I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit

"Stick close behind me and don't wander off," Kiichi said, her tone carrying a hint of playfulness as she and Sara returned to the underground stone staircase.

This time, she had brought Sara along.

In the game, characters could conveniently transform their weapons into particles of light, summoning them only during combat.

Here, Kiichi discovered that Vision wielders could achieve the same feat. For instance, Sara now carried both a short blade and a longbow. The longbow was stored away through her Vision, while the short blade rested at her thigh.

Both weapons were crafted by Kiichi using ordinary minerals, though the longbow was infused with a branch dropped by an Abyss Mage. Kiichi had noticed that the branch had remarkable elemental affinity. If this were the game, the bow might even come with a bonus like "Increased Energy Recharge."

Having already traversed this staircase twice—once down and once back up—Kiichi wasn't surprised when more Rift Hounds appeared along the way.

It seemed a few had slipped out of the seal while she was gone.

In the confined space, using elemental energy was impractical. Kiichi made quick work of the monsters, vanishing in a blur of speed to slash them apart with her blade.

Sara, holding her bow at the ready, didn't even have a chance to act.

Though Kiichi now had a different identity, her skills from her days as Okita Souji hadn't vanished entirely—or rather, hadn't completely disappeared.

Whenever she wielded a katana, the battle techniques she had mastered as Okita resurfaced in her mind.

This included Okita's famed "Reduced Earth" technique, which Kiichi could also use.

As for the Noble Phantasm Three-Stage Thrust...

With her katana in hand, her thumb braced against the guard, Kiichi narrowed her eyes.

"...It feels doable."

She briefly wondered if the original Okita Souji would be upset to know she had appropriated her signature move.

The Rift Hound corpses vanished without leaving any drops, a sign that her luck wasn't particularly great today.

Since no more enemies appeared, Kiichi turned her attention to Sara, only to find her studying the murals lining the walls.

Bored from having nothing to do while Kiichi handled the monsters, Sara's focus had shifted to the ancient artwork.

"What's caught your eye? Are you curious about the murals?"

"Ah, Master," Sara said, snapping out of her thoughts as Kiichi approached.

"What are these paintings about?"

"Well," Kiichi replied, glancing at the heavily worn murals, "they're so eroded it's hard to make anything out."

Even the most intact mural showed only a group of armed figures seemingly engaged in battle with… something.

The enemy wasn't depicted as a distinct form but rather as a mass of blackness, resembling an ominous tidal wave. Within the darkness, however, Kiichi discerned the shapes of several wolf-like creatures.

"So these mysterious monsters that appeared… could they be the same as the ones depicted here?"

Hearing Kiichi's analysis, Sara frowned, her golden eyes clouded with worry. "It must have been… a terribly difficult battle."

"Maybe," Kiichi said nonchalantly. "Who knows?"

"But, Master, haven't you lived for over a thousand years?" Sara asked, looking up at her. "Didn't you witness that battle?"

"Well…" Kiichi scratched her chin, her tone teasing but enigmatic. "I have lived a thousand years, but I spent most of that time in the mountains and forests, isolated from the outside world. So, don't expect my name to open any doors for you in the city. If you ever venture out there, you're on your own, disciple."

"While I didn't experience that battle myself, I've heard about it—probably around five hundred years ago?"

The lore of Genshin Impact was, in a word, fragmented.

Though Kiichi loved certain parts of the story, she didn't have the patience to piece together the scattered clues into a coherent narrative.

Still, one phrase had stuck with her: "five hundred years ago." Not because of Otto's desperate attempts to save Kallen, but because that period marked a time of great upheaval across Teyvat.

The fall of Khaenri'ah, the rise of the Abyss, countless tragedies—all had plunged the continent into chaos.

"From the distant seas came the black tide, bringing both bonds and betrayals."

During this catastrophe, the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma had lost both her sister and her closest friend. Death and despair took root in the land, and from them bloomed the flowers of calamity.

Kiichi had only gleaned fragments of this history, but even those hinted at the disaster's unimaginable cruelty.

The mural before her likely depicted that very calamity.

She reached out and ruffled Sara's hair.

"Feeling disappointed? That you haven't had the chance to fight because I keep handling everything myself?"

"…No." Sara didn't resist the gesture, her voice soft as she bowed her head. "Acting rashly is a grave mistake in battle. I can see the gap between us and the enemy. But… it won't always be like this. I'll grow stronger. One day, I'll surpass them all."

"Exactly!" Kiichi said, beaming with approval as she patted Sara's head twice. Stretching lazily, she added, "Alright, let's keep moving. Based on my last visit, we should be close now. At least there aren't as many Rift Hounds this time—it's less of a grind. Even farming for experience gets tiresome when it's too repetitive."

Continuing down the staircase, it wasn't long before the pair reached the massive stone door.

Unlike a door that stood upright, this one leaned at a forty-five-degree angle, allowing them to stand on its surface.

Facing the door, Kiichi extended her hand.

---

Oh, hey there, Traveler! 🍃 My friend here is the one bringing these stories to you—quite the talent, wouldn't you agree? If anything feels off, just give them a nudge—they're always happy to make things even better.

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Here's to more adventures and endless inspiration~ 🎵