And so the group went inside the jade chamber and Ningguang ordered her secretary to set the tables and brew some tea.
"When did that happen Ganyu?" Keqing asked as the half-qilin look at the yuheng at her eyes. "It was after the cataclysm."
"..." Within the group, the conqueror of demons was already uncomfortable from this topic, but he has to bear it after all. That is their sin.
"Kenji, is not from Liyue." Xiao stated. "He was an exile from Inazuma, he fled and escaped to Liyue after a certain incident." Xiao too told them his origin.
"The same as Kazuya huh?" Aether put a hand on his chin and thought of the wandering samurai.
"So the vision hunt decree was already happening a long time ago?"
From Ningguang's question, Ganyu shook her head. "No he told us it was something else."
Thus the half-qilin started to narrate the Lord of all Demon's story.
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500 years ago...
In Inazuma, there is a clan who is very devoted to protect it's people.
That is the Nakamura clan, Prestigious samurais who have wield their blade until the end of their life.
But one day...
The whole members of the Nakamura clan was summoned at the Tenshukaku.
"What do you mean by that?! That's a false accusations!" The head of the family which is his father protested.
"Therefore the Nakamura clan must accept this fate!" The advisor of the shogun stated as the Raiden Shogun herself stood up from her throne and came down to pass Judgement.
"You're majesty! This is a mistake! We are innocent and will never plot against your throne!" Kenji's father wanted to plead but the Shogun won't listen.
"Silence! You all plotted against my rule!, Therefore you are the enemy of eternity!"
And so from her hand she summoned Musou no Hitachi, a sword that was made by the Raiden shogun's conscious. Capable of severing any living beings.
And so the Nakamura clan all came to an understanding.
That they must fight to survive.
*Clang*
His father easily parried the blade, despite they are facing a god.
Because their swordskills are not ordinary. From the first generation, their clan trained very hard that they can even manage to kill a god.
Even the tri-commission's soldiers came out and gang against them.
"Kenji! Get out of here!"
The little boy which is the soon to be a demon gasped when he saw the Shogun's blade impaled his loved ones.
He cried and ran escaping the electro archon's wrath. And he washed out at Liyue's land.
The next 20 years. She met him...
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All of the adeptis are presented at Mt. Aocang.
"Now be very polite Ganyu, Rex Lapis himself will be here for a lively feast." Cloud retainer advised as the half-qilin nods.
Mountain Shaper and Moon carver also finished setting the table.
While the Yaksha's were all messing around and was ganging up on Xiao when.
A man whose his head was cloaked in white fabric which was Rex Lapis arrived.
Along with the the exiled boy. Whom he even treated as his own son.
"One might ask, who is that mortal?" Cloud retainer was surprised to see a human join them.
"Do not call him that, for he his is my sword and shadow starting this day."
Kenji crouched down and let a small dragonfall roam around.
"My name is Kenji, and started today i will be working you all to protect Liyue, i hope you treat me well." He bow as they surprised him to see that. Well he got accustomed to his old hometown.
Ganyu quickly hid behind her master's feather that made Kenji raised an eyebrow and asked himself if he did something wrong.
The 4 Yaksha's excluding Xiao surrounded him and asked various question. And even a duel to see if Rex Lapis was indeed not bluffing when he said he will be his sword and shadow.
The result was a tie.
Since after the archon war, the adeptus noticed that Rex Lapis is started to smile once again after he lost someone he trust. No to be precise. It was his beloved one.
The feast continued as they enjoyed until the end of the day. But Ganyu saw something off at this man.
"Mr. Kenji?" He approached the exile who was sitting at the top admiring the view of Liyue.
"Hm? What is it? And please call me Kenji." He wanted to drop the formalities since they will be colleagues from now on.
"How come everyone is smiling, except you?"
And so Kenji told her his life before coming here at Liyue. "That day, I couldn't smile, because i lost everything. My heart is nothing filled but void."
"I'm sorry, i was being insensitive." Kenji looked at her with tears coming down from her eyes. He sighed and answered. "Don't cry, it's not your fault." Now he felt bad making a beautiful woman like her cry.
"But Kenji, you must press on. Your family wouldn't like it seeing you down."
"Then, will you help me Ganyu?" Will you help me smile and enjoy life again?" His voice was getting dry, almost as he was mourning for a week.
"Yes, i will so starting this day, please let it all out..." She pat his back as he felt ashamed to himself to cry in front of her.
But he did so and he felt better. The following day Ganyu asked him to go and take a hike around Liyue.
Day by day, they had adventures and fight off the sudden spawn of hilichurls and Abyss mages. Having fun with her made the man smile once again.
Hell he even laughed after he saw a monster trying to eat her, but because of her waist being so fat it choked to death.
The end of the day he couldn't stop making fun of Ganyu, of her ass so THICC.
For 10 years the two grew closer that even made Cloud Retainer devised a plan of Kenji being her disciple's mate.
The activities of the Yaksha's was noticed by Rex Lapis, then he summoned Kenji to go and confront them about this.
"I'm going to come along with you."
"No, I'm going alone this time. I cannot risk you getting hurt Ganyu, sorry but Rex Lapis told me so."
Thus she felt down but Ganyu patted her head making her soft. "Don't worry I'll be back."
Leaving those words for 2 weeks there were no news of return and she was getting worried and wanted to search for him. But Cloud retainer stopped her from doing so.
Then changes happened.
"Ah, you're back."
Kenji stood silent along with Xiao who came back now sane. The yaksha had a lot of bruises on his body, and both his hands was tied by red strings which is made by the three adeptus.
Kenji and Xiao now hated each other.
No, it was only Xiao who does so.
"I killed them Ganyu." He looks at her eyes and brought back the news.
"If I don't, then harm will come to Liyue." Kenji narrowed his eyes and pushed Xiao making him fall down.
The 3 Yaksha's was slain, but the other one fled. Only Xiao is alive thanks to him controlling the karma within his body.
"This power." Mountain shaper mumbled and look at Kenji who now left to report to Rex Lapis.
Ganyu watched as her friend leave speechless of what happened to the Yaksha's.
He stopped then showed them the proof.
It was a Katana, not an ordinary one.
A powerful one. Xiao gritted his teeth seeing it as he told Ganyu.
"He used their blood, to create that sword."
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Ganyu then stops and it was Xiao's time to continue regarding his ability and a fighter.
"The sword called Yamato, is a divine weapon that has the potential to slice dimensions apart." Xiao explained as he had remembered their last duel to the death.
"Xiao do you know the reason why he did that?" Paimon asked as he balled his fist.
"To gain power. That is all he ever sought." The yaksha replied.
"It's best that we don't let Childe meet with him. Considering his fetish when it comes to battle." Aether said as Zhongli nods.
"I doubt that Fatui can beat him, that harbinger will meet its own end if he chooses to fight him."
"Xiao, you said that the lord of demons too also helped sealed the gods that Rex Lapis have fought off." Ningguang grabs the topic back.
There are signs that appeared back then, that this is just the start of their duty.
Unnatural creatures. Abyss mages scattered all across Teyvat, not only that but gods that survive the archon war, made this opportunity to exact revenge.
The first one is Azhdaha, he went against Rex Lapis his creator. Rex Lapis ordered the Lord of Demons to weaken him, so he can seal the dragonfall under the tree of Nantianmen.
Second was Osial, the lord of vortex. A fierce battle was happening at Guyun, and because Osial origin is from Hydro. The demon acted as bait buying time for Rex Lapis to summon and rain down his spears.
But since Yamato is a divine god-slaying weapon. He once achieved the greatest feat that all swordsman wanted to.
To become zero with the blade.
In short he cut it's bonds weakening him.
"The first generation of his clan was the first one to achieve, until the second. But as generations grew, he was only the third one to master of becoming zero with the sword."
Xiao finished telling his rival's feat and emptied the tea that Ningguang just poured.
"Let me guess, because he grew so much powerful, that he too went against Rex Lapis like Azhdaha too." Keqing's opinion made Ganyu a bit angry.
"No, he didn't!" Both her hands slammed the table as she stood up very angry to hear that.
"M-My sincere apologies. Lady Keqing..." She let her emotion out of control as the Yuheng shook her head and just smiled.
"From his eyes back then, he wasn't the type to betray Rex Lapis from that."
"How could you say, he literally pointed his sword at Rex Lapis' throat!" Xiao too started to get angry not siding with Ganyu.
"Let's leave the past behind. I am more bothered of why he came back, do you two know any reasons?" Keqing asked the adeptis as both have no idea. Even Ganyu which is his close friend.
"If you connect the dots lately." Zhongli's calm voice caught his attention as they all listened from his theory.
Even though he knew everything.
"He's gonna blow our minds again huh?" Aether grinned as Zhongli spoke.
"He is an exile from Inazuma, persecuted by the Raiden Shogun."
"Then he fled towards to Liyue to escape her wrath. And the following events he became Rex Lapis's sword because of a contract."
"Now let me ask, what did he want the most?"
"Power, the conqueror of demons stated earlier. Consultant Zhongli." Ningguang answered.
"Precisely. Then he plotted against Rex Lapis, my guess is that he seeks the Gnosis of the Geo Archon."
"And then he died and came back from the dead." Xiao then thought of what was the lord of demon's deepest desire.
"It's simple. Revenge against the Electro Archon."
The deepest desire of a demon is to devour living beings.
Humans.
Because he bathe his body with the 3 Yaksha's blood. The miasma was messing up his head.
But he held it all together and controlled that desire and flipped it over. It took all his willpower to change.
And now redirected to the Raiden Shogun. Baal...
"So i believe that's the answer you're looking for. Conqueror of demons." Zhongli looks at the yaksha who nods then put on his mask then disappeared.
"Huh?! Where did he go?!" Paimon looks around no sign of the adepti.
"Ganyu, this may be bad, you have to go after him!" Keqing then called her secretary as the Yuheng noticed that Xiao is now trying to hunt him down.
"He's still stubborn to back down and refused to left Kenji do his own work." Ningguang sighed.
"I'm going to go after him." Ganyu stood up and the two travelers hold her arm.
"We'll go with you two!" Aether faced her and as Xiao's friend. They have the duty to stop the foolishness of their friend's bad actions.
At Qince village
The Lord of Demons was at the hanging bridge looking at the sunset.
Thus he looked behind as he sensed someone is coming up to him with huge meter of killing intent.
Kenji mumbled.
"That day. If our positions are switched."
He wonders back to the past, The conqueror versus The Lord.
"Would i have your life... And you mine?"
Turning around he looks at the directions where it was coming from.
From his left hand, a mask formed releasing some demonic power all around him.
"Let's settle this..."
"Xiao."
To be continued