"So… he stopped criticizing the Raiden Shogun's failures in the end…"
"Was it simply because he felt there was no longer any point in talking to her?"
Palais Mermonia, Fontaine.
Furina's face had gone deathly pale as she watched everything unfold.
Clorinde let out a heavy sigh, then nodded slowly.
"At this point… the Raiden Shogun must be in unbearable pain. Her screams are terrifying."
Furina forced herself to stay composed.
If she weren't worried about Clorinde noticing, she would have already covered her ears and curled up—anything to block out the animal-like cries coming from the screen.
"Ei… Ei…"
Yae Miko turned back in panic, staring at Raiden Ei curled tightly on the ground, her body spasming.
She hurriedly crouched down, glancing around as she tried to use her exorcism methods to ease the pain.
But the moment her hand touched Raiden Ei—
The scream grew even louder.
"I'd advise you not to touch her."
Aerin's voice was calm—almost indifferent.
"Any external interference right now will only accelerate her death."
"All you can do is wait."
"Wait until the backlash tortures her to the point where she can no longer even scream."
"Wait for her death."
The words struck like thunder.
Ayaka collapsed onto the ground in despair.
Ayato felt dizzy, forcing himself to ask,
"What… exactly is your goal?"
Aerin spread one hand, expression steady.
"Reorganizing Inazuma. Nothing more."
"Or what—are you worried that after I take control, I'll purge the Kamisato Clan?"
"Is that why you rushed here to stand beside Raiden Ei?"
Ayato's heart sank.
"Protecting the Kamisato Clan is my duty," he said slowly.
"But in the face of an invader, we won't abandon right and wrong."
Aerin had no interest in listening.
With a casual flick of his hand, Musou Isshin, lying not far away, flew into his grasp.
"How interesting," he murmured.
"Could it be that the one who planted the Sacred Sakura five hundred years ago… was me?"
"…By this logic, perhaps it really was."
The three of them were utterly confused.
Unfortunately, Raiden Ei's continuous screams left no room for pondering Aerin's strange words.
And Aerin clearly had no intention of staying.
He turned to leave—
Only to have both legs suddenly grabbed.
Looking down, he saw Yae Miko clinging tightly to him.
"You understand Bella better than anyone," she pleaded desperately.
"Then you must know how to save Ei."
"I beg you—please show mercy. Save her."
At that moment, Eula and Sangonomiya Kokomi arrived, just in time to witness the scene.
Kokomi froze when she noticed Raiden Ei curled in agony.
The once untouchable Shogun… reduced to this.
Her twisted posture.
Her contorted expression.
Her screams born of incomprehensible pain.
Eula glanced at the stunned Kokomi and shook her head slightly.
"I know how you feel," she said quietly.
"You get used to it."
She patted Kokomi's shoulder, then stepped forward and barked coldly,
"Fox. Let go."
"Or I won't be polite."
Yae Miko ignored her completely.
She knelt, pressing her forehead to the ground at Aerin's feet.
"Ei was deceived by Bella. She only opposed you because she feared you'd harm Inazuma's people."
Yae Miko was smart.
From that godlike sword strike earlier, she had clearly sensed that Aerin was purging corruption, not destroying Inazuma.
She understood why he arrested the Tenryou and Kanjou Commissions.
"Reorganizing Inazuma" truly meant saving it.
But none of that escaped Aerin's eyes.
He snorted coldly.
"So now you know how to beg?"
"Where was this cleverness when Bella was deceiving her?"
"Why didn't you explain why I arrested the Tenryou and Kanjou officials?"
"Get lost."
A slight lift of Aerin's foot—
And Yae Miko was sent flying like a deflated Anemo Slime, slamming hard into a tree.
"Lady Guuji!" Ayaka cried, throwing aside her blade and rushing to her side.
At that same moment—
A white figure streaked down in a trail of golden light.
A tiny, fairy-like figure followed shortly after.
Lumine and Paimon had arrived.
Both were instantly stunned by Raiden Ei's condition.
"What… what happened to her?"
"Her skin's all patchy—black in some places, pale in others…"
Paimon shrieked and immediately hid behind Lumine.
The instant Paimon mentioned Raiden Ei's condition—
Yae Miko dropped to her knees again, crawling toward Aerin.
"Please… I beg you. Save Ei."
"You can punish me however you want."
"She protected Inazuma for thousands of years."
"Even if she has no merit left—she has endured enough."
Her forehead struck the ground again and again, blood slowly seeping out.
Aerin did nothing.
Instead, he looked at Lumine and Paimon.
"Aren't you two supposed to be tracking the Abyss Order? Why are you back?"
Paimon answered immediately,
"Master! We saw a terrifying battle from afar!"
"Lumine was worried someone might harm you, so we rushed back!"
"But… this place…"
Before she could ask more, Eula dragged her aside and whispered an explanation.
"WHAT?!"
"She's the Electro Archon?!"
Paimon clapped a hand over her mouth, staring at Raiden Ei in disbelief.
By now, Ei's screams had grown much weaker.
Suddenly, Paimon fell into deep thought.
Eula blinked, confused.
After a moment, Paimon's eyes lit up like she'd spotted a feast.
She floated up to Aerin, rubbing her hands together.
"Hehehe…"
Aerin frowned.
"What are you giggling about?"
Paimon leaned in conspiratorially.
"Master, why not save her… then feed her a Stigmata Elixir?"
"Control her will and turn her into one of your puppets."
"PAIMON!" Lumine panicked, grabbing her and covering her mouth.
Aerin shot them a glare.
Paimon instantly started shaking.
"Have you lost your mind?"
"Betraying your own side?"
Paimon waved her hands frantically.
"No, no! I just wanted to help and earn a reward!"
"She's a god, after all. Wouldn't keeping a god as a servant make you look even cooler?"
Aerin paused.
Then pinched the bridge of his nose.
"…What reward do you want?"
Paimon answered without hesitation,
"I want to eat the roasted boar you make."
Silence.
Lumine stared at her in disbelief.
Even Aerin didn't know how to respond.
Eula sucked in a sharp breath.
So that's why her eyes were glowing earlier…
She thought this was a brilliant idea that would earn her food.
Grand Narukami Shrine.
Raiden Ei stared blankly, clutching her chest.
"Miko… I was terrified."
"I thought that little thing wanted to take my corpse and eat it."
Yae Miko had no words.
Honestly, Ei's thought process wasn't that different from Paimon's.
But Paimon's casual suggestion revealed a brutal truth—
In Aerin's eyes, the gods of Teyvat might not even be worth a plate of roasted boar.
Paimon's idea was outrageous—
Yet to Yae Miko, Ayaka, and Ayato, it was a rare opportunity.
The three knelt together, begging desperately.
"Yes, yes—she's right!"
"In the hearts of Inazuma's people, the Raiden Shogun is still their faith."
"As long as you hold her in your hands, everything you wish to do in Inazuma will become much easier."
Ayato added quickly,
"You can let the Shogun stand at the forefront while you remain behind the scenes."
"We will support every decision you make."
Aerin ignored them and looked instead at Kokomi.
Kokomi's body trembled.
She clenched her teeth.
"Master… I think they're not entirely wrong."
"Your goal is to reorganize Inazuma—to give this world a better future."
"Inazuma's future must remain in your hands."
"Using the Raiden Shogun as part of your plan would indeed be… efficient."
She had learned from Eula what happened in Mondstadt.
She knew exactly what kind of people Aerin preferred.
And she knew why she herself had been chosen—
She had begged him to save Inazuma, not to surrender.
Otherwise, she'd have been crushed long ago.
"And… the Raiden Shogun truly loves her people."
"Even when Watatsumi worshipped Orobashi, she never retaliated."
Kokomi chose every word carefully.
Aerin's expression turned colder than ever.
"You four combined could scheme your way around Teyvat three times over."
"Yet you still let the Tenryou and Kanjou Commissions rot Inazuma from the inside."
"They managed to fool her—so why couldn't you fool her back?"
Kokomi immediately dropped to her knees, lowering her head in silence.
Ayaka's heart raced as she watched her future self being scolded.
"Brother… the Fifth Descender is terrifyingly strict."
Ayato finally relaxed a little.
"At least we rushed to protect the Shogun."
"It proves we weren't true traitors."
"But in reality… how do we avoid this future?"
"He's watching. He won't follow the screen's path again."
Aerin swept a cold gaze across the four kneeling figures.
Yae Miko kept kowtowing, apologizing endlessly.
Seeing his tone finally ease—just a little—
She didn't dare make excuses.
She simply promised total devotion to Inazuma's rebuilding.
Aerin sighed, no longer interested in pressing the matter.
He pulled a Stigmata Elixir from Imaginary Space and spoke while walking.
"From now on—"
"Sangonomiya Kokomi will take full control of the Tenryou Commission."
"Yae Miko—you will take over the Kanjou Commission."
"And if I find you spending all your time running Yae Publishing House…"
"I'll strip every last fox hair from your body."
"Y-Yes! Absolutely!"
Yae Miko trembled, but relief finally washed over her.
"The Kamisato siblings will continue managing the Yashiro Commission."
"And you will select more capable talents for Inazuma."
He stopped beside Raiden Ei.
"And as for her…"
He crouched.
Yae Miko crawled over in panic, tears streaming.
"Master… Ei—"
"She won't die," Aerin snapped impatiently, pouring the Stigmata Elixir into Raiden Ei's mouth.
Lightning flashed beneath her clothes.
Her ashen skin regained its luster.
Her breathing steadied.
"As for this idiot—"
"She'll remain in Tenshukaku."
"She'll serve as Inazuma's symbol."
"No real authority."
"Just a mascot."
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