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Mondstadt might have the likes of Eula, Jean, Lisa, and Noelle, but Su Ran was far more interested in meeting Yae Miko, the Raiden Shogun, and Kamisato Ayaka. He was particularly curious about the Raiden Shogun, given her striking resemblance to a well-known actress from the Hoyoverse. Even if she wasn't a carbon copy, it would be entertaining to see what she looked like. He was also fascinated by the technical principles behind the Raiden Shogun. Manufacturing a puppet was one thing, but the fact that Teyvat possessed such technology was truly novel to him.
As for the Gnosis? That had never been his goal. The Fatui would collect it regardless.
"See you later, Inazuma," Su Ran teased, winking at Signora before vanishing into thin air just as her temper began to flare.
"That damned bastard!"
Rosalyne stomped her feet in frustration as she watched him disappear. The surrounding Fatui agents dared not utter a word, let alone offer any comfort. Given this Harbinger's volatile temperament, they risked becoming the next outlet for her rage. The group had no choice but to continue their journey, pretending nothing had happened.
"I can retrieve the Gnosis without you!"
Although Su Ran had slipped away, he hadn't been entirely useless. At least now, Rosalyne knew exactly what the Anemo Archon looked like, saving her from having to rely on elaborate schemes to draw him out.
A Mirror Maiden stepped forward, hesitant. "Lady Signora, since the Genius has left, should we report this to The Jester?"
The Jester commanded all the Harbingers, serving as their undisputed leader. For a Harbinger like the Genius to abandon a mission was a serious breach of duty—one that would typically warrant severe punishment. Even a veteran like the Doctor would strictly adhere to The Jester's orders.
Rosalyne glared at the Mirror Maiden. "Report? Report what? Do you think Pierro's head is any harder than Capitano's helmet?"
What good would a report do? How would they even handle it? It would inevitably be swept under the rug. Even someone with Capitano's combat prowess would be utterly helpless against Su Ran. What chance would Pierro stand? While he held the title of the first Harbinger, he functioned almost entirely outside their system. Giving him a title was less about expecting his cooperation and more about staking a claim, lest other nations poach him. She had no doubt that not even the Tsaritsa could force Su Ran to do anything he didn't want to.
"Pick up the pace. We need to reach Mondstadt as quickly as possible," she commanded, her eyes burning with fury. "The Gnosis of the Anemo Archon Barbatos must be mine."
Since she couldn't take her rage out on the second-ranked Harbinger, she would direct it toward Barbatos. If she couldn't handle the former, she could certainly handle a weak god who had lost his power and abandoned his followers.
***
A streak of light tore through the stormy skies of Inazuma with such blatant disregard for the surroundings that it immediately stirred the Raiden Shogun from her meditation within Tenshukaku. She snatched up her naginata and rushed to intercept the uninvited guest.
Violet thunder clashed with a flash of white light high above Inazuma. The resulting boom drew the eyes of everyone on the ground as they looked toward the heavens.
"You are… quite bold to break into Inazuma."
Su Ran hovered in the air, studying the figure who had intercepted him. The Raiden Shogun stood draped in violet lightning, her expression grim and her gaze murderous. She looked nothing like the scatterbrained version he had imagined. Then again, this was the Shogun, not Ei.
"I can be even bolder, Shogun. Would you like to see?" Su Ran's tone was flippant as his eyes roamed over her.
"Insolent fool."
Without another word, the Raiden Shogun swung her naginata toward him.
"Perfect. This will be my first real fight. I've been wanting to see exactly what a god in Teyvat is capable of."
Even with his augmented body and the power of an Emanator, he had no idea what his true limits were. As an Emanator of The Erudition, he wasn't strictly a combatant, but that actually gave him more room for error. If he had possessed a more destructive path, the Raiden Shogun wouldn't have stood a chance.
Focusing his strength, Su Ran met the incoming strike with a single palm.
The second collision sent the violet lightning flying. She soared back thousands of meters before crashing directly into the ocean.
"…Huh?"
Su Ran stared blankly at the spot where she had vanished beneath the waves. He hadn't used much strength. Was the Raiden Shogun trying to scam him? He was an Emanator of The Erudition, not a frontline fighter; he had used less than ten percent of his power. A god shouldn't be this fragile, should they?
"Maybe she's about to transform?"
He watched the sea for a moment, his expression darkening. In games, defeating a boss's first health bar was rarely the end of the fight. There was usually a second phase—the 'Magatsu Mitake Narukami no Mikoto' form, perhaps?
Ten minutes passed in silence. The surface of the water remained undisturbed. Su Ran realized the gravity of the situation.
"Did I accidentally kill her with one hit?"
He dove into the sea to search for her. Meanwhile, Inazuma had erupted into chaos. The people below had recognized the violet lightning as their god; that suffocating pressure was unmistakable. They had expected their Shogun to defend the nation, but it appeared that it was the Raiden Shogun who had been sent plummeting into the sea. The entire nation watched in horror. No one could predict the fallout, for even the kitsune priestess at the Grand Narukami Shrine could no longer find a reason to smile.
"The Shogun… has she really been defeated just like that?"