The Raiden Shogun ate the three-colored dango in a matter of minutes and returned to her desk, completely unaware that the Engulfing Lightning by her side had already been swapped out.
...
"Uwaaah~" Paimon rubbed her sleepy eyes as she floated out from the entrance of Akitsu-tei.
She yawned and stretched in a big arc, clearly still groggy.
"That bed in Liyue is way comfier. If we were still at that old inn, I don't think I would've gotten a wink of sleep."
She mumbled contentedly to herself, a look of pure satisfaction on her face.
Beside her, Lumine chuckled helplessly and shook her head.
"You've gotten spoiled by Shajin. Remember when we used to camp in the forest? Though, I admit… I don't really want to go back to that either~"
As she spoke, Lumine stretched under the warm sunlight, taking a deep breath.
"Thinking back on those days… we really had it rough. But now we've got a comfy place to stay. It's so much better."
Paimon sighed nostalgically, a flicker of memory in her eyes.
Then Lumine suddenly recalled something and turned to Paimon.
"Didn't Thoma say yesterday that he wanted us to drop by the Komore Teahouse? Said he had someone he wanted to introduce us to. If we don't go now, we'll be late!"
"Oh! Coming, coming—wait for me, Lumine!"
Paimon scrambled after her, and the two headed toward Komore Teahouse together.
...
"Finally made it~"
Paimon wobbled into the teahouse, scanning the room for that "local fixer" figure.
But there was no one—just a dog sitting on the table by the entrance.
"Where's Thoma? Thoma?"
Paimon scratched her head.
"Weird. Don't tell me he tricked us just to mess around!"
Just then, from the direction of the dog, a familiar voice rang out.
"Who says I didn't show up? I was about to be heartbroken you forgot about me~"
"Eh?!"
Paimon clapped her hands over her mouth in shock.
"Hahaha… What's the big surprise? It's your first time seeing me like this, isn't it?"
Even Lumine looked bewildered.
"Th-…Thoma is a dog?!"
Paimon clapped her hands in amazement.
"That's so cool! Just like the Adepti in Liyue!"
Lumine muttered from the side, deadpan.
"No, no, no. That's… literally just a dog."
"Hahahaha… Alright, alright, no more pranks."
With a chuckle, Thoma stepped out from behind the wall behind the dog.
Paimon stomped her foot, visibly annoyed.
"You're just as bad as Shajin with these dumb jokes!"
Thoma rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
"Back on Ritou, and here in the teahouse too… waiting for you two always feels like an eternity."
"So I figured I'd greet you in a 'special' way."
Lumine shrugged, glancing around.
"Enough with the nonsense. Thoma, where's this important guest you were going to introduce us to?"
Thoma scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed.
"Hahaha… Sorry, but this is all part of the process. Whether I can take you to meet Lady Kamisato depends on it."
"Whether you're qualified to become… companions who dare to face the lightning together."
At Thoma's words, Lumine's expression twitched.
"Uhh… When you say 'face the lightning,' you don't mean the Raiden Shogun, do you?"
She had already experienced god-tier power firsthand in Liyue. That terrifying might was seared into her memory. And Inazuma's Electro Archon—one of the Seven—was undoubtedly among the most formidable.
At full strength, she might have stood a chance. But in her current state? Going up against a god like that would be suicide. That's not bravery—that's being the appetizer!
Thoma noticed the tension on her face and cleared his throat.
"Ahem. Don't be so quick to say no. Come with me first—then decide."
Paimon tilted her head curiously. "Where to?"
"To a structure impossible to ignore for anyone living on Narukami Island—the one still under construction: the Statue of the Omnipresent God."
...
"Partner! You're amazing! Is this really the Raiden Shogun's weapon?!"
Tartaglia's eyes sparkled as he brandished the Engulfing Lightning.
Rosalyne, however, wasn't all that impressed. She had long since become numb to Adventurine's reality-defying antics.
Still, curiosity got the better of her. She stepped forward and took the polearm from Tartaglia, inspecting it carefully.
The blade shimmered with violet light, arcs of electricity crackling across it, pulsing with terrifying power.
But as she felt the divine pressure radiating from the weapon, an unexplainable fear welled up in her chest.
She frowned and murmured, "How strange…"
Even facing Morax, she had never felt fear like this.
Nevertheless, she casually handed the weapon to the one who had been staring longingly at it this whole time—Scaramouche.
Scaramouche gripped the hilt tightly, his gaze flickering with complex emotions. Who knew what he was thinking?
But Shajin didn't hesitate. He stepped forward, snatched the weapon away, and swiftly stashed it in the Serenitea Pot.
Scaramouche: "???"
At that moment, a tall Mirror Maiden pushed open the door and entered gracefully.
"Harbingers, the supplies and Delusions prepared for Watatsumi Island are ready. We await your order to depart."
Her voice was crisp and melodic, like silver bells ringing.
Rosalyne stifled a yawn behind her hand, waving lazily.
"Go on, then. Don't let all the pawns get eaten before the game even starts~"
She spoke with teasing ease.
"Yes, my lady!"
The Mirror Maiden bowed respectfully.
"Wait a moment~"
Shajin suddenly spoke up. He retrieved the Gambler mask from his Vision-space and pressed it to his face.
The stylized character for "gamble" carved into the mask sent a chill through the air.
"I've had enough fun in Inazuma City. I'll tag along to Watatsumi Island too. I heard the scenery's pretty nice. I'll relax a bit before getting back to work~"
He sounded almost giddy with anticipation.
Rosalyne rolled her eyes, but said nothing. She was long used to Shajin's habit of slacking off whenever he pleased.
The Mirror Maiden nodded quickly and stepped forward to lead the way.
Before long, the coastline of Watatsumi Island came into view.
From a distance, it was certainly beautiful.
But the people on the island looked frail and undernourished. For them to hold their ground against the Shogunate army… those Delusions must be playing a huge role.
_
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