"Impressive!"
"I thought that man was beyond saving, and you actually brought him back?"
In the real world, at Windrise in Mondstadt, Venti was staring at Gu Chen in disbelief.
"What kind of ability was that? I've never even heard of such a thing!"
"Hard to say."
Gu Chen shook his head.
"Then say it! Short version! Quick!"
Venti felt a sudden, burning hatred for riddlers.
And though he himself was often one… being on the receiving end was infuriating.
Gu Chen thought for a moment, then replied casually:
"He wasn't completely dead. I just gave him a bit of life energy while he still had a spark left."
"Oh… so that's how it is?"
Venti blinked.
Something about that answer sounded like nonsense—but also kind of… made sense?
[Diluc]: Hmph. Typical Fatui behavior. Only they would cross that kind of moral line.
[Keqing]: Those damn Fatui! They treat human life like it's nothing!
[La Signora]: Oh please, what now? Did anyone force him to use a Delusion?
[Zhongli]: Logically speaking, no one forced Teppei to use it—but it's an undeniable fact that the Fatui preyed upon his ambition and led him astray.
[La Signora]: Hah! If he hadn't been greedy for merit, he wouldn't have fallen for it. His fault, not ours.
[Gorou]: Don't you dare insult Teppei like that!
[Tartaglia]: For the record—everyone look carefully—the one running the Delusion factory is Scaramouche. Has nothing to do with me!
[La Signora]: You're a disgrace to the Harbingers!
[Scaramouche]: What's it to me? I only executed the plan. As for the truth behind it all… heh. Find out yourselves.
In the video:
An enraged Lumine stormed into the Delusion Factory.
"Didn't expect you to find this place. Well done," came a mocking voice.
"Fatui Harbinger, Sixth of the Eleven—Scaramouche. A pleasure to meet you."
"Oh? You came all this way alone, in such a sorry state. What's your business with me?"
Lumine glared at him.
"You distributed Delusions to the Resistance—"
"Ah, that thing." Scaramouche smiled lazily.
"But you're mistaken. I only executed the plan—the mastermind is someone else. You're supposed to be clever, right? Go on, find out for yourself."
Lumine's anger flared, but Scaramouche only smirked.
"So easy to provoke? Pathetic."
"You call this a small matter?!" Paimon cried in disbelief.
"Isn't it?" Scaramouche sneered.
"In this fleeting world, human life is as cheap as grass. Without Delusions, they'd still die. At least this way—they get a chance to realize their dreams."
"Do you even understand the value of the Vision Hunt Decree? It took quite some effort to make it happen—but oh, it's been worth it."
"Chaos breeds opportunity. The Delusion business spreads itself—the weak will beg for it. And with just a few sacrifices, we gain the power to control the world."
"Trading life for power… isn't that a fair deal?"
"You mean… the Vision Hunt Decree was your doing?!" Paimon gasped.
"Inazuma looks stable on the surface, but inside, it's full of cracks—cracks for us to exploit. Just a little push, and the whole structure collapses."
"Eternity stretches time long… but every moment within it becomes fragile. Just like your friend in the Resistance—no matter how hard he tried, his fate was still meaningless."
"A bubble in water—brilliant for a moment before it bursts."
"The more people lose, the more they crave. The more powerless they are, the harder they struggle! Ahahaha… it's deliciously pathetic."
"Teppei wasn't powerless!!" Lumine shouted, charging forward—
But Scaramouche had already laid his trap.
In a flash of light, Lumine and Paimon collapsed unconscious.
He chuckled coldly and began walking toward them—
CLANG!
A silver spear pierced the floor in front of him.
Scaramouche froze, his expression twisting.
"…You! The real traveler."
From the shadows, Gu Chen appeared, walking forward calmly—without even sparing Scaramouche a glance.
The lack of acknowledgement made Scaramouche's face contort with rage.
"Arrogant fool!"
Gu Chen stopped, then looked at him curiously.
"You don't care about the lives of the weak—you even call them a farce. So why would I care about you? You're just… a pitiful insect."
Scaramouche's fury exploded.
He lunged.
Gu Chen caught his spear midair, spun it once, and drove it straight into Scaramouche's chest.
"A being without a heart, yet full of emotion… no wonder you're a failure."
He regarded Scaramouche with something like pity.
"Sort out your life, boy. Maybe then, you'll see the truth that torments you."
With a flick of his spear, Scaramouche's body slammed into the wall, embedded there.
Eyes wide and unfocused, he stammered—
"What did that mean?! What is the truth?! Tell me—what do you know?!"
But Gu Chen didn't respond.
He picked up Lumine, carried Paimon, and walked away as the scene faded—
Cut to Narukami Shrine.
"Repeat after me—one, two, three, three, two, one—ahhh, faster!"
Half-conscious, Lumine mumbled the words back.
"Good, good. My brain is still working. For now." Yae Miko nodded, pleased.
"How did you save us from Scaramouche?" Lumine asked, blinking.
"Yeah! I was totally out cold—I didn't see a thing!" Paimon chimed in.
"A secret Narukami Shrine technique," Miko said smoothly. "Had that Scaramouche brat begging for mercy in seconds. Believe it?"
[Scaramouche]: …
[Paimon]: Huh? Weren't you one-shotted by Gu Chen?
[Tartaglia]: Sixth Harbinger, huh? Not so tough after all. I've gone a few rounds with Gu Chen myself. You? One spear, over. Tsk tsk. (troll grin)
[Scaramouche]: …
Scaramouche sat there silently, still haunted by Gu Chen's words.
"Sort out your life…" What the hell did he mean by that?
In the video:
"You've met her, haven't you? Not that puppet—but her."
"You mean…?" Lumine's eyes widened.
"The true Raiden Shogun—Ei—who endlessly meditates within the Plane of Euthymia to preserve her sense of self." Miko smiled.
[Paimon]: So the Shogun we usually see is actually just a puppet, and the one Lumine met inside that space—the real one—is Ei?
[Lumine]: Wait… there's someone in this group with "Ei" in her name!! (nervous)
[Yae Miko]: Smart little one~ (mischievous grin)
[Raiden Ei]: (Raiden Ei·mentally shutting down)
[Furina]: @[Raiden Ei] So you're the Raiden Shogun?!
[Raiden Ei]: …Yes. (nods quietly)
[Kamisato Ayaka]: (Ayaka·utterly confused)
[Yae Miko]: Now then—what does everyone think of Her Excellency's Vision Hunt Decree and Sakoku Decree? (Miko·evil smile)
[Zhongli]: Hard to judge. (black lines all over his face)
[Venti]: Not sure I wanna touch that one.
[Furina]: Feels… inferior to Fontaine's policies.
[Nahida]: I don't know enough to say. (shakes head)
[Gu Chen]: My review? The Raiden Shogun is dull and outdated. Ayaka should take the throne!
[Venti]: What a roast!
[Yae Miko]: Excellent suggestion! But Ayaka's still young. Let the High Priestess govern for now—when Ayaka's grown, we'll return power to her! (grinning like a fox)
[Kamisato Ayaka]: (Ayaka·utterly lost)
[Kamisato Ayato]: That was… a joke. (cold sweat)
[Raiden Ei]: …Wait. Did I just get dethroned?! (stunned)
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