Kael stared at the heavily guarded door to Kamisato Ayaka's room. With so many guards standing watch, there was no chance of barging back in.
He grabbed the nearest guard's arm in desperation. "I need to see my brother. Please, just announce me!"
He'd already rehearsed everything he needed to say. As long as he could speak to Kamisato Ayato, Ayato would definitely believe him.
The guard snorted. "The clan head already gave strict orders. You're forbidden from appearing in front of him or the young lady ever again."
He sneered. "You really think looking similar is enough to impersonate Young Master?"
"In front of a man as steadfast as Lord Kael, how could a fraud like you even hope to imitate him?"
"Once the clan head realizes the truth, he'll never let you get away with this."
He had no idea the puppet even existed. To him, Kael was some random impostor who happened to look similar and had come to the Kamisato estate to scam them.
And apparently, he'd even upset Ayaka to the point of making her faint.
"…"
Kael had planned to wait for the right moment before projecting into the body.
He hadn't expected to miss his only good timing.
Now explaining himself was nearly impossible.
All he could do was wander the Kamisato estate, inspecting every corner, trying to find some kind of breakthrough.
"Traveler, look! It's the puppet the Raiden Shogun made! Why's it out here? Didn't Kamisato Ayato take it to see Ayaka?"
Kael followed the sound and saw a slender girl in white with clear golden hair, accompanied by a silver-haired fairy floating beside her.
"!"
The protagonist and Paimon.
Kael rushed over. He looked down at the two girls.
"You're the ones who brought me to the estate, right? I just got kicked out. Please help me get back to Ayaka's room."
Paimon and the Traveler exchanged puzzled looks.
Paimon floated up to Kael's face. "Why? Did Ayaka get upset when she saw you?"
Kael answered honestly. "She noticed the difference between this body and the real Kael. She couldn't accept it and passed out."
"What? How could that happen?"
Paimon circled anxiously around Lumine. "Traveler, what do we do now?"
Lumine knew a bit about Ayaka's current condition. She frowned. "Ayaka can't handle any strong emotional shocks right now. If that's the case, I definitely can't bring you to her."
"Yeah," Paimon said. "If she fainted because of you earlier… bringing you back would be dangerous."
Paimon looked torn. She really wanted to tell this puppet the truth, but the way he acted… it was like he already had a mind of his own.
Telling him he wasn't Kamisato Kael, that he was just a man-made construct, felt unbearably cruel.
Paimon hesitated for a moment, then met Lumine's eyes. They nodded at each other.
Paimon finally spoke. "This might be hard for you to understand, but you're not really Kamisato Kael. Your memories are—"
"I am Kamisato Kael," Kael cut in.
"Oh come on, you only think you're Kael because—"
"I know what you want to say. You want to tell me I'm a puppet created by the Raiden Shogun, right?"
Lumine and Paimon froze.
Kael continued, "I saw everything when you brought the puppet inside. After I died, I stayed in the Kamisato estate as a spirit. I'm the real Kamisato Kael."
"What?!"
Both Lumine and Paimon stared at him in shock. "You're the real Kamisato Kael?!"
"Yes."
Kael laid out the story he'd used during his earlier life simulation.
"After I died, I couldn't move on because I was worried about the Kamisato Clan and about Ayaka. So I kept lingering in the estate. When Ayaka fainted because of the puppet, I panicked and used Possession. That's how I entered this body."
"I'm the real Kamisato Kael."
Lumine and Paimon had traveled across Teyvat long enough to know that spirits did exist. Kael's explanation made enough sense that they believed him—at least most of it.
Lumine nodded. "Alright. What do you need me to do?"
Of course—the protagonist was always ready to help.
Kael said, "My brother won't see me right now. I need you to tell him the truth for me."
Paimon wrung her hands. "But Kamisato Ayato already thinks you're the puppet. He'll probably assume everything you say is just… programming."
Kael thought back to the events in his life simulation.
There was one thing only he and the Kamisato siblings knew.
Something no puppet's programming could ever reproduce.
"Tell my brother this. When Lady Kayo was on her deathbed, I made her a promise. I told her I would protect Ayaka and remain loyal to the Kamisato Clan forever. I'm sorry I failed her because of my selfishness."
"If you say that to him, he'll know I'm real."
"Alright, I'll try!" Lumine said.
Kael returned to Ayaka's door with Lumine and Paimon.
The moment the guard saw him, he raised his weapon in disgust.
"You have some nerve coming back here!"
Lumine stepped forward and shielded Kael. "I need to speak with the clan head. Please announce me."
The guard didn't understand why the Traveler—Inazuma's savior—was siding with an obvious imposter.
But the Traveler was an ally of the Yashiro Commission. He couldn't disrespect her.
He frowned. "Fine. Please wait here."
He slipped inside and returned shortly after.
"Traveler, the clan head will see you."
Lumine nodded and entered the room.
The door slammed shut behind her.
Kael rolled his eyes.
He wasn't planning to barge in anyway. They didn't have to act like he was some kind of thief.
Kael waited outside for a while.
Suddenly, footsteps came thundering from inside.
Bang!
The door flew open with a loud crash.
Kamisato Ayato stood in the doorway, breathless, eyes shining with shock.
"You… you're really Kael?!"
Kael stood in the center of the courtyard. Seeing the disbelief on Ayato's face, he smiled.
"Brother, I'm home."
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Next Target 850PS :)