In the Garden where the Kamisato Family Practiced.
The footsteps of Yilan and Kamisato Ayaka crossed in the courtyard. As one moved forward, the other retreated; as one retreated, the other pressed forward. Their bamboo swords left afterimages in the air, and each collision echoed like thunder.
In this competition, Yilan did not use elemental power, nor did he use Raiden Ei's "Sourceflow" techniques, but simply relied on Kamisato-ryu Tachijutsu to duel Kamisato Ayaka.
Under such circumstances, he actually felt pressure from Ayaka, which surprised him a little.
Ayaka didn't even have her Vision yet, but purely with sword skills alone, she could probably fight evenly with Noelle.
This wasn't to say Noelle's talent was inferior; on the contrary, Noelle was blessed with extraordinary strength and even surpassed Ayaka in some aspects.
However, Noelle, lacking training from a master and treated merely as a maid in Mondstadt, had her great potential wasted.
Compared to Ayaka, who had undergone over ten years of rigorous training, Noelle was still far behind in terms of technique.
Yilan couldn't help but sigh inwardly at the backwardness of Mondstadt's system.
"You're distracted during a battle… Brother, are you looking down on me?!"
His momentary lapse was immediately caught by Kamisato Ayaka. The girl shouted, wielded her bamboo sword, and rushed forward with a kasaya-slashing motion.
"Clang!"
Yilan raised his bamboo sword to his chest, taking a mid-stance to block her strike. The two bamboo swords collided with a loud crack.
Ayaka's body seemed to be burning with ice-blue flames. At this moment, she unleashed astonishing strength, even suppressing Yilan, who was two heads taller than her.
Their bamboo swords locked together in an X-shape, Ayaka's slender body pressing forward until they were nearly face-to-face.
"Brother, just look at me properly!"
The girl's breath brushed against Yilan's face. Her ice-blue pupils glowed as she exerted even more strength.
Yilan, unwilling to match her directly in brute force, took half a step back under her push. He rotated his wrist, adjusting the bamboo sword's position.
With a sudden downward press, Yilan forced Ayaka's bamboo sword to the ground, then swept horizontally, forcing Ayaka to leap back — the tip of his bamboo sword narrowly missing her chest.
"That's amazing, Ayaka."
Yilan pointed his bamboo sword at Kamisato Ayaka, genuine admiration in his eyes.
"Through our sword clashes, I can feel the years of hard work you've poured into your training. With your talent, you might truly surpass me in Kamisato-ryu one day."
(No… that's not it, brother.)
Kamisato Ayaka pursed her cherry-pink lips, pushing off the ground with her feet to dash in an arc trajectory.
Her figure blurred, swift and unpredictable — the essence of Kamisato-ryu Tachijutsu fully displayed.
(Talent alone is never enough. True perseverance requires a goal worth pursuing — and my goal is you, brother.)
"Clang!"
Their bamboo swords collided again. Yilan retreated slightly, shifting into a charging stance. Raising his bamboo sword to his shoulder, he stomped down hard and lunged forward.
Ayaka's expression turned sharp, her movements even sharper. As Yilan's strike approached, she dodged by a hair's breadth and counterattacked, aiming at Yilan's head.
However, in a flash, Yilan blocked it. His counter move was so fast that Ayaka was momentarily stunned.
—But it's not over yet!
Ayaka quickly turned her wrist, circling her bamboo sword to disarm Yilan's.
But Yilan suddenly released his right hand from the hilt and pushed forward with his left hand gripping the end of the handle — a technique extending the sword's reach, often used in katana combat.
Though Ayaka retreated swiftly, the tip of Yilan's bamboo sword still struck her chest firmly.
"Huff… Huff…"
Kamisato Ayaka panted heavily, a burning sensation in her chest. Had she reacted a moment slower, she would have been knocked down.
(So strong… my brother is really strong.)
(But… I can still continue!)
As the sun sank behind the walls, Ayaka slowly lowered her body. An ice-blue aura began to leak invisibly from her form.
She placed the bamboo sword at her waist with her right hand, her left pressing lightly against the blade — preparing to draw.
(Over 13 years… 4853 days and nights of companionship… all these memories became nourishment for my growth. I can understand every one of my brother's moves.)
(The memories with him are my most precious treasure. I want to stand beside him — not behind him — and create even more memories together.)
(—And for that, I must work harder — for him.)
"Brother!!!"
The girl shouted.
In an instant, the invisible ice-blue aura flared into brilliance. Toma, watching nearby, gaped in astonishment. Even Yilan looked surprised.
At her waist, an ice-blue Vision appeared.
But Ayaka herself didn't notice it.
With a blast of energy erupting from under her feet, she accelerated — rushing forward at a speed almost impossible to follow with the naked eye.
Before Yilan could react, a dazzling icy light flashed across his vision.
"Crack!"
The two bamboo swords clashed — and then, with two sharp snaps, the broken bamboo swords flew into the sky.
"…"
Yilan looked silently at the broken bamboo sword in his hand, then at the broken one in Ayaka's hand. He shrugged and said:
"Looks like it's a draw this time."
"No, I lost."
Kamisato Ayaka's breathing was ragged. Her face flushed from the intense battle, her expression tinged with frustration.
In the final clash, she had subconsciously used the power of Cryo granted by her Vision, while Yilan had instinctively used Hydro power to counter with an upward strike.
The collision of Hydro and Cryo caused a freezing reaction — freezing both bamboo swords solid, which then shattered under the impact.
At first glance, it seemed like a tie.
However, Ayaka had activated her Cryo element unexpectedly and had charged up longer — she should have held the advantage.
Yet her full-powered strike was still parried by Yilan's simple upward swing.
If it were purely a battle of swordsmanship, Ayaka could now match Yilan. But if elemental powers were involved…
"I still have a long way to go… I'm still not ready to stand by my brother's side."
Even gaining a Vision didn't bring her joy — her brother's recognition was far more important to her.
"No, you've done extremely well."
Yilan gently pulled the dispirited Kamisato Ayaka into his arms, one hand circling her slender waist, the other brushing back strands of her sweaty, disheveled hair.
The fragrance of her exertion filled his senses.
"Perhaps I've been overprotective. Now you already have wings strong enough to fly."
"Brother, what do you mean…?"
Ayaka tilted her head in his arms, her cheeks pink, her eyes shining with emotion.
"I negotiated a deal with a grain merchant — bought a batch of food at a low price and donated it to the victims of the recent disaster. But I'm too busy to personally oversee the distribution."
Yilan smiled at his little sister, his violet eyes gleaming.
"Ayaka, will you help me?"
"Yes!!!"
In an instant, dazzling light filled Kamisato Ayaka's ice-blue eyes — a brilliance even stronger than her newly gained Vision.
It was from this day forward that the name of the "White Heron Princess" began to echo throughout Inazuma.