As Ei angrily withdrew her hand and stopped engaging with Zhongli, on stage, Li Mo took a moment to complete the fusion with his fifth incarnation's body.
Then he contacted the system again. "Fuse with the sixth incarnation's body."
The moment he spoke, a surge of powerful energy swept through the entire inn, shocking everyone.
Especially the three Electro sisters in the corner, along with Barbatos and Zhongli. They were astonished to discover that this storyteller possessed not only adeptal power but also the power of a god. It made him even more formidable.
Even Ei, the Raiden Shogun herself, looked at the storyteller with a grave expression. She completely abandoned the idea of kidnapping him.
The next moment, with the fusion of his fifth and sixth incarnation bodies complete, Li Mo now possessed both adeptal blood and the blood of a god. His strength had increased once again, reaching the level of a true adeptus.
Now, even if he had to face Ei and the other gods, he would be able to put up a fight. Not that he was foolish enough to provoke them. For now, his most important task was to complete his storytelling mission.
He glanced outside. There was still some time before sunset. He picked up his cup, took a sip of tea, and continued.
He began the story of his seventh life—the story of Kazuha's friend.
As he spoke, the Electro energy above the inn began to coalesce once more, forming vivid projections.
The images showed Inazuma once again. On a cliff stood a samurai holding a sword.
As the image zoomed in, everyone could see the samurai's face clearly.
The Raiden Shogun's body trembled slightly when she saw him. She recognized him. It was the current head of the fallen Kaedehara clan, now a wandering ronin—Kaedehara Kazuha. Also a wanted man by the Shogunate.
No. Could this young man be her brother's reincarnation?
And as far as she knew, Kaedehara Kazuha was still alive. If he was her brother's reincarnation, then this life would be his final one?
Though many questions remained unanswered, the Raiden Shogun watched the projections nervously, afraid to miss a single scene.
Ei noticed her agitation. "What's wrong?"
The Raiden Shogun's cold expression flickered. "Nothing. Seeing this samurai reminded me of something."
Ei patted her shoulder like an older sister. "Don't be nervous. No matter who our brother is reincarnated as, we must face it calmly."
The Raiden Shogun nodded slowly. "I understand."
Together, they turned their gaze back to the projections.
In the images, Kaedehara Kazuha stood on a cliff, looking out at Inazuma City in the distance. He was relieved to have escaped the Shogunate soldiers.
Then he turned to the swordsman he had just met. "Thank you for your help. Without you, shaking off those soldiers would have been much harder."
He admired this newly met swordsman. They were about the same age, but Kazuha could clearly sense that this swordsman's skill was superior to his own. He would have to train harder.
The swordsman smiled faintly. "It was nothing. It wasn't me who helped you escape—it was the blade in your hand."
As the sun set, a wanted ronin and an ordinary-looking swordsman lit a campfire on the cliff. They drank wine, ate grilled meat, and shared their insights on martial arts, swordsmanship, and blade techniques.
As they talked, Kazuha grew increasingly impressed. He was astonished to find that this swordsman who had helped him not only possessed exquisite swordsmanship but also had unique insights into blade techniques.
"I didn't expect a swordsman to have such a deep understanding of blade techniques," Kazuha said admiringly. "There are even points I hadn't considered. If you trained in blade techniques, you would surely become a powerful samurai."
After their conversation, Kazuha felt he had learned a great deal. He even gripped his sword, wanting to practice in the night to test his new insights.
The swordsman laughed. "Don't take me too seriously. I may sound knowledgeable, but it's all just talk. My ideas are full of holes."
He was right. He had never studied blade techniques. Everything he knew about them he had learned from other masters.
Under the night sky, after eating and drinking their fill, the two stood side by side on the cliff, gazing at the brightly lit Inazuma City in the distance.
Kazuha said with discontent, "Ever since the Vision Hunt Decree was issued, many samurai and swordsmen like us have been arrested by the Shogunate. Some have fled to Liyue, even to Mondstadt."
He was furious about the decree. He believed that no one had the right to take away another's wish—not even a god.
The swordsman said calmly, "Then why haven't you fled to Liyue or Mondstadt?"
Kazuha replied seriously, "The Kaedehara clan has lived in Inazuma for generations. I can't leave yet. What about you? With your skill, even the Raiden Shogun's most capable subordinates would have trouble stopping you if you wanted to leave Inazuma. Why don't you leave?"
The swordsman fell silent, deep in thought. Finally, he spoke slowly.
"The world says the Raiden Shogun's blade is beyond reach. What if I told you the reason I haven't left is to challenge that blade? Would you believe me?"
Usually, the swordsman wore a faint smile. But when he spoke of that blade, his expression was utterly serious.
Kazuha reached out and touched the swordsman's forehead. Finding that he didn't have a fever, he sighed in relief. "Stop joking. You really can't hold your liquor. A few sips and you're already drunk, talking nonsense."
He couldn't help but laugh. In all of Inazuma—no, in all of Teyvat—who could withstand that blade?
The swordsman laughed too. Yes, who but a madman or a drunkard would dare face that unreachable blade?
Kazuha, also slightly flushed from the wine, said, "By the way, we've known each other for a while, but I still don't know your name."
The swordsman said casually, "My name? I've forgotten it myself. If you don't mind, you can call me Nameless. Or Swordsman. Or just Friend."