As one of the "C.C. Stigmata," Yae Sakura could naturally sense Lumine — whose mind was perfectly linked with C.C.'s. C.C. hadn't hidden anything about their bond, either.
Though this was their first meeting, there wasn't the slightest trace of awkwardness between them.
Instead, the two spoke warmly, as if they'd known each other for years.
"Parallel world counterparts…"
Walking beside C.C. and watching Sakura talk with Lumine ahead, Yae Miko's expression lit up with curiosity.
That was a term C.C. had just taught her — and with Miko's sharp mind, she immediately grasped what it meant.
"It's only a possibility," C.C. said playfully. "For all we know, she might be your counterpart instead~"
As a dozen little familiars fluttered about in panic, C.C. casually reached out, grabbed one by the scruff — the tiny fox, Higokumaru — and dangled it in front of Miko.
The little fox and the "shameless" fox locked eyes, both blinking adorably. But it was Miko who looked away first.
There was no denying it — the chibi fox reminded her of her younger self.
Once upon a time, she too had curled up like a sleepy ball in Baal's embrace.
Maybe… that connection wasn't so impossible after all.
Suppressing the urge to rub her forehead, Miko sighed.
"You didn't bring Sakura here just for small talk, did you?"
Her violet eyes twitched slightly as she watched the green-haired girl toy with Higokumaru, a teasing smile playing on her lips.
Was this woman doing this on purpose?
"Well," C.C. said, holding up a delicate finger with a soft smile, "you're not wrong. I did want Sakura to meet you — and maybe learn a little of your… cunning charm. Or should I say, clever mischief."
Before Lumine had even suggested the idea, that had indeed been C.C.'s original plan — to lift the miko's spirits by introducing her to someone similar, yet different.
"Hehe…"
Miko kept her usual gentle smile, but inwardly, she was groaning.
And since when are we on such familiar terms that you just call me "Miko" so casually?
Still, since C.C. was just as stunning as she was, Miko decided not to take offense.
"By the way," C.C. said suddenly, "Raiden Ei's Gnosis — you still have it, right?"
In the game's timeline, the Traveler had broken into the Fatui's Delusion Factory to avenge his friend Teppei, only to fall into Scaramouche's trap and lose consciousness.
Yae Miko had traded the Raiden Shogun's Gnosis for the Traveler's life.
If the Raiden Shogun herself showed up in Nagami's world right now, he'd probably blow her away without hesitation.
When Nagami first crossed into this world, the Genshin Impact story had only reached Inazuma — so the true purpose behind the Tsaritsa's collection of the Gnoses remained unknown.
But Lumine wasn't the type to worry about such things.
"If I already have one, I'll just wait for the Cryo Archon to come to me," she thought. "No need to go looking for trouble."
That way, no matter what the Cryo Archon planned, she'd have to come through Lumine.
Once everything was clear — the truth, the motives, the grand design — Lumine would decide:
If she felt generous, she'd hand it over.
If not — no one could take it from her.
Now that she had become a Being of the Void, with the power to manipulate entire realms, even if her raw strength wasn't fully unleashed yet, that ability alone placed her atop Teyvat's power hierarchy.
Even if Celestia and the Heavenly Principles themselves joined forces, Lumine wouldn't flinch.
And even if she had become "the older sister," Aether would still stand by her side without question.
"Besides," Lumine thought confidently, "as long as I'm here — no one can harm me!"
The end of Teyvat's story would come when she decided.
"The finale happens when I say so!"
C.C., linked to Lumine's mind, caught every one of those thoughts.
"Oh?" Miko tilted her head slightly, an intrigued glimmer in her eyes. "So your goal is the Gnosis?"
Her tone betrayed mild surprise.
As Raiden Ei's closest friend, she knew exactly what that divine symbol meant — and how little real power it held over its god.
Could it be that C.C. didn't know this?
With a thoughtful look, Miko studied the mysterious girl before her.
"Mhm~" C.C. shrugged, her beautiful smile unfaltering, neither confirming nor denying.
"How about a trade?" she offered. "You give me the Gnosis — and I'll help you enter Ei's inner world, the Plane of Euthymia. I'll even help you fight her.
You talk her down, I'll do the punching. Together, we'll knock some sense into that girl who locked herself away. Deal?"
The Plane of Euthymia — the realm of Ei's heart.
Defeating her there would shake her very will.
"What!?"
Miko's amethyst eyes widened in shock.
For a moment, she stood frozen, staring straight at C.C.'s flawless, porcelain face.
"You… how do you…"
Her voice faltered.
C.C.'s words revealed a level of understanding about Raiden Ei that went far beyond mere rumor — even the existence of the Plane of Euthymia was something only she and Ei knew.
Using something like that as a bargaining chip for a Vision of a god… it was clear that C.C. understood her own motives inside and out.
Honestly, on the continent of Teyvat, the sudden appearance of "travelers from another world" — or, more bluntly, world-hoppers — wasn't exactly unheard of.
It didn't happen every other day, but it wasn't a one-in-a-million miracle either.
Still, someone like C.C., whose existence was impossible to read or categorize, was something even the ever-composed Lady Yae Miko had never encountered before.
"Heh. As expected of an outsider, I suppose," Yae remarked softly, her smile genuine but troubled.
This one was… troublesome. Delightfully so, even.
Then, her gaze drifted toward the sakura-haired maiden standing quietly nearby — the one who was taking in the sight of the shrine with a nostalgic tenderness.
If she meant no harm… then there was no reason to interfere.
"You do realize," Yae Miko said, resting her chin on one delicate hand, "that the Plane of Euthymia is a realm that permits only the self to exist. You claim you can bring me into that space?"
"Of course." C.C.'s tone was calm, almost casual.
Even without invoking Nagami's power as the "King of the Void Genome," traversing a mental or spiritual realm like that was trivial for her.
For someone who had become a Being of the Rift, slipping into a sealed inner world was no more difficult than stepping through a doorway.
"Well, that's… unexpected," Miko mused, her amethyst eyes narrowing like polished gems catching light. "Then why don't you give me a little demonstration? It'd be quite the problem if you ended up trapped in there by Ei herself."
…And, truth be told, it would probably mean getting a very long lecture from her dear friend afterward.
C.C. just gave a small shrug. "Tempting, but I'll pass for now. I'm at a rather sensitive stage at the moment — best not to strain myself if I don't have to."
Seeing Yae's puzzled expression, C.C. deadpanned, "And no, it's not that kind of 'monthly issue.' I don't have those."
Yae blinked, expression freezing halfway between shock and disbelief.
C.C., meanwhile, was already lost in her own thoughts.
The process of analyzing the Nine Authorities and the Power of Time was already past fifty percent completion.
She could practically taste the breakthrough.
To reverse-engineer those divine powers back to their primal form — knowledge itself — meant achieving true mastery over their essence.
Just how powerful would she become once she completely understood the Laws of Multiplicity?
C.C. didn't know exactly how strong the being known as Terminus truly was, but she had no doubt that she could one day reach even Kiana's level.
That alone made this "epic-level upgrade" worth every ounce of effort. For now, every bit of her focus was devoted to deciphering the Laws of Authority.
"As for combat power," she added smoothly, "you really don't have to worry about us. You still remember him, right?"
Yae Miko blinked, following the pale finger that pointed toward the sacred cherry tree in the distance—
—where she saw Venti laughing and drinking with Zhongli under the petals.
Her expression went from confused, to shocked, to outright disbelief.
She might be centuries old, but her memory was still sharp as a blade.
Long ago, when she was still a small, fluffy fox like Higokumaru, she had attended the Divine Banquet alongside Baal.
There, one particular Anemo Archon had left quite an impression… mostly due to his terrifying alcohol tolerance.
And the figure before her now looked exactly the same.
"The Wind Archon… Barbatos," she whispered.
In the circle of gods, he was probably the easiest one to recognize — two thousand years, same face, same name, same carefree grin.
Honestly, it was a miracle the people of Mondstadt still hadn't figured it out.
"He hasn't changed at all since that banquet…"
Her voice trailed off mid-sentence — because right before her eyes, without warning, Venti morphed into Wendy.
Yae Miko's jaw dropped.
A row of question marks might as well have appeared above her head.
What in the name of Celestia…?
'Is that how he changes disguises now?!'
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