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sila4454 · 2 years ago

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Heizou and the Murders of Tevyat: Inazuma - Chapter 1

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Gorou allowed Heizou - and reluctantly Kujou Sara as well - into the Pearlescent Palace, with two soldiers flanking Kujou Sara on both sides.

“In case the murderer tries something,” Gorou had reasoned through gritted teeth when Heizou asked.

Heizou, on the other hand, enjoyed the pleasure of not being escorted by two angry-looking Watatsumi soldiers, and instead leisurely walked beside Gorou. Sure, a part of him felt a little bad for his colleague, but he also couldn’t blame Gorou for his suspicions. You could never be too careful with a case like this.

As for the rest of the Watatsumi soldiers, they were left to deal with the crowd outside once the grand doors of the palace slammed shut with a resounding thud. Even Kujou Sara’s soldiers were left outside; They were quickly denied entry to the Pearlescent Palace the second one of them took a step forward to join their general.

Now that they were away from prying eyes, Heizou pointed out, “So General Gorou, now that I’m on the case, I need to know exactly what happened. Care to tell me?”

“I will as soon as we put her in a jail cell,” Gorou answered. He was constantly stealing glances over his shoulder, as if afraid that Kujou Sara would try to escape at any minute. Though there Kujou Sara was, returning Gorou’s glare with a cold, neutral gaze and tight lips drawn into a slight frown.

Heizou slung an arm around Gorou. “Now, now, General Gorou! Even if Kujou Sara is indeed a suspect, it’s only right for her to know about the crime that she has committed - or not committed, depending on how this case unfolds.”

The detective felt the general’s shoulder tense before relaxing. “Even still… it’ll put my mind at ease knowing that she won’t escape.”

Heizou let out a laugh before putting his hands up. “Relax Gorou, even I know Kujou Sara wouldn’t try running away from this. But if it makes you feel better, we’ll make sure she’s behind bars.” He then sent a wink in Kujou Sara’s direction. “After all, it’s not every day we see the leader of the Tenryou Commission’s forces in jail. I kinda want to see this for myself too!”

“Shikanoin, are you even taking this seriously?” Kujou Sara crossed her arms. “I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into. No matter the conclusion of this case, no matter if I’m innocent or guilty, the fate of Inazuma rests on your shoulders.”

“Hmm, but don't all cases determine the fate of Inazuma? Even a simple case, like catching a thief who stole something from the market, can determine Inazuma’s fate. Once that thief is caught, would they be immediately sent to prison or be let off on a warning? Would they have learned their lesson or continue stealing for the rest of their life? That may just be one person, but even that one person has the possibility of changing the fate of a nation. From adding a speck of red to the painting instead of green. This murder mystery is just on a grander scale where a flick of paint from a paintbrush becomes a bucket full of paint tossed at the finished art piece. But in both cases, the whole picture can change,” Heizou reasoned before stealing a glance out the window.

The sound of rain hitting the windows had decided to accompany the echoes of their footsteps in the otherwise deserted hallway. Heizou wouldn’t deny that the hallway itself was beautiful, with the floor made of coral and the vibrant colors of blue, purple, red, and pink cleverly utilized to mimic a mystical castle underwater. Even the ripples on the walls were painted with a shimmery aqua, glinting in the soft glow of the wall lamps. But the wall lamps - clam shells with glowing crystals instead of pearls - cast shadows on the paintings, obscuring the faces of what Heizou recognized as the previous leaders of Watatsumi that have long since passed away. The quiet inquiry of where the painting of Watatsumi’s current leader - or late leader, as Heizou corrected himself - briefly crossed the detective’s mind, only for the clap of thunder to draw him out of his mind’s endless queries. The storm clouds were blocking any trace of the warm sun rays that would reflect off the clear waters of Watatsumi, bathing the hallway in a shadow full of somber gloom and dulling the vibrant colors of the palace. Perhaps the sky too, was mourning the loss of the Divine Priestess.

“Ah, it’s raining. I deduce that a thunderstorm is coming soon.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the Almighty Shogun senses the unease of Inazuma’s eternity,” Kujou Sara added, which earned a hum in agreement from Heizou.

“Would you report this case to the Shogun?” Gorou asked.

“Hmm, I suppose it depends on what I decide after I learn more about this case. Either way, I believe the Shogun will hear of this sooner rather than later, especially because it involves a key figure from the Tri-Commission.” Heizou then met Gorou’s gaze, noting that, while Gorou was not at all hesitant to glare at Kujou Sara in the eyes, the general kept avoiding to meet his own. Heizou mentally noted that down before he brought up, “Besides, you threatened to start another war if Kujou Sara was indeed the culprit - in front of a whole crowd, no less. So surely, if I don’t report this case, someone else most definitely will.”

Gorou’s ears flattened against his head as he frowned. “I know, and I still hold to it that me, and the rest of Watatsumi, would fight another war if it’s to bring justice for Her Excellency’s death. But-”

“General Gorou!” One of the soldiers by Kujou Sara’s side interrupted, before giving a clumsy bow. “Sorry sir, but I believe the jail cell is to the right, not to the left.”

“Oh,” Gorou sheepishly rubbed the back of his head before clearing his throat. “Ahem, thank you. I guess I got a little distracted. Follow me, we’re almost there.”

Changing directions, Gorou led them through a maze of hallways that Heizou mentally drew out in his mind. Each hallway looked similar to the previous hallway, in that if someone wasn’t careful of the slight differences and the various turns, someone could easily get lost. For example, one hallway had two more wall lamps, while another was 32 steps longer than the one before, and those were just two out of the many more. But Gorou, now that he seemed to have his attention solely on getting to the jail cell, navigated the maze with relative ease.

“The general has quickened his pace quite a bit,” Heizou thought.

But Heizou’s interest was indeed piqued. He was curious and, dare he say, eager, to see Watatsumi’s jail cell for the first time. Where did they keep their criminals? Did Watatsumi usually have a lot of crime? Is it anything like the Tenryou Commission’s jail? Was it perhaps an underwater cell? Were there so-called criminals like that one oni, Itto, who joyously eats lavender melons and lets out a laugh that echoes throughout the entire hall, as if he wasn’t in jail cell but right at home? With all these questions that were hopefully about to be answered soon, Heizou quickened his pace to match with Gorou.

After taking another right turn, Gorou led the small group to the end of the hallway, where there were two more soldiers guarding a lone, yet ordinary-looking door. Each soldier had what looked to be a conch tied around their waist, as well as keys that were poorly hidden away in their pockets.

“Are these conches some sort of communication device?,” Heizou wondered once his eyes landed on the conch. He had heard rumors from people - mostly from the traveler - about something called an Echoing Conch, which stores messages and echoes it back to whoever would lend an ear. He wouldn’t be surprised if Watatsumi had something similar. He really should take another vacation here one day… when there are no mysteries to solve, that is.

Said soldiers immediately straightened up and saluted to Gorou, before one of them piped up, “General Gorou. Will you be taking these people to the jail room?”

Gorou nodded before gesturing to Kujou Sara. “Yes. I would like each of you to keep an eye on her while Detective Heizou is investigating Her Excellency’s death.”

“Of course General!”

“You can count on us General Gorou!” The other soldier declared as well.

“Thank you. We’ll be heading down now then.”

“Ok General Gorou. Here are the keys and the conch. Talk into the conch if you need anything!” The soldier then handed Gorou both items before stepping back, while the other soldier fished out their keys and opened the door.

The guard holding the door open stole a quick glance at Kujou Sara and Heizou before returning their attention to Gorou. “We’ll be here if you need anything. Be sure to watch your step.”

“Will do. I should be back soon.”

Double checking to make sure he had both the conch and the keys, Gorou then looked over his shoulder to get a headcount of the group.

“Don’t worry, General, we have everyone,” Heizou reassured.

Despite this, Gorou still counted. And, true to Heizou’s words, everyone was there. “G-Great, then follow me. It’s a long way down.”

This got Heizou’s attention. A long way down, huh? Perhaps he wasn’t too far off with the whole underwater cell idea.

And so, the group followed Gorou inside, with the click of the lock the last thing that accompanied them before everything went pitch black.

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Author's Note: Yay, a new chapter has just dropped! I wanted to slow down a little and get a few more interactions with Heizou, Gorou, and Kujou Sara before more of the mystery unfolds and things start taking a turn. And so, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for reading!

#genshin impact #genshin fanfic #fanfic #genshin heizou #shikanoin heizou #heizou #gorou #genshin gorou #kokomi #sangonomiya kokomi #kujou sara #general gorou #genshin inazuma #watatsumi island

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sila4454 · 2 years ago

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Heizou and the Murders of Tevyat: Inazuma - Prequel

Summary | Next Chapter

Hushed whispers followed the sound of metal clinking and heavy footfalls of the Tenryou Commission’s soldiers, feeding into the tense atmosphere of Watatsumi Island. Even the waters of Watatsumi were eerily still, motionless in fear of the storm brewing above the island.

“Is that Kujou Sara and her soldiers? Why is she back here?”

“Weren’t they just here yesterday for the peace talks?”

“Well, have you heard the rumors? With Kujou Sara here, that means…”

“It’s them… it must’ve been them.”

“The Tenryou Commission… we should just stop them right here and now!”

“Be patient, you know our orders. General Gorou called for their arrival. We are not to interfere unless ordered otherwise.”

Kujou Sara eyed the whispering crowd that watched her and her soldiers make their way to the Pearlescent Palace. But even the sharpest glare of a tengu warrior didn’t scare the crowd in the slightest. In fact, the crowd only grew as more and more people left their homes to catch sight of the Tenryou Commission on their lands. And those who were already outside dropped what they were doing - farm tools abandoned, toys discarded on the grass, and idle chit chat quickly concluded - in favor of joining in on the sudden commotion in the otherwise peaceful town.

However, even the dullest of soldiers could not mistake the crowd as someone greeting royalty or a famous celebrity to their home. No, it was far from that. The people seemed to act as one, watching with their dozens of eyes for any little thing that seemed off. Some sets of eyes glared at the passing group, while others were more curious, intrigued, and Kujou Sara would even dare say suspicious, though she couldn’t understand the reason for such suspicion. Sure, Kujou Sara herself knew that it would take time - a lot of time - for the people of Watatsumi to recover from the recent war, and it was understandable for them to hold a grudge. But this… this was far from the slight uneasiness of the people when the first peace talks were held.

The general took a deep breath. “Ignore the crowd, just keep walking,” Kujou Sara reminded herself as she shifted her eyes back on the winding road in front of her - the road that led to the very center of Watatsumi Island.

But it seems some of her soldiers couldn’t take their attention off the tense atmosphere.

“What happened here? I know they don’t worship the Shogun like us, but yesterday we didn’t experience… this during the peace talks,” one of her soldiers walking beside her whispered.

At least that confirms that she wasn’t the only one. She too believed the sudden rise in hostility was rather odd.

Making sure to keep her voice down, Kujou Sara warned, “I have no idea, but be on your guard.”

The soldier lowered their voice even more. “What did Gorou say in his letter again?”

Kujou Sara didn’t need to pull out the letter to recite the few words written by the Watatsumi Army’s general, “‘Come to the Pearlescent Palace as soon as possible for your actions. If not, I’ll personally find you myself’.”

It wasn’t just an order, let alone a friendly letter reminding them of the next peace talk. It was a threat.

The soldier began to fidget with their spear, nervously stealing glances at the crowd. “‘For your actions’? All we did was attend the peace talks…”

“That’s why we are here to find out exactly what happened,” Kujou Sara pointed out without a hint of hesitation. “The Almighty Shogun wishes to establish peace with Watatsumi Island after the war, so it is our mission to see to it that her wish is granted.”

Whether the soldier was satisfied with Kujou Sara’s answer or was lost in their own thoughts, they didn’t ask any more questions, and Kujou Sara returned her attention to the looming palace. For the rest of their short journey, she made sure to keep a neutral expression as to present a level of calm to the people of Watatsumi and her soldiers. No one else needed to know that while on the outside, she was a calm cloud passing by, on the inside, her thoughts were a barely contained storm.

It didn’t take Kujou Sara and her soldiers long to climb the coral steps to the Pearlescent Palace, but what mildly surprised the tengu was the number of soldiers surrounding the building. Even at the bottom of the steps, a few of Watatsumi’s soldiers blocked the crowd from following them to the palace. Were there really this many soldiers yesterday?

In fact, none of the Sangonomiya Shrine maidens were present either, which only raised Kujou Sara’s suspicions. When arriving for the peace talks, they were greeted by one of the Sangonomiya Shrine maidens before one of the soldiers came to escort them to Sangonomiya Kokomi, the Divine Priestess of Watatsumi. And then there was the other shrine maiden who led them to their temporary lodgings for the peace talks, which were near the outskirts of Watatsumi. So where are they now?

Before any more questions could arise, two Watatsumi soldiers on either side opened the grand doors to the palace, as General Gorou himself walked out with what could only be described as poorly tamed anger radiating off of him in violent waves. His hands minutely twitched at his side, as if itching for his bow, and the two soldiers who opened the door quickly moved to their general’s side in what looked to be a vain attempt at preventing him from snapping. The Divine Priestess did not accompany him.

In hopes to dispel the already hostile air between them, Kujou Sara cleared her throat before declaring, “Greetings, General Gorou. I have arrived after receiving your letter. Will Sangonomiya Kokomi not be joining us?”

“Youuuu!” Gorou growled before one of his soldiers frantically whispered something into his ears. But Gorou only shook his head and pointed an accusing finger at her. “You have the nerve to bring up Her Excellency after what you’ve done?”

The crowd that were stopped at the entrance began to whisper to one another again before one of the soldiers quickly shushed them. Even Kujou Sara had to silently shake her head to her soldiers, who looked like they were about to protest at the rather outrageous question.

Once everyone had somewhat calmed down, even though “calmed down” was putting it loosely, Kujou Sara pointed out, “Done what? I’m still confused as to what you are implying, General Gorou.”

Gorou scoffed at this. “Oh, so you’re confused as to how you murdered Her Excellency?”

Silence.

And then the calm before the storm shattered.

Kujou Sara was left stunned as her soldiers started shouting in her defense.

“Murder?!”

“Madam Kujou Sara would never murder the Divine Priestess.”

“We’re here for the peace talks, why would Madam Kujou Sara murder Sangonomiya Kokomi?”

The Watatsumi soldiers guarding the palace drew out their weapons and pointed them towards Kujou Sara and her soldiers in warning, while those stationed at the entrance were trying - and ultimately failing - to quell the angry uproar from the crowd that had gathered there.

“Her Excellency? What do you mean she’s dead?”

“No, that can’t be true… Her Excellency can’t be dead… Can she?”

“I knew the war wasn’t really over! We should’ve never fallen for those so-called peace treaties.”

“And to think the Tenryou Commission would go that far… they really are nothing but cold blooded killers.”

“We won’t let you get away with this!”

“SILENCE!” Gorou shouted, which immediately quieted both sides. The Watatsumi General then returned his attention to Kujou Sara. “You do know what this means, right General Kujou Sara? Not only killing Her Excellency, but doing so during the peace talks… were they even peace talks in the first place or just a cover up? Either way, I’ll have you know that by killing Her Excellency… you’re asking for another war.”

Kujou Sara had to say something… but what could she say? All eyes seemed to be on her, as if waiting for her declaration that she was indeed the one who killed their Divine Priestess. But she knew at the bottom of her heart that she was innocent, and so she decided to go with the truth.

“I… I don’t know what happened, General Gorou,” Kujou Sara quietly admitted, before raising her voice, “But I do know that I am innocent. I would never kill Sangonomiya Kokomi, let alone any of your people, for that would hinder the Almighty Shogun’s wish for peace after the infamous Vision Hunt Decree.”

“But you were the last person who talked to Her Excellency, which was during the peace talks. Who else could’ve done it?”

“Again, I’m not sure… but I promise that the Tenryou Commission will investigate this to bring the culprit to justice.”

A borderline maniacal laugh escaped Gorou before he shook his head. “The Tenryou Commission? Do you really think that I would let the very culprit conduct an investigation?”

“Well, well, well, looks like my intuition was correct,” someone claimed, as a man emerged from the crowd blocked at the entrance. The crowd easily moved out of the way for the mysterious man to move between the two generals, drawing both the generals’ attention unto him. And both Gorou and Kujou Sara immediately recognized the man.

“Heizou?!” Gorou yelped, his hostility temporarily replaced by utter surprise.

“SHIKANOIN?” Kujou Sara crossed her arms as she disapprovingly glared at the detective. Even if Heizou’s untimely arrival was the one thing stopping a potential war from breaking out, Kujou Sara did not want to draw more people into this mess. “What in Tevyat are you doing here? You’re supposed to be back on Narukami island.”

Heizou shrugged before sending a lazy smirk to Kujou Sara. “My intuition told me to follow you here to Watatsumi, and of course, my intuition was correct. There is indeed a mystery brewing within the still waters of Watatsumi. But who knew it happened to involve my own colleague too?” Heizou then sent a friendly wave to Gorou, as if this was a reunion between friends and not a discussion of murder. “And long time no see, General Gorou. And might I say, that was an outstanding deduction from you! It is better to reduce as much bias as possible in an investigation, so the suspect typically is not the investigator. And neither is the accuser.”

“...Thanks?” Gorou questioned more than thanked, still caught off guard with Heizou’s sudden appearance. Even the soldiers have all lowered their weapons with Heizou’s sudden appearance.

But it seemed that the detective was the only one unfazed, for Heizou hummed in return, resting his hands behind his head. “So I guess the only reasonable conclusion is to have me investigate this case, right General Gorou?” Heizou then laughed before grinning at Gorou. “But if you are looking for a change in career, I would be happy to have you as my partner in solving this crime.”

“I… think I’ll stick with being a general,” Gorou sheepishly admitted before sending another pointed glare towards Kujou Sara, hostility turning on like a flick of a light switch. “But since I’ve seen your detective work in action before, I would rather have you than her investigate this case.”

Heizou clapped his hands together, satisfied with Gorou’s answer. “Great, then I’m on the case!”

Next Chapter

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Author's Note: Hello readers! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Thank you for reading and giving this story a chance :)

#genshin impact #genshin fanfic #genshin heizou #shikanoin heizou #fanfic #sangonomiya kokomi #kokomi #kujou sara #gorou #murder mystery #mystery #suspense #fanfiction

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