Rosalyne looked bewilderedly at the figure who had suddenly appeared at the Kamisato Estate—someone wearing a conical hat themed around an eight-petal golden lotus and lotus leaves, dressed in a short-sleeved ceremonial robe with a cyan-blue lining and an open chest.
She couldn't help but ask,
"Who are you?"
Both Su Yuan and Aether were also staring in shock at the person before them.
The Balladeer? No, he should be called the Wanderer now.
Why would he show up here?
"Indeed, we once worked together,"
the Wanderer said with a wave of his hand, his voice calm,
"but now, you no longer remember I ever existed..."
"But none of that matters anymore. Leave now, and I might show you some mercy..."
"Otherwise, I'll make you understand why the flowers bloom so red, and why the sun shines so bright!"
Then, the Wanderer turned his gaze to Aether and said,
"Traveler, I failed to lure you to Sumeru before, and in that contest, I was temporarily outmatched..."
"But now that I've come to Inazuma, once I've dealt with those two vermin—Rosalyne and Kamisato Ayato—I have some things I want to discuss with you. Let's have a proper conversation then."
"Even if I don't know who you are, don't treat me like I'm invisible!"
Rosalyne roared in anger and launched a swift, fierce attack at the Wanderer, manipulating both Pyro and Cryo elements!
Yet, faced with such a fierce and rapid assault, the Wanderer showed not the slightest hint of panic.
He deftly soared into the air using Anemo power, easily evading the attack!
"Are you part snail or something? That attack was way too slow!"
The Wanderer taunted while dodging with ease.
Meanwhile, Aether and Su Yuan were shocked by the Wanderer's earlier words.
What did he mean by that?
Could it be… was the whole incident with Nilou his doing?
"Wanderer, what do you mean by that? Are you saying everything was part of your plan? Was Nilou's death your doing?"
Aether looked toward the Wanderer, who was still engaged in battle with Rosalyne, and questioned him sternly.
"Hahaha… So what if it was? And so what if it wasn't?"
The Wanderer suddenly burst into wild laughter, speaking arrogantly,
"Everything in this world—every person—is nothing more than a tool to be used!"
"Even though I detest Dottore, I have to admit—his ideals and methods… they're starting to make a lot of sense to me!"
"People don't truly despise ruthless hunters. What they really hate is that they themselves aren't the ones standing above as the hunter.
They just don't want to be the prey—caught and used."
Su Yuan and Aether looked at the Wanderer.
Sure, he had always been arrogant and sharp-tongued,
but right now… there was something deeply unsettling about him.
"You're fighting me, and you still have time to chat with others?"
Seeing the Wanderer so relaxed and full of contempt,
Rosalyne felt utterly disrespected.
In response, she summoned icy spikes and fiery pillars, launching them skyward toward the airborne Wanderer in a fierce counterattack!
Faced with the incoming barrage, the Wanderer still remained calm and composed.
He had great confidence in his speed and believed he could easily dodge the attack…
However—unexpectedly, the unexpected happened.
With a sudden crack of thunder, a figure appeared on the scene!
"Who are you? I'm certain we've never met, yet why does your presence feel… familiar to me?"
Everyone turned toward the voice—only to see the figure of the Raiden Shogun standing there!
But almost immediately, they all averted their gazes, remembering Su Yuan's warning:
Do not look the Raiden Shogun directly in the eyes…
Still, it seemed that the Shogun's attention was entirely focused on the Wanderer.
She stared at him, floating in the air, a deep sense of confusion swirling within her heart…
The Wanderer, unaware that one must not meet the Raiden Shogun's gaze, looked straight into her eyes—his own filled with a storm of complex emotions.
"What do you see in my eyes?" the Raiden Shogun asked slowly, her gaze fixed on the Wanderer.
"Hahahaha… What I see in your eyes is foolishness—your obsession with eternity, and that delusional, unattainable ideal," the Wanderer replied mockingly.
"So, in other words, what you saw in my eyes... was still eternity?"
The Raiden Shogun murmured thoughtfully, then nodded slightly.
"I know you're nothing more than the puppet—the Shogun Puppet—not the real Baal. Tell me, what exactly are you doing?!"
the Wanderer shouted, "You can't even control your own creation! What right do you have to call yourself a god?!"
"Baal? Baal is already dead. She will never awaken again…"
A faint smile appeared on the Raiden Shogun's face as she continued:
"Now, Inazuma is mine to rule."
Su Yuan listened to her words in shock.
What was she saying?
Raiden Ei… is dead? She'll never wake again?
Did the puppet—the Shogun automaton—turn against the true Electro Archon and take her place?
It wasn't entirely impossible. After all, in the game's previous storylines, the Shogun automaton had battled Raiden Ei for hundreds of years in the Plane of Euthymia without a clear victor.
So in terms of strength, the puppet could very well rival the true Raiden.
The current Shogun Puppet must have discovered a new path to achieve eternity—and has been relentlessly pursuing it ever since…
But could Raiden Ei really have died that easily?
Or perhaps, as a remaining consciousness, she hadn't perished at all—merely defeated by the puppet and forced into a deep slumber?
Either way, the situation was starting to become dire once again…
Another Raiden Shogun had entered the fray.
Even with all his strength, the Wanderer would struggle to face multiple formidable opponents at once.
What they needed now was someone reliable—someone powerful—
to break the stalemate.
"Hahahahaha~ Looks like things are getting pretty intense!"
With a hearty laugh, Arataki Itto made his entrance!
"Now it's time for the one and only Arataki 'The One and Oni' Itto to shine!"
Previously, Itto hadn't been moving with the main group—
instead, he'd gone off to look for Kuki Shinobu.
But even with his return, Itto probably wouldn't be of much help in the current battle…
Unless…
"Boss, are you ready?"
Beside him, Kuki Shinobu appeared as well, wearing her usual mask and holding something in her hand.
"I still think this is completely unnecessary… but as long as it makes you happy, Boss."
"I'm ready! I'm ready! Let's do this, Shinobu!"
In the next moment, Kuki Shinobu tossed a bean high into the air—
and Arataki Itto leapt up, catching it perfectly with his mouth!
At the same time, Itto shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Eerie Form Arataki Itto—"
"Transform!!!"
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