Chapter 21: Raiden Shogun

"Ugh!!!"

Yae Miko was struck by the immense power unleashed from the shattered Rebirth Seal, feeling as if she had been hit by a speeding train. Her throat tightened, and she coughed up a large amount of bright red blood.

Her massive fox form was violently propelled towards the ground by the overwhelming force.

"Boom boom!!!"

Like a comet crashing into the earth, the fox's divine body hit the ground with an impact that resembled a massive bomb explosion. The ground below was forcefully torn apart, creating a huge chasm nearly a hundred meters long.

Wherever the fox's body passed, everything was shattered into dust—trees, rocks, and fleeing animals alike—forming a spectacular trail of smoke and debris in its wake.

....

Black and white energy swirled continuously around Yae Miko's fox form. One side was full of vibrant life, while the other was steeped in deathly silence, so oppressive that even the space around it seemed dark and heavy. This black and white energy clung to her like a parasitic worm, greedily wrapping around her body, circulating and churning endlessly.

Yae Miko's body wavered slightly, a flicker of pain passing through her eyes.

She could feel two opposing forces invading her body alternately—one dark and filled with a sense of death, and the other brimming with life but not her own. These two forces devoured and supported each other, forming a perfect loop that disrupted her power and body.

....

Meanwhile, many of Yae Miko's clones suddenly turned as pale as paper, their bodies freezing mid-motion and then exploding into clouds of blood mist.

"It's over!! Little one!"

Yae Miko's face filled with fear. She had never imagined that even with the support of the Thunder Eye and the use of her Tengu Clones, she would suffer such a devastating defeat.

Her clones burst into blood mist in an instant, and without her embrace, Teiyu plummeted straight towards the ground at high speed.

"No!!!"

A look of determination flashed in Yae Miko's eyes.

"Reveal the true eye, Thunder Wabi-Sabi!!!"

"Ei, please help me!!"

A thunder ring suddenly appeared above her head, formed entirely of lightning. The ring was like a large arc, with a Thunder Eye opening and closing at the top, while the edges were made up of tiny lightning-element beads, resembling the [Hundred-Eyed Wheel of Wishes] of the Raiden Shogun.

Yae Miko had no other choice in her dire state, so she tapped into her power as a follower of the Thunder God to seek help from the Raiden Shogun. Fortunately, the bond between a follower and the Thunder God was one of mutual understanding; with just a thought, she could send an immediate message for aid.

....

Massive waves of lightning energy surged madly into the [Hundred-Eyed Wheel of Wishes].

The wheel above Yae Miko's head suddenly lit up, erupting with blinding lightning. Pure streams of lightning energy flowed from the ring, pouring into Yae Miko's fox body.

!!!!!

The black and white energy inside Yae Miko's body, which had been happily devouring her from within, was caught off guard by the sudden influx of another power. The lightning surged forward like an army breaking through enemy lines, clashing fiercely with the black and white energy.

???!!?

The black and white energies, shocked, quickly mobilized to resist, but the lightning was surprisingly overpowering!

The lightning fought like a skilled general, swiftly overwhelming the black and white energy. With the help of the lightning, Yae Miko regained some of her strength, and she began chanting softly as what little power she had left surged once more.

In the distance, the blood mist that had been falling suddenly coalesced, forming into a small pink-haired fox a few meters long.

The little fox darted through the air like lightning, moving swiftly and erratically, finally catching Teiyu in the nick of time.

"Ugh... Mm..."

A pained expression appeared on the little fox's face. The black and white energy's invasion of her body was too intense. Even with the timely assistance of the Thunder God, her body was still too weak, and she was struggling...

"Ugh... Mm..."

Looking at the unconscious Teiyu on her back, a gentle expression crossed Yae Miko's small face.

Time was running out; she had to rush to Raiden Ei immediately—only there was any hope of reviving Teiyu!!!

====

Inazuma City, Tenshukaku

This was the residence and office of the Raiden Shogun.

At this moment, she was silently gazing out the window, where the wind and rain intertwined, and the heavy rain was occasionally swept into the room by the fierce wind.

"....."

The Raiden Shogun remained silent, as still as a meditating monk.

In front of her, the raindrops that splashed in were suspended in the air, frozen as if they were delicate, flawless works of art.

"Boom!!!" In the distant sky, a brilliant streak of lightning, carrying immense power, sped towards Tenshukaku.

"!!!"

The guards at the door gripped their weapons tightly, their faces tense.

This lightning was unusual—it seemed as if... it was about to crash straight into Tenshukaku.

...

As the guards watched in shock, the lightning streaked through the raging storm, heading straight for Tenshukaku!

A desperate voice echoed in the air: "Ei, save him!!!"

Inside, the Raiden Shogun, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly stood up. In a flash, she appeared beside the lightning, her elegant brows furrowing slightly. She reached out and grabbed the lightning, revealing its true form—a small pink fox carrying a young boy with a pale face, looking up at her in exhaustion.

[Interlude]

"Quick... save..."

"I understand." The Raiden Shogun casually sliced through the void, and in the next moment, all three of them were in the [Plane of Euthymia].

"Yae!!" The true master of the [Plane of Euthymia] greeted them.

"Ei, please save this child!!" In the Raiden Shogun's palm, the tiny Yae Miko was covered in wounds, looking disheveled.

"I understand!" Raiden Ei, her face serious, wasted no time in taking Teiyu's body from Yae Miko's back.

"...." Raiden Ei looked at Teiyu in shock, hesitating to act.

"What's wrong?" Despite the pain wracking her body, Yae Miko struggled to stand and asked.

"Yae, this child..."

If Teiyu had not been dead for long, Raiden Ei might have had a chance to use the Thunder element's [Healing Life Property] to forcefully stimulate the remnants of life within him, possibly reviving him. But Yae Miko had arrived too late—Teiyu had been dead for too long, and there was no hope of reviving him...

"I'm sorry... I couldn't save him... I'm sorry..."

"If only I had been faster..." Yae Miko felt her heart tearing apart with pain, guilt and sorrow slicing through her like the blades of a scissor.

She had thought that, after so many years of cultivation, nothing could disturb the calm of her heart. But today, the death of a child had shattered her heart like a bell being struck, completely breaking down her defenses.

"Yae..." Raiden Ei looked at the sobbing Yae Miko, feeling deeply sympathetic. She said softly, "I'm sorry... if only I had reacted faster..."

If only today... she hadn't been so absorbed in pondering the balance between "eternity" and "transience," she might have realized the passage of time sooner. Perhaps then... she could have saved this child's life.

But alas, time is the most ruthless and fair force in the world—a slight delay is still a delay. Even as the Thunder God, she could not turn back time.

"Sob... Ei..." Yae Miko cried with such sadness, such deep sorrow.

How long had it been since she last cried? Perhaps... so long that she had forgotten she even could. It was only now that she realized she still had feelings, that she could still cry.

Yae Miko threw herself into Raiden Ei's arms, her small fox form rising and falling like a little pink ball, as if she was trying to release all the grievances, pain, and resentment she had accumulated over the years.

"....." Raiden Ei held the small fox close, gently stroking her to comfort her. Usually, no amount of coaxing could convince Yae Miko to return to her fox form, but now, struck hard by the death of a child, she had instinctively reverted.

This unexpected transformation only deepened Raiden Ei's concern.

"That... child... must have been very important to Yae."

In recent years, Raiden Ei had distanced herself from the outside world due to the pain of losing her sister, Raiden Makoto, and the betrayal of her friends. Even Yae Miko, her closest follower, had not contacted her for a long time.

She had been avoiding herself, locking herself away in the [Plane of Euthymia], obsessively researching the mysteries of "eternity" and "transience," trying to defy the flow of time.

She wanted to return to that day, the day she regretted countless times, to stop those tragedies and sorrow from happening again.

"Although the progress has been minimal, I have not been without gains..." Raiden Ei thought to herself, silently making a decision.

Yae Miko, exhausted from crying, gradually quieted down and fell asleep in Raiden Ei's warm embrace.

Raiden Ei gently laid her down, then raised her hand, sending a deep purple lightning bolt into Yae Miko's body.

Yae Miko was severely injured; she had been moving purely on willpower. Now that her spirit had relaxed, her life was in grave danger.

The powerful lightning surged into Yae Miko's body, causing small energy currents to flicker across her tiny form.

"Crackle, crackle!!" The sound of electricity crackling filled the air like popping beans.

Many people believed that the Thunder God Baalzebul, known for her unrivaled martial skills and mastery of the sword, was a deity of war and slaughter. But they only knew half the truth.

Baalzebul, who commanded the power of lightning, was often seen as a symbol of destruction and cruelty. Yet the cycle of heaven and earth dictates that after destruction, there must be compassion. The Thunder God, through her connection to the lightning, could heal living beings.

Raiden Ei was not only skilled in the art of war; she was also a master of healing. She was now using a secret technique known as [Thunder Healing Flow] to purify Yae Miko's injuries with unmatched power, harnessing the essence of lightning to restore her body.

"Whoa!!!" A rift in the [Plane of Euthymia] was slashed open by a blade, and a purple figure carrying a giant pink fox burst through.

Raiden Ei looked up at the figure: "..., why didn't you shrink Yae's body down?"

The purple figure stood still for a moment, as if in a mechanical freeze. After a long pause, it finally responded awkwardly: "I didn't think of that."

The newcomer was none other than the [Shogun], Raiden Ei's "handcrafted creation" and assistant.

The Raiden Shogun held the massive fox body of Yae Miko in the air, unsure of how to react.

"....." Raiden Ei sighed, motioning for the Shogun to lower Yae Miko.

"Whoosh~~~" The puppet Shogun let out a small sigh of relief, feeling strangely reassured. She dropped Yae Miko, letting her fall to the ground.

"Boom!!!" The [Plane of Euthymia] echoed with a deafening crash as Yae Miko's body slammed into the ground with a heavy thud.

"Ugh... Cough..." The little Yae, who was in the middle of "electric therapy," suddenly coughed up blood, her vitality weakening as if the violent impact had affected her.

"You... you're trying to kill me!!" Raiden Ei couldn't help but scold, almost furious with the foolish Raiden Shogun!

"...."

"My deepest apologies." The Raiden Shogun seemed to realize something was wrong with her actions, and she performed a formal bow in midair, apologizing to Ei.

"I..." Ei was speechless, watching the Shogun's exaggerated display of remorse, and she became exasperated: "Is the Shogun broken?! It's been too long since I've interacted with her—is her functionality malfunctioning?!"

But now was not the time to worry about the Shogun's functions. Raiden Ei could only glare at the Shogun, then reached out to summon Yae Miko's true form.

She extended her hand and lightly pushed, and Yae Miko's massive body instantly merged back into the small Yae.

"Ugh.... Ughhh...." Little Yae's pink brows furrowed tightly, her small body emitting swirling black and white energy.

Raiden Ei's face showed a hint of confusion: "I didn't expect this black and white energy to be so stubborn."

She had sent a surge of lightning essence to help Yae Miko when she sensed her distress signal, and this power accounted for nearly forty percent of her total strength! Such power should have been more than enough to eradicate the strange "black and white energy." But even with such a strong aid, it hadn't been entirely eliminated.

"Hmph!!!" She reached out to touch the energy, but it seemed to gain intelligence, sensing a great danger approaching. The black and white energy attempted to retreat back into Yae Miko's body.

"Cowardly pest, dare to flee!!!" With a sudden burst of purple lightning from her fingertips, Ei blasted the retreating energy streams.

A wisp of smoke rose into the air, and a Yin-Yang symbol briefly flashed before quickly dissipating.

.....

Raiden Ei frowned: "These strange energy streams seem connected to Liyue's immortal arts." Her divine intuition told her that this power contained the principles of life and death, opposing forces that also supported each other, like quarreling friends who always reconciled.

"..... Wait, this power!!"

"This power might be crucial to my research on 'eternity' and 'transience'!!" Raiden Ei's eyes sparkled with interest at this discovery: "But first, I must save that child. The longer I wait, the harder it will be to revive him."

"Shogun!" Raiden Ei called out to the Raiden Shogun: "Come here, take off your clothes, and let me see."

Raiden Shogun: "?????"

——

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