Venti has soothed the "wounds" of many, gently caressing all things in the world like the wind. But how can the invisible, intangible wind be comforted? Simple: when the wind brushes my hand, isn't that me gently caressing the wind? Venti helps humans, and in turn, humans unknowingly touch Venti's heart time and again.
"Master Diluc is as generous as ever, so I won't hold back!" Venti grabbed a bottle and chugged it down. Amber clapped, wanting to follow suit, but Eula snatched the bottle and drank for her.
"I'm the one treating, so why's he getting the credit!?" Kaeya gave a helpless smile, pulling out his Kamera to snap a few photos, thinking Barbara would like them. Diluc's smile was barely perceptible. Not one for drinking, he didn't join the lively group, but feeling at ease, he picked up the book to continue reading.
In the story, Hanyuuda Chizuru knew the tale of Kamaitachi and the samurai so well because she was a witness to it—a Tsukumogami born from the hagoita. Shikanoin Heizou laid out his deduction, and Yae Miko emerged, clapping with a smile. The scene was just like Kaeya's back then—mysterious clapping man meets mysterious clapping woman.
["Completely correct. What an entertaining deduction."]
See? I told you, anything involving Yae Miko is probably her doing. Yae Miko orchestrated all this to resolve Chizuru's inner conflict before she disappeared. She always claims she's reluctant to help others, but in truth, she's constantly lending a hand. It's just that her help comes with a side of mischief—not just a side, she's helping while playfully toying with people.
Speaking of which, when Yae Miko and Chizuru first met, neither could take human form. Chizuru was just a nascent spirit, while Miko was a little fox perched on Kitsune Saiguu's shoulder. But when they met again, Yae Miko found Chizuru sitting on a branch, watching passersby. She wanted to approach but didn't dare take a step. Chizuru's heart was filled with a desire to connect with humans, but the fleeting nature of those encounters left only lingering sorrow. She didn't dare.
Chizuru saw herself as a coward, so she decided to let this coward fade away unnoticed in the shadows. Even now, as her "lifespan" neared its end and the hagoita decayed, she would vanish without anyone knowing. But that was regretful—too regretful. For Chizuru, the urge to make friends was almost instinctual. When she was born, Kamaitachi and the samurai had left, and she was alone. When she departs, she'd be surrounded by no one, still alone.
That couldn't be right, could it? So, Miko stepped in.
[Hanyuuda Chizuru said: "When they met at the Mikawa Flower Festival, I felt proud because I, too, left a shadow in their story."]
["Lady Yae, I'd like to ask you…"]
["Meeting again and again, parting again and again. Brief moments pass in a rush, leaving only wistfulness and sorrow."]
["Do our encounters with humans really have meaning?"]
At this moment, Venti and Zhongli shared the same thought: They do have meaning. For Venti, he would remember every Mondstadter. His human friends would part with him after a century, but they'd remain in the "wind." They'd journey with him, wandering the world, singing songs, and watching birds. Back then, you invited me to go with you; now it's my turn to invite you.
For Zhongli, Hu Tao, too, couldn't escape death. Their time together would span only a century. Yet, even after thousands or tens of thousands of years, that memory would shine like gold, forever etched in stone. Perhaps one day, Zhongli would tell a Traveler about his human friend. By recounting their stories, those stories shaped the Zhongli of today.
You could say Chizuru's mindset was somewhat like Ei's in the past. Because fleeting moments pass quickly, leaving long-lasting wistfulness and sorrow, she avoided encounters altogether. Chizuru was afraid and didn't dare connect with humans. Ei was afraid too, so she hid in her own space, not even daring to see Miko. That's right—Ei wasn't unwilling to see Miko; she was afraid to.
Thankfully, her best friend was Miko. You won't meet me and lock the door? Fine, I'll climb through the window! Now, Miko was about to save another person trapped in their own isolation.
Chizuru and Ei differed in one key way: after Ei figured things out, she still had "time." But for Chizuru, once she understood, "time" no longer waited for her. This was indeed an Inazuma story, centered on "transience" and "eternity," the theme of "time."
[Yae Miko replied: "Why wouldn't they have meaning?"]
["Actually, the story you told about Kamaitachi and the samurai is missing one part."]
Yae Miko told Chizuru that while the two never met again, their story didn't end. The human samurai, named Yanagibashi Takuto, was the founder of the "Aozume Isshin-ryu." Inazumans suddenly realized: a samurai of such caliber shouldn't be unknown. Even without founding a school, his skill could've earned him a position under the Shogun. Plus, the story mentioned his experience defending the border—he was a survivor of major battles!
Seeing the name of this school, Ei finally recalled something. Yae Miko continued Yanagibashi Takuto's story. The third-generation head of the "Aozume Isshin-ryu" also befriended Kamaitachi. During the great war five hundred years ago, they fought the Abyss until their final moments. The "Aozume Isshin-ryu" was a sword technique Yanagibashi Takuto created during their spars, and his blade was passed down to successive heads. Their "bond" wasn't severed but continued in a new form.
Be happy—it's a good ending. They were reunited.
[Yae Miko: "Time passes swiftly, life is like dew, so you must seize the moment to find joy."]
No sooner had she finished than Itto came running over, waving and laughing loudly.
["Hey—best buddy—!!"]
Readers were dazed, unsure if Itto was clueless or profoundly wise. Wasn't everything Itto did exactly what Yae Miko described? He truly lived it. Was it because he didn't understand the "lifespan" difference that he could face Shinobu and the others without worry or hesitation? Or had he already thought it through, realizing time passes swiftly and life is like dew, so he seized every moment for joy?
Whether Itto was a genius or just wise in his own way, at least his goofy, straightforward personality wasn't an act. Upon seeing Miko, he even called her "fox lady." In all of Inazuma, few dared address her like that. No wonder his idol was Miss Hina—they both called Miko that.
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Character Voice · Itto: About Yae Miko
"I know now she's super powerful, and foxes are cool, but she still tricks me into eating tofu! Bad fox, I didn't call her wrong!"