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If there was only one single truth about this world, what would it be? Supposing everything we saw, smelled, heard, touched, and tasted was a lie, what singular exception would stand out as the cold hard truth? The sky is not always blue. The lights illuminating the night may already be gone. Living is synonymous with dying. Nearly everything in this world can be twisted to the point where it is not what it seems to be. Our senses and minds are too easy to deceive, and lying to ourselves is far too simple.
Humans are chaotic creatures. The embodiment of perfect imperfection. We steal, hurt, and kill for countless potential reasons. In some cases our actions can be justified, but how many have hurt another solely to feel what it is like? To see the final breath of life escaping from a dissipating soul? Because we simply felt like it? Humanity has the capacity to commit atrocities with every beat of the heart. It would be too easy for humanity’s imperfect senses to experience this world imperfectly also.
The crimes of humanity are not all recorded, but war records were a start. As foolproof a strategy employed in wartime may be, it does not change the fact that people will suffer because of it. Every statement made by strategists worth their salt detailing how to react perfectly to anything the enemy throws at you finds its roots in spilled blood. To study strategy means accepting this fact, for there is no war won without casualties. Such a perfect war...is unreachable by the imperfect us.
The first time Kokomi Sangonomiya picked up a book on strategy, she may have not been aware of this. Yet, she found herself enamored regardless. They were like brilliant jewels, shining brightly on the shelves. Where other kids her age would run around throwing each other in the dirt, Kokomi would open her mind by reading stratagem after stratagem. It may have been an unusual pastime to be sure, but the young Kokomi found her future in it. Perhaps the blood running in her veins compelled her to pick up this hobby—this hobby that could one day protect Watatsumi Island from any aggressors.
The future was not exactly as she had planned in her younger years, and while she would complain, there was at least something that matched the aspirations of years before. She did not become an advisor, but she was put into a position where she could come up with directives and execute them. Perhaps she was thrilled by the idea of it, to finally put into practice something you have studied for a good chunk of your life. To finally be able to show your ability.
It wasn’t sunshine and roses.
People died.
Takayuki, Shiro, Rei, Haruka...
A perfect strategy didn’t exist. Warfare would have been solved if there was. It felt like she was torn apart. Her wish was to protect all of Watatsumi Island and its people. All she did in her power as Divine Priestess was for her subjects’ happiness.
And she took it away. Not just the happiness of the soldiers who could never again feel that way, but also their families and their brother-in-arms. It was exaggerated. She knew it wasn’t her that was solely responsible, but also the enemy. But it was impossible to deny that she had a hand in delivering her subjects to a premature end. Were her directives lacking? Was there something she overlooked? Kokomi did her hardest to not let a single thought show.
In the back of her mind, she always knew this would happen. It was unavoidable. An absolute truth about this world. Nevertheless, her energy hit rock-bottom when the messenger finished her report.
She learned two things. There was a cost. Always.
And second, she learned an absolute ‘truth’ of this world: the world is unforgiving and cruel.
Manipulate the larger strategic situation to force the other side to give up, and to win wars with the least amount of cost possible.
And thus, she made a vow to herself for all of Watatsumi Island.
The truth that the world was nothing but a cold, harsh place may be exaggerated. It was delusional. It was pessimistic. Yet, with this truth in-mind, Kokomi redoubled her efforts. In the event that everything goes wrong, what could you do to limit the cost you have to pay?
For her strategies, this truth was beneficial. But peace came knocking, and there was no longer any need for extensive military directives.
For Kokomi herself, this truth was harmful.
It is said that if you believe in something long enough, it’ll one day become real.
She never really liked her job as Divine Priestess. Of course, she never mentioned a word to anyone besides that blonde haired traveler. She imagined peacetime to be…peaceful. After all, isn’t it in the word? Oh how she was wrong. The Vision Hunt Decree came to an end, and now she had to reforge the bond with the Shogunate if Watatsumi had any hopes for survival. The bond that may just as well have been nonexistent after the civil war. Soldiers were allowed to return home, repairs of important infrastructure, proper send-offs for the deceased, their camps while not seeing active use still had to be properly maintained, trade agreements, a lone Tenryou commission detective waltzing his way onto the island, Fatui activity, never-ending bandit attacks...
It felt like she only got busier ever since the war’s end, and no military treatise mentioned the part that came after. Day-in, day-out, there was always something new for her to do or look at. It was endless. She had no choice. She was duty-bound. She is the Divine Priestess after all. If she didn’t do it, no one would. It was something ‘necessary’. However, all that is ‘necessary’ still has a cost. A cost that Kokomi felt every night as she wrote more notes for herself, or just stared up at the ceiling of her room.
It was a heavy weight on her shoulders. A weight pressing down on her entire body. The toll on her body grew as every single action she took hurt more than usual, and every single thing she had to attend to became increasingly more asinine as she went from one thing on to the next. It was a weight that only got heavier with every passing day…
A logistical error there.
A bandit raid on an important supply cargo.
The crops failed. Again.
Monster attacks.
An author at the publishing house missing a deadline.
…until it felt like she could no longer breathe.
The days all blended together, like a whirlpool. A whirlpool of endless strife no-one could escape from, pushing you under until you reached your breaking point. It was as if nothing ever went well.
It was a miracle born in the darkest of times, just like the ones she read about.
That despite the lead in her shoes, the splitting headaches she experienced, the fatigue felt all throughout her body, and the daily agony...
That she had enough energy that she was still standing up-right, enough energy to feign being composed. Even though she had calculated herself to be deep down into the negatives, there was no chance for proper replenishment. All she could do in the brief moments of respite from the vortex’s wrath was to get the bare minimum of sleep so she could attempt surviving the coming day. If only the night and this miracle could last forever.
But the miracle would run out at some point.
After mindlessly eating her favorite food, bird egg sushi, for breakfast, she knew she had no time to relish the meal. There wasn’t any opportunity for such a thing. She had to attend the morning debriefing of everything that had happened since last night’s report. Kokomi liked staying informed of everything that occurred on the island. Only by looking at the full picture could you come up with the perfect plan for your goals. Though, today, she truthfully didn’t want to hear it. She was nearing her wit’s end and debated just sprinting (if she had the energy for something like that) back to her room or secret base to wile the day away without a care in the world.
But she couldn’t. Her principles wouldn’t allow it. She had no proper plan she could enact to fully escape her responsibilities for the day. With no cards up her sleeves, she couldn’t even dare sit at the table.
With a fixed impression, Kokomi took a seat at the discussion table, and listened to the events that transpired. Her mind was slipping, and it took all of her willpower to listen attentively so she could commit it to memory. She had to. That was her duty. The shrine maiden droned on and on, making Kokomi get annoyed at how it was even possible for so many things to occur between the current time and the report of last night. Were her subjects testing her patience? Did they get in trouble on purpose? Kokomi stopped herself before she continued that spiral of negativity (ignoring the current spiral she was already in).
It took over half an hour for the shrine maiden to finish, after which Kokomi dismissed her promptly and swiftly. A Divine Priestess was always busy, as she wanted to sneak a few more pages in of the current book she was reading. At most, this would only be 10 pages before her next appointment, but it was these little pick-me-ups woven throughout the day that prevented Kokomi from breaking down in front of all her subjects.
“Now, if that’s all—” Kokomi began.
“Actually, there’s one more thing...” the shrine maiden responded.
‘One more thing’ was nearing the top of the list of Kokomi’s most hated things, next to ‘Vision Hunt Decree’ and ‘seafood’.
Perhaps ‘hate’ was a strong word, but Kokomi didn’t care.
“What is it?” Kokomi responded in a neutral tone, not letting her thoughts slip into her speech.
“A letter addressed to you personally arrived this morning,” the shrine maiden revealed the envelope tucked away in her sleeve and held it out alongside a letter-opening knife.
A letter? That was rare. Most of her deliveries tended to be new novel releases from the publishing house...
Kokomi took hold of the envelope, not noticing any sort of clear indicator as to who could have sent this. They say to never judge a book by its cover, and letters are no different. In a deft motion, the Divine Priestess opened the envelope and took a gander at its contents. It was unusual to see the Divine Priestess to emote in an explicit manner. Those around the shrine saw her most often with a neutral face or with a frown when she was deep in-thought. So, it was certainly refreshing for the shrine maiden to see Kokomi’s face light-up in joy as she read through the letter.
Kokomi was dealt a trump card.
Composing herself, Kokomi spoke resolutely: “Cancel all my plans for tomorrow.”
“H-huh? As you will, but if you may permit my curiosity...”
“Go ahead.”
“What’s in that letter?”
A soft smile shone on Kokomi’s face before she answered.
“The captain of Swordfish II is returning tomorrow.”
Lumine wasn’t expecting to immediately get whisked away by Kokomi as soon as she stepped near the shrine. The traveler was barely able to wave ‘hello’ before Kokomi grabbed her hand and walked off with her, leaving Paimon behind and dumbfounded. Normally, Paimon would have floated after them, but the aura Kokomi gave off seemed to indicate that for whatever reason, she absolutely wanted to make sure it was just her and her captain. Sure, Lumine sent a letter to inform her dear friend Kokomi of her arrival, but this reception was certainly a new one. The traveler, and many others, did not see Kokomi as a forceful person. Not in her personality, nor her stratagems. So, being dragged away by the hand to one of Watatsumi’s many shores was surprising.
“Where are we going, Kokomi?”
“You’ll see. Leave everything to me,” she spoke with an air of authority.
The traveler found no room to say anything in response. To some extent, Kokomi was her leader. As a proper captain in Watatsumi’s army, she had no choice but to stay silent and listen right...? Regardless, Lumine could still wonder. She looked around her, as she got dragged along. She recognized where she was, recognizing landmarks that told her that they were near the northwestern end of the island. Wondering if anyone could find them here, she swung her head back, seeing the two sets of footsteps. Or, what’s left of it, as the water slowly covered the duo’s tracks. Did Kokomi purposefully walk so close to the water so their traces would be washed away? Kokomi is the type of person that wouldn’t do anything meaninglessly. Besides maybe wasting the entire away in a secret cave, but even that had a purpose behind it.
The sun shone brilliantly, blessing the people of Watatsumi near the shore with a blinding reflection off the water. Whatever Kokomi had in mind, Lumine had no doubt in her mind that this was the perfect weather for it. It was warm, but not warm enough for it to be sweltering. A gentle heat that made you forget about your responsibilities as you fought away the desire to sunbathe like a cat.
Lumine wondered if Kirara was all stretched out on a roof, lazing the day away. If she was in Inazuma at the moment, at least. Kokomi did not seem like the type to sunbathe though. Really, what is she planning? Lumine had no idea.
Kokomi came to a stop.
“We’re here,” she said, letting go of Lumine’s hand and turning back.
“Here? But...there’s nothing here?” Lumine looked around, confused. It was just the shoreline. A few rocks in the distance and the ocean right in front of them, but nothing that seemed to clearly indicate what sort of plan Kokomi had. It was a private area, which did check out with what Lumine understood of the island’s leader and how she liked to spend her time, but besides that…
Were they going to sunbathe after all?
Kokomi didn’t answer.
Instead, she just took Lumine’s hand again and dragged her away.
Toward the ocean.
“H-huh, Kokomi? What are you...?”
They steadily advanced, and the water was reaching up to their knees now.
“Kokomi, answer me. What are you planning?”
Kokomi turned and looked into the traveler’s golden eyes.
“Can you trust me?”
‘Trust’ was a big word. Leaving anything in the hands of others was not something one should be willing to do easily. The circumstances differ in all cases, of course. Entrusting an item to someone isn’t that risky depending on the item. But entrusting bigger things like your life, or your happiness to another? That was a big deal.
But Lumine wasn’t afraid. She knows Kokomi. She is a dear friend. Her strategies always put a focus on minimized losses. Going through a war together is not something that should be taken lightly, and not to mention...
Lumine was technically part of the Watatsumi Army.
“Of course, commander,” Lumine said with a salute.
“Why are you calling me that now?” Kokomi asked with a giggle. It did not take long for the joy on her face to turn into an expression of focus. As Kokomi concentrated, Lumine could feel the hydro energy around her shift. Without a doubt, Kokomi was manipulating the elements using her vision. The hydro gathered around the two of them, a gentle and warm sensation, and it quickly went away as the hydro expanded into a bubble now surrounding the girls.
“Woah...” Lumine extended a finger to the inner wall of the bubble, feeling the resistance pushing back at her.
“It’s resistant enough to not pop easily, but please be careful unless you want to get drenched,” Kokomi explained before turning towards the ocean again and reaching her hand out. In response, the bubble shifted along, sinking into the water. Slowly, the world underneath the waves of Watatsumi revealed itself to Lumine, as she looked around from side to side rapidly. It was like an entirely different world opened its doors for her, and all because Kokomi had the keys. Colorful fish were peacefully swimming about—before getting startled by and getting out of the way of the bubble slowly descending. Other creatures that Lumine didn’t know the technical name of also looked on curiously to see these two humans descending into the water. The underwater flora danced along the current, and the resplendent coral scattered about took Lumine’s breath away. Thankfully, she was in a bubble.
It was one of the most beautiful things Lumine had seen in all of Teyvat. There was something simply indescribable about the way the sun rays shone down into the water, filtered yet framing this underwater paradise perfectly. Lumine looked up, seeing the surface of the water growing more distant with each passing second. It was weird, she just came from there, but now that world felt so very far away. Like everything that mattered in the ‘above’ world was held back by the water’s surface, not letting it affect the world ‘below’. Kokomi watched Lumine take in the world beneath the waves, the traveler’s wonder painted all over her face.
Kokomi had a guess as to what the answer could be, but she figured she’d ask anyway.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes! Very much! It’s beautiful down here, Kokomi!” Lumine said in a single breath, excited like a child in a candy store. “Thank you for showing me.”
“You are most welcome,” Kokomi nodded, satisfied.
They remained there, silently, underneath the waves. Laying down against the inner wall of the bubble. The ocean was silent, so it felt only right to remain just as still. Simply listening to the waves and the sound of water rushing by. They watched as the fish and the underwater life went on with their lives, without a care in the world. They had it much simpler than humans had. They only followed their basic instincts, and who knows whether a concept such as happiness existed for them? Every time Kokomi went down here, she wondered what it would be like to be a fish, swimming freely. Sure, she couldn’t consume her favorite books anymore, but it also meant not having to be the Divine Priestess anymore, and that wasn’t the worst prospect for Kokomi. She already liked swimming too.
Wouldn’t it just be wonderful? Maybe Lumine wanted to be a fish too. But that’d be a weird question to ask. It probably wasn’t very appropriate. Communication remained a thorn in Kokomi’s side, as always.
“Hey, Kokomi.”
“Yes, Lumine?”
“So, why did you bring me down here?”
Ah, the million Mora question.
“It would be lying if I said that this was for all for you,” Kokomi began, with a slight bounce in her voice. “As you know, I like to dive on occasion. It’s relaxing. When I’m down here, it’s like nothing that goes on above matters…” Kokomi closed her eyes. “By sinking, I can just forget about it all. The people. Discussions. Writing directives. It’s simpler and it suits me much better than my job above.” Kokomi yawned, “and I just…needed this. It’s been really busy on Watatsumi Island lately and I haven’t had the chance to rest in such a long time. I can already feel my energy returning.”
“Aha, I see. So it’s all self-satisfaction,” Lumine joked.
“Partly. I did also genuinely want to show you this view,” Kokomi opened her eyes again, facing Lumine. “I’m not saying that we are facing the same things, but the fact is that we’re both busy. Me with managing Watatsumi Island, and you with your adventures and everything you get mixed up in.”
“Ah, you know about that?”
“The Steambird Newspaper covers your exploits quite well,” Kokomi narrowed her eyes slightly. “And I guess you could say I’m just generally curious about what happens in the outside world. I don’t get to leave much, for obvious reasons.”
“I could take you to the places where I’ve been, you know. Think of it as thanks for showing me this place,” Lumine said with a grin.
Kokomi paused.
A journey with Lumine to see the four corners of the world? Just how much energy would that recover?
“I...might take you up on that in the future.”
“We could go right now even.”
Kokomi punched Lumine’s shoulder, of course not, Kokomi responded.
“Joking~”
“Besides, there’s other things right ahead of us that we should focus on first. You have to make sure you do things in the right order, otherwise your problems will only grow bigger without you noticing.”
“And that is?”
“Here and now. Relax with me,” Kokomi spoke resolutely.
“Understood. Commencing energy recovery,” Lumine said once more with a salute, and a grin on her face.
The truth that the world was nothing but cruel may be exaggerated. It was a simple delusion; a bias. When believed in fervently, even a delusion can become a ‘truth’. For a bias is only an incomplete truth, yet presented and seen as the whole story. An imperfect ‘truth’ conceived by the senses and the mind of an imperfect person. A ‘truth’ used to deceive oneself and one could hold as absolute. Delusions are seen as harmful, but in essence they are just a shield. Imagine the world as nothing but cold, and you will prepare to brace yourself against the cold. But once that shield is held up, your eyes can be torn away from the bigger picture.
A leader must always look at the bigger picture.
It’s true that the world may be cold at times...
...but sometimes all you need to do to recharge is steal away some time for yourself. A brief escape from the endless turmoil brought about by daily life. Sinking underneath the warm waves with a dear friend and forgetting about everything was precisely that.
If there was only one single truth about this world, then it’d be that there is no such thing for humans. The sky is fake, the Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island is infallible, and the mysterious island in the sky was the home of the gods. It’s all lies. It’s all true. The full truth may very well be out there, but it’s impossible for a single human being to find it. It was an impossible task. Even if this absolute truth stared a person in the face, how could they possibly interpret it as imperfect as they are?
But collecting little joys?
Anybody could do that. Especially a Divine Priestess.
“So how much energy is this?”
“Five…no, ten. But I’m in the negatives so we’re not going anywhere yet.”
“Well, that’s no problem!” the traveler said with a smile. “For what it’s worth, you’re my ticket out of here...”
“True, I guess you don’t have much of a choice.”
“Wait, did you plan this all along?”
“Maybe.”
Always two steps ahead.
“That’s why you’re the commander here...”
“Oh, by the way. You should come by more often.”
“To relax?”
“Yes,” she paused, “to relax,” the Divine Priestess continued before letting out a long yawn.
And that’s an order, Kokomi added before closing her eyes.