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“Can you repeat that, Miss Kamisato?”
“When we returned, the festival float had been cleanly split into two, and all the maintainers pointed to a ginger man as the culprit.”
Yanfei stared down at the pale-haired girl. The lawyer was no fool—if she survived Inazuma’s dog-eat-dog world of hierarchy with graceful elegance, then Kamisato Ayaka was truly a formidable presence. Her poise, frozen in a moment of perfection, was undoubtedly calculated with a fearful level of precision, a delicate balance of deference to the Shogun standing above her and assertive pride that her name carried.
The Shirasagi Himegimi was a smart girl—she wouldn’t choose to spout lies on the stand in front of Yanfei.
She could feel a headache waiting in the wings. For triple her usual rates, the contract said, she was to oversee a hearing of unprecedented scale. It was a golden opportunity to tread on the unexplored field of international law. The codices of Teyvat’s nations already lined her shelves - nigh time for her memorization to be put to action.
No one told her that the Raiden Shogun herself would grace the courtroom’s presence in lieu of her commissioners. No one told her that the parcel system had shut down, blocking her from previewing the other countries’ evidence, And no one told her that what hung in the balance was the fragile tension with the militarizing Snezhnaya.
Waving one hand to dispel her thoughts, Yanfei crossed her arms. “Then, noting the relative rarity of ginger hair in the Inazuman population, and the recently declared Sakoku Decree, it means that suspicion falls on the lone foreign dignitary present at the Yashiro Commission’s event, which would be-”
A stack of papers appeared in front of her, and Yanfei paused to nod in Jean’s direction. If Eula was the Knights of Favonius’ rogue, then Jean was their anchor. In the few hours since they met, they’d quickly come to depend on each other—an oasis of stability in an absurd case. “Thank you, Jean,” she smiled as she accepted the files.
In that sliver of silence she’d yielded to the court, just barely enough time, she heard a voice call out. Precisely what she’d told him not to do just ten minutes ago.
“Inazuman plays are quite the show, Miss Kamisato. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a stimulating play. Praise be to the Tsaritsa that I was able to bear witness to the Yashiro Commission’s finest artists.”
Below the podium where she, Jean, and the Shogun hovered, two stands sat opposite to each other. On one side was Ayaka, a picture-perfect depiction of a dignified witness. Facing her was a man dressed like he had just woken up. His scarf was frayed at the ends, with one end touching the ground and one pinned to the side of his dull gray uniform. Yanfei had insisted on better clothes, but the young man proved to be worthy of his codename. Childe. Tartaglia.
Irritation did not stop Yanfei from thumbing through the Kamera pictures inked onto the paper. True to Ayaka’s word, the stately Inazuman float had been cleaved in half with surgical precision—a telltale sign of elemental whatnot at work. The next page revealed a fallen ox head adorned with paper decorations, followed by a side view showing off the float’s intricate woodwork, mostly undisturbed save for the clean cut.
She silently cringed. Including artistic value, the damages looked to be around 50 million Mora, enough to dent even the Tsaritsa’s coffers.
“We…are honored that our traditions are appreciated,” Ayaka’s voice replied, earning a mental round of applause from Yanfei for her shrewdness. “The Shogun’s triumph over the gods of sickness that prowled Narukami Island is a hopeful tale, and our play aims to honor this memory, as well as pray for our people’s continued health and wellbeing. It is…”
Yanfei looked up to Jean as the next words hung in the balance. The Shogun’s mere presence electrified the air, imbuing it with sparks that threatened to rip through their little hearing, yet the redhead remained languid, unaware of the storm brewing with him at the center.
No, the xiezhi shook her head. The dignitaries that came begging for her to take this case said as much. The man in front of her, childish as he seemed, notoriously craved violence. He was smiling not out of ignorance, but out of excitement.
She wondered if the clauses for an insanity defense could even apply.
“It is in bad taste that anyone but the Shogun’s assigned representative lay a hand on Yamai-gami,” Ayaka finally stated.
“Plague isn’t an exciting way to fight,” the young man shrugged. “But my eyes were opened by your play, Miss Kamisato. This ox-headed god was a true warrior. It’s only natural to want to join the fray. I’ve heard you too, Miss Heron Princess, are no joke with the katana. Perhaps we can settle this with a small clash?”
“Do you wish to duel before my exalted presence?”
Yanfei was nearly jolted out of her seat. The Shogun had kept mum since the start of the proceedings, letting her aura do the talking for her, but every syllable carried a power that cleared her mind of everything but awe.
“This is not the Tenshukaku, but wherever I go, I carry thunder’s might and Inazuma’s will. If you wish to settle this before me, then I shall unleash the might of the Musou no Hitotachi.”
The Shogun remained expressionless, even when faced with the Harbinger’s grin growing wilder as shifting forms of water coalesced in his hands. The mass of water shifted—first to a bow, next to a sword, as if it killed the one at the helm to choose one favorite. Ayaka’s eyes widened as she closed her fan and took a step back. Next to her, Jean whipped her head to turn to Yanfei in a panic.
“Then, Kamisato Ayaka, I challenge-”
“Stop!”
She heard her own voice echo back, along with everyone else’s attention. With a deep breath and a prayer to Rex Lapis, Yanfei turned to the kimono-clad Archon. “I’m sorry, exalted Shogun, but I will have to ask that you put away your sword. The Gozen-jiai’s rules dictate that only the fighters involved be the ones put in harm’s way. However, this facilities’ lack of elemental energy management equipment does not make this place an appropriate venue for such! My and Acting Grandmaster Jean’s lives would also be endangered by such a battle!”
The ruler’s face remained blank, and for a moment, she wondered if she had remembered the rules of deadly competitions held before the Shogun right, or if she was mixing it up with A Legend of Sword. “...I see,” the Shogun replied as her weapon disappeared in a flash of light. The ringing of static in her ears subsided.
A deep breath and a tired exhale later, she addressed the princess, whose hands still rested firmly on her naginata’s halberd. “Miss Kamisato, thank you for your testimony, as well as the well-documented evidence. I assure you that no harm will come your way here. You may now step away from the stand. ”
Like her life wasn’t hanging on a wildly swinging balance just moments ago, the girl returned to poise and bowed politely with a light smile on her face. “Thank you, Miss Yanfei, Miss Gunnhildr, and Honorable Shogun.”
She watched as Ayaka turned around and glided towards the seats in the corner with swan-like grace, only to stumble at surprise at her next outburst, now directed at Childe.
“And you! This isn't doing you any favors. Your willingness to divert this trial’s proceedings only adds further doubt to your innocence!”
Amusement danced in the gaping void of his eyes, the likes of which she’d never seen before, as she pushed on. “You have been accused of disrupting Inazuma’s festivities with the destruction of a tangible cultural property, and now, you stand trial in front of the Shogun herself. You pleaded not guilty…”
“Because I’m not,” he cooly replied.
“And yet your whole testimony is tantamount to a confession!” she groaned out. “If you wanted to do that, then you could have just pleaded guilty and gotten a reduced sentence under all three of the accusing nations’ laws! Dear Rex Lapis, why does no one ever think of doing that when it’s perfectly valid!”
She put her head in her hands in frustration, only to note the prolonged silence, broken only by Jean’s soft voice. “Yanfei?”
“Right, sorry! I rambled a bit,.” Out of habit, she reached out to summon her thick codex to knock some sense back into herself, only to freeze under Jean’s puzzled expression. Instead, she settled for a slight flick to the noggin. “Liyue doesn’t have a specific clause for this kind of motive, but if I had to choose, then it would probably fall under the newly instituted environmental protection act, stating that certain areas in Lisha are restricted areas to be closed off from all commercial-”
“Yanfei.”
What she’d imagined to be an insightful introduction to how environmental issues intersected with economics was abruptly cut short by Jean’s hand on her shoulder pulling her down into her seat. She was a prideful creature, but the Dandelion Knight’s expression was enough to make her stand down and yield the reins of the court to her.
“While Mondstadt’s laws may not be as comprehensive as other nations’ with regards to the supernatural, as the acting Grandmaster of the Knights of Favonius, it is my duty to uphold the interests of my people,” said Jean.
“Miss Lionfang Knight!” Childe said warmly, waving from where he stood as if greeting a long-lost friend. “You’ve met my colleagues, right? I’d pass on a hello, but I wouldn’t want to make you go through that. Tough crowd, aren’t they?”
As Yanfei reached out to one of the stacks of papers in front of Jean, she noticed the Grandmaster tense as she gripped the sword at her side.
“My knights said they attempted to hold up a young man matching your description in the Wolvendom woods,” Jean continued, a steely edge lining every syllable. “They saw reason for concern when he said he was looking for a draco, much like Ursa the Drake.”
Yanfei frowned at the mention of the beast as she flipped through the papers. In contrast to the Inazuman case reports, the document at her hands was filled with handwritten accounts and lovingly drawn maps of reported sightings of a “mysterious man”. On the last page was a sketch of a long, serpentine creature, labeled “wyrm” in neat cursive.
“What’s wrong with a young man looking for adventure?” the ginger protested. “I’ve heard Grandmaster Varka loves adventure, and the Mondstadt Adventurer’s Guild is alive and bustling, even braving Dragonspine!”
“Mondstadt’s wyrms and wolves are all stories from the past now, thanks to the safety of Barbatos’ wind,” rebuked Jean. Immediately, the form of a reply appeared on his upturned lips, but Jean gave him no room to butt in. “We may have no laws relevant to this, but if you’re looking for them, and want to upturn a whole area under our jurisdiction and spread panic in our people, then by the power vested in me, I demand you cease your activities in Mondstadt.”
Yanfei had never seen Jean, gentle as a spring breeze, look this furious before, but as always, Childe blithely faced her howling wind. “Or?”
“It was never my intention to involve those who don’t want to see a wyrm’s majesty. A wingless creature conquering the skies would make a fine opponent, an opportunity to improve my archery, and a chance at a dynamic battlefield.” At this, he snickers to some joke Yanfei doesn’t get. “I’m sure you get it, Lionfang Knight, as a fellow warrior.”
It was obvious that Jean did not get it.
Oblivious—or flippant—to her lack of reaction, Childe continued, stretching out his hands and slowly spinning around. “My colleagues are all lies and trickery. That’s really no fun. I’m more simple. If I can’t have my fight with the kings of the skies, then will you give me the fight I want? The ferocious, majestic lion…truly a valuable opponent.”
All the resolve Jean had deflated as she sneaked glances at Yanfei that screamed one message.
What the hell is wrong with this person?
Sighing, Yanfei put a reassuring arm on Jean’s shoulder, gently guiding her back to her seat - her own way of saying I have no idea either and stood up. “For the second time today, put your sword down.”
“Miss Yanfei!” he piped up, all the threat laced in his actions gone with a single friendly wave. “Really sorry I couldn’t follow what you told me.” His voice was painfully sincere, and Yanfei almost felt sorry for her outburst if it weren’t for the chaos brewing in his eyes. “But what can I say; the thrill of battle is a jealous mistress, more dangerous than any beast of legend!”
“Do you think the court is a theater?” she asked with gritted teeth. “We ask you questions, and you give nonsensical answers. Do you not have an ounce of respect–”
“If you don’t understand now, then I have no interest in making you understand.”
His laidback aura dropped in an instant, turning the air heavy with a threat she’d never felt before.
“I told you before, Miss Yanfei, I dislike these kinds of boring procedures.” With an impatient sigh, he crossed his arms. “I understand that this is your thing, but my thing is trying to liven up a dreary place while still following orders. What do you have for me now?”
He was half-hidden by the imposing shadow of the bench where she stood, but she knew exactly what he was thinking. Even when she’d climbed to the top of Liyue’s legal scene, even when she was the one his own country turned to in this case, even when she sat on the bench right now with gods and knights, she knew.
Those were the words of someone looking down on her, words that her pride could not take standing down.
“Reports state that the Fatui were spotted setting up camp in Lisha,” she slowly began, making sure every syllable was heard perfectly from every corner of the courtroom. “Under the Liyue-Snezhnaya economic agreement, Snezhnayan merchants with a deal with Liyue-owned businesses are allowed partial rein over Liyue’s resources. However, this excludes protected areas for endangered species of fish.”
“If we’re talking fish, then I have a lot to say,” he quickly pounced. “I’ve heard the tales whispered in the tea houses that line Liyue. To slay a fish whose spirit moved fate to grant it dominion over the skies is but another step to lay the world at the Tsaritsa’s feet!”
The two almost-courtroom brawls.
The insistence to draw a weapon against the mystical creatures of each land.
The tale of a fish that conquered the skies.
He’d rambled about this before, but only now did it fall into place.
She heard the Shogun’s voice addressing her, but her mind was far away, moving at a thousand miles per second. “I will look past his shameless impiety, and confirm. Do his words have a basis? Is there such a creature in Liyue?”
“No…” she answered, not moving her head away from her shaking hands firmly planted on the wooden table. ”You…you almost eradicated the fish in Lisha. Because of a koi? A pet store koi?!”
His words were mere echoes compared to the turmoil in her mind now. “And yet that koi turned into a mighty dragon!”
Of all the things that had transpired in front of her, somehow, it was this boyish, naive proclamation of utter stupidity that did her in.
“Listen, Ajax,” she cut in. “If you want to join Liyue scholars’ debate of what is history and what is folk legend, that is not this court’s problem, and I recommend that you stay out of it given your track record. I’ve studied the rules and laws of each country, down to all their loopholes and quirks, and I’m more qualified than anyone to say that all of them reduce to one simple rule.”
Jean’s concern, Ayaka’s hesitant silence, the Shogun’s placid majesty. The man called Ajax’s brief moment of surprise. Atop her pulpit, Yanfei saw it all in the palm of her hands, moving by her words, and her words alone. “You play by your own rules of chaos, you get put into order by the law.”
For the first time, the young man at the stand had nothing to say. He stood there for a few moments, staring blankly upwards to where she towered over him, before bringing his hands together in a slow clap.
“Miss Yanfei. I’ve severely underestimated you.”
She should have felt prideful vindication course through her veins, but all Yanfei felt was a migraine on the horizon. “No.”
“You’ve controlled our little meeting, moved the greats of each country like chess pieces on your board, and know that name…heh. Maybe I was looking for the wrong creature to test my blade against.“
Requesting a simple background check was hardly anything worthwhile of the Hydro power swirling through the air. “Gods, no.”
“Fight me, then, xiezhi, and show me how your justice fares against the cuts of Hydro from the goddess of justice!”
There was no silence, no more gaps of uncertainty shared between her and everyone else in this court. At the beginning, she saw her stomping ground twisted beyond recognition, jumping from one irrational moment to another. Now, with her own words propelling her past her doubts, past her dumbfoundedness at knights and monsters and gods converging onto her humble courtroom, she saw everything rearrange itself into a familiar pattern.
If he wanted chaos in her courtroom, then he’d have to play by her rules.
Her rebuttal was immediate.
“Overruled.”