Inazuma, Tenshukaku.
Raiden Ei stood silently, eyes lowered to the diary in her hand.
Her voice was soft — almost tender.
"As long as he arrives safely in Mondstadt… that is enough."
"Ha?"
A voice suddenly slipped behind her.
Ei's shoulders jumped — she spun around, finding Yae Miko smiling like she'd planned the entire moment.
"...Miko," Ei exhaled, expression darkening. "Must you appear behind me without a sound?"
Miko gave a theatrical sigh, draping a hand over her own heart.
"Oh my, oh my~ You are the Electro Archon. Are you telling me you didn't sense me at all?"
She leaned in, eyes sly.
"Or is your mind… occupied?"
A fox's grin.
You were thinking about a man, weren't you?
And worried about him, no less?
To worry for Su Xuan is to imagine something could threaten him.
And what on this continent could?
Ei had fallen.
That much was obvious.
Honestly, Miko thought, if she's going to act like this, why not let me be the Shogun instead?
But she said nothing aloud.
Instead, she held out a bundled set of letters — sealed, stamped, undeniable.
"This is the correspondence between Kujou Takayuki and the Fatui. Enough proof to bury him."
Ei's expression didn't shift.
"If he denies it, we apply interrogation. Those who act without shame should not fear truth."
…So much for all my work obtaining evidence.
Miko rubbed her temple.
Even now, a single line from Su Xuan's diary carried more weight than tangible proof.
Ei continued:
"I knew of this already."
"Oh?" Miko's ears perked. "So he spoke of me well, behind my back. I'm flattered~"
Ei ignored the tease. Communication between the two of them had always been asymmetrical—Miko's tongue was a weapon Ei could never parry.
So instead, Ei moved to orders:
"The heads of the Tri-Commission have already been detained. I will now personally move on Watatsumi Island."
"You are to prepare the retinue. We will reintegrate Watatsumi into Inazuma's governance."
Her tone sharpened.
"As for the Fatui — I do not want to see them in Inazuma again. Any who remain… are to be executed."
"And for ordinary Snezhnayan civilians: seize their property and escort them out of the nation. No bloodshed. Exile."
She did not wait for an answer.
She simply vanished — a streak of violet lightning dissolving into the sky.
Leaving only Miko, rubbing her forehead.
Executing Fatui troops was war.
Expelling civilians was policy.
It was strategic, precise — and not something Ei would have thought of herself.
Miko laughed softly.
"Ahh… so he's the one telling her what to do now."
And then—
A more wicked smile.
"Well then. One day, I'll just have to steal him from her, won't I?"
She could already imagine Ei's face when abandoned.
Crying, cornered, helpless. Delicious.
Meanwhile, in Mondstadt.
The door of Angel's Share creaked open.
Charles looked up — surprised.
"Well, well. The Knights' Librarian… Lisa Minci. What a rare guest."
Lisa smiled, graceful and lazy as always.
"When Dawn Winery offers free drinks, how could I not come enjoy the atmosphere?"
Charles sighed deeply.
"Afraid not many are in the mood tonight. After today's attack… people are afraid to leave their homes."
Lisa's eyes slid subtly toward the corner table — where Su Xuan sat alone, drinking in quiet peace.
"And yet," she murmured, "there are always a few people who are not so easily frightened."
She took a seat across from him.
No words.
Just an open diary placed gently on the table.
Su Xuan lifted his eyes — barely — then flicked a thought.
Her diary glowed.
[Most Mondstadters who enjoy a drink would be at either Cat's Tail or Angel's Share at this hour.]
[But with fear of the dragon overhead, the city sleeps behind locked doors tonight.]
[Still — there are always those unbothered.]
[Sumeru's once-in-two-centuries prodigy of the Akademiya.
The West Wind Knights' Librarian.
The witch of roses who loves to sleep.]
[Lisa Minci.jpg]
[She appears languid, but she has already measured the situation ten steps ahead.]
[Her talent is real.]
[Even the way she obtained her Vision… defies common rules.]
Lisa lowered her lashes, smiling.
"...Go on."
Su Xuan continued writing.
[Unlike others, she did not 'awaken' to her Vision through belief, emotion, or determination.]
[She simply needed one.]
[And so the gods gave.]
[In her research, she saw clearly: nothing granted is ever free.]
[Knowledge has a price. Power has a price. Destiny has a price.]
[And the price she pays… is time.]
[The more she studies, the more she understands — the shorter her lifespan becomes.]
[To put it plainly: Lisa Minci is a woman with limited years left.]
The tavern went silent.
Jean froze.
Lisa only smiled — a quiet, rueful, knowing curve of her lips.
As if she had always known.
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