A Special Gift

This issue in Inazuma was essentially resolved.

However, it's necessary to mention Raiden Shogun's attitude.

As the puppet enforcing eternity, Raiden Ei had locked her authority to modify Raiden Shogun's settings, ensuring that even she, the creator, could not alter the Shogun's programming regarding eternity.

In the game, Raiden Shogun perfectly embodies her role as the unwavering guardian of eternity.

To ensure that Raiden Ei's decision to change was not caused by wear or degradation, Shogun fought Ei in their consciousness space for five hundred years.

Through centuries of battle, even a single moment of error would have meant Raiden Ei's death.

This was how Shogun tested Raiden Ei's resolve. Only after confirming that her changes were not due to wear but rather personal growth did Shogun unlock the permissions and approve Ei's new vision of eternity.

But now, the situation was different. Raiden Ei did not prove herself through battle, and Raiden Shogun barely expressed opposition.

Why was this the case?

Because the current scenario in Inazuma was not the same as in the game's storyline.

In the game, it was Raiden Ei herself who wanted to change eternity, so Raiden Shogun needed to verify her determination.

But now, it was not Raiden Ei seeking change; it was the citizens of Inazuma—the very people Raiden Shogun served—who were demanding it.

The distinction between the two is fundamental.

Although Raiden Shogun is a puppet, she has affection for Inazuma. She, too, loves this land.

Why is this evident?

As the guardian of eternity, Shogun should strictly adhere to the set principles, allowing no alterations—even at the cost of her life.

Yet, in the game, after verifying that Raiden Ei's changes stemmed from growth and not degradation, Shogun relinquished control and granted her modification permissions.

Her steadfastness in upholding eternity and battling Raiden Ei for five hundred years was her duty as the guardian of eternity.

Ultimately, her willingness to compromise and open permissions to Raiden Ei was born of her love for Inazuma and its future.

The current situation differs: it's not Raiden Ei personally seeking change but the people of Inazuma clamoring for a revision of eternity.

As their ruler, seeing her policies plunge Inazuma into chaos and cause such suffering among the people—when the problems have been laid bare—she couldn't possibly do nothing.

And so, once again, Felina's plan acted like a powerful medicine—painful but extraordinarily effective, saving Raiden Ei five hundred years of time.

If eternity weren't revised, the unrest among the people would continue, and war would persist. As a god who loves her people, Raiden Ei could not possibly slaughter all of them.

Faced with this contradiction, Raiden Shogun and Raiden Ei had no choice but to reflect and align their perspectives, finding a way to modify eternity.

"The current situation in Inazuma is unstable, and the two major commissions have been imprisoned. As the god of this land, you should make a public appearance soon to stabilize the chaos quickly."

"For now, repair your body. In your current state, it's unsuitable to meet the people."

Yae Miko spoke thoughtfully but soon seemed to recall something.

She continued, "In the plan, the Hydro Archon mentioned preparing a special gift for you. If we succeeded in convincing you and you're ready, we can notify her envoys, and the gift will be delivered."

"A gift from the Hydro Archon? Coming from someone like her, I'm rather intrigued by what it could be."

Raiden Ei didn't dwell on it further. After instructing Yae Miko on a few matters, she returned to Inazuma City.

A few days later, Raiden Ei completed the repairs on her body, and Felina's promised gift arrived as expected.

However, this gift completely exceeded the expectations of both Raiden Ei and Yae Miko.

...

That day, the skies over Inazuma turned unusual.

The previously clear sky was suddenly shrouded in darkness.

Thick, oppressive black clouds hung low above the land.

In the seas near Inazuma City, the currents became erratic, with waves rising higher and higher, crashing relentlessly against the city's coastline and cliffs.

A sense of foreboding spread throughout Inazuma City. The sudden changes left its people deeply uneasy.

Just as everyone was wondering what was happening, an unexpected event occurred!

In the southern seas near Inazuma City, a massive figure emerged!

Its body rose above the ocean's surface, revealing its true form. Its entire form was a shimmering blue, with twin horns on its head, bearing a striking resemblance to the primordial form of Morax.

It was a colossal water dragon!

The dragon's body radiated a luminous water-like glow. Standing several hundred meters tall, it loomed above the sea.

In comparison, the people of Inazuma City were as insignificant as ants!

Its deep blue eyes glowed eerily as it gazed down upon the humans of Inazuma City. In an instant, the overwhelming aura of an ancient god surged outward like a tidal wave, engulfing the surroundings.

Under this terrifying pressure, it felt as if every heart in Inazuma was being tightly clenched, leaving people almost breathless.

The primal fear of powerful beings, combined with the DNA-encoded dread of gods, plunged Inazuma City into chaos in an instant!

Terrified screams echoed everywhere as people fled in a panic, trampling over each other in their desperation.

"An ancient god?!"

The sudden appearance of such a formidable enemy naturally drew Raiden Ei's attention.

Standing in the Tenshukaku, her expression was grave. She couldn't fathom how, in this era, an ancient god could still be lurking in Inazuma.

Just as she was bracing for what she deemed an imminent crisis, a woman blessed in blue appeared before her and Yae Miko.

The woman stood before Raiden Ei, mimicking the poised manners of a Fontaine lady, and offered a slight curtsy.

"Greetings, Electro Archon of Inazuma."

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Beisht, a servant of Lady Focalors, the Hydro Archon," she said.

With that, Beisht gestured toward the azure dragon towering over the distant sea and smiled as she continued, "And over there is also one of Lady Focalors' servants, the Overlord of the Vortex—Osial."

"We have come under Lady Focalors' orders to present you with a gift."

She pointed toward the dragon in the distance and said, "And that, is the gift our Archon has prepared for you."

"A gift?"

Raiden Ei frowned slightly.

"Indeed," Beisht replied with a smile. "The wise and valorous Electro Archon surely doesn't need me to spell it out to understand Lady Focalors' intentions."

"..."

Raiden Ei was silent for a few seconds. While she lacked governing expertise, she was far from unintelligent. It didn't take her long to grasp Focalors' meaning.

Her furrowed brows quickly relaxed, and she looked at Beisht. "The Hydro Archon is considerate. I'll remember this favor. Please convey my gratitude to her."

"I will relay your message to Lady Focalors," Beisht nodded with a smile. "However, I must mention that Osial is not only Lady Focalors' servant but also my husband. So I hope you'll go easy on him later. After all, it's always painful for a wife to see her husband hurt."

Hearing this, Raiden Ei also smiled and nodded. "Of course. Rest assured."

The massive dragon on the sea was, in fact, a manifestation created by Osial using Hydro elemental power. His true body remained hidden deep beneath the distant ocean.

As for why he chose to take the form of a dragon rather than the five-headed serpent he had assumed during the events in Liyue:

Firstly, outside the isolationist borders of Inazuma, it was widely known that the Overlord of the Vortex had become a servant of the Hydro Archon.

If he appeared in his former five-headed serpent form, once Inazuma reopened its borders, the news of the Hydro Archon's servant attacking Inazuma would undoubtedly spread like wildfire.

Secondly, Osial transforming into Morax's original dragon form was a personal whim, meant to irk Morax.

At this moment, the water-blue dragon let out an earth-shaking roar, unleashing a vast surge of Hydro elemental power.

In an instant, a towering tsunami over a hundred meters high rose, roaring toward Inazuma City with overwhelming might.

A tsunami of such magnitude was utterly terrifying, blotting out the sky and sun.

The buildings in Inazuma, mostly modest wooden structures, stood no chance. A single moment was all it would take for the wave to sweep the entire city clean, erasing it from existence.

Under the dark clouds, people who had been fleeing in all directions began to pause. They seemed to realize they couldn't possibly escape the tsunami's wrath. They stood frozen, staring blankly at the approaching wave.

This was the helplessness of mortals, rendered insignificant in the face of a god's power. All they could do was watch as the wave approached, silently counting down the seconds of their remaining lives.

Cries and screams echoed; despair engulfed Inazuma City.

And amidst the despair, a bolt of lightning shot forth from Tenshukaku!

A streak of lightning tore through the heavens, revealing a figure in midair. She held a longsword and slashed it horizontally in one swift motion!

As the slash was unleashed, a line of sword light cleaved through the void.

This purple sword light seemed to split the world itself. The previously unstoppable tsunami froze in place.

The purple glow emanating from the sword light grew increasingly radiant, as if the compressed Electro elemental energy within was reaching its limit and ready to burst.

Boom!

Finally, the energy within the sword light erupted in a massive explosion. Under the force of the blast, the tsunami collapsed in an instant.

With one strike, the tsunami was annihilated. This awe-inspiring display caused countless Inazumans to turn their gaze toward the one who wielded the blade.

When they saw the purple-dressed figure in the sky, their despair was instantly replaced by elation.

"Her Excellency the Shogun!"

"It's the Shogun!"

"We're saved! The Shogun is here!"

"With the Shogun here, we'll be fine!"

Cheers erupted across Inazuma City, faces brimming with joy.

High above, Raiden Ei stood with her sword, gazing at the blue dragon in the distance.

When Beisht had appeared and informed her that this was a special gift from Furina, Raiden Ei immediately understood Furina's intent.

In this recent series of events, Inazuma had been thrown into chaos, leaving the people in great suffering.

Although Yae Miko had pinned all the blame on the Kanjou and Tenryou Commissions, this had only helped Raiden Ei shed the label of a tyrant.

But that alone wasn't enough. A god is a god because they stand above mortals.

Even if all responsibility for the Sakoku Decree and Vision Hunt Decree was shifted onto the Kanjou and Tenryou Commissions, Raiden Ei, as a god, could not escape accountability.

As a god, she bore responsibility for being blind to the truth and allowing her subordinates to bring chaos to the nation.

In the eyes of the people, a god should be omnipotent. While the people of Inazuma still revered the Electro Archon, they couldn't ignore her lapse in judgment, which had plunged Inazuma into turmoil and left its citizens in hardship.

The prestige of Raiden Ei as a god had undoubtedly taken a hit, and the trust of many of her people was eroded.

Originally, Raiden Ei would have needed considerable effort and time to govern Inazuma properly and slowly regain her lost prestige and trust. However, Furina's gift had addressed this urgent need.

• Question: When does a god rapidly gain prestige and faith?

• Answer: When people find themselves in desperate situations beyond human control—times when they most need their god.

Thus, Furina orchestrated this performance with Osial.

She had Osial play the role of a villain attacking Inazuma City while Raiden Ei appeared as the savior. In the face of this crisis, she turned the tide and defeated the enemy.

This arrangement allowed Raiden Ei to swiftly consolidate public sentiment and stabilize the turbulent situation in Inazuma.

At this moment, Raiden Ei was engaged in a battle with Osial's manifested form over the sea.

Osial's true body remained hidden in the distant ocean depths while he controlled the manifestation to fight Raiden Ei.

Raiden Ei, in turn, continued to counter with her blade.

These two god-tier entities cooperated seamlessly in this staged battle, presenting a scene of fierce and seemingly equal combat.

From their perspectives, the fight was measured and restrained. To the mortals watching, however, the battle was utterly terrifying.

Relentless lightning strikes, explosions, torrential barrages of water arrows, colossal water blades, and towering tsunamis—

Each gesture carried the might of thunderous storms, each reversal held the force to overturn oceans.

The clash between gods was awe-inspiring and fearsome, with every move enough to shake the souls of mortals.

The battle raged on for three full hours.

During this time, Raiden Ei and Osial exchanged countless blows. Lightning storms, flashes of blades, and crashing tsunamis never ceased.

The fight was a chaotic spectacle of heaven and earth in turmoil, and every heart in Inazuma remained suspended throughout.

Over the course of these three hours, all of Inazuma's sentiments once again converged on Raiden Ei. The faith that had been lost was swiftly being restored.

Finally, after countless fierce exchanges, Raiden Ei delivered her people's most revered attack—Musou Isshin—to obliterate Osial's manifested form.

In full view of her subjects, she achieved victory and protected Inazuma.

She returned to Inazuma City, standing above the throngs of cheering citizens whose faces were filled with fervent adoration. She knew she had successfully regained her prestige.

Yet her heart was heavy.

Pursuing a flawed vision of eternity had led Inazuma to its current state—this was her mistake.

And now, to regain her prestige, she had deceived her people. This only deepened her sense of guilt.

However, she was acutely aware that, as a god, strong prestige was essential. Only with unity between ruler and people could the nation's future be changed for the better.

As she gazed at her devoted people below, Raiden Ei let out a deep sigh.

She had made many mistakes. Now, she could only etch this guilt into her heart and dedicate herself to governing Inazuma properly, bringing prosperity to the nation and happiness to its people to atone for her errors.

"From now on, I will personally govern Inazuma."

"The Sakoku Decree will be lifted soon. I promise to give Inazuma a bright future!"

These words were spoken not only for her people but also as a vow to herself.

The city was alive with continued cheers from its people. The god had returned to Tenshukaku, her resolve now firmer than ever.

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