"Lord Childe, you've finally returned!"
"Kashiyama Ken? What is it?"
"Didn't you order me to keep an eye on the movements of that guy with a fox mask? Well, not long ago, that guy with a fox mask and Liyue's Tianquan Star opened a chain milk tea shop called 'Pearl Bubble Tea.' For the grand opening, he showed up there five days in a row!"
"Working with Ningguang, huh… Makes sense. Only someone of that level could access such information. That letter—it must have been written by him." Tartaglia waved his hand dismissively. "I understand. Wait here. You'll take me to that milk tea shop in a while."
"This…" Kashiyama Ken looked troubled. "Today's the last day of their opening event—it just ended."
"Then you must have tracked down where that man lives by now, right?"
"This… my lord 'Childe,' the guy with a fox mask's strength is terrifying, and his anti-tracking skills are top-tier. I plucked up all my courage to tail him several times, but he always noticed me somehow…"
"So, in other words, you accomplished nothing?"
"It was my incompetence, my lord!"
"At least you're self-aware."
"I know my mistake! I'll do better from now on!"
Tartaglia snorted in irritation and strode into the Fatui hideout. He went straight to Yoshiyasu, who was responsible for investigating the whereabouts of 'The Balladeer'. "I've searched both Tatarasuna and that secret domain—no trace of the Balladeer."
"How unfortunate." Yoshiyasu nodded and added quickly, "Aside from those two places, there's something peculiar that happened after Lord Balladeer's disappearance. The massive thunderstorm that once plagued Seirai Island suddenly came under control."
"Tatarasuna and that domain are somewhat connected to the Balladeer. Seirai Island's thunderstorm? I don't believe that guy would be kind enough to go around calming thunderstorms."
"I've been wondering what Lord Balladeer intended by taking the Gnosis. He wouldn't subdue Seirai's storm out of goodwill, but perhaps he was merely testing the Gnosis' powers. After all, it's the Electro Archon's heart. And since his disappearance, that's the only notable anomaly across Inazuma. I believe every possible lead deserves attention."
"You make a fair point. Fine. I'll take another look around Seirai Island."
...
Signing autographs for five straight days didn't just make his hand go numb—it scrambled his brain too, thanks to all those bizarre customers.
How nice it must be to be someone like Miss Hina… just a simple two-dimensional existence…
Thankfully, the promotional days were finally over. Upon waking, Victor Wang could feel the air filled once again with the ordinary scent of daily life. He took a deep breath and sat up energetically, ready for his morning routine—splitting his consciousness. After a series of movements long practiced, three hundred and twenty-nine miniature wind spirals hovered around him.
Just two more years until he's able to recreate Venti's Wind Grand Ode.
Satisfied, he climbed out of bed, determined to cherish every day of freedom. Today, for instance, he'd finally tackle that long-delayed question born the day he defeated the Thunder Manifestation.
Since people at higher levels weren't exactly easy to ask, maybe someone just a level below could give him answers?
He arrived at the Grand Narukami Shrine.
"You're saying you want to know 'the difference between humans and kitsune'? Are you serious?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
"No, you don't. Fine, I'll be merciful and tell you." Yae Miko gave a lazy shake of her head. "Humans and kitsune differ in bloodline, appearance, and lifespan."
"I mean, in terms of manipulating elemental energy—can a kitsune use elemental power without a Vision? Are they born with that ability? Or do they learn it? And can humans ever learn it?"
"Why should I tell you that?"
"Sister Yae!"
"Your tone changed fast… Before I answer, you should understand something first: you can't lump everything under 'elemental energy.' Youkai use spiritual power, not elemental power."
"Spiritual power?"
"Youkai are born with it. Tanuki, tengu, and kitsune can all perform certain rituals to cast spells. Some are bound by bloodline, some can be taught to outsiders. Their effects are vast and strange. Oni, though? They just grow horns. Barely stronger than humans, and they don't even use spells. Practically the same as mortals."
Yae Miko chuckled softly before continuing. "As for manipulating elemental power—tengu are skilled at calling down thunder with their spells, but when it comes to spellcraft, we kitsune are more versatile. We can summon lightning, stir up mysterious winds, even conjure foxfire."
"Through certain rituals?"
"Exactly. Like the incantation Kujou Sara recited when dueling you: 'Praise be to the Almighty Shogun; devout follower so-and-so prays for heavenly thunder!' That chant is the ritual. It appears to borrow power from the Shogun's might, but if you repeat it, nothing will happen. You lack spiritual power. Even if I said it, nothing would happen either—I'm not a tengu."
"That sounds a bit like alchemy."
"Alchemy?" Yae Miko's eyes glinted mischievously as she began to circle Victor Wang. "That is a kind of spell humans can use. But everything you humans can do with alchemy, we youkai can also do—and better. Feeling inferior yet? Hehe, don't worry, I won't make you fetch things like a wild dog~"
"Oh, what a relief…"
Alchemy consists of three components: vessel, material, and ritual.
The vessel could be a bottle, a pot, a mountainside—or even an entire city like Mondstadt, maybe even the air itself.
The ritual could be gestures, runes, arrays, or songs. That certainly matched the 'rituals' used by youkai.
The material was the most tangible part. But if the other two were so abstract, then perhaps in youkai spellcraft, the 'material' could be mental energy—or even the time and life consumed during the chant?
The essence of alchemy was simply the combination of these three factors. People only isolated the stable, useful combinations—those became the alchemy everyone knew.
If humans could use spells too, then equating spellcraft with alchemy didn't seem unreasonable.
So, the question was—why couldn't humans use youkai spells?
He had to understand what spiritual power truly was.
Spiritual power…
"Wait, you said even among youkai, some can't use each other's spells?"
"Tengu can't shapeshift, tanuki can't cast thunder spells, and only we kitsune are truly versatile." After answering his sudden question, Yae Miko shot one back. "Why, have you thought of something?"
"If even youkai have incompatible spells, then their spiritual power must differ… No—maybe it's the 'material' component of the alchemy that restricts spell usage by species…"
"Mhm… keep thinking."
Think, think… there must be some kind of controlled comparison…
Victor Wang suddenly smacked his palm. "Would the Adepti of Liyue count as youkai?"
"Pfft—careful saying that where they can hear you."
Yae Miko paused, thought for a while, and then replied carefully:
"In Inazuma, we're called youkai partly because our overall power is inferior to the Adepti, partly because of the bizarre things born from the old wars between tanuki and kitsune, and partly because… perhaps our origins differ.
Kitsune, tanuki, tengu, and oni all have tribes large enough to form clans. Adepti, on the other hand, are few. Adepti are strong from birth; youkai must constantly grow stronger. Adepti seem to have some unique quality, while among youkai, same-species differences are minor—only bloodlines vary.
Perhaps, just as humans are a tier below youkai, we youkai are a tier below the Adepti.
But with enough training, it's not impossible to ascend. Take Lady Saiguu, for instance—once revered as an Honorary Adeptus. And Lord Hakushin's level… that's beyond imagining."
So, what exactly were Adepti then…?
Come to think of it, maybe comparing equals wasn't necessary at all. If Adepti > Youkai > Humans, wouldn't comparing Adepti and humans be even clearer?!
In the conversation within the Serenitea Pot, Granny Ping herself had said that Sub-Space Creation was one of the "Three Eyes and Five Manifestations"—a divine gift the Adepti received from the Geo Archon.
A divine gift from the Geo Archon…
Like the spark Zhongli had given him when teaching him about Inner Space…
With it, Adepti could use Sub-Space Creation. And humans who received that same spark could too. That kind of divine energy—it resembled the variations in youkai spiritual power, didn't it?
Then yes—it wasn't species that made the difference. It was the kind of spiritual power they possessed.
Spiritual power wasn't just a type of energy—it was…
"Divine power… spiritual power… they're both forms of authority, aren't they?"