"Found the wanted criminals! Surround them!"
A squad of Shogunate soldiers appeared out of nowhere, forming a tight ring around the three.
Being greeted by spears the moment she set foot in Inazuma—
Lumine stared warily, Childe silently formed twin Hydro blades, and Paimon, whose combat power was lower than a wild boar, hid behind Lumine trembling.
"You've GOT to be kidding me. I just got here and I'm already wanted?! I don't even know what crime I supposedly committed!"
In Mondstadt at least it was because Venti scammed her into stealing the lyre.
But Inazuma?
She hadn't done a thing yet!
"Stay sharp! These three are the vicious criminals the Shogun warned us about! Do NOT let them escape!"
The squad leader barked the order.
Judging from their serious expressions… they weren't joking.
Being wanted before even doing anything— even Lumine couldn't accept that.
She raised her hand, frustrated.
"Hold on! You're telling me I'm guilty, but I literally arrived TODAY! How does that make any sense?!"
"At least let me know what crime I'm being accused of!"
"Are these the three on the wanted posters?"
The officer showed them three portraits.
Lumine squinted.
The drawings were… so abstract they looked like a preschooler's doodle.
But somehow— they captured the key features:
Lumine's blonde hair and flower ornament.
Childe's mask and red scarf.
Paimon's… dumb little floating face.
Perfectly recreated.
"…It's drawn terribly, but yeah, that's definitely us."
Lumine rubbed her chin.
"And may I ask—who drew these?"
"The Shogun herself!"
"Oh, I see. So the trap was laid beforehand."
Lumine nodded, smiling like she had achieved enlightenment.
Inside, she raised a middle finger to Su Ran.
Then she turned and raised another middle finger to the giant statue behind her.
"So you really like messing with me, huh?!"
Before the soldiers reacted, she grabbed Paimon and leapt off the platform without hesitation.
Childe reacted instantly, following suit.
Thus began their escape.
"After them!!!"
The soldiers snapped out of it and charged.
But faced with two agile fighters, they could only watch them vanish into the distance.
No one knew how far they ran.
They sprinted through deserted streets—
Inazuma City was so empty they couldn't even blend into the crowd.
"This place is way too empty…"
Lumine complained while running.
"Even the outskirts of Liyue Harbor have more people! What is the Shogun DOING?!"
Childe also felt the Shogun was unbelievably petty.
Lumine didn't understand Inazuma's politics—but he did.
Just because he was Fatui?
Just because he was an Executive?
So she threw him into the wanted list too?
Really?
Wasn't she the one stealing Su Ran from Tsaritsa in the first place?
Yet somehow she acted like she was the victim.
The nerve.
Eventually, they reached a field beyond a small village and finally stopped to catch their breath.
Lumine poked Paimon's cheek.
"OW! Lumine, why?!"
Paimon cupped her reddened cheek, tearful.
"If it hurts, that means this isn't a dream."
Lumine exhaled deeply.
She really feared they had accidentally fallen into that dream realm.
If she had to enter it, she wanted to do so knowingly— not get dragged in silently like the others.
"…Then why don't you pinch your own cheek?! Uuu…"
Paimon muttered bitterly.
Lumine didn't even feel guilty.
Childe also pinched his arm.
Yep—pain.
He was definitely awake.
"Strange… so we're not inside the dream?"
If you could feel pain, you were awake.
Dreams had no pain.
But his mind felt clear, meaning he was definitely conscious.
"I thought Inazuma was supposed to be engulfed by the dream?"
Childe felt the intel Su Ran gave him didn't match reality.
Sure, everyone fell asleep on the ship.
But other than that and the sudden scene shift, nothing seemed strange.
"No matter what, maybe we should look for Su Ran. He might know something."
At the moment, they had zero connections in Inazuma.
Childe didn't even know the locations of Fatui safehouses here.
This wasn't his region.
"As if things aren't bad enough already, you want us to find HIM?!"
Lumine felt despair.
Wanted posters the moment she arrived— what would Su Ran do when he saw her?
Probably bury her deeper in trouble!
"Then we'll be sleeping outside tonight."
Childe shrugged.
"Excuse me— if you don't mind, you may stay with me for the night."
A voice spoke from nearby.
The three turned—
and saw Gorou, who had just arrived from Watatsumi to gather intel.
~~--------------------------------------
To read future chapters head over to pat reon:
patreon.com/YonkoSlayer