In front of the Tenshukaku, several residents of Inazuma City were kneeling devoutly on the ground, hands clasped in prayer, murmuring pleas for the Raiden Shogun to save Inazuma.
But at that very moment, Shao Yun arrived. He looked coldly at the people kneeling in prayer.
Without hesitation, Shao Yun fired a shot into the sky and shouted, "Stop kneeling, damn it! Your god can't even save herself! Run while you still can!"
The gunshot rang through the air—a final warning to the crowd.
Hearing it, the Inazuman civilians in front of the Tenshukaku turned their heads in terror, staring at the demon-like figure of Shao Yun.
Their faces went pale with fear. They immediately scrambled to their feet and fled in panic.
The crowd dispersed swiftly, clearing a path straight to the Tenshukaku.
Shao Yun gazed at the magnificent structure before him, a surge of complex emotion rising in his chest.
His eyes then landed on the Statue of the Omnipresent God outside the Tenshukaku. The colossal figure seemed to be watching him.
He rubbed his neck and started ascending the stairs, step by step, into the Tenshukaku.
As Shao Yun reached the base of the Tenshukaku, a group of Okuzumeshuu—those who had survived their earlier encounter with him—appeared.
All of Inazuma's citizens could flee, but as the Shogun's personal guard, these soldiers had resolutely come here to fulfill their duty.
Fully armored and wielding various weapons, the Okuzumeshuu blocked Shao Yun's path.
Their eyes were full of hostility and vigilance, ready to fight to the death.
Shao Yun halted. He stared at the warriors standing in his way, a ferocious expression spreading across his face.
In a low, menacing voice, he said, "Get out of the way. I only want to kill the Archon. I don't want to kill you."
The deadly resolve in his words was enough to make anyone's heart tremble.
Naoya Hisamasa, one of the guards, nervously swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Gripping his katana tightly, he shouted, "As a samurai and personal guard of the Shogun, if you intend to harm her, you'll have to step over our dead bodies first!"
Shao Yun bared his teeth, growling through clenched jaws, "You'll all die! Are you not afraid?!"
But the Okuzumeshuu roared in unison, "The Eternal Way prevails! All hail the Shogun!"
Shao Yun stared at the group before him, whose resolve seemed undeterred by death. His face twisted in rage as he spat, "To hell with that!"
Naoya Hisamasa's face turned solemn. He raised his katana high and bellowed, "Charge!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than he rushed forward without hesitation.
Shao Yun quickly drew Micah's Revolver, let out a furious roar, and pulled the trigger.
The bullet tore through Naoya Hisamasa's body, sending him flying backward. Even in death, his face remained resolute, bearing the expression of one unafraid to meet his end.
Blood sprayed like a fountain from his body, flowing endlessly.
His corpse hit the ground hard, limbs limp and lifeless.
Blood poured from his wounds like water from a wrung-out sponge, forming a red stream that silently spread across the ground.
Hisamasa's eyes dimmed, the light of battle within them extinguished, replaced by the void of death.
The surrounding Okuzumeshuu had witnessed the brutal scene—but they did not retreat.
Even knowing only death awaited, they charged forward without a second thought.
One fell, and another replaced him. Again and again, the cycle repeated.
Shao Yun stood still, eyes fixed on the heap of corpses at his feet and the stream of blood trickling from their bodies.
A surge of indescribable fury consumed him. He roared, "I only want to kill the Raiden Shogun! You could've run and saved yourselves! Why?! Just for a god who's about to die?!"
The system popped up again with a prompt.
[Turn back! This path leads only to ruin!]
Enraged, Shao Yun bellowed at the system, "Shut the hell up!"
He forcefully closed the interface, stomping across the bloodstained path toward the Tenshukaku.
...
Inside, The Fair Lady was frantically dismantling the broken Raiden Shogun puppet, digging through the inner mechanisms in a desperate search for the Gnosis.
As she tore it apart, she screamed, "Where's the Gnosis?! Scaramouche said it was inside you! Where?!"
She knew time was tight. To buy herself more, she had deliberately leaked Kujou Takayuki's betrayal to distract Kujou Sara.
According to Scaramouche, the Raiden Shogun's Gnosis was hidden inside the puppet—it just had to be found.
But despite nearly ripping the thing to shreds, she still hadn't found it.
Even knowing Shao Yun, that executioner, was on his way to assassinate the Archon, she had chosen to stay inside the Tenshukaku.
Now, at her limit, The Fair Lady completely lost her patience.
She kicked a heap of discarded parts in frustration, cursing, "Damn Raiden Shogun! Where's your Gnosis?! Hand it over, or I'll—"
Before she could finish, the door behind her was suddenly blasted to pieces.
The explosion rocked the chamber, and The Fair Lady turned around in alarm, realizing she was in serious trouble.
A chill gripped her heart, as if invisible hands were squeezing it tightly.
Cold spread from her spine to the top of her head, making her shiver.
Shao Yun emerged through the lingering smoke, expressionless. His icy eyes bore down on her with a suffocating presence.
She stared at the man who now resembled a devil, her voice trembling, "You! You—!"
Shao Yun spat on the floor and fixed his gaze on the Fatui Harbinger known as The Fair Lady.
He felt an odd satisfaction—he hadn't expected her to be here, waiting to die.
A sinister smile twisted across his face. "We meet again. This time, no god is coming to save you."
Her face went pale with fear. She quickly tried to negotiate, "Wait! If you want to kill the Raiden Shogun, we can work together! I only want the Gnosis! Let's—"
Shao Yun had no interest in wasting another second on her. His patience was gone.
He raised Micah's Revolver. At his waist, the skull on his Vision began to emit a black mist and a sinister crimson glow.
Without hesitation, Shao Yun pulled the trigger.
The bullet, charged with deadly power, pierced The Fair Lady's heart.
Her expression froze, and for a moment, time seemed to stop.
Blood flowed from her wound, soaking her clothes and dripping onto the floor.
Suddenly, she felt a searing flame igniting inside her, as if her soul were being incinerated.
Clutching her chest, she tried in vain to ease the burning sensation.
But no matter what she did, the fire only grew stronger—unbearable.
Her strength left her. Knees buckling, she struggled to stay upright, to retain some dignity.
But it was useless. She collapsed hard onto the floor.
Her face turned ghostly pale, her eyes wide with despair and confusion. She whispered, "What… is this weapon? Why does it burn like this?"
Her voice was barely audible, but Shao Yun heard it clearly.
He approached step by step, each movement radiating menace.
A flicker of desperation crossed her eyes. She summoned what strength remained, preparing to unleash her Delusion and burn her life force for a final stand.
But just as she moved, Shao Yun raised his revolver again and fired.
The shot tore through her shoulder, sending a spray of blood into the air.
She gasped, her eyes wide in shock.
The burning sensation spread again, not just pain—pure, soul-devouring torment.
She panted desperately, fear etched deep in her gaze.
She had never known agony like this. It felt like her insides were roasting over an unquenchable fire.
But this wasn't power—just pure, unilateral destruction consuming her life force.
She stared in horror at the devilish man drawing closer, her eyes fixed on the revolver in his hand.
Her voice trembled. "What is that weapon? Why does it burn? Is it a curse? Something else?"
Shao Yun's smile turned monstrous. Whatever humanity had once lived in him was now gone.
"Vengeance is hereby mine," he said coldly, voice echoing like it came from hell itself.
He holstered his revolver, stepped forward, and seized her by the hair, yanking her upright.
Drawing the dagger from his waist, the blade gleamed ominously.
Seeing the weapon, fear and despair filled her heart.
She locked eyes with Shao Yun, searching for even a flicker of mercy or doubt. But all she found was primal madness and ice-cold apathy.
"I see your eyes… you are insane!" she shouted through trembling lips.
Shao Yun grinned savagely, eyes wild with fervor. "Damn right I'm insane!"
Then he thrust the dagger into her throat.
The blade pierced easily, and blood erupted in a crimson spray.
Her eyes widened in horror. She tried to scream—but only choked whimpers came out.
Shao Yun drove the dagger deeper, savoring the resistance of flesh and the iron taste in the air.
His face contorted in wicked joy.
"Back in Mondstadt, I finished off the last Fatui just like this. He said, 'You're going to kill me,' and I said, 'Damn right I will!'" he growled, remembering the scene.
Gripping the dagger tightly, he slowly cut across her throat.
Her body convulsed violently, each spasm drawing more blood.
Her eyes grew vacant, her life force fading.
When her pupils finally dulled, Shao Yun let go. She collapsed in a lifeless heap.
Her corpse hit the floor with a dull thud, her Delusion rolling free from her side.
Suddenly, flames erupted across her body.
Shao Yun watched the fire, feeling satisfaction—but it wasn't enough.
With The Fair Lady now dead, the system finally despaired.
The screen filled with incoherent gibberish:
[Please &% I beg &@ you, leave +*! Go find Raiden Ei!]
Shao Yun waved it away irritably and shouted, "Shut the hell up, useless trash!"
Then, arms outstretched, he raised his head and roared, "Beelzebul! Orobashi has returned for revenge! Get your ass out here!"
The broken Raiden Shogun's puppet emitted a faint glow, as if answering his challenge.
Cracks spread across the surrounding space like shattered glass.
The air before Shao Yun tore apart under invisible force, like a mirror breaking—fragments whirling through the void, distorting light and reality.
Unable to tell illusion from truth, Shao Yun was pulled into the Plane of Euthymia by Beelzebul.
There, Raiden Ei sat quietly in the center, eyes closed, speaking to no one in particular:
"You shattered the puppet. You invoke the name of Orobashi, bringing chaos to Inazuma. What do you seek?"