At Wangshu Inn, upon the elevated stage, Li Mo heard the whispers and sighs rising from the audience below.
In this moment…
Nearly every listener was awestruck by the boy's indomitable spirit.
They believed the boy would surely save the dying sisters.
A clichéd yet compelling tale…
Li Mo was not swayed by the audience's reactions.
Instead, with a heavy heart, he continued recounting his own past experiences.
Above the inn, the virtual images formed by Electro energy shifted rapidly.
Within the images…
The boy, having been tempered by dark lightning and awakened to his Vision, had gained formidable power.
Ignoring his wounds, the moment he awoke, he shot forward with the speed of lightning, racing against time toward the distant realm of the great Tengu clan.
What awaited him were the fearsome Tengu warriors.
But the boy had no time to think of such things. He had to obtain the Tengu clan's sacred relic as quickly as possible.
A towering figure—the most powerful of the great Tengu—stood before him.
The Tengu chieftain spoke calmly, "Why do you trespass upon our clan's sacred ground?"
The boy answered firmly, "I need the sacred relic—the Feather of the Divine."
The Tengu chieftain let out a contemptuous laugh. "The Feather of the Divine is the most important relic of our clan."
"If you wish to obtain it, then defeat me."
As one of Inazuma's mightiest gods, the Tengu chieftain had lived for countless ages and weathered countless battles.
It had been a very, very long time since he had tasted defeat.
Without waiting for the boy's reply, the Tengu chieftain spread his enormous wings and soared into the sky.
In the next instant, terrifying power erupted. The surrounding elements began to seethe like boiling water.
Several blades of wind tore across the sky and appeared before the boy in an instant.
The fierce onslaught left no room to dodge.
With a thunderous crash, a massive explosion shook the very earth, and the boy's figure was swallowed by dust and debris.
A faint smile appeared on the Tengu chieftain's face.
But then…
A surge of powerful Electro energy erupted, dispersing the smoke and revealing a figure cloaked in black lightning.
The Thunder Demon had emerged.
The moment they witnessed the Thunder Demon's form, all the Tengu were stunned.
"A Vision of mutated Electro… no wonder you dared challenge our clan."
"This is becoming far more interesting."
The Tengu chieftain grew even more excited.
He unleashed his full power, sending countless wind blades hurtling toward the boy.
The boy did not yield.
He knew that only by defeating this fearsome warrior before him could he obtain the sacred Feather of the Divine.
The battle was ferocious beyond words.
The sheer force of their clash drew the attention of every god in Inazuma.
Countless deities paused to watch, eagerly awaiting the battle's conclusion, ready to feast upon the remains of the loser.
Heaven and earth trembled.
Mountains crumbled, rivers were severed.
Even the skies themselves seemed to pale.
Hours later…
The battle drew to a close.
The Tengu chieftain, his body drenched in blood, his wings torn and battered, struggled to his feet.
He tried to flap his broken wings, but instead of taking flight, he stumbled and fell once more.
In all the centuries that had passed, this was the first time the Tengu chieftain had suffered such grievous wounds.
Compared to the crippled chieftain, the boy's injuries were even more severe. One of his arms had been severed by a wind blade.
But…
Enveloped in black lightning, the boy rose to his feet. "You lost. Give me the Feather of the Divine."
At this sight, the Tengu warriors in the distance burned with rage.
A mere human boy dared claim victory over their chieftain?
Yet…
Hearing these words, the Tengu chieftain did not grow angry.
Instead, he lay upon the ground and spoke in a weak voice:
"I am old… a thousand years ago, I would have crushed you effortlessly."
"But I am curious…"
"What reason drove you to risk your very life, storming the realm of the great Tengu to seize the Feather of the Divine?"
The boy answered, "To save two human infants. Their names are Baal… and Beelzebul…"
Upon hearing this answer, the Tengu chieftain froze for a moment.
Two human infants?
All this for that?
To save two ordinary human infants, he had dared trespass upon the Tengu's territory, dared challenge one of Inazuma's mightiest gods?
What a complete fool.
But then…
The Tengu chieftain saw in the boy a glimmer of mercy—a quality that did not belong to the gods.
In a thousand years of war among gods, what Inazuma lacked, what his own Tengu clan lacked, was this very mercy.
Defeated by a human boy, the Tengu chieftain seemed to have realized something. He spoke slowly:
"I understand… you have won."
Whether in battle or in the depth of his regard for life, this human boy had prevailed.
Not only that, but in the boy, the Tengu chieftain also glimpsed the hope of Inazuma.
He glimpsed the hope that the war among gods might one day end.
He said slowly, "I will give you the Feather of the Divine, but I have one condition…"
The boy looked at the fading night and the approaching dawn and grew increasingly anxious. "Speak quickly… do not waste time. I need the Feather."
The Tengu chieftain said, "If one day you bring an end to the war among gods… I ask that you treat the Tengu clan well."
The boy frowned deeply. "I promise you."
Hearing this answer, the Tengu chieftain suddenly smiled.
He was willing to wager the fate of his clan on a single Feather of the Divine.
He gambled that this boy, who had awakened a Vision of mutated Electro, would end this war among gods and rise to the pinnacle of Inazuma.
The boy obtained the Feather of the Divine.
The moment he touched it, he immediately felt a surge of healing power.
If he absorbed it now, he could not only heal all his wounds instantly but also gain even greater strength.
He could become the most powerful being in all of Inazuma.
But instead, the boy looked up at the sky.
He saw the fading night… dawn was approaching.
Baal—
Beelzebul—
Wait for me to return!
...
At Wangshu Inn, Li Mo continued to speak slowly upon the stage.
Beneath his bamboo hat, though his expression remained calm, tears had already welled up in his eyes.
Below, the audience listened to Li Mo's tale while watching the images above the inn.
When they saw the boy, transformed into the Thunder Demon, fight the Tengu chieftain with everything he had, they cheered him on.
When they saw him achieve a hard-won victory and obtain the sacred Feather of the Divine, they rejoiced alongside him.
"Damn, he only just awakened his Vision and he's already defeated one of Inazuma's mightiest gods. That's insane…"
"This boy was chosen by the gods. If nothing goes wrong, he'll surely rise to become one of the Seven."
"I want to know what happened next. Why is the Electro Archon of Inazuma not this boy, but Baal and Beelzebul?"
"Keep going! I've already tipped—can you talk a little faster?"
"He got the Feather! The Raiden sisters can be saved!"
"Hey… if news of this story reaches Inazuma and the Raiden Shogun hears about it, do you think she'll be angry?"
"It'll be a real mess if it causes trouble between the two nations…"
"Why would she be angry? It's just a story. Her Excellency the Raiden Shogun isn't that petty!"
"Is there a chance… that the storyteller isn't telling a story, but actual history?"
"I heard someone already wrote down the story and sent it to Inazuma to sell to the Yae Publishing House… the light novel publisher."
"Oh, that'll be interesting…"
"The Raiden Shogun will read it and say it's great!"
...