Seeing this scene, Raiden Makoto revealed a faint smile.
Unlike the surrounding crowd—who were filled with worry and shock— she felt no tension at all.
The Raiden Shogun's presence might have been overwhelming, but Makoto herself was also a god.
So she sensed no killing intent.
Instead, it felt more like… a test.
"Looks like Ei has noticed something is wrong."
Thanks to the bond between sisters, Makoto quickly realized this.
"In that case, let me test the you of 500 years later."
The thought of crossing blades with her sister in the present sparked a hint of excitement in Makoto's eyes, despite her normally gentle nature.
With a thought, a purple longsword appeared along her right arm.
The blade radiated violet brilliance and carried the unmistakable aura of royalty.
"Something is definitely wrong."
Feeling the presence of that regal sword, Ei's eyes flashed with understanding.
She knew her friend well—
Yae Miko never used swords.
Let alone one that carried the aura of a sovereign.
What was this supposed to be?
An attempt at overthrowing authority?
Clearly, the person before her had a problem.
The Raiden Shogun's gaze sharpened as well.
From that sword, she sensed a familiar trace—something connected to the powerful sword intent that had appeared earlier.
With that realization, the Raiden Shogun swung her blade forward.
She intended to uncover the source of this anomaly.
Sisters Clash
In an instant, the two figures collided.
A battle between sisters had begun.
The Raiden Shogun held back slightly, still testing her opponent.
Makoto, on the other hand, could not fully use her own original power.
Yet the body of Yae Miko— a divine familiar—was far from weak.
Under these conditions, the two fought evenly.
But this was a clash between gods.
The sheer pressure of the battlefield was unbearable for ordinary people.
The spectators were forced to retreat from the platform.
Still—such a spectacular battle was rarely seen.
And the combatants were none other than the Shogun and the Guuji.
Even across all of Teyvat, this was an extraordinarily rare sight.
Driven by curiosity and excitement, most citizens refused to leave.
Instead, they moved to safer distances and continued watching.
Only one person remained calmly on the platform:
Han Feng.
Thoma's Existential Crisis
Amid the nationwide spectacle, one person alone was questioning reality.
That person was still kneeling before the statue:
Thoma.
"What on earth is happening?"
He looked completely bewildered.
Everything had unfolded so quickly he hadn't even processed it.
Wasn't he supposed to lose his Vision?
Why had the Guuji suddenly appeared?
And why were the two of them now fighting the Raiden Shogun?!
And honestly—
If you're going to fight, could you please move farther away?
I'm just a housekeeper!
I can't withstand the pressure of two gods battling overhead…
Feeling the danger around him, Thoma quietly scooted backward.
Losing his Vision would be bad enough—he had no intention of losing his life too.
Vision Returned
Seeing Thoma's cautious retreat, Makoto couldn't help but chuckle.
With a flick of her hand, she tossed the captured Vision back to him.
"Here—take your Vision and leave quickly."
"Thank you, Guuji!"
Holding his returned Vision, Thoma nearly burst into tears.
Thank goodness.
His precious treasure was back.
Ayaka Seizes the Moment
"Perfect opportunity."
Seeing this, Kamisato Ayaka's eyes lit up.
She immediately signaled her hidden subordinates to rescue Thoma.
The Raiden Shogun paid no attention.
To her, a single Vision was insignificant.
Her true focus remained fixed on the mysterious "Yae Miko."
Safe Retreat
Back beside Ayaka, Thoma spoke urgently:
"Milady, should we leave now?"
After this experience, he had no desire to risk another.
He planned to find somewhere safe and lie low.
If the Shogun turned her attention back to him later, his Vision might still be taken.
"You leave for now.
I'll stay here and continue observing."
Ayaka shook her head calmly.
Too much had happened.
She couldn't leave yet.
She needed to monitor the situation.
"Understood, milady. I'll go ahead."
After a brief hesitation, Thoma nodded.
He trusted that Ayaka would remain safe here.
Otherwise, he would never have left.
He soon departed with others toward the Komore Teahouse, the safest place he knew.
Watching him leave, Ayaka finally relaxed.
Then her gaze shifted toward a particular direction on the platform.
Everyone else—including her— had retreated under the Shogun's pressure.
But that black-haired young man still stood there smiling calmly.
This made her curious.
"He came here with the Guuji…
What kind of person is he?"
Suspicion Deepens
Meanwhile, the battle before the statue had reached a fever pitch.
Makoto fought with unusual joy.
On one hand, she felt the happiness of reuniting with her sister.
On the other, she could release the sorrow buried in her heart.
For her, this battle was strangely perfect.
But Ei's unease continued to grow.
"Why do Miko's techniques look so much like my sister's?"
She frowned again.
Five hundred years ago, she had sparred with Makoto countless times.
She knew her sister's fighting style intimately.
Yet Makoto was gone.
So how had Yae Miko learned these techniques?
Combined with—
her sudden personality changes, her use of a parasol, and those familiar combat moves—an astonishing thought surfaced in Ei's mind.
"Could it be…?"
"No. That's impossible.
Makoto died in that war. You confirmed it yourself."
The Raiden Shogun spoke logically, aware of Ei's thoughts.
"But only that explanation fits the anomalies.
When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains—no matter how unbelievable—must be the truth."
Ei held firmly to her suspicion.
The mere possibility that this person might be connected to her sister made her heart tremble.
"But it could also be Miko's scheme.
You know that possibility exists."
The Shogun remained rational.
For a moment, their conflicting thoughts created hesitation.
That hesitation directly affected the battle.
The Unexpected Landing
Facing Makoto's sudden, powerful strike, the Raiden Shogun failed to react in time.
She was knocked backward.
And by sheer coincidence—
the place where she fell was exactly where Han Feng stood, watching the fight unfold.
The two figures collided.
For a split second, the entire battlefield fell silent.
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