Chapter 79. How to Prove You are Him
On the stage, Nilou began to dance gracefully. Her movements were beautiful, evoking the image of a water lily in its first bloom—pure, elegant, and untouched by the dust of the world.
The dance she performed was said to be one that a Sumeru dancer had spent more than ten years perfecting, dedicating it to the Three Archons.
The Three Archons referred to here were the Scarlet King, the Goddess of Flowers, and Maha Rukkhadevata.
This was a story known throughout Sumeru.
It was said that through this dance, the dancer had earned the praise of all Three Archons. Over the course of thousands of years, countless dancers had attempted to recreate it.
Some succeeded, receiving widespread acclaim, and even Maha Rukkhadevata herself had once offered words of praise to those who mastered it.
However, after Maha Rukkhadevata passed away, the Akademiya gradually began suppressing the arts for reasons unknown. They even came to believe that a nation devoted to wisdom had no need for such pursuits.
As a result, over the past five hundred years, painting, dancing, and countless other forms of artistic expression had steadily been pushed to the margins.
Now, five centuries later, only a handful of people still devoted themselves to these arts. Most instead sought admission into the Akademiya, aspiring to become qualified Scholars.
Even so, as everyone watched Nilou dance upon the stage, moving in harmony with the music, a trace of fascination appeared in their eyes.
Whether they were Desert dwellers or citizens of Sumeru, all found themselves drawn into her performance, as though they had been carried back to an age when the Three Archons still walked the land.
Back then, there had been no discrimination, no conflict, and the Three Archons had remained close companions.
Their people had not regarded one another with the hostility that existed today.
Before long, several minutes passed. As the music gradually softened, Nilou came to a stop, breathing lightly.
Clearly, dancing demanded considerable skill and stamina, especially when performing a dance that had continued uninterrupted for nearly ten minutes.
"Thank you. Thank you all for coming."
Nilou offered the audience a graceful bow before revealing a radiant smile.
"Ohhhhhh!!!"
"Nilou! Nilou! Nilou!!!"
"So beautiful!!! I feel like I've returned to the era when the Three Archons still existed!"
"Is this what a Sumeru dancer is like? She's incredible."
The audience erupted into animated discussion, accompanied by thunderous applause and cheers.
Standing on the stage, Nilou's smile only grew brighter. Then, for some reason, her gaze drifted toward a spot in the distance.
A group of Eremites was applauding there, and beside them stood a sickly Young Miss who was clapping as well.
This Young Miss was different from the others Nilou had seen before. There was an indescribable light within her eyes.
Nilou found herself particularly drawn to that light, because it reflected a yearning for life and for the future.
'Who is she?'
The thought surfaced in Nilou's mind.
Few young ladies in Sumeru City possessed such a light in their eyes.
Most were Scholars or intellectuals, and rarely displayed such open longing and hope.
Yet before Nilou could observe further, she saw the Young Miss exchange a few words with the Eremites beside her before turning and walking away.
A strange sense of urgency suddenly arose within Nilou's heart.
She wanted to get to know that Young Miss. For some reason, she felt that the two of them would certainly become good friends.
With that thought in mind, Nilou offered one final bow before hurrying off the stage.
On the other side, after watching Nilou's performance, Futsu Mitama and the others found a relatively secluded and safe location to begin their discussion.
Although Dehya appeared calm on the surface, inwardly she remained highly vigilant.
"Nice to meet you."
Futsu Mitama looked at Dunyarzad and Dehya, his tone gentle as he said, "My name is Futsu Mitama."
Those words left Kuki Shinobu and Sangonomiya Kokomi momentarily stunned. Neither of them had expected Futsu Mitama to reveal his name so directly.
After all, that name had become exceedingly famous for some time now throughout Teyvat.
Everyone knew of Futsu Mitama and his deeds. His reputation had already spread across the continent.
The future Raiden Shogun.
The successor personally acknowledged by the Raiden Shogun herself.
Information concerning Archons was among the most discussed topics in all of Teyvat, known almost everywhere.
Unless one lived in some remote corner of the world where no news could reach them, it was impossible not to have heard of him.
This was also why Tighnari had believed that Faruzan should not know Futsu Mitama's appearance.
Knowing what Futsu Mitama looked like was practically equivalent to knowing his identity.
His face was simply too well known.
In today's Teyvat, someone might not recognize the appearance of an Archon, but there was a high chance they would recognize Futsu Mitama.
To ensure that Futsu Mitama could appear publicly, Raiden Shogun and Raiden Ei had invested considerable effort in establishing his presence.
Perhaps their intention had been to bind him firmly to Inazuma.
To ensure that neither the Geo Archon, the Anemo Archon, nor even the Dendro Archon would develop any ideas regarding him.
Whether that objective had truly been achieved was another matter entirely. What was certain, however, was that both the name and appearance of Futsu Mitama had become known across the continent.
As a result, after a brief moment of surprise, both Dunyarzad and Dehya immediately became wary.
Even Dunyarzad understood the significance carried by the name Futsu Mitama. It was not a name someone could casually impersonate.
Which raised an obvious question.
If he truly was Futsu Mitama, the future Raiden Shogun, why would he secretly enter Sumeru?
Why come here disguised as an Eremite?
Wouldn't it make far more sense to enter Sumeru City openly and officially?
Why go through so much trouble to conceal his identity?
None of it seemed reasonable.
"Don't tell me it's just a coincidence of names."
Dehya had originally felt relatively at ease around Futsu Mitama and the others, but now her vigilance surged once more.
The other party was undoubtedly powerful.
Even so, Dehya simply could not believe that he was truly Futsu Mitama.
No matter who found themselves in her position, they would likely react the same way.
To put it simply, the current situation was no different from a drunkard in another nation claiming to be the Anemo Archon Barbatos.
Or a penniless wanderer claiming to be the Geo Archon Morax.
From Dehya and Dunyarzad's perspective, this was merely a masked individual disguised as an Eremite who was claiming to be Inazuma's future Archon.
It sounded utterly ridiculous.
A massive joke.
Could an impersonator not come up with something more believable?
Or perhaps... was this some elaborate attempt to frame him?
Whatever the truth might be, the trust Dehya and Dunyarzad had toward this group immediately plummeted.
Unless they could provide convincing proof.
"I really am Futsu Mitama."
Futsu Mitama sounded somewhat helpless. He had never expected that one day he would find himself suspected of being an impostor.
Still, the reaction was understandable.
Anyone in their position would have difficulty believing him.
So Futsu Mitama simply removed his mask, revealing his true appearance.
"A pretty convincing disguise. You even prepared the face."
Dehya let out a cold laugh, still refusing to believe him.
In her eyes, it was all part of the act.
If someone dared impersonate Futsu Mitama, then naturally they would prepare every detail in advance.
What could a face alone possibly prove?
Given enough time, she could create a convincing disguise herself.
Unless he produced further evidence, she would never believe him.
Furthermore, Dehya had already begun preparing an escape plan.
She had no idea why these people were impersonating the future Raiden Shogun, but their ambitions were clearly far beyond ordinary schemes.
Her priority was to protect Dunyarzad and then report everything to the Akademiya.
"Sigh."
Futsu Mitama let out a helpless sigh.
Looking at Dehya's expression, he knew that explanations alone would accomplish nothing.
Yet he also could not openly use the Authority of the Electro Archon or release any manifestation of the Demon God Realm.
If he did, powerful figures such as Signora, Scaramouche, Dottore, and other formidable individuals within Sumeru City would likely sense his presence immediately.
That would render his secret infiltration meaningless and would also implicate Faruzan and Tighnari.
Thus, accompanied by a flash of lightning, Futsu Mitama vanished from where he stood.
Before Dehya could react, he had already appeared directly in front of her.
"!!!"
Fast. Far too fast.
There was no time to react at all.
An overwhelming sense of danger exploded within Dehya's heart.
Death.
If the other party wished to attack her, she would undoubtedly die.
Futsu Mitama raised a hand and pressed it firmly against Dehya's head. Lightning flashed within his eyes as he spoke in a calm voice.
"You can tell me now. What...do you see?"
Having stepped into the Demon God Realm, Futsu Mitama possessed many miraculous abilities.
Ordinarily, he would never use such methods on an ally.
But at this moment, he had little choice.
In the next instant, through Futsu Mitama's eyes, Dehya witnessed an endless sea of lightning.
Thunder filled the world.
Futsu Mitama stood within that boundless expanse.
Unlike now, however, he was not dressed as an Eremite. He wore noble purple garments adorned with the Electro Mitsudomoe crest.
In his hand rested a tachi. The pressure emanating from that blade was almost beyond comprehension.
Terrifying.
Overwhelmingly terrifying.
Dehya could clearly feel that they existed on entirely different levels.
An Archon.
Without question, this was the presence of an Archon.
Although Dehya had never personally met one, every instinct within her told her the same thing.
The figure before her possessed the majesty of a god.
The moment their gazes met, it was as though she had witnessed something far beyond mortal comprehension.
The lioness who feared almost nothing collapsed directly onto the ground.
"Dehya!!!!"
Dunyarzad cried out in alarm.
"I'm fine, Young Miss."
Dehya quickly regained her senses and forced herself back to her feet. She refused to remain collapsed on the ground.
Yet even after standing, her legs continued to tremble. The fear lingering within her heart had not faded.
At that moment, Dehya finally understood why Futsu Mitama was called the future Raiden Shogun.
Such magnificent lightning. Such overwhelming divinity.
She would have believed someone who told her he was Raiden Shogun herself.
"Are you alright?"
Dunyarzad attempted to support Dehya, though her own weakened condition left her struggling to do so.
"I'm fine. Really fine. Young Miss, you should be worrying about yourself."
Dehya looked at Dunyarzad with helpless concern before turning toward Futsu Mitama, who had already placed his mask back on.
"It's just... he's probably really Futsu Mitama. Even if he isn't, then we can't exactly be blamed for believing him."
If someone capable of displaying such power turned out to be a fake Futsu Mitama, then Dehya would willingly accept being deceived.
After all, a single glance had left her mind reeling and nearly caused her to lose consciousness.
He was simply too powerful.
Never before in her life had Dehya encountered a being of such overwhelming strength.
"Mm."
Dunyarzad trusted Dehya's judgment. She gave a slight nod before turning to Futsu Mitama and asking, "May I ask... what exactly do you want from me?"
She still found the situation somewhat strange. After all, Futsu Mitama had just stated that his objective was her.
But was there truly anything special about her?
It certainly did not seem that way.
To be honest, Dunyarzad could not understand what value she possessed that would draw the attention of someone like Futsu Mitama—a being she could only describe as a god.
"To keep it simple."
Futsu Mitama had never liked unnecessary explanations. Looking at Dunyarzad, he said calmly,
"I know that you are someone Lesser Lord Kusanali pays close attention to. And because of that, she constantly watches over your existence. I would like you to remain with me for a period of time. Through you, I intend to establish contact with Lesser Lord Kusanali."
That was precisely his intention.
Futsu Mitama knew very well how much Nahida valued Dunyarzad.
In the original course of events, Nahida had intervened on Dunyarzad's behalf more than once. In the end, it was Dunyarzad's near death that became one of the catalysts that drove Nahida to finally resist.
Over the past five hundred years, Nahida had always been aware of the Akademiya's attitude toward her, as well as the stance of the Sages who controlled it.
Yet she had never openly resisted.
Instead, she devoted herself to gathering knowledge, preparing for the crisis she knew would eventually come and wallowing her qualifications.
Had Dunyarzad not nearly died as a result of the Akademiya's experiment, Nahida might never have seriously considered taking action against them.
However, even when Nahida finally chose to resist, the Akademiya had already become wary of her because of the God Creation Project.
Acting hastily, she was ultimately captured by Dottore, placing both herself and the Traveler in grave danger.
The situation now was different.
Futsu Mitama feared neither the Akademiya nor Dottore.
As long as Dunyarzad remained by his side, he could use her to establish contact with Nahida.
He believed that process would not take very long.
Given Nahida's concern for Dunyarzad, it was only a matter of time before she noticed.
Furthermore, considering Dunyarzad's current physical condition, Nahida would undoubtedly be paying even closer attention to her than usual.
"Lesser Lord Kusanali?!"
"The Dendro Archon who is being protected?!"
Both Dunyarzad and Dehya were visibly shocked. Neither of them had expected that Futsu Mitama's true objective was to meet Lesser Lord Kusanali.
"But..."
Dehya was about to ask a question.
Wouldn't someone of Futsu Mitama's status be able to meet Lesser Lord Kusanali directly? Why go through such a complicated method?
Before she could finish speaking, however, Dunyarzad's expression suddenly twisted in pain.
A foreboding aura spread from her body.
Her complexion instantly turned pale, and her body swayed forward as though all strength had left it.
"Miss!!!"
Dehya's pupils contracted sharply.
She had never expected Eleazar to flare up at such a moment.