Tenshukaku.
"Lumine has already arrived in Inazuma," Raiden Ei said, looking at Akio. "That means Kunikuzushi is probably on the verge of becoming a false god thanks to Sumeru's project."
"Yeah," Akio nodded. "Scaramouche took the Electro Gnosis to Sumeru precisely for that moment of ascension, didn't he?"
"Hmph... a fragile will, a weak body. What makes him think he deserves to become a god?" Raiden Ei scoffed.
"Just another mayfly that doesn't understand its place in the grand scheme of things," Akio waved his hand dismissively.
"Before he ascends, I'll go and revive Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. Irminsul should remain under her control."
"Lesser Lord Kusanali..." Akio sighed. "If those who harm nations and ruin lives can be so easily forgiven, then her will isn't one worth acknowledging either."
"Lesser Lord Kusanali..." Raiden Ei shook her head. She had learned from Akio about the current plight of the Lesser Lord, imprisoned by the Akademiya and unrecognized by her people.
"Why not just cut her down? Her so-called kindness is nothing more than cowardice," the Raiden Shogun coldly remarked. "If the Tri-Commission dared to act in such a way, I would slaughter them all."
"She's had five hundred years to grow. She inherited the authority and power of the Greater Lord. Surely she should be capable of dealing with mere mortals, right?" Raiden Makoto asked curiously.
"The barrier imprisoning Lesser Lord Kusanali is powered by the Greater Lord's own strength. After only five hundred years, the Lesser Lord is incapable of breaking it," Akio shook his head. "In the end, she's still just a sapling, far from the strength of a towering tree."
"Yet, to dare imprison a deity... these insects are truly committing the utmost sacrilege," Raiden Makoto muttered, her voice laced with anger.
Raiden Makoto had a close relationship with Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. Seeing the latter's descendant suffer such humiliation naturally stirred anger within her. Even someone as gentle as Raiden Makoto had her limits.
"These rebels! Why don't we just march on the Akademiya, liberate the Lesser Lord, and destroy the whole traitorous organization? Imprisoning their own deity is the ultimate act of blasphemy," the Raiden Shogun declared.
"Wait, what??" Akio, Raiden Makoto, and Raiden Ei all turned to the Shogun with puzzled expressions. So, Inazuma's war hawk is you, huh? Are you seriously considering declaring war on Sumeru?
"Let's not jump to that just yet," Raiden Makoto said, lightly massaging her forehead. "The Seven Nations are currently in a delicate balance. Sowing the seeds of war would disrupt everything."
"I'm not talking about war. I'm talking about rescuing the Lesser Lord and dismantling the Akademiya," the Shogun replied earnestly.
"Let's table this discussion for later," Raiden Makoto shook her head. "Even Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, if she were still with us, wouldn't want to see our nations at each other's throats."
"Alright, let's not overthink this," Akio interjected, waving his hand. "Lumine is already in Sumeru on her journey. We don't need to worry too much. Let's see how she handles the situation."
"Killing Scaramouche is my and Ei's plan," Akio continued. "If Lumine asks for our help, we can step in to assist her."
"That's fine," Raiden Makoto nodded.
Although she didn't agree with mobilizing troops against Sumeru, the truth was that Inazuma was currently strong and its soldiers were brimming with morale.
Sumeru, which didn't even have its own standing army and relied on external forces, probably couldn't stand against Inazuma's military.
Ding~ The system's voice suddenly rang out. "Master, your grand military vision for Inazuma has been acknowledged. Congratulations, master, on unlocking the Elemental Weapon Blueprint Compendium."
"Huh?" Akio blinked, as a stack of weapon blueprints instantly appeared in his Imaginary Space.
"Well, well..." Akio's expression turned peculiar as he scanned the contents with his divine sense. The system had unlocked a variety of weapons capable of directly manipulating elemental energy—ranging from elemental firearms like an Anemo-powered assault rifle, a Pyro shotgun, an Electro machine gun, and even elemental grenades and rocket launchers!
"Seriously? 'Genshin Impact: Modern Warfare'?" Akio muttered in disbelief. The introduction of these weapons would be nothing short of an overwhelming advantage.
At the very least, soldiers without Visions would now be able to wield elemental power, posing a significant threat even to Vision holders.
"What's the matter, dear?" Raiden Makoto asked, noticing the subtle shift in Akio's expression.
"Ehh... how should I put this? Beloved, I was just reminded of some weapons I observed in other worlds I've been to," Akio explained.
"Weapons?" Raiden Makoto inquired with curiosity.
"Right," Akio nodded. "You're familiar with firearms, right? The Fatui and some machinery use them. But the weapons I'm talking about here are on a whole different level."
As he spoke, Akio summoned the powers of the Herrscher of Reason, and a faintly glowing assault rifle materialized in his hand, emanating a soft cyan aura.
"What's this? A firearm?" Raiden Makoto asked, eyeing the gun in Akio's hand. "It contains the power of Anemo?"
"Exactly. An Anemo-powered assault rifle," Akio confirmed.
With a casual flick of his finger, a target appeared in the distance. Akio fired two shots, both hitting dead center. The Anemo energy then exploded on impact, completely obliterating the target.
"That's... incredibly powerful," Raiden Makoto's eyes lit up as she looked at Akio. "My dear, if our army were equipped with these, their combat effectiveness would increase exponentially."
"Agreed," Akio nodded. While most Vision holders could wield elemental power at will and might be able to defend against such weapons if they were prepared, an ambush or coordinated suppression by multiple soldiers would make even them hard-pressed to escape.
"Can these be mass-produced?" Raiden Makoto asked.
"Yes, I have the blueprints, and I can create machines to manufacture Anemo cartridges," Akio replied. While Inazuma's technology might struggle to produce devices capable of extracting and harnessing elemental energy, Akio, as the Herrscher of Reason, had no such limitations.
"However, we'll need to enact specific laws," Akio said seriously. "These weapons must never fall into the hands of anyone outside the military."
"You mean..." Raiden Makoto paused, then nodded in understanding. "Yes, that's necessary. Otherwise, things could quickly spiral out of control."
After all, firearms made killing far too easy, and elemental weapons would only exacerbate potential issues.
"We'll need to regulate every aspect of the weapons. Each firearm must be strictly accounted for, and there can be no room for negligence," Akio emphasized.
"Good idea. Let's call Sara over shortly. She's in charge of military affairs; we'll need to discuss the details with her," Raiden Makoto agreed.
"That's a good idea," Akio nodded.
Raiden Makoto immediately activated her bracelet and sent a message to Kujou Sara.
"Sara, come to Tenshukaku at once. We have an urgent meeting to attend."
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