The scenes on the glowing screen were sharp enough to jolt anyone awake.
Having accepted power from beyond this world, Raiden Ei finally came—escorted by rolling thunderclouds—to confront Aerin.
Yet to everyone's surprise, Aerin stopped Sangonomiya Kokomi from engaging her.
Instead, he chose to go alone.
He would deal with her personally.
Inside Imaginary Space
On a wide bed, Alice curled up in Aerin's arms.
A crimson glow flickered on her chest—the Stigmata Mark—while the soft, heavy weight pressing against Aerin's chest made it difficult to breathe.
As for why she was here—
Alcohol emboldened the timid.
Alice had never lacked courage to begin with. Last night, fueled by wine, she asked if she could take a look at Imaginary Space.
Aerin agreed without hesitation.
Seizing the rare chance to be alone with him, Alice confessed that her close friend Rhinedottir would definitely want the Stigmata Elixir.
Aerin had no strong opinion on that.
Then Alice admitted something else—
She wanted that power too.
Even if Klee hadn't been born from her body, she was still her entire world.
She wanted Klee to be happy.
And she wanted enough power to protect her at all times.
So she was willing to give everything—to cling to Aerin, this towering tree.
"You planned to let the people of Inazuma judge Raiden Ei," Alice murmured softly.
"You wanted them to plead for her… to give her one more chance."
"After all, no one loves Inazuma more than her. She just doesn't know how to govern."
"But when she accepted Bella's power… you were truly angered."
Aerin raised an eyebrow and casually smacked her.
Her hips trembled twice.
Aerin could still sense Skirk lurking nearby. Even without thinking, he knew her intentions.
He didn't particularly care.
He had already announced to all of Teyvat that the Stigmata Elixir carried will-domination risks.
If these women weren't afraid, why should he be?
Those he deemed suitable—if they dared to ask—would have to pay the price.
"You little fox spirit," Aerin scoffed.
"That mouth of yours never stops."
"Better shut it."
Alice pouted aggrievedly but obediently hugged her legs.
Then she added casually,
"Jean and Lisa are insanely jealous too. They're just too stubborn to say it out loud."
The truth was—Alice alone really couldn't handle it.
Eula had gotten completely drunk last night.
Benales, being a dragon, loved sleeping far too much.
This was Alice's first time confessing her feelings—and she felt like she was losing her mind.
"This won't do…" she clenched her teeth, pupils trembling.
"Sooner or later, I'll drag those two down with me."
The thunderclouds in the sky grew heavier.
All of Inazuma's people stared at the abnormal sky in terror.
They fell to their knees, crying out the name of the Raiden Shogun.
Yashiro Commission — Kamisato Estate
Kamisato Ayaka and Kamisato Ayato stood in the courtyard, fear filling their eyes.
They had never seen thunderstorms of this magnitude.
Suddenly—
The space within the thunderclouds shattered.
A purple figure stepped out, treading upon empty air.
The ring of violent lightning behind her made her identity unmistakable.
"Brother… that's—" Ayaka's voice trembled.
Ayato nodded heavily.
"It's our Raiden Shogun."
At the Grand Narukami Shrine, Yae Miko pressed a hand to her chest.
Raiden Ei was strong—strong to an unbelievable degree.
Yet Yae Miko's heart felt tightly clenched.
The contradiction made her uneasy.
"Why do I have such a terrible feeling…?"
Raiden Ei's lightning-filled gaze swept across Inazuma.
A voice full of disdain echoed from above.
"Looking for me?"
"Beelzebul."
Raiden Ei snapped her head up.
At some point, Aerin was already standing arrogantly above her.
"If you want to fight," he said calmly,
"then enter your Imaginary Space."
"I'd like to see exactly what kind of power you gained from Bella."
Without waiting for her response, Aerin stepped straight into Raiden Ei's Imaginary Space.
"…Is this what confidence looks like?"
Skirk, waiting below, sucked in a sharp breath.
"He knows this is Bella's scheme—yet he isn't worried about an ambush inside her domain?"
Her face flushed with excitement.
Such a man was overwhelmingly captivating.
In Skirk's heart, Aerin's figure grew even taller.
Raiden Ei's Imaginary Space
This space was unique—
Saturated almost entirely with Electro element.
The moment Aerin landed, arcs of lightning traced across his body.
Even the ground beneath his feet flickered with thunder.
"So that's how it is," Aerin muttered.
"You can remain permanently charged inside this space?"
He spoke as if to himself.
In truth, he had already sensed Raiden Ei following him in.
"You truly are strong," Raiden Ei said coldly.
"To remain unaffected inside a storm like this."
Still in her Magatsu Mitake Narukami form, she stepped forward—each step erupting with lightning.
"But someone who tramples lives so casually is unforgivable."
"I won't let Inazuma fall into your hands."
"I won't let you slaughter my people."
"And I won't let you sell Teyvat to beings beyond this world."
Aerin froze briefly.
"So… that's how she described me."
He shook his head, gaze hardening.
"You're just as foolish as the puppet Shogun you created."
"You chased Eternity until your mind rotted."
"Inner self, stop talking!"
The Raiden Shogun's voice echoed in Ei's consciousness.
"Defeat him—save Inazuma!"
Raiden Ei nodded.
She wasn't good with words anyway.
Lightning flared violently behind her.
She raised her arm.
The skeletal arm of Magatsu Mitake Narukami clenched Musou Isshin and swung down with full force.
BOOM!
Lightning exploded.
The entire Imaginary Space went berserk.
Yet—
Something impossible happened.
Just before Musou Isshin struck Aerin, the blade stopped.
Less than an inch away.
No matter how hard Raiden Ei pressed, the blade would not move.
"What… is this?"
The Shogun's consciousness trembled in shock.
Raiden Ei's pupils shook violently.
Aerin, meanwhile, frowned.
"That's not right…"
He looked up at her.
"Is this really all the power Bella gave you?"
"Even she wouldn't be incompetent enough to send you at me with just this."
He raised his arm.
A terrifying repulsive force blasted Musou Isshin away.
Raiden Ei lost her balance.
Before she could recover, an unseen force tore her from the skeletal hands.
The next instant—
She was in Aerin's grip.
BANG!
He slammed her into the ground.
Then stepped down hard on her chest.
"Ah—!"
Raiden Ei cried out involuntarily.
The pressure crushed the air from her lungs. Her long legs kicked up before slamming back down.
"She's… no match at all."
Raiden Ei outside the screen trembled, staring at the scene.
As a warrior, she could instantly see the difference.
Calling it heaven and earth wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Yae Miko twitched at the corner of her mouth.
"Correction," she muttered.
"If you hadn't taken power from beyond the world, that stomp would've sent you straight back to the Ley Lines."
Keqing: "T-That's terrifying…"
Tartaglia: "Even after taking the Stigmata Elixir, the Electro Archon is still helpless."
Cloud Retainer (Xianyun): "He's unimaginably strong."
Eula: "The Master's power is beyond comprehension."
Lumine: "Below the Master, all beings are equal."
Barbatos: "Well said! If Beelzebul with the elixir is nothing—and I'm nothing—then our strengths are equal!"
Lumine: "Correction. She took Bella-brand Stigmata Elixir."
Yoimiya: "Can you all please… show our Shogun a little mercy?"
The people of Inazuma were stunned.
They had believed their invincible Shogun would at least exchange blows with Aerin.
Instead—
Even with the Stigmata Elixir and Magatsu Mitake Narukami combined…
She couldn't even touch him.
"Hahahahaha—Beelzebul!"
"So you've fallen this far!"
Scaramouche laughed maniacally.
The other Harbingers glanced at him like he was insane.
Arlecchino smirked.
"Dottore already ran, and this idiot's still laughing. Does he think Aerin will let him live?"
Columbina sighed softly.
"Even Raiden Ei—who truly loved her people—is suffering under Aerin's hand. As for Scaramouche…"
"I heard he and the Doctor conducted experiments on Sumeru's people," Arlecchino whispered.
Pierro, the Jester, pressed a hand to his forehead.
"Let's evaluate our past actions," he said quietly.
"And decide whether we belong among the dead."
"If so—before Aerin reaches Snezhnaya, we should bid farewell to Her Majesty… and end it ourselves."
Aerin stood with one foot on Raiden Ei's body.
Like a mountain pinning her in place.
Disappointment flickered across his eyes.
"The gods of Teyvat are bound by order," he said calmly.
"I don't doubt their love for humanity."
"You simply don't know how to govern."
"I know the people of Inazuma want you to lead them."
"Even if I dragged you before the execution ground, they would plead for your life."
"I wanted you to hear their voices—to understand what they truly desire."
"But instead…"
"You accepted Bella's power."
"Beelzebul, the moment you did, you were finished."
"Spare me your hypocrisy," Raiden Ei replied coldly.
"I know you slaughtered over seventy percent of Mondstadt's population."
"You imprisoned the Tenryou and Kanjou Commissions."
"I will never allow you to harm a single soul in Inazuma."
She clenched her fist.
The lightning in the space went berserk.
Electro energy flooded into her body.
A strange force pushed Aerin's foot away.
"…This is?" He stepped back slightly.
Raiden Ei floated upward.
Lightning around her condensed—solidifying.
A colossal thunder-armored giant, over thirty meters tall, wielding a massive blade, appeared before him.
"This," she roared,
"is my true power!"
Aerin nodded lightly.
"Yes. It's several times stronger."
"And that makes sense—this is exactly what Bella would do."
"She can copy others' power."
"For those weaker than her, she recreates them perfectly."
"But for those stronger—"
"The copies are flawed."
"Incomplete."
"You might not know this," Aerin added calmly.
"But Susanoo has legs."
"And wings."
Raiden Ei froze.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"And I told you earlier," Aerin continued,
"the moment you accepted her power, you were doomed."
"If you lose…"
"You'll suffer unbearable backlash."
"Fool."
"You were played."
"Nonsense!" Raiden Ei roared.
Her Susanoo charged.
The massive Musou Isshin swept horizontally.
"This is my ultimate strike—Musou no Hitotachi!"
"If this weren't Imaginary Space, it would erase an entire continental plate!"
BOOM—!
The strike landed.
The entire space shook violently.
Yet—
The blade stopped.
Blocked.
"Beelzebul," Aerin said calmly,
"since you refuse to believe…"
"I'll show you what true Third Power really is."
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