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Baal, the Raiden Shogun and Archon of Inazuma, wakes up alone in her chamber to a dull throbbing from her head and the sound of chirping birds.
Getting up while nursing her head, still dressed in her night robe, Baal slowly walked to the edge of her chamber and opened the door, allowing herself to bask in the light of the morning sun and the gentle caress of the morning breeze as she took a silent, deep breath and looked at Inazuma City from the top of Tenshukaku.
She could hear some words of prayers even this early in the morning, and silently etched the name of the devotees to her memory; names to be remembered among countless others in her heart.
As the God of Eternity, it is her divine duty to remember every single one of her friends, followers and enemies, to become the shrine that housed countless names and wishes; even if their names and contribution become lost to time, as long as the Immortal Shogun lives, then they would be remembered for eternity. They don’t need to fear being forgotten, for she is the living proof that they once existed.
And yet, as she caught a movement in the gardens and thought for a moment she’d find a bake-danuki , only to see a cat stretching and purring, Baal thought that sometimes, eternity can be lonely.
After having a bath in Tenshukaku’s onsen , braiding her hair and changing into her usual attire, Baal walked down to her private dining room, where servants greeted her and served her breakfast before leaving her alone. It’s an extravagant breakfast fit for a god, but the novelty has worn off after the last thousand years or so.
Still, Baal enjoyed the peace and quiet. Mornings are sacred to her, a chance for her to reflect on the past and prepare for the future, and she has no need for idle chatter or company during such a time.
She took her time in finishing her meal, seeing no need to hurry, and mentally checked on the things she’d need to do today. She had planned to oversee the military training of her army today, a promise with Yae to visit the shrine in the afternoon, and then a dinner with Sara in the evening. Perhaps granting some blessings and wishes here and there on her way to the shrine.
But as she finished her mental checklist, she heard the sound of cups clinking along with the familiar painful throb from her head; knowing what was about to happen, Baal looked up from her meal.
She’s no longer in Tenshukaku or even in Inazuma; the sound of waves and ships going in and out, along with the lively sounds of Liyue Harbor, filled her ears along with the unmistakable smell of Liyue’s alcohol and cuisine. Sitting at the head of the table is Morax, unfazed by the noise and chaos around the table as he enjoyed his meal; Barbatos held a wine cup on one hand and the Tsaritsa’s scepter on the other while the Cryo Archon looked flabbergasted as she realized the scepter in her hand has been replaced with a Hilichurl’s staff without her noticing; besides her, Murata is laughing uproariously as she saw the antics of her fellow Archons, drinking her wine straight from the bottle while the God of Justice and the God of Woods are quietly chatting among themselves on the opposite side of the table.
It was a nostalgic sight, and yet it brought nothing but a feeling of melancholy in her heart.
Baal blinks, finding herself back at Tenshukaku, but she’s not alone; Sumeru’s God of Woods, who died during the Cataclysm, is sitting across from her. He doesn’t say anything, merely staring silently at her, but Baal feels as if she’s being judged by his gaze.
The Seven hasn’t met again in Liyue ever since the Cataclysm occurred. Barbatos is back asleep for who knows how long; The Tsaritsa has changed overnight, and now secluded herself from the rest of the world; The new Dendro Archon, the God of Wisdom, is busy acclimating himself to the role, and the rest are undoubtedly busy managing their own nations.
Or perhaps meeting each other would only remind themselves of their powerlessness, that they are only pieces of the board, in the end.
Baal knew that feeling well.
She knew the feeling of not being strong enough all too well.
As she continued to eat her meal in silence, the God of Woods’ silent stare seemed to be asking her a single question.
Was my death in vain?
Baal couldn’t answer that question.
Baal silently watched as soldiers sparred and trained with swords, spears and bows, sitting on a raised platform alone. The sound of wooden weapons clashing, arrows flying and instructors shouting at the top of their lungs brings her back some memories from the past.
While she remembered every single samurai that had ever served her, a few stand out more than the others; they are more easily recalled, with some personal details that she remembered, whether from individual quirks or their combat style. And among these few, even fewer are those she personally favored, whose loyalty and skill far surpassed those of their fellow samurai. And looking at the training occurring on the field below, she could almost see him laughing, easily defeating a dozen other men with peerless swordplay and scoring bullseye after bullseye with his bow.
Baal remembered Takamine well. Unlike other samurai, he was a boorish man who loved to wander around, gamble, and cause trouble, but he was a stubborn man; confident, playful, and never knew when to give up. And if she hadn’t taken notice of him for his troublesome behavior or exceptional battle prowess, then him being close to Kanade - a shrine maiden under the personal tutelage of the Kitsune Saiguu - would have made her notice him.
Still, the only reason she made him a Hatamoto was because the Great Tengu had personally asked her to, and the tengu was never mistaken in gauging a person’s strength and talent; so despite her own reservations Baal gave him the Mistsplitter, warning him that should he not change his ways, then he would fall long before the blade ever will, unworthy of the sword.
But like always…
No need to worry, Shogun-sama! Thanks for the sword, but if anything, the blade will be the one to break first instead of me!
Takamine didn’t heed her words and replied back with a confident grin. It was almost blasphemous, implying the sword she personally gifted to be unworthy of a mere human.
But as she turned her gaze back to the training field, what she saw was not men training against men, but men fighting against demons; darkness shrouded the sky and land like a veil, even turning the seas pitch-black, and as she fought back along with the Kitsune Saiguu, the Great Tengu and Chiyo by her side, she saw Takamine, the only survivor of her yoriki , fighting alone against a hyakki - a parade of one hundred demons.
It was futile. No human could ever fight against a hyakki and emerge victorious - even an army had never accomplished it.
But it was in that battle that Baal saw Takamine truly fought for the first time without restraint, alone against the approaching darkness, and he became a storm among the demons, Mistsplitter flashing violet as it slayed demon after demon, his stamina putting even most tengu to shame as he sliced and diced through the parade by himself like a never-ending chain of lightning. It was an inspiring sight, to see a single human standing against impossible odds…
But in the end, even Takamine fell.
Not because he wasn’t strong or skilled enough, but because Mistsplitter wasn’t as tenacious as its wielder; the blade shattered long before Takamine’s body gave up, proving his blasphemous boast true in the worst possible way.
Baal knew that wasn’t the sole reason. She knew Takamine had left his bow as a wager and a promise to Kanade, and had he not done so, perhaps the result would have been different.
But she couldn’t help but to wonder at what could have been.
If she had listened to him - if she had given him an even better sword - would the result be different?
Would it have prevented Kanade from killing the man she loved out of mercy?
With the familiar pain of a headache, Baal could see them from the corner of her eyes; Takamine lying dead on Kanade’s lap, as the shrine maiden silently glared at her with tears and contempt in her eyes.
How can you call yourself the Shogun when you failed to protect anyone but yourself?!
Baal closed her eyes and took a deep breath in order to drown out the painful throb in her head, careful not to show any weakness when she was under the gaze of so many soldiers.
When she opened them back, the ghosts were no longer there.
When she arrived at the Grand Narukami Shrine, Yae had personally greeted her with a smile before they entered the main building for some privacy, away from prying eyes. Yae then offered her sake and onigiri - both of which Baal knew the Guuji made herself - and with a raise of their cups, they drank.
It tastes as good as always, and Baal could feel herself relaxing a little as she lowers the icy, indifferent mask that she’s always worn for a bit, lost in conversation with one of the few people that she could genuinely call her friend.
Yae is… pleasant to talk to. Like the Kitsune Saiguu before her, she’s polite, well-mannered, and sometimes loves to get on a tangent about philosophy; but despite all that, Yae isn’t above teasing her, and often does as she pleases as long as it’s not breaking any rules, like creating her own publishing house or even going out of the country every now and then.
“Are there any rules that forbid the Guuji from creating a business or going overseas, Raiden? If this crosses a line and there is such a rule, then you may smite me down if you so wish. ”
Yae had said that with that signature smile of hers back then, and Baal couldn’t help but to adore this girl, who was born after the Calamity and thus is young for kitsune standards, for her attitude; indeed, she was reminded of the time when the Kitsune Saiguu tricked her into accepting Ioroi as the guardian of Chinju Forest.
Their private meetings - be it at the shrine or the Tenshukaku - are often spent on idle chatter as they enjoyed their drink and snack. Yae usually talked about whatever she’d done recently, like finding a promising young author or the latest, most popular novels from overseas; if she’d returned from Liyue, Baal would ask her how Morax is doing, and Yae would tell her what she did with the Geo Archon or her friend, the half-adeptus named Ganyu; and sometimes, they’d talk about more serious matters, like the Fatui and what the Tsaritsa is doing in Snezhnaya.
Yae’s ability to befriend people much older than her despite being younger than five hundred years old is something quite special inded.
Still, during these times, sometimes a small part of herself wished she could talk about things that truly matter, things that had been bothering her for centuries; about Khaenri’ah, about the Calamity, about Celestia…
But she couldn’t, and even if she could, it wasn’t worth risking the wrath of Celestia and endangering her friend and country.
That’s why most of the time she let Yae lead the conversation.
But today, having recently read the New Chronicles of the Six Kitsune, she decided to ask why Yae had never asked her about the Kitsune Saiguu when she had the privilege of being friends with the Immortal Shogun. Yae gave her a smile in response, though it seems different from her usual smiles, and…
“What kind of friend would I be if I ask something that’s going to hurt you?”
Gave her that reply as she poured her another cup of sake .
Baal wanted to deny it. She wanted to say that she’s alright, that she’s eager to reminisce and tell Yae of the days she spent with the Kitsune Saiguu and the others before the Cataclysm occurred; but when she opened her mouth, no words came out, and she could feel her chest tightening and a knot forming in her stomach in response to the attempt.
Yae gave her a sad smile, and Baal looked away.
In the silence that followed, Baal could almost see the scene like it was yesterday: She was sitting besides the Kitsune Saiguu, facing the Sacred Sakura; Kanade served them their snacks and sake , earning her a playful bop of the Saiguu’s pipe to her head, and the shrine maiden ran off in a huff to learn archery from Takamine; Chiyo, as beautiful as she was deadly, danced before the Sacred Sakura, and the Great Tengu spent her time with her daughter Teruyo, showing her rarely-seen maternal side.
Those days were among the happiest in her long life.
But they’re all gone now, and nothing remains but the memory and a pang of hollowness in her heart. As much as she wanted to blame the Cataclysm, blame the Abyss for creating monstrosities that threatened her nation, Baal knew that in the end, the blame lies solely on herself, as the ruling Archon and Shogun of Inazuma.
Because she wasn’t strong enough.
Time passed, and as the sun was beginning to set, Baal prepared herself to return to Tenshukaku. But as she stood before the torii gates and said her farewell to Yae, thanking her for her company and hospitality, the pink-haired girl offered her some unknown medicine that she had never seen before.
“A gift from Morax.” Yae replied with her usual smile. “Mortals won’t be able to handle it, but as a god, you should have no trouble consuming it. I pray that it can help you in some way.”
Of course Yae noticed that she had been feeling unwell lately. Somehow that doesn’t surprise her.
Taking the offered medicine with a nod, Baal offered the Guuji a quiet thank you with a small smile before leaving the shrine, her mood lifted after that painful reminiscence.
She is thankful to have Yae as a friend.
Unlike with Yae, whenever she spends some time with Sara it’s usually about work. The general is devoted, loyal, and was never good with idle talk, and in that sense she reminds Baal of herself. So dinner with Sara is usually spent with the general reporting about her duty, whether there’s any threats to the safety and eternity of her nation, and Baal would ask questions while also assigning Sara her next assignment for the next week or so. If she was patrolling Narukami Island, for example, then Baal would assign her to another island, like Yashiori, to check on the mining operation and ensure the wards sealing Tatarigami is still intact.
But if that’s the case, if that’s all there is to Kujou Sara, then she would have treated her like any other general. Receive her in her office, listen to her report, and then assign her next mission. She wouldn’t have invited her to dinner, an honor that few generals have received throughout Inazuma’s history. No, there is a reason aside from her skill and loyalty that made Baal favor Kujou Sara so much.
The fact that she’s a tengu .
After the Cataclysm and the death of Kitsune Saiguu, the Great Tengu went on a self-imposed exile out of shame for failing to protect the Saiguu, and the majority of the tengu followed her, vanishing into who-knows-where; the few that got left behind, like Teruyo, didn’t remain for long, and eventually left as well. Meanwhile, the sky and earth kitsune turned themselves into stone, and Ioroi with his bake-danuki were sealed for causing too much trouble for the Sakura Cleansing in the wake of Saiguu's absence.
There’s so few youkai left now in Inazuma, and for her, who had been sought after by youkai in the past for her eternity, the fact that Yae is practically the only one who stayed hurt . It’s as if a portion of her people suddenly just up and left because she wasn’t good enough, both as their shogun and as their god; the sound of their prayers has faded, and now the only one she could hear were the prayers of humans.
So when she saw the adopted daughter of the Kujou Clan for the first time and saw past her human disguise, Baal felt… happy. Happy that a tengu had decided to join her army, decided to serve her, and decided to come back. And Sara reminded her so much of Sasayuri, her dearest tengu general from so long ago, that she couldn’t help but to show some favoritism despite her efforts to remain impartial.
And yet, the reminiscence she had at the Grand Narukami Shrine now made her see another person in Sara’s shadow aside from Sasayuri, along with the familiar painful throb in her head.
Chiyo was there, the oni general’s beauty tarnished and her visage dark, sitting just behind Sara with glowing and crazed eyes, and--
“Shogun-sama? Is something wrong?”
Baal looked at Sara, the tengu’s eyes showing concern, and yet as she tried to wave Sara’s concern off she could still see the ghost of Chiyo behind the general despite Sasayuri’s ghost being gone, while her headache was getting worse.
She’ll betray you in the end , she could hear Chiyo whispering to her ears despite the ghost never leaving Sara’s shadow. Just like I did .
A memory flashed in her mind, of Chiyo breaking her naginata and swinging her sword at her neck; a flash of lightning, an arm and a horn severed as the oni screamed out in pain; and the former general escaping Tenshukaku while she didn’t give chase, staying still even though she could have caught and killed Chiyo right then and there.
Baal looked at Sara, who is now looking alert as she glanced around the room with her bow laying by her side, and the image of the tengu letting an arrow loose at her one day when they’re dining just like this suddenly seems inevitable--
Baal closed her eyes, and taking a deep yet silent breath, forcibly suppressed her own emotions and paranoia. When she opened her eyes again, Chiyo’s ghost was gone, but her skull felt like it was being pounded by a hammer while Sara was now kneeling beside her in obvious worry, one hand gripping her bow while the other seemed unsure whether to touch her or not, the tengu ’s eyes darting back and forth between her and the room.
Sara must have thought she was looking at someone else, someone unseen, and assumed that her current condition was caused by an invisible assailant; a logical and reasonable assumption, but one that is ultimately wrong. Before Sara could call in the guards for a false alarm, Baal raised her hand to stop her, reassuring the general that she is fine and merely needs to retire to her chamber earlier than expected.
Sara didn’t look convinced, looking at her as if she’d need protection, and Baal glared at the general as she felt her eyes glowing with power in response to the insult, her message clear.
None is as powerful as I in this nation.
Sara’s face turned pale, and she nodded a few moments later, which is good. That means the tengu still has faith in her strength as the Shogun and Archon of Inazuma, even after seeing that shameful display of a moment of weakness.
“Do you need me to escort you to your chambers, your excellency?”
Baal appreciated the thought, but the growing headache made her refuse Sara’s request as she stood up and left the dining hall, giving the bowing general one last look as she did so.
She fought the urge to look back as she walked back to her chamber, convincing herself that Sara would never attack her just because her last beloved general did.
Baal sat cross-legged in her room, holding the medicine that Yae gave her in one hand as she felt her headache getting worse. But as much as she wanted nothing more than to take the medicine and go to sleep, her daily nightly ritual is not something that she’d ever skip or miss, not even once. So she put the medicine down, and closing her eyes in order to concentrate, Baal began to meditate.
It only took her a minute to empty her thoughts, and another minute for the headache to subside - at least for the time being - and then, as she felt herself levitating off the ground, Baal felt reality shattering away like glass, and in place of the silence of her chamber, the sound of torii gates rising from the earth filled the air as the shrine of her heart is slowly taking shape in this domain.
Baal only opened her eyes when she felt that her domain had fully manifested.
Crimson moon shines in a sky tainted with the color of blood, overlooking a land filled with an innumerable number of people and youkai , every one of whom had already passed on. They all looked at her expectantly, just like they always did every night, and she’d keep her word as the God of Eternity. Still levitating cross-legged, Baal simply nodded, and braced herself for what was to come.
They came like a tsunami of souls and memories, each disappearing as they came into contact with her, and Baal once again closed her eyes in order to maintain her sense of self while remembering every single one of their name and deeds; it doesn’t matter whether they were her friends, enemies or subjects; every single person who has met her or prayed to her will be remembered by the God of Eternity.
And when the tsunami began to recede, words of adoration and encouragement intertwining with utterances of hate and contempt, Baal slowly opened her eyes to land her eyes on the last soul that remained.
The Kitsune Saiguu stood alone, her signature smoking pipe in hand, and looking at her with an all-too-familiar smile.
There’s no one else but the two of them, and just like always, Baal felt her mask slipping away and spoke her mind without restraint to her dearest friend.
“What should I do, Saiguu?” She asked quietly to the ghost of the kitsune . “Ever since the Cataclysm - ever since you were gone - things have gotten worse. Chiyo betrayed me after coming back alive from being devoured by the Nue, Kanade joined Ako Domeki’s rebellion and unleashed the sealed resentment in Seirai, and everyone else who weren’t dead either left or got sealed away.”
Baal allowed herself to break form, letting her feet touch the ground and walked until she was right in front of the Kitsune Saiguu.
She missed them.
She terribly missed them all.
“My own people… my own friends betrayed me. Attacked me. And I was scared that… that Celestia would take that as a sign of rebellion against the Divine. That they’d punish and destroy Inazuma, like they did to Khaenri’ah.”
Her body shook as she remembered the destruction of such an advanced nation in the blink of an eye, the form of the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles burned into her mind as it undoubtedly did to her fellow Archons.
How she wished she could feel Saiguu's warmth for comfort, just like she did in the past.
“And while Celestia didn’t punish Inazuma for now… what about in the future? What if more rebellion occurred? What if they succeed?” She asked with a trembling voice, even if she knew the ghost couldn’t really give her an answer. “The Sangonomiya and the people of Watatsumi Island still worships Orobashi to this day… What if they seek revenge? What if all these troubles made Celestia think that I failed to uphold my ideal of Eternity?”
The Kitsune Saiguu didn’t say anything; she merely held out her hand, and seeing the familiar gesture, Baal did the same, their palms touching together, and an instant later the ghost and memory were gone, returning to the shrine in her heart.
But the Saiguu’s last words, uttered before her death, echoed in her mind.
Do not be blinded. Do not waver. Keep walking the path that you believe in.
And just like that, the world around her disappeared, and Baal found herself back in her room. Tired and exhausted, she collapsed on her bed, eyes looking at the ceiling as she pondered on what she should do.
What is the path that she believes in in the first place…?
Baal knew that the answer was eternity. It is her ideal, her identity as a god, and yet she has begun doubting it lately. What has eternity brought to her people, to Inazuma, other than a reassurance to be remembered?
It didn’t help her friends. It has no tangible effect on her people. It couldn’t stop the Abyss from taking so many things from her.
No. There must be a better way to implement eternity. She merely hasn’t done enough.
To be eternal is to surpass the cycle of life and death, overcome samsara, and reach enlightenment. To be immovable in the face of hardship and change. An eternal paradise where nothing could ever threaten her nation and people ever again…
That sounds nice, doesn’t it…?
She couldn’t turn back time, nor could she regain what she had lost no matter how much she wished for it.
But she could still save her people in the present. She could still save Yae. She could still save Sara.
She won’t let the deaths and sacrifices of the past be in vain.
With newfound resolve, Baal rose from her bed and took the medicine Morax personally made, looking at it contemplatively and swearing a silent oath to herself.
This time, she’d succeed.
This time, she won’t fail.
And anyone who dares to threaten her nation, her people, her eternity, no matter who they might be or why, shall face the wrath of Raiden Shogun, the Narukami Ogosho and Electro Archon of Inazuma.