Location: Chinju Forest, Inazuma
Current Form: Human
Status: Playing hide-and-seek, exposing corruption
The plan was simple: Find the evidence of the Tenryou Commission's betrayal, show it to Kujou Sara, and watch the fireworks.
The problem was the courier.
"We are looking for a ninja," Yae Miko had said. "She belongs to the Shuumatsuban. Her name is Sayu. She is... elusive."
Raiden stood in the middle of Chinju Forest, Aether and Paimon looking under bushes.
"She's a master of disguise!" Paimon whispered. "She could be that rock! Or that tree!"
Raiden closed his eyes.
"Great Sage. Scan for biological signatures. Filter for: Small, sleepy, and smelling of mujina."
"Answer. Target located 12 meters to the left. Disguised as a Daruma doll."
Raiden walked over to a small, wooden Daruma doll sitting suspiciously on a rock. He poked it.
"Five more minutes..." the doll grumbled.
Raiden picked it up by the hood.
POOF.
The disguise vanished, revealing a small girl in a tanuki (mujina) hoodie, rubbing her eyes.
Sayu.
"Put me down," Sayu yawned. "I'm growing. I need sleep."
"You have the documents," Raiden said, dangling her. "The ones proving Takayuki is selling out his country to the Fatui."
Sayu blinked sleepily. "Oh. Those. Yeah, I stole them. But the Tenryou guards are everywhere. Can I give them to you and go back to sleep?"
"Deal," Raiden set her down.
Sayu handed over a thick envelope. "Thanks, tall mister. You smell like a scary dragon, but you're nice."
She turned into a ball and rolled away into a bush.
"Efficient," Raiden noted. "I respect her work ethic."
Location: Grand Narukami Shrine
Time: Sunset
Kujou Sara arrived at the shrine, summoned by Yae Miko. She looked tense.
"Guuji Yae," Sara bowed stiffly. "You said there was an urgent matter regarding the Shogun's safety?"
She looked up and saw Raiden leaning against the Sacred Sakura, eating a peach.
Sara's hand went to her bow. "You! The criminal!"
"Relax, Birdie," Raiden tossed the peach pit. "I'm on parole. Ask the Fox."
Yae Miko stepped forward. "Sara, dear. We are not here to fight. We are here to open your eyes."
Yae handed Sara the documents Sayu had stolen.
Sara opened them. Her eyes scanned the pages. Reports to the Fatui. Agreements on Delusion distribution. Signatures from her adoptive father, Kujou Takayuki, suppressing information about the war from reaching the Shogun.
Sara's hands trembled. The paper crinkled.
"No..." Sara whispered. "This... this is a forgery. The Kujou Clan lives to serve the Shogun! My father would never—"
"Your father is a politician, Sara," Raiden interrupted, walking closer. "He cares about power. The Shogun is just the tool he uses to keep it."
Sara looked up, her golden eyes filled with desperation. "I do not believe you. I will ask him myself."
"Go ahead," Raiden gestured to the mountain path. "We'll follow. Just to make sure you don't get silenced."
The Kujou Estate Raid
Sara stormed into the Tenryou Commission Headquarters. The guards, seeing their General's fury, stepped aside. Raiden and Aether followed close behind like ominous shadows.
They reached the main hall. Kujou Takayuki sat on his dais, looking arrogant.
"Sara?" Takayuki frowned. "Why have you returned? And why are you with these... criminals?"
Sara threw the documents onto the floor.
"Father," Sara's voice shook. "Explain this. Explain why our soldiers are dying on the front lines while you hide reports from Her Excellency! Explain why you are trading with the Fatui!"
Takayuki looked at the papers. He didn't deny it. He laughed.
"You naive child," Takayuki scoffed. "The Shogun seeks Eternity. What does it matter if a few soldiers die? What matters is that the Kujou Clan remains in power! By cooperating with the Fatui, we ensure the Vision Hunt Decree continues, and our position remains absolute!"
"You... you betrayed the Shogun," Sara gasped, stepping back. "You betrayed Inazuma!"
"I am Inazuma!" Takayuki roared. "The Shogun doesn't care! She is a warrior, not a ruler! As long as I keep the peace in the city, she—"
BOOM.
A pressure heavier than the ocean slammed Takayuki into the floorboards.
Raiden stepped forward. His eyes were glowing with [Dragon's Haki].
"You think the Shogun doesn't care?" Raiden whispered, the room darkening around him. "You think you can manipulate a God?"
Takayuki struggled to breathe, pinned by gravity. "Y-You... Monster..."
Raiden crouched down, picking up the report Takayuki had signed.
"The Shogun is a machine, Takayuki. She runs on logic. And do you know what logic dictates for a corrupted component?"
Raiden crushed the paper in his hand.
"Deletion."
He stood up. "Sara. He's all yours."
Sara looked at the man she had called father. The man who had saved her, raised her, and lied to her.
She turned her back on him.
"I am going to Tenshukaku," Sara said, her voice cold as ice. "I will tell the Shogun the truth."
"Sara! Wait!" Takayuki screamed. "She will kill you! She will strike you down for trespassing!"
"Then I will die as a loyal warrior," Sara declared. She sprinted out of the room.
"Go," Raiden told Aether. "Follow her. Make sure she gets in."
"What about you?" Aether asked.
Raiden looked at Takayuki, who was shivering on the floor.
"I'm going to have a little chat with the Clan Head about 'management styles'. Go. I'll catch up for the main event."
Aether nodded and ran after Sara.
Raiden was alone with Takayuki.
"P-Please," Takayuki stammered. "I have Mora! I have influence! I can give you anything!"
Raiden looked at the man with utter boredom.
"You have nothing I want, old man. Your soul is shriveled. Your power is borrowed. You aren't even worth eating."
Raiden tapped the floor. [Earth Magic: Prison].
Stone spikes erupted from the ground, forming a cage around Takayuki.
"You stay here until the Shogun decides your fate," Raiden said. "And pray she's in a good mood. Because if she asks me... I'll suggest feeding you to the riftwolves."
Raiden walked out of the estate. He looked up at the Tenshukaku. Dark clouds were gathering again.
"Showtime," Raiden cracked his knuckles. "Signora is waiting."
Raiden arrived at the entrance of the Tenshukaku just as the guards were flying through the air. Aether had cleared the path.
Inside the main hall, the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.
The Raiden Shogun stood on her dais, watching impassively.
Kujou Sara lay unconscious on the floor, defeated.
La Signora stood tall, looking down at the Traveler with disdain.
"So," Signora sneered. "You managed to get this far. Ratting out the Kujou Clan... how noble. But it changes nothing."
Aether drew his sword. "I challenge you. Before the Throne!"
The Shogun's eyes flashed.
"Proceed."
A duel before the throne. The loser faces the Shogun's judgment. Immediate execution.
Signora laughed. "You want to die that badly? Fine. I will freeze you where you stand!"
Before the fight could start, the doors creaked open.
Raiden walked in. He stepped over Sara's unconscious body, checking her pulse. "She's alive. Just a headache."
He looked at the Shogun.
"Hey, Robo-Girl. Mind if I spectate?"
The Shogun looked at Raiden. "Subject: Raiden Ragnvaldr. Presence tolerated. Do not interfere in the Duel."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Raiden leaned against a pillar. "Aether needs the XP."
He looked at Signora. "Rosalyne. Remember what I told you in Liyue? About burning out?"
Signora glared at him. "Silence, Dragon! I will deal with this brat, and then I will take your head for the Tsaritsa!"
"Heh," Raiden crossed his arms. "Clock's ticking, Witch. Let's see if you can survive the Traveler."
Battle Start: Traveler vs. Signora.
Ice flew. Fire raged. Signora unleashed her Cryo Delusion, then shattered it to reveal the Crimson Witch of Embers. The room turned into a hellscape of molten fire.
Aether fought with the combined power of Anemo, Geo, and Electro. He was faster, stronger than before.
Signora raged, burning her own life force to ash. "I AM THE CRIMSON WITCH! I WILL NOT FALL HERE!"
But she did fall.
Aether delivered the final blow, shattering her fiery defense. Signora collapsed, reverting to her human form, gasping for air.
"I... I cannot..." Signora wheezed. She looked at the Shogun. "I am a diplomat... of Snezhnaya... you cannot..."
The Shogun stood up. She walked down the steps, her naginata manifesting in her hands.
"The victor is decided."
Signora panicked. She scrambled back. "Stop! I command you! I am a Harbinger!"
She looked at Raiden. "You! Dragon! Help me! You hate Celestia too! We can be allies!"
Raiden looked at her with pity.
"I warned you, Rosalyne. You flew too close to the sun. And now... the lightning is here."
The Shogun raised her blade. The air screamed with Electro energy.
[Musou no Hitotachi].
SLASH.
There was no sound. Just a flash of blinding purple light.
La Signora, the 8th Harbinger, disintegrated. Not even ash remained.
The Shogun sheathed her blade. She turned to Aether.
"You are the victor. You may leave Tenshukaku alive."
Aether, shaken by the execution, nodded and turned to leave.
But as he walked toward the door, the air grew heavy. The pressure spiked.
The Shogun turned her head.
"However..."
She raised her hand to strike Aether from behind.
CLANG.
A black blade - synthesized from pure void mana - blocked the Shogun's strike.
Raiden stood between the Shogun and the Traveler.
"You said he could leave alive," Raiden said, his voice vibrating with growling bass. "Going back on your word? That's a glitch in your programming, Shogun."
The Shogun stared at Raiden.
"The Traveler is an enemy of Eternity. Allowing him to leave the premises satisfies the duel. However, he is still a threat."
"Rules lawyering," Raiden scoffed. "I hate that."
He looked at Aether. "Go outside. The Resistance is waiting. I'll handle her."
"Again?" Aether hesitated.
"Go! I need room to work!"
Aether ran out the door.
Raiden turned to face the Shogun.
"Alright," Raiden cracked his neck. "Round Two. And this time, I'm not inside your head. We're doing this live."
The Shogun's eyes glowed. The entire Tenshukaku began to shake.
"Analysis. Threat Level: Catastrophe. Removing limiters. Initiating Extermination Mode."
Raiden grinned, his body erupting in black lightning.
"Come on, Ei! Come out and play!"