"So… I've become his puppet?"
Raiden Ei stared blankly ahead, her eyes unfocused.
She had once ruled Inazuma through the Raiden Shogun puppet.
The people of Inazuma never knew that the lofty Electro Archon governing them was merely a doll.
And now, in the future—
Raiden Ei herself had become a puppet as well.
A puppet of Aerin, unknown to the people she once ruled.
When she thought about it carefully, the irony was almost cruel.
It felt as though Aerin was punishing her using her own method.
Hadn't she relied on a puppet to govern Inazuma?
Then what need did she have for real authority?
She could simply remain a puppet shogun, obedient and silent.
"…He's punishing me using my own way, Miko."
Yae Miko shook her head. Her tone, compared to earlier, was far calmer.
"This isn't punishment—it's pressure."
"If he truly wanted you dead, no amount of begging would've saved you."
"What we need to do now is unite everyone and figure out how to face his arrival."
"We must satisfy him."
"With the future already exposed, his real-world decisions have changed."
"If we do poorly, we may not escape his judgment."
She spoke firmly, almost as if issuing orders.
"First—you must personally arrest all high-ranking members of the Tenryou and Kanjou Commissions."
"Detain them temporarily. Await his decision."
Above all, she had to make sure the heads of the Kujou and Hiiragi clans did not commit suicide before Aerin arrived.
These people were doomed anyway.
But how they died had to be decided by Aerin himself.
If he came demanding prisoners only to find them all dead—
That feeling of striking cotton with a punch would undoubtedly irritate him.
And when Aerin was irritated, he would vent it somewhere else.
At this point—
Watatsumi Island, the Kamisato Clan, the Grand Narukami Shrine, Tenshukaku—
Any of them could become targets.
Inazuma's upper echelon was riddled with problems.
The Aerin seen on the screen was clearly choosing the least broken pieces—
Keeping them only for the sake of innocent civilians.
That didn't mean they were blameless.
If he became displeased, the purge would only grow harsher.
Knights of Favonius Headquarters, Mondstadt
Alice let out a light laugh.
"Inazuma, huh… their leadership was already thin on talent."
"Now both the Tenryou and Kanjou Commissions are facing punishment."
"Good thing Teyvat has our Master maintaining order now."
"Otherwise, Inazuma's future would truly be bleak."
Jean and Lisa nodded in agreement.
Aside from the Raiden Shogun's overwhelming martial strength, Inazuma had very few competent administrators.
Yet a single god of unmatched might had been enough to sustain a nation for thousands of years.
In Teyvat, divine power had always been the foundation of stability.
But—
Jean and Lisa exchanged glances.
"…Did Alice just say Master?"
Even Lisa, famous for her composure, sucked in a sharp breath.
This crazy woman actually did it?
"Alice, you—"
"No wonder you've been rubbing your legs since you sat down."
"Don't tell me last night you—"
Jean suddenly stood up, eyes wide.
"Alice! How could you do this to Klee?!"
Alice waved her hand impatiently, signaling Jean to calm down.
Then she casually explained the truth of Klee's birth.
Rolling her eyes, she added,
"Relax. The Master knows everyone's history inside and out."
"How could he not know about Klee?"
Speaking of Klee—
Alice casually reached into her Imaginary Space and pulled out an exquisitely crafted red energy wristband.
"This is a gift the Master made for Klee."
"It's a modified energy-restriction ring."
"With it, Klee can freely enter and exit my Imaginary Space."
"It doesn't interfere with her elemental output—and if it senses danger, it automatically deploys an energy shield."
"A wonderful gift, really."
Alice stood up, stretched, and deliberately pushed her chest forward at Jean and Lisa, grinning like she was showing off.
"I won't chat anymore—I'm off to give my daughter the gift her biological father made for her."
"B-Biological father…?" Jean's mouth twitched violently.
Alice shrugged.
"He's my first man. If he's not her biological father, then who is?"
"Honestly, you're overreacting."
"See you."
Just as Alice took a step—
A strange sensation suddenly pulsed from the Stigmata mark on her chest.
Caught off guard, a surge of power flooded her body, forcing her to drop back onto the sofa.
Her shocked expression startled Jean and Lisa.
"Are you okay?" Jean asked anxiously.
Lisa, however, smirked.
"Don't tell me you stood up too fast and your legs gave out again~"
This time, Alice ignored the teasing.
She stared at them, eyes wide with disbelief.
"I… I just felt a new power awaken inside me."
"I'm… much stronger than I was just now."
At the Same Time
Aerin sat alone on a secluded island at the edge of Inazuma's sea.
He rested quietly atop a rock, studying the reward he had just drawn.
After accumulating 120 pulls, a single golden light finally appeared.
Given that he already possessed the Xuanyuan Sword, the ultimate authority of domination, and the Primordial Void Sword Intent, he wasn't particularly disappointed.
A bit more raw power—or even some interesting daily-life items—would've been fine.
After all, he could improve himself using the knowledge stored in Void Archives.
The energy-restriction ring was proof enough of that.
But what he hadn't expected—
Was that this golden pull was a set reward.
Three rewards, all belonging to the same system.
[Spiral Power]
A生命体天赋能力—
Spiral Power:
A will-based metaphysical energy unlocked through genetic potential.
The stronger a being's will, the more its power evolves.
A fully universal energy.
At advanced stages, there exists a small chance of awakening.
True awakened beings may:
Create life
Achieve functional immortality
Manifest matter from nothing
Perform dimensional leaps
Alter probability
Create worlds
This was Aerin's exclusive authority.
He could grant it to others.
And those who possessed Spiral Power—
Through the strength of their will—
Would, in turn, make Aerin stronger.
Teyvat's humans were fully compatible with Spiral Power.
"That settles it," Aerin murmured.
"I'll inject Spiral Power into the World Tree."
The World Tree was the central repository of all life information in Teyvat.
By integrating Spiral Power into it, the concept could be spread across all lifeforms at a genetic level.
As for control over the ley lines—
He wasn't worried.
All he needed was a prominent ley branch.
Infuse it with Primordial Void Sword Intent.
Alter its function to domination.
The World Tree's authority would fall entirely into his hands.
As for the Heavenly Principles—
They weren't worth worrying about.
The remaining two rewards were personal, non-transferable.
[Tengen Toppa]
His power source would continuously grow stronger over time.
Every day, stronger than the last.
No endpoint.
Infinite progression.
Even doing nothing, tomorrow's Aerin would surpass today's.
And his lifespan—
Was infinite.
[Super · Tengen Toppa]
A transformation into a humanoid energy entity resembling a mech-god.
Its size scales with available energy.
Maximum size: Infinite.
Aerin lay back on the reef, one arm shielding his eyes from the sun.
For the first time—
He felt genuine confusion.
With the Xuanyuan Sword—absolute domination.
With infinite growth—endless power.
Which was stronger?
"…Tengen Toppa is passive growth," he muttered.
"These can't even be compared directly."
"But the energy form from Super Tengen Toppa…"
"…should still be absolutely dominated by the Xuanyuan Sword."
A head quietly peeked out from the nearby grass.
Skirk stared at Aerin, puzzled.
"Was that my imagination…?"
"He was… talking to himself?"
"For a moment, he actually looked troubled."
She couldn't understand it.
Someone so powerful—capable of unimaginable feats—feeling troubled?
She couldn't grasp the sensation of swatting a mosquito—
Only to erase the galaxy it occupied.
If not for Aerin's perfect self-adaptation and control, Teyvat itself couldn't withstand his existence.
A slight sound from the rocks made Skirk instantly pull her head back.
Aerin glanced in her direction.
"Come out."
"You've followed me since Stormterror's Lair."
"How long do you plan to keep following?"
Skirk's body trembled.
She knew he had noticed her long ago.
She had prepared herself—
Yet when he spoke, fear still crushed her chest.
"…Do I need to invite you?"
"Ten seconds."
"Come out—or bear the consequences."
At those words, Skirk immediately jumped out of hiding.
"F-Fifth Descender… greetings."
She walked toward him, visibly trembling.
Aerin sat on the reef, calmly studying her.
Phanes' world had many flaws—
But humanity's genetic design was not one of them.
Whether male or female, most humans were aesthetically pleasing.
"…I—" Skirk hesitated, scrambling for an excuse.
But Aerin raised a hand, silencing her.
He casually tossed something at her feet—
A collar resembling an energy-restriction ring.
"…This is?"
"Let's save time," Aerin said lightly.
"I know who you are."
"Surtalogi's disciple. An Abyss swordsman obsessed with power."
"Like your master, you believe you stand above Teyvat's lifeforms."
Skirk had no rebuttal.
It was true.
Without the future's exposure, she would never have descended into Teyvat.
Aerin continued calmly,
"You're lucky."
"I'm walking to Inazuma."
"I get bored."
"Put on the collar. You'll gain free access to my Imaginary Space."
"It won't restrict your power."
"Wear it on your neck—it's not flattering, but…"
"If you perform well, I might reward you with a Stigmata Elixir."
At the mention of the elixir, Skirk's fear turned to restrained excitement.
But she quickly regained composure.
"If you know who I am… why not kill me?"
"You should know—if you weren't this strong, I'd likely kill you."
Aerin's gaze darkened.
"Which is why the choice isn't yours."
"Pick it up."
"Impress me."
"If I'm satisfied, I'll decide whether you remain an enemy—or become my servant."
"If I'm not…"
"I'll deal with you later. I'm in no hurry."
She understood.
She posed no threat to him.
Her existence or death depended solely on his mood.
Yet—
Skirk stared at the collar.
Wasn't this… an opportunity?
For someone of the Abyss, obtaining a Stigmata Elixir was nearly impossible.
And she had no allies to plead for her.
Only herself.
She bent down, picked up the collar, and forced a smile.
"To follow someone like you…"
"Any test is worth it."
Aerin nodded.
"Getting someone like you to flatter me isn't easy."
"By the way—can you cook?"
"I like eating outdoors during travels."
Skirk nodded firmly.
"Of course."
"Good." Aerin turned and waved.
"Let's go."
"Oh—and one more thing."
"That forced smile is ugly."
"If you keep smiling like that—kill yourself."
Skirk: "???"
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