanterns strung across the walls imprints itself into Kazuha’s eyes, and he feels the color bleeding into them, a certain hypnotizing scent reaching his nostrils. It’s the same feeling that overcame him when he kissed Dokugami’s hand.
Eventually, the two reach the main hall. It’s a traditional Inazuman temple that was carved into this cave, with a throne sitting against the opposite wall. In the center, a tea table rests upon the tatami mats.
Kazuha, unsure what to say, simply stares at Dokugami, who is now turning around to face him. He takes off his Sandogasa, dropping it upon the floor with a long sigh.
“Tell me, Kaedehara—does this temple speak to you?” Dokugami asks, gesturing around himself. “What kind of feelings arise to the surface, as you see me standing here?”
It’s a lonely place. Isolated and cold. Kazuha feels as though he should know this temple; and another sensation makes itself known, nestling within his chest, one that tells him that all the paths he's walked in Teyvat have led him here. It is the end of it all, as much as it is the start of something else, something unknown.
“It is… terrifying,” is what he says, feeling a full body shiver move from his head to his toes. “The very walls of this temple call for me, as if to swallow me whole. The afterimage of the golden flowers blinds the corners of my vision to…” he searches for his own words, instinctively running his fingers against his throat. “To conceal everything except for you. You are all that is left of a burning forest.”
The God, humming in delight, tilts his head. “Those are some pretty words you have saved for me, Kaedehara. As pretty as they are true. As true as I am absolute as you are mine.”
Mine . Hearing those words almost causes a wave of pure euphoria to crash into Kazuha—yet, he controls himself. “I have to be here, don’t I? And my purpose…”
“Here, your only purpose is to worship me,” Dokugami chuckles, sitting on the tea table and crossing his legs. “I am sure your body knows what I mean by this. I have not welcomed a worshiper in my temple in a while. I hope you are prepared.”
“Worshiper,” Kazuha echoes in a whisper, kneeling in front of him to be at the same level. “I… I haven't done any acts of worship towards you before, Lord Dokugami. Forgive me, but today was the first day I have even heard about your existence.”
Dokugami doesn’t seem affected by that in the slightest. “And yet, you know me in a way you have never noticed,” he utters, “it’s odd, isn’t it? I, too, am curious about you. The answers we seek will come at a great price. But I think you already know that it won’t stop you.”
Kazuha feels this sensation taking over him again. The darkness of the room envelops him. A hand rests upon his cheek, pinky tracing his jawline. His breathing has become erratic. The ‘great price’ doesn’t matter. The hunger that takes hold of him, tenses his entire middle, makes him salivate.
“What’s… happening to me?” He asks, his vision blurring. However, he shakes his head to regain his senses once more.
He finds the sight of Dokugami smiling down at him, his divine form surrounded by a violet halo. His arms throwing themselves around Kazuha’s neck, he brings him closer and closer, spreading his legs to accommodate him before Kazuha suddenly feels the God’s soft lips pressed against his own.
Something is changing within him. A snap of a nerve, the mechanisms of his heart turning backwards. The light in his scarlet eyes shining through the dark. This hunger, deep and primal, sending a jolt between his legs. He feels everything with heightened sensitivity—the way Dokugami’s ankles and feet rest against his back, the way he breathes between his lips, the way his tongue tastes against Kazuha’s own.
He doesn't dare move his hands. He keeps them at the edge of the tea table, shivering each time one of Dokugami’s movements causes him to accidentally brush his fingers against him. Eyes half-open, he takes in the sight of Dokugami as he pulls away, lips slick and red.
He licks them, and Kazuha can’t help but gasp for air, as if he hadn’t been breathing this whole time. Dokugami’s violet eyes shine through the dark and pierce through Kazuha as slowly, the magnificent clothes that he wears start to slide off of him as if by some kind of magic. They slip away into the dark corners of the room; and there he is, wearing just a bodysuit and a golden and red crown bearing the symbol of electro.
Kazuha understands suddenly. Could he be related to the Electro Archon in some way? But then, what could he possibly be doing in Sumeru?
“Is now really the time to be stuck in your own head… Kaedehara?” The God whispers, digging his heels into Kazuha’s back. “You want to worship me, don’t you? You know there is no God as divine as I, don’t you? You know that I am-”
“Absolute,” Kazuha finishes his sentence, and this time, he dares to slide his hands up his thighs, between them, tracing a curving path to his hips. His fingers slip beneath the fabric of his bodysuit, and as he looks down, he realizes something.
Dokugami notices his pause, then clicks his tongue in annoyance. “Staring isn’t enough. You know what I want from you, hmm?” He slides forward, and pushes Kazuha’s head down until his face is between his legs.
Kazuha feels his arousal shooting through him like an arrow. He’s never felt like this before—this lust, this craving, might be just what kills him today. Perhaps he fell right into the God’s trap, and yet… as Dokugami pulls the fabric that covers him to the side, he realizes that he’s entirely fine with it.
Dokugami’s pussy is glistening, slick with a shiny and translucent violet substance. As he places two fingers down to spread his lower lips, he watches as Kazuha rests his hand onto the tea table again, extending them forward as if in a deep bow of prayer.
“Just like that,” Dokugami whispers, lifting his legs and placing his feet between Kazuha’s shoulder blades, pushing him down further. “Give yourself to me. Worship your only God, Kaedehara.”
All rational thought leaves Kazuha’s mind as his lips meet Dokugami’s pussy, kissing it, allowing himself to make a mess of his face. Already hard and leaking into his fundoshi, he lets his tongue slip past his lips to taste him, with a lick from his entrance to his clit.
And how divine. Dokugami trembles in reaction, his toes curling against Kazuha’s back. “Th-That’s it,” he sighs, breathing in sharply when Kazuha flicks his tongue against his clit. “Hmm… my devout worshiper- ahh, you've clearly done this before…”
Indeed, Kazuha has had numerous experiences using his tongue in this way—but right now, it all feels like it was in preparation for him. To train himself to please Dokugami only, like this is all he was meant for. He swallows down his slick eagerly, before going back down, alternating between flicking his tongue and sucking on his pussy.
“Oh-!” Dokugami’s hand leaves him, instead resting on the table as he slowly melts. He lies back, his long hair dangling behind him and resting across the floor. Even while focused on pleasuring him, Kazuha notices every little detail about Dokugami’s movements, every sound that leaves his lips. Emboldened, he slides his hands back onto him, between his thighs to spread them further apart.
How could Dokugami possibly taste so good? Digging his fingers into his flesh, Kazuha tries to figure out what exactly he’s made of—but the moan it earns him only makes him focus further on eating him out.
He knows his lips and chin must be covered in his slick by now. Still wanting more, he brings one hand down between Dokugami’s legs, adjusting his position to allow one of his fingers to slowly tease his entrance. Meanwhile, his other hand slides up along his arched body, finding its way to his chest and gently cupping it, using two fingers to feel his hardened nipple beneath soft fabric.
His blood rushes so quickly through his veins that he feels like he could pass out. There is something ferocious within him that wants to reach inside the God’s chest—for what, he isn’t sure yet. Instead, he continues to touch him.
Dokugami grabs his wrist, seeming like he wants to remove it at first; but as Kazuha starts to push his middle finger inside, while rolling his thumb around his nipple, his hold on Kazuha’s wrist softens.
“Wh… what do you think you’re doing,” Dokugami whispers, throwing his head back when Kazuha curls his finger inside him, pressing on his most sensitive spot. “Ah! Worshipers are not meant to use their hands, but you-”
His words are broken by a string of gasps as Kazuha adds a second finger, then pumps them in and out, all while sucking on his clit. “You should be using those hands to pray… Hnn, pray for me not to kill you right where you kneel,” Dokugami threatens, before a scoff that transforms into a long moan shakes through him. “K-Kaedehara…”
Despite the threats, Dokugami is still holding onto Kazuha’s wrist, keeping his hand on his chest and urging him to continue touching him there. Kazuha can't help but feel his cock twitching at the idea of making Dokugami feel so good that he forgets his usual rules. It’s the pleasure his God deserves.
“How insolent… Haah,” Dokugami breathes, head rolling back. “Now that you’ve started… you’d better finish it. Just like this, yes , perfect…”
Dokugami guides him to the perfect pace, the places he needs to touch, and Kazuha starts to feel his head spinning. He can feel it, Dokugami’s walls fluttering around his fingers, sucking him in. His clit twitching against his tongue. He's going to make him cum. They’ve just met, and he's going to make Dokugami cum…
“Kh… Kaedehara-” Dokugami hisses, another gasp of air making his chest heave. “Ah, aah-”
A string of moans, louder and louder, resonates across the hall. Kazuha can’t help but imagine his beautiful voice escaping through the entrance of this cave, alerting whoever may be outside, making them fully aware of their God’s magnificence as he comes undone.
The markings on Dokugami’s body glow rhythmically, like a heartbeat that accelerates. Writhing in Kazuha's hold, the God rolls his hips and grinds his pussy against Kazuha’s tongue, pressing himself down onto his fingers to chase his release.
And eventually, after a few desperate hums of Kazuha's lips against Dokugami’s pussy, the God unravels, moaning as his pleasure reaches its peak. He lifts his hips up into Kazuha’s face, and Kazuha makes sure to taste him, all of him, as he licks up the slick that drips along his fingers.
His eyes roll back as he swallows it down, feeling like he might collapse just here, face still plunged between Dokugami’s legs. He eventually feels a tug on his hair, prompting him to kneel back up—and when he does, he finds the mesmerizing sight of Dokugami riding down his orgasm, catching his breath, his hair disheveled and his bottom lip covered in bite marks.
“Haah…” Dokugami breathes, visibly shivering. For a moment, he looks utterly lost and vulnerable—but he quickly straightens himself and swallows hard to regain his composure.
There's a sort of confusion written across his eyes as he looks at Kazuha’s face, as if he were waiting for something.
When he lets go, Kazuha falls back, sitting down on the tatami mat with a very obvious tent between his legs. He's so hard now that it’s painful, and he can only hope that Dokugami will allow him some relief; as the God stands up to walk towards him, regaining all of his elegance, Kazuha's breath hitches in his throat.
“Why aren’t you…” Dokugami whispers, tilting his head before he gives up on asking his question. “Hm. You've gotten quite excited just from giving me pleasure… how very embarrassing for you.”
Kazuha, looking up at him then hanging his head in some kind of apology, suddenly feels Dokugami’s foot sliding between his legs and nestling against his clothed cock.
“Hn- My Lord, how could I not?” Kazuha whines, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes, just from the teasing. “P-please…”
Dokugami doesn’t answer right away, simply pressing the arch of his foot against Kazuha’s length and sliding it up and down, as if he were trying to figure something out. Kazuha can’t deny that even just this is incredibly erotic, perhaps enough to bring him over the edge…
He doesn’t dare think that Dokugami will let him put it inside him, so for now, Kazuha clings to this friction, this pressure against his aching cock. “Ah… Lord Dokugami, this feels…”
“Are you really so entranced that you might climax just from me doing this?” Dokugami asks in a mocking tone, though it seems to hide something else—like some deeper curiosity, perhaps. Wiggling his toes against Kazuha’s clothed shaft, he chuckles, leaning his head into his hand.
And, as embarrassing as it is, Kazuha does just that. He's been waiting so long without any touch that the excitement has been building up within him until he was filled to the brim with it. Just the act of being touched through his clothes by Dokugami’s bare foot was just enough to make the coil in his middle snap.
His release spills into his fundoshi as his shoulders sink, his voice leaving him into a long, trembling sigh.
Dokugami looks at him with amazement in his eyes, which he quickly turns into a fake smirk of derision. Kazuha can’t help but feel absolutely enthralled as he’s watched so intently.
A jolt courses through him as Dokugami slowly lifts up his foot to rest it on the floor again. He gives Kazuha some time to catch his breath, looking down at him, as if trying to figure something out.
Then, suddenly, he tenses up, and he turns his head to the entrance. His eyes widen, and he grits his teeth. “Curses,” he hisses, before rushing to grab Kazuha by the arm and force him to his feet.
Still dizzy, Kazuha stands on his wobbly legs, utterly confused. It’s then that he realizes that Dokugami is slightly shorter than him when he's not wearing his tall Geta.
“Snap out of it,” Dokugami orders, then rushes to the throne—he goes around it, guiding Kazuha to what seems like a trapdoor on the floor behind it.
He quickly opens it, keeping the door up and gesturing for Kazuha to go down. “Go hide in there, and don’t ask questions,” he orders, his voice lowering to a whisper.
Kazuha, taken aback, looks through the trapdoor to find a set of stairs that lead down into darkness. Whether there's a corridor or a different room at the bottom, it’s impossible to tell like this.
“But don't even think about going down these stairs,” Dokugami adds, urging him by dragging him by the wrist. “Just hide under the trapdoor until I tell you to come out. Do not disobey me. Are we understood?”
“Y-Yes, my Lord,” Kazuha agrees with a strong nod, now sitting on one of the steps, and watching as the trapdoor comes down.
Soon, he finds himself in complete darkness, save from the few rays of violet light that come pouring in from the gaps in the wooden boards. Plus, some eerie glow coming from beneath the stairs now—but he'd promised Dokugami that he wouldn't go down. So he stays put, as much as he wants to investigate.
He can hear Dokugami hurriedly putting his clothes back on, and stepping out of the hall to walk through the corridor they first came in from. Kazuha, slowly regaining his senses, sharpens his hearing to try and understand just what’s happening outside.
And then, he hears it. The voice of an unknown person, speaking to the God, his God,
“We’re here to collect the body.”