Raiden Shogun's gaze shifted from Ningguang to Gu Sanqiu, who remained calm despite the tension.
"You… have courage. Is he the reason you fight so desperately?"
"That's correct."
Ningguang moved the God-Bane Seal closer, and an acrid scent filled the courtyard. Yae Miko's nose wrinkled slightly as she subtly stepped back.
"How amusing. The legendary tool forged during the Archon War in Liyue, crafted at great cost from numerous materials to specifically target the mental energies of gods. I didn't expect any to still exist."
"Lady Yae Miko, I presume? And this must be the Radiant Ruler of Inazuma," Ningguang said, addressing Raiden Shogun. "May I ask what grievous crime my brother has committed to warrant the Archon of Eternity traveling so far?"
Raiden Shogun cast a glance at Gu Sanqiu, then slowly raised her naginata.
"You all fight for what you hold dear. I am no different."
"This body once vowed a dream to its people—a vision of eternity that remains unchanged across a thousand generations."
"For that, I must eliminate any and all interfering influences!"
The naginata came down, but Yae Miko immediately appeared in front of Ningguang and Gu Sanqiu, summoning a barrier to block the strike.
"My, my, it seems my dear Shogun is quite serious this time. I'm afraid even I won't be able to hold her off for long~."
Yae Miko turned her head, flashing a mischievous smile at Gu Sanqiu. "Hello there, handsome. We didn't get to meet last time, and now our first encounter is under these circumstances. What a shame."
"What are you all thinking?" Gu Sanqiu asked, suppressing the vibrations from his incense burner and looking at Yae Miko in exasperation. "Is the Demon's influence on her really that severe?"
"Of course. A deathblow-level attack from a god, clashing with entirely different elemental laws? How could it not leave scars?"
Raiden Shogun's naginata continued to press down, transferring immense force through Yae Miko's shield.
"Hey, darling, got any tricks up your sleeve? Because I'm about to lose this one," Yae Miko said with a light laugh. "Shogun, you wouldn't actually kill me, would you?"
"Yae Miko," Raiden Shogun said coldly. "If you stand aside now, you will not be my enemy of eternity. I only need him to remove the influence of the flame."
She withdrew her blade slightly. "You, make your decision."
"Tch, that tone of voice," Yae Miko teased. "I see you've anticipated my involvement and planned to counter my interference with sheer ruthlessness. Clever."
Gu Sanqiu patted Ningguang's shoulder and took the God-Bane Seal from her, carefully placing it into a box.
"It's best not to keep something like this out in the open."
Flexing his wrists, he stepped forward. "I'll handle this from here. Yae Miko, stand back."
"My, such bravery! But even though this is merely a shadow of my old friend, it's still at the level of a god. Are you sure you can handle it?"
"I'm not just handling her. I'm going to defeat her."
Gu Sanqiu's voice grew serious. "Eternity is not meant to be like this."
"Oh? Someone dares to challenge my definition of eternity?"
Raiden Shogun pointed her naginata at Gu Sanqiu's throat.
"In that case, I grant you a fair chance to fight."
"Only an idiot fights fair."
Gu Sanqiu scoffed, raising his right hand. "If my family's thousand-year foundation can't crush the shadow of a god, then the Fangxiang clan may as well cease to exist."
Clang!
A resonant hum echoed from the incense chamber as golden light streaked through the air, weaving intricate patterns in midair. Simultaneously, dark mist rose from the ground, coalescing into the shape of a humanoid figure draped entirely in black.
The golden light gradually descended, sketching fine, complex patterns over the figure, resembling primitive warpaint. The shadow turned its head toward Gu Sanqiu, raised a hand, and summoned a spear from his storage space, gripping it firmly.
"So, you've been hiding this kind of power?" Raiden Shogun's eyes gleamed with lightning as she glanced toward the incense chamber.
"This doesn't seem to be your strongest card yet. What else are you concealing—"
Boom!
In Raiden Shogun's vision, a colossal flaming fist shot out from the blazing fire, smashing directly toward her head. At the same time, smaller beams of golden light emerged from the incense burner, forming crystalline gems that embedded themselves into the fist, creating a majestic gauntlet that collided with her raised naginata.
Simultaneously, the black figure hefted its spear and thrust it powerfully at Raiden Shogun's chest.
"So, that's how it is," Raiden Shogun murmured as her shadowy form shattered. Before disappearing, she cast a long, contemplative look at the incense chamber.
"It seems I must report this encounter. For now, this matter ends here."
With that, Raiden Shogun dissipated into light and shadow. "Yae Miko, I expect you at Tenshukaku to explain."
Once she was gone, Yae Miko exhaled deeply, her usual playful smirk returning.
"Interesting. Truly fascinating. Handsome, your household is full of surprises."
The black figure turned, spear in hand, and froze as if staring directly at Yae Miko.
"Alright, alright, I was just joking," she said, clasping her hands in mock apology. "Thank you, elder, for stepping in. Without you, she might have succeeded today."
The golden light faded, and the dark mist dissolved. Gu Sanqiu coughed up blood, nearly collapsing if not for Ningguang's steadying hand.
"Lady Yae Miko, can you explain what's going on? Why was she so eager to remove the flame's influence?"
Yae Miko sat down at the stone table, casually opening her pink fan and waving it lazily.
"Isn't it obvious, handsome? Our dear Shogun has already been affected~."
"In recent days, she's issued several new decrees—something previously unthinkable."
Yae Miko chuckled. "But I'll admit, these new policies have given Inazuma a tiny spark of vitality."
"However, for my dear friend, this is anything but a good sign."
"This trip to Liyue? My idea. I wanted to see if you had anything similar. Perhaps I could… administer another dose to our lovely, reclusive Shogun~."
Gu Sanqiu facepalmed. "So she caught on to your intentions and sent a shadow along to intervene?"
Yae Miko wagged her finger playfully. "Correct."
---
T/N: I FORGOT WHAT THE DEMON DRAGON WAS CALLED AHHHHHHHHHHH
...
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