Player World.
After waiting impatiently for over half a month, the highly anticipated second act of the Inazuma chapter, "Stillness, the Sublimation of Shadow," finally arrived!
During the update hiatus, Guojia had completed Yoimiya's and Ayaka's Story Quests. Though she hadn't initially planned to pull for Ayaka, she was now among the players who absolutely had to have her.
After all, who could resist the mesmerizing "Dance of the White Heron"?
Ayaka's popularity skyrocketed, reaching the number one spot. Two days prior, Mihoyo released an animated short featuring her, igniting a frenzy of online simps eager to become Ayaka's devoted "dogs."
Even Guojia, a dedicated Ayaka fan, felt a little embarrassed by the fervor.
This morning, she woke up early as usual and started her live stream.
-
Teyvat, Inazuma.
When the game updated, Yuna also received the news.
It was the day after the party.
"Sis, I heard the statue is finished today, and the Raiden Shogun will be there. I want to go see it—do you want to come with me?"
Kuki Shinobu, noticing the bright Vision on her sister's back, grabbed her arm as she was about to leave and pinched her ear.
"Don't you know the current situation? Put that Vision away! Do you want it confiscated?"
"Ow~ That hurts, Sis! Be gentle!"
Kuki Shinobu pinched Yuna's cheeks. "Stop being cheeky! I'm not even using any force. Put your Vision away yourself, or you're not going anywhere!"
Yuna took off her Vision and tucked it securely against her body, hiding it from view.
"Is this better?"
Kuki Shinobu nodded, adding, "Just watch from a distance. Don't get too close."
But Yuna had already dashed off, leaving her sister's warning hanging in the air. It was impossible to tell if she'd even heard it.
-
Komore Teahouse.
As Lumine and Paimon entered, they immediately sensed something was amiss. The teahouse was unusually quiet.
"Thoma—Thoma—"
No response came, only Taroumaru, the dog on the table, barked a few times.
"Hey—stop hiding! I see you!"
Still, Thoma didn't appear. Paimon crossed her arms. "Hmm? No one's answering at all. Where did Thoma run off to?"
Taroumaru barked again, sounding increasingly agitated.
Just as they were puzzling over his absence, Ayaka rushed in.
"Have either of you seen Thoma?"
"We thought he was with you," Lumine replied. "What's happened?"
Ayaka's expression grew worried. "This is bad... On my way here, I heard that the Tenryou Commission arrested Thoma."
"I couldn't verify the truth of this rumor, so I rushed over to check. If Thoma hasn't shown up here as promised, it likely means the rumor is true."
"The Raiden Shogun will hold the Vision Hunt Ceremony for the hundredth Vision before the Statue of the Omnipresent God."
"And the wielder of that hundredth Vision... the one about to be subjected to the Vision Hunt Ceremony... I fear... it's Thoma."
Ayaka was frantic. Thoma wasn't just her retainer; he was also her friend.
"No, I have to save him!"
Taroumaru barked sharply, as if urging Ayaka to calm down.
Lumine chimed in, "Stay calm, Ayaka. As the Shirasagi Himegimi, you represent the Yashiro Commission. If you intervene, it would mean the Commission openly defying the Shogun's orders. What would happen then...?"
Paimon added, "Openly rebelling against the Raiden Shogun... wouldn't that drag the ordinary people of the Yashiro Commission into the conflict too?"
"It can't be helped... Time is running out. The ceremony is about to begin, and I can't just abandon Thoma like this."
"He's my friend. Just recently, we were all together..."
Lumine immediately cut her off. "He's my friend too. I'll go save him."
"But..."
"You said it yourself—time is running out."
Ayaka fell silent, then nodded slowly.
"...Alright. I'll... wait here for your safe return."
Paimon reassured her, "Don't worry, Ayaka! With a friend's life at stake, we absolutely won't fail!"
Before the Statue of the Omnipresent God, Thoma knelt, his hands bound behind his back, head bowed.
The Raiden Shogun stood facing the statue, her back to the crowd, silent and imposing. The atmosphere was solemn and reverent. Though many had gathered to witness the scene, no one dared to make a sound.
Yuna squeezed through the crowd, her eyes fixed on Thoma below. She sighed softly.
Thoma, Thoma... Even after I shoved my Vision right in the Raiden Shogun's face, you still couldn't relinquish that spot where you're kneeling now.
It seems stealing the spotlight is something I'll have to handle myself.
Yuna scanned the crowd and spotted Lumine and Paimon, similarly jostling through the crowd. The two were looking anxiously at Thoma below, seemingly unaware of her presence.
Though Lumine didn't notice her, the players certainly did.
In Guojia's live stream:
[After all this time, Yuna finally shows herself!]
[Could Yuna be here to save Thoma, just like us?]
[It's possible. Back at the Shrine, she mentioned being close friends with Ayaka. If they're friends, she probably knows Thoma too.]
-
Before the Statue of the Omnipresent God, the Raiden Shogun slowly turned, her hand reaching out to seize Thoma's Vision, which detached itself from his waist and flew into her grasp.
As his Vision was taken, Thoma instinctively struggled, but two soldiers pinned him down.
In this critical moment, our protagonist, the Traveler Lumine, made a daring leap, intercepting the Vision and securing it tightly in her hand.
Paimon then flew over to stand beside Lumine, both facing the Raiden Shogun.
The Raiden Shogun withdrew her hand, her expression unchanging as she regarded Lumine and Paimon with detached indifference.
Two Shogunate Soldiers charged forward to apprehend Lumine, only to be blasted back by three arcs of Electro energy summoned by her.
Under Jiang Mumu's influence, the soldiers' weapons had been flung far away, leaving them lying prone. This prevented Thoma from freeing himself from the ropes binding him.
Lumine rushed forward to cut Thoma's bonds, but a bolt of lightning blocked her path.
Turning back, she saw the Raiden Shogun descending slowly from the high platform, stepping through the air with ethereal grace.
"Capable of using elemental energy without a vision..."
"You are an exception, it appears..."
The Raiden Shogun's voice carried no discernible emotion, yet her presence grew more imposing with each word.
"Exceptions...the enemy of Eternity"
Electro energy crackled around the Raiden Shogun as she clasped her hands, summoning lightning at her chest. Behind her, the Eye of Stormy Judgment opened, radiating overwhelming authority.
Lumine, stubborn as ever, drew her sword and assumed a combat stance.
A sword hilt materialized at the Raiden Shogun's chest, accompanied by rolling thunder.
The Raiden Shogun grasped the hilt and slowly drew the long blade from her chest, raising it high above her head.
"You will be inlaid upon this statue."
With a single slash, the surrounding space shattered, enveloping Lumine in another dimension.
Lumine spun around, ready to flee, but the space had already sealed, trapping her in a new battlefield.
"Lumine!"
In that final moment, Lumine heard Paimon's desperate cry!