"Your friend?"
Upon hearing this, Shiki's first thought was of the person who directly faced the Musou no Hitotachi in the PV, and of course, that profound quote: "There will always be those who dare to face the lightning's glow."
"Yes, his greatest wish is to unleash a single slash comparable to the Musou no Hitotachi."
"Then his ambition is quite grand. The Musou no Hitotachi, that's the pinnacle of the Raiden Shogun's martial arts. Yashiori Island even gained a Musoujin Gorge because of her."
Shiki said, pointing towards Yashiori Island. A scene that was amazing in the game, she wondered what it was like in real Teyvat?
Thinking of this, she looked forward even more to the scenery of other regions: Guyun Stone Forest in Liyue, the place where the Geo Archon used his spears to suppress the Archons.
Dragonspine, the highest peak on the continent of Teyvat, and the enormous skeleton of the Dragon Durin.
"Indeed." Kazuha nodded, "But my dearest friend believes that slash is not unattainable. He said, 'There will always be those who dare to face the lightning's glow.'"
"The Raiden Shogun is the Archon of Inazuma. Can anyone truly surpass her?"
"...Yes." Kazuha heard this answer from the girl.
"You should know the Geo Archon of Liyue, right? He is one of the only two original Archons among the current Seven Archons, and also the strongest among all Archons, both original and current."
"I'm not too sure about other Archons, but I know that if it's the Geo Archon, the Musou no Hitotachi cannot harm him."
Just as human strength varies, so do the Archons. And Morax is at the pinnacle among them; Shiki could confirm this point.
Unlike the remote Inazuma, the fertile land of Liyue was the main battlefield for the Archons. To be able to defeat a Archon with one spear in such an area, Morax's strength was unimaginable.
"But if you insist on asking about humans... there really isn't one."
"Firstly, the level of life is different. Human power is still too weak compared to Archons, let alone the Raiden Shogun having thousands of years to hone her martial arts."
"After these thousands of years, let alone a Archon, even a pig would have become an immortal." Shiki said.
"...That's true. Archons are not something we can easily fathom. Instead of thinking about Archons, it's better to first consider ourselves." Kazuha nodded and said.
"Exactly. So your friend is just overthinking things."
But was he really just overthinking things?
Kazuha didn't think so. Whenever the Raiden Shogun's Musou no Hitotachi was mentioned, his dearest friend's eyes always sparkled with a light called "longing."
It was the kind of light that, once seen, made death irrelevant.
...
Shiki and Kazuha walked along the path, chatting idly, and finally, at dusk... they arrived at Chinju Forest.
"It seems we won't reach Grand Narukami Shrine today. Climbing the mountain at night is simply too dangerous."
In fact, their speed wasn't slow at all. If they had walked at an average person's pace, they wouldn't even have reached Chinju Forest by now.
"I'm used to it, though. The sky as a blanket, the ground as a mat, I can sleep anywhere. I just don't know if Ryougi can accept it." Kazuha smiled.
"Of course not!" Shiki said loudly.
It's a joke, she's a girl after all, sleeping outside like that is completely inappropriate!
"I plan to stay at the Kamisato Clan for a night. I believe they won't refuse a girl's request. At worst, I'll compensate them with Mora."
"I was inconsiderate. The Kamisato Clan is a good choice, but I won't trouble them. I'll just find a Hilichurl camp and make do for a night. If there's danger, the wind will tell me."
Ever since his family's wealth was depleted, Kazuha had lived a wandering life, hunting and picking fruits when hungry, and occasionally taking commissions from the Adventurers' Guild to improve his life.
Today was just another day of camping, no different from before.
"Are you sure? Night is when monsters are most rampant." Shiki frowned slightly. Chinju Forest was lush with trees, and monsters could easily hide within it.
"Haha, don't worry about me. I'm very familiar with Chinju Forest, but thank you for your concern nonetheless." Kazuha smiled.
"As long as you know your limits."
The entrance to Chinju Forest was composed of three Otorii Gates, with a Shimenawa rope tied to the central Otorii Gate. It was unclear if this was to add a sense of mystery or to mark a boundary.
But if we're talking about mystery, well... Chinju Forest doesn't seem to need it!
As soon as Shiki stepped through the Otorii Gate, she felt the light dim directly. Although it was still dusk outside, Chinju Forest was already in darkness.
A faint mist reduced visibility in Chinju Forest significantly, but the ground was covered with glowing flowers that illuminated the dark environment, making people feel no fear at all.
The pervasive mist and glowing flowers made the entire forest appear a misty blue, much like the legendary territory of monsters.
However, in ancient Inazuma, this indeed was the territory of monsters. The Tanuki statues scattered throughout the forest were proof of their existence.
These Tanuki statues were certainly not built by humans, but rather were stone statues of sealed Tanuki.
To explain why they were sealed, one must go back to Five hundred years ago.
Five hundred years ago, a calamity erupted. Kitsune Saiguu played a game of hide-and-seek with Ioroi, the leader of the Tanuki, before she left, telling Ioroi not to show himself no matter what happened, that it was her trick to win against him.
As a result, Kitsune Saiguu was consumed by the calamity. Ioroi, unable to wait for Kitsune Saiguu, stole the warding stone used for the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual to force her to appear, and was finally sealed in Chinju Forest by Guji Guuji, Mr..
All in all, this big Tanuki was quite wronged. Stealing the warding stone should be punished, but it shouldn't be a seal.
Crossing a small stream, Shiki continued walking forward while thinking, but Kazuha stopped.
"Ryougi, Miss?"
"Hmm? Why stop?"
"I've found a place to rest. The rest of the journey will be for Ryougi, Miss to continue on your own," Kazuha said.
Following the direction of his finger, Shiki saw a Hilichurl camp. Three ordinary Hilichurls were dancing around a bonfire, and nearby, a Hilichurl Shaman was waving his staff to the rhythm.
"Do you need my help?" Shiki asked.
"No, Ryougi, Miss can just focus on your journey. Chinju Forest is not small, you know."
Kazuha waved his hand, then leaped down from a high place, landing in the center of the Hilichurl camp.
Accompanied by a sigh of "lamentable autumn leaves," Shiki saw a wall formed by wind.