Just as Lumine had said, on the screen, the dim Vision hanging at Kazuha's waist, beneath his original Anemo Vision, gradually began to glow with lightning as he made some sort of resolution.
At the same time, a slightly sorrowful, nostalgic song began playing in the video. The scene shifted to Kazuha visiting a grave with a sword planted in it.
[Kazuha: This cat, and this sword... er, so my friend will die later?]
[Lumine: Wait, how are you this calm?]
Lumine was stunned. When protagonists in hot-blooded anime learned that their friends would die in the future, didn't they usually make a huge fuss, or shout with determination, "I won't let so-and-so die!" or "I'll change that future!"?
Why was he so calm about everything?
[Kazuha: I have long been prepared for death myself. My only concern is whether I can see the most brilliant colors before I die.]
[Lumine: I don't really understand you Inazumans.]
[Yoimiya: Oh, once you come to Inazuma, Lumine, I'll take you to see a shower of fireworks, and then you'll understand~!]
"He was once my closest friend."
Although the illustrated art style on the screen was somewhat simplified compared to reality, Kazuha could still recognize the figure sitting beside him on the rock. It was indeed his closest friend.
His closest friend, who had recently kept saying things that were hard to understand.
Speaking of which, where had his friend gone today?
As Kazuha wondered where his friend had gone today, his voice continued calmly from the screen.
"That day, he asked me whether I had ever heard of the Musou no Hitotachi."
As Kazuha's narration continued, Kujou Sara glanced at the swordsman before her, who had requested a duel before the throne before the screen appeared.
Against such a madman who questioned the Shogun's will, she, Kujou Sara, would surely win victory for the Shogun!
"I said, of course. That strike could only be witnessed when [divine punishment] descended."
On the screen, the image of the Raiden Shogun drawing her sword appeared.
"That strike was the pinnacle of the Raiden Shogun's martial prowess, the symbol of supreme power."
Everything behind the Raiden Shogun was sliced apart by the sword's light, leaving only a pale background and an even darker abyss.
The imagery was extremely straightforward. Even those who did not understand what Kazuha and his friend meant knew that someone was questioning a god's martial strength-and the might of a god renowned for martial prowess, at that.
"But he said, [That strike may not be beyond reach]."
Overcome with agitation, Kujou Sara drew her sword and pointed it straight at her opponent.
The meaning was-you little punk, how dare you look down on the Shogun's sword? I'll cut you down right now.
She had originally considered going a little easy on the challenger before her and simply winning, but now Kujou Sara had abandoned that thought entirely.
She would knock away his sword cleanly, pin him down by the neck, and let the Shogun grant him merciful divine punishment.
The scene shifted to Kazuha with his back to the camera, Lumine and Paimon standing before him as heavy rain fell from the sky.
[Xiangling: Is this the beach over by Guyun Stone Forest?]
[Xingqiu: That's right, that's the place. Last time, I tricked-ah, I learned that evil spirits were appearing there, so I went exploring with Chongyun.]
[Chongyun: Although we didn't find any evil spirits in the end, thank you anyway.]
[Xiangling: I knew it. I gather ingredients there all the time. There's no way I'd mistake it.]
"If the Seven each had their own standards when they granted Visions to living beings, has the Electro Archon now begun to doubt that act?"
[Kujou Sara: Kazuha, you dare question the Shogun's decision?]
[Kazuha: I am merely voicing my doubts. I believe most Inazumans share this question.]
[Kujou Sara: The Shogun's decisions are not to be questioned!]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: But the Shogun may have been deceived.]
[Kujou Sara: Insolence! If you have any shame at all, you should disband the Resistance immediately and come to Tenshukaku to beg forgiveness.]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: I will go to Tenshukaku, just as in this video.]
Keep the hell away from me!
That was more or less what most Inazumans were thinking.
Kazuha, if you want to die, don't get your blood on us!
And the Resistance or whatever-we don't know anything about that!
For a moment, the Inazumans watching the video all wore complicated expressions.
In the video, at some unknown point in the future, Kazuha, who had become acquainted with the Traveler Lumine and Paimon, spoke calmly.
"My friend died honorably on the dueling grounds."
Hearing this, Kazuha could no longer spare any attention for arguing with Kujou Sara. Watching his friend stand on the dueling grounds on the screen, he finally realized something. His pupils contracted, and he quickly rose and ran toward Tenshukaku.
"Nor was there anything improper about the Raiden Shogun's strike."
Seeing himself arrive too late in the video, only in time to see a sword that had lost its master, Kazuha's heart sank, and he silently quickened his pace.
[Kujou Sara: That's more like it.]
[Kazuha: Wait, what are you doing right now?]
[Kujou Sara: A duel before the throne!]
He watched the desolate scene of himself gazing up at the moon, and the battle illuminated by bloody light amid the bamboo grove.
"My dissatisfaction with her stems from the Vision Hunt Decree."
"No one has the right to strip others of their ambitions, not even a god!"
"Not even her!"
Raiden Ei and the Raiden Shogun watched Kazuha's declaration on the screen without any change in their expressions.
Although the Fatui had guided matters toward the Vision Hunt Decree, it was indeed an order they themselves had wanted to issue.
Its purpose was to safeguard Inazuma's eternity.
As for the deeper reasons, those were not something these mortals could understand.
They did not know the truth about Visions, nor what harm these external elemental organs, seemingly blessings from the gods and vessels for countless beautiful things, could ultimately bring.
Every gift of fate already had its price marked in secret.
But if they truly were prepared and wished to protect their ambitions, then they should face her, defeat her, and show her, the Electro Archon, that mortals, too, had the strength to face the darkness behind Visions.
As for now...
Expressionless, the Raiden Shogun looked at the swordsman who had narrowly lost to an enraged Kujou Sara and strolled forward.
Nor would she break the rules and spare this loser of a duel before the throne because of what the video showed.
A duel before the throne was Inazuma's highest form of duel, a battle with lives at stake. The loser would die without question. Even if another god pleaded for mercy, she, the Raiden Shogun, would not oblige.
Kazuha finally reached Tenshukaku, but at this moment, reality and the video seemed to merge.
He watched himself on the screen fleeing with the Vision that had already dimmed.
Then he looked at the reality before him, his friend lying in a pool of blood.
Kazuha's chest heaved without pause.
The Raiden Shogun glanced at Kazuha, particularly at the Vision at his waist, and, for once, did not immediately enforce the Vision Hunt Decree.
She wanted to see-see what the person before her would ultimately do afterward.
In the end, Raiden Ei still held some expectations for her people.
"There will always be creatures on the ground who dare to face the lightning's radiance!"
As his friend's familiar voice faded, the dim Electro Vision shone brightly, resonating with Kazuha's own Anemo Vision.
On the screen, Kazuha suddenly erupted with tremendous power, appearing before the Electro Archon as she slashed down.
A mere mortal used the sword in his hand to block the Electro Archon's all-cleaving strike.
Countless memories flashed past, and with a final roar, Kazuha slashed the attacking Raiden Shogun back.
The Raiden Shogun on the screen seemed stunned by the power this mortal had unleashed, stumbling back two steps in disbelief.
The sight left everyone dumbfounded. Even Kujou Sara, the Raiden Shogun's utterly loyal hound, froze for a moment and did not immediately take any action against Kazuha.
Although the visibly surprised Raiden Shogun immediately sent Kazuha flying with a return slash afterward, everyone could see that, at that moment, Kazuha truly possessed the strength to contend with a god.
"One day, I, too, will obtain an answer about eternity from her!"
Seeing the blank Vision placed before his friend's grave in tribute, even viewers who had never watched a movie could guess that this-
[Shikanoin Heizou: You all actually survived? Under those circumstances?]
Exactly. This was clearly after the battle. He had even returned the Vision to his friend, so it had to be after the battle.
And Kazuha did not appear to be missing any limbs, which meant they had survived intact even after the Shogun had clearly gotten serious.
Then who had ultimately made the Raiden Shogun change her attitude-or, rather, defeated her?
A bold idea surfaced in the minds of quite a few clever people.
A human defeating a god?
Was that possible?
[Lumine: Not to brag, but I might be appearing next.]
Lumine thought for a moment and offered the most likely guess.
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: Indeed. Since Miss Lumine herself is the protagonist of "Genshin Impact," she must possess incredible power.]
As a frequent reader of light novels, Sangonomiya Kokomi indicated that she knew this subject inside out.
In reality, Kazuha's attention was no longer on the screen. With some grief and indignation, he walked to his friend's side, bent down, and picked up the now-dim Vision beside him.
Kujou Sara glanced at the Raiden Shogun. Finding that her Shogun had no intention of stopping him, or even confiscating his Vision, she gritted her teeth and simply stayed where she was.
Honestly, after watching the video, everyone had more or less accepted that Kazuha was the Raiden Shogun's prey. Until she spoke, no one else dared make any unnecessary moves.
And the reason the Raiden Shogun remained still was simple.
It was merely because the Kazuha before her was no longer just an ordinary Vision bearer. He was one of her future challengers.
Although that future lay an unknown distance away, both the Raiden Shogun and Raiden Ei had acknowledged Kazuha's status as a challenger, so naturally they would not confiscate his Vision here.
After all, beneath that ambiguous eternity, both of them still held the identity of martial artists.
When a true martial artist encountered a challenger, they should not snuff them out beforehand, but give them ample time to prepare.
[Question: Which of the following swords does the five-star character Kaedehara Kazuha hold?] [A. Lion's Roar] [B. The Black Sword] [C. Amenoma Kageuchi] [D. Fillet Blade] [System: This question's difficulty is medium. Answers will be accepted on a first-to-buzz basis, limited to users rated three stars or above. The countdown begins now: 5, 4...]
What the hell are you asking?
For a moment, question marks appeared over the heads of quite a few people across Teyvat.
Everyone had been focused on a mortal blocking a god's strike.
Why was the focus of this question what weapon Kazuha was holding?
Who had been paying attention to that just now? Everyone had been watching the love-hate drama between Kazuha and the Electro Archon, okay?!
Still, not everyone had been drawn in by the story. Teyvat had plenty of unconventional people whose focus was completely different from everyone else's.
There were indeed people who had focused on studying the weapon in Kazuha's hand, and quite a few of them, at that.
But among those people, very few actually had permission to speak in the system-in other words, had earned at least a star rating.
[Shikanoin Heizou: An oversight. To think I failed to pay attention to that.]
As a detective, Shikanoin Heizou felt rather embarrassed to have missed a detail.
[Lyney: As a magician, I do pay quite a bit of attention to details, but...]
[Lynette: But what?]
[Lyney: I haven't studied foreign weapons.]
[Xingqiu: Hmm, if it could block the blade in a god's hand, and even exchange blows with it, it probably isn't an ordinary weapon.]
[Kamisato Ayato: Speaking of which, young Kazuha is a descendant of the Kaedehara Clan, one of the Raiden Gokaden formerly subordinate to our Kamisato Clan.]
[Charlotte: The Kaedehara Clan? The Raiden Gokaden? Mr. Kamisato Ayato, could you explain in more detail?]
[Kamisato Ayato: Haha, I would gladly accept an interview with Reporter Charlotte, but I'll keep it brief for now. The Raiden Gokaden is the collective name for Inazuma's sword-forging schools, passed down directly from the Shogun.]
[Scaramouche: Hmph.]
[Tartaglia: Excellent!]
[The Doctor: ?? You noticed the answer?]
[Tartaglia: What the hell are you talking about? I think our friend Kazuha is a fine opponent, so I've decided to sneak into Inazuma and challenge him to a duel!]
[La Signora: Could you stop causing trouble for people?]
[Kazuha: Fillet Blade.]
[Tartaglia: How is that causing trouble? I'm just thrilled to find worthy prey!]
[Paimon: Whoa, stop arguing! Can't you focus on figuring out the answer?]
[Lumine: Paimon...]
[Paimon: Hey, where's that designated wrong-answer-eliminating tool?]
[Arataki Itto: Hey, who are you calling a tool, you flying little Lavender Melon?!]
[Lumine: Paimon.]
[Paimon: The bean-eater's looking pretty lively now. Have you found a way to deal with beans?]
[Arataki Itto: What way? We esteemed five-star users get three penalty exemptions every month!]
[Lumine: Paimon, please.]
[Paimon: Whoa, whoa, Lumine, what have you been doing all this time?]
[Lumine: I mean, could you notice that someone's already answered?]
[Paimon: Huh?]
[System: Correct answer. Esteemed five-star user Kaedehara Kazuha is awarded one Teyvat Fried Egg from the world of Genshin Impact.]