The Infinite Journey of a Certain Flame

I reluctantly accepted the fact that Kiana had arrived.

however!

She could never have imagined that the deity who should have been sitting in the castle tower, keeping his heart closed off in the Pure Land of the Heart, would be like this.

They actually dared to grace my shrine with their presence...

Is this considered coming to demand an explanation?

"Ahem! Long time no see, I didn't expect you to come..."

Although Yae no Miko spoke of it so casually to Hikari, when Kage arrived in person...

She could no longer maintain that composure.

If she were to hold him accountable for handing over the Heart of God...

"Yes, I'm here."

"And then? You..."

Yae no Miko waved her hand, dismissing the priestess who had unwittingly invited two extremely troublesome individuals, and then looked at her old friend as if facing a formidable enemy.

And, that white-haired girl she could never handle.

Kiana...

The Battle Between Flame and Lightning and the Abyss (Genshin Impact): Chapter Twelve - The Death Star, Heading Towards Liyue!

"You really know how to give me things to do!"

Looking at Kiana, who was grinning foolishly and seemed completely unaware of the great thing she had done, Yae no Miko felt utterly helpless.

She sighed, then turned her gaze to the shadow.

"My dear friend, what brings you to see me today? Is it to retrieve that chess piece?"

Because the shape of the Heart of God closely resembles a chess piece, Kiana quickly realized that the chess piece she was referring to was actually the Heart of God.

However, knowing this didn't mean she had any intention of getting involved.

Ultimately, this thing is a key tool in this world, and even if the decision of whether to keep it or throw it away must be made by them.

However, both she and Yae no Miko were actually taken aback.

"Chess pieces? Oh, is that what you mean... I entrusted them to you for safekeeping, but I didn't pay much attention to them. Since you've lost them... well, they're still lost."

"Huh? So, my good friend, you're not going to hold me accountable?"

"Do you want to accept the punishment you deserve?"

Ying glanced sideways at her sister's family, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

When I entrusted the Heart of God to her for safekeeping, I didn't really think about it that much.

Now that this item has been lost, she should theoretically bear some responsibility.

But never mind.

Anyway, it's just a symbol of divine justice being promulgated, so we don't need it.

Thinking of this, Ying relaxed and asked in a more peaceful tone:

"If I want to, I can strike at any time."

"No, no, no, how could that be? Hehehe, since you don't intend to hold me accountable, that's perfect..."

Since the person who lost the item probably doesn't care too much, just like she thought, Yae no Miko wouldn't be so foolish as to risk her life.

After this series of minor incidents, the tense atmosphere between the two sides finally eased somewhat.

"Hmm... although the number of people who came exceeded my expectations, I suppose..."

Inside Yae no Miko's room, Kiana and Kage each faced the great priestess.

Ying faced her old friend in a very standard kneeling posture.

Kiana, on the other hand, sat cross-legged rather casually.

Clearly, she did not intend to follow these formalities.

However, because of her special status, Yae no Miko and Kage didn't pay too much attention to it.

After staring at Kiana for a moment with a slightly speechless expression, Yae no Miko touched her ear and asked softly:

"You've all come here for the same reason, haven't you?"

"Regarding the activities of the Abyss Cult in the vicinity?"

"The Abyss Cult? Oh, so those corrupt beings are called the Abyss Cult? Hmm... you've fought against them before."

“That’s right, Shadow also killed the Abyss Apostle.”

Although Yae no Miko is a familiar of the former Thunder God and strictly speaking a member of Tenri's camp, Tenri's actions are too secretive.

This resulted in her having absolutely no idea what the so-called Abyss Apostles were all about.

Finally, after Kiana's explanation, she belatedly realized what kind of monsters these were...

"The Abyss Order... if we leave it unchecked, the Divine Cherry Tree will soon meet with disaster..."

"No, I guarantee it. They won't come here rashly anytime soon."

"Really?"

"Of course it's true!"

Faced with Kiana's assurance, Yae no Miko crossed her arms and showed an expression of disbelief.

After all, there were too many unknowns about these monsters from the abyss.

However, after seeing Kage's expression of complete trust in Kiana, Yae no Miko pondered for a long time.

In the end, he shrugged helplessly.

"Alright, but... I won't just sit here and wait to die. I'll keep an eye on the surroundings in the near future, and I'll let you know immediately if there are any problems."

"Huh? But, we're going to the Moon Festival next."

"The Moon Chasing Festival? Oh, that festival of the Liyue people? Hmm... that's strange, why are you suddenly thinking of going on a long trip, Shadow?"

Yae no Miko glanced at Kage and Kiana, seemingly unintentionally, and suddenly revealed a smug smile.

Seeing this, Ying Qi stomped one foot on the floor, then reached out to touch his chest:

"Foolish question!"

"Hey! You said you wouldn't pursue it, oh dear!"

In the end, Yae no Kami, who failed in his attempt to overthrow his superior, was knocked to the ground by the Shadow and whipped several times on the buttocks with a sword.

It was thanks to Kiana's intervention that the blushing vixen was able to be beaten until she cried.

"Phew, I feel much better now."

After sheathing his sword, Ying stared calmly at Yae no Miko, who was struggling to even stand.

"While I'm away, you will be responsible for protecting Inazuma. If there is any danger to Naru Shrine, you must step forward. Do you understand?"

"That's really rude..."

After being lectured by Ying, Yae no Miko, knowing she couldn't beat her, rubbed her mother's little bottom and sighed that the older sister was definitely easier to get along with.

What's with this sister? She just started hitting people!

but...

Forget it.

"I would do it even without your order."

Yae no Miko spread her hands and glared at Kage a few times, as if scolding him.

He then slowly waved his hand, respectfully seeing her and Kiana off as they descended the mountain hand in hand.

"Farewell, General Thunder. What chaos will this land face in the near future? And what will you... do to prevent the worst from happening? I look forward to it!"

...

After leaving Shadow Mountain, Kiana and Shadow continued their mission.

Since there weren't many tasks to begin with, and given their extraordinary abilities, they didn't waste much time.

They successfully arrived in front of Beidou.

"Yes, thank you. Haha! This is the one we agreed on."

After receiving the commission, Beidou kept his promise and put a portion of the promised reward into his pocket.

Then he threw the bag over.

Kiana casually picked it up and then opened the bag to check its contents using the system's accounting function.

After confirming that she had enough Mora, she put the money bag into her system's inventory.

"Yes, that's all."

"Haha! You only glanced at it casually? That's great, since that's how it is..."

Seeing that Kiana only glanced at the money before accepting it, Beidou assumed it was a sign of her extreme trust in him, and thus turned away gratefully.

"Brothers, raise the sails! We're heading back to Liyue for the Luna Festival!"

"Oh!"

With the captain's order, the sailors who had been staying in the Inazuma region for a long time finally had the opportunity to return home.

Driven by this enthusiasm, they worked with extraordinary zeal.

Before long, they successfully lowered the sail and sailed their beloved Death Star away from the island's dock.

Standing on the dock of this unofficial warship, Kiana and Shadow gazed at the boundless sea in the distance.

I began to imagine the beautiful scenery of the monthly festivals...