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Even without fully grasping the terrifying extent of Su Ran's power, Raiden Shogun could not bring herself to harbor any hostility toward him. She was no longer the stubborn individual she had once been, having learned the value of flexibility and knowing when to concede. Su Ran's strength clearly surpassed that of the gods, and even the Heavenly Principles might not be his match. That was something she had verified herself.
When Kujou Takayuki spoke as he did, she couldn't help but ask herself, "Me? Just me?" Oh, Raiden Shogun, you are under no obligation to face a man who cannot be defeated!
She quickly composed herself. Why would she even consider becoming his enemy? Su Ran was, for all intents and purposes, the architect of eternity. They were on the same side. Kujou Takayuki, however, had conspired with the Fatui and opposed her vision of eternity. His heart truly deserved to be purged.
Raiden Shogun found Kujou Takayuki's insolence insufferable. To deny eternity in her presence and frame the innocent—did he take her for a fool?
"Are you aware that he is the one who defeated me?"
"..."
The pile of excuses Kujou Takayuki had prepared caught in his throat. He looked up, his heart filled with dread as he gazed at the man holding Raiden Ei.
"I don't expect you to believe me, but as a Harbinger of the Fatui, I happen to have evidence of your collusion with them."
If Su Ran gave the order, the Fatui stationed in Inazuma would immediately hand over every piece of proof. His rank within the Fatui was high enough that his authority was absolute. Even if it disrupted the original plan, no one would dare oppose him, unless another Harbinger intervened. Genius was an outsider to their hierarchy, and while the Fatui would obey him, they would pivot to another Harbinger should one appear. After all, Su Ran had yet to contact a single member of the Fatui in Inazuma, despite them knowing a Harbinger had arrived. At most, they only knew what he looked like.
"Shall I produce the evidence, Head of the Kujou clan?"
As Kujou Takayuki knelt before him, Su Ran leaned down, wearing an apologetic look. "My apologies. I didn't expect that I, your partner, would be the one to betray you."
The look of forced apology only made the other man boil with rage. Kujou Takayuki glared at him, his eyes filled with a predatory malice. Hiiragi Shinsuke felt a wave of cowardice wash over him, but at least he had the sense not to openly defy Su Ran like the Kujou head.
"You Fatui... you are truly wicked! If only I had opened my eyes sooner, I never would have agreed to this deal!"
There was no room left for Kujou Takayuki to argue. Once Raiden Shogun acknowledged Su Ran as the superior force, their failure was absolute. The Kujou clan had relied entirely on her martial might, and now that even she was no match for him, what else could they do? When a fist is strong enough, all schemes become meaningless.
"Guards! Take Kujou Takayuki away!"
Raiden Shogun waved her hand. Two members of the Shogunate guard entered the room and dragged him out. With his only ally taken, Hiiragi Shinsuke felt a surge of regret. Why had he been so foolish as to follow Kujou Takayuki? Why had he come to see the Shogun at all? But the die was cast. He had to try his best to minimize the impending punishment for the Hiiragi clan.
"Your turn, old man. Any excuses?"
Compared to the crimes of the Kujou head, Hiiragi Shinsuke's sins seemed lighter. At worst, he was guilty of embezzlement, falsifying accounts, and fleecing foreign merchants. Under normal circumstances, he would have been dealt with severely, but with the precedent of Kujou Takayuki's betrayal, his offenses seemed trivial by comparison.
"Would you like to do the honorable thing, or shall I handle it myself?"
As a Harbinger of the Fatui, Su Ran had no real ties to the Inazuman factions. He was only targeting them because he found them irritating. Had they not sought him out today, he wouldn't have bothered with them, but since they had come to him, he felt compelled to host them properly.
"Do I... still have a chance, Lord Harbinger?"
Hiiragi Shinsuke was not as stubborn as the man who had been dragged away. He had come here to present a report, only to end up arrested. He knew this man wasn't a ruler, but a Fatui Harbinger—he had dealt with the Fatui enough to know that when they traded, they were straightforward and ruthless.
"That depends entirely on how you conduct yourself, Lord Hiiragi."
Su Ran patted the old man on the shoulder.
"If it pleases you, the Hiiragi clan is willing to surrender ninety percent of its assets."
Hiiragi Shinsuke had seen the writing on the wall. Raiden Shogun's dream of eternity was no empty rhetoric—it was a reality about to take shape. If that was the case, what use was their wealth? Keeping ten percent was merely a desperate hope—a way to ensure that if the dream of eternity ever shattered, his clan wouldn't fall to the level of commoners.
"You are quite generous, aren't you?" Su Ran seemed genuinely surprised.
Ninety percent of their assets was no small sum. Even though Inazuma was the most remote corner of Teyvat, it was still one of the seven nations. Furthermore, their recent trade partner was Liyue, the bustling center of commerce. With the Kanjou Commission serving as the central hub for financial management, even a wealthy man would be moved by such a payout.
Seeing Su Ran waver, Hiiragi Shinsuke seized the opening.
"Not only that, I have a daughter. She is a beauty of unparalleled grace..."
The Kujou clan was finished, so any existing marriage contract was naturally null and void. People were realistic, and Hiiragi Shinsuke knew the Kujou clan was beyond saving; he was already grateful enough not to kick them while they were down, let alone try to pull them up. Now was the time to cling to the thigh of the Fatui Harbinger who held sway over the Shogun.
Watching the old man scramble to save himself, a flicker of disdain crossed Su Ran's eyes.
"That's enough. I have no interest in your daughter. No matter how pretty she is, can she compare to Raiden Shogun?"
"Naturally, she cannot..."
Hiiragi Shinsuke glanced at Raiden Shogun and broke into a cold sweat.