Chapter 128

"What a beautiful scene," Raiden Makoto said with a warm smile as she watched the two of them kiss.

After a long while, their lips parted, and Raiden Ei's cheeks were flushed with a rosy hue. She glared at Makoto, who was clearly enjoying the show.

"No fair, Akio! You kissed me, so you have to kiss Makoto too!" Ei declared. "I'll go get her for you!"

"Alright," Akio chuckled.

Ei nodded, stepping out of Akio's embrace, and walked toward Makoto with a mischievous grin.

"Ahem…" Seeing Ei approaching with that look, Makoto forced a smile and took a step back. "Ei, what are you planning?"

"What am I planning? Hmph~" Ei smirked. "If your little sister has experienced it, shouldn't her big sister experience it too?"

"Uh… I have things to attend to at Tenshukaku… I'll be going now," Makoto said awkwardly, turning to leave. She was about to transform into lightning and escape back to Tenshukaku. Being kissed in front of her sister would be too embarrassing.

"Leaving?" Seeing Makoto turn into a bolt of lightning to flee, Ei's smile turned even more mischievous. Her figure vanished into the sky.

Less than a minute later, Makoto was carried back over Ei's shoulder, looking utterly defeated and resigned.

When it came to managing the nation, Ei couldn't compare to Makoto. But when it came to combat? Hmph, Ei could outclass Makoto by a mile!

"Here, Akio! Make sure you kiss her properly!" Ei handed Makoto over to Akio.

Akio took Makoto into his arms and smiled. "So unwilling to kiss me?"

"It's not that," Makoto waved her hand. "It's just… having Ei watch is a bit embarrassing…"

"Then I'll make sure to watch even more closely!" Ei said.

"There's nothing to be shy about. We're all family," Akio said, gently cupping Makoto's delicate face and leaning in for a kiss.

Makoto slowly closed her eyes, savoring the joy she had never felt before.

Ei's eyes widened! So this is how it feels? Then why was Makoto running away?

After a long while, Akio released Makoto, looking at her with surprise. He could clearly sense the changes in Makoto's body!

Who would have thought Makoto's body would be so sensitive? Just a kiss, and she was already…

Feeling Akio's astonished gaze, Makoto buried her face in his chest, refusing to look up. It was too embarrassing! How could she be so sensitive just from a kiss… Ugh…

"Darling, you're truly one of a kind~" Akio whispered mischievously in Makoto's ear.

"Stop it! Don't say anymore!" Makoto's face turned crimson as she lightly punched Akio's chest.

"Huh? What's going on?" Ei, standing to the side, was completely clueless.

"Heh," Akio smiled mysteriously, then hoisted Makoto over his shoulder. "It's getting late. Time to rest."

"Wait, wait! I still have to go back to Tenshukaku!" Makoto protested! She couldn't… it was too embarrassing!

But Makoto's strength was no match for Akio's. He walked over to Ei, hoisted her over his other shoulder, and carried both sisters into the room.

That night, the two Raidens blossomed for Akio.

---

Meanwhile, in the outskirts of Inazuma, near Yashiori Island.

"Ugh! The weather in Inazuma is so scary!" Paimon complained. Why did it have to thunder and rain so often? Truly the land of the Electro Archon.

"It's raining again!" Lumine had bought an umbrella, but the rain was so heavy that it was practically useless.

"Hey! There's a cave up ahead! Let's go take shelter!" Paimon pointed.

"Let's go!" Lumine and Paimon hurried into the cave, only to find that it was more than just a cave.

Inside, there were rows of mechanized production lines. Although they had stopped operating, there were many Delusions lying around.

"Oh my! These are all Delusions!" Paimon exclaimed.

"Didn't Akio order all Delusions to be confiscated?" Lumine wondered. "Could this be the Delusion Factory the Fatui set up here?"

"It seems like it's been shut down," Paimon said after looking around. "These Delusions seem to be discarded."

"Even the Fatui wouldn't dare challenge Akio's divine authority," Paimon said. The Fatui were lawless, but if they were afraid of Akio, they wouldn't have abandoned the production and destroyed these Delusions!

"Wow! What's this?" Suddenly, dark purple mist began to fill the factory, spreading throughout the entire space.

"Let's see, even an abandoned Delusion Factory has uninvited guests now?" A voice filled with disdain came from behind them.

Lumine and Paimon turned around to see a young man wearing a bamboo hat, his appearance deceptively innocent.

"It's you again!" Lumine gripped her newly bought Dull Blade, glaring at the young man.

This guy had deceived them back in Mondstadt! And now he's appeared in Inazuma!

"You… you're a Fatui Harbinger? Like La Signora and Tartaglia?" Paimon asked.

"Oh, it seems you've met our two most unreliable colleagues," Balladeer chuckled. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Sixth of the Fatui Harbingers—The Balladeer."

"So it's you! You're the one behind these Delusions! The criminal who's been harming Inazuma!" Lumine glared at Balladeer, her voice filled with anger.

During her travels in Inazuma, she had seen people who had died from using the power of Delusions. She understood why Akio was so determined to destroy them!

"Why put it so harshly?" Balladeer smiled. "While I can't deny my involvement here, I'm merely an executor. After all, the idea of testing Delusions wasn't mine."

"You're despicable!" Lumine's eyes burned with fury. "Do you know how many people have died because of these Delusions?"

"Oh? Did I kill them?" Balladeer said with interest. "It was their own greed that killed them! Or rather, dying in the pursuit of power can't be called being killed."

"Don't you think I'm great? They weren't blessed by the gods, unable to obtain the power of Visions. But I fulfilled their wishes, giving them power," Balladeer suddenly laughed. "They should thank me! Thank me for letting them experience the beauty of power with their lives!"

"Weren't they all chasing power their entire lives?" Balladeer smiled. "Letting them obtain power with their lives is a worthy death!"

"You're insane!" Lumine was furious. How could he treat human lives so carelessly?

"Insane? No, no, compared to the mastermind behind the Delusions, I'm quite normal," Balladeer shook his head with a disdainful smile.

A/N: Enjoying the story? Read 60+ chapters ahead on Patreon! Your support helps: Patreon.com/nneol