"Hahahahaha!!" Paimon laughed loudly.
"Laughing that loud, huh? The next one's you!" Lucian swung his fishing hook, catching it on Paimon.
"Eek!?" Paimon yelped.
Lucian didn't fling Paimon into the water but instead hoisted her above the waterline, as if she'd just been reeled in.
For a moment, it was a classic reenactment—this time, Lucian had "fished" Paimon.
"You can even fish things out of the water, so Paimon's a fish too. I'm not empty-handed," Lucian nodded.
Paimon: "Stinky Lucian, I'm gonna set the sea on fire!"
Paimon waved her fists, ready to "fight" Lucian.
"Alright, it's about time. Let's get ready," Lucian said, ignoring Paimon's fists hammering on him, treating them like a massage.
Lumine nodded and, under Ei's puzzled gaze, spread a large cloth on the ground.
She lit a small fire to start grilling fish, then pulled out a pile of assorted snacks.
Ei understood—they were having a picnic. She had done this with friends before…
As she was thinking, her friend Yae Miko approached with elegant steps.
"My, what a nice spot. Perfect for enjoying the night view," Yae Miko said with a cheerful smile.
"Miko?" Ei hadn't expected Miko to show up.
"Hehe, with such beautiful starry skies and this lovely night breeze, don't you want to have a drink?" Yae Miko said, stepping closer to Ei.
"I brought some fine wine," Yae Miko said, pulling a bottle from her sleeve and shaking it, like a little girl showing off a treasure.
Ei gave a faint smile. "If you want to drink, I'll naturally keep you company."
"Oh my, someone clearly wants to drink together but insists on saying it's my idea."
"But fine, let's just say I'm the one dragging you into it~."
Paimon waved her hand. "Everything's ready, come on over!"
Yae Miko and Raiden Ei sat down. Paimon poured wine for everyone, while Lucian poured Maple Syrup for her.
"Cheers~!"
Ei downed the wine in her cup, feeling the sea breeze blowing through the night.
Whether it was dining with friends or the sensation of the breeze, these were things Ei hadn't experienced in a long time.
The last time she went out drinking with friends was… well, the last time. How nostalgic.
Back then, the fox was truly just a fox, and now she could drink with her.
As she was thinking, a streak of purple rose above Inazuma City in the distance, drawing everyone's attention as fireworks soared into the sky.
The purple firework exploded in the air, its shape somewhat resembling a portrait of Ei.
More fireworks followed, bursting into the sky. Aside from the first "innovative" one, the others had a somewhat "retro" feel.
Watching this beautiful scene, Ei recalled the past.
A hundred years ago, she had seen similar fireworks. Seeing them again now truly felt like things had changed, yet people remained.
She knew these were prepared by her people for her, and she understood why Lucian had insisted on dragging her out today.
If she hadn't come, she would have missed this beautiful scene.
Drinking, picnicking, and watching fireworks with friends—the taste of the food hadn't changed, the beauty of the fireworks hadn't changed, but the people had.
That girl from the firework shop, Yoimiya, always said, "Fireworks fade easily, but bonds endure." Yet now, the fireworks were still the same as before, but the people had passed on.
Ei shifted her gaze from the fireworks to the people around her. Paimon and Lumine were looking up at the fireworks, Paimon chattering noisily while Lumine nodded with a smile.
Meanwhile, Lucian and Yae Miko were chatting with "sly grins," clinking their glasses, talking about who-knows-what.
In a daze, Ei seemed to see the figures of old friends. It felt just like back then.
For a moment, it was as if she saw Kitsune Saiguu, smiling radiantly before her, as if about to offer a dance.
Chiyo Mikoshi stepped forward, wanting to compete with Kitsune Saiguu, her stunning face beaming with a smile.
The sound of fireworks snapped Ei back to reality. Before her wasn't Kitsune Saiguu but Yae Miko.
"In this setting, Ei, why don't you perform the Kagura Dance of Serenity?" Yae Miko said with a smile.
Ei: "…?"
If I recall correctly, that dance is performed by shrine maidens for the gods, right? What's the deal with asking a god to perform it for you?
No, wait, I need to think about what Lucian said. To deal with Miko, I need to do something unexpected. Let's see… calling her "Lady Shrine Maiden" should count as unexpected, right?
"If anyone should dance, it's you, my Lady Shrine Maiden," Ei said.
"Hm… you're not wrong," Yae Miko replied, unexpectedly not refusing. Instead, she stood up, slipping back into her geta sandals.
"Then watch closely, my dear deity," Yae Miko said, lightly tapping her gohei wand in a starting gesture.
Boom! A firework exploded behind Yae Miko.
Following the "rhythm" of the fireworks, Yae Miko began her dance.
With each step, her graceful movements outshone the brilliance of the fireworks, making the distant bursts seem like mere stage effects for her performance.
Ei hadn't expected Yae Miko to comply so obediently. Could Lucian's method actually work?
No time to think too much—Ei watched Yae Miko's dance, gradually becoming entranced.
This dance hadn't changed. It was the same as it was hundreds of years ago, just like the one another fox had performed.
Lucian came over, refilling Ei's glass, and their cups clinked together.
"How's the wine? It was recommended by Teyvat's finest sommelier, Venti, hehe," Lucian said with a grin.
You could say it wasn't a waste to treat Venti to drinks—he really delivers when you share your wine with him.
"Barbatos, huh?" Ei said, watching the ripples in her wine under the moonlight.
It was late, and only by the moonlight could she see her reflection in the wine—blurry, unclear, but her expression seemed gentle? Almost like her sister's.
"Hm, it's good," Ei said with a soft smile, downing the wine in one gulp. It wasn't clear if she meant the wine was good or the people were.
It seemed that girl named Yoimiya was right: "Fireworks fade easily, but bonds endure."
These feelings, though spanning centuries, had truly never changed.
Whether it was the new bonds formed with the Traveler and Lucian or her feelings for her friends from a hundred years ago.
"So unfair! You're all drinking such good wine and not giving me any!" Paimon complained.
Everyone else was drinking wine, but she was stuck with Maple Syrup. No way around it—though she might be old in actual age, to Lucian, she was just a kid.
In a shooting game, her headshot line would be a notch lower than others'. Standing there, she'd be an unconventional target.
Lucian deliberately put on an expression of savoring the wine, sipping it slowly and saying with a smile, "When you're taller than Lumine, I'll let you drink."
"Taller than Lumine?" Paimon stretched out her hand to compare. "That's impossible!"
Lucian didn't respond to Paimon, as Yae Miko had finished her dance on the other side.
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice · Raiden Ei: About Fireworks
"Hm, still as beautiful as ever. The Naganohara girl did well."