Chapter 3

[Chapter 3's inspirational speech is here awa(?]

Tenshukaku was shrouded in mist in the early morning. Baichen stood in the courtyard, repeatedly adjusting the straps of his armor.

The Shogun had sent someone to deliver the lightweight armor that morning. Fine lightning patterns were engraved on its deep-purple plates, which gleamed with a cold metallic sheen in the morning light.

"You've put it on backward."

The sudden voice exploded beside Baichen's ear like a thunderclap. His hand jerked in fright, and he nearly dropped what he was holding.

He turned around in surprise, only to find that the Shogun had silently appeared behind him at some point.

Today, the Shogun looked very different from her usual self.

She had changed out of her elaborate, lavish kimono into an outfit that allowed her to move more freely.

A loose jinbaori wrapped around her slender figure, and her long purple hair was tied high, revealing her fair neck and delicate collarbones.

Alongside her signature Musou Isshin, she had a wakizashi at her waist, lending her an even more valiant air.

Moving gracefully and lightly, she reached out to adjust the clasps on Baichen's shoulder armor. Her cool fingers brushed his neck inadvertently, sending a faint shiver through him.

Baichen could clearly feel the temperature of her fingertips and sense her distinctive scent-fresh and damp like the air after a thunderstorm, mingled with cool incense.

"Remember, once we reach Tatarasuna, do not stray more than ten paces from me." The Shogun fastened the last clasp. "The thunderstorms there are uncontrolled."

Baichen nodded, his throat suddenly a little dry.

[Ding! Quest updated]

[Follow the Raiden Shogun to Tatarasuna (0/1)]

[Reward: increased Electro affinity]

The Okuzumeshuu were already waiting in formation in the front courtyard.

When she saw Baichen appear alongside the Shogun, Kujou Sara's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, but her expression quickly returned to its professional severity.

"Shogun, the ship is ready."

The Shogun nodded slightly and turned to Baichen. "Do you get seasick?"

"Probably... not?" Baichen answered without much confidence. In the real world, he had only ever ridden on park excursion boats.

On the way to the Ritou docks, the residents of Inazuma City knelt on either side of the road.

Some secretly looked up at Baichen, their whispers rustling like wind through a field of wheat.

He caught a few fragments-"the Shogun's new favorite," "a man without a Vision," "Tenshukaku's forbidden *"... The names made his ears burn.

The Shogun seemed to have heard them too, but she merely quickened her pace slightly, her jinbaori fluttering behind her.

A large, strangely shaped ship was moored at the Ritou docks. Electro diversion channels covered its pitch-black hull, and its prow resembled a thunderbird spreading its wings.

This was the Thunder Soaring he had seen in the game, the flagship of the Shogunate Army.

As they boarded, Kujou deliberately walked between Baichen and the Shogun.

Her wings were slightly spread, tiny sparks of lightning flickering across her feathers, as if silently asserting her claim.

"Mr. Baichen." She suddenly lowered her voice. "The battlefield is no place for games. I hope you won't hold us back."

Baichen was about to respond when the ship suddenly rocked-they had set sail.

As the Thunder Soaring pulled away from the harbor, the outline of Inazuma City gradually receded, replaced by the vast sea and an island shrouded in thunderstorms in the distance.

"Is that Tatarasuna?" Baichen asked, pointing toward the waters under a mass of purple clouds in the distance.

Kujou glanced at him in mild surprise. "You know about Tatarasuna?"

"Uh... I've heard people mention it." Baichen hurriedly changed the subject. "Are the thunderstorms there always this severe?"

"Ever since the great serpent fell..." Kujou broke off abruptly, because the Shogun had walked over to them.

The sea breeze lifted the Shogun's jinbaori, and strands of purple hair danced in the wind.

She gazed at the distant thunderstorms, her profile looking especially cold and stern beneath the gloomy sky. "Tatarasuna's thunderstorms are the manifestation of lingering obsessions."

The words made Baichen's heart tremble. The game had mentioned that Tatarasuna's abnormal weather was connected to the great battle five hundred years ago.

But seeing it firsthand was far more shocking than the game's visuals-purple lightning constantly struck down from the pitch-black clouds, and the entire island seemed to be enveloped in a massive Electro force field.

As the ship drew closer, the electric charge in the air made Baichen's skin tingle.

Strangely, the tingling wasn't unpleasant. Instead, it felt like some kind of resonance... Was it because of the Electro resistance he had gained yesterday?

"Everyone, on alert!" Kujou suddenly shouted. "Enemies sighted on the port side!"

Baichen looked in the direction she was pointing. Several small speedboats had appeared on the sea at some point, Resistance flags flying from their bows.

"It's a Resistance raiding party!" The Okuzumeshuu quickly took up their battle positions.

The Shogun rested her hand on the hilt of the Musou Isshin.

The battle erupted in an instant. The ballistae aboard the Thunder Soaring returned fire, sending plumes of water bursting across the sea.

A particularly thick bolt of lightning suddenly struck toward the stern, and Baichen instinctively lunged toward the Shogun-

"Watch out!"

She formed a hand seal with one hand, and an Electro barrier instantly spread out, reflecting the incoming lightning.

"Stay inside the barrier." She released Baichen's wrist, the Musou Isshin already drawn.

What followed was a sight Baichen would never forget.

The Shogun leaped toward the enemy ships, purple lightning tracing a brilliant path across the sea.

Every slash she delivered was accompanied by deafening thunder, while the waves formed enormous whirlpools under the surge of elemental power.

[Warning! Extremely high concentration of Electro detected]

[Temporary buff activated: elemental resonance (Electro)]

An unprecedented power surged through every part of Baichen's body.

He stared at his hands in surprise as pale-purple lightning danced at his fingertips.

The ship suddenly tilted violently-a cannonball had struck the starboard side.

"Lord Baichen!" An Okuzumeshuu soldier grabbed him as he nearly slipped. "Please take shelter in the cabin!"

"The Shogun..."

"The Shogun will be all right!"

Just then, a blinding light suddenly flared over the sea.

Two powerful forces collided in midair, and the resulting shockwave even overturned several small boats.

When the light faded, the Resistance was nowhere to be seen. Only a few pieces of wreckage floated on the water.

The Shogun stood alone atop a reef, the Musou Isshin pointing skyward as she drew down the lightning that filled the sky.

"Pursue them!" Kujou ordered.

"There is no need." The Shogun's voice carried throughout the ship through Electro. "We will land on Tatarasuna first."

The Thunder Soaring eventually docked in a secluded bay on the southern side of the island.

Tatarasuna looked even more desolate on land than it had from the sea-a few hardy purple shrubs grew sparsely across the scorched earth, and the air smelled of ozone and sulfur.

"The concentration of Electro here is ten times that of a normal area."

Kujou explained to the soldiers, "Everyone, maintain your elemental barriers. Do not act alone."

Inside the command tent, the Shogunate Army's generals were studying a terrain model.

Tatarasuna's terrain had been reproduced in fine detail, with Resistance strongholds and the areas where the thunderstorms were fiercest marked on it.

"According to our scouts, the Resistance has established a temporary camp here."

Kujou pointed to the northwestern corner of the model. "Their target is the great serpent's remains in the ruins."

The Shogun pondered for a moment. "We will split into two groups. Kujou will lead a force to engage them head-on, while I launch a surprise attack from the east."

"What about me?" Baichen couldn't help asking.

All the generals looked surprised, evidently not expecting him to volunteer.

The Shogun's gaze rested on Baichen for a few seconds. "You will come with me."

After leaving the tent, they followed a path that had turned purple from Electro erosion.

The Shogun walked ahead, ready to draw the Musou Isshin at any moment.

The thunderstorms around them grew denser, and purple lightning struck nearby from time to time. Strangely, however, the bolts all seemed to deliberately avoid the two of them.

"Shogun, why are the thunderstorms..."

"They fear me," The Shogun answered without looking back. "Tatarasuna's thunderstorms possess a faint consciousness. They are an aggregation of the lingering obsessions of the dead."

The explanation made Baichen's hair stand on end.

Just then, the thunderstorm ahead suddenly grew unusually violent. Purple lightning intertwined into a giant net, blocking their path.

"Something is wrong." The Shogun stopped. "This arrangement... someone is controlling it."

As soon as she finished speaking, the Electro around them suddenly condensed into the forms of dozens of sword-wielding warriors-Electro phantoms!

Without a word, the phantoms attacked them, and the Shogun drew her sword in an instant to meet them.

"Stay where you are!" she ordered.

Baichen had meant to obey, but a phantom suddenly attacked from the side.

In the heat of the moment, he instinctively raised a hand to block-and something shocking happened. The lightning on his hand actually absorbed the phantom's attack!

[Elemental resonance activated]

[Temporary skill unlocked: Electro Absorption (basic)]

The Shogun noticed it too, and a trace of surprise flashed in her eyes.

But there was no time to dwell on it. More phantoms were taking shape.

The two stood back to back. The Shogun handled the killing, while Baichen tried to absorb any that slipped past her.

Their coordination was surprisingly seamless. The Shogun's swordplay was fierce and precise, every strike carrying an unstoppable force;

Baichen, though clumsy, gradually got the hang of absorbing Electro.

Several times, he even managed to absorb the remnants of Electro from the phantoms the Shogun had cut apart, preventing them from reforming.

"On the left!" Baichen suddenly shouted.

Without looking back, the Shogun swung her sword behind her, striking the attacking phantom with precision.

By the time the battle ended, the ground around them was covered in scorched slash marks, but both were unscathed.

"Good reactions." The Shogun sheathed her sword, offering a rare word of approval.

[Raiden Shogun affection +3%, current: 18%]

[New skill acquired: Electro Absorption (basic)]

They eventually reached a high cliff overlooking the Resistance's temporary camp.

From above, they could clearly see several Resistance soldiers talking as they gathered around a purple crystal that emitted an eerie glow.

"So they are collecting Tatarigami energy." The Shogun's voice was cold as ice. "Foolish."

Just as she was about to draw her sword and leap down, a blinding purple light suddenly erupted from the center of the camp.

The crystal began to shake violently, and the energy it released distorted the air around it. The Resistance soldiers backed away in panic.

"It is out of control." The Shogun frowned. "Tatarigami energy at this concentration will cause a massive explosion."

Before Baichen could react, the Shogun pulled him behind her.

The Shogun formed a seal with both hands, and a massive Electro barrier unfolded before them. Almost at the same instant, the crystal below exploded-

Amid a deafening roar, a wave of purple energy spread outward in a ring.

The Shogun's barrier blocked most of the impact, but the aftershock still shook the entire cliff violently.

A massive boulder came crashing down from above, heading straight for them!

"Shogun, watch out!"

This time, Baichen grabbed her hand and lunged to the side.

The boulder grazed the ends of the Shogun's hair before crashing into the ground, scattering countless fragments of rock.

The two fell in a heap, Baichen's back slamming hard against the rock wall, the Shogun sprawled on top of him. Their faces were so close that they could feel each other's breath.

Her purple eyes widened slightly, and the flower of eternity slipped from her hair, hanging in front of Baichen's eyes.

A faint scent of sandalwood lingered at his nose, mingled with the distinctive scent of Electro.

Time seemed to stand still in that moment.

"You..." A rare hint of emotion entered the Shogun's voice. "Why did you protect me?"

Baichen opened his mouth, but didn't know how to answer.

Yes, why protect a nearly invincible god?

Perhaps because, in that moment, she had actually looked a little... a little vulnerable?

A thunderous crash broke the delicate atmosphere.

The camp below was now completely engulfed in purple energy, and both the Traveler and the Resistance had vanished without a trace.

"A spatial rift." The Shogun quickly rose, her expression grave. "The Tatarigami energy has torn through reality."

She reached out and pulled Baichen up, her movements much gentler than usual. "We must leave immediately. A rift like this will attract the core energy of the thunderstorms."

By the time they returned to the temporary camp, Kujou had already returned with her team.

Seeing that they were both safe and sound, she visibly breathed a sigh of relief. "Shogun, the Resistance..."

"I know," The Shogun interrupted her. "Withdraw all troops immediately. Tatarasuna is about to enter a period of heightened thunderstorm activity."

As night fell, they returned to the Thunder Soaring.

On deck, the Shogun stood alone at the bow, gazing at the increasingly violent thunderstorms over Tatarasuna.

After much hesitation, Baichen finally walked over.

"Today... thank you for protecting me," he said softly.

The Shogun did not turn around. "You did the same for me."

Silence spread, broken only by the sound of waves against the hull.

Just as Baichen thought the conversation was over, she suddenly spoke. "Baichen, if one day you had to choose between me and leaving..."

She didn't finish, but the question weighed on Baichen's heart like a stone.

How was he supposed to answer? He didn't even know where he would go if he left.

"I don't know." In the end, he chose to be honest. "But at least for now, I'm glad I got to meet you... and everyone else."

The Shogun turned around, moonlight tracing her silhouette in silver.

She reached out and gently touched Baichen's cheek-there was a small scratch there, though he didn't know when he had gotten it.

"A wound," she explained briefly, healing lightning glowing at her fingertips.

Amid the faint tingling sensation, Baichen noticed that her gaze had softened slightly, and the curve of her lips was no longer so cold and rigid.

At that moment, the Raiden Shogun seemed to have temporarily laid down the burden of godhood, becoming just an ordinary woman who worried about others.

[Raiden Shogun affection +2%, current: 20%]

[Reward: Electro affinity increased to intermediate]

It was already late at night when they returned to Tenshukaku.

A maid told Baichen that the Shogun had gone straight to the administrative hall. It looked like she would be working through the night again.

He stood alone in the corridor, gazing at the flowers and plants bathed in moonlight in the courtyard, his mind filled with thoughts.

The day's events had been overwhelming-the thunderstorms in Tatarasuna, the unfinished question... and the unspoken understanding he had shared with the Shogun as they fought back to back.

"Looks like you had fun~"

A familiar voice came from above. Baichen looked up to see Yae Miko sitting on a beam, swinging her legs and playing with a purple crystal-the very same kind of Tatarigami energy crystal found in Tatarasuna!

"Guuji?! How did you..."

"Shh~" She leaped down lightly and pressed a finger to Baichen's lips. "Don't make such a fuss."

She leaned close to Baichen's ear, her warm breath brushing against it. "Want to know the secret the Shogun didn't tell you?"

Baichen froze in place, her lips almost touching his ear.

"What if I told you-

that crystal that exploded... wasn't brought there by the Resistance?"