"Yoimiya entered the Elite Livestream Room." [Yoimiya: I'm first! These past few days have been so much fun.] [Xingqiu: That was fast, Miss Yoimiya. What happened? Any good news to share?] [Lisa: We've been run off our feet in Mondstadt. I'm exhausted.] [Eula: All because a certain someone tore down the Knights' headquarters.] [Hu Tao: @Bennett, are you trapped in some ruins? My future client in Mondstadt.] [Bennett: I haven't left the city today. It's overcast outside, and it'll definitely rain if I go out.] [Venti: The wind in Mondstadt feels a little strange today, too. It's rather unpleasant.] [Barbara: @Venti, I saw you that day, sitting on the Statue of the Seven at Windrise. Hmph! Don't be disrespectful to Lord Barbatos!] [Hu Tao: My future client in Inazuma, @Arataki Itto, where are you?] [Arataki Itto: I've been eating lavender melons for another six days. That's six hundred thousand Mora! What am I supposed to do?!] [Kaeya: ...] [Amber: ...] [Yanfei: ...] [Kuki Shinobu: That's what you get for eating all the Red Bean Buns on the first day.]
The regular livestream chat exploded with comments. The viewers were even more enthusiastic and could hardly wait.
[Ningguang: @Jean, I heard things haven't been going well in Mondstadt these past few days.] [Jean: Thank you for your concern. Stormterror has been troubling Mondstadt, but we already have a plan.] [Keqing: If you need Liyue's help, contact us anytime. We'll do everything we can.] [Ganyu: Rex Lapis and the Anemo Archon, Lord Barbatos, are also on very good terms.] "This broadcast begins now-An enduring dream, a flash of lightning."
The view looked down beneath purple clouds at a city on an island, where pinkish-purple cherry blossoms danced in the wind.
"Sure enough, it's our Inazuma City!"
"This episode really is about Inazuma!"
"Take a look at our Inazuma! What do you think? The Shogun's Tenshukaku looks magnificent, doesn't it?"
"It's nice enough, but Lady Ningguang's Jade Chamber is even more splendid."
The livestream camera moved from Tenshukaku to the Tenryou Commission, showing Kujou Sara patrolling with the Shogunate Army.
[Yae Miko: Could Kujou Sara be the protagonist this time?]
But she wasn't.
The footage continued past Yae Publishing House and flew over Naganohara Fireworks before focusing on a group of children outside Inazuma City.
And-
[Paimon: Why is it us again? Did we go to Inazuma this time?] [Amber: Little Paimon and Lumine, the designated plot devices.]
Paimon and Lumine approached the children. "What are you kids doing?"
Matsuban said, "Miss, we're looking for the Great Bake-Danuki!"
Ayaka asked, "Do you know where the Great Bake-Danuki is?"
Paimon and Lumine looked utterly bewildered and said they hadn't seen this Great Bake-Danuki.
Matsuban said, "The Great Bake-Danuki is a really sneaky yokai. He takes all sorts of forms and appears and disappears without a trace. He loves tricking people."
Iwao said, "The Great Bake-Danuki stole some of our rice once. He even kicked my dad into the lake one time."
Ayaka said, "Our dads all said the Great Bake-Danuki loves playing tricks on people who don't go home."
Matsuban said, "Once we chase off the Great Bake-Danuki, we'll be able to come out and play whenever we want."
Paimon scratched her head in confusion. "Aren't your moms and dads worried you'll be in danger?"
All three children shook their heads.
"I told my dad we were going to catch the Great Bake-Danuki today, and he didn't say anything!"
"My dad said the same thing."
As they watched the livestream, Ayaka's, Matsuban's, and Iwao's parents all gave their nearby friends awkward smiles.
Still, everyone in Inazuma City knew about the "Great Bake-Danuki."
"Ding-Livestream quiz: after thinking it over, what will Paimon and Lumine say?" "1: Let's look for the Great Bake-Danuki together." "2: The Great Bake-Danuki doesn't exist." "3: I see. Good luck! You can definitely defeat the Great Bake-Danuki." "4: Your parents are lying to you." "You have three minutes to think. Thirty viewers will be selected from the regular livestream room. Correct answers will receive forty thousand Mora. Those who answer incorrectly will experience the Haunted Mine."
An image of a terrifying, silvery mine appeared in the lower-right corner of the livestream. From outside the entrance, countless bats' eyes were visible within.
That single shot was enough to make plenty of viewers' hair stand on end.
"Only one person in the Elite Livestream Room may buzz in. Paimon is excluded." [Paimon: Why can't Paimon buzz in again?! Paimon's so mad!] [Lisa: For this question, answers 1 and 3 are very similar, as are 2 and 4.] [Kamisato Ayaka: Then we should start with Paimon's personality. That will let us eliminate two answers.] [Chongyun: Everyone in Inazuma, does the Great Bake-Danuki really exist? Inazuma has lots of yokai, right?] [Yae Miko: It's clear from the wording that the Great Bake-Danuki is something Inazuman adults tell children about.] [Xingqiu: We have stories like that in Liyue, too. They're meant to keep children from wandering off.] [Beidou: The rumor among Liyue's kids is about a Giant Sea Monster with ten legs. He's terrifying. Still, this first question seems pretty easy.] [Kaeya: Get ready to buzz in.] [Amber: Then it's time to see who's fastest.] [Paimon: You're all getting ready to buzz in? Even I can't think of the answer.] [Lisa: That's because there are only two choices left. Quite a few people have studied the way you talk, Paimon.]
Before you continue