Chapter Text
“Why don’t you come to the festival to be held in Inazuma City tomorrow?”
Enjou looked up from the book he was reading, blinking at the Kamisato heiress. They were currently in one of the rooms of her family’s estate, the shoji door pulled open to let cool, fresh air in. He had taken a seat in the corner next to the doorway, respectfully keeping his distance as two friends occupied the only table in the room to catch up.
He shifted his gaze to the other occupant of said table. Lumine set her cup of tea down, looking at Ayaka inquisitively.
“Inazuma City? Isn’t Irodori to be held in Ritou?”
“Ah, this one is different from that,” the other young lady clarified, giggling daintily. “It’s a more…private celebration of the abolishment of both Vision Hunt and Sakoku Decrees. By private, I mean it’s nearly exclusively Inazuman and for foreigners who have lived long enough here to already be Inazuman. I’m inviting you not only because you’re a dear friend of many here, but also for your contributions on the abolishment.”
The Traveler ducked her head at that, blushing lightly.
“That would be wonderful, Ayaka. Thank you,” she said with a small, genuine smile. “It might be good timing on our part anyway. There’s something we have to pick up from Yoimiya tomorrow.”
Oh yeah. They’d stopped by Naganohara Fireworks earlier on the way to the Kamisato Estate from their journey to the rest of the islands of Inazuma. Lumine had talked to a cheerful woman with strawberry blonde hair for a long enough while that Enjou had gone to the Yae Publishing House to purchase a new book. That was definitely Yoimiya.
What is it that she had requested from the Pyro Vision bearer anyway?
“We might have to come earlier though,” he suggested, snapping his light novel shut. “Yoimiya-san might have her hands full with the celebration.”
Lumine nodded her agreement. Ayaka’s eyes widened.
“Of course! You can bring Enjou-san with you too, aside from Paimon-chan!”
The Lector in disguise flinched mildly at that. He wasn’t exactly keen on being crowded on all sides by humans, even if they were oblivious to his true nature.
“You’re a friend of Lumine’s, so the invitation extends to you,” the Cryo swordwielder insisted, probably noticing his hesitance. “It would be a good way for you to experience the culture of your grandparents too.”
It was the excuse he had come up with for his fake background, that he was a researcher born in a faraway land and was currently learning more of his family’s cultural origin. His grandfather was a Yashiori miner who had married a Watatsumi islander, and they had moved to another country to raise a family far from the conflict that plagued their home nation then. It was a believable enough lie, and it would explain his familiarity with some Inazuman knowledge.
He briefly looked to his travel companion, pleading with his eyes.
…but the intensity in Lumine’s clearly beat his. Ever since he had agreed to go with her, Enjou had found it harder to refuse her. There was something about her that her twin in the Abyssal throne didn’t have that drew Enjou to her. It was in the way she looked at him, in the twine of her fingers with his, in the smile she gave him oh so generously.
“...yes, Ayaka-san. That is a great idea,” he relented, making sure to keep the exasperated sigh out of his tone. “I also thank you for your kind invitation.”
“Then it’s settled,” the heiress affirmed, happy with their decision. “I’ll let the vendors and stall attendants know to watch out for you. Can’t have the Hero of Inazuma and her companions spend all their hard-earned mora on something she had a major part in.”
“A-Ayaka!” Lumine half-shrieked, the red on her cheeks darkening. “There’s no need for that! I can pay - “
“This is the least I can do for you, Lumine-chan - “
It was amusing to see the Traveler who had won so many difficult battles this so out of her depth. Enjou raised his book to his mouth to hide his smirk as he watched Lumine get redder and redder with each of Ayaka’s insistences, failing to sway the other young woman of her generosity.
“We’re back with the food!” Paimon announced, gliding through the doorway as the housekeeper, Thoma, stepped in with a tray of steaming dishes. “What did I miss?”
Ayaka took that as her cue to relay her invitation to the annoying elf toddler, while Lumine simmered and flushed brighter in silence. Thoma laughed at the sight of her, Paimon following with a delighted squeal of excitement, and with the food being placed on the table, Enjou decided it was time he took his place next to his…friend.
(Why did “friend” seem not enough to encapsulate what he saw in Lumine?)
He subtly stuffed his mouth with seagrass and tofu in miso, ignoring the still bitter glares from Paimon and the something Lumine was radiating towards him with her sundrop gaze.
~
Old man Naganohara had needed help with arranging the fireworks around Hanamizaka the next day, as Yoimiya was taking care of the same thing in the nearby Amakane Island. Lumine decided to help, considering it was easy enough for someone as able-bodied as her. She could do it while waiting for Yoimiya, and the implied importance of whatever she had requested from her was intriguing Enjou even more.
He had taken on the assignment of warding off the outskirts of Inazuma City while the Traveler and her Emergency Food (heh, he’d taken great pleasure in ticking off the floating child with that, once he had learned of it) ran around and placed the celebratory explosives in their proper places, with help from the few Doushin available in the area. The task was simple for a Lector of his relatively marginal caliber. Rounin and bandits didn’t stand a chance against his Abyssal flames, even without him accessing his more intimidating form. Cheaply smithed weapons and light armor melted effortlessly under his heat, but Enjou let them escape to lick at their wounds in farther, more hidden places. He wasn’t kidding when he promised Lumine that he would turn over a new leaf for her.
The next on his list - and probably the last - was a small tribe of Hilichurls, led by a Mitachurl whose axe crackled with Electro slime secretions. They didn’t notice his approach, busy as they were with dancing around their campfire. He cleared his throat loudly.
“Friends,” he addressed them once he had their attention, fluent as he was in Hilichurlian. “May I ask you to move your camp away from here for the time being? A large gathering of humans is expected to come into being soon and nearby. You would be outnumbered should they choose to fight you.”
It would be like the last Hilifolk groups he and Lumine encountered on their journey so far. As someone who used to hold a position way above an Abyss Mage, respect and compliance from these mobs of monsters came smoothly. The beings would hastily scramble off his path whenever he so wished.
Except for this particular tribe, apparently.
“You!” The Mitachurl roared, raising its axe in his direction. “You are the one the Mage has warned us about! The Traitor!”
“Traitor! Traitor!” Chorused the Hilichurls, already arming themselves with their weapons. “You betrayed the Cause! The Abyss wants your head!”
Oh boy. That didn’t sound good.
“I approach you as a friend,” he attempted, raising his hands in a hopefully placating manner. “Perhaps you mistake me for someone else - “
“Liar! Liar and Traitor!”
With that, the Mitachurl leaped high in the air. It slammed its raised axe down as it landed right on top of Enjou, only to hit a forcefield that briefly shimmered bright fire orange.
“Did you really think you small, insignificant things have what it takes to retrieve my head for your masters?” The Lector sneered, channeling the depth and distortion of his usual voice as his eyes flashed white. “I warned you as a friend. I will beat you into submission as an enemy so above your level, all you will see of me as you squint in desperation are the soles of my feet.”
With a single thought, his Pyro shield burst outwards, sending the Mitachurl flying back. He summoned his Darkfire Furnace with a flourish of his arms, uncaring of how it dwarfed his human stature. He waved his hands around it, funneling his inner fires into his catalyst before he unleashed pillars of flame erupting from the earth, easily scorching his aggressors.
The battle was over quickly, and nothing remained of the small tribe but ashes and burnt grass. Normally, he wouldn’t even bother to raise a hand at the Hilifolk as they were unfortunate souls twisted by the Cataclysm just like him, and they were more than likely to cower in fear at his very presence. But the situation has changed now.
It seemed that the Abyss Order had called for a hit on him. He should’ve expected that his defecting to Lumine’s side would be received this badly.
But he was so unmoved by the Cause, so unimpressed by the Prince’s efforts. The Traveler had won him over with her promise of showing him the world, with her eyes and her hand in his and her smile, with the something that allured him like a moth to a flame.
(And isn’t that last one an irony.)
He massaged the space between his eyebrows, willing the newborn musings of a migraine away. He was going to have to warn his traveling companions of this. He expected other Hilifolk tribes from now on to be as aggressive and vindictive as this one had been. He eyed his Furnace and, with a swish of his finger, sent it to revolve around the vicinity of Inazuma City, making sure its flight pattern was fast and erratic enough to avoid watchful eyes. It was an extension of himself after all, and it wasn’t the first time he was using it for this kind of surveillance.
He gave the remnants of the camp one last disdainful look before he turned on his heel and headed back towards Hanamizaka, mood soured.