"No…"
"Baal, Beelzebul… you cannot die."
Having awakened the Thunder Demon's power once more, the boy—already unskilled in wielding elemental forces—suffered tremendous erosion. His life force was severely depleted.
Blood spilled from his lips, splattering onto the ground.
He forced himself up from the ground and carried the dying sisters back to the woman who had helped him over a decade ago.
"Save… save them…"
"They're… almost gone…"
The scene was exactly as it had been over a decade ago.
The sisters, their bodies charred beyond recognition, were at death's door…
The boy, dragging his wounded body, begged desperately…
Back then, there had been the sacred Feather of the Divine from the great Tengu clan—a miraculous cure.
But now…
There was only one way left to save the sisters.
Find Celestia…
Beg the gods above…
The woman looked at the two young women, their bodies burned black, and found herself helpless.
"It's just like fourteen years ago… there is no saving them now…"
"Give up…"
"With your current power, you cannot reach Celestia, let alone command the gods."
The woman spoke truly.
Even though the boy had obtained a mutated Electro Vision and transformed into a fearsome god, he still could not save Baal and Beelzebul, who were clinging to life.
But the boy said, "Fourteen years ago… I fought the great Tengu chieftain in a battle that nearly shattered my body, draining my life force to nothing—and yet I was saved."
"Why can't they be saved now?"
"I'm begging you… save them one more time."
The woman sighed, helpless. "Because you have a Vision, and they do not. You have the power of Electro, and they do not."
"The gods cast their gaze upon this land, and the one they chose to be the Electro Archon of Inazuma was you—not them."
"You are the Thunder Demon. They are merely human."
The boy, as the Thunder Demon, was protected by endless Electro energy.
No matter how severe his wounds, as long as his soul remained, he could recover.
But now… lying on the bed, on the verge of death, Baal and Beelzebul were merely two humans who had trained in martial arts.
Why should they have to endure this?
The boy despaired.
But in his despair, a thought suddenly struck him.
"So… you're saying…"
"If they both possess the power of Electro, they can be saved?"
The woman pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. For a mortal body, these wounds are fatal."
"But for a god of lightning, whose vitality is tenacious, they would be nothing."
"But sadly, they are human, not gods."
Indeed.
At this moment, Baal and Beelzebul were not the peerless Electro Archons, nor the goddesses who had honed their martial skill to the absolute pinnacle.
They were simply two young women with a dream.
They only wanted to protect Inazuma.
Upon hearing this, the boy placed a hand over his chest, feeling the pulse of his Vision—the source of his Thunder Demon power—beating within his heart.
He looked at the sisters, hovering between life and death, and spoke with unwavering resolve.
"No… if I say they are gods, then they are gods."
"And not just any gods—the most powerful gods in all of Inazuma."
"The Twin Electro Archons."
His gaze steady, he enunciated each word.
...
At Wangshu Inn, upon the elevated stage, Li Mo spoke as if he were living through it once more, his hand pressed against his chest as he told the tale.
Three thousand years had passed… yet his heart still ached.
Below, the audience was stunned by what they had heard.
A terrifying and unbelievable thought took shape in each of their minds:
"Storyteller, don't break our hearts like this… I'm going to send you threatening letters…"
"I think I know what happens next…"
"Is it possible… that the Thunder Demon will sacrifice himself to save the Raiden sisters?"
"Oh no, don't let it be that…"
"There's something in my eye… I'm tearing up…"
"There's a brick in my eye… I'm tearing up too…"
...
The audience murmured among themselves.
Some wished Li Mo would not take the story in this direction, hoping instead for a happy ending.
But no one knew that Li Mo was not telling a fabricated tale—he was recounting his own reincarnation.
The Thunder Demon was real…
The sisters were real…
In a corner of the venue, Keqing, Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing, had already shed a tear.
"What a beautifully told story…"
"If it has a perfect ending, I will definitely tip him."
But Shenhe said, "Some stories are not made up. From the moment he begins telling them, the ending is already sealed."
...
As the inn was packed with people listening to Li Mo tell the tale of the Raiden Shogun, two guests in distinctive attire arrived at the entrance of Wangshu Inn.
One had long, dark purple hair cascading over her shoulders. She wore a purple kimono and carried a purple blade at her side—Musou Isshin.
The other had long pink hair tied high, her fox ears drooping slightly, dressed in classic shrine maiden attire.
The two entered the inn.
After scanning the room, they spotted Zhongli playing with his bird and made their way over.
Without ceremony, they sat down across from him.
Zhongli set down his thrush when he saw them, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
"You have come to Liyue?"
"This is a rare visit… I must admit, I am curious now. Did the story the storyteller tells truly happen?"
Across from Zhongli, the Shogun, gripping Musou Isshin, did not answer. Instead, she fixed her gaze on Li Mo upon the stage.
She listened to the tale of what had happened a thousand years ago.
...
On stage, Li Mo took a deep breath and steadied his emotions.
He continued:
"In the age of the Archon War…"
"Who would willingly give up the chance to become a god, to save two sisters bound by no blood?"
"Who would endure the agony of a shattered heart to hand the opportunity for divinity to another?"
"The boy did."
"He slowly straightened his back. The black lightning power in his hands gathered swiftly, coalescing into a dark purple blade that shimmered with black light."
"With one stroke, he cut open his own chest."
"A gaping wound—a wound deep enough to reveal bone—poured forth blood."
"The searing pain, the piercing agony, nearly made the boy lose consciousness… but he clenched his teeth and made no sound."
"His expression was cold, resolute. From within the wound, amidst shattered bone, he pulled out a gem crackling with lightning."
"It was his Vision. It was also his heart."
"A thousand times the pain…"
"Ten thousand times the torment…"
"The gem sparking with black lightning nearly slipped from his grasp. The boy almost blacked out."
"But before he could save his two sisters, he could not die."
"With the last of his strength, the last remnants of the Thunder Demon's power, the boy raised his blade… and split the Thunder Demon's heart—his Vision—in two."
"The moment the Thunder Demon's heart shattered…"
"The sky, the earth, all of Inazuma was enveloped by terrifying Electro power, as if the wrath of the gods themselves had descended to destroy the land."
"In that moment…"
"The Thunder Demon, feared by all the gods of Inazuma, was about to fall."
...