•Your Guide, Your Love• (Kazuha x Reader)

Chapter 26

Day before Descenion

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It's been a few days since I've seen Kazuha. He's been out, trying to find out when Beidou would arrive back, so we can discuss about returning back to Inazuma.

I've been hanging around Liyue more often, trying out new food, and sometimes getting glimpses of Kazuha, as he walks along the path, before disappearing back into the crowd.

It's what he did when we were in the city, or in a urban place, as we tried to hide from the soldiers there.

I currently have about half a million mora, just from killing enemies, completing commissions, and by helping the locals here.

Bored, I started to walk around Inazuma, admiring the decorations as the Rite of Descenion is tomorrow.

"Excuse me?" I heard a familiar voice behind me. "Are you (Y/N)?"

"Zhongli!" I said surprised, turning around to see Zhongli standing before me. "I haven't seen you in a while!"

"I could say the same for you." He chuckled. "How have your days here in Liyue gone?"

"It's been going great!" I smiled, but a realization caused it to drop down. "But, I'm not staying here much longer."

"Oh?" Zhongli rose his eyebrow. "And why is that?"

"Kazuha and I are planning to go back to Inazuma, to stop the Vision Hunt Decree." I explained.

"Is that so.." He placed his hand on his chin. "Well then, I won't stop you then."

"What about you?" I asked, changing the subject. "How have you been doing?"

"I've been.." He sighed. "Very busy recently. The Rite of Descenion causes people to buy several gifts for Rex Lapis."

"Wait, they offer gifts?" I said, surprised. I don't recall any event of giving gifts to the Shogun..

"Well, yes." Zhongli replied. "The people offer gifts for Rex Lapis, to thank him for over seeing Liyue."

"That's.." I looked down in thought. "That seems pretty cool!"

"Have you any gifts for him?" He said, looking a bit sad.

"Uh.. Well I didn't know that people gave gifts to him, so no." I shook my head. "But! I have been saving up some mora, so maybe I could get something for him."

Would he like flowers? Maybe food? I'm not the best of cooking, so maybe something from Inazuma? I don't have anything there though.

I tried to think what to get for the Geo Archon, as his appearance is tomorrow.

"No, it isn't necessary to give him gifts." Zhongli shook his head. "Just appearing in the event, it would be enough for him?"

"Oh. Is it? How do you know?" I joked, raising an eyebrow. That question seemed to have caught Zhongli off guard, as his hands stopped in motion.

"Relax, I was only joking." I chuckled. Why did that question cause him to hesitate..?

"Well then." He cleared his throat. "I must get going. See you again, (Y/N)." Zhongli started to walk away, sinking into the stream of people.

I looked at him, his long ponytail swaying side to side as he walked forward.

Strange...

"What was I doing again..?" I mumbled under my breath, as I started to walk around Liyue.

Maybe I could get a gift for the Rite of Desecion? I should ask Kazuha if he knows what to give. After all, tomorrow should be our last day.

I walked up to the harbor, and a familiar flag caught my eye.

The Crux.

Immediately, I started to run down, and to the port where the ship was at. I saw people standing by, drinking and laughing.

"Yo! (Y/N)!" I heard a familiar voice behind me.

"Beidou!" I replied, running up to her.

"What a surprise! I thought you would have been exploring around the mountains, wandering around!" Beidou grinned as she playfully punches my shoulder.

I chuckled, smiling back at her. "Have you seen Kazuha around here?"

"That maple guy? Nope, haven't seen him yet." She took a gulp of the bottle she was holding. "What about him?"

Ah, so he didn't find out Beidou was here yet.

"Could we take a trip back to Inazuma?" I asked.

She almost choked on her drink, but her grin was unaffected as she lowered it down.

"Ah, you want to go back there?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "That was sooner than I thought."

I nodded. "Kazuha and I realized we can't be staying in Liyue enjoying our lives, while people's visions are being stripped away in Inazuma."

"I see.." Beidou nodded, and placed her hand on her chin, looking as if she's in deep thought. "Well, seeing the current issue in Inazuma, I might as well give you the ride for free."

"Issue? What issue?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

"I hear there's a battle going on now, something about a resistance of some sort." She took another gulp of the bottle.

My eyes widened. "The people are resisting?!" I said in shock.

Beidou patted my back. "Yeah. I figured I would go find you two and tell you about it, but I forgot as I have other matters to attend to."

"Well, when is the next ride to Inazuma??" I asked, looking at her as she placed down the now empty bottle.

"The issue is, it's about a month from now." She sighed.

A- A month?

"W-Wait, what?!" I almost shouted in shock.

"Well, according to Inazumin rules, we can't go back there, since we've been there recently." She sighed.

"(Y/N)! Beidou!" I heard another voice running towards us.

Kauzha.

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