"This is a perception-blocking machine. Within its range, even the curse's source can't detect anything. It even resists wear," Raiden Ei explained.
Yae Saiguu stared, dumbfounded, at the mist-filled chamber. "Ei, what's going on?"
The mist was a concentrated, enhanced version of Tsurumi's fog. The Sky-Veiling System relied on it to cloak from heavenly principles.
No need to explain that to Saiguu, though.
"Normal stuff," Ei said. "The mist'll thin out soon."
"Waaah, Ei, you're too good to me~" Saiguu fake-cried, then added, "But Ei, there's nothing to do here. I'm not okay with that."
Ei glanced at the forging setup behind her, pondering. True, Saiguu needed something to keep her busy.
Otherwise, the fox might sprout mushrooms from boredom.
"Alright, I'll grab you some books to study and pass the time," Ei said. "And in a few days, I'll drag Chiyo in to keep you company."
Then it hit her—Miyushi Chiyo faced a fate similar to Saiguu's.
Chiyo's was pollution-driven madness, not a big deal on its own. But tied to her death? Suspicious. She was killed by a puppet made from her son's memories, the Marionette Sword Demon.
In all Teyvat, only Ei and Khaenri'ah had that level of puppet tech. Reisen's tech was a step behind. Lately, he'd been deep in souls, space, causality—high-end stuff.
The rest of his time? Philosophy (Heartforce) or honing skills (sword, spear, bow).
Mechanics? He'd basically let that slide.
Inazuma's locals leaned on alchemy for mechanics, guided by Reisen toward support machines and farming tools. With few practitioners, they lagged behind Sumeru.
Their tech, heavily borrowed from Reisen's, was unique but niche, mostly validating his failed theories or seeing how far they'd go.
Maybe they'd miraculously blend precision mechanics with alchemy.
Ei wasn't sure if a conspiracy lurked behind Chiyo's fate.
To be safe, she planned to nab Chiyo soon.
…
"Chiyo!" The Oni clan's elder coughed blood, watching Chiyo get swallowed by a great youkai-level beast.
Nearby Vision-wielders, rallied by generals, rushed to save the elder.
"Fall back! It's a beast trap!" he shouted.
This elite team from Kujou Encampment included two youkai generals (Chiyo and the Oni elder), five human generals, several high-level youkai, and many human hatamoto. One human Vision-wielder hit LV70+, rivaling youkai.
They handled tough, known monsters.
But they miscalculated. Intel confirmed only one LV70+ beast and a few LV60+ ones.
Per Reisen's orders, the whole team deployed.
No one took the beasts seriously, especially with Chiyo, the General's kin, a terrifying LV90+.
But unlike Saiguu, whose vitality drop weakened her, Chiyo, a martial type, retained most of her combat prowess. Reisen confirmed her skills barely dipped, so she stayed active.
Clearly, the beasts, after long slaughters, planned a counter.
They'd summoned an LV90+ great beast—likely a fallen Archon's kin or an abandoned divine vassal from the Dark Sea.
A tough foe.
It ambushed, crippling the Oni elder.
It tried to swallow him, but Chiyo saved him, getting gulped instead.
"Wait!" The elder stopped the retreating team, coughing. "Look at that beast."
They turned. The tiger-like beast writhed in agony, its face twisted.
Its stomach warped.
"Chiyo's not dead…" Before the elder could continue, the beast's belly exploded, torn in half by Chiyo.
Its twitching remains hopped about. A golden-glowing figure emerged.
The team was awed by Chiyo's might. They didn't know her full strength but felt the beast's power.
Even as non-weaklings, without Chiyo, they'd lacked the courage to face it.
The name "Tiger-Devouring Chiyo" spread across Inazuma.
Then the General snatched her away.
…
In a secret chamber, Saiguu lounged with a light novel from another world.
She'd asked Ei to get it from Alice, now sheltering in Inazuma. The title? My Wondrous Adventures with the Fox Shrine Maiden—a steamy tale of human-fox love and adventure.
Did Ei even check this thing?
"Sigh~ It really feels like less wear here, but I'm so bored without company," Saiguu whined.
She'd turned the chamber into a fox den, but without ley line access, she only expanded it slightly—from 300 square meters to about an acre.
Just enough for her true form to scamper a bit.
Suddenly, she swapped the novel for a math textbook—Ei and Reisen's old advanced math primer for Inazuma's talent pool. It flopped; most called it gibberish, despite only reaching calculus level…