Chapter 34: Do You Dare to Take My Strike?

The figure moved with incredible speed, appearing like a flash of red lightning to most onlookers as he almost instantly reached the front of the Raiden Shogun.

But the Shogun was even faster.

Thunder wrapped around her sword, Musou Isshin, once again. Since there were no members of the Tri-Commission in the direction of the cherry blossom tree, she swung her blade without hesitation.

Though it was a casual strike, the power behind it was something that no ordinary person could withstand.

The blade, crackling with lightning, sliced through the figure's body effortlessly, cutting him in two.

A roaring thunder serpent burrowed into the ground behind him, leaving a deep trench in the earth.

"Huh?"

After slicing through her opponent, the Raiden Shogun paused in surprise.

The two halves of the figure's body, separated by her blade, quickly merged back together after the swing.

He grabbed his floating Vision, flipped in mid-air, and landed firmly on the ground.

Lightning flickered in the Shogun's eyes as she stared sternly at the mysterious figure holding the Vision, a hint of killing intent in her gaze.

Though their exchange was brief, with her abilities, she clearly noticed something peculiar.

Just as Musou Isshin was about to touch the opponent, his body seemed to undergo some sort of transformation.

Her blade had indeed cut through his body, but there were no signs of flesh or blood at the point of severance.

It wasn't because the lightning had vaporized his blood or charred his flesh.

What she had cut through was an element never before seen on the continent of Teyvat.

Quantum.

Elemental Burst: [White]

Passive Effect: When attacking non-Vision holders, there is a 5% chance of quantizing (instantly kill) them. For Vision holders, the same chance applies to deal triple damage.

Active Effect: After charging for two seconds, the user will quantize and teleport directly to the target unit. The next basic attack is guaranteed to crit (45-second cooldown). Without charging, the user will quantize on the spot and enter a short invincible state (5-second cooldown).

Note: quantization may have unpredictable side effects and is not recommended for continuous use.

In simple terms, it's similar to the logia invincibility seen in One Piece.

It was through the brief invincibility granted by quantization that Bai Luo dodged the nearly fatal strike from the Raiden Shogun.

It felt a bit like exploiting invincibility frames in a game.

The Vision in his hand felt scorching, but Bai Luo gripped it tightly, not daring to relax for a second.

In truth, his personality wouldn't normally lead him to take such a risky action.

If the mission hadn't given him a prompt, he would have likely stayed hidden in a tree, watching the duel play out.

But after the young man died, the originally hidden unlock requirement appeared, finally revealing its true form.

[Secondary Job: Battousai (Pending Activation)]

[Activation Requirement: Obtain the target Vision and hold it for more than 30 seconds. During this time, teleportation abilities cannot be used, and you cannot leave the arena. (Note: The Vision must be held by you personally for over 30 seconds; it does not count for other members of the same faction.)]

The word "[Target]" that had previously floated above the young man's head also shifted to the Vision.

If the activation requirement had remained a mystery, Bai Luo might not have taken the risk.

Because he had always been... cautious.

But with the requirement now clear and a high chance of success, he was willing to take the gamble.

[30]

[29]

The moment he grasped the Vision, a crimson number began counting down in his vision without obstructing his view.

Bai Luo could feel a certain power flowing within him.

This power circulated throughout his body, taking precisely 30 seconds.

"Protect the Shogun!"

The Raiden Shogun was about to strike again when Kujou Takayuki suddenly shouted in anger.

"Glory to the Shogun and her everlasting reign!"

Following Kujou Takayuki's command, the Tenryou Commission soldiers and the Okuzumeshuus all shouted their battle cries and charged at Bai Luo.

Brilliant!

Ever since he arrived in Inazuma, Bai Luo had disliked Kujou Takayuki, despite the man's attempts to flatter him.

But he had to admit, this action made Bai Luo see him in a new light.

Had he recognized Bai Luo's identity?

Of course not.

It was purely because Kamisato Ayato's earlier move had clued him in.

The Raiden Shogun had secluded herself in Tenshukaku for many years, and Kujou Takayuki hadn't seen her outside the palace in a long time.

Having missed the first opportunity that Kamisato Ayato had seized, he wasn't going to let Hiiragi Shinsuke take the second.

The soldiers surrounding Bai Luo caused the Raiden Shogun to be more cautious with her swings, ensuring that the lightning from her blade wouldn't harm the Inazuma soldiers.

This maneuver bought Bai Luo several precious seconds.

"All of you, stand down! Don't hinder the Shogun!"

Kujou Sara, who had already drawn her bow, was the first to notice this.

Other than the Okuzumeshuus, the soldiers under the Tenryou Commission hesitated before instinctively stopping.

Though Kujou Takayuki was the head of the Tenryou Commission, as the current general of the Commission, Kujou Sara clearly held more authority.

Kujou Takayuki merely furrowed his brows slightly but said nothing, noticing the hesitation among the soldiers.

While the Tenryou Commission troops were torn between following the general or the head of the family, Bai Luo was already engaged in battle with the somewhat restrained Raiden Shogun.

To say they were fighting was an exaggeration—it was more accurate to say the Shogun was attacking Bai Luo.

Bai Luo was merely dodging with his agility and using quantization to avoid the Shogun's blows.

If he really fought back, Bai Luo could rely on his unique abilities to stall the Raiden Shogun for a while.

But his fighting style was too distinctive. Besides his invisibility and quantization, any direct action would reveal his true identity.

As a Snezhnayan envoy, he wasn't ready to make an enemy of Inazuma just yet.

So he could only wait and see if the Battousai job unlock after 30 seconds would grant him new abilities.

Under the command of the General's Hatamoto, the Okuzumeshuus ceased their attack and retreated to a safe distance.

Kamisato Ayato, who was in a standoff with Kaedehara Kazuha, subtly maneuvered them to a place less likely to be caught in the crossfire.

The now-ruined training grounds were left with only the Raiden Shogun and Bai Luo, wearing a red robe and a cat-faced mask, at its center.

[25]

The Raiden Shogun, a seasoned warrior who had lived through the Archon War, had astonishingly figured out the cooldown of Bai Luo's invincibility within just a few seconds.

After perfectly forcing Bai Luo to use his quantization, the Raiden Shogun's Musou Isshin began to glow with lightning once more.

Those five seconds were enough for her to deliver a fatal strike.

"Wait a minute!"

Seeing the growing intensity of lightning in the Raiden Shogun's eyes, Bai Luo deliberately lowered his voice, calling out to halt her.

"Do you have any last words?"

Having mastered Bai Luo's quantization timing, the Raiden Shogun looked at him with a confident smile.

Even if he survived this five-second window, she was confident she could cut him down in the next one.

"Huff, huff..."

Pretending to take a few breaths. he gripped the half-broken sword that had been severed from the young man's body.

"Do you dare to take my strike?"