Location: Hanamizaka, Inazuma City
Current Form: Human
Status: Speedrunning emotional trauma, buying illegal explosives
"So, let me get this straight," Raiden said, walking down the street with Aether and Paimon. "We need to help three people who lost their Visions to prove to the Princess that we understand the 'pain of loss'? Sounds like fetch quests with extra depression."
"Ayaka says it's important!" Paimon insisted. "If we don't understand what a Vision means to people, we can't fight for them!"
"A Vision," Raiden mused, flicking a coin. "Is an external hard drive for the soul. When the Shogun takes it, she takes the partition of the brain responsible for that specific ambition. It's not just theft; it's a lobotomy."
"Great Sage. Can we restore the memories of the victims?"
"Answer. Negative. The data has been physically removed. However, the emotional imprint remains in the subconscious."
Raiden decided to handle the "Three Wishes" efficiently.
Tejima (The Forgetful Samurai): He had waited thirty years for a person he couldn't remember.
- Raiden's Solution: He didn't find a diary. He used [Thought Communication] to project the feeling of the memory back into Tejima's mind, stabilizing his mental state. "You didn't wait for a ghost, old man," Raiden told him. "You waited because you're stubborn. Keep being stubborn.
Kurosawa (The Indebted Samurai): He forgot why he helped people, but remembered the debts he incurred doing it. The Treasure Hoarders were harassing him.
- Raiden's Solution: He walked up to the Treasure Hoarders. He didn't fight them. He simply emitted [Dragon's Haki]. They apologized, returned the money, and ran into the ocean. Raiden then paid off Kurosawa's debt using Childe's credit card.
The Sword Master: He believed he was possessed. He had lost his mind wanting to be the best.
- Raiden's Solution: He challenged the disciples. He defeated them with a wooden spoon he borrowed from a food stall. "Ambition isn't in the glass marble," Raiden lectured the confused students. "It's in the grind. Stop whining and start training."
"Wow," Paimon floated upside down. "You solved those really fast. But you weren't very sympathetic."
"I fixed the problems," Raiden shrugged. "Sympathy is free. Solutions cost money. Now, let's meet the fireworks girl."
The Queen of the Summer Festival
They arrived at Naganohara Fireworks. A girl with bandages and wild blonde hair was running around, shouting orders.
Yoimiya.
"Tamura! Don't put the Goldfish mix next to the Violetgrass! It'll blow up the shed again!"
She turned and saw the group. "Oh! Customers? Or the Yashiro Commission people Thoma mentioned?"
"Both," Raiden picked up a sparkler. "I hear you're the go-to person for 'loud distractions'."
Yoimiya grinned. "I'm the best! Fireworks are the heartbeat of Inazuma! But right now, I'm a bit busy. The Tenryou Commission arrested Master Masakatsu because he built a fake Vision for a kid. They're holding him in the Police Station."
"A jailbreak?" Raiden's eyes lit up. "Finally. Some action."
The plan was stealth. Or, it was supposed to be.
Aether and Yoimiya snuck around the back. Raiden walked to the front door of the Police Station.
"Halt!" The Doshin guards crossed their spears. "No entry!"
Raiden leaned in. "I have a delivery for the Warden."
"What delivery?"
"Knuckle sandwiches."
BAM.
Raiden kicked the heavy wooden doors off their hinges. The doors flew inward, flattening two guards.
"Intruder!"
Raiden walked in, whistling. Guards rushed him. He didn't even use magic. He used [Martial Arts: Judo]. He tossed guards into walls, into each other, and out of windows.
He reached the holding cells. Kujou Sara, the General of the Tenryou Commission, was interrogating the prisoner.
She turned, hearing the commotion. She saw Raiden standing amidst a pile of groaning guards.
"You..." Sara narrowed her eyes, her Tengu fan ready. "The Outlander. You dare attack the Police Station?"
"I'm just here for the old man," Raiden pointed at Masakatsu, who was beaten and bruised. "You guys play rough. I respect the discipline, but the brutality is a bit much, General."
Sara scoffed. "He violated the Decree. He creates counterfeits to mock the Shogun's eternity."
"And you torture old men to validate your loyalty," Raiden countered, his voice dropping dangerously low. "Tell me, Tengu. Does the Shogun know you're doing this? Or are you just following orders from the crooked Kujou Clan head?"
Sara flinched. "Watch your tongue!"
She fired a bolt of Electro.
Raiden swatted it aside with his bare hand. He moved—[Shadow Step]—appearing nose-to-nose with Sara.
"I'm leaving with him," Raiden whispered. "Stop me, and I burn this building down."
Sara hesitated. She sensed it - the overwhelming disparity in power. And deep down, her honor as a warrior made her despise torturing a helpless craftsman.
"Go," Sara lowered her bow. "But the next time we meet, I will not show mercy."
"Next time," Raiden agreed, grabbing Masakatsu and throwing him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Yoimiya! Aether! We're leaving!"
A few days passed. Raiden spent them eating every variant of Dango Milk and analyzing the Electro element composition of Inazuma.
"System Update. [Electro Nullification] is at 98%. To reach 100%, direct exposure to Divine Lightning is required."
"Divine Lightning, huh?" Raiden sat on the roof of the Komore Teahouse.
Suddenly, the door burst open. Ayaka ran out, looking pale.
"It's Thoma!" Ayaka cried out. "He's been captured! The Tenryou Commission... they've selected him for the 100th Vision Hunt Ceremony!"
"The 100th," Raiden stood up. "A milestone event. That means the Big Boss will be there."
"We have to save him!" Paimon shouted.
"We will," Raiden cracked his knuckles. "Ayaka, stay here. You're the face of the Yashiro Commission. If you intervene, it's civil war. If we do it... we're just outlaws."
"But..."
"Trust me," Raiden smiled, showing a glimpse of his fangs. "I've been waiting for an excuse to meet her."
The crowd gathered at the massive statue. The atmosphere was suffocating.
Thoma was kneeling on the platform, bound by ropes. His Pyro Vision lay on a pedestal nearby.
Above him, descending on steps made of pure lightning, walked the Raiden Shogun.
She was beautiful, terrifying, and completely devoid of humanity. She was a puppet programmed for one purpose: Eternity.
"The 100th Vision," the Shogun's voice echoed, monotone and absolute. "This marks a milestone in the pursuit of Eternity. Offer it up."
Two guards moved to grab Thoma's Vision.
Aether looked at Raiden. Raiden nodded.
Aether sprinted. He used Anemo to propel himself, knocking the guards away. He grabbed the Vision.
"Traveler!" Thoma gasped.
The Shogun stopped. She looked down at Aether. Her purple eyes glowed.
"An enemy of Eternity."
She didn't hesitate. She summoned her naginata, Engulfing Lightning. She moved with godspeed, preparing to strike Aether down.
But someone was faster.
BOOM.
A black blur intercepted the Shogun.
Sparks flew. The ground shattered.
The crowd gasped.
Standing between the Shogun and the Traveler was Raiden. He had caught the blade of the Electro Archon with his bare hand. His hand was coated in obsidian scales, and black lightning danced against the Shogun's purple wrath.
"Yo," Raiden grinned, his eyes glowing silver. "Is this the reception line?"
The Shogun's expression didn't change, but she applied more pressure. The ground cracked further.
"You possess... significant elemental energy," the Shogun stated. "No Vision. Anomaly. Exception. Exceptions... must be eliminated."
"You talk like a computer," Raiden scoffed. "Windows 98 called, it wants its personality back."
He shoved the Shogun back. The force of the push sent a shockwave through the plaza.
"Aether! Untie Thoma!" Raiden ordered. "I'll handle the toaster!"
The Shogun stabilized herself in the air. She raised her sword high. The sky turned pitch black.
"You are an obstacle."
She slashed reality itself.
Raiden didn't dodge. He let the darkness take him.
Warp.
The noise of the crowd vanished. The statue vanished.
Raiden stood in a vast, alien dimension. The sky was a red chaos of torii gates and bleak desolation.
The Plane of Euthymia.
Floating in the center, meditating in a lotus position, was the real Electro Archon. Ei.
She opened her eyes. They were softer than the puppet's, but filled with confusion.
"You..." Ei spoke. "You are not the Traveler. You are... a dragon? No. Something else."
Raiden looked around the mental dimension.
"Nice place," Raiden commented, putting his hands in his pockets. "Very... minimalistic. A bit depressing, though. Needs a plant. Or a TV."
Ei stood up, summoning her blade. "How did you enter this plane? This is my inner consciousness. Erosion should not allow..."
"I'm immune to Erosion, Ei," Raiden interrupted.
Ei froze. "Immune?"
"I'm immune to time, rot, and rust. I am the Gluttonous Sovereign. And I'm here to tell you that your puppet is making a mess outside."
Ei's expression hardened. "The Shogun executes my will. The Vision Hunt Decree is necessary for Eternity. Ambition leads to loss. Loss leads to suffering."
"And sitting in a room alone for 500 years leads to being socially awkward," Raiden countered.
"Insolence!"
Ei charged. She moved faster than light, turning into a bolt of lightning.
[Musou no Hitotachi].
It was the ultimate technique. The slash that split Yashiori Island.
Raiden stood his ground.
"Analysis of Divine Technique complete. Probability of Evasion: 0%. Probability of Block: 50%. Recommendation: Eat it."
"Let's eat."
Raiden opened his mouth.
[Beelzebuth].
A massive, demonic mouth of black energy manifested over Raiden's head.
The purple slash of the Musou no Hitotachi collided with the black maw of Beelzebuth.
CRACK.
Reality screamed. The dimension shook.
Ei watched in horror as her ultimate attack—the crystallization of her martial arts - was... bitten.
Raiden chomped down. The black maw shattered the sword beam and inhaled the electro energy.
Gulp.
Raiden stood there, smoke rising from his mouth. His chest glowed bright purple as he processed the immense divine energy.
"Spicy!" Raiden shouted, wiping his mouth. "Really spicy! Tastes like... ozone and dango milk?"
Ei stepped back, her sword lowering slightly. "You... consumed the Musou no Hitotachi?"
"I told you," Raiden grinned, his eyes shifting to vertical slits. "I'm hungry. Now, Ei. Are we going to talk? Or do I have to eat your room too?"
Ei stared at him. For the first time in centuries, the God of Eternity didn't know what to do.
"Who... are you?"
"Raiden Ragnvaldr," he introduced himself. "And I think we need to have a chat about your parenting skills regarding that puppet."