Yae Saiguu and the others listened as Yushin Seinosuke recounted aiding Liyue's Thousand Rock Army against the dark tide surging from the Chasm.
"You put it that way, and Inazuma's monster tide, terrifying as it is—worst in millennia—pales compared to Liyue's. It even swallowed immortals," Saiguu said.
"And that nameless Yaksha you mentioned… such a tragedy. If I recall, he was Fushe, the Soaring Serpent Marshal, leader of the Yaksha under the Geo Archon," she added.
"Fushe, the Soaring Serpent Marshal? Impossible," Seinosuke said. As a top student trained in Liyue's adeptal clans and sects, he knew Fushe's name—strongest and sharpest of the Yaksha.
"You're shocked at how he ended up like that?" Saiguu asked, smirking.
"Yes."
"Not telling~" Saiguu teased, then left.
The four were left dumbfounded.
Seinosuke gave a wry smile. "Lady Saiguu hasn't changed a bit."
Saiguu wasn't about to waste time explaining wear and karma to mortals. It'd only burden them—a concern for scholars and long-lived beings.
She didn't leave just to tease, though. She sensed a distress signal: beasts were massing from the sea, attacking the southeast foot of Mt. Yougou, the border of Chinju Forest and the Kamisato Estate.
A skilled kamaitachi youkai—LV50+ to LV70—held that post as the area's martial backbone. The High Priest of Preservation? Who's that? Not on any combat ranking.
Given the location's importance, Kamisato samurai and ninjas guarded it too.
For such a force to call for help, the enemy was no joke. Saiguu charged in, brimming with confidence.
When Raiden Ei arrived, she saw a massive nine-tailed fox tearing into hundreds of Beast Realm Hounds. Nearby, lesser youkai and Vision-wielders clashed fiercely with the hounds.
Ei: "???"
"Fleeting Phantom Technique!" Despite the bizarre scene, Ei summoned clones to aid the battlefield.
The mixed melee limited her full power—otherwise, she'd end these beasts in a few slashes.
"The General's here!" The kamaitachi youkai, a near-great youkai, was the first after Saiguu to notice Ei. Using his Anemo powers, he spread the news to the fighting samurai and youkai.
Morale surged. Purple lightning-wreathed figures appeared among the beasts.
Each slash took one or several hounds. The pack dwindled visibly.
Soon, with everyone's effort, the hounds were wiped out. Saiguu, battered, reverted to human form.
Ei frowned. "What happened here? Where's Kagei Tengu?"
She'd seen Reisen's roster. Kagei Tengu was supposed to stick with Saiguu, their combined strength preventing ambushes on Inazuma's elite.
Like Gorouzo, Yureisai, and Banjiao Yanya's trio—except Yanya dragged two deadweights, unlike Saiguu and Kagei's powerhouse duo.
"Trouble in Araumi. I sent Takamine to check," Saiguu said, pale, popping a Thunder Elixir to purge the curse while sticking out her tongue.
"You…" Ei sighed, exasperated.
Saiguu used to be much stronger, worthy of leading all youkai as Guuji.
But Makoto's fall hit her hard as her kin. By Reisen's vitality scale, she'd dropped at least five levels.
Post-LV90, each level was a chasm.
Her elemental quality weakened too, leaving her disoriented.
Reisen's assignments were sound, but Inazuma's elite were too few, stretching manpower thin. Saiguu and others slacked on orders, especially after Ei's return and Reisen's seclusion, which weakened oversight and led to this mess.
The kamaitachi and samurai, now curse-free thanks to Thunder Elixirs, came to pay respects.
"Kamai Kengenji greets the General."
"Yashiro Deputy, Aozume Isshin-ryu, Yanagibashi Takuto, greets the General."
Ei offered encouragement, gave martial pointers, and said, "Your skills are impressive. I leave this to you. I'm taking Saiguu to the Shogunate to recover." Her figure vanished.
It was just a clone. Her real body had already taken Saiguu back.
"Feels like the General's way more imposing now," Kamai Kengenji muttered, scratching his head.
As a high-ranking youkai, he didn't know the Raiden Shogun was twin Archons.
But he wasn't wrong. Compared to Makoto's warmth, Ei's martial focus made her seem stern.
Though Ei had taken on governance, her warrior aura lingered. Unlike Makoto, she wasn't great with people.
At her core, Ei was a tech-loving recluse. Despite her resolve, social skills weren't her forte.
Ignoring Saiguu's pitiful look, Ei ordered her to heal fully before resuming work.
Kagei Tengu visited later, guilt-ridden. She said Araumi's issue was minor.
…
"Something felt off… Saiguu's not that reckless. She knows better…" Ei meditated at the Shogunate, analyzing the day's events.
If she'd arrived later, the dark tide might've devoured Saiguu.
"Timeline convergence? Non-Travelers can't change history. Their efforts are just illusions…"
"Reisen's lost his Traveler essence, fully assimilated into Teyvat. Only system scraps remain, limiting him to subtle changes."
Ei hesitated on sending Saiguu to the Serenitea Pot.