Away With Obsessions and Falsehood

Away With Obsessions and Falsehood is the third Event Quest of the Labyrinth Warriors event.
==Steps==
# Wait till 08:00 – 12:00 the next day
# Meet up with Xinyan
# Enter The Vengeful Wood
# Retrieve a replica of Shiki Taishou
# Go deeper into The Vengeful Wood
==Dialogue==
;(Wait until 0800 - 1200)
;(Talk to Watanabe)
: Watanabe: The situation seems to be stabilizing... Madam Kujou Sara won't feel pressured to take action.
: Watanabe: No need to rush. We'll launch a general offensive as soon as Madam Kujou Sara finishes her business in the city, and take down this Domain in one go!
: Paimon: We should hurry, they seem pretty amped up...
;(Talk to Xinyan)
: Xinyan: Traveler, I found out some good news from the garrisoned forces!
: Xinyan: Kujou Sara has been tied down with work in the city. Nothin' seems to be goin' on with her troops for now.
: Xinyan: Besides that, we haven't had any new monsters escape the Domain for quite some time, and the troops have complete control of the pass. I don't think they're in a hurry to attack the Domain right now.
: Xinyan: Seems we got more time than we bargained for!
: Paimon: Then let's get going! Those two must be getting impatient!
----
;(Enter the trial)
: Shiki Taishou: Oh! You're back!
: Childe: Okay, now that we're all here, whaddya say we get to the bottom of this?
: Xinyan: You two look like you've been through a war!
: Childe: Just one war? Haha, I've lost count of how many battles we've had down here.
: Childe: I did okay, right, Shiki Taishou?
: Shiki Taishou: Mr. Tartaglia is no stranger to Domains. He was able to deal with even the most powerful monsters with ease.
: Shiki Taishou: I am confident that we can make it to the innermost depths of the Domain.
: Paimon: Huh, you two seem to have gotten much closer over the last few days.
: Childe: Well, we've fought shoulder to shoulder for quite a while now.
: Childe: Alright, listen up. During the rearrangement, Shiki Taishou said he could sense the most important replica over there.
: Shiki Taishou: Compared with the other replicas, it should contain a far greater power within. If I can fuse with it successfully, I should be able to remember the truth of this Domain.
: Paimon: It's right there? Then how come you guys haven't gone over yet?
: Xinyan: Shiki Taishou... were you waitin' for us this whole time?
: Shiki Taishou: Without your companionship, I never would have made it this far.
: Shiki Taishou: My memories were only retrieved thanks to everyone's efforts. I feel it's only right that you're here with me to witness this final and most important juncture.
;(Retrieve the replica)
: Shiki Taishou: My memories, fragmented for so long... are finally complete.
: Shiki Taishou: I remember it all now... The origin of the Mystic Onmyou Chamber... Its essence.
: Shiki Taishou: This realm is not for practicing onmyoudou, nor is it for harnessing evil. The reason Harunosuke created me and the Domain... Our sole purpose... was to protect.
: Paimon: Protect?
: Shiki Taishou: Our nation was once attacked by a great evil, and a person of importance to Harunosuke was taken from him...
: Shiki Taishou: He was filled with hatred and regret, and began yearning for the strength to take on the evil himself.
: Shiki Taishou: He made his way across the ocean to seek the adepti of Liyue, and went on to study the adepti arts. He combined those subtle techniques with the art of transcension that he himself had practiced over the years, and founded the earliest version of onmyoudou.
: Shiki Taishou: Later, he rallied all samurai with the will to serve in protecting the nation, and created me and this onmyou chamber... With me as a template, he would create many replicas, assigning each to a samurai.
: Shiki Taishou: The samurai and shikigami were partners, combining their martial prowess and charm magic to take on monsters with great efficiency.
: Shiki Taishou: They worked in pairs, and set out to rid the land of monsters. Information on the defeated monsters would be recorded within the shikigami.
: Shiki Taishou: Upon returning to the Domain, that information would be channeled into the creation of mirror monsters — training targets for the samurai.
: Shiki Taishou: As the first shikigami, I was constantly absorbing the knowledge and experiences of the replicas. I was able to improve the structure of the Domain, and provide better training for the samurai.
: Shiki Taishou: Over time, these dedicated samurai were able to achieve an enviable martial prowess. A new batch of recruits would arrive as the last group left the Domain. The cycle of new knowledge and new opponents seemed to be never ending...
: A Domain for training?
: Childe: No wonder the fighting never stops here... This was a training ground to begin with.
: Paimon: In another words, Kamuna Harunosuke built this onmyou chamber to train samurai to fight monsters?
: Paimon: Doesn't that make him a pretty great guy?
: Xinyan: If that's the case, why is he hiding away in the depths of the Domain?
: Shiki Taishou: No... Harunosuke is no longer here.
: Shiki Taishou: For reasons unknown, Harunosuke disbanded the samurai and abandoned the Domain.
: Shiki Taishou: This part of my memory is still fragmented... I can't remember what Harunosuke said to me before he left.
: Xinyan: Left? Meanin'... he's still alive?
: Shiki Taishou: It's possible... and I hope he is.
: Shiki Taishou: I am a weapon created by Harunosuke. The purpose of the onmyou chamber, my purpose, is to facilitate combat, to train myself and others.
: Shiki Taishou: But this Domain was abandoned. The only people to have come here since are yourselves. What use does a weapon discarded by its owner have to offer...
: Paimon: This is really tough for Shiki Taishou...
: Childe: A discarded weapon... Hah.
: Childe: Discarded or not, what's so bad about being a weapon? All those who stalk the battlefield yearn for meaning and value.
: Shiki Taishou: Do you think so...?
: Childe: You were interested in my secret, right? Why is it that I'm able to withstand the resistance of the Domain? Why is it that I'm able to face down complex battles with ease?
: Childe: I have fought in the fissures that lie between great tree roots. Boundless danger, fatal encounters... These are the ingredients I use to become stronger still.
: Childe: It is not victory that I seek, but improvement. I want to become sharp as a blade, to the point where others fear me. You're not the only weapon here, Shiki Taishou.
: Shiki Taishou: If that's true... then these battles you strive for... Where do they end?
: Childe: Only those that wish for an end will find one. For me, it's nothing more than a mirage.
: Childe: I was born to fight, and as long as I draw breath, there will be no end to my purpose. My limits vanish behind the horizon with every step that I take.
: Childe: Let go of your confusion. Sorrow and hesitation are the enemy of an implacable weapon.
: Shiki Taishou: What must I do... to let go...?
: Xinyan: Don't worry, you don't have to abandon somethin' to succeed in lettin' go.
: Xinyan: You don't have to abandon' anythin', Shiki Taishou.
: Xinyan: You've only just regained your memories — this is the perfect opportunity to pick up where you left off. All you gotta do is find the thing that was most important and righteous to you.
: Shiki Taishou: Most important... and righteous?
: Xinyan: Yup! For me, it's rock 'n' roll.
: Xinyan: It's not everyone's cup of tea. In fact, I'd say it's kinda unpopular, really. But if it makes me happy, that's all that matters!
: Xinyan: What do I care if someone doesn't share my passion? All I need to worry about is doin' what I enjoy!
: Xinyan: So if people wanna roll their eyes or give me the cold shoulder, they can have at it! My music was never meant for those that couldn't understand it.
: Shiki Taishou: ...I still remember your test... The song you played for me.
: Xinyan: You said that you were walkin' alone, that you spent time in the company of others eatin' Grilled Fish by a fire.
: Xinyan: Your answer was filled with an understandin' of human emotion.
: Xinyan: We've all journeyed down a path of solitude at some point in our lives. Your presence there puts you in good company. You found us and joined us by the fire, and we became friends.
: Xinyan: The road ahead is difficult, but we're never alone. Shiki Taishou, this is the language in my music, and my reward for stickin' to the path right for me. What about you?
: Xinyan: I know there'll be something callin' out to you.
: Shiki Taishou: Miss Xinyan... I may not be able to harness the optimism you carry with you just yet. But I do know that my journey doesn't end here.
: Shiki Taishou: Everyone, we continue on! I want to— No... I must retrieve the last replica, and regain control of this Domain!
: Shiki Taishou: Yes... There has to be something left that only I am capable of doing.
: Paimon: That's more like it! Get ready everyone, there's more fighting ahead!
: Paimon: As long as we move forward together, there's nothing to worry about!
;(After entering the final chamber)
----
;(A cutscene plays)
:;(Following Shiki Taishou, the Traveler, Paimon and Xinyan have a glance around the room; Tartaglia waits behind in the corridor)
:;(Shiki Taishou absorbs the final replica, and reminisces in a flashback)
:Unnamed samurai: Master Kamuna
:Unnamed samurai: Over half our trained samurai are wounded
:Unnamed samurai: And our shikigami losses are far greater than anticipated
:Unnamed samurai: Besides
:Unnamed samurai: The outside situation is beginning to stabilize
:Unnamed samurai: Do we really need to keep pursuing this "ultimate attainment"?
:Kamuna Harunosuke: Why so apprehensive?
:Kamuna Harunosuke: This is all within my expectation
:Shiki Taishou: Harunosuke
:Shiki Taishou: Forgive my directness
:Shiki Taishou: But she's not coming back
:Kamuna Harunosuke: All I ever wanted... was to assist her descendants and guard this territory
:Kamuna Harunosuke: Now that our targets no longer exist
:Kamuna Harunosuke: And those needing our protection are finally safe
:Kamuna Harunosuke: Then perhaps our sworn mission has indeed come to an end
:Kamuna Harunosuke: I always believed
:Kamuna Harunosuke: That I would stand guard in this place forever
:Kamuna Harunosuke: If time permitted
:Kamuna Harunosuke: I almost fooled myself with such a notion
:Kamuna Harunosuke: I hope you never make the same mistake
:Shiki Taishou: Don't worry Harunosuke
:Shiki Taishou: I know everything that you've done for Inazuma
:Shiki Taishou: Your efforts need not be judged by others
:Shiki Taishou: The same goes for my existence
:Kamuna Harunosuke: Bestowing you with intelligence
:Kamuna Harunosuke: That you should know human emotion
:Kamuna Harunosuke: It would seem this was the right decision
:Kamuna Harunosuke: In the end
:Kamuna Harunosuke: It is you that have enlightened me
:;(Harunosuke releases his pipe into the air, where it is encircled by a flurry of replicas)
:;(As the replicas gather around, the pipe is imbued with energy, before transitioning out with a flash)
;(Harunosuke begins to glow with a golden aura)
:Kamuna Harunosuke: "Rosy cheeked in the morning"
:Kamuna Harunosuke: "Bleached bones by dusk"
:Kamuna Harunosuke: How so very true
:Kamuna Harunosuke: I have nothing left to keep me
:Kamuna Harunosuke: Shiki Taishou, my friend
:Kamuna Harunosuke: You have completed your assignment magnificently
:Kamuna Harunosuke: As for me... I need wait no longer
:Kamuna Harunosuke: I will set out again
:Kamuna Harunosuke: In search of a new purpose
:;(Harunosuke glows brightly and flashes)
;(Flashback ends)
:Shiki Taishou: Then this is farewell, Harunosuke
:Shiki Taishou: Be safe in your travels
:;(The Traveler, Paimon and Xinyan glance at each other, saddened)
:Shiki Taishou: I remember everything
:Shiki Taishou: Harunosuke didn't abandon me
:Shiki Taishou: It was I that persuaded him
:Shiki Taishou: And helped him escape the labyrinth of his heart
;(Cutscene ends)
----
: Shiki Taishou: Harunosuke didn't abandon me... I enlightened him. I helped him to release a burden shouldered for too long.
: Shiki Taishou: Harunosuke had great aspirations for me and the Mystic Onmyou Chamber. But the truth is... Perhaps we were an ill-timed creation.
: Shiki Taishou: The samurai trained tirelessly, and with promising results. And yet, the strength of mortals is bound by unforgiving limits. Our progress was... too slow.
: Shiki Taishou: Even as we trained, the god with the power of the Musou no Hitotachi swept across the land with a force of diligent and mighty warriors. They removed all hidden evils from our territory.
: Shiki Taishou: And just like that, a life's work was rendered unnecessary... No one in this world is prepared when such sorrow befalls them.
: The power of the gods can be cruel.
: Paimon: Paimon can't begin to imagine how that feels, but we've definitely heard about similar cases...
: Shiki Taishou: I was lost, dejected, and doubted everything in sight.
: Shiki Taishou: Still... the fruits of our labor and valiant efforts cannot be denied, even if they were overshadowed.
: Shiki Taishou: Regardless, the aim that Harunosuke and the samurai sought had been achieved. The samurai no longer needed to devote their life to training...
: Shiki Taishou: It should have been something to celebrate... but Harunosuke was a sentimental man. His affections were rooted in mortal desire, and he couldn't bear to let go of what he had lost.
: Shiki Taishou: To protect was our shared ambition. And if the world was the object of Harunosuke's protection... then he was the object of mine.
: Shiki Taishou: As his most prized creation and only friend in the Mystic Onmyou Chamber, I tried to persuade him.
: Shiki Taishou: He told me that he wanted to set out again in search of a new purpose... that it may take him months, years, or even centuries. It didn't matter to me. All I wanted was for him to achieve that aspiration, and to return to this place anew.
: Shiki Taishou: And in the endless days of waiting... I fell into a deep slumber...
: Shiki Taishou: Harunosuke... You're not coming back, are you?
: Xinyan: Don't be upset, Shiki Taishou...
: Paimon: If Kamuna Harunosuke learned the power of the adepti arts and transcension, isn't it possible that he became immortal?
: Shiki Taishou: ...What I've come to realize is that regardless of whether he remains in this world... he shouldn't be the sole purpose of my existence.
: Shiki Taishou: Meeting all of you helped me understand belief. I believe that Harunosuke is walking his own path now... and I believe that I too can find a path of my own.
: Shiki Taishou: From birth, we begin to walk in solitude toward an inevitable end. But there are embers in the mist that welcome us, and friendships to be made under the night sky...
: Shiki Taishou: Our assignment does not end because the journey is long.
: Shiki Taishou: There was value in everything Harunosuke did... and my purpose is my assignment. That's something that will never change, nor will it be taken away from me.
: Shiki Taishou: I am Shiki Taishou, the first shikigami, ally of martial artists, and forevermore the overseer of the Mystic Onmyou Chamber.
: Shiki Taishou: My duty is to assist fighters in reaching ultimate attainment.
: Shiki Taishou: There will be others in this world attempting to scale the highest peak. I will gladly become a bridge between the mountains — a weapon that carries them through the clouds.
: Xinyan: Now that's what I'm talkin' about, haha!
: You've found your answer.
: If only we had some music over the top of that...
: Paimon: Wow, full-memory Shiki Taishou is a force to be reckoned with!
: Shiki Taishou: I've regained full control of the Mystic Onmyou Chamber. No mirror monsters will be able to escape this Domain from now on. The crisis has been averted.
: Shiki Taishou: In a few days' time, I'll be able to secure the charm magic network and restore the Mystic Onmyou Chamber to its original state.
: Shiki Taishou: This place is an ever-changing yet reliable training ground. I will continue to stand guard here, and provide training for anyone seeking ultimate attainment.
: Shiki Taishou: The Tenryou Commission must already have made preparations to enter the Domain by now. Please, leave the negotiations to me. When they arrive, I will explain the matter in its entirety.
: Paimon: So, we don't have to deal with the nitty-gritty? Great! Paimon hates negotiations...
: Shiki Taishou: My thanks to all of you. Without you, I never would have been able to regain my true self...
: Shiki Taishou: I've prepared a gift for you. It may not be enough to repay your kindness, but I hope it will come in handy.
:
: Xinyan: A replica?
: Shiki Taishou: You can call it Shiki Koshou.
: Shiki Taishou: Shiki Koshou is different to the other replicas. No matter where you go, it can maintain communication with me.
: Shiki Taishou: It won't be able to use shikifuda or charm magic outside of the Mystic Onmyou Chamber, but it can still provide you with protection.
: Shiki Taishou: Bringing it with you on your travels is the same as having me by your side...
: Xinyan: (Shiki Taishou still sounds upset... is he worried we won't meet again?)
: Xinyan: Alright, now! No more sadness, you hear me? We ain't left just yet.
: Xinyan: Besides, thanks to the Traveler, Kujou Sara, and Beidou, gettin' over to Inazuma just got a whole lot easier. I might just have to start payin' you a regular visit.
: Shiki Taishou: Miss Xinyan... Wouldn't that take up too much of your time?
: Xinyan: Well, let me ask you a question. What do you think of rock 'n' roll?
: Shiki Taishou: Rock 'n' roll... To me, it's wonderful music.
: Xinyan: Then that's good enough for me. I only ever perform for people that can appreciate it anyway.
: Xinyan: Speakin' of which, prepare your ears y'all, it's about to get louder.
: Paimon: Huh? You're gonna perform right now!?
: (Xinyan plays "Photon of Fluctuation")
: Paimon: Wow, Paimon never realized how uplifting this number was...
: Paimon: Wait, Tartaglia can dance, right? Let's get him to... Huh? Where'd he go?
: Paimon: Hey! Tartaglia! Where do you think you're going? Trying to sneak off on us, huh!?
: Childe: Sneak off? I'm just looking for a place to put my feet up and muse for a while is all.
: Childe: Traveler, it's time I told you about my investigations.
: ...
: Does it have to do with my past experiences?
: Childe: Still sharp as always. I do sometimes wonder if you can read minds...
;(Screen fades out and fades in)
: Childe: I had a lot of fun here. In fact, I really like Inazuma. As long as I don't dwell on minor problems... and the trouble they cause.
: Childe: I originally came to this Domain because I thought that it might have something to do with The Balladeer. As it turns out, he's not here.
: Childe: Scaramouche is in possession of a certain Gnosis, and we happen to have lost contact with him... I don't suppose it's a coincidence.
: Childe: Of course, it didn't surprise me in the slightest that Scaramouche would do something like this. My agenda as a Harbinger is to seek out combat, and nearly every Fatui Harbinger has an agenda of their own too.
: Childe: I'll let the Gnosis run for a while longer. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before you discover its whereabouts. When that time comes, Traveler, what will you choose to do? And where is your final destination?
: ...
: Childe: *sigh* I wish I could stay here a while longer. The more time you spend somewhere, the more joy it brings you when you return.
: Childe: You're like the stars in the night sky, comrade. You never cease to surprise me.
;(Talk to Shiki Taishou or Xinyan before leaving domain)
: Shiki Taishou: Your music brings out a different feeling in me now that my state of mind has changed.
: Shiki Taishou: Miss Xinyan, thank you for helping me to understand the magnitude and depth of music. I will never forget our friendship.
: Xinyan: Aw, shucks. The next time we meet, I'll have even more rock 'n' roll for you to feast your ears on!
==Soundtracks==
==Trivia==
* Before Kamuna Harunosuke's departure, he recites the following : "Rosy-cheeked in the morning, bleached bones by dusk." The poem, from No. 794 of by Fujiwara no Kintō, refers to human aging and the transience of human life.
** Hanachirusato also recites this waka piece in the .
* The domain's final room, where the cutscene with Kamuna takes place, is reused as the setting for Step 7 in the . The courtyard was altered slightly to replace the target dummy with a patterned rock, which is the key to solving the puzzle and opening the left-hand door.
==Other Languages==
==Change History==
ja:執念と虚飾からの解放
pt-br:Rechaçando as Obsessões e Falsidades
ru:Долой ложь