"Balladeer! You bastard! You really deserve to die!" Lumine was furious at the Balladeer's callous disregard for life, gripping her Dull Blade as she charged forward.
"Tsk, not bad. It's been a while, and now you dare to attack me?" The Balladeer laughed maniacally. "Your anger is so delightful!"
With a flick of his hand, lightning surged from the Balladeer, the sheer force of it sending Lumine flying.
Lumine stabilized herself mid-air, plunging her Dull Blade into the ground to halt her momentum.
"Such pitiful strength. You think you can fight me?" The Balladeer's laughter grew more deranged as endless bolts of lightning rained down on Lumine. She dodged them all, though not without some difficulty, managing to avoid any serious injuries.
"You're nothing but a clueless rat!" The Balladeer's taunts pushed Lumine to her limit. This guy's mouth was truly unbearable!
"Ah!" Lumine's blade erupted with Anemo and Electro energy as she swung her Dull Blade at the Balladeer. He dodged effortlessly, but in the next moment, a Geo construct burst from the ground, sending him flying.
Lumine stomped the ground, the resulting shockwave slamming the Balladeer into a wall.
Yet, the Balladeer remained unharmed, his eyes gleaming with even more madness. A surge of Electro energy erupted from his body, filling the entire factory.
Just as the battle reached its peak, Lumine suddenly clutched her head, clearly in pain.
"Ah..." Lumine groaned, her voice strained.
"Lumine! What's wrong?" Paimon flew over, her voice filled with worry.
"Ugh..." Lumine's head throbbed with pain, rendering her unable to speak.
"Hahaha, so you're this angry? Good. Your anger is the perfect nourishment for the lingering remnants of the fallen god here.
Hahahahaha!" The Balladeer laughed maniacally.
Lumine glared at the Balladeer, but waves of dizziness overwhelmed her.
"Who gave you permission to look at me?" The Balladeer chuckled. "Enough playing. Time to die!"
A torrent of Electro energy, filled with killing intent, surged toward Lumine.
Lumine, her body weak and powerless, could only watch as the lightning closed in.
"Lumine!" In a surprising move, Paimon flew in front of Lumine, her tiny body attempting to shield her from the fatal blow.
"Paimon!" Lumine's eyes widened as she mustered all her strength to pull Paimon into her arms, using her own body to block the lightning.
"Tsk... what a touching scene." The Balladeer watched as Lumine was engulfed by the lightning, his smile twisted with madness. "Too bad. Friendship always ends in betrayal. It's time to retrieve the Gnosis. What a pity for that fool La Signora."
Just as the Balladeer turned to leave, a golden light erupted from the lightning. In an instant, all the Electro energy and remnants of the fallen god in the factory vanished.
"Huh?" The Balladeer's eyes narrowed as he looked toward Lumine, only to find her and Paimon unharmed, enveloped in a golden energy.
"This is... Akira's power!" Paimon stared at the energy, tears welling up in her eyes. "Oh my Archon! Akira, you're the best!"
"Akira..." Lumine's expression was complex, her mind filled with images of that handsome figure.
"Oh? So you have a powerful protector, do you?" The Balladeer chuckled. "The Great Divine Sovereign of Heaven, perhaps? Truly, the power of a god. My full-strength attack was so easilv nullified."
"Hmph! You finally realize it! Akira is the Great Divine Sovereign of Heaven! What are you compared to him?" Paimon crossed her arms, furious. They had almost died!
"And how long do you think this power can protect you?" The Balladeer chuckled, but as he tried to gather his energy, his expression changed. He found the space around him frozen solid.
"If she wishes, this power can protect her for a lifetime."
A voice laced with amusement echoed through the room. A spatial rift appeared, and two figures stepped out.
"It seems my dear Lumine has run into some trouble."
Lumine's eyes lit up as she saw Akira and Raiden Ei emerge from the rift. "Akira! Ei!"
"Akira! You're here!" Paimon was even more excited, flying over and wrapping her tiny arms around Akira's face.
Akira: "..."
"Waaah! Akira, goodness thank you're here!
"Waaah! Akira, goodness thank you're here! Otherwise, Lumine and I would've been done for!" Paimon wailed, pointing at the immobilized Balladeer. "It's him! He's the mastermind behind the Delusions in Inazuma! The Sixth Harbinger of the Fatui, the Balladeer!"
"I know. It's alright." Akira gently pried Paimon off his face, giving her a light pinch on the cheek.
"You! Beelzebul!" The Balladeer, still frozen, glared at the newcomers. His eyes landed on the one who filled him with the most rage-no, not a person, but a god. Raiden Ei.
"You're Kunikuzushi?" Raiden Ei frowned as she recognized the Balladeer. "You managed to escape from that place?"
"What else? Did you expect me to stay imprisoned forever?" The Balladeer sneered. "My creator? My mother?"
"Huh?" Lumine and Paimon's eyes widened as they looked at Raiden Ei, having just heard something shocking.
Raiden Ei frowned slightly and explained, "This boy was a byproduct of my creation of the Shogun. He was too fragile, but I couldn't bring myself to destroy him, so I placed him in a secluded realm. I never expected he would become a Fatui Harbinger. In a sense, I am indeed his mother."
"You abandoned your creation, yet you call it mercy!" The Balladeer roared. "Is this your hypocrisy, Beelzebul?"
"How dare you!" Raiden Ei's eyes turned icy. "You are nothing but a creation."
"Hahaha! Well said! A creation!" The Balladeer laughed bitterly.
"And who do you think you are?" Akira's voice cut through the Balladeer's laughter.
"So you're Akira? Inazuma's new god? The Great Divine Sovereign of Heaven?" The Balladeer looked at Akira. "You carry Beelzebul's scent. Haha~ Who would've thought? Beelzebul, you've fallen in love!"
"Indeed, I am Ei's lover." Akira nodded, then looked at the Balladeer. "Come on, Cannon, call me Dad."
"..." The Balladeer's eyes turned cold as he glared at Akira.
"You're nothing but a flawed creation Ei made on a whim!" Akira sneered. "What do you think you are? Ei has every right to deal with her creations as she sees fit. You have no right to resent her."
"She gave you the chance to live. She gave you the opportunity to exist in this world." Akira smiled faintly. "Cannon, you should learn to be grateful."