Kaedehara Kazuha never expected this.
That the Vision of his dearest friend could reignite again—
And the one to rekindle it… was himself.
When watching the scenes of his previous life, he had already seen Gu Chen and Lumine fail to awaken that long-silent Vision. At that moment, Kazuha had stopped holding out hope.
But life, as always, was full of unexpected turns.
And this one came before the gates of Tenshukaku itself.
When the will of his past self overlapped with that of his fallen friend, that dim Vision once more burst into light!
With the power of two Visions, Kazuha had stood before Lumine and deflected the Raiden Shogun's deadly strike.
It wasn't the act of blocking that one strike that mattered to him.
What moved him was that his friend's Vision had shone once more—
And through that Vision, he had protected another friend in this life.
That… was the true meaning of the Vision.
"Kid, not bad! I knew my eyes didn't deceive me!"
While Kazuha was still lost in thought, Beidou strode up behind him and gave his shoulder a hearty slap. Her gaze fell upon the dim Vision on his back, astonishment flickering across her eyes.
"I knew you weren't just any ordinary guy."
Kazuha returned to his senses and smiled modestly. "Big Sis Beidou praises me too highly. Even I didn't expect this…"
"Haha! You always play humble, but everyone here saw your resolve with their own eyes." Beidou grinned broadly.
When Kazuha turned back, every sailor aboard the Crux was smiling at him.
"Kazuha, I knew you had it in you! Didn't expect you'd make a name for yourself in one blow!"
"Haha, who'd believe a wanted man from Inazuma could actually parry the Shogun's strike? If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'd have said it was impossible!"
"Too bad your tolerance for booze isn't as good as your sword arm, or we'd be cracking open a few barrels tonight!"
Beidou laughed, her voice bold and booming. "What's stopping us? We're celebrating tonight—let's make it loud!"
"Long live the Captain!"
[Keqing]: To stand against the blow of a god with mortal flesh—just once would already be enough to call it a miracle!
[Zhongli]: From a rational standpoint, young Kazuha's will is truly admirable.
[Venti]: Throughout that whole past life, Kazuha's the type with a quiet sadness in his eyes—he's got stories to tell! And he's a good guy, too. Having a friend like him's an honor! A true man of the Anemo element! (smug)
[Furina]: And what, exactly, does that have to do with Anemo? (pouts)
[Zhongli]: …I laughed.
[Gu Chen]: Stop trying to make everything about yourself!
[Venti]: (mischievous grin)
[Yae Miko]: So… someone tried a surprise attack, got blocked by a mere mortal, and still calls herself a god. Any thoughts, Shogun? (grinning like a fox)
[Kaeya]: You really know how to stab where it hurts.
[Venti]: Great question, though! (laughs)
[Raiden Ei]: The actions of the Raiden Shogun have nothing to do with me, Beelzebul. (shakes head)
[Gu Chen]: Wow, look at that—queen of dodging responsibility! (teasing)
[Paimon]: Kazuha blocking that strike was awesome, but those resistance fighters clearly can't win against the Shogun!! (panicking)
[Lumine]: Calm down. Don't you remember Miko's plan? When we reentered the Plane of Euthymia in front of the Statue of the Thousand-Armed, Hundred-Eyed God—you didn't notice all the Visions lighting up?
[Yae Miko]: Hehe~ Ei's about to be defeated~
[Raiden Ei]: Watching your own god fall and feeling happy about it? I'm so blessed to have a follower like you. (withdraws into silence)
[Yae Miko]: (Hu Tao–style cutesy face)
In the video—
"What do we do?! They're no match for the Shogun!"
Paimon's voice trembled as the rebels charged forward.
Kazuha had blocked a strike because he had a Vision—two, even.
But the resistance fighters? Their visions had been confiscated. Most of them never had one to begin with.
How could they possibly stand against a god?
Raiden Shogun had already recovered her stance. The rebels' charge was nothing more than rushing headlong into her wrath.
Lumine recalled Miko's words and spun around. Lightning flared from the tip of her blade as she swung her sword toward the Shogun.
But things didn't go as she wished.
Having repelled Kazuha, the Raiden Shogun's expression was calm once more.
Thunder rolled around her like a storm about to burst, the weight of her aura pressing down upon the very air.
Dark clouds gathered overhead, plunging all of Inazuma into the stillness before a tempest.
"Foolish."
The word was cold and sharp as her blade.
Lightning crashed down. In an instant, the rebels were scattered—struck down before they could even reach her.
Even Gorou and Kazuha were flung aside, their weapons jolted from their hands, bodies trembling with burns from the lightning's fury.
The Shogun spared their lives, but left none unscathed.
Her gaze then fell upon Lumine.
"Variable of Eternity—be erased."
She swung her sword once more.
BOOM!
The blade met Lumine's, the impact numbing her arms before throwing her backward. She rolled down the steps, her sword clattering against the ground.
"Lumine!!"
Paimon rushed forward, panic in her voice. "What do we do?! What do we do?!"
The crisp sound of boots echoed on stone.
As when she slew Signora, the Wheel of a Hundred Eyes appeared behind the Shogun's back. Step by step, she approached.
"Gulp…"
Paimon swallowed hard, trying to help Lumine to her feet. "Come on! Get up!"
"Cough… cough…"
Lumine's face was pale. The Shogun's power was far beyond anything she had imagined.
"She's too strong… what do I do…"
"Maybe call Gu Chen!" Paimon blurted out.
"Gu Chen…"
"He's not a match for her either… No, I can't." Lumine hesitated, then shook her head.
"Wha—?"
Paimon froze.
The Shogun drew closer.
And then—on the stone bridge before Tenshukaku—
A white figure appeared.
Amid the suffocating air, his white cloak billowed in the wind. The silver spear in his hand shimmered with a cold, lethal gleam.
The Raiden Shogun halted, lifting her gaze.
Her eyes met his.
"So you came, destroyer of Eternity," she said coolly.
"I didn't know what the Lady did before this," Gu Chen replied evenly, "but I knew you'd be waiting for me here."
He walked to Lumine's side, briefly checking her injuries before gesturing for her to step behind him.
"Whenever you're in trouble," he said softly, "I'll always be the first to appear by your side."
"Now go. All of you."
"But…"
Lumine bit her lip. She knew she couldn't help him.
After a moment's struggle, she grabbed Paimon and called to Gorou and Kazuha, "Move! Now!"
"Got it!"
No one dared hesitate. They withdrew quickly, not daring to drag him down.
Now, only Gu Chen and the Shogun remained—less than ten meters apart.
Neither moved.
Yet the air between them thickened, pressure so heavy it felt almost solid.
"You plan to rely on that?"
The Shogun turned her gaze toward the Statue of the Thousand-Armed, Hundred-Eyed God.
Gu Chen said nothing.
Her blade rose—one flash of lightning shattered the statue to pieces.
"I don't know what scheme you and that fox have devised," she said coldly, "but I can guess. Those Visions upon the statue—symbols of fleeting will that hinder Eternity. Now that they're gone, what do you have left to rely on? Do you still intend to threaten me with the lives of Inazuma's people?"
Gu Chen smiled faintly. "You give me too much credit. I have no such morals."
"I know," she replied, calm as ever. "As you've seen, the citizens of Inazuma have already been evacuated."
"Of course," Gu Chen nodded. "I watched them go myself. In the eyes of the Shogun who seeks Eternity, human lives can be a bargaining chip once—but never twice. The next time, the Musou no Hitotachi would turn this place into the very heart of Musoujin Gorge, right?"
"…Yes." She nodded coldly.
"So merciless," Gu Chen sighed. "But this path of Eternity you walk—it's a mistake."
"Resolve. Courage. Love. Hatred.
All things warp and fade in the flow of time."
"I am the past within. I am the immutable law of all ages. I am the guardian of Eternity.
This body—
It is the symbol of supreme authority, the one who commands a nation, the embodiment of the Raiden Shogun's everything."
"If you would defy the law—then this form shall become Asura!"
"Will you stand against me?"
As the pressure in the air rose and lightning flared around her, Gu Chen's grip on his spear tightened.
"There's no need for more words," he said, meeting her gaze. "The moment you tried to kill Lumine, we became enemies."
In the next instant, both figures vanished—
Only to collide midair with earth-shattering force.
The ground beneath them cracked and split as their power erupted.
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