Shikanoin Heizou is an extraordinary young detective.
Though working at the Tenryou Commission, he is at odds with the usual impression of a public servant, who is expected to be "stern," "solemn"... and "solemn" again.
On the outside, he appears more well-behaved and polite than any other new hires, but on the inside, he is actually thumbing his nose at all the official mumbo jumbo.
Unlike his colleagues, he does not go to the Station to report for duty on a daily basis and rarely shows up for any routine patrols.
It can seem like ages since you last saw him, and you may finally chance upon him at some crime scene. Yet, judging by that ever-present grin, you can hardly tell if he is actually there working.
Funnily enough, all his "unorthodox behaviors as a public servant" are somewhat acquiesced to.
His colleagues are more than willing to work with him and his boss seldom criticizes him for being this unfettered.
Even his boss's boss inquires after him every now and then.
All this can be safely chalked up to his unrivaled prowess as a detective.
Whenever the Tenryou Commission is tackling an unusually complicated case, be it a major one or a mysterious one, everyone regards Heizou as their last hope to crack the code.
Even the head of the Police Station marvels at his extensive experience in solving cases, but Heizou himself has a different opinion about that.
"Experience is another name for people's past mistakes, and that's not my trump card."
"My trump card is something I was born with."

Joining the Tenryou Commission is no easy task. Not only do you have to pass the ability test, but also a thorough background check.
Therefore, candidates are usually required to declare some essential information, such as any valuable property.
According to Yoriki Owada, who was in charge of the check at the time, when Heizou applied, he handed in nothing but a blank declaration form.
It was a bright and sunny morning. Sitting opposite Owada, Heizou was curiously exploring the place with his eyes. Owada, who had been around the block by then, spent a moment deciphering the blank form, then looked up and insinuated,
"I've met many brilliant young people. However, it's a shame that none of them made it to the Station in the end."
Hearing this, all of a sudden, that seemingly hyperactive young man stopped looking around, sat up straight, and looked Owada in the eye.
"Right. How about a young person like me?"
His switching happened so fast that Yoriki Owada was suddenly stunned, feeling like prey in the sights of some hawk-eyed predator.
Out of nowhere, a strange sensation came over him, as if at that moment, he was the one being scrutinized.
He said jokingly then, as though it would steady his nerves,
"The Tenryou Commission does not discriminate against the poor. But if you have literally nothing to declare, then we'll make sure we pay extra attention to your background."
It was followed by an unexpected silence. The one sitting opposite looked straight at him without saying a word, just as before.
Owada wasn't feeling his best, his forehead slightly twitching. Maybe it was too hot. He made to wipe off the sweat with the back of his hand.
However, there was no sweat on his forehead at all. Owada stared blankly at the dry back of his hand, not knowing if he should wipe again or put his hand down.
The young man burst out into laughter upon seeing this. His hearty laughter immediately relieved Owada from his overwhelmed state.
Heizou just leaned on the table with his chin in one hand, pointing to his head with the other. He smiled at Owada and said,
"Other than my genius, I have nothing to declare."

The Tenryou Commission is in fact not where Heizou started his career as a detective.
Before all this happened, Heizou once owned an agency called "Bantan Sango & Heizou Detective Agency."
It was what was to become Bantan Sango Detective Agency in Inazuma City now, which was actually co-founded by Heizou and Sango in the beginning.
The story of the two started with them striking an instant chord with each other, only to end with them regretfully parting ways.
After the breakdown of their partnership, Heizou's name, naturally, was taken down from the old business.
As for the reason behind it all, it can probably all be summed up as "they had different visions."
Sango believes that a detective's entire mission is to uncover the truth, which is something of utmost significance. Most detectives also hold this belief dear to their hearts.
But Heizou reckons there's more to it. That there might be something that's even more vital than the truth.
Years of experience working as a detective have made him aware that when a new case comes to him, that means something unfortunate has already happened.
No matter how the criminals are punished for their evil conduct afterward, it cannot change the fact that someone has already been hurt.
Similarly, no matter how skilled a doctor is, they will never be able to treat a patient and pretend that nothing ever happened, telling them,
"Look, all your wounds have healed, as if you were never wounded in the first place."
The truth is from then on, whenever the patient sees a doctor, sees an infirmary, or sees the scars left by the operation, they will be reminded every time of all the wounds that were once on their body, hurting them.
Doctors are helpless to prevent violent actions from being executed somewhere. Detectives cannot stop new cases from emerging. But Heizou hopes to break this status quo once and for all.
"If I can't nip evil in the bud, then I shall be its natural enemy."
"The name of Shikanoin Heizou will be renowned throughout the world and intimidate anyone with malicious intent all across Teyvat."
"They will realize one thing. Once they submit to the darkness, I will hunt them down to the ends of the earth."
It was at that point that he made his decision to leave the agency and join the Tenryou Commission.
It was the starting point for him to become the "detective" he seeks to be.

"I've read in the novels that every great detective has an assistant, just like every katsudon has a pork cutlet."
At the Police Station, the new recruit Uesugi approached Heizou with a big smile on his face.
"So, Heizou, what do you think? Can I be your assistant? I'm very clever."
Heizou eyed this chirpy young man up with a grin, then rubbed his chin and replied,
"My intuition tells me that you are not that clever."
"Huh? May... maybe your intuition is wrong."
The sentence Uesugi just uttered seemed to have some magic to it as if it were a closing joke made at the end of a comedy. On hearing that, his nearby senior colleagues all laughed like a supportive audience.
The clever Uesugi immediately realized that he had said something inappropriate, so he tried to patch his statement up.
"What I meant is... we can't just rely solely on intuition in our line of work!"
Unexpectedly, everyone laughed even harder this time. Uesugi, not comprehending what had happened, thought to himself that maybe he should really consider being a comedian.
At that moment, Heizou brushed his shoulder as if to remove the awkwardness along with the dust.
"I was just joking. Actually, my intuition tells me that you, Uesugi, are going to be an excellent Doushin."
"And so, I suggest that you find your own assistant should you have the time."
No sooner had Heizou finished his sentence than he had run away like the wind, leaving a still-baffled Uesigi and his guffawing colleagues behind.
...
"You've still got a long way to go before you can be Doushin Shikanoin's assistant."
"I was just trying to help since I noticed that he has no assistant..."
"Of course he does. He mentioned his assistant many times."
"What?! Has he?"
"Didn't you hear him say 'my intuition tells me' multiple times?"
"Huh?! Are you saying... that his assistant is... his intuition?!"
"Exactly! That guy can solve cases merely with his intuition. Isn't that wild?"

When it comes to performance, Heizou should've been promoted many a time, considering all his achievements.
However, in reality, Heizou has been a Doushin ever since he joined the Tenryou Commission.
On the other hand, many among his colleagues and superiors have risen through the ranks as a by-product of his achievements.
After Heizou's cousin, Kano Nana, heard about it, she came to Heizou and determined to stand up for him.
"You may be a brat, but this unfair treatment you've suffered is way worse."
"I'm going to give those goons a piece of my mind!"
Heizou knew his cousin very well, so to save her from any trouble, Heizou patiently explained the reasons behind this situation — a rare thing for him.
"Cuz, don't consider me lesser than them."
"Wanna take a guess at how many inmates at the Police Station Jail can name the Yoriki?"
Heizou spread his fingers of one hand, palm facing her. "This number at most."
Having no idea what he was getting at, Kano Nana replied hesitantly, "Five?"
"What about the ones who can name this genius detective right in front of you?"
Heizou spread his fingers of the other hand, this time palm facing himself, "This many at least."
"Five again? What's the difference?"
Heizou laughed, "Cuz, I'm talking about the number of hairs on my hands!"
"Just like we have no hair on our palms, none of the inmates can name all the Yoriki."
"But the inmates who can name me are as many as the hairs on the back of my hand!"
"Now that my influence has far exceeded that of those Yoriki, what's in it for me to get promoted?"
"On the contrary, staying close to the front line means that more criminals will be intimidated by the name of Shikanoin Heizou — that's my ultimate goal."
"So don't worry about me, cuz. I have never strayed, and I will never stray from my path!"

Just as Heizou claims, the most well-known name at the Police Station Jail is not that of any Yoriki, or even that of the General of the Tenryou Commission... But is instead the name of Doushin Shikanoin Heizou.
Here, at least, even the name of the Raiden Shogun herself might be lesser in stature compared to his.
After all, none of these criminals, great or small, have ever been personally nabbed by the Shogun, but a great many of them are surely here on Heizou's account.
This is how things panned out:
It started with some arrogant crooks boasting while temporarily out from behind bars of how elite their criminal skills were and how they had sent government officials off on wild goose chases, seeking to gain the admiration of their fellows.
But when asked why they were caught in spite of their great skills, they would often blame, through clenched teeth, the matter on "that detective."
"Not that I didn't try, mind you, but he's just too cunning!"
Thus did the detective's name spread throughout the prison.
Even later on, the situation would again change when the criminals discovered that the detective who caught them was someone named "Shikanoin Heizou."
It was one thing if a single detective could catch some skilled crooks. Perhaps he was just a good detective.
But if countless high-level criminals were seized by this one man, then surely he could not be an ordinary person.
In that moment, everyone present imagined something similar.
A trickster god in the guise of humanity, scheming and cunning beyond compare, seeing into the hearts of mortals with contemptuous ease.
Why, a change of sides would see such a fellow become the greatest criminal in history!
Those who were unwilling to take part in further affray spoke no more, while even the most hardened and wicked amongst them secretly thought:
"It might be best not to take him on, or to speak more ill about him than we should."
Even the fiercest criminal lords no longer use his name even when they wish to boast, instead using the pseudonym "Cyclone."
When the Doushin on guard duty heard this new title, they would ask what it meant.
And some petty criminals would reply, "A calamity! A plague upon all us crooks!"

The way Heizou sees it, detectives are to destroy their opponents' defenses using their intelligence.
Using force to subdue criminals is, inevitably, the inferior way of doing things, and so Heizou does his best to avoid this in his daily work.
As such, his reputation at the Police Station was, for the longest time, one of a brainy but dainty character.
Thus, everyone was all too sure that he would be in for a tough time at the internal martial arts contest held by the Station.
This would be a no-holds-barred contest: neither limitations on schools nor restrictions of weapons would hold any sway here. The only rule was that the one to knock their opponent from a fifty-pace ring would triumph.
To everyone's shock, however, the "brainy" Heizou would show up to this contest without using Vision, and he carried no weapon but his two bare fists, which in turn carried him to the final.
During that match, Kujou Sara, who had arrived upon hearing rumors of his prowess, assessed that the match was over even before it began.
"Doushin Shikanoin moves lightly and his fists are the match of any weapon. It would be hard to match him in melee — and only a skilled bowman would triumph."
As she predicted, Heizou's opponent would concede defeat after taking seventeen punches to the left side, with only a streak of Heizou's hair sliced off to show for it.
But just as he was about to be crowned champion, Kujou Sara herself walked into the ring and picked up a training bow, requesting a match with Heizou.
There was a brief uproar. Most of the people participating in the tournament were rather junior Doushin, and no one had expected that General Kujou herself would attend.
Heizou narrowed his eyes. He had originally only come to test his skills, such that he might not be found wanting in the extreme situations where his wits alone would not be sufficient.
But at this moment, his blood was up and the spirit of competition had descended on him like it often does on youths, and so he gladly accepted. In a flash, the atmosphere heated up and everyone was flushed with excitement.
"Great going, Heizou!" Doushin Uesugi yelled from the stands, Yoriki Owada quietly pumping a fist from beside him.
After a moment's preparation, both parties entered the ring. The rules were slightly different this time: neither of them would use their Visions. This would only be a contest at fifty paces between Sara's arrow and Heizou's fists. Whoever touched the other first with their weapon would be declared the victor.
The atmosphere by now was practically bursting at the seams. The battle was about to begin. Yet few realized that in a battle between experts, each move was peril itself, and that the match would be ended in a single shot.
Sara let fly, and fifty paces away, Heizou was seen with his right hand clenched in front of his chest, tightly gripping an arrow that quivered but two finger-widths from his heart like a striking serpent.
"It's my loss. What a frighteningly fast shot," Heizou said with a laugh, before throwing the arrow aside. "There was no time to evade, General, so I was forced to touch your weapon."
"I won by dint of the rules alone. I have met very few who could catch one of my arrows barehanded. I doubt the result would be so certain, were this a real battle."
Sara's eyes glimmered as she spoke such praise.
"Doushin Shikanoin, you are skilled in both mind and hand. You will do great things, should you be more disciplined."
...
Half a month later, a champion's medal specially made by the Tenryou Commission arrived at the Grand Narukami Shrine, along with a handwritten note.
"Here's a little something, cuz, for you to give to my old man when you've got the time. Y'know, just to let him know that I haven't completely made a mess of his teachings and all."

Heizou mentions his childhood very little, for it was not a happy one.
He was born in a remote village where his ancestry was rather prominent and his father was a martial artist of some small repute.
But just like every other rebellious child in the world, he only wished to escape having to take up his father's work, even as he was forced to learn martial arts alongside him.
This state of affairs would persist until Heizou made a friend who claimed to be from a wealthy merchant family at a festival.
This friend was a bright and agile mind, and would often bring all manner of new gadgets for Heizou to play with, saying that they were from his family's storehouse.
Books from Sumeru, mysterious toys from Fontaine of all sorts... These toys injected significant vibrance into Heizou's otherwise monotonous life.
The friends grew closer as they grew older, but Heizou also began to notice a problem.
His friend's clothes were always filthy, hardly the sort of image a rich merchant's son should have.
He thus decided to have an honest talk with his friend. They would have a conversation like proper adults.
Unexpectedly, his friend immediately admitted to having deceived him, and even confessed that all the gifts he had given Heizou were stolen from the local merchant's guild.
He even went so far as to relate that he had originally met Heizou at the festival with the intention to steal some valuables from the latter, only for them to have become friends instead.
He laughed as he confessed these matters, as if this was some interesting tale.
Heizou was furious, though he knew not what he was angry at: was he angry at having been deceived by his best friend? Or was it because his best friend was a criminal?
Regardless, he reprimanded his friend harshly: "We're not friends anymore!"
Fuming, he returned home, sought out each and every item he had been given, and threw them all out, till nothing but a single green pebble remained.
This was one of a pair of "treasures" the two of them had fished out from a small stream, and each of them had taken one. This item alone was not tainted by theft, and was perhaps purer even than their friendship.
Gazing upon it, Heizou hardened his heart and threw it out the window... only for it to strike the window lattice and come flying back, rolling under his bed.
Now irate, and seeing how even the heavens were conspiring against him in this endeavor, Heizou, in a fit of growing pique, dumped himself on the ground like a frog with a punctured belly, refusing to move.
Looking at the ceiling despondently, he told himself that he would one day put these ill things out of his mind. Yet the world is such that the more we wish to forget things, the more they shall refuse to be forgotten.
A year later, when the festival where he and his friend first met rolled back around, Heizou happened to rediscover the pebble, and had it on him as he traveled to attend the festival.
He knew not what he was expecting, but fate already had an answer on hand... though it was not the one Heizou expected.
Heizou would meet his friend again that day, collapsed by the roadside in a pool of his own blood amidst the screams of the crowd.
Just a moment earlier, his friend had gotten into an altercation with a ruffian who had angled to steal his Mora purse, and who then in a panic had plunged a dagger into his heart.
Heizou dashed over to check on his old friend, the pebble in his hand falling by the wayside. Catching sight of it, his friend's dull eyes lit up just a little.
"Come here to see me, did you... Heizou?"
Heizou tried to keep pressure over his good friend's chest, but the blood kept seeping through his fingers, and he was again filled with fury, even more so than the year prior.
"Just shut up! Shut up!" He yelled at his friend.
His friend shook his head, and with great effort opened his purse. There was not a single Mora inside — nothing but the green pebble that had belonged to him.
Squeezing the last ounce of his strength out, he held the pebble out to Heizou with a smile broader than when they had parted.
"I... I came to see you, too..."
...
Heizou did not recall how he had returned home. His mind was blank, filled with nothing but rage and disgust.
But in that moment, his intuition told him that he felt rage and disgust at a certain thing, and that he and it had always been foes.
This thing had mixed deception into friendship, and it had caused life to be cut short before its time. "Sin." That was its name.
But it was not his friend's sin of deception or theft, nor was it the murder that the thief committed. It was something more abstract, something of a higher order.
It was the culmination of all the sins in this world, hovering over all like a titanic shadow covering the skies, fixing its cold and unfeeling gaze on all that was good in this world, and seeking ways to snuff it out.
One morning, one month later, Heizou sneaked out of doors to travel afar, leaving a farewell note behind. He had found his enemy, and he would now embark on a journey to make war against it.
Accompanying him on this journey was a green stone, but it was not the pebble that symbolized friendship, but instead a Vision that stood for his resolve.