Chapter 8: Kujou Sara
Tn: This chapter is re-written at 5 / 19 / 2025
. . . . . . . . .
Despite bearing the Kujou name, Kujou Sara had no blood ties to the Kujou Clan.
She once lived peacefully deep within a tranquil forest.
But one day, that peace was shattered. Evil spirits began to roam, and darkness crept into the once serene mountains.
Though born with the power of the tengu, she had still been just a child—too young, too weak to face the monsters alone.
During one fierce battle, she was struck down and thrown from a cliff. Her wings, once proud and strong, were gravely injured.
As she fell, her broken wings refusing to spread, despair closed in.
But in that moment—just before impact—divine light pierced the gloom.
The gods had seen her.
And from their gaze, she received her Vision.
She lost consciousness soon after, but her fate had already changed.
Because she now possessed a Vision, she was discovered by the Tenryou Commission, one of the Shogunate's Tri-Commissions.
The Kujou Clan, which led the Tenryou Commission, took her in.
Their leader, Kujou Takayuki, bestowed upon her the name Sara.
Though raised among humans, Kujou Sara never lost her tengu instincts.
Whenever she had the time, she would return to the forest—to train, and to revisit the place she once called home.
This time was no different.
In addition to her usual training, she had brought fruit for the little youkai who hid deep within the woods.
These tanuki-like creatures had a bad habit of stealing food from human settlements, their gluttony often getting them into trouble.
It was only after much scolding and guidance from Sara that they began to behave.
Since then, she would often bring snacks for them herself.
But today, something was off.
From the outer edges of the forest came the cry of crows—unsettled and sharp—and traces of elemental energy in the air.
Someone had entered. Someone with a Vision.
To ensure the tanuki didn't get into trouble with this intruder, Sara decided to investigate personally.
And then, she saw him.
Bai Luo.
The moment her eyes landed on him, she knew something wasn't right.
He had something hidden under his sleeve—based on the outline, definitely a weapon.
The insignia on his cuff confirmed it.
Fatui.
But what caught her attention most was the mask he wore.
It's strange.
Not a typical design for the Fatui.
And judging by the way his gaze lingered on her mask, he had the same thought.
Does the Fatui even use masks like these...?
"The forest is no place to linger," she said calmly. "If you've lost something, report it to the Tenryou Commission. We'll record it and help recover it."
Normally, Kujou Sara wasn't one for lengthy conversations—especially not with strangers.
And especially not with the Fatui.
Out here in the wilderness, taking down one of them would be simple.
But her clan head had warned her—don't provoke the Fatui right now.
They were envoys from Snezhnaya, and any unnecessary conflict could strain diplomatic ties.
More importantly, it could trouble the Shogun herself.
And Sara would never allow that.
Though only an adopted daughter of the Kujou Clan, she understood better than anyone what that divine gaze had meant.
That single moment of recognition from the Raiden Shogun had changed her entire life.
It gave her strength. It gave her purpose.
Everything she was, everything she had, came from that divine grace.
She could disobey the clan head.
But she could never bring shame or trouble to the one she served.
Because Sara was the Shogun's most loyal follower.
"No need to worry," the man replied. "I didn't lose anything. I just... chased something without thinking."
He said it casually, as if it were nothing.
But in truth, he had been messing around—trying to catch a mischievous little tanuki for fun.
"I see. The forest grows darker by the hour," Sara said. "Wandering here is unwise. If you don't mind, allow me to escort you out."
She glanced toward the shadows—where the little youkai were peeking out nervously.
She couldn't risk leaving this man alone.
He was Fatui. Dangerous.
To those defenseless creatures, he could mean destruction.
"Sure," Bai Luo replied without hesitation.
In fact, he was more than happy to spend a little more time with her.
As a trusted confidant of the Raiden Shogun, Bai Luo had been racking his brain since their encounter.
He needed a way to stay with Kujou Sara just a little longer—long enough to leave a [Silver] mark on her.
With that mark in place, navigating future operations in Inazuma would be so much easier.
"Please follow me," Sara said.
Her eyes lingered briefly on the Dendro Delusion fastened at Bai Luo's waist before she turned and began leading the way.
To the untrained eye, she seemed relaxed—unafraid of any surprise attack.
But in reality, her muscles were taut, and her wings, though hidden, were ready to unfurl at any moment.
If Bai Luo so much as twitched the wrong way, she was confident she could evade—and subdue him—using her tengu speed and strength.
Not that Bai Luo had any intention of attacking her.
While marking someone with [Silver], any attempt at attacking or activating skills would cancel the process entirely.
Even if he was nearly done—just a sliver away from completion—the progress bar would vanish, and he'd have to start from scratch.
A risk he had no interest in taking.
. . . . . . . .
Sara was impressive—as expected of a tengu born of the mountains and forests.
Even while wearing wooden geta a good several inches high, she moved across the forest floor—twisting with roots, stones, and uneven ground—as if walking across polished wood.
And she was doing it all without even spreading her wings.
Still...
"Haven't we walked far enough?" Bai Luo wondered aloud.
He was sure he hadn't gone this deep into the forest.
Was she trying to lure him to some remote spot to take him out?
His fingers twitched, subtly pulling on a wire hidden beneath his sleeve.
With a faint metallic whisper, a dagger slid smoothly into his palm.
If Kujou Sara tried anything funny, he was more than ready to act.
Just because she was a story-critical character didn't mean he'd go soft.
He could admire a flower, sure—but he wouldn't hesitate to crush it if it turned hostile.
They walked for over an hour before finally breaking free of the dense woods.
"The Tenryou Commission has important matters to attend to," Sara said firmly. "During your stay in Inazuma, I suggest you tread carefully. If you break our laws... the Shogun's lightning won't show any less mercy than your Tsaritsa's frost."
With those words, dark wings of shadowed feather spread wide from her back.
Using the moonlight as her wind, she soared skyward—toward Inazuma City.
Bai Luo stood alone at the forest's edge, watching her vanish into the night.
"...Where... am I?"
He had combed the lands of Teyvat hundreds of times.
He knew Inazuma like the back of his hand—or at least, the game version of it.
But this?
This was different.
Realer. Wilder.
The Inazuma before him wasn't a map screen with markers. It was a living, breathing world.
He wasn't even sure if he was still on Narukami Island.
"Great... this is going to be a pain."
He glanced back at the forest behind him and instantly knew—there was no way he was retracing that route.
His only option now was to search the area for signs of life.
Ideally, he'd find one of his own.
A fellow Fatui.
And fortune, as it turned out, was on his side.
In the darkness, he spotted something—a faint trail, a familiar symbol.
The kind only a fellow Fatui agent would recognize.
He wasn't worried about being mistaken for an intruder.
As the Twelfth Harbinger, Bai Luo held the highest authority among all Fatui operatives currently stationed in Inazuma.
Still... how was he going to explain this?
Got lost on a late-night walk?
Nah—he needed something better.
Inspection duty.
Yeah. That sounded official enough.
Following the signs, Bai Luo arrived at a makeshift campsite.
It was built from thick, red canvas—the kind native to Snezhnaya.
Crude but functional.
Enough to shield from the wind and rain.
The ground was layered with dry straw, topped with soft cotton bedding.
At one end of the tent, there were neatly arranged tea sets and a few basic personal items.
The faintest trace of fragrance hung in the air.
Delicate. Almost floral.
He was about to look for the camp's occupant when—
"Found you... Peeping Tom."
A soft, icy voice slipped out from the shadows.